Saturday morning I didn't see a deer. However, Saturday night worked out much better as I saw 7 deer- 6 antlerless and a 1.5 year old buck. I had 2 does come through at about 5:45 and made a perfect 10 yard shot on one of them. She only ran about 65-70 yards before tipping over. I was using the new Rage Chisel Tip and it did a tremendous job. Was a great start to the season!
I havent gotten out yet this season, but have a trip planned for up in Vilas co. on the 24-27th of Oct. Going to be the first bowhunting I've done in over 20 some odd years. Just got word from a friend of mine over near Burlington that has some land, and he's wanting me to come over tomorrow to scout it out...say's he has a couple of big bucks on his land he'd like me to get rid of... glad to think he has more confidence in my hunting ability then I do, lol.
Went out yesterday and scouted his land, and came across a nice route crossint and set up the pop up... going to leave it there until Saturday and then hunt it. He has a nice skull with a ten point rack on that he found last winter on his property...nice big rack but from looking at the back molars he sure didnt look very old...
Hey guys, Brandon here from central wisconsin, Marathon and Shawano counties. Hunted a few times no luck, did pass a 115" 8 pointer sunday. Anyone from the central Wisconsin area? Anyone have any luck yet?
Started 2 weeks lake, but have seen 23 does and a buck. Took a doe this past tuesday as well. Add the thrid tally to those from Shawano County!
I'm starting to get real worried that this Fall might be a bust. For the first time in a decade of owning trail cameras, I got zero "hit list" bucks on camera this summer/fall, except for a one day wonder that showed up once in August on the very edge of our property. 25 cameras out for the last 3 months, and all I get are spikes and forks. It had NEVER been like this before. A normal year is 5-6 "hit List" bucks, plus another 7-8 "maybe" bucks, and then a bunch of basket racks. But this year, not even any basket racks. We did not kill all of last year's big bucks, and I got pictures of two of them after the hunting season was over. On top of all of this, I have not seen even one scrape yet. I've hunted this land for 30 years, and there are a couple of trails that produce scrapes beginning every September, and here we are getting to mid-October, and NOTHING yet, plus the couple of mock scrapes I made, are not being touched at all. I've been making mocks with Great success for the last 7-8 years, but nothing is going on this year. WHERE HAVE THE BUCKS GONE? (Our pressure in the woods this fall is the same, if not LESS than previous years. We have the largest amount of food plots on our property this year than ever before, and we are in year two of a recent logging project, that has resulted in around 100 acres right in the middle of our property being covered in 6-8 foot tall thick new growth. So we have food and cover and minimal pressure....) Everything should be perfect for us to have bucks bursting out everywhere, yet we have nothing but scrub yearlings sightings, and no evidence of any buck activity on the property. Is anyone else seeing this same thing? Are you as worried as I am? I'm in Polk County.
I have yet to sit ion a tree with my bow. Did some baiting and video for bear hunters. I have been doing a lot of scouting and placing treestands. I have not seren any scrape yet and I do not have any bucks over 2.5 years old on my cams. I did get a tip from a logger about a big buck so I have cams set and will check it later this week and set a stand then. I hope to get a doe this week but not sure what day I will go out. Definitely different year for me. Some of the older bucks made it through season since I had them on cam last winter but now I can't find them. Winter or wolves may have taken them out but why nothing else showing up?
I hunt in the Dodgeville area as well, buddy was out on our family farm and saw 3 bucks, only one he would have shot and 9 doe. Deer were moving mainly the last 1.5 hours. Cannot wait till late October and early November!!
We had the same problem this year in southwest WI. I literally had not seen any scrapes, I did see 1 rub a few weeks ago. We have the most food plots in the area, however we do not put cameras deep in the woods anymore, no one enters are woods usually from July 4th on until hunting season. We just checked cameras last week and started to see a couple larger bucks show up! So hang in there, I was worried to.
Finally got out yesterday for the first time bow hunting for deer. I had spent the beginning of the season focused on black bear hunting in Northern Wisconsin. Yesterday's weather was beautiful and enjoyed my time in the woods despite not seeing any deer. Looking forward to getting back in the woods next week on my next set of days off. Question for those who have asked farmers/land owners for permission to hunt. What is some advise you would give to someone looking to request permission to hunt land without signing a lease? I currently live an hour away from where I have hunted growing up and would like to find some areas closer to my home without signing a lease or hunting a public land. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!
I've heard that some have success by asking if the farmer is having crop destruction due to the whitetails, and if they would like some help removing some of the deer population. I know one guy who got permission to hunt a guy's farm, but only for does/antlerless. The guy did this for three years (filling his freezer) and then he would hit other land to buck hunt. Finally on the summer before the 4rth year, the farmer said, feel free to shoot a buck this year, but at least stop by for pictures if you get one. He now has harvested a buck off that land a few years running. He had the patience to follow the farmer's only directive, and it was rewarded. GOOD LUCK to you in finding land.
