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Camp Ripley- 32pt. Buck

This buck was shot in the Camp Ripley Archery Hunt near Little Falls, MN. yesterday. 32pt. 192 lbs. shot by a bow hunter from South Haven Mn., Scott Okonek. Thought to be 5 years old. Camp Ripley is a military base/Game Refuge reservation. Many folks from all over the U.S. come here in hopes of landing a trophy like this.

If that's Scott he looks to be way older than 5 years old ;)

Isn`t camp Ripley an EAB area?If it is it sure hasn`t hurt the deer pop. or potential. Nice Deer.

Maybe Scott has a thyroid issue

Does Minnesota have EAB?

I read that Ripley has over 53K acres.

Awesome buck what a hog!

"Many folks from all over the U.S. come here in hopes

of landing a trophy like this."

most leave with there hopes still intact.

did it once, to much of a circus atmosphere

Growing up just a few miles from there it was a well-known Gong Show and continues to be, but fact of the matter is that every year some real monsters com eout of there... Not for me though.

Unreal buck. Anyone put the tape to him yet?

28,000 acres I've hunted it for about 25 years. The state record came out of the fort in 92'. 2,500 hunters per 2 day hunt. Not a lot of natural deer movement, but some huge bucks come out of there. I think between 12 and 20 bucks come out over 200#s every year. I didn't draw this year or I would have been there. What an absolute SLOB!!! congrats to him for getting him

Eddy,, if I remember correctly,, Was it required to take an antlerless deer before you could take a buck? Is it still that way?

Eddy, Is it fenced? What is the permit application process? Sounds like 11.2 acres per hunter. How do you get some space to yourself?

I don't remember having to shoot a doe. In fact they just recently started allowing to fill bonus tags. It used to be you could tag only one deer. There is no fence and it can be very congested hunter wise because the deer seem to be in certain areas.

I think people think because of the area size they will be able to find a nice secluded spot. Every time I have tried that someone would come there and say it has always been their spot. Now we just make drives there isn't much for natural movement anyhow. We make some treestanders mad and some other ones very happy! The deer can go into lockdown pretty quickly so we get them moving

Camp Ripley is 52,000 acres. Some of the areas are closed by the military for hunting, dud zones. You can shoot an anterless deer with a bonus tag,{$20.00} not required before shooting a buck. So you could harvest two deer if you wanted in any order. Yes there are people, long line to get in, but it is a big area, heavy cover, and some claim it helps to have people moving around. Not everyone's cup of tea. You can apply by going to the MN DNR website next spring and submit an application. 2,500 hunters per hunt, about 2000 actually show up for each. You should get in within two years. Some like the second weekend more, rutting bucks, others the first claiming the deer are not as spooky. No EAB here. The boundaries of the Camp are secured only by a barb wire fence, signed heavily. The east side of the Camp borders the Mississppi River, obviously no fence there. Private land surrounds the camp on the other sides. Primarily oak forest, prairie and marshland. It's kind of like the lottery. Luck. No secrets to success, same old scouting, hunt the funnels and pinch points and hope it is your lucky day.

And I would add, there are areas where you can get away from the crowd. I've hunted several areas where I've never seen other hunters. You may have to hunt it a couple two, three times to find a spot like that. Or, drive in at first light after the rush in and find a spot where there are no vehicles and set up. Its not for everyone, but it can pay off big time.

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