Ron Schara

Appointed by the Senate

Public member Ron Schara was orignally appointed to the Outdoor Heritage Council by the Speaker of the House in 2011, was reappointed by the Senate in 2019, and again in 2023. His current four year term ends January 2027.

Ron Schara is a story teller. It's a skill Ron learned as a boy sitting on the lap of his Grandpa Clate Dickens.

Today, Ron Schara is a writer and television personality who's been sharing outdoor stories with readers and viewers for four decades. He brings to life the joys of living the outdoors through nature watching, fishing, hunting, camping and the like. Ron's soft spoken delivery and friendly on-camera presence have made him a popular icon as an outdoor communicator with a passion for the outdoor lifestyle. Ron's introduction and knowledge of the outdoors began as a boy growing up in a small town, Postville, located in the rugged northeast corner of Iowa.

Later, Ron combined two passions, music and journalism. He may be the only young man in America who once sang nightly in a Minneapolis nightclub and graduated from Iowa State University in 1966 with degrees in journalism and fish and wildlife biology. This was just the beginning.

In 1968, Ron became an outdoor columnist for the Minneapolis Tribune, a position that eventually led him into radio and television. Today Ron is founder/executive producer of Ron Schara Enteprises, a full-service video production company with six Emmy Awards. The company's video programs have aired on a variety of networks, including NBC, History Channel, ESPN2, Outdoor Channel, Versus and many other local broadcast markets.

Ron's outdoor credits include many awards for writing and television production. He's been enshrined in the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame. He's a life member of Pheasants Forever, the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. Ron was founder of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Ron is also in high demand as a public speaker about the life values of the outdoor experience. He's written four books, including The Minnesota Fishing Guide and Minnesota Bound, a collection of scripts from the popular television show.

Currently, Ron is a weekly co-host of Live Outdoors heard on WCCO 830 on CBS. Ironically, the real star of Ron's many programs is his dog, Raven, a black lab who is seen on three shows, including Minnesota Bound on KARE-TV, Backroads with Ron and Raven and Pheasants Forever TV on the Outdoor Channel.

Married to Denise and the father of two grown daughters, Ron also has one grandson, Jake. It may explain why Ron ends most of his stories with: "Remember, introduce a kid to the great outdoors."

Ramsey, MN
lsohc@lsohc.mn.gov
(Communications will be forwarded to Mr. Schara.)