The last day of deer season has a certain temperature about it. Robust laughter bursting across a card table of happy flannel-clad hunters with their bucks hanging outside on a meatpole creates a warm feeling. By contrast, standing alone in a barren, snowy woods, clinging to the slim hope that your buck will appear in the waning seconds of the season creates a cold, lonely feeling.
Every January, Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) chapters across the state gather for our annual Regional Meetings—an event that is far more than a simple organizational ritual. These meetings serve as the backbone of MDHA’s grassroots strength, shaping policy priorities, influencing conservation strategies, and connecting hunters who share a deep commitment to Minnesota’s deer herd and the future of hunting. As the 2026 legislative session approaches, member participation has never been more important.
I distinctly remember the weather that day. It was a lackluster December day, slightly overcast, with temps at least five degrees above normal. Sure, there was snow on the ground, but nothing about the conditions gave me butterflies about my odds of killing a good buck. If anything, I was hoping to see a few does, as I didn’t have any good bucks left on camera. I talk all the time about poor attitudes being hunt killers, but I’m not always great at practicing what I preach.
In Spring of 2025, massive wildfires threatened lives, rural communities, recreational property and forests in St Louis and Lake Counties in Northeast Minnesota. These catastrophic wildfires were fueled by a perfect combination of drought, unseasonably high temperatures (high 80s), low humidity (less than 20%) and extreme winds (25-40 mph) when the forest was just starting to green up over the opening weekend of the Minnesota fishing season.
For seasoned whitetail hunters, trail cameras are more than tools—they’re the backbone of pre-season scouting, early-season strategies, and real-time intel during the rut. Coincidence? Maybe. But if you’ve hunted long enough, you know coincidence doesn’t explain consistent patterns. Mature bucks don’t live five, six, or seven years by luck. They’re adaptive survivors, hyper-aware of change, pressure, and intrusion.
How much is your property worth?
This seems like an odd way to start answering the question, but it’s important to realize that a recreational property is often worth just as much as building a new house. Even a 40-acre tract with no access and no utilities in northern Minnesota is likely going to sell for $100,000. Would you build a house worth that much without a plan? Can you come up with an appropriate floor plan that will use every square foot of space efficiently? It’s too expensive to fix stuff after it’s built, and our deer hunting properties are no different. Respect your property for what it’s worth.
460 Peterson Rd
Grand Rapids, Minnesota 55744
