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T.R. Michels' Trinity Mountain Outdoors Natural History Eco-Tours, Game Animal, Birding Wildflower, Scenic & Photography Trips
Grand Tetons
We offer Natural History Eco-Tours with Guides who care. Join us for a tour you or your whole family can enjoy.
Best Minnesota Birding Areas and Birding Schedule I Minnesota Wildlife Viewing Schedule Minnesota Bird List & Calls I North America Bird List & Calls I Minnesota Mammals List Wildflower Species of Minnesota / western Wisconsin I Bird, Wildlife and Nature Photographs Trinity Mountain Outdoors Natural History Eco-Tour & Travel Magazine Recent Tours & Bird and Flower Sightings I Trinity Mountain Outdoor Adventures Natural History Eco-Tours Trumpeter / Trumpeter Swan and Bald Eagle Sightings & Tours
Trinity Mountain Outdoors offers unique Natural History Eco-Tours, Game Animal, Birding, Wildflower, Scenic & Photography Trips to several state, national and provincial parks and natural areas in the United States and Canada. While you are on your tour with us you will be able to view and photograph the natural scenic areas, trees and wildflowers of the great outdoors. You will also be able to watch and listen to the birds and animals of North America. To help you enjoy your tour nationally recognized game researcher and naturalist T.R. Michels will discuss the biology and behavior of many of the animals; including their calls, mating behavior, habitat requirements and what we need to do conserve the environment and protect the flora and fauna of North America. Click here for Recent Tundra & Trumpeter Swan and Bald Eagle Sightings
View Trinity Mountain Outdoors North American Natural History Eco-Tour Schedule. View a Schedule of the best times to see Minnesota / western Wisconsin Birds and Animals. View Schedule of when to view the Wildflower Species of Minnesota / western Wisconsin. |
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Your Tour Guides T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized wildlife researcher and naturalist, who has spent several years roaming the woodlands, meadows and wetlands of west-central and southeastern Minnesota, and several state and national parks. He is an avid birdwatcher, wild flower enthusiast and outdoor photographer. In his efforts to better understand the big game animals of Minnesota he researched the daily and seasonal activities of white-tailed deer from 1994 to 2001, wild turkeys from 1997 to 2003, and North American elk from 2001 to 2004. View T.R. Michels Outdoor Photography. T.R.'s passion for the outdoors, and his willingness to share their knowledge of the birds, animals, flowers and plants of North America; has made him one of the top naturalists and outdoor speakers in the country. T.R.'s daughter Tawnya has been his assistant in all of his studies since 1996, with the result that she knows as much about the animals and birds as he does. Her bubbly personality makes her ideal as a tour guide. In addition Tawnya is an accomplished outdoor photographer. View Tawnya Michels Outdoor Photography. Why not join T.R. and Tawnya Michels for a Natural History Eco-Tour your, your friends or your whole family will enjoy? |
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Rocky Mountain & Great Sand Dunes National Parks Tours; Elk Bugling, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Mule Deer, Bison, Birding, Wildflower, Scenic Tours & Photography trip SE: White-tailed Deer, Elk Bugling, Turkey Gobbling, Bald Eagle Nesting, Tundra & Trumpeter Swans, Birding, Wildflowers, Scenic, Fossil Tours & Photography Trips in southeastern Minnesota's famed bluff and coulee country on the upper Mississippi River, and on the lower Minnesota and lower Cannon rivers. SW: Buffalo, Birds, Wildflower & Tall Grass Prairie Tours & Photography Trips Northern MN & Western Wisconsin : Wolf Howling, Black Bear, Sanhill Crane, Trumpeter Swan, Prairie Chicken Booming, Sharp-tailed Grouse Drumming, Hawk & Bird Migration, Wildflower, Scenic, Lake Superior North Shore, Fall Colors, Scenic Tours & Photography Trips Glacier National Park Tours Badlands & Wind Cave National Parks, Custer State Park & Black Hills Tours; Elk Bugling, Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn Antelope, White-tailed & Mule Deer, Birding, Wildflower, Scenic Tours & Photography Trips Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks Tours; Elk Bugling, Wolf Howling, Grizzly and Black Bear, Bison, Moose, Pronghorn Antelope, Mule Deer, Birding, Swans, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Sandhill Crane, Flower, Geyser, Mud Pot, Hot Spring, Water Fall, Scenic Tours & Photography Trips |
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On our Game Animal & Birding Tours you will have a chance to watch Black Bears, and hear the howl of a Timber Wolf, the haunting call of a loon, the full-throated bugle of a bull Elk, the roar of a bull Buffalo, the thundering gobble of a tom Turkey, the gurgling of the Sandhill Crane and the heralding trumpet of the Trumpeter Swans. You'll also be able to watch and listen to the drumming and booming of the Sharp-tailed Grouse and Prairie Chicken on their "leks" (dancing grounds) as they vie for the attention of the females in the spring. You may even hear the quavering call and the "wolf whistle" of the rare Upland Sandpiper during the spring mating season. Read articles on these tours. |
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Indigo Bunting
Bald Eagle
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On our Birding & Photography Trips to southwestern, northeastern and southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, you will have a chance to see the brilliant blue indigo bunting, sizzling hot scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, golden crowned bobolink, Eastern bluebird, cardinal, blue jay, pileated, red-headed, red-bellied, black-backed and three-toed woodpeckers and the yellow-bellied sapsucker. In the spring and summer you may also see the flashy American redstart, the yellow-rumped and other warblers and several species of wrens, vireos and sparrows. View and listen to a list of the Birds of Minnesota. View and listen to a list of North American Birds Read articles on these tours.
On our Bald Eagle Tours in southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin you'll watch the eagles soar above you in the sky, perform their fantastic aerial mating displays, and snatch fish from the cold waters of the Mississippi River in the winter and early spring. In the summer you may be able to see bald eagle chicks pop their head up above the edge of their huge nests. In the fall you can view hundreds of migrating hawks, owls and falcons on world famous Hawk Ridge overlooking beautiful Lake Superior. Read articles on these tours. |
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Lupines
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On our Wildflower Tours you may see the lilac-colored trumpets of the wild Pentsemmon, yellow and orange Butter-and-Eggs, yellow Hoary Poccoon, Showy and Pink Lady's Slippers, red-orange Turks' Cap Lily, white, blue and yellow Violets, and flowing fields of white Daisies and yellow Cone Flowers. Or you may see the diminutive Trout Lily, and the rare Minnesota Trout Lily, which is native to one small area and one State Park in all of North America. View a list of Minnesota & Wisconsin Wild Flowers. Read articles on these tours. |
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American Redstart Showy Lady's Slipper
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Our south-east Minnesota Birding, Wildflower & Photography Tours are conducted in the picturesque "Bluff and Coulee Country" of the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota, and in the beautiful Cannon River Valley and the Sogn Valley of the Little Cannon River. The area is home to the Welch Village Ski Area, where you can downhill ski in the winter, and tube or canoe the Cannon River in the spring, summer and fall. You can also hike, bike or cross-country ski the beautiful Cannon River Trail through the woods, wetlands and hills along the river. There are several State Parks and Wildlife Areas to explore in this region. The area is approximately 50 miles north of the famed Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Goose Refuge (home to 30,000 Giant Canada Geese (B.c. maxima) in the fall) in Rochester, MN; the largest elk farm in world in the United States is nearby. The area is approximately 40 miles from the Wild Wings wildlife art store in Wabasha, where Bald Eagles winter on picturesque Lake Pepin; 70 miles east of the Cabela's store in Owatonna, MN; and 50 miles south of the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. View T.R. Michels Bird Report. Read articles on these tours. View photographs of birds in Minnesota
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Wintering Bald Eagle Tours: December - March: You can watch and photograph dozens of wintering bald eagles, diving ducks and tundra swans on the Mississippi River. See live eagles at the National Bald Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. Nesting Bald Eagles, Migrating Waterfowl & Songbird Tours: April - May, peak songbird migration, with up to 24 species of wood warblers and 16 sparrows.
Summer Birding and Wildflower Tours: Southeast Minnesota has 9 summer nesting wood warblers, and 7 flycatchers, including the Acadian Flycatcher; plus Bobolink Dickcissel, Henslow's Sparrow and Lark Sparrow. Several different species of wildflowers bloom throughout the spring and summer, including the indigenous, rare and endangered Minnesota Dwarf Trout Lily. Norhteast Minnesota has 15 species of nesting wood warblers, including the Black-throated Blue, Bay-breasted and Wilson's Warblers; plus Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets. It also has American Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay and Black-billed Magpie, Northern Saw-whet, Boreal and Geat Gray Owls and LeConte's, Lincoln's and White-throated Sparrow. Lake Superior Hawk, Falcon & Owl Migration Tours: Gyrfalcon, Peregrine, Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Goshawk and Northern Saw-whet Owl, Sept. 14 - Oct. 25. Read articles on these tours. |
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Trumpeter Swan
Eastern Screech Owl
400 class bull elk on the elk preserve.
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Trumpeter & Tundra Swan Tours: See hundreds of the once endangered Trumpeter Swans as they winter on the Mississippi river in east-central Minnesota; and Tundra Swans on the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Mid-November - late February. View articles on Swans. Listen to a Swan Call. Read articles on these tours. View photographs of swans taken on our tours
Moonlight Owl Walk Tours: Join us on night time walks (from three days before to three days after the full moon each month) as we listen to the distinctive hooting of the owls. Eastern Screech Owl, mating season January through mid-March; Great Horned Owl, mating season mid-January through March; Barred Owl; Long-Eared Owl; Short -Eared Owl, Northern Saw-Whet Owl. Listen to a Barred Owl Call. View photographs of owls in Minnesota
Elk Tours: We have access to the largest privately owned elk herd in North America, with over 700 elk (including 150 bulls scoring 300-400 Boone & Crockett points), where you will be able to learn about elk behavior by watching and listening to the elk as close as five yards away. From May to October you will be able to watch the elk, including the 200+ newborn calves, get up out of their beds, watch the bulls scrape, wallow, spar and fight, hear the cows and calves chirp and mew to each other, and hear over 100 elk bugles an hour. You can even learn to use an elk call. Peak daily bugling is within an hour of sunrise and sunset; the best time of the year to hear bugling is from late August to late October, with peaks during the second week of September and first week of October. June: Calving Season, dozens of newborn elk calves. Late August - Early November: Bugling & Breeding Season, lots of antlered bull elk to photograph. View T.R. Michels' Elk Research. Listen to an Elk Bugle. Read articles on these tours. View photographs of elk taken on our tours
Turkey Tours: During the spring you will be able to locate turkeys by calling to them on their roosts in the morning, and hear them gobble in return to your calls. If you get up before sunrise you may get to watch them fly down from their roosts, and watch and listen to them as the toms display for the hens by spreading their tails, turning their heads red, white and blue, and hear them "spit" and "drum" while they are on the feeding and strutting areas. You can even learn to use a turkey call. Peak daily gobbling is within an hour of sunrise, peak yearly gobbling occurs from late March through early June, with peaks during the first and second weeks of April and May. Late March - late June: Turkey gobbling, strutting & breeding season. Wild Turkey photo sessions: $100 per half day, includes guide/caller, decoys, blind and heater if needed. View T.R. Michels' Turkey Research. Listen to Hen Turkey Yelping and a Tom Turkey Gobbling. |
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Your Personal - Tour Photo Album: We will take photos of your tours, and we can provide you with a Photoshop slide show CD, or a Windows Media Player slide Show DVD photo album of your tour with us; so you can enjoy and share the memories of your trip or tour for many years.
Individual or Two Person Photography Sessions: Minnesota Photography sessions for White-tailed Deer, Elk, Turkey, Bald Eagles, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Prairie Chicken, Upland Sandpipers or other southeastern Minnesota / western Wisconsin species $200 per day, second person $125 per day. Sessions for wild Black Bears at baits, or White-tailed Deer in central or northern Minnesota $200 per day, second person $125 per day. Includes guide/caller, decoys, blinds and heaters when needed. Click here to view Trinity Mountain Outdoors North American Natural History Eco-Tour Schedule
Greater Minnesota & Wisconsin 1-3 Day Tours For information and prices contact: TRMichels@Yahoo.com |
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St. Louis River valley, west Lake Superior |
Wolf Howling Tours: International Wolf Center, north eastern Minnesota, or Wildlife Science Center, east central Minnesota. Year Round. Peak daily howling occurs from about 8-10 AM and 5-7 PM, peak yearly howling occurs from late January through early March. View an article on Wolf Vocalizations. Listen to a Wolf Howl. Black Bear Tours: Bear Refuge, northern MN. Memorial Day - Labor Day, 5 PM to dusk. Read articles on these tours. View photographs of bearsBearPhotos.htm
Spring & Summer Wildflower Tours: Bluestem Prairie / Buffalo River State Park, northwestern Minnesota, Greater Prairie Chicken, Upland Sandpiper, Marbled Godwit, Short-eared Owl, Bobolink, Northern Harrier, Savannah, Clay-colored, LeConte's, Grasshopper, Field and Lark Sparrows, and Loggerhead Shrikes. June - August.
Buffalo, Birds, Tall Grass Prairie & Wildflower Tours: Jeffers Petroglyphs (Native American rock carvings), Blue Mounds State Park & Pipestone National Momument, Minnesota. Flowers and birds of the Tall Grass Prairie, plus American Bison (Buffalo). Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, Western Kingbird; s Several species of wildflowers; Pipestone Quarries & Native American rock wall aligned with the rising and setting sun. May - September View articles on these tours.
Sharp-tailed Grouse & Prairie Chicken Dancing Display & Spring Wildflower Tours: Listen to the calling and watch the displaying of these birds on their spring mating grounds called "leks" in northwestern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. April - May Listen to Sharp-tailed Grouse at BirderBlog.com by typing "Sharp-tailed Grouse" in the Search Box and clicking on "Sharp-tailed Grouse Sounds". Listen to Prairie Chicken calls. View articles on these tours.
Sandhill Crane, Trumpeter Swan, Sharp-Tailed Grouse Dancing, Wolf Howling & Wildflower Tours: Crex Meadows, western Wisconsin, sandhill cranes, nesting trumpeter swans, bald eagles and ospreys; Canada geese, several species of ducks, wading birds and shorebirds. Wolf Howling, February- March. Crane, Swan, Grouse April - May. Shorebirds, spring and fall migration. View and listen to Sandhill Cranes, from Nebraska Game and Fish. View articles on these tours.
Spring & Fall / Winter Songbird & Seabird Migration, Hawk & Falcon Migration Tours: Hawk Ridge, Duluth, MN. Songbird Migration, Spring & Fall. Hawk, Falcon, Owl Migration, Sept.- Dec. View Bird Migration information. View articles on these tours.
Lake Superior North Shore Tours: Visit the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior and visit the Great Lakes Aquarium, Split Rock Lighthouse, Goosberry Falls and several State Parks. Spring -Summer, and Fall
St. Louis River - Fall Colors Photography Tour: In the fall you can tour the beautiful St. Louis River drainage to view and photograph the fall colors of the orange and red Maples, red Oaks, yellow Aspens, scarlet Sumac and green spruce and pine. View articles on these tours.
Salmon, Lake Trout & Steelhead Charters: Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. Spring - Summer
Contact TRMichels@yahoo.com for Prices. |
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View our Natural History Tour Videos - on YouTube Why not join us on a Natural History Tour you and your family will really enjoy?
Watch these Videos Canada Goose Dominance Fight I Goose Photos
Hooded Merganser & Mallard Mating Display I Hooded Merganser Mating Display Video Common Golden Eye Mating Display I Barrow's Goldeneye Mating Display
Western Grebe Mating Display I Great-crested Grebe Mating Display I
Wild Turkey Mating Display I Wild Turkey Photos Capercaillie Mating Display I Sharp-tailed Grouse Mating Display Greater Sage Grouse Mating Display I Prairie Chicken Mating Display
Sandhill Crane Mating Display I Sandhill Crane Photos
Bald Eagle Photos I Bald Eagle Fishing Video I Young Osprey Eating Fish
Bison Fight I Bison Photos I Moose Fight I Moose Photos White-tailed Deer Fight I Elk Photos I Elk Fight Video
View Trinity Mountain Outdoors North American Natural History Eco-Tour Schedule. View a Schedule of the best times to see Minnesota / western Wisconsin Birds and Animals. View Schedule of when to view the Wildflower Species of Minnesota / western Wisconsin. View and listen to the Birds of North America. View and listen to the Birds of Minnesota and Wisconsin. View the Mammals of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Go to Trinity Mountain Outdoors Natural History Eco-Tours & Travel Magazine.
Trinity Mountain Outdoors Home Page
T.R. Michels' Trinity Mountain Outdoors E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com Website: www.TRMichels.com
Bald Eagle and Trumpeter & Tundra Swan Tours I Sandhill Crane Tours I Prairie Chicken & Sharp-tailed Grouse Tours Turkey Gobbling Tours I Elk Bugling Tours I Wolf Howling Tours
Trinity Mountain Outdoors Home Page I Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products Catalog T.R. Michels' Guide Service / Hunting Trips I Whitetail / Turkey / Elk / Waterfowl Hunting & Guide School "T.R.'s Tips" Message Board I Trinity Mountain Outdoors Magazine T.R.'s Hunting Tips & Articles I Daily Updates on Outdoor News T.R. Michels' Seminar Schedule I Christian Witness / Articles Links to Other Websites I TRMichels.com Webring / Hunting Site Directory Join TRMichels.com Webring I Advertising & Public Relations I Contact Us
State Wildlife Agencies Alaska Fish and Game Department Arizona Game and Fish Department Arkansas Game and Fish Commission California Department of Fish and Game Connecticut Recreation and Natural Resources Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Idaho Department of Fish and Game Illinois Department of Natural Resources Indiana Department of Natural Resources Iowa Department of Natural Resources Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Kentucky Deptartment of Fish and Wildlife Resources Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Maine Department of Conservation Maryland Department of Natural Resources Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement Michigan Department of Natural Resources Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Mississippi Department of Wildlife Conservation Missouri Department of Conservation Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Nebraska Game and Parks Commission New Hampshire Fish and Game Department New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife New Mexico State Wildlife Agency New York Department of Environmental Conservation North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources North Dakota Game and Fish Department Ohio Department of Natural Resources Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Oregon Fish and Wildlife Service Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources South Carolina Department of Natural Resources South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Utah Department of Natural Resources Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife West Virginia Natural Heritage Program Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources Wyoming Department of Game and Fish
Other United States Natural Resources Related Sites Buffalo Gap National Grasslands Department of the Interior The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Division of Bird Habitat Conservation is, to support partnerships that conserve habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Division of Law Enforcement, Forensic Lab Division of Refuges Fort Pierre National Grasslands Hunting: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Information related to hunting, from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Information Systems Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Information Systems Gap Analysis Project Elk In Kentucky Species Information Bowhunter Observation Viewable Download Maps Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. National Marine Fisheries Service National Wetlands Inventory The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service produces information on the characteristic, extent, and status of the National Wetlands and deepwater habitats. Navajo Nation Department of Fish & Wildlife Navajo Department of Fish and Wildlife. Preserving Wildlife on the Navajo Nation with services from Animal Control, Wildlife Enforcement, Research and Management and Natural Heritage Programs. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Northwest Fisheries Science Center NWT Wildlife and Fisheries Homepage The NWT Wildlife and Fisheries Division web site provides information on NWT wildlife species, hunting and fishing regulations, legislation, publications and links to related wildlife sites. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Core Web Page Region 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Home page of the Region 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, representing Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas, a bureau in the Department of Interior. Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration The Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management administers 264 million acres of public lands, located primarily in the 12 Western States, containing natural, historical, cultural, recreational, and economic resources. USDA Forest Service USDA Forest Service national headquarters website; the home page and gateway to all Forest Service websites. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Canada Provincial Game Commissions Alberta Game CommissionBritish Columbia Game CommissionManitoba Game CommissionNew Brunswick Game CommissionNewfoundland/Labrador Game CommissionNorthwest Territories Game CommissionNova Scotia Game CommissionOntario Game CommissionPrince Edward Island Game CommissionQuebec Game CommissionSaskatchewan Game CommissionYukon Territory Game Commission
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