Lowering our Low Expectations

[sticknstring]

Bear - what area in central MN do you hunt? I frequent 172 and it's recovering. Still horrible, but better than the past two years. The rifle crew was still 0-8 as of yesterday afternoon. 1-8 last year.

[TruthWalleyes]

Maybe we can pool together and get TW a trophy. He could be the best deer hunter in the state!

I hope you realize that 5 gal bucket comment was tongue in cheek, and yes, i've filled a tag each and every year

[hockeybc69]

If I shot the first deer that walked by me every year, I could say the same thing. Doesnt mean deer populations are strong.

[walleye18]

does filling a tag or not filling a tag mean it was a great year...or a terrible year? C'mon, there more to hunting than the kill...right?

I think theres more to hunting than just harvesting the deer....its all about the hunting experience. Yes, I like to shoot deer like everyone else. Many years, I have passed on small bucks. Many years, I have passed on does too.

Theres going to be good years...theres going to be great years...and theres going o be years that suck. Quit crying you bunch of Jack wagons.

just a thought....to each their own.

[Bear55]

Bear - what area in central MN do you hunt? I frequent 172 and it's recovering. Still horrible, but better than the past two years. The rifle crew was still 0-8 as of yesterday afternoon. 1-8 last year.

Kind of all over in that area, 172, 171, 155, 246, 242, 247 and 249. Ya I sort of get around a bit, didn't even realize I hunted that many areas until I looked them up.

No doubt it is not what it once was but I still find a lot more deer than I see up in 108 rifle season. Then again I am just one guy spending a lot of time in the woods all bow season. Not as easy to put a larger group on a lot of deer like that.

[sticknstring]

I think the need to fill a tag mentality is our own worst enemy. Not directed at you TW.

[sticknstring]

Quote:

Kind of all over in that area, 172, 171, 155, 246, 242, 247 and 249. Ya I sort of get around a bit, didn't even realize I hunted that many areas until I looked them up. shocked

Yeah, up until $3-4 gas and kids, I used to go all over too. A little more restrictive now, but I still hunt quite a few areas.

The past couple years of lottery are helping. Going to take a few years to rebuild.

[Bear55]

Got 3 kids myself, stand time had taken a major hit that is for sure. Just happen to live within a half hour to 45 minute drive of all those areas so that helps out big time.

[nonteepical]

I say try to control your own with this topic, if deer numbers are low in your area don't shoot too many of them and if they are high you can take an extra deer or 2. Focus from your area out about 3-4 miles and scout that talk to some farmers on the road etc. and before season have a plan like none of us added a management doe tag because we weren't seeing much around, so then hopefully we'll see stronger deer numbers next fall a bit.

musky understands what i was saying.

[PurpleFloyd]

Quote:

How many hunters in MN know what a browse line is?

Heck, lots of posters on this forum son't know what pleonasm is either but that doesn't stop them from posting on the forum again.

[delcecchi]

If you want example of browse line, drive a boat around west end of lake vermilion. Every single cedar along the shore looks like someone took a hedge trimmer to it about 4 feet above the water.

It was freaky to go canoeing in Quetico and see cedars growing down to the water.

[PurpleFloyd]

If you want example of browse line, drive a boat around west end of lake vermilion. Every single cedar along the shore looks like someone took a hedge trimmer to it about 4 feet above the water.

It was freaky to go canoeing in Quetico and see cedars growing down to the water.

Around here the browse line disappears as soon as the John Deere with a 12 row head cuts it off at the base of the stalk.

[PurpleFloyd]

Nonteepical reminds me of a lake minnetonka lakeshore owner in the summer.

....Now i get why you are so into APR, you can't seem to take a step off your 100 acres, which is probably bad land anyway. I can't help but laugh thinking of you sitting on your 100 each and every year, grinding your teeth together everytime you hear a neighbor shoot.

Have you thought about building a high fence and making your own herd of superior deer? Maybe there is a government grant for horn porn.

My suggestion would be to throw about 3-5 acres of corn smack dab in the middle of that 100. If anything gets in there let it be and only take deer going into or coming out of it. Do this for 5 years and let them pattern the cover the corn provides and he won't have to worry about what the neighbors do.