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Birds of a Feather Can Help Scientists in Count Feb. 14-17
Like watching birds? Take it a step further this weekend by donating a few minutes of your time to a citizen-science project of global proportions. The 23rd annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will run Valentine’s Day through Feb. 17. All you need to do to participate is to count birds for 15 minutes or […]
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Latest CWD Info Available in New Video
The National Deer Alliance has launched a communication initiative about chronic wasting disease (CWD) to provide accurate and timely information to the public. Using testimonies and data, a new video aims to educate hunters about the spread of CWD, which has cast a long shadow over America’s most popular hunting pastime. Unlike other known or more visible […]
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Lake Winnebago Sturgeon-Season Opener an Unusual Tradition
A return to colder air in the middle of next week may be too little, too late to help opening-day sturgeon spearers on Lake Winnebago. The annual season – a tradition not unlike deer hunting in its popularity among its passionate devotees – is set to open Feb. 8 on the state’s largest inland lake […]
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State Takes Shot at Spring-Hearing Advisory Questions
Wisconsin’s seven-citizen Natural Resources Board (NRB) has its sight set on deer in a series of advisory questions proposed for the spring fish and wildlife hearings in April. The NRB plans to seek citizen input, both in person and through online voting, about extending the current nine-day firearm season to 19 days (which would eliminate […]
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Register for Hunter-Education Course
The Department of Natural Resources is offering a hunter-education course in Sturgeon Bay. Classes cost $10 per student and will begin in March/April. In-person enrollment for the classes is being held Feb. 8, 10 am – 2 pm, at Howie’s Tackle, 1309 Green Bay Road in Sturgeon Bay. Online registration will be available to enroll in […]
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Bears, Bucks and Boat Launch on NRB Agenda
Passion and politics could clash when Wisconsin’s seven-citizen state Natural Resources Board (NRB) meets in Madison next week for its first monthly meeting of 2020. DNR staff will take a look at a 2019 deer hunt that saw numbers fall about 14 percent statewide to just more than 288,000 whitetails – the first sub-300,000 deer […]
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Nominations Open for Wisconsin Hunter Ethics Award
Do you know a hunter whose actions have impressed you? Was the hunter kind, courteous, respectful, responsible or a moral compass in action? Consider nominating this person for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ annual Wisconsin Hunter Ethics Award. Established in 1997, the award recognizes a hunter whose actions symbolize Wisconsin’s hunting heritage: not trophy […]
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Professional Fisher Dale Stroschein Visits Fishing Club
Dale Stroschein and his wife, Karyn, were guests of the Sturgeon Bay School District’s fishing club – led by teacher Robert Schartner – in December. Stroschein is an accomplished guide, professional fisher and member of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. During his visit with the 30-member fishing club, he shared his insights and knowledge about ice […]
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Something for Everyone at Upcoming Sport Shows
Sport-show season is about to kick off, providing an excellent opportunity for those who love the outdoors to stoke their passions indoors for a few hours. Two shows get underway in the area next week: the All-Canada Show Jan. 16-19 at the Oneida Radisson Conference Center in Ashwaubenon, and the WBAY Boat Show Jan. 17-19 […]
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Snow and Ice: Nice for Outdoor Sports
It’s a bit of a gamble trying to predict the weather a week out, but now that January’s here, snow and cold are inevitable at some point. Temperatures are in the 40s, and rain is on the way as I write this in late December, yet it’s not hard to accept a forecast that shows […]
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Season’s First Ice Offers Limited Fishing Opportunities
It’s still too early for offshore exploration, but cold December air has allowed cautious anglers some early ice-fishing opportunities. Door and Kewaunee County lakes have been attracting walk-on attention from those seeking panfish and other species. Clark and Kangaroo offer bonus pike and walleye, and Krohn’s near Algoma has stocked trout. All offer largemouth bass. […]
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DNR Listens to Anglers, Boosts Salmon Stocking
Anglers hungry for more salmon, steelhead and brown trout got an early Christmas present last week when the DNR announced it would significantly increase stocking levels. The agency’s new three-year plan shoots for 1.2 million chinook salmon stocked annually starting in 2020. This is up 50 percent from the more than 800,000 stocked annually since […]
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Take a Safe Walk on the Wild Side as Hunts Continue
Those heading outdoors to enjoy the snow should remember that firearm deer hunts continue through Dec. 15 and are on again Dec. 24 – Jan. 1. Keep yourself, your family, friends and pets visible by wearing bright colors. Though not required unless you’re hunting, blaze orange is always a good choice. In an effort to reduce […]
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Plenty of Deer in Wisconsin, but a Record?
Not by a long shot There’s no doubt that many Wisconsin hunters love to rip on the Department of Natural Resources’ deer-population estimates, and that’s one of the reasons why the agency got away from making them public during Gov. Walker’s tenure. Even if the scientific data backed them up – and they almost always […]
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Hunters Geared Up for 23 Days of Blaze Orange
Wisconsin’s most treasured hunting tradition will begin Saturday: opening day of the nine-day gun deer season. Regulated deer hunting began with the first closed season in 1851 (Feb. 1-June 30), though Native Americans could hunt year-round. The first bag limit was in 1897 – two deer per season – and a resident license cost $1. Estimated […]
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Burned by the Forecasters, This One’s Surely a Bull’s-eye
We’re just a week away from Wisconsin’s gun deer opener, and all signs are pointing to much nicer weather than the Arctic blast we’ve experienced this week. A day after writing last week’s column, the long-term forecast took a big nosedive south. It was too late to change the column’s wording for the print edition, […]
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Late Gun Deer Opener a Mixed Bag for Hunters
Hunters have just two weekends left to sight in firearms, wrap up scouting and ready stand sites in preparation for the 2019 gun deer season opener. Opening day, Nov. 23, is the latest possible under the current nine-day format that includes the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year’s Nov. 17 opener was the earliest possible and hit […]
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It happened Oct. 25 in Door County One of the most unusual deer tales you’re likely to hear this season happened to a youth hunter in Door County last weekend. Fourteen-year-old Matiah Christensen of Green Bay was hunting from a covered tree stand Oct. 25 with her uncle Collin Jeanquart and cousin Sydney Jeanquart on […]
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Michigan, Indiana Announce Salmon-Stocking Increases
Two down, two to go. The Departments of Natural Resources in Michigan and Indiana have announced significant increases in chinook-salmon stocking beginning in 2020. Both states are planning to raise and release an additional 150,000 chinooks, or 300,000 combined. In addition, Indiana is going to reduce fall fingerling plants of coho salmon and raise and […]
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Leaves Falling, Deer Moving as Pre-Rut Activity Heats Up
If you’re an avid deer hunter, we’re entering the season you’ve waited all year for. Whitetail buck activity is picking up and will peak during the next four to five weeks as they seek out mates. Colorful leaves are falling, opening the woodlands. Even better, a hard frost last weekend took care of most mosquitoes. […]