Complete WDNR Outdoor Report as of October 7, 2010The ninth annual Wisconsin Youth Gun Deer Hunt will take place statewide on Oct. 9-10. Under Wisconsin?s Mentored Hunting Law, now in its second season, hunters as young as 10 years of age may participate hunt with a mentor. The early date of the hunt provides milder weather allowing more time in the field under more comfortable conditions for the youngsters and their hunting mentors. The hunt will be held in statewide, with the exception of state park and a few other deer management unit. Youth hunters may harvest one buck deer with their gun buck deer tag and additional antlerless deer with an appropriate tag valid in the unit in which they are hunting. Earn-a-buck restrictions do not apply during the youth hunt. All hunters and mentors must observe blaze orange clothing requirements and all deer, bear, and small game hunters, with the exception of waterfowl hunters, also are required to meet blaze orange requirements on these two days. See the current deer hunting regulations for details.
Mississippi and Wisconsin river water levels were too high for most hunters for the opening weekend of the southern zone duck season. Ducks were scattered, and finding a spot to hunt on the rivers was very difficult. In some areas hunters enjoyed moderate success. Mostly local birds such as mallards, wood ducks and teal were being harvested. Hunters that spent their time on streams, creeks and smaller ponds had a little better luck than those on the bigger bodies of water.
Inland fishing activity has been minimal with so much hunting action. In the north, musky anglers continue to be the most active, though there have been some reports of good panfish and walleye activity. In the south panfish action has been good on Dane and Dodge county waters. The high water on the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers shut down most fishing action. Both rivers have crested and have begin a slow downward fall. Levels are expected to remain higher than normal for the next few weeks.
The fall salmon runs on Lake Michigan tributaries are slowly picking up, with more action on northern tributaries than in the southeast, where flows remain quite low. There was good activity with heavy fishing pressure this week on the Sheboygan, Kewaunee and East and West Twin rivers, with the majority of the fish caught being chinook salmon, but some steelhead and brown trout as well. With the annual fall run underway, two DNR fish facilities ? the Root River Steelhead Facility near Racine and the C.D. ?Buzz? Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility near Kewaunee -- will hold open houses this Saturday, October 9. There will be guided tours of the facilities, fish spawning procedure demonstrations and various activities for old and young alike. See the DNR website for details.
Fall colors have now reached past peak in a few northern counties, but most counties across the north and into central Wisconsin are still reporting peak fall colors this weekend. More colors are showing up in the south, with peak colors expected in one to two weeks.
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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 color show may be a little past peak around the Brule River State Forest but the colors are still spectacular. The vibrant colors of aspen, birch, oaks, and tamarack trees are very striking against the bright blue skies we have been fortunate to have lately. People looking for fall colors should come out soon they aren't going to last much longer. Last Friday afternoon, a rainbow added to the color show?.there was even a double rainbow for a while. The Copper Range Campground has been busy with anglers, grouse hunters, and fall color watchers and has been filling up on the weekends. The Bois Brule Campground has been quiet during the week days and busy...but not full on the weekends. The fall weather has not deterred the mosquito population, due to the warm days and plenty of water available they have been quite active in the afternoons before the temperatures start dropping. Warm daytime temperatures are also bringing the multicolored Asian ladybeetles near and sometimes in the warmth and protection of buildings and homes. [http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/insect/asianladybeetle.htm] The 14th annual Hunters Expo at the Mission Covenant Church in Poplar will be held Saturday, Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. ? 5 p.m. There will be numerous wildlife mounts, hunting booths, great food, and of course?lots of hunting stories. The Youth deer hunt takes place this weekend?all other hunters except for waterfowl hunters must wear blaze orange during this time. Although not required it is a good idea for those enjoying the outdoors to wear brightly colored clothing even if they aren?t hunting.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The cool and breezy weather, combined with the numerous hunting opportunities, have resulted in pretty low fishing pressure across most lakes in the north. Musky anglers have continued to provide the majority of the fishing activity and they have reported some pretty good action. Most of the musky have been found on the mid-depth edges, with the shallower weed beds also providing quite a bit of action as well. Most musky anglers are still using artificial bait, but an increasing number have begun to use live suckers. Both types have been providing some good action, but look for the sucker bite to improve with the dropping water temperatures as we continue into fall. Walleye fishing has still been quite erratic, though a few anglers have reported some decent catches of 12 to 16-inch fish. Medium-size minnows have been provided most of the action, but leeches and crawlers have also produced some decent catches. Quite a few largemouth bass have still been found in the shallow weeds and mid-depth cover, and soft plastics have been able to entice a few 3 to 4-pound fish to bite. Fair numbers of smallmouth bass have also been found in shallow water yet, but they have been pretty tough to catch with the cooler water temperatures. Panfish angling has been fair and some good catches of crappie and bluegill have been made along the emergent weed lines and edges of submergent weed beds. Some very cold nights have dropped water temperatures to the low to mid 50-degree range and most lake levels continue to be a few inches high (though seepage lakes do remain quite low due to the longer-term effects of 2004-09 drought).
DNR Northeastern Region
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County ? Fishing action at Bayshore Park slowed down over the last week, hampered by the strong winds. The perch have been hitting on calmer days with some very nice limits being caught. Anglers have been fishing in 10-25 feet of water between Red River and Bayshore Park. Anglers have been fishing with slip bobbers or bottom rigs using minnows or worms for bait. Shore anglers have also been fishing off the pier with some nice perch being caught.
Manitowoc County - Scattered rain showers, strong winds, and the coldest temperatures this fall along the lakeshore resulted in tough conditions for anglers. Mid-week rain and scattered showers throughout the weekend left area tributaries high and murky. The water temperatures remain in the 52-55 degree range. High temperatures reached the low 50s, with night time temperatures dropping to the upper 30s. Strong northwesterly winds at 10-20 mph dominated most of the week and contributed to the lack of boater activity and success with 3-5 foot waves. Salmon and trout have really picked up along the lakeshore, resulting in the best fishing yet this fall. Pier anglers off the south pier in Two Rivers reported catching a few salmon, with the best luck coming off of green champs early in the morning. At the dams, very few fish have been hooked legally, but using spawn has produced the most success. The catch on the West Twin remains to be dominated by chinook salmon, but on the East Twin, the catch has been a mix of chinook, brown, and rainbow trout. Floating salmon spawn 4-6 feet down has produced significant amounts of chinook and rainbow trout before noon at the Manitowoc marina, and then the fishing appears to shut off. At Manitou Park on the Manitowoc River, anglers have landed a few rainbows and chinook using green/silver and gold champs throughout the day. Near the mouth of the Little Manitowoc River, several salmon and brown trout have been landed jigging spawn. The chinook have been ranging from 14-18 pounds along with a few brown trout in the 10-12 pound range. Several of the rainbows caught in the Manitowoc harbor are of the Arlee strain ranging from 8-12 pounds. Please remember that hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise in the tributaries which began Sept. 15. Please release all foul hooked fish. If you observe any violations, please call 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367).
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The last week of September brought cool fall temperatures and decent fishing conditions during the week, however turbulent weather stirred up for the weekend. Light winds and sun was had for most of the county during the weekdays which provided for some good fishing in Sturgeon Bay. Toward the weekend, winds picked up to small craft advisory levels which hampered fishing county-wide and threw a wrench into the Big Buck Bass fishing tournament that was being held in Sturgeon Bay. Boats trolling in and at the mouth of the canal were able to land a few salmon before the fish move into Strawberry Creek for the spawn. Supervisors say that the first Department activity at Strawberry Creek will take place this Thursday the Oct. 7 and continue through the end of October. This means that the run is just beginning and that fishing in and around the canal area should stay steady. Throwing deep diving stick baits from shore has brought luck to some anglers along the south inner canal break wall, which is newly renovated and very nice to fish from. Fishing on the piers has been somewhat slow with most action happening on the south pier casting a variety of spoons and champ baits for Salmon and an occasional brown trout mixed in. Perch fishing in Sturgeon Bay last week was good with many anglers coming in with near limit catches and nice sized fish. A 2-pounder was caught Friday on the Laethem Smith side of the channel near the highway bridge, and was accompanied by a full cooler of other nice sized perch. High winds over the weekend put a damper on fishing however successful fishing should carry into this week. Working the edges of the channel and around the remaining weed beds has been the usual, finding the schools is the challenge. Perch fishing has been slow over the last week at Little Sturgeon Bay with some fish being caught in the weeds in 10 feet of water. Bass anglers from around the Midwest were discouraged on Saturday when high winds stirred Green Bay into 4-5 ft waves. They were blown off the water and sent most of the 40 plus boats heading home. Most of the pre fishing took place up the county out of Fish Creek and Egg Harbor with some success. Some anglers reported the fish were hard to find with others having success. Walleye fishing has been a little hit or miss lately up around the Horseshoe Reefs and toward the Sister Islands. Crawlers harnesses have caught some fish along with many sheepshead and catfish. Fishing in the northern part of Door County has remained very low in pressure as very few salmon or trout have been reported or seen out of Gills Rock, Ellison Bay, Rowleys Bay, or Baileys Harbor. Some northern pike anglers have been catching fish trolling and casting near weed lines. Anglers fishing northern pike had some trouble finding fish over the last few days. Most pike have been caught on jerk baits while trolling. Larson?s Reef has been quite unsuitable for fishing the last week or so due to the weather, but if anglers can get out there is some sporadic walleye action being reported. Chaudoirs Dock has been slow overall with a few perch being caught in 25 feet of water. Most have been on the small side.
Strawberry Creek Egg Collection Facility
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/hatchery/strawberrycreek.html - Oct. 4 was the first Chinook egg harvest for 2010 at Strawberry Creek and things went well overall. Although the return of fish to the weir is not outstanding, it was certainly adequate to facilitate a good egg take. Overall crews processed 458 salmon and left 100-150 fish in the pond for the next harvest. Yesterday's estimated egg take was approximately 510,000 eggs so things are off to a great start. It's also worth noting that 26 members from the Door County Fish Farm and Game filleted at least 300 of these fish for a total of 1,465 pounds of fillets that were distributed to two local food pantries. The next harvest is planned for this Thursday, October 7 provided enough fish arrive beforehand.
C.D. ?Buzz? Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility - [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/hatchery/cdbesadny.html] ? An open house will take place at the Besadny facility located along the Kewaunee River. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., there will be guided tours of the facility, various activities for old and young alike throughout the day, and underwater viewing windows to watch the salmon jump the man-made fish ladder. More details and directions ?
DNR Southeast Region
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open. Fall color is nearing its peak. Fall is a great time to enjoy the hiking trails. Pets are allowed on all trails except the Black Forest Nature Trail, but they must be on a leash 8' or less at all times. The campground and all campground facilities will close October 16 for the 2010 season. Swim area buoys have been removed for the season.
Kohler-Andrae State Park
All hiking and nature trails are open. Two mature bald eagles were seen on Oct. 3. Leaves are changing color. Milkweed pods have burst open and seeds can be seen floating through the air. Asters and golden rod are blooming. The park water system (showers, flush toilets, trailer dump station, and drinking fountains) will be turned off October 18. The Wisconsin Great Lakes Beach testing program has ended for the season.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan shore anglers have been catching brown trout and chinook salmon in the marina, and crank baits have been the most productive. On the Sheboygan and Pigeon rivers water temperatures are in the low to mid 50s, and the rivers are fairly low. Fishing has been slow on the Pigeon, but in the Sheboygan fair numbers of chinook and a few browns and coho have been caught at the Kohler dam, behind the Wildwood Athletic Complex, and downstream near the Eighth Street bridge. The most effective baits have been spawn sacs, flies, and small spoons. Trolling in Sheboygan remains slow overall; however, one boat reported a mixed bag of trout and salmon caught in 100 feet of water on J-plugs and crank baits.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching fair numbers of fish. A mixed bag of chinook, rainbows, and browns have been taken near the power plant on spawn sacs, skein, and spoons. Chinook have also been caught in the north slip on skein and off the harbor side of the pier on spoons. Fishing on Sauk Creek has been slow and water levels remain very low. Anglers fishing from boats in Port have had the most success casting crank baits in the harbor.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee shore fishing has been relatively slow along the lakefront. Chinook and browns can be seen surfacing in McKinley marina, but getting them to bite has been difficult. Salmon fishing on the Milwaukee River has been most productive on the south side of Estabrook Park. The road is still closed near the Estabrook dam, but access at the falls is open. The Menomonee River and Oak Creek remain very low, and fishing has been slow.
Racine County - Racine shore anglers have taken good numbers of chinook in the small boat basin near the boat launch. Fire tiger pattern crank baits have been productive, as well as spawn fished near the bottom. On the Root River, chinook fishing has improved. Although water is still low in areas, the deeper holes were productive for many anglers. Small red, white, and black flies have produced the most fish. Chinook and a few browns have been taken downstream of the weir in Lincoln Park, throughout Island Park, along Horlick Drive, and down into Washington Park near the cable bridge. Upstream from the weir has seen little fishing pressure with only a few anglers concentrating at the Horlick dam. Successful catches have been limited as water depth near the dam is still low. The Root River Steelhead Facility is now in operation. Plan to stop down at the facility on Saturday, October 9 for the second annual Open House.
Root River Steelhead Facility [http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/lakemich/RootRiverOpenHouse.html] - The Root River Steelhead Facility in Racine will hold an open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy guided tours of the facility with DNR crews demonstrating fish spawning procedures, fishing rod casting lessons, knot tying, fly tying, and much more. DNR staff will give tours and spawning demonstrations, answer questions about aquatic invasive species, and display a fish stocking truck and fish shocking boat. Local fishing club members will display a Lake Michigan trolling boat.
Kenosha County - Shore anglers in Kenosha continue to catch occasional chinook and browns in the harbor near the Best Western, and fresh skein, white tube jigs, and silver crank baits have been producing. The majority of fishing pressure in Kenosha has been concentrated around the hotel, but a few anglers have been fishing near the mouth of the Pike River also. Water levels on the Pike remain low, and fish have not been able to move very far upstream.
DNR South Central Region
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Duck hunters and bird watchers on the Horicon marsh found lots of waterfowl to observe and hunt. The goose numbers are high for this early in the fall flight. Duck hunters had some success and good weather.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Dodge County ? Duck hunters in western Dodge and eastern Columbia counties saw lots of teal, wood ducks and mallards opening weekend. Hunters took advantage of the high water table and filled any open water they could find on Paradise Marsh in Columbia County. Those hunters that spent their time on streams, creeks and smaller ponds had a little better luck than those on the bigger bodies of water. Hunters on Beaver Dam Lake said they saw birds but most of the shooting was near shore. Sunday morning hunters on the lake had to contend with fog during the opening hours. White bass are biting on Beaver Dam Lake and the Beaver Dam River below the Lowell Dam. A few fishers were catching some nice, thick perch on Beaver Dam Lake, but they also put in a lot of time.
Dane County - Pan fishing on the Madison Lakes has been pretty steady with nice catches coming off Lakes Monona, Mendota and Cherokee. Game fishing is picking up as well and decent catches of walleye are coming off of Lake Mendota and Musky off of Lake Monona. The duck opener was a fairly successful event. In some areas hunters enjoyed moderate success. Mostly local birds such as mallards, wood ducks and teal were being harvested. In other areas opening weekend was slower with very few ducks and geese being taken. This could be due to high water levels and ducks being spread out over the area. With the change in the open water hunting law and good water levels hunters were able to access thousands of acres of wetland habitat in pursuit of waterfowl. Farmers have most of the soybeans harvested and are making some progress on the corn. Another week of pleasant, dry weather is forecast for the first week of October. Killdeer, bluebirds, robins, doves, and blackbirds are migrating through the area. Fall color is progressing but oak trees haven't really started to show any color.
Grant County ? Mississippi and Wisconsin river water levels were too high for most duck hunters this opening weekend. The ducks were scattered, and finding a spot to hunt was very difficult. This was the slowest opening weekend in years due to the fall flood conditions on both rivers. The high water on both the Wisconsin and Mississippi have hindered many hunting and fishing activities. The waterfowl hunters this past opening weekend found most boat landings not accessible and few waterfowl. The high waters scattered ducks to inland areas. Both rivers have crested and will begin a slow downward fall. The levels are expected to remain above flood stage for the entire week and will remain higher than normal for the next few weeks. Due to high water flows and floating debris fishing and hunting activities are discouraged. Duck hunters on inland farm ponds and rivers noted a larger concentration of ducks, primarily wood ducks and teal during opening weekend.
Lafayette County - Anglers were catching walleye and crappie over the weekend as water temps have dropped on Yellowstone Lake. Surface water temps are hovering around 50 degrees now on the lake. One fisherman reported the crappie were deep in the morning as it had dropped to around 32 degrees overnight. Some anglers even enjoyed a bag limit of crappies. Many anglers reported catching and releasing walleye that were out of the 15 to 18-inch slot limit, most being too small. Some duck hunters had luck at Yellowstone while pressure was light on area ponds, streams, and the Pecatonica River system.
Rock County - The duck season opened on Saturday and hunter numbers seemed to be up around the county. Pockets of water were plentiful and there was a bumper crop of wood ducks. Hunters had good success and weather conditions were better than normal for an opening day with cool temperatures and a strong wind. Hunters reported harvesting mallards, wood ducks, teal, and pintail. Archery hunters were also out over the weekend with the cooler morning and evening temperatures. Bucks are starting to make scrapes and have already been seen chasing does. If the deer are like the crops this year it could be an early rut. Water levels on the Rock River are low and fishing has slowed down with the change in weather. Some white bass are still being caught and reports of bluegill and crappie biting on Lake Koshkonong have come in.
DNR West Central Region
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
Willow River State Park - Fall color is still spotty around the park compared the St. Croix Valley proper. Some leaves are down off the popple trees. Bluebirds were still around over the past weekend along with cedar waxwings. White-tailed deer have their winter color now. Dry land ski training started October 5. Campground water systems will be shut off Oct. 7. The walk-run event on October 2 had 38 participants. The next event is the Halloween Bash on Saturday, October 30. This is a non-scary event for young children. It?s a mix of kid?s games, crafts, and storytelling. Costumes are welcome. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Nature Center and runs till 7:30 p.m. The exhibits side-gift shop will be open also. The Bash has a cost of $2 per person in addition to a vehicle with a park sticker.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Tree leaves are really starting to fall, improving visibility in the woods. Hunters should keep in mind, however, improved visibility works both ways. Hunters have an easier time seeing game, but game animals have an easier time spotting hunters. Whether out turkey hunting, squirrel hunting, or bow deer hunting, proper camouflage techniques, patience, and stillness can help hunters to remain unseen by their quarry. Red-breasted nuthatches, golden-crowned kinglets, white-throated sparrows, swamp sparrows, song sparrows, and fox sparrows are some of the migratory songbirds currently passing through the local area. Woodcock are also filtering into the area.
Perrot State Park - Trails are open and in good condition. Colors are starting to change to yellow and reds in the park and leaves are gracing all flat surfaces. Pelicans, hawks, and turkey vultures are beginning to gather Water levels on the Trempealeau River and Trempealeau Bay remain high. Access to the Mississippi River under the railroad trestle is limited due to the high water. Recent heavy rains and local flooding have not affected the campground. All campsites and facilities remain open and in good condition. Shower and flush toilet buildings and the dump station will be open until October 18th as weather conditions allow. The upper loop shower building is currently open on weekends only. The bay loop shower building and lower loop flush toilet building are open every day. Goldenrods, sunflowers, snakeroot, partridge pea, blazing stars, wild rice, jewelweed, ragweed, ladies tresses, and false foxglove are currently blooming in the park. Duck hunting begins on October 2nd. Hunting is allowed on Trempealeau Bay.
Great River State Trail - Prairie grasses line the trails and turtles are sunning themselves on branches in the water. Leaves are falling gently on the trail and the bugs are finally getting better. Virginia Creeper and Sumac are beginning to turn red and fall colors will be here soon. The trail from Onalaska to Perrot State Park is open. High water affected the trail between Lytles Landing and Trempealeau. Repairs have been made but you will come across areas with loose gravel. The section of trail that goes through the Trempealeau National Refuge is closed.
Merrick State Park - The Mississippi River has crested again and is predicted to start falling. Water will be available at the fountains and dump station until Oct. 14, weather dependent. After that water will be available at the main office.
Crawford County - Flooding conditions exist primarily along the Mississippi River and the lower Wisconsin River. All river systems are on the down swing regarding water levels. The Kickapoo continues to fall after reaching flood stage in both Gays Mills and Steuben last week. The Kickapoo crested in Gays Mills on Sunday Sept. 26 at about 12.43 feet. In Steuben the river crested on Monday at around 11.61 feet. The river is dropping and current water levels in Gays Mills and Steuben are at 8.41 feet and 8.31 respectively. Swift current and cloudy water still exists on the Kickapoo, but at least it?s back in the banks. The Mississippi River in the Prairie du Chien area is receiving large amounts of flood water. As of Oct. 5, the Mississippi River was still 2 feet over flood stage. The reading was 18.4 feet. The good news is that the river crested some time last Saturday at 19.43 feet. Most boat landings remain closed or are inaccessible. The Prairie du Chien area has enacted an emergency slow now wake ordinance on the Mississippi River. Anglers and duck hunters are urged to obey the slow no wake rules in order to protect private property from damage. The Wisconsin River is dropping rapidly. As of Monday the river stage in Muscoda was at 5.6 feet. The Wisconsin River crested sometime last Thursday at about 9.5 feet. Although high, the Wisconsin continues to drop and is expected to be at normal fall-time flow later this week. Local trout streams are in good shape. Only a hand full are running a bit high and cloudy. Otherwise most are in great shape. Fishing has been disrupted with the high water. Pan fishing was good, but now that the water levels are so high activity has dropped off. Some anglers are fishing from the shorelines in the newly flooded areas and finding some gills. Cold Spring was good last week, but again high water is messing things up. Action for both smallmouth and largemouth bass was good as water temperatures have been dropping. Now high water is disrupting fishing. Some bass anglers are finding bass in newly flooded areas. Walleye and sauger action was getting pretty good until the river got up to flood stage. Walleye action, for the most part has shut down. Floating debris and weeds is really causing problems. Northern pike action has been pretty slow. Sheepshead action is slow as is catfish. Again, high water is the problem. Trout fishing during the last week of the season was very good. The trout season is now closed. Squirrel hunters are reporting spotty success. Some prime squirrel areas are still holding leaves which make it difficult to see them. However, with the great crop of acorns, walnuts and hickory nuts there seems to be a lot of squirrels searching the forest floor for food. Archery deer hunters are starting to spend some time in the woods now that cooler weather has arrived and leaves are starting to fall. Deer hunters are noticing farmers are starting to harvest soybeans and to a lesser extent corn. Rub and scrapes are showing up. Local hunters report a fair number of decent bucks roaming around. Fall colors are starting to show in some areas. Some trees like black walnut, sumac, and elm have dropped most of their leaves. Many hickory and maple trees are showing off their brilliant colors. The past few nights have seen a light frost in low lying areas. Gnats, deer and horse flies have really disappeared. Mosquitoes on the other hand are still around, but not in the numbers like earlier this summer. Most of the nut producing trees have dropped their crop. Oak, hickory, and black walnuts can be found scattered all over the place, that is unless the squirrel got to them.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest- All-terrain Vehicle trails, with the exception of the Oak Ridge Trail will reopen on Thursday, Oct. 7. Heavy flooding resulted in several damaged areas of the trail. While trails are open please ride with caution on the weekdays as there will be equipment working on the trail south of the Highway 54 parking lot. Due to the most recent closing the state forest and Jackson County have agreed to leave the ATV trails open through the weekend of October 16 and 17 instead of closing them on Oct. 15 which is the usual policy. This will give riders one more chance to enjoy the trails this year with all of the weather related trail closures this year. The good news is that the recent upgrades that have been completed on the trail held up well to the heavy rain. East Fork Campground has reopened. East Fork received minor damage with last week's flooding. The other campgrounds were not flooded. Perry Creek Day-use area is still closed due to flood damage.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park ? Fall colors appear to be at peak in the area. We are expecting the colors to be short lived this season. The heavy rainfalls we?ve been receiving have been taking the fall leaves down fairly quickly. Species of birds seen or heard include: great blue herons, ravens, a variety of wrens, phoebes, turkey vultures, northern juncos, piliated woodpeckers, great horned and barred owls, osprey, bald eagles, and Canada geese. Brunet Island State Park north campground is open with pit toilets and drinking water available. The south campground is open with electric sites, hand water pump, and a campground shower facility. The park dump station is open as weather permits. We expect the annual shut down of the showers and dump station to occur in mid October.
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area ?
Lake Wissota State Park - From October through April campsites are available on a walk-in basis. As of October 4, the water and shower buildings have been shut down in the campground for the season. Water available at the shop building and a hand pump in the picnic area across the road from the ball field. Pit toilets in the campground are open year around.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Fall colors are just starting to show up. Trails are in great condition for hiking and many visitors have been camping, picnicking and fishing. Most campsites are closed for the season. The sites that are open are 23, 24, 26, 27-29, A1-A8, B1-B3, 8 (accessible site), 9 and 16. The statewide youth deer hunt is October 9 and 10. Youth can hunt those 2 days in the Yellow River Wildlife Area or the 1,200 acres in the park open for gun deer hunting (see park hunting map!). There is no October antlerless hunt in the park or wildlife area - 54A is a regular unit this year. Waterfowl and small game hunting are allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area and Buckhorn Wildlife Area only, not in the state park. The park and wildlife areas are open to early bow deer season. The park office registers deer when the office is open. .
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Fall colors are just starting to show up in the surrounding area. The 1st loop of the campground is still open. The campground and main gate will close on October 10. Parking after that date will be from the winter lot on Czech Ave. The park main gate will be open on Oct. 23 for the Annual Pumpkin Walk and Hayrides The stairway up the bluff is closed due to deteriorating lumber. The petroglyph viewing platform at the base of the mound is still open and several miles of hiking trails are available. Hunting is not allowed in Roche-A-Cri State Park.
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.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, (920) 854-5976 - Leafy Fun: 10 - 11 a.m. Nature Center. Fall story and leaf craft especially for children age 8 and younger.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
C.D. ?Buzz? Besadny Anadromous Fisheries Facility, Kewaunee, (920) 388-1025 - Open House. Located along the Kewaunee River in Kewaunee County the open house features demonstrations, fishing skills instruction, food, and other fun. 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with guided tours of the facility at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Governor Dodge State Park, Dodgeville, (608) 935-2315 - Fall Candlelight Hike. The event will feature a trail lit with glowing candlelight and a bonfire for making s?mores. Universe in the Park. Join the UW Astronomy Department for a tour of the night sky! A chance to look through the UW's telescopes will follow a slideshow presentation. There is no fee for this event, but a valid park admission sticker is required. Universe in the Park [exit DNR].
Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee, (414) 527-0232 - Fall NatureFest.
Kettle Moraine State Forest?Northern Unit, Campbellsport, (920) 533-8322 or e-mail - Exploring Nature: Nature's Unloved. Unearth some intriguing facts about some of nature's unloved critters including bats, skunks, slugs and spiders. You may just go away liking them or at least appreciating their role in nature. This program is best for families/groups with children between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Ice Age Visitor Center. 9:30-11 a.m.
Kohler-Andrae State Park, Sheboygan, (920) 451-4080 or e-mail - Children's Story Time. Join volunteers to hear a nature story read in two-part style. Children ages 4 to 10 are welcome to attend with an adult. No pets allowed. Sanderling Nature Center. 1:30 p.m. Universe in the Park. The Astronomy Dept of UW-Madison begins their session with a 20-30 minute talk and slide presentation covering a broad overview of astronomy or recent astronomical news. At the conclusion of the talk (if the sky is clear) they will go outdoors to set up telescopes and provide park visitors the opportunity to view whatever astronomical objects are available. Question and answer period takes place around the telescope. No pets allowed. Free program. Vehicle admission sticker required. Sanderling Nature Center. 7 p.m.
Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, (920) 854-5976 - Ghost Windsock: Nature Center. Stop by any time between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to craft a ghost windsock from a recycled oatmeal container. 9th Annual Spook-tacular Hike: Beginning at 4 p.m. Games and Refreshments. Self-guided walks along a 1-mile candlelit trail being are from 5 - 7:30 p.m. Meet spooky but friendly characters like Batino and Spider Guy. Event takes place at the amphitheater parking lot near Nicolet Beach. Suggested donation $2/adult and $1/child. Local Girl Scouts will be selling refreshments. Fundraiser for Girl Scouts and Peninsula nature programs. Parking: Park at Nicolet Beach. If you are camping in the park, please walk or bike to the event. For more information call (920) 854-5976.
Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kansasville, (262) 878-5600 - Fly Fishing Basics. Always wanted to learn to fly fish? Join angler education instructor and fly fisherman Bill Pepito for this easy introduction. Discover how to buy and set up a fly rod as well as how to cast. We will provide all equipment. Please pre-register by calling (262) 878-5600, space is limited. Best for ages 12 and up. Visitor Center. Sponsored by the Bong Naturalist Association [exit DNR]. 9 a.m. - Noon.
Root River Steelhead Facility, Racine, (262) 594-6218. Open House located along the Root River in Racine. Event includes guided tours of the facility, hands-on demonstrations of fish spawning procedures by fisheries staff, fishing rod casting lessons, knot tying, and fly-tying. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Willow River State Park, Hudson, (715) 386-5931 - Trail Brushing. Join a crew of volunteers (climbers and skiers) to cut brush along trails. Bring hand saws and gloves. Meet at the park office. Noon.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Kettle Moraine State Forest?Northern Unit, Campbellsport, (920) 533-8322 or e-mail - An Evening of Nature: The Prehistoric Copper Industry. Great Lakes Archaic Indians were the first to experiment with metal/copper fabrication in North America. Thomas Pleger, from University of Wisconsin-Baraboo/Sauk County, will provide an overview of what archaeologists have learned about the subsistence, social organization, and trade of these ancient peoples. Ice Age Visitor Center. 7-8:30 p.m.
Richard Bong State Recreation Area, Kansasville, (262) 878-5600 - Knee-high Naturalist. Bring your 3-5 year old to this fun program. A new fun topic every month. Please pre-register by calling (262) 878-5600.
