Hunters should have more opportunities to target a buck in permit areas in northern St. Louis and Lake counties when they head to their deer stands beginning a half hour before sunrise on Saturday. …

REGIONAL— Enormous numbers of one of North America’s most complicated bird species have been pouring into the North Country over the past several months, setting new records at places like Hawk …

REGIONAL— Hunters concerned about the presence of chronic wasting disease in the deer they harvest this season can take advantage of free testing by the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR’s …

REGIONAL—Deer season is a time of tradition, family, and fun. It’s also a time for great outdoors stories and we’d like to hear yours— so we can share the best with our readers. We’re …

For years, I relied on landmarks to orient myself to the world around me. That’s especially true when traveling in remote places, like the Lost Lake Swamp, one of my frequent destinations. …

REGIONAL—Good things come to those who wait… just ask ten-year-old Boone Broten, of Tower, who shot his first deer, an impressive eight-point buck on Oct. 18. He and his father Dean had spent the …

The northwoods are home to birds that live here the entire year and those that are sensible enough to migrate south to warmer, if not tropical, climates. The evolutionary driver is food. The …

LAKE VERMILION STATE PARK— There’s a remarkable dividing line here between the old and new portions of what is now called the Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The original park, …

Last week’s column on the “documentary” Hunters 4 Hunters released earlier this month drew some thoughtful pushback, and a few points deserve a follow-up. A longtime friend who appears in the …

REGIONAL— Bear hunters have had a phenomenal season this year, despite relatively abundant natural foods in many locations. Through Oct. 12, hunters in the state have registered 4,079 bears, …

While the intial dazziling burst of fall color has already become more subdued, there was still plenty of color to be found in the North Country this past week.

REGIONAL— With the annual MEA weekend fast approaching, Minnesota state parks are gearing up with special events and suggestions to encourage families to spend some time outdoors together. The …

The group Hunters4Hunters is wading into partisan waters with a new documentary that blames wolves for the decline of northern Minnesota’s deer population and its livestock producers— and targets …

Sunny days with seasonally cool overnight temperatures in the past couple weeks pushed most maples in the North Country to peak color this past weekend. Watch for the maple color to fade by this …

REGIONAL— A response by the U.S. Forest Service to a Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, request raises questions about the value of a proposed amendment to the 1964 Wilderness Act that would …

Drought status eases to moderate REGIONAL— Mid-September rains helped ease drought conditions in northern St. Louis and Lake counties, but an extended forecast that points to warmer and dryer …

As I’ve learned over the past three years, raising chickens comes with more drama than one might expect. It’s like an ongoing soap opera, with a cast of noisy ladies, each with her own particular …

REGIONAL— If you’re looking for fall color, this weekend should offer close to peak conditions across most of northern St. Louis and Lake counties, at least for those who favor the oranges and …

As our loons head south over the next few weeks, are they hunted? No, but they once were. It’s hard to imagine a summer evening at a North Country lake without loons calling. As a professional …

ELY— Eric Sherman was confident as four of us piled into his extended cab pickup last month. Sherman, a wildlife photographer who grew up in Babbitt and now lives in Ely, has turned his quest for …

REGIONAL— If you’ve noticed an unusual number of monarch butterflies in the area in recent days, you’re not alone. While early September is typically the peak of the monarch migration in our …

REGIONAL— Bear hunters are having an excellent season, despite the robust wild foods still out in the woods. Abundant wild foods generally make hunters’ baits less attractive to bears, but that …

EMBARRASS— State conservation funds are allowing the Tower area DNR office to begin a series of improvements that officials hope will make the Darwin Myers wildlife management area more attractive …

REGIONAL— As anyone who has brought their canine companion on an afternoon of blueberry picking knows well, dogs like blueberries. And, as a new study by researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Study …

Apply by Sept. 10 for an antlerless deer permit REGIONAL—Firearms deer hunters who want the chance to harvest an antlerless deer in a deer permit area subject to a lottery, must purchase their …