Ben Sunne
Winter at Voyageurs National Park can be extreme with frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall. Learn how moose, wolves, owls, and other north woods wildlife are adapting and behaving in Minnesota's national park this month.
Moose are busy finding nutritious shrubs and trees in the barren winter landscape. The impressive antlers of Moose are shed in a process called “casting.” Casting off heavy antlers lets moose shed weight and conserve more energy in the winter months. You are most likely to see a moose crossing roads (and maybe even enjoying roadside salt!)
Fishers lose body heat quickly due to their tube-like shape. As a result, fishers are very active in February - feeding on snowshoe hares, rodents, squirrels, and small prey. Unlike their short-tail weasel relatives, fishers do not turn white in the winter.
Wolves are in breeding season! Breeding season typically runs from late January until late March. Wolves have two-layered coats that protect them from the harsh Voyageurs winters. Outer-layer “guard hairs” grow up to four inches in length and protect the wolf from wind, rain, and snow. The undercoat is a thick, soft secondary layer that serves as insulation.
Red foxes are active and easy to spot on gray February days. These critters are entering breeding season and are active around Voyageurs National Park. Red foxes have incredible hearing and can locate prey under the snow and up to one hundred feet away!
Black bear cubs are born between mid-January and early-February. Newborn cubs do not hibernate, but the mother provides all their nourishment while she is hibernating.
Beavers are spending the winter months nestled in their lodges. Unlike bears, beavers do not hibernate in the winter. Instead, beavers survive off of branches they’ve stored. In February, beavers will swim out of the lodge to get food stored under the ice.
Wood frogs are partially frozen under leaves, rocks, and logs. These amphibians stop breathing and their heart stops beating due to an antifreeze they produce. This antifreeze prevents liquids from freezing inside their cells.
Great horned owls are nesting in February and lay their eggs in abandoned nests of squirrels, hawks, or crows. Great Horned Owls usually lay their eggs in abandoned nests of squirrels, hawks or crows but sometimes nest on cliff ledges or in hollow trees. The eggs are incubated by both parents and hatch in about four weeks.
Please enjoy wildlife from a distance at Voyageurs National Park. Particularly in the winter, wildlife are working hard to conserve their energy and require ample space. Thank you for respecting wildlife and keeping Voyageurs wild.
Voyageurs Wolf Project
