MINNEAPOLIS– Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz spent Saturday morning walking through tall grass on the opening day of Minnesota’s pheasant hunting season, giving the campaign a chance to highlight the governor’s rural roots and his love of outdoor sports.
Neither Walz nor Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan were successful in capturing pheasants while hunting near Sleepy Eye, a town about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Minneapolis. But others in their party hit six birds on a beautiful fall day, the governor’s office said.
“They can hide, they can get under the grass,” Walz could be heard saying as they searched for a downed bird.
The vice presidential campaign Kamala Harris has been confront openly the question of whether some men are reluctant to vote for her because she is a woman. Key supporters are beginning to make a more direct appeal to male voters, hoping to overcome sexism — and apathy — as Election Day approaches. Harris revealed during her debate with former President Donald Trump last month saying she is a gun owner.
On Friday, the Democratic ticket announced the launch of Hunters and Anglers for Harris-Walz, a national organizing program to engage sportsmen, conservationists and rural voters in key states.
The Trump campaign mocked the outing, accusing Walz of “desperately trying to make up ground with male voters.” The campaign’s statement also incorrectly said no guns were seen during the hunt, calling it “a sign of things to come under the Harris-Walz administration.”
While it is true that a 36-second video clip from MSNBC tweeted by the Trump campaign did not show any weapons, it was recorded before Walz and company donned their bright orange safety vests and hats and entered the field after a security checkpoint. briefing from a conservation officer. They held up their shotguns to avoid endangering the energetic pointers and Labradors trying to track down birds for the hunters.
Although Walz received a top rating from the National Rifle Association during his 12 years in Congress, he changed his stance on gun issues after a series of school shootings. As governor he was signed legislation in 2023 expanding background checks for gun transfers and a “red flag law” that allows courts to temporarily take away firearms from people deemed to be at imminent risk of harming themselves or others. His wife, Gwen, is an advocate for gun safety legislation.
“Sorry Tim, men don’t vote for a gun grab,” Trump said campaign tweeted from an official account.
The Minnesota Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener has been a tradition since 2011, modeled after the older celebrations of the state’s fishing and deer season opener. It rotates through host communities in pheasant country in southern and western Minnesota.
Walz went hunting the morning after attending a football game in Mankato, where he was once an assistant coach.