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16 THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026
THE GLOBE • YOURDAILYGLOBE.COM
OUTDOORS
My three days at Dexter County Park
Monday, May 4
High 77, Low 34
Lots to say as usual –
like when I left home, all I
was wearing were shorts
and had the air condition-
Mark
ing on in my truck.
I had long pants and
Walters
shirts packed, but I didn’t
bring outerwear, and that
would be a bit of a bum-
An Outdoorsman’s
mer.
I was hoping to have a
water site on the 300-acre
Dexter Lake, which is filled
Journal
Hello friends,
by the Yellow River, so my
I live about 25 miles canoe would be at camp
from Dexter Lake, which is and ready to go, and that
located in Wood County was no problem as I was
near Pittsville, Wisconsin. camping off season and
I pass by it on Wiscon- during the week.
sin 80 or 54 quite often
and have actually had feel-
As I was building camp,
couple from Vesper
a
ings of guilt for not know- walked by, and I also spoke
ing more about it, as in with them the following
canoeing, camping and day.
fishing.
They make the daily
This week – along with drive and walk – what is a
my 4-year-old golden 5.25-mile trail – and there
retriever, Red – I spent are two others.
Submitted photo
PAINTED TURTLES bask in the sun in this photo taken by columnist Mark Walters, who visited Wisconsin’s Dexter
County Park and Campground in early May.
three days at this fantastic
This campground was
campground, and a lot of it created in 1962 and has 99
was on the water as I tried sites, plus an area for ATV
The thing that really bobber.
impressed me is that it is I was a little short on the and then went for about a
night with minimal success myself.
Though it is chilly, I am
to catch some crappie.
camping and three areas
for group camping.
vast, covering 1,000 acres anchor situation, so I used one-mile journey, during acclimatized and coming
for the entire park, and the my trailer hitch with a two- which I was able to get out up with new ideas on how I
feeling that I had was kind inch ball.
of like going back to the I landed only two crap- anchor, and I caught some time at this park.
‘70s, where everyone had pie, and they were both crappie and real pretty
space. small, but could have bluegill.
After building camp, I caught and kept a limit of
launched my canoe, and bluegill from six to eight news for shallow water Dexter Park and Camp-
Red and I had five hours of inches. fishing, and this trip would ground is very cool.
daylight left, and I had high While I was fishing, a be no exception, but six The following day, it
hopes of figuring out the cold spell blew in from the hours after leaving camp I was even colder, but I was
crappie. north, and I realized that I paddled back with five on top of my game.
My main tactic would be should have bought more crappie, three gills and a
crappie minnows, a 1/64th clothes and a heater for my perch for my effort.
of the wind and set my could spend some quality
A
S
C
OMFORTABLE AS
Y
OUR
I have been writing this
column since ‘89, and,
Cold spells are bad folks, I want to tell you,
F
AVORITE AIR OF LIPPERS
P
S
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In the end, I kept a mess
of crappies and bluegill –
ounce black hair jig, and a tent.
The journey back was also a snapping turtle,
into the wind, and it was which can be a chore to
more physical than I liked. unhook and release while
Next week, if the coho in a canoe, and my local
anywhere else, visit Villa Maria.
Answer for Crossword
Tuesday, May 5
High 52, Low 29
found on page 12.
Come in for a cup of tea or coffee and a personal tour
of Villa Maria Health & Rehabilitation Center.
I have to admit, I did not have migrated to Port buddies told me that that
have enough heat in my Washington on Lake Michi- once this cold spell ends,
tent, and it kept me awake gan, I will be there in this the fishing will be fantas-
VILLA MARIA
much of the night.
same canoe.
tic.
When I went home, I
Health & Rehabilitation Center
–––––––––––––––––––
On the other hand, I
Today, my hands went
was so excited to fish and kind of numb after a while, had spent 20 hours in a
explore that I was on the bulldogging into the wind, squatting position in my
water at 7 a.m. this morn- and that was a bit concern- canoe, and most parts of
A Division of Avanti Health Systems
300 VILLA DRIVE • HURLEY, WISCONSIN
FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED
ing – no food, caffeine or ing.
warm clothes, and there
me were in pain and all
After a world-class nap parts of me were cold.
was a solid north wind.
I fished three places camp and found the crap- hot bath made it all better!
where I had the previous pie and really enjoyed Sunset
at camp, I fished close to
The wood stove and a
