Outfitter Review On Blackhammer Farms

HuntTheNorth.com

OUTFITTER REVIEW ON:

Blackhammer Farms

Part 1:THE HUNT

Whitetail Deer Hunting the Bluffs of Southeastern
Minnesota with Blackhammer Farms

By Ryan Williams

The golden October sun cast an iridescent glow on a cedar tree as big around as my leg that had been freshly thrashed by a bluff country monarch. This was evidence of what truly thrived here at Blackhammer Farms. I couldn’t help but visualize the deer that made that mark knowing all to well from past experiences that this was a true trophy. High noon and the mercury not much more than freezing there I sat suspended in a mature double red oak, listening, watching and dreaming of what the rut may breed at any moment, and then I heard them. A sound we all know so very well, the sound of underbrush crunching in the perfect rhythm of footsteps. Too heavy for a squirrel I speak to myself. In an instant I catch movement from my peripheral, a mature doe and yes, hot on her trail and nose to the ground is a 150” mainframe 10 pointer....

When outfitter Bill Malone invited us down in October for a shot at a trophy whitetail, it was an opportunity that Dan Wennerlind and I could not pass up. Located in the heart of the Bluff country in southeastern Minnesota, Blackhammer Farms offers over 1,000 acres of prime whitetail deer hunting country just miles from the Iowa and Wisconsin borders. Since we would be arriving during the Minnesota deer shotgun opener, Dan would be gun hunting and I would stick to my comfort, bowhunting.

Upon arrival we were given a tour of the main property by head guide Mike Garrett, which consists of 500 acres of the most beautiful landscape that southern Minnesota has to offer. The property itself ranges from over 500 feet from the top of the mature Oak ridges to bottom of the lush valley floor. The Landscape boasts of an ideal Whitetail haven. Blackhammer is a huge hardwood forest ravine running for miles with many fingers and draws, leading to several corn and bean fields planted on the top of the property used by the deer as a main food source. Most field edges are cultivated with clover as well adding to the balanced diet. I did notice several water sources completing the ideal habitat.

Mike was very knowledgeable with regard to the property and what kind of habits the animals had formed. He immediately walked us over to a large topo map of the property identifying property lines and some ladder stand locations that had been good in the early season. The stands were solid, well kept, and easy to climb into for those hunters that would not be bringing their own. I always travel with my own stands and use my own gear for the simple sake that I know my equipment. After seeing the Topo, I immediately began searching for obvious terrain funnels, choke points and areas that may hold more animals than others. Upon selecting what I thought to be a hot spot I grabbed my hang-on stand and hiked out to find a stand location and after I stepped into the woods I was amazed by the deer sign on this property. Through past experiences in areas like Buffalo County WI, I soon realized that Blackhammer Farms was very similar. The deer trails were mudded out like cattle trails. The rubs and scrapes were plentiful and fresh I had a hard time focusing on the task at hand, finding my new home for the evening sit.

There I sat silhouetted against the red oak at full draw anxiously awaiting the beast to expose his vitals. The stand location I chose was one that gave the animals two options, follow the contour of the ravine and offer me a 15 yard broadside shot, or hop across the ravine. It seemed as though the mature doe would lead her follower right where I needed him to go, instead she stopped abruptly at 35 yrds. Just as she stopped the wind swirled from out of the ravine carrying my scent to them and she immediately

stuck her nose up and leaped across the ravine. All I could do was watch the monarch follow suit and my dream went from fresh backstraps and photos to nothing in the matter of a few seconds. The wind is something that bowhunters need to always be aware of, and even after doing my homework and placing the stand accordingly I still got burned. Thermals and updrafts are more common with higher elevations but they should still be considered when hunting the bluff country. Even though I didn’t take any venison home I was able to see 15 different bucks, ranging in age from one and a half to four and a half years old. I was able to video a nice 3 yr old 130” eight pointer at twenty yards. I logged 30 hours on stand in three days.

All in all Blackhammer Farms offers a rare opportunity to take a trophy Whitetail and the trip should be treated as such. With the wide variety of nutrients available these animals have it all. I really enjoyed this setup because it gives the hunter a chance to make his/her own decisions as to where to hunt and create a strategy to compete with one of America’s most cunning big game species. As I stated before there were many comfortable ladder stands all ready placed that could have been hunted, however I chose to set my own hang-on based on studying the Topo map. We stayed in a local hotel 15 minutes from the farm and our meals were from a local restaurant. Blackhammer Farms offers a challenging whitetail trophy hunting experience.

Ryan Williams
November Rut 2007
Bowhunting

Part 2: THE REVIEW

OUTFITTER KNOWLEDGE / PERSONALITY:	Score	5 / 5
Both outfitters Bob and Bill Malone have been hunting and outfitting on this piece of property as well as the area in general for over 20 years. In addition to their first hand knowledge they have hired head guide and whitetail specialist Mike Garrett as their full time guide. Mike takes care of all the hunters who arrive in camp and is a great asset to the camp. With all of the combined knowledge they make a great team!

QUALITY OF EQUIPMENT USED:	Score	5 / 5
The guys do a great job of making sure that all pre-set ladder stand locations are in tip top shape as well as making sure that they are positioned along active deer trails and shooting lanes are clearly in place. Several ladder stand options are avail. including double wide stands for videotaping or spectators. They manage the property very well for trophy bucks by having food plots and water sources available throughout the property & limiting hunting pressure throughout the year.

OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE GAME:	Score	4 / 5
During the two day hunt Ryan almost had a chance at a 150 class whitetail and had numerous younger deer come into range while Dan had two smaller bucks well with in gun range. It was also very evident that the property was full of many, many deer including several big boys that are sure to make the books.

QUALITY OF MEALS AND LODGING:	Score	3 / 5
During the hunt we stayed in a local motel in Caledonia, MN which was under 10 minutes from the hunting property. The motel was clean and comfortable and served our needs. It is also worth noting that an on-site lodging should be available to hunters in the next year or so which will definitely upgrade the accommodations. We ate at local restaurants but with the new lodge will come new meal package options as well.

HUNT PACKAGES AND ADDITONAL FEES:	Score	5 / 5
For the quality of hunting that you can expect at Blackhammer Farms, the 7 day 6 night hunting package for 4 hunters at $4,000 is a steal! That fee includes lodging but not meals, as well as a full time guide to aid in your semi-guided hunting experience. Your group will also be the only hunters allowed in camp at that time as well which makes for a relaxing experience.

OVERALL QUALITY OF THE TRIP:	Score	5 / 5
Overall both Ryan and Dan agreed that they had a very positive hunting experience. Both would not hesitate to return to hunt at Blackhammer again or refer avid whitetail hunters to this camp. Both of them saw numerous deer and had opportunites to take bucks but elected to pass looking for a true trophy.

Overall Blackhammer Farms Scored 27 Out Of 30 Giving Them An "A" Rating. We Would Not Hesitate To Refer Them For Their Premier Whitetail Deer Hunts!

Final
Score

27 / 30

Part 3: Booking Information

Contact Information For Blackhammer Farms

Outfitter: Bill and Bob Malone Bill and Bob Malone
Phone: 1-888-850-4704
Camp Location: 5 Miles West Of Caledonia, Mn
Email Address: Malone@enwt.com
Website Address: www.blackhammerlodge.com

Additional Hunts Offered:

In addition to the fantastic whitetail deer archery and gun hunting, Blackhammer Farms also offers incredible spring turkey hunting. The spring turkey hunts are available to groups of four hunters per season who would like to rent the farm for their specific turkey season. Please contact outfitter Bill Malone for details on a spectacular Minnesota spring turkey hunt!