Lakes Coulee Wildlife area - a photo tour

[kabic]

I was doing a little scouting of the Lakes Coulee Wildlife Area and thought I would share a little photo tour. I'm planning on doing some Black Powder Hunting here. It is 808 acres.



I accessed the property from the East where the corner just barely touches the road. I'm not sure this is approved parking, but there is an access road there (with gate) that heads down the ridge to the "lakes".




When I got to the bottom of the ridge near the "lakes" that really more like ponds, I crossed to the north side of them using this berm.

 

[kabic]

Some panoramic shots looking back the way I had came.





A little cluster of pines...



I tried crossing back south over the edge of the last pond, but it was too wet and I followed the pond edge back to the berm I used before:

 

[kabic]

Some random plant shots

 

[kabic]

 

[kabic]

Here is a shot of the lay of the land North of Hwy 95, I haven't spent any time walking around that area yet. This was my third trip, and have now covered a good portion of the South of Hwy 95.

Next time I go, I will probably check out this northern part.

 

[shawnv]

How many pheasants were in there?

 

[wiscwhip]

Great tour kabic! I have stomped around up there a few times in the past. Have you ever looked into Borst Valley or Chimney Rock Wildlife Areas. Might be other good ones to check out for muzzy season(or spring turkey!;)). All of those Wildlife Areas in Tremp and Buffalo Co's are packed during the regular gun season and most have hunters during the rut for archery season, but I'm betting they get little pressure after rifle season.

 

[bowhunternw]

Looks like a nice place, I spend quite a bit of time exploring state land looking for a new spot every year too. I hardly ever hunt the same spot 2 years in a row, I guess that is what I enjoy is trying to figure a new place out.

 

[shawnv]

While there is deer at these places late season from my experience but you have to be mentally prepared to see nothing for several sits. While there are tracks around, much of the late season bedding is on adjacent private property where they are only cutting through the public stuff at night.

 

[wiscwhip]

Good info shawn, thanks. I know these parcels get pounded for the 9 day gun season, so it would stand to reason that it would take a while for the deer to get comfortable using the area again during daylight hours.

 

[shawnv]

I hunted some in the past where I kept thinking like you that by the last week it would happen but the only thing that would move before dark were fawns. Now if I could just on on the next 40 over which was private ground well then I would have been in the game for a couple nice bucks. Each year is different so the only guarantee is that you'll get nothing wondering what might move from the couch.

 

[wiscwhip]

I am used to hunting in an area with tens of thousands of acres of public ground, both in scattered small parcels and huge contiguous tracts. Since moving over to La Crosse, there is very little in the way of public land in any of the 4 or 5 surrounding counties. The public parcels that are here are quite small acreage wise and very, very overcrowded with hunters compared to what I am used to, especially during the rifle season and even a bit during spring turkey season on certain areas.

 

[kabic]

How many pheasants were in there?

Didnt see any while I was there.

 

[kabic]

Great tour kabic! I have stomped around up there a few times in the past. Have you ever looked into Borst Valley or Chimney Rock Wildlife Areas. Might be other good ones to check out for muzzy season(or spring turkey!;)). All of those Wildlife Areas in Tremp and Buffalo Co's are packed during the regular gun season and most have hunters during the rut for archery season, but I'm betting they get little pressure after rifle season.

I haven't been to the ones you mentioned, but I have been to a a few smaller ones in the area. From what I can tell it was pounded during the gun season last year. When I went there one day during the muzzle loader season, I saw plenty of gut piles near the mowed trails. I really spent more time scouting than hunting on that trip.

 

[kabic]

Tried Coyote hunting here..and was surprised to see this

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Your turkey stamp dollars are going to be in some crooks shed if they leave that stuff sitting out in the middle of no where to long!

 

[wiscwhip]

Yup! That's a high dollar toy right there!

 

[tooln]

Your turkey stamp dollars are going to be in some crooks shed if they leave that stuff sitting out in the middle of no where to long!

Looks like it has been there for some time now already.

 

[wiscwhip]

Time to have Mike over for some "drone scouting"!;)

 

[kabic]

If I had to guess, my bet is it broke down before it started to snow. It is in the property a ways. I walked in and set up my first set and didn't see it for a bit, then all of the sudden I was seeing the two slow moving vehicle signs. I then walked over and made a second setup on the other side of this tractor.

FYI, cutting across the swamp was a bad idea, while that made my walk in a lot shorter that snow was much deeper then else where.