Family-Outdoors

Sunday marks the official first day of summer! On hot days, many of us head to Wisconsin's beaches to cool off.  Wisconsin waters provide wildlife habitat, recreation areas and tourist destinations. But they're not without risk, so it's  important to keep an eye on beach conditions before you go . Beaches may be closed or post swimming advisories due to spills, dangerous currents, elevated bacteria and more.  While You're Out: Protect Your Pets From Blue-Green Algae  Blue-green algae are a serious concern for beachgoers and their pets.  Also known as Cyanobacteria, blue-green algae are group of photosynthetic bacteria that many people refer to as "pond scum."   Blue-green algae generally grow in lakes, ponds and slow-moving streams when the water is warm and enriched with nutrients like phosphorus or nitrogen. Most lakes in Wisconsin are not tested for blue-green algae, so learn what it looks like and always assess conditions for yourself before y...

  MADISON, Wis.  – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will celebrate the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area's (NHFRA) 75 th   year of operation on June 20, 2021. Located in Vilas County, the NHFRA is the DNR's longest-running fisheries research project and an umbrella project for multiple fisheries research initiatives, contributing to understanding how fish communities respond to fishing regulations, environmental change and angler practices. The NHFRA was founded in 1946 to establish experimental fisheries research lakes to understand the role of angler harvest in altering the fish communities' size structure and growth rates. More recently, NHFRA lakes have been used to test regulations on length limits, bag limits and gear restrictions for several Wisconsin species. The NHFRA angler survey dataset is one of the longest continuous fish harvest datasets in the world, featuring a complete record of every angler who has fished the lakes and every fis...

Application deadlines for the 2021 East River, West River, Black Hills, Custer State Park, Refuge, and Muzzleloader Deer hunting season are quickly approaching Paper applications must be postmarked June 11 and the online submissions must be made by 8 A.M. CDT on June 16. Remember, this is now a combined drawing. In the first drawing, you may select a First and Second Choice in two of the seasons. If you were successful in drawing either special buck licenses, you are only eligible to apply for one of the other seasons. Apply

Lots of people caught the excitement of fishing last summer. It's easy to join the fun! Free fishing weekend (June 4-6) is a great time to learn how to fish, take your family fishing, or introduce a friend to fishing. Outdoor fun awaits at hundreds of Iowa lakes, thousands of miles of rivers or a neighborhood pond.  Here's a few tips for a fantastic fishing weekend. Keep the fun going all summer long – buy your  fishing license  today! Attend a free, hands-on fishing event to help get your family started. Check our  general fishing calendar   for a list of this weekend's fishing events. Find a list of stocked lakes and ponds that are easily accessible in neighborhood parks and along trails on our  interactive Iowa Community Fisheries Atlas . Get tips for taking kids fishing and catching crappie, bluegills and yellow bass on our  Ready to Fish website .

MADISON, Wis.  – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting artwork entries for the Wild Turkey, Pheasant and Waterfowl Stamp design contests. The winning art will appear on the 2022 Wisconsin Wild Turkey Stamp. Every year, local artists from around Wisconsin compete for the opportunity to have their artwork featured on the Wild Turkey, Pheasant and Wisconsin Waterfowl stamps. "This is a unique opportunity for Wisconsin artists to showcase your artwork statewide, while also promoting wildlife management,” said Alaina Gerrits, DNR Assistant Upland Ecologist. For many years, Wisconsin's wild turkey, pheasant and waterfowl stamp programs have been providing opportunities for wildlife and habitat management, with efforts directed toward key species. Turkey, pheasant and waterfowl hunters are required to purchase a species-specific stamp to legally harvest these game birds in Wisconsin. Sales of these three stamps bring in hundreds of thousands...