Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fall Forecast Focuses on Super Premiere | Outdoor

Although it is written and published online for hunters, wildlife watchers, and photographers, and anyone else indirectly connected to or dealing with hunters and trappers, you will likely find parts of these five chapters informative and interesting.

As an example, Seasons are locked boxes in each chapter telling all these user groups that there will be Bow Deer Hunters in locations until January 31, 2023.

Pheasant hunters won’t be in the field until 9 am on October 15.

Saturday is the super premiere. Several hunting seasons open later, including pheasant, Zone B ruffed grouse, and southern rabbit, all on October 15, with some of the waterfowl seasons starting earlier.

Archery and trigger deer, wild turkey, squirrel, North Zone rabbit and Zone A ruffed grouse begin on September 17. The first seasons of bears are already active.

This feature is only available online on the WDNR website. The five chapters make up the “booklet” with the 11-page 2022 Deer Season Forecast beginning with a discussion of management units, forest zones, and farmland zones.

In 2022, a total of 37 counties are offering a festive antlerless-only hunt from December 24 to January 1. Twenty-nine counties have extended archery and crossbow seasons through January 31, 2023.

Public land opportunities, says the WDNR, make various hunting strategies possible. These estates generally share boundaries with private owners, suggesting that hunters become familiar with the boundaries and some of the farmers around them.

Multiple antlerless clearances come with every license (weapon and archery) in many farmland counties.

Reminders about “tagging” and electronic registration are important. This registration system continues to see 90% to 94% compliance by hunters, says the WDNR, with annual evaluations done by keeper field checks and hunter surveys.

A color-coded state map summarizes deer seasons in various areas.

CWD sampling and deer baiting and feeding are summarized.

The four regional forests, the South, Midwest, Northeast, and North districts are discussed with Eric Canania, Mark Rasmussen, Bryan Woodbury, and Curt Rollman gathering information from the area.

The dates of all nine seasons appear in a convenient box. Yes, nine deer seasons in some counties.

As with the Wisconsin Hunting Regulations brochure, only material related to hunting areas and seasons should be read, along with general season information.

If you do not hunt in a season or place, do not complicate the recreation with other events, unless it is in the general interest.

The Upland Fall Forecast, compiled by Game Bird Specialist Taylor Finger, includes season dates, pheasant population forecast, wild turkey forecast, ruffed grouse forecast and pheasant forecast. The daily pheasant stalk on 21 properties is shown on a display chart. There is no mention of special vacation bird releases at select properties, but it will occur as in previous years.

The Taylor Finger Migratory Fall Forecast includes information on woodcock, mourning dove, geese and duck seasons.

Throughout the chapters, photographs add interest, illustrate the species hunted, and sometimes suggest the clothing and methods used.

The Furbearer Fall Forecast notes that some animals are hunted and trapped (bobcats, coyotes, foxes, and raccoons), while others are only trapped (fishermen and otters).

Previous fall openings saw mixed action and turnout, said Wally Bamfi, at Wilderness Fish and Game, who helped log three sturgeon during opening weekend, the largest being 64.5 inches and weighing 54.5 pounds.

The Wisconsin River is very low, where many of these fishermen have fished.

Brent Drake, at Tall Tails in Boscobel, did not record any sturgeon, but other anglers have been catching some catfish.

Catfish have also been biting in Yellowstone Lake, says Don Martin, at Martins in Monroe, while Bamfi says musk fish are beginning to attack Madison Lakes.

Goose season has been spotty, with Doug Williams, at the DW Sports Center in Portage, reporting that the time between the early grain harvest and the goose hunt is problematic for hunters.

Sporting store owners suggest dealing with ammunition shortages by buying a deer rifle with available ammo, if it’s time to buy a new gun.

“Swallows and robins have left the area, according to Williams, while Wayne Smith in Lafayette County noted that crops, including corn and soybeans, are showing early signs of fall.

Until the printed form of the 2022 Wisconsin Hunting Regulations booklet is available, hunters can read the information online.