Lot of good info here. I’ve been considering buying Wisconsin tags and hitting the northwoods there some yr. I love the UP. When I was out of high school and big buck crazed I couldn’t be bothered with the thought of hunting the UP. I’ve lived here a while now and quite frankly yes the hunting is tough, would I trade a week here for a week in Iowa or Missouri this fall? No. I love hunting up here but there is a steep learning curve for most. Including myself. You go from corn country to most areas of the UP and you’re going to be tested.
I don’t think it’s as bad here as they say. Not great but not terrible. Unless you couldn’t be bothered with shooting a 100-120” buck
One thing I notice is these deer have peace and quiet all yr. a group of guys show up to a camp in the center of an 40-80 acre parcel. Hoot holler into the night drinking or drive atvs around the place etc. Then they don’t see much. Not all deer but most around here will vacate when that starts going on. I’ve watched them clear out when the noise starts in the distance. Then listened to the “no deer” complaints from the guys in that general area. If these guys would walk a ways they’d get into em. If you drive your Harley in there we’ll you aren’t getting within 300 yds. They will be booking it the other way.
I can’t speak for Wisconsin but in the UP MOST hunters rely on bait. The deer pattern em, go nocturnal on em. There are a rare few guys that have a good success rate on bait.
As said you find the pockets of deer. I don’t go hunt up near superior. It is much tougher in that snow belt. I’m not confident I could find a pocket of deer there. Maybe in town
also I want to barf when I drive around and see all the fed govt clearcuts planted in red pine. There’s not much food up here as it is. Hardly any oaks etc. Then you wanna spray the aspen shoots and such in a clear cut and plant red pine? You just destroyed the habitat. I guess it’s thermal cover but we’re already 3/4 thermal cover. Very little mast and not a lot of quality browse. I see deer readily browse balsam around here when we get near winter. That’s a starvation food that does nothing for them. The biologist say the deer never starve on an empty stomach. It’s usually full of balsam or something like that. They’re hungry so they eat it but get nothing back in return. Die with a full stomach.
Forestry is also a factor but I do believe it’s often overlooked.