Last Stolte Drive?

Red Breasted Nuthatch





I drove Stolte Rd yesterday looking for tracks and the northern hawk owl that visited last year. It was not around but who knows, it might return. The tracks on the road were surprising! A pack or three coyotes were hunting along the road all the way to Dueholm. No wolf tracks were seen. With the number of coyotes I wonder if the wolf pair is spending time elsewhere. They seemed to be moving along at a leisurely pace. While snowshoeing later in the day Sandi and I found a wintering hole of either a fox of coyote. A camera trap is planned to identify the owner. This morning's storm may put an end to leisurely driving on Stolte since it is not plowed north of the Dueholm overlook.
Dale

Wandering Bear

This young bear came through Crex this spring. I have been trying to find its origin since photographing it. No one in MN or WI is missing a bear except maybe Fort Ripley in MN. The researcher there was missing a couple collared bears when I talked to him this summer. If this is a Wisconsin bear it might come Stevens Point or from a research project that is no longer operational. Dave MacFarland who leads the bear studies in Wisconsin has seen the photos and talked to researchers but has had no luck identifying the collared bear's researcher. That leaves the likelihood that it may have wandered 90 air miles to Crex from Ft. Ripley.

Perhaps it will be around next year or the collar will be found.
Dale

Wolves and Deer

I have been watching this doe and 2 fawns for the last six months on a trail cam positioned at a wolf scent marking location. On multiple occasions the deer and wolves pass the camera within hours of each other. A red fox has also had the audacity to leave its mark at the scent post, a very brave guy given wolves known antagonism toward foxes. Because of the recent freezing rain the camera was covered in ice and had to be pulled for a few days. Wolves are now patrolling the roads and two were seen this week on Hickerson Rd. on Fish Lake Wildlife Area.

With the onset of winter and conclusion of hunting season I hope to place cameras at various locations with the goal of getting new species such as a bobcat and better fisher images (if only they would hold still).
Dale

A hint of the sun

I spent yesterday afternoon in the Amsterdam Sough area where a local trapper was setting traps for mink and fisher. As a visitor to the area I forget the economic resource Crex properties are to many residents. This gentleman had memories of trapping beaver through the winter for the pelts and to help feed his family of six. He commented on the high cost of gas and how it cuts into his profit margin. Thank goodness I don't have to worry about my photography profit margin.

With the overcast light black and white images were the only photo opportunities and I stopped several times to create various compositions of the pines and snow.


On the way back to the cabin there was about 15 minutes of sweet light, just enough to remember what the sun looks like and get a couple shots.

Dale

First Snowfall

I happened to be in the blind on the morning of the first heavy snow two weeks ago. It wasn't so cold as it was wet. The cranes were very quiet and until the blastoff I had no idea there were so many. They milled around in the air and did not leave the roost during the time I watched them. It's hard to believe the first snowfall was only 2 weeks ago.
Dale

A new wolf pack

Last week a new pack arrived at the scent post. A pack of seven wolves that had not previously been seen arrived in force. What happened to the other pack? The black wolf of the previous pack was euthanized a couple weeks ago because of blindness and close human contact. At this point it is not known whether a necropsy will be done. The wolf encyclopedia by Mech, et al lists blastomycosis as a cause of blindness. Given the appearance of the animal over the summer months this may very well be the case, if it is this is an isolated illness which probably will not affect the pack.

Did 7 new animals arrive? I don't think so, my guess is when the previous pack of 4 lost a member it was unable to defend its territory and two of the members joined a pack of five led by the mottled alpha male. This would account for the bewildered appearing previous alpha appearing at the scent post the day after the new pack left its calling card; pure speculation of course.

The wolf survey this winter could be interesting if the pack stays in the area.
Dale

More on the Trumpeter Swan

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center has posted a blog about the injured swan. There is a link to a video on their blog showing the swan release at Fish Lake. I'm happy to report that as of this afternoon (Nov. 12th), the swan is still at Fish Lake and doing fine although he has not been reunited with his mate yet.
WRC blog


Hopefully this will happen soon.
Kathy J.