Lac qui Parle refuge looking to chart a new future

Nov. 3—LAC QUI PARLE — In 1957, refuge manager Arlin Anderson hooked up a vinyl record player to sound goose calls to the sky and tossed decoys into the waters around Rosemoen Island in Lac qui Parle Lake.

He brought in 125 migrating geese and set the agenda for the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area for decades to come. It became home to Minnesota's successful reintroduction of Canada geese.

For years, Lac qui Parle was the only show in town when it came to hunting geese. As many as 150,000 geese could be found at one time in the refuge. In the 1970s, as many as 12,000 hunters would visit the refuge for the chance to bag one.

It's a far different story today, as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources begins a year-long process to develop a new master plan for the

Lac qui Parle WMA

.

"There are changes in how Canada geese use Lac qui Parle," said Dave Trauba, regional wildlife director with the DNR, as he introduced that process during a virtual public hearing held Oct. 25. Trauba, who served as a manager of the refuge, was joined by current manager Walt Gessler in outlining the changes and possible goals for a new master plan.

One of the possible goals could potentially be as impactful for the refuge as was the reintroduction of geese. Trauba said the DNR has been asked to look into the feasibility of reintroducing bison to this landscape.

The Minnesota Zoo is leading an effort to reintroduce bison that are genetically true bison, with minimal or no cattle genes. Some have been placed in

Minneopa

and

Blue Mounds

state parks, but there is a need for more public lands to increase the bison numbers and the genetic diversity needed for their long-term viability, according to Trauba.

"It is really about the genetic rescue of that bison species," he said.

The Lac qui Parle refuge is one of the state's eight major

wildlife management units

in the state, with 33,540 acres. It will take a long planning process to determine if Lac qui Parle is a fit for bison, said Trauba. The large tract of land and previous experience with using grazing for prairie management are among the considerations for their possible reintroduction. The WMA's popularity as a hunting destination and its open landscape free of fences are likely concerns to be raised against it.

The changes in waterfowl migration occurring continent wide, and the widespread dispersal and population boom of Canada geese in Minnesota, are among the reasons for changing the master plan for Lac qui Parle. The current plan was adopted in 1997.

Today, dealing with the challenges posed by invasive species, and prairie management and restoration are among the priorities a master plan will address, according to Trauba and Gessler.

Maintaining and enhancing public use for hunting, fishing, trapping and other opportunities remain top priorities. Reducing the number of goose blinds for hunters, addressing chronic flooding issues, and managing the Lac qui Parle and Marsh Lake fish and wildlife resources are equally important priorities, according to the presentation.

The

Marsh Lake restoration project

has improved the ecosystem and helped bring back migrating waterfowl to the lake, which was once known state-wide as a mecca for duck hunters. A control structure allowing for draw-downs and the return of the Pomme de Terre River channel to outlet into Lac qui Parle Lake below the dam have proved beneficial.

Emergent vegetation that attracts waterfowl and aquatic vegetation that provides important spawning habitat for fish are being seen in the lake, according to Gessler. He also emphasized that the ecological restoration remains very much a "learning process." The DNR and its partners in the effort are still learning how best to manage the system, he explained.

Issues raised at the virtual hearing spoke to long-standing concerns of hunters who appreciate the WMA for its deer hunting opportunities. To reduce predation of ground nesting birds and protect the prairie, the WMA staff has been working for years to remove invasive cedars, buckthorn, Russian olive, Siberian elm and other trees that intrude on the prairie. These woody areas also offered protective cover in the winter for deer, a meeting participant pointed out.

Gessler said there remains sufficient winter grounds for the deer herd. The staff is also working to improve wildlife food plots by adding cover crops to improve the soil and hopefully as a result, improve the nutritional value of the winter foods they provide for the deer herd, he explained.

The river bottom lands provide much of the winter grounds for deer, and that could prove to be a concern. A large proportion of the river bottom woodland is comprised of ash trees. The ash trees will disappear quickly once the Emerald Ash Borer reaches the area, Trauba pointed out.

Could the master plan consider a quality deer management strategy to produce more mature bucks for hunters? Trauba said an antler point restriction or similar strategy would need to involve a much larger area, and he questions whether there is public support. Whenever the idea of an antler point restriction is raised, the DNR hears a 50-50 response from those who support it and those who hate it, he explained.

There are trophy bucks to be found on the refuge. Its large land base and areas with dense cattails offer opportunities for bucks to lay low and survive the hunting season, he pointed out.

Will the DNR revive its efforts to return greater prairie chickens to the grass landscape of the refuge? Not likely, according to Trauba. An effort that involved releasing prairie chickens that were captured in northwestern Minnesota to the refuge occurred during the years 1999 — 2006. It had some success. At the peak, there were 12 booming grounds and over 100 booming males performing to attract mates on them.

There was nesting success, but very poor brood survival, said Trauba. The numbers slowly dwindled once the annual release of captured birds ended.

A lesson was learned. "Where you have those populations you better do everything you can to keep them healthy and to keep them intact," he said.

One hopeful sign is the appearance of small numbers of sharp tailed grouse in the refuge and neighboring areas. Gessler said here has been a recent documentation of sharp tailed grouse reproduction in an area in Yellow Medicine County south of the refuge.

To offer input in an online survey, visit the

DNR's website

.