better my hunting please!

[jlm]

I hunt some public land and see lots of deer all the time. It is common to see lots of bucks and MN has more public land than any other state. If you can't find a good opportunity it is because you have not put in the effort. I am not sure that you can honestly say that SD even compares to MN as far as number and the quality of deer. Look at the record books! Just my thought, rather than continually putting down MN and MN deer hunting, put the effort into finding a good hunting spot. Just my thoughts, sorry to be so harsh!

[Canuck]

Buckseeker: I just found your thread and notice U asked what has worked and hasn't. I live in Manitoba and firmly believe the "Hanson" buck will be beaten in the next couple of years and it will be in Manitoba. (Hunt areas where there are good genes). I hunt deer 365 days a year (when I am not fishing or moose huntin I am retired). My favorite huntin is deer and I hunt almost entirely on public land. It is a huge tract about 50 by 30 miles with a large river separating the tract. (I have walked every draw, ridge swamp of this bush, know your area like the back of your hand).
My personal best so far 179 3/8 but every deer is a trophy no matter the horn score. I have hunted this area since 1970 and the bush is always changing therefore the feed is changing and as a result our stands are always changing. I have approx. 40 different stands locations all on my GPS and know which ones I can use with what winds. It is the winds that dictate where I hunt that day. Most of the stands are at least 1 1/2 miles off any road because we have found most guys and gals get nervous about venturing that far off the road. We rarely see other hunters but lately we have found them tracking us. (Get away from the crowd) These stand locations have really been helped with my pop up blind (Outhouse). They are very portable and comfortable and I believe they contain your scent to some degree. By being comfortable it allows U to sit longer. One time of the day I find most hunters miss out on is from 11AM til 3PM. I hunt from sunup til sun set and find deer have fed during the early light then lay down, about noon they get a small hunger and get up and start to feed. We are hunting the rut and the bucks are with the does. Find the does and U find the bucks. I personally use a scent suit and believe they work but they can be contimated and I do everything I can to eliminate as much scent as I can. We need every aid we can. The use of scent (doe in heat) is illegal in Manitoba and I personally agree with this law at least until they can positively say that this was not the cause of the spread of CWD.
There has been a lot said about food plots and I am against them if U hunt over them. Is that not baiting? If you are using them to better the herd then OK. If U can find a natural salt lick then I agree this is fair game but if U artifically make a salt lick, well, enough of my soap box.

I rattle but only very sparelingly and only at sunrise and late in the day as I have never heard deer fighting in the middle of the day, maybe they are but I haven't heard it yet. I use a grunt tube to muffle some of my noise walking. How many times have U heard a buck grunting as he is following a doe? I have several times.
Much as been said about how smart a buck is but I find an old doe is the smart one so be very careful of her.

I have been busted by many a deer and hopefully have learned from everyone of them. I have made soooooooooo many mistakes there too many to tell. I just hope to not make them again. Someone in this thread mentioned U can't get a deer by sleeping in bed and that is so wise. Put your time in and U will have much better luck.

[huskminn]

JLM,

Feel free to be as harsh as you want.

If you read through my posts, you'll see that I readily admit that I haven't put in the effort it takes to secure quality deer hunting in MN. And, if you're talking B&C bucks, yes, MN, especially St. Louis county is in the top 10. Prior to 1980, SD was in the top 10, as well.

As far as comparing the two states...be careful in doing that. Have you spent much time hunting deer in both states? We both have our biases, I'm sure, but mine is based on my own experiences in both MN and SD.

There are more deer per square mile in MN than in SD, but there are also 5 times the number of deer hunters in MN. There is more public land in MN than in SD, but there is more HUNTABLE public land in SD PER CAPITA than in MN.

My problem with MN is not how much public land it has or how many deer live in the state...it is the large number of hunters using that public land. When I talk of a quality hunt, I'm talking about a pleasant experience in the woods, deer harvested or not.

But, in the end, you're right about one thing: the only way I can change my MN success is by spending more time finding a good place to hunt. That requires time I do not currently have, which is my problem, not MN's.

[jlm]

I have hunted SD and yes it is a beautiful state with a lot of opportunity for numerous critters. With that being said, I have not hunted the whole state nor have I hunted most of the state. BUT, I am very confident in saying that MN has a better herd of deer and much more in the way of big quality bucks. Now with that being said, how much of the state of MN have you hunted? I think you need to take a nice long road trip and give some areas a try. Its a big state and there are a lot of trees. Lots of remote areas, lots of opportunities! Good luck!

[huskminn]

Point taken.

[buckseeker]

thanks canuck. i like the grunting while wlking in technique. this is something that has not dawned upon me to do. makes perfect sense to me.

huskminn canuck hit the nail on the head. granted MN has densly populated areas but i really don't think many hunters travel more then 1/4 to maybe 1/2 mile in from any road. go deep especialy in areas that are frequented by several hunters. all decent game will get pushed into the middle from all sides. hunt the nasty stuff.

forgive me i have not hunted SD and see your points about taking game at 300 plus yards. i feel people are creatures of habit and you may be looking for something similar. unfortunatly these areas are infested with weekend worriors which certainly would give me a bad taste. i would strongly reccommend to go into the woods deep, when you think your there go further, then look for the thick stuff.

good luck to all!

heading south on friday! (weekend worrior)

[Ruttin' Buck]

Hey Buckseeker...seems you've had alot of conversing but little to add to your bag of tricks....here's my 2 bits....

I've been hunting whitetail since I was 12, it's been 16 years. Started with rifle. Used bow for bear starting at 13 yrs old, but didn't get serious with deer and the bow until I was 18...then I gave it he^%! And things changed dramatically for me!

Blackjack had mentioned Bowhunter magazine..I highly recommend it to all of my buds..even the one's who only rifle hunt. Why? Because bow hunters know how to get up close and personal with deer. No pot shots at 250 yards across a fruitful plain for a bowhunter. Attention is payed to every detail with respect to the hunt...but you seem to know this already as it appears you bowhunt. I do rifle hunt as well so hope there's no offense taken...bowhunting has honed me into a superior rifle hunter however.

Anyway, I started bowhunting so religiously that I spent 5-7 days a week doing it when I was 18. I scheduled my schooling such that I could sit in the stand from 1:00PM to dark...and I would. I basically could guarantee myself that I'd see 15+ deer a night.

This game me the 'luxury' of testing tactics. Someone had mentioned rattling not working due to buck to doe ratios...I agree fully. I scared plenty of 6'ers out of my area by striking a few antlers together. If it's not the right time probably won't work. If you're after just an everyday buck, I wouldn't rattle...those boys don't want to hear the threat of their a*% being handed to them!

Human scent..get rid of it. I don't use any charcoal suits. Cheapest solution...wash your clothes in baking powder and hang them out for as many days as you can. If you transport them, do it in a tote with leaves, pine bows, corn, whatever type of growth you hunt around. Even then, they can smell you and the coffee you had for breakfast. Obviously watch your wind direction.

However...doe scent...use it...and I don't mean sparingly!! Starting this weekend (middle of Oct.)I begin dragging a small amount of scent along the trail to my stand. Then I'll place a few film canisters will cottonballs soaked with scent upwind of the trails. I have shot bucks down wind of me that were coming in to the scent. I shot an 8 pointer with my bow several years ago after he got done kicking up chunks of sod and saw grass and thrashing an elm tree after he had winded a canister! Come rifle hunting, I use 12 canisters and drag scent almost a half a mile to my stand from the truck! Many guys make a mistake in doing so. Make sure you 'refreshen' your drag pad. Too many guys put it on next to the truck and hike in like their a## is on fire. Deer oftentimes will walk a scent path to determine which way is stronger. If you put it on once, you'd be better off hunting out of the pickup. Refreshen every 50 yards..also makes it easier to 'ease' your way into the woods therefore mimicking deer movement. This is not foolproof obviously..I have walked out before and found deer tracks on my boot prints...sometimes they still go the wrong way.

As for scents...you get what you pay for when it comes to scent. If you pay $2 a bottle, you may as well fill a container half way up yourself and top it off with tap water.

Calling...I recommend it. I have called in bucks, turned bucks and stopped bucks chasing does with a call. I resort only to snorting when a deer is running...otherwise I strictly doe bleat...almost like a higher pitched moooo. This also is less threatning to your everyday bucks.

I could go on and on with stories about 8 pt'ers and deer sign and behavior and kills...but I won't.

Hopefully this helps!

To the hunt!!

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"When the hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values and with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20' closer to God"
-Fred Bear