Other News: S1005

Nominations being accepted for annual Hunter Ethics Award; deadline is February 15

Nominate a Wisconsin hunter for the
annual Hunter Ethics Award

MADISON -- Wisconsin's tradition of hunting is built upon ethics where success is defined as using a moral compass to end the hunt satisfied with the knowledge the hunt also was safe, enjoyable and ethical.

Know a hunter who thinks and acts with a strong sense of safe and sometimes selfless direction? Nominate the individual for The La Crosse Tribune/Wis. Department of Natural Resources Hunter Ethics Award - a honor that goes well beyond a wildlife harvest for bragging rights later.

Nominations for this statewide award, now in its 18th year, will be accepted through February 15. The annual honor was established by Bob Lamb, retired outdoors editor of the La Crosse Tribune, Lamb, retired DNR conservation warden supervisor Steve Dewald and retired University of Wisconsin-La Crosse instructor Jerry Davis. Chief Conservation Warden Todd Schaller joined the award committee four years ago.

Schaller says the award is about recognizing sportsmen and sportswomen who go above and beyond for others who have the same passion or interest - and that is hunting.

"Maybe it's helping a fellow hunter in distress, providing opportunities for disabled hunters, teaching young hunters, coming to the aid of a conservation warden or simply showing other hunters that ethical hunting is part of the hunt," Schaller says.

Schaller says hunters look forward to the annual seasons because traditions - or creating new traditions with young or novice hunters-- remain important. "If you are a hunter in Wisconsin, you must strive to hunt in an ethical manner and to pass on these ethical traditions to the young people in their hunting party."

To become eligible for the 2014 award:

• The nominee must be a licensed Wisconsin hunter.
• The ethical hunting act must have occurred in Wisconsin during the 2014 calendar year.
• Nominations will be considered for any DNR-regulated hunting activity in Wisconsin.
• Written nominations must contain the name, address and telephone number of the witness or witnesses to the behavior that lead to the nomination and mailed to Chief Conservation Warden Todd Schaller at Todd.schaller@wisconsin.gov, or to Department of Natural Resources, Attention: Chief Warden Todd Schaller LE/5, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921, by Feb. 15, 2015.

Read more here:  http://dnr.wi.gov/news/Weekly/Article/?id=3199

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Chief Conservation Warden Todd Schaller, Todd.Schaller@wisconsin.gov; 608-266-1115

Public hearing set for Lake Superior lake trout emergency rule

Hearings on lake trout population recovery held in
Ashland Wisconsin.
photo courtesy  WIDNR ©2015

ASHLAND, Wis. -- A public hearing on an emergency rule designed to support recovery of lake trout populations in Lake Superior will be held by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Feb. 16 from 5 to 9 p.m. at Ashland High School.

The public hearing will cover the 2014-15 emergency rule adopted by the Natural Resources Board at its December meeting. The emergency rule was designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the lake trout fishery in the Apostle Islands area by reducing the daily bag limit from three lake trout to two lake trout of which only one can be 20 to 25 inches in length and the other must be longer than 35 inches. For waters west of Bark Point, regulations for lake trout remain unchanged; three lake trout with a 15 inch minimum length and only one lake trout longer than 25 inches.

Terry Margenau, DNR Lake Superior fisheries supervisor, said the emergency rule was necessary because population assessments over the last six to eight years have indicated that the decline in lake trout abundance is largely due to harvest. Lake trout are capable of living in excess of 40 years and do not reach sexual maturity until they are eight to 10 years of age. Thus, it's critically important that the stock be carefully managed, as the welfare of many stakeholders, including commercial fishers, sport anglers, and a host of associated businesses, depends on a strong lake trout fishery in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior.

"The upcoming public hearing provides citizens with the opportunity to offer feedback and continue the dialogue started at a meeting held in early December prior to the Natural Resources board action," Margenau said. The hearing will focus on the need to extend the emergency rule beyond 150 days through early June, to cover the entire lake trout season, which runs through Sept. 30, 2015.

The Feb. 16 public hearing will be held in the auditorium of Ashland High School, 1900 Beaser Ave. A short summary presentation will be followed by an opportunity for citizens to provide oral and written comments. In addition, written comments may be submitted until Feb. 16 to: Terry L. Margenau, Lake Superior fisheries supervisor, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, PO Box 589, 141 S. Third Street Bayfield, WI 54814; or emailing terry.margenau@wisconsin.gov

For more information about the hearing, background on the December public meeting and management of the Lake Superior fishery, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for "Lake Superior fisheries management."

Read more here:  http://dnr.wi.gov/news/Weekly/Article/?id=3197

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Margenau, terry.margenau@wisconsin.gov, 715-779-4035; Jennifer Sereno, communications, 608-770-8084; Jennifer.Sereno@wisconsin.gov.

Other News: S709

Hunters Shape Their Future by Mark LaBarbera Bob Holsman, conference coordinator, speaking at The Hunting Future Search Conference, held February 22-24 at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Treehaven Field Station.     photo: Mark LaBarbera TOMAHAWK, WI. At a recent conference held at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Treehaven Field Station near Tomahawk, some 30 hunting leaders from across Wisconsin identified strategies and pledged action aimed at reducing the loss of licensed hunters in the state. The Hunting Future Search Conference, held February 22-24, was organized and funded by the Wisconsin DNR. "The conference was a huge success with the potential for accomplishing great things in the future," said Jeff Nass, President of the National Rifle Association’s chartered association in the state. "We look forward to working with this group and representatives from other groups that were unable to attend." His group, Wisconsin Firearm Owners, Ranges Clubs and Educators Inc. (Wisconsin FORCE), actively participated at the conference with leaders from Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Wisconsin Deerhunters, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, Wisconsin Bowhunters Association, Wisconsin Trappers Association and others, including members of local hunting clubs and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. As a Life Member of North American Hunting Club, Safari Club, Mule Deer Foundation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, I’ve heard fellow members share concerns about the next generation losing touch with nature and wondering what can be done to reconnect youngsters and introduce new ones to hunting, conservation and the shooting sports. Most people agree that there is no silver bullet. Read more here: Hunters register 5,433 birds in 2011 fall wild turkey hunt   Dan Small with a nice fall tom. Wisconsin hunters registered 5.433 turkeys for the 2011 fall season.  photo courtesy Dan Small ©2012 MADISON – Wisconsin wild turkey hunters registered a combined 5,433 birds during the regular fall 2011 wild turkey season and the extended season in Turkey Management Zones 1-5. The 5,433 registered birds compute to a success rate of 10 percent, a slight decrease from the 12 percent success rate for hunters during the 2010 fall season. “The fall turkey season, along with our spring season, continues to provide important recreational opportunities for Wisconsin’s hunters,” says Scott Walter, upland wildlife ecologist for the Department of Natural Resources. "Hunters that pursue turkeys during both the spring and fall seasons are really treated to two very distinctive outdoor experiences, and get to enjoy turkeys during very different phases of their annual cycle.” Hunting turkeys in the fall is quite different than taking part in the spring hunt, where hunters use the breeding behavior of gobblers to call one into range, he says. Fall hunters learn that the key to success is to pattern turkey flocks, and locating roost sites and feeding locations in order to get close to turkeys. The decline in harvest between the 2010 and 2011 fall seasons continues a downward trend in fall turkey harvest over the past seven years and likely reflects turkey numbers and hunting trends, Walter says. “Certainly, the previous three winters have stressed turkeys, and recent wet springs have likely limited production," he says. "Long-term, turkey populations – and the number of turkeys hunters encounter in the field – will ebb and flow in response to weather conditions that determine production levels." The fact that there are so many opportunities available to hunters in the fall also seems to have resulted in fewer hunters pursuing turkeys recently, with the number of fall permits sold declining steeply the past few years. This also has reduced the total number of birds harvested in the fall season, Walter says. Not including Fort McCoy, the total number of permits available statewide for the fall 2011 season was 95,700, the same as in 2010. A total of 54,949 permits were sold, including 41,332 via the drawing with another 13,617 permits sold over-the-counter after the drawing had been completed. Turkey permit levels for fall 2012 to be set this summer Permit levels for the 2012 fall season will be set this summer once harvest data for the spring 2012 season is available and biologists can assess spring production levels, Walter says. Permit applications for the 2012 fall season are due August 1st, 2012 “Statewide, the population of turkeys remains strong,” says Krista McGinley, DNR assistant upland wildlife ecologist. “Long-term, turkey numbers are primarily driven by the quality of habitat available and weather during the critical nesting brood-rearing period. "We’ve got excellent turkey habitat across the state, this winter’s been mild for turkeys and, given good production this spring, hunters should have an excellent opportunity to see turkeys and perhaps harvest a bird this coming spring and fall.” The number of permits available to hunters in each of the state’s seven Turkey Management Zones is recommended by members of the Wild Turkey Management Committee, who consider recent trends in harvest, hunter success, and turkey reproduction, as well as hunter densities and field reports of turkey abundance, when deciding on final permit numbers. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Walter, (608) 267-7861 Krista McGinley, (608) 261-8458