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Canoeists fish a shoreline on Slim Lake north of Ely last fall. The BWCAW is home to more than 1,000 lakes.
Reservations now open for BWCAW
REGIONAL— Careful planning is key to a successful visit to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area this summer, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Reservations for entry permits to the 1.1 … more
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Fish and Wildlife report suggests improper use of federal wildlife funds
REGIONAL— A recently released report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or FWS, provides stunning conclusions on what appears to be a wholesale violation of a federal grant program by the … more
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A male white-winged crossbill perches on a black spruce. Crossbills, which are typically uncommon at feeders, have been showing up for sunflower seeds in recent weeks.
Area bird counts reflect the impact of mild weather
REGIONAL— Plenty of hawks and crows and very few woodpeckers or grosbeaks. Those were among the more consistent findings from the more than 100 area residents who took part in Christmas Bird … more
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An aerial view of ice ridges at Voyageurs National Park on Jan. 10.
Voyageurs National Park prepping snowmobile trail
REGIONAL- The staff at Voyageurs National Park has been chomping at the bit to get to work on the park’s winter snowmobile trails and ice roads, and now with a bit more cooperative weather a … more
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DNR offering help to private forestland owners
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is inviting private woodland owners with two or more acres of forested property to participate in a new effort to help improve forest inventory across … more
Decaying ice on the north arm of Trout Lake in the BWCAW on Dec. 27. While this shallow bay of the lake was frozen, other parts of the big lake remained open as of New Year’s
December was a month for the record books
REGIONAL— December of 2023 proved to be one for the meteorological record books. The jaw-dropping Christmas to New Year’s warm spell capped a month that was already running much warmer … more
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Clair Helmberger, Jodi Summit, and Victoria Ranua (partially obscured) made their way recently along the Norway Trail on the edge of a then-snowless BWCAW.
Winter green
Late December in the Boundary Waters is supposed to be a season laden in white. But in an unprecedented year it was the deep greens that stood out during a hike along the Norway Trail, north of Trout … more
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A group of hikers, not all pictured, got ready to hike the lighted ski trail loop earlier this month.
Club helps keep community active and outdoors
TOWER- While the lack of snow meant no group snowshoeing or cross-county ski outings through early January, members of the Vermilion Area Activity Club just continued hiking, some weekends on … more
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Free entry to Minnesota state parks on Monday
REGIONAL— In their continuing effort to encourage Minnesotans to get outdoors, the Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on … more
Checking the ice on the Hunting Shack River, northeast of Buyck earlier this month. The brief cold snap just after Thanksgiving allowed for several inches of ice to form on many small lakes and rivers.For wilderness adventures on ice, be sure to go prepared. The backpack pictured here contains food, water, matches and other survival gear, as well as a complete change of clothes in a dry sack.
Adventures on ice
There are several ways to travel in the North Country wilderness in winter, but none is so fleeting or so rare as on skates. It takes that unusual alignment of November weather to allow for wild … more
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Just a skiff of snow remains on top of the ice on the West Two River this week. The area has seen a remarkably warm and dry December so far this year.
Mild December unusual but not unprecedented
REGIONAL— The extraordinarily mild weather so far this month is uncommon, but not unprecedented, according to state climatologist Pete Boulay. It was back in December of 1998, coming off one of … more
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Keeping skiers motivated in a snowless winter
ELY— Motivating athletes in practice is always a challenge for a coach. But motivating Nordic skiers in the North Country’s thus-far nearly snowless winter to date is providing an even … more
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New law has fines for trash on the ice
REGIONAL— With sufficient ice on many North Country lakes, anglers are starting to move their fish houses out to their favorite honey holes. But they’ll want to be aware of a new law that … more
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The 2023-24 finch forecast cited large numbers of purple finches moving through NE Minnesota this fall. Will any show up at feeders in the North Country this winter or will they stay to our south?
Plenty of uncertainty about feeder birds this winter
REGIONAL— With the winter bird-feeding season now underway with most folks—even as winter seems to be taking a break— there is considerable uncertainty about just what birds might … more
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DNR faces critical shortage of black spruce cones
REGIONAL—If you’re looking to make some extra cash this winter, consider gathering black spruce cones for the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR’s state forest nursery is … more
A study wolf in Voyageurs National Park.
How wolves affect forests
VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK— A new study just published by the Voyageurs Wolf Project has provided data to confirm the idea that predators, like wolves, can shape the ecosystems in which they live … more
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Fourteen-year-old Jack Anderson smiles big as he poses with the eight-point buck he shot Nov. 13 using his late grandpa’s rifle.
Soudan youth bags buck in honor of his grandpa
SOUDAN— Fourteen-year-old Jack Anderson had a feeling two weeks ago as the deer season wound down. He had hunted deer before with his grandfather, Frank Gornick, of Soudan, but Frank had died … more
Fresh ice on the East Two River in Tower looks inviting for a skate, but be sure to test any ice before venturing out and wear a life vest as well.
Be extra cautious on early season ice this year
REGIONAL— The recent colder weather has put ice on many area lakes and ponds, but folks should keep in mind that the ice may still be too thin to support most activities on the ice, such as ice … more
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Dave Lislegard
Lislegard pushing for wolf hunt
REGIONAL— State Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora, is advocating for a managed wolf hunt in Minnesota as soon as federal protections are lifted on the once-threatened predator. The gray wolf was … more
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The snowmobile bridge over the East Two River in Tower as it was as of mid-November. The missing and rotted decking and collapsed guard rail have since been replaced.
Aging bridges pose challenge for clubs, DNR
REGIONAL— The state of Minnesota, with help from local clubs, maintains more than 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails across the state, and that means countless bridges that cross streams, … more
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You can work off a few of those Thanksgiving calories with a hike in a Minnesota state park this Friday. Entrance is free.
Free entrance to all Minnesota state parks this Friday
REGIONAL—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving entrance fees to all 75 state parks and recreation areas on Friday, Nov. 24 – the day after Thanksgiving. This … more
Former state Sen. Tom Bakk reports that the crew at his hunting camp just south of Lake Vermilion has seen more wolves than deer so far this season. But he reports his 12-year-old grandson, Cooper, pictured at right, bagged this hefty eight point buck last Saturday while on post with his uncle Mark.
Registrations down dramatically over five years ago
REGIONAL— “More wolves than deer.” That’s been a common refrain from hunters across northern St. Louis County, where the pace of the regular firearms deer season is running … more
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Julie Grahn, of rural Cook, captured this image of a mink who was recently hunting along the icy edges of the ice-covered Sturgeon River. Grahn, who posted the photo on the Ely Field Naturalists listserv reported that the mink seemed as curious about her as she was about it, which gave her the chance to put her photography skills to use.
The stink about mink
I was about nine years old the day my father sent me running in shock over a smell I had never imagined possible. We were both in the basement and I was watching him skin a mink that he had shot … more
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USFS adopts plan to help forests move
SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST— Forest planners here are taking steps now to help the national forest adapt to the changing climate through a new pilot project that includes a wide range of partners. … more
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Chessica Reichert, of Lake Vermilion, and her son Jace Olson, pose with the eight-point buck Chessica shot in central Minnesota. It was the first buck Chessica shot in ten years of hunting on the property. For the first time in years, the Timberjay received no photos from successful hunters locally.
Deer harvest slips again
REGIONAL— Hunters in the North Country mostly struggled to find deer during the opening weekend of the regular firearms deer season, even as there were pockets of relatively good success. … more
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