Shaurette: Springs in the air in Chippewa Valley, brings nesting and meetings
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By PAUL SHAURETTE / The Chippewa Herald
Saturday, March 10, 2007 11:48 PM CST
The month of March certainly blew into our neck of the woods like an angry lion this year, and hopefully it decides to leaves us on a much calmer note.
That isn’t to say we should be looking to see it go by quickly. March is a wonderful time of year to take part in some early spring activities as the new amounts of snow melt away in the warmer temperatures.
It is great to see more and more people out on their daily walks and jogs. You can smell and feel the difference in the air as the sun warms our little section of the earth from a closer vantage point. This year, with daylights savings time kicking in a bit earlier than normal, we will have some extra sunlight to enjoy many of the activities March can bring us.
Late season ice fishing is some of the best of the year during the latter part of March. Many of us antler fanatics will be searching the woods for those cast off bits of treasure that whitetail bucks leave behind. It won’t be long before bikes and scooters are scattered across lawns and sidewalks everywhere. Fishing boats will be checked and prepared for launch as open water anglers prepare for ice out. Ideas for gardens and outdoor home improvements are being considered. Everyone is going to coordinate all those summertime activities around their busy lives.
Life is good.
Bald eagles and owls on the nest
Early March marks the beginning of the nesting season for a couple of wintering birds in our area. Bald eagles, which have come to live and populate much of the area around the Chippewa River in the last several years, are already incubating eggs. The great-horned owl, a secretive and talented bird of prey, also is in the area. The eagle and the great-horned owl have bred and are keeping their clutches of eggs warm during the colder nights. In several weeks, they will be busy feeding their young before many of our early arriving southern birds return to build nests of their own.
I recently discovered a great web site that has daily photos of eagle and great-horned owl nest sites. If you go to www.xcelenergy.com and click on the nesting birds link you can see hourly photos of both eagle and great-horned owl nests. Xcel Energy maintains these cameras on many of their facilities around the country.
In some of the photos, the adult birds are out hunting and the eggs can be seen in the nest. As the month progresses, we will be able to watch the eggs hatch and the young birds begin to take food from the parents. It’s a great chance to see how these birds of prey raise their young.
There are also nest site cameras set up and ready for osprey as well as peregrine falcons when they return for the nesting season in upcoming weeks.
The website of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov also has cameras set up on eagle nest sites where visitors can go to watch the progress of eagles raising their young.
Spring fish and game rules hearings April 16
Remember to mark your calendars for Monday, April 16, for the 2007 Spring Wildlife and Fisheries Rule Hearings. People can comment on proposed rules for hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor activities in Wisconsin.
Some of the key proposed changes include changing the wild turkey management zones structure for the state; a requirement that blaze orange be visible on all sides of ground blinds whenever the use of blaze orange clothing is in effect; and, some new waterfowl management plans for the Mississippi River.
One important local question you may be interested in concerns a deer hunting season at Lake Wissota State Park. There is no season for hunting deer at the park, but managers are dealing with some problems resulting from a large deer herd in the area.
A proposal establishes Lake Wissota State Park as unit 59E and creates a nine-day shotgun season beginning on the Saturday immediately preceding the Thanksgiving holiday. This coincides with the nine-day deer gun season in the state.
All those attending the meeting will be asked if they favor creating this new deer management zone and season. There are similar situations at other state parks and many of them have been successful at reducing deer damage to trees and vegetation at the parks.
Another local state park, Brunet Island near Cornell, has had a large problem with too many deer for years, and there is also a question at the hearing to establish a nine-day shotgun hunt there as well. It is hoped that a reduction of deer at Lake Wissota will help maintain the natural growth of trees and vegetation to a normal level.
There are also many new fishery proposals scheduled which may pertain to bag limits on some the lakes throughout northwestern Wisconsin.
Each year the Wisconsin Conservation Congress holds a joint meeting during the hearings. This year, the group is seeking public input on a number of different topics including Canada goose and duck season and regulation changes; musky size limits on the Wisconsin River; and, the authority to enforce captive deer and elk fencing requirements.
One really great advisory question that will be asked concerns the transferring of a harvest permit or tag from an adult to a youth hunter. Bear hunters can transfer their harvest tag to a young hunter without the youth losing their own preference points. The new proposal asks if you would favor the Department of Natural Resources taking steps to make it possible for an adult to transfer any harvest permit to a youth. This transfer system may help keep more youth involved or interested in hunting and fishing. I think it’s a great idea.
Electronic voting will be used in every county’s hearing this year. The machines help maintain voter privacy and reduce the time and workload of tallying the statewide votes.
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