St Croix State Park Youth Hunt - Recommendations

[gp13581]

I am taking my son up next weekend for the youth hunt in St Croix State Park. My son has yet to get his first deer. I am hoping this is it. Anyone that has hunted the park before have any suggestions or recommendations on which areas hold the most deer or where we should focus our efforts? Only the western part of the park is open for the youth hunt. Last year, I was up there with my daughter and we hunted both days and never saw a deer even though we saw a bunch on Friday when putting out our stand. Sure would like to know where they went. Any help is appreciated thanks.

[picksbigwagon]

head way back to where the kettle and the st. croix meet, there a few trails to walk down there, but whenever I have gone to the park and walked around in that area, We always bump and push deer around. Get away from the road, the trail that runs along the kettle branches off north about a mile down the trail. further back you walk, the better you will do

[gp13581]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking of going down by the group camp as well. I am putting up stands this weekend!

[gp13581]

anyone else have any experience in St Croix?

[wdgold]

Back in 2007 during the youth hunt my 14yr. old shot a 12 point in the park on the first day. I have been deer hunting for 20yrs. and never even seen one close to this big. We were hunting north of the main road going west from the check-in station. It was kind of funny when we finally got it out to the road the first vehicle that comes by is a game warden, he stopped took some pictures and left. He didn't check our tags, licenses or nothing. Also, we were camping at the main campground in the park and the people next to us found out there was a youth deer hunt going on and abruptly left after chewing out the ranger for letting such a thing take place. It was quite a weekend and we do have the deer mounted in are basement. Good luck it was an experience that my son will never forget.

[wdgold]

I am taking my son up next weekend for the youth hunt in St Croix State Park. My son has yet to get his first deer. I am hoping this is it. Anyone that has hunted the park before have any suggestions or recommendations on which areas hold the most deer or where we should focus our efforts? Only the western part of the park is open for the youth hunt. Last year, I was up there with my daughter and we hunted both days and never saw a deer even though we saw a bunch on Friday when putting out our stand. Sure would like to know where they went. Any help is appreciated thanks.

How did you do?

[gp13581]

Son shot a doe in the front shoulder that snowplowed into the ground. It then got up and took off. He waited 30 minutes and started to trail it after calling me over (he was sitting with his mom while I was sitting with my daughter). We trailed it about 150 yards only to find another father/son team with it gutted, tagged and dragging it out. Turns out the other kid took a shot at it too as it ran by and hit it in the neck to bring it down. I asked the dad if he noticed if it had been hit. He quickly said no. However, as they were dragging it out, we passed them and the kid said to my son - "I hit in the neck, you hit it in the gut". My son was pretty disappointed but not much we could do. Neither he nor my daughter got anything that weekend. However, just yesterday, my son shot a nice 4-point up north. He said that made up for the doe he lost. He finally got his first deer.

[Hooliganz]

Anyone going to this hunt for 2013? I am looking for suggestions on where to go also First time going to this park.

Thanks for any info.