Minnesota waterfowl hunters who want a say on state waterfowl management issues now have their chance.

The Department of Natural Resources is forming a first-ever 12-person focus group that will meet once a month from March through June to give the agency input on hunter recruitment and retention, habitat issues and strategies and hunting and harvest issues.

"I want to hear what waterfowl hunters have to say," DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr said in a news release. "And I believe this approach -- an in-depth conversation about their attitudes, preferences and feelings -- will add value to the information we collect through surveys, public input meetings, stakeholder gatherings and biological assessments."

The group will include one person each from Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited and the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, plus nine at-large waterfowl hunters. The at-large hunters will represent different areas of the state, age and types of hunting interests and experiences. Members will be reimbursed for travel expenses.

The meetings will be held in or around the Twin Cities. Those interested should send an e-mail with their name and address and a short description of their interests and background to commissioner.dnr@state.mn.us before March 14.

CWD harvest updateLandowners near Pine Island shot about 475 deer, including 325 adult whitetails, during a special three-week action that ended Monday. The DNR wants to test 900 adult deer in the area for chronic wasting disease (CWD), after a wild deer killed by a hunter last fall was found with the fatal brain disease.

Now federal sharpshooters, who began shooting last week, will ramp-up their efforts to collect another 600 adult deer. "They shot 27 last night," said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game coordinator. "They will be out virtually every night now that the landowners are done hunting."

So far, about 525 deer have been killed, and test results from 425 have been done; all were negative.

Mille Lacs northernsThe Lake Mille Lacs Advisory Group has recommended changing the northern regulations on the lake to make it easier for anglers to keep fish. The 24- to 36-inch protected slot likely will be changed to 27 to 40 inches. "We'll be protecting the bigger ones to increase the trophy potential, and open up harvest on the smaller ones," said the DNR's Rick Bruesewitz.

DOUG SMITH