Grouse Hollow Journal for January 31, 2013 by Greg Koelker

Grouse Hollow Journal for January 31, 2013 by Greg Koelker

Last week I overheard some of my students talking about bow hunting season. I have to admit that the talk sort of made me long for quiet time in a tree stand, October sunsets, and frosty fall colors. I guess all I can do is plan for the next season now. Of course, I could put up trail cameras to see where and what deer are about on our property; we have been seeing quite a few bunched up around the coulee including a couple antlered bucks as recently as this last week. I could plan some food plots. We always do one, but there are at least five other areas that a food plot might benefit our deer. I see that the recommend time to plant a food plot is in early May, so I am a ways away from that. I can plan what to plant, how much of it I need, and how I will get the soil ready I guess. I could put out some more tree stands or set up some places for ground blinds. Oh yeah, I have to get up on the ridge with a ladder and rescue one of my ladder stands from the downed oak tree that is pinning it against the ash tree it is attached to. One side of the platform is bent pretty badly, another job for the offseason. With little snow on the ground, I guess I could try to find some dropped antlers. They should be off by now or getting ready to fall off I would think. I could practice shooting my bow too. I guess there is plenty to do related to bow hunting in the offseason.

I was reading in Wisconsin Outdoor News that the powers that be in outdoor rules and such are thinking about allowing most or all bow hunters to use cross bows during the bow deer hunting season if they choose. Handicapped and elderly hunters have had that right for some time. Some people and organizations are against this change. This argument isn't new. I remember years ago when the compound bow first became popular. I was against them. Then one day I was target shooting with my Bear long bow up in Hixton Forest in La Crosse and wildlife artist and photographer, Clark Gallup showed up with one of those newfangled compound bows – I think it was an Outers bow. He showed me the bow and equipment – primitive compared to today as I remember, and let me shoot it. I had one the next season. I would venture to say there are some Fred Bear types out there still shooting long bows and good for them, but the Wisconsin Bow Hunters Association says that most bow hunters (WBA says 95%) are using compounds today. There is no shortage of whitetails to go around and no one is being required to use a crossbow to hunt with. Granted crossbows have the potential to kill deer at a greater distance and have some pretty advanced technical advantages like scopes, but I know several hunters who hunt with crossbows and they haven't had any better luck killing a deer than I have. One still has to get near enough to kill a deer and make a good shot, and there are still all of the archery hunt nuances (stand placement, scent control, tracking, etc.) included in that scenario. According to the book The American Rifle, a Biography, some American generals and politicians during the Revolutionary War were against rifles and favored the much less accurate musket – because rifles and rifle toting frontiersmen were not gentlemanly or sporting. It appears that the Wisconsin Bow Hunters Association isn't crazy about allowing all hunters to use crossbows, yet their representatives say they aren't against crossbows; they suggest crossbow hunters should have a separate season. According to WON, it doesn't look like that will be the case any time soon. Something more likely is a licensing requirement where hunters must declare at the time of purchase which weapon they will use to hunt with. Anyway, if crossbows increase the opportunity for some hunters to get in the field, I am for that. I won't be hunting with a crossbow any time soon, but I don't care whether someone else does.

Last night, I dreamed about a spring morning up on the ridge listening to tom turkeys talk from ridgetop to ridgetop. It must have been brought on by seeing the strutting toms mentioned last week in this space or perhaps the 50 birds I saw in one valley Saturday. I actually like spring turkey hunting better than most other hunting – even bow hunting. I have my permit, but I need to get a license soon.

I suppose I could go out and make some ground blinds for that too.

On Saturday, I went ice fishing at Stoddard Bay with my brother-in-law Chuck Wright. We drilled a few holes in the, I'd say 14 inches of ice. I dropped my camera down one and saw one bluegill, but nothing else to speak of. That's what we caught too - nothing. We drove up to Shady Maple and saw a few fish caught near us, but the result was the same for us, no fish. I was telling Chuck about how this area used to be home to a village of permanent fish houses like in “Grumpy Old Men.” El and I and our little boys fished there most of the time we ice fished back in the day. Anyway, we fished until nearly dark and went home to a grilled chicken dinner.

The 10^th Annual Stoddard Bay Jigg'n Jamboree Ice Fishing Derby is this Saturday, February 2 from 9 AM to 1 PM. The event is sponsored by the Stoddard Parks Department and is limited to the Stoddard Bay area. There are categories to win prizes for bluegill, crappie, perch, Northern Pike, and bass. There are many door prizes as well. Tickets are available at the Stoddard Village Hall and the Stoddard Public Boat Landing on Saturday.

Until next time, get out – one of our Colorado kids, daughter-in-law Whitney, was here for a visit last weekend. It was so great to spend some time with her, and catch up with what she's been up to and what adventures she and Mark are looking into (Morrocco and Ecuador maybe). While we talk often, I miss my boys a great deal. The snow time is their busy time in Colorado, so it is hard to break away, not to mention expensive to travel right now. Enjoy.