Who's all from WI on here?

[Rustyshaklferd]

Hi all, new to big game for the most part, 15 yrs a coon hunter, have one plott hound she is getting older and I only run her on coon but I recently moved to Viroqua, WI there seems to be more area to hunt here than southern WI as the places I had...got smaller and smaller since I started. My family gave me land in Taylor county, WI and Im now closer to that so Im looking to get my first big game dog, preferably plott or bluetick but open to others as well. Im curious if any of you WI guys can point me in the right direction on any started dogs or upcoming litters. Also wouldn't mind tagging along on a hunt or two if you are near the Viroqua... or Jump River/Sheldon/ladysmith area. I'm interested in running bear and cats, I also have a place to cat hunt out west in CO now my cousin bought some land that borders thousands of acres of public and I had a chance to scout it last year and saw lots of lion tracks, hopefully be able to give that a shot once a year or so. Any local tips or info would be greatly appreciated.

[Smattila]

I have pups and know someone in s WI that has some good ones, also have a started dog, my number is 612-257-1432

[david]

You live in a beautiful area. The "driftless area" to the northwest of you holds a population of gray fox. Trout streams too. It would sure be a lot closer than Taylor county and I always wanted to hunt the fox there but never Did. There are getting to be some bobcats down there in that area also but don't tell anyone.

For Plott hounds in Wisconsin,
I will pm you a number that will give you a starting point. If he can't answer your questions he will know who can.

[Rustyshaklferd]

Thanks guys, David thanks for the # I talked with him a bit this morning. Yeah I'm definitely in the driftless region here the driveway is pretty rough when its icy and theres not much flat ground. All the coffee shops and stores are driftless this and that, the community really embraces it. I have found a few trout streams and one is less than a mile from the house you can look down and see little ones swimming sometimes bigger ones too. Coyotes are everywhere and at least one red fox lives close. Im still working on getting hunting land near here, however I did buy an ONx huntmap subscription which is pretty neat its like topo map with plat map combined and theres a chip I plan to get for my astro, so far the app works on your phone even when you don't have signal and has let me find two state forests I didn't see on any other sites. I can see its going to be useful. We have a forest called wildcat mountain near here which was apparently named after a couple farmers years ago set out after a bobcat that was killing their sheep. I read an article in a local magazine how the bobcats are really making a comeback here. I built a little cabin on a camper frame last year and hauled it up north its 2 hrs 40 minutes from here, so I will be up that way regardless playing in the woods and planting trees, scouting for deer, hanging stands etc. may as well make the most of the weekends with a little bear chasing thrown in.

[david]

You have put yourself smack dab in the middle of an interesting outdoor life right there. I am excited for you. I think you have a fly shop there in town and you have hundreds and maybe thousands of miles of trout streams. If you are willing to walk up into some of those holes a long ways from the road you will find some nice ones that may have never seen a fisherman. That doesn't mean they are easy. You have to think "hunt" instead of "fish" on wild trout. But you owe it to yourself and family to learn how to catch them. Those hounds will steal more good trout fishing from you than anything else in the world. Don't let them. Did I mention turkey? In some studies where there were turkeys, bobcat was the number one predator on the turkeys. There was a study on one that stayed with a flock killing one every third day until he had them all. If you educate people to this you might be able to get in on some places. If you get good at killing coyotes with calls or traps you might have a way in on some of those ranches out there too. If you pick the right church to worship in you might meet some good ranchers also.

I think there is a good music festival there in the summer as well.

You got it made.