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News You Can Use
Tree Seed Collection
Another tree seed collection season is underway. Earn a little extra cash this year by selling your hard-earned bounty to the DNR’s Reforestation Program.
The work is labor-intensive, with specific guidance to follow. Still, local collectors across the state provide many of the seeds, cones and berries purchased by the DNR’s three state nurseries for tree and shrub regeneration efforts. Prices paid per bushel range from a few bucks for black walnut trees to hundreds for tamarack, black spruce and eastern hemlock.
The seed program has a long history “going back to 1911,” said Jeremiah Auer, a regeneration specialist for DNR Forestry. Last year, seeds from more than 30 different native trees and shrubs were collected.
“We purchased more than 1,200 bushels of cones, 900 bushels of nuts and 850 pounds of fruit and other seeds from hundreds of adventurous landowners and collectors from almost every county in Wisconsin,” Auer said.
If you’d like to join the ranks of tree seed collectors, here are a few tips.
Most importantly, contact a state nursery before collecting to be sure seed for a given species is still needed and to confirm purchase prices and dates (most are in September): Griffith Nursery in Wisconsin Rapids, 715-424-3700; Wilson Nursery in Boscobel, 608-375-4123; and Hayward Nursery, 715-492-1204.
Be sure the tree providing your seed is of natural origin; this generally means older, well-established trees. Trees from a landscaping company or private nursery are not appropriate for seed harvest.
If someone else is the landowner where you plan to collect, get permission before you begin, including for state properties.
Camping Fun — Now Or Later
With striking seasonal colors and often the ideal mix of sunny days and crisp nights, fall can be the perfect time for camping in Wisconsin. State parks and forests offer some of the best spots for an autumn camping adventure, from southern and central parts of the state to the Northwoods.
If you’d rather look ahead to next year to plan camping fun, you can make reservations up to 11 months before your desired dates. There are more than 6,000 campsites in Wisconsin State Parks, including group sites, rustic locations, accessible campsites, equestrian spots and more.
Deer Hunting Dates
Sept. 14 kicks off the archery and crossbow deer hunting season in Wisconsin, and the gun deer season will be close behind. The 2024 gun deer season is Nov. 23–Dec. 1; Thanksgiving is Nov. 28 this year.
Please note that the 2024 calendar from the winter issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine lists inaccurate Thanksgiving and gun deer season dates. As you turn the calendar to November, remember the correct dates above — and happy hunting!
Learn more on the DNR's Deer Hunting webpage.
