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One Man's Mission to Bring the Music of Loons Back to Otter Tail County
The platform is designed to camouflage eggs and chicks from predators while protecting a declining local loon population, Slatten said.
- Steve Slatten installed a loon nesting platform on the southeast bay of Battle Lake, anchoring the structure about 15 feet off the shoreline to support the region's declining bird population.
- Seeking to return loon numbers to levels seen years ago, Slatten built the platform using PVC, Styrofoam, and chicken wire, adding a roof to camouflage the nest and protect eggs from birds of prey.
- Before installing the nest, Slatten wrote to 12 nearby property owners for feedback; seven respondents supported the project, while one expressed concern about interfering with natural nesting opportunities.
- Tim Mitchell, Department of Natural Resources loon program coordinator, explained that floating nests help manage fluctuating water levels and reduce access for mammal predators like skunks and raccoons.
- Interested residents can share loon observations with the Department of Natural Resources, which manages two annual monitoring programs, while Slatten committed to maintaining the platform over a three-year period.
12 Articles
12 Articles
One man's mission to bring the music of loons back to Otter Tail County
PERHAM, Minn. — Steve Slatten is hoping to return the loon population on Battle Lake to what it was years ago. “I’ve had a cabin on Battle Lake since 1992,” he said, noting he used to see a half dozen loons in the spring. Now, springtime in the east bay is relatively quiet with just a few loons, he said. “In the fall, around Labor Day, there used to be hundreds of them; literally hundreds. And now, there may be dozens.” Slatten, who lives near t…
Park Rapids Enterprise
One man's mission to bring the music of loons back to Battle Lake
PERHAM — Steve Slatten is hoping to return the loon population on Battle Lake to what it was years ago. “I’ve had a cabin on Battle Lake since 1992,” he said, noting he used to see a half dozen loons in the spring. Now, springtime in the east bay is relatively quiet with just a few loons, he said. “In the fall, around Labor Day, there used to be hundreds of them; literally hundreds. And now, there may be dozens.” Slatten, who lives near the Twin…
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