Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ample, to drop from nearly 20 pounds at the turn of the millennium to less than 14 pounds
in 2012.)
Driving the truck out on a frozen lake to a village of shanties erected over drilled holes,
sittingonanoverturnedfive-gallonpail,stampingyourfeetquiteabit,anddrinkingalotof
schnapps is a time-honored tradition in the Great White North.
Ice fishing
is serious busi-
ness in Wisconsin: Up to two million angler-days are spent on the ice each year, and ice
fishing accounts for up to one-fifth of the state's annual catch.
For all information, contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (877/
945-4236,
www.dnr.wi.gov
)
.
Hunting, like fishing, is a well-established business in Wisconsin, though far less so on a
tourist level. The nine-day gun deer season alone generates $250 million for the state. For-
tunately, hunters are often more conservation-oriented than their civilian brethren. Many
animal species owe their continued existence to hunting and conservation groups.
Deer
hunting is essentially a rite of passage in Wisconsin's North Woods even today.
Entire school districts in the area shut down for the November white-tailed deer season.
Other popular hunts include
goose, duck, pheasant,
and especially
ruffed grouse.
Wisconsin mountains will never be mistaken for the Rockies or the Grand Tetons, but the
state's heights give it a fairly decent concentration of downhill ski facilities. Cross-country
ski buffs can indulge themselves in an orgy of skiing statewide. It's such a big deal in Wis-
consin that the nation's largest cross-country ski race, the Birkebeiner, is held here every
year in February, in Hayward.
Snowmobiling is a big deal here. In some communities, snowmobiling accounts for more
business than even fishing. In fact, with more than 175,000 registered riders spending $40
million, it accounts for more money in some parts of the state than angling, hunting, and
skiing combined. In
Snowgoer
magazine, reader polls have ranked northeastern Wisconsin
and Minocqua best overall, eclipsing better-known, better-financed Rocky Mountain oper-
ators. Antigo passed ordinances giving snowmobiles rights similar to those of cars on city
streets. (Actually, you may be shocked at the number of snowmobiles on city streets even
