Category: Fishing and Hunting
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Wild Things: Hunters, Anglers Praised for Conservation Efforts
It’s not every day that a top official from the Trump administration is in Green Bay to make a major conservation announcement, but that was the case Friday when U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt delivered remarks and took questions from the press at Smokey’s on the Bay tackle shop near the Green Bay […]
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Wild Things: Eligible Disabled Hunters May Apply for a Shot at Deer
More than 70 landowners are opening thousands of acres of private land for a special October gun deer hunt for eligible hunters. Lands are open in 41 counties this year, including two properties in Kewaunee County and some larger parcels in Manitowoc and Outagamie counties. The rest are scattered across the state. To be eligible, […]
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Wild Things: Bonus Deer, Turkey Permits Go on Sale Soon
Hunters hoping for a bonus wild turkey tag or an antlerless deer permit for an up-north getaway had better stay vigilant during the coming days. Only 2,000 bonus turkey permits are available for Zone 2, which includes Door and Kewaunee counties. They’ll go on sale Saturday at 10 am at a cost of $10 per […]
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Wild Things: Visiting Anglers Net Lifetime Memories Fishing Kewaunee/Door Waters
With a record 3,290 participants in the recent Kewaunee/Door (K/D) County Salmon Tournament, there’s bound to be a few fish stories, right? Trophy-size chinooks certainly play a role in those tales, but it’s not just the big catches that create lifetime memories. Bryan Sheets of South Dakota said his group of eight includes three generations […]
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Wild Things: Whale of a Fishing Tale: Bortolini Tops Salmon Tournament Field
Angelo Bortolini might want to get his son, Scott, an extra Christmas present this year. Scott introduced his father to Harold Shaw, a fellow teetotaler, about a decade ago. Fast forward to Tuesday morning, July 21, when the 77-year-old Bortolini and his 74-year-old friend – who owns the boat they were on four miles east […]
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Wild Things: Salmon Tournament’s Final Weekend Could Set Records
Anglers are coming from near and far to participate in the 38th annual Kewaunee/Door (K/D) County Salmon Tournament, which will wrap up its nine-day run Saturday night. Leaders can change very quickly, but as of early Tuesday morning, here’s how things stood: A Brussels youth, Devin Buhr, had taken the early lead with a 30.49-pounder […]
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Wild Things: Kewaunee/Door Salmon Tournament: A Breath of Fresh Lake Air
Coronavirus concerns haven’t derailed the largest summer salmon-only fishing contest on the Great Lakes. “There’s a lot of excitement for the K/D,” said Tom Kleiman of Accurate Marine & Tackle in Kewaunee. “Boat sales are through the roof, and we’re seeing a lot of families coming in. I think in these crazy times, a lot […]
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Wild Things: Major League Fishing Event ‘Live’ in Door County
Not everyone’s a fan, but there’s no denying that bass-fishing tournaments have played a huge role in putting Sturgeon Bay on the map as a world-class smallmouth fishery. And this week, the area has the potential to lure even more visiting anglers when the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour and 80 of the top […]
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Wild Things: Millions of Pounds of Surplus Whitefish in Lower Green Bay
Door County commercial fisher Charlie Henriksen said there’s even more lake whitefish in Green Bay than we reported here last week. Henriksen was quoted as saying that the harvestable whitefish surplus in Green Bay was more than a million pounds and could be split between commercial and sport fishers. On Monday, he called to clarify […]
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Wild Things: Picture-Perfect Plan for Kids Fishing Day at Little Lake
There are no entry fees and plenty of prizes for kids who take part in the 35th annual Kids Fishing Derby at Little Lake in Sturgeon Bay next Sunday – Father’s Day. Although it’s not an official event this year because of continuing concerns about large gatherings, Gary and Cheryl Nault are inviting families to participate […]
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Wild Things: Cooler Spring Extending Bay Action as Lake Catches Heat Up
A cool spring has extended the action for Green Bay walleyes and smallmouth bass, even as Lake Michigan trout and salmon catches get underway. The mixed bag – which also includes panfish spawning in shallow bays and harbors on Green Bay, as well as in inland lakes in Door and Kewaunee counties – comes at […]
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (dnr.wi.gov) is hosting the eighth annual Wisconsin Free Fun Weekend on June 6-7, when park-admission fees, fishing licenses and trail-pass requirements will be waived to encourage Wisconsinites to enjoy Wisconsin’s outdoors. Participants are encouraged to join the Wisconsin State Parks’ OutWiGo initiative by tagging their Free Fun Weekend photos […]
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Wild Things: ‘Free’ Fishing a Good Time to Introduce a New Angler
Longtime anglers will tell you that one of the things they love most about fishing is watching the facial expressions and hearing the excited voices of a beginner who’s hooked up for the first time. It’s often a highly contagious mix of surprise, suspense and, finally, satisfaction at having mastered the piscatorial pursuit on the […]
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Wild Things: Sporting Group Starts +ONE Movement
National Shooting Sports Foundation seeks to increase hunter numbers Sales of Wisconsin fishing licenses and turkey-hunting permits have been strong this spring – two of the few bright spots in the ongoing battle with the coronavirus. With firearm sales also up, these may be signs of more citizens awakening to the importance of self-sufficiency. It helps […]
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Wild Things: It’s a Good Time to Revive Letter Writing
For much of the 21st century, letter writing has been on life support. Oh, there are a few people who keep cursive alive by still practicing the lost art, but for the most part, computers and smartphones have changed the way the world communicates: Using these devices is easy, fast and requires no stamps. But […]
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Wild Things: Charter-Fishing Industry Dry-Docked
Captains want state to open access Hundreds of Lake Michigan and Green Bay charter captains and guides lure thousands of visiting anglers to Lake Michigan each spring, but not this year. Or at least not yet. Troy Mattson of Kinn’s Sport Fishing in Algoma co-owns the largest charter fleet on Lake Michigan: 11 boats targeting […]
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Wild Things: Anglers, Birders, Hunters Enjoying Mental-Health Break
Hundreds of anglers will be spread out along Door County’s bayside shorelines this weekend to get after smallmouth bass. Even though a rule change allows catch-and-release fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth bass prior to the opener in most areas, opening day (May 2) is still special. Boat launches are open, including in state parks. […]
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Wild Things: Comment on County Deer Proposals by April 29
If you have a strong opinion about deer management, now’s the time to voice your concerns regarding hunting seasons in Door and Kewaunee counties. Whitetail fanatics have until April 29 to provide input online about preliminary recommendations for the 2020 hunts that the County Deer Advisory Councils (CDAC) made recently. Both the Door and Kewaunee […]
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Deer Council Wants Holiday Hunt, Extended ‘Bow,’ 5 Free Tags
Kewaunee County wants extra hunts, four permits The Door County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) set preliminary 2020 hunting-season recommendations during an April 6 teleconference meeting. After much debate – and a failed vote on reducing the number of antlerless tags awarded to three per license type – council members voted 5-2 for five free tags […]
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Wild Things: Brown Trout Tournament Falls Victim to SARS-CoV-2
Continued concerns over what scientists are now calling Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has forced organizers to cancel the Baileys Harbor Brown Trout Tournament. A statewide “Safer at Home order” that’s in effect until April 24 and a national social-distancing recommendation until April 30 means the planned April 23-26 event is off. Darren Collin, […]