gengberg November 19th, 2008
Madduck’s new posting looks at swan hunting, the similarities between the economic collapse and looming duck crisis, and the flawed effort to recruit new hunters into the duck-hunting fraternity. You won’t find these insightful analyses anywhere else. Go now to www.Madduck.org
gengberg November 19th, 2008
Gary’s Blog for November 19, 2008This is the time of the year when outdoorsmen and women have so many choices of what to do with their spare time. The hunting and fishing opportunities are limitless and continue through the end of the year. Deer hunting opens this weekend and over 650,000 hunters will be in the woods chasing whitetail deer. There is still pheasant, duck, goose, rabbit, squirrels, and grouse seasons open. Like I said, what do you do?
Tuesday, I happened to go muskie fishing with friend, and guide Wally Banfi (608)-644-9823). We decided to go on the Madison Chain of Lakes. The temperature yesterday morning was 14 degrees here at my Wisconsin River home when I took the dog out at 6:30 AM. Wally and I decided to wait till things warmed up and do a few errands before fishing. I’ve been trying to get some video of muskies before I start editing my TV pilot.
We met my cameraman, Daniel Robinson at 12:30 at the boat landing. There still was thin ice around the lake and a few other boats fishing. Our plan was to drift and fish suckers on Bait Rigs Quick Set rigs. Wally had some nice dark suckers from 12 to 14 inches. We had only been on the lake for 5 minutes before we had our first strike. The muskie didn’t have the sucker and got off after biting the tail and our blade attractor. Wally and I had 3 suckers out with two on Thill floats and one with just a rubber-core sinker. All the suckers were attached with rubber bands through the mouth and in front of the dorsal fin to the quick set rig.
Our efforts were concentrated on fishing just outside the weedline. We found some green cabbage and fished in water 8 to 10 feet deep. After losing another fish, we decided to let the fish have the sucker a little longer before setting the hook hard. I got a nice 40 inch fish on the float-less rod right under the boat. A nice chunky fish was photographed and filmed. It was released and swam away. We also had another 4 fish on that came undone soon after the hook set. Then, Wally got another nice 42 inch fish before we left the lake at 3:30 PM. Two fish over 40 in the boat and 5 others that got away.
It was a great day and the photos will soon be posted on this website! Keep fishing till ice comes. The water temperature on the Madison lakes was 39 degrees. As we were fishing, they pulled the piers. But, that doesn’t stop a muskie-hunter! Dress warm!!
gengberg November 19th, 2008
The annual “Salmon Sunday” event was held yesterday at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. It’s fascinating - the wildlife biologists explain their role and show how fish produce eggs and fertilize them. It’s something everyone should see (especially kids). So, I put together a short documentary and I thought you would be interested to see it.
Here’s a link to the “Salmon Sunday” video on YouTube (~6 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-RYSgPnqlY
Hint: click the “watch in high quality” link below the bottom right of the player for a better experience.
Please leave a comment or vote on the video to let me know how you like it. Also, please share this with your friends - the wildlife biologists in every state do great work and it would be good if more people knew about it!
Tight lines,
Joe Pych
Founder
Hooked-in Fishing Reports
http://www.hooked-in.com/
gengberg November 19th, 2008
It’s almost here, that nine-day period starting this Saturday, November 22 when about 650,000 hunters take to Wisconsin’s woods and fields hoping to bag a deer or two for themselves and friends. This is the 157th statewide gun deer season in Wisconsin with the deer herd now estimated to be somewhere between 1.5 and 1.7 million deer.
The discovery of CWD (chronic wasting disease) in 2002 in southwest Wisconsin changed deer hunting for some in this part of the state and some hunters even quit hunting due to the disease even though there has never been any problem with the disease affecting humans if the deer is properly cleaned and processed.
This area of Wisconsin is part of the 11-county South Central Region (SCR) where most of the land is within the chronic wasting disease Management Zone (CWD-MZ). Many rules and regulations have been made simpler unlike past deer hunting seasons where there were many statewide regulations and special seasons for the CWD zones. The special CWD zones have been combined into one large zone (the CWD-MZ) of 8,849 square miles and 18 Deer Management Units in 19 counties. Long gone are the smaller zones like the Disease Eradication Zone which has been included into the larger zone.
The main difference in the CWD-MZ and the rest of the state is that the entire CWD-MZ is unlimited Earn-A-Buck during the nine-day season, the muzzleloader season, the late archery season, and the late hunt. The other differences are; there is an antlerless-only season from December 11 to 14, deer tags are free in the CWD-MZ zone after you purchase a license, and free deer testing.
There is a new program for donating venison called Target Hunger. These days, there are many families looking for alternative ways to feed their families. Initially, the DNR paid for processing deer for donation to food pantries. But, with the hard times that the DNR is facing there no longer is funds available to pay for this program. But, this deer there is a new program in place to help the needy. Don Bates, the CWD operations chief, said that, “Hunters will be able to drop off their deer at participating meat processors as well as at Department of Natural Resources operated stations where Target Hunger volunteers will be present.” Continue Reading »
gengberg November 16th, 2008
Guides and outdoormen Wally Banfi, Tony Puccio, and Gary Engberg talk local fishing opportunities in southern Wisconsin on the Wisconsin River, Lake Wisconsin, and the Madison Chain of Lakes for walleyes, sauger, northern pike, and muskies.
Hunting for deer, pheasants, and other game is discussed with the approaching deer season. The interview is with DNR Fish Technician, Scott Harpold during last week’s stocking of Leech Lake strain muskies on the Lake Monona where Gary caught up with him. Plus more outdoor tips and info. Tune into Outdoor Horizons Saturdays at 8:00 AM on WTDY 1670 AM in Madison, Wisconsin. Or go to wtdy.com where the shows are archived or this website
gengberg November 15th, 2008
WALMART FLW WALLEYE TOUR SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR 2009MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 13, 2008 - FLW Outdoors announced its 2009 Walmart FLW Walleye Tour presented by Berkley schedule with a restructured payback that offers larger awards deeper into the field. The tour will still feature top pro awards of $100,000 in each qualifier and a top pro award of $150,000 in the lucrative FLW Walleye Tour Championship while 50th place awards in each qualifier jump to $3,000 in the pro division.
Anglers competing will fish a diverse schedule that opens April 15-18 in Port Clinton, Ohio, on Lake Erie. The second tournament will be on the Mississippi River from May 6-9 in Red Wing, Minn. Leech Lake in Walker, Minn., will host the third qualifying tournament June 10-13 with the final event July 15-18 in Oshkosh, Wis., on Lake Winnebago. The FLW Walleye Tour Championship will return to the Missouri River in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 30-Oct. 3. Continue Reading »
gengberg November 14th, 2008
Stormy Kromer’s Bear Hunting Camp at Lambeau Field
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Win a Lambeau Field Stormy Kromer
Stop by Stormy Kromer’s Bear Hunting Camp this Sunday at Lambeau Field’s Tundra Tailgate Zone! You don’t need game tickets to get in the TTZ.
Bear Hunting Camp at the Tundra Tailgate ZoneWhere & When
Sunday, November 16
8:00 am– 1:00 pm
Tundra Tailgate Zone at Lambeau Field
Are you a good shot?
Come by Stormy Kromer’s Bear Hunting Camp at Lambeau’s Tundra Tailgate Zone and try your hand at Bear hunting! (Fear not– no actual bears will be harmed at our camp. We’ll leave that to the Packers.) If you’re a good enough shot, you could win a Lambeau Field Stormy Kromer Cap or a Stormy Kromer tee shirt.
Stormy Kromer Mercantile
1238 Wall Street
Ironwood, Michigan 49938
www.stormykromer.com
Can’t Make it to Lambeau Field? We’ve just added more items to our sales & specials section.
If you don’t have a Lambeau Field Stormy Kromer yet, you can get one on the Packers Pro Shop website.
gengberg November 14th, 2008
Here is the link to a video of this buck before he was shot in velvet!http://fieldandstream.blogs.com/whitetail365/2008/09/exclusive-video.html
gengberg November 14th, 2008
Deer Hunters — check out this bow kill from one of our members in IOWA! http://www.myhuntingpage.com/imageviewer.asp?photoID=2887
Two nice racks with one shot! Congrats Jeremy, a once in a lifetime shot!BIG BUCK PHOTO CONTEST — get all your friends to enter their photos 100% FREE! Great prizes!
(we want all deer pics, 1st timers, kids, hunting party, even the little bucks & does too!)
Also, don’t forget our annual GRAND PRIZE webpage give-a-way! North Dakota Hunt for 2. All members are eligible; register all your hunting & fishing pals before 12-31-08.
It’s all at http://www.MyHuntingPage.com
“Show ‘em Whatcha Got!”
gengberg November 14th, 2008
Warm-Weather WaterfowlingDucks and geese change their habits during warm spells, and so should hunters
by Wade Bourne
Source: Stuart McCullough, Avery Pro-StaffIt happens virtually every duck season. Hunting has been going well. New birds are showing up with each cold front. Ducks and geese are moving and feeding in predictable patterns, and the shooting is steady.
And then a warm spell sets in. The wind shifts to the south or southwest and diminishes to a gentle breeze. Windbreakers are more appropriate than heavy parkas. Hand warmers are long forgotten. And for many hunters, the shooting simply disappears.
Skies that were buzzing with waterfowl a few days earlier now have far less traffic as ducks and geese respond to the balmy conditions. Hunters curse the warm weather and hope for a return to conditions that are more appropriate to the season.
So what’s a duck hunter to do? Stop hunting until the north wind returns? Absolutely not, say Tyson Keller and Hunter Johnson. Waterfowl still fly and feed when it’s warm, and hunting can be worthwhile for those who know how to adjust to the temperate conditions. While these two veteran waterfowlers agree that hunting is better when the chill is on, they don’t sit on the sidelines when it’s not. The season is too short for that.
Both Keller and Johnson are members of the Avery Outdoors pro-staff. Keller, a South Dakotan, routinely targets Canada geese that concentrate on Lake Oahe and feed in surrounding grainfields. Johnson runs Locked Wings and Labs, a guide service in Missouri, where he mainly pursues puddle ducks in flooded fields and moist-soil areas. “Because we’re a guide service, we have to hunt regardless of the weather conditions,” Johnson says. “When it’s warm, the hunting may not be as good, but we still take a fair number of birds.”
During warm spells, both Johnson and Keller adjust their hunting tactics to match changes in the birds’ feeding habits. When the next warm stretch hits, adopting some of their warm-weather strategies might help you stay in the action.
Ducks When the Heat is On
“There are two types of warm spells,” Hunter Johnson says. “The first is two or three warm days in the midseason. This is just a temporary warm stretch when ducks don’t feed as much and are in a loafing mood. When a spell like this comes along, ducks don’t burn a lot of energy, so they don’t move around as much looking for food.”
Johnson finds that when ducks do feed during a warm period, they gravitate to soybeans, moist-soil plants, and invertebrates. And when feeding during a warm spell, ducks are usually in a relaxed mode, scattered broadly instead of bunched up tightly. Typically, there will be several feet between each bird.
To match these feeding patterns, Johnson often changes locations to hunt over the right type of food. He also uses fewer decoys than normal and scatters them. “I’ll put 10, 20, or even 30 feet between each decoy,” he says. “This presents a contented look that is more natural to ducks in warm weather.” Continue Reading »
Gary at a live remote hosting his weekly radio show Outdoor Horizons on 1670 WTDY Madison. You can listen every Saturday from 8:00 am - 8:30 am.
Also, make sure to listen in to Gary's weekly tips.
