It is time! Time to prepare for the changing of seasons and equipment. Today the deer season for hunters who use archery equipment and crossbows opens. This season will run until January fourth. I urge our readers to carefully read the two pamphlets regarding deer hunting in Wisconsin. After reading these pamphlets you may want to call the local DNR Office to have some questions answered.
The Governor’s Office asked the DNR staff as well as the Conservation Congress to simplify the regulations for hunting and fishing in Wisconsin. From my vantage point we have failed and the regulations are more complex. It looks as though we have ten separate deer hunts this year. Hunters need to be aware of the regulation prohibiting the killing of antlerless deer across the northern portion of the state. Antlerless deer are not legal to shoot even with archery equipment.
It is my hope that our deer herd across northern Wisconsin will be able to expand over the next several years.
Apparently we have an expanding bear population in our state. Those bear hunters who have kill permits need to carefully read those regulations for bear hunting. We have been watching a bear that is a show off in front of the trail camera. This bear seems to enjoy walking around a bit on his hind legs.
The season for ruffed grouse opened today and will last until Jan. 31 in zone A and Dec. 8 in zone B.
The season for woodcock opens Sept. 20 and ends Nov. 8.  If you intend to participate in the fall turkey hunt check the pamphlet for those dates.
The season for hunting rabbits and squirrels opens today and closes Feb. 28.  It is readily obvious that hunters have many opportunities to hunt in Wisconsin.
For some of us we are not ready to hang up the fishing equipment just yet. This is the time of the year when the water in the lakes turns over. The water in our deeper lakes will invert. The warmer water on top will sink and the water from the bottom of the lake will rise.
Those anglers who are going to tow a boat through the state of Minnesota should be informed about a new Minnesota law. Those anglers must take a course from the Minnesota DNR, the Aquatic Invasive Species Training Course, pass a test and place the decal on their trailer. The course will be available Jan. 5, 2015 on line. There will also be a home study training packet available. This regulation will be in effect beginning in 2015. You can check the information at:http://www.trailers.mndnr.gov/ Of course there will be a fee for the course. The law covers all watercraft being towed through our neighboring state even though they are not fishing there. Also, anyone who tows a watercraft through Minnesota must have the drain plug removed.
It is obvious that Wisconsin is not the only state with complex rules. Any of our readers who have towed boats through Minnesota on their way to Canada are aware of the high number of boats that are on the highway.
At this time of the year I usually dig out one of the books by Gordon Mac Quarrie and re-read some of his stories about the Old Duck Hunters. Mac Quarrie had the ability to write so well that when he talks about sitting in a duck blind in a snowstorm I shiver even though it may be 80 degrees in the room.
I must confess that the idea for calling Tom Twesme The Osseo Jinx spawned from Mac’s articles about the President of the Old Duck Hunters Association.
Longtime Northwoods outdoors personality Roger Sabota writes a bi-monthly column for the Star Journal.