Tori J. McCormick

Bismarck

I'm currently associate editor of Delta Waterfowl magazine. Before joining Delta I fly-fished three or four days a week!

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Articles

Minnesota waterfowl seasons set, with split shift in the southern zone

1 week ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

The Minnesota DNR has released the season framework for the 2025 migratory bird-hunting seasons, and it includes one notable change to the duck season in the state’s southern zone. This year’s 60-day duck season in the southern zone will run from Sept. 27 through Oct. 5, will close for 12 days, and then will continue from Oct. 18 through Dec. 7. Last year, the split closure was five days, and the season ended Nov. 24. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com.
Minnesota anglers await push of steelies along North Shore

2 weeks ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

The spring steelhead run along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota has begun in earnest, with stream temperatures finally hitting the magic 40-degree benchmark in lower and middle shore waters. The spring spawning run, which begins in the Duluth area and moves up the North Shore as stream temperatures gradually increase, is, however, well behind schedule for the popular sport compared with a typical year. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com.
Riffles are magic: ‘Choppy water’ is paramount to trout production

3 weeks ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

The steep valley eventually led to a winding trail that subtly stair-cased down to a breathtakingly beautiful and utterly secluded section of trout stream in western Wisconsin. This was the late 1990s, an era during which I knew next to nothing about fly fishing, let alone the anatomy of a trout stream. I could identify a pool, but beyond that, not much else. That “choppy water” … I had no idea what it was or why it was important.
Proposal would alter south zone duck season in Minnesota

1 month ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

St. Paul — A Minnesota DNR proposal that would increase late-season duck-hunting opportunities in the state’s south zone this fall is pending approval by the DNR commissioner’s office. Under the proposal, the 2025 60-day duck season in the south zone would run from Sept. 27 through Oct. 5, close for 12 days, and then continue from Oct. 18 through Dec. 7.
Minnesota's April trout opener creates a buzz in the southeast

1 month ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

The traditional April stream trout “harvest” opener – April 12 this year – will never have the pomp and circumstance and mass appeal of Minnesota’s May walleye opener. But for the anglers who cast worms, lures, and flies into southeastern Minnesota’s winding waterways where trout lurk in abundance, they really don’t care. For many, it’s the only fishing opener that matters.
Expert anglers share their favorite stream trout lures that go beyond flies

1 month ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

Outdoor News may earn revenue from products shown on this page by participating in affiliate programs. Click here to learn more. If you spend enough time on a trout stream chasing browns, rainbows or brookies, you’ll inevitably come across three different types of trout fishermen. There are those who cast flies, those who dunk worms and those who spin lures, the latter of whom are often obsessively on the prowl for big, burly trout, regardless of the size of stream they’re fishing.
Springtime fishing heating up on Mississippi’s Pool 4 in Minnesota, Wisconsin

1 month ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

Every spring, anglers congregate on Pool 4 of the Mississippi River near Red Wing, Minn., to ply its waters before the inland waters walleye season opens and to have a chance to catch a monster fish. This spring, so far, is no different, thanks to decent early-spring weather and stable, if low, river conditions. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here.
Land deal leads to 450-acre wildlife management area on Minnesota's Mantrap Lake near Park Rapids

1 month ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

For the first time in roughly two decades, Hubbard County is getting a new state wildlife management area that Minnesota officials say will be open for business this autumn. But that’s only part of the story. Last week’s “historic” 449-acre land purchase by the Minnesota Land Trust and Northern Waters Land Trust is noteworthy because the new WMA will reside on a significant portion of the now-former 3M corporate retreat on Big Mantrap Lake near Park Rapids.
Spring snow goose migration moves quickly as birds reach the Dakotas

1 month ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

That other March Madness – the annual spring snow goose migration and the hunting season that comes with it – is well under way, with birds already moving deep into North Dakota. During the past week across the Great Plains, the midcontinent flock of lesser snow geese has been pushing north, with the highest concentrations of snows, blues, and Ross’ geese staging in several northern-latitude states, including South Dakota.
Wetland conditions poor as ducks approach Minnesota, Dakotas this spring

2 months ago | outdoornews.com | Tori J. McCormick

As the spring migration of ducks and geese spreads northward, waterfowl managers across the Upper Midwest say significant precipitation will be needed during the next several weeks to replenish soil moisture and recharge wetland basins for breeding waterfowl across the region. As of Tuesday morning, the prairies of Minnesota and the Dakotas – key breeding areas for ducks – were dry and getting drier as winter’s minimal snowpack had melted long ago.