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“Life on Lac qui Parle” coming up on Prairie Sportsman

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Jeff Randall and Austin Hill with crappies caught ice fishing on Lac qui Parle Lake
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Download a photo of picturesque life on Lac qui Parle

 

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. —  Coming up on Prairie Sportsman, Host Bret Amundson visits the historic Milan Beach Resort, angles for crappies on Lac qui Parle Lake and learns how river otters were returned to the Minnesota River Valley. “Life on Lac qui Parle” airs on Pioneer PBS Sunday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. 

The Minnesota River Valley has long been a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. For years, hunters and anglers have been getting breakfast at Milan Beach Resort on the shores of Lac qui Parle Lake. The Randall family built the resort with a restaurant, cabins and dance hall before the area around the lake was designated as the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Refuge. Hence, building lake homes and cabins on Lac qui Parle was prohibited, so the Randalls had to alter their plans to survive. Bret visits the cafe and goes crappie fishing on Lac qui Parle Lake with owner Jeff Randall to learn more about the history of this unique resort. 

The next segment explores how Carrol Henderson, the Minnesota DNR’s first nongame wildlife supervisor, restored river otters to the Minnesota River Valley. In the 1800s, heavy trapping without bag limits extirpated otters from southwest Minnesota. To bring back the population, the first otters were released at the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Refuge In 1981. Today southwest Minnesota otter numbers are back to pre-settlement times.

About Prairie Sportsman

Prairie Sportsman is an Emmy-awarded series that celebrates our love of the outdoors to hunt, fish and recreate, while promoting environmental stewardship. Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/editor; and Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer. The 2022 season is made possible by funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, SafeBasements of Minnesota, Live Wide Open, Western Minnesota Prairie Waters and members of Pioneer PBS.

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.