Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

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Country
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Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby Country » Thu Dec 13, 2018 11:29 am

Im getting really frustrated. Hunted public land in South East Wisconsin at least a dozen times this season. I have not seen a SINGLE DEER! Maybe the DNR needs to stop eradicating the deer herd.


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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby dan » Thu Dec 13, 2018 12:44 pm

Its been a pretty tough season here for me too. These late doe seasons are really going to hurt the already low population.
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby Bowhunting Brian » Thu Dec 13, 2018 1:03 pm

Country wrote:Im getting really frustrated. Hunted public land in South East Wisconsin at least a dozen times this season. I have not seen a SINGLE DEER! Maybe the DNR needs to stop eradicating the deer herd.


The public land that I usually hunt had a lot more water this year. I think that put my sighting real low this year. Could that have been a factor by you too?
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Dec 13, 2018 2:30 pm

Now, this is not saying much since I this is only my first full season hunting, but this is the first year I’ve hit public hunting areas. They probably aren’t in super high deer population areas, but I’ve seen deer or bumped deer on probably 70% of my times out in SE WI public. Not thick like flies necessarily, but a lone deer or in twos or threes.

I got into the Beast game late (into Oct), so it seemed like just as I started learning practical, boots-on-the-ground lessons about swamps and getting the hang of them, the earlier-than-normal cold snap hit and crusted them over, rendering the moot. Or so it seemed to me... just no good swamp sign after that. That forced me away from the swamps.

Got on a nice buck (for me) the first time hitting public hill country thanks to watching that video literally the day before. Although it wasn’t in classic hill country patterns, more on the “overlooked” side of things. That was the second weekend in the gun season, the last opportunity I’ve had to get out. Plan on hitting it this weekend again.

So my experience is that I’m seeing them on public, even getting in position to have decent shots.

Without tipping your hand on location, are these areas that have held a lot of deer in the past?
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby Country » Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:19 pm

dan wrote:Its been a pretty tough season here for me too. These late doe seasons are really going to hurt the already low population.


Yup :snooty:
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby Country » Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:20 pm

Bowhunting Brian wrote:
Country wrote:Im getting really frustrated. Hunted public land in South East Wisconsin at least a dozen times this season. I have not seen a SINGLE DEER! Maybe the DNR needs to stop eradicating the deer herd.


The public land that I usually hunt had a lot more water this year. I think that put my sighting real low this year. Could that have been a factor by you too?


More in the early season, yes. I feel like the water levels subsided as the season went on and I was finding fresh tracks in the snow going back into those bedding areas.
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby Country » Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:25 pm

greenhorndave wrote:Now, this is not saying much since I this is only my first full season hunting, but this is the first year I’ve hit public hunting areas. They probably aren’t in super high deer population areas, but I’ve seen deer or bumped deer on probably 70% of my times out in SE WI public. Not thick like flies necessarily, but a lone deer or in twos or threes.

I got into the Beast game late (into Oct), so it seemed like just as I started learning practical, boots-on-the-ground lessons about swamps and getting the hang of them, the earlier-than-normal cold snap hit and crusted them over, rendering the moot. Or so it seemed to me... just no good swamp sign after that. That forced me away from the swamps.

Got on a nice buck (for me) the first time hitting public hill country thanks to watching that video literally the day before. Although it wasn’t in classic hill country patterns, more on the “overlooked” side of things. That was the second weekend in the gun season, the last opportunity I’ve had to get out. Plan on hitting it this weekend again.

So my experience is that I’m seeing them on public, even getting in position to have decent shots.

Without tipping your hand on location, are these areas that have held a lot of deer in the past?


Good job getting on em. I seem to have much better success in the hills usually. The spots where I'm not seeing deer are either relatively new to me spots or spots that haven't produced much in the past, but at least I saw deer. I'm going to be expanding my territory. This is getting old.

Good luck if you go out this weekend.
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:55 pm

Tough early season for me too. Water didn't help. Mosquitoes sucked. These doe seasons are a killer! I'm lucky to be included in the holiday hunt. I actually had my best buck encounter of the season, last week. Very rare for me during late season. So I'm cutting loose these next 3 weeks!
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Dec 13, 2018 3:58 pm

Thanks! You too.

The overlooked spot for me was not far off a road (where have we heard that before?) and I was just cutting through it to stay out of the open where I could be spotted easily in transit to where I really wanted to go based on topos and wind. The area was literally full of (deer) sht. Made me slow down and investigate, which led to the buck in my scope. (the dud slug story)
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby matt1336 » Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:01 pm

I’m sure that if you put in some off season scouting this winter and spring, next fall will be a different ball game for you.
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:15 pm

tgreeno wrote:Tough early season for me too. Water didn't help. Mosquitoes sucked. These doe seasons are a killer! I'm lucky to be included in the holiday hunt. I actually had my best buck encounter of the season, last week. Very rare for me during late season. So I'm cutting loose these next 3 weeks!


Nice! Good luck!

I’m going all bow from here on out, staying out of gun holiday hunt counties. I’ll be covering some new ground and driving farther, but that’s always interesting and educational if nothing else happens.
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:16 pm

matt1336 wrote:I’m sure that if you put in some off season scouting this winter and spring, next fall will be a different ball game for you.


I resemble this remark.
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Dec 13, 2018 4:31 pm

You guys need to take notes on where you find all of the high water bedding this year while in season or post season scouting so you can use it for the future. Last time I had high water was about 8-10 years ago and the intel I picked up back then no doubt helped to keep me on deer fairly well this season compared to other huntersI know in my area. High water in marshes really concentrates bedding to smaller very particular spots with slightly higher ground yet still very secure. Your job is to find those spots now and apply it later in similar conditions. Buck numbers are way down in SE WI but that just means you have to put even more work into finding them.
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby stratocasterNJ » Thu Dec 13, 2018 6:13 pm

dan wrote:Its been a pretty tough season here for me too. These late doe seasons are really going to hurt the already low population.

The only way to change that is by putting pressure on the DNR and the people who make the rules. We have unlimited doe tags in some areas in NJ and it has decimated the herd in counties with the most available hunting land. In the suburban areas the herd has exploded because of the lack of available land to hunt and proximity to houses and the anti -hunt screamers. The auto insurers also have a big hand in pushing our game dept to kill as many does as possible. Imagine that, a group with no knowledge of game management has input into game management and harvest quotas, can't get more asinine.
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Re: Where's all the deer in South East Wisconsin

Unread postby peteherbst » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:45 am

I'm in Southern Wisconsin as well and haven't seen much (probably a total of 5 does). But I know the properties I hunt were absolutely pounded and are still being pounded with these doe hunts. Talked to a couple of other guys at the parking gates and know there have been a couple ten pointers and some smaller bucks taken during gun season on one of the pieces. Idk how many times I'll be able to get out and hunt yet this year, but know I took in a lot this year that will help me next.

I also ordered a saddle for next year to cut down on noise. So I'm looking forward to that... :shock:
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