2011 MN Hunting Reports

[Patriot]

Way to go MNMaverick. Where are the pics man? Don't hold out on us now.

I've been out 10 times. Just the one doe so far. I'm taking Oct 29-Nov 4 off to bow hunt before the gun season scatters the deer all over.

My son will gun hunt this year for the first time (he's 10)...so I'm pumped for that!!

[mnmaverick]

Unfortunately I don't have a great picture...just one showing a bloody mess caused by the rage. I recovered her after dark by myself so i didn't do much photography! I can post the pic if you want though...it looks a little like the Gaddafi pics from the news today!

I'll be hunting tomorrow night, then most days from the following weekend through mid-Nov. Tomorrow looks like a perfect wind for one of my best stands, so we'll see what happens.

Good luck and have fun with your son! My son is only 2 so he's not quite ready, but he holds my arrows for me while I shoot in the yard and says "daddy shoot deer"

Way to go MNMaverick. Where are the pics man? Don't hold out on us now.

I've been out 10 times. Just the one doe so far. I'm taking Oct 29-Nov 4 off to bow hunt before the gun season scatters the deer all over.

My son will gun hunt this year for the first time (he's 10)...so I'm pumped for that!!

[mnmaverick]

Anyone out there this week? What's the action look like? I'll be hitting the woods hard starting tomorrow. Can't wait!!!

[mnmaverick]

Get in your stands guys! I had an unbelievable afternoon yesterday. Got in my stand about 3:45. At 4 looked up and saw a doe with fawns coming my way. All of the sudden, a massive buck we call Junk started chasing her around. He got to 60 yds but I couldn't get him closer. Ended up seeing 6 or 7 different bucks in 3 hours. They were all scraping, chasing or checking does in the bean field. Weather today looks perfect. Headed out the door now!

[mnmaverick]

I shot this buck on Thursday, Nov 3 in SE Minnesota. I'm a little disappointed because I thought it was a different deer, then realized I shot a 2 yr old deer (which I didn't have on camera all year) and we are trying to hold out for at least 3 1/2 yr old bucks.

I hit a beautiful ~140" buck in the shoulder the day before, and he just walked it off. I thought this was the same deer at first as I didn't get a good look at him before I drew, but I double lunged him and he didn't go far. Needless to say, he tastes delicious!

The action was hot Halloween weekend, and again last Wednesday and Thursday. It tapered off Friday and was very slow this past weekend according to my friends and neighbors. Guessing it will pick up again when the front comes through this week.

[dewey]

Congratulations on another great buck for you! I am heading way up North to an area near Hallock on Wednesday and will be hunting up there on Thursday and Friday. Then on Saturday and Sunday I will be hunting near Detroit Lakes.

Any other MN deer hunters go out or are going out?

Good luck.

Dewey

[bowman12]

I've been hunting the last few days of our rifle season, I hunt up North near the Canadian Border. I've seen some does, fawns, and a couple young bucks, no shooters yet though. It doesn't seem like the rut has kicked in too hard. The two 8 pointers I saw-one had black tarsal glands and seemed rutty but the other one had light brown tarsal glands and seemed pretty laid back.
Anybody seen any mature bucks chasing yet, I think they're still holding pretty tight to home and haven't lost there minds yet?

[bowman12]

Congrats too on the buck Maverick!
What a nice 2 year old, how did you age him?

[mnmaverick]

My aging was a guess...not based on aging the lower jaw. I'm guessing 2 1/2 based on antler size in our area, although he did have a large body, so it's possible he's a 3 1/2 yr old with a smaller than avg rack for our area. Either way, my friends never did see a bigger deer during gun season so I am happier with him now than I was before!

It seems like another somewhat strange rut this year. It was hot in Winona county from Oct 28-Nov 3 and then it really quieted down. The last 2 days were just dead (I sat out with my friend while he hunted). Either the rut peaked early, or all the wind, hunters and warm temps suppressed the activity this past week.

Congrats too on the buck Maverick!
What a nice 2 year old, how did you age him?

[fr0sty]

Here is my deer from the 2011 firearms season.