Wisconsin fishermen have asked for years that the price of a trout stamp be increased. That might finally happen.

As activity heated up last week on the 2023-25 Wisconsin budget, Republicans who control the Legislature's budget-writing committee stripped 545 items from Gov. Tony Evers' two-year state spending plan.

In the conservation realm, the cuts included proposals to bolster the deer carcass disposal program and create a lead-free ammunition outreach campaign.

However two fee increases proposed by Evers – to the inland trout stamp and non-resident deer hunting license – were not placed on the exclusion list and therefore could be added by the Joint Finance Committee as it builds a budget in the coming weeks.

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Wisconsin Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups in the state have been lobbying for an increase in the price of the inland trout stamp for more than a decade. The stamp, which has been $10 since 2005, raises funds for stream rehabilitation and fish surveys.

But its buying power has been eroded by inflation and dozens of worthy projects in recent years have been shelved or only partially completed, according to the fishing groups.

However their pleas to pass a bill to raise the stamp price have been ignored by legislators. So this year they took a page out of the state waterfowl hunters' playbook and asked Gov. Evers to include it in his budget plan.

The hunters were able to get a $5 increase in the state waterfowl stamp in 2021 after the governor included it in his budget and the JFC approved it.

The fishing groups hope to see a $5 increase in the inland trout stamp, making it $15.

In 2021-22, sales of the inland trout stamp raised $1,872,800 in revenue, according to state figures. The Department of Administration estimates the $5 increase would raise revenues to the stamp appropriation by $795,000 annually once in effect.

There is strong support among trout anglers and the wider conservation community for a price increase.

At the 2019 Wisconsin spring hearings, 70% of voters (5,324 yes, 2,241 no) supported question #82: Would you favor a legislative change to increase the Inland Trout Stamp from $10 to $15 to allow more trout stream restoration?

Mike Kuhr, advocacy chair for Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, said his organization was cautiously optimistic the measure would receive support from the JFC.

To be included in the final budget, a JFC member would have to make a motion to add it.

Out-of-state deer hunters might also see a fee increase. Gov. Evers proposed to raise the fee for the non-resident deer hunting license by $25 from $160 to $185.

The DOA estimates the increased fee would raise an additional $643,800 for the fish and wildlife account of the Department of Natural Resources conservation fund each year once in effect. In 2021-22, sales of nonresident deer hunting licenses raised $4,279,000, according to DOA.

Wisconsin fees are typically much lower than other states for non-resident hunters. For example in Illinois the non-resident deer license is $300 and in Iowa the non-resident buck tag is $348.

Among items the Republican-controlled JFC removed from further consideration were a Gov. Evers' proposal to provide one-time funding of $1 million to provide grants to local governments, businesses, or nonprofit conservation organizations for the acquisition of receptacles for the disposal of deer carcasses.

Additionally, it would have provided $50,000 annually in ongoing funding for educational programming related to chronic wasting disease.

The JFC also cut the governor's plan to provide one-time funding of $50,000 in 2023-24 to develop a communication and outreach program to promote the use of lead-free ammunition.

Lead fragments in deer carcasses and gut piles cause poisoning of bald eagles and other scavengers that feed on the remains.

Other conservation items removed include a plan for terrestrial invasive species grants, an endangered resources match program and wild rice restoration and public education.

Sturgeon spawning on Fox and Wolf

Recent warmer weather has increased water temperatures and lake sturgeon activity on the Fox and Wolf rivers in central Wisconsin. As of Friday, sturgeon were spawning at the Shawano Dam and porpoising at Bamboo Bend in Shiocton; both sites are on the Wolf.

On the Lower Fox River, the DNR said it expects sturgeon to begin showing up at the De Pere Dam any day.

And while they haven't started spawning, many sturgeon were visible Friday from the viewing platform adjacent to the dam on the Peshtigo River in Pestigo.

Due to the late nature of the spawn, the DNR said it likely won’t last long so head out soon if you want to observe this Wisconsin spring spectacle. The DNR's sturgeon spawning webpage has updates.

Sturgeon are very vulnerable during this spawning period and can be susceptible to illegal harvest. People should report suspicious activity to (800) TIP-WDNR.