Mauser's Michigan Adventures '17

[mauser06]

One of these years I will have decent snow... considering maybe coming in muzzleloader next season...I know once the snow pack starts, so do the deer habits and they head for the wintering grounds. I don't know if my odds at a buck would be better or worse.

It's funny to hear local guys talk about the pressure...there's a little...some areas are hunted heavier than others...but man..it's not like public in PA during gun season. Doesn't even remotely compare. I hear more shots before legal light on opening day than I've heard in 6 days here and that's no joke.

The other big difference is deer density. I've hunted many PA big woods public land openers and average 20-40 deer seen. Here in Michigan, that certainly doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe once they herd up. But then it's feast or fammen I bet.

This landscape is very scenic and if nothing else it's enjoyable to hunt.

Also going to try to plan a trip in maybe April or something to try to do a bit of scouting...though I think that's probably tough here..end up finding a lot of winter deer yards and not fall sign. Especially after this year with minimal rubs and leaves still on the trees that'll close up scrapes before the snow pack covered them...

[Uncle Lou]

Good read Mauser. Was hoping to see a pick of a large dead buck, but sounds like you had fun. Very interesting to hear your perspective of Michigan being a keystoner. Drove through PA many times and thought it would be a cool place to hunt.

[d_rek]

One of these years I will have decent snow... considering maybe coming in muzzleloader next season...I know once the snow pack starts, so do the deer habits and they head for the wintering grounds. I don't know if my odds at a buck would be better or worse.

It's funny to hear local guys talk about the pressure...there's a little...some areas are hunted heavier than others...but man..it's not like public in PA during gun season. Doesn't even remotely compare. I hear more shots before legal light on opening day than I've heard in 6 days here and that's no joke.

The other big difference is deer density. I've hunted many PA big woods public land openers and average 20-40 deer seen. Here in Michigan, that certainly doesn't seem to be the case. Maybe once they herd up. But then it's feast or fammen I bet.

This landscape is very scenic and if nothing else it's enjoyable to hunt.

Also going to try to plan a trip in maybe April or something to try to do a bit of scouting...though I think that's probably tough here..end up finding a lot of winter deer yards and not fall sign. Especially after this year with minimal rubs and leaves still on the trees that'll close up scrapes before the snow pack covered them...

Sorry. I know use Michigan guys like to drop the 'pressure' thing a lot. My experience on public land this year is that it's far less pressured than most of the private land I have hunted (but shhh... don't tell the other hunters that lol).

There is a 17 acre parcel that my inlaws own that has 10 huntable acres and my two BILs and FIL pretty much hunt it non-stop Oct. 1-Jan 1. It never gets more than a week of rest between the three of them. It's as pressured as it gets.

This year i seriously scouted and hunted some public land near me and was rewarded by never getting skunked for a single sit. I didn't kill anything but I don't consider those unsuccessful hunts by any means.

Glad you are enjoying our scenery though. There is some absolutely beautiful country here. I wouldn't trade Michigan for the world.

[Ridgerunner7]

Cool thread! Thanks for taking us along. Keep in mind you are in an area with the low deer density and thus low Hunter density. You can’t lump all of Michigan altogether like that. Come further south and you’ll see extreme pressure ramp up. That area wasn’t always like that though. Areas that were once very high and had droves of hunters go to them during the deer season now have low numbers and thus hunters don’t travel there very much anymore. Down where I hunt we’ve always had high deer density but due to high pressure our numbers are even lower than normal, maybe by as much as half or more in the areas I hunt. It just depends on where you are hunting. Michigan is vastly different across the state.

[mauser06]

Ridgerunner, absolutely right..the way this state is layed out especially makes it diverse. I'm hunting a very very small piece of it..and habitat and landscape wise, there probably isn't much like it anywhere else in the country.

From talking with local hunters, it sounds like pressure has really dropped off here in the last 2 years. When I got here last season, I talked to some locals and they talked of how crazy the pressure is..but apparently it has died in a hurry.

[mauser06]

Back home in Pennsylvania now.

Gotta figure out what to plan for next season. I'd really like to go during the muzzleloader season..but it conflicts with the Pennsylvania rifle season and may be tough to get off work.

If I go during the gun season, I am probably going to be limited.. Thanksgiving falls early and getting it off can be tough. It'd be a 4-5 day rifle hunt. Maybe do a few days bow hunting prior... pretty confident the new spot could produce some good bow hunting.

Bad part is I can't think long..I have to pencil in vacations here quick.

Also looking to go up in April or so and try to scout some. Gotta look into turkey hunting..I think it's a lottery I probably missed..gunna look now lol

[Ack]

Also looking to go up in April or so and try to scout some. Gotta look into turkey hunting..I think it's a lottery I probably missed..gunna look now lol

Turkey apps open up the first of the year. Not huge numbers of birds up there, but a few to mess around with. Numbers have been slowly increasing after a huge drop several years ago. All depends on how bad the winters are.

[d_rek]

Back home in Pennsylvania now.

Gotta figure out what to plan for next season. I'd really like to go during the muzzleloader season..but it conflicts with the Pennsylvania rifle season and may be tough to get off work.

If I go during the gun season, I am probably going to be limited.. Thanksgiving falls early and getting it off can be tough. It'd be a 4-5 day rifle hunt. Maybe do a few days bow hunting prior... pretty confident the new spot could produce some good bow hunting.

Bad part is I can't think long..I have to pencil in vacations here quick.

Also looking to go up in April or so and try to scout some. Gotta look into turkey hunting..I think it's a lottery I probably missed..gunna look now lol

Turkey tags for public land are by lottery. The public land dates are one week only hunts if I recall correctly. Any tags not drawn are available for OTC purchase. There is usually ample private land tags available, though I can't comment on public land. This year I may put it for a public land tag.

April will be a tough time to scout as you will be getting heavy green up up here. Do you ice fish? February-March would be better times to get some late winter scouting in. If the weather holds and we get good ice you could be pulling slabs through the ice...

[Ack]

Back home in Pennsylvania now.

Gotta figure out what to plan for next season. I'd really like to go during the muzzleloader season..but it conflicts with the Pennsylvania rifle season and may be tough to get off work.

If I go during the gun season, I am probably going to be limited.. Thanksgiving falls early and getting it off can be tough. It'd be a 4-5 day rifle hunt. Maybe do a few days bow hunting prior... pretty confident the new spot could produce some good bow hunting.

Bad part is I can't think long..I have to pencil in vacations here quick.

Also looking to go up in April or so and try to scout some. Gotta look into turkey hunting..I think it's a lottery I probably missed..gunna look now lol

Turkey tags for public land are by lottery. The public land dates are one week only hunts if I recall correctly. Any tags not drawn are available for OTC purchase. There is usually ample private land tags available, though I can't comment on public land. This year I may put it for a public land tag.

April will be a tough time to scout as you will be getting heavy green up up here. Do you ice fish? February-March would be better times to get some late winter scouting in. If the weather holds and we get good ice you could be pulling slabs through the ice...

Where he's hunting there could still be snow through the end of April.....no green up there but the pines. Perfect time to spend up north.....do some scouting, turkey hunting and trout fishing (last Sat. in April)......doesn't get much better than that.

[mauser06]

Really is the hard part where I hunt..I've seen snow pack through April. I've found snow in shaded area into June. I've watched it snow an inch IN JUNE and it stuck through the day lol.

The years with a deep snow pack can probably make for tough scouting..deer yarded and herded in specific locations that may or may not be good in the fall.

This year with all the leaves on the trees, fall beds and scrapes are likely to be filled in before spring.


Looked like the license year runs oddly.. basically to turkey hunt I'd need to buy my license. Not a big deal if I knew 1000% I'm going up to deer hunt too...lol.


Even if I don't turkey hunt..I can go visit the girlfriend in April sometime and poke around atleast...

Next year I kinda have myself talked into bow hunting the last few days then gun hunting. That swamp transition line is probably killer when they are cruising.

[uncleron]

Back home in Pennsylvania now.

Gotta figure out what to plan for next season. I'd really like to go during the muzzleloader season..but it conflicts with the Pennsylvania rifle season and may be tough to get off work.

If I go during the gun season, I am probably going to be limited.. Thanksgiving falls early and getting it off can be tough. It'd be a 4-5 day rifle hunt. Maybe do a few days bow hunting prior... pretty confident the new spot could produce some good bow hunting.

Bad part is I can't think long..I have to pencil in vacations here quick.

Also looking to go up in April or so and try to scout some. Gotta look into turkey hunting..I think it's a lottery I probably missed..gunna look now lol

Turkey tags for public land are by lottery. The public land dates are one week only hunts if I recall correctly. Any tags not drawn are available for OTC purchase. There is usually ample private land tags available, though I can't comment on public land. This year I may put it for a public land tag.

April will be a tough time to scout as you will be getting heavy green up up here. Do you ice fish? February-March would be better times to get some late winter scouting in. If the weather holds and we get good ice you could be pulling slabs through the ice...

If he’s hunting the NW part of the state (Unit K), there’s no such thing as public or private tags. If you draw a tag for either week in April, it’s good for anywhere in that unit, public or private. If you don’t draw an April tag, you can buy a tag for the whole month of May, over the counter. Same deal, good for public and/or private.

[mauser06]

Is it guaranteed to buy a tag OTC for the month of May?? Now I'm back to thinking about turkey lol.


The turkey population is pretty sparse up there. But could still be fun.

Sounds like I can apply for the early tag without buying a base license. So I think I will atleast do that. If I draw one I draw one..if I don't, I don't.

Been really thinking since I got home. Half of what I love about the hunt is the stress-free life lol. I have an extremely high stress job. Those few days are my "vacation" for the year...I've been banking all my vacation time. But realizing that makes me wanna start taking more through the year. I take a few days here n there through the year but being off and totally away from it all for a bit is refreshing. I love my job..but I don't wanna go back tomorrow lol.


I see more various "Mauser adventures" in my future. DIY stuff.

I am also moving and will be about 25 miles from Ohio..and like an hour from NY...so there's more opportunities nearby too. Taking time and staying in PA isn't enough lol...