Another Camp Ripley thread

[Boonie5]

I agree with you Walleye Champ... I'm glad some of you saw deer, This was my 9th time in camp and it was the worst year deer wise I've ever seen. Seemed like it was hard to get away from people, which didn't help. But as far as deer sign it didn't even compare to years past... I personally don't think the rut was really "on" in camp. It seems like the bucks weren't in full chase mode and they were kinda lazy... Again I can't speak for all the hunters in there but from our group and other groups I spoke with it was a rather slow year for deer movement. It was my first year not seeing at least one "shooter"

We went from Plan A then to B,C,D....to what the @$*#!!!

All this being said, I will be applying next year. You can't beat the feeling of knowing the biggest buck of your life could walk out of nowhere and give you a shot of a lifetime at any moment.

your thoughts?

Cheers!

[Cheetah]

Something we noticed was that compared to last year there seemed to be many more RV's and campers set up along the main line on Saturday night. In the past they were fairly sparse near the back of the line, but this year there were quite a few all the way along it.

The last two years the amount of deer sign in general has been down quite a bit in the areas we usually hunt. Same for numbers of deer seen.

[ANYFISH2]

I couldn't agree more with the later setiments. It really isn't what it used to be!

I started hunting in Camp in '97 hand have been drawn 10 times and this was the worst year yet. Our first year was after 2 terrible winters and the hunting way better than! I had been thinking it was just a bad year, the last couple of seasons but it is gretting more difficult every year.

I know, it's hunting, but seeing 10 deer over the past two seasons and only 1 buck is not what I signed up for. Nor what it can be! IMO 4200+/- a year with bonus permits harvesting 450+ per year is more than Camp can sustain, apparently.

Also It sure seem many of the "hunters in there have lost respect for other's! There is alot more of a me first attitude!

Sorry for the rant, really frustrated with the hunt and how it seems to be heading the past couple of seasons.

Congrate to those whom where successful and had a quality hunt!

[totally_addicted]

Alright, here it goes. This was my second year at Ripley and I was blessed with the opportunity for a shot on a NICE buck. Keyword: "opportunity". He came in on a good trot and I stopped him a hair short of my window right behind a big tree. All I could see is his neck and head. When he stepped out it was like a jump turn that made him now quartering away. As soon as he jumped I squeezed off a shot. Shot looked like it was spot on until it deflected off the tiniest of branches 2 feet from him. The arrow was sent towards the ground at a sharp angle, but on the way down sliced his underbelly wide open. He took off into woods with lots of guts and interior stuff hanging out dragging on the ground. We gave him almost the rest of the day before we went after him. The first 400 yards was great blood, lots of puddles, and pieces of intestine caught on sticks and logs. After a while we found a spot where he must've bedded down. He must have gotten up and kept going through the woods. After about a mile we lost blood. We spread out and searched the area (a huge swamp) from our last speck of blood to find no more blood and no deer. I was left with the worst feeling in the world. I still cannot stop thinking about him and how foolish I was to not have clipped a few more branches and make my window bigger. The first buck I ever had a shot at I wounded and it most likely died. (We found over 10 feet of intestine) We spent a few more hours looking on Sunday in the rain with no luck. This was a hard lesson to learn and will be a constant reminder about how important clear shooting lanes are. The injustice served to this magnificent animal will never be forgotten and I hope I never make a mistake like this again. It was the only deer I saw all weekend and one of four that my party of four saw. I believe he was an 8 pointer maybe a 10, but I only saw him for a 30 seconds before the shot and I was trying not to focus on the rack. I should have been focusing on my lane not the deer.

[rbs]

bummer on the deer. Happens tho...I would be beating myself up on it also. You will get him next time!

[bigbucks]

That does suck, I feel for you man. Most of us have hit deer that we couldn't find. I'd have to think with that one he was most likely dead before you left camp on Sunday, just where did he go.

[JBone]

Seriously no pictures of some ripley brutes? Must have been a crumy year up there!

[mrklean]

any word on the total number from last weekend?

[Boonie5]

While driving in sunday am the board said there were 91 registered the first day... not sure about the 2nd day?

[muskiemanAD]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/132858863.html

Here is a picture and story of a dude that shot 300+ inches of buck...

[mrklean]

lucky dude right there

[Archerysniper]

Sure is a lucky dude their,not to sound like a a$$ however my buck tag is mine and nobody fills it unless it's my wife daughter or a youth taking a second buck I have no problems with that. And I will never ask anyone for their tag if mine has been punched.

[mrklean]

couldnt agree more, my buddy asked me if he could use my turkey tag down in kansas the other year didnt want to but then told him yes by the time the turkeys were gone, last year he ran out of arrows and a few toms came in so i asked want me to shoot one and use your last tag up, he said no....

[JBone]

yeah pretty nice of his buddy to let him stick another!!! I don't think I would do that but it was a big dogg though

[Boonie5]

If I was with a good friend or family member and they shot a huge buck in Camp Ripley I wouldn't think twice about giving up my tag for them to shoot another the same caliber as the first one. That's what makes the sport so much fun when you here stories like this. You can call him a game hog but it is something that he'll remember for the rest of his life and every year they will say, "Rember that year in Camp Ripley when we...." IMO thats what its all about. Not saying I would give it up to some random person but a hunting partner or famliy... I would give it up in a heart beat.

[grab the net]

I thought he offered his stand to the buddy and he opted to stay in his own. After hearing about the second buck, I think I would have switched stands. I am guessing in a similar situation, I would have tagged it out for him also.

[Muskie456]

I used to have the same mentality with my buck tag but,come on. We live in MN not Kansas. If I have a buddy thump a 150 in the morning and another 150 walks by him in the afternoon have at it. I would gladdly put my tag on it for him or her. If he shot a fork horn in the am it would be a different story but we are talking about a freak occurance in our state. Congrats to the hunter, well done.

[MOSSY]

I would tag it in a heart beat for a hunting partner that is what party hunting is all about and why I hope the DNR never gets rid of it

[WalleyeChamp]

Guys, it's a 150 in MN. if you don't offer your tag to a buddy then you're too selfish IMO. Plain & simple.

[Bear55]

If its for a big buck I will give up my tag for close friends/family.

[ETH310]

It was my first time up at ripley. I saw two spikes and some does. I was a little disappointed the first morning when I got set up in a nice little funnel before sun up and right at first light a guy walks in and sets up 40 yards directly in front of me(put the range finder on him). I made sure he saw me, but I guess he just didn't give a rip...like my buddy said...thats ripley. I thought people would atleast set up out of bow range. Oh well, karmas a *****. Overall it was fun hanging with my buddies and seeing a few deer, but I don't think its all its hyped up to be. I see more deer and bigger bucks on public land. I think if you dumped 2000 guys on any big piece of public land of similar size, you would have similar results. I will probably do it again, just with lower expectations.

[bigbucks]

This is what we said when we're bowhunting. If the first buck you shoot is big & another big one comes, no problem we'll share tags. You shoot a forky or a 6 pointer don't come looking for my tag when the big boy walks by. I'm speaking primarily with archery hunting. It's like hey, I've been passing on little ones so you can shoot a little one & a big one? I don't think so.

[roodie]

Here is a link to results and some pics on the DNR HSOforum.

2011 Camp Ripley Archery 2nd hunt results

M-adult: 37 (27.4%) F-adult: 41 (30.4%)

M-yrlg: 21 (15.6%) F-yrlg: 12 (8.9%)

M-fawn: 18 (13.3%) F-fawn: 6 (4.4%)

[InTheNorthwoods]

Guys, it's a 150 in MN. if you don't offer your tag to a buddy then you're too selfish IMO. Plain & simple.

It could have been a 170" next year, OR, that buck could have walked by his buddy in 10 minutes. I don't think it is selfish at all to not tag SOMEONE ELSE'S DEER WITH YOUR TAG.

[WalleyeChamp]

[quote name='

It could have been a 170" next year' date=' OR, that buck could have walked by his buddy in 10 minutes. I don't think it is selfish at all to not tag SOMEONE ELSE'S DEER WITH YOUR TAG. [/quote']

To each his own. Personally, and it's only my opinion but I think you're selfish. Just sayin'