“There are a number of factors coming together in 2009 that will most likely lead to a lower total deer harvest,” said Keith Warnke, big game ecologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “There are fewer herd control units and no earn-a-buck requirement except in the Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone, below average fawn production in the past two years, a reduced number of antlerless permits in northern Wisconsin due to lower deer populations in that region and a delayed corn harvest. All these will contribute to a lower antlerless deer harvest and a lower total harvest.”

Herd control and earn-a-buck hunts encourage or require the harvest of antlerless deer and without their broad application, the antlerless harvest and therefore the total harvest are almost certain to drop, say wildlife managers.

“Hunters told us they wished to return to a more historically traditional hunt,” said Warnke. “They will see that traditional hunt in many deer management units in the north and central forest where deer populations are at or close to a healthy goal, and where there will be no earn a buck and few or no antlerless permits issued. Herd control and earn-a-buck are accomplishing what they were intended to do, bringing deer numbers down to healthy population goals in parts of the state.”

A byproduct of the 2009 season structure may be an increase in the proportion of bucks harvested in some units. Biologists note that local populations are the most important factor to the hunters and that can vary widely. Scouting, patterning and lining up alternative hunting spots could make the difference.

“As every year, hunters will need to do their homework and scouting and find areas deer are using,” said Warnke. “Hunters who spend time getting prepared are most likely to be in the ranks of successful hunters. Annually, fewer than 40 percent of hunters bag a deer.

“But deer hunting is a whole lot more than just killing a deer,” Warnke added. “For most deer hunters, it’s about spending time with family and friends getting outside in the autumn air, observing wildlife and enjoying the various traditions associated with the deer season. Some hunters will bag a deer and some won’t. It’s always been that way.”

The crash occurred on Gran Grae Road near Highway 27 the night of the Eastman Fire Department Hog Roast. Officers were attempting to conduct a traffic stop on a speeding driver in a darker colored pick-up truck. The driver was able to get away after the squad car driven by Deputy Russell Wittrig rolled during the pursuit on Gran Grae Road.

Deputy Wittrig received minor injuries. His partner, Deputy Carl Kasparek had to be transported to La Crosse for treatment of his injuries.

The operator of the pick-up truck is being sought by authorities. They are urging anyone with information on the driver, or vehicle, involved in this incident to contact:

• Crawford County Sheriffs Department (326-8414)
• Crawford County Crimestoppers (326-8933)
• Wisconsin State Patrol (608-374-0513)

A $500 cash reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of the person or persons involved in this case.

The new rules, approved last year by the state Natural Resources Board, aim to “prevent the tissues most likely to contain CWD from being brought to areas of the state where CWD does not occur and introducing the disease there,” noted CWD project leader Davin Lopez.

Under the new regulations, the movement of whole deer carcass from the CWD-MZ to elsewhere in the state is banned. However, hunters and motorists will be allowed to move whole, registered carcasses of deer shot or hit by a vehicle within the CWD-MZ into a deer management unit (DMU) adjoining the CWD-MZ.

The rule affects carcass movement in 22 DMUs located in all or parts of Adams, Crawford, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Lafayette, Marquette, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Vernon, Walworth and Waukesha counties.

There are a number of parts from legally possessed deer to which the restriction doesn’t apply that can be legally transported anywhere in Wisconsin. These include:

• Meat that’s cut and wrapped, either commercially or privately.
• Quarters or other portions of meat to which no part of the spinal column is attached.
• Deboned meat.
• Hides with no head attached.
• Finished taxidermy heads.
• Antlers with no meat or brain tissue attached.
• Skulls with attached antlers, but no meat or brain tissue attached.
• Upper canine teeth.

Chronic wasting disease is an always fatal nervous system disease known to naturally infect white-tailed deer, mule deer, moose and elk. It belongs to the family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases. Though it shares features with other prion diseases, like mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep, it is a distinct disease known only to affect members of the deer family.

2009 Season Structure in the CWD-MZ

The remaining deer hunting seasons in the CWD-MZ are as follows:

• Archery season: Sept. 12 to Jan. 3, 2010 (Earn-a-buck)
• Traditional nine-day firearm season: Nov. 21-29 (Earn-a-buck)
• Late firearm season: Dec. 10-13 (antlerless-only)
• Holiday firearm season: Dec. 24-Jan. 3, 2010 (Earn-a-buck)

The “Harvest of Love” Quilting Bee will be held on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Crawford County Administration Building at 225 North Beaumont in Prairie du Chien. HCE and The Pickett Fence are looking for people willing to donate their time and energy to make the goal of 75 quilts a reality. Many hands will be needed and there will be jobs for both sewers and non-sewers. Experience is not required! Volunteers can choose to spend a short time or the entire day at the quilting bee. There will be a pot-luck meal at noon.

The quilts will be used in the local area by First Responders, the Domestic Abuse Shelter, Operation Santa Claus and other groups helping families in need. Project Linus will distribute the blankets in LaCrosse hospitals where they are needed in places such as emergency rooms, pediatric intensive care units and burn units. Some of these quilts are used in the newborn intensive care units to cover the isolettes, keeping out the light and keeping in the warmth. The need for quilts keeps increasing.

HCE appreciates the contributions and support provided by The Pickett Fence. The group hopes the public will participate in the quilting bee and help provide love and comfort to little ones in need. “We sent letters to many organizations and individuals who have helped us in the past in an effort to get the word out about this event. It is such an awesome feeling to work together with others to reach a worthwhile goal,” says UW-Extension Family Living Agent Jane Schaaf. Fabric donations are not needed this year due to people’s generosity in the past, though there is a need for thinsulate to use as quilt batting.

For more information on the “Harvest of Love” Quilting Bee , call Jane Schaaf at the UW-Extension Office, 326-0223.

On average, it takes emergency personnel 12 minutes to arrive on scene. For someone who is choking or has stopped breathing that may be too late. By learning simple rescue skills, you can go from a helpless bystander to a person with the ability to take control help someone during an emergency. Becoming trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED gives the average person the knowledge and skills essential to lessen the effect of injury or sudden illness and helps sustain life until professional responders arrive.

Each year, roughly one million people in the United States suffer from SCA – almost half will die as a result. Being able to perform CPR or use an AED early on is crucial in preventing brain damage and will greatly increase a victim’s odds for survival.

First aid and CPR/AED can not only be used when SCA strikes, but can also help save victims of drowning, electrocution, accidental poisoning, suffocation and drug overdose.

The lighting project was completed this week. It includes six steel poles capable of lighting both the football and baseball fields. The system comes with a 25-year warranty that includes all of the maintenance and bulb replacement during that time. A highly energy efficient system, organizers say it costs only six dollars per hour to operate.

The funding from the project came from two sources: the Wauzeka-Steuben school fund and donations/fund-raising.

Organizers believe the lights will be an asset for the whole community. They can be used for high school baseball and football as well as Little League baseball and softball during the summer. They also may be available for some community events.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:15pm before Thursday night’s game.

Twenty six Southwest Tech students have been selected to represent the College as Student Ambassadors during the 2009 – 2010 school year. The Student Ambassadors serve as a public relations, marketing, and recruitment team, working in direct partnership with college personnel. The group recently got off to a great start with day-long orientation and leadership training activities held on the Southwest Tech campus and at Four Mounds Ropes Course in Dubuque, IA. New Ambassadors were welcomed by the six returning Student Ambassadors as well as college staff. The welcome was followed by discussions of Ambassador responsibilities and the importance of professional image, as well as a tour of campus. After lunch, the team headed to Four Mounds for an afternoon of teambuilding and leadership activities.

Shannon Tanner of Prairie du Chien, who is resuming her duties as a Student Ambassador for the third year, was excited to welcome new members. “Student Ambassadors are basically the student face of Southwest Tech,” Tanner said. “I am so glad to know that our school will be represented by such a great group of students again this year!”

The Southwest Tech Student Ambassadors give campus tours, sit on student panels, and participate in a variety of campus and community events throughout the year. Upon successful completion of responsibilities, individual Ambassadors may choose to be considered for the Wisconsin Technical System State Ambassador program. One student from each of Wisconsin’s sixteen technical colleges is selected to be a WTCS State Ambassador. These outstanding students participate in a number of statewide activities and are eligible for public recognition and several scholarships.

Southwest Tech Student Ambassadors include:

2009 – 2010 Returning Ambassadors:
Jessica Brandes, Boscobel, (Accounting Assistant)
Samantha Holz, Highland (Accounting)
Alyssa Kilcoyne, Lancaster (Accounting),
Delta Stickfort, Prairie du Chien (Criminal Justice)
Megan Stanek, Highland (Nursing)
Shannon Tanner, Prairie du Chien (Business Management)

2009 – 2010 New Ambassadors:
Molli Adams, Lancaster (Business Management)
Ashley Andrew, Platteville (Accounting)
Carson Blabaum, Platteville (Golf Course Management)
Angela Borslien, Prairie du Chien (Business Management)
Robert Clark, Lone Rock (Business Management)
Janean Craig, Muscoda (IT-Network Communication Specialist)
Frances Garrity, Prairie du Chien (Golf Course Management)
Grant Hansen, Fennimore (Electromechanical Technology)
Sherrill Haverland, Potosi (Business Administration and Finance)
Stacey Hermansen, Dodgeville (Business Administration and Finance)
Carly Potterton, Mineral Point (Barber/Cosmetology)
Jeremy Rice, Lancaster (Agribusiness/Science Technology)
Candace Rouse, Boscobel (Barber/Cosmetology)
Emily Silvers, Muscoda (Accounting)
Connie Skaife, Fennimore (Graphic & Web Design)
Morgan Steger, Benton (Agribusiness/Science Technology)
Sarah White, Bloomington (Graphic & Web Design)
Clare Wiesbrook, Mineral Point (Individual Technical Studies)
Matt Yoose, Lancaster (Agribusiness/Science Technology)
Holly Zart, Platteville (Criminal Justice)

Counties in central and southern Wisconsin are reporting they’ve already reached peak color earlier than usual.

Forecasting when leaves will change color and how long colorama will last is an inexact science.

“When a region sees a lot of rain and wind, autumn leaves are likely to fall off of trees sooner than if the weather is sunny during daytime hours and cooler in the evening,” according to Virginia M. Mayo Black, a DNR Forestry Division communication specialist. “Warm days and cool evenings are the conditions that bring about the change in color. And that change is an indication a tree is preparing itself for winter.”

A single year’s weather conditions is only one factor affecting the changing of a tree’s leaf color.

“Drought, particularly long-term drought conditions, flooding, tree diseases, and physical injuries to trees caused by animals and humans are stress factors that can cause trees to change color and lose their leaves earlier than usual,” Mayo Black said. “Reports from DNR staff at the state forests and state parks and local chambers of commerce have indicated colorama in most areas of the state is pretty much following the usual north-to-south progression.”

Kurt Mezera was operating a corn picker on the Dan Mezera farm in Wauzeka Township. Mezera got his arm pinned in the picker.

Mezera used his cell phone to call for help. His arm was stuck in the machine for an hour an a half according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department.

Mezera was flown to a Gunderson-Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse, then later transferred to Rochester, Minnesota.