Author: OFChamber

Brief reprieve from frigid temperatures brought people out in droves last weekend to enjoy winter recreation

A brief reprieve last weekend from this winter’s frigid temperatures brought people out in droves to enjoy winter recreation in Wisconsin, but that ended abruptly again this week with temperatures diving back down into the sub-zero range at night and only a bit above zero during the day. The cold temperatures are forecast to moderate a little again later this week and weekend, before dropping again next week, possible to the coldest temperatures of the season so far.

Snowmobile trails are open and in good to excellent condition across about the northern two-thirds of the state according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR). Trails are open in a few southern counties, but with a marginal base of just 2 to 3 inches, which is not sufficient for grooming. Northern trails received heavy use last weekend, but thanks to additional snowfalls in the last week, they are being groomed and are in some of the best conditions of the year.

Cross-country ski trails across the north are also in good to excellent condition, and many are being regularly groomed. Trails are also open in many southern locations. Trails groomed for skate skiing are generally hard and firm thanks to the cold temperatures and in better condition than some of the classic trails which are getting somewhat shallow in areas and worn from use.

The nearly full moon and clear skies last week had great horned owls hooting it up. They are very close to mating and egg laying and males are patrolling their territories keeping other male owls out and letting the females know they are alive and well. Wild canines, such as fox, coyotes, and wolves are pairing off in preparation for the breeding season. They are moving noticeably more and marking and yipping in the early evening. Mating begins in earnest in February, and January is all about setting up territories.

Winter songbirds such as juncos and chickadees are frequenting feeders, and courtship and mating activity for mallards and other ducks is ongoing in open water areas where ducks are found, primarily the Lake Michigan shoreline and open streams below dams.

NWTC recently held its first ever J-session to help students and professionals to achieve their goals at NWTC faster!

Over 200 credit courses were offered to assist students in graduating sooner.

What is J-session?
The January or “J” session is part of NWTC’s spring term. The session ran from January 6 to 24, 2014 (ending right before the start of the spring semester which began January 27).

J session is open to:

* Current NWTC students

* Students from other colleges and universities

* Professionals

* Lifelong learners

* English language learners

Students may want to take a J-session class to:

* Speed up degree progress

* Lighten academic load for the spring semester

* Catch up on credits

* Complete a general studies requirement like Economics or Basic Anatomy

* Add to their repertoire of knowledge

* Improve job skill sets.

A variety of options are offered during J-session including:
Business and information technology, health, general studies, public safety, early childhood education, trades and engineering technology, and more.
Classes are held at all NWTC campuses and regional learning centers in Green Bay, Marinette, Sturgeon Bay, Crivitz, Luxemburg, Niagara, Oconto Falls, and Shawano.

Check out the NWTC.edu soon if you are interested in this great opportunity!!!

Complete DNR Outdoor Report (Reports from conservation wardens, wildlife and fisheries staff and property managers from around the state)

Recent snowfalls improve conditions for winter recreation; ice good for second annual free winter fishing weekend

The entire state has received some new snow in the last week and more was falling Thursday. Snowmobile trails were open and in good to very good condition across about the northern two-thirds of the state, but were still closed in many southern counties according to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism’s Snow Conditions Report (exit DNR). Cross-country ski trails were open and in good to excellent condition across the north and in fair to good condition in many places in the south.

The recent snowfall was heaviest in a band through central Wisconsin, giving the area from Eau Claire to Door County some of the best winter conditions of the season so far. State parks in Door County were reporting 9 to 18 inches of snow on the ground and all ski trails groomed and tracked. Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area in Dunn County and the Red Cedar State Trail were also groomed and tracked and in very good condition. Ski trails in the northern and Pike Lake units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest were in good condition while the southern and Lapham Peak units were fair.

Milder temperatures in the last week made it much more pleasant for ice anglers, but fishing action seemed to enter the mid-winter winter doldrums in the Northwoods with action slowing for most species. Ice depths have been holding in the 14 to 16 inch range on northern lakes, and some lakes now have an inch or two of slush under the deep snow.

Panfish action remained fair to good on southern Wisconsin lakes and on lower Wisconsin River sloughs. The below zero temperatures of a week ago froze over the main channel of the Mississippi River near lock and dam 11 ice and allowed ice anglers to access the main channel to fish sauger, with reports of limit catches of sauger 14-17 inches in length.

The cold also allowed ice on southern Green Bay to firm up in most areas. Shanties have begun to dot the shores like small villages with 16-20 inches of ice being found in most places. Anglers have had more success with whitefish and some perch, and an occasional walleye being caught. Along southern Lake Michigan, anglers at McKinley Marina in Milwaukee reported ice depths up to 12 inches, with brown trout being taken through the ice. A few steelhead and brown trout have also reported in the Sheboygan, Port Washington and Racine harbors.

This coming weekend, Jan. 18-19, Wisconsin residents and visitors alike can fish anywhere in the state without a fishing license on during the state’s second annual winter Free Fishing Weekend. Free fishing clinics offered at several state parks and ice fishing equipment available for loan from many state parks and offices statewide make it even easier for people to try Wisconsin’s hard water fishing. For more information search the DNR website for “Free Fishing Weekend.”

Also this weekend the Horicon Marsh Education and Visitor Center will be holding a candlelight ski and hike and the fresh snow was very timely for the annual family ski and snowshoe hike Peninsula State Park in Door County. For information about these and other events at parks, forest, trails and recreation areas search the DNR website for “get outdoors.”

A prolonged period of frigid temperatures dropping down into the double-digit subzero range at night and just above zero during the day have put the freeze on many activities across Wisconsin in the last week. That is expected to change with temperatures forecast to rise into the 30s by this weekend.

Very little new snow has fallen in the last week, with only the far north receiving 2 to 3 inches last weekend. Snow depths now range from 4 to 6 inches in the south to 2 to 3 feet in the far north. Snowmobile trails are open in most northern counties and range from good to excellent condition, according to the Department snow conditions report. Snowmobile trails are open in some central and southern counties, with conditions ranging from fair to poor.

Cross-country ski trails are also in good to excellent condition in the north, but many trails in the south are also in need of new snow, with a lot of debris being reported on trails.

Action was pretty slow on most other Northwoods lakes that now have about 14 inches of ice with 4 to 8 inches of snow on top. One good thing about the severe cold temperatures is that very little slush is reported on lakes, but that could change with the warm-up in the forecast.

Green Bay has fairly good ice cover with reports of some shanties now as far as a half a mile to a mile off shore. Anglers were using minnows and are hoping to catch whitefish, perch, northern pike, and walleye, but with limited success. The Winnebago system has pretty good ice but with high winds the ice can shift and cracks open and close. Anglers on Lake Winnebago can experience crossing a frozen crack in the morning only to find it is open 4-feet wide when leaving. There has been some success for crappies, perch, bluegill and whitefish.

The cold spell concentrated wild turkeys into large winter flocks. These flocks tend to roam over several square miles of habitat in search of food. The cold is also making for excellent bald eagle watching as eagles are congregated around what open water they can find below dams. Very few ducks and geese remain but some mergansers, goldeneyes and scaup are being seen along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Most ducks are in bright breeding plumage and now is a good time to watch them do their annual courtship rituals.