Minnesota Mixed Bag: Shotgun zone elimination bill in state House exempts Olmsted, Dodge counties – Outdoor News
St. Paul — On Tuesday. April 1, the House Environment and Natural Resource Finance and Policy Committee laid over, for potential inclusion in an omnibus bill, H.F. 623, the bill that would eliminate the state’s shotgun zone for white-tailed deer hunting.
While the bill’s current language would eliminate the shotgun zone, Olmsted and Dodge counties would be exempt from the change. Shotgun use for deer hunting would still be required within their borders.
Bill author Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, said that if the two counties are exempted in statute, the DNR would be the enforcement agency to ensure that hunters employ the correct firearms in those two counties.
Even though those counties are exempted in the bill, the other 85 counties around the state have the authority, under the bill’s current language, to take local action to maintain a shotgun-only zone and enforce those rules with county law enforcement. –– Natalie Ryder
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Private Woodland Owners Help Grow State’s Forest Inventory
St. Paul — Last January, the Minnesota DNR launched a new enrollment program for private woodland owners to participate in the forest inventory program, aimed at developing a broader understanding of Minnesota’s forests across all landscapes.
Minnesotans responded enthusiastically, with more than 800 private landowners signing up within six months, but more are needed to help complete the work. Areas of greatest need include Otter Tail, Todd, Clearwater, Kittson, Winona, Houston, Fillmore, and Goodhue counties.
“This data helps us understand the structure and composition of our forests and how they are changing and provides clues about their overall health,” said Keb Guralski, DNR forestry inventory scientist.
This data has already been collected on all of Minnesota’s public lands. With nearly half of the state’s woodlands privately owned, private woodland owners are a vital part of creating an accurate picture of Minnesota’s forests.
Landowners with at least two acres of forested property may visit the DNR website (mndnr.gov) to learn more and enroll. Priority will be given to areas that currently have fewer landowner enrollments. Signing up does not guarantee the land will be selected for data collection.
Voyageurs National Park Celebrating 50th Birthday
International Falls, Minn. — On April 8, Voyageurs National Park will celebrate its 50th anniversary. In collaboration with Voyageurs Conservancy, a variety of special events and programming, community partnerships, and other initiatives will be hosted throughout the year.
Established in 1975 (signed into law by President Richard Nixon), Minnesota’s national park has inspired adventure, connection, and conservation for five decades. Gov. Tim Walz will honor the half-century milestone by proclaiming April 8, 2025, “Voyageurs National Park Day” in Minnesota. The anniversary is followed by National Park Week, April 19-27.
Voyageurs spans more than 218,000 acres and includes dozens of lakes, forests, and streams in northern Minnesota.
Events planned include the Crane Lake Visitor Center’s grand opening. The new visitor center will serve as a discovery hub for those exploring eastern Voyageurs National Park. A grand opening event on June 6 will celebrate the landscapes and stories that shaped this region.
For details on special events and programming, visit here.
No Prairie Chicken Day in Iowa in 2025
Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has canceled the upcoming Prairie Chicken Day due to the decline in the local population to the point where staff have observed only sporadic use by a few male prairie chickens of the main Kellerton Lek.
The effort to return the prairie chicken to Ringgold County in southern Iowa and Harrison County in Missouri had begun in 1987, when wild birds captured primarily in Kansas and Nebraska, with a few coming from South Dakota, were released in the area.
The last significant translocation effort was in 2017. Since then, the population has shown a steady decline with a few years of stability. But no increases to indicate a growing population have been recorded.
North Dakota’s 2024 Deer Season, Summarized
Bismarck, N.D. — A total of 42,416 deer hunters in North Dakota took approximately 23,300 deer during the 2024 deer gun-hunting season, according to a post-season survey conducted by the state Game and Fish Department.
The NDG&F made available 50,100 deer gun licenses last year.
Overall hunter success was 55%, with each hunter spending an average of 4.7 days in the field. A total of 27,102 archery licenses (23,993 resident, 3,109 nonresident) were issued in 2024.
Clarification
Plymouth, Minn. — A recent letter to the editor in Outdoor News cited the accounting error that will lead to a reduction in dollars available via the Outdoor Heritage Fund.
The accounting error was that of a state agency, not that of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council. For details, please read this Outdoor Insights column from Outdoor News.
