What else can you do on fishing opener in Minnesota? Hang out in hammocks with your friends in the woods!
Some lakes are ice free
It’s a welcome sight to see blue water instead of white ice on some of our area lakes. The smaller and shallower lakes are ice free for folks to enjoy the Minnesota fishing opener. I have fond memories of a Mother’s Day spent out ice fishing on Saganaga but that won’t be the case this year.
Posted in fishing
Fishing opener on Saganaga?
Not this year if you want to fish the whole lake.
Interesting opportunity at Fort Ripley
Volunteer Actors at Conservation Officer Training Academy
Use your acting skills to bring some “reality” to officer cadets training to become Conservation Officers. The Enforcement Training Academy needs volunteers to act in various training scenarios during Academy 18 at Camp Ripley, Little Falls. These scenarios occur one day on a weekly basis during the academy going on now through August 14, 2018. You may volunteer for one or more days. Bring a friend! At least 25 volunteers are needed.
Volunteers will:
Act out various scenes of hunting, fishing, boating, ATV riding, etc.
Act like a real-life hunter, fisher, trapper, boater, etc.
This means as an actor you might:
Play it straight, as if they weren’t the violator
Try to help the violator by trying to talk the cadet “officer” out of writing a ticket
Hide extra game in another cooler under a tarp in your pickup and see if the cadet discovers it
For example, Game Enforcement Scenarios would have 5 or more sites set up with at least 2 actors at each site:
Site A is “Fail to Validate Site Tag” scenario
Site B is “Decoy Use/Shoot from roadway or motor vehicle” scenario
Site C is “Pheasant Hunter check / taking of a hen pheasant” scenario and so on.
Actors are encouraged to try to be realistic – sometimes you get to be antagonistic and rude, sometimes cooperative. The goal is to give the cadets a taste of “real life” duty. Acting experience is helpful, as is some experience with hunting, fishing, or boating, but are not necessary to participate.
Volunteers are provided with:
instruction
equipment to use for scenarios
refreshments and meals
bug spray and sunscreen
mileage reimbursement to and from Camp Ripley
Scenario training day happens 1 day a week each week of Academy 18 (May 2 through Aug. 14, 2018); days are approximately 12 hours long so officers can experience scenarios at various times of the day.
For more information or to sign up, contact Conservation Officer Mike Lee, Academy Director, 1501 Hwy 115, Nelson Hall, Little Falls, MN 56345 at 320-412-1176Call: 320-412-1176 or email Mike.lee@state.mn.us
Posted in News
BWCA open for business
Great news for people looking to head into the BWCA! Saganaga Lake is open all the way to Clark Island! OK, so it’s the first island on Sag but keep in mind there are campsites on Clark and in the narrows before you get to Clark. So, if you must camp in the BWCA, come on up to Sag and visit us at Voyageur!
Northern Lights dancing in the sky
This time of the year is such a magical time with all of the birds and wildlife making appearances. The other night it was made even better by the northern lights. Cassidy took the first photo at Voyageur and our local photographer took the other two.
Is this ice out yet?
This is the question anyone in the tourism industry has been asked numerous times since the middle of April. Will the ice be out by the Minnesota fishing opener? Only time will tell but folks who want to fish this opener will find smaller lakes already free of ice. Want to know which lakes are ice free? Check out the Minnesota DNR website for details.
Ham Lake Fire Anniversary
If you would have asked me a week or two ago if fire danger would be high this spring I would have laughed. Fast forward to now and I’m not laughing. I’m also trying to not think about the weather conditions from 11 years ago either. 11 years? It hardly seems possible the Ham Lake Fire happened that long ago but I guess it did. That could be why my symptoms of PTSD of dealing with wildfire have lessened…
In any case, until the trees green up there’s always a better chance of a fast moving and growing fire. Conditions are dry due to the lack of rainfall this spring and the forecast calls for high winds. A red flag warning is predicted for much of Minnesota today. Hopefully folks will avoid the temptation of burning anything until we’ve received some much needed precipitation.
It’s official, the tow boats are in the water!
The first step to getting ready to take the first tow boat ride of the season has been completed. The boat is in the water and ready to explore wherever the lack of ice will allow.
Sag Lake Landing ice status
At least the snow has melted off of the surface so the ice can start to melt!
Posted in News
- I think the Gunflint Trail should do their version too! t.co/GTmX1TeG5j
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