Almanac: Grouse, woodcock should provide best fall hunting

If you're handicapping the fall hunting seasons, Saturday's grouse and woodcock opener might be your odds-on favorite. Drumming counts recorded this spring by the Department of Natural Resources were as high, or higher, than ever, indicating perhaps an upbeat season for upland woods hunters.

Here's a snapshot of other seasons, and prospects:

Ducks: If mallards, woodies, teal and other ducks are to recover in Minnesota, it likely won't be this year. Early indications are that production was average at best in the state this summer, this from a reduced breeding population from a year ago. Regional bright spots occurred in the Dakotas, where production was good to excellent. Manitoba and Ontario also likely produced good numbers of ducks. In play in Minnesota will be fall weather. If Canadian prairies turn cold on or about Oct. 20, pushing ducks into Minnesota, and a moderate weather spell follows in Minnesota, the state could hold ducks long enough to offer some good hunting.

Pheasants: This will be a transition year, yet one that should offer enough birds to keep ringneck hunters happy. It's a transition because the population won't be as flush as it was a year ago. In parts of the state, birds are down 25 percent or so from 2008. Still, sufficient pheasants, particularly in the southwest and west-central, will be around to provide good action.

Deer: Hunters in many parts of the state will have to work harder for their venison this year than last. The DNR has cut back available antlerless permits such that nearly half of Minnesota's 127 permit areas are considered "lottery,'' and hunters in those areas had to apply for a limited number of permits. Permit applications were due to the DNR by Sept. 10. The reason for the change, primarily, was the tough winter a year ago. Additionally, hunters likely were allowed by the DNR to harvest too many does in some permit areas in recent years, contributing to the herd reduction.

The mild weather has hampered some early-season Canada goose hunters. According to conservation officers, hunters near Morris, Buffalo, Hastings and the southern metro have had a tough time, but hunters at Lake of the Woods have been bagging limits. Scouting has been key: Near Marshall, some hunters have seen lots of birds while others haven't.

"There was very little goose hunting in the Rochester area over the past week, with very few geese seen,'' reported conservation officer Dan McBroom.

McBroom, of Rochester, handled an unusual call of a buck with an antler caught in a hammock swing chair. "The buck was attempting to free itself by running back and forth, but each time it did it would swing into the air and fall back to the ground," McBroom reported. The buck was mature with what appeared to be a previously injured front leg. McBroom was able to climb a tree and free the rope holding the deer. After lying down and resting, the buck ran off.

Just over two weeks into the 2009 black bear season, hunters already have killed more bears than they did all of last season. The preliminary tally was 2,227 bears through Wednesday, compared to 1,541 for the same period last year. Local bear hunters in the Duluth area were having good success.

Nearly 600 anglers participated in the 42nd annual Frank Schneider Jr. Memorial Muskie Tournament last weekend, held on 21 lakes in northern Minnesota. Eighty-four muskies were caught and released. The largest, a 53-incher, was landed by Dwight LaBosse of New York City on Lake Bemidji.

• Anglers on Lake of the Woods have been finding good success downrigging in deeper water, reported conservation officer Robert Gorecki of Baudette.

• The dove hunting season continues, and hunters near Morris reported good action recently. Dove numbers also remained high in the Glenwood area.

• Near Hinckley, federal trappers recently removed 10 wolves from area farms due to depredation complaints.

• Dave Nomsen, Pheasant Forever's vice president of government affairs, received the National Great Blue Heron Award last week from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in recognition of his wetland and waterfowl conservation work.

• National Hunting and Fishing Day is next Saturday.

• Brianna Carlson fished last week's Frank Schneider muskie tournament with her dad, Todd Spaeth, and Carlson took fifth place overall with 47- and a 48-inch muskies. Those were her third and fourth muskies this year.

Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com