BIWBLA Summer News 2025

“Susan’s big love is aquatic plants, especially the carnivorous plants found in Wisconsin (she’s a botanist after all). But Susan also has a soft spot for the little critters she sometimes finds when she’s out hunting for plants. She often documents her adventures and shared the following information:

“People are often surprised that there are freshwater jellyfish and yes – they are here! They are small – about the size of a penny, and in the lake, they look very much like an air bubble coming up to the surface. They are clear but have a cross-like mark that looks a little like a tiny propeller. Like their larger cousins found in saltwater, freshwater jellies do have tentacles they use for swimming and paralyzing their prey. But our freshwater jellyfish are so small their minuscule tentacles have no effect on humans.

“Occasionally I hear about a smack – yes – that’s what it’s called – a smack of jellyfish in a lake up here in the Northwoods, where I live. The first time I saw jellyfish I just about jumped out of the boat – I was so excited! Freshwater jellyfish are not native to North America and hail from the Yangtzee River in China. They probably got here by hitching a ride with ornamental aquatic plants such as water hyacinth. But they are still quite rare and don’t seem to cause any trouble in our lakes.

“But these little guys are very hard to find – here one year and gone for the next five, present in a few area lakes but completely absent from most. One weird thing about them is that a population of jelly fish is usually either all male or all female. And they have a most bizarre and complicated life cycle for such a little critter, and the swimming, pulsating penny-sized form we usually see is just the most obvious of four separate life stages (and that stage doesn’t last all that long – only a few weeks!) If you see them, consider yourself lucky!” (*We are sending a separate attachment of a 3-second video of the jellyfish that was brought in to Sue!)

Walleye Update (from Joe)

Attached is a reprint of a walleye article from Vilas County Lakes & Rivers Association summer 2024 newsletter. The BIWBLA board is researching the feasibility of privately stocking larger fingerling walleye in our chain. The State has not stocked walleye since 2013 and there has been no evidence of natural reproduction in prior fall surveys. The DNR stopped stocking due to follow-up fall shocking showing no evidence of survival of the stocked walleye fingerlings. It has

been made clear to me that it is highly unlikely the DNR will use State hatchery resources to stock walleye in our chain in the future. If we were to proceed with private stocking, they have offered to possibly do fall surveys to assess survival. Information about private stocking is still being looked into, but it’s safe to say it would be an expensive project if it is undertaken. Stay tuned!

A brief history of the Ferncroft Inn, by BIWBLA member and Ballard Lake resident Bob Marsh

My name is Bob Marsh. My wife Karen and I live on the property adjacent to where Ferncroft Lodge was located (property previously owned by Bob and Becky Duensing). The history of Ferncroft Lodge has deep roots in my family history.

In 1900, a lumber cruiser for the Goodyear Lumber Company named Eugene S. Shepard built a resort on Ballard Lake and called it “House of the Good Shepard”. Gene Shepard gained notoriety fabricating the legend of the Hodag. The original Hodag was 7’ long, 32” high with a hairy coat of Buffalo rug, three hundred 10” spikes exposed on its spine and 12” horns on its tail. Shephard kept it chained in a cave in a hill on the resort property. He fashioned red battery-operated eyes to scare his guests. Legend has it that the Hodag ate only white bulldogs. The original Hodag that Shepard built burned in a small fire at Ferncroft in 1914. Shepard built another one, displaying it at the Oneida County Fair in Rhinelander before eventually admitting that the Hodag was a hoax.

There was a sign on County Highway K across from the Heitz driveway commemorating the birthplace of the Hodag which suddenly disappeared. A new sign was built by Dale Buss and replaced the missing sign. (Thanks, Dale, for making the sign, Doug Scott and Joe Heitz for putting it up.)

Shepard also bought gallons of perfume and spread it on fields and told guests it was special scented moss which guests gathered. He also ran a rubber musky on a line being pulled by resort workers to show how great the musky fishing was in Ballard Lake.

Ferncroft was the second resort in Star Lake, with the Waldheim on Star Lake being the first. The main lodge building at Ferncroft measured 90’x 42’ and included a large dining room, office, kitchen and a lounging room. There were also eight cabins.

The resort opened on June 10th, 1900 and Shepard returned to Rhinelander later that first year and sold the resort to H.L. Atkins. Atkins changed the name to Ferncroft and operated it from 1900-1904. He then sold to Joseph Rothschild who also built the Ballard Lake island home. Ole Rismon, who was my great uncle, guided out of Ferncroft from 1901 and leased it from Rothschild from 1908 until 1923. Ole added four more cabins during that time. In 1923, Ole left to build Ole Rismon’s Lodge down the shore of Ballard from Ferncroft. (Ole Rismon Resort opened on May 24, 1924).

A receipt from Ferncroft dated 1912 showed that guests were charged $17.55 for a 12 day stay. Guides charged just $4.00 a day and guests could purchase a non-resident “Hook & Line” license for $1.00. Guides included Fred

Frederickson, Ole Rismon and Laurence Ellerman and also my great uncle. Uncle Boy, as we called Laurence Ellerman, and his wife Cel lived at Ferncroft for a while.

When the property that Ferncroft sat on was divided up into parcels and sold, a home was built by William and Gladys James and now is owned by John and Terry Nurre. There are still signs of the foundation and chimney present on the Nurre property. (Eventually, Ferncroft fell into disrepair and was burned down by the local fire department.)

Thank you, Bob, for sharing your history and photos of the historic Ferncroft Inn!

Our Special Wildlife Friends, 2025 edition, by Bella Gruber, wildlife enthusiast from Irving Lake

When on the water at Ballard, Irving, or White Birch lakes, you may have seen a turtle sitting on a log or disappearing under the water’s surface. With 10 semi-aquatic turtle species in Wisconsin, they are a relatively common animal to encounter near the water. While there are 10 different species, we usually only encounter 2 on our chain of lakes, the painted turtle and the snapping turtle.

Painted turtles, scientific name Chrysemys picta, are the more common of the two species. These reptiles reside in the lakes, ponds, and rivers of North America where they are native. Male and female painted turtles share a similar appearance with a dark green carapace (upper shell), and a colorful red, orange, and yellow plastron (bottom shell). Their black limbs, tail, and head have bold, mostly yellow, colored stripes that run parallel from head to tail. Measuring from the top of the shell to the bottom, full grown males average 7 inches in length while females can get up to 9 inches. Painted turtles can live around 25 years, but they are fully grown and sexually mature between 6 and 10 years.

The nesting season for these reptiles begins at the end of May and continues through July. They average 1-2 clutches each season consisting of up to 20 eggs. The number of eggs usually depends on the size of the turtle as smaller turtles cannot carry as many eggs. When it is time to lay the eggs, these turtles seek loose soil or sandy areas to dig a hole no deeper than 10 inches where they will deposit the eggs and leave them to incubate. The eggs take 70-80 days to hatch

and the hatchlings will dig themselves out and begin the dangerous life of a turtle. While adult painted turtles have few predators, they can end up being a snack for anything that can fit one in their mouth. They are most vulnerable as eggs since anything with a good sense of smell and the ability to dig will consume the eggs. As for the hatchlings, which are comparable to the size of a quarter upon hatching, large fish, birds, raccoons, foxes, other mammals and snakes have little trouble penetrating their soft shell which does not begin to harden until several weeks after they come out of the egg. As for adults, their hard shells, sleek shape, and remarkable speed in water makes them prey for very few animals. Most predators are only successful during the nesting season when the turtles are most vulnerable. With poor ground clearance and limbs not meant for land, it is difficult for them to escape coyotes, raccoons, and wolves they may encounter out of the water. Painted turtles however, are also predators with diets consisting of small fish, aquatic bugs, tadpoles, small crustaceans, and aquatic plants.

turtles  do not have X or Y chromosomes (Sex chromosomes) like most animals. While the gonad is developing, the hotter temperatures encourage the production of estrogen and the cooler temperatures result in the production of testosterone. Of the two hormones, one will overpower the other resulting in the development of ovaries or testes, which in the end, will make the turtle a male or a female.

Another interesting, and often unknown fact about painted turtles is how they survive the winter. Like all reptiles who reside in seasonal climates, turtles hibernate for the winter, but they do not go underground like other reptiles. Painted turtles have a unique adaptation that allows them to circulate oxygen through the blood vessels located in their tail. If you want to make people confused, you can simply say that turtles can “breathe through their butts,” but scientifically, it is known as cloacal respiration. Under the ice in the freezing waters is where turtles reside during the winter months. Their unique adaptation allows them to breathe underwater, and being cold blooded, they can survive the chilling temperatures. To minimize the heat they lose, turtles limit their movement and when they do move, they go slow and use the mucky bottom as traction to easily pull themselves forward. Moving slower also occurs internally as they slow their metabolisms. This change causes them to require less food and nutrients that they are no longer spending due to their slowed movements. All of these factors result in an animal fit to survive Wisconsin winters.

We are lucky to have these beautiful and unique creatures living in our lakes. I encourage you to scan the shorelines next time you are out (especially in the channels to the boat launches) you may be surprised at just how many of these turtles you will see! If you have any questions, I will be available at our 2025 BIWBLA meeting and will be happy to try and answer any questions you may have!

Thank you for caring for our beautiful lakes and for your continued support of BIWBLA!

BIWBLA Board of Directors: President Joe Heitz, Vice-president Chuck Atwater, Secretary Debbie Millar, Treasurer Nancy Jacobs, at-large-directors Stephanie Gruber, Anne Millar, Sue Altschwager, Doug Scott, Paul Madden and Jennifer Heitz. Newsletter editor and sunset photos, Jennifer Heitz

Check out our Newletters from the past!  They are packed with interesting facts and information about BIWBLA.