Duluth City Bowhunt

[Nate McVey]

I hit the stand this morning at 5:30 (a little later than I wanted), got set up and comfortable only to have 2 wolves trot under my stand at 6:47 am. Yes, WOLVES!!! One was light and dark gray and the 2nd was all tan and had a limp......makes it tough to hunt deer with that going on, so I am going to try and find some birds. Never thought I would have to compete with wolves in the city hunt.........

[Steve Foss]

Yikes, they're everywhere.

Sorry to hear about that Nate, though wolves are always a pretty cool sight. We were overrun with bird hunters in blaze orange caps up here this weekend, and there were feathers flying all over the place.

Better luck next time in your stand. On the bright side, suburban wolves have lots of food sources beyond deer.

[kingr]

That's not good at all! Makes for a long hunt that's for sure. I've seen a couple bears in city limits but never thought wolves would tolorate the city folk

[Nate McVey]

It was a very cool site........I wish I could have had the camera out in time, but I thought it was deer coming through the brush so I was ready to draw, not photograph. It's a long season, just hate to not be in the stand on one of my coveted days off.

[Steve Foss]

I hear you about the day off, Nate, and I'll be seeing you later this week.

kingr, wolf sightings within the city limits of Duluth are not uncommon. I'm not talking about Central Hillside (where there are wolves of a different kind), but mostly toward the edges of the city.

[fishermn]

Yep, we had members of our group that I was hunting with see wolves both of the last 2 years. I have yet to see one, which is OK with me

Which zone are you in? I have hunted 6 since the hunt started in 2005. Have also seen Bear, Coyote, Pine Marten, and the occasional Mink. Very cool to see all that well inside the city limits!

[Nate McVey]

I'm in 19-A.......I sat tonight and had 10 does come in, but no shots. Some of them blew when they got close to the trail the wolves took.....it was a little eerie walking out tonight in the dark

[SKIPPERS KID]

How is the hunt going for every one . I got out sat, and in my stand by 5:30 am and shot a doe at 6:45 and saw 2 more does but not a shot. I did see 4 Bucks I hunted till 10 am. I registered my fist doe and got here put in the freezer and back out at 2:30pm and did not see a deer till 6:35 and she was five feet from my stand boy did she sneak in I almost was busted but I got the shot off and she went forty yards. Well for sunday I saw a good 10 pointer and that was it and got out at 10-am and stayed home the rest off the day . Well I hope every one has a safe hunt and your arrows fly strait .

[Steve Foss]

Nate, I know about the eerie dark part. I'll be hiking the Pow Wow Trail next week, about 30 miles and a couple nights' camping in the wilderness. It's DARK out there.

[Crowing]

I'm jealous. I'm just curious, what are the regulations for the city bowhunts? I know in Fargo(had our first one last year), you had to take a class and they only allowed about 40 tags. Any idea if there's any tags left?

I'd love to get out a couple days after classes but first I have to call campus police here and see if I can get a storage area for my bow & shotgun.

[Papa Woodie]

all info can be found at bowhuntersalliance.com.

Yes, there is testing. I believe its unlimited as long as you are certified, you are golden. Of course restrictions on where to hunt in town etc, but thats all on the site.

[kingr]

You have to take a safety class and then shoot in a city sponsered qualifying class. Then you put in for a lottery to decide which hunting zone you get to hunt in, which is in august, then you go to another orientation meeting and then you can hunt. When the season opens.

The city does not control the # of deer taken. The state rules do, so in theory all 315 hunters could shoot 5 deer a piece. The only requirement is just an "earn a buck" factor. Thats the general layout of the hunt. this is my 1st year, and I've been nothing but impressed with the organization of the hunt I may add.

[kingr]

By the way, is anybody going out in the wet woods this afternoon? If it dried up i may sneek out of here. I have take advantage of this SW wind...i gambled on my stand placement, thnking we'd have a south wind until the leaves fall and so far the shouth wind is hanging in there!

[SKIPPERS KID]

I have two does and I will be out in the am, I will post after the hunt good luck to all. I hope every one a safe hunt .

[fishermn]

How is everyone doing in the hunt so far?? I had two nice young bucks, a 1.5 and 2.5 year old come through tonight, but unfortunately, no does with them. They should be nice deer in another 3 years! Very cool to be able to watch these two for a while though. They wandered all around me, and then eventually started shoving each other around. Very cool!

[kingr]

I haven't had any cooperate yet. Of course I've only hunted 2 days so far. Went out tonight, and as I was taking out my tree steps I had one 15 yds from me snorting to beat the band!! It was dark thirty when it happend and I think I jumped and hit my head on my stand when she first blew!

[Nate McVey]

I've been out a few times since the wolf incident and have yet to connect with a doe. I've had plenty in close, still no shots with all the leaves. I did have 2 young 8 pointers give me a look, but with no does in the freezer.........no go. Heading out of town for the weekend, but I'll be back at it next week. Good luck this weekend everyone.

[fishermn]

Well guys, whats the report?? Been slow for me, since work and weather keep getting in the way of hunting

Looks like we have harvested a good number of does so far, unfortunately I have yet to make a contribution. I have heard of one buck so far, out of 10C I believe. I would guess with over 100 deer ther must be more than one buck taken?? Personally, I am just waiting for that first doe. Mmmmm, I can almost taste those backstraps already!

[streeter]

Skippers Kid, I heard a rumor you shot a decent buck in the city hunt. What's up? Aren't you going to post any pictures? What zone? If you did, congrat's.

[fishermn]

Hey Boys, I tagged a good one, friday night. 153" 10 pointer. Pics and story are in the Archery Forum!!

[matthothand]

I've been hunting all day on my days off and today I shot and I scored. It was high noon during a northland blizzard and I was alone with my bow while everyone else was carrying their ought 6's or tirty tirties. I was awe struck when atleast six bucks (maybe more...couldn't count. I was awe struck, remember?) came in together. No does. Couldn't believe it. Looked for the biggest one and he barely made my minimum requirements but last season flashed before my eyes and I wasn't going to hold out only to shoot a spork in late december...plus it's a management hunt, not a trophy hunt. That's the idea anyhow. So he walked into a small opening and I gave him the shaft. My striker broadhead, like a knife through butter, flew effortlessly through both lungs. He stumbled briefly before submitting to a double lung deflation. It was beautiful. In the world of hunting there is no script. If there was, this buck had read it to a tee. Predator camoflage was the best pattern on the market for today's hunt. First day I wore it in the timber and look what happened.

10 points

Score?...who cares I'm proud!

[Scott M]

Wow, that's a great deer and a great end to your story after having to deal with stolen stands and trail cams. Glad your work paid off.

Wish the white stuff was flying a few other places.

Congratulations!

[brassman]

Very nice deer any idea what he weighed?

[Northlander]

Awesome deer man! Im curious what it weighed too.

[SKIPPERS KID]

Nice Deer matt, Looks like a great day with the snow on the ground well good job and a good deer.

[matthothand]

Would you believe me if I said it only weighed 166? His hind end doesn't have much and he doesn't have the body length to get the weight up there. The swollen neck is decieving. Still had bigger body than the others that he was with.

[Nate McVey]

Nice deer Matt! Glad you got your season back on track after the "stolen stand" incident.

[spivak]

What do you in-town hunters see once the gun season gets going? Do deer seek out the city limits? Anything else unusual in response to all the gunfire?

[streeter]

Congrats again Matt, I think you've redeamed yourself from last year with "sporky".

I've been hunting out east (19A), haven't seen any increase in deer population out there since the lead slingers started. I was hoping it would tho, it's tougher hunting out there than those inner city areas, I know I could fill my last tag if I hunted the private land in those zones but those deer are just way too easy to kill.

[matthothand]

Hey now, I'm just about as proud of last year's sporky as I am with the buck I took this year. I hunted pretty hard and passed a lot of decent bucks in hopes of having a chance at a monster but you know that whole song and dance. From last year's trail cam pics I have three images taken at different times of a buck in the same pose checking a scrape and licking the licking branch. I passed that buck twice last year and I am pretty sure it's the buck I took this year. I think that's pretty sweet. I'll stick to the inner city ghetto deer after WI gun season though. They taste fine (just checked) and I sleep better at night knowing that they are off the streets and not terrorizing our neighborhoods.