Northern Wilds - Full Feed

Points North: On a Cold River, A Newcomer Pays His Dues

Shawn Perich — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:16:24 UT

Soft rain sprinkles came to an end at bedtime. During the night, a strong wind blew in from the north. A dusting of snow and clear skies greeted us at day break. The north wind and below-freezing temperatures put a bite in the air. In other words, it was a not-so-fine day for fishing.

We were going fishing anyway. Rob Drieslein, editor of Minnesota Outdoor News, had come north to learn about steelhead fishing. With a challenging job and four kids, it’s hard for him to get away. The weather was out of our control, but I was determined to show him a good time. At the very least, we’d explore wild rivers and see spectacular scenery. Maybe we’d even catch a steelhead.

Points North: Outdoors, Age Doesn’t Matter

Shawn Perich — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:14:12 UT

Sometimes, it’s not what you do so much as the company you keep. This spring, I had very different, but equally enjoyable outdoor experiences. A 15-year-old young buck tagged along as I trapped nuisance beavers in a neighbor’s pond. I also spent an afternoon on a trout stream with an enthusiastic, old fox—age 75.

A neighbor asked me to catch the beavers which were plugging the outlet culvert in his pond, an annual occurrence. I waited to do so until Vikki’s grandson, Joe, came for a visit during his spring break. He’s a young buck who likes to get out in the woods and hadn’t experienced trapping. Tagging along for a few days as I tended beaver traps was a good way to give him a taste of it.

Points North: Will Minnesota Fishing and Boating Stop Being Fun?

Shawn Perich — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:11:13 UT

Minnesota boaters are now required to stick a new decal on all watercraft from kayaks to sea planes under penalty of law. Currently, no penalty is in effect, but DNR conservation officers can issue a warning for not displaying it. After Aug. 1, 2014, it will be a petty misdemeanor for boaters who fail to display the decal on their watercraft.

The new sticker has nothing to do with boat registration and licensing. Instead it lists the rules we the people must obey in the state’s newly declared war on aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels, Asian carp and Eurasian water milfoil. Pull your boat’s drain plug. Pick the weeds off your trailer. Don’t dump your minnows in the lake.

Points North: An Elephant for Easter

Shawn Perich — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:00:23 UT

On an Easter Sunday drive, we saw an elephant. Since this was our first Minnesota elephant sighting, we pulled off the highway to get a better look. We learned the elephant belonged to a small travelling circus, which was giving a show in Carlton the following day. Tiny was her name. We were told Tiny was gentle, weighed 7,000 pounds and was very smart.

She was also devious. Tiny reached her long and dexterous trunk into a trailer of circus gear parked near her cage and probed the contents. Eventually, her owner stuck his head out the door of his nearby RV and yelled, "No Tiny! Knock it off." Tiny obeyed, briefly. Not long after the man went back into the RV she reached into the trailer again.

Points North: Normal or not, Spring is here

Shawn Perich — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:56:55 UT

In this most unusual of springs, the change of seasons progressed at such a rapid pace it’s been difficult to keep up. Nearly two feet of snow melted in a matter of days. Ice-out soon followed, occurring weeks ahead of normal, even along the Canadian border.

The winter snow drought and fast melt mean tough conditions for spring-spawning fish. Most fish species can adapt to a quick-paced spring, but they need high water conditions for successful spawning. This is most certainly true for Lake Superior's wild rainbow trout, which run up the tributary rivers shortly after ice out to spawn on gravel beds washed by cold currents.

Points North: Will We Pay for Access to Public Land?

Shawn Perich — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:00:02 UT

The Minnesota Legislature wants to make more money from the state’s School Trust Lands. Separate bills in the House and Senate forward proposals ranging from the creation of a new agency to manage the lands to reforming the existing DNR management in order improve economic returns. The revenue derived from the lands go to the Permanent School Trust.

What the Legislature does or doesn’t do with trust lands is especially important to people who live, recreate or derive a living from the land in northern Minnesota. Currently, the use of this land for activities ranging from hiking to hunting to logging is taken for granted. Some of the current proposals in the Legislature may alter that status quo. For instance, hunters and others may find themselves paying an access fee to use trust lands.

April/May: Casting Into Spring

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:12:25 UT

April May 2012

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:23:52 UT

Points North: In the Sandbox of Minnesota Politics, the Climate Hasn’t Changed

Shawn Perich — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:00:03 UT

Driving home from work on Tuesday, March 13, I suddenly realized spring advanced a week in a day. Steady rain on the previous day left the snow saturated and poised for a rapid thaw. Sunshine and temperatures soaring above 50 degrees kicked Spring into full gear.

As a trout fisherman, I follow Spring’s progression by watching the rivers. Last week, what usually occurs over a period of weeks happened in a few days. The snow cover, ranging from one to two feet, simply disappeared. The streams filled with snowmelt, which is typically a mid April occurrence.

Points North: Bookshelf Adventure Leads to Grim Discovery

Shawn Perich — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:24:38 UT

As part of a late winter painting project, I spent last weekend removing and cleaning books from one of two floor-to-ceiling bookcases in our home. A life-long bookworm, I also inherited book collections from my grandfather and father. My bookshelves contain hundreds of volumes, including some dating to the 1800s.

I started in the fishing section, which fills several shelves. Most of the fishing books are about fly-fishing, a sport which has produced more literature over the centuries than any other outdoor pursuit. My collection doesn’t go back that far, but it contains a number of well-read titles, including a first edition copy of Trout Madness by the late John Voelker, and a number of his other works. Voelker, an Upper Peninsula native who wrote under pen name Robert Traver, is considered the dean of American fishing writers.

Points North: Let’s Hear It for Hatcheries

Shawn Perich — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:29:35 UT

When you catch a fish, do you ever think about its origins? It might have been naturally spawned where you caught it or reared in a hatchery hundreds of miles away. Even if the fish was naturally produced, its species may have been introduced to the watershed—possibly so long ago that its presence now is taken for granted. If so, a hatchery likely played a role in its introduction.

Fish hatcheries often get a bad rap because they have been used to introduce and maintain non native fish populations in many waters. Even fish managers may complain only a small percentage of fish stocked from hatcheries are eventually caught by anglers. Despite such criticisms, hatcheries play a vital role in sustaining the nation’s fisheries—and the communities and economies they support.

February March 2012

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:28:57 UT

Points North: Outdoor Banquet Serves Political Indigestion

Shawn Perich — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:00:27 UT

The old saw “never turn down a free lunch” is good advice, even if it takes some effort to reach the table. Recently, I took an afternoon off and drove to St. Paul for a free dinner. Minnesota Outdoor News editor Rob Drieslien invited me to attend the annual legislative banquet for the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance.

A coalition of conservation, sportsman’s and shooting organizations, MOHA’s mission is to protect the right to hunt, fish and pursue similar activities. Held while the Legislature is in session, the banquet allows MOHA members to mix with politians and bureaucrats.

Points North: When A Vegan Goes Hunting

Shawn Perich — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:59:10 UT

Tovar Cerulli has AOH, an increasingly common syndrome. The symptoms appeared in his 30s and were somewhat of a surprise. AOH is the acronym for what Cerulli terms Adult Onset Hunting. Prior to developing a case of AOH, Cerulli was a vegan.

The story of his journey from eating no animal products to killing and butchering deer delivers a fresh perspective to the Vermont writer’s new book, The Mindful Carnivore, A Vegetarian's Hunt for Sustenance. Cerulli speaks to the growing trend of people who take up hunting as an outgrowth of their desire to eat healthy, locally produced food even though they may have a deep-seated aversion to killing other creatures.

Points North: Do Wolves Have Longer Memories Than People?

Shawn Perich — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:17:30 UT

Abby, the old dog, found a headless grouse in the yard on a cold, clear morning last week. Still warm, the grouse was lying in a shallow crater in the snow as if something had dropped the bird from above. Since it was shortly after daybreak, most likely we'd interrupted an owl eating a kill. Several owl species frequent our neighborhood.

Around here, we have predators galore. In addition to owls, numerous species of hawks and eagles patrol the sky. On the ground, weasels, mink, martens, fishers, skunks and otters, compete with raccoons, red fox, gray fox, coyotes, wolves, stray dogs, house cats, bobcats, lynx and perhaps an occasional cougar for a warm-blooded menu of small mammals, birds, beavers, deer and moose. It's a wonder everyone finds enough to eat.