We expect more of everything, birds, deer, rabbits, upland game, weeds, and fruits on trees, shrubs and brambles, during summer. We use these sightings to help forecast and estimate how many of these critters, saplings, and nuts will be present when gathering seasons get close and eventually peak in September.
Population surges and levelings are also a measure of the heath and balance of an ecosystem. If populations get too far out of whack, they may crash as last summer’s spongy moth population did but was over shadowed by periodic cicadas appearing after their normal 17-year lull.
Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources takes a scientific approach to measure and acquire some estimates by doing surveys and counts.
Other times registration figures from regular hunting seasons provide the necessary data. These predictions can be used, in part, to predict game animals and set seasons, bag limits, and alerts for travelers, vacationers, and hunters who frequent areas.
A spring drumming survey of male ruffed grouse is conducted in spring to monitor potential breeding grouse activity. If a drumming male is heard, but not seen it can still be counted. These numbers are distant from the young grouse who survive and mature. Still, there is a correlation between drumming and fall populations. These surveys are one of the better ways that can be done for the least expense.
This past spring’s statewide ruffed grouse drumming activity decreased 6.6 percent from 2024. The northern forest, which has some of the better ruffed grouse habitat and numbers of birds decreased 8.3 percent in drums per stop listened compared to 2024.
WDNR wildlife biologists, after considering the past winter, and spring, expected excellent brooding conditions and bird hunting should be good within prime habitat.
Historic cyclic trends suggest that the next peak in the ten-year ruffed grouse cycle is likely to occur in 2029-2031, according to state biologists.
Ring-necked pheasant 2025 surveys showed an increase over 2024 with 0.81 pheasants heard per stop compared to 0.62 pheasants heard per stop in 2024. These are wild pheasants in 29 counties comprising the core pheasant range established in 2013.
In addition to the wild pheasants in that core area, 75,000 birds will be released on public land on the usual locations in the state.
Day-old chicks have been farmed out, too to sporting clubs and will be released by the clubs prior to or during the pheasant season beginning October 18.
Wild turkey poults are hatching and growing but are difficult to assess with tall vegetation. Hen turkeys can and have been heard calling to assemble these young poults. The general turkey population appears to be on the increase as documented by the recent registration of 50,287 birds during the 2025 spring hunting periods. This number was the fifth highest registration since the season opened in 1983 when 182 birds were registered by in person check in during that first hunting season. In 2008, a record 52,880 birds were registered electronically.
Wildlife biologists and avid hunters and trappers have reported rabbits galore, many young gray squirrels, and raccoon cubs following their adult furbearer. This anecdotal information is extremely local but avid hunters, trappers, and nature lovers are quite good at noticing major shifts in populations by watching bird feeders, crepuscular animals and those dead-of-the-road.
Bird clubs have set up eagle nest observations and are reporting nesting success with the young eaglets who will be fledged by Independence Day. An active eagle nesting pair will routinely fledge two young birds. Several reports of three eaglets in an active nest have been observed this spring.
The nest number, two, is also the typical number of young ruby-throated hummingbirds crowded into a butternut-size nest. Birders observe these young hummingbirds when they begin coming for drinks of sugar water at feeders.
Wisconsin’s white-tailed deer are well on their way to a robust recruitment. Many fawns were observed near May 25, the peak fawning date in Wisconsin. Throughout summer these fawns are usually seen trailing or running ahead of their mother does in fields and later on the edges of corn and alfalfa crop fields.
Summer antler growth, too, can be a measure of health of the deer herd.
Watch for fawns to eventually lose their spots, generally about 300 per animal, by early September. Coats of all deer generally change their summer ware about September, too.
Uncommon animals in some parts of southern Wisconsin are anticipated but while Travis Anderson, WDNR wildlife biologist in Iowa and Lafayette counties, has had a few adult bear reports but no trailing cubs. The same is true for bobcats, he said.
Fruits of most plants, including wild ginseng, are beginning to mature. The tarty American chestnut’s catkins are opening and showing burrs, too. Compass plants, those not nipped off by deer, opened their first flower inflorescences last week, and timothy hay took the prize for pollen production and releases.
— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.
