Each week gets a little bit colder as we slip into the holiday season. The average temperatures on the Gunflint Trail have been cold enough to make ice but the high winds are going to keep the bigger lakes open for a while yet. Big winds are very common in the late fall to help stir up the lake water in order to cool off and begin freezing. It will take a few calm nights before the bigger lakes freeze over.
It is hard to talk about anything other than deer hunting since we are approaching the final days and I have not taken a shot yet. Hunting is a game of stealth and I can’t even sneak out of the house at 6 a.m. without waking up everyone. The coffee maker woke up Sophia, who then woke up her brother while looking for her pacifier, which forced me to wake up Rachelle so that I could leave to go hunting. In my defense, I have a hard time navigating in the dark—and we have an unusually noisy coffee maker.
The last week of deer season differs slightly than the first week since the deadline is weighing heavy on hunters like me with limited amounts of time to dedicate to the sport. I passed on a few opportunities last week that I would no longer pass on. I love the hunt, but I also want to make sure we have some meat in the freezer. As they say, “If at first you don’t succeed… lower your standards.”
Since Monday was too horrible to even consider working outside I decided to sit in a tree stand for a few hours instead. The wind was howling and the tree rocked back and forth like a boat on the ocean. If I had seen anything to shoot at I would have had to time my shot with the swaying vessel that I was riding, but I saw nothing.
Tree stands are a great option for klutzy hikers, like myself, to not stumble through the woods making a bunch of noise. Sitting in a well-camouflaged stand at dark early is a great way to start the day, but it is hard for me to sit still for more than an hour before I have to start walking around. I might not shoot any deer but I am exercising while learning some new areas in my own back yard.
The biggest tracks I have seen went right around our property and through the neighbor’s yard. I followed them for about a mile down a nearby gravel road before they entered the woods in a thick patch of young aspen. I would have continued but it was about to get dark and the woods were pretty thick. It is absolutely amazing how these giant field mice (equipped with exceptional sight, smell, and hearing) are able to maneuver through the nastiest terrain while barely making a peep. Maybe I will get lucky and a less advanced deer will run out in front of me while I happen to have a loaded gun in hand. Let you know next week.
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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