So I'm pretty stoked for opening weekend. Not just because it's another amazing opportunity to get in the woods. But because I get to spend time at my favorite place on earth (my cabin) and I get to spend time with great family and friends. Here is a throwback to a video where my younger brother shoots his best buck ever on opening weekend. Our family is hoping to have another fun experience like this was this weekend! I'd love to hear about, and see your hunting camps, hunting traditions, or opening weekend videos! It's the best time of the year!
Wisconsin Hunting Reports/Discussion
Who's Excited For Opening Weekend?
Displaying 1 to 15 of 40 posts
ihookem - I'm starting to sound like you now. Nice cabin in Price county, hunting sucks. I like other things about the area, just not the deer hunting. I've been in areas of Bayfield/Ashland/Sawyer/Oneida/Marinette as far as northwoods hunting and I think my current area of Price is by far the worst. There are some deer and if I really put my time in I can usually get something, but there is a lot of sitting and looking at nothing. This year put me over the edge I think. 12 sits and saw 3 wolves. Did have 2 nice bucks on camera the days I didn't hunt haha, but pretty slim pickings. I had no small bucks on camera..weird. Fresh snow and not much sign, kind of sad really.
So I decided to make a move. We were going to hunt a different area of the northwoods to find better numbers, but then got invited to an area with my inlaws. Going to be quite different, but one thing is for certain...assuming I get to my stand, I'll see deer. I still plan to hunt up north, but have to try something new to get my kids into it more. I can't bring them into it being bored.
I hunt private land opening weekend but during the late seasons I look forward to hunting public land and "going for a walk in the woods." Most of the hunting properties I hunt in Southern Wisconsin during the late seasons are only 40-100 acres, of which most of it isn't even huntable. I see signs of deer, but more than likely most of the deer have been taken out of there by the time December rolls around. Still, I love going for the privacy and if I see a car in the parking lot or alongside the road, I just drive to the next spot. I grew up hunting some of the county forests in Oconto County, only saw one deer there in several years, but it's completely different up there vs southern wisconsin. Tall pine trees and very little else around, vs thick brush and a few tall oak trees down here. Still, it's peaceful to me and as long as there's no ice on the lakes down here, I enjoy getting outside for a little hunting with the hopes that some day I'll see one.
That's great carrie glad you found someone who enjoys hunting like you do with you getting to spend time with loved ones in the outdoors is what it's all about. I'll be in the woods on opening morning and enjoying watching the woods come to life in the morning and hopefully with a little luck will be sure at getting a deer and if not I'll still be happy good luck hunting!!!
Hey JC, people play and win the lottery every day with worse odds then you have of getting a big buck. I know we hunt in the same general area of the state and agree with your comments and feel your pain. I have hunted that area for over 40 years and brought my oldest son up hunting there in the late 90's when there were plenty of deer. He has the hunting bug and has been able to maintain a great attitude over the lean years.
This year we are hunting in the southern part of the state on private land (due to virus) but our hearts are always in the big woods. Listening to car traffic, dogs barking, lawn mowers mowing and smelling people burning leaves just ain't what we grew up with for deer hunting.
Good luck and enjoy another season.
I got divorced a few years ago - I was married almost 20 years to a VERY non-hunting husband, after we decided we were just too different I met a man who, while, wasn't a hunter, was very interested in trying it out. He's not so much into bowhunting but had an absolute blast his first Wisconsin opening weekend in 2017 - we saw lots of deer and didn't have too many issues despite hunting public!
This will be his third year, so we're still trying to establish some "traditions" - other than taking advantage of the off season prices at a hotel with a small indoor waterpark near where we hunt.
It's been a real treat being able to hunt with someone who is new to hunting and has reminded me what it's like.
I enjoy the solitude and fresh air and watching the sun come up and glad he's learned to love it as well.
I'm looking forward to reading through the "traditions" people have posted in the comments.
Good luck to all!
I will add to hookem, not greatly looking forward to it either. I used to love it 20 years+ ago, but as more public mfl-open/FCL land turned to mfl-closed around here, it concentrated the public land guys into smaller areas. Too many tags, too many guys making drive after drive for their venison shopping trip to these public areas, and year after year of it has resulted in a predictable outcome. It had gotten so bad I no longer felt safe in the woods and quit hunting public land around here 5 years ago during rifle season. I now sit on my tiny parcel of land at my house and relax never expecting to shoot a big buck and expecting to see very few/zero deer - not a great spot but I don't have to deal with the madness anymore. I sit for the one in a million chance a big buck runs by me, but it isn't logical...they aren't on camera...and not good land. It would be fun to own a good sized chunk of your own land and actually be able to hunt without the fear of getting shot or having people make a drive under your tree at opening light on opening morning. I feel the guys stuck with public land hunting are the guys who are showing up in the license sales losses the past 16 years.
Absolutely nothing better than a little fresh air and a good nap in the woods. We hunt a piece of marinette county forest that has been hunted hard in the past but due to lack of deer most people have stopped hunting it and because of the lack of hunters and pickups parking within 100 yards of our stands we've actually been having some success the last few years it's pretty far back in a cedar swamp and most people don't go back that far anymore so it ends up moving deer towards us. I guess what I'm saying is go farther than most people and work harder to find them and you're chances should go up pretty good especially on public lands. Another point is most of the people who hunted there said they never saw or got anything but when they would leave we usually saw a few deer there and got one or two. Good luck hunting everyone and stay safe and healthy!
I was in Washburn all last week and we saw plenty of deer.. I always question how hard the guys are trying that hasn't seen a buck in 5-10-15 years. The key to success is scouting and being in your tree early. Those that walk out at 7-8 am will find less success than those in before light. Can't kill em if u ain't with em
Same here it will be just me and my good friend hunting this year on public lands in marinette county i got the buck bow hunting and can afford to be picky but doesn't mean i will if opportunity knocks also but if it don't I'll enjoy the time in the woods and with friends. Good hunting everyone and be safe out there!!????
Looking forward to our 4 person "Party". Two brothers, on BIL and our niece. We have a good time and enjoy the family time and tradition. I was lucky enough to get one on Halloween so I can be picky and not feel the need to harvest another, but that doesn't mean I won't!
As always, good luck and safe hunting to all deer hunters this season.
Shoot straight or shoot often, your choice!
Yeah i agree with you Waldo we gotta decent chance of getting a deer but even if we don't it's something I look forward to every year and we always have a good time and enjoy ourselves and spending time with friends and family is just as important especially with all the messed up stuff going on in the world right now as getting a deer is really a bonus. Good luck hunting everyone stay safe and enjoy the outdoors
Bowhunting Guy it's no use, ihookem has been complaining for years on here that there aren't any deer in Price County. I don't know if he really doesn't see any or if he's just trying to keep people away because I've hunted the same general area he has for the last 18 years and see plenty of deer. In fact, one of the best areas I've hunted, I believe I drove just past his property to walk in to my spot near the border of the Flambeau River State Forest and some Price County land. It was a great spot and would probably still be hunting it but bought an 80 a couple years ago about three miles away as the crow flies. I'm not saying we saw, or see 20 deer a day or anything like that, or even tag out every year, but we don't have trouble seeing deer. ihookem will say the wolves ate them all, but we have wolves on our cameras and within an hour afterwards there will be deer there, oftentimes doe with fawns too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a wolf fan, but they aren't decimating the deer herd like some think they are. The population did get pretty bad for a few years there, but it was a lot more to blame on the unlimited doe tags and earn a buck where everyone and their brother from central Wisconsin ran up there during the October early season to shoot their doe (or fawn or nubber, they didn't care) so they could shoot their booner back home during the regular season.
Back to the topic, I'm really excited for the opener. I can't wait to get up their and spend some time with family and relax. If we shoot a buck to two, great. We have six or seven bucks, some small and some bigger on the cameras, so we have a reasonable chance, but if we don't it will still be a great time had by all. Right now with all the bs going on and people saying you shouldn't get together, and being told that for seven eight months now, I'm really looking forward to being together having a great hunt and a great Thanksgiving. I hope everyone else does too, no matter how you choose to do it. Good luck to everyone who goes out, and stay safe.
ihookem, man, that’s sad to hear. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they’re not looking forward to deer camp.
I know there are some sparse deer areas out there, but is there anything you can do to make them want to be on your property? Experiment with food plots? Fire up the chainsaw and do some hinge cutting for bedding cover? I also hunt the big woods and have experimented with small food plots in the middle of thick hardwoods. They’re not the manicured fields you see in ag country, but with decent sunlight they can be a magnet when other food sources are limited. Just thinking out loud for you.
I'm very excited. I haven't missed a season since I started hunting when I was 12 in 1996. I need some time away to just relax and unwind. I can't wait to see and hangout with my family all together as a group. It is me, my dad, my uncle, my cousin, and my other cousin and his daughter. We've gained and lost a few over the years, but have had the same group for the last 4 years now. We all stay in my grandma's old house about 15 miles from our land. We've been hunting the same 50 acre farm and 10 acre farm in Marquette cty for over 20 years. My uncle sits on the 10 acres a mile down the road and the rest of us are on the 50 acres. It's a tight squeeze, but we have the rifle stands set up so we're far enough away that we have our own little sections to hunt. The land has changed from clear cut in year one to a pretty mature blend of hardwoods now, but we consistently have very good deer numbers. We have a 10 acre field that the farmer planted in alfalfa this fall which should help. I am shooting buck only opening weekend, but will shoot as many does as I can the rest of the week. The rest will shoot almost anything other than fawns. Deer camp is probably my favorite time of the year.
Displaying 1 to 15 of 40 posts
