Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:11 am

Location matters. I’m sure there is some good big woods hunting to be had in WI. I’m sure there’s some terrible big woods hunting to be had too.

I know for a fact I can show you some poor hunting and some very good hunting around my parts of MN. Sometimes ten miles makes a big difference.

No doubt in my mind big woods with low density would be tough hunting.


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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby headgear » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:23 am

The numbers aren't great but endless cover and lots of big swamps means there is always big deer to hunt. You have to cover way more ground, like lots and lots of ground to find where they are or as magic once something along the lines of finding one good spots and sitting there dark to dark at the right time of year until a good one comes through. That isn't as easy to do as it sounds either so I move and scout more and more every year.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:38 am

Miles of unbroken wilderness is just tough. But there aren’t a ton of those in WI. Oh, there’s remote and desolate areas, but roads around those areas often exist. Drive around at dawn and dusk in areas you think could be promising if you’re not getting on good sign and watch for deer crossing the roads or where you can see for some distance. You’ll eventually find hot areas of crossing activity and then backtrack those via aerials, etc. That’s an approach I’ve taken and it can work.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby headgear » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:46 am

Personally I do think it can be as bad as people say, just not for a beast willing to put in the work. Big difference between hunters that only complain and those willing to hunt and scout hard and not take no for an answer. Still I can go into the bigwoods for a week during the peak of the rut with a rifle having loads of experience and ten years of beast scouting and never fill my tag. I am certainly passing some young bucks and two year olds and sometimes getting glimpses of older deer but it is not easy even with a rifle let alone a bow but I like the challenge. There is just endless cover up here and covering 5 square miles is nothing, snow can make or break your season. With that said I see a lot more big deer bow season because I have more time to put in and certainly love that more than rifle hunting but I also like to hunt with family and get the kids out.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby Nocturnal » Wed Sep 15, 2021 2:58 am

I was up in Vilas a few weeks back. Camped off a lake for a few days and walked around the entire lake and never cut a single track or saw a single deer the entire time we were there.
However, I know deer are in pockets and one has to really cover ground to find them. Also, there are plenty of bigwoods counties that I feel are better than some managed private lands. To me its if you're willing to travel, if you are willing to try something new. Even if you know you may be leaving something already great? You never know, you may find something better. The most successful guys we think about, that come to our minds, they are true adventurers. Always wanting to stomp new ground!
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:33 am

An old friend in lower Michigan got married over the summer and one of the guys he had standing in the wedding got talking with me. He was showing me some hammers he shoots in Maryland and below the bridge. I told him where I hunt and it turns out he comes to a camp about 10 mi from here. He’s like man it’s depressing as H hunting up there.

He was special forces in the military and now trains military special forces. It was pretty cool when he told me that for all the experience and training he’s had in land Nav that he is still intimidated by the terrain.

Really nice guy, I might try and help him get on some deer this rifle season. Like lockdown said you can be in some really bad hunting or some really good.

it’s hard to get started if you’re basically just lost out there.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby MuskieHunterDave » Wed Sep 15, 2021 6:19 am

I hunt a small 3 acre private property in central Oneida county. We seem to be in a major doe travel corridor, and we have no problem seeing them daily. However, the bucks we see are all small. That said, how much can you really tell from 3 acres?

I have ventured onto public a couple times in the last few years, but never was able to do much.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby ihookem » Sun Oct 24, 2021 2:36 pm

Lots of good posts here. I have hunted west side of Price and eastern Sawyer co. in the Flambeau River State Forest. Been there 32. yrs now. There is a huge difference in deer numbers in southern Price co. compared to the big blocks of un broken woods. I am 10 miles north of HWY 8, and once you get to SE Price, there are way more deer. It is so bad in my area I have not wanted to even hunt it the last 5 yrs. There are more deer in Bayfield co. More AG land, In some areas, I dont think the winters are all that bad. A neighbor down the road has hunted it for 20 yrs. I am amazed at how many deer they see on public land .Last year Of 6 guys in camp, they saw several bucks. Two were shot and others were passed. I on the other hand have not seen a buck during gun season since 2009. My son, has not seen one since 2012. Some reasons are, there is a camp down the road that has been caught poaching and other violations. It is a big argument , however, there is no doubt in my mind that there were way too many deer for a long time there. There is no Cedar, Hemlock regeneration. There was NONE, as for oak and white pine, there was none till about 6 yrs ago. My White Pines need to be wrapped with chicken wire till they are 7' high. Last week I even saw a red pine with no needles 7' high cause the deer eat them that high. Another thing is , no one wants to admit, but baiting makes deer sleep a lot more in the day time. There is no reason to move from under a spruce tree all day soaking up the sun to go to a corn pile where there is human scent. Another thing is, bait can hurt . Why ? Bait causes deer to create a pattern. When the wolves come through , they are easier pickens. A bait concentrates deer and every wolf north of HWY 64 knows very well that bait will have deer very close by. As for my beautiful river frontage with more land than I could ever hunt. I am so close to selling it. It does not pay after next yrs. bear tags are used or eaten. I can take that money, put it in a tax free Muni bond etf and get $3,000 a yr. and go out west every year and never touch the cost basis. My taxes are cheap $250 , but I do nothing but work on the cabin and not worth it. Also, a judge stopped the wolf hunt again.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby KRONIIK » Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:40 pm

ihookem wrote:Lots of good posts here. I have hunted west side of Price and eastern Sawyer co. in the Flambeau River State Forest. Been there 32. yrs now. There is a huge difference in deer numbers in southern Price co. compared to the big blocks of un broken woods. I am 10 miles north of HWY 8, and once you get to SE Price, there are way more deer. It is so bad in my area I have not wanted to even hunt it the last 5 yrs. There are more deer in Bayfield co. More AG land, In some areas, I dont think the winters are all that bad. A neighbor down the road has hunted it for 20 yrs. I am amazed at how many deer they see on public land .Last year Of 6 guys in camp, they saw several bucks. Two were shot and others were passed. I on the other hand have not seen a buck during gun season since 2009. My son, has not seen one since 2012. Some reasons are, there is a camp down the road that has been caught poaching and other violations. It is a big argument , however, there is no doubt in my mind that there were way too many deer for a long time there. There is no Cedar, Hemlock regeneration. There was NONE, as for oak and white pine, there was none till about 6 yrs ago. My White Pines need to be wrapped with chicken wire till they are 7' high. Last week I even saw a red pine with no needles 7' high cause the deer eat them that high. Another thing is , no one wants to admit, but baiting makes deer sleep a lot more in the day time. There is no reason to move from under a spruce tree all day soaking up the sun to go to a corn pile where there is human scent. Another thing is, bait can hurt . Why ? Bait causes deer to create a pattern. When the wolves come through , they are easier pickens. A bait concentrates deer and every wolf north of HWY 64 knows very well that bait will have deer very close by. As for my beautiful river frontage with more land than I could ever hunt. I am so close to selling it. It does not pay after next yrs. bear tags are used or eaten. I can take that money, put it in a tax free Muni bond etf and get $3,000 a yr. and go out west every year and never touch the cost basis. My taxes are cheap $250 , but I do nothing but work on the cabin and not worth it. Also, a judge stopped the wolf hunt again.

Interesting post.

I have cousins who own some pretty big plots of land not far from Phillips, in Price Co.
Their dad inherited a little hardscrabble family farm, and the boys later bought up some surrounding land to extend it to almost 600 connected acres now, I believe.

I rifle-hunted with them as a teenager forty-five years ago, back when the DNR issued "Party" tags for Firearms season in some units.
(Buck only, but a group of four guys could get one antlerless "Party" tag to share.
Only the guy wearing a brightly-colored armband could carry that tag and shoot a doe that day.)

Hunting was pretty decent back then; sad for me to see what baiting and wolves have done to the overall "wilderness hunting experience" up there.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby matt1336 » Tue Oct 26, 2021 12:26 am

ihookem wrote:Lots of good posts here. I have hunted west side of Price and eastern Sawyer co. in the Flambeau River State Forest. Been there 32. yrs now. There is a huge difference in deer numbers in southern Price co. compared to the big blocks of un broken woods. I am 10 miles north of HWY 8, and once you get to SE Price, there are way more deer. It is so bad in my area I have not wanted to even hunt it the last 5 yrs. There are more deer in Bayfield co. More AG land, In some areas, I dont think the winters are all that bad. A neighbor down the road has hunted it for 20 yrs. I am amazed at how many deer they see on public land .Last year Of 6 guys in camp, they saw several bucks. Two were shot and others were passed. I on the other hand have not seen a buck during gun season since 2009. My son, has not seen one since 2012. Some reasons are, there is a camp down the road that has been caught poaching and other violations. It is a big argument , however, there is no doubt in my mind that there were way too many deer for a long time there. There is no Cedar, Hemlock regeneration. There was NONE, as for oak and white pine, there was none till about 6 yrs ago. My White Pines need to be wrapped with chicken wire till they are 7' high. Last week I even saw a red pine with no needles 7' high cause the deer eat them that high. Another thing is , no one wants to admit, but baiting makes deer sleep a lot more in the day time. There is no reason to move from under a spruce tree all day soaking up the sun to go to a corn pile where there is human scent. Another thing is, bait can hurt . Why ? Bait causes deer to create a pattern. When the wolves come through , they are easier pickens. A bait concentrates deer and every wolf north of HWY 64 knows very well that bait will have deer very close by. As for my beautiful river frontage with more land than I could ever hunt. I am so close to selling it. It does not pay after next yrs. bear tags are used or eaten. I can take that money, put it in a tax free Muni bond etf and get $3,000 a yr. and go out west every year and never touch the cost basis. My taxes are cheap $250 , but I do nothing but work on the cabin and not worth it. Also, a judge stopped the wolf hunt again.


We sold our place between Phillips and Fifield this spring. A guy from Chicago bought it. Deer numbers were never an issue for us. We spent a lot of time and money on food plots. The plots obviously concentrated the deer around our place. One of the primary reason we sold…The bucks just aren’t getting to the mature age. I really think the wolves are about to target those older bucks. They stink….they’re run down and in December the snow is usually deep. IMO that’s how a lot of older bucks die.

Baiting is ruining/has ruined hunting up there. People would be completely lost if they couldn’t throw corn down. I think it’s sad. There’s little to no skill and it locks the deer down…at least the deer that are smart enough to stay away from the piles of corn.

The argument could be made….you have plots, what’s he difference. Maybe not much, but the late season plots, turnips winter wheat and rye are around a lot longer, when the deer need the food than are the piles of corn. Idk. The property is sold. Goodbye north woods, see you when I get a bear tag.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby KRONIIK » Tue Oct 26, 2021 8:42 am

matt1336 wrote:
ihookem wrote:Lots of good posts here. I have hunted west side of Price and eastern Sawyer co. in the Flambeau River State Forest. Been there 32. yrs now. There is a huge difference in deer numbers in southern Price co. compared to the big blocks of un broken woods. I am 10 miles north of HWY 8, and once you get to SE Price, there are way more deer. It is so bad in my area I have not wanted to even hunt it the last 5 yrs. There are more deer in Bayfield co. More AG land, In some areas, I dont think the winters are all that bad. A neighbor down the road has hunted it for 20 yrs. I am amazed at how many deer they see on public land .Last year Of 6 guys in camp, they saw several bucks. Two were shot and others were passed. I on the other hand have not seen a buck during gun season since 2009. My son, has not seen one since 2012. Some reasons are, there is a camp down the road that has been caught poaching and other violations. It is a big argument , however, there is no doubt in my mind that there were way too many deer for a long time there. There is no Cedar, Hemlock regeneration. There was NONE, as for oak and white pine, there was none till about 6 yrs ago. My White Pines need to be wrapped with chicken wire till they are 7' high. Last week I even saw a red pine with no needles 7' high cause the deer eat them that high. Another thing is , no one wants to admit, but baiting makes deer sleep a lot more in the day time. There is no reason to move from under a spruce tree all day soaking up the sun to go to a corn pile where there is human scent. Another thing is, bait can hurt . Why ? Bait causes deer to create a pattern. When the wolves come through , they are easier pickens. A bait concentrates deer and every wolf north of HWY 64 knows very well that bait will have deer very close by. As for my beautiful river frontage with more land than I could ever hunt. I am so close to selling it. It does not pay after next yrs. bear tags are used or eaten. I can take that money, put it in a tax free Muni bond etf and get $3,000 a yr. and go out west every year and never touch the cost basis. My taxes are cheap $250 , but I do nothing but work on the cabin and not worth it. Also, a judge stopped the wolf hunt again.


We sold our place between Phillips and Fifield this spring. A guy from Chicago bought it. Deer numbers were never an issue for us. We spent a lot of time and money on food plots. The plots obviously concentrated the deer around our place. One of the primary reason we sold…The bucks just aren’t getting to the mature age. I really think the wolves are about to target those older bucks. They stink….they’re run down and in December the snow is usually deep. IMO that’s how a lot of older bucks die.

Baiting is ruining/has ruined hunting up there. People would be completely lost if they couldn’t throw corn down. I think it’s sad. There’s little to no skill and it locks the deer down…at least the deer that are smart enough to stay away from the piles of corn.

The argument could be made….you have plots, what’s he difference. Maybe not much, but the late season plots, turnips winter wheat and rye are around a lot longer, when the deer need the food than are the piles of corn. Idk. The property is sold. Goodbye north woods, see you when I get a bear tag.


Yeah I know another guy who has a nice property up there somewhere, but closer to Prentice than Phillips, I think(?)
He always had good hunting there, until baiting was legalized.
All his neighbors now bait heavily and it pulled most of the deer activity off his property, and pretty much ruined his hunting.

He refused to stoop to the baiting game, though,and now hunts Dane County instead.
It's sad because his deer hunting is the primary reason he bought and fixed up that place.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby ihookem » Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:29 pm

Thanks for the last 3 posts guys. It makes me feel a bit better. I feel terrible thinking about selling the land. it is only 7 acres and some is low land so a plot wont work. I could make a food plot but it would have to be by the road. That wont work . As soon as hunters park at the end of the road to walk into the public, they will see those deer and hunt right there. The neighbors bait for months and that pulls deer to their pivate land,I don't care what the baiters say. That is a fact , bait does that. I am almost to the point I should start baiting, but I hate baiting. Late season muzzy, when all the bait is gone??? Could see deer every day then. As for wolves, yes, those buck run themselves half to death looking for a doe . BY the time January comes , the big bucks are weak, and easy pickins . I keep track of the winter lows with a thermometer up there. Last winter it was -38 F . How can a beat up old buck be healthy enough to out run a pack of wolves. The DNR has done a terrible job managing the county land. It would not have been too much 40 yrs ago to plant at least some cedars, white pine and white oak on the county land and fence them with something so the trees can get above the browse line? I did on my 7 acres . My son and I both have bear tags next year . We will use them up and the neighbors all but agreed to buy it for $100,000. I can enjoy DIY hunts all over the west till the day I die and hardly touch the $100K, just use the 3.5% ($3,500) per yr. tax free dividends from a municipal bond ETF. I wont have to go there to cut grass, work, or worry about the dumb place . Had it 32 yrs now. It will be missed however. This is killing me. Do I go to upper michigan where there are more deer? But the baiters are even worse up there.
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Big Woods Not as Bad as people say

Unread postby Bay-fieldBowhunter » Tue Nov 23, 2021 3:09 pm

Lot of great information in this post thank you for all the replies.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby Iron Ranger » Wed Nov 24, 2021 4:19 am

I hunt way northern MN and it is a barren waste land. There are 100% deer up there and there are big deer up there, but they are much harder to find and pattern than somewhere down south. Wolves are the biggest problem, but if you mix that with one bad winter that had a lot of snow then the next year your entire deer heard will be almost completely wiped out. If I see 1 buck a year I consider myself lucky and if you take into account that those northern zones are buck only it makes it really hard to even shoot a deer. Seeing more than 5 deer in a weekend is impressive. The entire reason I got into bowhunting and started following Dan/TheHuntingBeast is because I wanted to be able to hunt in areas with higher odds of success and higher odds of seeing some bigger deer as well as being able to shoot some does for venison.
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Re: Big Woods Not As Bad as People Say

Unread postby Preston715 » Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:02 pm

I live in Iron County WI, and to can agree with most everything said about heading east of Bayfield County. Deer density is low and it takes a lot of work to get on a quality buck. I would also agree that the 90's, early 2000's were the heydays for hunting the north woods. Not to say there isn't opportunity for some good hunting this way!

I lean on not getting all worked up about people shooting small bucks. I just like to see people getting out and taking advantage of the beautiful country we have up here. To each of their own on what you want to shoot, putting meat on the table is the main goal by most hunters in my neck of the woods. It's all about whatever gets your heart beating and your knees knocking!

I've been fortunate enough to harvest some quality Deer in my area. Each and every one of them made me work for it and I wouldn't expect anything to change much. I arrowed the biggest buck of my life this November during the best hunt I've had in years, Not just because I killed the buck I was after but because I had action around me almost from the time I got settled into my set up. Total of 6 deer, Which is a rarity for most of the sits I get. Heck I'll be happy to just not get skunked on a sit most of the time.

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