Stevens County Times 2018 Hunting & Fishing Guide

Report on deer population, See T2

GU

8 1 IDE 2 0

The range of a straight shooter, see T5

SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

Gillespie has set many traps, see T3

Stopping the spread of aquatic invasive species, see T7

A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE STEVENS COUNTY TIMES

Hunting & Fishing Guide

T2 Saturday, September 22, 2018

The Stevens County Times

Pheasant population up but still below long-term average From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources The 2018 roadside survey for pheasants showed a 19 percent increase in the overall pheasant index from 2017.

While the index is similar to the 10-year average, it is still 52 percent below the long-term average.

“Given the April snowstorms and heavy rains across a good portion of the pheasant range this year, it was surprising to see increases in the pheasant indices across so many regions,” said Lindsey Messinger, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist who coordinated this year’s survey. “It appears hens may have delayed nesting and chicks were able to tolerate the rain in most areas.”

Weather and habitat are the two main factors that drive Minnesota’s pheasant population trends. Weather causes annual fluctuations in pheasant numbers. In the south-central region of the pheasant range, late-season snowstorms and heavy rain this past spring and summer has been tough for pheasants.

Habitat can help mitigate the impacts of weather and the availability of quality nesting habitat is more important for long-term pheasant population trends. Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in particular play a large role in providing habitat for pheasants in Minnesota. The program, covered under the federal Farm Bill, pays farmers to remove environmentally-sensitive land from agricultural production and restore vegetation that will reduce soil erosion, improve water quality,

While the pheasant population increased average. and provide habitat for wildlife and pollinators.

Minnesota peaked in nesting habitat acres, particularly CRP acres, in 2007 but has declined since then. Minnesota added about 82,500 habitat acres in the past year, many of which were CRP acres; however, nearly 297,000 acres of CRP may be lost within the next two years due to contracts that are set to expire.

2018

HUNTING & FISHING Directory Everything you need for a successful outing

were in the west-central, southwest and central regions where observers reported 48 to 65 birds per 100 miles driven. Hunters should find the best hunting opportunities in these regions.

Minnesota’s 2018 pheasant season is open Saturday, Oct. 13, through Monday, Jan. 1.

Annual weather impacts on pheasants Winters that linger can impact the start of the breeding season and success of early nests. Heavy rain, particularly at or just after hatching, can impact chick survival.

One indication of delayed nesting activity were the ages of broods that observers recorded during the roadside surveys. From brood ages, approximate hatch dates are calculated. The rangewide hatch date in 2018 was nearly a week later than in 2017, and a few days later than the long-term average.

Hatch dates in the southwest of June Forum News Service file photo 26 and south-central of June 23 were in the state it is still below the long-term 20 and eight days later, respectively, than in 2017, and they were one to two weeks later than the 10-year and longterm averages.

Roadside survey data Another key indicator of annual The DNR’s August roadside survey for pheasants showed a 19 percent increase reproduction is the number of broods in the overall pheasant index from observed during roadside surveys. The 2017. This year’s statewide pheasant 2018 statewide brood index increased index was 45.5 birds per 100 miles of 28 percent from last year. Regional brood indices increased in every region roads driven.

The pheasant index increased in except the east-central region, where all regions except the south-central it remained similar to last year, and region, which decreased by 36 percent from 2017. The highest pheasant counts PHEASANT POPULATION: Page T7

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The Stevens County Times

Hunting & Fishing Guide

Saturday, September 22, 2018 T3

Back when I was trapping a lot, I probably had four or five dozen traps of different sizes (out).

You’d walk and walk.

JIM GILLESPIE

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Black traps hang in a storage shed on Jim Gillespie’s property. The traps would be cleaned and dyed each season.

Gillespie caught trapping bug at an early age

By Rae Yost Stevens County Times

My dad trapped and that’s when I learned mostly everything,” Gillespie said.

He started by trapping muskrats and On a breezy afternoon in rural Chokio, Jim Gillespie walked with his cane to a a few mink. “As the years went by I shed that stores his trapping equip- started doing more,” Gillespie said.

“The fur price wasn’t bad back then,” ment.

Gillespie, 84, said he sets traps only Gillespie said. “Now it ain’t nothing for occasionally these days but it wasn’t fur prices.”

Gillespie’s shed contains dozens of too long ago when the shiny, black traps hanging in his shed were out- different size and models of traps for doors nearly every day during trapping different types of animals.

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times Most of those traps are shiny and season.

Jim Gillespie has spent many years walking fields for trapping in the area.

“I don’t think I will trap at all this black and hang from the shed rafters or year. Not unless I can get right up to walls. He’d boil and dye his traps each them in my pickup,” Gillespie said.

“I started trapping in grade school. TRAPPING: Page T4

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Hunting & Fishing Guide

T4 Saturday, September 22, 2018

The Stevens County Times

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Traps hang inside a storage shed. Jim Gillespie has traps of different sizes and weight for different kinds of animals.

TRAPPING

A shiny, black trap is essential for trapping. Gillespie has a garage filled From Page T3 with other essential trapping gear.

Gillespie picked up a steel case filled season. The traps were set outdoors with small tools. “This is a cable cutand exposed to rain, wind and water ter. You need one,” he said. The cable and could be prone to rust. The traps cutter can be used to cut snares or are boiled to clean away any scent of other pieces of a trap. A snare trap uses animal or human. a noose made of sturdy material. The “I mostly generally dipped them snare catches the animal. in black paint mixed with gasoline,” “You need different kinds of shovels Gillespie said. “The black darkens your and you’ve gotta have a hatchet with traps and the gasoline keeps them from you. A lot of times I had a two-pound rusting so bad.” hammer to drive stakes.”

He could buy commercial paint dye Most traps are dug into the ground at or make his own with pine needles and least a few inches. A screen is used to leaves. help keep dirt from getting on the trap.

Gillespie often wore hip boots when he trapped, “Mostly to keep the human scent off you. That’s why you wear rubber gloves. You had to watch your hands. If you had bare hands, (animals) would smell it.”

A sturdy plastic sled is stored on top of higher shelf in one on the buildings.

The sled is used to carry trapping gear.

“Back when I was trapping a lot I probably had four or five dozen traps of different sizes (out ),” Gillespie said.

“You’d walk and walk.”

Gillespie has walked many, many miles setting traps and, then, checking them. He trapped on his own land or another’s land with permission. “Very seldom would I trap on public land.

There’s too much going on on public land,” Gillespie said.

“Muskrats like sloughs. Minks like Rae Yost / Stevens County Times sloughs. I’d find mink tracks after a This is the hand crank for the device fresh snow,” Gillespie said. “A lot of used to hold the animal off the ground for times I’d follow trees…”

“A snare can be used in a water run, the cleaning process.

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Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

One of the boards used in the cleaning, skinning and stretching process. stuff like that. Where an ordinary trap is hard (to place),” Gillespie said.

He’d trap for the fur money. He’d also trap when someone wanted a pest animal removed from a property.

Gillespie figures he once caught a 30-pound raccoon and a good-sized beaver could weigh 60 pounds Gillespie had sold fur to a mink farmer in Chokio. “He moved out of here.” Or “we would take them to a buyer who could come to town. He’d come probably twice a season, maybe three times.”

It’s ironic, he said, “back then you’d very seldom see a raccoon here,” Gillespie said of trapping 40 or 50 years ago.

Now, raccoons are frequently seen.

Trapping is a physical sport from setting the traps to remov- 001480056r1 ing the fur.

The trapping work didn’t end when the traps were set and checked. If Gillespie caught an ani-

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Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Two furs from animals that a friend had Jim Gillespie clean and skin.

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mal, he’d need to clean it and skin it.

Gillespie has different sizes of flat, wood pieces used in the cleaning and skinning process. He needs to remove the internal organs from the animal. He also needed to remove the skin. When the animal is cleaned and skinned, he would stretch the skin over the wood pieces.

Gillespie’s equipment sits in the garage and shed in an orderly fashion as if ready to be used any time.

While Gillespie said he doesn’t expect to trap much this season, trapping is still part of his life.

A stand that sits by the recliner in his living room contains at least one magazine on trapping.

And, “I’ve got traps with me all the time,” Gillespie said.

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The Stevens County Times

Hunting & Fishing Guide

Saturday, September 22, 2018 T5

He’s a straight shooter Metzger operates shooting range, firearms business

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Mason Metzger operates a clay target range and a firearm sales and repair business in Stevens County.

By Rae Yost Stevens County Times As a clay target is released into the sky, Mason Metzger said it’s a thrill to pull the trigger of his gun to try and knock that target from the sky.

“I really enjoy shooting sports,” Metzger said.

While Metzger will hunt deer, pheasants and waterfowl and he’s more than willing to accompany friends while they hunt, he prefers the challenge of shooting sports. So much so that Metzger developed a clay target range on family land in rural Morris. Metzger farms full-time but he also operates the target range and a firearms business.

Metzger has seven automatic target throwers and plans to buy two more this winter. The planned purchases “Will hold more clays and throw them at a farther distance.”

His throwers release clays similar to the flight of waterfowl, or birds such as pheasants, or at the pace of a rabbit running on the ground. He can throw one clay or two clays at a time. The throwers are placed in different positions on the property so shooters get a different challenge with each throw.

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Some of Mason Metzger’s clay target throwers. He puts the throwers in different positions so that targets are released in different patterns and heights.

“You never have more than two shells in the gun at a time,” Metzger said.

“With a single clay, you can get two shots.” When two clays are thrown, the shooter still gets two shots.

Metzger said he hasn’t done much promotion for this shooting range, in part because it’s so new.

He did form a type of shooting club

this year where participants pay $50 for five rounds of clay target shooting.

“There is no competition,” Metzger stressed. Shooting scores do not determine the winner of five rounds of shooting. Instead, each participant throws his name in a hat and winners for first through third place are drawn from that hat.

Metzger said he doesn’t want the focus to be competitive shooting, “I want the focus to be on fun,” he said.

Metzger welcomes beginners and experienced shooters to try his target range because it is a fun and enjoyable sport.

STRAIGHT SHOOTER: Page T6 001775617r1

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Hunting & Fishing Guide

T6 Saturday, September 22, 2018

The Stevens County Times

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Mason Metzger’s Straight Shooter business includes some firearms and related products. Metzger opened the business in early 2016.

SHARP SHOOTER From Page T5

And although the sport is fun, there is a serious element, Metzger said.

Sporting shooters also use clay targets as way to hone their hunting skills, Metzger said.

“No. 1, you want to be as safe as you can be and No. 2 you want to be able to get a good, ethical kill,” Metzger said of how shooting sports help with hunting skills.

The clay target range is one piece of Metzger’s firearm-related business.

Metzger is the owner of Straight Shooter, a firearm sales and service business.

The Straight Shooter business started in early 2016 after Metzger was reviewed and investigated by federal officials before he received his license to operate the business.

Metzger finds firearms for clients looking for a particular firearm. He also repairs and cleans firearms.

While he said he’s not an avid hunter, Metzger does a form of hunting when he searches for the client’s desired weapon. He likes the challenge of finding the desired weight, stock and model of a firearm for a client.

His business has a computer. A firearm catalog that is several inches thick also sits on top of a display case. He works with suppliers in several states including in Illinois and Louisiana.

Metzger said he can get firearms for a competitive price because he has a small operation. “I don’t deal with a huge volume,” Metzger said.

Although he can repair guns, “I’m not a licensed gunsmith,” Metzger said. But if he can’t fix the gun, he can usually find someone who knows who can.

Metzger does sell some firearms and shooting supplies from his business located in a converted two-stall garage on the same property as his clay target shooting range.

He’s been able to shoot clay targets at larger sport shooting ranges, including a range in South Dakota that offers 100 clays thrown from 14 stations.

“You are always dreaming about something like that,” Metzger said.

But he’s also mindful of taking practical steps. Because the population is lower in a rural area it can be a challenge to grow a customer base, Metzger said. He’s pleased with the positive response to his existing range. He’s also been thinking of moving it to different property with more room.

“We will see how that goes,” Metzger said.

But before any changes are made, Metzger said he needed to focus on Rae Yost / Stevens County Times harvest and other farm work.

Mason Metzger shows how one of his Metzger can be contacted at Straight Shooter by appointment at 320-287- clay target throwers is loaded.

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The Stevens County Times

Hunting & Fishing Guide

Saturday, September 22, 2018 T7

PHEASANT POPULATION From Page T2

the south-central region, where it declined by 28 percent compared to last year.

“Unfortunately, heavy rains came during the period of peak hatch in the south-central region,” Messinger said. “And as our survey results indicate, brood survival was affected in this region.”

Survey information Monitoring pheasant population trends is part of the DNR’s annual August roadside wildlife survey, which began in 1955. DNR wildlife managers and conservation officers in the farmland region of Minnesota conduct the survey during the first half of August. This year’s survey consisted of 171 25-milelong routes, with 151 routes located in the pheasant range.

Observers drive each route in early morning and record the number and species of wildlife they see.

The data provide an index of relative abundance and are used to monitor annual changes and long-term population trends of pheasants, gray (Hungarian) partridge, eastern cottontail rabbits, white-tailed jackrabbits, mourning doves, and other wildlife.

The 2018 August Roadside Survey report and a map of pheasant hunting prospects are available at mndnr.gov/hunting/pheasant. Also recorded in this year’s survey: ► The gray partridge index remained similar to Forum News Service file photo 2017 and was 50 percent below the 10-year average A cluster of zebra mussels sits on a navagation buoy that was pulled from Lake Superior by the USCG Cutter Alder. and 93 percent below the long-term average. ► The mourning dove index decreased 7 percent from 2017 and remained below the 10-year average and long-term averages. ► The cottontail rabbit index decreased 23 percent from 2017 but was 13 percent above the 10-year average and similar to the long-term average. ► The white-tailed jackrabbit index was similar to last year and remains historically low. ► The white-tailed deer index decreased 13 percent from 2017 but was still 19 percent above the 10-year average and 99 percent above the long-term average.

During the 2018 pheasant season, the daily bag

By Rae Yost Stevens County has seven public water accessStevens County Times es: Lake Charlotte, Hattie Lake, Long Lake, Perkins limit is two roosters through November, and it Lake, Pomme de Terre pool, Pomme de Terre River increases to three roosters on Saturday, Dec. 1. The Fishers who are on lakes in the region or hunters Production Area and none have been infested with an possession limit is six roosters (increasing to nine who are in wetlands could be picking up more than invasive species, Wiechmann said. roosters on Dec. 1). Shooting hours are 9 a.m. to fish or waterfowl.

Wiechmann said that although Stevens County sunset. Additional details are available at mndnr.gov/ The Stevens County Soil and Water Conservation does not have public waters on the infested waters hunting/pheasant.

District is urging fishermen and hunters to be aware list, the agency knows that many fishermen leave the they could be carrying an aquatic invasive species county to fish. They will often fish in counties those when the leave the water. six border counties.

Kasey Wiechmann of SWCD said, invasive species SWCD is helping educate the public about invasive prevention may not be as emphasized as much as species. It’s particularly important to educate chilrecreational use and fishing use of lakes but hunters dren in elementary and high school because that is can still pick up and spread invasives such as zebra the next generation of hunters and fishers and they mussels. also share their education at home, Wiechmann said.

“Any kind of equipment that’s used in wetlands, When kids share the education, they will often want lakes, rivers,” is vulnerable to picking up invasive to do the right thing when it comes to invasive spespecies. “Hunters need to take off the mud and clay... cies, Wiechmann said. before they leave the site,” Wiechmann said.

Fishers should clean boats and drain them of water, Those fishing on area lakes this fall also need to dry them and dispose any unwanted bait. pay attention so they don’t spread invasive species.

Stevens County’s border counties include three that have bodies of water infested with invasive species, Wiechmann said. Counties with infested lakes are Douglas, Grant and Pope. Douglas has zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil. Grant has zebra mussels and Pope has zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil and starry stonewort. Infested waters include lakes, wetlands, sloughs and rivers, according to the Min$ 00* nesota Department of Natural Resources infested waters list.

Hunters, fishers should be aware of invasive species

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T8 Saturday, September 22, 2018

Hunting & Fishing Guide

Morris Wetlands, partner install handicapped accessible hunting/photography blind

Walk-in access sites increase in state From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 1, hunters could access nearly 30,000 acres of private land across 47 counties in western and south-central Minnesota through the Walk-In Access program.

“Finding land for hunting can be challenging at times,” said Scott Roemhildt, regional director for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“The Walk-In Access program allows hunters to access high-quality private land and makes it easier for landowners to allow that access.”

The Walk-In Access program pays landowners to allow hunter access. Hunters with a $3 WalkIn Access validation may hunt a half-hour before sunrise until a half-hour after sunset during open hunting seasons from Sept. 1 to May 31. No additional landowner contact is necessary. More than 250 sites are available through the program. Bright yellow-green signs have been placed on Walk-In Access boundaries.

Hunting seasons opened Sept. 1 for mourning doves, crows, snipe, sora and Virginia rail. Hunting seasons opened Saturday, Sept. 15, for several small game species including squirrels and rabbits. The Minnesota pheasant hunting season opens Saturday, Oct. 13.

The Stevens County Times

Maps of all Walk-In Access sites are available electronically at mndnr.gov/walkin. Printed atlases can be found across the 47-county area at DNR license agents, DNR wildlife offices and county soil and water conservation district offices. Atlases are also available by calling the DNR Information Center at 888-646-6367.

“Walk-In Access works because hunters respect the land, and that respect encourages landowners to enroll their land,” Roemhildt said. “We have grown the program because of the respectful relationship our hunters and landowners have enjoyed.”

Parcels enrolled in the Walk-In Access program must be at least 40 acres in size with high quality cover. Most land is also enrolled in private land conservation programs.

The Walk-In Access program began in 2011 and is currently funded with a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Other funding sources come through a surcharge on nonresident hunting licenses, a one-time appropriation from the Minnesota Legislature in 2012, and donations from hunters. The availability of funding sources will determine the future of this program.

The Morris Wetland Management District has installed a handicapped accessible waterfowl hunting and photography blind in the northwest corner of the Artichoke Lake Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) in Swift County (https://gis.fws.gov/WPA_Mapper/).

The blind is located about 400-500 feet to the southeast of the WPA parking lot, on the edge of a large wetland. The blind will be open for public use by the 2018 youth waterfowl day opener on Sept. 8. A mowed trail will connect the parking lot to the blind to make it accessible by motor vehicles.

The blind was donated by Capable Partners ( http:// www.capablepartners.org/default.htm ), a Twin Cities based non-profit organization whose mission is to volunteer their time and talents to provide hunting, fishing, and related opportunities for the physically challenged.

For more information on the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service visit http://midwest. fws.gov.

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S PPL VES ∙ O ∙ DOG MS ∙ K COYS ∙ EU forest game bird coordinator S I N AR IR YS OG ∙ DE S ∙ D RMS ∙ K ∙ DECO S ∙ FIRE HERY NICS ∙ F AMS ∙ Y O C Y It’s September, the leaves are turning and thereEis C C O ∙ D a ∙ FIREA RCHER TRONI S ∙ AR LECTR AME C THING Y a chill in the morning air and if you’re looking for R M S HE OisNICa MS ∙ A ∙ ELEC E CA NG ∙ E EAR ∙ G R ∙ CLO N’S good excuse to get outdoors and out of town I E ARC here CTR ME CA THING R ∙ GAM CLOTH EN’S G OTWEA ∙ WOM O perfect one: grouse hunting.

E L E A O ∙ A ∙ it?R ∙ Well G R OM O ∙FO SHING ∙ AMM TICS CL Never tried it? Not sure how to go about GE EA WEAR ∙ MEN’S OTWEA HING ∙ W AMMPRO ∙ FI PLIES ES ∙ OP it’s very easy to learn, you don’t need any Gexpensive SSHOP O ∙ C O S T F I I S ∙ O W F T E UP18 ∙ KNIV S ∙ DOG gear or lots of money. There’s still time to get SRd. G ∙ MMO ICS ∙ PPLI S ∙ OP30344 County ∙FO ready G N I Y O S H T Starbuck, MN 56381 A U E D for the ruffed grouse hunting season that opened S ∙ EARM ∙ DECO ∙ FIRE∙ FIS PLIES ∙ ES ∙ OP ∙ DOG S ∙ KNIV COYMonday on Saturday, Sept. 15 – actually from where I write Y R -Saturday 9:00 am to 5:00 IV OYS P MS Y ∙ DE CS ∙ FI CHER ONICSpm AMS R in northern Minnesota some mark the openerSUas aS ∙ KN C A C R E E ER NI877-631-0490 S ∙ A ELECTR ∙ GAME major holiday.

ARM HERY ∙ D ICS ∙ FIR ∙ ARCH ECTRO orAvisit M The ruffed grouse is considered the “king of game RC TRON CAMS NG ∙ EL AME C HIkrugerfarms.com NG ∙ GEAR A T ’S I G C E O birds” because it’s a challenge to pursue, a thrill to LE ∙ H ∙ E R ∙ GAM ∙ CLOT GEAR AR ∙ CL WOMEN witness on the wing and S E ∙ the ultimate wild game GEA TWEAR OMEN’ OOTW SHING F I entrée when served. ∙FOO HING ∙ W MMO ∙ ICS ∙ F T A Volumes have been ∙ S P ∙ FI PLIES ES ∙ O written and hours spent V SUP S ∙ KNI debating the merits of this bird as the ultimate ARM

Fall is here! And for many Minnesotans that also means getting out to our lakes and wetlands for another season of waterfowl hunting. Whether you are using a boat or just your waders to get in the water, remember to clean your equipment of plants and mud as well as drain any water and remove the boat’s drain plug before getting on the road.

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quarry: They are native here in Minnesota, all of our ruffed grouse are wild and free-range, and it’s nearly impossible to release them from pens or raise them on a farm with any success. They are fast and they’re wary (mostly). Locavores like the idea that you can’t buy grouse at the grocery store: You have to venture out and kill them yourself.

Ruffed grouse can be found in just about any of Minnesota’s forests, but a hunter would be well-advised to focus on mixed forests (containing both deciduous and coniferous species). Areas with an aspen component typically have higher densities of ruffed grouse.

Also focus on areas where you find mixed ages of trees (such as young sapling-size trees near larger older trees). Grouse will use these different ages and sizes of trees at different times of the day or year.

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Grouse hunting good fall choice

Learn more at mndnr.gov/ais