Stanley A. Olson, 81, died Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, at the Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.
Visitation was Monday, Oct. 10, at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. A private family service is planned, with burial following at the Beaver Creek Cemetery in Beaver Creek.
Arrangements are provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
(1013 DN)

Rev. Norman E. “Norm” Anderson, born to Emil and Helen (Jeske) Anderson April 24, 1933, near Sanborn, Minnesota, died on October 8, 2022, in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
He graduated from Sanborn High School in 1951, Augsburg College in 1956, and Augsburg Seminary in 1959.
He married Constance Tollefson on June 17, 1956, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota.
He served four parishes: Zion Lutheran in Minot, North Dakota, 1959-1961; Zion Lutheran in Luverne, Minnesota, and Trinity Lutheran in Hills, Minnesota, 1961-1964; Concordia Lutheran in Crosby, North Dakota, 1964-1980; and Trinity Lutheran in Jamestown, North Dakota, 1980-2000.
After retirement in 2000, he continued to serve as an interim pastor in Crosby, North Dakota, 2000-2002, and at First Lutheran in Williston, North Dakota, 2002-2007.
He and Connie retired to Alexandria, Minnesota. In 2017, they moved to the Twin Cities and lived in Anoka, Plymouth, and Maple Grove.
Norm is survived by his wife, Connie; one son, Brad (Sandi) Anderson; four daughters, Gracia (Mike) Lapke, Julie (Dean) Anderson-Simonson, Mary Froehlich, Angela Jones, and daughter-in-law Betty Peterson. He has seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents; sister and brother-in-law Carol and Dennis Knutson; son Paul Peterson; and great-grandson Silas Aufenkamp.
The Celebration of Life service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 15, at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, with the inurnment in the St. Barnabas Columbarium in Plymouth, Minnesota. Visitation one hour prior to the service at the church.
Norm requested two bouquets of flowers that will be provided by his family.
Memorials in his memory are preferred to your favorite charity.
A link to the livestream of Norm’s service will be available within his obituary notice at www.geartydelmore.com.
Gearty-Delmore       763-553-1411
(1013 V)

Many farm operators will tell you that grain marketing decisions are one of the hardest parts of farming. This is especially true during times of highly volatile markets such as have been occurring in the past couple of years.
Farm operators are concerned with inflation and the rapidly rising input costs, wanting to make sure that they keep their working capital strong for the 2023 crop year. In addition, the current tight local “basis” level for grain comes into play when making a sales decision for the 2022 corn and soybean crop.
Both corn and soybean prices rose significantly throughout the current growing season and have remained quite strong into harvest. This has improved the overall profitability projections for most Upper Midwest grain producers for 2022.
The continued strength in corn and soybean prices has been driven by a combination of grain stocks adjustments by USDA, lower than anticipated U.S. corn and soybean production in 2022, and reduced South American crop production, as well as very strong domestic and export demand for both commodities. Some analysts feel that USDA may make further downward adjustments in 2022 estimated corn and soybean production, based on the limited rainfall and drought conditions in portions of the western Corn Belt.
Nearby December corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), which affect local cash corn prices, closed at $6.83 per bushel on Oct. 7, which is nearly $1.00 per bushel higher than in mid-July.
It is quite unusual for corn futures to rise significantly after July and stay strong into harvest season, unless there is anticipated reduced crop production due to a drought or some other cause. The “new crop” CBOT corn futures in 2022 started the year near $5.60 per bushel in mid-January, then rose to $7.00-$7.50 per bushel from April until mid-June, before dropping below $6.00 per bushel in July and then rebounding to current levels.
CBOT December corn futures have traded above $6.50 per bushel for a majority of the time since late August.
CBOT “new crop” soybean prices have also remained quite strong in recent months, though not at the same level as corn prices. USDA has been a bit more optimistic about 2022 U.S. soybean yields and production than with corn, and USDA recently increased the level of 2021 carryover soybean stocks.
Nearby CBOT November soybean futures closed at $13.67 per bushel on Oct. 7, which has declined by over $1.00 per bushel since mid-September. November 2022 CBOT soybean futures started the year at just over $13.00 per bushel before rising to over $15.00 per bushel most of the time from mid-April until mid-June.
Soybean futures traded from $13.50 to $14.25 per bushel during most of July and August, before declining to current levels.
Local grain elevators, ethanol plants and processing plants generally set their bid prices based off the CBOT futures price for a corresponding month. The difference between the local cash price being offered in a given month and the closest CBOT futures price is known as “basis”. The basis levels for both cash corn and soybeans have remained at very strong levels throughout most of 2022. In fact, there has been a significant “positive basis” for corn in the past few months at many processing plants and local elevators in the Upper Midwest, meaning that the local cash price is higher than the CBOT price. This situation does not occur very frequently in the western Corn Belt, especially heading into harvest season.
For example, basis levels for the 2021 corn that was still in storage and 2022 corn that was harvested early was at a positive level of $.20 to over $.50 per bushel above the CBOT futures price in late September at many locations in the Upper Midwest. Soybean basis levels at regional processing plants also remained very tight into late September, with some plants briefly offering positive basis levels. The current basis level in southern Minnesota for the 2022 corn and soybean crop being harvested is about $.20-$.50 per bushel lower than CBOT prices at most local grain elevators and processing plants. However, the basis levels improve significantly for grain that is stored and sold after harvest in December or January.
Generally speaking, when there is a positive or extremely tight basis level for cash corn and soybeans, such as currently exists, farmers should look to take advantage of those opportunities to market some of the unpriced corn or soybeans that are being harvested. The nearby CBOT corn or soybean futures price could increase in the coming months, but if the basis at the local grain elevator or processing plant widens at the same time, the cash price to the farmer may not change. While a $.50 per bushel widening of the basis may not sound that significant, that amount represents $50,000 on a grain bin with 100,000 bushels of unpriced corn. This could make up a considerable portion of the profit margin for the 2022 corn crop.
Many producers have utilized “hedge-to-arrive” grain marketing contracts in the past to lock in a price on corn or soybeans prior to harvest and then store the grain until the following spring or summer for improved local cash prices.
A typical “hedge to arrive” contract locks in the futures price and allows the local price to be determined at a later date. The concept is that the basis level usually narrows during the first half of the year following harvest, as the grain supplies grow tighter.
In most years, the basis level for local cash grain prices is usually quite wide at harvest time and then narrows in future months. This scenario did not occur with the 2021 corn and soybean crop and will likely not occur with the current 2022 crop. The current tighter basis levels at harvest mean that positive results from typical “hedge-to-arrive” grain marketing contracts might be very limited.
It is important for producers to remember that tight basis levels at local grain elevators and processing plants are mostly driven by local demand for corn and soybeans. Once that demand is met, basis levels tend to widen back to more typical levels.
As we have seen in recent months, basis levels can vary considerably from day to day at local grain elevators, feed mills and processing plants, depending on the immediate need for corn and soybeans. Paying attention to basis levels and understanding the factors that affect basis can play a big part in the success of a farm grain marketing plan.
Farm operators also need to factor in the cost of storing the grain when considering grain marketing decisions. The rapid rise in the short-term interest rates to 6-7 percent or more has become a factor in grain storage decisions, especially if farmers have an operating line of credit that they are currently paying accrued interest on.
When all factors are considered, the cost of storing corn or soybeans for six months can range from $.25 to $.50 per bushel. The main reasons to capture reasons to store grain are usually to capture improved commodity prices or stronger basis levels in the spring and summer months, which will enhance local cash bids in the later months.
Currently cash corn bids at grain elevators and ethanol plants in southern Minnesota are near $6.50 to near $7.00 per bushel, which is nearly the same as the bids being offered in the spring and summer of 2023. Similarly cash soybean bids at local elevators are currently near $13.00 to $13.50 per bushel, with higher prices at soybean processing plants, which again is similar to prices being offered in the first half of 2023.
The current grain market scenario is currently not offering much incentive to store corn and soybeans into the spring and summer of 2023. Some farmers may choose to store and price grain for December or January delivery for tax management purposes and to capture a few extra cents per bushel.
Many farmers have had some difficulty making grain marketing decisions for the 2022 corn and soybean crops. Being able to “lock in” local cash prices over $6.00 per bushel for corn and over $13.00 per bushel for soybeans is the best opportunity that has existed during harvest season in many years.
On the other hand, farmers do not want to miss another grain price “run-up”, given the current tight U.S. grain supplies.
It is important to remember that the catalyst for another commodity price increase next year might be continued or worsening U.S. drought conditions as we head into the 2023 growing season. If a major drought does not develop in 2023, corn and soybean prices are likely to follow a more typical seasonal price pattern next year.
No two years are the same, but historical price trends are something to keep in mind in analyzing grain marketing strategies for the 2022 crop.
For additional information contact Kent Thiesse, Farm Management Analyst and Sr. Vice President, MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal, MN.  Or call 507- 381-7960;  email kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com); website is http://www.minnstarbank.com/

The Cardinals brought the Battle Axe back to Luverne after a thrilling come-from-behind football victory in Pipestone Friday night.
The Arrows took a 14-0 lead into halftime, but the Cardinals battled back to earn a 27-20 victory over their rivals.  
With the win, Luverne moved to 4-2 on the season.
“We had great effort from everyone on the team this week. Our offense, defense and special teams all played great,” said Luverne coach Todd Oye.
“I’m proud of how our kids played all night, especially in the second half.”  
The previously undefeated Arrows looked like they would continue their winning ways early on in the game.
After both teams failed to score in the first quarter, the Arrows launched a 92-yard scoring drive that ended with a 38-yard touchdown reception from Pipestone receiver Cayden Zephier. After a successful extra point kick, the Arrows held a 7-0 lead with 9:32 remaining in the second quarter.
Pipestone got back in the end zone late in the second quarter after their quarterback, Kellen Johnson, scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown run with 40 seconds remaining in the half.
The Arrows converted the extra point attempt to hold a 14-0 lead over the Cardinals who were unable to advance the ball.
The Cardinals looked like a different team after halftime and wasted no time showing it.
Taking over at the Pipestone 44-yard line, Luverne needed only three plays to get its first score of the game. Facing a third and 6, Luverne sophomore quarterback Carter Sehr was able to find senior receiver Gannon Ahrendt for a 40-yard touchdown reception.
After Luverne’s unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt, the Pipestone lead was 14-6 with 10:47 remaining in the third quarter.
The Arrows responded with a 58-yard scoring drive of their own along with a 12-yard touchdown run from running back Nehemiah Ostermeier. Pipestone’s point-after kick was no good and the score was now 20-6 in favor of the Arrows with 5:14 left in the third quarter.  
The Cardinals were forced to punt on their next drive, and the Arrows took over possession on their own 25-yard line after an excellent 41-yard punt from Luverne’s Riley Sneller.
On second down the Cardinals got a much-needed interception from Ahrendt, who was then able to run 25 yards into the Pipestone end zone for a Luverne touchdown.
Ahrendt then caught a pass from quarterback Conner Connell in the end zone for a successful 2-point conversion, making the score 20-14 in favor of Pipestone with 3:48 remaining in the second quarter.
The Cardinals continued their momentum with a defensive stop and took over on offense at their 30-yard line as the third quarter drew to a close.
From there, Luverne put together one of its best drives of the game when Sehr found Ahrendt for a 25-yard reception and Connell for an 18-yard gain as the Cardinals marched down the field.
The Cardinals finished the drive in style when Sehr scrambled and connected with Ahrendt in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown.
Luverne missed the extra point, leaving the game tied 20-20 with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter.
The Arrows faced a fourth and 3 from their own 42-yard line on their next possession and decided to go for the first down rather than punt.
Luverne junior defensive back Gavin DeBeer made an excellent tackle to stop the Arrows 1 yard short of the first down.
Luverne took advantage of the excellent field position and quickly advanced the ball deep into Pipestone territory.
Sehr completed two passes to Tyson Cowell and another to Connell to bring the Cardinals to the 4-yard line.
Connell then took over as quarterback and threw a perfect pass to Ahrendt in the back corner of the Pipestone end zone for Ahrendt’s fourth touchdown of the game.
Patrick Kroski connected on the extra point kick to put Luverne in the lead 27-20 with 3:28 remaining in the game.
DeBeer came up with another big play for the Cardinal defense as the Arrows tried to move the ball down the field on their next possession.
Facing third and 15, Johnson’s pass was deflected off a Pipestone receiver and into DeBeer’s hands for an interception with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter.
Luverne was not able to move the ball and gave the ball back to Pipestone one last time, but the Arrows ran out of time as Luverne secured the 27-20 victory.
After losing the annual Battle Axe game last year, the Cardinals were all smiles after the game.
“Beating Pipestone to win the Battle Axe our senior year is a memory that we will never forget,” said senior running back Tyson Cowell.
With the win, the Cardinals now hold a 37-27 all-time record in Battle Axe games.
“Hopefully we can take the momentum from the Axe game to finish our season,” said coach Oye.
Up next for Luverne is a Thursday night game in Fairmont. Game time is 7 p.m.
 
Team statistics:
Luverne: 56 rushing yards, 213 passing yards, 269 total yards, 15 first downs, 5 penalties for 35 yards, 0 turnovers.
Pipestone: 134 rushing yards, 184 passing yards, 318 total yards, 18 first downs, 2 penalties for 15 yards, 2 turnovers.
 
Individual statistics:
Rushing: Carter Sehr 5-26, Tyson Cowell 7-12, Kaleb Hein 8-11
Passing: Carter Sehr 11-19, 141 yards (2 TD’s), Conner Connell 6-13, 72 yards (1 TD)
Receiving: Gannon Ahrendt 7-121 (3 TD’s), Conner Connell 4-48, Tyson Cowell 5-38
Defense: Elijah Woodley 6.5 tackles, Zachary DeBoer 5.5 tackles, Conner Connell 4.5 tackles, Jacob Stroh 4 tackles, Riley Sneller 3.5

On Friday night the 4-1 Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots hosted the 3-2 Mountain Lake Area Wolverines in a Section 3 9-man showdown.
The Patriots were looking to bounce back from last week’s setback, while the Wolverines were riding a 3-game win streak.
Mountain Lake Area held on for the win in this closely contested game by a score of 19-12.
The young Patriots played through the game with some key players sitting out portions of the game because of the physical play on both sides of the ball.
Head coach Rex Metzger said he felt the Patriots missed a couple of opportunities on offense as the team defense kept them in the game.
But the Pates struck first when freshman quarterback Jamin Metzger sneaked the football into the endzone with 11 seconds to go in the first period for an early Patriot lead.
It was H-BC’s third possession of the game.
While the Wolverines had the ball twice on offense during the first quarter, the stingy Patriot defense gave up only eight total yards to the Wolverines during the quarter.
The second quarter proved to be a pivotal period in the game. The Pates forced a Wolverine punt on the first possession, but the Patriot drive stalled at midfield. After Cameron Allen’s punt, MLA took over on their own 32-yard line.
On first and 10, The Wolverines’ speedy and shifty back took the ball over the goal line to tie the game at 6-6. A successful point after gave MLA the lead at 7-6, and it was a lead they never relinquished.
Hampered by two penalties, the Patriots could not move the ball on the subsequent drive. The home team was forced to punt.
After a combined tackle for a loss by Patriots’ Brayden Metzger and Riley Tatge, and a Cooper Gehrke pass breakup, the Patriots forced the Wolverines into a third and 15 from H-BC’s 22 yard-line.
However, with 5:18 left in the half, the MLA running back sprinted for 22 yards and extended the Wolverine lead to 13-6.
The Patriots could not get the offense going on the next drive, but the defense stopped the MLA offense with some big hits by Beau Bakken and Luke Fuerstenberg, thus causing a Wolverine punt.
The Patriots’ offense gained possession of the ball with just 2:36 left in the half. The Pates then went on a 9-play, 61-yard drive with Jamin Metzger scoring his second touchdown of the game with just three seconds left until halftime. The two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete, and MLA held a 13-12 halftime lead.
The falcons scored on their second possession of the third quarter on a 20-yard run, boosting the Wolverine lead to 19-12.
Patriot linebacker Sawyer Bosch sprinted from his left outside position and blocked the extra point kick, keeping the Patriots down by seven.
In the final quarter, the H-BC offense started the last drive of the game with just over three minutes on the clock.
Behind the passing of Jamin Metzger, the receiving of Cooper Gehrke, Brock Harnack, Riley Tatge and the rushing of Sawyer Bosch, the Patriots advanced the ball to a first and goal from the 9-yard line with just 1:56 left in regulation.
But after a quarterback scramble by Jamin Metzger, a short run by Sawyer Bosch and a quarterback sack, the Patriots faced a fourth and goal from the 20-yard line with just 4 seconds left.
On fourth down, Jamin Metzger completed a pass to Bakken who was stopped short of the goal line at the 8-yard line.
The Wolverines came out on top with a 19-12 victory. The Patriots dropped to 4-2 for the season, and with the win, MLA also sits at 4-2.
The Patriots will travel to Red Rock Central Friday to face the 4-2 Falcons, who coach Metzger expects to be a physical team.
The outcome of that game will help bring into focus the seeding for the post-season Section 3 tournament. Game time is 7 p.m. in Lamberton.
 
Team statistics
HBC-78 rushing yards, 144 passing yards, 222 total yards, 16 first downs, seven penalties for 55 yards, one turnover.
MLA-203 rushing yards, six passing yards, 209 total yards, nine first downs, eight penalties for 45 yards, zero turnovers.
 
Individual statistics
Rushing: Sawyer Bosch 8-27, Justin Roelfs 6-26, Beau Bakken 7-19, Cooper Gehrke 2-12, Brock Harnack 1-(-2), Jamin Metzger 13-(-4).
Passing: Jamin Metzger 11-24 for 144 yards, Sawyer Bosch 0-1.
Receiving: Riley Tatge 3-68, Beau Bakken 2-30, Cooper Gehrke 2-29, Brock Harnack 1-9, Justin Roelfs 3-8.
Defense: Beau Bakken 10.5 tackles, Brayden Metzger 5 tackles, Sawyer Bosch 4.5 tackles, Alex Harris 4 tackles, Luke Fuerstenberg 3.5 tackles, Cody Moser 3.5 tackles.

The Luverne High School volleyball team added one win and one loss to its season record in the past week in contests with Jackson and Southwest Christian.
The Huskies swept the Cardinals in three games on Oct. 6 in Luverne, but the LHS team earned a hard-fought win over the E-gals in five games Monday.
The Cardinals improved their record to 13 wins and seven losses. The Luverne Cardinals will host Parents Night Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Luverne versus Adrian-Ellsworth volleyball game.   
 
JCC 3, LHS 1
Luverne hosted Jackson on Thursday, Oct. 6, and fell to the Huskies in three games with scores of 19-25, 22-25, and 23-25.
Senior Anja Jarchow completed 11 of 11 serves, recorded six kills and 12 digs. Senior Christina Wagner also completed 11 of 11 serves and charted eight blocking assists at the net.
Carly Olson, senior libero, added 24 digs for Luverne.
Senior setters Emma Beyer and Averill Sehr recorded 20 and 14 set assists respectively.
Kamryn Van Batavia, senior hitter, led with seven kills versus the Huskies.
Junior Kiesli Smith assisted at the net with one solo block and four assists
The Cardinals played well and kept the games tight but just fell short in each round.
 
LHS 3, SWC 2
Luverne hosted Southwest Christian on Monday, Oct. 10, and prevailed over the Eagles in five games.
Luverne won the first game 26-24, second game 25-13 and fifth game 18-16. The Cardinals dropped the third game 20-25 and fourth game 16-25.
Luverne came out strong and made adjustments as the games went on.
Emma Beyer recorded 27 set assists, and Averill Sehr added another 16 set assists on the night.
Carly Olson came up with 21 digs in the back row.
Kamryn Van Batavia finished the night with 18 digs and nine kills.
Anja Jarchow completed 25 of 25 serves and led at the net with 14 kills.
Beyer completed 22 of 22 serves and recorded one ace.
At the net Christina Wagner added two solo blocks and three assists.
Junior Kira John made her varsity debut and recorded one solo block and four assists for the Cardinals.

The Hills-Beaver Creek High School volleyball team participated in the Jimmy John’s Classic Tourney at Southwest Minnesota State University on Oct. 8 and 9.
They played two games on Friday and three on Saturday, claiming one win and falling in four others. 
The first game on Friday was against a very good team from Worthington. H-BC lost both sets 10-25, 6-25.
The second game was against Medford who defeated H-BC in two sets 14-25, 8-25.
On Saturday, H-BC played a couple of familiar teams that they’ve already played this season. Adrian won the first game in both sets 18-25, 13-25.
The next game H-BC went head-to-head with RRC, and H-BC was able to come out with the win in three sets 18-25, 25-23, 15-9.
The final game was against Dawson-Boyd and H-BC lost both sets 15-25, 15-25.
Individual and team statistics for H-BC were unavailable following the SMSU tournament.
H-BC was scheduled to play against Heron Lake-Okabena-Fulda in Fulda on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
The Patriots will host Edgerton Monday, Oct. 17, before traveling to Luverne Tuesday, Oct. 18, to wrap up regular season play.

This is the fourth installment of the do-it-yourself obedience training for your own dog. Prior columns have covered the basics of getting the sponge in the obedience bucket level of obedience outcome when training in your own dog.
The steps covered in the first three articles should have taken about 4-5 weeks to get really ingrained in your dog to the point where their compliance to known commands is very solid even if there are other distractions nearby like other dogs, rabbits or any number of other things like a group of kids etc.
The next steps will be to add the ability to control your dog with commands other than your voice.
The first is whistle training. I love using a whistle because the whistle cuts through many challenges you and your dog will face in the real world.
Let’s cover the first of those commands. One loud blast of the whistle is the command for “sit.” When you have your dog on a leash and give them the “sit” command, add one blast of the whistle and repeat the voice sit command.
The whistle command is not one of those wimpy whistle blows like a little kid can accomplish. This is one loud blast. By adding the whistle command with the voice command, it will take a very short time for the dog to comply only with the whistle and no voice. Sitting on the whistle will come in very handy when we start doing more advanced training work.
The other command is a series of tweet-tweet-tweets. This is the whistle command for “here.” The same program is followed. Sit your dog at a distance and give the “here” command followed immediately by a tug on the rope and a series of loud tweets in rapid succession. Blow the tweets until the dog has made it all the way back to you, repeating the “here” command as a helper.
I indicated the whistle can overcome some of the obstacles a voice command has trouble conveying. In heavy winds the voice command can get drowned out. The whistle cuts through that wind.
Other dog owners who are hollering commands to their dogs, which can confuse your dog, can be overcome when your dog is whistle-trained.
If the dog is ever going to have a life in the field hunting, a whistle command will spook far fewer birds than a big loud voice command of “here.” As before, just start out by using both the voice command and the whistle command and soon the dog will respond equally to both. Dogs take to whistle commands much faster than you might think.
After you have a good grip and good dog compliance with both whistle and voice commands on a leash, check cord or rope, you can then add a remote training collar. These are devices that allow you to make a correction to the dog for non-compliance from a distance. It is super important to understand that a remote collar has never taught a dog anything. They are only a way to make a correction for the dog’s failure to comply with the very well-known commands of “here,” “sit” and “heel.”
This again uses the least amount of correction possible to get compliance but is done with the understanding that you will ultimately need to get compliance, and if a higher level of stimulation is required to be successful, then that is what will need to be done.
There is a lot of repeating the prior proper steps with this training addition. Give the “sit” command and then apply a leash tug and a small electronic stimulation to the collar. Do this with no rhythm or cadence. Give the dog lots of freebies, meaning no corrections at all. Over time you can give a command, eliminate the leash tug, and make the correction for non-compliance only with the electronic collar. After a time, the dog’s compliance to both voice and whistle commands will be almost automatic.
Never for a second think that once this obedience training is complete, this effort is a one-and-done. Regular refreshers will be required.
Remember that every dog, I repeat every dog, will try to move up in the pack, and they will challenge you, the pack leader, on a regular basis to see if you are willing to give up your spot.
Electronic collars are a great tool in the hands of a human who understands that they are only reinforcement tools and not teaching tools. Corrections can only be made for commands that you know your dog has a deep and complete understanding of and has failed to comply to.
I will go into more detail on electronic training collars in a future column. The key today is to decide if you are up for the commitment to train your own dog and then do what it takes for about 45 days to achieve the best results.
If you have a dog question, feel free to reach out to me at scottarall@gmail.com and I will be glad to try to help you if I can.
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.

The Duff Dog Backyard Ultra is set for Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Blue Mounds State Park.
Last year at this time Luverne’s David Duffy hosted his first “ultra” running event that challenged athletes to complete 100 miles in one day.
“As of Sunday afternoon, we had 17 athletes signed up. Last year we had seven total,” Duffy said. 
“The talent we have this year is incredible. First, we have Tim Fryer and Eva Gut back from last year’s final two runners. If you remember, Tim outlasted Eva by completing 18 loops to Eva’s 17.”
He said in this year’s field there are three or four runners who have a chance to get to the 24-hour mark 1—100 miles.  
“With only one runner able to win, all of the runners will focus on getting their own personal record,” Duffy said.
Start time is 8 a.m. at the walk-in campsites and registration is open at https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=93946.
The backyard ultra is a form of ultramarathon race where competitors must consecutively run the distance of 6,706 meters (4.167 miles) in less than one hour.
When each lap is completed, the remaining time within the hour is typically used to recover for the next hour’s race.
The competition is for anyone to join and challenge themselves by running one hour, two hours or more.
“We invite folks to come check out the runners at the park beginning at 8 a.m.,” Duffy said.  
Key hours will be Hour 6 (1-2 p.m.) 25 miles. Hour 7 (2-3 p.m.) where runners will surpass the marathon mark in mileage. Hour 12 will be 7 to 8 p.m. when they hit 50 miles. Hour 18 will be 1-2 a.m. (Sunday morning) which will be 75 miles.
Hour 24 will be 7-8 a.m., the 100-mile mark.
Duffy will provide hourly updates on the runners through his Facebook page.