North Shore Morning

Karen Diver has been the Tribal Chair of the Fond du Lac Reservation since 2007. She was recently named Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs. She will be the first elected tribal leader to hold such a high level position at the White House. In this interview, she discusses the role that gaming plays in economic development and tribal self-determination. She also shares what accomplishments she is most proud of.

(Photo courtesy of Karen Diver)
 

Hi.  I’m Steve Robertsen, interpretation and education specialist, with the November 6th edition of the National Forest Update  -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation here on the east side of the Superior National Forest. For the week of November 6th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
Despite the recent warm weather, fall is in fact fading into winter.  With that comes a change of this program.  We will be changing to an every other week broadcast instead of every week, unless weather or other circumstances call for a special edition of the Update.  Keep listening though for updates on when ski and snowmobile trails open or other winter events on the Forest.  You can always check our website for trail status too.
Right now though, what is going on in the Forest is the opening of the firearms deer season.  Here are a few reminders for everyone headed out into the woods this weekend.  You are allowed to use temporary tree stands on National Forest land, but you have to remove them after the hunt is over.  Everyone has a right to hunt on Forest land, you can’t attempt to call dibs on an area by putting up a stand and leaving it up.  ATVs are allowed only on the routes given on the Motor Vehicle Use Map, available at the district offices.  Signs on the ground are not the final word, and may be wrong (vandals have been known to move them)…only the current map gives the correct ATV routes.  Cross country ATV use is prohibited.  Everyone out in the woods this time of year should be wearing orange.  Being on a trail or in an area where you think there is no hunting going on are not good reasons to not wear your orange.  By “Everyone” I mean dogs as well - orange dog vests work great.  White is a color to avoid, you may look like a whitetail’s white tail.  Finally, best of luck to all the hunters…especially those that supply our family with venison!
While driving to your secret hunting location, you may be seeing some log hauling.  On the Tofte District, trucks will be hauling on the Sawbill Trail, Trappers Lake Road, the Wanless Road, and on the Timber Frear Loop (Forest Road 348) and the Four Mile Grade.  On Gunflint, expect trucks on Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, Shoe Lake Road, the Old Greenwood Road, the South Brule River Road, the Lima Grade, and the Gunflint Trail.
Fire crews are still burning piles as weather permits.  You may see smoke from these fires, particularly since much of the wood is now pretty wet after the last few days.  Our fire shop thinks that we are about done with the fall wildfire season though, and have come through this year with no major fires.
Our Halloween bat house building events, one in Ely and one in Silver Bay, were both very successful.  Ely built 66 houses, but our side of the Forest edged them out with 73 houses.  Together, northern Minnesota beat the Twin Cities whose event produced an even 100 houses, but we always knew we were Superior!  A special thank you to Hedstrom’s Lumber Mill for the wood, Kenny Dehnhoff and Barry Johnson, our volunteer kit makers, Tettegouche State Park, AmericInn Silver Bay, and all the witches, princesses, Darth Vaders, and zombies that built the houses.  We don’t know yet if we made the Guiness Book of World Records, national numbers are still being tallied.  If you built a house, please let us know if it is occupied next summer.
Our next update is in two weeks, so until then, have a great time in the woods!  This has been Steve Robertsen with the National Forest Update.

Cook County adventurers Dave and Amy Freeman are spending a year in the wilderness. On a regular basis they’ll be sharing some of their experiences travelling the BWCAW. Here’s their latest installment as they travel the Horse and Basswood Rivers.

The bird migration at Hawk Ridge is approaching half a million. WTIP’s Jay Andersen talks with naturalist Chel Anderson about songbirds and raptors, ducks and loons.

(Photo courtesy of Morro Bay Winter Loon Study on Flickr)

Deer hunting season is a busy time of the year. WTIP volunteer Mary Manning talked with Minnesota outdoorsman Shawn on North Shore Morning. 

(Photo courtesy of Wisconsin DNR on Flickr)
 

‘Stage Door’ takes us behind the scenes at the Grand Marais Playhouse. It’s a chance to meet the artists involved in our local theater…in addition to the people involved in production at the Playhouse.
 
Stage door is produced by Tina Krauz for the Grand Marais Playhouse and WTIP. 

The Grand Marais Playhouse production of ‘As You Like It’ opens Thursday, November 12, and will run for two weekends at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. 

Is it El Nino?  Definitely warmer than normal temperatures.  Fluctuations expected. WTIP’s Jay Andersen spoke with National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Stewart.

 

The issue of vacation-rental properties in Grand Marais has been a hot topic of discussion this year. WTIP News Reporter Joe Friedrichs takes a closer look at this issue. 

Deane Morrison is a science writer at the University of Minnesota. She authors the Minnesota Starwatch column, and contributes to WTIP bi-weekly on the Monday North Shore Morning program through "Northern Sky," where she shares what's happening with stars, planets and more.

Halloween, one of the cross quarter days; Fomalhaut, a near neighbor of the sun; and more action in the morning sky.

The Gunflint October is idling in neutral as month eleven is about to slip into gear. Most days of the past week our weather has taken on a November look with more gray than blue overhead along with bone chilling winds.

Although temps have not been bitterly cold, one has the feeling “old man winter” is about to rise from his recliner with a dose of something soon. Summer/fall has passed on and November will be slipping across the border in a couple days. It won’t be long until permanent skims will be glazing area lakes and ponds as water temps are heading south rapidly on these leaden tinted, cool days.

This neighborhood received another meager ration of rain over the past seven segments. Again, there was less than a half inch in my rain gauge, but it’s doing the right thing in regard to soaking the ground. Murky clouds and cool air don’t allow for much drying out this time of year. So this is good for all things needing to freeze damp.

Meanwhile, as the tamaracks are dusting off the last of their golden needles, and with Halloween at hand, long-time Gunflint residents are holding their breath so to speak in hope a storm the likes of 1991 doesn’t throw a ghostly white blanket over trick or treat activities. For those who weren’t a part of the “beggars” time dropping, this territory received upwards of 40+ inches of white 24 years ago at this time. Not living here myself back then, it’s hard for me to grasp snow to such a depth falling at one interval.

Ghosts and goblins will be trekking about the county this year on the heels of the Ojibwe “falling leaves” moon. Having made its tenth appearance of the year this past Tuesday, his “lunar highness” will still be lighting the way and creating frightful shadows behind trillions of timber beings.

Although few youngsters live, or venture from town out this way, everyone is urged to be on the look-out for the little masked creatures darting across roads and driveways. Let's make it a safe and sweet end to October.

Although I receive many comments on moose sightings, it’s been some time since yours truly has come upon one of our dwindling iconic herd. However, my moose observation fortunes got a boost a few days ago.

While traveling up toward end of the Trail, near Seagull Fishing Camp, a huge bull emerged from a swampy domain and crossed right in front of my vehicle. It was not a close call from a collision point of view, but heart stopping nonetheless. Slowing to watch as it trudged off into the forest one direction, a peek the other way, found another of similar enormousness munching some swamp water goodies.

I had to wonder if I might have barely missed out on a battle for the engagement of a fair moose maiden between the one now on my right and the other to my left. It would surely seem the two were not sharing cordial greetings about where the girls are. Whatever the case, like yes, there is a Santa Claus, a few moose are still out and about.

The next day while talking with a local gal about my sighting, she shared observing a pair of bulls in the same location just hours earlier. Perhaps it was the same pair. If so, maybe they’re DNA brothers, then again, territorial issues just might not have been settled before my interruption of the previous day. And yet, could there be four of the big guys in the same neighborhood? It’s “Moose Madness” deja vu.

A timely reminder comes your way as we return to true “sun time” this coming Sunday morning. “Falling back” from another of mankind's manipulations, don’t forget to reset those clocks before you go to bed Saturday evening.

Also be advised to start digging out the “blaze orange” gear as the rifle season on deer opens next Saturday. Sharing the woods with amorous crazed deer and excited hunters can be dangerous, be prepared!

This is Fred Smith, on the Trail, at Wildersmith! The express of November is cruising into this idyllic Gunflint territory, right on schedule!

(Photo by Gary Siesennop)