NEW ULM — Permits to purchase and carry guns in Brown County and local gun and ammunition sales at local and regional outlets have increased notably this year, especially in March.

“You can’t keep it (guns and ammunition) in stock. It’s like 9-11 (Sept. 11, 2001). It was the same thing with guns and ammunition after that,” said R&R Bait & Tackle store owner Francis Rieger of New Ulm.

“I get calls about pistols and shotguns from people in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and Hutchinson,” Rieger said. “People tell me they’re trying to protect each other. Some people may be scared.”

Rieger said not everyone that applies to buy guns is allowed to do so.

“If people are felons or owe alimony and are on lists, especially federal lists, they don’t get guns (legally),” he added.

Runnings Director of Marketing Dennis Jensen of Marshall said guns and ammunition sales are up in most of the company’s 55 stores in eight states in the midwest and northeast.

“Sales are really up over the past several weeks,” Jensen said.

Brown County Sheriff Jason Seidl said permits to purchase guns and carry handguns have risen each month this year.

Seidl said there were 15 permits to carry issued in January 2020, 22 in February and 46 in March in Brown County.

Last year, 247 permits to carry were issued in Brown County, slightly more than 20 per month.

There were 86 permits issued to purchase guns in 2019. This year, there were 11 permits to carry issued in January, 13 in February and 20 in March.

Rieger suggested people with time on their hands try fishing for crappies, sunfish, perch, even bullheads.

“I just talked to a couple farmers from Hanska who said they were going to fish Lake Hanska,” Rieger said. “Some people just want to get outside. Fishing should enable you to be six feet or father from each other.”

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.