Big Bears, Challenging Doves and the Diversity of Wisconsin
I have done my share of criticizing the management of hunting or fishing in Wisconsin, most notably my ongoing scrutiny through a syndicated column on the drastic decrease of deer numbers in Vilas County where my family hunts, and other regions. Overwhelmingly though, I have loved Wisconsin as a hunter and fisherman, and have always been grateful for the diversity and quality of choices available in particular for those of us who pursue the hook and bullet sports.
This week reflects Wisconsin’s geographic diversity and the diversity of the game we chase. I started out Wednesday, as a reporter only, in the Mike Foss bear camp; Northern Wisconsin Outfitters in Washburn County. The country is big and beautiful on Lake Superior. I didn’t get on the big lake to chase trout and salmon with guide Jim Hudson because I had to cancel our scheduled trip; recovering another big bear was taking more time than anticipated.
But, the current fishing for Hudson and many other quality guides On Chequamegon Bay and inland waters here for great lakes and species like smallmouth and walleye is exceptional. Connect with the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce and the guides under “Fishing Reports” “Inland Fishing” or “Great Lakes Fishing”. As usual, you will also find under those titles reports from guides all over Wisconsin.
As usual, the Foss camp did not disappoint, highlighted by the 528 pound tagging of the bear nicknamed Wood Tick by a 12 year old Green Bay youth. Connect with “Bear Hunting” on this website to read the story and look at about 20 photos we posted of that bear alone. Also, you may remember that Eric Pacey of Wausau sent us photos of his baiting efforts prior to the season in Iron County. Now connect with “Bear Hunting” to see Eric’s 200 pound boar with white chest markings and read his notes on the hunt.
Guide Mike Foss does it again. Hunter Jarrett Bolssen, 12 of Green Bay with the 528 pound bear nicknamed, Wood Tick.
Keep checking back to that page in the days and weeks ahead because there are a lot more bears down in the Foss camp and we will be posting more stories and photos. Send your bear photos and stories to ellis@onwisconsinoutdoors.com and keep your adventures coming in all year regardless of what you’re doing in the field. We will post. Besides, when you miss game and lose fish as often as I do, I need something to write about that incudes actual game photos.
Back to diverse Wisconsin. When I returned to southeast Wisconsin I landed right in the Waukesha County corn to join my brother John Ellis of Muskego ushering in the beginning of the mourning dove season. We hunt beautiful, open farm country and we chase the doves not only to give great field work to our dogs; Rocco, Dylan and Micah, but because that little bird tastes great and is elusive. Our sister, Patty Quigley and owner of the black lab Rocco served as our photographer.
Rocco and John Ellis take the season’s first mourning dove from the standing corn on a Waukesha County farm.
A couple interesting notes from the hunt for your own information; in these drought conditions, even a tractor track holding water will also almost inevitably hold birds in the adjacent standing corn or in the mud. And, after bagging four doves on the first hunt in an hour, with about that many misses, I counted 18 flushes by Micah in an hour on a solo hunt two days later. They offered no shots, flushing early and already streetwise that they are being hunted locally. After those flushes on a very large tract of land, Micah and I never flushed another dove in more than an hour of work. They had apparently skedaddled. The point is that the dove in my opinion is a worthy game bird and a challenge for both hunter and dog.
My goal is about 30 birds for a wild game Packer feast with wild turkey and venison. Also, I literally hunted in shorts, hunting boots and short sleeves on the second hunt. It doesn’t get any more comfortable than that. Try it, you’ll like it. When your dog starts tracking your every move in the house on September 1 to make sure you can’t escape without him, you just know he’s liking it too.
OWO writer John Luthens this week is helping clip the adipose fins of 180,000 brown trout at the Brule River State Fish Hatchery. Hatchery raised trout and salmon are often marked by a clipped fin before they are released into the wild. The fin clip helps provide identification to DNR field workers and biologists, giving them a tool to study survival rates, migration, and harvest of various fish stocks.
Fish stocking supplements existing populations, offers insight into predator interaction, and helps give biologists an overall game plan for managing a given watershed, providing for maximum angling opportunities in waters where spawning is hampered by warmer water or environmental changes. The goal is to balance a healthy fishery without damaging the natural forage base. I stole all that right from the Luthens weekly column but you can read his whole kit and caboodle posted now under “Great Lakes Fishing” or “Inland Fishing”.
In between bears and doves, I stopped to cover a seminar by USDA Wildlife Biologist David Ruid on trapping the wolf at the Wisconsin Trapper’s Association convention held in Marshfield. Ruid often traps nuisance animals in Wisconsin, for example, that prove to be a predation threat to livestock. His expertise was of interest to many trappers attending the Marshfield convention in particular with Wisconsin’s first wolf season on the horizon. On Wisconsin Outdoors is looking for more writing and photos on Wisconsin trappers or by trappers. Please contact us at 262-549-5550 or send material to ellis@onwisconsinoutdoors.com.
Connect with “Outdoor News”, “Firearms”, “Upland Game” for more new material posted this week, as always. Examples include the weekly DNR outdoor report and fall hunting and trapping forecasts; a message from US Senator Rand Paul to stop the UN gun ban that would allow non-Americans to have control of restrictions on your firearms rights; warden wires; a warning from the DNR after recent field busts that there may still be marijuana crops being cultivated in remote areas of Wisconsin with the growers possibly armed and ready to protect their product, and a reminder from law enforcement that the use of dogs for training to track or trail free-ranging wolves is prohibited under a judge’s order, and more.
Connect with “Dick Trips” as we travel to Okauchee Lake in late September with noted guide Steve Miljat to target trophy muskies. The trip was taken in 2006, and Miljat is now a school teacher outside of Wisconsin, but this is trophy time on Okauchee and musky-chasers can take some clues from an expert on how to put a pig in the boat. Don’t forget to let her go again when it happens.
50,000 copies of the September-October OWO are going fast at 700 Wisconsin locations. If you cannot find one, six Gander Mountain stores and Elliott’s Ace Hardware stores from Wausau south each are stocked with 700 to 3000 copies. An option is always to click on the current issue on our “homepage”, or any back issue published over the last five years.
You pick OWO up for free due to the support of our advertisers. As Beaver Clever would say, “give em the business” right back please, or at least give them a good look. In our current issue, find ads for Financial Advisor Eric Corberg at Waddell & Reed, Fiesta Garibaldi Mexican Restaurant & Bar (with great coupons), Dave’s Turf & Marine, Rosen Nissan, Bob’s Bear Bait, Pier of d Nort, Wern Valley, Cap Connection ($50.00 off any fiberglass truck cap with coupon), Proline Boots, Summerset Marine, the chambers or tourism people inviting you to Minocqua, Marinette and Green Lake Counties, and a whole bunch of invitations to participate in Wisconsin fall activities from our Explore Wisconsin partners all over the state.
Watch the Packers come in loaded for bear tonight. Shoot a big buck Saturday. Hope for an incredible Brewers comeback and ride to the playoffs over the rest of the season.
Thanks for connecting with On Wisconsin Outdoors. We’ll talk again next Thursday.
Dick Ellis