Hey guys how's it going was looking for helpfull info on archery hunting and found this site. and just so happens i'm from MN. now this is the first year i have acctully gone bow hunting. i got my bow about 4 years ago from xmass but went a few times but never saw anything. have been hunting public land most of the year. but finally caught a break. and got a place to hunt 10 acres in wyoming MN. it's right next to some corn fields and a swamp. it look's very promising.

anyone have any tips for the new guy.

i'm using a jennings buckmaster. 65# pull. and rage 3 blade broadheads. with carbon rebel arrows. full scent blocker cammo. and i'll be hunting out of a ladder stand.

thanks
-Ben

Welcome to LSF!
Best advice is get out there now and sit as much of the day as you can.
Pay attention to the wind, but the rut is going and it can happen at anytime and quickly.

welcome to LSF, 10 acres isnt too large of an area so by going out and looking for some sign you should be able to narrow down where the deer are moving through pretty quickly. try placing a couple of hoof traps throughout (just raking leaves away and leaving bare ground) this will tell you where they are moving

i was out last night checking it out. put some deer cane on a rotten logg porbally 10 yards off the trail and 30 from my stand. i saw a ton of scraps. and about 4 trails that converge around were my stand is. the guy said they come out of the swap in the evening and walk threw is backyard around dusk. see's alot of doe's not many bucks if at all. but i'm hoping with the rut coming up or has.. that they might be moving a bit. i'll be going out at about 3am sat with a hour drive i hope to be in my stand by 430-5 am

edit: what are your guy's thoughts on rattiling and grunting during the rut?

Good luck out there.

Welcome to the site Ben.
Bow hunting is a huge drug for me. I am totally addicted to it. So much that I out my gun away and have not used my gun for deer hunting in over 4 years.

Congrats on getting some land to hunt. Hard to come by these days.

I would scout the 10 acres a bit and find out where the deer are coming in from. You have some time to figure out there activity. If you have a trail camera then I would put 1 or 2 up on some trails that look like they are being used alot.

If you find that you have deer activity on those trails during the daytime then set up your ladder stand about 30 yds off the trail clearing out only what you have to to open up a couple shotting lanes. Try not to take out too much as the deer know what the area should look like.

If there is a bedding area around where the corn field is this would be 0the first spot I would set up. Get yourself set up near the bedding area but no closer than 30 yds or so. More if you can but stay at least 30 yds from the trial that the deer are using to get to the fields.

You have to lern alot about the land in a short period of time so like I stated above do a little scouting but not toomuch as you do not want to leave your stench all over. May be get yourself some cover scents lto spray ever so often as you are walking around. Spray it dirrectly on the ground you just covered.

I would get the stand up ASAP and enjoy your self.

If you have the land for years to come and there are some nice straight trees I would look into getting a nice climber stand so that you can move around a bit as you see the deer changing the patterns. Also the climber is great to have for public land options as well.

Good luck this season and if you need some help killing any deer this year just PM me and come join you in your adventures up in Wyoming!!

Thanks
Mike

Welcome! Bow hunting is my passion. The best advice I can tell you to do is make sure that you have branches in front of you to break you up with a couple 2 or 3 foot shooting windows to stop the deer. If you feel comfortable shooting 20 yards I’d put the ladder stand 15 yards away from the trail. When I first started I wanted to be feet away from the trail I was hunting and found out that if you are a little bit farther away they won’t pick you out as easy. And as said before watch the wind there best survival tactic are
1. smell
2. sight
3. hearing
in that order. IMO
there are quite a few people who love bow hunting on this site and will help you out to the best of there ability the only catch is if you shoot one you have to tell us!
good luck

Quote:

Check to see if deer cane is considered baiting I would hate to see someone get in trouble… if it is you can’t hunt it for 10 days after any trace is left.
As far as rattling and grunting, I grunt a limited amount maybe 5 or 6 times a night. Rattling is hard in MN due to the out of whack buck to doe ratio the reason for fighting is to get a doe but when there is plenty of doe around they don’t have to fight as much.

i checked it out it's considered a salt&mineral lick. which is what it is. yeah not looking to get into toruble.

Thank you all for all the information so far. if i get one I'll defiantly have to get a pic. i'm hoping to wait for a buck. but if a nice doe walks by i might be tempted to take a shot.

That’s my goal this weekend to shoot every doe that walks by!!! Unless I run out of sticks then I’ll have my quota.