January 31, 2003

A patch of open water on Forest Lake hasn’t frozen over, even with recent cold temperatures, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Department has closed part of the lake to vehicle traffic. Officials from the Hopkins Jaycees, which operates the annual contest, earlier thought the contest could be held on various other area lakes. About 8,000 …

Forest Lake, Minn. Due to poor ice conditions, the Golden Rainbow Ice Fishing Contest slated for Feb. 1 on Forest Lake has been cancelled. Poor ice forced cancellation last year, as well. Read More »

Editor St. Paul Hook-and-line anglers on Lake Mille Lacs can harvest 442,000 pounds of walleyes in 2003, up significantly from the 300,000-pound state allocation in 2002. Representatives from the Minnesota DNR and eight Wisconsin and Minnesota Ojibwe Indian bands met last week in Brainerd to assess modeling data and determine the 2003 safe allowable harvest.

Show hours are Friday, Jan. 31, 2-9 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7, with kids 12 and under free. For more information, call Paul Hartman at (651) 488-9017, or visit the web at, www.prhartmanproductions.com.

Field Editor Rochester, Minn. If Olmsted County officials are successful with their development plans, the city of Rochester may be seeking a new identity. The Olmsted County Board wants to build an “energy park” on what is now the Gordon Yaeger Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which would eliminate the winter feeding area for Rochester’s famed

Feb. 1: 6th Annual Boghoppers Chapter of Wisconsin Waterfowl Assn. Banquet, Bruce’s of Elhart Lake. Ticket prices are $50, $75 for couples. Call Jason, 920-894-7336 for more info. Feb. 1: Lakeshore Bowhunters Annual Banquet, 5 p.m., the Knights of Columbus in Fond du Lac. Call Chuck 920-921-1382 for more info. Feb. 4: Lomaira Area Chapter

Feb. 14: Sweetheart’s Rendezvous, 5 p.m. Register no later than Feb. 1st. Mar. 16: 15th Annual Musky Magic, 11-5 p.m. New London Middle School. Seminars by Rich Reinert and Pete Maina. Pool side demos, tackle, raffles, great food and door prizes. For more info call 920-779-6433.

Editor’s note: Ron Wallom, a Wisconsin Outdoor News reader from Belleville, sent in this account of a deceased buck he discovered trapped in a sinkhole. While deer hunting on Sunday, Nov. 24 in the CWD Management Zone 75A, I found this 11-point buck in a sinkhole. It was in a small marsh in southern Dane

Feb. 7-9: Timber wolf study, instructed by Timber Wolf Information Network, classroom & field work, Treehaven, W2540 Pickerel Creek Ave., Tomahawk, WI 54487. Full package, $155 (incl. meals, lodging); commuter, $105. To register, call 715-453-4106, or e-mail to jeverson@uwsp.edu. Feb. 8: Turkey seminar-turkey pros and reps on hand to better your spring turkey success. Call

Correspondent Stevens Point, Wis. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Executive Council of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress talked turkey here at their first meeting of the year. The “stuffing and giblets” will involve license increases for state outdoorsmen, something the Executive Council isn’t real happy about, but members agree is necessary, especially if