Numbers and rut?

[Fever]

Heard the deer population was down in the Cass Lake - Bena area due to rough winter last year... Anyone confirm that? I'm heading up this evening for a 5 day hunt and wondering if the bucks in in chase mode or if anyone has seen anything these past few days.

[Steve Foss]

By nearby Bemidji, where I hunted the first three days of the season, all the hunters and the DNR were saying deer numbers were down from last year because of the winter. It went from intensive harvest last year to managed this year, and up here in Ely it went from managed to lottery.

I've got to imagine the same would be true around Cass Lake.

That being said, I saw lots of deer around Bemidji in those three days, between 15-20, which is plenty when you are a meat hunter.

The buck I shot on opening morning was fully in the rut. His nose was to the ground when he hit the opening I shot him through, his neck was completely swollen and he was one stinky fella. Whether he found any willing does I couldn't say. I expect things'll be rocking and rolling this weekend too.

[Musky Buck]

This week things heated up as many took down mature bucks. A fair amount of legit 200 pounders compared to last year anyway. I can't believe almost how much luck people had Tuesday and Wednesday and heard already good reports from this morning. I'll join the masses this weekend and likely get shut out.