Dayton Declares Open Season on Video Games

WINONA (AP) - Gov. Mark Dayton and his administration have declared open season on video games.

One of the big messages at the 10th annual Minnesota Governor's Deer Opener in Winona on the opening weekend of the firearms deer season was the need to get kids away from their Xboxes and into the outdoors.

At a luncheon Friday, Dayton said, "Youth are the future of deer hunting and the future of Minnesota."

Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwerhr cited the benefits of getting kids outdoors, such as regular exercise and reduced stress.

Dayton isn't a deer hunter, so he didn't head into the woods for Saturday's opener, but he's a pheasant hunter and he's carrying on the deer opener tradition started by his predecessor, Tim Pawlenty.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved)