Wisconsin Mixed Bag: Comments on deer unit boundary change due Jan. 10; online public hearing is Jan. 8
A public comment period for a draft rule that would rework portions of the state’s deer management unit boundaries runs through Jan. 10.
December 20, 2024
Deer Management Assistance Program 2.0 offers new benefits — plus fees — for Wisconsin landowners
More landowners interested in managing their land for wildlife will be able to receive extra help from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), but in exchange for new fees and new reporting requirements.
The Natural Resources Board (NRB) approved new rules for the Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP) that was established in 2014. The rule now goes to Gov. Tony Evers for approval and the legislature for review before going into effect in 2025 or 2026.
Five cow elk tags in play for Jackson Co. for Wisconsin’s 2025 hunt
Even as the Wisconsin DNR’s elk management team winds down from the first bull hunting season in the Central Elk Zone, team leaders are – potentially – gearing up for the first cow season in Jackson County in the fall of 2025.
That’s the word out from the DNR’s elk committee when members met Thursday, Dec. 12, in Wausau to review 2024’s hunting seasons, population estimates, crop damage issues, and any other elk-related subjects.
Five cow elk tags in play for Jackson Co. for Wisconsin’s 2025 hunt Read More »
Wisconsin’s statewide fishing report on Dec. 20, 2024
Winter fishing season rolling, but use caution on ice. Here’s a look at the Wisconsin fishing report on Dec. 20, 2024.
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Researchers investigating earlier bear reproduction in Minnesota
Each winter, Andy Tri and his team cautiously approach bear den after bear den, where a DNR-collared bear is hunkering to make it through a Minnesota winter.
Tri, the DNR’s bear project leader, and other researchers start by covering the opening of the den with a cloth and sneaking a syringe full of anesthetic into the den until it finds its mark. After a bear’s been injected, the clock starts ticking for the researchers to collect all the desired data before she awakes from her slumber.
“This is, I think, year 41 we’ve been doing this, so we’re pretty well oiled,” Tri said.
Researchers investigating earlier bear reproduction in Minnesota Read More »
Mike Schoonveld: Extra rod license not included in Michigan DNR proposal, but should it be?
The recent announcement of the Michigan DNR’s proposed fishing license fee increases heading to the legislature has some bold requests. It also has some disappointments.
License fee requests are never popular with either license buyers or with many legislators. Inflation has bumped up the prices anglers pay for everything associated with fishing, from bait to boats. A license fee increase is just one more hit to their wallet.
Notes off a soiled cuff: Prior column draws humorous reactions from Pennsylvania readers
Last issue in this space, I chided readers for not noticing a photo caption error, quipping, “As they say in Pittsburgh, you’ins are slipping.”
That drew a humorous reaction.
Notes off a soiled cuff: Prior column draws humorous reactions from Pennsylvania readers Read More »
Commentary: PF & QF acknowledge voluntary, incentive-based opportunities for habitat as the No. 1 strategy to restore the iconic monarch butterfly
Last week, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever encouraged private landowners and public land managers to help identify innovative strategies to restore quality pollinator habitat in the United States in light of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed threatened status of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act.
Loss of breeding, migratory, and overwintering habitat, including food sources along established migration corridors and throughout the blooming season, remain among the top threats for monarch butterflies.
Tom Venesky: Is venison really organic?
We often think of wild game as being the most pure, organic form of meat there is.
Nothing is more free-range than game such as deer and turkeys, roaming the landscape and raised on a bounty of natural food sources. There is no doubt venison is a high protein, lean meat produced by nature, so it has to be good for you, right?
I’m not too sure.
Tom Venesky: Is venison really organic? Read More »
