Donation

If you enjoy using Minnesota Outdoorsman, Please help me keep it going, Treat me to a Coffee

coffee.png

Recent

 
MINNEAPOLIS WEATHER

Check Out Our Forum Tab!

Click On The "Forum" Tab Under The Logo For More Content!
If you are using your phone, click on the menu, then select forum. Make sure you refresh the page!

The views of the poster, may not be the views of the website of "Minnesota Outdoorsman" therefore we are not liable for what our members post, they are solely responsible for what they post. They agreed to a user agreement when signing up to MNO.

Pages: [1]

 

Prime Fall Fishing On The Rainy



On the South Shore...  Now is prime time to head up to Lake of the Woods (LOW) and the Rainy River as fall fishing is in full swing!  With plenty of limits of walleyes and saugers being caught, and a favorable weather forecast, anglers are enjoying some excellent fishing.


Dress for Comfort: With cooler mornings, dressing in layers is essential. Ice fishing gear is ideal for early mornings, and you can shed layers as the day warms. A warm hat and gloves or mittens are also handy.


The best bite on the south end of LOW has been in 22-28 feet of water. Water temperatures are dropping and as the temps cool further, the bite has been excellent.


Vertical jigging with frozen emerald shiners remains highly effective. Bring plenty of bait, as you’ll need to sort through some smaller fish, but you’re likely to land keepers as well as larger walleyes. Anglers have also reported good numbers of jumbo perch and occasional pike mixed in with the walleyes.


Good Jig Colors: This week’s hot colors have been gold, gold/glow white, gold/chartreuse, gold/orange, and gold/pink.


On the Rainy River...  Shiners and walleyes continue to move into the Rainy River, making it an ideal spot for targeting large walleyes. Anglers are experiencing success up and down the river, especially in areas throughout Four Mile Bay.  Walleyes are being caught in various depths, but 15-25 feet of water has been good.


Jigging with live or frozen emerald shiners has been highly effective. Some anglers are also trolling crankbaits to cover more ground and find fish. Both methods are producing solid results.


Sturgeon Fishing: With cooler days and shorter daylight hours, sturgeon activity has picked up. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing is open, providing anglers with an exciting opportunity to hook into these prehistoric giants.


Up at the NW Angle...  Fall fishing is firing on all cylinders up at the Angle, where walleyes continue to be concentrated around traditional areas with structure. Points, neck-down areas with current, shoreline breaks, and transition zones from rock to mud are all productive locations for walleye right now.


In addition to walleyes, anglers are catching pike, jumbo perch, and crappies. Using a jig and minnow is a tried-and-true approach and continues to yield excellent results.


Muskie fishing is also hot this time of year, with anglers casting and trolling to find these predators. Big muskies over 50 inches are being caught and released.


For those looking to enjoy some fall fishing at its finest, now is the time to head to Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. With cooling water temps, great weather on the horizon, and prime fishing conditions, it’s a fantastic opportunity to jig up some walleyes and saugers for a fish fry. So, bundle up, gather your gear, and come experience the unforgettable fishing that awaits you up north!


For more information on fall and winter fishing packages, visit LakeoftheWoodsMN.com/Lodging.


2063uid25_inch_Rainy_River_walleye_Lakeroad_Lodge.jpg2063uidAndrew_Kraft_3_fall_sturgeon.jpg

 

How to Hunt Deer During the Pre-Rut

Here's a step-by-step plan for targeting mature bucks during the pre-rut

by Josh Honeycutt


2063uidjohn-hafner-archive_62714.jpg

I settled into my stand and waited. The Kentucky pre-rut with cool afternoon temps combined with the early muzzleloader season had me hopeful. Soon after sitting down, deer poured into the CRP fields around me.

Later in the afternoon, I spotted him — a nice buck that I didn’t immediately recognize but eventually realized was a return buck from the previous year. The main frame 10-pointer was cool, but a long dagger point coming off his base added a bit of flair too cool to pass up. I settled in, waited for a shot, and rolled smoke down that Kentucky hillside. Big pre-rut buck down.

But, when exactly is the pre-rut? Hunters disagree on the exact dates, as they should, because the pre-rut technically varies from one location to the next. But, by definition, it’s the two weeks leading up to the start of the rut (which is when bucks are seeking does in estrus and breeding them). Bucks typically move more during the pre-rut, but they are not chasing does all-out just yet.

Here’s how to hunt deer during the pre-rut.

Find the Freshest Sign

2063uidPre-Rut-5.jpg

Buck rubs are great, but community scrapes are even better.

Photo by Josh Honeycutt

The pre-rut is all about finding the fresh sign. Search for tracks and trails, but then focus on buck sign, specifically rubs and scrapes. An abundance of these signposts should indicate a consistent presence of deer.

Generally, you’ll find the hottest sign and best action near the best seasonal food sources. Right now, that’s acorns — specifically white oak acorns. As farmers continue to harvest cornfields, check the edges of shelled cornfields, too.

Of course, continue checking good bedding cover as well. As leaves continue turning and falling, expect bucks to leave the early season bedding they used throughout summer and early fall. Now, as hunting pressure ramps up, bucks are slinking deeper into thick cover.

Hang Trail Cameras Over Scrapes

Short of a corn pile or isolated water hole, the best way to take inventory of the deer in your area is by hanging cameras over large community scrapes. The biggest, hottest scrapes tend to be used by more members of the herd, making these excellent spots to snag a photo or two of local bucks.

On public lands, place cameras up higher and angle them downward toward scrapes. This gets trail cameras out of the line of sight of deer and hunters alike. On private lands, this tactic works if dealing with a buck that tends to avoid trail cameras.

Start Considering Morning Hunts

Unless it’s a unique situation where you have a perfect entry route, most people don’t hunt mornings during the early season (because it’s too easy to spook deer). That said, hunting mornings during the pre-rut can be effective. Buck patterns are shifting, and so should hunting plans. 

If you have a buck daylighting in an area that you can access easily, it’s worth planning a morning hunt. Just be sure you can get in there without blowing it. If you can’t get into your setup without spooking deer, it’s still better to hold for the afternoon effort.

Forget the Open Fields

No, it isn’t the mythical October lull (it doesn’t exist). But unless deer are actively hitting alfalfa, shelled corn, or other fields, or are passing through one early enough in pursuit of distant acorns, it’s best to disengage from stand locations along open fields. Now is the time to hunt in cover. 

Deer aren’t hitting open fields as they were, but instead, are feeding more on hard and soft mast. These food sources are within the timber, and perhaps timber edges, but rarely out in the open. White oaks are king. If those are limited, focus more on red oaks. Another option is to place more emphasis on soft masts, such as apples, crabapples, pawpaws, pears, persimmons, and more.

Also, diving deeper into bedding cover should ramp up your odds of seeing deer, especially a mature target buck that’s less likely to venture far from the shadows.

Strike with the Right Conditions

Few triggers spur deer to move better than an October cold front. Put simply, when a cold front is in the forecast, it’s time to hunt. These conditions encourage deer to stay on their feet later in the morning, but also get up earlier in the afternoon. Set up shop somewhere near known bed-to-feed patterns, and be ready for a good hunt.

Play the Terrain and Habitat

The above points clearly outline how influential habitat is with deer movement. Key food sources are hot pre-rut stand locations. Furthermore, don’t forget about water, as this is an important component to any good plan. If a water source is isolated, and it’s close to bedding, camp out over that.

Next, consider topographic features. Examples include benches, ridge lines, leeward ridge lines, ridge endings, thermal hubs (crow’s feet), and more. Hunt these areas to see more pre-rut big-buck action.

Use Calls

Don’t be afraid to grunt and rattle in the pre-rut. Blind call, if the wind is in your favor and it’s difficult for deer to circle downwind. With that said, I prefer to hold off unless I see a target buck that I’m certain isn’t coming into range. At that point, you have little to lose. Throw the hail Mary grunt or snort wheeze. 

Deploy the Decoys

On a similar note, consider hunting with deer decoys. Bucks’ testosterone levels are rising, and they’re wanting to fight. A well positioned decoy just might do the trick and trip a big deer’s trigger. Paired with calling and rattling sequences, this can be a great play for a pre-rut whitetail.

Get Aggressive, but Not Reckless


2063uidPre-Rut-9.jpg

The author with a stud pre-rut buck.

Photo by Josh Honeycutt

Don’t be afraid to make a big move. If it’s well-thought-out, and you can execute the plan without blowing up the rest of your season, go for it. Being appropriately aggressive, can lead to a big pre-rut whitetail buck. If the conditions (wind, temp, and pressure) are in your favor and you have a buck showing up during daylight, it’s worth rolling the dice. If the conditions are stacked against you, hunt safer spots and wait until things pick up during the rut before making a big move. 



Pages: [1]