Camp Ripley 2018

[monstermoose78]

Good luck guys let’s see some photos 

[Mike89]

good luck all!!!  

[Wanderer]

The bucks are sniffin!  We watched a nice 10 come out and check every doe and fawn he could see by the east gate and campground area tonight.

 

Aanndd.... I buckeled and picked up a management tag tonight.  The juices got flowing after seeing 10 deer in 10 minutes.

[monstermoose78]

@Wanderer saw this sign at a store! I hope ya get a giant buck!!

[ANYFISH2]

Good luck today everyone!

 

Stay safe.

[monstermoose78]

What are you guys seeing today?

[Wanderer]

3 hours ago, monstermoose78 said:

What are you guys seeing today?

 

I saw this one. 

 

 

207 on the camp scale.  Couldn’t be more satisfied.

[monstermoose78]

Way to go wanderer!! Congrats man!!

[monstermoose78]

Can’t wait to hear the story!!

[trumy]

Nice looking buck congrats 

[Wanderer]

42 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

Can’t wait to hear the story!!

 

Yeah, I plan to explain myself but will have to later when less is going on.  It was an interesting day.

[leech~~]

56 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

 

I saw this one. 

 

 

Ha love that. Saw this one!  Nice one indeed!

[IceHawk]

Congrats Wanderer heck of a Buck!!

[eyeguy 54]

Congrats indeed!  Dandy color on that bone!

[ANYFISH2]

Couldnt be happier for Wanderer!  The buck looks even nicer in person.

Glad you got him.

 

My day was very uneventful, 1 deer, a 4 or 6, at 530pm was the only 4 legged mammal I seen all day.   Almost too nice of a day in the woods.

[Borch]

Very nice buck Wanderer!

[monstermoose78]

Anyone else see any

[ANYFISH2]

Today was more of the same.  Only 1 deer for me until I pulled the plug around 3pm.

I did have an opportunity at a 2 yr old 8 pt around 8:30 this morning, I failed to execute the game plan today.

My partner saw 5 or 6 deer over the weekend all were baldies.

Overall deer seemed locked down for some reason, from listening to most hunters.

 

Day 1 total was 90 deer and around 40 day 2 when we left at 5:30.

[monstermoose78]

It’s still fun to be there. 

[ANYFISH2]

20 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

It’s still fun to be there. 

Absolutely

[Wanderer]

I had just the morning to hunt Sunday and didn’t see a deer.  The rest of my group saw some does but didn’t take any.  I agree with Anyfish; the bucks vaporized compared to the past few days around here.  Obviously the weather changed and the pressure made a difference.

 

So, given the comment about the past few days, I’ll say I went into Ripley this season under last minute but thorough preparation.  And in a weird way I didn’t have high expectations; I had high confidence.  As of Friday I could just feel it - I was getting a deer on Saturday.  There have been few other days in my sporting life that I’ve felt the same way but it’s been real and true before, as it was Saturday.

 

We’re hunting an area I scouted a couple years ago during the start of the “throw away” seasons.  The years people didn’t think camp was worth the time to visit.  I actually landed on Anyfish2’s spot as my primary but shifted a little after meeting him there in the morning last year.  We scattered our group around the area and guys saw bucks, along with harvesting a young buck.  Anyfish2 did offer to share his spot with me (thank you again) but I have yet to take advantage of the offer.  

 

Staying with my group, I went off to a ridge I haven’t scouted but was aware of.  Almost instantly I see the spot I want to set up in.  I figured it was at least good enough till I could see around better.

 

I got my stand hung quickly and started checking ranges. Then just settled in and said a thanks for the blessing of being there and being with my friends. 

 

It was low light, high fog and wet.  Wasn’t too long before I heard splashing in the swamp at the bottom of the hill.  

 

Yep, deer.  Hope they come my way.  

 

Yep, coming my way.  Bow is ready.

 

Doe coming up the hill, another one behind her.

 

Yep, branch antlered buck.  I’ll take it if I can.

 

Doe reaches the tree at 21 yards and turns right.  Goes through what looks like a clear lane.

 

Draw - the buck will probably follow exactly there.

 

Yep.  “Uurp” to stop him.  He does and looks up at me.

 

Put the pins on his shoulder, pull the peep to my eye and anchor.  Middle pin on the spot; too much shoulder (Rage 2 blade).  Move back just a little and release.

 

Watching the arrow disappear into him with a whack is still etched in my mind.

 

He runs off but I don’t hear him go down and thrash at all.  Worried now.  Looked like a great hit.  How long to wait?  It is Ripley and I can see two other vehicles on either side of me that aren’t ours.  15 minutes (probably 5) go by.  Can’t wait; gotta look.

 

Check where he was standing and find a hair but no arrow and no blood.  Didn’t think it passed through... dang, why not?  I saw it disappear into him.  Wet leaves and dripping trees; this could be tough.  Walk the ridge looking for blood, hair, overturned leaves, him.  Nothing. What’s up???  Finish the ridge and go up to the 2 track on the tree line and back track.

 

In front of the second car I see the deep hoof prints and find one slight watered down speck of blood.  He went to the open field.  Yep, there’s my bloody arrow minus the last 3-4 inches of the shaft.  No stomach contents on it though.  This deer is gonna die.  When? Where?  Can’t see any more blood in the grass.  

 

Walk it out, looking for him bedded.  Nothing.  Reach a main road and start walking it to see if he left the field.  Yep, deep tracks crossing the road with light blood on both sides of his tracks but he’s still keeping a good stride.  Now what?  Glass the woods; check the dead falls.  Nothing.  Check the phone for position.  Looks like the woods doesn’t have better access than where I am now and nobody is here.  Leave him sit.

 

I got my hunting buddies together a couple hours later to pick up the trial again.  While we were walking there we see a truck parked on the road about where my deer went in.  DANG IT!  Pick up the pace.  Get closer and hear the truck running but nobody in it.  Sure enough, two guys are dragging a buck toward the road.  Panic - I’ve heard the stories of arguments over deer.

 

The guys see us and start talking but I can’t understand what they’re saying.  All I can do is say over and over “we’re tracking my buck!  He went in here!”.  They stop dragging and I can hear them ask if it’s ours.  YES! I was leaving him lay up!

 

Alright!  Thank God!  We didn’t want to tag it but couldn’t just leave it here.  The guy who shot this one needs to have it!  High fives and fist bumps all around.  It was awesome.  Such great sportsmanship from these guys.

 

He expired next to one of the deadfalls I glassed from the road.  When they drove by they saw white on the ground and checked it out.  That tells me when I was there, he was still alive.  One lung and the liver and about 400 yards later.  It was a fairly steep angle and he was quartering toward me more than I thought, but also I’m wondering if there was some rib deflection.  High entry wound and low exit that filled up with fat.

 

Even though I had “that feeling” going into the hunt, I know I was lucky on several fronts to bring him home.  I’m still counting my blessings.

 

Hope the story wasn’t too long for ya @monstermoose78 

Edited October 30, 2018 by Wanderer

[monstermoose78]

@Wanderer ya know that was just right

[ANYFISH2]

Congrates Again Wanderer!

 

How does he rank all time for you?  He is a beautiful deer.  

 

Thanks for putting up with all my texts this weekend.

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, ANYFISH2 said:

How does he rank all time for you?  He is a beautiful deer.  

 

Thanks for putting up with all my texts this weekend.

 

He does.  By about 25 lbs in weight and some inches of antler.  Not sure how many but at least a few.  I was reminded by a co-worker that he’s gotta be over the P&Y minimum.  That hadn’t occurred to me before then.

 

Your texts?  Thanks for putting up with mine too! 

[ANYFISH2]

Oh he is over the minimum P&Y(125) for sure. 

Gross I bet pushes 140.

Not that score matters, I can only guess the emotion walking up to him.  Glad it 

happened for you.

[ANYFISH2]

@jgrimmz  @Boonie5 Any reports from your groups?

[AlwaysFishing23]

Awesome story wanderer! Amazing deer to congrats. Glad you guys were able to find your deer before another party took off with it. I’ll agree I’ve heard many stores of others taking deer. Lucky for you those guys we’re respectful enough to not argue about it. 

[jgrimmz]

Wow, congrats Wanderer! That's a heck of a story and a dang nice buck! 

 

Unfortunately, we didn't harvest anything in Ripley. We were a party of three and 2/3 of us should have taken does within the first hald hour on Saturday. I had two come within 5 yards, but they were being pursued by a nice 6 (or eight) point buck. Unfortunately, the buck never came within range and it was the only buck I saw on the weekend. Between the three of us, we saw around 60 deer. 

 

One guy was about 100 yards from me and we both wound up missing the same doe. I stuck a really nice tree though!

[jgrimmz]

Almost forgot, I had a black bear come through leisurely Saturday around 11AM. Closest he got was about 60 yards, but he went right next to someone else's stand. I spoke with a coworker who had one go by him during the weekday hunt. We hunt very different areas of the park

[LoonASea]

Wanderer ,,, You got your Ripley buck!!!!,,,, Scratch that off your bucket list,,, Now we need to work on getting you that Lake Superior King Salmon