Midwinter Crex Meadows

I’d heard rumors of an Artic Owl hanging around Crex Meadows for the past couple weeks, so I decided today to go see if I could see for myself.

This was my first rip to Crex in the dead of winter.

There’s not much going on.

Lots of snow and ice, but since it was only about 11° F the dirt roads were passable. Driving around the perimeter of the refuge, I saw one female sharpie (feeding in some distant birches) and 3 bald eagles. Hiking along Phantom Lake, I ran across lots of tracks, mostly melted beyond id, except for a couple trails of fresh ruffed grouse.

I didn’t see any owls, but on the way out, I caught what my/may not be a wolf, about 400 meters out. I imaged it on the outer limits of the 600mm, and enlarged it as much as possible without it breaking up into pixels. Part of me says “coyote”, but the other part says otherwise. Either way, it was cool to see it, wild and free in what passes for wilderness in Wisconsin.