2006 Contents

December 2006

Across the trestles of time: In decades long past, the Badger Fish Cars hauled fry to stock remote Wisconsin waters. Now old No. 2 may be back on track.
Furs, inside and out: Wildlife biologists and wardens tan a few hides in a short course on trapping.
Cultivating a better solution: Healthy farms, water protectors and communities are shaping better ways to manage manure.
A Stick in time: Up from the depths, a malodorous, mud-covered piece of wood reveals a sliver of Wisconsin's natural history.
Window stickers: Treefrogs adapted to scurry up bark and fend off the big chill.
Words worth your while: Settle down with good books for facts, fun and an indoor escape to the outdoors.
Wisconsin Traveler: Engines and art.
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert:
A River under repair: The Fox fights back.

Weather the weather, whatever the weather: Hot, cold, wet or dry, take a look at weather conditions during the last 50 deer seasons.
Border patrol: Mourning doves scour the edges of roads, fields and woods for weed seeds and water.
Rejuvenating a reliable workhorse: Wild Rose Fish Hatchery will continue to pump out great water and great fish.
The well-mannered hunter: Most hunters know to ask permission before hunting on private land, but etiquette extends far beyond that.
The speedy pace of outdoor relaxation: Meeting growing demand for campsites while enhancing outdoor experiences takes a lot of friends.
Protecting nature's middle class: Federal wildlife grants are helping restore habitat and species on public and private properties.
Wisconsin Traveler: City life
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.

Caring for the "orphans": Years of effort and millions of dollars help restore abandoned contaminated properties.
Wetter – or not?: Determining if a property is a wetland isn't always a cut-and-dried affair. Sometimes you have to get your feet wet to find the answer.
Curious creatures on the Big River: Sponges, shrimp and meat-eating plants dwell in the Mississippi.
Come and get it!: Time-tested favorites from your campfire and kitchen.
Well seasoned memories: Treasured recipes from a new cookbook stir up thoughts of good times around the campfire and stove.
Keeping the fight in the king of fishes: Natural strains and careful matchmaking invigorate the genetic lineage of stocked muskellunge.
A late blue bloomer: Bottle gentians are easy wildflowers to grow in moist to wet soils.
Wisconsin Traveler: Ice is nice
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert:
The forest where we live: Growing a legacy of urban forestry.

Contemplating competition: Do fishing tournaments fit on Wisconsin's waters?
Naturally green by design: Two new DNR buildings are easy on the eyes and the environment.
Sowing seeds of hope: For 20 years the Natural Resources Foundation has provided the ways and means for individuals to help grow Wisconsin's conservation future.
Silent whistle: Never plentiful in Wisconsin, bobwhite quail prevail despite harsh conditions.
Green invaders on the horizon: Your help can keep troublesome new plants from taking root.
Superior adventure: On the greatest of the Great Lakes, a self-powered cruise of the nearshore islands is high adventure.
Hit the beach: Nineteen spots to soak up some sun, dunk your toes and celebrate summer.
Wisconsin Traveler: Chow Main Street
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.

A burst of yellow glory: Wet soils flush with dark greens and bright blossoms when the marsh marigolds bloom.
Take a field day: Book a weekend hike, tour or paddle from April through October.
Early signs of recovery?: Are yellow perch inching back from a 15-year decline?
Bundling up the borer: Containing firewood is an important plank in staving off a spreading forest pest.
Threshold of pane: Collisions into windows pose the greatest manmade danger to songbird populations.
Small for one, and one for small: Researchers champion the cause of the little mammals and strive to bring population studies into the 21st century.
Wisconsin Traveler: A capital treat
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.
Special Insert:
Groundwater, Wisconsin's buried treasure: Drink up the reasons to cherish and protect groundwater.

A surface observation: In every season, the water line forms a fine border that is ceiling, floor, barrier and foundation for a lot of living things.
On guard!: Sign up for a streamside look at a love-in.
Flavors we savor: Share your one-pot, one-pan, must-have favorites.
The drummer of love: Prairie chickens court spring and a future on vast grasslands of central Wisconsin.
A fluid situation: As Wisconsin's hydropower plants undergo reviews to renew their federal licenses, the state and the public aim to reclaim some recreational and environmental benefits lost when the dams were built.
Hit the books: Eight new offerings to round out your winter reading.
Wandering waxwings: A search for fruit keeps flocks of these magnificent birds roaming the countryside.
Wisconsin Traveler: Treemendous
Readers Write: Your letters to the editor.