November 16, 2009
Hayward Lakes Area Outdoor Report
Steve Suman

Not only are north woods fall hunting seasons in full operation, some are already coming to a close! How can that be? But what wonderful mild, fall weather we have enjoyed up to this point. While we aren’t exactly swatting ‘skeeters,’ daytime temperatures in the mid-40s are comfortable for nearly all outdoor activities. Though many anglers might not admit it, they no doubt regret winterizing and storing their boats last month. But more on fishing later.
Registrations at the Hayward area stations (Shooting Star, Hillman’s Store, Hayward Bait) in the past week include four turkeys, 33 antlerless deer, and 53 bucks. The whitetail rut is on, and the stations report a good number of very nice eight- to 11-point bucks.
Dennis at Shooting Star Archery says it appears rut will still be going on during opening weekend of gun season. He advises gun hunters in need of ammo to purchase it now. The ammunition shortage is affecting hunting calibers, and hunters who wait too long to buy it could find themselves without ammo on opening morning.
If you have your ammunition but have not yet checked your rifle to make sure it is ‘on,’ Hayward Rod and Gun Club is hosting sight-in days every day this week through Nov. 20.
Here’s the ‘last shot’ at providing hunters important information about the gun deer opener this weekend.
This year virtually all deer management units (DMUs) in the immediate Hayward area are REGULAR units. If you want to shoot an antlerless deer you must buy a unit-specific antlerless tag ($12 resident, $20 non-resident.) The free antlerless tag you receive with your gun deer license is valid ONLY in Herd Control units – NOT in these Regular units. You can check the availability of antlerless tags for any unit on the DNR website or by calling a DNR service center. This is the tag availability situation for the general Hayward area as of Monday morning: Unit 9 - 3285; Unit 12 - 3412; Unit 13 - 1738; Unit 14 - 5052; Unit 17 - 3436; Unit 18 - 1921; Unit 19 - 4336.)
During Saturday and Sunday of opening weekend the DNR staff will be on hand at Shooting Star Archery to age every deer registered. During those two days, Hayward Bait will NOT register deer. They will resume registrations the following Monday.
This is a busy time of year, with so much to do and so little time to do it, it’s easy to lose track of important events and/or let them slide. With that in mind, you are hereby reminded the application deadline for 2010 spring turkey permits and bear kill permits is December 10. Sounds like there is plenty of time, no? No – it’s less than a month.
As for fishing, Pat Jones at Happy Hooker notes that despite unusually warm weather, we’re heading toward the end of the fall fishing period.
“This has not been a normal fall season,” Jones says. “We have had a ‘weather roller coaster’ going full speed all fall and it’s playing havoc with our fishing. What we would like to see is a long, consistent decline in the temperatures.
“What we get are these annoying, alternating warm and cold fronts, which makes fishing predictions very tough.”

Muskies:
Water temperatures continue to be in the lower 40s, though they will drop with the cold nights we are now experiencing. Musky anglers are fishing various depths, but most action is coming from somewhat deeper water. Suckers are the number one choice, but Bull Dawgs and other plastics are catching fish, as are large trolled stick and crank baits. If you are casting artificials, Pat at Happy Hooker recommends a very slow retrieve.

Walleye:
Some walleye anglers are doing well right now – this should be a great time for walleyes – but reports vary from very good to very slow. Locating the walleye remains the most frustrating aspect. While some walleyes are being caught fairly shallow, concentrate on mid-depths to deeper water weeds, holes, and structure. Use walleye suckers or fatheads, and floating and/or glowing jig heads are reported to be working for some anglers.

Upcoming Events
Nov. 19: Seasons Close: Archery deer; Turkey; Crow.
Nov. 20: Illegal to hunt with a firearm the day before gun deer season opens. (See regs for exceptions.)
Nov. 21-29: Regular gun deer season.
Nov. 24: Northern Zone duck season closes.
Nov. 30: Seasons Close: Musky; Turtle.
Nov. 30 - Dec. 9: Muzzleloader deer season.
Nov. 30 - Jan. 3: Late archery deer season.
Dec. 1: Lake trout season on Lake Superior opens.
Dec. 10: Application Deadline: Spring turkey; Bear kill permit.
Dec. 10-13: Antlerless-only firearm hunt in specific units. (See regs.)
Dec. 12: Canada goose season in the north exterior zones closes.
Dec. 31: Seasons Close: Pheasant; Hungarian partridge Bobcat hunting and trapping; Fisher trapping; Frog.
Through Dec. 31: Illegal to shine for wild animals between 10 p.m.-7 a.m.

For more information on area events and activities, see the Calendar of Events, visit Hayward Lakes Visitor and Convention Bureau, or call 1-800-724-2992.