New area to Hunt what should I do?

[NaturesRespect]

Okay Im pretty rookie to deer hunting alone, so far in life i have been hunting with my father who has taught me well but not enough to hunt and scout a new area alone but i have learned lots through research and YOUTUBE! My fathers getting enough of hunting wich means our usual spot to hunt will not be were im going alone so i have decided to go hunt Carlos Avery WMA. I plan to deer archery hunt and possibly firearms there on weekdays to beat the traffic of other hunters on weekends but for small game i will be hunting weekends while i scout for places. I have a few places i plan to check out from google maps but i have never been there yet. What i would like to know is what should i be looking for when scouting and looking for spots to hunt deer. How do i find food sources and places were the deer will be and travel and also funnels? Is small games openner in september into october be enough time for me to scout places to deer hunt or should i do some scouting during august into september and so on? I plan to archery hunt deer around mid october and archery into november near when firearms opens. Also if things go well maybe even some winter archery for the fun of it i hear when snowfalls over at Carlos theres barley anybody out there hunting.

Do i need any special permission to hunt Carlos Avery WMA? can i just buy my tags and licenses and walk in and hunt?

What gear would i need as for clothing, more on the boots and pants like i hear lots of the land is swamps so would i need waders? If so How high of waders and yes i plan of going the extra mile to escape other hunters and people.

For the saftey matter i plan to wear lots and lots of blaze orange. My life is not worth trying to hide from deer and besides if blaze orange ruins the CAMO factor then why are my hunts down south so successful when firearms hunting with 100% blaze orange on, even when the deer looked at me and i froze i think he could not tell i was there so dont say blaze orange is not a good CAMO.

What do i do about parking and public parking around the area and what do i do if non hunting civilians are around the public park parking lot area and im trying to get in with my bow or firearm or trying to load my downed deer and there around watching and spectating me around the public parking lots? Is the place all forest or is there recreation places for pedestrians to enjoy? In other words is the area all forest or could i expect hikers, campers, random people just there for enjoyment like being at Taylors falls. Is the map of the boundrys any accurate on the MNDNR site?

What can i expect my results to be for deer hunting this area?

Im also considering Aitkins up north but I have no idea were the state land and private lands boundries are and were the hunting lands are.

IF YOU HAVE READ THIS FAR THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ AND YES IM ASKING LOTS OF QUESTIONS BUT BECAUSE I NEED HELP!!!!! IM JUST TRYING TO DO WHAT WE ALL HERE LOVE WICH IS TO HUNT!!!! PLEASE TRY TO ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS I HAVE AND FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING AND HELPING ME BECOME A BETTER HUNTER...

[Powerstroke]

The boundaries on the MN DNR site are very accurate. There are also maps available at Carlos at public parking locations that are usually put out every year.

Yes you can expect a lot of traffic from every kind of person. Because it is so close, and it does produce animals you will run into tons of hunters, birders, dog walkers/trainers, etc.

Public parking means you'll have to walk further to escape people. If you can find a place that you can access from the road and legally park you might do better. That being said, anyone who thinks like you will also be using those spots.

As far as what to look for, oak trees are very common in CA. Finding an isolated oak flat with some thick cover nearby might be good if its a good acorn year. There are lots of other preferred deer foods, but you have to know what they look like. Funnels are easy to pot on a topo map or aerial photo, but it doesn't mean deer live there. The only way to know is to walk it.

Yes start now because you can get familiar with the land and start ruling out places that aren't worth your time. It is a huge place so decide on a few hot spots and start scouting. You might not see alot of deer, but you may find trails and scat.

Good luck. That place is a ZOO!!! It gets hunted for everything from squirrels and bunnies to doves, waterfowl and also deer. Having orange may protect you from being shot, but it won't keep morons from hunting right next to you.

[mrklean]

i know a few people who hunt in there there are deer in there but like powerstroke said its a zoo, if you have any other public land options check those out as a second option if you pull in one day and see 20 trucks there

[Tom7227]

You can buy a variety of map books of Minnesota that have the public land cleaerly marked. I bought the All Outdoors Atlas from the DNR - a three book set at $30 each. You can get it through the DNR Bookstore. It is very details with topo info, every small road, stream and ditch marked. If you got that would have an incredible amount of info and could make some informed decisions.

I have never been hunting at Carlos Avery but everything I've heard about it makes me think you'd be better off trying elsewhere. I have no doubt that deer are taken out there but I prefer a place where there's less chance of someone walking through the area.

[NaturesRespect]

thanks for the help... what about clothing? mainly on the waders and swamps... how deep can it get and should i get rubber boots or full waist waders?

also considering the other smaller 50-90 acre WMA's around east bethel and near carlos but more west or north or just in the general county...

[Powerstroke]

Water will get over your head. People duck hunt all over in there. Get what you need fr the areas you want to hunt. Being in chest waders is actually a great way to hunt. I did this for the first time last year and I loved it. I made it into places no one else hunted and I was in rubber so it was scent free and warm.

[NaturesRespect]

considering other places... were can i find public hunting land that is not too far from anoka county i would like to have a drive no longer than 2 hours to get there

[Powerstroke]

You and everyone else. There are places to go very nearby but you're gonna have to grab a map and look. Use the DNR's WMA maps and also look for federal lands. If someone has a sweet spot an hour from home its unlikely they'll share.

Carlos is not bad, just busy. You may fare better by checking some of the other WMA's nearby.

[mrklean]

check the dnr access and buy some maps just about no matter where you go on public land you will run into people just a fact in MN if you go during the week that will help you i would try a number of different spots if you could figure out which has less pressure

[USPENAMC]

WIth all due respect to everyone ... I have hunted Carlos avery I tend to see maybe one person at most and I am 40 yards at most from the roads, dont even get wet. First time I hunted it I shot my first deer ever with a bow 40 yards broadside 2 minutes after I walked in... At another time on a weekeday i headed there since I had nothing to do I was talking on my cell phone I hang up and there standing 10 yards from me is a deer I sight in SHOTGUN and thats all it took... Lucky twice. There are deer there and there are deer close to the road too without getting real dirty... Of course the harder, deeper, wetter, colder you get the higher probability to score a BIG BUCK, there is no doubt about that. I would recommend the first year you learn the lay of the land, the parking areas, the areas where you cant go into. Here is a hint for you there are alot of areas in carlos avery where you cant hunt. FIND an area that is sandwiched between TWO or 3 areas you cant hunt and sit there you will have deer coming in from those other areas where they feel safe or going towards those areas. I think this past year with the area becoming was it lottery or managemen i forget .... there was less pressure from hunters...personal opinion so guys dont get on my case. Be safe, be weary, and most of all enjoy the hunt. If and when we get closer to the season we can chat more about meeting up. I am not a trophy hunter and I am more often than not Unlucky and come home empty but i can show you a few areas. I am not afraid to travel that day i shot my first deer ever at Carlos I left at 2 am to Houston Minnesota didnt find the area i was looking for and was bummed and returned to Carlos avery arrived at 10 am and shot my deer 2 minutes after. Persistence and dont be afraid to try and find new places and explore. For bowhunting you will need a bug suit. For later months you will need warm clothing. Always be aware of small game hunters and let them know you are there lest they think you are a squirrel and shoot in your area.

[NaturesRespect]

WIth all due respect to everyone ... I have hunted Carlos avery I tend to see maybe one person at most and I am 40 yards at most from the roads, dont even get wet. First time I hunted it I shot my first deer ever with a bow 40 yards broadside 2 minutes after I walked in... At another time on a weekeday i headed there since I had nothing to do I was talking on my cell phone I hang up and there standing 10 yards from me is a deer I sight in SHOTGUN and thats all it took... Lucky twice. There are deer there and there are deer close to the road too without getting real dirty... Of course the harder, deeper, wetter, colder you get the higher probability to score a BIG BUCK, there is no doubt about that. I would recommend the first year you learn the lay of the land, the parking areas, the areas where you cant go into. Here is a hint for you there are alot of areas in carlos avery where you cant hunt. FIND an area that is sandwiched between TWO or 3 areas you cant hunt and sit there you will have deer coming in from those other areas where they feel safe or going towards those areas. I think this past year with the area becoming was it lottery or managemen i forget .... there was less pressure from hunters...personal opinion so guys dont get on my case. Be safe, be weary, and most of all enjoy the hunt. If and when we get closer to the season we can chat more about meeting up. I am not a trophy hunter and I am more often than not Unlucky and come home empty but i can show you a few areas. I am not afraid to travel that day i shot my first deer ever at Carlos I left at 2 am to Houston Minnesota didnt find the area i was looking for and was bummed and returned to Carlos avery arrived at 10 am and shot my deer 2 minutes after. Persistence and dont be afraid to try and find new places and explore. For bowhunting you will need a bug suit. For later months you will need warm clothing. Always be aware of small game hunters and let them know you are there lest they think you are a squirrel and shoot in your area.

thats very helpfu... i plan to do a bit of small games at carlos to get an idea of how the area is. I think all management areas are managed (2 deer limit)

[fivebucks]

The WMA's will vary as to if they are managed or lottery or intensive harvest. It will depend on the zone it is in.

[Powerstroke]

The WMA's will vary as to if they are managed or lottery or intensive harvest. It will depend on the zone it is in.

WMA's do NOT have a standard for deer. They are ruled by the zone they are in. Check the regs.