Jump to content
  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Public Land Archery Hunt


chucker34

Recommended Posts

Anyone have any suggestions for great hunts up north on public land in Minnesota? Maybe a national forest of large WMA? Not asking for you to give up honey holes, just wondering in general. I'm thinking about trying to head outside my normal hunting area for a weekend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

May as well post this on the same thread. I was also thinking of trying a different area this year. Sometime late in October, a buddy and myself want to try bowhunting the Schoolcraft State Game Refuge near Bemidji for a weekend. Has anyone hunted this area? It's archery only for deer so theoretically, it should be good bowhuntn' quality? Is it loaded with trails? Are there a lot of grouse hunters that hit the area? Any insight would help

Muzzy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your looking for some public land http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/landview.html On the left select the State Parks/WMA buttons and then go to the bottom and click Lakes/Rivers and also 2004 USGS Metroarea Photography and after having all clicked click the Redraw Map button on the bottom. Then after doing all these weird steps click an area of the map and zoom in and see how things are in the area. After you found a WMA or something like that it will say it's name and then unclick those options and then you can see what it looks like from an aerial view. We use it a lot of finding public hunting and to see what it looks like from an aerial then if it looks promising enough to check out by land.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a detailed map book available at the dnr bookstore or your local sporting goods stores. It is around $22. It is the book to purchase for any hunter who wants to venture to new hunting areas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

P.R.I.M. maps showing every forest, WMA, WPA, game refuges, etc! DNR or retail stores have them! Around 5 bucks per map.

Good Luck! grin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys. I'm pretty much open to trying out any new area of the state. Was just wondering if anyone had any favorites without disclosing the exact location. i.e, "I like to go to the Superior National Forest near so and so, etc."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite is to hunt in the woods. Preferably between food sources and bedding spots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archery in the big woods can be tough. Generally fewer deer than in farm country. Also, much more cover and much, much larger home ranges so the deer are much harder to pattern.

I don't have any specific areas for you, but instead of trying to hunt big woods like a National Forest where you have miles upon miles of nearly identical terrain and cover, I would suggest trying to find areas with a mix of different terrains types such as hardwoods, softwoods, swamps, field edges, grasslands, etc. as I think it will be easier to hone in on travel patterns.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm from the area and have not tried schoolcraft, but have heard it is really good. I just got a new climber so I plan to get out there. Two weeks to go!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought I'd give the area a try to do something different. Maybe hit a couple of swamps like perchjerker said to do. Ya never know!

Muzzy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you hunt Schoolcraft, be prepared for a little disapointment. They are logging in the refuge 10 months out of the year. You can almost see from one end to the other without a tree in site. There is lots of hunters and not many woods, getting alot harder to hunt. When you think you found something good, well so has 10 other guys. All the potlatch is getting leased also, less and less places to hunt. Good Luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll vouch for you on that one Gerry. I made the mistake of hunting Schoolcraft on a weekend. I should have known when I stopped at Park Rapids library to make some copies of the Plat book and noticed that the page with Schoolcraft was the only one bookmarked. Plus I didn't realize that so much of it was private land.

Nels

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the heads up guys...just the advice I was looking for. My buddy and I are now thinking of hittin' some public land in southeastern MN where I turkey hunt. It may be easier to pattern some deer with a limited amount of time down there instead of trying new "big" woods. Some different terrain would be nice to try as well. Thanks again for saving me from a potential disappointment!

Muzzy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never hunted schoolcraft, but I heard every tom dick and harry go out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Schoolcraft is good. I havn't personally hunted it but a friend of mine used to hunt it in college quite a bit and said there were some big deer in it. It is bowhunting only so grouse hunters should not be much of an issue. I think you can experience some great bow hunting outstate on WMA and forests. There really isn't that many bowhunters in the state compared to Gun hunting and with the season so long only makes your oppourtunities better. I would focus early because of the pressure. And also the week before Firearms has to be one of the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Schoolcraft is open to grouse hunters and trapping but not rifle and duck hunters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • Brianf.
      I'm not there, so I can't tell exactly what's going on but it looks like a large area of open water developed in the last day with all of the heavy snow on the east side of wake em up Narrows. These two photos are from my Ring Camera facing north towards Niles Point.  You can see what happened with all of snow that fell in the last three days, though the open water could have been wind driven. Hard to say. .  
    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
    • leech~~
      As I get older it's really not just about sending bullets down range.  Some of it's just the workmanship of the gun and the wow factor. The other two guns I have really wanted which I'll never have now because of their price, is a 8mm Jap Nambu and 9mm German Luger.   Just thought they always looked cool!  
    • jim curlee
      I had a guy hit me with a lightly used 1969 BAR, he wanted $1650 with an older Leupold scope. More than I think they are worth, I made an offer, he declined end of story.   You know if you look at the old brochures, a grade II BAR sold for $250 in the late 60s, $1650 would be a good return on your investment.    Why would anybody want a 50 year old gun, they are heavy, have wood stocks, and blued metal.  I guess mainly to keep their gun safes glued to the floor. lol   You can probably buy a stainless rifle that you never have to clean, with a synthetic stock you never have to refinish, is as light as a feather, and for half as much money, perfect.   I'm too old for a youth gun, although I've shrunk enough that it would probably fit. lol   No Ruger 10/44s.   Jim      
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.