Scouting this weekend

[JonnyD]

All I can say is WOW!!!

Spent Saturday scouting 4-5 public pieces around Pine City and Rock Creek. I am use to hunting Sd, and this is the first year I'm going to attempt hunting MN. I cannot beleive how thick the land is from all the brush/weeds and SWAMPS!!! I know a lot of the brush dies off after the first few frosts, but I still don't evan know how a guy walks off the main path to get in there and hunt.

Is this how most of your land looks as well right now??

[gurkster]

yes, the woods are thick right now. If you head south it may open up more, as it is more farmland than the swamp/woods to the north. Head west and it will be more like you are used to in the Dakotas. It will open up in the fall, as the leaves drop and the foilage dies off.

[DonBo]

Lots of growth with all the rain and heat we've had.

[mrklean]

dont forget to check for ticks its nasty this year

[JonnyD]

Yep, I found a few of those after the day was done. Along witha "few" bug bites.

[Archerysniper]

Just by looking at the white oak tree in the yard that's were I would plan on hunting come opener, from the looks of it with the wet year were having and the heat we have a bumper crop of acorns and mosquitoes this year.

[HunterLee]

We are going to have a decent drop to, but the funny thing is we haven't had bugs in town or even in the woods for about a month. Not sure if it was the heat the killed them or what, plenty of rain so not sure what to think, but i don't mind.

[Bear55]

Welcome to the jungle, the woods on average seem to be thicker the further you travel north.

[deerminator]

Have fun and good luck this season. I do know what you mean. All my shots are close because most of where I hunt is thick woods. Hunting farmland has been quite an adjustment for me this past year because I can actually take shots past 25 yards, though I wont take one about 10 yards past that.

[mabr]

from the looks of it with the wet year were having and the heat we have a bumper crop of acorns and mosquitoes this year.

AMEN to that. Whats with the last 2 years and all the mosquitos. I dont ever remember them being as bad as they have been.

[leech~~]

If you think this is bad you should try hunting down in the Southern states like Georgia or West Virginia. That's why some of them get to use dogs because you can hardly find your way out when you get back in them, let alone find a Deer. Part of the problem of scouting now is that later the Deer maybe going to differenet food sources then they are now and you may have to scout out whole new stand spots!

[paceman]

"We are going to have a decent drop to, but the funny thing is we haven't had bugs in town or even in the woods for about a month. Not sure if it was the heat the killed them or what, plenty of rain so not sure what to think, but i don't mind."

I agree Hunterlee. The bugs have really dissapeared around here. I took the dog out for a walk last night at 9:00 pm. I went across a crp field, next to a corn field and then along a swamp and then on a trail through oaks. Maybe 5 mosquitoes in about 45 minutes, no deer flies. A month ago they were horrible. Now nothing. very odd....

[leech~~]

"We are going to have a decent drop to, but the funny thing is we haven't had bugs in town or even in the woods for about a month. Not sure if it was the heat the killed them or what, plenty of rain so not sure what to think, but i don't mind."

I agree Hunterlee. The bugs have really dissapeared around here. I took the dog out for a walk last night at 9:00 pm. I went across a crp field, next to a corn field and then along a swamp and then on a trail through oaks. Maybe 5 mosquitoes in about 45 minutes, no deer flies. A month ago they were horrible. Now nothing. very odd....

Bugs don't hold up to heavy rain fall very well! With the one after another heavy storms we have had I think a lot of them are just being wiped out in midair!

[Archerysniper]

The bugs are up here, I went out and put out a new salt block tonight and had to run back to the wheeler they were so thick I couldn't take it. I was going to move one of my stands but gave up just to many skeeters.

[Wanderer]

Aren't the East Central low lands great?! I think this is where they trap and relocate mosquitos from.

I was in SE MN on Saturday. I had a few skeets buzzing me but not too bad at all. I normally consider it a skeet free zone so I was a little suprised to have even those few around.

The best part is: Last year's corn is all beans! Last year the early hunting was tough with all the tall corn standing. At least this year we'll be able to see the deer and they shouldn't bed IN the fields so much.