Youth archers harvest 12 deer during Camp Ripley bow hunt

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Youth archers harvest 12 deer during Camp Ripley bow hunt
(Released October 27, 2009)


The cold and snow didn’t discourage 130 youth archery hunters from experiencing the 8th annual youth deer hunt at the Camp Ripley Military Reservation north of Little Falls.

“While the weather conditions weren’t ideal, there are a lot of deer at Camp Ripley that helped the hunters achieve a good harvest for this year’s hunt,” said Beau Liddell, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) area wildlife manager at Little Falls. “Many hunters said they saw numerous deer, learned a lot and enjoyed the experience.”

Youth hunters harvested 12 deer, a success rate of 9 percent for the two-day hunt, which is the average success rate for a two-day archery hunt at Camp Ripley.

The first deer, a 105-pound doe, was harvested the morning of Saturday, Oct. 9. The largest deer taken was a 120-pound buck. Many of the 12 animals harvested were the first-ever deer for youth participants.

“Successful hunters were not selective and took the first good shot they had at a deer, with fawns and does comprising 11 of the 12 deer taken,” Liddell said.

All youth hunters were paired with nonhunting adult mentors. The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) and the Minnesota State Archery Association (MSAA) were the primary hunt administrators.

“MDHA and MSAA did a great job planning and conducting this hunt,” Liddell said. “The hunt sponsors deserve a lot of credit for the high quality experience provided to youth participants. Without their involvement and hard work, this event would not have been possible.”

In addition, the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs, which manages the 53,000-acre military reservation, provided significant logistical and planning support. The hunt took place in a
15,000 acre area on the northern third of Camp Ripley.

The original Camp Ripley youth archery deer hunt was the first youth hunt in Minnesota. It laid the groundwork for similar youth hunts being offered throughout Minnesota.