getting out outdoors magazine - september 2015
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HUNTING LAKE MONSTERS
CROSSBOW HUNTING
TAKING FLIGHT
+Plus
wastingPOTENTIAL
Chronic Wasting Disease in the Chipewa Valley
Real PeopleReal Stories
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2 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
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I purchased a blind for this past season and it paid o� bagging a great 10 point buck. �e blind was quiet, warm, convenient with the high quality windows, and roomy enough to share the hunt with my 3 small boys. More importantly was Brian and General Gun and Coins customer service. He delivered and o�ered to help assemble the blind free of charge. 100% satis�ed and I will be buying another one in the near future!
Nathan
We love our Redneck Blind we purchased from Brian at General Coin in Eau Claire! Everything from determining which blind would suit us best to the �nal professional installation was �awless! We hosted 5 girls and Dads for the 2014 Youth Deer hunt and went 5 for 5 (with 3 being taken from our new Redneck Blind)! I own other brands of blinds but I won’t buy anything other than a Redneck blind! �e quality, size, comfort and ease of use make it the best blind on the market! Brian was excellent to work with and I plan to purchase more blinds as our needs grow! �anks Brian!
Kirk DuLac, Eden Praire, MN, Neillsville, WI
I’m really enjoying my redneck blind! I got the buck palace and it has plenty of room for me and my grandkids. My grandson isn’t old enough to hunt yet but enjoys going with me. I don’t have to worry about him falling out of stand. I have a 12 year old granddaughter that went gun hunting with me this year and got her �rst buck.It’s a 10 pointer, with a 17 inch spread. She was excited and so was grandma! I didn’t get a buck but I got a nice doe. So as you can see I love my stand and so do my grandkids! �e weather is never really a factor, I can go when I want! �anks again for selling me a great blind!
Tammy Frye
It was my �rst deer hunting season using a Redneck Hunting Blind. From the very beginning, with Brian helping me to set the blind up, I knew my experience was going to be awesome. �e hunting knowledge he shared with me and the location selected for setup were great! I eagerly cleared out some brush, thus opening shooting lanes to get better shots. �e true test came when it was time to bow hunt. �e result was successfully shooting my �rst deer with a bow, an eight-point buck, from my new blind! It was the second weekend of bow season, and the deer never knew I was there! But, the best experience of all was when I took my 13-year-old grandson to the Redneck Hunting Blind for the gun deer season. We were comfortably sitting and talking in the blind. It was a cold, opening day, about 2:00 pm, when my grandson turned to me and said, “Grandpa, I sure wish we would see some deer.” We had all the windows closed except for the smallest window. I looked over at him and smiled. I said, “Brayden, I wish we would see a buck right there,” as I pointed in the direction of the open window. No more than 30 seconds later, I blinked several times, as I could not believe my sighting. �ere stood a buck in the area where I directed my wish. With overwhelming excitement, I pointed and said to my grandson, “A buck is right there!” He swiveled in his Redneck hunting chair toward the buck, took the shot, and the buck was down! �e smile and excitement on his face were totally awesome to see! �is was my grandson’s �rst buck, a nine-pointer! We experienced two �rsts with our �rst Redneck Blind…my �rst deer bow hunting and his �rst buck. I will be buying another Redneck Blind for another spot on my property. �ey are the best hunting blind out there, and the support is superior!Th
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Andrew Herold, Arcadia, WI
Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 3 CO
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GO
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Next issue: March, 2016Published twice a year by the Leader-Telegram Advertising Department. P.O. Box 570. Eau Claire, WI 54702-0570. Copyright 2015 Eau Claire Press Company. All rights reserved.Available online at www.leadertelegram.com
11Wasting Potential
15Crossbow Hunting
17Taking Flight
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�e risk of su�ering an injury while exercising will never disappear entirely. Even the most seasoned athletes su�er setbacks from time to time, and even the most popular exercises are not completely risk-averse. With that in mind, the following are some favorite exercises and how to avoid injury when performing them.
JOGGING: Joggers should get adequate rest between running sessions and wear comfortable, well-�tting shoes when jogging. Avoid loose shoes so your feet don’t develop blisters, and ice your knees a�er each workout to facilitate their recovery. Knee and foot problems tend to plague many joggers, so it’s important that joggers take steps to reduce injury rather than telling themselves to push through the pain.
CIRCUIT TRAINING: Circuit training is popular because it allows time-pressed men and women to workout several areas of their bodies in relatively little time. When done correctly, circuit training is an e�cient way to enhance cardiovascular �tness and muscle endurance. Circuit training participants do not typically do as many repetitions when working their muscles as they might when working out one muscle group at a time, and that leads many to li� extra weight. �at can cause damage to the shoulders or other areas of the body that are engaged as part of strength training. Such injuries can be avoided by adding rest to a circuit training routine and taking more time between exercises. �is may run counter to the point of such a routine, but it’s well worth avoiding injury.
YOGA: Yoga is an increasingly popular exercise that can improve �exibility and overall strength. But some yoga participants have su�ered wrist injuries, pulled muscles and hip problems as a result of their yoga routines. Such injuries can be easily avoided by reinforcing your wrists with supports and not overdoing it when you feel your muscles are tight before or during a workout. If your instructor tries to push your body into a position you’re uncomfortable in, speak up and say you want to avoid that position.
WEIGHTLIFTING: Weightli�ing injuries are o�en the result of overdoing it with weights or not adhering to proper form when li�ing. When strength training, don’t go overboard with how much weight you are li�ing. Start out with light weights and then gradually increase the weight until you reach a �gure you are comfortable with. Before beginning a weightli�ing regimen, consult with a trainer at the gym or read your equipment owner’s manual at home to ensure you are following the proper form for each exercise.
For more infromation on exercise and �tness, contact Highland Fitness and talk with one of our coaches.
How to avoid injury during these popular workouts
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4 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Marine� Fishing boats - Crestliner, Lund� Hurricane Deckboats� Bennington Pontoons� Mastercraft Ski/Wakeboard Boats� Hobie Cat Kayaks� Surftech Stand Up Paddleboards� Engines - Mercury, Yamaha, Honda, Mercruiser, Volvo� Docks/Lifts - Hewitt, Pier Pleasure, Shorestation, Sea-Leg pontoon lifts, Shoretracker rail systemsCompletely remodeled 15, 000 sq. ft. Marine Showroom!
Powersports� Honda - Yamaha - CF MOTO� Motorcycles, scooters, side by sides, atvs, snowmobiles� Bad Boy Buggy - All electric and hybrid side by sides� EZ Go golf carts� Mastercraft customized golf carts� Golf cart rental availableCheck out the all new dedicated 10, 500 sq. ft. powersports building!
Parts/Accessories� West Central Wisconsin’s largest selection
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Winter Wonderland
Ride Safe!Contributed by Bruce Scherlin, Powersport SalesZachos Sports Center
Well here we are again, the kids are back in school, the temps are dropping, a hint of Fall as the trees are starting to show their colors, with birds starting to gather for their yearly trip to warmer locations. �e talk at the dinner table involves what days you’re taking o� to hunt this year and who is going with you to the hunting cabin. With talk of the “Almanac says,” and the “caterpillars are sure wooly this year” to “we’re so ahead of last year on precipitation,” you can bank on one thing. Mother Nature is going to throw at us, the best fury she can muster up! Now is the time to thwart her plan of attack.
Are you hiking out to the tree stand the old way by foot? Still shoveling or snow blowing your driveway? Feeling uncomfortable diving your new ¾ ton truck out to your ice �shing shack during early ice? We live in Wisconsin, it gets cold and snows here. Get out and enjoy it! Let’s take a look at the all-season vehicles currently available to slug it out with Mother Nature.
At Zacho Powersports, we strive to �nd the best tools available to help you get your game on with winter. Select from Honda, Yamaha or CFMoto ATV’s, Utility-Side by Sides, and Sport-Side by Sides. And quite electric 4x4’s hunting rigs from Bad Boy Buggies, and EZGO. Just don’t forget Yamaha Snowmobiles, too. We have the vehicle that you can get out to the ice �shing shack, hunting blind, or down the trail. Most of our 4x4 ATV’s and Side by Sides can be packaged with large diameter tire kits to get you more traction, bite and ground clearance. If the snow is measured in feet, and you need to go deep woods or vertical we can out�t your machine with tracks! �ere is nothing that stops them. If the driveway is dri�ed in, Plow it! You can equip all of our Honda, and Yamaha 4x4’s with snow plows, up to 60” wide. Side by Side plows come up to 72” wide. �e Yamaha Grizzly and Honda Foreman / Rubicon models make the most durable plow rigs on the market. �ey easily start in our -30 degrees below days with fuel injection, when we can’t.
Game changer Honda has just released an industry �rst, too. Welcome the Honda Pioneer 1000 5 Seater. Convertible from 3 seat workhorse to 5 seat SUV in seconds. Available with 4 Drive options in Turf mode, 2WD, 4WD Limited Slip Di�, and 4WD Lock Di�. �en a DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) transmission features 6 Speed Auto, Sport, or Manual Electric Shi�. �e Honda Pioneer 700 Side by Side model even lets you Cab it in and heat it. How’s that for beating winter at its own game. And we’re just beginning.
So it’s time. You live here, winter is not going to go away! Get out and experience a whole new world. We have ways to deal with cold and snow, look at the new direction that ATV’s, Side-by-Side’s, and even Snowmobiles have been going. We’re con�dent that we’ll have the perfect winter solution and the right vehicle to: hunt it, plow it, move it or ride it!
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6 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Article provided by Jim Onarheim, Hayward Lakes VCB.
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A little History lesson about the North Woods around Hayward, Wisconsin.Twelve years ago just prior to my retirement from the Eau Claire Fire Department, my wife and I bought a small resort east of Hayward, WI. I did not know when we moved here, of the history of the logging industry that went on in this area over the past 100 years. �e lake we are located on is called Moose Lake. �is lake was formed when logging was the number one industry in this area. Loggers needed a place to hold their cut logs until they could be sent to the saw mill. Loggers decided to create a holding pond so thousands of trees were cut out of a small long valley that three rivers �owed through. �ese rivers are called the Big Moose, the Little Moose River and the West Fork of the Chippewa River. A dam was constructed on the west end of this valley and that formed a 1700 acre lake which is called Moose Lake. �e closest town to Moose Lake is Hayward, WI. Hayward in the late 1800’s had a population of only a few hundred people. Today Hayward’s population is 2300 but late in February it swells to 30,000 during the American Birkebeiner ski race. Hayward being a tourist destination place has a temporary population during the summer months of over 20,000. Our small town is located 2 hours north of Eau Claire or 1.5 hours southeast of Duluth, MN. �e City of Hayward was formally organized in 1883. Two Lumber Barons / politicians by the name of Phileus Sawyer and Myron McCord are referred to as the founding fathers of Hayward. Anthony Judson Hayward, a Logger, came to the Hayward area from Eau Claire in the winter of 1878. He realized that a location on the Namekagon River would make it an excellent place for gathering and processing the logs that were to be cut from the area woods. �e saw mill which was referred to as �e Big Mill was located close to the dam, which is located on the west end of Lake Hayward. �is was the holding area for logs. �is is where the Lumberjack Bowl is located today. Many thousand board feet were cut at the mill and shipped on the railroad line that went through the city years ago. �e Big Mill burned down in 1922 and was not rebuilt as most of the trees had been cut down in the area. Anthony J. Hayward became the �rst Mayor of Hayward on March 31, 1915. He was a Timber locator, President of the North Wisconsin Lumber Company, a strong promotor in the logging
industry and helped get the resort business going in the Hayward area in 1922. Resorts started popping up throughout the county and eventually Hayward became a tourist destination place. Even Al Capone the gangster from Chicago thought he could hide out in the Northwoods of Sawyer County. Al’s hideout was referred to as Al Capone’s Northwood’s Retreat in Couderay, WI. �is was turned into a tourist attraction for several years but was closed in 2009. What really became Hayward’s claim to fame was the �rst World record musky that was caught by Cal Johnson in 1949. It was 67
½ pounds caught out of Lac Courte Oreilles Lake. Also in 1949 Louis Spray landed a World Record Musky out of the waters of the Chippewa Flowage! It weighed 69 lbs. and 11 oz., was 63 ½ inches long and had a girth of 31 ¾ inches. Over the years you will always have anglers doubting if this was an accurate weight and
measurement. All I can say is, this is very well documented and it is recorded with the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. Either you or I could catch a world record �sh next week, and I’m sure 65 years from now if the record is not broken, someone will doubt if our measurement & weight was correct. One thing I do know is, the Hayward area has had more fresh water world record �sh caught out of our waters over the past 100 years than any other area in our country. �is could be length record or line class. Over the years Hayward has grown to be a destination for world class events. During 2015 our area has been host to the World Para-Olympics back in January/February, �e American Birkebeiner Ski race, the World Lumberjack Championships, one of the largest Native American Pow Wow’s in North American, the Chequamegon Fat Tire Bike race. I invite you to come to Hayward sometime, I know you will not be disappointed. We came and we stayed. We love it here.
National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, Hayward, WI. Contributed photo.
800-724-2992 • www.haywardlakes.com
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Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 7
By Dave Carlson
Canada geese families are flocking. Duck broods are taking wing o� lakes and rivers. Young ru�ed grouse flush short distances on humid hiking trails and
gravel roads. Days grow shorter as hunting season approaches.
But for some, this is an irresistible time to hunt walleyes, bass and muskies. Crappies and bluegills too concentrate in the northern lake country.
Hunting
Kory Kosek and a 57 ½-inch muskie caught in early August in Lake Vermilion in Minnesota. Contributed photo.
8 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Places of big water; deserted shorelines; wild islands; falling leaves and bent grasses strewn over the surface; crisp mornings and glowing evenings: Lots of elbow room and plenty of choices ahead.
Fall �shing can be as good or better than spring, if you pick the right water. It all goes back to habitat. A diverse habitat — features like woody shores, steep breaks and shallow rubble, mid-lake reefs, clean vegetation, back nays, manmade structure (docks, dams, etc) and natural inlets and outlets — spells a mixed bag of �sh and angling opportunities.
No shortage of that in Wisconsin and Minnesota. If you go by license plates and billboard advertising, there are about 25,000 lakes to choose from. And that doesn’t include thousands of miles of rivers and trout streams.
When asked about my favorites from that Scrabble pile of names, I o�er some of the waters where I’ve experienced wonderful trips with great companions for the cross-section of freshwater species.
In Wisconsin, in no particular order, my minnow-tipped light jigs and Lindy rigs have brought home autumn walleye �llets from the 17,000-acre Chippewa Flowage, western Lake Superior (Duluth-
Superior harbor and Chequamegon Bay), Lake Wissota, Shell, Upper Long, Red Cedar and an assortment of other (300 to 1,000 acre) mid-size lakes in Washburn, Burnett, Sawyer and Polk counties.
In Minnesota, I lean toward Vermilion, Red, Lake of the Woods, Rainy, Mille Lacs (walleye season closed now for �shery recovery) and several Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness lakes in the Superior National Forest.
Many lakes, such as 40,000-acre Lake Vermilion, have slot size limits to prevent overharvest of walleyes. On Vermilion, a Canadian Shield-type lake with rocky reefs, deep water and shallow weedy bays, anglers can keep walleyes under 18 inches and over 26 inches.
“�e �shery overall is doing well; the slot (size limit) has accomplished what we wanted,” said Duane Williams, big lakes specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at Tower, Minn.
Walleyes feed on minnows, small perch and, during summer, may�ies. �ey prefer cooler water temperatures and migrate in and out of the depths, cruising wind-whipped shorelines.
A lot of small walleyes are being caught on the Chippewa Flowage,
“and more are coming down the chute,” said Max Wolter, Wisconsin DNR �sh manager for the �owage and smaller surrounding lakes.
Habitat work related to eradicating Eurasian millfoil in annual drawdowns by Xcel Energy have resulted in strong year classes of walleyes while wiping out the invasive plant. �at work, plus a three-�sh daily bag slot limit protecting walleyes under 15 inches and over 20, have combined to improve the size and numbers, which in a 2011 survey averaged three adult walleyes per acre, Wolter said.
As for smallmouth bass, I again turn to Lake Vermilion. Even though there’s a no-size, six-�sh daily bag limit, many anglers keep a few smallies for shore lunch or lodging supper and put the larger ones back in the lake.
“Lots of smallmouth bass in the lake (are) good size �sh, with good reproduction and good growth,” Williams said. “Harvest of smallmouth is fairly low.”
Smallmouth feed aggressively in the fall and migrate to deeper over-winter areas. Some, like walleyes and northern pike, can be coaxed to bite into November and even during ice �shing season.
A Lake Vermilion walleye landed by Jim Bishop, Spooner, WI. Contributed photo.
Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 9
“Some of the biggest smallmouths of the year are caught in the fall,” Williams said.A northern pike limit of �sh under 24 inches or over 36 inches on Lake Vermilion is producing bigger pike, Williams said.Crappies and bluegills can be found in good numbers around reefs and shallow bays.Perch, which presently tend to run a bit small, will peck away at your walleye o�ering until chased o�.Back in Wisconsin, “crappies have been the star of �shing the past couple years on the �owage,” Wolter said.Rounding out my fall �shing choices on a typical diverse habitat/diverse �shery is the muskellunge.Wisconsin’s wilderness-feeling Chippewa Flowage at Hayward, where Louie Spray’s 69-pound, 11-ounce, 63.5-inch world record musky was born and died, always holds potential for trophy �sh of any species. Wolter said 43 to 46-inch muskies are “pretty common” on the �owage today and annually 50-inch-and-over �sh are landed.Outside of several Canadian waters, few lakes can match the ability to grow big muskies as, you guessed it, Lake Vermilion.In two recent spring surveys, 2011 and 2012, state �shery crews netting
muskies reported that almost 15 percent of the �sh they handled were over 50 inches in length, Williams said.In mid-August of this year 225 participants in a two-day Professional Musky Tournament Trail caught and released 79 muskies. �e largest was a 57½-inch monster caught by the team of Chris Chase of Farmington, Minn., and Kory Kosek of Stewart, Minn.“One of the primary forage for (Lake Vermilion) muskies is the high- calorie cisco,” Williams said.Is a 60-inch musky still possible? “It would be unlikely, but not impossible,” Williams said.By the way, this year motor trolling, an o�en-used musky �shing tactic, became legal in Wisconsin in July. An e�ective but also controversial technique, the new rule allows only two trolling lines per boat, and each angler can continue to cast a line.Anglers also are reminded by lake managers to clean their boats, live wells and trailers before moving lake to lake. �is summer Lake Vermilion’s pristine waters turned up with the �rst invasive species of any kind to hit the lake...the spiny water �ea.“Most likely it was angler or boater transported,” William said.
A popular narrows attracts anglers on the Chippewa �owage near Hayward, WI.
Contributed photo.
Dave Carlson, former TV outdoors broadcaster, is a freelance writer out of Eau Claire.
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10 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Boating Pleasure
Article provided by Toli’s Arms, LLC.784464 9-5-15
Whitetail deer bow hunting is the epitome of adventure and enjoyment for many an outdoor enthusiast! While hunting the deer is the main objective, it has become important to also have protection in case of a possible encounter with a black bear. Due to the increase of hunter/black bear interfaces, a handgun is an option that is exercised by an ever increasing number of bowhunters.�ere are several factors that one must consider when deciding to carry a handgun:
CALIBEROne must have a large enough caliber so that if the report of the weapon doesn’t frighten the bear, if it becomes absolutely necessary to kill the bear to protect yourself, you have “enough” weapon.
SIZE�e selected gun should be easily handled with some pro�ciency. Quality ammunition should be available for practice and protection.
GUN USEHandguns can be a dual service �rearm. �e correct gun can be used as a bear deterrent as well as a legal hunting arm during �rearm season.
GUN TYPEIn handgun use, revolvers generally never fail whereas a pistol can jam. Also, most semi-auto pistols while �ne as bear deterrent or as protection, may not have enough power or barrel length to be used legally for hunting depending on just exactly what you are hunting! �ree common revolver rounds that are recommended are the .357 Mag, .45 Long Colt and the venerable .44Mag. Each of these cartridges can be used for bear protection and �rearm hunting when purchased with the correct barrel length.With the number of black bears on the increase, the carrying of a back-up handgun makes sense. Consult Toli’s Arms or your local gun dealer as to the correct �rearm for you!
“As of now “As of now we don’t have an
answer for answer for eradicating
it. It’s a threat
to deer hunting.”
Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 11
By J
oe K
nigh
tLe
ader
-Tel
egra
m st
a�
wast
ing
PO
TE
NT
IAL
— Terry Moulton
12 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
“While I don’t agree with the panic associated with CWD, I am excited about seeing natural deer movement around my hunting area, as opposed to deer moving form bait pile to bait pile,” said Tammy Koenig of rural Fall Creek. “I think it will bring those of us who grew up hunting without the use of bait back to our roots, having to put our homework in before harvesting a mature buck.”Koenig has hunted in several states and Canada, taking over 100 deer with a bow. She has led groups of women bow hunting and stars in her own bow hunting television show, “Leading Ladies”, usually accompanied by her daughter, Brittany.�e discovery of CWD in a 7-year old doe in a deer farm near Fairchild in June triggered the Aug. 1 ban on baiting and feeding of deer in the three counties. Portions of Clark and Jackson three counties were within a 10-mile radius of the Eau Claire County deer farm.CWD has not been detected in wild deer in the three counties.Koenig said although she dislikes baiting, as the practice grew in popularity she reluctantly started putting corn out on her hunting property to hold some does, although she doesn’t hunt over the piles. Now with baiting banned in the county, it’s one expense she won’t miss, she said.Terry Moulton, owner of Mouldy’s Archery and Tackle and a Republican state senator, said the discovery of CWD on the farm does not appear to have
dimmed the enthusiasm of bow hunters visiting his shop. Around the beginning of August, as is usually the case, hunters realized the bow season was only a month away and began coming into the shop.�e business sells corn, so there will be some lost income because of the ban,” he said. �ey also sell seed for food plots, which are still allowed under the ban.Moulton said so far he has not heard people say they weren’t planning to hunt or were going to hunt elsewhere because of the discovery of CWD on the Fairchild farm or the baiting ban.Moulton said he has seen baiting change deer patterns in his own hunting. With baiting banned, he thinks hunters may well see more daytime movement of deer. “I de�nitely think one of the reasons we’ve got more deer moving nocturnally is because people are baiting,” he said.
“I used to do a lot of late season bowhunting in the Eau Claire County Forest and the Clark County Forest,” he said. �ere would be deer trails leading from cover where the deer bedded to oak ridges or logging sites where the deer fed. But over the last four or �ve years, if he found a well-established deer trail and followed it, he usually ended up at a bait pile.
If there is more daytime deer movement, hunters will be seeing more deer, and if they are seeing more deer, they’ll be more enthusiastic about hunting, Moulton said.
Allen Jacobson of Hixton, chairman of the Jackson County Conservation Congress, said he expected the baiting ban to be a nonissue in the agricultural western side of Jackson County where he hunts because it’s not an e�ective technique. “I’m sorry to hear that we’ve got chronic wasting disease this far up, but as far as changing hunting tactics for the white-tailed deer, I haven’t heard one complaint,” he said. Baiting isn’t too e�ective at attracting deer in this area because the hunter is usually in a woodlot surrounded by corn �elds. �e deer have plenty of sources of corn, he said.In eastern Jackson County, which is mainly forest, baiting may be used more, but again Jacobson said he hasn’t heard complaints.Hunting pressure is probably going to be light this fall in eastern Jackson County because the deer herd is still low in the central forest, he said. Because of low deer numbers, Jackson County east of Highway 27 will be the furthest county to the south with “bucks only” regulations this fall.“I think CWD is such a mystery yet as far as how it’s spread. We don’t have a cure, or even a live test for it,” he said. “All you can do at this point is come up with best management practices, and getting rid of baiting and feeding would probably be the �rst step in that management plan … but it’s such a touchy issue.” Because the State Legislature passed the baiting and feeding rule, the Legislature would have to ban baiting statewide — it couldn’t be done by the Department of Natural Resources.
Elk in the MixBecause of the elk reintroduction in eastern Jackson County, the DNR has heavily tested the area for CWD during the past two years and found none in the wild deer herd.
“We don’t think it exists in the wild here, but unfortunately it exists in that deer farm,” he said.
Jacobson said instead of worrying about CWD, he was more concerned that hunters in eastern Jackson County will be able to tell the di�erence between an elk and a deer. �ere will be 23
Local bow hunting experts aren’t pleased that chronic
wasting disease has been detected in Eau Claire
County.But now that a baiting
ban exists in Eau Claire, Clark and Jackson
counties because of that discovery, they are looking
forward to having an “old-fashioned” hunting
season.
Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 13
wild elk in the area — the �rst stage in a reintroduction of elk to central Wisconsin.As the hunting season draws near, supporters of the elk reintroduction plan to put up signs and send out news releases reminding deer hunters that elk are in the area and that they are protected. �e elk will also be wearing orange radio collars.�e elk, brought in from Kentucky and kept in isolation for further health checks, were �nally released in mid-August. �e released elk include 19 adults from the original group and four calves born in Wisconsin a�er the relocation.Bill Hogseth, DNR wildlife manager for Eau Claire County, said he’s been getting mixed feedback from hunters on the baiting and feeding ban. But he said it’s clear the word is out on the ban based on the number of inquiries he got around Aug. 1 when the ban went into e�ect.People frequently asked about bird feeding, which is still allowed in counties where a deer feeding ban is in e�ect, he said.�e DNR will be doing some intensive sampling for CWD of deer shot within a 10-mile radius of the deer farm with the CWD. Because there will be no in-person registration this fall, they will rely on getting samples from taxidermists and meat processing plants, Hogseth said.Scott �iede, DNR warden in Eau Claire County, said he also has received a number of inquiries about the baiting and feeding ban. If a deer comes by and eats sun�owers from your bird feeder, you aren’t going to be cited for deer feeding. “We understand the occasional deer will come by,” he said. But if deer are coming to your bird feeder every night, you need to change your setup to comply with the ban, he said.And providing water for birds and other wildlife is OK, he said, noting that any feeding for birds or small wildlife must occur within 50 yards of a dwelling.A neighbor in Altoona had a low wooden feeder for squirrels that he removed before the ban went into e�ect on Aug. 1, which was the right thing to
do to comply with the ban, �iede said. Although the food may have been intended for squirrels, it was readily accessible to deer, he said.“People are asking good questions. I think compliance will be high,” he said.
Eating VenisonWhen CWD was �rst detected in deer in southwestern Wisconsin in 2002, there was a lot of concern about eating venison from areas with CWD and whether the disease could be transferred from venison to people. Many people had read how mad cow disease arose in England and how it impacted people who consumed infected beef. In 2002 the number of deer hunting licenses sold dropped about 11 percent in Wisconsin.But a�er over 10 years of living with the disease in Wisconsin, those concerns appear to have subsided among deer hunters. Hunting, and venison consumption, continues in the core area of southwestern Wisconsin, even though the CWD infection rate has grown to one out of every four adult bucks in Iowa and western Dane counties.�ere is no known case of a prion disease jumping from a CWD-infected deer to a person, either from people eating venison or from �eld dressing or otherwise contacting deer.But health o�cials remain cautious. �e Centers for Disease Control advises hunters to avoid eating meat from deer that look sick or that test positive for CWD. �e CDC also advises hunters to wear gloves when �eld dressing deer, to bone-out the meat from deer, and to minimize handling the brain and spinal cord if they are hunting in a place where CDC has been identi�ed.Koenig, who eats venison year-round, including meat from Western states where CWD has been found, said she doesn’t worry.“�ere’s never been a recorded case of someone getting sick from it. I believe
that CWD has been around a long time with no name,” she said. “I love eating venison way too much to quit over something like that.” Moulton similarly doesn’t see a potential human health issue. “Back when it was �rst discovered in southwest Wisconsin, there was a lot of fear regarding it, but I think that has pretty much subsided. It’s not a disease that is passed on to humans,” he said.But Moulton is concerned about the e�ects on the deer herd.“As of now we don’t have an answer for eradicating it. It’s a serious problem. It’s a threat to deer hunting. I think we need to do everything we can to control it,” he said.Only one case has been con�rmed at the deer farm, and hopefully further testing of the herd will not �nd any more cases, he said. All deer at the farm are scheduled to be killed and tested. Moulton noted that testing of wild deer in Eau Claire, Clark and Jackson counties to date has not found the disease in any wild deer.
Cont. on page 14
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xx Getting Out Spring 2015 Leader- Telegram
Article provided by Stoney Creek RV Resort.
Summer is over, but the fun is not! At Stoney Creek RV Resort, our activities continue well into October. It’s not too late to join us for a weekend of fun! We have several themed weekends le� before the season comes to an end.
Laser tag weekend is coming up! We have updated our laser tag system and it now includes brand new games and scoring! Bring your family out for an entire weekend of Laser Tag games. �e next weekend is Fall Fun; cra�s, games, wagon rides, scavenger hunts, and many more activities are in store. October is just around the corner, which means HALLOWEEN! We have two Halloween weekends this year at Stoney Creek, October 2nd-4th and 9th-11th. Trick or Treating, pumpkin decorating, costume contest, Halloween cra�s and many more fun activities will be going on both weekends. New this year to our Halloween weekend is zombie laser tag! Find out if you can brave the zombie apocalypse! �ere is more information about our Halloween weekends and our other themes on our website (www.stoneycreekrvresort.com). We had a great start to the 2015 season at Stoney Creek RV Resort. Help us end it with even more fun and memories this fall. It’s not too early to be thinking of the 2016 season, too! We have 2016 reservation available, as well as, 2016 seasonal sites. Keep up to date on our Facebook page to �nd out about all the fun we are having at Stoney Creek and to get the latest updates and coupons for the year! We wish you all a great fall and winter; we hope to see you soon at Stoney Creek RV Resort, where family fun is our business!
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THE FUN’S NOT OVER
14 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
How Many Deer?County deer advisory councils in the three counties have recommended increasing the deer herd in central forest areas of these counties, where deer numbers remain relatively low. �ese three-year management goals, approved by the DNR, were made before CWD was discovered on the deer farm in June.Biologists say high deer numbers contribute to the spread of CWD, but Moulton said the deer committees made the right call.“I think the (deer) numbers have gone down signi�cantly,” he said. New hunters are not going to stay with the sport if they don’t see deer, he said. “If you take out young hunters, they have to see deer or you lose them to other activities,” he said.“Is this case in the deer farm an isolated case or are there more out there?” he said. “Until we know that, I’m OK with increasing the herd...�is could be just an isolated case... I”m hopeful that’s it.”Jacobson also said the Jackson County Deer Advisory Council was right in calling for an increase on the eastern side of the county. “Until something is found in the wild, there’s no point in trying to reduce the population of wild deer,” he said.
“I love eating
venison way too much
to quit over something like that.”
— Tammy Koenig
Cont. from page 13
Joe Knight is on the Leader-Telegram sta�. Contact: 715 830-5835, [email protected]
Cont. on page 16
Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 15
�e mean age of Wisconsin crossbow hunter’s was 52.
Contributed photo.
make an impact on deer huntingBy Patrick Durkin
Wisconsin’s first crossbow season for white-tailed deer helped generate a record archery buck kill of 46,201 and a record 275,417 licensed bowhunters in 2014, but no one is making bold predictions about how crossbows will a�ect bow season and license sales this fall.
Will Moulton, manager of Mouldy’s Archery & Tackle in Chippewa Falls, said the store experienced a “whirlwind” of interest and sales in 2014 a�er the Legislature legalized crossbows for all hunters during archery season. He said crossbow sales were strong from midsummer through Christmas in 2014. But sales have been slower so far this year.“�at’s to be expected, though,” Moulton said. “It’s the second year, so the initial rush is over. �ings will probably be more calm this year, but we still expect to sell decent numbers of crossbows in September, October and November. It’s not like compound bows, where sales peak in summer so buyers have time to practice and get familiar with their
new gear before bow season. With crossbows, once you sight them in, you can hunt the same day.”Moulton also expects that as more archers shoot and hunt with crossbows, many will continue shooting their compound or recurve bows.“A number of people are saying that,” he said. “�ey �nd they still like shooting their compound bows for fun and practice, and for hunting the early bow season. A compound bow is easier to carry around in the woods than a crossbow. �ey view the crossbow more strictly as a hunting weapon. �ey’ll keep it handy. Once the weather gets nasty, they’ll bundle up, put the compound away and grab the crossbow.”
During the 2014 archery season, most archers used compound bows. Of the record buck kill, for instance, regular archers — generally, those using compound or recurve bows — accounted for 30,433 (66 percent) of the total. Meanwhile, crossbow hunters killed 15,768 bucks (34 percent).Even so, the combined kill of bucks and antlerless deer with archery gear fell 7 percent from 2013 (87,628) to 81,701, ranking it 14th in the state’s deer hunting history. �at’s because the 2014 antlerless archery kill was 35,500, a 23 percent decline from 46,111 in 2013, ranking it 17th all-time. �e 2014 archery antlerless kill was also the �rst time since 2002 that it fell below 41,700, and only
make an impact on deer huntingmake an impact on deer huntingmake an impact on deer huntingCROSSBOWS
Cont. from page 15
16 Getting Out S Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Patrick Durkin is a free-lance writer who covers outdoors recreation in Wisconsin. Write to him at 721 Wesley St., Waupaca, WI 54981; or by e-mail at patrickdurkin56@gmailcom.
CLOSER LOOK
the second time it fell below that mark since 1998.Bucks made up 56.5 percent of the 2014 archery kill, accounting for 59 percent of the crossbow kill and 55.5 percent of the regular bow kill. In comparison, bucks made up 44 percent (97,196) of the �rearms kill (222,588). And here’s a head-scratcher the Department of Natural Resources can’t explain: �e crossbow kill in the DNR’s “northern forest” region was 4,446, nearly equal the kill in the “southern farmland” region, 4,676. Meanwhile, among regular archers, the northern-forest kill (5,160) was roughly a third of the southern farmland kill (14,723). For �rearms hunters, the northern forest produced 26,629 deer, a little more
than half as much as the southern farmland (50,360).DNR license data also show the combined 2014 sales of �rearms and archery deer licenses declined by 17,150, or 2 percent, despite the boost from crossbows. �e decrease was largely in gun licenses, where sales plunged nearly 25,000 (4 percent) to 609,779 from 2013, the lowest �gure since 1976, when the DNR sold 589,590 gun licenses.Meanwhile, the record archery-license sales marked the ��h straight year this category increased. A�er setting the previous record, 266,435 in 2008, archery licenses slid to 254,014 in 2010 before increasing steadily from 255,426 in 2011 to 266,380 in 2013, and then rising by 9,037 (3.4 percent) to the 2014
record.Although 2014 was the �rst year hunters of all ages could hunt with crossbows, roughly 17 percent of bowhunters used a crossbow in previous seasons. Crossbows could be used by anyone 65 and older, or those issued a disabled-hunter permit. A DNR analysis of the inaugural crossbow season found 71 percent of �rst-time hunters buying a crossbow license were not yet 18 and the mean age for crossbow hunters was 52, while the mean age for regular bowhunters was 38.Veteran researcher Brian Dhuey in the DNR’s wildlife bureau said the age data for license buyers suggests crossbows might be most e�ective at retaining hunters. “�at �rst year suggests crossbow hunting might add 10 to 12 years onto
the average bowhunter’s career,” Dhuey said. “It will be interesting to see if that continues.”Given 2014’s big mixed bag of data on license sales and deer-kill data, it’s tough to predict how crossbows will a�ect Wisconsin deer hunting and license-buying trends this autumn and in future seasons.All that’s certain is that crossbows are here to stay, and their popularity will likely keep rising. Moulton expects to see people upgrading their equipment, perhaps selling their used or lower-end entry-level crossbows for higher end equipment.Further, because crossbows and other archery gear require more attention than �rearms, Moulton urges crossbow hunters to regularly inspect their gear.“Most people will get three to four years out of a crossbow’s strings and cables if they keep them waxed,” Moulton said. “Watch the strings and cables for frays. Also, keep the crossbow’s barrel lubricated to reduce string wear. When a string breaks, things can get frightening. Limbs can break and the cams can �y o� the bow.”
Wisconsin Bowhunting Data
Year
201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000
Buck Kill
46,201 41,517 45,98844,44342,11541,40234,66238,01140,08135,93533,63545,49829,32240,86740,579
Total Kill
81,70187,62894,26790,20083,83387,24199,284116,010113,91878,450103,57295,60754,13383,12086,799
Archery Licenses
275,417 266,380 263,860255,426254,014261,964266,435 258,854 258,394247,309252,602 247,211 227,124260,239 258,002
Antlerless Kill
35,50046,11148,27945,75741,71845,83964,62277,99973,83742,51569,39750,10924,83142,21746,220
Getting Out F Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 17
Autumn is a long season –
the longest of the year if defined
by bird activity. From the end of
July until nearly December, birds — many of them
newly fledged — are slowly, methodically
plodding their way south to wintering
grounds. It’s possible for us to enjoy them
every step of the way at some premium
locations in our area.
FLIGHTTaking
Mer
lin. C
ontr
ibut
ed p
hoto
.
18 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Wisconsin Point, SuperiorWisconsin Point, a natural spit of land that shelters Douglas County from Lake Superior, is a legendary birding locale. Reports of exotic bird species, almost too odd to credit, pour forth each autumn; Paci�c and red-throated loons, Sabine’s, Iceland, mew and little gulls, black-legged kittiwake, surf, black, and white-winged scoter, Lapland longspur, lark and Harris’s sparrows, parasitic and pomarine jaegers.
(Pause for much needed breath of air!) On the third weekend of September each year, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology hosts an outing to the point that has become known as “Jaegerfest.” People from all corners of the state convene then, attracted by the promise of bird riches. Even when the weather is cold and wet, there will o�en be several dozen birders present — all with scopes pointed at the lake to help spot interesting birds.
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, Minn.�e hawk-watching at Duluth’s Hawk Ridge is one of the Midwest’s most spectacular natural events, and only a twenty minute drive from Wisconsin Point. Your odds of success increase dramatically if you know how to read a weather map. On a dry day in September, October, or November, winds out of the west or northwest push more than 14 species of migrating raptors “up against” the north shore of Lake Superior. Fearful of crossing of the vast expanse of Lake Superior — and being assaulted by countless gulls — hawks will follow the shoreline over the blu�s of Duluth and disperse again south of the city. �e bulk of sharp-shinned and broad-winged Hawks pass through in mid-September during the Minnesota Ornithological Union’s annual “Hawk Weekend Festival” (Held this year Sept. 18 to 20. hawkridge.org). �is year the mad “ridge party” — replete with birding �eld trips, guest speakers, banding presentations, food and refreshments — falls on the same weekend as nearby Jaegerfest. Flights of turkey vultures, northern harriers, northern goshawks, red-tailed hawks and even golden eagles o�en peak in October. And birds such as peregrine falcon, merlin, bald eagle and Cooper’s hawk are always possible.A lousy day — with winds out of the east or south — means you’ll see 20 hawks total. But on a good day, when the wind of fortune blows kindly, you’ll win the jackpot; a front row seat for the passage of tens of thousands of birds of prey.
White Pelican. Contributed photo.
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Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 19
Claim a comfortable rock or set out your lawn chair. Arguably there’s no better way to learn about hawks or their distinguishing traits than to study hundreds of them streaking by at eye level or circling overhead in swarming “kettles.”To get to the main lookout, take Interstate 35 out of Superior and follow it until it turns into Highway 61 or London Road. Turn le� on 43rd Avenue East, go about a mile and turn le� again on Glenwood. A�er a half mile, turn right on Skyline Parkway and follow this for another mile to the top.
Crex Meadows State Wildlife Area, GrantsburgSituated in western Burnett County north of the town of Grantsburg, Crex was once the center of a commercial sedge carpet-making operation. Today, the sedge meadows, cattail marshes, forests, savannas and prairies commerce strictly in wildlife - including 270 species of birds.Common Loons, bald eagles, ospreys, red-necked grebes and trumpeter swans can be found nesting on the refuge. Around Labor Day, fall migration moves into high-�ying gear and crests in October when 6,000 sandhill cranes pass through, along with numerous Canada, snow and sometimes white-fronted geese. Mud�ats at pool drawdowns throughout the refuge can attract greater and lesser yellowlegs, dunlin, short-billed dowitcher, marbled godwit, pectoral sandpiper and those look-alike little shorebirds called “peeps” which have swung south from arctic breeding grounds to return to wintering destinations in the southern U.S. or South America.Generally the Phantom Flowage in the southwest of the refuge is the prime location for birdwatching. �e largest of Crex’s lakes, it can be best viewed along its southern edge, both from a parking lot overlooking the �owage or from the Phantom Lake Trail. It can also be accessed from the west by driving Phantom Lake Road. Bitterns, terns, ducks, cranes, wrens, shorebirds, cormorants, herons, swans, Wilson’s phalaropes and white pelicans can all be found here. Rarities like western grebe, burrowing owl, cinnamon teal, western kingbird, scissor-tailed �ycatcher, lark bunting, or tricolored heron also make unscheduled appearances. Crex is a huge and complex
property with miles of roads and lots of habitat to cover. It’s best enjoyed at a leisurely pace which allows the birds to “come to you.” National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn.Just call us eaglecentric. �e Chippewa and Mississippi River Valleys of western Wisconsin are some of the best places on earth to experience bald eagles. Since recovering from the dark age of DDT (nesting pairs hit a low of 417 in 1963 in the lower 48 states), bald eagles hug our lakes and rivers as tightly as French explorers once did. By venturing west out of Nelson, one can enjoy the ultimate in eagle-watching at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minn.Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the shiny National Eagle Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its river deck is open around the clock for observing hundreds of annual over-wintering eagles, local breeders in summer and migrant tra�c in the spring and fall. Rehabbed eagles can be admired close up in a cage-free viewing area, and informative sta� provide programs and answer questions.Bald eagles molt into the distinctive white head and tail during their fourth or ��h year of life. Golden eagles sometimes mix with the much more common balds, especially away from the river. Be cautious, however, not to assume that birds without white heads or tails are goldens. An immature bald Eagle displays patches of white plumage on its body, tail, and wing coverts. �e white on a golden eagle is limited to the base of the tail and �ight feathers, and the back of the head displays a golden sheen.Bald Eagles can be found all along our big rivers at places like Lake Pepin, Alma and La Crosse. Basically, if there’s open water, there will be bald eagles present. Use your car as a blind. All birds are less nervous about cars than about the people who get out of them. (It’s also warmer inside!)
Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Juneau County�is sprawling preserve is of course Ground Zero for the re-establishment of the experimental whooping crane �ock in the eastern U.S. — but it’s also a hotbed for eagles — both bald and golden — wild turkey, red-headed woodpecker, pied-billed Grebe, common loon and osprey. �e best way to see whooping cranes is to climb the observation tower near the refuge headquarters north of Grand Dike Road while the birds are “training.” �is deck is the best access for scoping Rynearson Pool No. 1 at any time of year. �e young whoopers will “buzz” you while following the ultralite planes around the marsh. At other times of year (spring through fall) the cranes can sometimes be seen foraging out in the marsh. (�eir white plumage makes them easy to spot, but caution: �ere are also swans possible here.)�ere’s also a nice accessible trail that loops through the wetlands north and east of the new Visitor Center and out into a “prairie peninsula” — all with longer views onto the water.October is prime time for catching the departing whooping cranes at Necedah. �e young birds follow ultralite planes south beginning about the second week of October and �y all the way to Florida where they spend the winter. (N11385 Headquarters Road, Necedah, WI 54646, 608-565-2551, [email protected])
Saw-whet Owl banding, Beaver Creek Reserve, Eau Claire County�e autumn owl banding operation at Beaver Creek Reserve in Eau Claire County is a great hands-on opportunity. �is is a place where wildlife-watching moves at “family speed.” �e little 6-inch owls with huge eyes — lured into mist nets by recorded calls while migrating south through the state in October — are
Cont. on page 20
Northern harrier. Contributed photo. Saw-whet owl. Stock photo.
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Article provided by Indianhead Federated Library System.
Everyone knows that fall in Wisconsin is a beautiful time of year. When you think of libraries and fall, you might have a picture of curling up with a book in front of a �re, but Wisconsinites know that fall is the last opportunity we have to get outdoors before the long winter sets in.Your local public library has everything you need to prepare for, enjoy, and recover from your outdoor activities.To prepare you for your adventures, we have:• All the popular hunting magazines like Field &
Stream, Outdoor Life, Deer & Deer Hunting, and Wisconsin Sportsman.
• All the popular �shing magazines like Bassmaster, and In-�sherman.
• �ousands of books for when you want to dive deep into a topic.
• If you travel a lot, you’ll be interested in our Books on CD and Music collections (many are downloadable too so you can listen on your smartphone or MP3 player).
• Interesting classes like Foraging for Wild Edibles and a Perennial Plant Exchange.
While you’re out on your adventures, you’ll want to bring some of our wide range of guidebooks, �eld journals, and identi�cation guides with you to keep you on the right track.Once you come back from that hunting or �shing trip, we’ve got you covered with cookbooks, taxidermy information or just a good book to help you wind down.All this, plus information on regulations and ordinances, maps, and proposed DNR rules changes, are available year-round and free at your local public library. We can’t wait to see you and help you get ready for your fall adventures.
Whatever you’re doing...
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20 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
measured, banded and then released. You can also stroll the forested trails along the Eau Claire River or stake out the Wise Nature Center’s feeders (Contact the Citizen Science Center at Beaver Creek Reserve, Highway K, Fall Creek, WI 54742, 715-877-2212.
“Birds in Art” Show, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, WausauCircle the �rst Saturday a�er Labor Day on your calendar, then �nd any excuse to be in Wausau that day — or anytime during the two months following.For nine weeks each fall, the birds are unfailingly active at what is arguably the world’s most prestigious exhibit of bird art. Never been there? And you call yourself a bird lover? All the color, grace, and beauty of birds is arrayed before your eyes — without the incessant me-me-me of mosquitoes, exposure to changing weather or the
unpredictability of migrant waves.To �nd the museum, simply follow the blue directional “Art Museum” signs prominently located throughout the city or contact Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (700 N 12th St., Wausau, WI 54403, 715-845-7010) lywam.org
�ere you go. Fall as measured by a bird is more than four months long. Plenty of weekends to get out and enjoy birds north to south in the west.
Cont. from page 19
Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Contributed photo.
Steve Betchkal is a freelance writer from Eau Claire.
Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram 21
Pheasant: Statewide, Oct. 17 (noon) - Dec. 31.
Bobwhite quail: Statewide, Oct. 17 (noon) - Dec. 9.Ruffed grouse: Zone A, Sept. 12 - Jan. 31, 2016; Zone B, Oct. 17 - Dec. 8.Sharp-tailed grouse: Season is under review.Hungarian partridge: Statewide (closed in Clark, Marathon and Taylor counties), Oct. 17 (noon) - Dec. 31.Crow: Statewide, Jan. 24 - Mar. 20; Sept. 12 - Nov. 19.Woodcock: Statewide, Sept. 19 - Nov. 2.Mourning dove: Statewide, Sept. 1 - Nov. 29.
WaterfowlCanadian Goose Early Season: Statewide, Sept. 1 – 15. Exterior Zone North Sept. 16-Dec. 16; Exterior Zone South Sept. 16-Oct. 11; Oct. 17-Dec. 21; Mississippi River Subzone Oct. 3-Oct. 9; Oct. 17-Jan. 9, 2016; Horicon Zone Period 1 Sept. 16-Nov. 1; Horicon Zone Period 2 Nov. 2-Dec. 16 Snow, Blue, Ross’s, White-fronted Geese and Brant: Same as the Canada goose zone or subzone in which you are hunting
Ducks: Youth Hunt Sept. 19 & 20: Exterior Zone North Sept. 26-Nov. 24; Exterior Zone South Oct. 3-Oct. 11; Oct. 17-Dec. 6; Mississippi River Subzone Oct. 3-Oct. 9; Oct. 17-Dec. 8Early teal season: Statewide, Sept. 1 – 7.
Archery and Crossbow: Sept. 12-Jan. 3, 2016Youth deer hunt: Oct. 10-11Gun: Nov. 21-29Muzzleloader: Nov. 30-Dec. 9Statewide antlerless hunt: Dec. 10-13Gun hunt for hunters with disabilities:Oct. 3-11
Cottontail rabbit: Northern zone: Sept. 12, Feb. 29, 2016Southern zone: Oct. 17 (noon)-Feb. 29, 2016Squirrels (gray and fox): Statewide Sept. 12-Jan. 31, 2016
Fall: Statewide, Sept. 12-Nov. 19; Zones 1-5, Nov. 30-Dec. 31.
Note: Some information my be subject to change. Always check with the Department of Natural Resources for updates before taking the �eld.
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With temperatures rising and energy costs soaring, there are a variety of steps you can take to cut the expenses of cooling your home.“Cooling and heating equipment use more energy than any other appliance. �is inevitably shows up every month on the energy bill, but it’s important to remember that energy costs can be controlled,” said Greg Mericle, of Hurlburt Heating & Plumbing.Annual MaintenanceOne step to control energy costs is to schedule annual maintenance checks to make sure your unit is running e�ciently. Most cooling systems require very little owner maintenance. However, operating dirty cooling equipment can result in an unnecessary loss of e�ciency and can damage the furnace. You play a vital role in making sure your cooling system continues to operate at peak performance.
High E�ciency Cooling EquipmentIf you’re in the market for a new cooling unit, consider purchasing a high e�ciency model. �ey can help reduce your energy costs as well as conserve our natural resources. When selecting an air conditioner or heat pump, pay close attention to the SEER (Seasonal Energy E�ciency Ratio). �is is a measure of cooling e�ciency for air conditioners. �e higher the SEER, the higher the savings. �e minimum SEER rating is 13.
ZoningZoning can drastically lower your heating costs. With zoning, you no longer have to pay to heat or cool areas of your home that are rarely used. You won’t have to heat or cool the whole house just to make one room comfortable. Zoning divides your home into separate comfort areas, which are heated or cooled based on your needs, saving you money and making your occupied areas more comfortable.
Programmable ThermostatsProgrammable or setback thermostats can make a big di�erence in energy consumption. �ese thermostats deliver maximum comfort, e�ciency, and energy savings. Programmable thermostats are used to achieve the temperatures you want throughout your home. For example, if you’re going to be away, you can set the whole house at an energy-saving temperature to avoid heating or cooling an empty house.
To �nd out more about reducing your cooling costs, call Hurlburt Heating & Plumbing at 715-283-4422. Hurlburt Heating & Plumbing has been providing service in the Chippewa Valley area since 1959.
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Article & photos submitted by Hurlburt Heating & Plumbing.785332 9-5-15
22 Getting Out Fall 2015 Leader- Telegram
Other furbearersCoyote: Hunting, continuous open season; trapping, oct. 17-Feb. 15, 2016.Fox, red and gray: Hunting and trapping, Oct. 17-Feb. 15, 2016. Beaver: Trapping only, Zone A, Nov. 7-April 30, 2016; Zone B, Nov. 7-April 30, 2016; Zone C, Nov. 7-March 31, 2016; Zone D, Day a�er duck season closes to March 15, 2016.Mink and muskrat: Trapping only, Statewide, Oct. 24-March 6, 2016 Mississippi River zone, opens day a�er duck season closes or Nov. 9, whichever comes �rst-March 6, 2016.Bobcat: Hunting and trapping, Peirod 1, Oct. 17-Dec. 25; Period 2, Dec. 26-Jan. 31, 2016.Fisher: Trapping only, various zones, Oct. 17-Dec. 31.Otter: Trapping only, North zone, Nov. 7-April 30, 2016; Central zone, Nov. 7-March 31, 2016; Southern zone, Nov. 7-March 31, 2016.Raccoon, hunting and trapping, resident, Oct. 17-Feb. 15, 2016; Non-resident, Oct. 31-Feb. 15, 2016Opossum, skunk, weasel and snowshoe hare: No season limits, bag limits, size limits or possession limits, but a license is required.
FISHING(Dates inclusive)General inland trout: May 2 (5 a.m.)-Sept. 30Musky-northern zone: May 23-Nov. 30Musky-southern zone: May 2-Dec. 31
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