I checked a secret spot today.

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
I found a spot I've never hunted. Owned by the DNR, but not listed under any "type" wma, ama, park, etc. I even called the DNR land manager a few months back and he was baffled. I never had the guts to try it during season. I took a walk out there today. Not a big spot. Daydreamin' and SNAP! A big old rooster powers out of the frozen marsh a ways in front. Even this "public land dummy" who never saw a hunter, was wild. Later I found out why.

A short while on I flushed a covey of hens. Oh so hens really covey? Damned if I know, but there was a group anyhow. Fifty yards later I saw a movement in the cattails. Here was a chubby coyote slowly hopping away. Would have been an easy shot, but I don't predator hunt.

Not sure if I'll ever try it with a dog and gun, but there's a few birds there.
 
Bob Peters said:
I found a spot I've never hunted. Owned by the DNR, but not listed under any "type" wma, ama, park, etc. I even called the DNR land manager a few months back and he was baffled. I never had the guts to try it during season. I took a walk out there today. Not a big spot. Daydreamin' and SNAP! A big old rooster powers out of the frozen marsh a ways in front. Even this "public land dummy" who never saw a hunter, was wild. Later I found out why.

A short while on I flushed a covey of hens. Oh so hens really covey? Damned if I know, but there was a group anyhow. Fifty yards later I saw a movement in the cattails. Here was a chubby coyote slowly hopping away. Would have been an easy shot, but I don't predator hunt.

Not sure if I'll ever try it with a dog and gun, but there's a few birds there.
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I bet you a 6-pack of Grain Belt, if you find out it's legal, you'll try it.
 
I found one a few years ago. A WPA that was marked as private on OnX. I just checked. It is still marked that way. It does have signs on the property, but not showing up on OnX did help reduce its use, I believe.

I didn't hunt it this season, because that area of MN got wiped out by the 2022-2023 nasty winter. Got birds there that year and the year before though.
 
I have a similar spot that I found this year however it's only Pheasants Forever land. With a big sign on it that says "no hunting, future land improvement project" or something to that effect. I'm assuming it will become a WMA when the DNR finds the funds to purchase it from PF. It looks like a great spot so I can wait for that one to be public.

Also this year, a spot across the road from one of my favorite WMAs finally became public. Only has one sign on it, a Ducks Unlimited sign and a Clean Water, Land and Legacy sign. That was all I needed to see, I hunted the heck out of the spot this year and got birds every time. Had to take advantage before the WMA signs are put up and everyone else figures out it's public.
 
Bob Peters said:
Zero surprise there. OnX is out of date and way behind most times. Great tool in the field but if I'm snooping for spots at home county website is much better.
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I really like using the app, but part of me does long for the days where I would order the printed maps from the U of MN bookstore and use those to get around to the spots. This was before smartphones. The less ardent hunters might have known of a place or two, but not all that those maps showed.

Then there was a period of time I used the GPS files downloaded from the DNR website, in mapping applications on the phone/tablet. Still more work than most were willing to do.

Then the apps started coming out. That really leveled the playing field a lot when it comes to finding spots and navigating to spots.
 
Bob Peters said:
Item one. Now brewed in New Ulm. Reference Schell's brewery.

Item two. Opinions vary.
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As someone fairly non Gucci, who prefers that beer taste like beer, I think Grain Belt is quite good, far better than Miller, Bud, Coors, Busch & their Lite/Light variants. (Won't even mention Michelob Ultra 🤣🤣🤮.) When the object is to win a 6 pack, I wouldn't bet crappy beer.
 
I had a spot like that once. Twas sweet. DNR didn’t even know it was public and he lived a Mile down the road. He stopped me one day and asked who owned it. I Had family who was a part of the sale transaction to DU or PHF or whoever actually owns it now.

Still a good spot but man the first year after a crop field goes wild with grasses is awesome.
 
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A5 Sweet 16 said:
As someone fairly non Gucci, who prefers that beer taste like beer, I think Grain Belt is quite good, far better than Miller, Bud, Coors, Busch & their Lite/Light variants. (Won't even mention Michelob Ultra 🤣🤣🤮.) When the object is to win a 6 pack, I wouldn't bet crappy bee
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Glock said:
I’m updating my scorecard and slightly confused. Are we considering Olympia Gucci? It’s hard to keep with all of you high rollers in here.
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No Olympia is absolutely not Gucci lol.
 
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