Latest On Wisconsin Outdoors Columns
4-27-2012
Last Friday, April 20, found my brother John Ellis and me hunkered down on a Grant County finger connecting two woodlots and splitting two rolling agricultural fields. Our world, and Wisconsin turkey season 2, was turning pink and the winds were rising as John set his lone decoy in the tilled dirt and settled in to listen for the first gobble to fall over us hopefully from some nearby surrounding roost.
It never came. But, with the arrival of morning, as the designated caller I sent my first kiss to Tom on the winds and let the banter on the mouth call travel slowly from a soft wake-up to a more aggressive demand for attention every five minutes. It was just 20 minutes or so when the lone jet-black figure appeared on the horizon at 300 yards and quietly waddled in to his final mistake.
One thing about this 2012 spring; we’re so far ahead of schedule that even season 2 feels like 4 or 5 or 6. Tom is often already lonesome and looking for a little attention from the hens that have already dumped him for her nesting responsibilities. For weeks now in my hometown of New Berlin, I’ve been watching the lone monster Toms strutting their stuff in the middle of the field with no girlie action to be seen. Now that’s a sad thing. It’s like me on prom night, 1976.
John was ready for this gobbler. The over-and under was sighted in to 40 yards and ready for the knock-out punch with turkey chokes and number-5 Federal Shot. On Tom came, nearer and nearer the hen spinning in the winds. I wouldn’t call him “hung up”, which to me is when Tom stands out at 100 yards or so gobbling for the lady to come to him. Like any self-respecting male of any species. You know, “get me a beer honey, the Packers kick off in 30 seconds.”
But Tom did something I haven’t seen. He came right in and 10 yards beyond the decoy, laid down, never taking his eyes off of her. He didn’t though, offer John a shot and I remained quiet for 20 minutes or so 20 yards down the line from the shooter to see how this would play out. Finally though, I sent out a soft “hello”, and Tom immediately stood, turned and took a few last steps toward John intent on wearing a yellow ankle bracelet for the rest of the day. John obliged.
The photo is posted here under Upland Game (Link). While there, read Phil Schweik’s Fishing and Hunting Report from the Wausau area and Wisconsin River. Professional Guide Schweik left the water and scored big on a 24 pound gobbler. That photo and several more of Schweik’s successful friends in central Wisconsin are posted too. From the same area of Wisconsin, also posted is the photo of another brother of mine, Steve Ellis, who stayed in the field waiting out two thunderstorms to call in another lonesome Tom in period two to fill the tag. Send us your photos. We’ll post them.
(Link) to Inland Fishing here to read another Schweik report from back on the Wisconsin River and connecting water. He’s currently into crappies staging just outside traditional spawning territory with bass action also very good. As usual Schweik sends many photos and a detailed report of the action. I was on Lake DuBay with Schweik in 2011 chasing those crappies, which were chased right off the spawning grounds the day before I came by a cold, nasty storm. We turned our attention to river smallies and scored with fish to 21 inches. Read that story, “Weather or Not” under Inland Fishing too. The fish and Schweik, by the way, are on the cover of our May-June On Wisconsin Outdoors issue, posted on this website’s homepage for those of you who prefer online browsing and available at 700 locations across Wisconsin.
On Inland Fishing, you’ll also read an informative feature story on (Link) “Swimming Grubs for Door County or ‘any’ Lake smallies” by Bill Schultz, a kayak fishing expert and familiar face on the sport show seminar speakers’ tour. Schultz catches fish, almost 5000 smallies caught and released in Door County over 160 days on the water in fact. Check it out.
Also on “Inland Fishing”, and when you connect with (Link) “Fishing Reports” make sure to tap into current updates right from the water from top guides and fishing experts Jim Hudson in Ashland, Dave Duwe on Geneva and Delavan, Kurt Justice in Minocqua, John Carlson in Price County, Russell Gahagan on the big lake at Sheboygan, Frank Zumpf in Rice Lake, and Steve Suman with the always-detailed Hayward Lakes Area report. Send us your reports Wisconsin guides and baitshops. We’ll post them, and your contact numbers.
The Natural Resources Board (NRB) has set the 2012 Deer Hunting Season Structure that we posted here under (link) “Deer Hunting”. Under Outdoor News (Link), read the weekly DNR reports and recovery news on the trumpeter swan a couple decades after the bird was in crisis. Also, each week continue to check the Firearms (Link) page for high school team competition action on the trapshooting line. Have you read Wilkerson’s column on Surplus Firearms. Click on our current issue or one of the archived issues reaching back to 2007and check it out.
Also last but not least, if you’re into fishing, archery, and clay pigeon competition rolled into one, the Waushara Area Chamber of Commerce has something special planned for you this summer. Check out (Link) Outdoor News, and know that the deadline for registering for the First Annual Sportsmen’s Triathlon is June 1, 2012.
Send us your outdoor “Stuff” boys and boys…and girls. We have a gaggle of pages on this website to complement our On Wisconsin Outdoors newspaper. Slow and steady, we’ll be filling each of them with weekly banter, photos, how-to and stories from Wisconsin true experts.
Thanks for visiting.
Dick