The Great Outdoors

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PIONEER JOURNAL WADENA 314 S. Jefferson St., Wadena, MN 56482 GREAT OUTDOORS September 29, 2012 The

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Experience the great outdoors of North Central Minnesota

Transcript of The Great Outdoors

Page 1: The Great Outdoors

PIONEERJOURNALWADENA

314 S. Jefferson St., Wadena, MN 56482

GREAT OUTDOORS

September 29, 2012 The

Page 2: The Great Outdoors

Briana Malone is typical of a lot of the girls in her fresh-man class at Wadena-Deer Creek.

She loves to hunt deer.What is even more impres-

sive about Malone are the deer she has bagged. She has a reputation for not only shoot-ing deer, but shooting big deer.

The 14-year-old has gotten a buck every year since she started carrying her own .243 rifle as a sixth-grader. Her first kill was a seven-point buck, her next was a nine-pointer and last year it was a 10-point buck that dressed out at just under 200 pounds. For her 2011 buck, she won the neighbor-hood’s traveling trophy, which goes to a hunter who bags the biggest deer. She is not the first

female to win the trophy, but she earned it as an eighth-grader.

Briana gives a lot of credit to her dad, Dan, but she also gives some to her cat.

While Briana and Fuzzy, a black and white tomcat, are not exactly close, they do share a taste for venison. On the days Briana has bagged her deer, Fuzzy has followed her out of the yard. Once, he even sat in the deer stand. Somehow he knows when Briana is go-ing to be bringing one home. He does not follow her if she is not going to bring one back.

Briana started hunting deer as a sixth grader, so finding a deer rifle that would fit her, and she could also “grow” into, was a challenge. It was her father who made it happen. He has been hunting deer since he was 12.

“It’s all in the details,” Malone said.

The Malones hunt on a 440-acre farm nine miles north of Wadena. Their hunt-ing grounds are a mixture of pasture, woods and lowland. It is good deer hunting property, and the trick is not usually see-ing them but waiting until they are not aware a gun is being pointed in their direction.

Briana’s interest in deer has not been confined to the hunt-ing season. The Malones see deer come up to feed in their ag bags during the winter. One of their hobbies is to give them names.

Briana and her sister, Sa-mantha, have been hunting with their dad from a very young age.

“They were very curious,” Dan said with a smile.

One of the educational

benefits has been learning sign language. Deer hunting and noise do not mix very well, so Dan has taught them sign lan-guage in the stand.

Briana considers deer hunt-ing a thrill, and she is willing to take the good with the bad. Deer hunters have to rise early, and sometimes the weather is cold.

Briana is also interested in volleyball, but she has taken time out to attend two deer camps at Deep Portage near Hackensack. Deer Camp teaches kids safety and hunt-ing skills. Briana has checked out as a Sharpshooter.

Briana wants to keep right on hunting deer, but the petite teenager also wants a shot at bear.

Exactly how Fuzzy will feel about bear is still a mystery.

2 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

Malone has special knack for bagging deer BRIANHANSEL

[email protected]

Photo provided by Dan MaloneBriana Malone has shot seven, nine and 10-point bucks in the three years she has been hunting deer. Brianna hunts on the family farm nine miles north of Wadena.

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Page 3: The Great Outdoors

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Wadena Pioneer Journal September 29, 2012 • 3The GREAT OUTDOORS

UnwrittenruleofhuntingmustbeobeyedThere is an un-

written rule that all hunters know: when you are un-prepared, there is a very good chance that your quarry will appear.

I have never heard a reason for this, but it is a fact. Fools might try to explain it, but the wise hunter just accepts it. You have to at least look like you are out to lunch. It does not matter what you are waiting to get a shot at – ducks, geese or deer – if you are not doing something stupid from time to time, you are hurting your chances.

I know one guy who sits in his truck while he is deer hunting. He sips coffee and eats cookies and waits for one to come along. Why isn’t he in a tree stand or a blind? He will give you two reasons: he likes to be comfortable and killing a deer is not his mission in life. The real reason is that he believes that deer hunting is largely a matter of being in the right place at the right time,

and he’s right. The first time

we hunted deer to-gether he spent the entire morning sit-ting next to a small woodlot and saw nothing but a squir-rel. I had to work that morning, but I joined him for an afternoon hunt. We decided to drive the woods he had been watching. He

went on post with his brother and I walked into the woods. I had not taken 10 steps when four deer came bursting out of the brush. One of them was a deer Bob called Mr. Big. He brought the trophy buck down on the run as it crossed some plowing. An hour later, we were hanging the buck and Bob was still in shock.

“I sat there all morning long and all I saw was one damned squirrel!” he ranted. “Then Hansel sticks his ugly face in the woods and four deer come out!”

Later the same day we were hunting in the shotgun zone south of I-94. We were sitting on a rock pile in the middle of

nowhere, talking and laughing when another buck, even big-ger than Mr. Big, came burn-ing along, stopped and stared at us. It was a nice, standing shot most hunters could have made with a rifle. We decided to “rainbow” a couple slugs at the brute. The deer took off quite unscratched. We had no right to see such a beautiful animal while we were cracking jokes on a rock pile, but there it was – chest heaving, eyes big and wide, a rack of antlers that anyone would be proud to mount.

Some years ago my son and I were party hunting off the same doe tag. He wanted to hunt northwest of town, and I wanted to hunt to the south. My wife supplied me with her cell phone, so we could alert each other if we bagged a deer. Strangely enough, it is legal to carry a cell phone while you are deer hunting.

After waiting silently for three hours, I grew bored and decided to give my son a call. I had just heard him say “hello” when a beautiful buck ran past me. All my son heard were five quick and futile shots.

Like most hunters, I spent the rest of the day kicking my-self. That evening, I went back out to the same spot and waited and waited. Shooting hours were about to end for the day when I called my sister-in-law to ask how their party was do-ing near Henning. It was then I discovered that cell phones make excellent deer calls. Two deer materialized in front of me and I took the biggest one.

You may choose not to believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, but you better believe that doing the stupid things will produce results for a hunter – the problem is they may not be the results you were after.

Brian HanselStaff Reporter

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Page 4: The Great Outdoors

4 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

It’s easy to feel the ‘wow’ of fall at Minnesota state parks and trails

The leaves are beginning to change color here and there around the state, and staff at Minnesota state parks and trails have planned a variety of special programs and events to help visitors feel the “wow” of fall, according to the Depart-ment of Natural Resources (DNR).

Starting Sept. 6, online fall color reports will be updated weekly by staff at Minnesota state parks and recreation ar-eas. As in past years, these reports will include percent of color change, peak color pro-jections, flowers and grasses in bloom, and three parks consid-ered “hot picks” of the week. The fall color reports, updated by noon every Thursday, are posted on DNR website.

The DNR also offers fall colors “to go” on a mobile website compatible with smart phones and tablets. The mo-bile fall color reports include percent of color change, inte-grated with Google maps. To access the mobile site, scan the QR code at DNR website or bookmark this site on a smart phone or other mobile device.

Colors typically peak be-tween mid-September and early October in the northern third of Minnesota, between late September and early Oc-tober in the central third, and between late September and mid-October in the southern third (which includes the Twin Cities).

“The fall colors are arriving right on schedule in northern Minnesota, and they’re mak-ing their way south,” said Jana Albers, forest health specialist for the DNR’s Forestry Divi-sion. “We had a decent amount of rain in August across much of the state, and if the sun-

shine and cool nights continue in September, that’s the ideal recipe for fall color. There are already splashes of color wher-ever you go, and it’s only go-ing to get better in the weeks to come.”

Many family-oriented Min-nesota programs and special events will take place at Min-nesota state parks and trails and other public lands to co-incide with peak color projec-tions in their area. There will be guided hikes, bike rides and ATV rides, geocaching and ca-noeing programs, and scaven-ger hunts and harvest festivals.Central Minnesota (including the Twin Cities metro area)

■ Saturday, Sept. 22, and Tuesdays, Oct. 2 and Oct. 16: Naturalist-led bike rides from 10 a.m. to noon on the Gate-way State Trail in St. Paul.

■ Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23: “Million Shades of Autumn” geocach-ing weekend, with activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at William O’Brien State

Park in Marine on St. Croix.■ Sunday, Sept. 30: Fall

Colors Photo Scavenger Hunt from 2 to 3 p.m. at Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls.

■ Saturday, Oct. 13: Nat-uralist-led Fall Colors Walk from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Afton State Park in Hastings.Northwestern Minnesota

■ Saturday, Sept. 22: Guid-ed ATV ride through the fall colors of Beltrami Island State Forest (reservations required).

■ Saturday, Sept. 29: 25th annual Ozawindib Walk at 1:30 p.m. and Harvest Festival with lantern-lit hikes, music and children’s activities from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Itasca State Park in Park Rapids.

■ Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1-2: Leaf Days, an annual celebra-tion of fall color with special programs, demonstrations, food and more at Maplewood State Park in Pelican Rapids.Northeastern Minnesota

■ Saturday, Sept. 29: Fall Colors Geocaching 101 from 2 to 3 p.m. at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Two Harbors.

■ Saturday, Sept. 29: Au-tumn ATV Ride and Picnic Lunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Moose Walk/Moose Run ATV Trail near Tettegouche State Park on the North Shore of Lake Superior (reservations required).Southern Minnesota

■ Saturday, Sept. 22: Guided 10-mile canoe trip on the Minnesota River from 1 to about 4 p.m. at Minneopa State Park (reservations required).

■ Saturday, Oct. 13, and Sunday, Oct. 14: Naturalist-led fall color walks from 2 to 2:30 p.m. at Sibley State Park in New London.

For more information about these and many other free programs and special events, visit the online calendar or call the DNR Information Center at 651-259-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Information Center can also provide fall color updates to those without access to the DNR website.

A vehicle permit is required for entrance to Minnesota state parks and recreation areas. Can’t decide between a one-day or year-round permit? The DNR offers a deal: Park visitors can start with a one-day permit for $5 and visit as many state parks as they choose. Then, if they like, they can trade in the one-day permit before the end of the day and get $5 off a year-round permit. Year-round permits, $25, provide unlim-ited access to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas for a full year from the month of purchase.

After returning from a trip to a Minnesota state park, peo-ple are encouraged by the DNR to upload fall color photos to the DNR’s fall color website.

Photo by Brian HanselMinnesota’s parks are a favorite destination for people anxious to observe the fall beauty of nature.

MINNESOTADNR www.dnr.state.mn.us

Page 5: The Great Outdoors

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Wadena Pioneer Journal September 29, 2012 • 5The GREAT OUTDOORS

Black’s Grove past and present

About three miles west of the Wadena city limits, Black’s Grove Park holds many years of history as well as interest for outdoor enthusiasts.

Wadena Public Works Di-rector Ron Bucholz said the city’s Parks Board likes to call it “Wadena’s unknown trea-sure.”

A monument in the park states Captain John Black of the British Merchant Marine arrived in Wadena in 1988 and purchased the nearby Valen-tine Homestead, then later the woodland site itself.

Frank Davis, nephew of Black’s sons, Jack and Angus, eventually inherited the land and later conveyed the grove to the village of Wadena in 1947 to be a picnic spot, Boy Scout camp and a memorial to his uncles.

Park Board member Robert Zosel, Jr. said Black’s Grove has been part of his family’s history for a long time. His late father, Bob Zosel, Sr., an outdoor enthusiast and histo-rian, camped there as a Boy Scout in the 1930s. In the 1960s, Robert, Jr. also camped there as a Boy Scout.

Over many years, the Zo-sel father and son planted hundreds of trees in the park, which boasts a combination of nature and history.

One of the oldest features of the park is the red cabin.

Bucholz said the cabin is not just a park decoration, but was once an actual dwell-ing place built by the Black family. Additionally, Bucholz said, people lived in the cabin as late as the 1940s and 1950s.

The red cabin, now part of the public park, is run down and slated for repairs and res-toration.

The City of Wadena as-signed $10,000 in its prelimi-nary 2013 budget for repairs, and the amount could possibly be lowered.

Bucholz said the biggest structural concern is the floor, and also, tuck pointing be-tween the old logs needs to be done.

Bucholz said he believes the building is structurally safe, but “I think the floor is a little spongy.”

Sentence to Serve crews reroofed the building several years ago.

“It’s just kind of ongoing maintenance of an old build-ing,” Bucholz said.

Wadena’s unknown treasure

[email protected]

The park itself was origi-nally about 64 acres, then ex-panded when the city acquired the new airport property in the late 1990s.

One feature of the park is its trails. The first of the trails were built in the 1980s, and others were built within the past several years. Cross coun-try skiing, hiking and moun-tain biking are among the ac-tivities in the woodland paths.

Black’s Grove Park in-cludes memorials to com-munity members who passed away in the last several years.

Bob Zosel, Sr. passed away August 2011, and a memorial at the park was dedicated May 5.

Officer Pete Resch, who died in the line of duty when

part of the Wadena Police De-partment in May 2005, also has a memorial stone dedi-cated to him in the park.

Wadena Police Department Dispatcher Sharon Roberts said the memorial was the brainchild of Resch’s partner, Officer Michael Peters.

Roberts said she and other people working in law en-forcement cleaned up an area of Black’s Grove Park hit by a storm. Later, the memorial was placed in the park by the creek.

Bucholz and Zosel said Black’s Grove is one of Wade-na’s unique highlights.

“It’s a pretty special place, I think, for the community to have a park like that,” Robert Zosel, Jr. said.

Photo by Rachelle KlemmeWadena Public Works Director Ron Bucholz shows the red cabin in need of repairs at Black’s Grove Park.

Page 6: The Great Outdoors

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6 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

Although game animals and hunting gear needs vary across the country, there is one aspect of hunting that is universal — the topic of safety. The combination of pow-erful weapons and the thrill of the hunt can lead to injury or death if safety precautions aren’t taken or mistakes are made. Before you grab your gun or bow, take a refresher course in hunting safety and follow these tips:

• First and foremost, always treat your disarmed bow or gun as if it were loaded. Never assume that the weapon is completely safe.

• Never point your weapon in anyone’s direction, even if it is unloaded. And don’t rest a weapon on your toe or foot, or up against a fence or tree.

• Know your safe zone-of-fire and stick to it. Your safe zone-of-fire is the area or direction in which you can safely fire a shot. (It is called the “down range” at a shooting facility.) Be sure you know where your companions are at all times. Never swing your gun or bow out of your safe zone-of-fire.

• Keep the safety engaged at all times until the time when you are ready to shoot.

• Clearly identify your target before shooting. Every year, people are shot because they are mistaken for deer or other animals. Until your target is fully visible and in good light, do not even raise the scope of your rifle to see it, but use binoculars, instead, to clarify the target. Know what is in front of and behind your target. Never take a shot at any animals on top of ridges or hillsides since you don’t know what is behind it. It is a good idea to scout out your proposed hunting area to make sure there aren’t homes or roads close by.

• Know the range of your weapon: how far it will shoot, what loads you have in the chamber and how accurate you are with a bow or gun. (It’s a good idea to visit a gun range prior to hunting season and fire your weapon to gauge ac-curacy.)

• When hunting from a tree stand, use fall restraints, like a shoulder harness or safety belt, to prevent you from falling.

• Keep your emotions in check. No trophy buck or

Safety prevents hunting accidents

DNR offers advice for staying safe in a duck boatWith many duck hunters

anxiously preparing for the Sept. 22 Minnesota opener, the Min-nesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds peo-ple to make sure they pack the one thing that could save their lives – their life jackets.

“We want all hunters to come back to shore safely,” said Kim Elverum, DNR boat and water safety coordinator. “However, the lack of flotation devices is still a common law violation among waterfowl hunters, and the most common cause of duck hunter deaths.

Thirteen hunters have drowned in boating accidents since 1986, when a Minnesota law was passed requiring duck hunters to wear life jackets. “While 13 deaths is 13 too many, before life jackets were mandated, three to six hunters died in duck boat accidents near-ly every season,” Elverum said. The most recent Minnesota duck hunter drowning was in 2009.

According to national statis-tics, more hunters die every year from cold water shock, hypo-thermia and drowning than from firearms mishaps.

Minnesota law requires a readily accessible U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket of the proper size and type for ev-ery person on duck boats. Plus, for boats 16-feet and longer, one U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation seat cushion must be on board to throw to someone in distress. Seat cushions are no longer approved as primary flo-tation devices.

Life jackets made with the waterfowler in mind are avail-able in camouflage colors, in-cluding inflatable life jackets and belt-pack vests.

According to water safety experts, having a life jacket doesn’t matter if it’s stuffed in a decoy sack when an accident oc-curs. “You just don’t have time,” Elverum said. “Trying to put on a life jacket during a boating ac-cident would be like trying to buckle a seat belt during a car crash.”

The DNR discourages hunt-

ers from wearing hip boots or waders in a boat due to safety concerns. Hunters have drowned while trying to take their waders off after they have fallen into the water or their boat has capsized. “That releases any trapped air in the boots and at the same time binds the victim’s feet together so they can’t kick to stay afloat,” Elverum said.

Hunters who choose to wear hip boots or waders in a boat and suddenly enter the water should pull their knees up to their chest, because air trapped in the waders or hip boots can act as a flotation device. “Hunters should practice this maneuver in warm shallow water before they need to do it in an emergency,” Elverum said.

The DNR offers these water safety tips for duck hunters:

• Wear a life jacket to and from the blind.

• Don’t overload the boat; take two trips if necessary.

• Don’t wear waders or hip boots in the boat or at least learn how to float with them on.

• Stay near shore and avoid crossing large expanses of open water, especially in bad weather.

• Share trip plans with some-one and advise them to call authorities if the hunting party does not return on schedule.

•In case of capsizing or swamping, stay with the boat; even when filled with water, a boat provides some flotation and is more likely to be seen by po-tential rescuers.

Several hunters in distress have been rescued in the last few years when they called for help on their cell phones. “If you are near enough to a cell phone tower, bring your cell phone along in a waterproof, zipper-locked bag,” Elverum advised. “The phone can be used without removing it from the bag.”

The DNR has a free publi-cation about waterfowl hunting boat safety called “Prescription for Duck Hunters.” It is avail-able by calling the DNR Infor-mation Center at 651-296-6157 or toll-free 888-646-6367. It is also available online.

Page 7: The Great Outdoors

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Wadena Pioneer Journal September 29, 2012 • 7The GREAT OUTDOORS

pheasant is worth risking making a mistake.• Hunt only during the state-allowed hours, usually from

dawn until dusk. Never hunt at night or in weather where visibility is compromised.

• Make sure you are hunting on state-approved land. Avoid areas that are “Posted” as private property.

• Always unload your weapon after use. In addition, don’t climb over a fence, duck blind (a camouflaged, bush-like object that prevent ducks from spotting you in the wa-ter) or into or out of a tree stand with a loaded weapon.

• Practice ear and eye safety. Many hunters damage their ears by repeatedly firing a weapon without proper ear protection. If you must listen for game approaching, put a soft earplug in the ear closest to the weapon to acquire some protection. Wear protective eye goggles as well.

• Keep your weapon clean and well maintained. The smallest amount of debris lodged in your weapon (even a small amount of snow in a rifle barrel) can cause a mis-fire and potential injury. Always dismantle and check the weapon carefully after each use, and any time it is dropped.

• Wear conspicuous-colored clothing, like bright fluo-rescent orange, so you’ll stand out in thick foliage and not be mistaken for an animal. If you live in a rural area, during hunting seasons (which vary by state and weapon), have family members protect themselves by dressing in bright colors as well.

• Clean your gun. Guns should be cleaned after every time they are used, and a gun brought out from prolonged storage should be cleaned prior to shooting. Accumulated moisture, dirt, grease or oil can prevent the gun from op-erating properly. Before cleaning ALWAYS make sure the gun is unloaded.

• Store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.

• Never drink alcohol or use drugs before or during a hunting trip.

Page 8: The Great Outdoors

8 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

Recreation along the river

Rustic parks run by Wadena County and lining the Crow Wing River are an increasingly popular draw in the area.

County Parks Administrator Deana Skov said usage of the parks has in-creased in the last 15 years.

Part of that usage is made of returning campers Parks Maintenance O p e r a t o r Glenn Motzko said people go to the parks and already plan for next year.

The county-owned parks, from north to south along the Crow Wing River Canoe Trail, are Tree Farm Landing, An-derson’s Crossing, Stigman’s Mound, Frame’s Landing, Little White Dog, Knob Hill, Cottingham, Bullard’s Bluff, Old Wadena and McGivern.

Motzko said the parks are spaced at comfortable canoe-ing distances apart from one another.

“Some will do the entire river,” he said, adding it takes about seven days to canoe through the Wadena County portion of the Crow Wing River.

Stigman’s Mound, a picnic area at Nimrod, is the only park not offering overnight camp-ing. The others offer rustic campgrounds with outhouses, picnic tables and fire rings. Firewood is also provided as well as hand pumps.

“They’re rustic, they’re safe, the view is gorgeous,” Motzko said.

Dorothy Kennelly, owner of

Huntersville Canoe Outfitters, said the free firewood helps her customers, and Motzko is good to them.

“He just works his fingers to the bone,” Kennelly said. “He visits with the people, he has a good rapport with my people, they tell me how helpful he is.”

K e n n e l l y said a father and son group camps over at Tree Farm Landing every June.

“ T h e y ’ v e been coming for almost 40 years,” she said.

Motzko said families enjoy the parks, and kids especially from the cities get a charge out of the hand

pumps.“You make up your own

activities. We don’t have play-ground equipment,” Skov said.

Fishing and tubing are pop-ular, Motzko said.

“This is probably the nicest river in the state of Minnesota,” Motzko said. “It’s safe – aver-age depth of two to three feet – it’s crystal clear, bathwater warm in the summertime, and fishing can be fantastic...it’s super clean.”

Of individual parks, Cot-tingham attracts the most traffic – it is right off County Highway 7, close to the Wa-hoo Valley restaurant and bar. It also attracts four-wheelers, swimmers, horseback riders and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Motzko said the parks in general attract people from all over the state, other states – about one-fourth of park users are from North Dakota – and overseas.

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and

church youth groups also use the parks.

Skov said, with the bad economy, people are also look-ing for vacations that are closer to home and don’t cost a for-tune.

Kennelly said July is the busiest time of the year for Huntersville Outfitters.

She said she loves her job and the outdoors, and after her husband, Turk, passed away, she took early retirement from the Cass County Sheriff’s Of-fice and continued with the family’s outfitting business.

Motzko said over the last few years, there has been more fall activity in the county parks along with summer activity.

Kennelly said she takes ca-noe reservations through the end of September, and then she takes time off to enjoy the out-doors.

“That’s when my girlfriends and I go kayaking and horse-back riding and canoeing and even get in a little fishing time sometimes,” Kennelly said. “October is my month to play. That’s my reward for working hard all summer.”

County-owned parks increasingly popularRACHELLEKLEMME

[email protected]

Glenn Motzko, Parks Mainte-nance Operator for Wadena County

Photo by Rachelle KlemmeA river canoeing group enjoys Old Wadena Park in August 2011. Canoeing is one of the popular outdoor activities among the ten parks run by Wadena County.

Page 9: The Great Outdoors

Wadena Pioneer Journal September 29, 2012 • 9The GREAT OUTDOORS

Wadena area is a great place to be a kidWadena was a

great place to be a kid in the 1990s.

As much as I loved cities in my college days, I feel lucky to have spent many of my childhood years in a small town sur-rounded by evergreen woods, prairie swamps and winding rivers.

Many of those memories involved fishing from the dock or the shore of Big Pine and Little Pine Lakes near Perham, Dower Lake near Staples, ob-viously Sunnybrook Park in Wadena, and near some over-pass by some river – there’s a spot on U.S. Highway 10 some-where between Perham and De-troit Lakes that looks strangely familiar.

Of course, when you’re all of 7 years old, all the places

listed above seemed so much bigger than what they are now, and tent camping was nothing to com-plain about.

S w i m m i n g and attempting to catch min-nows in Ottertail Lake were other reasons summer was my favorite time of the year.

The beach we always went to was shallow, and you could walk quite a while before the water was over your neck – again, quite handy when you were about 4 feet tall.

Wadena didn’t have its own swimming lake, but I hardly felt deprived – some family friends had a swamp in their back yard, and I felt so adventurous wad-ing through as high as my wa-

terproof boots would allow.Tapley Park had its long

field and a playground piece shaped like a flying saucer you could climb inside. We didn’t know the park’s proper name, so we called it “the spaceship park.”

In the winter, we were inside more often for obvious reasons. At least there were things to do in the Tri-County Community Center, even if it was just drink-ing Gatorade and sitting in the hot tub. Driving south on Min-nesota Highway 29 after apart-ment hunting June 16, 2010, I had the passing thought to pull over and check out the Commu-nity Center – then kept driving, thinking I’d have all the time in the world. If only I knew.

Winter wasn’t all about be-ing inside, though – there was sledding out in the country and at Wolf Lake, the ice skating rink, and the times when the

kids at church would pile to-gether in the van and go snow tubing in Todd County.

Maybe I’m already at the age where I’m griping and wal-lowing in over-idealized nostal-gia, but it seems like things are different now.

I remember catching 20 fish at a time when I was little and out on the lake with family, and how good the sunnies tasted. But nowadays, they say you can’t eat more than a couple of lake fish a year without taking in too much mercury.

Lyme Disease? We heard about it, but it wasn’t as preva-lent back then.

Zebra mussels weren’t even in our vocabulary. Kids nowa-days, depending on the beach, need to wear flip-flops just to keep their feet safe in the water.

I hope they get to look back and still recall great memories of the great outdoors.

Rachelle KlemmeStaff Reporter

Prevent spread of aquatic invasive species during ‘cabin close-up’ season

Labor Day has come and gone and soon Minnesotans will be raking leaves and preparing for winter. But the switch from summer to fall means a new season where Minnesotans must be vigilant to prevent and curb the spread of aquatic invasive species like zebra mussels.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers important legal remind-ers and tips that apply to cabin and lakeshore owners as well as boaters.

Watercraft transporta-tion and storage

When removing watercraft from lakes or rivers at the end of the boating season, there are two important things to know:

• First, it is illegal to trans-port any watercraft, which have zebra mussels, faucet snails or other prohibited in-vasive species attached, away

from a water access or other shoreland property even if it is to put them in storage for the winter.

• Second, to accommodate the thousands of boaters that face that dilemma, the DNR developed a special one-way pass, or DNR authorization form. The form allows boaters to transport watercraft to a lo-cation for removing prohibited species and storage, or once cleaned to a storage location such as a garage or boat shed.

The forms are available online. The DNR form must be filled out and carried in the vehicle during transport. The form includes conditions that zebra mussels or other spe-cies must be removed prior to subsequent transport from the decontamination or storage location, such as back to the water in the spring.

Storing lifts and docks for winter

Shoreland owners and lake service providers may legally

take water-related equipment out of infested waters, even if it has zebra mussels or other prohibited invasive species at-tached, and place it on the ad-jacent shoreline property. Boat lifts, docks, swim rafts, weed rollers, irrigation equipment or pumps can be taken out of infested waters and placed on shore without a permit.

However, if people choose to move equipment from any lake or river to another water body, visible zebra mussels and faucet snails must be removed, and it has to go through a 21-day drying period before it can be placed in other waters.

Next spring, docks, lifts and swim rafts stored on shoreline property may be legally placed back into the same water with-out removing zebra mussels and other nonnative species.

Watercraft and water equipment inspections

When people pull their wa-tercraft or water-related equip-ment out of the water for the

season, they should be sure to inspect it and see if aquatic in-vasive species are attached.

People should look on the posts, wheels and underwa-ter support bars of docks and lifts, as well as any parts of boats, pontoons and rafts that may have been submerged in water for any extended pe-riod. In newly infested waters, adult zebra mussels may not be abundant, so there may only be a few mussels on a piece of equipment.

Shoreland owners should check for adult zebra mussels, which are yellowish-tan and brown striped, and range in size from one-eighth inch to about one inch long.

People who find something they suspect is a zebra mussel, faucet snail or other aquatic invasive species should take a picture of it, keep a specimen, and report it to the nearest DNR invasive species specialist. A listing of specialists is avail-able on the DNR’s website.

MINNESOTADNR www.dnr.state.mn.us

Page 10: The Great Outdoors

Forest DelicaciesFrom late summer until the first frost of autumn,

foragers seek a bounty of edible mushrooms

On this sweltering August day in the hardwood forest, the mosquitoes are biting and the shade of the oak canopy pro-vides no relief from the humid-ity. But I can easily overlook these discomforts when each step holds the promise of more wild mushrooms. I raise my basketful of golden-hued chan-terelle mushrooms to my nose and breathe in their delicate apricot scent.

Like many people, I once allowed my fear of potentially toxic wild mushrooms to over-shadow my curiosity about ed-ible mushrooms. But after ac-quiring some basic knowledge, my perception has changed. Today I regard mushrooms as another path to the simple joy of procuring one’s own food.

Make no mistake: Eating wild mushrooms can be dan-gerous. Every mushroom field guide is sure to note that words and images are no substitute for learning proper identifica-tion firsthand from an expert. Fortunately, finding experts is as easy as attending a Min-nesota Mycological Society mushroom foraging excur-sion—known as a foray.

First-time mushroom hunt-ers quickly learn that foraging is a sensory experience. In addition to a mushroom’s ap-pearance, its feel and its scent can be important attributes for discerning a choice edible from a poisonous lookalike.

As a rule of thumb, all ed-ible wild mushrooms should be cooked because it makes them easier to digest. Most wild mushrooms also contain small amounts of toxins, which readily break down with heat. So it is back at home in the

kitchen where culinary ad-ventures await the successful forager. Harvested mushrooms that can’t be eaten within a few days should be preserved. The flavor of some mushrooms, such as black trumpets, is in-tensified by dehydrating them. Other mushrooms, such as chanterelles, maintain their fla-vor best if they are sautéed and frozen.

Unlike the cultivated, white-button Agaricus mushrooms found in most grocery stores, the flavor of wild mushrooms rarely elicits indifference. “When people say, ‘I don’t like mushrooms,’ I always ask what kind of mushrooms they’ve tried,” says John Lamprecht of the Minnesota Mycological Society. “If they say the white ones from the grocery story, I point out that is like saying you don’t like vegetables when all you’ve ever tried is broccoli.”

April and May are for hunt-ing the morel—Minnesota’s state mushroom. But myriad choice edibles appear in Min-nesota from late summer through fall. In the field, under the tutelage of an experienced forager, beginners can eas-ily learn to find and identify the following species of wild fungi.

Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius)

Chanterelles are among the most widely sought and consumed mushrooms in the world. They are found growing in soil near oak trees, and never on decaying wood. Foragers often find many in one area. While chanterelles are occa-sionally found in small clus-ters that grow from a common base, foragers should exercise caution: The toxic jack o’ lan-tern mushroom, which always grows in large clusters, can be

mistaken for a chanterelle.The cap of the trumpet-

shaped chanterelle varies from bright yellow to yellow-or-ange. The underside of the cap and the stem are slightly paler. Chanterelles have a distinctly fruity, somewhat peppery taste. They are sumptuous simmered in soups or simply sautéed with onions and butter.

Black Trumpet (Craterel-lus fallax)

Black trumpets grow in hardwood forests, especially around oaks. The mushroom’s irregular shape and dark color make it easy to overlook amid leaf litter, but this elusive deli-cacy is worth searching for. The earthy, somewhat floral flavor of the black trumpet is some-times compared to truffles. One popular preparation method is to sauté them in butter and roll them into an omelet.

King Bolete and Noble Bolete (Boletus spp.)

Both of these mushrooms are choice edibles and are of-ten harmlessly mistaken for one another, but their location

is key to their identity: The king bolete prefers coniferous forests, while the noble bolete (above) grows in hardwood forests. Boletes as a group can be identified by their spongy underside. Instead of gills, they have a mass of tiny, vertical tubes containing spores.

The king bolete, known as the porcini in Italy and the cape in France, is one of the most prized edible mushrooms. The caps of these meaty mush-rooms can be sautéed or even grilled.

Hedgehog, aka Sweet Tooth (Hydnum repandum)

The hedgehog shows up in hardwood and coniferous-hardwood forests. One might mistake this dark orange to brown mushroom for a dried-up chanterelle, but a closer look will reveal toothlike growths beneath the cap. It has a wonderful nutty flavor, which can be enhanced by sautéing it with hazelnuts or almonds.

MIKEKALLOKSpecial to the PJ Foraging Tips

• When in doubt, throw it out • Never pick more than you can eat or preserve• Don’t eat a mushroom that is not in good condition or

that smells bad• Eat wild mushrooms only when cooked thoroughly

and only in moderation, especially if you’re trying one for the first time—overindulging can cause symptoms similar to mushroom poisoning

• Public lands in Minnesota open to mushroom picking include state parks, wildlife management areas, and state forests

• Always ask permission to pick mushrooms on private land, and always check to make sure it is legal on public land

• Join the Minnesota Mycological Society to learn from experienced foragers. Sign up for a foray at www.minne-sotamushrooms.org.

See MUSHROOMS on PAGE 11

10 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

Page 11: The Great Outdoors

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Sulfur Shelf, aka Chick-en of the Woods (Laetiporus spp.)

Found primarily in hard-wood forests, this bright or-ange mushroom is easy to spot, plentiful, and difficult to mistake for anything else. It’s usually found growing on a tree or sprouting from downed timber. Like the bolete, the sulfur shelf has a mass of tiny pores on the underside. Its base is often tough, especially as it matures. However, the tender outer margin can be cut off and consumed.

This meaty mushroom can be pickled, sautéed, or boiled in stock and used as a substi-tute for chicken.

Hen of the Woods (Gri-fola frondosa)

Found at the base of oak trees, this parasitic mushroom causes a white rot of the root system and trunk base. Known as the maitake in Asia, it’s

treasured as both an edible and a medicinal mushroom. Its purported health benefits include antitumor properties, enhancement of the immune system, and reduction of glu-cose levels.

Hen of the woods is great sautéed in butter or battered and deep fried. It can be pre-served by dehydrating, par-boiling and freezing, or pick-ling.

Reprinted from Minnesota Conservation Volunteer, bi-monthly magazine of the De-partment of Natural Resourc-es. Used with permission.

MUSHROOMS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

Wadena Pioneer Journal September 29, 2012 • 11The GREAT OUTDOORS

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Page 12: The Great Outdoors

Minnesota’s pheasant index up 68 percent from 2011

A mild winter followed by a warm spring contributed to a significant increase in Min-nesota’s pheasant count, ac-cording to the Minnesota De-partment of Natural Resources (DNR).

The pheasant population index increased 68 percent from 2011. Pheasant hunters are expected to harvest about 290,000 roosters this fall. That’s up from last year’s es-timated harvest of 204,000 but roughly half the number taken during the 2005-2008 seasons when hunting was exception-ally good.

“While the 2012 increase reflects movement in a posi-tive direction, the counts still remain 51 percent below the 10-year average,” said Kurt Haroldson, the DNR biologist who compiled the survey.

While favorable weather worked in the birds’ favor this year, their long-term success is more closely linked to habitat than annual variations in snow-fall, rainfall and temperature.

“The state’s pheasant popu-lation is linked more closely to quantity and quality of habi-tat than annual differences in weather,” Haroldson said.

The pheasant population estimate is part of the DNR’s annual roadside wildlife sur-vey. The survey summarizes roadside counts of pheasants, gray (Hungarian) partridge, cottontail rabbits, white-tailed jackrabbits and other wildlife observed in the early morning hours during the first half of August throughout the farm-land region of Minnesota.

The highest pheasant counts were in the west central region, where observers reported 58 birds per 100 miles of survey driven. Hunters will find good

harvest opportunities in por-tions of west central, east cen-tral and southwest Minnesota.

The most important habitat for pheasants is grassland that remains undisturbed during the nesting season. Protected grasslands account for about 6 percent of the state’s pheas-ant range. Farmland retirement programs such as Conservation Reserve Enhancement Pro-gram (CRP), Reinvest in Min-nesota and Wetlands Reserve Program make up the largest portion of protected grasslands in the state.

High land rental rates and competing uses for farmland diminish the economic attrac-tiveness of farmland conser-vation programs. During the next three years, contracts for 620,000 acres of CRP lands are scheduled to expire. If not re-enrolled, this would reduce CRP acres in Minnesota by 42 percent.

Minnesota’s pheasant popu-lation largely has mirrored what’s happened on the land.

“Pheasant numbers were higher during the small, diversi-fied farming days from roughly

1931 to 1964 when habitat was more abundant,” Harold-son said. “Pheasant numbers declined during the intensive farming boom from 1965-1986 as field sizes grew and habitat shrank. Then, pheasant num-bers rebounded when CRP be-gan in 1987. However, enroll-ment in that program peaked several years ago, and further declines will not bode well for future pheasant populations.”

To help offset continued habitat losses caused by reduc-tions in conservation set-aside acreage, DNR has accelerated acquisition of wildlife man-agement areas in the farmland region of Minnesota. DNR also supports habitat conservation on private lands by working with a variety of partners in the Farm Bill Assistance Part-nership and Working Lands Initiative. More than 15,000 acres of private property have been opened to public hunting through the state’s Walk-In Ac-cess program.

The August roadside sur-vey, which began in the late 1940s, was standardized in 1955. DNR conservation of-

ficers and wildlife manag-ers in the farmland region of Minnesota conduct the survey during the first half of August. This year’s survey consisted of 171 routes, each 25 miles long, with 152 routes located in the ring-necked pheasant range. The complete report is avail-able online.

Observers drive each route in early morning and record the number and species of wildlife they see. The data provide an index of relative abundance and are used to monitor annual changes and long term trends in populations of ring-necked pheasants, gray partridge, east-ern cottontail rabbits, white tailed jackrabbits and other se-lect wildlife species.

The gray partridge index also increased from last year and is similar to the 10-year average. The cottontail rabbit index remains below the 10-year and long-term average. The jackrabbit index was 96 percent below the long-term average. Finally, the mourn-ing dove index was 36 percent above last year but similar to the 10-year average.

12 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

Photo by Brian HanselThe pheasant hunting season in Minnesota begins Oct. 13 and runs through Jan. 1.

MINNESOTADNR www.dnr.state.mn.us

Page 13: The Great Outdoors

Wadena Pioneer Journal September 29, 2012 • 13The GREAT OUTDOORS

Waterfowl hunters and harvest increase from 2010

Minnesota hunters bagged more ducks and Canada geese in 2011 than in 2010 and more waterfowl hunters took to the field, too, reversing a down-ward trend, according to the Minnesota Department of Nat-ural Resources (DNR).

“The results are in and the numbers moved in a good di-rection,” said Dennis Simon, DNR wildlife section chief. “Duck hunter numbers and success were up, resulting in an increased harvest from 2010.”

Simon said new data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also showed that Min-nesota ranked first in the nation in Canada goose harvest and second in the number of active waterfowl hunters.

“The takeaway from last year’s season is that more waterfowl hunters were in the field and those who went hunt-ing had better success, which is a good thing and something hunters have longed for,” said Simon. “It means that the har-vest was up as well, but total duck harvest was still well within our long-term historic averages.”

The total duck harvest in Minnesota increased 19 per-cent from 2010, from 524,000 ducks in 2010 to 621,000 ducks in 2011. The recent 10-year av-erage harvest is 655,000 ducks.

Mallards were the most common duck in hunters’ bags, with 181,000 mallards har-vested. Mallards represented 29 percent of the total duck bag. The recent 10-year aver-age mallard harvest is 206,000 mallards.

Wood ducks were the sec-ond most common duck in hunters’ bags, with 151,000 wood ducks harvested in 2011 compared to 78,000 in 2010.

The recent 10-year average wood duck harvest is 102,000 birds. Blue-winged teal har-vest was 90,000, ring-necked duck harvest was 63,000, and green-winged teal harvest was 37,000.

Duck hunter success was 8.1 ducks per hunter per sea-son, which increased from 7.5 ducks per hunter per season in 2010 and near the 10-year av-erage of 8.4 ducks per hunter per season.

Steve Cordts, DNR water-fowl specialist, said the agency made a number of regulation changes in 2011 that collec-tively played a role in last year’s higher harvest. “We cre-ated additional opportunity by establishing North and South Duck zones and opening the season one week earlier than normal. Hen mallard and wood duck bag limits were changed. Shooting hours were changed to one-half hour before sunrise on opening day,” said Cordts. “Breeding duck numbers and duck production were also very good in 2010, which resulted in large numbers of ducks present during fall hunt-ing seasons.”

Cordts said opening the season earlier likely had the

most impact on increases to duck harvest, particularly with the large increase in harvest for early migrant species like blue-winged teal and wood ducks.

Canada goose harvest in-creased from 189,000 in 2010 to 239,000 in 2010 and was above the 10-year average of 220,000 Canada geese. About 100,000 Canada geese were harvested during the early Sep-tember goose season.

The number of active duck hunters in Minnesota was 77,000 in 2011, an increase from 70,000 in 2010. Minne-sota ranked second nationally in 2011 in numbers of active duck hunters, trailing only Louisiana. “While encourag-

ing, this is still lower than the 100,000 active duck hunters in Minnesota as recently as 1999,” said Cordts.

Estimates of hunting ac-tivity and harvest are derived using the Harvest Information Program (HIP), required for all migratory bird hunters. A series of screening questions are asked of hunters when they purchase a license. The screen-ing questions are not the har-vest survey but help to better identify migratory bird hunt-ers, who are then randomly selected and mailed harvest surveys and asked to record hunting activity and harvest during the season.

Photo by Brian HanselWood ducks fill a small pond south of Battle Lake in Otter Tail County. Woodies are a popular game bird with Minnesota duck hunters during the first weeks of the season.

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Page 14: The Great Outdoors

Minnesota’s dry weather has had multiple effects on the fishing season

Many area waters have gone down because of a dry summer in Minnesota, and the condi-tions have had mixed results on fishing success, said Brad Parsons, fisheries manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

While some species of fish tend to suffer when the water goes down, others thrive, Par-sons said. For example, he add-ed that walleye and northern pike do well when the water is higher and cooler.

“Those cool-water fish tend to get a little sluggish when it gets that hot, so they don’t bit as well,” he said. “It’s kind of like us when it’s hot and humid out. You don’t feel like moving around a lot or doing a whole lot.”

But Parsons thinks dryness that results in shallow waters could be a plus for anglers.

“In some places, like riv-ers, it tends to concentrate fish into the deeper pools, and it can actually be easier for people to go and catch fish,” he said. “People with shore fishing spots near a deep pool probably did quite well.”

Samantha Peterson, as-sistant manager at Casey’s General Store in Wadena, said bait sales haven’t suffered at all during the dry spell. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t seen water changes caused by dry conditions.

“There was a river that was more dirt than it was water,” Peterson said while discussing the sights she saw on a recent trip.

Also, with lower waters come more weeds, Parsons said, adding that in some places dry weather has caused weed lines to set up in different areas, making it hard for people to

use boats or fish their favorite spots.

As for area water outlets, some have done better than others throughout the summer, Parsons said, adding that riv-ers, streams and lakes fed by ground water probably didn’t drop as much during the dry weather, while waters reliant on surface water suffered.

Tom Kines, senior meteo-rologist for AccuWeather, said Wadena has received 30 per-cent of the amount of water it usually does throughout a sum-mer.

“Normally, we should have about 5 inches during that time-frame,” Kines said.

Kines also said when rain did fall, there was too much runoff, and water didn’t have a chance to soak into the ground.

Dryness isn’t a short-lived

threat, Parsons said. He and other experts anticipate the pos-sibility of winter kill as a result of low oxygen levels in shallow water areas. He also said some species, like bass, are good about moving downstream as winter sets in, but others lose numbers from altered habitat and harsh conditions.

However, winter kill may not be such a bad thing.

“In some cases, winter kill is a good thing,” Parsons said, adding that numbers of unpop-ular fish like bullheads and carp go down because of winter kill. “It sets up for better production for next year.”

Ultimately, Parsons stresses that dry weather is part of a natural cycle.

“Occasional drought is part of the natural system, and it can actually improve habitat in the

long run,” he said.But he knows too much dry

weather can be a problem.Parsons said in 1988, he was

working in Alexandria, where a number of lakes – especially Lake Mary – lost a lot of water to dry weather. He said this re-sulted in people having trouble with maneuvering their boats at public water access points and moving docks.

For the most part, Min-nesota has been fortunate and received plenty of moisture in past years.

“We’ve been pretty spoiled here. We’ve been in a wet pe-riod for quite a while,” Parsons said.

For now, he believes the well-being of the area’s water sources depends largely on how much snow will fall this winter.

Photo by Rachelle KlemmeAustin Denny, left, and Autumn Denny cast their lines out at Sunnybrook Park for the 2012 fishing opener. Experts say dry conditions have affected fishing in different ways recently.

14 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

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Page 15: The Great Outdoors

Wadena-Deer Creek Mid-dle/High School will soon have two new classrooms, but they will be slightly different than the ones already set up.

“We’re going to build two patio-type classrooms,” said Steve Techam, chair for the WDC School Board.

Techam thinks the two 625-square foot outdoor class-rooms could be finished as early as this fall.

Why take class outside?“This is something that’s

a movement in education to-day,” Techam said. “It’s just a different way of providing information for kids in a dif-ferent setting for them.”

Techam added that he feels the classrooms will help kids – especially those taking science and art classes – get a better hands-on experience with their studies. But the classrooms can be used by everyone at WDC Schools and in the community, he said

He also said the outdoor classrooms are a plus for the green facility because “we want to leave this world a bet-ter place than we found it.”

The classrooms won’t be useable in winter months, but Techam thinks they will be in high demand on beautiful days.

“I think, if it’s popular, peo-

ple are going to have to sign up to use them,” he said.

The outdoor classrooms, which will feature many of the amenities of an indoor class-room, will be built on the east side of the middle/high school, near the fifth- and sixth-grade wing, he added.

Pete’s Nursery will build the addition, but Techam said it is school leaders’ hope that art staff will help design it.

More than anyone else, the classrooms are for the stu-dents, Techam said.

“I hope it’s something that they would be excited about,” he said. “You sit in the same classroom every fourth hour. Maybe this is something that would make them a little bit more excited.”

WDC senior Drew Larson, 17, likes the idea of having class outside because he thinks it will make it easier for stu-dents to pay attention.

“I don’t see how it would harm the learning environment at all,” Larson said, adding that regular indoors classes can be boring. “In fact, it would prob-ably keep kids a little more focused.”

Larson also admitted that being able to enjoy nice weather while learning would be a plus.

Graig Klawitter, a science teacher at the school, was pleasantly surprised when he heard the outdoor classrooms

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will be added. He originally thought greenhouses were go-ing to be added to the east side of the building, but he likes the classroom setup.

“I’m thinking this is prob-ably a better deal,” Klawitter said. “I think biology would

especially be using it.”Klawitter also thinks the

classrooms will be a change of pace students need.

“That’s always big in edu-cation,” he said. “Keep people interested in things.”

Photo by Dain SullianWadena-Deer Creek senior Drew Larson, 17, walks to class on the east side of the middle/high school Sept. 21, close to where two outdoor classrooms are expected to be built this fall.

Page 16: The Great Outdoors

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16 • September 29, 2012 Wadena Pioneer JournalThe GREAT OUTDOORS

ThebestmomentsspentinaboatFor as long as

I can remember, I have loved to fish.

Once, when I was a toddler, my dad taped me in the yard of my grandparents’ old Rush Lake home. In the video, I’m fleeing toward the dock and my dad is calling me back so I don’t drown. At that age, I was dying to get to the lake, and I’m the same way today.

There’s just something about being out on the water, watching the sunset, listening to the loons call out to one another and patiently waiting for that big strike. It’s one of the most peaceful feelings I’ve ever experienced.

My dad is a lot like me. When I was old enough, he and I would haul our 16-foot boat over to Coldwater Lake, near Ashley, N.D. Talk about an oasis in the middle of nowhere. It seemed like every time we went there we struck gold.

If we weren’t catching monstrous northerns, we were pulling in our limit in walleye. And even if, for some odd rea-son, the fish weren’t biting on a

particular day, we would kick back, chew sunflower seeds and shoot the breeze.

Little did we know that Cold-water was just the beginning of our fishing journey, and that simple little boat would prove to be a key icon in our lives.

The years went by, and the

boat stayed with us. It didn’t decide to break down or slow down. It just kept running. Sure, some of the seats are ripped, but to this day, the mo-tor still works, the livewell fills up and the carpeting is surpris-ingly clean.

Eventually, the boat took us to Minnesota, where my family was able to spend some summer vacations enjoying the lakes. We discovered a couple nice resorts in Otter Tail Coun-ty, and became regulars to the area.

From the moment my fam-ily and I pulled the boat onto the gravel road leading to Whispering Waters Resort, we knew we wanted to live in this beautiful area. I’m glad we made the move in 2008, espe-cially since we have so much

family living nearby now.The boat has truly helped us

build beautiful memories with-in our family. It’s also given us the chance to see some extraor-dinary places.

The wildlife in Minnesota is unforgettable, and every-thing looks more majestic from inside our boat. I’ll never for-get a midnight fishing run my dad and I made on Dead Lake one summer. The night was so still, and we could hear coyotes howling in the distance.

Over the past couple of years, I’m afraid the boat hasn’t been used as much as it used to. I’m a little busier now, and sadly, I haven’t been able to fish as often as I’d like re-cently. But something tells me life won’t always be this hec-tic, and I’ll soon get to enjoy my favorite hobby more, just like the old days. Thankfully, my dad is always ready to fish

– and so is the boat.How can something as

simple as a boat play such a big role in a man’s life? I’m not completely sure. Perhaps it’s the memories attached to the glove compartment stuffed with the homemade walleye spinners I tied when I was a kid that make the boat special. Then again, maybe it’s the fish-ing pole accessories my dad added over the years to make the boat our own.

It’s not just about catching fish for me and my dad; it’s the first breath of fresh morning air that fills our lungs as we hook the boat up to the pickup; it’s the teamwork we rely on to back the boat into the water; and it’s the heart-to-heart talks that we can’t always find the time to have off the water.

The boat is our escape. But, the more I think about it, it’s our home.

Dain SullivanEditor/General Manager

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