Minnesota DNR webinar series offers new sessions this summer

Webinars on muskellunge fishing and the state’s muskie plan, surveying fish in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, sampling rare or threatened fish species, moose research, and changes in duck harvest are part of the summer lineup for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

“After a cool spring, many Minnesotans are eager to get outside for some summer fun,” said Benji Kohn, DNR volunteer mentor program coordinator. “Our webinars share some great tips and information to help further people’s understanding of and interest in fishing, hunting, trapping, fisheries management and wildlife biology.”

The DNR hosts these live webinars every other Wednesday at noon. Upcoming topics include:

June 17 – Muskellunge in Minnesota

Kamden Glade, fisheries research scientist, will discuss the DNR’s new long range muskie plan, recent research, and some tips on how to land this “fish of a thousand casts.”

July 1 – Surveying fish in the BWCAW

Brent Flatten, Tower-area fisheries specialist, will share how fisheries surveys are accomplished in the BWCAW, what information is gathered and knowledge that might help anglers catch more fish during BWCAW trips.

July 15 – How we sample rare or threatened fish species in Minnesota

Brett Nagle, native fish biologist, will share a glimpse into rare fish species, how the DNR surveys them, what’s been learned through those surveys, and why these fish are important to our larger ecosystem.

July 29 – Minnesota moose research

Amanda McGraw, moose scientist, will talk about the latest moose research in Minnesota, what the DNR is learning about this iconic northern Minnesota cervid and how the moose population is doing across the state.

Aug. 12 – Exploring changes in duck harvest distributions in the central and Mississippi flyways between 1960-2019

Bram Verheijen, wildlife research biometrician, will talk about the dynamics of waterfowl harvest distributions in the central and Mississippi flyways from 1960 to 2019.

Attending a webinar

All webinars are captioned and free. Pre-registration is required to participate in the live events. The DNR posts recordings of each episode online for those who can’t attend live, and registration is not required to view recordings. Episode descriptions, registration information and archives are available on the Minnesota DNR Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webpage.

For other education and learning opportunities from the DNR, visit:

• The education and safety training webpage for information on boat and water safety, hunter education, firearms safety, natural resources education, and recreational vehicle safety.
• The I Can! webpage for details on this program that helps people of all ages learn about camping, paddling, mountain biking, fishing and archery.