Northern Wisconsin Big Woods...

[ianpadron]

That's a realistic goal imo. If you can find a pocket of deer, there is usually one or two decent bucks in the area.

Just like out west, big woods deer will transition between different areas depening on food sources, thermal cover, and time of year. If there is a good mast crop (acorns), deer will travel for miles to get there. Once the acorns are gone, it's a ghost town.

I'd recommend waiting until after opening weekend of rifle season or muzzleloader season if you plan on still hunting or tracking. These deer have large home ranges and if you spook/bump them, they cover ground in a hurry. It doesn't pay to push them past other hunters if possible.

That's a good pro-tip, thank you.

 

[tim tarras]

I am originally from Central Wisconsin (Wausau) and moved to the Ashland area (Mason). We lived there from 2010-2018 and we really had a ton of deer on our property. I would regularly drive past 30-50 deer on my way into work and on my way home. We did live somewhat remote within a mile from the Ashland/Bayfield county line. I had no experience from before that time to compare to but I thought it was pretty good while I was there.

I’m from Wausau too!

Same here. Very small world.

 

[Forestryguy]

Point here

 

[christian1]

Born and raised in Marshfield, small world

Born in Marshfield, but raised in Pittsville.

chris

 

[ianpadron]

If any of the Wisco boys on here want to trade hunting/fishing trips in the future, shoot me a PM.

I've got the high country mule deer dialed out here for those that can hang, and would love to get after some big Northwoods whiteys for those of you still chasing them back home.

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

Hunted Vilas Co. In 69, 70. Then we found Waupaca Co. Central wi. 48 years later, 47 book entries. I pass 80 bucks in the rut before I draw. Feel for the north. And I have 2 Wolfpack on my property.

 

[DanimalW]

That's a realistic goal imo. If you can find a pocket of deer, there is usually one or two decent bucks in the area.

Just like out west, big woods deer will transition between different areas depening on food sources, thermal cover, and time of year. If there is a good mast crop (acorns), deer will travel for miles to get there. Once the acorns are gone, it's a ghost town.

I'd recommend waiting until after opening weekend of rifle season or muzzleloader season if you plan on still hunting or tracking. These deer have large home ranges and if you spook/bump them, they cover ground in a hurry. It doesn't pay to push them past other hunters if possible.

I’ve never shot a buck opening weekend in Sawyer county. It’s always after. It’s doable but a lot harder if you don’t have time to scout. Like others have mentioned there are large tracts of land completely void of deer (that used to have productive spots).

 

[hunterdanman]

I grew up hunting some of these areas . Population is way down between the wolves and over abundance of doe tags for a while but there can still be big bucks found. Last time I was up there a few years back I had a day where I saw more bear tracks than deer tracks. A far cry from when I was 12 and you would be disappointed if you didn't see 15 deer a day. It's a challenge for sure but neat to be able to hunt that big of country in the east.

 

[hunterdanman]

I’ve never shot a buck opening weekend in Sawyer county. It’s always after. It’s doable but a lot harder if you don’t have time to scout. Like others have mentioned there are large tracts of land completely void of deer (that used to have productive spots).

My first year hunting I shot a big doe and watched my dad shoot a 8 point opening day. My dad told me not to expect that to be normal. I never again shot a deer on opening day in WI the next 12+ years.

 

[zkutz1]

Hunted Vilas Co. In 69, 70. Then we found Waupaca Co. Central wi. 48 years later, 47 book entries. I pass 80 bucks in the rut before I draw. Feel for the north. And I have 2 Wolfpack on my property.

Have the wolves really hammered your populations there?

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

Have the wolves really hammered your populations there?

Each adult wolf has to eat 20 deer/year. We take 30 adult doe every year and still tread water on population control. 3 years ago, they opened 200 wolf tags in Feb. We called in the hound hunters and they wiped them out. 1 shot was fired, the dogs kill them.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

We have a work detail every year on our place near Ogema at the end of April. We had to postpone it a full month because of the snow. It was bad up there I guess.

 

[TheHammer]

If any of the Wisco boys on here want to trade hunting/fishing trips in the future, shoot me a PM.

I've got the high country mule deer dialed out here for those that can hang, and would love to get after some big Northwoods whiteys for those of you still chasing them back home.

I hunt marshes pretty effectively In the state. And if 120 is all you are after with some effort, that’s easily doable archery or rifle. I wouldn’t trade you, but I’d extend an offer. Typically I pass them up if they aren’t 4.5+ or 150+. I like taking pictures of them. My favorite pic to share as a prime example of a typical 3.5yr old 10pt at 27 yds late October.

 

[Leverwalker]

Hello all, lurker, just coming back in after a long rehab of many years and starting to comb through sites again and happened on this thread. Heading up with my son S. of Ashland. Got a buck in 2016 by St. Peter's Dome, saw a ton of sign in Marengo Semi-Primitive in 2015-2016. Saw a beautiful buck just off Snake Trail and in 2015 but it was before legal light, misty morning, jumped him just as legal light began. Never found him.

We plan to return to the area this year, don't mind covering ground. Whatever else, it's a beautiful area. Good luck all.

 

[Leverwalker]

Just talked with U.P. DNR, and wanted to get your opinions. To be honest, it's been so long it just fell off my radar. Not quite upper Wisconsin, but close - Sylvania Wilderness? Even a combined couple of weeks, with the area S. of Ashland?

 

[markanderson12wi]

I have hunted all over the state the last few years. I am in love with the northwoods but it can be tough. Gun and bow hunted the Parkfalls area from 2016-2021 and I did kill one big 10 point and a decent 8 point with my gun 2 out of the 5 years. Bow hunting seemed to be good for me from November 1st until gun season opened, usually the week before gun season is when I would see the most deer. All is in the deer population and wolves... the wolves are pretty thick where I was. It would seem like we would get a week of great hunting and then just like a flip of a switch they would show up. I personally had 2 years in a row that I had a cameras going hot with bucks all day long 2/3 days before gun season and then a ghost town. Both of those years I had wolves howling around me mid day. The second year I got sick of it and got our of my tree and headed there way just to spook them out of there. I got within 50 yards and a pack of 9 took off, they had a fresh doe kill.

Other area I hunt is east of Antigo. Seems to be more deer in that area, less wolves, but more hunters. Ive killed some does over there and ive had sits where I see 10/15 deer a day but it can also be tough. Ive passed plenty of small bucks with my bow. Have never gun hunted over there but I am thinking about it for the 2023 gun season and if not the gun season I am going to check it out for muzzleloader if I still have a buck tag.

 

[Balderdash]

I lived for hunting big woods whitetails for most of my life. Hunted northern WI and the UP. Where we traditionally hunt in WI - east of Park Falls/Philips, it's become a deer desert. Been pretty much after '12 and '13. We used to have pretty solid hunting with some big bucks every year.

This year might've been the worst so far. I grouse hunt the area a lot and didn't run into much sign all fall. Deer camp has dwindled over the recent years and is down to 5 guys who are all well seasoned big woods hunters that have experienced consistent success. No one even saw a deer this year.

The thought of getting a lease and being constrained to sit a little patch of woods all year doesnt leave me verry excited, but I'm ready to throw in the towel on Northwoods deer hunting in our area.

 

[KJayDub]

All right fellas, what's the deal with the current state of affairs back in good old Northern Wisconsin?

I grew up spending my summers in the Barnes area North of Hayward and hold that country in the highest regard.

I've lived in 2 of the most beautiful places on God's Earth since, WA state, and Montana...and still miss "Up North" everyday.

I didn't get into hunting big game until after I left, and have a romanticized vision of roaming the big woods with a rifle, paddling a canoe, etc. in search of a big whitetail.

Based on the more Midwest-centric forums, you'd think that every deer in the Northern half of the state has been killed by wolves...but I've run into the same mindset out West in areas that I've had tremendous, and consistent success.

What's the scoop? Can a young, fit guy willing to pack camp on his back or in a boat have some success in Bayfield/Sawyer counties in this day and age? Would hate to make the trip back and have to resort to catching walleye and musky because the deer hunting sucks so bad...

Ian! Kyle Weik here- we didn’t catch each other much in high school at MHS, but your post here actually convinced me to finally join the forum. Found it after reading some 2023 Whitetail season reports and looking for some real peoples’ opinions on how things went. Did you make the trip, and if so, how’d it go?

Our hunting shack is near the Price/Sawyer county line and we do some pretty well-organized drives “around” there on public land. We have journals/logs going back to 1982 and this year was the lowest number of bucks we’ve put on the pole since then (2). My cousin snagged a small 8, and I was lucky enough to roll a small 8 on the last Saturday as well (it was the only deer I saw that day). I hunted opening weekend in Mellen, WI, saw 3 deer after sitting 2 full days. Drives on public were unproductive, we averaged pushing 3 animals/drive, all baldies. Talking to folks all over the state, seemed like no one shot a damn thing, leading contributors, according to them being tough winter and wolf population. Honorable mention for too many doe tags over the years, and damn it we need an antler restriction at 4 on one side minimum

According to the DNR site, there was a 17.6% drop in harvest rate statewide overall from last year, 14.7% drop in antlered, 20.3% drop in antlerless. 421,525 total gun deer tags sold, based on the numbers, the statewide average success rate was 41.27% overall, 20.26% buck, 21.01% doe.

Looking to do some more research, but comparing the above info to the 2022-2023 Gray Wolf report put out by WDNR and here’s no inverse correlation between increased wolf numbers and drop in deer harvest rates. They suggest it’s possible wolf numbers slightly dropped from 2021-2022 data.

I’d agree, it was a tough winter/spring Up North for 2022-2023. In addition, my 1ac food plot was pathetic compared to years past- blaming it on lack of rainfall- we got more rain in 1 week in October than we got all year long to that point.

What’s wild to me is that in the fall of 2022 I saw more deer in Northern WI than I’d seen since I was a kid. I mean, there was 20-30 deer in almost every field. I guess it’s possible the weather and lack of nutrition wiped them out, but cripes.

Hope you’ve been well man, feel free to reach out anytime.

 

[Leverwalker]

Been recovering from a blown knee, and man, you know, at 62, you know exactly when you did it and you don't bounce back so easily. Guess I'm not 20 anymore but it was still pretty rewarding to have my son say "man, my old man is kicking my ass!". Never regret hunting up north but it was obvious what a terrible winter they had. 22 stillhunting miles around St. Peter's Dome and Marengo Semi-Primitive, lots of bait and a couple rubs, that's it. Bare ground and high 40's. I hope the lousy hunting weather this year means next year they stand a better chance.

 

[Forestryguy]

Would it even be worth for a guy to come up to track deer? Looking for something other than just sitting in a stand.