Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Northern MN Deer Population

I've heard more than a few guys talk about hunting up in Cotton. I've got to explore this area. Hoping to do some recon hunting after the opener.

The deer are here. Just drove back from a Wyoming hunt last night. After 10 pm (new time) the ditches between Detroit lakes and Cass lake were crowded with deer, even a few bucks. Where there are does the bucks will be soon. Hope they adopt to the new time and come out during the day!

I went to a Halloween party in Wisconsin last night.
There were plenty of deer there. I scouted my property hard today and saw nothing.

I found a few MN critters.







Maybe a once in a lifetime pic?
]

Da bucks are on da move too. I went to my parents cabin in WI last night and the deer were running all over. We drank beer around the fire til 1am and went in. At 130 there is a trail cam pic from the yard of a BIG ol bodied 6pt in the yard.

It's worth a look. There's a ton of state and county land. It gets logged pretty often so the deer hang around.

Logging does make a difference. It keeps the good food - twigs - near the ground. And lets the brushy browse species do better. Much better than letting the trees get old and blow down. I had a tornado come thru 6 yrs ago. It created a tangled path the deer simply cannot get thru. I am up to one resident doe on my 40 acres, and she finally got bred last year for the first time!

How'd Jucatch her?

I'm not as young and fleet as I used to be! I just got her pic on a trail cam and she was putty in my hands. .

The deer seem to be moving. Ran to Bemidji for errands, and about 4 today saw probably 15 deer - but thankfully, no contact!

I haven't seen too many dead on the road yet,

Tom,

Any signs of the rut starting to ramp up, down there yet ?

Nothing up here !

I did see a few signs. I found a scrape line, a good one. Best I've seen since 09 at chicken buck when there was one literally longer than my rifle, about every 30-50 yards.

I found a few scrapes popping up, up north last weekend, and those bucks fighting on camera. Truthfully, I think all hells about to bust loose. I think the rattling horns might work well this weekend.

tzone:

deer are dying on the road, saw 3 yesterday, but they are waiting to scare the bejeepers out of all the weekend hunters coming up friday night ;-) Saw a doe today running from something - I suspect a buck was harrassing her. Not in a skittish way, more like an annoyance. And she kept looking over her shoulder. I didn't spook her. I waited 5 min, but no followers showed up. Of course, an idling diesel isn't much of a stealthy deer stand.

Drove over to a neighbor's this am. Saw a scrape in a cleared area next to the road. The time is nigh!

Yep!! They're on the move then! Grunt, grunt rattle rattle.

But, that Damn giant glowing moon! My experience is fewer deer seen when that thing is big and bright.

Concur - not a fan of the big, round nightlight in the sky.
It'll follow me to Kansas in approximately a month from now too.

Found a fresh scrape line over the lunch hour, also spitting snow here today, overcast dark and gray....

I saw a big one on Hwy 48.
A huge eagle was sitting on it.

son and I counted 5 dead on the road returning from Walker to the cities on Sunday eve.
took half a day off on Friday,hopefully be up nort before it gets dark.( I hate to take time off when season isn't open)

I went to work today(been at this place a month),and the electric billboard out front says" my stand is my other home"

I took friday and the first week off. I have more vacation than I can ever use unless I get sick...so I burn it up when I can!