Even after his tragic death two years ago this week, Mark Opgenorth's legacy of getting things done lives on.

Nearly 100 former co-workers, friends and family members gathered at the Department of Natural Resources' Strawberry Creek salmon facility Oct. 16 to remember Opgenorth, a 35-plus-year DNR employee who suffered an apparent heart attack and drowned in the holding ponds at the Besadny Anadromous Fisheries Facility near Kewaunee.

Donations and a public benefit earlier this year raised close to $20,000 in his name for renovations at Strawberry Creek, Wisconsin's primary hatchery source for chinook salmon eggs.

Most recently, Opgenorth served as Northeast Region Operations supervisor. He led staff at seven different stations, including hatchery, habitat and operations crews.

Retired fisheries biologist Mike Toneys of Sturgeon Bay said Opgenorth always found a way to do what others thought might not be possible.

"He was an everyday person: everyday people busting their butts every day to do the job, to do whatever it was they were expected to do," Toneys said. "That was 'Markey,' but it went beyond that."

Regardless of how much time he didn't have to spare, Toneys said Opgenorth always found time to put out a helping hand to people within and outside of the Department.

"He didn't know the word 'no,'" Toneys said. "He cared for everybody. Nobody was too small, too average, for Mark. He had time for everybody."

DNR Northeast Region Water Leader Charlie Verhoeven noted that recent renovations to the spawning facility made it easier and more efficient for staff to operate, as well as safer, cleaner and better for the viewing public. More improvements are planned as money becomes available in the DNR budget or through grants, he said.

"We have rebuilt and restored and redesigned nearly the entire facility here in remembrance of Mark," Verhoeven said. "In a way, it's ironic that Mark is still getting the job done today."

Toneys asked those gathered to do good works in Mark's memory.

"Shortly after the memorial service, you're going to have lunch, and then roar down Strawberry Lane and go back to your lives," Toneys said. "I would like you to look up from your lives, and put a hand out and help people. When you don't have the time, find the time to help, to say 'You're doing a good job,' 'You mean something to me,' 'Way to go,' 'Thank you,' 'We appreciate you.' Do it for yourselves, do it for each other and do it for Mark."

A 10,000-pound boulder excavated during the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery renovation was fitted with a memorial plaque and unveiled at the dedication.

The facility is closed for the season. The DNR completed its quota of eggs for hatcheries last week.

Deer update

Based on past successes, it's likely that more than 300 whitetails were registered in Door and Kewaunee counties during the four-day, antlerless-only gun hunt.

Even with several station registration totals unavailable Friday, the count was already past 200. Qmart in Sturgeon Bay led the way with 74.

Archers could expect some solid movement as the rain ends and the wind settles down tonight.

Comment on hunt proposal

It's not too late to join the thousands of hunters who have commented on the proposed two-year trial deer season for 2010-11.

You can do so through Nov. 3 at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/hunt/deer/index.htm. Click the icon in the upper right corner of the screen to open the comment form.

You can also comment in person or just watch the DNR presentation and then sit back and enjoy the fireworks at a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.

Best of the Best

Southern Door County anglers Ron Hedsand and Don Petersilka III caught two of the 10 muskies that were reeled in and released by 55 teams entered in the 2009 "Best of the Best" fishing tournament on lower Green Bay and the Fox River over the weekend.

They earned the first-place prize of $5,000 by catching one muskie Saturday and another Sunday. Hedsand is Petersilka's uncle.

Whitefish hearing

A public hearing on proposed increases to the total allowable annual commercial lake whitefish harvest will be held at 5 p.m. Monday at the Door County Public Library, 107 S. Fourth Ave., Sturgeon Bay.

The rule may be reviewed and comments electronically submitted online at dnr.wi.gov/org/legal/adminrules.html (search "NR 25").

Kevin Naze is a freelance outdoors writer. E-mail him at wildtimes@wizunwired.net or call (920) 883-9792.