Wednesday, October 28, 2026
- State’s black bear kill rises to largest total in over two decades
St. Paul — The 2026 bear season now ranks among the tops in state history, with the highest harvest totals in two decades.
Justin Runberg, Staff Writer · Page 1 - Border Country FallsPage 1
- Minnesota’s deer harvest trending well ahead of 2025
St. Paul — Wildlife managers from the Minnesota DNR expected hunters would shoot more deer this year, and early harvest numbers this fall have supported…
Eric Morken, Staff Writer · Page 1 - DNR seeks feedback for potential changes to winter trout season
St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR is seeking feedback on potential changes to winter trout season dates.
Justin Runberg, Staff Writer · Page 1 - Current Events
Upcoming Seasons
Page 1 - Outdoor Insights
ELECTION SEASON THOUGHTS. Quick comments on a few stories that have appeared in the news recently…
Page 3 - CartoonPage 3
- Deer season brings new opportunities and responsibilities
Executive director
Jared J. Mazurk · Page 3 - Instead of ethanol, grow more wetlands-savvy cattle
It seems many of you are frustrated with government policies. I am as well: I am forced to buy ethanol with every gallon of gas I buy. Ethanol has 33% less…
Seth Henry, Little Falls · Page 3 - Outdoor News Masthead
Managing Editor: Rob Drieslein
Page 3 - Proposed regs would affect border water harvest limits, closed waters
St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR is asking residents to share their opinions on potential changes to regulations for border waters, closed waters, and…
Justin Runberg, Staff Writer · Page 4 - MN-FISH Expands Board to 20
Rogers, Minn. — At its October 8 board meeting, MN-FISH directors voted to add three new members, a move that aims to expand the nonprofit organization’s…
Page 4 - Zebra Mussels Confirmed in Tulaby Lake in Mahnomen and Becker Counties
St. Paul — The DNR has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Tulaby Lake, near Waubun in Mahnomen and Becker counties.
Page 4 - Deer Hunters: Share Wildlife Observations
St. Paul — Minnesota deer hunters can use an online log (www.mndnr.gov/mammals/deer/management/deer-hunter-field-log.html) to report wildlife they see while…
Page 4 - Cisco, Whitefish Sport Netting Opening on Northern Lakes
St. Paul — Netting for harvesting cisco, also referred to as tullibee, and whitefish for personal use will be open this fall on designated lakes. Whitefish…
Page 4 - Izaak Walton League Hires Kate Miller as Conservation Director
Gaithersburg, Md. — The Izaak Walton League of America has hired Kate Miller as conservation director. She will direct the group’s portfolio of policy,…
Page 4 - Voluntary Waterfowl Avoidance Area in Effect on Upper Mississippi Refuge
Onalaska, Wis. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking boaters in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge to avoid designated…
Page 4 - Voyageurs National Park has new leader: Jennifer Onufer
International Falls, Minn. — The National Park Service last week announced the selection of Jennifer Onufer as its next superintendent of Voyageurs National…
NPS Reports · Page 5 - DNR seeks input on WMA, AMA plans
St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR is inviting Minnesotans to participate in a public scoping period to help shape landscape-level plans for the state’s wildlife…
DNR Reports · Page 5 - 16-year-old injured while duck hunting
Litchfield, Minn. — On Monday, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a hunting accident in Forest City Township near Litchfield. According…
Justin Runberg, Staff Writer · Page 5 - Duck hunters await fresh birds as warm weather lingers
Shakopee, Minn. — If you spoke with enough waterfowlers and waterfowl managers across the state in the last handful of days, the message you heard was as…
Tori McCormick, Contributing Writer · Page 6 - Bear Harvest
above the five-year average.
Page 7 - Deer Harvest
Archers have set the tone for higher harvest with the kill up 53% from the same time last year. That includes the fact that hunters had nearly a week more…
Page 7 - Cool water temps finally mean… big minnow season
Fall turkey hunting is a matter of chance. Our statewide population is excellent, and turkeys remain the game bird of the future. I constantly have turkeys…
Steve Carney · Page 8 - No Ferrets Found in Meeteetse, 40 Years After Rescue Saved the Species
Meeteetse, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming wildlife managers are reporting that no black-footed ferrets are being detected in the cradle of the species’ conservation:…
Page 8 - GF&Ps Offers Deer Hunting License Refunds as EHD Reports Expand
Pierre, S.D. — Reports of deer deaths from a viral disease have spiked as hunters take to the fields in South Dakota, and state wildlife officials are…
Page 8 - IDNR Investigates Fish Kill at Little Maquoketa River
Peosta, Iowa — The Iowa DNR is investigating a fish kill at the Little Maquoketa River near the City of Peosta in northwest Iowa’s Dubuque County.
Page 8 - Duck hunting declining, but fishing licenses holding steady
The decline in waterfowl and waterfowl hunters is apparent to most hunters. In contrast, I don’t see any obvious drop-off in numbers of fishing boats on the…
Bob Zink, Contributing Writer · Page 9 - Knock, knock, knocking… on the door of prime time
It seems like just yesterday that I was placing my cameras for the year and waiting on bow season. Yet here we are, with prime time barreling around the…
Ryan Rothstein · Page 10 - Schara’s story about his little red knife
This is a story about a little red knife.
Ron Schara · Page 11 - Into the Abyss for late-fall walleyes
Late fall walleye fishing can range from cranking shallow rocks at night to fishing the “abyss” during the day.
Josh Hagemeister, Contributing Writer · Page 12 - The changing waterfowl migration in North Dakota
For generations, the arrival of the northern migration was as predictable as October frost. But if you talk to any waterfowler who has spent the past 20…
Doug Leier, North Dakota Game and Fish · Page 12 - Deer color vision versus human color vision
Deer hunters have trichromatic color vision. That means our eyes contain three types of cones that allow us to see short (blue), medium (green) and long…
Kip Adams, National Deer Association · Page 13 - Where in the World?Page 13
- ELS solutions not always practical afield when hunting
I just bought my 2026 white-tail archery paper license and tag. Both are on a sheet of 8½-by-11 printer paper, with instructions to immediately validate the…
Page 13 - Reader ShotsPage 14
- PHOTO GUIDELINES
We appreciate receiving your photos. At times the photo department gets swamped, and as a result there may be a considerable delay before you see your photo…
Page 14 - Why some pheasants flush differently
Put a pointing dog on a pheasant and the dog suddenly freezes. Put a flushing dog into the same cover and the bird may explode from the grass seconds later.
Russ Mason, Contributing Writer · Page 15 - Calendar ducks and stubborn geese keep October interesting
Midwest waterfowl hunters who find themselves singing the mid-season blues in October may turn to dog training sessions or decoy touch up. The truth is,…
Jay Michael Strangis, Contributing Writer · Page 16 - Before the rut: Make the most of bow season’s middle
It seems like bowhunting season just began, but we are already at midseason if you count the rut as the pinnacle of fall. Whitetail bucks rapidly are…
Mark Morrison, Contributing Writer · Page 17 - Near moment of truth: the pre-rut problem
Good bucks can be vulnerable during the pre-rut, but that doesn’t mean they’ll throw caution to the wind like they might during the heart of the rut. You…
Outdoor News Staff · Page 18 - Cole Greene, 13, of Sauk RapidsPage 19
- My first taste of waterfowling, my new fall season
Isanti, Minn. — I had never been waterfowl hunting, but during Minnesota’s recent duck opener last weekend, I had my first opportunity.
Justin Runberg, Staff Writer · Page 20 - DNR reminds firearms deer hunters to prepare for CWD sampling
St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR is reminding deer hunters in southwest Minnesota that chronic wasting disease sampling will be required on the opening weekend…
DNR Reports · Page 21 - Reader ShotsPage 22
- PHOTO GUIDELINES
We appreciate receiving your photos. At times the photo department gets swamped, and as a result there may be a considerable delay before you see your photo…
Page 22 - Reader ShotsPage 24
- PHOTO GUIDELINES
We appreciate receiving your photos. At times the photo department gets swamped, and as a result there may be a considerable delay before you see your photo…
Page 24 - Cuffs & Collars
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) handled deer-hunting trespass and a road-killed buck possessed without a permit.
Page 25 - Great Eight
Troll crankbaits on the 12- to 15-foot rock reefs and rock points late in the day and after dark for walleyes - this bite will only get better as water…
Page 26 - Statewide
Bucktails or large sucker minnows continue to turn a few muskies in 10 to 15 feet on Lake Miltona. Hit Miltona and Reno Lake with a jig and minnow for…
Page 26 - Report from the Dock
The continued stretch of nice weather has kept many boats out of storage and more anglers than usual on the water for this time of year. Most anglers are…
Page 26 - Twin Cities Metro
Muskies are being taken with large sucker minnows on Bald Eagle Lake and Forest Lake in 10 to 15 feet. The St. Croix River is giving up walleyes and bass on…
Page 26 - Vektor™ Charts
Each daily graph starts with midnight on the left. The Vector Fish & Game Activity Tables are computer-generated timetables indicating when fish, game and…
Page 26 - SUNRISE/SUNSET
DATE | RISE A.M. | SET P.M. Oct. 23 | 7:39 | 6:15 Oct. 24 | 7:41 | 6:13 Oct. 25 | 7:42 | 6:11 Oct. 26 | 7:44 | 6:10 Oct. 27 | 7:45 | 6:08 Oct. 28 | 7:46 |…
Page 26 - Hot weather keeps more anglers than normal on the water
Topwater baits are producing bass at Little Elk Lake and Sandy Lake. Duck and pheasant reports have been minimal, but it sounded like youth deer hunters…
Page 27 - Pro Tip of the Week
Years of guiding experience: 4
Benjamin Dockendorf · Page 27 - Trail Crossing
Have an interesting photo on your trail camera? Outdoor News is looking for odd and unusual sightings from our readers. Send it to Trail Camera Photos,…
Page 27 - Reader ShotsPage 28
- PHOTO GUIDELINES
We appreciate receiving your photos. At times the photo department gets swamped, and as a result there may be a considerable delay before you see your photo…
Page 28 - REMINGTON GUN CARE OFFERS SMART OPTIONS FOR CLEANING SUPPRESSORS
Shooters have come up with many makeshift ways to clean their suppressors. Now suppressor owners can leave their DIY remedies and elevate the way they…
Page 29 - CVA ADDS TO ITS POPULAR OPTIMA MUZLELOADER LINE UP
CVA has introduced the CVA XP and XP-SB Muzzleloaders for this hunting season; a fine addition of the trusted Optima™ platform. Designed with modern…
Page 29 - 4X FIELD SPRAY
ScentLok 4X Field Spray is specifically formulated to be proven deadly in the whitetail woods. Developed from over 25 years of advanced molecular science,…
Page 29 - PuzzlesPage 29
- 3.0” RAZORCAPE
Surgical Precision. Rugged Performance. When it comes to caping, skinning, and boning big game, the Outdoor Edge RazorCape™ delivers unmatched control and…
Page 29 - Charter Fishing
KINNS’ SPORT FISHING
Page 29 - Dogs
German Shorthaired Pointer puppies are ready for their forever homes today! Bring home your new bundle of joy and experience the endless fun, loyalty, and…
Page 29 - Wanted Items
Looking to obtain good condition back issues of MN Outdoor News from the following years: 1968-1988. Please contact Rob at 763-546-4251. rd
Page 29 - DU GUARDIAN BLIND BAG
Introducing the DU Guardian Blind Bag - the ultimate hunting gear bag that combines functionality, durability, and style. This versatile bag is designed to…
Page 29 - Outdoor Calendar
OCT. 23: Whitetails Unlimited Fillmore County Chapter Banquet, 6:00 pm, Mabel Community Center. Call Chris Peterson at 507-450-6256 for more info.
Page 30 - Puzzles
Sudoku Puzzle
Page 30 - Freedom to roam: Ice fishing from a hot tent
I’ve been using hot tents in the backcountry for years. Call it romanticizing, but there’s something special about watching smoke roll from your chimney…
Matt Schultz, Contributing Writer · Page 31 - Miracle Venison Meatloaf
Contributor Eileen Clarke says, “I, like a lot of people, love meatloaf. But it is the topping – and you might call it the icing on the cake – that makes it…
Page 31 - Short on walleyes, but long on muskies: Beers Lake
Otter Tail County’s Beers Lake is an excellent walleye fishery – nope. Beers is loaded with good-sized panfish and northern pike? Sorry, no again. Beers…
Glen Schmitt, Staff Writer · Page 32 - Top Species
Want to catch a muskie? You probably can’t go wrong with Beers Lake, which contains abundant numbers of the predators though their average length trends on…
Page 32