Posted: 12/28/2014 7:14:55 PM EDT
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Hello,
I just moved to Wisconsin (Milwaukee area) and I was wondering if anyone knew where I could do some outdoor shooting and hunting. I have a both .223 and .308 Rifles and would like to be able to shoot outside rather than in a range. I moved from out west where I spent time hiking and varmint hunting just for fun. Is there anywhere that I can walk around and hunt rabbit or gopher or anything like that? Any farmers have a coyote or varmint problem they would let me take care of?? I am a 30 year old professional who is safe and responsible. I do not find shooting paper at an indoor range over and over again entertaining. Any info would be much appreciated. Thank you very much!! |
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Generally speaking hunting and shooting land in the area is not widely available and pretty closely guarded by the owners.
Cedarburg Bog and Jackson Marsh are public hunting land just North of Milwaukee. They are lousy with Coyotes and at least a few farmers in the area have told me they looking to get rid of some so if you go to the public land and wander "around the block" a bit to ask you might find a few that would let you hunt their land. Drop me a line if you want to head out some time because I'm looking to learn coyote hunting this year or next. West Bend Barton Sportsman's Club holds just for fun 200 yard prone matches on the third Sunday of the Month pretty much all year long. Pay $5 and run what you brung, meet some members and maybe join up. Also, there are several guys there that will know good areas for 'yotes. |
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Quoted:
... because I'm looking to learn coyote hunting this year or next. I've got a video or two that I'm willing to share with you on hunting canids. Yote's are very wily and cautious. I have NEVER seen one while I had a rifle in my hand. You have to call them in. Wounded rabbit distress call seems to be the one they can't resist. Never done it, so my input is anecdotal and TV-educated. |
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Quoted:
Generally speaking hunting and shooting land in the area is not widely available and pretty closely guarded by the owners. This. The locals have 'family land' that they hunt on. It's always controlled by grand dad, who isn't interested in having his routine upset by new folks that his kids met. They have a set tradition with a tight group of family friends and want to keep it that way. Folks are generally upset by the increasing population density and rise in property costs, so sharing their getaway with outsiders is rare. Being polite and offering to clean up a 'yote problem is a reasonable approach. If you start hinting at hunting their land during deer season, folks turn off real quick. Don't suggest it. They'll invite you if they want, but almost never at your urging. The public land is good hunting if you're willing to hike into a marsh. Almost no one goes in deep ... for a reason. It's not easy, you can't leave a setup out there, and it's very difficult to be quiet on the way in. |
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Hey thank you all very much for the info. It seems like my days of open free land are over until I move back to Nevada.
I'll go check out some of that land and see how it pans out. Maybe try and talk to some locals and offer pest control. My granarents live on a large corn farm in northwest minnestota and they let guys shoot pretty much anything except dear (my cousins get the deer). We'll see. Thank you guys again! RickFinsta - I'll check out the land and if I can find some good areas I'll drop you a line and we'll go hunting. |
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Look at the areas South of Cedar Creek at the end of Church Road (South off Pleasant Valley) and let me know what you think. It is a field with several hundred yards open to the south but the problem is we'd need a watercraft to cross the creek to get there as there isn't public access from the south (Highway 60) side. Also, the areas between Church Road and County M have open spots and there is always the power line running through for reaching out. The Southern and Eastern areas don't show up as part of the public area on Google Maps, but do on Google Earth (and the DNR literature show it to also be open; there are at least three public parking areas on the Eatern part for access and signs up on the roadside so I know it is good to go). You *might* be able to get south of the creek from Division Rd. (County G) but I don't think so.
When I was walking in for deer hunting at 0430 a few weeks back from the Church Road parking lot there were coyotes less than a few hundred yards off making noise and moving in numbers but they skee-daddled before first light. I've heard them a lot but have only seen two in my entire life; both standing in a field next to I-45 near Jackson a few years ago. Lots of tracks in the snow, though and you can hear them at night all over. |
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For rabbits and 'yotes you might be able to find some farmers willing to let you hunt on their land. Deer, not so much. I'd recommend go knocking on some doors, introducing yourself, explain what you're looking for (as previously touched on, DON'T mention anything about deer) and then if they let you, bring them something for letting you hunt there. Growing up I had permission to hunt geese on almost every farm within about 15 miles, and I always brought the farmers some goose jerky, marinated breasts, whatever I had. For coyotes I normally brought them a case of beer or something.
For deer I was fortunate to have quite a bit of family land and never had to worry about getting permission until I went AD and got stationed in MS and now NJ. I haven't hunted in NJ at all yet as I just haven't had the time to build up any relationships with landowners. MS wasn't too terrible as I wound up just going in on a lease and hunting there, plus hunting on base was an option as well. I definitely feel your pain, OP. As far as tips on how to hunt coyotes, just be mobile. My little brother and I shot lots of them when we were living at home, but we put lots of miles on the truck and our boots to get them too. We'd stay in a set for maybe 20-30 min, then move on. Started out with cheap manual calls then moved on to more expensive electronic calls which were the cat's meow. One of us had the rifle and watched the caller/the decoy, the other ran the caller (or the calls in the pre-FoxPro days) and had a shotgun for close work. |