Living
Al Brown | Tracking the Seasons
The smell of failure didn't last long
The unmistakable aroma of skunk covered every inch of our piece of real estate in Jefferson County, permeating every thicket, cattail bastion, hay field and oak woods like a soggy wet blanket.
Unlike the Green Bay Packers, who squeaked out a win while losing Al Harris and Aaron Kampman, possibly for the season, our group of six deer hunters only had their pride hurt.
It was the first time in memory that no one in our group of six hunters, which dates back 16 years, tagged a deer on opening weekend.
Based on the number of gunshots heard, either there were far fewer hunters in the fields over the weekend, considerably fewer deer to shoot at, or the deer were lying low and resting from post-rut trauma.
Whatever the case, without an inch or two of snow to reveal deer activity, it's difficult at best to get a feel for how many deer are actually in a given area.
It goes without saying, however, under the chronic wasting disease (CWD) Earn-A-Buck (EAB) rule in effect, a lot of antlerless deer were killed over the past couple of years.
Under the EAB rule, a hunter must first shoot an antlerless deer before he or she can earn a sticker to apply to the back of their buck tag, which allows them to kill an antlered buck.
Although some antlerless deer were actually button bucks and others small spike bucks with no antler longer than 3 inches, the majority of the "baldies" killed have been does.
The taking of each doe equates to at least two fewer deer the following spring, the doe and one fawn. Older, healthy does often bear twins or triplets to help sustain the herd.
Thus, the DNR's herd reduction program is really working, or there were far less deer roaming the countryside than the DNR projected before the 2008 season, which produced the deer herd for 2009.
As this column was being written Monday morning, my cell phone rang.
Alan Jaeckel of Ixonia, one of the hunters in our group, killed a buck shortly after 9 a.m. The seven-pointer was the only deer he saw.
Unlike the rest of the state, where harvested deer must be registered by 5 p.m. the day after the close of the season, all deer taken within the CWD Management Zone must be registered no later then 5 p.m. of the day following the kill.
A spot check of area deer registration stations late Monday morning revealed a dual rush to get deer registered; first because it was required in the CWD management zone and second, because of the high temperatures to prevent spoilage.
5-O's Holiday in Oconomowoc reported 23 bucks and 42 does; Cruisin 16 BP, Ixonia, tagged 28 bucks and 53 does and Detjen's Meats in Watertown was too busy to give a breakdown but had already taken in more than 300 deer.
Back at our place, the skunk smell is dissipating, thanks to Alan's Monday morning buck and some rain.
- A taste of hunting
- Observing the characteristics of a snowless winter
- Absent snowfall meant thin harvest in 2011
- Wolves getting expanded role in wildlife picture
- New rules allow opportunity to appreciate wild game
- How new concealed carry law affects hunters
- Now's the time to hone weapon of choice
- Overlapping seasons create color conundrum
- Hunting calendar is upon us
- Weary anglers getting their chance
- Passing down knowledge of the hunt
- Appreciating the gifts of Mother Nature
- Ticks replace mosquitoes as concern
- Tag, you're it: hunting seasons approaching
- Fundraiser gives bird hunters a taste of what's ahead
- Rock River's banks a hotbed for local fishermen
- Fishing a great Father's Day opportunity
- With the stroke of a pen
- Grape jelly fills the belly
- Getting out on the water pays off
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- Relay For Life of Lake Country Kickoff-Monday, February 13th
- Oconomowoc Newcomers & Neighbors Monthly Mingle Tues Feb. 14
- UW-Waukesha Continuing Education Classes Offered the week of February 12-18, 2012
- The Rock River Patriots Welcome G. Edward Griffin To Wisconsin
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- Anti-Bullying assembly
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