WDNR Outdoor Report as of February 24, 2011Winter recreation conditions have been highly variable in the last week, with a major warm-up statewide late last week that melted much of the snow cover in southern and southeastern Wisconsin, followed by a winter storm that dropped as much as a foot of snow in some areas of central Wisconsin, to just an inch or two in the south and the far north.
Snowmobile trails are now closed in roughly the southeastern third of the state, and conditions in other areas generally range just fair to good, with last week?s warm up creating icy conditions. Cross-country ski conditions range from poor and fair in the south, to very good to excellent through central and northern Wisconsin. The American Birkebeiner Foundation is reporting the Birkie trail should be in excellent condition for this weekend?s race. Officials are reporting the largest registration ever, with more than 9,000 skiers signed up for the 38th annual running of North America?s largest cross-country ski race.
The erratic weather conditions continued to prove a challenge for Lake Winnebago sturgeon spearers, with access to the lake difficult after last week?s warm-up. Conservation wardens assisted local law enforcement in responding to 14 vehicles that went through the ice on Saturday, one of which resulted in a death. Despite the conditions, spearers did reach the harvest cap on the upriver lakes Sunday, closing that season Monday, with a harvest total of 333 fish. Fisheries officials expect at the current rate, the Lake Winnebago season could run a full 16 days through Feb. 27. As of Wednesday the harvest total on Lake Winnebago was 1,008.
Ice conditions on inland lakes in the north continues to be good, but lakes in the south are beginning to have some open areas along shorelines. The variable weather conditions made for some erratic fishing success, with panfish continuing to provide the most consistent action, with good catches of perch and bluegill reported at various times through the week. Walleye continued to be in a finicky bite this season, but anglers in the right spot during feeding periods reported some good success. Monitoring of winter oxygen levels has indicated that most lakes are holding up pretty well.
Whitefish action remained good along the Door County side of Green Bay, and whitefish, perch and walleye were being caught along the west shore, along with some good northern pike action. The Mississippi River rose over a foot in the last week, which has made access very difficult and treacherous in areas. Fishing was slow due to the rise in water.
A reminder that the rabbit season closes statewide on Feb. 28. With a solid crust forming on snow, this is an excellent time to get out and search for late season buck deer sheds. Owl activity is continuing on strong, with barred owls now calling during courtship activities and great horned owls beginning nesting.
The city of Prairie du Chien will hold its annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Day on Saturday, Feb. 26. The event includes live bald eagle programs, various birding and nature exhibits, birding experts, outdoor viewing of bald eagles through spotting scopes, a life-size bald eagle nest and activities for children. Each winter, hundreds of bald eagles congregate along areas of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, where they feed on fish below dams.
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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.
DNR Northern Region
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest ? The Afterhours Cross Country Ski Trail was last groomed Feb. 18 and was in good to very good condition with a base of 4 inches and 12 inches of snow in the woods. Classic skiing conditions are good, but watch for icy patches The snow has hardened up enough in a lot of places where a person can wander around?.especially if they have snowshoes. This is also a good time to start hunting for the later deer sheds. Snow has melted off of the area lakes making for very slippery conditions. Anglers may want to consider wearing ice cleats. One of the Brule DNR forestry staff was recently working in the woods when he heard two baby bears and was able to see this sow bear poke her head above her den.
Hayward DNR Service Center area
Sawyer, Rusk, Price counties -- Capturing deer for the deer trapping research project is in full swing. Using ground trapping, 78 deer have been captured in the northern area. (Radio collared: 13 adult females, 14 male fawns, 16 adult males; Ear tagged: 18 adult females, 15 female fawns, 2 male fawns.) Modifications continue to be made to netted cage traps in an effort to reduce physical injuries to captured deer. In the east central study area, 34 deer have been captured using ground trapping. Across both sites, staff is working with one to two volunteers per day. Helicopter capture in the east central study area has been hampered by unfavorable weather conditions, difficult capture areas, and helicopter mechanical issues. After work in the east central study area the helicopter will be heading to the northern area.
Tuscobia State Trail - Trail conditions are poor to fair with bare patches interspersed with icy patches. Minimal grooming is taking place. The trail is open to ATV/UTV in Sawyer and Washburn counties.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Ice conditions have been very good and there is now 16 to 19 inches of solid ice on nearly all lakes in the area. The mild weather of late last week melted most of the snow cover from the lakes and that has since re-frozen to provide a fairly slick ice surface. Recent snowfall has added 1 to 3 inches of snow, but vehicle travel remains excellent and many 2WD vehicles are being seen out on the lakes. Anglers should be cautious though, as there are many areas of glare ice hidden under the light snow and ice creepers are recommended to prevent slips and falls. The variable weather conditions in the past week have made for some erratic fishing success. Panfish seemed to provide the most consistent action, with anglers reporting some good catches of perch and bluegill at various times through the week. The perch continue to be found on the mud flats and near old weed beds, with both small minnows and grub-tipped ice jigs producing some decent fish. Bluegill have been found suspend near deep water areas, and crappie continue to be difficult to find. Walleye fishing has continued to be very inconsistent, though some days have produced some very good catches. Walleye have been in a finicky bite this ice season and it seems that feeding activity has been concentrated in short 30-minute periods at various times throughout the day. And if an angler is in the right spot when one of these feeding periods hits, success can be very good. Anglers who have experienced these hot periods have had some good catches of 12 to 15-inch fish, and several walleye in the 24 to 28-inch size have also been reported. With the changing weather, fishing for northern pike has also been variable. Catches have generally been low, though a few pike in the 28 to 32-inch size have been caught. Monitoring of winter oxygen levels has indicated that most lakes are holding up pretty well. Some lakes have seen a moderate decline in oxygen levels, but these have generally been the usual winterkill-prone lakes. Many of these lakes already have aeration systems on them and most of these systems have been in operation for several weeks already.
Antigo DNR Service Center area
Council Grounds State Park - Cross-country ski trails are groomed, tracked and in good condition.
DNR Northeastern Region
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Governor Thompson State Park - The 6-mile cross-country ski trail system is open and groomed for both classic and skate skiing. Please remember pets are only allowed on the Red or Otter Trail. No hiking is permitted on the groomed ski trails. The 2.5-mile green snowshoe loop has been mechanically packed and is open to hikers and snowshoers. Pets are permitted on this trail. The shelter warming house is open this winter for skiers, and kids using the sledding hill. Many individuals have been ice fishing on Woods Lake and the flowage.
Marinette County - Good numbers of pike anglers have been observed north of the mouth of the Peshtigo River with some success using dead smelt fished on bottom. Walleye on the Menominee River below the Hattie Street Dam have been co-operating with anglers early morning and evenings, jigging raps and moonglows have worked well. Some perch, walleye, and white fish are still being caught off the Sixth Street slip. Due to the warm temperatures most permanent shacks have been pulled off.
Oconto County - The northern pike bite has improved a bit from Geano Beach to the Peshtigo Harbor. Large shiners or dead smelt fished in the round have been working with most fish being caught in 4 to 12 foot range. Perch and white fish are being caught in 30 feet of water out of the Oconto River as well as in 8 feet of water by the mouth. Perch anglers on the bay have been reporting a good number of smelt being caught using jigs and wax worms or minnow heads.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County ? Perch and walleye are still being sought and caught at Voyageur Park. Care must be taken as open water has appeared out in the main channel. Jigs tipped with minnows are working well. Ice conditions at Long Tail have deteriorated with the warm weather. Sunset Beach anglers have been having success with perch and northern.
Point Beach State Forest ? Cross-country ski trails are groomed and in good condition.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Sturgeon Bay anglers have been fishing around Stone Quarry with some success on whitefish. Anglers have also reported perch, smelt and a few walleye being caught as well. Anglers have been targeting perch from Bullhead Point with some success. Anglers have being fishing perch in 20 feet of water out from little harbor as well. Little Sturgeon bay anglers have been fishing Sand Bay for whitefish and walleye. The whitefish action has been out in 30 to 40 feet of water. Larson?s reef has been treacherous to truck traffic the last week due to that weather. A few truck have gone thought the ice as well. Anglers have been fishing around Henderson?s Point for whitefish. Most anglers have been fishing 20-30 feet of water. Limekiln road has produced good numbers of catches as well. Sugar Creek anglers have been fishing perch and whitefish. The perch fishing has been on the slower side, but whitefish have been constant. Fishing has slowed the last week at Dykesville. Whitefish have been the best bit thee last month or so but have slowed a bit as well. The anglers that have been finding fish have been searching well away from the crowed of shanties.
Potawatomi State Park - Potawatomi received only about 4 inches of new snow as a result of the storm that went through the state on Feb. 20-21. The blue and green cross-country ski trail loops remain in poor condition. The red and black loops are generally in good condition for skate skiing except for the portion of the red loop that borders an open field in the north area of the park. The wind swept that area bare of snow. We did not get enough snow to set track for stride skiers. Ice conditions in Sawyer Harbor deteriorated since last week. There is slush in the launching ramp area, and some vehicles are getting stuck. Shanties remain on the ice in the harbor and bay. Snowmobile trails remain closed in the park this week.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing Report ? The Upriver Lakes season closed for 2011 after spearing closed Sunday, with a total season harvest of 333 sturgeon. The Lake Winnebago season remains open and harvest continues to be slow, indicating the season may run the full length and close Feb. 27. The Lake Winnebago harvest was 1,008 as of Wednesday, The largest fish Wednesday was 163.5 lb, 73.6 inch sturgeon registered at Payne's Point Station. Anyone going out on Lake Winnebago though is advised to make sure they know what ice conditions are in the area they will be traveling. The new snow on the ice has covered up bad ice areas and thin spots brought on by the warm weather last week, and old sturgeon holes. Spearers currently going out on the ice are blazing new trails to ensure they have a safe travel path and many have switched their transportation mode to 4-wheelers or snowmobiles.
Winnebago, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties -- Conservation wardens assisted local law enforcement agencies with a number of vehicles that went through the ice of Lake Winnebago this past weekend. On Saturday, 14 vehicles (including vans, trucks and ATV?s) went through the ice, one of which resulted in the death of a 59-year-old man. The recent warm weather caused ice conditions to change quickly, resulting in these mishaps during the second weekend of the sturgeon spearing season. Additional work is being done to remind ice travelers of these dangerous conditions.
DNR Southeast Region
Havenwoods State Forest - Trails have 8 to 10 inches of snow on them. Deer, squirrels, raccoon, turkeys, red-tailed hawks, cooper's hawk, owls, mourning doves, nuthatch, juncos, chickadees, and downy and hairy woodpeckers are being seen.
Kettle Moraine State Forest ? Lapham Peak Unit - All trails were groomed Monday night. Conditions on the lighted loop were good.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit - Greenbush and Zillmer cross-country ski trails have been recently groomed. They are in very good condition, although some areas of the skate lanes remain soft. Zillmer may be groomed once again before the weekend. Because of high water covering each approach to the Kewaskum Access Trail Snowmobile Bridge, the Oak Road to Hon-e-Kor Golf Course Access Trail in the state forest is closed immediately until further notice. Closed signs are posted at each end of the access trail at Oak Road / STH 28 and the BP Station in Kewaskum. Please see each county's website for the latest openings & closures.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit - The cross-country ski trails were groomed and classical track was set on Monday, Feb. 21. The ski trails are in good condition with a base ranging from 1-3 inches. Call 262-670-3400 for the most current trail conditions. Trail passes are not required for cross-country skiers at Pike Lake this winter. The multi-use trails have a fresh snow covering in most places of about 1-3 inches with some drifted areas having less snow. When trails are snow covered hikers, snowshoers, and dogs are not allowed on trails east of Powder Hill Road (groomed ski trails). Pets are not allowed on the Black Forest Nature Trail and must be on a leash 8' or less at all times in other areas.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit - All of the cross-country ski trails at the Southern Unit, Nordic, McMiller, Scuppernong, received 1-plus inches of new snow on Monday night. This fell on top of an icy base that remained from the meltdown last week and rain on Sunday. There is no classical track on any of the trails because of the lack of snow depth. Skaters will find a variety of conditions, a large portion of the trails are in fair skiing condition, but there are scattered icy spots and locations where the new snow fell on bare ground. Those sections of trail are in poor condition. Skiers are advised to not ski the blue only portion of the McMiller trails as there are some stretches of poor conditions between the 6k and 9k markers.
Kohler-Andrae State Park - The cross-country ski trail was groomed Tuesday, February 22. The area has about 10-12 inches of snow on the ground. The trail is in excellent condition. Visitors are enjoying the ice formations formed by Lake Michigan wave action. The hiking and nature trails are snow covered. Hikers, snowshoe users, and dog walkers are reminded to not walk on the groomed ski trail. Please use other use areas.
DNR South Central Region
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Blue Mound State Park ? The park received about an inch and a half of powder on top of a firm/icy base Feb 22. The new snow was groomed into the cross-country ski trail base on the wooded trails (Minix, Willow Springs, and Flintrock). Trails were groomed for skate skiing only. No track was set. Trails should be firm and fast. There is 100 percents snow coverage.
Grant County - Ice conditions due to the past warm weather has varied the ice conditions throughout the County, and in many areas the ice has become open water along shorelines.. Check local ice conditions before venturing out on the ice. This past weekend saw many 10+ pound northern pike being caught at O'Leary Lake below Lock and Dam #11 near Dubuque.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Mirror Lake State Park - The area recently received 8 to 10 inches of new snow. All cross-country ski trails have recently been groomed and are in good condition. Crews will set track on Wednesday Feb. 23. All trails except Newport are groomed for skate and classical skiing. Newport Trail is groomed for classical skiing only. Remember, pets and hiking on groomed ski trails is prohibited. Trails open for snowshoeing and hiking include Echo Rock, Lake View, Sandstone and Wild Rice.
Badger State Trail - As of Friday Feb 18 the entire northern paved section of the trail has been cleared of snow. Trail users may experience icy sections where snow on the edges has melted and run across the pavement.
Lake Kegonsa State Park - Cross-country ski trails are in poor condition. All trails are open to hiking, but many are ice covered and slippery.
Jefferson County - The Jefferson and Dodge county snowmobile trails are closed. The trail condition number for Jefferson County is 920-699-7669 and Dodge is 920-386-3705. Anglers are catching some bluegill by jigging with waxworks on Rock Lake by Tyranena Park, Elm Point and Sandy Beach. Success is slow overall though. Most of the ice shacks have been removed from the area lakes due to the recent rain and loss of some ice. Ice shack removal is mandatory after March 6th in southern Wisconsin. Ice conditions have improved after the recent warm spell with colder weather. Rock Lake still has over 15 inches of ice on most of the lake. The east shoreline has some open water. On Hope, Mud and Red Cedar Lakes there is around 12 inches of ice. Anglers are reporting some fish kill on Red Cedar Lake observing bluegill floating under the ice. The warmer temperatures recently have caused people to avoid the Rock and Crawfish rivers. A mature bald eagle was found electrocuted by the power lines over the Crawfish River in Milford. It was one of a pair that had been fishing in the open water on the river during the winter months.
Janesville DNR Service Center area
Rock County - Ice conditions have deteriorated on area lakes with the recent rains, thawing, and refreezing. Waters around the county are also rising due to the recent weather making fishing conditions difficult at best. Ice near the shore is in the worst condition with runoff eating into the ice along the shoreline. Several ice shacks are still on Lake Koshkonong, but it will be a challenge to remove them unless the ice conditions improve. Some anglers have begun fishing open water in the Janesville and Beloit areas. A few small perch were being caught near Janesville and at the Indian Ford dam. .Snowmobile trails remain closed despite a couple inches of new snow this week. Fishing also slowed down at the dams on the Rock River with the colder weather coming in this week. A Learn to Turkey Hunt program is being offered in Rock County this spring in the Milton area. Contact hunter education instructor Kerry Hull for details.
DNR West Central Region
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Anglers have reported some crappie action at dusk. Even in the big warmup, the lake water held its clear color. The cross-country ski trail groomer ran the roller around Wednesday night in an attempt to firm up the skate deck which was reported as spongy after the warmth of the day. There will be a complete run of grooming and tracking on Friday so weekend skiing should be excellent. This will likely be a daytime grooming so trails will be a bit soft immediately after grooming. Drizzle is in the forecast. Trail conditions can change rapidly this time of year with a wide variety of temperatures and the sun higher in the sky. Look for updates from groomers and skiers in the usual places on web sites outside the DNR. Skiers need to be aware that with rapidly changing trail conditions, the trail may turn out to be much faster than the advertised rating. Ice glazing is a common occurrence in the classic track with direct exposure to the sky. Glazing is easy to see because of the shine. A moderate amount of skier traffic can break up the glazing. The other rapid change to ski trails is oak leaves are falling. This is of more concern to classic skiers. No wax skis are less vulnerable to sticking on a leaf in the track. It has been windy so leaves have been falling.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Great horned owls are calling and mating. Rabbit hunting season continues through February 28. Exercise caution when venturing outdoors, as a thick layer of ice and crusty snow from the most recent precipitation event has made foot travel treacherous and exhausting.
Wildcat Mountain State Park - Wildcat received 6 to 7 inches of new snow this week. The main cross-country ski trail was groomed Tuesday for skate skiing and will be tracked Thursday for classical skiing making for good conditions.
Crawford County - All the snowmobile trails in the county are closed. For current snowmobile trail conditions please check TravelWisconsin.com or call the Land Conservation Department at 608-326-0270. After last week?s warm up the Mississippi River started rising. Last week at this time the river was at 9.4 feet. As of Feb. 21, the Mississippi River was at 11.06 feet. The Wisconsin River has had minor fluctuations this again this week and is currently at 4.74 feet at Muscoda. The Kickapoo River jumped up late last week to 9.58 feet but has settled down. Currently the Kickapoo River in Stueben is at 8.8 and dropping. Wet weather is anticipated to include heavy snow north and rain south. Local rivers most likely will be on the rise in the near future. Outdoor users will have to monitor the ice conditions as the river currents increase and the weather warms up. Ice conditions took a beating last week. The problem that exists now is access to good ice, especially along the backwaters of the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River rose more than 16 inches which affected the shorelines. Melted or unstable ice conditions exist in most places. The additional water levels mean more flowing water under the ice that can rapidly deteriorate ice conditions. Even so, ice thickness averages around 14 to 26 inches in the backwaters of the Mississippi River and Wisconsin River. Again, access to most ice fishing locations started to get a little tricky. Below the dam in Lynxville the ice has moved out several hundred yards below the dam. The boat landing, as of late last week, was still socked in with ice. Ice fishing will be greatly affected, for the worse, this week. In the Prairie du Chien area Gremore Lake?s bluegill action was spotty with some decent perch and bluegill being taken on the lake?s south end. Ice conditions on Gremore Lake are still very good but access is now very difficult?.unless you have hip boots. Anglers continued to venture across the Ambro and Black Sloughs to Tilmont Lake. Action there was spotty. As of early this morning there were no anglers on Tilmont Lake primarily due to concerns over safety crossing the Ambro and Black Sloughs. Mud Slough has more current flowing through it so fishing there is poor. Some anglers have been heading up to Fish Lake and Little Missouri. There was some decent bluegill action in Fish Lake at times last week but generally it was slow. Little Missouri continues to be slow. Farther up in the Upper Doubles and Big Missouri action has been spotty. Bluegill, perch and a few crappie have been caught but it has been hit or miss. Ice conditions on the upper reaches of the Ambro Slough complex might be becoming a bit risky. Anglers attempting to use the Fish and Wildlife Service boat landing to access the upper Ambro Slough Complex are going to find more open water and sloppy conditions. Travel on the ice in this area is extremely dangerous. Spring Lake and the Fennimore Cut were very slow. Not many anglers have ventured out there. Sturgeon Slough continues to be poor. Access to Horseshoe Lake is difficult due to the high water. Cold Spring was slow again this week. Anglers are still catching a lot of very small largemouth bass. Open water shore fishing at the boat landing has been very slow even though the gizzard shad are now in the channel. Largemouth bass action was slow this week. Most bluegill anglers report catching many bass incidental to their primary target. Some anglers were setting tip ups in Gremore, Tilmont, the Upper Doubles and Cold Spring. Ice fishing below the dam at Lynxville is done, at least for the time being. Warm temperatures and high water flow pushed the ice out. A few hearty souls have been able to push small boats off the ice shelf to fishing below the dam. Action at times has been very good on sauger and fair on walleyes. Perch action in the slack water along the long wall has slowed. As of this weekend the boat landing at Gordon?s Bay still had a lot of ice. Northern pike action has been spotty. Northern pike are already heading to spawning areas as anglers with underwater cameras report sightings of northerns roaming around the backwaters of the Mississippi River. The city of Prairie du Chien will hold its annual Bald Eagle Appreciation Day on Saturday, Feb 26. The event includes live bald eagle programs, various birding and nature exhibits, birding experts, outdoor viewing of bald eagles through spotting scopes, a life-size bald eagle nest and activities for children. Each winter, hundreds of bald eagles congregate along areas of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, where they feed on fish below dams. This is the largest concentration of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - Snowmobile and All-terrain Vehicle (ATV) trails are open for snowmobiles only - no ATV will be allowed due to warm day time temperatures. The area received about 7 inches of snow on Sunday. All trails will have been groomed by the end of the day Feb. 23. If daytime temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing the forest staff will reevaluate allowing ATV to be on the trails. After last week's meltdown, cross-country ski trails have returned with 7-8 inches of heavy snow. By early afternoon Feb. 23 all trails will have been groomed. They should be in good condition but probably a little soft. Conditions can change quickly this time of year, so come out and enjoy the trails when you can.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - The cross-country ski trail system has a very nice base on the trails. With the recent snow the track is in excellent shape. The barred owls have begun to do their annual territorial calling after dark. Other birds seen or heard include: ravens, black capped chickadees, northern juncos, piliated and red headed woodpeckers, and great horned owls. Anglers are reporting generally good ice conditions in the backwater areas. The park does not monitor ice conditions. The Cornell flowage water levels fluctuate throughout the year and we urge caution when venturing onto the ice.
Red Cedar State Trail - The entire trail has been groomed and packed but tracks have only been set from Menomonie to Irvington.
Hoffman Hills Recreation Area - Cross country ski trails have been groomed and packed but no tracks have been set.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park ? Cross-country ski trails were groomed on Tuesday, Feb 22 and are in excellent condition. Snowshoers must stay off to the side of trails and not on the groomed/tracked portion of trails. Many people enjoyed snowshoeing over the weekend. There is a sign up for the March hunter safety class. Call the park office at 608-565-2789 for more information.
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, February 26, 2011
? Governor Thompson State Park, Crivitz, (715) 757-3979 or e-mail - Candlelight Ski and Hike. Enjoy an evening of luminaries lighting a 1-mile trail groomed for both diagonal striding and skate skiing as it weaves through the woods. Non-skiers are welcome to hike on another candlelit 1-mile trail with scenic views of Woods Lake. Hikers and pets are not allowed on the ski trail, but are welcome on the hiking trail. Warming fires and hot chocolate available at the shelter building. A vehicle admission sticker is required and can be purchased at the park office. Woods Lake Picnic Area. 6-9 p.m.
? Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee, (414) 527-0232 - Backyard Composting Workshop. Learn how to enrich your garden soil and reduce your trash output by recycling your kitchen scraps and yard waste. This program will be presented by a University of Wisconsin-Extension master composter. 10 a.m. - noon. No vehicle admission sticker required.
? Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, (920) 868-3258 - Naturalist at the Warming Shelter. 2 - 3 p.m. Warming shelter on Highland Road, near Yellow Ski Loop. The naturalist will be on hand to answer questions about Peninsula history and favorite park animals. Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kansasville, (262) 878-5600 - Park Workday. Need a service project or service hours? Want to help the environment and the park? Come help at our workdays! Workdays are very flexible. You may come for the whole time or for a short time, for one workday or for all of them. Most suitable for ages ten and up. Please stop at the office when you arrive and you will get a free daily pass for your vehicle. Make sure you dress to be outside working. Sponsored by Bong Naturalist Association [exit DNR}. Visitor Center. 10 a.m. - Noon.
Sunday, February 27
? Pattison State Park, Superior, (715) 399-3111 or e-mail - Winter Funfest. Family activities including a craft, sledding, prizes, and a special appearance by Smokey Bear. Snowshoe lessons will be available, so bring your snowshoes; some snowshoes are available at the park for those without snowshoes. Visitors may use the cross-country ski trails or do snowshoeing on their own. A concession stand and horse-drawn wagon rides will be available. 1-3:30 p.m.
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/
