• Thursday-Whats'UP June 15 - 11:06 pm

While out kayaking around Isle Royale, Kevin Henriksen snapped a nice reflective photo of the residence where Dr. Rolf Peterson spends a good amount of his time working to educate folks and collect data about the habits of the wolves and moose over there. Dr. Peterson has been the lead researcher for the Isle Royale Park Wolf-Moose Study for more than 30 years. He has a different sort of laboratory than the most scientists. You can see part of his lab in the second two photos, where the skulls and bones that he's collected from around the Island are displayed. The third shot is mostly all moose skulls, some with antlers still attached. For more information about this study, you can check out this link: The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale.

This is a wonderful link. There have been a
number of studies of the current wolf-moose
situation in the news lately. My husband, who
surfs the "net " between jobs and clients, has
passed some on to me.

Our family spent a few days at Isle Royale
when our children were young.It was
memorable. We especially enjoyed our trip
because we knew that my grandpa had
worked on some of the buildings out there.
many, many moons ago.

The Petersons are remarkable people. On a trip to Isle Royale a few years ago, I had the good fortune to run into Rolf on the Mott Island dock. He invited us to stop by, which we did. He and his wife, Candy, spend the summer in their cabin with no electricity (although they do have a propane tank to run the stove--good thing--she makes excellent bread). We were treated to a tour of the bones. It was the highlight of the trip.

Rolf has retired from Michigan Tech but continues with the wolf/moose research on Isle Royale, the longest running predator/prey study in the world.

Oh my, the first picture is haunting. Must say I don't much care for the next two but just love the first one. Gonna have to put it with my pictures so I can use it as a background. Really not fond of skulls though. Gives me the heebie jeebies. Makes you wonder how they died.

Thank you for the link and great pictures! I can see I have some reading to do! Has been way too long since I have been to the Isle....

Is that a Norwegian flag out front? My grandfather, Knute Leivdal from Bergen, Norway, eventually settled in the Fayette area when he came to this country. Although I've lived in Idaho for the last 18 years after moving from Detroit, I am still a Michigander at heart. I LOVE this site!

Neil Hamilton
Boise, Idaho

My mother, aunt and grandparents camped out on Isle Royale many, many years ago. They befriended some folks who worked for the Museum of Natural History in NYC. The museum folk were after a few moose to display in NYC. They gave my family moose meat from their display models. Years later, the family visited the museum. Special attention was given to "our moose."

I have a picture of my grandfather riding a moose (I can not find it) who was swimming in an Isle Royale bay. The moose will walk along the beach and then swim across a bay.

Do they ever send the antlers or skulls out to be sold. Or are they protected not to do that. (I am against that sort of income.)

If there were porkeypines on the Island, those antlers would have been eaten by now.

Hi
Good observation, Tom Ghering. When I followed the link to the Wolves and Moose study, the overview had the following:

"First, because of its isolation, relatively few species have colonized Isle Royale. Isle Royale is inhabited by only about one third of the mammalian species that inhabit the nearby mainland. Some of the species missing from Isle Royale include porcupine,..."

I wonder if someone could identify the flag in the picture of the Peterson cabin.
I enjoy reading the Pasty Cam notes daily as a former resident of the area some fifty years ago.
Keep up the good work.

Always wanted to visit Isle Royale. What have been some of everyones experiences ? And, why does it cost so much to get over there ?

It looks like a Norwegian flag to me. My ancestors are from Bergen, Norway.

Halbjornsson, it has been some years since I have visited, but would recommend a visit after school is in session. The highly energetic troops of boyscouts we ran into during the summer months tended to limit one's enjoyment of the wildlife! :o>

Daughter #1 took 13 year old girl and 16 year old son to Isle Royale last summer. Said it was worth the cost. Hiked and camped and loved it. Friday she and daughter are heading for Ely,Mn. area camping. Of course mom/grandma is anxious but they are very levelheaded so they'll be okay. Wished I was young and hardy enough to go myself.

Daughter #1 took 13 year old girl and 16 year old son to Isle Royale last summer. Said it was worth the cost. Hiked and camped and loved it. Friday she and daughter are heading for Ely,Mn. area camping. Of course mom/grandma is anxious but they are very levelheaded so they'll be okay. Wished I was young and hardy enough to go myself.

Sorry..senior moment :-

funny, i have almost the EXACT same pictures !

I forget how beautiful the island is. It has been many years since I backpacked there:( The moose were awesome to see in the wild.

A couple of clarifications...to Margaret in Amarillo, the antlers and bones are not sold. Rolf's research includes determining the age and health of the moose and documenting how they died. The antlers hold a lot of clues to age and health--he has many more in his lab in the forestry complex at Michigan Tech.

Al asked about experiences visiting. We took the not-really-roughing-it approach by staying in one of the duplexes at Rock Harbor. Our's had a nice view of Tobin Harbor. We took day trips -- renting a canoe one day, renting a small motorboat one day, hiking up to the ridge one day (where there is a beautiful view of Pig Island and Thunder Bay). It was a great vacation

Definitely a Norwegian flag!

Oh my,
Now you have gone and asked for it...Isle Royale is the place of my family's (kids now 15, 16, &17) most heroic stories.

The "summer"...July...when it went down to 38 degrees and the wind was 40 miles an hour and we were trapped on Caribou Island needing to get back to Rock harbor in 2 canoes with 4 foot waves...eldest daughter in front of my canoe said "mom, permission to swear like a sailor?" "Granted!" was the response of her Lutheran school teacher mother...

Or the most beautiful evening spent at Merritt cove with the water like glass and loons and otters frolicking around us.

Or the uplifting joy last summer as my girls and I reached the spine and swung our packs down to spin and enjoy the 360 view (me thinking I am NOT old and decrepit if I can still do that!)

Worth it? PRICELESS!!

We will be back again this August for a tip to tip backpack...leaving the canoes behind this year...

The flag is Norwegian (Det er et Norsk Flagg)! I grew up in Oslo, Norway, went to Tech (class of '68 and 72),and married a wonderful Finnish girl from Mohawk. We try to spend a couple of weeks at our old house in the Keewenaw county each summer, but work prevents me from spending as much time there as I would like. Someday.... retirement will allow that,