Wisconsin’s state wildlife animal, the white-tailed deer, has spent the spring and summer being born, developing, and preparing to begin another generation.
While deer are often on our minds, when the leaves begin to show off before death and abscission, these stately mammals are now the culmination of eye-catching animals.
Fawns’ spots begin to disappear, bucks’ antlers are larger than life before velvet peels, and does’ bodies are preparing for another fetus (or more).
Hunters may seem to have a corner on possessing deer in their minds, but photographers and deer watcher go about their business of “gathering” deer in their own, quiet ways, too.
Unlike hunters, their satisfaction comes by saying little about what seeing them has brought.
New alfalfa, maturing corn, soybeans, and wild apples are favorite deer feeding areas of bucks, does, and fawns, which are often feeding together in these habitats.
Continue to check the DNR web site for hunting season forecasts and possible venison donations changes and a print copy of one-in-all hunting regulations.
Wisconsin’s hunting seasons (and other forms of gathering nature) provides several forms of relief from COVID-19, not the least of which will be a supply of meat for family and friends.
The Department of Natural Resources is still asking anyone to consider participating in Operation Deer Watch, informally and individually surveying Wisconsin’s wildlife animal and then revealing the data to the DNR on a tally sheet. Check the DNR web site for further details on deer survey.
The test results from the state’s second ruffed grouse blood/heart samples have been revealed. Hunters (mostly) assisted in collecting 188 of 752 samples submitted for evidence of West Nile Virus across the Midwest.
Michigan and Minnesota hunters also participated.
In Wisconsin, 20% of the samples had antibodies consistent with WNV exposure. None of the heart samples showed presence of the virus. These findings indicated to Alaina Gerrits, Assistant Upland Game Ecologist, that while the birds were exposed to WNV, they are surviving and clearing the virus from their bodies.
In 2018, 29% of the 235 Wisconsin samples had antibodies, either confirmed or likely.
Michigan’s 247 samples from 2019 showed 8% exposure, and 12% was recorded from Minnesota’s 317 samples.
Mosquitoes spread the West Nile Virus to the birds.
Wisconsin’s ATV and UTV operators are being advised to familiarize themselves with rules of operation before fall recreation. It’s also a time to consider insurance coverage, particularly since many machines are operated on town, village, and county highways, in addition to public trails.
September 1 is the wild ginseng digging opener. Wisconsin buyers are unsure of prices for green root, due to a number of factors including shipping concerns to China and other foreign countries.
Licenses are required to dig wild ginseng.
Ginseng cannot be harvested on State of Wisconsin owned or administered land. All National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, and Federal Waterfowl Production Areas are closed to ginseng harvest, too.
Firewood piles are interesting locations to find uncommon or often unseen wildlife. When wood is removed from forest drying locations, snakes, mice, toads, insects, and bats are found to have spent considerable time this spring and summer living, feeding and resting among the sticks.
Some of these animals are likely to hitchhike indoors without our knowledge until a big brown bat is seen flying around looking for a way to escape the 9 p.m. news.
Confining the bat to a small room and removing the screen on an open window may be a reasonable way to provide that escape without harming an otherwise helpful mammal, whose populations are not strong. Fish nets work, too.
Bright orange, late summer, edible sulphur fungi are showing even in very dim light situations. Do not confuse it with the similar-appearing, but poisonous Jack-O-lantern mushroom. Blackberries are still being picked.
Doug Williams, of Portage Sports, relates that mosquitoes, fishing catching, Canada goose and eagle watching, and Sandhill crane watching are all now very good. “Ammunition is scare,” he said. “Get it now if possible. Hunters, including archers, are getting geared up and ready for seasons.”
Bradd Sims, Senior Fisheries Biologist in Dodgeville, said trout fishing has been good, with anglers going with terrestrial patters, particularly hoppers. Catfish are showing well, with pulls of 300 or more channel cats in evening survey nets.
Autumn is beginning to slide into southern Wisconsin with more vegetation color, goldenrod blooms, hitchhiking plant parts clinging and deer coats, attitudes, and antlers changing.
— Jerry Davis is an Argyle native and a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.
