Minnesota Mixed Bag: Outdoor News seeking Person of the Year Award nominations through Feb. 29 – Outdoor News
Plymouth, Minn. — Outdoor News will accept nominations for it 24th Person of the Year award through Feb. 29. Do you know a conservationist in the state who, with little fanfare, goes about his or her business of improving Minnesota’s hunting and fishing?
Email us that person’s name, along with a few details about why the nominee is deserving of the award. Email [email protected]
Pheasant Fest is March 1-3 in Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, S.D. — The 2024 National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic is set for Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.
Pheasant Fest will again feature a number of specialty stages, including the public lands pavilion, the bird dog stage, the path to the uplands stage, the habitat stage, and others. The acclaimed “bird dog parade” will take place on Friday, there’s a youth village for the youngsters, and PF officials will assist landowners at the habitat help desk.
Single-day admission for adults is $15 ; for youth ages 6-16, the cost is $5. A full weekend package is available for $95. Show hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 2; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Visit https://pheasantsforever.org/Pheasant-Fest.aspx for more information.
MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTDOOR NEWS:
National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic ready to welcome upland bird enthusiasts in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Snow geese on their way to the Dakotas, Minnesota ahead of schedule this year
Benefit for Bestul is March 23
Rushford, Minn. — A benefit to help defray medical expenses incurred by Outdoor News contributor Scott Bestul as he undergoes cancer treatment is set for March 23 at Nordic Lanes in Rushford.
Events at the benefit, which runs from 2-8 p.m., include a whitetail seminar by Randy Flannery, a silent auction, gun boards, and other raffles. Two Maine whitetail hunts, two Maine grouse and woodcock hunts, and also a Wisconsin bear hunt will be included in raffles.
Bestul was diagnosed with a form or sarcoma in November 2022. He’s been undergoing immunotherapy because the cancer hasn’t responded to chemotherapy. For more information, call Heather at (715) 415-3934 or Stephanie at (507) 459-1151.
Princeton Lions Ice-Fishing Contest Canceled; Cash Raffle Set
Princeton, Minn. — Despite being forced to cancel the 37th edition of the Princeton Lions ice-fishing contest due to poor ice conditions, anyone who bought a ticket for this year’s canceled event is eligible for cash prize drawings.
A total of $10,000 in cash, ranging from $100 to $1,000, will be given away to 51 winners. The raffle drawing will take place at the access on Green Lake (Isanti County) on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 4:15 pm. You do not need to be present to win.
In addition, tickets are still available and are being sold at a handful of local businesses in the Princeton area. Prizes that normally would have been given away during the on-ice raffles throughout the event will be auctioned off through Hiller Auctions on Monday, March 25.
Visit the Princeton Lions Facebook page for more information and ticket-buying locations.
Two Men Cited for LotW Walleye Overlimits
Baudette, Minn. — Two men were cited for overlimits of walleyes and sauger on Lake of the Woods on Feb. 6, according to a Minnesota DNR Enforcement incident report. DNR Conservation Officer Anthony Hams seized 40 fish in total.
Jason Stevenson, 52, and Thomas Steiner, 57, both were in possession of 14 walleyes/sauger over their limits, according to the report’s summary. Restitution was assessed for 14 fish for each person, and both were cited for seven-fish overlimits.
The possession limit on Lake of the Woods is a combination of six walleyes and sauger with a maximum of four being walleyes.
Warm Winter Causes Temporary Road, Trail Closures
St. Paul — Unusually mild weather in February is affecting road and trail conditions in several parts of the state, according to the Minnesota DNR.
Several roads and motorized trails in state forests, state parks, recreation areas, and wildlife management areas are likely to close earlier than usual because they’re too soft and muddy to support vehicle traffic without causing damage, and some have closed already. The duration of the temporary closures depends on local weather and surface conditions, which are difficult to predict.
Road and trail closure information is available by contacting the DNR Information Center at [email protected] or 888-646-6367 or (651) 296-6157.
