Camp Ripley 2nd weekend

[ANYFISH2]

I have one (hunter) less than 100yds to my right. You guys can have him if yiu want!!

[Wanderer]

Doe at 50 but all gone. 360 degree wind is awesome!!

[maros91]

Nothing at my second spot. Took a little drive around 1:30 and talked to some guys. Almost all haven't seen a deer and very little sign. I did see two guys dragging one out. Unsure of what it was. My last spot here I finally found some good sign, two trails that intersect! It'd be nice if the wind died down.

[Cheetah]

I scouted two more spots and both were duds for fresh sign. At a new place now with a not so fresh scrape and rub. Couple intersecting trails but doesn't seem super actively used. Best I've managed to find though.

Dad left after lunch and called to say six deer were registered so far as he left. All bucks. Unknown sizes.

[hockeybc69]

Beau will blame lazy hunters and weather again... just watch....

[maros91]

Just got in line for tomorrow. They said 12 deer have been registered so far. One 200lber but had a small rack. Not looking good.

[sportfish]

Oh boy that place sounds good !

It's to bad the DNR is not concerned yet

[stretch]

A buddy sent me a picture of a really nice 8 pt he shot up at ripley today. He said he has seen very few deer and i think he shot his buck around 2 pm. Hopefully some more bucks will be shot.

[ANYFISH2]

One 8 pt buck, 26 turkeys, and 7 hunters. Kinda a poor day!

[mrklean]

wasn't there word at one time a possible turkey hunt up there?

[ANYFISH2]

They do have one in the spring for disabled veterans.

[Cheetah]

Well guys, I went home. My evening spot was a bust and it turns out I set up within 100yd of another hunter who was there all day and said he intends to go back there in the morning. Considering the marginal deer sign in that spot, it seemed like a waste for me to try to compete with him and the 4 or 5 other guys he said he saw walk through there in the morning... The other two areas I checked out mid-day were worthless too. I talked to one guy who wasn't even going to bother sitting for the evening, he just sat at the truck waiting for his two hunting partners.

And just to rub it in, right at the end of the river road before turning to get into the line again a big doe and fawn trotted across the road in front of me and a few other vehicles.

[nonteepical]

Maybe Purple puke will chime in and tell you guys how to hunt.

[laker1]

1st day harvest numbers?

[maros91]

12 when I came in and I watched 4 small deer get brought in at the weigh station. 16 for sure. I left at 7:15.

[Wanderer]

I heard 40 but that was talk around the barracks.

Total of 6 deer seen for our group. 3 bucks, 3 does.

We're splitting up tomorrow to get looks at some different areas. I'm sure they'll just be someone else's old area though.

[DaveT]

This is sad. I remember seeing so many deer and several big bucks each time I went there as a kid (80's). People used to come here from all over the country for 2 days of hunting at Ripley. Now it's a joke and they can't even get enough applicants for the tags. Then half of the guys with tags don't show up because watching paint dry sounds like more fun than hunting Ripley. I PRAY somebody with authority at Ripley reads this post.

Stop letting the MN DNR ruin this hunt! Take over the management of this hunt and your deer (wolves) NOW!

[maros91]

And back at it again. Got a buddy 100 yards to my right. Hopefully the deer cooperate today. 40 deer on day 1.

[certified jumbo]

Good luck. Keep us posted!

[maros91]

Just had a doe and a fawn at 40 yards. At least I saw deer today.

[maros91]

Just had a fork chasing the doe and fawn. Running all around, under my stand , everywhere. No clue I was here. Hopefully mr. Big shows up.

[archerystud]

Go Get-em Biff!!!

WOW those numbers are horrible. May have been during the hey days but I remember one guy seeing 5 big ones the first morning (probably 30 years ago)!!! Almost sounds like they need to take a year off from the bow hunt.....

Good luck guys!!

[Wanderer]

We left somewhere around 3 pm today and were told 17 so far, for a grand total of 57. I'm sure more came out after that but breaking the total from the first season didn't seem as sure as I thought it might.

I saw a doe and a button buck (separately) today but no shots for me. One buddy had plenty of opportunity to take a 4 pointer but let him walk. The other buddies went home and did yard work.

I'd be shocked if next year was an either sex hunt by way of management permits. And I can say Archerystud was the first to post what my buddy and I talked about on the way out: will there even be a season at Ripley next year?

[ANYFISH2]

Just got home, hunted till dark. I did not see a single deer today!!

For the weekend I saw 1 deer, Derek saw 1, and Chad saw 6. Most people we know that this weekend saw less than 5 deer for thier groups and no one harvested any.

It sure feels like it will be long road back to what it used to be.

After all the frustration, over the years my expectations have lowered, but every year the anticipation to spend the weekend in camp is still great. I'll be back but I will no longer target does in there, I'll be happy to wait for the Mr.

[laker1]

Be interesting the final total,I believe Camp Ripley reflects how the regular firearm season goes many years. Will see.

[hockeybc69]

It will be a very long time before I apply for that hunt again. There is no end in sight for the continued mismanagement of that area. So sad.

You couldnt hunt that place 10+ years ago without seeing several deer daily for the average hunter.

Beau Liddell has single handidly ruined Ripley. What a shame.

[maros91]

I saw three deer today. Fork and a doe and a fawn. Fork was chasing the doe. All three gave me shot opportunities multiple times. Scouted some areas that looked good on paper but was void of deer sign in person. Talked to a bunch of hunters both from the north and south sides and many hadn't seen a deer all weekend or very few sightings. I don't know about giving it a year off but maybe bucks only.

[monstermoose78]

Well I seen one for the weekend. It was a small six pointer and it was 50 yards away and running. Seen one group of turkeys. I did see something I never seen before at Frogs hundreds of them jumping through the woods headed to the River. My dad saw one buck also and it was a big 9 but it was to far. We never seen much for deer sign.

[Cheetah]

I won't be going back for a couple years I suppose until report and harvest numbers get better. Last year was rough, but we had a little spot that had good sign and a food source that could hold a few in the area. The deer just weren't in the area this year though.

[eyeguy 54]

Frogs hundreds of them jumping through the woods headed to the River.

smallies are smiling