Stands at camp ripley bow hunt

[DHost21]

I applied for the camp ripley bow hunt. I obviously havent been drawn yet but i am wondering if i do get drawn do you get to keep your stand up over night on saturday night until sunday morning?

[ARROW 1]

No. But people do it regardless.

[Finlander]

No way can you leave your stand overnight. If you read the rules for Ripley they state that no treestands can be left overnight and will be confiscated by the DNR. I wouldn't chance it.

My buddy uses a climbing stand that works great. His brother stays on the ground and has shot two monster bucks that way.

I think if I get drawn this year I will use one of those portable blinds used for turkey hunting that you can stick in the ground. That way you can go in the woods without clanging metal treestands and tree steps, etc. and set up farther into the woods because you don't have all the heavy equipment.

Look up the DNR HSOforum for full info!

Good Luck!

[DHost21]

Ok thank you I did read that on the HSOforum about the stands but i did the youth hunt out there a few years ago and we were ok with leaving stands so i didnt know forsure. Thanks for the info i might have to go get a climber i have a lone wolf hang on and its an awesome stand if you have a little time to set up and it does make a little to much noise with all the steps so a climber will be my next investment now. Thanks

[ANYFISH2]

In all honesty the little noise one makes putting up a stand will not ruin your hunt. the deer move at all hours during this hunt so the 15 min of intermittent noise is really not a deal breaker. The largest buck I have seen in camp came through 5 minutes after bumping him and setting my stand up (using terribly noisy latter sticks), he bedded down 50 yrd away and spent the next three hours there until he caught a doe and broke my heart!

[VMS]

Hiya,

I have wondered about applying for one of the two ripley hunts....how crowded are they? With some 2500 permits it seems like it could be a real zoo. Also, how do you pick an area to hunt if you cannot go in until a designated time?

Thanks

Steve

[Wanderer]

August 20th is the deadline to apply.

They allow 2500 permits per season but roughly 10 percent go unused on average so you're looking at 2250 hunters typically from what I remember over the last couple years.

That IS a lot people. But Ripley is a big place.

Regardless, you will see other hunters - guaranteed. You will see deer though - guaranteed. Maybe only a couple or maybe a lot but you will see something.

For your first time, the lineup in camp before the hunt starts will boggle your mind because there are so many people. And pretty much every area that looks good will have someone on it. It's just the way it is. You go into an area and ease around until you find a spot that isn't covered and set up.

Deer can show up anytime and anyplace out there. Be patient.

I've applied and hunted it probably 5 times and have yet to tag a deer there out of being choosy, but I did miss the biggest buck of my life there at 22 yards from a deflected shot. A true giant.

It's a gamble, but one I won't be taking this year. We've opted to take the additional day we would be sitting in camp before the hunt and go to a property we have permission to hunt for all three days instead. We'll see if we miss it.

[Finlander]

The only way to scout Ripley is from the previous year you hunted and use your GPS to locate those spots for the next year. The number of people hunting there is like fishing Mille Lacs in a walleye tournament as 100 boats take off and they all take off to the spots, but the lake is so big, there is no problem finding a place for yourself! Same goes for Ripley, just head out and find a place that has no vehicles there and hope all the hunters there push deer to you as that is what happened to me last year as I had 5 deer just about run me over just as I arrived at the spot that I was going to put my tree stand in. This time I will sit and wait for the first hour in the morning until I put my treesatnd up and take advantage of the flurry of deer being moved around by the hunters. If I new last year that I would encounter 5 deer going to run me over and getting caught with my bow laying on the ground, I would have a monster buck on the wall as two were monsters that were running in that group. If I was ready I would have connected for sure!

I must have seen 25 deer by 8:00am before I could put my treestand up!

[mrklean]

you gotta think that after the record was shot there last year ever more then usual will apply, i think everyone knows there deer there but didnt know there were 200"+ deer in there

[DonBo]

August 20th is the deadline to apply.

Aug. 13 is the deadline this year.

[Wanderer]

Hmmm... went to the DNR HSOforum for my info on that one. It was on the calendar of events.

[elkhuntingfan]

P. 93 of the regs says the deadline to apply is the 20th.

[DonBo]

This just emailed to me straight from the DNR:

Hunters interested in the 2010 regular archery deer hunts at Camp Ripley near Little Falls are reminded that this year’s Aug. 13 application deadline is fast approaching, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The application process opened July 1.

For the full story, click on the link below:

http://news.dnr.state.mn.us/index.php/20...nts/#more-43726

[sticknstring]

Get them in by the 13th to be safe! I forgot to put in for moose this year because I procrastinated. Don't be like me.

[Bear55]

You know I didn't plan on going this year but I am wondering if I should put in anyway just to get those preference points.