Tadmdad wrote:bigwoodsmn wrote:Tadmdad wrote:http://www.bigwoodsbucks.com/Gallery/Articles/tabid/67/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/101/Boundary-Waters-Canoe-Area-Wilderness-Dream-Hunt.aspx
For those who have never done a wilderness whitetail hunt, this is a good article that captures the essence of this type of hunt. It is not for everyone, but for some......it is food for the soul.
What a great article! Thanks Tadmdad. Stu Osthoff also runs a quarterly periodical "The Boundary Waters Journal" and he shoots a big woods buck every year. Not all of the bucks are in the BWCA but on the border. He has been guiding an archery hunt in the BWCA the last few years also.
The periodical is for canoeists, kayakers, hikers, skiers, campers, fisherman etc. Plenty of Minnesotans that use the BWCA don't hunt. But Stu makes sure to write an article every winter or spring about his hunts. He's an Elk guide in September out west and an expert BWCA fishing guide. I bought a 5 year subscription initially because he writes that annual article on deer hunting. Also, for folks that buy a 3- or 5-year subscription, you can send him the topo map of your trip and he will mark the fishing opportunities in the lakes you're paddling through.
Yes, Stu is a nice guy and a good writer, have stopped into is camp on the little Sioux a couple of times when we get over that way. The picture with this article, Stu is in the back, and Nathan from Sault Ste. Marie is in the front. Nathan has become a good friend over time, and becoming a good bigwoods hunter in his own right. Don't remember how many times Nathan called asking questions before they went on this hunt. We know the Cummings/Bootleg lake area pretty well, good buck country.
With a late MN opener this year (11/9) should be good timing for this years hunt. Think we are packing in on 11/7 for a week in the BWCAW. Been chasing a ol' boy for 3 seasons, time for him and I to dance again.
Maybe you'll get that dance!
11/9 MN opener is awesome. It opened up really good dates for my other hunts.
I've only emailed Hal and Stu a couple times each. With Stu I just asked a few general things about BWCA hunting. I've winter camped/kayaked/canoed in there. Hal and I talked strategy about areas I hunt and about some tracking he does out west.
I tracked a couple bucks in an area 25 miles from Cummings during Muzzleloader two years ago. The days were short but picking up bucks near cutovers early AM worked. One of the days I took the first fresh track I found near food and that doe led right to a fresh big buck track. The bucks I tracked took me on a short 2 mile walks in a 1 mile radius... but the snow was spotty -- spent too much time looking for the track in the spotty areas. I think the next time I realize a buck is circling I might send someone back to where the buck was bedded - where the track started. We haven't had very good snow the last few years. Still-hunting has been a great time. I shot my biggest buck at about 15 yards in 2010.
My wife drew a wolf tag during the MN gun season so that may put a different twist on the season.