Fall colors are now at peak across much of southern Wisconsin, at or just past peak in central Wisconsin and past peak across most of the north, according to the Department of Tourism Fall Color Report (exit DNR). The Brule River State Forest in Douglas County reports most leaves have now dropped from trees.
The leaf drop is rapidly improving conditions for archery deer, grouse, woodcock and turkey hunters in the north. In the south, a lot of standing corn is still providing refuge for deer and game birds, but the corn harvest is moving into high gear, and hunting conditions should begin to improve considerably. Wildlife staff are releasing pheasants at State Wildlife Areas. Pheasants will continue to be released on a weekly basis until early December.
White-tailed buck rubs and scrapes are now much more common across most of the state, and bucks in some parts of southern Wisconsin have reportedly entered the seeking and chasing phase, indicating the rut is beginning. During this time deer become very active and vehicle-deer crashes become more frequent, so motorists should slow down and watch for deer, especially around evening hours. The early antlerless season last weekend brought out many hunters eager to get an early start on deer hunting and to earn their buck harvest tags for the regular season. Some registration stations reported upwards of 100 antlerless deer registered.
Leaves are not the only things coming down. Northern ducks are starting to come through, making their way south. Flocks of mergansers, buffleheads and Canada geese have been seen on Green Bay. Waterfowl hunters along the lower Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers reported moderate success despite heavy fog on Saturday morning and were harvesting mallards, gadwall and teal.
The woodcock migration is at or just past peak in the north, with increasing numbers of woodcock now moving through central and southern Wisconsin.
Seasonably cool weather and the antlerless deer hunt combined to keep fishing pressure rather low this past week. In the north, water temperatures have continued to drop and are now in the low 50s on most lakes. Musky and walleye have been the two main species of interest and musky have once again been providing the most consistent action. Lake Winnebago was producing some smallmouth bass and walleye action. Some good walleye fishing was also reported in the Winneconne area. Walleye action has been good on the Fox River at Green Bay, and musky were also starting to enter the river, with several very large musky caught. Anglers have been having good success catching catfish on the Rock River and a few crappie and walleye on the Crawfish River.
Lake Michigan tributary anglers continue to catch good numbers of chinook salmon, the fall run is definitely on the downhill side.
The Mississippi River was steady this week holding at or around 7.2 feet at Prairie du Chien. Fishing has improved below lock and dam #11 with several limits of sauger and walleye mostly in the 16-18 inch range.
Quite a few snow geese have been seen migrating and staging with their Canada goose cousins. The first tundra swans arrived over the last two weeks in the La Crosse area. Large numbers will probably not show up for a couple weeks. Snow Buntings have recently made their appearance from their tundra breeding grounds.
There have been several reports of moose sightings in the state recently. This is not that uncommon this time of year as the bulls from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan travel the country side looking for mates.
With leaves on the ground or falling rapidly, homeowners will be busy cleaning up their yards this week. Composted yard materials can keep soil healthy and provide nutrients for plants in lawns and gardens, saving homeowners money on fertilizers, and composting saves municipalities money on leaf collection. Composting is far better for the environment than burning and state air quality and fire control rules restrict the burning of yard materials in Wisconsin.
A three-minute audio version of this report can be heard by calling (608) 266 2277.
A new report is put on the line each week.
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NORTHERN REGION
Superior DNR Service Center area
Brule River State Forest - The fall color season has pretty much come to a close around Brule. Most leaves have fallen leaving sporadic leaved trees and the now golden colored tamarack trees to provide some color for a little while longer. The fallen leaves should make hunting easier for the grouse hunters. Grouse are reported to be feeding along trails and roadsides for greens. Leaves are not the only things coming down with the fall season. Northern ducks are starting to come through, making their way south. The woodcock migration peak is almost past, the majority of woodcock should be out of our area in the next week or two. Snow Buntings have recently made their appearance from their tundra breeding grounds. Buck scrapes and rubs are starting to be seen more often now, indicating that the pre-rut is about to begin. Beaver are busily trying to cache food away before the waters freeze up. As of 10/23/08 the Bois Brule River is flowing at 121 cfs (cubic feet per second). The 62 year average is 143 cfs.
Park Falls DNR Service Center area
Upper Chippewa Basin fisheries report (Price, Rusk, Sawyer Taylor and inland Ashland and Iron counties) - Seasonably cool weather and the 4-day Herd-Control hunt combined to keep fishing pressure rather low this past week. Water temperatures have continued to drop and are now in the low 50s on most lakes. Musky and walleye have been the two main species of interest and musky have once again been providing the most consistent action. Most of the musky anglers have been dragging medium-sized suckers around and have been seeing quite a few fish. No recent reports of any large fish, but quite a few 32 to 38 inch fish have been landed. Some anglers have still been throwing artificial baits and have had the best action on the sunny and warmer days after the water has warmed a bit. Walleye fishing has been inconsistent -- some days have provided good action on small and medium-size walleye, while other days have found that bites were even hard to come by. Large fathead minnows fished below a slip bobber, on a jig, or a bare hook dragged along the bottom have been the most successful method for catching walleye. Cloudy days have produced some catches all day long; but on sunny days, look for the fish to bite in the hour right before dark.
Woodruff DNR Service Center area
Area Conservation Wardens and guides report that water temps continue their seasonal downward drop. The smaller lakes in our area have now turned over while the larger lakes are still in various stages of turnover. Muskie and walleye activities are expected to pick up now that turn over nears completion. Fall colors are now done and this weekend’s wind and rain brought down most of the leaves. Grouse and woodcock hunters are reporting greater visibility in the woods resulting in more birds in the bag. Woodcock are now near peak migration. Archery hunters are reporting signs of the pre-rut beginning with both scrapes and rubs becoming more prevalent. There have been several reports of moose sightings in the area. This is not that uncommon this time of year as the bulls travel the country side looking for mates.
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NORTHEAST REGION
Peshtigo DNR Service Center area
Marinette County - The early antlerless season in parts of Marinette County did bring out hunters eager to get an early start on deer hunting in 51A and 51B. Close to 100 antlerless deer were registered at the T&B station in Crivitz last week. Temperatures at the boat landings have dropped to the low to mid 50s with excellent water clarity. The area does need some rain, as the rivers are running low. Fishing pressure has been light. Anglers continue to catch good numbers of chinook salmon in the Menominee River, Peshtigo River, and at Little River. Spawn sacks and spoons are working well. A few walleye are being caught on the Menominee River, trolling at dusk and into the evening.
Oconto County - The fisheries crew will complete the fall survey of game fish on Boot and Bass lakes this week. Good numbers of smallmouth and largemouth bass were being seen. There are many happy perch anglers launching from Oconto Park II and the Oconto Breakwater Harbor. Perch were being caught in 30 feet of water all the way down to 12 feet. Good news for the shore anglers, the perch were being caught from shore at the landings. Minnows have been working the best with some nice fish upwards of 12 inches being caught. Salmon were still being caught at Oconto Park II using spawn. The salmon were also up by the Stiles Dam.
Green Bay DNR Service Center area
Brown County - On the Fox River of Green Bay, the walleye bite is very good. Anglers were finding success trolling crank baits and jigging. Musky were also starting to enter the river; however, the best musky bite is still in University Bay. Several very large musky have been caught. Most anglers are trolling, but casting for these fish has also been successful. Anglers targeting yellow perch out of Bayshore were having luck, but they need to work for them. Many nice fish were being caught. The perch have not necessarily been biting where the crowds have been. The most successful anglers were moving around a lot to keep finding fish. Minnows seem to be working better then night crawlers; though crawlers catch a fair number of fish as well.
Manitowoc County - Anglers fishing from piers and on Lake Michigan in and around Two Rivers had a slow fishing this past week. Angler pressure was low off the piers over the weekend and boat activity was low all week. Anglers fishing on the East Twin River experienced a good week of fishing during this period. Angler pressure was concentrated around the Mishicot dam and the Village Park area. Anglers were landing catches dominated by coho salmon with a few brown trout and chinook salmon mixed in. On the West Twin River, anglers had a fair week of fishing. Angler pressure was steady over week with anglers landing mostly chinook salmon. Anglers were either using spawns sacs or fly fishing near the Shoto dam. In Manitowoc, anglers had a fair week of fishing. Most of the fishing was near the marina or the north pier. Salmon anglers had mixed success in the harbor landing chinook salmon. On the north pier, one angler during the week caught a nice Kamloops rainbow trout that weighed in at 7 pounds. A couple other rainbows have been reported caught off the north pier stub. On the Manitowoc River, salmon anglers had a fair week catching salmon. Fishing activity was concentrated around Mill Road (Highway R), Manitou Park, and Union Road.
Sturgeon Bay DNR Service Center area
Door County - The fall colors are still beautiful and it’s not to lake to come up and enjoy them. The weather was real mixed bag this week. Some days were cloudy, rainy and cool, wile others were warm and sunny. Fishing this week was pretty much a repeat of last week. There were still good numbers of chinook salmon swimming in the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal as well as in all of the harbors up and down both sides of the peninsula; however, there were not a lot of anglers out after them. Smallmouth bass action was on the slow side; the deeper waters off of the points were producing a few smallmouth for anglers fishing tube jigs, grubs and jerks baits. Shore anglers fishing the Stone Quarry County Park continued to catch a few smallmouth. As with smallmouth, walleye fishing was also reported to be on the slow side. The best bet for walleyes were at Sherwood Point, Henderson Point, Dunlop Reef and the flats, along with the shoreline areas off or Potawatomi and Peninsula state parks, and the waters around Washington Island. Crank baits, crawler harnesses and Rapalas remained the best for walleye. The musky and northern pike bite has slowed down slightly. Anglers targeting these fish are having fair luck. The northern seem to be biting better in deeper water while the musky were biting better in shallower water near weed beds or near drop-offs. A few northern pike continued to be taken along the channel between the bridges in Sturgeon Bay as well as out of Sawyer Harbor, Little Sturgeon, Sand Bay, Riley’s Bay and the area around Washington Island. Yellow perch fishing around Chaudoir’s dock has been spotty. Anglers that moved around a lot had better success than those who don’t. In the Little Sturgeon Bay/Sawyer Harbor area, the yellow perch bite was doing well. Many little perch were being caught, but with time and patience, anglers can catch several good-sized fish.
Peninsula State Park - Fall colors in northern Door County are past their peak, but many maples are retaining their gorgeous reds, oranges and yellows! All trails are open and in very good condition, though somewhat dry and leaf covered. Only the Tennison Bay campground remains open. Water systems will be shut down Nov. 2, or earlier, depending on the arrival of cold temperatures. Peninsula State Park golf course is open until the end of October. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is open for tours through Oct. 26.
Strawberry Creek Egg Collection Facility - On Thursday, Oct 16 DNR fishieries crews successfully completed the chinook salmon egg collection for 2009 hatchery production. The chinook eggs that have been collected over the past three weeks are now safely in either the Wild Rose or Kettle Moraine Springs state fish hatcheries. To date, crews harvested more than 3,000 chinook from Strawberry Creek in 2008. The 2008 chinook salmon run is now in the downhill side. Decreasing numbers of chinook continue to move up Strawberry Creek and into the pond. Crews will continue to harvest salmon out of the pond as they accumulate but now that chinook eggs are no longer needed for hatchery production the frequency with which the pond is emptied will decrease and the schedule will be less predictable. As expected, the quality of the chinook for use as human food has started to decline and crews don't anticipate any more chinook from Strawberry Creek going to the food pantries this fall. That said, it has been a rewarding season in that this fall there were several new pantries participating in the salmon for human food program. The chinook harvested from here on out at Strawberry Creek this fall, will be sent to the fertilizer plant.
Whitefish Dunes State Park - Fall colors are past peak but still worth a hike on the red or yellow trails. Don’t forget to check out the sandy shore for a quiet walk and viewing of the migratory waterfowl. Flocks of mergansers, buffleheads and Canada geese have been seen in the bay. Winds off the lake can be brisk at times, bring your jacket, hat and scarf for a more enjoyable hike. For those who are looking to view the dunes, a hike on the red trail (2.8 miles) is strongly suggested. It begins behind the nature center and travels through the forested dunes to the tallest dune in Wisconsin, Old Baldy. Steps allow visitors to climb up the fragile dune to the top (93 feet). The overlook provides a tree top view of Lake Michigan, Clark Lake and the surrounding countryside. For hikers interested in longer trail, park staff recommends the yellow trail (4.2 miles). This trail begins in the forested dunes, transverses through the conifer forest, pine plantation, open reindeer meadow and back through the rolling forested dunes. Dog are welcome but must remain on a leash 8 feet or less. Dog owners are reminded to be responsible pet owners and pick up after their pets. Pets are not allowed on the section of beach from the nature center to the third beach access from April 1 to November 1. Pet owners who wish to be on the beach with their animals during this time must use the Red Trail to reach the third beach access. Those looking to bike are reminded that wide tires are strongly suggested due to the sandy nature of the trail. The trail is less than 2 miles long but connects to South Cave Point Drive, County Road WD and Schauer Road. There is no loop bike trail in the park. The Annual Dune Volunteer Work Day is this Saturday, Oct. 25; bring friends for a whole day, morning or afternoon of fun. Put on your gloves, and join the park staff for a day of sprucing up the park. Get out and enjoy the outdoors and help the park. Crews of all levels of ability, strengths and ages are needed. Work projects this year include making benches, shelf construction, trail work, putting up blue bird houses and some inside activities. Children under the ages of 18 must work with a parent. Lunch provided for those who sign up. Morning session begins at 9 a.m. Lunch is at noon and the afternoon session begins at 1 p.m. Make a difference in your park. Join today. Contact the park for more information, at 920-823-2400. Gather your friends, neighbors and organizational groups to help out.
Oshkosh DNR Service Center area
Fall colors are past peak, but good pockets of color can still be found on a hike through the woods or neighborhoods of your town. With most of the leaves on the ground, homeowners will be busy cleaning up their yards this week. By composting leaves and grass clippings you will save your municipality tax dollars for collection and processing, and help out the environment at the same time. Wildlife staff released 120 pheasants, all roosters, at Eldorado Marsh Wildlife Area last week. Another 60 birds were released at Mullet Creek Wildlife Area in Fond du Lac County. Pheasants will continue to be released on a weekly basis until early December. Perch, crappies, bluegills and white bass are actively taking minnows and worms in about 6-12 feet on the Fox and Wolf Rivers. Casting crank baits in pockets and weed beds along the shores of Winnebago is producing some smallmouth bass and walleye action. Some good walleye fishing was also reported in the Winneconne area. Archery hunters are reminded, there is a three-day wait following the purchase of a license before it is valid. October 31 is the deadline to purchase a sturgeon spearing license.
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SOUTHEAST REGION
Pheasant hunters are finding a lot of standing corn that is providing refuge for both stocked and wild birds. Hunters should make sure to take a whistle along to their dog find them should the dog track a bird into a large corn field.
Lake Michigan fisheries team report
Sheboygan County - In Sheboygan fishing off the piers has been slow, but shore anglers in the marina have been catching a few chinooks on spoons. In the Sheboygan River some chinooks and browns have been caught near the Kohler dam and in Esslingen Park on both flies and spawn
Ozaukee County - In Port Washington, shore anglers have been catching a mix of chinooks, coho, and browns in the harbor and near the power plant. Spawn and skein have caught the most fish, but a few have been taken on spoons as well. Water levels on Sauk Creek are relatively low, but anglers have been catching a few browns, coho, and chinooks on spawn.
Milwaukee County - Shore anglers in Milwaukee have been catching a few browns and chinooks near the base of McKinley pier. Anglers on the Milwaukee River have reported a few salmon below the falls in Estabrook and Kletzsch Parks. Some chinooks have been caught on the Menomonee River near Miller Park and near the dam on Oak Creek. Orange yarn flies have taken the most fish.
Racine County - In Racine water levels on the Root River remain low, but chinooks, coho, browns, and steelhead can be found throughout the river. Small egg imitation flies and drifted spawn have taken the most fish. The Root River Steelhead Facility is now running, and fish were processed on Monday, Oct. 20. So far this season, 790 chinooks, 103 browns, 20 coho, and 7 rainbows have been passed upstream of the facility. The next processing and spawning day will be Thursday, Oct. 23.
Kenosha County - For shore anglers in Kenosha, a few browns have been caught in the harbor and off the piers on spawn and tube jigs. Fishing on the Pike River has been relatively slow, and water levels are low.
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SOUTH CENTRAL REGION
Dodgeville DNR Service Center area
Grant County - Waterfowl hunters reported moderate success in spite of the heavy fog on Saturday harvesting mallards, gadwall and teal. The fog did not burn off until 10:45 a.m., but, as one hunter reported, the ducks were flying or at least trying to move in the fog. Early archery hunters commented on the large amount of standing corn and minimal deer movement. Fishing has improved below lock and dam #11 with several limits of sauger and walleye mostly in the 16-18 inch range. The best fishing is below the lock and dam #11 wall on the Wisconsin side and on the Iowa side out from the lower end of the lock chamber. The current lock and dam gate configuration has affected the water currents and fishing is slower on the Eagle Point Fishing barge. Several nice-sized crappies were caught off of the fishing barge and below the lock wall.
Iowa County - The bucks are starting to enter the seeking and chasing phase of the rut in Iowa County. Hunters are reporting success with rattling and grunting. Some archers are reporting that they are seeing four to five bucks from their bow stand in the mornings in the first few hours of their hunt. Waterfowlers have reported pretty good jump shooting opportunities in the smaller creeks in Iowa and Sauk counties due to the wood ducks being pushed out of the harder hunted Bakkens Pond area. Waterfowlers have also reported seeing quite a few snow geese migrating and staging with their Canada goose cousins. The antlerless hunt in Iowa County went well with some hunters out earning their bucks. There are still quite a few leaves on the trees, but visibility is better than a week ago with the leaves beginning to drop now.
Fitchburg DNR Service Center area
Jefferson County - Anglers have been having good success catching catfish on the Rock River by Ixonia. The fish were biting by the bridges. The best bait has been stink bait. A few crappie and walleye have been caught on jigs and minnows on the Crawfish River by Hubbleton. Deer scrapes are showing more signs of use as daylight is decreasing and the nighttime temperatures are dropping. Farmers are just beginning to combine corn so this is beginning to push the deer around. Vehicle-deer crashes are becoming more frequent so motorists are urged to slow down especially around evening hours. Pheasant stocking is in full swing and hunters are finding birds on the stocked DNR properties. Warm temperatures opening weekend had the dogs and hunters consuming lots of water but still having fun in the field. Duck numbers have really dwindled with not many birds around the northern Jefferson/southern Dodge county areas. Hunters are waiting for colder weather to push more birds down from up north.
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WEST CENTRAL REGION
Baldwin DNR Service Center area
St. Croix County
Willow River State Park - Leaf color is past peak as of this report. A lot of leaves came down over the weekend. A lone flowering daisy appeared on the Trout Brook Trail last week. The white-tailed bucks are still in hiding. A flock of Robins was observed at the office. They’ll be around all winter. Camping appears to be about done for the season. Most any site is available for coming weekends including the electric hookup sites. There is a construction zone inside the park near the entrance. Expect to find workers and equipment crossing the road on weekdays or working close by. Please do not walk into the construction area on the road or in the new campground. The Knapweed (Orange) trail will be re-routed to bypass all of the construction work in the next week. Ski training continues Tuesdays and Thursdays. Meet near the Purple Trail head at 5:30 p.m. Activities vary from pole walking to hill repeats. Bring ski poles, clothing appropriate for the weather, and a recovery drink if you have a late meal after training. Bring the headlamp in case the group winds up ending the session out on trails. There will be a Halloween Bash at the park Saturday, Oct. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Nature Center. This is a non-frightening event for small kids. Each year they get to “meet” various forms of life that live at the park, among other things for young people to enjoy. Past animals have included a bear, a butterfly, and a rabbit. Entry to the event is $2 per person with a park sticker on the vehicle.
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. Most wood ducks have migrated from the area. Typically, by the third week in October most wood duck have departed Wisconsin, with some stragglers staying around into November. White pelicans numbers are declining in the La Crosse area. The first tundra swans arrived over the last two weeks. Large numbers will probably not show up for a couple weeks and peak numbers will probably not be reached until mid November.
Crawford County - Crawford County is at or just past peak fall colors. Visitors can view deep red maple and sumac, bright yellow hickory and aspen, and many shades in between. Many oaks are still green while others are turning reddish brown. The Mississippi River was steady this week holding at or around 7.2 feet. The forecast for the Mississippi River is rise a couple more inches and level off around 7.4 feet by mid-week. Surface water temperatures on the Mississippi River are around 58 degrees and water clarity is very good. The surface water temperature fluctuated depending on the day. The Wisconsin and Kickapoo River are low but flowing at average rates for this time of year. Water clarity is good. With the low water boaters and duck hunters have to use caution at boat landings. Be careful backing in large boats at some ramps because drop offs have developed at the end of the landing pad. Most landing are weed-free at the present moment except in the Lynxville area. The ramps at Lynxville and Cold Spring have had a lot of weeds blocking the ramp, depending on the wind direction. Boaters on the Mississippi River are urged to use caution with the low water. Wing and closing dams continue to be a dangerous. If you are unsure of where you are traveling stay in the navigation lane or slow down and utilize a depth finder. Besides wing dams, sunken trees and snags present dangers to boaters. Fishing action was fair to good this week. Bluegill action was spotty to good this week. Some decent action in the Prairie du Chien area was reported around wing dams on the Main Channel, in downed trees on the Ambro Slough or on the Main Channel in around 8 feet of water. Main Channel “gills” seem to move around a bit. One tactic that has been used with some success is to drift a piece of crawler along the bottom until fish are located. Bluegill action was spotty in the upper portions of Pool 10 near the dam. Pool 9 near the Lynxville/Ferryville area bluegills have been biting out in the flats and long the deeper channels. Cold Spring started to produce some very nice bluegills. Anglers were using garden worms and even some wax worms. Crappie action is really picking up. Cold Spring has produced some excellent catches of big crappie. Anglers were using minnows. In other areas, crappie have been hitting in the timber using small minnows, tube jigs, and small spinners. Perch were still taking a liking to live bait like night crawlers chunks tipped on a jig and worked quickly through the weeds in shallower water. Perch and white bass action has been spotty. Large and smallmouth bass fishing was kind of slow according to most anglers. Anglers are using a variety of artificial baits to include plastics, spinner baits, and crank baits. Some of the best action was found near weed edges, flats, under water points, and in the timber. Walleye and sauger action was spotty too. Some decent action reported on some of the wing dams, deeper back water sloughs and near the dam at Lynxville. Walleye and sauger anglers are either trolling crank baits along wing dams, flats, or drop offs along the main channel or dead lining or casting a jig tipped with crawlers. Anglers have had marginal success drifting a chunk of night crawlers off the bottom while minnows have produces better. Northern pike action was slow this week. Most northern are caught incidental to bass fishing. Northerns came be found in similar locations as bass. Last weekend the second part of the waterfowl season opened. Duck hunters on the Wisconsin River found there were still plenty of wood ducks. Some mallards, gadwall, and teal were also taken. Many areas in the Wisconsin River bottoms still hold decent water levels. Mississippi River duck hunters found duck numbers varied with location. Duck hunters in the Prairie du Chien area found the going spotty with wood ducks, mallards, pintails, and teal included in some hunter’s bag. Hunters up the Ambro Slough complex report spotty action and low water. The Ambro Slough complex does have some wood ducks, mallards and a mix of other puddle ducks. However, there are minimal numbers of birds in this area. Up in Pool 9 (Lynxville and Ferryville) hunters saw good to spotty action. The islands from Lynxville to Lansing saw fair action on Canada geese, mallards, teal, and other dabblers. Hunters that walked in from Rush Creek, Sugar Creek, and Copper Creek pretty good numbers of ducks using those areas. Up near the Lansing Dike, hunters reported fair numbers of mallards, pintails, gadwalls, teal and some wood ducks. Crawford County archery deer hunters are finding decent activity. The leaves are starting to fall but probably the biggest obstacle for archery deer hunters is all the standing corn. Most of the soybeans are harvested and some farmers are harvesting corn. Overall, a lot of corn is still standing. Rubs and a few scrapes are starting to show up. Crawford County is earn-a-buck this year and registration stations are beginning to register a fair number of antlerless deer. Squirrel hunters are finding very good numbers of squirrels this year and success has been improving now that the leaves are starting to fall. Asian beetles and Box Elder beetles are still active during the warm parts of the day. Stinging nettle is still out, especially in the low lands. Most of the nut trees have dropped their crop.
Wildcat Mountain State Park - The hiking and horse trails are in good condition. Water levels in the Kickapoo River are normal for this time of year making for some good late fall canoeing. The Horse, Group, and Family campgrounds are first come starting November 1. The Horse camp and Group camp close on November 15. The horse trails close on November 16. This will accommodate horse campers camping on the weekend. The Family camp is open year round. The Shower building will close down the week of October 27.
Black River Falls DNR Service Center area
Black River State Forest - ATV trails are now closed until Monday, Dec. 15. Trails are being repaired and prepared for the winter season. Four wetland crossings are being upgraded, including the installation of new culverts, raising the level of the trail, and putting down an aggregate surface. The purpose of these repairs is to make the trails easier to maintain, reduce environmental impact, and to reduce the impact of large rainstorms on the trails. Over the next few years we hope to upgrade all wetland crossings. During this time of closure crews also groom the trails to as smooth of a condition as possible. The trails are shared with snowmobiles, and in order to be groomed for winter use they must be smooth before the ground freezes.
Eau Claire DNR Service Center area
Brunet Island State Park - Fall colors have moved past peak in the area. The ash trees have dropped their leaves, the maples and oak have turned, and the sumac is in full red color. Park trails are in good condition. The open water game fish action has been good this past week. There has been good musky action on Cornell flowage. Pan fish action has been increasing in the bays as the water temperatures drop. Species of birds seen or heard include: ravens, phoebes, nuthatches, piliated woodpeckers, great horned and barred owls, and bald eagles. Brunet Island State Park north campground is open with pit toilets and drinking water available. The south campground is open with electric sites, hand water pump, and a campground shower facility. The park dump station is open.
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area - - Leaf color has peaked but the area is still awash with the dark red of oak and sumac. Hiking is very popular this time of year, and the Reserve offers several loop trails or hiking the linear trail which ends just outside of Cornell. Stop into the visitor center for a trail map. Motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses are not permitted anywhere within the park, but well behaved dogs are. Please leash them when around the visitor center. Canada geese have started their fall migration and at almost any time of the day or evening a flock can be seen or heard on their way back to warmer climates. Staff has received several reports of black bear that were seen in the area. Fishing has been spotty, depending on weather conditions. Deer hunting is allowed on State owned land within the Reserve, so please wear orange while hiking during any gun/deer season. Borrow an orange vest from the center before you head out on the trail. For more detailed hunting information, talk to staff and receive our hunting handouts. Scouting and doing pre-hunting homework is a must. No overnight tree stands, or ATV use is allowed. The reserve has three primitive walk-in campsites that have been very popular this year. The sites are isolated, close to water, and very scenic. The Townline Lake site is accessible by canoe only, while the North Shattuck and Unnamed Lake sites are just a short hike in. Campsites have an outdoor privy and fire ring. The sites are first-come and an $10 fee per night is charged. Stop at the Interpretive Center to register.
Wisconsin Rapids DNR Service Center area
Buckhorn State Park - Hunters have reported bucks starting to chase does and have seen more scrapes and rubs. The park is open for early and late season for bow hunting (no special hunting permit is required). Deer can be registered at the park office when it is staffed. New hunting maps are available for the park and wildlife areas. Small game, waterfowl and trapping are allowed in the Yellow River Wildlife Area and in Buckhorn Wildlife Area only, not in the park. All other hunting is allowed in Yellow River Wildlife Area. Visitors have been enjoying the fall weather hiking, canoeing, fishing, camping and checking out sites for future visits. Remember, park stickers are required for Launch C and D and there are no additional launch fees. Campsites 8, 9, 16, A1-A8 and B1-B3 are open and are first come basis.
Roche-A-Cri State Park - Visitors have been climbing the stairs and enjoying the fall weather. Camping is now closed for the season and the main gate will be closed Oct 27. Hunting is not allowed in the park. There is a hunter parking lot on Cypress Ave for the Roche-A-Cri natural area east of highway 13. The main gate will be closed Oct. 27. Parking after that date is allowed in the Czech Ave/Prairie lot and vehicle stickers are required there.
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