Well, this has been a very interesting weekend as I spent it with the other outdoor writers and TV producers in Wisconsin at Eagle River, WI. We started out with a wonderful cookout and social hours until our evening session with Dave Clausen and Mike Amman who presented a program called “Are we managing Wisconsin’s deer herd, or is the deer herd managing our forest and woodlands.” This was one of the best programs I have ever heard and it dealt with how our deer herd is killing off our trees in areas around the state. I never knew you can allow a tree that was chewed off to the bare bones to grow back up. Even after several years of deer browsing, these trees will grow back to be healthy it taken care of. It’s wonderful to see how one can manage your wood lots and allow deer to survive during winter times, no matter where you live. On Saturday we started with a presentation by Ruth Oppedahl, Executive Director of Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. She gave us a presentation on her travels down the Wisconsin Rivers from the MI/WI state line till it runs into the Mississippi River. One of the biggest things they need now is money, due to the fact not a lot of people know who they are. They are looking for funding, ad trust me, I am now a firm believer that this group will do wonderful thing for our state if they could only get the funding they so badly need. Ruth floated down the river in a kayak all by herself and ran into many problems in doing so. Some of the interesting items she had to deal with were over 20 beaver dams to go around and many other little problem that popped up as she made her way south. The group called River Alliance of Wisconsin has preserved over 7 miles of river frontage and this is so campers have a place to camp. One issue she told ua about was the portage of canoes on Hwy 107 which is a wonderful place to see and enjoy near the Wis. River. She also noted that there is a lot of water cabbage around the Stevens Point area and it can also be found near the shorelines there too. There is a couple near Baraboo area that setup all their land in a trust so that no one can ever use the property for personal gain, and it will remain open to the public. One very important comment she made us understand is that whenever you decide to travel on the water, always wear a life jacket to protect you and carry a very good First Aid kit. Waterfowl and people need these rivers and it’s important that this group is properly funded to carry on the work that so many people are working so hard to defend and protect for all citizens to enjoy. For more information about this group contact WisConservation.org or phone 866-264-4096. Please look them up.
Our next group was a panel of people who are in tourism. The title of their program was “North Woods Tourism: How has it changed from 1996 to 2016.” We had four individuals all involved in the tourism industry. We all know how much fun it can be going to Eagle River, but did you know that one of the fastest growing interests in the area is biking, trail bikes, Fat Wheel Bikes, horses, and hiking. Almost all the trails have a GPS setting on them. They also said that due to the lack of snow in some years, the trails are now being used by hikers and bikers. Who would of thought that? Years ago people would go up north for the fishing, but due to all the new toys everyone has, that is ruining the fishing. ( jet skis, speed boats ). Leon “Buckshot” Anderson retired after nearly 60 years of guiding for fishing, and the one thing he mentioned that has changed in guiding people for fishing is the fact they are now targeting small little lakes, where there is no jet skis or bigger boats making huge waves. He claimed the people are more interested in seeing wildlife (loons with chicks on their backs, eagles, otters, beavers, etc…) and catching something isn’t as important anymore.
I’ll have more about the conference in the coming days that you might like to see. In the Spirit of the Outdoors enjoy it.
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