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Feedback needed-Camp Ripley

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bowhunterdoug

Post subject: Feedback needed-Camp Ripley

Posted: Sep 11, 2007 - 10:04 PM

Joined: Aug 25, 2005
Posts: 1
Location: Mayer
Status: Offline

I have been picked again (3 yrs in a row) for the Camp Ripley hunt. I am an avid and addicted whitetail bowhunter, yet I am looking for basic advice Smile

Before I get to my question, here is a summary:

1st year at Ripley: Drove around, found a spot without any vehicles...didnt' see any deer. Didn't see any deer the next day, bad luck I guess...but it didn't discourage me from applying again.

2nd year at Ripley: Put more planning into the hunt, as I had been there once before. Saw tons of deer, but didn't get any shots from the ground, ended up being busted/spotted, etc. I saw many nice deer being registered, mostly from guys/gals with treestands.

This year for Ripley: Thinking I need to be elevated and improve my chances, I bought a climber stand, but then was "talked out of it" by my brother, who has taken numerous record-book bucks. He said I'd be fumbling with it in the dark, pain to use, pain to carry around, I would be spotted easily in a limbless tree by deer, etc.

So...my question is this: What do any of you fellow bowhunters recommend? Maybe a (1) ground blind, using natural structure. (2) A ground blind made up of webbing camo material. (3) An enclosed ground blind like the double-bull. Or (4), carry in a light portable with climbing sticks and try to minimize noise in the a.m.?

Any and all feedback welcome and much appreciated, thanks!!!!!! Smile

[/u]

Gruteman

Post subject: RE: Feedback needed-Camp Ripley

Posted: Sep 12, 2007 - 04:01 AM

Joined: May 07, 2007
Posts: 41
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Status: Offline

Get a tree stand of some kind. See if a friend would show you how theirs works and try it your self in the back yard. Try as many as you can but get up off the ground. I went once and saw many deer but no shots. Id go again but need someone with a camper or whatnot as I have none. Practice and get used to your stand and you'll be able to set it up in the dark. Try a cap light too. They're about $10 and clip onto the brim of your hat.
Grute

_________________
White Bear Lake, MN

garret

Post subject:

Posted: Sep 12, 2007 - 01:15 PM

Joined: Aug 27, 2007
Posts: 23

Status: Offline

I would go back and get the climber. I have a climber and I love it. Has your brother heard of a flashlight? JK.... Once you get used to setting up the climber and use a small flashlight you will be set up in no time and be in the tree hunting.

You will make a lot more noise carrying around a stand with steps. You could get some strap on steps, I hear a lot of people like those, but I don't use them so I can't say how easy they are to use .

Another thing is with a climber you need certain tree's, like a nice straight one with no limbs...with steps and a hang on you can get into almost any tree. Weight could be an issue as well. My climber weighs 24 lbs, it's a tree lounge, most weigh atleast 18. depending on the type of hang on stand it could weigh a bit less, so less to carry around.

Gruteman

Post subject:

Posted: Sep 13, 2007 - 01:20 AM

Joined: May 07, 2007
Posts: 41
Location: White Bear Lake, MN
Status: Offline

I got a Gorilla Silverback and it weighs under 11 lbs. I''ve used screw in steps in the past but what a pain and I get all sweaty. Im going to try strap ons this year. Its not the biggest seat or platform but it works.

Grute

_________________
White Bear Lake, MN

WaitForIt

Post subject:

Posted: Sep 13, 2007 - 02:56 PM

Joined: Dec 12, 2005
Posts: 11
Location: Minnesota
Status: Offline

I have two portables, love 'em both.

1) The gorilla 'kong' stand with Summit Bucksteps
2) Lone wolf alpha hang-on with lone wolf climbing sticks

The Bucksteps are my favorite tree steps - they pack small, only weigh ~10 lbs, and if you are willing to take big steps you can get pretty high up the tree. The Kong stand has a screw-out claw - great for taking up the slack in the mounting strap OR leveling the stand.

The lone wolf is the best I've used. Its super light and quiet. Spendy, too. You can adjust the angle of both platform and seat, plus you can use the offset mount to get in some REALLY funky trees.

I used to have a climber. Works well for those up north, big woods hunts with straight tall trunks.. but the city hunts and some of the WMAs make them hard to use, in my opinion. Not to mention - I feel a whole lot safer in my hang-on stands. My thinking is - when I'm toting the lone wolf, I can walk it for a mile without it wearing me down, and I can get into damn near any tree with it. I've sat in crooked, twisted 6" diameter trees with that stand - sweet!

Bogleg

Post subject:

Posted: Apr 13, 2010 - 08:29 PM

Joined: Apr 13, 2010
Posts: 2

Status: Offline

I use a Lone Wolf portable with climbing sticks. I still own, and occasionally use, screw-in steps, but I hunt in some Federal land where screw-in steps are illegal now, and got the Lone Wolf climbing sticks. These things are great! A little bulky/heavy, but you can get in and out of a tree fast and quiet. I prefer hang-on stands to climbing stands personally for their versatility and weight.

I think in Ripley, like anywhere with swamps, a ground blind might be a decent option. But there's a lot of woods up there too, and certainly a treestand option is a great idea. Even if you get busted in the dark in the morning, you still have all day to sit somewhere waiting for deer...a good stand can make that sit a lot more productive IMHO.

Finlander

Post subject:

Posted: Aug 03, 2010 - 04:45 PM

Joined: Jul 28, 2010
Posts: 1

Status: Offline

The only way to scout Ripley is from the previous year you hunted and use your GPS to locate those spots for the next year. The number of people hunting there is like fishing Mille Lacs in a walleye tournament as 100 boats take off and they all take off to the spots, but the lake is so big, there is no problem finding a place for yourself! Same goes for Ripley, just head out and find a place that has no vehicles there and hope all the hunters there push deer to you as that is what happened to me last year as I had 5 deer just about run me over just as I arrived at the spot that I was going to put my tree stand in. This time I will sit and wait for the first hour in the morning until I put my treesatnd up and take advantage of the flurry of deer being moved around by the hunters. If I new last year that I would encounter 5 deer going to run me over and getting caught with my bow laying on the ground, I would have a monster buck on the wall as two were monsters that were running in that group. If I was ready I would have connected for sure!
I must have seen 25 deer by 8:00am before I could put my treestand up! Shocked

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