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Post by Tooln on Nov 18, 2023 7:14:31 GMT -6
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 5, 2023 13:14:44 GMT -6
Minnesota is getting beaten up on Habitat Talk. It’s just so sad. From politics to deer hunting… the state is a liberal mess. When it comes down to it, the leadership is so terrible and ineffective it’s hard to even explain !
Luckily it’s a beautiful state, and we have the lakes area to keep sportsman around. Overall it’s a real drag to think about what it could be in terms of the outdoors and the political landscape!
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Post by smsmith on Dec 5, 2023 13:48:47 GMT -6
^^^if it weren't for the people, I think I'd be considering relocation more strongly. We've been very fortunate to meet and get to know some really great people here. I'm also too old to start this habitat deal all over again, and I'm too cheap to pay for a "turn key" kind of hunting/living property. I think for as long as I hunt deer and grow apples, it'll be here. If/when I have had enough of those activities, we'll look elsewhere.
The problem with moving somewhere else with "better" politics is that you never know what the new place will look like politically in another 5, 10, 20, years. Who would have thought AZ would be a purple state a few years ago? Heck, with the influx of Californians in parts of TX, that state could turn purple soon.
As far as deer hunting goes...it is what it is. Things aren't great here, but they also aren't terrible.
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Post by badgerfowl on Dec 5, 2023 14:10:13 GMT -6
Minnesota is getting beaten up on Habitat Talk. It’s just so sad. From politics to deer hunting… the state is a liberal mess. When it comes down to it, the leadership is so terrible and ineffective it’s hard to even explain ! Luckily it’s a beautiful state, and we have the lakes area to keep sportsman around. Overall it’s a real drag to think about what it could be in terms of the outdoors and the political landscape! Hey, just be thankful you don't have 1,200 acres and no big bucks to hunt.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 5, 2023 14:14:07 GMT -6
Stu—I think you are correct on the deer hunting ! It’s not terrible ! It’s just not what it could be. The potential is so off the charts!
This year has been a struggle. I have really nice land but we can’t get close to a quality buck. Might be the worst hunting year I’ve experienced in Minnesota. Not even seeing all that many does really ?
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Post by smsmith on Dec 5, 2023 14:23:56 GMT -6
Stu—I think you are correct on the deer hunting ! It’s not terrible ! It’s just not what it could be. The potential is so off the charts! This year has been a struggle. I have really nice land but we can’t get close to a quality buck. Might be the worst hunting year I’ve experienced in Minnesota. Not even seeing all that many does really ? This was the worst year I've had here since sometime around 2013-2015. The herd is definitely smaller than I had thought it was this year. I think the thing I noticed most is a lack of fawns. I had 3-4 does here this summer/early fall who apparently had no fawns. It's possible they were unbred last year, but I'm leaning towards the idea that many fawns were aborted last winter/spring. I also think antler growth has really suffered from the last three years of drought/dryness. You're right, the deer hunting in much of central MN could be world class or nearly so. That'll never happen though. Largely due to the deer hunters themselves.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 5, 2023 15:48:45 GMT -6
All I can do is keep on plugging away. See if anything moves tonight ?
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Post by caveman on Dec 5, 2023 16:07:48 GMT -6
Minnesota is getting beaten up on Habitat Talk. It’s just so sad. From politics to deer hunting… the state is a liberal mess. When it comes down to it, the leadership is so terrible and ineffective it’s hard to even explain ! Luckily it’s a beautiful state, and we have the lakes area to keep sportsman around. Overall it’s a real drag to think about what it could be in terms of the outdoors and the political landscape! If you want to see Minnesota get praised on a forum, then head over to r/minnesota old.reddit.com/r/minnesota/. It is like the opposite of this forum. Too many deer, not enough wolves, and Walz deserves to be added to Rushmore. It's fucking crazy.
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Post by benmnwi on Dec 5, 2023 16:33:49 GMT -6
All I can do is keep on plugging away. See if anything moves tonight ? That sure looks like a good spot to find a nice buck. This warmer than average weather isn't helping deer movement though.
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Post by benmnwi on Dec 5, 2023 18:39:03 GMT -6
Did you have any luck hunting tonight?
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 5, 2023 19:14:42 GMT -6
Did you have any luck hunting tonight? I saw 4 doe/fawn but they are spooky. Dead calm it was hard to move in the stand !
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Post by Sandbur on Dec 6, 2023 4:27:02 GMT -6
This is the first evening I have seen daylight activity since the rifle season from my house. Just a doe and one or two fawns. They were skiddish.
I will be glad when muzzy hunt is over.
I agree with all of the top handful of posts. Not as good of antler growth after the long winter. Bwoods, I feel this reflects the shorter antler growing season and is also a part of the difference between Iowa and Minnesota. You are also correct that our season structure is a big part of the difference.
Not as many does and fawns around. Even those who said they saw lots of deer all summer have now admitted numbers are down.
I have not heard one complaint about crop damage from deer this year. Hit by cars are down. Why do we need early antlerless hunts?
Overall, my family had a successful and fun hunt. I guess that is all that really matters.
We are lucky to have what we got compared to Bob and others up in zone 1 and parts of even 2.
Like Stu, I am not starting habitat work again.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 6, 2023 8:32:06 GMT -6
I think the deer eating too much—standing corn or beans complaint, is over. Well not over, but there can’t be many cases of too many deer except for maybe SE MN !
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Post by Bob on Dec 6, 2023 10:16:57 GMT -6
It was an odd year. I had as many deer on camera as I've ever had, including a bunch of young bucks and a couple nice ones. But the ratio of deer on camera and deer seen hunting is the most out of whack I've ever seen. Saw my first coyote this year while hunting. I jumped out of the tower to try to slit it's throat with my claw, but the bastard got a split second head start and headed for Federal Dam.
Lots of coyotes right on top of me during gun season. They were yipping their heads off multiple nights. Also the least attention I've seen paid to the plots. But there were still 12 bur oak acorns per square foot under the leaves Halloween weekend when I was setting up a ground hunting spot near my road plot. I'm in no hurry to sink effort into expanding food in the near future. Even the new browse isn't getting much attention. Will gauge again in spring to see what they use this winter.
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Post by nhmountains on Dec 6, 2023 13:39:46 GMT -6
A bowhunter in Buffalo County Wi just shot a cougar. DNR said its the first one shot in like 150 years or something. He get in trouble for killing it? Aren’t they protected there? Or did he feel threatened ?
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