Outdoors
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Pine Knot Outdoors: For any endeavor, never stop learning
When most kids my age were playing Nintendo or watching “The Goonies” on VHS, I was nose-deep in a Stephen King novel. My mom developed my love of reading, even if “Misery” or “Pet...
Outdoors: He bombed the pond and then ditched the skis
Based on what I’ve been able to read in other newspapers, I’m not your typical outdoors columnist. For one, if I were listing jobs I currently occupy, writing for the Pine Knot News would be third or fourth down the list. Also, when I get time... Full story
School archery money available
Schools and nonprofit organizations interested in introducing students to archery can apply for a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources program that pays for some of the cost of archery equipment. Through the program, teachers can also receive...
Ice houses require a license
Minnesota fishing regulations recognize two types of shelters: portable and nonportable. A portable shelter is one that collapses, folds or is disassembled for transportation. Portable shelters need only licenses and identification when left...
Grants help kids learn from outdoors
Public entities and nonprofit organizations have until 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, to apply for funding from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in the second phase of the No Child Left Inside grant program, which supports getting more...
Pine Knot Outdoors: Mirage
When I slow down, staring out the window late at night, it eats at me. It pulls at me. It bothers me, but I try to ignore it. Thirty years I’ve hunted whitetails. Not this year. It began in...
Wetlands are hidden gems in our landscapes
Swamp. It's a word that can conjure negative thoughts and feelings. A place filled with dirty, dank, dark water. An area that is almost impassible and can literally suck your shoes right off. That... Full story
Pine Knot Outdoors: A clearcut rendezvous gone by the wayside
A couple of nagging health issues have kept me out of the whitetail woods and off the newly formed ice. I have to rely on the stories of others or think back to hunts of the past to keep me sane, know...
DNR briefing
News from the Minnesota Department of Natural Recources Jay Cooke getting in winter shape with deep snow Staff at Jay Cooke State Park east of Carlton have been busy after the recent snowfalls. They’ve been able to open up the office, River Inn,...
WHO cooks for you?
Pine Knot News friend Mike Farmer shared his photo of a barred owl in rural St. Louis County. Farmer said the owls sound like they’re saying “Who cooks for you?” Personally, he said, he thinks... Full story
Korby's Connections: A big buck tale from another era
Well, deer rifle season has come to a close in Minnesota. For some hunters, it is the conclusion of their most cherished time of the year. Each November, these sharpshooters reminisce about numerous...
Photos from readers: Storm leaves behind beauty and fun
Readers sent in photos from the storm and its aftermath, but we ran out of room in the paper. So we are sharing them with you here.... Full story
Rodd's Ramblings: Deer hunt is about more than venison
Another Minnesota firearms deer season has come and gone, and while some hunters enjoyed a bountiful harvest, others, like me, left 2019 in the rearview without adding any venison to their freezers....
Change up Black Friday with Free Park Friday
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving entrance fees to all Minnesota state parks and recreation areas on Nov. 29, the day after Thanksgiving. "I wish everyone in Minnesota a...
Big buck photos
Don’t forget to share your “Big Buck” photos and relevant details with the Pine Knot at [email protected] You can also share your favorite way of enjoying venison. Here’s a recipe:...
The Green Guy: Now is the time to tackle buckthorn
Believe it or not, fall is the best time of year to tackle buckthorn. The pesky and intrusive invasive is most vulnerable when cooler weather rolls in for a couple reasons. One, it is one of the...
Use salt sparingly to protect waters
As the first snow of the season arrives, Minnesotans start thinking about clearing snow and ice from pavement — sometimes with salt. But when the snow melts or it rains, the salt, which contains chloride, runs into storm drains and into nearby lake... Full story
Jay Cooke to host special hunt
Jay Cooke State Park will be closed Dec. 7-13 to all visitors outside of the campground, office and River Inn areas during a special muzzleloader hunt to prevent overpopulation of deer and protect resources. The swinging bridge will remain...
Pine Knot Outdoors: Making time for outdoor pursuits can pay off
Sometimes you can’t wait for perfect, you just have to jump in. A week-long vacation in Canada slamming walleyes? Sounds nice. Two weeks bow hunting elk in Montana. Sign me up. When I’m retired. M...
LOOK AT THAT! Behold the power of the St. Louis River
Spending time in Carlton, Cloquet, Thomson and Jay Cooke State Park is sure to reveal a few sites of interest for sure. I like to paddle the St. Louis River from Scanlon to the Thomson Reservoir on... Full story
PHOTO: Roiling in the cold
Cloquet photographer Mark Cline captured this huge wall of sea smoke over Lake Superior, looking as if it will soon overtake a ship and downtown Duluth Tuesday morning. Cline said he captured the...
OUTDOORS: Twelve feet up a Birch tree, part 2
I spent most of the morning lost in thought. As always, I contemplated what direction a deer might appear and what I would have to do to make a good shot. I was also enamored with the lever action on...
Minnesota deer harvest numbers are available online
Hunters, media members and anyone interested in deer harvest data can find current deer harvest figures and harvest reports for past years available on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources deer reports and statistics webpage. “A key... Full story
Pine Knot Outdoors: Up a birch tree with a treasured family gun
There is no way he could have imagined my world, and I find it difficult to imagine his. We are separated by a century or more: generations of Bakers have come and gone. Nothing directly connects us,...
A suckers' trip yields results
The four-day MEA weekend is a Minnesota tradition. A holiday without the stress and busy schedule of an actual holiday. By the time everyone rolled out of bed Thursday morning, I was heavily gauging...
