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Trip Planning Forum

2024 Bug and Bear Reports

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Date/Time: 06/24/2024 06:34AM

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2024 Bug and Bear Reports

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Previous Messages:
Author	Message Text
SoDak	06/17/2024 07:59PM Just got back from numbered Lakes and then camping on N.Shore. No black flies and Mosquitoes were aplenty but expected with a wet spring. Family of 5, only a few used the occasional head nets, kept a Smokey fire and tried to stay in the wind and enjoy a June BW trip, my youngest daughter’s (11) first trip. Great week in the BW even considering the rain and skeeters.
AdamXChicago	06/17/2024 03:22AM Just came out today from McAree. Mosquitoes were the worst I’ve encountered in the last 25 years. Did see a beautiful young bear swimming across a channel; unique cinnamon color. After it reached shore, two steps into the woods and it vanished. Amazing how quickly they disappear.
sconnie84	06/15/2024 11:37AM Mosquitoes were pretty bad for most of the trips although it rained 4 out of 5 days. Some gnats. Very few black flies. Only had 1 tick on me the entire trip. No bears or sign of bears.
CabinAfter	06/14/2024 10:23PM June 14- Entry Point 16 (Moose River North) was thick with mosquitoes and gnats. They were bad throughout the day. We had bug jackets and hung out in the tent.
ducks	06/14/2024 08:05AM June 6-8 my daughter and I did some hikes along the North Shore between Gooseberry and Grand Portage and The mosquitoes were bad at some locations. Then we hiked to the 270 overlook on the Arrowhead trail and the mosquitoes were thick. We spent the night of the 7th in a bunkhouse at Rockwood and helped with the Gunflint cleanup. The mosquitoes were very thick. June 10-13 we went back up with my wife, kids, and dogs staying in a camper cabin at East Bearskin campground and the mosquitoes were really bad. When we walked the dogs in the campground we overheard some people startled when they thought our big Newfie was a bear until they realized it was on a leash attached to a human. LOL. No black flies or bears. My daughter and I did see a wolf while driving from the Arrowhead Trail to Gunflint Trail and the whole family watched and cow and calf moose feeding in a pond for an hour.
JD	06/12/2024 09:50PM Came out from Baker/Temperance/Brule area on Monday. Almost no black flies, but mosquitoes were thick, around at all times of day. Only place without them was dry sunny areas like beachy landings. Head net was mandatory for portage landings, and spent much time in the bug tarp just to stay sane. Definitely one of the buggiest trips ever for me.
Fishman53	06/10/2024 10:17AM Entered Clearwater (EP 62) on 6/2 and spent 3 nights on Mountain. No black flies. Mosquitoes as noted above - kept at bay with bug spray and thermacell for those trips to latrine. No bear activity.
IndigoWindigo	06/08/2024 10:22PM Just came out of the Nina Moose-Agnes-LLC area today. The only way I can describe the bugs: uff da.
ThePeregrine	06/08/2024 12:49PM Entered Clearwater EP on 6/1 for a couple days. There were no black flies, and mosquitoes could be kept at bay with some repellent. Pleasant surprise compared to the last 2 years around the same time. Could someone more knowledgeable tell me if the black flies were over, or had they not begun? Trying to increase my understanding for future planning. I assume they are over, but above reports from nearby have me questioning myself.
Kots	06/06/2024 03:49PM WhiteWolf: "Been on two trips -- lake one to Insula May 10-14th and lake one to Insula May 28th--June 1st. Black flies seemed not to change much in biting. Still swarming your head like nuts when the sun is out. In windless areas- they are very annoying , but not - for the most part- biting. Skitters big change. Not nearly one in early/mid May, but way more on last trip -- still out (thick) mid day in Sun in the forest gathering firewood. But-- not that aggressive even in low light. But that's me as skitters are a blessing compared to black flies. Stable Flies are still "dumb" as you can kill them easily. Tent was loaded with them dead in the morning in the upper mesh from mid 30's temps. That is about to change with more rain and warmer temps. Be prepared for a bug wave soon that is more potent than in the last week or so. Both ( all 3) will get worse in the next two weeks. Bugs are bugs and really don't bother me that much until they get insanely bad-- I expect them to be that real soon. Just my .02 No bears or a sign of them. 60+ trips and seen 1 bear in 25 years. He/she climbed up / down a tree in S Peterson Bay Iron Lake (near the portage to the PMA) in 2011. The bear thing is over rated early in the year especially the deeper you go away from popular campsites. " I've been on 38 trips. Bears are overrated? Historic wildfires last year in Canada + historic crowds in the BWCA. Stay vigilant...
CampingJon	06/05/2024 03:31PM Just Spent 3 nights 5/31-6/3 on Larch Lake and exploring the granite river. The flies were out but weren't biting too bad. The Mosquitos were out in full force, especially at dawn and dusk. During the day they were not so bad but we had a consistent breeze the whole weekend.
NEIowapaddler	06/03/2024 01:52PM Went in via Homer for 4 days last Thursday. Bugs weren't bad at all until Friday night. Then the mosquitoes came out in force, and were very aggressive. There were some black flies the whole time, but they weren't biting very much. It took me 10 minutes to kill all the skeeters that invaded my car with me when I pulled out Sunday morning. Had a bear next to camp Friday night at site 965 on Pipe Lake. Yelled at it and beat trees with a big stick until it ran off.
WhiteWolf	06/03/2024 12:23AM Been on two trips -- lake one to Insula May 10-14th and lake one to Insula May 28th--June 1st. Black flies seemed not to change much in biting. Still swarming your head like nuts when the sun is out. In windless areas- they are very annoying , but not - for the most part- biting. Skitters big change. Not nearly one in early/mid May, but way more on last trip -- still out (thick) mid day in Sun in the forest gathering firewood. But-- not that aggressive even in low light. But that's me as skitters are a blessing compared to black flies. Stable Flies are still "dumb" as you can kill them easily. Tent was loaded with them dead in the morning in the upper mesh from mid 30's temps. That is about to change with more rain and warmer temps. Be prepared for a bug wave soon that is more potent than in the last week or so. Both ( all 3) will get worse in the next two weeks. Bugs are bugs and really don't bother me that much until they get insanely bad-- I expect them to be that real soon. Just my .02 No bears or a sign of them. 60+ trips and seen 1 bear in 25 years. He/she climbed up / down a tree in S Peterson Bay Iron Lake (near the portage to the PMA) in 2011. The bear thing is over rated early in the year especially the deeper you go away from popular campsites.
geotramper	05/28/2024 02:13PM Camped on Tuscarora Saturday and Sunday. Black flies were a menace. We only saw a couple mosquitos, even back in the woods. My dog picked up a half dozen ticks, but she was also crashing through the brush in ways a human wouldn't (normally). No ticks for either of us because we had permetherine-treated clothing.
snag1025	05/28/2024 10:14AM Went in last Thursday (5/23) and came out Monday (5/27) from Red Rock Lake. Black Flies were out here and there but the cooler weather kept them at bay. I imagine had it been warmer they would've been more pesky. Mosquitos were out at night but really only in the thick of the woods, not really by camp much.
portagerunner	05/28/2024 08:18AM Spent the long weekend on Sawbill and Alton with the kiddos. Black flies were out sunup to sundown. Wore head nets most of the day unless we were out in the breeze on the water. Didn't see a single mosquito or tick though which made the evenings around the fire very enjoyable.
sueb2b	05/27/2024 03:06AM Went in Thursday on Lake One. Came out Sunday. Thursday and Friday was mostly black flies. On Saturday the mosquitoes joined the party and stuck around.
KjerJoy	05/23/2024 07:19AM We were in last week through Kawishisi up to Malberg and the flies were swarming like mad. My husband had 2 ticks, and mosquitos were just starting to hatch and bite. Be prepared for bugs for sure.
JD	05/21/2024 10:17AM Got back from Wood Lake last night. Almost zero mosquitoes, but blackflies out in force. Had to have the head net on most of the time, but they disappeared around 8:30-9pm once temps dropped. Forgot to mention, ticks were out in force. Found about a dozen on our pants/shirts/packs over a span of 2 days, and that's without going through brush or anything, just hanging out at camp.
sueb2b	05/20/2024 06:53PM I’m camping at sawbill and enjoying my new bug shirt. I saw a few mosquitoes last night and hear a few tonight, but it’s really the flies.
dschult2	05/15/2024 10:32PM Just got back from a 4 day solo doing the Louse River and Lady chain. Blackflies were starting to hatch day 1, swarming day 2, and biting by day 3. Still no mosquitos though. And I must of pulled about 20 ticks off me.
BWCA	05/13/2024 07:35AM Post your 2024 bug and bear reports from a recent trip on this thread. Also please take and extra minute to post bear and moose reports in the maps area.