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Several citations were issued for illegal gill nets and ricing without a license. Chippewa band members are out to test the validity of their off-reservation hunting, fishing and harvesting rights.
With a steady cadence of drumming setting the tone, Chippewa tribal members set off in canoes into a rich sea of wild rice. They'd gathered on the shores of Hole In The Day Lake, north of Brainerd, in an intended show of civil disobedience. What they wanted to show was the free harvest of native rice without a state required license.
Minnesota's wildlife officials are making sweeping changes at Mille Lacs Lake to restore trust with locals after shutting down the lake's walleye fishing season. The Department of Natural Resources is setting up a new outpost on the central Minnesota lake with more staff to monitor its walleye population.
Minnesota's bear hunting season starts next week, and the state's Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters to avoid shooting radio-collared research bears.
Minnesota is dispatching two Blackhawk helicopters and 14 associated personnel to help fight the wildfires in Washington state. Gov. Mark Dayton issued an executive order Friday to provide the assistance in a state dealing with widespread fires that are chewing up hundreds of thousands of acres.
Wild rice is, without question, the most culturally-important food to Minnesota's Native American people. Wild Rice that is growing on pristine northern lakes is now in season. It is an annual activity that can be harvested by anyone, assuming they purchase the $15-per-day or $25-per-season license.
Rain would be very much appreciated in the western United States where dozens of wildfires are burning. And several crews from Minnesota have been deployed to help. A crew out of Grand Rapids just left for Montana. They are the eighth Minnesota group deployed to help battle the fires.
Minnesota's fall duck and goose seasons will open Sept. 26 with bag limits and season dates similar to last year's.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the state's wolf population has declined slightly from last year, but not enough to be statistically significant.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shut down walleye fishing on Lake Mille Lacs Monday night for the first time in history. The decision was made because of the record-low walleye population on the lake, and because the quota was met for how many walleyes could be harvested this year.
Lawmakers are studying the fallout of the declining walleye population on Mille Lacs Lake. A group of legislators and state officials studying the issue met for the first time Tuesday, the day after the state closed the lake for walleye fishing.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced a change in fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake Tuesday in hopes that it will bring more bass fishing tournaments to the area. The rule change will allow anglers to sort bass that are shorter than 18 inches and keep the largest fish.
The Department of Natural Resources is closing Mille Lacs Lake for walleye fishing at 10 p.m. on Monday. Minnesota natural resources officials said Sunday that anglers had exceeded the central Minnesota lake's walleye quota by 2,000 pounds.
With the Minnesota state fish in crisis, a Native American tribe Friday said it would not net walleye on Lake Mille Lacs next year.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is holding its annual "Think Zero" weekend to raise awareness of aquatic invasive species. The campaign aims to reduce the spread of invasive species via a weekend with zero violations.
Some commercial fishing operations have been temporarily halted on Lake Pepin following the discovery of nearly four dozen dead paddlefish and lake sturgeon. Both the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources took the action, announced Tuesday.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said that hunters this year will get another "conservative" deer season this year. The DNR said that means hunters can expect a likely one-deer limit in most areas of the state.
Two brothers living on Lake Minnetonka have a big fish story to tell. James and Johnny Range Jr. are part of a fishing league on the lake, and they reeled in a huge muskie Tuesday night.
Officials with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday that Mille Lacs Lake is approaching its catch quota for walleye. Officials said new data shows the lake is approaching the quota of 28,600 pounds due to a strong catch and warm weather conditions.
Minnesota state parks drew record crowds on the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and park officials say there are still great recreational opportunities ahead for the rest of the summer. Department of Natural Resources figures show occupancy at state parks hit 84 percent.
This winter, live video feeds will once again broadcast from inside bear dens in Minnesota. On Monday, an appeals court ruled that the founder of the North American Bear Center and Wildlife Research Institute near Ely, Lynn Rogers, does not need a permit to place cameras in bear dens.
Attaching a radio collar to a bear so it can be remotely tracked requires a permit because it amounts to possession under Minnesota's fish and game laws, the state Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is concerned about a rare turtle that may soon find itself on the list of endangered species. The Blanding's turtle lives in a small number of states and provinces in the Midwest, New England, and southeastern Canada.
The federal government is considering adding the Blanding's turtle to the endangered species list, as the yellow-throated reptile that once thrived throughout the Upper Midwest can now only be found in large numbers in parts of Minnesota and Nebraska.
The Fourth of July is the busiest day out on metro area lakes. And it makes for a hectic weekend for water patrols. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office have extra patrols out on Lake Minnetonka this weekend.
