QDM results near Park Rapids

[Wanderer]

Yikes! Could you imagine 8 booners in your hunting camp on Opening morning??!!

Page C2 (Outdoors) of the StarTrib for Friday, Nov 16, has a story about the Aho family clan and the Hillview Management group. They have a picture of the 8 bucks all together in a row. Impressive!

I'm not experienced in providing media links but they have a HSOforum: [Note from admin: Please read forum policy before posting again. Thank you.]

http://www.startribune.com/anderson/story/1554300.html

[Royce Aardahl]

nice bucks, do I see any booners?

[picksbigwagon]

Good Gravy, those are some wallhangers that is for sure

[Wanderer]

The B&W in the Strib actually looks more impressive. You question Booner status? Are none of those Booners? I'm no expert, but I thought so.

[SUNNYD]

A couple may be Boone and Crockett or close to, definately not all of them. I thought a Boone a Crockett had to be 170" net in score...170" takes a very large rack with very good length and mass. I see maybe one or two racks in that picture that have that possibility. I could see all of them being Pope and Young but they would have to be taken with a bow to do so.

Impressive nonetheless.

[Mark Christianson]

Jealous for sure. Thats incredible.

8 in one day! Wow.

[DTro]

That an impressive story, and "can't argue" results of what people can accomplish if they set their mind to it.

Just think if the entire state was managed like that.

These people are obviously passionate about hunting and their hard work has paid off.

Now where can I find my own private lake to apply the QDM principles to fish?

[Shoot2Kill]

Quote:

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A couple may be Boone and Crockett or close to, definately not all of them. I thought a Boone a Crockett had to be 170" net in score...170" takes a very large rack with very good length and mass. I see maybe one or two racks in that picture that have that possibility. I could see all of them being Pope and Young but they would have to be taken with a bow to do so.

Impressive nonetheless.

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Boone and Crockett is 160 for awards, 170 for all time scoring.

There are some big bucks in that bunch but even one more year on most of them would have allowed some true giants to be taken next year - easier said than done.

That is a really great thing they've got going there with all the neighbors...now only if the rest of MN would follow their lead.

[maros91]

Good to see those guys takeing the steps to QDM. I didn't see but did they list the phone numbers to one of those nieces. ......Wife just walked in...gotta go!!

[jlm]

Great picture and results of QDM! I see no booners in the mix but do see some awesome bucks. Goes to show what can happen if you allow them to grow, MN has the genetics and the food to grow some whoppers. We just need to let them get there!

[Northlander]

Biff thats funny stuff. Nice bucks for sure and to get 8, thats really impressive.

[Gofishleech]

nice deer, I don't see any 170's though. But if im not mistaken there is a minnesota state Booner book that only requires 140.

[mattf]

I was actually logging on to comment about this article and saw it already posted. How many have heard the terms, meat in the freezer, if it's brown it's down, you can't eat horns or horn soup doesn't taste very good? Well, the last time I read the paper, I didn't see anything about people starving. Don't get me wrong, I love venison as much as the nest hunter. And, I realize that I am among the minority in the state that want to see bigger bucks in Minnesota. But, the article in the Star is VERY obtainable!!! I live and grew up in Central MN and have hunted MN for 20 years, archery and muzzleloader. I have hunted South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa. I have shot my 3 biggest bucks out of state. There are monster bucks shot in MN every year and there are still alot out there. I can count on one hand the amount of mature bucks I've seen in MN through the 20 years I hunted. I hunted South Dakota 2 years and would use both hands, Iowa 1 year and would need 4 hands and Wisconsin 1 year and would have needed two hands. Minnesota has the potential to be the top trophy state in central U.S., but I would take the majority to be willing to make it possible. I understand tradition and think everyone shot shoot a buck,,,especially kids. But, if you've been hunting for 10 years plus and still shooting year and half year old 4 pointers.....????? Iowa's deer heard was nearly extirpated due to hunting and was banned from 1898-1954. And now Iowa has some of the biggest bucks in the U.S. Estimated deer heard MN- 1.2 million,,,estimated Iowa deer heard- 450,000,,so with less the half the size of MN heard more trophies are taken in Iowa. "source WhitetailsUSA". License fees for Non-residents- MN-$140,,Iowa-$410,,SD-$195,WI-$160. Which state would you pick to hunt if you were a non-resident. DNR deer management needs to change. How can one zone in 2006 go from being able to purchase 5 additional antlerless tags to lottery in 2007???? Earn a buck or Lottery for bucks is the key. Any ways, this is just an opinion.

[leechlake]

matt f, right on, just got back from my first trip to SD deer hunting whitetails, it was a big no no to shoot a "small" buck. The landowner stressed shooting does it you just want to shoot a deer. I passed on bucks bigger than the biggest buck I've shot in MN in 25 years of hunting. 2 guys of 6 shot bucks and they were both plus or minus 140 inchers, the rest of the guys each shot a doe to reduce the antlerless numbers. It was night and day from all my hunting in Minnesota and all of the neighbors stuck pretty good to the rule of letting them grow until they were in the trophy caliber.

[realtower]

Amen Matt, I think that our way of thinking will not be the minority for ever. By the way I hunt whitetails in SD every year also and would agree 100%. There buck to doe ratio is so much better also. Try rattling out there and you will see what I mean.

[Surface Tension]

I'm going to play here.

With the easy winters of late, I've seen how attitudes have changed from building the deer herd to QDM.

How many here have hunted during a bucks only season.

How many here have hunted after a killing winter.

How many here know that its Does thats needed for herd recover after a killing winter not bucks.

How many here hunted during a time when you were lucky to see a deer.

How many here know that breeding bucks are the first to die in a killing winter.

How many here have partaken in Emergency Deer Feeding.

How many here realize Northern Mn is not like Southern MN.

How many here think theres Bucks in the Northern MN that'll never see a hunter.

How many here are property owners.

How many here have displaced wildlife with development.

How many here are land owners.

How many here manage their land for deer habitat.

How many here are land owners and practicing QDM.

How many here are land owners and willing to contact their neighbors and form a large tract of land as QDM.

How many here have done nothing but want the DNR to manage our deer herd as QDM.

How many here want to force their hunting style on others.

How many here will go from QDM to building the herd again after a killing winter.

How many here won't hunt during a bucks only season.

How many here own no land but feel lucky to be able to hunt on State land.

How many here own no land but feel entitled to hunt on State land.

How many here don't own land but feel they can dictate what land owners do.

How many here want to hunt a QDM area and not have to do any work.

How many here hunt for the antlers and not the meat.

How many here watch TV high fenced hunts and think a high concentration of mature bucks in a small area is the norm.

How many here realize how one TV host can take a record book buck every week.

How many here are influenced by these shows.

How many here know wild mature bucks don't want you to see them.

How many here know theres a mature buck in your area thats probably eluded you and you didn't know it.

How many here know does don't mind being seen as long as theres distance.

How many here base buck to doe ratio by that.

How many here say they practice QDM but won't shoot a doe.

How many here believe their idea of a trophy might be different then someone else's.

How many here believe QDM should be up to the individual.

How many here want more laws & regulations.

Oh yes about the picture, great looking bucks and congrats to the hunters.

How many here think they and every other hunters will be able to shoot mature bucks year after year.

[realtower]

How many hear have way to much time thinking about "how many hear" when they shoud be out hunting!

[Surface Tension]

I finished up yesterday.

Will be butchering tomorrow.

[Big-Al]

I finished up yesterday. I butchered today.

[stretch]

actually those guys that you seen in the star tribune got those deers in between wadena and menhaga and on the west side of cr 71. they have about 60 different land owners that live around them that do quality deer management. in total i think their is about 6000 acres of deer management and they do shoot a lot of doe's instead of shooting the normal spike or fork horn buck. i hunt up in that area and my uncle grew up with the aho brothers so he know's most of them and has seen some of the deer that they have shot and they have been huge. the 6000 acres of land that they hunt is called Hillview management area. you can see some of the bucks that they have shot on their web site. it is [Note from admin: Please read forum policy before posting again. Thank you.]

take a look at and it goes to show that if you shoot more doe's and less spike bucks you will get better bucks in the future.

[woody1975]

I agree completely and I know that I am going to draw some fire here, but I would love to see antler restrictions state wide. Now some people are going to say that it is easy for people that have access to 6000 acres to do this. Well I hunt primarily public land and small parcels of land and have shot a few nice bucks a couple that I would've let pass if there was a chance that I didn't have 12 guys driving trucks around the woods I was hunting. I try to practice QDM as much as I can and will shoot a doe before a small buck any day, the problem is that most deer I have passed on have been on the back of a truck or hanging from a meat pole somewhere after I passed. This may never get implemented and if it ever did, there would be a few tough years for people to get into it, but the results could be phenomenal in as short as a couple years. Imagine having a chance to see a 140"-150"-170" deer every year. Now don't get me wrong, Minnesota has some nice deer (I see them every week in the outdoor news) and lets be honest, we are all not going to be able to shoot a 150" buck every year if this did get implemented, but at least a lot of these 1-1/2 and 2 year old deer may stand a fighting chance and we could all at least have the opportunity to see a true trophy.

That is my .02 - Bring on the heat, cause I know its comin'.

[Surface Tension]

woody, thats your opinion and no need to take heat for it.

Some guys choose to pass on the smaller bucks, thats their choice. Sometimes after sitting hours and days in the stand can change that opinion. Nothing wrong with that either. Some hunters have a hard time seeing any deer for the entire season.

Its my opinion that deer season is first and foremost a time to take a deer for meat. If some hunters want to make their hunt a trophy hunt then thats their choice. I don't believe that that value be pushed onto other hunters.

I have a good idea of the bucks in my area. When I hear a shot I can't help wonder if that buck I'm holding out for was just shot. Then again theres that thought that if he didn't shoot that big buck maybe he took a smaller buck. Thats hunting. I'm no more entitled to that deer then the next guy. If I ask someone that bucks under 140 be passed on what is that saying? Its saying that my values are more important then yours. It could mean that person might go without venison in the freezer. That shouldn't be my choice. If I pass on a small buck its because I know I'll have a chance later on in the season to take a deer. In some past seasons I wouldn't think twice about taking that small buck and have done that. We're one winter away from a bucks only season, when that happens the first buck I see will be shot. If a hunter wants to hold out for that big buck during a bucks only season, good luck. We are in it for two different reasons.

Right now we can take 5 deer in my area. 30 years ago I wouldn't have imagined that in my wildest dreams.

I'm surrounded by private land, if neighbors approached me and suggested letting small bucks walk I'd be for it considering the amount of deer we have. I'm a willing party to that.

The huge tracts of State land down the road are a different story. Its not my place to dictate their hunt and I have a hard time when someone else tries to do that. Hunting is a passionate thing for most hunters. The political jockeying to tailor ones values on the rest of the hunters will ruin it. Its bad enough to listen to archery vs rifle season, now we have rifle hunters divided about what is Quality.

[realtower]

Surface Tension, I think you have some great points but I have to say reading your last few posts your about as two sided as a police mirror.One minute you are a meat hunter the next the neibor asks you to pass small bucks your for it. I would say make up your mind its ok to believe in either one. For me I hate it when the guy or gal that is brown its down calls himself or herself a meathunter. I always pass imature deer and yet fill my freezer every year. remember a doe eat's the same as a young buck so waite for the doe because if you put in the time she will come. I have taken 4 deer this year and none of those have been young and all were doe's. I will just go buckless if I don't get a shot at a wallhanger. My deal is when it comes to a buck if I shoot it I will mount it so I am very picky. By the way my wife is getting sick of the taxidermy bills

[roosterslayer]

hey did anybody actually read the article and see where all those guys were from. I was hunting in that area this year and i can tell you that it is run by an outfitter, Not one of those guys in the picture were from MN or even close to MN. they were all over the country. So remember that if an outfitter pays enough money to have land owners not hunt their own land and plant crops that benifit him, big buck like this get killed. unfortunetly thats just not going to happen and nor would i EVER allow another person to try and pay me money to stay off my land. I saw and passed on over ten bucks this year and that was two weekends of hunting and not one day has gone by that i haven't regretted it. So now anything with antlers will work.

[Shoot2Kill]

Quote:

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I was actually logging on to comment about this article and saw it already posted. How many have heard the terms, meat in the freezer, if it's brown it's down, you can't eat horns or horn soup doesn't taste very good? Well, the last time I read the paper, I didn't see anything about people starving. Don't get me wrong, I love venison as much as the nest hunter. And, I realize that I am among the minority in the state that want to see bigger bucks in Minnesota. But, the article in the Star is VERY obtainable!!! I live and grew up in Central MN and have hunted MN for 20 years, archery and muzzleloader. I have hunted South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa. I have shot my 3 biggest bucks out of state. There are monster bucks shot in MN every year and there are still alot out there. I can count on one hand the amount of mature bucks I've seen in MN through the 20 years I hunted. I hunted South Dakota 2 years and would use both hands, Iowa 1 year and would need 4 hands and Wisconsin 1 year and would have needed two hands. Minnesota has the potential to be the top trophy state in central U.S., but I would take the majority to be willing to make it possible. I understand tradition and think everyone shot shoot a buck,,,especially kids. But, if you've been hunting for 10 years plus and still shooting year and half year old 4 pointers.....????? Iowa's deer heard was nearly extirpated due to hunting and was banned from 1898-1954. And now Iowa has some of the biggest bucks in the U.S. Estimated deer heard MN- 1.2 million,,,estimated Iowa deer heard- 450,000,,so with less the half the size of MN heard more trophies are taken in Iowa. "source WhitetailsUSA". License fees for Non-residents- MN-$140,,Iowa-$410,,SD-$195,WI-$160. Which state would you pick to hunt if you were a non-resident. DNR deer management needs to change. How can one zone in 2006 go from being able to purchase 5 additional antlerless tags to lottery in 2007???? Earn a buck or Lottery for bucks is the key. Any ways, this is just an opinion.

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MattF - you and I need to talk. I think we share a brain. I am originally from IA and grew up hunting the monsters you speak of and now live just south of St Cloud and I feel the EXACT same way you do. Email me... [email protected]