The Deer Season is Open

The Minnesota tradition of the Whitetail deer hunting season is underway for rifle hunters.

Some 450 thousand hunters are expected to throw on the blaze orange and head out into the elements, which should be mild but windy this weekend. 

C.B. Bylander, MN DNR Fish and Wildlife Outreach Chief, tells KLKS News, hunting has a big economic impact on the state, especially greater Minnesota.  He says it represents about $263 million in retail sales and supports 5300 jobs.

Mark Dayton is continuing the tradition of the Governor deer hunting opener in Biwabik.  While he is hosting the event this weekend, he won't be out in the field.  The  Governor says he is bird hunter, and held a pheasant opener earlier this fall.

Friday High School Scores

Football Sectional Championships

AAAA Section 7
Bemidji 40, Hermantown 24

AA Section 6
Pierz 28, Sauk Centre 0

AA Section 8
Warroad 14, Hawley 7

A Section 6
Mahnomen 28, Browerville 7

Silver Bay 37,  McGregor 34

Volleyball
AAA Section 8
3-0  Bemidji def Fergus Falls

Seniors to Protest Outside Brainerd Bank

The Central Lakes Senior Caucus will co-host a "Make Wall Street Pay" demonstration on Saturday November 12th, from 1:00 to 2:30 P.M. on the sidewalk in front of the Wells Fargo Bank located at 424 West Washington Street in Brainerd.

The event will be co-sponsored by the Central Lakes Senior Caucus, Trades and Labor, Moveon.org, and several other groups and individuals. Please join us and bring at least one friend! Also, bring a sign, if possible. We have several for those who can’t bring their own, but not enough for everyone.


Organizer Terry Sluss expects over 100 people at the event.

Todd County Burglaries

The Todd County Sheriff is asking residents in the Browerville, Clarissa and Eagle Bend areas to keep an eagle eye out for suspicious activity. 

There have been several minor thefts and burglaries in the towns recently.  The Sheriff says his office needs to be called if unknown persons are seen moving around the neighborhoods during the early morning hours.

The Todd County Sheriff's office can be reached at (320) 732-2157, or call 9-1-1.

Walleye Populations Lower in Mille Lacs

(AP)  The walleye population has fallen in Lake Mille Lacs. 

A recent Minnesota Department of Natural Resources netting assessment turned up fewer and smaller walleyes, the second lowest since monitoring began in 1983. 

The long term trend has been downward since the mid 1980s, but the number of female walleyes has been stable.  Fisheries officials say anglers target the smaller fish which are typically male. 

Fishing reports have been good this year.  The DNR says this may be due to fewer perch, a menu favorite for walleye.  As a result, the state fish may have been a little more hungry.

Brainerd Area Expecting Good Deer Harvest

A half million hunters are expected to take to the woods and fields of Minnesota this weekend for the whitetail deer rifle season.

One of the more popular spots is the Brainerd Lakes area.  DNR Wildlife Supervisor Gary Drotts of the Brainerd district predicts a harvest slightly higher than last year.

Drotts says the regulations vary by permit area, requiring hunters to be familiar with local restrictions.  Much of the Brainerd Lakes Area is in a managed area, which allows hunters to take either a buck or antlerless deer, and a bonus tag.

Thursday High School Scores

Football:
AAA Section 8
Perham 10, Pequot Lakes 3

Volleyball:
AA Section 6
3-2  Sauk Centre def Little Falls

A Section 5
3-0  Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa def Sebeka
3-0  Nevis def Rush City

Car-Deer Accidents Expected to Increase

Motorists are always reminded to be on the lookout for deer in the roads.  This time of year it is even more important, according to Brainerd State Patrol Sergent Curt Mowers.

Mowers says it is often the deer that you don't see that can cause the accident.

Sheriff Dahl Urging Caution During Deer Season

The Brainerd Lakes Area is one of the more popular spots for Minnesota deer hunters.  Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl is encouraging safety during the season which begins Saturday morning.  He tells KLKS News, hunters must know where they are shooting before they pull the trigger.

Sheriff Dahl says the trespass laws will be enforced.  Hunters must have permission before crossing on to private land.

Lost Brothers Found Near Park Rapids

(AP)  It was a happy ending earlier this week near Park Rapids.

Two brothers, aged 10 and 12, went missing from their Eagle Lake home.  The Hubbard County Sheriff and helicopter from the State Patrol assisted in the search.

The pair spent about 3 and a half hours in the woods, when they were found by a family member about a half mile from home.

Tuesday High School Scores

Volleyball
AA Section 8 Semifinals
3-1  Wadena-Deer Creek def Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton

A Section 5 Quarterfinals
3-0  Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa def Upsala
3-0  Nevis def Onamia
3-1  Sebeka def Bertha-Hewitt

A Section 8 Quarterfinals
3-1  Fosston def Walker-Hackensack-Akeley

Poachers Busted in NE MN

Three individuals face multiple charges for allegedly illegally taking deer in northeastern Minnesota.

A conservation officer with the DNR and a Tribal Band game warden were contacted shortly after two men and a woman registered a deer at a convenience store in Virginia on Oct. 12. The caller noticed a large amount of blood in the back of a vehicle owned by one of the suspects. One of the individuals was overheard bragging about shooting the deer from the truck with a crossbow.

The investigation uncovered illegal party hunting, lending/borrowing licenses, failure to register big game animals, and illegal taking of three deer. Fine and restitution amount total nearly $2,800 with other charges possible.

Formal changes will be filed against the three suspects shortly with the St. Louis County attorney’s office.

PL PTA Scores a Donation

In appreciation for the Pequot Lakes Parent Teacher Association volunteer support for the Brainerd Lakes Chamber's Market in the Park events this summer, the Whitefish Area Lodging Association has donated $750 to the Pequot Lakes PTA.

The Brainerd Lakes Chamber's Market in the Park offered a variety of free weekly activities in downtown Pequot Lakes during the summer which were designed to motivate travel to Pequot Lakes and encourage vacationeers, seasonal residents and residents to stay, shop and dine in the community.

In addition to shopping dozens of vendor booths set up in the park, hundreds of children and their families participated in the games weekly, which included a bobber hunt and bobber bowling.

The Whitefish Area Lodging Association is a group of lodging properties located in the jurisdictions of the City of Crosslake, Ideal Township, City of Jenkins and Jenkins Township that collect a 1% lodging tax from their guests. The dollars generated from this tax are used to support marketing efforts that benefit the entire Whitefish Chain of Lakes area.

Rifle Deer Season Opens Saturday

(AP)  Just before dawn Saturday, Minnesota's woods and fields will fill with blaze orange, as a half million hunters begin the pursuit of a million whitetail deer.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is predicting a good season.  Last year 207 thousand deer were tagged.  Similar success is expected this year. 

Most of the corn crop should be in by the weekend, eliminating cover whitetails can use to elude hunters.

In most of the Brainerd Lakes Area, the season runs through November 13th.  For all areas, it ends on November 20th.

New Rec Area Opens Nearby

(AP)  Minnesotans will have another spot to play in the north central part of the state. 

The DNR has opened a new 1000 acre state recreation area near Bemidji. 

The La Salle Lake State Recreation Area will be managed as a satellite unit of nearby Itasca State Park.

Saturday High School Scores

Football Sectional Play-Downs:
Brainerd 42, St. Cloud Tech 0
Browerville 56, Pillager 6
Moose Lake/Willow River 70, Crosby-Ironton 27
Pequot Lakes 37, Thief River Falls 14
Perham 28, Park Rapids 14
Pierz 20, Holdingford 0