Camp Ripley 2016

[Wanderer]

I'm curious how many hunters participated?

[Siwulat]

Just out of curiosity, how does this hunt work? Assigned compartments or just wait until daylight on morning 1 and everyone is off to pick a spot? I'm assuming a lot of regulars know the area but what about newbies? 

[ANYFISH2]

It is the latter.

Yeah some regulars have their spots from years past, and hope someone doesn't get there first.  

Newbies do the same.  Topographic maps and photos are the the best scouting tools for the first imer.  Pick a spot and go try it.  There is a lot of moving around most years.

[SmellEsox]

Any report on the youth hunt?

[ANYFISH2]

I haven't heard, I will do some digging, and get back to you.

[Wanderer]

I've heard the earlier hunts had limited success.  I'm also expecting the early to hunt to be under par from historic norms BUT I do expect to have a good time and see more of camp over the next couple days than what I've done in the past.

 

I got back in town last night to see some other anxious hunters already staging for entrance this morning.  I'm getting my first cup of coffee going and plan to join them in about a half hour.

 

A reliable source mentioned there should be a survey for us to fill out as we leave camp.  They're looking for our input on the hunt and what we might want changed.  It's a great chance to talk to the horse. 

[ANYFISH2]

Good luck luck to all of you 1st season hunters.  Hope you all have a great time.

[jgrimmz]

Make sure to report back to all us second week hunters!

[SmellEsox]

Good luck hunters!  Hope you miss the big one I'm going to shoot next hunt!

[ANYFISH2]

That not very nice!

[SmellEsox]

You know I'm kidding!

[Wanderer]

No stud bucks seen today but if we had shots we wouldve probably all taken them.  A couple decent 8's were the best of the 8 deer the three of us saw.

 

That was much better than the hunt we did two years ago.  We went to a totally different area today than we've ever hunted before.

 

The other two from my group headed out for other engagements so I'll be roaming camp tomorrow on my own - mostly looking at new stuff.

 

I didn't stop at registration to get any numbers, so unless someone else in camp tonight posts the info, I won't know today's harvest until tomorrow.

[ANYFISH2]

Good luck tomorrow Wanderer!

[Walleyehooker]

I was there today for a while and saw 3 deer. Unfortunatly all 3 were when I was driving but were all small does. Numbers of hunters and campers looked way down and not sure how long the line was as I drove up this morning and arrived after the line was gone and drove right in. Not sure when they put in the solar grid as I wasn't there last year but it is massive. Must be selling power off of that as I don't think they need that much power there.

[Wanderer]

19 deer registered on day 1.  Roughly 829 hunters.

 

Sounds like our spot was pretty good yesterday!

[ANYFISH2]

Well there's always today.

66 is the number to get to to achieve the long term average.

Good luck.

[Wanderer]

Thanks!

 

Waiting out the last couple hours after pretty much driving all day.  Mid day there were quite a few heading for the gate.  I know 1 eight was taken this morning.

 

I talked to another group that had similar numbers to us but they didn't drop the string either.  We're still waiting on a legend I guess.

[Ohboytimmy]

Had to leave around 2pm today. I think someone posted there was 830 hunters Day 1 with 19 deer, half of bucks? When I left today there was about 500 and 3 deer. 

 

It was not so much a busy hive compared to previous years. Day one I only encountered 2 hunters in the morning. All wearing head lamps but very courteous about spacing out and getting away from another. Around 12pm I saw one guy 80 yards from me walk back to his truck. I saw NO deer, 2 grouse, woodpecker, and about a 5lbs grey squirrel I wish I was able to shoot. Weather was 30night, 45day overcast. Slight breeze in the afternoon.

 

It was a surprise not to run into so many people at first it was comforting. However, to thinking about it now was you almost needed all of those hunters to push those deer around. Especially if they aren't quiet rutting yet. It's difficult to walk blind a 53k arces diverse landscape and pick out an on the dot spot trail that is active with deer. Most hunters just find funnels and transition points and hope of other hunter moves deer through it. I can see how someone can say the deer numbers are down from there recent ripely experience based through their eyes in the stand. Does that relate mostly from the lack of hunters that are stirring up the deer? Just some treestand talk. Well more like excuses I make up to my girlfriend because I never come home with animals. Nothing works.

 

I never expect anything when it comes to hunting but its a nice 2 day get away from home. Chance to hangout in the stand and B.S with some fellow hunters. I usually hunt the first season, but next year I'm going to shoot for the second to get closer to a possible rutting buck. Hopefully people do better this up coming round.

 

 

 

[ANYFISH2]

Nice report!

 

I am thinking lower hunter density may have something to do with it.  

Glad you can still find the experience,.fun and valuable.  That's the reason I keep going back.

[Wanderer]

Well that spot I closed the day out was a good one - almost.

 

I was close enough the hear what sounded like a "legend" get out of bed and do his milling about before breaking cover.

 

 CRRAACK!  went the stick. Step, step, step.  Smaller branches breaking.... just on the other side of the brush wall.  30 minutes to go!

 

Waiting....

 

Glassing....

 

Hearing he's still there.  What to do?  Call?  Wait more?  Look at the time.  10 minutes to go.  OK, call!

 

Start soft: doe bleats.  Come out to Play?

 

No

 

Ramp up with young buck grunts. Nothing.

 

Move to mature buck grunts.  Nothing again, what they hay...

 

Running out of time - snort wheeze!

 

Not today!  Crash .... Crash .... but didnt go totally away.

 

Times up anyway but I'll be back another day!

[Wanderer]

On 10/20/2016 at 10:44 PM, Walleyehooker said:

Not sure when they put in the solar grid as I wasn't there last year but it is massive. Must be selling power off of that as I don't think they need that much power there.

 

It took a couple days here to run across the article from the Morrison County Record, but here's a little info on the solar panels.

 

Completed in October 2016.

 

Can generate 10 megawatts.

 

Panel field is 63 acres in size.

 

$25 million to build.

 

The energy will meet or exceed what camp uses.  The project provides a redundant energy supply to their natural gas in case of emergency.

 

Minnesota Power stated the solar field is capable of supplying enough energy for 2000 homes for one year.

 

Normally the power will go back into the grid and satisfy 1/3 of the requirement for MP&L to generate "GREEN" energy as mandated by the State in 2013.

 

One could probably look the article up on the page but those are the high points.

[NELS-BELLS]

Thanks for the reports guys.  I didn't apply this year for the first time in many years, but maybe I will again next year.  I do miss the uniqueness and scenery of Ripley.  My brother-in-law was with a group of 4 and one of them got a nice 8 pt on Thurs AM.  He said they didn't see much otherwise.

Nels

[Wanderer]

It was mentioned to me today that there was a 218 lb 8 pointer taken.

 

I'm sure Outdoor News will have a report this week on the hard numbers.

[certified jumbo]

What are the limits this year at ripley?  Is it one deer?  Buck or doe, both?

[Wanderer]

1 deer, either sex.

 

No management tags allowed.

 

I'm confident going back to making hunters use their main tag for whatever they shoot kept the harvest lower than what it would've been otherwise.