When the sun decides to make an appearance, so do the ruffed grouse who come wandering out to the roadside to graze in the recently exposed grass along the Gunflint Trail. Spring is in the air and forest critters are coming out of winter hiding to scavenge for food.
During the winter months we mostly see snowshoe hare and wolves running around in the woods, so it is a wonderful reminder each spring how many animals actually reside in the forest. Most of them hibernate (at least partially) through the toughest months of winter and are rarely spotted again until mid to late March when they can begin foraging.
I am impressed at how smart these animals are at adapting to the seasons and surviving the harsh winter. It must take the entire spring, summer and fall to store enough food for everyone.
Our resident red squirrels have commandeered the bird feeders and suet blocks hanging from the trees ever since Maggie, our wiener dog, has dropped her guard. The squirrels are bolder now that Maggie no longer savagely hunts them like she used to. Maggie has lost interest in her older age and must realize that the squirrels are simply too fast and agile for her to stand a chance at catching them. She has since focused her energy on mice that live under the screen porch. I highly doubt she can catch them either but they don’t run so far away.
There is still some snow on the trails and in the woods but most of the lakes have melted down to solid ice. I guided on Gunflint Lake last weekend and we simply drove our vehicle from spot to spot. We were able to cover a lot of ground but it didn’t make a difference— fishing was tough.
Bright sunny days are just as hard to fish in the winter as they are in the summer. We managed to catch a few trout each day but it was slow.
The ice has not melted yet and most of the lakes I have been fishing are still showing solid ice from 18- to 30-inches depending on the lake. Trout season will close at the end of the month but walleyes will stay open on border lakes until April 14.
Some years we lose the ice before the end of the season but I don’t think this will be one of those years unless we start seeing the temperature rise dramatically. It can happen fast but it doesn’t look that way this year.
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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