Natural Resources

A federal judge says Wisconsin’s Chippewa tribes cannot hunt deer at night.  Judge Barbara Crabb issued the decision today, saying night hunting of deer is not protected by treaty rights because of a risk to public safety. 

Chippewa tribal members have been allowed to hunt wolves at night.  They have argued that members should also be allowed to hunt white-tailed deer after dark. 

But the DNR disagrees.  DNR Attorney Quinn Williams says today’s decision protects public safety. 

Iron County Forestry and Parks committee members have again unanimously voted to evict the residents of the Harvest Camp near the site of a proposed iron mine.  

Members of the Lac Courte Oreilles tribe and other supporters have been camping on county land since early spring in opposition of Gogebic Taconite’s mine proposal. 

State foresters are set to begin a three-year timber management project in the Laona School Forest.  DNR officials and Laona students gathered Wednesday to kick off the project. 

DNR Forestry Supervisor Craig Williams says the project will benefit forest health. He says some of the trees in the oldest school forest in the country are aging, and are being affected by invasive buckthorn.

Another invasive plant is threatening the shorelines of our northern waters...a plant that has taken over large stretches of Lake Michigan and Green Bay shores. 

It's called phragmites. Ken Krall spoke with Vilas County invasive species coordinator Ted Ritter about the threat from the tall plant that's very aggressive...

One Wisconsin wolf hunt zone remains open and a top DNR official says no incidents have been reported.

As of today, 213 wolves have been taken in six zones from a maximum quota of 251. Only Zone 3, which includes portions of Price and Taylor counties, is still open. In that zone, 31 animals were taken from a quota of 71.

DNR Northern District leader John Gozdzialski .....

Controversy continues over a proposed iron mine in Iron and Ashland counties.  

While Wisconsin hasn’t seen an open pit mine in a while, some neighboring states have.  Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to a pair of open pit iron mines that have been operating for several decades.   

Standing on the edge of Empire Mine is like looking into an amphitheater far too big for any performance.  It’s a mile wide and a mile across.  1200 feet deep.  I start wondering how many swimming pools it would take to fill it. 

While the next several days outdoors are all about things white tail, the DNR recently said the first year of the Walleye Initiative has been a success.

After the legislature came up with more funding to improve state fish hatcheries and programs earlier this year, the DNR announced the Wisconsin Walleye Initiative, aimed at stocking larger fingerlings in state waters.

The DNR's fisheries director Mike Staggs talks with Ken Krall:

The larger fingerlings are in the 6 to 8 inch range, which biologists say gives  the young walleyes a better chance to grow to maturity.

After much public input and meetings, Wisconsin's DNR Secretary says the Deer Trustee recommendations will go before the Natural Resources Board in January.

Governor Walker hired a Texas-based whitetail deer researcher, Dr. James Kroll, who made a number of recommendations concerning Wisconsin's deer management. The DNR had a series of public sessions and social media input to put together an action plan based on Kroll's findings which will come before the board in January.

On the eve of the 2013 Wisconsin gun deer hunt, WXPR's Ken Krall talked with DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp, a new deer hunter herself, about the upcoming hunt.

Stepp says they are working to have a app ready for smartphones that relates to the hunt. More information is on the DNR website.

A lethal tree disease has been found for the first time in near Woodruff.  Oak wilt is prevalent in southern and central Wisconsin.  But tests have confirmed its presence in the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest. 

DNR Forest insect and disease Specialist Brian Schwingle says the finding is significant.               

“It’s concerning that we found it on our largest state property, the Northern American Legion state forest, where oak is an extremely valuable tree.”