Vol. 2, Issue 2 - On Wisconsin Outdoors 2008 Vol. 2, Issue 2 Dick Ellis Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Travel & Outdoor Humor Bayfield County Bear Hunt 14 hunters, 13 bears ... but does

November/December 2008Vol. 2, Issue 2

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� Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Travel & Outdoor Humor �

� Bayfield County Bear Hunt14 hunters, 13 bears ... butdoes Snaggle Tooth show?

� Badger TravelEdmonton Alberta waterfowl

� Deer AmbushThe ground blind alternative

� Howell He Does ItRay Howell’s monster bucks,Kicking Bear and cover scents

� Dog TalkWelcoming the Christmaspuppy

� Heaven on Badger TurfWild pheasant, cornfieldmallards, winter steelhead,spotted musky, north countrygrouse...more

� Creating Your OwnEnvironmentArtificial structure means morefish

� Shore BetsLate Season Wisconsin walleye

� Wisconsin River MuskiesNorth and south

� Bubba’s GunsNew Respect for a ReviledCharacter

� Open Water NorthernsCold Weather, Trophy Pike

2 November/December 2008 On Wisconsin Outdoors

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On Wisconsin Outdoors November/December 2008 3

In today’s high-tech fishing world,anglers are constantly seeking ways

to gain that ever-important edge on thewater or ice. In my thirty-plus years ofangling experience, I was fairly confi-dant that I had seen it all. Sure, someneat changes have taken place in thelast decade and a half or so… space agematerials have gone into the produc-tion of rods and reels, manufacturershave begun to color hooks, super lineshave been born, and finishes on artifi-cial lures have made them “virtual”fish.

Don’t get me wrong; all theseinnovations have changed the way wefish, making us prolific fishingmachines. However, the truth of thematter is that these rods and reels arestill rods and reels. Hooks are stillhooks, line is still line and fancy luresare still lures.

SUDDENLY, REEL WEEDSIn 2006 while filming for a televi-

sion show, I was introduced to a newconcept. It was one of those things thatmade me think, “I should have thoughtof that.” This concept was Reel Weeds,produced by LaDredge Outdoors LLC,Mosinee, Wisconsin. Simply put, ReelWeeds are mobile artificial fish attrac-tors closely resembling freshwaterweeds, and while the use of artificialfish attractors isn't new, incorporatingthe idea into a portable system is.

There are two types of Reel Weedproducts. First there is Structure On aString, consisting of four feet of theweed structure, six feet on the Extremeversion, attached to 40 feet of cord,with an adjustable ice-free float, allwrapped onto a lightweight, hassle-free storage unit. With this, anglersnow have the ability to quickly create

Continued on page 4

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Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Traveland Outdoor Humor

PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Dick Ellis

[email protected]

PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING:Karen Cluppert, Not Just [email protected]

Published bi-monthly by ON WISCONSIN OUTDOORS,LLC. Subscriptions are mailed first class.

©Copyright 2008 ON WISCONSIN OUTDOORS, LLCwith all rights reserved. Reproduction or use withoutpermission, of editorial, advertising or graphic contentin any manner is prohibited by law.

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS: All advertising is subject topublisher's approval and acceptance without recourse.Advertisers and their agencies assume responsibility for thecondition of the contents of advertising printed, and agreeto indemnify the Publishers of OWO for any and all claimsand expenses arising there from.

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New Berlin, WI 53146Phone: 262.549.5550

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Postmaster: Send address changes to:20240 West Rustic Ridge Drive

New Berlin, WI 53146

GUARKEE, from page 3

their own mini-environment wher-ever and whenever they wish to.

The other product, CameraCable Structure, is designed tomask the otherwise unnaturalprofile of underwater camera cablesand camera head by making themappear to be an aquatic plant. Thisis accomplished by attaching fourfeet of artificial weeds to the cable.Not only does this make fish morecomfortable, it pulls them in toinvestigate. These two systemsutilized in tandem have proven tobe deadly for most species of fresh-water fish.

WHY IT WORKSAs juveniles, fish are drawn to

aquatic vegetation for protection.Again, as adults, fish are drawn toweeds, this time for protection, coverand food. Weeds play a vital role in afish’s lifecycle. They must haveweeds to survive. In the case of thefrozen water period of winter, weedsplay a particularly important role.

As winter progresses, weedsbegin to die, going from green tobrown and finally lying down on alake’s bottom, consuming vitaloxygen from its ecosystem. An

example of weeds’ importancemost anglers can relate to is findingthat pocket of “green” weeds in alake come January, usually spelling

success for those fortunate enough tostumble upon it. Why? Pan fish,walleye and pike are constantly onthe search for green, oxygen-richweeds to provide their staples of life.

EMPLOYMENTFortunately, my initial experi-

ence with the Reel Weed productstook place in South Dakota with theinventors of the products and profes-sional Walleye Tournament Trailangler Dennis Foster of Moorhead,South Dakota. I must admit I was a

little skeptical at first. After fishingwith these guys, I realized therewas a little more to this than just

popping some holes and droppingthe weeds in. I also realized thatLaDredge was on to something here.

We initially set up on a mid-lakemud flat devoid of any structure. Letme add that this spot was completelydevoid of any fish too. To mysurprise, thirty minutes later, wewere in perch heaven. Since then, Iand other anglers “in the know” havereplicated this scenario many manytimes. What I have found is fish,especially those that are nomadic innature like perch, will stop at theseartificial weed lines in their travels,allowing an angler to get fish thatwould normally have just passed by.The lengths of these visits varydepending on the mood of the fish.Some will last minutes, others lasthours.

Through trial and error (andhelp from the experts), I have foundfour ways to employ the Reel Weeds.The first is the half-moon set-up(Figure #1). This configuration workswell when fishing alone. From myexperience, fish seem to travel andhold on the inside of the bend. Thenext set-up is the inline formation(Figure #2) and works well with twoanglers situated one on each side ofthe line. Then we have the V funnel(Figure #3). The V actually draws orfunnels the fish to your location. Thistechnique excels when an angler isfishing at the point of the V. Finallythere is the shanty surround (Figure#4). With this set-up, you simply linethe Reel Weeds around the perimeterof your portable or permanent iceshack. All four set-ups have theirtime and place.

Another trick I have learnedafter over-thinking a bad outing wasto attach an oxygen tab, those tabletsused to keep bait alive in a minnowbucket, to the bottom end of theStructure On a String. So far I havenoticed that fish seem to stick aroundeven longer when I do this.

Given a chance, Reel Weeds canwork on any lake, open or hard

water, spring, summer, fall andwinter. However, they truly excel onthose lakes, during the frozen waterperiod of winter, that lack adequatenatural cover, or on those systemsthat have vast mid-lake mud flats.Wisconsin lakes that come to mindare those in the Winnebago system,including Winneconne, Poygan andButte Des Morts.

One thing you will need to keepin mind is that Wisconsin’s chapter30 laws state that artificial structurelike Reel Weeds cannot remain on alake’s bottom permanently, and ifyou’re thinking of dropping yourown structure like an old Christmastree, think again. This practice isillegal in Wisconsin unless permittedby your local water managementspecialist with the Department ofNatural Resources.

Need some more convincing? Goto www.reelweeds.com. This site hassome awesome underwater footagetaken of Reel Weeds in action. Seeyou on the water.OWO

Jason Gaurkee has been guiding, writingand filming television shows on thewaters of Wisconsin and beyond for overten years. He can be contacted at jmgau-rkee @yahoo.com or 920.851.6655.

Figure 1: Half moon configuration.

Figure 2: Inline configuration.

Figure 3: V configuration.

Figure 4: Shanty surround configuration.

Jim Tostrud Wins FirstPlace in DNR StampCompetition

Wildlife artist Jim Tostrud ofKenosha won first place in the2009 Great Lakes Trout andSalmon Stamp Competition withhis rendering of a Seeforellenbrown trout. Visit Tostrud’s galleryat www.wildlifevisions.com.

DAVE SURA

SHORE BETSShoring up late season eyes

When it comes to enjoying theoutdoors in November and

December, what usually comes tomind? For many, the answer is deerhunting. Although I spend some timechasing whitetails, I spend far moretime chasing a different whitetail: thewalleye. Next to spring, late fall can bethe best time to target Ol’ Marble Eyesbecause they’re feeding heavily beforewinter.

TIMINGNow that the water is cooled

down enough and lakes and rivershave turned over, walleyes will againmove shallow to feed prior to winter.As with any other time of year whenfishing for walleyes, low light periodsoffer the angler the best chance atcatching them. This is especially truewhen fishing clear lakes such asGeneva, Mendota, and Delavan. Rarelydo walleyes bite during the day fromshore on these lakes or other clearwater lakes like them. There are excep-tions to that rule. Rivers like theWisconsin and flowages such asPetenwell or Castle Rock have stainedwater due to tannic acid. Althoughthey will bite at night, I have caughtmany walleyes from shore during the

day from these bodies ofwater. I actually prefer tofish them on sunny days.Whatever the reason,walleyes bite well undersunny conditions instained water. Two yearsago a friend and I landedmore than 100 walleyesin three days, from shore.All fish were caught froma flowage during the day.

LOCATIONS Locations vary

depending on the type ofwater you’re fishing.

Lakes: When fishinglakes, I look for severalfeatures. The first arecreek entrances. Theseareas have slightlywarmer water andcurrent. Both tempera-ture and current changesattract and hold baitfish,which in turn attractpredators. Rocky andweedy shorelines adja-cent to drop-offs are otherareas to look for whenfishing lakes. Walleyes

will move shallow at night in search offood. Look at a map of a lake and findthese areas. Access can be an issueunless you’re willing to wade longdistances along the shoreline. Don’toverlook wood either. Walleyes, like allfish, use wood. This is especially truewhen fishing flowages.

Rivers: When fishing for late-season eyes, look for traditional riverstructure. The most common arecurrent breaks, holes, and dams. Wingdams, bridge pilings, and river bendsall create areas with little or no current.Fish use these areas to rest and feed asbait holds here as well. Deep areas inrivers, or holes, also hold fish. Riverbends are excellent places to find holes.Dams, such as the one at the Dells, alsohold fish. Fish will move upriver in fallas they do in spring. Dams concentratefish as they prevent them from movingfurther upstream. Dams also createholes, areas of current and currentbreaks, all of which hold fish. As theydo with lakes, creek entrances hold fallwalleyes in rivers.

TACTICS AND EQUIPMENTTactics for catching late fall eyes

are simple. Both lures and live bait can

be effective. Lures: My personal favorite lures

are stickbaits. Whether you preferRapala, Storm, Lucky Craft, or Dave’sKaboom baits doesn’t really matter.They all work. I prefer the X-Rap to theothers for one reason: castability. Whenfishing from shore, it can be crucial tomake long casts in order to get yourbait to the fish. Another good choice isswim bait. They come pre-rigged orseparate; the best sizes are those in thethree-to-five-inch range. These baits,like the X-Rap, are great for castinglong distances.

Color options are endless. Whenfishing clear water, I prefer naturalcolors like perch, goby, and thisspring’s hot color, blue-black shiner.For stained water, I’ll use natural colorsas well as bright colors like firetiger orclown. Again, use natural colors inclear water and brighter colors instained.

Plastic baits like the Gulp Minnowand Berkley Power Grub are othersolid options. Rig these two-to-four-inch plastics on a 1/16 oz. to ¼ oz. jighead, cast them out and work themback. Adjust your retrieve to find outwhat the fish want. On some days theyprefer a slow jigging action and onothers they might want an aggressivesnap-jigging approach, so experimentwith your bait. There are many coloroptions for plastics. My favoritesinclude pearl, chartreuse, and black, orcombinations of them.

Live bait: Live bait can be an excel-lent option for fall walleyes. Minnowsare the best choice this time of year,especially since leeches and crawlersare usually out of season. All will workif you can find them. Rigging them issimple. They can be fished under afloat, off the bottom or with a jighead.How you rig them is up to you, butgenerally the type of structure you’refishing will help you determine whichway to fish bait.

Generally I use a float whenfishing lakes because I’m fishingweeds. Experiment with jigs and splitshot rigs as the structure allows. Alltechniques work well on rivers. I’ll mixit up depending on the amount ofcurrent or bottom structure of thatparticular section of river. Whenfishing at night, lighted floats are amust. If you can’t see the bite, you’llmiss fish or hook fish deep, possibleinjuring undersized fish. Any stylehook will work, however I prefer

colored octopus hooks. Walleyes can becolor specific so adding color to livebait can help fill the stringer. Live baitis a great choice under cold front condi-tions or any other time fish are in anegative or neutral mood.

When fishing from shore, keep theequipment to a minimum. I usuallybring one rod. I prefer St. Croix rods inseven-to-eight-foot lengths combinedwith a Shimano 2500 series reel.Whatever brand you use is fine as longas it is lightweight and sensitiveenough to feel the lightest bites.

Add eight-pound mono or braid tothis combo, and you’re ready. Be sureto tie on a mono leader when fishingbraids in clear water.

Put together a small box of tackle.Include hooks, weights, jigheads, floats,stickbaits, and miscellaneous terminaltackle in the box. Place this and what-ever plastics you want in a shoulderbag to make carrying it easy.Remember that you may be walking orwading, so keep the bag light. Bring aheadlamp instead of a flashlight. That’llmake night fishing easier. A net isn’tnecessary but can aid in landing bigfish. Find one that trout fishermen usethat will clip to your waders or bag.

If you plan on wading, purchase agood pair of neoprene waders. Theywill allow you to fish longer and morecomfortably than other styles, espe-cially when the water is cold. Whenwading using minnows, choose aminnow bucket that can attach to yourwaders and drag along behind you. It’simportant to bring only the essentialswhen wading so that you’re notweighed down by non-essential tackle.Personally, I don’t use live bait whenwading. I like being mobile and havecaught plenty of fish without draggingalong bait.

CONCLUSION Remember if you’re heading Up

North for hunting or you just have theitch to fish and you don’t want to getthe boat out, fall walleye fishing fromshore is a blast. If you haven’t triedshoring up fall walleyes, give it shot --you won’t be disappointed! OWO

Dave Sura has fished Wisconsin waters forover 25 years. He specializes in shore andtributary angling for perch, steelhead andsalmon on Lake Michigan. He can becontacted at 262.930.8260 [email protected].

Shore patrol: Dave Sura with a dandy fall walleye fromshore.



Fall musky fishing can offer some ofthe greatest opportunities of the

season, and while we often strive tofigure out the patterns, lures, colors,locations, moon phases, and all theother “musky math,” one of the mostimportant factors in November is yourclothing.

Although the “musky math”factors are very important, they will dous no good if we are wet, cold,fatigued, and hungry. If we’re chasedhome early because we’re just notcomfortable, we just may miss out onthe small window of the day to catchthe fish of a lifetime.

One of the first things I pay atten-tion to in fall more than any other timeof the season is the weather forecast ona day-to-day basis. Knowing what youare in store for will help you planaccordingly. Another precaution I takeon a daily basis is to “bring it all” nomatter what the forecast may be. I liketo be prepared for any condition.

Staying warm is usually one of the

biggest challenges which can often beachieved by dressing in layers. You canalways take a layer off on the water ifyou are too warm, but you cannot puton what you don’t have with you. Oneof the greatest articles of clothing I usein the late fall is my rain gear. Rain gearoffers a great “wind break” layer ofclothing and helps keep your body heatin. With most November days beingcold and windy, this can be one of thegreatest assets in your clothing arsenal.Another great factor to staying warm ishaving good cover for your head sincemost of your body heat lost is throughthe top of your head.

Keeping your head warm can beachieved with a variety of hats, hoods,and head bands. I like the Mad Bomberhats. They have a good lining and canbe altered to cover just the top of thehead, ears, and even face. Keeping yourhands warm is another challengingtask. Good gloves and hand warmersusually provide the necessary protec-tion and warmth to make it through the

day. The finalwarmth factor isyour feet. Keepingyour feet warm anddry can be thebiggest challenge.Many times coldfeet are the result ofgetting too warmand sweating, andwet feet get coldeasier. While goodfootwear is impor-tant, having theproper sock combi-nation can make thedifference. I usuallywear two differenttypes of socks, withthe first layer beinga thin under-armorstyle sock to drawany perspirationaway, and thesecond layer awarm wool sock.

Staying dry isanother challenge attimes and this canbe achieved easilywith a good set ofrain gear. One of themain things I findhelpful is wearingshort-sleeve shirtson rainy days undermy rain gear. Thereason for this is tokeep my arms dry. When you wearlong-sleeve shirts under your rain gear,eventually the rain makes contact withthe wristband on the long sleeve andcontinues to “wick” up the arm all day.The same thing can happen at theankle, so what I like to do is wear myMuck Boots on rainy days with mypants tucked into the boots and the rainpants over the boots which preventsany water from getting into the boot, orup the pant legs.

When you can accomplish the taskof staying warm and dry you will auto-matically eliminate the fatigue factor.When you are cold, wet, and uncom-fortable, you get fatigued faster whichwill eventually make you surrender,sending you home early.

One final thing I like to do is packsome warm food and/or beverageitems for the day. A thermos of hotcoffee, tea, or chocolate helps take theedge off of a cold day on the water. Justholding the hot cup makes a great handwarmer! When I have the time I will

also pack a thermos of soup, chili, orstew. There’s nothing like a hot cup of“grub” on a cold day. Another greatway to make it through the day is totake advantage of any pub and grillestablishments on the water. Going intoa warm building for a cup of soup orhot burger can be a great “halftime”treat and help rejuvenate the spirits tomake it through the second half of theday when the elements get tough.

Take the extra time this year toprepare for your day on the water as itgets colder and you will put more fishin the boat just because you were ableto stay out longer.

Have a great fall and good luck toall! OWO

Captain Dennis Radloff owns and oper-ates Sterling Guide Service. He guides onthe waters of Green Bay and SoutheasternWisconsin seven days a week Aprilthrough November. Contact him atwww.sterlingmusky.com, or call him at262.443.9993.

“R

EEL”

MEN

BLE

ED Being dressed properly in the late fall keeps the angler onthe water longer and ultimately puts more fish in the boat.Dennis Radloff shows off another November musky taken onthe Fox River, and released.

Jason GuarkeeOWO Columnist

DENNIS RADLOFF

THE STERLING APPROACHBeating the elements

Be a Hero. Give Blood.

Are You a Wisconsin Blood Brother?


November is here and huntingseasons are in full swing, but if

you’re looking to catch big northernpike, now is the time to be on the water.While many pike anglers are waiting forice to arrive, you can fish now and get tothese fish before the early ice crowd.

Large northern pike, those longerthan about 35 inches, prefer watertemperatures of about 55 degrees, whichis why the really large fish seem todisappear in the warmer months. Bigpike spend much of their time frommidsummer until late fall sitting indeeper water, often hanging around thethermocline and suspending over thelake’s deepest sections. With watertemperatures now falling into the fish’spreferred range, these big pike arewilling to spend more time in relativelyshallow water, making them easier tofind and target.

My experience is that the best bigpike fishing in fall will occur when watertemperatures are between 44 and 55degrees. In the southern part ofWisconsin, that tends to happen fromthe last two weeks of October untilabout the middle of November.However, if weather patterns are mild,the best fishing may not occur until thestart of November and extend all theway into December.

Fish location is very lakedependent, and considering that mostlakes have already turned over, the fishcan be literally everywhere. However,there are a few spots I tend to focus on.Look for weedlines with access to deepwater and weedlines that mix withrocks. Points located near the main lakebasin, especially those with deep waternearby, are also key locations. Don’t beafraid to fish deeper water out from

weedlines, especially if the bite is slow.Sometimes these fish will be hanging outat the base of the first drop.

I mostly use muskie-sized baitswhen chasing big pike in fall. Myfavorites include Bull Dawgs, Slid’nShads, Slippery Sliders, and Squirkos.You might think these baits are toolarge, but muskie anglers in northernMinnesota and on Green Bay can attestto the willingness of big pike to engulfthese large baits.

I also use jerkbaits such as HuskyJerks, X-Raps, and Rattling Rogues. Attimes, these smaller baits can be moreproductive than larger lures.

If you’re casting muskie lures, youneed tackle heavy enough to cast andretrieve these heavy baits. I use muskierods and reels spooled with 80-poundbraided line. My leader choices tend tobe either solid wire or 80- to 100-poundfluorocarbon. Make no mistake, youneed a leader. The large teeth in thesepike can cut through braided linesurprisingly quickly. If you go withouta leader, you risk losing a relativelypricey bait and killing a fish.

If you’re using small jerkbaits,then I suggest more moderateweighted equipment spooled withlighter superline of about 30 pounds.Choose a thin-diameter wire leader of20 to 30 pounds.

You’ll also want to bring alongsome suckers for live bait becausesometimes big fish want fresh meatinstead of plastic or wood. Use suckersthat are 10 to 12 inches in length andrig them up on a quick-strike rig.Quick-strike rigs allow you to set thehook as soon as the fish takes the bait. Itend to rig up two suckers: one set torun deeper under the boat and the

other setabout 20feet backunder alarge slipbobber. Onlakes thatallowtrolling, youcan tow thesuckersbehind theboat whilecasting tomaximizeyour lurepresenta-tions.

Use abaitcastingreel with abait-clickerthat willwarn youwhen a fishhas grabbedthe sucker.Make sureto set thereel tofreespool sothe fish willnot feel anytension. Theclick, click,click of abait-clicker is music to the ears.

While it might be tempting to keepthese large pike, I recommend catchand release when you land one. Bigpike are relatively rare creatures andthey play a very important role inkeeping smaller pike populations incheck. They are literally almost too

valuable to keep. If allowed to, pike cangrow well past 40 inches in length onmany of our waters.OWO

Terry Bitz is a freelance writer who residesin Pleasant Prairie, WI. He can be contactedat [email protected]. His website iswww.outdoorconvergence.com.

TERRY BITZ

OUTDOOR CONVERGENCETargeting cold water trophy pike

Jeff Waltz of Watertown shows a nice pike just prior to release,taken with the author in late fall. (Terry Bitz)

As I drifted along with theWisconsin River this week, casting

as I have thousands of times before, athought crossed my mind. We patternfish, but do they pattern us? Howmany times have you raised a nice fishonly to have it veer away at the lastminute? How many times have youreturned to the same spot and tried toraise that fish again only to have themusky repeat its show-and-goperformance? Or maybe the fish nevereven gives you the thrill of anotherface-to-face at all.

I believe fish will often pattern usjust as we try to pattern them, like anold buck that has learned to survive,patterning a hunter walking throughthe woods to his tree stand.

Let’s risk looking at this from thefish’s perspective: the hum of a boatmotor increases audibly, and precedesa disturbance in the water, whichprecedes a close opportunity for preywobbling by. The fish reacts to the lure,but instead of being rewarded with ameal, the strike immediately corre-sponds with pure shock; the fish strug-

gles against something it can’t even seebefore being pulled from its own envi-ronment to a place where it can’t evenbreathe.

Not to assume that a fish can thinkor reason, but surely it can sense, likeany animal, a cause-and-effect when itsrepeated reaction to that wobblingmeal in the same ambush spot precedesanother violent displacement from thesame environment in which it had beenking. Like any living creature on landor water, the more it’s hunted orpursued, the more it begins to evolvefrom predator to prey. Of course it hasto eat, but maybe it moves from thespot of so much discomfort. Maybe ittakes on a more “cautious demeanor”in what it stalks, when and where.Maybe it becomes conditioned to“know” that a certain shock experiencecorresponds with the same audible andvisual impressions, like the sound of aboat motor and specific colors or move-ment of a lure.

You may return to the same loca-tion time after time only to find your-self without any action, at least until a

new fish moves into the area. The fishthat originally lived there has moved.She may still be in the general area butshe’s not on the spot, and still “remem-bers” or is “impressed negatively” withthe lures that took her before. Maybewhat had been reason for unbridledpursuit of “baitfish” becomes instinct torefrain, temporarily, from eating.

The more the fish is taken from itsenvironment by more and more lures,the more it evolves to survive. Maybe,as the fish ages and grows andsurvives, even the “follow” becomes ararity. Eventually, in attaining thestatus of trophy, as one example, shemay be found only in deep water,eating only on occasion, and only thelargest prey or at least those meals shedoesn’t associate with extreme discom-fort. It will be hard to trick her on thesame baits again, but with time, if weuse a new lure and find the musky’snew location, she can be fooled again.

Time and time again we try topattern fish, and year after year we findourselves questioning just how muchwe really know. Over the years, manyof us have become very successful atputting fish in the boat, but that successcomes from many, many hours ofbeing on the water. We spend a lot oftime concentrating on locations thatheld fish in the past, but we also spendan equal amount of time searching outnew locations in anticipation of findingfish that might have moved off spotswhere we previously caught them.

One thing to remember is that justputting together a pattern is only halfthe battle. Once you establish a pattern,whether it’s a bucktail bite over weeds,a jerkbait bite on the rocks, or maybe abulldawg bite over deep water, thenext step is to narrow it down to color.

Color is vital. Every year I seem tohave better luck on one specific colorover any other. One year it may beyellow, the next year it may be suckerpattern, and the next year it may be anorange bait that produces the most fish.The key is to find that most productivebait and color combination and to stickwith it.

By being on the water almostevery day with clients, I have a distinctadvantage over most anglers; I havepeople running several different lureswith different colors at any given time.It is a lot easier to put together a patternwhen everyone in the boat is throwingsomething different. Once a pattern isestablished, I’ll have the anglers in myboat throwing similar but differentvariations of the “one” lure I believe tobe the hottest bait for the day.

Trying to pattern fish is part of thisgreat game. But are the fish patterningus? We don’t really know. We do knowthough, if she’s not home when weknock, like she used to be, it’s time tomove, or to try a different approach totake her. OWO

Contact Phil Schweik and HooksettersFishing Services at www.hooksetters.biz.


PHIL SCHWEIK

LINES FROM A HOOKSETTERPutting together a pattern

Another big Wisconsin River musky falls to Phil Schweik.The guidequestions whether pressured muskies also pattern anglers.(Hooksetters)


TODD BOHM

RETURNING TO OUR ROOTSFall beaver trappingSome of my favorite memories

growing up as a teenager in CentralWisconsin were trapping the manybeaver ponds and streams surroundingmy house. Trapping not only providedmy brother and me with some extraincome but also helped sharpen ouroutdoor skills. These outings allowedus to gain access to lands as we trappedproblem beavers for landowners whilefinding hidden duck hunting spots andbig buck hideouts.

Returning to those trapping rootsover the past few years has creatednew memories and experiences. Withthe liberal trapping season available forbeaver in Wisconsin, opportunitiesabound for the serious or weekendtrapper. Beavers are not difficultanimals to trap, but concentrating ontwo major types of sets will allow thetrapper to find success.

THE CHANNEL SETMy favorite set when fall trapping

for beaver is the channel set. Most adultbeavers in the colony will use channelslike highways in the pond. Channelscan be found leading to stands ofpoplar that beavers cut for their winterfood supply. In addition, channels maybe used throughout the pond for travelor to check the condition of the dam.Trapping these channels away from thelodge is the best way to eliminatecatching young beavers and to avoidspooking the adults in the pond. Myfavorite beaver trap is the 330 conibear.

When setting the channel set, Ifirst locate the worn areas on thebottom of the channel. These areas arerelatively easy to find while wading theedges of the pond. Naturally-creatednarrows, feeding channels, or pinchpoints are hot spots to place yourconibear. When necessary, I lightlyfence the channel to encourage thebeaver to swim through the trap. Toomuch fencing may spook trap-wisebeaver. The secret ingredient in thechannel set is about eight feet of snarecable that allows the trapped beaver toswim away from the channel but notspooking the other beavers of thecolony. I will use steel rebar stakesdriven into the mud to secure the trapand drowning wires. Properly set, Ihave been able to use one or twochannel sets to eradicate entire problemcolonies.

THE SLIDE SETThe second set I have used in the

fall to effectively trap beaver is the

slide set. There are spots wherebeavers are exiting the pond to travelor cut wood for the winter supply.These spots are easy to identify by thepressed-down grass and muddy trailexiting the pond. For this set, thetrapper has two options for traps. Ihave used #4 long springs butrecently switched to snares.

Snares, much lighter to carry andinexpensive, allow the trapper tomake numerous sets. Prior to using

snares, trappers are encouraged tocheck their regulation pamphlet.When making the “slide set,” thetrapper must locate and secure thesnare. Most often, I will use light wireor even monofilament fishing line toprop up the snare in the desired loca-tion.

Remember in Wisconsin, snaresused for water trapping must be atleast half-submerged. Snares areplaced in the water in front of the

slide-in areas that beavers have toswim through to get out of the pond.Fencing should be used sparingly toguide beavers into the snare. I try tomake the loop of the snare about 10inches in diameter. The key is tomake the snare big enough for thebeaver to get its head in the loop butnot so big that it can swim rightthrough. Bumping the snare as itswims through doesn’t seem tobother the beaver as I’m sure itcommonly brushes against branchesas it swims. Multiple snares used inthe slide set can sometimes result inmultiple catches. The key again whenmaking this set is to securely anchorthe snare in water deep enough to killthe beaver and not allow it to reachthe shore.

Whether you are a seasonedtrapper or someone interested ingiving trapping a try, these two setsmay help you put many beaver peltson the stretching board. Give fallbeaver trapping a try. It can be hard,cold, and wet work but the outdoorexperiences are well worth it.OWO

Todd Bohm is a lifetime educator and prin-cipal in the D.C. Everest School District. Heis an avid fisherman and hunter who guidesthe waters of Central and NorthernWisconsin specializing in all species of fishincluding trout. He can be reached throughWisconsin Angling Adventures. ContactTodd at 715.297.7573 or atwww.wisconsinanglingadventures.com.

Two examples of beaversets discussed in the article:A 330 conibear for thechannel set and a snare seton a beaver slide. (ToddBohm)


The Lower Wisconsin StateRiverway (LWR) was created in

1989 by the State of Wisconsin toprotect and preserve the scenic beautyand natural character of theWisconsin River valley, to manage thearea’s resources for the benefit of thestate’s residents, and to provide aquality public recreation area.

The Wisconsin River flows unim-peded by any man-made structuresfor 92.3 miles from the Prairie du Sacdam downriver to its mouth at theMississippi River. Many anglers havealready put away their boats or areout hunting, so you rarely have anycompetition this time of year. Often,you’ll have the river to yourself.

The Lower Wisconsin River has agood population of muskies that canbe found anywhere from the dam andits tailrace area close to the damdownriver to the Highway 12 bridgeand the mouth of Second River. Thesemuskies aren’t stocked in the riverand have either come from LakeWisconsin (on the other side of thedam) or up from the MississippiRiver. My guess is that they camefrom muskies stocked in LakeWisconsin and somehow made theirway through the dam and theturbines. I’ve caught muskies in theWisconsin River for years and theirnumbers seem to be increasing withpossible natural reproduction.

I recently had a conversation atthe VFW boat landing just below theprairie dam with Sauk CountyWarden John Buss, who just happensto be a muskie fisherman. Busscommented that the Wisconsin Riverhad been producing muskies all yearwith numerous fish in the low 40-inch

range andsome bigger.Theminimumsize on theriver is 34inches.

If youintend to fishtheWisconsinRiver formuskies, thebest place tolaunch yourboat is at theVFW Park inPrairie duSac. Thepark islocated pastthe Highway60 bridge offWater Street.Turn right atthe VFWsign and godown thehill to thepark. Theparking fee isonly $5.00and you cansee the damfrom thelaunch. There are campsites availablefor $12.00 a night, on the river andwith a fire-pit. So for less than $20.00you can have a campsite, launch yourboat, be close to the dam and within afew miles of all the good fishing.

Slowly motor your boat towardthe dam and stay in the channelbecause the river can be low in the

fall. Then,put downyourtrollingmotor andwork theeast andwest sidesof the damcastingbucktails,jerkbaits,andshallow-runningcrankbaits.Baits thathaveworkedwell for meincludeSmity baits,BucherDepthRaiders,andGrandmabaits. Thebest colorsseem to beconsistentwith theriver’smainforage fish,

the gizzard shad. This means thatsilver/black and white/black are thecolors to start your river fishing with.Other colors to use are perch,orange/black, and blue/white. Thebest blade colors I’ve found over theyears are silver, gold, and copper.

The east shore right below thedam is a hot spot for muskies with a

back eddy along this 150-yard stretch.There are large numbers of shad andrough fish that congregate in themore-than-35-feet-deep scour holeright below the dam’s main gates.This deep water gives muskie a placeto rest after feeding on shad on theshoreline feeding flats.

This time of the year the tempera-ture of river water is still in the 50’s,and rivers with their moving waterand current don’t experienceturnover. The Wisconsin River hasabundant wood, rocks, islands, andsand bars which all provide amplestructure for big muskies. They haveit all in the dam area: forage, deepwater, and structure. I recommendthat you work both sides of the riverto the Highway 12 bridge and thenwork your way casting the othershoreline back to the dam area.Drifting and casting works now withthe low flow and current, but workingoff a bow or transom trolling motor isthe best way to go if you keep castingwhile moving.

Fall is a time of year when livebait can be the key to catching fish.When casting, make sure to put asucker out near your boat. Quick-setrigs are now the way to go becausethey allow you to set the hook quicklyand not gut-hook and kill a fish.

Give the Lower Wisconsin StateRiverway a chance next time you’relooking for a new place to fish musky.OWO

Contact Gary Engberg Outdoors at 608.795.4208 or [email protected]. Orvisit www.garyengbergoutdoors.com.

Guide Gary Engberg prepares to release anothermusky on the Lower Wisconsin River. (EngbergFiles)

GARY ENGBERG

GARY ENGBERG OUTDOORSMuskies on the Lower Wisconsin River

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DAN MOERICKE

AN “UP NORT” REPORTFish Psychology 101: How to trip their triggerAlot has been written about finding

the magic lure or secret presenta-tion that will trigger a fish to strike. Mostof these tips and tactics tend to focus onappealing to a fish’s sense of sightand/or smell: lure color, speed ofretrieve, special scent, flutter, secretbait… yada, yada, yada.

Sitting around the campfire theother night, cold Leinie’s Oktoberfest inhand, I started reflecting on the fact thatthere just might be a whole other level offish awareness that is failing to beaddressed by all of these pedestrianmethods of getting fish to hit.

What the hot-shot experts seem tobe missing is the psychological aspect tofishing…the fact that fish have a sixthsense about what’s going on in the boatfloating above their noggins. Over theyears, I’ve compiled a pretty compre-hensive list of tactics that can trigger afish to strike when all the flash, glitz, andgimmicks would otherwise fail. WhileI’m somewhat reluctant to share thesefor fear of the resulting damage to theresource, it would be selfish to keepthem all to myself.

CALLING “LAST CAST”Fish can have a remarkable resist-

ance to even the most skillfullypresented lures when they know thattime is on their side. Loudly announcing“LAST CAST” before departing from a

fishing spot, however, puts themon alert that, if they’re going to strike, ithad better be now. This limited-time-offer ploy nearly always results in astrike. (Car salesmen have been doingthis for years.) In the rare instance when“last cast” doesn’t work, following it upwith the “bonus cast” and “double-bonus cast” declaration will often sealthe deal.

“OUT OF BAIT”This is a variation of the last cast

scheme. Announcing loudly that you

only have one minnow/leech/crawler/etc. remaining frequentlypunches a fish’s greed button andcauses him to hit with abandon for fearthat a competitor might beat him to it.

EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONThis one is so obvious that it’s

amazing that more hasn’t been writtenabout it. As kids, all we ever used werethe old Zebco spincast reels. We almostnever had any line issues and had towork like dogs for every strike.

Since switching to open-face spin-ning reels, I’ve found I can nearlyalways trigger a strike by creatingsome sort of bird’s nest with the line.This takes less practice than you mightthink. Almost anyone can do it. Onceyou’ve done it, fish will immediately

sense this sort of cluster and seize uponthe opportunity to steal your bait.

Variations of this include gettingyour line wrapped around yourtrolling motor, transducer, boat cleat,

fellow angler, or in another line. Theyall work.

EATING/DRINKINGYou can fish with laser-like focus

for hours and catch nothing, but youknow that the second you put your roddown to crack a beer or grab a sand-wich, you will have a strike -- and prob-ably miss it. Sometimes just crinkling acandy bar wrapper can trigger a strike.This is a great decoy maneuver.

DOGS IN THE BOATWe’ve all seen the guys with their

dogs beside them in the boat. Roverdidn’t just come along because the guyhas no friends. This is pure strategy.Bringing your dog along in the boatincreases exponentially your chances ofan equipment snafu…if not before thestrike, certainly during the fishplaying/netting/landing process. Myblack lab Cleo has launched herself intothe lake numerous times during mybattles with fish. She has yet to catchany, but her leaps have resulted in me“releasing” a few.

OTHER ROD SYNDROMEUsing multiple rods is crucial to

triggering strikes from fish. Invariably,the strike occurs on the rod you do nothave in your hands at the time. In addi-tion, if you have several identicalrod/reel setups going, you’ll end upgrabbing the wrong rod when a bobbersubmerges. Fish love this. This tacticalso gives you the opportunity to tanglemultiple lines together (see EquipmentMalfunction above).

NATURE’S CALLMany anglers make the mistake of

reeling in their bait prior to taking careof business when nature calls. Bigmistake. Answering nature’s call is thesure-fire strike trigger. It’s a 99 %certainty that any fish in a three-castradius will practically swim out of itsscales to hit your bait when you’repreoccupied in this manner.

If the above list doesn’t trigger astrike, then they’re just not biting. Graba cold Leinie’s and re-spool your reels.Just sayin’. OWO

Dan Moericke is an avid and successfulWisconsin fisherman from Wausau and anoccasional guest on outdoor fishingprograms. On the water, he always tells ussome version of the truth.

“I’ve compiled a pretty comprehensive list

of tactics that can trigger a fish to strike

when all the flash, glitz, and gimmicks

would otherwise fail...”


The Deer Stand AlternativeA case for ground blindsBy William F. Kendy

It’s pretty much a given…tree standhunters have a better chance of

seeing deer than ground hunters.Since they’re higher, they have abetter field of view. If they removehindering branches and if they clearshooting lanes, they’ll be more awareof movement and can spot a deerbefore a hunter in a ground blindcould see one.

Having said that, tree standhunting isn’t for everyone. Huntersmay be apprehensive about heights, abit overweight, have a physicalproblem like weak ankles or a badback, or they may simply want tohunt with another person. If so, aportable blind may be just the ticket.Or a hunter can take advantage ofwhat Mother Nature has to offer interms of cover and embellish it a bit.Just because you’re hunting deer“eyeball to eyeball” doesn’t mean youwon’t be successful. In fact, if you’rehunting from the ground, you’re notdependent on having an appropriatetree in the right spot to hang from.

I’m not going to addresscommercial or handcrafted perma-nent blinds in this article. There are a

ton of them on the market, rangingfrom the inexpensive to the luxurious.And any industrious land owner,with some plywood, two-by-foursand a little bit of time can build hisown hunting shacks. This article isabout hunting from portable blindsand using what the terrain has tooffer.

Hunting from ground blinds isn’ta new thing…it dates back to prehis-toric times. Cavemen discovered theycould be more successful ambushingfood for the tribe if they hid behind afallen tree or boulder or in a clump oftall grass. Native American Indiansused brush, foliage or even animalskins to cover themselves as theysnuck up on their prey. Even thoughthat’s really stalking, it’s probably thefirst example of a portable groundblind and taking advantage of theterrain.

“Because of the mobility andmaneuverability of portable groundblinds, a hunter has access to anytype of ground,” says Bill Wiesner,president of Full Force Bows, author,seminar speaker and recognized deerhunter. “If you’re just hunting from atree stand, you’re limited to timberand finding the right tree to use. If

there isn’t an appropriate tree wheredeer are patterned, you’re out ofluck.”

Then there’s the debate aboutscent. Some hunters maintain thatbecause they’re higher up in a treestand, some of their scent will rise,alerting and alarming fewer deer.Other tree stand hunters say thatbecause they’re in “the air,” theirscent can be distributed in all direc-tions and even downward,depending on the temperature andwind currents. Of course, if you’rehunting on public land on openingday, “elbow to elbow” with otherorange-coated hunters, human scentis everywhere.

Wiesner believes that when itcomes to scent alerting deer, groundblind hunters aren’t at a disadvan-tage. “Scent is less of an issue if ahunter is in a portable ground blindbecause the blind itself blocks itsdispersal, while in a tree stand you’reat the mercy of whichever way thewind is blowing,” he says. “Sincescent rises in the morning and sinksin the evening, it makes sense to hunthigh ground early and lowland late.But it depends on the pattern of thedeer movements.”

Okay…you’re sold on huntingon the ground from a blind. Whatsort of portable blind should youhunt out of? Just as people come in allshapes and sizes, so do portableblinds. There are even blinds thatincorporate a chair...you just sit downand pull the blind over you. That’sreally portable.

According to Wiesner, there aresome things hunters should consider

when shopping for a portable blind:

∙ Look for mobility of the blind andease of transport. Weight is a factor.

∙ Check for ease of putting up theblind. When it’s pitch black in themorning, you need to be able to popup the blind without making somuch noise that you spook everydeer in the county.

∙ Make sure the material is a tight fit.If there is a slight breeze, you don’twant your blind walls flapping inthe wind.

∙ If possible, buy a blind with a blackinterior because a hunter won’tshow up as easily.

∙ Depending on your physical size,buy a blind with a door that is largeenough to allow you to get in and outwith a minimum of effort and racket.

Wiesner has three other tips forportable ground blind hunters:“Bowhunters need to make sure thatthey practice shooting out of the blindsitting down,” he says. “It’s a lotdifferent than taking a shot from atree blind.

“Make sure that the windowopposite of the one you’re shootingout of is closed. I guarantee that if itisn’t, the deer will see your silhouette.

“Have a comfortable chair soyou’re not fidgeting around andmaking noise. I have a swivel chairthat easily allows me to pivot aroundand get into shooting position quietlywithout a lot of movement.”

There is no lack of ground blind

Continued on page 27

(Bill Kende)


Everyone has their dog stories andit’s time to talk about old Maggie.

She’s an English setter who has huntedit all. Her rewards for thousands ofhours in the field have been retrievestoo numerous to even begin to try toestimate. Her field badges, though,include many scars. Our wonder dogat age 10 is worn out and arthritic.

When we ordered Maggie fromGood-Going Kennels in Baldwin,Wisconsin, Jason, the owner, told usshe’d be a great hunter and awonderful family pet. She indeed hasbeen both. What he didn’t tell us wasthat she would become a huntingaddict. Fur or feather, her motto is,“Get um!” In hunting season she’scurled up in the closet where the gun iskept, waiting to go. I couldn’t leavewithout her even if I wanted to

Why would I? Maggie does havesome bad habits such as selectivehearing and a tendency to swim aftergeese, ducks, or loons all over the lakeduring summer months. But each fallshe’s a great pointer and retriever with

a great nose. If I shoot a bird, she findsit. She’s hunted the Dakotas, Canada,Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri. We’vehad a great run. Her fun but tough lifehas left her hindquarters still and sore.

Our vet recommended a prescrip-tion dog food plus two medicines thathelp keep Maggie going. She canhandle two hours of hunting each andevery day in the northern forests closeto our home in Manitowish Waters.Then she needs to be lifted in and outof the truck and she sleeps the rest ofthe day. Our son Steve and daughter-in-law care for Maggie each winterwhile we fish and enjoy the Floridasunshine.

I’ve owned six Irish setters andone white English setter in my life.How lucky I am! How lucky? The goodnews is that my “wonderful” wife hasgiven the go-ahead for “one moredog.” This means more hair, pawprints and dog messes to deal with. Butit also means more of our endlesschases of grouse, pheasants and water-fowl.

This fall, just two weeks into theseason as this is written, Maggie hasalready retrieved more than a dozengrouse and woodcock. On a trip toNorth Dakota duck hunting with ourregular group of old timers, she alsoretrieved more than 50 ducks. Not badfor an old dog on limited time duty.

I called Jason at Good-GoingKennels and ordered a female Englishsetter that has the same Rymanbreeding lines that Maggie came from.Next year you’ll read stories about that

pup’s development as Maggie and Itrain her.

Remember to make extra time toenjoy the wonderful outdoor experi-ences this state has to offer. Keep therust out! OWO

Retired principal Dick Henske ofManitowish Waters hunts and fishesWisconsin, Canada and the westernstates. Rarely does he miss a day in thefield.

DICK HENSKE

GOLDEN ROADSThis old dog can hunt

Pete Turney, Chris, Bill, Tim and Gregg Lee, and Ken Koosmann stood infront of the "buck pole" over two decades ago at their deer hunting camp nearMellen. The "old-timer" of the group, Bill Lee, has hunted northern Wisconsin hisentire hunting career, and is a WWII veteran. (Photo by Jeff Peters)

· · · HISTORICAL WISCONSIN · · · from the archives of The Echo

Another English Setterwill join Maggie andretired principal DickHenske in the field nextyear. Before Maggie,Henske hunted grouseand pheasants inWisconsin and westernstates over four decadeswith five Irish setters.(Dick Ellis)


Growing up on the wrong side ofthe tracks, having to live in foster

care, and always doing farm worknever allowed me the freedom to getinto the outdoors. Being at school andlistening to other kids talk about theiroutings with their families was like anightmare to me. I couldn’t figure outwhy I wasn’t lucky enough to have afamily to do things with. I lived myboyhood dreams through my imagina-tion while reading hunting magazines;dreamed about hunting all over theworld with a bow. But when a mentor

took me hunting only four timesduring my high school years, hechanged my life forever and helpedturn those dreams into reality.

When I first began hunting white-tails more than three decades ago, formany years I went through the schoolof “hard knocks.” There wasn’t muchwritten on the dos and don’ts of white-tail hunting. All I knew from myboyhood dreams was that I wanted toharvest one of those magnificent bucks.Many times when I was younger, I putmyself into the right location or funnelonly to have the wind shift at just thewrong time and I’d lose another oppor-tunity for that dream come true. My in-the-field learning experiences taught

me that if deer can’t see, hear, or smellyou, you’ve got them at a seriousdisadvantage.

I started using products fromWildlife Research Center®. With thatchange, even if the wind shifted unpre-dictably when I put myself in the rightplace at the “golden hour,” I was stillable to place the shot without beingdetected by a wary buck. WildlifeResearch Center® products became apermanent part of my “game bag” as Ichased my dreams and a multitude oftrophy animals all over the world.

Throughout the years I’ve beeninvolved with mentoring youth in theoutdoors, and I’ve found that ScentKiller 99 is also the perfect kids’ tool forsuccess. It doesn’t matter what they’rewearing—spray them down and thehuman odor is gone!

Kicking Bear® has developed intoa nation-wide program geared towardgetting kids into the outdoors by intro-ducing them to mentors. Kicking Bearnot only helps change these young livesfor the better, but it also helps preparethem properly for their own futurefamilies. Being successful in the field ata young age is an important key toensuring they become long-termhunters. It doesn’t take kids very long

to become boredwith anythingwhen they’re notsuccessful.

I was invitedmany years agoby the WildlifeResearch Center®team to beinvolved withtheir pro staffbecause of thehunting successI’ve had in thefield while usingtheir products.WRC owners Johnand BrianBurgeson areperfectionists ateverything theydo. I’ve always feltvery fortunate to be a part of their teambecause their products give me theconfidence I need to outwit my prey.

Kicking Bear® is a program thathas been growing tremendouslythroughout the United States. John andBrian joined Kicking Bear® severalyears ago and have helped develop itinto the program it is today. There arethousands of under-privileged and at-risk youth who come through theKicking Bear® camps every year. Justlike I was, they are offered the opportu-nity to see a better way of life and tohave their lives changed through amentor, the outdoors, and the sport ofarchery. These campouts and shootsare an absolute life-changing experi-ence for kids who would otherwisenever have had the opportu-nity to be involved in God’soutdoor creation. Now, theirnightmares are gone—theycan go back to school and telltheir stories right along withthe rest of the kids.

John and Brian’s visionis not only to grow theoutdoor sports we love andhelp make hunters successfulin the field, but to give backto others through programssuch as Kicking Bear®. Evenbefore Kicking Bear wasborn, I was proud to be amember on the WildlifeResearch Center® team.Now, to be involved with acompany whose leadershipis that of great men who carefor others, that pride isgreatly magnified. It’s one of

the most incredibly humbling feelingsI’ve ever had. Scent Killer may be 99%,but the Wildlife Research Center® teamis right from the heart of the fire—they’re 100% -- the real deal!

John and Brian and the WildlifeResearch Center® team know how tohelp make you successful in the fieldno matter what you’re hunting. Moreimportant, they’re also some of thegreatest “fishing” partners I’ll everhave. Matthew 4:19 OWO

Recently honored by Outdoor Life, RayHowell is founder of Kicking Bear, a nationalorganization dedicated to enriching the livesof troubled and at-risk young peoplethrough outdoor experiences. Connect withwww.kickingbear.org.

RAY HOWELL

KICKING BEARFull circle

Two days after returning from the Oregon elk hunt where he arrowed anice bull, Ray Howell tagged this Minnesota buck gross scoring 189 onOctober 2nd, 2008. Howell chose his stand after catching the buck on aPredator trail camera set prior to the season. (Ray Howell)

Ray Howell tagged this buck during the 2007Wisconsin archery season. Howell learned theimportance of proper cover scents while learningto hunt and many failures often associated withchanging wind direction. (Ray Howell)

Ray Howell, center with John and Brian Burgeson, owners ofWildlife Research Center. (Ray Howell)

“Kicking Bear not only helps change these younglives for the better, but it also helps prepare them

properly for their own future families...”



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The rumors began in mid-1982, andthe spy photos appeared in the major

ATV magazines shortly after. Shockingat the time, the photos showed – as therumors hinted – an off-road vehicle witha fourth wheel. In days dominated bythree-wheelers, Suzuki Motor Corp.decided to change the game. And by1983, the Suzuki LT125 4x6 became areality. The 4-wheeler was born.

It was an immediate hit with DirtWheels magazine. “It’s much morestable than a 3-wheeler, and thereforeeasier to ride. You don’t have toremember any complicated lean thisway, lean that way techniques — justturn the bars… if you’ve ridden yourbuddy’s 3-wheeler and didn’t like the

way it handled… try one of the LT125sdown at your local Suzuki shop. It’sexactly what you’ve been looking for.”The suggested retail price for this unitwas $1,188. And by the end of 1983,Suzuki had sold more than 25,000 LT1254-wheelers, an amazing tally in themachine’s first year. Why was it called“LT125 4x6?” This 125cc four-stroke hadfour wheels and six gears – five forwardplus reverse.

The first four-wheeler quicklybegan to change the off-road vehicleindustry. And Suzuki wasted no time upfront. In 1984, the manufacturerincreased the model line with the LT185(MSRP $1,579). This was the first ATVwith a double A-arm front suspensionsystem. According to 3Wheeling, “…thenew 185 is a much better recreationalvehicle than [the LT125]. It’s easier to

steer, climbs hills better, brakes a littlebetter and most of all, proves that therecertainly is a growing market for 4-wheeled ATVs.” To assist with its recoilstarting, the LT185 featured an industry-first handlebar-mounted compressionrelease.

A big step for Suzuki in 1987 camein the form of its first 4-wheel-driveQuadrunner, the LT-4WD ($3,298). This246cc machine was a groundbreakingmodel in several ways, especially for itsindustry-first independent rear suspen-sion and highly versatile transmission,which offered selectable two-wheel/four-wheel drive modes, plus athree-speed subtransmission (high, lowand super-low ranges) which worked

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To top things off, it also offered thefirst front differential lock – a featurefound today on the most full-featuredATVs. “The bike’s suspension andhandling are super, and the addition of afully independent rear end reducedmuch of the usual body roll weencounter picking through rocks andoff-camber terrain,” said ATV Sports. “Ithas an exceptional amount of ability dueto its unique transmission setup and hasa torquey powerplant to make them allwork.” This model would be the seed

that would eventually grow into therenowned Suzuki KingQuad family.

THE KING IS BORNThe 90s saw the creation of one of

Suzuki’s most notable ATVs, and oneupon which Suzuki is building itscurrent 4x4 model dominance: the 1991King Quad. Engineers started with theSuzuki LT-4WD – introduced in 1987 –and added a number of features to makethis new ATV the King of 4-wheelers.Engine displacement was increasedfrom 246cc to 280cc (that was a bigengine at the time), and a locking frontdifferential was added. The King Quadalso got larger tires — 24 inches in front

and 25 inches in back — plus a standardoil cooler, all for a suggested retail priceof $4,699.

Suzuki’s original King Quad ruledthe utility ranks for many yearsfollowing its debut in 1991. The manu-facturer did eventually pull this KingQuad from its lineup in 2003.

Bringing the KingQuad name backinto action was an important step forSuzuki. The original KingQuad set avery high standard for utility perform-ance and overall versatility. A newKingQuad would have to deliverequally impressive utility strengths, plus

a level of sport-utility performance thatcould match the well-known Suzukistandards. The all-new LT-A700XKingQuad — with an industry-first elec-tronic fuel-injection system — made itsdebut in 2005. Upon its release, this ATVearned more “ATV of the Year” acco-lades than any single model in recentmemory. It delivered a level of perform-ance and innovation that set it as one ofthe most important products in Suzuki’shistory.

The KingQuad helped prove thatSuzuki fuel injection –known for deliv-ering championship-winning perform-ance to Suzuki motorcycle roadracers formany years – could fuel ATVs withstrong and reliable performance. The

sport ATV segment was the next recip-ient. In 2007, Suzuki began its expansionof the KingQuad family with the newLT-A450X KingQuad. Other new SuzukiKingQuad ATVs followed right behindthe 450 – including the KingQuad 400series of ATVs, as well as the 2009Suzuki KingQuad 500 featuring elec-tronic power steering.

FIRST ON 4 – AND MOREIn 25 years on four wheels, Suzuki

delivered a number of innovations –from the first youth ATV to the firstlocking front differential – not the leastof which is the 4-wheeler itself. Thisshould be no surprise, considering themanufacturer’s innovative motorcycletechnology. Suzuki will surely continueto deliver new performance capabilitiesin the years ahead.

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1991 King Quad LT-125


It would be interesting to know howmany decisions unrelated to pulling

the trigger or not, are made onWisconsin deer stands. We spendhours, days, weeks, months, years,decades…lifetimes… in those stands.Some of us plod to the same permanentstands year after year, on the ground orin the air. It’s familiar. We like it.We’ve built memories there.

Some of us carry our stands in onour back, and we have over time cometo call a hundred trees home for at leasta few cold hours over a Wisconsin fallor winter. Some times we guess right,and we remember too, mostly theambushes that have led to specialbucks down. But, on stand we thinkabout more than just deer. Sometimes,we think about what’s coming next onthe water or in the fields of this greatoutdoor state of Wisconsin.

My wife Lori, set a Lone Wolf andnew safety harness in front of me onChristmas morning two years ago. Themaker of the old plywood climber I hadcarried to carefully-selected trees farback in northern Wisconsin over 20years had gone out of business adecade before. I reluctantly hung upthe ancient and battered stand; thiswing nut not matching that oneanymore and the long, black bloodstreak dried on plywood reminding methat I had not been so careful one after-noon as a young man on stand with avery sharp broadhead.

There are photos of me and thestand in old cabin albums without grayhair. It reminds me that, although I feellike 30, I am 50. And so now, not onlydo I plan the trips ahead, I remembertrips already taken. I say often that Iam the only non-expert in this EllisExperts brigade of OWO writers who

tell you how to catch this or how to tagthat. I am a reporter, an outdoorcolumnist armed with a camera moreoften than a gun, a bow or rod, and Imet these boys in the field across thedecades. They live, hunt and fish fromSuperior to the Illinois border. Theyhave all been my “sources ofexpertise”. These professional relation-ships very quickly deteriorated intodeep friendships.

I am not a field expert. But I dohave something that can help you now,as we immerse ourselves in anotherNovember and December. Literally, Ihave written more than 1,000 columnsfrom the fields of Wisconsin. More

than 20 years writing acolumn for Wisconsinnewspapers, 52 weeksannually. You do themath. With thosecolumns are about 5,000correspondingWisconsin field photostucked safely away.

If I were you, thisNovember andDecember, this is what Iwould do….

DEERWisconsin deer

hunting is rooted intradition and heritage,and I’m not going to

waste much of your time here. Youalready know where you’re going to bewith a bow when the bucks are ruttingand you know where you’re going tobe when first light breaks openingmorning November 20.

It’s never easy to get permission tohunt private land. But don’t be afraid tohunt some of the 6.5 million acres ofWisconsin’s public land with a bow. Icut my teeth and tagged my first deerwith a bow in the Kettle Morainenorthern unit. I have had close encoun-ters with huge bucks on public land.On October 14, I saw thebig buck taken with a bowby my friend DarrenBehling in the KettleMoraine southern unit. Ifyou do your homeworkyou’re not going to findanother hunter behindevery tree.

Because I did learn onpublic land, when you gunhunt…run young man, runto the Wisconsin northwoods. Find the big forest,learn it, and be patient. Mr.Big is out there. You willtag him with time. But Iclearly remember the suncoming up on the northernunit of Kettle Moraine as a15 year old gun hunter.Five other hunters were onthe same ridge, an average of 50 yardsapart. When a doe stepped out, theguns shifting left and lowering on thatanimal was like some military exercise.Run….

PHEASANT58,000 “put and take” pheasants

raised at the state game farm inPoynette specifically to providehunting opportunities were stocked on71 public hunting grounds statewidethroughout the 2007 season. Thatannual effort does provide great oppor-tunity for bird hunting and dog work,as is the opportunity provided atWisconsin’s privately owned gamefarms. I’ve done it all with friends anddogs. But, if I were you….

Chase Wisconsin’s wild birds. It isnot necessary to go west for great wildpheasant hunting. Concentrate on thecounties of Wisconsin’s southwest. Butyou will also find excellent hunting asfar northwest as the Eau Claire-Hudsonregion and as far east as the Fond duLac-Oshkosh region. It is necessary todo your home work, and maintain rela-

tionships with landowners by takingproper care of the land and leavingproper thank you gifts as a token ofappreciation for their generosity.

Connect with the DNR and findout where the wild birds were stockedafter the most important ingredient,habitat, was put into place over theyears. Drive and look for that habitat.It doesn’t need to be endless tracks ofgrasslands. It can be crops, brushyhedges with migrating “spillover”pheasants or the offspring of first birdsfrom original stocking efforts. When

you find it, very often you will also seebirds eating gravel on side farm roads.I’ve been there and done this. I startedwith no special connections. Askpermission. If you get a “no”, move on.When you get the “yes”, take care ofthat farmer.

RUFFED GROUSEI was introduced more than 30

years ago to ruffed grouse hunting inSauk County. The hunting was fabu-lous in the rolling hill and farmland ofsouthern Wisconsin. It was notunusual to have 30 flushes on publicland during one day of hunting. As a 15year old on my first day ever of grousehunting I put three birds in the gamebag, something I have not equaledsince. Largely due to the loss of under-growth habitat coinciding with thenatural aging of prime grouse forestand urban sprawl, that southern hey-day is long gone.

It’s a simple reality; head to the bigwoods of Wisconsin’s northland to find

DICK ELLIS

ON WISCONSIN OUTDOORSIf I were you ...

This old treestand and old bow helpedbuild memories for the author. (JohnEllis)

Dan Potrykus of Boulder Junction knows the payoffsthat can come form hunting public terrain inWisconsin's north country. (Dick Ellis)

In 2005, Charlie Wolden could tell you aboutproductive wild pheasant hunting in Wisconsinnorthwest. This bird was taken in Burnett County.(Dick Ellis)

Continued on page 20


We all know the statistics on smallgame hunting. In Wisconsin, as in

the rest of the country, participation isdeclining. It’s not so much that kidsaren’t hunting anymore. In fact, I amheartily impressed by the numbers ofyoung hunters I see hitting the woods,fields and marshes these days. Specialyouth hunts for deer, turkeys andwaterfowl are no doubt part of thedraw.

But what I don’t see is much smallgame hunting going on among theyoung hunters. In particular, rabbits justdon’t seem to make the radar screenanymore. And that’s too bad. They’reabundant, fun to hunt, easy enough tohit, and they taste great on the wild-game dinner table.

How many of us reading this storystarted out with a .410, 20 gauge or .22in our hands and a few shells orcartridges in our pocket, with cotton-tails on the agenda? The quarry fit ourdeveloping hunting abilities, creatingthe perfect training ground for bigger(but not necessarily better) things tocome.

So why the shift away from smallgame these days? As adults, we need totake most of the blame. Sure, computerchat, electronic games, challengingacademics and intense youth athleticskeep our kids beyond occupied. Butsomehow we find a little time to takethem hunting. When we do though, it’susually in pursuit of what we think isexciting or want to hunt ourselves: deer,turkeys or maybe upland birds, all ofwhich are inherently difficult for a

beginner to hunt. Why not set up the

young hunter forsuccess instead? Here’smy suggestion. Putyour own agenda asidefor a day and take akid—maybe yours,maybe someoneelse’s—out for somegood old-fashionedrabbit hunting fun. It’sabout as easy andsimple as can be, andit’s the perfect way topass a cool Novemberor December day. Infact, bunny hunting getsbetter and better as a little snow fallsand the weather gets colder. It’s also agreat way to get out in the field later inwinter, when most other hunting is justa memory.

Equipping the young hunter issimple. Any old shotgun will do, butmy favorite for young hunters is the 20gauge, ideally in pump action for safeand quick follow-up shots. A .410 isokay, but it does have a limited effectiverange. Bigger kids can go with a 12gauge. A modified choke is about right,but improved cylinder works well too;it takes only a few pellets to roll acottontail. Load up with low-brass 6’sor high-brass 7-1/2’s.

Thick jeans will work, but put longjohns on the young hunter too, to helpfend off thorns. (This is where one pieceof specialized equipment—canvas-fronted brush pants—can come in

handy.) Wear light gloves.Otherwise all you need isa pair of comfortableboots for walking, a lightjacket or comfortablehooded sweatshirt, hat,and a vest to carry itemslike shells, something todrink, a snack, and anybunnies you shoot.

Getting permissionto hunt rabbits on privateland is easy, especiallywith a kid in tow. Muchpublic land offers goodrabbit hunting too.

Here’s where to lookfor rabbits. Open woods

don’t do you any good. Think thickets,and low-to-the-ground cover. Hunt inthe thick brush along the edge of awoodlot. Work a cutover with youngsaplings, brush, brambles and berrycanes. Explore a logged-out woodlotthat is teeming with downed treetops,brush piles and vines. Wander an idlepasture, a fallow meadow or grassyConservation Reserve Program (CRP)field. Follow a brushy fencerow or ditchbetween agricultural fields. Try an old,abandoned farmstead or overgrowngully full of retired farm implementsand other junk.

If a place is thorny, thick, seem-ingly forgotten and pleasantly messy,rabbits will love it. But make sure foodis nearby. In farmland areas, look forhayfields, cut cornfields, harvestedsoybean or wheat fields and other agri-cultural residue, all of which make for

perfect rabbit food. Where field andpasture is scarce, rabbits feed on thesucculent growth, soft bark, juicy budsand supple twigs of young, sproutingbrush.

Here’s how to hunt. Basically, it’s astroll. You want to mosey along. Zig,zag and use random patterns of starts,stops and pauses to make rabbitsnervous and more likely to flush. Kickbrush piles and other cover: One of myfavorites is a downed treetop grown upwith grass. Keep the young hunter withshotgun at port arms, ready to shoot atall times!

A rabbit hound isn’t necessary forthis kind of hunting—half the fun isbeing your own dog. Young hunterslove the activity, and those memoriescan go a long way toward helping themsit still when you hunt that bigger, moreglamorous stuff later.

No, glamour isn’t what rabbithunting is about. It’s a about fun—pureand simple. Reading signs (tracks anddroppings tell many stories), findingthe right habitat, working hard,shooting decisively and straight…it’s allgood training for bigger things to come.And, truth be told, when you look atthe pictures celebrating a special hunt,it’s hard to tell the difference in grinsbetween a hunter posing with a deer orhoisting their first rabbit to the bracingblue sky.OWO

Native son Tom Carpenter watches birdsacross the country and writes about theavian world for many publications.

TOM CARPENTER

CUB’S CORNERRabbit hunt means pure and simple fun

Because its body is half tail, downywoodpeckers look bigger than they

are. With a body sized like a sparrowbut leaner, this tiny hunter works hisway up a tree trunk using tail as propand balance as he pecks, prods, pokesand probes for insects and larvae.Downies grace backyards, parks,gardens and feeders in all seasons,across Wisconsin. They also entertainlonely deer hunters as we wait onstand. Downies are our most commonwoodpecker, but they are uniquelyhandsome and interesting.

Look for a striking black and whitebird: black wings spotted with white, awhite back, creamy belly, and whitestripes above and below the eye. Maleshave a red nape (back of the neck).

Listen for the downy’sdescending, rattling slur of notes. Theyalso call “pik” when feeding.

Feed downies sunflowers seeds. Abetter attractor is suet, but best of all isreal, unrendered fat (such as the trim-mings from butchering your deer).Offer either in a hanging suet basket orbag.

Spare dead trees or snags on yourproperty. Downies love the associatedinsect life, larvae and eggs foundthere.

Tell downy woodpeckers apartfrom look-alike hairy woodpeckers bysize (downies are much smaller) andbill (a downy’s is much slimmer).

Did you know that a downywoodpecker sports four toes? Andthat two face forward and two back-ward? This helps him acrobaticallycling to tree trunks and feeders. OWO

TOM CARPENTER

BADGER BIRDSDowny woodpecker

(Dick Ellis)


ELLIS, from page 15

great grouse hunting. The 10-yearpopulation cycle is on the upswing.From personal experience in 2008 thebirds are waiting in numbers. Althoughthere are numerous hot-spots on publicterrain to be found, think of Price,Sawyer, Ashland and Bayfield Countiesas a start. Although a dog offers adistinct advantage, don’t let being dog-less stop you. Grab that compass, walk,flush and shoot.

CORNFIELD MALLARDSA special paradise arrives with

migrating Canadian waterfowl, pushedsouth by severe weather. It doesn’t takea boat or water. Cornfield mallards offer

one of the most superb hunting experi-ences a Wisconsin waterfowler couldever hope for. Although conditions mustbe right including no deep snow thatcould hinder the birds accessing cutcorn, being able to find those birds in thefirst place, and a season that remainsopen, when the stars align, lookout…and up.

Picture black clouds of mallardsmade up of literally thousands of ducksspiraling down right over you. You waitamong field decoys in a layout blind,and rise in unison with your partners toliterally pick and take only the fat green-heads. I experienced this in the north-east around Green Bay and again north

of Beaver Dam. We literally followedswarms of ducks in our truck for milescoming off of the only open water inthe region to find the harvested cropswhere they would eat. In route, when aflock lost us, we stopped, looked upand waited for the next flock.Eventually, we found their “diner”,asked permission, and hunted.Unbelievable…but true. Even better,ask your regional DNR waterfowlexpert for updates on late-seasonmigrating birds feeding locally.

FALL TURKEYYou can find and hunt turkey now

virtually anywhere in the state. Thebird’s adaptability even fooled DNRexperts when they migrated north ofStevens Point. As much as I prefer thefarmlands of the south during thespring hunt, I also enjoy hunting Tomin the region of the state where the bigwoods of the north meet the agricul-ture lands of the south. Big woodshunting around Wausau on publicland has been very productive.Although the fall game is more about

knowing food sources and settingambushes or scattering flocks of hensand juveniles and sounding areassemble call, expect the unexpected.

I have called in two Fall Toms withcalls simulating a spring hen. The huntincluded several answering “gobbles”and fastening a tag on a 20-pound,double bearded bird that came right tome after a bigger Tom “caught” me. Itwas spring déjà vu all over again.

MUSKY & WALLEYESLike the whitetail deer hunter,

Wisconsin musky addicts know wherethey want to be during this covetedtrophy time. If you don’t, consider theFox River in Green Bay for a chance at atrue November Spotted Pig. Warmwater discharge from industrial plantsdraw baitfish to the river from the big

bay, and the predators follow.You don’t need to be an expert to

land these fish. On my first trip, in bittercold November temperatures, on deadflat water with John Kubiak, we caughtand released a 42 inch fish. On my onlyother trip to the Fox as a guest ofCaptain Dennis Radloff and MuskyHunter Magazine, a 36 inch fish wascaught and released. But this is the timeand place for a fish of 30 pounds, 40pounds…or larger.

They are here, and ongoing DNRshocking excursions prove it. Whiletargeting musky, don’t forget to look forwalleye. Although of course notroutinely as big as the spawning fish ofSpring found on the Fox, expect goodaction and good sized fish.

STEELHEADWinter steelhead isn’t a sport that

draws crowds and must be approachedcarefully on Lake Michigan tributariesdue to cold water and slippery rocks.But given the right conditions withoutice of course, it can also produce greatrainbow action and rivers literally voidof the competition unavoidable duringthe spring run. As a guest of expertsteelheader Eric Haataja in December, Iwatched fast and furious action on theMilwaukee River.

Do not try this on your own.Contact On Wisconsin Outdoors forconnections to reputable guides familiarwith winter steelheading when the trib-utaries are open.

With 1,000 field columns in the can,you might say these ideas just scratchthe surface. And you would be correct,sirs…and madams. After all, this isWisconsin. And you can spell thatH-E-A-V-E-N. Regardless of theseason. OWO

“STRIKE TWO” –Muskies by Melinda Schnell

The exciting image featured on the cover ofthe September issue of Muskie, the MuskiesInc. magazine is now available.

Gicleé prints of the original water color repro-duced on heavy art paper with certificate ofauthenticity, unframed, are for sale in two sizes:

Standard Image: 24” x 16” $120.00, plus $15.00 S&H

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Order by mail and make check or money orderto: Melinda Schnell, PO Box 29, BoulderJunction, WI 54512.

WI residents please add 5% sales tax.

Joe Porten knows how to find cornfieldwaterfowl in late season and three timeWisconsin goose calling champion JohnVolkman makes it double trouble forgreenheads, geese and black ducks.(Photo by Dick Ellis)

Eric Haataja takes another steelhead fishing the Milwaukee River in December.(Photo by Dick Ellis)

As the first hunters entered ourWashburn-based camp to hunt

Wisconsin black bear from some of our30 stands placed over active bait stationsin Bayfield County, I could see theexcitement in their eyes. I could also feela high level of anxiety that only a hunterwho has waited years for that preciousWisconsin bear tag knows.

Many questions were answered,bait stations where assigned and thehunt was on. Most of the 15 hunterswere already very familiar with ourquest to tag “Snaggle Tooth,” themassive black bear that I had seen justonce over the years, but had morerecently photographed over bait station#01 with a motion trail camera.Although we have cautiously estimatedhis weight at over 500 pounds, I believethe big boar nicknamed due to the largetooth jutting from his jaw will in realitytip the scales at over 600 pounds. I amcomparing his mass to many bearstagged over the years in this camp atover 300 and 400 pounds, and bycomparing photos of other bears takenover the same bait pile, and in front ofthe same trees in which wephotographed the monster of BayfieldCounty.

Also high on our hit list wasHolyfield, caught on motion camera toowhile gorging at one of our bait stationsand so named after the boxer due to alarge piece of one ear torn out.Holyfield will weigh over 400 pounds.Other bears in our target territory nearLake Superior will match him in size.For our reader’s comparison, an averageWisconsin black bear will weigh 125 to150 pounds.

Black bears wander and we wereready for Snaggle Tooth at stands wherewe knew he had visited before. Hunting

from portable treestands to minimizethe effect of undesir-able wind direction,Eric McGuire fromWonder Lake,Illinois drewSnaggle Tooth baitstation #01. DonSolberg fromDousman,Wisconsin wouldhunt over Snaggle Tooth bait station#02. A logging crew began operationson neighboring land three days beforethe season was to start, one of the unfor-tunate realities in the world of guidingthat led to our decision to abandonSnaggle tooth bait station #03.

With all the hunters on stand by2:00 p.m., it was time for more work atbear camp. Bait buckets were refilled forthe next day’s hunt, the camp kitchenwas cleaned, and the menu prepared forbreakfast. With chores done it was timeto relax and wait for the first successfulhunter to return to camp. The hunt itselfconcludes months of daily baiting andhard work making sure the baits areactive and the bears in a habit ofreturning for meal they learn to expect.This week though, the hunters with bowand arrow or firearms would bewaiting.

In my hammock sound asleep atone point, I could hear a fast-approaching truck coming down thedriveway. Without opening my tiredeyes, I thought, it’s still too early for ahunter to be back at camp. I could hearthe shuffling of rubber boots coming myway. I slowly opened my eyes to findEric McGuire standing before me, hisvoice shaky and heart still pounding asif he had just taken the shot.

“I think I just shot Holyfield,” hesaid. As his story poured out, and Ilooked at Eric’s face, I thought, “This iswhat it’s all about.” The days, weeksand months of hard work were comingtogether over a few days in Wisconsinearly fall. Eric had made a well-placedshot with his arrow but was notcomfortable going after what he knewwas a very big bear without help. Infact, our hunters are instructed to comeback for the guides after a shot forassistance with recovery.

Back in the field and pointing tothe spot where the big bear had stoodjust 45 minutes before, we found firstblood. Slowly, quietly we followed agood blood trail through the thickestcover imaginable. Kneeling down, Eric

looked ahead. “Mike…” he asked in astrained whisper, “what is that?”

The bear had traveled only 50 yardsbut it seemed like a mile. I walked up tohis bear and confirmed that it wasindeed Holyfield, a Wisconsin Pope &Young black bear that would take thescales back at camp to 411 pounds witha green scored skull of 19-8/16.

Eric secured the tag to a once-in-a-lifetime bear. Overwhelmed with excite-ment, he began a combination danceand shadow box worthy of Holyfield.With some help from camp, and a lot ofsweat and muscle power, we were backat camp just in time to watch anotherhunter pull in.

Eric had driven north with hiscousin, Sean Puccinelli, who had alsodrawn a Wisconsin black bear tag aftereight years of applying. Sean jumpedout of his truck and stumbled over to uswith excitement. “I just shot a really bigbear,” he said, pointing at Holyfield.“And it’s bigger than that one.”

Big indeed. Sean had used a Marlin45-70 to make a perfect shot on atremendous bear. It took five men oneexhausting hour to drag the 466-poundboar that would green score 20-8/16thjust 60 yards from the deep ravine adja-cent to the bait station.

Finally in the sack at midnight, Ireflected on another opening day innorthern Wisconsin. 14 hunters hadalready tagged seven bears. 13 bearswould soon be tagged. In addition to thetwo massive boars, a sow would weighin at more than 300 pounds. Not bad.As I drifted off to sleep, my mind driftedback to Snaggle Tooth. The patriarchwas a no-show when it really mattered.There is a reason he’s an old, great bear.

Will a lucky hunter get him or will Ihave another chance at this cunning bigold boar next year? That...is a bear taleyet to be written. OWO

Contact Mike Foss, Northern WisconsinOutfitters at 715.373.0344 or atwww.northernwisconsinoutfitters.com

Wisconsin guide Mike Fosschooses the Suzuki KingQuad 750 AXI 4x4 CamoATV when guiding clientsfor black bear and whitetaildeer in rugged BayfieldCounty.

Beginning in May, Foss baits severaltimes a week for bear clients spreadover 20 square miles of tough back-country near Washburn, and twicedaily as the September seasonapproaches. He needs a machine astough as the country. For endlesschores from scouting to tree standplacement, to hunter transport andretrieval of tagged game, Fossdepends on the King Quad 750.

"I'll take my Suzuki," Foss said. "Ialso manage wildlife food plotsincluding spraying herbicides,tillage, seeding, and fertilizing, and Itransport ice fishing clients far outon Lake Superior. I need a reliablemachine because Wisconsin huntersrely on me. I need the best.”

Mike Foss works hard for his clients12 months a year. Hard enoughthat his black bear clients enjoy asuccess rate of 88 percent and hisdeer hunters know from history thata buck for the record book is alwaysa distinct possibility.

His Suzuki works as hard as he does.

MIKE FOSS

DIARY OF A BEAR GUIDE Will Snaggle Tooth show?


Sean Puccinelli held off for an hour waiting for a certainvital shot before taking this 466-pound black bear with hisMarlin 45-70 at 75 yards while hunting over a Mike Fossbait station. (Dick Ellis)

Eric McGuire with the 411-poundHolyfield harvested with bow and arrow.The bear traveld only 50 yards from theshot. (Mike Foss)

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The urgent call of the rat terriersomewhere in the distance pulled

Terry Mihlbauer up the sloping oakforest and over a barb-wire fence tothe lone hickory standing guard overa patented LaValle landscape. Downthe fence line, the open hillsidemelted away into a valley checkerboarded with the browns and greensof harvested farm fields resting andwaiting now for the spring plows.Then climbed again in the distance toanother oak-shrouded bluff.

At the base of the hickory sat Mo,a southern-bred squirrel dog bringinga whole load of forest gumption tothe northern oaks. And a full dose oftrouble to Wisconsin’s gray squirrel.

“He’s up this tree, for sure” Moseemed to yelp at Mihlbauer even asthe master’s keen surveillance of thehickory showed no hint of bushy tailor wisp of moving gray. “I believeyou, Boy,” Mihlbauer answered inturn. “I believe you.”

And trust he should. On threeoccasions, Mo had sounded off in theoak woods over the previous 30minutes. A first gray squirrel had“timbered” tree to tree to tree tofinally escape into a hole near theforest floor. The next two squirrelswere now in the game bag with .22-

long rifle rounds placed just behindthe shoulder from Mihlbauer’sprecisely-sighted, 35-yer old German-made Anchutz.

“When Mo barks, I’m 99 percentsure there’s a squirrel in the treewhere I find him waiting,” he said.“But I didn’t always believe him. Itwasn’t until I started hunting morewith partners that we could see howmany squirrels were hiding in thetrees.”

Hunting with squirrel dogs,according to Mihlbauer, is animmensely popular tactic in southernstates and north through Indiana tocentral Illinois. The sport is gainingmore and more participants innorthern regions of the country,including Iowa and Wisconsin.

Mihlbauer, a LaValle native andlifelong resident of Sauk County withthe exception of his college years atUW-Madison, was introduced tohunting coons with dogs by his fatherand uncle as a five-year-old. Squirrelhunting with dogs also was a familytradition with roots to yesteryear.

Mihlbauer continued coonhunting and still owns a Blueticktoday. Eight years ago, he decided toget back into squirrel hunting moreseriously and purchased a Feist inMondovi, Wisconsin. That dog hadpreviously been purchased in Illinois.

“I hunted squirrels with that dogwith a couple boys from Oxford,” hesaid. “Those boys just loved that dog.Eventually, I gavethe dog to them.”

In the late1990s, Mihlbauertraveled south toTexas specificallyto buy a squirreldog. He endedup in Arkansas,where hepurchased Mo, arat terrier of just13 pounds, andPatches, a one-half Feist, one-halfFinish Spitzfemale. Accordingto Internet infor-mation, otherpopular squirrel

dogs include MountainCurs, Jack RussellTerriers, and evenNewfoundlands.

Since their return toWisconsin, Patches hastaken up residence asthe Mihlbauer housedog. Mo has continuedto earn his keep in theoak and hickory forestsas the first leg of a hide-and-seek tag-teamtandem that often endswith Mihlbauer’s knock-out punch.

The tactic is asimple one. The dog isreleased upon enteringthe woods to search outa squirrel, at timesroaming hundreds ofyards ahead of thehunter. Without a “coldtracking” nose thatallows some dogs toshadow a coon orsquirrel long after theanimal has frequentedan area, if Mo lets loosewith his “got one goingboss”call, Mihlbauer iscertain the track is rela-tively fresh. The hunterthen hurries forwardwith high expectations.

Supplementing hissense of smell, once

located Mo useshis vision to staywith a squirrelworking the tree-tops. In the caseof the“timbering”squirrel thatstarted our huntDecember 19, Momoved to the baseof four differenttrees, sat, andspouted off to letMihlbauer knowexactly what washappening.

Uponarrival at thescene, Mihlbauer

waits patently for a good shot, oftenusing a tree to steady his aim with thescoped rifle to ensure a quick kill. Asoften, no shot at all concludes thechase as the squirrel escapes into atree hole or nest.

Mihlbauer couldn’t care less. It’sthe chase, after all, that brings ahunter back again. And Mo, appar-ently, with one-part Energizer Rabbitto blend with southern heritage and13-pounds of heart, shares the senti-ment. Regardless of each outcome ofeach individual chase, he just keepsgoing and going and….

“For me, the hunt has alwaysbeen about running the dogs,”Mihlbauer said as he prepared twosquirrels for a future meal. “I coonhunted for so long. These squirreldogs do the same thing, but they do itin the daytime. If this was just aboutkilling a lot of squirrels, I would justsit here and wait. This is about meand Mo. Just working together.” OWO

Terry Mihlbauer of LaValle maneuversfor a shot with his .22 caliber rifle afterhis squirrel dog, Mo, a rat terrier, treeda squirrel high in an oak December 19.Mihlbauer bagged two of four squirrelstreed by Mo. (Dick Ellis)

DICK ELLIS

ON WISCONSIN OUTDOORSForest Gumption…with a southern squirrel dog

A Gray Squirrel falls to theground in Sauk County afterbeing treed by Rat Terrier, Mo (above), and taken witha well placed .22 caliber round by Terry Mihlbauer ofLaValle. The squirrel dog treed four bushy tails in anhour, with Mihlbauer bagging two. (Dick Ellis)

Forest Gumption… To get his squirrel dog, Mo, to stop the pursuit, Terry Mihlbauerof LaValle either has to leash the rat terrier or pick the dog up. This hunt in SaukCounty ends December 19 on the edge of an oak forest with four squirrels treed, andtwo in the bag. (Dick Ellis)


The world of waterfowling is a very equipment-and gadget-driven sport that allows us to enjoy

one of the most exciting forms of hunting. It can alsobe one of the most dangerous, especially if you’rehunting out of a boat.

Here are the 10 most important things I’m sureto have on my boat everytime I go out. Keep inmind, I personally hunt Pool 9 of the MississippiRiver which is three miles wide, but I really recom-mend all hunters have these as well to insure a safehunting experience:

1. Common sense.

2. Knowledge of current weather conditions.

3. Marine radio.

4. GPS and/or compass.

5. First aid kit, along with portable thermalblankets.

6. Flare and signal kit, including basic survivalitems (i.e. waterproof matches).

7. Extra dry clothes in a waterproof bag.

8. Cell phone.

9. Destination plan, including general hunting areaand how long you’ll be out. Make sure someonealways knows where you are and when toexpect you back.

10. Tools and supplies such as duct tape, electricaltape, spark plugs, zip ties, spare drain plug, pushpole, etc.

It’s also worth mentioning that you’d alwayswant to include mandatory items such as lifejackets for everyone, fire extinguisher, andsounding device. These would fall under theheading of item number one above.

Equipment and gadgets aside, I strongly recommend that you don’t overload your boat. It’salso imperative that the size of your boat matches

the size of the water and conditions you’llencounter. In other words, if you plan to hunt the“big water,” be prepared for anything and every-thing.

Be safe out there! OWO

Captain Todd Lensing is a professional guide and U.S.Coast Guard master captain who takes clients out dailyduring the Wisconsin waterfowl season. Contact Todd atFlyway Fowling Guide Service, Ferryvi l le, WI,www.flywayfowling.com, phone 608.734.323 orwww.grandview-motel.com.

TODD LENSING

OBSERVATIONS FROM A WATERFOWL GUIDESafety first on the big water

“Safety first when hunting waterfowl on big water,” says Captain Todd Lensing. His boat is properly rigged for a dayon Pool 9 of the Mississippi River. “The most important thing you bring home is yourself. Just ask your family.” (ToddLensing)

www.onwisconsinoutdoors.com

∙ Read the Ellis weekly syndicated column∙ Check out archived OWO issues∙ Review biographies on the Ellis Experts∙ Preview upcoming issues∙ Check for news and press releases


JJ REICH

THE REICH STUFFWaterfowl paradise is pronounced Edmonton, Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta has long beenrenowned as a duck and goose

hunter’s paradise. For those of us rearedas Badgers, too often familiar withplaying the waiting game in the marshesof Wisconsin, the stark difference just inthe number of birds seen makes thisCanadian trip a rare experience indeed.

Not only did I witness unimagin-able shooting opportunities, there werealso hot barrels, good camaraderie, greatretrievers, tasty dishes, new firearmsproducts, cabin walls adorned witheight-man limits, and…one funny guidesurely cut from the mold of RodneyDangerfield.

In this adventure I met up withScott Grange from Browning, JonathanHarling from Winchester Ammunition,

and Kevin Howard from Mossy Oak,along with four other outdoor writersfor early-October duck and goosehunting. The eight of us were guests atDog ‘N Duck Outfitting, 80 miles north-east of Edmonton, Alberta. Threecompany reps showed us a few newproducts for 2009 in action. (Note: besure to check out “Product 6-Pack” infuture issues of OWO to get the scoop onsome I tried during this hunt.)

During the course of two-and-a-halfdays, we had three morning hunts andtwo afternoon hunts. Despite the brightclear skies and unseasonably hot, 80-degree weather, (century-old, early-October records for warm weather wereshattered while we were there), we didpretty well.

On the openingmorning’s honker hunt, Itook my first-ever “speck-lebelly” goose, with theeight of us ending up withalmost two dozen geeseand a half-dozen ducks.The hunt was done in afeed pea field using someunique stand-up blinds.The blinds were made ofcollapsible, hinged fencingthat was completelybrushed in andsurrounded by a mix ofboth full-body and silhou-ette decoys. Think of themas above-ground pit

blinds. We sat on five-gallon bucketsand stood up to shoot. The waterfowlcertainly flew comfortably into the set-up, ignoring the three-foot structures.

On the second morning’s duck hut,all eight of us at camp hunted togetherin a different grain field using the samestand-up blind set-up. We had an unbe-lievable morning by limiting out with 64ducks in just 53 minutes. We then spentan hour watching hundreds of otherducks continue to land into our decoyswhile we took in-your-face photos of theducks and got some great video footage.

On the last morning, we split upinto smaller groups for more duckhunting. This time we set up over wateron one of the many prairie potholesavailable to Dog ‘N Duck. My foursomecapped our limit of 32 ducks in less than43 minutes, with one huge mallardboxed for me to take home and mounton the wall.

The hot afternoons proved unpro-ductive, yet relaxing. We saw bothducks and geese by the thousands in theair, but only a handful worked with usand came down.

Going on far-from-home hunts isalways fun because you often see beau-tiful scenery, new-to-you wildlife speciesand interesting people. But every once ina while, you’ll meet a true character --someone everyone at camp rememberslong after the gear is unpacked andcleaned.

Meet Spoonbill Bob. Think of himas a 70-something, Canadian version ofRodney Dangerfield. His self-degradingjokes, R-rated one-liners, and constantwisecracks kept us rolling our eyes andchuckling in the duck blind. “Why dothey call you Spoonbill Bob?” I askedBob during the first night at camp.“Spoonbills are horrible ducks… and Iam a horrible man,” he replied with asmirk and a wink.

The Spoonbill Lounge was myfavorite building on the property. It’s awood-stove-heated shack named inhonor of the “horrible” guide. It’s dottedwith comfortable chairs and a pokertable, and decorated with antique gamecalls, beer signs, knick-knacks, andmounted trophies that many years ofsatisfied, return-visit guests donated.

Every hunter staying at Dog ‘NDuck has to sign the walls of theSpoonbill Lounge with permanentmarker before leaving. Some of theguests add humor to the walls bywriting down one-liners (AKA Spoonie-isms) they heard him spout during theirhunt. Some prime examples include:

“My ex-wife was an excellent house-keeper…. She kept the house!” And, “Icame into this world with nothing, and itlooks like I’ll go out with most of it left.”Meeting Spoonie certainly was ahumorous highlight of my Alberta trip.

Learn more about the outfitter at:www.dognduck.ca. If you’ve neverspent some fall harvest days in Canadagetting up close and personal with wildwaterfowl, then you must put it on yourbucket list. OWO

JJ Reich is an outdoor writer who con tributesproduct-related articles to several nationalmagazines and websites. He is also theauthor of Kampp Tales Outdoor Adventureshunting books for kids. Learn more atwww.kampptales.com.

JJ Reich with his Alberta limit of pintailsand mallards. (JJ Reich)

JJ’s eight-man hunting group complete with guide, dog and 64-bird limit. (JJ Reich)

J.J. holding huge Canada and white-fronted geese. (JJ Reich)

Stand-up blinds used in Alberta’s grain fields. (JJ Reich)


Among serious firearm collectors,there is no more contemptible

creature than that known as “Bubba.”Bubba is the knuckle-draggingNeanderthal that would disfigure aLuger by chrome plating it,“sporterize”a bring-back Nazi rifle bydrilling holes in its receiver for a scope,and shorten the barrel on a BuntlineColt. Bubba, in other words, was theamateur gunsmith that, in personal-izing his firearm, ruined it for today’scollector. Guns improved by him andhis ilk are said to have been “Bubba’d.”

Bubba was primarily a product ofthe 1950s and ‘60s. This was a timewhen surplus firearms were plentiful,cheap and unappreciated. NewWinchesters, Remingtons and Coltswere expensive. About the only gunsthat were being collected at the timewere Lugers, single action Coltrevolvers and lever action Winchesters.Surplus rifles were an attractive optionto hunters on a limited budget.

The typical Bubba of the dayworked with his hands and madethings at one of the nation’s manymanufacturing concerns. He huntedand he fished and was often a veteran.He didn’t have the leisure time tosubmerge himself in the arcane knowl-edge of proof marks, serial numbers,and pedigrees of his favorite kind ofgun. Today, people will argue suchfine points for pages and pages on web-based forums. Bubba had better thingsto do, like hunting and fishing withfriends and raising a family. And hedidn’t need (or could afford) an expen-sive Browning or equally reputablebrand flyrod to enjoy those pursuits.

What he needed was a shotgun,maybe a .22, and perhaps a deerhunting rifle. For fishing, well, a Zebcowould do just fine. If the area he deerhunted offered shots at more than slugrange, he just might get himself acenterfire rifle. A lot of times, that riflecould already be found in his closet.That’s where it landed after its long tripback from Europe years ago in hisduffle bag.

A lot of times, the rifle was aGerman Model 98K bolt actionrepeater. It might have been surren-dered in Germany to Bubba in person,found in a ruined home, or taken froma pile of captured munitions. Havingseen firsthand the havoc and destruc-tion wrought by the Nazis, Bubba, whomay still have been carrying theemotional and physical scars of his tourof duty, didn’t have the appreciation of

German craftsmanship and history soappreciated by today’s collectors.

In other words, Bubba’s consciencewasn’t bothered at all when heremoved and threw out his Mauser’shandguard and shortened its stock tomake it lighter and handier for hunting.Most Japanese rifles escaped Bubba’shandiwork, by the way. Softpointhunting ammunition wasn’t readilyavailable in the Japanese calibers, so theguns were relegated to the closet.There they often remain until Bubbapasses away and unsentimental familymembers sell it and other memorabiliafrom his service days at his estate sale.

Bubba wasn’t the only one who

felt that his surplus rifle could beimproved. Firearm magazines of theera often featured “how to” articles onsporterizing surplus rifles. Many gundistributors specialized in convertingSpringfield 1903s, Mark IV Enfields,and, of course, 98Ks into “huntingrifles.” They could easily be boughtcheap through the mail or at the localWoolworths, Montgomery Ward, orSears department store.

Some Bubba guns exhibited betterhandiwork than others. Masterlysporterized 1903 Springfields,featuring target sights, beautifullyfigured French walnut stocks andhighly polished blue finishes wereheld in high regard in the 1950s and‘60s. No matter how exquisite thecraftsmanship, they are now objects ofridicule, not the source of immense

pride they were to their originalowners.

No doubt, the long-ago owner ofmy Italian Carcano felt a certainamount of pride when he finishedsporterizing it or bought it as such.Whoever he was, he wasn’t verywealthy, or maybe he was just frugal,not seeing the need to expend a lot ofcash on a rifle that would only besporadically used. Carcanos werepretty much a bottom-tier surplus rifleoption in the fifties and sixties, andone can almost feel sorry for the Italiansoldiers that carried them into inglo-rious defeat during the Second WorldWar. They have fixed sights and hold

only five rounds of ammunition.Operating their bolts feels like thereceiver rails are embedded with sand.Trigger pulls are heavy, gritty, andlong. Carcanos are, however, fairlyaccurate, short, and light. Not badattributes for a deer hunting rifle in aheavily wooded Wisconsin forest.

My Carcano was not drasticallysporterized. Its handguard andbayonet lug were removed. The stockappears to be original, but was shapedinto a semi-sporter configuration andstained in walnut. A nice job, too. Myoriginal intent was to return the rifle toits original military configuration, butoriginal parts are now hard to find andthe two stocks I ordered from “Stinko”were defective and obviously soexcept to the drug-addled monkeysthat filled the orders. That escapade

still really fries my chicken. I threw inthe towel on that particular projectand moved on to other costly pursuits.

After I aborted the restorationproject, I gradually came to appreciatethe old Carcano for what it may havebeen–the long-ago tool of a nowdeceased hunter (the rifle came froman estate sale). Most hunters backthen were blue collar employees, so itis easy to assume that he probablyspent long hours as a machinist, tooland die maker, or assembler in one ofWisconsin’s long extinct factories. TheCarcano might have been with himwhile he and his buddies entertainedeach other with jokes and tales arounda deer camp. It might even have takena few deer in its day.

Collectors believe that those whosporterized old military riflesdespoiled them, robbed them of theirhistory and heritage. I have come tobelieve that such firearms have theirown history which should berespected. They are historical artifactsfrom a time we will never see again. Atime when Americans made thingsand hunters were not viewed asbarbarians. Guns were tools to beused, not artifacts to be collected andstored in safes by elitist snobs with toomuch time and money on their hands.

Yes, I collect firearms and cherishthe few matching number “artifacts”that I own, and until recently, I alsoheld Bubba in some contempt. But Irealize now that there was a lot toadmire about him. He put his rifle togood use without any pretensions. Hedidn’t purchase it to add to a collec-tion; he enjoyed it in the company ofhis friends and family. He had betterthings to do with his life than wastehours at a keyboard debating theattributes of his guns on the Internet.

Bubba came from an increasinglyforgotten and unrecognizable era ofAmerican history. His guns are areminder of a time when Americaactually produced and sold things,hunting and fishing were not consid-ered exotic pastimes, and gun ownerswere not objects of derision in thenews media. Someday, as ourcountry’s golden age becomes the stuffof legend, Bubba’s guns may come tobe appreciated.

Maybe even collected.. OWO

S. Wilkerson is an award-winningWisconsin journalist, firearms expert andstudent of the Second Amendment.

S.WILKERSON

SURPLUS FIREARMSBubba’s Guns, then and now

TOP: Italian Carcano in military guise. BOTTOM: Bubba'd Carcano. The Carcanomade for a better hunting rifle than it did a military weapon. (Dick Ellis)

“Bubba, in other words, was the amateur gunsmiththat, in personalizing his firearm, ruined it for

today’s collector. Guns improved by him and hisilk are said to have been ‘Bubba’d’. . .”


GROUND BLINDS, from page 12

manufacturers. Just go online and typein ground blinds and you will find awide selection of portable blinds,ranging from one man blinds to deluxemultiple person blinds. It all dependson what you want and how much youwant to spend.

NATURAL BLINDSObviously natural blinds are not

portable, but you can still have them indifferent areas to take advantage of deerroutes and the wind factor.

Look for deadfalls or blow-downsthat, with a little massaging andenhancement, will conceal you andallow you some protection from theelements. You can use “dead on theground” bark or branches to enhancethe concealment.

In one area where I hunt, we have anatural blind we fondly call “thecondo.” Basically, it’s a huge pine at thecorner of woods, which gives us a clear180-degree line of fire in two fields.There is a natural dip by the pine andwe’ve piled up bark and logs so ahunter can stand up, walk around andliterally be completely out of sight ofany deer in the two fields. Plus the pinekeeps most of the rain and snow out.Good natural blinds are there if you

look for them.If you can’t find anything to your

liking, you can always build a blind. Itcan be as easy as buying some camomaterial and stapling it to stakes. Easyto do, inexpensive and not a big deal. Ifyou feel like doing some work, you canstack deadwood in a “V” (two sides) orsemi-“U” shape (three sides). Use a treeas the rear center point, stack wood like

you did when you played with LincolnLogs as a kid to the height you want.Ideally, the only thing a whitetail wouldbe able to spot is your head, and thatshould be camouflaged with netting ora face mask. The tree not only offerssomething to lean against, it also helpsbreak up your silhouette. Since you’reusing material that is anything butuniform, the blind will have gaps where

deer may be able to detect movement.An easy way to solve this problem is touse commercial camo netting or brownburlap bags. Cut the bags apart andstaple them to the inside of the blind.

In fact a few burlap bags alongwith some black zip strips tucked awayin your backpack make a perfect quick-up portable blind. It’s not elaborate butcan help hide your presence in areas ofsparse cover. If you’re building a blind,try to set it up at least a couple of weeksbefore the season so deer can get used toits presence. It’s the same thing as if youdrove home from work and found anempty beer can in your driveway. Sinceyou and your wife don’t drink beer,obviously you would wonder where itcame from. It’s the same for deer. Ifthey suddenly see a structure in their“driveway” with human scent aroundit, they’ll steer clear until they know thatit’s not a danger. OWO

Bill Kendy has a passion for the outdoorsand has written articles for Michigan Out-of-Doors, Michigan Woods and Waters,Fishing Tackle Retailer, SHOT Business,Shooting Sports Retailer and On WisonsinOutdoors. He can be reached [email protected].

GEORGE W. CURTIS(Also Licensed in Florida)

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Jacob Schwartz, age 3, of West Allis,caught this bass ina county pond inWest Bend, and heis our Kuehl KidsPhoto Contestwinner this issue!

Kuehl Kids Photo ContestAnd the winner is Jacob Schwartz, age 3

Additional Submissions ...

Ryan, age 5, ofGreen Bay,caught thisLargemouth Basson ShawanoLake.

Kyle, age 8, ofGreen Bay, caught

this sunfish onShawano Lake.

Great photo!


How many of you have missed thatopportunity to harvest that

healthy doe, trophy buck or long-beardgobbler? If you hunt often enough andas my wife Kerry would say "He's gonehunting every weekend," you undoubt-edly have had to face the question:"How did I miss?” There are timeswhere a word or two of profanity maybe added to that question. Now someof you are nodding in agreement andthose of you who aren't probably don'thunt often enough. Missing an oppor-tunity was the theme song of my 2007hunting season.

As an avid hunter, the end ofsummer means school starting andback to work as a physical educationteacher, yet bow hunting is just aroundthe corner. This is a bittersweet time,but I’m sure you can guess which oneI'm looking forward to most.

I start shooting with my bow inlate July and continue throughout theseason at my range. The weeks leadingup to the bow opener I spend shootingat deer targets from distances of 10 to35 yards. I’m very consistent andcomfortable in this range and wouldtake these shots in the field.

However, 2007 was a season ofmissed opportunities. My first misswas a big doe the second week of theseason standing broadside at 25 yards.My seven-year-old nephew Peyton wason stand with me. The look on his facespoke volumes when he yelled "Yougot it!" and I had to inform him that Ihad cleanly missed the deer and that it

was all his fault because he picked outthe wrong arrow. To this day when thisstory comes up, he still blames it onbad arrow choice. I don't have the heartto tell him it was the shooter’s fault, sowe'll just leave it as it is.

My second missed opportunitycame during my first-ever muzzleloader hunt. My son Jason hadpresented me with a Thompson Encoreas an early Christmas present inOctober. I began practicing with thesmoke pole immediately. Shootingwith open sights, I consistently hit thecircle at 100 yards. On the last day ofthe season, my brother Tom and friendJon Thome drove three nice doestoward me. At 40 yards I picked out thebiggest one, aimed and fired. After thesmoke cleared, I watched three deerrun across two massive corn fields andcontinue out of sight. I was shocked.Standing there helplessly with anunloaded muzzle loader didn't help,either. Once again, I had practiced withthe gun, yet when the momentpresented itself, I whiffed.

A final missed opportunityoccurred during the sixth period of thespring turkey season. A gobbler was infull strut on a farm field. After a brief"meeting of the minds," Tom andPeyton entered the field opposite myposition to entice the bird in my direc-tion. It worked. The gobbler covered300 yards, closed in and stopped at 40paces. I aimed at his head, fired andwatched him skedaddle. My shot waslow and so was I. The opportunity to

tag him had come and gone. Why would I write about a

hunting season like this? You are eitherthinking This guy shouldn't be huntingor I know exactly how you feel and Ifeel your pain. I wrote the article for allthe hunters who have felt the disap-pointment, embarrassment and agonyof their own missed opportunities. Fornow that hunter is me. As an ethicaland responsible hunter, I know theimportance of practice with the bow orgun we choose to use. We owe that tothe animal, to the shooting sports, andto ourselves. Routine practice meansbeing as prepared as possible to harvestthe animal as humanely as possible.

Just like in life, however, we willon occasion miss an opportunity. If youknow you were ready, try to determinewhy you failed and learn from it. Wasit miscalculated distance, a flinch, buckfever or something else? Take yourmissed opportunity and the experienceto make yourself a better hunter.

You never want to enter the woodswith the idea that you cannot miss;missing is part of the hunt and always apossibility if you are a hunter. As longas it's the proper shot, never be tooafraid of a miss or embarrassed overthe memory of a past miss to take theethical opportunity again.

I look forward to a fresh start in2008. The practice is ongoing and I onceagain feel prepared for the season. Theclothes are clean and the quiver is full. Iknow my equipment and what I amcapable of doing with it. For now, the

last season is in the books and the expe-rience I gained from this, successful ornot, has provided me with knowledgeto continue my quest to become a betterhunter.

Ready or not, here comes the 2008hunting season. For me, it couldn't gethere fast enough. OWO

Mike Hart is a former professional baseballplayer currently teaching PhysicalEducation in the Greenfield School District.He mentors students wishing to learn howto hunt on family property near WisconsinDells. Contact him at [email protected].

MIKE HART

SWING ... AND A MISSThe hunter’s never-welcome reality

After missing too often during 2007,Mike Hart places the crosshairs of self-evaluation on himself. The author alsois very familiar with the field celebra-tions that come only with a well-placedshot. (Tom Hart)

Outdoor Criss Cross

Answers on page 30


Idon’t hunt Wisconsin’s late archeryseason very often, but not because of

any fundamental hunting beliefs orother higher ideals. There’s nothingphilosophical about my decision. It’sbecause it’s just too cold.

Simply put, I can be a bit of apansy sometimes. Ask my friends andthey’ll tell you.

With that said, as the 2007 earlyarchery season was drawing to a closethis past November, I began changingmy tactics from a desire of wanting tobag a big antlered buck, to simplywanting to bag anything. I just neededa deer, whatever kind and no matterthe size. I’d hunted a good deal sinceOctober, and had humbly watchedfrom my tree stand as little bucks anddoe wandered by. From my spot in thetrees I’d kept holding out for a “nice”buck. In the beginning it was too earlyto take anything small. Now I wasn’tholding out any longer. It was nearlytoo late.

My seven-year-old son was myloyal companion throughout theautumn, sitting quietly and patiently inhis own stand a few trees over. Fromhis perch, Jack had given me the

thumbs down on a little three-pointbuck and on several doe I’d ponderedtaking – on his say I wasn’t allowed toshoot them. Jack has anointed himselfthe caretaker for all small and youngdeer of the forest.

But now, here it was, my lastarchery opportunity, the final Sundaybefore rifle season. My 2007 bowseason had three hours of life left. Jackhad been kept home by my wife, totake a bath. It was just as well; I hadsome decisions to make on my own.

In the woods again, the cheerfulbarren trees welcomed me with openarms and moderate temperatures. Ablue jay happily bounced on a limbnearby. I had no expectations as Iwalked along a carpet of dried leaves tomy spot. I climbed calmly into mystand.

The three doe that had amused methroughout the season appeared. I hadpassed on them many times, as Jackand I enjoyed the little shows they puton amid leaves that had turned fromgreen to orange. Usually a doe is muchmore in tune with her surroundings --she senses danger easily. Not these. I’lltake a doe, and would so now, but it

has to be something of a challenge,however slight. These three doe arewhat hunters call “dumb,” and it didn’tseem right shooting one. There aretimes when hunting can be too easy.

The three girls stood near mystand, staring me in the eye. I threw astick at them, snorted a few times,coughed and talked loudly. They’d runaway just a bit and dance around withglee as if the woods were filled withmusic, but they always returnedshortly thereafter. Eventually theywouldn’t go at all. Honestly, I bounceda quarter off one and she didn’t move.They weren’t leaving.

I had wanted these doe to take offso another doe would come in, one thatwas more wary. I drew back on each ofthe three deer, proving to myself thatthey’d be easy shots, but I let off on myarrow each time. I couldn’t bringmyself to shoot.

Two hours to go.Then, quietly and suddenly,

through a snarl of pines in a direction Ihadn’t anticipated, a buck materializedfrom the woods. He had his headdown, and was on the scent of the doe.It was a six-pointer, maybe an eight-pointer. I quickly deduced it wasn’t thethree-point buck from before, whichwas most important. Now what? Mybreathing became more rapid, myhands trembled. I triggered up on mybow.

The buck looked at me, butseemed more concerned with the doe.He hesitated, and gave me anotherquick glance. Then he made a little

grunting noise and started trottingtoward the ladies.

My mind raced with calculationsof what I needed to do to get a goodshot off. I drew my bow, held, andsilently adjusted my shooting lane tomatch the direction the buck wasmoving. He was picking up speed andgetting along at a moderately fast clip.

Exactly what happened is all ablur. But when the buck moved close,between two aspen, I shot.

I don’t make these stories up.Things don’t go right very often in myoutdoor world. But this hunt did goright. The eight-point buck I took wasnot huge by any stretch of the imagina-tion, and he won’t appear on anymagazine covers. Still, I’m darn proud.A last chance buck - what could bebetter?

Over across the field, back at thehouse, my son embraced me in theyard, my wife couldn’t hold back a bigsmile on the porch, and my daughtergrinned. They were as happy for me asI was for myself.

Sometimes, every now and then,things go right. OWO

“Out There: Twenty years of family,fishing, farming and a life afield,” a collec-tion of stories by Darrell Pendergrass, canbe purchased for $15 at The Daily Pressin Ashland, Chequamegon Books & Coffeein Washburn, Grand View Food Mart andRedbery Books in Cable. Or send $15 and$3 for shipping and handling to DarrellPendergrass, 52405 Otto Olson Road,Grand View, WI 54839.

Puzzle on page 29

DARRELL PENDERGRASS

OUT THEREBucking the last-chance odds

(Darrell Pendergrass)


Dear Hunter Daily,Who should I vote for in the presidential election?

—Dan Roberts, Kenosha

Dear Rex Rodsalotta,Minnesota license plates boasts of 10,000lakes. Is that a better state than Wisconsinfor fishing?

–Kyle Davis, Waupaca

Dear Dan,OWO is a non-partisan publication. But, there is a never-fail compass I use for directionin many of life’s difficult decisions, political or not. Listen to the Editorial Board ofthe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Then do the opposite. You’ll have a great life.

—Hunter Daily

Dear Kyle,Actually, Wisconsin has 15,000 lakes.You gotta remember that Minnesota alsoboasts about being the home of theVikings .….so go figure. Wisconsin haslakes with names like Machickanee,Shishebogama, Pokegema, Nemadji andMinnesuing. Lakes so good half of uscan’t even pronounce them to get direc-tions to them, which leaves them under-fished, under-pressured and simplybetter than can be offered by any otherstate around. And when we actually findsomeone who has actually found them, andfished them, we’ll have a more detailedreport.

–Rex Rodsalotta

On Wisconsin Outdoors Board of Directors

Dear Pete,So the trapper istrapped is he? I’d sayintroduce her to thejoys of the field andtrapping. Share itwith her. Let her seta good beaver trap.Traps are so much

better today that she probably won’t even lose a singlefinger like my third wife did during her introduction tothe field. Let her smell the swamp. I know you’d be givingup a lot…but if you really love her you’ll let her skin therascals. Finally, what’s wrong with you guys these day? IfI hear, “my wife won’t let me…” one more time I’ll scream.Your friends sound like girly-men.

—Conibear Smith

Hunter Daily

Conibear Smith

Rex Rodsalotta

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Dear Conibear Smith,I’m a 20 year old trapper whois getting married in June. Iget nervous when some of myfriends say all hunting andfishing stopped when they gotmarried. Any advice?

--Pete Andrepeatagin, Superior


AChristmas puppy can be awonderful addition to the family if

you plan it right and know in advancewhat you’ll be getting into. Don’tbelieve the hype that Christmas is aterrible time to buy a dog.… there areno bad times to get a dog, just ill-prepared dog owners.

Oh, there’s plenty to think aboutand lots to do, too.Yet none of it isoverwhelming. Planning is the key.You just need to think ahead. Here area few tips to help you get off on theright track. The top few tips are forChristmas dogs; the remainders aretrue anytime you buy a pup.

PURCHASE CARE ITEMSAHEAD OF TIME

Get everything you will need beforeyou bring home the puppy. Dog food,water dish and chew toys are important.You'll also need a portable kennel, leash,collar and training treats. You can wrapthese up and put them under the tree toreally set the mood.

PREPARE TO SOCIALIZEChristmas time is a great time to

begin socializing your pup, even yourvery young pup. What you need to do iscontrol the amount of activity around

the pup. Keep a portable kennel in aroom away from all the commotion andbring the puppy out to meet people forshort intervals, then return the pup tothe crate. You have to ignore whiningand barking when the dog is in the crate;this teaches the dog to be quiet whenalone. Also, using the crate begins thehousebreaking process. Make sure allguests who meet the new pup are kindand gentle, especially kids.

PLAY, BUT TEACHWith lots of people around for the

holidays, you can reinforce that pupmust listen to and obey all people.Encourage others to help teach the pupto sit, working gently with a calm voice.After a few minute of this, you can putpup in the crate in another room forquiet time and to start teaching the rulesof housebreaking.

BEGIN HOUSEBREAKINGRIGHT AWAY

Don't forget to take the pupoutside every couple of hours, becausethis starts the housebreaking process.Use that crate. Don't train the dog to goon newspaper, which can cause prob-lems with the housebreaking schedule.Use newspaper only in emergencies.

NO TABLE SCRAPSPuppies need puppy food. If you

get a Christmas puppy, make sureeveryone, especially kids and grand-parents, know what the pup shouldeat. Again, just puppy food.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT DOGYou’ve heard this before. You

want to know a bit about the breed ofdog before you bring it home. Allpuppies are cute; so don't buy onebased solely on how it looks. Think

about what you want the dog to do andwhere you live. Do some research. Askquestions and make an informedchoice.

ESTABLISH A ROUTINEBe sure to plan activities according

to a routine so the dog becomes accus-tomed to eating, sleeping, playing,bathroom breaks, and training. Ifyou're not the type to adhere to aschedule, this may shift your thinking.

KEEP THE DOG HEALTHYAND HAPPY

You must provide the proper food,shelter, training and medical care. Geta shot record booklet and adhere to theschedule. Regular visits to the vet cancatch problems early.

SPAY/NEUTERUnless you intend to include your

dog in a well-planned and monitoredbreeding program, call your vet afterbuying the pup and discussspay/neuter options. Dogs need to beabout five months old and femalesshould be spayed before their first heatcycle.

Finally, what may be the singlemost important thing to rememberwhen considering buying a puppy isthis: have the decision made before youtake the kids to look at a puppy. Youdon’t get to “think about it” anymoreafter one of your children gets hold of apuppy.

Kevin Michalowski is author of “15 Minutesto a Great Dog” and “15 Minutes to aGreat Puppy” (Krause Publications, $12.95each) and has been training dogs for 10years. If you have questions or commentson dog care, email him [email protected].

KEVIN MICHALOWSKI

DOG TALKPlanning for the Christmas puppy

When it gets to this point, you should already know you’re going home with apuppy. (Photo by Kevin Michalowski)


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Send a message to “Bigshot” from your profile page requesting your

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Eric Stocking of Richfield scored this heavy

mass 10 pt. last season "up Nort”.


Here’s the rundown on six huntingand fishing products you may

find useful in the woods, fields andwaterways. We did.

ROSSI YOUTH-SIZEDMATCHED PAIR

For $239, this matched-pair, single-shot rifle and shotgun combination isexcellent for young hunters who arejust starting out. This set includes a .410shotgun barrel and a .22 LR barrel withadjustable sights, but several othercaliber/gauge combinations are avail-able as well.

This is a great first firearm formany reasons. One, you can teach bothshotgun and rifle skills with just a swapof the barrels. Two, it’s sized right forkids. Three, it’s simple to operate andmaintain. Four, it has extra precau-tionary features like a safety lock on thehammer.

Rossiusa.com(305) 474-0401

NITE IZE BACKBONE CASESFor $16 to $26, these durable cases

will carry and protect your portableelectronic devices and accessories. Eachcase features a molded backbone struc-ture for increased rigidity, and sportswater-resistant zippers, sure-grip pulls,strong flex-clips and multiple pocketsto organize all items. Several sizes areavailable.

I like the fact that these cases areavailable in a matte black too, becausemy wife hates it when I tote aroundalmost everything we own in camou-flage cases and packs. I also like the factthat the inside of the case has a softliner that doesn’t scratch the screen onmy GPS and has durable elastic to holdand organize gear.

Niteize.com(800) 678-6483

AMERISTEP NON-TYPICALAVENGER

For $150, this compact, hang-onstand has a slim platform size of 29-by-20-inches with a flip-up, padded seat. Itweighs in at only 14 pounds and alsofeatures backpack straps, plusAmeristep’s Accessory Port Systemallows you to use plug-in accessorieslike a bow holder.

I really like the “Super CamLeverage Lock System” on this thing.Just lift the platform, take slack out ofthe hanging strap and push the front ofthe platform down. The platform bitesinto the tree and the hanging strapstretches to secure tightly. It’s simple,stable, quick, and quiet.

Ameristep.com(810) 686-4035

MUZZY ZERO EFFECT GEN 2ARROW REST

For $72, this arrow rest has a drop-down design that has zero effect on

arrow flight, which increases arrowspeed and bow performance. It comeswith an instructional DVD for easy andcorrect installation. Muzzy now

produces several different versions ofthis product. The 600 is their standard,universal rest and works better onolder compound bows. The 600-Hoytand 600-Mathews are made especiallyfor those brands. The 600-PC is theirmost recent arrow rest made specifi-cally for newer, parallel-limbed bowsthat tend to have shorter string-slidetravel.

Muzzy.com(770) 387-9300

REMINGTON GUN SAFESUPER PLUG

For $20, the Moistureguard SuperPlug stops rust and corrosion using

Inhibitor VCI rust-preventative tech-nology. It protects all metals duringstorage, leaves no scent residue, andcovers up to 216 cubic feet for up to oneyear.

I am not a smart guy, so I like “no-brainer” products, especially ones thatprovide peace of mind. This one is defi-nitely a no-brainer; just hang it in yourgun safe and your firearms will beprotected for six months or more.

Remington.com(800) 243-9700

SWISS ARMY FISHERMANFor $40, the Victorinox Swiss

Army multi-tool features a comfort-ably-shaped handle, large blade, smallblade, can opener, small screwdriver,bottle opener, large screwdriver, scis-sors, fish scaler, hook disgorger, ruler,reamer, Phillips screwdriver, tweezers,toothpick and more.

Hey, another great pocket toolfrom Swiss Army… what more do Ineed to say? But this one is especiallycool because its tool selection is greatfor avid fishermen. Field-testing thebottle opener while sitting at the camp-fire was my favorite part of the evalua-tion!

Swissarmy.com(800) 442-2706

J J Reich is an outdoor writer whocontributes product-related articles toseveral national publications and is theauthor of Kampp Tales™ hunting booksfor children (www.kampptales.com).

Great gear for the woods, fields and waterwaysBy JJ Reich



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Vol. 2, Issue 2 - On Wisconsin Outdoors 2008 Vol. 2, Issue 2 Dick Ellis Hunting, Fishing, Trapping, Travel & Outdoor Humor Bayfield County Bear Hunt 14 hunters, 13 bears ... but does