Pelican Lake duck hunting restored

[h2ofwlr]

Being FF normally has been posting up articles I have not even bothered to look... so I guess FF has fallen off the wagon as he has not posted up any huntingarticles lately....
I became aware of it as the MNDNR posted up about it on FB:

MN DNR Wildlife
5 hrs ago

Pelican Lake habitat restoration: Another example of work that happens through cooperation from area communities, conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited, taxpayers through Minnesota's Legacy Amendment and the DNR. "A major migration stopover just outside the metro. What a resource," says Tim Bremicker in this Pioneer Press story, http://bieRdhEJN.


Dave Orrick: Pelican Lake duck hunting restored
By Dave Orrick
Posted: 10/25/2015 12:01:00 AM CDT
Link and photos http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_290 ... g-restored


Tim Bremicker of St. Paul hoists two redhead ducks he shot on Pelican Lake in Wright County, Minn., Friday, Oct. 16, 2015. A historical stopping point for migrating waterfowl, Pelican has undergone a restoration project aimed at improving water quality. (Pioneer Press: Dave Orrick)


ON PELICAN LAKE, Wright County -- "Here-they-are-take-'em!" Tim Bremicker shout-whispered with sudden urgency.

Four redhead ducks had surprised us, coming out of the sun and, unlike every other flock we had seen, these birds immediately locked into our decoys and screamed in for a landing.

Bremicker, a retired state wildlife manager, cracked off two quick rounds from his shotgun, and two ducks fell. Moments later, his 4-year-old golden retriever Maddie was chugging toward us, bird in mouth, while we recalled the surprise success, which came so fast I never got off a shot.

That was Oct. 16, the Friday of MEA weekend, the state's unique four-day weekend when schools close so teachers can attend conferences sponsored by the teachers union. Whatever. Hunters know it as a chance to get afield in the midst of all the major hunting seasons except firearms deer -- although the weekend also featured the youth deer hunt in certain areas.

The day before, a cold front and stiff northwest breeze had brought the first noteworthy wave of diving ducks into the heart of Minnesota, and in the air and hunters' bags I saw canvasbacks, scaups, widgeons, ringnecks, buffleheads, mallards, wood ducks and green-winged teal. Numbers weren't huge, but flocks of several dozen birds each are well-suited for duck hunters.

Pelican is a favorite lake of Bremicker, a St. Paul native and resident whose years at the Department of Natural Resources since the 1970s put him at the center of any number of critical policy debates and initiatives.

He was eager to show me what the lake, just outside the west metro, could offer.

Located on the eastern extreme of the prairie pothole region, Pelican was a historic resting area for ducks flying south. But its water quality had degraded for years. Agricultural runoff and elevated water levels allowed it to harbor healthy populations of fish, including largemouth bass, black crappies and northern pike. Also included: common carp, a non-native fish that stirs up sediments and helps change naturally clear waters to turbid, depriving native weeds from needed sunlight to grow.

The 2,800-acre marsh was the focus of a major restoration project several years ago that created a dam-and-pump system in the tried-and-true tactic of draining a lake down to water levels where all the fish die during the winter. In nature's design, shallow lakes like Pelican never harbored sustainable fish populations.

Anglers bemoaned the loss of Pelican's quality fishery, but duck hunters added key momentum supporting the DNR's plan. As one friend of mine who loved fishing the lake told me at the time: "I'm really bummed, but I get it. That lake is meant for ducks."

Killing the fish, especially the hardy carp, allows vegetation and invertebrates to flourish -- and provide crucial protein and calories on which ducks can refuel.

Equally important, the process restores the water quality in marshes, which often, like Pelican, are located where agricultural runoff is a threat.

The last time I had seen Pelican in the fall it was pea soup, a scummy mix of algae. Now, several feet lower, its waters are clearer. But it's still fundamentally open water with islands of cattails. Bremicker, who remains wired into the conservation community, said the hope is the matted expanses of vegetation that once covered the lake will return in time.

The project is one of dozens involving the DNR and Ducks Unlimited. DU has undertaken scores of such projects around the country. While supporters can claim qualified success thus far with Pelican, the latest news on a similar project -- Gilfillan Lake in Blue Earth County -- underscores that long-term vigilance is required.

Several years ago, I hunted Gilfillan on opening day and found it piled with teal, wood ducks and coots following a similar drawdown and fish kill. Locals said they hadn't seen so many ducks in a generation. Success.

But then, in June of this year, heavy rains overwhelmed the drainage system, and common carp found their way back upstream the lake, via a flooded road ditch. When I visited the lake several weeks ago, the gate on the new dam was open and water was flowing out; wildlife officials hope a winter freeze with prolonged snowpack will kill the fish off, again.

Like many MEA weekenders, Bremicker was heading out of the metro that day for a weekend of hunting with family, and I had a full weekend planned to hunt around the metro.

As we stood on the boat landing preparing to head our separate ways, I asked Bremicker if, should I write a story on our morning, he had anything to add.

"Just make sure you tell everyone about this place," he said. "A major migration stopover just outside the metro. What a resource."

[maplelakeduckslayer]

They haven't even done anything out there the hell its a couple feet lower hahahaha. They dug a ditch and drained an insubstantial amount of water from it. People still ice fished it last winter. Does the DNR want a participation trophy? Maybe we should wait and see if its restored once the project is actually completed?

[Fish Felon]

^^^I get your perspective and I agree that the success of the project really shouldn't be evaluated until after completion...and then give it 5 years to allow waterfowl time to pattern it. Gauge the true success then.

I really don't know shyte about Pelican. For me it's just one of those places I know of due to all the press it gets but don't have any ties to it. So I could be completely wrong but wasn't this past winter before the project even started and they removed fish limits? Or was it the year before that? Time flies. If it's already the second year then I apologize because the rest of my post is going to be retarded.

If it is the first year of the project, completing the water control structure and ditch and dropping a 2800 acre lake a couple feet is pretty good progress IMO. I'd guess their plan is to draw it down further next year. If I remember right the goal was to get it down to a median level of 5' from like 13' which is a shitload of water to move. It's not like draining a bath tub.

You have to count the victories when you can. They don't come easy. For several reasons the press wants to print these stories and the DNR wants the press to want to print these 'success' stories.

Is it too early to call it a success? Definitely. It's also way too early to call it a failure.

There's a lot of good things happening in terms of waterfowl habitat right now. I'm confident the DNR with help from DU will get this one right too.

Consider this: Ten years ago if they would have even had the stones to ruin a fishing lake in favor of it being a duck lake, they would have dumped a million bucks of rotenone in it and then hung the 'Mission Accomplished' banner. You look at lakes like Pelican, Christina, Swan and countless smaller wildlife lakes that have been drawn down recently and have the ability to regularly be drawn down going forward and the state of management to attract waterfowl is light years ahead of just a decade ago.

There's always room for continued improvement but give credit where it's due.

[Fish Felon]

Being FF normally has been posting up articles I have not even bothered to look... so I guess FF has fallen off the wagon as he has not posted up any huntingarticles lately....
I became aware of it as the MNDNR posted up about it on FB

The MN DNR posted up about me falling off the wagon on FB?

Holy schat. They're on to me. They're finally on to me.

[maplelakeduckslayer]

My comment was mainly pointing out poor reporting. Saying the lake has been lowered several feet is a flat out lie. Really have no opinion on if its a failure or success yet...I hope it is a success my land is only 6-7 miles from there. Would benefit me.

I understand it takes time to drain water...my point was why say its been dropped several feet, they have dropped it a 6 inches at most unless they have been doing a lot of dropping this fall. It was 2 winters ago the major fish kill happened and they were going to start that spring. Last year people were still fishing it because it hadn't been dropped much.

Still a place of massive coot rafts, good for that at least

[h2ofwlr]

Coots = good food sources for ducks too

[lanyard]

I'm no such expert, but I no think ducks like the taste of coot either

[h2ofwlr]

put down the pipe....

You know full well that what coots eat is also the same as what ducks eat, where there are coots, there is food for ducks.

[lanyard]

Coots = good food sources for ducks too

Christ Al. You wrote coots are good food sources for ducks. I knew what you meant, just having some fun with it. There's no reason I should give up the pipe

[Bailey]

Is this place a complete waste of time to hunt? I know its a zoo but I have a day off during the week but need to stay within an hour of the cities. I would probably do an afternoon hunt.