Deer reports-less deer,more deer seen than last year? How does it compare?

[PurpleFloyd]

We ended up 11-14

[Wobbler]

We hunt 122. Saw more deer this year in last 3 years combined. Our party is 4/5 with 3 nice bucks and 1 doe. My 12 year old got her first buck a 6 pointer too so a really great 9 days of hunting for me.

[EXTREME]

Hunting in Zone 169 by Bigfork. Deer hunting has been tough to say the least. Group of 7 guys has only seen a handful of deer. 2 bucks shot in the group and a couple yearling bucks passed on....that is it. There seems to be plenty of sign in the woods, but the deer are highly nocturnal. There has only been 3 does seen in the past 2 weeks. We did see a monster tending a doe on the side of the road last Friday night. That was kind of cool. Really discouraging in the stand. I have sat around 40 hours this season, and seen 1 deer in the stand. Luckily it was an 8 pointer. I have plenty of camera pics, so I know the deer are there, but tough to get during daylight. Plenty of wolves around as well. They were howling Friday afternoon and a couple were seen last week by the crew. Anyway, that is my report. Hopefully 3rd weekend is the charm. It was last year.

[balsa]

246 less deer than last we were 2-6 first year not everyone saw a deer.

[Early Riser]

We hunt 126. I typically shoot 1-3 deer a season, but really have to work for them most years. In the last 25 years I have had three seasons of seeing few deer and not shooting anything. It is not unusual for me to have multiple days each season of not seeing any deer. It never seems to vary much year to year where we hunt in terms of deer sightings, and the amount of deer and wolf sign. The forest is changing because the logging in very limited nowadays. We don't come across moose and moose sign very much at all anymore, which is sad. I saw a raccoon come through one day, which is a first during deer season. I shot one in our yard this past fall.

This year I shot a regular 2.5 year old 8 pointer on Sunday, had a timber wolf come right into a doe bleat and stop 20 feet from where I was standing behind a spruce tree on Tuesday at 11:20, and had a huge buck chase a doe by me the next day at 9:40 in the same general area. Our son missed a nice buck through some brush and saw a doe off the same stand in the same morning. My friend shot a doe and a big 8 pointer (17.5" inside spread) that was right on her tail opening day at 10.

I spent two days, including opening day, in one stand,where I have shot 5 nice bucks, and one spike buck, over the last 8 years, from 6:30 to 4:30 without getting down once, and didn't see a single deer either of those days.

The day I shot my deer, I hung a tree stand at 3:20 after a 2 mile hike, and shot him at 4:05. I had planned on hunting there the next day, but figured I had enough clothing on to make it for an hour or so in the stand to just cool down and relax. I ended up getting pretty sweaty again after shooting him and getting him out.

[bigbucks]

Overall I think we went 10-17. We didn't ever all hunt at the same time & not always on the same properties, in fact over two areas (213 & some in 214), but that would generally be our group. Shot a spike, two 7's, an 8, & 6 does.

I personally shot a doe, one of the 7's, & the 8. I believe I saw 8 total deer on stand. I hunted part of all but one day, most of the weekdays it was just evenings.

[pinkfloyd4ever]

171 south half way between hill city and aitkin. 6 doe seen, 3 of them seen more than once. No rut sign.

2 day light wolf sightings, lots of tracks and the occasional howl.

Neighboring camps reporting same

[laker1]

Field report: Deer harvest down 6 percent from 2012

Updated: November 19, 2013 - 7:15 PM

Hunters have killed 129,000 deer so far during Minnesota’s firearms deer season — down about 6 percent from this time last year. Officials believe windy conditions are primarily responsible for the reduced harvest.

The whitetail harvest in the northeast is down even more, the results of a tough winter last year. “We also reduced antlerless permits in response to anticipated impacts of the winter,’’ said Leslie McInenly, Department of Natural Resources big game program leader.

Meanwhile, deer license sales are down 2,700 from this time last year. The DNR sold 459,665 licenses through the weekend. The regular firearms season ended Sunday in much of the state, but it continues through Sunday in most of northern Minnesota.

[laker1]

Any updates now that season is over for many?

[Scott K]

Lots of deer in the fields after dark. The slug hunters didnt get them all.

[SledNeck]

Ive seen less to this point, but Ive hunted less days and the conditions were not great a few of those days

[Scott K]

I agree, bad conditions I think had a lot to do with the low deer numbers.

[zepman]

3B...area 348. Hunting private land. Lots of deer...

No DOES being targeted over here now...it's trophy or bust. Sad.

So much land being bought and used only for a "certain" season and shut down the rest of the year. Hunters way down...shots almost non-existant...and accesses closed to all who dare to hunt next to them.

I can't see a healthy outcome to any of this "legislation"...our group of hunters is down to 4 (from 12) since the APR took effect. Go figure....

[PurpleFloyd]

3B...area 348. Hunting private land. Lots of deer...

No DOES being targeted over here now...it's trophy or bust. Sad.

So much land being bought and used only for a "certain" season and shut down the rest of the year. Hunters way down...shots almost non-existant...and accesses closed to all who dare to hunt next to them.

I can't see a healthy outcome to any of this "legislation"...our group of hunters is down to 4 (from 12) since the APR took effect. Go figure....

That is exactly what the ones at the top of the APR push are after. They want fewer hunters in the woods and they want to privatize hunting because that is where the money is that is going to fund the whole movement they are pushing. It looks like they are getting exactly what they wanted.

[mntatonka]

We've seen around 25 deer so far, but most of the corn is still in the fields. I think Thursday will be a little more active. I've seen 5 different bucks that most people would put on the wall, but never got a decent shot at any of them.

[phorn]

We are also hunting 3b 348. Glad to hear you saw deer. We wern't so lucky we saw 3 total. I was also surprised at the amount of corn still standing.1000's of acres all around us. The amount of shots heard through the weekend could be counted on one hand. We went for a drive to warm up Saturday about one and did not see any hunters. The state land around us was dead. No hunters. Everything is posted private land and nobody hunting. I don't get it back in the 80's and 90's you would see orange in all the draws and hill sides. I'm afraid deer hunting has changed for the worse I do believe apr's are a good thing I just don't understand why people have giving up on hunting.

[mntatonka]

We are also hunting 3b 348. Glad to hear you saw deer. We wern't so lucky we saw 3 total. I was also surprised at the amount of corn still standing.1000's of acres all around us. The amount of shots heard through the weekend could be counted on one hand. We went for a drive to warm up Saturday about one and did not see any hunters. The state land around us was dead. No hunters. Everything is posted private land and nobody hunting. I don't get it back in the 80's and 90's you would see orange in all the draws and hill sides. I'm afraid deer hunting has changed for the worse I do believe apr's are a good thing I just don't understand why people have giving up on hunting.

They haven't given up, it's just that people are afraid someone is going to shoot "their buck". So they don't let people hunt as readily. That, and a lot of people are leasing land and only letting a couple of hunters on the land.

[zepman]

I didn't here a single shot in area 348 until I took one a little after 11:00...not ONE shot. That blows my mind....

[laker1]

Final results should be out Wednesday on harvest.

[Coldwater Crappie Guy]

We hunt in 240 area and the deer popultaion is way down. Kind of depressing actually.

My son and I seen 1 doe on opening weekend and passed on it.

Went back up on Wednesday and was able to harvest a nicer doe.

There was not a whole lot of shooting in the area at all. I know the wind was not a good thing for the opener, but I would like to see them make it a one deer zone for a few years. They had it as a intensive harvest zone for many years and I really think that hit the area hard.

I also think that the state just wants to sell more and more tags to make that almighty dollar and they really need to look at the heard and see if its up or down.

So yes, in my area the numbers are way down and very scary.

[laker1]

Much of the intensive harvest and management areas were created because of forestry and farming interests.

Yes in many areas it is time to take a more restrictive season. deer will bounce back fast if we don't get a bad winter.

[Wanderer]

We are also hunting 3b 348. Glad to hear you saw deer. We wern't so lucky we saw 3 total. I was also surprised at the amount of corn still standing.1000's of acres all around us. The amount of shots heard through the weekend could be counted on one hand. We went for a drive to warm up Saturday about one and did not see any hunters. The state land around us was dead. No hunters. Everything is posted private land and nobody hunting. I don't get it back in the 80's and 90's you would see orange in all the draws and hill sides. I'm afraid deer hunting has changed for the worse I do believe apr's are a good thing I just don't understand why people have giving up on hunting.

348B for me too.

Very few shots on Saturday morning, a few more on Sunday morning. Saturday evening was the most active but still not a ton of shooting. Actually both days the shooting didn't really start till late morning and I'm sure that had something to do with cold hunters moving around.

Speaking of which, it blew my mind how many road hunters we saw (not calling you one phorn). Guys in orange that pass by once or twice in their vehicles are just looking around; when they come by 4-8 times a day they're road hunting. None of the 5 of us hunting the farm could be seen from the road easily but it's not hard for us to see the cars and trucks and know who the repeats are.

We went 3-5 on does. Only one legal buck was seen over the weekend and it was missed. It still amazes me how few deer are there compared to historical averages. I was confident during our archery hunts that the lack of deer wasn't because of the Lull or wind - the A and B gun seasons are proving they just aren't there in numbers any more.

So why did we shoot does? It was that or nothing and their only chance to get meat. We talked about not shooting them but that's as far as it went - just talk. The other guys mentioned not hunting there next year and going north. That's something I thought about doing this year.

I'm not calling out all of 348 as a dead zone since we saw deer in other areas of the valley but those areas aren't accessible to us. We either deal with shot out property and wait and hope it comes back or move on to other areas. And from what I experienced, even though the guys hunting this property know we need to spare some deer, they'll still shoot does. I guess the best option is to not hunt it at all and avoid temptation.

[fr0sty]

I hunt 240 also and didn't see much for deer all season. There were other hunters not too far away from us though that were seeing plenty, bohh bucks and does. They were hunting corn fields compared to the swamp we hunt.

Deer go where the food is.

[TRZ II]

Hunted 156. We went 4-6 and we were very happy with that! Didn't see many deer at all, 2 guys shot the only one they saw. Alot of wolf tracks. We heard alot of report from neighbors of going 0-6,1-6,2-5. So we were pleased. But a definate decline the past 2 years. And we are still allowed a doe! No lottery-what a joke. I actually passed on a doe this year for the first time since it was "liberalized" in our area just because there are so few in the area we hunt,yet anyone can shoot one.....

[PurpleFloyd]

348B for me too.

Very few shots on Saturday morning, a few more on Sunday morning. Saturday evening was the most active but still not a ton of shooting. Actually both days the shooting didn't really start till late morning and I'm sure that had something to do with cold hunters moving around.

Speaking of which, it blew my mind how many road hunters we saw (not calling you one phorn). Guys in orange that pass by once or twice in their vehicles are just looking around; when they come by 4-8 times a day they're road hunting. None of the 5 of us hunting the farm could be seen from the road easily but it's not hard for us to see the cars and trucks and know who the repeats are.

We went 3-5 on does. Only one legal buck was seen over the weekend and it was missed. It still amazes me how few deer are there compared to historical averages. I was confident during our archery hunts that the lack of deer wasn't because of the Lull or wind - the A and B gun seasons are proving they just aren't there in numbers any more.

So why did we shoot does? Well, I didn't kill one but as far as the other guys go, it was their best or only chance to get some meat. We talked about not shooting them but that's as far as it went - just talk. The other guys mentioned not hunting there next year and going north. That's something I thought about doing this year.

I'm not calling out all of 348 as a dead zone since we saw deer in other areas of the valley but those areas aren't accessible to us. We either deal with shot out property and wait and hope it comes back or move on to other areas. And from what I experienced, even though the guys hunting this property know we need to spare some deer, they'll still shoot does. I guess the best option is to not hunt it at all and avoid temptation.

So you still get road hunters up there yet? It used to be standard practice in this area but with the privatization of land and the trespass laws the way they are that has all but dried up the road hunting around here. Correct me if I am wrong but you can't shoot off the road or the ditch or you are breaking the law and if you walk past the right of way into property you don't have permission to hunt in you are trespassing.

Oops. Edit.I suppose if you are in a public area like a forest etc then you are good once you get past the right of way?