A Scary Moment

I got an email from Lee Van Landuyt and thought I’d pass it along. He was hunting for elk alone in North Dakota recently and got a nice bull late in the day. He used the timer on his camera to delay the shot so he could be in the picture and snapped one of the big bull. When he looked at the picture the next day he was quite surprised to see a cougar standing a few feet behind him in the brush as he knelt by his elk.

“I about crapped the next day” he said. Another of those things that happen in the great outdoors that we just shake our heads at.

post by: Dan Bomkamp - author and host of "How's Fishing"



Finally, the Fishing is Going Strong

After waiting for weeks for the water levels to go down, we finally have some good fishing to report. If you’re a bass fishermen get over to the Mississippi and try some backwaters or DeSoto bay. The bass are stacked up in those places and are feeding like crazy. My brother John guides on both the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers and he’s had some amazing days lately. On one trip he and his two fishermen caught 166 bass and on another they caught 222……pretty good fishing.

Cold Springs and DeSoto are also producing some nice big bluegills. And if you want to try for some perch, try Genoa dam, behind the fishing float or behind the long wall of the dam. There are some being caught that are 12 inches. That’s a darn nice perch.

On the Wisconsin the water is at a perfect level for fishing. Late season walleyes and smallmouths are feeding in preparation for winter. All you need to do is find that spot where they’ve ganged up and you’re in business.

Fall fishing can be some of the best of the year. Take out a few hours from your hunting and give it a try.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Don't Miss Fall Fishing

Fall fishing is going hot and heavy right now. This past summer water conditions were very bad making fishing slow or non-existent. The water levels are back down now and the fishing is very good. My brother John guides on the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers and he has been having some fantastic action.
 
The bass are biting now and the fishing for them is amazing. Recently one of his trips with two clients netted 165 bass. The next trip two days later netted over 200 bass. That’s some fast and furious fishing action.

The bluegills are also biting again at Cold Springs and DeSoto bay on the Miss. There is also some very good perch action below the dam at Genoa with some 12 inch perch being caught. Add that to good fall walleye action and you’ve got some fishing you should not miss.

The Wisconsin River is also down to a very nice level again. Fall walleyes are out there waiting for your jig or lure. The water is cooling down so the catfishing is slowing but who cares when you can catch walleyes?

Fall fishing is very overlooked. Many people put away their fishing gear and get their bows and guns out when they should be sharpening their hooks for a day on the river. Take a day and enjoy the great weather, low fishing pressure and hungry fish that you’ll find at this time of year. You won’t regret it.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Pheasant Season Opener

Saturday is the opening day for Pheasants in Wisconsin. There are two types of hunting for those who like to stalk these beautiful birds. The most common is the put-and-take type of hunting. There are many Public Hunting areas where pen-raised birds are released for hunters to hunt. These birds are often raised by local hunting groups and a huge number of them are raised by the DNR. This year State birds will number 51,000.

The second type of hunting is for birds that are natural breeding birds. These birds were stocked many years ago in areas with prime Pheasant habitat. The birds are from stock brought from China and Iowa, can withstand Wisconsin winters and are self-sustaining.

In either case the bag limit is 1 rooster per day this weekend and then the bag limit doubles to 2/day for the rest of the season. There are certain areas where hen Pheasants are also legal. To hunt for them you need a special permit and tags. Both of these things are free from the DNR.

It’s pretty crowded and hectic the first weekend but then if you go during the week you can have some pretty quality hunting. Pheasants provide some good hunting opportunities and a great wild game dinner for those lucky enough to bag a couple.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author & host of "How's Fishing?"

Where Did The Grouse Go?

I remember back when I was a kid, I used to carry a neat little side-by-side 410 shotgun when I went in the fall woods. I could pick a squirrel off a branch like nobody’s business and I also was ready when a grouse flew up from a patch of brush. In those days grouse were everywhere where there was some thick brush and they gave hunters a lot of action.

Today I’d have to walk a long ways to find one grouse. No matter where you go in SW Wisconsin the grouse is a thing of the past. What caused it? I’ve thought for a long time it was the introduction of the Wild Turkeys. Twenty to twenty five years ago we had no turkeys and lots of grouse. Today we have lots of turkeys and no grouse. The reason is because both of these species compete for the same food and nesting areas in the woods.

Anyone who has ever seen a flock of turkeys move through the woods knows that they eat every bug, bud, nut and berry in their path….the very same food that grouse used to eat. Hence, lots of turkeys eat lots of grouse food and in the last 20 years the grouse have just lost out to the bigger stronger birds.

Now there’s nothing to be done about it. The turkeys are here to stay. But it’s kind of sad to think we’ll probably never hear the drumming of a male grouse in the spring or get the heart thumping thrill of one flushing at your feet in thick cover.

by: Dan Bomkamp

Wisconsin Youth Deer Hunt

This coming weekend is the Youth Deer Hunt for Wisconsin youngsters. It takes place on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th. On both days, kids who are 12 to 15 years old and have passed Hunter Safety can hunt for deer as long as they are accompanied by an adult hunter over the age of 18. The adult hunter cannot hunt with a gun for deer but may carry a bow. They also may carry a gun for other hunting like turkey or squirrels.

Mentored hunters also can hunt this weekend. A mentored hunter is a youth 10 or 11 years old who has not taken Hunter Safety. They must be accompanied by a mentor who is over the age of 18 and the mentor must be within an arms length of the hunter.

This gives the young hunters a chance to bag a deer before the opening of the regular season where there will be over 600,000 hunters in the woods. The weather looks to be perfect so if you know a young hunter who would like to give deer hunting a try, get them out there and have some fun. I guarantee there are many kids who’d love to hunt if only they had the chance. If you get them started…you’ll have a hunting buddy for life.

by: Dan Bomkamp
Author and host of "How's Fishing?"

The Duck Season That Wasn't

This will be remembered as the opening weekend that didn’t happen for duck hunters in Southwest Wisconsin. High water has filled the river bottoms from bank to bank. What normally is marsh and pond is now a free flowing river. Brush that hunters hide behind is under water.

I remember an opening weekend like this back about 20 years ago when I was an addict to duck hunting. I went every day of the season rain or shine and was nearly devastated when we had flood conditions on the opening weekend. Being a bit stubborn my hunting buddy and I waded out to our duck blind in chest waders and found the only part of the blind we could see was the top 2x4 sticking up from the fast moving water.

That’s the same thing hunters will find this year. If you are willing to check out some new territory and take a little hike, there are ducks up in the hills along the many streams that run into the Wisconsin. Wood ducks especially will follow the streams upriver and find acorns to feed on. Walk along the streams quietly and you’ll often find ducks here and there. It can be a way to salvage some duck hunting time and actually be a lot of fun.

Otherwise, go squirrel hunting, turkey hunting or deer hunting with a bow. Living in SW Wisconsin there are many choices of outdoor activities and a hunter or fisherman just has to be willing to change a bit and he’s right back in the game.

by: Dan Bomkamp
author and host of "How's Fishing?"