“One of the most dangerous things about the Lower Wisconsin River is that it doesn’t look dangerous.”
Timm Zumm, president of Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (FLOW), shared those words of warning and wisdom this week during a brief break in the search for 22-year-old Parker Kruse, of Arena, who was knocked overboard in a boat collision after rescuing someone in need on July 3 into a Wisconsin River that was high and swift.
This year continues to be better than average for Wilson’s phalaropes, yellow-headed blackbirds and now another Great Plains species, the Dickcissel. Large numbers of this sparrow-like grassland bird have been reported from weedy fields, pastures and other dry open areas around the state.
As winter’s chill works itself into a thaw and green begins to color the landscape, it is prime time to sleuth out some of Wisconsin’s most delicious hidden gems.
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds anglers that the 2021-2022 fishing season will open May 1, without any changes to season dates. All regulations and license requirements still apply.
Spring is baby animal season! It’s also a great time to remember the importance of keeping wildlife wild.
Almost 491 acres of land were burned in 41 wildfires across the state over the weekend, including five acres of prairie restoration land in Arena off Reimann Road.
MADISON, Wis. – April brings a high risk for the often-fatal oak wilt disease across the state, and as a result, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recommends not pruning or cutting oak trees from April through July. What you can’t see can kill a tree.
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding Wisconsinites to get ready for the upcoming 2021 spring turkey hunt happening April 21 – June 1.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Air, Air Everywhere poetry contest. Parents and teachers can lead students through an activity (or more than one) from the Air, Air Everywhere Teacher’s Activity Guide, which aims to teach third, fourth and fifth grade students about air quality and the importance of clean air.
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds hunters that the application period for the 2021 elk hunt is open through May 31 for the chance to draw a hunt of a lifetime.
Spring means new trails and new opportunities for adventure in Wisconsin’s outdoors. It’s also a good time to remember to share the trail and practice caution
on muddy or rutted trails. Here are a handful of OutWiGo good
practices for biking and hiking to help make everyone’s outdoor experience (including your own) more enjoyable.
Spring is here and with it brings an increasing risk of wildfires, with two small wildfires burning a combined 0.30 acres in Spring Green over the weekend. On Saturday alone, there were 36 fi res burning over 100 acres across the state, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Five structures were burned and several more were threatened. None of those structures were in the Spring Green area.
Friends of the Lower Wisconsin River (FLOW) along with Department of Natural Resources Warden Dave Youngquist met to clean up debris from a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) island upriver from the Arena boat landing, on Saturday.
Migration continues to ramp up across southern Wisconsin, bringing more birds inching farther north almost daily. The return of sandhill cranes, Canada geese, red-winged blackbirds and American robins have been especially welcome for many bird lovers from Eau Claire to Wausau to Green Bay and southward. Other new arrivals include the first American woodcocks, tree swallows, turkey vultures, eastern bluebirds, song sparrows and American white pelicans.
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced March 2 that fire management crews plan to conduct prescribed burns on DNR properties throughout the state from March 2 through mid-June. These burns take advantage of Wisconsin’s optimal conditions during the spring. Additional prescribed burns will occur in late summer and fall (mid-July through November).
The February 2021 wolf harvest season closed at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24. State statute authorizes the DNR to close management zones to harvest following a 24-hour notice based on harvest information. Because of the nature of harvest registration and 24-hour notice, it is possible for harvest quotas to be exceeded.
Ready for spring? We have good news for you – in the bird world, it’s underway! Southeast Wisconsin always sees the first migrants, and this year is no exception as the first red-winged blackbirds, killdeer and sandhill cranes have been reported there. American robins overwintered in good numbers, but new migrants are also moving in now. Horned larks, an early migrant of open grasslands and agricultural fields, are also showing well on rural roadsides. Farther north, trumpeter swans are returning to limited areas of open water, and the first bald and golden eagles have begun to wing their way northward overhead.
Recently, the village of Lone Rock and the village of Plain have decided to remove fluoride from their municipal water supplies, citing resident concerns, staff safety concerns and modern dental products containing fluoride as reasons for the removal.
Whether you are fishing an open stream or in a shanty, remember to practice responsible catch and release. It’s important to reduce the stress on a fish after it has been caught.
MADISON, Wis. – Eagled-eyed Wisconsinites reported dozens of new bald eagle nests in 2020, while volunteers from Madison Audubon Society monitored known nests from the ground in nine counties.