Monday, November 24, 2014

Thanksgiving

There are a lot of things happening in the outdoors right now!  Wisconsin's deer season, people are ice fishing across the ice belt, ducks are going down and all other kinds of things!  Don’t you just Love it!!  


Here in central MN where I live, the duck season closes on the 25th of November and I am hoping to get the kids back out before the closing bell rings!  My son Mac (12) just shot his first duck early in the week and it was a big green head with curly tails.  He was pretty pumped and so was I, we shot 5 mallards that day all on Gull Lake.  The divers are a little too quick for the little guy and sometimes for me too.  We will see if the girls can whack a few divers in the next day or two.  


I am still holding a MN and WI archery tag for whitetail and I plan on using them!  I was back down to the Buffalo/Pepin county line last week and had a great sit - but cold!  I saw about a dozen deer, including a smaller buck, pushing the does around the field.  I could have easily shot a doe with the crossbow, but elected to hold out for a buck!  We will see what happens.  


We will be trading in the bows for a CVA muzzleloader early December as we head to Bluff Bucks in search of a monster!  In the meantime, we will try some more duck hunting (hopefully), some archery deer and then down to the Ice Show in St. Paul!  Enjoy the season and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
-Dan




Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Fall 2014

The fall weather has been beautiful and I am hoping that it hangs on for awhile yet.  We were up in Saskatchewan, Canada with Ricky Hart of Lucky Duck and the guys (Max, Cooper and Troy) from Central Prairie Outfitters on our last adventure and it was AWESOME!  We shot numerous ducks and geese and my shoulder was sore for about a week afterwards.  These guys are “dialed-in” on the ducks and geese and I would suggest you look them up if you are up for the hunt of all waterfowl hunts.  


From the calling to the decoy’s to the scouting and the amazing accommodations at Windy Acres, this was truly a hunt of a lifetime for me.  I  know you will love the show when it airs on television! 


Next up is deer part 2.  In a few weeks, we will be back down in southwest WI to try and score a big bruiser whitetail with the Excalibur crossbow!  In the meantime, I will be getting out on the water a few more times and will also try to bag a Minnesota whitetail with my bow and arrow.  We have also been doing a little duck hunting around here in central Minnesota, but it’s not quite like SK!!  

Have a great day, Dan

Monday, September 29, 2014

Smallmouth Bass


I just got back from Wisconsin last week where we met up with Jimmy Bell (Larson Boats Pro) on Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior!  Smallmouth bass were our target and Jimmy was dialed in!  We caught a bunch and really enjoyed our time over in Ashland, WI!  




We stayed at the River Rock Inn and it was just a straight up exceptional time: great weather, people, a king-size bed, and huge bass!!  Even the cameramen got in on the fish catching action.  And guess what, I fell in the lake!  Yep, really did..on Lake Superior.  You will have to watch this show when it comes time to hit the air.  You will laugh your tail off.



Another exciting moment took place when my son Mac shot his first deer (ever!) with a bow and arrow.  This was so exciting for us, I can’t even begin to tell you how proud of a dad I am.  He made a good shot but we still had quite a drag out of the woods (uphill).  Next up for me is some walleye fishing and then we are off to Saskatchewan to do do some waterfowl hunting!  This is the season to enjoy the outdoors; can't get much better than late September, October, and November!  December isn't too bad either ;)

-Dan

Friday, August 22, 2014

The Wild, Wild, West

Hello everyone!  We recently returned from Gillette, Wyoming where I was hunting pronghorn with my new Bear, Motive 7 compound bow.  The trip was a total success and we went 5 for 5 (3 with cross bow and 2 with compound bows)!!  


Rob, Scott and Jason from Excalibur cross bows and Anita Williams were the 4 other hunters that were with us on this trip and we all harvested mature pronghorn bucks.  We hunted, we moved cattle, watched professional ropers up close and personal, and saw some beautiful country.  I love the west!! 




I was so happy to have had some really awesome help setting up my bow from Marty at the Mills Indoor Shooting Range in Baxter, MN.  And also some very, very helpful advice form David Peterson who is a representative for Bear Archery.  I would also like to thank the cameraman that has been with me through the thick and thin.  Kyle Peterson has been a real trooper; he is a hunter and avid outdoorsman himself and this really helps when things get down to the nitty gritty.  It’s not always easy to range, draw and make all the right judgments when you only have SECONDS.  

I am so thankful and totally appreciate all the people that helped me out and were a part of this hunt out west: Bruce Hudalla, Bill and Cindy Mankin, Julie Mankin, Dean Carlson, David Peterson, Big Mike, Kyle Peterson, Ryan Dechaine, Bradle Kangas, Anita Williams, the Excalibur crew (Rob Dykeman, Jason and Scott), guide Kyle and whoever else I may have missed!  The Rocket Hammerhead broad head was an absolute killer, I think I may shoot one at my Minnesota whitetail this fall.  

If anyone of you have the opportunity to get out west, I highly recommend it!  It will be an experience you won't forget!  I hope you are all enjoying your summer and that you're getting ready for the fall hunting season! 

-Dan

Monday, July 21, 2014

Summertime Heat


Happy July!  I just got off the water and it’s a scorcher!  Our thermometer here in Lake Shore, MN reads 85 degrees in the shade.  This is definitely going to get that water temperature up in a hurry.  Thankfully the wind decided to blow a little this afternoon otherwise it would be dangerously hot!  I guess all a person has to do is look at the winter we had in the upper Midwest this past season and it makes a person take the heat a little easier.  


The fishing has been pretty good, but I have had a couple of back to back slower days on the water (one on Mille Lacs and this a.m. we only caught 3 walleyes on Gull).  But, I did drop in on some walleyes after my trip and caught 2 nice ones on a Lindy Rig and a juicy minnow!  


Last week we were over preparing for an upcoming crossbow show in WI.  We hooked up with Todd Hess down in Buffalo Co. WI and did a little planting, tree stand hanging and set out a couple of game cameras.  We will be heading down there for the opener on his in-laws property in search of a whitetail or two with the Excalibur crossbow!  For now, it’s time to get the new Bear compound bow and get it rigged ready and sighted so when I see that giant antelope in WY next month, it will hit the mark.  


As for now, it’s time to do a little more fishing and hopefully some more catching!!  I hope you all are enjoying this summer!  
-Dan

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Fishing!

The fishing season is in high gear and the action seems to be picking up for all species!  We were over visiting Larry Smith in Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago and had a great time on Lake Winnebago and the Bay of Green Bay.  We caught a lot of fish and many different species (walleye’s, pike, perch, carp, drum, catfish, bass and I’m sure something else that I forgot about).  


We fished Winnebago on the 2nd of June and Green Bay on the 3rd.  I was impressed with both fisheries, but I would have to say that the walleye’s on Green Bay took the cake!  We were catching fish on the Mills exclusive Salmo Hornet’s, Berkley Flicker Shads and the Rapala Shad Raps, these baits are all exclusive colors only available at your local Mills Fleet Farm!  We also caught fish on numerous other presentations (jigs and Gulp Alive, Rippin Raps, Jigging Raps and hair jigs) while casting!  Larry knows his stuff and I would certainly recommend him if you are looking for a fun, fish-filled outing!  Look him up at Larry Smith Outdoors.  


Our guide service here in Minnesota (Walleyedan’s Guide Service) has been busy too and the fishing is starting to crank-up in the Brainerd Lakes Area and beyond.  This past weekend I fished the 31st annual Confidence Learning Center’s Fishing Classic on Gull Lake and we won it!  


It was my mother, father and myself and it was a trip that ranks near the top of my best ever fishing experiences!  Yes, it is up there right near the outing with Al Lindner two years ago on Mille Lacs!  We won the total bag for the walleye division and also had the lunker walleye of the day. 

If you would like to book a guided trip with one of our professional guides, look us up at www.walleyedan.com and we will do our best to put you on some hungry fish.  
The next scheduled filming mission is going to be in Wyoming and I will be looking to harvest my first antelope.  Stay tuned and we will keep you up to snuff!!  

Get out there and enjoy this awesome weather!! 
- Dan


Friday, May 16, 2014

Busy, Busy, Busy


Boy oh boy are things happening!!  Fishing season has begun, turkey season is still “on” and it seems like it’s all getting compacted into a smaller window because of this late spring once again.  Hopefully we have a nice, long summer!  The filming schedule is looking like a good one for the 2015 season and we already have 3 shows in the can!  Our next filming mission is with Brian “Bro” Brosdahl and we will be targeting crappies in northern Minnesota (possibly with my son, Mac).  After that, it will be over to Wisconsin to fish walleyes with Larry Smith on Winnebago and Green Bay, these should be some fun times!  Al Lindner might be back in the 2015 line-up as well with smallmouth bass the likely target.  Jimmy Bell is also going to take us after some of the bronzebacks in Wisconsin later this fall.  Mix these fishing trips in with some deer hunts, antelope, maybe bear and some waterfowl and I can see the 2015 season as really good one!  Things are busy, but things are good!  

Last weekend the Brainerd Lakes area hosted the Governor's Fishing Opener, which took place on Gull Lake.  The ice was out and weather cooperated and everything turned out well.  What a great way to showcase the beautiful area that I am fortunate enough to call home!  


I would like to thank all of you for reading this blog and for tuning into We Love It! Outdoors television!  Spread the word and we will try our best to produce some action packed outdoor reality!!  Now that the weather is warming up, be sure to get out and enjoy it!

-Dan   

Monday, April 28, 2014

It's All Happening at Once!



The ice is going out, the turkey season is in full swing and it’s time to prepare and get rigged for “Opening Day”!  This year, the Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener is on Gull Lake in Nisswa.  This will be an exciting time for all of those involved and a great community event for the town of Nisswa, MN.  


I have turkey on my brain and this is not something that is easy to get rid of!  2 of my 3 children have tagged their birds this spring and now it’s time for my oldest daughter to bag one.  She is a fair weather hunter (she wants it to be sunny and 70), so we will see how this goes.  The forecast isn’t looking to “fair weather”, in fact it’s looking like really “ugly weather”!  Let’s keep those folks down south (Arkansas, etc.) in our prayers and thoughts.  It is the season for this “ugly” weather, so make sure you are aware.  


Our next filming adventure sounds like it will take place on Lake Mille Lacs, where there are some really interesting regulation changes on the books for this year.  I think Al Lindner and I will have a reunion guide trip over there as soon as the ice is out and the season is on!  We will keep you posted, until then keep checking back and I will try to get some ice-out photos and maybe some more gobbler photos up!!  

-Dan

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Gull Lake Ice Out Contest

This year, Governor Mark Dayton will be spending the fishing opener weekend (May 9-10) in the beautiful Brainerd Lakes area, fishing on the one and only Gull Lake.  

We're about a month out and the lake is still frozen solid, so we're having a contest on the We Love It! Outdoors Facebook page (facebook.com/weloveitoutdoors) to see who can guess the day the ice will go out.  You have one week to submit your guess (April 8 to April 15), then we'll close the contest and be patient as the ice melts.  The winner will receive some goodies from Mills Fleet Farm, We Love It! Outdoors and Walleyedan. 


Here's a video with some more information:



I drove across the lake today and drilled a hole, looks like there's about 30 inches of ice as of this morning.  This week is looking like some warmer weather so maybe that will move things along.  

Submit your guess this week and get out and enjoy this weather!!

-Dan

Monday, March 24, 2014

Spring is here!!


Spring is here and I’m ready for some warmer weather!  I’m in the middle of the Fleet Farm turkey seminar tour and will also be mixing in a trip to Lake Winnipeg for the giant greenbacks (walleyes).  There’s still a lot of ice in our neck of the woods and some of the best pan fishing is right around the corner.  Then it won’t be long for the turkey opener!

The next few We Love It! Outdoors shows cover both fishing and hunting.  This week you will see Bruce Meinz and myself out on the Gull Lake chain in central Minnestoa.  Bruce is a guide and Gull Lake is our home water.  It’s not very often two of us get to fish together but the last time we did, Bruce was running the boat so now it’s my turn.  The late fall is a great time to be on the water: not many people, and a lot of hungry walleyes that are loading up for the hard water season.  Typically Bruce and I are jigging and rigging but we learned a new technique and will be putting that to use as we attack these Gull Lake walleyes.




The next show you will see my very first muzzleloader hunt ever and it was an awesome experience!  Bruce Hudalla, who has a beautiful piece of property in west central Minnesota, invited me out to join Todd Hess and some other friends on this little slice of white tail heaven.  I feel pretty spoiled to be able to hunt such a well-managed piece of property.  The fact that the muzzleloader was totally new to me, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it turns out I will be doing this the rest of my life.  Some people may be intimidated by a muzzleloader, but in my opinion it’s a lot easier to operate than I thought.  And we’ve got some meat in the freezer; you’ll have to watch to see how that happens. 




Get out and enjoy this weather!  -Dan

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Fun shows in February!

We are rollin!!  The youth waterfowl show will air a number of times the remainder of this week (check your listings).  We had a real blast with these kids, starting in Fergus Falls at Woody Camp and then putting them to the real life test up on Thief Lake.  Fun, smart kids with personality..and they hunt!  Wow are they going to make a good spouse to someone, someday!!  Thanks to Greg Kvale for the awesome fun, food and memories up in northwestern Minnesota.  




Last year it was Door County, this year it was South Dakota for the Eigen family vacation.  I think most of us know what can happen on a long road trip with 3 kids (ages 11, 13 and 16) in the back seat of the Ford F150.  As we headed across Minnesota things were not too bad, but they started to get a little restless as we reached hour number 6 in the truck.  But, we made it to Wall, SD and all was well.  We packed in a lot during this vacation and you are going to get to see all of it during this two part SD Eigen Family Vacation (part 1 airs February 8 and part 2 airs February 15).  


South Dakota has a lot to offer and is a lot more beautiful than a person may think, it has the awesome prairie land where I love to roam but as you get further west it really turns into a different beauty and we got to see it all!  Hunting, fishing, rock climbing, shopping, horseback riding, lots of sightseeing and more!  You will have to watch it - it’s entertaining that’s for sure.  Let us know where you think we should go on our family vacation during year number 3 (this year). 


Following this will be a pretty cool turkey show that will include a DAV hunt at Camp Ripley as well as some other birds hitting the dirt!  This show will get you amped to crack out the calls and start purring and yelping in preparation for one of the most awesome sports there is!  If you are looking to learn more about turkey hunting, don’t forget to check out the spring turkey seminars at Mills Fleet Farm (I will be at Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Oakdale and Cambridge). 




Thanks for tuning in!  It was really fun meeting a number of folks down at the Minneapolis Boat Show this past weekend that have been watching all of our episodes.  Lots of kids too, we will continue to get kids involved as we move forward..this is critical for our love of the outdoors!!  -Dan

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Lots of Great Shows in 2014!


Happy New Year!  Things are exciting in the “We Love It! Outdoors” world, despite bitter cold that we have been feeling up here in the Midwest!  The new season is starting to hit the air waves and the feedback has been good.  So thank you for tuning in!!  I just returned from South Dakota on Sunday night after shooting some roosters and catching some white crappies with Chad Schilling, my brother-in-law Chris (gourmet chef) and some other friends.  The late season rooster shoot was awesome, with many long-range hits (and misses).  I was shooting a new Stoeger semi-auto 12 gauge and it did a really nice job on the ring necks.  Friday was beautiful, but the weather turned brutal again and that’s when we loaded up the Sno Bear and headed for Lake Oahe for some of the crappies.  Oh, I almost forgot about the coyotes, we got in on some of that action too.  Overall, a very fun trip as always with the Schilling family in South Dakota.

I hope many of you were able to see the water wolf (tip-up pike) show that we filmed up on Lake of the Woods.  If you like to fish but don’t take it too seriously, this would be a trip for you!  Tip-up fishing for giant pike is really exciting and doesn’t involve your total attention all of the time.  Although, you don’t want to get beat to the tip-up by another in your party.  Andy Walls knows this big pike game quite well and he was an awesome person to lead us!  I might have to head back up for another wrangle this March or April, we will see.

Starting up next week (premiering Jan. 11-13, with re-airs throughout the week), the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza show will re-air.  If you watch this, you will want to hurry in to your local Mills Fleet Farm and buy yourself a ticket for this year’s tourney (Saturday, January 25) on Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN.  This is an event that is fished by people from all over the world!  I have fished it more than 20 times and each year it’s a spectacle that raises money for many charities including the Confidence Learning Center.  20,000 holes and over 10,000 anglers are competing for many prizes including a new Ford F150 pickup truck!  This past year it was Broar’s turn to win, as he reeled in a pike that was just over 4 pounds!  Not bad for a local boy who works with my daughter at a local pizza place!!



Following up the Extravaganza will be a big, buck archery hunt with Jeremy Moore of Dog Bone at Bluff Bucks Outfitters in Buffalo, County Wisconsin!  This show will premier January 18-20, with re-airs throughout the week.  Trophy deer, many acres, super people, awesome food and many memories!  Fall in Buffalo County, Wisconsin is where most deer hunters would love to be!  Butch Fox and his son Mark know their whitetails and it was very interesting for me to see the system that they use to get trophies on the wall like most have never even seen before.  I have hunted whitetails for a long time and it’s one of my favorite things to do, this place is something else for the avid whitetail hunter!  Jeremy Moore is owner of Dog Bone, a training system for dogs to search out and find your deer and also help you pile up the sheds in late winter and early spring.  You will have to tune in to this one too J.



Next up (premiering January 25-27) will be a Rainy River Sturgeon fest!  Another Jeremy this time around, this time the fisherman (Jeremy Smith of Lindner Media).  Jeremy has been tangling with these behemoth’s for a long time and has gotten to know not only how to fish these big buggers, but where to find them in this awesome stretch of river.  It was fun enough for me landing 40-50 inchers, but Jeremy kept telling me to wait..you’ll see!!  And then I SAW!!  Wow, is all I can say about this amazing, prehistoric fish that grows to be really, really big.  They tend to make you forget about how awesome the walleye fishery is up there too.


The 2014 line-up is awesome and there is one show in particular that will have you AMAZED!  And a bunch of others that will keep you entertained..big time!!  You can see air times and networks on http://www.weloveitoutdoors.com/schedule/ Thank you for reading, thank you for watching and thank you for shopping Mills Fleet Farm for all your sporting goods needs and more! 

Until next time,
Dan