Kinda quiet.........

[MUSKY18]

Board seems kinda quiet lately. With 2 weeks (which breaks down into 15.68 days or 392 hours or 22,599 minutes or 1,355,120 seconds) I figured this board would be full of chit chat. STill to early to be fired up about hunting?

[schmoe147]

Agree seems extremely quiet for this time of the year.Maybe everyone is to busy shooting there equipment.

[Stratosman]

Man that's alot of seconds...

I live for archery hunting, I start getting excited about Jan 1st or so. Just bare shaft paper tuned and broadhead tuned the other day, checking trail cams and hoping for cooler temps! Ordered a dozen maxima 350's and gonna re-fletch them in the garage... gonna set one or two more stands this weekend. THen start pacing.....

[Scoot]

Come to ND!!! Season opens tomorrow at noon. However, I'm not sure when I'll be getting out any time soon- b-day party for my daughter at my in law's this weekend, football game (coach my son's flag football team) next Sat and Sun my wife signed us up for a golf tournament (doh!), then I leave for MT for elk/muley hunting late the next week. Despite my best efforts, I don't think I'll be getting out around home before I leave for the mountains.

That being said, there's nothing quiet about my enthusiasm for bowhunting right now! Other than trying to not make a big deal about my excitement when I'm at home, I'm seriously fired up to get out and flinging an arrow at something! I can't wait!!!

[harvey lee]

I use to gbet all pumped up years ago for the opener.

Now, maybe get the bow out in a week or so and shoot a bit and then start to hunt after the 1st frost in Oct. I do not care to hunt in the heat anymore and just enjoy the beautifulk Oct weather.

I remember openers years ago in North Dakota on Labor day weekend and we would hunt in the hot temps with all the bugs. One year shot a 8pt in 93 degree heat. Will never do that again, way too much work for a deer I can shoot in Oct or later in the season.

Good luck to those on opener.

[BLACKJACK]

The fact that I can only shoot one deer makes it so I'm not that psyched up for the opener, I want to be sitting in my deer stand late October/early November when the bucks are moving. I'll make it out a few times in September/early Oct. to make sure my gear is all ready to go but then pheasant hunting starts....

[Stratosman]

I'm out no matter what... best time of the year to pattern the big ones!

Scoot.. Next year we are planning an out of state early hunt.. Western ND is one of the places we are looking at... You would know more than I about how the herd is out there... I know that two winters ago decimated them...

[Bear55]

I'm beyond excited!!!! Been thinking about the opener all summer. Now is a great time to get on a nice buck. Got a couple I have my eye on, patterns are likely to chage in the next couple weeks so I have some fine tuning to do before I figure out an opening day plan.

[Scoot]

Scoot.. Next year we are planning an out of state early hunt.. Western ND is one of the places we are looking at... You would know more than I about how the herd is out there... I know that two winters ago decimated them...

Shoot me a PM if you want to talk details. I'm happy to help you out the best I can...

[bigbucks]

Pretty excited for it, been working on food plots & trimming stands during limited free time all month. Been baiting bear too, for my first try at bear hunting, so I'm more excited about that right now. Both my trail cams have been on bear baits for almost two weeks.

Had them out a couple places around here for a month before, but didn't get a lot of deer on them. Didn't have them in great summer spots. Been seeing a nice buck close to one of my hunting properties. Oddly in the morning, in daylight, three different times.

[slimngrizzly]

Im excited! Ive been chattering where theres more chatter!

[Jason_Gundersen]

My wife is SICK AND TIRED of hearing me talk about bow season... Bought my license yesterday so I'm all ready to go... All my food plots are in got the last two planted yesterday and the two I planted last week already have wheat and rye up 3 inches and brassicas are coming in nicely... The last step for me is to pray I get in on west coon rapids dam hunt I'm the 5th alternate but will find out on the 11th

[huntnfish]

I didn't get excited until yesterday. Driving by one of my spots and there was a real good buck out feeding already and it was only 4:30. He would go probably 150 except for him being a 3x5. He was missing all but his brow and G2. Had a good beam still but nothing coming off of it. Went for a drive with my daughter last night and saw another 6 bucks out in the same area with one that would be close to P&Y. I've been kicking myself all day for not getting any cameras out but its been a busy summer.

[HunterLee]

Got my ND velvet buck on sunday of opener. Big 9 148in. No glory pics on the computer but he is a few trail cam. was 17in wide but had one tine that was over 11in and two at 10.75

[deerminator]

I'm with BlackJack. The one deer thing has kinda taken the wind out of my sails for early season these past few years. I've suggested a one archery, one gun limit to multiple DNR officials over the years and they said they'd consider it. I think you'd get more bowhunters that way and not decimate the herd in the process. Would be good for everyone and everything. That said, I'm primed to get the kids out. If they say to pull the release on a nice doe early, I will to get them excited in bowhunting.

[Bear55]

I've suggested a one archery, one gun limit to multiple DNR officials over the years and they said they'd consider it.

I'm with you but only in intensive harvest or maybe managed areas, take a look at the dnr deer map. In most of the state the population is way down and there are far more lotto and HC areas. It could also do a lot more damage to a buck population that isn't all that great to begin with. I'd love to tag one with the bow and one with the rifle but it would make things worse at this point.

[Rippinlip]

I am so looking forward to next weekend!

At work..... tonight again. Next day off is Next weekend, on an 11 day work week.

Wife has our aganda all laid out for next weekend

We have had some medical issues with our daughter and we will not be leaving her home alone for a while, my wife told me she was hunting Saturday morning and Sunday evening and I could go Saturday night and Sunday morning....thanks honey for allowing me to go......huh?

Anyways, we are both revved up and shooting great. We both have been shooting all summer and I would say we are dialed in as good as ever.

All stands have been in for months, photos on cameras are looking promising, food plots is looking awesome and everything else we have be going over around the house. Clothes need a final washing and hung out, packs have been gone through time and time again...

Ok, I need to get my mind off this right now for a bit, ok I am back....lol

[deerminator]

Is the population way down though? I haven't seen any numbers published to that effect. Or is it that the DNR just decided to go with more lottery and HC areas beause they want more deer? I'm in a lottery area - obviously - and have been since they did away with the all season license. I just get sick of seeing tons of does each sit early season and knowing if I shoot one then I'm done. There are so many where we are, which is a good thing, I guess. But it just puzzles me as to why we are a lottery area.

Also, I guess I really don't think a two deer limit (one archery and one gun) would haver that detrimental impact. I think the harvest levels would stay about the same and it might make some people more honest. To paraphrase Mr. C from an article I once read in the Outdoor News, the number of phantom hunters (wives, girlfriends, mother in laws) would likely drop significantly. So you'd have fewer hunters taking the same amount of deer probably. They'd just be doing it legally with with their own tags.

Regardless, I'm not looking for an arguement or to hijack this thread. Just saying the DNR has been gradually but consistently reducing bag limits across the state for years now and I'm not sure what it's got us. And they're starting to restrict hunting opportunities through antler point restrictions. I'd like to see them try something like the one and one limit for a year and see how it works out.

[Laska]

Id like to see #'s aswell and see their "expertise" actually working not just limiting hunters and such....

[deerminator]

And just for the record, I like the DNR and know they're working for the best for everyone but all I'm saying is why couldn't we try it for a year like we're trying other tactics. That said, I'm done on that topic and think that if we want to discuss it in another post it might be more appropriate. Got off track a bit. I am still very excited to get the kids more involved this year and looking forward to another fun season. Good luck everyone!

[Scoot]

Got my ND velvet buck on sunday of opener.

HunterLee, congrats! When you get those ND pics up and ready be sure to post a hero shot in the Photo Contest!

[deerminator]

Hunter Lee, I guess I missed that in the post. Just saw the trail cam pic and not the got em' part! Congrats! And yes, looking forward to the photo and story. That is AWESOME!!!