For the past 30 years I have developed the Bally Creek ski trails with the help of the US Forest Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and many volunteers. With its 20 miles of ski trails that interconnect with the Cascade State Park, this small system provides the general public with access to hiking, hunting, horseback riding, mountain biking and winter activities.
It has also provided paths of movement for a wide variety of wildlife including coyote, pine martin, fisher, otter, deer, moose, bobcat, lynx and timber wolves. I had a skier tell me last week on the Sundling Creek loop that he was surprised at the amount of animals using the trails as their highways.
For the past five years as I maintain and groom these trails there has been a large male wolf with his mate using these trails as their home trails. During the deep snow of 2010 winter these predators seemed to be digging in the snow for voles and mice to supplement their diet, and you always found deer kills along the trails.
Not seeing his tracks this year I have a strong feeling that the picture of a trapper in the local fish wrapper holding a large wolf was the demise of this beautiful creature.
Who wins out—the DNR and the individual trapper who gains the recognition of the general public through a picture in a local newspaper, or do we lose another of our remaining symbols of a pristine wilderness of northern Minnesota? Does the general public care or are we continually changing the rules to fit the times?
I believe to save the last of this truly wonderful habitat that man has to learn to live with the wildlife that surrounds our homes and businesses, and not let politicians and public employees decide what they believe is best for the continuation of nature that surrounds us.
David Williams
Trail administrator
for Bally Creek trail system
Grand Marais
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