Ashland/Bayfield, Northwoods WI - bust

[Leverwalker]

Well, tough year. Close to 25 miles of hard stillhunting over 4 days, and we called it. Saw more corn than deer sign. In a semi-primitive area, heard two ATV's. Buck sign a grand total of one good rub and 3 very small rubs low. Nothing extraordinary on wolf scat. Mid 40's temps, corn flake leaves. Snow decided not to show up for Thanksgiving as forecast before our trip. Saw one deer, unclear if buck or doe as it was flag up and bounding about 125 yards through thick timber, so never had a good look or shot. Talked to many locals, who all said it was really, really bad. One old timer from MN has been coming for close to 40 years, said it's the worst season he's ever seen.

Talked to a store in Clam Lake, they said they got about 200" this winter, and, something I've never heard of, the particular ice formation on portages, etc., normally used by deer for crossing, was bad, with "many of these deer falling through, getting cut up badly, and bleeding out." They said they've never seen such die off.

I take the good with the bad. Priceless with my son, beautiful country, and between covering Morgan Falls/St. Peter's Dome and Marengo Semi-Primitive area more exhaustively than we've ever done, a good scouting trip. Hoping for a milder winter and a herd that has a chance next year.

 

[switchback7]

my parents have a lake place in danbury, wi, and all the locals have said that last winters snow fall did a number to the population around there.

 

[smithjd]

I’m a short distance northeast of the dome. Everything was hit hard by last winter. Not just the amount of snow, but we had a lot of it in April which seemed to finish most of them off. We had a lot of turkeys going into the fall, but few made it as well.

And elk have seemed to be in the area regularly. Don’t know if they are looking at farm fields for food or avoiding wolves in the forest or both.

Hope El Niño makes for a mild winter this year.

 

[Leverwalker]

I’m a short distance northeast of the dome. Everything was hit hard by last winter. Not just the amount of snow, but we had a lot of it in April which seemed to finish most of them off. We had a lot of turkeys going into the fall, but few made it as well.

And elk have seemed to be in the area regularly. Don’t know if they are looking at farm fields for food or avoiding wolves in the forest or both.

Hope El Niño makes for a mild winter this year.

Wasn't aware of the length into April. Pretty sad. When we drove in to Clam Lake pretty heartening to see "Caution Elk Crossing" signs in WI. Have there been reportings of elk up your way?

Our thoughts as well, on El Niño. Fingers crossed. Have a good winter and rest of your year.

 

[smithjd]

We had a big snow mid April and another on April 30. I think those did most of the critters in.

I’ve had a branch antlered bull on my cameras in May, which I thought was cool. But in the last couple weeks I’ve had repeated visits by a group of three spikes and another group of four cows. Haven’t seen them from the stand yet.

And wolves, bears, coyotes, and bobcats. The large predators seem to be doing well.

 

[smithjd]

Here are a couple pics of the elk.

 

[Leverwalker]

Here are a couple pics of the elk.

Magnificent. Thanks for sharing. I hope they do well.

 

[Forestryguy]

WI predator management is all screwed up. To much politics and not enough scientific research being used. I moved to WI in '18, hunted one week since being here. Not sure I will ever take much time to hunt deer here. Id rather spend my time chasing small game.

 

[sconnieVLP]

It’s such a different experience in the southern farmland zones. I sat all day on Sat/Sun and then AM/PM sits after that (entertaining myself with Rokslide from the stand now, action doesn’t normally pick up until after 8 in the stand I’m in). Opening weekend I saw ~25 deer/day, my worst sit was last night and “only” saw 5. Got a quick look at one of the bucks I’m after yesterday AM but otherwise it’s been does, fawns, and small bucks.

I saw on the news last night that opening weekend harvest was down 16%, which doesn’t surprise me based on the decreased amount of shooting that I’ve heard since opener. The deer have definitely been moving out to the fields later and with the number of people around here who only hunt field edges they just aren’t set up for it.

 

[smithjd]

I grew up hunting in Columbia Co. Spent my 20’s & 30’s hunting the bluffs in Sauk Co. Have a friend with a farm in Richland Co. All world class whitetail experiences. (And know several people who saw cougars back then in the bluffs…)

Moved to the Northwoods in 2006. For the first couple years there were plenty of deer. Then a precipitous decline. I blame not only wolves but thousands of doe tags handed out. People would head out to the NF and shoot anything and everything. The winter of 2013-14 decimated what was left. I don’t think they will ever come back to how it was. Maybe that is the insurance companies plan. I’d love to see a chart correlating car / deer accidents by year compared to what the DNR says is the deer population…

9-10 years to draw a single bobcat tag in WI when you can buy them OTC in MI and MN every year and shoot multiple.

And the wolf management by the judiciary and squeaky wheels…

I still see a few deer around me, but it sure isn’t like it was.

 

[Cady Creek]

Not far from you in the UP of Michigan. We echo all of the sentiments above. We're into the second week of rifle now, and all indications are on track for our harvest to be down around 30% or more. My buddy and I run cams year round, and still managed to find some decent deer but the numbers are exceptionally low. Hard winter and heavy predation with little to no management hasn't helped. We had snow on the ground for eight months last year. Scary part is things could get worse before they getter for the Northwoods.

 

[WCB]

If the DNR handed out 10 doe tags per guy...guess how many guys would try to shoot? No doubt wolves and winters take there fair share but hunters don't help the situation many times.

 

[Leverwalker]

Not far from you in the UP of Michigan. We echo all of the sentiments above. We're into the second week of rifle now, and all indications are on track for our harvest to be down around 30% or more. My buddy and I run cams year round, and still managed to find some decent deer but the numbers are exceptionally low. Hard winter and heavy predation with little to no management hasn't helped. We had snow on the ground for eight months last year. Scary part is things could get worse before they getter for the Northwoods.

My wife's family are all Yoopers - my son has his great-grandpa's 1904 38-55, and his grandad's 336. Gwinn, multi-generation. In fact they're coming today for thanksgiving. I'd actually given a thought to heading up to the Sylvania, but it seems we're all in the same boat. Really sorry to hear this, for all of us, and for the herd itself. Nature has hammered them and I agree with everyone, we've completely screwed up the management. I hold out a bit of hope that over the longer term, like most things natural, there will be a return to balance but I don't know if we'll see it in our lifetimes, much as that kills me to say.

I don't know we'll do the WI northwoods again anytime soon. Right now, my heart lies with even trying a guided hunt with Hal Blood's outfit in ME, if we can swing it.

 

[Leverwalker]

If the DNR handed out 10 doe tags per guy...guess how many guys would try to shoot? No doubt wolves and winters take there fair share but hunters don't help the situation many times.

Couldn't agree more. Idiocy.

 

[cmwhitmoyer]

I spent a year in college at Ashland in 1990 I regret not getting out and exploring the National forest.

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