Outdoor Traditions: Fall 2015

Game On!

Fall Is The Time To Go After Giant Walleye

Inside o

Spot & Stalk

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How To Hunt Opening Day Ruffed Grouse

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The Best Time To Fish River Walleye Is Almost Here!

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History On The Water

o

Proper Gun Handling

o

A Berry Busy Business

Fall 2015

Issue 10 • Edition 3

Contents Features

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Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian S. Peterson

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Proper Gun Handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Johnson

Coming Home

It’s more than just point and shoot

10 The Best Time To Fish River Walleye Is Almost Here! . . Jim Kalkofen My Number One Passion – Fishing Rivers In Fall

16 For The Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Bogenschutz Canada’s Friendly Bandit

18 Game On! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Freed Fall Is The Time To Go After Giant Walleye

26 History On The Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kate Perkins Gull Lake Classic Boat Show One Of Best In The Country

28 Spot & Stalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joshua Salisbury I Was As Giddy As Visions Of Spot And Stalk Whitetails Danced In My Head

30 How To Hunt Opening Day Ruffed Grouse . . . . . . . . . Bill Marchel Opening Day Grouse Hunters Should Find At Least A Few Birds

Departments 14 Wild Stories

32 DNR Calendar

15 Nature’s Cuisine

33 Gear Review

22 Outdoor Almanac

34 Service Directory

Chelsey Perkins Turkey Wild Rice Stew Kyle Farris A Berry Busy Business

August-November Outdoor Events Phil Seibel Fugoo Speakers

On the Cover: Steve Olson, owner of Chase on the Lake and Leisure Hotels. Photo by Jeff Andersen

Jeff Andersen

Excerpts From DNR

A quarterly publication of the Brainerd Dispatch

. Tim Bogenschutz Copy Editor . Matt Erickson Marketing . . . .Leo Miller Designer . . . . . Andy Goble Advertising . . . Nikki Lyter

Publisher

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— Email your comments,

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® 2010 © 2006 Your Best Shot

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Submit photos to outdoors@brainerddispatch.com

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

By BRIAN S. PETERSON

Brian S. Peterson

Coming Home

Welcome

As this issue of Outdoor Traditions will attest, fall is a lot of things to a wide variety of outdoors enthusiasts here.

It’s fishing walleyes on the river – and in general – and ruffed grouse hunting. Even time to gear up for deer hunting. And so very much more.

With winter not so far away, autumn also is the beginning of an end. And, still, a rebirth. At least for me.

After three years away from the Brainerd lakes area and its vibrant outdoors scene, I return to help The Dispatch’s parent company, Forum Communications, launch the Northland Outdoors Network as its director of content.

Outdoor Traditions falls under that umbrella, as does helping to coordinate outdoors coverage for the company’s 30 newspapers across the Upper Midwest.

And, in the not-so-distant future, bringing outdoors television into the fold.

It’s a huge effort by Forum Communications, but what better place for the Northland Outdoors Network to call home – its headquarters – than the Brainerd lakes area. Before leaving in July

2012, I worked for The Dispatch for six years, the latter four-plus years as outdoors editor. I know the outdoors possibilities here are endless. Hunting, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, snowmobiling, all-terrain vehicles, biking, birding – the list goes on and on and on. And that list is relevant all across Forum Communications country.

I left Brainerd for an editor job at Lake of the Woods – another outdoors mecca, where everything revolves around the big lake and the area’s natural resources.

And I most recently worked as an outdoors journalist in a Colorado mountain town that also embraces the out-of-doors. But, in my estimation, it doesn’t compare to what we have in the Upper Midwest, and in the BrainBrain erd area in particular. particular Yes, I may be biased.

I grew up in northwestern Minnesota, entrenched in the

outdoors. And my return to Minnesota (Brainerd) from the same Colorado mountain town nearly 10 years ago only strengthened my belief that we have something special here.

As we do with Forum Communications and the Northland Outdoors Network.

It’s good to be home.

Publisher’s Note: We welcome Brian back. We are very excited about his skills, experience and enthusiasm he will bring organizing the content for our new Northland Outdoor endeavors. By the time you read this, we will most likely have adding additional personnel to our Northland Outdoors team.

If you are an outdoor enthusiast expect to see new expanding coverages using newspapers, magazines, websites, social media and eventually a Northland Outdoors television show. Stayed tuned!

BRIAN S. PETERSON Director of Content, Northland Outdoors Network

www.northlandoutdoors.com

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Proper Gun H

Michael Johnson

It’s M

The staff at PointBlank Gun Training stands out at the outdoor shooting range including Jaime Boesen (left) Vance Walsh and Brian Walsh.

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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

n Handling

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

t o o h S d n A t in o P t s u J n a s More Th

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Among the five incidents last season, two resulted in fatalities, including a 69- and 50-year-old man. Both had received their firearm safety certificates. Both were out enjoying a Minnesota deer hunt.

As we enter the fall season, millions of Minnesotans will head out in search of wild game.

Mistakes can easily happen when guns are only used once a year.

At PointBlank Gun Training in Brainerd, the focus is on handguns, but the safety skills remain largely the same.

What you can learn at this training facility in Brainerd is how to treat a gun with respect and to handle it safely. You will also come away with more knowledge about the operation of guns and the laws of their use than most other permit to carry classes care to offer.

The owner of the company, Brian Walsh and his two assistants, Jaime Boesen and his son Vance each offer something different to members of the class and provide great variety throughout the length of the seven- to eighthour courses.

While Brian Walsh has been training since 2008, Vance has been helping train and assist with technology aspects of the courses since 2009, and Jaime has been providing an important female perspective on safe gun handling for about four years.

“We do a pretty good job of mixing our abilities,” Walsh said.

While some permit to carry courses allow you to walk in and out with a permit in just a couple hours, the group at PointBlank Gun Training feels that that’s do-

ing students a disservice. Their typical courses are eight hours long. That’s mostly classroom time, learning about gun operation, proper stance, ammunition, laws of gun sales and gun buying, gun transportation, guns and social media, shot placement and finally shooting your handgun.

“We are known for our amount of information,” Walsh said.

While they like to provide more for students, they also like to provide that to smaller groups of three to 12 students at a time.

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson

Taking a look at the Minnesota DNR’s incident reports in recent years, most gunshot injuries and deaths were self-inflicted, often the result of a dropped firearm or catching the trigger on an object. Next on the list are those that were shot while they were out of the site of the shooter.

The indoor shooting range allows indoor shooting year round with a handgun. www.northlandoutdoors.com

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The classroom at PointBlank Gun Training allows for small class sizes and more one-on-one time.

Michael Johnson

His son Vance said their differences are good for teaching.

“We may differ on a few things, but I think that is better for our students,” Vance said.

The group doesn’t just teach the same classes, they continue to learn after each class and adapt to each student’s learning. They continue to be students too, attending a variety of courses elsewhere.

Are they any good? At a recent shooting competition with S.W.A.T. members Vance came out with the top time and showed those with far more experience that he knows what he’s doing.

“It helps to set up that credibility,” Brian said.

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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS ON HAND 001284367r1

SAFE GUN HANDLING 101

Michael Johnson

Walsh said he understands that many people just want to get in and out of a class with a permit, but he doesn’t want to stand next to them at the shooting range. He’s proud knowing his students have been shown safe use of handguns and have shown him they are capable of using a gun even if they may never use one again.

Any student that goes through their courses can then attend a student shoot night that happens monthly from November through March at their Brainerd facility within Brian’s Welding.

They also offer a summer shoot night at their new outdoor facility near Pillager.

The outdoor facility offers more than just prime pistol shooting areas. There’s a 140-yard rifle range, shotgun shooting area, reactive targets, a climbing tower, zip-line and even a door on a frame to allow you to practice kicking in a door. You never know when you might need to know how to do that.

They’ve already begun growing on the 72 acres of property to allow for camping on site. More plans are coming together every day.

The whole idea behind these different scenarios is to offer a switch from the monotony of shooting paper - as fun as that may be. “It’s a big adult toy box is what it is,” Walsh said.

If you are interested in taking a class to be more confident in your hand-gun handling, check out their website at http://www. pointblankguntraining.com to learn more about each class.

CLASSES INCLUDE: Permit to carry

This class is seven hours in one day and costs $125. Students must be 21 or older. This class will allow you to apply for your MN permit to carry a pistol through the sheriff department.

Intermediate pistol This class is for someone who is looking to develop their practical handgun skills. You will go beyond basic operation and start using your firearm in practical situations. Emphasizing accuracy, trigger control, and shot placement; then continuing with skills that include single handed shooting, drawing from a holster, and using cover and concealment.

Expect to shoot 100-250 rounds with hands on instruction including instructor demos. Class is $150 and eight hours.

Advanced pistol Upon completion of the intermediate handgun training, you A climbing tower now greets guests that take part in the advanced courses at PointBlank Gun Training. A zip-line extends from the tower out over the property. No shooting happens from the tower. It’s just another opportunity to build confidence in the outdoors.

Millions of Minnesotans will be going afield soon in search of wild game.The folks at PointBlank Gun Training offer basic safety skills to remember before heading out.

1. Maintain muzzle control at all times 2. Know your target. Or in other words, “don’t shoot at shadows,” Jaime says.

3. Check it for clear. Don’t just assume you don’t have a bullet in the chamber. Check the chamber for a bullet. As Brian Walsh would say, “It doesn’t matter if it’s your wife or the Pope, verify that that it’s clear.”

4. Keep your finger off the trigger.

Violate any of these rules and you increase your chance of a serious injury. can register for advanced training. This class will take many of the basic and intermediate skills and contort them into advanced skills. This class is designed to push your practical skills. Drills are designed to make you think outside of the box. It is fast paced and intended to mentally and physically push the student.

Awareness and observation will be a key to success in this course.

Expect to shoot 300 rounds. Class is $150 and eight hours.

To sign up, call 218-820-2793.

MICHAEL JOHNSON, is Night Editor at the Brainerd Dispatch, and avid Outdoorsman.

www.northlandoutdoors.com

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By JIM KALKOFEN

The Bes

RIVER Jim Kalkofen

Is A

Fall walleyes, especially late fall walleyes, are waiting to be caught. Local rivers produce some amazing trophies.

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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

est Time To Fish

ER WALLEYE

Almost Here!

W

While on a local river last fall, the day was warm, the wind was idle, the trees were showing off and the only sound interrupting the solitude was an occasional goose. Believe it or not, I laid my fishing rod across my lap and thought back about what my Number One passion – fishing rivers in fall – caused me to do.

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I used to love sneaking along creeks and flushing grouse and wood ducks. Gave that up. I chased squirrels on the oak ridges. Gave that up. Loved to bow hunt. Gave that up. Goose hunting – gave that up. Muskies and walleyes in lakes – also passed on those.

Because, I gave it all at the office, which for me was river fishing.

It probably started due to all the stream trout fishing I did as a youngster and through the first three decades of my life. But, I really know it started because I was casting in the Wisconsin River one day in October, and I watched a guy in a boat nearby slipping the current and catching walleyes. I wanted to do that.

Maybe it was because during those early days of competitive walleye fishing, rivers were a big part of the competition. I had no idea how the guys did it but I watched from the camera-boat vantage point, interviewed them for stories and TV shows and jumped in their boats to learn first-hand. Wow! Did it make a difference!

Keith Kavajecz escorted me on the Mississippi River at Red Wing one February day in 1986.

He showed me the art of vertical jigging in a river. I worked at it in my boat, and by August I felt very comfortable vertical jigging rivers. That’s what my son and I learned that open water season.

That lesson will serve all fall river anglers well and the basic explanation follows.

Usually in fall I target the deeper holes with jigs and plastic. In local rivers, that means about eight feet and deeper. With a medium weight spinning rod, from 6 to 7 feet long, rigged with 8-pound FireLine, and a 1/4th ounce jig tied direct, I use a va-

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riety of plastics. Companies that make the best in my opinion are Mister Twister, Northland, Rapala, Lindy, Berkley Gulp and PowerBait, and Strike King.

My choice has been the 4-inch grub tails, although sometimes the 3-inch works better. Colors: white or pearl seem to out-perform other colors. But, I always

Jim Kalkofen

Fall rivers produce some exciting moments. Fishing for walleyes could result in muskies like this.

have some pink, purple, blue and brown grubs with me. The jig should have a longer shank and a wider gap hook for maximum hook-ups.

That’s it for gear. The next step is what keeps everything vertical.

The boat must be controlled with a bow-mounted electric trolling motor. It doesn’t matter which way the wind is blowing or current speed. It doesn’t even matter which way the boat is pointed.

The critical single thing to concentrate on is keeping the jig bouncing bottom (or being held slightly off bottom) with a line that is straight up and down from

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

jig to rod tip. Jigging motion is only a 6-inch rise and fall, with the jig only touching bottom occasionally to reassure the angler that the jig is in the fish zone. If the jig hugs the bottom, snags or zebra mussels will claim it.

Do whatever is necessary to keep the jig under the rod tip.

Speed up or slow down the electric motor. With wind and current, the boat will pivot on the electric motor, and the person in the back of the boat won’t be able to keep a line as straight. If that occurs, both anglers should fish from the bow.

In a typical river “hole,” that is 14-feet deep, there are many potential locations for feeding walleyes. Everything being equal, the head of the holes and the wash-out section on the lower ends seem to hold the fish. But, if a few big muskies are occupying the hole, walleyes could be much shallower or even in the deepest part of the hole. Make a pass through the center section and also repeat the drift towards each shallower side. The fish will tell you their story. If one grabs the jig in 10-feet, work the hole on both sides of center at 10 feet.

Could the jig be dressed with leeches, minnows or crawlers? It could but doesn’t increase hookups (at least for me). However, that’s all some anglers use and they catch fish.

OK, so the vertical jigging tactic is not working. Could be for any number of reasons but it could mean they’re not home.

They could be in the shallower current stretches called flats by the guys who write about fishing.

These flats that hold walleyes are usually 3 to 8 feet deep. This is where the simplest method produces results.

With a 7 ½ foot medium-heavy spinning rod and 10 to 14-pound FireLine and a snap tied direct, attach a Rapala Husky Jerk (size 12 or 14), an original number 9 or 11 floater, a floating ThunderStick or similar lure. While moving downstream, make a long cast and hold onto the rod. Speed the boat to keep the line tight to the lure (use the rod tip as your guide). When going upstream, poke along so the lures are really working, again by watching the rod tip. It may appear the boat is crawling just faster than the current, and that will be the case.

When a shallow stretch shows up on the depth finder, lift the rod tip high. If the rod tip indicates debris on the lure, snap it forward to free leaves or weeds.

If catching fish in a certain stretch, don’t be bashful about making several passes. If the walleye only hit going upstream, fish that direction, run downstream and repeat.

When most anglers hang up their rods in favor of feathery or furry pursuits, I stay on rivers until I cannot launch the boat.

Sometimes the best river fishing occurs during rifle deer season.

Some years it goes until early December. But the peak seems to be late September, all of October and as much of November as your fingers can stand.

The nice aspect of fishing Brainerd area rivers is that you will have them mostly to yourself.

You will catch bonus smallmouth bass, pike and muskies. You will

see nature in all its glory. And you can do it close to home. However, these tactics will also work in the big rivers to the north, east, west and south of Brainerd as well, although certain tactics that require much longer rods seem to be preferred by many anglers in those regions.

Knowing what happened to me, once you experience success this fall, be careful that rivers don’t drag you away from your favorite outdoor pursuits.

JIM KALKOFEN has been director of the largest walleye tournament circuits for two decades and was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

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Wild Stories

EXCERPTS FROM DNR CONSERVATION OFFICERS’ WEEKLY REPORTS (EDITOR’S NOTE: Reports appear as they were written by conservation officers.)

June 15

CO Marty Stage (Ely) spent time in Two Harbors court testifying in a BWCAW snowmobile felony fleeing case. While working in the BWCAW, CO Stage encountered a group that had capsized their canoes right after leaving the landing. The officer observed that they each had fishing poles along and asked if they had gotten their fishing licenses. They said they had not, but that if the fish just happened to end up in their boat… The whole group then laughed for a while. The officer waited for the laughter to die down, then identified himself as a game warden and explained the high cost of fines, how to purchase licenses over the phone, and discussed all the other BWCAW rules that they had not felt necessary to be aware of before heading into the BWCAW wilderness for their first time.

a license. The angler then said she had an angling license, but didn’t have it with her and that her dad always told her to never go fishing without it. After all that, when the officer looked it up, she actually had a fishing license. Enforcement action was taken on no angling license in possession, operate PWC at greater than no wake speed within 150 feet of shore, operate PWC during closed hours, insuf-

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Continued on page 25

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CO Don Bozovsky (Hibbing) worked angling, boating, invasive species and state park enforcement. The officer came along a 4-year-old and her grandmother fishing; however, they were not going to catch anything on the bait being used. The officer scrounged up a couple night crawlers from under a log and helped the young girl catch the first fish of her lifetime, followed by a couple others. When asked to see a fishing license, an angler who was 16 said she was 15. When asked what her date of birth was, her brain wasn’t fast enough to do the math and she was 16, requiring

ficient PFDs, no navigation lights, operate ATV in public waters, fail to remove boat drain plug, operate ATV on public highway, and a traffic light violation.

CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) spent a majority of the week checking boaters and anglers on area lakes. Violations found included operating boats at night without navigational lights, fish-

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

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A

Nature’s Cuisine

By CHELSEY PERKINS

Early fall in Minnesota represents a time of great bounty: the summer garden headliners are in full swing and the long-awaited late bloomers of autumn are trying to steal the limelight. Tomatoes, peppers, corn and beans commingle with winter squashes, cabbages and root vegetables, their flavors accentuating one another in a way only foods that grow at the same time do.

In my recipe this edition, I’ve tried to capture the essence of both seasons, incorporating corn and fresh beans side-by-side with butternut squash and wild rice.

As with any of my recipes, substitutions are welcomed and encouraged - any kind of fresh “shelling” bean would work in this dish (shelling beans are fully formed fresh beans before they are dried for storage). Potatoes, turnips or zucchini could stand in place of butternut squash, only requiring slight adjustments to cooking times.

Whether you follow this recipe to the letter or change it to your tastes, one thing is for certain: this stew is one to curl up with on a chilly Minnesota autumn evening.

Turkey Wild Rice Stew

• 1 tablespoon olive oil • ½ cup chopped onion • 2 celery stalks, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 teaspoon dried thyme • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 4 cups turkey stock • 16 ounces peeled and 1-inch diced butternut squash • 12 ounces turkey breast • 1 cup baby lima beans • 1 cup sweet corn kernels • 1 cup cracked wild rice, cooked to package specifications • Salt and pepper to taste • Lemon juice to serve In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, cooking about 5 minutes until it starts to become translucent.

Add the minced garlic and stir, allowing to cook for about 30 seconds. Add the dried herbs and cook until fragrant.

Add the turkey stock, deglazing the pan in the process, and then add the butternut squash.

Add the turkey breast pieces to the pot, ensuring they’re mostly covered by the liquid. Bring the stock mixture to a boil and then turn down the heat to allow it to simmer, partially covered, for about 15 minutes or until the turkey meat is thoroughly cooked.

Remove and set aside turkey pieces. If butternut squash is cooked through, reserve about half of the vegetables using a slotted spoon. Blend remaining mixture using an immersion blender, food processor or regular blender (make sure to vent the lid of the blender - hot liquids can cause mini kitchen explosions).

Shred turkey breast using hands or two forks. Return the turkey and reserved vegetables to the pot. Add the baby lima beans, corn kernels and as much of the cooked rice as desired.

Allow to return to a simmer.The stew should be ready once the lima beans and corn are cooked through. Taste for salt and pepper.

To serve: scoop a 1- to 2-cup portion into a bowl and top with lemon juice to taste.

NOTE: I almost always add lemon juice or another acid, such as apple cider vinegar, to finish a soup or stew. It’s astonishing the flavors that come through when encouraged with acidity.

CHELSEY PERKINS is a Brainerd Dispatch staff writer and is one of the columnists featured in the Dispatch’s regular food column, Puttin’ on The Mitts. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ DispatchChelsey and at www.twitter.com/MittsDailyDash.

www.northlandoutdoors.com

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Chelsey Perkins

A

A dish for a chilly fall day!

FOR THE BIRDS Tim Bogenschutz

By TIM BOGENSCHUTZ

Canada’s Friendly Bandit

M

My first encounter with a Canadian Jay, also known a Gray Jay or Whiskey Jack, was canoeing in the Boundary Waters. They are fearless and friendly and would steal a piece of fish right from your plate if left unguarded. They live in the northern conifer boreal woods and have never met a pine, fir or balsam they didn’t like. Living with dual citizenship and lifetime mate they inhabit most of the United States and Canada border areas and extend from there to the vast high north regions of Canada, just short of the treeless tundra. Not having fear of humans comes from the remote areas in which they live. Campsites and people are an invitation to find easy food and satisfy their curiosity curiosity.

One additional name they go by is “camp robber!”

On one occasion I encountered these puffy Grey Jays during a late fall deer hunting season.

It was the last weekend of the northern Minnesota hunt. The weather had turned very cold and it was snowing.

It had been a successful hunt and we triumphantly let our quarry hang outside the cabin.

The next morning we were entertained for hours as a pair of untiring Jays toiled. The deer fat or suet had frozen solid. As hard as it was, it was being torn and stripped away piece by the Cana-

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dians. Back and forth they flew, stashing their prize quarry away in a place not to be forgotten. This certainly is some premium fuel that would help keep them warm through the winter’s cold nights.

These are some of the northern latitude’s heartiest birds. They are tough enough to survive yearround in some very cold temperatures. The Canadian Jays are a member the family that includes crow and jay brothers and sisters.

They need to be industrious and brazen as they store their excess food in bark crevices all summer

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

and revisiting it in harsh weather.

Another trait, that would test other species strength, is they nest raise their young in late winter and early spring, not during the warmth of the short northern summer.

Canadian or Gray Jays usually live in small groups. They fly making little noise as they ark in quiet swoops. Like many others of their family, they have a large variety of hoots, chatters and calls available, but are less likely to use them than the other jays.

The Whiskey Jack is truly one of my favorite birds. They are

Tim Bogenschutz

rare because you usually have to be in the “way up north” to run into them. But when you do you most likely will get to know them because they follow you or watch your campsite for you, waiting for you to let your guard down. Remember when I said they could swoop down and steal fish right off your plate? I once baited a couple with a cold frying pan with leftover breaded walleye. I was sitting at the same table no more than 3 feet from the pan.

After a little squawking and jumping from branch to branch, they came. Swooping down from the jack pine, into the frying pan and off to the hiding place. First one then the other; I swear they winked at me each time. They repeated the sequence until the last piece was gone. I always wondered where they ended up hiding the fish and when did they finally end up eating it? One thing is for certain they didn’t even leave me a tip.

TIM BOGENSCHUTZ Publisher of the Brainerd Dispatch, and avid outdoorsman. He has a passion for Photography while spending time outdoors.

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GAME ON! Fall Is The Time To Go After Giant Walleye

T

By J ASON FREED

The leaves are changing, the water temps dropping and the big fish are going to be on the prowl. Triggered by

the instinctual need to feed before the winter abyss, now is a great time to go hunt gi-

ants! A bonus — fishing pressure drops significantly, since many are drawn to the woods for other outdoor pursuits.

Take advantage of this time of year to find giant walleyes in north central Minnesota.

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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

To find the larger fish in any system in the fall, one has to have an understanding of what they are after. Typically in most northern Minnesota lakes that means ciscoes. During the fall, ciscoes are looking to spawn and this will draw a crowd. Find ciscoes, you will find fish.

Prime spawning grounds will include rocky flats adjacent to shorelines and points that have deep water nearby. Ideally, there is also some weed growth as well that can serve a hideout spot for spawning ciscoes. While waiting for the right water temperature, the ciscoes will often suspend out in this deeper water. When the temperature gets to be around 42 degrees or so, the ciscoes move in and the walleyes will follow.

The seasonal movements of walleyes also come into play. As the water temperature continues its decline, walleyes start to leave main lake structure in favor of shoreline points or even bays. As the walleyes move back to the shoreline structure, they will often set up along shoreline breaks as shallow as 4-6 feet of water and shallower if a stiff wind is blowing into shore. Given this fact, walleyes and ciscoes are on a collision course and the advantage goes to the toothy critters. What we want to focus on is the walleyes that will lurk near these rocky areas in their pursuit of these tasty, fatty ciscoes. When looking for these areas on the maps, look for windblow points or shorelines that have a steep break and deep water adjacent or nearby - this is the ideal set up for fall walleye fishing success.

Jeff Andersen

Steve Olson, owner of Chase on the Lake and Leisure Hotels.

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19

One method to target the bigger walleyes is to “super size” your baits. Keep in mind, if your goal is to catch a giant, don’t offer them a snack, like a fathead or a small chub minnow. Go big or go home and that means redtail or chub minnow that is in the 6-9 inch class. In doing so, you will eliminate the smaller fish from being part of the equation. Yes, this may mean less action, less bites, but not necessarily so. Leisure Outdoor Adventures owner Toby Kvalevog notes, “In the fall we will see bigger fish ending up in the same area and forming schools in their search for baitfish.” Thus, if you catch one big’un, there will be others nearby. Jigging can still be an effective presentation vessel for giant eyes but instead of your typical jig and shiner, try a bigger redtail or creek chub on a longer shank jig. To help with hooksets, use a jig with a longer shank that accounts for the bigger bait but also allows for ample hook space for solid hook ups. Good ones to consider are the offerings from Kenkatch Tackle Company.

Kenkatch has a line of jigs that come with the longer shank hook which are ideal for hooking on a 4-5 inch redtail or creek chub.

You can make long cast toward shore and snap it aggressively back in the early fall. However, as temps drop, you may need to slow this presentation a bit. When the temps really plummet swimming the bait back might be the ticket.

Allow it to tick the rocks, pause it, twitch it and this pause and

20

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

Jeff Andersen, co-owner of Leisure Outdoor Adventures.

twitch will be when the walleye drills the bait.

A second option to consider is the many swimbaits that are on the

mistake, they crush them leading to Kevin VanDam-type hooksets!

As summer is but a distant memory the giants start to patrol the depths beneath our cooling fall waters. Driven by the need to feed as winter approaches, it is game on for big fish. The allure of chasing these giants is not so much for a fish fry, rather it is the desire to match wits with the biggest and baddest each lake has to

offer. Get out there, chase down a giant and make a memory!

JASON FREED, is the President of Leisure Outdoor Adventures Guide Service.To Service. To go along with these management duties he is also a full time fishing guide and writer for the company. He resides in Baxter, Minn., with his wife Emilee and his two daughters, Macin and Hayden.

Jeff Andersen

market. Bass guys out West have known for years the viability of swim baits to lure big fish, walleye guys need to do the same. Making long casts, swimming them just over the rocks will get you big bites. Look to match the bait fish as best as you can when picking out your colors and adjust the size of your jig for the conditions you are fishing in. When the walleyes go after these baits, there is no

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21

Jillian Gandsey/Bemidji Pioneer

By KYLE FARRIS

Outdoor Almanac

C

A BERRY BUSY BUSINESS

Bagley Couple’s Strawberry Patch Caters To Kids

Campbell Galloway didn’t need to declare her love for strawberries -- the sticky red proof was on her face. really red,” Campbell said.

Strawberry season is short in northern Minnesota. Picking begins usually around the first week of July and runs about three weeks. Berries should be plucked within a day or two of ripening, and local fields such as Ter-Lee and Mistic Berry Farm in Puposky must protect their harvests from temperature swings that can disrupt growth.

“We do not let pickers in the fields until those berries are really ripe,” said Terry Nennich,

In a berry-hunting troupe that included her sister, cousins and grandparents, 8-year-old Campbell prowled the fields at Ter-Lee Gardens in Bagley, where her family and others worked constantly crouching, fingers picking busily through the leaves.

“To find really red ones and big ones and small ones that are really,

co-owner of Ter-Lee. “We take really good care of them. There’s no question about that.”

Terry and his wife, Loralee Nennich, have been in the growing business for more than 25 years.

Their sprawling 120-acre farm produces annually a cornucopia of vegetables and autumn decorations that Loralee brings several times a week to the Bemidji Area Farmers Market.

But people come for the strawberries.

“Hey,” said Campbell, setting

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Jillian Gandsey/Bemidji Pioneer

Visiting Ter-Lee Gardens with family, Brooklynn Sjostrom, 8, searches for strawberries to top off her bucket.

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Loralee and Terry Nennich are celebrating their 25th year of operation at Ter-Lee Gardens.

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grandparents of strawberry shortelse’s bucket. down for a moment her overflow“If you’re hungry,” she said, “it’s cake for lunch stirs a cautious ening pail. “My hands turned pink.” thusiasm among the girls.

Dave and Marta Sjostrom, OK.” “We’ve never had grandparents to it,” Campbell said.

Campbell and her “They always say young picking we’re going to make mates, host almost it, and we never do.” every summer what Their buckets full, they call “Nana the girls and grandand Papa Camp.”

Among Campbell, parents piled into 12-year-old Olivia an ATV that Terry Galloway, 8-yearuses to haul families old Brooklynn Sjosaround the property.

They roared away, trom and 5-year-old the young ones lickBaya Sjostrom, Tering their fingers.

Lee Gardens holds “A lot of fields its own against the don’t let kids in,” Headwaters Science Terry said. “We caCenter and Paul Jillian Gandsey/Bemidji Pioneer ter to them.”

Bunyan’s Animal Olivia Galloway, 12, picks strawberries for her bucket at At Ter-Lee, chilLand.

Ter-Lee Gardens. dren get their own “It’s really fun to find them, and to eat some along Brooklynn wouldn’t say for pails. They’re told to pick ahead the way,” Olivia said of the strawsure that strawberries are her fa- of their adult representation -- “to vorite fruit -- “I think so,” she said pick the big ones,” Terry said. berries, admitting she sneaks the “By the time they’re 30,” he occasional berry from someone -- but the very mention by her

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23

Jillian Gandsey/Bemidji Pioneer

long, low greenhouse.

Before plants reach the high tunnels, the Nennichs pore over seed catalogs. They begin seeding in February and plant their strawberries about April. In the fall, Loralee brings pumpkins -- orange and white, warty and smooth -- to the farmers market through the end of October.

“I think this has to be in your blood,” Terry said. “If you’re in it just for the money, you’re going to get bored real quick.”

Leaning back, scanning the farm from the front row of their ATV, the Nennichs charted their week ahead.

“We do -- what? -- five farmers markets a week now?” Terry said.

“No. Four,” Loralee corrected.

“There’s Bagley ….” Terry trailed off.

“And I do Bemidji Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday,” Loralee said.

“But we have two on Thursday.”

“But that’s one day,” Loralee said, and Terry smiled.

“Oh, whatever,” he said.

KYLE FARRIS, is a reporter with the Bemidji Pioneer. He is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and spent the past year working as an intern and part-time reporter for the Duluth News Tribune.

Jillian Gandsey/Bemidji Pioneer

added, “I tell them they’re too old for that.”

Terry and Loralee used to have help from their own children around the farm. Their three kids, now grown and graduated from college, sometimes prod their parents about scaling back.

“We always say it will be the next year,” Loralee said. “And then it gets bigger.”

This year, the Nennichs had an excuse: Terry retired in April from the University of Minnesota, where he worked 31 years as a professor focusing on fruit and vegetable production.

“Now, it’s kind of our retirement project,” Loralee said.

Away from the fields and back toward the house, a homemade trailer with a striped awning sleeps in wait for its next trip to the market. Around the yard sits a series of high tunnels -- a type of

Baya Sjostrom, 5, drops a strawberry into her basket while visiting Ter-Lee Gardens with family on July 6.

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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

Wild Stories

EXCERPTS FROM DNR CONSERVATION OFFICERS’ WEEKLY REPORTS (EDITOR’S NOTE: Reports appear as they were written by conservation officers.)

Continued from page 14 ing with too many lines, fishing without a license and keeping fish out of season.

One case was finished up that involved an angler that couldn’t help but show off his fishing success by posting pictures online. The suspect posted photographs that included smiling for the camera while holding up a sturgeon that was caught and kept out of season. The suspect posing for the photos also didn’t bother to purchase an angling license.

June 29 CO Paul Kuske (Pierz) ran into a group of parents at a gas station. They joked with the Officer, “Don’t come to our lake.” Later CO Kuske did go to “their” lake and found one of “their” kids illegally operating a jet ski. Enforcement action taken for allowing illegal juvenile operation and expired registration. CO Kuske received another claim for compensation when a wolf killed a mature beef cow at an area ranch. While on patrol a person was cited for having three young kids as passengers in a class 2 ATV, none of which were wearing helmets or seat belts. CO Kuske and CO Musatov assisted the Army’s 189th Infantry Brigade at Camp Ripley, providing safe boat coverage while troops conducted a training exercise on the Mississippi River. Assistance was provided to District 3 officers in executing a search warrant.

July 7 CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) worked a busy week with lots of people up enjoying the weather on area lakes. Fredin started the week by performing a traffic stop on a vehicle that went through a stop sign, driving into opposing lane and speeding. Approached the expecting an intoxicated driver instead was surprised by finding a 13 year old child behind the wheel. Lots of boating activity was observed with some fishing.

Violations for no angling license in possession, fail to transfer boat title, expired boat registration, and Jet Ski operating at high speeds within 150ft of docks. Fredin also took care of a bear that was shot by a homeowner and issued nuisance beaver permit.

CO Bret Grundmeier (Hinckley) worked a very busy 4th of July holiday week.

A lot of boating and ATVing complaints were taken and violations found included illegal operation of jet-skis, unregistered watercraft and numerous ATVing viola-

tions. Time was also spent in Banning State Park after a hiker slipped off a ledge and fell 20 feet down a cliff, in a remote area of the park. The fall resulted in multiple injuries that included a broken leg. With the help of 20 other first responders from several communities, and ropes and pulleys, the hiker was strapped into a rescue sled and carried out. Other activity included manning the Turn In Poachers Wall of Shame at the Finlayson Fourth of July Celebration.

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) spent the week working boat and ATV safety. Independence Day Weekend brought great numbers of boaters to area lakes. Assistance was given Murray County Sheriff ’s Department when a complaint was received after some parents dropped their three children off on one side of Lake Sarah, with PFDs, and allowed them to swim across the lake into 30 mph headwinds. The three children were recovered safely by the parents and deputy.

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History On The Water

Kermit Sutton is pictured in “Ondine,” his 1926 Belle Isle Super Bearcat, a 30-foot runabout with a Hispano-Suiza V-12 engine. Boats like this one will be on display Aug. 29 at Bar Harbor for the annual Gull Lake Classic Boat Show.

Reg Down

By KATE PERKINS

Gull Lake Classic Boat Show One Of Best In The Country

S

Some people refer to it as “floating art.” The Gull Lake Classic Boat Show, an annual event at Bar Harbor, is considered by some to be the top vintage boat show in the country. At least, that’s what Jim Wangard, of Classic Boating Magazine, has to say about the event.

“Gull Lake has probably gone to number one status,” Wangard said. “Maybe that’s why we return every August. You know it won’t disappoint.”

The Gull Lake Classic Boat Show will be Aug. 29 at Bar Harbor. The show begins at 9 a.m. and concludes with a parade of vintage boats at around 4 p.m., weather permitting.

Wangard said the show is number one for many reasons.

The setting is beautiful, for one, as it’s not held an industrial waterfront as some shows are. Bar Harbor has actually expanded its docks this year, in part to prepare for the two boat shows it’s hosting this summer- the Gull Lake Classic Boat Show and the Inter-

26

national Boat Show, which will be in September.

Jason Raasch, along with his wife, Melissa, and friend, Ted Rogers, started the Gull Lake Classic Boat Show in 2009. While they enjoyed the annual boat show at Moonlight Bay in Crosslake - the Whitefish Antique and Classic Boat Show - they realized that there were enough vintage boats on the Gull Lake Chain alone for the area to have its own show. Plus, there would be far less transportation necessary to show the boats.

Raasch owns Wood Boat Shop, which is located north of Bar Harbor. He repairs, refinishes and restores wood boats. The boat show was also a way to show the community his work. But the

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

show ended up getting much bigger than Raasch ever expected.

“It’s in the top five boat shows for sure,” Raasch said. “That’s due to the major collectors in the area who bring quality boats. Most shows have one or two exotic boats, but over half our show is exotic stuff.”

Wangard agreed that the Gull Lake Classic Boat Show has a number of high quality boats, and a large number of boats in general. He contacted Hagerty Marine Insurance regarding the show, which reported that based on insured value of the boats at the event, it would easily be the number-one show in the country.

With monetary value, Wangard said, comes rarity. The Gull Lake show not only features

many rare boats but also rotates the boats every year - so visitors aren’t seeing the same watercraft time and again. Many varieties are represented: Chris-Crafts, Gar Woods, Hacker-Crafts, Dodges and Canadian boats.

Dave Bortner, who owns Freedom Boat Service and also specializes in wood boats, offered some history of the era of wood boats. Few wood boats were built in comparison to how many boats are manufactured today. In part, that was due to the great depression, which in some cases forced major boat builders to build only 20-30 boats a year.

Of all the boats made in the era, only around 30 percent are still in existence today.

The boats were also made with an incredible amount of craftsmanship, Bortner said, because at the time labor was less expensive than materials. The opposite is true today.

Larger wood boats are especially rare because most of them were built before World War II. They were built larger and grander, and today there are few to go around. After WWII, the boats were made smaller and simpler, Wangard said.

One of the largest collectors on the Gull Lake Chain is Lee Anderson, who owns 36 vintage boats. He plans to bring around five of them to the Gull Lake

Classic Boat Show. One of those is a 33-foot Baby Gar - but don’t take the name too seriously. The boat seats 12-14 people and has six mahogany cocktail tables.

“There’s nothing baby about Baby Gars,” Anderson said.

“They’re huge.” Anderson’s is called the Johnny Johnson IV and was made in 1926. It has a 1917 Liberty V12 inverted aircraft engine in it, and it’s one of only nine Baby Gars that are still in existence.

Anderson said that the 1917 Liberty V12 is a 400 horsepower engine. It replaced the earlier engines that were usually only around 200 horsepower.

After the first World War, Raasch said, there was a surplus of aircraft motors. “They were put into boats for major speed and were seriously dangerous,” he said.

Many of the vintage boats that will be at the show were made at a time when speed records were constantly challenged and broken. One of the most famous races was the Gold Cup Race, and Anderson plans to bring two Gold Cup winning boats to the Gull Lake Classic Boat Show.

Bortner said the engines in the boats were, at the time, the absolute cutting edge of technology.

Advancements were being made in the internal combustion engine and in aluminum alloys.

“There were constant speed

THE GULL LAKE CLASSIC BOAT SHOW When: Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015 Beginning at 9 a.m.

Where: Bar Harbor Supper Club, Lake Shore Cost: Free to the public Information: www.gulllakeboatshow.com records and efforts to go faster on the water,” Bortner said.

In many ways, vintage boat owners and collectors are preserving a fascinating era of history, and the boats on display will offer a glimpse into that period of time.

The Gull Lake Classic Boat Show on Aug. 29 will include free boat rides provided by a boat museum from Alexandria, Minn., beginning at 11 a.m. Awards, a serious source of pride in the vintage boat owning community, will be presented in the afternoon, followed by a parade of boats around the Gull Chain of Lakes, if weather permits.

Visit gulllakeboatshow.com for more information on the show.

KATE PERKINS, a former Echo Publishing staff writer, is a freelance writer from northern Minnesota.

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27

Sp t & Stalk

By JOSHUA SALISBURY

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A

Anxiously I sat in my recliner watching the forecast forecast. The weather for tonight was forecasted to bring snow! I was as giddy as a school boy as visions of spot and stalk whitetails danced in my head ei head. For me, good ingredients for a spot and stalk hunt are either a soft fresh snow or a light rain and a consistent wind, provided it isn’t too hard. Tomorrow according to the forecaster promised to bring just that.

Indeed it did snow and given the temperatures the snow would remain quiet underfoot. Snow can be a funny thing; if the temperatures don’t cooperate snow can begin to sound about as bad as walking over the top of dried oak leaves. If you hit the weather correctly, snow can be a very big bonus for spot and stalk deer hunting. It can be very quiet under foot, a definite advantage given the whitetails excellent hearing. Other good weather to hope for is a light rain. If it rains the night before, conditions are perfect. The undercover is quiet and usually brush and grasses you bump into aren’t all that wet. A light rain during the hunt is good, too, provided you have good optics and clothing to handle the moisture.

The next ingredient for a good spot and stalk hunt is wind. Wind like snow can be good or bad. No wind can be bad as it seems to make the woods eerily quiet. Too much wind is typically bad as it makes deer nervous and jumpy. Get that perfect wind, say around 10-12 mph, and now you have something to work with. This type of wind helps mask some noise and allows you to tell the wind direction, a key component for any deer hunt.

Now let us take a look at nonweather factors. I tend to prefer a spot and stalk hunt after my morning sit.

I have several reasons I do this. First off is that the good hours for natural deer movement seem to be in that first

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

hour of light, with deer heading from feeding to bedding areas. That being the case, I prefer to sit this time period out in hopes of catching a deer moving. Typically around 10 a.m. I begin my spot and stalk hunt. By this time the deer have usually settled down as have other hunters giving you an idea of hunter locations.

Before taking my first steps, though, a few things have to be in order. First and foremost is my footwear. Spot and stalk means stealth and covering some ground. I don’t need a heavy boot with a wide footprint. What I do need is something lightweight giving me the quietest foot drop possible and a good feel. By feel I mean being able to feel sticks underfoot before putting your entire weight down. The second order of business is apparel. When on the move, even on a cold day, it is important to not overdress, which causes several problems. Sweating is the first problem caused by wearing too many clothes. Not only can the deer smell this but it also can end up making you chilled when you stop moving.

The second thing about overdressing is marshmallow man syndrome. Too many clothes make you bulky. A large amount of clothes increases your visual footprint and also makes it harder to weave in between trees and branches without bumping into them. This leads me to my next point about clothing — wear quiet fabric! Loud fabrics such

as canvas or nylon make every encounter with a branch stand out. Quiet fabrics like polyester and wool make for stealth should you run into a piece of brush or a branch. This is very important when the name of the game is sneaking.

Next is optics. When spot and stalk whitetail hunting good optics are a must! This type of hunting relies on you being quiet and seeing the deer before it sees you.

This is very important and good binoculars should never be forgotten. Do not use your scope to scan for deer, this is a dangerous practice and could find you pointing your muzzle towards another hunter!

It now seems like we are ready to start right? Well, not quite yet!

It is now time to map your route.

Things to consider are: what way is the wind blowing? Where am I comfortable walking without getting turned around? What way is out to the nearest point I recognize? Where is the sun? What route provides the quietest walking? A good spot and stalk hunt will take these questions and use them to their advantage. Let us first examine the wind. A spot and stalk hunt is probably over before it starts if you hunt with the wind to your back. A deer has an excellent sense of smell; in fact it is believed to be 100 times better than humans. That said, even with good scent control products, there is a good chance of being picked off by a deer’s nose before you ever know the deer is there if you don’t keep the wind in your favor. Next is the sun. This is often not thought about but it should be. The sun can help you keep track of your direction but it also helps camouflage the hunter.

By keeping the sun to your back

the hunter is often hidden, especially in early or late hours of the day. Think about the last time you looked into the sun, I bet you didn’t see a whole lot else.

Finally plan your route. This will help in not getting lost and taking the quietest path ahead. Take the perimeter of that slash don’t go down the middle. Go around that downed tree not over it. This goes on and on, but planning your route can make a big difference in not making noise or being seen.

Now it is finally time to hunt.

The sun is to your back, the breeze is in your face. Your route is planned. The hunt has begun.

This is the time to remember the old saying, slow and steady wins the race. This is not a fast walk game. Take slow steps, carefully watching and feeling for sticks underfoot, all the while scanning ahead. Stop frequently and scan the woods ahead and around you with your optics. Scan it twice.

It is amazing how often we miss something the first time. Remember movement is often what busts a hunter especially in low light conditions where a deer’s pupils open three times wider than our own. One last tip is always look behind you when you stop. I have often passed deer without seeing them, despite my best efforts, only to have them try and sneak away behind me after I have passed.

Spot and stalk deer hunting is a challenge but given the right gear, the right amount of patience and stealth and a little bit of luck, it can also be one of the most rewarding types of hunting to do.

That next morning proved to be every bit as good as I thought it would be. The snow was soft and quiet, the wind light and steady, the sun was out to add some

Joshua Salisbury

extra cover and I quietly snuck along my favorite route. I hadn’t been hunting much more than an hour when I noticed a doe feeding along a windrow. I wanted to get a little closer as I had my muzzleloader with so I slowly crawled in an attempt to close the distance. As my head peered back over hill that separated us I was greeted with the site of a big buck.

His antlers glowed in the sun and time seemed to stop for a moment. When the smoke cleared and the evidence was examined, it appeared I got a little excited and missed, but that’s hunting and I will always remember sneaking to within 60 yards of that buck. It was a great hunt!

JOSHUA SALISBURY Merchandise Coordinator for the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association

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How To Hunt Opening Day Ruffed Grouse

By BILL MARCHEL

A

At one-half hour before sunrise on Saturday, Sept Sept. 19, the 2015 Minnesota hunting season on ruffed grouse will begin begin.

We all know ruffed grouse numbers have been down in recent years. The Minnesota DNR conducts annual springtime ruffed grouse drumming counts. The good news is the spring counts revealed almost identical numbers to 2014 when the spring the counts were up 34 percent in the northern part of the state and stable in southern Minnesota. The bad news is, well, the grouse population didn’t rise.

Ruffed grouse populations peak roughly every 10 years, then fall dramatically before beginning a gradual upturn. Biologist still don’t fully understand the reason grouse populations cycle up and down.

The last ruffed grouse population peak occurred in 2009. The 2015 drumming appears to verify the population upturn has started.

Will the stable drumming counts result in more ruffed grouse flushes this fall? That remains to be seen. Personally, I have not seen any broods of young grouse this summer.

But, favorable June weather may result in larger broods of young grouse this fall. The tiny balls of fluff are vulnerable to wet weather and cold during their first week or so of life, and can easily succumb to hypothermia.

But all is not lost for those willing to stomp the forests on opening day. Despite a population that cycles up and down, Minnesota is usually the nations top producer of ruffed grouse, even during low population cycles.

All through population lows, grouse hunters will want to concentrate their hunting efforts in the absolute best habitat.

Throughout most of the forested regions of Minnesota, the favorite fall food of ruffed grouse is the fruit of gray dogwood. This head-high shrub proMale ruffed grouse do drum in the fall. Follow the dull sounding, thump, thump, thump, and you may end up with a grouse in your game pouch.

Bill Marchel

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OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

Bill Marchel

duces small, white or light green berries that ruffs find irresistible.

Gray dogwood grows in damp areas and is prevalent in the transition zone where alder lowlands rise and meet an aspen forest.

Also look for gray dogwood along creeks, especially those with an open canopy. Ruffed grouse may be found feeding on dogwood fruit throughout the day, but the best time to hunt around food sources is during late afternoon, since grouse will fill their crops before going to roost.

This year there appears to be a bumper crop of gray dogwood berries, at least in central Minnesota, I’ve noticed shrubs loaded with berries this summer. The result? Finding those grouse during their afternoon feeding session will be easier. Find the dogwood berries, and you’ll likely find grouse.

Opening day grouse hunters can also find ruffed grouse

BILL MARCHEL is a wildlife and outdoors photographer and writer whose work appears in many regional and national publications as well as the Brainerd Dispatch. He may be reached at bill@billmarchel.com.

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Bill Marchel

Find gray dogwood berries during early fall, and you’ll find ruffed grouse, especially as the sun is setting in the west.

Bill Marchel

If you flush a grouse and don’t get a shot (or miss) it is usually a good idea to walk in the direction the grouse flew since early season birds typically don’t fly more than about 150 yards before landing. This is especially a good idea when grouse numbers are low.

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A well-trained hunting dog is invaluable to finding grouse, especially during early season before the leaves have fallen, and during times of low grouse numbers.

by walking logging trails or the edges meadows and other forest openings. Many plant species on which ruffed grouse feed upon are sun-loving plants, and openings in the forest allow certain plant species to prosper that would otherwise be unable to compete. Dogwood, chokecherry, hazel, high-bush cranberry, clover, wild strawberry and other grouse favorites grow along logging roads or on the edges of openings. Ruffs are further attracted to logging roads because there they can gather gravel for their gizzards, and take a dust bath in the sandy areas.

If there is such a thing as a classic ruffed grouse covert, it would have to include an area that was logged a decade or so ago and has since regenerated into thick aspen. If the area also has mature aspens, natural openings, and alder lowlands nearby, so much the better.

Opening day grouse hunters should find at least a few birds if they focus on prime habitat.

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DNR Calendar August 14 Camp Ripley archery hunt application deadline.

14 Bear baiting start date.

27 Minnesota State Fair.

September 1 Crow hunting (third season) opens.

1 Mourning dove season opens.

1 Bear season opens.

1 Snipe and rail hunting season opens.

5 Early Canada goose season starts.

10 Anterless deer and special hunt lottery deadline.

12 Youth Waterfowl Day (tentative).

14 Smallmouth bass - 2015 late catch and release only season-South and West of U.S. Hwy 53 from Duluth to International Falls except Pelican and Ash lakes in St. Louis County.

14 Smallmouth bass - 2015 catch and release season only (statewide).

15 Stream trout (fall) SE - 2015 season catch and release season only.

19 Deer hunt-archery season opens.

19 Small game-rabbit, squirrel season opens.

19 Sharptail, ruffed and spruce grouse; Hungarian Partridge; woodcock seasons open.

22 Early Canada goose season closes.

26 Waterfowl season opens (tentative).

26 Take-a-Kid Hunting weekend.

26 Prairie chicken season opens.

October 3 Fall turkey season opens.

4 Prairie chicken season closes.

10 Pheasant hunting season opens.

15 Stream trout (fall) SE - 2015 season catch and release season only closes.

15 Camp Ripley archery deer hunt opens.

15 Special youth deer season opens.

32

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

16 Camp Ripley archery deer hunt closes.

17 Raccoon, red fox, gray fox, badger, opossum (north) hunting and trapping season opens.

18 Bear season closes.

18 Special youth deer hunt season closes.

24 Furbearer trapping opens in the north zone for beaver, mink, muskrat and otter.

24 Raccoon, red fox, gray fox, badger, opossum (south) hunting and trapping season opens.

31 Crow hunting (third season) closes.

31 Camp Ripley archery deer hunt (second season) opens.

31 Furbearer trapping opens in the south zone for beaver, mink, muskrat and otter.

November 1 Camp Ripley archery deer hunt (second season) closes.

1 Fall turkey season closes.

2 Snipe and rail hunting season closes.

2 Woodcock season closes.

7 Minnesota firearm deer hunting season opens.

9 Mourning dove season closes.

W

By PHIL SEIBEL

W

Gear Review

FUGOO SPEAKERS

Work hard, play hard. This phrase can be heard throughout the summer around every lake in the Midwest, and the country for that matter. And when we play hard, we need gear that will play just as hard and be ready for it all over again the next day.

The Fugoo Speaker system is a rugged, ready to rock and roll Bluetooth speaker system that is right at home in the rough and tumble outdoors. We had a chance to take it for a spin and put it to the test so we could bring you a comprehensive review on if this speaker would be able to withstand the rigors of an active summer outing.

At its core is exactly that - a core.

The Fugoo core is built with six symmetrical speakers including two tweeters, two mids and two passive radiators that provide a richer bass. Delivering up to 95 dB of clean sound, the Fugoo has the sound quality to match or beat any of the other similarly priced speakers that we’ve tested. The placement of the speakers gives the Fugoo a true 360 degree sound spread and listeners at any angle will hear the total sound.

The core itself is IPX67 rated, meaning it is dust-proof, mud-proof, shockproof and waterproof. The 6 portion of the 67 is the rating for solid particles, and it’s at the top of the range, meaning it has complete protection against solid particles as small as dust specks. The 7 portion is the water resistance, and means it will be waterproof in up to one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. What this

really means is that this speaker system is right at home on the beach, on a hike, on the boat or on an ATV. We took the liberty of actually testing this for ourselves and the speaker withstood water baths, being rolled around in the mud, and we also drove over it with a Chevy Envoy and dropped it off the top of the Envoy’s roof while we drove away. The Fugoo passed with flying colors, still working flawlessly.

In order to give it the shock-proof and crush-proof superhero powers, we did have to use the Tough jacket. One way the Fugoo sets itself apart is by giving you the options of using different jackets with the core speaker system.

Think of it as having different cases for your phone; different cases are better for different situations. The Tough jacket is made of aluminum and fiber reinforced resin, enveloping the core speaker in impenetrable armor.

There are other jackets that you can purchase for your Fugoo core, like the Sport jacket which is a little lighter, more streamlined and a little more stylish.

There is also a Style jacket that is even more streamlined and would be right at home indoors in a library or study.

What’s great about this is you can use the exact same speaker in each of these settings, and just change the jacket.

The speakers also come with different mounting options that you can purchase and these are really great. There is a tripod mount, a strap mount and a bike mount and, honestly, with these

three options we were able to mount this thing to just about anything. We took it out with the iStabilizer arm and it gave us even more options. There is also a remote control made for the Fugoo. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get our hands on one of those.

The sound quality of the speaker is amazing. It uses Bluetooth technology to pair with your device and it also has a mini jack input in case you have a device that doesn’t have Bluetooth technology.

Fugoo recommends different songs and artists from wildly different genres to test the range of sound like Hotel California, Daft Punk and Lindsey Stirling.

We tried them all and the Fugoo performed excellently.

The speaker also incorporates a microphone so you can use it to make or take phone calls, which is a huge benefit when you are on the go. This also allows you to use Google Now or Siri for voice controls.

Battery life is another plus in the Fugoo’s favor. The promo materials and website boasted a 40-hour battery life, and they delivered. Run in four to eight hour shifts at a time the Fugoo lasts just a hair over 41 hours before automatically turning off to preserve the settings.

It only took a couple of hours to reach a full recharge. Partner this impressive battery life with a solar charger like the Eton BoostSolar and you’ve got a match made in musical heaven.

The Fugoo speaker, in the Sport or Tough jacket, is a perfect companion for outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Just as

www.northlandoutdoors.com

33

at home on the top of a kayak or canoe as it is on the beach, this could also have potential as a calling system partnered with some of the many apps now- high tech predator hunting anyone?

PHIL SEIBEL He enjoys being outside with his family, whether its hiking, fishing, boating, or just playing in the yard, enjoying a Minnesota summer is something Phil and his family all enjoy!

Rugged, reliable and acoustically superior, the Fugoo speaker system is a steal. Check out their website at www. fugoo.com for pricing and full details.

O utdoors D irec tory • F all 2 0 1 5 Convenience

Association Minnesota Deer Hunters Association 460 Peterson Road Grand Rapids, MN 218-327-1103 www.mndeerhunters.com

SOUTHSIDE

• GAS • DIESEL • GROCERIES • ICE • FISHING & HUNTING LICENSES

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Bait & Tackle

Horseback Riding

Backus Locker

111 Front Street N Backus, MN 218-947-4220 www.backusmeatlocker.com

Highway 371 South • Hackensack MN • 218-675-6834

Dining

Tutt’s Bait & Tackle

Boats & Recreational

2718 Minnesota 371 Pine River, MN 218-587-2228 FreshStartMarket@hotmail.com

Hwy. 371, Backus 218-947-4115

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27358 State Highway 18 Garrison, MN 320-692-4341 www.tuttsbait.com

Fresh Start Meat Market

Restaurant & Gun Shop

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(218) 675-6176

Outdoor Equipment Bobcat of Bemidji

3516 Irvine Ave NW Bemidji, MN 218-751-4660 www.bobcatofbemidji.com

EAT. DRINK. RELAX.

Brothers Motorsports

8194 Fairview Road Baxter, MN 218-829-6656 www.brothersmotorsports.com

Power Lodge

17821 Minnesota 371 Brainerd, MN 218-822-3500 www.powerlodge.com

Cleaning

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CABIN CLEANING • OFFICE/BUSINESS All Seasons Cleaning CLEANING • RESIDENTIAL CLEANING • and Services, LLC RENTAL CLEANING • MAINTENANCE CLEANING • ONE TIME CLEANING • PET SERVICES Free Estimates • MOVE IN/OUT CLEANING • DECK CLEAN$10 Off Your 1st Appointment Licensed-Insured-Bonded ING AND WATERPROOFING • ORGANIZING • CALL US TODAY! CABIN/HOME SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE CHECKS •218-839-3464 24/7 EMERGENCY CLEANING • allseasonscleaning14@yahoo.com HOME SALE PREPARATION • PATIO FURNIallseasonscleaningservices.com TURE CLEANING • AFTER CONSTRUCTION CLEAN UPQuality......Dependability • AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!

34

2344 Balsam Road Bemidji, MN 218-444-8626 www.willstarridingacademy.com

Meat

24-Hour

PAY AT THE PUMP

1 BLOCK EAST OF THE PAUL BUNYAN TRAIL

Gift Shop Fishing Reports Souvenirs & Clothing Fishing & Hunting Licenses

WillStar Riding Academy

10424 SQUAW POINT RD., EAST GULL LAKE

218.829.3918 WWW.ERNIESONGULL.COM

Guns & Ammo Shooting Sports

21845 Highway 27 Little Falls, MN 320-632-9204 www.shootingsportslittlefalls.com

Healthcare ACCRA Care Home Health 410 East River Road Brainerd, MN 218-270-5905 www.accracare.org

OUTDOOR TRADITIONS

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Midwest Machinery

7045 Foley Rd. Baxter, MN 218-829-5356 800-568-4338 www.midwestmachineryco.com

Upholstery Custom Upholstery and Awning Center 17181 MN-371 Brainerd, MN 218-855-1096 www.lakesawnings.com

When you’re ready, it’s ready.

NEW! MS 251 WOOD BOSS®

95 00096 349

$$

NEW! MS 271 FARM BOSS®

Save Time.

Reserve Online.

0009695 419

$$

00” bar †

PICK UP IN THE STORE.

00” bar †

“It has ample power for a home owner saw; well balanced, well made, and easy to start and use.”

“I have owned other saws in this class and the MS 271 has the best power to weight ratio that I have owned.”

– user xeriminox

– user Tommy80

Look for STIHL Express on participating Dealer websites.

CHAIN SAWS STARTING AT $179 95

Check out these reviews and others on the product pages at STIHLdealers.com.

BLOWERS STARTING AT $14995

TRIMMERS STARTING AT $12995

When you’re ready, it’s ready.

000 SAVE $20 ON EACH CHAINSAW. PICK UP IN NEW! MS 251 WOOD BOSS®

$

00095

NEW! MS 271 FARM BOSS®

$

00” bar †

00” bar †

“It has ample power for a home owner saw; well balanced, well made, and easy to start and use.”

“I have owned other saws in this class and the MS 271 has the best power to weight ratio that I have owned.”

– user xeriminox

– user Tommy80

THE STORE.

Look for STIHL Express on participating Dealer websites.

STIHLdealers.com

CHAIN SAWS STARTING AT $179 95

Check out these reviews and others on the product pages at STIHLdealers.com.

All prices are DSRP. Available at participating dealers while supplies last. The actual listed guide bar length can vary from the effective cutting length based on which powerhead it is installed on. © 2015 STIHL †

7045 FOLEY ROAD BAXTER, MN 56425 (218) 829-5356

Save Time.

Reserve Online.

95

BLOWERS STARTING AT $14995

TRIMMERS STARTING AT $12995

1120 2ND STREET NW AITKIN, MN 56431 (218) 927-2140 001220054r1

All prices are DSRP. Available at participating dealers while supplies last. †The actual listed guide bar length can vary from the effective cutting length based on which powerhead it is installed on. © 2015 STIHL

STIHLdealers.com

OFf ROaD ON TArGEt 2016 Commander XT Features:

2016 Outlander L - 570

2016 Outlander Max LTD 1000 2-Up

• Rotax® V-Twin engine options (800 & 1000) • Tri-Mode Dynamic Power Steering (DPS™) • Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC) • Torsional Trailing Arm Independent (TTI) Rear Suspension • Double A-Arm Front Suspension with Dive-Control • Industry’s exclusive Dual-level Cargo Box

8194 Fairview Rd. Baxter, MN 56425

218.829.6656 www.BrothersMotorSports.com

ATVs in the category G are recommended for use only by those aged 16 and older. ATVs in the category S are recommended for use only by an experienced operator aged 16 and older. Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) highly recommends that all ATV riders take a training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887 (in the U.S.) or the Canadian Safety Council at (613) 739-1535, ext. 227 (in Canada). ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety, always wear a helmet, eye protection, and other protective clothing. Always remember that riding and alcohol / drugs don’t mix. Never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Never carry passengers unless the model is specifically designed by the manufacturer to carry a passenger. Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive speeds and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Ride responsibly.

ATVs in the category G are recommended for use only by those aged 16 and older. ATVs in the category S are recommended for use only by an experienced operator aged 16 and older.

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