June Issue Wisconsin Wildlife Management Bi-Monthly Report

Wildlife Management ReportWisconsin Department of Natural Resources

June 2011

Note: The following reports have been contributed by staff from the WDNR wildlife management and research programs, is compiled and edited by Bill Vander Zouwen, and designed by Meaghan Proctor. This report is intended to raise awareness of DNR staff and stakeholders regarding wildlife management activities, accomplishments, challenges and plans. We are hoping that these reports will help build a broad coalition working toward our shared vision of producing abundant wildlife for all who appreciate how wildlife contributes to their quality of life.

2 Bi-Monthly Wildlife Management Report

Staff Notes

Introducing Melissa Keenan, New VPA-HIP CoordinatorGreetings! My name is Melissa Keenan, and I am excited to begin my new role as the Voluntary Public

Access-Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) Coordinator. I grew up along the Mississippi River just outside the tiny town of Genoa, Wisconsin. I always loved the outdoors and spent a lot of time camping, hiking, and fishing with my family, but didn’t realize I wanted a career in natural resources until I attended college. I earned my Bachelor of Science in biology with a zoology emphasis and chemistry minor from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in May 2006. Prior to coming onboard with the Wisconsin DNR, I worked as a private lands specialist with the Iowa DNR, was one of the five original farm bill biologists with Pheasants Forever, was a private contractor completing acoustic bat surveys for WDNR, and most recently a North American Wetland Conservation Act biologist with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. I am excited to be up and running with the Voluntary Public Access program and hope to meet everyone as I work towards implementing this new program. ***Welcome aboard, Melissa!***

Summer Internships and Field Work ProgramsContributed by Jane Riley

This summer, six university students will assist wildlife staff in management and maintenance of wildlife areas in Shawano, Outagamie, Waupaca, Polk, Burnett, Washington, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, and Dodge counties. The students will have opportunities to learn about and participate in wildlife management, rare plant habitat conservation, and landscape-level restoration techniques. A majority of time is spent outdoors in a mixture of forest, wetland, and grassland habitat. This experience helps prepare students for a professional career in outdoor recreation, with a focus on habitat management and wildlife species management.

Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative

The Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC) met in early June under the leadership of Tom Melius (USFWS) and Becky Humphries (Ducks Unlimited). With only a couple weeks to submit a grant application, 49 high quality projects were submitted for funding. A project review committee ranked these projects and developed recommendations for the LCC Steering Committee to consider. One of the proposal-request themes was related to climate change impacts on Joint Venture Bird Conservation Plan design and delivery.

The LCC decided to continue to fund three multi-year projects which were initiated last year. They include a Great Lakes information management decision support system, a vulnerability assessment for terrestrial species of greatest conservation need, and a project to develop recommendations on methods for making critical habitat types more resilient to climate change. The LCC decided to fund eight projects with the remaining $1 million available. Funded projects included four that address priorities for bird conservation. They are titled: On a Wing and a (GIS) Layer: Prioritizing Migratory Bird Stopover Habitat along the Great Lakes Shoreline (with emphasis on wind turbine siting); Full Life Cycle Vulnerability Assessments for the Birds of the Upper Midwest Great Lakes Region; Distribution and Abundance of Breeding Birds in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Region as influenced by Climate and Land Cover Change; and Scenarios for Forest Reserve Expansion and Adaptive Management Under Alternative Climate Change Scenarios in the Northern Great lakes.

Contributed by Bill Vander Zouwen

3June 2011 Back to top

MIGRATORY BIRD PROGRAMContributed by Kent Van Horn and James ChristopoulosNatural Resources Board

The annual request for public hearings on the waterfowl season was made at the May 25th Natural Resources Board meeting, where members were also provided an update on the process of selecting new duck zone options. The Board approved the inclusion of the 3 potential new options as part of the normal August public hearing process, and afterwards, there were numerous contacts to Wildlife Bureau staff from duck hunters asking questions and providing input.

New Potential Duck Zone ConfigurationsThrough surveys, public input, and the Spring Hearings process, the

Department had received mixed feedback on the compromise U-shaped southern/big water zone that was proposed, and it became evident that the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan hunters did not necessarily want to be linked. Because of this, the Department felt the next move was to propose three new duck hunting zone options which are essentially variations of the previous proposals. These three new proposals will be taken out for public discussion and hearings this summer (and would still include a 4th option of keeping the current 2-zone season structure).

The dates listed here are just a starting point for discussion and not a Department recommendation. Given that a change in hunting zone structure is significant, we expect considerable public input on other potential season dates.1) Three zones (keep a north and south zone) with splits with Lake

Michigan as the 3rd zone. The Mississippi River would remain with the south zone. The north and south zones would likely be similar to recent years while the Lake Michigan zone might begin in mid-to-late October and would continue straight through mid-to-late December under a 60 day season.

2) Three zones (keep a north and south zone) with splits with the Mississippi River as the 3rd zone. Lake Michigan would remain with the south zone. There have been several different ideas presented by duck hunters about potential season dates for a Mississippi River zone; an earlier start with a long split, a later start, keep the current Saturday nearest October 1 start date with a longer split, etc. If the Mississippi River zone is selected, the season dates will continue to be discussed annually and can be changed annually depending on our experience and public input.

3) Four zones with north, south, Mississippi River, and Lake Michigan zones, with no opportunity to split annually. Under this scenario, the north zone would likely remain unchanged, the south zone hunters may elect to begin on the Saturday nearest October 1 and run for 60 days straight, the Lake Michigan zone would likely run as described above, however, the Mississippi River zone season would not be allowed a split.

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Because of delays at the federal level, it is not certain that these changes will be able to be implemented this year. Though the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has recently published the proposed rule to expand the duck hunting zone options, they are months behind schedule. We expect to know by the end of June whether this will move forward in 2011 at the federal level. The revised zone proposals are being reviewed by the USFWS, but since the boundaries are similar to previous proposals, we are moving forward to collect public input. It is important to remember that while season dates and splits can be debated annually, the zone structure must remain in place for a 5 year period.

Comments can be submitted to James Christopoulos by mail at WI DNR, PO Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, by phone at (608) 261-6458, or by email at [email protected]. Please be sure to include your preference for zones, splits, and season dates for all zones (or if you don’t have a preference let us know that as well), and also some background info such as where you live/hunt and why you selected your response. This will help us to develop a more complete picture of how to best meet the needs of Wisconsin’s diverse waterfowl hunters.

Environmental Assessment on Duck ZonesKent Van Horn submitted comments on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Environmental Assessment

of potential new duck zone options. Though Wisconsin contends that the federal government does not need to be involved in state level zone issues, because there are already mechanisms in place to adjust for annual fluctuations in duck populations, we do appreciate the steps made in the direction of giving states more flexibility for the scheduling of hunting seasons. Again, because of delays in the rule being published in the federal register, it remains unclear if the new zone options will be approved in time for the 2011 season or if they will be delayed.

Wisconsin Spring Waterfowl Breeding SurveySpring waterfowl transects were completed May 2- May 15th as part of a continental cooperative

survey. Surveys are initiated in the southern half of the state and progress northward over the following week. Over 40 DNR staff, USFWS personnel, and volunteers were involved in survey flights and ground transects. Sixty-six 30-mile long aerial transects are surveyed throughout the state, with ground counters verifying complete counts on portions of certain transects. The release of these data is much anticipated by duck hunters and will be made available as soon as analysis is completed in early June.

Other SurveysSpring breeding surveys have been underway for other migratory game bird species including goose,

woodcock, and mourning doves. These survey data are used by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Flyway Councils to make decisions on hunting regulations.

Contributed by Ricky LienWetland Restoration Training

Intensive training was provided to over 30 wetland restoration “practioners” at a week-long training event in March. Based at the Dane County Parks’ Lussier Center outside Madison, and modeled after a similar event that had occurred 17 years earlier, attendees from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), DNR Wildlife Management, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Wisconsin Waterfowl Association spent one week immersed in the science and art of one of the most complicated, but rewarding, habitat activities possible – wetland restoration. Tom Thrall, former NRCS employee, was lured out of retirement to coordinate the event, which benefited from an experienced steering committee composed of Kurt Waterstradt and Art Kitchen (FWS), Mike Foy and Wade Oehmichen (DNR) and Bob Weihrouch (NRCS).

Wetland Habitat Management


Ducks Unlimited CelebrationOn Saturday, June 4, 2011, the Wisconsin DNR

hosted Ducks Unlimited (DU) at the Sandhill Skills Center as they celebrated multiple milestones. First, DU and its partners gathered to celebrate the successful completion of dike renovation work that has improved the management of two large flowages at Meadow Valley Wildlife Area that total over 600 acres. The dikes that create the complex of flowages found at Meadow Valley total over 7 miles and dike renovation, which is needed periodically as dike age and lose their effectiveness, can cost as much as $80,000/mile. The work needed at Meadow Valley Wildlife Area exceeds the ability of local DNR budgets and could only be done by a partnership involving DU and local conservation groups. These partners joined with DU to secure a federal North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant. Expenditure of the grant and partner funds were completed this past winter, and DU and the DNR have subsequently obtained a second NAWCA

grant to be spent on dike renovation in 2011. A third NAWCA grant is already being considered.The second milestone being celebrated by DU was the benchmark of 100,000 acres of habitat being

conserved in Wisconsin over the past 18 years through projects in which DU has been involved with a multitude of partners. On hand to congratulate DU at the celebration were US Representative Ron Kind, DNR Executive Assistant Scott Gunderson and property manager Neal Paisley.

Contributed by Ricky Lien

DNR Executive Assistant Scott Gunderson, Rep. Ron Kind, Nels Swenson (DU State Chairman), Becky Humphries (DU Ann Arbor Office Director), and Jeff Maletzke (DU Major Donor Coordinator) gathered to commemorate the accomplishments of Ducks Unlimited.

Steering committee members and guest speakers covered topics such as:- wetland history- wetland hydrology, soils, and vegetation- wetland restoration program: funding and direction- waterfowl ecology and research- restoration design- NRCS standard 657 and engineering basics- wetland-associated upland management- invasive species management- water management for wildlife

The workshop involved both classroom instruction and field exercises, culminating in the attendees breaking into teams that were taken to potential restoration sites at which they had to develop preliminary wetland restoration plans.

The workshop continued ongoing efforts to provide wetland training to Wisconsin government staff and partner groups. It complements two training session provided in 2010 by world-renowned wetland expert Leigh Fredrickson.

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UPLAND GAME PROGRAM

Contributed by Scott Walter, Sharon Fandel and Krista McGinleySpring Wild Turkey Season Complete

With over 225,000 permits available, Wisconsin turkey hunters were offered another exciting opportunity to enjoy time afield in pursuit of a turkey during the Spring 2011 hunt. A total of 145,881 permits were awarded via the preference drawing, with an additional 64,503 sold to hunters via over-the-counter sales. The season framework was similar to that of previous years, with six sequential 5-day seasons, each running from Wednesday through Sunday. Hunters have been very supportive of this season structure, understanding that it serves to distribute hunting effort throughout the entire season, thereby reducing hunter interference and allowing hunters a high quality hunt. Annual surveys of turkey hunters consistently suggest that over 84% of hunters are satisfied or highly satisfied with the current six-season format. Data from registration stations are currently being compiled by DNR staff, but a late spring across much of the state led to poor hunting conditions during portions of the early time periods, with wind, snow, and rain potentially impacting hunter effort and success. Preliminary harvest totals are estimated at 38,772, which is a noticeable decrease from 2010’s spring turkey harvest of 47,722. The preliminary average permit success rate was 18.4%, compared to 22.3% in 2010. Final estimates of turkey harvest and hunter success rates will be available for each Turkey Management Zone by late June.

Process Underway for Turkey and Pheasant Stamp Project FundingHunters have a long history of supporting wildlife conservation in the United States via the purchase

of licenses, stamps, and hunting equipment, and nowhere are their contributions more vital than here in Wisconsin. Wisconsin turkey and pheasant hunters make significant annual contributions to wildlife management in the state via the purchase of turkey and pheasant stamps. DNR biologists, other agency staff, and members of partner organizations are allowed to apply for funds to support important habitat, education, equipment, research, and outreach endeavors that benefit turkey and pheasant populations in the state. Additionally, pheasant stamp funds are used to support the rearing and stocking of pheasants from the State Game Farm in Poynette and, more recently, have supported the activities of Wisconsin’s five Farm Bill Biologists. The Farm Bill Biologists operate through a partnership between the DNR, Pheasants Forever, and Natural Resources Conservation Service, and work to promote wildlife habitat development on private land in the state. To date they have been responsible for enrolling more than 18,000 acres state-wide.

Allocations from stamp accounts are made semi-annually, and decisions regarding which projects receive funding are made by committees whose members represent the DNR and all pertinent partner organizations. The Pheasant and Turkey Committees both met recently to determine project rankings and funding allocations for their respective stamp funds. Committee members had to make

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Farm Bill Policies and Wildlife

difficult decisions, as many more high-quality applications were received than could be supported with available funds. Fifty-two applications requesting over $936,000 for pheasant-related projects and 139 projects requesting nearly $2.9 million to support projects benefiting wild turkeys were received Recommendations from both committees will be presented to the DNR Wildlife Policy Team in June for approval.

Spring Ruffed Grouse Survey CompletePreliminary results are in for the annual ruffed grouse drumming survey, with indications that the

population index increased statewide by 38% between 2010 and 2011. This is based on the number of drumming grouse heard during early morning roadside surveys. Regional variations exist, most notably in the southern half of the state where ruffed grouse are fewer in numbers.

Drumming surveys were conducted along 84 transects throughout the state in 2011. These surveys have been conducted annually since 1964 to determine grouse population trends. Conducting the surveys is a team effort, with DNR wildlife staff, foresters, and wardens participating as well as cooperation from US Forest Service personnel and Ruffed Grouse Society members.

Brood production during the summer of 2010 was 3% lower than in 2009 and did not hint at the increase observed during the spring drumming surveys in 2011. Wisconsin’s primary ruffed grouse range, the Central and Northern Forest regions, both showed increases in breeding grouse. Good brood rearing conditions often can set the stage for healthy grouse numbers come fall; however, observations from this summer’s brood counts will not be available until August.

Contributed by Missy Sparrow, Sharon Fandel, Scott Walter, Melissa Keenan, and Alan CrossleyUpdate on Voluntary Public Access – Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP)

VPA-HIP was introduced as a component of the 2008 Farm Bill, and provides competitive funding for states with which to increase access to private lands for recreational purposes. Wisconsin was awarded $936,040 for 2010-11, and an additional $1,030,045 has tentatively been approved for 2011-12. VPA-HIP funds are used to purchase easements on private lands for hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife observation, and will significantly increase options and opportunities for citizens of Wisconsin.

Efforts toward full implementation of Wisconsin’s VPA-HIP are ramping up with the hiring of new VPA-HIP Coordinator Melissa Keenan (meet Melissa via the short biography in the ‘Staff News’ section), who began her duties on May 24th. Melissa will be stationed at the DNR Central Office in the Bureau of Wildlife Management, and can be contacted at [email protected].

Before the program could become operational in Wisconsin, a couple important logistical hurdles had to be cleared. Recently, both the Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) were completed, and are now undergoing a 30-day public comment period. Once the PEA and FONSI are finalized, funds will be released with which to start developing

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lease agreements with private landowners.Melissa will be meeting with Wildlife

Management staff in each of the four focus areas to help determine where we will focus our efforts and whether or not additional on-the-ground staff is needed to implement the program in that area. This will provide for the most efficient utilization of VPA-HIP funds in Wisconsin, and ensure that access to VPA-HIP lands is distributed so as to best serve state hunters, anglers, and trappers.

Of the total VPA-HIP funding awarded to Wisconsin, an estimated $1.4 million will be committed directly to leasing private lands over the next two years (contingent on receiving the second round of funding for 2011-12). DNR staff involved in the VPA-HIP program development have tentatively proposed that these funds be distributed amongst the four focus areas as follows:• Southwest Focus area - $150,000. The focus in this area will be to increase fishing access to the

numerous high-quality trout streams present.• West Central Focus area - $300,000• South/Southeast Focus area - $300,000• Northeast/Fox River Valley - $300,000• Upgrading current PHGs - $308,000. Wisconsin has an existing private lands leasing program (Public

Hunting Grounds, or PHG, program), and it is hoped that landowners involved in this program will be willing to sign a VPA-HIP easement contract. The higher per-acre payments offered under the VPA-HIP lease should ensure that these lands continue to provide opportunity for access to hunters. Landowners wishing to do so may remain in the older PHG program.

The funding distribution may be adjusted over time depending on need/demand within each of the focus areas.

Wisconsin’s outdoor enthusiasts should prepare to take advantage of the new opportunities presented by the VPA-HIP program. Enrolled lands will be posted with appropriate signage, and maps of enrolled lands will be available via the DNR website at dnr.wi.gov.

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Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act Projects

The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act Project Review Committee met in Milwaukee in early June. The Committee had $1.9 million to grant to projects that best fulfilled the objectives of the Act. One of the objectives relates to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture (JV) All Bird Plan. If approved, the final recommendations of the Project Review Committee will fund some habitat and research projects that address priorities of our JV all bird plan.

Contributed by Bill Vander Zouwen

dnr.wi.gov


DEER PROGRAMContributed by Linda Olver2011 Deer Season Set

The Natural Resources Board approved the proposed 2011 deer season structure. The season structure map is available on-line at the DNR’s deer internet page: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/HUNT/DEER/dmu.htm. In 2011, there will be 38 Regular Units, 74 Herd Control Units, and 22 Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CWD-MZ) Units. With the deer population increasing in parts of northeastern Wisconsin, there are fewer management units designated as ‘buck only’ units. Ten of the 38 Regular Units will be ‘buck only’ this year, as opposed to 18 ‘buck only’ units in 2010. The October 4-day antlerless hunt, formerly held in Herd Control and CWD-MZ Units, will occur in the CWD-MZ only. As in 2010, there will be no Earn-A-Buck (EAB) requirements outside of the CWD-MZ. However, the EAB rules in place within the CWD-MZ will be different in 2011 than in 2010. In the CWD-MZ during the 2011 deer seasons, the EAB requirements do not apply to a person’s one Gun Buck Deer Carcass Tag or to a person’s one Archery Buck Deer Carcass Tag. All subsequent buck deer taken in the CWD-MZ must follow EAB rules that require a hunter to harvest a doe prior to being authorized to shoot a buck. Antlerless permits for Regular Units will go on sale at noon on August 20, 2011 for units outside of the CWD zone. As in the past, there is no fee for antlerless permits for use in the CWD zone.

Assisted Elk DispersalThe objective of the assisted dispersal

strategy, which has been used in other Eastern states, is to establish new calf-cow groups in an unoccupied part of Wisconsin’s elk range. Eight elk cows and 4 bulls were captured in January 2011 near Clam Lake and held in an ‘acclimation pen’ until ‘green up’. On May 18th, biologists opened a section of the acclimation pen fencing, thus releasing the elk. More information on elk in Wisconsin is available on the DNR web page at the following link: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/Elk/.Ro

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2011 Deer Season Structure

Regular Unit - Buck Only - No bonus antlerless permits available Herd Control Unit - Bucks and unlimited $2 antlerless permits

Non-Quota Area - No permits available CWD Unit - 1 archery buck, 1 gun buck, additional bucks under EAB rules, and unlimited antlerless deer

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Unit 48 firearm season is for tribal members only - season set by Menominee Tribe

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/HUNT/DEER/dmu.htm



http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/Elk/


Contributed by Tami Ryan and Wildlife Health Section StaffCWD - Statewide Surveillance via Cooperative Taxidermist Sampling

Since 2002, when Chronic Wasting Disease was first recognized in Wisconsin’s wild deer herd, much of the WDNR’s statewide sampling and surveillance efforts have depended upon collection of heads from cooperative stations (private businesses working in conjunction with the DNR in exchange for monetary incentives). In recent years, the cooperation of these private businesses has become increasingly vital to the success of our sampling programs.

In 2009, the DNR began a cooperative station field sampling pilot project, allowing 2 private business owners to receive training to extract lymph nodes at their stations rather than having to collect whole heads. In 2010, the program was extended to include 9 private stations.

For the 2011 season, the DNR hopes to enlist the assistance of taxidermists from the Wisconsin Taxidermist Association in order to increase the value of collected tissues and the amount of sampling area that we can effectively cover. Because the majority of deer that will be seen by taxidermists are

mature adult bucks, the samples become more valuable overall than the samples from various-aged deer traditionally collected at registration stations. Prevalence rates of CWD in adult bucks are higher than that of any other demographic group, so with the assistance of taxidermists collecting samples from mature deer, the DNR may be more certain that CWD does not exist outside of the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone in South-Central and Southeast regions of the state.

Additionally, the DNR will also have a higher likelihood of detecting new CWD

foci earlier than foci have been detected previously. In exchange for sampling assistance, taxidermists will receive compensation for every sample collected, and will receive deer aging training and sampling training from DNR staff.

For the 2011 pilot program, the DNR would like to enlist the assistance of at least one taxidermist from each of the following county groupings: Buffalo, Waupaca or Waushara, Ashland/Iron, Florence/Forest, Waukesha/Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha. The reason for selecting specific counties for the coming year is that these are the counties where sampling coverage is most needed.

CWD Outreach & EducationThe www.KnowCWD.com website will go live on June 24. This new website will also feature an

educational video with interviews with experts from Colorado and Wyoming. Our marketing contractor is close to beginning production on television ads that will run this fall with some spots during Packer games (provided there is an NFL season). There will also be Hunt.Harvest.Help features in the summer and fall issues of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine.

Meeting with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)In keeping with the Memorandum of Understanding between WDNR and IDNR, staff from both

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www.KnowCWD.com


Wildlife HealthContributed by Tami Ryan and Wildlife Health Section StaffWisconsin Bald Eagle Biosentinel Program

The Wisconsin Bald Eagle Biosentinel Program, a research program in Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Science Services, has tracked eagle productivity and contaminant levels in Wisconsin since 1990, with an emphasis on eagles nesting along the Great Lakes shoreline. Aerial surveys have shown that the Wisconsin Lake Superior bald eagle population has recovered in numbers and reproductive per formance has improved. Concurrently, contaminant levels in these eagles have markedly declined. Since 2006, the National Park Service has supported work to track contaminant levels of Wisconsin eagles nesting at Lake Superior sites, illustrating that contaminant levels have continued to decline or remained level.

At Wisconsin Green Bay/Lake Michigan nest sites, WDNR and US Fish and Wildlife Service measured very low reproductive performance and high contaminant levels in the 1990s. WDNR aerial surveys have recently shown that Wisconsin Green Bay/Lake Michigan eagle numbers increased 5-fold, and productivity has dramatically improved. A collaborative project between WDNR-Wildlife Management Wildlife Health, WDNR-Science Services, and the USFWS began in May to investigate continued aerial surveys and nestling blood sampling for contaminant analysis to assess whether the dramatic improvement in Green Bay/Lake Michigan eagle performance is related to a decline in contaminant exposure.

Special Mercury Issue of the Journal EcotoxicologyA manuscript describing mercury accumulation in swamp sparrows from different Wisconsin wetland

habitats has been accepted to be published in a special issue of the journal Ecotoxicology. This special issue will contain manuscripts describing mercury accumulation in fish and wildlife populations within the

agencies met to discuss the current state of knowledge of CWD in both states and provide an opportunity for our new Secretary’s office administrators to meet their Illinois counterparts.

Town of Almond Deer Farm, Portage CountyIn March 2011, the Natural Resources Board authorized the Department to purchase Buckhorn Flats

in the Town of Almond in Portage County. Acquisition was pursued because the Department believes that, due to the high prevalence of CWD detected upon depopulation in 2006, there is an unacceptable potential risk of exposure to CWD causing prions to wild deer should the fencing be removed (which was likely to occur upon the expiration of the fencing premise plan on May 24th, 2011). The farm was purchased in April and is a wildlife management property, which will allow the Department to maintain the deer proof fence. This will protect wild deer from CWD infection from the contaminated soil on this former deer farm. The property will be used for CWD research.

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Great Lakes basin including contributions from our WDNR wildlife toxicologist. This issue is expected to be published in the fall of 2011.

Minnesota Loon Necropsy CollaborationThe Wildlife Health Section participated in the evaluation of loon carcasses from the state of Minnesota.

The group effort involved the necropsies of 13 loons to determine cause of death and to evaluate elemental toxicities, including lead. As wildlife cross freely across state lines, it is of great advantage to have partnerships with our neighboring states for collaboration on wildlife health issues.

Wisconsin White-tailed Deer ResearchThe Wildlife Health Section’s Necropsy Team continues to provide assistance to Science Services on

the multi-year deer research project that began this past winter to investigate survival and cause-specific mortality of adult deer as well as fawn recruitment and survival. Wildlife Health staff have played a primary role in determining cause of death for research deer.

Animal Care and Use CommitteeAfter an extended hiatus due to staff changes in the Wildlife Health Section, we are please to report

that the WDNR Animal Care and Use Committee is up and running once again. The first meeting of this committee was held to evaluate research proposals that involve handling of Wisconsin wildlife per Animal Welfare Act requirements. The committee is made up of members from Science Services, Endangered Resources, and Wildlife Management as well as an outside expert.

White Nose SyndromeIn preparation for the anticipated arrival of

White-Nose Syndrome in Wisconsin, members of the Wildlife Health Section have been involved in the development of a strategic implementation plan to manage the disease. This team effort, lead by the WDNR Bureau of Endangered Resources, was recently awarded the Secretary’s PRIDE Dream Team award.

Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Liaison has been working with the wildlife rehabilitation community by disseminating White-Nose Syndrome information and how the rehabilitation of cave bat species is affected because of this disease. As a result of cave bats being listed as threatened, there are specific protocols rehabilitators must now comply with.

Wildlife RehabilitationThe 2011 Directory of Licensed Wisconsin Wildlife Rehabilitators has been updated and is available

on the WDNR wildlife rehabilitation web pages and on the Wildlife Management Intranet. Within the next couple of weeks, hard copies of the directory will be available and distributed to licensed wildlife rehabilitators, customer service centers, and to those who have requested a copy.

Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Liaison toured wildlife rehabilitation facilities in the Southeast region, taking the opportunity to meet with licensed rehabilitators and discuss current issues or ideas for education and outreach to communities and the public. During this time a facility inspection for a new wildlife rehabilitation facility was conducted. Inspections are a critical step in the licensing process that helps ensure the wildlife species are provided with the necessary care before they are released back into their natural habitats.


Chemical Immobilization of Wisconsin WildlifeA new procedure for double ear-tagging wildlife that has been chemically immobilized during research

projects or nuisance removal operations, but which could be harvested for consumption (primarily deer and bear), has been instituted in collaboration with USDA-Wildlife Services. Red-colored, uniquely numbered ear tags have been issued to staff that conduct wildlife chemical immobilizations. These ear tags are imprinted with a toll free number that USDA-Wildlife Services staff operate, to assist citizens who harvest a tagged deer or bear determine if the meat is safe to consume based on how much time has passed since the animal was immobilized.

Sharp-tailed Grouse TranslocationWildlife Health staff provided training in sharp-tailed grouse health screening sample collection to DNR

field staff who conduct translocation efforts. Blood samples were collected from 10 sharp-tailed grouse hens that were translocated, and samples were analyzed for antibodies that could indicate exposure to avian influenza, Newcastle’s Disease, and 3 types of Mycoplasmas. All test results indicated no signs of exposure to these infectious diseases.

Lead Action PlanThe Wildlife Health Section hosted a quarterly Bureau of Wildlife Management

meeting in May. Bringing the Lead Action Plan to life was the theme and was accomplished by featuring specific action items including a demonstration of comparable pricing between lead and steel shot as well as lead and non-lead fishing tackle, a non-toxic shot educational kiosk, our participation and plans to conduct Cooperative North American Shotgun Program workshops which focus on non-toxic shot; and a copper bullet demonstration which will go on the road later this summer or early fall.

Wildlife ResearchContributed by Jessica Kitchell and Other Research StaffWhite-tailed Deer Research Update

As of June 3, 2011, field crews have captured 65 fawns in the east-central study area, including 33 males and 32 females. Forty-six radiocollars have been deployed, and an additional 19 fawns have been ear tagged/tattooed. Six mortalities been documented (1 vehicle collision, 1 predation, 4 starvation). Currently, 40 radio-collared fawns are on air.

In the northern forest study area, field crews have captured 34 fawns, including 19 males and 15 females. Twenty-eight radiocollars have been deployed, and an additional 6 fawns have been ear tagged/tattooed. Six mortalities have been W

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documented (5 suspected predation, 1 unknown). Currently, 22 radio-collared fawns are on air.Outreach has been very successful, with in excess of 200 individuals assisting with fawn capture. These

include civilian volunteers, field staff, and DNR staff who have graciously donated their time to help in this historic effort. Additionally, citizens across the state have called in sightings of fawns, providing several quick and relatively easy capture opportunities.

Field crews continue to monitor weekly movement and survival status of winter-captured deer, including 87 collared deer in the northern forest (54 males and 33 females) and 81 collared deer in the east-central region (split near equally among males and females). No mortality events have been documented since early May.

For more information, visit online at: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/wildlife/deer/.

Tetracycline Based Black Bear Population Estimation Update

The bear tetracycline research study baiting period wrapped up on May 31. Biologists and volunteers were enormously successful in deploying baits. Data isn’t back yet, but biologists estimate over 98% of target baits will have been deployed. Data sheets are being returned and initial results along with conversations with participants indicate that hit rates were low early and picked up a bit later in May. The cold wet weather in late April-early May likely reduced visitation rates, but the good visitation later should ensure an adequate number of marked animals to produce a robust population estimate. Results from the baiting effort will be available by the end of June. We greatly appreciate the efforts of many members of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, who placed many of the tetracycline baits out in the woods across the bear range.

Wisconsin Wildlife Surveys ReportsWisconsin Wildlife Surveys reports are distributed on a

biannual basis in April and August. Reports found in the annual April Wildlife Surveys Report have been updated

and can be found using this link: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/harvest/harvest.htm.The reports that have been updated recently are as follows:

Big Game• Black Bear Damage and Nuisance Complaints• White-tailed Deer Population Status• Summer Deer Observations• Deer Hunter Wildlife Survey• Gun Deer Hunting Questionnaire• Chronic Wasting Disease in Wisconsin Deer• Spring Turkey Hunting Questionnaire• Fall Turkey Hunting Questionnaire• Wild Turkey Landowner Brood Survey

Small Game• Sharp-tailed Grouse Harvest & Hunter Survey• Summer Wildlife Inquiry• Ten Week Brood Observations

Nongame• Bird Banding Accomplishments• Rare Mammal Observations• Wisconsin Bald Eagle and Osprey Surveys• Annual Mammal Survey

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http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/harvest/harvest.htm


FURBEARER PROGRAMContributed by John Olson and Shawn RosslerWildlife Fur School – April 4-8

The Furbearer Program successfully held the 2011 Wildlife Fur School during the first week of April. A total of 17 participants attended this years training including professionals from Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Forest County Potawatomi, Bad River Band, Minnesota USDA Wildlife Services, and Dane County Regional Airport. Topics covered included furbearer management in Wisconsin, Convention of the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), fur handling, trapper education, specimen collections (skull boiling!), and furbearer diseases. Wildlife Fur Schools have provided wildlife professionals exposure and experience to furbearer related topics for the past 16 years. This week-long program was immediately preceded by UW-Madison Fur School, a 3-day compact version of the same. Since 2002, we have conducted 25 University Fur Schools throughout the state to over 500 future biologists, naturalists, park managers, and administrators. This awareness and understanding is beginning to have a positive influence for science-based, reasonable management of this unique complement of wildlife species known as ‘furbearers’.

Furbearer Harvest Seasons CompleteThe season in the northern harvest zones for beaver and otter ended on April 30th and marked the close

of all regulated 2010-2011 furbearer harvest seasons. Over all, with thousands of hunters and trappers involved in regulated take, it was a successful season. With hundreds of highly trained conservation officers monitoring harvest activities and citizens that are trained through such programs as mandatory hunter education and mandatory trapper education, landowner respect was exemplary. Above and beyond just knowing the rules and regulations, hunters and trappers are trained in understanding their responsibilities and in practicing personal ethics; respect for the animal being taken; respect for the world from which it’s taken; and respect for the natural resources from which it came. Within this large group of furbearers there are limited permit species which includes bobcat, fisher, and river otter whereby an application process, permit issuance, site tagging, pelt registration, and carcass submission are key components of their management.

Midwest Furbearer Workshop May 2-5The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), Wisconsin Trappers Association (WTA)

and the Friends of Crex hosted the Midwest Furbearer Workshop on May 2 – 5, 2011. Presentations, discussion and lunch took place at the Crex Meadows Education Center in Grantsburg, Wisconsin. A field trip was held on the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area and Folle Avonne historic fur trading center and fort.

Thirty (30) participants attended the workshop in 2011, including state furbearer biologists from 10 Midwest member states (North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Wisconsin) and attendees from other organizations and agencies including U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, WDNR Integrated Science Services,

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Bad River Band of Ojibwa Indians, Fur Takers of America, Wisconsin Trappers Association, and wildlife biologists from the Bureau of Wildlife Management, WDNR.

Professional presentations included the following topics: marten research in northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota, fisher research in northern Minnesota, river otter management in Kansas, bobcat management in northern Wisconsin, bobcat research in southern Wisconsin, bobcat genetic research in Ohio, cougar management in North Dakota and Missouri, Best Management Practices for Trapping in the United States, scat detector dogs and genetic analysis of lions in northwest Nebraska, trapper education in Kentucky, citizen science and endangered marten in Wisconsin, and furbearer management on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. This workshop was followed by a business meeting of Midwestern Furbearer Biologist with a formal report submitted to the Midwestern Fish and Wildlife Agencies Directors Group.

Horicon Meeting – May 26On May 26th, biologists from the Horicon

National Wildlife Refuge and Horicon State Wildlife Management Area, met with WDNR furbearer staff to discuss furbearer management relative to this magnificent marsh; the largest freshwater cattail wetland in the world! This review included the recent fur farm auction, last years trapping season, ways to meet harvest expectations, new methods to survey furbearer populations (on the marsh), and plans for the 2011 fall auction. During the 2010-11 trapping season, a total of 27,247 muskrats were harvested on the marsh (24,299 on the federal portion and 2,948 on the state portion). Even though upland trapping was open to any licensed trapper, few took advantage of this great opportunity. A group discussion of how to increase upland trapping efforts on the marsh generated a few ideas for the future. The 2011 fall auction will be held on September 27th, with the doors of the federal office opening at 5 p.m. with the auction at 6 p.m. (plans subject to change).

Trapper Education Program Beaver Dam Expo – May 19 – 20, 2011: The Wisconsin Cooperative Trapper Education Program and

Wisconsin Trappers Association participated in the Outdoor Education Expo in Beaver Dam. Designed specifically for youth from Wisconsin, hundreds of young people were mentored on various aspects of modern-day furbearer management, learned about Wisconsin furbearers, different restraints systems, and how to respect the regulated take of furbearers through proper methods of fur handling of both muskrats and river otter.

The Future Trappers of Wisconsin (FTW): The Wisconsin Trappers Association and the WDNR Wildlife program will be hosting two, week-long educational camps during the summer of 2011. A general Youth Fur School or Trapping Camp will be held June 20-24 at the Sandhill Wildlife Area, and is open to anyone 18 years and younger (contact Nick Shumaker for additional details [email protected]). The second Youth Fur School or Water Trapping Camp, focused specifically on water trapping techniques, will be held August 8-12 at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area near Grantsburg, WI. Completion of the general camp is required before signing up for the water camp in August.

Contributed by Shawn Rossler

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BEAR PROGRAMContributed by Linda OlverBear Carcass Samples Now Required at Time of Registration

The 2011 Spring Hearing question regarding a DNR rule change proposal to make it mandatory for successful bear hunters to submit bear carcass samples, if requested, for research purposes passed with 3,372 votes Yes and 1,352 votes No. Seventy-one counties approved and one county (Ozaukee) rejected the proposal. The Natural Resources Board voted to approve the rule change proposal at their May 25, 2011 meeting. The rule change proposal (Board Order WM-01-11) is available at this link: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/May/05-11-3B2.pdf. Prior to this rule change, successful bear hunters were not required to submit bear tissue samples. This rule change will help to ensure the success of studies like the bear population study that is currently in progress. Accurate population estimates are essential for setting appropriate harvest quotas and permit levels.

On-line Reporting of Bear SightingsMany people are utilizing the DNR’s on-line bear observation reporting tool (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/

wildlife/harvest/bearbobcat.htm). Bear sightings provide important data for monitoring bear distribution in areas of the state where they are observed on an occasional or rare basis. While reports of bear sightings do not provide a bear population estimate, they do provide wildlife managers, community officials, and the public at large with general distribution data. Utilizing public observation is a cost-effective way to collect reports which will be used to produce a map of sightings in 2011. The observation power of the public at large is great and cannot be matched by a limited DNR staff. Please consider using the on-line tool if you have observed a bear in the southern half of Wisconsin. Thank you to those who have reported their sightings and please continue to use the on-line reporting form if you see more bear.

Wolf Stewards Meeting – April 28th and 29th The Wisconsin DNR Wolf Program, Timber Wolf Alliance, North Lakeland Discovery Center, USDA-

APHIS Wildlife Services, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Wildlife Federation hosted the 2011 Wolf Stewards Conference at Lakewoods Resort near Cable, Wisconsin. The conference provided an opportunity for wolf biologists and researchers from the Great Lakes Region (MN, MI, WI, and Ontario) to discuss topics related to the current status of wolves in their region, depredation management updates, and recent research findings. This year, a representative from the US Fish and Wildlife Service discussed details of the proposed Gray Wolf Delisting Rule for Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment. Genetic researchers from Oregon, Ontario, and New York presented their latest research and answered questions regarding how genetics could influence management of wolves in the Great Lakes Region. The furbearer program presented the progress on developing a Best Management Practices for trapping (BMP) wolves. Dick Thiel, previous Wisconsin wolf biologist, author, and recently retired naturalist was the keynote speaker presenting a unique review of the history of wolf management in the Great Lakes States.

Contributed by John Olson

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http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/May/05-11-3B2.pdf

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/2011/May/05-11-3B2.pdf

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/harvest/bearbobcat.htm

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/harvest/bearbobcat.htm


Contributed by Alan CrossleyForest Certification

Wildlife lands continue to be certified by Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as part of a larger forest certification process for all land owned by WDNR. Certification is an independent, third-party verification system that evaluates and recognizes sustainable and responsible forest management and procurement practices. Sustainability includes maintenance of the ecological, economic, and social components of forests and surrounding communities. For the most part certification serves as a way for us to make sure we are doing the things that we said we are or should be doing anyway, by administrative rule, manual code and/or good public policy. Certified lands in Wisconsin include:• Wisconsin State Forests - 517,734 acres• Wisconsin DNR Land Division - 1,080,675 acres• Wisconsin County Forests - 2,353,897 acres in 27

counties• Managed Forest Law - 2,239,205 acres under

41,875 orders with private landowners

Non-Forest Biomass GuidelinesScott Hull and Julie Arntzen have been leading a team of DNR, DATCP, and University of Wisconsin

staff to develop non-forest biomass harvest guidelines. Interest in bioenergy is increasing because of rising energy prices, environmental concerns, and policies providing incentives to produce renewable energy. The expansion of a grass and non-forest biomass industry has the potential to benefit Wisconsin’s water quality, wildlife habitats, and agricultural sectors by reducing erosion, providing markets for materials removed in habitat management of natural areas, expanding markets for agricultural products, creating jobs, and reducing reliance on non-renewable fuels. However, concerns have been raised about the sustainability and natural resource impacts of increased planting and removal of non-forest biomass from Wisconsin’s grassland and agricultural landscapes. This team is trying to understand these potential impacts and assure that the production of non-forest biomass is completed within the framework of

sustainable resource management. A final report is expected by late summer. You can track progress by visiting: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/wildlife/biomass.htm.

User SurveysWe are in the early stages of trying to develop

survey methodologies to assess the users of state wildlife areas:

• Who uses wildlife areas• What do they do when they visit• When do they do it

• Where do they come from

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http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/wildlife/biomass.htm

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/wildlife/biomass.htm


WILDLIFE RULES AND REGULATIONSContributed by Scott LoomansAdministrative Rules

Wildlife Management is working with Fisheries and Legal Services to revise our rulemaking processes with the passage of ACT 21 (Special Session Assembly Bill 8) which goes into effect on June 8. We will also need to consult with the Conservation Congress and interest groups once a new rule-making timeline has been developed. Rules will be on a longer time frame and will need an economic analysis. DNR is in the process of hiring an economist to help. Fish and wildlife rules now on a one-year cycle will likely go to two years. All other rules will likely require at least two years.

Some rules that are currently being promulgated, including the 2011 Spring Hearing and migratory bird rules, should still be able to proceed mostly under the old timeline and be in effect this year.

Wildlife Management Spring HearingIn May, the Natural Resources Board adopted the spring hearing rules package. There was significant

discussion among Natural Resources Board members about extending each of the spring turkey hunting periods by two days. The final decision was to add Monday and Tuesday to the seasons, but there were concerns about people being able to scout on Monday and Tuesday without disturbing other hunters and not having the two day ‘rest period’ between seasons.

Extending the archery deer hunting season so that it is open concurrently with the firearm deer hunting season was initially proposed to be effective in 2012 in order to better coordinate the timelines of regulation pamphlet printing and the rule making process. Several individuals requested a 2011 effective date, and the Board agreed. In this proposal, the season extension will be effective for this fall’s

Land Management System (LMS) The Land Management Core Team had their first kick-off meeting in mid-May. The group

identified five priority areas that we will focus on in the coming months and into FY12:1) Building a database on Infrastructure2) Populating/automating a prescribed burn proposal process/form3) Automating and integrating the accomplishment reporting system into a more meaningful process4) Generating a workplanning/budgeting section5) Automating and integrating a share crop agreement/form

The group identified automating the prescribed burn evaluation as a priority with a target release date of January 1, 2012.

Contributed by Jeff Walters

• Some measure of who isn’t using our properties and whyThe answers to these questions could be used by Wildlife to:• Influence where we buy land• Shape our capital development project priorities• Inform the objectives of our master plans• Build broader support for what we do on wildlife areas, socially and hopefully financially.


hunting season. Because the rule making process will not be complete when regulations go to the printer, the regulations will contain a notice that archery hunting may be allowed and a recommendation that hunters contact the DNR or watch for media releases.

The Department recommended repealing the blaze orange requirement during elk hunting seasons. Voting on this proposal was essentially tied – it lost by just 22 votes out of 4,576 votes cast. The proposal was supported in 38 counties, lost in 28 and tied in 6. In deciding to recommend this proposal, the Department considered that there will be no more than five state licensed elk hunters for the foreseeable future. Each of those hunters will have recently taken an elk hunter class where they will be reminded about safe hunting techniques and identifying their target. This likely represents a very low safety risk considering that there are many more bear, small game, and archery deer hunters currently in the woods at the same time in September – with no blaze orange and a good safety record. Under the proposal, blaze orange would still be required whenever a firearm deer season is open.

Based on the results of voting, the Department did not recommend adoption of proposals that would have prohibited the discharge of firearms, except for legal hunting, on department managed lands in Pierce and St. Croix counties. Statewide voting was supportive but the proposal lost in those two counties. Because target shooting in those two counties is not a resource or opportunity of statewide significance, we looked more closely at the results of local voting in making this recommendation.

The version of the Spring Hearing rule that is being sent to the legislature for review this summer includes the following provisions:1. Repeal the sunset of a two-year trial period for the extended fall turkey hunting season so that this

December hunt will become permanent.2. Extend each of the six-consecutive five-day spring turkey hunting seasons by two days. New seasons

would run from Wednesday through the following Tuesday.3. Eliminate the archery deer hunting season closure during the traditional November nine-day gun

deer season.4. Repeal the requirement that elk hunters must wear blaze orange except when a firearm deer season

is open.5. Establish a September firearm and archery hunting season for elk. The season would run concurrently

with the first 30 days of the archery deer hunting season.6. Allow a landowner, lessees, or occupant of private land, or any other person with permission of the

landowner, lessee, or occupant, to shoot a cougar that is in the act of killing, wounding, or biting a domestic animal and require that the carcass of the cougar be turned over to the Department. Department rules already allow landowners, lessees, or occupants to shoot a wolf in the same situation, although the authority is currently pre-empted by federal rule. These sections clarify that, in addition to the landowner, lessee, or occupant, the authority to shoot a wolf also applies to employees and family members should wolves be delisted at the federal level.

7. Allow normal hunting hours for pheasants on weekends at stocked properties that otherwise close at 2:00 p.m.

8. Require that, if asked, bear hunters must provide carcass samples to the Department at the time of harvest registration for purposes of research.

9. Allow the use of rifles, in addition to shotguns, for firearm deer hunting in all of Waupaca County.10. Allow firearm deer hunting at Copper Falls State Park during the traditional nine-day and

muzzleloader-only seasons.11. Include Manitowoc in the list of counties where the discharge of firearms on Department lands is

prohibited except while hunting, dog training, or at established ranges.


National Archery in the School Program and Community Archery

On April 1st and 2nd, over 700 students from 37 schools participated in the 6th annual Wisconsin National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament. Several of the schools that participated had teams and individuals qualify for the national tournament in May in Louisville Kentucky. East DePere High School set an all-time high score on their way to capturing the 1st place high school team crown. Osseo middle school took the middle school top spot and Portage

Elementary took home 1st in the Elementary division.The Wisconsin Archery Alliance did another terrific job running the tournament. They awarded each shooter a participation medal and a team spirit award for

each day of the tournament. Both of these where new this year and seemed to be a huge hit with everyone involved!

Along with the NASP program we are also working with the Archery Trade Association (ATA) to grow interest and support for building

an archery range and programs in the Dane County area. The ATA has developed several ‘next step’ programs to the NASP and also offer Park and Recreation Departments equipment and curriculums so they can offer

these programs at no extra cost. Some of these programs include the Explore Bowhunting program, The Community Archery Strategy, and others. These

programs have been very successful in many other states and we are very excited to be working with the ATA to set these up in Wisconsin. Training for Park and

Recreation staff for these programs is part of the Archery Academy offered by the ATA and we are currently working to set a training date and location to get several

Dane County Park and Recreation staff trained so they can incorporate these programs in 2012.Several other communities have expressed interest in these academies and programs, and we

will continue to work to satisfy those interests and grow archery and archery programs state-wide using NASP and the programs offered by the ATA.

Submitted by Dan Schroeder

Hunting Regulations BookletsThe regulation booklets for the 2011 small game, 2011 fall turkey, and 2012 spring turkey seasons

are now available. You can pick up a copy of the regulations at a DNR Service Center or ALIS vendor near year. If you prefer your regulation booklet in an electronic format then you can find it, as well as the booklets for other hunting seasons, on the DNR website at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/regs/. Most recently, the 2011 Early Goose regulations pamphlet was made available electronically on the same website. Printed copies of the Early Goose regulations should be available in July anywhere you purchase hunting licenses. Other regulation booklets, such as the 2011 deer regulations and 2011 trapping regulations, will be added to the above website as they are finished. Oftentimes you will be able to access the electronic copies of these regulations up to a month before the print versions are available. So why not check out one of the electronic versions of the regulations, and start planning your hunt early? While summer may have just started, fall hunts are right around the corner!

Contributed by Meaghan Proctor

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/regs/

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/regs/


Bird CityThe Bird City Wisconsin Program (http://www.birdcitywisconsin.org/) is surging

forward in its first full year of existence. This program has now recognized 20 communities around the state for their proactive efforts to conserve birds and create healthier communities. Communities need to meet criteria in a number of categories including education, habitat, species management, and outreach. The next deadline for sign-up is July 1. If you think your city would qualify, please contact Carl Schwartz at the website above.

Wisconsin Bird Conservation InitiativeContributed by Andy Paulios, Yoyi Steele, and Ryan BradyWBCI All-bird Plan Southern Forest Habitat Pages

The first of the southern forest cover type Habitat Pages for the WBCI All-bird Plan, Bottomland Hardwood, has been completed and is now posted to the All-bird Plan site:

http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/plan/habitats/BottomlandHardwood.htmThis page describes the Bottomland Hardwood cover type and its

importance as habitat for Wisconsin birds, including threats, an overview of ecological opportunities, management recommendations, and a list of WBCI Priority Species that use the habitat.

This information should prove very useful to land managers, private landowners, and other partners interested in managing bottomland hardwoods for birds. The next southern forest Habitat Page to be posted will be Oak, which is in production and nearing completion.

WBCI Bird Monitoring ProgramsIt’s June, and the annual bird monitoring cycle is in full swing! Volunteers are scouring the state from late

March until early July, participating in a number of important programs that help us to more effectively conserve migratory bird populations. Highlights and updates from 2011 include:• Red-shouldered Hawk Survey: High water and the late spring made the second annual Red-shouldered Hawk survey a difficult one. Many observers had trouble completing routes due to the floods in Southwest Wisconsin, and many observers in northern and central Wisconsin were greeted with 6-10 inches of snow well into April!• Owl Monitoring: Early returns on this year’s owl survey suggest good volunteer participation and good numbers of owl detections. Barred Owls seemed to fare well this winter, and a good number of saw-whet owls were also reported. Of interest, a birder found a Great Gray Owl this Spring in Douglas County.• Marshibird Monitoring: The month of May has been M

ick

Lobb

http://www.birdcitywisconsin.org/

http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/plan/habitats/BottomlandHardwood.htm


Contributed by Brad KoeleWildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program (WDACP)

The Department has finished review of the 2010 wildlife damage claims submitted through the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program. A total of 375 wildlife damage claims were submitted for damages to agricultural crops from deer, bear, turkey and/or geese. Total appraised damages in 2010 totaled approximately $1.58 million. The Department approved payments on 318 claims, with approximately $1.08 million in damage compensation being paid to farmers. Fifty-five damage claims were denied payment for failure to meet program requirements; most commonly, enrollees did not meet their required deer harvest objective, or crop damages did not exceed the $500 deductable required on each claim. Two claims remain in abeyance pending litigation that alleges program fraud. In 2009, 415 damages were submitted, totaling approximately $1.96 million in appraised crop damages. In that year 351 damages were paid by the Department, with approximately $1.22 million in damage compensation being paid to farmers.

In 2010, 985 landowners enrolled in the Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims Program which opened more than 175,000 acres of land to deer, bear, turkey, and/or goose hunters. Approximately 202,000 acres of privately owned land were opened to hunters through the WDACP in 2009. Final program reports will be available in July.

Canada Goose Nest and Egg Depredation PermitsThis spring, the Department issued 127 permits to municipalities, businesses, homeowner associations

and others to oil eggs or remove the nests of resident Canada geese. Permits are most commonly issued to slow the growth of local goose populations and prevent associated nuisance problems or to remove the nests of aggressive geese that have nested close to building entrances and are causing safety concerns. The Department first began issuing permits in 2008. Prior to 2008, Canada goose egg oiling and nest removal activities required a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which cost $50 for homeowners and $100 for businesses. There is no fee associated with the state permit. The 127 permits issued in 2011 is an increase from 115 permits issued in 2010 and 96 permits in 2009. Permits are valid from March 1 through June 31, and permittees must submit a final report to the Department by October 31 summarizing egg oiling and nest removal results.

Wildlife Damage Abatement and Claims

horrible for doing marshbird surveys. Despite this, volunteers and paid surveyors are slogging through wetlands statewide to try to detect rails, bitterns, coots, grebes, and other secretive marshbirds. New for this year is a collaborative project with Northwestern University to better understand habitat selection of marshbirds using this volunteer data. This information will help us to better plan and manage wetland restorations to increase populations of these wetland dependent species.

• Grassland Bird Monitoring: Volunteers in St. Croix County are piloting a new grassland bird survey to help WDNR and USFWS evaluate grassland restoration and management efforts in the Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area. Volunteers will be doing point counts on public land, looking for meadowlarks, grassland sparrows, and some savanna species like the Red-headed Woodpecker.

You can view last year’s reports and keep in touch with bird monitoring issues and updates at: http://wiatri.net/projects/birdroutes/index.htm.

WBCI FacebookWBCI now has a Facebook page. You can keep up-to-date on all the latest bird conservation issues

and happenings from around the state and nation by ‘liking’ our page (click the badge at http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/).

http://wiatri.net/projects/birdroutes/index.htm

http://wiatri.net/projects/birdroutes/index.htm

http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/

http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/


FEATURED REGION: NorthernContributed by Mike Zeckmeister and Northern Region Wildlife Staff

In the Northern Region, the Wildlife Management Program has been very busy with some new and exciting projects. In addition to working on these new projects, we have continued with high priority habitat management projects. The following is a highlight of these projects:

Elk RestorationOn May 18th, 2011 we opened up

a 60 foot section of the fence (see attached photo) to release the 8 cows and 4 bulls held within. These animals were captured in January near Clam Lake and held in this ‘acclimation pen’ until ‘green up’. We consider spring ‘green up’ when ditches are comprised of 75 percent green, 50 percent of the aspens leafed out and 10 percent of the maples leafed out. The 12 elk are comprised of 4 yearling bulls, 4 yearling cows, 2 two-year old cows (soon to turn 3) and 2 three-year old cows (soon to turn 4). Both 3 year olds and one of the 2 year olds are pregnant.

Since the original elk release of 25 elk on May 17, 1995 the herd has grown to about 150 animals, but has not expanded beyond about 10 percent of the 1,112 square mile elk range. This release of 12 elk is the first installment in a multi-year effort to ‘assist’ the dispersal of the elk to unoccupied areas of the Clam Lake Elk Range. Yearling cohorts generally experience about a 23 percent mortality rate (8 year average, 24 of 106) and most of this occurs from January through mid May. The 12 elk in the acclimation pen and the more vulnerable 8 yearlings, in particular, were protected and fed from end of January until the present. To date, most of the elk that were moved are staying within a mile of the release site, and one calf was born within ½ mile of the site.

We are working with our partners, primarily the Chippewa Tribes, US Forest Service, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to evaluate additional translocation sites for 2012 pending success from the 2011 release. The next release will be within the designated elk range in Northern Wisconsin.

Elk calf searching and collaring has been underway for the past several weeks and will continue for at least another week. We are expecting approximately 36 calves to be born in 2011. To date, we have found 10 calves, and the goal is locate 20 calves.

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Bear Tetracycline ProjectWildlife Management staff in Northern Wisconsin have been working on the planning part of this project

since August of last year. Landowners were contacted where baits were to be placed, and volunteers were recruited to assist in placing baits. We greatly appreciate the efforts of many members of the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, who placed many of the tetracycline baits out in the woods across the bear range. Wildlife Management staff played a critical role in this survey as being the organizers of the project and worked ‘hands-on’ in placing and retrieving baits. Approximately 2/3rds of the over 3,000 baits were placed in the Northern Region. Baits were placed beginning on April 23rd and were retrieved 2-4 weeks later.

The tetracycline-based survey uses a well established wildlife technique known as capture-recapture. Capture-recapture studies have two parts. The first involves marking a subset of the population in some fashion. In this study, bears will be marked when they eat baits embedded with tetracycline tablets. Tetracycline is a common antibiotic which leaves pigmentation in bone tissue. The pigmentation is harmless but easily detectable when bone tissue is viewed under a microscope.

The second part of the study involves ‘recapturing’ a subset of the population. The recapture for this study will take advantage of the 2011 and 2012 bear harvests. All successful bear hunters will be asked to submit a rib sample from their bear. These ribs will be examined for tetracycline.

When all rib samples have been processed, we will have three pieces of information: the number of bears that ate tetracycline baits, the number of bears harvested, and the number of harvested bears which had tetracycline in their bone tissue. With this information, we can accurately estimate the statewide bear population.

Field staff will now be working with Big Game Registration Stations to ensure that we get a high return of ribs sampled during the upcoming 2011 Bear harvest season.

Sharp-tail Translocation ProjectWe conducted another year of live trapping sharp-tailed

grouse in Douglas County and trans-located captured females to the Pershing Wildlife Area. The purpose of this project is to live-capture sharp-tailed grouse in habitat that is declining in value and moving them to better habitat to improve population viability in the new location.

During the spring of 2011, we captured and handled 49 birds. Eleven females were caught, radio-tagged, and relocated to Pershing. There were 13 new males captured; 5 recaptures from 2010 (one male was captured 6 times, 3 were captured 3 times, 5 were captured 2 times). Of the 14 males banded in 2010, 5 were recaptured and at least 1 other male observed, but not captured. One site was not trapped since it only had 2 dancing males. So, survival was at least 43% and probably higher. All males were released at the site of original capture. There were no mortalities during handling in 2011.

Deer Research ProjectWildlife Management staff in the Northern Region have played a critical support role in planning and

implementing several key phases of this research project. The Northern Study Area extends from Park Falls, Winter, to Exeland. In addition to organizing and supplying physical resources, we have provided staffing to assist in winter captures and fawn searching.

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Young Forest InitiativeHabitat projects were completed in five counties in the Northern Region as part of this nationwide

initiative. The following work was completed in Marathon, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties:• Alder Management shearing: 17 sites totaling 123 acres.• Openings in young forest stands: 250 sites totaling 175 acres.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) awarded a grant to implement the Upper Great Lakes Woodcock and Young Forest Initiative. The grant, awarded to the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), is to be administered through the FWS’s Webless Migratory Game Bird Program. It provides start-up funding to get the initiative infrastructure assembled and habitat work underway. The initiative itself is aimed at restoring populations of woodcock and other species that depend on early successional forest habitat in the Upper Great Lakes region.

To get the initiative underway, WMI has been working with a number of partner agencies and organizations, including FWS, U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Golden-winged Warbler Working Group, and Woodcock Minnesota to get the initiative underway. The effort is modeled on the Northern Forest Woodcock Initiative (NFWI), which currently is underway in the New England states.

Wisconsin joins other states in setting up Demonstration Areas to showcase habitat management techniques benefiting woodcock and other young-forest wildlife.

Additional Work• A wet spring combined with warm temperatures resulted in a good spring green-up. This, however,

did limit the window for prescribed burning resulting in fewer burns.• We are working with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission on developing a Wild

Rice Management Plan for the Ceded Territory. We work very closely with GLIFWC staff and local Tribes in implementing the wildlife management program in the Northern Region.

• The Northern Region hosted the 29th Annual Midwest Furbearer Workshop at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Education Center in Grantsburg. This was a very informative and educational event that covered fishers, martens, bobcats, otters, and mountain lion management in western states.

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June Issue Wisconsin Wildlife Management Bi-Monthly Report

Documents

Transcript of June Issue Wisconsin Wildlife Management Bi-Monthly Report