Rifle Hunt This Weekend?

[KG243]

Anyone going on the rifle hunt this weekend for a doe?

[00rowe]

The first 2 does and/or fawns will get it saturday morning. We take advantage of this season to take a little pressure off of regular gun season and wait for the big one. Of course it's been 10 years of waiting but maybe this will be the year. I was elk hunting during this season last year, it'll be interesting to see how much pressure the area receives. Good luck to all doe hunters!!

[89Bronco]

Yep, with my revolver. First time I've done this extra hunt, so I'm a little excited about having an extra two days to knock one down.

[matthothand]

It's gonna be harder to kill a mature buck after everyone causes a ruckus in their honey holes. BUT this state needs to wake up and actually shoot some female deer. Hopefully everyone on this site atleast has enough sense to not shoot button bucks. I'm not gonna get into the whole thing or say you can't shoot deer but just keep in mind the DNRs' goals and fill an antlerless tag with an antlerless deer. There should be no need to argue that. Good luck to everyone and be safe. Oh yeah, kill a bunch of does. I'm gonna be eating pheasant sandwiches.

[00rowe]

I have to disagree about the importance of not shooting "button bucks." What's the point of not shooting a buck fawn and then the next year he's dead because he has a "rack." If the DNR would institute a program to protect young bucks or limit the amount of bucks taken then I would agree, but with the current system or lack there of, it just doesn't matter. My brother, father and myself haven't taken any small bucks off of our hunting property for 8 years and have nothing to show for it because all the neighbors insist on shooting any buck they see. We've taken around 30 does and fawns and that hasn't affected the number of deer we see, there has been an increase of yearling bucks, 2 year olds are about the same and a rare sighting of anything older. Just my opinion.

Mike

[Neighbor_guy]

Yep, with my revolver.

If I go, this will be my wepon of choice. Hunting with the .357 from one of my all time best bow stands.

[blue_healer_guy]

not going mainly because of the 3 week season. only harvest 3 deer per season.

[Blair Nelson]

Big Drift and I are taking our 11 & 10 year olds to give them a chance to cull some skinheads at a local vegetable farm. My boy is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

[picksbigwagon]

Good luck Blair, take some pictures and tell us how it went.....

[mrklean]

what areas is the hunt for, im going to brainerd to bow hunt and was wondering if ill run into early doe hunters

[Heartman]

Aldo Leupold stated many years ago that effective deer management means you should shoot the first deer you see. I applaud the MNDNR's antlerless season, however, by taking Leupold's thought a step further in that it takes primarily female deer out of the food chain. This cuts a deer now, and a deer or two next year.

Management hunts exist to remove numbers of animals, irregardless of age or sex.

[c&amagn]

Here are the permit area's open this weekend for early doe.

Deer areas open to early season antlerless hunting are: 101 (bovine tuberculosis), 105, 110, 111, 157, 159, 178, 180, 181, 182, 208, 209, 210, 214, 221, 222, 225, 227, 236, 241, 256, 257, 260, 261, 265, 267, 268, 346, 349 and 601 (metro).

To participate in the early anterless firearms deer hunt, individuals must possess either a muzzleloader or firearm license and at least one early antlerless deer permit. All harvested deer must be tagged with an early season antlerless permit, which are available for $7.50 from Electronic License System (ELS) agents.

[matthothand]

Heartman, the objective is indeed to reduce the number of female deer. If it were good practice to not discriminate between gender during harvest there would only be deer tags. No buck or antlerless...which there is in every state that hunts deer. If I interpret you correctly you do not understand very well the purpose of this early season. I apologize if that is not the case.

[DRH1175]

I will be going again this year. I have hunted it every year in 225 since it has opened. For me just another weekend. at the deer shack. We have shot a few does but usually 1 per year at the early season for the 3 of us. I will be bringing the Muzzleloader this year. Honestly it hasn't seemed to even phase the deer for Firearms season since we only hunt there on the gun season and it is private land in farm country.

[KG243]

My brother-in-law and I went and sat in our stands for 14 hours with only 1 six pointer and no does! I could not believe it. There was sign every were but no deer? I geuss I will be waiting for rifle season!

[natalie]

Went out yesterday morning in the Finland area and it sounded like a war zone! Didn't see anything. Went out again last night about 5ish and sat for about 45 min and a 2 year old doe came trottin out, watched it for about 5 min and shot it right handed (I'm a south paw) in the boiler maker!! Good luck to everyone else!

[Neighbor_guy]

I went out sat. after the rain. I had a button buck at 7 to 12 yards for an hour, he was a legal deer, but not for me. then I had a pair of LARGE bucks come into my set up. All I will say is, time to get out the stick and do some bowhunting prerifle season.

Skipped todays hunt. It is just no fun sitting in the rain.

[DRH1175]

Well we had no luck. Many tracks after the fresh rain on Sunday morning. There are lots of deer at our farm but nothing out during light. We say 2 small bucks Sat eve. just before dark. We found 6 fresh scrapes. I had a big 4' scrape about 15 yards of my rifle stand. And sunday early morning before light 4 fresh scrapes after the rain. I have never seen scrapes so early in all my years of hunting. Does this mean good buck #s compared to past? Anyone use one of those scent drippers do they work?