WJJQ Radio

Story Details

DNR Offers Online Tools for Public Land Access Published on 09/11/2025 under News

There's no shortage of public hunting lands in Wisconsin. With the fall hunting season ramping up, the DNR is making it easier to find a location.

There are federal, state, and local lands (and waters) available for many types of outdoor recreation. The DNR recently highlighted some resources to find out where those lands are. One of the most useful tools is an interactive map that allow users to identify public-access lands. The maps feature filters to search by recreation, type of land, and other features.

Once hunters have completed their preliminary search online, the DNR encourages an in-person visit to scout the area. The DNR also offered up a reminder...since these are public lands, you may encounter other hunters, recreationists, or those simply enjoying the property. It's best to plan multiple locations and be respectful of everyone using the property.

The DNR has that information, including the online maps on their Public Access Lands webpage.

In Other News

Tomahawk Fall Ride: No Shortage of Activities in Tomahawk

Published on 09/11/2025 under News Fall Ride, Colorama, Harley Weekend...the ongoing festivities in Tomahawk go by a number names. No matter what you call it, the theme of motorcycles and the Northwoods remains the same. Fall Ride is better described as an umbrella title for the many separately-organized weekend events at various locations in Tomahawk and beyond. SARA Park and Tomahawk Main Street serve as major hubs of activity. While a majority of visitors come by bike, others simply come for the entertainment. Along with the motorcycles, a steady stream of campers, food trucks, vendors and musicians have also pulled into town. Several prominent motorcycle manufacturers have trailered in the their demo fleets for riders to check out. While events come and go, the most popular tend to stick around. Everyone has their favorite, but some of the most popular include tonight's Chamber Brat Fry and Bon Fire; the Friday night Thunder Parade and Street Dance, Harley Davidson Plant Tours, and the motorcycle raffle. You can check out the WJJQ Community Calendar for a quick rundown of events. The unofficial start of the Fall Ride Festivities, kicks off this evening with the Tomahawk Chamber Bon Fire and Brat Fry.

Published on 09/11/2025 under News A bit of good news for drivers here in the Tomahawk area ahead of Fall Ride weekend, a month long road closure has been lifted. We heard from the Oneida County Highway Department a bit earlier Thursday morning...they announced that work has wrapped up work on the Bearskin Creek Bridge on County L in Nokomis. They were able to meet their timeline, and County L is once again open to through traffic ahead of the busy Fall Ride Weekend. The bridge replacement, which began in early August, was phase one of a two part project. Starting next Tuesday, they'll begin milling and paving the remainder of County L from Lincoln County to Highway 51.

Published on 09/11/2025 under News On this anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Tomahawk community continued an annual tradition with an observance. While those tragic events occurred hundreds of miles away, the Tomahawk community has continued to recognize the date, the lost lives, and the tremendous bravery of those who responded. Other communities have seen similar programs come and go over the years, the Tomahawk observance has been held each of the past 23 years.The program features local first responders, along with city representatives, veterans, and community members. For the organizers, many first responders themselves, it's a way to ensure those in the community "never forget." The program also provides an educational opportunity for a younger generation who either weren't born or were too young to remember. The public is invited and encouraged to attend, the observance is in Veteran's Memorial Park. A 'Time of Reflection' takes place at 10am, with the official program starting at 10:30am.

Published on 09/11/2025 under News Many people recall exactly what they were doing when the news broke of the September 11 terrorists attacks. One Northwoods doctor witnessed the towers fall from just a few blocks away. Many of our listeners are familiar with Dr. James Thatcher from his work, and our morning conversations, on the Aspirus Tick-Borne Illness Center. But Thatcher was working in another career in New York City on that fateful day. In an interview provided by Aspirus, Thatcher reflected on what he witnessed, and how the tragedy became inspiration. Thatcher says he was getting off the subway for work that morning when he noticed an unusual commotion, and at the time it wasn't exactly clear what had happened. Thatcher says he even snapped a two photos with a disposable camera before the first tower began to fall. He described it like a movie scene as people fled and smoke moved closer. Once a safe distance away, experienced something he'll never forget from the sight of one tower standing to the smell of burnt rubber and electric. Meanwhile cell phones didn't work, subways and taxis stopped running and Thatcher found himself walking. And from that chaos came a bit of clarity. He said, "I was already… planning on going to medical school. But to me, feeling kind of powerless… was the extra nudge I needed to motivate me to get my application in..." Those experiences continue to shape the way Thatcher cares for patients to this day. He says it prepared him to be calm under pressure, but also to not let little things bother him with much bigger problems in the world.

Published on 09/10/2025 under Sports Tomahawk's volleyball squad was swept in their road Great Northern Conference battle at Merrill Tuesday night, losing 23-25, 15-25, 11-25. The Hatchets led 23-19 in Game one, but surrendered six straight points to end the game and never regained momentum. Siennah Calkins had nine kills and Shelby Borowski had 11 assists. Tomahawk was unable to contain the passing of Merrill's Kaela Clerveaux as she notched 25 assists on the night. The Hatchets now stand at 8-9 on the season and 1-1 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back in action Thursday for a non-conference match in Ashland. First serve is at 7:00.

Published on 09/10/2025 under News While motorcycles are starting to arrive in the Tomahawk area for Fall Ride, another local community will be welcoming a group of bikers using pedal power. It's part of Team ONE MILE's 'Operation Healing Hearts' Bicycle Tour. Rhinelander is one of five cities on the five day, 700 mile tour as the group crosses the state from Baraboo to LaCrosse to Iron Mountain and down to Green Bay. Today's segment is from Wausau to Rhinelander. They're passing through Merrill this morning and Tomahawk along Highway 107 around mid-day. The ride is focused on generating support, growing awareness, and inspiring action to the challenges faced by veterans, first responders, and families, such as coping with PTSD, grief, abuse, or suicide. Organizers said, "This event is about more than just cycling—it's about building community, honoring sacrifice, and offering hope and resources to those who need it most." Proceeds and donations from the tour benefit two charitable partners: Camp Hometown Heroes and Operation Guardian Angel. They won't just be passing through Rhinelander, community partners are planning a celebration at Hodag Park from 5pm to 8pm, with live music and entertainment and even veterans resources. The public is invited to stop by, you can also follow along on their website tracker or their Facebook page for some on the road videos and photos.

Published on 09/10/2025 under News As the local population temporarily surges for Fall Ride weekend, so too, does the Tomahawk Police Force. To help cover the expanded patrol here in the city, the Tomahawk Police Department relies on neighboring agencies to provide additional manpower. Each year, the Tomahawk Police Department requests mutual aid, with neighboring departments providing officers to work in tandem with the Tomahawk officers during Fall Ride weekend. The goal is to increase law enforcement presence and visibility, particularly in the downtown area which hosts a number of Fall Ride events. In recent years, there haven't been any major incidents, a trend they'd like to continue. Police Chief Al Elvins put out a call to fill 30 additional shifts via mutual aid this year. According to an update provided at the last Health and Safety meeting, he was able to fill 29 shifts. Officers from Merrill Police Department will fill 6 shifts; the Mountain Bay Police Department (serves Rothschild, Schofield, and Weston) will provide another 23 shifts. To get into the Fall Ride Spirit, the officers typically trade in their traditional police blues for special Harley-Davidson inspired black and orange. While there are already some early-bird arrivals and activities taking place, the Fall Ride unofficially kicks off Thursday and runs through Sunday.

Published on 09/10/2025 under News The deer season gets underway this weekend with the opening of the archery hunt. Before heading into the field, the DNR is encouraging hunters to go over safe hunting practices, specifically the use of tree stands. According to DNR surveys, a quarter of bow hunters have experienced a fall or near fall from an elevated stand, yet less than half say they use a safety harness when climbing. DNR officials would like to see that number go up. They also offered a few other tips for tree stand safety. First, inspect the tree, your stand, and your harness, especially if you haven't used them since last season. Always maintain 3 points of contact when climbing. That means two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand. Use a haul line to raise or lower your firearm or bow. The Treestand Manufacturers Association offers a free safety course that takes about 15 minutes to complete and is a good refresher. Along with tree stand safety, the DNR also continues to emphasize safety on ATVs and UTVs, often used by hunters to get to and from their stands. And it's always a good idea to carry a cell phone and let some one know where you're going. The archery season opens Saturday and runs through early January. -Photo provided by DNR

Published on 09/10/2025 under News The odds of winning the Wisconsin Lottery 'All or Nothing' grand prize is 1 in 353,000. Yet two winning tickets were sold at the same Northwoods location earlier this week. While much of the country was swept up in Powerball fever, the two $100,000 All or Nothing tickets were purchased at Krist Food Mart in St. Germain for their midday drawing on Monday, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Unlike most lotto games where you have to match each number to claim the prize, All or Nothing, as the name implies, also cashes out when no numbers are matched. That's how both of the St. Germain Tickets were won. According to Wisconsin Lottery, there have been just 13 grand prize winners this year; seven matched all, six matched nothing. All or Nothing is a Wisconsin-only lottery game, with twice daily drawings.

Published on 09/10/2025 under News The Tomahawk School District presented their preliminary budget at the district's annual meeting Tuesday. Administrator Wendell Quesinberry provided a brief overview of the preliminary spending plan, which he noted was unchanged from the August meeting. As we covered last month, the Tomahawk School District saw their general aid from the state cut by an estimated $500,000, shifting the burden onto the local tax roll. The proposed district tax levy is $14.8 million, an approximate $800,000 increase. The district actually cut expenditures by 5.3% this past year. Quesinberry says the mil rate across the district averages $5.73; though the figure will vary, based on the municipality. Despite the increase, the levy is below the state average, and still among the lowest over the past thirty years. As he does each year, Quesinberry cautioned the budget presented Tuesday still has some estimates as they await some finalized state figures. The annual meeting allows the public to approve the necessary tax levy which they did. The final budget is typically approved by the board in late October once all numbers are confirmed. _____ With the school year just getting underway, the Tomahawk School Board meeting was business as usual. The Board approved the annual middle school trip to Washington DC, early graduation list, and substitute teacher pay. They also approved non-enrolled student to participate in co-curricular activities. This is to accommodate home school, virtual school, and St. Mary's students.

+ Read More