Reports
Up-to-date reports on trail conditions and recreational opportunities in Price County.
Snowmobile Trail Report – 2/3/12
The snowmobile trails are open and in fair condition. They are thin to bare in towns and in open areas. Grooming is taking place where possible. Stay on marked lake trails for safety. Trail #94 is very rough on the north end.
2/2/12 – Northwoods Hi-Riders Snowmobile Club, Phillips – As of today we are pulling the groomer off the trail due to deteriorating conditions. With temperatures staying warm at night, conditions are changing rapidly. I wish I had better news!
2/2/12 – Sno Gypsies Snowmobile Club, NW Price County - trails (111 (Tuscobia State Trail), 80, 89, 90 and 91) were in good condition but are deteriorating fast with the warm sunny temps we’ve been having this week.
1/31/12 – Eisenstein Bushwackers Snowmobile Club, East of Park Falls/Fifield - are in good to very good condition. Trails were groom 1/30/12.
1/31/12 – Prentice Bushbenders Snowmobile Club, SE Price County – Trails in Prentice area are currently being groomed and in fair condition, Not sure how they will be by the end of the week due to the temps.
1/31/12 – Elk River Pioneers Snowmobile Club, West of Phillips – Trails in the Soo Lake area are being groomed twice per week, weather permitting. The trails are in good condition, although much more snow is needed.
1/31/12 – Fifield Sno-Drovers Snowmobile Club – Our trails were being groomed every night all weekend long. We groomed Sunday and Monday and will finish our entire trail system this morning. We have no cautions, but could always use more snow. I would put our trails at good.
Winter Use ATV, UTV & Off Road Motorcycle Trail Report – 2/1/12
The Flambeau Trail System, Solberg Trail, and Georgetown Trail remain open through March 14. When the temperatures are above 28 Fahrenheit ATVs and UTVS can not use the trails.
For the Pine Line Rail Trail, Snowmobile Trail 189 (Ogema to Timm’s Hill), and Snowmobile Trails 116, 181 & 118 (Prentice area loop), ATV & UTV use (UTVs – Price County only) is allowed after the trails are officially open to snowmobile use and only when the temperature is 28° Fahrenheit or colder.
Cross Country Ski Trail Report – 2/3/12
All cross country ski trails are being groomed and tracked as conditions allow and they are in good to excellent condition.
Individual trail reports are updated as reports are received.
If a date is old, it indicates that we have not received a current report. For the High Point Ski Trail conditions, call 715-767-5287.
2/3/12 – Holy Cross Trail, Phillips/Fifield - I checked the trail Thursday & skied it. It is good shape, but today could cause some of the thin areas in the sun to become bare. I will recheck the trail later this weekend to see if grooming will be possible.
2/3/12 – Newman Springs Trail, Park Falls – The trail was groomed 1/31/12 and the condition is fair. Weather temperatures are putting a slushy texture to the snow pack; I will not groom until colder temperatures move in to avoid loss of base.
2/3/12 – Wintergreen Trail, Park Falls - The trail was groomed 1/31/12 and the condition is fair. Weather temperatures are putting a slushy texture to the snow pack; I will not groom until colder temperatures move in to avoid loss of base.
2/3/12 – Solberg Lake/Squaw Creek Trail, Phillips – Solberg Lake/Squaw Creek Trail – The snow is taking a hit from the warm temperatures but the conditions of the sections of the trail winding through the woods is good. 1/30/12 - Last grooming of the Squaw Creek/Solberg Lake trail was on 1/25/12. With the 2 to 3″ of new snow we received on Friday, the trail is in great shape.
2/3/12 – Palmquists Farm Trail, Brantwood - We will be grooming trails today 2/3 and tomorrow 2/4 and the conditions are still good. The warm weather hasn’t really affected the trails as of yet. Still have a good about 12″ base.
1/25/12 – Flambeau Hills Trail, west of Phillips - The entire ski trail was groomed and tracked on Tuesday, 01/24/12 and is in very good to excellent condition.
1/23/12 - Phillips School Forest Trail, Phillips - Finished grooming and tracking this afternoon…..conditions are excellent!
1/18/12 – Timm’s Hill Trail, Ogema - I groomed and set tracks Thursday night. There are still a few thin spots, but overall conditions are good.
Snowshoe Trail Report – 2/1/12
It is an excellent time for a hike through our snow covered forests. Snow depths are 6-10 inches.
Fishing Report - 2/1/12
Despite the recent mild temperatures, ice conditions continue to be good on most waters across the Northwoods. Ice thickness has been holding in the 13″ to 16″ range and there is about 4 to 7 inches of snow cover on the lakes. Packed trails have developed on many waters, but 4WD has been a necessity once you get away from the main trails. There has also been a few reports of slushy spots, and so far, they have been limited to scattered and small areas on the lakes.
The relatively stable and mild weather of the past few days has made for pleasant conditions for ice fishermen – but the fish still appear to be in a mid-winter period of inactivity. Most of the regular walleye ice anglers have reported inconsistent and generally slow action, with most saying they’ve been lucky to catch 1 fish per trip. No one tactic has been better than the other, as both jigging and tip-ups have been seeing low activity on the rock bars, gravel drop-offs, weed bed edges, and muck/sand flats. The best advice is to fish in the low-light periods and use small suckers or shiners just off the bottom in 8′ to 14′ of water. Northern pike activity remains relatively slow as well. The best success has come on a large golden shiner fished over the top or along the edges of any old weed beds, with the bait sometimes just 2 or 3 feet below the ice surface. Panfish have been providing the most consistent action in the past week, but anglers have had to move around quite a bit to find the active fish. Crappie and bluegill have been found suspended in the mid-depth areas over deeper water, and good electronics have been key in finding where they’re at on a given day. The best bait has been an ice jig tipped with a waxworm and some decent catches of 8″ to 10″ fish have been reported. Perch continue to be found in a variety of habitats and the best action has been on small fathead minnows fished just off the bottom in 10′ to 16′ of water. Skip Sommerfeldt, DNR, Fisheries Biologist – Senior
Outdoor Report – 2/1/12
It was reported that many white-tailed bucks still had their antlers during deer counts conducted recently by the DNR with fixed wing aircraft. Fox and coyotes are responding to calls now that they are in their breeding seasons. It is also the breeding season for Great Horned Owls, and their calls can be heard at night. Sightings of Snowy Owls have also been reported. The leftovers from harvested fields have been attracting large flocks of turkeys that are foraging for food. The recent fresh snow was helpful to hunters in locating and tracking bobcats. It is also a good time to look for other wildlife tracks, including deer, fox, coyote, otter and raccoons.
At a meeting held January 25, the Natural Resources Board approved offering 9,015 permits for the 2012 bear hunting season, with about 27,000 hunters applying for permits and 77,598 applying only for preference points. Those hunters receiving permits should receive notification in late February; the drawing will be taking place soon. The number of permits were offered for the 2011 season was 9,005.
Beginning Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, the gray wolf will no longer be considered a federally endangered species in Wisconsin… Read Full Article
The Fall Wild Turkey permit drawing took place last week. Those receiving permits should watch their mail next week for confirmation. Leftover permits will go on sale in March.
Coyote and red fox breeding cycles begin this time of year and last into March. You can sometimes hear the coyotes yipping and fox barking in the evening, especially on colder winter nights.
Ruffed Grouse and squirrel season (gray & fox) ended January 31, and cottontail rabbit season ends February 29 in the northern zone.
Trapping season has begun for many different species and good success has been reported for muskrats. To view a list of all season dates, visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/seasondates.pdf.
The DNR hotline answers questions 7 days a week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., call 1-888-WDNR INFO (1-888-936-7463) or visit the DNR website for weekly news and outdoor information at http://dnr.wi.gov/news/weekly.asp.
Fishing/Hunting Guide Reports
Please see http://www.lake-link.com/boards/forums/viewposts.cfm?Thread_ID=19953 for reports from grouse hunters and anglers.
2/2/12- Panfish are still at the top of the hot bite list in the Phillips Area. Bluegill action is still good on most lakes, the gills have moved into a little deeper water and are being found in 8 to 15 feet of water. Spike or Waxie tipped jigs are still the best producers along with fish coming on plastics. The crappie action is good as well, I haven’t been doing good in the normal high pressure areas so I have been moving around and have been getting on a pretty good bite. Most of my Crappie are coming on deadsticks with a minnow. I have also been doing well on plastics, switching colors as the bite slows. The walleye action still is slow but anglers are reporting some catches in deeper water right on the break. Pike action is still consistent with most fish coming on tip-ups and Golden Shiners. John Carlson-N.P.A.A. #378, Ross’s Sport Shop & Guide Service
1/31/12 - Fisherman I have talked to are having some success, however it seems that its not everyday… snow conditions are pretty good, there is plenty of snow for both skiers and snowmobilers, by the end of the weekend the trails were getting a little rough. Hunters are having limited success hunting coyote, rabbit hunters are not doing as good a last year. And grouse hunting season is over on the 31st. Bryan V., Bear Valley Guiding
Paddling / River Report
The season typically begins in mid-April for experienced paddlers looking for some challenging whitewater. Check back in late-March for reports on ice out. When planning a river trip, paddlers should check with a local outfitter for the most current river conditions to determine a suitable stretch of river based on experience.
Fall Color Report
Typically our leaves begin to change in early September with good fall color viewing from mid-September through the first week in October with the fall color peak near October 1st. See you next fall!
