Tati

Hi everyone!
My fiancee moved to the U.S. last year and we're looking forward to hunt during the upcoming gun season in WI. Both of us have long year experience of hunting in germany - mainly wild boar, red deer and roe deer in the central region of Germany. No experience so far with white tails and in general with hunting in the U.S..
I have been studying white tail literature during the last months but still some questions remain which I hope somebody can help me with. I would rather avoid the heavily hunted areas for now and choose a quieter region. Looking at the map material from de WDNR I understand that the central-eastern WI region has the highest buck harvest and therefore I would conclude that it is the region with the highest hunting activity. Also I found out that many outfitters seem to be in the eastern-central area since there are supposed to be the "biggest" bucks in that area (e.g. Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson)? Our main goal is not harvesting a monster buck, but to spend some nice days outdoors in WI, hopefully seeing lots of deer and harvesting some - whether buck or doe doesn't matter. Is there any region that could meet these criteria? I'm thankful for any tips in advance, greetings from Germany!

fordtough150

What part of WI are you living in?

I would say Northern WI is where you will find the least hunted areas. Less people = less hunters.

Tati

Hi fordtough150!
Thanks for your reply. Actually my fiancee lives close to Chicago, Il. Both of us are used to hunting with bolt-action rifle/centerfire-rifle, which is not allowed in Illinois.
Besides, we visited WI in the summer and loved it so much, that we'd rather go hunting there.
So, southern WI would be the closest, but we're kind of flexible and would also travel to the north.
Do you think the south-east will be very "crowded"?

phishirman

you'll find quality deer hunting anywhere you go in this state and no matter which piece of public land you end up on, chances are there is going to be someone else there. not that it's a bad thing, but if you're looking for your own area to hunt, chances are slim you'll have all of the land to yourselves. I would probably look for an area in the southwestern part of the state. lightly populated and plenty of deer around. I'd also look for marshland. Alot of guys don't like to wear waders when hunting and will opt to hunt higher ground. Deer absolutely love marshes! They're not the easiest to hunt, but it's worth the effort and once the guns start blazing around the adjacent woods, I can guarantee the deer will be running towards the marsh to seek refuge. If you can't find any suitable marshland, look for an area with a creek that runs through the property. It's amazing how many guys won't cross a creek to access a primo piece of land. Or you could always head to the northwoods for a true wisconsin deer hunting experience. Just watch out for the wolves!

btw...Rifles aren't allowed in all areas of WI, so make sure to check the regulations!

Murdy

Wisconsin has a huge amount of public land. Not all of it is listed on the WDNR website. Especially as you go farther north, a lot of county hold public land as well. Short of getting a plat book, I'm not sure how you would research it. Maybe call a local DNR office in a county you are interested in. Definitely, the farther north you go, the less congested land will be.
(By the way, from the counties you list, you may be confusing east and west, Buffalo, Trempealeau, and Jackson are in west-central Wisconsin).
Good Luck

Tati

Hello!
Many thanks phishirman and Murdy for your replies and valuable infos. The longer I study the WDNR maps and after reading your replies I come to the conclusion that the north is in fact most suitable for us to gain our first hunting experiences in WI. It'll be a little bit of traveling, but then again we'll have to find a lodging place anyway - wether we stay in the south, the center or the north of WI.
So we might try and visit the Ashland-area (unit 6) and see what happens in the Chequamegon. But I think we'll have to get the topo maps and maybe a GPS - I'm not very keen on getting lost around there...

@phishirman: the same happens in Germany: many people prefer to take their stands which usually are not far away from the spot they park their vehicle and sit there for quite some time instead of moving around in search of game. Especially for wild boar my experience is that you are much more likely to be successful moving around and varying your stand taking into consideration terrain-, vegetation- and wind-changes throughout the seasons.
Thanks for the advice about the wolves ;-) I hope WI wolves and black bears are not interested in german ham :-)

@Murdy: yes, you're right: I meant the west-central areas of WI when I mentioned Buffalo, etc.

cayugad

Pull up maps and look at the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest. There are areas that are never hunted if you are willing to walk into the national. Also there are some monster bucks up north. You have to work to find them, but they are in there. There are maps available and lots of camp grounds. I can not say if the campgrounds are open in November. But there are motels that are open. If you get far enough in the Chequamegon there are times I never see another person all day.

Some parts are more crowed then others of course. And most hunters will not go in more then a mile. They like to stay near the roads. There are bear, wolves, elk, deer, and lots of other creatures to watch and enjoy. But as you say, its a long way from where you live.

Also look for public land along the Mississippi River. Good hunting, but a lot of hunters.

sqezer

Dave, I use to hunt the big forest up there also, Cable Wi. area, it's huge and if your not carefull you can sure get turned around and lost. I think there are deer up there that have never seen a human.

ihookem1

Have to agree with the last post. Be very careful when going into the big woods. It most likely is entirely different than Germany. A compass is an absolute must and a gps won't hurt neither. Topo maps are 10 bucks and worth it. And yes there are areas that does not see a hunter all season, but there is a reason for that. I hunt a bit south of unit 6 in unit 20 between Phillips and Winter. It is very tough hunting. I see an average of one to two deer per season for a three day hunt. Deer sightings can be far and few between. Last year I saw no deer till Monday evening, then I saw one doe. The year before I saw seven deer in about 30 hours on 3 different areas. I got my best buck in 09. Ya don't have to go that far back neither. Your best bet might be finding areas with very little atv traffic and lighter car traffic. Example: my camp is at the end of a dirt road where public land starts. There are 3-8 cars at the end of that road every year opening day. Why so many hunters going in at one spot is beyond me. I would never hunt there with the grass all run down and tire tracks everywhere. I go down the road where there is more chunks of public and no cars at all! Go figure how dumb it is to pass un hunted land to compete with a bunch of hunters in one area when down the road there is noone. I also know a road 10 miles long in the Flambeau river state forest where logging roads don't have a single atv track on it. The grass is not even bent over. Noone is hunting down that trail. Oh well get ready for a very different experience if ya never hunted big chunks of public land. Another thing that seems wise is to follow a small river or trout stream a ways till you see some decent deer trails. Deer trails are getting more and more faint and hard to see since the timber wolves moved in 20 years ago. There is no rime or reason for the way deer move in these parts because of wolves because deer found out if they follow a pattern the wolves find out in a hurry. Therefore deer wonder around aimlessly browsing and bedding in no particular pattern. It makes a very hard hunt.

Tati

Hi everyone!
Thanks Dave, sqezer and ihookem1 for your messages! I'm really thankful for any info I can get before hunting season starts next week.
Finally I found a camp in unit 6 a bit south of highway 2. The compass is already among the stuff I'm beginning to pile up and a GPS is on it's way.
I'm still waiting for the authorization to "temporarily import a firearm" in order to be able to bring my rifle. My fiancee also applied for a FIOD which you need in Illinois to buy a firearm just in case I can't bring my rifle from Germany but she hasn't gotten any info or reply concerning that... Anyway - so far everything has worked out well and I'm sure we'll work something out. Otherwise we'll be hunting for good photogrpahs!

@ihookem1: I totally agree with you that hunting is going to be totally different up there from what it is in Germany. And as I said: most germans would only go on a hunting trip with one of the many outfitters around. But I definitely think that you have to "earn" what you hunt. And if we can't harvest any deer this season, well, then so be it. But we're surely going to have a great time.

@Dave and ihookem1: Both of you mentioned maps of the area. I found some on the web, but couldn't find any "printed" versions. Can you recommend a site where to order them?

How do you expect weather conditions to be up there? I'm asking, because we'll be up there with a Volvo XC70 which has 4WD but still it's no SUV or truck...

Greetings from Germany!