Mornin’ to everyone submitting artwork for the 2026 Turkey, Pheasant And Waterfowl Stamp Contest. This is the Wiscampsin Weekly, the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

This week’s weekly:

🌅 Door County sunrise wins nature photo contest

🏆 Winnebago sturgeon spearing results

❄️ Where is all the wet, heavy snow?

🤫 Story of the week: There’s an underground sand maze hidden in Wisconsin

🌅 Door County sunrise wins nature photo contest LINK

• Brad Bellisle won the grand prize in the 2024 Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin nature photography contest for his unique fish-eye lens photo of an early sunrise at Whitefish Dunes State Park, standing out among over 770 entries.

• The gorgeous pic captured a rocky-framed view of Lake Michigan at a frequently photographed spot, earning Bellisle recognition for his “creative perspective” and featuring on the cover of the foundation's Bridges magazine.

• Bellisle, who began nature photography as a hobby around 2010, visits Door County several times a year for landscape photography and showcases his work online and at local exhibitions near Madison.

🏆 Winnebago sturgeon spearing results LINK

• Fish on! The Winnebago System sturgeon spearing season concluded with the spearing of two whoppers weighing over 100 pounds each, although harvest caps were not reached.

• A total of 943 sturgeon were harvested in the Winnebago System—more than double last year’s total—including 142 juvenile females, 322 adult females, and 479 males.

• In the Upper Lakes, 326 sturgeon were harvested, with the 90-95% harvest trigger reached.

❄️ Where is all the wet, heavy snow? LINK

• Rhinelander has received 37 inches of snow so far this winter, which is about a foot less than normal, with lighter, fluffier snow dominating this year.

• Meteorologists suggest that the transition from El Niño to La Niña weather patterns, along with cold temperatures and dry air from Canada, has led to a lack of heavy, wet snow in the area.

• While lighter snow is easier to shovel, it has made trail grooming difficult for cross-country skiers, though many are still grateful for any snow after last winter's dry start.

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