Guides and outdoormen Wally Banfi, Tony Puccio, and Gary Engberg talk local fishing opportunities in southern Wisconsin on the Wisconsin River, Lake Wisconsin, and the Madison Chain of Lakes for walleyes, sauger, northern pike, and muskies.
Hunting for deer, pheasants, and other game is discussed with the approaching deer season. The interview is with DNR Fish Technician, Scott Harpold during last week’s stocking of Leech Lake strain muskies on the Lake Monona where Gary caught up with him. Plus more outdoor tips and info. Tune into Outdoor Horizons Saturdays at 8:00 AM on WTDY 1670 AM in Madison, Wisconsin. Or go to wtdy.com where the shows are archived or this website
News ReleasePF/QF Partner Pass It On Endorsed By National Forum on Children and Nature
Only project endorsed with focus on hunting
Saint Paul, Minnesota - Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc., a Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever partner, has received an endorsement from the National Forum on Children and Nature as one of 30 projects nationwide that demonstrate new and creative ways to reconnect kids with nature. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever note that Pass It On was the only project with a focus on hunting and firearms to receive an endorsement.
Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors partners with youth mentoring organizations and outdoor groups to recruit mentors who share their love and passion of the outdoors with a child. Targeting “at-risk” youth, Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors gives children who have limited opportunities the chance to experience first-hand the thrill of time spent afield to learn to hunt, fish, camp and hike under the tutorage of a caring adult mentor.
Recognizing an urgent need to reconnect kids with nature, The Conservation Fund launched the National Forum on Children and Nature in 2007. Over the past year, the Forum received 560 proposals from projects seeking endorsement. Forum advisory panels culled the best ideas for investment in children’s health through nature, particularly in the areas of education, technology and community. Ultimately, the Forum endorsed 30 projects, based on their relevance, impact and sustainability. Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. is one of these 30.
“Hunting and conservation are closely tied, and we’ve partnered with the Pass It On program because it matches adults with a passion for hunting with youth that want to learn to hunt,” said Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever President and CEO and Pass It On Board of Directors member, “We will continue to work with and support the Pass It On program’s mission to instill hunting and conservation ethics in America’s youth.” Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever will be partnering with Pass It On going forward to further PF/QF’s No Child Left Indoors® initiative. This new initiative is part of a national movement aimed at getting youth unplugged from electronics and turned on to the outdoors, nature and wildlife. The No Child Left Indoors® initiative is carried out through youth habitat projects, youth and family community events and youth outdoor education programs hosted by PF/QF chapters and volunteers across the country.
“We are honored with this endorsement by the National Forum on Children and Nature,” commented Mike Christensen, President of Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. and a member of the Keeper of the Plains Chapter of Quail Forever in Wichita, Kansas, “We look forward to working closely with the Forum to build upon our past successes and to expand the Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors program to give children across the country more opportunities to enjoy time outdoors with a mentor showing them the way.”
About Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc.
Pass It On - Outdoor Mentors, Inc. began as a partnership between Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Over the last six years, over 8,000 children have been introduced to hunting, fishing and other traditional outdoor sports alongside a caring mentor. Partnering with outdoor organizations, Pass It On connects children who want to learn about the outdoors with volunteers who want to pass on their outdoor heritage and have the expertise and experience to do so. The partnership with youth mentoring organizations assures that the mentoring relationships are safe for both the child and mentor. Outdoor organizations see more participants, mentoring organizations see more children being mentored and the children get outdoors…truly a win-win-win for all.
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 129,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.
Fishing and hunting tips and reports from pro anglers and guides Wally Banfi, Tony Puccio, and Gary Engberg. Tune in here, on line, or live Saturdays at 8:00 AM on WTDY 1670 AM.
DATE: November 4, 2008
CONTACT:
Matt Zine, Conservation Biologist, Fitchburg: 608-273-5943
SUBJECT: Southern & Southwest Wisconsin PRESCRIBED BURNS AIM TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITATFITCHBURG - The Department of Natural Resources will be conducting burns this fall on
state properties in southern and southwest Wisconsin.
Controlled or prescribed burning is an ecological and economical method of limiting exotic and unwanted brush invasions that crowd out native vegetation and also:
• Stimulates prairie grass growth and improves habitat for upland game and waterfowl.
• Creates pockets of open water for waterfowl amidst cattails proliferating in low areas.
• Improves cover type for upland nesting birds, such as pheasants, and spurs native vegetative growth for songbirds.
Many of the prescribed burns will take place on State Natural Areas (SNA), properties which are
generally defined as tracts of land or water that represent the last vestiges of Wisconsin’s native landscape as it existed prior to the 1830’s, before intensive European settlement. They harbor features essentially unaltered by human-caused disturbances or that have substantially recovered from disturbance over time.
So most importantly, prescribed burns help to preserve grasslands and native flora, plant species that were sustained by natural fires before settlement.
DNR biologists hope to start burning soon, depending on the weather. SNA properties scheduled for possible burns this fall are:
Columbia County - Rocky Run Oak Savanna
Crawford County - Oak Coulee Woods
Dane County - Olson Oak Woods, Cherokee Marsh, Lodi Marsh, Waubesa Wetlands, Mazomanie Oak Barrens, Sugar River Wetlands, and Empire Prairie - Westport, Zauner and Ziegler parcels
Grant County - Blue River Bluffs - Ellenbolt, Gasner Hollow, Snow Bottom, Wyalusing Hardwood and the Millville Unit of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway.
Green County - York Prairie and Muralt Prairie
Iowa County - Avoca Prairie
Lafayette County - Ipswitch Prairie, Lancaster Prairie and Weir White Oaks
Richland County - Smith Slough and Cruzin Slough
Sauk County - Ferry Bluff
This week Tony Puccio, Wally Banfi, and Gary Engberg have Hall of Fame angler Ron Lindner on the show with part two of his great interview. Plus fishing, hunting, and outdoor reports for Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest.
Outdoor Horizons Radio with Ron Lindner 11-1-08: Download
South Dakota: A Pheasant Hunting ParadiseSouth Dakota and pheasant hunting are commonly used together in conversation. For 100 years, South Dakota’s vast expanses of habitat have provided excellent opportunities for pheasants to thrive. From October 18 to January 4, 2009, wingshooters will again be exploring this habitat for a bird that has made South Dakota a great fall destination.
If last year’s near record number of pheasants was not enough, brood surveys for 2008 have shown a pheasant count that is up nine percent. How fitting, being that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the successful introduction of the Chinese Ring-necked pheasant into our state. If there was ever a time to experience a hunt in South Dakota, start a new hunting tradition or meet up with some old friends, this would be the year to do it.
With many questions surrounding the future of hunting, not only in South Dakota, but around the country, it’s nice to find some solace in a pheasant population that is again near record highs. Questions of habitat and the economy have taken a backseat to a wildlife population that is flourishing in South Dakota. Continue Reading »
I’m writing this month’s column with a heavy heart. I just got word the other day that a great friend and my mentor, Tony Dean, had passed away from complications after an appendectomy operation. The 67-year old Dean was with family members at his home in his Pierre, South Dakota living room overlooking the Missouri River. His wife, Darlene DeChandt, said, “He could see the water, he could see the ducks. He knew he was sick, but he said, you know, I’m not afraid.”
Dean had his appendix removed in late September and was moved to a Sioux Falls hospital a week later to treat complications. He returned home last Thursday (October 16). His death was not a surprise.
Tony Dean was best known for his hunting and fishing television show, Tony Dean Outdoors and his daily radio show, Dakota Backroads. Tony had one of the most distinctive voices among outdoor communicators and his weekend broadcasts were looked forward to by a generation of hunters and anglers who had come to value his conservation philosophy and the outdoors that he brought to them.
Chris Wood, the chief operating officer for Trout Unlimited, said, “He taught so many of us to stand up and speak for fish and wildlife and the habitats that they depend on. He was a giant of conservation and an inspiration to everyone who cares about the outdoors.”
Dean had recently sold his television program to Jason Mitchell of Devils Lake, North Dakota and helped Jason by co-hosting “Jason Mitchell Outdoors”. Mitchell praised Dean for standing up against people and organizations that did not have conservation at heart.
Recently, Dean took on the NRA and just before he died he recorded commercials for Barack Obama. If Obama was to win the November election, Dean was going to be on his transition team. His wife, Darlene, said that Tony was thrilled. He felt that Obama was the one with enough insight and was young enough to appreciate land conservation. Dean also was planning on creating a conservation think tank that would focus on protecting the hunting and fishing values of his beloved prairie.
I was lucky enough to have met Tony over 20 years ago while I was fishing and guiding full-time. He encouraged me to start writing and gave me the “blueprint” for my radio shows, Outdoor Horizons and Gary Engberg Outdoors. Though, I didn’t get to see Tony regularly he was always there for questions and advice to a fledging outdoor communicator. I called and emailed him whenever I needed another opinion and his conservation values were always cherished. The outdoors has lost one of its great voices who will be difficult if not impossible to replace.
I feel lucky to have known Tony Dean and I’m sure that he is watching over us and hoping that the conservation ethic that he loved is being followed and taught to future generations. Tony Dean’s ashes will be spread over the prairies, rivers, and lakes of the Dakotas where he loved to hunt and fish.
Voting
I urge all sportsmen and women to vote this November. Voting is one of the greatest gifts that democracy gives its citizens. I’m not going to tell someone who to vote for in the coming election. But, do research on how both candidates stand on issues that are important to you and your family. My politics are a little right of center, but I always try to vote for who I consider to be the best candidate that supports my views. Important issues to me are; conservation, new and alternative energy sources (solar, wind, bio), the environment, Second Amendment rights, security, and of course the economy. There is no doubt that we have to develop and use new energy sources and get away from fossil fuels. Decide what issues are important to you and see how McCain and Obama stack up on these issues before you vote. If you fail to vote, then you don’t have any right to complain about what an elected official is doing!
We have to maintain the environment and keep working on developing cleaner fuels without any further pollution. I suggest voters also check on where the candidates stand on drilling for oil in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) and off the country’s coasts. Another energy issue is clean coal and ethanol. I like to see farmers getting a good price for corn, but is ethanol the answer? The high price of corn is getting more and more farmers to opt out of the Conservation Reserve Program or CRP which has been a boom to ALL wildlife for over 20 years. CRP also has helped to clean the air, the water, and the soil over the years. This is one of the best government programs in history and was accomplished by a coalition of many diverse groups working together. The key is working together and that is rarely seen in the government these days.
Antlerless Deer Hunt
The state held a four-day antlerless gun deer season from October 16 to October 19. The hunt was for only antlerless deer in the 11 county South Central Region (SCR) of the state. A major change was made this year by combining the Disease Eradication Zone (DEZ) and the much larger Herd Reduction Zone (HRZ) into one CWD-MZ zone.
I registered deer during the four-day season at the Wilderness Fish and Game store in Sauk City, Wisconsin. There were many hunters out in the area with many hunters shooting a doe to get their buck tag and many out trying to harvest a deer for the venison to feed their families. The down economy has many people looking for ways to save some money and adding venison to the family foods can help. Venison has become a much wanted commodity at local food pantries as more and more people find that venison is low in fat and great for burgers, tacos, and much more.
I haven’t seen the DNR numbers for the hunt, but I’m sure that it was a success with helping to cull some deer out of the state’s massive deer herd while providing food for the needy. Continue Reading »
Columnist Tony Dean dies at 67By Josh Verges, for pheasantcountry.com
Outdoors broadcaster and conservationist Tony Dean died early Sunday as a result of complications from an appendectomy.
The 67-year-old was among immediate family members at his home in Pierre, where he had been seated in the living room overlooking the Missouri River.
“He could see the water; he could see the ducks,” said his wife, Darlene DeChandt. “He knew he was sick, but he said, ‘You know, I’m not afraid.’ ”
The family is organizing a service to celebrate Dean’s life. His body will be cremated and the ashes sprinkled over lands where he liked to hunt and fish.
Dean had his appendix removed in Pierre in late September and was moved to a Sioux Falls hospital a week later to treat complications. He returned home Thursday. His death was not a surprise. Continue Reading »
Rarely do I try to talk or write about politics. But, with the country’s presidential election coming soon, the last thing that I want to do is to tell someone who to vote for this November. Voting is the great thing about this country which allows all citizens the right to pick the candidate of their choice. Personally, my politics are a little right of center, but that it not the important issue. The issue is to do some research on how both McCain and Obama stand on issues that are important to you and then make sure that you vote. If you fail to vote, you’re giving up one of great rights America gives its citizens. If you don’t vote, then you have no right to complain about what an elected official is doing.
Issues that concern me are the environment, alternative energy sources (solar, wind, bio), Second Amendment rights, and of course the economy. There is no doubt that we have to become less dependent on fossil fuels and keep developing new energy sources. While developing new energy sources, we have to be sure to maintain the environment and keep working on cleaner fuels without any further pollution. I suggest that voters check on where the candidates stand on drilling for oil in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) and off the country’s coasts. Another energy issue of importance is clean coal and ethanol. The point is to make up your OWN mind based upon your views and where your candidate of choice stands on issues that are important to you. Don’t let slick advertisements and television commercials divert you from picking a president based upon how they represent what is important to you. If you are a conservationist and outdoors-person as I am, see how the two candidates stack up on these issues
I registered deer Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the four-day Wisconsin Antlerless Deer Hunt. There were many hunters out during this “special season” and many were hunting to get their buck tag. But, many of the hunters were out hunting deer for food for their families. The sagging economy has hit people and individuals that never thought about going to a food pantry or second-hand shop are now being forced to seek help and change their spending habits. Venison has become a much wanted food commodity at local food pantries as the economy and job situation worsens in much of the country.
Why not let the surplus deer help those who have fallen upon tough times during this downturn in the economy? People are finding that venison is a great meat and low in fat. There has yet to be anyone get sick from a properly cleaned and dressed deer that they have eaten. We have an abundance of deer in Wisconsin, so why not lower herd numbers and help the needy at the same time? Continue Reading »
This past weekend was the statewide Wisconsin Youth Deer Hunt on October 11 and 12th. Though the weather was hardly what one would expect for deer hunting, there were many parents, grandparents, and mentors out with their children and brothers and sisters trying to bag a deer. Many of the youth were out hunting for the first time after completing their Hunter Safety class. I was lucky enough to be registering deer over the weekend and had the opportunity of seeing many of these young hunters with their FIRST deer! The smiles and sense of accomplishment could be seen in their young faces. Last week, I had the chance to see many second-graders after they caught their first fish and that was also a great sight to see. Events like these are one of the things that I constantly give my time to because you can’t say that children are the future fishers, hunters, and outdoors people in the future too many times. Children have to be introduced to the outdoors at an early age or they rarely will become involved in the outdoors and its many activities. We must continue to educate the young in conservation related outdoor activities if the many things we cherish as outdoorsmen and women are to continue in the future. Children don’t have to be hunters or anglers because some children just aren’t going to like everything that you as parents do. But, there are other activities in the outdoors that can involve the youth of today in preserving the conservation ethic that many of us have made our mantra. There are many other activities like outdoor photography, painting, bird watching, searching for arrowheads, wildlife watching, and hiking to name a few “other” outdoor activities besides hunting and fishing. Continue Reading »
