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An open letter to Wisconsin deer hunters from DNR Secretary Scott Hassett

By all accounts the stage seems set for deer hunters to have a great season this year. The herd is large, farmers are working hard to get their crops in and with a little cooperation from the weather, conditions seem almost ideal.

Hunting has never been better in Wisconsin. Wisconsin ranks number one among states for single year harvest (618,275 in 2000) and also is number one among states for deer harvest over the past decade. Over the past 40 years the number of deer harvested per licensed hunter has doubled, annual harvests are up 400 percent and deer hunting retail sales pump $535million into the state economy.

Through the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund, we’re also making sure that hunters have access to public lands. Governor Doyle has made maintaining the Stewardship Fund a top priority. As a result, more than 160,000 acres of Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers, and forests have been protected in the last four years – not only preserving land, but also ensuring that all of our children and grandchildren will have a place to go to hunt and fish, not just the ones lucky enough to own a piece of land.

I’m also pleased to say that we’re doing a good job spending your license dollars effectively, a responsibility we take very seriously. A recent audit reported that 98 percent of your license dollars benefits hunting and fishing.

Wisconsin boasts 600,000-plus active deer hunters, but we realize that the enjoyment of deer hunting is measured one hunter at a time. The memories we take away from the season’s hunt are the ones we experience from our stump or our stand and the people we are with.

This year, the department has made a number of changes hunters asked for – changes we hope will increase your deer hunting enjoyment. We’re trying a two-year moratorium on October gun antlerless deer hunting; we’ve created a statewide four-day antlerless hunt in early December with unlimited cheap antlerless deer tags available in all the herd control units; we’ve simplified tagging and carefully explained tagging in this year’s deer regulations; and again this year, every hunter shouldn’t be too far from a participating venison donation meat processor so no game is wasted.

Last season we put the Earn-a-Buck prequalification program in place at your request. We’ve navigated a few bumps in the road in getting this program going but it’s been a great success. In a couple weeks, more than 70,000 hunters will hit the woods in Earn-a-Buck units with a buck harvest sticker in their pocket because they shot an antlerless deer last year in those units. And, since these buck stickers are not weapon specific, there’s still time to take an antlerless deer with your bow and use the resulting buck sticker with your gun this year.

We’ve cut back greatly on the number of hunting days in the chronic wasting disease (CWD) management zones. You asked us to modify the CWD zone season to rekindle the excitement of an opening day, we listened. We also made the entire deer hunting season in the CWD zones unlimited either sex. Last year we tested for CWD in the northeast region; this year we test in the west central area and next year in the north. While we work to contain this disease in the south, it’s important that we remain alert for signs of it in other areas of our state.

Hunting is the most effective tool we have for managing Wisconsin’s deer population. Your efforts help to balance deer with their habitat and our social tolerance for them. We have a large herd again this year: It’s estimated at 1.5 to 1.7 million. Many of our management units are over population goals. We need every hunter and hunting party to harvest two antlerless deer for every buck to get a handle on deer numbers.

While we’re excited about this year’s prospects and I hope you are too, I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind every hunter and hunting camp that the number one thing on everyone’s mind should be safety. Each and every day as you head out into the field think about safety. Continually ask yourself if what you are doing is safe for you, safe for the people you hunt with and safe for the hunters in the woods around you. As hunters, our goal should be an incident-free season.

Good luck.

Scott Hassett

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Early reports indicate good waterfowl hunting season

MADISON – Early reports and preliminary numbers from the field indicate that Wisconsin waterfowl hunters are having a good season, and they should have good hunting opportunities in the remaining weeks of the 2006 waterfowl season, according to wildlife officials.

“The early season reports were good,” said Kent Van Horn, Department of Natural Resources migratory bird ecologist, based on conversations with hunters and bag checks in waterfowl hunting areas around the state. “As of earlier this week, we have recorded about 30,000 Canada geese harvested in the Exterior Zone out of our 102,000 goose quota from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”

Officials attribute this season’s early success to several factors including adequate water levels and weather which seem to be good in most areas.

“And there is still plenty of hunting opportunity out there,” Van Horn noted. “We have lots of room for more hunting under our Canada goose harvest cap.”

Earlier this year, the state Natural Resources Board approved shifting the boundary line between the northern and southern waterfowl management zones, southward.

“Hunters asked us to look at the boundary line because surface waters in the most northern counties of the old southern zone were already frozen before the end of the hunting season meaning that hunters were losing hunting opportunity,” said VanHorn. “It required several years to implement this change because of federal migratory bird regulations that only allow a change in duck zones every 5 years but we listened to hunters and got them what they wanted. It was a good change.”

“If I’ve heard any complaints, it was that the weather was too nice on the September 30 southern opener,” said Van Horn. “Hunters were saying that ducks were present but just not moving which is the case when the days are sunny and warm.”

The Sept. 23-24 opening weekend at the Crex Meadows - Fish Lake wildlife areas “was the best we have seen in 20-plus years,” said Paul Kooiker, DNR wildlife biologist. “This can be attributed directly to the earlier opener because of the zone boundary change and the presence of local teal and woodies. Hunter success was more than three ducks per hunter on opening weekend, and this was with very difficult hunter access due to the drought and extremely low water levels. These results certainly confirm what we had hoped, and expected to see, in terms of hunter opportunity and success with an earlier opener.”

“Duck hunting has been good to very good overall this year,” said Mark Andersen, DNR biologist for the lower St Croix – Mississippi River area. “After a few successive poor years, last year was good and so far this year is better than last. I didn’t think I would see a time when the number of gadwalls almost equals the mallards and significant numbers of both are present.”

With mallards, wood ducks and blue-winged and green-winged teal making up the early bags in most areas, biologists report that diving ducks, scaup and canvasbacks are now moving into the upper Mississippi River refuge and Great Lakes areas. An Oct. 19 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aerial population survey estimate puts it at about 70,000 scaup and 140,000 canvasbacks in the Mississippi River refuge.

Grand River biologist Jim Holzwart reports plenty of water and relatively easy access with hunters bringing in a mixed bag including wigeon, green-wing teal, gadwall and some divers.

Also in the southern management zone Horicon wildlife biologist Brenda Hill reported that the second southern zone opener “brought smiles across the board” with several groups limiting out. Water levels were good on the marsh and bag checks revealed a variety of species including wigeon, gadwall, mallard and shoveler ducks.

“If I had anything to suggest at this point I’d say don’t ignore the smaller lakes, ponds and rivers later in the season,” says Van Horn. “The Mississippi River is a great place to hunt but smaller waters can be very productive. They do, however, usually require a little more scouting to find the birds. The upside is that once found, you often have it to yourself.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Van Horn - (608) 266-8841

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Now is the best time to look for next year’s gypsy moth infestations

MILWAUKEE – With leaves falling or down in many areas, now is the best time for property owners to determine whether the gypsy moth will be a problem on their property next year. Gypsy moth populations collapsed in 2004, but have risen since then because the last two summers have been warm and dry, state forestry health specialist say, but they caution that the gypsy moth could be at outbreak levels in parts of eastern and central Wisconsin next summer.

“Gypsy moth egg masses are the best way to predict what the population will be like next summer,” says Mark Guthmiller, regional gypsy moth coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources southeast and south central regions.

The egg masses are tan-colored and about the size of a nickel or quarter. New egg masses produced this year would feel hard, whereas those that are older feel soft and appear faded. Most egg masses will be found on tree trunks and the undersides of branches, but they can also be found on buildings, firewood piles, vehicles, and other outdoor objects. Pictures of egg masses and information on how to predict next year’s gypsy moth infestation levels are available on the state gypsy moth control Web site [exit DNR].

“If there are only a few egg masses on a property, they can be scraped into a can and drowned in soapy water,” Guthmiller says. “If there are many egg masses, remove those within reach and consider insecticides or physical controls such as sticky barriers and burlap bands next spring when the caterpillars are present.”

Infestations of several egg masses per tree over a larger area such as a neighborhood or woodlot are best treated from the air. Landowners and property owners associations that have infestations and are interested in aerial spraying next spring should contact their local governments soon, if they haven’t yet done so.

The DNR offers aerial spraying to communities and landowners through participating county governments, and the deadline for counties to apply for the spray program is Dec. 1, 2006. The program offers inexpensive spraying for infestations of 20 acres or more that are severe enough to cause tree defoliation and mortality. Private spray applicators are also available in much of Wisconsin.

The gypsy moth is a serious forest and urban pest that was introduced into the United States from Europe in the 1860s. Within the past few years, populations in eastern and central Wisconsin have increased to levels where caterpillars may kill trees by eating all of their leaves during the summer. Aerial spraying will prevent this damage and will avoid other adverse effects such as nuisance caterpillars and skin rashes resulting from exposure to caterpillar hairs.

A list of county and municipal contacts and more information on gypsy moth biology and control is available on the state gypsy moth control Web site [exit DNR].

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Guthmiller - (608) 275-3223 or Andrea Diss-Torrance - (608) 264-9247

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Fall is open season for hunting invasive plants

MADISON - Now that the frost has hit statewide, state invasive species specialists say it is a good time to hunt for and control certain invasive plants because they tend to stay green longer than native plants, making them easier to spot. But they caution that people who venture out into woods and fields also need to be careful not to be inadvertently spread more weeds around.

“One of the characteristics that helps some non-native plants thrive and become invasive is their ability to hold on to their leaves and continue photosynthesizing long after most native plants have lost theirs,” says Kelly Kearns, plant conservation program manager for the Department of Natural Resources Bureau Of Endangered Resources.

But this same trait, she adds, gives landowners and property managers whose woodlands have been invaded with invasive shrubs a “window of opportunity” to locate and treat these plants.

Both Eurasian bush honeysuckles and common and glossy buckthorn are well known for leafing out early and staying green well into the fall, Kearns says. They are also the most common invasive shrubs in woodlands in the state.

“The early leaf-out results in their shading out the spring wildflowers that normally do most of their growth before the trees leaf out. In some forests these shrubs are preventing all smaller plants, including tree seedlings, from developing,” she says.

Kearns says the long-term prognosis for an unmanaged buckthorn-infested forest “is grim” because there are few young saplings of oaks, maples and other natives that are able to reach past the shade of the shrubs to become mature canopy trees.

“After several hard frosts most native understory plants will have lost their leaves, making it easy to spot the bush honeysuckle and buckthron,” Kearns says. “Autumn is the time when all plants send the sugars that they developed in their leaves all summer down the stems or trunks and into their roots where they will be stored through the winter. This is the ideal time to treat woody plants with herbicides, as the chemicals will be drawn down into the root system, killing the entire plant.”

For most trees and shrubs, the best way to kill them is to apply the proper concentration of herbicide to the stumps immediately after cutting the trunk or stems. This method allows a small amount of herbicide to be used directly on the target plant, with little or no chemicals reaching the ground or other plants. A similar technique involves spraying or painting an herbicide in an oil carrier in a band around the base of the tree. Also done in fall or winter, this method allows the tree to be slowly killed without first cutting it. Anyone using the cut-stump treatment or basal bark treatment should read the herbicide label carefully to use the right formulation and to apply it correctly.

Kearns says some herbaceous weeds, such as garlic mustard, dame’s rocket, hedge parsley, teasel and creeping charlie also stay green long after a frost, and sometimes all winter. These plants can be located and treated in the fall or winter when weather conditions are appropriate without damaging the native plants which have already gone dormant. It is best if herbicide applied to leaves can be applied when temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and will stay above freezing the first night after applying.

For cut-stump application, as long as it is warm enough that the herbicide doesn’t freeze it can be effective. Some land managers have found that fall treatment of garlic mustard and other herbaceous invaders can dramatically reduce the number of plants still alive and needing to be controlled in the spring.

“One word of caution to all people venturing into forests or other wild areas in the fall is to take care not to walk through patches of weedy plants,” Kearns says “It’s easy to inadvertently pick up weed seeds on your shoes and clothes and transfer them to your favorite hunting or hiking spot. Learn to identify these plants all year long and you can stop their spread before they can degrade the wild places you like to visit.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Kearns – (608) 267-5066

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Proposed fishing tournament rules topic of Internet webcast

MADISON – People who want to learn more about proposed changes to rules governing fishing tournaments in Wisconsin before attending public hearings on the rules or who can’t attend the hearings can view a webcast presentation through the Department of Natural Resources Web site. Public hearings on the proposed rules started this week and run through Nov. 15 at locations around the state. Written comments on the proposals are accepted through Nov. 17.

The webcast and other new materials about the tournament proposals can be found on the Fishing Tournament Rules page of the DNR Web site.

Patrick Schmalz, the DNR fish biologist who led a citizen advisory group and DNR technical team in developing the rule changes, said the webcast is aimed at trying to increase the opportunity for anglers and others to learn more about the proposals and participate in the rule-making process. The webcast features the same basic presentation that Schmalz will be giving at the beginning of the public hearings.

DNR is revising the fishing tournament rules, Chapter NR 20.40 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, to respond to a 2004 law and to public concerns over the impacts of the increasing number of tournaments in Wisconsin on fish, anglers and other boaters. The number of large permitted tournaments has increased by one third, to about 400 a year, in the last decade.

The remaining hearings begin at 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

• November 1, La Crosse – Strzelczyk Great Hall, Cleary Center, UW-La Crosse, 615 East Ave., South.
• November 2, Fitchburg – Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Road.
• November 8, Green Bay – Auditorium, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Center, 1660 East Shore Dr.
• November 9, Sturtevant – Suite IV, DNR Service Center, 9531 Rayne Road.
• November 14, Spooner – Spooner Agricultural Research Station, W6646 Highway 70.
• November 15, Rhinelander – Nicolet Technical College Theater, County Highway G.

A copy of the draft rules, hearing dates, and other materials concerning fishing tournaments can be found on the DNR Web site. The proposed rule and fiscal estimate may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted at through the Wisconsin Administrative Rules web site.

Written comments on the proposed rule may be submitted until Nov. 17 via U.S. mail to Patrick J. Schmalz, Bureau of Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707. Written comments whether submitted electronically or by U.S. mail will have the same weight and effect as oral statements presented at the public hearings.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Schmalz (608) 266-8170; Steve Hewett (608) 267-7501

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Deer Hunt 2006 airs Nov. 9 on Wisconsin Public Television

MADISON – Deer hunters may want to plan on spending an hour in front of the television from 8 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 9 when Milwaukee Public Television and Outdoor Wisconsin host Dan Small visits their living room with his annual Deer Show.

The Nov. 9 show will be carried statewide on public television stations and features a live call-in opportunity. For the entire hour, Department of Natural Resources specialists in wildlife, licensing and conservation law enforcement can answer caller questions on hunting and hunting related topics. Milwaukee Public Television will repeat the broadcast on Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. (No call-in is available during the rebroadcast.).

In addition to the call-in feature, Small will have live and taped guests talking about prospects for this year’s hunt, new season structures, hunting rules and deer tagging; chronic wasting disease (CWD) update; tree stand safety; landowner relations; baiting and feeding and a look into the CWD testing laboratory.

The show will feature Dr. Timothy Van Deelen, University of Wisconsin-Department of Wildlife Ecology, and Dr. Joshua Millspaugh, University of Missouri and Keith Warnke, DNR deer and bear ecologist, explaining Wisconsin’s method of estimating deer populations.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Keith Warnke - (608) 264-6023