One of my hunting buddies is moving from the Twin Cities to Rochester. We're thinking about hunting the Whitewater area. Does anyone have any insight on this? Lodging options in the area look pretty limited. If anyone knows of a small hotel with housekeeping units down in that area we'd be most appreciative.

We're all set with good shootng slug guns an each have a ML for a backup weapon should one of our shotguns go down for some reason.

Thanks guys.

Jeff,

Think on this a bunch before you get in very far. I have hunted grouse down there, and there's mostly a lot of up and down. I would not like to consider dragging a deer out of that area.

Great area. Bad news is, there are a ton of people down there. If your not willing or can not get farther and deeper than anyone else. You will see far more orange than brown.
But.... You can bring ones out like this.

Or this!!!!

Very good point Dave. I was down there two years ago for the early doe season. Those hills are so steep it can be downright dangerous if you lose your balance. I'm hoping I could possibly find some bottom land and hunt that. I figure it'll take us at least a couple years to figure out where most of the pressure is and get away from it into some more un-molested areas.

Jeff,

Considering your recent heart issues I would pass were it me. Inside Whitewater you cannot use a wheeler. You will not be able to help drag one, even a small one. I would hate to drag a 100 lb fawn up one of the hills to somewhere I could get to it with a vehicle. Going down hill through a ravine bottom until you get somewhere might be a very long drag through a lot of brush. 100 lbs of gutted fawn is pretty likely there. Even up at deer camp dragging a decent buck 100 yards through brush to one of our trails and a wheeler is plenty enough work for two people.

There are a couple of intensive managed zones down there though that you might find some decent land to get on if you do your homework.

It will depend on me finding a apot I can get to without literally killing my self. I'll have Josh with me, and he knows if I get one, I'm gonna need help.

There is a reason the deer get so big.
Maybe you could rent a motorhome.
A friend of mine killed a 9 pt that dressed at 275 lbs. A real pig.
I hunted muzzleloader there and pulling myself uphill was ridiculous.

I'd have to find some flat land down there somewhere, somehow. I did the early antlerless season a couple years back down there, and saw how steep and demanding that country is. I'd have to hunt the bottoms or stay up on top of a hill somehow. There's no way I could handle those slopes. Little hills, but very steep. If you really want a physical workout, go down on those hills. I'm not kidding at all when I say you all most have to staple yourself to a tree to keep from falling off the hills. Sit down against the downhill side of a tree there and fall asleep and you might find yourself 50 feet down the hill piled up against the next one you tumbled into.

Yeah, great farmland on limestone bedrock. Hunt the surrounding private farms, not the park. Permission is possible, but might have to pay for it. Its just gully country, not mountains or anything. Plenty of flat land. mostly corn and milk cows. I used to live in Lanesboro.

Bill

You need a plat book available from the county.
There are pieces of land that are available for public hunting that you have to access by crossing private property that is posted. You might have to pucker up.