Bow and crossbow seasons are ongoing, and some farmland regions in the southern two-thirds of Wisconsin will have another antlerless gun hunt Dec. 24-Jan. 1.
So with that much hunting opportunity remaining, why is there so much belly-aching about the deer hunt on social media?
Frankly, it’s nothing new. No matter how big or small the harvests are, far more hunters go home empty-handed than those fortunate enough to grab onto a buck’s antlers. Even 25 years ago — when Wisconsin set a then-national-record harvest of more than 618,000 whitetails in all seasons — there were plenty of members of the camo and blaze orange gang who didn’t connect.
It boils down to this: some habitats hold a heck of a lot more deer than others. Those with the best spots often shoot two or more in the bow and firearm hunts, while those hunting marginal habitat or perhaps with less knowledge or skills get blanked.
Knowing where the deer you’re targeting spend most of their time is essential. After that, it often boils down to figuring out a way to get in without spooking them, then playing the waiting game.
We’ve all blown opportunities through the years, but I can’t help but think cell phones might be saving more deer today than any other distraction. Modern hunting for many involves trying to stay entertained during long vigils on stand, while knowing that a split-second of inattention can be the difference between bagging a deer or coming up empty.
I got lucky opening weekend of the gun hunt, turning off the Packers game on NFL+ in time to look up from my back-against-a-tree, butt-on-a-seat-cushion position to see a 10-point buck on a mission. Perfect timing. Had my eyes stayed on the screen a few minutes longer, I may have missed the real action slipping by silently in the distance.
These figures will increase some as more deer get reported late, but the preliminary numbers from the nine-day gun season showed 182,084 deer registered, including 86,098 bucks. That’s down about 0.8%, with the buck kill down 2.6% and the antlerless harvest up almost 1%.
Comparing some of the local areas to last year isn’t possible due to the new zones up north. Marinette County’s farmland portion produced 3,989 whitetails in the nine-day hunt, including 2,136 bucks. Oconto County’s had 3,696, including 1,843 bucks. Unit 126 saw 1,915 registered, 1,195 of them bucks, while Unit 125 had 1,329, including 928 bucks.
In all seasons combined, from mid-September to Dec. 8, Wisconsin hunters registered 306,200 deer, a slight increase over last year. That included 161,918 antlered bucks and 144,282 antlerless deer.
Total sales for gun, archery, crossbow, Conservation Patron and Sports licenses were at 790,044 as of Nov. 30, down 0.12% from last year. Of those, 550,611 were for gun deer hunting.
Two firearm shooting incidents were reported, one injury in Grant County and an apparent self-inflicted accidental discharge in Fond du Lac County. Last year was the safest season in history, with one non-fatal incident. The 10-year average is five per season. Six of the past 10 seasons have been fatality-free.
Audubon’s 126th Christmas Bird Count runs from Dec. 14 - Jan. 5. Several counts are in this neck of the woods.
Joan Campbell is compiling the Peshtigo circle count Dec. 30. She can be reached at dodobird2002@yahoo.com. Meanwhile, Tom Erdmann is compiling the Pensaukee count on a date to be determined. Reach him at erdmant4@outlook.com.
Finally, Green Bay’s count is set for Dec. 20. Compiler Adam Sinkula is looking for more feederwatchers or general birders to hit local hotspots. He can be reached at adam0227@msn.com.
Anyone with information regarding natural resource violations can confidentially report by calling or texting 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367) or filing a report at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/contact/Hotline.html. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Trained staff relay the information to conservation wardens.
If you’re reading this before midnight Wednesday, better hurry: today’s the application deadline for a spring wild turkey permit or a fall black bear permit or preference point.
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