Fotunate Wilderness DVD and T shirts now available

[johnhens]

The Documentry by George Desort about Isle Royale's Wolf -Moose study is now available on DVD for $20. T shirts are also available.
http://www.fortunatewilderness.com/index.html

[upnorthjeeper]

Looks like I'll be getting that soon, there is a short trailer on the website too...

[Mandolynn]

Thanks for this heads up, I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to purchase this video so I can share it with the kids I teach at church. They have heard about Isle Royale for many years now and I have been wanting to show them this video ever since I saw it on the island last year. There are some kind of gross parts in there if you are a moose lover, but I'm sure that will just intrigue kids all the more

[moss13]

Thanks for the info John. I just ordered my copy today!

[fonixmunkee]

As soon as I get a permanent address, you can bet I'm going to be ordering this up. It's worth the cost to check it out, since I couldn't make the airing in Duluth, MN!

Thanks John, for bringing this to our attention!

[moss13]

Received and watched my new DVD last night. What a great documentary! High quality and you get to see what Rolf and his staff do out on the island. Great stuff. I was aware of the winter tick problem for moose but to see it up close like that was very interesting. Thye mentioned that there can be from 10 to 30,000 ticks on one moose! No wonder all their hair is gone come spring. They say the ticks "fall off" in April. It makes me wonder what happens to those ticks that "fall off" and why there is not more of a tick problem for visitors like us. Not that I like ticks but I always seem to be pulling off a few on canoe trips in the BWCA in June and July. So why would Isle Royale not have wood ticks? I understand the reason for no deer ticks hence no deer but just made me wonder. Then I hear that nationwide ticks and disease are becoming more of a problem. Just recently here in Minnesota, someone died of Rocky Mountain spotted fever from a tick bite. Very rare here but a sign that something is changing.

Here is a link to a documentary on ticks and diseases from them and how hard it is to get the correct diagnosis.

http://www.underourskin.com/watch.html

[sgerbs]

When we were in Windigo waiting for the VII, Ranger Sean gave a presentation on the ticks of IR. As I'm sure you're aware, the bovine/moose ticks only go after those type of animals and that is why we as humans do not have a problem with them. As for wood(dog) ticks, you need animal hosts to carry them in order for them to be on the island - and dogs are not allowed on the island. While wood ticks will go on humans, it usually only happens in cases where dogs are infested and the humans are near them. There may be another form of wood tick that I am not aware of, but this is the main form of wood tick that I am familiar with. The only known species of tick on the island is the bovine/moose tick and as long as their are not others introduced by humans or travelling animals, IR will remain a place where ticks do not bother humans.

If you want to learn more about the bovine/moose tick you should ask Ranger Sean of Windigo to get you his presentation info, it is really interesting. If I remember correctly the bovine/moose tick only goes after that type animal because of its life cycle and how it breeds.

[moss13]

Thanks for the info. A tick free wilderness for us humans is a plus for me! That does make sense. I see dogs all the time in the BWCA. While I love dogs and know they can be great companions I hope Isle Royale will remain bear and dog free. The moose-wolf ecosystem there is one of a kind.

[sgerbs]

I definitely hope it remains relatively tick free. When I was planning this trip, my wife asked about the ticks because she HATES them. I simply told her the ticks of IR don't bother humans and she was super happy about that. Made her look forward to our trip that much more.

[johnhens]

Watched the DVD last night, awesome footage and great telling of the Wolf-Moose study, enough science to make it a good learning tool!!!
Hope to see a viewing in the Chicago area!!

[niners]

Picked up a copy from the RH visitors center last week. Watched it last night. Really enjoyed the film. I was surprised to learn about the Moose's method of getting enough sodium in their diet. The moose eating large volumes of snow was also very interesting.

[Backpacker534]

My wife has no idea what to buy me for Christmas, so I sent her a link to the Fortunate Wilderness video. Can't wait to watch it! Since I can't get her to hike with me, maybe this video will give her at least a little feeling of what Isle Royale is all about.

[Backpacker534]

Well, I got my Fortunate Wilderness DVD for Christmas. I wanted to watch it right away but, we were too busy so it had to wait for 3-4 days. It was a good video. I was surprised at how much of the information I already knew, however, there was still a lot of other stuff I had never heard before. Very informative, especially for someone who is new to the whole Isle Royale/moose & wolf study topics.

Another part of my Christmas present was a DVD from Sweetwater Visions (http://sweetwatervisions.com/index.html). The video is in pre-release, so all I had wrapped up in the box was a complimentary 5x7 notecard (photo of Chippewa Harbor at sunrise) and a piece of paper describing what the video will contain. It is due to be released near the end of February 2010. Can't wait for that one to come in the mail!

If you've been to John and Ann Mahan's website then you know about the beautiful photography work they do. I'm sure this video will be spectacular. The video will be about 45 minutes long, with over 300 photos, text, music and narration.

Isle Royale and Beyond DVD
http://sweetwatervisions.com/Pages/IR_DVD.html