Hunter education courses will be offered in the Jefferson and Fort Atkinson areas this month. A list of interested persons is being developed for the ATV class. Goose hunters who hunt in the Horicon or Collins tag zone are reminded that the deadline for applying is Friday August 22. The early southeast goose season will open on September 2 and run through September 15. Participants in that hunt must have a special permit before hunting geese during that time.
Permits are still available at certain DNR stations.
When you're out fishing, bird-watching, scoping hunting sites or just traveling around, you may notice beautiful, hot pink flower spikes in wet areas. Purple loosestrife is identified by its spike of pink-purple flowers with five or six petals and opposite leaves on a square stalk. There are a few native flowers that are often confused with purple loosestrife including swamp loosestrife, winged loosestrife, fireweed and blue vervain. Swamp loosestrife's pink flowers are clustered in tufts instead of on a continuous spike. Winged loosestrife's pink flowers are scattered along the stem.