Fish Like a GIRL
The real versus artificial Christmas tree debate
When I was a kid, of course we had a real Christmas tree. I do not think I even knew there were such things as artificial trees. An artificial?
Legislators also invite Evers, DNR to deer population public listening session
Session to be held December 21 in Woodruff
Many hunters in the Northwoods would call this year’s deer hunting season abysmal. While it was tough all over the state, harvesting a deer in the North seemed especially challenging.
Trout Lake Station’s Gretchen Gerrish sheds light on the importance of dark
Bioluminescent ostracods disrupted by artificial light
Gretchen Gerrish of Trout Lake Station spoke about the importance of darkness and her research involving bioluminescent ostracods at a recent Science on Tap event.
Understanding relative potential risks of PFAS in food
Amy Quintin from WSP environmental consulting services spoke recently at a Great Lakes PFAS Summit session about home-grown foods and other foods that could potentially be contaminated with PFAS. She said her goal was to look at relative risks of consumption of these various foods.
Midwest Invasive Plant Network looks at some emerging invasive species — poison hemlock and teasel
Poison hemlock and teasel are two emerging terrestrial invasive species in the Midwest. Like Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), that get comparatively more attention in the media, terrestrial invasive species, which are found on land, can be just as bad for an ecosystem.
Fish Like a GIRL
Wintering pollinators give us time for plans
Most readers know by now how I feel about pollinators. The cute little bugs and bees and butterflies that make most of our food possible are kind of fun to watch, besides providing us with food.
Chew on This!
Grandma’s popcorn balls
For this month’s Chew on This! column, I decided to break away from tradition and provide a recipe that is not really a wild game recipe at all. But for me, it is a long standing family favorite.
Deer harvest down statewide
Decline strongest in Northern Forest Zone
Statewide, deer harvest numbers were down 17.6% over last year and down approximately 11% from the five-year average, according to Jeff Prtizl deer program specialist the Department of Natural Resources. The Northern Forest, he said, was most affected and he owed that, in part, to the winter severity index, which was high in many parts of the north last year.
Team collaborates in an attempt to bring wild rice back to Spur Lake in Oneida County
The most recent installment of Wetland Coffee Breaks from the Wisconsin Wetlands Association looked specifically at Spur Lake in Oneida County.
Dr. Jessica Hua looks at relationship between pollutants, pathogens and contaminants in amphibians
At a recent Science on Tap presentation in Minocqua, Dr. Jessica Hua spoke to those in attendance about her research and using natural science as well as social science to bring more attention to amphibians and the effects of pollutants from road salt that may find their way into wetlands and ephemeral ponds inhabited by those amphibians.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.