Activities at the Falls Wildlife Area

The Minnesota DNR's International Falls Wildlife Area includes a 3 million acre base of public and private lands and waters in Koochiching and St. Louis counties. It provides excellent hunting and trapping opportunities for an array of species, including deer, bear, moose, grouse, woodcock, fisher, marten, otter and other furbearers.

The area is served by one position working in an office in Orr; the Internatinal Falls office is staffed by one position and one vacant position soon to be filled.

• Work with county, state and federal agencies to manage 1.8 million acres of public land to benefit wildlife with emphasis on ruffed grouse, deer, woodcock, bear, marten, fisher and moose.

• Manage selected stands of timber to increase the amount of conifer tree species within the stand to benefit a variety of wildlife species.

• Promote white cedar as prime winter thermal cover for deer though protection from harvest, planting, protection from browsing and reducing competition from other trees and shrubs.

• Manage specific sites for blueberry and oak mast production through burning, planting and removal of brush and tree competition.

• Manage 1,000 acres of wildlife openings with a goal of mowing 200 acres annually.

• Manage three regional openland priority units for sharp-tailed grouse and other brushland wildlife.

• Annually mow, repair gates and replace signs on 40 miles of hunter walking trails.

• Manage habitat and facilities on three WMAs, covering 1,600 acres, and administer two Waterfowl Refuges.

• Provide assistance to private landowners, industrial forest managers and one Indian reservation to benefit wildlife on their lands.

• Cooperatively manage four wetland impoundments, and conduct an aerial wild rice survey with other agencies.

• Provide recommendations on management and research within Voyageurs National Park.

• Annually review 15-20 public waters, land-use, utility and transportation projects for potential wildlife population and habitat impacts.

• Assist with state or national wildlife surveys for moose, sharp-tailed and ruffed grouse, woodcock, bear food and predators throughout the work area.

• Make hunting season recommendations for six deer permit areas, two bear permit areas, small game, furbearers and waterfowl.

• Maintain 16 big game registration stations and four fur registration locations within the area.

• Promote the area as a destination hunting area for ruffed grouse, deer, and bear hunters from all over the U.S., as well as a destination trapping area for people looking to catch their first fisher or marten.

International Falls case studies

DNR Staff Report

International Falls Area Wildlife Manager Larry Petersen is an avid supporter of habitat improvement projects.

But with a continuing trend of fewer staff and further reductions in budgets on the horizon, Petersen knows it won't be long before residents and wildlife both feel the pinch.

Many of the projects undertaken by Petersen's crew are labor intensive and require follow up maintenance to ensure success.

Whether it's adding protective shelters to prevent animal damage of white cedar seedlings, consulting with foresters to improve timber sale implementation to benefit wildlife or making repairs to existing projects after heavy rains cause a washout, habitat projects are usually a long-term commitment rather than a single occurrence.

Says Petersen: "There are numerous outstanding opportunities across this vast landscape to improve habitat for both game and non-game species.

"We have worked very hard to successfully accomplish many habitat improvements over the years, but many of these improvements require regular maintenance to maintain their value, and additional new projects many never happen unless sufficient funding is available."