Outdoors - Pierce County Journal

Dave Beck and “half-brother” Dan on their Colorado elk hunting expedition.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: The allure of elk hunting

My Colorado archery elk hunt is in the rearview mirror. The week flew by faster than the elk that blew over the crest of the mountain on the last day of the hunt. That’s a bit of a … more

By Dave Beck | 9/24/25

West Nile Virus confirmed in St. Croix County

St. Croix County Public Health is encouraging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites as they report this year’s first human infections of West Nile virus (WNV) in three residents … more

9/17/25

Audit confirms DNR’s accountable spending; WiWF calls for unity and solutions

POYNETTE — The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau (Report 25-15) confirms Wisconsin DNR is managing the Fish and Wildlife Account dollars responsibly and within legislative parameters: the … more

9/17/25

I sent half-brother Dan this picture as proof that I was taking this last-minute decision to go elk hunting seriously. Maybe I also thought that it would help motivate him to do the same.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Getting in mountain shape

My fall outdoor plans have taken a couple of twists and turns and I think everything is pretty much nailed down now. For a while I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to renew my passport … more

By Dave Beck | 9/17/25

Violation at Ridge Breeze damages neighboring property

PIERCE COUNTY — In July, the Wisconsin DNR was notified of a violation on-site at Ridge Breeze Dairy, the Pierce County mega-dairy that is proposing an expansion to 6,500 cows. During … more

9/10/25

The St. Croix River Watershed Clean Food & Water Forum will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 at Camp St. Croix RCU Center, Hudson. The event will be held in partnership with the Camp St. Croix Fall Harvest Festival & Pizza Night (2–7 p.m.)

St. Croix River Watershed Clean Food & Water Forum is Oct. 4

St. Croix Citizens Uniting for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (St. Croix CURES), Wisconsin Farmers Union and Emerald Clean Water for All are hosting an event bringing citizens together to … more

9/10/25

Dr. Sam at Ellsworth Chiropractic fixed my dinged up shoulder, which allowed me to use my compound bow again.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Don’t settle for ‘this is as good as it gets’

Have you ever shared with others a problem that you are having only to find out that someone else is dealing with the same thing? With archery season right around the corner today’s topic … more

By Dave Beck | 9/10/25

The legendary Jordan buck was harvested in January 1914 in Danbury.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: The Jordan Buck

Archery season is just around the corner and although the weather may not act like it, the calendar is proof that it is time. Today it’s all deer talk. In Wisconsin, the 2025 general … more

By Dave Beck | 9/3/25

After jumping in behind my friend’s tangled lure, the musky he’d been chasing hit my lure.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: What I did on my summer vacation

Last week I told you about the start of my summer fishing vacation. A quick recap: on my way to the Winnipeg River in Ontario, Canada, I stopped to fish Lake Vermilion in northern … more

By Dave Beck | 8/27/25

Dave went musky fishing in two countries in one day, thanks to a stop at Lake Vermilion on the way to Canada.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Two muskies, two countries

I am at the point of the summer when musky fishing is the focus of all outdoor outings. Chasing walleyes on Pepin or trout on the Rush are awesome outings but they are number two and three on … more

By Dave Beck | 8/20/25

The first musky of the year is always the hardest to catch.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Avenging the musky jinx

Back in January, I told you that the hardest shed antler to find is always the very first one of the year. It seems like I walk more miles to find that first one than I do to find all the rest, … more

By Dave Beck | 8/13/25

Trail Cam Finds

The antlers on the white-tailed deer have now grown to the point where I can tell a buck from a doe. It makes it way more interesting checking on those cell cam photos every morning to see how much … more

By Dave Beck | 7/30/25

Rock columns in the gorgo at Pine Coulee.

Pine Coulee: A ‘Landmark’ On Wisconsin’s Western Shore

In the mid-1800s, many travelers reached the bustling city of Prescott by primitive road, rail or steam. Prescott’s location at the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers made it a … more

Submitted by Landmark Conservancy | 7/30/25

Michael “Laughing Fox” Charette will share stories and flute music with a focus on children’s programming from 1-2:30 p.m. Saturday, July 26 at the Lakefront Park Bandshell in Hudson.

RiverFest Native American Celebration on Saturday

HUDSON – RiverFest, a “Party with a Purpose” is off to a good start with Tuesday’s River Cleanup. The cleanup is the purpose behind the RiverFest celebration, to build … more

7/23/25

Catching this 20-inch trout made a day of trout fishing a reason to smile.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: The eye candy of fish

I’ve gone trout fishing several times this summer, I just haven’t told you about those outings. It’s probably a good thing because those outings were pretty uneventful. At … more

By Dave Beck | 7/23/25

The Minnesota DNR will join RiverFest with their invasive species field team for an electrofishing demonstration on Tuesday, July 22. Pictured: Invasive Carp Specialist Brian Glasow.

RiverFest celebrates the St. Croix River

RiverFest a “Party with a Purpose” invites you to join the celebration of the St. Croix River on July 22-26 in Hudson. While the goal of RiverFest is to get people out to enjoy the river, … more

7/16/25

Dave2 holds up the trophy of the day on Lake Pepin.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: A Wisconsin legend, the lake sturgeon

The fishing season rolls on and I have been hitting the lakes, rivers, and streams. From crappies to muskies and everything in between, I’ve been a multi-species fish hunter this … more

By Dave Beck | 7/16/25

Black bears are generally secretive, not aggressive and tend to avoid humans as much as possible, but bears are sometimes known to be aggressive if cubs are present and feel threatened.

DNR continuing investigation of Barron County black bear attack

COMSTOCK, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is continuing its investigation into a black bear attack that occurred the afternoon of Saturday, July 12 in Barron … more

7/16/25

My friend Sara Campe during a sandhill crane hunt.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Sandhill cranes

I wrote this column about a month or so ago but I was never able to squeeze it into the editorial calendar, that is until now. Here is a first for Outdoor Tales and Trails: sandhill cranes. … more

By Dave Beck | 7/9/25

Falco has very specific taste when it comes to licking fish, with northern Pike being his favorite

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Fish licker

You may remember me telling you about my old classmate/friend Dave. In this forum I will refer to him as Dave2. That’s not to say he occupies a position lower or behind me, it’s … more

By Dave Beck | 7/3/25