First, the gun range is not anywere near CRD 70, did you mean 14?

And having been a member of and lived withing a few miles of said range and traveling back and forth along 14, 70, 95, and all the other roads in between for several years as dated a girl and then purchased her parents house a few miles north of there I can state without doubt, That you did not see 200 deer in a combination of 3 fields in that area.

With a post like that you have lost ALL possible credibility with me and therefore I will be taking any further posts with not only a grain of salt, but a spoonfull. And mabe a beer and a shot before responding again.

had best year ever last year 8 deer 4 in wisconsin. 3 bucks!

Sorry bud, didn't mean to drive you to drink...LOL, Drive safely.

Last year right before spring after the last snow my Mom-N-Law came to visit. We took her for a ride down 47 to 8 then back west to seven then went South.
There were deer everywhere! There's so many roads that have different names.
Heck I can't explain how the roads are named here. So I believe we were driving seven and came to an intersection at 28 and bam, a deer explosion!. I have never seen anything like it. It was like God just opened the grounds and deer poped up. So we traveled going towards Wallyworld I believe it's 70 back by the gun range between ST Francis and Elk River and the deer were thick the whole way! Instead of going towards Wallyworld we took another turn and went back North to see alot more deer.

That just made my life's experience of traveling the backroads alot more enjoyable. There's also a company back around there that is secluded by a few hundred acres that may harbor hundreds of deer[just a hunch] I believe they detonate bombs sometimes. I was going down their driveway and the sign said do not enter, so I dunno.

Anywho, we counted and estimted 180-200 deer that day..It was around 5pm.
maybe a once in a lifetime experience, and I wish I had proof. but between Farmer Jones place and the other road going back North 200 deer there. It was myself and 3 others that will be glad to testify.

You know between the range being secluded and that bomb factory being off limits..yeah, there's lots of 'em prolly dieng from old age and passing some very good genetics down.

We tried to get permission last year to hunt the ponds down there but was told by the owner that was off limits. Lots of Geese too!

Stay away from salt, IMO it's not good for you...LOL Happy hunting.

Awesome! we usually take 8 too. We have a place up in Chippewa NAT Forest near Marcell MN. Usually we have 5 to 8 friends and family.
Last year we only got 1 half decent buck, but heck yeah, it's all good.
Get the meat pole ready, Sept. bow hunting is coming soon,
....4 more months!

Ok, That's different. The area you are refering to is owned by ATK in Anoka county. Off limits to everyone but the military. I was under the impreasion you were talking about ICSC. My mistake.

Yes, the area you are refering to has a huge amount of deer, but they are unhuntable and therefor not kept in check.

Geesh.......... that's what I'm talking about,
all of the roads in MN have the same name! They're cut off by land sectioning and then are continuous. Where I lived for 40 years one road had one name. Heck I can't explain it. One thing is for sure, I'ts hard to get lost because the roads are North South East West...I think.

Thanks for the additional info. I wonder what would happen if a person got caught hunting over there?...LOL I always see a few good 10 pointers hanging out there. I have seen the sheriff spotlighting numerous times, and have seen him talking with farmer Jones during the day.
Wonder what he's looking for?....LOL
I have seen some local Goose hunters over at his farm though.

Thanks Again

No he is refering to the area northeast of Elk river. The bomb area he is tlaking amount is owned by 3M. Plus the gun range, there is also the Girl Scout Camp that incomposes a large tract of land and Cargil has some big chunk of land in that area also. Most of this is btween Elk River and Zimmerman east of Hwy 169. And yes there are a ton of deer in that area all sticking there tongues out as you drive by laughing since most are untouhchable.

And back on subject I shot 3 deer last year. We love our Vennie!!

ok now I'm getting some good info. These areas that harbor deer without hunting them. Just blowing them up with bombs>>>LOL
Seriously though,
This dispells some myths for me. There's no if and's or but's.

That when the state does a wide sweep to eradicate a few hundred deer to stop diseases. They do so without true science. It's just random culling.

That when saying- baiting causes deer to interact with each other
and that doing so causes them to spread diseases so baiting should be stopped. I now know, that's a load of bull-ogney. Deer NATURALY herd together.

Both are not conclusive for scientific study. They're statements and personal opinions that are said over and over until it becomes truth.

Deer, as with any other animal must be kept in check to control disease and habitat. Heck MN is doing both, paying farmers to Grow natural areas, and up to last month culled [not hunting],
culled an additional Thousand Plus deer to ensure TB is stopped.

Hunters need to study the facts. There needs to be an EXTENDED HUNTING SEASON. Why taxpayers should have to pay for sharp shooters and extra habitat is beyond me.

It would be a no brainer. Make an additional week and an additional permit available. Not saying wipe them out, it's just management opportunity being wasted from stupididity.

I don't think an extended season would help. Most people just are not shooting more then one deer.

Shoot more deer!!!

This may upset some, but maybe the state should legalize cross-bows and scopes on muzzleloaders.

I feel this would improve the kill rate, and may put some more people in the woods.

To the topic and because tedl raises a good point;):

I think the donation program was the best thing to be created in a long time and could have gone a long way to increasing the harvest where its needed.

I think the biggest reason people don't shoot as many as they can is the processing afterward. Too costly to take several in and too time consuming in a cold garage to do many yourself.

I for one hit the wall at 3. It has to be a monster to shoot after that. But my family does help out and we'll eat em all.

Last year was a bummer year for me for a number of reasons and I took only 1 doe out of the 26 deer I saw on stand. The two years prior, I took 3 and 4 deer with sightings in the 70-80 range.

Much of the downturn was attributed to lower population in zone 4. I hunt all the zones each year and that one has had a noticable decline for the last couple years while others have maintained or increased slightly.

Not sure if equipment is the answer. I'm out there from Oct through Dec with whats legal now. A crossbow would probably bring out alot more archers, but man, what an outcry that would start. Then late season just gets tough with the weather.

There just aren't alot of people who crave venison THAT much and have the resources to deal with it all.

I know I lost the 'I'm done' cred.

Why wouldn't it?
I know for a fact being an experienced out of state hunter for years, that I came here for one reason. That reason is no longer in the top 10. MN used to be the creme of the crop when looking for trophy bucks. Due to loss of habitat and overpopulation it has brought the herd some undue stress, namely smaller bucks and disease. Now the DNR has been culling them in certain areas. It wasn't hard for them to cull over 1000 additional deer in just 2 months because they were in there thick as thieves. I believe it was 6-8 sharp shooters. Now to get that Monster Buck it entails much from a hunters patients

Who are these most people that are not shooting more deer? The ones with limited freezer space? No time for an extra day in the field from being such a short season? No gas money to get to a new area? No money for an all season tag?....[I bet that one's gonna change, and change the stats]...QDM managers have their fingers crossed. I would even venture to say that some of those people are unaware that there is an overabundance. Who would dare tell the hunters that? Not the insurance company....LOL, cha-ching. Rates going up again sir, we know you're gonna nail one soon, the total deer population just hit 1,500,000.1/2. LOL

They do not have an equasion for the hunters that don't shoot any deer?
What's that percentage? Thank God MN allows party hunting.

And using dogs. Hunters have given in to much.

You didn't find my overpopulation theory as for being a necessity to kill more deer?...LOL, j/k

I won't donate again until MN does their testsing for lead as they should. Taking brains, spines, eyeballs, and bloodshot meat and mixing it together with consumable meat is what got the donations thrown in the trash. What they usually do is send samples to Iowa. And Iowa found no lead in their own tests. The ground meat MN tested showed no lead, the whole cuts unprocessed did. They said it was destined for food shelves, but not weather it was or wasn't processed. I know it wasn't because I sent letters to both GOV Pawlenty and the DNR comissioner.
I see your point in proessing though. It's spot on.

In zone 4 your view is only in the 25% range. 75% of all other hunters view it just the opposit. The new regs will indicate that with a new extended season, instaed of 4 days it'll be 9.

As far as crossbows what's the big deal? Just because they look like a gun?
Heck some modern compond bows can shoot faster. Bowtech 82nd Airborn, and PSE X-Force to name a couple. Either way with them all including Muzzleloader with or without a scope you get 1 shot. With a scope, it's more ethical.

Your posts are getting easier to read. Thank you.

I don't disagree with everything you write, it was just the way it was thrown in our faces like we knew nothing.

The crossbow question: The archers in this state have always revered the fact there was little competion in the woods for their season. It was, and still is to some extent, a peaceful time to hunt and a chance to perfect a craft they loved.

You had to put time in with your equipment to be effective.

Fast forward to the new evolution of archery with the fast compounds and super tuned equipment that shoots a great group at 20 yards right off the set up bench. Thats about the time I came into the deer/bow hunting picture along with thousands of others to compete for ground in this peaceful sport. Not to say one needs no practice, but its alot easier to be dialed in these days. (I started shooting long bows when I was a kid at carp and gophers).

Add crossbows = Even less craft required and more people picking them up because it is easier. Not saying its wrong, but I think its an accurate prediction.

It leads to the deteriorization of the unspoiled one on one hunt that some of us require to keep our sanity. Alot of folks up here are in it for the HUNT and not just the SHOOT.

Archery just seems to carry a different attitude.

That's my view North, anyway.