What county are you in?

[BigBowMan]

I live in Adams county and hunt in Adams county.

[WhiteTailobsessions]

Forest county.

[droptine300]

I live and hunt in Buffalo County.  I have been hunting in this county for 20 years. It is a very beautiful county with all of it's bluffs.  But hunting here is not as great as you might think.

I just got out of a partnership I was in for 17 years.  We owned 230 acres 60% wooded.  I had great partners and we took a few nice bucks, but not as many as one might think.  Most areas of Buffalo county are very pressured.  If you look at a current plat book you will see what I mean.  Guys are buying 5 acres, 20 acres, etc., thinking they will shoot a giant buck.  It isn't that easy.  Most of the nice bucks go nocturnal right after hunting opens because of all the hunters.

If you want to shoot nice bucks you need a few things.  Large tracks of land where quality management is followed.  It doesn't do any good to let the buck go if your neighbor shoots him.  This is a problem I had on the partnership land.  People need to leave the deer alone until they are vulnerable to be taken.  Again this was a problem on the partnership land.  Opening week, Scrape week, rut week(s) and a week during December seem to be the key times to hunt.  Else leave the deer alone. 

Earn a buck hurt the partnership property because of all the hunting pressure from neighbors.  The last 3 years of opening gun weekend I only seen two deer in these three years. 10-20 years ago it was quite different.

My partners didn't want to move to a new area but I did.  I researched until I found an area I felt met the above criteria and then purchased property with one of the local crop farmers.  I purchased the woods and he purchased the open land and gave me the hunting rights to the open land.  So I now have 150 acres 80 which are wooded to hunt on. 

This will be my first year hunting here which I am excited about.  But the truth is, Buffalo County big bucks will become harder and harder to find as the years go by.  The land parcels will become smaller and smaller and the hunters will grow and grow in numbers.  Many of the farmers have already sold their woods to hunters which is sad to see and which I am now a part of. 

I will give this about 5 to 10 years.  If this property doesn't produce I will probably leave Buffalo county in pursuit of of less pressured counties.

I see all the commits about wishing they were hunting buffalo county.  If you want to shoot big bucks, Wisconsin is capable of producing them.  But it is all about your neighbors.

Good luck to all this hunting season.

Droptine300

[Whitetailaddict]

well said

[Goose]

Welcome newcomers!

Droptine - Thats an interesting post and sounds familiar - I don't think its just Buffalo County being that way but I can see it sucking more 5-10 acre buyers in for a good dollar in hopes of the monster bucks the area is known for.

[WeekendWarrior]

Live in Eau Claire, hunt in Chippewa/Dunn, and Burnett.

[lando]

Live in marathon county. Hunt maraton, Lincoln and Shawano. Hunting the last 2 years have not been good in either 3 counties! Hope it turns this year. The camera's have taken 155 pictures in a week and showed nice but average and many does!

[bradhunt]

live and hunt in chippewa county also hunt in douglas county.  Douglas county is getting harder and harder to hunt due to bears and wolves.  hunt 100 acres in Chippewa county got two shooters on camera. enjoy life and Leinenkugels.

[trvsmarine]

live in winnebaggo, own land in shawano, 80 acres not far down the road from TIGER RIDGE WHITETAIL MANAGEMENT PROPERTIES... pumped about this bow season but havnt put camera's out yet....

[joeturkey]

Live in waukesha cty, and hunt in Richland,Waukesha,Vernon and Taylor counties. Can't wait for the bow opener this weekend! Good luck and Good hunting. Joe