New Year's resolution: electric chainsaws

This battery pruning saw is incredible

Until a couple of years ago, I had only personally owned one chainsaw -- the Husqvarna 61. It was recommended to me by a saw dealer in Thunder Bay and I have used it to cut something like 400 cords of wood over the past 40 years. It has been very durable although I have needed to have the carburetor rebuilt probably four times. My saw mechanic informed me the last time that the saw has been obsolete for about two decades and he has been using "part saws" to do the job. Unfortunately, he has now run out of those as well.

Then, last year, I experienced Christmas in July. I was about to dump our recycling items at Red Lake's transfer station when to my astonishment, there was a Husqvarna 61 in the bin. I snapped it up. So I might be able to cannibalize it for parts for a few more years.

Meanwhile, I had bought a tiny one-hand battery-electric pruning saw made by Stihl, pictured to the right. Although it is intended for cutting branches only a few inches or less in diameter, I am astounded at what else I have done with it. Since it only weighs a few pounds I routinely carry it when out for walks on my trail network here in Nolalu and have cut many windfall trees that have blocked the paths. Sometimes it takes cutting from both sides of the fallen trunk since the bar is only six inches.

It is wonderful for cutting alders, willows and small trees that pop up on the survey lines around our property. It has a lithium battery that slides into the handle and this probably lasts for an hour of solid cutting. That means I can clear about a quarter mile of bushed-in trail before needing to recharge. 

Now that I am 71 I appreciate not lugging around a heavy saw. My Husqvarna 61 weighs something like 13 pounds. That gets to be a drag when I'm a half-mile from the house. This has got me looking at battery-electric chainsaws. There are some professional arborist saws now that cut as fast as gasoline-powered saws but they are pricey and they actually weigh about the same as my Husky.

My little six-inch saw has shown me I probably don't need a 16-inch or 20-inch bar saw any more. There are some 12-inch battery saws now that weigh about eight pounds, including the battery. From what I have seen, Husqvarna and Stihl might be the fastest rpm battery saws but they are on the high end of price. Tool brands like Ryobi, Dewalt, Milwaukee and yard machine companies like Greenworks and others also have chainsaws. These sell for about $350 which is nearer my price range. All of these are quiet which is another plus.

I am not quite in the market for a saw yet, but when the time comes I am certain to get an electric model.

We already have a battery-electric lawnmower at the cabin. It is a self-propelled model and has oodles of power for climbing hills while mowing.

What's missing in this Christmas photo?

 

Our house in Nolalu, near Thunder Bay, Ont., Dec. 24, 2023

This will be a first for us. No snow on Christmas. 

It is pretty much the same story across Canada. 

There is a drought taking place from Thunder Bay west to Kenora that could become problematic next summer. Check out the following screenshot from Windy.com that shows drought intensity. The darker the colour, the drier the soil is. 

The situation is less acute up at Red Lake but way up north, near Hudson Bay, it is terrible. 

Here in Nolalu and other Thunder Bay area rural townships most shallow wells have gone dry. We have already gotten one tanker truck delivery of water.

Temperatures are far warmer than normal and that is not all bad. Judging from our wood pile I would say we have used half the energy this winter to heat the house. 

There is still a lot of time left to get some snow. What has happened in recent years is we get about half our snowfall in the month of April. That is usually extremely wet stuff that takes down power lines and closes roads.

Positive things to say about climate change

Shot from today, just a trace of snow here in Nolalu

 "If you don't have something good to say, keep your mouth shut."

That was always my mom's admonition about talking. It seems especially relevant this year when it comes to talking about climate change. I have recently heard somewhat conflicting advice on the subject.

I believe it was on CBC radio's climate program What On Earth that host Laura Lynch wondered if all the talk about climate change was making things worse. The experts she interviewed said it actually was because it was virtually all about doom and gloom -- things are getting worse rapidly and we aren't moving fast enough to correct them. People can only take so many negative waves, said the psychologists. Making them feel helpless and depressed accomplishes nothing.

Then, last week, Bill Nye (the Science Guy), seemed at first glance to give opposite instructions in an interview on CNN. "What can we do personally about climate change?" he was asked. "1. Talk about it and 2. Vote," he said.

In reality, all the experts were on the same page. Keep talking about climate change, just focus on the solutions and positive steps that have already been made and which are added to each day.

So that is what I'm going to do from now on in this blog, starting with this link to a BBC article yesterday Nine Breakthroughs For Climate and Nature in 2023 You May Have Missed

 On a personal note, I would like to report on our first summer of using a solar system at our cabin that the power produced by just two photovoltaic (PV) panels is mind-blowing. I think you have to see it to believe it. As soon as the sun strikes these two 4x7-foot panels you have more electricity than you can possibly use at one time, plus it charges the big batteries that ran everything over night. Four hours after sunrise the batteries are charged and the system is just twiddling its thumbs until the next day.

And here's the kicker: once you have purchased the equipment, that electricity -- that clean energy -- is absolutely free. Even more positive news is the equipment costs about one-tenth what it cost a decade ago and gets cheaper every day.

Red Lake Marine had its first electric outboard for sale last summer.

"This is where everything's going," said Bob Uhrina, who has worked at the marina for about 60 years and has been its manager for at least 30. He is also a master mechanic.

That's pretty remarkable coming from a man who knows more about outboards and any other internal combustion engine than anyone I have ever met. 

I think I know what he means. It is just the evolution of energy. 

It reminds me of a statement I heard a few years ago by Sister Jean, the now-104-year-old nun who is the chaplain for the Loyola University men's NCAA basketball team. In the week before every game, Sister Jean scouts the opposing team on video and makes a report to the team about the best ways to beat them.

A reporter noted that she does all of her work on an iPad and thought it remarkable that such an old person embraced new technology.

"If you don't keep up, you're left behind," said Sister Jean.

The deer rut begins with first snow

 

Nice whitetail makes the first scrape on our property

We had escaped the first snowfalls of the season until last night when we got about an inch of the white stuff. That was enough to set off the whitetail rut. This nice eight-pointer made his scrape right in front of my trail camera.

The deer population took a shellacking in these parts from last spring's deep snowfalls, so much so that I wondered if any had survived. I couldn't find a track on our land for days when we returned to Nolalu from Red Lake. 

Today's tracking snow and the photo above showed there are still some around.

2023 dock fishing report

 I do 99 per cent of my fishing from our dock -- a few casts after breakfast, a few after lunch and finally, after supper. Here's what I caught last summer.

The big news is I caught seven smallmouth bass. In the past I have never caught any. On one occasion I was just pulling my Beetle Spin out of the water when the whole side of the dock erupted with a school of bass. There might have been 10 of them. I dropped my lure back in and instantly caught one which put up a whale of a fight. While it was pulling out drag, the entire school followed it around. All these fish seemed to be about three pounds.

I got nine walleye including one on a rubber mouse. This fish had previously followed in as I cast the mouse near the bank, looking for pike. I eventually pitched out to a spot I know is about 20 feet deep and the walleye, obviously just below the surface, grabbed it immediately. This fish was about 25 inches.

I got 12 northern pike but only a few of them eating size. The others were too small or too big. The largest fish was about 38 inches and was enormously muscular. My two large hands could not encircle its head when I went to release it. 

Low water at the start of the year resulted in excellent weed growth, something that benefits fish populations as it provides cover for minnows and other forage species. By fall the water level was back to normal. 

Solar system handled needs until October

 Our new solar system handled all of our electrical uses right until the beginning of October when we were hit with a string of dark, cloudy days as well as declining daylight hours.

We operated all of our electrical tools, including air compressor, radial saw, large electric drill, etc. just by plugging them into the wall. If the sun was shining while we were working a check on the solar system battery status showed we still had 100 per cent reserve. In other words, we were running everything on the current production from the two large panels.

In total, we used less than five gallons of gas in our generator since the system was installed July 1. By comparison, before the solar system we used about that much weekly. This year we saved $450 by not buying gasoline.

I was impressed that the solar panels still generated plenty of electricity on smoky days when we could look directly at the sun. There were plenty of those last summer.

There's a new house near our cabin

 

The beavers have made a large feedbed in front of their lodge

Actually, the house was there before, the new tenants just renovated it. 

All the winter feed seen in front of the beaver house against the bank came from the shoreline in front of our place. We don't begrudge sharing saplings and shrubs and even small hardwood trees like birch with the beavers as long as they leave the larger birches alone beside the buildings. What do you think are the chances that will happen?

Climate change is killing us

Mostly this is what passes for a clear day now -- gagging smoke from forest fires.

On a clear day...

Here's something that's becoming rarer every day -- a clear day. 

Solar system installed; AC everywhere

With the help of our electrician brother-in-law, Ron Wink, we now have lights and outlets throughout the cabin. We are running everything off the system -- drills, power saws, grinders, you name it.

And, somehow, our cell booster is working better. It seems to have improved when we grounded everything.

Internet is slow but possible. I haven't yet tried voice. Texting is excellent.  We have not used the generator whatsoever.

Belay that seagull obituary!

When I went to empty fish guts on the rock yesterday evening I was met by a dozen gulls! And I swear, they had two vultures for wing men. 

I guess they all were just slow in getting up here. I knew air travel has been having its problems but this is ridiculous.

Finally a rain, fire danger falls

We had an all--night rain a few days back and may have got an inch altogether. The fire danger has dropped accordingly.

I used the wet day to fell a bunch of birches trees that were leaning over the new cabin. It was a slow process as I had to use a battery-powered winch to pull them toward a safe direction.

We saw a bear one afternoon right next to the cabin. Doc took off after it but returned readily when I whistled. Two days later a cow moose walked into the lake right beside the cabin and then swam around the side of the mountain towards our neighbour, Mike Miller. He just missed seeing it when he paddled his solo canoe over here for a fish dinner.

Brenda and I had actually gone fishing earlier that day and got three nice eater pike.

From all reports the fishing is great.

I think it likely the bear had killed the cow's calf and may have injured her as well as she seemed to be swimming unusually.

On a sad note, there don't seem to be the usual number of gulls. There are just two at the fish gut rock, not the usual dozens. They can’t even clean up the guts. 

Wonder if this is a result of avian bird flu?

Haven't seen any vultures either.

We have seen bald eagles flying but not at the gut rock.

There are the usual number of ducks and loons.

How did all the ticks get here?

In just a couple of years wood ticks have moved into this area. Whitetail deer are usually thought to be the transportation vehicles but that can't be the case here. Deer are still very rare.

Cell phone now works at cabin

It just took a cell booster and a 50-foot antenna.

The weather is hot and dry with low humidity which makes the heat tolerable but increases the forest fire danger. No local fires so far.

One opening weekend posed a dilemma

 As the opening weekend for fishing season approaches, Brenda and I can't help but think back to all the ones we went through as owners -- and before that -- workers, at Bow Narrows Camp. It was always a thrilling, exhausting, but totally memorable time.

The timing of ice-out with the season opener was what set the stage. The opener is a moveable feast. It is the third Saturday in May. So, it can be as early as May 15 and as late as May 21. Early openers always meant we were flirting with being still iced-in when the guests arrived. 

Sometimes we needed to fly from the Chukuni River in town over the lake ice to the open narrows in front of camp. Even in those situations we could usually get the staff into camp a few days ahead of the guests to get things prepared but at least once we all went on the same day. Dad, Brenda and I were the staff at that time.

You can imagine the chaos: water is not yet running to the cabins, boats are not in the water, motors are still in the storage shed, etc. The first priority was to get everybody out fishing. The next was to connect propane tanks so they could use their kitchen stoves. By that point it was dark. We gave everybody plastic pails to get water from the lake. 

The next day we slowly started getting the water system going. The problem was the main underground water line was still frozen in many places. This meant jury-rigging over-the top lines that would suffice until the ground thawed,  something that might not happen for weeks. It took days but eventually everyone had running water.

We had immediately tried to schedule a supply flight but were told all the fly-in camps were in a pickle. The lakes were opening up day by day and as soon as they did, all the planes were booked to fly-in those guests who had been stuck in hotels. Our supply trip would just have to wait.

Days went by and we were almost totally out of gas for the outboards. And worse, lots of the guests were forced to leave most of their beer supply in their vehicles when they had flown in. There just had been no room. The situation was becoming critical.

Finally, about mid-week we got a call from the airlines that they could get one Cessna 185 into our place. It was the smallest of the aircraft and could carry about 900 pounds. What did we want them to bring? 

We held a general meeting of the guests. Gas or beer or some of both? After a lot of discussion about the merits, they agreed -- fill the plane with beer. They could fish off the dock.

And that is what happened.

Limitations to the blog while at cabin

 If we can get the cell system working at the cabin this summer, please note that while I can post text and photos, I cannot detect and approve comments. If you make any comments they will be answered and approved whenever I return to Nolalu. This is just a limitation of blogging by cell phone.

We hope to leave for Red Lake in a few days now.

Update to World's Greatest Pike Lure

 If you want to contact lure maker Dwayne Kotala, here is his e-mail address:

dwaynekotala@gmail.com

First flower of spring near death scene

 

I can't identify this flower. Can you? Please leave comment.

The last of the snow patches are melted and so Doc and I can get around on our trails again. Yesterday evening we found a spot where three deer died. Two of the death scenes were right beside each other and while birds had scavenged the carcasses and other predators had scattered hair and bones all around there were also intact rib cages. This indicates these animals starved to death and were not killed by wolves. Wolves actually eat all the bones except the femurs and the skulls. I could also see a third pile of deer hair about 20 yards away, likely another starvation victim.

The deep spring snows that we seem to be getting all the time now are to blame, I would think. April is now a month to dread. It brings several storms of snows that might each leave a foot of heavy slush. For animals that barely made it through the long winter, it's the final straw.

Just a few yards from the death scenes I found these tiny flowers, the first of the season here. They are about three inches high, are purplish in colour, have hairy stems and no obvious leaves. They are a mystery to me. I cannot find them in any of my books.

What a fitting example of nature: death and life born anew.

World's Greatest Northern Pike Lure

 

Kotala pike jerk bait

The World's Greatest Northern Pike Lure -- that's quite a claim on my part so let me first state my own qualifications. I have thousands of hours of guiding experience, a similar amount of fishing experience, 26 years of operating a remote fishing camp in Northwestern Ontario and a 56-year history at the same camp. I also come from a family of northern pike fishermen. 

Now about the lure: it is a handmade wooden lure made by my neighbour Dwayne Kotala. He makes them in various lengths. The one above is about seven inches long. I have also used nine-inch models and five-inchers. This floating lure has internal stainless steel weights to give it the right attitude in the water.

It can be fished using two techniques. The best, in my experience, is to cast it out, pull it forward a few feet either by fast reeling or by just pulling back on the rod. The lure will dive a few feet while making exaggerated wobbles. I then let the lure float back to the top. It makes smaller wobbles as it floats to the surface.

This action looks exactly like a mortally wounded fish. 

The other technique is to just reel it steadily back to the boat. It will wobble all the way and will run about six feet deep.

I have never seen another lure catch so many really big northern pike. In some places and times on Red Lake, it seems impossible to get it back to the boat without it being nailed by pike that range 36-46 inches in length. Small pike seem to leave it alone.

There is one problem with the lure, however. Fish always engulf the entire thing and it is very difficult to extract from their toothy maws. My solution is to replace the two small treble hooks with very large single siwash hooks that face forward. This doesn't hurt the lure's action.

You can reach Dwayne by email: dwaynekotala@gmail.com

 

I would imagine the Kotala lure would be equally deadly for musky but I can't be sure since there are so few in Red Lake. 

I recommend you use a baitcasting reel on a fairly stiff rod with this lure. Keep the reel filled with a 30-pound braided like FireLine or SpiderWire. 

Best places to fish it are entrances to narrows, backs of bays, below rapids where walleye congregate.

It is especially effective in the evening when there is calm water.

Red Lake ice-out was May 10

At least, according to the Bow Narrows blog.  I have not heard from anyone directly.

What a nice break this spring has been in Red Lake compared to last year.

Sharpen those hooks! Fishing season is just a week away!

There are still bits of snow here in Nolalu even though we've had four days with summer-like temperatures.