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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Over the years I've fished them all. Collectively referred to as the "big four" reservoirs north of Duluth, they include Wild Rice, Fish, Island and Boulder. They all have their own personalities, and they fish a little differently, but collectively they are pumping out a lot of fish this summer. Honestly, I stumbled onto this bite. The main goal was to escape the heat. This past weekend, I shuttled boatloads of our own kids, neighborhood kids, and nieces and nephews, along with their parents to...
Latest reports from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers. Jacob Willis (Brookston) spent most of this week at Camp Ripley as part of the Division Use of Force Team conducting required in-service training for officers. Training was also given to conservation officer candidates currently attending the academy. Calls regarding nuisance beavers were also handled. Dustie Speldrich (Willow River) handled two wolf calls. One involved cattle getting run through fences when two adult wolves and four pups were seen on the...
The freshly fried walleyes had barely hit the cake pan when they were scooped up by the masses gathered around our picnic table. A Baker fish fry was in full swing. In all, 25 friends and family lined our yard, plates in hand, ready to pounce each time I made an appearance with a basket of fish. Before the last batch was done frying, new fishing plans were in the works. My cousin, Ben Nynas of Mahtowa, along with his guest, John Kerr from Louisiana and I would head over to Mille Lacs later in...
Scott Staples (Carlton) worked boating and off-highway vehicle activity this past holiday week. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license, no license in possession, insufficient life jackets, operating dirt bikes on the road, operating an ATV without a valid driver’s license on the road, operating an ATV in unfrozen public waters, and various registration violations. One boat that was checked had three anglers in it. All three lied about having a fishing license. Two out of the three bought licenses online within 20 minutes a...
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will begin herbicide applications on select state lands to improve reforestation efforts. Applications will begin around July 30 and continue through approximately September 10 on parcels located in the Fond du Lac and Cloquet Valley state forests. Signs will be posted on all herbicide treatment sites. Adjacent landowners within a quarter mile of the treatment sites have already been notified. Herbicides will not be applied within 100 feet of any waterbody, following DNR herbicide application...
The week started with a real emergency around the Baker household. Phoenix, our resident gecko, was out of food. Normally, we would run to Duluth and pick him up some crickets or tasty mealworms. It was late into the evening before we figured out he needed a fresh supply of protein. The last light of day had just faded when I jumped into the Suburban. I wasn’t too thrilled with this mission, but somewhere, way down the list of parental and husbandly duties, was making sure the gecko was fed. M...
I have always had an eye on the old sheds sitting in the meadow at North Cloquet Road and Midway Road. They are so photogenic in different lights each day. So, with the camera in the car and tooling around after the Fourth of July parade in Cloquet, I came across two turkey vultures perched on the shed closest to the road. Perfect opportunity. They caught my eye because one had just alit onto the peak, tucking its wide wings to its side. It looked like the two were just having a conversation,...
Our anchor tethered us to the rocks below. The current ripped underneath our bow and poured out the backside of the Lund. I threaded half a crawler onto my orange jig and plopped it over the transom. The jig tumbled away quickly in the rapids. Lifting my rod tip to the sky, I could feel it ticking and tumbling through the riprap below. The last dozen times the jig and crawler made the journey ended the same way: in the mouth of a walleye. On cue, I felt the familiar thunk of a bite. I snapped...
This week’s report from the region’s Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers. Scott Staples (Carlton) assisted with an aquatic invasive species check station in the Duluth area where several violations were encountered. A K-9 training was attended at Camp Ripley where units worked with the dogs in obedience and searching for firearms. Boating activity was worked in the area with enforcement action being taken for fishing without a license in possession, insufficient flotation devices, and registration violations. Andy Sc...
I half-walked, half-skipped to my truck. I had just polished off my second week of teaching summer school. Much like the fish I’ve been chasing, I’m transitioning to my summer pattern. In the last two weeks, I’ve fished the St. Louis River, Island, Chub, Big, Pike, Sturgeon, Pelican, Gunflint, and Saganaga. What I’ve gathered, besides filets, is that fish are transitioning from their spring locations and patterns to their summer haunts. The crappies are almost all past spawn. I’m no longer co...
Pollinators are key to Minnesota's environmental health. Without them, we wouldn't have some of our favorite foods. They are vital to a healthy environment. They're also beautiful and fascinating to watch. They're pollinators, and this week is dedicated to understanding, appreciating and helping them. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are needed to pollinate plants that provide Minnesota food crops such as fruits, vegetables and herbs. Some of these foods are important for wildlife, too. Black...
Scott Staples (Carlton) attended annual K-9 certification trials in Lino Lakes where K-9 Schody got certified for another year of patrol work. Complaints of nuisance beavers and bears were handled. People are reminded to remove food sources (including bird feeders) if you do not want to attract bears. Extra patrols were conducted in area state parks. Jacob Willis (Brookston) responded to a fire on an ATV bridge near Meadowlands. The cause is still under investigation. Training was attended and anglers were checked on local waters. Enforcement...
Carlton photographer Alan Johnson found twin fawns born on his property in the Thomson area. Johnson said he saw the mother and one fawn earlier in the day, and tried to give them plenty of space. Later, he spied these two little ones, and snapped a photo. Johnson said he has seen a mother and fawn in his yard a few times since then, but wasn't sure if they were the same group. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, people should not assume fawns are orphans when they find...
Turtles are crossing roads to nest this time of year, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding motorists to watch for them and, whenever possible, allow them to cross the road safely. Each year at this time, many female turtles move from lakes, ponds, wetlands, rivers and streams to nesting areas. They are looking for suitable locations to deposit their eggs. Many nesting areas are a significant distance from turtles’ wintering areas. As they attempt to cross roads, m...
Jamie and Hannah are long gone. Barcelona or maybe Madrid by now? David has been shipped off to Gunflint for some one-on-one time with Gramma and Grampa. It is mid-morning and the Baker crew still at home have yet to shape the day. It is cold and windy and wet. The grass that should have been cut in the last couple of days will have to wait. I check the radar and the rest of the day doesn’t shake out much better. Hmmm. I notice further north, all looks good. Joseph, Joshua and I come to a quick...
We’ve all heard the adage “Money doesn’t grow on trees” at some point, especially as children. Granted, we can point out that fruit, timber and other such goods are indeed abundant in our economy, suggesting that money really does grow on trees, so long as one can sell those products. And because those products have a market price, we can readily make decisions about purchasing them; e.g., you might buy apples when they are $1 per pound, but at $3 per pound, you might not. But what about values...
A light mist began to fall at 11 a.m., just as riders began to roll their bicycles onto the Munger Trail from the Northern Pacific Junction shelter in Carlton. The occasion was the Carlton County Community Bike Ride on June 9. Organizers were concerned that the cool, wet weather might dampen enthusiasm for the second annual event. With multiple access points to the trail, it would be difficult to know right away how much impact the weather might be having on the turnout. At about the same time t...
The summer after my sophomore year of high school I packed up and headed north. I would spend my summer break along the south shore of Gunflint lake as a “dock boy” for the Kerfoot family at Gunflint Lodge. I didn’t know exactly what I had signed up for, but I would figure it out on the fly. It didn’t take me long to learn my job description was “whatever needed to be done.” Most days I gassed up boats for guests and worked the waterfront. Weed whipping, mowing and raking were big parts of my...
When you combine fishing, faith, and a passion to free those trapped in addictions, amazing things can happen. Leading up to this year’s Minnesota Fishing Challenge, anglers raised more than $341,000 to support Mn Adult & Teen Challenge drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs statewide. The cumulative amount generated via this family-friendly tournament since 2009 exceeds $2.2 million. Two Cloquet men, Stu Nelson and Rich Brummer, set a stout record this year with the most-ever raised by a t...
Have you ever picked up a really interesting rock and wondered what it was and how it was made? Well, I have, and still do. Each rock tells a story about its creation: when it was made, how it was made, where it was made, and how it got to its finding spot. As I learn more about rock creation, I become interested in all rocks, even the plain ones. One rock that is definitely not plain is our state gemstone, the Lake Superior agate. While visiting my son and his family in Omaha last week, my gran...
May's weather was full of cold mayhem around here this year. The snowstorm that brought close to a foot of snow to some towns on May 19th was the latest measurable snow in recorded history at least for the Duluth area. (I still remember flurries in Ely on July 4, 1977.) The final climate data from the National Weather Service in Duluth shows the May departure from normal mean temperature was -2.1 degrees. So far, 2019 has ranged from as cold as -4.5 degrees from normal in February to as warm as...
Bass, pike, muskies, walleyes, crappies, bluegills, and perch all spend a good portion of the early summer period buried in the weeds. Arguably, more game fish congregate in emerging weed beds than in any other type of structure this time of year. Paradoxically, these same weed beds are often devoid of fishing pressure. Weeds can be intimidating. It often it takes a specialized approach to pick fish from the jungle. I break down weed fishing into five approaches. The easiest in the spring and...
If you're like me, late spring and early summer is a favorite time of the year. It's a treat to get outdoors, and I'm of the opinion that you don't need to travel beyond city limits for the delightful opportunity to do so. For me, nearby neighborhoods are where I make my rounds, passing through those I both know and don't know, all part of the fun of getting some fresh air and taking some time to observe. Of all the streets I've walked, I find that those I come back to are always abundant in...
John Fisher-Merritt knew his purpose, and did not hesitate before answering. He had created a demand for, and built a community around quality, sustainably grown food. Then came the questions: Why would he take on young farmers as apprentices, giving them all the secrets of his farming success and even access to his customers? Didn't he feel like he might be creating competitors? "Well, we had so many people on the waiting list," he said of demand for his organically grown produce. "I felt like...
The sun had just dipped below the horizon when my rod doubled over. For the last half hour before sunset, we had battled several northern pike, but instinctively I knew this was our first walleye. White-tipped fins emerged from the black water below and my suspicions were confirmed. Joseph slid our net under the fish and we boxed our first keeper. Repeating the same trolling path we added several more walleyes as darkness enveloped us. As is often the case with night fishing, we had the lake to...
