THIEF RIVER FALLS 鈥� Hilary Stoltman has a curiosity about the natural world and the wildlife that make the great outdoors their home.
It鈥檚 been that way for most of his 90 years.
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So, it was only natural that Stoltman, of Thief River Falls, would set up a couple cellular trail cameras to see what he could see at his cabin in the woods, near the boundary of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, as soon as cell service became available in that remote part of northern Minnesota.
The cameras have been telling quite a story this winter.
For many years, Stoltman has set up 55-gallon drums around the yard at his cabin, cutting holes in the barrels and filling them with suet and other scraps. By doing that, he鈥檚 attracted all manner of critters, including ravens, coyotes, weasels, raccoons, bobcats and even the occasional gray wolf.
It鈥檚 always fun to see what wanders into camp, Stoltman says. This winter, he decided to kick things up a notch.
With permission from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Stoltman picked up a few roadkill deer carcasses and hung them on the meat pole that鈥檚 used during deer season.
He then made ramps and set them next to the trees to which the meat pole is attached.
鈥淚 told (the DNR) I want to hang the deer up on my meat pole,鈥� Stoltman said. 鈥淭he bobcats will be climbing up on there. If I leave the deer on the ground, I said ravens and timberwolves will eat them up in quite a hurry. This way, they鈥檒l last quite a while.
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鈥淎nd they said, 鈥楬ilary, all you have to do is pick up your roadkill and call us up, tell us the location on the highway and what time, and we know where it鈥檚 going 鈥� no problem.鈥� 鈥�
As expected, the bobcats have been living well this winter, based on the barrage of photos Stoltman texted me last week. One photo clearly shows two bobcats on the ground next to the meat pole, while another shows two bobcats next to one of the barrels.
Two of the carcasses hanging from the meat pole are basically gone, while only the head and a few bits of fur are left from what was a whole carcass just a few weeks ago.
The photos might be considered too gruesome for squeamish eyes to show in print or online, so you鈥檒l just have to use your imagination.
鈥淭he bobcats are climbing up that tree on the left-hand side and jumping over鈥� to the carcasses, Stoltman said. 鈥淭hey eat the hide and all. All that鈥檚 left on the bottom is just hair.鈥�
The cameras, he says, have been a lot of fun.
鈥淚 just came back from Montana, and while I was in Montana, I was watching all the game that was coming into my cabin,鈥� Stoltman said. 鈥淚t was just a wonderful situation. The way it is now, my cellphone vibrates when it takes a picture.
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鈥淚t gives you something to do when you鈥檙e 90,鈥� he added. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to do something.鈥�
Brent Hemly, an from Plummer, Minnesota, visited Stoltman at his cabin for a couple days last winter. Despite being decades his junior, Hemly says he did all he could do to keep up with Stoltman during a few hours of traipsing around the woods to see what they could see while checking trail cameras.
鈥淭he guy amazes me with his energy at the young age of 90,鈥� Hemly said. 鈥淚 thought I knew a lot about the country up there until staying at his cabin and listening to him tell me about all the things I didn鈥檛 know.鈥�
So far, at least, Stoltman has no interest in slowing down. He鈥檚 put more than 500 miles on his snowmobile this winter, although that might be done for the season after this week鈥檚 warmup, barring a March snowstorm or blizzard.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 16 most days,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e really never been sick in my life. I鈥檝e had measles and mumps, and I had COVID-19.鈥�
Stoltman says he figured something was up when he got COVID because all of a sudden beer didn鈥檛 taste good. When results from a home testing kit came back positive, Stoltman headed for his cabin in the woods to isolate.
He told his partner, Tootsie, he鈥檇 stay there five days.
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鈥淚 came back, and she never got it,鈥� Stoltman said. 鈥淏ut there might be some rabbits around that cabin that got COVID-19. I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Judging by all the bobcats around Stoltman鈥檚 cabin this winter, the bunnies would do well to keep their distance.
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