Local Column River Currents 8-25-08

    September 1^st is the opening of the dove and Early September Canada Goose hunting seasons in the Badger state. September 6th is the opener in Wisconsin for lake sturgeon.We are lucky to be in an area of Wisconsin where hunters and anglers can participate in all of these early seasons and have a chance of very good success.The first dove hunting season in the state was in 2000 after much debate and discussion. The number of dove hunters statewide is between 20,000 and 30,000 hunters who harvest between 100,000 and 150,000 birds. The number of dove hunters is slowly increasing as more hunters find that hunting doves is fun, improves your wing-shooting, gets you out in the fields and woods in September and October when the weather is nice, and provides excellent table-fare. This fall, there has been an increase in the length of the season with 10 more days being added. This fall, the season runs from September 1^st to November 9^th with a daily bag limit of 15 birds. Another change is that if you’re hunting on state managed lands, you must use non-toxic shot like bismuth.

The DNR guesses that the average hunter shoots 5 doves during the season which is a low figure considering that between 4 and 5 million doves migrate through Wisconsin on their way to their wintering grounds in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, and Mexico. Many doves also winter in Wisconsin and the Midwest despite the record winter of 2007-2008. Before last winter, the last decade of winters had warmer than normal temperatures. People should know that only 10-15% of the dove’s mortality comes from hunting while most of the mortality comes from predators, disease, accidents, and weather extremes. The DNR firmly believes that hunting doves does not affect the number of dove in the state.

Doves are very prolific and have anywhere from 2 to 5 clutches per year. Each clutch has 2 white eggs and the nesting success averages around 53%. Both parents share in the incubation and rearing of the young birds called squabs. The young birds hatch without any feathers and grow at a rapid rate increasing their weight 14 times in the first 15 days. Doves can survive on their own for 5-9 days after leaving the nest and most do 2-3 weeks after fledging. Doves are indistinguishable from adults after 3 months.

Doves are very adaptable when it comes to picking their habitat. Good dove habitat will include trees for roosting and nesting, a good food source close by, and a water source. Coniferous forest, deciduous forests, urban, residential, and agricultural areas can all be “home territory” for the morning dove. The abundance of agricultural land in the southern 2/3’s of Wisconsin make the state home for millions of doves that reside here and past through while migrating.

Some of the best dove hunting in Wisconsin is from Green Bay south to Eau Claire. The vast majority of their food is weed seeds and waste grains. Some of the preferred seeds include; pigweed, foxtail, wild sunflower, and ragweed. The preferred grains are; corn, soybeans, millet, and sorghum. All of these grains are grown in Wisconsin and anywhere where you have row crops, trees, and a good water supply will hold doves. Doves will travel anywhere from 2 to 8 miles for food.

Now, is the time to get out and do your scouting. As I’ve mentioned earlier, look for areas that have food, water, and roosting trees. Try to find areas to position yourself betweens these things and you’ll be in for some fast shooting. Doves prefer the edges of woods and fields and not the interior sections. When scouting, do some walking and if the area has the proper requirements the doves will not be hard to find.

Get a few plat books, talk to farmers, and local wardens and you can be in for a new and “fun” hunting experience in the beauty of fall. You must have a small game license and be HIP certified which can be done at the licensing centers when you buy a license.

The Early Canada Goose season also opens on September 1^st and runs through September 15^th. The season closes on September 15^th. This is the 9^th early goose season which was originated to help manage and control the local and resident goose population. In 2007, a record 21,000 geese were harvested during the early season while the average number of harvested geese has been 14,500 geese.

The season is open to all licensed hunters who possess an Early September Goose Hunting permit, a small game license, and the state and federal stamps. The “early’ permits are available at the automatic licensing centers for $3.00. You can purchase these permits now and during the season.

Hunters can hunt geese anywhere in the state except for a small sub zone in Burnett County. The daily bag limit is 5 Canada geese and 10 in possession. Geese and morning doves are the only Migratory Game Birds that may be hunted from September 1-15.

Just like mourning dove hunting, scouting is necessary when hunting geese during the early season. Resident geese often change their feeding and moving patterns as the September season approaches. This means that mobility is of utmost importance when scouting and during the hunting season. Geese are smart birds that adjust their movements as hunting pressure increases. Get out early in the morning when the geese are first moving to feed and later in the day when the geese are returning to roost for the night. Try to follow their patterns and talk to as many farmers and landowners as possible so that you have numerous hunting locations in different habitats. I suggest getting a quality pair of binoculars, like those from Vortex Optics, for good viewing while hunting and doing your scouting. Vortex Optics is a local company in Middleton that has taken the optic world by storm with their high quality, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and binoculars. They even donated to the Ferry Bluff Eagle Council during Eagle Days. Wilderness Fish and Game carries their products or go on line.

Be sure to check all regulations and rules in the Wisconsin Early September Canada Goose Hunting Regulations booklet. There are many resident geese in our area. I see geese regularly on the Wisconsin River and throughout much of this part of the state. All you have to do is do your scouting and be mobile! Be safe.

The lake sturgeon which is a giant among freshwater fish and a “living fossil” having first being known to exist over 100 million years ago. To protect sturgeon from added fishing pressure, this year the sturgeon hook and line fishing season opens September 6^th and runs through September 30^th. There are a few major rivers in the state which have the sturgeon season and this area is lucky enough to have one of the better areas on the Wisconsin River from Wisconsin Dells to the confluence with the Mississippi River for lake sturgeon. Lake Wisconsin is included in this sturgeon area.

The season length has been shortened to protect this slow-growing fish. The DNR has done many sturgeon studies and is always trying to make sure that the females are protected and that the harvest is not too large. The sturgeon doesn’t reproduce till it is 20-25 years old and then only every 3 to 5 years. Over harvest can take years for recovery, so the sturgeon management plan is necessary for protecting spawning females and the fish species in general.

If you plan to fish for sturgeon and keep one, you must buy a sturgeon tag (and a fishing license) from the DNR for $20.00 and $50.00 for non-residents. They may be purchased at the states ALS Centers. If you practice catch and release, then you don’t need a tag. If you catch a legal sturgeon, which must be at least 60 inches, you must immediately tag the fish and register it by 6:00 PM of the next day.

The areas below both the dam at Wisconsin Dells and Prairie du Sac are prime locations for lake sturgeon. Heavy tackle is needed and most successful anglers use night crawlers and cut bait on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Lake sturgeon seem to prefer areas of transition between rock and sand. Long and sturdy rods are needed and anglers use both spinning and baitcasting reels though I prefer a baitcasting reel with a strong monofilament or braided line like one would use for muskies. Again, check the DNR web site for more information or check my web site or send me an email at gengberg@garyengbergoutdoors.com . Good Fishing.