What Is a Loon Fallout?
Recently the Raptor Education Group in Antigo, Wisconsin, reported a loon fallout in northern Wisconsin. A fallout happens when loon essentially crash-land into lakes or onto land because ice forms on their body and makes them unable to fly. The event in late April happened because of unseasonably cold weather along with freezing rain and…
A scientists’s view: A loving look at wildlife
As you watch loons peacefully paddling around your lake, have you ever wondered what scientists have to do to capture, band and monitor them for research? You can find out in Jeff Wilson’s book, Wrong Tree: Adventures in Wildlife Biology, published last fall by Cornerstone Press at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In parts of…
Principles to live by
Let’s face it: Protecting a lake is hard, especially at a time when development pressure is perhaps greater than ever. Lake associations struggle from shortages of funds and in many cases fewer volunteers than would be ideal. These essentials aside, a good case can be made that success in lake advocacy and preservation starts with a…
One after another
Halfway through March the snow banks are supposed to be receding. They’re not. The ice and hard-packed snow are supposed to melt off the town roads. It isn’t happening. The snow and ice burden on Birch Lake is supposed to lessen. It’s not Instead we’re getting more snow now than in January, and more frequently.…
Hope to see you at Canoecopia
Canoecopia is a huge annual event for canoeists. Kayakers and all manner of quiet water sports enthusiasts. It runs Friday through Sunday, March 10-12, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. I will be there giving a presentation on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. My talk is titled “Lake Science—the Coloring Book: What Makes a Lake…
Lead-poisoned loons: The horror
Loons who ingest lead fishing tackle face a horrific ordeal that almost always ends in death. Once a loon is poisoned by a lead split shot or jig, its chances of being cured at a wildlife rehabilitation center are slim. In most cases the only “remedy” is euthanasia. As they feed, loons take in pebbles…
How much do we love loons — really?
The loons who ply our Northwoods lakes are right now down south on their wintering grounds. Before too long, maybe as little as 70 days from now, they’ll be back, provided the ice has gone out. For those of us who are anglers, now is a good time to rethink (if we haven’t already) the…
Breakfast with Grampa
A privilege of living on a lake is having four-season access to fresh-caught fish. The flip side is that you feel compelled to catch-and-release so as to preserve the various species’ populations. But when grandsons are coming to town, you have to surrender a little bit to catch-and-keep. On their first morning at our house, Tucker…
Boys on ice
Boys on ice Grandsons Tucker and Perrin love time spent on the frozen Birch Lake and are learning to like ice fishing. This morning Tucker (10) remembered the tip-ups we used two years ago and was eager to try “those flag fishing rods.” I opted instead for jigging rod/reel combos – waxworms on jigs promised…