3b season

[bassNspear]

anyone else going for the 3b season?

[crawler harness]

I will be, unfortunately I don't get to hunt until Wednesday the 24th. Thankfully all the corn is out in our area this year, unlike last year when it was corn as far as the eye could see. I was drawn for a doe permit so will see what happens, depends on how much the guys that hunt the land the A season ran the deer off or not.

[Hench]

Yep. It sure is hard hearing everyone's stories and having to wait.

I'll admit.....haven't heard how the 3a season is doing. Anyone hear anything?

[zepman]

I'll be over there too...haven't heard a thing how the 3A season went. Taking my 12 year old for the first time this year and he is jacked!!

Can't wait to get over there.

[TrophyEyes]

I will be down there. My group got a 140 and a 150 during 3A. They also shot a nice buck right at dusk, but could not find it.

[hartner62]

My party usually hunts the 3b season but this year we decided to do the A season and we will probably be hunting it from this year forward. We saw more deer, bucks and does than we ever did during the b season and we filled all of our tags. If the 344A season is anything like the B season plan for a much busier season than years past.

[smilee_54]

yep I am am hunting the 3b season near red wing. The way it sounds there was about 500 deer registered in this area for the 3a season it was up about thirty deer

[PostFrontal]

We hunt 343. Didn't see a corn field that still has corn in it.

We were getting tons of trail cam pics through the Friday before opening day in the woods. Bucks, by themselves all times of the day for the 2 weeks up to opener checking scrape lines. Not many does. Then starting Saturday nothing on the trail cameras since. It was like a switch was flipped Friday night and we started to see bucks chasing does through the corn fields, CRP, and open woods. We had a couple does that came under our stands mouths open so you could see all teeth, breathing hard. The buck I shot Monday morning was chasing a doe that had icicles hanging from her whiskers from being chased all night.

Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning I saw 3 bucks not chasing does anymore but walking behind them on the neighboring property. Assuming they were almost ready to breed. And had some button bucks under me. Gary Clancy said the chase phase lasts about 3-5 days and that the first does would be ready to breed this year mid-week this past week. So might be right on. Who knows.

Most deer movement was early and late Sat-Wed with nothing during the day. But keep in mind it was 60-70 degrees those days.

Didn't hunt Thursday. Friday and Saturday was miserable with rain and snow all day. Didn't see much but heard some deer getting in the stand and getting out, before and after shooting time.

Saw enough so could of filled our tags if we wanted to, but about half of what we usually see. Because of all the standing corn last year, I expected to see alot of deer. Because of the weather, deer numbers? Don't know.

Good luck!

[zepman]

Any other reports from the 3A season?

[96trigger]

Our party hunted the 3A season. It was tough season for us. I think depending on where you hunt it was feast or famine. We were in 342. The amount of shooting we heard in the river bottoms area was the most we have ever heard in many years. Unfortunately, the shots in the bluffs were much fewer and far between. My theory is that the warmer temperatures had the deer in lower, cooler river valleys. All my hunting was on the bluffs or bluff tops and minimal deer were seen. I did see deer every time I was on stand except last Sunday night.

I have hunted pretty much straight the week before firearm with my bow, and then every day the follwoing except for Friday night and Saturday morning during the storm. I saw one buck opening weekend dogging a doe with fawns, he was a scrub buck and I did not shoot him. I did not see another legal buck until the following Saturday afternoon after the storm. He was chasing a doe across a field and crossed the road right behind me. He was nice. On Sunday morning I was going driving to my stand and saw another nice buck with a doe on the side of the road in the headlights. Coming down off the stand Sunday morning there was another nice buck chased out of the river bottoms standing the bean field, but he was too far away and didn't like being that close to the road. Had he crossed, he would have ran into either me or my Father-in-law, but no dice.

This has been about the worst rut I have ever seen. It seemed to be very sporadic. Saw does still with fawns, didn't see a lot of bucks chasing does until last weekend after the big cool down and weather change. I think 3B will be good this year in certain areas. The rut was going on, but it wasn't very intense. I did not see the big bucks roaming like I have in past years. 1st year in about 10 years that I didn't have a close encounter with a real nice buck. Harvested or otherwise.

[HooknHorns]

Me and my mom are going to be sitting tight on sunday. Hope I can help her tag her first buck. She did pick up a doe licsense so either way she'll get a deer. For me there was still standing corn out there because the farmer had so much, had no where to put it. I did see a few good ones around before the A season, just hope that corn kept them hiding.

[Muskie456]

Our crew switched to the 3a season this year and had a good season. Everyone shot animals or missed their opportunity. We killed two bucks (7 pointer and an 8 pointer) with a total of 7 deer killed. We really liked the APR. Everyone had to pass little bucks where as last year those animals would have died. I am pickier than most my crew simply because I bow hunt before the gun season. Most my crew is very limited with time and pretty much shot the animal that gave them the opportunity.

I really did think there would be more griping about having to pass on smaller bucks but it went over really well. Most the guys never really just hung out and watched animals under them simply because they killed them. APR went over well with our group.

Good luck 3Bers

[honker23]

I'll be out and about this weekend. I like the idea of APR too. Hopefully more does are shot and few more bucks see next year. Good luck.

[zepman]

Have always hunted private property in the 3B season...would maybe like to venture out and see some new ground this year...question is this: Is all the land that is posted as "state forest" open to public hunting? The signs don't say "open to public hunting" like the ones I'm used to seeing...they just say "state forest". Anybody.....

[Gordie]

anyone else going for the 3b season?

Good Luck BNS

I used to hunt this season when I was a kid with my dad and grandfather.

[96trigger]

Good luck 3Brs, go get em. I'll be out there with the ML the 2nd weekend trying again.