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More than 1,000 student archers competed this year's schedule and many of them shot their best scores ever at this event.
photo c. WDNR ©2013 |
More than 1,000 students participate in archery in the schools tournament
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. -- Results have been posted for the 2013
Wisconsin state tournament for the National Archery in the Schools
Program held earlier this month at Wisconsin Rapids.
“The tournament just keeps getting better,” said Dan Schroeder, a
natural resources educator and the tournament’s coordinator for the
Department of Natural Resources. “We had more than 1,000 student archers
competing this year and many of them shot their best scores ever at
this event.”
The tournament has been so successful – the number of schools in the
competition has grown by 261 percent in just three years – it has
outgrown its current venue in Wisconsin Rapids and will move to Wausau
West High School for the 2014 tournament, to be held April 5-6.
“This year’s event was the best to date,” Schroeder said. “We could
not do it without the support and dedication of our amazing volunteers.
Among them is Renee Ann Arndt, who handled all the registrations and
results for this year’s tournament. With 47 schools, that is a Herculean
task. And she never stopped smiling.”
Schroeder said the tournament owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to
the city of Wisconsin Rapids and the staff at East Junior High School
where the annual competition began eight years ago and has grown and
thrived each year.
With the larger facilities in Wausau, tournament officials can add 20
targets to the shooting range and can space out the competitors more
comfortably, with each shooter occupying 30 inches on the shooting line.
This falls in line with standards for national and international
tournaments.
There will also be more room for vendors and for extra attractions.
At this year’s tournament, for instance, Ray Howell and staff from
Kicking Bear – which introduces young people to the outdoors at weekend
camping events – showed visiting students how to throw a tomahawk and
have it stick into the log target.
“We are excited about the potential for growth as NASP continues to
grow in Wisconsin, and more and more schools offer the program ,”
Schroeder said.
More information is available by searching the DNR website for keyword NASP.
Results from this year’s tournament (exit DNR).
Read more here:
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
- Daniel Schroeder, NASP coordinator - (608) 235-4619
- Renee Ann Arndt, tournament organizer - (608)-343-6171
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Longer winter season is an accpeted element in the veriability of nature, but it still puts added stress on the deer herd.
photo c. WDNR ©2013 |
Wisconsin's deer herd showing signs of stress from prolonged winter
MADISON -- Although winter did not arrive in some areas until well into
February, it has persisted longer than normal and the impacts on individual deer
are being seen in some areas.
"Hard winters are not something new to Wisconsin's deer herd," says Kevin
Wallenfang, state big game ecologist with the Department of Natural Resources.
"Winter severity is a variable, natural process that can reduce deer numbers in
some years. Our herd handles it well in most years, but we are seeing stressed
deer in all areas of the state, including direct losses due to starvation in
farmland areas where you wouldn't normally expect it."
DNR wildlife biologists annually monitor the effects of winter weather on the
deer herd using a winter severity index, which uses a combination of cold
temperatures and deep snows to gauge winter stress levels and the ultimate
survival of deer.
Measurements are recorded annually at 43 stations spread primarily across the
northern third of the state as well as several east-central counties, and are
recorded from December 1 through April 30.
"Each day that the temperatures fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit and/or the
snow depth is more than 18 inches, the conditions are noted for each station."
Wallenfang explained. "For example, a day with 20 inches of snow and a
temperature of five-below-zero would receive two points for the day."
Winter conditions are considered mild if the station accumulates less than 50
points, moderate if between 51 and 80 points, severe if between 81 and100, and
very severe if over 100.
At the end of March, two stations were in the severe category (both in Iron
County), six were moderate, and the remaining stations were considered mild.
However, several stations are likely to move into higher severity
classifications after the April data is tallied.
"While it's a good indicator, the winter severity index doesn't always tell the
full story," says Wallenfang. "That may be what we are seeing this winter. The
readings alone are saying winter in most locations isn't all that bad, but add
in other factors that the index doesn't acknowledge like hard crust, compacted
wet snow, or long-term snow cover and the impacts can be deadly to individual
deer even when temperatures are moderate."
Another factor to be considered is the duration and timing of winter conditions.
"The later winter arrives and the longer it hangs on, the greater the impacts
can be. Deer have burned through their fat reserves by late winter and are in
critical need of food," Wallenfang said. "Most reports of stressed or dead deer
have occurred during the past few weeks."
DNR staff have been in the field investigating reports of noticeably stressed or
dead deer, and monitoring habitat conditions.
In the northeast portion of the state, DNR's Wildlife Health Team recently
investigated an area in Door County with extremely high deer numbers where the
natural winter browse has been depleted and dead deer have been reported.
"The situation was very indicative of malnutrition," according to Jeff Pritzl,
DNR Northeast District wildlife supervisor. "All but two of over 20 carcasses
were last year's fawns. It's symptomatic of a deer population out of balance
with its habitat."
Each of the state's 136 deer management units has a target over-winter
population goal. "As hunters, we all like to see lots of deer, but unfortunately
this year in some farmland areas we're seeing the downside of high deer
numbers," says Pritzl. "We're not only seeing direct losses of deer, but the
damage they are doing to their habitat will take years to recover, and that's
assuming less browsing pressure by fewer deer. It's very rare that we see deer
starvation problems in farmland units, but that's where we are hearing of a
significant number of cases."
In northern units, local biologists are also seeing stressed deer and have had
reports of some starvation losses. In general, deer appear to be faring somewhat
better because deer densities in the northern forest tend to be more in line
with what the habitat can support, or in many units are still below where they
could be. However, going into late April the snow continues to fall in
significant amounts and direct losses can be expected until snow melt.
Although this will not be considered one of the more extreme winters since the
department began recording winter severity and its impacts on the herd, varying
amounts of mortality will occur throughout the state due to starvation and
increased predation of weakened animals. In addition, reduced fawn recruitment
and survival can be expected as some does will have come through the winter in
poor physical conditions and absorb their fawns.
State biologists have already considered winter's effects on survival and
recruitment when developing 2013 harvest quotas which will be released in early
May. With more snow in the forecast, they are continuing to evaluate the
situation. According to Wallenfang, already conservative quotas may be reduced
even further in some areas of the far north.
CONTACT:
- Kevin Wallenfang, DNR big game ecologist - (608) 261-7589
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