On my way to Minnesota

[KellyBender]

After lots of back and forth, it's official that me and my family will be moving to the rochester area as soon as we get our house here in CO sold...probably looking to move as early as early Spring (hopefully). I spent a few days in MN in early Dec and then we (whole family) all drive out the week after x-mas for a week and spent some time looking around the rochester area. You guys all live in a beautiful state and we are very excited about the move.

Thanks again and maybe I could put some faces with some names (handles). Happy New Year... Greg

[JCJ]

Great deer, turkey hunting and stream trout fishing in SE MN.

[dbow]

Congrats!  I used to live in MN and I miss it so much.  Rochester is a good area.  Have Fun!!!

[Doug in MN]

Kelly, there is a great trad shop in Rochester, The Footed Shaft and Lamont the owner is one of the class guys you will ever meet. Just down the road in Chatfield is the Pope and Young Museum that should keep you busy for a while.

Good luck.

DD

[Pegg]

Minnesota is a great place to live except this minute. Lol it is -25 right now. The Footed shaft is a great shop and Lemont is a great guy to deal with. Plus a lot of archery shoots to go to. I turkey hunt down that way in the spring. Plus going to go shoot some coyotes that way too. You will love it here. Good luck on selling and have a safe trip.

[KellyBender]

thanks fellas.  We are very excited about the move.  I was looking online and am very excited about the archery only turkey hunting.  Here in CO, it is shotgun only...you need to go to NE for archery only.  Looks like the season opens on 4/14 but how long is the season (both archery and shotgun)?  Thanks and I am looking forward to getting there.

[Ken Babicky]

I second the trad shop in Rochester. Lamont is a great guy to talk to and work with. Keeps alot of stuff in that small space!

[britts2]

SE MN is a great place to settle. Big bucks, turkeys and trout fishing too.

[britts2]

SE MN is a great place to settle. Big bucks, turkeys and trout fishing too.

[northland archer]

Welcome to Minnesota.  My family and i are in Owatonna and love it here.  There is a lot to do if you like to be outside.

[sdpeb1]

I love the midwest, really good folks. I take a my entire months vacation and go there in the fall.- Steve

[Ghost Dancer]

Why would you leave CO?  Is it for work?  I would have thought CO a bowhunter's paradise.

[rp65]

Welcome, I'm from S/W MN. I think you will like the part of the state your going to. I have a hunting cabin in the north central part of the state also for when a change is needed. Good luck with your move.

[SS Snuffer]

Welcome
I'm form the Alexandria lakes area. Good deer huntin phasants grouse and more turkeys every year but it will hit -25 tonight. Just don't stick your tounge on a stop sign and you'll be OK.

[Frisky]

Rochester was a nice city but has been having drive-by shootings of late, almost nightly. I live 45 minutes to the west in Austin. The Rochester population just went over 100,000 and it's starting to have problems you see in larger cities. I guess I just prefer small town living. Still, I wish you well and you'll find the place has the best clinic around and good schools.

Joe

[Robhood23]

Welcome, I live in Rochester and if you want to hook up and shoot sometime just give me a shout! Lamont is a class act and a very good friend of mine! What part of Rochester are you looking to live in?

[LKH]

I was born and raised in Int'l Falls.  Left to join the navy in 66 and haven't lived there since.  Go back for the MN rifle season each year to take Mom.  

I've grown to love the mountains and hills and don't think I could live in MN any more.  

Did you know that the highest "mountain" in MN is a taconite tailings pile??

[AkDan]

well when you get there let me know...I'm planning on a trip to Lamonts shop this spring, we'll have to hook up at dq for some icecream  

[yellow bow]

Good Luck in your new adventure.

[NDTerminator]

I grew up in Mankato and the writing was already on the wall as far as hunting goes, in the early 70's. Even back then public land was crowded to the point of being dangerous, private land was tough to get on, and the "what's good for the Twin Cities is good for outstate" liberal mentality was beginning to bloom.

During deer season mom made us dress in orange and wouldn't let us play out of the yard.  My first and only shotgun deer season when I was 16, I was nearly killed by a party blasting at one of the few deer I saw that day, as it ran between us. I was in full view and dressed head to foot in orange. 12 gauge slugs make a sound you will never forget when they fly by & ricochette off frozen plowing, as you make yourself as small as possible behind the only cover available, a 4" fence post.  I never hunted deer again in Minnesota...

I left as soon as I could, moved to ND, and never looked back. I sacrificed some salary, but I live & hunt in some of the most prime, uncrowded territory this side of Alaska.

From talking with buddies who still live in Minn, it seems it's even worse now than it was in the 70's with the added attractions of much greater population, much increased crime, a DNR that is politically based and far out of touch with the average outdoors-person, and an even greater big city liberal rule. Literally all the places we hunted as kids & teenagers have been replaced with cities & suburbs.

You should see the army of Minnesota guys that invade ND to hunt waterfowl every Fall.  The road in front of my farmstead gets so torn up with NR traffic that we have to use 4WD to get to the blacktop!  They come here because they can't get even a fraction as good hunting at home.  When I was growing  up over there Minn was known for it's waterfowling, now even that is a ghost of it's former self.

This is an utter crying shame as Minnesota once was and still should be a sportsman's paradise...