Winter Has Arrived At Williams Wilderness Lodge. Time To Book A Spring Turkey Hunt!

Winter at Williams Wilderness Lodge

     A fresh blanket of snow coats the acreage here at Williams Wilderness Lodge as another whitetail deer season has come to a close. The season is over but it seems the preparations never end. Managing this property to consistently produce quality hunting opportunities requires year-round effort.

     We currently have two feeders placed on the property for supplemental feeding. These provide a quality food source for deer and turkey (and raccoons, unfortunately) and will draw additional deer to the property during a time when good food sources can be scarce. A nice snow such as the 4-5" we just received also allows us to research and monitor movement patterns of deer more easily. Having had 42 acres of timber stand improvement completed last summer I am interested to see how much typical movement patterns are altered, if at all, by the many felled trees we now have in the woods. These trees will create many quality bedding areas and improve the population of whitetail deer in our forest. Additionally, in the Spring a much more open forest canopy will allow sunlight in and create quality undergrowth and food sources for deer and turkey.

     Speaking of turkey...I am aware that everyone is still in the process of cleaning all their gear and getting settled into the off-season, but Spring Turkey Season is less than 80 days away!! The youth only weekend is April 9-10, and the regular season is April 18-May 08.

Williams Wilderness Lodge turkey hunting is second to none.

     I am not normally one to brag, but I will put the turkey population and quality of a hunt at Williams Wilderness Lodge up against anyone. As soon as the barred owls start in at dawn on any Spring morning here one will hear consistent gobbles in all directions. If you are a beginner to the art of calling a turkey in this is the place for you, as there are plenty to practice on until you get it right. For seasoned turkey hunters, there will be no more boredom for you as the action is consistent. Please give me a call at 928-366-4020 or email me at williamswildernesslodge@gmail.com with any questions or to book your hunt before they are filled.

We Are Now Taking 2016 Reservations

 It has been an amazing couple of years here at Williams Wilderness Lodge and we are already putting our plans in motion for an equally exciting 2016 season. My son Collin and I are already plotting feeder locations for the winter, food plots and mineral sites for the Spring, and possible stand movements for our next trophy whitetail season. With planning in motion for next season, we have opened up reservations for our 2016 hunts. Our new 3 bedroom lodge is operational so your party can enjoy the convenience of having your lodging and private hunt organized into one package. I am not an outfitter inserting you and 5,000 others on over-hunted land, nor am I a hunting nanny that will put up your stand, walk you out to the stand, and dress your deer when you are done, but if you want to hunt on quality private land in Northern Missouri whitetail country and be provided with courtesy and customer service that will be second to none give us a call or email to set up your hunt. Rates for 2016 are listed below and include private hunt and lodging for up to 4 hunters. Call and get your dates set. They will go quickly! (928) 366-4020 or williamswildernesslodge@gmail.com


DEER (RIFLE)
1^st 4 DAYS= BOOKED
LAST 4 DAYS= $1600
ENTIRE SEASON (9 DAYS) $3000

DEER (YOUTH WEEKEND)
EARLY WEEKEND= $600
LATE WEEKEND= $500

DEER (ARCHERY AND ALTERNATIVE) OCT-DEC
DAILY= $300
3 DAYS= $850
5 DAYS= $1300
WEEK= $1700

DEER (ARCHERY) SEP/JAN
DAILY= $250
3 DAYS= $700
5 DAYS= $1100
WEEK= $1400

SPRING TURKEY
DAILY= $250
3 DAY=  $700

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.