04-26-2004, 04:42 AM
Furs, Fins & Feathers - March 2004
This report highlights some of the work, observances, and projects of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries and Wildlife staff for Northeastern Minnesota during the month of March.
Just how does DNR improve habitat?
The DNR removed a huge log jam on the Sturgeon River in St Louis County during the summer of 2003. This tangled mass of trees was blocking the entire river channel and preventing sturgeon from completing their upstream spawning migration. The project was completed with the help of the US Forest Service. The Sturgeon River provides spawning and nursery habitat for lake sturgeon, which may travel over 100 miles from Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River to reach their spawning grounds. This project was accomplished, in part, with grant funds of $13,174 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Remember smelting on the North Shore?
During the 1960s and early '70s, early spring meant just one thing to many in Minnesota-- smelting on the North Shore. So where did the smelt go?
The present lack of smelt in Lake Superior is really a fisheries management success story. Smelt thrived in the '60s due to a lack of predators and no competition. Lake trout restoration efforts gained momentum by the mid-1970s, and lake trout and Chinook salmon gobbled up thousands of smelt. Additionally, the native lake herring regained their numbers, providing competition with smelt for similar habitat.
Lake trout numbers in Lake Superior are the highest in decades. An excellent Chinook salmon fishery is present, along with a good population of lake herring. The smelt thrived while these other fish populations struggled, but now the tables have turned.
Should you expect smelt to recover? No, an increase in smelt numbers would mean problems within the ranks of the native fish populations of the big lake.
A boost for walleye fry
Walleye fry will again be stocked in Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing County in spring 2004. This year, however, some will be stocked into net enclosures set up in shallow, warmer, more fertile bays. These conditions will hopefully allow them to grow a bit larger before they are released to the lake.
This is an experimental approach to address the problem of poor survival due to predation by other small fish. The fry stocked into enclosures will have an abundance of plankton to graze on during their early days of life, but will be protected from predation. The fry will remain in the enclosures for a few weeks before releasing them into deeper, open water of Whitefish Lake.
This experiment will be evaluated to determine if this approach improves walleye fry survival. Members of the Whitefish Area Property Owner's Association (WAPOA) will assist in the effort and will construct, maintain, and monitor several of these enclosures.
Shoreland Habitat Program
This DNR Fisheries program seeks to restore valuable riparian habitat throughout Minnesota. In the Brainerd Area, the following projects have been funded for 2004: Lazy Brook adjacent to Nisswa Lake, Dassett Island AMA on Rush Lake of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, and Mary Lake. The projects include both aquatic plant restoration and stabilization of upland areas with native vegetation. Benefits of these projects will include erosion control, improved habitat and water quality, and aesthetics.
Where do those northern pike spawn? Fisheries managers frequently need to know where and when fish spawn to manage adequately. If only they would provide notice of their intent to spawn. Fisheries researcher Rod Pierce of Grand Rapids adapted existing radio transmitter technology to provide information on northern pike spawning.
Pierce inserted miniature radio transmitters into the oviducts of northern pike, and when they spawned, most of the transmitters were shed along with the fish eggs. This allowed fisheries research staff to pinpoint spawning locations by homing in on the radio signal. Pierce got the idea for this application from his colleagues in wildlife that use a similar technique to locate newborn fawns.
Fisheries lake management plans and your input
Every actively managed lake in Minnesota has a lake management plan developed by DNR Fisheries. Periodically, these plans are revised and public comment is requested. Each of these plans guides management activity on the lake until the plan is again revised.
Activities include fish stocking, fisheries monitoring and assessments, efforts to improve water quality, watershed activities, special fishing regulations, habitat improvement, creel surveys, public access, and land acquisition. Draft plans are made available for public comment, and the public is informed of these opportunities through agency news releases. Once a lake management plan is finalized, it guides management of that lake for five to eight years.
Finally - some signs of spring
Even though the snow was still deep (16-20 inches) in late March in International Falls, winter birds such as Pine Grosbeaks and Redpolls were leaving and a few spring migrants began returning. The first returning migrants are usually less conspicuous. Crows and Bald Eagles are generally first, often blending in with the few that stay all winter. More noticeable are birds that completely leave the north for the winter such as gulls. The woodpeckers have been increasing their territorial drumming on trees, power line poles, or other objects that might make a lot of noise.
On the Move
The spring migration of raptors is underway along the North Shore of Lake Superior with a number of bald eagles moving through on their annual journey north. Eagles began arriving back on their breeding territories in northern St. Louis County in early March. Many eagles were observed passing through. Road-killed deer provide a significant food source for spring migrants. Seven eagles were seen feeding on one dead deer.
Sharptailed Grouse begin dancing
Male Sharp-tailed Grouse are showing up on their dancing grounds or "leks". DNR wildlife staff will start surveying Sharptails in early April. Population trends can be determined over time by comparing the number of males on the same leks each year. Normally these leks are in the same place year after year. Habitat changes may cause them to move the lek or perhaps eventually die off altogether. Sharptails like extensive brush and grasslands. If the area becomes too small or has too many trees, it will not be suitable habitat for them.
To improve habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and other brushland wildlife, wildlife staff hired dozer and mowing contractors who sheared over 550 acres and mowed 120 acres of brushlands at six different locations in Pine, Carlton and southern St. Louis counties. These contractors also scraped 27.6 miles of firebreaks on six brushland units that will be burned later this spring.
Ruffed grouse begin drumming
A good sign of spring is hearing the drumming of ruffed grouse. The 2004 Cooperative Interagency Drumming Survey begins in mid-April and runs through mid-May. Specialists from the Section of Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service, Tribal specialists, and volunteers are preparing to conduct the annual survey.
Deer return to summer range
Milder temperatures coupled with little or no frost are taking a toll on the snow. If this trend continues, look for deer returning to their summer range from their wintering area. While some deer do not migrate, most in northern Minnesota leave their summer range in early winter. It is primarily deepening snow that triggers this exodus.
They will travel to some traditional area that usually has a lot of conifer trees. The snow is less deep beneath conifers. Concentrations of deer in these areas develop trail networks, which also makes walking easier. Fawns follow their mothers or other deer to a winter area. Then for the rest of their life they will likely return to the same wintering area, and, in the case of females, pass the tradition on to their fawns.
To conserve energy on their return, they will wait for shallower snows. Late March and early April is the time when winter stress will show up on deer. Up to this point the deer appear to be in good condition. Even many of the smaller of last year’s fawns are doing fine. These smaller deer have the hardest time in the winter. Even though it seems like a fairly long winter, in most of the northeastern part of the state the winter severity index for deer is average for this time of year. Typically some deer will die from a winter like this, but most will be fine.
Shearing, burning continue
Grand Rapids area wildlife staff completed a 26-acre brushland shearing project on private land, fire breaks for brushland burns, and wrote plans for other burns. Hand cutting projects were completed on other sharptail management areas to cut tall trees in the vicinity of leks.
Beaver dam removal
Wildlife staff blew a beaver dam on Rice Lake Refuge north of Deer River. Beaver were trapped in 2003 and 2004 through a cooperative project between Minnesota DNR and Ducks Unlimited. After removing the beaver, the dams were removed. Hopefully lake water levels will be lower and more of the lake will support wild rice and be more attractive to waterfowl the coming fall.
A Clemson leveler was placed at the outlet of Raven Lake to keep water levels lower on that lake and promote wild rice growth. The project is a cooperative effort with the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.
Moose habitat, seasons
Wildlife managers and biologists are in the process of determining permit numbers by zone for the upcoming 2004 moose season. Specialists from the MN DNR, the 1854 Treaty Authority and the Fond-du-Lac Band met in Duluth to discuss results of the 2004 Aerial Moose Survey and determine permit numbers.
The annual northeast aerial moose survey showed a healthy moose population in the range of 8500-11,000 moose in the Arrowhead. The 1999 July 4th Blowdown is now providing quality moose habitat in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Both moose and deer are using the smorgasbord of trees and shrubs that are regenerating in this in this area, as browse.
The Spur Creek Browse Regeneration Project has been completed. Approximately 36 acres of "out of reach" shrubs were selectively hand cut to promote browse regeneration for moose. This project was conducted on USFS administered land to complement a similar project that occurred several years back on adjacent land. The project area is approximately 15 miles NW of Finland, Minnesota.
Wolf numbers declining?
Wolf numbers appear to have dropped slightly in the Tower Area. Area wildlife staff documented wolf sign, sightings and vocalizations throughout the winter. DNR biologists will calculate a new wolf population estimate after the survey is completed.
Calling a goshawk
A couple unique events happened in March. One involved a suspected goshawk nest in a proposed timber sale on the Blackhoof River State Wildlife Management Area. To verify the presence of the goshawk, wildlife staff from Cloquet used a CD player and bull horn to play the bird's call. The nest looked abandoned when we arrived at the site, but within a few seconds of playing the call, the bird responded with excited calling from about 100 yards away and then came swooping in to circle its nest several times, letting us know that the bird was definitely interested in using the nest. Because the stand was already in a reserve status due to it’s proximity to the Blackhoof River, no modifications were made to the timber sale to accommodate the nest site.
[signature]
This report highlights some of the work, observances, and projects of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries and Wildlife staff for Northeastern Minnesota during the month of March.
Just how does DNR improve habitat?
The DNR removed a huge log jam on the Sturgeon River in St Louis County during the summer of 2003. This tangled mass of trees was blocking the entire river channel and preventing sturgeon from completing their upstream spawning migration. The project was completed with the help of the US Forest Service. The Sturgeon River provides spawning and nursery habitat for lake sturgeon, which may travel over 100 miles from Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River to reach their spawning grounds. This project was accomplished, in part, with grant funds of $13,174 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Remember smelting on the North Shore?
During the 1960s and early '70s, early spring meant just one thing to many in Minnesota-- smelting on the North Shore. So where did the smelt go?
The present lack of smelt in Lake Superior is really a fisheries management success story. Smelt thrived in the '60s due to a lack of predators and no competition. Lake trout restoration efforts gained momentum by the mid-1970s, and lake trout and Chinook salmon gobbled up thousands of smelt. Additionally, the native lake herring regained their numbers, providing competition with smelt for similar habitat.
Lake trout numbers in Lake Superior are the highest in decades. An excellent Chinook salmon fishery is present, along with a good population of lake herring. The smelt thrived while these other fish populations struggled, but now the tables have turned.
Should you expect smelt to recover? No, an increase in smelt numbers would mean problems within the ranks of the native fish populations of the big lake.
A boost for walleye fry
Walleye fry will again be stocked in Whitefish Lake in Crow Wing County in spring 2004. This year, however, some will be stocked into net enclosures set up in shallow, warmer, more fertile bays. These conditions will hopefully allow them to grow a bit larger before they are released to the lake.
This is an experimental approach to address the problem of poor survival due to predation by other small fish. The fry stocked into enclosures will have an abundance of plankton to graze on during their early days of life, but will be protected from predation. The fry will remain in the enclosures for a few weeks before releasing them into deeper, open water of Whitefish Lake.
This experiment will be evaluated to determine if this approach improves walleye fry survival. Members of the Whitefish Area Property Owner's Association (WAPOA) will assist in the effort and will construct, maintain, and monitor several of these enclosures.
Shoreland Habitat Program
This DNR Fisheries program seeks to restore valuable riparian habitat throughout Minnesota. In the Brainerd Area, the following projects have been funded for 2004: Lazy Brook adjacent to Nisswa Lake, Dassett Island AMA on Rush Lake of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, and Mary Lake. The projects include both aquatic plant restoration and stabilization of upland areas with native vegetation. Benefits of these projects will include erosion control, improved habitat and water quality, and aesthetics.
Where do those northern pike spawn? Fisheries managers frequently need to know where and when fish spawn to manage adequately. If only they would provide notice of their intent to spawn. Fisheries researcher Rod Pierce of Grand Rapids adapted existing radio transmitter technology to provide information on northern pike spawning.
Pierce inserted miniature radio transmitters into the oviducts of northern pike, and when they spawned, most of the transmitters were shed along with the fish eggs. This allowed fisheries research staff to pinpoint spawning locations by homing in on the radio signal. Pierce got the idea for this application from his colleagues in wildlife that use a similar technique to locate newborn fawns.
Fisheries lake management plans and your input
Every actively managed lake in Minnesota has a lake management plan developed by DNR Fisheries. Periodically, these plans are revised and public comment is requested. Each of these plans guides management activity on the lake until the plan is again revised.
Activities include fish stocking, fisheries monitoring and assessments, efforts to improve water quality, watershed activities, special fishing regulations, habitat improvement, creel surveys, public access, and land acquisition. Draft plans are made available for public comment, and the public is informed of these opportunities through agency news releases. Once a lake management plan is finalized, it guides management of that lake for five to eight years.
Finally - some signs of spring
Even though the snow was still deep (16-20 inches) in late March in International Falls, winter birds such as Pine Grosbeaks and Redpolls were leaving and a few spring migrants began returning. The first returning migrants are usually less conspicuous. Crows and Bald Eagles are generally first, often blending in with the few that stay all winter. More noticeable are birds that completely leave the north for the winter such as gulls. The woodpeckers have been increasing their territorial drumming on trees, power line poles, or other objects that might make a lot of noise.
On the Move
The spring migration of raptors is underway along the North Shore of Lake Superior with a number of bald eagles moving through on their annual journey north. Eagles began arriving back on their breeding territories in northern St. Louis County in early March. Many eagles were observed passing through. Road-killed deer provide a significant food source for spring migrants. Seven eagles were seen feeding on one dead deer.
Sharptailed Grouse begin dancing
Male Sharp-tailed Grouse are showing up on their dancing grounds or "leks". DNR wildlife staff will start surveying Sharptails in early April. Population trends can be determined over time by comparing the number of males on the same leks each year. Normally these leks are in the same place year after year. Habitat changes may cause them to move the lek or perhaps eventually die off altogether. Sharptails like extensive brush and grasslands. If the area becomes too small or has too many trees, it will not be suitable habitat for them.
To improve habitat for sharp-tailed grouse and other brushland wildlife, wildlife staff hired dozer and mowing contractors who sheared over 550 acres and mowed 120 acres of brushlands at six different locations in Pine, Carlton and southern St. Louis counties. These contractors also scraped 27.6 miles of firebreaks on six brushland units that will be burned later this spring.
Ruffed grouse begin drumming
A good sign of spring is hearing the drumming of ruffed grouse. The 2004 Cooperative Interagency Drumming Survey begins in mid-April and runs through mid-May. Specialists from the Section of Wildlife and U.S. Forest Service, Tribal specialists, and volunteers are preparing to conduct the annual survey.
Deer return to summer range
Milder temperatures coupled with little or no frost are taking a toll on the snow. If this trend continues, look for deer returning to their summer range from their wintering area. While some deer do not migrate, most in northern Minnesota leave their summer range in early winter. It is primarily deepening snow that triggers this exodus.
They will travel to some traditional area that usually has a lot of conifer trees. The snow is less deep beneath conifers. Concentrations of deer in these areas develop trail networks, which also makes walking easier. Fawns follow their mothers or other deer to a winter area. Then for the rest of their life they will likely return to the same wintering area, and, in the case of females, pass the tradition on to their fawns.
To conserve energy on their return, they will wait for shallower snows. Late March and early April is the time when winter stress will show up on deer. Up to this point the deer appear to be in good condition. Even many of the smaller of last year’s fawns are doing fine. These smaller deer have the hardest time in the winter. Even though it seems like a fairly long winter, in most of the northeastern part of the state the winter severity index for deer is average for this time of year. Typically some deer will die from a winter like this, but most will be fine.
Shearing, burning continue
Grand Rapids area wildlife staff completed a 26-acre brushland shearing project on private land, fire breaks for brushland burns, and wrote plans for other burns. Hand cutting projects were completed on other sharptail management areas to cut tall trees in the vicinity of leks.
Beaver dam removal
Wildlife staff blew a beaver dam on Rice Lake Refuge north of Deer River. Beaver were trapped in 2003 and 2004 through a cooperative project between Minnesota DNR and Ducks Unlimited. After removing the beaver, the dams were removed. Hopefully lake water levels will be lower and more of the lake will support wild rice and be more attractive to waterfowl the coming fall.
A Clemson leveler was placed at the outlet of Raven Lake to keep water levels lower on that lake and promote wild rice growth. The project is a cooperative effort with the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.
Moose habitat, seasons
Wildlife managers and biologists are in the process of determining permit numbers by zone for the upcoming 2004 moose season. Specialists from the MN DNR, the 1854 Treaty Authority and the Fond-du-Lac Band met in Duluth to discuss results of the 2004 Aerial Moose Survey and determine permit numbers.
The annual northeast aerial moose survey showed a healthy moose population in the range of 8500-11,000 moose in the Arrowhead. The 1999 July 4th Blowdown is now providing quality moose habitat in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Both moose and deer are using the smorgasbord of trees and shrubs that are regenerating in this in this area, as browse.
The Spur Creek Browse Regeneration Project has been completed. Approximately 36 acres of "out of reach" shrubs were selectively hand cut to promote browse regeneration for moose. This project was conducted on USFS administered land to complement a similar project that occurred several years back on adjacent land. The project area is approximately 15 miles NW of Finland, Minnesota.
Wolf numbers declining?
Wolf numbers appear to have dropped slightly in the Tower Area. Area wildlife staff documented wolf sign, sightings and vocalizations throughout the winter. DNR biologists will calculate a new wolf population estimate after the survey is completed.
Calling a goshawk
A couple unique events happened in March. One involved a suspected goshawk nest in a proposed timber sale on the Blackhoof River State Wildlife Management Area. To verify the presence of the goshawk, wildlife staff from Cloquet used a CD player and bull horn to play the bird's call. The nest looked abandoned when we arrived at the site, but within a few seconds of playing the call, the bird responded with excited calling from about 100 yards away and then came swooping in to circle its nest several times, letting us know that the bird was definitely interested in using the nest. Because the stand was already in a reserve status due to it’s proximity to the Blackhoof River, no modifications were made to the timber sale to accommodate the nest site.
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