Full Text
1 DOUGLAS COUNTY OUTDOORS DOUGLAS COUNTY FORESTRY DEPARTMENT OUTDOOR REPORT Stay up-to-date on what is going on in the Douglas County Forest, find us on our new Douglas County Forestry Depart- ment Facebook page. Check us out at NATURE Recent rain has helped bring summer forth. Trees are fully leafed out and everything is a lush green. Wildflowers are starting to add splashes of color to the forest floor. Large-flowered trilliums, fringed polygala, jack-in-the-pulpit, sarsaparilla, wild strawberry are just a handful of the wild- flowers that can be seen. Blueberry plants were loaded with blossoms this year...hopefully a bumper crop of berries will be available later this summer. One of the foresters commented that it is “pretty ticky out there”. Both deer ticks and wood ticks are quite active. Precautions such as using insect repellant, tucking pant legs into socks/boots, wearing light colored clothing, and doing tick checks should be used. For more information about ticks, prevention, Lymes dis- ease see http://www.apg-wi.com/upnorth/up_north_explorer/explore/tick-off- awareness-are-best-strategies-to-tick-borne-threats/article_b355b4cc-f9a4-11e4 -b282-f751943f8fb8.html THEY’RE BACK!!! The nursery in the forest is open and wild baby animals are starting to be seen more often. While it is a thrill to see these babies, please help keep these animals wild. Many times baby animals are left alone for long amounts of time. Unless the animal is injured or there it has a dead parent near- by, leave them in the wild...it is their best chance at survival. That's quite a fish tale!!! May 28th an area resident found quite a fish on the Upper St. Croix Lake. It ended up being a 77 inch sturgeon, likely a female that weighed around 100 pounds. The DNR Fish Technician that was called to collect the fish estimates that the sturgeon was at least 80 years old, its fin rays will be sent to a sturgeon specialist to deter- mine the actual age. The sturgeon had been dead for a couple of days. For more information on this gentle, ancient species of fish see http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ fishing/sturgeon/ One of our foresters found this snake while working out on the forest. This Western foxsnake (pine snake) is commonly mistaken for a copperhead snake or a rattlesnake but it is actually a non-poisonous snake that feeds on rodents and ground-nesting birds. It can grow to be 36-56 inches long. Find out more about this snake at http:// dnr.wi.gov/…/caer/ce/eek/critter/reptile/foxsnake.htm or learn about other Wisconsin reptiles at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/reptile/index.htm JUNE 2015 Douglas County Forestry Department Home of Wisconsin’s Largest County Forest 9182 E. Hughes Ave., PO Box 211 Solon Springs, WI 54873 Phone: [PHONE REDACTED] Park/Trails Recording-[PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] Photo by Cindy Hill Large-flowered Trillium 77 inch Sturgeon found in Upper St. Croix Lake Photo by Guy Little Photo by Lance Wegner ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Our back yard is your back yard… everyone suffers from illegal dumping . Dumping debris, trash, or litter is prohibited on County Forest property, including abandoning vehicles, furniture, or appliances. Illegal dumping is more than just an eyesore; it’s a health and safety hazard to humans and animals alike and can also pose great risk to the environment. Everybody suffers from illegal dumping through costly clean-up efforts and the negative com- munity image it fosters. Dumping can also result in closing off areas to mo- torized uses. If you observe an act of illegal dumping in the Forest, please call the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department at (715) 394-4432 or the Forestry Department at (715) 378-2219. Information about places that will take many of these items can be found on the Douglas County website at http:// www.douglascountywi.org/index.aspx?nid=369 COUNTY PARKS The Douglas County campgrounds and day-use parks are open and ready for the public. The 3 Douglas County Campgrounds (Lucius, Gordon Dam, and Mooney Dam) are all first come-first served campgrounds. Lucius Woods and Gordon Dam parks have electric hookups available and the newer features at Lucius Woods as of last year are water hookups, upgraded electric hookups, and new playground equipment. Summer is here...time to break out the tents! Don’t feed the bears...it’s an age old saying that still has an important meaning for any type of wildlife. While it is fun to see these animals up close, it can be unsafe for people and the animals. Animals can become habituated to people and expect to find food where humans are. If they lose their fear of people they can quickly become a nuisance. Keep food, cooking utensils, and food scraps contained and away from tents. RECREATIONAL TRAILS As conditions change throughout the season, be sure to get the latest update on trail conditions by visiting www.douglascountywi.org/forestry, or by calling the Douglas County Trail Hotline 24 hours a day 7 days a week at (715) 378-4528. UPCOMING EVENTS Lion’s Club Fishing Contest The Lyon’s Club will be sponsoring a kids fishing contest on Saturday, June 13th from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Chil- dren’s Park Creed Pond (behind the Douglas County Forestry Department office). The Solon Springs Lions Club hosts this free contest every year to promote family activities and awareness to local recrea- tion. Food and prizes are donated by many local residents and businesses and administered by Solon Springs Lions Club Members. HIKING Join members of the North Country Trail Association’s Brule-St. Croix Chapter for hikes on the North Country National Scenic Trail. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at KD’s Restaurant in Solon Springs. See the attached flyer for the schedule. For more information; [PHONE REDACTED] email: Facebook: NCTinWI CHILDREN’S NATURE PLAYGROUP A Children's Nature Playgroup, sponsored by the Friends of the Bird Sanctuary will be gathering every 3rd Wednesday through September at the Bird Sanctuary Club House in Solon Springs. See the attached flyer for more information and the schedule of events. Find their Facebook page at Douglas County Forestry Staff cleaning dumped debris off of County Forest land. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 ---PAGE BREAK--- 4