Report from Central WI

[James]

I've been hunting our family farm since Saturday morning in Green Lake county WI. Lots of deer activity but I think it's still a little early. Saturday morning I called in a yearling 8 with good potential. That evening I had a nursery of you bucks fighting and making scrapes. Sunday night I passed a decent 8 about as wide as his ears (pic below). Good footage of him at 8 yards. Then about a half hour later I finally saw a shooter with a doe out in the corn. He was grunting and dogging her around but she wasn't too interested. I did everything I could to bring him into range but he wasn't interested. We haven't seen any mid day buck movement yet.

I've had to deal with a lot of pressure from the neighbors and now our farmer is dumping manure on the corn at 7:30 in the morning. Calling him tonight about that!! Relocated my stand to the edge of a doe bedding area and unfortunately jumped a big doe walking in. She was all alone so I know it's still a bit early. My dad is setup in the woods where I saw that big one last night so hopefully we have some action. The amount of human pressure in farmland country is astounding!



[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Mountain Man]

I'm seeing similar things in SE WI. I almost hit a nice buck with the car on Sat morning heading out to hunt. Just before I got to my hunting spot another one crossed the road well ahead of me. That was all around 6 am.

I've been seeing some 1.5 year old bucks and fawns.

This morning I had a 1.5 yo walk by in range about 8:10 am. Then about 15 minutes later I heard grunting from the direction he went. I thought he was coming back through. It was a different buck that was either an exceptional 1.5 yo or a somewhat inferior 2.5 yo. Nice symmetrical 8 point but thin rack and I couldn't get a spread estimate but I think it was probably about ~12". He was slowly walking right behind a doe and grunting every 15-20 seconds. I don't think the doe was very old b/c she just looked small - maybe a small 1.5 yo? She walked out into a small opening and he was still in the thick stuff. She stopped and turned around to look at him as if to say "are you coming with me?". He soon followed and they disappeared into more thick stuff.

[Rutnstrut]

Pretty much the same thing in west central Wi (Pierce county). I hunted last Thurs through last night, does still with fawns, a few 1.5 year olds feeling their oats but that's it. Will be back at it Weds- at least Sunday probably longer if needed. Good luck all, and be safe.