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Whiskers Yellowbanks

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Merle, WI

After the Purge
Jan 30^th, 2020 at 11:17am

“The results of the analysis suggested that in some cases we needed to ratchet down both types of harvest — the spearing harvest and the angling harvest — because the populations weren’t going to be sustainable,” recalls John Lyons, one of Wisconsin’s leading fish biologists and, at the time, a supervisor in the DNR’s Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Research Section, part of the agency’s now disbanded Science Services Bureau. “That’s a controversial finding. It had all sorts of implications. You say, ‘Well, we’re going to have to reduce bag limits further and we’re going to have to enter negotiations with the tribes to cut their quotas.’”

Those conclusions were unwelcome news for then-DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp, the Republican politician and construction business owner who was Walker’s choice to lead the state’s natural resources agency. “Basically, the person who was in charge of fisheries at this point said, ‘You can’t publish this, you can’t talk about this,’” says Lyons, who retired from the agency in 2017 after 32 years and now spends his days teaching or immersed in the vast collection of pickled fish at UW-Madison’s Zoological Museum. “This was something they didn’t want to hear. The scientific side was beyond reproach. It was well done and well supported. Eventually, it did get published, but it put a chill on everything we did.”

https://isthmus.com/news/cover-story/wisconsin-dnr-science-comeback/?fbclid=IwAR
1xGYrAItdSmwOHzmhM2N00O9E2Dch5RFsStAdH3sY0GZVIulqfc2LaiQk

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“The world, we are told, was made especially for man—a presumption not supported by all the facts...”
-John Muir

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tannin

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Re: After the Purge
Reply #1 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 12:51pm

It's pretty scandalous that Stepp and company covered this up, but it isn't surprising. I hope this information will now be put to good use. As trout, bass, and muskies do well in Wisconsin, walleye numbers have been slipping. I don't profess to know the exact combination of what is causing it, but I'm reluctant to join the "kill all the bass" team. Bass MIGHT be a factor, along with warming, silted spawning areas, pollution, previous low water years and more. What seems certain is that no walleyes that are killed will spawn. I've known anglers who take every single legal walleye they catch (including 10"ers), some because they just can't seem to embrace C&R, and some out of the misguided point of view that "If I don't keep it the Indians will." Some say walleyes aren't fun enough to fish for C&R to catch on. I say nonsense. They aren't my favorite species, largely because the numbers are down and I don't own a motor boat. On the other hand, the last two Canadian walleye trips I went on were lots of fun and we kept almost no fish. I'd love to see the state and tribes work together to come up with some quality walleye waters.

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« Last Edit: Jan 30^th, 2020 at 12:52pm by tannin »

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pj bamboo Caddis Fly Offline On Wisconsin! Posts: 64 Gender:	Re: After the Purge Reply #2 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm Don't be surprised by the cover up. There is likely more.
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tannin Dragon Fly Offline On Wisconsin! Posts: 1199	Re: After the Purge Reply #3 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 6:45pm pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm: Don't be surprised by the cover up. There is likely more. Very likely. At least this one is out in the open, and the DNR is being rebuilt/remoralized.
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GerardH WFFP Moderator Offline I am haunted by dead fly anglers Posts: 7978 The Land of YaBB	Re: After the Purge Reply #4 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:34pm pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm: Don't be surprised by the cover up. There is likely more. You called it. Not directly related to the fish in this story, but yet it is. http://www.startribune.com/leaked-email-probed-in-polymet-hearing/567250482/
Back to top	« Last Edit: Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:45pm by GerardH » ...because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there... -John Voelker (Robert Traver ) IP Logged

Further North

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NW WI
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Re: After the Purge
Reply #5 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:46pm

tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 12:51pm:

It's pretty scandalous that Stepp and company covered this up, but it isn't surprising. I hope this information will now be put to good use. As trout, bass, and muskies do well in Wisconsin, walleye numbers have been slipping. I don't profess to know the exact combination of what is causing it, but I'm reluctant to join the "kill all the bass" team. Bass MIGHT be a factor, along with warming, silted spawning areas, pollution, previous low water years and more. What seems certain is that no walleyes that are killed will spawn. I've known anglers who take every single legal walleye they catch (including 10"ers), some because they just can't seem to embrace C&R, and some out of the misguided point of view that "If I don't keep it the Indians will." Some say walleyes aren't fun enough to fish for C&R to catch on. I say nonsense. They aren't my favorite species, largely because the numbers are down and I don't own a motor boat. On the other hand, the last two Canadian walleye trips I went on were lots of fun and we kept almost no fish. I'd love to see the state and tribes work together to come up with some quality walleye waters.

Good perspective, thanks.

What I would offer, in support, is that what was truly scandalous was that Stepp was put in that position. That placement, in and of itself, is reflective of what is wrong with politics in this country.

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Bass inhale. Trout Sip. The musky bites.
-Tom Hazelton

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Further North Dragon Fly Offline Posts: 9174 NW WI Gender:	Re: After the Purge Reply #6 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:48pm tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 6:45pm: pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm: Don't be surprised by the cover up. There is likely more. Very likely. At least this one is out in the open, and the DNR is being rebuilt/remoralized. We can hope...but I don't care for hope, as a plan.
Back to top	..¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((°< Bass inhale. Trout Sip. The musky bites. -Tom Hazelton IP Logged

Further North Dragon Fly Offline Posts: 9174 NW WI Gender:	Re: After the Purge Reply #7 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:51pm GerardH wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:34pm: pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm: Don't be surprised by the cover up. There is likely more. You called it. Not directly related to the fish in this story, but yet it is. http://www.startribune.com/leaked-email-probed-in-polymet-hearing/567250482/ Thanks.
Back to top	..¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((°< Bass inhale. Trout Sip. The musky bites. -Tom Hazelton IP Logged

tannin

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Re: After the Purge
Reply #8 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 9:01pm

Further North wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:48pm:

tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 6:45pm:

pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm:

Don't be surprised by the cover up.

There is likely more. Undecided

Very likely. At least this one is out in the open, and the DNR is being rebuilt/remoralized.

We can hope...but I don't care for hope, as a plan.

Strawman argument. You raised the issue of hope and then shot it down. Freshman dorm room argumentative error. I said nothing about hoping it would happen. I noted that it's already happening. p.s. If this is a lead in to another of your tedious "This isn't the time for politics, as both parties are the same" speech, address it to someone else.

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« Last Edit: Jan 30^th, 2020 at 9:15pm by tannin »

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Further North

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Re: After the Purge
Reply #9 - Jan 30^th, 2020 at 10:13pm

tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 9:01pm:

Further North wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:48pm:

tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 6:45pm:

pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm:

Don't be surprised by the cover up.

There is likely more. Undecided

Very likely. At least this one is out in the open, and the DNR is being rebuilt/remoralized.

We can hope...but I don't care for hope, as a plan.

Strawman argument. You raised the issue of hope and then shot it down. Freshman dorm room argumentative error. I said nothing about hoping it would happen. I noted that it's already happening. p.s. If this is a lead in to another of your tedious "This isn't the time for politics, as both parties are the same" speech, address it to someone else.

Don't be absurd.

If this is a lead in for one of your "one party is better than the other" speeches, spare us the echo.

PS: never stayed in a freshman dorm room. I had a job, and a life.

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..¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((°<

Bass inhale. Trout Sip. The musky bites.
-Tom Hazelton

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Jizzy Pearl Dragon Fly Offline I need some fuel to run. Posts: 1590 Gender:	Re: After the Purge Reply #10 - Jan 31^st, 2020 at 1:24pm Just vote democrat every time. Then everything is rainbows and unicorns and all will be right in the world.
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3fe Caddis Fly Offline <*))((((>< Posts: 31	Re: After the Purge Reply #11 - Jan 31^st, 2020 at 1:36pm Kind of like how Jim Doyle ran on the promise of returning the DNR back over to the Wi Natural Resourse Board, if elected. How's that working out?
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JGF

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Re: After the Purge
Reply #12 - Jan 31^st, 2020 at 5:34pm

3fe wrote on Jan 31^st, 2020 at 1:36pm:

Kind of like how Jim Doyle ran on the promise of returning the DNR back over to the Wi Natural Resourse Board, if elected. How's that working out?

Yeah, that sucked too. I can say, he at least had some respect for science, didn't try to dismantle the DNR, and didn't promote willful ignorance.

Politician don't give up power unless forced to. Doesn't matter which party. Doyle - and us - would have been so much better off to have restored the NRB's ability to appoint a WDNR chief but his effects on the DNR can not be compared to Walker's (read the article...).

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Chironomid Dragon Fly Offline On Wisconsin! Posts: 1146	Re: After the Purge Reply #13 - Feb 3^rd, 2020 at 3:55pm Jizzy Pearl wrote on Jan 31^st, 2020 at 1:24pm: Just vote democrat every time. Then everything is rainbows and unicorns and all will be right in the world. Fixed it for you. Chiro
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Chironomid

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Re: After the Purge
Reply #14 - Feb 3^rd, 2020 at 6:08pm

Further North wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 10:13pm:

tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 9:01pm:

Further North wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 7:48pm:

tannin wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 6:45pm:

pj bamboo wrote on Jan 30^th, 2020 at 4:18pm:

Don't be surprised by the cover up.

There is likely more. Undecided

Very likely. At least this one is out in the open, and the DNR is being rebuilt/remoralized.

We can hope...but I don't care for hope, as a plan.

Strawman argument. You raised the issue of hope and then shot it down. Freshman dorm room argumentative error. I said nothing about hoping it would happen. I noted that it's already happening. p.s. If this is a lead in to another of your tedious "This isn't the time for politics, as both parties are the same" speech, address it to someone else.

Don't be absurd.

If this is a lead in for one of your "one party is better than the other" speeches, spare us the echo.

PS: never stayed in a freshman dorm room. I had a job, and a life.

Care to explain this comment a bit? Sounds like one of two things: 1) You didn't stay in a college dormitory, because you attended college in your home town/city and didn't need to live on-campus, or 2) you didn't attend college but rather worked at a job (and thus had a life?). Please elucidate - inquiring minds want to know! Smiley

Chiro

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