The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-06-26
.W|NTON To LUTsEN
BY SNOWSHOE TRIP.
TRIP DEMONSTRATED THIS SEC.
TION AS BOTH WINTER
AND SUMMER
COUNTRY.

/ OOONlk1.
/ From Fin, Feathers and Fur, tn
official publication of the Stat
Game and Fish Commission, we taxi
the following account of the tril
made by Commissioner Guold AM
others overland from Winton to Lut
sen early in March. The writer hat
| the following to say:
| The Game and Fish commissioner
accompanied by other representa-
tives of the department and part.
| of Minnesota sportsmen, set out up
on the winter trail early in March
| mushing over chain of frozei
water courses and portages between
Winton and Lutsen in the Superioi
National forest region OF northeast
ern Minnesota. A similar trip ovel
a different trail was taken by tn,
commissioner and party year ago
Obviously, there must be some rea
son for these trips more important
| than the mere winter recreation
which might be gratifed with les
inconvenience nearer home.
| What is it?
| During the past few years, the
| Superior Forest has attracted an in
creasing number of summer cutters
but it is probable there is no Other
section of the state with which {
| majority of sportsmen are less fam
| liar, So far as actual experience Is
concerned. The Superior Forest, ly
ing between the North shore of Lake
Superior and the Canadian bound
airy in Northeastern Minnesota, EN-.
The Superior State Game refuge is
approximately contiguous to the Ma.
tional forest, and this section is re-
ferred commonly as the last great
wilderness region of the Middle
West.
Wild life iSsabundant in this area
and it ranges from game birds and
the smaller game animals to deer
bear and moose. 1t is the habitat
of Minnesota's most valuable fur
bearers, includinp beaver, otter and
fisher, and it is the hunting ground
of the most formidable of Mime
sofas predatory animals-the great
gray timber wolf.
The interior of this wilderness
area is accessible in summer only by
canoe. anda portage. In winter it
may be visited on snowShoes, and
|supplies are. hauleds byid team.
Wolves, are not the only poachers
to prey upon the wild life resources
of that region, however. The wild
erness has yielded a fortune in bea-
yer pelts to outlaw trappers, and it
is necessary for the Game and Fish
department to be on the alert at all
times to combat this outlaw traffic
in fur. 1t is the departments big
job in Northeastern Minnesota. The
size of the refuge, its unfrequented
wilderness and its proximity to
Canada combine to create prob
lem of law enforcement that is diff
cult to solve with limited force of
wardens.
1t is the business of those re-
sponsible for wild life conservation
and law enforcement in that ter
ritory to know their problem, that
they may devise the most effective
means of solving it. 1t was this
thought in mind that the heads of
the department visited the refuge on
snowshoes year ago, and returned
on another trip of inspection in
March. 1t was hoped that members
of the Game and Fish committees
of the Minnesota Senate and House
might accompany the party this
year and learn, first hand, the prob
lens the refuge presents. Owing to
other legislative duties, however they
were unable to avail themselves of
the opportunity. Recognizing the
sportsmen's interest, the commissio'l-
er invited others concerned in the
problem of wild life conservation -
accompany him on the trip, at their
own expense, and several accepte :.
The main party left Winton al
the western edge of the Superior
National forest March z, travelling
east and south over chain #
frozen waterways and portages IL
the North shore of Lake Superior.
The commissioner was detained bJ
business, however, ard was unable
this year to follow the same route,
Instead of attempting to overtaks
the party from Winton, he set out
with a dog team from Lutsan and
Joined the others west of the Saw
bill ranger station.
d. A. Peterson, chief game war
den, was at the head of the party
leaving Winton. The department
also was represented by w. A. Han
son, supervisor of wardens in the
| western part of the refuge. and
| Wardens John LinklaIer and jim
| Huffman. Other members of the
party were A. L. Richey, superin.
tendent of the Superior National for.
est; H. C. Wenzel, ST. Paul commits.
sioner of parks and playgrc unds
| B. L. Brown, Otto Holstein and G.
| A. Lund of st. Paul; Mayor George
| e. Leach, DIR. Hugo Hartig, w. D
Hobe and Earle Sly of Minneapolis
Mayor Herman T. Olson of Tower
n. C. Ribenack of Duluth, Donald
Houoh of Chicago, Jewett Petersoi
Of Brainerd, w. A. Blomberg of st
Louis Park, and Victor Wirta Of
/ Winton.
Commissioner Gould was accom-
! panied into the forest by Axel Berg
/ lund. supervisor of wardens in thu
eastern part of the refuge: E. E
Edberg, George Nelson and Ale,
| Boostrum.
The party was on the trail {
week. Tents and supplies were
/ hauled by dog teams, and excepting
the first and last nights on the trail
the party camped out. The weather
was less favorable than it was dur
ing a similar trip a year previous
but little hardship was enc ountered
and members of the party ASSERTED
they were at the beginning.
There was considerable sleet ant
snow during the early days of th'