Fish and Wildlife Almanac, July 22 (published July 22, 2024)

Apply through Aug. 16 for special youth deer hunts

Hunters can apply for special youth deer hunt permits through Friday, Aug. 16. The number of permits for each hunt is limited. Individual hunts will be held in several state parks on various dates in the fall. These firearms hunts are for youth who are ages 12-15 at the time of the hunt and are accompanied by an adult.

The youth archery hunt in the Sand Prairie Wildlife Management Area in Sherburne County is for youth ages 10-17. Youth archery hunters at the Camp Ripley Archery Hunt in Morrison County can be ages 12-17.

Special youth deer hunts are different from the statewide youth deer season, which takes place Oct. 17-20 and does not require an application. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

In most instances, hunters may only possess and use nontoxic ammunition when participating in a special hunt in a Minnesota state park; however, nontoxic ammunition requirements do not apply to special youth hunts in the shotgun-use area if hunters remove all parts of harvested deer from the field, including the entrails.

Where nontoxic ammunition is required, bullets, slugs, muzzleloader ammunition and other single projectiles must be made entirely of nontoxic material approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For deer hunting, this typically means copper ammunition. More details about nontoxic ammunition can be found on the Minnesota DNR website.

Apply through Aug. 16 for prairie chicken hunt lottery

Hunters can apply through Friday, Aug. 16, to be chosen for one of 125 permits for the 2024 Minnesota prairie chicken hunting season. The nine-day prairie chicken season begins Saturday, Sept. 28, and is open to Minnesota residents only. The hunt takes place in northwestern Minnesota from St. Hilaire south to Breckenridge. Hunters who are awarded a permit in the lottery are required to purchase a prairie chicken hunting license prior to hunting. Hunters can find details about the season on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

Bear hunters: remember to buy license, check regulations

Bear hunters who enter the lottery for bear hunting licenses should watch their mail to see if they were selected for a license, as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has mailed postcards to lottery winners. Hunters can also look on the Minnesota DNR website to see if they were selected. The deadline to purchase a lottery bear license is Thursday, Aug. 1. Unsold lottery awarded licenses will be available at noon Tuesday, Aug. 6 to any eligible person. Bear baiting may begin Friday, Aug. 16, and the hunting season is Sunday, Sept. 1, through Sunday, Oct. 13. Hunters should note that the hunting season begins on a Sunday this year. Find more details on the Minnesota DNR’s bear hunting webpage.

Minnesota DNR webinars focus on topwater bass fishing, micro fishing

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the summer program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.

In a webinar on Wednesday, July 24, Eric Altena and Jeff Ledermann, DNR staff and bass tournament anglers, will talk topwater bass fishing. Watching a big bass splashing out of the water as it gulps a topwater lure is one of the most exciting and memorable moments while fishing. Altena and Ledermann will discuss the gear and tactics needed to find and target active bass that are feeding on the surface.

In a webinar on Wednesday, July 29, Tony Long, DNR natural resource specialist, will discuss the challenge and fun of micro fishing. Long will provide tips on this growing sport, and how and where to catch little fish by hook and line.

The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.