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Last gasp? Is this the ending weekend of your deer season?


Stan in SC

Yeppers. Sunday's the last day. Weather report looks good. Lows in the mid 20's, highs around freezing.

Oh yeah, I'm huntin'!

I might be bow hunting near home.

Probably a better chance than up nort'

Camp Isabella final report.

4 hunters and two deer taken. I saw a total of 6, two does two fawns and one undetermined as it ran away.

The two taken were a spike and a forkhorn.

Pictures when I can get them uploaded.

We had no days above freezing during our hunting days. Lots of days started around zero and most got to around 15 to 20.

The camp I hunt at in NW MN about 35 miles from Canada and 35 miles from ND had a total of nine hunters who hunted there a total of 35 days during our nine day season. We collectively took five deer with four bucks and one doe. Highlight was the 87 year old camp patriarch taking his doe with one shot at sunset on the third day.We also had a Navy aircraft carrier sailor hunting for the first time in six years and taking his buck along with his younger nurse sister who outdid him by shooting two bucks. We had three antlerless tags but chose to use only one. We also collectively decided to shoot only scraggly horn bucks and let six and eight point basket bucks live. Trophies were shootable but nobody saw the ten point that had been seen on camera. I saw a total of 9 deer with four does, three bucks and two unknowns. Got one off hand shot at a scraggly horn buck walking at 125 yards and missed an hour after I let a small 8 point basket buck walk away. About two or three inches of snow and never had temps above freezing. Got to slightly below zero on two nights at camp. Full rut was on with the waning full moon and generally clear evening skies.

Saw a 6pt buck chasing does around the neighborhood at 330 this afternoon. They weren't very interested, but he sure was....as usual.

Damn, I wish I could go this weekend with you Gopher. But, alas, family life does not allow another hunting weekend......

We really should start setting up something for next year's muzzle-loading early. My place by Perham could host a few people in comfort.

my mom grew up in perham, graduated in 76 I believe, I think she was the only one in her class

There are a LOT more trains going through there now than in th 70's. Heck, more than the early 2000's.

im starting to get the left eye squint,and the trigger finger itch! Guns are sighted in, Boolits rolled up, close all ready to go, got my tags, heater, jet boil stove for hot food on the 2 all day sits. ANNNNNNNNND theres snow on the ground.. happy happy joy joy

Don't forget to bring your rain gear. Many places in Wisconsin are forecasting light rain or drizzle Saturday opener and periods of rain Sunday.

Calling for over cast saturday for us, and rain on sunday.

I see on tv that upper New York state got much much snow. Did Minnesota get that much snow?
It has been unseasonably cold here the past week but a warming trend is in effect for the next few days.

Stan in SC

The parts of MN I have been through, mostly West Central, do not have much for snow on the ground, it varies from a couple inches to almost none. Pretty much the same for East Central to North Central North Dakota. But I did see on my Facebook page that there are a couple fish houses out on a lake somewhere between Detroit Lakes and Park Rapids.......

I've seen the same Bubba. I hope it stays cold and the snow stays away so we can make some good ice. I saw two portables out this past Sunday on Leaf. Big C wasn't even frozen over.

Actually, I hope that happens up north also since I got an Ice Castle. I would rather fish LOW than the lakes around here in that buggy.

Come on up big jelly.

Michigan opener report: posted on main forum too-

Coldest 5 days of deer hunting that I can remember in a long time. We had over a foot of snow in the woods for the opener. The last few days the windchill has gone below zero and we got another 12". Had to blaze trail in 4WD just to get to someplace near our stands. Walking in that stuff is whole 'nother story.

So far with 5 hunters in camp; zero hanging, 1 miss. I personally had 33 sightings, crosshairs on a 6pt., and saw 3 different spikes. Lots of hunters in the woods Sat, fewer Sun, next to none Mon and Tues. Everybody's back home now. I'm going up after Thanksgiving solo.

I sure do miss Grizzly Bill. I never had the pleasure of meeting the man in person, but we exchanged pms and I always looked forward to his morning posts, even if was only about the weather. The boys at camp asked me about the upside down shot glass on the mantle. I just said it was for a departed friend who loved deer camp. We all raised a glass in silence. The Wisconsin opener is this weekend. I know his pards are going to have a solemn deer camp this year...

So this one's for Bill and his camp mates:


Palace in the Popple

It's a smokey raunchy boar's nest,
with an unswept drafty floor,
And pillow ticking curtains,
with knife scars on the floor.

The smell of a pine knot fire,
from a stovepipe that's come loose,
Mingles sweetly with the bootgrease,
and the copenhagen snoose.

There are workworn .30-.30's
with battered steel stocks,
And drying lines of longjohns,
and of steaming pungent socks.

There's a table for the bloody four,
and their game of two card draw,
And there's deep and dreamless sleeping,
on bunkticks filled with straw.

Ed and Lawrence, by the stove,
their gun talk loud and hot,
And Rob, has drawn a pain of kings,
and raking in the pot.

Harvey's drafted again as cook,
he's peeling spuds for stew,
While Gus, wanders in baggy pants,
receiting Dan McGrew.

Nowhere on earth is fire so warm,
nor coffee so infernal,
Or whiskers stiff or jokes so rich
nor hope blooms so eternal.

A man can live for a solid week,
in the same old underbritches,
He can walk like a man, spit where he wants,
and scratch himself where he itches

I tell you boys there's no place else,
where I'd rather be come Fall,
Where I eat like a bear and sing like a wolf,
And feel like I'm Bull Pine tall.

In that raunchy cabin out in the bush,
in the land of the Raven n Loon,
With a tracking snow lying new to the ground,
at the end of the rutting moon.


George Augustus (Gus) Bixby
Circa 1905