Outdoors notes: Snowy owl sightings

Reports of snowy owl sightings are spreading across the nation’s northern tier this winter, with large numbers spotted around the Great Lakes as well as the East Coast and West Coast.

The sudden increase — or invasion — is generally attributed to a decrease in lemmings, rodents that serve as the main food source in the owls’ native Arctic habitat. As the population of lemmings falls, the owls are forced to look further south for food.

Stinky situation:The New Jersey shore borough of Avalon may be in violation of state wildlife laws for trapping about 80 skunks and removing them from the island community--but without the proper permit or saying where they were released. #147;We#146;re trapping them and putting them in the witness protection program,#148; is all Mayor Martin Pagliughi would admit. #147;We don#146;t know where they#146;re going.#148;Fishing update:Fox Chain: Some skim ice in several backwater areas, but walleyes are still cooperating in the Spring Lake Channel.Fox River: You may find some crappie action in some of the backwater channels above the Route 176 bridge.Mike Jackson can be reached via email at angler88@comcast.net. His radio program can be heard 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC AM-1240, as well as via a live-stream broadcast on mikejacksonoutdoors.com.