Ottawa National Forest
-
- Posts: 1251
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:20 am
- Location: NE Indiana
- Status: Offline
Ottawa National Forest
I was just approach about an opportunity to rifle hunt the Ottawa National forest in the U.P., for the relatively inexpensive Michigan non resident license I'm strongly considering it. I will have access to 40 acres of private land (surrounded by national forest) and a cabin, for free. Anybody with experience up there feel free to chime in. From what little I have read so far, sounds like fairly low deer densities but if you willing to put in the work, you can find some good bucks up there. I'll probably give it a try just to get an out of state whitetail hunt under my belt.
- Dewey
- Moderator
- Posts: 36751
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
I hunted up there quite a bit over the years mostly in the 1990's but was never able to kill one of those bigwoods slob bucks. They are up there but hunting them is far from easy. I actually killed my first buck up in Ottawa back in 1994. Last November I bowhunted the Sylvania Wilderness Area on the south edge and also parts of Ottawa. Beautiful country and it will keep drawing you back. Something about hunting the U.P. that is very addicting to me. Must be the fact that hunting very remote and not seeing another hunter for miles is very easy to do while bowhunting. Never gun hunted there so I can't comment how it is then.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
[ Post made via iPhone ]
-
- Posts: 1251
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:20 am
- Location: NE Indiana
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Thanks for the info, I think I'm going to give it a try. I'm thinking about watching the weather to see if there is a snow coming in midweek either the 1st or 2nd week of firearms season and then go try my hand a some big woods tracking. I've got an AR in 6.8 spc that I would love to hunt with up there. I've only been to the U.P. a handful of times but I agree, it's very appealing and I hate leaving each time.
- Dewey
- Moderator
- Posts: 36751
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Here is a thread I put together from my hunt last fall.
viewtopic.php?f=54&t=22012
[ Post made via iPhone ]
viewtopic.php?f=54&t=22012
[ Post made via iPhone ]
-
- Posts: 1251
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:20 am
- Location: NE Indiana
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Dewey, looks like I don't have access to the thread you suggested. I'm slightly confused on the Michigan non resident costs. What does a non resident need to deer hunt with. Do you have to purchase the Base License and then the deer combo on top of that?
- nater
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:18 pm
- Location: SW Minnesota
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Camped with friends from the UP this weekend. I might be worth your time to call a biologist or other manager from the area to ask about deer numbers. I was told there was A LOT of winter kill in the UP last winter.
- Dewey
- Moderator
- Posts: 36751
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Redman232 wrote:Dewey, looks like I don't have access to the thread you suggested. I'm slightly confused on the Michigan non resident costs. What does a non resident need to deer hunt with. Do you have to purchase the Base License and then the deer combo on top of that?
Thread must not work for you because it's in the 500 club. Sorry about that but I will move it into the Deer Hunting forum so you can view it.
I just purchased a basic archery license. Combo license allows you to shoot 2 bucks I believe.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
- Dewey
- Moderator
- Posts: 36751
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
- robert richer
- Posts: 567
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 3:01 am
- Location: Halescorners, wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Fished Sylvania Tract in the Ottawa National Forest for over 15 years. Extremely wild area.
Every time time we fished in July we saw and videoed many deer and they seemed not be spooked. Nice bucks as well. So they are there.
Went duck hunting up there several times never saw a deer.
It will be a tough hunt and most likely a better hunt if you should bow hunt.
Need to find a feeding area such as a "bird-feeder"...lol
Most deer from what I heard travel quite a bit of distance up there to and from bedding slashes to feeding area.
Here is a good idea, a little homework though;
Contact Ottawa foresters up there or a private logging firm as well. Find out where there is logging being conducted or scheduled , set up (hopefully near your access) on a throughways to and from logging areas where growth has been pushed down and canopy's full of tender leaves are accessible.
Wish u luck and hunt hard.
b safe
Every time time we fished in July we saw and videoed many deer and they seemed not be spooked. Nice bucks as well. So they are there.
Went duck hunting up there several times never saw a deer.
It will be a tough hunt and most likely a better hunt if you should bow hunt.
Need to find a feeding area such as a "bird-feeder"...lol
Most deer from what I heard travel quite a bit of distance up there to and from bedding slashes to feeding area.
Here is a good idea, a little homework though;
Contact Ottawa foresters up there or a private logging firm as well. Find out where there is logging being conducted or scheduled , set up (hopefully near your access) on a throughways to and from logging areas where growth has been pushed down and canopy's full of tender leaves are accessible.
Wish u luck and hunt hard.
b safe
RJR-007
- Singing Bridge
- 500 Club
- Posts: 7162
- Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:11 pm
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pro ... 1329617473
- Location: Logged in - from above
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Redman232 wrote:Dewey, looks like I don't have access to the thread you suggested. I'm slightly confused on the Michigan non resident costs. What does a non resident need to deer hunt with. Do you have to purchase the Base License and then the deer combo on top of that?
Sorry boys, but the non-resident hunting fees just jumped quite a bit in Michigan. New laws are in place for the upcoming season. Here are your options:
1) Purchase a base license. A base license has to be purchased before you can buy any hunting license in Michigan (this is new). Your first option is to buy a base license and a "deer license". If you use this option you cannot buy any additional buck tags for deer hunting. In the upper peninsula it allows you to kill one buck with antlers 3 inches or longer on one side. The non-resident base license fee is $151.00 The single buck tag option (deer license) is an additional $20.00 for a non-resident. Therefore to hunt with a single buck tag your cost as a non-resident will be a total of $171.00
2) Purchase a base license. Your second option is to purchase a "combination license" which will give you two (2) buck tags. In the upper peninsula the first tag can only be used on bucks with three (3) or more points on one side. The restricted tag, or second buck license, allows you to kill a buck with four (4) or more points on one side. The costs for this option are $151.00 for a base license, and an additional $190.00 for the "combination tags." Therefore to hunt with two buck tags your cost as a non-resident will be a total of $341.00
Clearly the single buck tag is the best option for a non-resident.
-
- Posts: 1715
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:28 am
- Location: SE Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Thanks for that info Singing Bridge. I would strongly recommend to buy only the base license and buck tag ($171) option as a non resident, if you plan to hunt the U.P.
Back in my younger days (pre beast knowledge), I bow hunted Sylvania wilderness 3 or 4 years during the rut. always bought the "combination" license, thinking i could get two bucks! Never even got ONE!
Back in my younger days (pre beast knowledge), I bow hunted Sylvania wilderness 3 or 4 years during the rut. always bought the "combination" license, thinking i could get two bucks! Never even got ONE!
- Dewey
- Moderator
- Posts: 36751
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
- Location: Wisconsin
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
KLEMZ wrote:Thanks for that info Singing Bridge. I would strongly recommend to buy only the base license and buck tag ($171) option as a non resident, if you plan to hunt the U.P.
Back in my younger days (pre beast knowledge), I bow hunted Sylvania wilderness 3 or 4 years during the rut. always bought the "combination" license, thinking i could get two bucks! Never even got ONE!
I agree the base license is all you need up there. Still a pretty good deal at $171 compared to other states. Pretty sure I paid about $140 last year for my license to hunt Ottawa and Sylvania.
[ Post made via iPhone ]
-
- Posts: 1251
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:20 am
- Location: NE Indiana
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Thanks for the info guys, I'm really pleased to hear $171.00, that pretty much makes up my mind. I was having a hard time convincing myself that $341.00 was reasonable to hunt somewhere I've never been. Sounds like the owner of the private land is interested in going up with us, he has been successful in the past and has a lot of knowledge of the surrounding area, as he also grouse hunts the area. Sounds like it will be a great adventure, pretty big change from the flat broken farmland I do 70% of my hunting in.
-
- Posts: 1251
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:20 am
- Location: NE Indiana
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
If I had a week, I would definitely rather bow hunt, but with only 2.5 days of hunting to be likely, I will probably be taking a rifle of the AR variety (6.8 spc or 450 BM) and plan on walking my tail off.
- seazofcheeze
- 500 Club
- Posts: 3863
- Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:13 pm
- Location: Billings, MT
- Status: Offline
Re: Ottawa National Forest
Redman, I sent you a PM that might help your cyber scouting.
-
- Advertisement
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 35 guests