5 pines farm 2012 semi live

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

A few years ago I realized my life long dream of acquiring and relocating to a remote farm in the rugged SE corner of Minnesota. If you would like to follow along this season as I chase whitetails from my back door kindly be my guest. I intend to blog every day on this thread about what I see , hear and experience. I hope I can through words and photos share some the wonderful days of a Minnesota bow season with my trad friends.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Here are a few over views of the little valley I call home.
looking south
   
looking north
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

we call it 5 pines farm because of the five 100 year old white pines that shade the 100 year old farm house.
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

The farm is made up of 295 acres located in the best deer and turkey counties in Minnesota. A county line splits the farm in half . 80 acres lie in Winona county and the rest resides in Houston County.To give you an idea of just how rugged and steep the farm is, out of all those acres all that is really tillable is 11 acres which I rent to neighbor for row crops. from the bottom of the valley in the picture above to the top of the bluff on the first over view there is a difference of 700 feet!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I am fortunate in that I work for my self and from the farm. During deer season I typically hunt every day at least once if not twice unless business calls me away.

Tomorrow is opening day . I have been patterning a couple of dandy bucks throughout the summer . Tomorrow can't come fast enough!

Years ago I learned to keep a happy home during hunting I had to find a way not to wake the non hunters in the house and to keep my hunting gear free from household aromas, they had to be somewhere away from the house and garage. I have tented and used campers but when I relocated here I made a camp just down the drive way from the farm house. While it may seem extravagant to have a camp 200 yards from home, this allows me the perfect escape. I sleep here during the hunting season and my gear is safely packed in sealed containers away from all smells of daily life.

[owlbait]

Good luck! Looks like a great place.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

two years ago I took a plunge had a deck built and ordered a 24 foot yurt. Its now home away from home.
 Its a much larger space then it appears.Room for friends and gear and some man cave stuff too.

[njloco]

Enjoy man, sounds like to had your dream and went for it, good for you.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

So tomorrow is opening day. I have a 23 acre parcel across the road that is very steep and acts as a great bedding area for the local deer. I will be high  up the bluff face in the am hunting an old logging tote road that traverses the bluff. Here are two trail camera photos from this spot earlier this summer
 
 

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

that big boy's name is Mr. Clean. We started calling him that last year since he is a super clean 8 point. This buck is  most likely a five or possibly six year old deer. I pulled the camera on the 16th of August and haven't been in this part of the farm since. I am hoping he is still using this trail to go to his bed. I'll let you know tomorrow whether he shows.

[Green]

Good luck and congrats on living the dream.  Will be following.

[TxAg]

I'll be following

[Gump21Bravo]

As will I and Good Luck mopping up Mr. Clean
 
Craig

[Killdeer]

A dream is good, even if it is somebody else's.
Thank you for sharing!

Killdeer

[Bernie B.]

This will be fun to follow along.  This land looks quite similar to our property in SW Wisconsin.  Season opens tomorrow in Wisconsin also, but I won't be able to get over there until next week.  Good luck with your hunting season!    

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

[subsonic]

Really Cool!  Looking forward to the adventure.

[JEFF B]

oh that looks real good lets hear more when ya make meat.      

[Big Ed]

Good luck and looks to be simply beautiful!

[tracker1]

Wow that hunting cabin away from the house is too cool.  Good luck tomorrow I'm going after Turkey and squirrel.  Shoot Straight. Have fun and be safe.

[AWPForester]

Good luck and God Bless.  I'll be watching everday, at least until September 29th. 8>)