Deer season 2024

[crbutler]

Well, it’s the eve of the Minnesota deer gun season again!

I have a couple nice bucks that I hope do something dumb and come out during the day in range for me, but just getting out there is its own reward.

The duck season started out slow, but I’ve done a bit better than my usual this year so far.

Killed more than my share of geese, but did that in Alberta.

Good luck to all, and remember the 4 rules of gun safety!

[Jackpine Savage]

I hunted the early season, put one in the freezer.

All set for tomorrow. I went out to our big deer stand on Tuesday for housekeeping and kicked up a very nice buck. He was bedded down in the open, 20 yards from the stand.

The neighbor across the road had to show me pictures today. He has a fork horn that made a scrape 10 yards from his garage. He put up a trail cam. The little buck comes around about three times a night, and a doe stopped by too.

[Holland&Holland]

Deer activity has been pretty constant on my cams. Had a couple of 8s who have fought a couple of times.

Either way, sitting in the stand is my therapy and I need some therapy.

[crbutler]

Coulda shoulda woulda…

Relearned delube your hunting gun. Had click instead of bang on a really nice 8 pointer. CLP does gunk up when there is a lot of it and it’s in the high 30’s.

Hope others had better luck than I did. Sat every day of firearms deer, had my one chance and blew it…

[ex-LT]

Shot the one on the left at 5:10 PM on opening day. 8pt, 160#
Shot the one on the right at 7:45 on 11/16. 8pt, 208#

[Holland&Holland]

Couple of really nice ones!

[Rip Van Winkle]

Nice.

[Jackpine Savage]

It's over. I spent a lot of time in the stand. Only took Wednesday off due to rain and appointments. I watched a lot of deer, but kept waiting for the big buck. When the last couple days turned windy I was somewhat regretting my decisions . But with fifteen minutes left on Sunday, I took a nice doe. Actually the biggest doe I've ever taken. She dressed out at 145. She tested out my newish heart stent, had to pull her about 50 yards through the thickest prickly ash and swamp on the property.

But the best story of the season was that I did SEE the big buck. I picked the wrong stand for the evening. So I watched him through the binoculars from 400 yards away. He was at least a 12, with a very wide rack and big body. He came out of the neighbors woods and pawed at a scrape a couple times. He then headed into our plowed field, moving along the edge of the woods. The plowed field is a pretty good sized hill (drumlin) and my hunting buddy was on the other side of it. I was hoping my buddy would get a shot.

When the buck hit the crest of the hill he turned and angled southwest, out into the field. Perfect! But then he stopped and trotted north towards the woods. He stopped at the edge of the woods and I heard a shot. I watched him disappear into the woods, that rack was wide!, and a couple seconds later I hear another shot. What the hell, I was wondering if the neighbor showed up, because no way could my buddy get the shot into the woods.

A minute later I get a text from my buddy, "Wow!!! Got me a nice one".

Now I was really confused. I called it a night, and headed over the hill to give my buddy a hand. There he was on the edge of the woods, with a really nice eight pointer. His buck had come from the south, trotting through the middle of the plowed field. He took his first shot about 100 yards from the woods, the buck ran towards woods, stopped near the edge, and he took the insurance shot.

I think these two bucks were about to duke it out in the middle of the field!

His buck dressed out at 185.

[Chunkychuck]

Shot the one on the left at 5:10 PM on opening day. 8pt, 160#
Shot the one on the right at 7:45 on 11/16. 8pt, 208#

Party hunting, huh?

[ex-LT]

Shot the one on the left at 5:10 PM on opening day. 8pt, 160#
Shot the one on the right at 7:45 on 11/16. 8pt, 208#

Party hunting, huh?

Yep. There's 13 of us - all family. Up until a couple years ago, there were four generations - we're down to three generations now.

[Chunkychuck]

Shot the one on the left at 5:10 PM on opening day. 8pt, 160#
Shot the one on the right at 7:45 on 11/16. 8pt, 208#

Party hunting, huh?

Yep. There's 13 of us - all family. Up until a couple years ago, there were four generations - we're down to three generations now.

I've done it with does but the group I hunt with favors their buck tag.

[ex-LT]

Party hunting, huh?

Yep. There's 13 of us - all family. Up until a couple years ago, there were four generations - we're down to three generations now.

I've done it with does but the group I hunt with favors their buck tag.

Bucks only where I hunt, no management tags.