Camp Ripley’s second bow hunt breaks record

A 265-pound buck taken by an area bow hunter was one of seven bucks weighing more than 200 pounds that were harvested during Camp Ripley’s second archery hunt, Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

Archers harvested 305 deer during the second hunt, a record take for the second hunt and only 20 deer below the record two-day total harvest of 325 deer set in 2008 during the first hunt. In 2008, hunters harvested 191 deer during the second hunt.

“Despite very poor weather conditions and lower harvest during the first hunt, this represents one of our best annual harvests at camp, and is only 7 percent below the record take of 516 deer set last year,” said Beau Liddell, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Little Falls area wildlife manager.

Cory Williams of Pierz took the 265-pound buck, which was the largest deer harvested during both weekend hunts. Other hunters who harvested large bucks were: Chad Kloss, Royalton, 222 pounds; Rand Kramer, Holmen, Wis., 221 pounds; and Ryan Orrock, Elk River, 218 pounds. Michael Hake of Browerville harvested the largest doe, which weighed in at 117 pounds.

Poor weather for the first hunt resulted in only 172 being harvested. But deer taken during the second weekend brought this year’s total to 477 deer harvested during both hunts, about 57 percent above the long-term average harvest of 304 deer.

A combined total of 5,005 permits were issued for both two-day hunts, with 4,126 hunters participating.  Hunter success during the first hunt was 8 percent but increased significantly to 14 percent for the second hunt. This year’s success rated was similar to last year and about 4 percent higher than the long-term average of 8 percent.

For the sixth consecutive year, hunters were allowed to take up to two deer and to use bonus permits to increase harvest on antlerless deer.

“We’re very pleased with the results the past few years,” Liddell said. “Although Ripley bow hunters are known to be selective for bucks, we have seen increasing proportions of does and fawns taken in recent years to help control the population.”

The proportion of antlerless deer taken was slightly lower than the last few years but much higher than the long-term average pf 53 percent, with about 60 percent of this year’s harvest comprised of does or fawns.

The archery hunt at Camp Ripley is an annual event. The DNR coordinates the hunt with the Department of Military Affairs, which manages the 53,000-acre reservation.

2009 Minnesota firearms deer hunting facts and figures

Deer: The animal

• Adult female white-tailed deer weigh about 145 lbs., males 170 lbs. - the average weight of female and male humans.
• The biggest white-tailed deer ever recorded was a 500-pound Minnesota buck.
• A whitetail’s home range is about one square mile.
• Minnesota’s deer population is about 1 million deer. Texas is No. 1 with 4.7 million deer.

Deer: Hunting

• Last year, 38 percent of Minnesota firearm hunters successfully harvested a deer. About 43 percent were antlered bucks.
• 70 percent of Minnesota’s firearms deer harvest typically occurs during the first three or four days of the season.
  The average hunter spends five days afield during Minnesota’s firearms deer season.
• Last year’s total deer harvest was 222,000, the eighth highest on record. 2003 was the record (290,525).
• License options allow hunters to buy individual licenses for all the seasons now give hunters more choices in where and when they can hunt deer, and hunters can take as many as five deer in many parts of the state.
• Minnesota has averaged deer harvested 254,000 deer over the last five years. Wisconsin is No. 1 with an average harvest over 450,000.
• The largest typical whitetail buck ever taken in Minnesota had a Boone & Crockett score of 202; shot by John Breen in 1918 near Funkley.
• Minnesota’s No. 1 non-typical whitetail buck had 43 points; shot by 17-year-old Mitch Vakoch in 1974. A deer recently taken on the Camp Ripley archery hunt may exceed the record.

Deer: Licenses

• In total, 832,860 deer hunting licenses and permits (all types) were sold in 2008.
• 98 percent of deer licenses are sold to Minnesota residents.
• The DNR Information Center remained open two hours later on the day before last year’s deer opener to answer more than 2,000 telephone inquiries, most of them related to the firearms opener.

Deer: Economics

• 475,000 deer hunters in Minnesota
• Retail sales -$263 million (1)
• Overall economic impact - $455 million (1)
• Salaries, Wages, Business owner income - $151 million (1)
• State and local tax revenue - $33 million (1)
• Number of directly supported jobs - 5,100 (1)
• Economic impact is greatest in Greater Minnesota (1)

(1) Based on a report for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies using data from the 2006 national survey on fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation.

Delayed harvest causes deer hunting safety concerns

Standing corn is a safety concern this firearms deer hunting season, according to Capt. Mike Hammer of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

“The cool summer and wet fall has delayed the corn harvest in many parts of the state,” noted Hammer, the DNR Enforcement Division’s Education Program coordinator. “That harvest delay could create hunter safety issues during deer drives when the firearms deer season kicks off on Nov. 7.”

Deer drives are when a group of hunters walk through a field hoping to flush out deer. Standing crops can cause visibility problems among hunters, creating a safety issue when shooting at running deer.

“The excitement of the hunt can quickly cloud a hunter’s judgment and perception,” Hammer said. “The hunter momentarily forgets about surroundings - even hunting partners. Many times a victim and shooter know one another, since they’re hunting together.”

To ensure safety, deer hunters should establish hunting plans that define who will shoot and when during drives. Each hunting party member should have a predetermined zone of fire and always know the locations of others in the hunting party. Visibility between those stationary on deer drives and those driving deer is important.

“Every hunter assumes an incredible responsibility when using a firearm in the field,” Hammer emphasized. “It’s up to the hunter to make sound shooting decisions. If there’s even the slightest hint that something isn’t right, don’t shoot. There will be other opportunities.”

Hammer reminds hunters to hunt defensively, assuming every movement or sound that they hear is another hunter until they can prove unquestionably that it isn’t.

Every accident is preventable by following a few basic rules:

• Know the location of your partners and others; know your zones of fire.
• Make your position known to other hunters.
• Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it.
• Wear blaze orange clothing in areas open to deer hunting with firearms.

“These rules are not only common sense, they are the law,” Hammer said.

Harvested deer can be donated to processors for distribution to food shelves

Deer donated to food shelves will be processed at no cost to hunters, thanks to a program coordinated by the Minnesota departments of natural resources and agriculture.

The program is aimed at providing a sought-after food source to those in need while encouraging hunters to harvest additional animals to help manage the deer herd.  Prior to 2007, hunters could donate deer to food shelves, but had to pay processing costs.

“We recognize that ethically, hunters will not take more deer than they can consume,” said Lou Cornicelli, big game program coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “Simply asking someone to take another deer to manage populations provides only half of the picture. The venison donation program was developed to provide hunters an avenue to donate the extra deer they harvest without having to pay processing costs.”

More details on the venison donation program, as well as a list of participating meat processors, are available online. Processors who accept deer are paid $70 to process each animal for food shelf distribution.

Funding for the program comes from surcharges placed on antlerless permits and nonresident hunting licenses. Individuals have an opportunity to donate to the program when they buy their deer license or simply by informing an ELS agent they would like to donate to the program.  In 2008, $50,000 was collected through voluntary donations.

To donate a deer, hunters will need to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Only whole carcasses with the hide on can be donated; processors will not accept cut and wrapped meat or portions of carcasses.
• Information such as permit area of harvest and the DNR number will be collected for tracking purposes.
• Processors can only accept carcasses for donation that are free from signs of illness, free of visible decomposition or contamination, and properly identified with a Minnesota DNR registration tag.
• Processors will reject deer for the donation program that appear to have been mishandled in any way.

Hunters are strongly advised to contact the processor prior to donating the deer. The list of processors accepting deer will be regularly updated as more processors register.

Upper Red Lake walleye regulations to change Dec. 1

Upper Red Lake walleye anglers still can keep four fish beginning Dec. 1, but all walleye 17-to 26-inches in length must be immediately released. Anglers can keep one walleye longer than 26 inches.

“Winter angling pressure has been consistently higher than open-water fishing pressure, making the adjustment back to the 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit for the winter season a necessity,” said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor for the DNR. “Anglers still will have good success because walleye abundance remains high and there are good numbers of fish smaller than 17 inches.”

The change from the open water 20- to 26-inch protected slot limit to the winter 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit that begins Tuesday, Dec. 1, will continue through Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010.

The estimated open-water walleye harvest from state waters of Upper Red Lake for 2009 was 147,000 pounds. That harvest level is 21,000 pounds below the threshold that would trigger a more conservative three-fish limit.

Regulations for the 2010 open water fishing season will be determined later this winter and announced in advance of the walleye opener on Saturday, May 15, 2010.