A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
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Recently I got a text soliciting some advice about fishing a lake a couple of hours north of Cloquet. Within seconds I responded with a detailed map indicating the wind would blow at 20-plus mph around noon the next day, limiting fishable water. Minutes later I added a couple of screenshots of GPS-marked spots to try for walleyes. It struck me that I rely on a whole toolbox of technology on my smartphone that was nonexistent just a few short years ago. Some are free, several cost money to...
Once again, Cloquet residents Stu Nelson and Rich Brummer were the top fundraisers for the Minnesota Fishing Challenge, with proceeds supporting MN Adult & Teen Challenge drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs statewide. Nelson and Brummer set a stout record this year, bringing in more than $127,000. Both men are passionate about restoring the lives of drug and alcohol addicts. The May 30 event, which usually takes place with 150 to 200 teams on Gull Lake near Brainerd, had a different look...
If you read my column regularly you're already aware I'm up for new adventures. This week I jumped at the chance to fish a new stretch of the St. Louis River with Cloquet's Chad Vermeersh. We hooked up his Lund and headed slightly northwest to downtown Brookston to chase walleyes. The boat landing is easy to locate, upstream of the bridge, just off the beaten path. The landing drops at a precipitous rate, its concrete pads swallowed up by the root-beer stained water far below. I drew the short s...
Minnesota DNR The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources began reopening campgrounds this month at state parks, state forests and recreation areas in a phased approach this month. Camping is allowed now, but not all campgrounds or campsites are open. Dispersed camping and remote camping are allowed for members of a single household. Nearly all state forest campgrounds, and 38 campgrounds within state parks and recreation areas, are now open with limited services. Some lodging options, such...
My two oldest, Hannah and Joseph, were just kids when they saved up their pennies to buy their first boat. They split the cost of a 1984 Alumacraft with an old 50-horsepower Merc hanging off the back. I remember their beaming smiles and how proud they were of their “new” boat and how they had big plans to fix it up. Then life got in the way. It was baseball, soccer, basketball or floor hockey season. Or boyfriends and girlfriends to spend time with. Or friends to hang out with. Or jobs, school,...
During Take a Kid Fishing Weekend Friday, June 5, to Sunday, June 7, Minnesota residents can fish without licenses if they take children 15 or younger along fishing, too. "Taking your kids fishing is a lot of fun and a great way to get them connected to the outdoors," said Benji Kohn, volunteer mentor program coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "It also teaches kids patience, builds their confidence and results in a great family bonding experience." Minnesota youth 15...
May is a spectacular month for birding in our part of Minnesota. Not just in numbers, but variety, artistry and antics. In April, the early birds touch down for a visit on their way north: snow buntings, pine siskins and fox sparrows among them. And sandhill cranes, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, and trumpeter swans, some remaining. May welcomes the colorful warblers, ruby-throated hummingbirds, diving snipe and speed-demon swallows swooping over water for insects we cannot see. On mornings not...
If you are reading this, you should probably stop. Hook up your boat and read this later. The fish are biting. The light switch has been turned on this week. Many different species have moved shallow with the warming water and they are active. I've been on three crappie lakes in the last 10 days. The fish were staging just off spawning grounds with the temps holding in the low to mid-50s. As the weather and water warmed, those fish pushed en masse toward the shallows. This is the time for...
Bouncing along the backroads of Mahtowa, I leaned hard into the glow of my headlights, seeing the fine line between dirt and marsh. My eyes strained and blurred searching for my turn. Cottontail rabbits and woodcock scattered upon my approach. Gravel crunched under my tires as I worked my way up my cousin Ben Nynas' driveway, a billion stars enveloping me from above. As I broke free from my Suburban, a chorus of frogs echoed through the darkness. It was late ... or was it early? Either way, we...
A Canada goose cuddles with a gosling in this photo taken by Pine Knot News subscriber Mike Farmer, also an avid wildlife photographer. Farmer found the pair at the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge near McGregor on Wednesday. Farmer said he'd been driving around "looking for critters" when he saw two geese across a small river and spied a tiny bit of yellow under the wing. "I knew it was gonna pop up like that," he said, adding that he ended up waiting about a half hour before the gosling...
Avoiding the expected crowds, I slid the big blue Lund into the water a little past 4 a.m. on opener morning. By the light of the full moon, David, Joseph and I made our way slowly upstream from Boy Scout Landing on the St. Louis River. Several boats zipped by in the moonlight and shadows, brave enough or carefree enough to forge the river full speed ahead. I had planned to avoid the masses, but the draw of openers past nagged at me until I relented. Also, I wanted to target big fish. I decided...
This week I've been able to get out and chase some pre-spawn crappies, brook trout, and sample the annual sucker run. Most of my focus is on the impending Minnesota walleye opener Saturday. The march of the boats has already begun through Cloquet, mostly headed north. I'm hoping most anglers are sticking close to home, but my gut tells me otherwise. I have decided it's best to avoid crowded boat ramps and fish off the beaten path for the opener this year. My approach will follow a pattern that...
Pandemic or not, there are still some things we can do. Last week I was able to enjoy a short trip to the deer shack, somewhere near Cromwell. It brought a welcome respite from being boxed in and held hostage to the virus. As you might recall, last Saturday was gorgeous, in the high 60s, but a bit breezy. After parking the truck and unloading the ATV, it was time to take the short ride through the woods to the old shack, which had not been visited since last deer season. Taking the side-by-side...
Let's face it, this pandemic is changing us. If not seriously ill, people have time to stop, think, and actually ask themselves: "What should I do next?" The following story has nothing to do with the coronavirus, but does illustrate the realm of ideas possible for those contemplating retirement or individuals with time on their hands and a willingness to pursue dreams. Dave Antus grew up in Cloquet close to where the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is today. He was an active child and...
The wind gathered momentum and funneled directly down the narrow stretch of the river channel, unleashing its strength against the far bank before dissipating around the bend. Current and wind and waves blustered past. Collar popped against the torrent, I sat plopped along the edge of the chocolate-milk stained St. Louis River of early April. For the 15th time, I tried to convince myself I knew what I was doing. My target was a springtime dinosaur; a sturgeon I could call my own. I chucked a...
Local kayakers are taking advantage of the fast, high waters of the St. Louis River during spring runoff too. Esko High School students Karsten Fetters and Baylor Litsey put their kayaks in just past the Highway 210 bridge for a thrilling Tuesday afternoon adventure, after kayaking from Scanlon to the reservoir first with four other friends. “It was a little chilly,” said Fetters, with a big smile. Thank goodness their buddy Andy Stingle (also pictured) was there to pick them up....
Sports as we usually know them may be on the back burner, but people all over the country are rediscovering ways to stay fit. Chief among those is walking. One look around neighborhoods in the area and most likely you'll see streets with people of all ages getting out of their houses and walking for both their mental and physical well-being. "My husband and I walk every day," said Scanlon resident Tina Schroeder. "He walked on the treadmill every day, but now we both prefer to get the fresh air...
Minnesota’s state parks and trails remain open to the public, but the Department of Natural Resources is making changes to adapt to the challenges of the public health emergency. Getting outdoors is one of the activities being encouraged as social distancing continues. Users need to respect space between other users and avoid touching what would normally be shared surfaces. As of now, all 75 state parks and recreation areas: • Moved to a 100 percent self-pay system. All state parks and recreation areas have the ability to collect permit fees an...
DNR COVID-19 response: What you need to know In accordance with guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health, we have adjusted our services, events and operations to protect Minnesotans and prevent further spread of COVID-19. Our public lands remain open but we have closed some buildings. We have canceled or postponed many public events and meetings. You will find the latest details below. What’s open State parks, state forests, recreation areas, and other public lands remain open. The f...
The sixth annual Outdoor Expo, a free community event celebrating everything outdoors, will take place this weekend. Doors open at 3 p.m. at the Moose Lake Covenant Church, 700 Fifth Street, Moose Lake. The event is planned by a group of churches in the area with the goal of eliminating "cabin fever" and getting people together to celebrate the great outdoors. This year's free event will include keynote speaker Ted Youker on "stalking whitetail deer," as well as a display of the 20 largest...
Doing the work of sled dogs didn't seem to bother the members of Cloquet Scout Troop 171, or the other 20 or so teams of scouts at the Cloquet Forestry Center Saturday. They joyfully jogged around on snow-covered trails - occasionally breaking off to grab some good firewood or investigate something else in the forest - as they participated in the Beargrease Derby. It used to be called the Klondike Derby, and most scouting organizations still call it that, said Troop 171 Scoutmaster Kevin...
The bitter northeast wind relentlessly reshaped the landscape, shifting and sculpting dunes of snow across the expanse of the lake. I pulled hard against the heavy door separating me and my warmth from the tempest outside. This would be one of the last Sunday mornings of the spearing season, and I was settled in for the long haul. My portable heater hummed on high over my left shoulder. Its orange glow radiated against the darkened walls of the spear shack. Stripped down to a flannel shirt, I...
Married for 38 years, it was a bit of a surprise when my spouse told me that I should go and learn more about the birds and the bees - bees in particular. So, I attended the Northeast Minnesota Bee Association's fifth annual winter seminar Feb. 15, co-hosted by the Environmental Institute at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Courtney Kowalczak, institute director, met me at the seminar entrance at the college. I must have had that bee-in-the-headlight look, but I told her I was from...
To help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is adjusting bans on the feeding of deer in certain parts of the state. Early this week, Carlton County was added to the DNR’s list of counties where deer feeding is banned. The DNR expanded bans in central Minnesota starting Monday due to additional discoveries of chronic wasting disease in captive deer in late 2019. New counties included with Carlton in the deer feeding ban are: Chisago, Douglas, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine and Pope. The deer f...
Cigarette butts. Propane canisters. Cans, bags and bottles – some full of human waste. Blocking materials. Fish carcasses. Those are some of the items that make up the long list of litter conservation officers have found out on the ice. Litter is an issue throughout the ice fishing season, but it tends to be particularly problematic as the deadlines for removing fish houses from lakes loom. Shelters must be removed from inland waters in the southern two-thirds of the state by midnight on M...
