Hiking at Pike Island

Evidence of an active beaver population.

 On Tuesday, Shiloh and I packed into the car and drove down to Fort Snelling State Park so that we could hike around Pike Island.

Zebulon Pike was sent up the Mississippi River in 1805 to buy the land for a fort.  This island, which I believe was quite important to the Dakota and Ojibwe, was named after Pike.

I have not been here in a couple of years, but the beaver population definitely is in good shape.  The same can be said for the deer, who were all over the island.

One of many deer.

On the move.

 We saw so many deer that you had to wonder how they were going to do in depth of winter.  We saw some green grass because the snow cover has melted in the recent thaw.

There were some great deer shots, and lots of woodpeckers at the south end of the island.  I saw one pileated woodpecker.

A very muddy romp, but it was great fun.

Out in the meadow.

The Mississippi on the left meets the Minnesota on the right.

Yet more.

Some creature.

Yikes.  I think the beaver knock down a big tree like this and then take the branches off.

As we are leaving we see several turkey and a four point buck.