I think every year since my first year as a deer hunter, here in this lovely piece of heaven we call Wisconsin, I have heard a hunting friend of mine say, “I ain’t hunting today. It’s too windy.” For years, that made sense to me. When I was a kid, being out in the tree stand on a windy day was brutal. It was cold. It was miserable. If it were me, and I was a deer, I would just hunker down and not move unless I absolutely had to. So it made sense that I would not see anything on those windy, rough days. Continue reading “Winded: Hunting Whitetail in High Winds”
Author: Jim Willes
Wisconsin - A blog covering general outdoor topics and tips in Wisconsin.
5 Deer Hunting Food Plot Myths De-Bunked
Learn how to keep the deer hunting spirit alive year-round! From micro plots to affordable tips, make your off-season count.
It’s springtime across this wonderful country, and it feels like deer hunting is a distant thought for many. But guess what? I’ve found a way to bring it closer – I’m a 365-days-a-year deer hunter! Well, they only let me carry a weapon during the fall months, but that doesn’t stop me from keeping the spirit alive all year round.
While some folks stick to hunting seasons, I never let my season end. There’s a lot you can do during the off-season to up your chances of bagging that buck of a lifetime. I run trail cameras year-round, not just during hunting season. In January, I check out what bucks made it through the year, learning more about the deer on my property and where they hang out at different times.
Spring is perfect for clearing shooting lanes, giving deer plenty of time to get used to the new look before hunting season rolls around. But what I look forward to the most in my spring whitetail madness? Food plots.
Now, I hear you – “I don’t have enough land,” “It costs too much,” “I’ve tried it, and it never worked.” Let me break down these myths for you.
“I Do Not Have Enough Land”
You don’t need a massive field; even 10 acres can become a deer haven. Micro plots or “kill plots” work wonders. Just clear a small area near your stand location, plant it, and watch the magic happen. A 20×20-foot circle is enough to attract deer and increase your odds.
“It Costs Too Much”
Sure, it’s an investment, but you can keep it affordable. Skip the pricey seed blends and research what you need. Take your blend recipe to a grain mill for more cost-effective options. Premium seed blends may be bred for food plots, but co-ops and seed mills have similar seeds at a fraction of the cost.
“I Have Tried It And It Never Worked”
Before giving up, ask yourself why it didn’t work. Test your soil – pH testers, NPK test kits, and soil thermometers can provide crucial information. And, if you think it failed, use deer exclusion cages to see if the deer enjoyed it without you knowing.
“It’s Too Much Work”
Yes, it can be labor-intensive, but you don’t need a huge plot. Clear a sunny spot in the woods, spray for weeds, and sow your seeds. The effort you put in directly impacts the outcome.
“It Will Ruin My Land”
No kidding, right? A small food plot won’t ruin your land; it’ll enhance it. You may even get a better price if you ever decide to sell your hunting land. Also, feeding deer corn? Bad idea. Grow nutritious plants for them, and you’ll see healthier deer and more backstraps.
So, if you want to keep the deer season vibes alive, try your hand at food plots. It’s fun, easy, and the payoff could be huge! Grab your rake and machete – let’s kick off your 2024 deer season today! Good luck, everyone!
The Wisconsin Lake Sturgeon, a Species in Peril?
Jim Willes discusses the successful conservation efforts of the lake sturgeon in Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago system, highlighting the local…
The mighty lake sturgeon, a prehistoric dinosaur of a fish—a creature with a face only a mother could love. Well, a mother and thousands of people in Wisconsin. The sturgeon has faced extinction across the globe. Continue reading “The Wisconsin Lake Sturgeon, a Species in Peril?”
The Ultimate Organic Food
Hello outdoors world! Thank you for stopping by a checking out my newest blog! Are you a fan of the “green movement” that has been all the craze lately? Do you only eat vegetables that have been organically grown, and meat that is free range only? If you answered yes, then you may still be missing the boat on the ultimate in organic and free range food, wild game and wild edibles. Everywhere you look in nature, there is something to eat. After all you do not think that animals survive on water alone did you? Well, humans are animals too. Continue reading “The Ultimate Organic Food”
Kids and the Outdoors
I can remember more vividly than most of my memories the times my dad took me out to the woods before I started deer hunting. A few small game hunts, a few scouting missions for rifle season, a handful of fishing trips – those are some of my greatest childhood memories. I can recall every rabbit we kicked up, every pheasant flushed, every deer we saw, and every fish we caught. Even after 40 years, I can recollect a play-by-play of it all. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, most times, but those memories are burned into my brain.
I vividly recall the time my Dad, my brother Fred, and I rented a rowboat from Farmkrueg’s bait shop in Menasha, WI, and paddled out on Little Lake Butte des Morts.
I was maybe 7 years old. My brother and dad both caught a smallmouth bass. I caught a nice perch and something that, as a 7-year-old, I thought must have been the biggest fish ever. It pulled my rod under the boat, and I couldn’t contain the behemoth, and the line snapped (it was probably a carp, but I was a kid). Continue reading “Kids and the Outdoors”
How to grill the perfect steak
Jim Willes helps you make the most of your steak grilling experience.
We’ve all been there: buyer’s remorse.
We have big plans for cooking the best steak ever out on the grill. You thought you cooked it perfectly, and it would be delicious, with your family applauding you on making the best steak ever! Then you take that first bite. It’s tough. It’s flavorless. And sadly, most of it ends up in the garbage can soon after dinner. Disappointment at its finest. Did you screw it up? Or did your steak just suck? Well, let us take a few minutes to figure it out and see if I can help you make the most of your grilling experience. Continue reading “How to grill the perfect steak”
Venison Caveman Roast
Jim Willes brings you a grilled venison roast sure to take your taste buds on a wild adventure. This step by step cooking technique, and recipe will create a succulent and flavorful treat that will leave everyone craving more.
When it comes to grilling, there is no shortage of choices of meats to cook over the coals. However, when you are a deer hunter, a big slab of venison will undoubtedly be your top choice. But when it comes to feeding a large group of people, thoughts usually drift away from those precious cuts to find something a little cheaper or more readily available than expensive steak or your prized venison.
Like many hunters out there, I process my own deer, which gives me the opportunity to do different things. One thing that I love to do is save the hind quarters whole. I do this for many reasons. The first reason is that if I ever need anything, I can pull an entire quarter and make what I want. I am not limited to what has already been processed. The second reason is the recipe I am about to share with you. Continue reading “Venison Caveman Roast”
7 Tips to Successfully Hunt Public Lands
Hello again outdoors world! Just in case you have been hiding under a rock somewhere the past month, hunting season is here! Millions of people are now venturing afield in search of game big and small. I am not any different than most of the hunters out there, and I am usually stuck hunting public lands. After a couple decades of learning I have developed many different tricks to hunting public lands and I have decided to let you in on how I have had lots of success doing so. Continue reading “7 Tips to Successfully Hunt Public Lands”
Lake Winnebago On Ice
Welcome back outdoors world! It’s February! To most people in the northern part of the country, this is really nothing to get excited out. But there is one thing that gets a diehard few off the couch. Continue reading “Lake Winnebago On Ice”
Review of the GunWatcher Website
Hello outdoors world!
For this segment I was asked to check out and review the website GUNWATCHER. With the explosion of the firearms market in recent years, there has been a serious increase in the number of websites dedicated to firearms sales. Needless to say I did not have high expectations as I have looked at several while shopping for my latest deer rifle, and found most of them to be useless and I really did not like using them. I thought they had too much going on on most of the page making them kind of hard to spend a lot of time on. I have always been a more hands on buyer, so that did not help. Continue reading “Review of the GunWatcher Website”
Remington 783 Review
Jim Willes gives a review of the popular Remington 783.
Welcome back outdoors world, thank you for stopping by! If you look back at an article I wrote early last year, you know after my research, I purchased a Remington Arms Model 783 7mm. I had high expectations for this gun, all I needed was some time in the woods with this firearm to confirm I’d made the right choice. Here is what I learned.
Dinosaur Hunting on Lake Winnebago
Wisconsin. A state steeped in outdoors heritage and tradition. Generations of hunters and fishermen have taken to the woods and the waters of this great state for many generations, but you would be hard pressed to find a tradition in the outdoors older than the Sturgeon spearing season on the Lake Winnebago chain.
Lake Winnebago is home to the largest self reproducing population of lake sturgeon in the world. These giants of the lake live for well over 100 years and reach sizes of over 200 pounds! Continue reading “Dinosaur Hunting on Lake Winnebago”
Reviving the Lost Art of the Brush Blind
The advances in tree stands and hunting blinds have made leaps and bounds the past couple decades, but so has the investment people feel they need to make. While I will not argue the fact that these innovations have made hunting easier and more comfortable, my personal style of hunting finds it unnecessary. Continue reading “Reviving the Lost Art of the Brush Blind”
Making Sense of Scent Control; a Product Comparison
With all the products on the market these days, it’s hard to tell what to use and what to avoid. I spent this hunting season field testing several manufacturers so I could come back and tell you what I think.
With all the products on the market these days, it’s hard to tell what to use and what to avoid. I spent this hunting season field testing several manufacturers so I could come back and tell you what I think.
Continue reading “Making Sense of Scent Control; a Product Comparison”
6 Reasons to Learn How to Butcher Your Own Game
Hello again outdoors world! Thanks for stopping! For the past 20+ years of my life, I have made restaurants my career. I have worked as a head chef in a few high end restaurants and have gained a high respect for the foods I put in my body. There is nothing that echoes this sentiment more than the wild game I take from the field. From the rabbits, the turkeys, pheasants and deer, it all makes for some very spiritual meals. Now being a chef I have learned how to butcher my own prime cuts of meat, subsequently, from a young age have been processing all my own harvests. Continue reading “6 Reasons to Learn How to Butcher Your Own Game”
#HuntFishTravel 055 – SHOT Show Wrap Up
Wild Ones Brian Johnson, Fay Walker and Jim Willes join to discuss our thoughts on the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Tradeshow and Las Vegas, overall experience and Continue reading “#HuntFishTravel 055 – SHOT Show Wrap Up”
Product Review: Fuse Products Mossy Oak Portable GPS Case
As modern hunters in a high tech world, I am sure a lot of us have a hand held GPS units that we carry when venturing into the wilderness. The handheld GPS is arguably one of the most influential innovations in the hunting industry. It has single handedly change the way we hunt. With all the good things that this technological marvel has brought us, it has its drawn backs. Continue reading “Product Review: Fuse Products Mossy Oak Portable GPS Case”
An Outdoors Report from a Wisconsin Wild
Hello outdoors world!
Being mid January here in the brutal Northwood’s, I am sure most of us locked up inside our houses, sitting very close to our fireplaces (or heating vents for you city folk) just trying to stay warm. It has been an extra voracious winter here in Wisconsin, and most would think it crazy to want to venture outside for longer than it takes to get to your car, our worse case scenario, the mailbox. As I sit here writing this it is -20 wind chills! So what is it that makes it worth doing more? If you ask me lots of things will be getting me outdoors very soon. So I figured I would take this time to let you know of a few of the things that make Wisconsin, a sportsman’s paradise, even in the dead of winter. Continue reading “An Outdoors Report from a Wisconsin Wild”
Our Dwindling Public Lands
Hello outdoors world!! In this article I would like to talk about the disheartening occurrence that has affected a lot of hunters since the beginning of civilization. The loss of hunting land, and the loss of the traditions that go along with it. Unless you have been one of the lucky few whose family has owned the land that you hunt, you have probably had this happen to you.
Continue reading “Our Dwindling Public Lands”
8 Tips for a Successful Deer Drive
Thank you for returning to read my latest article. In this article I would like to talk about the lost art of the “deer drive”. Continue reading “8 Tips for a Successful Deer Drive”
The One That Got Away
Welcome back, and thank you for taking your time to stop and read the newest installment of “The Willes Way”. The topic in this issue is the basis of many nights of poor sleep and haunted dreams. A topic that brings out fear and dismay in many a bow hunter, and will forever be a concern of ethical hunters everywhere. Here is how the scenario started for me, just a short time ago. Continue reading “The One That Got Away”
What Do You REALLY Need To Start Bowhunting
It seems as if it was 100 years ago when I had to ask myself that very important question. What do I really need to start bow hunting? I hope that with writing this article, I do not lose any future sponsorship. I am not out to knock any companies out there, just helping the person new to our game. Well, if you decide to take in some of the fine outdoors programming, on one of the numerous channels dedicated to the outdoors sports, here would be what you would conclude to need. Continue reading “What Do You REALLY Need To Start Bowhunting”
How to Catch Snapping Turtles in Wisconsin
Hello outdoors world! Welcome back for the next installment of “The Willes Way”! Thank you for stopping by and giving it a read. In this blog, I will be talking about one of my all time favorite summer past times.
Imagine this. The sun sets as you sit on the shores of a 48 acre lake in the forest of northern Wisconsin. The sky is a stunning shade of red and the water is like glass, providing a perfect canvas for the reflection of the sky and trees. As the light dwindles more and more, you realize that you can no longer see in the water, and all the bluegill that where seemingly stack up in the water in front of you, now seem to be in hiding. The sky goes black. You fire up your flashlight that you have in you front pocket and shine it in the direction of the water. And then you see it! This large menacing creature slowly pulls itself along the sand bottom in search of its next meal. The call rings out to the others in camp and everyone comes running to see it. “TURTLE!” The shouts are heard by all in the vicinity. Now comes the time of reckoning. What do you do? Do you watch it? Do you try and catch it? The choice is all yours of course. So what are you going to do?
Continue reading “How to Catch Snapping Turtles in Wisconsin”
Wisconsin’s Deep Rooted Traditions and Outdoor Cultures
Hello outdoors world!! Welcome back to the 2nd installment of “The Willes Way” blog. For My first actual blog, not including my little intro, I decided to go with something near and dear to my heart. Some of Wisconsin’s most deep rooted outdoors traditions. Since my life seems to be one outdoors tradition after another, I am going to run through some of the traditions that I have been privileged to witness over my years spent hunting and fishing this fine state. And hopefully, this will help you all know of where I came from and learned what I know.
I LOVE to talk about a lot of these subjects and have been known to go on for hours talking about them to people that have never heard of, or had the chance to experience. So if I get a little wordy, feel free to reach your virtual arm through you computer screen and slap me across the head and say “GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!” 🙂 I could probably write a book on this subject, but I will avoid going too long. Besides if I spilled ALL the beans I wouldn’t have any beans for later! OK, OK, I will get on with it. Since there are so many, lets just start at the beginning of the year.
Continue reading “Wisconsin’s Deep Rooted Traditions and Outdoor Cultures”