Wildlife Viewing

     Each month in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness offers the canoe camper a different experience.  While the water temperature in May might be too chilly for swimming it's just perfect for catching a meal of lake trout.  There are lots of great reasons to plan a May BWCA canoe trip.
    
     The ice is usually off of most of the Boundary Waters lakes during the first week of May. This is the time of the year to go if you are in search of solitude or moose antlers. Moose lose their antlers during the winter and often times it’s along one of the portage paths. Being one of the first people on the BWCA portages means you could find one of these treasures. The USFS encourages you to leave the antler where you find it for others to enjoy. 

     As soon as the ice is off the loons return to the wilderness lakes of the Boundary Waters. The bald eagles will have already returned to their nests before the ice is off.  The mosquitoes don’t normally appear until later in May but the black flies could come any time depending upon the weather.  Wildlife viewing is generally very good due to the lack of people in the BWCA.

     Lake trout fishing in the Boundary Waters is phenomenal in May when the water of the BWCA is the coldest. The lake trout are close to the surface and are usually hungry for a meal so are eager to bite. They’ll continue to bite throughout the summer but they swim deeper and deeper as the summer goes on.

     The temperatures in May can be very warm or quite chilly. We’ve had snow and we’ve had 90 degree days in the Boundary Waters in May. The average daytime high temperature in May is 66 degrees and the average low is around 45 degrees. Rainfall is minimal with just under 3 inches being the average in the BWCA for May.

     If you're looking for a time to have the Boundary Waters all to yourself then take a canoe trip in May.  The smell of spring is in the air, the lake trout are biting and your chances of seeing wildlife are wonderful.  The BWCA is a great place to be in May.

I led a small group of Boy Scouts and Adults from Troop 208 on a week-long trip and I could not have asked for a better week.

Things looked a bit shaky and first, as one of our cars almost broke down about 500 feet away from VCO. Rather than being a disastrous start to the week, it proved to be a sign of good things to come, as when I informed the staff of VCO of the problem, they told me not to worry about it, and promised to go to town while we were out on the water and pick up the parts we would need to fix our vehicle. As it turned out, not only did they get the parts, but they also went above and beyond and actually completed the repairs.

Feeling relieved that things were going to be taken care of, and thus able to focus on the fun and adventure that this week was supposed to be about, we set out early the next morning after a cozy bunkhouse stay and delicious pancake breakfast.

The first day of paddling was beautiful and relaxing. With no wind, Saganaga Lake was calm and easy to manage. We found two sites (we had ten people split into two groups) around Long Island and Gold Island that were absolutely gorgeous and we stayed there for our first night on the water.

Day two was relatively quiet. We didn't feel like moving camp right away, so we stayed where we were and did some fishing and exploring. The only excitement came when my brother and I accidentally swamped our canoe in some very cold, very open water. Fortunately, other members of our group were nearby and towed us to a nearby island where we dried off and warmed up before heading back to camp.

The next day we decided to strike camp and continue along our loop, hoping to camp on Red Rock Lake. Unfortunately, our timing was bad, and every site we found was occupied. Thus, we continued on to Alpine Lake, completing our first portage along the way. A rather strong wind (the only inclement weather we had the whole week) was blowing in our faces the whole way, and while we only canoed about 8 miles or so, it felt like we did the work of 16 miles or more by the time we found our new campsites.

We stayed on Alpine Lake for two nights, and while it was eerie to see the destruction that remained from the huge wildfire some years before, the scenery was nonetheless beautiful.

We moved on, completing the 128 rod portage, to Seagull Lake, and, after some light paddling, found two incredible sites on Miles Island for our final night on the water. Since it was still early in the day, we decided to check out the nearby Palisades. The 80-90 foot bluffs gave us a spectacular view of the surrounding area, and was a favorite spot for the photographers of the group. When we were ready to head back to the campsite, we were fortunate to see a mother moose and her two calves swimming from one island to another. This was certainly the highlight of our wildlife sightings, which also included numerous bald eagles, ducks, and loons. Later, the clouds that had blanketed the sky that day had started to break up in the early evening, which led to a spectacular sunset.

Our final day of paddling took us to our third and final portage near some waterfalls, and finally back to VCO. When we arrived, we found that our vehicle had already been repaired. We packed up our cars with things we would not need that night, and went to the lodge for a pizza party.

Our last night was spent in the same bunkhouse as our first night, and after an early wake up call, we were back on the road to Milwaukee. Everyone agreed that the trip had been a wonderful experience, and certainly took away memories that will last a lifetime. The staff members of VCO are some of the friendliest, most helpful people I have ever met, and I can't wait to come back for another trip in the future.

Name: Lukas
City: Milwaukee
State: WI
Voyage: Boundary Waters Canoe Trip

     This year we are staying on the Gunflint Trail for Christmas.  We usually venture south to spend the holidays with our relatives in central Minnesota but as luck would have it here we'll be.  There isn't any place I'd rather spend Christmas than at home at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters.  We do have a lodge unit open so if you would like to see what Christmas on the Gunflint Trail is all about then come stay in the cabin, we'd love to see you here.
     The Gunflint trail is a magical place in the winter and we're grateful to live up here year round.  Where else can you feed a fox on your deck, catch a pine marten in your dumpster, see a pack of wolves on a lake and watch moose slip across the road at night? Wildlife viewing on the Gunflint Trail is spectacular and the above occurences are common.
    Birding on the Gunflint Trail in the winter is also wonderful.  Bird feeders are like Grand Central Station as the chickadees feed constantly.  The whiskey jacks are just as busy and woodpeckers tap away at trees. 
     The beauty of winter in the close by Boundary Waters is breathtaking.  The color of the sky ranges from white, to grey to bright blue and everything in between. Winter sunsets are colorful and stargazing couldn't be better than it is in our vast wilderness.
     It's always magical on the Gunflint Trail and especially so at Christmas.  If you want to get away from the city and experience a true northwoods Christmas then give us a call. 888-CANOEIT.  If not, then wherever you are we wish you a very Merry Christmas from Voyageur Canoe Outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail.

     Driving the Gunflint Trail is always a treat.  This time of the year when the leaves are changing it's more beautiful than ever but what makes it exciting is spotting wildlife on the Gunflint Trail. 
     It is difficult to drive the Gunflint Trail and not see any wildlife.  While some of the animals blend in with the surroundings most let their presence be known by walking on or alongside of the Gunflint Trail.  Different roads at different times of the year may be better for viewing specific wildlife but pretty much anywhere you go on the Gunflint Trail you'll see some sort of wildlife.
     The entire length of the Gunflint Trail is great for viewing a multitude of wildlife.  Fox, deer, rabbits and grouse are most abundant along with tons of different species of birds in the summer.  Bear can be seen sitting in the ditch eating grass or during the spring and fall you may catch them trying to sneak into garbage at a resort or outfitting business. 
     The timber wolf population is thriving especially around the Gunflint Lake area.  There's a large deer population thanks to the various resorts and cabin owners in the area who feed them in the winter.  Some of the deer will eat right out of your hand but be careful when driving on the Gunflint Lake side road in the winter, I've been hit by a deer running into the side of my stopped vehicle. 
     The most popular or sought after wildlife to see on the Gunflint Trail is the moose.  Many of our guests at Voyageur Canoe Outfitters get to see moose on their drive up to our place.  Some of them just have to sit on their deck and gaze across the river to see them swimming to shore.  The moose pond and moose viewing area near Swamper Lake are great places to see moose when visiting the Gunflint Trail.