Latest On Wisconsin Outdoors Columns
5-3-2012
So we’re two days away from opening day, when a million of us give or take an unwelcome Bear fan or 1000 are floating on their favorite Wisconsin lake, trying to figure out just where both those walleyes swam that the Indians left. (Let’s see you rip that many people in one sentence).
Before I hit the water, I have an over-the counter turkey tag this week with my sights on Adams County, a necessity since my hunting partner only warned me 10 times or so last December that the deadline for my turkey tag application was fast approaching. While we’re touching on turkeys, link to “Upland Game” for more photos and reports of successful hunters, including a report from Tom’s Guns in Marshall.. And send us your photos and a sentence or two about where and how you took Tom. We’ll post it.
If I tag the bird Friday, I likely will be on the Manitowish Chain in Vilas County Saturday as I often am on the opener, fishing from the family Cabin on Island Lake. Minnesota likes to claim 10,000 lakes. Do you know that Wisconsin has 15,000 lakes from which to choose? That’s pretty good stuff. This week we have more and more guides submitting reports and stories to let you know what they will be doing all over the state, and have been doing to find fish as the opening gamefish Saturday plods closer.
Link here to “Inland Fishing” and “Fishing Reports” to hear from the experts. We have new reports in from Northwest Wisconsin, northeast, Green Bay, Central Wisconsin and specific township or lake reports from the Stevens Point Flowage, Lake Geneva, Minocqua, Delavan, Rice Lake, Richland County , Chequamegon Bay, the Sheboygan Harbor and Price, Vilas, Oneida and Iron Counties. Also link to “Inland Fishing” to read just-posted “Swimming Jig 101” by Glenn Walker and scroll back to an April 27 posting if you didn’t read Bill Schultz’s Swimming Grubs for Door County Smallies.” Guides and baitshops, send us your reports. Anglers, send us your photos. We have plenty of room to post your catch. You’ll see a couple of our younger anglers already did.
One of the “perks” of being an outdoor writer is that by the nature of the job, I have the opportunity to hit the field with experts in hunting and fishing from all over Wisconsin. My “job” is to use the camera and hopefully writing ability to put together a story. I don’t need expertise in hunting or fishing to entertain an audience. You’ve heard me say that I am the only non-expert among the ‘Dick Ellis Experts’ who write for On Wisconsin Outdoors. I need the expertise of my sources; guides and other experts, to build those stories. It’s a good trade because often these guys like the exposure an outdoor writer can shine on their business. Over the years, so many of these guys have become my friends.
About 10 years ago, I heard about a great goose and duck caller from Neenah, John Volkman, so I called him up and pestered him to take me out for a goose story in the Fox Valley. We couldn’t get permission to hunt on property the geese were using so we set up elsewhere and I watched Volkman turn the whole flock like an orchestra in to where they initially had no intention of going. Volkman is on the first cover of OWO carrying one of those birds which you can see on this homepage scrolling past. Click on it. Volkman is one of those Wisconsin experts that I still hunt and fish with as I fish for stories like scores of others.
Recently, Volkman was informed that he had taken two Honorable Mentions in a hunting photography category of DU Magazine for shots he took in the field while hunting Saskatchewan, Canada and the Lake Michigan shoreline with his dog, Ready. Those shots, and a gaggle of other great photos Volkman took while hunting his own property on Door County, are posted under Waterfowl. It’s well worth your time to visit the scenes Volkman gives us. It will take you back to memories of your own duck and goose hunts or forward to when it starts all over again this Fall. Isn’t that what Wisconsin outdoors is all about?
On Wisconsin Outdoors is part of a looming boat give-away with Sprecher Brewery, Discover Wisconsin, Shoeder RV & Marine in Rhinelander, Crestliner, and Mercury. In addition to the boat give-away to one of you in celebration of Discover Wisconsin’s 25th anniversary, one of our great guides we just talked about will be taking a lucky winner out on a fully guided Wisconsin fishing trip. I’ll be there too, taking photos and writing the story for On Wisconsin Outdoors. Look for details on cases of Sprecher Special Amber beginning Memorial Day weekend or connect with www.DiscoverWisconsin.com.
We also have new outdoor stories posted under “Deer Hunting”, “Trips Elsewhere” “Inland Fishing” and “Firearms” and Outdoor News. Deer Hunting includes stories by Scott Heitman showing the humorous side to hunting and the real cost of venison, from the perspective of a wife with a check book; a call for fawn counters from the DNR and a welcome to a new spring and summer from professional journalist Bill Thornley in Spooner. Read Diane Schauer’s story educating anglers and other recreational boaters on Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) through the Clean Boats Clean Waters Programs initiated 10 years ago by middle school students. Become a fan of Wisconsin high school trapshooters right here too. Follow the teams each week under Firearms.
That’s it until next week’s Blog. Keep sending. We’ll keep posting. Thanks for visiting.
Dick Ellis