Lake Vermilion Resort Association

IMPORTANT UPDATE - On May 8, the Minnesota legislature REPEALED this requirement. The stickers are still available, and they contain valuable information about the laws in Minnesota regarding invasive species if you would like to get one. THE LAW REGARDING INVASIVES DID NOT CHANGE - only the sticker requirement was repealed.

A new law passed in 2011 requires a watercraft owner or operator to obtain and attach an aquatic invasive species rules decal to all types of watercraft prior to launching on, entering into, or operating on any waters of the state. The decals are available at DNR offices, Deputy Registrar offices where licenses are sold, and large sport shops, as well from DNR watercraft inspectors and conservation officers. They will be included in the envelopes of new and renewal watercraft licenses mailed from DNR. They are free. For more information visit: www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic_qa.html

DNR officials got an early start on the walleye egg gathering operation on Pike River on the Tower end of Lake Vermilion Monday, March 26, 2012. This might be the earliest the procedure has ever been started. Each year the DNR harvests eggs from the walleye there for use in Vermilion and other lakes in the state.

Here is a link to a YouTube video explaining the process:

http://youtu.be/nDXHXvsGccY

This link will take you to the page where you can follow the migration of several loons from Lake Vermilion.  The ones labeled with a V are the Vermilion loons. Click on the loon, then on “play animation” to follow their path from their summer to winter homes.

Migration Tracking

Visit again in the spring to follow them back to the Lake.

Removed from loon

Seconds later, they released the bird back to the water.

While the bird might normally be expected to flee from the scene once released, the two men were shocked to see that by the time they got back to the dock, the loon was floating nearby, as if waiting for them.

“We laughed like hell,” said Erickson.

So had the loon come back to say thanks?

“You bet he was thanking us,” said Erickson.

“I don’t know what else to think of it,” agreed Anderson.

Last the two men saw, the loon was back in deeper water and it appeared it would survive its ordeal. “He was diving just fine when we left,” said Anderson.

The DNR will be temporarily closing some state forest roads and trails due to wet, soft road conditions.  These will begin within the next couple of weeks.  Generally, all roads and trails within a particular forest will be closed, but not always.  Signs are posted at entry points and at parking lots.

Road and trail conditions are updated every Thursday by 2 PM at MN DNR Trail Conditions.

Please check conditions prior to planning your trip to avoid being disappointed by temporary closures.

This story was recently published in the Duluth News Tribune, written by John Myers:

Harley the eagle first made news by getting a ride on the back of a motorcycle, but raptor experts now say he’s making news under his own wing power.

The male bald eagle left his summer home on western Lake Vermilion in mid-September, paused a couple of weeks near his former home south of Superior, then made a 640-mile dash to Arkansas in about 12 days. He covered nearly 500 of those miles in just four days.

It’s not clear why Harley went that far south or why he’s settled in a valley of the Ozark Mountains between the towns of Jasper and Parthenon. Scientists placed a GPS transmitter on Harley last winter and are able to track his whereabouts.

Arkansas isn’t known as an eagle wintering hotspot. And Harley certainly flew over lots of eagle food and eagle habitat to get there, said Julia Ponder, director of the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center.

“Eagles are obviously much more common in our area than Arkansas, and we were all extraordinarily surprised by Harley’s jaunt to Arkansas,’’ Ponder said. “But this is a perfect example of how much we do not know about wildlife. The biologists in Arkansas did know they had a small population there, very small compared to our wintering populations, but they had no idea of the northern connection, either.’’

Ponder said they may never know why individual birds behave the way they do and that Harley’s travels raise more questions than answers.

“Harley has done several unexpected things … his abrupt move to northern Minnesota earlier this year, then his jaunt to winter in Arkansas,’’ she said. “When dealing with (just one animal) we can’t make solid scientific conclusions. But every piece of information adds to our knowledge base and gives us ideas of where to look for more information. No one had any idea of any connection between the Arkansas eagles and our northern birds.’’

Harley was found Aug. 3, 2009, foundering along Douglas County Highway T near Wascott by Harley-Davidson motorcyclist Brian Baladez of Cloquet. The bird appeared injured, disoriented and was unable to fly.

Baladez captured the bird in his leather jacket and used a bungee cord to secure it to the saddle bags of his motorcycle and drove it 50 miles to Duluth. Harley eventually was taken to the Raptor Center, where he was treated for lead poisoning and malnutrition. Veterinarians later had to do surgery on the wing from an old break that hadn’t healed properly.

Harley was nursed back to health, fitted with a GPS transmitter and set free — with Baladez called in to handle the release — in late January at a bald eagle wintering area along the Mississippi River south of the Twin Cities. He flew north and spent much of the spring along the South Fork of the Nemadji River on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, only about 30 miles from where he was found.

In June, Harley moved north along the St. Louis River and then moved even farther north to Lake Vermilion in mid-July. He spent most of August and September in a relatively small area in the western reaches, or the Cook end, of the lake before taking his 12-day trip south to Arkansas.

The Raptor Center handles more than 800 birds of prey each year. Of about 100 ailing eagles that come into the center each year, more than one-third die because of lead poisoning.

Reports on Harley’s travels can be followed at www.theraptorcenternews.blogspot.com.

Courtesy Duluth News Tribune, Author John Myers

Harley the motorcycle-riding bald eagle has flown north to the western bays of Lake Vermilion after spending part of his summer along the St. Louis River and in the Sax-Zim bog area.

Harley — sans motorcycle — had spent much of the spring along the South Fork of the Nemadji River on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. That was only about

30 miles from where Harley was found floundering along a Douglas County road last August.

In June, Harley moved north along the St. Louis River and then moved even farther north to Lake Vermilion in mid-July. He has spent most of August in a relatively small area in the western reaches, or the Cook end, of the lake.

“Both his evening roost sites and daily wanderings are limited to a fairly small area of the lake,” said Mark Martell, director of bird conservation for the University of Minnesota Raptor Center in St. Paul, in a blog on Harley’s location. “This western edge does not have as many historic eagle nests as parts of the lake further east.”

Martell speculated that Harley might be avoiding confrontations with territorial nesting eagles that are keeping him away from other areas of the lake.

Scientists can track Harley daily because he is wearing a tiny GPS transmitter.

Harley was found Aug. 3, 2009, along Douglas County Highway T near Wascott by Harley-Davidson motorcyclist Brian Baladez of Cloquet. The bird appeared injured, disoriented and was unable to fly.

Baladez captured the bird in his leather jacket and used a bungee cord to secure it to the saddle bags of his motorcycle and drove it 50 miles to Duluth. Harley eventually was taken to the Raptor Center, where he was treated for lead poisoning and malnutrition. Veterinarians later had to do surgery on the wing from an old break that hadn’t healed properly.

Harley was nursed back to health, fitted with a GPS transmitter and set free —with Baladez called in to handle the release — in late January at a bald eagle wintering area along the Mississippi River south of the Twin Cities.

Harley hung out along the Mississippi much of the winter, and then headed north, moving from central Minnesota into western Wisconsin. He was in Douglas County or Carlton County along the Nemadji in April and May and in fact spent a couple of days within a mile or two of where he was found last summer.

The Raptor Center handles more than 800 birds of prey each year. Of the roughly 100 ailing eagles that come into the center each year, more than one-third die because of lead poisoning.

Harley’s travels can be followed at theraptorcenternews.blogspot.com.

The Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary is located about 25 miles north from Cook.  It is operated by the American Bear Association and has been described as the best place to see wild black bears in their natural habitat. From their expanded viewing deck visitors can learn about black bears by observing their natural behavior.

This year the VSWS has added a new twist.  They are offering several programs which will give people the opportunity to interact with bears in differents ways.  Upcoming programs include:

• Breakfast with the Bears
• In the Shadow of Bears - Yoga and Meditation
• Spend a Night Surrounded by Bears Camping
• Bears in Figure and Form Drawing Class

More information on all of these can be found on our Calendare of Events (under ”Things to See and Do”) or on their website at American Bear Association Website.

Throughout the summer, both Tower and Cook have Farmer’s markets.  Here is some information on both:

The Tower Farmer’s Market is located in the parking lot of the Train Depot/Civic Center at the west entrance to Tower.  It is an easy walk from the public landing on the East Two River channel, so you can access it from the lake.  Each Friday vendors offer fresh produce, locally produced meats, baked goods, jam and jellies, and maple syrup, with a few craft items available as well.  Vendors must come from within a 50 mile radius of Tower, and all produce must be locally grown.  The motto of the Tower Farmer’s Market is “Fresh, local, in-season”.

This year’s Tower Farmer’s Market will begin on Friday, May 21 and run each Friday from 1-4 PM through early fall.

The Cook Area Farmer’s Market is on Saturdays in the City Park in downtown Cook.  Only items grown or produced within a 30 mile radius of Cook may be sold. Produce, baked goods, crafts, jams, jellies and more are available.

The start date for the Cook Area Farmer’s Market has not yet been set.  Once it begins, it will run Saturdays from 8 AM - noon throughout the summer and into early fall.

You can always check the calendar of events on our website for dates and times for each market.