Michigan Opener
10-05-2005, 07:41 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Flushing, MI
Posts: 142
Michigan Opener
Holy hot batman. 86 degrees is too warm to be perched in a mosquito swamp. I am 27 now and have been bowhunting since I was legal at age12 andI have never seen the deer population solow in the Northern Lower of Michigan. I opened the season near Indian River, 4 hours north of my home. The DNR says Mountain Lions, Wolves, Coyotes, Winters, etc. are why we see less and less deer every year. Try stinking poachers and the "locals" who say we control the herd up here, not the DNR. There is more activity up there after dark than during the day. We camped in a canvas guide tent back in the willies and heard rifle shots at 3 a.m. We have made the DNR aware of this and they simply let it go.A blind man can see whats going on up there. Sorry for venting... I have just literally had it with poachers. Good luck to all this season. Long live the honest hunters!
10-05-2005, 08:00 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Michigan/Ohio
Posts: 11,682
RE: Michigan Opener
Yes you are correct, I spent my frst 8 years 12-20 going north to hunt. We have a cabin Huron national forest. I have not gone hunting in 13 years now, deer are way down. I am lucky to have my farm in the lower, but I hear you Brother!!
10-05-2005, 08:07 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Flushing, MI
Posts: 142
RE: Michigan Opener
ORIGINAL: ghemry
Yes you are correct, I spent my frst 8 years 12-20 going north to hunt. We have a cabin Huron national forest. I have not gone hunting in 13 years now, deer are way down. I am lucky to have my farm in the lower, but I hear you Brother!!
Yes you are correct, I spent my frst 8 years 12-20 going north to hunt. We have a cabin Huron national forest. I have not gone hunting in 13 years now, deer are way down. I am lucky to have my farm in the lower, but I hear you Brother!!
10-06-2005, 05:39 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Bessemer, MI
Posts: 1,719
RE: Michigan Opener
If the deer populations are so low down there, then why does the DNR issue 15,000 to 20,000 doe tags per county? Up here, Western end of U.P. we have 800 for the whole western part of the U.P.
I think the DNR shrugs off the poaching, because they have insurance companies on their Butt to get the deer numbers down so there won't be so many Car/Deer accidents..
But otherwise, in my opinion, the Michigan DNR can suck by holding tanks. They are the worst of any state i know.
I think the DNR shrugs off the poaching, because they have insurance companies on their Butt to get the deer numbers down so there won't be so many Car/Deer accidents..
But otherwise, in my opinion, the Michigan DNR can suck by holding tanks. They are the worst of any state i know.
10-06-2005, 05:55 AM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lehigh County PA USA
Posts: 12,157
RE: Michigan Opener
Sorry to hear that you are running into such problems. I know I would be really ticked if I knew poachers were shooting up my prime hunting grounds. I wish you luck with the rest of the season.
10-06-2005, 05:59 AM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Jackson, Michigan
Posts: 381
RE: Michigan Opener
I'm with you on northern Michigan. I have been deer hunting for 39 years in a huge swamp adjacent to the Au Sable River in Iosco County. I have never missed a gun opener in 39 years. Earlier in my life, until maybe 15 years ago, I calculated my success rate to be slightly over 80% on shooting a buck. That has dropped off to the point where I hadn't even seen a deer in 3 years. Finally last year I saw 2 does.
I started bow hunting about the time the deer population plummeted in northern Michigan. I was fortunate to be able to buy some land in Jackson County (where I live) while it was still affordable. Last year on Nov 14th (just before leaving to the north woods for gun season) I had 2 huge bucks just hammering each other right behind my pole barn while I was in my tree stand bow hunting. I thought, "why do I do this (going north) for nothing when the deer are right here". Well, it has been TRADITION. But I'll tell you what, this year I think I am going to break that 39 year consecutive streak and hunt Jackson. I hate gun hunting anymore anyways, so I might as well just take my bow and see if the P&Y 8 point and 10 pointer I have been seeing can be harvested then!
I started bow hunting about the time the deer population plummeted in northern Michigan. I was fortunate to be able to buy some land in Jackson County (where I live) while it was still affordable. Last year on Nov 14th (just before leaving to the north woods for gun season) I had 2 huge bucks just hammering each other right behind my pole barn while I was in my tree stand bow hunting. I thought, "why do I do this (going north) for nothing when the deer are right here". Well, it has been TRADITION. But I'll tell you what, this year I think I am going to break that 39 year consecutive streak and hunt Jackson. I hate gun hunting anymore anyways, so I might as well just take my bow and see if the P&Y 8 point and 10 pointer I have been seeing can be harvested then!
10-06-2005, 06:06 AM
#8
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Flushing, MI
Posts: 142
RE: Michigan Opener
The DNR's mentality, I believe, is the kill them all and start over approach. The TB problem in northern MI along with car/deer accidents is their only real concerns, not the deerherd itself. They issue more doe permits and open more seaons every year it seems, in the LP anyways. That alone coupled with the idiotic poachers brings numbers way down. It's hard to watch something happen and not be able to do anything about it. The DNR projects deer herd counts based on mathematics and statistics. They should try getting out in the brush once in awhile for a more accurate reading.
10-06-2005, 06:10 AM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Flushing, MI
Posts: 142
RE: Michigan Opener
ORIGINAL: Jackson Bowner
I'm with you on northern Michigan. I have been deer hunting for 39 years in a huge swamp adjacent to the Au Sable River in Iosco County. I have never missed a gun opener in 39 years. Earlier in my life, until maybe 15 years ago, I calculated my success rate to be slightly over 80% on shooting a buck. That has dropped off to the point where I hadn't even seen a deer in 3 years. Finally last year I saw 2 does.
I started bow hunting about the time the deer population plummeted in northern Michigan. I was fortunate to be able to buy some land in Jackson County (where I live) while it was still affordable. Last year on Nov 14th (just before leaving to the north woods for gun season) I had 2 huge bucks just hammering each other right behind my pole barn while I was in my tree stand bow hunting. I thought, "why do I do this (going north) for nothing when the deer are right here". Well, it has been TRADITION. But I'll tell you what, this year I think I am going to break that 39 year consecutive streak and hunt Jackson. I hate gun hunting anymore anyways, so I might as well just take my bow and see if the P&Y 8 point and 10 pointer I have been seeing can be harvested then!
I'm with you on northern Michigan. I have been deer hunting for 39 years in a huge swamp adjacent to the Au Sable River in Iosco County. I have never missed a gun opener in 39 years. Earlier in my life, until maybe 15 years ago, I calculated my success rate to be slightly over 80% on shooting a buck. That has dropped off to the point where I hadn't even seen a deer in 3 years. Finally last year I saw 2 does.
I started bow hunting about the time the deer population plummeted in northern Michigan. I was fortunate to be able to buy some land in Jackson County (where I live) while it was still affordable. Last year on Nov 14th (just before leaving to the north woods for gun season) I had 2 huge bucks just hammering each other right behind my pole barn while I was in my tree stand bow hunting. I thought, "why do I do this (going north) for nothing when the deer are right here". Well, it has been TRADITION. But I'll tell you what, this year I think I am going to break that 39 year consecutive streak and hunt Jackson. I hate gun hunting anymore anyways, so I might as well just take my bow and see if the P&Y 8 point and 10 pointer I have been seeing can be harvested then!