General hunting regulations have, for several years, been combined, condensed a smidgeon, into the 32-page booklet, now available on line and later in free printed format.
A second part of hunting preparation, a major portion of gathering wild materials, will be available in several weeks. There, gatherers will receive a flavor for what game can be found in the state, and where. Estimates are generally listed, too, albeit with words, not numbers.
Both publications, when available, could be used by all who seek to enjoy the state’ ruffed grouse, fox squirrels, ring-necked pheasants, wood ducks, white-tailed deer, elk, black bears, and many more.
Non-hunters who simply wish to see, photograph, admire and even observe hunters in the fields and greeting places can begin to understand an animal’s life and where-a-bouts as well as how and when hunters go about taking possession.
Both groups are welcome to partake in autumn’s excitement and pleasure without ether interfering with one another,.
The Fall 2022-Spring 2023 regulations booklet will highlight the new fox and gray squirrel season, now closing with February’s end. Some open-water waterfowl hunting regulations have changed, too. Read about these and more.
The major seasons for deer, elk, upland birds, small game, wild turkey (fall and spring), bear, migratory game birds and fur-bearing animals are all in separate sections, but in one manual.
For hunters, as well as observers, two pages of word definitions help us understand, for example, what a highway is and the limitations of shooting from, or across, a highway. Non-hunters should expect hunters walking in fields near a highway are not going to be endangering someone driving that road or even stopping legally to observe hunters, game animals or scenery.
To ease, and enliven readers, this pamphlet is colored with photographs, charts, and boxed instructions. It’s no longer a small, black and white pocket booklet and hasn’t been for several years.
Shooting hours are listed for all to check and understand when to expect hunters to be out of the woods and not firing guns.
In very early September, while trout season is still open, (closes Oct. 15), ginseng digging, lake sturgeon fishing, mourning dove hunting and an early waterfowl season all begin.
The digging season for Wisconsin’s wild ginseng, the State herb, opens September 1, then closes November 1.
For those who have permission to dig (harvest) root of legal plants (enough leaves) on private land and intend to sell it, green or dried, a license is required before digging. It costs $15.75 (Wisconsin residents) and $30.75 (non-residents).
In 2021, 505 residents and 24 non-residents purchased licenses, down from 1,518 and 54 respectively as recent at 2014.
The most recent harvest information, 2018, 704 residents and 45 non-residents sold about 625 pounds of dried root. Prices varied but as a baseline, the price for green (fresh) root is expected to be about $200 a pound according to a major buyer. Dried root sells for several times that price, but drying the root reduces the weight due to moisture extracted.
Landowners concerned about wild ginseng populations on their land may want to consider helping the germination process by, during the harvesting season, removing the ripe fruits, squeezing out the two seeds and planting them in the vicinity as diggers are required to do.
Simply dig a hole an inch deep, drop the seed in, cover with soil and then leaf litter. The seed will germinate the second spring after planting.
Landowners can remove and plant the seeds on their own land without purchasing a license. If landowners want to become diggers and sell the root, they must purchase a license.
Don Martin, at Martin’s in Monroe, says he usually sells a single digger’s license a year, down from three or more because others have passed on.
In spite of an up and down summer in weather, particularly temperature and moisture, many wild fruit crops appear to be in good condition, with wild apples, grapes, plums, hickory nuts, walnuts and elderberries topping the list.
Blackberries, on the other hand suffered considerably from lack of moisture.
Wayne Smith, near Blanchardville, has been seeing more turkey poults of late, too, but was disappointed by the lack of blackberries.
Farm crops have brought deer out from woodland feeding to take corn in the milk stage. Raccoons and squirrels have done likewise.
“Wild turkeys and young raccoons and bunnies are plentiful,” said Doug Williams, at D W Sports Center in Portage, said. “But I haven’t seen a ruffed grouse in 20 years on the farm.”
Travis Anderson, DNR wildlife biologist in Lafayette and Iowa counties has been impressed with the number of wood ducks captured for banding along the Wisconsin River this summer. The crew uses cob corn, no longer easily obtained from farmers who combine most of their corn, as bait to coax the birds under a rocket net.
Goldenrod is beginning to bloom and so is ragweed, the former is of little concern, while ragweed is a major summer and fall allergy problem for many.
Fruits of many hitchhiking plants have begun to mature and are now common on dogs and hiking pants.
Martin reported that some anglers had record panfish fishing on the Mississippi River, while Brent Drake in Boscobel reported most angler success has been catching catfish.
Some butterflies, most numerous in some areas being swallowtails, not monarchs, are taking advantage of late summer prairie blooming plants.
Grey squirrels have taken most hazelnuts from shrubs and have now moved to acorns and field corn, while deer, all ages have found apples aplenty under wild trees.
Watch for the earliest leaf color change appearing and a blush of rose on plums and blues on wild grapes.
— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.
