On Saturday, August 19th, WDNR Conservation Warden Bradley Wilson spoke to the Walworth County Lakes Association at Juniper Knoll Girl Scout Camp. Bradley, whose territory covers the eastern part of Walworth County, told about his responsibilities, which include boating safety, AIS enforcement on highways, Canada goose management and fishing licenses to name a few.
Recent boating safety violations include not carrying enough Personal Flotation Devices, not having a boating certificate (needed for every driver born after 1/1/1989), and compliance of using lights at night or dusk.
He also checks boats for weeds hanging down from the bottom when he sees them on roadways. Rules call for you to clean all the aquatic plant material from your boat before going on a road; so far there have been 20 citations this year.
For fishing, the most common violation is fishing without a license, followed by fishing season violations. It is important for anglers to know the species limit on your particular lake (see the Guide to 2023-2024 Fishing Regulations link:)
Other animal questions: Why are we seeing so many migrating pelicans? Bradley said their route is normally to fly north using the Mississippi River as a guide, but with the warming climate, they are spreading east and west of the River.
Lastly, with only two wardens in Walworth County, you can imagine that they need our eyes and ears. The DNR Tip Line is 800-847-9367. When you call, you can choose to be anonymous.