Scott Rall
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 17, 2024With a break from the rains, I was willing to venture outside a bunch this past week. My rain gauge in Nobles County had 15.2 inches of rain over the past few weeks. The grass is tall, the mosquitoes are as big as fighter jets, and there are certainly a lot of them. With all of my food plots tended to and much of the “to do” list completed, I opted for an afternoon of clay bird shooting. A…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 10, 2024There is nothing else to talk about in southwest Minnesota except flooding. I have lived in this part of the state for 50 years and have only seen it this bad a few other times. Lives are changed and fortunes ruined. The only light at the end of this tunnel is that the waters are receding and most of the roads that were once closed are now open again. I was blown away about how fast the gravel…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJune 26, 2024I went on one heck of a road trip last week. I decided to go see the world, or more precisely, a large part of the state of Minnesota. It was part adventure, part volunteer work, and part a small-paying side hustle. I am a very passionate supporter of public lands. These are often referred to as state or federal lands. I call them citizen-owned lands. This means that every acre of a Wildlife…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJune 12, 2024I recently spent the day in the boat with a professional fishing guide by the name of Travis Frank. You might recognize this name as he is also the host of the Pheasants Forever television show called “The Flush.” Travis is a fully jammed up guy with a schedule this 63-year-old could never manage. He works for Ron Shara Productions and hosts several shows and is involved with the production of…
By Scott Rall, Outdoors columnistJune 05, 2024I made my annual trip up to Upper Red Lake last week, and for the first time in a very long time we caught very few fish. The main reason for the dismal catch rates was the weather. We had high winds two of the three days that we tried to fish that kept us off the water. I have an old, sturdy Alumacraft boat that has been on some pretty rough water, but even for me this was just too much. We…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 15, 2024When it comes to luck, mine is normally pretty sour. Even my closest friends call me the character on the “Snoopy” cartoon who has the rain cloud following him around. When my friends have bad luck, they refer to it as “the luck of the Scoot” (Scoot is my nickname). I needed to get my boat ready for the fishing opener and had about a dozen things to check on before heading out on the road. One…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 08, 2024Minnesota fishing opener is just right around the corner. This special day will have more Minnesotans out and about than any other outdoor opening day. The season opens at 12:01 on May 11. The season for pan fish stays open year-round but for walleyes and other game fish there is a regulated season in order to allow these fish to spawn unmolested. I used to be one of those folks out at midnight…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 01, 2024So, I was reminded that it was time for the tick spot and heartworm treatment for my dogs the other day when my phone chimed in and told me so. The ticks are out in full force, and in the past two very short outings, I ended up removing five ticks. I was not in the grass for more than 10 minutes combined. Maybe the mild winter will make tick season all that much more entertaining this season. I…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistApril 03, 2024By Scott Rall There is so much going on at the Capitol it’s hard for the average outdoor guy to follow it all. I have two issues I want to share. One will be this week and the second to follow in my next column. The first is of the native tribes and the land give-backs that have happened and several others that are proposed to happen if certain bills pass this session or any session for that…
By Scott Rall, Outdoors columnistMarch 20, 2024I recently did a podcast with Ron Shara Productions host Travis Frank about volunteering. If you would like to listen to it, search “The Flush Podcast.” We spoke for about an hour about what motivates a person to volunteer for 40 years to the same organization. This is the length of time I have been working on behalf of Pheasants Forever. I recently was named as the first-ever Pheasants Forever…
By Scott Rall, Outdoors columnistMarch 13, 2024I spent part of the day today rounding up a few pheasants from some friends to add to mine. I am preparing my donation to the Mulligan Stew Feed hosted by the Round Lake Sportsman’s Club this weekend at Round Lake Vineyards. I just smile when I hear people tell me that they won’t eat any wild game. Each person has their own description of what “too gamey” tastes like. I eat all kinds of wild…
By Lori SorensonMarch 06, 2024Star Herald Outdoor Columnist and 40-year wildlife conservationist Scott Rall earned national recognition Saturday as “Volunteer of the Year” during Pheasant Fest in Sioux Falls. This year, for the first time, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever recognized a national “Volunteer of the Year” to celebrate members and volunteers who optimize the organizations’ mission of protecting wildlife habitat…
By RIck Peterson, general managerFebruary 28, 2024Every four years Feb. 29 shows up on the calendar, and for some it’s their birthday. To those folks I say, “Happy Birthday.” For me and thousands of pheasant hunting enthusiasts, it means it’s Sioux Falls’ turn to host the Annual Pheasant Fest. This year’s event kicks off on Friday for three days of all things pheasant hunting. There is literally something for everyone. Over 400 exhibitors will…
By Scot Rall, Outdoor ColumnistFebruary 28, 2024Minnesota’s Legislature is now in session, and as always there are bound to be some issues that surface when it comes to natural resources funding. When it comes to funding sources, Minnesota has done a pretty good job of protecting many of these funds from diversion to other non-related spending. The Land and Legacy amendment that was passed in 2009 was passed by a constitutional amendment to…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 31, 2024Sitting in my day job office this morning, my mind did wander a little bit anticipating the first 70-degree day of 2024. Working outside on habitat projects is about as much fun as I can have. Others like to golf or chase round ball sports. I just don’t share the same interests as many others and that is very OK. Working on habitat that is owned by the public was for a long time very difficult…
By Scott Rall, Outdoors columnistJanuary 17, 2024We just had our first snow of the season, and it did not take very long to wish we had missed the snow for the entire winter. The cold temperatures expected later in the week would have gone a long way to creating safe ice for all of those ice anglers waiting on the shore. With eight inches of snow on what little ice was there, it will now delay the formation of safe ice, as the snow will act…
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