From Wilderness Whitetails
We had a very successful season in 2013, taking numerous gorgeous bucks including a huge main frame 10-point typical scoring 252-5/8 plus a showy 333”, 49-point nontypical taken by a first time hunter. We have observed even bigger deer still out on our property but none of our hunters have been able to connect with them yet. Maybe this year.
We will keep this brief and to the point and bring you up to date on what has been happening at Wilderness Whitetails since the close of the season last year.
Remaining Hunt Dates
Wilderness Whitetails has three hunting spots open for the 2014 season. Three of our hunters had last minute schedule conflicts so these three hunts opened up. Hunters can expect to see huge bucks during these prime hunting times. Due to cancellations we are offering these tremendous hunts on a first come/ first served basis. Call today to reserve hunt at the best Whitetail Deer venue in North America. This is a great opportunity to take a superb 200” to 500” Northern Whitetail.
Contact us today:
Greg Flees
715-572-5334
gflees@charter.net
Shorty Flees
715-572-3344
shorty@wi-net.com
Wilderness Whitetails Featured On “The High Road”
Ben Carter, Executive Director of the Dallas Safari Club, is on location with Keith Warren’s “The High Road” TV crew, hunting huge Northern Whitetails at Wilderness Whitetails, DSC Exhibitor), in Central Wisconsin with legendary Brock Lesnar, world champion MMA fighter, on the Pursuit Channel Monday, July 14, 2 p.m., Wednesday July 16, 11 p.m. and Sunday, July 20, 7:30 p.m. (all times CDT).
Ben Carter, Executive Director, Dallas Safari Club
Both Carter and Lesnar took huge 300-pound-plus main frame typical 8 point bucks scoring in the 200 inch category. Wilderness Whitetails is renown for having the best Whitetail genetics in the country plus the finest deer habitat imaginable from nearly inpenetrable cedar swamps to broad stands of hardwoods, clear running streams and seeps. As co-owner Greg Flees points out, “Hunting big Whitetails in our dense Northern habitat is like hunting in no other place in the US.”
“This is the biggest Whitetail I have taken in my life,” said Carter. “I have never seen so many huge Whitetails! This is the premier destination for huge whitetails.” Both Carter and Lesnar had high praise for the quality and quantity of Wilderness Whitetails deer, plus for the pristine deer hunting habitat and Wilderness Whitetails hospitality.
If you didn’t catch this unforgettable TV show, you can view “The High Road” on YouTube by clicking the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Unvb9rAhcLU&list=
PLD75DA63DD1F83C4E
Carol Flees — The Matriarch of Wilderness Whitetails
The Wilderness Whitetails story dates back to 1977 when Greg and Shorty Flees mother, Carol found an orphaned fawn alongside a rural Wisconsin county road. Its mother had been killed by a car. Carol gently picked up the fawn and took it back to her farm, intending to care for it until it was old enough to fend for itself. She checked with the Wisconsin DNR as to the legalities of picking up the fawn and was told that would be fine. Carol, then in her mid 30’s with a farm to run and three young boys to raise… bottle fed the little spotted doe fawn and took care of it until is was a young adult doe.
According to Greg’s recollection the fawn followed him and an Shorty around like a farm dog for a couple years. When the fawn was mature and given she was free to roam the property she was bred one fall by a wild buck. Eventually Carol and her boys acquired a Wisconsin license to begin raising deer which was the beginning of Wilderness Whitetails.
Matriarch of Wilderness Whitetails… Carol Flees, with a fine buck
she took recently. As Shorty puts it, “Mom is the backbone of the ranch…
the reason Wilderness Whitetails got started. She had a vision.”
In the early 80’s a really good buck was born on their property that developed huge antlers for the times. That’s when Greg, Shorty and Carol got seriously involved in the meticulous process of guiding genetics along a proper path… working with only their own genetics. Through hard word and finite record keeping, Greg, Shorty and Carol began to see patterns developing, “Huge deer!”
In 1989 Greg, Shorty and Carol were blessed with their first 200” buck… at a time in Whitetail history when 200” bucks were unheard of. In 1999 Greg and Shorty started the hunting side of the business known as Wilderness Whitetails. By the year 2000, when other deer ranches saw what the Flees brothers had, they began offering to purchase breeding stock… does, bucks and semen… from the Flees.
Today, 200” deer are as common at Wilderness Whitetails as a bushel of corn. Hunters come to Wilderness Whitetails to be “wowed” by the Flees’ impressive 250” typicals, 350” to 500” non-typicals. All of whom are born and raised at Wilderness Whitetails, spending their entire lives on the heavily wooded, swampy property.
And all because their Mother Carol, in an act of kindness, rescued an orphaned fawn from an otherwise bad end.
A couple beautiful food plots of white clover! Wisconsin is the dairy state
so naturally there is a lot of alfalfa raised here. It has been said
that a deer will “run” through a field of prime alfalfa
just to get to a field of clover. Deer know what they like
and it’s up to us to provide if for them.
“As you sow so shall you reap”
(The Book of Galitians VI, King James Bible or simply Proverb.)
Many people would have you believe that operating a hunting business like Wilderness Whitetails is easy–once the gene pool has been developed. But it’s quite the opposite. Early spring and summer are busy times at Wilderness…overseeing fawning and recording births, planting food plots, making repairs, scheduling hunts, managing our labor force. It’s a time consuming and labor intensive time of year involving planning, strategy, back breaking work and lots of hours in the tractor seat.
Wilderness Whitetails is a deer hunting operation, no question. But we are still “farmers” underneath. Yes, we raise deer but just like a cattleman, we have to raise the proper food for our deer herd to provide the ideal types and levels of nutrition to allow our deer to achieve their full genetic potential.
And our deer do frequent the food plots, coming out of the pine
and cedar swamps to feed late every afternoon and evening.
Nutrition is one of the major contributiors to growing big healthy deer. And that means establishing numerous new food plots every spring. A food plot on average is only productive for a few years. Sometimes five years but often only two or three years, depending upon how Mother Nature treats us.
Food plot winter kill is major factor in regard to food plots. The Wisconsin winters of 2012 and 2013 were severe — mountains of snow, bitter cold temperatures followed by cold, wet, late springs. This weather phenomena ruined many of our best food plots so there was a lot of work to be done again during the spring.
Another Wilderness Whitetails food plot on the edge of one
of our vast cedar swamps. This plot carries a mixture of warm
season plants as well as some high sugar tuber crops
that mature later in the fall. The deer will dig the sweet tubers
out of the ground after the first frosts. The cedar swamps are full of clear
water seeps that provide our deer with an unending source of pure water.
Establishing good nutritious food plots isn’t as easy as just going out and tossing some seed on the ground and hoping that it grows. “Farmers” Greg and Shorty, have to take much into consideration prior to spring planting. Soil samples must be taken and analyzed to prepare a roadmap for fertilizer and lime application. Topography must be considered too as too much slope will cause runoff and poor plot establishment. Crop rotations must be taken into account…where clover grew before we may want to establish a sugarbeet or brassicas type crop that provides tubers for the deer in late fall and early winter. Food plots must be strategically located throughout the property to provide ample food for all of the deer. There’s a lot of planning involved before the work even begins.
And then…we have to pray for timely rains. During the summer the inevitable food plot weeds must be controlled as well. We manage weed pressure herbicides and occasional mowings. Mowing knocks weeds down but also encourages lush new growth that the deer flock to by the numbers.
There is natural “deer food” throughout the Wilderness Whitetails property
as shown here. Whitetail Deer, however, are browsers, meaning
they eat a wide variety of natural as well as planted foods…
a few leaves here, some grass over there, maybe a few bites
of a sapling and then on over to the food plots for the main course.
It all plays a part in producing healty trophy deer.
At the end of the summer, hunting season begins again and then we really get busy and stay that way well into January… hosting our hunters, caping and measuring their trophies, processing the venison, shipping trophies, etc… After a little time with our families over the holidays and a couple weeks off to attend shows, the planning and preparation routine starts all over again.
Wilderness Whitetails is no different than any other business. Ours is certainly not a 9 to 5 job. But we don’t complain about the long hours and the hard work because we are doing what we dearly love to do, plus we get to meet dozens of most wonderful people in the world every year…hunters and outdoors men and women!
We do all of the work… plant the food plots, handle the planning, organize your hunt and deal with the finite details… so you can just come and experience an enjoyable, succesful hunt! WE KNOW THE DEER ARE HERE ON OUR PROPERTY!
Blinds, Tree Stands, Ground Blinds… A Method For Every Hunt And Hunter
Wilderness Whitetails is set up for all methods of take… rifle, muzzleloader, archery, handgun. Comfortable spacious, permanent elevated blinds, tree stands and ground blinds are strategically located in key travel routes and feeding areas providing every Wilderness Whitetails hunter his or her choice of stands or blinds and choice of weapon.
For archery and handgun hunters Wilderness Whitetails offers more than 30 tree stands plus more than a dozen ground blinds that will allow you to get up close and personal with your future trophy buck. As any bowhunter or handgun hunter knows, there is nothing to compare to experiencing a monster 200” or 300” trophy Whitetail walk by you at eye level! Truly exciting!
Greg and Shorty Flees, as well as all of the Wilderness Whitetails guides, are passionate bowhunters so we know where to set stands and ground blinds to present hunters the best opportunity to harvest the trophy of their dreams. Wilderness Whitetails knowledge of movement patterns, timing allows its hunters to be extremely successful in their quest to harvest a huge Whitetail buck with a gun, bow, handgun or muzzle loader. Over the years more than 90% of our archery hunters have enjoyed success. One of our archery hunters took a giant 311-5/8” buck a while back that held the SCI #1 World Record Book ranking for several years.
A well camoflaged ground blind is set up during a late season hunt near
a “hidey hole.” Not to worry… there was heat in there!
Two of our many elevated blinds.
If for whatever reason, weather or slow movement… archery hunting becomes difficult… the hunter can elect to use one of the ranch rifles to collect his trophy. It would be a shame to pass on a great trophy like this!
2014 Testimonial
Shorty,
“I just came from Bob Parkey’s office as his daughter called to
tell me that the deer that I took at your place last year was ready
and they wanted to deliver it tomorrow morning. Nuts with that. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to see it. She called me at 5:15 and at 5:20 I was at their office.
As usual, they did a great job. They mounted the deer on a pedestal and it looks fantastic. Bob will deliver it to my office tomorrow morning. I’m very excited about getting it in my office, it looks great.
I just wanted to thank-you and your brother and all of your staff for the wonderful job that you do. I am so happy that I found your facility and I look forward to many more hunts. As you can tell from my email, I am very excited about getting my deer. I just wanted to let you know that I am so happy to get it and I appreciate everything you and your brother do for me. Bob Parkey and I are both looking forward to hunting with you again this Fall.
Hope all is well with you.”
Bob Kerzka
Wonderful Wilderness Whitetails Accommodations
Do you hate the dormitory atmosphere at most hunting venues? Do you dislike having to share a bathroom with someone you don’t even know? We hear you!
Wilderness Whitetails has spared no effort nor expense to ensure that your hunting experience and time spent with us is not only fruitful but comfortable and relaxing. From private sleeping quarters with ensuite baths to hearty home cooked meals prepared by our on staff chefs… big thick steaks, fresh salads, Wisconsin cheeses and sausages and tasty sidedishes,
we have you covered.
We offer two lodges. The larger lodge, nestled into a huge cedar swamp area easily accommodates 7 to 11 hunters. There are 7 private rooms, each featuring an ensuite bath for ultimate privacy. If family members or friends wish to hunt and room together, 11 hunters can be accommodated. The big lodge has three large flat screen TV’s with video playback capability so you can watch your daily hunts after a day in the field. A comfortable lounge area and a fully stocked bar plus snacks, soft drinks, bottled water are all provided for you. There is also fantastic nightly game viewing right out the windows or off the broad expansive decks surrounding the lodge.
Our other lodge is slightly smaller, fully modern in every way. It features 3 private bedroons with ensuite baths plus a large sleeping area on the lower level with an additional bath, so depending upon the makeup of your group… if you are all friends and family, this lodge can accommodate 6 to 7 people. This lodge is often taken over completely by a group of friends or a family group, providing an intimate friendly environment. After your hunt one of our staff chefs will prepare a great evening dinner for you while you shower up and relax with a cocktail in the great room. Here again the same hearty fare, open bar, snacks and soft drinkg are available all day and evening.
At Wilderness Whitetails we don’t force you to be part of the family. If you are hunting by yourself and you prefer privacy, the choice is yours. You can either take part and socialize with the group of hunters and guides or elect to repair to the solace of your private bedroom to relax, nap, sleep or read. We are set up to adhere to your wishes. All you need to do is specify that you want a private room or a private lodge for your entire group.
Hunting big Wisconsin Whitetails is a serious endeavor so we make every effort to see that your hunt, as well as your after the hunt experience, is conducted according to your wishes.
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