Department of Natural Resources Archives

May 8, 2017 By Julie Foote 1 Comment

2017 Fishing Opener

May 13th Fishing Opener ~Courtesy of MVTV Wireless’ Marketing Intern and Guest Blogger, Wyatt Hatch.

MVTV Wireless’ Marketing Intern and Guest Blogger, Wyatt Hatch.

The ice has been off the lakes for a couple of months, the temperature is beginning to be more consistent, and the 2017 fishing opener is here. If you are hitting the waters this weekend, here are some helpful tips and things to keep in mind.

First, stay safe. Be sure to check your trailer lights before hauling your boat. Accidents may occur if following vehicles can’t see your turning signals and break lights. Also, make sure you have proper safety equipment in your boat like a fire extinguisher, a whistle, and adequate life jackets.

This weekend fisherman will be able to start targeting three different species of fish. Northern pike, walleye, and bass. For the first time, this season, Minnesota is offering a catch and release season for bass starting the same weekend as northern pike and walleye. You will not be able to keep bass for another two weeks except for the northeast part of the state.

With ideal spawning temperatures at 60-70 degrees look for bass spawning shallow. Since bass will be sitting on nest they will be aggressive trying to protect their nests. Try pitching soft plastics and spinners to trigger a bite.

Northern pike are often the first species to spawn because their ideal spawning temperature is around 40-45 degrees. They should be done spawning by now, so look for them trolling the edges of weed lines in the mid shallows looking for small game fish. Trolling these weed lines with spoons or shallowing running crankbaits is an effective and efficient way to pick up fish.

Where to find the big ones!

Walleyes will be just getting done spawning since there ideal spawning temperature is around 45-50 degrees. You will expect to find walleyes in mid depths off points and rock beds. A couple simple and go to techniques to pick up these fish are pitching jig heads tipped with crawlers, fatheads, or leeches and trolling or drifting with lindy rigs tipped with the same type of bait.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and picked up a tip or two to help put some fish in your boat. Have fun and be safe this weekend everyone.

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‘Connecting Rural Minnesota’

September 19, 2016 By Julie Foote Leave a Comment

Minnesota Take-a-Kid Hunting weekend, Sept 24th and 25th

Now that the leaves are starting to change colors here in Minnesota, 3 things are for certain… Football, Harvest and Hunting!

Check the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) Hunting and Trapping site for a list of events and dates. This coming weekend is Take-a-Kid Hunting weekend! What a great opportunity to introduce our youth to the great out-doors.

MNDNR – Sept 24th and 25th is Take-a-Kid Hunting Weekend. -Hunter education & safety

In order to make this a safe and enjoyable experience, be sure to read up on the rules and regulations – http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/2016/full_regs.pdf

All successful hunters understand that hunting season starts well before opening day. By preparing now, you will save yourself time and frustration in the field. Here are a few pointers…

Purchase your license, tag or stamp – Many wildlife departments require hunters to register in advance of the season due to limits and restrictions.
Scout the area – Areas once open to public or private hunting may have changed since last year. Terrain can also change and throw you for a loop in the dark of early morning.
Check and replenish gear – Inspect your weaponry and verify accuracy/sighting, check field-dressing supplies, clothing and first-aid kit. Inspect tree stand or blind to make sure it’s in good condition. Establish a checklist so you’re not caught in the field without provisions or applicable documentation.
Get in shape – Prepare your body (and your dogs) for the demands of the hike in and out.
SAFETY – make sure you and your youth have the proper safety education and certification. To find a class, go to http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/index.html

Send us your pictures …we would love to share!

MVTV Wireless wishes you a safe and successful 2016 hunting season!

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‘Connecting Rural Minnesota’

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May 25, 2016 By Julie Foote 2 Comments

MVTV Wireless – Expanded Campground Hotspot Services!

Now even more campers will have the luxury of broadband internet service at their home-away-from-home! This spring, MVTV Wireless has added broadband internet hotspots in several counties across SW Minnesota.

Cottonwood County:

Talcot County Park Campground has 65 camping sites and plenty to do! In addition to a sandy swimming beach area, there is sand volleyball, horseshoe pits, and playground.

Kandiyohi County:

Big Kandiyohi Lake County Park EAST located a couple miles north of Lake Lillian. Big Kandiyohi Lake has an excellent sandy swimming beach and access to shoreline fishing.

Green Lake County Park sits on the northeastern shore of the lovely Green Lake. Enjoy the relaxation of nature while staying on Green Lake.

Big Kandiyohi Lake County Park WEST located on the West side of Big Kandiyohi Lake. In the spring of the year, the park is known for its excellent crappie fishing in the bay, next to the park.

Games Lake County Park located on the east shore of Games Lake, is part of the “Norway chain of lakes,” four lakes totaling 2800 acres. Video from Game Lake area:

Lincoln County:

Stoney Point Recreation & Campground is just a few miles from Tyler, MN, (an MVTV Wireless community) and sits on Lake Benton point so you are surrounded by prime fishing.

Beautiful view from every Stoney Point site!

This privately owned resort is family friendly, clean and VERY welcoming. Their FB reviews say it all! ‘It a little piece of Heaven on Earth, beautiful and peaceful.‘

Nobles County:

Olson City Park and Campground sits on beautiful Lake Okabena, along Sunset Bay. The bike path and swimming beach make this a destination spot within the heart of Worthington, MN.

Special Note Regarding Lake Okabena: This beautiful lake continues to struggle with a well-known issue in SW Minnesota… water pollution caused by run off and sediment. Members of the Lake Okabena Improvement Association have committed to reclaiming the crystal clear waters our state is so well known for. For more information about water pollution, prevention and a successful restoration on nearby Lake Shaokatan, read MPR News May 20, 2016 story ‘Saving Minnesota’s Polluted Lakes Takes Science, Political Will‘.

Lake Okabena Water Restoration Project.

Maka-oicu County Park and Campground is worth the search! Hidden away on West Graham Lake, campers have a sandy swimming beach and is a bird watchers haven!

Hilltop Campground is a privately owned campground located on Round Lake, just across from the Round Lake Vineyards & Winery. Beautiful for weddings!

Redwood County:

Gilfillan Estates Campground offers a nice wooded area with picnic tables, a Pavilion and Gardens, tours of the Gilfillan buildings, and many events throughout the Summer (just outside of Morgan, which is an MVTV Wireless Community).

Plum Creek Campground has 70 campsites nestled in private tree-lined areas along the Plum Creek (just outside of Walnut Grove which is an MVTV Wireless Community). Frontier Girl Amenities include hiking paths, a frisbee disc course, softball and sand volleyball courts, and new playground equipment. And evening entertainment is just down the road at the Laura Inglalls Wilder Pageant!

Renville County: (Coming Soon)

Lake Allie Campground is located on the western shoreline of Lake Allie. The park offers a shelter, restroom facilities, playground equipment, dock and fishing pier. This is a popular destination for camping, fishing, water recreation and family gatherings.

Yellow Medicine:

Timm Park nestled in the neck of the woods on Wood Lake. Timm Park offers a recently developed campground with water and 110 volt electrical service to each site, a picnic shelter, swimming area, boat ramp and dock.

Stone Hill Campground placed right on the shores of Del Clark Lake. A large basketball court and paved bike trail leads straight into Canby are available for recreational needs. Nice children’s playground is located next to the beach and picnic area. The park has a shelter that can be reserved for large groups.

February 12, 2016 By Julie Foote Leave a Comment

MN DNR Using Social Media To Get Kids Outside This Winter

Visit the MN DNR FaceBook page for events close to home!

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is using special events, social media and other innovations to get more people outdoors.

It appears to be working, too.

Patricia Arndt, communications and outreach manager for the DNR’s parks and trails division, said the increase is a three-part equation: Good weather, good customer service and “strategic outreach.”

“We’ve ramped up social media and are doing more with our website, like virtual tours of state parks,” said Arndt. “We’re also getting more printed material and communications to libraries and other places frequented by younger families — our target market.

Midwest Outdoors Daily blogger Jared McQuade shared a encouraging Star Tribune article which decribes how the MN DNR is successfully drawing families to our state and national parks. Like any retail business or organization, the DNR has recognized the importance of reaching out to their target audience on multiple levels, including social media.

As reported by Tori J. McCormick, Special to the Star Tribune:

In what appears to be an emerging trend in outdoor recreation, government land management agencies, nonprofit groups and others are using a mix of enticements to get more people outdoors — particularly millennials, younger families and other nontraditional demographics. The goals are to increase outdoors participation, buoy attendance at public venues (parks, refuges and trails), improve public health, and hopefully enlist a new generation of outdoors stewards.

“I think it’s absolutely a trend,” said Christine Fanning, executive director of the Outdoor Foundation, a nonprofit group established by the Outdoors Industry Association to promote that shared passion. “In our research, young people and minorities are increasingly more indoors and inactive. Local and state agencies, among others, are looking to engage and attract new users … through savvy marketing strategies that have been shown to work with new audiences. We just have to continue to work to break down barriers.”

Let’s all help The National Park Service celebrate their 100th birthday!

In 2016, free public admission will take place on a handful of special days (it started Jan. 18 with Martin Luther King Jr. Day), including this Presidents’ Day weekend. The National Park Service, which is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2016, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service also offer fee-free days this year.

Tina Shaw, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Bloomington, said the eight-state Midwest region has 55 refuges and 12 wetland management districts that offer year-round special events and programming to entice more people. That includes ice fishing for kids, family snowshoeing weekends, skiing by candlelight and other seasonal offerings. National wildlife refuges, she said, are also great places to hike, spy wildlife and “get away from it all and recharge.”

“We’re always looking to branch out and bring in new audiences,” said Shaw. “We want everyone to feel welcome and get outside in their own backyards safely and year-around and hopefully for the rest of their lives.”

For the complete article, go to http://www.startribune.com/get-outdoors-no-lack-of-trying-from-minnesota-agencies/368484481/

MVTV Wireless wishes you and your family a safe and ACTIVE Presidents Day vacation.

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‘Connecting Rural Minnesota’

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June 29, 2015 By Julie Foote Leave a Comment

Symbol Of Freedom Making A Comeback

As we prepare to celebrate the independance of our nation, it seemed fitting to share this article about our symbol of freedom… the bald eagle.

The good news… due to reactive efforts of several state’s DNR (Department Of Natural Resources), the bald eagle is now officially off the endangered species list! The bad news… the oldest known eagle recently passed away at 38 years of age. More good news… eagles can live to be 38 years old!

Duluth’s David Evans holds one of four bald eagle chicks that he captured in June 1977 in northern Minnesota. The four chicks were given by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to the state of New York to re-establish that state’s eagle population. Minnesota DNR photo by Carrol Henderson.

As reported by Grand Forks Herald reporter, Sam Cook on Jun 17, 2015 at 11:15 p.m.:

DULUTH, Minn. — On a summer day in 1977, Duluth raptor bander David Evans climbed a tall pine in Beltrami County and pulled a bald eagle chick from its nest.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources had agreed to capture and transport four eaglets to the state of New York to re-establish that state’s decimated eagle population. The agency hired Evans, an experienced bander of eagle chicks, to do the climbing.

The eaglet was transported to New York, and apparently was banded by biologists in that state, Evans said.

That eagle recently was hit by a car in New York and found dead. Its banding information revealed that the eagle was 38 years old, making it the oldest known bald eagle on record, according to Carrol Henderson, supervisor of the Minnesota DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program. The previous oldest eagle on record, which lived 33 years and 5 months, also was banded by Evans, near Minong in northern Minnesota.

Evans, 66, is former lead raptor bander at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth. He climbed into pine trees and banded eaglets throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

“We banded the whole state (of Wisconsin) until 1989,” Evans said Wednesday.

He said he believes the longevity record for eagles will continue to increase.

The four eagle chicks that Evans captured that day in 1977 were taken from different nests under the direction of the DNR’s Henderson.

“From 1977 through 1988, we collaborated with five states to contribute bald eagle nestlings for their restoration efforts: New York (8 chicks), Tennessee (14 chicks), Missouri (15 chicks), Arkansas (3 chicks) and Georgia (15 chicks),” Henderson wrote in an email. “We contributed a total of 55 bald eagle chicks over that 12-year period for this cooperative bald eagle restoration effort.”
New York authorities are appreciative of Minnesota’s eaglets.

“Please accept our heartfelt appreciation for the past support Minnesota provided to our restoration program. New York now has over 350 pairs of breeding bald eagles, up from the one unproductive pair left in the state when your bird was released in 1977,” wrote Patricia Riexinger, director of New York’s Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources in a note to Henderson.

In the 1970s, the bald eagle population in the United States was endangered because of the pesticide DDT in the environment. DDT weakened the eggshells of eagles and other birds, preventing successful nesting. When DDT was banned in 1972, eagles began to make a comeback and now are off the endangered species list.

Have you spotted a bald eagle lately?

MVTV Wireless

‘Connecting Rural Minnesota’

FaceBook
Twitter (@RuralTechnology)
Pinterest
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2017 Fishing Opener

Minnesota Take-a-Kid Hunting weekend, Sept 24th and 25th

MVTV Wireless – Expanded Campground Hotspot Services!

Cottonwood County:

Kandiyohi County:

Lincoln County:

Nobles County:

Redwood County:

Renville County: (Coming Soon)

Yellow Medicine:

Symbol Of Freedom Making A Comeback

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