Photo By Scott Sturkol | Soldiers with the 426th Regional Training Institute (Wisconsin Military Academy)...... read more read more
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Fort McCoy, Wis., was established in 1909. Here is a look back at some installation history from December 2023 and back.
80 Years Ago — December 1943
FROM THE DEC. 24, 1943, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Season’s Greetings (from Col. George MacMullin, post commander) — “This Christmas finds us on the march. Victory is ever nearer and helps brighten the outlook this holiday season. I am certain most of you miss the joys of home and firesides, of seeing familiar faces and hearing familiar voices.
“All those things we hold dear will be ours, if we continue to give our all in the war effort as we have done during the last year. We must continue to crush the enemy wherever he shows his ugly head. We must fight to preserve our sacred heritages for ourselves, our families, and our posterity.
“Before the Altar of Liberty, we are depositing our most precious gifts — our own lives, that ‘Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men’ shall live on through countless ages. The staff joins me in wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and …
“May the heavenly Father watch over you and bless you — you men of Camp McCoy.”
FROM THE DEC. 4, 1943, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Give War Bonds for Christmas, Lt. Whitesel urges — A gift of War Savings Bonds for Christmas has been suggested by Lt. Lottie Whitesel, post bond officer, as the most useful and thoughtful gift that money can buy today.
The new war bonds, which are half the size of the original ones and thus easier to retain in safe keeping, will be enclosed in a Christmas folder. … The folder bears a colorful print of a farmyard covered with snow.
Lt. Whitesel also suggested that since the Fourth War Loan Drive will start in January, now is the time to take out new allotments, increase allotments, and make additional bond purchases. Bonds may be secured at the post finance office building, building 2016; bank, building 2016; and post office, building 2001. Bond folders will be furnished at the finance office.
30 Years Ago — December 1993
FROM THE DEC. 3, 1993, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: ‘93 deer season safe, successful (By Rob Schuette, Public Affairs Staff) — Nearly ideal hunting conditions throughout the opening weekend of the nine-day Wisconsin gun-deer hunting season set the stage for another good harvest for Fort McCoy hunters.
Kim Mello, a wildlife biologist with the post’s Natural Resources Management Division, said about 1,700 permits were issued this year to produce an anticipated harvest in the 700-750 range. Last year, 1,886 permits were issued, and 792 deer were taken.
“We were pretty close to our projections with 717 deer,” he said. “Overall, the deer numbers were down from last year, but not significantly, as was the case in some areas of the state.”
The total of 717 for the season, which ended Nov. 28, was 75 less than the 792 taken during the 1992 season. But opening weekend figures for the two years ran pretty close, with 457 deer being taken this year compared to 482 in 1992. The hunter success rate was about the same with a 47 percent rate in 1992 and 46 percent this year.
“Although we didn't get snow, the weather conditions for the opening weekend were great,” Mello said. “You could hear deer walking on leaves and other vegetation.”
Bob Monfre of Milwaukee was happy to leave post with an eight-point, 139-pound buck. Marvin Pasch of Kenosha, who has hunted at Fort McCoy for the past 35 years, said his party saw a lot of deer.
FROM THE DEC. 17, 1993, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: Hyatt: Have a happy, safe holiday season (By Col. Scott Hyatt, Installation Commander) — “As another holiday season fast approaches and the calendar year draws to a close, we often reflect on the past and think of the future.
“We think of the people and things that have enriched our lives and make life special. In these United States, the freedom and democracy of our everyday way of life would never be possible without the selfless efforts of the servicemembers, citizen Soldiers and civil servants working around the world to preserve these ideals.
Most of us at Fort McCoy — blessed to be with our families and loved ones — anticipate a joyous holiday season. For servicemembers stationed at distant points around the globe, however, the season may be far different. I ask that the Fort McCoy community take time to include these members of our armed forces in your thoughts and prayers.
“In that same spirit, thanks to all who contributed so generously to the Holiday Food Basket and Giving Tree programs on post. Your donations of food, money and toys will brighten the season for those less fortunate, and will help to renew their hope and faith.
“Lauren joins me in wishing each of you a happy, safe and joyous holiday season. May the new year bring you and your loved ones good health and happiness.”
20 Years Ago — December 2003
FROM THE DEC. 12, 2003, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: McCoy assesses its mobilization support processes, procedures (By Public Affairs Staff) — Fort McCoy has successfully deployed, employed, and/or redeployed more than 13,000 Soldiers since January 2003.
And as the installation anticipates the arrival of additional mobilized units, the installation processes, and procedures to be used during Phase II of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) will be significantly different than those used as recently as last January.
Ensuring Fort McCoy continues to excel in accomplishing its Power Projection Platform mission has been top priority of Installation Commander Col. Danny G. Nobles. As a result of that command emphasis, the garrison staff has been involved in an extensive bottom-up review of all mobilization operations, said Installation Chief of Staff Al Fournier.
“It’s our Fort McCoy culture of continuous improvement that led us in May 2003 to initiate a comprehensive assessment of our installation's mobilization support processes, and of the operating structure by which those processes were being executed,” Fournier said. “Despite our past success as an Army Power Projection Platform, the senior leadership here felt it essential that we use our most-recent mobilization experience to challenge ourselves, apply the good lessons learned, and seek to achieve even greater operating efficiencies and productivity improvements in this important mission-support area.”
FROM THE DEC. 12, 2003, EDITION OF THE TRIAD NEWSPAPER: McCoy deer harvest ranks among highest in 26 years (By Public Affairs Staff) — Deer hunters participating in Fort McCoy’s annual gun-deer hunting season Nov. 22-30 took more than 962 deer, an increase of almost 350 deer from the total or the nine-day 2002 season.
According to Kim Mello, installation wildlife biologist, and David Beckmann, an installation wildlife biologist contracted through Colorado State University, hunters got the ball rolling by netting 355 deer opening day despite cold, rainy weather. The 355 deer were 82 deer more than the 273 recorded in 2002.
Deer-harvest figures remained strong through the next two days. Another 159 deer were taken Nov. 23, and 140 deer were taken Nov. 24. The three-day total of 654 deer eclipsed the total of 616 deer taken during the entire nine-day season in 2002.
The 2003 harvest was the third largest harvest in the past 26 years, Mello said. More than 1,000 deer were taken during both the 1985 and 1986 gun-deer seasons. Beckmann said wildlife personnel wanted a large number of deer taken during the 2003 season to reduce the deer population.
“The remaining deer population will be healthier arid have adequate food supplies,” he said. “There are fewer impacts on vegetation, which troops use for cover and concealment for training. Fewer deer also reduce the opportunities for conflicts with neighboring land owners and with highway/interstate traffic.”
10 Years Ago — December 2013
FROM THE DEC. 13, 2013, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Hunters harvest nearly 700 deer during 2013 gun-deer season at McCoy (By Rob Schuette) — Opening weekend harvest totals for the 2013 Fort McCoy gun-deer hunt were up almost 100 deer from 2012.
David Beckmann, Fort McCoy wildlife biologist, said the cold weather and lingering snow on Saturday and Sunday of the opening weekend likely played a role; 476 deer were harvested this year, 378 in 2012.
“Th¬e cold weather got the hunters moving, which in turn got the deer moving,” Beckmann said. “-The remaining snow allowed the hunters to better see the deer in the woods and made it easier to track the deer.”
For the remaining seven days, the hunters pretty much matched the success of 2012, he said.
Beckmann said the 2013 harvest surpassed the previous harvest by 86 deer. Th¬e total of 692 deer harvested will allow the installation to maintain its overwinter deer population to meet desired levels.
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The other big factor in this year’s hunt was the introduction of the iSportsman website, he said. Hunters could sign-in for the hunt online or via telephone. A kiosk was set up that allowed hunters to sign-in onsite, as well.
Hunters still had to register their deer at the North Post or South Post registration sites, he said. The registration information is important to calculate the installation deer population and monitor deer health.
“Th¬e iSportsman rollout went very well, with very few glitches being reported,” Beckmann said. “Most of the glitches were quickly fixed.”
¬The new system also allowed the Natural Resources Branch (NRB) wildlife program personnel to post updated daily harvest totals online, he said. Yearly harvest totals, dating back to 1978, and fall and overwinter population figures from 1984 to the present also are available at the website under the Deer Population tab.
“A lot of hunters are interested in this data,” Beckmann said. “We like to share it because hunters are key to successfully managing the deer population. ¬is system also will give us more-accurate data about hunting pressure during the various seasons.”
5 Years Ago — December 2018
FROM THE DEC. 14, 2018, EDITION OF THE REAL MCCOY NEWSPAPER: Hundreds of hunters find success during 2018 gun-deer season at Fort McCoy — Hundreds of hunters found success during the 2018 gun-deer season at Fort McCoy held Nov. 17-25.
There were 1,394 hunters who took to the woods at Fort McCoy, harvesting more than 440 deer during the post’s 2018 nine-day gun-deer season. A final harvest total for Fort McCoy will be known later in December after Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) online harvest data are checked and verified.
The annual hunt is important in helping to control the deer population on post, said Wildlife Biologist Dave Beckmann with the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch (NRB).
For 2018, approximately 2,000 regular permits were made available as well as 400 antlerless deer bonus tags, Beckmann said. The final number of people selected for a permit was also 2,000, of which 1,485 were actually purchased, which is an increase from 2017 when 1,414 were purchased.
“Our goal again this year was to have a deer harvest of around 500, and we’re really close to that,” Beckmann said. Going into the season, Beckmann said it was estimated that Fort McCoy averaged about 35-40 deer per square mile.
“Our goal is to have an over-winter population of 20 to 25 deer per square mile,” Beckmann said. “That’s why these hunts are so important — they help us meet our wildlife and training land-management goals.” A deer population higher than this level will start to impact the landscape that is important for all species and the military training mission.
A large number of big bucks were taken during the season. “We had quite a few hunters get trophy-sized bucks,” Beckmann said. “We’ve had several winters now that were good for deer survivability, and as a result, we’re seeing a lot of older, bigger bucks being taken.”
In the 2018 season, all harvested deer had to be brought through the Deer Data Collection Point on South Post for collection of biological data by the Colorado State University (CSU) contracted wildlife-management staff. The data is important to monitor deer health, especially going into the winter, and to calculation the overall installation deer population.
“In conjunction with the WDNR, CSU wildlife staff also collected samples from deer to be test for possible signs of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the local deer population,” Beckmann said. “All the data and samples were provided to the WDNR for testing and final reporting. This information is important in managing the deer herd on the installation and within the surrounding area for the future and keeping things like CWD under control.”
The 2018 season was the third season in which carcass tags were issued electronically through the WDNR. It was the fourth year the WDNR used an all-electronic deer-harvest registration system. Hunters registered their deer harvests through a smartphone app, through the WDNR’s webpage, or by phone. And at Fort McCoy, this was the third year that permit notifications for hunters were issued through the iSportsman website.
Learn more about Army history by visiting the Army Center for Military History at https://history.army.mil.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”
(Article prepared and compiled by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office.)
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2023 00:44 |
| Story ID: | 459111 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 678 |
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