Top outdoor towns: The folks at Outdoor Life magazine have discovered what many of us who live in this part of the world have known for a long time:
This is a pretty good place to be if you like to hunt and fish.
In its second annual survey of the "Top 200 Towns" for hunters and anglers, Outdoor Life in its June-July issue ranks Bismarck as No. 6, citing the area's rich assortment of hunting and fishing opportunities.
The magazine said it based its survey on "affordable housing, low unemployment rates and the potential to earn a decent living, all within a short drive of first-rate hunting and fishing."
Also making the list were Roseau, Minn., No. 20; Devils Lake, No. 29; Bemidji, 31; Jamestown, N.D., 90; and Duluth, 92.
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The magazine picked Lewiston, Idaho as the best town for an outdoors enthusiast to live because of its big game and upland hunting opportunities and proximity to the Snake River, which offers fishing for such species as salmon, smallmouth bass, channel catfish and gigantic white sturgeon.
-- Brad Dokken
S.D. fish records: Three South Dakota state fish records have been set this spring, including a 28-pound, 5-ounce lake trout caught in Pactola Reservoir in the Black Hills.
Steven Matheny of Rapid City, S.D., hooked the 40½-inch fish May 17 using a minnow rig. It broke the old record of 27 pounds, 14 ounces.
Two other record fish came out of Lake Poinsett west of Estelline, S.D..
Michael Weber of Brookings, S.D., landed a 5-pound, 12-ounce white sucker that was inadvertently hooked, and Bryan Dykstra of Huron, S.D., used a bow and arrow to take a common carp weighing 42 pounds, 4 ounces.
Both are records in the unrestricted class.
-- Associated Press
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Firewood restrictions: The recent discovery of emerald ash borer in a St. Paul neighborhood means people no longer should pack firewood when making summer camping plans in Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources says.
The DNR has issued an order that campers or other outdoors enthusiasts can only bring firewood purchased at a state park or from a DNR-approved vendor onto state land. Otherwise, kiln-dried, untreated lumber that is free of any metal or foreign substances also can be used as firewood.
Info: www.mndnr.gov/firewood .
-- Minnesota DNR
Cabela's-FLW venture: Outdoor retailer Cabela's and FLW Outdoors, the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, have teamed up on a strategic marketing partnership.
As part of the partnership, Cabela's will supply promotional offers to fans who attend many of the FLW Tour events and the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup. Cabela's also will be a major promoter of FLW Fantasy Fishing, which features a guaranteed $1 million grand prize and six $100,000 prizes for each FLW Tour qualifying event. FLW Fantasy Fishing is free to play, but participants can buy Player's Advantage for $10 to assist in choosing anglers throughout the entire season.
At the store level, Cabela's will distribute thousands of free FLW Fantasy Fishing scratch cards at their 28 retail locations across the United States. In addition, scratch cards have been inserted in the spring issue of the Cabela's catalog. The cards introduce Cabela's customers to the fun and ease of winning with FLW Fantasy Fishing and offer prizes ranging from a free music download to $1,000 cash. Customers can register to play at all 28 Cabela's stores or online at Cabelas.FantasyFishing.com.
-- Herald staff report
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Did you know?
- The Roseau-Lake of the Woods (Minn.) Sportsman's Club held its ninth annual Forest Clean-up Ride on May 9 in Beltrami Island State Forest. Club members volunteer their time and effort each spring to remove garbage from along the roads and trails within the forest. The club this year collected and removed several trailer loads of garbage.
- Ducks Unlimited has hired Steve Dvorak as the conservation group's new agronomist. Dvorak will help growers in 16 south-central and southeastern North Dakota counties expand their winter cereal acres. Winter cereals provide spring nesting cover for waterfowl and economic advantages to growers, DU said in a news release. The South Dakota native has been an agronomist since 1988.
- Ducks Unlimited delegates recently elected longtime volunteer John Pope of Jacksonville, Fla. as the group's 40th president. Pope succeeds Bruce Lewis, who now is chairman of the board.
-- compiled by Brad Dokken
