The Canada goose migration through Wisconsin is at its peak and as of this week there were approximately 200,000 geese at Horicon Marsh. The recent cold temperatures brought snow and ice to the breeding grounds in Canada forcing the last remaining birds south. They will remain in Wisconsin until the winter weather catches up with them here. The geese are providing some fantastic viewing as they fly out in the morning to feed among nearby farm fields and return at the end of the day. The best times to watch these great daily flights is during the first two hours of daylight in the morning and the last two hours in the late afternoon. The geese are joined on the marsh by large flocks of ducks, including mallards, green-winged teal, northern shovelers, gadwall, wigeon, scaup and ring-necked ducks. Tundra swans are also migrating through the state in good numbers, so waterfowl hunters need to be especially sure of their targets.
The open-water fishing season is quickly winding down in northern Wisconsin. Fishing pressure has really dropped off with the windy weather and colder water temperatures, and skim ice is being found in the mornings on the shallow bays. Success has also tapered off and for the first time in weeks, musky fishing was only fair. Some good walleye fishing was being reported in Vilas and Oneida counties with good catches in the shallows near rock or gravel points after dark. Walleye fishing also picked up on Menominee River in Marinette.
Salmon runs on Lake Michigan tributaries have been dropping off considerably, with only a few salmon being seen and very little fishing activity going on. Manitowoc County’s East and West Twin Rivers continued to produce salmon and a few nice brown trout. Windy conditions continued to keep most anglers off of Green Bay, though there were still a lot of chinook salmon and brown trout cruising Door County waters. Perch fishing remained good from Sturgeon Bay south.
The Mississippi River dropped again this week and was at 6.5 feet Monday at Prairie du Chien. Walleye fishing has continued to improve, with walleye action reported on the wing dams and deeper sloughs on minnows.
White-tailed bucks are in rut in many areas and are actively tending scrapes and rub lines and pursuing does. Deer hunters are reporting increase deer activity even during the day and several trophy bucks have been registered in the last week.
Large numbers of Snow buntings have been sighted in the Brule area this week. These northern birds migrate down from their breeding grounds in the arctic to winter over in the northern half of the United States. Sandhill cranes are beginning to depart the area with the coming of colder weather.
NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - Large numbers of Snow buntings have been sighted in the past week. These northern birds migrate down from their breeding grounds in the arctic to winter over in the northern half of the United States. Beaver have most of their food cached away for the winter now. Ducks and geese are on the larger bodies of water since the smaller lakes and ponds are freezing over at night. A type of Hunters Moth…most likely Linden Loopers (also known as a winter moth) has been active on the cool fall nights….even in snow flurries. These moths are unique in that they can be active late into the fall for their breeding season. The females, which are wingless (another unique feature) will crawl up trees and release pheromones (attractants) to attract the males. Tamarack trees are shedding their needles leaving a golden mat of needles on the ground. Anglers are reminded that the fishing season on the Bois Brule River will remain open north of Highway 2 to Lake Superior through Nov. 15. According to the Brule National Weather Service Work Station, October precipitation was 2.07 inches. The historical average is 2.52 inches, so the station was down 0.45 inches for the month and is down 9.13 inches for the year. The annual precipitation average at the Brule National Weather Service Work Station is 31 inches, so 12 inches of precipitation would be needed before the end of the year to be on track with the average. Temperatures were below average for October. The Brule weather station recorded 51 degrees for the average high and 30 degrees for the average low for October 2006. Historically 57degrees has been the average high and 34 degrees has been the average low. The extended forecast calls for warmer weather over the weekend. The high temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 30s to upper 40s for the next week and low temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s. Chances of flurries and sprinkles are expected off and on through next week. Temperatures have cooled down and there has been some snow flurries here and there but that does not mean that the fire season is over yet. Fire danger has remained up due to lack of precipitation. Equipment and debris related fires have been starting recently. People are encouraged to not drive vehicles or equipment through dry areas with tall grass. People that are burning leaves and other yard debris need to make sure that the pile is totally out and cool to the touch before it is left for the night. Permits are still required until the ground is entirely snow covered around the area to be burned.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - The open-water fishing season is quickly winding down in the Northwoods. Fishing pressure has really dropped off with the windy weather and colder water temperatures, with some skim ice being found in the mornings on the shallow bays. Most anglers have been winterizing their boats and it seems like only the die-hard musky and walleye anglers have been out on the water. Success has also tapered off and for the first time in weeks, musky fishing could only be termed fair. Most musky anglers have been using suckers and action has been generally slow. However, this is trophy time and most anglers are just hoping for that one bite from the local monster musky. But no reports of any trophy musky for this week. Walleye success has been erratic, with some days producing good catches of fish in the 12 to 16-inch size and other days producing hardly a bite. A few anglers were catching fish on minnows near any green weed lines in the lakes and along current breaks in the rivers.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area Conservation Wardens and guides report that October has been one of the best months to catch muskies in the past few years. 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. White-tailed 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) - Though cooler weather is approaching and people are focused on deer, duck, and bird hunting, there is still a die-hard group of anglers out there. Walleye fishing continues to be excellent. Shallow running crank baits cast toward shore after dark were catching walleye. Slip bobber rigs baited with minnows have also been producing. Most successful fishing has been in the shallows near rock or gravel points. This is the time of year to catch trophy musky as well, for those willing to brave the cold. Large, slow moving jerk baits and glide baits are the ticket; and if live bait is used, a very large sucker should be set up on a "quick strike" rig to minimize hooking damage to the fish - especially if it is planned to be released. Musky season ends Nov. 30.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - With fall weather setting in and more people hitting the woods and marshes, fishing pressure on the Menominee, Little, and Peshtigo Rivers was starting to decrease over the past week and weekend. The walleye fishing on the Menominee started to pick up with many anglers catching limits or near limits of nice fish. Most walleye were being caught off of the Hattie Street bridge while drifting stick baits down the current 50-100 yards from the bridge and retrieving slowly. The most effective colors were chartreuse and floating Rapalas with mornings and later evenings being the best times. A few fish were also being caught on the Wisconsin side of the river below the dam on the same lures. Trout and salmon anglers were having little success below the dam with some fish being caught on the Michigan side in the current. Most fish were hitting flies and spawn sacs and an occasional silver spoon or spinner. The water level on the Little River was very low and only a few salmon were seen still in the river with very little fishing activity going on. The fishing on the Peshtigo River has been hit or miss with some anglers having success below the dam for trout and walleye. Small brown and rainbow trout have been caught while using flies, small spinners and spawn sacs between the dam and railroad bridge. Walleye were also hitting below the dam on floating stick baits in all varieties of colors with most fish hitting at day break and sunset.
Oconto County - Windy conditions continued to keep most anglers off of the Bay over the weekend. Fishing pressure on the Oconto River was down with few anglers out. Some anglers were trying their luck below the Stiles dam and downstream from the highway 141 bridge with some success on small trout and a few chinook salmon. Most trout were hitting small spinners, flies and small minnows drifted down the current while salmon were hitting spawn sacs and small spoons. A few fly-fishers were catching small trout near the County J bridge while wading from the bridge downstream 100-200 yards on both sides of the river. Walleye anglers were trying their luck off the breakwater pier while casting husky jerks and rattlin’ rogues with minimal success. A few larger fish were caught at night but cold and wind kept pressure down. A few walleye were also seen off of the Iron bridge near Stiles but anglers were unable to connect with fish.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Manitowoc County - In Two Rivers, salmon fishing was slow this past week off the piers and in the harbor. Anglers fishing upstream on the East Twin River had successful fishing trips catching salmon with spawn sacs and squids near the dam in Mishicot. A few nice brown trout were also taken. Anglers on the West Twin River near the Shoto dam, had a great week of fishing with good catches of brown trout and Chinook salmon. Most anglers used spawn sacs or medium sized spoons. This past week the Manitowoc Harbor was busy with many anglers fishing on the north side of the harbor. Most anglers were successful in catching Chinook salmon, a few brown trout, and a couple of rainbow trout. As a bonus, a few lucky anglers landed several nice smallmouth bass and northern pike. Anglers fishing the Manitowoc River and Branch River this past week had a good week catching Chinook salmon. This is the last Manitowoc County- Lake Michigan Creel report until March 2007.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - Partly cloudy and cool best describes the weather this week. High winds and big waves on Saturday made for spectacular actions on most of the Green Bay piers. Fishing has slowed down, not because the fish are not cooperating but mostly because there was little angling pressure this week. There are still a lot of big chinook salmon and brown trout cruising Door County waters. Baileys Harbor, Ellison Bay and Sister Bay along with Sturgeon Bay are producing salmon in fair numbers. The few perch anglers out reported fair to good results from Sturgeon Bay south. Most of the fish being taken were coming out of around 10 feet of water; however some big perch were reported from 40 feet of water around Henderson Point and Snake Island. The area off of Chaudoir’s Dock was reported as producing big perch from 25 to 40 feet of water. Walleye fishing continues to pick up with the fishing being best after dark.
Peninsula State Park - Tree color is past peak. Heavy winds and frequent rains have caused leaves to drop prematurely. Many trees, particularly maples, dried out and lost their leaves early. The Tennison Bay campground is open year-round. Water to flush toilets and the trailer dumping station will be shut down Oct. 30. All hiking and biking trails are in great shape. Water levels in Green Bay are still very low. Peninsula State Park golf course has closed for the season.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Lakeshore team wildlife report - Deer hunters are reporting increase diurnal deer activity as we approach the deer “rutting” period. Drivers should be on the look out for deer as they travel Wisconsin roadways especially during the month of November. Some nice bucks have been harvested but archery hunters are reminded that additional antlerless deer need to be harvested in local deer management units to bring deer populations back to unit overwinter population goals. Fond du Lac County agricultural crop harvest is progressing rapidly providing excellent opportunities for field Canada goose hunting and viewing throughout, especially surrounding Horicon National Wildlife Refuge and City of Fond du Lac. Eldorado and Mullet Creek Wildlife Areas in Fond du Lac County continue to receive supplemental fall rooster pheasant stocking to meet the demand of local pheasant hunters but there are very good wild pheasant populations on private lands with good wetland and grassland habitat. Hunters must receive land owner permission before accessing private lands. Waterfowl hunting opportunities have improved as wetlands recharge with increase precipitation the last few weeks. Waterfowl hunters for the first time this fall can access Eldorado Marsh impoundment from the East Boat Landing due to increasing water levels. Waterfowl hunters are reminded to identify their target before they pull the trigger. Unfortunately, a tundra swan was killed on Horicon Marsh. As we approach mid-November, tundra swans will become more numerous as they fly eastward to the Atlantic Coast. Now is a great time for forest landowners to control buckthorn invasion in their woodlot. It is easy to identify this time of year because they typically hold their green leaves three weeks longer than native tree and shrubs. Cut-stump treatments using 25 percent glyphosphate or 12.5 percent triclopyr formulation for dilution with oil are effective at reducing resprouting. Get outdoors and enjoy Wisconsin’s unique landscapes!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTHEAST REGION
Beautiful Fall weather has re-energized anglers and sent them out in search of large fish, primarily muskies. Despite the high pressure, there have not been any reports yet of large fish caught so far this fall. Hunters, on the other hand, are bagging some beautiful trophy bucks. This is a signal the rut is on. Indeed, deer have been seen moving all day. On Monday, a record-book class 14-point buck was registered at our Eagle registration station. The happy hunter said the big bruiser “took my breath away” when he first saw it. It was “grunted” in to bow range and away from a second, smaller buck that was accompanying it. Reflecting increased stocking, pheasant hunting has been excellent. Almost all hunters are seeing at least one bird each time out. As usual, those with good dogs are doing the best. Marshes are very wet and there is a lot of corn that is not picked yet. Lots of pheasants are using these refuges which should bode well for later season hunting.
Sheboygan County – In Sheboygan action in the harbor and off the piers has been slow. On the Sheboygan River water levels have risen and the water is muddy. Chinooks, coho, steelhead, and browns have all been reported near the Kohler dam. Drifting spawn has taken the most fish, but catching them has been difficult overall.
Ozaukee County – In Port Washington shore anglers have been catching a mixed bag of chinooks, coho, rainbows, and browns near the power plant. Spawn has produced the most fish, but some have also been hitting spoons. The discharge at the power plant will be turned off next Wednesday, and might not be turned back on for several months. Water levels remain low on Sauk Creek, but chinooks can still be found in the deeper holes downstream of the Wisconsin Street bridge. When Port Washington trollers have been able to get out on the lake, they have been catching good numbers of trout and salmon on spoons and flies in 60 to 85 feet of water.
Milwaukee County – In Milwaukee, flows are good on the Milwaukee River, and good numbers of chinooks and a few coho have been taken in Kletzsch and Estabrook Parks. Pink, red, and black yarn flies have been effective. Oak Creek anglers have reported chinooks and coho on spawn sacs and wooly buggers. On the Menomonee chinooks have been caught near Miller Park. Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching a few chinooks and browns in McKinley Marina. When the weather cooperates, Milwaukee trollers have been catching good numbers of chinooks and browns on spoons in 50 feet of water off the main gap.
Racine County – In the Racine harbor, a few browns have been taken near the boat launch on small green glow spoons. Fish were processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility on Thursday, October 26 and Monday, October 30. Nearly 12,000 fish have been handled at the facility so far this season. DNR crews plan to process fish again on Thursday, November 2. On the Root River, flows are good, and chinooks can be found throughout the upstream portions of the river from the Steelhead Facility to the Horlick dam. Drifting orange or black flies or yarn eggs has been effective. Action has also been good downstream of the weir in Lincoln Park, where more coho, browns, and steelhead can be found in and amongst the chinooks. Purple and black flies have been productive. Angling pressure has been lighter in Island and Washington Parks, but fish can still be found in those areas as well.
Kenosha County – In Kenosha, most action has been in the small boat harbor, where good numbers of browns have been taken on spawn. Anglers have been taking fish from the Best Western all the way to the boat launch.
Washington, eastern Fond du Lac, and inland Sheboygan counties – Fishing action has been light lately. Most anglers are turning their attention to hunting. Northern pike and muskies have been active for those that are choosing to participate. Brown trout are beginning to spawn in local trout streams.
Waukesha County - Waukesha County Lakes have all turned over by now. Water temperatures are in the 40s, and game fish are looking to put on some weight in anticipation of the winter ahead. Musky action has been good on area lakes this past week, especially Pewaukee. Most were caught using suckers on quick-strike rigs. Best areas are shallow weed beds and drop-offs where muskies are seeking bait fish. Good walleye action was reported on Oconomowoc and Pine lakes. Best chance for a strike was after dark casting crank baits over shallow weed beds. For some daytime action, move to deeper weeds or structure using golden shiners or jumbo fatheads. Crappie action has been good on School Section, Lower Nemahbin and Nagawicka lakes. Fish them in the evening in shallow weeds using waxworms or small minnows.
Kettle Moraine State Forest, Southern Unit - As of Oct. 31 the mountain bike trails were open. For the current conditions please call the hotline number at (262) 594-6202. Come out and enjoy a nice fall hike on some of the most beautiful trails in the state. Being a state forest hunting is allowed in the Kettle Moraine, we advise visitors to wear bright colored clothing "blaze orange" is recommended.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Horicon DNR Service Center area
Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area - Horicon Marsh is currently at its peak population of Canada geese. Presently, some 200,000 geese are on the marsh and will remain for much of the month. The recent cold temperatures have brought snow and ice to the breeding grounds in Canada forcing the last remaining birds south. They will remain in the area until the winter weather catches up with them here. The geese fly out in the morning to feed among nearby farm fields and return at the end of the day, so the best times to watch the great daily flights of birds is during the first two hours of daylight in the morning and the last two hours in the late afternoon as the birds are leaving and returning to the marsh which provides their evening roost sites. The geese are currently joined by large flocks of ducks, including mallards, green-winged teal, northern shovelers, gadwall, wigeon, scaup and ring-necked ducks. These birds remain on the marsh throughout the day as they feed in the open water areas. The ducks will begin to depart for wintering sites in the southern U.S. as ice forms and reduces their feeding opportunities. The geese will roost on the ice in early winter, but they are more vulnerable to predators and disturbance which is when many of them will also begin to depart. Some Canada geese will remain throughout the winter as long as they have access to food. When snow cover reaches 6 to 8 inches the remaining birds fly to wintering sites in southern Illinois and western Kentucky and Tennessee. In winters with little snow cover, many Canada geese will remain throughout the season. This past week has also provided conditions for the migration of tundra swans through Wisconsin. These birds nest in the Canadian arctic, as far west as Alaska, and winter around Chesapeake Bay. We commonly see large flocks of swans overhead as they head east across Wisconsin and over Lake Michigan. Sandhill cranes are beginning to depart the area with the coming of colder weather. Some birds will remain until late November and even early December in years with late snowfall. Like the Canada geese, most cranes begin to leave before the weather forces them out while some will remain until the last opportunity in the season. November provides great opportunities for late season wildlife viewing and while it is in the late stages of the migration there are chances to view wildlife in numbers that are not available earlier in the season when other birds are on the move.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Sauk County
Devil's Lake State Park - Trails are in great shape for hiking, with some fall color lingering in the trees, while most crunches underfoot. Visibility is increased with the falling leaves, and unseen vistas present themselves for the first time since last winter. Quartzite campground remains open throughout the winter. When the first significant snowfall comes (requiring plowing), most of Quartzite campground will be closed, and camping will be limited to about 25 campsites in one area. Running water facilities (showers, flush restrooms, RV dump/fill stations) are closed for the season. Running water restrooms (no showers) are available near the headquarters and Visitor Center. Winterized water taps are available near campsite #50 in the Quartzite Campground and at the park headquarters. Pit toilet buildings are open in the camping areas. Firewood is available for purchase at the Visitor Center when it is open.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - Leaves are down and visibility along the trails is good. This is a great time of year to see beyond the wall of vegetation along the trails. There are no open hunting seasons inside the park boundaries until November 18th. All the deer are becoming much more active as the rut season gets closer. The ski training group saw a large buck last week on the Red trail. A bicyclist saw a buck chasing a doe in the middle of the day. Water is turned off and all flush toilet buildings are closed for the season. Pit toilets are open near the beach, the boat launch parking lot, and near site 63 in the campground. Water for trailers or portable containers is available at the service building just down the hill from the park office. The dump station remains open to unload tanks only until freeze up. The campground road will be closed to vehicles when snow falls. Reservable dates for camping are over for 2006. Reservable dates begin April 27, 2007. From now until April 27, all campsites will be first come-first served. The Willow River Nordic dry land cross country ski training group meets at the Nature Center Wednesday evenings at 5:30pm. A park sticker is required on your vehicle. A small fee is charged for those that are not members of the Willow River OWLs. Participants (age 13 and older) need good trail shoes, clothing appropriate for the weather, ski poles, and a headlamp (required with the change to Standard time.) Bring a sports drink since these sessions are physical fitness training. Saturday, Nov. 11 will be a ski trail brushing day for the Willow River Nordic skiers along with a work day for the Willow River OWLs, the park’s Friends group. A pot luck meal follows the work. Trail brushing work is welcome any time and not limited to skiers only. For more information on the Willow River Nordic ski training or work events, call (715) 386-5931. One other skiing note for families-the Minnesota Youth Ski League has an affiliated club at Willow River including a Silver Skis group. The MYSL is a cross country ski school for young kids up to age 18. There is a racing option available for the teenage Silver Skiers. The first MYSL session is Sunday, Jan. 7, 2007. Check their web site for details and enrollment
www.mysl.org. MYSL classes have been very popular even in the years without ideal snow. Saturday, Nov. 4 there will be a Full Moon hike and bird lecture. Meet at the Nature Center at 7 p.m. The featured birds will be Woodpeckers and House Finches. The event is free but a park sticker is required on all vehicles. Deer hunting information is available at the park office. Willow River has an area open for the nine day gun season beginning Nov. 18 and the late archery season. A daily or annual sticker is required on your vehicle to hunt in the park. Pick up a map at the park office.
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, they 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. Little Brown Bats are Wisconsin most common bat. These bats start hibernating in early November usually, they look for old mines and caverns that are about 36 to 40 degrees with high humidity (85 percent or higher) to hibernate in. The Big Brown bats look for much warmer hibernation spot such as attics. Bats for the most part are harmless and provide benefits for humans by consuming large amounts of insect pest. If bats get into your house the best way to get rid of them is by closing off the entrance cracks or holes this should be done before hibernation or after spring dispersal which usually occurs in April in Wisconsin.
Mississippi River - Many birds, including good numbers of ducks, are still migrating through the La Crosse area. A few white pelicans can still be seen on Lake Onalaska. Small numbers of tundra swans are present. Many golden-crowned kinglets, a tiny hyperactive songbird, are passing through the area now.
Crawford County - Temperatures were fairly warm for most of the week. But it cooled down for the weekend. The Mississippi River dropped again and bottomed out at 6.5 feet Monday. Waterfowl hunters continue to find that navigating in back water areas was very difficult once the duck season re-opened last weekend. Anglers are also finding wing dams and closures that are dangerously in reach of lower units. The Wisconsin River is very low right now. The Kickapoo River is about normal for this time of year. Bluegill action was kind of spotty this week. Bluegills are biting in many places but not every day. Some action was reported in the deeper slow moving sloughs around Prairie du Chien. Many bluegill anglers are switching over to bobbers tipped with ice fishing jigs and wax worms. Crappie fishing has been spotty. Minnows are starting to produce well as have small jigs tipped with twister tails or crawlers. Perch action was slow this week. Walleye fishing continued to improve, with action reported on the wing dams and deeper sloughs using minnows. Some anglers are switching over to willow cats. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass action this week was only average. Most anglers blame the cold front that moved into the area and the low water. Catfish action has slowed a bit. Again, weather is blamed for the slow bite. Some duck hunters found low water conditions a bit of a problem. Duck hunting this past week was slower for most hunters that last week. The Lower Wisconsin River produced some wood ducks, mallards, and teal. Hunting in the Prairie du Chien was also a bit slower than last week. The Lower Bottoms (Wisconsin River Delta) produced mallards, pintail, widgeon, gadwall, teal and wood ducks. The Ambro complex produced teal, wood ducks and some mallards also. Travel in these areas was a bit difficult due to low water. Hunter up in Pool 9 reported spotty success. Some hunters did very well with mallards and other dabbling ducks while others had poor success. In the Ferryville-Lansing area success was average with a few mallards, some pintails, gadwall, and widgeon were in the area. In the main body of Pool 9 some divers are showing up. Canvasback, scaup, ring, and bufflehead are present but not in any great numbers. Hunters who were able to access certain backwater or shallow water areas did very well on mallards. The islands outside of Lynxville had some action but not as good as the Ferryville area islands. Canada goose hunters report fair amount of geese in the area. Most hunters report that the geese seem to be a little decoy shy indicating they are probably local birds. Archery deer hunters report pretty good activity. Visibility in the woods is getting a lot better. The heavy brush and leaf cover is starting to diminish and standing crops are being harvested. Falling leaves and harvested crops make deer sighting better. Bucks are starting to actively tend scrapes. Fall colors are past peak. Many tree species have lost their leaves. Most of the grasses have turned brown. For the most part nut trees have dropped this year’s crop which looked pretty good. The cold temperatures really knocked back the Box Elder bugs and Asian beetles. They are only active on the sunny warm days. Stinging nettle is really starting to die back due to low lying frost earlier in the week. White pelicans are still in the area but they appear in fewer numbers. Pool 9 near Lynxville and Ferryville has good numbers of pelicans. More raptors are being sighted soaring over head. Cormorants are also using Pool 9 in large numbers.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - Fishing on the Cornell Flowage has been a bit slow, though some large panfish have been biting in the north campground lagoon. Hikers have many great opportunities within the park. Whether it’s using the island’s trail system, exploring the wilder areas of the park, or a brisk walk on the park road, you’re sure to enjoy these beautiful woodlands. The South Campground is open year round with electric sites, hand water pump, and pit toilets available. The campground showers and dump station are closed for the season. The North Campground will remain open through the first weekend in November with water and pit toilet facilities being available.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - The early bow season is allowed in the park and both wildlife areas. Small game, waterfowl and trapping are allowed in wildlife areas A and B. Pick up hunting rules and maps at the park office. Deer may be registered at the park office when it is open. The youth deer hunt is being held this weekend, Nov. 4 and 5. The park and wildlife area A will be closed to all other hunting. Bow hunters will be able to hunt from 19th Street toward the lake in the park and the gate will be open for driving vehicles down the road. Bow hunters will also be able to hunt in park land north of the park entrance (across G by pond). Bowhunting, small game, waterfowl will be allowed in wildlife Area B for Sat and Sun. Maps for this weekend will be available at the park office or from intersection volunteers. All other park users are encouraged to wear blaze orange while in the park. Campsites 8, 9, 16 and group camp area sites (A1-A8, B1-B3) are open for camping and are non-reservable. The 2007 photo contest has started - remember your camera to take fall pictures for the contest!
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/news/or/
