DIY Minn. public land whitetail hunt

[NELS-BELLS]

(Disclaimer: No big bucks in this story. ...just me sharing a memorable hunt with my son)

After 3 years of watching my son Peter shoot a deer and not able to score one myself, I was starting to think I would have to hang up the bow and go back to gun hunting. Well I’m happy to say the stars finally lined up for me yesterday evening with a nice doe.

We hunted on some public land in Central Minn. We had never hunted this spot before but had seen plenty of sign while scouting it last year. The problem was that it was about a 3/4 of a mile hike with our gear and the stands. We arrived at the parking area about 3:15 pm and were in the tree hunting a little before 5. We decided to hunt out of the same tree to save time and since Peter said he is holding out for a buck this year. (he has never shot a buck with a bow) Me, I just wanted to shoot an adult deer to get the monkey off my back and get some meat in the freezer.

This is the tree we were in. My stand is on the opposite side of Peter. I shot the doe after it passed between the bigger trees in the background. About a 20 yard shot.

We ended up seen 17 deer. All but two were over 50 yards away, with most being over 100 yards away and on private land. Earlier in the evening we had a button buck walk the same path as the doe I shot.

Just befoe I shot this doe, Peter and I were watching a 4 pt buck slowly working his way towards us that Peter said he would shoot if it gave him an opportunity. As both of us are watching it close to within 50 yards from us, Peter hears something. (much better hearing then I have) Suddenly he whispers “big doe behind you”. I quickly spun around, grabbed my bow, drew back, grunted to stop her, and squeezed the trigger. Had she taken one more step, I would have no longer had any more shot opportunities due to the canopy of branches.

We watched the lighted nock hit her behind the shoulder and go completely thru her. She took off, went about 60 yards and ended up hitting the fence that separates the private land from the public. That is where she ended up.

After about 30 minutes we took the stands down and packed up our stuff as it was getting dark. We brought the stands and gear back to the truck and grabbed the frame packs and supplies to quarter up the deer and pack her out.

Now I can focus on Pheasant hunting, fall fishing, and hopefully videotaping Peter shoot his first buck with a bow.

Nels

[Lunker]

Big doe, great deer!

[leechlake]

nice father son experience. Also nice having an enthusiastic younger man help get the deer out of the woods!

[DonBo]

Congrats on that first deer. Good job! Nice to share that with your son, he looks proud.

[mwal]

Nice hunt,

Did you leave hide on when quartering? Or did you just skin then quarter? Some of my spots would be way easier to quarter and pack out. Do you have to take hide? I know head must remain attached to one piece. Good luck getting a buck for your son.

Mwal

[NELS-BELLS]

We did leave hide on the quarters to keep that outer layer of meat from drying out. Also, the head does have to remain attached to one of the front quarters by some skin, so that was the other reason we left the skin on.

We then put the quarters in those cloth meat packing bags. I'll find out if leaving the skin on was a good idea or not when I finish processing the meat. We did take the skin off the back straps and neck meat though and put them in a seperate bag.

This was the first time we used this method. We had always used a cart before. I like this way much better. The cart would have never made it back to where I shot her.

Nels

[NELS-BELLS]

Congrats on that first deer. Good job! Nice to share that with your son, he looks proud.

Thanks DonBo,

I have actually been bow hunting for almost 30 years now and have shot plenty of deer but for some strange reason I have not been able to harvest one for the past 3 years. I've seen plenty of deer and even drawn back a few times, but they never give me a good shot. I missed a buck last year, courtesy of a skinny little branch. Very frustrating to say the least. Then you throw in the teasing I get from my wife and kids.

It was a huge relief to finally get one down.

Nels

[mwal]

That is why I asked. I have used the cart and spent more time wrestling it. a couple trips with a good pack and meat bags would be much easier.

Thanks

[ozzie]

congrats and nice hunt!! even cooler to do it with your son watching!!

[Scoot]

Awesome Nells! Congrats and great work!!! Thanks for sharing with us.

[Scoot]

I have used the cart and spent more time wrestling it. a couple trips with a good pack and meat bags would be much easier.

There are a few places where carts are useful, but mostly they just are a lot more work than they're worth. If people knew how much easier it was to pack out an animal on their back the sale of game carts would drop to near zero.

[HooknHorns]

When packing out of public land you have to take everything except guts, correct? I've never done this in mn. But some of the wma are huge and would take forever to drag.

[NELS-BELLS]

That is correct.

Nels

[nbadger23]

Great story, thanks for sharing. That last picture is my favorite, you can't fake those smiles :-)

I'm headed to Missouri with my Dad in 10 days. I won't be hunting, just filming and helping him. If we can come out of it with a hunt that puts a smile like that on his face life will be good!

[1eyeReD]

Congrats. This is all too awesome. 3/4 mile walk. You're doing it right!

[minky]

Great story and hunt!

[HooknHorns]

I'm so glad to see hard work, scouting and finally the hunt itself shared in success. Congrats to you and your son. Sounds like he taught you well. Lol

[Boar]

Awsome, nice job. Good for u guys.

[rbs]

Congrats! Just for my own reference...someone said you have to take everything except the guts...so you cant leave the backbone and ribs? That seems like kinds a waste of time carrying out

[leechlake]

rbs,

interesting thought and I suppose that jives with the fact that you can't process a deer in your garage and pitch the "left overs" in the woods somewhere. Just a different chronology in ending up leaving the junk in the woods.

Unlike out west or elk hunting somewhere I'd imagine the number of deer in Minnesota that are quartered in the field is a pretty low percentage so it isn't addressed specifically in the regs.

Either way great story of father/son. I wouldn't sweat the specifics of getting the deer out of the woods at this point.