Being a resident of the Twin Cities and not being a land owner, it is time to start scouting for deer within 2 hours north of the Twin Cities. Where would be a good place to start on public land?

 

What, you want us to tell you all of our secret best hunting places? I dont know anyone that would do that. Just kidding! Seriously though there is a lot of state land in the McGregor area. I dont know what style of hunting you prefer though. If you want to put up a portable and just sit on a ridge there are a few. But mostly it is a pretty flat low area. But it does have some pretty big ole swamp bucks sneaking around. You just have to work a little harder to get them out. Where I hunt near my cabin it actually got a little too easy. Only 3 of us hunting the area (private land) and we always got deer. The last few years I have tried pistol hunting and also stalking deer on foot. Both unsuccessfully I might add. It is much more challenging and certainly improves your hunting skills for moving quietly and tracking. The weather has kind of been against me though with lack of snow. Maybe this year though right?
The biggest problem in the area is lack of lodging unless you are camping or just hunting day trips.
Its a far less populated area than some places so the hunter count seems to be lower.
Good luck and Happy hunting
NO SOUND SHOTS PLEASE!

 

Checked out the Solana State Forest over the weekend. Very wet on the Southern end.

The Nemadji Forest looks like it holds more promise.

 

I would pass on the Nemadji if i was you. it got a name for having large deer a few years back and now the "blaze haze" hits it way to hard every year. unlesss you want to be hunting right next to other people I would not hunt it. Honestly if you can not hunt private land in Minnesota I would drive to the Grantsburg Wisconsin area. Yeah the license is more expensive but you can take up to 3 deer this year and still stay inside of your 2 hour drive limit. If you really want to hunt big deer in Minnesota take up archery and stat kissing some farmers asses, or do like I did and marry the farmers daughter. :-) Of the almost 600,000 Minnesota dear hunters hittting the woods in November the majority hunt public land and the majority crash through the woods like a bulldozer. learn to still hunt with a bow and your success rate will go through the roof.

 

I purchased the "muzzle-loading permit" so the vast majority of the hunters will not be in the woods at the same time. I hope. I hunted in lower Michigan 1 time about 90 minutes out of Detroit, and when the sun came up all I could see were orange spots on every high piece of ground in all directions.

It was interesting to note the number of new orange hats and Wal-Mart weapons (at least they were out there) that I saw last weekend. Apparently veteran hunters in Minnesota do not hunt on public lands and have their own private hot spots. But some of us do not have a choice.

 

Greetings,

Know what you mean. We have 165 acres nearly surrounded by State Game Lands. In fairness to the hunters, we don't post it (too many deer anyway) and they can't really tell where our land starts and ends.

But on opening day, you can not find a spot to stand where you can't see another hunter. Its amazing that anything survives the morning. And I have a foot-log over the creek which is the only crossing for a half mile in either direction. The turn in the road nearest the foot-log is parked solid -- it looks like the road in front of a farm auction.

If I go out at all, I go out mid week late in the season. Otherwise, its just not hunting.

 

If you have a muzzle loader license look for a spot to hunt down by Winona. Some of my relatives hunt farms down there. Many of the farmers like having a few hunters thin out the population. Plus the deer down by Winona need saddles on them!!

 

....the deer down by Winona need saddles on them!!

Whoa baby!!

I looked along the river down S.E. of Hastings on the way to the Casino and the area looked promising. Not much ATV access though. A boat would be the best down in the area that I looked at.

 

Heck...I gave up and bought an out of state for Wisconsin...!..135 big ones lets you arrow 3 deer.
Same for gun hunters..
Now I can catch walleyes n' muskies ..hunt more deer than you can at home...and tease those Packer backers ...
Go Vikings...