Original subtitles

Narrator: Question--which state has more freshwater lakes

than any place in the lower 48

and winter temperatures that can drop to minus 60?

(growling)

the answer--minnesota.

Its wilderness tests the american spirit

and the mettle of our hardiest wildlife.

(bellows)

now, see what it takes to survive the winter

and manage the thaw...

...In the land of 10,000 lakes.

(growls)

(music)

whiteout.

It's winter, and the land of 10,000 lakes

has become a land of ice and snow.

Temperatures plunge below minus 10.

There's nowhere nearby to fly or run to that's warm enough.

The only blanket to be found is made of snow.

(music)

(chirping)

minnesota has more than 1,000 bald eagle nests,

more than any other state in the lower 48 except florida.

And those florida ones, they got it easy.

You got to be at least as tough as a bald eagle

to survive winter in minnesota.

(music)

but the bird's-eye vistas up here

may just be worth the hardship.

(music)

no one knows how minnesota got the nickname

land of 10,000 lakes,

but that number holds up.

There's also six million acres of water-drenched peatlands.

That's ten percent of the state.

Prairies once covered the west.

And the forest is split in two,

more evergreens in the north,

and in the southeast, trees that shed their leaves.

In winter, it's a good place for a fur coat.

(music)

(music)

this is a gray wolf,

also called a timber wolf.

He may grow to weigh up to 175 pounds.

It all depends on how much he can find to eat.

Right now, he's got more on his mind than himself.

He's starting his own pack.

He bonded with this female after the first snow.

In nine weeks, she'll give birth,

somewhere between 1 and 11 pups.

(music)

(music)

wolves were close to extinction in minnesota in the sixties,

but now they're back from the brink,

and the land of lakes supports more than 500 packs.

(music)

they mostly hunt after dark,

and a few nights ago, these two made a kill.

(music)

it'll keep them content for a few hours longer.

(music)

(howling)

(music)

wolves are always on the lookout

for a feed on four legs,

but there is one menu item up here

that gives them pause...

(music)

...Minnesota's largest wild animal...

(bellows)

...The moose.

Their antlers can be five feet across.

They aren't aggressive,

but they'll defend themselves and their young to the death.

(bellows)

the climate in the land of lakes is perfect for them.

They only live in areas that have seasonal snow cover,

and they can't tolerate temperatures above 80 degrees.

Winter for them is barely an obstacle.

Some moose exceed 1,200 pounds,

and 100 pounds of that

can just be the food in their stomachs.

Finding a meal up here in winter

is all about knowing where to look--

around the lakes and...

...Under them.

In some places, the ice on the lakes is a foot thick,

perfect for die-hard ice fishermen.

It's a seasonal tradition, and minnesotans don't hesitate.

The state has more than a half million anglers.

(music)

experience alone tells them just how thick this ice is.

(music)

they can safely walk on ice that's four inches thick.

Five or six inches, and they can use sleds

or even four-wheelers and snowmobiles.

Special gear includes an auger.

(revving)

(music)

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after that, it's pretty much like any other fishing trip.

(music)

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near brownsville, minnesota,

they don't have to wait long for a nibble.

(music)

from the depths, it's a one-way ascension

through a tunnel

to the bright, shiny light of the surface.

But all the glory goes to the fishermen.

Man: Catch another couple more of those,

and we'll have a meal.

(music)

narrator: A feast to behold.

Not a favored walleye or a pike,

but bluegills are a popular pan-fried fish.

And out here, you can work up an appetite.

(music)

(music)

there are more than 150 species of fish here...

Man: Oh, yeah.

Narrator: ...Served on ice,

courtesy of the land of 10,000 lakes.

Food is out here, even in the dead of winter.

In the surrounding treetops,

the great gray owl is a master of the winter hunt.

Minnesota marks the southern border of her range.

At dusk, her hunt begins.

She scans the bare trees and barren lands.

Her deep-set yellow eyes are legendary,

but it's the shape of her face that helps here.

Her two large circles of plumage

are called facial discs,

and they're the largest of any owl species.

They act like satellite dishes,

only instead of receiving the nightly news,

they channel the smallest sound...

(whirring)

...Even the scurry of tiny rodent feet.

(music)

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she can't see her prey once it ducks under the snow,

but hovers above the sound.

(music)

then, an incredible maneuver rarely seen.

(music)

narrator: The great gray owl is a master

of the silent, but deadly, vertical plunge.

(music)

(music)

(crunching)

it's one of only a few species

that will drop deep into this minnesota snow for a rodent,

like this field mouse.

(music)

by height, she is the largest owl in north america,

but she's a silent flier.

That's why minnesotans call her the phantom of the north.

(music)

the more food this female eats now,

the more eggs she'll lay in the spring.

In a good year, she may lay up to five eggs,

and this looks like a good year.

The land of lakes serves up a feast,

and the bounty continues each night,

through the heart of winter

and into the big minnesota melt.

(music)

hard luck for this frozen treat.

This gray tree frog, partially froze inside, like a slushy.

(music)

but wait.

(music)

as the land thaws, so does the tree frog.

(music)

then....

(heart beating)

no worse for wear, he moves on.

He survived subfreezing temperatures

for months at a time by producing glycerol,

a natural antifreeze that prevents tissue damage.

(chirping)

(chirping)

at night, he sings in the spring

with other recently defrosted males.

(frogs chirping)

14 frog and toad species

withstand the chill in the land of lakes.

(music)

the gray tree frog prefers limbs to legs

and spends most of his life in the canopy.

Their climbing skills may not match a monkey,

but they know how to stick to a stick.

(music)

their unique rounded toes

ooze a gummy mucus for gripping branches.

(music)

they hang out and hunt.

(music)

in their arsenal--

patience,

stealth,

and a sticky tongue.

And they can change colors like chameleons

to give themselves the best camouflage possible.

They only leave these trees after the thaw

to search for mates.

This season for sex is also a time of terror.

Down at lake level,

these hunters become the hunted.

(music)

(music)

narrator: The garter snake may be more tolerant

of cold weather than any other snake in north america.

The tree frog's best chance

is to stay still and make like a log.

They all hope they're not seen,

but for some, the danger is too close for comfort.

(music)

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(chirping)

it's March, and the eagle nest is now free of snow.

They add more lining every chance they get.

Their powerful wings, nearly seven feet across,

help them do the heavy lifting.

They are treehouse masters.

Bald eagle couples have built the largest tree nests

of any bird species on the planet.

One measured 20 feet deep and more than 9 feet wide.

They can weigh more than two tons.

They work together to create

complex layers of limbs and sticks...

(music)

...And pack it with soft grass in the middle

to protect some valuable merchandise.

With triplets on the way,

someone needs to always be home.

The female does most of the egg minding

and turning of the eggs,

but dad pitches in, too.

The days can still be chilly,

but they can't let the eggs get any cooler than 29 degrees.

Vigilance--

all day, all night.

It's a waiting game for just over a month.

(music)

then...

It can take up to two days for a chick to break out of an egg,

but eventually,

one little fluff ball.

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make that two.

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number three takes his time,

but soon enough.

(peeping)

(music)

(crow cawing)

down below, the land of lakes is also transforming.

(chirping)

spring in these woods

brings out the appetite in all kinds of critters.

(music)

this is a long-tailed weasel--

strong, fast, and incredibly flexible.

He can slip through a hole as small as a couple of quarters.

Don't insult this guy by thinking he's a rodent.

He's closely related to the wolverine.

There are rodents around here, too, like this deer mouse.

(squeaking)

he survived all winter in his warm, safe den,

but now he's on the move, spreading his scent.

A deep hole will keep out most predators,

but not the long-tailed weasel.

(music)

he is a sleek interceptor, built for home invasion.

(music)

(music)

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he follows his nose.

Escape for this deer mouse seems impossible.

Narrator: The weasel has the mouse cornered.

Now for his signature move...

...A lethal bite to the back of the neck

and a grip like death.

(music)

(music)

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now the den, and all that's in it, is his and his alone.

He has a choice of home,

but he'll take his log for now

and keep watch to see what other juicy morsels

enter the parlor he's just left vacant.

Everyone in the land of 10,000 lakes

enters spring with an appetite,

but none bigger than right here.

This black bear mom

lost a third of her body weight over winter,

and now she needs to bulk up.

She has little ones dependent upon her milk.

(bear cubs cooing)

other bears in the area also emerge for a spring jamboree.

(grunts)

it's like a party,

the kind where no ice is a plus.

(music)

(music)

(growling)

(cooing)

it's all fun and games,

until this guy shows up.

He's around 300 pounds of danger.

Adult males sometimes kill cubs that aren't their own.

(growling)

it makes the mom nervous.

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(growling)

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(growls)

her surprise charge startles the male,

but it doesn't send him far.

Now she has a problem.

The kids are slowing her down.

She needs to do some intensive foraging,

but she can't leave them alone with predators around.

The solution?

A babysitter in the shape of a tree.

The cubs will be safe from attack

if they can climb high enough.

(music)

(music)

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the year-old cousins know this

and have already taken the high road.

(music)

(music)

there are as many as 20,000 black bears in minnesota.

(music)

sometimes, it's like they grow on trees.

(music)

(music)

the cubs have no fear of heights,

but that doesn't mean they can't fall.

(music)

once settled, they can nap away.

And mom can get on with her work--

looking for berries, nuts, seeds,

and insects like termites.

(music)

(grunting)

(music)

(coos)

(music)

at the end of the day,

one last task for the cubs to master--getting down.

(coos)

(coos)

(music)

(growls)

(music)

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they leave the treetops to the birds.

(chirping)

it's getting crowded up here in the eagles' nest,

and there's a lot of mouths to feed.

The most common treat--sushi.

Everything these young need to grow big and strong.

(chirping)

the white and gray fluff balls have grown dark and speckled.

They won't get their white heads

for another three or four years.

Before they earn that sparkling white crown,

they must master the sky.

Narrator: Minnesota has 10,000 or so lakes,

but perhaps most remarkable

is an area with water you can't see.

It may be the state's biggest secret.

This is the peatlands.

(music)

(music)

few have heard of it,

yet this six-million-acre landform

covers ten percent of the state.

(music)

it's impossible to drive on and difficult to explore,

so it's mostly untouched.

A protected ecosystem trapped in its own time warp.

(music)

(music)

these spindly black spruce trees

may be more than 200 years old,

but grow little more than 30 feet high.

Nutrition is a challenge.

(music)

the soil drains poorly,

and there's more precipitation than evaporation.

The result-- a super-sized sponge.

Peat moss and piles of decomposing vegetation

soak up the water and turn it acidic.

Life struggles in this liquid desert.

But nearly 300 bird species

live in and around this unique habitat,

one with a haunting call.

(wailing)

this wail comes from a land of lakes icon--

the loon.

(wailing)

it's the state bird of minnesota.

(wailing)

there are about 12,000 here,

more than anywhere else in the lower 48.

(wailing)

these are the heavyweights of the waterbird community.

Ducks and geese swim with their bellies above the water.

Loons swim with their bellies under.

And there's a reason.

The bones of most birds are hollow and light,

but loons have solid bones to help them dive deep.

They can hold their breath

for up to five minutes and duck down

as far as 250 feet deep to look for food.

They have unique calls for different reasons.

This soft call to a mate...

(hooting)

just checking in.

They, too, have a family on the way.

While one gets some lunch, the other stays on the nest.

They've been doing this for a month.

(peeping)

one chick has hatched, and already it's in the water,

eager for dad's protective wing.

The other egg has not yet hatched.

Loons lay their eggs one to three days apart.

This one needs just one more day,

but a day can be a long time out here.

(quacking)

the threats are many.

Vigilance is vital 24/7.

This raccoon is a night raider.

He launches a surprise attack.

Narrator: A raccoon charges in on the loon nest.

(music)

(music)

she fends him off with a sharp peck.

The land of 10,000 lakes can be a war zone,

but these birds are not easily shaken,

and that protective instinct pays off.

(music)

by morning, they have another little loon.

(music)

within 24 hours, both chicks are out for a swim.

It's still a dangerous time.

Not much will threaten an adult loon,

but the babies are prized

by the birds above and the fish and turtles below.

Mom and dad keep a close watch and offer something remarkable.

If this little loon can manage it,

he'll get a free ride on mom's back.

(music)

(music)

(music)

it's a mission to land on the loon.

(music)

one giant step for birdkind.

(music)

it's the safest and warmest place for a chick.

But there's still a threat to this family's harmony,

and it comes from another loon.

It's a male who wants to move in on dad's turf.

Now the signal is a yodel.

(yodeling)

all at once, it says, 'stay close, dear,'

and 'back off, buddy.'

(yodeling)

(yodeling)

(yodeling)

the intruder takes the hint,

but not far enough.

He sees them coming for him from below.

(music)

(music)

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that's more like it.

(music)

peace is restored in the land of 10,000 lakes.

(music)

and the year moves on.

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a sure sign of the changing season--

flashes of fluttering color.

Once a year,

monarch butterflies float in to minnesota

to soak up the sunshine and some nectar

from minnesota's blooming wildflowers.

(music)

they've been a sight to behold all the way from mexico.

(music)

(music)

but the journey has taken its toll.

Rain and wind from a thunderstorm

ripped through this one's delicate wings.

Monarchs will start their journey back south in the fall,

but none of this generation will ever make it.

Some monarchs only live a month.

(music)

so it's their great-grandchildren

who'll finally cross the rio grande.

(music)

(music)

late summer turns to fall.

(music)

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the young eagles are now in full flight.

And they've learned a pretty nifty trick.

(music)

(music)

(chirping)

(music)

now they can snatch fish on their own

or sometimes steal a catch from a sibling.

(squawking)

(music)

(music)

(music)

it sounds easy,

to live in a land of 10,000 lakes,

even inviting.

(music)

but now these young eagles are getting ready

to head into their first winter,

continuing a tradition of toughing it out.

Surviving year-round in minnesota takes grit...

...Skill, and adaptability.

And it creates some of the hardiest creatures

on the planet.

(bellows)

(growls)

maybe that's the point.

If it were easy,

everyone would be here, living it up.

Man: Oh, yeah.

Narrator: Instead, it's a select few,

just the very best.

(coos)

minnesota creates an elite club of the extraordinary...

...Who must work it out

just to survive...

(howling)

(bellows)

...In a land of 10,000 lakes.

(music)