A trolley ride through Navarino Nature Center, and more in the latest Manitowoc outdoors report

A trolley ride through Navarino Nature Center, and more in the latest Manitowoc outdoors report

Bob Schuh’s ‘Scoping the Great Outdoors’ has the latest outdoors news from Manitowoc County and beyond.

Bob Schuh
Special to Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter USA TODAY NETWORK – WISCONSIN
Challenge the Outdoors recently took some members for a trolley ride through the Navarino Nature Center Preserve in Shiocton. This tundra swan was close enough for a photo, but most birds were way off in the distance. Tundra swans and egrets were most abundant in the preserve that day.

Challenge the Outdoors recently had 16 physically challenged members meet at the Navarino Nature Center in Shiocton for a trolley ride around the preserve.

We had a misty rain from time to time, but with the roof overhead, we did not get very wet.

The trolley was pulled by a 100-horsepower John Deere tractor over the continuous rolling hills in the preserve.

Wildlife was hunkered down, but we did get to see some tundra swans and egrets.

After the hour-or-so trolley ride, we entered the nature center and enjoyed some sub sandwiches, chips, cookies and soft drinks.

The group then played a trivia game and a few of us won some small prizes.

This is just one event put on by CTO for its members throughout the year. Check out ctoforme.org and see what CTO offers to its members.

Read last week’s column:Fish & Game funds wood duck and bluebird houses, plus more news in Bob Schuh’s Manitowoc outdoors report

Scoping the Great Outdoors: Read on for more outdoors news from throughout Manitowoc County and Wisconsin.

Fall Family Day or Trunk or Treat set at Camp Sinawa

Friends of Camp Sinawa and Glacial Lakes 4×4 presents Fall Family Day or Trunk or Treat.

This event will be at Camp Sinawa, 9113 Sinawa Road, 4 miles south of Valders, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Oct. 21. Admission is $5 per person or $20 per carload, and this price includes all activities.

Food, beverages and raffle tickets will be for sale. Activities for all ages include firetrucks, petting zoo, Birds of Prey, medieval encampment, apple press, bonfire and s’mores, wool spinners, nature hikes, a scavenger hunt, nature education, crafts and more. Trunk or Treat in the woods runs from noon until the candy runs out.

Call 920-827-6811 with any questions.

Gun Club, Wildlife Federation plan annual banquet

Manitowoc Gun Club and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation will co-host their annual banquet Nov. 4 at City Limits Banquet Hall.

Food will be served buffet style from 5 to 7 p.m. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and ticket stations will be selling from 5 to 7 p.m.

Numerous raffles, a silent auction and special events are planned. Thousands of dollars’ worth of both men’s and ladies’ prizes will be awarded. Dinner ticket numbers will be your prize claim number for the evening.

Cost is $35 per ticket by mail by contacting Brian Schulz, 829 Flambeau St., Manitowoc, WI 54220, or at the Gun Club by Oct. 21. Tickets will be $40 after that date.

Ask about the pre-banquet raffle ticket packages by calling Brian Schulz at 920-973-6938. You must purchase a dinner ticket to purchase ticket packages. Raffle package tickets can be used for any raffle, except floor raffles, silent auction, split-the-pot or penny raffles. You may buy as many packages as you like. No ticket packages will be sold the night of the banquet.

Kettle Range Snow Riders’ snowmobile safety course nears

Kettle Range Snow Riders is holding its snowmobile safety course Oct. 24, 26 and 28 at the Mishicot Sportsmen’s Club.

Cost is $10 per person, and students must attend all three classes.

To register, go to the DNR website, gowild.wi.gov. You will need your DNR customer number when registering.

More Bob Schuh:Click here to read more ‘Scoping the Great Outdoors’ columns

DNR’s Hunting webpage is a ‘one-stop shop’

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that the DNR’s Hunting webpage is a one-stop shop for everything a hunter needs to know before heading afield this season.

Hunters can find relevant information about hunting regulations, hours, public lands and more on the mobile-friendly webpages.

Hunters can also register harvests on GameReg, the DNR’s online game registration system.

Here’s what hunters can find:

  • Go Wild! — Buying a license is the first step to hunting this fall. If they haven’t already, hunters should buy their hunting licenses online on the Go Wild website (or in person at a license agent). Bonus harvest authorizations can also be purchased through Go Wild.
  • Hunting regulations and hours — The Fall 2023-Spring 2024 Combined Hunting Regulations pamphlet is available online. It includes hunting hours for the northern and southern parts of the state.
  • Lands — Hunting is allowed on many of the DNR’s public properties. Additionally, some private lands are open to public hunting through programs like the Voluntary Public Access program, and they can all be found on the maps on this webpage.
  • Safety education — Whether new to hunting or wanting a refresher before the season, this hunter education-themed page connects hunters to hunter safety resources. The DNR especially recommends the Learn To Hunt classes for newer hunters.
  • First-time buyers discount — If it’s a hunter’s first time hunting (or their first time in the last decade), they can receive a discount on their hunting license this year. Don’t miss this opportunity.
  • Season dates and application deadlines — Hunters can look through the season dates for all game species and print a handout for easy reference.

In June, the DNR announced the retirement of the Hunt Wild app, pushed a notification through the app, and directly emailed all users who registered an account with Hunt Wild. In case anyone missed those messages or has automatic updates turned off, the DNR encourages hunters to use the mobile-friendly hunting resources above. Most of these resources are also downloadable for offline access.

That’s it for this week, so have fun in the great outdoors.

Outdoors columnist Bob Schuh’s “Scoping the Great Outdoors” column appears each Sunday in the Herald Times Reporter. He can be reached at 920-682-3106 or bobschuh@lsol.net.