09/12/2026
Scoping The Great Outdoors
By Bob Schuh
Manitowoc County Lakes Association will hold their 2026 annual meeting and banquet on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Autumn Ridge Golf Course banquet hall, 1 Straight Drive, Valders. Doors open at 5 p.m. for registration and social hour with cash bar and dinner being served at 6 p.m. Guest speakers and program will follow the dinner. Reservations must be made by Oct. 9 for a head count. Cost is $20 per person and payable by cash or check at the door. To make your reservations, contact Mary Ann Walddauer by emailing [email protected] or by calling or texting her at (920) 946-5165. Speakers for the evening will include Valerie O’Connor, Invasive Species Coordinator, Glacierland RC&D and Jason Miller, coordinator of the Door County Invasive Species Team will do a joint presentation on the Spiny Water flea and Starry Stonewort, two new aquatic invasive species (AIS) that are entering our region. Organized and hosted by the Cedar Lake Improvement Association and the Town of Schleswig Sanitary District #1 in conjunction with the Manitowoc County Lakes Association. We look forward to seeing you at the banquet.
Reedsville Sportsman's Club is holding their Youth Trap steak Fry on Saturday, Sept. 19. Serving is From 5-8 p.m. at $30 per person. The meal includes 16 oz. ribeye Or chicken breast, baked potato, salad bar, and dessert. Only prepaid tickets will be guaranteed a steak. Call Gerald Fischer @(920) 901-3907 To get your tickets.
Country Visions Cooperative’s Third annual Outdoorsmen’s Expo and Warehouse Sale will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be at Country Visions Brillion Country Store and Warehouse, 1010 W. Ryan Street in Brillion. Admission is free and open to the public. What you can expect: *Keynote speakers sharing expert tips and stories, *Live demonstrations throughout the day, *Chances to win prizes, *Vender fair featuring top brands and local favorites, and *Opportunities to connect with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
The Sheboygan/Manitowoc Chapter 590 of Pheasants Forever is holding a 50 bird Lewis shoot and brat fry at Joe’s Clays, 12720 County Road K, Reedsville, two miles west of Kellnersville on Sept. 19 and 20. Shooting will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Cost is $20 per round plus a $5 Lewis fee. Food and refreshments will be served both days. They will have a silent auction and bucket raffles with winners being drawn at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 20. This event is open to the public.
Manitowoc County Historical Society presents the Mid-Lakes Agricultural Fair and Thresheree on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Join them for a celebration of agricultural history and community, presented in partnership with the Mid-Lakes Rustic Iron Club. The fair and thresheree features all the things a nineteenth century and early twentieth century agricultural fair would-agricultural demonstrations, exquisite handiwork and produce, historic trades, and more. Step back in time and see the sights and steam-powered action that brings to life the stories of our heritage. Help us bring in the harvest using methods from centuries past. From vintage tractors to hands-on history, you can relive nostalgia of our agricultural roots.
Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve presents Programs for Everyone: Summer Star Party on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and is free for everyone. Their sky shed now offers electronically assisted astronomy (EAA) so everyone can see the night sky on a screen mounted on the wall. View night sky constellations and other celestial objects with astronomers, Al and Ben, through telescopes and EAA. Celebrate National Observes the Night Moon at the September Star Party and enjoy viewing the moon. Programs are weather and sky condition permitting and take place outside the nature center. Registration is required by Thursday, Sept. 17. Sponsored by the Dufek Foundation. To register, email Jess at [email protected] or call (920) 793-4007.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has drained the main waterbody in the Collins Marsh Wildlife Area by opening the gates on the dam at Mud Creek. This periodic drawdown improves wildlife habitat. Part of managing a wetland is varying water levels seasonally to mimic the natural ebb and flow in an unrestricted system. Wetlands benefit from periodic dry spells, so the DNR plans to drain the marsh during the summer months to mimic a dry spell. This will ultimately be a great benefit to the marsh. The "seed bank" in the muck at marsh bottom will be exposed to sunlight and will be able to germinate. Valuable native aquatic vegetation will become a food source for water birds, waterfowl and shore birds. The Collins Marsh Wildlife Area is a 4,200-acre property located about four miles south of Reedsville in Manitowoc County. The marsh is managed primarily as wetland habitat. The primary goal for the main impoundment is to establish waterfowl habitat during the spring and fall migrations. The main body provides food and cover for broods. In addition, the property has numerous smaller wetland impoundments, as well as fields of upland prairie grass, that serve as nesting cover and brood ponds for ground nesting waterfowl such as mallards and blue-winged teal. A wide variety of wetland-loving birds make the marsh their home, including osprey, green herons, black terns, marsh wrens, sedge wrens and yellow headed blackbirds. After native vegetation has established roots and reached sufficient growth, the marsh will be reflooded early next spring. The marsh should refill quickly and provide an important stop-over point for migrating birds. Staff are also using the drawdown to do a much-needed replacement of the gates used to manage water levels. The new gates will be installed this fall, allowing for greater ability in manipulating water levels on the main waterbody for wetland habitat management in the future. The drawdown is expected to last through the winter of 2026-2027 to allow for other habitat projects to be completed. Although the drawdown is temporary, it will affect hunting opportunities this fall. However, the drawdown will ultimately help produce quality hunting conditions in the years following. That’s it for this week so have fun in the great outdoors.
