Gun season in peak of rut

[waligators]

Here's my take on the rut so far, at least in the area I hunt. The bucks are chasing but the does aren't ready. The tarsal gland on the inside of the does legs (hawk glands) aren't stained yet. Had a good number of does walk by me last night and none of them were showing any sign of staining. So say if the majority of the does come into heat by Wednesday, the yearling bucks are going to be going nuts chasing and be dumb as ever come Saturday, the opening of gun season. It's going to be a slaughter on our future bucks. This is why APR is so important! Protect the yearlings to make it to 2 1/2+! Plus the gun season needs to be pushed back out of rut. MN has potential for bigger deer, it just needs to be recognized.

[TruthWalleyes]

Did you know bow season is during peak rut too... Maybe all hunters should have to wait... Especially entitled bow hunters like yourself.

Nobody can fill a tag until the bow hunters are satisfied.. Bahaha. Whine whine whine.

It's going to be a blood bath. I've got a 300yd range on my black powder.

[2thepointsetters]

I have never understood why some people feel they have self entitlement to the woods. Also have you ever ate antlers? Lots of these entitled fellows only take the horns and waste the meat.

[2thepointsetters]

My reply was typed the same time as the one above . They sure sound similar.

[KenM1987]

I shot a yearling with a slug last year and it was the best deer I ever ate. APR is one of the most annoying smug ideas out there.

[skee0025]

Minnnesota will not push back the season. Its all about the money. I know people from both sides of the border and if the WI and MN seasons were in direct competition, MN would be on the losing side of the battle. Having grown up in MN and being a current resident of WI I can say from my personal experience that a "bad" year deer hunting in WI is better then a "good" year in MN.

[nobody05]

always like to hear the gripe between hunters and the Minnesota small bucks. not sure if they realize that some hunters do it for the meat. some do it for the size of the horns.

[tfran123]

I do it for both, but agree with original poster that the our seasons timing is horrible for young bucks, big mistake. Comment Truth made regarding bowhunters is humorous, give me a break . . .no comparison to the quarter million gun hunters the woods will face next weekend.

Give this a few hours and this will be three pages.

Was in the woods this weekend, saw bucks on every sit, many little guys running around chasing with no takers as far as I saw but expect that'll change very quickly.

[MJ1657]

I have never understood why some people feel they have self entitlement to the woods. Also have you ever ate antlers? Lots of these entitled fellows only take the horns and waste the meat.

+1 good post

[Gofishleech]

I agree with the poster also but it has been that way for many years and wont change. Just so happens this year is a later rut, some years the later season would be during lock down but the way its looking it will be a young buck slaughter just like always. I think a big issue is party hunting of bucks. How many hunters out of say a party of 10 are serious hunters? The serious hunters can fill several tags before using there own. Minnesota is a meat hunt rifle season and that's not a bad thing. That being said I think the after/season forum talk will be more about the lack of deer in some areas.

[highlife4me]

I get a kick out of some bow hunters. Like when one complains about how they are after a certain deer and the neighbor shoots it on opening day of firearms season. Bow hunters have 8 weeks to get the job done before gun season even starts and then get at least another month after that. Gun hunters get 9 or 16 short days to get a deer and a bow hunter gets 3 1/2 months. For some hunters it is hard to be picky when their hunting time is so limited.

[deerminator]

And I would add some hunt to be social. Because they love deer camp or hunting with their buddies at home. I only bowhunt but next year am pulling the slug gun out of retirement for my son and my daughter who can hunt in 3 year as will come with us. I want him to get a deer, any deer, which will make most hunters happy this season. The state and others all manage regs to satisfy social expectations. Most people want a deer and so, overall, the state manages for numbers not horns.

[honker23]

I love APRs. I love venison loins. You can do both. I respect the guy that loves shooting and eating any deer, I also respect the guy that passes up 1.5 yr old bucks hoping to shoot a giant. The only question I have for the guys out there hunting for the tasty venison and not the horns is......A 14 pt 200 inch deer walks out with a spike at 40 yds. Do you shoot the tasty spike or tough 200 incher?

[TruthWalleyes]

Obviously shoot the bigger one... I go for mature deer only. Don't agree with pushing APR onto others. The people that shoot for the horns and gift the meat is the mentality I disgust... Apr is a short step to support that mentality. I've shot a deer every year since I started as a kid. Only 1 buck. To date and I'm 29. So I'm not shooting your 1.5 year old deer, rather filling doe tags with mature does and usually saving a tag in case a big buck walks by... I don't frown on thy neighbor for shooting younger deer... Obviously. Been happy with every deer I've shot and cannot, not once, thinkof a deer season that I wasn't satisfied by the time it was over...again, only 1 buck. So it's not about horns for this guy.

Apparently I see something In the sport that many of you don't.

Happy hunting everyone.

For those wanting big racks. Dont sit in the same stand or zone that you've been so disappointed with before and expect that this year your neighbors will let walk the deer you want to shoot. Go travel, find opportunities on your own, maybe try a fenced in hunt.

[Odonata]

I'd rather shoot a bigger buck than a small buck any day. With the lottery in our area, that means doe tags are not a given. Which has led to some tag soup on occasion. I hunt WI too, I can shoot either sex across the border. I don't like the idea of a formal reg within APR's, but our crew holds off on bucks smaller than 8 pts. We would rather shoot doe's than a small buck. Anyone under 18 in our group can shoot anything. That's just our crew, our opinion, and we still don't see "giants". They're around, but changing the season, banter between rifle/bow, and every other argument only fractures us as MN deer hunters. I don't know what it will take for the DNR to start listening to us regarding herd numbers and other factors which have led to a decline in our deer herd? It's my opinion that APR's aren't going to help MN until the management philosophy is refined and they have a clue about true deer numbers. I'm not a herd expert or biologist, but the herd roller coaster is ridiculous. I guess that's what happens when politics and money overshadow the reality/voice of hunters in MN yearly.

[waligators]

Hey I'm not whining, just stating the facts. As a bow hunter I'll tell you that yes the season is too long, and yes it is during rut also. Not sure why bow hunters get such a bad name, maybe we are to picky, we get first crack at the nice ones. Anybody can buy a bow, nobody is stopping you. Everyone one of Minnesotas deer seasons has cons. But the number of bow hunters doesn't even come close to the number of gun hunters that hit the woods.

[TruthWalleyes]

I bought an archery license months ago... Might use it in December.

I'm in no hurry. Plenty on season left.

So yes... Anyone can get a bow

I got no problem waiting to use a bow late December if I still haven't taken a deer by then.

If at the end of deer season you have a bad taste in your mouth YOU need to do something different.

[TruthWalleyes]

You know why I started bow hunting? So I could have an opportunity to shoot a mature deer in a lottery zone regardless of whether I drew a doe tag or not. See a bow license is either sex in a lottery zone. This year I drew a tag, so if all works well I'll not pick up the bow once and will take it with my smoke pole license after I'm done hunting se mn in a managed zone for shotgun tags. I know in not likely to see a huge buck in that lottery zone which is why I choose to expand my opportunity to take a large doe instead by using a bow the years I don't draw an anterless tag.

Success to me doesn't mean antlers.

Fresh tenderloins is success. Fun with friends and family is success.

Peace and quiet in the woods is success. Showing young hunters how to gut and clean deer and helping them have fun is success.

I have the ability to hunt plenty, so I choose to be selective. I don't ask others to be. And I certainly don't have any sympathy for a trophy hunter who doesn't spent enough time at the sport to enjoy it at the end of the year regardless of a wall hanger or not.

[barebackjack]

Hey I'm not whining, just stating the facts. As a bow hunter I'll tell you that yes the season is too long, and yes it is during rut also. Not sure why bow hunters get such a bad name, maybe we are to picky, we get first crack at the nice ones. Anybody can buy a bow, nobody is stopping you. Everyone one of Minnesotas deer seasons has cons. But the number of bow hunters doesn't even come close to the number of gun hunters that hit the woods.

Good reply Wali. I think to each their own, make your hunt what you want your hunt to be and let others do the same.

[waligators]

I won't have a bad taste in my mouth, I shot a Pope and Young on Sept. 21st. Been party hunting on my dads bow tag the last two weekend. I'm basically just going out to watch the rut action and hunt that phantom 160" class deer. The original post wasn't meant to stir the pot, rather to state what I've noticed, and maybe try to persuade a few people to let the younger bucks walk.

[setterdude]

Many of the comments Truth made were humorous.

But "300 yards with a muzzleloader" - can anyone say unethical.

[Fowlmouth]

+1

Many of the comments Truth made were humorous.

But "300 yards with a muzzleloader" - can anyone say unethical.

[waligators]

+2

Many of the comments Truth made were humorous.

But "300 yards with a muzzleloader" - can anyone say unethical.

[barebackjack]

Many of the comments Truth made were humorous.

But "300 yards with a muzzleloader" - can anyone say unethical.

Maybe he's loading REALLLLLY hot....

[duckster]

I think that it should be you bag it you tag it. We should do away with party hunting. It doesn't make sense to allow it anymore.