Public land stocking

Ranger6

Member
Just moved here last year. Still trying to figure out hunting in Wisconsin. I tried to hunt a few public areas where they stock birds but dogs never got birdy. Has anyone ever broke the code on where and when the state stocks birds? Do they still do any stocking this late in the year? Any wisdom would be appreciated.

Thanks
Tom
 
First week to maybe a couple weeks they will stock properties twice a week. All of the 2pm clousure areas while it is still in effect will get stocked after 2pm. The last week they stock birds is the week after the gun deer season. My personal opinion is that the big properties that get a lot of traffic are always a thursday/friday drop to try and get birds for the weekend warriors. I'm assuming your aware of the pheasant drop #'s sheet that the dnr has online?
 
In December, stocked birds are harder to find. Most of the areas have been hunted pretty hard. To find birds, you need to put on some miles walking. The further from the parking areas the better.
 
Ranger,

There are still birds out there. Time to focus on really thick areas. Cattails, swamps, etc......if you have a little experience with where people normally go, hunt the areas that are adjacent, but usually passed over because it's tougher. The cold weather we just got really helps open up new areas.
 
FYI, I have given up trying to figure out the stocking schedule. I just go when i can. 2 weeks ago I went twice with no birds. Last week twice with 4 birds. Just keep going.
 
Yesterday was the first time in over a month that I saw birds, or even heard evidence(guns shots) of birds other than distant cackles. I wasn't hunting particularly far fetched areas either...I guess that's why its called hunting. If you want to guarantee birds, check out a game farm, but that, in the words of my buddy is, "Just killin; might as well go to the meat market!"

Keep at it, they'll be there when you least expect it!
 
A few weeks away. Anyone have any updates on Pheasant stocking reports for the 2017 season? Good luck to everyone.
 
I think it REALLY stinks, the cut off for stocking that is. If you really look at it, sure the season goes until the end of the calendar year. But, with their stocking cut off, the season as I see it is only about 6 weeks long (opener until the last stocking). I think this is just crazy. I'd pay double for a stamp, if it meant more birds and extending the stocking into mid December.
 
I think it REALLY stinks, the cut off for stocking that is. If you really look at it, sure the season goes until the end of the calendar year. But, with their stocking cut off, the season as I see it is only about 6 weeks long (opener until the last stocking). I think this is just crazy. I'd pay double for a stamp, if it meant more birds and extending the stocking into mid December.

Not sure where you are getting your info. They DO stock into December. See below taken right from the stocking info page:

Depending on production levels at the state game farm, pheasants are released once prior to the pheasant hunting season and then twice a week
for the first two to three weeks of the season. After that, birds are released about once per week until the 9-day gun deer season. Most properties
are only stocked once or twice more during December. The number of birds released depends on property size and weather conditions.
 
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