Excellent Skunked, I'll give them a call

PSU - call the boat graveyard in Shakopee, right next to Valley Fair. It's called Twin City Outboard. I once went in looking for a replacement lower unit for a 3hp 1957 Johnson Seahorse. I was happy when the guy said they had it. When I got there, the guy brought out a box of them so that I could look them over and get the right color! They've got a lot of boats too. Cool place to visit and look around.

Our annual ice fishing kickoff event is a little over a month away!  We just want to make sure everyone gets it on their calendars!   This year's date is Saturday, September 28.  Held at our building in Blaine, MN.   We'll have seminars from Ice Team and Ice Force Pros, along with vendors showcasing all of the new products for the upcoming ice fishing season!   Oh, and AWESOME deals on everything you need to have a successful season!   We'll post more details as we get closer, but for now please mark your calendars for Saturday, September 28 and we'll see you there!!   Thanks for all of the support!!

Our annual ice fishing kickoff event is a little over a month away!  We just want to make sure everyone gets it on their calendars!   This year's date is Saturday, September 28.  Held at our building in Blaine, MN.   We'll have seminars from Ice Team and Ice Force Pros, along with vendors showcasing all of the new products for the upcoming ice fishing season!   Oh, and AWESOME deals on everything you need to have a successful season!   We'll post more details as we get closer, but for now please mark your calendars for Saturday, September 28 and we'll see you there!!   Thanks for all of the support!!

Trolling lead bite seems to be kicking in. Caught a nice limit of 17-19.5 last weekend. 

Few, if any muskies down there. You’d be better off either zipping up to Lake St. Croix or getting a WI license and fishing the Chippewa River. 

Has anybody been to Big Sand lately?  Any tips as I'll be there for a week (8/26-8/30) and have never fished the lake.    Thank you in Advance!

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting comments through Sept. 18 on an environmental assessment worksheet for a proposed mountain bike trail development, consisting of two loops, in Crow Wing County. Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew proposes to construct a total of 11.40 miles of recreational trails, consisting of the Cuyuna Connection Trail Loop and the Cuyuna Hills Trail Loop. The trails are designed to be used for non-motorized recreation access including mountain biking, hiking, trail running, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the Cuyuna area. The EAW is available to review online at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/environmentalreview/cuyunacrewmtbiketrails/index.html A hard copy may be requested by calling 651-259-5115 Additionally, the EAW is available for public review at: DNR Library, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155 DNR Northeast Region Headquarters, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744 Hennepin County – Minneapolis Central Library, Government Documents, Second Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1992 Kitchigami Regional Library, 212 Park Avenue, Pine River, MN 56474 Jessie F. Hallett Memorial Library, 101 1st Street SE, Crosby, MN 56641 Brainerd Public Library, 416 S. 5th St., Brainerd, MN 56401 The EAW notice was published in the August 19, 2019 EQB Monitor. Written comments on the EAW must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18 to the attention of Cynthia Novak-Krebs, EAW Project Manager, Environmental Policy and Review Unit, DNR Division of Ecological and Water Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4025. Electronic or email comments may be sent to [email protected] Please use “Cuyuna Connection EAW” in the subject line. Written comments may also be sent by fax to 651-296-1811. People who would like to receive a response that includes final documents should include their name and contact information. Because all comments and related information are part of the EAW public record, any submitted names and contact information will also be published and publicly available. Discuss below - to view set the hook here.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites the public to attend a meeting on Oct. 21 to review proposed changes to recreational trail systems in the Rum River State Forest and nearby state forest lands. The affected lands are in Mille Lacs and Morrison counties. The meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Onamia Lions Community Center, 806 W. Kathio St., Onamia. Proposed changes include adding 5.9 miles of off-highway motorcycle, 5.1 miles of all-terrain vehicle (class one)/off-highway motorcycle and 1.1 miles of off-road vehicle. The draft proposals reflect feedback gathered during an open house in March 2018. The forest is classified as “limited” with respect to motor vehicle use, which means that OHVs may only use forest roads and trails that are posted open. The DNR does not propose changing the “limited” classification. The DNR invites people to attend the meeting to review maps of existing and proposed trails, discuss the DNR proposals, submit comments and suggest modifications to the proposed changes. The DNR will also accept written comments through 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 4. Comments received at the meeting and during the public comment period will be used to develop a final recommendation that will be submitted to the DNR Commissioner for approval. Changes to state forest trail designations must be made by Commissioner’s order and published in the State Register. Written comments may be submitted by fax to: 651-297-1157, by email to [email protected], or by mail to: Joe Unger, DNR Parks and Trails, 500 Lafayette Rd, St. Paul, MN 55155-4039. For more information, call: The DNR Division of Parks and Trails central office in St. Paul, 651-259-5279. The DNR Division of Parks and Trails area office in Sauk Rapids, 320-223-7861. Information is also available online at mndnr.gov Discuss below - to view set the hook here.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking ruffed grouse hunters in northern Minnesota to voluntarily submit samples for a West Nile virus research project that the DNR is conducting. Researchers will test hunter-harvested birds for exposure and active infections of the disease. “We want to learn more about West Nile virus in ruffed grouse, because of concerns that it might be impacting the production of young birds, which make up a large portion of what hunters see in the fall,” said Charlotte Roy, grouse project leader with the Minnesota DNR. The adult grouse population has been cycling around a stable 10-year average. Minnesota is collaborating on this project with researchers in Wisconsin and Michigan. This is the second year of the study and results from the first year are expected from the lab early this fall. The research is partially funded by the Ruffed Grouse Society and the Game and Fish Fund. “Thank you to all our volunteers and hunters who help us collect these samples. Participation from hunters is critical to the success of the project,” Roy said. West Nile virus has been present in Minnesota since the early 2000s, and cases have been found in wild birds, people and other mammals. Birds vary in vulnerability to the virus. Some bird species recover quickly and become tolerant to the virus while others, such as blue jays and crows, suffer higher rates of mortality. A study in Pennsylvania indicated the virus could impact ruffed grouse populations when combined with habitat stresses. West Nile virus is carried by infected mosquitoes. Not all people or animals bitten by an infected mosquito will contract West Nile virus. There have been no documented cases of people contracting West Nile virus from consuming properly cooked meat. How to participate Hunters who would like to assist with the project will need to collect blood on filter paper strips within 30 minutes of harvest. They will also be asked to provide the birds’ hearts and few feathers for sex and age determination. Collection kits will be available for pickup at DNR area wildlife offices within ruffed grouse range after Labor Day on a first-come first-serve basis, and also at the regional DNR headquarters in Bemidji and Grand Rapids. Contact information for wildlife offices is available at mndnr.gov/areas/wildlife and hunters are encouraged to call before stopping. Information can also be found in the Hunting Regulations Book. This year, the Ruffed Grouse Society is offering a shotgun and Pineridge Grouse Camp is offering a guided hunt as prizes in a drawing for participating hunters that submit samples correctly. Hunters are also participating in sample collection at the Ruffed Grouse Society National Hunt in October, Pineridge Grouse Camp, Bowen Lodge, Hoot-N-Holler, and the Akeley Grouse Hunt. Private hunting guides and wildlife students at participating colleges will also contribute to reaching the desired sample size of 400 birds. Return postage and complete instructions are included in the kits. Samples also can be dropped off at Pineridge Grouse Camp near Remer. More information about ruffed grouse management can be found on the DNR website.  Questions about the West Nile virus study can be directed to Charlotte Roy at 218-328-8876 or [email protected]   Discuss below - to view set the hook here.