Teams still being accepted for tourney

The 33rd annual Spring Classic of Champions Muskie Release Tournament sponsored by the Headwaters Chapter of Muskies Inc. will take place on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes this Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9.
There are still openings for the tournament, according to event co-chairman Jim Heffner. He said 58 teams have already entered the tournament, including four or five new teams.
“We probably pick up 10 to 15 more teams during the Friday night registration,” said Heffner. “Last year, we had 72 teams and if we get 75 teams this year, that will be pretty good.”

The 2013 rifle of the year will be the featured raffle prize to be given away Tuesday, June 13, at the Plum Creek Chapter of Ducks Unlimited (DU) spring dinner held at Sayner Pub.
The rifle is a Remington Model 700 ADL bolt action, topped with a 3x9x40 scope and chambered in .270. The DU logo is etched in a wooden stock.
Serving of the all-you-can-eat buffet dinner will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at a cost of $20 per person or $35 per couple. Tickets are available now at Up North Traders and Sayner Pub in Sayner. They also will be sold at the door.

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR)?recently reminded the public that the annual Summer Free Fishing Weekend in Michigan will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9.
On that weekend, everyone — residents and nonresidents alike — can fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply.
Michigan has been celebrating the Summer Free Fishing Weekend annually since 1986 as a way to promote awareness of the state’s water resources. Michigan features more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, 36,000 miles of rivers and 11,000 inland

The six bands of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians speared a total of 28,441 walleyes this spring, including more than 13,600 by the Lac du Flambeau band in Vilas County, officials said.
It was considered an average walleye harvest for the Chippewa tribes during the spring spearing season, according to Department of Natural Resources (DNR) treaty data coordinator Tom Cichosz.
“Numbers-wise, it was about an average harvest,” said Cichosz. “With the odd spring, a lot of lakes opened up at once and they could only be one place at a time.”

The ninth annual Callie Rohr Memorial Canoe & Kayak Race to benefit children’s brain cancer research will take place Saturday and Sunday June 8-9.
With 14 different race classes, this event will be open to all skill levels of paddlers and all types of canoes and kayaks.
The race will start at the Rohr’s canoe resort and campground at the headwaters of the Wisconsin River in Conover Saturday, June 8, and activities will end at Eagle River Inn & Resort in Eagle River Sunday, June 9.

The Natural Resources Board approved a 2013 deer season structure at its meeting May 22, including four buck-only deer management units (DMUs).
While there will be four buck-only units, down from six last year, there will be 46 regular quota units that are within 20% of their population goal.
The buck-only DMUs are Unit 39 in Forest County, units 34 and 29B in western Vilas County, and Unit 7 in Ashland County.
A number of units in this area are still below population goals and will have fewer antlerless tags available compared to last year. Unit 38 will have 900 tags this fall compared to 2,675 last year. Unit 37 will have 850 permits this year compared to 1,425 last year.

The public is invited to attend, in person or online, a  public meeting in Stevens Point Saturday, June 8, to receive updates and ask questions regarding the ongoing process to implement the Deer Trustee Report.
The governor-commissioned report author, Dr. James Kroll, will be in attendance.
The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the UW-Stevens Point Dreyfus University Center, 1015 Reserve St. Action teams will continue to meet in the afternoon until 3 p.m.

Gov. Scott Walker recently reappointed Preston Cole to a six-year term on the Natural Resources Board.
“I’m proud to reappoint Preston Cole to the Natural Resources Board,” said Walker. “Preston’s knowledge and depth of experience make him uniquely qualified to continue serving the State of Wisconsin on the board.”
Cole, 51, is the first African-American elected board chairman.