Camp Ripley deer hunt results-stories from 1st season?

[smsmith]

The last several winters have had a large effect on the deer numbers, Don't know how the DNR could be responsible for that also . Audit mother nature

A 70% reduction in the herd? Okay...that's plausible

If the last two winters were that severe, and it is common knowledge the herd was knocked back significantly....why would the area manager for Ripley and units around Ripley want to keep tag allocations the same...or in the case of 221 want to add early antlerless?

[Farmsfulltime]

Let the stakeholder process work it will be alright , This season was set to let that process be reviewed and then next season and following seasons we can go with whats brought forth in the process sounds like everything is working as it should . you cant snap your fingers and produce more deer instantly. In fact I would bet there are a lot of nice bucks showing up daily right now that no one seen all year all over the state even in so called low population areas

[smsmith]

Let the stakeholder process work it will be alright , This season was set to let that process be reviewed and then next season and following seasons we can go with whats brought forth in the process sounds like everything is working as it should . you cant snap your fingers and produce more deer instantly. In fact I would bet there are a lot of nice bucks showing up daily right now that no one seen all year all over the state even in so called low population areas

Gotta love a guy with faith in government....

I lost that many years ago

[NWKR]

The last several winters have had a large effect on the deer numbers, Don't know how the DNR could be responsible for that also . Audit mother nature

The DNR says there would be almost no winter mortality for areas south of a line from Hinckley running NW. I am sure that many people that live in some of those areas would dispute what the DNR says about that. But you have said that you trust the DNR so as long as the WSI is below 140 winter isn't an issue correct?

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/deer/wsi_cty_map14.pdf

But I must ask for people that are blaming the winter why are we seeing yearling bucks and does and also does with fawns this year when our farm had a WSI of 195+ for 2013-2014? I saw 11 individual deer on a sit last Saturday night in about 2.5 hrs, some neighbors are seeing very few. The difference? We have shot very few does for the last 4-5 years on 700+ acres. The farm has hay and small grains (used to be dairy) and we have never had high enough dpsm to have noticeable crop damage 10 years ago when the populations were much higher. We also have had wolves around for 20+ years and also bears, bobcats, and sasquatch. The last few years I have been convinced it is the # of does shot that has a much bigger affect on the deer #s on a property.

[SmellEsox]

The DNR says there would be almost no winter mortality for areas south of a line from Hinckley running NW. I am sure that many people that live in some of those areas would dispute what the DNR says about that. But you have said that you trust the DNR so as long as the WSI is below 140 winter isn't an issue correct?

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/deer/wsi_cty_map14.pdf

But I must ask for people that are blaming the winter why are we seeing yearling bucks and does and also does with fawns this year when our farm had a WSI of 195+ for 2013-2014? I saw 11 individual deer on a sit last Saturday night in about 2.5 hrs, some neighbors are seeing very few. The difference? We have shot very few does for the last 4-5 years on 700+ acres. The farm has hay and small grains (used to be dairy) and we have never had high enough dpsm to have noticeable crop damage 10 years ago when the populations were much higher. We also have had wolves around for 20+ years and also bears, bobcats, and sasquatch. The last few years I have been convinced it is the # of does shot that has a much bigger affect on the deer #s on a property.

Totally agree. When you harvest a lot of does, you are killing the deer most likely to survive tough winters.

[laker1]

2012-2013 there was quite a few fawns dies north of Cross lake mn and as far south as Brainerd area. 2014 had fawn mortality too.