Williams Wilderness Lodge Offering Only (2) Five Day Hunts This Year.

     

Just one of the monster bucks harvested at Williams Wilderness Lodge

   Get the best out of your private hunting experience this year by hunting our 102 acres of mostly wooded trophy whitetail deer and turkey land. Enjoy the convenience of having your lodging and private hunt organized into one package with our three bedroom lodge located only 4 miles away.

     Each year we manage this land specifically for quality whitetail deer and turkey. We plant food plots annually to attract big game. Additionally, we have completed over 70 acres of timber stand improvement to open up the canopy of the forest and grow natural food plots throughout and create quality bedding areas. On top of that, we utilize multiple trail cameras throughout the year to gauge wildlife quality and learn patterns to assist you with your hunt. We also have multiple stands on the property for your convenience, should you not wish to put up your own.

     We offer a quality private hunt in trophy whitetail country on land that you know is managed for big whitetails with extremely limited hunting pressure, and a nice, warm private lodge containing everything your trip needs, minus the food. I will be happy to provide you with the courtesy and customer service that your party deserves. Give me a call to set up your hunt.

Winter Planning Gives Way To Spring Enacting

     I haven't posted anything lately regarding the planning taking place for another great year here at Williams Wilderness Lodge, so I thought I would do my best to get everyone up to speed. First let me tell you that we had another very mild winter. It's early April and we still have bucks holding their antlers. Additionally, I went on a walkabout in February and spotted a lot of very late season rubs and a few scrapes.

Whitetail grouped up in NE corner April 1st

     The last two weeks have been almost non-stop rain, so we are expecting the understory of the woods to grow up quite rapidly in the near future, just in time for some great Spring turkey hunting. Based upon sign and movement patterns last year, we will be moving a few stands around for the upcoming whitetail season. I have attached the photo of the planned stand placement below. For those who have hunted with us before, this will make perfect sense. If you haven't hunted with us before, don't hesitate to call and inquire. I like to think I am a fairly friendly guy (as long as I've completed my first two cups of coffee) and I'll be happy to help familiarize you with the property and possibly get you locked in for a great whitetail deer hunt this Fall.

Williams Wilderness Lodge Stand Placement 2017 (Tentative)

     The two ladder stand movements will be overlooking two prime staging areas on the property. I am also moving the Millennium hanging stand (cadillac of hanging stands) to a better location along a travel corridor. The most exciting addition for 2017 is the new pentagon box blind that will be installed in the northeast corner. Those that hunted last year know that we had some big bucks roaming in there last year. I have toiled long and hard to turn this blind into a portable luxury home on wheels. With the help of an old boat trailer and just enough woodworking skill to injure myself multiple times, this is the result.

     This beauty will be staged on the top of the ridgeline for Spring Turkey Season and then moved down into the monster buck "coffin corner" for the 2017 Whitetail Season. 

     Now let's discuss food plots for 2017. In past years I have planted Spring foodplots with varied results. I have utilized plotsaver fencing and repellant which works fairly well. It doesn't keep all of the deer out, but it does make a distinct difference from leaving the plot wide open for browsing. Nonetheless, this year I will be waiting until late Summer to plant Fall plots only. I think this will help to make the plots last longer into the season than years past. Additionally, I am trying out a new seed mix this year. I will be planting Eagle Broadside Blend this year. It is a mixture of soybeans, radishes, wheat, and turnips. It is designed for the soybeans to grow up first for forage, followed by the radishes, then the wheat, and finally the turnips. It is supposed to last much longer with different food growing at different times.

     So, as you can see the busy season has begun for us here at Williams Wilderness Lodge. Our goal is to provide the greatest quality hunt we can for you at an incredibly affordable price. Please give me a call today and we can get you setup for a great season.

Turkey Time Is Almost Here!!!

A Couple of Bruisers Moved in This Week

We wish we had a full body shot of this guy but this is all he gave us.

Another big buck inviting you here for a hunt.

Happy Bow Season Eve!!!

The Night Before Bow Season.......

by Greg Milatz on Thursday,September 30,2010

'Twas the night before bow season all through the state,
Not a creature was stirring only those still up late;

The treestands were hung in the woodlots with care,
In hopes that a shooter soon would be there.

The hunters were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of opening day danced in their heads;

I had on my boots and Williams Wilderness Lodge cap,
My Hoyt Charger laid on my lap.

When out in the swamp there arose such a clatter,
I awoke from my doze to see what was the matter.

I blinked and I blinked,tried to focus my eyes,
My knees they were knocking and so were my thighs!

When,what to my wondering eyes should appear,
40 yards a way,a 160 class deer!

With a crick in his walk,not lively or quick,
I silently drew and a spot I did pick,

More rapid than eagles my breathing became,
As he pawed and he grunted still closer he came;

It wasn't Dasher or Dancer or Prancer or Vixen,
Not Comet,not Cupid,not Donner nor Blitzen!

Behind the large oak,now near a deadfall,
My trance it was broken by a crow's distant caw.

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle,mount to the sky,

A small spike-horn buck and several more deer,
Parading behind the buck big as a steer.

And then,in a twinkling,I heard to my right,
Another 160,OH WHAT A SIGHT!

My head it was spinning,my breathing was fast,
I knew that this scene wasn't going to last.

His cape it was dark,it seemed almost black,
From years in the swamp,where sunlight did lack.

His bases were massive,his main beams were too,
His dressed weight I figured would easily go two.

His eyes --how they twinkled! His throat patch a double!
This case of buck fever had me in deep trouble

I eased up my draw,they didn't flinch,
The scene it was frozen,man 'nor beast moved an inch.

I could hear acorns crunching from the bite of their teeth,
And steam from their nostrils encircled their head like a wreath;

He had a broad neck,for that it seemed early,
These wild living creatures had turned me to jelly.

Resigned to the fact that the deer'd won this round,
I simply enjoyed the scene I had found.

In the blink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Away from my stand this deer gaggle did head.

They pawed and they grunted the young bucks did trot,
I wondered and said thanks for the show I had got.

A lifetime of memories this hunt it did make,
Despite my bow did not fire,or no game did I take.

My breathing had calmed,my knee knocking did cease,
I was glowing,was happy,my world was at peace.

The hunt makes you do that,the hunt,not the kill,
The day that it doesn't,I'll quit hunting,I will.

What the heck is that clatter,that despicable beep?
That's ruining my dream and ending my sleep?

It's the alarm clock,so get out of bed,
Let's make a reality what was just in my head!

GOOD LUCK FELLOW HUNTER'S AND STAY SAFE!!!

Final Food Plot For 2016 Season Completed

Austrian Winter Peas and Winter Oats Sprouting in Final 2016 Planting at Williams Wilderness Lodge.

The final deer groceries were planted last Tuesday, just before six straight days of rain. Today we completed the plot saver fence to protect the Austrian Winter Peas and Forage Oats that are already sprouting. Final preparations are complete as we are only two weeks away from the kickoff of the 2016 Missouri archery season. Get your early season fix by booking a hunt at Williams Wilderness Lodge. Call Ron at (928) 366-4020 for all the details.

We're Fired Up For Deer Season To Start At Williams Wilderness Lodge

Our third year of "taking care of business" is about to kick off. Call Ron and book a private hunt today!

Only A Month and Some Change Until Bow Season Kicks Off!!

Bucks beginning to pack up at Williams Wilderness Lodge

I performed my end of month trail camera pull this morning and the last week reveals that bucks are beginning to pack up at Williams Wilderness Lodge.

Archery season opens on September 15th and we have plenty of opening for your hunting party. With early season rates your party can hunt three days with three nights of lodging included for only $700!!! Give Ron a call at (928) 366-4020 and he will not only answer any question you have, but is happy to also email maps of the hunting land as well as all stand placements. Book an enjoyable and affordable private hunt in northern Missouri today.

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Williams Wilderness Lodge 2016 Preparations

     It is hard to believe that it is already the end of June here at Williams Wilderness Lodge. Spring has come and gone so fast that our heads are still spinning here. I would like to take just a bit of time to update our current customers on the preparations for the season. Having been retired from the United States Marine Corps now for two and a half years, I can honestly tell everyone that land management for whitetail deer is difficult work at times, and rivals the USMC in sweat equity as well as tactics and strategy. We have certainly had successes as well as failures going into this third year of business, but the overall goal has always been creating a better hunting environment each year, and the evidence on the trail cameras as well as the signs on the land clearly demonstrate that we are. We expect 2016 to be our best season yet, and these are the efforts we have made to ensure it.

Williams Lodge 2016 Stand Placement

     Above is the tentative layout of our stands this year. Our future customers will see that we have placed quite a few stands for customers to use, although all customers are certainly free to bring their own and setup anywhere on the property. We have (4) ladder stands, (2) hanging stands, a two-man elevated box blind, a single man ground level box blind, and a newly acquired tripod blind. I mention again that this is the "tentative" layout. As I continue to gather intelligence and pattern the deer, one or more of these stands could be moved. I am already considering the possibility of moving the ladder stand in the northeast corner further south. In addition to these stands I have two single man popup blinds that customers are welcome to use and place strategically. Additionally, we have (3) Mr. Heater portable buddy heaters for our customer use in any of the enclosed blinds.

   

Williams Lodge Trail Extension

     Additionally, we extended one of our trails all the way through to the narrow food plot field (bottom field) in the southeast corner of the property. This should encourage more whitetail movement in a northwest direction after feeding rather than southward. It also allows for more efficient and strategic movement by hunters into those southern stands depending on wind direction.

Williams Lodge 2016 Mineral Sites

          We have two mineral sites on the property currently as notated above. These are setup in late March generally, and are replenished in June. Mineral sites are amazing for getting an accurate count of deer as well as ratio of bucks to does. They help bucks to get the minerals they need to grow those amazing racks as well as give does the necessary nutrition in the Spring to have healthy fawns. Our mineral is special ordered and made here in Missouri at a feed plant. It is not commercial garbage that is 90% salt.

Williams Lodge Quality Deer Management Mineral

     The deer have been tearing these sites up all Spring and will continue to do so until late August or early September.

Williams Lodge 2016 Food Plots

     We have planted forage soybeans in the bottom field again this year (orange star) as well as two small micro-plots of clover along the main ridge top (yellow stars). The soybeans are currently protected by a plotsaver fence which is in it's second year of use and I am quite impressed so far in how well it repels deer. 

     In addition to planted food plots, last year we completed 42 acres of timber stand improvement which was done by a professional forester.

Williams Lodge 2015 Timber Stand Improvement

     This was completed in Zone 1 and Zone 2 above. This has done wonders already in opening up the forest canopy and allowing a more dense understory of natural food plots as well as improved bedding areas for our deer population. It has already created a noticed increase in deer population. 

     So, as you can see a great deal of effort goes into ensuring a quality hunt for our customers. If you are a current customer we are excited to prepare another great season for you. If you are considering booking a hunt with us this year please give me a call. I am happy to help you with any questions you might have.

Turkey Hunting Tips

We are getting closer and closer to Spring Turkey Season and if you are like me in any way you are already digging out your guns, gear, and various calls in anticipation of calling in Big Tom. This is an informative video from GrowingDeer.tv that can increase your odds of bagging that big bird this Spring. We have openings at Williams Wilderness Lodge for your Spring turkey hunt. Give me a call and we will get you reserved for your best turkey hunt ever!

Spring Is Here And So Are The Turkeys!!!

Turkey Population was fantastic two years ago, and has grown significantly each year since with two incredibly successful hatches in 2014 and 2015.

     Williams Wilderness Lodge is proud to offer reservations for the upcoming Spring turkey season which is quickly approaching. The "Youth Only" weekend is just a few weeks away on April 9th and 10th, with the full season running from April 18th through May 8th. We offer a true "private" hunt as your party will be the only hunters on the land.

     I am so confident in the turkey population on our 102 acres at Williams Wilderness Lodge that I want to offer a 10% discount to encourage getting your youth hooked on the excitement of turkey hunting during the "Youth Only" weekend. 

     As dawn is announced each Spring morning by the barred owls who have taken up residence here, they are quickly answered in all directions by the gobble of the many turkeys still in their roost. Enjoy this experience and bag your limit this Spring, all while relaxing in our 3 bedroom lodge which has all the necessities other than food, located just a few miles from the property.

     Please give me a call and I will be happy to answer any questions you might have and get you all set for a quality hunt.

Whitetail Deer Season In Full Swing In Northern Missouri

The early archery season is over and we are in the midst of rifle season here at Williams Wilderness Lodge. The rut is well underway and I am at the stage of the season where I am relegated to watch and hope that all of my efforts throughout the Spring and Summer produce results. There is a certain anticipation that takes place while waiting for the results of the season to come in, but there is nothing more satisfactory than when a customer harvests a big one to refresh the confidence that all of the Spring plowing, seeding and weeding, all of the digging and mineral site building, all of the postseason supplemental feeding in the winter, all of the timber stand improvement and intel gathering from trail cameras...all of it is well worth it when it produces results like this:

Doug's big ten point buck at Williams Wilderness Lodge.

Trail Cameras Tell a Tale

Sometimes when pulling trail camera cards after a customer has left, I am able to see just how close they were to big whitetail deer and didn't even know it.

Two hunters headed out of the woods for the evening

At 5:54 pm these two gentlemen exited the woods for the evening and three minutes later....

curious buck

This guy showed up to check out what all the noise on the trail was.

The New Lodge Is Officially Operational

Williams Wilderness Lodge offers quality whitetail deer and turkey hunts at affordable prices.

     Williams Wilderness Lodge is proud to announce that our new lodge is officially operational. We are once again able to offer convenient private lodging along with our quality whitetail deer and turkey hunts. This two bedroom lodge will comfortably house your hunting party for a memorable getaway. It is located within four miles of our privately managed hunting land in downtown Livonia, MO.

     We have late season openings still available so check the booking calendar and contact us to set you up with your very own quality whitetail hunt in northern Missouri. We are family owned. We only lodge and hunt one group at a time so you know that our focus is on your hunt. Please call Ron for more information at 928-366-4020, or email williamswildernesslodge@gmail.com to get on our mailing list. We will begin taking reservations for 2016 hunts in December and we will have rates posted soon.

Williams Wilderness Lodge Is Always Making Improvements

Whitetail bucks tearing up our soybean food plot here at Williams Wilderness Lodge

     It is that time of year again. The whitetail buck bachelor groups are moving. The resident does are making final preparations to send their offspring on their adult way, mineral sites and food plots have helped to nourish the herd again this year and with impressive results. The population and volume of photos are higher this year than last, but we are never content to rest upon small improvements. It's "go big or go home" here at Williams Wilderness Lodge as we continue our quest to create our little outdoor Utopia here in Northern Missouri.

     We have been putting together a Forest Management Plan with a licensed forester for over a year. The plan was finalized and ratified by Congress ( I may be overplaying the story a bit) this Spring and we just finished a little over 40 acres of timber stand improvement on the north and east sections of the property.

Timber stand improvement was completed in zones 1 and 2.

     Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) helps to thin out the forest of undesirable trees and open up the forest canopy for the healthy trees to gain more sunlight, and grow even better. Trees in dense forests tend to use all their energy to grow vertically in competition for sunlight, by thinning and opening the canopy it will allow the remaining healthy trees to grow a broader crown, resulting in more abundant hard and soft mast fruits for wildlife. In addition, opening the forest floor up to more sunlight will help grow a more abundant understory growth, which will create natural food plots for whitetail deer, turkey, and other Williams Wilderness Lodge non-tax paying residents. This undergrowth also creates a more comfortable and appealing atmosphere for whitetail deer, who feel safer in thick underbrush and find more abundant bedding areas in the growth as well as the fallen trees from the TSI.

     All in all, this will result in a vast improvement in whitetail deer population over the next 3-4 years as well as our already unrivaled turkey population. More improvements will be made in the upcoming years to ensure your hunting trip to Williams Wilderness Lodge is an enjoyable one.

     Please don't hesitate to call with any questions you might have about land management, whitetail deer hunting, or to book reservations for a private hunt up here in trophy whitetail land.

Deer Movement and Lunar Cycles

This is a very informational article on whitetail deer movement as it correlates to lunar cycles. This is good information to have as you plan your hunts this year at Williams Wilderness Lodge. Five days left until the opening of archery season here in Missouri. We have plenty of early season openings for anyone looking for a private whitetail hunt. Please contact Ron or Collin for more information at 928-366-4020.

COMMISSION APPROVES CHANGES TO 2016-2017 DEER REGULATIONS

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Conservation Commission set season dates and limits for the 2016-2017 fall deer season and gave initial approval to several deer-hunting regulation changes proposed by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) at the Commission's Aug. 19 meeting in Jefferson City.Published on: Aug. 20, 2015

Posted by Joe Jerek

Approved changes to fall deer season structure for 2016-2017 include:

• Maintain current timing of the November portion and reduce the length from 11 to 9 days.
• Expand the late youth portion to three days beginning the first Friday after Thanksgiving.
• Reduce the length of the antlerless portion from 12 to 3 days and begin on the first Friday in December.
• Eliminate the urban zones portion.

Proposed regulation changes to fall deer season structure for 2016-2017 include:

• Allow crossbows as a legal method during the archery deer and turkey seasons.
• Allow the use of crossbows during the fall firearms turkey season.
• Reduce the limit of antlered deer from 3 to 2 during the combined archery and firearms deer hunting season, with no more than one antlered deer taken during the firearms deer hunting season.
• Remove the hunting method exemption requirement related to crossbows.

Missouri's rule-making process includes a 30-day public comment period. Comments related to the proposed regulation changes can be submitted online to the Conservation Department from Oct. 2-31 at mdc.mo.gov/node/24141. Full verbiage of the proposed amendments will be posted on the webpage after Sept. 15.

The Commission will make its final decision on these proposed changes at its December meeting. With final approval, the regulation changes would become effective in March 2016 and implemented for the 2016-2017 deer hunting seasons.

The Department is also working to simplify conservation area deer-hunting regulations by limiting methods and use of firearms and archery antlerless permits. To see the list of conservation areas with proposed changes to hunting methods and to provide comments, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov/node/18891 from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. The webpage will not be available until Sept. 1.

The Department will also continue to gather input from citizens on a variety of deer hunting-related topics, including nonresident permits and prices, through public surveys and its website in early 2016.

When formulating recommendations for these regulation changes, the Conservation Department used deer hunter surveys, landowner surveys, archery-hunter observation surveys, deer population simulations, biological data, harvest summaries, and public input gathered from 22 public open houses held around the state and about 11,800 public comments received at the public meetings and online.

"The goal of the Conservation Department's deer management program is to use science-based wildlife management combined with public input to maintain deer population levels throughout the state that provide quality recreational opportunities while minimizing human-deer conflicts," said MDC Deer Biologist Jason Sumners. "As deer populations in Missouri have changed over the last 75 years, so have our management strategies. In modifying the hunting season structure, our aim is to achieve a deer population that is biologically and socially acceptable while also promoting hunter participation, recruitment, and retention."

Missouri offers some of the best deer hunting in the country, and deer hunting is an important part of many Missourians' lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important economic driver in Missouri and gives a $1 billion annual boost to the state and local economies.

2016-2017 DEER HUNTING SEASON DATES

Archery Season
• Sept. 15-Nov. 11, 2016 and
• Nov. 21, 2016-Jan. 15, 2017

Firearms Season
• Early Youth Portion: Oct. 29-30, 2016
• November Portion: Nov. 12-20, 2016
• Late Youth Portion: Nov. 25-27, 2016
• Antlerless Portion: Dec. 2-4, 2016
• Alternative Methods Portion: Dec. 24, 2016-Jan. 3, 2017

Cool Season Food Plot Planting Day

     Today is cool season food plot planting day at Williams Wilderness Lodge. Three plots will be planted in advance of three expected days of rain which will allow good germination and quality food for trophy whitetails, ensuring a quality private hunt for all this year. It will be a busy day of planting forage oats, austrian winter peas, and varieties of clover. The big whitetail bucks are starting to show up and we intend to feed them well so they will have plenty of energy for the many does they will encounter during the rut.

This whitetail only wanted to show his rack for now.

Nice potential on this 8 point buck

                            

A Summary of the Year So Far

     This is just a short summary of the year at Williams Wilderness Lodge so far to help you plan for your upcoming trophy whitetail hunt. We are very proud here of the hunts we provide and work year-round to ensure a quality hunt for all. If you have considered hunting with us before but haven't pulled the trigger on it this is the year to sneak in and give us a try.
 
     It has been another solid year weather-wise. If it is possible to believe, this year has been even wetter than last year. Until last week, there has not been a period of more than three days without rain since early spring. The majority of this rain has been consistent downpours as well, not light showers. This has allowed the intermittent creek on the property to flow the majority of the year. The constant precipitation has created substantially healthy undergrowth which has been inviting for a significant whitetail deer population. Natural food plots abound throughout the property.

     The majority of our woods are white and red oak trees. The acorn crop this year will easily be the largest this property has seen under our ownership. We know where the deer will be once these acorns start dropping.

Whitetail deer will have a feast when these start dropping

     In addition to the natural food plots growing abundantly at Williams Wilderness Lodge this year, I have planted additional supplementary food plots in order to attract whitetail deer to the property. One spring plot was planted in the bottom field across from our elevated box blind. This plot was planted with forage soybeans as well as grain sorghum. The sorghum was added to create a long, thick stalk for support to allow the soybeans to grow longer and taller. This plot will provide good early season greenery for whitetail deer as well as great late season hunting when the beans are on the ground.

Soybeans draw whitetail deer in

     Additional food plots are being prepared and are set to be seeded this Sunday. I will be planting a mini-plot as described in a previous post Fall Mini Plot in the narrow field to the west of the bottom field. I will be planting it with forage oats and austrian winter peas. Austrian winter peas are the ultimate cool season food plot for big deer. The whitetails love this stuff! I will be putting up a plotsaver fence to preserve this mini-plot until it is well established. A single man box blind overlooks this area and will create some great action for hunters this rifle season as well as muzzle loader season.

Gun hunters will love this spot.

     Two more mini-plots that will be planted on Sunday will be in small openings around the pond. These will consist of forage oats and a variety of clovers.There has been much more activity from all wildlife in the pond area this year. Deer and turkey both have been getting more comfortable in closer proximity to the house this year and on many occasions I have awakened to whitetail and turkey in the yard. These plots will serve to feed the growing population and a ladder stand is situated close between the two plots.

This is a great archery stand for big deer.

     Additionally, mineral sites were established last year and continued this year. Three mineral sites were set up again this year to nourish does with their fawns in the Spring as well as give bucks the minerals they need to stay healthy and grow those big racks you are looking for. I do not use any of the overpriced BOB (Buck on a Bag) minerals that are full of salt and not much else. Each year members of Missouri Whitetails combine for a large order of mineral that is made locally at Silver Moon Feeds. This mineral consists of a large portion of the minerals deer need to maintain health as well as grow trophy racks. It contains a maximum of 11% salt, an ingredient that is a much larger portion of the mineral you buy in stores. Deer need calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium and this mineral delivers. 22% calcium, 10% phosphorous, 2.5% potassium, and 2.2% magnesium. This mineral far exceeds what most are using to improve their deer quality and I am proud to use it here.

     To summarize, I am very proud of what we have established here at Williams Wilderness Lodge in a short period. I hope this season summary has served to demonstrate that we are serious about providing a quality whitetail hunt at an affordable price for everyone. We have plenty of open dates to plan your hunt this year and (4) hunters can hunt private land at $150 a day ($37.50 per person!) in Northern Missouri's prime area for trophy whitetails. Give me a call at (928) 366-4020 and we can get you set up for the season.

     As a reminder to all of our customers that enjoyed the combination of a private land hunt and lodging, the lodging and hunting packages will be returning in 2016. As soon as lodging becomes official we will announce all of the details as well as open up reservations for the 2016 season. Thank you for your continued support of our mission to provide affordable trophy hunts in Northern Missouri.

Two Additional Fall Food Mini-Plots

I believe I am going to plant these in varieties of clover.

The ladder stand in this area has a great view of these plots: