DOR

[Spysar]

Since there was a Spysar thread, and an Autumn Ninja thread, I'd like to start a DOR, Muddy, and Bucky thread. I know there are a bunch more guys on this site that get it done. These are just the guys that are long time forum members that seem to get it done every year. All these threads have this same opening line, one thread for each guy...

I'm interested in the planning and execution of how you do YOUR hunting season. So DOR, what is your plan of attack? What is your style of big buck killing?

[Bucky]

DOR - more specific how do you go about hunting Western Big Game animals out of state. Do you use Huntn Fool or similar internet resources to pick locals/tag to apply 4? - Thanks -

Being an MN resident have you applied for the once in a lifetime moose tag in North MN? My college roommate shot a whooper bull up there last year after drawing the tag

[Dor]

My style is constantly evolving and appears to be very similar to Spysars. I wouldn't put myself in any one box so to speak. While I utilize some tactics similar to Dan's style of hunting I spend far more time (these days anyway) scouting and hunting on the fly and don't necessarily always have any one buck narrowed to his exact bed. I rarely ever hunt the same spot twice unless in the heart of the RUT. Most of my scouting is done during season and I really don't get into shed hunting or other INTENSE off season stuff much anymore. I simply build on the cummulative knowledge every year and use it to my advantage. A hunter NEEDS to put his time in to find spots but once you have them they can be filed away to build your "portfolio" so to speak. One can reach a point where he has more spots than time. Some years this applies for me, but with things going the way they are permission-wise this is getting rare(r).

I also believe firmly that if you aren't hunting out-of-state occassionally you are doing your whitetail IQ (and chances for MR BIG) a huge disservice. It forces you to re-learn what has gotten you on deer consistently and if that doesn't work you must adapt and add more feathers to your cap.

I have hunted Alabama, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, Wisconson, and Wyoming. Many years I hunted up to 4 states for Whitetails, but recently have started to focus a lot more on Western Game and this has taken away a lot of time/effort from the whitetail woods.

I reside in SE MN and our Big Buck density has gradually improved the last 5 to 10 years or so. I attribute this to most of the land owners locking down the hunting access while being poor to very poor hunters themselves. Michael Waddell has convinced them all that they are the next Myles Keller. While this sucks for access BIG TIME it has helped our trophy hunting. With that said, I don't have any prime property to myself, so I focus my efforts kind of in a buckshot manner. I look for multiple prime "areas" and either hunt the public adjacent or attempt to lock down permission (often overlooked small properties) in an attempt to intercept "overflow" big bucks off the restricted area. The more exclusive/restricted/larger a property is the more I focus on "skimming" off it. I'd rather hunt a small spot that has a lot of hunter pressure in an area that has Big Bucks than an area that has few big bucks and no hunter pressure. This is said all the time, but I feel few practice it in reality. They just keep hunting the same mediocre spots year after year.

This year I will be hunting MN, proven KS public ground, and will be spending 2 weeks in MT chasing Elk, Muley's and Antelope.


I probably have aimlessly wandered around enough for now.

[Dor]

DOR - more specific how do you go about hunting Western Big Game animals out of state. Do you use Huntn Fool or similar internet resources to pick locals/tag to apply 4? - Thanks -

Being an MN resident have you applied for the once in a lifetime moose tag in North MN? My college roommate shot a whooper bull up there last year after drawing the tag

I subscribe to Huntin Fool and Eastmans. From my experience these magazines are best used to find out where NOT to apply. The ones that are newly mentioned as BLUE ribbon or Top Rated etc... are typically inundated with applicants all of a sudden. We look again at bordering areas to the top tier units or areas that were once rated high and all of sudden fell out of the current years BEST list. From there it involves calls to the biologists, google map searches etc....similar to hunting whitetails out of state. After you use up your computer scouting it boils down to boot leather and of course there are never guarantees. Just have to stack the odds as heavily in your favor as possible.

I did the MN moose hunt in 2004 I believe. An absolute FANTASTIC hunt. My favorite ever probably. Hunted out of a canoe in the BWCA for 14 days starting OCT 1st. Almost died a few times but it was worth it. My buddy also drew a tag that year and we both were able to take great bulls. He shot his at 12 noon the first day. I shot my bull on day 14 (the last hour of the hunt) as we were heading out. I was also able to take a bear on that trip. I spent less than 600$ on the whole trip. It was a crazy intense hunt. I went in 175 ish and came out 153 lbs. I will post the story sometime.

[Hodag Hunter]

Don't hold back on tellin' the moose hunting story. Very very cool.

If I understand, it is only for MN residents and once a lifetime tag?

[Dor]

Don't hold back on tellin' the moose hunting story. Very very cool.

If I understand, it is only for MN residents and once a lifetime tag?

Correct! I'd give my left one to go again in MN. I will see i I can dig it up.

[Bucky]

Don't hold back on tellin' the moose hunting story. Very very cool.

If I understand, it is only for MN residents and once a lifetime tag?

Correct! I'd give my left one to go again in MN. I will see i I can dig it up.

Almost makes a guy want to move... nah, then I would be in Viking Country My buddy said it was one of the best hunts he ever did... he shot his in the first 3hrs of the hunt!




Supposely they got some funny looks when they got back to the cities

[Dor]

Nice! Now if we just could have traded those two 12 mile portages from the Canada line for a truck like your buddy! Nah, that'a ruined all the fun. Nice pictures!

[muddy]

That's a lot of freaking states man. I'd love to have the ambition to have hunted 1/4 of that many places.

[Bucky]

That's a lot of freaking states man. I'd love to have the ambition to have hunted 1/4 of that many places.

I thought I had an understanding wife! I have the drive to do it... but I would likely be divorced come December

[Dor]

That's a lot of freaking states man. I'd love to have the ambition to have hunted 1/4 of that many places.

I thought I had an understanding wife! I have the drive to do it... but I would likely divorced come December

She knew what she was getting into ahead of time. Not like it was a surprise. I made sure she new all this up front so she can't complain now. The year we got were to get married I way overdid it so everything after that year would be gravy for her . At least that's what I told her.

That year I hunted Bear in MN in Sept, Early Season Buffalo County in WI, went to Alaska for Caribou in Oct, went to IA for deer in oct/nov, hunted KS for deer in Nov, went late Nov WI gun season (the first and last time I'll ever do that)for deer, hunted MN deer sept-dec and then put the cherry on top with a Texas Hill Country Turkey/Deer hunt in January.

So, now a couple of extended trips a year don't seem so bad.

[Hodag Hunter]

That's a lot of freaking states man. I'd love to have the ambition to have hunted 1/4 of that many places.

I thought I had an understanding wife! I have the drive to do it... but I would likely divorced come December

She knew what she was getting into ahead of time. Not like it was a surprise. I made sure she new all this up front so she can't complain now. The year we got were to get married I way overdid it so everything after that year would be gravy for her . At least that's what I told her.

That year I hunted Bear in MN in Sept, Early Season Buffalo County in WI, went to Alaska for Caribou in Oct, went to IA for deer in oct/nov, hunted KS for deer in Nov, went late Nov WI gun season (the first and last time I'll ever do that)for deer, hunted MN deer sept-dec and then put the cherry on top with a Texas Hill Country Turkey/Deer hunt in January.

So, now a couple of extended trips a year don't seem so bad.

Holy crap.....how do you get that much time off of work?

[Dor]

Holy crap.....how do you get that much time off of work? [/quote]

I didn't use my roughly 4 weeks for anything else and working heavy on front and back ends of 2 week pay periods. can give me 8 or 9 day off periods in between.
Tie in a holiday here and there and it can be done.

[Beason]

Hey Dor, please do share your moose hunt along with strategy and tactics. I have and am still researching about moose hunting but would like to hear your thoughts and experience. My good buddy and I are in our 3rd year of applying for it so only time will tell...

[Dor]

Hey Dor, please do share your moose hunt along with strategy and tactics. I have and am still researching about moose hunting but would like to hear your thoughts and experience. My good buddy and I are in our 3rd year of applying for it so only time will tell...

Well this will you off then. I drew my second time applying and my buddy Nick drew his first time applying!

Our technique wasn't really complicated. We just covered a Ton of ground every day via canoe and tried to set up in as many Moosey areas as we could in a day and just blind called. It only worked twice in 2 weeks and we went home with two moose. It is kinda like rattling when it works it is phenomenal! I purchased a audio cassette on moose calling from Alex Guthro and camo'd up a pink cheerleader bull horn for a call and went after them.

Draw odds for the BWCA units were extremely high compared to the rest of the other units. No one wants to work at it from what I have heard. My friends who have hunted outside the BWCA have had some horrible luck with 4 wheelers and road hunters. Not what I think of when I think Moose hunting. The experience alone in the BWCA is worth the trip, moose or no moose!

Here is a link to Guthro's moose calling tapes. He now has a video series as well that is highly regarded I'm told.

http://www.alexgouthro.com/