It’s that time of year when weather can swing wildly from sunny to snowy and back to rainy. It is wise to remember how cold it was yesterday, even if it warm right now. Fall and spring are prime seasons for hypothermia. In winter, people dress for it and are ready for it to be cold, but in the fall, you may leave in the morning with enough gear on, but by the afternoon, you could be wishing for that extra sweater.
Fall is also a time for auto accidents. The first snowfalls and the first time the road ices over on the bridge or in the shade can surprise the most seasoned Minnesota driver. Deer are abundant along roadsides, and seem more likely to stand their ground – even against a car or truck. Flocks of snowbuntings on the roadsides swirl up as you drive past, tempting you to swerve suddenly to avoid a collision with the birds.
And finally, the end of Daylight Saving Time means you might be driving with the sun in your face or in total darkness during your commutes. All that means that it is a good time to really be mindful and aware of your surroundings.
Two weeks ago, we were talking about wet and muddy roads – this week, we are talking about roads that are frozen hard. It got cold out there this week, bringing an end to any grading operations on our roads until next year. Most of the forest road system is in good shape, but there are some backroads which froze in ruts or washboards. Drive slowly through these areas.
You should also drive slowly where there are logging trucks. This week, trucks are on the Caribou Trail, and the Evergreen Bigsby Road on the Tofte District, and the Lima Grade, South Brule Road, Greenwood Road, and the Blueberry Road on the Gunflint District. Though much smaller than logging trucks, watch out for turkeys too. There was a flock of five wandering on Highway 61 where I’ve never seen them before. Rough legged hawks are also along the highway, moving southward. Like most hawks, rough legged hawks migrate primarily due to food, not due to cold. So long as the snow stays off the ground so they can see mice and other rodents, the hawks are pretty content to stay in the area.
Once the prey can hide under snow, they’ll have to keep on moving south. Large owls, on the other hand, can stay here year round. Their hearing acts on the snow like ground penetrating radar, spotting mice in what the mice believe to be safe tunnels below the snow’s surface, then using weight and talons to drive through the snow and grab the unsuspecting mouse.
Right now hawks and owls aren’t the only hunters in the woods. The deer rifle season opens this weekend, and all visitors to the woods are strongly encouraged to wear orange. (If, instead of catching a deer, you plan on catching Gopher football, wear maroon instead of orange.) Please, respect others and don’t disturb game cameras or deer stands found in the forest.
Finally, regardless of your other plans this weekend, take a moment on Monday, Veterans Day, to thank a vet. Originally named Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, this holiday became Veterans Day in 1954 by which time it was sadly apparent that the War to End All Wars wasn’t going to live up to its name.
During the Second World War, the Superior National Forest did its part by helping to supply the “Arsenal of Democracy” with necessary wood. While the majority of it did not come from Minnesota, overall there were actually more tons of wood used during the war than tons of steel. As it is a federal holiday, Forest Service offices will be closed on Monday, November 11.
Good luck to hunters, and enjoy the forest!
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