The fishing action can be fast and furious when winter seals the lakes under ice. Best of all, there are no bugs to pester you – and only a slight risk of frostbite. Read on for some tips about ice fishing, then load your gear onto your sled and head for the nearest shanty town. Lake Altoona often has more than 200 fish shacks on the ice!

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   If Lake Altoona is to avoid becoming Altoona Marsh, something has to be done with the excessive sediment loads entering the upper end of the lake. Options include a nine-foot drawdown to facilitate mechanical dredging (extensive truck traffic and road damage), or a barge-mounted hydraulic dredge (material is transported as a slurry via miles of pipeline).

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   Situated along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, the Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area at New Auburn (in Chippewa County) is a great family destination. Visitors to the Chippewa Moraine Interpretive Center will learn – among other things – about the area’s glacial geology, and how the last Wisconsin Glacial Episode is connected to the sand delta at the upper portion of Lake Altoona.   

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   Beams of light from powerful spotlights cut through the darkness to illuminate fields and woods throughout Wisconsin each fall. Some of the lights are held by people “shining deer” for fun – a legitimate recreational sport. But some lights, critics say, are shined by outlaws looking to shoot the deer illegally. Poachers cut off the heads or antlers and leave the deer carcass to rot.

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   The population of resident Canada geese in Wisconsin has dramatically increased over the last 25 years. Resident Canada geese – the “giant” subspecies – are one of at least seven subspecies of Canada goose native to North America. Resident Canada geese weigh up to 18 pounds; they are very adaptable, long-lived, productive, and protective of nests and young. These traits – and the presence of goose droppings – can lead to conflicts with some citizens.

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Several recent black bear sightings in the vicinity of Altoona have prompted the Department of Natural Resources’
wildlife biologists to point out an apparent increase in bear numbers throughout Wisconsin. Preliminary results of a two-year cooperative study of Wisconsin black bears suggest that the population may be two times or more larger than the outdatedmodel predicted – kind of the opposite of what many folks think about deer population estimates. Biologists stress that the new estimate of over 26,000 animals comes from a half-finished study and may change when data from the second year of the study are analyzed.

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   The busiest boating time of the year is here, the Fourth of July holiday. Harbors, bays, and rivers are brimming with vacationing boaters and vessels are flocking to waterfront fireworks shows, marinas, and launch ramps, contributing to recreational boating’s own form of waterway rush hour.

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   With over 15,000 inland lakes, 43,000 miles of rivers, and 659 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, it is not surprising that recreational boating is a major part of outdoor recreational activities in Wisconsin. It is estimated that over one million boats take to Wisconsin waters each year making courtesy, safety, and education important issues for boaters.

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   Anyone that has any interest in fishing – or lives near a popular lake, stream, or river – will notice an increase in water-related activity when the game fish season opens this weekend.

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   The northern hemisphere is the half of our planet that is north of the equator. Earth’s northern hemisphere contains a lot of land and almost 90% of the human population. As residents of Eau Claire County, we are located in the North Temperate Zone, where our winter lasts from December 22 (Solstice) to March 20 (Equinox). For a lot of us, this past winter might have seemed even longer.

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