Tracy and I have just gotten back from our bear and deer hunt in northern Minnesota.This is a hunt we look forward to alot.We go up and hunt with Brian and Todd Johnson,these guys have become great friends over the last 7 years.Just to let you get a feel for the terrain up there,here are a few pictures of the country side.
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnpond.jpg)
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnbrianfarm.jpg)
We stayed near the big city of Leonard
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnleonard.jpg)
Which had great roads.No the roads are not as bad as the sign says,at least not this time of year.
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnroadsign.jpg)
More pictures and hunting stories to come,just as soon as I can con Tracy into putting up more pictures.There were alot of firsts on this trip.Tracy got her first and second traditional deer. Two other friends got their first bear with their recurves,and I got to test out some new VPA broadheads.
Bill
After bear hunting for 6 nights and not seeing anything (due to the hot weather), I decided to put the bear behind me and deer hunt in the morning and evening. On the first evening of deer hunting two yearlings came into the alfalfa field around 6:30 (the second picture on the first post was taken from my stand). I was so nervous thinking I might actually get a shot. I waited anxiously for them to come my way. After milling around for awhile the one came into range (about 15 yards). My heart was pounding so loud, I am suprised they did not hear it. I knew I had to bear down and pick a spot to make the shot count. I made a heart shot on this deer, and it ran about 30 yards. The other deer came around to me and I took a shot at it also, but I was so worked up I missed low. The only thing that could have made it a better expierence would have been to have Bill in the stand with me. I called Bill right away and told him my exciting news. I stayed in the stand waiting for one of the other 25-30 deer to come into range, but they never did.
Tracy
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/firstdeer.jpg)
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnfirst.jpg)
:thumbsup:
Alright Tracy!!!
wow!!! nice deer tracy.
SWEET!! Great job!
Brett
Awesome! Great shot, nice deer.
The MN hunt started very well for me.The first evening of bear hunting I saw a fat little bear with a beautiful coat.He came sneaking in just befor dark.I have so much respect for these animals,so gorgous and stealthy!After the little bear got his fill, I snuck out.The next day Brian Johnson and I put up another stand at this bait sight.We snuck it back into a spruce tree for great cover and a little help with some scent control.
I hunted at another sight the second evening and at 5:50 pm a nice bear came in.He looked around,circled the bait and made a hasty retreat.The wind was swirling slightly so he may have gotten a snoot full of me.The bear did not seem to be spooked though.I was certain the bear would be back before dark.I was wrong.The next day was the opening of MN deer season, so the plan was to hunt deer in the morning and bear in the evening.
The first morning of deer season I was tucked back between two marshes on an oak flat.Just after good day light I noticed a huge bodied deer heading my way.I could not see if it was a buck or a doe,but I knew it was going to be the first to experience a vpa broadhead, if it came close enough.It turned out to be a very nice buck.Even better I thought, as I reached to turn on my video camera.Thats when I found out I had left it on all night,after sharing the video of the bear from the day before.So much for the video.There was no way I was going to let this big boy walk.A soft grunt stoped the buck for the shot.He looked right at me when I grunted, so I had to wait for him to look away before I could draw.The shot was good.It hit the buck just at the back of the shoulder,center punching a rib on the entrance side,and passing through.
After calling Tracy to let her know what had happened,I sat back to enjoy the moment.The blood trail was an easy and short walk.
Bill
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnbillbuck.jpg)
Way to go Tracy! Congratulations!
Nice buck Bill!
Congrats Tracy on some FIIINNNE table fare!!
Congrats Bill on a NICE buck.
Little did I know the morning was not over for me!About 30 minutes later in walks 3 fat Minnesota does.One of which stood broadside about 20 yards behind me.Now this stand was not ment for anyone to shoot a 60" longbow behind it.However, after using a close limb to lean out and rest my knee on I had plenty of room to shoot behind the stand.The big doe never knew what hit her.She only went 30 yards before expireing.If there would have been a need to track the doe it would have been awful easy.The blood trail was more than ample.
Bill
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnbill1doe.jpg)
Way to go Tracy and Bill :thumbsup:
With a few deer on the meat pole,it was time to get back to the bear hunting.Tracy and I were not the only ones who had more than a little luck.There were 8 deer and 2 bear taken by the 4 traditional hunters in camp.Man,I love Minnesota.More tomorrow.
Bill
Nice shooting Tracy and Bill. Did you use the VPA broadheads? I like those red eyes Bill.
MARK
Way to go Bill and Tracy!! That last doe looks BIG!!
The red eyes appear when I have a devious thought.Yep, I used the VPA 250 grain 1 1/8" cut.After going through a third deer It hit a rock.The broadhead only had a small nick in the blade,which came out fairly easy while resharpening.I dont want to sound like a commercial here,but there was actualy dust from the busted rock on the broadhead farrel.Im sure the 640 grain arrow had more than a little something to do with the busted rock. Im very happy with the broadheads.
Bill
Sometimes a change of plans is just what the doctor ordered. Congrats on a great hunt and great shooting you two. I've been going through the same bear dilemma due to the warm weather. Baits were finally hit again a week ago for 3 successive nights but nothing for the last couple.
Sounds good on the VPA's the 175's are heading to the woods with me on Saturday if it ever quits raining over here in Erie.
Very cool guys. Now you have me wanting a Zipper bow.
:thumbsup:
Great Job! Gee I wish my hunting partners looked like Tracy! Mine are all crusty old guys.
Congratulations on your hunts!
GLENN
Well Done......
Awesome! Great job, you two...
Awesome guys!!Congrats. :thumbsup:
Fantastic. Great Job
AWESOME!!!
Great job Tracy. That smile tells the whole story. Congrats
Nice MN buck and fatty doe. She is a tank and he isn't any shrimp.
Got any pictures of that blood trail. My brother has already been salivating about getting his broadheads and putting them to use.
Chris.
We weighed the buck back at camp he was an even 200# field dressed.The pictures hardly do him justice.We may have some pictures of the blood trail,I know we have some video of it.Tracy's second doe was also very large.I do have my third deer on video.Those stories will come this evening.
Bill
Thats some good shooting guys. :thumbsup:
Congrats! After looking at that picture of you and Tracy, all I can think is that there must be slim pickings for husbands in Ohio :p
Congrats Bill and Tracy! Looks like a lot of fun. Minnesota is where its at for sure. Love those northwoods...
Looking forward to hearing the rest!
congrats all the way around,great job! :clapper: :clapper:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Very nice!!!
Congrats to you both!!! :clapper:
nice deer...I'll be back that way next week and hope I'm just a tiny bit as lucky!!!
Super! Congrats to you both~!!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats to you both Tracy and Bill
Weel done!
Ooops, Well Done :banghead:
Norbert :clapper: Just remember I owe you one.
Bill
Congrats guys! Sounds like an awesome hunt being able to hunt both deer and bear on the same hunt...very cool!
Beachie, now that was mean!!!!!
You know Bill has all his teeth- what else could Tracy do but marry the poor fella?
Kind of like me and my wife- we have a Sophia Loren/Carlo Ponti sort of a thing going too...and I'm not Sophia by the way.
Tracy and Bill, congratulations! Beautiful country and fine critters.
Great job Bill and Tracy!!!!!! I hope you guys got some good footage on camera! Give me a ring!!!!
Yea John we have 2 deer taken on video and one bear.I think Tracy is going to edit them tomorrow.If she is able to get them done, Im sure if you were to ask her she would probebly post them for me.
Bill
Now back to the hunting stories. After a couple of more days of waiting on a bear,and the temperature rising as the week went on, I final got tired of feeding the mosquitos and looking at the same patch of ground.Speaking of mosquitos that is a problem we have never had up there.One more unappreciated perk of the 80 some degree weather.So, 5 more evenings of no bear sighted for me or Tracy we decide we had had enough bear hunting.We would now concentrate on deer.
Since Tracy was able to get her first recurve deer and I was not there to enjoy it with her, we decided we would set up a ground blind between two round bails in the alfalfa field she got her little deer in.She would hunt in the blind and I would video from the stand.AHHH wait I had better let her tell that story!
How about this one.On another deer hunt Tracy and I were hunting about 100 yards apart on an oak flat.An hour after good day light 2 big does came through the oaks about 40 yards from me.They seemed to have a destination in mind and were in no mood to pay attention to my pleading calls to come closer.The does wasted no time moving on.
Another hour and a half passed and no sign of movement except the ever present chickeries(?) and several squirrels.Just then a nice doe comes into sight.She was picking up acorns and eating green leaves.Once I got my camera on her and she fed into a broadside position,about 20 yards from me, I decided to take the shot.In less time than it takes for me to spell it the arrow went through both of her lungs.She was very determined to get away from what ever it was that had just stung her side and made it out of sight.I knew it was a good shot and she would not be able to go far.
Just then another even larger doe come into view.She was following the trail of the first doe, which took her strait to a blood soaked arrow with a bright shiny lumanock still on.You can imagine how she reacted to that.She was very alert and cought me moving the camera to get her framed up for a shot.After some head bobing and stomping she decided she had better leave.Just before her vitals got behind some brush I gave a soft bleat to stop her.That is when I relearned a lesson I have been tought several times.AIM LOW WHEN SHOOTING AT ALERT DEER!Since I did not aim low I was left with nothing except a broadhead that needed to be resharpened.That Minnesota ground is rocky.
I waited another hour and afther getting Tracy from her stand.We tracked the doe that I shot.She managed to make it a good 70 or 80 yards before collapsing.
Bill
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnbill2doe.jpg)
As Bill started to tell you already, the next morning we moved two round bales closer together and sandwiched a ground blind between them. I was a bit nervous about doing this the same day I was planning to hunt there, but Brian assured me we would get away with it.
Bill sat up in the tree stand I had hunted out of the night before to video my hunt. We were about 25 yards apart. It was later when the deer started to trail out in the field than the night before, after 7. Bill seen several deer coming out behind me, but I could see deer coming up the fence row between Bill and I. So, I motioned to him the deer were coming in.
I think there were 7 deer total, and they were definitely nervous about the moved hay bales. Three does had come into range for me, and the closest one was not going to stay long. She was doing the head bob and weave. She turned to go back the way she had came from and I knew it was now or never. The doe gave me a hard quartering away shot. Fortunately, I remembered to aim low. My arrow hit her right where I wanted. She was still dropping when the arrow got to her and went through her lung up into her spine. There was no trialing this deer, she dropped right there.
Two days two deer.
Tracy
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mntracydoe.jpg)
Here are some pictures of the other two traditional hunters in camp.Both are good friends from home.We were glad to be there for there first traditional black bear hunts.First is Greg Manning.He got his bear the first evening and his buck the 4th evening.Greg also got a doe he did not get any pictures of.
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mngregbear.jpg)
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mngregbuck.jpg)
Next is Sam Kelly he got his bear on the 3rd evening and a doe on the 5th evening.It was very warm so he already had her skinned out to cool before we could get any pictures of her. Sam did get his bear hunt on video, hopefully I will be able to use the footage on the website.
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnsambear.jpg)
Here is a picture of a bear den Sam and Greg found while tracking another bear.
(http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab33/myzipperbows/mnbearden.jpg)
I hope you enjoyed our hunting stories and pictures.
Bill & Tracy
Great job Tracy and Bill!!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats Tracy and Bill, looks like you had an awesome time!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Masterful hunt! Beautiful deer & bear. Especially pleased with yours & Tracy's commitment hunting together.
Looks like it was a great week!
Wow! You really stacked them up! What a wonderful hunt, great pictures and story telling :thumbsup:
Nice hunt folks! Those are some pretty animals! I love Minnesota! Summers fishing there as a kid, was great. Congrads and good shootin, Steve
Great hunt. Looks like you hunted on a mix of ag/forest land, nothing better.
I had to look it up, Leonard is approx.40 miles from my "up-north" cabin.
I have to agree, the numbers of deer and bear have been pretty good the last few years. One hard winter could change that though, especially deer!
congratulations on a fine hunt.
Congrats to Bill & Tracy on a great hunt. Thanks for the pictures and story. I'm hoping to get my SXT bloody real soon. :biglaugh: Looking forward to seeing the video too.
Bill
Them are some great MN. deer! Congratulations!
Nice job guys, Tracy your purty as ever.
QuoteI stayed in the stand waiting for one of the other 25-30 deer to come into range, but they never did.
That is more deer than I see in a whole season! Great story and photos. Looks like MN is the place to go. :)
Sounds like alot of good hunting. Bears and deer at the same time would be awesome!
Benjy
Thanks everyone! We realy enjoyed the hunt.The video's are on the website.All except Sam's bear.It will be up soon.
Bill
Great video's!!! :thumbsup: Checked them out earlier today.
Bill
Good going, Bill and Tracey, Bill I enjoyed shooting with you in Erie and had no doubt you were a natural born killer with a tradbow. I guess Tracey got the right arrows? LOL. Don Batten.
i don't know how i missed this thread...congratulations Bill & Tracy! Thanks for sharing the story and pics!
Congratulations. Did you happen to see any mountain lion sign. My dad lives just south of Fosston and he sent me pics of a large female mountain lion struck and killed by a car near Bemidji.
I may try to get up there for a hunt next year. Beautiful contry.
Todd
Yea, Don she picked up the right arrows.Tracy, Sandra Belcher,and Linda Graham were all waiting on me at the bottom of the hill.BECAUSE I had Tracy's tab.I knew I was in it deep,but they showed some mercy.
We did not see any lions.However both Brian and Todd have seen lions.We did se a monster bob cat and some fisher.The wolves are also getting pretty thick.
Bill
Awesome hunt, CONGRATS! Great pics and loved the stories! Once again congrats you and Tracy!
Godd stick-n Bill and Girly girl.If they sell Oreo's in those parts?You know who could be talked in to going.LOL
Tracy, Bill, Greg and Sam...Congrats :thumbsup: