Deer hunting Willow River State Park

[maplegrovefisherman]

Has anyone bow hunted Willow River in the late season? Any luck, suggestions, etc.

Thanks for any help!

[DonBo]

I did years ago. It gets hit pretty hard during the gun season. Expect spooky deer! The farther away from the road you get the better hunting you'll find. Heck of a drag out of there.

[klecker]

My buddy lives across the road from it. I will check with him and see what his wife saw for number of cars parked along road. She always keeps track for us. As we were packing to go up north this year friday before opener there were not very many cars as in years past, pre scouting. Nor the week befor, I bow hunted the entire week accross the road on some private. Friday it looked like the rangers were following peoples tracks in the woods and collecting stuff.

[klecker]

Gun season didn't close till yesterday the 8th. Now its four days of doe only any weapon. Managed to shoot a doe last night. Drove down river road and found a nice trail going to someones back yard feeder. I walked in 150 yards and climbed a tree. At 4:15 the parade started. Our cameras have a few bucks that made it through but all are night pics. So far 2 of the 3 big ones are still on the hoof:)

[Nathansdad]

Amazing how many deer get hit by cars there. I drive next to it everyday and it's very common to see a fresh hit. Last night there was one laying in the road fresh hit. Man it was steamin in the cold.

[DonBo]

Good job Klecker! Not easy getting one of super spooky deer after nearly a month of gun seasons.

[bloc004]

My buddy called the DNR and asked if we could hunt the state park, and they told us that was only open during the 9 day season????? Otherwise, we would have been out there. I am assuming this was on the south side of River Road. Reading the signs posted there, they say only open the 9 day season for shotgun.

[DonBo]

Says here it's open for the 9 day gun season, Nov. 20 - 28, then archery only thru Jan 9.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/regs/statepark/willowriver.htm

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/regs/maps/willowriver.pdf

I'm assuming Klecker was bowhunting...

[bloc004]

That is what I was assuming. We went to some other public land that had posted: open for the 9 day season and Archery (same as the state park signs), but nothing about the extended herd management season until the 8th of Dec. The DNR told us the state park was closed, but didnt say anything about this particular piece of public land. We didnt know and since it was posted the same as the state park land we just went to land where we knew we were leagal. It can get pretty confusing with all of theses seasons running together!

[klecker]

The trail that I "found" exploded as the people next to the private land I hunt have been feeding the deer to save them from the hunters. They due so every year, during the gun season. The deer have to cross the road first, before I can pull the trigger. We usually only bow hunt this property, but when the feeding program starts they don’t use the normal trail systems. It’s now a bee line to the supper table. We normally bow hunt the opposite side of the property. One the savors don’t know we are in there (they don’t own it), and second it’s not worth the headache to try and recover a deer if it happens to run on their land. But if we can put them down quickly we move in a little closer. They will stop feeding in a few days and things go back to normal in a few weeks or so.