Outdoor skills program offered for families along the Gunflint Trail

A three-day outdoors skills program for families with teens and college-age kids will be offered this summer through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at Gunflint Lodge in northern Minnesota.
Designed to provide introductory experiences, this program includes sessions on fishing, canoeing, outdoor survival skills and other activities, including horseback riding and zip-lining.
“Minnesota’s outdoors has so much to offer,” said Linda Bylander, DNR Becoming an Outdoors Woman coordinator. “This program aims to give families the skills they need to enjoy the state’s lakes, forests and more.”
Bylander said the focus on older youth and young adults reflects the fact that many young adults do not fish or hunt, and as a result their children are less likely to as well. “Families that learn skills together tend to apply them together in the future,” she said.
The program from Friday, June 24, to Monday, June 27, is based at Gunflint Lodge up the Gunflint Trail that leads toward the northern Minnesota border from Grand Marais. Costs for the program range from $600 to $700 per family and registration is required. Each family will stay in a deluxe cabin at Gunflint Lodge. For more information or to register, contact Bylander at linda.bylander@state.mn.us or 218-203-4347.

Moorhead Police Summer Youth Program Registration

Registration/sign-up for the Moorhead Police Department’s Summer Youth Program will be held on Wednesday, June 17 at the Moorhead Armory (1002 15 Ave. N.) starting at 4 pm and will continue until the program is full or 7 pm.  We are only able to accommodate a total of 200 youth ages 8-12 years old, so availability is on a first-come first-serve basis.  A parent or legal guardian must accompany their child at the time of registration.

This program is free to participants thanks to grant funding through the Minnesota Youth Intervention Program Association (YIPA) by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.   Minnesota YIPA is an organization that advocates for community-based youth intervention programs.  This program provides an excellent opportunity for police officers to interact with youth and help develop strong relationships and support positive decision making. The Summer Youth Program started as an opportunity for children in the community to participate in fun activities they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to. 

The program is held every Wednesday from 12– 4 pm (or later on some weeks) for 7 weeks in the summer and targets all youth in the community who are available to attend each week.  Each afternoon consists of lunch, an educational component and a recreational activity including roller skating, bowling, Thunder Road Amusement Park, swimming and more!

Youth Services Coordinator Louis Ochoa and School Resource Officer Brian Dahl are the coordinators for this program and can be contacted at 218.790.4054 or 218.790.4259 if you have any questions.

See the 2015 Schedule of Events for all the details.  Media outlets are welcome and invited to come to registration or to stop by any Wednesday to see first-hand how exciting and successful this program has become!

Apply now for mentored upland bird hunts

Families and youth can apply now for an opportunity to hunt with experienced upland bird hunters on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The mentored hunts are being offered through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Pheasants Forever and the Ruffed Grouse Society. The application deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 2.

“Those new to bird hunting can learn techniques, equipment needs and the skills to be safe and successful in the outdoors,” said Mike Kurre, DNR mentoring program coordinator.

In the youth hunt, youth must be 12-17 years old as of Oct. 18, have earned a firearms safety certificate and possess a small game license if required. Youth must have a parent, guardian or adult authorized by a parent or guardian accompany them as a mentor, without a firearm. The adult must also go with the youth during the pre-hunt orientation.

In the family hunt, all participants can hunt, but they need to be 12 and older, have little to no pheasant hunting experience, and have the appropriate safety certificate, stamp and license.
Applications and more details about the hunt are available online at www.mndnr.gov/discover or by contacting Kurre at 651-259-5193 or michael.kurre@state.mn.us. Successful applicants will be notified via mail or email by the end of September.

Apply by Aug. 15 for youth deer hunts at state parks and refuges

Minnesota youth have from Tuesday, July 1 until Friday, Aug. 15, to apply for one of 17 special deer hunts in October and November.

“Youth accompanied by a parent, guardian or mentor can hunt in select state parks and other refuge areas during these annual opportunities,” said Mike Kurre, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources mentoring coordinator.

Of the 17 special hunts, 15 are firearms hunts for youth ages 12-15; two are archery hunts for youth ages 12-17.

Participating in a youth deer hunt does not preclude the youth from participating in the regular firearms deer season, but any deer harvested do count against the youth’s season bag limit. An adult parent, guardian or mentor must accompany the youth at all times while hunting, but only the youth may hunt. Youth and their mentor must attend a mandatory pre-hunt orientation clinic.

A limited number of either-sex permits are available for the following hunts:

ARCHERY

• Camp Ripley Archery Hunt (open to youth 12-17), archery, 175 permits, hunt is Oct. 11-12, clinic is Oct. 10-11.
• Lake Alexander Preserve (open to youth 12-17), archery, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 11-12, clinic is Oct. 10.

FIREARMS

• Afton State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Nov. 8-9, clinic is Oct. 18.
• Banning State Park, firearms, six permits, hunt is Nov. 1-2, park will mail clinic information.
• Blue Mounds State Park, firearms, 10 permits, hunt is Nov. 22-23, clinic is Nov. 21.
• Buffalo River State Park, firearms, 14 permits, hunt is Nov. 8-9, clinic is Nov. 7.
• Camden State Park, firearms, 12 permits, hunt is Nov. 1-2, clinic is Oct. 31.
• Great River Bluffs State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 11.
• Itasca State Park, firearms, 75 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 18 or Oct. 24.
• Lake Bemidji State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, clinic is Oct. 17.
• Lake Shetek State Park, firearms, 12 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 24.
• Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, clinic is Sept. 20.
• St. Croix State Park, firearms, 90 permits, hunt is Nov. 1-2, park will mail clinic information.
• Savanna Portage State Park, firearms, 25 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 24.
• Split Rock Creek State Park (new in 2014), 10 permits, hunt is Oct. 25-26, clinic is Oct. 24.
• Tettegouche State Park, firearms, 10 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, clinic is Oct. 17.
• Zippel Bay State Park, firearms, 20 permits, hunt is Oct. 18-19, park will mail clinic information.

Youth must apply for the hunt of his or her choice, which can be done at any DNR license agent; the DNR License Center, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, or online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense. For archery hunts, apply with code 630; for firearms hunts, apply with code 631.

If the number of applications exceeds the number of permits, a lottery will be conducted. Youth may only apply for one archery hunt and one firearms hunt.

Successful applicants also must meet all firearms safety requirements, purchase all appropriate licenses and follow hunting regulations.

In addition to the 17 application-only hunts in state parks and refuge areas, any youth ages
10-15 can also participate in a special deer season that runs from Thursday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 19, in 27 permit areas that encompass portions of southeastern and northwestern Minnesota and portions of the Twin Cities metro area.

For more information, visit www.mndnr.gov/discover and click on youth deer hunts.

Moorhead Police Summer Youth Program

Registration/sign-up for the Moorhead Police Department’s Summer Youth Program will be held on Wednesday, June 11th at the Moorhead Armory (1002 15^th Ave. N.) starting at 4:00 p.m. and will continue until the program is full or 7:00 p.m.  We are only able to accommodate a total of 200 youth ages 8-12 years old, so availability is on a first-come first-serve basis.  A parent or legal guardian must accompany their child at the time of registration.

This program is free to participants thanks to grant funding through the Minnesota Youth Intervention Program Association (YIPA) by the Department of Public Safety.   Minnesota YIPA is an organization that advocates for community-based youth intervention programs.  This program provides an excellent opportunity for police officers to interact with youth and help develop strong relationships and support positive decision making. The Summer Youth Program started as an opportunity for children in the community to participate in fun activities they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to. 

The program is held every Wednesday from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. (or later on some weeks) for 7 weeks in the summer and targets all youth in the community who are available to attend each week.  Each afternoon consists of lunch, an educational component and a recreational activity including roller skating, bowling, Courts Plus Fitness Center, Thunder Road and swimming!

Youth Services Coordinator Louis Ochoa and School Resource Officer Brian Dahl are the coordinators for this program and can be contacted at (218) 790-4054 or (218) 790-4259 if you have any questions.

With a license, teens can hunt toms for entire turkey season

This year for the first time, youth age 17 and younger can hunt the entire Minnesota spring turkey season or until they harvest a turkey and they can choose any location open to turkey hunting, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.

Youth age 13-17 need to obtain a license for a fee of $5. Youth age 12 and younger need to obtain a free license. License vendors will add a $1 issuing fee.

Spring wild turkey season begins Wednesday, April 16 and runs through Thursday, May 29.

Gone is the need for youth to pick a single time period and risk getting shut out by bad weather or an unexpected conflict with school, work or family obligations.

“Adults should share their passion for hunting and get kids out in the field.” said Mike Kurre, DNR’s mentoring program coordinator. “The season structure for youth and inexpensive license fees provide the opportunity to build the family turkey hunting tradition from the ground up – or the parents down.”

Licenses may be purchased from any DNR license agent, online at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense or by telephone at 888-665-4236. People purchasing via Internet or by telephone should allow seven to 10 days for the turkey license and attached site tag to arrive in the mail. All turkey hunters must have their license and tag in possession when hunting.

A $3.50 convenience fee will be charged for telephone purchases. An additional fee of 3 percent of the transaction amount plus $1.65 for mailing the license will be added to online purchases.

Additional information about the spring turkey hunting season is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/turkey.

Register now for DNR beginners fly-fishing weekend for youth-adult pairs, May 2-4

An opportunity to learn the basics of fly fishing from experienced mentors is being offered to adult and youth pairs during a special fly-fishing weekend at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center near Lanesboro, May 2-4, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Participants will also try their hand at tying flies and learn how anglers catch more fish when they understand fish habits and habitat. There will be time for fish tales and a campfire.

To qualify, the youth/adult pair must have little or no fly-fishing experience. Both should have a sincere interest in learning. Eligible youth include Minnesota boys and girls who will be between the ages of 11 and 17 on May 2.

The cost is $120 per youth/adult pair and includes meals, lodging, guiding services, equipment and additional materials. Each youth and adult will set up and fish with a new fly rod that is theirs to keep. Sponsorships to offset registration fees may be available from angling and conservation organizations.

The event is sponsored by MinnAqua, a statewide educational program through the DNR, designed to connect youth and families to Minnesota’s waters through fishing.

Activities begin after check-in Friday night and wrap up by 2 p.m. Sunday.

This event is limited to 20 youth/adult pairs. Application form and program information are available online at www.mndnr.gov/minnaqua (on events calendar, click on MinnAqua Fly-Fishing Weekend) or by contacting Deb Groebner, DNR regional MinnAqua specialist, 507-359-6049, deborah.groebner@state.mn.us.