Local Column 9-3-07

River Currents

A few weeks back, I was complaining about the low water levels on the Wisconsin River and the drought conditions of June and July. In August, we received enough rain for months with amounts varying from 6 inches to almost 20 inches of rain. Locally, August was the wettest month on record that go back well over a hundred years. Some of the worst hit locations will and have qualified and been declared federal disaster areas and will get federal loans and funding.

The worst part of the August rain deluge is that areas a little farther west flooded from the waters of the Wisconsin and Kickapoo Rivers and the many streams and tributaries in the area. Gay Mills and many smaller communities got especially hard hit with numerous people getting wiped out from the flooding. The Friends of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway (FLOW) did a great job of helping the less fortunate in cleaning up houses and the mess left from the flood. I know that the clean-up will continue for some time. If anyone would like to help here are some phone numbers to call for information. The Command Post in Gay Mills is (608)-735-4862 and Timm Zumms’ number is (608)-575-0325. Both numbers should help steer you in the right direction, if you have any time to help. Those who helped are thanked for taking time off from their work and vacations to help those in need.

The holiday weekend brought the opening of some of the many fishing and hunting seasons that are now upon us. The towns of Sauk City, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin Dells, and Lodi were packed with many people who came for the Cow Chip Throw and the opening of the sturgeon season on the Wisconsin River and Lake Wisconsin.

The sturgeon season opened September 1^st and many anglers were fishing in the Wisconsin River below the Dells and Prairie Dams. The lake sturgeon is a highly prized fish to the many anglers who trek north to Wisconsin from the Chicago and Milwaukee areas. Many of these anglers are of Russian and Eastern European descent and smoke the sturgeon flesh and savor the eggs or caviar.

Wisconsin is lucky to have a natural reproducing sturgeon population in many rivers like the Wisconsin, Chippewa, Menominee, Flambeau, Jump, and Yellow. But, the lake sturgeon population has been over-harvested in recent years which has caused the DNR to increase the legal size fish from 50 inches to 60 inches and shorten the length of the season from 6 weeks to four. These rules will reduce sturgeon harvest by up to 80% and allow female sturgeon to spawn at least twice before they can be harvested. The lake sturgeon lives longer and grows larger than any other freshwater fish in the state. As such, female sturgeons live much longer than males. In fact, more than 95% of all sturgeon beyond the age of 30 are female.

Female sturgeon don’t reach sexual maturity until the fish is 25 years old and about 55 inches long. Then, it spawns once every four or five years. By comparison, males are sexually mature at about 15, when they are around 45 inches long.

Sturgeon tags, which used to be free, now cost $20.00 for residents and $50.00 for non-residents. A fisherman also needs a valid Wisconsin fishing license. There were many sturgeon caught this weekend, but I haven’t had any calls to photo a legal fish.

The dove hunting season also opened this Holiday weekend. Doves are the most abundant gamebird in the United States with over 400 million birds. There is a resident population of doves locally and a migratory population that travels through the state on their way south to Mexico, Texas, and other southern states. Many of the local doves stay here year-round with the warmer winters that we now experience. This year, dove numbers in Wisconsin are stable or slightly better and between 4 and 5 million doves will migrate through the state. The state’s 15,000 to 20,000 hunters harvest about 100,000 doves.

Check any doves harvested for leg bands. Wisconsin is taking part in a national survey to access dove populations for harvest management. If you have a banded bird call 1-800-327-2263.

Doves are very common locally and can even be found on many area public hunting grounds. Doves like open fields that have been harvested of crops. They enjoy corn, soybeans, sunflowers, and most small seeds and grains. The daily dove limit is 15 birds and 30 in possession.

If you plan to hunt these tasty birds you must do some scouting. Try to find the fields that have been recently harvested with areas of gravel and water close by the open fields. Dove hunting improves as farmers harvest their crops. The closer the fields are to the dove’s major requirements-suitable habitat, roost trees, water, and grit or gravel (for digesting food).

This early season is a good time to get young and novice hunters to the wood and fields because it is not crowded and allows the beginner a proper and safe introduction to hunting.

The local fishing has been hampered by the weather, but fishing will continue to improve as fall approaches and the water cools. Guide Wally Banfi (608)-644-9823 has been catching crappies and smallmouth on Lake Wisconsin. But, the boat traffic on the lake and river were so heavy this past weekend that it was difficult to fish. Don’t put away your boat because some of the years best fishing is coming on both Lake Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River.

I hope all you bow hunters have been shooting and have had your bow properly tuned up. The leaves are falling fast for bow hunters, but the rains have brought out the mosquitoes in huge numbers. It’s difficult to be near the water without putting on repellent which I personally, hate!

The Early September Goose hunt opened the first too. I heard some shooting on the Wisconsin River over the weekend, but I haven’t talked to anyone hunting. The bear season opens September 5^th and there is a good bear population. The fall turkey season opens the 15^th and those who applied should have received your tag from the DNR. Isn’t fall great?