Deer actions, whether understood or not, turn folks on to Wisconsin’s State Wildlife animal.

In many cases the deer movement simply intensifies the interest that runs high other times of the year.

The interest may be indirect but still connected to deer eventually.

Brent Drake, at Tall Tails in Boscobel likes to see the corn combined and taken out of the fields.  “With fewer places to hide, deer are more likely to be seen when we’re just driving around,” he says.  “Same goes for deer hunters; I like to see the deer and cutting corn takes away a large portion of hiding places.  Corn being taken off means shinning for deer, too, but doing it during legal hours.”

Doug Williams, at DW Sports Center in Portage, gets enjoyment from watching deer chasing one another and seeing a buck and doe resting together making a nice picture.

One of Don Martin’s customers in Monroe likes to see deer stomp pumpkins in the field.  Another customer at Martin’s in Monroe drills holes in the pumpkins for eyes and noses and fills the cavities with peanut butter for the squirrels, birds and rabbits.

Deer running and chasing one another until the bucks’ tongues hang out is cool for Wayne Smith to see.  “I notice those huge necks and big shoulders once the bucks begin chasing,” he said.

But universally, most dislike seeing deer running willy-nilly into roadways.

Dan Storm, who studies deer for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says these movements and antics will start ramping up in the next two weeks so if it’s something of interest, now’s the time to watch for deer sparing, tending scrapes, and of course crossing roads. “It all started with photoperiod, the length of light and dark hours in a day,”

Storm says.  “The activities will only get cooler and cooler for the next 3-4 weeks.”

Already this deer activity has helped archers and crossbowers register

20,630 deer, 8,292 of which were antlered.  All told, 28.685 deer have been registered from the seasons (youth hunt, archery, crossbow).

Hunters using crossbows have registered 12.344 animals, while archers have phoned in 8,286 deer.

Native American bittersweet vine’s bright orange fruit capsules are opening revealing a bright red, fleshy interior with seeds imbedded.

These fruits are commonly used for autumn and holiday decorating.  They “plant” easily, so watch where the old fruits with seeds are tossed.

Oriental bittersweet is quite invasive and should be destroyed. The capsule on this alien plant are yellowish and half the size of native bittersweet.  Using this plant for decorating or growing it in gardens helps to spread seeds to new locations.

Witch hazel shrubs are now flowering and the fruits from last year’s flowers are opening to explode two dark, hard seeds.  It can be interesting, fun, exciting, but even dangerous to allow these capsules to explode indoors because the hard seeds can be slippery when stepped on.  Putting a metal can over the drying seeds will contain them and cause a sound similar to popcorn popping, sometimes late into the night.  It can be an interesting Halloween trick.

New witch hazel plants can be propagated from seed.

Doug Williams in Portage reports waterfowl hunters have seen lots of birds, many with colorful plumage.

Sporting goods stores are all recommending getting hunting supplies early.

“Hand warmers and gloves for field dressing deer are in short supply, according to Williams and others.

Leaves are falling, opening the understories and treetops for squirrel and raccoon hunters.  Fresh, fallen leaves can be slippery, however.

Make sure to sight deer rifles early and shoot sparingly, though, Wayne Smith in Lafayette County advises.  Be aware of shinning game after dark and before sunup; follow the laws.

Consider protecting young plants from deer browsing and rubbing, which can injure, even kill, some saplings or at the least deform plants.

Now is the time to begin installing bird feeders and purchasing feed.

Consider cutting cost by gathering still available acorns, walnuts, hickory nuts and some dried fruits and put them back out intermittently.

Even spilled grain spilled on lightly travelled roads, if cracked with a hammer, will be eaten by many birds.

Some autumn leaf color is still present and so are numerous other colorful fall plant parts.  Fall has changed from green to brightly colored, to shades of brown.

— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.