Evening Brief - Oct. 5, 2023: Do Minn. wolves really kill 54,000 fawns a year? Evidence is lacking

COTTON — It’s been a tough few years for northeastern Minnesota deer hunters and that has put the state’s most prominent predator in the cross hairs on a billboard erected recently along Highway 53 in Cotton.

The billboard makes a controversial claim — that the state’s estimated 2,800 gray wolves consume 54,000 white-tailed deer fawns a year.

It’s an astonishing number that has generated plenty of heat on social media from people with widely conflicting claims.

The Timberjay newspaper reports in reality, there is no evidence backing up the numbers on the billboard and in social media news feeds.

Marshall Helmberger spoke with Jared Mazurek, executive director of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association about the billboard, which was rented by the Sturgeon River chapter of the organization. The statewide group asked the local chapter to supply peer-reviewed information in support of the claim but hasn't heard back.

Based on available data, according to the Timberjay, the number of fawns killed by wolves is likely closer to 20,000. Fawns also meet many other predators in nature, like black bears and coyotes. Hay mowers kill fawns bedded in the spring, and an estimated 40,000 are killed each year by motor vehicles.

While the billboard may have created a headache of sorts for the deer hunters association, it has brought plenty of attention to the discussion around the degree to which wolves may play a role in the lackluster deer population recovery in recent years in northeastern Minnesota.

Preventing domestic abuse in a digital world

Domestic violence service and prevention groups say abuse can happen in many ways, and using technology is one of them. They remind anyone experiencing intimate partner violence to take a careful approach in shielding their digital activity.

For National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, communities across Minnesota are urged to lend support to survivors. Some are getting guidance on how to handle cyberstalking situations, when an abuser uses technology to control and intimidate a partner.

Tina Bronson, director of mission advancement for Alexandra House, a service organization in the Twin Cities, said the tracking of tech devices is very common, and there are ways to work around it.

"We actually recommend that they get a completely different cellphone, from a different cellphone provider, and have a hidden phone," Bronson explained.

Bronson recommended routinely checking a hidden phone to ensure it is not being tracked. She also suggested using the "incognito" search mode when looking up information online is another prevention tool. Other experts said securing a "pay as you go" cellphone can help with privacy.

Whether it's digital safeguards or other forms of protection, Bronson advised a survivor should only try approaches likely to work for them.

"If you're looking to leave or need a way to be safe in a relationship, access one of the domestic violence service providers," Bronson stressed. "Get a safety plan that's customized to your situation, because they know what the threat level is and what the follow-through is."

She added some recommendations that might work for one person could further endanger someone in a different situation. Meanwhile, experts said if your regular phone is being tracked, you should not turn it off, to avoid upsetting the abuser. Other tips include using computers at public libraries, and after leaving your partner, replacing all your devices or restoring them to their original factory settings.

Low-level flights will capture geologic images of the Cuyuna Range

Low-level airplane flights are planned over a broad region in central Minnesota to capture image geology for the U.S. Geological Survey.

The survey will be conducted starting this month through next November with a hiatus during the winter months. The purpose is to provide images that expand the fundamental knowledge of geology the Cuyuna Iron Range. The region is known for past production of iron and is also known to have unusually high concentrations of manganese.

The new data will be used to develop high-resolution 3-D representations of the bedrock composition and structure to depths more than a half-mile below the surface.

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USGS

These models and maps improve the understanding of critical mineral resource potential and water resources, the USGS said. They also can add information about groundwater pathways near legacy mining areas and potential risks of naturally occurring radon.

Flights will cover an area of more than 10,000 square miles including areas within St. Louis, Carlton, Aitkin, Itasca, Hubbard, Cass and Crow Wing. They will be based out of airports in Alexandria, Brainerd and Grand Rapids.

The airplane will fly along pre-planned fight paths relatively low to the ground, at more than 300 feet above the surface. The ground clearance will be increased to 1,000 feet over populated areas.

Fond du Lac clean energy project earns funding

CLOQUET — The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding $1.4 million to support a biomass-fueled district heating project under development by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Cloquet.

The award is one of 13 projects awarded a combined $38 million by the DOE to advance clean energy technology deployment in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

The funding aims to bolster ongoing efforts to reduce and stabilize energy costs, increase energy security and resilience, and provide electric power to Native communities.

With the funding, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will install a biomass heating facility to provide district heat in place of propane for the Brookston housing subdivision and community center.

The project is expected to result in savings of more than $3 million over the life of the system.