Ripley hunt

[BLACKJACK]

Theres some dandy pictures in the Outdoor News of some Camp Ripley bucks!

[Johnny B]

This was my second trip up to Ripley and I finally got to see more deer, than bow hunters!

I shot at the third deer that walked by my stand: a nice eight-pointer at 20 yards. The arrow deflected off a small branch and sailed right over it’s back. Fortunately, it was a clean miss. Man do I wish I could have a do-over on that that one!

The next opportunity was at the 16th deer I seen. This doe stopped to smell a scrape that I made and had squirted some scent in. No need to track her down, she dropped right in her tracks!

It was a fun day: had a black bear that trotted five-yards from my stand: that was cool! Never seen one of those while deer hunting. Also had two groups of wild turkeys pass through.

[walleyedan]

Can't wait. Hopefully I can bag a few Z's before I go bag "da turdy pointer"!!

Good luck,

Walleyedan

[LoveToFish]

Well, had my chance at a big one but I he caught me moving . Maybe next year. It seemed slower than normal this year, but that is probably just me. I wouldn't have thought so from all the deer taged at the check out.

[walleyedan]

I saw more deer as I was driving down the road than I did in the woods. I was hunting some "bucky" country, so I didn't expect to see numbers, and I didn't. But I didn't have one deer come within range. From the word I got things were slower than normal. I'm thinking the "rut" isn't in full swing and this is part of the reason for not a lot of movement. Later this week should be the time to be out around here. I wished I would have brought my slate call, I had turkeys close by but didn't get to see them. Next year those monster bucks will be bigger! I only hunted Saturday.

[NELS-BELLS]

I was at the weigh in on Sat. night and there were some nice bucks weighed in. The biggest I saw was a 230 Lbs. 9 pt. The number was definately down from the 1st day last week, according to one of the DNR guys working at the weigh in. It will be interesting to hear what the 2 day total was.

The fact that the hunt was so close to the full moon might have attributed to the deer moving at night rather than daylight hours. That and the weather sucked on Sat. causing a lot of guys to spend less time in the stand.

[walleye_jigger]

Nels, you can say that again. The weather wasn't in our favor. I saw 3 deer the whole weekend. When we checked out yesterday there was a brute getting weighed. It tipped the scales at 235 lbs. It was a main frame 10 with 3 kickers. Would've liked to see that one. We asked the DNR what the totals were and he said it was at about 150 registerd for the weekend and that was at 2:30. I am sure more were brought in that evening. Maybe next year it'll be better.

[Captain B.R.K]

First time out this year and was quite the experience. Every little nook and cranny- hunters everywhere.

Set up Saturday morning, looking like a decent spot. Didn't see but 3 deer all day. 2 were probably the same deer!?!

Took to finding a different spot on Sunday. GOOD country for next years hunt. Saw lots of deer activity, just nothing close enough to shoot.

Ran into a DNR officer patroling the roads. HE had some digital pic's of a beast buck. I guess 2 guys shot at the the thing and the DNR had to determine who got the deer.

Cool place to be!

[wolfman-k]

All I can say is "Wow"! I saw two of the biggest bucks I've ever seen on Sat. The first one must have been over two hundred easy, but a doe I didn't see at first lead him over a hill before I could attempt a shot. Later in the afternoon just up the same ridge, I spooked another big buck near where I was hanging my stand. It looked like he was tending a scrape nearby, but he didn't come back on Sunday either. My hunting buddy got some good looks and a couple of shots off on Sunday, but only one fawn came around my stand, I past on it, maybe next year.

[Big Laker]

here is the rest of the story on that 235 lb buck...

A friend arrowed the buck in the late morning while it was tending its scrapes. He is pretty sure it is the same buck he saw in the same area last season. Anyway, it was the second time that morning it tended its scraps, this time it just got a little to close to his stand. Normally he would wait several hours before looking for the deer, but with the high concentration of hunters, afraid somebody might find it, he only waited 1 hour and 45 minutes. He was following an impressive blood trail and came upon a couple guys dragging his deer out. He thanked then and then noticed they had tagged the deer. My friend asked if they had to make a killing shot on the deer. He knows and agrees the killing shot gets the deer. The one guy said yes, the other said nothing. So my friend asked to see where they shot it, not yet suspicous, just curious because he knew his shot was fatal if given enough time. The guy said he shot the deer in the same exact spot! (at least a single lung shot) The 2 guys got defensive and my friend, being alone, had little choice but to leave them with the deer. So he asks the silent friend if the other guy really did shot the deer, and he says "thats what he said".

I guess we'll never know if that guy did make a killing shot or if they stole a true trophy? You can draw your own conclusions...

[NELS-BELLS]

That's too bad! That is my biggest fear when hunting Ripley. I don't understand how a person could claim a deer that they didn't actually shoot. Low self esteem, I guess.

[walleye_jigger]

When we tried to look at the buck on sunday, it just seemed a little funny to us that they were is such a hury. And took little time leaving Riply. I guess we now know why. Is it the same deer that the DNR had posted a picture of on there HSOforum: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/releases/index.html?id=1099426094

I hope I can post this link. This is the one we saw.

[Big Laker]

I'll send the pic to my friend to confirm.

If it is the deer, I'm gonna try and doctor up the photo and remove the guy from the picture so he at least has a picture of the deer....

thanks

[Deitz Dittrich]

I may have asked the guy where abouts he shot it from.. then followed the blood trail back?... hidsight.. its really too bad.. you would like to think that most of us bowhunters would be sportsmen abou the whole deal...