• Menchalville resident Rick Schuh harvested a 27.7-pound tom turkey on the opening day of Wisconsin’s spring turkey season.
• Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve will host a “Wild Wanderers: Backyard Birds” program for children on May 3.
• Manitowoc native Ted Rulseh will discuss his book, “You Shoulda Been Here Last Week,” on The WCUB Breakfast Club AM 980 on May 5.
• Sturgeon spawning has begun in Wisconsin, with viewing opportunities available.
• Registration is open for Woodland Dunes’ summer day camps for children ages 4-15.

Rick Schuh of Menchalville took to the woods behind his house on opening day of Wisconsin’s spring turkey season April 16.

As first light was starting, he had three toms on the roost gobbling. It wasn’t long and he saw some hens fly down. Shortly after, the toms came to the ground as well.

The toms landed in a different area, putting Rick between the hens and the toms. He could see two of the toms fanning out and gobbling but couldn’t see the third tom.

Even though he could see the toms, they were too far out to get a good shot.

Rick turned around to check on the hens, and there stood a large tom that had come in silently.

The tom took a couple of steps, giving Rick a clear shot, and it was lights out for the big guy.

The big tom tipped the scale at 27.7 pounds, sported a 12-inch beard and had 1-9/16-inch spurs.

We were trying to decide if the big smile on Rick’s face was because he just shot a very large tom or if it was because he was holding his only grandchild, Walker.

Backyard birds focus of Wild Wanderers at Woodland Dunes

Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve presents “Wild Wanderers: Backyard Birds” from 9 to 10:30 a.m. May 3. Cost is $3 per child for members and $4 per child for non-members.

Fly over to Woodland Dunes to learn about the birds commonly seen at bird feeders. Then, go for a quick hike to try to see them.

A complimentary program to the Raising a Wild Child Series, Wild Wanderers is for children 5-8 years old (older and younger siblings are welcome to join) and an adult. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Some portions of this program will be led by staff while others will be for families to explore on their own. People should dress for the weather as a majority of the program will take place outdoors.

Registration is required by the Monday before the session, and space is limited. To register, email Jess at [email protected] or call 920-793-4007.

Manitowoc native rescheduled to share stories on radio

This story initially ran in a previous column but technical issues prevented the radio program from happening as scheduled.

Ted Rulseh grew up in Manitowoc and has lived here as recently as 2013. He now lives in Harshaw but has fond memories of Manitowoc County that he has put into his latest book, “You Shoulda Been Here Last Week,” a collection of stories related to fishing, several set among the waters of Manitowoc County.

Topics include smallmouth fishing in the rivers, angling as a young boy for plump river carp, sucker fishing from bridges in spring, dip netting for smelt on the Two Rivers pier, and angling on Lake Michigan and its tributaries for trout and salmon.

The stories share experiences with which I imagine many local lake residents would identify.

The new date for Rulseh to be on The WCUB Breakfast Club AM 980 is 8:15 a.m. May 5. He will be glad to answer any question or provide more information. People may remember Rulseh as a guest speaker at a meeting of the Manitowoc County Lakes Association.

Sturgeon spawning has begun

Spring is here for sure as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reporting sturgeon spawning is just starting.

As I am writing this column on April 20, an email popped into my inbox from the DNR that the sturgeon spawning is now underway.

No sturgeon up to the Shawano dam yet, but by the time you read this column I am sure they will be in Shawano, too.

If you want to view the sturgeon, I wouldn’t wait very long, as spawning can happen rapidly.

A couple of years ago, we made our way to Shawano and saw piles of sturgeon near the dam. The very next day, the DNR reported spawning was over and sturgeon left the dam area, heading back to Lake Winnebago or the upriver lakes.

I won’t go into details of where the sturgeon are because that changes daily. You can find the daily sturgeon reports on the DNR website.

Registration underway for Woodland Dunes camps for ages 4-15

Woodland Dunes’ summer day camps are running from June through August for children ages 4-15, and registration is now open.

If you have questions or you would like to be added to a waiting list for a camp that you find is full, contact Jess Johnsrud at [email protected] or call 920-793-4007.

Find all the details at https://www.woodlanddunes.org/education/summer-camps/.

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