I hope everyone has a successful (and SAFE) opener.

Be sure to take a picture so we can see how well you did

(Bill's is also having a hunting photo contest ... and giving away a couple of rifles. Give me permission and I'll forward your photo)

You have my permission. And my wife's.
Thanks Squib.

Good luck to y'all. I will be up on the north shore of Whitefish lake myself.

Hopefully the handgun hunting goes as planned. If it doesn't, I still have a rifle or two to take out Sunday and Monday.

Drove back from Fargo this morning and was kind of surprized at all of the orange I am already seeing heading north.

Leave in the early a.m. for Becida.

Good luck to all.

Stay safe all................I will be heading south to the Wabasha area. The big boy that has eluded me two yrs in a row is still there (and bigger). Maybe this year?

Good luck

Gonna be soth of the New Richland area first year with a pistol.

Heading north tomorrow morning. I may stay for 9-10 days or until I get sick of it or get a couple of deer, whichever happens first...

That's what I like to hear, a definite plan.

Well, we got three deer, but "BuckZilla," who made an appearance early Friday evening, mananged to avoid being in the crosshairs all weekend. I even wussed out, ditched the handgun, and set up my stand for a 175 yard (I love my Leica rangefinder) shot at him if he returned to an area of concentrated rubs and scrapes.

FWIW, I am more in love with my Summit Viper treestand than ever. The front bar that was just annoying when bowhunting is quite useful for support with a rifle or handgun.

To the folks on this board, hurry up and get your deer, life on this board has been too quiet without you.

But it was so peaceful in the woods............hated to come back.

Lets see one of the guys lost my knife while we were tracking a wounded deer.

Presented my license at the registration station and asked if they needed to see my Antlerless permit......."No" he said "never saw one" as he glanced at it......

Luckily he didn't need any info off of it because it wasn't my permit postcard but actually a watercraft license renewal card I grabbed by mistake

The horned critters were playing hard to get..........."Two tone" (cause of his antler coloration) did not make an appearance this year.....but he is still around. Mr 1 horn was spotted but that was all. Almost all of us passed on does that were nice shots since we only had 3 permits.

Nice weekend to be out. Hope everyone had success and safe hunting.

If it makes you feel any better, "BuckZilla" was seen Friday night, which was obviously an attempt to "rattle" us hunters.

It worked. I left all his babes alone trying to catch him following the does around like a pimply faced boy at a high school dance follows the girls. We got three deer, so all was not lost, and I think he was worth a try, especially since I've never gotten a 10-pointer before. It was interesting and motivating to try and get a shot at a specific deer. I never really did that muzzle-loading.

Unfortunately, I have my doubts if he'll make it to next year. A few locals were over when we saw him Friday, and they have permission to bowhunt a lot of the private land we hunt after rifle season. He would definately win the "Biggest Buck" competition at the VFW that they bought into before the season started, and that main prize is worth over a grand.

we have been seeing a big 10 pointer at our farm in zone 4. I know he survived the first season, because he stayed right behind the house all weekend. I don't hunt until the muzzleloader season, but I'm not sure I even want to shoot him. I am getting way too attached to the deer out there.