Mika Lappalainen | Friday, 17 April 2026
That's old saying in Finland, not sure if you are familiar with this. It refers to the typical, harsh and dramatic depiction of nature in Russian films. And wind on those is very strong, cutting or chilling. If you think about you can even hear it fi-uuuuuu.
Last weekend we handled our reindeers at farm and drove Satu's reindeers to little north and enjoy summer, calfing is just behind corner, well in one month. They got gps devices so it gives us peace of mind.
Weather has been mostly sunny and warm and we have been having two ice fishing day during week, not huge success yet some decent perch to cook. It has been little slower life, except Wednesday.
Wednesday we had planned picnic-hiking day. One of trainees had birthday and her last internship day so thought that let's have nice day in Oulanka national park. I had released my reindeers on late Monday also. Tuesday they were still close by at farm and I gave some food to them.
Wednesday morning they had moved little north, behind our lake and small brook, which is exactly where they should be before moving in calfing area. It is area with swamps and small ridges with not much snow anymore and some things to eat. I went with snowmobile to see if there is other herders' reindeer or just ours. I took some food also so they would remember way back home in autumn easier, maybe.
I checked gps locations and went to see them. I knew that locations are from few hours to two hours old yet they should still hang around eating and chilling. I was driving on north side of ridge as there was some snow for snowmobile as south side was totally open from snow. I drove little bit more higher to see if reindeer are behind of ridge as locations were about there. As I came higher and could see on other side I saw something starting to run away.
I thought okay there they are as first my brains saw reindeer without antlers spooked and jumped away for snowmobile. Just milliseconds later my brains fixed information right, what the hell... It is wolf. Wolf slowed down as I stopped snowmobile to really see if I'm seeing what I'm seeing. Bloody hell, it is wolf. He stopped in open spot, side way to me, wathched what I'm doing. I try to get phone that I would take photo. Then it start to move on so no photo this time.
My slow life mode was gone and hiking day plan was last thing in my mind now. Wolf runned in dense forest. I took photos of footprint, difficult to see as snow was really hard after cold night, and marked gps location. Then I started to drive around this dense small forest part to see which direction it went. I couldn't see any footprints on snow so I thought it turned to west as there was huge are without snow. I couldn't find our reindeer and next gps update would come in few hours.
It was time to go back to farm with food and have birthday cake and coffee. My mind was struggling what I would do after coffee. I decided to drop reindeers’ food on the field at farm, close to gate where reindeers can go and come as fence was still open.
When I came on field some reindeers came from fence's direction and soon the whole herd was on field and as they came before I start to spread food, I drove inside fence and called them back. All of them came back and I got them home.
I called friends, I still have some, and asked if they could follow wolf and see where it is going. I had to keep my plans about hiking as it was also family time. We had nice hike and beautiful day. In the evening just when I was planning to go sauna one of friends called and said that wolf has been just next to our fence.
So clothes on, took snowmobile and start to track where it is. As snow was most of the day and in most areas really hard so tracking was impossible to be sure. I started to think if it is good to have reindeers back in fence as it is like having all the eggs in same basket. I couldn't be sure if wolf continued or stayed around but it was getting darker and seeing footprints was difficult so it was time to give up.
Going bed hoping that eggs in one basket does not turn as catastrophic morning. We all ready had wolverine coming in fence and killing one female early March. Life is settling again, we handle my reindeers one more time on Saturday and add more gps devices to them so it's easier to track movements and react.
I haven't been casting. Each day when we were ice fishing or I had time it has been windy like in Russian movies. Spring is so early that fishing season might start in few weeks as access to river is possible. And ice fishing season might end easily 3 weeks earlier than ever before. Ice I have to check daily base and keep my fingers crossed if it would be okay two more weeks still as big group planned to come end of this month.
When I got reindeers out again it is time to take rod no matter if it is windy like Russian movies or not.
Have a nice weekend and go fishing
Mika from backcountry