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Grouse, Pheasant Numbers Strong in Wisconsin’s Top Gamebird Range
Even the most casual upland-bird hunters figure out where to focus their efforts when reviewing DNR surveys on Wisconsin’s springtime...

Patrick Durkin
20 hours ago4 min read


How Forward-Facing Parking Saved the Patriarch’s Life
If Doug Duren placed historical markers on his family’s Richland County farm, one would mark the car crash that killed his brother Matt...

Patrick Durkin
2 days ago5 min read


Work or Play, Versatile UTVs Surge in Popularity in Wisconsin
No one steps into a boat, kayak or canoe expecting to drown. Likewise, no one saddles up an ATV or snowmobile, or climbs into a...

Patrick Durkin
6 days ago5 min read


Youth-Only Hunts Often Trigger Petty Opposition
Even though Wisconsin’s hunting population has tumbled the past quarter-century, some adult hunters get all pouty about the state’s...

Patrick Durkin
Jun 274 min read


Wisconsin’s Bears, Bear Hunting Grow More Popular, Intriguing
One sure sign of summer is widespread reports of black bears cruising Wisconsin’s backyards, crossing our Main Streets, or raiding our...

Patrick Durkin
Jun 214 min read


Ignore Friday the 13th Superstitions at Your Peril
If you’re reading this, you obviously survived June 13, the only Friday the 13th we’ll see in 2025. But don’t get too cocky. We’ll...

Patrick Durkin
Jun 144 min read


Wisconsin Turkey Hunters Notch 5th Best of 43 Spring Seasons
If one of my grandchildren pursues a career in wildlife management, I hope they sign on as Wisconsin’s chief turkey biologist. They...

Patrick Durkin
Jun 65 min read


Fishing’s Rituals and Routines Build Enduring Friendships
I only like to go fishing when I’m alone or with somebody. But I’d rather fish alone than go with just anybody. After all, few...

Patrick Durkin
May 314 min read


Nation’s Hunters Help Stop Effort to Sell Western Public Lands
The saying “Nothing good happens after midnight” reminds us to get home early to avoid rowdy jerks, drunken drivers, and other folks with...

Patrick Durkin
May 224 min read


Wisconsin Conservation Hearings: Voters OK April Opener for Trout
Wisconsin could move its traditional trout-season opener from early May to early April next year, based on a landslide 63-37 percentage...

Patrick Durkin
May 185 min read


Scientific Reports Share Details that Intrigue Your Inner Geek
Folks often ask writers and editors how they come up with story ideas every day or week. The late Jack Brauer of Appleton, co-founder...

Patrick Durkin
May 95 min read


Dodgeville’s Gretchen James Coached, Inspired World-Class Archers
Wautoma’s Carole Clark was a four-time All-America archer at Arizona State University (1977-1980), but the Sun Devil Hall of Famer might...

Patrick Durkin
May 35 min read


Turkeys of Wisconsin’s Northwoods Prove Challenging
The customary statement when returning each night to Tom Heberlein’s Ashland County deer shack during gun season was, “I saw no deer.” ...

Patrick Durkin
Apr 274 min read


Solo Hunters Shouldn’t Read Ghost Stories During Overnight Stays
Serious hunters often spend many nights alone in the woods, whether sleeping beneath stars, a shack’s old rafters, or the nylon or canvas...

Patrick Durkin
Apr 195 min read


Nonresidents Can’t Carry Wisconsin’s License Burden for Us
What do Wisconsin hunters and anglers love to hate most: wolves, carp or nonresident competition? The choices narrow when lawmakers...

Patrick Durkin
Apr 105 min read


Wis. Conservation Congress Struggles, but No Worse than Our Legislature
A good friend of mine gets a little testy whenever he starts talking about Wisconsin’s annual spring conservation hearings. And once...

Patrick Durkin
Apr 54 min read


Wisconsin’s Spring Conservation Hearings Set for April 14
Should white deer be fair game for hunters? Should monitoring your trapline from afar with cellular trail cameras qualify as an...

Patrick Durkin
Mar 284 min read


Journalist Dave Carlson Enters Wis. Conservation Hall of Fame
Wisconsin’s natural resources always fascinated Dave Carlson, whether he was reporting stories during his 40-plus years in TV and...

Patrick Durkin
Mar 204 min read


‘Wood Butcher’ Hand-Checkers High-End Gun Stocks for Hunters
Evan Koch calls himself a “wood butcher” on Instagram, but he wields chisels with world-class skill to craft, carve and checker gunstocks...

Patrick Durkin
Mar 165 min read


Boy Skips School, Spears Sturgeon with Help from Dad, Grandfather
School administrators likely pondered whether to change Warren Nelson’s absence Feb. 10 from “illness” to “unexcused” when learning the...

Patrick Durkin
Mar 85 min read
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