So, what's your favorite canoe country critter not counting fish species and your pooch?

Mine is the bald eagle. Here's why:

They're part of every trip.

I love when they sit atop a tree and watch me fish below a rapids.

I'm sixty years old and have seen eagles beyond counting, but they still dazzle me when they take flight.

Loons. Hearing them at night is my favorite sound in the world, followed closely by the howling of wolves.

Loon. Except when they are seemingly parked just outside the tent at 2am.

Close call between Pine Grosbeak and Boreal Chickadee.

I like the song of the Pine Grosbeak. Not all that special but it's a cheery little ditty that makes me happy to hear along the portage trail.

The Boreal Chickadees are always fun when an active flock comes through and one checks you out from arm's length away.

Alan

quote northallen: "Loon. Except when they are seemingly parked just outside the tent at 2am."

How about when they carry the melody and the tail-slapping beavers pound out the beat at the same time?

Otters. They have an affinity for play and mischief that I find appealing.

I love the loons and the white throat sparrows, both for their music

Loon, with little hesitation. Bald Eagle is a classic but too "mainstream" to top my list.

Any otter incident is a special occasion. They are so very busy, sassy and curious and make for excellent entertainment. I'm also enchanted by gray jays: their intelligence, desire to interact and observe, and their ability to just appear in a camp in absolute silence.

The White Throat Sparrow.

The gray wolf; because at one point they had been extirpated from all of the lower 48, and much of Canada, except for canoe country. The wolves’ recovery is sort of symbolic of the restorative state people say they experience from their visit.

I love these little devils.

There are many spectacular animals that I enjoy seeing in the bwca. Wolves, moose, black bear, otter, beaver, eagles.......the list is endless.

But my favorite, for pure entertainment value is the little north woods red squirrel

This fat little bugger was caught stealing popcorn out of our pot at Trails End Campground. Didn't take him long to figure out how to pop the lid off.

Wolves. Mainly because of the huge black one that sauntered into my camp around dusk on Oyster Lake, stopped at the fire grate, lifted its leg on a log, and locked eyes with me for what seemed like 10 minutes (prob only 3 seconds). It was absolutely incredible. Chills just thinking about it.

quote maxxbhp: "





I love these little devils. "

When the kids were younger their job was to keep the chipmunks out of camp. Never kept the kids on high alert.

I like to see a Red Bull once in a while.

Love 'em all, especially ones I don't get to see nearer the house, but the loons top my list as well.

quote maxxbhp: "





I love these little devils. "

+1 when in camp. When on the water, love the otters - could watch them for hours.
AdamX

I like Whiskey Jacks. My son loves the chipmonks and the red squirrels.

The range of critters is cool, as is the awareness and appreciation of smaller birds. I'm surprised moose and bear haven't made the list yet.

Snapping turtles. They seem to like me too. I think it's the red shorts.

Loons for me. I love laying in the tent at night and listening to them. Very haunting but calming at the same time. Since moving from Wisconsin to Oklahoma we don't get to hear loons anymore down here. So they make the trip extra special

Loon and its serenades = favorite.

It's always been the wolf for me, I have a wolf tattoo on my arm.

If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.” ~ Chief Dan George

The Loons for me - not something I see here, so that's special. I don't see moose or wolves here either, but rarely see moose up there and have never seen a wolf - heard, but not seen.

Have to be the loon.
Can't get enough of that sound.
Followed closely by the wolf.boo coo trips and I've only seen 4..heard lots.
Then there is the bear.always a treat.to many stories to tell about them "critters"
So I'll only tell one. 4 of us on a trip. Went to tent for a tequila induced sleep. Minutes later I yelled bear . He was on his hind legs trying to swat our good pack.

My buddy was laughing at me cause I had my filet knife.
Then he steps into a fresh pile of bear scat barefoot. He spent the next 15 minutes down by the water washing his foot.
We just died laughing.
We went back to tents and it took half hour to stop laughing. It would get quite then one guy would snicker and we would start laughing again......PRICELESS.
.

Favorite critter would be the Loon. I love hearing them call at night, so haunting.

Bull moose are the kings of canoe country and my favorite critter encounter. For birds it's a toss up between loons and white throated sparrows. When I was a kid we used to see ospreys once in a while, they are magnificent birds. When the eagle population increased the ospreys seemed to disappear, not sure if the eagles had anything to do with the ospreys disappearance or not.

quote Elydog: "Wolves. Mainly because of the huge black one that sauntered into my camp around dusk on Oyster Lake, stopped at the fire grate, lifted its leg on a log, and locked eyes with me for what seemed like 10 minutes (prob only 3 seconds). It was absolutely incredible. Chills just thinking about it."

That's life changing stuff right there

quote walleye_hunter: " Bull moose are the kings of canoe country and my favorite critter encounter. For birds it's a toss up between loons and white throated sparrows. When I was a kid we used to see ospreys once in a while, they are magnificent birds. When the eagle population increased the ospreys seemed to disappear, not sure if the eagles had anything to do with the ospreys disappearance or not. "

You know, now that I think about it, I'm going to revise my answer. When we lived in Wisconsin, we went to Sylvania. Beautiful spot, with my loons and white throated sparrows. But there was always something missing. When I took my friends from TN to the BWCAW they first inquired about Sylvania. I told them it's a nice place, but if you want a chance at seeing a moose......

Yeah, gotta admit the moose are the "Kings" and "Queens" of the BWCAW.

Love them all, and catch my breath for eagles and loons... which I can see on the lake where I live. Moose are amazing but ugly, bear are pretty invisible most of the time...

Gotta go with OTTER. Makes for a really special trip and makes me SMILE. Catch my breath over the majestic loon and eagle, but smile a mile wide at the otters and they are just present enough and just rare enough to keep me hoping for one more glimpse.

quote maxxbhp: "

quote Elydog: "Wolves. Mainly because of the huge black one that sauntered into my camp around dusk on Oyster Lake, stopped at the fire grate, lifted its leg on a log, and locked eyes with me for what seemed like 10 minutes (prob only 3 seconds). It was absolutely incredible. Chills just thinking about it."

That's life changing stuff right there"

And undie changing too!

Loons; see and hear them often, and wolves, have seen just one but have heard them a few times north of Fall Lake at dawn. Still looking for my first BW moose. I've seen then many times in Idaho and Montana. Same with bears.

Add me to the LOON LIST. Love their sound.

FOFO

I am thrilled by the dragonflies! They are superb flyers, beautiful up close, and is know it's a gorgeous day when they are zipping around the campsite eating Mosquitos . Marc

I asked my tripping partner what her favorite canoe country critter was and she didn't even hesitate in her answer:

FROG!



Alan

Loons. They are a special creature. Years ago I read this book and fell in love with the animal and its yearly cycle. I feel there is a magical quality in their sound and adore hearing them. The Loon: Voice of the Wilderness by Joan Dunning

Winter Wren There is always one hanging out by my favorite Quetico campsite at ice out and when they sing they really go for it. Makes me happy!

I'll go with the loon as well. I especially love the ones that just seem to beg to have their picture taken and will let you glide mere feet away from them while they seem to pose for the camera. Then there's the ones that break the silence in the middle of a calm night for a half hour of commotion.

Moose, hands down. They are majestic, beautiful, and, sadly, more rare.

I'd have to go with the loon, too. But pretty much every animal causes some joy and excitement. Even those brave little mice that hang around trying to steal food from under our noses. But after the loon, I'd put dragonflies high on the list (my wife loves them) and moose, bear, beaver, and wolves are other favorites. I hate picking just one.

These.

Funniest is definitely people!
Favorite??? Moose are always at or near the top, as are eagles, loons, and even bears; but my favorite that I've seen are probably otters and wolves. I haven't see a lynx yet but that too would be very cool!

quote northallen: "Loon. Except when they are seemingly parked just outside the tent at 2am."

+1 Exactly.

nothing tells me I am back in the BWCA like the Whiskey Jack......but I have to say that my favorite critter has to be the Cedar-Tipped Waxwing. Absolutely beautiful bird!

quote ozarkpaddler: "I love the loons and the white throat sparrows, both for their music"

+1 Exactly

I am going to stay with the loon but after more thought I have seen most of the birds mentioned, moose ( I have been fortunate and have seen many ), have yet to see a bear, and quite a few deer. I don't hear of many talking about seeing deer while up there. Once we glided by a tiny submerged island with some grassy outcroppings. There was a deer on it that didn't even notice us as we went past. That was kind of special.

I always look forward to encountering otter, especially in a group.

However, I would also enjoy another close encounter with a wolf. It would be nice to also spot him/her before I'm spotted (as was the case previously). Makes that 40 foot distance almost feel like its within arms reach.

dd

It would have to be one of these little fellows.

quote blutofish1: "
It would have to be one of these little fellows. "

Is that a Fisher?

Lynx. Was so special to see one in the French Lake campground of Quetico
Followed by wolf.. Saw one on Sturgeon.. very quickly left after giving us a hard look over.

Now I like to look for loon nests and watch from afar... But that is a hometown bird... As well as the eagle that has a nest on the island about 300 feet away.. The loon nest is too close to that but they survive somehow. They are at the southern part of their range and human boat wakes are a real threat. Some lake associations have started building loon nesting rafts that ride the waves and have a wire roof to protect from predation.

What is fascinating is watching any animal interact with others even when the eagle stole a backriding loon chick and took it back to feed its babies.

How many are watching the newly hatched eagle in FL?
E9 growing.. a week old

I'd like it to be the moose, but we haven't seen one yet.

quote LindenTree3: "

quote blutofish1: "
It would have to be one of these little fellows. "

Is that a Fisher?"

Pine Marten

On one trip through Quetico I witnessed a bull moose, a blck bear, and a lynx. An amazing and memorable trip.

I have seen plenty of excited pine martin, playful otters, and sneaky fishers. Love seeing turtles warming themselves on logs or snappers lurking just below the surface by my stringer of fish.

Shining a flashlight into the dark water after sunset is great for seeing crayfish and frogs swimming about. And hearing the distant calling of loons and owls on a silent, starfilled night is haunting and introspective.

Nothing like wolves though, being seen and heard, to make a chill run up the spine.

But my favorite critters have to be the tiny ones: the black-capped chickadee, nuthatch, and downy woodpecker. Sure, they are in my backyard right now, but whenever I go camping up north, they are there too with me. When I am camping, its like having a bit of home with me. When I am home, its like having a bit of the northwoods with me.

I forgot about fishers... I've seen one and it was really awesome.

Quetico Wild

Quetico park, Wildlife abounds
Loons call, Eerie sounds

Monster nest, Soaring regal
Elongated wingspan, Bald eagle

Moving indolent, No hurtle
Pulverizing jaw, Snapping turtle

Chocolate color, Comfortable den
Rabbit chaser, Pine Marten

Roaming scavenger, Hang pack
Crunching limbs, Bear black

Massive rack, No fear
Grunting snort, White-tailed deer

Head bob, Meandering water
Playful attitude, River otter

Timber wolves, hunting pack
Diving birds, Merganser quack

Tail slapper, Wood weaver
Gnawing teeth, Engineering beaver

Canadian honker, Aerial goose
Twig devourer, Majestic moose

Nature thrives, Nothing mild
Dynamic woods, Quetico wild


To answer the question on which one is my fav.....it's the ones that don't mess with my food pack :-)

quote JackpineJim: " Winter Wren There is always one hanging out by my favorite Quetico campsite at ice out and when they sing they really go for it. Makes me happy!"

+1! For some reason I don't feel a BW trip is official until I hear my first Winter Wren. I can't argue, though, with all the loon and moose folks.

A White Throated Sparrow and the it's song. For some reason the sound became synonymous with canoeing BWCA.

quote QueticoMike: "Quetico Wild


Quetico park, Wildlife abounds
Loons call, Eerie sounds


Monster nest, Soaring regal
Elongated wingspan, Bald eagle


Moving indolent, No hurtle
Pulverizing jaw, Snapping turtle


Chocolate color, Comfortable den
Rabbit chaser, Pine Marten


Roaming scavenger, Hang pack
Crunching limbs, Bear black


Massive rack, No fear
Grunting snort, White-tailed deer


Head bob, Meandering water
Playful attitude, River otter


Timber wolves, hunting pack
Diving birds, Merganser quack


Tail slapper, Wood weaver
Gnawing teeth, Engineering beaver


Canadian honker, Aerial goose
Twig devourer, Majestic moose


Nature thrives, Nothing mild
Dynamic woods, Quetico wild



To answer the question on which one is my fav.....it's the ones that don't mess with my food pack :-)"

Nice

Have to say this gal intrigued me one morning when she used our site of horseshoe for a nest.

great thread miss molly , i'm with Mr. barley , love the whiskey jacks, this guy followed us into south lake 1 winter wanting some treats. and the chipmunks are so cute, the red squirrels ,,, we arrived at this campsite in the SAK and this red ran down a tree to log at the site and just chattered at us, as to say this is my site get the "F" out LOL.

Our Wildlife Biologists on the Kenai NWR state that Whiskey Jacks enjoy human company but do not like human disturbance/encroachment.
Have you ever seen one around your bird feeder?
Rarely if ever, they prefer undisturbed habitats.
Whiskeyjack
All about Grey Jays

I watched a cougar for 30-40 seconds from about 200 yards away at the Island River EP in 2015. Hard to beat that. I've seen moose up close 3 times, once at a distance. Very cool. I love it when wolves are howling and they sound like they are right around the corner. Eagles are awesome. But when there are 2-3 loons exchanging calls back and forth, that has to be my fav. 2 in the mormorning is fine. There is nothing like that. They also are inquisitive and you can get close to them in a boat. Fun to watch. Loon.

I have thought and thought about this. First I thought "the loon". Then "the white-throated sparrow". Both of these songs are so "canoe country" for me--when I hear them I know I am finally there again. But every trip has this sound.

And when I get right down to it, the most memorable experiences, the most breath-taking--those are the moose. So I guess I have to finally say that the moose is my favorite.

We have had wonderful times with hares, with red squirrels, chipmunks, and even a neat time or two enjoying otters. I remember one funny night when we had our teenagers along and they discovered the jumping mice with the big ears--that was fun! Turtles provide a diversion, and I love to photograph frogs when I get the chance.

I am particularly enchanted with dragonflies. I have made entire calendars with my dragonfly photos, and have dragonfly photos hanging in my home. And the butterflies are exquisite. Heck, I even love to photograph spiders!

The more I think about this, the more I wonder if it is even POSSIBLE to pick a favorite. Oh, that's right, I already did!

It's the moose. It has been a long time since I have seen one, but when I did, it was the best of the best. That's it. The moose. :-)

I have to agree with Lynda... the moose makes it for me too. Although the loons, beaver, bear... everything else makes it too. But I see most everything else at home. And even so you still love to see loons, swans, and all out there. Bernice hardly ever took notice to beavers at home. But she'd sit and watch them for a long time on trips. Then she got a little more interested in them as time went. Same with loons... why do I take so many pictures of them in canoe country but rarely at home? At home we're at war it seems with rodents. But they are (cute?) Up in canoe country. On Disappointment one year we had a wood chuck that lived in the campsite. It would come out and eat pretty close to us. Glad Bernie wasn't there that trip. But the moose is by far the best. On my forty day trip in 2012 I was on Elton lake. About ten thirty or eleven Bernie woke me up. Something was waking up the shore. We go out and sat watching a big bull moose in the light of a full moon. He didn't seem to mind us and we enjoyed watching him. It was cool to have a dog that enjoyed wildlife as much as I do. I am glad skunks are not an issue out there.

quote airmorse: "

quote QueticoMike: "Quetico Wild



Quetico park, Wildlife abounds
Loons call, Eerie sounds



Monster nest, Soaring regal
Elongated wingspan, Bald eagle



Moving indolent, No hurtle
Pulverizing jaw, Snapping turtle



Chocolate color, Comfortable den
Rabbit chaser, Pine Marten



Roaming scavenger, Hang pack
Crunching limbs, Bear black



Massive rack, No fear
Grunting snort, White-tailed deer



Head bob, Meandering water
Playful attitude, River otter



Timber wolves, hunting pack
Diving birds, Merganser quack



Tail slapper, Wood weaver
Gnawing teeth, Engineering beaver



Canadian honker, Aerial goose
Twig devourer, Majestic moose



Nature thrives, Nothing mild
Dynamic woods, Quetico wild



To answer the question on which one is my fav.....it's the ones that don't mess with my food pack :-)"

Nice"

Thanks, glad someone liked it :) I had another poem published in the winter 2016 issue of the Boundary Waters Journal on page 98 - It's called " Spiritual Quetico "

While I do love the moose, loon and bear, my favorite one has to be a beaver. They are such home bodies and they are amazing engineers. They take care of their own (and sometimes other critters) and are great swimmers. Don't get me wrong, when they came to our land to eat our trees we did harvest them. And I do hate lift overs like on hog creek, but they are still my favorite canoe critter.

Moose or the Pine marten

There are too many to list just one!
Moose, Pine Martin, Franklins Ground Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, Otter and birds too numerous to name.

The loon is obviously the fauna that defines canoe country but in general I have always enjoyed the wide range of animals found few other places in the lower 48 especially moose, wolves, even the prairie chicken.

I really enjoy the loons of the BWCA. It seems like every time I portage to a new lake, the loon of that lake will meet and escort you on your tour of the lake. I also really enjoy the warblers that scurry through the bushes in camp singing their wilderness tunes.

Pine martens.

Lynx....i saw one a couple years ago on the GF trail....elusive and facinating

Wolf.
Not a nuisance animal wanting to tear your food pack(bear) and not common enough to inhabit every lake in the state(loon).
Closely related to- but so different from the beloved domestic dog; They are mysterious, almost invisible predators of a wildly different nature. But when the lake is quiet and you hear their cries amongst the trees and seemingly all around you- You can't help but pause and experience a moment of awe as the chills run down your spine.
I love hearing wolves.

quote nctry: "I have to agree with Lynda... the moose makes it for me too. Although the loons, beaver, bear... everything else makes it too. But I see most everything else at home. And even so you still love to see loons, swans, and all out there. Bernice hardly ever took notice to beavers at home. But she'd sit and watch them for a long time on trips. Then she got a little more interested in them as time went. Same with loons... why do I take so many pictures of them in canoe country but rarely at home? At home we're at war it seems with rodents. But they are (cute?) Up in canoe country. On Disappointment one year we had a wood chuck that lived in the campsite. It would come out and eat pretty close to us. Glad Bernie wasn't there that trip. But the moose is by far the best. On my forty day trip in 2012 I was on Elton lake. About ten thirty or eleven Bernie woke me up. Something was waking up the shore. We go out and sat watching a big bull moose in the light of a full moon. He didn't seem to mind us and we enjoyed watching him. It was cool to have a dog that enjoyed wildlife as much as I do. I am glad skunks are not an issue out there."

Wow - cannot believe your dog sat and watched a moose with you. Dogs or kids with me are a surefire way to miss all the large mammals on the trip and even some of the smaller ones! What a dog!!

quote yellowcanoe: "What is fascinating is watching any animal interact with others even when the eagle stole a backriding loon chick and took it back to feed its babies."

Yup. Will never forget watching a loon plunge UP from the deep into a small group of merganser babies, trying to nab one. Loon lost on that one and mama duck got the ducklings to shore while being chased by the loon.

Fascinating.

Yes, this is the Dark Side of the Loon.
They do not like sharing their Lakes and will come from underneath other ducks and spear them with their beaks.

The male Virginia mosquito (Culex erraticus)

Reason: Doesn't bite, is not too numerous, makes good fish food, racing stripes, cool name (kinda like the Spartacus of mosquitoes)

Mosquito. No.

Homo Sapiens.

The ones I bring with me provide for great entertainment in observing how they adapt to surroundings they are not accustomed to, seeing their wonder in discovery and enjoyment of new experiences, noting how each one has so many unique qualities setting them apart from other homo sapiens and appreciating the companionship and engaging conversations they share among themselves and with me. They are usually handy in easing my work load in the BWCA as they can easily be trained to help with camp and portaging chores. Homo sapiens are most often what make my trips special. I also enjoy the random encounters I have in the wilderness with homo sapiens I have never seen before. I usually come away feeling pleasant after having learned something and knowing that they are enjoying their temporary home as much as I am.

After watching Dr. Bob's video he posted of the beaver, I think the beaver is one of my favorites too

Nuthatches, chickadees, white throat sparrows, and the always entertaining camp robbers

seeing some loon post , i need to share this experience : we were coming out of a small bottle neck bay and these 2 loons were within 4' of the canoe , they drive down to the other side of the canoe 3 different times and then went to the front of our canoe and lead us out of the bay , very cool in the gin clear waters of the SAK.

Wow - cannot believe your dog sat and watched a moose with you. Dogs or kids with me are a surefire way to miss all the large mammals on the trip and even some of the smaller ones! What a dog!!"



You had to know Bernie (Bernice). She could walk up to a skunk and never got sprayed. She did tangle with a porcupine in the end. But she saw how I loved certain things and she kind of adopted that. I'm guessing she saw as many moose as any dog has. She loved fishing as much as anything too. She spent hours down at the lake at home. People come and fish from shore here and she'd go down and stand in the water and watch people's bobbers. They always laughed that they never had to watch their bobbers cause she'd let them know when something was hitting. She always chased deer out of my yard. But they always bedded within a few yards of my yard. They had this understanding I think. She never missed a fire call... pager went off and to the truck she'd go. While on the call she'd watch over the fire hall. She'd go to my locker and take one of my shoes and sit with it until I got back. I could go on and on, but she was a one of a kind in my book.

Once I'm in my tent all ready to fall asleep the "critter" that is snapping twigs and branches somewhere behind camp. The critter that could weigh less than a pound but in my mind it is BIGFOOT and I stay up for hours wondering what it is.

quote muskiejerk: "Once I'm in my tent all ready to fall asleep the "critter" that is snapping twigs and branches somewhere behind camp. The critter that could weigh less than a pound but in my mind it is BIGFOOT and I stay up for hours wondering what it is."

Hate those critters. Funny how the night magnifies.

Woodland Caribou - finally saw one in NW Ontario after 10 years and seventeen weeks of trips there. No photo as I couldn't get the camera out without spooking it.

Ruffed Grouse

we love how u can feel them before u hear them

quote deerfoot: "Woodland Caribou - finally saw one in NW Ontario after 10 years and seventeen weeks of trips there. No photo as I couldn't get the camera out without spooking it."

...and I've been on 13 weeks of trips and saw one on my first day in Wabakimi back in 2007 and haven't seen one since.

It has to be a loon. No trip is complete until I hear a loon call. Bonus if I get to watch one fish.

Grouse, because they taste so damn good!