The last 3 days I snuck away to get my boat in the water for an extended period of float time.  Friday was the first day on the water and it couldn't have gone any better.  A couple of friends named  Mitch and Bails joined me for the madness.  It exceeded their expectations, and for that matter, mine as well.  It took us a matter of about 3 minutes to locate the fish and start catching.  We hoisted several small fish before we realized we were in dink land.  I headed to a past honey hole and we resumed our catching.  Only this time, they were bigger.  Before our perfect evening was over, we caught quality and quantity.  I managed to take first prize with a dandy of swine just after sunset.  It wouldn't have gone any better if I would have scripted it out myself.

Saturday was more of the same but with a different group.  Subtract Mitch and add Dusty and Dingwall to the mix.  Par for the course, these boys didn't skip a beat.  In fact, they brought a little more action to the table and matched the performance of both Bails and myself.  The only difference on this day was that we couldn't find a monster to take a picture with.  Most of our fish were in the 16 to 20 inch range with about a half dozen between 20 and 23 inches and the biggest fish only pushing about 4.5 pounds.  Not that we were complaining, but that kicker fish is always cool to top off a perfect day on the water.  Our fish to remember on Saturday was not the biggest walleye of the day, however a giant sauger that had a belly full of future river runners.  She was a dandy, and Bails was the lucky angler on that catch.

Sunday afternoon gave us another spectacular day of Minnesota spring weather.  Water temps jumped slightly and you could see the response in the fish.  Again we caught a pile of them, but this time I noticed more females showing up.  Yep, the big fat bellies that we look forward to so much this time of the year.    We only had a couple of hours of afternoon daylight to enjoy it, but this time it was Phillip and Mike's turn to join the madness.  They all did their share to hoist the fatties, and Phillip took largest fish honors with with one of his first fish of the 2010 open water season.  It just doesn't get any better than that.

Overall it was a picture perfect start to the open water season.  The weather was fantastic and the fishing followed along perfectly.  Everybody got in on the ation and we caught fish in every size range.  While this action was great, it is likely to be short lived.  The conditions are fast changing and the high waters are inevitable.  Once she breaks loose, you'll be lucky to find a safe launch to put your boat in.  Get out today, or maybe tomorrow, because after that it just might be too late.  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conservation officers say the biggest problem is identifying the perpetrators.

“Lakes are normally ringed by fish houses this time of year so conservation officers find it challenging to identify who is leaving trash on a lake,” said Capt. Ken Soring, DNR Enforcement northeast regional manager in Grand Rapids. “Another factor is the wind, which makes it difficult to prove where the trash came from. And we just don’t have enough conservation officers to thoroughly enforce litter laws.”

Litter is a petty misdemeanor criminal charge with a fine of up to $300.

Conservation officers also have Solid Waste Civil Citation authority. These civil citations are “by the pound” or “by the cubic foot” penalties, and since they are not criminal charges, they don’t require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The person suspected of littering must pay the penalty and clean up the mess.

Conservation officers on Lake Mille Lacs utilize a blaze orange “notice” door tag with a label pasted on the back that essentially asks people to take their litter and blocking materials with them. Officers place the tag on fish houses, especially those that have litter around them. The tag also mentions the statute and potential penalty for violating the law.

“Officers will be documenting houses that have litter around them or look like they may be abandoned,” said Lt. Rita Frenzel, Lake Mille Lacs District Enforcement supervisor. “Given the size of Mille Lacs and the number of houses, this may be somewhat hit and miss. But we will be diligent in pursuing litter cases.” She noted officers will also be talking to resort owners about removing blocking material and remnants of ice bridges discarded on lakes.

The DNR offers the following tips to keep Minnesota waterways clean:

• Set an example for others, especially children, by not littering.
• Properly dispose of tangled fishing line to prevent wildlife from being trapped and injured.
• It is unlawful to dispose of ice fishing shacks anywhere in the state. Check with local refuse provider or landfill for disposal.
• Litter is a costly problem that we all end up paying for to keep our roadways, parks, and waterways clean. The act of littering not only hurts our pocketbooks, but it also causes  harm to our environment in many ways.
• Keep a litter bag or trash container in your fish house, dark house, or shelter.
• Secure trash container covers to prevent wind or animals from spreading litter.
• Cover and secure any vehicle, truck, or trailer carrying refuse.
• When visiting any recreation area, make sure to leave the area clean for the next person to enjoy.

It all started out on Friday evening.  Mike Tengwall, of Buffalo, MN, and I hooked up the trailer, loaded the snowmobile and the portable shack, and headed for northern Wisconsin.  The object of our effection was Lake Trout on Lake Superior.  I've heard the stories about the ice and watched the news episodes about the guys drifting away on ice chunks, only to be rescued by helicopters.  In fact, that was exactly what we were discussing at about 10:30 PM as our snowmobile trailer ripped off the tongue and went flying out of control at 60 mph.  We got lucky and somehow the trailer stayed upright as it spun in circles attached to absolutely nothing.  God was looking down on us, because magically our gear made it through the disaster and the trailer never flipped.  To make a long story short, this was not the way we wanted to start our trip, and it took us the next 4.5 hours to get all of our gear to the hotel.

Our night was short and our morning consisted of trying to resolve our problem first thing before we went fishing.  We quickly discovered that northern Wisconsin is not the best place to shop for a snowmobile trailer.  We would have ended up with nothing, but found a local business owner about 50 miles away looking to sell a trailer.  After everything we went through, we bought it immediately.

Finally, we reached the ice shortly before noon.  It was at this point that we should have taken everything as a sign and turned dircectly around.  Our friends, Kent and Jenny, were already out on the ice and our goal was a GPS icon that had been so hot for Mike and Kent the years before.  Kent reached that 250 foot deep spot by snowmobile on Friday and had good ice beneath him.  In fact, the locals had piles of fish on the ice when he got there.  That was yesterday, this was today.

When we finally navigated our way 10 miles through the Apostle islands, it was very clear that the ice we wanted to fish no longer remained.  In fact, we were looking at nothing but open water as far as the eye could see.  It left an uneasy feeling in our stomachs to be so close to the water's edge, especially when one of the locals came up to us and said that this ice would soon be gone too.  We were so close but yet not willing to put ourselves any closer to the water and decided to fish for a short period before we left for the afternoon.  To fish in 230 feet of water only a few hundred yards from open water was just not right.  I had that eerie feeling in my stomach the whole time, but managed to pick up on the techniques and coax a few Lakers into eating.  Unfortunately I missed all 3 of them and we headed to shore without a day one fish.

Day 2 we figured we would get in on the morning bite and fish in a similar area from the day before.  As we came around the island, 2 of the locals that headed out before us were coming back our way.  Mike instantly said, "that's not good if they are coming back," and as we approached them it was very clear why.  The entire area that we had fished the day before was nothing but open water.  It broke loose in places that we didn't even think possible.  Somehow the current that was ripping through the islands had take out nearly all the ice in it's way.  It was simply incredible to see a mile of ice just dissappear only 12 hours after we had fished it.

As we stood on the ice trying to ponder our next move, things became even more interesting.  Jenny made an insane revelation when she said "guys, am I seeing things, or is this ice moving up and down?" She was right and it was beyond freaky.  If you stopped walking around, you could look in one direction and physically watch the ice raise and lower a foot or two at a time.  I didn't even think this was possible, but sure enough, as I looked at Mike and the others we were riding on waves.  At one point I would be a foot taller than Mike, then the wave would continue and I'd be a foot lower.  It put knots in my stomach instantly.  It was the worst roller coaster ride I had ever experienced, and to make it even worse, we were only on 6 inches of ice.  Every crack around us had water in it (the tell-tale sign that the ice is going to break free) and we were without ever knowing, in the heart of it all.  If I didn't think that I could fall through at any second, it would actually have been kind of cool to get my camera, set it up, and record the motion effect.  That was not the case though, and I didn't race for the camera.  Instead, it was a race to get the heck out of there.

With an entire 5 square mile section of ice now off limits, we opted for a somewhat protected location to try our luck.  It was a new spot a few miles away and around an island.  None of us had ever fished it before, but we didn't care and just wanted an area that we felt safe and could wet a line.  In our minds we were still shaken up and just wanted to fish comfortably.  This was the right idea and by 9:15 AM we were finally fishing.  Around 10:00 I finally iced my first Lake Trout.  Not a giant, but a Laker nonetheless, and out of 160 feet of water, it was pretty darn sweet.  Mike followed that up shortly after with a couple of his own and soon after Jenny and Kent each iced their first fish.  Entangled in the fun we almost forgot about our morning experience.  Mike then stole the show with a battle that was the exact reason for our insane adventure.  A dandy of a laker that gave me a new appreciation for a giant battle on ice.  It was at that point that we could almost enjoy the art of fishing again.  Unfortunately that was all about to change.

As the early hours of the afternoon started to pass Mike took a walk outside.  It was obvious that something drastic was changing under our feet.  All I heard from Mike was "Travis, you better get out here."  As I walked out of the house I noticed that it was wet every step I took.  All the cracks had water in them (the bad sign) and Mike told me to stand still.  Sure enough, I could literally see the waves in the ice.  We were raising and lowering as if we were in a boat.  I can honestly tell you that this is not cool when you are on ice.  Not even a little bit.  Our stomachs just dropped and we raced to get our gear packed up.  We tried to keep our cool, but you could feel the urgency in our work.  In a matter of seconds we were ready to go but the snowmobile was stuck in the wet snow.  Not cool.  As fast as two grown men could, we pushed the snowmobile and sled out and started heading back as fast as possible.  The only problem was the loose chunks of ice that we were driving over.  The smaller chunks would take on water as the weight of our machine would push them down.  I almost crapped my pants at that point, but thankfully the snowmobile could handle it and would skip over the bad spots.  It wasn't until a few miles and two large pressure ridges were crossed before we had any sense of comfort about us.  I can honestly say that I have never screamed "Go, Go, Go," so loud in my entire life.  The second we hit shore I knelt down, patted the ground and said thank you God.  For the first time in my life, I actually thought that I may have gone too far and tested the limits too much.  We were so pumped to be on solid land and without hesitation, we called it a weekend.  We packed the gear and drove 6 hours through a midwest snowstorm.

We figured we lost a good 5 years on our lives after that day.  Looking back on it all, I can say that I never truely felt comfortable on that ice.  I wore a life jacket and had ice picks, which I am usually too tough to wear.  There were several times that I will admit to being scared.  It sounds aweful to say, but I remember playing out scenarios in my mind for when we went through.  How would I get out?  What would I do if we both were in the water?  Things that I've never had in my mind on a fishing trip.  I can't explain it, it was just something that I am glad I made it through, and glad I was able to experience just once.  But, on the plus side, I was told that this was as bad as anyone has seen it up there.  So I guess I have seen the worst of it.  Will I go back?  I don't know that yet.  I'm still trying to clean my shorts.

P.S.  That ice we narrowly escaped from on Sunday...It's gone.  Until next time, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - travis@mnbound.com

At this very minute, someone, somewhere is pulling a walleye through a hole of a Minnesota lake.  It is no secret that the early ice is the best time to land ol' marble eye.  For myself, I liken it to the opener of the fishing season in May, the deer opener in November or even the peak of the muskie fishing in the fall.  I simply love getting out on the ice for the first crack at a walleye dinner.  Not only is it new scenery, but the fishing is simply the best early in the ice season.  My escapades started as soon as we had walkable ice in Minnesota.  Well before most people even think about getting their shanties ready for water.  But I have to admit, I have landed a lot of very nice walleyes already this winter.  I used extra caution, and in this case, the early bird did get the worm!

While the early minutes of the 2009 ice season have already come and gone, it doesn't mean that "early ice" is necessarily over completely.  The next few days and weeks are going to offer up some of the best ice fishing of the season.  The ice has just now reached a point where anything is fair game.  I assure you that there are still spots on all lakes that haven't been fished yet, and that likely means first come, first walleye.  Here's where I have been, what I have heard and what I have found. 

I started my year on lake Minnetonka ice.  This metro gem is full of walleyes for anyone willing to work hard to catch 'em.  We found sizes either too big or too small for the frying pan so far.  If you want to head out there, focus on rock piles.  This is why I said "work hard" to find 'em.  You will want to drop a camera down there to see what you are on.  Generally speaking, the bigger bays offer plenty of the afforementioned goods that the walleyes love.  If you find rocks, sand and weeds near deep water, get ready for an overnight sit, because you are in for a treat.  Just remember your digital camera, because Tonka is full of trophies!

Two words - Mille Lacs!  This lake is back on again.  The last two winters brought iffy ice and lots o' snow and slush.  So far, the ice is growing fast, and there is no snow keeping you from any spot you desire.  What makes it all the better?  The walleyes are biting again too!  I have spent two days on that lake so far, and we have about 80 walleyes to show for our efforts.  Not to mention the bonus jumbo perch, otherwise known by my fishing crew as "BBJP" or Big Bellied Jumbo Perch.  Mille Lacs should be on every anglers choice again for 2009.  And like I said earlier, they are biting right now!

Lake of the Woods is once again an anglers haven.  I personally have not been there yet, but after talking with Gary from Ballards resort and a bunch of my fishing buddies, one thing is clear, they are biting!  Here is a very common phrase from everyone I have talked with so far.  "yeah, about 100 fish a day." 

I know it is early in the year, but the conditions have made travel such that anglers are now able to fish anywhere they would like.  The traffic from the vehicles will likely hit the ice within the next few days, so the early ice season is almost to the mid-winter point.  Whether you hit any of the lakes I just mentioned, or find one of your own, this holiday season I encourage you to wet a line for a fresh walleye dinner.  Who knows, you just might surprise yourself!  Good luck and Happy Holidays!

Travis Frank - travis@mnbound.com

If you haven't followed my quest in the past, here is a bit of info to get you up to speed.  Each fall, specifically the month of November, I begin a quest to land the next state record muskie.  I know this might sound rather stupid to think that I can just go out and catch a state record fish, but it really isn't that out of line.  See, in the fall these fish become larger.  Given the right lake with the right forage, these muskies can literally weigh an extra 10 pounds heavier during November than at any other time of the year.  Finding the right locations and timing things perfectly put the odds in your favor to land muskies exceeding 50 pounds.  This isn't simple by any means and it takes great patience and persistence in the worst elements mother nature can throw out, but the rewards can be incredible.

For the last two seasons I have been concentrating my efforts on Lake Mille Lacs.  It is no secret that this lake holds some of the largest muskies ever grown.  Coupled with the tullibee population, these beasts reach peak weight just before the ice forms.  It is cold, it is exhausting, but I have found ways to cope and I have found fish willing to strike.  Two years ago I landed a fish that still leaves me wondering.  She was a beaut that no doubt surpassed the 50 pound mark.  The next day I scored another giant that might have only been a few pounds shy of the record as well.  It was those two fish that fueled my fire to catch a fish larger than the current record.

Last season was another epic quest that gets me excited to start this years journey.  I located 3 fish that I figured would have topped the scales around that elusive 54 pound mark.  Two of them were near the record, and one of them totally blew the rest away.  I nicknamed her Diane, and we fished her hard when the weather would allow for the better part of two weeks.  I estimated her at about 60 pounds, and I am not making this up or exxaggerating.  Some days I could get her to follow and others she would have none of my business.  When she would come to the boat, it was a sight out of this world.  Picture a five gallon bucket nearly 60 inches long following your bait and you will understand what I am talking about.  She was almost surreal.  I don't remember the date, but there was one time that we got her to eat.  It was with my good buddy Mike that day, and after releasing a nice mid 40 inch muskie, we quickly drove to her location hoping the short window of opportunity was till open.  I pointed to her home, and Mike landed the lure spot on.  She devoured the bait the second the lure hit the water, and chaos broke loose.  It was a battle that I will never forget, and one that left Mike in tears on the back deck of the boat.  As the fish came around the boat, she did a barrel role and the over-sized lure popped free.  It was an experience that you literally had to be there to understand.  Sure it's only a fish tale at this point, but something so large and powerful still leaves me sleepless at night.  I know what we had, and we had the next state record inches from the net.

So with that, I hope you understand my quest for the one.  It is not made up, it is not exxaggerated, it is not a ridiculous feat to accomplish, but it is the most insane fishing one can imagine.  As the water temps continue to fall to the perfect degree, I will soon be trailering the boat north.  When you are in your deer stand, I will likely be on the water.  When you are ice fishing the first frozen lakes, I will likely be chipping the access free to launch my boat.  When the weather cooperates and the winds lay down, I will likely be somewhere on that big pond.  This year I will have more guests than ever before.  Clients, Newspaper writers, television crews and good fishing friends are all on the menu to join the insanity.  It's all gonna be a hoot!  What will we do when we land that beast?  I just don't know, but I hope that you follow along and join me for the entire experience.  Until the state record strikes, keep on chasing your dream!

Travis Frank - travis@mnbound.com

Wednesday morning we learned exactly how our week would be spent.  Mud was the word, and sloppy was an understatement.  We met up with Young Ben, and he took us to a mallard honey hole.  Hoping for that perfect mallard shoot in the "dry" field, Ben greeted us with the comment, "oh, and you guys need to bring your waders, leave the blinds in the truck." Yes, we were hunting a field, but the darn thing was flooded, along with half of the other fields in NoDak.  Oh well, we didn't care and followed Ben's orders to Mallard heaven.  Soon after we were reminded why we love hunting in the central of the flyway as we cut mallards that were tumbling into our meager little spread of 6 decoys and 2 spinning wings.

After the completion of our Wednesday morning hunt, we continued our drive to the final destination in the central part of the state.  It was about two more hours west.  Slowly we drove out of the insanely flooded field country and into the area that we had hunted for the past 7 years.  Well it took us two days for things to click, but while we enjoyed the dry areas in the middle of the state, the duck numbers were less and so were our results.  The ducks were enjoying the sloppy wet fields to the east, which meant that we too would have to suck it up and follow the migration the way nature intended it to be.  With a sigh, we packed our gear and headed back to scout the muddy field waters.  It took us about 5 minutes to find thousands of mallards.  We locked about a dozen locations in our GPS in a matter of hours, and obtained permission to the privately owned duck havens.

While this was quite a drive, it was clearly worth it.  The next morning we slopped through the mud to the waters edge and put out our small ducky spread.  Then we laid our nice looking coffin blinds in the mud and spread the goo all over the outside.  As the skies to the east started to glow, we were bombarded by ducks by the hundreds.  It really was the hunt of a lifetime, the reason for our trip and the reason that I will be back next year.  During the next few hours we picked out greenies and folded 'em like we knew what we were doing.  As we filled our limit we just laughed at the sight of everything we had just done.  The blinds were covered in mud, inside and out, and everything we touched had a layer of black somewhere on it.  It was crazy, but so worth it!

As I returned to the farmer that gave us permission, he chuckled at the sight of what I had become.  My face covered in mud and war-paint, I told him thank you for the hunt of a lifetime.  He obliged and continued to laugh.  Looking back at it all, I would have been laughing if I were him too.  We looked ridiculous, our white truck was brownish black and our gear the same.  If you are a duck hunter, it just doesn't get any better than that.  If you are a farmer, then you will laugh at the guy that pulls up to your front door.  That's just how it is, and I get it!  For us, all the work that we put in will be forgotten, but that hunt will remain in our memory 'til we retire.

The rest of the trip was more of the same, along with some "dry" pheasant hunts that kept us occupied when we weren't swimming in the muddy fields.  We laughed uncontrollably at times, and we got to watch Jeff's dog, Bella, retrieve her first ducks and flush her first pheasants.  The only negative part of the trip was that I chose not to bring the camera into the muddy hunts and the pictures will have to be remembered in our minds instead of on film.  Oh well, those memories will be stuck in my mind forever.  Thanks for the remarkable trip fella's, I can't wait 'til next year!  Until then, Keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

For myself, it was more than an honor to be given the opportunity to help produce the show about Joe Bucher.  Joe has been muskie fishing, writing about muskies, and teaching about muskies well before I was born.  In the 70's he was writing articles in magazines when nobody else wanted to talk about muskies.  As Cy and I spent time with this man, it was really a pleasure to learn why he made the choices that he did in his life.  Like many of us, he has a passion for the outdoors.  A passion that spawned the creation of lures.  Muskie lures to be exact.  With the encouragement of Roland Martin and Al Lindner, he decided to start his own fishing show.  Soon after was magazine dedicated solely to the sport of muskie angling.  Muskie Hunter is still one of the only magazines focusing entirely on that Esox.  Joe has written thousands of articles as well, and as we reviewed some of them, I found it interesting to read words from the 70's and 80's that pertain directly to my life on the water today.  One of the unique phrases that stuck while Joe and I talked muskie fishing was, "if you think you have something new, just go back 20 or 30 years and you'll see someone else who has also done that."

Joe was a true legend in all aspects.  He was very humbled by the fact that we were filming a show because of all of his accomplishments.  We talked about the past, present and future of fishing, and bounced our ideas off of each other.  Also, I'm not going to give out too many details here, but I think you might be seeing some pretty cool new muskie baits in the very near future.  We met his unbelievably encouraging and wonderful wife Beth, his dog Raider, and several other key people in his life.  We heard him rock out on the guitar, which he does in each of his shows, and finally, when the rain cleared, we went fishing.  After all, this still is a fishing show!  We filmed two seperate pieces to the show.  One of Joe fishing with his good friend coach Kip, and the other on a solo mission.  The first trip was with Coach Kip, and boy were these two fishing pals a hoot.  It was destiny from the start the Coach would catch the first muskie, and par for the course, he did.  That was the only fish they saw that morning, but it was perfect.  Later that day, we returned to the water on a solo trip with Joe.  Like all fishing trips that guys take, the lake is a place to unwind and relive past memories.  We did just that.  As the sun set on our last day with Joe, the water erupted and our prayers for Joe to land a muskie were answered.  After all, what else would you expect from a legnd like Joe?  From the legendary waters of northern Wisconsin, Keep on chasing the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

A few days back I was reminded of this when I had a very good friend named Pete, and his son Danny out on the water.  Danny is 8, but if you ask him, he'll say he's almost 9.  While our mission was to land a big muskie, I found it more of an initiative on my part to make sure Danny had a great experience.  The fish would be the bonus on this trip.  Danny was a great steward at such a young age, and listened to my every word.  He was new to muskie fishing, but you could tell that he was ready for the challenge.  He worked on his figure 8 at the boat, and understood what was right and wrong.  It was just neat to watch him learn and improve.  After a short while, he soon found a beast of a muskie boatside ready to eat his lure.  The action proved too much for the beginner, and the fish didn't come in the boat, but that wasn't the point.  Just the fact that he put all the pieces together to have the trophy encounter made everything what it was.  A 35 pound fish flaring its gills on a lure at the boat will get anybody excited, and for Danny, it was beyond excitement.  His level of confidence went through the roof.  He began talking at a much faster pace, and you could see how things clicked for him about what just happened.  A short while later we were faced with another similar situation, and before our evening was through, a large bass exploded on his topwater lure.  Not the muskie we were searching for, but I can assure you the excitement was beyond words for this lucky angler.  What I thought was an excited fisherman was now on a whole new level.  A level that his dad informed me a few days later had made him want to fish again the very next day.

I was lucky to have this opportunity to teach and share in the muskie joys.  Danny was lucky to have a great father to bring him with.  For me, this was just a friendly reminder about how easy it is to grow our sport and pass it down to generations.  A few hours on the water has likely changed this young fisherman's outlook on fishing, and assured us that our passions are going to continue.  It also reminds me that I should make a little more free time for some other anglers that I have been forgetting to take out.  I won't let it happen again, I hope you don't either!  Until the next time the muskie strikes, keep on livin' the dream!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com

If you live in Minnesota and want to hunt upland birds, count your blessings. Minnesota grouse hunting opportunities are among the best in the nation.

It’s often said that Minnesota is to grouse what South Dakota is to pheasants. I’d argue that the grouse hunting opportunities in Minnesota are even better.

For instance, most of the best pheasant habitat and hunting opportunities in South Dakota are controlled by private landowners. In contrast, Minnesota county, state and national forests provide 11.5 million acres of grouse habitat - and each acre is open to public hunting. So, if South Dakota is the Pheasant Capitol of the World, Minnesota certainly is the Ruffed Grouse Capitol of the World.

Jay Johnson, with his English setter, Meg.
Don’t believe me? Well consider this. Each year the Ruffed Grouse Society, a non-profit conservation organization focused on grouse, American woodcock and other related early successional forest wildlife, hosts its National Grouse and Woodcock Hunt in th  e Grand Rapids area. So, if you aren’t hunting ruffed grouse, you are really missing out on the best upland bird hunting in the state.

Have I piqued your interest? I hope so. Here is some basic information that will help you find
a place to hunt and hopefully, find a few birds.

First off, you need to know that the season opens Saturday, Sept. 19 and runs through Sunday, Jan.3, 2010. The daily limit (how many you can have in the field) is five and the possession limit (how many you can have in the field and in your freezer) is 10. Cock (male) and hen (female) birds are legal game.

You do need a small game license, which you can buy separately or in combination with your fishing license.

Shotguns in 12-and 20-gauge that are light, easy to carry and have open chokes, such as an improved cylinder, are perfect for grouse. Standard target or field loads of No. 7-1/2 to No. 9 shot are all you need to effectively bring down a grouse.

A blaze-orange hat, a blaze-orange vest and a comfortable pair of boots round out the necessary equipment you need to get started. Cover may be thick and it’s crucial that others clearly see you through brush and trees.

Next, you need to know where to hunt. Top counties in the state include Aitkin, Cass, Itasca, St. Louis, Beltrami and Koochiching. But there are quality hunting opportunities across much of the northern half of the state. While not as abundant, grouse also are available in the hill country of southeastern Minnesota.

Once you decide on the general area you plan to hunt, do some Internet research, talk to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) area wildlife office, and the county courthouse and get yourself a plat book for that county that shows land ownership.

Next, you need to know where and what type of cover to hunt. Ruffed grouse are birds that prefer younger forests and really like the subtle seams and edges of those forests.
Many folks look at a piece of woods and say, “It all looks the same.” The key to being a successful grouse hunter is being able to see the subtle edges, seams and transitions within any given woodlot.

As a general rule of thumb, try to find places where tree sizes at the base are between the diameter of your wrist and your calf. Trees of this size will be between 15-30 feet high. The type of tree, although important, is less important than the size and how close they are together.
Try to hunt in areas where aspen are present and avoid areas that are solid conifers. While you may find grouse in such cover, your chances of getting a shot at them is slim.

When you have found a promising piece of grouse cover, where and how do you hunt? Well, if there is a trail that runs through the cover, that’s a great place to start. Remember, grouse are birds of edges and a trail provides two of those edges.

Growing up grouse hunting with my dad and others, we did the vast majority of our hunting walking old logging trails or “tote” roads as my dad called them. Many a grouse met their end as the result of their attraction to the clover, forbs and gravel that make these prime hunting spots so attractive.

If you are hunting without a dog, find a couple friends and put on the patented “partridge push”.  This tactic positions one hunter 20 yards into the cover on the left of the trail and one hunter the same distance to the right of the trail. The third hunter should stand on the trail and serve as the push coordinator.

The hunting team proceeds slowly down the trail stopping briefly every 50 or so steps. The push coordinator’s job is to make sure that the team members stay abreast of each other and no one gets ahead of the others. Constant communication among team members is the key to maintaining a safe and productive hunting experience.

On the other hand, an enhanced version of the push uses the assistance of a canine hunting companion. The dog quarters back and forth across the trail in front of the three hunters, flushing any birds that might otherwise try to sit tight and let hunters without a dog walk past.

If the piece of woods you selected to hunt has no trails, then you need to try to find any other type of edge or seam. These could include swamp edges, field edges and edges where two different tree types or sizes come together. You can hunt them much the same way as you would a trail but the walking will be more difficult. Hunting with a team in a trail-less area makes it more difficult to work together and stay in safe position. Be extra conscious of safety.

Hunting linear cover such as trails, seams and edges is a great way to begin your journey grouse hunting.

Have a great hunt and always remember to be sure of your target and what is beyond, before taking the shot.

Coming up on Saturday October 3, one of the most instrumental fisherman to our sport is being honored and celebrated by another instrumental muskie supporting organization.  I know that sounded like a lot of instrumental talk, but in reality, Muskies Inc. has really done a lot to give us the opportunities that we have to fish muskies in the metro area of our state.  Not only that, but they are having a fishing tournament to honor the legendary muskie angler named George Wahl who was an important part in bringing our favorite fish to our lakes.  This tournament is two-fold.  To remember and honor the legacy of George Wahl, and to continue the stocking efforts of our local lakes.  Yep, that's right.  The more people that fish this tournament, the more money is raised for local stocking efforts in our favorite muskie lakes.  It seems simple right?  Well Muskies Inc. needs our support to make it a success.  All we have to do is sign up to fish in the tournament.  All the money, that's right, 100% of our entry fee of $50 will go to stocking muskies in our metro lakes.  Once you are signed up, you will be able to choose between the top 12 muskie lakes in the metro, and there are $5,000 worth of prizes to win.  Catch a muskie, win a prize and put more muskies in our lakes!  Hmmm.... that sounds like a good day to me!

I know this might have sounded like a bit of an advertisement to you, but this is one of the few opportunities that we get as "muskie nuts" to help our own cause.  Plus I think it will be a fun day on the water.  Click here if you would like to learn more about the upcoming event.  See you on the water!

Travis Frank - Travis@mnbound.com