Northern Wisconsin’s autumn offers something for everyone. Multitasking is encouraged. Hunters can admire foliage; birders and hikers can be startled and excited when hearing a ruffed grouse.
Leaf -peekers linger, probably perplexed by sugar maples indecision whether or not to dismantle all, some, or none of the leaf’s chlorophyll. As golden yellow as some state trees appear, others show some green of summer sometimes to the consternation of camera carriers.
Photoshop sometimes enhances; while other times does not work wonders.
Lakes and ponds, on a still day, double the splendor with reflections from ashore. Red maples, burnt oaks, and evergreen white pines create perfect double images on still days.
Even bare aspens and paper birches, accent other colors with bark whiter than snow, which comes a bit earlier up north pushing lingering leaves to their final destination.
Mushrooms of all shapes, colors, anchor points, and edibility standards normally play a role in the North Wisconsin’s fall, but the past summer seemed to sequester fruiting bodies of red outside and white inside lobster mushrooms, blaze orange chicken-of-the-woods brackets, and white destroying angel mushrooms.
Most fungi are perennial and will reappear another time.
Red squirrels and chipmunks have nuts and seeds to gnaw and hoard, too.
Photographs need not stop with mycology and leafology. Waterfowl lingers as long, sometimes longer if the wind ripples a lake’s surface. Red-breasted nuthatches, bald eagles, ravens, snow buntings, evening grosbeaks .and ruffed grouse are just a few of the birds providing natural composures, not staged affairs with feeders and fences to distract from their plumage displays..
Hunters must be muddled among wild turkeys, ruffed grouse, gray squirrels, white-tailed deer, sand snowshoe hares, while black bears begin their torpor. Porcupines are there for interest , when just the thought of quills should be enough to watch and stare while this slow-moving animal moves on.
Even in an up-cycle year, when forecasts point north, not south, grouse seem fickle when weather turns, “road hunters” harass, and food sources change from clover to hawthorns to acorns to aspen buds.
This self-proclaimed state game bird frustrates hunters by hiding in the snow and unnerving them, too, with an unannounced, noisy flush through hazelbrush.
Pleasure vehicles, ATVs and UTVs, increase distances traveled, but fall-downs can put a barricade in a route if bear hunters have not bothered to clean the forest road.
Some of these pleasures and surprises can be found elsewhere in Wisconsin, but switching from one species to another, one habitat to another, or even one menu or evening special to another seem easier where stoplights, round-a-bouts, and speed signs don’t remind us of clutter and crowds.
Statewide, hunters have shown their interest in taking possession of deer and wild turkeys. The fall turkey registrations were at 1,595. last count. The season closes November 22 in Zone 6, but remains open continuously until January 5, 2025 in zones 1-5.
Deer hunters, totaling all seasons completed and ongoing, have reached 28,404 animals; 13,330 being antlered and 15,074 antlerless.
The early elk season, with but a handful of authorizations (tags), remains open until November 10 and then, if necessary, is open December 12-20. Hunting authorizations were drawn, and winners notified for the Clam Lake and Black River Falls management zone hunts.
Christina kizewski, Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist in Jackson County, said all four of the Black River Elk Range have already been filled, while some open tags remain in the Clam Lake area and with the Tribal permit holders
A bull elk, who probably wondered south from the Black River Falls gang looking for elk cows, has not been heard from since leaving Yellowstone Lake State Wildlife Area in Lafayette County. A second wondering elk has also been spotted away from either area.
Deer hunters in these management zones should be careful not to mistake an elk for a white-tailed deer, particularly during the nine day season.
Autumn is a full season for outdoor enthusiasts; grab what appears before the snow falls.
Contact Jerry Davis, a freelance writer, at sivadjam@mhtc.net or
608.924.1112.
