The Outdoor Dude

 The Minnesota department of Natural resources is look for people to collect Black Spruce pine cones to help resupply there forestry service stash. You could be paid up to $85 per bushel of the black spruce pine cones. Black Spruce are found in northern and northeastern Minnesota. Want to help Minnesota’s forests grow healthy and strong while making some extra money at the same time? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has an opportunity for you. Each year, the DNR purchases tree seeds and cones from people who collect them on their property or on state forest land. Seeds are extracted from the cones at the State Forest Nursery and used for reforestration. The DNR currently needs hundreds of bushels of black spruce cones within the next few weeks to meet state and county spruce seed orders for spring 2021 reforestation efforts. Seeds from the nursery are used to reforest about 6,000 acres of black spruce in Minnesota each year.  “A low supply of black spruce cones in...

This weeks state park is Sibley State Park. here is some information about this great park . There is so much to do and experience at this park that was built by the Minnesota veterans Conservation Core. The Park was named after Minnesota's First Governor, Henry Hastings Sibley.   Much of the landscape of this beautiful park was formed by glaciers that came down from Canada. they created many of the Large hills and farmland that you will see in this area. Many of the lakes were formed during this time as well.  While hiking the trails or fishing on the lakes you may encounter the wildlife that this park has to offer. some of the animals that you might see here are: White-tailed deer, red and grey fox, badgers, blue herons, and pelicans.  There are many different things that you can do at this great park. You can hike to the top of Mount Tom, there are multiple lakes and rivers that you can enjoy with things like fishing, swimming, canoeing , and much more. You can ca...

  Park Information Wild River State Park is located along 18 miles  of the beautiful St. Croix River. The park attracts people who enjoy camping, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, interpretive programs, self-guided trails, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Day visitors can enjoy a leisurely paddle down the St. Croix River from the Sunrise river access to the southern park river access. The park provides opportunities for semi-modern camping, group camping, equestrian camping, backpack camping, and canoe camping. Visitors who want modern amenities can reserve the guest house which provides a living room, dining room, kitchen, and fireplace. The park also has six camping cabins which include bunkbeds, a table, and benches. Please note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the trail center gathering area and visitor center exhibit area are closed. Restrooms are open at both buildings. Please follow posted requirements for masks, social distancing, and limited occupancy. An...

 This weeks State Park is Fort Snelling State Park. Fort Snelling State park is located in the Twin Cities Metro Area. Is at the Confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers and it host a number of great activities that you can do with family or just for some Me time. there are multiple hiking and biking trails and you can see the fort where has all sorts Minnesota history connected to it. Whey you are out on the trails be sure to look for all of the wild animals that are out there including deer, owls, fpxes, and much more. There is no camping at Fort Snelling so it perfect for a quick day trip. I hope that you have a great time exploring this historical park. If you have pictures of your trip to Fort Snelling please share them with us. Have a great day and Happy Holidays. 

 One of the best parts of being outdoors is the eating good food after a long day of playing and enjoying nature, sometimes we get ungery while we are outside hiking or biking or geocaching. Here is a great snack that you can make to give you energy and satisfy your craving at the moment. I hope that you enjoy it. Gourp What you Need. Cheerios Raisins Chocolate chips M&Ms Cashews What you do. You mix all of the above together and then put them it in to a baggie. and enjoy.  I hope that you have a great day and remember to enjoy the outdoors.

 The skill of the day is where I will be posting a skill that is useful in the outdoors and how to do that skill. I hope that you enjoy. If you what to learn more about an outdoor skill please post it in the comments below. if found this helpful please subscribe to the site and share it with your friends.  Today's Skill is Fire Building for recreation.  Fire is an important part of our outdoor experiences. There are many different uses for fire like cooking, keeping warm, keeping away unwanted wildlife, and just to sing and tell stories around. Here are the steps to building a fire for the last reason ( singing and telling stories around ) I will be breaking down each step in more detail in later posts. STEP 1 . have a fire ring. This is so important because we do not want to scar the earth to much and it help keep the fire contained. You should also have a bucket of water and a shovel around a fire to put it out. STEP 2 . Find small burnable materal called Tinder. these ...