The Minnesota Pheasant hunting season starts Saturday at 9 a.m. and goes through January 1st throughout the state.  Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON.  He says this is one of the traditional openers that draws a lot of interest from hunters.  Schmitt explains that the Central Minnesota population of pheasants is good but the best places to pheasant hunt in the state would be the southwestern and western portions.  He says pheasant hunting in Minnesota is good but not quite at the level it is in South Dakota and North Dakota.  Glen says western Stearns county and portions of Benton county are good spots to have success pheasant hunting.

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Schmitt indicates habitat is so important for pheasants.  He says where you find good pheasant habitat you'll find pheasants.  Schmitt believes CRP public land in the southwest and western portions of the state are good locations to have pheasant hunting success.  He says pheasants came through the winter well which means good pheasant numbers this fall.

Photo Courtesy of WJON listener
Photo Courtesy of WJON listener
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Bear hunting in Minnesota ends Sunday October 16th.  The DNR has released bear hunting numbers with just a few days left.  Schmitt says it is fair to say the majority of the bear that will be shot in the state have already been shot.  Through Monday October 10 the DNR is reporting 2,148 bears registered.  Schmitt says those numbers are down about 30% from last year.  The reason for this is largely because the food supply has been good for bears and they haven't been tempted by the bait.   Schmitt says there was the same number of permits as past years.

Fall fishing continues and Schmitt says the fishing is still great and will likely be like taht for the next few weeks.  He says water temperatures have dropped to the low 50s with the cooler weather.  Schmitt encourages anglers to get out and experience the great fishing in the state.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Glen Schmitt it is available below.

 

 

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