Wisconsin Bowhunting Opportunities

[LilPavan]

I just moved to West Bend, WI and need some advise. I am wondering what the hunting opportunities are like in the area.

Are the public lands overhunted?

How far do I need to go to find good hunting?

How hard is it to find non-lease private access?

Most importantly, are there any trad bowhunter archery clubs?

I have researched the DNR website for months and have some areas for scouting. There is a lot of area to cover and I won't be able to scout it all.

[youngarcher1]

There is the ojibwa archery club in new berlin/ brookfield area. Some of the state forest can be hunted and I don't believe it's overly active with hunters either. Give the DNR office a call and ask which parts of the state forest can be hunted and they should be more then helpful in pointing you in the right direction.

[Bigriver]

Non lease close to west bend damn is near impossible. There are so many bowhunters you will be shocked. I have lived here for 35 plus years.

The Kettle Moraine state forest is 15 minutes away. Gets a lot of pressure, but you can still get deer. Allenton public hunting grounds, Horicon marsh, Hwy D public hunting grounds all within a half an hour from West Bend.

No trad clubs, but my club, Neosho Archers has more trad guys than any club I have ever been at. Let me know if you want more info.

[stik&string]

Welcome to Wisconsin. I let the guys from that part of the state chime in, but up here most good spots are leased or posted but deer can be found if you are willing walk walk in further than the average hunters.

[stagetek]

You are not that far from the North Kettle. That's the northern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. It's located around Kewauskum and the town of Dundee, Long Lake area. It's hunted fairly heavy, but there aren't any public areas in S.E. WI. that aren't. Go to the WI. DNR site, and you can print out maps.

[Precurve]

Ask a landowner.  Many farmers are fine with bowhunters, especially if you ask first.

Dave

[rraming]

I have hunted near Hayward and east and rarely see anyone until the end of October.

[stagetek]

There are also a few areas west of you. Horicon, Theresa and Allenton marshes. They're great duck and geese areas, but plenty of deer as well. Usually pretty wet, but with the drought this year, should be alot easier to get around in.

Why anyone would ever leave the wonders of NW Iowa for all of those little bucks out east is baffling to me.  You should have seen what walked past my new/your old tree stand the other day. When I lived out there I found funnels on the dry trails around the back sides of the wet areas.  Short cuts always got me in deeper water than I intended.  A small area in Wisconsin is bigger than anything that we have around here, but remember that farm country was better when we lived there and it probably is better on that side of state as well.  We had that dairy farmer with the apple grove that made us breakfast when we hunted on his land. There were no leases back then, only people that wanted someone to take out deer that would not alarm the cows while shooting deer.

[eflanders]

PM sent.  One of the best clubs in the state is in located between Mayville and Horicon and it is called the Horicon Marsh Bowmen.  Lots of trad archers are members there.  Check out their website for more details.  There is also the Racine Instinctive Bowmen.  This is another great club about an hour plus drive south of West Bend via the freeway.  Check out Wisconsin Bowhunters and the Wisconsin Traditional Archers organizations and their respective websites too.