This past Monday I drove down to Wadena to hunt with my son, Todd. He has access to an unbelievable property. It consists of 80 acres of woods and swamp surrounded by agricultural fields of corn and beans. Todd has taken some really big bucks over the years from this property.
Two of the stands we use are on a thin strip of popples that are basically surrounded by alder swamps. You can look out and cover two edges of swamp and woods at the same time. Last year this was an intensive zone ( 5 deer limit). This year it is a managed zone (2 deer limit).
I passed on four young bucks in the three days I hunted and used my management tag for a nice doe the last day.
The rest of the season I will be hunting in the Pine Island State Forest in Northern Minnesota where the deer are much less concentrated.