Hunters will learn and profit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 23-page online pamphlet summarizing the deer (11 pages), upland (3), migratory (4), furbearer (4) and bear (2) seasons.
While written and posted online for hunters, wildlife watchers and photographers, and anyone indirectly connected or dealing with hunters and trappers are likely to find portions of these five chapters informative and interesting.
As an example, the seasons are blocked boxes in each chapter and tell all these user groups there will be archery deer hunters in locations as long as Jan. 31, 2023.
Pheasant hunters could not be afield until 9 a.m. on Oct. 15.
Saturday, September 17 was the super opener. Several hunting seasons open later, including pheasant, Zone B ruffed grouse, and southern rabbit, all on Oct. 15, with some of the waterfowl seasons beginning sooner.
Archery and crossbow deer, wild turkey, squirrel, Northern Zone rabbit, and Zone A ruffed grouse all commence Sept. 17. The first bear seasons are now active.
This feature is only available online on the WDNR web page. The five chapters make up the “pamphlet” with the 2022 Deer Season Forecast being 11 pages and beginning with a discussion of the management units, the forest zones and farmland zones.
In 2022 a total of 37 counties offer a Dec. 24 to Jan. 1 antlerless only Holiday Hunt. Twenty-nine counties have extended archery and crossbow seasons closing Jan. 31, 2023.
Public land opportunities, the WDNR says, make various hunting strategies possible. These properties usually share boundaries with private landowners suggesting hunters become familiar with the boundaries and some of the farmers neighboring those boundaries.
Multiple antlerless authorizations come with each license (gun and archery) in many farmland counties.
Reminders regarding “tagging” and electronic registration are important. This registration system continues to have a 90-94 percent hunter compliance, the WDNR says, with annual assessments being conducted by warden field checks and hunter surveys.
A color-coded state map summarizes the deer seasons in various zones.
CWD sampling and baiting and feeding of deer are summarized.
The four regional forests, Southern, West-Central, Northeast and Northern Districts are discussed with Eric Canania, Mark Rasmussen, Bryan Woodbury, and Curt Rollman compiling area information.
The nine season dates appear in a convenient box. Yes, nine deer seasons in some counties.
As with the Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet, only material relating to the areas and seasons hunted need to be read, along with general season information.
If you don’t hunt a season or location, don’t complicate the recreation with other facts, unless out of general interest.
The Upland Fall Forecast, complied by Taylor Finger, game bird specialist, includes season dates, pheasant stocking outlook, wild turkey forecast, ruffed grouse forecast, and pheasant forecast. Daily pheasant stalking on 21 properties are shown in a display box. The special holiday release of birds on select properties is not noted, but will occur as during past years.
Taylor Finger’s Migratory Fall Forecast includes information on woodcock, mourning dove, goose and duck seasons.
Throughout all chapters, photographs add interest, picture the species hunted and sometimes suggest attire and methods used.
The Furbearer Fall Forecast points out that some game is both hunted and trapped (bobcats, coyotes, foxes and raccoons), while others are only trapped (fishers and otters).
Earlier fall openers saw varied action and participation, said Wally Bamfi, at Wilderness Fish and Game, who helped register three sturgeon during opening weekend, with the largest being 64.5 inches and weighing 54.5 pounds.
The Wisconsin River is very low where many of these anglers have fished.
Brent Drake, at Tall Tails in Boscobel, did not register any sturgeons, but other anglers have been catching some catfish.
Catfish have been biting on Yellowstone Lake, too, says Don Martin, at Martins in Monroe, while Bamfi says muskies are starting to hit on the Madison lakes.
Goose season has been spotty, with Doug Williams, at DW Sports Center in Portage, reporting timing between early grain harvesting and goose hunting being problematic for hunters.
Sports shop owners suggest dealing with ammunition shortages by purchasing a deer rifle with available ammunition, if it’s time to buy a new gun.
“Swallows and robins have left the area, according to Williams, while Wayne Smith in Lafayette County noted that crops, including corn and soybeans, are showing early signs of autumn.
Until the print form of the 2022 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations pamphlet becomes available hunters can read the information online.
— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.
