Doe Tag for the first time in years!

[Jackson Marsh]

[Dloat]

Wow, I did not know MN was so restrictive, why is that? I go out every summer to visit family out there and see them when I'm fishing a lot. Here in NJ we have some that are unlimited doe and others 9 or 5(random numbers I know!) I hunt a zone with one deer of either sex with bucks having to have atleast three on one side but we can take 3 total with a bow... fall bow, permit bow and winter bow seasons.

[Lockdown]

Wow, I did not know MN was so restrictive, why is that? I go out every summer to visit family out there and see them when I'm fishing a lot. Here in NJ we have some that are unlimited doe and others 9 or 5(random numbers I know!) I hunt a zone with one deer of either sex with bucks having to have atleast three on one side but we can take 3 total with a bow... fall bow, permit bow and winter bow seasons.

The DNR does not want us to have a lot of deer here in MN. Some might roll their eyes at that comment but it's the truth. In most areas numbers are low and so are the amount of doe tags they hand out. When the deer do rebound they open it up to intensive harvest and kill them all off again. It's been going on for years and the majority of Minnesotans are pretty sick of it. It's the reason why you never hear about MN when deer hunting is mentioned. It sucks because we could have great hunting but the DNR doesn't want that.

Keep in mind we're a party hunting state and a good portion or the state either has a lack of habitat or a wolf problem.

[isitseasonyet?]

Wow, I did not know MN was so restrictive, why is that? I go out every summer to visit family out there and see them when I'm fishing a lot. Here in NJ we have some that are unlimited doe and others 9 or 5(random numbers I know!) I hunt a zone with one deer of either sex with bucks having to have atleast three on one side but we can take 3 total with a bow... fall bow, permit bow and winter bow seasons.

The DNR does not want us to have a lot of deer here in MN. Some might roll their eyes at that comment but it's the truth. In most areas numbers are low and so are the amount of doe tags they hand out. When the deer do rebound they open it up to intensive harvest and kill them all off again. It's been going on for years and the majority of Minnesotans are pretty sick of it. It's the reason why you never hear about MN when deer hunting is mentioned. It sucks because we could have great hunting but the DNR doesn't want that.

Keep in mind we're a party hunting state and a good portion or the state either has a lack of habitat or a wolf problem.

Wolf problem is an understatement. They kill for fun in my area, not even to eat, just murder

[swampyak]

Was glad to see some areas up north be 2deer

[Lockdown]

Wow, I did not know MN was so restrictive, why is that? I go out every summer to visit family out there and see them when I'm fishing a lot. Here in NJ we have some that are unlimited doe and others 9 or 5(random numbers I know!) I hunt a zone with one deer of either sex with bucks having to have atleast three on one side but we can take 3 total with a bow... fall bow, permit bow and winter bow seasons.

The DNR does not want us to have a lot of deer here in MN. Some might roll their eyes at that comment but it's the truth. In most areas numbers are low and so are the amount of doe tags they hand out. When the deer do rebound they open it up to intensive harvest and kill them all off again. It's been going on for years and the majority of Minnesotans are pretty sick of it. It's the reason why you never hear about MN when deer hunting is mentioned. It sucks because we could have great hunting but the DNR doesn't want that.

Keep in mind we're a party hunting state and a good portion or the state either has a lack of habitat or a wolf problem.

Wolf problem is an understatement. They kill for fun in my area, not even to eat, just murder

I have a friend who said he sees more wolf tracks than deer tracks. They usually get 1-3 deer for their party of 10. All yearlings of course

[john1984]

I havnt hunted MN since 2001, but one of the current main big property I hunt has no doe tags available for the 4th straight year. Which kinda sucks, ,, but I do have current public close by that does have doe tags available.

[creepingdeth]

Locks right...it seems the DNR wants low numbers to keep disease outbreaks easier to contain. Deer hunting in this state is dang near like fishing walleyes...you better know what zone you are hunting.

[northeast beast]

i got spoiled here. When I was a kid you could get 3 tags and the deer were everywhere. 20years later and I wait 3 years for a tag. I do look for a good mature doe though much like I am looking for a buck. But I am not to picky

[317]

Congrats on the doe tag!
Concerning hunting does... I hunt Hilly, solid timber public land in Southern IN, there is Ag in the area, but nothing very close to where I hunt. Year after year I get what I need to feed the family and tend to at least see or harvest a nice public land buck..... That being said, I still feel like I should come across does more often.
I know everyone says to put yourself between bed and feed, but in these woods the food tends to be everywhere with browse being the main diet till acorns are on the ground...and oaks are everywhere.
Is there a preferred terrain feature someone might recommend to focus only on does? Saddles? ridge points? ect...?

[Nelson87]

I too have been thinking about how to fill a doe tag or two. We hear a lot about how bucks j hook and come to their bed from downwind, often before daylight in early season. I've been wondering if does have certain tendencies for bedding, such as regard to the wind, do they use the same bedding areas multiple days in a row ect. Has anyone had success hunting mornings close to doe bedding in early season? Not in it, but on a trail along a transition close to it.

The reason I'm asking is because of a spot I found while hunting around a lake last fall and then scouted this spring.

A wooded east/west ridge runs from private land and ends abruptly at the lake. To the north is a thick creek bottom that runs into the lake, and to the south is an overgrown field that the dnr mows strips through and plants food plots. The end of the ridge by the lake is fairly open, but it gets thick on top, and right on the edge of the thick stuff just over the top on the north side I found 13 doe beds.

A trail runs across the end of the overgrown field along the lake and cuts across the more open part of the ridge into the bedding. There's ag fields to the south, also there are numerous red oaks and some persimmons on the open end of the ridge.

I got this idea to slip in from the north (no ag fields to cross) really early in the morning, wade the creek all the way to the lake, then slip around the end of the ridge up to a tree that would cover the trail coming in. I would be within 40-50 yards of the bedding, which might be to close if something came in from a different direction and I didn't get a shot before it bedded down. However, depending on how I would set up I might be able to be out of sight at ground level, so I might be able to slip out if that would be the case.

Let me add that I wouldn't go in blind. If I decide to try it, I'll check the trail along the transition for use in the next couple weeks. Also I'll walk the entry route to make sure I can do it in the dark, pick a tree, and glass the oaks on the ridge for acorns.

Has anyone else had success on early season morning hunts close to doe bedding? Any certain weather conditions you would wait for to try this? As a newer beast I've never really set up close to known bedding of any kind, and filling a doe tag doing just that would be a great start to the season.

[cdeam]

^this sounds like a good idea. I think i would scout it for the preferred exit from the bedding area and hunt that in the afternoon, but the morning tactic you've got sounds good as well.

This conversation brings up an interesting concept. Beast training by hunting does. Others have mentioned the importance of killing smaller deer to sharpen skills for the moment of truth when sealing the deal could mean holding bone in your hands.

[isitseasonyet?]

Picked up my tags this morning, got a doe and a buck tag in my pocket! Next weekend can't come soon enough!

[Lockdown]

Picked up my tags this morning, got a doe and a buck tag in my pocket! Next weekend can't come soon enough!

I hear ya man!! I'll tentatively be out Sunday morning and if no shooters show the first hour of light, then a fat doe is fair game.

[isitseasonyet?]

Picked up my tags this morning, got a doe and a buck tag in my pocket! Next weekend can't come soon enough!

I hear ya man!! I'll tentatively be out Sunday morning and if no shooters show the first hour of light, then a fat doe is fair game.

Everyone else is complaining about heat, my forecast says a high of 62, a 10 degree drop from Friday! I'm getting real excited, and my trigger finger is ITCHY.