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GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Host Bret Amundson travels to Lake of the Woods, not only for legendary walleye fishing, but also a heart-pounding waterfowl hunt. Then he’s in Fergus Falls where shooters demonstrate how non-toxic copper shot is as effective as lead, and Chef Curt cooks up “Grilled Rabbit with Apple Chutney.”
“Cast and Blast Up North” will air on Pioneer PBS Sunday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m.; on WDSE Saturday, February 8 at 4 p.m.; on tptLife Saturday, February 22 at 12:30 p.m.; and on Lakeland PBS Saturday, April 4 at 2:30 p.m. It will also be broadcast on the Minnesota Channel, which airs on all Minnesota PBS stations, on Thursday, February 27 at midnight, 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.
Lake of the Woods produces scores of walleye, sturgeon, crappies and bass, but is also a great place to hunt waterfowl with many acres of open fields as well as lakes and forests. Bret gets plenty of action fishing and hunting on a trip organized by the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers and River Bend Resort.
Then Bret travels to Fergus Falls for a nontoxic copper shot versus lead shot demonstration. For years, lead bullets have been the ammunition of choice for big game hunters. While waterfowl hunters had to switch to nontoxic shot in the 1980s because of lead impacts on eagles and other wildlife, deer hunters have not. Knockdown power and affordability have always been the key to lead’s popularity, but the demonstration showed copper shot is not only as effective, but it didn’t result in bullet fragmentation that could end up in deer meat. As demand and production of nontoxic shot increases, prices are coming down.
The final segment features Chef Curt’s “Grilled Rabbit with Apple Chutney,” one of the Prairie Sportsman chef’s wild game innovations filmed before Curt Anderson died in January 2019.
About Prairie Sportsman
Prairie Sportsman celebrates our love of the outdoors – to hunt, fish and enjoy recreation provided by our vast resources of lakes, rivers, trails and grasslands – while promoting environmental stewardship.
Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/assistant producer; Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer and Max Grabow, assistant videographer/editor. The 2020 season is made possible by funding from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, SafeBasements of Minnesota, GrandStay Hospitality, Diamond Willow, Live Wide Open and Western Minnesota Prairie Waters.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit www.pioneer.org.
