The ground is covered in snow and the lakes are making ice. Overnight temperatures are dipping into the single digits and you can hear the lakes cast a haunting vibrato across the night air as the water freezes and expands. It sounds like aliens are landing to fulfill the end of the Mayan calendar.
Not really, but it does mean that we should have safe ice on the smaller lakes real soon.
I am getting pretty excited to see some walleyes lying on the ice. I would even settle for some perch or crappies.
If it is going to be cold it had better be white with snow too. Sophia was gifted a new sled for her second birthday last weekend so she is pretty excited to see the season change. I know the resorts are getting anxious for some winter business and there is a rumor that Trail Center is going to open early as well.
A lot of salt/sand mix has been spread along the roads lately so I would expect to see some moose activity as well. They love to wander out onto the pavement at night and lick the salt. Moose can be seen anywhere along the Gunflint Trail—especially near the South Brule and Swamp Lake areas.
Moose are hard to see at night. An absolute giveaway is when they are leaving prints on top of the Gunflint Trail. Snowy hoof prints are a sure-fire indicator that the moose are on the loose—so take caution and give them a “brake.” Let’s give the remaining few a fighting chance.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is considering placing the moose on a list of “species of special concern” which means little more than the DNR will be paying closer attention to the moose, but it is a start.
The hunting regulations are not going to change. The moose is still considered wild game—for now—but the DNR is going to keep a closer watch over their existence. It sounds like this might be a “heads-up” to everyone before the moose is actually placed on an endangered species list. The moose populations in Northern Minnesota are clearly declining due to warmer average temperatures, parasites and predators. I used to make fun of the people who would stop their cars along the Gunflint Trail to take pictures of the moose—and now I am one of them. We still see a fair amount of resident moose, usually the same ones in the same places, and I find myself paying a little more attention to them now. The moose is a magnificent creature and a symbol of the great North Woods. This place would not be the same without them.
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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