Oshkosh, Wisconsin – The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is reminding all swordfishers interested in harvesting lake sturgeon from Lake Winnebago during the sturgeon fishing season in 2025 to purchase a license by October 31.
An unlimited number of Lake Winnebago licenses are available, and residents and non-residents can purchase a license through Switch to a wild system or at any license sales point. All license holders must be 12 years of age or older.
Military personnel home on leave during spearing season and children who turn 12 between November 1 and the last day of the 2025 spearing season are not required to purchase a license until October 31.
Fishing in the upstream lakes (Poygan, Butte des Morts and Winneconne) is managed using a preference points system and a lottery for 500 swordfish. Selected upstream lake tag candidates have already been notified for the 2025 season and have until the start of spearing season to purchase a license. Selected upstream lake candidates also cannot purchase a tag for Lake Winnebago.
The next sturgeon fishing season starts on February 8, 2025.
MORE COVERAGE FROM WISCONSIN OUTDOOR NEWS:
Bull elk hunters go four by four in the first hunt in Jackson County, Wisconsin
Suspects cited in deer poaching case in southeastern Wisconsin
New “replacement” deer tags featuring both sexes will be available in Wisconsin this fall
International Bat Week, October 24–31, an opportunity to start working to protect bats
Madison – The DNR will highlight the importance of bats to the state’s ecosystems during International Bat Week, October 24-31.
Bats are necessary to many ecosystems and provide significant positive benefits to the environment, economy and public health. Bats eat gigantic numbers of agricultural pests, saving farmers and foresters billions each year. The bat helps control bugs in yards by eating up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects per hour each night, equivalent to its body weight.
Of the eight bats found in Wisconsin, four are state-threatened species – the greater bat, the lesser bat, the brown bat (also federally endangered) and the tricolor bat, and one, the silver-haired bat, is of special concern, meaning it the population is decreasing and requires protective measures.
The decline in bat numbers in Wisconsin is primarily due to white-nose syndrome (WNS), caused by a fungus that attacks the bare skin of bats during hibernation. The disease depletes their energy stores and puts them at risk of starvation before their insect diet is available in the spring. In 2014, WNS was first detected in the state at a gigantic hibernation site where 1,000 little brown bats lived. By 2018, the country’s population had dropped to just nine individuals.
While recent survey results show some significant hibernation sites across the state are seeing a rebound in numbers, we still have a long way to go. “Our program completed hibernation surveys at our largest sites in early 2024, and we were surprised at how quickly the numbers increased for three winters in a row,” said Jennifer Redell, DNR conservation biologist and cave and mine specialist at bat program.
Jason Riddle, fresh director of the UW-Stevens Point Wisconsin Wildlife Center
Stevens Point, Wis. – Dr. Jason Riddle was recently named the fresh UW-Stevens Point Douglas R. Stephens Wildlife Chair, Wildlife Extension Specialist, and WCW Director Riddle joined WCW in overdue August.
He previously worked at UW-Stevens Point as a wildlife professor for 15 years. Most recently, he was the Gerald and Helen Stephens Endowed Professor. Riddle’s primary research interests and expertise are in bird conservation and management, with an emphasis on songbirds and upland game birds. He also has expertise in wildlife statistics.
Riddle said he looks forward to devoting more time to UW-Extension’s work with WCW.
The trail planning process is ongoing
Wausau, Wisconsin – The DNR has begun the planning process for the trail plan at Rib Mountain State Park, beginning with the implementation of the master plan approved by the Natural Resources Board in December 2022. The concept plan includes all trail features on the property that were included in the master plan , including hiking, climbing and bouldering, mountain biking, carpooling, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and skiing alpine.
The DNR works with many local partners, including Friends of Rib Mountain State Park, the Greater Wausau Prosperity Partnership, Marathon County, the Village of Rib Mountain, the Wisconsin Climbers Association, Granite Peak Corporation and the Central Wisconsin Off-Road Biking Coalition. The DNR anticipates a public engagement period in early 2025. More information can be found on the DNR website.
