Register
W A S H B U R N
INSIDE
Jan. 30, 2013
C O U N T Y
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Vol. 124, No. 24 • Shell Lake, Wis.
Weekend watch
• The GFWC Spooner Women’s Club will meet 1 p.m., at the Spooner Wesleyan Church, rear building. Speaker Kathy Stewart will discuss legal issues. See Events page 8
75¢
Sled sisters
Ice races on Shell Lake See page 2
SPORTS
Basketball and wrestling See page 10-12
DNR continues to monitor CWD in area
Not just a pen, a Parker pen Page 9
What’s it like to be a physical therapist? Page 14
BREAKERS McKenna Marko was the only child from Shell Lake to take part in the second-annual Shell Lake Chamber of Commerce ice races this weekend on Shell Lake. She placed third in the peewee division. See more on page 2 and back page. – Photo submitted
Sisters Cora, Jordan and Daya Lawrence went sledding with their father when they got tired of fishing at the Shell Lake FFA ice-fishing contest held at Bashaw Lake on Sunday, Jan. 27. It is a 20-year tradition for the Shell Lake FFA Chapter and it is one of their fundraisers. The contest had to be postponed one week due to the cold temperatures and wind chills the area experienced the week before. More photos on page 19. - Photo by Larry Samson
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Sampling produces no new CWD-positive deer
by Marty Seeger Special to the Register SPOONER – The Wisconsin DNR is continuing efforts to monitor chronic wasting disease in the 318- square mile area surrounding Shell Lake, where an adult doe tested CWD positive in early 2012. With cooperation from local citizens, hunters and two car-killed deer pickup contractors, the DNR has been successful in collecting more than 1,000 samples. As of late January, no new positive deer have been found, and that’s a good thing according to CWD biologist Mark Rasmussen. “So far, no more positives, that’s obviously very good news,” Rasmussen said, and added that it’s possible that the disease has been detected at an early stage within the deer population and not yet widespread in the population of the northern deer herd. Concerns from citizens in the Shell Lake area, as well as the cities of Spooner and Sarona, which are included in the 10-mile intensive monitoring area, are varied according to Rasmussen, but he says many people are still very interested in the disease and would like to continue to know more about it. The DNR is continuing to keep an eye on the situation as well as continuing to keep everyone informed as they move forward. They are also thankful for the continued cooperation and support of the community, as they continue to play a big role in monitoring CWD. “We need people to continue to be the eyes and ears. If they see any kind of sick-looking deer, they should definitely make a contact to your nearest DNR office so we can get that dealt with,” Rasmussen said. The DNR stresses that it is still likely that there could be CWD-positive deer in the vicinity, and that the doe that tested positive for CWD may have also had fawns, and likely
came into contact with other deer. Prior to dying, the doe most likely shed CWD prions, which can infect other deer with the disease both directly and indirectly. Any county within a 10-mile radius of where a CWD-positive deer is detected is required by state law to enact a baiting and feeding ban. It is important for the public to know, particularly in the four-county area where the baiting and feeding ban is in effect, which includes Washburn, Burnett, Polk and Barron counties. “We’ve had really excellent compliance so far. Haven’t had a lot of feeding or baiting vioSee CWD, back page
Aerial survey set
SPOONER — The DNR will be conducting a fixed-wing aerial survey of deer in the Shell Lake and surrounding area during the month of February. The survey will focus on the area near where a CWD-positive deer was detected in November of 2011. The survey is dependent on having sufficient snow cover to help the deer stand out on the landscape. It will be conducted during daylight hours. The survey will cover an area of 36 square miles, with the transects being flown onequarter mile apart. A total of 144 linear miles will be surveyed. The flights will be conducted at 200 feet above the ground in areas outside the city limits of Shell Lake, and 500 feet above the ground within the Shell Lake city limits. The results of this survey will help to provide an index on relative abundance of deer within the survey area. Wildlife managers use aerial surveys to assess various wildlife populations including deer, beavers, otters, ducks, eagles, ospreys and trumpeter swans. — from WisDNR