Ripley Woes

Spent Thursday and Friday in Camp Ripley. A buddy in our group, arrowed a nice big 8 point, hit it a little high. I t came by me, at a brisk walk, and I had about a 4 foot hole to shoot through at 28 yards. I tried to stop him, but he was having none of that. I hit him just in front of the right rear hind quarter, I think I got liver, by the blood trail. We tracked him through woods, over 2 meadows, jumping him twice. The last time we jumped him, he went over a hill and into a woods. A hunter on stand in there, said he saw him go over the biggest ridge in the woods. I didn’t buy that, but went to look for blood. None. We did a little recon, with no luck. I think the guy may have seen him bed down again, but he was tight lipped about it if he did. I would guesstimate him at about 230Lbs, and maybe scored about 130 to 135. Oh well, theres always next year for Ripley. One thing about Ripley, you cannot let them bed down and expire, as chances are another hunter with no ethics will nab em.

apparently if you don’t drop them dead in there tracks they are fair game to anyone else. Probably a cheese head bitter knowing that his team was going to lose. Heading up there this weekend for my first Ripley hunt, hear it is supposed to be beautiful out, I can’t wait. I hear the camp is loaded with big deer. Are you allowed to leave ripley at night at all to go to town. I have heard that they won’t let you back in once you leave.

apparently if you don’t drop them dead in there tracks they are fair game to anyone else. Probably a cheese head bitter knowing that his team was going to lose. Heading up there this weekend for my first Ripley hunt, hear it is supposed to be beautiful out, I can’t wait. I hear the camp is loaded with big deer. Are you allowed to leave ripley at night at all to go to town. I have heard that they won’t let you back in once you leave.

You can come and go as you please, you just need your paperwork and I.D. with to get in.

I sometimes drive forth and back each day.

You can come and go as you please, you just need your paperwork and I.D. with to get in.

I sometimes drive forth and back each day.

I’m not understanding why you wouldn’t let the animal lay. I realize the situation and the high pressure area you are hunting in. Your odds are much better letting him lay vs. pushing a wounded animal with primitive weapons. Don’t you owe that animal a little more respect than that? You take a bad/yet lethal shot on it, push the animal to a point of not recovering it then come on here and question the ethics of the “other” hunters that are hunting in Ripley. The deer had 2 arrows go through it, there’s no way that deer would’ve gone more then 100 to 150 yards before bedding down. Letting him lay would’ve assured a recovery, maybe not by you or your buddy but atleast someone would’ve gotten him and he wouldn’t have gone to waste. I thought about this thread for 2 days and my thoughts haven’t changed from the first time I read it. You made a poor decision and by reading your post, it left the impression that it was no big deal. My apologies in advance for being harsh but I couldn’t let this one go.

I’m not understanding why you wouldn’t let the animal lay. I realize the situation and the high pressure area you are hunting in. Your odds are much better letting him lay vs. pushing a wounded animal with primitive weapons. Don’t you owe that animal a little more respect than that? You take a bad/yet lethal shot on it, push the animal to a point of not recovering it then come on here and question the ethics of the “other” hunters that are hunting in Ripley. The deer had 2 arrows go through it, there’s no way that deer would’ve gone more then 100 to 150 yards before bedding down. Letting him lay would’ve assured a recovery, maybe not by you or your buddy but atleast someone would’ve gotten him and he wouldn’t have gone to waste. I thought about this thread for 2 days and my thoughts haven’t changed from the first time I read it. You made a poor decision and by reading your post, it left the impression that it was no big deal. My apologies in advance for being harsh but I couldn’t let this one go.

Your post is exactly why so few people I talk to and know of refuse to post here or anywhere for that matter about hunting. There’s always some hollier than thou person out there that will criticize what happened to them or how they handled a given situation. Most of us are not as perfect as some of you come across on this forum.
The people who would never harvest a deer under 8 points. Or take a button buck or fawn. Track a deer when you are under a time constraint by letting it lay down and hope to recover it. One of the biggest problems with hunting Ripley has been Deer dissappearing if you don’t get on them right away. One thing i’ve learned over time is Hind sight is always 20-20.

Have you ever hunted there? If not you really don’t understand what can go on there.

I’m being critical here because you started it.
Not looking for an argument but just stating some reasons why only the Great hunters post much here, the rest of us just do not seem worthy and do not want to put up with the criticism of not being the perfect hunters. Were human and screw up sometime.

There, I’m sure I opened a can of worms again now!

Your post is exactly why so few people I talk to and know of refuse to post here or anywhere for that matter about hunting. There’s always some hollier than thou person out there that will criticize what happened to them or how they handled a given situation. Most of us are not as perfect as some of you come across on this forum.
The people who would never harvest a deer under 8 points. Or take a button buck or fawn. Track a deer when you are under a time constraint by letting it lay down and hope to recover it. One of the biggest problems with hunting Ripley has been Deer dissappearing if you don’t get on them right away. One thing i’ve learned over time is Hind sight is always 20-20.

Have you ever hunted there? If not you really don’t understand what can go on there.

I’m being critical here because you started it.
Not looking for an argument but just stating some reasons why only the Great hunters post much here, the rest of us just do not seem worthy and do not want to put up with the criticism of not being the perfect hunters. Were human and screw up sometime.

There, I’m sure I opened a can of worms again now!

You can preach on all you want, drop every cliche in the book, and try to be the good guy. I said my peace and apologised for being harsh, if you would like to continue this conversasion in a pm you know where to find me.

You can preach on all you want, drop every cliche in the book, and try to be the good guy. I said my peace and apologised for being harsh, if you would like to continue this conversasion in a pm you know where to find me.

I agree with w4ever about letting the deer bed and owing that to the deer. If this place is so high security wouldnt you be able to check for the deer at the gates? Dont know, never been there just a thought. Better safe than sorry. Anyways if there were so many big deer in there, wouldn’t other hunters want to shoot their own? Just thought I would chime in.

I agree with w4ever about letting the deer bed and owing that to the deer. If this place is so high security wouldnt you be able to check for the deer at the gates? Dont know, never been there just a thought. Better safe than sorry. Anyways if there were so many big deer in there, wouldn’t other hunters want to shoot their own? Just thought I would chime in.

Guys;

When you are hunting a parcel of land that is FILLED with hunters, letting a deer lay for a couple of hours is going to drastically reduce your opportunity to finish the hunt. There is about a 90% chance that the deer will be harvested by someone else, whether it is the deer coming to that person, or some other hunter stumbling on the blood trail.

I know of a hunter that never fires the first shot. He follows blood trails that other hunters have given up on or never bothered to follow.

Guys;

When you are hunting a parcel of land that is FILLED with hunters, letting a deer lay for a couple of hours is going to drastically reduce your opportunity to finish the hunt. There is about a 90% chance that the deer will be harvested by someone else, whether it is the deer coming to that person, or some other hunter stumbling on the blood trail.

I know of a hunter that never fires the first shot. He follows blood trails that other hunters have given up on or never bothered to follow.

AMEN i hear ya Gary, Go up there and try it once, you will understand.

AMEN i hear ya Gary, Go up there and try it once, you will understand.

I won’t hunt there. I know it is full of deer.

But I did try hunting Ft. Hood ONCE. Never do that again!!!!!!

I won’t hunt there. I know it is full of deer.

But I did try hunting Ft. Hood ONCE. Never do that again!!!!!!

I guess I wouldnt take a bad shot and if it was a 90% chance someone else would get my deer I would find some other place to hunt …….

I guess I wouldnt take a bad shot and if it was a 90% chance someone else would get my deer I would find some other place to hunt …….

GMAN, before letting my arrow go, i was confident i had a “good shot”. I didn’t write about the deer i seen that did not present a good shot, but there were many. As for whitetails 4ever, you will not get an argument from me about letting a deer bed down to expire, but as some have said here, chances of recovering the animal go down drastically if you do that. Case in point. Last year, I arrowed a 10 point, 206lb. Pope and Young 133. I hit it right where you should, the heart and lungs. This deer ran up and over a hill and I was waiting to get down from my stand to let him expire. After about 15 minutes, my buddy came by to head out to put trucks in line, and I told him about the deer. He suggested we get on the trail ASAP as he has hunted here for over 20 years. We began to trail it with good blood, and when we got to the top of the hill, there was a empty stand in a tree. We trailed it about another 100 yards and came upon 2 hunters standing in the woods. We asked them if they had seen a buck come by, and the one guy commented that he hit one in the rear, and then his buddy finished it off, just over the next little hill. We went over to the deer, and it had 3 holes in it, one through the heart and lungs, one in the rear and one in the neck. We then explained that this deer was shot already, before it was hit in the rear, and the neck. The 2nd guy was adamant that he “killed” this deer. My buddy then asked him, where his stand was. He pointed to a stand over 80 yards away to the north, and my buddy said ” you mean you shot this deer from way over there ?” he replied no, I got out of my stand and snuck up on it. This was laughable, but I didn’t think it was too funny at the time. We then took the guys back prior to where the guy hit it in the rear, and showed them the blood trail. He still insisted that he “killed” this deer. He then wanted to flip a coin for it. Can you imagine this whitetails4ever ? what would you have done in this situation ? I do not claim to know everything, or anything for that matter about hunting in my 1st post, just relayed the woes i had at ripley. If you’ve never hunted in a spot, where there a 6 other guys around you within 150 yards, all trying for a big buck, then i don’t think you can really comment on here, as this is something you have not done. Again, i whole heartedly agree with you, that you let a deer bed down to expire, unfortunately, it is not something recommended for the ripley hunt, in my experience. By the way, after I shot the buck last thursday, another hunter lobbed an arrow over the back of it. I do admit, I hunt differently at ripley, because of the circumstances, but to say it was “no big deal to me”, then you obviously take the holier than thou stand, as Hooks stated. You don’t know me, you don’t know the whole situation, and you comment harsh ? no thanks. Sorry I posted.

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GMAN, before letting my arrow go, i was confident i had a “good shot”. I didn’t write about the deer i seen that did not present a good shot, but there were many. As for whitetails 4ever, you will not get an argument from me about letting a deer bed down to expire, but as some have said here, chances of recovering the animal go down drastically if you do that. Case in point. Last year, I arrowed a 10 point, 206lb. Pope and Young 133. I hit it right where you should, the heart and lungs. This deer ran up and over a hill and I was waiting to get down from my stand to let him expire. After about 15 minutes, my buddy came by to head out to put trucks in line, and I told him about the deer. He suggested we get on the trail ASAP as he has hunted here for over 20 years. We began to trail it with good blood, and when we got to the top of the hill, there was a empty stand in a tree. We trailed it about another 100 yards and came upon 2 hunters standing in the woods. We asked them if they had seen a buck come by, and the one guy commented that he hit one in the rear, and then his buddy finished it off, just over the next little hill. We went over to the deer, and it had 3 holes in it, one through the heart and lungs, one in the rear and one in the neck. We then explained that this deer was shot already, before it was hit in the rear, and the neck. The 2nd guy was adamant that he “killed” this deer. My buddy then asked him, where his stand was. He pointed to a stand over 80 yards away to the north, and my buddy said ” you mean you shot this deer from way over there ?” he replied no, I got out of my stand and snuck up on it. This was laughable, but I didn’t think it was too funny at the time. We then took the guys back prior to where the guy hit it in the rear, and showed them the blood trail. He still insisted that he “killed” this deer. He then wanted to flip a coin for it. Can you imagine this whitetails4ever ? what would you have done in this situation ? I do not claim to know everything, or anything for that matter about hunting in my 1st post, just relayed the woes i had at ripley. If you’ve never hunted in a spot, where there a 6 other guys around you within 150 yards, all trying for a big buck, then i don’t think you can really comment on here, as this is something you have not done. Again, i whole heartedly agree with you, that you let a deer bed down to expire, unfortunately, it is not something recommended for the ripley hunt, in my experience. By the way, after I shot the buck last thursday, another hunter lobbed an arrow over the back of it. I do admit, I hunt differently at ripley, because of the circumstances, but to say it was “no big deal to me”, then you obviously take the holier than thou stand, as Hooks stated. You don’t know me, you don’t know the whole situation, and you comment harsh ? no thanks. Sorry I posted.

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Big G, I know what you are talking about. I use to hunt Ripley for a number of years and what you just explained is the exact reason that I will never go again. I know the chance of harvesting a true monster is there and that is what draws everyone, but it seems that in my experience that all sportsmanship is thrown out the window at the Ripley hunt. It is not a very enjoyable hunt, at least I did not find it that. You have hunters walking by you all day long and when you shoot something you had better be on that deer ASAP or some other is going to claim it as theirs. As an avid outdooors man I just can’t see doing this but there are a LOT of people up at that hunt that have no ethics, or problem doing that. As far as the waiting for the deer to expire, I am sorry but at Ripley this is not an option, it goes against all of my hunting beliefs/ethics but you have no choice up there or you will have the same situation on your hands that you just spoke of. I would like to see them limit the number of hunters per hunt up there, I think it would make it a more enjoyable time for all, people could have more room to hunt and not have people all over on top of you. That is just my 2-cents.

Big G, I know what you are talking about. I use to hunt Ripley for a number of years and what you just explained is the exact reason that I will never go again. I know the chance of harvesting a true monster is there and that is what draws everyone, but it seems that in my experience that all sportsmanship is thrown out the window at the Ripley hunt. It is not a very enjoyable hunt, at least I did not find it that. You have hunters walking by you all day long and when you shoot something you had better be on that deer ASAP or some other is going to claim it as theirs. As an avid outdooors man I just can’t see doing this but there are a LOT of people up at that hunt that have no ethics, or problem doing that. As far as the waiting for the deer to expire, I am sorry but at Ripley this is not an option, it goes against all of my hunting beliefs/ethics but you have no choice up there or you will have the same situation on your hands that you just spoke of. I would like to see them limit the number of hunters per hunt up there, I think it would make it a more enjoyable time for all, people could have more room to hunt and not have people all over on top of you. That is just my 2-cents.

Thanks for understanding bob. I wasn’t looking to start a thread on ethics or procedures as this has turned into. I sure as heck didn’t comment to get criticized. I’m married for crying out loud, I can get all that i want and then some.

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Thanks for understanding bob. I wasn’t looking to start a thread on ethics or procedures as this has turned into. I sure as heck didn’t comment to get criticized. I’m married for crying out loud, I can get all that i want and then some.

g

I have never hunted Ripley but have thought about it, now after reading this I would not want to just for the fact that it is so crowded, so at least some good has come out of this post and given some of us info on Ripley that we did not know before. Guys we all need to be careful how we reply to posts here and also how we interpret posts, it can be difficult to put our thoughts into words and put them down on paper and get the point across that we are trying to express. Sometimes a post can come off as critical when that is not what the poster had intended at all. I have had some PMs on this very topic (not about this post) guys have told me that they are reluctant to post pics of there buck because they are afraid that will be criticized because it does not meet someone else’s standards, or they are afraid to post about a deer they shot and could not find because they are afraid of criticism that they might receive here. Well my friends that is just plain sad, I want everyone to feel comfortable enough to post anything here, that’s how we all learn from each others experiences.

I have never hunted Ripley but have thought about it, now after reading this I would not want to just for the fact that it is so crowded, so at least some good has come out of this post and given some of us info on Ripley that we did not know before. Guys we all need to be careful how we reply to posts here and also how we interpret posts, it can be difficult to put our thoughts into words and put them down on paper and get the point across that we are trying to express. Sometimes a post can come off as critical when that is not what the poster had intended at all. I have had some PMs on this very topic (not about this post) guys have told me that they are reluctant to post pics of there buck because they are afraid that will be criticized because it does not meet someone else’s standards, or they are afraid to post about a deer they shot and could not find because they are afraid of criticism that they might receive here. Well my friends that is just plain sad, I want everyone to feel comfortable enough to post anything here, that’s how we all learn from each others experiences.

All I can say is, did Ripley, too many hunters, never again.