Your Wisconsin Outdoor Community

Happy 2009-2010 Snowmobile season

February 16, 2010 Trail Conditions: Excellent Snow Cover: 18-20 + inches Temps are in the teens to mid 20's most days for the last week and looking that way for awhile. We got 4" of new snow yesterday and trails are great with the fresh powder, but traffic has been heavy and by late afternoon trails do get bumpy. A WORD OF CAUTION: PLEASE BE A GOOD SNOWMOBILE AMBASSADOR. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW RIDERS NOT RESPECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY, TRESSPASSING AND SPEEDING DOWN VILLAGE STREETS AND SNOWMOBILE ROUTES (MARKED WITH GREEN & WHITE SIGNS) CAUSING COMPLAINTS TO BE FILED. THE COUNTY SHERRIF HAS CARS & SNOWMOBILE PATROL OUT WATCHING. FOLLOW THE RULES & ENJOY A SAFE RIDE. Groomers work their magic every night and every morning riding is GREAT. Expect the trails to get beat up some by late afternoon. but they have been holding up remarkably well with the good ice base. MOST WET AREAS & LAKES ARE NOW SAFELY FROZEN, BUT NOT ALL, AND MANY LAKES HAVE LOTS OF SLUSH, SO BEWARE AND CHECK LOCAL CONDITIONS! RIDE RIGHT, BE SAFE & ENJOY!

http://www.landolakes-wi.org/
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/snow.htm

A list of UP Michigan Hotels and Motels that have access to Snowmobile trails from their facility has been compiled for your conveiience. http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/upsnowmobilehotels.htm

Wisconsin Outdoor is compiling a list of Wisconsin Resorts, Motels and Hotels that cater to Snowmobilers   
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/snowmobileresortswisconsin.htm

Wisconsin Faces Problems With Illegal Activities Surrounding Deer Baiting/Feeding
December 11th, 2006 . by Tom Remington
The problems that are beginning to surface in Wisconsin, are mostly indirectly related to the baiting and feeding of deer. There are no laws banning the feeding or baiting of deer in Wisconsin except during the deer gun season when hunters are restricted to using two gallons or less of bait food.

Randy Stark is the state conservation warden chief and he has just submitted his end of the year assessment of this year’s deer hunt - 43 pages total if you count the separate report he filed just concerning issues of deer feeding and baiting.

Stark says there are four ingredients needed to continue having a deer hunting season in Wisconsin and the problems arising from baiting are going to cut into those four things.

“We need four things to have a future in deer hunting: a healthy deer herd, hunters, access to a place to hunt and a public that accepts hunting,” Stark said.

He also believes now is the time to get the conversation going to work to address some of the problems. He gives some reasons why he thinks now is as good a time as any.

# Researchers recently confirmed that chronic wasting disease can be transferred by saliva.

# Repeated placement of corn, apples and other foods can concentrate deer on private property and reduce normal daylight deer movement.

# Feed outside cabins and residences creates vulnerability for opportunistic poaching at night, with trophy bucks often the targets.

# Conflicts between adjacent landowners and hunters on public lands spawn unethical and sometimes illegal conduct.

22% of all citations issued were the result of issues dealing with deer baiting. Here is a look at some of them.

Some wardens told Stark that the $530 fine for illegal baiting and feeding didn’t seem to faze those who were caught, and they recommended higher fines and a mandatory license suspension of at least one year.

Numerous complaints of illegally-cut shooting lanes, ATV use and permanent tree stands on state land were made. Stark said bait piles are involved in most of those instances.

Also as a result of baiting activity, wardens reported significantly more late shots heard as people stayed in stands after shooting hours closed waiting for deer to come to their corn pile.

One landowner with several excessive baits was contacted by Lincoln County warden Fred Peters. The hunter expressed annoyance with the DNR for their ability to count deer.

“I pointed out the deer sign in and around the bait stations and explained that he had several fat and happy deer that would gladly wait until after dark to eat the corn,” Peters said.

Many ATV users are dumping excessive baits before the opener and hoping that the baits will be eaten down to the legal limit of two gallons or less by the opener, he said.

This is the type of hunter that allowing the practice of baiting is creating. Instead of becoming a knowledgeable hunter and learning how to read the signs, do some scouting, use some strategy and change methods of hunting, it’s much easier to dump a pile of food and wait for the biggest deer to come along and eat.

When hunters are allowed to run ram shod through the woods dumping bait here and there, it has become clear that the ethics in hunting are disappearing and being replaced by law breaking and disrespect for the sport and the land and landowners. I agree with Stark. It’s time for some changes.

Tom Remington

http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/?p=1374#comments
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/wonews.htm

Fishing Report from Erv Keller
Fishing report for October 1, 2007


Boulder Junction area fishing guide Erv Keller reports excellent walleye fishing over the last few days.

“Walleyes are it,” says Erv. “Look for 23 to 30 foot holes on shallow lakes. That’s where walleye are gathering right now.”

Worms still seem to be working, but Keller predicts that minnows will soon become the go-to bait.

For muskies, look to the weed edges along the first break line. Suckers have been producing the most fish.

Crappies are biting well too. “Fish the deep edge of weedlines,” suggests Keller. “Use tiny crappie minnows on small jigs and fish that under a slip bobber.”

To book a fishing trip with Boulder Junction area fishing guide Erv Keller, call (715) 385-2265.


 http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/solunar.htm

Lac Vieux Desert Ice 12/1"
 
     After a few single digit & below zero night temps, the ice, as tape measured out at 8-9 fow(400 ft. from shore), is currently 7". I did find a couple spots closer in that were only 4" for whatever reason, but plenty of good clear ice . The lake froze over completely Thanksgiving afternoon between 3-4PM. Atleast there is a fairly decent base before this storm dumps the insulation on top. Even though we gained approx. 8" back in the water column during Sept. & Oct., the level is still approx. 10" lower than this time last year.
www.winddriftresort.com


http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/solunar.htm
 

http://www.madisonlakes.com/

Price County Winter Trail Report 3/5/10
   
As of Friday, March 5, snowmobile trails are open and in poor to good condition. The trails have been groomed but conditions are deteriorating rapidly with the warm, sunny weather. Trails in the woods are rideable, but it may be a challenge getting to them. Snow cover is diminishing in open areas exposed to sun, especially on road routes and near town. There are some bare areas from logging operations, so please slow down and use caution whenever you see signs on the trail that say  "Logging Ahead" or "Trucks Hauling". At intersection 97A north of Prentice, due to a logging operation the trail is bare (but fairly smooth) in all directions for a short distance. Riding new trail (#94) is not recommended at this time.  This trail connects Trail #102 at Three Mile Corner to Catawba area Trail #80 a couple miles north of trail #181/16. Highs are predicted to be near 40 through the weekend with lows below freezing at night; so the best time to go for a ride is in the morning. Price County snowmobile trails remain open through March 31.

 Price County?s nine cross-country ski trails are groomed with most in fair to good condition. Visit our website for detailed information on specific trails at www.pricecountywi.net.


 http://www.pricecountywi.net/trailconditions.html
http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/snow.htm

It is snowing lightly today. Warm weather and sun has taken its toll on the trails. At Best they are "good" in the shaded areas, "fair" where they are exposed to the sun. The temps are forecasted to be a bit cooler this week. We need 4-5" new snow to get our trail conditions back up where they should be. I am heading north today and will report back tue or wed. Think snow. Its too early for Spring.
Barry Hopkins <peapatch@centurytel.net>
- Monday, February 22, 2010 at 10:51:45 (PST)

http://www.upnorthsnow.com/snowmobilemanitowishwaterswisconsin.htm

http://www.wisconsinoutdoor.com/snow.htm