The down economy has had an adverse affect on many out of state hunting and fishing trips that many sportsmen and women take to other states for quality hunting and fishing that they don’t have at home. Some of these out of state trips are to hunt and fish for species that we don’t have in Wisconsin or some locations have better hunting and fishing than we do at home. For many years, I’ve made yearly trips to Lake Erie for trophy walleyes, northern Wisconsin for huge muskies, or South and North Dakota for pheasants and waterfowl. But, things have changed for many of us the last few years with the higher prices for gasoline, lodging, food, licenses, and most things associated with traveling to fish and hunt.
For decades, I traveled to South Dakota, Kansas, North Dakota, Montana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and even Canada for my recreation. I remember going to South Dakota to pheasant hunt and besides hunting public hunting grounds and waterfowl production lands, we (my friends and I) got access to many private farms for free or for some Wisconsin cheese and deer sausage. Now, one has to be “well off” to take many trips where the cost to hunt private land may cost you a $100.00 per day a gun and even more if you stay at one of the many pheasant operations. Farmers and ranchers have found that catering to hunters is more profitable than raising crops. Barns have been turned into places for hunters to stay and many offer “package” deals with hunting rights, lodging, and meals for prices that I and many others cannot afford these days. I have friends who are out of work, changed jobs, or have growing children and just cannot afford to spend money like the “old days.” What was once a special occasion for friends to get a way and experience pheasant hunting like they’ll never find at home has gotten to be too expensive for many of us.
The same holds true for fishing where I would travel the Midwest fishing walleye tournaments and traveling to the best fishing locations for walleye and muskie fishing. It was nothing to drive 500 miles to fish or hunt and the cost was reasonable and affordable for me and my friends. Things have changed drastically and traveling out of state for recreation is something that many cannot afford to do any more!
I have a cousin from Illinois who loves to hunt and fish. But, living in the suburbs of Chicago makes it difficult to find hunting and fishing locations close to Glenview, Illinois. My cousin, Peter, and his friends have run into the same difficulties in trying to pursue the fishing and hunting that he and his “buddies” love to do, but can’t spend the money it costs to travel and have a good time. They fish the Chain of Lakes in northern Illinois, Lake Michigan, and some other lakes close to their homes. But, it is not the same as traveling and going to locations where there usually is good fishing, hunting, and natural beauty.. The Chain of Lakes is so crowded that it needs stoplights for fishing or boating and the peace, serenity, and beauty that one finds while in the outdoors doesn’t exist in these places where you have to watch out for other boats and people. If you want to fish Lake Michigan, you better have a bigger boat and many of Peter’s friends are not crazy for salmon and trout fishing. Many states do not have the natural resources and opportunities that we do in Wisconsin for the sportsman and outdoor lover. I live less than 30 miles from the state capital in Madison which has many of the things that you associate with cities like rush hour and traffic. But, I can go out my door and be hunting and fishing.
I invited my cousin and friends to come and stay at my home and the trailer that I have in my woods. Cooking could be done outside on the grill or in my oven. The gas price would not be too much for the less than 300 mile drive round trip from Illinois. I talked to Peter and his friends about what they wanted to do on this 4 or 5 day trip. They all wanted to bow hunt for deer, fish, and small game hunt for pheasants. The 4-day fishing license costs $24.00, the small game license for 5-days cost $55.00, $10.00 for a pheasant stamp, and $160.00 for the deer bow license. The total cost per individual worked out to $249.00 per person. If you figure they could come back and deer hunt, this was a good deal and a relatively “cheap” get-a-way.
The Illinois crew arrived a day early, so that I could get them familiar with the area they were going to hunt. The group had all there own gear and didn’t have to buy much in the way of food and drink. The plan was for them to bow hunt every morning and late afternoon. We would then fish and pheasant hunt during the day in the area from Lodi to Sauk City. Things worked out extremely well with everyone getting a few pheasants, some walleyes and saugers, and one of Peter’s friends harvested a small buck. I’m sure that the crew will be back to bow hunt since that was the most expensive item on he trip. The Illinois boys were amazed at the great opportunities that we have in Wisconsin. They loved fishing Lake Wisconsin and the Wisconsin River and were amazed at the low number of people that they saw fishing and hunting. The times that they pheasant hunted they were lucky enough to get and see many pheasants on public lands in Lodi and Mazomanie. They must have hit a good day during the week when pheasants were released. One friend got a small buck and another friend missed a nice buck when he shot over the top of the deer. There might have been a little “buck fever” since this was the first day and he was in his stand only 20 minutes before his shot. But, they saw deer and lots of deer sign and will be back this fall to hunt again if only for a day or two.
The recent rains have helped get the Wisconsin River get back to near normal and the walleye and saugers were active the days we fished giving us enough fish for a couple of fish fries. We caught many fish, but the 18 inch walleye minimum made fishing tough for “keepers.” It was a good thing that the saugers were biting and the 15 inch minimum saved the days we fished. Jigs and minnows or plastic was the key to catching fish. Fish slow and keep moving around while using your trolling motor.
So, it turned out to be a great trip for the “Illinois flatlanders” and I’m sure that they will be back soon to cast and blast again. They were amazed at the beauty, game, fish, and open space where so many of us live and take for granted. You don’t have to drive hundreds of miles, spend a lot of money, and eat in restaurants when on the road. With tough times in our economy, trips like this can really be fun, enjoyable, and economical. My cousin and friends are the ones who named the trip to Wisconsin, Gary’s Cast and Blast Trip. Anyone can do some research and find a cheaper way to do the outdoor things that we love so much. Money doesn’t always have to be a determining factor if you take advantage of the many things that we have close to our homes. The Illinois boy’s may soon be moving to the Badger state to cast and blast! Be safe.
www.garyengbergoutdoors.com
