MNhunterr

Thanks so much for the advice guys! I guess I will go ahead and scratch the online buying of a bow and just head to a local pro shop. Now anyone recommend any early season archery clothing? Like scent lock and camo that isn't all that expensive. I was looking at the sportsmans guide website and I was basically just getting lost looking at everything available.

Well, I'm 20 years old and I want to start bowhunting this next season. I've never shot a full compound bow before and was wondering what I should look into. My older brother is an avid bowhunter so we have most of the necessities and things like that. What bows should I look at that are generally cheap? Could anyone link me to some good options at all or give any advice? I know I will need to practice shooting about everyday come spring and summer to get the hang of it, but I'm willing to be dedicated! How does this bow look? http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=427314

Could anyone link me to some warm boots,socks,gloves or inner layers for your body to keep warm? This last weekend it was 20 degrees with 20mph winds. I had regular boots with 2 regular pairs of everyday socks, 1 pair of wool socks. I had to wear 5 layers of simple thin every day longsleeve shirts, a bigger sweatshirt and my fleece, with my orange jacket. I wore a pair of sweatpants with jeans over them with my new orange bibs. I really need some better clothing to stay warm... Basically newer modern things that work well. Please, anyone link me to some good products?

Hope you have a better first weekend than we did. Entire family didn't see a single deer all 4 days we went out. They're in the corn... Which sucks. Hopefully this weekend will be better in MN.

This rifle season has been a big ridiculous joke so far. Went out this last weekend both days for full day sits, not a single deer seen... by my entire family. I didn't have work or school today so I thought I would go out... It was the most beautiful morning for deer hunting I've ever seen. It was about 15 degrees with no wind, getting to peak rut, almost full moon with a storm moving in. I set up on a stand that is on the edge of a big woods, in the middle is a small grass field, and on the left is a ton of willow scrub, basically a corridor for deer going to bed down. I get there an hour before sunlight, perfect sky and all. I sat in that stand for 6 hours without seeing a thing and half way through it started to snow... WHAT IS WITH THE DEER THIS YEAR?!?!!?

You guys have it easy! Here in central MN it has been very wet and there hasn't been a single farmer around my land that has chopped yet. there are numerous 80 acre corn fields still standing with none chopped, I also have a good 5 acres of scrub willow they like to bed in.... Maybe thats why my entire family didn't see a single deer this rifle opener. Add onto that 25mph winds and a storm system and you had this last weekends conditions!

I'm pretty sure it was the weather system that moved through as well as the high winds. Next weekend isn't looking much better, looks like the same type of weather we had this weekend. Hopefully that will change!!! I'm planning on going out all Tuesday, hopefully they will be up and moving then. So odd that the deer are not moving at all, in many parts that is.

Well, this weekend was the rifle opener here in MN. The weather was terrible but it was cold, good for deer movement... or so it would seem. Got to my stand at about 6, an hour before light hoping to catch a big 8 point my brother missed a few days earlier with his bow... No luck. To my astonishment.... Not a single one of my family members that hunts our land (theres 5 of us) seen a single deer Saturday and Today. I never would have thought that we wouldn't see ANYTHING.... I'm very disappointed and am wondering what the deal was. Do you think the wind was probably the reason? We have a ton of corn standing as well as scrub willow where they like to bed.... And the weather was cold and snowy. Anyone else have comments or advice on what was wrong this weekend?

Yeah, it just keeps getting worse and worse. This weekend is a high temp of 30 (good) with 20 mph winds (bad). Also there is supposed to be snow showers, I'm really excited for that!

Oh yeah, you know I'll be doing that. Hopefully I can sit in the stand all day, but we will see.

Well, this weekend is going to be a doozy.... The rut is in full swing about and they are predicting a winter storm watch for this entire opening weekend. What I'm worried about is the wind, it's supposed to be about 15-20 mph and a high temp of about 30. What do you guys predict the deer will be doing, I'm sure the cold weather and the rut will really get them going... But then again if conditions are as bad as I think they're going to be and how much corn is standing they may just go bed down... Any suggestions on what to do??

Where was it taken in Minnesota? Southeast I presume?

Yeah, I don't even know if it would be possible to cut paths through the stuff though. You would literally need a bulldozer because it's almost like a dried up swamp and such. It is our land so I might go in with my bigger brother and see if we can rent a bulldozer and hope we don't get stuck, this is for next season obviously!

We've tried that many times. For this coming up rifle season we have stands set up on the major trails leading in and out of the willows, but once the deer are in there they do not want to come out until night. We have a monster 8 pointer that will only travel at the times of midnight, and come back around 3 am. Hopefully the rut with change all that. But when we were looking for my deer I shot, there were SOOO many trails in there it wasn't even funny. But yeah, thanks for the advice, I'll see what we can do.

Those are some nice deer! Good job!

Hey guys, first post ever on realtree forums! I just have a question. What do you suggest is the best way to hunt big areas of willows? We have an 80 acre plot in Little Falls, MN and 1/4 is willows, the deer always bed down in them and we cannot drive it because it is to thick. I shot a doe on early doe season this year and we couldn't find her, we jumped her once and then she was gone. Anyone have any suggestions?