Ice Season Yet?

Finally as I look ahead to the near future it appears we are going to be making some ice soon.  This is that time of year that I am nomally venturing out on the ice for the first time.  Getting in a couple quick trips before the official ice season kicks off with the St. Paul ice show.  But, with the weather we have had over the last month I am still working on harvesting a big buck.  I guess I should say my son Cole and I are both working on harvesting a big bucks.

Since I lasted wrote I have been to South Dakota deer hunting and back again for the Minnesota Muzzleloader season.  The South Dakota trip was a lot of fun as I got to hunt with  my dad on some excellent land owned by my good friend Matt Carlander.  I was able to harvest two nice doe for the freezer and got to see the biggest 8 pointer of my life.  In fact, I got to see this same buck twice.  Unfortately for me, he is still chasing does across the open praries of South Dakota.

That brought me back to MN for the Muzzleloader opener.  Once again we were greeted by temperatures well above normal and very little deer activity.  I saw a total of 4 bucks and two does on the weekend.  The good late season  hunting we are accustomed to just has not kicked into high gear yet.  We need some cool temps, those same temps that make us ice hear in Minnesota.

This weekend is the St. Paul Ice show so I will not be hunting.  I have several other meeting besides the ice show this weekend so the busy ice season is officially under way.  Just because it is officially ice season now does not mean I am done hunting.  I am hoping to hunt hard the last week of Muzzleloader season and mix in some ice fishing.  After all, last year I was driving on the ice by the last week of Muzzleloader season.  Right now I could still get my boat on the same lake I was driving my truck on last year.

The good thing is Cole and I are not giving up.  We have bucks to harvest yet and and as Matt Carlander says, "Time Equals Opportunity"!  I will continue to put in my time, but bring on the ice.  I have a feeling when the ice shows up so will the big bucks.