WALLEYES FOREVER

E-NEWSLETTER

From www.WalleyesForever.com

No. 3: 12-20-06

Merry Christmas and Happy Ice Fishing from Walleyes Forever

Minnesota conservation officer

Tales for December

(Editor’s note: I know this isn’t fishing stuff, but I always find

these tales from the Minnesota Department

of Natural Resources interesting to read.)

MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS

Conservation Officer (CO) Dan Malinowski (Fosston) responded to violations including litter (the driver didn't know the empty cup landed on the road when he threw it out the window and placed a full cup in the holder), burning prohibited materials (the fireman stated a citation was not necessary, the embarrassment of being caught was enough), and transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle (the violator stated it was more dangerous to uncase, load, and shoot in a hurry than to have the gun already loaded).

ONE UNUSUAL DEER

CO Gary Sommers (Walker) received a call about an unusual deer that had been taken. The deer had one short antler and both male and female sex organs.

STARING DOWN THE END OF A GUN

CO Lloyd Steen (Ray) reported while observing with his binoculars a hunter in his stand, the hunter pointed his loaded 30-06 at the officer to identify him through his scope. The hunter was cited for dangerous handling of a firearm.

LUCKY TO BE ALIVE

CO Dan Starr (Tower) assisted with a boat that had overturned in the icy waters of Lake Vermilion. Three deer hunters had set out at night with a boat full of camping gear, guns and a portable stand. The boat took on water and flipped; luckily the three occupants were wearing life jackets and made it to a remote shore. Enforcement action was taken for over-capacity on a 12-foot boat.

TEE TIME

CO Mark Fredin (Aurora) received a call of someone possibly shooting a deer from a roadway along a golf course and then harvesting the deer on the 14th tee.

HOW HE CAME ABOUT THAT UNIQUE RIFLE

CO Brian Buria from Bigfork checked a man with a very old and unique looking 8mm, short-barreled rifle. When asked how long he had been hunting with it, the 80-year-old Minnesota resident said, "Ever since I took it from a German paratrooper in WW II."

TAKING A SHOT THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE NEAR A PLAYGROUND

CO Sam Hunter (Grand Rapids) responded to a call of a hunter who shot a deer from the road, through a chain link fence. The deer was standing on the infield of a baseball diamond near a playground.

DEER RESCUED FROM BOATLIFT

The day prior to season opener CO Cary Shoutz (Crosslake) was called to rescue an 8-point buck that had its antlers hung up in a rope hanging from a boatlift. Shoutz was able to cut the rope and free the buck although the rope had spooled tightly around the bucks rack, sounding like a turbine as it unwound when the deer ran away.

JUST A ROUTINE PATROL

During routine patrol on state wildlife management areas, CO Brent Speldrich (McGregor) encountered a man brandishing a pistol, hunters leaving property on WMA units, hunters hunting over bait (six hunters cited, six weapons seized, six deer feeders seized), and illegal ATV operation on county park lands.

FLIMSY EXCUSES

CO Dan Perron (Onamia) worked with DNR aircraft on a baiting case and caught a hunter just 20 yards away from a pile of corn. The hunter told Perron that he wasn't going to shoot any deer in that direction because he was facing the other way. He also had a hunter enter private property and shoot a deer decoy twice. The hunter said they saw the deer and just thought he would take a shot at it. Both violations resulted in fines and loss of firearms.

UNBELIEVABLE

CO Paul Kuske (Pierz) reports a hunter lined up two deer and killed them with one shot! Quite an act of marksmanship, except Kuske found the shooter had literally dropped them on a bait pile. Also, numerous untagged deer were found in camps, residences, farms and vehicles. One hunter said, "When did they start making us tag deer?"

DOING THE RIGHT THING

CO Brett Oberg (Maplewood) assisted with a hunter harassment call where an individual was banging garbage cans to scare away deer from nearby hunters. The hunters involved did the right thing by calling the local conservation officer instead of confronting the individual.

FIREARM AND 600 POUNDS OF CORN SEIZED

CO Travis Muyres (Ham Lake) worked Anoka County during the firearms deer season opener with one individual cited for hunting deer over bait. His firearm as well as a receipt for 600 pounds of corn was seized.

MYSTERY LIQUID IDENTIFIED

CO Matt Loftness (Redwood Falls) investigated a hunter harassment case where a yellow liquid was dumped on a vehicle in a Wildlife Management Area. Originally thought to be doe urine scent, the liquid was actually Mountain Dew.

A HOPEFULLY UNCOMMON FATHER/SON HUNTING TEAM

CO Jim Robinson (Slayton) investigated a father/son hunting team reportedly chased a deer in a bean field and shooting the buck from the truck. The father said he shot the deer with a .20 gauge smooth bore shotgun from an adjacent cornfield that was about 200 yards away, which he said were not uncommon shots for him to make!

I GOT YOUR PICTURE

Officer Pat Znajda (Karlstad) reports a man who shot a nice buck over bait even posed with the deer while another hunter took his picture. The man must have thought it wasn't the best idea to have his picture taken and left the deer behind. Officer Znajda obtained the picture and the deer was confiscated. The man was later found and charged with hunting over a baited area.

A DOE SPORTING A 10- POINT RACK

Officer Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls) was fortunate enough to see one uncommon site this deer season, an antlered doe. The doe was sporting a rack scored a 10 and taken by hunters along the Red River south of Robyn.

_________________

Importing minnows illegal for Tongue River Reservoir

Due to potential threats to Montana’s fishery through introduction of aquatic nuisance species, the option to import bait fish into southeastern Montana will be permanently discontinued effective January 1, 2007.   Anglers living in Wyoming who travel into Montana to fish the Tongue River Reservoir located near Decker, MT, should be aware that they can no longer bring bait fish into Montana.

Anglers fishing in Tongue River Reservoir must purchase bait fish in Montana for use in the reservoir. Bait fish can no longer be transported under permit from Wyoming into Montana. Anglers in Wyoming will have to plan ahead to purchase bait fish in Montana for use in the Tongue River Reservoir. Currently the concessionaire at the reservoir does not have bait fish available for sale to the public.

It is permissible for anglers to seine for bait fish in Montana.  However, anyone who would like to seine bait fish for sale or commercial distribution must possess a Commercial Bait Seining license.  Applications for this license, which costs $10 and must be renewed annually, are available at any regional office.  Certain requirements do apply. 

According to Region 7, FWP fisheries manager, Brad Schmitz, “There are currently many different aquatic nuisance species nation wide that pose a very real risk to our fishery. The risks to the Montana fishery are too high to continue with importation of bait fish into southeastern Montana. Common sense management tells us the time has come to reduce the risks of aquatic nuisance species importation into Montana.”

For additional information call the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 7 office at 406-234-0900.

Current Commercial Bait Seining licenses will expire the end of this calendar year and must be renewed if the holder wishes to continue that practice. Wyoming residents who have been issued a Permit to Import Live Bait Fish are reminded that those licenses will no longer be valid beginning January 1.

_________________

FWP paddlefish team recognized

The 2006 spring paddlefish season required only 12 days to reach the 1,000 fish harvest quota. The fishing action was non-stop and continuous both day and night.

Region 7, FWP put together a team of biologists, fishery technicians and wardens to handle the intense fishing pressure that can accompany the spring paddlefish season. The team worked daily with the Glendive Chamber of Commerce Paddlefish Committee. The cooperation insured a smooth transition for anglers who caught fish and had it cleaned on site by the contract fish cleaning operation.

The FWP team of both Fisheries and Law Enforcement personnel put in a concentrated and lengthy effort in a compressed time period. The team made over 1,000 field contacts, collected biological data on close to 1,200 harvested paddlefish (800 paddlefish were caught in a 72 hour period), jaw tagged close to 1,000 paddlefish during the catch and release hours and detected and prosecuted over 75 violations.

This was a very intense and concentrated team effort that was recognized by FWP Director, Jeff Hagener. Each member of the team received the Director’s Award for Excellence in Performance and a ceremony was held in Helena, MT, on November 16 th . Team members were: Matt Strowzewski, game warden; Steve Marx, game warden; Jeff Brost, fishery technician; Stephanie Meggars, fishery technician; Roy Molstad, fishery technician and Brad Schmitz, Region 7 fisheries manager.

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Central mudminnow, trout-perch doing better in S.D.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission has approved of four changes to the state’s endangered and threatened species lists. The commission took the action at its December meeting in Pierre.

Changes included:

· Delisting the central mudminnow from the list of endangered fish.

· Delisting the trout-perch from the list of threatened fish.

· Delisting the Blanding’s turtle from the list of endangered reptiles.

· Changing the status of the sicklefin chub from threatened to endangered.

_________________

North Dakota panfish limits lowered

Anglers fishing North Dakota waters should be aware that statewide limits on yellow perch, bluegill, crappie, white bass and rock bass were reduced April 1 to 20 daily and 80 in possession.

In addition, Kraft Slough in Sargent County, which is open to ice fishing only, has a reduced limit on yellow perch of 10 daily and 20 in possession; Pipestem Dam in Stutsman County has a reduced limit on crappie of 10 daily and 20 in possession; and Odland Dam in Golden Valley County has a reduced limit on yellow perch and bluegill of 10 daily and 20 in possession respectively.

Anglers should refer to the 2006-08 North Dakota Fishing Guide for additional winter fishing regulations.     

_________________

2007 Walleye banquet dates

March 31: Walleyes Forever, Elks Club, Billings, contact Linda Granholm at 652-2605 for ticket info.

February 24: Upper Yellowstone WU Chapter, Park County Fairgrounds, Livingston, contact Darren Raney for ticket info

March 10: Gallatin/Madison WU Chapter, MSU SUB Ballroom, Bozeman, contact Sherry Hoekema at 586-7425 or Marvin Hansen at 388-9780.

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And, finally……..

The Three Little Pigs

Three Little Pigs went out to dinner one night. The waiter came, and took their drink order.

"I would like a Sprite," said the first little piggy.

"I would like a Coke," said the second little piggy.

"I want beer...lots and lots of beer," said the third little piggy.

The drinks were brought out, and the waiter took their orders for dinner.

"I want a nice big steak," said the first piggy.

"I would like the salad plate," said the second piggy.

"I want beer, lots and lots of beer," said the third little piggy.

The meals were brought out, and a while later, the waiter approached the table,
and asked if the piggies would like any dessert.

"I want a banana split," said the first piggy.

"I want a root beer float," said the second piggy.

"I want beer, lots and lots of beer," exclaimed the third little piggy.

"Pardon me for asking," said the waiter to the third little piggy; but why have you only ordered beer all evening?"

The third piggy said, "Well, somebody has to go 'Wee, wee, wee, all the way home! "

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