Tuesday, November 9, 2010

PostHeaderIcon Upper Midwest Outdoor Report For November 9, 2010

Upper Midwest Outdoor Report
by Chris Larsen

By my calculations and by the numbers crunched by folks known as experts, peak rut has come and gone throughout much of the Upper Midwest. Lunar tables show the best time to be in a deer stand was November 6 through today, November 9. However, Mother Nature is quite a fickle gal and she didn’t cooperate. Warm weather hampered many hunters and keeping big bucks nocturnal. The good news is a front is coming through and deer weather is on it’s way! This weekend should be awesome and just because we’re beyond “peak” rut on the lunar calendar doesn’t mean bucks won’t be chasing does. Sharpen your broadheads because we may be in store for the best weekend of hunting this year!

On the water, muskies are feeding heavily but presentations need to be slow. Suckers are the hot bait for most successful musky anglers. We’re still seeing a hot walleye bite on the Mississippi River. Again, slow presentation over structure is key. Minnows or Gulp on three way rigs seem to be the ticket. I’ve also heard of some good night crawler bites using the “Slow Death” method.

Here’s what our ProStaffers are seeing:


Dan Quinn is FOTV’s resident bass expert. But he’s been focusing on deer hunting over the last few weeks. Dan began deer hunting for the first time this season. To say it’s been a successful introduction is an understatement. Dan arrowed his first doe a few weeks ago in St. Croix County. This week he followed it up with his first archery buck. A dandy Pierce County eight pointer. Congratulations Dan!

In between his deer conquests, Dan has hit the water as well. He reports bass activity has slowed down over much of Northern Wisconsin and Central Minnesota but fish can still be caught over stumps and around other structure.

Foremost Outdoor ProStaffer Cole Daniels is seeing deer activity continue to increase. “Shooter bucks are suddenly appearing during daylight hours and I’m seeing a lot more sparring.” Cole says the corn crop is almost completely harvested in Southwest Wisconsin and believes this will help deer hunters, but the hunt may be different than last years. “Don’t plan to hunt the same places you did last year,” says Daniels. Food sources are more diverse now that the corn is gone and deer are forced to frequent different areas for nourishment. “Scouting is going to be more critical. But it’s obviously easier to see deer movement now that the corn is gone.” Hunters who had the time and property to plant food plots may be rewarded this season. Last season most of Southern Wisconsin was a giant food plot.

Jason Oswald says turkeys in Southern Wisconsin are becoming much more predictable as days become shorter. Find turkeys, watch their travel routes, and intercept them to fill your fall tag. Jason has also noticed a big influx of migrating waterfowl. “The divers are really beginning to show up. I’m seeing canvasbacks and goldeneyes on water that was virtually duckless a week ago.” For serious water fowlers, gun deer season may be the best time of year to hunt. Deer hunters are marching through fields and swamps and moving ducks and geese loafing in fields. Another benefit is casual hunters are more focused on deer hunting so your spread may be the only show in town.

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