Southwest WI

It is finally a great feeling to be back in the tree.  Opening weekend revealed plenty of deer movement, just not a mature animal.  We hunted hard opening weekend, but work obligations have not allowed me to hunt much after that.  With my limited time this week I have been checking cameras and monitoring field edges for early scrapes and acorn production.  It seems some trees are producing well, however it is not the bumper crop we saw last season.  I continue to run my cameras on apple trees and frigid forage plots.  Plenty of daytime activity is present, just not the size of animals I am looking for.  My schedule should allow me to hunt more this week so hopefully I can bring you more information in the upcoming week.  Continued success to all as the season continues.

-Rick Sime

Southeast WI

Well this first week has been a bit challenging for us.  We got out opening weekend and saw a few doe but no bucks.  It sure felt good to be sitting in a tree again though.  I say it has been challenging because we have not been able to get out any evenings this week.  I'm sure many of you understand how there are just more pressing things when you have kids, homework, practices, work etc...  We have been getting the big ten on trailcam pretty constantly.  He has occasionally been showing up just after it gets dark in the evening.  This has us excited.  The fact that he is moving this early means he may be killable.  Our plan is to hunt between the apple tree he has been coming to and where we believe he is bedding.  We will slowly work our way closer to his bedding area as we need to.  We just need the right wind and a little luck.  If we are cautious we can catch him before he knows he's being hunted.  That's the plan, now we just have to get out there and execute it! 

Good luck out there.

-The Schlueter's

The high anticipation of opening weekend has come and gone.  Nick and I were unsuccessful in our bid to put one of our hit list bucks on the ground opening weekend.  Since our work schedule doesn’t allow us to hunt much during the week, Nick and I are gearing up for this weekend.  We are hoping to key in on some last light activity for a mature buck or even a big doe to start stockpiling the freezer with some venison.   While driving around right before dark this past week in the areas we hunt I noticed the deer activity was minimal in the fields and if they were coming out to the fields it was right at last light.  The soybeans have turned colors and the deer are starting to concentrate on acorns.  Acorns are starting to fall at a rapid pace and that is where we are going to concentrate our efforts this weekend.  We are going to set up on acorn flats away from the agriculture fields in the morning and possibly sit a couple of our hidden food plots at night which have several acorn trees around the edges of those plots.   The weather is forecasted to be cool just like last weekend so it should be an enjoyable time in the woods. 

Good luck and be safe!

-Paul Molitor & Nick Niemann

Northwest WI

 The deer still seem to be pounding the green forages, and sweeping the forest floor for acorns.  For us, mature buck sightings have been non-existent, and that goes the same for our trail cams.  We will still get out and enjoy the beautiful weather, and try to put some does in the freezer.  Hunt safe, and if possible, bring a kid with you.

-Jon Ecklor & Sean Graese

Mushrooms: Deer love them but they are a hard food source to hunt. It has been a wet week here and that helped lower the fire danger. It also got the deer feeding on mushrooms that pop up in a lot of areas so feeding is random. I have seen the deer moving later in the morning and earlier in the evenings with this damp weather. Even while at work, I would see deer midday where I usually do not see them. The winds have been easterly at most of the times that I can hunt so I have to adjust. Most of my stands are for westerly winds and the way that I deal with east winds is to use a climbing stand or pop up ground blind. Using a hang on stand and Muddy climbing sticks help with quick sets too. Being able to adjust if this wind situation is present is critical. Scent control is only so good and I still play the wind first. I keep telling myself to place more stands for east winds and also build more native material ground blinds. Using a pop up ground blind even if not raining has another plus to it.

Sound control: The winds not only have been east but very light making any sound easily picked up by those big ears. Many times while in a tree stand and light winds I have been picked off by deer hearing my clothes rustle as I draw my bow or any slight sound from my equipment, even video camera sounds get picked up by the deer. But while in a blind the sound gets a bit more covered up and even the scent is contained to a degree. Tonight I plan on hunting an oak ridge that the deer have been working and winds should be favorable if nothing else it is just great being there. I am eager to start morning hunts but that is probably not for at least another week depending on what I find on Sundays scouting trip. Also, that will be the last of my stands set up. It looks like I need to buy more tree stands!

-Paul Ostrum