• Hunters are advised to help control chronic wasting disease (CWD) by managing deer populations and adhering to baiting and feeding bans.
• Several local clubs are hosting events in November, including fish frys, rummage sales and gun sight-in days for the upcoming deer season.

Manitowoc County Fish & Game Protective Association held its annual banquet Oct. 23 at City Limits.

Nearly 600 people turned out to try winning some of the thousands of dollars’ worth of door prizes. They also had special walk-around raffles.

The money raised will help fund many conservation projects throughout Manitowoc County in the coming year.

A special thanks goes to the businesses and individuals that donated prizes for the banquet.

One of the big projects Manitowoc County Fish & Game was involved in this year was with the Larrabee Sportsmans Club in the purchase of 3.7 acres of land to the east of the public boat landing at Harpt Lake. Over the next few years, that area will be developed into an area to park trucks and boat trailers to keep them off the roadway. Restrooms are also in the planning for that area as well.

Thanks to all the sportsmen and conservationists who made the banquet a huge success.

Snow Riders’ Fall Fish Fry is Nov. 7

Kettle Range Snow Riders’ Fall Fish Fry is Friday, Nov. 7, at the Mishicot VFW, 314 W. Main St., Mishicot. Serving is from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Enjoy perch, walleye, cod, chicken tenders and homemade desserts.

Call 920-323-6950 for carry-outs.

Viking club’s gun sight-in days are Nov. 8-9

Viking Bow & Gun Club, 13431 Rusch Road, Valders, is holding gun sight-in days Nov. 8 and 9, both from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

On Nov. 8, they will also hold a Sportsman’s Rummage Sale and Raffle from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to both events.

Rifle & Pistol Club sight-ins are Nov. 8-9 & 15-16

Manitowoc Rifle & Pistol Club will hold its annual deer hunters’ sight-ins. The service will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16.

Contact Randy Ammerman, treasurer, at 920-323-1819 for more information.

Nov. 8-9 last days for gun sight-ins at Maribel club

Nov. 8 and 9 are the last two days of the gun sight-ins at Maribel Sportsmen’s Club.

The public is invited to take in guns from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. both days. Range officers will help dial in the scope before the upcoming deer season.

Food and refreshments will be available.

The club is next to Interstate 43, exit 164, State 147, Maribel.

What to know about CWD

Deer season is here, and hunters across Wisconsin can play an active role in controlling the spread of chronic wasting disease to keep the state’s deer herd healthy.

By simply continuing to hunt, hunters reduce deer population densities, which slows disease transmission.

Hunting is the primary management tool used to control the size of the white-tailed deer population in Wisconsin, and hunters are a vital piece in efforts to monitor and manage CWD.

Additionally, hunters can help keep the deer herd healthy by following baiting and feeding rules. Baiting and feeding encourage deer to congregate unnaturally around a specific location, creating an environment where infected deer can quickly spread diseases like CWD through direct contact with healthy deer or through indirect contact in the environment.

Infected deer can also leave infectious CWD prions behind in their saliva, blood, feces and urine, creating a risk to any healthy deer that may visit the site in the future.

CWD can spread rapidly when these prions remain in an area where more deer are sure to congregate, such as a feed pile. In Manitowoc County, we have a countywide ban on baiting and feeding, so you need to know the rules in the county you plan to hunt.

I will have more on how the DNR determines how and why in some counties you can bait or feed but not in others.

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