Put down the electronic gadgets, get off the couch and plunge into the Great Outdoors.
That's the message for youths and their parents at the third annual Minnesota Outdoor Youth Expo next Saturday and Sunday at Hugo.
Among the activities: clay-target shooting, firearm safety, mock hunts, archery, casting, fishing, fly-tying, canoeing, kayaking, camping, dog handling and training, birds of prey demonstrations, outdoor cooking, nature walks, geocaching, ATV rider safety education and more.
Kids can also try climbing, golfing, basketball and paintball. More than 60 organizations, experts and educators will be on hand.
"The goal is to help young people develop a lifelong passion for the outdoors," said Jeff Hughes, co-owner of Wild Wings of Oneka Hunt Club. The event will be held rain or shine 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days on the club's 65 acres of wooded trails and fields.
Cost is $5 for adults, free for kids 15 and younger; parking is free, as are most activities. For more information, see www.mnoutdooryouthexpo.com.
Shooting carp The third annual Chisago Lakes Lions Club Carp Fest is Saturday at Lions Park in Lindstrom. Archers will be shooting carp on North Center and South Center lakes, though all legal methods, including nets and hook and line, are allowed. Participants must register by May 17 to be eligible for prizes. Entry forms are available at www.chisagolakeschamber.com or at Frankie's Live Bait in Chisago City. Entry is $30 for the adult division and $15 for the junior division. For more information, contact Steve Levey at 651-331-6695 or 651-257-2966 or slevey@frontiernet.net.
Big turkey harvest Minnesota's turkey hunters continue to harvest birds at a near-record pace. Through season "D," which closed Monday, hunters had shot 8,397 turkeys. That compares to 8,901 birds killed during the same period in 2010, when hunters bagged a record 13,467. Last year, for comparison, hunters had shot 6,396 during the first four hunting periods.
