Public land hunting and fishing

[public land hunter]

Have never owned land of my own. Never deterred me from pursuing my passion. Have found and hunted public lands with success for over 20 years. Deer, turkey, ducks and pheasants. Owned a boat for more than 20 years as well, used it for only 5-6 years and gave it away. Fished from shore in spots for 15 years, always put fish in the freezer.
Any other stories of public land hunters and fisherman. Using the State's resources legally?
Love to hear them.

 

[Cracker57]

I hunted public near Hyde Wi. Then it got to be you couldn't find a place to park let along hunt. Then CWD and we had it all to ourselves, shot a few deer off the property. Now its back to being used again but not like it was before CWD.

 

[public land hunter]

I have to clarify my comments on deer hunting. NOT gun deer hunting anymore. The public places that we hunt are bow hunting areas.
Same property for gun hunting we stopped going to 10 years ago. Too crowded, even if you got there first. People just would cling to where we were and my wife was shot near when we were leaving on opening day. Will not do that anymore.
Bowhunting, there is almost no one on this property, so we still hunt it.

 

[Cracker57]

In my younger years we would Bow hunt on a public Island, 5 or 6 of us. We would get their very early and get set up. The Shot gunners would show up to hunt the island from the other end and with their dogs they would drive the deer in our direction.
Their were lots of grouse, ducks and woodcock along with plenty of deer, our success rate was very good.
I miss the old days

 

[blades]

I am a stones throw from Horicon Marsh. Waterfowl hunting there is almost nonexisitant now days . Deer hunting is still ok but you got to get back in quite aways. For me that isn't possible anymore due to health issues. I had a doe that would drop twins every year, up a until 2years ago. Someone must have collected her, as in haven't had any visits for the the last 2 summers. Used to be the skys were filled with Geese and Ducks around my place, could just walk out back and work on my firewood and collect a few passing by. Do not see much now at all.

 

[public land hunter]

North Marsh(Federal)? Or down by Horicon? We drive thru the North Marsh on 49 many times a year. There are a lot of waterfowl still there, however, cannot be hunted there either.
Always nice to see anyway.

 

[blades]

That is federal area I believe. South end is state. have to look at maps to see what is what nowdays. There are some hunts in the federal areas but by application for a drawing. limited dates and times. Got in on a bow hunt several years ago, 3days. Worst weather of the season those 3 days, deer weren't moving bedded down in the marsh grass waist high,. Wind howling and on /off rain. Busted 4 does in about 50 yards never got a shot. Would have been hard pressed even with a powder burner. 3 bounds and vanished into the 7ft high cattails. Few scraggly trees nothing you could get up in. I've hunted the state area on the south west side. Taken a few deer, bow , gun and muzzel loader seasons over the years.

 

[public land hunter]

We are not swamp hunters anymore. There are definitely deer in there. However, even if she was successful, I would struggle to get it out of there.
It is still fun to hunt "near" swamp areas. Lots of wildlife and lots of encounters.
But, that is how you need to hunt on Public land to be successful.

 

[trapdoor1889]

The larger North end is all federal. The small er area south of the main dike where the dam is state managed. In the early 70s during the carp removal project on the upper Rock River system, I canoed the entire marsh while working for the DNR. It was possible to do as the marsh was drawn down to the river channel. The draw down encouraged the growth of more of the native wetland plants. However over time the cattails have become very dominant. I could see where all the ditches were dug when they tried to farm the marsh. I could sink a 10 ft. sounding rod and not hit a solid bottom. Stay in the canoe !!! What an array of wetland creatures could be observed on those trips.

The management philosophy on both ends of the marsh have also changed over time. It has changed the waterfowl migration patterns around the marsh as well.

I walk the federal end trail several times per week in the fall. Still a great place to me.

 

[Tabby]

I hunted public near Hyde Wi. Then it got to be you couldn't find a place to park let along hunt. Then CWD and we had it all to ourselves, shot a few deer off the property. Now its back to being used again but not like it was before CWD.

I also hunted the public lands in the Hyde, Ridgeway, Barneveld area many years ago, and like you mentioned, it got to where there was no place you could go without seeing many splotches of blaze orange scattered throughout the woods. My favorite was the Trout Creek area, but to get away from most of the other hunters one had to hike all the way back to the edge of the property adjoining private/posted land. It got to where if down close to the road, if you shot a deer you had to run to the downed deer to claim it before some other hunter beat you to it and claimed it was theirs. Then one of our party inherited a 250 acre farm not far away. We have been hunting there for many years now and I don't miss hunting the public lands at all.

 

[blades]

used to have access to a lot various private spots- but town/village/ city rules have changed, encroachment of subdivisions and the like.

 

[public land hunter]

I have also had access to private lands in the past. Family disagreements ended that. I have friends that have offered access to their lands, but we prefer to hunt public now. We know the property very well, as well as the surrounding properties and know the pressure. While the deer hunting is just average, the duck hunting and turkey hunting are pretty good. Smaller property that we can still manage to cover as we age.