What questions did the public ask our Central Office Information Center staff from May 17-May 23? See trending topics and customer contact totals by division.

This Week's Trending Topics

Questions of the week - I am a camp counselor in Lakeville and there is a turkey chasing children near the bathroom, what do we do? I want to talk to an expert about managing a Siberian Pea shrub. Are there any places that can take freezer burned meat-like a rehabber or Raptor Center? I think my barn cat has rabies and I'm worried about getting it, would a recent COVID shot interact negatively? I work for a trucking company and a raccoon got into one of our trucks, what do we do? There is a snapping turtle on a sidewalk with it's butt in the air, what is going on and does something need to be done? Did the DNR spray for mosquitos from a helicopter because my house is covered in yellow stuff now? Why is there a huge peacock in my backyard?

EWR

• Shoreline questions - Do I need a permit to put in a dock/rip rap/remove trees on my shoreline? Can I get a permit for shoreline development? What is causing this foam on the water near the lakeshore?
• Eagle questions - Do the eagles come back to the same nest each year? I found some eagle feathers while hiking, can I keep them? I'm worried the female eagle has not been back to it's nest since yesterday. When will the eaglets fledge?

ENF

• CO and citation questions - I am calling to pay a fine for a citation I received, how do I pay? 

• Firearms/ATV/boater safety certificates questions - How can I get my child FAS/ATV safety certified? Can you look up my FAS number?

FAW

• Baby animal questions - I found an abandoned fawn and took it home, what should I do with it? A baby bird fell out of it's nest, will you take it? What can I do with a baby squirrel I rescued? There are abandoned baby geese following me around, what do I do with them?
• Aquatic Plant Management questions - Can I get a permit to remove aquatic vegetation? How do I obtain a permit to remove cattails? 
• Hunting season questions - When do firearms deer, youth deer, waterfowl and small game seasons open? 
• Elk hunting questions - When will I know if I won the lottery? I own land, do I qualify for the elk landowner license? Are there any pamphlets that explain the elk hunt? Are successful elk hunting applicants chosen based off of a random lottery or preference points? Is elk hunting an archery or firearms season?
• Married combo license questions - Why does my spouse have to be present to purchase a combo license? I tried entering the fishing combination license voucher number online and it doesn't work, who can help me?

• Nuisance animal questions - There’s a bear in my neighborhood, should I be concerned and what should I do? Geese are damaging my crops, what are my options? Does the DNR trap muskrats that are causing property damage? I want to speak to bear biologist about a bear in our backyard that is just hanging around; what should we do?

• Boat and ATV registration/title questions -  How do I register a watercraft I just purchased from a private party? How do I get duplicate boat decals? How do I obtain a duplicate title? I am buying a boat in another state and bringing it back to MN, what do I need from the seller?
• Sick/injured/dead animal questions - There’s a sick/injured/dead animal on my property, will you come out and remove or help it? Is there an animal rehabber in my area? 
• Turkey hunting questions - Can I hunt during the F season if I wasn’t successful during the A-E seasons? How do I register my turkey? At what age can a child hunt turkey on their own? Can I party hunt turkey? Does the turkey have to have a certain length of beard to be hunted?
• Bear lottery questions - Was I drawn in the bear lottery? How many preference points do I have? How can I get a copy of the bear hunting regulations? I didn't get drawn in the bear lottery, do I have to buy a preference point now? What if I can’t go bear hunting, do I lose all my preference points?
• Fishing license questions - I am having trouble getting a fishing license online, can you help me? I can’t print my online fishing license at home, can you just send me my license? How do I purchase a lifetime license? I am coming from out of state, what are the license options? Does my child need a fishing license? I am 65, do I still need a fishing license? Can you help me with an address change for my fishing license? I want a permanent disability fishing license, how do I get one? Can we purchase a license as non-residents and have our kids fish with us?
• Fishing questions - What are the regulations on this lake/river? Can I continue to fish after I have caught my daily limit on any species of fish? Can I keep walleye in my livewell then release them if I catch other walleye I'd prefer to keep? What is the limit on walleye? Can I harvest crayfish? What are the walleye limits on a particular lake? When does bass open because Alexa gives me a different answer than the fishing regulations?

FOR

• Burning and burn permit questions - I am having issues purchasing a burn permit online, can you assist? Where can I purchase a burn permit?

OSD

• Central Office questions - When is the Central Office going to be open to the public again?

PAT

• Park pass questions - Where can I buy a state park pass? I ordered a state park pass a long time ago, why haven't I received it yet? 
• Campground and park questions - Is this facility open at this state park? How do I make a camping reservation? Someone is placing rubber ducks in state parks, isn’t this illegal? Can I use a generator at a state park campground over Memorial Day weekend?

These topics show seasonal trends and reflect the current interests or notable concerns of those who contact the Info Center.