Minnesota's Deer Season is Here!

Photo courtesy of Mike LentzAh Yes,  the time has come!  Deer season is upon us yet again.  A time where men put on the brightest colors that they will wear all year.  A gathering that for most carries a tradition explained only by those in camp.  Its the biggest hunting day of all Minnesota seasons, and met with much anticipation.  Is this the year of the big buck?  Most have dreams of it the night before, and hope that this just might be their year.  The laughs, the stories, the fun, and oh yes, the big buck!  Is there anything better than the Good Ol' Minnesota Deer Opener?

This Saturday, Hunters will fill the landscape covered in blaze orange.  What is the outlook?  It seems that we will have another great year of deer hunting in store.  Mild winters have kept the populations high, and we have a new look format for much of the state.  With the past few seasons allowing hunters to take up to 5 deer a piece, things have taken a turn in certain areas.  Some hunters may now take only 1 or two.  Many of the zones are now seperated into areas with different hunting seasons.  We no longer have different weekends available where we once hunted, instead it will be a 10 day season for most, and even longer for others.  But it just might not be such a bad thing after all.  When it comes down to our deer herd, it really falls on the shoulders of the hunters themselves.  What to shoot, and how many?

Photo courtesy of Mike LentzThe mindset of the Minnesota deer hunter is slowly evolving.  Not too often do you go to a deer camp any more where the motto is "If its brown, its down."  Hunters are longing to see Mr. Big walk in front of them, and have now taken it upon themselves to do what we call "Quality Deer Management."  They are no longer shooting the first deer that steps out on Saturday morning.  Some groups are only shooting the appropriate does to keep their herd healthy, and will only harvest a buck if he is mature.  While this isn't the case everywhere, many groups have adopted this hunting style, and are starting to see the results.  Instead of taking a fork horn buck, the hunter has taken a doe for the past few years.  Now these bucks that have survived the first year or two of life are starting to reach maturity.  What does this all mean for the Minnesota opener?  Well, it just might mean that you could have that trophy of a lifetime walk under your tree stand.

I love big bucks, I love watching deer and I love everything related to deer hunting.  Its one of my biggest passions in life.  I don't consider myself a trophy hunter, but I also don't consider myself a huge meat hunter.  If its possible, I am somewhere in between.  I like to hunt for the meat, and I get a thrill out of each deer I am fortunate to harvest, however I am very selective and really get jazzed when I see a brute walk out.  Does that make me a trophy hunter?  Not sure, but I am all for the new approach to deer hunting.  I would love to have more chances at big mature Minnesota bucks.  The fact is, it will take the "quality deer management" approach to allow this to happen more often, and it will take some time.  I'm not saying that you shouldn't shoot the deer that you want when it steps out, but I will make it a point that one cannot sit in camp wondering where all the big bucks are when the deer pole has 6 spike and forkhorns hanging from it.  That's what the guys at my camp do every year, and yet we have the same conversations year in and year out.  Where are all the big bucks??? Simply drives me nuts!

Like the last 3 years, I will take the same approach into this weekend.  If it's a trophy, then I'm gonna take the shot and love everything about it.  If not, I'm going to wait for a doe to keep my herd in check, and I'm going to love everything about her.  For me its all about the hunt and the fun, one of these days Mr. Big will step out, and its going to be very special.  Just maybe it will be this weekend.  Good luck this weekend!  May your deer hunt be filled with laughter and fun, and may you get the deer that you are after!

Travis Frank - Livin The Dream - Travis@mnbound.com