Recent content from Dennis Anderson
Anderson: Minnesota's disappearing duck camps are a loss to the state's hunting heritage
One Buffalo Lake camp has stayed aloft on wings and memories for 50 years
Anderson: For these Minnesota women, bird hunting wouldn't be sporting without their dogs
For these Minnesota women, hunting birds without their dogs wouldn't be sporting
Anderson: Telling female and male mallards apart in September is a tough problem for hunters to duck in Minnesota
Hen mallards have gone missing, and hunters, along with habitat losses and drought, might be part of the problem.
Anderson: If everyone needs exposure to nature, why aren't some kids in the metro getting it?
Shooting of four kids ages 11 to 13 in a stolen car raises alarms about what's being missed in endless outreach.
Anderson: Wildlife artist Bob Hautman brushes with fame
Entry into another Federal Duck Stamp contest is nigh, a contest that he and his accomplished brothers have won 15 times.
Group aims to get mobility-challenged Minnesotans outdoors
Anderson: Group aims to get mobility challenged Minnesotans outdoors
Anderson: Bears and salmon, life and death in Alaska's summer drama
Traveling Alaska's Inside Passage offers rare views wildlife in real-time at Anan Wildlife Observatory Site.
Anderson: Stillwater man drawn north to Alaska by way of road and water
Abundant fish, scenery, whales and other wildlife, as well as adventure, attract semi-retired veterinarian to the Inside Passage.
Anderson: Chiovitte's state record walleye shouldn't be thrown back
The DNR has changed the way it recognizes Minnesota's biggest fish, but the walleye record should still stand.
Anderson: Minnesota's muskies are no match for sonar gadget
Minnesota muskies were trending downward before advent of forward-facing sonar, which redoubles the threat to these trophy fish. DNR likely will be slow to act, so anglers must.
Anderson: Anatomy of a nighttime helicopter rescue in Boundary Waters
DNR pilot Grace Zeller recounts sudden involvement in nighttime rescue of injured paddlers below Curtain Falls.
Anderson: With summer training, know a dog's tail is meant to wag
Though hunting seasons are months away, bonds between dogs and their partners are often solidified in June, July and August.
Anderson: Did June rain wash away Minnesota pheasant nesting prospects?
Poised for a population comeback, Minnesota pheasants see nesting success threatened by rains.
Anderson: Releasing even 'fish of a lifetime' is the ethic guiding many anglers
The "Muskie Rampage," in which more than 160 muskies were caught and killed, was a watershed Minnesota moment.
10 tips on how to catch Minnesota's tight-lipped walleyes in midsummer
Anderson: Unraveling the mystery of finding, and catching, walleyes in midsummer
Anderson: Barred owls targeted for death to save northern spotted owls
The federal plan to shoot 500,000 barred owls to save smaller and less aggressive spotted owls is controversial.
Anderson: Boundary Waters hits milestone, but its future isn't guaranteed
The Wilderness Act of 60 years ago set about safeguards, and it's high time to recognize that.
Anderson: Where have all of Minnesota's muskies gone?
The DNR is initiating a planning process that could lead to a new muskie management framework.
Anderson: Where these guides fish, you should, too
Five Minnesotans offer insights about the career they chose and the waters where they make their living.
Anderson: More women are out fishing, but where are more kids?
Society benefits when anglers buy licenses, which helps underwrite fisheries management and clean water.
Anderson: Weather more than walleye was top of mind as we launched the opener
The beginning of our walleye summer with the Minnesota fishing opener wasn't a backdrop we are used to in this state. We worked with it on Lake Winnibigoshish.
Live: Updates and photos from the Minnesota fishing opener
Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans are participating in Saturday's fishing opener, with walleye the preferred game fish.
Anderson: After more than six decades, the fishing opener still brings them together
Growing up in south Minneapolis, these kids-turned-octogenarians have caught limits of walleyes — and memories.
Anderson: For opener, fishing will be fantastic — and catching will be great
You heard it here first: Fish will be caught at a fast and furious pace during this weekend's Minnesota walleye opener. The data backs that up.
Anderson: Building a new Waterville fish hatchery will help shorten the time between bites
With new funding, a long-dreamed-of facility will replace the 1954 Waterville, Minn., hatchery that began as a garage.
Anderson: Trailblazing sonar will be in thousands of boats for opener
The futuristic "forward-facing sonar" is here and becoming much more common in Minnesota boats. One impact: Releasing fish might become necessary as catch rates improve.
Anderson: Celebrate Earth Day by rekindling real connection to nature
People who've been exposed to nature, and value those experiences, can change their behavior toward it. A story about law-breaking duck hunters reaffirms that position.
Anderson: Anglers protesting tough new Mille Lacs rules are wrong
Any attempt to muscle the DNR or the governor's office to overturn this year's walleye fishing restrictions not only is a bad look for anglers, but it could backfire and shut the lake down this summer.
Anderson: Courts, not politicians, should rule on Red Lake, White Earth lands
Look to the Mille Lacs case for an example of treaty claims correctly decided by courts, not the Minnesota Legislature.
Anderson: Multimillion windfall gets invasive carp deterrent moving
A university invasive carp expert has warned that not taking action means that, sooner or later, breeding populations of the fish will reach the St. Croix River and other Minnesota waters.
![A young whitetail deer searches for food as another blanket of snow coats the arrowhead. ] Minnesota -State of Wonders, Arrowhead in Winter BRIAN PETE](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/WK32UWWY6FKNWJUIYCJ6ZPT4AU.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Anderson: In NE Minnesota, DNR staff, habitat and deer all decline
A retired DNR wildlife manager says the agency's efforts that encouraged region's whitetails have ended. Read his Q&A with Dennis Anderson about why.
Anderson: Appreciating early spring can be antidote for troubled times
Sigurd Olson was right: "Spring is a time of rare transcendent beauty and promise.''
Anderson: Though still winging it, Manitoba has U.S. duck hunters in its sights
Minnesota sends more waterfowlers to the province than any state, but restrictions are changing.
Anderson: Caitlin Clark isn't the only Iowa woman riding a success streak
A pheasant resurgence is attracting Iowa women who want to be outdoors and harvest their own food. Meet Abby Stone, whose college years included learning to hunt.
Anderson: Before saunas got cool, Ely Steam Sauna was already hot
All you need to know about the difference between the century-old sauna — compared to the trendy sauna 'events' being offered around the state — is what $11 will get you in Ely.
Anderson: Lead-ban legislation could set back thriving prep trapshooters
In attempting to do so much with so little explanation, this bill likely would self-destruct — setting back for years more legitimate attempts to limit lead use in Minnesota.
Anderson: In north woods deer hunting debate, we're not seeing the forest
We can't drown in the details of northeast Minnesota's deer hunting decline. Let's start by protecting our habitat, so deer there, and deer hunters, can thrive again.
Anderson: Are we going to save Minnesota waters from carp, or not?
Gov. Walz and the Minnesota DNR continuing to withhold support for an invasive carp block is 'environmentally irresponsible,' says a researcher with four decades of experience.
Anderson: A new idea using old gear to go big across the Iditarod Trail
No stranger to Alaska, Minnesota adventurer plans will keep things vintage from snowmobile to sleeping bag.
Anderson: In the Bahamas, pursuing dinner can also bring hungry sharks
Bahamas native recounts shark attack that left 400 stitches after a deep dive decades ago.
Anderson: For anglers on early ice, this is the little SUV that can
On Lake of the Woods, the relatively lightweight, vintage 4x4s are in high demand, even if it's a vehicle you wouldn't want to take on the highway.
Anderson: Invasive carp deterrent possible, and chance to do what's right
The outlandishly ugly fish are moving up the Mississippi River to Minnesota rivers and lakes. Without action, the consequences could be dire.
Anderson: With better ice, should DNR extend winter walleye fishing?
The warmer-than-normal winter created problems for businesses in and around the state's resorts. Now that the ice is good, should the state help them out if the cold weather holds?
Anderson: Midwest Mountaineering joins long list of outfitters to close
Kennedy Bros. Arms Co. in St. Paul in the 1800s sold guns to buffalo hunters. They are part of a deep history of Minnesota outfitters here, then gone.
Anderson: From canvas to conservation, Jim Killen left his mark
Some of the Owatonna resident's best work was as a conservationist. Killen died Jan. 6 at age 89.
Anderson: Annual DNR roundtable needs action over meet-and-greet
The gathering seems like a missed opportunity to engage Minnesotans in legitimately working toward a future in the outdoors that they want.
Anderson: After multiple Upper Red rescues, sheriff said that's enough
Cold weather is forecast and will make ice daily. But for now, most vehicle traffic is shut down on the big northern lake in Beltrami County.
Anderson: No better time for adventure than now
No better time than now, at the beginning of a new year, to plan an adventure outside of your comfort zone
Anderson: Christmas at the distant Northwest Angle, where quiet and walleyes rule
Classroom projects for the four grade school students at the Angle's one-room schoolhouse included butchering a deer.
Anderson: Christmas lunch keeps my outdoor allies bonded, even virtually
Hunting and fishing were the reasons this bunch of friends met, and their bonds grew over the years. Some attend in person, some in spirit. I have stories about all of them.
Anderson: Letting everyone use crossbows is wrong for bow hunting
Until this year, only the elderly and people with disabilities in Minnesota could use powerful crossbows to hunt deer. The change was made by the Legislature without public hearings being held.
Anderson: In winter, crappies can't hide from anglers' latest gadget
Crappies prefer deep water in winter. But with new sonar technology, anglers can find, catch and release them, sometimes with deadly results.
Anderson: They're back. Invasive carp take aim at state's waters again
The DNR will finalize a new plan to deter invasive carp from further infesting the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers. Will it work?
Anderson: Hunting in pink is legal, but makes some women see red
The bill legalizing pink clothing was authored by a man who 'thought it might help' attract more women to hunt. Among others, Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, a hunter, was offended by the idea. And the gear can be hard to find, too.
Anderson: With bat or shotgun, Ted Williams hit home runs in Minnesota
The late Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams said the best year he ever had was in 1938 when he was hunting and fishing — and playing baseball for the Minneapolis Millers.
Anderson: Minnesota women aim for camaraderie and hit the mark
Ten women who hadn't hunted before headed west from Minnesota to South Dakota to flush, and shoot, pheasants.
Anderson: The DNR needs to act as wolves decimate deer in Minnesota
Hunters and conservation officers alike in northeast Minnesota have watched as deer populations and deer hunters dwindle. Solutions are needed.
Anderson: A dedicated hunter was overdue; then a buck walked up
Minnesota wildlife photographer Bill Marchel can spend years in a bow stand on his property, waiting for a quality buck to pass his way. Here's what happened when it did.
Anderson: Going deer hunting this weekend? Here are five keys to success
Understanding whitetail behavior, knowing your gun and — above all — being safe are among the keys to experiencing a memorable Minnesota firearms deer opener.
Anderson: Ducks (and ghosts) of Lake Christina revel in its comeback
Central Minnesota's Lake Christina had gone from a natural wonder to a murky cesspool nearly devoid of birds. But technology has brought back ducks — and tales of its past.
Anderson: Duck hunters in their 90s still where they want to be — a marsh
Brothers Henry Ernst, 98, and John Ernst, 96, of St. Paul still look to the skies each fall for mallards and other ducks.
Anderson: The walks weren't wasted on Minnesota's pheasant opener
The DNR's ringneck forecast based on August roadside counts proved accurate, with plenty of birds flushed on Saturday.
Anderson: When a hunting dog's time comes, so does the pain
A black Labrador, Del saw a lot of open country, from shooting estates in England to pheasant openers in Minnesota.
Anderson: State pheasant prospects bright, should get even brighter
Accelerated habitat purchases and pheasant and waterfowl hunters' conservation efforts are helping the state's most beautiful gamebird.
Minnesota boy, 13, drops massive 1,000-pound bull elk
The hard-to-get DNR hunting permit eluded the boy's father, but young Ryker Copp was one of two to win the license lottery in a special area near the Canadian border.
Anderson: Epic adventure born in Minnesota takes paddlers into the Arctic
Three years in planning and decades in dreaming, the adventure was filled with Northern Lights, wildlife and challenges. It was a life-changing experience.
Anderson: Lifetime of loving ducks fuels outdoorswoman's career
Sophie Arhart grew up in the outdoors, and the payoff is doing what she loves working for Ducks Unlimited.
Anderson: Minnesota history takes wing in new book about state duck camps
A lifelong duck hunter who grew up in Otter Tail County spent six years researching, writing and publishing the 756-page book.
Minnesota hunting history takes wing in new book about state duck camps
A lifelong duck hunter who grew up in Otter Tail County spent six years researching, writing and publishing the 756-page book.
Anderson: Legislators, crossbow hunters both take the easy way out
Society has become infatuated with giving rewards for little to no effort — that was on display when the Legislature more broadly legalized crossbows without a hearing.
Anderson: Fall hunters who hike for birds (and some Bud Grant wisdom)
Upland hunters prefer to walk for their birds, often endlessly, rather than sit in a duck blind and await their prey to arrive. Boot leather, briar-proof pants and Bud Grant were made for the challenge.
Anderson: Blue-winged teal's surge turns duck hunting on its head
For the first time in Minnesota history, mallards were not the most abundant duck in hunters' bags last season. Here's why that happened.
Anderson: North Woods researchers look to Indigenous techniques to fight fire with fire
At the University of Minnesota's Cloquet Forestry Center, ancient uses of fire by Indigenous people and its many benefits are being researched.
Anderson: In his cancer battle, a 4-year-old catches a fish — and a break
Barrett Gregory caught a fish. Played on a beach. Sat around a campfire. Drove a boat on a northern Minnesota lake. All while his parents, grandparents and friends watched and laughed — and were finally able to relax.
