WISCONSIN WILDLIFE WOES: FIRST CWD, AND NOW THIS? .. The DNR had asked hunters and the public to turn in dead ruffed grouse last fall in the first effort to determine if West Nile virus was present in the grouse population. Test results are in, and they're not good - read more here:

https://www.outdoornews.com/2019/01/16/wisconsin-grouse-test-positive-for-west-nile-virus/?mc_cid=8bea1ed56e&mc_eid=8ae5488018

WHITETAIL HARVEST REPORT: ANTLERED DEER BUCKS ARE THE TREND - A national report on white-tailed deer indicates that buck harvest was on the rise while antlerless harvest fell, tipping the balance in favor of bucks for the first time in nearly two decades. So what's changing? .. see this and more in the Whitetail Report:

https://www.outdoornews.com/2019/01/17/national-whitetail-report-buck-harvest-up-doe-harvest-down/?mc_cid=8bea1ed56e&mc_eid=8ae5488018

I'm guessing this guy is a  "polak" like me .. but a lot more successful .. a relatively new deer hunter came up big in southern Illinois during the first weekend of the firearms deer season. The DNR has confirmed that Keith Szablewski, of Johnston City, harvested a buck with a non-typical rack of 51 points, of which at least 30 are scorable. Illinois Conservation Police Officer Justin Somers inspected the deer and confirmed the harvest.

Szablewski said he has been deer hunting for about four years .. Read more about the deer – nicknamed “SkiBuck 51” – in the Dec. 14 issue of Illinois Outdoor News.

https://www.outdoornews.com/2018/11/28/illinois-hunter-bags-51-point-nontypical-buck/

There were 13.7 million hunters in the United States over age 16 -- 12.7 million of whom used rifles, shotguns or handguns for hunting, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With 12.5 million individuals, that's 220 million days spent in the woods, fields and wetlands each year. Of course, the bigger story isn't the time they spend. It's the money. At $1,992 per hunter per year, that's $24.9 billion pumped into our economy ..

A couple months ago we told you about GSM Outdoors buying New Archery Products (NAP) — click here for details — and the company isn’t sitting on its hands. In fact, GSM recently announced they’re welcoming the Boss Buck brand to the family.

Never heard of Boss Buck? The company has an extensive line of rugged game feeders and tower-style hunting blinds. In terms of feeders, the company offers a wide assortment of gravity and automatic spin feeders made of rotomolded high-density polyethylene. They are available in hanging, stand-and-fill, and tri- or quad-leg configurations of various heights to suit individual needs. (Special note for anglers: Floating and standing fish feeder systems are also offered under the name Boss Bass.)

When it comes to hunting blinds, Boss Buck builds weatherproof models with 5- or 10-foot tower assemblies. Constructed of tough HDPE walls and clear polycarbonate windows, Boss Buck blinds are tough and stable.