Ranger Rick's Geocache Trail: Mighty Oaks Traditional Geocache
Ranger Rick's Geocache Trail: Mighty Oaks
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Size: 
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What is killing the oak trees at Buckhorn Barrens? It is a fungus called oak wilt. Within 4-6 weeks of infection the leaves begin to wilt and fall off leaving the tree bare. Beetles spread oak wilt as they carry the spores of the fungus from tree to tree. You can help stop the spread of oak wilt by using firewood within 25 miles of where it was cut and by not pruning or cutting any oak trees between April and July when the fungus and beetles are most active.
Find the cache near these oak trees and also keep your eyes open for Ranger Rick’s friend. This is not a friend that you want to get too close to and you may know she’s near by her smell before you even catch a glimpse of her. She lives in woods, brush land and open prairies. She is most often seen at night and hunts after sundown eating mice, eggs, insects and berries. Look in the cache for an additional clue to this animal and stamp her paw print on your passport.
This cache is located in an area designated as a State Natural Area with special permission from Thomas Meyer, Conservation Biologist with the State Natural Areas Program of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Heather Wolf, property manager at Buckhorn State park. Please stay on the designated trails, all caches are located within 20 feet of the trail. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. The DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://www.wi-geocaching.com/hiding
A current Wisconsin State Parks sticker is required to park a vehicle in any part of the park at any time of year.
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