Recent content from Dennis Anderson
Anderson: With bat or shotgun, Ted Williams hit home runs in Minnesota
The late Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams said the best year he ever had was in 1938 when he was hunting and fishing — and playing baseball for the Minneapolis Millers.
Anderson: Minnesota women aim for camaraderie and hit the mark
Ten women who hadn't hunted before headed west from Minnesota to South Dakota to flush, and shoot, pheasants.
Anderson: The DNR needs to act as wolves decimate deer in Minnesota
Hunters and conservation officers alike in northeast Minnesota have watched as deer populations and deer hunters dwindle. Solutions are needed.
Anderson: A dedicated hunter was overdue; then a buck walked up
Minnesota wildlife photographer Bill Marchel can spend years in a bow stand on his property, waiting for a quality buck to pass his way. Here's what happened when it did.
Anderson: Going deer hunting this weekend? Here are five keys to success
Understanding whitetail behavior, knowing your gun and — above all — being safe are among the keys to experiencing a memorable Minnesota firearms deer opener.
Anderson: Ducks (and ghosts) of Lake Christina revel in its comeback
Central Minnesota's Lake Christina had gone from a natural wonder to a murky cesspool nearly devoid of birds. But technology has brought back ducks — and tales of its past.
Anderson: Duck hunters in their 90s still where they want to be — a marsh
Brothers Henry Ernst, 98, and John Ernst, 96, of St. Paul still look to the skies each fall for mallards and other ducks.
Anderson: The walks weren't wasted on Minnesota's pheasant opener
The DNR's ringneck forecast based on August roadside counts proved accurate, with plenty of birds flushed on Saturday.
Anderson: When a hunting dog's time comes, so does the pain
A black Labrador, Del saw a lot of open country, from shooting estates in England to pheasant openers in Minnesota.
Anderson: State pheasant prospects bright, should get even brighter
Accelerated habitat purchases and pheasant and waterfowl hunters' conservation efforts are helping the state's most beautiful gamebird.
Minnesota boy, 13, drops massive 1,000-pound bull elk
The hard-to-get DNR hunting permit eluded the boy's father, but young Ryker Copp was one of two to win the license lottery in a special area near the Canadian border.
Anderson: Epic adventure born in Minnesota takes paddlers into the Arctic
Three years in planning and decades in dreaming, the adventure was filled with Northern Lights, wildlife and challenges. It was a life-changing experience.
Anderson: Lifetime of loving ducks fuels outdoorswoman's career
Sophie Arhart grew up in the outdoors, and the payoff is doing what she loves working for Ducks Unlimited.
Anderson: Minnesota history takes wing in new book about state duck camps
A lifelong duck hunter who grew up in Otter Tail County spent six years researching, writing and publishing the 756-page book.
Anderson: Legislators, crossbow hunters both take the easy way out
Society has become infatuated with giving rewards for little to no effort — that was on display when the Legislature more broadly legalized crossbows without a hearing.
Anderson: Fall hunters who hike for birds (and some Bud Grant wisdom)
Upland hunters prefer to walk for their birds, often endlessly, rather than sit in a duck blind and await their prey to arrive. Boot leather, briar-proof pants and Bud Grant were made for the challenge.
Anderson: Blue-winged teal's surge turns duck hunting on its head
For the first time in Minnesota history, mallards were not the most abundant duck in hunters' bags last season. Here's why that happened.
Anderson: North Woods researchers look to Indigenous techniques to fight fire with fire
At the University of Minnesota's Cloquet Forestry Center, ancient uses of fire by Indigenous people and its many benefits are being researched.
Anderson: In his cancer battle, a 4-year-old catches a fish — and a break
Barrett Gregory caught a fish. Played on a beach. Sat around a campfire. Drove a boat on a northern Minnesota lake. All while his parents, grandparents and friends watched and laughed — and were finally able to relax.
Anderson: Are Minnesota anglers putting too much pressure on big northern pike?
Dallas Hudson has spent his life studying animal populations, he measured, weighed, sexed, and tagged northerns on his 160-acre lake over about eight years.
Anderson: DNR logs big failure in fish and wildlife land squabble
Doing the right thing for its own sake, and also to follow the law, is a lesson the DNR should learn in this logging conflict with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Anderson: Game Fair carries on, honoring a famed outdoorswoman
Chuck Delaney, 90, sees the show, held on the family's land in Ramsey, as testament to the way he and his late wife — champion trapshooter and famed dog trainer, Loral I Delaney — lived their lives.
Anderson: The grizzly bears attacked, and a Minnesota man recalls the horror
A teenager from Edina got free, but the fatal maulings of two young women, one also a Minnesotan, forever changed the history of Glacier National Park and the way its bears are managed.
Anderson: Minnesota can get too hot for fishing — and we're about there
With temperatures in the 90s and water temperature not that far behind, we're reaching a point when anglers should consider parking their boats and hang up their rods until things cool down.
Anderson: Wild, scenic and kind-of fishy, the Upper St. Croix is a wonder
Smallmouth bass — feisty and exciting to pursue and hook — are among the attractions on the St. Croix River. It also harbors the rarest of present-day commodities, one that's among the most fragile
Anderson: Midsummer fishing isn't as easy, but here's how to hook 'em
Walleye action slows at this time of year because of the weather. But there are still opportunities for a successful outing. Here are some tips for making that happen.
Anderson: 4 a.m. wake-up, extra caffeine and a road trip to ride
Our columnist takes you along for the ride — in his truck at sunrise, to McDonald's for an unusual breakfast option and on the back of a gelding named Olaf.
Can the BWCA be saved from fire — by fire?
Climate change virtually ensures future fires in the wilderness area — something Indigenous people survived for eons. Can we learn something from their ancient practices?
Anderson: Pumping gas, landing bass. Two Minnesota teen anglers make history
Zach Piescher and Cole Semler of Cambridge-Isanti can stake claim to being the best high school bass anglers in the United States. It was a weird journey.
Anderson: Fishing's rule No. 1? Follow rules — or face consequences
A fish possession limit in Minnesota means just that: A person is allowed only one limit of a regulated fish species at a time. The stakes are especially high on one heavily fished border lake.
Anderson: Kelley Farms soon to be wildlife management area
DNR hopes to take possession of the 1,820-acre property by the end of the year.
Anderson: Strand — physician and conservationist — will be missed
Roger Strand, of New London in Kandiyohi County, died June 5 at age 87.
Anderson: If you won't do it, who will speak up for state's wetlands?
Wondering why Minneapolis is suddenly pockmarked with sinkholes, or why basements of homes in the Minnehaha Creek watershed are filling with water? It's the same reason we don't have the numbers of ducks we once did.
Anderson: Fishing hooks kids and grown-ups together, and we should do it more often
In Minnesota and Alaska and a million places in between, kids can benefit from fishing — fish or no fish. Getting them started early can yield lifelong benefits, including to parents.
Anderson: Will new tech mean the end of fishing, or the end of fishing as we know it?
New gadgets allow anglers to see underwater in real time, and watch their lures fall toward their targets.
Anderson: While invasive carp swim upstream, DNR forms a committee
The presence of silver carp in the Mississippi River and the threat they pose to Minnesota game fish, as well as lake and river recreation, has been apparent for at least a dozen years.
Anderson: Guides' guide to summer, whether boating, fishing or paddling
Some of Minnesota's most interesting people make a living not in an office but in a boat or canoe.
Anderson: In Minnesota, fish hook women, too — and in big numbers
In Minnesota, about 20% of anglers are women — a number that's thought to be highest in the nation. But would even more take to the water if given the chance?
Anderson: On yet another opener, Upper Red produces many walleyes
Thousands of anglers descend on the lake in northern Minnesota, seeking five-walleye limits.
Anderson: Meet Leech Lake's legend who fishes on despite paralysis
A 2019 stroke and accident left him almost entirely paralyzed, but 85-year-old Al Maas, a longtime guide on the northern Minnesota lake, keeps looking forward to the walleye opener.
'Walleye Road Trip': Cruise Minnesota and catch our tastiest fish
To spark the imagination and nurture the wanderlust many anglers harbor, follow along with outdoors columnist Dennis Anderson on our seven-day Walleye Road Trip.
Anderson: Ice-out for walleye opener? Local anglers offer updates
Spring has come late, and slowly, to northern Minnesota. Here's the latest conditions on our favorite lakes.
Anderson: Environmental Q&A with former Gov. Carlson. 'It's our survival we're talking about'
"I've always felt if a choice must be made between commerce and the environment, the environment should win,'' former Minnesota governor Arne Carlson said in an interview with columnist Dennis Anderson.
Anderson: Hunters, target shooters stand amid important gun debates
Purchasing a gun for sporting pursuits regardless of its cost or quality necessarily implies a belief in, and an intent to participate in, this nation's unique freedoms.
Anderson: Earth Day reminds 'Guns and Greens' to work together
Too often, environmentalists and hunters and anglers miss opportunities to conserve our natural resources.
Anderson: 'Old Guy' snowmobilers call Alaskan adventure a success
After suffering snowmobile breakdowns the last two days of their trip, the three men rode the last leg into Fairbanks on wheels.
Anderson: On trail again, 'old guy' snowmobilers heading for Fairbanks
With help from local residents, damaged machine is retrieved and repaired.
Fire on the trail: New obstacle delays 'Old Guy' snowmobilers in Alaska
The latest delay in the Minnesota-to-Alaska adventure came over the weekend when one of the snowmobiles caught fire and needed to be abandoned. Here's what happened and what's ahead.
Gritty, 'old guy' snowmobilers (hopefully) within a few hundred miles of Fairbanks
Paul Dick, Rex Hibbert and Rob Hallstrom are experienced long-distance snowmobile adventurers and racers, and are equally adept with wrenches.
Anderson: Wading into fly fishing in Minnesota in 10 easy steps
Carl Haensel and Jade Thomason, a husband-and-wife team from Duluth, have published two new books that will help both novice and experienced fly anglers enjoy many fishing opportunities.
'Old guys' snowmobilers headed to Alaska stuck, await parts delivery above Arctic Circle
After about 5,000 miles on their snowmobiles, the "three old guys'' from Minnesota who departed Grand Rapids one month ago are in a village called Old Crow
Anderson: Tomorrow's Minnesotans won't forgive for inaction on invasive carp
A state whose major waterways are filled with huge, jumping carp? It's not only possible, it's likely.
Fairbanks in the sights of the 'three old guys' traveling to Alaska by snowmobile
The trio left Grand Rapids, Minn., March 6 and will have ridden more than 5,000 miles when they reach their destination this week.
Anderson: Minnesota to Alaska by snowmobile? 'Three old guys' try
Nearing the Arctic Ocean, the trio is entering the toughest part of their adventure that started earlier this month in Grand Rapids.
Signs point to northern Minnesota deer under winter stress again
DNR's Winter Severity Index only accounts for part of the stress on whitetails.
Manitoba 2023 waterfowl hunting regulations for Americans detailed
Province will award all applicants a seven-day license this fall. In the future a lottery will be held for licenses.
Anderson: Bud Grant hunted peace and thrills far from football fields
A coach who hunted and fished? Or a hunter and fisherman who coached? With the Minnesota icon, it was hard to tell. Dennis Anderson shares memories from friends — and of his last visit with Grant.
Fly fishing is center of the world at Great Waters Expo this weekend
Casting demonstrations, fly-tying instruction and scores of exhibitors slated for event at Hamline University fieldhouse.
Anderson: With the Canadian border open again, anglers look north
Ontario resort owners at the Northwest Sportshow say bookings are rising, now that COVID-19 border-crossing restrictions have been lifted.
In like a lion: Nine things to do, follow in Minnesota outdoors in March
Thinking about predictions for ice-out, new rough fish rules, Northwest Sportshow's arrival, raptors on the wing, muskies, and more. March is a busy month for things to do, follow and learn about.
Anderson: South Dakota waterfowl beckon lottery-luck nonresidents
The state's waterfowl managers have resisted pressure to issue a dedicated number of nonresident licenses to outfitters — a plan Manitoba is endorsing.
Anderson: 'Blue-collar hunters' from Minnesota should watch Manitoba's moves carefully
Non-resident license proposal angers American waterfowlers, who pay for most of Canada's wetland conservation.
Anderson: Snowy winter giving pheasants, deer the cold shoulder
Though wildly disparate species, Minnesota ringnecked pheasants and whitetailed deer share one important instinct: A generations-honed will to survive. That trait has been especially important this winter.
Anderson: Broadening conservation's appeal is a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever goal
Marilyn Vetter, 55, takes over as the Minnesota group's third leader in 40 years.
Anderson: Birds of a feather to gather by the thousands at Pheasant Fest, Quail Classic
Pheasants Forever will celebrate its 40th anniversary at a three-day event in Minneapolis.
Anderson: Higher fishing, boat fees will fall to workaday Minnesotans
Hikers, bikers, birders and everyday Minnesotans, as usual, will get a pass, while anglers and boaters will likely need to pony up.
Anderson: Stories of The Old Duck Hunter live on
Gordon MacQuarrie's more memorable stories, and there were reams of them, were spun in a style that by turns blended fact and fiction — or perhaps more accurately, fact and exaggeration.
Anderson: Time is long past to stop jumping carp from invading
Sound and bubble barrier is possible at Lock and Dam 5 on the Mississippi, but the DNR wants to talk rather than act.
Anderson: Minnesota's ice isn't so nice, and anglers' pickups go down
From the Mississippi River to Lake of the Woods, uneven weather means, at times, uneven ice — and sometimes the need to fish out a vehicle that has been caught unaware.
Anderson: Walz, DNR propose to tap state surplus for $118 million to fix hatcheries, water accesses
Bonding money to be announced next week would supplement the surplus spending plan.
Anderson: 10 boats that kept me afloat through the years
Drawn to water, Minnesotans float boats for different purposes, at different times. And sometimes as life changes, a change in boats is in order.
Anderson: DNR leader says funding needed, source to be determined
Q&A: Sarah Strommen, Minnesota's first woman DNR commissioner, has been reappointed for a second term.
Outdoors-loving Minnesotans share their 2023 bucket lists
From remote hunting to rugged backpacking to angling through ice, Minnesotans file their dreamed-of adventures in the year ahead.
Anderson: After tragedy, Waseca officer leaves for Alaska adventure
Arik Matson nearly died while on duty three years ago. The bullet changed his life. It did not, however, take away his passion for hunting, and a donated hunt soon will give him a big thrill.
Anderson: Manage resources better to achieve 'best place to raise kids'
Gov. Tim Walz's ambitions belie the direction Minnesota lands and waters are headed. Until control over the state's resources is wrested from the governor's office and the Legislature, nothing will change.
