Deer hunting north woods 2nd weekend

[larry777]

We hunt state land in northern minnesota and have hunted the first weekend for many years. This year while we were at camp we decided that next year we are planning to hunt second weekend. It seemed that we seen many more hunters this year than years past and we usually hunt till tuesday and by Sunday night it seems that we are the only people hunting and by tuesday we start seeing a few more deer. I know your best bet to get a deer is probably Saturday morning, but when you walk into a spot and there are 4 guys within 100 yards of you it is frustrating. I also think the deer tend to be in rut more the second weekend and it would be nice to hunt in some snow for a change. Anybody out there that hunt 2nd weekend for these same reasons?

[WB make the CUT]

Ive never shot a deer after first weekend

[larry777]

We have had people hunt the second weekend a few years with mixed success. It just seems that after Saturday the deer are so spooked with all the activity in the woods that they begin to move at night. We hunt in an area that you do not need to apply for a doe permit you can shoot either buck or doe. We are going to give the second weekend a try next year and see what happens.

[woody1975]

I'd give it a shot! You'll never know unless you try. I've heard that a lot of the locals wait to hunt until all of the riff-raff are out of the woods.

[Dusty]

Our group of five,have hunted the second week of the zone 1 season for the last 7 years only. We have killed more big bucks since that time mainly due to the lack of other hunters. So to say that the opner is the only time to be out there talk. You have to find an area that is not over hunted and has a large area of public land.

[larry777]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was a little unsure about trying it but now I'm getting excited. I think I will hunt southeastern Minnesota (near Houston) on opener and then make the trip to the north woods. Our group hunts near Remer, where do you guys hunt?

[PerchJerker]

I'm about 40 miles north of Remer. Some years we've had good success the 2nd and 3rd weekends, some years we haven't seen much. But I am leaning more and more toward spending more time up there AFTER opening weekend. Near my place there's a big group or two the opening weekend, but by Monday or Tuesday they leave (and don't come back).

[iffwalleyes]

Whether hunting in MN or ND I have shot more deer on the second weekend of the season than in the first weekend. I have even hunted during the week in MN the past two seasons and have gotten deer. I think that after the hunting presure of the weekend dies off the deer go back into a more relaxed manner till the next weekend. So I would hunt durning the second weekend. There are worst ways to waste time than in the wood hunting.

[Tripleplay]

I think when opener falls in November also has a part in this. This year with a later opener in November meant pretty decent rut activity on opening weekend whereas I've had second weekends in the past that had bucks chasing does all over the place.

Opening weekend this year had lots of little bucks (spikes and forks) moving all over, but only glimpsed one good buck on opening morning. Second weekend still some of the little bucks but a couple of decent six and eight pointers.

Nice thing about second weekend is the deer are moving more naturally. Bad thing about second weekend is sometimes the deer aren't moving without the mobs walking in and out of the woods.

I know what you are saying though as a few years ago I put a new stand in what I thought was a great spot on the edge of my leased property. Hit the stand very early so as to not disturb the woods too close to "primetime". By 6:30AM I'd had three diferent groups walkd by on the 4-wheeler trail talking and smoking and what-all. Never saw a deer in the stand all day and headed for a different locale on the property.