12 gauge but I started out with a 20 gauge both work very well.

Hello fellow hunters. I am going to visit a (beautiful!) girl in Minneapolis / St. Paul from November 8 - 16, and I want to hunt some when I am there. The dept. of natural recourses inform me that I am able to buy deer tags over the counter, with a two days delay, and also buy tags over the internet before opening day the 6. And, that deer population is good! The DNR website is full of useful information! However, as I do not know my way around, I would appreciate some pointers. I know that there are trespassing laws in your country (in Norway it is the other way around, the law state that everyone has the right to go everywhere, pitch a tent everywhere that is not farmed and so on. However the game belongs to the landowner.) Anyway, I am an experienced hunter, have hunted red deer, roe deer and moose for several years, and I would love to find an area where I could set up and wait, and maybe do some stalking. I do not want to hunt with a guide, if I can avoid it. Just a quirk of mine. Aaaahhh the excitement! Can�t wait! A new woman and new hunting in a combo I have some questions for you, some of them undoubtly stupid.... Here goes:
1. Where would be a good place to go? I do not mind walking, hard terrain most welcome.
2. Are there public land available, is so, where?
3. If not, or if it is preferable, how do I go about finding a landowner that will let me hunt his turf? What would be a reasonable price to pay for the right to hunt someone�s land?
4. I own rifles in the following calibres, which one would be best suited for deer? 22-250, 6.5x57R (drilling), 30-06, 300wsm (take down), 375wea, 458win. I am leaning towards the lightweight Blaser in 300wsm, easy to ship and very accurate. I am working up some loads for the GS custom monometallic 150 grains bullet, would this be a good choice?
5. Now, for the stupid question. Deer in Minnesota equals whitetail, right? Not muleys, red deer, fallow or any other kind.... Right?

Thank you, hope for some helpful tips!

One of the first things you need to decide is which Zone you are going to hunt in. The state is devided into 4 Zones. Since you are going to hunt with a rifle you are limited to only 2 Zones, Zones 1 and 2, that is becasue in Zones 3 and 4 you can only use shotguns with slugs as legal firearms no rifles allowed. Also the southern part of zone 2 is also shotgun hunting only

Here is a DNR web page with the zones http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/map.pdf

Since you are going to be in the cities I dont know what zone you will want to choose but I rifle hunt in zone 1 which is the longest season in the state running through 3 weekends.

1. I would recommed Zone 1 to hunt in. I dont know how far you are willing to travel to hunt deer.

2. There is alot of public land in Minnesota. In zone one there is alot of State land to hunt, minning land, timber company land, county lands, and National Forest lands that a person can hunt on with out permission.
3. Public land is a great place to hunt IF you can get permission. Alot of land owners hunt their own land so it can be difficult to get permission. The best thing to do is just drive around and ask the local farmers or land owners if you can hunt deer. As for paying to hunt on private lands I have never payed to hunt on private lands. Not many land owners expect to be payed. There are a few places where the farm or land is leased out for hunting but that is very rare. Usually if you shoot a deer on private land you would give the land owner some of the deer meat already processed as a thank you.
4. I shoot a 30-06 a very good rifle but I would think the300 wsm would work good but I am not very familiar with it. The bigger rifles would work but you do not need that big of a gun. The only one I would not bring is the 22-250 it is too small and is not a legal deer cartridge in Minnesota.
5. Yes you are correct there are only white tailed deer in Minnesota if you hunt far enough north there are also moose but there should be no problem telling them apart from eachother.

If you have any more questions just ask

Here is another DNR page to look at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/index.html

At the top left of the web page is the hunting regulations hand book you can down load it is very helpful.

If you hunted far enough north in Zone 1 I might even be able to show you around a little give you a few places to hunt.

Good Luck

Andy

Norwegian,

Have you checked into the laws regarding bringing a firearm into the US? That may be a problem for you. You can find out on the website for BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). Be sure and do this before you come. You don't want to spend your vacation time stuck in customs or worse.

Not being from the area in question, I can't help you with some of your more specific questions.

However, as to 4. and 5., I would say either your 6.5mm, .30-06, or .300 WSM would be a good choice, with one of the .30-calibers probably being best.

And, yes, you most likely will be after whitetails in Minnesota.

Good luck,
RSY

You will have to borrow a rifle. Foriegners now need an ATF Form 6 to bring a rifle into the country, even if it is just for one hunting trip. If you don't already have it, you don't have time to get it and line up a US gun dealer nowI will be in northern Minnesota for the opening week, then NW Ontario the next week. My friend from New Zealand is coming to hunt with me, and he is borrowing a rifle of mine.

FWIW-you really need to find some one to go with. It would GREATLY improve your odds

Ohhhh shit! I hunted Elk in Colorado 3 years ago, great fun, and had no problems what so ever bringing a gun for the hunt! Perhaps there are new regulations post 9/11? Have sent an e-mail to the bureau, hope they are able clear this up fast! If I still can bring a gun, I will try to locate an area that allows me to hunt the way Boreal suggests. I love to still hunt, in particular if there is snow! Great fun to track a cautious buck! Time will show.
I have been in Minneappolis before, and noticed that there are quite a few people of Norwegian heritage there, as well as Swedes and Danes (Same stock, insignifficant differences) Scandinavian, aboriginal, zulu, italian, aussie.... makes no difference to me. There are dirtbags and heroes in all races and nations. It is who people are, and how they choose to be and behave that matters, not the genetic makeup. Nice that people protect their cultural heritage though, be it Ghanesian or German.

Yeah , but all those other nationalities show some good sense by not eating lutefisk . (grin)



Even though I believe a Norwegian is just an extra stubborn Dane ,(grin) I hope you have a good trip .



You have to watch out for those Minnesotans though , when it come walleyes or whitetails , they can get a little crazy.



Good luck !!