Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report summary for October 11, 2012
High winds in the last week have brought down a lot of leaves, with some areas of the far north now reporting 90 percent leaf drop, but some good color is still being reported in southern Wisconsin, especially along the Baraboo hills where oaks are turning their brown-copper color.
The leaf drop is improving conditions for grouse and archery deer hunters. Cool and sometimes rainy weather greeted young hunters for the youth deer hunt last weekend, but there were still many reports from across the state of young hunters bagging their first deer.
The cold front that moved in this week is bringing in waves of northern diving ducks, which is good news for the reopening of the southern zone duck season this weekend. Unlike the bluebird weather hunters had for the early season, hunters should have fine weather for ducks, with rain and cooler temperatures in the forecast. However, most areas of the state continue to report extremely dry conditions, with many ponds and marshes dry, so ducks are concentrating in larger open waters.
While many areas did receive a little rain in the last week, Lake Michigan tributaries continue to run very low, hampering fall trout and salmon runs. Despite the low flows, some salmon have struggled upstream and fishing pressure was heavy in some areas, most notably the Manitowoc and West Twin rivers, with some reports of fish also in the Sheboygan, Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers.
Anglers on Green Bay were targeting salmon at the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. Some good perch fishing was also reported along Door County, but boaters were being cautioned that with the extremely low water levels, Sawyer Harbor and other areas have become very treacherous with many reefs, shoals and sand bars exposed or just under the surface. In the north, some fantastic crappie fishing was reported on the Chippewa Flowage and anglers on the Mississippi River were reporting bag limits of nice bluegills.
With camping activity dwindling after the Columbus Day weekend, many state parks and forests have begun to shut down shower and flush toilet facilities, and have begun to close some camping areas, with the remaining areas open on a first-come basis for any remaining hardy campers.
Prairie grasses are in their glory showing off their red to amber colors with hints of purple New England and various other asters.
The Canada goose migration is still in its early stages, with just 50,000 birds counted in a recent waterfowl survey at Horicon Marsh. The population will build to as much as 250,000 as the migration hits its peak. Meanwhile the numbers of sandhill cranes staging for their migration at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area has reached into the thousands. This past week saw nice movements of blackbirds, robins and juncos into the state, and saw-whet owls, an often undetected but not uncommon small owl species, has been moving through Wisconsin in good numbers.
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Paul Holtan
paul.holtan@wisconsin.gov
Office of Communications
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707
(608) 267-7517