Ashland/Bayfield Ctys, WI - Wisconsin Severity Index, hammered.

[huntinlever]

My son and I track and stalk the northwoods of WI, Ashland County area. While Ashland isn't quite as bad on the severity index at 102 as Bayfield or Douglas counties to the west or Vilas to the east (all in the 120's), still looks like this area's herd has been hit pretty hard. Any of you guys that like to hunt on the move in WI's northwoods, are you making any other plans due to the state of this year's upcoming herd?

[Agent1187]

I was only visiting a few times, but those deer looked worse for the wear this spring - and those were the ones in the heart of the ag areas! I wouldn't be surprised if the woods are going to be sparsely populated this fall.

[huntinlever]

I was only visiting a few times, but those deer looked worse for the wear this spring - and those were the ones in the heart of the ag areas! I wouldn't be surprised if the woods are going to be sparsely populated this fall.

Yeah, I'm afraid I agree with you. Strange how it's only a county down or either direction E-W, and you're in mild territory.

Rethinking the plan, but don't know really where to go. Don't really like hunting S. WI too much, just prefer big woods.

[beltfed]

Wolves, Wolves,Wolves in Ashland and Bayfield Ctys west of Mellen.
Hunted there most of my 81 years. Really bad , low deer population.
Wolf sign and we even saw wolves while hunting.
My cousins on my Grandfather's farm on Seitz lake had Wolf depredation
on their cattle, etc, etc. Farming closed down. Both are passed away.
Cabin where I stayed, my friends have not opened it for gun season for 5 years now.
Just Very Few Deer.
Last buck we got , I was the lucky one. A nice 10 pointer, 18" Spread, was in 2010.
Now I hunt with a friend in Green Lake Cty. A bummer to have to just sit in an elevated
stand for this ole woods walker
beltfed/arnie

[huntinlever]

Wolves, Wolves,Wolves in Ashland and Bayfield Ctys west of Mellen.
Hunted there most of my 81 years. Really bad , low deer population.
Wolf sign and we even saw wolves while hunting.
My cousins on my Grandfather's farm on Seitz lake had Wolf depredation
on their cattle, etc, etc. Farming closed down. Both are passed away.
Cabin where I stayed, my friends have not opened it for gun season for 5 years now.
Just Very Few Deer.
Last buck we got , I was the lucky one. A nice 10 pointer, 18" Spread, was in 2010.
Now I hunt with a friend in Green Lake Cty. A bummer to have to just sit in an elevated
stand for this ole woods walker
beltfed/arnie

Thanks for the historical context, though sad to hear of an old stillhunter like yourself having to change up like this. I'm the same way. We'll probably hunt our S. farmland for anterless tags and I may take up bowhunting again for the first time in 30 years, but bearing a firearm, with my son, we love hunting on the move in big woods. May go out of state this year, which is why I was asking in another thread about back east. Sad.

Edit: We hunt N. of your cousins' place, up in the Marengo area.

[beltfed]

Paul,
DO you know where St Peter's Dome is? We hunted off of the East West portion of the "Ashland/Bayfield County Rd.
Around lake 3, Beaver Lake, all around that area. Spring Brook Road. Along the upper Brunsweiler River coming out of Mineral lake,etc.

Sounds like you are "down toward the Lake" side of the Old Penokee range, towards the farm country. East of Sanborn and West of Marengo?
Arnie

[huntinlever]

Paul,
DO you know where St Peter's Dome is? We hunted off of the East West portion of the "Ashland/Bayfield County Rd.
Around lake 3, Beaver Lake, all around that area. Spring Brook Road. Along the upper Brunsweiler River coming out of Mineral lake,etc.

Sounds like you are "down toward the Lake" side of the Old Penokee range, towards the farm country. East of Sanborn and West of Marengo?
Arnie

Arnie, bingo! Last buck was there, my son couldn't see it but I did, and took an (admittedly) smaller 6 pointer right there, couple miles in SE of Long Lake. We go there, and also the Marengo Semi-Primitive area. In fact in 2015 the semi-primitive area is where I spotted what I've called "The Ghost Buck" ever since - just prior to shooting time, beautiful buck but when I took to cover behind a large shrub off the trail, I'd lost him and he disappeared into the mist as zero hour came on. Never found him. Haven't been back in years but at the time there was a decent amount of sign. Not big rubs, but there were good lines going in. Just a couple, actually, starting close to Snake Trail - saw the top one from the road.

Attachment 317049
Attachment 317050
Attachment 317052

[beltfed]

Paul, Here is my 2010 buck I shot on the highest point directly South of Long Lake/ south of Morgan Creek. Just west of St Peter's dome. My bad. It is a wide 8 pointer, not a 10
Arnie

[huntinlever]

Paul, Here is my 2010 buck I shot on the highest point directly South of Long Lake/ south of Morgan Creek. Just west of St Peter's dome.
Arnie

Awesome buck, Arnie! I think I know right where you took it - and we were through the same area...look familiar?



Shame you've had to move on. Beautiful country, imo. We might still go back, or to the Marengo semi-primitive.

[beltfed]

Yup,
That is where I shot that last buck in 2010
Just on the south side of the Divide.


Arnie

[beltfed]

Here is another nice buck I shot in 1992. Just off the North Country Trail, just above Lake Three
21" spread, 6 point, 205 lbs dressed. An old feller.
Arnie
Attachment 317111

[huntinlever]

Here is another nice buck I shot in 1992. Just off the North Country Trail, just above Lake Three
21" spread, 6 point, 205 lbs dressed. An old feller.
Arnie
Attachment 317111

Hey Arnie - can't see a photo. Clicked a link but getting "invalid link" from the castboolits site.

I don't know the Lake Three area. I have several topos from close to there, but see that it's the Mineral Lake topo. I see a knob with a saddle that Mineral Lake Rd cuts through, but not seeing the NCST on the topo yet. If you can get the photo up, I'd love to see it. Quite a bit of history there. Pretty sad you've not returned since 2010. The rub photos I posted were from 2015 but that was the Marengo Semi-Primitive, and it was the next year we got the buck, by St. Peter's Dome, just off the trail running on the N side of Morgan Creek.

No thoughts to ever heading back?

[beltfed]

Trying again

[Doubletap]

I just spent several days driving and looking for game from central Ashland, Bayfield, and western Douglas counties. Saw a few turkey, and after three days of looking saw a grand total of 2 deer. Didn't even come up on much bear sign, which kind of confirms what the DNR has found out, the wolves now dig out and kill hibernating bear during the winter months. Wolf sign was about as common as where I live, northern Lincoln and southern Oneida counties.
As for plans for the fall, I've spent the mid summer months scouting the area of Waupaca county, a metric S**Tton of deer, and being primarily a meat hunter, rack size is of little import. Still hunting the edges of the public swamps in the sandy outwash areas of central Wisconsin can be interesting, and you'll see plenty of deer. Might want to check out the depredation hunts, currently on going I believe. Check the DNR website for info.

[huntinlever]

I just spent several days driving and looking for game from central Ashland, Bayfield, and western Douglas counties. Saw a few turkey, and after three days of looking saw a grand total of 2 deer. Didn't even come up on much bear sign, which kind of confirms what the DNR has found out, the wolves now dig out and kill hibernating bear during the winter months. Wolf sign was about as common as where I live, northern Lincoln and southern Oneida counties.
As for plans for the fall, I've spent the mid summer months scouting the area of Waupaca county, a metric S**Tton of deer, and being primarily a meat hunter, rack size is of little import. Still hunting the edges of the public swamps in the sandy outwash areas of central Wisconsin can be interesting, and you'll see plenty of deer. Might want to check out the depredation hunts, currently on going I believe. Check the DNR website for info.

Thank you for this though it's hard to read. We're, too, meat hunters but being as alone as possible is important to us, so this is a hard pill to swallow. I know it's tough going and the same conditions exist there as seem to have taken place in N. Wisconsin - out of the loop long enough since 2016 it seems a lot has changed, as Ashland and Bayfield still showed promise then, as well as a kill - but I'm wondering if we should just head up to the Sylvania Wilderness in the U.P.

[JustinP]

I live in Ashland County, and I'm not familiar with the severity index. But I am familiar with Ashland an Iron counties, and the deer population has been in the state of decline for decades. But it also seems fish populations have too. Maybe I'm just reaching that, "Well, back when I was your age......." stage of my life.

[huntinlever]

I live in Ashland County, and I'm not familiar with the severity index. But I am familiar with Ashland an Iron counties, and the deer population has been in the state of decline for decades. But it also seems fish populations have too. Maybe I'm just reaching that, "Well, back when I was your age......." stage of my life.

Thanks for the perspective Justin. Can I ask, have you also given up, to hunt elsewhere? All else aside, we love the area and are willing to work hard - and if we come up empty, that's OK too, but if literally it's dropped so low that getting in and working for it is almost nil, we may sadly move on too.

[huntinlever]

I live in Ashland County, and I'm not familiar with the severity index. But I am familiar with Ashland an Iron counties, and the deer population has been in the state of decline for decades. But it also seems fish populations have too. Maybe I'm just reaching that, "Well, back when I was your age......." stage of my life.

Thanks for the perspective Justin. Can I ask, have you also given up, to hunt elsewhere? All else aside, we love the area and are willing to work hard - and if we come up empty, that's OK too, but if literally it's dropped so low that getting in and working for it is almost nil, we may sadly move on too.

[JustinP]

Thanks for the perspective Justin. Can I ask, have you also given up, to hunt elsewhere? All else aside, we love the area and are willing to work hard - and if we come up empty, that's OK too, but if literally it's dropped so low that getting in and working for it is almost nil, we may sadly move on too.

No, I haven't considered going to other areas. It's home and there is nowhere else I'd rather be.
But I will admit, I'm nowhere near as excited about deer season as I used to be. Some of that is the deer population, and some of it might just be age....LOL
It's not impossible to find deer but there are less. It seems like there might be less hunters too though.

[beltfed]

Hey,JustinP,
By chance did you know my cousins Harold and Al Hakala?
They lived on my Granpa's farm near Seitz Lake , Beaver Lake, Lake Three.
I am their "City Cousin" Arnie Seitz