Notebook: Thief River Falls MDHA chapter offers Hides or Habitat drop box sites
Nov. 8—The Thief River Falls Chapter of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association again this fall is offering drop boxes in several communities across northwest Minnesota for hunters to drop off deer hides as part of the MDHA's Hides for Habitat program.
In addition to several sites in Thief River Falls,
the MDHA website lists drop boxes set up
in Alvarado, Brooks, East Grand Forks, Fosston, Goodridge, Greenbush, Grygla, Gully, Middle River, Newfolden, Oklee, Plummer, Red Lake Falls, Roseau, Skime, St. Hilaire, Warren and Warroad.
Drop sites in East Grand Forks are listed at Cabela's, 210 DeMers Ave.; Sportsman's Taxidermy Studio, 1028 15th Ave. NE; Valley Truck Parts and Service, 1717 Central Ave. NW; and Orton's Gas Station, 504 Rhinehart Drive SE.
Since 1985, the Hides for Habitat program has collected over 1 million deer hides, raising nearly $5.9 million to fund habitat projects across the state, according to the MDHA website.
For more information on the location of northwest Minnesota Hides for Habitat drop sites and a complete listing of drop sites across the state, check out the MDHA website at
. — staff report
Several Minnesota state agencies are reviewing how to prevent negative impacts on the environment and human health from feral pigs and farmed mink let loose in the wild, the Department of Natural Resources said in a news release.
"This is an opportunity to proactively identify any gaps in our management," Leslie McInenly, wildlife populations and regulations manager with the DNR, said in a statement. "A team of subject matter experts from multiple state agencies has been meeting this fall to conduct this review."
The Minnesota DNR, in cooperation with the Board of Animal Health, Department of Agriculture and Department of Health, is asking people to share their perspectives in an online questionnaire. Additionally, the Minnesota DNR will host an online public meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, that will include a brief overview of agency roles and responsibilities, a discussion of potential changes in state management and an opportunity for participants to offer input. Registration will not be required.
The questionnaire and meeting information can be found on the DNR website at
www.mndnr.gov/wildlife/escaped-animals.html
.
The state's review will be presented to the Minnesota Legislature in February 2024. In response to recent reports of feral pigs near the U.S.-Canada border, and mink-related disease outbreaks and releases of farmed mink in other states and countries, the 2023 Legislature directed the agencies to review current legal authorities and responsibilities, identify any need to clarify or modify responsibilities for feral pig and mink management, and develop policy recommendations to further prevent negative impacts on the environment and human health.
Although Minnesota does not have an established feral pig population, feral pigs have been reported in most states, and populations have been expanding in recent decades.
Mink farms and released mink recently garnered attention due to the animals' susceptibility to diseases that can also impact humans, such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. Mink farming has declined over the decades in Minnesota and is currently practiced on a very limited scale.
Written comments may also be submitted through Nov. 28, by emailing
or sending mail to Feral Swine and Mink Report, Minnesota DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55082. — staff report
Wildlife artist Chuck Black of Belgrade, Montana,
a UND alumnus who won the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest,
will be the guest speaker for the 2024 Glenn Allen Paur Seminar, scheduled for Friday, April 26, 2024, on the UND campus. Black graduated from UND in 2010 with a degree in wildlife biology. The UND Chapter of the Wildlife Society hosts the annual lecture to honor Paur, a UND biology student from Pisek, North Dakota, who died in a 1978 boating accident just days after graduation while assisting a UND professor with a research project on Leech Lake. — staff report
Icelandic State Park near Cavalier, North Dakota, won four Best of the Rendezvous Region awards — Best Swimming Destination, Best Summer Recreation Destination, Best Hiking or Nature Trails Destination and Best Campground or RV Park — during the first-ever Rendezvous awards event held Nov. 1 at Icelandic State Park.
"Their efforts have not only made Icelandic State Park a favorite in northeastern North Dakota and beyond but also created lasting memories for countless individuals and families,"
the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department said in a Facebook post
congratulating park staff on the honor.
Other honorees included Mount Carmel Dam, Best Fishing Spot; Jay V. Wessels Wildlife Management Area, Best Public Hunting; and Frost Fire Park, Best Winter Recreation. — staff report
