Last week I talked about the number of moose being seen on the Gunflint Trail and every day since then I have spotted at least two wandering along the roadway. It amazes me how they like to return to the same few places to lick the road. There was a big bull that was down on all fours, and not willing to move, near the Seagull public landing last weekend and five hours later it was in the same spot.
It is interesting that the moose decide to run in herds this time of the year. In the warmer months it is common to see a calf or two with their mother but you rarely, if ever, see a multigenerational herd running together like we are commonly seeing right now. I wonder if the survival instinct is more prevalent in the winter months or if the herd is protecting the pregnant cows? Hard to say but they sure seem to gather in the cold months.
Spotting moose consistently on the Gunflint Trail is exciting, but it does not mean that the population is healthy. This is a time of year that they have adapted to by using the road as a source of nutrition that is vital for winter survival. It is nice to see these healthylooking moose each day but it does not mean that they are rebounding. It just means that our paths are more likely to cross during the cold season.
The hot spots this week for seeing a moose have been in the Seagull Lake area, anywhere from the U.S. Forest Service Seagull Guard Station to the End of the Trail campgrounds, or the Iron Lake area. I am sure there have also been some down by Swamper Lake, but I don’t get that far down the Trail very often.
It is too far for me to drive even though I have heard that Swamper has some nice walleyes in it, but the catching is not very consistent.
Inconsistent is the reality of winter fishing, and guiding on the hard water is not very easy before the trout opener. The Gunflint Trail does not boast a lot of good perch or walleye lakes in the winter. Northern pike can be a good option but most of the smaller weedy lakes that hold pike are also holding a lot of slush.
With the snow continuing to pile up it might be a difficult year to fish the little lakes. It could be a good year to build that deluxe ice house I have been talking about for so long, but then I would have to decide on a fishing spot worthy enough to sit above for the next three months. It will be fun to play with the underwater camera that I bought myself for Christmas this season, especially on the big clear lakes like Seagull and Gunflint.
Now I can watch the fish not bite!
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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