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Letters To The Editor
MORE YOU OTTER KNOW
Enjoyed the article about river otters by Andi Sedlacek (Winter 2023).
I have a cabin on the Mecan River in Waushara County and saw otters years ago. They may still be present, but I have not seen any sign of them. They are very proficient fishermen and can significantly impact the trout population.
Ron Rellatz from Merton, WI
I read and very much enjoyed your article about otters. I am 76 years old and have lived in Wisconsin most of my life, and I have never seen any signs of otters in the wild until a few years ago.
I live about 4 miles south of east De Pere and have a half-acre pond behind my home. Three years ago in midsummer, I discovered an otter eating a large bass taken from my pond. I saw no other otter signs until last winter, when I began seeing the remains of some large koi from my pond on the shore. I had 13 koi, over 10 pounds each, at the beginning of winter, and in the spring, there was only one left.
There were no other otter signs until a few weeks ago, when I saw a pair of them on a small island in the middle of the pond. The nearest body of water to my home is the East River, a tributary to the Fox River, about a mile away. I am sure that’s where they came from, but it is surprising to me that they made a journey of a mile just looking for the chance they might find a spot with fish.
Jim LaLuzerne from De Pere, WI
STURGEON FOR TOMORROW
I was reading the latest issue of your magazine (Winter 2023) and the article “Giants Beneath the Ice.” It states that “the Menominee Tribe took on the challenge of rebuilding sturgeon numbers and brought the idea of repopulation to state agencies.” I just wanted to make you aware it was the group known as Sturgeon for Tomorrow that took on that challenge and came up with the idea and the science to rebuild the population that exists today.
Paul Muche from Fond du Lac, WI
Thanks for the letter, Paul. The Menominee Tribe historically has been involved in sturgeon welfare efforts and in more recent work to restore their important cultural icon to the Wolf River at Keshena Falls. Sturgeon for Tomorrow did, indeed, take the lead beginning with the late 1970s initiative to propagate lake sturgeon that has resulted in current-day repopulation successes across Wisconsin and the nation.
FIFTH-GRADER FAVORS MORE HUNTING
Editor's note: Recently, Wisconsin Natural Resources heard from Michelle Dahlberg, a fifth-grade reading language arts teacher at Cumberland Middle School in northwest Wisconsin. She forwarded a letter from a student, Addy Lehmann, who chose the topic of hunting for a class assignment on writing persuasive articles. Below are excerpts from Addy's article – thanks to the Cumberland fifth graders and their teacher!
Have you ever thought what would happen if there were more hunting days? I believe we should have more hunting days. The first reason is because it can help save people money. Hunting helps me and my family save money, so we do not have to spend so much on food.
The second reason why I think hunting is important is because you get to spend time with your family. It's important to me because I get to see family that I do not see that much. Some people love to hunt with their families.
The third reason why I think we should get more days hunting is because some people just sit in their houses all day, and hunting can encourage people who just sit around all day. It can make them want to go out and do something for them.
In the end, the three reasons we should have more hunting days are that it helps people get more food, more time with their family, and helps people stay active.
Addy Lehmann from Cumberland, WI
THINKING SUMMER
I was going through my files the other day and ran across this shot I took while my wife and I were staying at a lakeside VRBO on the Totagatic Flowage in Sawyer County. It made me appreciate and long for another Wisconsin summer on the water. Thanks for taking a look — enjoying the magazine.
Ron Davis from Eau Claire, WI
CALENDAR CORRECTION
Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine apologizes for the error of inaccurate dates on the November grid of the 2024 calendar included in the Winter issue of the magazine. Correct dates are: The gun deer season begins on Saturday, Nov. 23, and ends on Sunday, Dec. 1; Thanksgiving is Nov. 28. Happy exploring!
