November/December 2007 Vol. 1. Issue 2 I Old Dogs And Children— Upland Game And Memory Lane I 2007 Gun Season Outlook I Cultivating Future Hunters— Making The First Deer Hunt Fun I Planes, Trains, Automobiles... And The Suburban Whitetail Rut I Whitewater & Quietwater II—Planning Your Trip I Two Cans Per Man— Expert Tactics For Taking Canvasback Bulls I The Fish-On Fix— Addictive Fall Therapy s i l With Quickset Rigs l E k c i D I y Outdoor, Christmas Humor B o t o h P I The Frozen Jungle— Lessons From A Trapper 2 November/December 2007 On Wisconsin Outdoors On Wisconsin Outdoors November/December 2007 3 Whitewater And Quietwater II Planning Your Wilderness Trip By Steve Henske bush. We cannot control the weather. We cannot control the insects. We cannot control the possibility of one remember preparing for my first of our group getting appendicitis. But Boundary Waters trip to Quetico I with proper planning and reliable Provincial Park in Ontario 27 years gear we certainly can be ready to deal ago. Drawing from my experiences with any of these variables if they growing up I knew the basics of should occur. canoe camping and also owned a lot of the general camping gear, but I FIRST STEP- had never been to Canada nor been HOW DO I GET STARTED? in a truly wilderness area beyond If you really want to get involved in what northern Wisconsin’s Vilas wilderness canoe tripping I would County had to offer. Very few “how highly recommend you attend the to” books were written before 1980 Canoecopia Exposition in Madison, WI, on getting started. And, since I was which is typically held in early March at young and knew everything, I was the Alliant Center. As one of the largest too bullheaded to read one anyway. paddling expositions in the world the Fortunately two of my buddies had show offers 20,000 square feet of exhibits been there before and possessed a displaying gear, outfitters, maps, rough gear list including the proper gadgets, books and anything else even maps, a somewhat reliable vehicle remotely related to paddling. There is and some bush paddling experience. also an impressive line-up of guest We survived my first Canadian canoe speakers from around the globe trip without mishap. Mishap is a big covering a huge range of paddling Wisconsin canoers enjoy the view at the last drop of the falls section on the Kopka word when venturing out into the Continued on page 4 River, Ontario. 4 November/December 2007 On Wisconsin Outdoors topics. Another great source of informa- An excited 65 lb. Golden Retriever tion is the Internet. Web sites like bouncing around in your canoe will Quietjourney.com, Paddling.net, help your sense of balance better than MYCCR.com (Canadian Canoe Routes), anything I know. canoeing.com and some others offer an endless stream of info regarding gear, THE CAMPING PART techniques, experiences and paddling Learning the basics of canoe destinations. If you know someone that camping before diving into the middle has been canoe camping then try to get of nowhere will put your stress level at them involved. Drawing from actual ease so you can have an enjoyable trip. experience is always the safest route. Bottom line is you have to get out and do it. Wisconsin has a lot to offer for WHAT NEXT? one, two or even weeklong paddling As in any type of physical activity, trips. Pick up two of Mike Svob’s books: practice makes perfect. Day trips on Paddling Northern Wisconsin and local waters with your canoe will Paddling Southern Wisconsin. These build confidence in your skills and wonderful guides to 165 Wisconsin also show your limitations. rivers can help you find a place to get Experienced paddlers tend to be a started. The Lower Wisconsin State friendly lot, and it is a rare situation Riverway is a fantastic place to get your when you are not welcome to join in a feet wet if canoe camping for the first day paddle with some newfound time. Extending 92 miles from Prairie friends. Start paddling with a loaded du Sac to Prairie du Chien, this gem is a canoe and do it on a variety of water great trip for anyone. conditions. Moving water skills should be developed, but most rapids TIME TO BUY A REAL COMPASS encountered in the bush can be either Planning a Wilderness Canoe Trip: Rob and Eric Simkins of Amherst, Wisconsin look for portaged or lined. Some of the most Once you have reached a comfort Indian pictographs on the falls section of the Kopka River, Ontario. challenging situations I have encoun- level living out of your canoe for a tered have been on windblown lakes. night or two begin to look for a more designated canoe camping area chock Learning the nuances of paddling a challenging destination. For many full of lakes and rivers. If taking this Steve Henske is a veteran canoeist having craft through two and three foot Midwest paddlers the first taste of the next step I highly recommend you paddled thousands of miles on the white-capped rollers can save your North Country is northern Minnesota’s secure the services of an outfitter. A Canadian Shield, and many more in life. One of the best skill builders is Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). good outfitter will set you up with the Wisconsin. He resides in Stevens Point, WI, canoeing with a dog as your ballast. The BWCA is a remote and beautiful proper equipment, maps, food and with his wife and paddling partner Missy, permits taking the worry out of what to and faithful canoe rocking specialist Cody, eat and how to pack. Take notes of how a golden retriever. they set you up. Many seasoned veterans of canoe camping will become self-outfitted. Owning your own canoe and gear has the benefit of familiarity and will save you some big money if you use it enough. Our basic “outfit” has been developed over many years of trial and error, stays packed as a unit and is ready to go almost anywhere at the drop of a canoe paddle. Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Travel EARNING YOUR STRIPES and Outdoor Humor Wilderness canoe tripping is not for PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Dick Ellis everyone. Camping in remote areas [email protected] away from cell phones, computers and ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: the family SUV can create a disjointed Karen Cluppert [email protected] feeling for most people and panic for the PRODUCTION DIRECTOR: rest. History shows that each generation Maureen Splitgerber becomes more dependent on technology [email protected] and further removed from the land. In Published Bi-monthly through 2008 by ON WISCONSIN OUTDOORS, LLC. Published monthly thereafter. Appli- our busy world it is what makes our cation to mail at periodicals postage rates is pending at economy click. That same technology is Waukesha, Wisconsin. making it easier to access the boreal ©Copyright 2007 ON WISCONSIN OUTDOORS, LLC with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use without forest due to demands for pulp for permission, of editorial, advertising or graphic content paper, minerals and hydroelectric power. in any manner is prohibited by law. The roadless areas are getting roads. True NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS: All advertising is subject to publisher's approval and acceptance without recourse. wilderness still lies a short distance north Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility for of the border but it is getting further the condition of the contents of advertising printed, and agree to indemnify the Publishers of OWO for any and all away every year. To experience it from a claims and expenses arising there from. canoe, relying on your own prepared- CORPORATE OFFICES LOCATED AT: 20240 West Rustic Ridge Drive ness and judgement is a challenge, and a New Berlin, WI 53146 wonderful challenge at that. Phone: 262.549.5550 Web site: www.onwisconsinoutdoors.com Postmaster: Send address changes to: NEXT ISSUE: Bears can’t swim and 20240 West Rustic Ridge Drive mice don’t jump. New Berlin, WI 53146 On Wisconsin Outdoors November/December 2007 5 And He Is Us The Worst Enemy Of Our Outdoor Heritage By Jeff Nania So nothing has changed, right? Parents are still asking the same ques- tion and kids are still doing the same ill our natural resources and things. In spite of the concern of our W outdoor traditions survive the elders, the world has kept on spinning. future? This is a question that is Dire predictions of future doom and often and very easily asked, but far gloom, due to youthful lack of interest, less frequently answered. In fact, have not really materialized. I, for one, those who do search for the answer did not go blind … from watching TV. I are often thwarted—sometimes as a even grew up to lead a fairly produc- result of our own unwillingness to tive life. So these doomsayers be face the truth. damned, nothing bad happened. Or There is no doubt that our environ- has it? ment and traditions are facing significant What is our life really like? What challenges. If we are to perpetuate and have we given our kids? Society, protect these two things, change is teamed with technology, helped along desperately needed. It is essential we by our Visa card, has successfully made plan for the future, but first we need to life on the couch immensely enter- look at the past. Those who fail to under- taining. Our kids are so engrossed in stand history are doomed to repeat it. this electronic world that even verbal “What is this younger generation communication has been replaced by coming to?” That is a question that in email and text messaging.