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Post by wildfire123 on Mar 9, 2017 8:49:18 GMT -6
Do not hunt as near as many times as those responding, shot 4 bucks with a shotgun, had 1 opportunity with a bow, small red oak in the way. My cousin, who hunts the same property hunts every day during the gun season. If he does not harvest one during the gun season, he hunts the muzzeloader season. Only shoots mature bucks.
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Post by jbird on Mar 9, 2017 9:23:36 GMT -6
On average I get a solid crack at only a handful (3 or 4) of bucks a year mostly yearlings and 2 year olds. So when you get that chance at a 3 or 4 year old - you better take it......those chances only come around for me once every other year or so. We tend to see a nice buck every year, but we don't always have the chance to shoot. My property doesn't hold bucks, or many deer at all for that matter. So everyone else gets a crack at them first. It's simply the limitations I have to contend with. I'm sure I could find better hunting not too far away, but that means selling the family farm that has been in the family since WWII and those roots run deeper than any deer hunt can pull. As such I work with what I have. I'm happy with the progress I have made and from a numbers perspective they have always been low here so when you grow up hunting in that situation - it's your norm.
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Post by biglakebass on Mar 9, 2017 9:37:53 GMT -6
In the past 10 years, I have had what I would call an reasonable encounter with a mature buck 3 times total that I can come up with off the top of my head.
This year i had a dandy 9 pt sneak up behind me within 10 yds while bowhunting. I had an encounter with a mature 7 pt several years ago while bowhunting. Same deal, somehow snuck in behind me and by the time I knew he was there, he knew something was up. Last one was a buck during gun season that I could have poked at about 150 yds and closing in..... He got into some pines and never saw him again.
I cant think of any other Mature bucks that were in range to kill if the stars had aligned.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 9, 2017 10:39:16 GMT -6
On average I get a solid crack at only a handful (3 or 4) of bucks a year mostly yearlings and 2 year olds. So when you get that chance at a 3 or 4 year old - you better take it......those chances only come around for me once every other year or so. We tend to see a nice buck every year, but we don't always have the chance to shoot. My property doesn't hold bucks, or many deer at all for that matter. So everyone else gets a crack at them first. It's simply the limitations I have to contend with. I'm sure I could find better hunting not too far away, but that means selling the family farm that has been in the family since WWII and those roots run deeper than any deer hunt can pull. As such I work with what I have. I'm happy with the progress I have made and from a numbers perspective they have always been low here so when you grow up hunting in that situation - it's your norm. Didn't you just say awhile ago that you shoot 5 or 6 deer a year? If you're shooting that many deer, your numbers can't be that low or you can't be that concerned about them...right? |
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Post by jbird on Mar 9, 2017 12:56:51 GMT -6
On average I get a solid crack at only a handful (3 or 4) of bucks a year mostly yearlings and 2 year olds. So when you get that chance at a 3 or 4 year old - you better take it......those chances only come around for me once every other year or so. We tend to see a nice buck every year, but we don't always have the chance to shoot. My property doesn't hold bucks, or many deer at all for that matter. So everyone else gets a crack at them first. It's simply the limitations I have to contend with. I'm sure I could find better hunting not too far away, but that means selling the family farm that has been in the family since WWII and those roots run deeper than any deer hunt can pull. As such I work with what I have. I'm happy with the progress I have made and from a numbers perspective they have always been low here so when you grow up hunting in that situation - it's your norm. Didn't you just say awhile ago that you shoot 5 or 6 deer a year? If you're shooting that many deer, your numbers can't be that low or you can't be that concerned about them...right? Just as a comparison......how many deer are harvested per square mile in your county/unit? In my county we average 2 deer killed per square mile. My county overall simply lacks the cover to support lots of deer. My place is in a better than average area for my county. I personally take on average 2 or 3 deer a year - my farm we take on average about 5. This seems to be a sweet spot or real close for us. We seem to be holding the numbers in check while not seeing habitat damage. Don;t expect or want to be over-run with deer. Most of my frustrations about deer numbers are more aimed state wide. I will always be concerned about deer numbers. I wish my DNR was more concerned about deer numbers. |
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Post by smsmith on Mar 9, 2017 13:46:57 GMT -6
Comparing deer harvested per sq. mile in central MN to ag country in IN isn't exactly apples to apples. My area has more woods/swamp/grassland pasture than row crop.
I don't know what is harvested here for sure, I believe around 8-10 psm. There are also 10-12 hunters psm. How many hunters per square mile in your county?
So you're harvesting more than twice the average number of deer per sq mile on your acreage than county wide? How many acres do you have?
Just seems odd to me to see a person state that they have low deer numbers, then state they kill on average 5-6 deer a year. That's all.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Mar 9, 2017 18:13:01 GMT -6
How many of us MN guys have nice habitat but limited opportunities at bucks?
I'll raise my hand.
I consider myself fortunate to have some real nice properties, and they are not terrible/devoid of bucks....but.... all the planted habitat, food plots, TSI, etc... it's not where it should be. Does yes, quality bucks that survive, not very many.
Had a friend that just got back from SD (3 day shed hunt)... they found 41 antlers. This is wide open country with some CRP, river bottom, cattails.
I've found two sheds in MN. We just have to do something different.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 9, 2017 18:19:24 GMT -6
How many of us MN guys have nice habitat but limited opportunities at bucks? Yep, except I'd have to change that to limited opportunities at deerThe habitat here is fantastic |
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 9, 2017 19:06:21 GMT -6
Art-- I'd encourage you to bow hunt (if you like to archery hunt). Most of my shots come with the bow in hand. Early season, then just prior to the rut, then an occasional opportunity in the late season. I might just give let the shotgun stay home. I've just got too many slug hunters on my borders. For the most part the deer are pretty undisturbed until gun season. I used to be an avid bow hunter and enjoyed my time in northern Itasca county when that area had deer. Now I don't see a deer in the area where we used to see 50- 100 deer per evening on the fields. I have had better luck by not bow hunting my property (Morrison county) and leaving it alone until rifle season. The deer move onto my place with corn harvest and pheasant/bow hunting on adjacent properties. I also used to bow hunt in area 172 and would average about one opportunity at a buck if I hunted a two week period. I very much enjoy my time in the woods, but just do not want to kill a deer with the bow. I hate tracking wounded deer, I hate processing them in warm weather and when I need to go to work the next day. Bow hunting just does not appeal to me, except the quiet time to sit in the woods and read a book. I do bow hunt about 3 days during the week before rifle season on some "public" sportsmens club land. |
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 9, 2017 19:07:06 GMT -6
I think Stu has it right, we are just to used to poor hunting and do not expect better.
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Coda1
Full Member
Posts: 242 
Likes: 303
Location: Hunting north of Staples, MN
Zone: 3B
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Post by Coda1 on Mar 9, 2017 19:46:15 GMT -6
How many of us MN guys have nice habitat but limited opportunities at bucks? Yep, except I'd have to change that to limited opportunities at deerThe habitat here is fantastic Deer numbers by me are really low. Last few years its been a lottery area so there is some hope it will improve. It wasn't all that long ago they had it as a intensive harvest five deer limit. Even then the numbers were too low. I think the DNR sets the limit based on the highest deer density they find anywhere in a permit area. They need to make the permit areas much smaller and having the same habitat. |
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Post by kl9 on Mar 9, 2017 19:57:25 GMT -6
Yep, except I'd have to change that to limited opportunities at deerThe habitat here is fantastic Deer numbers by me are really low. Last few years its been a lottery area so there is some hope it will improve. It wasn't all that long ago they had it as a intensive harvest five deer limit. Even then the numbers were too low. I think the DNR sets the limit based on the highest deer density they find anywhere in a permit area. They need to make the permit areas much smaller and having the same habitat. Nvm |
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Post by smsmith on Mar 9, 2017 20:14:45 GMT -6
Yep, except I'd have to change that to limited opportunities at deerThe habitat here is fantastic Deer numbers by me are really low. Last few years its been a lottery area so there is some hope it will improve. It wasn't all that long ago they had it as a intensive harvest five deer limit. Even then the numbers were too low. I think the DNR sets the limit based on the highest deer density they find anywhere in a permit area. They need to make the permit areas much smaller and having the same habitat. Are you in 214? |
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Coda1
Full Member
Posts: 242
Likes: 303
Location: Hunting north of Staples, MN
Zone: 3B
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Post by Coda1 on Mar 9, 2017 20:21:09 GMT -6
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Post by smsmith on Mar 9, 2017 20:54:04 GMT -6
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