Attention Deer Hunters: DNR Customer Service is there for you MADISON -- Last minute questions from hunters at deer camp and from deer stands day or night is routine. It"s all in a day"s work for the Department of Natural Resources Call Center. The expanded hours call center – unique among state natural resources agencies – has handled more than 370,000 customer contacts in the last year, one quarter of them at night and on weekends. More than 21,000 customers have also taken advantage of their on-line chat feature so far this year. The highly trained representatives respond to a wide variety of DNR issues, from clarifying regulations on hunting and fishing to restrictions on firewood transportation. The call center is on pace to receive more than 370,000 calls this year, with more than 20 percent of these coming during nights and weekends. The Call Center"s motto, “We"re here for you!” Give them a call 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days per week. Read more here: FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
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Hunters may harvest deer with tags and collars
MADISON – With the upcoming nine-day gun season approaching fast, wildlife researchers are looking for assistance from Wisconsin hunters who may harvest any of the more than 240 white-tailed deer marked with radio-collars and approximately 200 deer marked with ear tags. The researchers say hunters" help may play a role in how Wisconsin"s white-tailed deer herd is managed for generations to come. That"s a big impact for help that may take each hunter who harvests a marked deer only a few minutes to provide. With the start of the early archery season a few weeks ago, we have now entered an important phase of the project that involves collecting harvest data from marked deer. “These deer were marked in 2011 and 2012 as part of a study to better understand how long deer live and how they die,” said Michael Watt, Natural Resource Research Scientist. ”Hunters are free to harvest these marked deer. And if they do, we would like some basic information that shouldn"t take more than a minute to provide.” The requested information about marked deer include:
Hunters are being asked to call Watt at (608) 221-6376 to report this information. Watt and his colleagues marked the deer in the northern counties of Rusk, Sawyer and Price, and the east central counties of Shawano, Waupaca and Outagamie as part of the buck mortality study and fawn predation study sponsored by:
“I want to stress that hunters should treat these deer like any other deer you might see. These deer may be harvested, but the information that hunters provide is important to the research and the future of our deer herd,” said Watt. While the DNR uses a deer population modeling system built upon sound science and data, Watt says challenges remain. “The distribution and numbers of predators has changed in the last 20 years and we hope this study can shed some light on how these changes are affecting our deer herd,” Watt says. “Not only is this a wildlife issue, it is an economic issue – Wisconsin"s tourism relies upon its healthy and abundant natural resources. Deer hunting is part of that tourism industry. Our deer hunters have expressed concerns about the impact that predation may be having on deer population growth and recruitment rates across the state – the department is listening to their concerns and trying to better understand predation impacts with our ongoing collaborative research.” And this is where the hunters come in, Watt says. “The only way we will be successful in our deer herd management is through hunters" participation,” Watt says. “And the research partners who make it possible for us to increase our ability to gather this key information.” Read more here: FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
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Showing posts with label reporting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reporting. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Other News: S746
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Other News: S735
Wolf regulations now available online and soon in hardcopy
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| Regulations for WI 2012 Wolf Hunting/Trapping are set and available in hardcopy photo c. WDNR ©2012 |
MADISON – The 2012 Wolf Hunting and Trapping Regulations [PDF] are now available on the Department of Natural Resources website search the keyword “wolf.” Hard copies are going to print and will be mailed to successful applicants along with notification that they have drawn a permit.
As of Tuesday morning August 28, 15,708 hunters and trappers have submitted applications for Wisconsin’s first modern wolf hunting season, putting their names into the lottery for what is expected to be roughly 1,100 harvest permits. The permit application period closes Aug 31. Even if a hunter or trapper doesn’t draw a permit this year, applying will give them a preference point, and a better chance, in future drawings.
A permit application costs $10 and may be purchased through the DNR Online Licensing Center, at all authorized license agents, at DNR Service Centers (Hours for service centers vary; check the DNR website for service center days and hours of operation; DNR Service Centers are not open on Saturdays), or by calling toll-free 1-877-LICENSE (1-877-945-4236).
Those selected for a harvest permit this year will receive notification by mail in early September following the drawing. Everyone else will receive a preference point toward next season’s drawing.
Hunters and trappers may also wish to check out the department’s wolf webpage, which offers identification tips, maps, reports and pack territory information.
Read more here:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
- Scott Walter,(608) 267-7861
- Krista McGinley, 608) 261-8458
Fall migration takes wing as experts keep an eye out for drought impacts
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| Hummingbirds are among the next wave of winged migrants to head south. photo c. WDNR ©2012 Ryan Brady |
Great birding opportunities abound
MADISON – The avian parade continues with hummingbirds, warblers and vireos the next species to begin their migration south, providing Wisconsin birders some great viewing opportunities and experts more insight into how the early spring and drought has affected Wisconsin’s winged travelers.
“The next three weeks will be the peak of fall migration for land birds that migrate to central and south America,” says Andy Paulios, a Department of Natural Resources biologist. “We’re past peak for orioles, but birders should expect to see good numbers of hummingbirds, warblers, vireos, thrushes and other migrants in their local migration hotspots or even in their backyard if they have good natural cover.”
Paulios says that birders should also watch the skies over the next few days as they could expect to see migrating common nighthawks and chimney swifts in the evening.
What exactly will turn up and when on the landscape and at birdfeeders, however, is uncharted territory given the warm, early spring, record heat and the drought experienced in much of the state, says Kim Grveles, an avian biologist with DNR’s Endangered Resources Bureau.
“It’s hard to know exactly what we’ll see with migrations this fall,” Grveles says. “Warm weather definitely brought the short-distance (overwinter in southern U.S.) migrants up north earlier than usual and some long-distance migrants as well. But they do not seem to be leaving for wintering grounds sooner.”
Paulios suspects that migration through drought-stricken areas of Wisconsin will be more stressful this year. “My guess is that there will be less food for insect eaters in dry years as many insects have moisture-dependent abundances…but birds are very adaptable and may be able to move or adjust along their routes.”
“Homeowners can always help by providing a water source and by providing native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants that produce lots of bugs and fruit for birds to eat and shelter during migration,” he says.
Gveles says that the hummingbirds she’s seen in the Madison area are struggling to find food because the blossoms just aren’t there because of the drought. “So the feeders become really important,” she says. “There is less seed available because of things not flowering due to the drought for gold finches and even for migratory birds that depend on seeds, like towhees, finches and grosbeaks.
“Flyover land” a vital stopover in fall and birding mecca
Every spring and fall, tens of millions of migrating birds sweep through Wisconsin and other Great Lakes states and stop at a variety of sites on their way to breeding grounds as far north as Greenland and the Arctic Ocean and wintering grounds as far south as Argentina's Tierra del Fuego. These stopover sites provide birds with critical food and shelter en route, a function described in “Respites for Migratory Birds,” in the August 2011 Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
They also provide bird watchers a unique opportunity.
“The beauty of migration is you don’t have to go to the world’s best birding place to see these beautiful birds,” Paulios says. “On some days, these things will be in your backyard. So explore your local parks and natural areas.”
Paulios says the general rule of thumb for finding fall migrants is to look for shrubby, woody edges with morning sun. These places tend to have the right mix of fruit and bugs, especially if they get morning sun. Native bushes and trees with fruit like black cherry trees, viburnum or dogwoods are a draw for many bird species.
Read more here:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
- Kurt Thiede - 608-266-5833
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