First Camp Ripley bow hunt shows good results

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Archery hunters took 287 deer during the first two-day hunt held Oct. 21-22 at Camp Ripley Military Reservation near Little Falls. It was the third highest recorded harvest for the first two days of the hunt.

The harvest represents a 67 percent increase from last year’s harvest of 172 deer, when hunters experienced poor hunting conditions, and it is 64 percent above the long-term average harvest of 175 deer for the first hunt.

For the seventh year in a row hunters were allowed to take up to two deer and to use bonus permits to increase harvest of antlerless deer. Fawns and does comprised 64 percent of the harvest. Nineteen adult bucks tipped the scales at or more than 200 pounds. The largest buck weighed 253 pounds, taken by Dan Neimen of Brainerd, Minn. Of adult does weighed, the largest was 134 pounds, taken by Benjamin Sehr of New Ulm, Minn.

There were 2,500 permits issued for the first hunt, with 2,132 hunters participating, for a participation rate of 85 percent (up from 81 percent last year). Hunter success was about 13 percent (3 percent higher than the long-term average), and eight hunters took their bag limit of two deer.

“With twelve consecutive mild winters and strong harvests since 2000, Camp Ripley’s deer herd is in good condition,” said Beau Liddell, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Little Falls Area Wildlife manager. “If weather cooperates, the total take for all four days could easily rival the record 516 deer taken for both hunts in 2008.”

The second two-day hunt is scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 30-31. DNR coordinates the hunts with the Department of Military Affairs, which manages the 53,000-acre military reservation.

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