Sunday Drive

Cabin fever hit us hard today. Lin decided that going for a drive up the "Trail" might help us break out of our winter routines. We were very surprise to actually see two moose wandering along the edge of the road.

They were very thin and have already starting to shed their winter coats.  While we have managed to put on winter fat the moose have lost their fat and their coats are dull and shaggy.

 The nice thing about looking for moose in the winter is that they really stand out against a snow background. It also helps that they are often found on the roadway looking for salt. We watched the moose in the picture on the left go about 10 feet off the roadway before it started eating snow. It probably was eating salt before we came upon it.  

                                                                                                               

Late Winter Activity

The last two snow storms that were tracked across the Midwest missed us entirely! With the warmer daytime temperatures and longer days the human activity along the Gunflint Trail has definitely increased. In the first two weeks in March  we had a Trout Derby on Gunflint Lake, a brest cancer Mush for a Cure fun raiser weekend and the John Beargrease Sled Dog Race. 

Ice fishing for Lake Trout continues and gets easier as the month progresses. Plowed roads on Gunflint Lake from the Trout Derby make lake access easy for those of us without snowmobiles. The hike into Moss Lake is also easier as the fishing season starts to wind down.  On Clearwater Lake the fish are biting on jigs worked in the 25 - 40 foot depths.

Snowmobiling activities are going strong especially for riders crossing into Canada. We have had several groups staying in our winter apartment that spend more time riding at night when the moon was out that what they spend daytime riding!  

On a down note, the DNR has reported that five of the 111 radio collared moose in their moose study died in the first month.   Four of the deaths are considered capture related as they happened in the first two weeks after capture. The fifth death was contributed to a wolf kill.  The DNR plans to expand their study this spring with the collaring of 50 calves.  

This blog update without photos is very unusual for us. We have either been too busy to take any photos or have forgotten to take a camera with us when we go out. We'll do better for future blogs.  .  

Warmer Weather Ahead

Winter is over! Just two weeks ago the temperature didn't get above 0 during the day and we were hibernating.  When we ventured outdoors it was only for a couple of hours and it was usually to open the driveway down to our winter lakeside rental apartment. We had seldom heard any snowmobiles and ice the fishermen where using shelters.

This morning the lake in front of our house is covered with snowmobile tracks. The daytime temperature is already in the upper twenties. People are sitting on 5 gallon buckets to ice fish instead of hauling out their ice houses. 

We're baby sitting our neighbor's dog,Charlie,  so that they could snowmobile into Canada for the day.  Charlie and I took a walk down to the Lodge area and saw that the aluminum canoes are starting to pop out of the snow. This is first sign of spring -- kind of like daffodils popping out of the snow further south.

The best thing about this time of the year is that our personal  activity levels shoot up. I need to drop about 20 pounds and Lin needs to .... loose a little. The warmer weather lets us both get outdoors more. Lin starts taking walks and I can do some outdoors work around the Lodge. OK, I also get the fish for Lake Trout until March 31st.

We may still get some winter like weather. However, waiting inside for a day or two for things to improve is better than facing months of winter weather.

                             

Boundary Waters Moose

Last week the DNR announced that the total estimated Minnesota Moose population was less than 2,800 animals.  The DNR decided to close bull moose hunting in 2013 in response to the steep population decline that occurred in 2012.

After years of research trying to determine why the moose population is declining the cause is still unknown. Climate warming, predators, parasites, hunting and habitat change are all possible sited factors. 

People Watching at Rockwood Lodge


For those of us living along the Gunflint Trail the declining moose population comes as no surprise. Lin and I have gone from seeing a moose on almost every trip into towm to only accasionally spotting a moose! Last year is was a rare event for us to see a moose mom with a calf. While our guests still report seeing moose, the reports are concentrated in smaller areas within the BWCAW.

It is hard for us to imagine living in the North Country without having moose nearby. After years of living here, we are just as thrilled to come across a moose in the wild as our guests. Steps in reducing all of the possible factors that might be influencing the declining moose population need to be taken along with additional research being conducted by the DNR. .  

Lake Trout --The Other Red Meat

Well the open season for Lake Trout fishing outside the BWCAW finally arrived and I have not been very good about sharing some pictures. Lake Trout are a natually aggresssive fish which is one of the reasons they are so fun to catch. They are usually larger than stream trout and are known for being fighters. Best of all, they are a great tasting fish that are especially healthy for you to eat.  

Before moving to Minnesota we use to enjoy catching and eating Rainbow and Brown trout. But after feasting on Walleye and Perch for several years our eating preferences drifted away from stream trout.  While we still don't enjoy the taste of steam trout we have acquired a fondness for Lake Trout.

Last week the nighttime low temperatures were in the negative low thirties and the highs never reached above 0 degrees. For the next couple of days the lows are forecasted to be 40 degrees higher that what we had last week and the highs should be in the twenties.  (I have to admit that ice fishing is much more enjoyable then the temperatures are above 0 degrees.) Tomorrow we have to go into town to get some more minnows! There is a nearby lake that is full of Lake Trout that seems to be calling out my name.

A Couple of Fillets Ready for the Pan