There are abundant activities to busy outdoors minded individuals in Wisconsin’s outside during mid-January, according to Gary Howards, an outdoorsman from Oregon, Wis.
Many opportunities now available for those in pursuit of outdoors enjoyment do not require licenses, but those in which hunters pursue fish and game usually require licensing. The weekend of Jan. 21-22, 2023 is a free fishing weekend. Residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a fishing license and trout stamps during these two days.
All other fishing regulations apply.
New to January’s list is the early, catch and release trout season, which opened Jan. 7, 2023. The general open season for trout is May 6.
“I just finished fall turkey hunting (closed Jan. 8, 2023) and got my card in the mail for the spring turkey season. Squirrel and rabbit seasons continue through February.” Howards said.
Time Period A opens April 19 and closes April 25. Each of the six periods is seven days, Wednesday through the following Tuesday. Bonus authorizations go on sale beginning March 20, at 10 a.m. for Zone 1, Zone 2 follows the next day, March 21, at 10 a.m.
“I’ve put in a big order for turkey shotshell loads and hunters are picking up ammunition when they see it on the selves, even rifle cartridges for deer seasons,” Brent Drake, at Tall Tails in Boscobel said. “Areas near the dams on the Mississippi River are open and attracting bald eagles. They’re getting fish from the water and picking up dead ones on the ice, too.”
“Just simply walking through the neighborhood to check on neighbors, and rural hikes combined with squirrel hunting works, too,” Gary said.
“Simple things like looking at animal tracks, identifying trees without leaves, and noticing broken twigs on maples and box elders are leaking sap forming sapcicles.”
Updating an Arena man’s friendly ruffed grouse (reported earlier), which befriended him during gun deer season, has continued. Bob Roenneburg told me he visited his tree stand a week ago, climbed to the enclosure and called to the male grouse he had seen during gun deer season and it flew down from a nearby tree, hoped on the first ladder rung, and then proceeded to jump each step, reaching the top and joined Bob inside.
You can bet Bob will frequent the area this April and listen for the drumming of this male, assuming it survives by snowbank roosting and avoiding owls’ night hunting.
Wayne Smith, a Lafayettte County outdoorsman, continues to move furbearer traps while responding to a few farmers who have overly anxious beavers. “Muskrats continue to be uncommon compared years ago when they were in every stream in the county,” Wayne said.
The Cork Down Bar and Grill, a few steps from Yellowstone Lake, is holding its annual fisheree February 11, 2023, with prizes and raffles for those entering by 8 a.m. Call 608-523-1543 for more information.
Doug Williams, at D W Sports Center in Portage, reminds outdoors people that this is a good time to watch nature, deer, birds, and other animals. “Some even go so far as to look at deer, see what’s left after the seasons, and make note of what might be around in eight or nine months. “All the snow activities, as long as snow remains, are available, too,” Doug said.
Gun and ammunition business at Martin’s in Monroe continues to be brisk with hunters continuing to spot some much needed ammunition and taking it off Don’s hands. “The ever-popular .410 shotshell continues to be scarce as it has been the last several years, but it is still looked at as a turkey load in the right configurations.”
Wayne Whitemarsh, an outdoorsman from Sauk City, talks of joining up with coyote hunters and participating in moonlight activities. Otherwise join the education experience of Sauk-Prairie Eagle Days, Jan. 13-15, in Sauk-Prairie, start training a dog to hunt for shed antlers, and being careful of ice conditions, and be careful on the extremely slippery ice, requiring boot cleats.
Kate Morley, at Kate’s Bait near Governor Dodge State Park in Iowa County continues to marvel at the recent fish bite on Cox Hollow and Twin Valley lakes. “The ice continues to be holding up” she said. “Our ice fisheree is Jan. 21.
Mike Watt, Yellowstone Lake Park manager, reported varying ice conditions with several bald eagles feeding on fish on the lake’s ice near a perennial nest that sits in a white pine.
Wally Banfi, at Wilderness fish and Game in Sauk City pointed out that the good rabbit population provides a grand opportunity for beagles to work bunnies. “Shed antler searching is beginning, ice conditions remain spotty, so fish with a buddy and keep a charged cell phone handy.
With only several archery/crossbow seasons remaining open, a grand total 330,241 deer have been registered; 161,734 were bucks and 169,507 antlerless animals. Hunters registered 8,360 deer during the antlerless season and 6,110 during the Holiday Hunt.
— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.
