SUMMER SCOUTING
Wisconsin
This will only be my 2nd season bow hunting. I plan on scouting the Jackson Marsh and Cedarburg Bog during the weekends.
How has folk's scouting been going this year? Building excitement for this season?
Any tips that you want to pass my way would be greatly appreciated.
Bring water, mosquito spray, and a hat to keep the deerflies at bay. Fun to see deer now, but I don't put much stock in scouting as they'll have moved on by bow season, at least in my area.
South farm is right. Bucks are together in bachelor groups. Most transition to neighboring properties by September. Just in time for archery season. Though the years I have noticed maybe 1 or two of the bucks may stay. Usually the highest and lowest in the pecking order.
As far as scouting. Looks at all the transitions of the swamp. Check trails, look for beds, and even old rubs. Do some online scouting before you get in on foot. If you find some lone trees way out in the middle of the swamp, my guess would be the big buck is out there.
tweed I have shot a buck or two out of the bog,,,, that is a late season spot and a good one.... you would be better off, in the n kettle moraine, and go out and do some shining, when and where its legal, and see what is out there.....
check out the small private land, leased for hunters, via the dnr out of Plymouth office,,,,,, year its planted with corn and beans around it, hunt it on SW, or NW winds, acess from the west side
#2 on Jay Rd and Hwy I, there is a state wildlife area, that is on the north side, of private land and the Ozaukee Land Trust land..... park in the area of the land trust, hunt that on NW winds, shot a nice 125 buck in there,,,,,
good luck
I don't do much summer scouting but when I get to the inlaws I drive around the fields at dusk to see what's there and I always make time for one night to sit in my favorite stand with a six pack and "shoot" the deer that walk by with my phone. Definitely wear bug spray!!!
tweed send me a pm, I will give you some spots
Tweed, I would take razor up on his offer if I were you. It will take years off your learning curve.
Message sent Razor!
Crusader- now that sounds relaxing. Many deer cruise past you?
On the farms I hunt, the earlier in the season the more deer I see. On a summer night in late July/August, it's nothing to see 15 deer in the two hours before dark. And none of them have a care in the world. I sit by a small but well used watering area and it is a hoot to watch the little ones romp around.
Tweed I sent you a PM. hope it helps you out and gives you some options..... I will be in the UP for all of the fall, after bear season etc.... I will be hunting the very far north, and the UP, for most of the season, but will hunt central, once in awhile,,,,,
I know the N Kettle Moraine like the back of my hand,,,,,, a lot of pressure, but that area spits out great bucks, simply because of the soil make up, and enough swamps, that guys do not get into, since most years, its still wet, during gun season,,,,,
If you need to stay closer to Milw, get on those MMSD properties, by application, they are real sleepers....
good luck
I don't summer scout any public land boots in the woods but I will go over maps and pick out spots I want to check out later. I let my cameras summer scout for me on private land.
I hiked through one of the sections I was approved for today and found a terrific spot where it looks like they cross the creek.
I love looking at maos. Really saves miles in the boots.
nothing beats boots on the ground,,,, anything else and your fooling yourself...... I hate cameras, I do not believe they are fair chase,,,, but that is me
Man I grew up in Racune and as a kid a friend and I would catch crayfish by the buckets un the river and sell them on tge pier to the fishermen during Salmon Orama. Hope youre wonderfully successful! Until I moved ti Milwauke, I fished south pier probably 3 or 4 days a week from May till October. Always pulled some great browns out.
The vegetation in the woods is really thick and lush this summer. My son and I scouted late June. Even though deer flies and ticks were horrible and the walks were grueling. But, we still felt like we learned a lot with our summer scouting.
It's harder to find sign, of course, but I really am on the look out for big tracks as I walk logging roads and drive the forest roads. I cut a really good track in all three areas that we scouted. I have never really got into trail cameras until this year. So many times, a large track is enough to get me interested in an area and then return mid to late October to try to find some more sigh of a big buck.
Disclaimer: I broke down and put out a couple cameras this spring and hope to check them again in early August. I drive 6 hours to get to where I hunt, so I'm trying to gather a little more information with the cameras without taking too much of the mystique out of the big woods.
Just so all know the USFS has closed much of the Great Divide District due to the recent storm. North of HWY 77 West of HWY 13 East of HWY 63. They are trying to get things reopened soon so check before scouting, checking cams, running bear dogs, etc.
Town and County roads within the Forest are under the control of the Towns or County.
Thanks for the heads-up Smokey. I'm sure northern Bayfield did not escape the flooding and severe erosion. The road I hunt off of has some big ravines so I bet it is mostly washed out.
In my opinion summer scouting is underrated. My two nicest deer were shot on opening weekend by patterning them in thick nasty cedar windfalls. Found their tracks, figured out where they were bedding and intercepted them. Yeah it sucked trimming up stuff and cutting a silent entry path during the heat. The bugs were horrible too but it paid off. Made lots of noise on one day doing the work but they had plenty of time to calm down and return to their regular and natural schedule...which they did.
Those are my most rewarding whitetail kills. Don't underestimate summer scouting. Opening day they'll be as relaxed as ever...until you shoot.
"Yeah it sucked trimming up stuff and cutting a silent entry path during the heat."
Must not of been on public land.
Ok, I've worked at my customers house in Caledonia where I have permission to bow hunt the last two days. It's been hot and muggy. Both days I took a walk and found deer up on their feet during lunchtime. Is that odd this time of year and to they do that on hot September days too?
Crusader, there is two different worlds on deer hunting, from where you hunt, and where smokey and Rut hunts......
as always, keep it real, keep em sharp, and hunt fair chase....
What an idiot Ron. You posted 18 times above under many names. Complete idiot. Your so Stupid.
Crusader- From what I gather suburban deer have a very different schedule than forest or farm deer. I just got back from scouting in Marinette and it was like clock work for 6 days. 7:14-30 They came around the swamp I was watching and here's the part that got me excited....at 8:00pm they would walk within 20 yards of my camp each night with me sitting there in front of the fire acting like a human cooking meat and drinking. I think I'll spend September 17th and 18th up there and hopefully come home with some meat.
USFS has reopened the storm damage area. Some roads still closed though but at least now one can go into the woods.
"Must not of been on public land" - RutnStrut
I apologize RutnStrut. I did not realize we had to preface any constructive contributions to this site with "on public land" or "on private land". Thank you for stating the obvious.
Sorry YZ, I was being a smart a$$. Someone jumped down my throat about trimming on a different thread where I was talking about my own land. I thought you were on that thread and I was being "witty". Nothing meant by it.
USFS has again closed some areas from the storm on Thursday morning. Flash flood warning for Saturday night too so who knows what is next.
Smokey-How bad were the storms this weekend? The middle part of the state got hit pretty good a couple times this weekend.
We scouted some public land in Oneida county on Sunday and glad we did. Found out I can get into a spot across a river without the canoe. Hip boots might be too low but chest waders will work.
Two Feathers,,,,,, this is how I hunt some spots on the Brule River, and off some feeder creeks.... for 79.00 I bought very light, easy to pack and fold up waders from Cabelas,,,,, I bought the wading shows, Weinbrenners, from a guy, selling them at his rummage sale......
I work my way via the water, covers my noise, and scent, and this is how I hunt with my ML,,,,,,
I usually set up my hides, along the water, where the deer cross,,,,,,
if needed I can cache boots, along my entry area, and easily get out of the waders and cached them,,,
what you do not want are heavy, waders, which are a pain in the a..
Just a month away. Im sure many of us are bitting at the bit. With the rain today I plan on going into my local spot and take note of signs, tracks or trails and try sitting until after sundown to see what is moving.
I hope to check cameras in a couple of days and access flooding damage to my hunting area and post report. You're correct Tweed, it won't be long.
I was up in northern Bayfield Co. on Monday and found very little flood damage. Roads were pretty good, but there were plenty of big trees blown over from the storm after all the rainfall. It was amazing to find almost no bugs.
Cameras are showing more deer and several sets of twins, as well as a handful of nice bucks to get excited about for the fall. I did get what appears to be a wolf on one camera and that is the first wolf I've gotten on camera.
This pic is the same buck that I had on camera in early June. Judging by his antler growth back then, I was pretty certain that this one would probably be the biggest of any bucks I get on camera. It's really too bad he injured his rack. It looks like he broke it about halfway down the beam. I have a photo of him from end of June after injury and the sack is not nearly as big. By late July the sack appears to be about the size of a softball.
Have you seen this happen before? What do you think the prognosis is for this buck?
Man that is weird. Maybe the velvet got infected?
This is the link to the latest update on road closures in the north. Mostly southern Bayfield, Ashland and northern Sawyer Counties still have some closures. Very little in northern Bayfield closed now. The map gets updated every Friday.
For updates though go to this page and look under road damage map.
Tweed where about by Marinette . I have a twenty on the edge of town . If your ever up this way feel free to give a call . Or if you have a problem with your bow I have my own shop at home there will be no charge . Any hunting question's you have just ask . I'm Usually around . Vic 715-732-2488
Finally got up to my northern Bayfield spot today. Great day, low temp, no humidity and no bugs! Saw a doe with twin fawns and some good sign. Put out 2 cameras to get a better idea. Bummer to hike in to tree I had set up with light pruning for a good rut stand this spring to find it broken right off along with a mangled forest around it. Wonder how high the winds were up in northern Bayfield Cty . But "my tree" lodged in against another and will make a great concealed stand about 14 foot up and a little closer to cover a good ridge crossing. The downed trees are routing the deer better too. Acorn crop seems sparse here and there which could be a plus. Now I need to take another day to check out my 2nd location in southern Bayfield Cty.
Speaking of acorns...anybody finding any? Hiked all over and never saw a one this weekend.
