2021 Gun Season (Deer Season)

[ozzie]

Anyone else excited for the season to get started?  I have been waiting for the opening weekend for a couple months as it was a goal date after having ankle surgery.  I have been taking evening drives looking for deer and have seen a lot of good deer so far and that really gets the excitement for the season to start!  Unfortunately for me this season I have to coach Saturday and will miss opening morning but took off Monday so can hunt Sunday and Monday.  Sight in my guns this Saturday and get the gear all washed up and hung up and that is all I have to really do to prepare.  Last year was fun and exciting and hoping this year is the same!  I will be back hunting the west side of Mille Lacs.  Good Luck and tell me what you are most excited for this season!

[leech~~]

I was until I found my stand area marked for clear cutting, not sure when, didn't get a doe tag, and pretty much found hardly a sign of deer.  Then someone found my trail cam and punked me by holding this picture up to it.  

That's not my thumb! If you look at the upper right hand corner you can see the guys neck or something and it's day light.  When you zoom in on the picture the shadow above the thumb is a guy bent over. Bastard!  I just wanted to get some meat this year so hopefully a ratty one eye's, one horned little buck will run by!

 

No I didn't have the date set on the cam.

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by leech~~

[PurpleFloyd]

My area went the “ if it’s brown it’s down” route.  Any deer is legal. 

[Wanderer]

I’ve said I wouldn’t buy a firearm deer tag in MN again but I just might if I finally get caught up on my jobs.  They’re dragging out longer than I expected.  
 

The end is within sight which is good and bad but I need to get into the woods for a few days at least!

[smurfy]

3 hours ago, Wanderer said:

I’ve said I wouldn’t buy a firearm deer tag in MN again but I just might if I finally get caught up on my jobs.  They’re dragging out longer than I expected.  
 

The end is within sight which is good and bad but I need to get into the woods for a few days at least!

 not go deer hunting????? thats like not right!!!!!!!!!!!

[ozzie]

Good Luck to everyone hitting the woods this weekend!  Would love to hear about your experience, camp tales, pictures, or other cool things from your hunt.  Most of all BE SAFE!!!  Good Luck- Ozzie

[Wanderer]

On 10/31/2021 at 12:35 PM, smurfy said:

 not go deer hunting????? thats like not right!!!!!!!!!!!

Packing up to head home, set a stand and get a rifle out.  Oh, and pick up a license.   Kinda can’t avoid it I guess. 

[Mike89]

good luck!!!

[Wanderer]

Thanks!  Stand is set and rifle ready.  Not expecting much but I’ll be out there anyway.

[Wanderer]

Already in for the morning.  Got things to do before heading further north.  I saw 8; 2 spikes, 2 does, 4 fawns.  Clicked the safety off and scoped a couple but never pulled the trigger.  Looking for something bigger I guess.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Wanderer

[leech~~]

Nice day in the woods but I haven't saw a living creature and hardly a shot fired in the woods up here past Outing, Mn.

[Wanderer]

27 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

Nice day in the woods but I haven't saw a living creature and hardly a shot fired in the woods up here past Outing, Mn.

Surprisingly few shots around here too.  I have a hard time believing the neighbors are being picky for a change, especially for as many as I saw.

 

Light, shifting, whisper of a wind this morning had the woods quiet and good scenting conditions for the deer.  Maybe that has something to do with it?

[leech~~]

5 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Surprisingly few shots around here too.  I have a hard time believing the neighbors are being picky for a change, especially for as many as I saw.

 

Light, shifting, whisper of a wind this morning had the woods quiet and good scenting conditions for the deer.  Maybe that has something to do with it?

Can I come down and keep your spot warm while your gone?

[Wanderer]

7 hours ago, leech~~ said:

Can I come down and keep your spot warm while your gone?

Can you find it in the dark?    It all happens in the first half hour of legal shooting. 

[leech~~]

3 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Can you find it in the dark?    It all happens in the first half hour of legal shooting. 

Give me the gps cords!

 

5 guys not one Deer saw up by Outing mn.

[Wanderer]

Having dinner at the Pickled Loon now.  I thought I saw you at Emily Meats on the way through.

[leech~~]

54 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Having dinner at the Pickled Loon now.  I thought I saw you at Emily Meats on the way through.

Nope my stop was at Osseo meats on the way up this year.

[PurpleFloyd]

Area 299 is open season this year. Shoot anything you want and generally that means a lot of does world be harvested but out of 9 deer we harvested this weekend only 2 were does. 

[leech~~]

16 hours ago, PurpleFloyd said:

Area 299 is open season this year. Shoot anything you want and generally that means a lot of does world be harvested but out of 9 deer we harvested this weekend only 2 were does. 

 

Private land-right?

[PurpleFloyd]

12 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 

Private land-right?

Farmland.Abandoned groves. Creeks.

[Wanderer]

13 hours ago, leech~~ said:

 

Private land-right?

Maybe give up on 171/172 if you really want to get a deer?  Lots of space but bucks only/antler less by permit kinda sets the table doesn’t it?  I didn’t hear a lot of shooting up there yesterday.  When I looked at the regs before leaving I took the rifle and blaze orange out of the truck.

[leech~~]

8 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Maybe give up on 171/172 if you really want to get a deer?  Lots of space but bucks only/antler less by permit kinda sets the table doesn’t it?  I didn’t hear a lot of shooting up there yesterday.  When I looked at the regs before leaving I took the rifle and blaze orange out of the truck.

Yep that's the plan. The only reason I've hung out in the wolve infested wasteland is my old hunting partner got a cabin over in the area. Time to make a change.

[ozzie]

Well opening weekend came and went with my hunting buddy shooting a decent buck for the area.  Our area was selectively harvested for trees so what was a thick area of hills, ravines, and swamps, is now a open area with a oak standing here and there with the bottom of the ravines still thicker.  Well I had 2 deer come in and must have seen me as they blew and flagged up and took off from where they came from.  Then as I walked in on Sunday had something crash back into the woods from one of the ravines and then as it was darker had another set of deer not like my movement and took off running.  Good days to be out in the woods even though it hurt like mad to walk that kind of woods let alone on an heal that was fused 11 weeks ago...compared it to having your worst ankle sprain and while it is recently sprained, to put on a boot, and walk across some of the most uneven terrain. I am feeling it today!  Looking forward to getting back in the woods on Saturday and hoping for some success!!  Good Luck to all! 

[going4it]

Shot my deer opening day just before sun down. Watched her drop after 30 yds and knew it would be dark soon. Lowered my gun down to get out of the stand. As I’m packing up I look over and a pack of wolves are coming up the hill. 8 at least and lead one stops where I shot the doe. Yelled at them to get out of there and they scattered. Never gutted a deer out that fast in my life. Saw 10 deer, 10 more then I thought I’d see. 

[BobT]

Interesting time this past week. On Wednesday I joined my brother-in-law at his hunting shack located about 20 miles north of Orr and about 6 miles west of Hwy. 53 on forest service roads. These are not maintained roads except by loggers and/or property owners. Thursday it snowed dropping about 10" of wet, sticky snow. The result was trees weighed down by the snow were drooping over the roads plus many trees that gave in and fell across the roads. Unfortunately, we did not have a chainsaw at the shack.

 

Fortunately, I keep an ax in my truck at all times. We spent the entire day Friday and most of Saturday working on that 6-mile stretch of service roads shaking snow off the drooping trees and using the ax to cut downed trees in order to make a way to get our vehicles out. By the time we got to the end and drove back to the camp, we found more trees that had fallen and had to cut more. Then on Saturday we decided to pack up and of course had to cut our way out again. 

 

Didn't get much hunting in at all and with the hunting we did get we came up empty. 

 

Here are a few photos of what we faced.

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by BobT