Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Northern MN Deer Population

What have you MN hunters discoverd on your hunting grounds? I was up on our area the last two weekends and have discovered there "ain't squat" as my BIL put it.

Our usual stand sites are devoid of deer. Nothing on a camera, but a large black bear, even on my best spot.

I spent a good portion of yesterday scouting a new area. Found deer sign and grouse...which is good. But the deer sign wasn't great, or even good.

On the good side, the wolves have moved out of our area as well, but I know what that means.

I had some cams out by leech lake,and there was does and fawns on most,a few different sets.

We have some does, no bucks seen by anyone out harvesting. Heard of a spike and four point near my boys stand. Saw one early September across the road from our landowners place that looked like a basket 8.

Thinking this is gonna be a tough season for sure.

No doe tag for me, boys can each take a doe this year however.

Dealing with Wolves on the north pasture a section north of us, old herd cow discouraged their antics after a few circles around the pasture. I do have a large pack of yotes that will be targeted and neutralized on sight however. One was ballsy enough to stalk me through the woods along the shoreline. Grazed him with my .45 but couldn't seal the deal. Trying to turn fast and accurate on a peat bog is not so easy.

In any event we're going out. If nothing else I might run towards Duluth to my daughters place in Duquette MN to see what there is to see.

Well if you get to Duquette you need to call me. I won't be far from there at all and my Pops lives 15-20 miles from there! Let me know.

I'm north of Duluth a good bit, the part that got hig HARD by the snow.

We are bucks only, no matter what. I have nearly the season off, so I'll find something I hope. If nothing else, I'm going to to do a lot of still hunting/scouting on this area I found. It has potential for a while, with a lot of logging currently going on.

45 minutes south of Duluth, herd probably off 30%. We are encouraged in that we have 4 or 5 bucks on camera that are over 3.5 yo. Quite a few younger ones but our ones that were 4 or 5 last year appear to have been taken my the winter/wolves.

Will be fewer gun shots this year but the does must be passed.

Cfran, where are you guys hunting? I remember seeing a pic of a deer your kid shot that had a monster body. Or am I misremembering?

Here in west central I have a few decent bucks on camera, 1 nice 8 point and one decent 10, some fork horns and some spikes. Lots of does and fawns too. I saw a doe with triplets on the way to work the other day.

It looks like the population might be rebounding a bit. (Fingers crossed of course)

Population looks good by my cabin (Perham) and ok where I hunt (Upper Whitefish, by camp Foley).

I have confidence that I'll see deer out of pure stubbornness, but I don't think there are a lot around my neck of the woods.

Friends of mine said that it was sparse at best in the arrowhead this summer.

I wish you luck Tom. I am more anxious about my hunting partner's daughter getting to see a deer this year. I would gladly make a deal to be skunked for a few years if she were able to have a great, successful hunt her first time out.

I'll be joining Tom for the opener. My buddy Josh will be joining us. Can't wait. I've been waiting since February for this. Weather or not I see a deer is secondary. I didn't know if I'd even be here by now. 'Don't care about anything else, 'cuz I get to bat the alarm off the nightstand, curse my self for getting up so early, and go spend the day in the woods. When you don't know if you've had your last hunt, who really cares if you get a deer, just as long as you get a chance?

I've got an 150 inch working a camera. More bucks than I've seen in a few years. Thinking I benefitted from a recent 80 acre pine thinning nearby. No doe permits for my crew, so we'll need the horns that seem to be there.

4

Yes, that as me (or my son)!


Near Moose Lake

Finding Bigfoot had an episode at Moose Lake.

A couple years ago we played Moose Lake in football in the playoffs at St. Cloud and got our asses kicked. There was even a Bigfoot mascot running around.

What do you know about that?

We'll be Arrowhead'ish. Not quite up there, but getting into that neck of the woods.

I know how you feel. It's great to see the kids succeed in the woods.

If I remember right, you boys have no trouble putting the racks on the ground. I remember the pics!

I like that area of the state. It's kinda in the middle of everything, including good hunting!

I hunt near Orr and there were wolves active last year during the hunt. I will be back again as it is tradition to hunt in the same area meeting up with the same guys from around the Cities and some locals.

I stay in an old camper I store at Orr and drag into the State Forest west of Cusson. This year my hunting partner can't make it but I've got friends in the area to rely on.

I don't expect to set the world on fire this season, but I'm a patient man. The 8 hour drive from Wisconsin is a long day and I hate the ride thru Superior and Duluth, especially that spaghetti bowl and that bridge. As long as my health holds out I suspect I'll keep on keeping on.

Good luck Chainsaw and all the boys heading to Minnesota for the opener.

I wonder how Dave's crew is doing out west? Anybody heard anything yet?