Wausau, Wisconsin — Wausau and Marinette will be the sites of two sporting events in 2024, spanning central and northern Wisconsin and northeastern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The Central Wisconsin Sports Show will be held Feb. 9-11 at the Rothschild Convention & Expo Center and will feature a variety of fishing and hunting exhibitors, as well as boats, pontoons and sports equipment. The seminar program will feature presentations by fishing and hunting experts. Classes will be offered in boat safety, fly fishing and concealed carry. Youth classes include casting, archery, gun safety and turkey calling.
The Fishing-Boating-Outdoor Show will be held March 1-3 at the Marinette Rec Center. The show will feature fishing, hunting and camping exhibitors, as well as boats, pontoons, sport boats and RVs. The show will feature fishing and hunting seminars, as well as classes in concealed carry and fly fishing. The show has a youth activity area with hands-on instruction in casting, fly fishing, archery and gun safety. There will also be a student nature art exhibit.
Opening hours for both shows: Friday, 3:00 am – 8:00 pm, Saturday, 9:00 am – 8:00 pm.
6 pm: Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm Adults $8; children under 12 are free. Parking is free. See www.fishingboatingoutdoor.com.
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New Lake Superior Fish Stock Added to DNR Website
Bayfield, Wisconsin — The DNR Lake Superior Fisheries Management Team has added fresh online resources to the agency’s Lake Superior website to improve communication and outreach to anglers, commercial fishermen and the public.
To maintain a sustainable lake trout fishery in the Apostle Islands (WI-2) region, total allowable catch is established for all fisheries (sport, commercial, and tribal) using a form of population model called the Statistical Catch-at-Age Model (SCAA), which is updated with the latest data and used to set lake trout catch quotas every three years. The fresh Lake Trout Catch Model and DNR Total Allowable Catch website now provide more details on the status and history of the lake trout population, the development of the Statistical Catch-at-Age Model, and the process for setting the total allowable catch.
“The team also created a new Lake Superior Fisheries Outreach website where we catalog recordings or reports from recent outreach events, public meetings and other special projects. We plan to update this page regularly with outreach materials. There is also a recording of a presentation from our last public meeting on the status of lake trout, cisco and lake whitefish, along with proposed quota updates for upcoming fishing seasons,” said Dray Carl, Lake Superior DNR fisheries biologist.
He can be reached at [email protected] or (715) 331-9036.
Nominations open for three DNR Safety Instructor awards
Madison – DNR is accepting nominations for the 2023 Hunter Education Instructor of the Year, Hunter Education Group of the Year and Archery Education Instructor of the Year awards.
Hunting and archery instructors and hunter education groups who have improved the level of hunter safety through extraordinary merits as part of their volunteer work may be nominated.
“Hunter education and archery instructors are often pillars of their community who continue to advance the sport of hunting by providing high-quality safety training to the next generation of hunters,” said Michael Weber, DNR hunter education administrative supervisor. “These awards… recognize the great work our instructors and groups do.”
Volunteering can take many forms, including recruiting fresh instructors, recruiting fresh students or hunters, number of courses taught, or involvement in other activities. To nominate, download the form from the DNR volunteer website and email it to [email protected] by February 15, 2024.
DNR OKs more ATV trails for NH-AL state forests and Willow Flowage scenic area
Madison — DNR has approved general plan variances for two state properties to create more ATV/UTV trails in the Northern Highland–American Legion (NH-AL) State Forest and Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area. A general plan variance is a change in the apply or management of an area that is consistent with the classification and management objectives of the lands for that area.
The NH-AL variance authorizes approximately 7 miles of ATV/UTV trail in four segments. Stretching across three counties near the towns of Woodruff, Minocqua and Boulder Junction, the NH-AL provides a variety of recreational opportunities on 236,000 acres and 900 lakes.
The Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area deviation allows for another 2.5 miles of ATV/UTV trails in two segments. Most of the mileage is on DNR roads open to street-legal vehicles in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. The Willow Flowage Scenic Waters Area in western Oneida County is a gigantic, island-studded body of water with 73 miles of shoreline, 106 islands and seven boat docks.
Nominations are now open for the 20th Annual Invader Crusader Awards.
Madison — Nominations for the 20th annual Wisconsin Invasive Species Council Invader Crusaders Awards will be accepted through February 18, 2024. “Invader Crusaders” are individuals who have made significant contributions to preventing, controlling, or eliminating invasive species in 2023. Nomination forms are posted on the Wisconsin Invasive Species Council website. Completed forms must be submitted to [email protected] by February 18, 2024. Nominators and winners will be notified by mid-April. Award winners will be honored in June during Invasive Species Action Month.
