Minnesota Outdoor News Radio

Grand Rapids, Minn.-resident Easton Fothergill’s win at the 2025 Bassmasters Classic last weekend in Texas dominates this week’s show with chatter from host Rob Drieslein, Editor Tim Spielman, and co-host Tim Lesmeister on the big victory. Other guests include Wally Swanson from the Bluebird Recovery Program of Minnesota and Lukas Leaf, from Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters, who updates listeners on the status of legislation and potential Trump executive orders that could impact the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The post Episode 533 – Minnesota delivers 2025 Bassmasters champ Easton Fothergill; plus bluebirds and BWCA appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman begin this week’s show talking about the two-walleye limit on Mille Lacs that begins on May 10 (fishing opener), then discuss tariffs that anglers could face at the Canadian border this year. Andy Wendt, a Minnesota DNR naturalist at Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park near Northfield, joins the program to talk about maple syruping and maple syrup programs at state parks this month. Griffin Blegen, a graduate student at Bemidji State University, shares insight into his fascinating bowfin (dogfish) research that’s entering its second year with the open-water season. Tim Lesmeister and Drieslein wrap up the show with discussion of the wild cougar cubs sighted in the Upper Peninsula, plus whether or not giant, extinct 200-pound beavers deserve to be the Minnesota state fossil.

The post Episode 532 – Mille Lacs walleye regs, maple sap season, bowfin research, cougar kits in Michigan appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman start this week’s Outdoor News Radio reminding listeners about the new yellow perch reg on Lake Mille Lacs. Then Mark Holsten from MN-Fish invites the angling public to the group’s March 27 Summit in Grand Rapids. Chris Granrud from Rainydaze Guide Service provides a late ice border update and Rainy River open water outlook. Tim Lesmeister and Drieslein discuss the “accounting error” at the Department of Revenue, which means a multi-million-dollar penalty for the Outdoor Heritage Fund this year, plus the crossbow issue at the state Legislature.

The post Episode 531 – New Mille Lacs perch regs, MN-Fish summit, Rainy River outlook, crossbow talk appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman start this week’s Outdoor News Radio with discussion about a great perch bite on Lake Mille Lacs that could mean a new regulation on the big lake. Shannon Fisher from Minnesota DNR jumps into the program to share details about lake management plan public review going on right now as well as an update on the record fish program. Charles “Turk” Gierke from Croixsippi Guide Service then calls in to offer tips on walleye and sauger fishing on Mississippi River in the spring. Tim Lesmeister brings it home as he and Drieslein discuss how federal funding cuts could affect lamprey management as well as the World Ice Fishing Championships in Michigan… where the American team didn’t fare so well.

The post Episode 530 – Mille Lacs jumbo perch controversy, fish regulations, Mississippi River open water appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman start this week’s Outdoor News Radio talking about ice conditions and relatively low winter severity index readings for deer and other wildlife. Then Dan Stark, large carnivore specialist for the Minnesota DNR, joins the show to talk about the public review process underway to revamp the black bear no-quota zone border. Stan Tekiela returns for the second straight week, this time to talk about photographing wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Then Drieslein and Tim Lesmeister jump into a discussion about staff cuts at America’s national parks, plus they chuckle about a proposal to give 65-year-olds and older free fishing licenses.

The post Episode 529 – Winter deer survival, bear update, Yellowstone wolves, respect for National Parks appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman start this week’s Outdoor News Radio talking about the public review process tackling management strategies for the new 1,800-acre Keystone Woods Wildlife Management Area. Then new South Dakota columnist Josh Haiar joins Rob to talk about brewing legislation affecting hunting in the S.D. Legislature. Backyard and Beyond columnist Stan Tekiela drops in to talk about all the irrupting owls in the region this winter. Tim Lesmeister helps wrap up the program breaking down the big story involving federal natural resources professionals being laid off across the country.

The post Episode 528 – Keystone Woods WMA, South Dakota update, irrupting owls, federal layoffs appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman kick off the program talking too much oxygen in some southern Minnesota lakes, youth bear permits, and 2025 turkey permits becoming available in coming days and weeks. Joe Henry from Lake of the Woods tourism jumps into the program with an update on the big border lake and outlook for late winter. New DNR Wildlife Section leader Dave Trauba then joins the program to discuss a host of topics, including the updated Minnesota waterfowl and pheasant action plans. Tim Lesmeister and Drieslein then offer a brief movie review on the new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, before wrapping up the broadcast with chatter on northeast elk and shed hunting licenses in Idaho.

The post Episode 527 – Turkey permits, Lake of the Woods, DNR’s Dave Trauba, Dylan movie review, shed hunting appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman launch the show with talk of new, watered-down deer farm legislation and fishing regulation changes. Then Eric Morken jumps into the program to talk about winter whitetail scouting and using mapping apps like onX. For segment three, Kelsie LaSharr from the Minnesota DNR outlines next week’s public meetings as part of the state’s elk restoration process in northeastern Minnesota. Tim Lesmeister and Drieslein wrap up the program with discussion on Land Tawney being back in the conservation mix plus a couple of controversial letters to the editor in this week’s print edition.

The post Episode 526 – Deer farm legislation, winter whitetail scouting, northeast Minnesota elk restoration appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman launch the show talking about legislation taking another run at allowing rifles statewide for Minnesota deer hunting. Also, there’s new chronic wasting disease research and hot spots in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Then Land Tawney joins Rob for a long segment to discuss a new organization that he is co-chairing, the American Hunters and Anglers Action Coalition. Staff Writer Natalie Ryder introduces herself to listeners, then Tim Lesmeister jumps into the program to talk about a new proposed muskie regulation for Leech Lake, plus deer kill trends and rapidly growing crossbow use.

The post Episode 525 – Land Tawney returns to conservation scene, CWD updates, meet Natalie Ryder appeared first on Outdoor News.

Rob Drieslein and Tim Spielman launch the show talking about new legislation affecting Minnesota’s outdoors plus the lack of walk-in access funding in the latest U.S. Farm Bill extension. Then Aaron Meyer from the Muskie and Pike Alliance visits to talk about the status of the DNR’s new muskie management plan. Kelly Pharis from the DNR joins the program to talk about the new 1,800-plus acre Keystone Wildlife Management Area in the metro area and a public review process now underway to gather comments on the new public land. Denali naming controversy plus crossbows and forward-facing sonar discussion dominates the final segment with Tim Lesmeister.

The post Episode 524 – Legislative session starts, DNR muskie plan, Keystone WMA, Denali and crossbows appeared first on Outdoor News.