Beckie Gaskill

Recent Stories

Speck DeByle, pillar of Rhinelander community, passes away at 92

The name Speck DeByle has been synonymous with downtown Rhinelander for decades. Most Rhinelander natives over a certain age can say they shopped at DeByle’s Clothing Store for back-to-school, work and play for years. DeWayne “Speck” DeByle, 92, passed away on Christmas Eve.

Could traditional food resource consumption put tribal communities at greater PFAS risks?

Gavin Dehnert of Wisconsin Sea Grant at the University of Wisconsin Madison was asked by the Voigt Intertribal Task Force to come look at contaminants found in the liver of several wolves found by the task force. This started some research into looking at more traditional food sources consumed by Native Americans and also looking at PFAS contaminants through a “One Health” lens rather than looking individually at environmental health, human health and wildlife health.

Speck DeByle, pillar of Rhinelander community, passes away at 92

DeWayne “Speck” DeByle, 92, passed away on Christmas Eve.

WCC bear advisory committee forwards recommendations to NRB

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) bear advisory committee met on Dec. 5 to review and forward recommendations from the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) bear advisory committee regarding harvest quotas and license numbers for the 2026 bear season.

Northwoods Chapter of Muskies, Inc. hosts second annual Battle on St. Germain Lakes on Jan. 17

Fishing guide Jim Lund started the Battle on St. Germain Lakes last year, a family-friendly ice fishing tournament on 14 lakes in the St. Germain area. Over 200 people attended this first-ever event and competed for over $9,000 in prizes that organizers were able to raise. The event also provided 50 kids with a bucket that included a tip up, a rod and reel, and ice scoop, an ice fishing bait puck and a rod holder.

U.S. House passes Representative Tom Tiffany’s bill to delist the gray wolf

On Thursday, Dec 18, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 211 to 204 to pass Tom Tiffany’s (WI-07-R) and Lauren Boebert’s (CO-04-R) Pet and Livestock Protection Act. The bill would delist the gray wolf and not allow for judicial review of the delisting. Tiffany has said many times that the lack of judicial review would be important.

Wolf advisory committee updates prompt questions from Conservation Congress

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) wolf advisory committee met this month at the Mead Wildlife Area in Milladore to hear updates on wolf management efforts in the state, including progress on the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) re-established wolf advisory committee.

Walker hound victim of wolf depredation in town of Little Rice

On Thursday, Dec. 11, a four-year-old Walker hound was depredated by wolves while bobcat hunting with its owner in Little Rice. The complainant said they noticed the hound remained stationary on the GPS tracking device at 3 p.m. The complainant could not get closer than 0.60 of a mile when it got dark. The complainant was unsuccessful at calling the hound and waited for it to return. They reported hearing a wolf while waiting for the hound to return.

Oneida County forestry committee approves RASTA trail agreement, 2026 department work plan

At a Dec. 9 meeting, the Oneida County forestry recreation and land committee approved the annual trail maintenance agreement with the Rhinelander Area Silent Trails Association (RASTA), as well as the 2026 forestry department work plan.

DNR bear advisory committee backs higher quotas for 2026 season

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) bear management advisory committee met on Dec. 1 and rolled out preliminary recommendations for the 2026 bear season. Those proposals could put significantly more tags in hunters’ hands.