Every winter, something remarkable happens in the deer world: male bucks drop their antlers. To the casual observer, this might seem strange that an animal would give up such an impressive and seemingly useful weapon. Yet, antler shedding is not a sign of weakness;...
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Chronic Wasting Disease threatens U.S. Deer. But when one state took strong measures, the pushback was fierce.
olumbia, Mo. — The pick-up trucks pulled into the parking lot every 10 minutes or so. One after another, drivers rolled down their windows and staff greeted them like restaurant workers taking drive-thru orders. But these weren’t customers at any of the fast-food...
Oneida County creates lakes classification system with emphasis on protecting high quality watersheds
akes in the region face a lot of threats. Public access, shoreline development, enhanced wakes, and aquatic invasive species are all key risk factors identified by the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department. Special Projects Coordinator JoAnne Lund says,...
Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community Awards Grant to FCAL
On January 20, 2026, the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa awarded a $1000 grant to the Forest County Association of Lakes (FCAL) to use toward supporting its mission of promoting education of and protection of Forest County waters and environs. FCAL supports its mission...
Lake Ripples: Timely updates about Wisconsin’s lakes
In this issue... Winter Salt Week | Bald Eagles | Phenology Fun Fact | Program Updates | Upcoming Events Winter Salt Week Addresses A Forever Pollutant Photo by Amy Kowalski After Road Salt Melts Snow, It Degrades Freshwater Winter Salt Week - January 26-30, 2026...
8 things to add to your Northwoods winter bucket list
After back-to-back low snow years, things are looking up this year. Snow is on the ground, snowmobilers were hitting the trails before Christmas, and ice is building on the lakes. Need some help finding things to do during the snowy months? We’ve got some ideas. Take...
Avoid overloading your outlets and your power bill this Holiday season!
Wisconsin Public Service has some tips to keep your holiday lighting display from overloading your outlets, and your power bill. For strings of lights, make the move to LED strands, which use a lot less power compared to old, incandescent lights.Inspect your existing...
Why a shoreline buffer of 700 feet for enhanced wakes
What’s the appropriate distance from shore to regulate enhanced wakes? In upcoming emails and blogs, Wisconsin Lakes will continue to outline why we support the Coalition’s position on reasonable regulation of enhanced wake recreation: 700 feet from shore, 30 feet of...
Field Notes: Rings of Time
Many people are aware that trees can be dated by counting the layers of tree rings in a cross section. But, less folks know that fish, snails, mussels, and the teeth of many local mammal species build seasonal growth rings that are used to age individuals. In most...
Wisconsin DNR asks hunters to report any bear dens they find
The Wisconsin DNR is asking hunters to keep an eye out for bear dens. Den reports from the public are critical for an ongoing study on black bear reproduction that will contribute to new population estimates within each of the state’s bear management zones and inform...










