Madison – Wisconsin fall turkey hunters recorded 3,862 turkeys as of December 3, with Zone 2 hunters leading the way with 993 birds registered.
The remaining harvests in the zone for that day were as follows (by zone and total harvests): Zone 1, 570; 3, 781; 4, 637; 5, 275; 6, 395; 7, 211. In the fall of 2023, hunters registered 4,343 turkeys, 1.3% less than in 2022, when hunters registered 4,398 birds. In 2020, hunters recorded more than 4,600 fall turkeys.
The fall season in zones 6 and 7 will close on November 22. The season in zones 1-5 runs through January 5, 2025. Bonus authorizations ($10 for residents; $15 for nonresidents) are still available one per person per day until the zone is sold out or the season ends. Additional permits are still available as follows (as of December 4, zone and number): Zone 1, 705; 2, 563; 3, 431; 4, 571.
Applications for the spring turkey season are due by December 10.
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Study shows Great Lakes wolf survival is unrelated to the animal’s federally listed status
As of 2023, hunting deer kill a smidge across Wisconsin
The application deadline for Bear 2025 is December 10
Madison – The deadline for all 2025 black bear harvest permit applications and preference points has passed until 23:59 on Tuesday, December 10.
The drawing for black bear kill tags for 2025 will take place in February. Applicants selected in the drawing will be notified by mail shortly thereafter and may purchase a 2025 Class A bear license beginning in March. Drawing results are published in the GoWild system.
Hunters must apply to retain their preference points at least once every three consecutive years or all preference points will be forfeited. Nearly 135,000 people applied for a tag or preference point for the 2024 season.
The structure of the 2025 bear season is as follows: September 3-9, dogs only; September 10-30, all methods; October 1-7, dogs are not allowed. In zones C, E and F: from September 3 to October 7, but dogs are not allowed.
Lake Superior lake trout season opens December 1
Superior, Wisconsin – Lake Superior’s lake trout season opened on December 1 and will run through September 30, 2025, or until the harvest limit is reached.
The waters of Lake Wisconsin are divided into two management units: WI-1, all waters from Superior to Bark Point (considered the western arm); and WI-2, which covers the waters from Bark Point to the Michigan border (considered the Apostle Islands region).
Catches include a maximum of three lake trout from the Western Arm and only two lake trout from the Apostle Islands region. Both units have a size limit of 15 inches, with only one fish longer than 25 inches per day.
The NRB meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 11 in Madison
Madison – The Natural Resources Board (NRB) will meet in person to consider proposed regulatory documents at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 11, in public meeting room G09, State Natural Resources Building (GEF 2), 101 South Webster Street, Madison. The meeting will also be broadcast on the DNR YouTube channel.
During the December meeting, council will consider action on the Minocqua Chain walleye harvest regulations, rule changes to the Deer Management Assistance Program, regulations for cisco and lake trout in Lake Superior, and a scoping statement related to the Spring Wildlife Management Hearing rule in 2025
The agenda is posted on the DNR website.
Audubon invites volunteers to celebrate 125 years of the Christmas Bird Count
New York – For the 125th year, the National Audubon Society hosts the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Between
On December 14 and January 5, tens of thousands of bird-loving volunteers will take part in the count across the Western Hemisphere.
Data collected by participants over 12 decades contributes to one of only two huge existing pools of information that notifies ornithologists and conservation biologists what conservation actions are required to protect birds and the places they need.
Audubon CBC is a community science project organized by the National Audubon Society in partnership with Birds Canada. Participation in the event is free of charge. To sign up for Audubon CBC and ensure your bird count data ends up in the official Audubon database, find your nearest circle and sign up with your local Audubon CBC compiler. All Audubon CBC data must be submitted through the official compiler to be added to the long-term census.
For more information and to find a count near you, visit www.christmasbirdcount.org
Lake Superior Fisheries Management Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, December 11
Superior, Wisconsin – The DNR will host a public meeting on Lake Superior fisheries management on Wednesday, December 11 at 6 p.m. at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland to discuss the evaluation of the brown trout and cutthroat stocking programs and future stocking plans for Lake Superior. .
The meeting will include a presentation on the Lake Superior stocking strategy, followed by a forum for questions and comments related to stocking plans or other Lake Superior fisheries topics. DNR fisheries staff will also present a up-to-date proposed walleye regulation that will be the subject of spring Congressional Conservation hearings.
“First harvest” certificates now available
Madison – Hunters and trappers who harvest their first deer, bear, turkey, lynx, fisherman or otter this year can commemorate the event with a free “first harvest certificate.” Just fill out the online form, fill out all the information and upload your photo. The DNR will email you a certificate to print.
