Sunny and cool with a good chance for whitetail deer!
Thousands of blaze orange wearing Wisconsinites and visiting non-residents
eagerly await the arrival of the 2012 9-day gun deer season, which kicks
off Saturday Nov. 17.
Hubby's buddy being silly after a good harvest
taken when breaking down camp, why he is not wearing more orange
Approximately 10 percent of
Wisconsin residents will take to the fields and woods for the annual hunt, and
thousands more will participate by providing food, hotels, and other
services that make deer hunting such a vital and important part of the Wisconsin
culture and economy.
a recent funny blogged, U-tubed and replayed on radio and TV shows of a
very convincing woman concerned about deer crossing at these signs
click to enlarge any image
Kevin
Wallenfang, big game ecologist for the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, says the 2012 gun season is one that he hopes will be
exciting and satisfying for all involved. “It’s a tradition that many
hunters and businesses look forward to all year long. It will also have
more of a traditional feel to it this year due to the elimination of
most early season gun hunts."
Deer populations throughout most
of the farmland region of the state
are strong, says Wallenfang, especially on private lands. Still, despite
comparatively high deer numbers, farmland units can be difficult to
hunt, especially for those spending their season on public lands where
hunting pressure is often much higher than surrounding private
properties. The good news is that Wisconsin has more than 1 million
acres of private lands open for public hunting, including Voluntary
Public Access program and Managed Forest Law program lands. Which is why
hikers, campers and general nature lovers are advised to take a short
break, this annual 10 harvest season and wear blaze orange or other
brightly colored clothing if out near any trails or wooded lands. I also
strongly recommend keeping your pets inside as well. Be smart, use a
leash, your furry friend will be safer too.
I can testify, the deer in my yard do not read,
nor do they get shot, other than with a camera ;o)
thanks to a email friend for image credit
Even
with increasing deer populations in many units, hunter success during
the gun season can vary based on a wide range of factors. Hunter effort,
weather events, rut activity, hunting pressure, and stand site
locations in addition to deer numbers can all play influential roles in whether or not individual hunters see and harvest deer.
“Deer are not distributed evenly across the landscape and their
movements vary greatly from one day to the next,” says Wallenfang. “Some
hunters simply have access to better hunting and more deer.”
Another
step hunters can take to increase their opportunities and enjoy their
season is to take advantage of more good weather days in the field. “There has been
an increasing trend of hunters spending fewer days in the woods than in
years past, often hunting just the opening weekend,” Wallenfang says.
“Although deer sightings can be fewer after opening weekend, there are
still deer to be hunted and the later part of the season can be more
relaxing than the high pressure of opening weekend.”
Forecasters
say we’ll have some temperate and mostly dry conditions through out the
state. Especially opening weekend. Though most hunters prefer cooler
temperatures and a nice fresh snow fall, that makes it better to scout
and track any deer they may be lucky enough to harvest. Cooler temps
also help in keeping the carcass cold until safe processing can be
arranged. The weather looks favorable for hunting conditions that will
allow people to stay in the woods and enjoy
the hunt and Wisconsin's beautiful nature longer.
Remember to always be aware of your surroundings, distance and people
population or buildings before taking careful aim to shoot. Wisconsin
requires blaze orange outer wear for others to see you as well. More
general hunting ethics can be found here.
For more info on Wisconsin's hunting seasons, other outside activities and news click
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for their web site.
Enjoy your 9 day deer gun season.
Good luck and good hunting!
A safe hunter is a successful hunter!
image credit icanhascheezeburger.com
Just click to view last years
→ deer hunting funnies .
Do you have a hunter in your household? or any funny stories to share?
Until next time,
thanks so much for visiting!