What'd you take deer hunting this year?

[JeffB]

LOTS of them over here between Hudson and Menomonie, as many if not more than in recent years. My cameras are loaded up. Wife hit a doe last week headed to work in Hudson in the AM, sees deer almost every day. 6 different bucks on our 2 cameras 50 yards apart in the last 2 weeks, plenty of does as well.

Will be using my grandfather's old Winchester 100 .308, for nostalgia sake. Inherited it a few years ago when he passed away. They lifted the shotgun-only restriction over here finally.


250 yards from our house in our woods. This guy is here regularly.

[gbono23]

I hunt with a Glenfield Marlin 30-30.

We ended up getting a nice 6 point, and a large doe, for the two of us. Nothing was moving Saturday, too windy and snowy, Sunday we saw a few, got one. Monday saw a few and got the other.

[smurfman]

Hunterfreakhd- that's it, thanks. I can never remember the Intensive Harvest name for some reason.

Fawn numbers were good in the area I was hunting, over the summer I saw many twin fawns and a few triplets. The number of single fawns was small as it usually is, maybe 10% of the doe numbers at the most. I usually end up shooting yearlings as they don't have fawns but this time it was an adult doe. I will be out in the morning attempting to fill my last bonus tag before heading back to the cabin.

Deer numbers in the area are about the same as always at the cabin but my property has had few deer all year for some reason. I think it is mostly the age of the woods as we had much of it logged several years ago. With the aspen still less than the diameter of one's wrist, they are still pretty packed making movement difficult. The trails are a bit wide for concealed movement too so the deer tend to avoid the property now.

I think the wolves had something to do with it too as they did not move on in August/September as they usually do. The wolves den and raise their young within a quarter mile of the cabin door so they are a pretty constant sight for a couple months from July to September. Then they roam their territory and it may be a week or ten days before they end up back around.

This year they seemed to be around all summer and fall which probably kept the deer a bit on edge. I gather this based on fewer deer sightings either in person or on camera with most of the pictures being at night. this is pretty common when wolves are around and it has been occurring all summer and fall. I'm sure this relates back to the killing of one of the wolves last summer and the problems with livestock depradations which later happened followed by the taking of three more wolves to counter. My guess is the Alpha male was killed first followed by a couple older but subordinate pack members. this left the pack weakened and unable to hold the full territory. They were then forced to a smaller home range until they either build back strength, are assimilated into another pack, or die off.

[FJ540]

We're in the southern fringe of the wolfs range, and deer numbers are down according to everyone I've talked to up here and slightly further North.

Put a button buck down tonight with the 300blk. Misha saw 5 deer this morning but couldn't connect with any.

Tomorrow will be the last day of lower pressure here. Everyone and their cousins will be in the surrounding properties Sat/Sun.

[yukonjasper]

Early '80's Rem 7400 30-06 - 165 grain bear claw Trophy bond bullets - wear on the barrel for this deer season was minimal - two shots to make sure the scope was still on but otherwise silent as I watched 3 doe and 6 grouse - the grouse may have yeilded more meat

Just got word the the state forest land that boundaries us will be logged off - probably before next season, so we'll see some change in the old growth forest and I hope a spike in deer population. We have a local farmer till and plant for cattle and horse feed with the final turn over of the summer being clover to add back some richness to the soil. This year was part of the 6 year cycle which did not include the clover, so mostly deer just moving through the area or browsing natural forrage off the fields. the stand I hunted was in the forest not overlooking the fields.

This morning a spike buck was shot out of the stand I was in last weekend. Right time right place.

[smurfman]

I'm heading back north in a couple hours and may switch up the guns a bit. The 7mm/08 will make the trip as my bad weather gun as the similar Savage 116 in 375 H&H had its scope taken off and I haven't sighted it in with a new one. I might replace the 700 with a CZ 550 Magnum in 416 Rigby. I haven't shot anything with it and it should get blooded. It is surprisingly accurate and as I plan on sitting on my butt most of the time, the weight won't be much of a factor. I might replace the 308 with it slightly older brother, a 1950 Model 70 in 30/06 with peep sight. The cover at the cabin is so thick that even 30 yard is a long ways. I should just take the slug gun and call it a day but there are other toys that need to get used at least occasionally.

[yukonjasper]

Seems like alot of you guys bring multiple firearms with them, that is new to me, but I guess there is are conditions that call for different types of weapons in different calibers. Its not typical with my group and those I grew up with. Usually you have your deer rifle and that's it - no need for a back up or several along for the trip in case I...........whatever. Interesting. Maybe I should be taking the '50's vintage model 94 in 30-30 along for close shots that only work with open sites. Something to think about............

[smurfman]

Firearms are like sheep, they know when they are alone and don't like it. If something on a gun is going to break, it will while out hunting and one does not have a second gun along.

I have a stainless steel/synthetic gun to use on wet days as I have had a blued steel and wood gun get pretty wet and then have issues with the wood swelling and the metal rusting. If it looks to become wet, that gun comes outside to play.

The others are guns I've picked up here and there and haven't had a chance to use them yet. I collect some models of guns and I like to shoot them on occasion. My favorite was an original Winchester 1876 in 45/60 I picked up. Not everyone carries loaded ammo for it, especially loaded with black powder, but MidwayUSA had it. I didn't get a chance at a bear with it but I did take a doe that fall. Great fun and I hope to get it out again someday.

[Holland&Holland]

Rem 700 in .270 (though not sure why, played mostly camp support this year for the kids). 150 gr Fusion

Oldest son Axis .308 (took a doe). 150 gr Fusion

Youngest Handi-Rifle youth model .7mm08 (took big mature doe and a smaller one) 140 gr fusion

Back up gun Ruger Minni-14 in 6.8 SPC cause it is stainless rugged and all 3 of us can shoot it. 120 gr Fusion

Drying Jerky right now , truck is packed to go up early tomorrow and try for a Buck.

[Deputyhiro]

Seems like alot of you guys bring multiple firearms with them, that is new to me, but I guess there is are conditions that call for different types of weapons in different calibers. Its not typical with my group and those I grew up with. Usually you have your deer rifle and that's it - no need for a back up or several along for the trip in case I...........whatever. Interesting. Maybe I should be taking the '50's vintage model 94 in 30-30 along for close shots that only work with open sites. Something to think about............

I agree. When I tell people I hunt with a pistol, they ask me if I brought my shotgun with too. Why, silly?

[crbutler]

I don't usually bring both in the stand with me, but in the interests of not losing hunting time by having to drive and get another gun, I always bring multiples on "away" trips. Heck, I will bring 2 shotguns with me duck hunting- identical guns. I don't want to tempt fate in to messing with me...

[FJ540]

So say you trip coming in in the dark, the next day you miss an easy shot: now what? Are you going to re-zero in camp and pretty much ruin the area for half a day?

Having a spare is just smart.

I don't bring two rifles into the field, but I will change guns depending on where I hunt. Public land offers 300+ yd shots, where my land typically won't break tripple digits (one scenario does, and it's not ideal hunting).

[armedwalleye]

Third year in a row with a Browning Micro LH A bolt in a 7mm-08, but today brought the LH Browning A bolt 7Mag synthetic/stainless due to the crappy weather.

[UpNorthSavage]

I used a MMR Tactical 5.56 with 60gr Nosler Partitions backed by 20.9gr IMR 4198. The wife used a DPMS Oracle 5.56 with the same rounds. I took a doe and a fawn and the wife took a doe. All deer were one shot kills with no tracking needed. My father used my Tika T3 in 25-06 to take a spike buck just this afternoon. Lots of processing ahead.

[JoeH]

Daniel Defense 300 Blk with Leupold VXR Patrol 3x9 shooting Barnes 110 TTSX


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