Varying weather patterns brought some rainfall and cooler than normal temperatures to areas of the state this week. This helped lower wildfire conditions to low to moderate in most areas, but they remain high in the northwestern part of the state. Emergency fire restrictions are scheduled to be lifted in Sawyer, Ashland, Iron, and Bayfield counties as of Friday, May 18, but they remain in place in Burnett, Douglas, and Washburn counties...

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People who have taken a basic hunter education course and are looking to take their hunting skill up to another level can now enroll in an Advanced Rifle Marksmanship Course being offered by the state Department of Natural Resources...

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The cool, crisp days of autumn may seem far away as outdoor activities focus on lakes, rivers or easy access to shade. But it will only be just a few months before the paddles and skis are put away and thoughts once again turn to fall hunting seasons. Thousands of people – many of them first-time hunters – will take to the fields and forests in search of feathered or furry prey...

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Effort aimed at tracking new outbreaks of deadly fish disease. To help contain the spread of a fish virus in Wisconsin that recently caused a fish kill on Lake Winnebago, people who harvest and sell minnows from the wild will soon need to carry a free bait harvest permit and keep records of their bait collection and sale...

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Memorial Day weekend is coming up and as campers get out to enjoy the great outdoors, state park and forestry officials are reminding all visitors that firewood can transport dangerous pests. They are asking people to avoid moving firewood more than 50 miles or brining it in from out-of-state...

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Daily walleye bag limits will increase May 26 on 89 lakes in the Wisconsin Ceded Territory to reflect spearing harvest results by six Wisconsin bands of Chippewa Indians. The bag limit for Lac Vieux Desert in Vilas County was increased from one walleye per day to two walleye per day on May 11...

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Now that sunny skies and warmer weather are upon us, Wisconsin’s Free Fishing Weekend on June 2 and 3 is the perfect opportunity to grab your friends and family and head outdoors to the many fishing events taking place throughout the state...

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Migration is in full swing across the state with south winds and warm temperatures. Birders have been reporting strong numbers of warblers, tanagers, grosbeaks, flycatchers and other Neotropical migrants...

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The weather generally cooperated last weekend for the opening of the 2007 fishing season, except for a strong southeast wind that created some tough conditions for anglers on larger lakes and flowages. Angling pressure was only moderate on some of the larger Northwoods waters where walleye are usually the primary target, but good numbers of anglers were reported on southern waters as well as on trout streams across the state...

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The construction of a portion of a high-capacity electricity transmission line across northern Wisconsin could result in the incidental taking of a rare turtle species if encountered during construction...

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