Wisconsin’s fall pheasant seasons continue, in spite of a need to release 75,000 thousand birds in part because this is an opening for young hunters and flushing dogs to determine if hunting is a recreational form they can relate to.
Were it not for this game bird season and similar endeavors at hunting preserves, new hunters may never feel the excitement of watching a clock on Saturday morning, hunting with family members, and learning to share a field, marsh or swale before moving on to turkeys, ducks, deer and squirrels.
In spite of many hunters participating in a put-and-take ring-necked pheasant season, this outing continues to be much anticipated by young and seasoned hunters, and their pointing and flushing dogs.
Fields and forest lands interactive gamebird hunting tool (FFLIGHT), is an interactive mapping device hunters can use to locate properties stocked with pheasants, as well as managed mourning dove fields and ruffed grouse and woodcock habitats.
Remember, too, the holiday stocking in late December. Check the DNR Web page for more details on FFLIGHT and holiday pheasant stocking.
In general, wild pheasant numbers continue to be relatively low with the reduction of CRP idle cropland enrollment. Survey numbers support a slight increase from 2017, with higher numbers of wild birds in Barron, Calumet, Dunn and Oconto counties.
Hunting (small game license and pheasant stamp required) begins Saturday, Oct. 20, at 9 a.m., with a daily bag of one rooster opening weekend, after which the bag is two roosters and possession of six birds.
Color foliage displays continue to come south, but remember this region of Wisconsin expresses great forest diversity and not all trees are on the same page when it comes to dumping chlorophyll for livelier carotenoids and anthocyanins. Look small for elevated autumn excitement levels.
Waterfowlers are back at it with premier weather conditions compared to season openers.
Chronic wasting disease testing meets up with HANK while continuing to be more convenient with numerous kiosks noted on the DNR Web site. Any hunter should be able fill in the necessary paperwork and bag the animal’s head. The acronym, HANK, reminds hunters testing laboratories need the animal’s head and upper neck (head and neck kiosks).
Some hickory nut gatherers are frowning double, not finding many nuts and those that are quickly bucketed have bad meats inside. Check a few before picking a peck and heading home.
Deer registration continues and is updated weekly on the DNR Web site. Last week’s youth deer hunt totaled 7,672 animals, 3.478 of which were bucks. A few county totals displayed are Waupaca with 240 deer; Taylor, 241; Sauk, 136; Green, 32; Dane, 46; La Crosse, 104; and Buffalo, 209.
Grownups, with many young hunters mixed in, have registered 15,168 deer, with 5,574 being antlered. These are combined totals of archers and cross bowers.
As interesting as an increased bobcat population in southern Wisconsin is for many, it is even more inciting when names are applied to subsets of these sightings. Earlier this summer a queen and tom bobcat were noticed with four kittens tagging along. The bobcat family clowder or clutter was the talk of the Town of Dodgeville, especially the kindle of kittens.
Shorter daylight hours does not diminish the time crepuscular animals are active, but simply means dawn and dusk sightings appear earlier on the clock’s hours.
Don’t blink. Autumn can turn white quickly.
— 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.
