Fall turkey hunting begins Saturday
REGIONAL— Wild turkeys are definitely thriving here in the North Country and if you’d like to bag one for your Thanksgiving celebration, now is your chance. Minnesota’s fall turkey hunting season opens this Saturday, Oct. 4 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 2.
Hunters are allowed to take one turkey of either sex during the fall season. Fall turkey hunters may use a crossbow, bow or shotgun afield. Fall turkey licenses are available for purchase online (mndnr.gov/buyalicense), by calling 888-665-4236, or in person anywhere Minnesota DNR licenses are sold.

DNR seeking input on year-round bass season
REGIONAL—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking for input on new fishing rules that would allow for a year-round bass season that includes a period for harvest and a period for catch-and-release fishing.
The proposed expedited rules would adjust the inland waters fishing regulations by creating a year-round bass season. Portions of the year would be catch-and-release only while the other parts of the year would allow for bass harvest.
All the current harvest periods would remain the same, with catch-and-release-only bass season periods expanding to include periods that until now were closed to bass fishing. If enacted, the new rules would go into effect for the 2026 fishing season.
The Minnesota DNR is taking input on this proposal through Thursday, Oct. 23, and more information is available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/input/rules/fisheries/continuous-bass-season.html). Input can be submitted to Shannon Fisher at shannon.fisher@state.mn.us or 651-259-5206, or via U.S. mail to Bass Season Rules/Shannon Fisher, Box 20, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155.

Whitefish netting opens Oct. 17 on several area lakes
REGIONAL—Netting for harvesting cisco, also referred to as tullibee, and whitefish for personal use will be open this fall on designated lakes. Whitefish and cisco sport netting is open to Minnesota residents only.
Netting schedules vary by lake and are based on expected water temperatures. As the water temperatures cool, game fish head to deeper water while cisco and whitefish come to shallow water for fall spawning.
Some lakes, known as Schedule 1, that are more susceptible to factors that impact water temperatures, will open and close to netting with a 48-hour notice posted at lake accesses, other public places, and the DNR website. Those lakes include Vermilion, Basswood, Bear Island, Fall, Newton, Ojibway, and Shagawa.
Schedule II lakes are open to netting based on the set netting schedules listed on the DNR website. Lakes here in the North Country that open Oct. 17 to whitefish netting include Crane, Sand Point, Namakan, Kabetogama, Rainy, Elbow, and Isabella. Netting on most other northern and central Minnesota lakes opens on Nov. 7. The season runs through Dec. 14.
Complete regulations, including designated lakes, netting schedules and requirements related to use of gear and invasive species, are available on the Minnesota DNR website.

DNR’s seedling sale opened Oct. 1
REGIONAL—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ State Forest Nursery opened its seedling sales for spring 2026 on Oct. 1.
Landowners across Minnesota can order native, bareroot tree seedlings for their properties. Planting trees provides many benefits, including creating wildlife habitat, protecting soil and water, and supporting a healthy forest products economy.
This year, the DNR is launching a new online ordering system to make purchasing easier and more efficient. Customers can view seedling inventory online to see exactly what’s in stock and place orders right away. Customers are strongly encouraged to create a LoginMN account (webapps.dnr.state.mn.us/nursery) so they can track status, view order history and pay online.
The nursery has a strong supply of oak seedlings this year, offering landowners a chance to grow one of Minnesota’s majestic trees. Oaks provide food and shelter for hundreds of native species.
In addition to oaks, the nursery offers more than 20 other native coniferous and deciduous tree species. The minimum order is 300 seedlings, which can be customized in increments of 100 per species.
Landowners are encouraged to contact a local DNR forester for site-specific advice or to learn about potential cost share funding (mndnr.gov/woodlands/cost-share.html).
Seedling sales remain open through Friday, April 3, 2026, or until stock is sold out. For more information and to create a LoginMN account before sales open, visit the DNR website (mndnr.gov/nursery).