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Apr. 19—Some of the details remain a work in progress, but the city of East Grand Forks will offer archery deer hunting opportunities again this fall in an effort to reduce whitetail numbers in the green space along the Red and Red Lake rivers.
As
Herald government reporter Matthew Voigt reported
in a story Wednesday, April 16, the East Grand Forks City Council has agreed to offer two archery hunts this fall — an accessible hunt for disabled hunters Oct. 9-11 and a regular hunt Nov. 15-23.
The city now will submit applications to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for permits to hold the two archery hunts, Voigt reported in his coverage of the Tuesday, April 15, East Grand Forks City Council meeting.
Four tags will be available for the accessible hunt, and the city will offer 12 tags for the regular archery hunt, Voigt reported.
This year's archery hunts will expand on the
inaugural East Grand Forks archery hunt
held last fall, in which 10 archery licenses — nine antlerless (doe) tags and one tag good for either a buck or a doe — were available. Hunters who were successful in drawing tags in a lottery also had to pass a proficiency test.
Six of the 10 hunters filled their tags,
a tally that exceeded expectations, Jeremy King, superintendent of the East Grand Forks Parks and Recreation Department, told the Herald following the archery hunt.
The inaugural East Grand Forks archery season, part of a Deer Management Plan the city approved in June 2024 in an effort to reduce deer numbers, opened Nov. 15, 2024, and wrapped up Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024.
The 60% success rate was even more impressive, considering one hunter drawing a tag decided not to participate and another packed it in after the first weekend.
"So, we actually really only had the eight hunters out there for a big portion of (the season)," King said after the hunt. "And so six out of eight is pretty incredible."
The harvest included an eight-point buck and five does.
Complete details on this year's archery hunt won't be available until closer to hunting season, but the accessible hunt is a nice addition. Options Resource Center for Independent Living in East Grand Forks will coordinate the accessible hunt.
Options has extensive experience coordinating accessible hunts, hosting an annual event at Rydell National Wildlife Refuge near Erskine, Minnesota, and assisting with accessible hunts at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Minnesota and Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota.
The Options hunt at Rydell marks its 30th anniversary this fall, said Randy Sorenson, executive director of Options. The Rydell hunt accommodates up to 20 hunters.
For the East Grand Forks Greenway hunt, Sorenson said the plan is to provide two tags for disabled veterans and two tags for anyone with a disability. The accessible hunt will take place in Zone 2 (the yard waste disposal site and public works area), Zone 3 (the east end along the Red Lake River) and Zone 5 (the south pedestrian bridge area).
The addition of an accessible hunt right in East Grand Forks is an exciting development, Sorenson says.
"It isn't every day you have an opportunity like this," Sorenson said. "I think it will be a great opportunity, especially considering that some people with disabilities don't have the resources to enable them to go to another hunt where there's quite a bit of travel involved."
Similar to the Rydell hunt, volunteers will assist the disabled hunters, and equipment such as hunting blinds and higher stands will be provided.
"We're set with equipment," Sorenson said. "Volunteers, I'm not sure."
That will come in good time, no doubt.
"I'm looking forward to giving it a shot," Sorenson said. "I think it will be kind of fun."
Once the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, "I think we'll be ready to go," Sorenson said. "I think we'll hit the gate running."
Stay tuned.
Continue reading...
As
Herald government reporter Matthew Voigt reported
in a story Wednesday, April 16, the East Grand Forks City Council has agreed to offer two archery hunts this fall — an accessible hunt for disabled hunters Oct. 9-11 and a regular hunt Nov. 15-23.
The city now will submit applications to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for permits to hold the two archery hunts, Voigt reported in his coverage of the Tuesday, April 15, East Grand Forks City Council meeting.
Four tags will be available for the accessible hunt, and the city will offer 12 tags for the regular archery hunt, Voigt reported.
This year's archery hunts will expand on the
inaugural East Grand Forks archery hunt
held last fall, in which 10 archery licenses — nine antlerless (doe) tags and one tag good for either a buck or a doe — were available. Hunters who were successful in drawing tags in a lottery also had to pass a proficiency test.
Six of the 10 hunters filled their tags,
a tally that exceeded expectations, Jeremy King, superintendent of the East Grand Forks Parks and Recreation Department, told the Herald following the archery hunt.
The inaugural East Grand Forks archery season, part of a Deer Management Plan the city approved in June 2024 in an effort to reduce deer numbers, opened Nov. 15, 2024, and wrapped up Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024.
The 60% success rate was even more impressive, considering one hunter drawing a tag decided not to participate and another packed it in after the first weekend.
"So, we actually really only had the eight hunters out there for a big portion of (the season)," King said after the hunt. "And so six out of eight is pretty incredible."
The harvest included an eight-point buck and five does.
Complete details on this year's archery hunt won't be available until closer to hunting season, but the accessible hunt is a nice addition. Options Resource Center for Independent Living in East Grand Forks will coordinate the accessible hunt.
Options has extensive experience coordinating accessible hunts, hosting an annual event at Rydell National Wildlife Refuge near Erskine, Minnesota, and assisting with accessible hunts at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Minnesota and Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota.
The Options hunt at Rydell marks its 30th anniversary this fall, said Randy Sorenson, executive director of Options. The Rydell hunt accommodates up to 20 hunters.
For the East Grand Forks Greenway hunt, Sorenson said the plan is to provide two tags for disabled veterans and two tags for anyone with a disability. The accessible hunt will take place in Zone 2 (the yard waste disposal site and public works area), Zone 3 (the east end along the Red Lake River) and Zone 5 (the south pedestrian bridge area).
The addition of an accessible hunt right in East Grand Forks is an exciting development, Sorenson says.
"It isn't every day you have an opportunity like this," Sorenson said. "I think it will be a great opportunity, especially considering that some people with disabilities don't have the resources to enable them to go to another hunt where there's quite a bit of travel involved."
Similar to the Rydell hunt, volunteers will assist the disabled hunters, and equipment such as hunting blinds and higher stands will be provided.
"We're set with equipment," Sorenson said. "Volunteers, I'm not sure."
That will come in good time, no doubt.
"I'm looking forward to giving it a shot," Sorenson said. "I think it will be kind of fun."
Once the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, "I think we'll be ready to go," Sorenson said. "I think we'll hit the gate running."
Stay tuned.
Continue reading...
