Harsh Winter Takes a Toll on Fish and Elk

Because of the harsh winter, more fish may have died under the ice and the elk calves did not all survive the winter, according to the WI DNR. Fishing will be affected and the expected 2014 Elk Hunt is being cancelled.  See more details in this article by Lee Bergquist from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Two more outcomes from this past winter:

The Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday that an extended ice cover is likely to produce a surge in fish kills this year.

Also, winter mortality of Wisconsin's elk herd prompted the agency to delay the first regulated elk hunting season in 2014.

With more than 3 feet of ice on some northern Wisconsin lakes, and more snowfall last week, fish biologists with the DNR say they expect more fish mortality due to low oxygen levels, especially in shallower lakes.

That means when the ice finally melts, people should expect to see more dead fish littering the shore.

Last year, the DNR documented 18 fish kills caused by low levels of dissolved oxygen in lakes. This year, the agency expects more. The reason: Plants are usually the source of oxygen in lakes in the winter. With more ice and snow cover, the plants gobble up the available oxygen as they decay from the lack of sunlight.

Full Story Harsh winter to bring fish kills, year delay on elk hunting

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No Elk Hunting in Wisconsin...Yet

Although greatly anticipated, the Northern Wisconsin Elk population near Clam Lake is not yet high enough to begin an elk hunt in Wisconsin. The DNR is planning to bring more elk to the state and begin a second herd near Black River Falls.

See this article from the Superior Telegram about Wisconsin's Elk population.

Hunters will have to wait at least another year before they can put a northern Wisconsin elk in their sights.

Department of Natural Resources big game ecologist Kevin Wallenfang said there will be about 175 elk in the Clam Lake area after calving season this summer; that’s short of the 200 needed before a hunt can begin.

Full Story  No elk hunt for Wisconsin this year

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