DNR summit for adding hunters, anglers

Gone are the days when the hunting masses wore red flannel for visibility, when youth wandered the countryside with .22 rifles hunting squirrels with little or no supervision and kids sold nightcrawlers along the side of the road like lemonade.    

Now participation has declined, an issue that led the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to plan a two-day conference from Friday, Aug. 26, to Saturday, Aug. 27, that will focus on recruiting and retaining hunters and anglers.

“Because hunting and fishing provide important social, economic and conservation benefits, many are concerned about the declines in participation,” said Jeff Ledermann, DNR angler recruitment, retention and education supervisor. “That’s why we’re bringing experts and organizations together around boosting hunter and angler numbers.”

The conference will allow for information sharing on best practices to design and deliver recruitment and retention programs. Presentations from national experts, reflections from local organizations and breakout sessions to address common challenges are also scheduled.

Additionally, the DNR will provide a free toolkit with templates for strategies to enhance existing programs, and checklists to help program planning and management.

The conference will be at Earle Brown Heritage Center, 6155 Earle Brown Drive in Brooklyn Center. Volunteers and staff of organizations or agencies and members of the public involved or interested in preserving Minnesota’s outdoor heritage are encouraged to attend. There are no fees for registration or meals. Online registration is open.