October 24, 2006

Ron Kuehne of Grey Eagle, Minn., bagged this 202-pound, 10-point buck at the Camp Ripley archery hunt on Oct. 19. The hunt is administered by the Department of Natural Resources with cooperation from the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. - photo taken by Beau Liddell, DNR..

Archers took 271 deer during the first two-day bow hunt at Camp Ripley Military Reservation near Little Falls.

"Weather conditions were superb, and hunters did exceptionally well during the first two days," said Beau Liddell, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Little Falls area wildlife manager.

"For the third year in a row hunters were allowed to take up to two deer and to use bonus permits to increase harvest on antlerless deer. This largely explains the strong harvest so far this year with fawns and does comprising about 70 percent of the harvest."

The harvest represents one of the highest two-day takes ever and is 115 percent above the long-term average of 126 deer for the first hunt.

"As long as weather cooperates next weekend, the total take for all four days should rank amongst the best harvests in history at Camp Ripley," Liddell said. "The harvest so far is almost as high as the long-term average of 280 for both hunts combined."

There were 2,509 permits issued for the first hunt, with 2,208 hunters participating, for a participation rate of 88 percent (slightly higher than the 80-85 percent participation typical of the hunts). Hunter success was about 12 percent (4 percent higher than the long-term average of 8 percent), and 14 hunters took their bag limit of two deer.

"With nine consecutive mild winters, Camp Ripley's deer herd is in good condition. Most hunters who provided comments indicated they saw numerous deer," Liddell said. "The good harvest experienced so far is due to excellent hunting conditions, high deer densities (estimated at more than 30 per square mile), and a high number of hunters in Camp Ripley."

Of adult bucks weighed, eight tipped the scales at more than 200 pounds, above average for the first hunt. The largest buck weighed 244 pounds, taken by Mark Meyer of Bear Creek, Wis. Cade Collins of Cedar, Minn., took a buck nearly as large, weighing in at 239 pounds. Mark McClintock of Holdingford, Minn., harvested the largest doe of the first hunt, weighing in at 117 pounds.

The second two-day hunt is scheduled for Oct. 28-29.