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DNR asks people not to bait or feed deer

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is again asking people not to bait or feed deer this fall. DNR Deer Herd Health Specialist Erin Larson said doing so can help prevent spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, as deer will congregate.

“You have more potential for infectious disease diseases to spread like chronic wasting disease,” Larson said.

Baiting and feeding is currently prohibited in the majority of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. “There is baiting and feeding regulations currently in 55 of our counties. So the warden could issue a citation if an individual was baiting and feeding in those counties.”

For the rest of the state, the DNR recommendation is to forgo the practice altogether.

Counties fall under a 3-year baiting and feeding ban when a wild or farm-raised deer tests positive for CWD in the county. If the CWD-positive deer is found within 10 miles of a county line, the adjoining county will fall under a two-year ban. If additional CWD cases are found during the lifetime of a baiting and feeding ban, the ban will reset for an additional two to three years.

Find more information on baiting and feeding regulations and a map of counties with active bans on the DNR’s baiting and feeding regulations webpage.

Prepare your deer hunt property ahead of fall season

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Now’s the time to get your property ready for the fall deer hunt. While many people focus on simply observing gun safety on the hunt, state deer program specialist Jeff Pritzl says that’s not how most people are injured.

“The biggest risk is self injury due to falling out of a tree stand that breaks or some other piece of equipment that breaks or doesn’t perform properly,” said Pritzl.

Make sure you do a daytime run-through of all the equipment you’re going to use, because you’ll likely be coming back in the dark when it’s time to hunt.

Slinger HS student is winner of 2024 DNR sticker design contest

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We have a state park sticker contest winner. The Department of Natural Resources announced that Slinger High School sophomore Samantha Williams is the winner of the 2024 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission sticker design contest.

Her winning design illustrates the tenderness between a loon and chick afloat on a calm body of water. The image will be printed on admission stickers and displayed on more than 500,000 vehicles.

Now in its 33rd year, the annual design contest is open to high school-age students statewide. The DNR received about 150 entries this year.

Eau Claire files lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers

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The City of Eau Claire has filed a lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers. PFAS chemicals have been detected on the City Well Fields property and the groundwater the community depends upon for drinking water.

Costs for Eau Claire’s PFAS response – which included shutting down the use of nearly half its wells – are already over $1 million and expected to rise to over $20 million with construction and long-term maintenance of new treatment facilities, according to a news release.

The release says the suit filed in Eau Claire County Court is a further step to protect the city’s rights and ensure those responsible for the contamination are held accountable for clean-up and damages.   

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DNR releases revised wolf management plan

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday released revisions to its draft wolf management plan. DNR Large Carnivore Specialist Randy Johnson said the plan improves transparency but does not set a specific population goal.

Under the plan, the state could have between 800 and 1200 wolves, which is in line with current population estimates. If the wolf is removed from the federal endangered species list, it would trigger a wolf hunt, something the plan takes into account. It goes before the Natural Resources Board in October. The draft plan can be viewed at the DNR website.

Elk hunt drawing winners from Cedarburg, Green Bay, Sparta, Mount Horeb

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Four Wisconsin hunters will get a chance to bag an elk this fall. The Department of Natural Resources on Monday announced winners of a random drawing from more than 21,300 applicants. All four hunters have been contacted; they’re from Cedarburg, Green Bay, Sparta and Mount Horeb.

An eight bull quota approved in May by the Natural Resources Board is the same as for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Ojibwe tribes have declared the remaining four elk, per their treaty rights within the Ceded Territory. The season opens October 14 in the northern elk zone, covering portions of five counties with a herd numbering some 355 elk.

Stay safe and sane with fireworks this weekend, says DNR

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Be safe and sane with your 4th of July fireworks this weekend.

Department of Natural Resources wildfire prevention specialist Catherine Koele says you should take simple steps to keep yourself and the environment safe.

“Concrete or gravel areas, have a water source, do it during the evening for sure. Because you know, the humidity comes up, the dew points are a little bit helpful, the winds die down.”

Koele (COOL-ee) says you should stick with ground displays this year. “Even these little bottle rockets and things like that they shoot they shoot into unknown areas or they can’t be controlled.”

If you want to enjoy a large display, find a local community event where professionals can handle the large fireworks for everyone. 

Manufacturer 3M agrees to massive settlement for lawsuits over PFAS contamination

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Chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to a settlement worth at least 10 billion dollars over PFAS contaminations.

Over 300 communities are entering lawsuits against the company over widespread contamination of the so-called “forever chemicals”.

The total settlements will be paid out over the next 13 years, and could go as high as 12 billion dollars if more communities find contamination.

Those chemicals were used in everything from fire-fighting foam to making non-stick pans, and have been linked to some cancers and immune diseases. 

Weekend rain a welcome sight, but we’ll need more to break the drought says NWS

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The rain Wisconsin has been seeing over the last few days is a welcome sight.

National Weather Service meteorologist Richard Mamrosh says it might not be enough for some. 

“Some locations will get a half inch to perhaps an inch of rain, which will help crops that are starting to grow like corn and soybeans, but it’s not going to make an appreciable difference in the soil moisture across the area.”

Mamrosh says the rain we’ve gotten amounts to sprinkles when it comes to the ongoing drought. 

“That’s certainly going to help people’s lawns get green again. And it’ll help farmers that have some crops planted. But unless we get some more rain in the next week or two, it’s not going to make much of a difference as far as long-term drought prospects go.”

Parts of the state could see another inch of rain before the weather system moves on this week. 

DNR recommends getting passes online

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Get your vehicle or trail pass before visiting one of Wisconsin’s many outdoor recreation areas. Wisconsin has 50 state parks, 15 state forests and 44 state bike trails. If you’re headed to one this weekend, you’ll need a daily or annual admission sticker for your vehicle.

The annual pass is $28 for Wisconsin residents. If you’re headed to a state trail, make sure you have a state trail pass, as wardens will be out checking passes this weekend. Annual passes are $25, and daily passes are $5.

The Department of Natural Resources says you can save time by buying these stickers and passes online.

WJMC