Weekend in the Wisconsin Northwoods

We saw lots of grouse, like this guy, strutting their stuff in the Wisconsin northwoods this weekend.

My wife and I spent a long weekend at her Grandma's cabin just off the Namekagon River. After the sprint to Pheasant Fest, this was a much needed respite. It was a glorious weekend of melting snow as temperatures cleared 50 degrees. All around us, man and beast alike, were thinking spring. Here are a few observations from the weekend.

Ruffed Grouse: With the assistance of our German shorthaired pointer, Trammell, we saw more than a dozen grouse from walks along snowmobile trails. The birds were grouped up in twos, threes, and fours. I had thought perhaps these birds were thinking about an early mating season as the males were in full display (evidenced by the photo above); but after reading Michael Furtman's book Ruffed Grouse, Woodland Drummer over the weekend, I'm leaning toward a theory that these were mostly male grouse trying to establish their territories for the coming drumming and mating seasons.

Deer: It's undoubtedly been a tough winter on the whitetail with all the snow, but we did see dozens of deer also in groups of twos, threes, and fours. Turkeys: There were plenty of tracks, but the birds seem to be heading toward the elusive spring hunting season mode. Fly Fishing: I picked up a new fly rod & reel combo at the Hayward Fly Fishing Company. Owner Wendy Williamson was incredibly helpful and even pointed me toward a few awesome looking flies for my new quest – to catch a musky on the fly! Look for Wendy and her husband, Larry, at the upcoming Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo in Bloomington later this month. Prime Rib: Looking for the best prime rib in the Wisconsin northwoods? Check out Rosenthal's on Saturday night. It's worth the drive! They report a good year of business in the woods due to an increase in snowmobilers this winter. Pheasant Omen: We even spotted a rooster pheasant on Highway 8 as we came into St. Croix Falls on our way home; a fitting omen to my return to the work of Pheasants Forever on Monday morning.