Fall is the best time of year for those who love to hunt or fish. With more than 38 million Americans enjoying fishing and hunting, it is a wonderful time of year for many.
Now that the U.S. is about a month into bow hunting season for deer, hunting is picking up. According to Don Roscovius, who is the owner of the small shop Rosco’s Live Bait in Tomah, WI, he hasn’t seen many deer, but knows that many are hunting this season.
With a new electronic registration system, Roscovius says he likely won’t see many of the deer hunted, as he just helps people figure out how to use the system. The sale of hunting licenses tells him there is an increase in hunters this year, though.
“License sales have been steady, and more people seem to be getting out there now,” Roscovius told The Tomah Journal.
So far, Roscovius says he has only had to register one deer at his shop: a 10-point buck. The increase in hunters can be attributed to a youth hunt that took place in the area recently. The cold weather, though, is also a contributing factor.
“Turkeys have been pretty good; I’ve gotten seven so far,” he said. “In the fall they just bunch up, so you just have to get ahead of them and wait for them to get to you to ambush them.”
The conservation warden for the Department of Natural Resources, Matt Modjeski, says that duck and goose hunting has also had a great season so far.
“The hunters were having some pretty good success with mallards, blue wing teal, green wing teal that were harvested,” he said. “We also saw wood ducks and a ring neck duck were harvested. Also there were geese all over the area.”
He also added that the season has been a safe one so far, with very few citations issued. One of the only citations thus far was for a man shooting Canada geese without a permit. Another was issued to a man who shot swans.
“Swans are protected and you can’t shoot at them, so enforcement action was taken,” he said.
While bear hunting is still open, it is slowing down, Modjeski said, and fishing has significantly slowed down.
“The water temperature is starting to cool, and fishing tends to turn off locally,” he said. “I have not talked to wardens on the Mississippi River or the Wisconsin River, but usually closer to the end of October into early November walleye can get pretty good out there.”
Roscovius echoed that statement, saying that bluegills and bass have slowed; however, northern fishing has been picking up.