Outdoor notes

Lake Shore is offering an advanced bowhunting instructor certification course July 16 at city hall. The class begins at 6 p.m. Phone 963-2148 to sign up or for more information.

Milfoil found in Lake Ossawinnamakee

Eurasian water milfoil has been found in Lake Ossawinnamakee, bringing to three the number of lakes in Crow Wing County infected by the weed.

The weed was found by a local resident. A sample was delivered to the DNR office in St. Paul, where Chip Welling, the DNR's Eurasian water milfoil program coordinator, confirmed it as milfoil. DNR staff from the Brainerd office inspected the site and determined the exotic was rooted and growing in the lake.

It is not surprising that the plant is in Ossawinnamakee, which sees a lot of boating activity, said Terry Ebinger, DNR aquatic plant management specialist in Brainerd. Boaters are reminded to remove all aquatic plants from their boats, motors and trailers before leaving accesses.

The discovery in Ossawinnamakee brings to 135 the number of Minnesota lakes, wetlands and rivers known to be infested with Eurasian water milfoil. In Crow Wing County two other lakes, Bay and Ruth, are known to have the plant.

Stokka wins Gull Lake ABA bass tournament

Joel Stokka took first place with five bass weighing 9.79 pounds at the American Bass Anglers Minnesota North District's second tournament on June 23 on Gull Lake.

Bob Kroone was second with 9.34 pounds and Ron Markham placed third with 8.94 pounds. Kroone also took big bass honors with a 2.84 pound lunker.

The next tournament is scheduled for Mission Lake on July 6. For more information contact Stokka at 828-4239.

Goose population up 16 percent statewide

A DNR helicopter survey of nesting Canada geese in April and May estimates the statewide population at 315,000, 16 percent higher than last year. More geese were observed in the prairie and transition portions of Minnesota and fewer in the woods.

The survey, which includes all of Minnesota except the Twin Cities metropolitan area, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and Lake and Cook counties in the northeast, counts Canada geese on 150 quarter-section (160-acre) plots randomly located in Minnesota's three broad eco-regions: Prairie, Transition and Forest.

Black bear handbook has date error

On pages 2, 7 and 9 of the "2002 Black Bear Hunting Information" handbook it incorrectly states that Aug. 9 is when hunters can begin to bait bear. The correct date is Aug. 16.

The correct date appeared in all application materials and is posted on the DNR's bear hunting web page at www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/bear/hunt2002.html.

Bear hunting begins Sept. 1 and continues through Oct. 13. Hunters can take one bear in quota areas and two bears in no-quota areas.

Ruffed, sharptailed grouse numbers drop

Minnesota's grouse population has declined for the third consecutive year, according to the DNR.

Statewide, drumming counts of ruffed grouse were down 11 percent when compared with 2001. The northwest, north and central hardwoods regions all show similar declines of 8 percent, 9 percent and 14 percent, respectively. The northeast and southeast zones remain stable.

Sharptailed grouse have declined slightly in both the northwest and east-central parts of their range. Males dancing on leks, the bird's traditional mating areas, were 13 percent fewer in the east-central range and 10 percent fewer in the northwest range.

Howes given conservation award

Rep. Larry Howes, R-Hackensack, was honored by the Minnesota Conservation Corps this past week for his support and hard work on behalf of the program. Howes was presented with an "Exemplary Achievement Award" at the MCC's 20th anniversary celebration event.

"I'm honored to have been recognized by the Conservation Corps," Howes said. "The members of MCC are our state's future leaders, so it's a priority for me to protect this youth development opportunity."

The Minnesota Conservation Corps, a descendent of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's, was started in 1981 as a way to train youths and young adults in natural resources work and life-skills development.

Rep. Howes authored a bill that provided more funding for MCC by allowing it to charge various state agencies for its services. He also helped increase its state allocation of funding in 1999.

Gary Gray wins PWT tournament on Lake Winnebago

OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Gary Gray, a native of this city on the shores of Lake Winnebago, beat 154 other pros to win the PWT's fourth tournament of the year and $54,000.

In three days on the Lake Winnebago system, Gray netted 57.17 pounds of walleyes, including a one-day catch of 25.08 pounds, the heaviest of the tournament.

Gray fished one spot in the Fox River under the Oshkosh Ave. bridge, pitching jigs and nightcrawlers. He won two team tournaments under the same bridge, but hadn't fished there for five years. As strong southerly winds blew the first day Gray said, "My pre-fishing was great, but went out the window with the winds. I hit the river, stopped at the first spot without any PWT boats, and started fishing."

It was Gray's second PWT win. The first came in 1998 on Lake Erie. Last year he won the Angler of the Year award, which goes to the pro who weighs the most walleyes over the entire six-tournament season. Gray again leads the race this year.

Second through fifth places at Winnebago were taken by Quin Papp, West Allis, Wis., John Kolinski, Menasha, Wis., Mike Gofron, Antioch, Ill. and Nate Provost, Gulliver, Mich. Papp, Kolinski and Provost all had their personal best PWT finishes. By notching another top 10 finish, Gofron now has more top 10 finishes than any other angler.