Outdoors

Outdoors notes: Wanted -- A few ethical hunters

11/5/2009 7:45:02 AM

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By John Weiss

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

Nominees are being sought for the 17th annual Minnesota Deer Hunter Ethics Award.

Some regulation changes for deer hunting this year

• Legal bucks must have their antlers attached when they are registered.

• You can't have birdfeeders near deer stands. In past, deer baiting was illegal but people were still allowed to have birdfeeders outside their homes. The DNR found some hunters had elaborate feeders next to their stands; that's illegal this year.

• You don't always have to have your firearms in a case when driving. But if you're in a bigger city or places where it's prohibited, you have to have them cased.

The Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association and Turn In Poachers (TIP) are asking hunters to tell them about deer hunters who have shown excellent ethics in the outdoors. These hunters should be examples for others to follow. There is both a youth and adult division, but nominees must be from Minnesota and the incident must have happened in the 2009 archery, firearms or muzzleloader seasons.

Nominations will be accepted until Jan. 22. Send a letter to the MDHA, 460 Peterson Road, Grand Rapids, Minn. 55744-8413, faxed to 218-327-1349, or e-mailed to kimhanson@mndeerhunters.com.

More information is available at the association's Web site, www.mndeerhunters.com.

ULTIMATE PANFISH LEAGUE: You know it's getting close to winter when the Ultimate Panfish League - Rochester announces it's ready for another ice season.

The kick off will be from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 14 at the Lake City Marina, with registration at 7:45 a.m.

Cost is $10 per angler with an optional $1 for big fish. You can weigh in your top three crappies and three best sunfish. Total weight wins.

MOWER COUNTY GETS MORE WILDLIFE LAND: Dedication of a new Lost Lake Waterfowl Production Area was Wednesday at the land northwest of Austin. The 85 acres was bought by the Mower County Chapter of Pheasants Forever. The chapter restored the land through native grass planting, and added two shallow ponds. The chapter donated the property to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Service constructed a parking area and installed signage.

The land is open to public hunting, birding, photography and general recreational use.

To get to it, go about two miles west of U.S. 218 on Mower County Road 27.

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