Itasca State Park in Minnesota

[gruhotbigracks]

Hi all has anyone hunted this park during the rifle season? Is there many big bucks in this part of the state? How to hunt, stand or stalk? Thanks

[Rangerlab]

The park gets quite a bit of pressure, but my experience is that most hunters stay close to the roads or trails. I hunted there a couple of years ago and didn't see another hunter more than a half mile or so from a trail. For the most part the park is thick woods, and stalking is very difficult. If you have a portable stand that would be the way to go. There are some big bucks in there, but since the pressure is high near the trails, you need to head back farther into the brush to find them.

[TeeJay]

Idont and havent hunted Itasca but i do hunt the Paul Bunyan which is bout40 mls from Itasca. Alot of deer but alot of hunters also It is near imposible to stalk up here. Stand hunting is the only way to go. But with that you will get to a place it will look good put up your stand and all you will see come morning is oarnge. The poeple that hunt these public lands up here have been hunting them for generations for the most part. So good luck finding a place or try them with a boe or muzzleloader

[Stump_MN_Hunter]

Itasca is just like most other state land up north....the further back you get, the less pressure you see and the less the deer are going to be pressured. If you have it in you, do your homework and get back a good mile or two from the nearest trail and you'll find yourself some really good hunting across all of northern MN. A lot of lazy hunters that don't get any further than a few hundred yards away from the truck or an easy walking trail.