WJJQ Radio

Story Details

2019 Black Bear, Spring Turkey Permit Deadline December 10 Published on 12/10/2018 under News

While the seasons are still a number of months away, the DNR is reminding hunters that the deadline for black bear and spring turkey applications is Monday at midnight.

Harvest numbers for the recently completed black bear season have not yet been finalized, but estimates show nearly 3,700 bears harvested. At this time DNR staff and the bear advisory committee are in the process of determining the 2019 harvest quotas.

The DNR says due to the high interest in this hunt, they typically must apply for several years before receiving a permit through the drawing process for most bear management zones.

As for the turkey season, authorizations are issued through a preference-based drawing system where applicants can choose multiple time period and location combinations to maximize their likelihood being selected.

Successful applicants will be notified by mail after the drawing results are finalized. They can also check that status on the DNR's GoWild registration portal.

In Other News

County A Among Upcoming Lincoln County Road Projects

Published on 04/17/2024 under News It's Road Construction Awareness Week, and Lincoln County drivers will soon be able to put those lessons to practice. The Lincoln County Highway Department announced several upcoming projects scheduled to take place in the first half of the road construction season. Interim Highway Commissioner Jason Lemmer provided some of the details. In the Tomahawk area, signs were put out this week for a project on the north/south segment of County Hwy A between the City of Tomahawk and Hwy 8. That project is currently scheduled to begin May 1 and run through mid-July. According to the announcement, the road will be closed to thru traffic, and drivers can expect lengthy delays. The other two projects are in the southern portion of the county. They'll work on County K between Larson Lake and Highway 51 and Tug Lake Road between Woodenware Road and Resort Lane in the Town of Rock Falls. We'll continue to share any updates as we receive.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News Crossbridge Community Bank has found its next president, and it's a promotion from within. This week Crossbridge announced that PJ Childers will take over the role, overseeing operations and strategic planning for the bank alongside Crossbridge CEO, Mark Zulliger. She'll also serve on the board of directors. Childers has been with Crossbridge for nearly two decades. She most recently served as Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending while also part of their executive leadership team. According to the announcement, she was integral to the creation and implementation of the banks 2022 re-brand. Zulliger says, "PJ has always had a clear and distinct vision to propel the bank into our next era. She is rooted in the community and is an example of the integrity and service model that drive our organization," Childers said, "I am very excited for this next step in my banking career. Crossbridge Community Bank is more than just an employer. To be able to work for an organization that puts purpose first has truly been fulfilling." The THS grad earned a finance degree at UW-LaCrosse before completing the Graduate School of Banking at the UW-Madison. Outside of the bank, Childers has been heavily involved in the community including the Tomahawk STAR Foundation and the Tomahawk Hockey Association. She takes over for Kathy Rankin who retired earlier this month after 46 years. Childers says, "I have been beyond blessed to have had Kathy as a mentor for the past 19 years. Though she (left) some pretty big shoes to fill, I'm confident I will make her proud." That transition took effect this week.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News Rain here in the Northwoods is a welcome sight after firefighters spent another day battling small wildfires around the state. According to the DNR's tracker, crews responded to another 42 wildfires across their protection area on Tuesday. Combined they burned approximately 40 acres. Nearly half of those fires were right here in North Central Wisconsin including a pair in Lincoln County. A fire in Skanawan burned 1.8 acres and was attributed to debris burning. A fire in Harrison burned 0.2 acres and was power related. Elsewhere there were 3 wildfires in Vilas County; 2 in Oneida County; 5 in Price County; 3 in Taylor County; and 2 in Langlade County. Dating back to the weekend, this has been one of the busiest stretches this year. Elevated wildfire risk is typically associated with warm temperatures, low humidity, high winds, and still-dormant vegetation. While the rain should offer some relief, people are encouraged to always monitor local fire conditions and avoid activities that may create a spark.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News Last week we told you about the SkillsUSA Wisconsin State Leadership and Skills Conference. Several Northwoods students found success in the competition. The two-day event was held at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison. The 51st edition features more than 1,500 students who competed across 80 skilled and technical trade competitions in categories such as carpentry, culinary arts, and robotics. Gold medal winners earned a place in the national competition in Atlanta this June. Among them, Axel Jacobs of Nicolet College who won the college barber competition. Another gold went to MacKenzie Wissbroecker of Antigo High School in the first aid/CPR category. While they didn't qualify for nationals, several other local students medaled. In cosmetology, Tomahawk's Rachael Reilly, earned a bronze in high school competition; Ruby Mischler, from Nicolet in the college version. Marty Bauer of Antigo High School scored a silver in the job interview category.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News The Tomahawk City Council held their first regular meeting post-election. To start the meeting, three individuals re-elected this spring were sworn in. There were no changes as Mayor Steve Taskay and aldermen Ed Nystrom and Will Garkse all ran unopposed. Alderman Mike Loka was also re-elected, but was unable to attend the meeting. He will be sworn in at a later date. After the oaths of office, the council members unanimously re-elected Jeff Kahle as council president. He was the lone nomination. As part of the re-organizational meeting, the Council also approved Mayor Taskay's committee recommendations as presented. It was an otherwise routine meeting. The Council heard committee reports before quickly moving through action items. They approved 8 special applications for returning events. Among them, the Fall Ride Thunder Parade; downtown Fall Ride Activities; SARA Park Fall Ride Celebrations; the Fall Ride Bonfire and Brat Fry; the Venison Feed; Tomahawk Main Street Customer Appreciation Day; the Chamber Mini-Golf Tournament; and the Chamber Arts and Crafts Fair. Outside of some minor tweaks, the events are largely unchanged. There was no discussion before each was approved unanimously.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News After a weekend dedicated to youth hunters, the state turkey hunting season opens today. Ahead of the opener, the DNR reminded hunters and outdoor recreationists to keep safety in mind. Warden Michael Weber says the most common mistake they see is hunters not being certain of their target and the surroundings. He says, "It's essential for hunters to positively identify they are shooting at a turkey and that it's a safe shot." As always, hunters should follow firearm and hunter safety guidelines. Clothing color is also key. While camouflage is common, hunter may want to consider wearing some blaze orange, the same goes for non-hunters who may be sharing public lands. As for colors to avoid, small glimpses of reds, blues, and whites, may replicate the look of a turkey. The 2024 spring turkey season includes six, week-long periods that will continue into late May.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News The Lincoln County Board will have a new supervisor running their meetings. At a special morning meeting Tuesday, all 22 Lincoln County Board supervisors took their oaths of office. All Lincoln County supervisor terms are two years and are concurrent to each other. As part of the biennial reorganization meeting, the supervisors also select a chair and vice chair. Don Friske was previously chair, however he lost his supervisor race in April. Three supervisors were nominated, with Jesse Boyd receiving the most votes over Bill Bialecki and Gene Simon. Bialecki and Simon were also nominated for Vice Chair, but lost to Julie DePasse. In one of his first acts as the new chair, Boyd did recognize the seven outgoing board members, highlighting their years of service to the county. Several were in attendance, either in-person or virtual, and received a round of applause.

Published on 04/17/2024 under News A long-time Northwoods lawmaker will seek a seventh term in Madison. On Tuesday, State Represenative Rob Swearingen announced his reelection candidacy. The Rhinelander native has served twelve years representing the 34th district. While many legislative lines shifted in the most recent redistricting, the 34th remains largely unchanged and includes most of Oneida and Vilas Counties. In his re-election announcement, the Republican highlighted several Northwoods topics of focus including expanding broadband, rural school aid, and promoting tourism. Any potential primary would be held in August, the general election in November.

Published on 04/17/2024 under Sports Tomahawk's softball squad suffered their third straight Great Northern Conference and fourth straight overall loss at Remington Field in Antigo Tuesday afternoon, losing 16-4. The Hatchets' pitching and defense fell short once again, committing three errors and allowing eight walks. Scout Stromberg went two for three with two doubles and an RBI. Macy Jankiewicz also went two for three with a double and two RBIs. The loss drops Tomahawk to 3-4 on the season and 0-3 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets will continue to search for their first Great Northern Conference win of the season when they travel to Northland Pines Thursday afternoon.

Published on 04/16/2024 under News A handful of highway construction projects are already underway in our region with more to come. This week is dedicated to making sure the crews are safe on the job. Local Highway Departments will work with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and other partners to observe National Work Zone Awareness Week. The goal is to promote road worker safety and cautious driving in work zones. This year's theme is 'work zones are temporary, but actions behind the wheel can last forever.' DOT Secretary Craig Thompson,"This year's work zone safety theme is so poignant; it only takes a momentary distraction to create a deadly situation on the road," Last year, the DOT recorded more than 2,100 crashes in Wisconsin work zones, resulting in 9 deaths and 700 injuries. Speeding, tailgating and distracted driving are listed as common factors in a majority of crashes. Thompson says, "We must recommit to safe driving, especially in work zones – slow down, be patient and avoid distractions." As part of the campaign, they are encouraging people to wear orange tomorrow for "Go Orange Wednesday." On Friday, there will be a national moment of silence for those who lost their lives in workzone accidents.

+ Read More