Notebook: Septuagenarian paddlers complete second leg of trip to Hudson Bay

Jul. 15—NORWAY HOUSE, Manitoba — Three women from Iowa and southern Minnesota, who paddled from the Red River at the Manitoba border to the north end of Lake Winnipeg this summer on the second leg of a journey to Hudson Bay, reached their destination at Norway House, Manitoba, on Sunday, July 2.

Anne Sherve-Ose of Williams, Iowa; Deb White of Rosemount, Minnesota; and Deb Knutson of Owatonna, Minnesota, launched on the Red River at Emerson, Manitoba, on Thursday, June 8.

The trio, all in their early 70s, paddled from Lake Traverse to the Manitoba border last summer. With Lake Winnipeg now behind them, they plan to tackle the final leg of the trip to Hudson Bay next summer. This summer's leg of the trip included about 120 miles on the Red River, 260 miles on Lake Winnipeg and about 40 miles across Playgreen Lake and down the Jack River to Norway House,

Sherve-Ose wrote in a blog post.

"The fabled violence of Lake Winnipeg never materialized," she wrote, and the lake aptly named "Big Windy" was mostly kind. Sherve-Ose did, however, have a too-close encounter with a bear one night when it took an "exploratory swat" at her tent, leaving a hole she was able to repair with "duct tape, needle and thread and a patch made from a ripped-up bandana."

The beauty of Lake Winnipeg, she says, came as a surprise.

"I do not hesitate to claim that it is the most beautiful lake I have ever paddled on in 50 years of paddling," Sherve-Ose wrote. "Located elsewhere in the world, Lake Winnipeg would be a prime tourist attraction. As it was, we saw a few fishermen but no other recreational boaters and no canoe or kayaks."

The women were able to leave their canoe in Norway House and caught a bus back to Winnipeg, where White's partner picked them up for the ride back to their respective homes.

"Hopefully next year, we can write the final chapter," Sherve-Ose said in an email. — Brad Dokken

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation has received a $200,000 grant from North Dakota's Outdoor Heritage Fund for wildlife habitat enhancements.

Announced June 29, the funding was part of more than $6.3 million the North Dakota Industrial Commission approved in matching grants through the Outdoor Heritage Fund and Renewable Energy Program.

"The funding from the Outdoor Heritage Fund will result in more conservation implemented on the ground in North Dakota," Clayton Lenk, NWTF district biologist in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, said in a statement. "All of the funds will go toward either on the ground implementation or materials to help us achieve the desired practices."

The funds will further build upon the NWTF's riparian restoration efforts, such as the Waterways for Wildlife initiative, which prioritizes the restoration and conservation of riparian areas. By directing resources from the Outdoor Heritage Fund toward selected Waterways for Wildlife projects in North Dakota, the NWTF can allocate internal dollars to projects in other states, the Federation said.

It is anticipated that a significant portion of the projects will focus on riparian areas, predominantly emphasizing grazing improvement practices. With a four-year deadline to complete project work covering approximately 1,500 acres, the NWTF will rely on strong connections with local chapters and leverage partnerships across the state. By collaborating with these key stakeholders, significant impacts will be achieved for the well-being of turkey populations and other wildlife in North Dakota, the NWTF said. — staff report

ST. PAUL — Hunters can apply for the fall archery deer hunt at Camp Ripley near Little Falls, Minnesota, through Friday, Aug. 18, the Department of Natural Resources said. This year, the three-day hunt will happen Oct. 27-29 (Friday through Sunday, application code 668). A total of 2,500 permits will be made available. The bag limit is two, and hunters may use bonus permits to take antlerless deer.

The archery hunt at Camp Ripley is an annual event. The DNR coordinates the hunt in collaboration with the Natural Resources Department at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, which manages the 53,000-acre military reservation.

Complete details on how to apply, hunt rules and other important instructions are available on the

DNR website

at

mndnr.gov/hunting/deer/camp-ripley-archery-hunt.html

. — staff report

BISMARCK — While the effort to stop the introduction and transportation of aquatic nuisance species in North Dakota has mostly been successful, challenges remain as not all anglers, pleasure boaters and other water enthusiasts are abiding by the "clean, drain, dry" message, the Game and Fish Department said.

For example, in early July, department game wardens and other department staff inspected over 1,200 watercraft throughout the state. Unfortunately, these inspections found four watercraft that were transporting zebra mussels. Luckily, in all four instances, the zebra mussels were determined to be dead.

North Dakota waters remain relatively free of aquatic nuisance species. Besides common carp, most species — zebra mussels, Eurasian water milfoil, flowering rush, curly-leaf pondweed and three species of invasive carp — are only found in a handful of waters in the state.

To keep the state's waters clean of aquatic nuisance species, Game and Fish reminds all anglers, pleasure boaters and water users to clean, drain and dry all equipment after every use. Specifically:

* Clean and remove all plants and animals from watercraft or equipment prior to leaving any recreational area.

* Drain all water from watercraft and equipment before leaving designated access points. Not draining water can be extremely hazardous and may cause negligent transportation of aquatic nuisance species to other locations.

* Dry all equipment completely before using again.

For more information on aquatic nuisance species, visit the department's website at gf.nd.gov. — staff report

BISMARCK — As they do every year about this time, fisheries personnel from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department are encouraging anglers to keep fish caught from water deeper than 25 feet, rather than practice catch-and-release.

With the exceptional fishing this summer on Lake Sakakawea, anglers should know that fish reeled in from depths of 25 feet or more will likely die if released, said Scott Gangl, fisheries management section leader for Game and Fish in Bismarck.

"As water warms during summer, fish tend to move to deeper, cooler water," Gangl said. "This is particularly true for walleye in the big lake, where they follow their primary forage of rainbow smelt to deeper depths as summer progresses. Now fish are being caught at depths where barotrauma is a concern."

Change in water pressure will cause the swim bladder to expand, Gangl said, which means fish can no longer control balance. In addition, he said, other internal injuries are likely, such as ruptured blood vessels or damaged internal organs. Because of these other internal injuries, biologists discourage fizzing, the practice of deflating the swim bladder.

Barotrauma can happen in any deep water body such as Devils Lake, Lake Oahe and Lake Sakakawea, Gangl said, but it is especially noteworthy for this time of year in Sakakawea.

Because of that anglers should make the decision to keep what they catch in deeper water. — staff report

BISMARCK — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department will offer its next guide and outfitter written exam at 1 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Department's main office in Bismarck. Preregistration is required no later than Aug. 11 by calling the Department's enforcement office at (701) 328-6604.

The test is given periodically to anyone interested in becoming a guide or outfitter in the state.

For more information on guide and outfitting requirements, check out the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov. — staff report