Not as well publicized was the fact that Matt Judkins of Mt. Calvary speared the largest male sturgeon ever taken on opening day. The fish was 116.8 pounds and was 71-inches long.

One record, however, is still intact. The longest sturgeon ever speared, a 90-incher, was taken in 1951. That fish only weighed 118 pounds.
This year’s harvest consisted of 270 juveniles, 801 adult females and 749 males. The success rate on the Upriver Lakes was 61.4%, while Lake Winnebago spearers managed a 13.4% success rate. Opening day saw 4,527 shanties on the lakes.

Just a reminder that the game fish season on most inland Wisconsin waters closes at the end of the day on March 7th. Meanwhile, the early trout season opens at 5:00 a.m. on March 6 and continues until Sunday April 25 at midnight.

Hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for 2010-2011 go on sale March 10th and are valid on April 1st and run through March 31, 2011.
The Wisconsin DNR, reeling from hunter frustration and discontent, has announced a $2 million project that is intended to better track the state’s deer population. The project, entitled “Investing in Wisconsin’s Whitetails” will include the following initiatives: Working with the UW system to research buck and fawn mortality, including evaluations on how weather, habitat, hunting and predators affect the population; Tagging deer with radio collars; Working with UW-Madison and UW-Stevens Point to study hunter participation ad develop retention strategies; Continuing CWD research; Hiring a researcher to evaluate the usefulness of car-deer collisions data in population estimates; Expanding a database of hunter observations; Improving communications with stakeholders, including appointing a team to relay information to hunters, revamping the agency’s Web page and looking at online social networking sites; and continued online progress reports, likely as often as quarterly.

According to Keith Warnke, DNR big game ecologist, “This is the largest investment in deer management in our history.” He said it could take five years or even longer to complete and feels hunter participation will be crucial.

The cost of this project will be substantial. The funding supposedly will come from a surge in Wisconsin’s share of federal taxes on firearms and ammunition.

On February 23rd, the State Assembly decided not to listen to the sportsmen of Wisconsin, refusing to vote to override the Governor’s veto of a bill that would have returned the DNR Secretary appointment to the Board of Natural Resources.

Supporters of the override argued that a gubernatorial appointment brings politics into environmental and wildlife decisions that should be based on science and created instability because of scuffling secretaries.

While I supported the override, I understand the opponents’ position. The Board of Natural Resources is not an elected group and therefore has a minimum of accountability.

The DNR’s law enforcement people are on record in opposition and have testified against SB 222 which relaxes firearm casing laws and changes group hunting laws by allowing up to an hour to tag a deer and the deer can be left unattended.

I don’t care for the bill’s contents and it yet another example of legislators circumventing the spring hearings process. In addition, it bumps up against years of hunter safety instruction that call for the casing of guns as part of safe gun handling.

If passed, I see more accidents involving firearms in vehicles and more violations that would take place with shooting from roads.
At the present time, wardens have enough concern approaching vehicles where a firearm might be present. Allowing an uncased weapon would further jeopardize their well being.

I was disappointed to see that the bill was approved on voice vote on Feb. 23rd. It also bothers me that the NRA is supporting the bill. Whatever happened to safety as a priority?

A Wildlife Damage Control specialist from USDA-APHIS briefing addressed the county’s Land & Water Conservation Committee last week. She reported that three deer were donated from Calumet County to the deer donation program. She also asked for the county to approve wildlife damage claims for 2009. Payments were approved for two landowners for deer damage in the amount of $6,203.96, down considerably from the $14,802.79 paid out for 2008 damage.

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

By Bob Wilberscheid

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