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Horicon marsh, WI

2K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Capt. Dave 
#1 ·
Anyone who's been there before, couple questions:
1) I assume it's crowded on the weekends, but is there good room to hunt on weekdays? Or a complete zoo?
2) I know there are lots of restrictions on geese, but I'd be more interested in ducks. Are there a lot of ducks in the hunting area, or is it overrated?
Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
I used to hunt it and surrounding areas alot years ago when i lived in WI. So I'm speaking over 10 yrs ago. It can be very busy on both weekends and weekdays, but if you are willing to do some daylight scouting you can usually find a few areas to get away from the crowds. I quit hunting the area for that reason and the fact it is so restrictive on geese. Like every where it can be really good after a push of new birds. I don't think I ever hunted it and didn't see birds, they didn't always cooperate.
 
#4 ·
My home overlooked the Rock River ramp, the John Deere plant and duck shanty town from 1992 through 1997. So my info is dated.

Best goose hunting I've ever experienced and at the same time THE worst duck hunting I've ever seen. Canada numbers during those five years were off the charts. Decoying 5 to 15 flocks feet down inside 20 yards was a normal morning, some days they were still decoying and landing between us as we picked up decoys.

I watched one flight of migrating Canadas last the better part of three days one early-October weekend when there was never a 15 minute period, day or night, that there wasn't a flock of geese heard or seen over the house, often there were multiple flocks in the sky at the same time.

I never saw a crowd on the marsh during duck season, but also never saw many ducks. After the second season of empty skies, the final straw was taking a mid-November week of vacation and seeing nothing more than a high flock or two ducks in a marsh also empty of other hunters. For ducks I turned my attention to the Mississippi if I didn't have a goose hunting group in town.

Of the ~31,000 acres, the Feds have 21,000 refuge acres north of the 11,000 acre State area, and the best part of the State area is also refuge. In my experience that is what made for tough duck hunting. It was my understanding the guys skiing the marsh routinely did well.

I think many of the goose zone restrictions have been lifted now, but even so, all those did were extend the hunt a little longer most mornings. I used to rotate friends in and out of blinds spread across 7 farms depending on which ones were under the morning's flight path. All farms were free access costing nothing more than asking politely. The goose hunting was nothing short of exceptional. In five seasons we never failed to fill anyone's (6) goose tags.

No idea what the area is like today. I hear it isn't holding as many geese now. I see they put up a large wind farm to the east and northeast.

If you go, please report back, I'd be interested in hearing what you find.
 
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