I wonder what Leelanauts were saying about the weather in 1905?
That’s the year of the “open winter,” as described by folks on Drummond Island, anyway. Betsey Price of Lake Leelanau was born and raised on the island, and heard about the weather phenomena that must have seemed totally out of place in an era still clinging to the Little Ice Age.
The winter of 1905 was accompanied by little snow, and broke far earlier than normal, according to one website.
According to records at the website Extreme Weather Watch, January snow fall recorded in Traverse City reached only 12 inches. Temperatures were cold at night, but topped 30 degrees five times and even hit 40 degrees.
Just 19.5 inches of snow followed in February, and the mercury rose above 30 degrees each of the last 10 days of the month. March brought no snow for the entire month and a grand start to spring. Temps rose at least above 33 degrees for each of the final 15 days for which records exist for the month including hitting 48,50, 48, 46, 71, 65 and 54 degrees in the final days. How accurate is that information? To be honest, I don’t know. As I looked through snowball numbers over several months, it seemed that the official measurer may have been sleeping in.
Then again, what will weather watchers think when looking back 100 years from now? It’s the first winter I know of that left most ice fishers shore bound. Every pair of brisk mornings was followed by rain and warmth and a warning that honeycomb ice isn’t safe.
I gotta say, though, that perch fishers are optimistic. Several have told me that they expect a bountiful spring and summer haul due to all the yellow- bellies they didn’t catch on
ice.
••• A couple notes on forest health:
• If you have hemlocks on your property, there is still time to check the underside of branches for the round, white cottony visas of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. The small insects suck sap from hemlocks, which may cause death. Some homeowners feel comfortable applying chemicals available at garden stores that combat the bugs; others may want to call in a professional. Application can be made from early April into late October. Adelgid is found in Leelanau County, including one outbreak at the Bufka farm off M-22 south of Leland in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.
• Spring is replenishment time for Leelanau woods. Forms can be found online or at Leelanau Conservation District office in the county building for the Spring Tree and Shrub sale. Prices on a variety of plants from red pines red buds are downright reasonable when purchased in bulk. If you would like advice on what to plant in your soil, give the district a call at 256-9783. Orders should be placed by April 12, with pickup scheduled for April 26 at the annex building of the Leelanau Enterprise.
••• After spending weeks researching a story I completed last week on wolves in the Upper Peninsula, I’m convinced I don’t want them south of the bridge. I know a lot of readers hold the opposite opinion, which I respect.
It’s not the wolves that I oppose. It’s more a lack of trust in our dysfunctional government.
Judges seven times have overturned attempts by wildlife agencies relying on scientific data to remove wolves from the endangered species list in Michigan even though they were plentiful by historical standards. Because wolves are protected, farmers can’t kill them as they pull down cattle. Ditto for dog owners protecting their pets.
In December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hired outside convenor Francine Madden to lead the wolf discussion to insure a “fair, inclusive and balanced public engagement.” That sounds scientific.
I think wolves hold an important place at the top of nature’s hierarchy. But they don’t need keys to the town. With no natural predators, the only wolf population control is to watch the deer population sink to new lows in the U.P., which would be followed by wolf starvation.
Kevin Ballant from Maple City provided photos including one of a black wolf released by a trapper, and was a valuable source for the story. Daytime whitetail sightings are rare on the property he hunts.
There’s no reason humans and wolves can’t share Michigan — as long as we don’t abdicate our place at the top of the food chain.
••• All tags for the first turkey hunt in Leelanau County set for April 20-26 have been claimed, but licenses remain for the second one-week hunt. And an unlimited number of licenses are available for hunt code 0234, which extends from May 4-31.
Those results are typical. Many hunters prefer to get an early jump on turkeys, scouting and patterning them before the woods grow crowded. Tags are usually left on the shelf for the second season, which runs from April 27-May 3.
The turkey population in the county seems down to me, but I may be driving the wrong roads before over-wintering flocks have broken into smaller groups. My son reported seeing a flock of 20 or so birds last week in the Maple City area.
