how weather and moon phases ….

how weather and moon phases affect deer movement, the do’s and don’ts of tree planting and how to evaluate the health of deer you’ve harvested as you butcher them.

The other key change to DMAP being proposed is in the fee structure. While the plan is still have a flat fee of $50 for three years, if the proposal passes, members could choose the additional benefits they want to pay for.

“The way the code is currently written, every three years, if you have 160 acres or more and you enroll at the Level 2 you receive the same benefits regardless of what you want or need,” Frater said. “So everybody is receiving a new management plan, a site visit with the biologist and the forester every three years. We did a bunch of focus groups and did a bunch of surveys as part of the program review. One of the things that came out, members wanted the ability to have more customization. So to meet that we’re separating out program membership from the on-site services, what we’re now calling elective benefits.

“That’s the big change,” she added. “It allows for that customization. It allows them to select more of the services that they want. So we do have a lot of members who are in because they really want to do habitat management work and that’s their

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main focus, but we do have a subset who are in the program for tags. Under the current code, we were having to write management plans for them even though that’s not what they wanted. This gives them the flexibility to select those services that they want and need.”

While Frater admits she is a bit nervous of how the reduced acreage requirements is likely to affect the number of on-site visits the DMAP crew would have to do, she is excited about where the program is headed with these intended tweaks.

“I was actually a DMAP member before I joined the team,” she said, noting she helped manage her parents’ 40 acres in northern Wisconsin. “I think it’s a great program and I think it has a lot to offer.”

To learn more about DMAP or to apply, visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/ WildlifeHabitat/DMAP.

dress or quarter the animal, as it was important to know the live weight, should they somehow find a helicopter and airlift it out? That seemed unlikely, so the group began to drag the carcass out.

At one point, there were eight people pulling the bear out and if even one of them lost momentum, everyone came to a screeching halt.

“It takes everyone in the communication process…to take credit alone, definitely don’t do that,” said Senoraske. “Everyone had one goal – work as a team. That’s the beauty of running hounds, I think.”

Eventually, Holcombe resident Buck Steele came to the rescue somewhat, by bringing in an otter sled. The group continued dragging the bear on the sled, until they came to Mud Brook, submerging the bear into the water, following the creek for about a quarter of a mile, which eased the burden of dragging the bear, by floating it.

“We had some very generous landowners, who allowed us to drag it across,” said Senoraske.

Once they reached a road, they got the bear out of the water, then loaded it into Steele’s truck. Senoraske had to show his family first, before heading with his kill to “headquarters,” to weigh it.

Someone in the hunting camp had just harvested a 608-pound bear the Monday before, breaking the camp record, but that weight was smashed, as Senoraske’s bear tipped the scales at 653 pounds. Senoraske is currently waiting to see results of the measurements of the gigantic skull.

“It could potentially make the books (as a county record),” he said.

Of course, with a harvest like that, Senoraske saved the bear as a full-body mount, which will be on display at Rocque Ridge Guides & Outfitters in Holcombe, once it comes back from the taxidermist.

Perhaps even more special to Senoraske, than the thrill of a lifetime, is the community aspect of the hunting the group, as they do things right, in a very ethical way, with a team-oriented philosophy. Sweetening the experience, Senoraske’s father, who runs hounds in Merrill, hopped in his truck and drove to see the massive harvest, sharing in the jubilee. “It was really cool to be around all those who are super passionate about it,” said Senoraske.

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The paws of the monstrous animal alone were a sight to behold on the bear taken by Todd Senoraske of Holcombe.