Good luck this weekend guys. The son and I are heading to Aitkin this weekend. Looks like it might be kinda breezy out tomorrow. Be safe in those trees.
November 4, 2011 at 6:52 pm
#1274412
MN Deer Hunting Opener.
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November 4, 2011 at 6:56 pm #1006603Best of luck to all…
November 4, 2011 at 9:26 pm #100661630-40 mph around here tomorrow. Be safe everyone and have great luck.
November 4, 2011 at 11:33 pm #1006627I wish you all a successful and safe hunt
November 5, 2011 at 1:05 am #1006637Good luck boys! Not a deer guy, but would enjoy deer camp, be safe!
November 5, 2011 at 1:30 am #1006640Good luck everyone Be Safe I love this weekend Nobody is on the water
November 5, 2011 at 2:50 am #1006653Quote:
30-40 mph around here tomorrow. Be safe everyone and have great luck.
Mabey i wont have to put up the Chritmas lights then with the wind
November 7, 2011 at 3:19 pm #1006994Deer hunting has come and gone for this group. We went three for three this weekend up in Aitkin. Nothing huge but will be good eats this winter.
My son Jonathan got on the board with a nice spike buck for his very first deer. I was sitting on the next ridge over from him and it was very exciting to hear him rifle off a couple of shots Sunday morning. Pretty tough to sit there for the next 20 minutes waiting to see if he would come get me. About fell over when I seen orange and that big grin on his face coming down the trail. What a great day.
Hope the rest of you did well to. As we all know it was a bit breezy this weekend but there still seemed to be plenty of deer moving in our area.
A little butchering to get done this week and then its back on the river chasing fall walleyes for this guy.
November 7, 2011 at 3:22 pm #1006995Congrats, Mike,Jonathan!
-J.
November 7, 2011 at 3:41 pm #1007000Congrats to Jonathan! Very cool
November 7, 2011 at 6:48 pm #1007054As I have for the past 30 years, we hunted east of Sandstone in Pine County.
Deer populations are drastically down. Wolf sightings by the farmers and ranchers as well as calf kills are drastically up. Of course, it could just be coyotes
. . . We saw deer, but no bucks of the size we’re interested in. The wind and the warm temps kept the movement down and after Saturday the deer disappered almost entirely. No significant rutting activity, but smaller bucks are standing near does so the rut could be getting started.
We need cold and lots of it to get things moving. At this rate, I doubt the rut will peak before the end of the season.
Unfortunately, there are too many meat hunters who own 40 acres and shoot everything that moves in our area, so trophy bucks are even more difficult to come by. We have access to 1200 acres of private ranch, but I doubt there’s one spike buck in 10 that survives long enough to be come even a good sized forkhorn before some meat-hunter whacks him on an ajacent property.
For whatever reason, given the choice between a spike and 3 does in front of them, the average meat hunter will always whack the spike. Then they will wonder out loud why they never see any big bucks. . .
Grouse
November 7, 2011 at 6:56 pm #1007059I blame the wolves, coyotes and liberal DNR rules over the last many years for low deer numbers. Only one of those was a threat years ago. Now all three.
November 7, 2011 at 7:06 pm #1007061Quote:
I blame the wolves, coyotes and liberal DNR rules over the last many years for low deer numbers. Only one of those was a threat years ago. Now all three.
That is why this will be the second year I refuse to give the WI DNR money for a deer tag
Good job Mike, glad the boy got his buck, I’m sure it made for some great bonding time in the field
November 7, 2011 at 7:15 pm #1007064For me deer camp is more of a time gathering with family and friends to escape the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. I find it a successful year if I see a deer and a major event if I have an opportunity to squeeze the trigger. This year thanks to my uncle and him walking about the area we hunt I was able to bag my biggest buck both body and antler size of my 24 years of deer camp. Most importantly I got to share this moment with my dad and grandpa (who is 82) and other family members.
November 7, 2011 at 7:30 pm #1007068That’s what deer camp should be about! Thanks for the reminder.
I just love being in the woods with not a care in the world. Getting a deer is a bonus, and is actually alot more work than just walking out chatting with one of your hunting buddies.
ET
November 7, 2011 at 7:36 pm #1007069Way to go Cal. Nice deer. Glad to hear you got in some good times with the family to.
Our party is by no means into shooting big deer. It is all about getting some good venison for the table and spending time in the woods with my boy. I could care less about shooting a trophy buck. Regs like antler point restrictions in SE MN and talk about after next year maybe extending them into other areas of the state have me a little concerned. We just want to shoot a deer and Im worried something like this would really limit this. So do you manage the state for quality deer hunting or manage it so many people can shoot deer? I would think it better be managed for many people to shoot deer or our cars are going to pay the price for the results. Is there a happy medium?
November 7, 2011 at 8:18 pm #1007087Nice Buck Cal,
Am off to see a friend of mine, east of Glenwood tomorrow for 3 days. He saw 150 deer on Saturday.
then he and I are headed to Wyo for an Elk hunt next week.Should be a good time.
JackNovember 7, 2011 at 9:12 pm #1007094No doubt, Deer camp is what makes it the most fun. The evening gathering, after sitting all day in a tree by yourself, that’s when the memories are made
Getting a deer is just a bonus 
November 8, 2011 at 11:55 am #1007232Its all about deer camp for us.
Did ha e something very strange happen last night. Sitting in my ground blind overlooking about 80 percent of a field. About 5 min after sunset, i hear this really loud cry from about 20 yrds behind me. Needless to say, it scared the bejesus out of me. I pop my head up out of the blind in time to see 2 deer being chased by something i couldnt see. The loud crys were running parallel and slightly behind the two deer. Heard that yell/cry about 6 times but couldnt see what was making it. I have to assume it was a yotes, but sounded too deep in my opinion. Besides for the fact that i have never hearheard that sound before. Still scratching my head.
We have seen only a few does. This whole area is pretty void of deer. But yet the dnr allows 5 and coyotes and wolves aren’t helping.
November 8, 2011 at 1:58 pm #1007294Quote:
As I have for the past 30 years, we hunted east of Sandstone in Pine County.
Deer populations are drastically down. Wolf sightings by the farmers and ranchers as well as calf kills are drastically up. Of course, it could just be coyotes
. . . We saw deer, but no bucks of the size we’re interested in. The wind and the warm temps kept the movement down and after Saturday the deer disappered almost entirely. No significant rutting activity, but smaller bucks are standing near does so the rut could be getting started.
We need cold and lots of it to get things moving. At this rate, I doubt the rut will peak before the end of the season.
Unfortunately, there are too many meat hunters who own 40 acres and shoot everything that moves in our area, so trophy bucks are even more difficult to come by. We have access to 1200 acres of private ranch, but I doubt there’s one spike buck in 10 that survives long enough to be come even a good sized forkhorn before some meat-hunter whacks him on an ajacent property.
For whatever reason, given the choice between a spike and 3 does in front of them, the average meat hunter will always whack the spike. Then they will wonder out loud why they never see any big bucks. . .
Grouse
We hunt in Pine City and have noticed the exact same thing…minus the wolves.
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