As mentioned several weeks ago, the mosquitoes are still making it uncomfortable to be outdoors. One recent day, we went out to the hunting shack to look around and to check for some sign that there are some bucks in the area. Our grandson, William Schroeder, got out of the pickup and before he took a step said, “Look, here’s a tick.”

It seems that the mosquitoes just wait for us to come out to feast on us. When the breeze blows it makes it more comfortable to be outside. When we are in the boat and we get out of the wind we are quickly reminded that they are still looking for us.

Following the May meeting of the Natural Resources Board, we are hearing questions from many who love to fish and hunt.

The Natural Resources Board passed a resolution allowing hunters to purchase buck only tags in the 19 counties that make up the counties in the Northern Forest Zone and Central Forest Zone. There are two exceptions to the buck only rule up north. These two exceptions are for youth hunters and military personnel home on leave.

Kevin Wollenfang, deer and elk ecologist, said, “We had a tough winter. We have two different situations; low deer numbers in the forested regions, and there we are proposing rock bottom quotas in the form of big zeros, and the public is supportive of zero antlerless quotas.”

It seems that the majority of deer hunters that I have talked with are in favor of these restrictions. Of course, there are some hunters who believe that they should be able to fill their freezers even though the deer population is very low across the northern portion of the state. 

Prior to the 2014 deer season there will be numerous meetings to discuss the new deer hunting regulations.

Another topic that has been discussed at several Natural Resources Board meetings is the topic that would make motor trolling across the state legal. This change was bitterly fought by several of the state’s Musky Clubs. Anglers who reside and fish in Oneida and Vilas counties will be able to troll with two lines. 

Over the numbers of years that this topic has been discussed, some anglers were of the opinion that we would see boats with many rods hanging out of the boat with lines attached to down riggers.

A compromise was negotiated that restricts the number of lines being trolled at any one time to two. This compromise will do what many musky anglers wanted. They will be able to drag one or two suckers and not worry about getting arrested for violating the position-fishing rule. Be aware that this new trolling rule will not go into effect until July of 2015. For me this new law will work. 

Last weekend, the Curt Ebert Memorial Tournament was held on Boom Lake and the River. On Saturday, nine muskies, including one that measured 47-1/2 inches, were registered and on Sunday only one was registered.

Longtime Northwoods outdoors personality Roger Sabota writes a bi-monthly column for the Star Journal.