After reading Larry's column in this weeks paper, I have to say he hit the nail on the head.

Five years ago when I started hunting in the Hwy. O area I would see deer every day. Driving back and forth to work and in the evenings I always had to watch for deer. Now If I see one deer all season long it is cause for celebration. We have Wolves, coyotes, Bears, Bobcats, Turkeys and god only knows what else running around the area but you have to look long and hard to find a deer.

In their infinite wisdom the dnr had taken area 32 and made it a herd control area this year. I am not sure what they are trying to control. I haven't had to stop for a deer on the road in months I have been in my deer stand everyday this season and have seen one nubbin buck. I did find the remains of two wolf killed deer only about two hundred yards in back of my house. I know they were wolves because after they finished eating they had to make room for more and left several deposits that were full of deer hair. I know of seven bear that I have seen in and around my yard this year and a neighbor saw a sow and two cubs. And I wonder where the deer went. I am not sure what the dnr biologists are taking to make them see all these animals that don't exist, but can I borrow some so I can see a few of them this season.

I know one thing for sure, the day that they make this a "Earn a Buck" is the day I quit buying a license.

<small>[ November 20, 2007, 07:47 PM: Message edited by: Old Scout ]</small>

_________________
The difference between the Supreme Court and the Ku-Klux-Klan is that the members of the Supreme Court dress in black robes and scare white people.

Hey Old Scout...you must be hunting in the wrong place. The Outdoor News section of the online Leader says...

"The state's gun deer season opened with a bang Saturday. Lincoln County registration stations (Viegut's Do-It Express in Tomahawk and the Merrill Shell station) reported large numbers of deer had been registered. Brian Viegut shared that 398 bucks and 400 antlerless deer were registered on opening weekend."

Maybe you could stand outside Viegut's and take an 'exit' poll to see where these folks were getting lucky!! I got to believe with a name like Old Scout that it's just a matter of time

Stay warm and safe...

_________________
Ken Martell
kenmartell@gmail.com
Thankful to be alive and healthy. Proud to call Tomahawk my hometown.

All reports from the Chippewa Valley is that registration numbers are up. Both bucks and does. Also (2) 6 plus point doe gotten in the Mondovi area. Rare at best, even more so 2 within a short distance of each other.

_________________
Life is too short for drama & petty things!
So, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!

Hey Scout,
Here's hopin' that you cross paths with Old Mossback this weekend!!

_________________
What if there were no hypothetical questions?

It would be nice to just go somewhere else and hunt, but If I want to hunt my own land there is not going to be a lot of deer around. I have talked to others that hunt in the Hwy O, Newood area and they all report not seeing nearly as many deer as there were around 3-4 years ago. I guess they all moved south where they dnr hasn't planted any wolves yet !

_________________
The difference between the Supreme Court and the Ku-Klux-Klan is that the members of the Supreme Court dress in black robes and scare white people.

I just think you're looking in the wrong place. The last time I hunted Newood I bagged an 8 point buck and saw deer each day of the 5 days I hunted. Newood is the only place that I've hunted deer and I can't understand why you're not seeing anything.

Granted, I haven't hunted there lately but I doubt things have changed that much since 1964.

btw...it seems like just yesterday...

_________________
Ken Martell
kenmartell@gmail.com
Thankful to be alive and healthy. Proud to call Tomahawk my hometown.

In 1964 there weren't several packs of Wolves hunting the deer year around so that there were a lot fewer deer to be seen in the 9 days of the season.

Sorry to spoil your memories Ken, but a lot has changed.

_________________
The difference between the Supreme Court and the Ku-Klux-Klan is that the members of the Supreme Court dress in black robes and scare white people.

Hey Scout, memories still intact...I realize things have changed...for the good and the bad I've noticed. The mention of Newood brings back some good ones though. Friends of mine, the Knasinski's and Schultz's lived out in that area.

Been reading on the Message Board the past couple years about all the wolves that seem to be in the Tomahawk area. Just something I never heard of as a kid way back when.

...and I was just trying to give you a lighthearted hard time because of your bad luck this year.

_________________
Ken Martell
kenmartell@gmail.com
Thankful to be alive and healthy. Proud to call Tomahawk my hometown.

Hey Ken, Hang onto the memories! That is the one thing that only gets better with time.
I keep reminding myself of the 11 pointer I got a while back and figure there has to be one more out there waiting for me.

_________________
The difference between the Supreme Court and the Ku-Klux-Klan is that the members of the Supreme Court dress in black robes and scare white people.

Tomahawk Leader Publisher Larry Tobin's Ups-and-Downs column Nov. 27, 2007:

I heard of a few successful deer hunts last week but a lot more grumbling. Even many of those who got their buck complain of seeing fewer and fewer deer each year.

Personally, I saw the flash of a tail in the brush of one deer this year. That doubles the number of deer I’ve seen in the past three gun deer seasons. The one I saw last year was 10 minutes before legal shooting time opening morning. The first shot I heard this year, by the way, was a full 30 minutes before legal shooting. It was taken under someone’s yard light to be sure.

I did see three separate sets of bear tracks – one set within 25 yards of the cabin – and 23 turkeys.

DNR says that if you don’t see deer where you’re hunting, move to another spot. That’s a gentler way of saying “you’re sitting on the wrong stump,” as one DNR leader said a couple of years ago, and just as stupid.

If you have a lot of money invested in your own land, as well as time and effort, as many of us do, it’s hard to pack up and move someplace else. I’ve owned my 80 acres for 15 years, have a cabin on it, and have invested a lot more in trying to make it good wildlife habitat. I have virtually every type of tree native to northern Wisconsin on the land, water, and have added two small food plots in the last couple of years. Yet with a trail camera set on the property since late July, I haven’t picked up half a dozen different deer.

Let me explain a little of how drastically things have changed since the DNR instituted the T-Zone slaughters of does and fawns. In 2001, on opening day of the gun season, I shot a 10-point buck. In 2002 I passed up six different bucks during the gun season. The biggest was a six-pointer. I have not shot a deer in the gun season since. As I said, in the last three seasons I’ve seen a total of two deer.

In fact, the last deer I shot of any kind on my property was a doe during the 2005 archery season. In 22 sittings on my property this year between archery and gun seasons, I’ve seen deer just seven times. I used to see that many and more virtually every time I went out. And still, with all the T-Zone slaughter that’s gone one in recent years, my unit is a herd control unit once again. That means that if hunters don’t kill enough deer there this year, there will be more T-Zones and the like next year. It appears the DNR’s deer eradication zone has been moved from the CWD area of southern Wisconsin to Brantwood.

While many hunters complain about the wolf predation on the deer herd, I don’t have that problem in my area. As I’ve said before, wolves would starve to death in my area.

But we do have bears and they get a lot of fawns in the spring. A year ago I got a bear kill tag after eight years of trying (it took only four years the first time). In eight sittings on the same stand I saw 10 identifiably different bears. It seems to me that is a lot for one stand on just 80 acres.

This year while hunting deer during the archery season I saw five bears. In 14 previous seasons I’ve seen a total of two while hunting deer! Tell me things haven’t gotten out of proportion.

A number of my friends and I are looking for deer hunting opportunities in other states for next year. Yes, there are areas of the state that have large deer herds. I just don’t happen to live there or own land in those pockets. Until the DNR starts managing the deer herd more realistically, I’ll be looking to hunt elsewhere.

So how do you really feel about T Zone hunting?

_________________
What if there were no hypothetical questions?

Well I would like my friends to the south, "I am in Marquette MI" know that this deer season wasn't much better up here, I seen 1 doe after 100 hours in Da woods eh, I still have 3 tags left and hope muzzel loader season will be better then rifle, the full-moon and warm temps gave them a great night feeding season, now that the weather has turned for the best and about 18 inches of snow, should turn it around. After guted she was 182 LBS, I will keep you all in mind while I try to do my best "Fred Bear", say hello to Kip Koth for me, see you in the summer since I love to spend at least a week in Tomahawk every every year.
A Tomahawk friend for life,
Steve Walsh
Da Yooper