Camp Ripley 2nd Weeknd

[roosterslayer]

I will apply for the first time next year and see what happens, I have a lot of friends that work at ripley and have pointed me in some good directions

[sticknstring]

Ripley stat of the day... total harvest (A & B hunts). Clearly the bonus tags are doing their job...

'13 308

'12 431

'11 422

'10 507

'09 477

'08 516

[Meat-Run]

Ripley stat of the day... total harvest (A & B hunts). Clearly the bonus tags are doing their job...

'13 308

'12 431

'11 422

'10 507

'09 477

'08 516

Interested stats to say the least... So how many are yearly bucks/does and adult deer sure would like to see those numbers too.

mr

[snapcrackpop]

Ripley stat of the day... total harvest (A & B hunts). Clearly the bonus tags are doing their job...

... and so are the wolves.

[sticknstring]

Yep, they take more than their fair share!

[Wanderer]

One thing to remember about Ripley: It's a military base, not a hunting preserve. Maybe they've changed their tune in recent years but when I talked to the hunt coordinator (I believe it was Beau) my first year, I was told the DNR doesn't manage the herd in Ripley, the base does.

They figured they had a hunt-able population of deer and chose to manage them with the hunt structure that still holds true today. They don't have to let any of us in there to hunt - it's their choice to allow it or not allow it. Hunters are their guests.

The permit numbers were raised to 2500 per season from 2200 several years ago due to people not showing up. They figured issuing more permits would counteract the no shows but I'm guessing since there's been so much press on Ripley the past few years coupled with enough deer to allow a 2 deer limit, there's a lower percentage of no shows.

It was said in my first conversation that Ripley hunters were highly selective when it was a 1 deer limit and consequently the average deer age in Ripley was 2.5 years rather than the statewide 1.5 year average. Most people were holding out for a nice buck. Still some just went there to hunt deer and it was their best opportunity to get something. Now everyone can whack a doe and not have to worry about burning their main tag.

Those that work there or know people that work there can go ahead and call out any of my points as wrong if they are, but that's what I know about it.

Too bad the 2013 hunts hit more low notes than highs though. It is quite a place to see and quite a hunt to experience. It's not my favorite hunt ever but it has ALWAYS been interesting!

Good luck the rest of the year guys. My statewide prediction for the 2013 season is a significantly lower harvest than expected. Archers are already 24% lower than normal this year and I'm starting to doubt the deer have simply been inactive. I'm really starting to think our winter devastated the herd more than anticipated, no matter what the WSI showed.

And yeah, wolves eat deer too....

We'll know by the end of this month.