Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Notebook

Sawyer County Record - 5/12/2017

FHNB event

May 19-20

The Hayward Chapter of Fishing Has No Boundaries will host its 30th annual fishing event for people with disabilities Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, at Lake Chippewa Campground on the Chippewa Flowage.

The two-day annual event hosts 150 participants fishing from boats and pontoons, an experience that for some participants was once was only a dream.

The event always needs additional volunteers for a variety of positions, including working the docks, assisting participants on/off boats; cleaning fish, and other duties; trustworthy operators for fishing and pontoon boats; and volunteers to sell raffle tickets throughout the summer.

For more information, visit http://www.haywardfhnb.org, or call (715) 634-3185; (800) 243-3462.

FROM THE DNR

VPA leases provide extra income for participating landowners

The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) is the perfect way to earn extra income and provide opportunities for others to enjoy the outdoors.

Enrolled landowners earn income in return for opening their land to year-round public hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife observation. Lease rates vary by land cover, ranging from $3/acre for agricultural land, $10/acre for grassland or wetland and $15/acre for forest land. The VPA leases expire Aug. 31, 2020.

Under state statute, landowners are generally immune from liability for injuries received by individuals recreating on their lands and the DNR provides compensation for damage to property or crops.

For more information, search "VPA" on the DNR website.

DNR releases preliminary bobcat harvest information

Preliminary harvest data for show hunters and trappers harvested 338 bobcats statewide during the 2016-17 bobcat season. The figures include results from the newly opened southern bobcat harvest zone.

Preliminary data shows a harvest of 169 bobcats in the northern zone, 139 bobcats in the southern zone and a tribal harvest of 30 bobcats.

"The DNR manages bobcats through a preference point system that allows harvest by trappers and/or hunters with a permit," says DNR furbearer ecologist Shawn Rossler. "The DNR evaluates harvest goals and permit levels for each management zone annually."

For more information, search "furbearers" on the DNR website.

Northern Wisconsin birding report

Following the snow and ice more than a week ago, birds dispersed from feeders, though dark-eyed juncos, American tree sparrows and a few fox sparrows remain, says DNR wildlife research scientist Ryan Brady.

"White-throated and chipping sparrow numbers are increasing, as are the numbers of purple finch and pine siskin. Expect the first orioles and rose-breasted grosbeaks this week, though indigo buntings and hummingbirds may lag some days after.

"The first eastern whip-poor-wills reached the sandy pine-oak barrens they call home. Yellow-rumped, palm and pine remain the dominant warblers, while golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets are prevalent.

"Duck migration is past peak, though some decent numbers of scaup, redheads and others persist.

"Nesting season chugs on and the earliest migrants are hatching young. Participants in last week's Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas found the first sandhill crane colts, American woodcock chicks, broods of Canada geese and mallards, fledged house finches and egg-filled nests of American robin, northern cardinal, killdeer and other early nesting species.

"Great horned owl chicks are getting big, with many now leaving their nests. Beware of the young bird's shrieking, begging call, often misidentified as the extremely rare barn owl.

Help track the migration by reporting sightings to Wisconsin eBird at www.ebird.org/wi.

Outdoor Report

Wisconsin's general inland game fish season opened this past Saturday. Musky season opens May 27 on northern waters, offering the muskies additional time to complete spawning. In the northern bass zone, smallmouth fishing is catch and release only until June 17.

Spring turkey season is going well, with many hunters reporting success. Hunting conditions during the second period were not great, however, and with turkeys hunkering down in the rain and high winds.

Virginia waterleaf is flowering along with trillium, jack in the pulpit, Canadian anemone and downy yellow violet, to name just a few. Mushroom hunters report finding a few morels ? this is a good time to hunt them before the mosquitoes and black flies truly arrive.

In Flambeau River State Forest, roads to and in the forest are all in good condition. May is known as the flower moon month and many wildflowers bloom; hummingbirds and other birds return; mosquitoes and black flies appear; and tree leaves emerge. There is a full moon May 10. Geese and ducks are nesting and many songbirds are defending their territories. There are sightings of robins, mourning doves, yellow finches, phoebes, tree swallows, house wrens, owls, woodcock, sandhill cranes, swans, kingfishers, yellow warblers and Myrtle's warblers. Bear are out of their dens, but so elusive and trying to fill up on protein. This year, young deer and elk are likely to be born mid-May to mid-June. Lake of the Pines Campground is open; Connors Lake Campground opens May 25, the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend. Reserve campsites by registering at www.reserveamerica.com or calling (888) 947-2757. The Forest maintains 14 river sites on the Flambeau's North Fork of the River that are free for public use. For more information, call (715) 332-5271.

In Brule River State Forest, trees are not yet leafing out, but they are getting closer, and the wetlands are alive with frogs and salamanders. There should be a noticeable change in the landscape this week as the forest greens up and flowers start to bloom. This is an exciting time for wildlife, as babies are born or hatched. Foxes, coyotes and wolves gave birth over the last couple of weeks and it is likely to see these parents hunting during the daytime as they keep busy keeping up with the demands of their hungry pups. Bears are out and looking for food, so make sure to take your bird feeders in at night or take them down altogether, and secure outside garbage containers. If you are camping, store food and cooking utensils away from your campsite, preferably in a hard-topped vehicle or in a tree at least 10 feet off the ground and five feet out on a limb that will not support a bear. Even with rain, it takes no time for the fire danger to go from Low to High or even to Extreme. Because forests and fields have not yet greened up, conditions are favorable for wildfires. Search "fire danger" on the DNR website for daily burning restrictions, fire danger level, updates and information.

FISHING REPORTS

Hayward Bait (Guide Steve Genson): Hayward area anglers enjoyed excellent weather for opening weekend of gamefish season. Walleye anglers offered mixed reports, with some anglers finding fish, and most action coming in less than 10 feet of water. Focus on gravel and sand flats near spawning areas. Jigs with fatheads or plastics are a good choice, and try crankbaits and rattle baits for reaction strikes. Northern pike action is decent on suckers on jigs or under floats, as well as slow rolling spoons and spinnerbaits, with shallow bays and new weeds prime targets. Largemouth fishing is decent on small crankbaits and Senko worms in shallow, warm water with some cover. Smallmouth bass action (catch and release only in the northern bass zone) is good on jerkbaits and swimbaits in brighter colors fished on shallow gravel and rock areas. Crappie action is improving with the warming temperatures and some fish are moving into bays and warming flats. Small minnows and plastics will get the most fish. There is definitely some trout action on the local streams. Try floating crawlers and leaf worms, or cast small jerkbaits and spinners along current breaks and holes.

Happy Hooker (Pat): Quiet Lakes. Be sure you know the difference between musky and northern pike ? musky season does not open until May 27. For walleyes, work the outside edges of humps, holes and rock with jigs tipped with minnows or leeches. In evening, cast Rapalas along shorelines. Look for pike along green weeds and in the shallows near panfish. Spinnerbaits, swimbaits, jigs/minnows and large fatheads under bobbers will work. Largemouth bass season is open and there is no size limit on the Quiet Lakes and several other lakes. Look for largemouth in shallower water with the panfish and be sure to check the regulations for each lake you fish. Smallmouth fishing is catch and release only until June 17. You will find smallmouth along deeper rocky/gravel areas. Crappie and bluegill are in the warmest water in bays. Start in 6-10 feet, moving shallower until you find them, using crappie minnows and small plastics under bobbers.

Anglers All (Carolyn): Lake Superior. Chequamegon Bay fishing is very good despite big rains and high wind. Water clarity is improving with the calmer weather, leading to mud lines where fish like to hide. Anglers are catching brown trout, coho and splake primarily on trolled stickbaits in shallow water out to the first break, as well as on casting spoons. Water temperatures (in the low 40s) are ideal for trout and salmon, but it is keeping warm water species in somewhat deeper water. Look for smallmouth activity in Sand Cut, along with perch, northern pike and walleye. Streams are starting to come down and clear, and the rain brought in fresh steelhead.

The Wolter Report (Max Wolter, DNR fisheries biologist, Hayward): Spawning female walleyes range in size from 14 inches to more than 30 inches. For a long time, the conventional wisdom was that older female walleye produced lower quality eggs than younger walleye, but are the young, smaller female walleyes actually more reproductively fit than the older, large female walleye? A series of studies in Canada and Wisconsin that challenging that position assign much of the reproductive success in walleye populations to older females. The studies show eggs from larger/older walleye have higher hatching success and larger/older females produce larger eggs. That in itself does not mean much, but larger eggs go on to produce larger larval walleye, which may play a role in improved survival odds for offspring of large females. A recent study at Wisconsin'sEscanaba Lake corroborates these results by demonstrating that larger female walleye in the lake disproportionally produced more offspring. Results such as these demonstrate the importance of protecting large females with closed fishing during spawning and with slot limits that restrict harvest of larger females.

Outdoors Calendar

May 6: Inland waters gamefish season opened (see regs).

May 10-16: Period D spring turkey season.

May 11-14: 33rd Annual Treeland Challenge Fishing Tournament (715-462-3874).

May 17-23: Period E spring turkey season.

May 19-20: Fishing Has No Boundaries ? 30th Annual Hayward Event (800-243-3462).

May 19-21: Musky Tale Resort ? Northern Encounter (715-462-3838).

May 24-30: Period F spring turkey season.

May 24-25: Fishing Has No Boundaries Kid's Event at Nelson Lake (715-634-3185).

May 27: Muskellunge season opens north of Highway 10.

June 3-4: Free Fishing Weekend.

June 18: Fishing Has No Boundaries benefit concert, Sawyer County Fairgrounds (800-243-3462).