Wilderness Waypoint

Rubs and Scrapes

2011-12-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

This past weekend in late November, my husband and I happened across a massive scrape made by a white-tailed deer while walking through the woods in northern Minnesota. There were multiple rubs and scrapes in the surrounding vicinity, but this particular scrape caught our attention because it was the largest either of us had ever seen, measuring roughly 10 feet long and 3 - 4 feet wide. Scrapes consist of a depression that has been scraped into the ground by bucks, usually underneath a low-hanging branch (generally 1-2 meters off the ground). In this case, you can see a branch that had been broken off, laying in the middle of the scrape.

According to the article White-tailed Deer Rubs and Scrapes: Spatial, Temporal, and Physical Characteristics and Social Role published in The American Midland Naturalist in 1977, the study performed by Terry Kile and Larry Marchinton supported their hypothesis that rubbing serves to mark areas and establish dominance as preparation for breeding, and scrapes are used as a means of communication between bucks and does during the breeding season.

Bucks will scent-mark the low-hanging branch using the preorbital (preorbital means in front of the eye socket) glands, their forehead glands, or their saliva. They may also urinate on their tarsal glands (located on the insides of their legs) while rubbing them together in the scrape depression. This is known as "rub-urination," "urine marking," or "scenting;" a behavior they exhibit more often during the breeding season. Bucks may also use scrapes to assert their dominance over subordinate bucks in the area. Although scrapes are generally made by males around the time of the breeding season, does may also occasionally create scrapes any time during the year (according to the study Scraping Behavior in Female White-tailed Deer by Sawyer, Marchinton, and Berisford in 1982 in the Journal of Mammalogy).

Buck rub on a sapling

The rub shown in the picture above was created by a buck that rubbed his head and antlers repeatedly against this sapling. This is another form of scent marking; the males communicate by leaving the scent from their forehead and preorbital glands on the debarked trees. Other deer may be able to identify the individual scent left by the buck, which can persist for several days. Does sometimes sniff, lick, or rub these signposts created by bucks.

Venison Philly Cheese Steak Pinwheels

2011-12-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

I recently rediscovered the idea of making "pinwheels" - putting things on crescent roll dough, rolling it back up, and cutting it into tasty circles of delight. I happen to have a freezer full of venison, so I figured, hey - venison...pinwheels - there must be recipes out there! I couldn't find any. Taking a random bit of inspiration from a Philly cheese steak sandwich, I decided to create a recipe for venison Philly cheese steak style pinwheels. They are darn good.

Venison pinwheels. Ever had 'em? If not, read on.

I took the basic ingredients of a Philly cheese steak sandwich - shaved steak, white cheese, green peppers, onions - and rolled it in crescent roll dough. Simple!

I started with the onion and green pepper - a medium sized one of each.


Clearly, this is a green pepper and an onion. The humble beginnings of a masterpiece.

I thinly sliced both of these.


Don't forget the martini.

After this, I sliced the venison into thin strips as well, and commenced to fry. The green peppers took the longest, in case you were wondering (although that may have been due to their small fry pan).

The smell of perfection.

After this all fried up to my liking...

ooooohh!

aaahhh!!!

Smelling good! But clearly not done yet.

Key players in the recipe creation process: Timber, Lucy, and a cosmo.

The time had come to roll the tidbits up in crescent roll dough.

Two of the rolls were treated to cream cheese festooning half of the dough, all the others were bedecked with thinly sliced sharp white cheddar. I will add here that both options were excellent, but the cream cheese rolls were slightly more moist.

Slicing occurred, and those gems were placed in the oven at 375F for about 20 minutes.

During this time, the house was filled with delightful baking aromas. We were pleased.

Venison Philly Cheese Steak Pinwheels (what a mouthful!....ha!)

They emerged from the oven as flaky, tender, cheese and meat filled rolls of heaven. Need I say that I recommend these?

Summary of the recipe:

Ingredients:

roughly 1 pound of venison (roast-style meat is fine)

some sharp white cheddar cheese to slice thinly - I only used a few ounces

cream cheese, if you're so inclined (it was good)

1 medium onion, sliced very thinly

1 green bell pepper, sliced thinly

splash of oil

cooking spray

salt and pepper to taste

dried parsley, for looks (green sprinkley leaves make things look nice, that's all there is to it)

Slice the onion, green pepper, and venison

Heat oil in pan (pans if you want this done quickly)

Add assorted veggies and meat, cook until pretty brownness ensues for all (and meat is no longer pink)

spray baking sheet with cooking spray, roll out dough

place all ingredients on dough, leaving one end more doughy (for a sealed end once rolled)

roll dough

slice

bake roughly 20 minutes at about 375 degrees F

remove from oven

...

Consume pinwheels like a ravenous wolf.

Ruminations on Minnesota White-tailed Deer Food Habits

2011-11-30T20:47:00.000-08:00

When walking through the woods and looking for areas in which we may find deer, my husband and I look for more than just deer sign. Yes, rubs and scrapes are the ideal find if we are looking for bucks in the fall. Heavily used trails are a promising sign, particularly when searching for family groups that travel together (family groups generally consist of female family members and fawns). Deer scat also gives an indication of how recently they have traveled through, and gives a clue as to what they have been eating. We also maintain a mental catalog of the preferred seasonal forage available that deer may come to the area to eat, and look for browse signs that show that they have been doing so.

White-tailed deer eat a variety of foods: wild fruits such as apples and wild grapes, nuts such as acorns, food generously provided by farmers including corn and soybeans, leaves and buds, and foods that take the stomach of a ruminant to digest - bark, and even twigs. Ruminants have a four-chambered stomach, consisting of the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Food is mixed with bile in the rumen and reticulum, and regurgitated as cud to be rechewed. When the food has been digested enough, it passes through to the omasum, where water is removed. The abomasum is most similar in form to human stomachs (monogastric stomachs) - here, protein sources are prepared for digestion in the small intestine.

Deer are adaptable and will live in a variety of habitats, but they prefer woodland edges, grassy openings, and early succession (young) forests. A mixture of habitat types, with grassy open areas and forests with a variety of age structures can produce a high deer population. Woodland edges give deer access to both the food found in openings and the cover and food provided by the forest. Young, succulent food is often found in openings, especially in the spring and summer. Examples include natural openings in woodlands, prairies, or farm fields generously stocked by farmers. Young forests also provide food; particularly important in Minnesota are young aspen/birch mixed forests because of the high-quality browse they provide. Young aspen sprouts are a choice selection of deer.

In general, non-evergreen (deciduous) leaves are a preferred type of forage. Recent clear-cuts tend to attract deer due to the easily accessible young succulent growth. Oaks are another species that provide an excellent food source for deer, and many species of wildlife for that matter. Oaks are generally classified as either white or red in Minnesota. White oak leaves have rounded lobes, and red oak leaves have pointed lobes. Some red oaks have unlobed, oval-shaped leaves, but none of these species are naturally found in Minnesota. The acorns from white oaks contain fewer tannins and are less bitter than red acorns, making them the more sought after type.

Experiments in the mid-1930's reported that, in the northern lake states, white cedar is the only species in the region that can maintain deer over winter in a sufficient physical condition. I can attest that white cedar forests, or even a single white cedar tree, provide considerable warmth (thermal cover) in the winter. The branches seem designed for holding up the weight of a carpet of snow, which creates cozy, fort-like conditions. White cedar is a particularly palatable species to white-tailed deer as well; deer will often stand on the hind legs to eat as much of the branches as possible, creating noticeable browse lines. I have often noticed these on the sides of the highway while traveling through northern Minnesota in the winter.

Regarding Turkeys

2011-11-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

The Wild Turkey; a sight so commonly seen around my house. Why, just last weekend I had ten females pecking the ground of my backyard and confusedly flying back and forth over the chain link fence while a male paraded around the front yard on his own.

The Wild Turkey population in Minnesota is larger than it has been in the last 100 years. Due to overhunting and habitat destruction these birds used to be a rare sight in the southern half of Minnesota. Now, the population has successfully rebounded and we often have sightings of turkeys, frequently in suburban and even urban areas. In fact, Wild Turkeys are now found in all of the contiguous 48 states.

There's a chance that you know someone named Tom, which is also what adult male turkeys are called. Other turkeys have human-like names as well; young male turkeys are called jakes, young females are jennies, and adult females are...hens. Well, they can't all fit the pattern, can they?

The turkeys in our yard may have been searching for any remaining acorns. Turkeys will begin eating acorns as soon as they begin falling from the trees, which happened around September. The acorns are swallowed whole and ground up in the gizzard. A gizzard is basically a specialized stomach with thick, muscular walls that grinds tough foods. In addition to acorns, turkeys eat a wide variety of foods, including grasses, buds, insects, berries, grains, and frogs and snakes.

Reappearance of Strix varia

2011-11-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Since I have gotten the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time perched ten feet up in a tree lately (bow hunting), I have been fortunate to witness interesting happenings that I would not have otherwise seen.

A couple of weekends ago, on a particularly deerless day, I did at least get to experience a Barred Owl, Strix varia, a few times. I was delighted to have the monotony of my sunny Saturday punctuated by a faint "who cooks for you?" call. "Ahhh," I thought, nodding knowingly to myself, "a Barred Owl." This wasn't a new sound to me by any means, but without even a chattering squirrel to entertain me, it was a welcome distraction.

The call sounded once, then was not heard again. An hour passed uneventfully, but I did spend some time researching Barred Owls on my phone. I picked up the extremely useful information that Barred Owl in French is Chouette rayée, and in Spanish is Búhu listado.

Later on, i was able to see the owl flying through the trees to the west. Watching an owl fly is absolutely enchanting, not only because they are basically soundless, but because they appear to float more than fly. Since it was flying away from me, I figured that would be my last sighting of it for the evening, but fortunately I was mistaken.

Hours passed. I sat stoically in the wind. My tree swayed slowly. No deer presented themselves. Dusk rapidly approached.

Finally there were 10 minutes remaining of the time that I was legally allowed to shoot (half an hour after sunset). I began to arrange the contents of my pack, making my preparations to climb down out of my stand. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up and fixated on the large bird gliding straight toward me. It regally landed on a branch roughly ten feet from my astonished face.

The owl was turned loftily away from me, scanning the ground intently for small rodents. I thought regretfully of how I had not heard the sound of shifting leaves that evening, as mice, voles, and/or shrews searched through them for food. The owl seemed to take notice of the same lack that I had encountered and shifted its head around to face me, instead.

Anxious to keep the owl looking in my direction, I thought frantically of what I could do to keep it interested in me. I slowly cocked my head to the side, in a semblance of an excited puppy, waiting for a treat to be thrown into its mouth. Most likely I had gotten my inspiration from the Scream mask my husband would be wearing that night (it was Halloween, that's not some soft of regular occurrence). The owl stared openly at me.

It's working! I thought gleefully to myself. I began to enticingly shift my head in the other direction. The owl, however, had clearly grown bored with this performance and turned away indifferently. Shoot! I thought, then snickered silently at the irony that this was the only creature that had actually come within shooting distance today (and no, I had no intention of shooting an owl or any other animal I didn't have a permit to take).

I resumed watching the owl, hoping that my luck would increase and I would get to see it swoop down upon some prey. Further luck was just not in the cards. The owl hunched slightly, then burst off the branch in an unspeakable display of grace and flew off toward the east.

"A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?"
- Unknown author

A Squirrel Tale, in Which I also Shoot a Deer

2011-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

October 8, 2011

My husband and I lurked silently up the old logging road, carefully stepping over downed trees and sedulously avoiding the crunchiest piles of leaves. My compound bow was clutched tightly in my right hand, my camouflage coat placed carefully in the crook of my left arm. We took this precaution to avoid breaking into a sweat on our walk out, because we knew that once we were up in our stands, we would no longer be hot and the cold dampness would not aid us in staying warm. This did not, however, stop me from wearing two thick pairs of socks. I had sat for hours in my stand with cold feet before, and did not intend to do it again if I could avoid it.

We approached the small downed tree on the left side of the path, our indication that this was the spot for my husband to enter the woods. I shifted my weight back and forth, and experimentally pulled my bow back as I waited for him to reach his stand and begin his preparations for spending up to the next five hours perched 15 feet high in a tree. He turned to me, a questioning look on his face, and I signaled to him that I would be fine and turned to walk down the trail to my own stand, which was situated a couple hundred yards away and five feet lower (myself having a fear of falling from heights).

As I neared the balsam fir that was my own indication to enter the woods, I stopped to set my bow down and fumbled in my waist pack for a small orange plastic container. I unscrewed the top of this, then awkwardly held it in my left hand as I extracted the small glass bottle of deer urine from my pack, unscrewed that as well, and dipped the thick cotton protruding from the orange container into the pee. Curiosity got the best of me (and not for the first time, I might add), and I glanced over toward Drew to make sure he couldn't see me, raised the stick to my nose and took a quick whiff. I reflexively pulled my head back from the pungent, farm-like scent and hung the scent-wafter well away from my face on a low-hanging branch.

Kneeling down to retrieve my bow, I noticed some fresh deer pellets a few feet away. Perfect! I congratulated myself, although the credit actually belonged to my husband, as he had selected my spot. I stood back up and made my way the final 15 feet to my stand, trying to avoid making a sound as I picked my way across the forest floor, which was thoroughly littered with brown, brittle leaves. The rope I used to raise and lower my bow was still attached to my stand from the unfruitful hunt the night before, so I grabbed the end of it and attached it to my bow with the carabiner at the end. With this completed, it was time to climb up into my stand. I threaded the seatbelt-like strap through my full body safety harness that I would use to secure myself to the tree, folded it in half, and firmly gripped it between my teeth (I find this to be the most convenient way to carry the strap up the tree without getting tangled in it on the way up).

I stealthily ascended the admittedly short 10 foot tall ladder stand and awkwardly half-hugged the tree as I maneuvered the strap around it. You're not safe yet! my mind cheerfully nagged me. Grip the tree tightly - imagine the ways you could get hurt if you were to fall. You could even die! I rolled my eyes at my own histrionic tendencies, resulting in an ironically dizzying spinning sensation.

After a couple of failed attempts, I pulled the strap to a state of extreme snugness and experimentally pulled down on the part connecting my body to the tree...no give. Good. I made the awkward little stooping spin that I have to do in order to turn around on the small step of my stand and sat down, feeling the comforting pull of the body harness as I did so.

I then tackled the standard conundrum that faces me when I first sit down to what could easily be the beginning of five straight hours sitting in a tree...what to do first? Raise my bow up? Reapply my chapstick? Put on my gloves? More dexterous people than I may have had their gloves on the whole time to avoid spreading their human smell all over, but I get nervous enough strapping myself to my tree without dealing with the fingertips of my gloves bending into my way. I excitedly decided to raise my bow. After all, what if a deer happened to bound out of the woods and stand broadside within clear shooting range before I had even pulled my bow up?

I bit my lip anxiously as I raised the bow as quickly as possible without allowing it to swing conspicuously back and forth. Once it was in hand, I hastily unclipped the carabiner and allowed the rope to slowly slip through my hand down to the ground. I critically eyed the three arrows in my quiver and selected one of the two that didn't have a bent fletching, and nocked it carefully. I looked around for any sign of deer and, seeing none, hung the bow from my bow hanger, applied some chapstick, and pulled on my gloves. These activities having been completed, I commenced to sit.

I continued with this activity of sitting, interspersed with surreptitiously turning my head back and forth to scan the woods for deer, for well over two hours. A red squirrel had taken serious offense at my presence since, as I noticed, I was occupying the sole oak tree in my immediate vicinity, which interfered with the clearly desirable activity of dropping acorns to the ground (a task a few other squirrels were industriously working at in several other areas of the nearby forest, much to the consternation of my closest sciurid neighbor). The continual noise of acorns falling with footfall-like plops, accompanied by a couple of swooping Blue Jays, a jittery gang of Black-capped Chickadees, and several Eastern chipmunks rooting around in the leaves kept my mind thoroughly occupied, imagining the deer, wolves, or humans that could be crossing my path at any given moment. Most likely some noisy people! I predicted darkly. I pushed this thought away and took that as my clue to take my book out of my fanny pack (yep, book out of my fanny pack, and there are many more nerdy hunting habits where that came from).

I commenced to read a paragraph at a time, interspersed with long, penetrating gazes around the forest and punctuated by staring down the red squirrel, which was becoming increasingly furious with my presence. I continued in this fashion for quite some time.

A noise sounded behind me that was distinctly different from the noises I had grown used to, so I contorted slowly but fiercely around the side of the tree. Nada. I lurched my upper body around the other side of the oak and scanned the woods intently, trying to burn through the trees with the laser intentness of my stare. I saw nothing, but gained an untimely crick in my neck.

These yoga-like maneuvers seemed to have inspired a demonic sense of umbrage in the red squirrel, and he repeatedly scampered up and down the trees on either side of me, chiding me with soft rhythmic clicks and hops. The piercing stares clearly weren't getting through to him, so I slowly raised my bow and pointed menacingly it at him. Ffpoing!! I thought violently to myself, imitating the faint noise made when an arrow is shot. The squirrel was visibly unimpressed. Feeling quite foolish, I lowered my bow back to my lap and looked away from my foe, defeated.

I wasn't aware of a noise, but something caused me to look to my left. A blue leaf! was the first inexplicable thought that came to my mind. Upon further inspection, this turned into a doe's head, making her way down a small deer path. My heart seemed to explode into my throat with excitement as I watched two more deer appear behind her. Three adult does! I silently crowed in triumph.

My breathing was absolutely out of control, so I took a large slow breath, held it, and slowly released it. Not much better, but at least my hand that would need to control the release didn't resemble a jackhammer quite so strongly. I shifted my weight slightly, and watched them begin to mill around, nudging leaves aside for acorns in a small opening about 30 yards from my stand. When they were all safely looking in any direction but mine, I raised my bow into position and checked the security of my release on the string loop of my bow.

One of the females began to walk steadily down the path toward a spot that I knew I had a clear shot. As she bent her head down, I pulled my arrow back and held it, looking at her through the peep and seeing mostly a large clump of brush. I'll just follow her movements, and when she gets to a clear spot, I'll shoot! I coached myself, waiting anxiously. The doe continued to eat in inviolable ignorance. I glanced at the other deer, which were also eating safely behind brush and trees. My right arm began to shake with fatigue as all the deer present feasted unknowingly, and then it twitched alarmingly. I can't hold the arrow back any longer! I thought with dismay.

Steadying myself, I carefully eased the tension on the bow, reluctantly releasing its lethal potential energy. The squirrel, again becoming enraged at my outrageous movements and occupation of oak tree, climbed dangerously close to me on a nearby limb, narrowed his eyes, and emitted an ear piercing PSKEEP! I gritted my teeth and looked resolutely back at the deer. You shall not win! I communicated silently to the small, cunning rodent.

The squirrel's peep seemed to have jolted the doe from her acorn reverie, and she began moving forward once more. My nerves jolted, and I again drew my arrow back. The doe mockingly took this opportunity to turn around and walk further away from me into the brush, and I lowered the bow to aim toward the ground in resignation. I kept half an eye on the deer as I began to slowly and shakily release the the tension holding the arrow back once more, my nerves pretty much shot at this point. Suddenly, the arrow careened wildly from my bow, burying itself completely in the ground with a dull whack! The doe, bewildered, jumped several feet back at the noise. I stared blankly at the scene in shock.

All of the deer looked suspiciously around the woods for the cause of the noise for several seconds. The doe seemed to make the decision for the group and began to walk parallel to my stand into the woods. Shooting opportunities on this side of me were basically non-existent with the thickness of the trees and brush, but I doggedly nocked another arrow and steeled my grip on the bow, deciding to follow their movement in case a clear shot presented itself.

The doe walked into the woods with no hindrance, and I rather thought she deserved that after all of my bumbling around. Another deer was close on her heels, and as I aimed at the heart of this deer, a clear shot majestically appeared. Without consciously telling myself to pull the release, my finger reached around and did so. The arrow sailed toward the deer, accompanied by what was most likely the loudest THWACK!! sound a bow has ever made. At this, the deer leaped away and crashed through the woods, only to stop about 150 feet away.

I watched all of this with thorough disbelief. My arrow fumble earlier had caused me to lose all faith in my shooting abilities, and though I had seen the arrow travel smartly in the direction I had aimed, I told myself that I may not have even shot it. FFFFHHHTT! The noise traveled out of the woods toward me from the direction of the deer. What the hell? I wondered. The sound had clearly come from the deer, but which deer made the noise? Had I hit the deer?

BZZTT! My dazed ruminations were interrupted by the buzz of my phone. I fumbled in my fanny pack once more and extracted the device, narrowly avoiding dropping it as I continued to stare at the area of the woods the deer had disappeared into. I spared a second to glance down at my phone. Did you hit it? my husband digitally questioned. I had forgotten that he had a view of my hunting area, far away as he was, he must have seen the deer and had certainly heard the crashing noise of them running away. My hands were shaking like aspen leaves, but I managed to tap out the cryptic message I think I may VCR tape. I meant to say that I may have hit the deer, but my phone made some absurd autocorrections and I sent the message with the assumption that Drew would use his husbandly powers to divine my actual message. I immediately began to use my phone to research white-tailed deer vocalizations on the internet. "Deer dying noises" I queried. My ancient iPhone 3G was struggling along with this search on the Edge network when I received another message from Drew. What? His powers had not pulled through. Holy sssht!!sjdeidsst!!! I impatiently typed out and sent.

Several results popped up on Google related to deer vocalizations, and I silently debated the wisdom of playing these noises aloud after the commotion I had just caused. BZZT! Stay in the tree for half an hour, Drew instructed me. Well, hell. I may as well keep Googling. I elected to keep the aura of mystery going and did not play any deer vocalizations on my phone, in case one was still in the vicinity. The next half an hour passed with excruciating slowness as I squinted into the woods, looking for any sign of movement and listening for any more vocalizations.

The sound of crunching leaves broke my trance, and I looked down the trail to see Drew approaching. I began to mentally compare a human's manner of walking with that of a deer, as the differences in sound were quite pronounced. "Where was the deer when you shot it?" Drew whispered up to me in my perch. I pointed to the spot, through the small window of sticks that my arrow had flown through.

He carefully walked over to the spot I was pointing at and peered down at the ground. He stood up quickly and turned around with a big grin on his face, and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up. I returned his grin and quickly attached the rope to my bow, and lowered it to the ground. I was impatient to get down there as well, but I had the presence of mind to take my time as I stood up in my stand and undid the strap holding me to the tree.

Once I had climbed down, I scurried over to Drew as quietly as I could. He congratulated me and asked the question burning on his mind - why had I referred to a VCR tape in my earlier text message? "Auto-correct," I explained briefly, and proceeded to give him a play-by-play account of my hunt, including the fumbles and internet searches, interspersed with dramatic reenactments of the squirrel's antics.

Despite much searching, we were unable to find the arrow I had daftly embedded in the ground. We returned to the cabin for a couple of hours to ensure the deer had time to bleed out. When we returned, we were easily able to track the blood trail in the dark, and we found the deer in the area of the woods I had been watching so intently earlier in the day. I was surprised to find out that it was a button buck; from my vantage point in the tree I had been unable to see the small, inch-long antlers protruding from his head. We tagged the deer and were able to drag the him out of the woods in less than an hour. We completed the butchering ourselves late that night, and headed home the next day with a cooler full of deer meat.

My first deer

A new tick-borne infection found in the Midwest

2011-08-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ticks and the associated diseases they carry make it on the news every so often, particularly in the late-spring and early summer months when ticks are most active. Now that it's August, one would think we'd get a little respite. Incorrect! If you happen to recall, four people from Minnesota and Wisconsin contracted perplexing infections from ticks in 2009. It turns out that they were the lucky recipients of a previously unknown species of Ehrlichia bacterium (carried by ticks), as reported in the August 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Their symptoms included headache, fatigue, and fever, and one person experienced nausea and vomiting. Thus far, 25 people from Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin have been infected with the bacteria.

Tick-borne diseases can potentially affect anyone who spends time in the outdoors and comes in contact with ticks. Ticks are generally found in wooded, brushy areas. I often notice them on the ends of tall grass with their little legs outstretched, waiting to be picked up by an unfortunate passerby.

There are thirteen species of ticks in Minnesota, and three of these are frequently encountered by people. These include the blacklegged tick (deer tick) Ixodes scapularis, the American dog tick (wood tick) Dermacentor variabilis, and the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The blacklegged tick is the most notorious vector, being the potential carriers of four (and now probably 5) diseases: Lyme disease, human anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and as of 2008, Powassan virus infection. Now it seems the Ehrlichia bacterium has been added to that list. The American dog tick has transmitted Rocky mountain spotted fever in Minnesota, but that has been on a very rare basis (a few cases per year).

The best way to avoid getting these diseases is to prevent ticks from attaching to your body, checking for them thoroughly and frequently (Brad Paisley, anyone?), and removing them immediately if any are found. It is lamentable that the tick that carries the most diseases is so small - adult deer ticks (blacklegged ticks) are about the size of a sesame seed.

A couple of things you can do to lessen the amount of ticks you may pick up include walking down the center of a trail, or through areas with less tall, tick-bearing grasses and brush. Also, wear light-colored clothing so that you will be able to see ticks sooner and pluck them off! One of my favorite looks is the "pants-tucked-into-yer-socks" style, which looks slightly absurd, but does generally prevent ticks from crawling up your legs inside your pants and toward your crotch. Bugspray containing DEET or permethrin for your clothes is also helpful, not only for ticks, but also the bountiful "Minnesota state bird" - the mosquito (hyuck, hyuck).

If, even after all this, you do end up with a tick attached to you, fret not. Grab a tweezers, get a hold on the tick close to it's mouth, and slowly pull straight backwards. Be thorough and wash the area while you're at it. Another tip - please do not attempt the maneuver of blowing out a match and using the still-hot end to burn the tick. I'll give you a reason why; when I was a child, I once had the misfortune of discovering a tick attached to me while at the residence of an apparently uneducated individual. He put a blob of vaseline on it for about an hour, which did nothing. Then he decided to pull the match trick - after blowing out the match and moving it toward the little bloodsucker, the tick flipped over in the opposite direction, and this person firmly pressed the hot matchstick onto my arm. Ouch. Apparently he had decided to run the gauntlet of "what not to do."

If you would like further information about tick-borne diseases in Minnesota, here is an excellent link: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/naturalresources/M1275.html

Pine Marten and Snowshoe Hare in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

2011-08-05T05:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a video from the trip Drew and I took to the Boundary Waters this summer. It's worth the watch, I promise! I still can't believe that we saw this.

Brule Lake and South Temperance Lake, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

2011-08-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Canoeing on Brule Lake July 2011

My husband and I just returned from our annual trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This year we decided to take an easy trip to Brule Lake. I've never seen an easier entry point; you can literally back up to the lake, drop off your canoe and gear, drive your truck 25 feet away and park, and your trip can begin! I can see how the ease of entry would be a draw for many (particularly those with children), but it did not feel as though we were "roughing it" as much as our past trips. We actually canoed back to the truck in the middle of the trip to drop off a baggie of garbage and some dirty clothes. If you're looking for a low-key BWCA trip, entry point 41 is for you!

Me at the easiest entry point we have encountered yet. The lake behind
me? Yep - put yer canoe in there.

The main thing we noticed about Brule was how crowded it was for being in the BWCA. It's a large lake with many campsites, and 7 entry permits are granted per day. We knew it was going to be a busy lake, but I was still surprised to see so many trucks lined up in the parking lot. Many of the groups we saw were larger; we saw several groups with the maximum 4 canoes alloted per entry permit.

Brule is the 7th largest lake in the Boundary Waters, and the effects of its size became apparent in even the slightest wind. It's a rather oblong lake, oriented East/West, and it was quite common to see small whitecaps when the East or West winds started to blow. Hugging the shoreline is recommended when possible. We paddled west into the 15 mph west winds one day, which was not only tiring, but the occasional extra large wave would cause our canoe to jar downward and give me a good splash in the process.

The campsites seemed to be either beautiful, scenic rocky points or smaller, mosquitoey sites tucked back into the woods. Naturally, we gravitated toward the more picturesque ones. With the traffic on the lake, it was necessary to get up early and move to a new site quickly. It seemed like there were two waves of groups: those who got up early and traded good sites (10am or earlier) and those who got a move on later in the day and ended up with the less attractive sites.

We canoed past a good majority of the sites on the lake, and we could generally tell which sites would be good by looking at the red dots indicating campsites on our McKenzie maps and customized National Geographic TOPO maps ahead of time. Nearly always, the good sites were the ones located on points jutting out like this:

We stayed on C0967 our first two nights, and you can tell by the red dot's
location on the map that it's going to have some beautiful views!

Part of our preparations for a Boundary Waters trip include putting the GPS coordinates of all the campsites into our GPS. This helps us to travel swiftly between sites. Here are some views of site C0967:

Near the fire grate, looking out toward one of the rocky shorelines

The view from the lake, looking up toward camp.

A view looking down on Brule lake from our campsite

We had heard rumors that the fishing on Brule Bay (located on the east side of the lake) was good, but we did not find out firsthand. After spending a relaxing two nights at our first campsite, we headed out to Brule Bay to search for a good site bright and early. Another tip: if you head out early in the morning, before 9am or so, the water is much less wavy. Alas, after a quick tour of all the campsites (which were all available), we decided to head west again and try our luck elsewhere. All of the sites were tucked back in the woods and lacked the expansive lakeshore views we were seeking.

The red dots are campsites on Brule Bay

We traveled back toward the center of the lake and actually ended up at a campsite quite close to the one we had just left! By this time it was about 10:30 AM, so we were lucky to get it. Quite a few canoes passed us shortly after we arrived, also looking for good sites like the one we just snagged.

C0941 was our home for the next two nights

Canoeing up to beautiful C0941

We planned to stay at C0941 for two nights, since rain was in the forecast. It proved true, and we were glad to have a tarp shelter to relax under during the morning rain.

The blue pagoda-shaped structure in the back was our glorious rain shelter

We left this site on our second morning there by 7:30 AM, and made a pit stop at our truck on our trip west. We have never had the luxury of stopping at our vehicle before, so it was a very un-BWCA-like experience.

It took us about 4.5 hours to leave our campsite, stop at the truck, canoe across the rest of Brule Lake, portage 10 rods (easiest portage ever) to South Temperance Lake, and find a campsite. Here's a view of the 10 rod portage to South Temperance:

It gets a little more rocky and steep as it curves towards Temperance, but it's really not bad considering how short it is.

Another view of the portage from Brule to South Temperance

We were once more lucky to arrive on South Temperance when we did, because as we began paddling up to our next site, a group appeared from the north. They must have just portaged out of North Temperance Lake. They bypassed the site we were heading toward, and we spent our last two nights on another beautiful rocky outcropping.

C0909 was our final destination

Our campsite on South Temperance Lake

South Temperance Lake by Drew Laursen

Me fishing the morning of my birthday on South Temperance Lake.
Not too shabby!

This site provided us with not only with some amazing photos (the best ones taken by my husband Drew), and some unique wildlife action. When we woke up on our first morning at this site, we heard a strange scampering noise going around and around our tent. A pine marten spent a good couple of hours chasing a snowshoe hare all around our campsite, completely disregarding us! My husband got this on video, which I will be editing and posting shortly.

Overall, I recommend Brule Lake to beginners (if you have experience paddling a canoe in wavy water), larger groups, and those with children. Many sites had multiple flat areas that would make suitable tent pads, if you need to set up more than one tent. You can go your entire trip without portaging, which is useful to anyone with a heavy canoe. We will do something more challenging for our next trip, but I would definitely come back here again in the future (probably not until we have children old enough to camp though). Please feel free to ask questions! I'll be happy to answer them. Carolyn @ wildernesswaypoint.com

Packing Food for a Trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

2011-07-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

Over the past five years, my husband and I have been continuously improving on the food we bring for our 7-9 day trips to the Boundary Waters. Most of it is very lightweight and can be eaten as-is, or by adding boiling water. If you are going on a trip with lots of hiking or portaging, I would omit a few of these items, which I will mention as I go. We will soon be embarking on a leisurely canoe trip with very few portages, so some of these items are a bit of a luxury.

Spam and tuna in bags!

The Spam and tuna shown above, for example, could all be left behind if weight were a serious concern. There are a variety of freeze-dried meals available in stores such as REI or Gander Mountain that have dehydrated meat in them, but these meals tend to run about $8-10 each. Saving money is more of a concern for us than the added weight, so we bring all of this. The Spams are excellent fried up for breakfast, or added to a rice meal. We eat the tuna on crackers (do not bring crackers if space is a concern) or add mayo from the little condiment packets you can take from stores and eat it in tortilla wraps.

Fried spam is seriously tasty

Tuna and Spam crammed into a space-saving baggie

I highly recommend packing similar items in baggies like this. It makes it easier to rummage through your food back, saves space, and you can use the baggies to pack out garbage as your food gets eaten. Remember - cans and glass containers are not allowed in the Boundary Waters, so it's necessary to find food items in bags such as this.

Chicken in a BAG!

This chicken-in-a-bag was a very special find for us. For several years we have discussed how fantastic it would be if we could only have chicken in a bag. We happened across these gems quite accidentally in Target. They will be excellent added to rice.

Coffee to be put in a baggie

These will be our beverages for the week. In my haste to take a photo of our beverages, I left the instant coffee in a glass container - I will transfer it to a plastic one before we head out. The Tang and chai are quite unnecessary, but a fun treat. The small packets on the bottom right are various flavors of Crystal Light and various knock-offs. These are great for backpacking because you're not lugging around the unnecessary weight of sugar like we're doing with the Tang and chai.

Cashews, peanuts, and sunflower seeds

Some snacks. We tend to eat plain nuts rather than trail mix. We'll get our fruit intake by finding wild blueberries and raspberries (hopefully!). I'm also rather fond of wild cherries.

Beef jerky and chocolate-covered espresso beans

More treats. The chocolate-covered espresso beans will certainly melt, but still taste great in a big block.

Freeze-dried ice cream!

This is our one indulgence of expensive freeze-dried food. I'll be turning 25 on this trip, so in lieu of cake we'll have some freeze-dried ice cream. It's fantastic, we had this last year on our trip as well.

Happy birthday to me

Various breakfast items

To make the hash browns, you just add water and fry 'em up! The peanut butter is for bagels (another space wasting treat). Lawry's seasoning and minced onions make many meals better, including hash browns. Don't forget the tiny ketchup packets!

Excellent alternative to expensive freeze-dried schtuff

These look fun. Butternut squash fusilli and buffalo mac 'n' cheese. Both would be great with the addition of that chicken-in-a-bag! Both of these just need water added, which can be found in abundance in the lakes we will be canoeing through. An article about the importance of purifying/boiling water can be found earlier in my blog postings.

The makings for some tasty fish!

We are about to head out on a fishing trip, so I'm really hoping we get to use this stuff. The best case scenario would be to catch so many fish we run out of breading and have to use lemon pepper seasoning. We'll see.

Shore Lunch makes a variety of soups

Every year we bring a Shore Lunch wild rice soup, it only seems fitting for the Boundary Waters. The issue with this bag of soup, however, is that it literally makes 8 hearty servings. It's essential to keep this in mind when whipping it up, otherwise you will end up with way more food than you can possibly eat.
Here is an example of me cooking an absurd quantity of soup.

What was I thinking?

Just add water and FRY

The greatest way to eat pancakes in the Boundary Waters is with the addition of freshly picked blueberries or raspberries. Here is what they look like while hanging out on their little blueberry bushes.

Wild blueberries

Tasty blueberry pancake

Instant mashed potatoes in a variety of flavors

Instant mashed potatoes are a great addition to any meal, and are also superb fried up into little potato pancake things for breakfast.

More instant rice than we really need

Instant rice. Great with spam or bagged chicken. Tabasco sauce is generally a nice addition. The Uncle Ben's rice already has water in it and is a bit heavier, but is nice in case it's raining and we don't want to go out to get water. It simply fries up. A lazy man's meal at it's finest.

packs of food

Now, if we trimmed out a bunch of our fun indulgences we could fit all the food into the yellow bag. Fortunately, we have the space available for both of these bags and as a result we will feast like kings (and queens). These bags are great because they have little loops at the top, which makes hanging them in trees for the night easy. Remember to hang your bags of food and any odorous items, including your “cooking clothes” in a tree at least 10 feet up and hanging out on a limb, about 5 feet down.

Barred Owls - Strix varia

2011-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

Barred Owl on a spring morning in Minnesota

As you can tell by the lack of leaves on the trees, I did not take this photo mid-July. This was taken March 30 at 7:30AM. Barred Owls remain in Minnesota year-round, but the weeklong time period surrounding this photo is really the only time I've gotten a good look at this owl. I hear them from time to time (their call sounds like "Who cooks for you, who cooks for youuuu?"), but once the trees leaf out I simply no longer see them.

The photo above was taken from my living room window while I was drinking my morning coffee - I actually held my little camera up to my binoculars (which are on the windowsill at all times) and took several photos through one of the eyepieces. Barred Owls are actually quite common and can be seen during the day; they perch on branches as they wait for prey to scurry or flit past. They are, however, primarily nocturnal predators. Barred Owls are adapted for night hunting with their excellent hearing and ability to see well in low light.

Barred Owl

Barred Owls cannot, of course, turn their heads completely around, but as you can see from this photo they make a sporting attempt. They can actually turn it about 3/4 of the way around, which is still quite impressive!

Barred Owls are up to 20 inches tall and can have a wing span of 4 feet! Their preferred habitat is dense woods near water. Fortunately, my backyard happens to back up to a nice span of woods, and the Mississippi River follows shortly after that. They nest in cavities in deciduous trees, but they will also use nest boxes. I intend to get an appropriately sized nest box up in the backyard this summer.

Minnesota Government Shutdown = Canoe Purchase

2011-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

My husband Drew and I will shortly be heading north for our annual summer expedition to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. I'm exceedingly grateful that it is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System - maintained by the US Forest Service, and NOT run by the Minnesota government! Many potential campers have had to alter their plans over the last two weeks, most notably the Fourth of July weekend, as state parks have been padlocked and shut down along with our vacillating government.

We have been very fortunate in that many of the repercussions of the government shutdown have not impacted us directly - two weeks is a long time for 22,000 state employees to be out of work. The major hurdle we encountered was not being able to renew a canoe license. A good majority of the Minnesota DNR employees have been temporarily laid off, and naturally the DNR website is shut down. All licensing and registration activities with the DNR are, of course, currently unavailable. This means we cannot buy fishing, hunting or trapping licenses in the state of Minnesota until further notice. Thank goodness Drew and I already had our fishing licenses, or this would have been one dismal fishing trip! One also cannot get boating (that's where we come in) or ATV licenses until the government gets it's s**t straight. To be fair, Drew and I could have been more hasty in renewing the canoe license ahead of time, but what's a procrastinator to do?

This barrier did, however, result in a little unexpected bonus. Instead of borrowing my mother-in-law's canoe, we ended up purchasing our own (licensed) one! Here's a hint for anyone with a spare canoe looking to make some cash: licensed canoes are going like effing HOTCAKES on Craig's List right now. As soon as someone puts up an ad for a decently priced one, they are likely to get about 20 calls immediately. It took us the whole two weeks to actually get our hands on one! There's a little economic stimulus for you Minnesota - enjoy.

Nothing quite like relaxing in a canoe

Some Useful Knots

2011-07-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

If you have already taken a gander at the length of this post, I will go ahead and answer the question that has surely popped into your mind. Yes, I took all these photos and yes, I photoshopped them together into little strips.

Tying good knots is an exceedingly useful skill, particularly for those of us that spend a lot of time outdoors. Some examples include: tying a knot in your fishing line, securely hanging your food in a tree while camping to keep it away from bears, and tying your boat up to a dock when it's high time to head into the bar for a refreshing beverage (cabin on the lake, anyone?).

So, please scroll through these knots, and let me know what you think! How many of these knots have you used before?

Overhand Knot – a knot to use if your goal is permanence
Possible uses: tying shoelaces, fishing, climbing

Figure 8 Knot – a “stopper” knot that can be easily untied
Possible uses: stopper knot: sailing, climbing, can replace the overhand knot

Double Overhand Knot – a stopper knot – exceedingly difficult to untie
Possible uses: a stopper at the end of a rope

Reef (Square) Knot – a “binding” knot – do not use with two ropes of unequal diameter
Possible uses: can be used to join two ropes of equal diameter together or to
secure two objects together with one cord

Carrick Bend – a beautifully symmetrical entanglement
Possible uses: binds two ropes together, particularly when heavy rope is in use

Bowline Knot – a useful loop knot that is easy to tie and untie
Possible uses: this knot makes a firm loop at the end of a rope

Timber Hitch – a woodsman’s knot
Possible uses: attach a single rope to a piece of wood

Half Hitch – basically, an overhand knot tied around an object
Possible uses: generally used as part of another knot; not very useful on its own

Clove Hitch – composed of two half-hitches wrapped around an object
Possible uses: ground anchor for climbing, useful when the length of rope needs
to be easily adjusted such as when anchoring a curtain rope in the theater

Cow Hitch – the baggage tag loop
Possible uses: tying a rope around a pole

Taut Line Hitch – useful when the length of rope needs to be adjusted
Possible uses: adjusting tent lines, securing items such as a canoe to your vehicle

Butterfly Knot – an excellent mid-line rigging knot
Possible uses: segregate a tattered section of rope

Fisherman’s Knot – not for tying a hook on a line!
Possible uses: tying two lines together, particularly those that are slippery

Improved Clinch Knot – what, intuitively, should be called the fisherman’s knot
Possible uses: tying a hook onto a fishing line

Black-capped Chickadee

2011-07-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

"Chicka-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee!"

Did you know that a chickadee that has just made this sound has sent out the alert that he or she perceives a high level of threat? It's true! Researchers have shown that chickadees communicate levels of threat to each other with the number of "dee's" in their "chicka-dee" calls. The more dee's in the call, the higher the threat. Listen for this the next time you see a group of chickadees. Can you find the predator they are warning each other about?

When a group of chickadees encounters a predator, they often engage in mobbing behavior. This means that they will be aggressive toward or actually attack the enemy. Why do birds mob? Researchers have several ideas - it may be to warn other birds of a predator in the area, to drive a predator out of the area, or perhaps to distract the predator from their nests. Birds mob year-round, but the highest amounts of mobbing occur during the breeding season.

Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
This easily tamed bird is attracted to seed and suet, and therefore often found at backyard feeders. They are often seen with woodpeckers and nuthatches.

Size: 5” to 5.5”
Sexes: similar
Similar species: Boreal Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Gray-headed Chickadee, Mexican Chickadee, and Mountain Chickadee
- of these, only the Boreal Chickadee can be found in Minnesota; the Minnesota range of the Boreal Chickadee includes far northern Minnesota
Song: Chick-a-dee-dee-dee, a cheerful two-toned fee-bee!
Diet: insects, insect eggs, seeds, fruits
Habitat: open deciduous and deciduous-conifer woodlands, suburbs
Migration: non-migratory

Have You Purified Your Water Lately?

2011-07-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

It’s easy to take water for granted, as we are surrounded by it in our everyday lives. With a simple turn of a faucet, seemingly unlimited water comes gushing out to meet our demands, and even assumes your desired temperature! Before embarking on your wilderness adventure, it is necessary to plan out not only what your water sources will be, but how you will purify the water you obtain.

Failing to purify your water is a mistake that has the potential to make you uncomfortable at the very least, and at its worst can be fatal.

Giardia lamblia, commonly referred to as Giardia, is a fairly common protozoan (single-celled organism) in the US, particularly in well-traveled areas. Those who have had it can attest that it is an experience they would not care to repeat. G. lamblia lives in the intestines of infected hosts (which can be both animal and human) and is passed through feces. One can become infected by ingesting said feces, which can be accomplished by drinking unpurified infected water, or coming in contact with the parasite in any other way. Consider that you can get it simply by swallowing a mouthful of lake water while swimming!

Symptoms of giardiasis, which include diarrhea, gas, floating and greasy poo, and an upset, crampy stomach, do not begin to occur for 1-2 weeks. Once they begin, they can last for 2-6 weeks in a healthy adult. That is one loooong bout of diarrhea.

Cryptosporidium, a protozoan similar to Giardia, also enters water through fecal matter. It causes symptoms similar to those of Giardia.

Before you come to the problem of purifying your water, you will need to find it. When planning your route, it is vital that you ensure frequent access to water sources. Add an extra quarter mile onto your trip to ensure that you pass by that lake. Yes, it’s that important.

Of course, you should carry water with you. But the fact of the matter is, as humans we require approximately 4 quarts of water per day, and up to a quart per hour when exerted on a hot day. Unless you are planning to cart along gallons upon gallons of water, you will need to obtain your own drinkable water on any extended trip.

You can collect water from either still or moving sources, but still water is recommended because the moving water tends to churn up particles from the bottom. This is also true for lake water lapping on shore. I recall tying a rope around my Nalgene and flinging it far out into the lake repeatedly to avoid the particle-filled water close to shore. Not very efficient, but hey, I had nothing but time!

So what do you do if you’re not near a water source?

Collect dew or rain using a tarp
Dig a hole 1-2 feet deep in a muddy area and watch water fill in the hole
Wrap your tarp around a leafy plant and dig a hole next to the plant, allowing the tarp to dip into the hole to collect water.

Once you have obtained your water, you will still need to go through the trouble of purifying it. This can be done several ways.
Boiling water kills bacteria and parasites, but any particles or chemicals that were in the water will remain. A coffee filter can be used to strain out the particles. The major disadvantage of boiling water is that it can take a lot of time and fuel.

Treatment solutions, such as iodine or chlorine, kill viruses and bacteria. This still leaves particles and possibly protozoa (remember our little buddies Giardia and Cryptosporidium?), not to mention a nasty taste.

Water filters are able to remove most bacteria and chemicals, but viruses can still make it through the filter due to their small size. A combination of a treatment solution and filtration is recommended.

Wild rose - Rosa spp.

2011-07-01T05:33:00.001-07:00

Many may look at the wild rose and simply see a thing of beauty, and perhaps they may ponder the symbolic meanings of the pink color (some of which include gratitude, gentleness, and happiness). Many animals, however, rely on this plant for its important food source - the rose hip. In Minnesota, rose hips are eaten by deer, pheasants, songbirds, to name a few. Copious numbers of small mammals eat the stems and leaves in addition to the hips.

Minnesota species: R. arcansana, R. macounii, R. blanda, R. aciculatis

Family: Rosaceae

Height: varies, depending on species

Flowers: 5 petals, pink with yellow centers

Fruit: Rose hips, which form from the base of the flower (the hypanthium)

Habitat: sunny, dry areas - thickets, roadsides, field edges, moist foods

Edible?: Yes, the skins of rose hips are edible and are high in Vitamin C. The petals are edible as well. Common recipes include tea, candy, jellies and jam, syrup, wine and juice.

Attention gardeners! Many species of wild rose that you grow in your garden produce rose hips as well, including Rosa rugosa, Rosa gallica, and hybrid tea roses (although these produce fewer). Be sure to leave the blossoms on to allow the hips to form. No deadheading allowed! The skin of the rose hip contains most of the nutritious elements and is said to taste like an apple. There is not much flesh to them, and they are filled with hair-covered seeds.

The Big Dipper, which resides within Ursa Major

2011-06-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

I have spent many an evening laying outside, gazing up at the stars. Although on occasion I will use this time to ponder the complexity and vastness of the universe, my mind more often than not drifts to my faintly irritating need to put a name to everything I see.

Allow me to say here, for everyone like me who loves to drone on about non-vital factoids, that the big dipper is not a constellation! It is, in fact, an asterism - a pattern of stars that is NOT a constellation. Interesting, eh?

Yep, I geekily photoshopped this myself

Constellation name: Ursa Major; “the great bear” (Ursa major includes the big dipper)

Appearance: distinctive ladle or plough shape forms the big dipper; a large boxy shape and a couple spindly legs complete the constellation
Major stars included: The Big Dipper (the 7 stars of the “Big Dipper” are called an asterism, and form only part of Ursa Major); 3rd largest constellation
When/where found: Ursa Major is found in the northern Hemisphere; it is highest in the sky in the spring and lowest in the fall. It can be seen at any time of the year
Lore: Callisto, the goddess of hunting, promised herself to Artemis. One day Zeus disguised himself as Artemis and slept with her, thus making her pregnant. She gave birth to a son, Arcas. Zeus’s wife, Hera, naturally became angry. She took her revenge by turning Callisto into a bear. Callisto saw her son Arcas one day, and ran toward him in joy. All Arcas saw was a large bear running toward him, so he prepared to kill it. Zeus evaded this problem by turning Arcas into a bear as well, and threw them both into the sky (as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor).

Obligatory introduction to Carolyn and Drew

2011-06-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Most, if not all, of these posts will come from me - Carolyn Laursen.

It seems awkward to just start blogging away without a quick introduction. My husband Drew and I are avid wilderness enthusiasts from Minnesota. We don't get out of the state much, so most of these posts will be rather Minnesota-centric. Some of our interests include backpacking, canoeing, hunting, fishing, identifying most anything we find, and the list goes on.

With that, I leave you with my favorite picture of Drew and I in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Ahhhh.