Early ice poses dangers
Each year there is at least one news story or tale lingering about a morning coffee clutch of an angler who went through the ice early in the year. For some, the allure of first ice is tempting to the point that they may not make all the best decisions before heading out, or while on their favorite body of water.
Fish Like a GIRL
Christmas Bird Count 2023 kicks off next week
The Christmas Bird Count from the Audubon Society kicks off next week. The Count runs from December 14 to January 5 every year. I participate in the Feeder Watch Program through the Cornell Lab and have been proactively been getting better at identifying birds and learning about their behaviors and whatnot.
Department of Natural Resources and Natural Resource Board accused of meeting violations regarding wolf management plan
The Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance filed a suit last week in Dane County Circuit Court, asking the judge to declare the Department of Natural Resource’s (DNR’s) wolf management plan invalid and void.
Deer harvest down statewide
Decline strongest in Northern Forest Zone
Deer harvest numbers were down statewide 17.6 percent over last year and down approximately 11 percent from the five-year average, according to Jeff Pritzl, deer program specialist with the Department of Natural Resources.
Legislation aimed at Chronic Wasting Disease
With the nine-day gun deer hunt in the rearview mirror, some hunters may still be waiting on test results for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) from their late season harvest.
Seventh District Court deems parts of Wisconsin’s Hunter Harassment bill unconstitutional
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit recently released their opinion on Wisconsin’s Hunter Harassment Law.
Land owners can use wetland conservation practices to create wildlife habitat
Programs provide assistance
Recently Tally Hamilton of Ducks Unlimited and Gretchen Skudlarczyk of Pheasant Forever got together for a Wisconsin Wetlands Association presentation entitled, “Wetland conservation practices for landowners.”
Fish Like a GIRL
How is it December already?
About 20 minutes ago I was loading the boat and getting ready for the first tournament of the year. It seems that way, anyway.
The case against 2,4-D
Implications for larval stage of fish
2,4-D has been an often used chemical herbicide in many lakes, not only in the Northwoods, but in many locations.
Preliminary 2023 gun deer hunt opening weekend numbers show drop in harvest statewide
As of midnight on Nov. 19, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website showed that all deer license sales were down by 0.61 percent for opening weekend.
Study looks at Chronic Wasting Disease pathways for farmed cervids
More research needs to be done
Much has been learned about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) since it was discovered in Wisconsin, but many of the details are yet unknown.
Opening weekend provided plenty of hunter creature comforts, but limited success
Opening weekend of the nine-day gun hunt in Wisconsin brought warm weather and plenty of sunshine for most of the state. What it did not bring was great hunter success in the Northwoods. Reports from hunters in the area gave the impression of limited success on opening weekend.
Vilas County land and water conservation committee hears update on purple loosestrife biocontrol project
Purple loosestrife is an invasive plant that has been found in several locations throughout the Northwoods. Last year Rosie Page from the Wisconsin Headwaters Invasives Partnership (WHIP) and Derek Thorn, the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) coordinator for FLOW AIS got together on a purple loosestrife biocontrol project.
Bear season numbers down
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the 2023 bear hunting season saw a drop in harvest as well as hunter success rates.
Fish Like a GIRL
A look at classifying lakes in Oneida County
One of the best parts about being an outdoor writer is the number of people a person gets to meet and the different activities of which I get to become a part of.
Chew on This!
Readers may wonder why this is called Michigan sauce, and I wonder as well. To be honest, I never knew why it was called Michigan sauce.
Sportsmen’s Alliance signals intent to sue U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Last week the Sportsmen’s Alliance filed an intent to sue to United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), alleging that the FWS had not responded to a pair of petitions the group filed concerning the listing status of the gray wolf.
Gun deer season could bring mixed results
Wisconsin’s nine-day gun deer season opens this Saturday, and warm temperatures have some hunters concerned about how well the hunt will go.
Another Oneida County CWD positive in farm raised deer renews baiting and feeding ban
Oneida County has been under a baiting and feeding ban for several years due to CWD-positive findings in both the wild and captive deer herd.
Having the right first aid kit can make all the difference
As most outdoor enthusiasts know, anything can happen out in the woods, waters and fields. Having an appropriate first aid kit and knowing how to use all of the things in that first aid kit can make a big difference in the case of an injury or accident.
Felzkowski, Swearingen hold listening sessions in Northwoods
Wake boats and enhanced wakes main topic of conversation
Wisconsin State Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) and State Assemblyman Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) held three listening sessions this week in the Northwoods.
What hunters should know about CWD and processing a deer
New study shows possible cross contamination risk
A recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach pointed to the fact that there is a possibility for processing equipment to spread CWD from one animal to another.
Fish Like a GIRL
Stepping into the fall transition
It is that time again! Time to pull out the blaze orange and try to keep some traditions alive. Deer hunting, for the last several decades, has always meant the start of hunting to me.
Sportsmen’s Alliance files intent to sue U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Last week the Sportsmen’s Alliance filed an intent to sue to United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), stating the FWS had not responded to a pair of petitions they had filed concerning the listing status of the gray wolf.
Ticks still a threat during hunting season
Wood ticks and deer ticks are topics that receive much more attention in the summer than in fall, but the fact is that ticks are still alive and well in the fall.
Limit deer carcass movement to help stop the spread of chronic wasting disease
Most hunters in the Northwoods have heard that Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found in both Oneida and Vilas County. The closest county to that has yet to be affected by CWD is Price County, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. In counties affected by CWD, carcass movement restrictions have been put in place in an attempt to help slow the spread of CWD.
CWD impetus behind Adopt-A-Dumpster and Adopt-A-Kiosk Programs
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) made its way to the Northwoods several years ago. Since then more Northwoods hunters have heard more and more about the always-fatal prion disease that affects cervids such as white tailed deer.
How to find public hunting land
Thousands of hunters will be headed out to public lands to hunt this weekend. While there are millions of acres of public land across the state, it is not always easy to know where hunting opportunities exist.
Hunters can mitigate risks in elevated deer stands
Each year hunters hear about someone who has fallen from a tree stand. Some are injured, or worse, each year in preventable accidents.
Hello? Hard water calling
While some are lamenting putting away the swimsuits for the year and others are enjoying some time in the woods, still others are looking forward to “hard water season,” as many ice anglers call it.
It is Salt Watch time again
Volunteers help others learn about responsible salt usage
With winter weather just starting to come to the Northwoods, it is time to think about salt use on roads, driveways and sidewalks.
New citizen science project focuses on ephemeral ponds and salamanders
Ephemeral ponds, vernal pools, temporary ponds, spring pools — they are all names for the same types of ponds that play a vital role on the landscape.
Fish Like a GIRL
Fishing’s other ‘F’ word
“What ‘F’ word?” You might be wondering. F as in Forward — Forward Facing Sonar (FFS). I have heard everything from you cannot fish without it to it will be the end of fishing as we know it, or it will ruin every fishery on the planet.
Natural Resources Board passes wolf management plan, permanent rule
Amendment to further restrict sub zones around reservations passes
This month the Natural Resources Board (NRB) was charged with deciding whether or not to pass the state’s draft wolf management plan.
To peg or not to peg - That is the Texas rig question
A Texas rig is likely one of the first artificial bait rigs many anglers have learned to throw. The way the bait is threaded onto the hook makes it weedless, making it a great choice for a multitude of situations on the water.
Research looks at including bryophytes in floristic quality assessments
Bryophytes do not have roots, flowers or seeds. They reproduce by spores. This group of plants consists of liverworts, hornworts and mosses.
Department of Natural Resources secretary Adam Payne resigns position
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) secretary Adam Payne announced his resignation from the department last week. He left the agency effective Nov. 1.
Time to be on the look out for spongy moth eggs
Spongy moths, formerly known as Gypsy moths, are known to defoliate hundreds of kinds of trees, shrubs and plants, but are a special concern for oak, aspen, birch and willow in Wisconsin. At this time of the year, spongy moth egg sacks can be found attached to nearly anything that is outdoors, whether that be trees or even garden equipment or outdoor furniture.
Fish Like a GIRL
My first meeting with Lumberjack RC&D
This month I attended my first Lumberjack RC&D meeting as a voting member. The conservation committee from Vilas County nominated me to represent the county for them, and I gladly agreed to do so.
Fishing a Carolina rig
The Carolina rig, also known as the “C-rig,” is a popular fishing technique with bass anglers. Catfish anglers also use the technique, but a bit more beefed up in the setup.
Study indicates there may be no strong link between CWD and supplemental feeding of deer, other efforts also not successful
Recently the American Cervid Alliance endorsed a published study that suggested, among other things, there was no published scientific data regarding the risk of transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) as it related to supplemental feeding of deer.
Fish Like a GIRL
Learning season soon to begin
When I was thinking about what to write for my column this week, it was not lost on me that the seasons are changing.
Hunters can help stop spread of invasive species
Fall is a busy time in the woods. Hikers are out enjoying the last of the season before pulling out their snowshoes. Hunters are headed into the woods in search of their quarry, whether that be deer or upland birds. One thing both groups have in common is the chance to help stop the spread of invasive species.
Vilas County land and water conservation committee forwards grant resolutions to full county board
Last week the Vilas County land and water conservation committee approved and forwarded on several resolutions for grants for which the land and water conservation department wished to apply. There were four approvals for support of resolutions for grants as well as an approval for a partnership with the North Lakeland Discovery Center for the Lake Monitoring and Protection Network program.
Safari Club International donates to Northwoods Youth Deer Hunt Challenge
The Safari Club International recently donated $1,000 to the Northwoods Youth Deer Hunt Challenge. The Safari Club International has been a leader in defending the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide for 50 years.
Chew on This!
Bear meatballs
Bear is somewhat of a favorite of mine. I am always excited when a friend gives me bear sausage or ground bear meat.
Fish Like a GIRL
Talking milkweed with the Lakeland Gardeners
Earlier this year The Lakeland Gardeners asked me to come and talk with them about prairie gardening, and last week I did just that.
Oneida County Forestry, Land and Recreation Committee approves user and permit fee increases
Last week the Oneida County Forestry, Land and Recreation Committee met for their regularly scheduled meeting. One of the agenda items included several user and permit fee increases for 2024.
Wolf management plan open houses well attended
Draft wolf management plan to go to Board at October meeting
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) held two open house sessions earlier this month to discuss the draft wolf management plan with interested citizens.
Surface Water Grant applications due November 15
The 2024 Surface Water Grant Program is currently taking applications, with the final application date being November 15, 2023. There are several categories and types of grants available under this program.