Explore some public lands and get your heart pumping this winter

If you are getting outdoors at all and doing any sort of exercise this winter, I applaud you.

Getting about 6 inches of the white stuff dumped on my little section of Google Earth is one thing, but when our little digital weather station starts dipping down below zero, I just want to pull a blanket over my head and peek out about Groundhog Day.

If I see it’s still below zero, I’ll threaten to stay indoors motionless for six more weeks — but someone will have to go get me the special deal on McDonald’s burgers. Are they still doing that?

I managed to defy the law of inertia Sunday afternoon, driving myself to a new public hunting spot for a short sojourn with my crossbow. This one, called Shaky Lake State Natural Area, is fairly close to my house and in Outagamie County, where the kind members of the County Deer Advisory Council had the good sense to extend the archery season to Jan. 31.

The state gave every Deer Advisory Council this option if they had also approved the Holiday Hunt, an antlerless season from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is telling us that there are too many deer in our Farmland Zone (forests aren’t regenerating and one public area I checked out has a high fence to ensure that planted trees aren’t chewed to death), so why not work together to thin the herd? Bucks can also be shot during the extended season, but for some reason many area DACs didn’t approve the Holiday Hunt and extended bow season. Why not?

I had a map of Shaky Lake and had talked to a biologist about accessing the nearly landlocked property. At the end of a dead-end road there was a short turnaround — not even a parking lot. One hunter’s pickup truck was already there when I arrived. I could see his fresh tracks in the snow going down a narrow trail that was posted on both sides with “Private Property” signs.

After a quarter-mile hike, I found the public area signs. I felt a little better.

But these thin woods led to a huge cattail marsh and didn’t look overly promising. Still, I was getting some exercise, and since I hope to do a little backpacking in warmer weather with a friend, the backpack, aluminum folding stool and 7-pound crossbow I was carrying were great practice.

I found a ridge overlooking the frozen cattail marsh, and tucked my stool between an old wooden tree stand and a small tree. Life on this brisk Sunday afternoon was good. I was a free man hunting on public land, and I was miles away from home, family and responsibilities. Somewhere on the West Coast, the Packers were still planning on winning a football game. I was planning on sticking a deer, or maybe a coyote.

About 4 p.m., I pulled out my Circe predator call and gave a few cottontail screams across the marsh. After a few minutes, I repeated the screams and then gave it one final chorus. Not even a crow answered.

I packed up early for the long walk back to the car. My out-of-shape carcass needed to stop a few times to catch my breath. Despite the 25-degree day, I was sweating! The sight of the minivan was comforting.

Uncocking a crossbow requires a shot, and I loaded my solid fiberglass bolt onto the rail of my Barnett FX Raptor. The solid metal, oversized tip normally bounces off frozen ground, but the only thing I saw to shoot into was a mound of plowed snow. I aimed where I thought the road started and fired. A clean, round hole appeared in the snowbank. Fishing a small shovel out of the van, I dug down and quickly hit the nock and fletching, perhaps 2 feet down.

I have one more weekend to bag another deer, and I’m not sure I’ll return to this spot. But it’s nice to know I have many other public use areas to explore.

If you made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight or get in shape, why not explore some new public use areas in your neighborhood or county? The DNR has a great app on its website that will help you find public lands. Bring a pair of cross-country skis or snowshoes, take along some snacks, beverages and hand warmers — and maybe even the family, if they like adventures. (Mine prefers the warmth of home.)

Get the heart pumping and the mind relaxing with a little exploration. We are truly blessed to live in this state with nearly 6 million acres of public lands to enjoy.

Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com.