Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Birth of a deer camp

Damned good UP bear and while I don't know that I would have had a crack at him with where I'll be (when I get a tag) - I sure hope he has some older brothers that moved my way.

Well boys….she’s here. Hunting season. Am I going this morning? No. But I could.

A button buck the house cats could damn near take down was sleeping next to the wood pile earlier today.

lol. We saw a few fawns yesterday. Some were tiny with spots still and a few were what you'd expect to see this time of year.

The ice and heavy snow took a toll on our little patch of woods we hunt in NW WI. We have about 6 stands or blinds in a square mile or so. Lots of Jack Pines, old Red Pine stands to brand new cuts. The 10 year old stuff that was young enough to be bent over was partially broke off all over the woods.


Some of the bigger spruces and Jack Pines were bent or broke and made it just a messy tangle We got 3 areas cleared out to what I'd call huntable. There are some deer on the cameras but not a ton. I'm hoping now that there is more room is some spots we'll see more movement through them. But...the woods changes so I'm guessing we'll have to move some of this stuff around.

Not really deer camp but something interesting that we came across this morning.

My family used to own a bar in Phlox WI. About 1893 (family was split between the UP and Antigo/Phlox area since coming to this country)



This morning my uncle found this random picture of someone in a bar, in Phlox WI in 1945



This is my son. He's never been to Phlox and neither have I. Uncanny similarity to last Christmas and 1945.



About 10 years ago I went to the DNR to buy a fishing license. They told me I already had one. Impossible. Found out my long distant cousin bought one. We share the same first, middle and last names AND birthday, just 4 years apart. Had to use my Social Security number to tell us apart in the system. He lives in Antigo - 12 miles away from Phlox.

Cool Andrew !!

Amazing resemblance.

Miss Aurora been busy;

That's funny and cool!

I have done a lot of bird hunting in and around Antigo

Well, they're done on the back 40, just going to clear up some white pine in the front for us (2 acres or so) and this year's cutting is done. I think we'll go a good 5 years before starting on the last 40 of hardwoods. Give this a chance to grow up some and provide cover before taking that out.







Grind for biomass - hope they made some money off it because there's more logging equipment for sale right now on Marketplace than I ever remember. Good stuff, nearly new.

Are they leaving anything up or did you clear it out? In 5 years you'll have to swat the grouse out of the way to get to your deer stands.

Yeah - they left some decent cedar, any/all apple trees and balsams that weren't bad. Cleared most of it. I expressly told them - "we're cutting cuz of the bud worm but the goal is to make this good habitat for deer and grouse." They're local UP guys - they get it.

There's still a good 40 acres of mixed hardwood high ground/cedar swamp mix yet.





About 80 of the 120 has been cut over the past 2 years.

Originally this property was a family farm in the 1890-1940 time frame. Bought it in the 50s. Converted to tree farm, actively farmed till the 90's and then left to overgrow. Bud worm hit. Should have been logged off a decade ago but whatever.

I'm excited to see what it becomes. It's nice to see you guys taking care of it. A lot of people wouldn't.

There is a camp I drive by on the way to my parents that was completed logged off, all of it, every tree. The land looked awesome with a creek and some great hills down to a swamp. That was about 5-6 years ago. Now it's so thick I'm not sure how they get to their stands but they have to have some trails cleared. Can't really tell from the road. I'd love to grouse hunt it.

Our guys said that for every aspen/popple they cut - we'd likely see something like 5-7 shoot up in its place. Combined with the natural tendencies of balsam to spread like weeds, I don't imagine I'll have wide open spaces a long time.

That said - a tower blind on one end, overlooking all of it - might be fun to hunt like they do in Texas for about 3 years.

You could do a tower and keep a trail or two mowed going away from it. If a guy keeps up on it, it could be good for a long time. Plant some clover or something in it. Good for turkeys and grouse too.

I'm attending a cancer benefit for a friend this weekend but hope to get a couple walks in for birds before/after. Weather's not the best with highs about 72. I'd like to cut 15 degrees off that if I could.

Was out Saturday in the rain all day. Got soaked, ate good food, drank shi't beer, and had a blast. Flushed 10, saw 6, shot at 3, got 2....not a bad day at all.

Of that 10 that were flushed, I'll admit that 6 came from one spot. We only say 3 of those. It was really thick and green in the woods still. Hard to see, harder to get time for a shot.

I was up north saturday and sunday. Like Tom, got soaked in the rain, but saw/heard several birds. New pup did a good job. Managed to get a pair of grouse. Good times!

Where did you go Jeff? We were north of Duluth, Island Lake area. Plenty of birds. I would bet we'd have a limit if it wasn't raining. Hunted some spots I haven't up there before, which I didn't think existed lol. I tromped a TON of that area as a kid. It was only 15 minutes from my house and 1/2 hour from school. To say the least, I was there a lot as a kid.

Tom - We were at the deer shack near Bigfork. Agreed, if it wasn't for the rain, I could have shot a limit.

My hunting partner lives on Island lake. He does a ton of grouse hunting each fall, lots of it close to home.

Yeah he doesn't have to go far, that's for sure. It should start to get colorful up there this week. It was just starting last week.