HuntersCabin

Markesan Area Hunting

Hunting is truly enjoyed in the Markesan area! There are many hunting opportunities to be had, and acres and acres of public hunting in the area. Deer and turkey hunting probably share the most participants. Deer hunters are very enthusiastic about their sport. Many now practice Quality Deer Management. This involves closely monitoring the deer herd, and taking what is learned to organize strategies to produce the best possible herd. This can involve keeping the buck to doe population at a fifty/fifty ratio, passing up younger bucks, or planting food plots to help the deer through the

Wisconsin Winters.
Many hunters are using trail cameras to monitor their deer herd. These trail cameras are helping the hunter to learn even more about the whitetail they pursue. With a network of neighboring property owners hunters they are able to monitor just how far a deer's range is. The picture to the left is of the same deer as the one harvested above. It was taken over 3 miles from where it was harvested.

Turkey hunting, with seasons in both the Spring and the Fall, also place many hunters decked out in their favorite camouflage in the Wisconsin woods. Many prefer the Spring turkey hunting. It puts the hunter in the woods well before it gets light. It is an awesome experience for a nature lover to hear the woods come to life while most of civilization still quietly sleeps. The woods too is bursting forth with new life, and if you're lucky enough to hear the thunder of tom turkey gobbling while yet roosted in a nearby tree .....well let's just say you might get hooked!
With the many lakes, ponds, rivers, creaks, and water-holes in and around Markesan, the duck hunting is also "targeted" by many. Once the harvesting of the many area corn fields has begun, many duck hunters continue their efforts on the dry ground. The large variety of ducks to hunt only adds to the fun. Many also pursue the variety of geese in the area. Be it jump shooting or hunting them over decoys, there is sure to be action with the Horicon Marsh close by. It is quite a sight to see these big birds commit to your calls and decoys from a mile away and set their wings for a glide in, or maybe commit from straight overhead and watch them wiffling down into the decoy set.
butter

Ring Neck Pheasants are also plentiful in the area marshes. Chasing these birds with "man's best friend" can be quite the rush. Seeing the dog you put so many hours of training into outright smiling with joy as he or she flushes or points out a bird is something near and dear to the Pheasant hunters heart. There is definitely a unique bond between a good Pheasant dog and the hunter, getting that bird is only an exciting bonus.
For those looking for lots of fast paced excitement, there are plenty of cottontail rabbits to pursue. Many wait for a fresh layer of snow before heading out to stomp through the cottontail's habitat. Hunt them alone, or track down a friend with a beagle or other hunting dog for some additional excitement. A hunter willing to visit the uneven snarls the cottontail calls home can normally get several chances at getting the main ingredient for rabbit stew.
A high fox and coyote population can be detrimental to the balance of nature and Winter also is the time when these hunters turn into the hunted. It is not uncommon on a sunny winter day to see a bunch of friends walking block after country block in an effort to out-fox one of these wily critters. It is a great way to get some Winter exercise before that Packer game starts! Others hunt fox and coyote in a totally different fashion. They go out with a variety of calls that sound like an injured animal or bird. It can get pretty high tech, with many using electronic callers, battery operated decoys that catch and hold the fox or coyotes attention and even spotlights with red filters when hunting at night.
One of the new hunting seasons in Wisconsin is crow hunting. These birds are very intelligent and difficult to pull into shotgun range. The one thing they can not resist however is the chance to gang up on their enemy, the owl. Hunters often dress in full camouflage, setup a few crow decoys and an owl decoy, then flip the switch to their electronic caller, starting a chorus of angry crows screaming at an unlucky owl. This imitated crow/owl fight can pull crows from over a half mile away. Be ready, crows figure things out in a hurry, chances will be short lived. Remember, you must eat any harvests!
Squirrels are a great way to get kids started in the sport. Take a .22 and go sit out in the woods in camouflage and watch a child's eyes light up at the sight of a squirrel. It teaches the basics of hunting in patience, safety, and good shooting skills. Teach our youth well, they are the future of hunting.

If you are going to be hunting the Markesan area, we hope you have a safe, exciting and successful hunt!

If you are a successful Markesan area hunter, please share your tasteful and unique picture of your harvest with the world. We are looking for harvests of all types. Please e-mail your pictures to mail@markesanwi.com, include harvest information and if we can use the harvest information along with the picture.

Support ethical responsible hunting, report violations CALL 1-800-TIP-WDNR.

HUNTER'S CABIN

Markesan Area Hunting