Northern Wilds - Full Feed

Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:30:23 UT

Insects of all sorts are easy to identify with this new, comprehensive field guide.

Ban lead bullets? Gimme a break!

Shawn Perich — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:02:24 UT

Lead fragments turn up in tests of venison donated to food shelves and immediately we are cautioned not to feed venison to children and pregnant women. Wildlife officials say centerfire bullets are prone to “fragmentation,” apparently exploding into toxic lead shrapnel when they enter a deer. Wow. It’s a wonder hunters and their progeny weren’t lead poisoned into extinction long ago.

Apocalypse Deer!

Shawn Perich — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:58:41 UT

Whop, whop, whop, whop. Bang!

Where are we? Hunkered down in some Third World hellhole? Nope, we’re exterminating deer in northwestern Minnesota. The Minnesota DNR recently called in the troops, so to speak, using airborne sharpshooters to wipe out whitetails in an area where bovine tuberculosis was found in cattle and deer.

Lake Superior Surfing

Shawn Perich — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:55:47 UT

Last Friday, as a feisty snowstorm plummeted northern Minnesota, I watch an enormous Hawaii Five-O breaker run the length of Grand Marais harbor. The wave kept a perfect curl until it crashed into the shore. Lake Superior was surly and curly.

Is The Arrowhead Moose Herd In Trouble?

Shawn Perich — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:22:42 UT

In recent years, folks have been commenting that there seem to be fewer moose in northeastern Minnesota. The big black critters haven’t disappeared entirely or even become uncommon, but you see fewer of them along the roadside and back in the brush. This concerns many folks, because moose are not only popular with hunters, they are enjoyed by nonhunting residents and visitors alike.

Tags: Moose

Bright Woodland Singer: Purple Finch

David Benson — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:38:34 UT

Late winter is finch time. When the cone supply runs out in other areas, flocks of finches sometimes show up at this time of year. One of the most common finches is the purple finch. The name of this species (like so many others!) is a bit misleading. Not purple at all, male purple finches are suffused with a dusky rose color over bold brown-and-white streakiness. Females lack the rose color.

Porcupines

Dana Johnson — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:21:52 UT

The North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is Minnesota’s second largest rodent surpassed only by the beaver. Like the skunk, this is an animal best given some space if encountered in the wild.

Preparing for a Fly In Fishing Adventure

Gord Ellis — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:13:49 UT

As my fishing buddies will attest, I like gear. But my travels as a fishing writer have forced me to scale down my gear to the bare essentials. What I’ve learned is for 90 percent of my fly in trips, I can get by comfortably with 10 percent of my usual tackle. Here’s a look at how to prepare for a fly in.

Terry Fox Scenic Overlook

Elle Andra-Warner — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:01:31 UT

When I chat with Thunder Bay visitors about their favourite day trips, one spot consistently ranks high–the impressive Terry Fox Scenic Lookout at the northeast entrance to the city.

The Singing Life of Birds

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:52:29 UT

Birdsong, welcome music as spring arrives, is a wondrously diverse method of vocal communication. The author, a leading expert in “avian vocal behavior,” explains how and why birds sing and how we can better understand them through their songs. The book contains a with recordings of bird songs that , when matched with graphic sonograms in the book, allows the reader to hear birds sing as never before.

Tags: birds

Wild About Minnesota Birds, A Youth’s Guide to the Birds of Minnesota

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:40:19 UT

This visually attractive book presents a wealth of information about the bird species common to Minnesota’s forests, fields, and cityscapes. Although the target readers are youth, anyone with an interest in birds will enjoy this book. In addition to life histories of various birds, information about habitat types helps the reader understand why birds live where they do.

The Fish House Book, Life On Ice In The Northland

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:38:12 UT

Ice fishing occurs in many cold places, but a book like this could only be produced in Minnesota. The author is a professional photographer who chronicled the state’s fish shanty culture. For ice anglers, this book is a tour of the familiar. For everyone else, it’s a window to another world. In either case, it’s a job well done.

Almost Tomorrow, The Poetry of Ray Nargis

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:20:32 UT

Ray Nargis is a storyteller. And in this book are stories of people and places in his life, told in poetry. These simple, readable poems are easy to understand—and they are the better for it. A native of northern Michigan, the setting of some poems, Nargis now lives in Ely, where, among other things, he hosts The Pathways radio program on WELY.

Moose Decline Puzzles Experts

Joe Albert — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:16:39 UT

Some of the moose are emaciated, while some of the bulls have poor antler development. Researchers haven’t put their finger on the cause, yet, but are working to narrow the possibilities as part of an ongoing study. And they’re hoping to do it so the herd in the northeast doesn’t turn out like the population in the northwest, which has dropped precipitously in recent years and now numbers fewer than 100 animals.

Tags: Moose

Seedlings Available from the DNR

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:52:59 UT

A variety of tree and shrub seedlings are still available from state forest nurseries, according to the Minnesota DNR.
“There are seedlings that work well for wildlife food and shelter, as well as for timber, shelterbelts, and water conservation,” said Steve Vongroven, a DNR nursery supervisor.