I know this is super early in the year, but I wanted to create a journal that documents my entire year of being outdoors… Not necessarily tied to hunting, but the outdoors in general. I plan to document 2014 within this thread and keep it as a journal of my year. My Background: My name is Jake, I am 25 years old and I am now in my second year as a bow hunter. I have been hunting with a rifle since I was 12 but decided to take up bow hunting this last year. 2013 was the first year that I had access to a property that I could scout and do what I wanted with (although there is 1 other who does as he pleases as well… which is not the best situation, but oh well) – It is only a 40 acre piece of property that is mostly AG field, but it has everything deer really need. I have never been able scout a property before so 2013 was pretty much one huge learning experience. I also have a 570 acre WMA just to the north of us that I will be checking out this year, as of today I have only done cyber scouting. I am shooting a 2006 Bear Instinct that my dad got me from a pawn shop several years ago… He passed away on June 22, 2013 so I will be dedicating the 2014 season to him. Through the 2013 season I didn’t hunt a day from a tree – I spent my first year bow hunting from the ground, I didn’t even buy a blind, just creating natural blinds. I plan to invest in a Lone Wolf with sticks this year so I have more options. I passed up several 4/6 pointers before I ended up taking a 125lb doe on 10/23/2013.
I will start off with a picture of the property I am working with. It is a 40 acre piece of property that is roughly half AG fields. I have identified bedding to the north of the property and also along the SW side of the field edge (in the summer). There is a small creek that runs east/west on the north central part of the property, this was dry during the 2013 year. In past years, I have found that the AG field has been planted with half corn/half beans, although it was too wet spring of 2013 to plant the beans… I can only hope they make it in this year.
2013 was my first year with a trail camera… For all who have them, you know how that goes. I purchased 2 more Covert MP-E5 this last fall. Here are some of the top pictures from last year – Hoping the big boy made it through the season.
I have been unable to get to the property because of the snow… So in my spare time I have been doing some ice fishing. Some pictures from this past year: First walleye ever – Only 16 inches, but still a great time! Some perch from this last weekend My biggest walleye to date – 20 to 22 inches… Broke my heart when I had to put her back down the hole. Would have been some awesome fillets.
My first attempt at setting up a mineral site on the property – Hard to see in the picture, but there are 4 trails coming into this area – Off to the left, straight ahead, to the top right, and I am standing on one while taking the picture.
I enjoy this kind of post ! Never to early to start to get everything ready for the up coming deer season I look faward to reading this thread .good luck and this is a awsome sport " Bowhunting ".
Where are you from jake? I'm 19 bow hunter in my second real year in Mn too Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you're looking for an awesome lunch, check out "Goodfellas Bar" 5 miles east of Foley. Voted "Best burger in Central MN" a few years in a row now.
Thanks for the heads up! Not sure what time we'll be cruising through, but I'll try and time it right for a stop.
I don't know if it's been the extra long winter... But I have had the itch to get to my property more than ever these last few weeks. I set up 2 cams this last weekend... Brought 3 but forgot I took the batteries out of my cam from last year An area I intended to set up one cam was not accessible, the ditch is full of running water and too wide to risk jumping over- Will be bringing a chunk of wood to use as a bridge this weekend.
I'm very familiar with Foley. I graduated from Sauk Rapids and my girlfriend went to Foley. She's a Gabbert if you know any of them?
Don't be sending any of that snow up north. Looking forward to following this thread. Always like following fellow MN hunters.
