Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Report Summary for October 6, 2011

“Blue bird weather” this week made for some fantastic conditions to get out and enjoy fall colors (exit DNR) that are at or near peak across much of the state, as well as for anglers getting out and enjoying some late season fishing. However, the warm sunny days with temperatures in the 70s and 80s were not the ideal conditions for waterfowl, archery and late season bear hunters.

The transition from colder temperatures last week to the warm-up this week resulted in some very strong winds last week, with gusts reported at 50 to 60 miles per hour creating 10 to 20 foot season on the Great Lakes. The hardest hit area was Door County, where many trees were blown down, knocking out power to much of the Door Peninsula and closing all five state parks located in the county. The parks have all reopened and their campgrounds are booked pretty solid for the peak fall colors being reported from central Wisconsin this week. Much of northern Wisconsin is still reporting peak colors as well, though the strong winds did bring down leaves, with some northern areas already reporting 50 percent leaf drop.

With the colder temperatures last week, some northern lake had begun fall turnover, which had pretty much shut down bass fishing. Musky fishing continues to be the highlight with quite a bit of success being reported, with action picking up on live baits. Some very good crappie action was also being reported. Bass fishing continued to be good on the Mississippi River pools along rip rap shorelines, main channel rock structure and backwater sloughs. A few walleyes and sauger have been caught along wing dams and rip rap shoreline but peak fall walleye fishing is yet a week or two away.

Rains last week raised water levels on Lake Michigan tributaries and kicked the fall salmon runs into high gear, with chinook being reported in good numbers on most tributaries. Lake Michigan spawning facilities are open and reporting good early success. There will be an open House this Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Root River Steelhead Facility in Racine with a wide variety of demonstrations and activities.

Waterfowl hunters are reporting the warm weather this week appears to be keeping more ducks and geese in the area. Hunters continue to report good numbers of wood ducks, along with mallards and some green-winged teal. Geese number continue to build up at the major marshes such as Horicon, Collins and Theresa, but are still not at peak.
The bear season closes Oct. 11 and bear hunters are reporting bears making fewer visits to bait piles, but some very large bears have been shot in the last few weeks, including some approaching 600 pounds in the north central part of the state.

Archery hunters say the sudden warm-up significantly slowed deer movement, which had been picking up during the previous cool weather. There were increasing reports of bucks making scrapes and some reports of bucks beginning to spar. There is a two-day youth deer hunt (pdf) open statewide this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 8-9, so all hunters – except waterfowl hunters -- are reminded they are required to wear blaze orange clothing on these days, and recreational safety specialists urge all people enjoying the outdoors and waterfowl hunters walking to and from blinds to wear blaze orange clothing this weekend.

With this warm weather a number of areas have reported that snakes have been on the move heading to their hibernacula where they will over winter in mass. Butler’s gartersnakes, common gartersnakes, red-belly snakes, brown snakes and milk snakes have all been seen, in many cases sunning themselves on warm asphalt of roads, so please take care to avoid running over these important predators of rodents.