Next Saturday Guys! Can't wait. Heading out to the deer shack Friday after work.

Good Luck to Everyone!

Yep! Son and I both have Friday off so I am heading up to his place for the hunt for the weekend. Friday night we head to the landowner's shack to sip a little whiskey and catch up for the year. Saturday night they all come over to my son's place for a big feed...and sipping a little whiskey. Hope fully we will all be great successful warriors and dance around pounding our spears on our shields!

Have a safe and fun hunt!

Moosetrot

Skipping opening weekend but will hunt later and muzzleloader if necessary.

I got 3 days work this week , might be the longest 3 days of the year , although if like last week I was so busy , I have Thursday off to get packed and headed up first thing Friday Morning.

Heading up Friday AM to the northern retreat. The utility firm needs to replace the gas line meter and will do that Friday while we are there. Son will come up Friday after work. We hunt about a day and a half or so and come home. This year the schedule looks so full probably won't go back up after Turkey Day. Promised the 3 granddaughters I would work with them on making 3 Gingerbread houses with them and they are raring to go.

Bryce

Good luck everyone.

Going up again for the whole season but have not got a deer the past 7 years. We hardly ever see deer. The wolves have taken over our territory in the National Forest. Years ago it use to be awesome trophy hunting.

Will walk out my back door as usual opener. After that I will carry the rifle with beaver trapping. I enjoy the muzzle loader season alot more after the army of orange has went home.

Setting up deer camp Thursday. Should have the woodstove purring, the Coleman lanterns humming and the cribbage board pegging by sundown. Put in a few mink sets for fun Friday morning and get stands ready in the afternoon. Good luck and be safe out there.

Wishing everyone a safe hunt out there and an enjoyable hunt. The forecast suggests moderate, almost mild temps for our opener. Partly sunny, highs upper 30's to 40, here around Fall Creek.
Was initially planning to hunt the opener up at a friend's cabin SW of Grand View, but won't make it up there until muzzleloader season now. Have to hang close to the farm for family reasons.

Nice thing that the orange army usually retreats by Sunday afternoon.

They might stay out all day Sunday. Packers don't play 'til after seven.

It's always interesting to hear when the first shot "sounds off" on opening day. Many times it's 20 minutes or better before the legal time, at least by me. Can be earlier if there's snow.

My son and I heading out Friday to my sister cottage. We have hunted from there for many years now with my brother and couple others. Back in September the piece of county woods we hunt was marked for clear cutting. The tree I actually lock my seat on has been marked as has the whole area our group hunts. I've shot 5 deer from that spot and before that it was my older brother stand..My brother checked with the county and someone did place a bid to cut that woods.. So having not been there for couple weeks we aren't sure our woods won't be buzzing with skidders and cutters, We are all hopping they don't get started working until after deer season. Then for next year for sure we will have to scout new place to be. Just one of them things have to deal with on public land. My original stand in that area was cut over after tornado went threw, That was 11 years ago and they salvaged cut all that. It's now young pines so thick can hardly walk in there..


Mac

I'll be going to my daughter's school to eat lunch with her on Thursday then heading up to camp right away. My hope is to get a half dozen or so fisher sets spread throughout our woods, all in locations that look fisher-y and that are nearby others' stands so they can check them for me while going hunting so I dont have to traipse all over their spots.

We will have 6 of us in camp this year. Normally we spend Friday splitting and stacking wood, but this year our wood bins are all full so maybe we'll go fishing if this warm weather doesn't chew up too much of the ice. We had 4.5" when fishing on the 15th.

Good luck to all and stay safe!

Mac, that area you've been hunting that's about to be logged off will be really good in a couple of years. You can find good stands along the edges where the logging stopped. The county foresters are usually pretty good to work with, regarding info about activities and timelines.

We had more deer movement at our gun club after it was logged then before. The deer will love the new growth. Sure, the patterns will change, but don't count that property out at all.

Yahoo can’t wait for all city folk to come up, drink and drive like.
There is no repercussions and shoot Bambi hung over the next day and
Be bragging about it by noon Saturday. This coming week is one of the most
Annoying weeks of the year. Lots of small bucks will get shot and does will
Get wiped out on the public land bc there handing out doe tags like they do
Welfare. Yuck.
Sorry to sound pessimistic but wi rifle season is a joke. Hopefully the rut will be wound down and
Some of the young deer will make it.

Well, maybe you should help the rest of us set a good example to those who don't get it.

Forgot about Friday night "sighting in"


Ill be hunting but not till Wednesday 27th. Still hunting along the Pike or one of its creeks.

Ill be hunting but not till Wednesday 27th. Still hunting along the Pike or one of its creeks.[/quote]

Sounds like a good plan. Nice country up and over there. Hunted grouse south of there in the Benson Lake Road neighborhood years ago.

k snow
Yep I know we will all survive the cutting have for years now. The piece we hunt is 2X3 mile square and we have hunted that same piece since the mid 1970s..Back then I moved 3 times due to the way they cut it in different patterns. In fact where we are now is because the place we started in 70s was clear cut so we moved to east side. That piece is actually grown up now and maybe where we move back to once this piece we are on is cut? I may just have to move across the big marsh I sit along now. Other side of marsh was cut several years ago..There is another group of guys though that are on other side of the marsh.. We'll figure it out all ways do. May just have to sit closer to the edge of the pines they planted on the storm cut. That is kind of what we doing now. They just decided it was time to cut all older growth all the way around the 10 year old storm cut.

Mac

I forgot about Friday night sight in. Truck loads of corn when there is no baiting in the surrounding
3 counties lol my parents have a supper club/ small bar up here so I got the full effect of the shackers
Growing up. Can still go there on the Friday night of opener and see the same people from 20 years ago
Telling the same Stories at the bar. I don’t mind people coming up north. Deer season just hosts a lot of rude
Folks from southern wi and Illinois that are on a care free bing when there up here.
Good luck to all the hunters this coming week, be safe and Respect the north woods.

Understand your disgust and frustration. We all see this around the state. Probably has been this way for many years.

Last year I went to a local church on Friday night before the opener for a hunters stew supper. I got the squirts so bad I missed opening morning.

I don't think I will have any stew this year

WS

I had to LOL when I read this. Sorry my friend!

I thought I would add some eye candy to add to the excitement. This was from last year.

purty nice buck

Looking pretty warm for the opener, then cruddy mid-week.

Here's to hoping We get it done opening weekend.

Nice buck! Seen on the weather channel that there might be a big snow storm coming before Thanksgiving.

1 to 1 1/2 inches of rain Wednesday and Thursday now. 31 o for high on Friday hopefully stiffens the rain and mud up a little bit. 9 days of woods, and family. Happy Happy

Forecast here for Thursday is 1" of rain so looks like a soggy start on Saturday.

The ground up by us has been frozen for 2 weeks in Langlade county, and the forecast is for less than half an inch of rain Wednesday day then cooling down some Thursday night. Hoping to get out ice fishing again on Friday so I'm not tempted to be out in the woods. We had 4.5 inches on a nearby lake last Friday.

The deer kill Is going to way down In Rock Dane and Iowa counties this year. Thousands of acres of standing corn and It's not going to be harvested till late Dec. First few shots and all the deer will be In the corn.

I think you are right Beav. There is standing corn almost everywhere.

Same in Chippewa and Taylor as well Beav.

Throw La Crosse County on that list. With the rain they are predicting I doubt any more will get but.

Moosetrot

You guys got to drive them corn fields with mass of guys, get them big bucks moving.. No chance for any accidental shootings doing that. Right?
Have seen some nice bow shot deer shot doing STALK and sneak in corn field..Much safer..

Mac

Drives are like guns, they aren't dangerous, if done correctly. Pushers don't shoot. Posters have very specific shooting areas. Identify target before shooting.

I can just imagine 3 guys stalking through 8 foot corn watching for deer. Some body could get shot just as easy in that scenario.

Probably wouldn't get shot In corn field but you might get lost LOL
The corn rows In our fields around here are pretty tight and you would have a tough time just walking through them. And how do you drive a 200 acre corn field?

I think there was a hunting incident in Michigan over the weekend where one a guy shot his brother in a cornfield while they were tracking a wounded deer.

I've done some cornfield drives before, like others have said they can be safe if done properly. No guns for the drivers and safe lanes of fire for the shooters. We had a few fields around here getting harvested over the weekend because of the cold weather it must have frozen just enough to get in and out.

Yep, there is a lot of standing corn, and will be through the deer seasons.
With the cooler, wet fall, the corn hasn't dried down as it usually does, and many farmers are not wanting to spend any more money on propane to dry it down than they have to. Desired moisture levels before combining the corn is 15% or less, I've heard that moisture levels are averaging around 25 %. That's a lot of LP.

Back in the Fall of 1985, we had so much rain that over half of the corn in WI stood in the fields all winter. Deer hunting was more challenging that year.....looks like we will have a similar situation again this year.

Will be checking wind direction opening morning and then deciding which stand to hunt behind the house. Was fortunate to harvest a nice 10pt during archery season and have a few bucks on camera that might be worth taking, need to see in person. Have a few anterless tags to fill too. Weather looks nice for opener!

Good Luck and be safe!

Dave

Nice one Alex congratulations! Lot of hot dogs there..

Mac

Headed out tomorrow afternoon to set up blinds. Lots of corn still standing all around the farm. Aunt and Uncle haven't seen many deer outside the corn. Might be a slow year.

Thanks Mac! Got into the stand late with hopes of filling an anterless tag, did not see a deer until 30 minutes from closure when he came thru feeding. Wind was in my face and he never knew I was there. I guess you spend enough time in the woods and get lucky once in a while!

Dave

Nice looking buck Dave!

Safe travels to all who are leaving tonight or heading out tomorrow.

Good luck Saturday.

Brian

voice drive time , to get them moving.

good luck

a safe hunt to all

Where we hunt in a national forest there never is or are any crop changes or slow harvests etc. Not as many deer or hunters anymore but we enjoy the larger woods experience even though we don't eat as much venison. This year the change will be is that any and all low spots will be very, very wet and not frozen either. That won't change deer patterns much but sure will change mine a bit.

Bryce

I was out scouting some today , hip boots are going to be necessary to reach many places , scouting higher ground tomorrow.

Wishing everyone a safe and successful hunt!
Heading up to Ladysmith this morning- my son has a bobcat tag so he will make some sets that he can check on the way to his stand this week and I'll make some fisher sets, might drop a few weasel boxes in along the way also.
Good Luck Everyone

Good luck everyone and be safe. Just got back from CO with a nice 6x6. I'm going to take my father out in the glorified tower that everyone makes fun of. Not really interested in shooting whitetail, but will enjoy the time I have left with Dad. He enjoys just shooting pictures anymore and thats fine by me.

Got another decent public land buck today!
Hope it went well for those out!

Not enough signal to post pics but The Boy was in the stand with me again this year and picked out a doe this afternoon that came into the stand and I shot it at 17 paces from the stand he pulled it out of the woods for us (about 150 yards) and we gutted it in the field then he drug it to the cabin. Mostly down hill but I was impressed with his enthusiasm for the job as the deer weighed 120lbs and he goes 65 with a full stomach. He didnt want me to help but I insisted as the pull about stopped on any rise in terrain but he did it for the most part by himself and I for one am proud of his effort. Tomorrow he says we will get our buck, lol. Good luck and stay safe out there everyone!!!

Congratulations deerfly that is a nice looking buck!
Was a decent day for me with seeing three doe opening morning and no clear shot. Then in the evening an adult doe with two buck fawns I elected to pass with hopes a buck would be following. 20 minutes later I think the neighbor shot her. Oh well back in the stand in a few hours.
Dave

We are back from our day and a half in the National Forest. Was in the woods 10 hours Saturday and 4.5 Sunday. Heard 2 shots within a mile of me and we saw sign but no deer. Weather was great so one could sit all day and with it being 22 Sat.AM and 30 Sunday AM the leaves crackled like H so still hunting was out. Very, very limited hunters both days. Did have two groups drive sections of the forest right near us. About 7-8 in each group but never heard any shooting. We totally miscalculated about the high water. Yes there was water every where but froze hard enough to walk on it so we did not need the higher rubber boots. Changed up to the better boots to keep our feet warm. Flushed or heard lots of grouse and am seeing way more grey squirrels where I used to see red squirrels.

Home safe and that is a good thing. Time to turn on the football game.

Bryce

Thats interesting.

How has the habitat and environment change?


Go Pack Go

I finally have something worthwhile to contribute to this thread. Shot a really nice doe just before last light tonight. She weighed 160 pounds live weight and came in with another doe and 2 fawns.

Besides me we had 7 other hunters in camp hunting all or most of the day both Saturday and Sunday and none saw a live deer during legal shooting hours. But still a fun time in our camp. I'm the 5th generation there and hopefully it goes another 5 generations at least.

I will offer some of my thoughts on why there may be a change in species, but remember this is just based on being in the woods in this reason only since the mid 1980s and that is a not even the life span of an aspen tree.

Bryce

More acres of standing corn around here than woods. Been a very difficult hunt so far and doesn't look like much hope for the corn harvest before the season ends. Should be more deer next year if there's a bright side to this. Good luck to you all.

Saw 20 deer all does. Killed one and know I'm done .

Sounds like an exciting hunt. That story kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I'm glad you enjoyed It. LOL

Set camp in the river bottoms Thursday. Took care of getting stands ready Friday. Noted the area had been under water most of the summer. Sat in the tree stand 'til 10:30 Saturday morning, saw no deer. Mini drive to a buddy down a finger in the swamp, pushed no deer. Lunch at camp, noted the river was coming up fast, real fast. Got a hold of Susan, asked how the hydrograph at Muscoda looked. She said it's going up. We had water within a vertical foot of the tent. Thursday when we set camp it was within 3 feet vertically.

Stuck a stick at the water's edge and we broke camp Saturday afternoon. By 3:00 the water had gained 2" vertically. Back to the landing by 4:00. Fella from Iowa was there, said he paid $80 for an out of state license which also gave him 3 doe tags. Said blue tongue had ravaged the deer herd near where he normally hunted. Said more than likely it's hit here too as evidenced by little sign. I'd have to agree. Kickapoo River Valley was the scene of 100+ dead deer found awhile back. Who knows how many in the weeds.

Very few shots heard Saturday. Dunno. Might be time to relocate deer camp for 2020. Have hunted this same area since '86. High water the last two years. Seems to be the new norm.

View from my stand Saturday morning. Sure was nice out there.

What is the nest ?

Eagles.

Ok I am back to civilization and can post pics. The Boy and I didnt see a buck but saw 15 deer so it was fun. I let him bring the 410 for a walk and he got his first grouse before our yearly camp photo. He will be able to shoot deer next year so this was a good learning experience hiking with a gun he was very good but being 8 tired out quickly
I dont think we sat in a stand he didnt nap in. He also got 2 red squirrels by the cabin so that's great as everyone knows they reak havoc on the buildings. Great weekend!!!

Muskrat that stinks about the high water. Do you really think its blue tongue or just the water being up and not enough food that's pushed them out?

100+ dead deer confirmed blue tongue found nearby in Kickapoo River Valley. Nobody really knows the numbers. We've hunted this area in high water before and taken deer. Just not this high this quick.

The bean counters should have a handle on numbers in Madison soon. That should give us some idea of the relative numbers per county.

Nice pics by the way. I remember dozing while Dad was hunting back when. Precious pictures.

Muskrat
When I see the pic with the tree up turned by the root ball. It looks like lots of places here along the river. Constant high water this summer when the storms came threw. Made it easy for the wind to push over lot of trees on the islands, their roots now sticking up.. Summer long high water has really took a tole on some of the islands. River here was on it's way down, but is once again headed back up. Can't seem to catch a break and get back to normal..

Mac

Ain't that the truth. More rain tonight and snow up north. River will push up again. In La Crosse this morning, will take the river road south to PDC. See if it takes more than 2 hands to count 'rat huts.

Hunted three days, saw 0 deer during legal hours. Only heard a dozen shots between saturday and sunday. Very little deer sign on the farm this year.

That blue tongue may solve our lack of ability to get a handle on our CWD and it may work like distemper in some other species. Come in and clean things out and then let the population come back. Not a nice way to solve an issue but nature finds ways when man wants to live in the socio/political world.

Bryce

Here is my opening weekend report for our parcel in SW Manitowoc County.

Saturday morning 3 doe around 7:30am, no activity and left stand at 9AM to tend to some plumbing issues by my parents. Back in stand Saturday evening at 2:30pm. 3:30pm had a doe with twin buck fawns come in from down-wind and elected to pass hoping for a buck to follow. 20 minutes later heard neighbor to the West shoot once, this is where the deer were heading when last seen. No activity after that.
Here is a video of the three:
https://youtu.be/zpkNeXfsp0U

Sunday morning nothing by me, two shots from neighbor to the immediate South. Left stand at 9:45am. Set out two dozen coon traps and two otter sets. Back in stand at 3pm. 3:30pm had medium doe trot thru with a small buck harassing her. 4:25pm had a doe and single fawn come in and harvested her at 15yds.
Video of the little buck after the doe went thru: https://youtu.be/bOst_ZEtnS4

Don't plan to get back out until Wednesday afternoon. Have a buddy coming out tonight for rest of the season and having a niece's husband come hunt Wednesday night / Thursday morning. See how things go.

Dave

Opening weekend deer kill down 27% from 2018.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch....ly-deer-hunt-totals-down-27-percent-2018

That's quite a drop. Curious to hear the "official" explanation.

Standing corn is the only reason I can see in the farm country here in Sauk County. High water everywhere, I would guess there are folks who could not access areas they were used to in the low lands.
I saw 7 or 8 deer on Saturday and shot a small buck in the afternoon. Never saw a deer on Sunday, sure could not blame the weather, it was a pretty nice weekend here.

Zim

Went outside Saturday morning and I saw a string of satellites all connected toghether. Thought I was going crazy until I ready this: https://www.space.com/see-spacex-starlink-satellites-in-night-sky.html


Took an 8 pointer about 7:20 but can't get the image to upload. Quiet opening weekend.

Some of the rationale or reasons for lower first weekend harvest that I heard from the wildlife biologist are

1. A whole week later than last year. The latest that the opener can be and that moves the opener further away from the peak rut. Deer may be moving much less as the regather energy from the rut
2. Standing crops in much of the major farm country where most of the deer are harvested
3. Warm conditions which means people and animals don't need to move to keep warm
4. Abut 30-40,000 less licenses sold roughly so there are fewer hunters

Not part of the biologist's statements but we are seeing far, far fewer hunters in the national forest where we hunt. I would guess in the 6 square miles we are familiar with there is 1 maybe two hunters for every 10 there were 15 years ago. We also get a few groups of larger numbers that drive a couple square miles in two drives early on Saturday which is a real change that happened in the past Sunday afternoon.
Did flush and see as many grouse as I have seen hunting in several years.
Bryce

Nothing about blue tongue, eh?

Something happened to the deer in Grant & Crawford counties. I say it's blue tongue as well. This year I went bowhunting 22 times. I hunt on private ground in southwest Grant county. I didn't see a deer in 9 of those trips. In 5 of the 13 other trips I saw 1 deer. That is unacceptable and not what I'm used to at all. I saw 6 bucks total and only 2 of those were over 1.5 years old. They were both I'm guessing 2.5 years old, nothing big. I shot one of them on November 14th, a 9 point. I'm happy with that and lucky to have gotten one.

I gun hunt as well and on Saturday I saw 3 deer total. 2 small bucks I passed on and a doe. On Sunday I saw 5 deer total. 1 small spike and 3 does and a fawn. I passed on the doe, fawn and spike.The other 2 does were on the move. I won't shoot a doe with the low number of deer I'm seeing. I also don't want to shoot a small buck. The only exception on that is if it's late and I don't have a deer yet. I walked my butt off Sunday probably around 3 miles or more. I also went Monday morning for a walk at a couple of spots and didn't see anything.
The deer aren't there period. I don't care what the DNR says. I talked to the neighboring landowner Sunday night and he didn't see much of anything either and agrees the deer aren't there.

This morning at work I talked to a guy who hunts in Crawford on private ground just outside of PDC. Their group got 2 bucks and he saw 1 doe. His sister who lives on the farm they hunt told him a while ago the deer disappeared over the summer and early fall.

The DNR can make up excuses all they want but the weather was nice for opening weekend. Temps were about perfect and no wind. The deer aren't there in the numbers they say. If they have 2 brain cells they should be worried. People that are on the fence about keeping on hunting aren't going to bother buying licenses when they don't see anything to keep them interested. The number of hunters is dropping and this isn't going to help.

Here's another thing I'll bring up. This year I had the deadest rut activity I can remember. I never saw a buck on a hot doe and never heard any hot doe being chased around the woods like I have other years. I saw 2 bucks following 2 different does but they were just following not right on her like she was in heat. Around here it was the rut that never happened. It makes me wonder if the does got bred. Also I take time off work and am in the woods a lot in late October and early November.

Here is a nice comparison of opening weekends 2018 v. 2019: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/documents/deer_Prelim9day_2018v2019.pdf

Badger23, have you had any trail cameras out? How was the activity on them?

I hunt northern Langlade county, no farmland within 15 miles, mostly hardwoods and hemlock swamps. So not exactly what I would call a habitat with a high carrying capacity for deer. This year we have had around 10 different bucks on camera, as well as a few different dow groups totalling around 8 or 9 antlerless deer. This all over an area around 160 acres at most.

We had 8 guys hunting most or all of the day Saturday and Sunday and I was the only one who saw any deer during legal shooting hours, one of the doe groups with 4 deer. If we didnt have trail cameras out, we would be thinking there are few if any deer around. Fact is it's a late season this year and lots of deer are hunkered down.

I don't get all the DNR bashing that goes on in Wisconsin. I've heard some griping from others about their state's equivalent of the DNR, but the vocal majority of Wisconsinites seem to have a hatred for the DNR and would never admit they ever did anything right. There was a whole thread on here not too long ago that went on for 3 or 4 pages of folks talking about all the regulation changes they would make in Wisconsin, and that's just trapping.

Every time the DNR makes a facebook post, no matter what it's about, there are always people commenting and complaining about one thing or another, whether it's related to the post or not. Almost every one of them is nothing more than an armchair biologist, with nothing more to back up their opinion than anecdotal evidence. "I hunted today and didn't see any deer. There must not be 2 million deer in the state."

I just don't get it. Rant over.

my great aunt hosts deer camp most years , she was having heart issues , but is like a new woman now with her pace maker and new valve.

my great uncle her little brother had to be moved to hospice care about 6 weeks ago. he died last Tuesday.

my son and I had made plans to go with my sons friend's family and some of the other boys from school. untill the young man broke his arm Wednesday before opener so then none of the boys were going.

I haven't not headed up hunting on Friday in 18 years and that was for the anticipated birth of my oldest daughter who was born weeks later , man was Friday hard funnerl a ferw days away and everything I did made me think about my uncle who I have hunted 26 of the last 28 years with.

we made the best of it and went out locally Saturday , it was ok. we saw 2 deer my son had a shot but only through some very thick brush so he passed.

My great uncle's funeral was Monday and after the funeral at the dinner I was talking with some cousins , and my son and I were invited out with a cousin this morning.

well I was ecstatic my son was able to bag a buck at around 7:30 this morning. but my cousin said we should do a little drive he had a 20 acre woods that hadn't been driven this year so he drove it to the little hay field and I picked up a nice buck.

then we loaded the 2 bucks on the mini van for the drive home.

How many counties do you think were really impacted by it? Surely it is devastating in small pockets, but guessing not that many in the big picture?

I can see those other items having a bigger impact. We have lots of crops up here, but I was lucky enough to benefit from some standing beans that the farmer couldn't get to. Deer been pouring into them and the cut corn field, but the bucks have been white. Decided to shoot a doe this afternoon and there was still 8 in the field when I took the ranger out to pick it up.

I don't have any cameras, I've never had one. I'm going off previous years which total 37 previous years hunting the same land (250 acres) and area. Corn and bean fields all around it so plenty of habitat plus creeks running through the property. In my area the corn and beans are out. The other guys that hunt on this land also didn't see anything much and I talked to the one guys dad on Monday and he said his son saw 1 doe on Saturday. He didn't talk to him Sunday night. So it's not just me that didn't see much for deer activity. The neighbor that I talked to Sunday night said the same thing. Something changed here from last year to this year. And I'll take peoples word that are actually out and my time that I spend in the woods in October and November over someone who drives a desk for a living. The fact is my area has far less deer activity. I also stopped one day and talked to the township patrolman in early November that I know and asked him flat out if he's been seeing many deer and he said not many. He's got quite a bit of time driving these roads early morning and he wasn't seeing much either. On my 14 mile drive to and from the land I saw far fewer deer this year than I have in the past as well.

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/disease.html

Apparently our corner of the state is at the tip of this outbreak. Obviously EHD/blue tongue isn't responsible for the drop in deer kill statewide. All the conditions offered above certainly factored into it. However, one needs to talk to folks who have "boots on the ground" in this area to get a feel for what's happening with the deer herd in southwestern WI. Time will tell. Dead does don't make babies.

Comparisons 2018 vs 2019 statewide county by county.

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/documents/deer_Prelim9day_2018v2019.pdf

Those are huge percentage drops from last year to this year. That is NOT going to help sell more tags next year at all.

Bowhunting this year I saw very little daytime activity. There are far fewer deer hits on the roads around here this year as compared to last year.

Where I do see deer, I see lots of them, like herds of 6 to 10. Seems they herded up before the rut even started around here and have turned nocturnal.

New this morning reporting that DNR said deer kill was probably down due to. Weather, standing corn crops, and how the Thanksgiving Holiday fell? Not sure about how that last one factors in. They said nothing about lower herd numbers anywhere in state. Only told which county had highest kill.


Mac

Thanksgiving was very late this year, which means that most, if not all, rut activity was over by the time gun season got here.

How many freezers have unreported deer in them? More than a few I'd wager. Not enough to account for a double digit drop in reported numbers, but does make one wonder how that honesty factor is working.

I'm sure that plays in a bit, but 25 to 30 percent pretty much statewide? I think there is something else going on, most likely a number of factors.

Those of us who hunt public lands have a whole different hunting experience than those who own/access private property. A significant drop in deer numbers county wide does not translate into equal numbers on private vs public lands. No solution in sight. It is what it is.

I hunt private land, and saw 0 deer during daylight. The land I hunt is near Mad city, so there a lot of non-huntable acres that the deer can occupy.

Not all private land is loaded with deer. Not all public land is void of deer.

Don't you have 5 days to register your deer? How can they come up with those figures from opening week end.

I'm one them like you hunts public land..Total deer seen for 3 days in woods including the buck I shot Saturday morning was 3.. Saturday I saw and shot the buck no other deer seen rest of the day. Sunday two deer and Monday none. There are 5 of us in the group and it was pretty much the same for all of us..Two guys seen none on Saturday my son who was couple hundred yards to north of me saw just a glimpse of the deer I shot..
Pretty sad in our woods and also very quiet. Even though there were two or 3 other small groups in same piece woods..

Anyone who has never hunted what they now call Central Forest land wouldn't understand it.. Even though I live in what is now the big buck farm land area. I've hunted my whole life in that Jackson, Clark County forest land.. Trust me it has changed a great deal in my 60 some years playing and hunting there.


Mac

Very true.
I saw 20 some deer on opening morning I filled my tag but only 2 of those deer were shootabale. Private land.

Not 5 days. Must be registered by 5pm the day after the harvest.

Stupid rule. Only for the bean counters. If you're in the "way backs" camped or in a cabin and out of cell phone range you just became a violater. Or you waste hunting time Sunday trying to find cell phone reception if you get a deer Saturday.

Well I tried every thing possible but I couldn't get It registered. Until Mon when I had to actually call the DNR and go through the process.

If you like me I just dang near plain forgot, did it early Sunday morning before going in back in woods.. Would have been easy to just say well deer is home why even bother..I've would never do that but I'm sure some do.

Mac

No argument here about that. Just add that to the long list of rules that make little or no sense.

I saw ya down at millville landing, guessing thats the area your camping! old fella i talked to said yall left with a boat load and was worried about you, told him you do it all the time! hopefully yall had some luck or at least a good time

Had a good time for sure. But it was cut short. stayed in my stand till 11 Saturday morning, did a mini drive towards one of my buddies, and return to camp for lunch. River had come up within a vertical foot of the tent. And was rising. We broke camp and got out of there. First time since 86 I had to break camp before we got wet. Last year the area was already flooded and we hunted in a different location.

Maybe try hunting from a canoe? I've seen several deer along the banks of rivers while checking traps. Some times they just look at you funny, some run, others just walk away.

Wolves moved in by us. Out of 11 guys we got zero bucks and passed up maybe 20 does. We found the remains of 2 wolf kills and sighted 5 different wolves. Right now we have a foot of wet snow with 25 mph winds and still snowing. This is the worst season ever and I've been doing it for over 50 years. Enough whining. Time to put on the knee brace and snowblow a path to the downed tree blocking the driveway.

That works. Have used the technique several times, but prefer a lightweight Jon boat.

You can conduct successful "mini" drives with 2 or 4 hunters leapfrogging down a river. With two, check wind for best side to drive, then drop one off on the bank and quietly row/paddle down 200 yards or so. Pull boat up on bank, take a stand offering good view of river upstream and into the woods along the bank upstream. Dropped off hunter begins still hunting towards the boat. Good technique.

With four hunters you drop off two, one on each bank, go down the river, standers on each side.

We've done this on several rivers down here. Good later season technique when most hunters have found the couch and the deer have somewhat settled down.

I believe it is by 5pm the day after the animal is recovered so that could lead to two days after it being shot when the recovery is made the following day.

Dave

Correct, Alex, the reg's use the word "recovered."

Muskrat, sounds like a fun way to hunt. I can see a jon boat being somewhat more stable for that.

I did the canoe hunt thing for a season in the forest when it was very warm for the opener. Got the canoe in at about 5 AM and paddled the 3/4 of a mile to a big beaver dam where I had seen lots of sign. Got organized and out and when I got to where I planned to sit there was a guy already there. He had come in about 1/2 mile from the logging road. Got in the canoe and paddled to the other side and as I touched the shore a hunter flashed his flashlight 3 times. He came in off a logging road about 3/4 of a mile! So I paddle back and found a place to hunt. That was 20 odd years ago when there were many hunters in the area. Might be doable now. I always pictured in my mind those photos one sees of a guy paddling a canoe with a buck on board. Just never worked out for me.

Bryce

I was thinking more of shooting from the canoe/boat. Obviously you couldn't have a motor. I've seen quite a few deer right along the water's edge when paddling.

I have killed 10 deer out of a boat. All during the bow season.
Set up 30 yards from a major deer crossing (small streams) and fill your tags.

If you're hunting by yourself you do use a motor. Once you're downstream and done, you fire the motor up and head back to the landing.

My nephew. Douglas County. Thanksgiving Day. Within a couple miles of Highway 2 !

My son and I did two push drives through two patches of woods about 10 acres each. We did not move any deer and in two hours heard two shots on T Day. Today I was making 3 gingerbread houses with my 3 granddaughters! That was a 6 hour deal but we had a good time and they enjoyed going shopping for all the candies to stick on. My son still hunted a 30 acre public piece and no hunters and no deer moved this afternoon. I chose to do the gingerbread deal instead of drive the 200 miles to hunt up north with all the weather we have had and will have.

Bryce

Well boys - the traditional 9 day gun deer season is over. Hard weather conditions across the state on the last weekend - torrential rains, sleet, and snow. I have a feeling the overall kill will be way down. The good news is a lot of bucks will make it through so they will be bigger next year.

Hope everyone had a safe, satisfying season.

Brian

Yes one typically does not wish the season to pass but this was the season where the "perfect storm" is probably a good description of the multitude of elements that factored into what for me was a forgettable hunt. I am getting used to eating "vegetarian stew" but I have almost always had A-HAH moments or aspects that one relates in future times but there was a real absence of those for me this year.

Can't say much for trapping weather either however.

Bryce

Most of the guys in our camp headed home Saturday afternoon to beat the storm home. My dad stuck around to plow one last time after the snow that came overnight. Glad I didnt have to try and make that 2 hour drive home today. Would've been white knuckle for sure.

I agree, kill will be way down. It was down 27% after opener when most of the deer are killed, then 2 major snow events in the 2md half of the season. Weather looks good for muzzleloader season though! May try and get out for the late antlerless season to put one more in the freezer, but my focus is quickly shifting to ice fishing.