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Dean Bortz

Dean Bortz: It was a turkey hunt like never seen before…

Featured, Features, Hunting, National Hunting, Wisconsin /

John Madden could have made the call on a first-season gobbler finally killed by yours truly in Zone 7’s Vilas County.
“And there goes Bortz yet again, rumblin’, bumblin’, and stumblin’ through the woods. He missed again. No, wait. He did hit it. There he goes again, fumblin’, bumblin’ – Pat, have you ever seen a javelin toss during a turkey hunt? What’s this guy doing?”

Dean Bortz: It was a turkey hunt like never seen before… Read More »

State Roundup: Wisconsin’s elk herds growing, and public lands groups sue over corner crossing in Montana

Featured, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, Nature Page & Night Sky, Opinion, Wisconsin /

Wisconsin’s northern and central elk herds are expected to gain at least 96 calves in total this spring, but that number could reach as high as 214.
However, it’s more likely that once all is said and done, the two herds will gain about 154 new members. Those numbers come from estimates the DNR’s two elk biologists – Josh Spiegel and Christina Kizewski – are bringing to the May 27 Natural Resources Board meeting in Madison.

State Roundup: Wisconsin’s elk herds growing, and public lands groups sue over corner crossing in Montana Read More »

State Roundup: Thoughts on a couple lawsuits impacting Wisconsin anglers

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, National Fishing, Opinion, Wisconsin /

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) is going to make another run at trying to place Great Lakes region lake sturgeon on the federal Endangered Species List. Second time.
The group lost its previous bid in 2024. What the heck are they thinking? They have absolutely no leg to stand on in this lawsuit. So it has to be money.

State Roundup: Thoughts on a couple lawsuits impacting Wisconsin anglers Read More »

Dean Bortz: Young Wisconsin turkey hunter puts it all together

Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, Wisconsin /

This thing we call hunting never gets old (nor does the fishing and trapping, but we’re talking hunting today). No, it never gets old. Only the hunters get old.
Good thing there are some younguns coming up behind those of us with gray hair or no hair and white whiskers. I had the extreme good fortune of working with two new turkey hunters this spring, one on each end of that age spectrum.

Dean Bortz: Young Wisconsin turkey hunter puts it all together Read More »

Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit wants sturgeon on Endangered Species List

Featured, Featured, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Home Page News, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Fishing, National News, Nature Page & Night Sky, New York, News, News, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

Even as the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) announced its second attempt to place lake sturgeon on the federal Endangered Species List (ESL), a Wisconsin retired sturgeon expert called the effort “nothing but a bunch of hooey.”
On April 27, the CBD notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service it intends to sue the agency for “illegally denying” Endangered Species Act protections to America’s populations of lake sturgeon.

Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit wants sturgeon on Endangered Species List Read More »

State Roundup: Wisconsin DNR budget cuts would be felt by Lake Superior anglers

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Hunting, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion, Wisconsin /

Fitting. Mine is “Sultan’s of Swing.” I’ll tell that story some day. I’m running out of room here, so I’ll have to take up Schiedt’s story another day, but I’ll say that as I read his note I realized I probably know the polite Antigo turkey hunter who wrote him.

State Roundup: Wisconsin DNR budget cuts would be felt by Lake Superior anglers Read More »

Dean Bortz: Wisconsin’s Vilas County showcases strong DNR team during spring hearings

Featured, Fishing, Hunting, National Fishing, National Hunting, Opinion, Wisconsin /

It was almost like the good old days on Monday, April 13, in Vilas County when 103 citizens poured into the St. Germain Elementary School for Wisconsin’s annual spring fish and game hearings proctored by local Conservation Congress delegates and local Department of Natural Resources fish biologists, wildlife biologists and game wardens.
That turnout reminded me of spring hearings back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when more than 100 sportsmen would pile into the Plum Lake town hall in Sayner when guys like Tony Rizzo and Neal Long would raise a skeptical eyebrow at some proposed DNR rule changes, while standing up to champion other proposals.

Dean Bortz: Wisconsin’s Vilas County showcases strong DNR team during spring hearings Read More »

Dean Bortz: Why, or when, do our Wisconsin deer hunters squeeze the trigger?

1 Comment / Discussions, Featured, Hunting, National Hunting, Wisconsin /

UW-Madison graduate Meghan Henry conducted a survey on how hunters make a decision on when to take a good shot opportunity at a buck during the Wisconsin gun deer season in 2022 and 2023. Much of the information from her study was recently reviewed by the National Deer Association, with a summary listed on this page.

Dean Bortz: Why, or when, do our Wisconsin deer hunters squeeze the trigger? Read More »

State Roundup: No shortage of opportunities for Wisconsin anglers these days

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, Opinion, Wisconsin /

It’s almost getting to the point where a fisherman might ask why we even have any closed seasons anymore.
Wisconsin’s stream trout season closure has been pushed into October. This year, on April 4, our inland stream trout “keep” season opened, and will continue to do so the first Saturday of each April. The winter trout release season opened in January and ran through Friday, April 3, then gave way to the new keep season.

State Roundup: No shortage of opportunities for Wisconsin anglers these days Read More »

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