Wild North: Shawn Perich
If you head south from Duluth on State Highway 23, you pass through a tiny corner of Wisconsin. Crossing the St. Louis River at Fond du Lac, you spend 15 seconds driving through the Badger State before re-entering Minnesota. This slice of land is an orphan of geography, because you can’t get there from Wisconsin. It is also the location of the venerable Mont du Lac Ski Area.
Points North: Fishing Home Waters on a Backyard Holiday
Kadunce Creek was kind to me. The big rainbow trout we call steelhead, newly arrived from the depths of Lake Superior, were unwary and willing to bite. In a half hour of fishing I hooked three of them, even though the water temperature was an icy 34 degrees. It seemed a good omen for a five-day fishing holiday.
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Kadunce Creek was kind to me. The big rainbow trout we call steelhead, newly arrived from the depths of Lake Superior, were unwary and willing to bite. In a half hour of fishing I hooked three of them, even though the water temperature was an icy 34 degrees. It seemed a good omen for a five-day fishing holiday.
more...
Points North: Sunscreen and Life Preservers Won’t Cramp Your Style
This spring, I’m shopping for a new hat. Like many hunters and anglers, I’ve always worn ball caps. Now I’m looking for a wide-brimmed hat that will shade my oh-so-sensitive face, ears and neck from the sun. You might say I’m following doctor’s orders.
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This spring, I’m shopping for a new hat. Like many hunters and anglers, I’ve always worn ball caps. Now I’m looking for a wide-brimmed hat that will shade my oh-so-sensitive face, ears and neck from the sun. You might say I’m following doctor’s orders.
more...
Points North: North of the Border, They’re Worried about Moose, Too
John Kaplanis wants to meet Minnesota's moose biologists. As the executive director of the Northern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance, Kaplanis, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has what he calls a "million dollar question" for the state's moose experts: If biologists knew 10 years ago what they now know about Minnesota's moose decline, would they have changed their management strategy?
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John Kaplanis wants to meet Minnesota's moose biologists. As the executive director of the Northern Ontario Sportsmen's Alliance, Kaplanis, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, has what he calls a "million dollar question" for the state's moose experts: If biologists knew 10 years ago what they now know about Minnesota's moose decline, would they have changed their management strategy?
more...
Points North: Fishing Opener Forecast: Ice Expected
Up here at the tip of Minnesota's Arrowhead, the fishing opener seems far, far away. Sure, DNR officialdom says it will be legal to cast your lines on Saturday, May 11, but Mother Nature has the last word. Throughout April, her only word has been "snow."
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Up here at the tip of Minnesota's Arrowhead, the fishing opener seems far, far away. Sure, DNR officialdom says it will be legal to cast your lines on Saturday, May 11, but Mother Nature has the last word. Throughout April, her only word has been "snow."
more...
Points North: For Trout Anglers, a Late Spring is a Good Thing
On recent evenings I've gone walking with the dog on a frozen river near my home. The deep snow is dense and glacial, so you can walk upon it without sinking in. Trout season may have opened last Saturday, but you could walk, ski or snowshoe the length of this stream from its headwaters in the hills to its mouth at Lake Superior without getting wet.
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On recent evenings I've gone walking with the dog on a frozen river near my home. The deep snow is dense and glacial, so you can walk upon it without sinking in. Trout season may have opened last Saturday, but you could walk, ski or snowshoe the length of this stream from its headwaters in the hills to its mouth at Lake Superior without getting wet.
more...
Points North: In Minnesota, bio-energy production is on hold
Last weekend, I smugly retired a ragged pair of Carhartt pants to the trash can. The pants were grimy with sawdust and bar oil, because I’d worn them all winter while cutting firewood. Now I no longer need them, because the task of putting up next year’s wood supply is now complete.
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Last weekend, I smugly retired a ragged pair of Carhartt pants to the trash can. The pants were grimy with sawdust and bar oil, because I’d worn them all winter while cutting firewood. Now I no longer need them, because the task of putting up next year’s wood supply is now complete.
more...
Points North: New Study Links Tile Drainage to River Degradation
On the intensively farmed landscape of southern and western Minnesota, about the only natural habitat you'll find is along waterways and river corridors. Even there, the heavy hand of humanity is evident. Rivers that once ran clear and teemed with native fish and mussels are now muddy, phosphate-laden flows infested with nonnative carp.
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On the intensively farmed landscape of southern and western Minnesota, about the only natural habitat you'll find is along waterways and river corridors. Even there, the heavy hand of humanity is evident. Rivers that once ran clear and teemed with native fish and mussels are now muddy, phosphate-laden flows infested with nonnative carp.
more...
Points North: Invasive Species Control? History Suggests Otherwise
Once again, Minnesota legislators are debating the best way to battle an invasion of the dreaded Asian carp. The topic this year is whether to close Lock and Dam 1 or install a bubbler system to prevent the carp from migrating further upstream in the Mississippi drainage. Either option is expensive and not necessarily foolproof.
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Once again, Minnesota legislators are debating the best way to battle an invasion of the dreaded Asian carp. The topic this year is whether to close Lock and Dam 1 or install a bubbler system to prevent the carp from migrating further upstream in the Mississippi drainage. Either option is expensive and not necessarily foolproof.
more...
Points North: Twenty Dead Dogs is Too Many
A strange, sad irony of this legislative session is that efforts to save wolves from hunting may lead to the deaths of some dogs by trapping. Efforts to revisit the regulations regarding the use of body-grip traps, which critics say are responsible for killing several dogs every year in Minnesota, have been stymied by legislators who say they will not introduce any trapping bills in 2013 for fear that anti-wolf hunting measures may be attached to them.
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A strange, sad irony of this legislative session is that efforts to save wolves from hunting may lead to the deaths of some dogs by trapping. Efforts to revisit the regulations regarding the use of body-grip traps, which critics say are responsible for killing several dogs every year in Minnesota, have been stymied by legislators who say they will not introduce any trapping bills in 2013 for fear that anti-wolf hunting measures may be attached to them.
more...
Points North: Roles Reversed: Canadians Head to Minnesota for Outdoor Fun
Working a booth or exhibit at a sport show is not everyone's cup of tea. Days are long as you talk to folks in an endless parade of passersby, promoting the product or organization you represent. What makes shows fun are the short, yet interesting, conversations you have with people who check out your booth...
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Working a booth or exhibit at a sport show is not everyone's cup of tea. Days are long as you talk to folks in an endless parade of passersby, promoting the product or organization you represent. What makes shows fun are the short, yet interesting, conversations you have with people who check out your booth...
more...
