Sturgeon Spearing and Wolf Applications Looming…
Fishing has been good in Wisconsin and our guides as usual show you where and how to best get in the game yourself. Connect with “Inland Fishing” or “Fishing Reports” on the website to hear from experts like Phil Schweik, Steve Suman, Kurt Justice, Dave Duwe, Wayne Morgenthaler, Frank Zumpf and more. Guides, we will post your reports and client photos with all your contact information every week. Send information to ellis@onwisconsinoutdoors.com.
You do not have to be a guide to find a spot with us. You send. We post. A proud Wisconsin grandma called me yesterday (Wednesday) to ask if she could send her grandson’s photo with first 40- inch musky. I told her only if she bragged a little in a short note with the photo. She’s doing that, as an example of what you should be doing too. Expect the Granny Report up within a day or two.
Reader Note: The Granny Report arrived Friday afternoon from very cool grandma Shirley Johnson. She sends photos of her grandson, Justin Johnson, 20, of New Berlin, with his 40-inch musky taken on Pewaukee.
“Needless to say I am so proud of him,” Shirley writes. “He is a diehard fisherman. “The musky was caught and released. Justin tells me he is going for a 50-plus inch musky. He caught this 40 inch fish on Pewaukee Lake using a double bucktail, black & black. The same day he caught a 37-1/2 musky, both on figure-8s fifteen minutes apart.” Read it all under "Inland Fishing" and "Fishing Reports"
I was skunked row trolling for muskies last week on the Manitowish Chain after one good early strike got me all fired up. I lost that fish, but it reminded me of a success story many years ago on the same lake. A good friend and rookie rower caught and released a first musky, a 42 inch fish, from my rowing skiff, which then hooked me through the center of the thumbnail down with the flailing fish still hooked on the next treble. Such pleasant memories. Just like when I stuck an axe in my head while chopping wood at the family cabin in Boulder Junction. Read it all (not the axe story yet…for some reason I can’t remember details) under “Dick’s Trips” and don’t forget to check the tourism contact information for Vilas, Oneida and Iron Counties with the story that you can use to plan your own trip. We have lots of tourism partners and you can find them and upcoming events under “Explore Wisconsin” county by county.
On Wisconsin Outdoors Outdoor columnist John Luthens invades the Nicolet National Forest in northeast Wisconsin to seek out and kill the monster fish of Bear Paw Lake. We’re not sure if John was successful. We are sure that we haven’t heard from John since he filed his field report a week ago. He was a good guy too. Oh well, read his last and maybe final report under “Inland Fishing”.
We can bear-ly stand it there is so much material flowing in to On Wisconsin Outdoors on the upcoming September hunt. As usual, the weekly Mike Foss “Diary of a Wisconsin Bear Guide” is found under “Wisconsin Bear Hunting” on this site. But we thank bear biologists and big game specialists at the DNR Kevin Wallenfang, Scott Roepke and Dave Herchert for sending us the 2012 bear season forecast and regulations, as well as 2011 harvest statistics.
“The 2012 Wisconsin bear hunting season promises to provide excellent hunting opportunities for those pursuing one of the state’s most prestigious big-game species,” states the DNR bear team. “Across the north, bears are abundant! Annually, Wisconsin ranks among the leaders in bear harvest in terms of both numbers and record-book entries. Increased permit levels in 2011 resulted in hunters registering 4,257 bears, the second highest harvest ever recorded in the state following the record kill of 5,133 bears in 2010. In fact, in 2011 Wisconsin harvested more bears than any other state.”
With Foss labeling bear numbers an “infestation”, expect another huge harvest in 2012 and read it all from the DNR and the top guide under “Wisconsin Bear Hunting”. Send your photos and stories as you prepare for your hunt. Everyone I know with a harvest tag is heavy into baiting already with action also hot and heavy. Bob’s Bear Bait whose banner ads support On Wisconsin Outdoors is reporting tremendous business. Visit their banner ad on our “homepage” or the OWO bear pages. Ordering their baiting inventory is only a click away. Don’t forget to visit our other supporting advertisers on the “homepage”, including The Cap Connection. Grab an On Wisconsin Outdoors print newspaper at one of 700 locations and use The Cap Connection coupon to take $50 off your next truck cap. They’re great people. I purchased my last two caps from them. And there is no way we can bring you our paper and website at no cost without our advertisers’ support.
It is my privilege to report from the Foss bear camp every year. I sit with hunters with my camera and help recover downed bears. It’s a blast. To throw a little fuel on the enthusiasm fire as hunters look forward to the season, as if they need it, we're also going to post the 2009 story highlighted by Green Bay hunter Craig Cichanofsky’s 639 pound bear. The story and some awe-inspiring photos are posted under “Bear Hunting” and “Dick’s Trips”. And remember boys, you don’t know what’s lurking in the river bottom, in the dark, when you climb down from your stand.
The DNR is also sending us much more information that you need that we’re also posting throughout this site. Hunters and trappers interested in participating in Wisconsin’s inaugural wolf hunting and trapping season must apply for a permit between August 1 and August 31. The permit application fee is $10 and applications can be purchased from authorized agents online including the DNR’s licensing centers or by phone. Get the details of the hunt and how to purchase your application posted under “Outdoor News” “Bear Hunting” “Trapping” or “Deer Hunting” on this site. The wolf hunting and trapping season runs October 15 to February 28, 2013.
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| Photos By Dick Ellis | |
Sturgeon spearers have until August 1 to apply for a 2013 Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing lottery tag. Participation in the Upriver Lakes sturgeon spearing season on Lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan, is controlled through a lottery. Those people selected in the lottery will be notified by Oct. 1 that they are authorized to buy a license to participate in the Upriver season and must buy that tag by Oct. 31, 2012. Read the whole story under “Inland Fishing” or “Outdoor News”.
Another round of public meetings is set for August 7 in Green Bay and for August 9 in Milwaukee to discuss the results from online surveys conducted in April on potential stocking reductions of salmon and trout in Lake Michigan that scientists say are necessary to balance game fish with the available food source. Read the whole story under “Great Lakes Fishing” and “Outdoor News”. Speaking of Fishing the Big Lakes, Wisconsin Lake Michigan fishermen Jim Glisch and Jay Kasner sent photos of their recent trip with Crabby Charters. Charter Captains, send your reports and photos and contact information. Great Lakes anglers and inland fishermen alike…you send, we post.
If you like to eat good food. Support the environment and learn something about hunting, the course “Hunting for Sustainability” being offered at Madison College is being spotlighted as perfect for you.
“Natural resources conservation, sustainability and hunting naturally fit hand in hand,” said DNR Hunting and Shooting Sports Coordinator Keith Warnke. “In addition to learning about and trying hunting, the course includes sampling several different species of wild game all from Wisconsin. Hunting is critical to conservation and a large portion of conservation funding comes from hunters and anglers.”
Connect with “Deer Hunting” or "Upland Game" to read the whole story.
Public informational hearings on proposed waterfowl seasons are looming with Wildlife officials expecting a 60-day duck season and 92-day goose season. While waterfowl hunters won’t know the official season dates and bag limits until after federal wildlife officials set the annual framework and the season is approved by the State Natural Resources Board, state wildlife officials expect another 60-day season for ducks and possibly an additional seven days for Canada geese.
“We won’t have a final waterfowl season proposal for the fall 2012 seasons until Monday, July 30,” said Kent Van Horn, Wisconsin state waterfowl biologist who just returned from the Mississippi Flyway Council meetings. “However, much of the news this year is good. Although we saw average wetland conditions across most of North America at the time of breeding, waterfowl numbers remain high from last year. Late summer and early fall rains will be particularly important to providing fall waterfowl habitat this year.” Read the whole story under “Outdoor News” or “Waterfowl Hunting”.
As always, connect with “Outdoor News” and “Firearms” and simply roam this site. We post new material every day.
That’s it until next Thursday, but count on On Wisconsin Outdoors posting hunting, fishing, trapping and travel information as it comes in. Thanks for visiting “On Wisconsin Outdoors” in print and online.
Dick