Fishery biologist Heidi Keuler shows a mudminnow that was "shocked" to the Scouts. - FWS photo

Heidi Keuler shows a gar to Boy Scouts, but they didn't want to get too close. - FWS photo

Heidi shows a group of Boy Scouts the sharp teeth of a longnose gar at Camp Decorah, on May 19. - FWS photo

Approximately 60 first grade Boy Scouts, known as “Tiger-tales”, attended Camp Decorah, May 19^th, to learn about fishery biology, fishing, and several other activities led by troop leaders. 

Heidi Keuler from the La Crosse Fishery Resource Office taught the young scouts how fishery biologists sample fish by electrofishing, netting, and trapping.  First the boys learned about “shocking” and were given a live demonstration with the backpack shocker in a rainbow trout pond.  Then the boys observed netting techniques with seines, mini-fyke nets, and a gill net. 

Finally, the scouts learned hands-on fish identification with several species of live fish collected from the gear.  Fish species such as bluntnose shiner, common shiner, spottail shiner, redhorse sucker, highfin carpsucker, black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, muskellunge, flathead catfish, bowfin, longnose, and shortnose gar were all caught.  Most of the Boy Scouts had never seen a musky or gar before and were quite impressed with all of the sharp teeth.