Hunting News

Archers have record success at Camp Ripley hunt

Archers have record success at Camp Ripley hunt

By Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Archery hunters who participated in the Camp Ripley hunts near Little Falls harvested 310 deer and had a record success rate Oct. 15 to Oct. 16 and Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.

This year, 1,864 participating hunters harvested 310 deer. During the 2019 hunts, 2,137 hunters harvested 278 deer. In 2020, hunters harvested at least 25 large, antlered bucks (greater than 8% of total harvest) during the event, well above the 3.5% long-term average of total harvest. The largest was a 16-point buck that a hunter checked in on the last day.

The archery hunt at Camp Ripley is an annual event. The DNR coordinates the hunts in collaboration with Central Lakes College Natural Resources Program and the Department of Military Affairs, which manages the 53,000-acre military facility.

URGENT REQUEST FOR SAMPLES TO TEST FOR CWD

Hunters are being asked to please drop off the head of deer 1 year or older for CWD testing, if available where they hunt. Testing is crucial to managing this always-fatal disease and participation is critical.

It's as easy as attaching a filled-out tag to the ear of the harvested deer's head and put it into a provided barrel. Hunters who have a deer head from harvest this weekend can still bring it in for sampling. Find the sampling location on the CWD webpage.

There are options to provide a sample even if a hunter wants to keep the deer's antlers or have the deer mounted. Check out the video on how to prep for sampling.

Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd