How did your hunt go? Tell us your stories!

[Steve Foss]

Tell us your stories here!

I had chances at two deer today. Well, one, really.

I set up 50 yards downwind of a monster scrape, and an hour after sunrise I got busted by a deer that actually came in downwind of me (I was 50 yards from a lake shore). Grrrrrrrrr! Blew four times from about 20 yards downwind, but I couldn't get a look at it because it was thick brush/timber between me and the deer. It never hauled arse out of there, though, so it couldn't have been all that alarmed.

At sunset, I had a 50-yard broadside shot at a doe. No doe permit though, and it's lotto where I'm hunting, so had to pass. But she kept looking over her shoulder, so I kept looking back there, too. No buck showed.

Not really too surprising. It was warm, and the wind was 10 mph over what was forecast. We had gusts to 25 mph. Not any cooler tomorrow, but a lot less windy.

Had a lot of company today, though. Aside from the usual squirrels, gray jays and ravens, I had chickadees and nuthatches coming in all day because I brought a couple handfuls of sunflower seeds and dumped them on a fallen log 6 feet away.

Oh, uh, durn! Wasn't trying to bait deer!

Back at it tomorrow!

[brassman]

It was a day of highs and lows. Sat in a new tree with my climber and found out real quick that the rising sun blasts me in the face! And that the wind has no obstacle up there, (20' up) by 9 am I was cold, and thats an understatement. At about 9:20 I noticed movment in the the swamp about 150 yards out and brought up my scope to see if there was a buck and only found two does that had nothing behind them which I was sure of since I could see a long ways past them. So I figured I would take a crack at them. I will tell you that timing your shots according to the swaying of a tree is not the easiest thing to do. But after a few shots I had two deer down, unfortunately they were in the bog and I know how those drags go. After about 15 minutes of letting them sit, my father shot another deer. After we got his deer and my deer back to the truck he grabbed the guns and drove back to my truck where the throttle on the ATV jammed forcing him and the ATV into my truck putting a big dent and 2' long scratches behind the wheel and on top of it, all the while bending my muffler down. Just another funny story in a few years. all three deer are hung up in the garage skun and ready to be cut up in the morning.

[Jameson]

Saw no deer, and no shooting occurred anywhere close by. Counted 20 shots by 10:00 am with a lot of 3 4 5 shot rallies. The shots picked up a little this evening when the wind died down for the last hour. Mid day I spotted three roosters at 200 yards at the edge of a mostly plowed corn field. Slowly they worked their way toward me until they were 10 feet in front of my stand. They'll get theirs next week. Had to slam on the brakes this evening to avoid a nice buck a mile from home. Hopefully see something like him from the stand tomorrow.

[ts_hunter]

Hunted in Filmore County today. Had one doe come in at first light, put the scope on her and let her walk. 10 minutes later she came back, I think she was over at the pond getting a drink.

8am - doe and fawn about 70yds away in the open field, let them walk.

Sat for the rest of the day and climbed into some dead fall trees around 4pm for the last sit of the day. Saw 4 different does/fawns, but was waiting for a buck. No shots fired today. Tomorrow if those does show themselves again, the will be getting a ride to town in the back of my truck. Shoot strait, stay warm.

[tunrevir]

I hunted this evening with my daughter and we didn't see any deer but we did have a good time whispering back and forth and stifling our giggles. She sat with her grandfather this morning and they saw a doe but it didn't offer them a shot. Grandpa reported the doe as "Doezilla" who apparently met her fate shortly after crossing through by them. Looking foreward to another day in the woods tomorrow.

Tunrevir~

[shortfatguy]

Sat most of the day, only out of the stand for an hour and 15 minute lunch. Saw 11 deer all day. 8 does and 3 different 1.5 yr old 6 pointers. Let everything walk. Had one of the little bucks within 5 yards! I could cout the whiskers on his chin! I hope to see the again in 4 years. Also saw a big fisher and a nice looking fox. I will be back at it tomorrow. Good luck everyone!

[BobT]

I usually hunt in northern MN with my brother but he's got a house full this weekend so I won't be going up there until next weekend. I decided to strap my pistol on my hip and just go out and sit in a grassy draw between my two hay fields for a couple hours this morning. Didn't see any deer but had four pheasants land in the grass within 20 yards, two of them roosters. This evening I went out there again for the last 1-1/2 hours. Had about 10 pheasants fly into that grass at one point. I counted at least 6 roosters but I think there were more. Looks like I was packin' the wrong weapon. Shortly after sunset I decided to head back to the house. I stood up, turned around, and caught 3 deer crossing the corn stubble behind me. They were just over 100yds out. Two bucks and a doe and one buck looked pretty nice. Couldn't see antlers to count but body size was pretty decent. I played with them for about a half hour with my grunt but never got them in close enough for a good look. Would have been too dark for a shot by then anyway but it would have been nice to see them up close. What I wouldn't have given to have my 30-06 when I first saw them.

[Jack Peterson]

Got this decent buck at 3:45 p.m.

He was hot after a doe I saw 30 minutes earlier.

I guess I had a good time. Saw a bunch of does, hundreds of millions of squirrels, a mink, and a few turkeys!

Yes, I know he's no trophy, but I really don't care. A deer is a deer.

[zepman]

Nice buck...looks like a trophy to me!!

[Froggy4371]

Ok well you want the story here it goes.

Sat my bow stand friday night and passed up 3 does. When back there in the morning with the gun but guess what THE STAND WAS GONE!!!!! On private land, cabled in, and locked. Someone else needed it worse them me I guess.

So sat on downfall for 3 hours and did not see anything but really did not expect to cause someone was there in the night taking the stand. As I got to my truck dad called said my brother had a buck hit but it ran in the lake. Got the waders and checked it out. Found white hair and two drips of blood. Followed the trail for 3 hours and did not find one more drop of blood but did find the guy who shot it in the neck. Brother just grazed the belly. No issue there.

Went back to evening hunt and had 11 does in a field and was watching them when guns opened up shooting from across the line and they the does go. The guys shot at 2 bucks and it was actually 3 and broke legs on all three of them. One came full blast at my dad and he shot and dropped it. They did not even know they hit that one but dad gave it to them cause it had a broken back leg.

So all in all not a good day for me.

sorry for the rant.

Froggy

[BigJakeL]

Froggy,

No need to be sorry for the rant. Even the biggest man would be angry if he went to his stand in the morning and found it was no longer there!! I have had several stands and cameras stolen from me too. That is why i no longer lock anything if they got their mind set on taking it they are going to take it. We all know who the people that steal these are not true sportsman. All sportsman know how we would feel if that was done to us so we do not do that to others. I hope that you catch these low life's!

[walleyehunter80]

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[Odonata]

Sat all dat Saturday, passed on two 8's, two 6's, a fork, spike, and three does. Today, sat the same stand and only saw the spike. Calm all day. In the stand right now! Never thought 3g service would be available 2 miles back in the bush! Hoping for a doe or bigger buck tonight.

[motley man]

Had something go by the stand before the sun was up, to dark to see what. Only deer I saw was the one the guy 200 yards away shot at and wounded, I couldn't get a shot at it.Hunting state land with my brother he shot a yearling opening morning, so he said sit in his stand as he saw deer. Went back out at 12:30 pm and saw 3 does running, but don't know why. At 2:30 the 8 point came strutting 100 yards broadside, when he stepped from behind the big pine tree he stayed forever. Really swollen up in the neck. Great opener!

[ChrisT]

I had an interesting Saturday. Sat in a stand and only saw one doe till a monster 8 came strolling down the hill. He came in to about 25 yards atleast 20" wide with huge mass and long tines. A neighbor has some trail cam pics of him and guessed him to go 150. Anyway, I settled my crosshairs on him and pulled the hammer, the primer fired and nothing happened for about a second then BOOM. By then I was probably a foot under him. My first muzzeloader experience left a little to be desired. I did manage to shoot a buck that night, unfortunatly he was 20 inches smaller. I was just glad my gun worked in the afternoon.

[Steve Foss]

Well, the deer are winning.

I had a fat forkhorn come in and stand broadside at 70 yards, but I would have had to thread the needle (2-inch gap between trees) to put it in the boiler room, with no other shot available, and that was a bit much shooting offhand, so I passed, hoping he'd hit an opening so I could fill the freezer. Of course, he turned 90 degrees and never entered any of my shooting lanes.

Ah well, the season is long, and I am my own boss these days, so I'll be doing a fair amount of weekday hunting this year. Congrats to everyone who got a deer! Condolences to those who had bad luck of any kind.

[mabr]

Had a good gun opener. Plenty of small bucks seen saturday with one shooter that was missed by a first year hunter. He's hooked now

I finally used my buck tag after waiting for the last 4 years for my shooter. Not a booner but he made me happy and I'm proud to put my tag on him. Well over 200 lbs dressed (I wanted to weigh him as it is the largest body deer Ive ever seen in person) 10 pnt with 1 kicker on his base.

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[Steve Foss]

Nice, mabr!

[picksbigwagon]

mabr, great looking deer but I removed the picture due to the amount of blood and that it was in the back of the pick up, do you have a better picture to post?

[mabr]

Just put them on the deer pics thread, Sorry about that. No truck pics either

[picksbigwagon]

Just saw those, they look great.....Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MN Shutterbug]

Sat most of the day, only out of the stand for an hour and 15 minute lunch. Saw 11 deer all day. 8 does and 3 different 1.5 yr old 6 pointers. Let everything walk. Had one of the little bucks within 5 yards! I could cout the whiskers on his chin! I hope to see the again in 4 years. Also saw a big fisher and a nice looking fox. I will be back at it tomorrow. Good luck everyone!

It sounds to me like you should have had a camera with you.

[mabr]

Just saw those, they look great.....Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dang it Picks, I didnt see the no gambrel thing. Is it ok? I wanted that one just so you can get an idea of the size of him.

[archerystud]

I hit a nice 8 (130 class) with the bow on Friday. Put on a marginal hit so I left him until Sat. morning. Went in (after a sleepless night) with the gun at first light and looked for him until 5:30 PM. Couldn't find the trail after he jumped in the river. Only good news was I didn't hit guts so he has a decent chance.

I was wiped out sweaty and standing near a 2 person stand (one I sit in with my son) so I climbed up into it. After 10 minutes a forkhorn walked by. Five minutes later a nice racked 2.5 year old walked by. If his rack were a little smaller I would have let him walk but he's out to the ears with nice tines. He's a nice buck and I'm happy with him I just wish I'd have given him another year.

Needless to say I was completely wiped after dragging that one out of the river bottoms...but happy to have my deer.

[picksbigwagon]

It looks fine, nothing wrong with it hanging on the hoof, and that is one big mamma jamma