Celebrate our 4th of July. Freedom first. Government last. Ready your November vote.
6-28-2012
Today we introduce “Diary of a Wisconsin Bear Guide” by Mike Foss as the weekly centerpiece for our bear hunting pages and the fast-approaching September season. Link to the Foss column and photos from the field and his Bayfield County bear camp today and each week under “Wisconsin Bear Hunting”. Already, Foss is seeing bears every day as he prepares the bait stations over 30 square mile that Wisconsin hunters will be holding vigil over three months down the line.
Foss, as many of you already know has been showcased in “On Wisconsin Outdoors” over many years as he annually maintains bait for approximately 20 hunters. Foss’s Northern Wisconsin Outfitters is known for big bears, including a 639 pound boar tagged three seasons ago and the ongoing quest for the legendary and uncannily wary Snaggletooth who might have tipped the scales at 700 pounds in his prime. How do we know? Mike’s trail cameras were able to capture the boar many times over the last decade. Last year, on the day Snaggletooth died to hound hunters, another boar the guide nicknamed as Woodtick estimated at 600 pounds was photographed on the bait.
Foss is a great guide who takes his work on behalf of the Wisconsin hunter, who only draws a harvest tag on average every eight years, very seriously. He also turned hunter this May and traveled to Saskatchewan with a friend in a successful quest to tag a blond bear. The story is featured in the July-August issue of OWO on stands in Wisconsin now at 700 locations. If you can’t pick a copy up or prefer online reading, that issue is a click away on our homepage. To make sure you don’t miss it, we’re also including the Canada story here under “Wisconsin Bear Hunting”.
Because as an outdoor reporter I can bear-ly (sorry) wait to tag along behind Foss each year scouting and baiting and then covering the bear hunting camp in September, we’ll be sure to post stories, photos and bear facts too each week around Mike’s diaries. I helped drag out that 639 pound boar a few years ago. It took 11 hunters with eventual hernias resting every 10 yards to get that monster boar to the truck. Because it was so dark and Mike was a bit overweight that season and sports a big black beard we had dragged the guide out 50 yards first before he yelled and we realized we didn’t have the bear at all. It’s a good thing we didn’t gut old Mikey first.
Under “Dick’s Trips”, in celebration of launching the bear pages, we’re posting a day in the field with warden recruits and bear hunters with hounds taken almost a decade ago in Wisconsin’s rugged northwest. As part of their training to better understand the bear season with dogs, recruits often spend summer days with experienced wardens and the dog owners actually running and treeing bears. Two of those photos spotlighting hounds, recruit and bear in the tree is the cover shot of this issue. We’ll also post the story under “Bear Hunting” and “Dick’s Trips”.
Remember, we’ll be launching each week and actively maintaining many more pages on Wisconsin hunting and fishing in the weeks and months to come. If you choose and we do a good job as writers and reporters, On Wisconsin Outdoors will be one of the only places you need to stop for all of your outdoor Wisconsin news and features.
Do you like outdoor humor and entertaining writing? Under “Inland Fishing” and “Outdoor Humor” we’re posting this week’s columns by outdoor writers John Luthens and Darrell Pendergrass. Luthens tries to fulfill his lifelong dream of being a professional guide by traveling with a pack of boy scouts to the Brule last week when the northwest received about 159 inches of rain in 10 minutes. Pendergrass will have you rolling with the story of his mechanical expertise (not), backing-up expertise with a trailer (not) and rowing and fishing expertise (kinda) with son Jack.
s usual, under “Inland Fishing” and “Fishing Reports”, we’re posting our guide updates and photos from the lakes and streams of Wisconsin. These guys fish for their livelihood, and they do a great job with their clients and with letting you know what’s working when and where.
Each week, check out “Outdoor News”. At the very least, you will receive extensive outdoor reports every week as sent directly to us from the Wisconsin DNR. Almost without exception though, we post news received from all over sent to us from individuals and organizations. For example Lynn Torosian Burris, on the Board for “Women for MACC” sends word how we can all help shoot holes in childhood cancer.
For the past twenty two years, Lynn writes, the Hartford Conservation and Gun Club has partnered with Women for MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) to honor a fallen friend and raise money for children with cancer. The Twenty Second Annual Gene Johann Memorial “SHOOT FOR A CURE” will take place on August 25th and 26th at the gun club in Hartford. To date, this event has raised over $1,132,645 to support groundbreaking pediatric cancer research. Read all the details under “Firearms” or “Outdoor News”.
Speaking of the Outdoor Community actively fighting cancer, check out all the details under “Outdoor News” for the 4th Annual Paddle, Pedal, Pickleball and Pizza Cancer-Relay for Life to be held July 22 at Treeland Resorts on the Chippewa Flowage. If you’re a kayaker/canoer, paddleboater, bicycler, enjoy pickleball competition, or just like hanging out around a great time in a great outdoor setting with lots of history, you will want to read more. I can also tell you from experience that Cheryl Treland and the crew at Treeland Resorts will treat you right.
Under “Firearms” we’re also posting a media release sent to OWO from the 650,000 member Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The release focuses on President Obama’s claim of executive privilege to prevent Congressional Access to documents to Operation Fast and Furious.
“…we’re talking about the deaths of countless Mexican citizens and especially a dead federal agent,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “There is evidence that those involved in Fast and Furious thought it could bolster calls for additional gun control.” Read the whole story.
With the election looming, all kinds of issues will affect the outdoor community and our freedoms; all kinds of spin will be coming our way from left and right to ponder before November. I still think it comes down to one main issue.
It’s the O-conomy….Stupid.
Check that. It’s 10:00 a.m. Thursday and the Supreme Court decision just came down on Obamacare. It’s our very freedom.
This just in from Wisconsin Fifth District Congressman James Sensenbrenner in response to the Supreme Court decision. Read it under “Outdoor News”.
See you next week.
Dick Ellis