A Beer?

Only in Wisconsin.  I don’t know what goes on in the woods there but I saw this animal wandering around at the sport show in Wausau. 

I guess it can be called a “beer”.  I’m thinking that after too many beers this might be a common sight.

Water and Cats

We’ve heard that cats don’t like water. I don’t believe it. We had house cats years ago. Sometimes when I was on the dock they would come out and ask me to help them go for swim. With enough of a launch they could manage a double twist with a full flip and still enter feet first. They didn’t seem to mind the water.

Here is a lynx that apparently went swimming on his own. Keep your camera with you and ready. Thanks for the photo Frank.

I doubt anyone helped this cat into the lake. In a way it makes sense, cats like fish, fish like water...

It never occured to me to put our cats out so far from shore. Well, maybe it occured to me once or twice.

Ready for Winter

I came across this bruin the other day.  Or should I say he came across me while I was out enjoying the afternoon.  My vehicle was a good 300 yards away.  For a moment I wondered if I could run faster scared than he could hungry.

No worries however since either he wasn’t hungry or I didn’t look succulent enough. In any case, as is the norm he just ignored me and walked away. 

Looks like he is well ready to snooze through the winter.

Hide and seek

Loons are most likely seen out in the water fishing.  Sometimes they are spotted in the air and rarely on land.   This guy is hiding near the waters edge. 

It really pays to have your camera ready and your eyes peeled for these types of interesting shots.

Moose on the loose

I have mentioned about how moose re-grow their antlers each summer.  Moose will drop or loose their antlers during the winter.  Sometimes a sharp eye will spot the cast-off antlers on the shore or inland from the lake.  These make interesting souvenirs. 

These ones where likely dropped last winter and as is often the case, both sides fell off near the same time.  Sometime a moose will wander for a while with just one antler.

You will notice in the picture that the antlers look a little chewed up.  Many small creatures from porcupines to mice will chew these cast-offs for a great source of calcium.  Nature has it own methods of recycling. Nothing goes to waste.

Flindt Caretaker?

We are not sure of his name.  He answers to Ralph, Pete, Woody, and “here Boy”.  What ever his handle he greets many guests at Flindt Lake. 

The wildlife viewing and photo ops are amazing at our remote lakes.  Fishing is always great; catching is an added bonus and seeing animals in their own environment is priceless.

Home Sweet Home

Everybody has to live somewhere. If your address is Metionga Lake Northwestern Ontario, your home may look like this.

Eagles take a lot of pride in their abodes. Nothing like a penthouse suite with a view.

Fuzzy

This Metionga Lake moose has growing antlers that are still covered in velvet.  In a matter of weeks, the moose will rub the velvet off and prepare for the mating season.

Moose are great swimmers so it is not uncommon to see them in the water.

They may be little now…

These “little” guys are growing several pounds per day.  By fall they will larger than a large whitetail deer.  Not bad considering they are on mother’s milk for a few months yet.   In a few years they may well be supporting a rack that spans up to 5 or 6 feet across.

Metionga Caribou

Metionga Lake has caribou too.  Bob Donnelly took this picture last week on Metionga of a bull caribou leaving the water after swimming across from an island. 

Their antlers grow quickly considering this growth has happened this summer only.  Like moose caribou drop their antlers each year.  Unlike other ungulates, the cow caribou also grow antlers.

Our camps are at the very southern range of woodland caribou in Canada.  Seeing them is a real treat since they are rather elusive. Keep you camera ready when visiting our camps.  You never know what you can capture.

Velvet

Moose drop their antlers (they don’t have horns) each year and grow new ones.  While the new antlers are growing they are covered with a velvet like skin and can bleed if damaged.  Once they are fully grown, the velvet is scraped off and the antlers are the consistency of bone.

Painted Turtle

There are so many different varieties of wildlife waiting to be photographed at our outposts. Be sure to bring your camera and don’t hesitate to capture some wildlife other than your cabin buddies in various states of undress.

Fish pictures are great too, but don’t limit your observations or creativity.

Caribou

The woodland caribou is a majestic animal whose southern most range includes Seseganaga Lake. Many of our guests enjoy seeing these rare animals. Sometimes they will stick around for a photo op.

My dad took this picture of a young bull caribou in the yard of our Seseganaga West Bay cabin last week.

All in a week

Don from Iowa was at Seseganaga lake last week with a few buddies. 

Fishing of course is a main event at an outpost camp, but a sampling of Don’s photos from the week show many reasons to make an Ignace Outpost vacation.

Keep in mind these are not zoo animals but part of North America’s southern most caribou herd.

Don, thanks for the photos, we’ll see you again soon.

Turkey Vultures

Wildlife viewing is one of those added features of an Ignace Outpost vacation.  Our guests regularly see moose, bear, eagles, otters, beaver (not the airplanes), deer, caribou, loons… the list goes on.

If there is decaying animal matter around, turkey vultures are often seen.  Last week on the river south of Irene Lake our guests found a moose carcass, likely from a moose which fell through the ice.

Having a free lunch were turkey vultures. 

These ugly birds work diligently to help clean up the forest.

Large moose

A moose hunter guest in Thunder Bay sent me this photo.  It was  taken along the CP rail line in the area last fall.  The rails are 56 1/2 inches apart so this moose has a rack that would make any hunter proud. 

We’ve seen moose this large at many of our outpost lakes too.  During the summer taking pictures of wildlife is part of a wilderness experience with Ignace Outposts.

Through the eyes of a child

For those who think an Ignace Outposts trip is nothing more than fishing.





The Holzer family from Wisconsin have vacationed with us for many years. This fall, after their August family trip, Amy, their 10 year old daughter (5th grade) wrote the following piece for a school project on descriptive writing about her favorite place.


It is interesting to see Metionga Lake through the eyes of a child. As adults we sometimes take such things for granted.

A Beautiful Night on Lake Metionga

"The boat slices through the glass-calm waters of Lake Metionga. The Canadian sun turned the cool lake water to a peach color. I see a beaver building its lodge out of old birch logs, and a beautiful loon calls in the far distance. I want to check out the woods, so I tell my mom to take me onto the rocky shore.

As I get out of the boat, I notice how the sun casts a golden light through the trees the color of glowing embers on a fire. I could smell the fresh pine and I can taste the fresh air. I walk slowly and quietly, not wanting to shatter the peaceful silence. Or was it anything but silence? With no cars running, no people shouting, I heard sounds I never knew existed. For a moment I was petrified, but then I noticed some storm clouds to the west, so we left the quiet island and headed home.

At night I went out to look at the bright stars. There were millions of them, and they sparkle like diamonds. I saw all kinds of constellations. Then, to the north, I saw the famous and beautiful Northern Lights. It was a spectacular array of brilliant violet, flaming red, and enchanting green. It took my breath away. Now I understand why someone once said, "No paintbrush and can paint it, no pencil can draw it and no words can describe it." I thought it couldn't be any more amazing than that, but then a majestic eagle soared gracefully through the sky. Life can't get any better than this!"

Amy




Amy in the middle with her mom and brother

As I've said before, this sure beats Disney world!

Caribou at Seseganaga

In August the Dodwell family spent a few quality days at our West Bay Camp on Seseganaga Lake.

Phil Dodwell challenged his family to spot a caribou while on the trip. The last morning of their stay his wife Tammy spotted a bull caribou swimming across the lake right towards the cabin. Dillion, their son, grabbed his video camera and filmed the caribou through the bedroom window as it munched near the outhouses.

Some people get this close to a wild animal only in a zoo.






At an Ignace Outpost camp it is possible to see wildlife in their own habitat. As I have been know to say, "Sometimes the fishing is just a bonus".

Fall is in the air

I wish it was me going moose hunting on Hilltop Lake this fall. Our fishermen last week took this picture of a 50 incher browsing near the outlet of the lake. I'm sure when called, he'll come running, perhaps with a bouquet of flowers behind his back. Only weeks now until archery season opens.

Low and Over

These birds have to be one of the most majestic in the sky. Considering they were once endangered, we do see plenty of eagles these days. One of our Metionga Lake guests from last week emailed these photos of an eagle cleaning up some fish offal.

In nature everything is part of a cycle. Any fish remains are quickly returned to the food chain.

This is why we ask our guests to depose of their fish remains on a rock rather than in the water.




This eagle does a "low and over" while picking up his supper for the night. With those talons he barely slows down and grabs a good handful for his next meal.



There is so much more to a fly in trip than filling a stinger with walleye.

Don't forget your camera, and don't forget to send me a photo or two.