outdoors

Minnesota's ruffed grouse hunters had quite a fall last year, bagging 466,000 birds -- a 30 percent increase over 2009 and the best in 10 years.

And there was more good news: The number of grouse hunters finally increased, by 6 percent to 92,000, after years of decline.

Last fall's strong harvest and increases in drumming counts this spring means the ruffed grouse population peak likely is continuing, which bodes well again for hunters this fall.

"It's looking like a three-year plateau of good hunting,'' said Ted Dick, Department of Natural Resources grouse coordinator. "The birds are there, the opportunity is there, I'm optimistic.''

Successful hunters averaged five birds apiece, up for 4.1 birds in 2009. "That's one of the highest in the country,'' Dick said. Minnesota once had 140,000 ruffed grouse hunters, and had there been that many last fall, harvest likely would have exceeded 700,000 birds, he said.

"Hunter numbers only went up 6 percent, but at least they didn't go down,'' he said. The 92,000 hunters was the highest since 2006. Hunter numbers generally track the grouse population, but though the grouse population is at the high end of the 10-year cycle, hunter numbers haven't approached the last peak, when 142,000 hunters were counted in 1998. They bagged nearly 1 million birds that year.

Still, last year's harvest of 466,000 was 108,000 more than 2009 and was the highest since 121,000 hunters shot 619,000 birds in 2000.

Hundreds of Minnesota's youths will again have opportunities this fall for special deer, waterfowl and upland bird hunts -- but they need to apply soon for the limited spots.

Also, the annual youth-women mentored pheasant hunt has been expanded to include ruffed grouse and woodcock hunting.

All three programs are intended to help novices learn how to hunt, often with mentors showing them the way. But the state government shutdown has squeezed the timeframe to organize the hunts, said Mike Kurre, Department of Natural Resources mentoring program coordinator. Interested hunters must apply soon.

Here is what's available:

Youth deer hunts: Twelve special youth deer hunts, both archery and firearms, are being offered in October for about 470 youths. They include an archery hunt at Camp Ripley for 12 to 17 year olds, as well as firearms hunts in several state parks for ages 12 to 15. Applications are due Aug. 19.

Mentored duck hunt: Up to 60 youths age 12 to 15 will be taken on mentored waterfowl hunts on Sept. 10 (Youth Waterfowl Day) at four spots in northwest, west, south and central Minnesota. Applications are due Aug. 22.

For details, see www.startribune.com/a593.

Minnesota's fishing license sales have rebounded after starting out very slow this year.

The DNR sold 916,000 licenses through July, down about 78,000 -- or 8 percent -- from last year. (It's down 6 percent from 2009 and down 3 percent from 2008.) Still, that's a considerable improvement. Sales were down 30 percent early last spring, and were still down 15 percent after Memorial Day weekend.

Officials blamed the cold spring for dampening sales, and noted that last year's warm spring likely encouraged sales. The DNR likely lost sales during the recent three-week state shutdown, too.

Meanwhile, sales of non-resident fishing licenses totaled 133,000 -- a drop of 22,000 or 14 percent from last year. And sales of the $5 walleye stamps -- 25,000 -- fell by 4,900, or 16 percent.

The big changes to Minnesota's duck season made all the news last week. Meanwhile, the special September Canada goose season will remain similar to last year. The September Canada goose season runs Sept. 3-22 statewide, with a bag limit of five geese per day.

The 85-day regular Canada goose season coincides with the duck season opener on Sept. 24, and retains a daily bag of three. The season north of Minnesota Hwy. 210 runs through Dec. 17. Hunters in the new zone south of Hwy. 210 may hunt Sept. 24-25 and then Oct. 1- Dec. 22. Another goose zone near Rochester will provide additional late hunting opportunity.

Some hunters had suggested ending over-water early goose hunting, but the DNR declined to make that change.

Conservation officer Mike Lee of Isle got a call about an injured bald eagle that had been hit by a semitrailer truck, and was holding onto the front grill. When Lee arrived on the scene, he saw that the eagle had moved underneath the semi. As the semi driver and Lee crawled under the truck to get it, the eagle ran to the opposite side and flew away. As they got back to their feet, the truck driver said, "That's the toughest bird I've ever seen," as he pointed to the broken grill on his semi.

• Conservation officer Gary Forsberg of Pelican Rapids encountered a 91-year-old angler from Oklahoma who was fishing with too many lines. When Forsberg talked to him, the elderly man said he knew it was illegal and had been watching for the game warden -- but his eyesight and hearing wasn't as good as it use to be. The guy hadn't caught anything, and Forsberg wrote him a warning tag.

• As reported here in April, the Governor's Deer Opener will be held in Biwabik this year. The official announcement came last week.

• A homeowner near Blackduck reported that a bear came through the kitchen window and helped himself to sacks of flour and sugar.