Being a northern MN destination, often times, like this year, great snowmobiling goes on through the month of March.  For many, ending in February is just too soon for an already short season.  Lake of the Woods is rich with hundreds of miles of trails and two snowmobile clubs who do an excellent job at grooming and keeping the trails up.  Maybe you will decide to sled the south shore, hitting the many forests, igloo bar on the ice or jump from resort to resort.  Perhaps you are looking to explore the 42 mile trail across the lake up to the NW Angle.  The Angle also has a wonderful trail system through some of the most beautiful county around along with a number of resorts, restaurants and bars.

A couple of years back, I had the privilege of sledding both the south shore and trekking across Lake of the Woods up to the Angle.  It was one of those trips that was easy yet unforgettable.  Here is that memory…

I have talked about it for years.  Actually taking a snowmobile trip on Lake of the Woods and having ice fishing as second fiddle.  This kind of behavior isn’t in my nature as I love catching walleyes and saugers through the ice.  On this trip, however, it was planned months ago and there was no turning back.  The plan:  To snowmobile the south end of the lake and then sled up to the NW Angle and experience the trails in that neck of the woods.  We had one day of ice fishing planned to avoid any kind of “shakes” or “teary eyes” for some of us.

I was joined by the host of Prairie Sportsman, Bret Amundson and our good friend and avid outdoorsman Jamie Dietman.  On day one, we arrived at Sportsman’s Lodge on the Rainy River.  It could have been any resort on the river or south shore but Sportsman’s also has Sportsman’s Oak Island up at the NW Angle and Gregg Hennum, owner of the resort also grooms the trails on the river and across the lake to the Angle, thus on this trip, it made good sense.

We started out hooking up with the groomer of the land trails for the Lake of the Woods Drifters Snowmobile Club, Todd Barnes.  Todd knows the woods and trails like the back of his hand and is a wonderful host.  Todd met us at Sportsman’s and we took our Polaris sleds right on to the frozen Rainy River.  The trail is nicely groomed and staked all the way from the mouth of the river where we started to Baudette.

The ride was late in the afternoon and about 2/3 of the locals fish houses on the river were occupied, telling us there was a decent evening bite on the river.  We found out later in the trip there indeed was.

We snowmobiled around the international bridge that goes from Baudette to Canada and into Baudette Bay near the famous Willie Walleye statue and then continued up Baudette Bay under the Hwy 11 bridge on to the land trails.  There were well groomed, smooth and well marked.  A beautiful sunset led us into the woods. 

We made our way through the woods over to Zippel Bay State Park and had a brief stop at the Igloo Bar on the ice.  Always a festive time.  We then continued with a short drive back to Sportsman’s to hit the hay until our morning trek north to the Angle.

After a good breakfast, we fired up the sleds and made our way north.  A beautiful 42 mile ride on an unseasonably warm January day.  We stopped along the way to fly the drone and get footage of the enormity of the lake, fish houses and everything Big Traverse Bay is made up of.  Very impressive footage.

As we made our way over Garden Island that marks the start of the NW Angle, we stopped and checked out the shelter on the east end of the island.  This shelter is used for boaters or snowmobilers in the event of inclement weather.  Our next stop, Sportsman’s Oak Island.

We dropped our pull behind sled with our clothes and fishing gear at the resort and snowmobiled over to Sunset Lodge for a quick lunch.  The next stop, checking out the Northern Most Point of the Contiguous United States buoy at Young’s Bay Resort.  After a few pics, we were off to the only one room school in the state of MN, Angle Inlet School.  There we met the President of the NW Angle Edge Rider’s Snowmobile Club, Richard Allen McKeever.

Richard Allen led us on a great adventure up to the end of the actual inlet of the NW Angle and into the wooded trails.  The scenery was breathtaking with a layer of fresh snow blanketing the pines.  Trails were smooth, marked well and we literally did not see another sled in an afternoon of snowmobiling.

On our way back to Sportsman’s where we were staying, we stopped off at Flag Island Resort for a quick soda and hello.  After our adventure for the day, we were tired and hungry.  We headed back to Sportsman’s, enjoyed dinner and hit the hay.

The last full day of our trip was ice fishing.  We were treated to a bomber ride out to a heated fish house.  Even though the day was below zero, the fish didn’t disappoint as we caught walleyes, saugers, a jumbo perch and an eelpout.  Plenty of fish for our evening fish fry, which was delicious. 

The next day was travel day.  We packed up and snowmobiled back south to our initial starting point.  We took extra care on the ride home as the temp was -25 degrees.  The Polaris sleds were most excellent and got us home safely.  We had four of us and took necessary precautions to make sure everyone was safe, warm, etc.  These temps are nothing to mess around with.

Snowmobiling on and around Lake of the Woods.  Hundreds of miles of groomed staked trails.  Two snowmobile clubs passionate about the trails.  Scenery that will knock your socks off.  Very few riders.  If you enjoy snowmobiling, you may want to add this one to your list!

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There are a lot of incredible outdoor opportunities to take advantage of around the Lake of the Woods area.  Many of these get overshadowed because of the world class walleye fishing.  Known as The Walleye Capital of the World, people come from all over the world to fish these walleye rich waters.  What gets missed often times is the opportunity for a good ole cast and blast, Lake of the Woods style.

Many people think of Lake of the Woods as trees, rock islands, northern MN wilderness.  Yep, we have that.  But what many don’t always have the chance to see are the over 40,000 acres of agricultural land Lake of the Woods County has.  Crops vary as this is the north county and a different growing season than many are used to but many of the crops are excellent food sources for waterfowl, specifically, Canada Geese.

Recently, a group of outdoor media and representatives from outdoor companies came together up at Lake of the Woods for a cast and blast.  The group setting this up was AGLOW, or the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers.  The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) is a dynamic organization of writers, editors, publishers, and many other media professionals. As individual communicators, they educate and in- form the masses through the written and spoken word.  With that being said, this is the perfect venue for like minded folks who love the outdoors to get together.

The entire event was captured by Prairie Sportsman TV and host Bret Amundson.  The segment is titled Northern MN Cast and Blast and really tells a nice story about the fall opportunities in these parts that go much further than catching a bunch of walleyes.  On this trip, in addition to catching walleyes, the group had the chance to do layout blind hunting for geese.

Imagine all of the waters, backwaters and rivers of and around Lake of the Woods.  Combine that with thousands of acres of agricultural land (food) and this area is not only a flyway but a spot where geese will hold for a while.

The entire experience of getting up at dark thirty to get out to a field to set decoys.  Watching experienced waterfowl hunters instruct how to set the spread based on the wind.  Understanding based on where we were hunting how to best conceal 5 or 6 hunters in a flat field.  Knowing how to talk with the geese with a goose call.  When to talk loud, when to be soft, when to go crazy, when to be silent.  This scenario taking place was the culmination of hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours in the field.  The result of hunts that saw no shooting to quick limits and everything in between.

On this given week, the hunting was about as good as it could get.  Limits were taken each morning in short order.  The memories of the geese locked up on the decoys, the various chatter amongst the flock and the camaraderie of like minded, outdoor loving enthusiasts will last a lifetime.

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Lake of the Woods Tourism is displaying at two different sportsman’s shows across the Dakotas.  This is a great opportunity to learn more about the area, resorts and of course, the various kinds of fishing the go along with it.

This Weekend, Red River Valley Sportsman’s Show in Fargo!  It’s sportshow season in the Dakotas and this time of the year, anglers are excited to talk Lake of the Woods fishing.  Perfect timing to be talking Lake of the Woods at this weekend’s Red River Valley Sportsmen’s show that starts Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Fargodome in Fargo, ND.  Once again, we will be holding down booth #166 and look forward to seeing everyone.

Next Weekend, Sioux Empire Sportsman’s Show in Sioux Falls!  Outdoor minded folks from the Dakotas and the surrounding region love Lake of the Woods.  Once again, we will have our normal location in the main exhibit hall, booth #87.  Swing by and say hello!

Dive Deeper!  One of the great advantages of a sportshow is spending some time with experts from a destination to have the opportunity to learn, ask questions and ultimately make the best choice for your group.  A group of guys headed up to fish for four days might be a very different looking trip than a husband / wife getaway or family vacation.

Joe Henry with Lake of the Woods Tourism will be at the Lake of the Woods Tourism booth all weekend both in Fargo and Sioux Falls happy to share info and answer questions.

Seminars!  Sportshows are such a great place to learn more about fishing, hunting and the great outdoors.  In Fargo and Sioux Falls, check out hunting expert Todd Amenrud discuss top strategies for whitetail deer hunting.  If you are an angler, watch tournament champion Korey Sprengel discuss spring pitching techniques for walleyes and understanding what you are fishing.

Visitor Guides.  While at the show, stop by and pick up our new Lake of the Woods Tourism visitor guide.   Enter to win a 3 night / 2 day fishing trip courtesy of the Walleye Inn.  This is a great time to learn more about the lake, resorts, activities, etc taking place this year around Lake of the Woods.

There is a lot to talk about in the upcoming months at Lake of the Woods.

–Current Ice Fishing report around the Lake.  What are current ice conditions?  What is the current ice fishing report?  How long does ice fishing last?  What are they biting on? where to catch monster March pike, how is the crappie bite out of the NW Angle

–Upcoming Rainy River Walleye Fishing.  Is there open water on the river now?  Where should we fish?  What should we use?  How long does walleye season last?  What accesses are on the Rainy River?

–Sturgeon Fishing.  How long does the season last?   What kind of setup should I use?  What is a sturgeon rig?  What part of the river do sturgeon live?  What is slot during keep season?

–Resorts, Hotels, Outfitters and Guides.   Where should I stay based on our group and what we want to do?  Where can I find a list of resorts with amenity chart?  Are there deals?  What resorts offer full service guides?  What kind of boats are used on different parts of the lake?

If you are in the Fargo area this weekend or Sioux Falls next weekend, stop by and say hello!

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By Brett McComas, Target Walleye

Known for its zillions of walleyes, Lake of the Woods has also become a world-class pike fishing destination — especially during the Mar/Apr late-ice period. The border waters’ special regulations mean these fish can be targeted all the way through ice-out.

Mammoth pike will stage for the upcoming spawn in shallow bays all along the south shore and are ready to pop tip-up flags. Believe it or not, 40-inchers are hardly considered “big ones” when the bite is on!

Big-fish junkie Andy Walls has been specifically targeting these toothy critters for years, so we tracked him down to get his scoop on putting these freaks topside:

Andy: “You can keep the gear pretty simple when running tip-ups, but make sure to beef things up for those larger-than-average Lake of the Woods gators.”

GEAR

> “Make sure tip-ups are spinning smooth and that they have fresh 50-lb Sufix Performance Tip-Up Ice Braid. From there a quick-strike rig tied right to the tip-up line, and a 1/4-oz weight fixed above the leader to keep the bait in the strike zone.

“Larger ‘Y yolk’ quick-strike rigs present both live and dead bait really well. They have a solid hook-up ratio with one treble fixed just before the head of the minnow and one rigged right before the tail.”

> “I’ve had the most success using 50-lb wire down to two #2 VMC Hybrid Trebles. However, there’s lots of rigging options out there…recommend using any legal option you’re most confident in.

> “Lake of The Woods has a 30-40″ protective slot, so fish between 30″ and 40” need to be quickly released back into the water. I’ve found that packing a kit — that we bring with to every flag — helps this process immensely.

> “In the kit: We keep extra rigs, sinkers, pliers, jaw spreaders, hook cutters, measuring tapes, fish grippers, a hole scoop, and a camera.

> “Being able to quickly take care of the fish after you land it and get it back in the water will help ensure a healthy release. Also allows us to get accurate measurements and a quick photo before we let them go.”

Photos by Vanilla Weekend Photography and Design

> “Lake of The Woods northern pike can be caught literally almost anywhere on the lake, but there’s a large concentration of fish that really never leave the south shore.

> “Some of my best success early on in the season is in the 8-12′ range. Look for subtle structure changes like: a slightly quicker depth change, funnel, or ridge the fish may be following. Changes in the bottom content — like a rock or gravel patch — will usually provide even better action.

“As the days start running longer and temperatures begin to inch up, pike will start to migrate in closer to the shorelines. By late March or early April, we’re typically setting lines in less than 5′.

> “The later in the year it gets, begin concentrating your efforts closer to — or directly out in front of — main spawning areas where runoff is the highest…draws fish in.”

> “Spread lines out to cover as much water as possible — I like walking at least 25-35 steps between holes. The more areas you can eliminate (or find) quickly gets you more bites in a day. Once you settle into an area with fish, they seem to let you know pretty quickly.

> “Not getting bit? Try moving north/south (shallower or deeper) first…when you find the right depth those flags will pop.

> “If I’m getting activity but not getting fish…AKA “false flags”…I’ll make smaller moves east/west or play with my bait (size, type, depth set, etc). Even if it’s the minnow tripping a flag, it’s likely because a pike spooked it and didn’t eat. Dead bait seems to be better when getting a lot of those false flags.”

SETTING BAITS

> “You’re allowed 2 lines each…makes it a little faster to see what’s working! Mix up the depths you set your baits down — covering the entire water column keeps the fish ho

nest. I’ve caught them setting lines just inches below the ice all the way to laying baits right on the bottom.

> “Arming your spread with a mixture of live and dead baits will allow you to quickly figure out what the pike want that day. Alewife, smelt, herring, numerous sizes of live suckers, or even large shiners work well.

> “Pay close attention to which flags are going off: If dead baits are getting more bites…switch more lines over to dead bait. If more flags are going off on a certain side of the spread…start shifting the entire spread in that direction. Can turn a good day into a great day!”

WHEN TO SET THE HOOK

> “Some people like to wait and let the fish eat, but I’ll grab the flag as quick as I get to it and set the hook while they’re running…not stopped. My theory is that anytime the fish is moving, they likely have a good grip on the head or tail of the bait…both have hooks.

> “When they’re not moving, they’re adjusting the bait in their mouth…so you’ll miss half the fish that grab it.

> “Also seem to get much better hooksets when the fish is running — doesn’t take nearly as much force for the hook to penetrate since the fish is already pulling the other way.”

[BONUS: YOU’D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY BIG WALLEYES YOU CAN RUN INTO TOO!]

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Lake of the Woods Tourism received two prestigious awards at the 2020 Explore Minnesota Conference in Alexandria, MN this week.

The first of the two state awards was in the category New Event of the Year presented for the 2019 World Ploughing Contest.  Competitors and guests from 28 countries converged on the Lake of the Woods area and Baudette, MN. This international event travels to a different country each year and won’t be back to the U.S. for another 30 years. Lake of the Woods landed it and nearby Baudette, MN was the focus of the Ploughing World for an entire year.

Lake of the Woods reached an agricultural demographic through a non-fishing venue and exposure to the Lake of the Woods area was the goal.

The event was featured in multiple segments through the media, including outlets from the nearby Midwest to those in distant international markets.    Capturing media, both big and small through print, digital, social, TV and radio outlets was the focus. 

Judges commented that they took notice of this once in a lifetime international event which welcomed 7,000 attendees and garnered international attention to the Lake of the Woods area for a non-fishing activity.

The second award was presented to Lake of the Woods Tourism for a Niche Targeting Campaign.  On January 3rd, 2019, Lake of the Woods Tourism joined Devils Lake, ND Tourism for a marketing / PR faceoff event called Walleye Wars. The purpose of this event was to draw awareness and provide education about ice fishing in both markets.

The ice fishing event was introduced with a Facebook Live video broadcast from the 2019 St. Paul Ice Fishing Show.

Every hour from the fish house, both teams featured a different guest from the community on Facebook Live and discussed aspects of the area along with current fishing results.

Results were astonishing.  Earned media earned across the U.S. was 16 million.  Social media reach was 500,000.  Facebook Live video views were 240,000.

Judges were excited they partnered with a competitor for mutual benefit.  Positioning the event as a faceoff for ultimate ice fishing bragging rights guaranteed an earned media payoff and the PR results for this event were amazing.  It received regional coverage as well as pickups from USA Today, The Washington Times and The San Francisco Chronicle.

“We certainly appreciate being recognized with these two prestigious awards by Explore MN Tourism,” explained Joe Henry, Executive Director of Lake of the Woods Tourism.  “There are a lot of people who contribute to our successes and we appreciate each and every one of them.  Willie Walleye will be proud!”

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Thank you to everyone who has stopped by the local grocery stores up north to pick up food for their fishing trip.  Thank you for those who decided to purchase gasoline or stop at the hardware store or bait store in Baudette rather than purchase those necessities at the big stores back home.  Thank you for bringing home a gift or two for your spouse and children.  Perhaps you grabbed a meal, some supplies or your favorite beverage.  Whatever the case, small tourist areas like Lake of the Woods and the town of Baudette really rely on tourism to get them through the year.  There are busy times and times that really don’t see much traffic.  Every little bit a small business can muster is huge to their overall year in small town USA.

With many folks purchasing supplies back at home, local merchants so appreciate those who consciously make a decision to pick up some of their needed supplies in the north country.  Thank you!

When you come up to Lake of the Woods this year, consider grabbing some of your supplies in Baudette or the surrounding area.  This is small town USA with many small businesses who fight hard to stay around with an ever changing way people shop.  As you can imagine, guests to our area are very important to a small town local economy.  With a population of about 1,200 people, no stoplights and more deer than people, it is not a metropolis that has enough locals to support most businesses.  Every time you make a decision to stop and shop, it goes a long ways and is so appreciated by the community.

Did you know Baudette has just about everything you need for a fishing trip.  Certainly bait and tackle stores are both in Baudette, up at the lake and even resorts offer the hottest in lures, live bait and frozen shiners.  In many cases, area shops offering tackle and lures are dialed in with what anglers who fish Lake of the Woods will need for success.  Many times these shops have options not found in most parts of the ice belt.  Certain shapes, actions and certainly colors.  The area even has it’s own small tackle manufacturer, Tom’s Tackle, that creates tackle with Lake of the Woods walleyes in mind.

Hardware stores carry a big variety of goods to get you through an ice fishing trip.  Whether something breaks or you simply need to pick up some supplies, there are two hardware stores in town to service you.  These stores offer a wide selection of good and have a good idea over the years what is needed and in demand.  This is small town USA and you can bet folks will do everything they can to help you out.

How about some Lake of the Woods gifts or clothing?  Whether it is for you or someone back home you want to surprise, there are a number of local gift shops and resort gift shops you can get Lake of the Woods gifts, sweatshirts, boots, hats, etc.  This is the Walleye Capital of the World, we even have the famous 40+ foot Willie Walleye statue to signify it!

Lake of the Woods Foods is the local grocery store in Baudette.  It offers everything you need for your trip along with a delicious deli and baked goods.  In addition, don’t forget about many of the bait shops, gas stations and convenience stores who also provide various food and drink supplies needed for some serious time on the ice.

The area also has a nice selection of liquor stores.  Whether in town or up at the lake, jumping in to grab your favorite spirits is a cinch.  In many cases, it is fun to see the different brands of beer or wine offered in these parts, being that we border Canada.

There are so many ways to ice fish Lake of the Woods.  Some come and stay at the resorts and enjoy the full service of lodging, fishing and meals.  Others bring up their own fish houses and are really quite self sufficient.  Regardless on how you roll, please know how much the area appreciates you coming up to Lake of the Woods and frequenting area businesses.  Without you, many of the local businesses would not exist.  Thank you!

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For those who aren’t very familiar with ice fishing, or even if you are, this episode of Midwest Outdoors TV really highlights ice fishing on Lake of the Woods.  Spending time in a nice warm fish house picking away at a variety of fish including walleyes, saugers, jumbo perch, eelpout, tulibees, pike, crappies and occasional sucker!  Yep, that’s right, caught on camera, a sucker hit Midwest Outdoor’s Greg Jones’s Rippin Rap.  This was a first and lead to some excitement of a possible nice walleye until a positive ID was made!

There is nothing like finishing off a day of ice fishing with a traditional fish fry.  So just like we do it when we are having fun on our own time, we showed off fried walleyes and saugers with all of the fixings on the show.  This is the kind of meal that when you smell the delicious fried fish, you think about spending time in a fish house and the memories you have created.

What a year it has been.  And for people who like to ice fish, there is still lots of ice fishing to go.  March ice fishing is approaching and Lake of the Woods, being border water with Canada, benefits by having extended seasons.  Fish houses are allowed out on the ice through March 31st.  In addition, fishing seasons go longer.  Walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th.  Pike season never closes.

Lake of the Woods has experienced great ice this year and has seen lots of ice anglers.  Only Mother Nature knows for sure, but there are many ice anglers looking forward to fishing and getting that spring sun tan at the same time!  Enjoy the show.

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The Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Club will hold their 19^th annual Snow Rally on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Sportsman’s Oak Island up at the NW Angle.  Follow the ice road from Young’s Bay, or ride snowmobile across the lake from the surrounding communities – watch for the rally signs.

Lake of the Woods has excellent marked and groomed trails coming up to the NW Angle from the Wheeler’s Point area at the mouth of the Rainy River as well as on the west side of the lake from Arnesen’s Rocky Point and Warroad.

Nice trails across the lake make it possible to stay or park on the south end of the lake and sled up for the day.  The trail to Sportsman’s Oak Island is about 42 miles, but a fairly easy drive.

Sportsman’s Oak Island is know for it’s good food and Rally Day will be no different.  Enjoy smoked pork shoulder with all of the delicious sides.

There are activities happening all day.  Do you have a fast sled?  Perhaps you want to take part in the radar run.  For those who think they are tough, try the “goose bump jump” where you jump into the icy waters of Lake of the Woods.  I dare ya!  Once you jump in, warm up by the community bonfire.  There will be outdoor games and a tent near the lodge, raffles during the day and certainly lots of great camaraderie!  Don’t leave the kids behind as there will be kid’s activities and this is a family event.

The Sportsman’s Oak Island staff is excited to welcome all and to support a good cause. The Angle locals take their winter recreation seriously, and the Snow Rally is the pinnacle of the winter season!

This event is a lot of fun and not only celebrates the culture of snowmobiling in the north woods but is also a fundraiser for the snowmobile club.  This year the prizes are impressive including a brand new Polaris snowmobile along with a variety of other prizes.

The NW Angle Edge Riders do a wonderful job of keeping trails properly marked and groomed.  The NW Angle and all of Lake of the Woods with the Lake of the Woods Drifters snowmobile club on the south end of the lake create some of the best trail riding around.  Known much more for it’s walleyes, snowmobiling in the region is world class but often get overshadowed.  If you are a snowmobiler, come up and check out beautiful sledding without the traffic!

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Lake of the Woods MN – Lake of the Woods in Minnesota and Key West, Florida are very different, but also have a lot in common.  There is currently three feet of ice and thousands of happy ice anglers on Lake of the Woods.  The temp in Key West is in the 80’s.  What they do have in common is world class fishing and claiming the northernmost and southernmost points in the contiguous U.S. with the marker buoys to prove it!

The two destinations have teamed up for a fishing trip giveaway.  Anglers can enter to win a two-destination vacation to fish freshwater and saltwater species in the “Northernmost to Southernmost Fishing Trip Giveaway” that  spotlights recreational angling in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, and the Florida Keys.

The giveaway launched Wednesday as part of a month long social media program showcasing the two destinations, which feature iconic “twin buoys” designating the northernmost and southernmost points in the continental United States.

Both locales are characterized by islands, world-class fishing and concentrations of professional charter guides and captains ready to share their knowledge of local waters, species and angling techniques.

Facebook users can enter by clicking the contest link on the Florida Keys and Lake of the Woods Facebook pages at @floridakeysandkeywest and @lakeofthewoodsmn.

Desktop and mobile users or people who do not use the Facebook app can enter online at https://a.pgtb.me/vKlCgd.

The grand prize includes gift cards for air travel and car rental, three nights’ accommodations at Flag Island Resort in Lake of the Woods and two nights’ accommodations at Hyatt Centric Key West in the Florida Keys.

In each destination, the prize winner is to experience custom fishing charters with skilled guides and captains who specialize in freshwater inlets, lakes, ice fishing, saltwater flats, inshore and offshore experiences. Also, the winner is to receive a selection of fishing lures, suitable for both the Florida Keys and Lake of the Woods, from A Band of Anglers.

The prize is valued at nearly 5,000 U.S. dollars.

The “Northernmost to Southernmost” entry period continues through 11:59 p.m. (ET) March 11, 2020. Entrants must be age 21 or over and legal residents of the United States or reside in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba or Ontario.

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It doesn’t matter if you are a bird watcher, outdoors person or simply are into trying new things.  There is a cool activity that is fun, exciting and free up in the Lake of the Woods area near Baudette. From early April through the first week of May, sharp tailed grouse are conducting their annual mating rituals.  The entire party takes part in areas of open brushland called a lek.  A lek is defined as an assembly area where animals carry on display and courtship behavior (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).  In this case as is usually the case in nature, it is the males fighting for attention from the females. 

Bob Schmidt is the new Manager of Wildlife for the MN DNR in Baudette.  He says the grouse will be dancing until about May 1st and the public is welcomed to reserve a free blind and enjoy this incredible spectacle.  To rent a blind, contact Schmidt at the MN DNR office in Baudette at 218-395-6040.

This event, if you have never witnessed it up close and personal, is one to see.  Videos don’t do it justice when the birds are right on top of you.  “The males are dancing and fighting to protect their territory and gain the chance to breed with the females,” explains Scott Laudenslager, former MN DNR Supervisor of the Baudette work area.  “Typically a lek consists of an area about a half mile.  It consists of short grass to the grouse can participate in their breeding activities.  Sharp tailed grouse are much more social than ruffed grouse, who drum in the woods and don’t participate in groups like the sharpies do,” explains Laudenslager.

The MN DNR has two blinds set up in prime viewing range of popular leks.  “One blind is about 5 minutes from Baudette in which viewers need to walk about 200 yards to the blind.  The other is about 15 miles south but only 50 yards or so from the road.  The blinds hold 2-3 people, have five gallon pails for seating and are right in the heart of the action.”

Check out the Video!  Bret Amundson of Prairie Sportsman TV recently did a piece about sharpies in MN titled, “Birds of the Prairie”.  He spent some time with Scott Laudenslager of the MN DNR out of Baudette in a viewing blind in the area.

To reserve a blind to watch sharp tailed grouse which is open to the public, interested viewers can contact the MN DNR in Baudette at 218-395-6040 to make a reservation.  It is important to get your sleep the night before as participants must be in the blind before daybreak.  “It is not uncommon for folks to be walking to the blind and kick up the grouse,” explains Laudenslager.  “When that happens, simply get set up in the blind and in about 15 minutes or so, they will start making their way back to the lek.”

In addition to sharp tailed grouse, other wildlife can be seen up close and personal as well.  “It is not uncommon to see white tailed deer, coyotes, eagles, hawks, etc during a sit.  When a hawk swoops down in an effort to get the grouse, the grouse will normally fly off but typically return again within 15 minutes, it’s just part of nature.” 

The best viewing times are before sunrise to about 9am.  If work or school dictates you must leave the blind before that time, not a problem.

The area has excellent sharp tailed grouse habitat with literally thousands of acres of public hunting land with walking trails, ATV trails and dirt roads.  A variety of trees mixed in with agricultural lands make this prime territory.

There are three species of grouse in the Lake of the Woods Lake of the Woods area.  Ruffed, spruce and of course, our dancing variety, sharp-tailed!  The most popular for hunting is the ruffed grouse.  The Lake of the Woods chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society is very active and has done a lot of work creating and clearing trails for hunting, some of which in conjunction with the MN DNR.

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