No wild creature has influenced human society as much as the wolf. These wild canines have been legendary in the folklore of many nations, a famous musical score has young Peter and his wild friends hunting the beast, even our hometown NBA team has selected a snarling wolf as ther namesake. Here in Minnesota there is no consensus on the image of the wolf; it is characterized as a noble icon of the northern wilderness one moment, villified as a blood-thristy carnivore the next.

Both the good and bad image of the wolf found root centuries ago. The Roman brothers Remus and Romulous were nursed and raised by a benevolent she wolf.  Old Testament David gained skill with his sling slaying wolves that threatened the family flocks.  A macabre Russian folk tale tells of a wedding party traveling in sleighs from the church to the village that was attacked by a pack of starving wolves. One by one the beasts pulled the horses down and tore the screaming guests to peices. Frantically, the remaining drivers beat their horses as they tried to stay ahead of the pack. But as the horses tired the wolves caught them one by one. The bride and groom were in the lead sled and watched in horror as, one by one, their family and friends met their fate. Slowly the remaining wolves closed in on the sled as the village and safety came into sight. The groom looked at his new wife, her eyes wide with terror. Moments later, the lathered, heaving horse staggered into town. Only the groom remained in the sleigh, his new bride gone. He swore she lost her footing and fell to the wolves, but the people of the town turned their backs to him. He spent the rest of his days as a cast off … the man who sacrificed his bride for his own life.

These stories were carried with American settlers as they carved homes from the land. The wilderness was threatening to them, something that had to be beaten and tamed to suit them. On the top of that list of threats was the wolf. So for decades, these creatures were shot on sight and trapped or poisoned into near extinction. This war on wolves was not so much because people thought wolves threatened them, but because wolves sometimes ate cows, sheep, and pigs. And that’s what early settlers depended upon for survival.

This same feeling exists today among some farmers in the northern part of Minnesota where a viable number of wolves remain, even thrive, in scattered locations. Wolves do prey upon livestock, and farmers rightfully want to defend their property.

Things are much different today, however. As the greater part of our state population is no longer dependent upon personal livestock for food, there are many who view the wolf as a rare natural treasure that needs to be protected. Professor James Cooper from the wildlife department at University of Minnesota believes a groundswell of interest in the preservation of wildlife, including wolves, resulted from the Viet Nam era when our society developed a greater sensitivity for lives, both human and animal.

As the feelings of sympathy for the wolf have paralleled the prevailing suspicion of all wolves as cattle eaters, the wolf has become the source of an ongoing conflict and debate. Some feel wolves should not only be protected, but managed so they can propogate and increase their range, others remember the Russian story and would just as soon shoot every remaining wolf.

Many deer hunters have joined the ranks of wolf opponents. The primary food source of the timber wolf is the whitetailed deer. In many northern areas of the wolf range, food for the deer is limited compared to southern agricultural regions, and deer populations can be limited.  It isn’t hard to vision how a pack of wolves can decimate a local deer population. So when deer numbers are down, hunters frequently blame it on wolves, despite the fact there can be other factors invloved like disease and severe weather.

The fate of the Minnesota timber wolf has been placed in the hands of government agencies including the Minnesota DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife.  Few from either side of the issue have been satisfied with measures taken by these agencies, butefforts have been made to address the concerns of local farmers as well as protect the wolf from indiscriminate destruction.

Timber wolf populations have rebounded in Minnesota to the point where family groups are showing up areas that held no wolves in the recent past. At least some timber wolf sightings are probably of coyotes or “brush wolves,” but timber wolves are definitley expanding their range. Minnesota now has an estimated wolf population of 2,000 animals, which exceeds the state’s recovery goals.  The wolf has been reclassified in Minnesota from endangered to threatened, though it is still on the endangered list. The most recent wolf management initiative is being developed by the MN DNR that will likely recommend that the wolf be removed from the endangered species list.

As with almost any issue, understanding is required on both sides. Wolves are, indeed, an important part of Minnesota’s ecological system. These creatures have an elaborate family social structure that has allowed them to survive without decimating their natural food source for centuries.  Whenever someone says wolves totally wiped out a local deer herd, likely it wasn’t just the wolves to blame.  In many cases, the land has been developed and altered by humans to the point that the natural ecosystem is no longer intact.

Niether are wolves the gentle, sensitive groups portrayed by some. Wolves live by savagely killing prey. Everyone should take the opportunity to visit the Wolf Center in Ely, Minn. Vistors to the center get a very accurate portrayol of wolves – more vivid than some are prepared for. Part of the complex is a glassed in area that overlooks a confined area that’s home to a small wolf pack. Wolf Center employees lure the wolves up close for viewing by tossing out some food bits.  Like dogs begging for food, the wolves rear up on their hind legs and leap into the air to grab the morsels before another wolf gets it. The sight is incredible.  Wolves often reach six feet in length, and when they leap into the air, one gets an idea of their power as they snap their jaws far above one’s head.

The Wolf Center pack is regularly fed car-killed deer set out where visitors can watch them feed. Before the feeding, one woman made it clear that she was a proponent of the Disney-styled movies that sometimes portray wild animals only as gentle, sensitive creatures. The wolves, indeed, appeared that way when they came out from the trees, but that changed when the deer carcass was tossed over the fence. The calm wolves became violent eating machines that  snapped and at each other as they tore the deer to bits in front of the shocked crowd. The lady visitor gasped and put her hand to her mouth when one wolf turned to the glass, its muzzle covered in blood from its nose to its eyes.

Despite what side of the issue one is on, all should realize the timber wolf is an incredible animal whose presence we should find comfort in.  Free-roaming wolves mean we have not totally squandered our part of the earth for gain or greed.  For where there are wolves, there is wilderness.

(image from crazywhiskers.us)

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On a list of the most popular kinds of fish to catch through the ice, somewhere near the bottom are whitefish. It’s not that folks don’t like to catch whitefish, it’s just that not very many know where to catch them or know how to get them to bite.  And that’s unfortunate because whitefish can be caught on many lakes, and the techniques used to catch them are very  simple.

In Minnesota there are two kinds of whitefish generally caught by ice anglers: lake whitefish and ciscoes.  Large lake whitefish from Lake Superior may weigh over 20 pounds, but seldom are they found weighing much more than four pounds.  Ciscoes are largely native to Lake Superior.  Ciscoes that are found in inland lakes are often called tullibees by sport fishermen.  Tullibees typically are heavier bodied than ciscoes, and have been known to weigh eight pounds.  The way to distinguish tullibees (ciscoes) from lake whitefish is the mouth.  Lake whitefish have an overhanging snout, while most species of cisco have upper and lower jaws that appear equal in length.  Many lakes have both ciscoes and whitefish.

The most well known lakes that offer good winter whitefish angling are Leech, Winnibigoshish, Red Lake, Mille lacs, and several smaller lakes throughout northern and central Minnesota.  Though not always the case, most lakes that have good whitefish populations are cold and deep.

Whitefish are often found at depths between 25  and 40 feet in mid-winter.  Just before ice-out the fish move shallower, which is when most of them are caught by anglers.  Both lake whitefish and tullibees normally suspend between the surface and the lake bottom.  You can learn what depth they are by finding them with a locator.  Just set the transducer in the ice hole and turn the unit on.  Good quality locators will show schools of fish and the bottom.

Both whitefish and tullibees feed on tiny food forms. Insect larvae, plankton, and small crustaceans are good examples of food found in the stomachs of these fish.  So the best ice fishing baits for whitefish are small tear drops and jigs tipped with wax worms or crappie minnows.

First, locate schools of whitefish on your depth finder and lower your bait to that depth.  You can either jig the lure and bait, or use a bobber to suspend it in front of the the fish.  Whitefish are good fighters, and catching a bunch can be a ball.  Whitefish are not known for their food quality when fried like most fish.  But when they are smoked fresh from the lake, they are excellent.

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Fishing through the ice, be it for crappies, walleyes, northern, or sunfish, is a sport that all can enjoy – rich or poor.  But that doesn’t mean everyone is exactly on an equal playing field.  A few expensive goodies can make the fishing easier and better.

The guy forced to be frugal can pretty easily buy a few fishing sticks, ice chisel, and bait to catch fish.  A flush ice angler will have those things, plus a gas-powered auger, electronic fish locator, a collapsible space age fish house, and pull it all around with a new snowmobile or ATV.
You see, good ice fishermen have known for years that you’ll catch more fish if you can move around a lot – be mobile.  And the best way to be mobile is to be able to afford the latest in portable ice fishing gear.

You see, sometimes to catch the most fish possible, you need some help.  Once when fishing with a big party out on a flat, the guys along one edge of our group started catching crappies – nice silvery big ones.  It was evident the crappies were part of a school moving because then the guys in the middle of our group started getting bites.  Eventually the guys out on other edge started having bobbers go down, too, and the first guys were catching nothing.

Our one fancy amenity was a gas auger, and some one grabbed it and “headed the fish off.”  As fast as he could cut a hole ahead of where the crappies were moving, someone dropped in a line and started catching crappies.  It seemed like a hole was good for about five minutes before the school passed though.  The only thing that stopped the action was when we finally ran out of gas for the auger.  But before that happened we were a long way away from our original starting point.

So let’s say a guy who could only afford the bare necessities, which means an ice chisel rather than a $250 gas-powered auger, was in our situation.  There is no way he could have kept up with those fish because the ice was about two feet thick.  He most likely would have merely enjoyed a fast flurry of action and let it go at that.

Eventually most good fishing spots peter out, and it’s time to move.  If you’ve won the lottery you can hook your new snowmobile or four-wheeler up to a high-tech fish house and pull it to another spot you found with your fancy fish locator.  If you’re a little on the slim picken’s side you struggle all day moving your shabby old house once and hope it’s in a good spot.
But does all this mean a guy who’s pretty flush will catch more fish?  No, it doesn’t.  I see lots of frugally outfitted men and women come off the lakes with some pretty hefty stringers of fish.  While the well off crowd was looking for better fishing, they stayed tight and relied on their fishing savvy to land a mess of fish.

So while a big bank account gives an ice fisherman options to catch more fish, it doesn’t mean it will happen.  I’d sure think I’d like to try it, though.

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You can learn a lot from an experienced fisherman.  TV fishermen, pro anglers and, yes, even newspaper writers, have many good things to share with those wanting to catch more fish.  But don’t think for a moment that our way is the only way.  Many times the best way to land a fish is the technique or method you decide to use, not just what some fishing celebrity or magazine writer says.

Just about every successful fishing idea that’s come around has originated with some plain ol’ Joe.  The idea was then picked up by a fishing show, magazine writer or fishing educator and touted as a new  breakthrough.  Sometimes the founders never get credit for their own discovery.

Also, suggestions from fishing pros are often motivated by sponsoring lures manufacturers, rod and reel companies, boating products, etc.  I personally don’t think any pro would outwardly lie, but they do owe it to their sponsors to promote their product whenever possible.  Any old jig might work, but you won’t hear that from a guy sponsored by a certain jig company.
As you fish this year, be original.  Don’t let suggestions from others dictate what you should do.  Let me explain.  In the early 70′s, I spent two years in California, near a couple of pretty good steelhead rivers.  Two friends and I decided to try our luck one morning, so I went down to the local tackle store and bought some “Minnesota lures”-  a couple Daredevle spoons and a floating Rapala.

When I met my friends at the river I was greeted with howls and belly laughs.   Here they were decked out in fancy waders, fishing vests, expensive fly rods, and every high-buck trout fishing item available.  I felt like shrinking into my muddy tennis shoes and blue jeans.  So I just put on my best face-saving demeanor and said “Shut up and where are the fish?”  To prove my point I even walked out into the water to prove you didn’t need $100 waders to catch a fish.  I nearly froze to death.

Fishing was poor all the way around.  An occasional salmon cruised by, but nothing showed an interest in our offerings.  We had pretty much decided that neither fancy gear or “Jeff’s stuff” were going to work .

So I decided to stroll down to the river mouth, thinking where the salt water from the Pacific met the fresh water from the San Lorenzo River might hold fish.  I hadn’t been there five minutes when two silvery steelhead came in from the ocean.  Immediately I cast out a big red-and-white Daredevle and reeled it in front of them.  I don’t know what that spoon looked like to an ocean run steelhead, but one of them grabbed it.  Ten minutes later I beached the eight pound fish and became an instant hero.

Fish do not always go by the rules, and you shouldn’t either.  Granted there are proven methods that one should stick with, but when things are slow, or the fish are really biting, try experimenting.  Doing things your way and catching fish is the most rewarding kind of fishing there is.

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The beginning of a new year is an exciting time for most, as it is with Davis J. Hennes. A time to reflect on the past year, successes and failures, and to set a direction for the new year. The Rod and Rifle Rag is in a major development mode, with input from fellow hunters and anglers steering most of the direction. The product has taken shape with a Minnesota base, the initial set of inserts (Reference, Fishing and Deer Hunting). The Rag community has told us to develop a National set of inserts…so we are doing just that. A National set of inserts will be more broad, not so state/region orientated. This is ever so exciting as the intent is that the Rag will hit a national market by storm in a big time retailer. The state/region set of inserts will still be a focus as well. The Minnesota set will be updated and tweaked for ’11 along with other species being added. Wisconsin and Pennsylvania inserts will be taking shape as the year goes on and hopefully be available towards the later part of the year.

January will be a very busy time traveling also for Davis J. Hennes and the Rag! The plans are to be at the Archery Trade Show (Indianapolis, IN), the Pheasants Forever Minnesota State Convention (Mankato, MN), the SHOT Show (Las Vegas, NV) and the Pheasant Forever – Pheasant Fest (Omaha, NE). Hoping to meet more great hunters and anglers at these venues, with the Rag being introduced to all.

Best wishes to the Rag community in the New Year, successful harvesting and priceless tales!

Prez. @ Davis J. Hennes

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