The perfect trip to the Northwoods
We enjoyed a beautiful day in the woods. A gentle breeze moved just enough air to keep the mosquitos away. The shade from the trees provided just enough screen that we stayed comfortable.
A few guys checked their devices after we finished and found that we had walked two miles. We drove past several waterfalls on our way to an early dinner. I didn’t remember to snap a picture, I just enjoyed the sights, the sounds, and the smell of the water mist in the air.
We ate dinner at a quaint place a few miles from the Michigan border. Forty-five years passed since I last traveled through that historic northern Wisconsin town. I can’t remember what changed, but I know the drive remains breathtaking. The lakes still look gorgeous.
We met some guys there that stopped in for a late lunch after a day running bear. They too had a great day and their burgers looked phenomenal.
We sat looking out onto on of those lakes. Conversation, hydration, and a juicy steak. Not a bad way to enjoy an early dinner.
More rivers, lakes, waterfalls, rock faced walls on the drive back to basecamp. We scouted some coverts logged about five years ago to see if they matured enough to hunt this fall. Some need a year or so yet, some look perfect. The deer found them all perfect. Their trails pronounced, the does moving their fawns about in their summer coats playing on the roadsides. Those loggings provided cover and food for deer from the first fall after cutting until now. In a couple years the tender twig tips that deer love to browse will rise above what they can reach. But the dense growth of regenerating aspen will provide bedding and escape cover for another ten years. During this cycle, the same cuttings provides the same for over 20 species of wildlife including a couple of North America’s most endangered songbird species.
I know I’ve talked about all this before. This weekend was about nothing but habitat. Yet we all had a great time doing habitat work.
We traveled north to meet up with good friends, to help raise money for habitat projects in northeast Wisconsin and the U.P’s Dickenson County – Iron River area. Habitat work involves planning and hard work. Previous to that a lot of work goes into raising the funds to enhance what God and the wood processors created. Things like walking trails – they plan to create nine miles of hunter walking trails through coverts.
We came to do some light lifting in this whole process. We shot sporting clays at a very nice club with a very scenic course. Everyone there hunts grouse. Everyone there understands that this whole game revolves around the habitat. Our society greatly suppresses the two things that did the work of the processors prior to Wisconsin’s statehood – fire and beaver.
So, we need to meet nature halfway. A bit of effort to keep our forest healthy and they then help keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and clean in return. For more reasons than enjoying a nice steak grilled medium rare while enjoying the breathtaking view overlooking a scenic Wisconsin lake. But after a day afield, that’s not a bad reason at all.
That evening we gathered at our friend’s house around a campfire. The air cooled quite a bit making the warmth of the fire welcome and comforting. We sat around and talked about campfire stuff. The perfect thing for a Northwoods trip.
If you’re looking for nice place to enjoy a weekend or week of the Northwoods consider that location. If you’re looking for a nice place to camp look up Marinette county’s Morgan Park campground. The county has others campgrounds too. If you would prefer state campgrounds and parks, the Governor Thompson State Park is located in Marinette County west of Crivitz. It has over 100 campsites.
The area offers high quality summer fishing, kayaking, biking, hiking, and extensive ATV/UTV trails, besides its striking beauty. There are plenty of family owned quality dining places for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The area makes it easy to relax.
So much so that our group decided to extend our trip a day or two next year and take in some of the premium small mouth bass and trout fishing. Who knows, we might even make it over to Nocquebay for some slab bluegills. All in a day’s habitat work.
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