Mornin' to everyone that can correctly tell the difference between whitetail deer and elk/moose. 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:

• Fall Colors Peak Predictions 🍁 

• Getting paid for pine cones 🌲 

• Elk fatalities ☠️

   

  

Wisconsin Fall Colors Preview

“But wait, the Fall Solstice isn’t for another 9 days!”

Zip it, Craig! These leaves aren’t waiting for anyone, especially this year.

We’ve updated our annual Fall Colors Preview, complete with the best guess of when the “peak” leaf-peepin’ will be (sorted by region).

Let’s rake up a pile and dive in.

Wisconsin Fall Colors Peak 2023:

• Northern Wisconsin (including Door County): October 9th

• Central Wisconsin (including MKE County): October 16th

• Southern Wisconsin (including LaCrosse County): October 23rd

Leaves for Dummies:

To get the full custard-scoop on how leaves and their coloration work, ya gotta understand a little bit of biology (don't worry - this won't be like the time you brought a 6-month old brat to the science fair).

Here's a quick rundown:

1. The green in leaves we see during spring and summer comes from chlorophyll, which is created from the sun. As our sunny days come to an end, leaves create less and less chlorophyll

2. With less chlorophyll, the green colors are overtaken by underlying hues of orange and yellow, due to the carotenoid present in leaves. Same stuff in carrots

3. Additionally, these longer, cooler nights create conditions where more sugar is trapped in the leaves, giving off purple and red coloration

What makes a leaf fall from the tree? With shorter days, less auxin is produced. This weakens the bond between the branch and the leaf, until—ope, there it went…

What effects the peak?

There are “perfect conditions” for Fall foliage which can effect the vibrancy of the colors. Here’s the Holy Grail:

• A warm, wet spring

• Summer that isn’t too hot or dry

• Fall days that have plenty of cooler nights

How’d we do this year? Not terribly, but the droughts over the summer may impact the colors we see.

How to get out ‘der

We use 3 main sources in predicting where and when to park our rears for Fall Colors: The Farmer’s Almanac, SmokeyMountains.com, and, of course, Travel Wisconsin.

If you want to get a look at the rest of the nation’s Fall Colors peak, check out this map (you can also submit your own user data).

Below are some of our favorite areas in the state, which only get better with Fall Colors as the backdrop!

North(ish)

• Timms Hill County Park (highest point in the state!)

• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

South(ish)

• Geneva Lake Shore Path

East(ish)

• Pike Lake State Park

• Peninsula State Park

• Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak

• Lion's Den Gorge Nature Preserve

West(ish)

• Wyalusing State Park

• Grandad's Bluff

• Interstate Park

Central(ish)

• Rib Mountain

• Picnic Point - Lake Mendota Trail

• Devil's Lake State Park

Now grab your favorite flannel, stuff a cheese curd or two in your pocket, and get out ‘der!

Other great Wiscampsin reads…

Wisconsin's Telltale Signs of Fall

How Fall Migration Works

Wisconsin's Rustic Roads

Shop Wiscampsin

Wisconsin State Bird Art Print: “Very nicely made, great colors and design. It looks amazing in my home. Keep it up Wiscampsin ❤️” - Peggy

Wiscampsin Badgers Tee: “It’s the perfect t-shirt to show off my love for camping and Wisconsin at the same time :)” - Emily

Wiscampsin Recycled License Plate Frame: “Love it! Get out der! Makes my Mazda look even better” - Alex

Wiscampsin Mug: “Awesome mug, very lightweight, the mug doesn't get piping hot if you need to microwave your coffee either.” - Matthew

Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Only 6% of our readers have seen a Moose in Wisconsin! They better hit Potawatomi Casino with that luck…

If you are wondering what in da heck the Ice Age Trail Alliance Specialty License Plate is, check out this article to learn more.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🌲 Red is the new Gold: The DNR is paying cold, hard cash for bushels of red pine cones. Why? They make great soup! Just kidding—the tree nursery in Boscobel is soon to be depleted of its red pine seeds due to reforestation efforts, and need a restocking. Learn more here.

🦌 Hunters—brush up on the regs: “What time is shooting hours?” “How many points does a buck have to have for me to shoot it?” “I thought you brought the sandwiches!” All great bits of info to sort out before you hit the tree stand this fall. Access all the resources you need to fill your freezer, like hunting regulations, licenses, and more!

🚘 Watch out for elk (literally): Data shows that car crashes are the #1 cause of elk fatalities in the state (we’re guessing it’s all the FIBs heading to Door County). As elk enter the rut, males will be chasing females all over the place, so keep your eyes peeled. Between 2015 and 2022, 22 elk in the Black River Elk Range were killed by motorists.

 Sponsored by Campnab:

⛺️ “Honey, you made a campsite reservation, right?”

Aw cripes.

Not only is your spouse totally ticked off, but now you might be stuck inside this weekend (instead of camping at your favorite State Park).

Or… you could sign up for Campnab. Campnab texts you when sold-out campgrounds become available, so you can snag last-minute reservations with ease.

As seen on Outside Online and RV Travel:

• Just drop in your phone number

• Pick your fav campsites or State Parks

• Get a text as soon as a canceled reservation opens up

TL;DR–you’ll spend less time searching for reservations, and more time camping.

Sign up for Campnab and get text alerts at your fav campsites this summer!

Want to sponsor the Wiscampsin Weekly?

Reply “Sponsor” and we will get back to you with the details!

Meme of the Week 😂

A review from the trail… Is that you, Mom?