Tag Archives: thief river falls

DNR sets March 12 public input meeting in TRF

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The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has scheduled a public meeting for 7 to 9 p.m. March 12 at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls to take input on a number of hunting-related proposals.

Items up for discussion include:

Creating limited opportunities for open-water duck hunting.

Allowing Canada goose hunting in August to reduce depredation problems for farmers in west central Minnesota.

Opening the second portion of the state’s 124-day crow season later in the year.

Opening prairie chicken season earlier in October than the current season.

Allowing youth age 17 and younger to hunt during all spring turkey seasons with a limit of one. Youth would not be required to select a permit area.

Besides the Thief River Falls meeting, input sessions also are scheduled for March 11 in Hibbing and March 13 in Alexandria. The DNR is encouraging people who cannot attend one of the meetings to complete a questionnaire online at mndnr.gov/wildlife/input.

Agassiz NWR to mark 75th anniversary

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Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge northeast of Thief River Falls turns 75 this year, and an anniversary celebration is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon June 23. Events on tap include a bird walk, management tour and kids’ activities.

According to a news release from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “Agassiz NWR was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 as Mud Lake Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. Its primary purpose was to be ‘a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.’

“Although its original focus was on waterfowl (ducks and geese), over the years, other migratory birds and year-round resident wildlife, including mammals such as moose, deer and wolves, have received an increasing emphasis in refuge management.

“In 1961 the Refuge’s name was changed to Agassiz NWR, after the vast, ancient body of water — Glacial Lake Agassiz — that produced the exceedingly flat terrain which characterizes the area today.”

If you’ve never been to Agassiz, which is just over an hour’s drive from Grand Forks, put it on your list. The refuge offers an abundance of wildlife-watching and hiking opportunities, along with a four-mile self-guided auto drive, an observation deck and a 100-foot observation tower. (Not being a big fan of heights, I have yet to make the climb to the top of the tower.)

Located in eastern Marshall County, Agassiz covers 65,500 acres, including 4,000 acres that were designated as a wilderness area in 1976.

For more information, click here: