Outdoor notes

The local chapter of Pheasants Forever is having its annual banquet Thursday, Aug. 17 at Brainerd Moose Lodge. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 for individuals, $65 for couples or two people from the same family, $225 for six dinners, six memberships and a reserved table, and $250 for one membership, four dinners, print of the year or gear bag and a chance on a special gun.

Prizes to be given away include hunting and fishing equipment, limited edition art, and guns. Live and silent auctions, raffles and games are included.

Reservations are requested by Aug. 1. Call 829-4736 or 568-8893.

Camp Ripley archery hunt set

CAMP RIPLEY -- The 2000 Camp Ripley archery deer hunt is scheduled for Oct. 19-20 (Thursday, Friday) and Oct. 28-29 (Saturday, Sunday). A total of 4,000 permits -- 2,000 for each hunt -- will be available. The 4,400 applicants who did not receive a permit last year will have preference status this year. Since the number of archers with preference status exceeds the number of permits available, a drawing will select the 4,000 successful applicants. Archers in the non-preference category still must apply in order to earn preference status for 2001.

Applications should have arrived by mail by July 20. Hunters who must enter the general drawing this year should also have received their applications by July 20. Other archers can get an application by writing: Archery Hunt, 16543 Haven Road, Little Falls, MN 56345-6401. Applications can also be picked up at that address from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. An application can also be downloaded off the DNR website at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Mail requests for applications must include a business-sized, stamped and self-addressed envelope. The maximum party size is six. Telephone requests for applications will not be accepted.

Completed applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 18. A non-refundable $6 application fee must be included.

Baxter Bass Snatchers compete on Rush Lake

The Baxter Bass Snatchers had their third tournament of the season July 15 on Rush Lake. Bull Ludenia won with a weight of 19 pounds, 14 ounces. He was followed by Ram Mehta with 19 pounds, 3 ounces and Mick Ziebell with 15 pounds, 8 ounces. Eric Henkensiefken's 5 pound, 1 ounce bass was the lunker of the tournament.

The 29 participants caught 85 fish weighing an average of 2 pounds, 9 ounces. Ludenia is the club leader after three tournaments but Nate Steinbauer and Dennis Lothspeich are close behind. The club's next tournament is Aug. 13 on Fish Trap Lake.

Eckelman's Gun Shop to host Jug Shoot

FORT RIPLEY -- Eckelman's Gun Shop and Shooting Range will host its sixth annual Milk Jug Shoot on Sunday, Aug. 20. Registration opens at 9 a.m. and events begin at 10 a.m. Registration is $15, which includes entry into all events and a participation gift.

Participants will shoot at targets set at distances from 100 to 400 yards. Only factory-type deer rifles are eligible. No target, varmint, custom or military rifles are permitted. Minimum caliber is .243 or 6mm. Maximum scope power is 6x. Both factory and hand-loaded ammo is allowed. Prizes will be awarded to the top six shooters.

The shop is located 12 miles south of Brainerd off St. Mathias Road. Call 829-3176.

2001 stamp entries to be accepted soon

Entry dates for the 2001 DNR stamp contests have been announced. Contests take place in summer and fall to select designs for the Minnesota Migratory Waterfowl Stamp, the Pheasant Habitat Stamp and the Trout and Salmon Stamp. The Turkey Habitat Stamp contest takes place in February.

The stamp art contests are open to Minnesota residents only and offer no prizes. Winning artists, however, usually issue limited edition prints of the artwork and retain the proceeds. A reproduction rights agreement granting the DNR the right to use the design for the stamp image and other purposes must be signed and submitted with the design to be considered eligible.

Trout/Salmon Stamp contest entries will be accepted beginning July 24, and must be received no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4 at the DNR Fisheries office, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul. Judging for the contest will be Thursday, Aug. 24.

Artwork for the Pheasant Habitat Stamp contest will be accepted beginning Aug. 28 and must be received no later than 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8 at the DNR Wildlife Office, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul. Judging is set for Thursday, Sept. 14.

For contest criteria and information, write: Minnesota DNR Information Center, 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155-4040. The information is also available by calling the DNR at (651) 296-6157 in the Twin Cities, or by calling toll free in outstate Minnesota 1-888-MINNDNR.