Wisconsin Wolf Hunting, Turkey Management News, and Outdoor Report
Application period for wolf hunting permit opens August 1, closes August 31
Hunters and trappers interested in participating in Wisconsin’s inaugural wolf hunting and trapping season must apply for a permit between August 1 and August 31, 2012. The permit application fee is $10 and applications can be purchased from authorized license agents, over the Internet through the Department of Natural Resources “Online Licensing Center” or by phone at 1-877-945-4236 toll free.
Note: As of Tuesday morning, August 7, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has sold 7,286 applications for wolf hunting permits.
Results available from survey on turkey management plan revision
Results from a recent survey on turkey management in Wisconsin show strong support of current practices, with 80 percent of respondents indicating they believe the current seven turkey management zones provide good hunting opportunity, and over three-quarters of respondents favoring the six separate time periods of the spring hunting season.“While there’s a lot of information yet to comb through, our initial summary provides unique insight into how hunters view various aspects of Wisconsin’s turkey season framework,” said Krista McGinley, assistant upland wildlife ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources.
The survey showed strong approval of the current permit drawing process for the spring season, but also suggested that it might be time to make some changes to the fall permit drawing process.
“Over half of the survey takers indicated that they’d support the elimination of the fall permit drawing in favor of over-the-counter permit sales,” McGinley said. “We greatly appreciate the time folks took to participate in the public input process. Thanks to this input, we’ll be able to develop a plan that continues to reflect the desires and concerns of our state’s hunters.”
Following their successful reintroduction to Wisconsin in the 1970s, wild turkeys have expanded their range so that they now occupy all counties in the state, and spring and fall turkey hunting have become very popular outdoor activities.
DNR biologists believe the current Wisconsin Wild Turkey Management Plan, written in 1996, is in need of revision in order to remain pertinent to contemporary issues related to turkey management in the state. A critical part of the revision process includes soliciting, gathering, and analyzing input from the public regarding challenges and opportunities in turkey management and hunting in Wisconsin.
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| (Photo credit: Árdís) |
During late April and early May of 2012, 11 public input sessions were held around the state, during which attendees were presented with background information and asked to complete a survey that addressed important issues related to the future direction of turkey management. The survey was also available online through the end of May. Information from this survey will help all of the partners involved in managing our state’s turkey flock in developing a plan that protects the turkey resource, but also optimizes recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.
“There's no question that the DNR and the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation have done a masterful job restoring wild turkeys back to Wisconsin,” says Cory Catlin, president of the federation’s Wisconsin chapter. “This was particularly evident a couple of years ago when our state led the nation in spring harvest. Now that we've seen those numbers level off a bit, it's time to move forward with management changes that improve habitat, hunting opportunities, and the overall health of our sport.”
Outdoor Report
Despite the heat, and resulting warm waters, fish, as you might expect haven’t taken all the mid-summer fun out of angling. You may have to adjust your depths, or your fishing times, and be a bit more patient than usual, but they are biting in many places.
Nine- to 11-inch crappies have been taken along the rock rip rap below Lock and Dam 11 with a small jig equipped with a small minnow. Anglers are getting the attention of musky on the Upper Chippewa Basin and even a bit in Dane County.
The perch bite is still in full swing around on Lake Winnebago, but due to the continued heat, algae continues to a problem on the lake and the Fox River. Water users should continue to avoid areas of blue-green algae and shower after being in the water.
Lake Michigan trollers have been taking good numbers of chinook, along with a few coho, lake trout, and rainbow trout. Fish have been scattered, and constant wind switches have made staying on the fish challenging. Anglers are catching smallmouth bass throughout Door County waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
Turkeys are being seen dining in fields and ditches. Deer are also being seen, including increasingly filled out young bucks and does with twins. Bears are burglarizing bird feeders, coolers full of food left outside and cabin porches for left overs. To prevent the pilfering, and ensure your safety and the bear’s, take feeders in at night, or better yet, put them away for the summer, take coolers in, along with left overs. And, of course, secure your garbage and garbage cans.
From south to north, the landscape goes form brown, tan to green and many state parks, trails and wildlife areas in the north offer a reprieve, if not from the heat, at least some cooling green shade.
The warm weather has the berries blooming, and depending on the area, some fine crops of berries, along with nuts is expected. Walnuts and walnut leaves have already started to drop and an occasional hickory nut can be found as well. Arrowhead, cardinal flower, wild rice, swamp milkweed, Joe-pye weed, water lily, pickerelweed and Indian Pipe are all blooming. Asters of all varieties are joining in and little bluestem has started to fluff and goldenrods are getting showy.
The public can provide input on Wisconsin’s efforts to restore elk through an online survey at the DNR website. You can find it by searching for "elk reintroduction." The survey will be available the entire month of August.
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