Did you hear?

Fair GameA bill making its way through the Minnesota House of Representatives would get duck hunters out of bed earlier on opening day, reinstate a game bird season that has been outlawed for several years, and encourage youth hunting.Some of the bill’s provisions include:
Mourning doves would be added to the statutory list of game birds and authorize a mourning dove hunting season, which has been prohibited since 1947.
The bill will also move opening day for duck hunters to 9 a.m. from its current noon start. Woodcocks and mourning doves would stay at noon.
Toughen up the law for people who fail to show up in court or pay court-ordered fines for game and fish violations. Under the bill, those transgressions could result in the three-year revocation of game and fish license privileges.
Allow turkey hunters under the age of 16 to be accompanied by un- licensed, unarmed adults.Planning way aheadJust in case you are one of those people who like to plan way ahead, there is an All-School Reunion on the drawing board.The event will be next summer, July 29-31, 2005.Moonlight bowling, various individual class reunions and a movie at the Verne Drive-In will consume most of Friday.Saturday’s schedule will include a parade, golf tournament, the all-school reunion dinner and program and a Brandenburg/Monroe show at the Palace Theatre that evening.A Buffalo Brunch will begin at noon on Sunday, with a replay of the Brandenburg/Monroe show at the Palace that afternoon.A prairie program will conclude the weekend at 4 p.m. on Sunday.A lot of scheduling is still in the planning stages. Some things can, and probably will, change between now and then, so we will keep you posted.The reunion is being organized by the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce, so if you would like to volunteer to help with some aspect of the weekend, give them a call at 283-4061.Brandenburg receives book awardLuverne native, Jim Brandenburg has received a Minnesota Book award for "Looking for the Summer."Brandenburg received his most recent award at the 16th annual Minnesota Book Awards Ceremony.Brandenburg was one of five finalists in the nature and region category.According to the judges, Brandenburg "reminds us that none of us owns nature, but we have an ongoing relationship with it and a responsibility for it.""Looking for Summer" is a collection of photos around Brandenburg’s Ely home."Looking for Summer" is the first completely digital story published in National Geographic Magazine and Outdoor Photography Magazine and is the sequel to the best-selling book "Chased by the Light."This is Brandenburg’s 4th Minnesota Book Award.Watch out for deerThe Minnesota Department of Public Safety is putting on a big push to get people to look out for deer.According to the Department of Public Safety, more than 5,000 deer-vehicles crashes are reported every year in Minnesota, and it speculates that number could be as high as 60,000 if you add in the number of unreported crashes.Because of recent mild winters, the number of deer in the state is estimated to be more than 1 million, and those 1 million deer are continuously coming in contact with the 12,000 miles of state highways.Motorists can increase their safety by remembering:
Deer are most active from dusk until dawn.
The majority of deer-vehicle crashes occur between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Deer often travel in groups. Drivers who see one deer should expect to see more.
Deer pop up everywhere, but most often in wooded areas and near waterways.
Motorists should watch for deer-crossing signs. They mark areas where deer-vehicle crashes are common.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com