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07/22/2019 10:58PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
For your historical info:

Many times while canoeing, for some odd reason, I look and wonder - hey, that looks like a spot where I will see a caribou. Boy, that would of been something. Yes, I know I wasn't going to see one, almost.

Just a nice little article and a good read for me of the past.

Caribou
 
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07/23/2019 01:41AM  
I’ve seen tens of thousands of caribou in Alaska and arctic Canada. Only one woodland caribou in wabakimi. Something you will never forget. My search is for wolverines, one destroyed my tent in Denali, never saw him, north face repaired that tent free of charge.
 
07/23/2019 02:31AM  
jwartman59: "I’ve seen tens of thousands of caribou in Alaska and arctic Canada. Only one woodland caribou in wabakimi. Something you will never forget. My search is for wolverines, one destroyed my tent in Denali, never saw him, north face repaired that tent free of charge. "

It must be something else when you see maybe 100 plus at a time.
 
missmolly
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07/23/2019 05:52AM  
jwartman59: "I’ve seen tens of thousands of caribou in Alaska and arctic Canada. Only one woodland caribou in wabakimi. Something you will never forget. My search is for wolverines, one destroyed my tent in Denali, never saw him, north face repaired that tent free of charge. "


Speaking of wolverines, ever see this lucky man?
 
PuffinGin
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07/23/2019 07:31AM  
Thanks for sharing this story, Pinetree. I was very excited when to see one caribou on one lake and tracks on several others on my one and only trip to Woodland Caribou PP with my dear husband and two great paddling friends.

Missmolly, thanks to you too for sharing Jasper video.

 
07/23/2019 08:04AM  
jwartman59: "I’ve seen tens of thousands of caribou in Alaska and arctic Canada. Only one woodland caribou in wabakimi. Something you will never forget. My search is for wolverines, one destroyed my tent in Denali, never saw him, north face repaired that tent free of charge. "


Wolverine remains one of my most notable wildlife sightings ever...Colorado, 25 years ago. Really want to see a Woodland Caribou (have also seen 'em in AK...)

Sure would be cool to have them in MN, but given their struggles around the north shore of Lake Superior & on Michipicoten, it's a long way off.
 
07/23/2019 08:43AM  
3 years in Ak and I never saw a Wolverine either, not sure if they live on the Kenai Peninsula, but I got around a bit in interior Ak and still never saw one.
The wife and I did get stopped by a few thousand Caribou in our car one time on the (Old Denali Hwy) between Cantwell and Paxon one time.
We had to wait 10 minutes or so, we were making them really nervous as we waited. Some were stumbling a little as they came down a steep ridge toward the road and our car. Finially I decided I better pass through them so one did not get hurt.
I approached the herd and they opened up a path for us to drive right through them.
 
BearBurrito
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07/23/2019 08:52AM  
Very cool, thanks
 
07/23/2019 08:58AM  
I love caribou. I've seen a couple of woodland caribou in Wabikimi, and hundreds of barren-ground caribou in the Canadian arctic.

Have only seen one wolverine--along the Hanbury River in the Canadian arctic in the early 90s.

Caribou and wolverines are the true "indicator species" that represent the health of the northern, subarctic, and arctic ecosystems.
 
gravelroad
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07/23/2019 09:16AM  
LindenTree: "3 years in Ak and I never saw a Wolverine either, not sure if they live on the Kenai Peninsula, but I got around a bit in interior Ak and still never saw one.
The wife and I did get stopped by a few thousand Caribou in our car one time on the (Old Denali Hwy) between Cantwell and Paxon one time.
We had to wait 10 minutes or so, we were making them really nervous as we waited. Some were stumbling a little as they came down a steep ridge toward the road and our car. Finially I decided I better pass through them so one did not get hurt.
I approached the herd and they opened up a path for us to drive right through them."


I once found wolverine tracks a few miles from our house near Eklutna, on a SAR mission near Thunder Bird Peak. The tracks went straight up the side of a very steep cirque and over the top, just as I imagined Gulo gulo would be wont to do. :-) I've never seen one in the wild, only those tracks.

Here's a look at the terrain in question:

"Ram to Eklutna" (misspelling in original has been fixed by me)
 
treehorn
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07/23/2019 09:40AM  
Apropos of nothing really, I recently learned that Caribou and Lynx were once the dominant mammals on Isle Royale. Now we spend all our time and energy trying to figure out the Moose and Wolf population there and how to stabilize it or maintain it...but before we came along neither were even there! Maybe we should forget about them and put the caribou and lynx back....
 
07/23/2019 10:08AM  
Thank you for the interesting article! If those caribou in 1980 came from near Armstrong down to the Grand Marais area, that would have been about 200 miles!
Have spent 12 weeks cumulative since 2011 in the Wabakimi area and have not seen a caribou. Deerfoot has spent more time than that, before he saw his first one, I think. Interestingly, Wabakimi Provincial Park also has a wolverine on record, from a trailcam. They indicated unsure whether it is resident or travelling through.
 
07/23/2019 10:29AM  
arctic: "I love caribou. I've seen a couple of woodland caribou in Wabikimi, and hundreds of barren-ground caribou in the Canadian arctic.


Have only seen one wolverine--along the Hanbury River in the Canadian arctic in the early 90s.


Caribou and wolverines are the true "indicator species" that represent the health of the northern, subarctic, and arctic ecosystems."


About 30 years ago talk was about stocking Caribou by Little Saganaga for that area had less deer than any area in the BWCA and less chance of getting the dreaded brain worm.
 
07/23/2019 12:04PM  
gravelroad: "

I once found wolverine tracks a few miles from our house near Eklutna, on a SAR mission near Thunder Bird Peak. The tracks went straight up the side of a very steep cirque and over the top, just as I imagined Gulo gulo would be wont to do. :-) I've never seen one in the wild, only those tracks.


Here's a look at the terrain in question:


"Ram to Eklutna" (misspelling in original has been fixed by me) "


gravelroad, don't you live in Duluth?

I'm in Piedmont Heights area we should get together for a drink sometime, I'd love to hear your Ak stories. I didn't know you spent time there.

PM me if your interested, no problem either way.
 
07/23/2019 02:09PM  
Pinetree: "About 30 years ago talk was about stocking Caribou by Little Saganaga for that area had less deer than any area in the BWCA and less chance of getting the dreaded brain worm."


I think the big blowdown storm of 1999 ended that idea. Also, research in Ontario has shown that woodland caribou can only survive where wolf numbers are very low. Deer keep wolves way more abundant in northern Minnesota than back in the days when we had caribou...
 
07/23/2019 04:32PM  
arctic: "
Pinetree: "About 30 years ago talk was about stocking Caribou by Little Saganaga for that area had less deer than any area in the BWCA and less chance of getting the dreaded brain worm."



I think the big blowdown storm of 1999 ended that idea. Also, research in Ontario has shown that woodland caribou can only survive where wolf numbers are very low. Deer keep wolves way more abundant in northern Minnesota than back in the days when we had caribou..."

I agree,I think caribou are very vulnerable to wolves. Look at Slate Island a few years ago the caribou population per square mile was higher than anywhere else. Wolves crossed the ice and last I heard there was almost none left. Not sure if the wolves still there.
Always was going to go to Pulwaski park in Ontario than out to Slate Island.
 
07/24/2019 04:35PM  
Pinetree: "
arctic: "
Pinetree: "About 30 years ago talk was about stocking Caribou by Little Saganaga for that area had less deer than any area in the BWCA and less chance of getting the dreaded brain worm."




I think the big blowdown storm of 1999 ended that idea. Also, research in Ontario has shown that woodland caribou can only survive where wolf numbers are very low. Deer keep wolves way more abundant in northern Minnesota than back in the days when we had caribou..."

I agree,I think caribou are very vulnerable to wolves. Look at Slate Island a few years ago the caribou population per square mile was higher than anywhere else. Wolves crossed the ice and last I heard there was almost none left. Not sure if the wolves still there.
Always was going to go to Pulwaski park in Ontario than out to Slate Island.
"


I read the wolves wiped out the caribou, then starved to death. Last I read was that caribou were being re-introduced from Michipicoten Island...
 
Exaybachay
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08/01/2019 08:44PM  
 
yellowcanoe
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08/03/2019 11:35AM  
Probably people wiped out the caribou.. The last one in Maine was hunted around 1900.. They require roadless areas.

Every once in a while reintroducing them is bandied about but nothing can come of it.. Too much human disturbance, habitat destroyed and coyotes and black bear populations on the rise

Our nearest caribou are about 400 miles away.. Studies show that humans have a profound effect.. even the ecologically correct? Backcountry skier
Humans and caribou
 
08/03/2019 02:37PM  
yellowcanoe: "Probably people wiped out the caribou.. The last one in Maine was hunted around 1900.. They require roadless areas.


Every once in a while reintroducing them is bandied about but nothing can come of it.. Too much human disturbance, habitat destroyed and coyotes and black bear populations on the rise


Our nearest caribou are about 400 miles away.. Studies show that humans have a profound effect.. even the ecologically correct? Backcountry skier
Humans and caribou "


I think they are very vulnerable to hunting. You wonder why not present in Quetico tho.
Reading like the year 1680- Father Hennepin(had a Mission at Mille lacs than) at Mille lacs lake talked about Caribou and Caribou trails on the north end of Mille lacs than.
 
yellowcanoe
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08/03/2019 05:44PM  
Just an idea of why not in Quetico.. That forest doesn't have much reindeer moss.. Loss of habitat and the rise in deer population according to this article

Quetico Caribou?

I was amused when we went to Newfoundland and found quite a few caribou.. There are lots of moose and few deer there. We found caribou just outside Tilting a small town on Fogo Island

There are also a stunning amount of long lived blackflies.. They ate us. In September.
 
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