PHENOLOGY

Fourth Week of February

Orchardists are pruning apple trees and will continue to do so into April. The cold weather helps the wounds heal more rapidly. White-tailed deer have begun shedding winter fur. Gray, red, flying and fox squirrels continue their mating season. Minnesota is unique among the contiguous 48 states because of its timber wolf population of about 3,000. They are the living symbol of the wilderness and this is the month they mate. Common redpolls could be seen eating seeds from paper birch catkins. Common ravens in northern MN are nest building.