Minnesota Mixed Bag: Game Fair opening weekend set for Aug. 9-11 – Outdoor News
Ramsey, Minn. — The 43rd annual Game Fair’s first weekend of fun for the whole hunting family will be Aug. 9-11. A second weekend of festivities is Aug. 16-18 at Armstrong Ranch Kennels in Ramsey. Game Fair hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Don’t miss this pre-season chance to take in a hunting seminar, test your archery or shotgunning skills, or purchase everything you need for the upcoming seasons. There’s a variety of activities, too, for kids, including slingshot shooting, air rifles, and more. Dog events such as dock jumping will again be show highlights.
For more information, visit www.gamefair.com.
MORE COVERAGE FROM MINNESOTA OUTDOOR NEWS:
Minnesota DNR plans for a walleye limit of two on Mille Lacs beginning Aug. 16
The Happy Prepper: The joys of readying for bird hunting season
Officials say a big ‘flush’ of southeast Minnesota streams has been good for fish habitat
GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE GREAT LAKES BASIN
Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Eastern Region has announced two requests for applications for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects. Through an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service anticipates that up to $6.2 million will be available for reforestation, ecosystem restoration, and forest health improvements on non-federal lands in the Great Lakes basin of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Launched in 2010, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative strategically targets the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and accelerates progress toward long-term restoration goals.
Applicants may be state agencies, sovereign tribal nations, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and local governments that work within the Great Lakes basin.
White Bear Lake-based Wildlife Forever says it will continue a partnership grant program with the Forest Service focused on implementing community outreach to prevent AIS in the Great Lakes region via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
All applications for this funding opportunity must be received in Grants.gov by 6 p.m. on Sept. 18.
For more information: www.fs.usda.gov/main/r9/workingtogether/grants
APPLY FOR ONX ADVENTURE FOREVER GRANTS THROUGH AUG. 16
Missoula, Mont. — onX, a leader in outdoor digital navigation, recently announced that the next application deadline for its Adventure Forever Grants will be Aug. 16. The Adventure Forever Grant program creates opportunities for nonprofits, land trusts, tribal nations, and community groups to unlock funding for projects related to access and stewardship.
Since its founding in 2009, onX has committed itself to conserving and protecting access to the natural landscapes that fuel adventures. From 2018 to 2023, onX’s grant program has helped secure and improve public access to 154,000 acres, and support the maintenance and building of 255 miles of trails.
Projects considered for grants include those that: acquire and conserve, protect access routes, build trails that give back, support voluntary private land access, restore trails and riding areas, and grow a community of stewards. Funding amounts vary based on project type and location, but typically fall between $5,000 and $25,000. All grantees must be based in the United States.
Visit here to apply or to learn more about onX’s Adventure Forever Grants program.
IOWA’S 2024 PHEASANT NESTING OUTLOOK: FEWER BIRDS THIS FALL
Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa’s pheasant population typically shows increases following mild winters with springs that are drier and warmer than normal. While last winter included average to below-average snowfall, spring was wetter than normal, with May coming in as the eighth wettest in 152 years of records.
Given the statewide information, the weather model is predicting pheasant populations will likely be lower for the 2024 hunting season.
The prediction is based on weather data, said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa DNR, and it can be wrong. The DNR’s August roadside survey is the best gauge of what upland populations will be this fall. The survey is conducted between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15, and the results will be posted on the DNR webpage around Sept. 15.
COMMITTEE STUDYING HOW TO MANAGE WISCONSIN SANDHILL CRANES
Madison, Wis. (AP) — A group of legislators, farmers, and conservationists studying how to control Wisconsin’s sandhill crane population held its first meeting this month.
The Joint Legislative Council’s 12-member Study Committee on Sandhill Cranes was set to meet Aug. 1 at the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area.
The Joint Legislative Council is made up of the Legislature’s attorneys. The council puts together committees to study issues every even-numbered year with an eye toward recommending legislative changes in the next session.
The sandhill crane committee has been tasked with coming up with ways to manage the state’s sandhill crane population and reduce the crop damage they cause, including seeking federal approval to establish a hunting season.
Multiple states, including Minnesota (the northwest zone), Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Texas, and Wyoming, hold annual sandhill crane hunting seasons, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill in 2021 establishing a sandhill crane hunt but the measure never got a floor vote.
