OUTDOORS RADIO 25 APRIL 2015 | SHOW 1017: Register now for the Lake Winnebago youth fishing tournament, June 13, during the Greater Wisconsin Outdoor and Sportsman Festival. Mid-season turkey hunting advice. Time to change an obsolete night-hunting rule.Madison chain poised for opening weekend. Jeff scores a tom and a surprise. Dan visits a Well-Armed Woman meeting at the Range of Richfield. - Dan Small
ENTER TODAY
New Spring Giveaway:Niagara Falls Fishing Adventure.
Guided fishing for two on the famed Lower Niagara River with Jiggin’
Jake’s Charters of Youngstown, NY | Two-nights stay at Barton Hill Hotel
& Spa in Lewiston | Passes to see all the Niagara Falls attractions
| Shimano rod & reel package | To enter the drawing - visit http://www.Niagara-usa.com/ or call 877-FALLS-US and ask for a free fish map.
Wisconsin Senate passes bill to scrap 48-hour wait period for handgun purchases
On April 21, Capitol Times reporter Jessie Opoien wrote:
The Wisconsin Senate voted on Tuesday to repeal the state's 48-hour waiting period for handgun purchases.
The bill now moves to the Assembly. Gov. Scott Walker has indicated he will sign it into law.
Under current law, adopted in 1976, anyone attempting to purchase a
handgun cannot acquire it until 48 hours after a background check has
been started. If the Department of Justice needs more time to complete
the background check, it can extend the wait by up to three days.
KEVIN CROTEAU | Turkey-call maker demonstrates his award-winning calling technique and offers advice for calling henned-up gobblers
DEAN HANSEN | Concerned sportsman encourages listeners to contact their state representative to urge support for changing an outdated night-hunting rule that no longer makes sense
MADISON OUTDOORS REPORT ESPNWISCONSIN.COM AND PODCASTS - Exclusive- FM 100.5 ESPN SPONSORED BYWildland Management, offering professional habitat management services. GENE DELLINGER | Proprietor of D&S Bait, Tackle & Archery reports good
panfish action on Lakes Monona and Waubesa and good catfish action on
Mendota. Opening weekend bass and walleye prospects look good
News #1 Early black bear sightings in southern Wisconsin
DODGEVILLE, Wis
- Black bear sightings in southwest Wisconsin within the last week have
prompted Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologists to point
out that their visitations are becoming more common each year in
southern Wisconsin.
June is the breeding season for bears in Wisconsin and most bear
sightings received in southern counties occur during May and June when
sub-adult bears, mostly young males, are forced out of breeding
territories up north and disperse long distances in search of new
habitat.
"Black bears and people have coexisted for centuries in northern
Wisconsin and there's no cause for alarm," explained Dodgeville area DNR
wildlife biologist, Bill Ishmael. "They are normally very timid and
usually avoid contact with people. However, they may cause problems by
damaging bird feeders or foraging through unsecured garbage containers
and they may return to the same area if food is readily available.
"So, if possible, keep your garbage, grills, compost, pet foods and bird
feeders out of reach if a bear has been reported in the vicinity.
"Although we've had a few instances in past years when bears have stayed
around southern counties through the summer, many of the wandering
bears will leave the area and presumably return north as the breeding
season ends.
"During the past few years we have received reports of mother bears with cubs and with yearlings which resulted in continued bear sightings throughout the summer," added Ishmael. "This is because female bears with their young cubs or yearlings are less likely to move long distances over a short time period. "The wooded hills, coulees, creeks and river bottoms in southwestern Wisconsin's Driftless Area provide abundant food and cover for bears as well as potential winter den sites, so it's possible that wandering bears will find it to their liking and some may decide to stay." Wildlife biologists note that the best way to avoid trouble with bears around your home is to follow these steps:
Don't knowingly feed a bear
Completely remove bird feeders, even during daytime hours - if a bear is active in your area.
Clean areas where bird feeders were located so that accumulated deposits of spilled seed are removed.
Reduce garbage odors by rinsing food cans before putting them in recycling containers or garbage cans.
Compost vegetable scraps only.
Keep meat scraps in the freezer until garbage day and garbage cans in a closed building until pick-up.
Keep pet food inside or don't feed in the evening.
Keep barbecue grills and picnic tables clean.
General guidelines for campers include not sleeping in clothes worn while cooking, don't bring food into the tent, don't dump food scraps by your campsite and make sure all food, scraps and cooking utensils are in critter-proof containers. If you encounter a bear while in the woods - stay calm, don't shoot the bear or approach it. Give it space, walk away and watch from a distance. Do not approach sows with cubs. Brochures explaining bear habitats and ways to void them are available from the Spring Green, Boscobel, Poynette or Dodgeville DNR offices and online. If you have bear troubles and are in need of assistance, please call the USDA Wildlife Services 24-hour hotline at 1-800-433-0663.
REPORT BEAR SIGHTINGS:
Bill Ishmael, DNR wildlife biologist - (608) 935-1918
Nancy Frost, Sauk County Wildlife Biologist - (608) 225-7362
News #218th Annual Bird Festival May 8-11 at Horicon Marsh - an ultimate birder adventure
HORICON, Wis. - The public is invited to grab a pair of binoculars and bring a friend to the 18th Annual Horicon Marsh Bird Festival where they can experience the sights, the sounds and the natural beauty of birds at the peak of spring migration.
At more than 33,000 acres Horicon Marsh
is one of the largest fresh water cattail marshes in the United States.
It provides habitat for endangered species and is a critical rest stop
for thousands of migrating songbirds and waterfowl.
"Horicon is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance and as
both a State and Globally Important Bird Area," said Liz Herzmann,
Department of Natural Resources wildlife educator at the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center.
"Over 300 bird species have been identified here with 166 species
identified during the 2014 festival events. It is a remarkable place for
wildlife of all kinds and especially for birds."
Hosted by the Horicon Marsh Bird Club
the festival has something for everyone from backyard birders to world
travelers over four days of adventure by boat, bus and bicycle. There
will be also plenty of activities to keep children busy as well.
A variety of both free and fee programs are scheduled throughout the four-day festival. Find more information on outings on the Horicon Marsh Bird Clubwebpage.
The festival kicks-off with Habitat Birding Bus and Boat Tour--an all-day two-part tour by bus and pontoon boat (fee). Other popular favorites include Hot Spot Birding Bus Tour & Hike--attempt to see as many species as possible based on earlier sightings (fee), Bird Banding and Birding Adventure Boat Tour--a two hour narrated pontoon boat outing (fee) among the 20-plus tours and activities planned by the Horicon Marsh Bird Club. New for 2015, the Bird Festival will be offering a Hummingbird Banding demonstration. Join Mickey O'Connor, Wisconsin's only licensed hummingbird bander, and her banding volunteers to see these tiny migratory birds close up and in the hand as they are captured, banded and released for study. The Birdchick (http://www.birdchick.com/), also known as Sharon Stiteler, will present Smartphone Birding. This covers the many ways a birder might use a smartphone in the field, including accessing maps and field guides, submitting sightings to eBird, alerting others to rare birds and even taking fantastic photos. The Horicon National Wildlife Refuge "Loop of the Refuge" Bus Tour and Hike (fee) will feature traveling Dike Rd. across the marsh to its west side, then across Highway 49 and returning to Horicon NWR headquarters, hitting wetland, forest and grassland habitats along the way. Ever wonder what the steps are during the banding process? Experience it first- hand through Bird Lab. Kids will get an opportunity to go through the banding process by getting caught in a net, going through some of the standard measurements taken from captured birds, and seeing how they measure up to real birds. They of course will be sent on their way newly "banded" and will receive a certificate of banding. Every kid will want to be banded at Horicon Marsh! For the early morning birder, First Light Birding - a field trip by bus and by foot designed for birders who want to add as many species as possible to their bird lists. There will be some walking but it is rated easy offers a glimpse of the birds at sunrise (fee). Alternatively, Screeches, Squawks, and Squeals of the Marsh occurs at sunset. Throughout the Festival, the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Marsh Haven Nature Center and Horicon Marsh Education & Visitor Center will be abuzz with interactive displays, programs and opportunities for viewing birds at their observation areas. This is a family-friendly event. To plan your birding adventure, visit Horican Marsh Birdclub and click on the Bird Festival link for complete list of events, descriptions and registration information. You may also contact Wildlife Educator Liz Herzmann at 920-387-7893. Many tours require advanced registration and fees. Partners for this event include the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marsh Haven Nature Center, Horicon Marsh Boat Tours, Friends of Horicon NWR and Friends of Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center. Mark your calendar for the August 22, 2015 Grand Opening of the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center's Explorium. The Explorium is a new interactive, museum-quality, diorama built on a theme of, "The Great Hunting Grounds." The exhibits depict how humans and wildlife have interacted and impacted Horicon Marsh since the last great glacier to present day.
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