Camp Ripley 2nd weekend

[ANYFISH2]

You all have good and justifiable thought and opinions.

These past two winters certainly had a big impact, whether it be from winter kill or increasing predation. However, many of us hunters whom have hunted camp for many years seen the population falling quickly years ago. Myself and others voiced our concern right away. We where met with resistance and condecendece. Being told the population was stable because harvest was was stable at 400 +/- annually. When we said that with hunter densities what they were, we where bound to keep deer on thier feet and still kill good numbers for years. Theh just shook head like we had no idea.

Now, I don't want a million deer, a lot more, yes.

In my opinion, this hunt should not go back to a two deer bag unless the population becomes way to abundant or is interfering with the training (to be decided by the Colonial). I would also like to see the use of bonus tags eliminated until said overpopulation or interference . Us hunters would still have the choice of what we want to shoot. Historically it was 53% antlerless 47% bucks, which maintained a stable to slightly increasing population.

Mother nature (wolves and winter) will always impact the deer, we however can completely control how hunter impact the population.

This a a special hunt In a State Game REFUGE, it should be returned to the SPECIAL hunt it once was!!

[btheturkey]

I'm not sure what Beau Liddell did to ruin Ripley all by himself. I agree the hunting was terrible this year and last. I was there both years. My feeling is the last couple winters played the biggest role in the demise of the herd. Obviously the wolves don't help any. .

When you up the number of anterless tags and the number of hunters without any tools to gauge the herd reduction, you blame the watch dog. That is area manager Beau Liddel.

Beau does not like deer, and the Ripley experience is an obvious example of what happens under his influence.

[eyeguy 54]

interesting read

[monstermoose78]

Eyeguy if you want to apply with my group let me know

[Wanderer]

So I have a question for all you haters out there that want to blame Beau and the DNR for the majority of the population decline:

Who crashed the deer population in the ATK area by Nowthen?

10 years ago it was a regular deal to see herdS of 20+ deer in the fields before dusk plus random deer scattered in between. In the past couple years I could count the number of times I've seen more than 10 on one hand. Tonight I saw 1.

Very limited hunting, if at all. Where did they all go?

[monstermoose78]

BIG FOOT is eating them all!! I heard tree knocking in Ripley and the woods sure looks shquatchy!!!I think we need to let the DNR and the Camp Ripley know about this.

[ANYFISH2]

I don't know if I am included as a hater, and I do not know the area your speaking about, so no comment on that.

I want to clarify something, I believe the population in camp would fluctuate without the past managment path. Would it be where it is now, I do not think so.

A very similar environmental scenario played out in '95-'97 winters with identical to more wolves (16-20). By most, those winters where even more severe (wsi wise). The deer herd was slashed but didn't get near as low as it seems it is now.

I was excited to use a bonus when they first allowed it. I didn't think 4 days a year could knock the pop down and I trusted our manager. My thoughts have now changed.

I hunt camp to hunt camp. I have now been drawn 13 times, I have not killed a deer yet. I not about that to me. It the experiences you used to get at camp, deer numbers, multiple buck days, and seeing large bucks almost yearly. That all started to change 5-6 years ago.

Wanderer, do you think we are where we are if harvests stayed near 200-250 animals per with a 50-50 split. Compared to 400+ with 65-35 split that it was in '00's?

[hockeybc69]

Quote:

Who crashed the deer population in the ATK area by Nowthen?

Very limited hunting, if at all. Where did they all go?

Its not high fence is it? The permit area has been intensive for many years. And even early antlerless... Overharvest in the permit area sounds like a strong possibility if you ask me.

[Jameson]

poachers?

wolves? coyotes? bears? cougar?

the deer getting pushed out during gun season, and shot?

a neighbor started feeding/baiting and shooting them?

hired snipers?

maybe they are allowing some bowhunting?

[Wanderer]

I don't know if I am included as a hater, and I do not know the area your speaking about, so no comment on that.

Wanderer, do you think we are where we are if harvests stayed near 200-250 animals per with a 50-50 split. Compared to 400+ with 65-35 split that it was in '00's?

Anyfish, I haven't thought your posts have been written with blind hate/blame toward the states deer management. There's really just two that seem to just want to point fingers and pin everything that's happened on someone rather than something. Actually some things that have come together to give us what we have now. Heck, anyone that's shot a doe in the last 3 years that "knew better" is also to blame.

Our deer here was at record levels 10 years ago. Were people applauding the DNR for achieving those levels then? I sure don't remember any stories on how they were credited with having an exceptionally great management plan that increased our herd numbers. It happened mainly through a run of favorable environmental conditions and conservative limits.

The DNR said, hey you can shoot more deer. We said, right on! So we did.

I do agree the management plan could be more nimble and be developed for more prompt action than the past. But that'll cost more money (increase license fees) and people will have to accept changing regulations more frequently. Neither have been popular with hunting public.

To answer the question on my opinion of the harvest levels: I think we would be close to where we're at now regardless of the past harvest levels, given the conditions we've had lately. Again, it's just my opinion but it's based on 35 years of deer hunting experience and about a decade of management experience.

[sticknstring]

Found a historical table showing harvest dating back to 1981. Bonus tags were allowed starting in '04, yet the harvest remained flat for 7 years. Im sure a WSI graph would correlate to the huge decline the past 4 years. Even w/ a mild winter, next year could easily be the lowest harvest ever.

2012 431

2013 308

2014 145

[creepworm]

So this will be the first year of below long term average harvest Levels since 2003. Doesn't seem like it has been mismanaged for a decade like some here suggest.

[NWKR]

Found a historical table showing harvest dating back to 1981. Bonus tags were allowed starting in '04, yet the harvest remained flat for 7 years. Im sure a WSI graph would correlate to the huge decline the past 4 years. Even w/ a mild winter, next year could easily be the lowest harvest ever.

[nofishfisherman]

BIG FOOT is eating them all!! I heard tree knocking in Ripley and the woods sure looks shquatchy!!!I think we need to let the DNR and the Camp Ripley know about this.

Finally someone is making some sense. I've been saying the same thing for years. How much longer are we going to stand by and let all these Squatch eat our deer?

I'm not sure why the DNR reintroduced them in the first place. I think its about time they start managing the Squatch herd through some sort of lottery hunt. Then the only question remaining is what would look better a shoulder or full body squatch mount? Opinions?

[NWKR]

Finally someone is making some sense. I've been saying the same thing for years. How much longer are we going to stand by and let all these Squatch eat our deer?

I'm not sure why the DNR reintroduced them in the first place. I think its about time they start managing the Squatch herd through some sort of lottery hunt. Then the only question remaining is what would look better a shoulder or full body squatch mount? Opinions?

I think a Squatch mount where it is busting through the wall from one room to another would be cool. I saw one online with some sort of African animal before. Don't really have a good spot at my house for one like that though. Anyways, I only hunt Squatchs for the meat, not a fan of trophy only hunting.

[laker1]

Spring of 2013 just east of Camp Ripley there was some fawn Mortality. I thought somebody who works in Camp mentioned earlier about lot of dead fawns in camp in 2013?

Get north of Brainerd about 30 miles,I think fawn mortality was moderate both the last two springs.

[eyeguy 54]

I was there in 1995 and watched as the 256 pounder was weighed. What a beast of a deer!

[DaveT]

So this will be the first year of below long term average harvest Levels since 2003. Doesn't seem like it has been mismanaged for a decade like some here suggest.

Did you hunt there in the 80's and 90's? Have you hunted there in the last ten years?

I have, this place is nothing like it used to be.

This hunt used to have more applicants than tags. This year (possibly other more recent years, IDK) the opposite is true, obviously these people aren't coming back for a reason. Maybe the reason is there aren't very many deer left in camp. The harvest and hunter reports would bear that out.

It's entirely possible with the contingent of brown/down hunters that the population has steadily declined for ten years while the harvest numbers have remained fairly stable. You can kill 400 deer from a pool of 10,000, 5,000, 1,000 or even less. Eventually, you end up where they are now. A lot of people have been complaining for a long time that the quality of this hunt has gone downhill.

[SmellEsox]

Archery hunt harvest in Ripley was 308 in 2013. At least according to DNR data online.

[SmellEsox]

Did you hunt there in the 80's and 90's? Have you hunted there in the last ten years?

I have, this place is nothing like it used to be.

This hunt used to have more applicants than tags. This year (possibly other more recent years, IDK) the opposite is true, obviously these people aren't coming back for a reason. Maybe the reason is there aren't very many deer left in camp. The harvest and hunter reports would bear that out.

It's entirely possible with the contingent of brown/down hunters that the population has steadily declined for ten years while the harvest numbers have remained fairly stable. You can kill 400 deer from a pool of 10,000, 5,000, 1,000 or even less. Eventually, you end up where they are now. A lot of people have been complaining for a long time that the quality of this hunt has gone downhill.

Exactly. Well put. How long do you think you can have higher doe harvest than buck harvest before the population declines. Baby deer gotta come from somewhere. And add in the problem of underestimating the effects of a difficult winter or two and now we got a very low population.

[sticknstring]

Archery hunt harvest in Ripley was 308 in 2013. At least according to DNR data online.

You're right, I was looking at the long-term average mentioned in the article. I changed it above. Thanks.

[jgrimmz]

I am fairly new to Ripley, having only hunted the past two seasons there, but my group has been hunting it since the early 90's. I feel a lot of people posting are overlooking some key information here.

The main reason for the Ripley hunt is to thin the heard on base. Not to be a spectacular trophy hunt, but to serve a purpose in regards to the nuisance deer can cause the military..

The other point is that there are still more applicants than hunters. There were a lot of hunters who didn't get drawn this season that would have loved to go, like myself. The hunt is being managed (correctly or incorrectly I'm not going to argue) but they certainly keep an eye on it.

Sure, I've heard all the big buck stories and still get excited at the chance of seeing one. I know numbers are dismal, but it still is a great experience. I have never seen the amount of deer on a hunt without any prep or scouting like I have seen in Ripley. I'm glad to hear so many people won't be going again next year or in the upcoming years, it leaves a higher chance for me to get drawn again

[NWKR]

I am fairly new to Ripley, having only hunted the past two seasons there, but my group has been hunting it since the early 90's. I feel a lot of people posting are overlooking some key information here.

The main reason for the Ripley hunt is to thin the heard on base. Not to be a spectacular trophy hunt, but to serve a purpose in regards to the nuisance deer can cause the military..

The other point is that there are still more applicants than hunters. There were a lot of hunters who didn't get drawn this season that would have loved to go, like myself. The hunt is being managed (correctly or incorrectly I'm not going to argue) but they certainly keep an eye on it.

Sure, I've heard all the big buck stories and still get excited at the chance of seeing one. I know numbers are dismal, but it still is a great experience. I have never seen the amount of deer on a hunt without any prep or scouting like I have seen in Ripley. I'm glad to hear so many people won't be going again next year or in the upcoming years, it leaves a higher chance for me to get drawn again

[ANYFISH2]

Also the current Colonial is on record asking the DNR wildlife manage where all his deer are! Camp has recieved numerous awards for thier wildlife work and how well the training and wildlife coexist. This could be looked down on in their eye. Make no mistake, Camp Ripley loves having plenty deer there.

[sticknstring]

The other point is that there are still more applicants than hunters. There were a lot of hunters who didn't get drawn this season that would have loved to go, like myself. The hunt is being managed (correctly or incorrectly I'm not going to argue) but they certainly keep an eye on it.

I'm glad to hear so many people won't be going again next year or in the upcoming years, it leaves a higher chance for me to get drawn again

The 1st hunt was undersubscribed. Only 1800 applied for an available 2000 permits. Traditionally, the first hunt which takes place during the week is much easier to get drawn for. Thinking both hunts will be undersubscribed next year.