NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - Several anglers have been out on the river searching for steelhead. There are some steelhead in but the catch has been spotty. The Bois Brule River was flowing at 195 cubic feet per second (CFS) this week. The 60 year average is 158 CFS. The Brule area has a golden glow due to the yellow and gold colors of the popple, oaks and tamarack trees. Leaf fall is later than normal this year; in this area leaf fall is normally completed by mid-October. This is allowing people more time to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. White pines in the area have a bumper crop of cones this year, the ends of the branches are so full of cones that they look like a solid mass of brown. Woodcock have migrated into the area and are providing watching and hunting opportunities for many people. Slate-colored juncos are migrating though the area. They are commonly seen feeding on the ground in yards and other open habitat areas. There have been some unusual bird sightings reported in lately. A hawk owl was reported south of the Brule River State Forest. A couple harlequin ducks were seen on the Brule River. Harlequin ducks normally live around the coastal areas, so they are not often seen around this area. Most of the migrating Canada geese have moved though the area. Many of the local geese are still around but they are starting to move into larger groups. Many will group up in Superior where they may stay into December. Bucks are starting to become more active. Drivers are cautioned to be extra alert as the deer will be crossing roads more than usual and not paying attention to oncoming traffic. The T Zone season will be starting next week (Oct. 27- Oct 30). People are reminded to wear blaze orange when out in the woods whether they are hunting or not. Deer ticks have become very active lately. People should take precautions for themselves and their pets when out in the woods.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Above normal temperatures continue in the Park Falls area though much cooler temperatures are forecast for this weekend. Area Rivers have receded close to normal flow and a few people are taking advantage of the beautiful fall days to take a scenic canoe trip. Leaves are well past peak color and continue to fall steadily. Deer are increasing scrape activity as the fall rutting season approaches and bucks are beginning to establish territorial behavior. Bird feeding activity is brisk toward the cool evenings as they look for consistent sources of food. Grouse hunters are more numerous and many nonresidents are visiting the area to enjoy what the Park Falls area has to offer. Anglers continue to enjoy the warm temperatures though many boat owners have used the nice weather to prepare their boats for winter storage. Area lakes are cooling quickly and some good fishing is still available. Walleye and musky anglers are finding some active fish.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Water levels are most lakes and rivers have dropped down to more normal levels after the heavy rains of recent weeks. The high water levels do seem to have disrupted fall fish activity and most anglers have reported some tough angling conditions. Musky continue to be the most sought after species at this time of year and action has been generally slow. Many anglers have switched from artificials to live suckers, and this has been the most successful method. The smaller size suckers have been the preferred bait of late and most of the musky caught have been in the 32 to 38-inch size. Walleye fishing has been especially erratic and it seems that the fish haven't settled into a solid fall pattern yet. Late October and early November should provide a little better walleye action with jig/minnow combinations working best along shallow and mid-depth breaks. Water temperatures have dropped into the low to mid 50's and this has pretty much shut down most bass activity. A few die-hard bass anglers have still been trying their luck and have had some success in the afternoon on warm, sunny days. Soft plastics fish around woody cover in 4 to 6 feet of water have produced the largemouth that have been caught. Famed bass angler Jimmy Houston and a crew from his Jimmy Houston Outdoors on ESPN2 TV were in northern Wisconsin during the last week. They were mainly filming a segment on bow hunting for Wisconsin whitetails, but also shot some footage on grouse hunting and took a late-season bass fishing trip. With a starting water temperature of just 51 degrees bass were in a light hitting mode and the group managed to catch just two largemouth in about three hours of fishing. Some active northern pike did provide some action and were aggressive enough to hit Houston's famous spinner bait presentation. Look for the segment on upcoming show.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area Conservation Wardens and guides report that water temps continue their seasonal downward drop. Most of the lakes in our area have turned over. Musky and walleye activities are expected to pick up now that turn over is completed. Fall colors are now past peak and this weekends wind and rain brought down many of the leaves. Grouse and woodcock hunters are reporting greater visibility in the woods resulting in more birds in the bag. Archery hunters are reporting signs of the pre-rut beginning with both scrapes and rubs becoming more prevalent. A reminder that Oct. 29 is the statewide youth deer hunt. Plan your outdoor activities knowing that your woods may be holding gun deer hunters that day.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - As fall weather continues to settle in, some people who haven't found there way into the woods were still hitting the water on the Menominee, Little and Peshtigo rivers. The trout and salmon bite on the Menominee River was slowing down near the dam and Hattie Street bridge. Some anglers were still getting some fish early mornings or late evenings and into the night. Fish were hitting bright colored spoons, spawn sacs, and flies in the faster water near the fishing platform on the Michigan side of the river and while wading out along the rocks in front of the dam. Walleyes have also started to show up near the dam. Water levels are fluctuating so caution should be taken when wading out. A few chinook salmon were being caught at Little River by anglers fishing spawn sacs on the bottom. The best luck came in the evenings and into the night and a few fish were taken in the early morning before 8 am. Some brown and rainbow trout were being caught while fly fishing or casting small spinners from the dam downstream to the second railroad bridge on the Peshtigo River. Fall colors are near peak at this time in the Northwoods. Mushrooms are very plentiful due to recent precipitation with a large color variety to view. As always know your quarry especially when hunting mushroom species. The blue-spotted salamanders are digging in for the winter along with the other water related species.
Oconto County - Fishing pressure on the Oconto River and county parks have started to decrease as colder temperatures and rain have started to become more frequent. Salmon and a few trout were being caught from the Old Iron bridge up to the Stiles dam while casting flies and occasionally on spawn sacs & small spoons. Most fish were dark and have been in the river for a while. A few die hard perch anglers were still catching average numbers of fish, weather permitting, in 28-35 feet of water on small fathead minnows fished 6-12 inches off of the bottom. Smallmouth bass were also hitting tube jigs and small crank baits fished slowly over reefs out between the Oconto River and just south of the Peshtigo River in depths ranging from 5 to 15 feet of water. Some walleye were also being picked up in these areas as well.
Shawano County - Whitetail deer activity is increasing across roadways be aware of favorite crossing areas when driving during dusk and dawn hours. New England aster is blooming in the prairies at Navarino Wildlife Area. Sandhill cranes and Canada geese are congregating in the area. Shawano Lake is experiencing its annual coot die-off. Crews will be going out this week to pick up the dead birds. T-Zone is next week and CWD surveillance is taking place in the Northeast Region this year. Bucks are going into the rut.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - Anglers were catching good numbers of chinook salmon from the harbor upstream to Manitou Park. Very few salmon were reported above I43. There seems to be insufficient water for salmon to reach the upper Manitowoc River and the Branch River. Action picked up on the East Twin River in Mishicot as anglers were catching good numbers of spawning salmon at the dam and downstream toward Two Rivers. West Twin River action was hot in Shoto as there were a large number of fish up at the dam; however, this has also brought out a crowd of anglers. Trollers were catching good numbers of salmon in 150-200 feet of water out of Manitowoc. There was very little fishing pressure on the Manitowoc and Two Rivers piers this past week as anglers focused on river running fish. There was very little pressure in Two Rivers Harbor, but anglers in Manitowoc were catching a mixed bag of fish including chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and coho salmon. Techniques that have been effective include soaking spawn sacs in the harbors, and using a yarn ball on a single hook with a weight in the rivers. Using single hooks will result in fewer snagged fish that need to be released.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The weather this week was a real mixed bag. Some days were sunny and mild with gentle breezes, while other days were cold and blustery with rain mixed in to make things interesting. Woodlands have been decorated with gorgeous splashes of crimson, gold and various shades of brown. Anglers trolling the Sturgeon Bay ship canal are having good luck on salmon, along with some nice size northern pike and even an occasional rainbow and brown trout. There are still some nice fish being taken from the piers at the Coast Guard Station and along banks of the canal. Spoons in green, blue and silver, stick baits and spawn sacks are your best bets. Perch fishing is still good with large catches of perch being taken by anglers fishing from Sturgeon Bay south along the shores of Green Bay. Minnows, worms, crabs and jigs all seem to be producing some fish. Up north the harbors at Egg Harbor, Fish Creek and Sister Bay were all producing some perch. Northern pike action is heating up, with good action reported from Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon Bay, and the area around Henderson Point, Egg Harbor, and the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. One pair of anglers reported catching and releasing 20 northerns and one smallmouth bass in a mornings fishing. The walleye action also seems to be heating up with anglers connecting with walleyes all along the Green Bay shore and in Sturgeon Bay. Smallmouth bass action continues to slow down; however, a few bigger fish were starting to show up near shore. Spinner baits and tube jigs continued to produce a few fish, along with night crawlers and minnows.
Peninsula State Park - As of Oct. 17, all hiking and biking trails were dry and in excellent condition. Fall foliage ranges from 75-100 percent in the Park. Lots of green leaves remain. Tennison Bay campground remains open year-round, though flush toilets and showers will be closed Oct. 30-April 30. Peninsula State Park golf course is open until the end of October. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse remains accessible to the public, though guided tours will not be provided until next spring.
Kewaunee County - Shore fishing has slowed down in the harbors and piers of Kewaunee and Algoma. A mixed bag of chinook salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, and rainbow trout have all been taken this week; however, the majority of taken have been chinooks. Spawn sacs, stick baits, as well as various spoons in blue, green, and silver have worked the best. Most of the action this week has been in the Kewaunee River and the Ahnapee River. Although most of the salmon only have spawning on their mind, some fish are still being taken with various flies and spawn sacs. Coho salmon have started making it up stream, but the majority of fish have been chinooks. Lake Michigan trollers have had some success fishing anywhere from shore up to 100 feet of water. Fall foliage is showing some excellent colors right now and is close to peak conditions.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Milwaukee DNR Service Center
Pheasant hunters faced wind, dry field conditions and un-picked cornfields in their quest for an opening day rooster. Participation was heavy but success could have been better. It seemed that if you didnt connect with a pheasant in the first few minutes, remaining birds melted into the corn and were almost impossible to flush. A few hunters complained of fewer birds being stocked; but that was not the case. Windy conditions in the corn contributed to several dogs ending up lost. A couple dogs collapsed from heat exhaustion. We also suspect dry field conditions may have negatively affected a hunting dogs ability to scent running birds. Several pheasant hunters reported seeing white-tailed buck rubs and scrapes. On the positive side, those cornfield refuges will soon be harvested and more pheasants will be vulnerable as the season progresses. Be careful about the 2 p.m. closures on many public hunting grounds. Lots of bow hunters are now in the field. Some got in their stands early to take advantage of the legions of pheasant hunters out moving deer. Several pheasant hunters reported jumping flocks of turkeys; both from cornfields and the grass cover bordering woodlots. Many folks are out using trails--both hiking and biking. Fall color has jumped up to about 50 percent over just a few days. Aspens are golden brown with some starting to drop their leaves. Now is a great time to use a biking or hiking trail before the real cold weather sets in. Fall color should be at its peak this coming weekend! With the warm weekend weather, both units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest had heavy camping use. By this coming weekend, both units will be down to having only their main campgrounds open--Mauthe Lake in the Northern and Ottawa Lake in the Southern Unit. Make reservations now if you still want to camp. Lake surface water temperatures are down to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Fisheries managers are seeing the return of game fish, especially largemouth bass, to the shallows during night-time electrofishing, indicating the pre-winter feeding binge is probably on. Fishing will improve as area lakes progress to the fall turn-over stage. Since after turn-over fishing can get tough, now is the time to a crack at that great fall angling.
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan shore fishing has been relatively slow off the piers. Only a few chinooks and rainbows have been taken on spawn. Water levels are low on the Sheboygan River, and anglers have been taking a few chinooks on dark colored flies.
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington shore anglers fishing the harbor and near the power plant have been catching a few chinooks, browns, and coho. Spawn sacs have been most productive.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee anglers fishing off McKinley ramp, near the Sailing Center in Veteran's Park, and off the ramps at Bender Park have been catching chinooks and a few browns on spawn under a bobber. Anglers on the Milwaukee River have been taking a few chinooks at Estabrook Park. The gates on the Estabrook Park dam were opened on Oct. 17, so look for chinooks making their way up into Kletzsch Park over the next several days. Despite low water levels, good numbers of chinooks are holding in the Menomonee River at Miller Park. Flows are also low on Oak Creek, and fishing there has been slow.
Racine County - In Racine 187 fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday, Oct. 17. So far this season we have passed upstream 2,039 chinooks, 126 coho, 7 steelhead, 119 browns, and 1 pink salmon. An additional 91 skamania strain steelhead and 49 coho have been taken to the hatchery for later spawning. Our next processing day is tentatively scheduled for Thursday Oct. 20. Water levels on the Root are extremely low again, and anglers have been taking most chinooks on flies and spawn in the Washington Park golf course. Fishing has been difficult from Lincoln Park all the way upstream to the Horlick dam.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha the Pike River is low, and only a few chinooks have been taken near the mouth. Shore anglers have been catching a few brown trout on tube jigs in the harbor behind the Holiday Inn.
Walworth and inland Racine and Kenosha counties - Anglers are enjoying beautiful fall weather while fishing on area lakes. Smallmouth bass and northern pike are active in 20 to 30 feet of water and are biting on shiners, jigs, and night crawlers. Anglers are catching walleyes by trolling minnow imitation lures at night close to shore. DNR fish survey crews have finished fall fish surveys on Browns, Eagle, Turtle, and Cravath lakes. Largemouth bass and northern pike populations are abundant on Browns Lake. Walleye stocking programs on Browns and Turtle lakes have produced some legal size fish.
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - All trails are open for hiking. The cool crisp air of the fall season is a great time to view the explosion of fall colors while walking the forest trails. Be sure to check out the view of the forest from atop the observation tower on Powder Hill. The forest is very near peak color now. These conditions should hold through the coming weekend. The campground and dump station are closed for the season.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit - Fall leaf color has not yet peaked. Fall color is currently 50 percent with peak colors anticipated in the next seven to 10 days. All trails including - hiking, mountain bike and equestrian trails were open and in good condition as of Oct. 15. Small game hunting season is open - hunting is allowed throughout many of the trail systems. Trail users are urged to wear bright colored clothing to ensure other users are aware that they are in the area. Ottawa Lake Campground remains open year round. Flush toilets and one shower building will remain open as long until freezing weather arrives (typically the last week of October). Pinewoods Group Camp remains open until mid-November. Pinewoods Family Camp including the shower building closed Oct. 17. Whitewater Lake campground is closed for the season.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County
Wyalusing State Park - Fall foliage appears to be at peak this week, which is about two weeks later than normal. If the rain and wind hold off, the trees should still be beautiful by this weekend. Be sure to take Cathedral Tree Drive to Henneger Point for a beautiful drive through the woods. Trails are in good condition. According to local anglers, fishing activity has been good. Nice catches of bluegills have been reported. Bluegills have been biting on night crawlers. The Mississippi River has been dropping. River level today at Prairie du Chien is 10.9, down 0.3 from yesterday. Spring and summer migrants have left for the year. Regular visitors to the office feeders include: tufted titmice, chickadees, cardinals, bluejays, nuthatches, mourning doves, and goldfinches. Pheasants and flickers have been seen near the Visitor Center. As the weather gets colder, the numbers and species should increase. There should be plenty of non-electric campsites available for this weekend. Electric campsites will be difficult to obtain. All of the water (showers, dumping station and drinking faucets) in the Homestead Campground have been shut down for the season. The shower/flush toilet building in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground is still open and water is still available at the winterized faucet located next to the shower/flush building. All of the drinking faucets throughout the park have been shut down for the season. Campers wishing to fill their tanks can do so at the winterized faucet if they have their own hose. Campers can use the dumping station if there is enough water in their holding tanks to flush. The Concession Stand will be open this Friday and Saturday, but will be closed for the season after Saturday. Some of the Wisconsin Ridge campsites have been recently brushed, providing an excellent view of the Wisconsin River Valley.
Lafayette County - Opening weekend of the raccoon and pheasant hunting seasons, along with many other open seasons made for a busy weekend a field in Lafayette County. Many hunters enjoyed success. Pheasants will be stocked at Yellowstone Wildlife area again this year throughout the season. Carp removal occurred out at Yellowstone Lake this past week. Volunteers and DNR Fisheries Staff continue the effort of removing carp to enhance the fishery. Approx. 800 pounds of carp were removed last week alone. The ATV trails remain open and very busy. This will be the first year the ATV trail stays open all winter when there is no snow on the trail.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Dane County - Pheasant hunters out on state lands saw some good action although warm, dry weather was a little hard on the dogs. Some areas have lots of cover adjacent to state lands including standing corn crops. Crop harvest has been progressing well with the warm dry fall weve had in the county, but corn crops look to be about 50 percent harvested so far. Most soybeans have been harvested. Stocked pheasants are in very good condition, are very large and fully feathered. They are very good fliers as well. Duck hunters have been getting some ring necks and a few other diving ducks are showing up. Water levels remain very low throughout the county. Goose hunting pressure has been light but there are plenty of geese around. Boaters and anglers have been enjoying some bonus time on the water with mild weather. Deer breeding activity is picking up with new rubs and scrapes being observed out in the fields and woods. Mourning doves are really migrating through right now and are feeding heavily on corn in picked fields. Bluebirds are also migrating through in large numbers. A few woodcock have been coming through. Fall color peak is about a week away, although maple trees are brilliant now. Many ash trees have already dropped their leaves. Oaks arent real colorful. Some are just turning brown.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - Leaf color is still in progress but past the peak. Some of the best hiking conditions of the year are coming. Peak fall color will be followed by leaves down and much more will be visible. Plan to visit all the overlooks above Willow Falls. Hikers may find crews working on trails in coming weeks. Water is shut off and flush toilet buildings are closed for the season. Pit toilets are open near the beach playground, at the boat launch, and in the campground near site # 63. Campers may load water tanks at the service building just down the hill from the office. Tanks may be unloaded but not rinsed at the dump station on the campground entrance road. The final weekends of October have plenty of campsites available. Reserve if you want a specific site. (888) 947-2757. Heavy traffic continues on County Rd. A. The traffic situation will exist into the end of October with the Stillwater MN bridge closed. Anglers are reminded that all fishing is closed in the pool below the Little Falls dam since it is classified as trout water. The 2006 deer hunting map is available at the park office. The park rangers have the maps in their vehicles also. Deer hunting will be open for the nine-day gun season and December archery season. Daily or annual stickers are required in addition to a deer hunting license in order to hunt deer on park property. Open hunting areas will be posted as such. Trails bordering or within open hunting areas will be posted with information including a map showing the open hunting zone. Please self - register for vehicle admission and / or camping as needed if the park office is closed. Complete information is posted outside the office.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Woodcock have been slowly but steadily filtering into the area. Bottomlands along the Kickapoo River are prime areas to hunt for these erratic-flying migratory game birds. Woodcock may also be found in upland shrubby habitats with an herbaceous ground cover, especially where soil moisture is adequate to support earthworms, a woodcock's primary food source.
Crawford County - The water level on the Mississippi rose drastically this week. Heavy rains in the northern part of the Mississippi River basin was the cause. Last weeks report indicated the river stage was 9.2, now the Mississippi River rose to 11.7 feet. The most recent information is that the river has crested and had dropped to 11.4 feet by Tuesday. The Wisconsin River came up a little bit while the Kickapoo River remained about the same. The Mississippi now has new dangers. The high water has pulled debris off the shoreline which is floating downstream. There is still a lot of wild celery floating down stream. The floating weeds made fishing difficult in most areas and access to the river at some boat landing nearly impossible. Barge traffic is beginning to slow some what on the Mississippi River. Recreational boating traffic has slowed quite a bit now. Weekends however will still be busy but most boats are fishing or waterfowl hunting. Walleye and sauger action was spotty this week mainly due to the high water and floating weeds. Anglers using live bait have been switching over to minnows. Most walleye anglers are casting or trolling crank baits along rocky shorelines or wing dams or in deeper channels. Others are casting or jigging lead head jigs to locate walleyes. There has been some sauger action on Rotten Slough just off the main channel. The Roseau Slough, the Black Slough, wing dams around the Prairie du Chien and Lynxville/Ferryville have produced walleye at times. The islands along the main channel outside Lynxville, north and south of Cold Spring, and all the way up to Lansing have been producing some nice walleye and sauger, but not every day. Walleye and sauger action at the Lynxville dam was pretty good until the water got so high. Earlier in the week there was some fair action, however as the water started to rise the action slowed. Bluegill action started to pick up this week. Gremore Lake had some pretty good action early in the week. The water is starting to rise so the upper and lower portions of the Ambro Slough have slowed. Garnet Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and many of the sloughs action has been very spotty. Most anglers using small pieces of night crawlers are fishing right on the bottom while others are using bobbers. Cold Springs bluegill action started to pick up this week. There were some reports of nice bluegills taken there. Perch action has been spotty now that the water is up. Try using pieces of night crawlers along the weed edges for perch. Crappie action also slowed due to the high water. There had been some good catches using minnows in the snags in many of the backwater sloughs. Striper (white bass) action was pretty slow this week. Some white bass are being taken up near the Lynxville dam and in the Prairie du Chien area. Both Channel and Flathead Catfish continue to bite fairly well. Catfish were being caught in Pool 9 outside of Ferryville. Most catfish are being taken on cut bait, stink bait or night crawlers. Sheepshead are still very active and are biting on night crawlers. Bass anglers found action to be similar to walleye fishing. Some good days followed by some slow days. Most anglers report catching many under sized bass. The Spring Lake area, Garnet Lake, the main channel and most sloughs have produced bass. Some largemouth bass have been taken along woody shorelines and weeds in the back sloughs. Most bass anglers were using plastics, jig and pig, top water spoons, or spinner baits. Bass anglers fishing on Pool 9 have found bass along the weed edges along the small channels. Smallmouth bass have been active along the Main Channels especially along rocky shorelines and wing dams. Northern pike action was spotty this week. Areas to try for northern pike would be the Ambro Slough area around Big Lake and Fish Lake, the top end of Hunters Slough near the waste water treatment plant, and any back water area along the weed edges next to deeper water. With the opening of the second duck season hunters found the high water disperse the birds. Wood ducks, some teal, mallards, shoveler, widgeon, and gadwalls are the main stay. Few diver ducks are in the area mainly due to the warm weather. Hunters in the Pool 9 area around Ferryville report pretty good action. In the Prairie du Chien area duck hunting success was spotty. There have been very few mourning dove hunters out. As more corn and soybean fields are picked the mourning dove hunting should improve. Successful dove hunters are finding the birds using picked grain fields, freshly cut alfalpha or corn fields. Archery deer hunters are finding more scrapes along the field edges and in the woods. Most of the bucks are becoming more active. Deer numbers look very good and reports of archery hunters filling bonus tags on does. Most of the soybeans have been harvested. The beginning of the corn harvest has started. Leaves are starting to fall which should make deer hunting even better. Most of Crawford County lies in Deer Management Unit 74B. All deer hunters are reminded that 74B in NOT a T-Zone this year, therefore the free T-Zone tags that come with both gun and archery deer licenses CAN NOT be used in 74B. The number of birds of prey soaring over the area seemed to diminish somewhat this week. Most of the whitetail bucks are in the beginning stages of the rut. Numerous rubs and scrapes are starting to show up. Red winged blackbirds are starting to flock up in large numbers. The White Pelicans are still on Pool 9 in the area between Lynxville and Ferryville. Moderate temperatures this week made for ideal conditions for ticks, mosquitoes, hornets, and house flies. Even though most mornings have been cool, when it warms up in the afternoon they come out in force. Poison ivy and stinging nettle is still out but a few frosty mornings are beginning to cause a slow die back. The Asian beetles and Box Elder bugs have been very active during the warm afternoons. Many fall prairie flowers are starting to die off. Black walnut, elm, and sumac are starting to loose their leaves. Some maple trees are starting to turn color. Oak trees are still green. There appears to be a very good acorn, walnut, and hickory nut crop this year. Some farmers have begun chopping corn and the soybeans are getting ready to be harvested.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
The colors between Wisconsin Dells and Eau Claire were at peak color during this past few days. Bucks are starting to scrape and with the full moon it seems as though they were moving at night. The multi-colored lady Asian beetles are everywhere. The recent warm weather and breezy conditions have elevated the fire danger to Moderate. Forest surface fuels are cured and fall leaves are dropping. The area has responded to a few cornfield fires a result of combine fires with the fall harvest of beans and corn in progress. Hunters need to be careful with campfires and smoking materials while at campsites and in the field. Hunters also need to avoid parking their vehicles in areas of tall grass that are exposed to the hot exhaust systems from their vehicles.
Monroe County - Trees haven't quite reached their fall color peak yet in Monroe County but are probably near the 40 percent mark. A lack of cool weather has put things behind schedule including waterfall migrations although more and more geese are pouring into the area and diving ducks are just starting to be seen including buffleheads, ring necks and red heads. Many cranberry beds in the Warrens area are full or red floating berries as harvest season continues. The last weekend brought the opening of the pheasant season and many hunters were seeing success on public areas near Norwalk.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area - - The Chippewa Moraine is awash in a color bath of red sumac, yellow aspen, and the orange of oak leaves. Hiking is wonderful this time of year, and you are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and enjoy the 4.5 mile Circle Trail. Shorter loop trails are also available and are just as scenic. If you enjoy hiking with a four footed companion, you may be happy to note that dogs are allowed on the Reserve. However, owners must police their pets and pick up and dispose of any dog waste. Canada geese are starting their migrating patterns, and large flocks can often be seen and heard as they fly over the reserve and the many glacial kettle lakes within the reserve offer respite to birds on their way to southern climates. Other various waterfowl can be observed, as well as mixed flocks of red- breasted nuthatches, various woodpeckers, and dark-eyed juncos. Many types of birds migrate at night when the use of stars and the setting sun aids in navigation. Night time travel also enables migrating birds time to find food during the day in unfamiliar territory. Surprisingly, some birds migrate south to spend the winter in our area. The dark-eyed junco is one of them. Birds need a fat reserve for migration and fall is a good time to start putting out those suet and seed feeders if you haven't already. There are three backpack campsites that are available on a first-come/first-served basis. If you've never tried fall or winter camping, you may want to consider it. The North Shattuck and Unnamed Lake Campsites are located within a short walk of a parking area, while the Townline Lake campsite can be accessed by boat or, in winter, by walking over the frozen lake. All campsites are scenic and close to water.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - The trees are changing to varying colors of orange and brown and leaves falling. The park and wildlife areas A and B are open for the early season of bow hunting (54A). This area is not a T-zone. Only regular bow tags or bonus permits for 54A are allowed. Small game, trapping and waterfowl are allowed in Wildlife areas A and B only. Fall turkey is allowed in wildlife Area B only (15). Pick up hunting maps with rules at the park office. The park office will register deer during open office hours. Some campsites are closed for the season. Check with the park office for availability. The boat boarding piers and fishing piers are removed. The north and south shelter wells and beach well are turned off for the winter. Get water at the office during open office hours. The 2006 photo contest started on Oct. 1.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Fall colors have come to the area! Trails are in good hiking condition. Campsites 1 25 will be open through Oct. 23.
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