Wisconsin rifle season

dsinwi

5 year old buck +
Good luck to all those participating in the Wisconsin holiday that is rifle season.

This year marks my 41st rifle season in Wisconsin. For the first time in all those years I will be hunting alone. Camp members have come and gone, camps have been moved, members have passed, and others have just plain moved on. My last hunting partner decided on a career in the Navy and will not be able to attend. It's tough for dad but proud of my son for making the decision to give up his civilian status to serve our country.

Friday afternoon will find me at the cabin in Juneau county reading a book about land management, a warm fire and perhaps a beverage or two. I may bow hunt if work allows an early release. A good dinner will be grilled and another Friday night of restless sleep in excitement of yet another Wisconsin opener will be had.

Good luck to all of you who partake. Be safe out there. I have high hopes of taking my second deer of the property in 7 years. This is me trying to talk myself into being far less selective than I have been in the past:)
 
Gun season really is something special. I know the serious bow folks despise it, but I bet many of them started out as rifle hunters themselves. Too me bow season is more of a solo "me" sport while gun season leans towards a friends/family "team" sport. The whole "horn porn" movement is also largely fueled by bow season while gun season to most is more about harvesting whatever makes you happy and puts venison in the freezer. I see grandmas and grandpas hunting with their adult children AND their grandchildren during gun season AND friends are invited to camp too. Not to mention those of us hunting in lower DPSM areas with minimal trophy potential stand a better chance of a clean harvest with a rifle vs a bow.
 
Great comments. Thank you to your son for his decisions. Gun season is what it's all about for my dad and I. This Friday I'll hopefully be hunting another opening day. Been very lucky to not miss one yet since my first in '90. Good luck!
 
Missing deer hunting is a hidden sacrifice for sure, to me it is a holiday in its own.
I will be part of that crew this weekend, and next week. I agree with bueller, that gun season is how many of us started, and most likely will end our hunting years. Without it hunting as a sport wouldnt even exist, we would be totally out numbered. I too am a bow hunter, and bow hunt by myself, but gun hunt with family and friends.

My selection doesnt change much whether with a gun, or bow, but my goal is to put meat in the freezer, and not antlers on the wall. As long as it is an adult deer, I am ok with it.

Shoot straight, be safe, and know where that bullet is going. Just remember, after you pull that trigger, and release the bullet, you cant take it back! Good luck everyone!
 
Good luck to you Wisconsin guys. My son is missing the Missouri second weekend to go to Wisconsin for a Packers game. He and his twin brother got tickets as a graduation gift. They’re huge sports fans and a Lambeau game is a big deal to them. I’ve got an uncle and a cousin that live in West Bend. I’ve learned there’s two big deals in Wisconsin - Deer season and Packers football.
 
Good luck to you Wisconsin guys. My son is missing the Missouri second weekend to go to Wisconsin for a Packers game. He and his twin brother got tickets as a graduation gift. They’re huge sports fans and a Lambeau game is a big deal to them. I’ve got an uncle and a cousin that live in West Bend. I’ve learned there’s two big deals in Wisconsin - Deer season and Packers football.

Nailed it, but you gotta add beer to list.

I only lived in Wis for one year, but that first deer opener was a sight for sure.

Decided it was best that I just stay inside with my stick an string as an orange army of the likes I have never or will probably never see again. Descended into the woods around my house, didn't help I lived right next to a giant tract of public land.

Guys would show up, walk an area, leave, half hour to an hour later, someone else would pull up an walk the same exact path or piece of land.
Went on like that all day long the first two days.
 
Many many hours of OT this week so I think I'm taking tomorrow off if possible. Looks like a windy start to the season. At least it looks as though we will have a couple sunny afternoons after the opener. We always see more afternoon activity on sunny days for some reason.
 
Many many hours of OT this week so I think I'm taking tomorrow off if possible. Looks like a windy start to the season. At least it looks as though we will have a couple sunny afternoons after the opener. We always see more afternoon activity on sunny days for some reason.

High pressure most likely. If you watch the Drury show Thirteen, they really drive that point home. Mark likes the high pressure days after a front. Sunny bluebird days. It's one of the few I watch and enjoy.
 
High pressure most likely. If you watch the Drury show Thirteen, they really drive that point home. Mark likes the high pressure days after a front. Sunny bluebird days. It's one of the few I watch and enjoy.

I agree with you that it is ideal to hunt high pressure and low temp conditions. But if he has historically seen more deer in the PM than in the AM I'm inclined to believe that has more to do with how his property sets up relatively to neighbor's property and other factors like that.
 
Good luck to everybody out there and be safe.

Chuck
 
I agree with you that it is ideal to hunt high pressure and low temp conditions. But if he has historically seen more deer in the PM than in the AM I'm inclined to believe that has more to do with how his property sets up relatively to neighbor's property and other factors like that.
20+ years hunting the same property and deer sightings on sunny afternoons outproduce overcast afternoons many times over. We don't see a ton of deer so many times it's the difference between seeing zero vs seeing 1-3 deer. And it's not just last light either. Seems anytime after 1pm can be good on a sunny day even during our rifle season. Don't know if it's pressure or what but I'm pretty enthused that we will have some sun. Nearly every day I hunted during bow it was cloudy.
 
Check weather underground before you hunt and note the temp and pressure. Pretty amazing how movement picks up when the two meet... at least in my experience.

Interesting to keep a log of sightings along with temp/pressure/wind
 
Check weather underground before you hunt and note the temp and pressure. Pretty amazing how movement picks up when the two meet... at least in my experience.

Interesting to keep a log of sightings along with temp/pressure/wind
So Sunday looks good?
Screenshot_2017-11-17-11-55-57.png
 
I would certainly think so... but an orange vest behind every tree is certain to retard movement a bit. Either way I'm pumped for opener! Truly a WI holiday
 
Anybody been out with the bow the last couple days? I had a good one (for our area) on camera at 430 yesterday afternoon. Not very common outside of the rut. Wondering if he was moving on a feeding pattern or still acting "rutty".
 
Anybody been out with the bow the last couple days? I had a good one (for our area) on camera at 430 yesterday afternoon. Not very common outside of the rut. Wondering if he was moving on a feeding pattern or still acting "rutty".
Probably still rutting a bit. Normally they don’t shut down by me until the 20ish. Good luck to everyone going out and be safe. I was able to harvest a nice buck with a bow a couple weeks ago. Gun season will just be icing on the cake for me this year. Fun to get out with friends and family.
 
Top