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Squirrel hunt a hit at Hyde
Weighing Squirrels
Josh Cartwright, owner of Hyde Store, weighs 10 squirrels brought in by Holly and Justin Jenson, of Ridgeway, Wisconsin.

HYDE, Wisconsin—Squirrel and deer hunting are almost never mentioned in the same sentence.

But on January 18, Josh Cartwright, owner, along with his wife, Amy, of the Hyde Store in rural Iowa County, compared the two forays, hunting gray and fox squirrels with squirrels coming out on top.

“It seems squirrel hunting brings hunters together and when they come in to weigh their quarry for our twice-a-year squirrel hunting tournament.  The groups stay longer and talk squirrels with other hunters,’’ Josh Cartwright said.  “It’s all about comradery of hunters, comparing the challenges and now there seems to be a good number of young hunters involved, too.”

The Saturday afternoon weigh-in for 16th Perennial Hyde Area Squirrel Hunting Tournament was held at the “store” in Hyde, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community nestled in rural Town of Ridgeway.  Hunters registered ahead of the event, hunted where they liked, and then came back before 3 pm.

A record 51 teams, two hunters each, had only squirrels to talk about.  The weather was ideal with high temperature near 30 degrees, and no snow made stable walking on oak forest hillsides.

All the rules followed the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources squirrel hunting regulations.  Sixteen years ago a former Hyde Store owner added a few ethical rules of his own, including only using rim fire rifles, use the squirrels for food, no culling of smaller squirrels, and not shooting squirrels off bird feeders.  

To add to the comradery, not the competition, teams were asked if they wanted to give their team a name.  Most name-for-the-day nicknames were squirrel related.  Tree Rats won the contest.  An entry board was as much looked at for the nicknames as the squirrel weights.

Fox and gray squirrels were brought in to be weighed, in any mix.  Because the tournament is based on weight, most teams brought in at least half fox squirrels, which are generally heavier.  Oh yes, no weight tampering is permitted to increase the weight of bag limits by adding non-squirrel material other than the bullet fragments.

The winning team brought in 10 squirrels totaling 17 pounds. A total of 256 squirrels were brought in to be weighed by the lot of teams. 

Josh Cartwright is working on the autumn contest date, sometime in October 2025, to go along with the January hunt.  

Wisconsin’s State-wide squirrel season closes February 28, although landowners may hunt squirrels year-round, but must follow all other hunting regulations including a five-squirrel daily bag limit.

One of the rules, no shooting squirrels off bird feeders, emphasizes that some who feed birds detest squirrels, except gliding (flying) squirrels.

Bob Ross, of Wild Birds Unlimited in Middleton, Wisconsin doesn’t have any foolproof methods for keeping squirrels from feeders but did suggest house sparrows may be deterred by an apparatus called sparrow-be-gone, a system of five weighted strings the sparrows seem unwilling to fly through.  Most other feeder birds are willing to pass past the contraption.  

Avian influenza has not yet spread, except in one instance, to humans, he said.  Still, Bob Ross suggests washing hands and keeping feeders clean by brushing off bird perches each time sunflower hearts or fruits are added.  

“Uncommon bird sightings this winter have been tundra swans, brown creepers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, robins, and bluebirds but no gray or snowy owls in the immediate area,” he said.

Keeping bird feeders full, available heated water and temporary structures where feeding birds can perch are a few ways to keep birds returning throughout the cold spells.

There are several bird cams in Bob Ross’s store with cameras sending footage from Eastern US of birds that are common here as well.

While snow is scarce, ice is good and fishing continues to be fair to good.  Shed antler hunters, like those hunting squirrels, are a finding good number of sheds due in part to lack of snow.

Evergreen plants, particularly ferns, are abundant on forest floors and are nice pick-me-ups during the dead of winter.  Pussy willows brought inside a few weeks ago have now produced flowering pollen catkins.  Marsh hikes have produced skunk cabbage shoots and flower stalks.  Without snow, there are no turkey tracks; otherwise they would be common around the green shoots.

Breaks from snow may make working firewood or early trimming of oaks workable tasks.

Bald eagles are beginning to refurbish their nests and are also seen engaged in courtship activities; egg incubation will begin in a few weeks with one adult on the nest at all times.

Outdoor opportunities without snow
Deer with collar
This doe whitetail carries a research GPS/camera collar during a CWD study in Iowa County.
Aaron Groves, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, planned to take a crew and search for a doe deer’s camera-GPS collar that likely dropped the camera portion. He could do this now because the “white” box will show, for human eyes, against a brown backdrop.
Doug Williams, at DW Sports Center in Portage, and a farmer, too said that if a person lost something, hunting related while afield, now is a good time to find it by tracing a path to a tree stand or stump, 

“Sure the bare ground makes it easier for trout fishers to get around,” said Bret Schultz, a trout sage from Black Earth, Wisconsin. “Cloudy days and stable, not weather switches, are beneficial.  Wind is a killer.  I hate it.”
Shed antler hunting, appreciating evergreen ground vegetation, and general hiking to see what is out-and-about are easier now, too.  Birds continue to come to feeders due to lack of leftover natural food, and liquid water helps.
There are negatives to this less-than-ideal-snow winter that we’re in, according to Williams.  “We need snow for moisture and to protect perennials, like alfalfa.  Farmers are scratching their heads as to what to do.”
Taking advantage of what we have works, but not so much for snowmobiling and cross country skiing.
Photographers find close-ups, skies, color patches of watercress, polypodium ferns, and yes even garlic mustard provide opportunities. Structure and texture are helpful subjects to include.  Ice anglers with tan vegetation backdrops make appealing photographs and can even take advantage of dark colored clothing.
Anglers themselves can better see weak spots in the ice, foot-tripping cracks, and ice bulges show more clearly.
Fishing in general, whether it be bluegills through the ice and trout from flowing spring-fed streams often go through a frustrating period about now.
“Trout fishing often lags at this time of the year,” Schultz said. “It’s those major switches in the weather.  Stable weather will turn it around.  Low water flow is a major problem in some streams and has been since October when the season closed.”
On a positive note, Schultz said the fish caught and released are fat and sassy, 14-17 inches long, and not a lot of little fish.

“March will provide better days,” he said.  “That’s when I’ll be out almost every day.  But none of the negatives will keep me from being out there, even now.”
Wild turkeys and turkey hunters seem to be anticipating the coming of greater activity, but Chris Kirby of Quaker Boy Game Call in New York State said turkey gobbling, displaying and fighting are normal but not as intense as a bit later.
Williams reported a gobbler and hen mating, yes in February. Egg development may not be ready to accept sperm yet because those cells generally live inside a hen turkey or pheasant less than a week.
Don’t look for much new and different in the line of calls and techniques coming from major call companies.  Hunters could take advantage of reviewing and improving the basics with standard calls as a check to make sure those tried and true methods are fresh and followed.
It’s early to check on returning and stay-here birds such as robins, bluebirds, and flickers and some winter wonderers like gray and snowy owls.  Again, the lack of snow can enhance observations.
Fishing and hunting license renewal is not that far away, either. Sunny days may bring a maple or boxelder or even a walnut sapcicles from a broken or cut limb.
Squirrel and rabbit seasons remain open.  Walking in a woods is prime without slipping and sliding.  Birds calling, red-tailed hawks and bald eagle courtship are common.
Eagle nest observers have begun their sit, watch, and record duties.  Coyotes are running in pairs, particularly in open fields early in the day.
About all meteorologists are giving us is hope and hints of snow in the future.
Kelly Maguire, at the DNR game farm near Poynette, Wisconsin, said all is a-go for egg production by the breeder flocks, indoor and outdoor.  It’ll be about six weeks before egg collection begins but the indoor layer hens are already getting a different diet in preparation, she said.
While avian influenza is a concern, Maguire is set up with biosecurity measures and has made contact with agencies in preparation if something more serious happening.

Contact Jerry Davis, a freelance writer, at sivadjam@mhtc.net or 608.924.1112.