Tomorrow morning the orange army takes to the woods. I can't believe how fast the last year went by. Good luck to everyone Tomorrow.

I hope you can hit one this year, Pat. Good luck!

Maybe let Jen fill your tag Pat. We all know she is the better hunter anyway. My 2 shooters just got to camp about an hour ago and I have been cooking most of the day. The buck activity here has really increased in the last 24 hours and the first week should be good. It appears I need to break in a new rifle this year. My Neice laid claim to my old 300 H&H so I am going to test drive a stainless Remington 700 CDL in 7mm-08 tomorrow.

160 you been cooking all day? Don't give them food poisoning before they have a chance to get in the woods. I'm sitting this one out so send me a stick of summer sausage. Concrete grinder chewed my leg up a bit.

What? Dang, I hadn't heard that. Let me know if you need a hand with anything. I am a man of leisure now. Now that you posted this on a public forum I am sure the deer weenies will start arriving in your mailbox any day.

Dang Wheelers, that sucks! Hope you mend quickly!
Traffic heading north has been nuts the past few hours. Seems every other vehicle is pulling a camper or trailer full of 4 wheelers and/or UTV's. Our local gas station has been doing a brisk business in gas, groceries and hunting licenses. Not sure if I even want to go out in the woods tomorrow or not. Be safe everyone and good luck to those who do go out.

yes be safe everyone and good luck!anticipation is running high for me,always does

Thankfully, unlike trapping, my daughter, son in law and grandsons can come home and hunt with me.

This must be about the peak of the rut. What a great time to be gun hunting!

The activity has greatly increased in the last 24 hours. I am going 3/4 mile back into the swamp near my back property line and I REALLY hope I don't pull the trigger on one back there. If I do I will likely camp out and eat on it until it is gone.

Zero deer sign in our hunting area. I'm sure glad that I don't care if I shoot one or not!

Yes good luck to everyone. I have to hang the bow up for a week. I spend the time sitting with my daughter during the season while she carries the rifle.

They were all shot over the 4th of Jurly weekend. Grandpa always said we could shoot them in any month that had an "R" including Jurly and Aurgust.

That's interesting, my forefathers told me the exact same thing!

Day before deer season and I already had the first coyote shot up in a trap today. Hit it three times, not sure how many times he missed. Fun times!

Which is nice….

Osky

Good luck everyone!

I hope you all get a Shot at a Nice deer tomorrow
We have to hunt till 930...leave for Wisconsin for a funeral...be back in Minn for the evening sit.

Stay safe all

Good luck guys
I'll be hit it hard this weekend with archery equipment. Buck movement has been slower than expected here for this time of year but last couple days been seeing an increase and new bucks are starting to show up. Daylight movement still a little weak. Cold and rainy all day today. Broke for a couple hrs before dark so I got a little hunting in. Looks like rain most of the night clearing in the morning so maybe that will get them on their feet. Stay safe and make some memories. I want to see some pics tomorrow.

It is a balmy 19 degree this morning.

Holy Cow...it's 30° here and I thought that was bad.

I'm debating my decisions to walk past my old man shack to sit in a different tree stand.

Have a Great hunt this morning

Good luck today.

Good luck and be safe everyone,watched a double beam buck last evening.Hope one of the kids will have a chance at it this afternoon sit.

Wishing everyone a safe and successful hunt!

Was in my stand by 7;05 and had a buck walk by less than 10 minutes later but too early to shoot. Too dark to tell how big he was but maybe he'll meander on back sometime later today. Then had three does follow the same path as the but but still to dark to make a good shot. Would rather pass on a shot than take a chance on wounding a deer. It's opening day so have plenty of time left.

Not in Minnesota but had a good morning. After almost 24 hrs of moisture coming down deer were really moving thus morning. Light dusting of snow and about 32 degrees.15 to 20 does
And at lest 6 bucks maybe a couple more just could keep them straight. Deer in sight from first light until I left at 1030. One fight and all bucks moving the does around looking but no takers.

As we speak Governor Walz is across the road for the Minnesota Governors Opener. I sure hope he's careful and avoids Big Bertha, the black bear.

You're hunting the George Floyd Square unit, too?

Well if anything happens, I'll supply all the Tum's Big Burtha needs for a speedy recovery.

My house is directly across the street from the hunt zone.

I have not heard a single gunshot all day.

They are probably suppressing all the real hunters to accommodate Super Tim.

I'll help sharpening claws

Did they keep the spot secret like the fishing opener to avoid all the protesters?

Nothing new there, placed birds for his pheasant hunt a couple years ago,...good photo shoot,...he still wants your guns!

The exact spot, yes.

The location of Three Rivers Park Reserve, not so much. ~5000 acres within a few counties in the northwest metro offers a bit of hiding space.

I was really suspicious that I heard no shooting all day, so i did a little sneaking around. I found a very few hunters with the expected very few kills. Something was happening, but pretty selective.

Someone post a picture of a deer.
I forgot what one looks like
I've heard more poachers shooting over the years than I heard shots today.

Nothing in the Stribune yet about the whole Governor deer hunt fiasco. Not surprised as they have to carefully ride the fence on this one. Don't want to annoy the base by actually shooting a poor helpless deer, while pretending to the outdoor crowd that you really are one of them.

This has got to be one of the most quiet deer openers in this area I have ever heard. There was hardly any shooting at all. Deer are not moving very much here.

I'm actually at home on the Minnesota deer opener which never happens. But I had to bring this bowkill home from Iowa yesterday to put in the freezer before I turn right around and head to Kansas. It's the rut baby.

It was quiet here too. The three of us saw about 15 deer total, 5 of them small bucks. My Neice's boyfriend shot his first buck. No tracking and no dragging so did well by my account!

I seen one buck and 3 does, all well before legal shooting time. Very few shots right away in the morning then none the rest of the day. One of my neighbors blames in on wolves but it seems like it's been very quiet all over. Several hunters I talked to today said opener has never been this quiet in the past 40 years. Somethings up but I don't know what it is.

it's too warm. My cameras have been out for months and about two weeks ago they stopped producing pictures of anything.

My 7 mag was not quiet this morning,..nothing special, bur will serve it's purpose.
Not many shots heard today

My son and I tagged out.

Our group saw a spiker and another buck and a couple does. The decent buck was too fast. Shooting wise it was probably the quietest opener I have personally ever heard. I think it’s gonna be good later this week when I’m working. Happy trapping! ScottW

Good Deal

I saw a buck I would have shot...but it was on the neighbors land.
Then we had a funeral in Wisconsin left at 9 b ot back to hunt evening
No deer yet

This is the first opening morning in my 41 years of hunting that I've never a shot fired before legal shooting light! It was 22 minutes into the season before I heard a shot. Crazy how quiet it was!

I believe our deer numbers are down and we are being told otherwise . Lots of hunters out at night around here and no one cares . I know some that have thermal optics . thats all I will say about this

Deer Numbers are down in a lot of northern areas and the cost of going after deer is getting very hi. Processing costs for the average guy are getting nuts as well. The guys I know up here in the larger long standing deer camps have member numbers fading. A tradition is slipping by.

Osky

I drove to Scheels in Rochester yesterday morning on 90. Weather sucked and I didn't see any orange from hwy. On way home seen one guy looked to be hiking back to his truck. Did see someone hit nice buck with car by Saint Charles. That one no hunter get chance at.
It's first time in years I have gone to Rochester first ever to Scheels. The wife is one wanted to go.
Note to self. Never again on a weekend. I think all the hunters were at Scheels.

Mac

Awful quiet this morning too. Been seeing deer all summer but that's changed over the past few weeks. Full moon, wolves or what have you, things have been very slow. Good thing I put one in the freezer during our early season. We're allowed up to 8 deer in our area, 9 if you own more than 80 acres of farm land but think that's going to be extremely difficult to do even if you wanted that many. View from my stand this morning.

Filled my buck tag.

Yesterday was slow . Today wind gusting at 30mph with snow . This afternoon I think we'll try and ease into the downwind side of bigger wood's and see if anything is moving in the woods . Neighboring hunting parties are not seeing much either . Deer numbers are pretty good just not moving

Good job, Pat! I am only bowhunting this year but have been outside almost all day for the past two days and have not yet heard a shot. This is extremely rare here since I can hear shots for a long distance and have never had this happen on opening weekend. Weird.

Pretty quiet here as well. This one came by at 1:45 yesterday

I'm not up to it this year. I didn't have a place to go any way. I went for a walk in the woods today and didn't see a single deer nor did I hear any distant shots.

Every opener is different but I still enjoy them all. I chose heavy cover to spend my time in this year.



Even with the wind it was warm and cozy in the "Birch Tree".




And one of the little bucks that gets to grow bigger.

No one says you have to be miserable in a deer stand. The older I get, the more like like o be comfortable.

It appears that the deer here have gone pretty much nocturnal for a few days.

Nice looking rifle. A comfortable setup is great. My wife’s is large, comfortable, with a woodstove and comfortable chairs.

I have 9 enclosed and heated stands. I like being comfortable and that equals more time in the stand and more deer seen. The rifle is a Remington 700 stainless mountain rifle that I dropped in a CDL stock.

May camera confirms that for the most part.

I've seen a couple slow/early November's but this one has been horrible!.
We may be in for a horrible snowstorm in a couple days. If as predicted, my cabin may not be accessible.
Those thoughts were going through my head this afternoon while sitting.
I did grab my bow but refrained.
I hate pink but blaze orange is worsr.

Nothing like being comfortable in the stand.

To me, that's what's killing the deer hunting tradition.

I have spent my time in the swamp. knee deep in water looking for those huge swamp bucks. I prefer sitting in a dry stand with my boots off.

Zip again today but all was not lost as I found two road kill otter on the way home.

I have two new platforms and legs and enclosed stands built but did not get them installed. The newly diagnosed lousy heart problem slowed me down. I will be delighted to hunt any way at all to enjoy the fall.

Friday I saw a brute of a 10 point guarding a doe in high weeds. During one hour 5 other bucks cruised past. He stood up and put his ears back and each buck quickly moved on. His neck was so big it looked like his head is a bolt on!

Good luck to you guys in your gun season!

I am taking today off and cutting up deer and getting the plow hung on the truck.

Bucksnbears, please elaborate on your thoughts here.

I have ran myself ragged
I host family...and a Son in laws Dad who hunts with us.
He shot 7 times at a doe Sunday night at 400 yds.
Didn't go check for blood.
His Son and I went out later with lights..for 3 hours blood was good outside in field then dried up.
Yesterday morning my son in law and I went out again eventually jumped it with a wounded but not bad front leg. It got on to Neighbor s no go land..

MY Son in law said his dad was shooting a 300 Savage 180 gr bullets.
His Dad was at work 2 hrs away when we tracked Yesterday morning.

I myself passed on 1 doe last night ...saw a bunch on neighbors green field.

Really slow here. I blame the full moon. I've seen 2 deer and got one of them, nice eater doe.

Nope, it's actually the beginning of a new one for us! My wife and young kids couldn't be out there otherwise. I'm the one still sitting on the log rain or snow, daylight to dark. But I absolutely love the texts telling me what they are seeing from the heated tower. I suppose it's just a form of evolving within the tradition, not killing it. You still use a recurve in gun season?????

In my woods pretty much the same thing. All but one of the deer caught on camera between 11PM and 1AM. One doe showed up around 11AM.

I passed on a Doe last 3 minutes of shooting light. I scoped her until dark.

400 yards is a long poke for a 300 Savage 180 grain bullet.
My uncle shot a 300 Savage semi-auto with that heavy barrel. Very heavy rifle to tote around.

That must have been a model 81 Remington.

I can find out later this week when he comes up again to hunt...
I'm going to suggest a tight wooded stand for him

And to sight in on my range

There is a bunch that hunts my neighbors property the first weekend and shoot at any deer they see regardless of the distance. Did I mention it's a shotgun zone and they shoot open sights and empty the gun regardless. Their thoughts are they can increase their odds by putting more lead in the air and opening morning usually sounds like a war zone. Fortunately they only hunt the first 3 days.

There was a LITTLE movement today and hopefully this weather system helps. I didn't get to the stand until 2 but did see a buck at 2:45 and had several does and fawns come out to feed this evening.

He shot 7 times and never went to look for blood? And you’re letting him come back to hunt?

Nothing worse than hunting with a idiot.

aiming for the tree tops at that range

When did you learn to count?

We saw nothing today. I had 10 cameras out that I picked up today. There's almost no pictures in the last 10 days other than a few wolves.

I will be out again in the morning and may sit in heavy cover all day. I have not seen much sign of crazy rutting activity yet. I have seen bucks together and does that are still with fawns. I have yet to see a buck with much interest in does so it should only get better by the day.

No deer seen in the rain tonight...made doable in my Luckys blind

160 - the mountain rifle in the CDL stock looks great. I wondered, but thought nah it can’t be such a cool looking combination.

I did some mixing before too. Gave them to my son to enjoy. He sold them. If he didn’t want them, he should have said no thanks. My only remaining 700 is a LH stainless .300 RUM that came in a gray laminated stock. I waited awhile for that barreled action. I quickly sold the stock and have a super light Kevlar stock that makes the rig look great. That is a real shooter. The barrel seemed too long for handling and looks, but was to burn the powder and build speed. I had it cut so that after adding a muzzle brake there is a net loss of 3”. It only lost 30fps and did not change point of impact. With the brake it is too loud to shoot without ear protection.

Good luck to you and the other guys!

Didn't get out to my stand til mid day and only seen one squirrel. Left after dark and went over to a neighbor s and almost hit two deer about a block apart. No doubt they are moving after sundown. Hope to have better luck in the morning.

I have around 1,000 gun stocks so swapping furniture just seemed to make sense and I liked the way it looks. It had a good synthetic stock on it but I prefer wood.

I've still got cameras up. All the deer photographed are coming in at night.

I can tell y’all several hundred miles or more South, my cameras are going off all day. Our rut is starting and I have pics of does running and the next pic will be bucks on their tails. My cameras go off more during the day than at night now. We’ll see how this Tropical storm coming in the next day or so affects movement. I’ve told everyone I know that hasn’t gotten their buck yet to be in the stand as much as possible over the next 10 days or so.

When does the rut happen there?

November 1st is usually the time rut starts around here but warm weather and full moon seem to have effected things.

My daughter in law and grandson were sitting together opening morning when this guy stepped out.

I saw a small 8 pointer last night feeding with 2 does and 2 fawns. I may need to buy a ML tag this year for the real rut around the end of the month. I sat all day today and never saw a deer. I thought the rain may get them moving.

That’s awesome!! That kid is hooked for sure now!!

I sat with my bow for a couple hours until dark tonight and for the first time, I did not see anything. Nighttime activity on the camera, though.

That is one pretty buck! Congratulations.

I too thought the rain might get them moving too but didn't see a thing today either. Just have to keep trying I guess.

We saw deer 4 total today. Only one was during shooting hours, and it was very small. We still have 5 tags to fill and it's not looking good for us. Tomorrow is more rain, and I will stay home and finish butchering. I have even went on a couple walks this week to places that I haven't been to in over 10 years. It this keeps up I might have to break out the lucky rabbits foot, and a lucky gun.

I will be out in the stand in the morning for the day. They WILL move, it is just a waiting game at this point. There is lots of time left.

Grandson's first

Very Awesome

Browning SS Stalker 7mm Rem Mag / Hornaday Ammo 139 gr.Interlock bullet

Put this Chengwatona Buck down first shot running...a Blessed Shot.

330 - congratulations to your grandson and you!

160 - I prefer wood too! On my .300 RUM, the goal was a light rifle for hunting in some extreme country. Those specific adventures never happened, but others will. Plus it is still fun. You have 1000 rifle stocks? Are you a gunsmith or make stocks? I bet you have seen many interesting stocks.

Willie
That's snowpas Grandson
But Thanks!

I will vouch for him that he has a couple stocks.

Rain again this morning, getting kinda tired of hunting in the rain.

It’s really coming down now. Hit the shoulder and stay dry. 😜.😜

I just heard a freaking tree frog. The wind is alternately blowing south then north. I could probably see more deer from my living room chair today.

I'm taking my 83 yr old Dad out to the Old Man Stand this morning ...he wants to go out right after daylight and stay later in box blind.

Enjoy every moment- I now sit in that same box blind and miss him every day.

I don't know if I can when he's gone.
It will have to be with another Family member for sure. Son, daughter, Grandchild

The snow we got overnight really knocked the grass down and helped open another good stand location. I haven’t seen any deer yet but I did see a few flocks of blue bills departing the lake in the foreground. The divers use the small lake as a rest stop every fall. They’ll drop in and rest for an hour or so then continue on. I’ve also heard a couple flocks of golden eyes pass overhead. I couldn’t see them but I definitely heard those whistling wings. Good luck!

White hi-lighter for deer season...wooopeee

Well the deer are out a little in the daylight now. In the middle of big posted fields. Geese and swans really moving today.

I need a barrel stove! The deer still seem to be moving best mid day. I only saw 6 today and the only buck was a tall, narrow 6 point that will be good in a couple of years. The bears are still in the neighbors standing corn and took 3 more dumps by one of my stands in the last couple of days. They can go to bed anytime!

Does Minnesota not have a large deer population or is it because everyone feels the need to fill all their tags? We HAVE to shoot here to keep the population in check. All private land in our County. Actually most of South Georgia is all private land except for WMA’s scattered about, but even on the WMA’s you still see plenty of deer. Or at least when I used to hunt them I did. I stick to private land and save the public for those with no access to private.