What a great time of year to be on the Gunflint Trail. I was fortunate enough to be working off of the Clearwater Road this week while the autumn colors are peaking. Every year I am surprised at how breathtaking our little corner of the world actually is. Pretty soon the tamarack trees will turn gold and the leaves will drop. This can mean only one thing. Rifle season.
I gave deer hunting a valiant effort last season with little success. There were some opportunities that I was unable to capitalize on, but that is what makes it fun. Just you and the woods.
The early morning silence was reward enough, but I would really like to bag some meat this year. My mouth waters at the thought of a back strap on the grill. Deer hunting in northern Minnesota requires a lot more strategy than I am used to.
In Iowa there are very obvious wooded draws between cornfields and along river edges to hunt. Deer love to loiter near the cornfields, so it is just a matter of being there early enough to get a shot at one. The Gunflint Trail is a much different story. Early is still important but the playing field is much larger.
The woods are thick and vast. Deer are like giant mice that can slip through the tiniest of cracks. They are also known for climbing rocky bluffs with ease making them incredibly versatile. I was so close to tracking a buck last year that I could smell him. The next morning when I thought I could “head him off at the pass,” he decided to change up his routine and track the same route in the opposite direction. He zigged when I zagged and I loved every minute of it.
Maybe this season I will come across a less intelligent buck.
The grouse reports have been up and down. Some hunters have told me they are seeing many birds each day while others are not seeing any. I get to work on a lot of cabins this time of year so I see a lot of birds while driving the back roads. I do not hunt them because I simply do not have that kind of time.
My father-in-law is an avid bird hunter so we still get to eat a few of those tasty road chickens every fall. He uses a .22 so the meat does not get peppered with bird shot. He hunts by a purist philosophy of head shots only. He also does not believe in taking more than one or two birds from a family. Preserve your sport!
Whether you like to shoot birds or relax while painting the woods, now is the time to be up here. The starry nights are getting progressively colder and the Northern Lights are more frequent as well. Fall peak is here so get out there and enjoy it before it is too late. Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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