A new season arrives as another leaves
I’m not going to do it, at least not yet anyway. I’m not going to talk about wolves or the newest version of the Wolf Management Plan.
On Friday this whole thing called the fall hunting season kicks off and we have more to talk about than wolves.
About a half hour before sunrise on Friday morning the Early Teal Season, the Early Goose Season, and the Dove Season commence. Nine days for the teal season, the early goose spills into the regular goose season, and dove runs until it closes November 29th.
The bear season opens six days later on September 6th for the dog hunters, and the 13th for bait sitters. In the more southern zones, south of Highway 64 where the use of dogs for hunting bears isn’t allowed, the bait sitters start September 6th.
Archery deer hunting opens on Saturday, September 16th. Fall turkey, ruffed grouse, cottontail rabbit, and squirrel also open on the 16th. Woodcock hunting and the duck season open on the 23rd of September. Thirty days from now just about everything is open.
This all crescendos to November 18th when the traditional nine day Gun Deer Season starts – “opening day.” I saw three guys carrying new bows out of a store a week and a half ago. Two ladies shopping for new archery camo clothing, another guy carrying a couple boxes of decoys out to his truck, and a lot of ammo being bought. That was from one store in one Wisconsin town. I’ve noticed several duck boats on the highway and at gas stations the last week or two, obviously getting a shakedown cruise before dark thirty on the teal opener. The getting ready has been in full swing for a while now.
What are you planning for the weekend opening festivities?
I know people who are camping and some heading to their cabins for fishing and boating. A couple are heading out for an early goose hunt and a couple the early teal season. Several are putting out trail cams and zeroing in on stand locations.
A couple friends are heading west to Montana for sharptail grouse and Hungarian partridge. One of those friends plans to chase sage grouse in Montana, a bucket list bird. After hunting in Montana he plans to travel to Nebraska for some sharptails and prairie chickens hunting in the sandhills. He wants to get back to Wisconsin about the time the woodcock and grouse hunting start.
Another friend leaves for a safari hunt on plains game in Africa. He started feeling that itch almost ten years ago and this year it comes to fruition. I’m pretty excited for him and to hear about his adventures at the RGS Grouse Camp the end of September.
Yet, Labor Day weekend still seems to be more about summer to me than hunting. That last big hurray at the resort of fishing, swimming, skiing, ball games, grilling, and campfires from my childhood still hang with me. But unlike then, now we can hunt.
I’ll get out for dove this weekend for sure, even if I don’t take a single shot. Early teal is like early goose, hit and miss, lots of scouting, lots of driving for the scouting. A lot of ducks other than teal fly past the decoys - most of the time – most of the ducks. The days often get warm so the afternoons turn to grilling and fishing. That’s the plan for me. Kind of the same as last year. A friend from down south keeps telling me that next year I have to come down for opening weekend of a true southern dove hunt – the same day as Wisconsin’s by the way. He’s been telling me that for about ten years. Maybe next year, but it seems next year comes, and something always gets in the way. It may feel like suntan weather while hunting this weekend and for sure most hunters still don’t hunt this opening weekend. Those that do, please remember to make your hunt a safe hunt. Making safety first when dealing with guns unfortunately sometimes fails to happen I witnessed that this summer and it took all the fun away.
It the beginning of the season we have all the time the season provides. And that’s it for August and it’s cool nights. Up next is the promise of September.
I wish every one all the luck in the world this fall, but please remember, Safe Hunting is No Accident!
Through a
Decoy’s
E
ye
