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Posted

how is your season going? I seen nothing opening afternoon, but plenty of other hunters out enjoying the nice weather.

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Posted

I haven't been up there for a month and a half.  My dog broke off some teeth and needed surgery last time we were up there and he's still recovering.  He's had some infections so it hasn't heeled like it should have.  He still has a couple of weeks left before it HOPEFULLY heals fully.  IF I get out this year, I'll give a report.  I'm not sure that will happen though.

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Posted

Was going to try to hit the trails around the state land this weekend. Also going to try some fishing..guess you would call it a half A$$'d cast and blast! How has the fishing been on BSL? was going to try and do some jigging with some Jigging raps. Never tried it up there so thought I would give it a whirl. How is the grouse hunting in the state land down Loon Ave? I know I see a few people heading that direction this time of year. Just the wife and I going to head out and do some scouting and hunting. 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

I will be Grouse hunting for the first time in the MacGregor area over the weekend of 10/17.  I'm hoping the leaves have mostly fallen by then! It sounds like my buddies haven't had the best luck the last 2 years but I'm hoping we can find some productive areas to flush some birds.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted

seen one bird Friday, it jumped way early, no shots.

Posted

Hunted a little bit friday. Not one grouse, saturday and sunday were focused on ducks.....Shot a few. 

Leaves are starting to drop, however still some that haven't even changed color yet. I am guessing they will quickly change this week with the cooler nights, then after one big wind, they will be down.

Posted

My wife and I hunted Saturday mid morning for Grouse. Walked a while before we jumped two. Was able to get one shot off, but the woods still has two grouse living in it! was a great weekend to spend time in the woods and on the water. A lot of vegetation still up. Like mentioned above shouldn't be too much longer for some of that to get out of the way. We did fish BSL saturday night and we picked our night spot for walleyes on the north end and ended up with 10 nice crappies and a slot walleye. I have no clue why the crappies were in the area we were..sand with rock bottom no weeds and was on the leeward side of a point. Im not complaining by any means, but just didn't make sense they were in that area in 14' of water. I wanted to have answers to why they were there! All in all a good weekend up north.

Posted

We ended up getting some birds this weekend on our way between duck spots. More got away from us but lots of birds around

Posted

Hoyt4, you think there are a lot of grouse around? 

Posted

The area we are hunting is on the up swing two years ago was low last two years its up. At least in our area  if we would of put more time into the grouse instead of ducks we would of done really well.

Posted

I did flush 7 grouse the last couple days, no dog. I did miss a couple of can't miss shots. seems as though I always miss them early, but get them late, I hope that still holds true. I have not jumped any groups, all have been singles, which makes me think there was not a good year for production.

Posted

I am going to duck hunt in the mornings. I may do a little grouse hunting now that the weather has cooled down.  At least you're seeing a few Knoppers, that's encouraging! 

For all the time I have have already spent in the woods deer hunting and checking cameras, wheeling etc., just have not seen many grouse. I haven't had a good grouse season since the late 90's up around big sandy area. I used to go out and always come home with a few, now days, I feel lucky if I see one.

Posted

my best year was in the late 90's, on one weekend back then, I missed everything on Friday, in fact I ran out of shells. I stopped to get another box of shells which were high brass 7.5 shot, the next day I was 5 for 5 with the 7.5 shot, now that's all I ever will use.

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
Posted

Almost hit two of them bombing around dirt logging roads on my Dual Sport bike. But didn't see one in the woods when checking on deer stands and scouting.

Posted

Knoppers must shoot like me.  We're going up this weekend and will let you know what we find.  Only my second time trying it near Big Sandy, so lots of learning and scouting.

 

Posted

I hope to make it up at least for Sunday! But not sure if I want to bring the boat up since last time up we found some slabs! I know we will be up the following weekend with it being MEA for the kids. How are the woods looking? Is it starting to clear up a bit yet?

Posted

starting to clear up a bit, leaves are falling but still a lot left to fall.

Posted

finally got my first bird on Friday, only seen one other. lots out hunting on Saturday, not much activity. the understory has cleared out well, all other leaves falling fast.

Posted

I am heading up wednesday for the weekend. Hopefully a few ducks, grouse, and deer around.

Posted

Thanks for the info. My wife and I were up yesterday, but we couldn't pull off of the lake. Was just too nice and knowing that was probably it for being on the lake this year. One last boat outing the next weekend as we are heading to LOTW. With this wind it should clear up very nice in the woods! Myself and the boys are heading up on Friday to try for some birds and check an area for deer hunting. Has anyone on here ever hunted the Remote Lake trails for deer? The are looks nice, but wasn't sure of how many go in that area for deer. That is where the wife and I hunted/walked the last time up. Any info would be great! Thanks

Posted

Marhshall, back in the day when a guy needed 4x4 to get back in remote, we had stands everywhere, mostly towards the end of the road near the lake. Ever since they made the road like a highway, we stopped going there. Way too many people, people will stand on the ground by a tree 100 feet from your tree. It's just not worth the hassle, there's campers at every little spot, tons of hunters. By the 3rd weekend, there's not many people up there.

Unless you grab a GPS and walk a few miles in, be careful though, not an area you want to get lost.

Posted

BSL thanks for the info. I know up on the north end where it goes right to the lake, there were tone of people up there last year. I found a little piece down by the cabin where not anyone else was. I'm more talking the cross country ski trials are. I know you can't drive wheelers or cars back in there so thinking that would keep most people away. I'm going to walk those trails again on Friday with the boys to check some more area's. with that wind from yesterday would think a lot more viewing in the woods now! 

Posted

not much seen this weekend, only hunted Friday. many people out, MEA weekend. the leaves are all down now. for you duck hunters, the ringbills have arrived.

Posted

Yes, lots of leaves down, still some left on the trees. Wow, what a poor weekend for hunting. Flushed 1 grouse the whole weekend. Walked several miles, rode the wheeler several miles. Was still nice to be out as the weather was perfect for grouse hunting.

Few ducks around but not enough hunters to keep the ducks moving. Lots of ducks rafting out on BSL.

Did not see many deer either.

Looking forward to Nov. 7th! Opening rifle season.

Posted

seen many deer in the hay fields this weekend.

Posted

Knoppers, any deer sign in the woods? I was up over MEA and didn't see much at all for scrapes or rubs. Just wondering if those bucks are getting excited yet?

 

Thanks.

Posted

I have seen no scrapes, seeing plenty of does and fawns in the hay fields. I did see a very large buck a few weeks ago, he will just get bigger as he was inside a city limit.

seen 3 grouse Friday out only about a hour, I was 0-2 shooting.:(

Posted

any nice bucks shot this weekend?

  • 1 year later...
Posted

OK were are the birds? I have been out 5 times and seen only one bird. I hunted 4 different areas. I hope its just because of all the foliage, and I don't have a dog. I am thinking that they had a bad hatch this spring in my area. anyone else having a rough year so far? even when the cycle is at its lowest point, I see far more birds than I have seen this year. this year the DNR claims 57% increase this spring, and also nearing the top of the cycle. I hope this turns around soon, or I will wish I would have bowhunted this year.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

started seeing more birds, shot at two, got one. everyone I talk to out hunting says there are not seeing much. there seems to be plenty of people out hunting.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Just another "Words matter"   Voting on school levy. This was posted on the School "education district" building door.  We had a nice cold walk all the way around the building! The arrow was added, after we educated them! 😒
    • Wanderer
      Nope!  But it’s more funner!
    • smurfy
      I don't need no livescope to catch fish....🤔🤪  It's all in how ya wiggle the worm!😜 Just sayin  🤣
    • Kettle
      Obviously this is more of a hot topic due to forward facing sonar. With that being said, I know people who have pulled crappies out of basins 40+ deep since the fl-8 and zercom flashers came out. That's over 30 years ago. I do think there's a push to ban these in MN and I could see them doing it here. They'll have to pay my livescope from my cold dead hands 😆 on days I can't catch a walleye jigging or rigging it's nice to turn it on and throw corks at individual fish
    • Kettle
      It wasn't just you, I was fishing west of you about an hour on Monday. Fished 8am-4pm, no fish, two keeper walleye and one small one from 4pm-630pm. Marked a lot of fish, they would come up to a jig and swim away. They were skittish to the dead stick too
    • leech~~
      I wonder like divers, if we let them decompress every 10' for 1/2hr. If that would help?  🤔  It would slow the bite down a bit!  🤭
    • carlsonmn
      That was a better study compared to last winter when they setup the vertical tube nets and tried to release exhausted fish from being studied and expected them to be able to swim straight down a 3' hoop net.     That lake's crappie population from this latest video was pretty deep at 40-50', and no doubt from those depths that is barotrauma for most.  That is deeper than most crappie holes but certainly how some are. However from helping give fish a good release from the 35' and less range and tracking them with live sonar most of them swim at a shallow angle back to the depths and I watch them rejoin the school and be active.  Uncut Angling's video helped counter some of the initial narrow findings.  
    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
    • leech~~
      Maybe you should put rattle wheels down, if your going to sleep for 6hrs! 🤭 😆
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