Wisconsin DNR Outdoor Report
Edited by Paul Holtan
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison WI 53707-7921
(608) 267-7517
Fax: (608) 264-6293
E-mail: paul.holtan@dnr.state.wi.us
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/or/WDNR Outdoor Report as of April 28, 2011A cold, wet spring has kept a lot of outdoor recreation on hold over the last few weeks, with some of the larger lakes in northern Wisconsin still locked in ice, with the potential of some of the largest lakes still having ice cover for the game fish opener on Saturday, May 7. Steady rainfall and even more snow in some areas has kept rivers running high and turbid. Water temperatures remain in the low 40s, delaying spawning activity of many fish.
The unseasonably cold weather has delayed sturgeon spawning on the Wolf River, but sturgeons have been gathering at traditional spawning sites, and with a warm-up in the forecast for this weekend, biologists believe spawning could reach its peak. Check the sturgeon spawning page of the DNR website for updates.
With the cold and raining conditions, and high water on many river systems, fishing pressure has been very low. A limited number of steelhead continue to be caught on Lake Michigan tributaries, but the main run is over and the Root River Steelhead Facility has closed for the season after reaching its egg-taking goals for hatcheries. Large number of suckers continue to be reported in tributaries and sucker fishing has been good. Some of the best fishing has been on Peshtigo River bay where anglers were having good success for walleyes.
Both the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers continue to run very high, with access still limited at many boat landings, and fishing slow. The Mississippi dropped more than 2 feet in the last week, but was still just above the 16-foot flood stage this week at Prairie du Chien.
The wet weather has also kept trails very wet, and most horse and mountain bike trails are closed and will be until they have a chance to dry out. Bicyclists are also asked to limit their riding on the linear state trails with crushed limestone if trails are wet enough for tires to sink in. This can leave deep ruts that remain in the trails after they dry out.
Weather conditions during the first two turkey hunting periods have made things a little more difficult than normal. Despite the weather, some hunters are reporting good success, with winter flocks breaking up and gobblers gobbling.
Due to the recent rain fall, the woods foliage is greening up, but slowly due to the cooler temperatures. Despite the wet weather, there were still 34 wildfire reported in the last week, mostly caused by debris burning.
Beaver and muskrat are dispersing and looking for new places to call home. Bears are becoming active and looking for an easy meal such as bird food, pet food, and garbage. Chorus frogs and spring peepers are calling. Brown snakes have emerged from their winter hibernacula.
Bald eagles have been seen feeding young in the south along the Mississippi River. Ruffed grouse are drumming and woodcock and snipe have been seen peenting. Sandhill cranes are nesting. Canada geese are half way through incubation of their eggs, and goslings should start hatching around mid May. Yellow-rumped warblers, cerulean warblers and white throated sparrows have arrived back in the state.
Hepatica was seen blooming and skunk cabbage has emerged in the Kettle Moraine, and while the cold wet weather seems to be delaying the emergence of morel mushrooms, a few are being found in the Coulee Region.
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A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
A new report is put on the line each week.
Statewide Wildfire Report
In the past week, 34 wildfires burned 46 acres in DNR protection areas around the state; 15 buildings were threatened but none were lost. The largest fire was 16-acres burned when fire in a debris pile escaped. A third of the fires this week were caused by debris burning. Other causes were equipment, power lines and smoking. A free annual burning permit is required to burn small piles of debris and to burn in a burn barrel. People who burn outdoors must check the daily burning restrictions every day they intend to burn by calling 1-888-WIS-BURN (947-2876) or checking online at dnr.wi.gov/wisburn. Larger piles and daytime burning require a special permit from a DNR Ranger.
Firewise Tip: You can reduce the probability of wildfire loss if you adopt Firewise landscaping practices in the area 100-200 feet around your home. Check out the DNR?s Firewise web page for ideas:
http://new.dnr.wi.gov/environment/fire/firewise/ Northern Region Wildfire Report - The Brule and Cumberland dispatch groups have been experiencing a wetter than normal spring so far but are still responding to a few wildland fires. Brule Dispatch reports eight new wildfires for the week for 9.71 acres. There were eight structures threatened in these fires; all were protected by firefighters on scene. Again debris burning was a major cause of fires this week. Year to date the Brule Dispatch Group reports 16 fires totaling 53 acres and one mutual aid fire for .20 acres. Cumberland Dispatch reports three new wildfires for the week for .32 acres. There were three structures threatened by these fire and were protected by firefighters on scene. Two of these fires were caused by debris burning and one by equipment. Year to date Cumberland Dispatch Group reports 19 fires for 14 acres. Debris burning is the greatest threat to our Northern Forest so when burning make sure you have your garden hose, rake, and shovel available when you burn. Never leave your burning project unattended. In Woodruff & Parks Falls Dispatch Groups, 11 fires burned a total of 10.3 acres with 4 structures saved and no structures receiving damage this week. Due to rain and snowfall, the fire danger is Low across the region but things are expected to dry out on Friday. Debris burning is the leading cause of wildfires in the Park Falls-Woodruff area. A fire in the Woodruff Dispatch Group caused by smoking burned 2 acres and fire near the Village of Exeland in Sawyer County burned 7.39 acres in cut hayfield and hardwood, 3 homes and 3 dogs in a kennel were saved. The cause is still under investigation. One prescribed fire on one acre occurred this week.
South Central Region Wildfire Report - One fire was reported in the region this past week. Burning permits are required for burning after 6 p.m. in DNR protection areas. Any day time burning must have a special burn permit from the DNR Fire Control Ranger.
West Central Region Wildfire Report ? In the Black River Falls and Wis. Rapids Dispatch Groups where the DNR is responsible for wildfire suppression, five fires burned less than an acre in the last week. Two of these fires were caused by equipment, one was caused by a structure fire, one was caused by debris burning and the cause of a fire in Adams County is still under investigation. The weather has continued to be cool and rainy. However, keep in mind that on our sandy soils, precipitation this time of year only alleviates fire danger for a short time.
Northeast Region Wildfire Report - Six fires burned 25 acres in the Waupaca and Peshtigo Dispatch Groups this past week. Four of the fires were caused by debris burning. The largest was a 15.7 acre fire in Green Lake County in which the responsible party started burning a debris pile in the morning and then left the fire unattended. In this case, burning permit restrictions were not followed ? the burning began before 6 p.m. and the fire was left unattended. Even though there seems to have been ample precipitation lately, all it takes is one warm, dry, breezy day to dry out the grasses enough to sustain fire. An 8.6 acre fire burned in Oconto County when a broadcast burn escaped the parties? control. No structures were threatened by either fire.
DNR Northern Region
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - Sandals, mud boots, snow boots? The mix of weather has made it difficult to decide what to wear for the day. On Monday, April 25 the high temperature reached 66 at the Brule Ranger Station. By Tuesday afternoon the weather switched again with cooler temperatures and blowing, wet, sticky snow. The Bois Brule River is flowing at 249 cfs (cubic feet per second) as of May 27. The 66 year average flow is 270 cfs. Even with the roller coaster-like weather, signs of spring are becoming apparent. Migrating song birds are still coming through. Frogs are calling and lethargic reptiles are starting to come out to warm themselves on the warm days. Ruffed grouse are drumming, trying to impress the females. Beaver and muskrat are dispersing and looking for new places to call home. Bears are becoming active and looking for an easy meal such as bird food, pet food, and garbage. Canada geese are half way through incubation of their eggs, the goslings should start hatching around mid May. Fox are giving birth to their kits. The Brule Sportsmen's Club will be sponsoring a cleanup around the Brule River area on April 30. Volunteers are to meet at the Brule pavilion prior to 9 a.m. for coffee and rolls.
Hayward DNR Service Center area
Tuscobia State Trail - The trail is open for ATV/UTV use from Park Falls to Birchwood; the trail has rough stretches and grading will be done mid-May.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - With the unseasonably cold weather, spring seems to be on hold and ice cover has been very slow to leave many Northern Wisconsin lakes. As of last week, many lakes still had quite a bit of ice cover yet and only about half could be considered totally ice free. And along with this cold weather, water temperatures have been staying in the upper 30s to low 40s and this has limited spring spawning activity for northern pike and walleye. But warmer temperatures should be on the way and this will really spur on reproductive activity for the early spawning species such as walleye, perch, suckers and musky. There has been very little fishing activity in the past week - ice fishing has been over with for about a week now and just a few sucker anglers have been out trying their luck. But with the cold water temperatures, even the suckers have been tough to catch for most of the anglers.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Upper Wisconsin Basin fisheries report (Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln, Langlade, Forest and Florence counties) - The ice has been really hanging in there on area lakes. As of April 27, the region had a slushy accumulating snowfall and high temperatures in the 30s. Lakes smaller than 200 acres or so have been ice free for a few days, but the major lakes are still socked in fairly well. The wind and rain earlier this week is trying hard to bust up the ice on larger lakes. To-date the fisheries crews are just getting going here on a few lakes, but we won't be surveying hard until more ice disappears. Best guess is by April 30, most lakes should be ice free, with the exception of deep clear lakes such as Trout, and Fence -- those could very well be iced up during the opener of fishing unless the weather really warms up next week.
Antigo DNR Service Center area
Council Grounds State Park - The park has reopened but some trails remain closed due to damage from the tornado. These trails are posted with close signs. The campground will open on May 1. Flush toilet buildings will open on May 13.The docks are in at the Boat Landing. A Spring Open House will be held Saturday, April 30. No vehicle admission sticker is required that day. There will be bird hikes, a meet the ranger program, an evening candlelight hike and more.
DNR Northeastern Region
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Water temperatures this past week have been in the low to mid 40s, with fishing pressure moderate to heavy. With the slow spring warm up and wet weather the walleye bite has remained good. After Tuesday?s rain, waters are running high and dirty.
Marinette County - Peshtigo Harbor shore anglers have been catching a mixed bag of walleye, northern pike, suckers, and the occasional trout using spinners, stick baits and spoons. Boaters on the Peshtigo River have been having great success jigging for walleye; most of what they are catching are spawned out. Jigs tipped with minnows or plastics work well. Good numbers of walleye were still being caught off the Hattie Street Bridge on twister tail and stick baits. Boaters have been having a field day fishing from the Turn Basin to the mouth of the Menominee River catching walleye on jigs and minnows, with some anglers reporting catching walleye in the 30 inches plus range.
Oconto County ? The Stiles Dam area has still been producing walleye and a few northern pike for anglers casting stick baits and twister tails. Suckers are also present in large numbers. Anglers at Oconto Breakwater Park were catching some walleye along with many suckers casting and jigging. Boaters trying for brown trout have had limited success fishing the shallows north of the breakwater trolling stick baits and spoons. Oconto Park II boaters have been having success with walleye and pike trolling in 6 to 8 feet of water using stick baits; crawler and harness rigs have not been producing yet.
Governor Thompson State Park ? As of last weekend the boat landing and fishing piers were still iced-in on Caldron Falls. Woods Lake is now ice free. The Woods Lake day-use area is open and has picnic tables and benches to enjoy a peaceful lunch or to simply enjoy the seasonal changes around the lake. No camping is available; the park is open only for day use at this time.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - Voyageur Park has been good for anglers shore fishing walleye during the last week. Most have been using crank baits at night. Jigs have also been working well. Many shore anglers have been fishing from the metro landing and catching some walleye and a few bonus smallmouth bass as well. Anglers fishing from boats have been finding walleye all over the river. The shallows have been the best resource at night while fishing the river channel during the day seems to work best. There have been a few boats traveling out onto the bay with minimal success.
Manitowoc County - Cold temperatures in the last week ranging from the mid-30s to low 40s combined with little angler success left the tributaries and lakeshore relatively quiet. Heavy snow last Tuesday night into Wednesday morning created very high, murky waters throughout the weekend. Chilly northerly winds at 10-15 mph during the start of the week switched late week out of the southwest around 10 mph. Tributary temperatures rose throughout the week from 42 degrees to 47 degrees. Lakeshore water temperatures reached 50 degrees by Sunday. Many low-lying areas remain flooded, but water levels have dropped nearly a foot and a half compared to last weekend. Low fishing pressure with little success continues throughout all the tributaries for steelhead. Early and mid-week saw a few reports of anglers landing two or three steelhead, consisting mostly of males and spawned out females 6 to 8 pounds near Shoto on the West Twin River. Anglers fishing from the conservation club up to the dam have landed a few 12-pound-plus brown trout using spawn or casting spoons. The West Twin River remains very high, murky, and fast flowing, contributing to the poor angler success. The East Twin River currently has the best water clarity and many anglers left with one or two steelhead in the 6- to 8-pound range near the Mishicot dam. Anglers have been floating either spawn or shrimp to land the steelhead. Many anglers out last weekend were targeting suckers which appear to be in high densities up and down all the tributaries. Using night crawlers on the bottom or dip-netting have both been very successful. A few anglers continue to catch a few catfish in the Two Rivers and Manitowoc harbors, but the numbers are considerably lower compared to previous weeks. Sucker guts and other parts continue to work on bottom for the catfish. The boat ramps this week showed more activity, but with little success reported. A few incidental catches of rainbow trout on bright colored crank baits were reported in 8 to 15 feet of water. A lake trout or two has been landed on spoons, with no reports of success for brown trout this week. Boaters tried their luck south of Manitowoc off of Silver Creek all the way north to the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in 6 to 20 feet of water.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County -
Whitefish Dunes State Park ? In the woods many feathered residents are being heard and/or seen, such like the hermit thrush, golden crowned kinglet, brown creepers, kingfisher, phoebe, and song sparrow. Out on the lake the winter birds are beginning to head northward but lesser scaup, red breasted merganser, common merganser, and buffleheads can still be seen. Discover the native spring wildflowers found in Door County on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Create a fairy based on a real flower. Material cost $5 per fairy. Free flower activity available. On Sunday, May 1 at 6:30 a.m. there will be a Bird Exploration trip lead by amateur birders Bill and Sarah Krouse.
Wautoma DNR Service Center area
Virginia Rails and peenting snipes can be heard in the marshes of Waushara County. Yellow rumped warblers, cerulean warblers and white throated sparrows arrived at Hartman Creek State Park. Sandhill cranes are nesting.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
A little warmer weather this week and a few glimpses of the sun Wednesday afternoon made a lot of difference with pushing the lake sturgeon along their path toward ramping up their spawning activity today. Crews tagged fish most of the day again along the Sturgeon Trail on County Highway X west of New London, and then at Pfeifer Park in New London on the Embarrass River. Fish were coming in most of the day at these two sites, as well as at about four or five other sites on the system in the New London and Shiocton areas. Water temperatures went down from highs reached on Monday due to the cold rain Tuesday, but the higher temps we saw on Monday were enough to get fish going at a number of sites. One of the real surprises of the day was capturing a very old and very large male lake sturgeon. This fish was 70 inches long, and was estimated to weigh about 150 pounds. This was a massive fish. Thursday is supposed to be cold and rainy again, so water temperatures are not expected to rise at all, although the fish should continue to be active at County X if people want to brave the elements. The weather is finally supposed to warm up and be sunny on Friday which should push the fish into the final big run of this spawning season which means fish should start spawning at Shawano Dam. There is a web cam people can access over the Internet to watch activities at [http://wolfrivercam.com/Shawano%20Above.html].
DNR Southeast Region
Havenwoods State Forest - Trails are somewhat soft from recent rains. Deer, squirrels, raccoon, turkeys, red-tailed hawks, Cooper's hawk, kestrel, owls, mourning doves, nuthatch, juncos, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpecker, red-winged blackbirds, woodcock, and snipe have been seen or heard.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open to hikers. Hikers will find many wet and muddy areas on the trails. Temporary boardwalk sections have been put in some of the wettest areas to assist hikers in getting across them. The main beach bathroom building is open for the season. The north beach toilet building remains closed at this time.
Kettle Moraine Northern Unit - The recent rains have left the trails saturated, with standing water in some sections. The horse and mountain bike trails currently are very susceptible to erosion and damage, and remain closed through at least this weekend. The flickers, veery, and white-throated sparrows have returned, and heptica was found blooming on the Zillmer Trail. Skunk cabbage has emerged along the Tamarack Trail.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit - As of Thursday April 28, all trails were wet and muddy. Bring the right footwear to deal with conditions. The mountain bike trails have been closed with the rainy weather. Keep an eye on the weather and call the Trail Information Line, (262) 594-6202, for up-to-date conditions. It is prescribed burn season at the Southern Unit. Do not be alarmed by smoke in the air. The bathroom and shower building at the Ottawa Lake campground is open and ready for use.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan, fishing has been very inconsistent with a few fish caught by some trollers, and most fish were taken in 10 to 50 feet of water. Fishing pressure has been moderate, and some catches of brown trout and chinook salmon were reported. The nearshore water is muddy and has ranged from 42 to 44 degrees. Fishing has been slow off the south pier with no real reports of fish being caught. Most anglers were mainly using spoons or minnows. The Pigeon River has seen low fishing pressure with no reports of fish being caught. The Pigeon River has remained high, and the river has become very muddy. Most anglers were using spawn and some were using flies. The water level remains high on the Sheboygan River, and the water temperature is around 42 degrees. Fishing has been tough with light fishing pressure.
Ozaukee County - Port Washington trollers have been catching decent numbers of brown trout in 20 to 30 feet of water. Fishing pressure at the power plant has been light because of inconsistent weather and very few fish being caught. The water is muddy, and the temperature is 44 degrees. Anglers fishing the pier in Port have been using spawn and spoons, but fishing remains slow. Sauk Creek fishing has also been relatively slow with high water levels and poor water clarity. The water temperature is 42 degrees, and fishing pressure has been moderate. Most anglers have been using flies, spawn or spinners with some limited success for rainbow trout.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee, trollers have been catching fair numbers of coho, chinook, and brown trout. Most fish have been taken south of the harbor around 30 feet of water. The Bender Park launch is currently closed, with dredging slated to take place in May. Shore fishing in Milwaukee has been slow at the lakefront, but anglers fishing steelhead on the Menomonee River and Oak Creek continue to catch a few in and amongst the suckers. Flies and spawn have been the most consistently productive baits. Steelhead fishing on the Milwaukee River has remained relatively slow, but a few have been caught on spawn under a bobber at the dam in Kletzsch Park.
Racine County - The Root River in Racine remains high and muddy, and effort was very low this past weekend. Most of the fishing pressure has been in Lincoln Park and upstream in the lower stretches of Colonial Park, as well as under the Highway K bridge. Unfortunately the fishing was slow over the weekend; even when steelhead were hooked, they were rarely landed. DNR crews shut down the Root River Steelhead Facility on Wednesday, April 20. A total of 766 rainbows were captured at the facility, with eggs collected from both Chambers Creek and Ganaraska strains. Combined with spawning at the Besadny facility in Kewaunee, our egg-taking goals were met.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha shore fishing has been slow both in the harbor and on the Pike River. Fishing conditions on the Pike River are good, but effort there has been very low.
DNR South Central Region
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Wyalusing State Park - After cresting at 21.4 feet on April 15, the Mississippi River continues to drop. This year?s flood tied for the fifth highest flood on record. St. Feriole Island is now open to pedestrians and vehicle traffic. Mississippi River stage at Prairie du Chien was 16.2 feet as of April 28. Flood stage is 16 feet. Park trails are in excellent hiking condition. Park bird feeders have been popular with gold finches, cardinals and blue jays. An Eastern towhee was spotted on the ground near the feeders this week. Spring migration has been slow. If humming birds remain true to their past years? arrival, they should show up at Wyalusing on April 30. Hummer food has been made and feeders will be in place this week. Wisconsin Ridge Campground is open for camping. The Homestead Campground remains closed until mid May. Even with the cold and rainy weather, camping has increased. There were 22 campsites taken over Easter Weekend. If the weather would have been warm and sunny as it should have been by mid April, all of the electric sites and many bluff sites would have been taken. The shower/flush building is open in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. The dumping station is not yet open, but campers can fill their holding tanks using their own hose at the winterized faucet near the shower building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. Friends of Wyalusing?s next meeting will be Monday, May 9 at the park office at 6 p.m. Park naturalist programs will begin on Saturday, May 7 with a bird walk led by Chris West. The bird walk will begin at 8:00 a.m. at Point Lookout and continue through the Wisconsin Ridge Campground. The StarSplitters of Wyalusing will begin their monthly astronomy programs on Saturday, May 13 at 8:30 p.m. Programs will be held on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month through October, beginning at 8:30 p.m.
Grant County - The Mississippi River had begun to recede and is doing so at a rapid rate, the river has already dropped 2 feet. Many boat landings and low lying areas still remain under water, and the water levels remain very high, with water crossing all the islands. Boat travel is not advised for some time due to high flows and debris. Due to the high water and flows, fishing on the Mississippi River and Wisconsin River is near non-existent. Due to the dropping water levels, fishing activity for striped bass in the flooded O Leary Lake parking lot below Lock and Dam #11 near Dubuque has ceased. When the water levels are dropping, fishing slows considerably and then picks up again when levels stabilize or are on the rise. Turkey hunters are reporting good success. For those hunters following the foliage change, due to the recent rain fall, the woods foliage is greening up, but slowly due to the cooler temperatures. The trees are beginning to bud.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Dane County - Panfishing has been decent but inconsistent around the Madison Lakes. Fish seem to bite better on days when it is sunny and warm. Cool and cloudy weather seems to slow down the bite. Game fishing remains closed in Dane County. During the closed season anglers are not allowed to fish for game fish even if practicing catch and release. Turkey Hunters have been having some success. Weather conditions during the first two seasons have made things a little more difficult than normal. Seems like the turkeys have been breaking up from their flocks.
Sauk County - Turkeys in the Sauk County Hills have been gobbling. Hunters are reminded to be safe while turkey hunting and to make safety a part of their hunting plan. The Wisconsin River below the Prairie du Sac dam has very high water conditions and fishing has been slow. Anglers and boaters are reminded that these type of conditions can be dangerous on the water. The bluebirds are building nests and a lot of the song birds are migrating back into the area.
DNR West Central Region
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - The Willow River has come up with the rain this week. The park has had over 2 inches of rain the last few days. The dam is spilling extra water. The cool weather does not have the panfish moving around much. The best bet there is to come out after a series of warm days. With a boat, anglers could go to some of the sheltered areas and maybe find fish. There is a tree reported down across the Oak Ridge trail but the trail remains passable. Hikers may find small crews of volunteers working weekdays on trails randomly until the hot weather moves in. Crews will be the Willow River Nordic skiers / grooming team. If there is chain saw work in progress, please stay clear until the saw operator gives the word to pass through. Most of the work will be with hand tools. Crews will widen constricted areas for grooming (skiing) and clear other grooming hazards. Early efforts will be in the pine stands. Wood ticks and deer ticks have been reported. From April 13 to 24, the following birds were observed: mourning dove, broad-winged hawk, double crested cormorant, brown creeper, blue-winged teal, Cooper?s hawk, great egret, hairy woodpecker, hermit thrush, northern water thrush, and brown thrasher. An active Osprey nest is located just off the Rattle Bridge parking lot where the Willow River crosses County Rd. E. 160 acres of prairie was burned this week. The White-Tail trail and the Knapweed trail have some direct exposure to the burned area. Work continues on the two new parking lots. Expect to hear some construction noise if you are visiting during the day. The parking lots will remain as gravel through the warm weather months. Work on a second lane at the entrance station is expected soon.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Wild turkey hunters reported fair success last week. Continued cold, wet, windy weather created difficult hunting conditions for some hunters in their efforts to anticipate turkey behavior. Hunters reported many "henned-up" gobblers. Rufous-sided towhees, yellow-rumped warblers, white-throated sparrows, brown thrashers, and savanna sparrows have moved into the area. Some brown or Dekay's snakes were also on the move. Generally, these snakes exhibit a major migration from their winter hibernacula in late April. These small, docile snakes feed on worms, slugs, and snails and are preyed upon by shrews, weasels, cats, other snakes, and some birds.
Crawford County - Now is a great time to view wildlife along the Mississippi River. The most notable species on the river are waterfowl and pelicans. Diver ducks like canvasback, redhead, scaup, golden -eye, bufflehead, and mergansers as well as swans, pelicans and are showing up by the thousands. Numerous eagles can now be seen in/around the Prairie du Chien area and up and down the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. Eagles are now actively feeding their young. Muskrat, beaver, mink and maybe if your lucky an otter might be seen in the flooded areas long the Mississippi River. The couple of inches of snow that fell last week along with colder temperatures have not been good for morel mushroom hunting.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park ? The Cornell Flowage is ice free. The raccoons and woodchucks are becoming active. Birds seen or heard include: sandhill cranes, red polls, robins, mallard and bufflehead ducks, mourning doves, ravens, black capped chickadees, northern juncos, piliated and red headed woodpeckers, barred and great horned owls.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Spring migration is making for great birding and the weather is great for hiking and fishing. Turkey season is going on in the area this week. Hunters with permits for zone 1 can hunt in the Yellow River Wildlife Area. Turkey hunting in the park is by special permit only (1F). There was no storm damage in the park or flooding with the past storm. Trails are in good condition for hiking. Boat boarding piers and the accessible fishing pier are in and people have been out fishing.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The main gate will open for day use this Friday, April 29. The campground is still closed for the season. There was no storm damage in the park or flooding with the past storm.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT STATE PARKS, FORESTS, AND TRAILS
WATCHABLE WILDLIFE OPPORTUNITIES AND INTERPRETIVE PROGRAMS
Check with the park or forest of your choice for additional activities and special events not listed. Most events are free of charge; park admission sticker required unless otherwise noted. Events and times subject to change.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
? Council Grounds State Park, Merrill, (715) 536-8773 - Spring Open House. Come enjoy the day at Council Grounds! No vehicle admission sticker is required today. There will be bird hikes, a meet the ranger program, an evening candlelight hike and more. The Friends of Council Grounds are helping to sponsor this event and will provide refreshments.
? Harrington Beach State Park, Belgium, (262) 285-3015 - Work * Play * Earth Day! Get outside this Spring! Join DNR Staff, local Friends members, and people from your community for a day of getting your hands dirty, having fun, and helping to prepare the parks and forests that you love get ready for a busy summer season. Come dressed to get dirty, wear sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves! Lunch and snacks will be provided. Advanced registration is free but required [exit DNR]. 9 a.m. ? 3 p.m.
? Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee, (414) 527-0232 - Spring Migration Bird Hike for Adults. We?ll hike through the fields, forests, and wetlands in search of birds. No experience is necessary. Please ask at the front desk if you need to borrow a pair of binoculars. 8-10 a.m. No admission sticker required. Willow Trellis Workshop. Make a rustic-looking trellis for the climbing plants in your garden. We?ll use willow grown at Havenwoods. During class we?ll have an optional short trip to the willow patch to do some cutting. Havenwoods has all the supplies needed for cutting and making the trellises. Cost: $15. Class size is limited. Adults only. Please pre-register and pre-pay by Friday, April 15. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. No admission sticker required.
? Kettle Moraine State Forest?Northern Unit, Campbellsport, (920) 533-8322 - Earth Week Clean Up. Help give the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive a spring cleaning. Join others for a morning of camaraderie and litter pick up. Youth and other groups are encouraged to participate. Bring your own gloves. Garbage bags will be provided. Go to the Forest Headquarters off Hwy G to get your road assignment. After the clean up, meet back at the Headquarters for snacks and refreshments. Forest Headquarters. 8:30 a.m. ? Noon.
? Kettle Moraine State Forest?Southern Unit, Eagle, (262) 594-6200 - Wildflower Hike. Walk with Naturalist Ron Kurowski and see what wildflowers are currently in bloom. The location and flowers changes every week, so be sure to come out for more than one hike (Hikes are Saturdays, April 23 through May 21)! Meet at the Forest Headquarters but be prepared to drive. 10-11:30 a.m.
? Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, (920) 854-5976 - Work * Play * Earth Day! Get outside this Spring! Join DNR Staff, local Friends members, and people from your community for a day of getting your hands dirty, having fun, and helping to prepare the parks and forests that you love get ready for a busy summer season. Come dressed to get dirty, wear sturdy shoes, and bring work gloves! Lunch and snacks will be provided. Advanced registration is free but required [exit DNR]. 9 a.m. ? 3 p.m.
? Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kansasville, (262) 878-5600 - Red Trail Hike. Join this Spring into Fitness event to hike and explore the beautiful 8.3-mile Red Trail. Bring water and pack a lunch. Everyone is invited to hike. Trail is often very wet. Both events sponsored by the Bong Naturalist Association [exit DNR]. Meet at the trailhead. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Warbler Identification. Brush up on warbler identification just in time for migration. Bring your binoculars too because we?ll practice as we hike. Visitor Center. 7-10 a.m.
? Whitefish Dunes State Park, Sturgeon Bay, (920) 823-2400 - Flower Fairy Event. Discover the native spring wildflowers found in Door County. Create a fairy based on a real flower. Drop in between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to participate in this great hands-on nature event. Material cost $5 per fairy. Free flower activity available. Held in the nature center auditorium; offered by the Friends of Whitefish Dunes.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
? Elroy-Sparta State Trail, Norwalk, (800) 354-2453 - Celebrate Opening Day. Celebrate opening day on the Elroy-Sparta State Trail. Bike ride from Tunnel 3 to Sparta, reception, bike rodeo and other activities. Sponsored by the Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce. 9 a.m. ? 3 p.m.
? Whitefish Dunes State Park, Sturgeon Bay, (920) 823-2400 - Bird Exploration. Join amateur birders Bill and Sarah Krouse for a morning of birding. This adult focused program will allow participants to explore a variety of habitats for migrating birds. Meet at the shelter building for this longer program. Dress for the weather. Whitefish Dunes Shelter Building. 6:30 a.m.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
? Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee, (414) 527-0232 - Preschool Storytime: Sprouting Seeds. Could a dried-up, brown seed really be alive? What does it mean to be alive? We'll explore these questions and make a special take-home project. This program is for preschoolers, ages 3 ? 5, and their parents, grandparents, or other adult. It is not for day care centers or organizations. 9:30-10:30 a.m.
? Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kansasville, (262) 878-5600 - Adopt-a-Highway. Join us to clean up of the highway in front of the park. All equipment provided. You must be at least 12 years old to participate. Sponsored by Bong Naturalist Association [exit DNR]. Visitor Center. 5:30-6:30 p.m.
