January Extended Season
Contributors to this thread:Wisconsin
From: Groundhunter
03-Jan-24
Back in SE Wis. First sit tonite. No snow, but I am pumped. Love this season. Who else has a buck tag? Good luck to everyone. Be interesting if this post has much interest?
From: xtroutx
03-Jan-24
I don't have the extended season but have till Sunday night. Started back at it yesterday. Seen one lone doe this AM on public land. I have a very nice buck still around the house but showing up after hours. He seems to be going to the cut cornfield earlier every day. I hope he slips up just one time. Wind, good or bad, I will be hunting him the next 5 afternoons. If no success and he makes it through winter, he will be even nicer next Oct. since he seems to be a local. Good luck.
From: Live2Hunt
03-Jan-24
I hunted last Friday night and this past Monday night. Same as Xtroutx, Sunday the 6th for some and then till the end of Jan around my house if I want. LOL, I have 9 tags total for the year. Still have 9 tags, 1 gun buck cannot use but the others I can. About 0 chance of seeing a deer, but the Wallace likes the walk and stump shooting. May be done for the season, or may get out this coming weekend unless I go ice fishing.
From: BigEight
03-Jan-24
Good luck. Only doe tags in my pocket at this point and my freezer is full as I took a buck in two different states. Counting the days to 2024 bow season.
From: longspeak74
03-Jan-24
Still have all my tags in tact and hoping to salvage the season by the end of the month. Really regret passing on those early season deer.
From: Cooney
03-Jan-24
Buck tag was filled sept 27th. Sat last weekend and will this weekend just cuz I love it. Sitting 2 trails that intersect about 100yds inside woods of a picked cornfield. Few antlerless along with few small bucks on the camera. Jan 7th is it for me.
From: CaptMike
03-Jan-24
Have gotten pics of two different bucks with one horn in the last couple days. Both of these are fairly regular on the cameras and did have both horns less than a week ago. The biggest reason I hate the extended season, bucks get killed that the hunter thought were does.
From: Chris S
03-Jan-24
I’ll be in Lodi tomorrow near Lake WI. Been a miserable season with shoulder surgery and very few shot opportunities. I passed a couple decent bucks and took a small doe early. At this point I wouldn’t be to proud to pick up a road kill for meat!! Good Luck
From: Live2Hunt
03-Jan-24
Hmmm, Chris, that gives me an idea!!!
From: Pete-pec
03-Jan-24
So far a first for me. I did not fill a single tag so far this season. Passed too many to count, took a gifted buck from a friend and neighbor. I have plenty of venison in the freezer, and 150 pounds of already mixed venison/pork shoulder to make summer sausage, italians, and brats this weekend. I have decent amount of deer on camera, and saw two nice bucks hunting last Wednesday, so if I get the itch, I'll get out. Overtime this year is endless, so work might take priority for the next 4 months. One buck dropped an antler that I noticed, and yes, the extended season will take out a few bucks for sure. I have about 15 different bucks on camera since muzzleloader season, so plenty of seed for next year, but far less up and comers than years past. The neighborhood put a beating on trophy bucks, but that's how it is.
From: xtroutx
04-Jan-24
Had three bucks on camera last night. Nice 8pt, real nice 9pt and a fork. all an hour or so after dark heading to the corn field. The 9pt is the deer I missed in October. Would love another crack at him :). The weather gives them no reason to get on their feet early. No sightings for me last night or this morning. Days are numbered.
From: Hoot
04-Jan-24
Pete - I like wise didn't get a deer this year, but had plenty of opportunities during archery season and I too had my friend gift me his buck from gun season.
From: MjF
04-Jan-24
I’m heading up tomorrow for the last 3 days, hope to punch the tag.
From: Hoot
04-Jan-24
Good luck Mike!
From: Live2Hunt
04-Jan-24
Punch that tag good Mike, real good.
From: grape
04-Jan-24
Snow is coming. Best time of year.
From: Groundhunter
04-Jan-24
Tonite saw a fawn, a 4 point and a small doe. On the ground, no blind, mobile, all passed within 35 yard mark. Hope we get that snow next Tuesday. Monday afternoon, they will move earlier. Public land, no one out, I love it.
From: xtroutx
06-Jan-24
Finally getting a little snow here today. Tonight and tomorrow will be my last chance at the two locals I have been after all season. I also have two smaller bucks around but, they would get a pass if opportunity knocks.
From: Knifeman
06-Jan-24
Out last night in Washington County, perfect night and deer were on their feet pre snow. Saw half dozen, but they are really waiting until last light to move. Really spooky, especially the does. So still last night, it would be hard to draw and shoot one without getting busted. Got picked out of a tree anyway. Still fun, lots of deer still on camera.
From: xtroutx
06-Jan-24
This guy is the one I want.
From: grape
06-Jan-24
Good luck Rick!!
From: Hoot
06-Jan-24
Get em Rick. Good luck.
From: casekiska
06-Jan-24
Hey Rick - That's a nice buck. Hope you can get him . If not this year then next when he is a bigger trophy for you. Good luck.
From: xtroutx
06-Jan-24
Thanks guys. Bill I agree with you on next year. I don't see him going anywhere. Either way I have had a blast chasing him. He gave me one good chance in Oct. and I blew it, and another look at him 25 yrds straight on in Nov. with no shot.
From: MjF
06-Jan-24
With two days left I find myself sitting at 1pm in one of my ground blinds watching an entrance trail leading to a 20 acre field. I checked it out yesterday when I arrived up north, my intentions was to pull the camera and take the chair and heater out, I was surprised at the tracks in the snow, theres some deer utilizing the field to feed, why I’m surprised is this field is bailed only once a summer then drys up and it doesn’t seem to hold any nutritional value this time of year plus usually after the rifle season it usually goes abandoned. After viewing the SD card there is a yearling 3 pointer that I would take if given an opportunity. It’s slim pickings and down to the wire.
From: MjF
06-Jan-24
Nothing tonight
From: Live2Hunt
07-Jan-24
Well, last sit of the season for me last night. Worked a new area that looks promising next season. It will depend on if the 4-wheeler trail gate is closed or not and if the wolves move in there. Did some stump shooting. I found a largish scrape that was worked and pissed in? Sat till dark, no deer, heard 2 different grouse drumming. Got home, unstrung the bow and hung it in the rack. Getting ready for ice fishing and doing 2 deer mounts and 2 fish mounts.
From: Glunker
07-Jan-24
Here in Iowa Co. today is the last day of bow season. I had to be in a tree this morning, you all know why. Will be home to watch the Bears get thumped.
From: MjF
07-Jan-24
I’m done, pulling stands today, got a little side tracked this morning, rescued a lost dog that was missing since 4pm yesterday, poor little thing was 4 miles away from home all ice covered, picked it up and back tracked it’s tracks, thank goodness it stayed on the road, second door I knocked on was the owner, nice little old lady, she was happy. One more blind to take down and I’m headed home. Onto ice fishing
From: WI Shedhead
07-Jan-24
Being that Winnebago county is in the extended hunt this year we’ve been pretty conservative this December with the hunting. Waiting for the big cold snap starting next week- things should get good
From: Gileguy
07-Jan-24
MJF way to go above & beyond backtracking that dog!! Those are the kind of actions that help the reputations of hunters.
From: Groundhunter
07-Jan-24
Called it early. Saw 4, way out, great day. Storm heading in on Tuesday, be out tomorrow by noon
From: xtroutx
07-Jan-24
Nothing for me. Had a lot of fun this year but didn't close the deal. Good luck to those still at it.
From: CaptMike
07-Jan-24
Nice job Mike!
From: Pete-pec
07-Jan-24
MJF, way to return the dog. You can always tell a dog lover. They go out of there way to help.
Rick, next year!
Hunted tonight. Passed two small bucks and a fawn. I'll admit I wasn't as focused as I should have been, looking at my phone for updates on the Packer's game. I'm watching it recorded now at home, and I'm super happy for those guys figuring it out so soon! Romo isn't one of those guys who hypes up a game that doesn't deserve it. You can tell that he's proud of Love.
From: Bricklayer
07-Jan-24
I tip my hat to you Mjf awesome job
From: Bricklayer
07-Jan-24
I tip my hat to you Mjf awesome job
From: retro
07-Jan-24
I bet that dog was never so happy to see someone! Thats good news!
From: MjF
07-Jan-24
Her face and feet were full of huge ice chunks, she was real cautious with me and crawled under my truck, I then went to the passenger side and cleared off the seat and looked down and she was at my feet, she started to jump in and needed help but when I lifted her she gave me a little nip, she wouldn’t let me look at her tags, she finally got used to me and likes coffee. She looked so pitiful just sitting in the road looking at me, I’m surprised coyotes or wolves didn’t get her.
From: Groundhunter
07-Jan-24
Here is the other joke. The Boogieman creates CWD....Across the road from me is Ozaukee County. Open to baiting. neighbor saw 19 todsy...
From: blackwolf
07-Jan-24
My son took a small 8 pt this am on our property. First time Jan kill for either of us. Now enough venison to start canning! Cant wait to try canning for 1st time!
From: retro
07-Jan-24
Mjf, That's what I was thinking with the wolves and coyotes. Had to make you feel good getting her back to a warm house.
From: grape
08-Jan-24
Good job Mike. I love to hear those stories. Thanks
From: Hoot
08-Jan-24
Jim - Canned venison almost ranks up there with the inside loins and back straps.
From: Groundhunter
08-Jan-24
Nice mid day hunt today. Set up at 10am, 2 sets by 2pm. Saw only 2 deer, feee ding on the ridges, 75 yards away. They will hole up now for a few days now, suppose to get 5 inches and high winds.
From: Boone
09-Jan-24
Went out this last weekend for one more sit and was able to take a little buck fawn. Brought the daughter along for her 2nd track job of the year. All done now in buffalo county. Is it September yet haha.
From: Groundhunter
09-Jan-24
Nice picture
From: Hoot
09-Jan-24
Congratulations Kyle. Great picture.
From: Ridge Runner
09-Jan-24
Congrats Kyle, Very nice picture . That’s the way I like to see youngsters getting involved . Well done
From: Ridge Runner
10-Jan-24
Got out tonight Beautiful with the new snow , Love how peaceful it is , Saw 5 so a good sit , Looking for a doe so of course a buck is the only one that came close so I did get a pic and some video of him which is fun
From: Ridge Runner
10-Jan-24
From: MjF
10-Jan-24
Ridge… what’s the food source in the area
From: Ridge Runner
10-Jan-24
Neighbor property to East has a food plot which I’m not sure of what they have planted I’m on a finger sticking into a huge swamp To the south of me is the transition area of marsh grass and and then farm fields which I think had corn and alfalfa, I don’t hunt this area a lot but for sure get some sits during the late and extended season The land owner passed away a few yrs ago and land is now in a trust , I still have permission to hunt it when ever I want but the family has quite a few that gun hunt , kids and grandkids so kind of watch when I hunt Never anyone else during late season
From: Pete-pec
10-Jan-24
I haven't seen this buck since the end of October when i passed on him. He was gorging on acorns at less than 15 yards. He fed for 35 minutes upwind of me. He was a 9 at the time, but broke off 2 of his tines. Here he is early this morning after the fresh snow we received. This is a pretty heavily used trail, and he's the first to walk down it. Looking forward to seeing what he turns into next year. Bitter cold weather is coming!
From: casekiska
10-Jan-24
Ridge & Pete - your two bucks on camera, you both have a target for next year. Looks like good potential there!
And Boone - that's a great photo. A good one for you and for her. Just think, maybe in fifty years she'll still have that pic and remember this hunt as one of her best times with 'dear old dad!'
From: MjF
10-Jan-24
Thanks Ridge, I was just curious because it looks really open woods but pictures can be deceiving
From: Groundhunter
10-Jan-24
6 inches along Lake MI yesterday. 1 to 3 tonite. 8 predicted on Friday. My place in the UP, has 4 on the ground. Crazy year. Will hunt after cold snap.
From: Ridge Runner
10-Jan-24
Yes Mike that buck is walking in the more open area to my right If u look at my 1st pic ( the one that is side ways lol) that is more of what surrounds me and where he walked out of , I’ll try to redo 1st pic
From: MjF
11-Jan-24
Looks like a nice spot
From: Zonks
11-Jan-24
Sat last night on a finger between two ag fields behind my house. Couple fresh tracks...but no sightings
From: Zonks
11-Jan-24
From: Groundhunter
11-Jan-24
Took a nice doe today at 1230pm. Good movement mid day. 40 yard xbow shot, she went 20 steps. Swacher head..... big snow and and cold coming, I knew they would move.
From: xtroutx
11-Jan-24
Boone great picture.
Way get it done Ground Hunter
From: Knifeman
11-Jan-24
Sat a few hours in Washington County West Bend area, saw nothing in the woods. Solid 8 inches of snow, all the trees are snow covered, pretty surreal and quiet. Visability is about 10 yards. Beautiful night out. Riding the bike out, 6 deer in the bean field. I believe they flipped me off.
From: Pete-pec
12-Jan-24
The snow certainly gets deer on their feet, even if it is in the middle of the night. Here is five different bucks from this morning. These two trails are bedding to a corn stubble 80 acres. I'm confident they are also after those millions of acorns that dropped this year. A red fox went down the trail as well. Cold weather coming! The top picture is a deer I passed both gun and bow. He's an older deer who didn't grow a rack. So far, I'd call him the deer I really would like another crack at. He has lost weight, but he's a pig, and his body makes his rack look smaller that it really is.
From: Pete-pec
12-Jan-24
From: Pete-pec
12-Jan-24
Our fox population has plummeted because of the high coyote population, so it's nice seeing them. I live very close to where I hunt, and I've seen a couple lately in the yard as well. They drive my beagle crazy when he heads out in the morning and scent-checks the yard where the fox roamed through the spruce trees in the middle of the night.
From: retro
12-Jan-24
Its amazing how few foxes are left. I use to see them regularly while bowhunting. Now its a real rarity to catch a glimpse of one.
From: Pete-pec
12-Jan-24
Yep, coyote eat the fox, wolves eat the coyotes, and we should eat more wolves!
From: Live2Hunt
12-Jan-24
But supposedly the wolves do not go after the fox, only the yotes.
From: Pete-pec
12-Jan-24
That's strange? I'll be honest, I'm not all too familiar with the wolves, or their diet. I just don't go up north any longer, because of the lack of deer. There's no doubt deer are on their diet FFS!
From: Hoot
12-Jan-24
Congrats GH on your doe.
From: casekiska
12-Jan-24
Sauk Co. - In my bowhunting woods, up to about Y2K we would occasionally see a fox, but back then we never saw or heard coyotes howling at night. For the last couple decades it's all coyotes, haven't seen a fox in a long time,...can't even remember when was the last time we did.
From: retro
12-Jan-24
Another critter that seems to have really declined in population is Fishers. At least in my stomping grounds. Years ago their tracks were common and everywhere. Not anymore. Rarely do I see them...
From: MjF
12-Jan-24
I’ve posted this picture before, a predator killed this fisher for supper, maybe this is the answer to your thoughts.
From: Drop Tine
12-Jan-24
I had four cubby sets out for fishers that totaled 864 hours of time they soaked in the woods and didn’t fill my tag. Granted I didn’t have snow to find sign but set in historical areas that I’ve seen it before. Central Lincoln county private and public.
From: Live2Hunt
12-Jan-24
I used to commonly see fishers while hunting the Cheq Forest. Now, can't remember the last time. There seems to be more around Eau Claire than to the North. MjF, that sure may be a reason, the decline seemed to happen around the ramp up of the wolf population.
From: MjF
12-Jan-24
I’m actually surprised to hear the comments about lack of fishers, I see sign and I encounter them all the time up north but I’m not surprised at all that wolves and coyotes would be the demise of most other critters when other food sources are scarce.
From: Cooney
12-Jan-24
Do coyotes eat raccoons on a regular basis in farm country you think?
From: Live2Hunt
12-Jan-24
I think yotes would chew on anything. But, there are sure a lot of racoons around now that no one traps or coon hunts anymore. So, if they do, which I'm sure they would, they cannot keep up with the population. A big old bore coon may be a match for a yote though, they get testy!!!
From: MjF
12-Jan-24
Those coons are tough animals, no doubt coyotes can kill them but at what cost, I think most avoid raccoons.
From: Hoot
12-Jan-24
I was trapping coons at my bait site on my property. Trapped 18. I threw them out a little further than the site. Nothing touched them. I had bears, wolves, coyotes, fishers investigate them but nothing touched them except turkey vultures after they were rotten. Here's a very short clip I got of a coyote attacking a coon.
From: Ridge Runner
12-Jan-24
Congrats on the doe GH Well done Nice pics Pete, With this blizzard I will probably be done hunting one of my spots as the half mile lane to the swamp is gonna be drifted pretty bad Do have some bucks moving in one of our other spots Hopefully after this storm they’ll move a little earlier so my son or daughter get a crack at one , Ground blind is set up where these 2 grown over trails meet
From: retro
12-Jan-24
I've often wondered if wolves take any fishers out? I guess that picture answers that. As far as coons, I'm with MJF. I think a big coon would give a coyote more than he wanted to deal with.
