WHAT'S HAPPENING

Dragonflies are out in force. Eat a lot of mosquitos please!

Web Site Updated July 20, 2017
This site is updated almost every week. Check back often to be sure you don't miss anything.

Looking for the Ole and Lena joke link?
It has been moved lower on this page. Please scroll down to it.

A few years ago several Lake Hubert residents learned this lesson the hard way. During the night, their boats were stolen from their lifts and docks, driven out to the middle of the lake and completely trashed. Where no keys were left, the boats were not taken.

Posted May 27
Personal Watercraft (PWC) Rules
Here are some of the laws covering the use of personal watercraft (Sea-do, Jet Ski, etc.). Please remind your family and guests to be good neighbors and to stay within the law by following these rules. These items come from the State of Minnesota DNR. The complete listing can be found on the DNR website HERE

You may only operate a personal watercraft between the hours of 9:30 AM and one hour before sunset. Sunset times can be found by clicking the link above.
Do not operate your PWC in emergent vegetation such as reeds.
Be a good neighbor by riding your PWC out in the middle of the lake, not near shore.
Leave wildlife alone.
Do not jump wakes.
Children under 13 may not operate a PWC, even with an adult on board.
Persons age 13 to 17 must have a watercraft operator's permit or have a person 21 or older on board.

If you observe these rules being broken, you may call the Crow Wing County Sheriff. The sheriff's non emergency phone number is 218-829-4749

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR BOAT CLOSE TO THE NEST.
Not only is it illegal to go close but too much disturbance could cause the loons to abandon the eggs. If you want to watch the nest, use binoculars from a distance. Also, watch out for the little loon chicks out with their parents in June when they're out swimming in the bay. A fast boat could run them over and kill them.

If you're lucky you may even see the baby loons riding on the backs of the adults.

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CLICK HERE TO READ THIS IMPORTANT ARTICLE

In addition to the precautions listed in the article, make sure that any 110 Volt electrical line on or near your dock is protected by a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter). If there is leakage of the electricity into the water, the GFCI will shut off the power. Any licensed electrician can tell you if your electrical line is protected by a GFCI and can install a GFCI for you if not.

There's a New Tick In Our Area Bringing
A New Tick-Borne Disease
With Weird and Serious Side Effects

This is the Lone Star Tick. It's new to our area and it's bite can cause a weird effect; a serious allergic reaction to eating meat. No, that's NOT a joke.
Click Here to read the whole story.

Sun Country Airlines is Naming A Plane After
Lake Hubert
Sun Country Airlines, headquartered in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, is naming each of its twenty-two planes after a Minnesota lake and Lake Hubert is one of them! The airline will be painting the lake names on the aircraft and there is a poster designed by artist Mark Herman for each lake. CLICK HERE to see the Sun Country web page about the "Hometown Lakes Project". The web page shows all of the posters but as of this writing there are no posters offered for purchase although there are playing cards and sets of thank you notes. (Posters now available too. See the article above)

It took many days to completely disappear but Lake Hubert is finally ice free for the first time in 2017.

This is later than last year which occurred on April 3rd but far earlier than the latest which was May 14, 2015. CLICK HERE to see all of the ice out dates for the past 55 years.

The lake water level is quite high this spring and the ice has caused some substantial shoreline damage. The photo below shows the damage on a shoreline on the Northeast side of the lake. Did you move your docks and lifts far enough from the water's edge?

This kind of damage is caused not by wind moving the ice but by "ice jacking". Ice jacking occurs when the ice on a lake cracks and the crack is then filled with liquid water from below. When this water freezes and expands, it forces the ice sheet to move just a bit. When this cracking and filling occurs many times, which often happens, the ice sheet can be moved many feet and it moves with amazing force.

The eagles are headed back our way!

Lake Hubert residents and visitors often get to see bald eagles soaring over our lake and currently there are a lot of eagles in Southeast Minnesota.

The Minnesota DNR has a webcam on an active bald eagle nest in the Twin Cities. Click Here

There is an excellent StarTribune eagle article by Tony Kennedy. Click Here

It should be noted that last winter, 2015-2016, the coldest recorded temperature on the North side of Lake Hubert was 23 below zero making the warmest winter in memory.

No, it wasn't on Lake Hubert but it could have been. This happened near Longville according to a Brainerd Dispatch article.
 CO detectors/alarms are inexpensive, easy to plug in or operate by battery and could save your life. They're available everywhere including Carlson Hardware in Nisswa, Target, Fleet Farm, Wal Mart, Home Depot, Menards and online at many places including Amazon.com.

Don't wait! Get a Carbon Monoxide Detector/Alarm and install it TODAY.

And while you're at it, install some smoke detectors if you don't already have them.
The lives you save could be your kids or grandkids.

There were high winds from the Southwest when the lake froze this year, making the Northern shoreline freeze solid from the spray. It's interesting to see but not fun to watch the ice form unless you're inside a toasty house.

Speaking of a warm house, make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector plugged in at your house. It could save your life! (See the article below.)

Our lake has not frozen over yet but with colder temperatures predicted it may not be long.

Click Here to go to our page of blizzard photos.

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This bad news broke this week after the very invasive alien species was found on the East side of Lake Hubert. This invasive mussel originally came from Southern Russia and has now spread widely thoughout the world, causing serious problems. PLEASE check your water items such as docks, lifts, platforms for Zebra Mussels when you take the items out of the lake. It can be difficult to spot the tiny invaders but if you do, contact the DNR immediately to report your findings. The DNR main phone number in Brainerd is 218-203-4300, then press option 6.

For more information Click Here to go to the Minnesota DNR Zebra Mussel page

Here are a few photos of past ice movement.

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There were lots of spiders scurrying as I moved the firewood and there were a few beetles and bugs too. As I reached the bottom of the pile where I had treated lumber on top of concrete blocks, it became evident that a woodchuck, also known as a groundhog, had burrowed beneath the wood pile. I know it was a woodchuck because my grandkids spotted it and came running in to report the discovery.  Its tunnel exited under the center of the wood pile and the entrance was under a bush about eight feet away. Most of the sand dug from the tunnel had been piled outside of the tunnel exit, not outside of the entrance. If the tunnel had been started at the eventual entrance, it would seem that the sand piles would be there, not near the exit so I must conclude that the woodchuck began digging at the exit end. Crafty critter!

I should note that three years ago I live-trapped three young woodchucks and the mama, and transported them more than two miles away. I did this because they were eating my garden daily. Now I wonder if one of the relocated ones found its way back to my nice, dry wood pile. Oh well.

The answer is regular household white vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish soap. All household vinegar contains a 5% solution of acetic acid and it is this non-toxic (except to plants) acid that kills plants. It does this by causing the plant to lose its water, thus drying it out. This happens very quickly, especially if it's a sunny day so you can expect the plant to wilt within hours.

One word of caution: Vinegar will kill any plant it touches so be very careful.

The vinegar should be used straight out of the bottle, not diluted with water. Pour the vinegar into a sprayer such as a small household sprayer or a small garden pump sprayer. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap and shake to mix. The drops of dish soap cause the vinegar to spread on waxy leaves, such as poison ivy, rather than beading and running off. If the weather is calm, spray the plants you want to kill. The plant will soon wither and any spray that gets into the water will not cause problems with frogs or fish.

A final word: If the plant you spray has a deep tap root, like a Canada thistle, it may re-sprout and you might have to spray again.

As you might surmise, this rain has raised our lake level nicely. Your dock will be much closer to the surface of the water.

Lots of Lake Hubert residents saw a wonderful fireworks show from their boats on the night of July 3rd and over 45 watercraft participated in the July 4th boat parade around the lake.

The boat parade participants saw a bald eagle soar over as well as an osprey, that caught a fish near the boats. In Sunset Bay, two loon parents with chicks could be seen out on the water. With that in mind, PLEASE stay away from the point of land where the loons and babies are frequently seen.

All-in-all it was a wonderful 4th of July!

President - Dennis Tack
Treasurer - John Youngs
Director, Legal Oversight - Gary Eidson
Director, Water Quality - Paul Lund
Director Information  & Communications - Patricia Mulrooney Eldred
Director, Operations - Curt Keller
Camp Representative - M.J. Cote
Women's Club Representative - Liz Martin
Member at Large - John McQueen

Thanks to each of them for their hard work on the Lake's behalf.

On January 31st we finally got our January thaw - for about three hours. It actually reached the blistering temperature of 45 degrees F which was the first daily high temperature above 32 degrees since December 27th, 33 days earlier.

Up here on the tundra, we are celebrating the end of the bitterly cold month of January. How cold was it this month? (I knew you were going to ask.)

We endured 20 nights where the temperature dropped below zero. Seven of those nights, it was 20 below or worse. On January 16th, it dropped to 35 below zero. At one stretch, the better part of a week went by without the temperature even climbing above zero. Now one might reasonable think that this string of very cold nights would constitute a record of some kind but that's not the case. There have been even colder Januarys in the past. For instance, the January 16, 2009 low of 35 below zero is eclipsed by the January 16, 1972 temperature of 45 below zero. The January 20, 2009 low of 20 below zero is much warmer than the January 20, 1980 low of 35 below.

How about the average low temperature for the month? A record? Nope. The average low temperature this year was 8 below zero which is cold but not a record. In 1982 the average was 10 below and in 1972 it was 17 below. Ouch!

So January 2009 was very cold but no records were set. Here comes February, thank heavens.
.
So the winter of 2016 really is quite warm compared to past years. Skinny dip anyone?

The Great Gray Owl is usually found from Alaska to forested areas of Southern Canada and almost never near Lake Hubert. It is a huge owl with a length as much as 33 inches and a wingspan up to 5 feet.

Click on the photo below to see three large photos.

Click Here to go to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Great Gray Owl page

Fresh snow on the ground absorbs sound because of the air trapped between snowflakes. When heavy snow is falling through the air, the sound absorbing effect is enhanced further. Once snow on the ground has settled into a more compact layer, sounds can reflect off of the surface and the silence is broken.

Adult deer tick on a thumbnail.

CLICK HERE to read the whole story of Critter Wars at a home on Lake Hubert.

Meet a New Neighbor

We had a visitor this week, just a few feet outside our window. This hawk is between 20 and 24 inches long and after much exploring of bird books it was determined to be an immature goshawk. It stayed for quite a few minutes and then flew away, seemingly effortlessly.

Soon, our wonderful flying acrobats, the hummingbirds, will disappear from our feeders, the osprey will be gone from our skies and thousands of little warblers will pass through.

Watch for these harbingers of autumn as the first leaves change color and thoughts of winter begin to creep into the far corners of our minds.

Some people's driveways were so clogged with large downed trees that they couldn't get out for days. The sound of chain saws became the most common sounds heard for most of the week. The cleanup will continue for a very long time.

Here are some photos taken of the damage. These do NOT show the worst damage because it was too difficult to get to the worst hit areas until many of the downed trees were cut up.

Click on a photo to see a larger version.

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If you're not at the lake, we recommend you have your property checked as soon as possible.

Entrance road to Camp Lake Hubert on July 13.

If you can hear thunder when you're on the lake you can be struck by lightning, even if you're not under the storm cloud. Lightning can travel more than ten miles away from the thunderstorm cloud. You can even be struck by lightning if the sun is shining on you so if you're out boating or fishing and you hear thunder, get off the lake immediately!

Click Here to see the complete government study.

This wonderful photo and note were sent to us by Lake Hubert residents Fred and Mary Jarl.

Early Easter Sunday evening we saw these two bald eagles laying on the ice on Lake Hubert about 250 feet out from our home.  They probably had been fighting in mid-air, locked talons and crashed to the ice.  Crows came in close for a look, but were chased away by other eagles.  We contacted the DNR to report what we were witnessing.

After about 1-1/2 hours the two eagles started flopping around and got untangled.  One eagle flew away immediately.  The other one tried to take off, but broke through the ice several times.  Eventually, it too was able to fly away.

Click Here to see our snowflake photo page.

A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE
from the Minnesota Lakes and Rivers organization and the DNR

This fall, as lake shore owners pull docks and boat lifts, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is encouraging them to look for aquatic invasive species when removing their docks, lifts, and all types of watercraft. When removing boats, docks, and lifts, lake owners should perform careful inspections to ensure that there are no aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, or New Zealand mudsnails attached.  Individuals should visit the DNR website for help in identifying plants or animals that you suspect are aquatic invasive species.

Posts, wheels, and underwater support bars of docks and lifts, as well as any portions of watercraft that may have been submerged in water for an extended period need to be inspected.  Be careful during your inspections, since in newly infested waters, zebra mussels may not be abundant and you might notice only a few mussels on your equipment.  This early detection of zebra mussels and other AIS is crucial in protecting your property, as well as other Minnesota lakes.

If you find something you suspect is a zebra mussel, faucet snail, or other aquatic invasive species, take a photo, note its exact location, leave the specimen in place, and contact a Minnesota DNR AIS Specialist. If you need to remove the specimen, it is important to place the item in a Ziploc bag with alcohol for preservation, which will enable it to be properly inspected by DNR.

It is legal to remove equipment from infested waters and place it on the adjacent shoreline property without a permit.  However, if you want to transport a dock or lift from infested waters to another location for storage or repair, you must complete an “Authorization form to transport equipment.”  The form is easy to complete and can be found on the DNR website (http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/invasives/ais-auth-form-lift.pdf).

It is illegal to transport any watercraft with an aquatic invasive species attached away from a water access or other shoreland property, even if you intend to put it in storage for the winter without first completing an “Authorization form to transport watercraft.”  The form is easy to complete and can be found on the DNR website
(http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/invasives/ais-auth-form-boats.pdf).

If you hire a business to remove your boat, dock, or lift make sure they have completed AIS training and are on the DNR's “List of Permitted Lake Service Providers,” located on the DNR website (https://webapps8.dnr.state.mn.us/aquatic_invasive_species_training/lake_service_provider_permits/public_website_list).

By following these simple steps, you can help limit the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Jeff Forester
Executive Director Minnesota Lakes and Rivers
952-854-1317
jeff@mnlakesandrivers.org

Have you wondered how to dispose of outdated and unneeded medications? It's not good to flush them since they could eventually get into the ground water. It's not good to throw them in the trash because there is a chance of someone finding and abusing them. Now there's an easy and safe disposal option.

“Take It To THE BOX” Medication Disposal Site Available in Nisswa

   A free medication disposal box is now available for the public located at the Nisswa City Hall. Crow Wing County is serious about preventing the abuse or misuse of old or unneeded medications. To assure that these medications can be disposed of in a healthy and environmentally safe manner, free disposal sites have been offered since 2012. The drop off box will accept unneeded over-the-counter medications, prescription and narcotic medications from community members. This drop-off site will be open Monday – Friday.

Hours and location:
NISSWA CITY HALL
5442 City Hall St., Nisswa
HOURS: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
CONTACT: Chief Craig Taylor – 218-963-4444

Thursday, February 7, 1929
"Henceforth Hubert will be known to the world as Lake Hubert. The new name has already been placed into effect by the U. S. Postal Department. Lake Hubert today stands out as a summer resort station, the terminal of many train journeyers to the lake country."

Thanks to Lake Hubert resident Larry Lindman for passing this article along.

Do You Know This Bird?

The bird in the picture above does not make sounds and is seldom seen on Lake Hubert. It is the same loon we love to hear and see on our lake but this is its winter plumage. Note that the loon's red eye we see in summer is gone as are the beautiful black and white markings we recognize. In the winter, our loons travel to the east and south sea coasts of the U.S. and while there they do not call like they do on our lake. What an amazing transformation!

A family of Timber Wolves, also called Gray Wolves, has been living not far from Lake Hubert for several years. Recently several members of this family were spotted on the Paul Bunyan Trail a few miles from Lake Hubert. They did not bother the people who saw them or the dogs that were being walked.

Wolves are NOT the scary "big, bad, wolves" of childhood fairy tales and rarely, if ever, are a threat to humans.

Although the wolves are very unlikely to bother people, we recommend that you never leave your dogs or cats outside alone and that you not leave their food outside either. A domestic dog, even a large one, or a cat can be easy prey for wolves.

For those of you who find deer eating your garden plants again and again, the presence of wolves can be a good thing. Wolves often feed on deer, helping to keep the deer herd size in check.

We also have families of coyotes living quite close to Lake Hubert so if you see an animal and want to know whether it's a wolf or a coyote, here's how to tell them apart.

If you see tracks, here's how to identify them.

If you see tracks in the snow, you can make a preliminary determination by seeing whether the tracks are in a straight line or if they meander. Wolves and coyotes usually walk in a straight line. Dogs meander.

Quite a few of us at Lake Hubert would love to see the wolves but will probably never get the opportunity. If you see them and get pictures, please send them to us at LakeHubert@aol.com and we'll post them on this website.

To learn lots more about wolves, check out the Wild Bytes Blog written by the folks at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota.

The LHCA fall newsletter will soon be under construction. The newsletter will contain valuable information about LHCA Board action, news items relating to Lake Hubert, nature and lake quality updates, and much, much more. However, it CANNOT be e-mailed unless we have accurate demographic information on you. Thus, if you have changed your e-mail address we need to know your updated information as soon as possible.

This valuable updated information can be sent to us at LHCAMN@gmail.com with the subject saying, "Address Change".

Please help us out on this matter so as we can serve you as best as we can.

 Thank you!

Do you still bathe in the lake? Please seriously consider washing yourself in your shower rather than in the lake but if you can’t bring yourself to forgo washing in the lake, PLEASE use biodegradable soap instead of the polluting “bath bars” (also known as detergent, which is why the labels don’t use the word “soap”).

Here are some links to sites where you can buy biodegradable soaps.
The Lake Hubert Conservation Association doesn’t endorse any of these sites or products but the soaps appear to be less harmful to the lake than other so called bath and beauty bars. Remember, it’s still best to bathe in your shower or tub rather than the lake.

Amazon.com: Two Pack of 2oz Campsuds Biodegradable Soap

REI-biodegradable soap at REI.com

Bassproshops.com/biodegradableSoap/

Campmor.com/outdoor/gear/BiodegradableSoap

If you see a neighbor bathing in the lake, point them to this article or buy them some biodegradable soap, or both. The lake will be better for it.

Thank you from the Lake Hubert Conservation Association!

The following is from a book found for sale at Crow Wing State Park.

"In 1855 the council of Crow Wing appointed a committee to locate a Territorial Road from Fort Ripley to a point on the Red River in Pembina County.............This route was mapped by E.A. Holmes and George H. Belden in 1855. Surveyor George Hubert Belden married Miss Elizabeth Peake at St. Columbia in 1858 and was the man for whom Hubert Lake is named."

from: Old Crow Wing, A History of a Village by Sister Bernard Coleman, Sister Verona LaBud and John Humphrey, originally published in 1967 and re-published in 2000 by Evergreen Press in Baxter.

Please remember that donations to the Lake Hubert Conservation Association are always warmly welcomed and appreciated . Such contributions are fully tax deductible as the LHCA is a “501c3”  tax exempt organization. Please examine other parts of the web site to see all of the good things your organization does on your behalf. The LHCA thanks you for your continuing support.

Send your tax deductible donations to:
LHCA
P.O. Box 1352
Lake Hubert, MN 56459