“It was the best thing that happened,” said Doug Williams, at D W Sports Center in Portage. “Some hunters took the first deer to appear, then went home to warm up.”
The numbers from the opening weekend substantiate that. Overall the registrations were 15.1 percent above last year with 103,623 tallied, which compares to 90,023 in 2021. Part of the reason for such a jump likely was that 2021 was so low. The 2022 season was up but the average opening weekend kill compared to the average for 2017 to 2021 was 102,347 deer.
This year, then, was an average year in terms of deer taken opening weekend.
These opening weekend numbers are gathered annually after 5 p.m. the Monday following weekend hunting, which is when all the deer shot on Sunday should have been registered. Of course some deer shot on Monday were registered on Monday, too, but those were sorted out by a computer program so every deer making up the 103,623 was shot on Saturday or Sunday.
Numbers reported for opening weekend are collected the same way each year so years are able to be compared fairly.
Deer populations and weather were different unit to unit. Iowa County registrations increased 5.9 percent over 2021. The five year average was 1,714 deer, compared to 1,182 in 2021 and 1,252 in 2022.
Was there a lot of corn still standing when the season opened in 2022 in the unit hunted? Deer were still rutting in Iowa County, so did hunters wait to see if a buck, maybe a big buck would come by?
A great comparison for each deer management unit is on the DNR web site.
Wally Banfi, at Wilderness Fish and Game in Sauk City worked and greeted hunters as they came in for more supplies. He said the snow was a bonus, hunters saw more deer plus the population is strong.
Registrations in Sauk County were up 17.6 percent over 2021.
Banfi reports that walleyes and saugers are still biting but anglers need to river fish where the water is still open, usually just below a dam.
Wayne Smith, an outdoorsman in Lafayette County, said of the cold “…the cold was not a negative according to most who described the cold as a good cold, Pressure seemed light.”
In Smith’s Lafayette county, registrations were up 1.4 percent over 2021, but 2021 was a good year in Lafayette so one would not expect the increase to be much different this year.
Columbia County, where William’s shop is located had a 13.4 percent increase in registrations this year, compared to 2021. “Hunters were shooting some deer, bucks and does,” he said. “More seemed to be after venison; meat. Cold may have been the best thing that happened. Shoot a deer, a meat deer maybe, then go home early and warm up.”
If cold was considered a negative, the last seven days of the nine day season gave hunters more warmth, but with warmth came melted snow.
Seems hunters got the best of both worlds this year, weather-wise if they used the full nine days.
In some parts standing corn was a real downer and the rut seemed to drop precipitously after opening weekend. Deer movement slowed to a walk.
Several seasons continue with the ongoing muzzleloader season ending Dec. 7, followed immediately with a four-day antlerless hunt ending Dec 11, and the anterless only Holiday Hunt Dec. 24 to Jan. 1, 2023. Archery/crossbow season is ongoing until Jan. 8 or Jan. 31, 2023, depending on the DMU.
Remember the blaze orange regulations and restrictions on taking bucks during some of these seasons.
Bringing back the gun casing regulation, with a fatal hunting incident this year is a no brainer, and should be on the minds of all who have a voice and vote in hunting regulations during the months ahead.
Bird feeding continues to be going strong. Irruptions of evening grosbeaks and snowy owls have many birders excited.
Wisconsin’s striped skunk is active again with above normal highs.
Skunks do not hibernated but are generally dormant during cold weather.
Moles are active again, too, and can still be trapped as long as the ground is not frozen. Trapping outdoors mice can sometime capture an unsuspecting small bird, including titmice. Place traps in a protected place when setting them outside.
Ice fishing is on the minds of many. As was necessary during gun deer season, wearing heavy, well insulated, and bulky boots while driving is next to impossible, so don’t do it. The same goes for “boot chains.” These gripers can do some major damage to wood basement stairs, too, if they are worn to shovel snow or spread ice melting chemicals. Put the grippers on just before walking out a basement door.
— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.
