Let's Go!

[Big Country]

So it's the Thursday before the opener and this forum is silent compared to years past.  I really miss the postings, so let's get started, shall we?  I am super jacked for this year.  I'm again participating in a metro hunt that promises many encounters.  This year will be extra special as my 19 year old son has decided to follow in my footsteps.  He bought a bow, a ground blind, and a climber.  We set his ground blind up at a friends house.  It's all brushed in 20 yards from five apple trees that have lot's of activity.  The kicker is he's in an area where he is allowed to harvest does.  I can't wait!  The first and last deer he shot was with me when he was 12, a young six pointer with his rifle at 90 yards (proud pa pa moment).  High school and college football has kept him away from the woods a lot in the fall, but not this year.  He is not playing and plans on spending as much time in the woods as he can.  So help me out here.  What are your plans?  Let's hear what you have to say.  I wish nothing but monster bone heads for you in this season of bliss.  Good luck!  BC

[DonBo]

I'm ready!  I'll be hunting in the metro area where tags are unlimited. I plan on using a few of those, right away Saturday morning if the opportunity presents itself.  Got my stands all set a month ago, shooting lanes cleared, etc.

Bring it!

 

[Powerstroke]

Well, I'll be a bit of a downer and say I will be working this weekend, but I have sunday/monday off and I may head up to the Princeton area where my camper is stored and do some hunting there. Its a lotto zone though. I haven't even purchased my license yet. 

No metro plans so far this year so it may be a year of seeking out new places. Good luck to everyone on the opener!

[eyeguy 54]

I usually have all my clothes descented and everything ready a month early. did it yesturday...  lol   cant hunt as hard as I used to but will get out there. I get a little more exited about early hunting MN if I have a bonus tag. None for my area again. Filled my first tag in ND in 1968.  I think I am addicted.  Good luck all and be safe. 

[Hoyt4]

Good luck to all heading out to the woods. Our zone we can shoot two deer this year but really should not be able to as the numbers are still down and just starting to get healthy again one more season of one deer would of been great.

I'm not going to be picky this season first one with bone on his head I will take if given a good shot. I have 3 other states still to bow hunt and one to gun. Going ot be a great fall might even take a turkey if one walk by in Octo.

[ANYFISH2]

I will be out Saturday evening, not sure yet if this is a buck only season yet as our area is managed this year.  There are decent numbers, but I think I will see how many does I see.from stand.

Looking forward to the season, as I will spend the season hunting a.piece I just received permission last year for.  It is a gorgeous piece of land.

[Swiftswamper]

I got the fellas coming to the farm and deer camp starts this evening.   We love opening bow weekend and always seem to encounter some nice bucks.   Good luck everyone! 

[Big Country]

Great to hear from everybody!  Let's keep this forum active.  I'm so looking forward to your stories, and don't forget the pictures!  Tonight will be a sleepless night of tossing and turning for many.  Go to bed early and get there early.  Good luck to you, be safe, and let us know how the opener went for ya.  BC

[wannafish2]

I can't hunt until next weekend but I have 2 different properties to choose from and the stands are ready on both!  Still have a couple ground blinds I can put up in a pinch if I need to.  Haven't taken a deer yet with my bow and this is year 4 so I am hoping this is my year to harvest one!  I get 9 days off last week of October (if it takes that long) that include the opener of gun season so I should at least get one with the rifle....cross your fingers for me that I get one with the bow first!  I'll post pics if I get one!

Wannagetabuck   aka

Wannafish2

Edited September 18, 2015 by wannafish2
name

[ANYFISH2]

Good luck wannafish!

[DonBo]

Saw 7 deer already this morning, here in the metro, including two bucks.

Drew back on a young doe, but she stepped to safety just in time. 

A promising start to the season.

Dang! Just got busted by a doe with two fawns.   Note to self: put the phone down and pay attention.

Edited September 19, 2015 by DonBo

[monstermoose78]

I was able spent a couple evenings this week helping my nephew find a few places to deer hunt. I will allow him first crack. With that said I am going to try and get out at my dad's to chase the buck I seen last year. The neighbor guy told me he has a lot bigger antlers. I am busy this weekend, so I he will have to wait until next weekend. I know my dad will not mess it up this time, because he is recovering from surgery on his shoulder.

I have a couple spots that my nephew will be hunting that are in management areas. I will also hunt with him some days. It would be awesome to see him get his first deer. 

I am going to be picky with my buck tag, because I will going to Camp Ripley. 

[ANYFISH2]

I've got to laugh at your last sentence, Ripley has saved 4 or 5 smallish bucks over the years from me.  The prospects In camp have been to much for me to pull the trigger.  Now, after 17 bow seasons, I am still buckless.  My abilities to hold back are dwindling.

Good luck Monstermoose!

[monstermoose78]

I've got to laugh at your last sentence, Ripley has saved 4 or 5 smallish bucks over the years from me.  The prospects In camp have been to much for me to pull the trigger.  Now, after 17 bow seasons, I am still buckless.  My abilities to hold back are dwindling.

Good luck Monstermoose!

I only shot one buck in Ripley it was about 140 inches and some else helped themselves to it. Pretty sad. I normally see a shooter ever year there. Last fall I seen a big one but it was 60 yards and took wrong trail and did not come on the trail I was on. 

There is one deer I am watching at my dad's and if it makes a mistake of walking in front of me it will end up on the wall.

[ANYFISH2]

Well, no excitement for me last night.  Zero deer seen.  Checked cameras and the 4 days have been nearly void of deer.  The place has now been over run with bears.  I have 15 pics of two young bear inspecting camera, laying around, wrestling each other, and walking through.  The acorns and corn seem to have them happy.

[Big Country]

Late post.  Opener I was hunting the metro.  My son started on private property west of where we live.  I had twin yearling sisters pass by at 45 yards in thick cover.  Nate had nothing going on.  Afternoon.  I went to the same spot, Nate went to the money property.  He was in his ground blind 20 yards from 5 apple trees.  Just before 7pm he sends me a video from his gopro of two fawns near him.  I asked the big man upstairs to put a big fat doe in front of him as he can shoot them there.  5 minutes later my phone blows up.  He shot a doe, first year with a bow, opener.  WOW!  So I grabbed all my stuff and told him to stay put and that I was heading his way, about 15 miles away.  Got there at dark.  He found his arrow and it was loaded with dark red blood.  No green goop.  I tell him it's a liver shot.  He leads me to where the doe entered the woods.  We found a little blood.  Searched in the dark for a half an hour and I told him we were through.  The temp that night was predicted to be mid forties and with a liver shot we need to come back in the morning as we don't have much blood to go by.  Twice he told me how frustrating it was.  I assured him this deer is dead or will be when we arrive early the next day.  Sunday morning we begin searching.  No blood for two hours.  I begin grid patterns.  Nate tells me he finds blood.  Two hundred yards away from the shot.  We spend a little more time and I call it for lunch.  After lunch we return.  Within minutes I discover his trophy, twenty yards from the last blood sign.  She went in a totally different direction than we anticipated.  Gut, tag and it's off to grandpas.  Hung her in a tree, skinned, rinsed to cool off and clean everything then quartered.  She's in the freezer.  What an incredible start for my son.  Nineteen years old, first bow hunt and he nails it.  Tore one of the lungs and passed through the liver.  My season has just begun but is already complete.  Hey Nate, post up some pictures of your girl.  You're a rock star!!  BC

[ozzie]

awesome proud father moment!!!  congrats to Nate!!!

[Hoyt4]

Awesome big country , Congrats to your boy love those stories.

[bltbowhunter]

I got this area 601 buck on Sunday morning.  I was even able to get my 3 year old blood hound on the trail. 

[96trigger]

Nice buck, congratulations! Good to see you got your daughter involved. 

[eyeguy 54]

nice,  heading out at 4 today. 

[DonBo]

Great deer, WTG!

 

[ANYFISH2]

Congratulations, a handsome buck for sure.  Beautiful bloodhound as well.

[bigbucks]

Good job guys with the early deer.

 

[Big Country]

Have seen a few does and fawns since opener, no opportunities.  This morning on the way to work was a first for this year.  There were deer EVERYWHERE!  I have not seen any early morning movement until today.  Something's up.  Need to get in a tree.  BC

[DonBo]

Kind of disappointed with the sightings this weekend.  One Sat. morning, a small buck that seems to follow me around, and one Sat. evening. This however was an awesome heavy horned 8 pt. Unfortunately, he came right at dark and never got closer than 45 yds. Sure hope to see him again.

3 new scrapes in the area Sunday morning.  It should get better every day from here on out.  

 

[bigbucks]

Little guys are running, I think the does are ignoring them for the most part.  I did have a yearling doe, act like she wasn't trying real hard to get away, but the forky didn't keep following her.

[MattL]

I've got time off so I'm looking forward to hunting the next 7 days straight. No prospects for me but this time of year a mature buck can cover a lot of ground. 

[DonBo]

Pretty excited to see a huge buck Thursday, now I'm on my 4th sit since without a single sighting.

[Tdubbers]

Got out the last 3 days and the bucks are moving during shooting light.  I finally got a shot at the buck i've been after this year (140-150 class), friday night.  He was tending a doe near my stand for nearly 30 minutes.  As light was fading fast he gave me a 25 yard quartering away shot so I took a deep breath and let it fly, my arrow hit a stiff buckthorn branch and deflected nowhere near the buck.  I felt sick, I still do, but I keep telling myself anything can happen when the rut gets into full swing!