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The 2023-24 finch forecast cited large numbers of purple finches moving through NE Minnesota this fall. Will any show up at feeders in the North Country this winter or will they stay to our south?
Plenty of uncertainty about feeder birds this winter
REGIONAL— With the winter bird-feeding season now underway with most folks—even as winter seems to be taking a break— there is considerable uncertainty about just what birds might … more
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DNR faces critical shortage of black spruce cones
REGIONAL—If you’re looking to make some extra cash this winter, consider gathering black spruce cones for the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR’s state forest nursery is … more
A study wolf in Voyageurs National Park.
How wolves affect forests
VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK— A new study just published by the Voyageurs Wolf Project has provided data to confirm the idea that predators, like wolves, can shape the ecosystems in which they live … more
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Fourteen-year-old Jack Anderson smiles big as he poses with the eight-point buck he shot Nov. 13 using his late grandpa’s rifle.
Soudan youth bags buck in honor of his grandpa
SOUDAN— Fourteen-year-old Jack Anderson had a feeling two weeks ago as the deer season wound down. He had hunted deer before with his grandfather, Frank Gornick, of Soudan, but Frank had died … more
Fresh ice on the East Two River in Tower looks inviting for a skate, but be sure to test any ice before venturing out and wear a life vest as well.
Be extra cautious on early season ice this year
REGIONAL— The recent colder weather has put ice on many area lakes and ponds, but folks should keep in mind that the ice may still be too thin to support most activities on the ice, such as ice … more
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Dave Lislegard
Lislegard pushing for wolf hunt
REGIONAL— State Rep. Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora, is advocating for a managed wolf hunt in Minnesota as soon as federal protections are lifted on the once-threatened predator. The gray wolf was … more
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The snowmobile bridge over the East Two River in Tower as it was as of mid-November. The missing and rotted decking and collapsed guard rail have since been replaced.
Aging bridges pose challenge for clubs, DNR
REGIONAL— The state of Minnesota, with help from local clubs, maintains more than 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails across the state, and that means countless bridges that cross streams, … more
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You can work off a few of those Thanksgiving calories with a hike in a Minnesota state park this Friday. Entrance is free.
Free entrance to all Minnesota state parks this Friday
REGIONAL—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving entrance fees to all 75 state parks and recreation areas on Friday, Nov. 24 – the day after Thanksgiving. This … more
Former state Sen. Tom Bakk reports that the crew at his hunting camp just south of Lake Vermilion has seen more wolves than deer so far this season. But he reports his 12-year-old grandson, Cooper, pictured at right, bagged this hefty eight point buck last Saturday while on post with his uncle Mark.
Registrations down dramatically over five years ago
REGIONAL— “More wolves than deer.” That’s been a common refrain from hunters across northern St. Louis County, where the pace of the regular firearms deer season is running … more
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Julie Grahn, of rural Cook, captured this image of a mink who was recently hunting along the icy edges of the ice-covered Sturgeon River. Grahn, who posted the photo on the Ely Field Naturalists listserv reported that the mink seemed as curious about her as she was about it, which gave her the chance to put her photography skills to use.
The stink about mink
I was about nine years old the day my father sent me running in shock over a smell I had never imagined possible. We were both in the basement and I was watching him skin a mink that he had shot … more
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USFS adopts plan to help forests move
SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST— Forest planners here are taking steps now to help the national forest adapt to the changing climate through a new pilot project that includes a wide range of partners. … more
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Chessica Reichert, of Lake Vermilion, and her son Jace Olson, pose with the eight-point buck Chessica shot in central Minnesota. It was the first buck Chessica shot in ten years of hunting on the property. For the first time in years, the Timberjay received no photos from successful hunters locally.
Deer harvest slips again
REGIONAL— Hunters in the North Country mostly struggled to find deer during the opening weekend of the regular firearms deer season, even as there were pockets of relatively good success. … more
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A composite image showing a female wolf carrying a dead whitetailed deer fawn back to her pups near Voyageurs National Park.
Study: Human impacts may be helping wolves hunt
REGIONAL— Humans have significantly altered the landscape of northeastern Minnesota and those changes appear to be helping wolves prey more effectively on whitetailed deer and their fawns. … more
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Rail authority postpones decision on Vermilion trail request
REGIONAL— The St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Rail Authority has postponed a decision that could determine the future of the proposed Lake Vermilion bike trail. The authority board took no … more
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IMPROVE YOUR ODDS
REGIONAL— With a still-depleted whitetailed deer population across northern St. Louis and Lake counties, hunters will want to take steps to give themselves the advantage when the regular … more
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DNR’s northeastern Minnesota report
Per the DNR: “Deer populations in many northern areas of Minnesota are still struggling to recover, following back-to-back severe winters. During severe winters, thermal cover and forage … more
Send us your hunting stories
REGIONAL—Deer season is a time of tradition, family and fun. It’s also a time for great outdoors stories and we’d like to hear yours— so we can share the best with our … more
Many area aspen were still showing their autumn gold in late October this year, well past their normal peaks. The aspen peak is arriving more than a week later than 40 years ago, a reflection of the changing climate.
Fall leaves are turning, falling later
REGIONAL— It’s not just your imagination. Leaves are changing color later than in the past here in the North Country, and we’re not alone. All across North America, the dramatic … more
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When a ghost rings the bell on the William A. Irvin
Stephanie Ukkola

 once worked as a manager on the SS William A. Irvin, a retired US Steel ore carrier that sailed the Great Lakes from 1938 until it’s retirement in 1978. The vessel now … more
An unexpected visitor on the midnight shift
NORTHSHORE MINE— Soudan resident, Nate Dostert got the scare of a lifetime back in about 2009 when he was working for Cleveland Cliffs-Northshore at the Peter Mitchell Mine near Babbitt. He was … more
A portal to another world?
SOUDAN—It was a stormy December evening several years ago when Victoria Ranua and her family arrived at their Soudan residence. Snow had been falling for hours and there was nearly a foot of … more
Ghost in the house
BABBITT— Having grown up in Babbitt, with a long Finnish lineage, Brittney Tuura was in no rush to move away from her family. In about 2012, at age 25, she and her husband and two children, … more
The kitchen door at the James St. house where a wispy apparition appeared. It was one of many unsettling events experienced at the house.
Unsettling events on James
ELY—In 2001, I moved to Ely from Hayward, Wis. with my son who was four years old at the time. I was single back then and had rented a house for us on James St. With the help of a girlfriend, … more
Talking to the other side
Editor’s note: This is from a current resident of Soudan, recalling her experiences growing up. When I was kid, I lived in the country, in a big house, on a hill. I didn’t have any … more
Ely-area resident Paul Pelkola found this gooey brown colony of bryozoans growing on his boat lift last weekend.
Bryozoans bring an other-wordly feel to Minnesota lakes
FALL LAKE- If the strange blob that Paul Pelkola found on his Fall Lake boat lift had been green instead of brown, it could have been straight out of “The Attack of the Green Slime,” one … more
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