Hunting Archery Duck Deer

So, do you want heart-pounding excitement? Do you want to be shaking in your tree stand? Do you want to feel unlike ever before as the deer of your dreams steps out and gives you the perfect shot? Do you think you can handle it?

Well then, you need to know where to go during Wisconsin’s bowhunting season. The deer you want is walking around right now, his nose cautiously sniffing around the woods, ready to sense the ultimate predator. However, to find him, you have to do your homework.

When it comes to location, there are essentially two kinds of bowhunters: those who are limited to a tract of private land they own or have permission to hunt, and those who hunt public land. In both cases, you may already know where you will hunt this fall. This article will show you how the population numbers look for your area. And while these numbers are the most accurate estimates the Department of Natural Resources has to offer, nothing can substitute for good scouting.

The key to any good hunt is stand placement. You need to know the land you are hunting. You need to identify the structures on the land that funnel deer. You need to know where they bed, where they eat and where they drink. This is not something you should do, but rather something you must do. Chances are the buck you are after has a routine. The rut has not started yet. He is doing the same thing he has been doing every day for the past few months. You need to figure out his patterns, especially where he is hanging out during hunting hours. Often, the big boys won’t move until dusk or dark. If you don’t put your tree stand at a point along his route, you will never see him. You’ll come home night after night discouraged about deer hunting, you’ll be angry with the DNR deer estimates, you’ll blame the weather, you’ll blame the wind — and a whole set of other emotions. Yet, a tree stand in the correct spot can make all the difference in the world.

If you are after a few does and fawns for the freezer, 2007 should be a very good year. Biologists say that for every deer you see in January, there will be three in September. Early in the season, the fawns are still with the does, so when you see one deer, you will likely see more. The trick here is staying still and having good scent control. With all those eyes in the woods, even the slightest movement can bust your hunt.

” Wisconsin deer hunters can look forward to a terrific deer hunting opportunity statewide again this fall,” said DNR wildlife biologist Keith Warnke. “There was a strong deer population after last fall’s hunting season and a very mild winter that has left us with a herd that is quite a bit higher than it should be.”

As a result, 35 deer management units (DMUs) will have Earn-A-Buck (EAB). In order for a DMU to be designated as EAB, it must first have two consecutive years of “herd control.” If the population model indicates that a third year of herd control would not reduce the deer population to within 20 percent of the unit’s overwintering goal, then the DNR could recommend EAB regulations for that unit. EAB has proved over the years to be a very effective management tool. EAB units greatly increase the antlerless kill in those regions.

“Moving the deer herd toward goal is difficult, and it will take several years to get where we need to be, but we are making progress,” Warnke said.

For 2007, there will be 60 Herd-Control Units, 35 EAB units, 22 chronic wasting disease (CWD) units and 16 regular units. There will be unlimited $2 antlerless tags available for Herd-Control Units, plus two free antlerless tags with each deer license.

At the time of this writing, it appeared very likely the October early gun hunt will be in place again in 2008. There will likely be much debate about this going forward.

2006 HARVEST FIGURES
Last year was a record one for archery harvest. The total bowhunting kill was 113,884 deer, including 40,070 with antlers, which was up from 35,842 in 2005. An estimated 72,607 antlerless deer were registered last year, which is way up from 40,840 in 2005. The total number of bowhunting “unknown sex” deer was 1,207. When you add it all up, bowhunters arrowed 4,228 more antlered deer last year, and about 32,000 more antlerless animals. That’s quite a jump in the kill!

Best Counties In 2006
Wisconsin’s top 10 counties last year for early bow season were Waupaca, Marathon, Shawano, Buffalo, Marinette, Clark, Jackson, Oconto, Oneida and Polk. Six of those counties have been in the top 10 list for the past three years — Waupaca, Shawano, Marathon, Marinette, Buffalo and Clark. These are clearly our best counties in terms of deer numbers.

The top 10 early-archery season DMUs last year were 61, 62B, 63A, 59C, 65B, 59B, 58, 53, 63B and 51B. Four of these units — 61, 62B, 63A and 65B — have been in the top 10 for the past three years, while 59C, 58 and 59B were also in the top 10 last year.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS