NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - Bucks are becoming more active. They are determining who the dominant buck is by using their antlers to overpower their competition. They will also use their antlers to make rubs on trees to mark their territory. The peak of the breeding season is between Nov. 5 to 15. Half of the does are usually bred during this 10 day period. Fishing pressure on the Bois Brule has slowed down since the fishing success has dropped off. Anglers were having to fish hard to catch steelhead and browns lately. The salmon run is pretty much over. The Bois Brule River was flowing at 157 Cubic Feet per second (CFS) this week. The 60 year average is 168 CFS. The tamarack trees are starting to lose their yellow needles now creating a golden mat of needles beneath the trees. An interesting discovery was made along the Lake Superior shoreline in the Brule River State Forest. A washed up bull moose was half buried in the sand. Wildlife managers suspect that it floated there from some other location...likely from Minnesota.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Above average temperatures made for comfortable hunting conditions in those areas with Zone T hunts and the Saturday youth hunt. Deer rutting activity is increasing in the area and bucks have been displaying territorial behavior and visiting rubs and scrapes. Archery hunters are actively scouting their favorite areas in search of the active bucks. A few anglers were taking advantage of mild conditions to get in some late season fishing. Walleye fishing has been good. Beaver and Otter season opens Nov. 5 for trappers anxious to take to the wetlands in search of these species. Woodcock season closes Nov. 7 statewide. Grouse hunters are having some success as the ground cover continues to decline and provide less cover for the birds.
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) -Sunny skies and mild temperatures in the last week made for some pleasant fishing conditions across the Northwoods. But water temperatures have been getting colder by the week and most lakes are reported to be in the mid 40s. Along with colder water temperatures, fewer and fewer anglers have been venturing out. Musky have been the main species of interest and have been providing some most consistent action lately. Most of the musky anglers have been dragging large suckers around and have been seeing quite a few fish. No recent reports of any large fish, but quite a few 30 to 38 inch fish have been landed. Some anglers were still throwing artificial baits and have been experiencing some action, with fish being more active on the sunny and warmer days when the water has warmed a bit. Northern pike have also shown a spike in activity with the colder weather and have been providing many musky anglers with a little bit extra action. Walleye fishing has been inconsistent -- some days provide good action on small and medium-size walleye while other provide virtually no action at all. Live minnows continue to best the best bait, whether fished below a slip bobber, on a jig or a bare hook dragged along the bottom. Cloudy days often produce some catches all day long, but on sunny days, look for the fish to bite in the hour right before dark. Panfish action has been fair and some nice catches of crappie were still being made along mid-depth break and near cover. Bass fishing is essentially over for the open-water season.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area Conservation Wardens and guides report that October has been one of the best months to catch musky in the past few years in the area. These fish have been caught on both suckers and artificial baits depending on the water temperatures on the lake being fished. This type of flurry should be prevalent until ice up. There were no Zone T hunts in the Woodruff area this past weekend, which left the woods open to archery and grouse hunters. Bucks are definitely exhibiting signs of rut activity and leaving their marks in the woods. Scrapes and rub lines are now common and indicate the buck activity is picking up. The next couple of weeks should prove to be good hunting. With the most of the leaves now down, grouse hunters are finding birds much easier to see. Duck hunters are reporting that very few birds are being observed indicating little to no migration has taken place yet.
Upper Wisconsin Basin fisheries report (Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln, Langlade, Forest and Florence counties) - The majority of lakes have turned over now. Walleye action has steadily increased over the past two weeks, with many lakes producing during daylight hours. Jigs tipped with large fatheads or chubs and fished near the bottom on transition zones were the best baits and areas to try. Musky fishing has been fair, with most folks slinging large glide baits or using quick-strike rigs and large suckers. A few crappies have been taken on weed edges toward evening, but it seems most of the panfishing activity has dropped off. Decent fishing should continue right on through to ice up, which could be a while yet with the mild temperatures the Northwoods has been experiencing lately.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - Anglers were still having luck catching spawning chinook salmon on the Manitowoc River, with most of the action occurring between the Mill St. access (County Highway R) and Manitou Park. There were still quite a few salmon in the East Twin River near Mishicot, and in the West Twin near Shoto Dam. Crowds have dropped off considerably, so now might be a good time for anglers to get out and try their luck. Coho salmon, brown trout and winter run steelhead should be showing up soon and mild temperatures continue to make fishing rather comfortable. This will be the last creel report for Manitowoc until March 2006. Enjoy fishing for the remainder of the fall and into spring 2006.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - This week started out wet but the last half of the week turned out to be beautiful, with bright blue skies, moderate temperatures and lots of sunshine. The fall colors are still beautiful although most of the reds are gone. One thing is abundantly clear when you see a gorgeous splash of bright gold foliage surrounded by emerald evergreen boughs; Mother Nature must be a Packer backer. A lot of smallmouth bass anglers reported good catches this past week. Most of the action seemed to be coming from the northern half of the county. Spinner baits and tube jigs were both producing fish, along with night crawlers and minnows. Anglers trolling the Sturgeon Bay ship canal were still picking up an occasional salmon although for the most part the salmon action seems to be over for the year. Anglers fishing northern Door County were still having some luck on chinook salmon and brown trout in the harbors. Small spoons along with spawn, corn and even flies appeared to be the best bets. Perch fishing was still good with catches of nice perch being reported by anglers fishing from Sturgeon Bay south along the shores of Green Bay. Minnows, worms, crabs and jigs all seem to be producing fish. Up north the harbors at Egg Harbor, Fish Creek and Sister Bay should still be producing perch, although no one seems to be fishing for them. Northern pike fishing was still good with reports of pike from Sturgeon Bay, Little Sturgeon Bay, Egg Harbor and the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. The walleye action continues to heat up with anglers fishing the points, reefs and along the shorelines of Green Bay and in Sturgeon Bay. The bigger fish were being taken at night.
Peninsula State Park - All hiking and biking trails are dry and in excellent condition. Fall foliage is past its peak, yet much color remains! Tennison Bay campground remains open year-round, though flush toilets and showers are closed Oct. 30 to April 30. Peninsula State Park golf course is closed until early May. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse remains accessible to the public, though guided tours will not be provided until next spring.
Kewaunee County - Anglers fishing the piers and harbors have had a difficult time finding fish. Fishing activity has slowed down drastically; however, anglers have had success catching a few brown trout and coho salmon while using spoons in green, blue, and silver. In the Kewaunee County tributaries, the chinook salmon run is starting to die down. The Kewaunee River is supporting a few late run chinooks, while coho salmon are starting to come up the river system more frequently. In the Ahnapee River, chinook salmon activity has been concentrated by the Forestville damn with a few fish few fish being caught in moderate condition. In a few more weeks and some more rain look for brown trout activity to increase in the tributaries. Pre-rut deer movement is on the increase with a lot more scrapes and rubs appearing in the woods. The Zone-T was a success with a lot of hunters participating and registrating does throughout Kewaunee County. The fall leave conditions are past their prime, but beautiful scenery is still abundant.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Excellent weather prevailed throughout northeast Wisconsin for most of the four day Zone-T antlerless gun deer season held Oct. 27-30. In spite of the good weather, DNR personnel reported average to below average hunter effort and numbers of deer registered. DNR crews staffed registration stations throughout the northeast region during the season in order to collect heads for chronic wasting disease surveillance. This regional effort is the first in an ongoing CWD testing program occurring on a rotating regional basis in each of the DNRs five administrative regions. The testing program is aimed at tracking the potential spread of the disease outside of the CWD management zone in southern Wisconsin. Most successful hunters were willing to donate their deer heads for testing and were happy to take the opportunity to pre-qualify for Earn-a-Buck by taking an antlerless deer. Hunters are reminded that they may still donate deer heads for CWD testing and be placed in a drawing for a rifle by submitting heads to an alternative collection site or during the opening weekend of gun season at selected deer registration stations. These locations are listed on the DNR Web site. In other wildlife news, pheasant hunters were reporting good to excellent success in the fields, a result of dry and warm nesting and brood rearing conditions this spring and summer. Conversely, duck hunters reported a fair opener, but that the action has really slowed of late. Lake Winnebago hunters reported good numbers of divers appearing last weekend. A reminder to hunters that mourning dove season closed on Oct. 30 and that bow deer season will run until Nov. 17, and then closes the day before the gun opener and reopens Nov. 28 and runs through Jan. 3.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Fall color is past peak, but not by much. Since nice weather is predicted for the rest of this week, there should still be great fall colors still to be seen all over the Kettle Moraine countryside this coming weekend. Outdoor recreation areas such as State Parks and Forests and Wildlife areas were full of customers this past weekend. Campgrounds still open were full or almost so. The four-day Zone T gun deer hunt drew many hunters out, especially on public lands. All deer hunters were properly decked-out in blaze orange as were most other hunters in the field. There were no hunting accidents; and only a few hunters were found not meeting the blaze orange clothing requirements. Wildlife managers are happy with the results of the white-tail deer harvest in Southeast Region CWD zones, which preliminary numbers indicate is up from last season. This would be an indication that progress is being made reducing the deer population and helping to control chronic wasting disease. Some very nice bucks were taken by hunters that had earned the right to shoot a buck by either taking an antlerless deer with a bow or shooting one before they bagged their trophy buck. Most said they were getting their trophies mounted, in which case they have three days to return the skinned head for CWD analysis. Speaking of deer, in the last two weeks, hundreds have been killed by cars on area roads. The rut is about to go into full swing and deer are moving about even at mid-day. People should be on the lookout for deer no matter when and where they are driving. Nice weather has kept many anglers from putting their boats away for the winter. On Friday, most public boat launches were at least half-full by noon; not bad for this late in the season. Musky and walleye were getting the most attention. Overall musky action was slow. No one seems to know why, but some possibilities were that the water is too warm, lakes are too calm or the sun has been too bright. Lots of theories abound but no one knows why for sure. Everyone is anticipating a big musky turn-on in the weeks to come. Surprisingly, action for panfish, particularly crappies, has been good on some lakes including Pewaukee. The walleye catch has been fair, with successful anglers averaging about a fish per evening out.
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 and coho 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 the most productive.
Milwaukee County - In Milwaukee anglers fishing off McKinley ramp 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 and Kletzsch parks. Fishing has been slow on both the Menomonee River and Oak Creek. On good weather days, some trollers have been venturing out on the lake. They have been taking some small chinooks around the gaps and north of the harbor in 50 feet of water.
Racine County - In Racine 552 fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Monday. So far this season 3,438 chinooks, 591 coho, 11 steelhead, 134 browns, and 1 pink salmon have passed upstream. An additional 91 skamania strain steelhead and 49 coho have been taken to the hatchery for later spawning. The next processing day is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 3. If there is very little fish movement this week, processing will hold off until Monday, Nov. 7. Water levels on the Root remain low, and anglers have been taking most chinooks, coho, and browns on purple flies or spawn in the Washington Park golf course. Due to low water, fishing has been difficult from Island Park all the way upstream through Quarry Park. Some chinooks and coho have also been taken just below the Horlick dam.
Kenosha County - In Kenosha the Pike River is low, and only a few chinooks and coho 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 - Fall weather has been nice for anglers. Lakes are beginning to turn over. Fish are spending much of their time in and near green weeds. Musky were biting mostly on suckers with some action on artificials. Northern pike and walleye anglers were catching fish by trolling artificials and suckers. Anglers after largemouth bass are catching some on artificials near weed beds. Yellow perch and crappie fishing has been a bit slow with some anglers finding success in 7 to 20 feet of water.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties - Very little fishing action has taken place on area lakes. Musky anglers were trying to entice muskies to hit on Elkhart and Random lakes with little success. However, good action is ahead of us in coming weeks. Bluegills were biting well on Elkhart Lake.
Waukesha County - Good musky action was reported on Okauchee and Pewaukee lakes on suckers. Walleye action has been excellent at night for anglers fishing over reefs on Oconomowoc and Pine lakes. Bluegill action has been spotty, with the best fishing over weedbeds in low light hours.
Kettle Moraine State Park - Pike Lake Unit - The forest is past peak color but there is still plenty of good fall color to see. 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. The campground and dump station are closed for the season. There currently are good numbers of migrating waterfowl on the lake each day.
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit - Fall color is past peak, but there is still good color. All trails including hiking, mountain bike and equestrian trails were open and in good condition as of Nov.2. Remember that conditions can change rapidly. For updated trail conditions please call the Trails number at (262) 594-6202. These areas are also open to hunting small game. It is recommended that hikers wear the bright colored clothing so hunters can see you. Ottawa Lake Campground remains open year round. Backpack shelters along the Ice Age Trail are open. Pinewoods Group Camp remains open until mid-November. Pinewoods Family campground closed for the Season. If Ottawa Lake campground should fill they will open one of the loops at Pinewoods to accommodate all campers.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County - Water levels have returned to normal. The last few frosty, windy mornings have brought down a large number of fall leaves. The fall color is fading fast. Bluegill and crappie anglers have reported catching keeper sized fish on the Mississippi River pool #11 Bertom-McCartney Lake. Fall walleye fishing has been slow, with a few sauger caught and released. Bow hunters have commented that the fall rut has just begun, but this past weekend saw few bucks afield. For those hunting the eastern portion of the county in the CWD areas, the hunters reported seeing fewer deer than expected. Much of the corn has been harvested, but several large areas remain. Waterfowl hunters have reported seeing few birds than expected. They were anticipating larger fall flights as the cold northern Wisconsin weather pushed birds south. This has not yet materialized.
Wyalusing State Park - Trails are in good condition. Many trails have been brushed recently to remove encroaching vegetation. Even though most of the leaves have fallen, the bluffs are still beautiful on a sunny day because of the different hues of the oak leaves that still remain. Oak trees will keep their leaves for quite some time. According to local anglers, fishing activity has been good. Nice catches of bass and bluegill have been reported. The Mississippi River has been dropping steadily. River level today at Prairie du Chien is 7.8 feet. Flocks of robins and bluebirds have still been seen. Regular visitors to the office feeders include: tufted titmice, chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, red-breasted nuthatches, white-breasted nuthatches, mourning doves, juncos, red-bellied woodpeckers, and goldfinches. Goldfinches have lost the brilliant yellow and black plumage of the summer. Pheasants have been seen near the Visitor Center. The Homestead Campground, showers, water faucets, and dumping station are closed for the season. Showers, flush toilets and water faucets in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground are also closed for the season. Campsites in the Wisconsin Ridge Campground are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pit toilets are available and a winterized faucet is located to the right of the shower/flush building in the center of the campground.
Iowa County
Governor Dodge State Park - At this time of year, hikers may encounter almost any condition on the hiking trails from dirt and rocks to mud and water. Be prepared for changing conditions on all trails at any given time. Horse and mountain bike trails are open; however trail conditions can deteriorate quickly with changing weather conditions. Wet or muddy trials can be easily damaged by horses and bicycles. The horse and mountain bike trails will close for the season on Nov. 15, but trail users are reminded that deer and small game hunting has begun and runs through Dec. 15. Twin Valley campground (200 loop) remains open but Cox Hollow campground has closed for the season. The group and backpack campsites and the horse campground have also closed for the season. All campground shower/flush toilet facilities and water systems have been shut down for the season. Pit toilets are available in the campground and water for jug-filling is available at the park office. The Concession is now closed for the season. Hunters with special permits may hunt turkey, deer, and small game in the park in season. Special regulations apply for each hunt. Contact the park office for specific permit and regulation information. Due to the efforts to eliminate chronic wasting disease (CWD) the park is within the CWD disease eradication zone gun deer hunting will run Oct. 27 through Nov. 13 and again from Nov. 19 through Dec. 11. Archery deer hunting will run continuously Oct. 27 through Jan. 3, 2006. Limited small game hunting is permitted in the park Nov. 1 through Dec. 15 (except where statewide or regional seasons end earlier for specific species). All small game hunting closes at noon each day. Permits are required and available at the park office.
Lafayette County - Many people were out and about during the four-day deer hunting season in Lafayette County. For some, the Earn A Buck deer hunting season continues in the Disease Eradication Zone near Argyle and Blanchardville through Nov. 13. All nine Lafayette County registration stations called in a preliminary report of registered deer for the four-day season. That preliminary number was 640 total deer registered. Numbers from the CWD sample stations and those people registering their deer on Monday are not yet included. The deer are definitely running right now, so drivers need to be careful on the road. The sheriffs department in running from one car deer accident to the next. Stay Safe.
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - At present, the Canada goose and duck migration are near peak. The recent Canada goose count indicated 210,000 geese on Horicon Marsh, which is slightly above the normal peak and is occurring a bit earlier than recent years. Surveys conducted on the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge counted just over 80,000 ducks. However, the low water levels are attracting plenty of dabbling ducks while divers are seeking out deeper water and as a result are sparse at Horicon Marsh. No similar count was recently conducted on the state portion of the marsh, and therefore the total waterfowl count at Horicon Marsh is higher than these numbers indicate. Water levels in the marsh have remained low throughout the fall, as is the case with many of southeast Wisconsin wetlands. This is primarily due to this summer's drought conditions. However, biologists decided to take advantage of the drought to manage for low water to improve wildlife habitat conditions in the marsh. Drought and floods are natural occurring cycles in wetlands and these are important for a number of benefits to wildlife and their habitat. Waterfowl hunters are finding it difficult to navigate the marsh this fall, but duck numbers are abundant in the area while public access is limited. Concerns over a botulism disease outbreak have abated with the cooler water temperatures. The disease outbreak appears to have lasted for only a few days during early fall. Recent surveys of Horicon Marsh have not resulted in any further evidence of the disease. Botulism bacteria are naturally occurring in some wetlands, including Horicon Marsh, and an outbreak usually erupts during low water levels, high temperatures, and decaying organic material. The drought of this past summer created just such conditions.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County
Devil's Lake State Park - This is one of the quietest times to consider a visit to the park. The slowest time of year is after the peak of fall colors, and before substantial snowfalls and the winter sporting season. Then things pick up again in January through March, with cross-country skiing and ice fishing. Turkey vultures are starting to wheel and circle in larger groups, preparing for their fall migration. Some days visitors might spot many dozens at one time. Hiking trails are open. Keep in mind that trails can be hazardous when leaf-covered, wet, icy, or snow-covered. Mountain bike trails are open. Typically, trails remain open almost all the time July through October. Trails are easily damaged by bicycle use during muddy conditions. All concession operations, souvenir and food sales, and boat rentals are now closed for the season.
Dane County
Capital City State Trail - The E-way segment of the trail is open year round. Trail users should use caution around any areas where the trail surface has standing water or leaves. Trail staff will be on the trail clearing debris from the trail surface on Thursday's or Friday's of each week. An asphalt crack sealing project will take place during the first few weeks of November. Trail users need to slow down when approaching the maintenance crews and make sure the workers can see them before passing. The Capital Springs / Lake Farm Campground and rest rooms are closed for the season. Trail users can access the Heritage Center Restrooms Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or the E-way parking area vault toilet. All pets must be leashed when using the Capital City State Trail corridor.
Capital Springs Recreation Area - All Hiking trails are open and in good condition. Trail preparation is going on for cross country ski trails should snowfall occur. Lake Farm campground, shelters and restrooms areas are closed for the season. Shelters can be used for picnics, but are accessible by walk in only. The Lake Farm Boat Launch is open for boat access to Lake Waubesa. All vehicles parking at the launch are required to display a valid Lake Access permit. The piers will be removed by mid November. The Jenni and Kyle preserve is open for fishing. Fishing is restricted to children 14 years of age or younger or any person with a disability.
Lake Kegonsa State Park - All trails are open to hiking and in good condition. The park is past peak autumn foliage color, but many trees in the park still have beautiful leaves to see. Many bird species are still migrating through the park. The campground, dump station and shower building are closed for the season.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - Some of the best hiking conditions of the year exist right now. Most leaves are down and much more is visible. Cedar waxwings are migrating through. Plan to visit all the overlooks above Willow Falls. The Trout Brook Trail will has work in progress and is closed. A culvert is being replaced and bank stabilization work will be done. 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. As of Nov. 1, all campsites are first come, first served. The campground road will remain open to vehicle traffic until there is a chance for snow. After the road closes, tent campers may hike in with camping equipment. The parking lot by the beach is open all year for wheeled campers. Anglers are reminded that all fishing is closed in the pool below the Little Falls dam since it is classified as trout water. Heavy traffic continues on County Rd. A. The heavy traffic situation will exist into November with the Stillwater MN bridge closed.
La Crosse DNR Service Center area
Despite the cooler temperature that accompany fall, many spiders are still active. This is the time of year when many young spiders go ballooning, and on almost any warm and calm day they can be seen sailing through the air. To go ballooning, spiders climb to the top of a shrub, blade of grass, or fence post, face the wind, extend their eight legs, and elevate their bodies at about a 45 degree angle, so they are raised above their takeoff perch. Then they spin several threads, which catch the air currents and carry the spider aloft. Ballooning spiders are not entirely at the wind's mercy, for they can exert a certain amount of control over their silken parachutes by climbing about on the threads, pulling in and winding up or streaming out more filaments. What an intriguing means of dispersal.
VMIssissippi River - White pelican viewing opportunities are almost gone for this fall, but some groups remain. Tundra swans have started to arrive in small numbers. Canvasback numbers are near their yearly peak on the Mississippi.
Crawford County - The Mississippi River rose drastically a couple weeks ago but has now begun to recede. The water level rose to 11.7 feet a while back but is now down to around the 8 foot mark. The Wisconsin River came up a little bit while the Kickapoo River remained about the same. Mississippi River still has floating debris and a lot of wild celery floating down stream that made fishing difficult in some areas. Barge traffic is beginning to slow. Recreational boating traffic has slowed quite a bit now. Walleye and sauger action started to pick up later in the week. Anglers using live bait have been switching over to minnows. 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. Bluegill action has started to pick up again. Gremore Lake and Cold Spring have been the hottest spots for bluegills. Most anglers were using small pieces of night crawlers but many are starting to switch over to wax worms or spikes. Perch action has been spotty. Crappie action has started to pick up, with some good catches on minnows in the snags of backwater sloughs. Some white bass were taken up near the Lynxville dam and in the Prairie du Chien area. Both channel and flathead catfish continued to bite fairly well. Catfish were being caught in Pool 9 outside of Ferryville and in the East Channel outside of Prairie du Chien. Most catfish were taken on cut bait, stink bait or night crawlers. Sheepshead were still very active and are biting on night crawlers. Bass anglers found 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. Thousands of canvasback ducks have moved into Pool 9. Most of them stay either in the closed area on the Iowa side near Lynxville or stay out in the middle of the pool. Hunter using the boat landings at Cold Spring, Lynxville and Ferryville are heading out to the islands in those areas. In the Prairie du Chien area duck hunting success was spotty. Most were finding a wood duck or mallard here and there, but it appears as if some gadwall, more mallards and a few divers are moving into the area. The white pelicans are still on Pool 9 in the area between Lynxville and Ferryville. A substantial number of migrating waterfowl have showed up in Pool 9 also. Aerial surveys of Pool 9 show there are over 100,000 canvasbacks along with thousands of other ducks. Coot and ruddy ducks are very common, however many bluebills, buffleheads, mallards, widgeon, and gadwalls are also on the pool. Most of the whitetail bucks are in rut. Numerous rubs and scrapes are starting to show up. Vehicle-deer crashes are on the upswing so use caution when driving on area highways, especially early in the morning and after sunset. Archery deer hunters are finding a lot 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. 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. Archers have taken a few very nice buck so far. The peak fall colors are starting to fad a little. Still red, gold, brown, and yellow colors can be seen on the landscape. Black walnut, elm, sumac, and many popple trees have lost most of their leaves. Some farmers are about done harvesting soybeans and most have begun chopping corn.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Monroe County - Geese and ducks continue to filter through the area and waterfowl hunters are seeing some benefits to the colder nights experienced last week. Archery hunters have been seeing deer and are focusing their activity on bucks as the rut heats up. Sandhill cranes can also be seen in open areas and flying along with the goose flocks. As always, turkeys are plentiful but few hunters seem to be taking advantage of them. Cranberry harvest is also winding down with few left with floating berries. Some October Zone-T deer hunters were successful as can be seen by deer hanging here and there.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area - - Canadian Geese are starting their migrating patterns, and large flocks can often be seen and heard as they fly over the Reserve. The many glacial kettle lakes within the Reserve, offer respite to birds on their way south. Hiking trails are in very good condition and the quiet time of late fall is relaxing. Trails vary in length, but all are very scenic. Other various waterfowl can be observed, along with 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. With colder temperatures arriving, many visitors are looking for inside activities to do. The Interpretive Center is open daily from 8:30 - 4:30. Call ahead on winter holidays if your traveling any distance. The Interpretive Center can provide hours of entertainment in a fun and educational way. Most younger visitors enjoy doing one of the eight indoor scavenger hunts where they search for things on their sheets. After a short and easy quiz by Center staff, kids can select their Smokey Bear prize. There are 30 short movies to select from, ranging in length from 13 - 30 minutes. Topics include wildlife, historical, ice age geology, and nature based animated films. 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 park and wildlife areas A and B are open for the early season of bow hunting (54A). 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). Buckhorn Youth Deer Hunt is this weekend, Nov. 5-6. Most of the park is closed to all other hunting during the youth hunt weekend. Bow hunters may hunt in the area west of 19th toward the lake and in the parklands north of G. Other hunters may also go in wildlife Area B. Pick up hunting maps with rules at the park office. The park office will register deer during open office hours. Campsites 8, 9, 16, and A1-A8, B1-B3 are still open. All other sites are closed. Get drinking water at the office during open office hours or in the group camp. Check out the new badger mount in the park office. The 2006 photo contest started on Oct. 1.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - The park's main gate and campgrounds are closed for the season. The park may be accessed through the hiking/skiing trailhead located at the winter parking lot, just off of Czech Avenue, at the southern end of the park.
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