MNO 2008 Deer Hunting Contest

[Grute Man]

2008 MNO Deer Hunting Contest   

This contest is intended to be the virtual deer hunting camp.  Teams can banter back an forth (keep it clean or else  ) and each team will work towards a cummulative score together.  This is a friendly competition and the winners will be the recipient of braggin rights for a year and get a new title unter their avitar.  There are no celebrities nor staged hunts here.  We are all real people with real life challenges like sick kids, football games, weddings...to challenge us not to mention the white tails don't give up easily. 

We look forward to the photos of your deer and the stories to go along with them.  We have heard some doozies in the past so don't hold back.   Extra points will NOT be given for creativity.     We encourage sportsmanship, QDM, and clean kills.

Here is the explanation and rules:

(1) Teams will be chosen at random by our computerzed randomizer    Team size will be based on the total amount interested in order to have even sized teams.  Teams will be announce on Oct 1.  Any deer taken prior to Oct 1 by leagl means WILL count towards the season end score.

(2)  Hunters score by taking a doe for 100 points or a buck for 10 points per legal point.  QDM can go a VERY far way here.  A 10 pointer is 100 points.  So to better your score from that doe you took to put meat in the freezer, you'll need an 11 point buck or better.  If it comes down to a tie breaker, we will count the total number of deer per team and use that as a score.  If we still need a tie breaker beyond that, it will be up to the MNO staff judges (administrators, staff, moderators...) who will chose the winner base on good sportsmanship, skill, photo, and story.

(3)  Hunters can kull their own deer but not for other team members.  Each hunter may only claim ONE deer.

(4)  Proof of each deer killed will be a photo submitted with the hunter, their deer, and the weapon they used all in one photo.  Photos must be submitted within on week of the kill.  No photo with you, the deer and the weapon = no points.  In other words THIS IS MANDITORY to score.

(5)   Deer can be taken by any legal means during any legal deer hunting season.  All deer taken must comply with the laws of the state in which you hunt.  For example, If you travel out west and get a Mule Deer, that will count but it must be a legal kill and you must submit a photo with you, your deer, and your weapon. 

(6)  Teams may select a team name as long as its not offensive/socially unacceptable.  If no name is chose, they will be designated by the team number we assign them.

(7)  Contest end -- some members hunt out of state.  What ever state (involved in this contest) has the longest season will mark the end of this season.  If you plan to hunt out of state, you need to submit that with your bio (entry post).

(8)  Required for each hunter:
 --  a photo of you with your bow, cross bow, or fire arm
 --  clear discription of what your equipment is (sight/scope, release, stand...)
 --  what state/states you'll be hunting in
 --  bio - How many years you've been hunting, how many deer you have taken, methods of hunting you've used in the past, what you like the most....

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Post your entries here before Oct 1.  Teams will be chosen then.

Good luck, have fun and if you have any questions, post them here or PM me.

[GirlGuide]

I'M IN!! SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF FUN DON!!
   
CMON' WHO ELSE IS IN??

...or am I just going to up and take 1st place from everybody?? 

~gg 

[Outdoors Junkie]

I am in too.

My name is Dennis Servaty (aka Outdoors Junkie).  This will be my 24th year deer hunting (every year since I was 12).  I hunt by Upper Red Lake.  The attached picture is a buck I shot with my 30.06 (given to me by my late grandpa) in 2005.  I use open sight and can shoot both left and right handed.  My 12 year old son will be joining me in the woods this year.  We will hunt in northern MN and also in the Black Hills of SD.  Deer hunting is my favorite time of year.  I hunt on state land.  I have bow hunted in the past.

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[gds]

im in.

[Pegg]

I am in as well

[Cody Gruchow]

not sure it will be to fair to everyone else but im in

[BIG 6 BUCK]

count me in

[Auggie]

Me too.
  This will be my 23rd season. I couldn't guess the number of deer I have taken over the years. I do know I have only NOT taken a deer 1 season. Most years have been 2-4 thanks to liberal limits and multiple state hunts. I will be rifle hunting the Blackhills, SD and also Muzzle loader later in the season. As for MN I have not decided if I will be hunting this year or not. I am a bit disappointed with the new season structure for firearms and it will conflict with my work a great deal. I may get a bow tag or muzzle load yet??????? Rifle is a Rem. 7mm scoped, black powder is a TC Omega, Shotgun if I decide to hunt is an open site Browning BPS with a Hastings slug barrel, and my bow is a Bear Element. This picture is the last buck I took in 2005 from the Black hills and went 130". I have not taken a buck in MN for 6 or 7 years as I am quite selective. My favorite is a toss up between black powder and bow. Even though it has been a few years since I hunted stick and string.


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[Grute Man]

Looks like were off to a good start but we still need a bio on everyone to make it official.  I should have done this last night but I was so tired, I wasn't thinking straight.   

Here's my bio:

Don McGruder (aka Grute)  I've been deer hunting for about 10 years and after several unproductive years, I did good last year and got 3.  I have 4 total; so yeah - not real impressive but I think I love the challenge more than anything.  I will hunt firearms but have yet to get one by gun.  I see them about the time I get back in my truck.  All 4 that I have gotten have been by bow.  Needless to say, I really love my bow hunting the most.  I shoot a Remington 870 with 2 3/4" Copper Solids when I attempt it with a gun.  For archery, I shoot a Browning F5 Tornado with a DMI Expert I rest, Hammer Head 3 pin sight, carbon express 300s with Montech 125s.  I only hunt MN and am going to hunt the Metro Bow Hunts again as well as Bucks and Buckthorn.  When I make my attempt with firearms, Im up Nort in Marcell.

Here's a photo of me with my bow and a buck I got last year:

[Spinach]

I'm in too, I'll have a bio up soon.

[dakids]

Count me in, Bio to follow.

[Pegg]

I am in.

I am Sean and have been hunting deer for about 9 years. I rifle and bow hunt. The rifle I use is a 30-06 and I use two types of bows a compound and a recurve. The rifle has a scope and my compound bow has the works on it , but my recurve has nothing on it. Hunting with the recurve bow is by far the most challenging for deer hunting which makes it fun. I bow hunt all over Minnesota and rifle hunt by plumer Minnesota. I have taken at least one deer every year that I have gone. I mostly hunt from the ground ,but last year I started hunting from a tree stand. This will be fun.

Here are a few pics of deer that I have shot over the last two years.



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[22lex]

I'm in.

My name is Alex Haagensen and I have been bowhunting for around eleven years. I started out shooting bow around '96 due to the encouragement of my friends. I have taken five bucks, two of which are pope and young. I have harvested numerous does in years past, and cannot justly give a good answer on how many due to our intensive harvest areas where I live. I just picked up gun hunting about four years ago and haven't taken a buck yet with my 12 gauge, but have shot a doe each year I have been out. I am really picky when it comes to harvesting a buck due to my early success in the woods which sometimes is my downfall, but if you count every time you see a nice deer it's a success in my eyes. I bowhunt all over southeastern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and have gone to Montana about every other year now for about nine years to hunt mule deer and elk. I pretty much always hunt from a treestand (climber, ladderstand) except for when we are out west in the mountains.

I look forward to hearing everyone's success stories from this coming season.

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[bowhunter73]

 I am in as well!

 My name is Scott (bow hunter73) I started deer hunting about 18 years ago and the last 9 years have been mostly with a bow. I wish I would have keep count of the deer I have taken but I have not. My last 2 seasons have not been so good do to health and family things, but this year there is nothing stopping me.

 I will be hunting mostly a 160 acres of private in Hinckley or a 100-acre private in Lino Lakes.

 Goal for this year is 5 deer to feed the family that is 4 for me and one for my wife. She says the opposite.

 I am shooting a Mathews Switchback and mostly use my lone wolf climber.
I also practice at least 5 times a week in my yard up to 40 Yds but I don’t like shooting over 30 at a deer.
As much as I love antlers I find them hard to eat so if I don’t want them for the wall I let them go so they can grow


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[Grute Man]

WOW this is looking great.  12 of us have our names tossed into the computerized randomizer     and we also have 4 states represented. 

Sign up and find out who your virtual deer camp partners will be.

[letgofishing]

October 30th 2007 @ 4 55pm
weather 80's windy
bow archery hit into HEART about 35 yards away from my Tree Stand...
I hit buck's heart buck walked turn around about 10 yards DOWN!!! yahoo.

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[only$250]

I've been reading this forum on and off for a while now and thought I would join in.  I've been deer hunting around 30 years, and now hunt with bow (matthews), rifle (rem 30-06 7600), muzzle (CVA) and Fuji 18x digital camera.  I'm a deer hunting outdoorsman junkie.  I've shot a piles of deer and several very nice bucks, but never the monster buck.  We've always been in the intensive harvest area, or liberal doe permit area. 

The last 5-6 years I've had my 10 year old son with me 90% of the time, and he's more of a hunting/outdoorsman junkie than I am.  On his 5th birthday (9-18) party with tons of boys his age around for it, we were at the hunting land on the bow opener.  He came running to me...with a serious look in his eye, and told me that he'd open all his gifts tomorrow if he could go bow hunting with me today.  A 5 year old giving up opening his gifts, delaying his part to go hunting with his dad... he's been with me almost all of the time ever since that date. 

Tower stands or double ladder stands is what I'll be in most of the time.  I live in Loretto (western Metro) with my wife and two kids.  Originally from central MN and our hunting land is NW of Parkers Prairie MN. "Only$250" is the standard reply to the question..."how much did that cost?"  Now it's a joke with my friends and wife.  Photo's to come.

[GirlGuide]

  Great post only$250!! I loved the story about your son and him giving up opening his birthday presents up to go hunting!  Also, the part about the "only$205" was hillarious!! 
WELCOME TO MNO!!

~gg

[Faceman]

Count me in I will post bio next week with pic.

[GirlGuide]

Well here is my book...I mean my bio...

This year will be only my 6th year going up deer hunting.  We hunt in Garrison/Deerwood, MN.  The first year I went up was in 2003, I just kind of observed that year and I didn't carry a gun.  I just went out with my husband one day, and the next day I just sat in the stand with my nephew.  I was hooked right away!  And luckily my husband has taught me everything that I know.  I can't believe I stayed home all of these years when my dad, brothers and husband were out hunting.  What was I thinking? 

In 2004, it was my first official year on my own.  I got a spike buck that year on opening morning, I took one shot, it ran a little ways and dropped and I was absolutely THRILLED!! This too was my first experience with buck fever, which I had a bad case of! 

In 2005, I got one big doe and a nice fork.  Both of these deer I took with one shot.  Again the first one was on opening morning and the other one was later that afternoon, and I was happy as heck!   

In 2006, I got my biggest buck yet, the pictures of it are below. Not huge to most of you, but gigantic to me!!  It was a 6 pointer.  Again I got this also on opening day, mid- morning.  I had shot a couple times earlier this morning at a doe, and completely missed!!  I was VERY, VERY excited when I got this one!  And I did NOT get this one with one shot like all of the rest of my deer!  I think I must of had buck fever REALLY bad!!  First of all I watched a fawn and a bigger doe come in and I decided to wait to see if anything was behind her, and sure enough here comes this nice buck.  I was so glad that I didn't take that doe, and that for once I had actually just sat back and watched and waited!!  The first time I shot at this buck, it was coming straight at me, slowly walking up a hill, he was right on the does butt.  I had a good shot of his shoulder, I took the shot and I thought I had it, but it didn't move..it didn't do ANYTHING, it didn't even run, nor did it fall down,  so I pulled up on it again, took a deep breath, took my time and shot again...no doubt in my mind that I got it this time...STILL NOTHING...WHAT IN THE HECK?? Now, I only have 2 bullets left, I take one more shot, POSITIVE this time that I hit it, but it STILL doesn't go down...it takes a few steps and it is now facing me broadside and I am now down to my last bullet...that's when the prayers started coming...."Oh PLEASE God, let me get it this time!"  ....and FINALLY he went down!!  Thank God!!  I was so relieved!!  After that, the fawn and the doe that the buck was after,  sat and played around by my stand for the next half hour...of course all I could do was watch them, since I was completely out of bullets!  I was just way to happy to even care though!!  I still couldn't believe how many times I had to shoot that day, I was so use to taking one shot and never having to shoot again.  This was the first time this has ever happened to me.  Now whenever my brothers hear a lot of shooting in the woods, they get on their walking talkies and say "Mouse (my nickname) must be out here again, huh?"...

I'll never know for sure what I did wrong that day, I definitely wasn't doing something right.  My husband never found another bullet hole in that deer.  He thinks I only got it that one time, with my last shot!!  The next day I did some target shooting, and my gun might have been off a little, but not much...it did need some MINOR adjusting....so I think it was ALL me that day.

Last year 2007, I didn't get a buck, but that was just fine.  I took a small doe on opening day and a  big doe later in the week.  I took both of these deer with one shot, and both were not quite on the run, but they were moving at a very good pace.  I was still very happy when I got these because our whole hunting party did terrible last year.  Now we would at least had some venison for everyone  , thanks to my Jayne Wayne shooting!    Out of 15 of us in our hunting party (7 being teenagers), we only took 5 deer.  4 does and one button buck, and I was the only one out of all of us to fill both tags.  I  did have an opportunity to take a monster buck on opening morning...well, I guess I really shouldn't say it was an "opportunity" because legally it wasn't.  That morning after about 10 or 15 minutes of being in my stand, a deer is about 15 yards away from me.  It looks like a real decent size deer, I couldn't see if it had a rack or not at first because it was still pretty dark, it was walking by me real slow and it gets up to a small hill and lifts it's head....A MONSTER RACK...I about peed my pants of course...I look down to see what time it is....7:15 am... 9 minutes before it was legal to shoot  !!!  I didn't ever pull my gun up or anything, but I can't say I didn't want to!!  I watched him slowly walk away, I would have never felt comfortable trying to take that shot anyway, even when it was legal time to shoot, it still seemed to dark for me...oh well, maybe next year...   

Anyway, out of my of 4 years of deer hunting, I have taken 6 deer.  I'd say that I have been pretty darn lucky, ...beside's of course missing one or two along the way.

  This year I'm going to have to try to keep my four brothers out of the bar,   so they get their butts up and out to their stands in the morning.  This will be a HUGE task...not easily done by just anyone!  I think that was their problem though, they only went out later on in the afternoon the first weekend.  The second weekend they did get out in the morning, thanks to someone banging pots and pans next to there bed!!.....           

Anyway, I've rambled on long enough...
Oh yeah, I shoot my dad's old winchester 308-lever action , and I hunt from a portable buddy stand when I am on state land, and a permanent stand when I hunt on our own property.

~gg

[wischunter08]

Im in on it


Well I have been hunting for about 5 years now (I'm only 18).  I have harvested two mature does, one was 4, the other 5.  I hunt in Wisconsin.

I will be hunting during the archery season and rifle season here in Wisconsin. 

This is my first year bow hunting, I will be using a Golden Eagle Compound, carbon arrows, cheap broadheads, and pin sights.

For rifle season I will by using my 30-06.

My stand is a regular old ladder stand for both seasons.

I will be hunting some farm land, that I have been hunting in the past.  I have seen 2 very nice bucks in the area this year, an 8 point, and a 10 point.

That's me in a nutshell......I'M PUMPED!!!!!!

[deadeye]

Count me in.
I started looking for a photo (one with a gun as required by the rules) and realized it's been a long time since someone took a photo of me and a deer I've taken that had a gun in the picture.  So the one I posted was taken just a few years ago...  27 to be exact.   The odd thing is if I took a picture today, it would be the same gun.  It's a Rem .270 bolt that I borrowed from my father in law.  My wifes grandfather used it to shoot buffalo in the movie "How the West was Won".  (Notice the color match for the home made scope cheek piece).
I do all my deer hunting on property I own in central Minnesota. 
I don't know how many deer I've taken in the 40+ years I have been hunting but I'm pretty sure I did my share in keeping the herd under control.  Last year I hunted with a bow and muzzle loader for the first time.  At first I borrowed a bow but then after shooting a deer, I bought a Bowtec from a fellow MNO'er.  I won a muzzle loader at a MDHA banquet, so I tried that also.  I guess your never too old to try something new.
The last picture was taken last fall.  Can you find me in the picture? 


NO, I'm not the guy on the right, that's my dad!
 

[MnMoose]

I'm IN!!!!!
My name is Mike I've been hunting farm country for oh...17 years now... thanks to my Dad bringing me up in the outdoors.  I hunt with a 12 gauge slug guns along with my younger brother Jake who is yet to get a Buck.  We are at heart meat hunters.  On the other hand I am starting to manage(the best I can in Ag country) the deer and or trying to get more sizable bucks in our area.  This year should go well having nine days to be patient and wait one out unlike years past when we had to make it a wham bam thank you maam weekend.  My largest Buck I've taken is a 7 year old 10 pointer.  I harvested him 3 years ago on a stalk.  I was quite proud of myslef being a bigger guy and outsmarting him quietly!!!  pics to follow~~~

[HD]

I’m in!

Thinking of what to put down in a bio….
Well, I’m a “seasoned” deer hunter! I muzzle load, bow, pistol and rifle hunt. I hunt the early doe season as well. I have several bows that I use during bow hunting, 2 re-curves (no sites) and 2 compounds. Name brands on the re-curves, I would have to look… But, the compounds are PSE. The muzzle loaders, I have 2, a traditional Hawkins and a CVA.
My rifle of choice? Well, it’s a 30-30 Winchester 94 AE and the pistol I hunt with is a Colt 357 Python. Depending on my mood, is what I choose. I have harvested my share of deer over the years, mostly out of need (in my younger years) and now for my kids. I learned how to by my own trial and error. I wasn’t fortunate to have someone to teach me. I have no idea how many deer I’ve harvested. I just don’t have enough fingers and toes to count!

I’m now in the management stage of life, what I mean is, that I manage the farm for deer using QDM practices. Mostly for my kids and some handicapped kids that I take hunting. So, if you are looking for me to take a big buck….I’m the wrong choice. I leave them for the kids, I have 3 trophy deer on my wall and that’s enough for me (and my wife). I harvest mostly does and cull bucks. It puts meat on the table and it offers the younger generation to tag a big buck.

We mainly hunt our own property, but have on occasion hunted state land as well for the early doe season. Our area has been in the intensive harvest area for, like, 10 years now. The amount of deer has grown and so has the quality in those 10 years.

I have set a side acres that I plant food plots on, as well as neighboring land.

What else to say….Oh, you asked about stands. Well for teaching purposes, I have some big towers that I built that I hunt out of with the kids. And when I’m by myself, I hunt out of portables.

Here are some pics…
The first one is of my first buck ever, not a monster, but he is my first trophy.
Second is of one of the tower stands I built.
Third, a doe I harvested.
And the Forth…of course you know me by now…gotta throw a joke in there…Is of me walking by one of my deer cams that I forgot was there after bow hunting one night. And, yes, that’s a beer in my hand!

Hunter





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[Mayfly]

Very cool contest.

I'm in!

Bio will be up soon.........

[Mayfly]

QDM can go a VERY far way here. 

I think it could farther if we could register more than one doe per person.

Just an idea......

 

[Grute Man]

QDM can go a VERY far way here. 

I think it could farther if we could register more than one doe per person.

Just an idea......

 

Yeah I've gotten that suggestion from a couple other guys but I never thought of it when I was setting up the point system and no one said anything before I posted it.     Therefore, I consulted with the other executive judges    and we think we'll stick with it as is for this year and discuss possible restructuring for next year.

This is looking good for registration so far.  Remember folks, the teams will be set on Oct 1.  If you bag one this weekend and submit the required photo, it WILL count towards your ultimate team score.  So far we have 20 people registered and GGs bio was so long, she coun't as 2.   

Register soon and say a prayer each night before bed that the computerized randomizer    computes you onto my team.   

[Cody Gruchow]

almost had one this morning. bio will be up as soon as i can find a picture

[wildlifeminnesota]

I am in, Here is my bio, My is Brian Osterday I have been hunting for about 15 year now I started hunting with a bow and my camera and I took more photos then shooting them with the bow so I took up rifling so I can photograph them more then I hunt. I have taken lot of deer in the year I have hunted. Last year 3 does 1 8-point buck That I shot one of his horns off and made him a 4-point. The last two-year I hunted on 40 ace tree farm that my wife dad owns and before that I hunt on state land, I use a 30.30 with scope and will be hunting in Minnesota. I have 7 deer stand how that I use year around for hunting or photographing. My bigger buck was a story in the new paper.

Outdoor photographer Brian Osterday, Perham, photographed this magnificent 10-point buck only three short weeks ago in the area. Gov Tim Pawlenty, his entourage and several dozen media representatives will in the area nov.4 in search of specimens like this. Osterday a longtime passion for wildlife photographing took the photo in east Otter tail county in mid-October—but being a hunter himself, that’s all the information he’s disclosing. ”For one thing, if I revealed the area where I spotted him—it wouldn’t be fair to the buck!” exclaimed Osterday.

Well that not the end of this story thee week later.

Against long odds, hunt-photographer bags same trophy buck he stalked with his camera.
What are the odds said deer hunter and photographer Brian Osterday still in a state of disbelief after bagging an 11-point buck estimated at 230 pounds. Osterday is an outdoorsman. Hunter, fisherman who is also a wildlife photographer. In mid October he photographed a remarkable buck on state land near Dead Lake. The photo was published in the Perham Enterprise Bulletin and New York Mills Herald Nov.3—just a couple days before the deer-hunting opener. Osterday planned to return to the area in an attempt to shoot with a rifle the same deer he shot with a camera though he knew the odds were miniscule that we would actually get a bead on the same animal. At least eight hunters were working the area on opener morning,Nov.5 which reduced his chances even further that he would bag his trophy. He came out of the woods about 10 am frustrated .He was unable to get a clean shot on a couple of bucks that he spotted. As he was taking his break, a flurry of gunshots pierced the air. Moments later a large buck appeared in the swampland nearby. The buck was in a dead run. And had apparently eluded the bullets of two hunters before coming into Osterday’s sight. He took aim at the fast moving specimen from about 70 yards. Fired and the buck dropped immediately. It happened so fast he was unable to spot any detail of the rack of the buck but when he walk over to the buck and got a close look much to his shock it appeared to be the same deer he photographed a few week prior. Upon closer examination checking the antlers and white coloration against his photos it became clear that he had bagged the same identical buck. Osterday’s trophy scores 150 7/8 Typical. To earn a spot in the Minnesota Record Book
This Buck will be on the wall at my new store in Perham. They’re a photo of last year buck and the 11-point buck before and after   


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[GirlGuide]

[/quote]
  So far we have 20 people registered and GGs bio was so long, she coun't as 2.   

 [/quote]
AAAHHHHHHHH HHHHEEEMMMMMMMMMM....
 Well, I just didn't want to leave ANYTHING out!!  EVERYBODY wants to know ALL about me ya know!! 

~gg