Sometimes in life, we try really hard to accomplish a goal and things just do not work out the way that we planned. A month ago, I fished on Green Bay for walleye and musky and had some of the best fishing I have ever witnessed in Wisconsin.

    After seeing my pictures and hearing the stories, my 16-year-old stepson, Joey Dushek wanted to spend a weekend on this piece of water that covers 520-square miles and has become one of the premier fisheries in the Midwest.

    Saturday, August 21st
    High, 83, low 55

    Here is the plan!  Joey and I are going to launch my 16-foot boat at a public landing near Little Suamico early on a Saturday evening, fish until we cannot handle it anymore and then sleep in my truck. On Sunday, we will fish 15 or more hours and on Monday, we can fish in the morning.

    I figured when an unseen bird from above dropped and made a direct hit on Joey as we were launching our boat today that it was a bad sign. Joey on the other hand, cleaned up the mess and declared that a direct hit, from an obviously well, fed bird was a good sign.

    When we began setting lines for a night of trolling with crawler harnesses, crankbaits and musky lures another bad sign floated into view.

    The seasonal die off of water vegetation was taking place and as this happens, the milfoil floats to the surface and creates a nearly impossible situation for trolling as both planer boards and our lures were almost constantly, becoming covered by vegetation. 

    As day became night, we started working an area on the upwind end of a massive weed bed and our problem came to an end, until the wind direction switched!

    About midnight, we said to heck with this as the next sunrise was not far away and retreated to the "Chevy Hotel"!   Generally, I sleep quite well in my truck, not on this night!

    Sunday, August 22nd
    High 77, low 54

   This winter I will camp on this body of water and catch big fish through the ice!

This morning, Joey and I had the boat launched by 5:30 and soon after that had our lines set for what we figured could be 16-hour-day of fishing.   After we had six lines set, I was ready to make a pot of coffee and hope that a good, sized caffeine boost would wake me up. It did not take long to realize that we had left the propane tank for my stove in the truck.

   Fish catching was kind of slow as we trolled this morning, but we did have two, "bite-offs" over a period of seven hours and figured giant musky were raising heck with the 14-pound line on our crawler harnesses.  It was after this happened a third time that Joey and I decided to make musky proof, crawler harnesses out of 50-pound Power Pro! 

     We had two experiences over the next three hours, a period of time in which, low winds would have allowed us to troll across the bay to Dykesville.

   On the first experience, I caught a sheephead that would be our only fish of this adventure. What happened next was that a "Super Musky" had cut Joey's 50-pound Power Pro.  At this point we were very confused as to why we were not fighting the fish that were cutting our lines!

    We were into the twelfth hour of our fishing day when we realized that the steel clevises that attached the spinner blade to the line on our homemade harnesses were actually wearing through our lines and cutting them.

    We did end up going back to shore and getting a tank of propane and while fishing, Joey cooked a very tasty meal of homegrown pork chops and fried potatoes.

    Joey and I fished by the light of the full moon until 11:00 and tried top water baits for musky, still, no hungry fish.

    Later that night, large flocks of mosquitoes made for difficult sleeping in the "Chevy Hotel" and the next morning the fish still were not hungry!

   We always kept our sense of humor on this expedition and learned that if a bird poops on you while launching your boat, "Go Home"!   Sunset

I talked to Erik Johnson from Kiel Bait & Gun and he mentioned that he and Jim Jodar had a ninth place finish on August 8th at the Midwest Walleye Series tourney on Lake Winnebago with one 19-inch walleye. Only 20 of roughly 80 some boats even registered a fish.

On the plus side, the duo caught over a dozen perch between 10 and 12 inches when they were jigging for walleyes. The perch have provided consistent action for anglers and hellgrammites and crawlers continue to be the best bait.

Cottage owners and anglers have had to deal with some of the worst weed concentrations Winnebago has seen for over a decade. In addition, the dirty water is creating a build up on water craft that is difficult to get off.

Yet once again, a federal judge has reinstated Endangered Species Act protection for gray wolves in the Rocky Mountain region. What Judge Molloy's ruling does is stop state run wolf management plans.

That ruling probably won't help Wisconsin's attempt to have the delisting that took place last year revoked. On August 10th, the odds improved somewhat when administrators from natural resources agencies in 13 Midwestern states and three Canadian provinces signed a joint resolution urging the U.S. Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list.

It is interesting to see that several of the states like Kentucky and Indiana that are party to the resolution do not currently have resident wolf populations. It appears they see the handwriting on the wall and are attempting to be proactive.

WDNR Secretary Matt Frank captured the situation when he stated that "Overall, support for the recovery of the wolf in the Midwest had been strong, but as the population continues to grow states need authority to manage wolves within their borders, including the ability to remove problem wolves, if broad public support is to continue."

Another predator that continues to make the headlines is the cougar. Recent DNA analysis has confirmed that four of the big cats have been in Wisconsin within the last two years.

Despite that finding, Wildlife Services, part of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, has yet to capture any predator responsible for the animal attacks in Juneau County. It also has not captured any predators on night cameras at bait sites, nor has tracking with dogs yielded any results. As of last week, no blood, hair, scat or urine has been found that can be attributed to a cougar.

Officials with the Illinois DNR reported last week that more than 30 deer have been discovered to be dying from an insect-born virus known as EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease). Residents have found deer frothing at the mouth, approaching homes and humans and dying near creeks. In 2007, the last major out break, the disease killed 1.900 whitetails in Illinois.

A couple of weeks ago Safari Club International (SCI) Chapters of Wisconsin sent a delegation to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, etc. at the University of Saskatchewan. Researchers there had announced, with certainty, development of a vaccine that induces strong immune responses specific for the misfolded form of prion protein that causes Chromic Wasting Disease CWD) in deer and elk. An injectable form of the vaccine is currently being tested to determine whether it will protect from the disease. A second generation of oral vaccine is in the pipeline which may be administered through feed.

A formal press conference will not be taking place before September, but the scientists involve said "We see promise, certainly, in the laboratory studies to date and while it is premature to report anything significant at this point, we are planning to begin animal trials in the coming months."

Beginning this fall, non-resident senior citizens will have the same privileges as state residents for hunting any number of species with a crossbow. The legislation took effect on Feb. 26, 2010 and allows non-residents age 65 or older the privilege of using a crossbow.

Until next time, keep your hooks sharp, your feet warm and your powder dry!

An injectable form of the vaccine is currently being tested to determine whether it will protect from the disease. A second generation oral vaccine is in the pipeline which may be administered through feed.

CWD is a progressive, fatal and incurable prion disease known to infect deer and elk and has been found increasingly in wild and captive populations in Canada and the United States. The discovery of using antibodies against misfolded prions also has the potential to fight prion diseases in cattle and sheep and could contribute to the development of vaccines for human protein folding disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD), Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's.

"The purpose of our trip is to lock down a date in September for a formal press conference in the U.S. The SCI Chapters of Wisconsin will host this conference here in Wisconsin," said Mike Christianson, vice President of SCI National from Oshkosh. "We hope to bring in a team from VIDO-InterVac to make a presentation and answer technical questions about their discovery."

There are currently six SCI Chapters in Wisconsin. To learn more about SCI in Wisconsin go to sciwi.org.

Highlights include an increase to a two-bird daily bag on pintails and the elimination of the Burnett County subzone closed area. This Canada goose subzone is now open to goose hunters as part of the Exterior zone.

Duck Season Structure

* 60-day season, the overall daily bag limit for ducks is six, no more than four mallards of which only one can be a hen, three wood ducks, two redheads, one black duck, two pintail, two scaup and one canvasback. (For species of duck not listed, such as teal and ring-necks, the combined total with all other species may not exceed six ducks).

* In addition the daily bag may also include 5 mergansers to include not more than two hooded mergansers and 15 coot.

* Northern Zone – Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. through Nov. 23.

* Southern Zone – Oct. 2 at 9 a.m. through Oct. 10, and Oct. 16 through Dec. 5.

Youth Waterfowl Hunt - Sept. 18-19

Youth may harvest Canada geese in all zones during these 2 days, however, the bag limit and/or tag requirement applies for the respective zones. These days overlap with open goose seasons in most areas so adults will also be able to shoot geese but not ducks during the youth hunt.

The state is apportioned into three goose hunting zones: Horicon, Collins and Exterior. Other goose management subzones within the Exterior Zone include the Brown County and Mississippi River subzone.

Exterior Zone (including subzones)

* 85 days. Daily bag of two geese.

* North Zone – Sept. 18-24 and Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. - Dec. 11.

* South Zone – Sept. 18 - Oct. 1, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m. – Oct. 10 and Oct. 16 – Dec. 16

* Mississippi River Subzone – Oct. 2 at 9:00 a.m. – Oct 10 and Oct. 16 – Dec. 30.

* Burnett County and Rock Prairie Subzones have been eliminated.

Horicon and Collins

Hunters with Horicon and Collins zone permits will be issued six tags for the time period that they are awarded. The daily bag limit will be two geese with a possession limit of six.

* Horicon - Period 1, Sept. 16 - Oct. 31, Period 2, Nov. 1 – Dec. 16.

* Collins – Period 1, Sept. 16 – Oct. 3; Period 2, Oct. 4-24; Period 3, Oct. 25 – Nov. 19.

"Overall the picture on the 2010 waterfowl seasons looks good," said DNR waterfowl biologist Kent Van Horn. "State waterfowl hunters who put in the preseason legwork seeking out good habitat and securing permissions should have a good season. In particular, we expect to have abundant Canada goose hunting opportunities. Remember to scout early and take advantage of the Early September Canada Goose season which begins Sept. 1.

"And don't forget the Youth Waterfowl Hunt Sept. 18-19," added Van Horn. "This is a great opportunity to bring youngsters into the sport we all love. "

Think about giving something back and doing for someone that someone once did for you."

All migratory game bird hunters must become HIP certified when they purchase their hunting license.

The museum has worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to obtain deer hunting articles and artifacts for display. The museum is now looking to the public to submit pictures of their deer camps for inclusion in the exhibit. Both historic and present day images are needed. Any photos submitted to the museum exhibit will not be returned; therefore, high-quality digital or photo copies of original prints are recommended for submission.

Photos submitted for display in the Deer Hunting exhibit must include the following information: donor contact information, names of the people pictured, location of the deer camp and name of the deer camp, if applicable.

To include a photo in the exhibit, either drop off images or discs at the Oshkosh Public Museum or mail submissions to 1331 Algoma Boulevard, Oshkosh, WI 54901.

For questions about photo submissions, contact museum curator Deb Daubert at 920-236-5767 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

All submissions must be received by Sept. 18 to be considered for inclusion in the exhibit.

I have a desire to catch a salmon or a trout out of my canoe. That desire has already been met. Now, my desire is to catch a salmon or a trout out of my canoe while fishing in the dark.

Part of my self-imposed rules, is that my canoe is paddled, no motors allowed in this fantasy.

As you are about to read, this is not an easy fantasy to achieve.

Saturday, Aug. 6: High 85, low 61

Two Rivers in Manitowoc County is where my latest adventure would take place.

A mild thunderstorm shortly before arriving at Seagull Marina and Campground would not dampen my spirits as I knew I was going hook into a big monster and get pulled down to Chicago, have a beer and get my picture taken.

I arrived at Two Rivers and rigged up my canoe, just in time to see the sun hit the western horizon. My mood was excellent as I paddled out of the harbor with a well-rigged canoe that included three rod holders mounted on a 2x6.

A portable Eagle-Fish ID for checking depth, my musky net, gaff and 100-quart cooler loaded with 40-pounds of ice to keep my "inevitable" catch cold.

I position the cooler in the middle of the canoe and that is where I sit, which gives me much better leverage when fighting high seas.

As can and so often does in outdoor adventures business, adversity struck.

I was enjoying life in mild, two-foot rollers when a bug became lodged in my left eye. No big deal, just rub it out. I tried everything I could think of and before I knew it the insect was half way down my face and here I am sitting in a canoe, in the dark on Lake Michigan. At about 10 p.m. I said to heck with this, I am going to paddle to my truck, get rid of the bug and come back out at 3 a.m.

When I found a mirror, my eye was swollen shut as was the left side of my face, the bug was removed and I entered the "Chevy Hotel" until 3 a.m.

                                                                                                                 Mark's rig for catching salmon at night from a canoe.

Sunday, Aug. 8: High 86, Low 62

Sometimes good luck comes in a negative package and that happened to me long before sunrise today! Here is the scoop: I get ready to start paddling out to big salmon country, but the four solar lights on my canoe are no longer charged.

Two years ago I was trying to catch a salmon after dark near Algoma and was nearly cut in half by a charter boat, back then I was using two lights and used a spot, light, just before contact was made with the bow of the charter boat and my body.

This morning I made the executive decision to wait until first light, which may have saved my life! Forty-five minutes after that decision was made, which would have been enough time to get me at least a mile out to sea, a powerful thunderstorm hit, which lasted three hours, dumped a bunch of rain and came with winds that shook my truck like a dry leaf.

I watched three-fishermen, launch and then retrailer their 24-foot boat just as the storm hit.

Had I paddled out to sea, the strong west winds would have been a big issue!

A new goal has been set for this trip! I still want to catch a salmon after dark, but due to a strong desire to see my daughter graduate from high school in 2019, I am playing it safe, how I do not know for sure.

I started paddling out of the harbor at Two Rivers with an hour of daylight left and after I hit 25 feet of water started setting lines with two- to four-foot rollers bringing an end to my forward momentum every time I put my kayak paddle down. My new goal was to paddle to Manitowoc, which was a distance of about 8-miles and return alive, hopefully with a salmon on ice!

About the same time I set my third line, the rollers which were out of the southeast (head on), went to 3-5 footers. I was in an open canoe two miles from shore and thus one of the most interesting situations of this year began. Fighting rollers is much easier than fighting waves as you just dance with them.

Occasionally, a "phantom wave" in the five-foot bracket would come out of nowhere and really challenge me!

After dark, fighting head on rollers, which grew to constant 3-6 footers at my bow, had the lights of Manitowoc looking really far away!

My body was aching from a constant pull on a kayak paddle that I built back in '86 and I was loving every minute of my challenge!

When I reached Manitowoc, I had met my goal and turned north toward Two Rivers! The high winds carried me back to Two Rivers with ease and just before I hit the harbor, I was struck by a "phantom wave" that scared the heck out of me!

Moral of the story, at this point I am still alive to see Selina graduate!
Sunset

"Turtle dogs" have been enlisted to help find endangered box turtles in Illinois.

If you use the number of boats heading west on County Highway HH early in the mornings, one gets the impression that the perch are still biting, albeit not hot and heavy, on Lake Winnebago.

I was on the Rainbow Flowage last week for a few hours and the bite was slow. I was with a guy that fishes five days a week and we only managed one under-size walleye which was returned to the water.

The good news was that the water level, which was down earlier in the year by as much as 18 feet, was only down eight feet. The bad news was that weeds were thick in places, killing our 40 hp motor on the way back to the boat launch.

Also in the good news category was that the potentially deadly VHS fish virus has not spread to inland Wisconsin waters. None of the nearly 70 lakes that were part of the 2010 survey tested positive for viral hemorrhagic septicemia.

Mike Staggs, the state's fisheries director, stated, "The good news is we assumed VHS was in Lake Superior when we developed the prevention rules in 2007, and as a result, inland lakes and rivers were protected."

The surveillance testing crews collected 3,586 fish from 27 inland lakes and rivers throughout Wisconsin. The goal was to get a total of 150 fish from each water body of various species susceptible to the virus.

Fish were tested from waters including Lake Monona in Dane County, Lac Courte Oreilles in Sawyer County, Shawano Lake in Shawano County, Brule River Flowage in Florence County and Rock Lake in Jefferson County.

While the Gulf oil spill is dying down, the focus in the Midwest has been on the spilled oil in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. Enbridge Inc. based in Calgary, Alberta, said it was preparing to remove the damaged section of pipe that released 820,000 gallons of oil according to the company's estimates. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put the number at more than a million gallons.

The company, using 70 vacuum trucks and three dozen boats, feels it has contained the spill and doesn't believe the oil will reach Lake Michigan some 80 miles away. Enbridge says it has removed 100,800 gallons and has an estimated 420,000 gallons in a holding area ready to be pumped into tanks.

Local officials had advised people near the spill to evacuate. Of 61 households visited, 14 agreed to leave and 27 declined, while the remainder could not be reached.

Meanwhile, Southern Illinois University is getting a $1.1 million grant from the state of Illinois to try to find the benefits that can be derived from the Asian carp infesting some rivers. Contracting with the DNR, the school's researchers will seek to pinpoint ways to establish a new fishery that could harvest and market the fish.

Since Aug. 1, the WDNR has been asking citizens to participate in Operation Deer Watch. Folks are asked to record all the deer they see between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30.

During the first week, there were 818 observations reported by 420 individuals. Reports came from 111 of the 139 DMUs (deer management units). DMU 77M which includes all of part of eight Southeast counties had 45 reports, followed by DMU 64 which includes Manitowoc and Calumet with 29 reports.

To participate, go to the DNR web site at dnr.wi.gov and click on the Operation Deer Watch button to get started. The observations will be entered into the database and will be used to determine doe-to-fawn ratios, which are part of the population estimation equation. Only include deer seen in daylight hours.

A central Iowa teenage girl has earned the nickname "The Deer Magnet." Starting last July(2009), the 17 year-old has hit five deer. While the girl has asked, "Why me?" you have to wonder how attentive she is to the possibility of whitetails along her routes.

Ornate box turtles are hard to spot. A threatened species in Illinois, the staff at a state refuge found a solution to finding the critters. They hired so-called "turtle dogs" (actually Boykin spaniels) especially trained to find the turtles by scent instead of by sight.

Antlerless deer (bonus) carcass tags for regular deer management units and hunting access permits for state park management units go on sale Aug. 21. Odd numbers units will have tags and permits for sale on Aug. 21 from noon until midnight. Even numbered units will have sales beginning Aug. 22 at noon.

Until next time, keep your hooks sharp, your feet warm and your powder dry!

Instead of cows or traditional crops, the Powells are raising fish – yellow perch, to be exact. Five thousand perch are growing in three 12-foot deep outdoor ponds at their Brillion aquafarm.

"We've been planning it for about 3 years," Stacy Powell said, adding that they have plans to build a home on the Brillion property within the next decade.

"We'd like to do that now, but our kids are entrenched in the Kaukauna school system," she said. "One is involved in soccer. If Brillion had a soccer program we might consider it now."

The Powells hope to start processing fish this winter, so on Aug. 4 Stacy Powell took another step in establishing the fish farm by meeting with the Calumet County Planning, Zoning and Farmland Preservation Committee to obtain a conditional use permit for an on-site processing facility so they can harvest the perch this winter.

"We're doing this step by step before we spend money to build a kitchen," she explained to the committee members. Duaine Stillman, committee vice chairman and acting chairman at this meeting, summed up the committee's consensus on the project when he described it as "very exciting, very progressive."

The Powells have bigger plans for their property, including a pick-your-own berry operation and a fish-for-fee pond. They also want to expand beyond perch by raising shrimp and fast-growing tilapia.

"Tilapia and shrimp I can raise in the same tank, but my water temperatures need to be higher," Stacy said.

That's where the couple's plan for sustainable energy to run the farm come in. The business plan calls for a 10k wind turbine to generate electricity for the basic operation, and solar heating to raise the water temperature for tilapia and shrimp.

"We want to be as ecologically and environmentally friendly as possible," Stacy told the committee.

Three different entities are willing to supply grants that will cover 75% of the cost of the wind turbine, but all three are in the form of refunds after the purchase.

"We have to come up with $90,000 upfront. That's the stumbling block right now," Stacy said. "Banks don't want to give a loan because we have nothing to repossess. Well, the energy it is producing will pay for itself. It will produce enough power right now that I will get a small refund. It won't produce enough for the whole operation when I get up and running, but that's where the solar comes in."

The Powells are not the first to obtain aquaculture permits in Calumet County. For the past year dairy farmer Don Mielke of Ameri-milk Farm, N8127 State Park Road, Menasha, has been raising perch and crappie in a former ravine that he dammed with the permission of the Wiscosnin Department of Natural Resources. The ravine is now a 23-foot deep, one-acre pond.

But eventually he hopes to start producing fish for the public.

"I want to be able to sell because of a shortage of perch in the Fox Valley," he said. "We went for a fish dinner at Gobbler's Knob the other day and they had bluegill. Didn't even have perch. I'll have the milk house for about two more years, and then I'd like to supply perch to local fish fry restaurants."

While aquaculture may be new to Calumet County, fish farming has been a fast-growing business around the world. It's a $70 billion global industry.

Today, 50% of all fish consumed in the world are farm-raised fish. In Wisconsin alone there are 2,314 registered fish farms, including 94 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources facilities, according to the Wisconsin Aquaculture Associ-ation.

"We're really seeing a lot more diverse agriculture in our county," said Kelly Nieforth, the county' economic development specialist. "We're seeing a lot of people getting into different things. We have the traditional diary farming/cropping, but we're seeing more people branching off on things like that, doing just produce, agri-tourism such as a corn maze, petting zoo.

Wineries, people growing grapes on the Niagara Escarpment. Some people have had the traditional dairy farms, some are hobbyists who say let's try this. Calumet County is growing that diverse agriculture niche. I think it has a lot of potential and I think it's going to help us."

FISH FARM
Wisconsin's top aquaculture products
(sales in dollar value, 2007)
1. Baitfish $4.65 million
2. Trout $4.58 million
3. Game fish $3.07 million
4. Other food fish $0.884 million
Wisconsin fish farms
2,314 registered fish farms, including 94 WDNR facilities.
1,984 private farms with ponds.
125 business farms.
213 public fee fishing farms.
6 wholesale fish processing farms.
95 farms process fish for human
consumption.

Lake Winnebago has been plagued with large weed patches, some big enough to support the weight of waterfowl and gulls. The perch bite has picked up recently, with hellgrammites being the favored bait, especially early in the morning. The heat and humidity have limited lots of fishermen to early morning trips.

A possible world record brown trout was taken by Roger Hellen of Franksville from Lake Michigan on July 16. The 41-pound, eight-ounce monster tops the previous state record that was 36.5 pounds taken back in 2004.

Canada geese continue to be a problem both in the state and around the country. Wisconsin's goose nuisance controls include three methods. Culling remains controversial. The young-of-the year (goslings) have not been suitable for food pantries, so they have been taken by a mink ranch in northern Wisconsin.

Shooting permits, similar to deer damage permits, are new this year. According to DNR reports, 52 farms statewide have taken advantage of this program.

Permits for nesting destruction are also an option. Over the past three years, approximately 100 permits have been issued.

While hazing wildlife is illegal, the law does not apply to Canada geese. Air cannons and border collies are popular methods used to move the waterfowl from golf courses, playgrounds and parks.

Government officials in New York have plans to eliminate two-thirds of the Canada geese that frequent the state. The plan is to trim 85,000 geese from the birds estimated population of 250,000.

New York City feel the city's current population is about five times as big as it should be. The plan was developed after a US Airways jet was disabled by Canada geese back in 2009. Last year roughly 1,200 geese were trapped and exterminated.

Authorities would like to see 17 other states on the eastern seaboard cut their populations by half. Currently, there are an estimated one million Canada geese in the Atlantic Flyway and officials would like to see that that number closer to 650,000.

Ironically, experts believe that many of the birds are descendants of geese stocked by wildlife agencies and hunting clubs years ago.

The National Shooing Sports Foundation (NSSF) has announced its opposition to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to ban the use of traditional lead-core ammunition used by the vast majority of the country's hunters.

The petition suggests that the use of traditional ammo poses a danger to wildlife, in particular raptors and bald eagles, that feed on entrails or unrecovered game left in the field. NSSF responded by saying there is no scientific evidence to support that accusation and cited the fact that breeding pairs of bald eagles in the U.S. have increased 724% from 1981 to 2006.

CBD is the same outfit that recently asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a plan to introduce gray wolves across the country. Basically, the group is asking for the reintroduction of wolves to areas where they not have existed in decades.

CBD is so far outside of the mainstream that it is laughable. Unfortunately, the elite media loves these types of extremist organizations and gives them more credibility than they deserve. Most of the members live far away from the predators that could adversely impact them.

Aug. 24 is the deadline for transferring a class A (kill) bear license to a legal hunter under 18 years of age. There is no fee for the transfer of a permit. Last year, 431 class A permits were transferred to young hunters. If you have a question, call the DNR at 1-888-936-7463.

The Quinney Fishing Club is sponsoring its 3rd Annual Drum (sheepshead) Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 14. The entrance fee is $20 per boat/team and fishing is limited to the Lake Winnebago System. A nice extra is that a theater ticket will be given out for every pound of fish registered. If you have questions, call 920-418-3444 or 920-795-4095.

Until next time, keep your hooks sharp, your feet warm and your powder dry!