Take a kid fishing and fish free June 6-8

Looking to spend some quality time with a kid? Consider Take a Kid Fishing Weekend.

Minnesotans age 16 or older do not need a fishing license while taking a child age 15 or younger fishing from Friday, June 6 to Sunday, June 8, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“This is an annual opportunity for an adult to introduce a child to fishing without the prior purchase of a fishing license,” said Mike Kurre, DNR mentoring program coordinator. “This is a great weekend to get friends and family involved with fishing.”

To start, see the DNR’s Fish Minnesota page at www.mndnr.gov/fishmn, which includes:

• Answers to basic fishing questions.
• Fishing terminology and a beginner’s guide to fishing.
• Metro fishing spots, family-friendly settings, pier locations and places to borrow fishing gear.

Got other plans from June 6-8? Even when it’s not Take a Kid Fishing Weekend, Minnesota residents generally can fish in state parks without a fishing license if the body of water doesn’t require a trout stamp. For more information, see www.mndnr.gov/state_parks/fishing.html.

For those new to fishing, guidance can sometimes help. Kids fishing classes from the DNR’s I Can Fish! program run throughout the summer at state parks. For details, see www.mndnr.gov/takeakidfishing.

“Not only do kids love fishing, but it’s rewarding for adults to watch a kid who’s all smiles while reeling in a fish, big or small. With school wrapping up for the year, there’s no better time than now to get a kid hooked on fishing,” Kurre said.

Minnesota state parks offer wildflower walks on Mother’s Day

Minnesota state parks will offer wildflower walks on Mother’s Day weekend. Park naturalists and volunteers will point out what’s blooming on guided walks, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

For example:

• Discover the blooming beauties of Wild River State Park (an hour north of the Twin Cities in Center City) on a walk likely to feature a variety of nodding flowers, the season’s largest flower, flowers pollinated by ants, edible flowers and more. The walk will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 10. Meet at the visitor center.
• Celebrate spring at the annual Bluebell Festival at Carley State Park (about 15 miles northeast of Rochester) on Saturday, May 10, when thousands of Virginia bluebells are typically blooming throughout the park. Naturalist-led activities will include “Make a Mother’s Day Wildflower Card” from 9 to 10 a.m., “Trout Fishing for Kids” from 10 a.m. to noon, “Archery in the Park” from noon to 2 p.m. and a “Guided Wildflower Walk” from 2 to 3 p.m.
• See what grows at Great River Bluffs State Park (20 miles southeast of Winona) and why the Blufflands are so important for many of the plants growing here. Meet the park naturalist at picnic area for a guided walk at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 11.

These programs are all free with a valid state park vehicle permit ($5/one-day or $25/year-round).

For additional wildflower walks and directions to the parks, visit www.mndnr.gov (www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/wildflower_events.html) or contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us, 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Can’t get to a program on Mother’s Day weekend? Consider buying a Minnesota state parks gift card for a walk later this season. Gift cards can be purchased any of three ways:

• By phone 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367.
• Online (www.mndnr.gov/reservations).
• In person at Minnesota state parks or at the DNR Information Center, 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul.

Catch a tagged fish on Mille Lacs: Get a free lure or find out more

Depending on the kind of tagged fish anglers catch on Mille Lacs Lake, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will send either a free lure or the story of the fish caught.

Anglers who catch a walleye with an orange tag will receive a free lure. Those who catch a walleye or northern pike with a yellow tag will receive information about the known history of the tagged fish they caught.

The tagging and return effort is part of a broad effort to better understand the lake’s walleye and northern pike populations.

Orange tags are labeled “REWARD.” Anglers who catch a walleye with such a tag should remove it from the fish, even if the fish is released. Tags should be returned to DNR Fisheries, 1200 Minnesota Ave. S., Aitkin, MN 56431. Include the date of the catch and the length of the fish. A fishing lure will be mailed in return.

Tag return boxes also will be available at several businesses around the lake, or anglers can simply mail them to the address above, which is also posted at the boat accesses.

“Anglers who return their tags are doing all Mille Lacs anglers a favor,” said Rick Bruesewitz, DNR’s Aitkin area fisheries supervisor. “The higher the tag returns the higher the data reliability…and that’s what you want when managing an asset as valuable as Mille Lacs.”

When anglers return information from a walleye or northern with a yellow tag, they’ll receive information about when the fish was tagged, where the fish was when it was captured for tagging and how big the fish was at tagging. Yellow tags should remain on the fish if it is released.

“Some of the larger, older fish with yellow tags can have a pretty interesting history,” Bruesewitz said. “Some of these fish will have been caught six to eight times and we’ve recorded information about that fish each time it’s been captured.”

More information about reporting a tagged fish is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/taggedfish.

Free Admission for Mothers on Sunday, May 11 at the Hjemkomst Center

Celebrate Mother’s Day with HCSCC on Sunday May 11, 2014. All mothers will receive free admission into the museum at the Hjemkomst Center and all the exhibits we have to offer.

From the home front to the front lines of combat, Americans did their part to help win World War II, and Clay County was no exception. Doing Our Part: Clay County in WWII tells the stories of the men, women, and children of Clay County who were affected by the war and how it changed the fabric of everyday life. Families sending loved ones off to war, scrap drives and rationed food became part of daily life from 1942 to 1945.

Experience the extraordinary footage and unforgettable stories of strength and survival of the “Minnesota Disasters” exhibit. This exhibit is on temporary loan from the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul and will be traveling to venues throughout Minnesota. Supplemented with photos and texts about Clay County’s disasters, the exhibit closes May 26, 2014.

FMVA BIG Art Show displays a wide variety of art (2D and 3D) from both emerging and established artists. Each artwork is accompanied by a statement from the artist involving their individual inspiration in creating the work and the technique involved in making it, helping the viewers to develop their own understanding of the artwork and the creative process involved. All participants need to be members of FMVA and can submit one work for the show.

Museum Hours: Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday 9.a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission:  Adults $8, Seniors $7, College Students $7, Youth (5 – 17) $6, Children (4 & under) Free, HCSCC Members Free

The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the history and culture of Clay County, Minnesota. HCSCC also provides interpretation of the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, Hopperstad Stave Church Replica, and hosts traveling exhibits in 7,000 sq. feet of temporary exhibition space. The Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County is a community resource for 210,000 people in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area and serves an average of 30,000 visitors a year from all over the world.

For more information, call 218-299-5511 or visit www.hcscconline.org. The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County is located in the Hjemkomst Center at 202 First Avenue North in Moorhead.