Fall is a magical time for all hunters and a time to count our blessings that we live in a state with ample hunting land and abundant hunting opportunities.
Whether you like hunting waterfowl, deer, bears, small game or upland birds like pheasants or ruffed grouse, Wisconsin is truly paradise.
I was counting my blessings a bit louder than normal on Labor Day weekend. After celebrating my 67th birthday Sept. 3 with a seafood lunch at Millions Crab in Green Bay, sharing it with my wife, her father and our daughter, we bought a used Land Cruiser. It cost more than a house I sold in Davenport in 1998. Ouch.
The next day, I started sending strange texts to my wife. I couldn’t remember what day it was. Later she questioned me, and I didn’t know my daughter’s birthday. She wisely decided to take me to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Appleton. I spent parts of Friday through Sunday pestering nurses, getting an MRI, CT scan, brain scan, insulin shots, 3 a.m. blood pressure checks and gobbling some good and some low-sugar diabetic food. All in all, a pretty bad but memorable Labor Day weekend.
The blessing is that although a stroke was confirmed, I had no numbness, no tingling, no paralysis and no blockage that needed surgery. Although I had belly shots to prevent clotting and a few other meds to keep the blood platelets slippery, the only long-term medicine change was adding one full-size aspirin instead of my previous baby aspirin.
Once again, I cheated death. The almost-kick-the-bucket-list includes the aortic dissection, the dissection follow-up surgery in December 2013 (planned), a 1996 pituitary tumor treated with a drug (it almost pinched off both my carotid arteries), seven kidney stones and assorted childhood and adult close calls that involved a cherry bomb (14 stitches), pocket knife (nine stitches), gas can with burning nozzle in my hand (successfully extinguished) and assorted near-miss driving events (not my fault).
It’s time to appreciate every second in the woods. Hug those around you and apologize for being stubborn and stupid, as we all are.
Archery and crossbow deer, bear, fall turkey, goose, duck, woodcock, mourning dove, fox, raccoon, cottontail rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, quail, partridge, ruffed grouse and bobcat (Period 1) are either open now or will open very soon. It’s time to thank the Creator for letting us live another season as a part of nature, seeing and using this natural bounty as intended. Every hunt is a successful one if we feel refreshed and alive when we return. Fresh, wild meat is just a bonus.
Although the archery and crossbow season opened Sept. 12, I have a hard time getting excited about the season until closer to October. Pesky insects, itchy weeds and hot weather combine to make conditions tough. I’d rather hunt in cool or even cold weather any day. With conditions perfect for gnats, it’s also been ideal for a gnat-borne deer disease called epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD for short.
No-see-ums (or biting midges) are those tiny gnats that love to buzz around your eyes and bite when you drop your guard. They are carriers for EHD and have infected at least two deer found dead in Washington County. More than 770 deer have been found dead in that county and another 175 in Waukesha County.
The disease can’t be transmitted to humans either by infected gnat bites or by eating infected meat. Keep an eye out for deer showing excessive salivation, foaming at the mouth, weakness or allowing humans to approach. Also look for carcasses in or near water, as the deer become thirsty and feverish, and try to cool off.
Report sightings of sick or dead deer at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/2ce0c81a1fa446a898c23d8e3595fbfc. You can also call 608-267-0866.
Since Jan. 1, silencers have been selling at a hectic pace, because the $200 tax was eliminated as part of the Big Beautiful Bill. A federal court ruling in August further allowed silencers in 27 states to be sold with the normal 4473 firearms form but not the separate Form 4 that requires fingerprints and a passport photo. Wisconsin is one of 15 states that still requires the Form 4, fingerprinting and passport photo.
To get the full benefit from the silencer, look for calibers (like most .22 standard velocity rounds or .300 Blackout) that travel below the speed of sound to avoid the supersonic “crack” that no silencer can eliminate.
Have a safe hunt this fall. Be sure to sign up for a hunter education class before classes fill up.
Remember, you can always mentor hunt without a hunter safety certificate (look up mentor hunting at the DNR website for details).
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Readers can contact him at ross@wolfriverccw.com.
