Grouse Hollow Journal for April 7, 2016 by Greg Koelker

Ma Nature played a little April Fool’s Day trick on us a day late this morning (Saturday).   As I bang this out, a cold north wind sounds like a passing freight train as it blows snow off the roof and from the treetops, dumping over our outdoor furniture.  I bundled up to get Scout out and retrieve the paper.  A light snow was biting on my face as Scout and I went down the driveway.  Back at the house, I exchanged the paper for a bucket of empty bottles left from the night before and took them to the garage.  I had to smile as I petted Gypsy and thought of last night.  

Our neighbors, Gus and Erin Pickar dropped by Friday evening with Holly, the newest member of their household. Holly is a black labrador puppy that is full of energy and chewing instinct.  She is a lover and beaut, with very sharp puppy teeth.  Erin said that Marissa, their middle schooler was relieved that they took the pup with them for awhile as she had expressed a need for a “puppy break.”  We made over Holly and caught up on the coulee and world news.  Holly tried to chew on Ellen’s recipe books and one time or another, managed to get both of my camo Crocs to chew on.  She finally tired and spread out on a kitchen rug and just watched the party from under half-closed eyelids.  Ya gotta love labs, especially puppies.  Pickars also brought a pair of sheds they found behind their house from a nice 13 point buck, nicer this fall I expect.   

Anyway, while eating our breakfast this morning a number of cardinals and bluejays were checking out the empty bird feeder, looking pretty sad out there in the gale. After breakfast, I moved into the family room to work on this.  I heard Ellen go out into the tempest.  She said she poured the last of the bird food in the feeders.  I guess we’ll have to get a little more for April.

We have been seeing big herds of deer out grazing in the new greenery all around our area.  There seem to be plenty of overwinter whitetail survivors.  I have counted as many as 25 in one field.  Think about the math in all the venison when it comes to having fawns later this spring.  Let’s see, I’ll just guess that half of those deer were does and if they all have fawns or two in some cases, well that’s a lot of critters.  That said, a couple of weeks ago, I had hoped to attend the Vernon County Deer Advisory Committee meeting at the Kickapoo Reserve.  I am not on the committee, so I stayed home because of the blizzard that night.  Others were more dedicated to the cause: Andy LaChance, Mike McLurg, Shawna Stringham, Marvin Baker, Dave Matheys, Dave West, Matt Bauer, Jason Leis, and Don Bierman braved the snow to meet and discuss the state of the whitetail herd in Vernon County.  According to the CDAC meeting minutes, the group concluded, “Vernon County had a good (deer) season, likely from some snow and good weather.  There were still over 2,000 antlerless tags available on private land (when the season ended).  Public land antlerless tags sold out.”  The group set a quota of 7,700 antlerless tags for deer to be harvested in 2016.  Because there were so many antlerless tags left over for private land in 2015, the group decided to issue 2 antlerless tags per license this year instead of one.  The hope is that if people don't have to buy them, they will harvest more antlerless deer.  The committee added that, “We still want to maintain the herd size.”  I hope deer hunters and all other stakeholders concerned with whitetail deer in Vernon County thank these folks for coming out on such a bad night and taking on the serious business of managing our deer herd.

   

Speaking of meetings, this coming Monday, April 11, 2016 is the Department of Natural Resources Annual Spring Fish and Wildlife Public Hearings and Wisconsin Conservation Congress Annual Spring County Conservation Meeting at 7 PM at Viroqua High School.  There are two Conservation Congress positions up for election on the Vernon County delegation.  Consider putting your hat in the ring.  I have found being on the Congress interesting and enlightening.  I think that some of the more contentious and/or interesting questions to be discussed and voted on will be about: leaving portable deer stands upon state lands overnight north of Highway 64; changing how antlerless deer tags are issued; changing the process of how rules can be modified to provide a faster response to situations; eliminating exceptions that currently allow harvest of antlerless deer in buck-only management units; supporting legislation that returns the appointment of the DNR secretary to the Natural Resources Board; eliminating the artificial-only lure restriction from regular season trout regulations;  changing the opening of trapping season to a later date; the use of non-toxic shot on all department managed lands; creating a senior citizen Conservation Patrons License; establishing a non-motorized watercraft fee; repeal of the law that allows permanent waterfowl blinds on public water/lands; expanding spring turkey hunting opportunities.

Until next time, get out - Ellen is fixing nachos grande’ for watching the NCAA Final Four tonight.  She also made us a nice big craisin and cashew salad and plans to top dinner off with molten lava cake for dessert.  Yeah, don’t you wish, but she’s a keeper!  My journal shows that in 2012 Pearl and Jake Sikora found morel mushrooms on April 1.  Ellen found her first the next day..  After this mild winter and early (kinda sorta) spring, maybe the fabulous fungi popping early too is possible.  Enjoy.