? For fellow Michigan guys

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


cwalker5586
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 5:19 am
Status: Offline

? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby cwalker5586 » Wed Aug 08, 2018 4:32 am

Just wondering if any of fellow Michigan guys have had any luck using beast tactics in southern mi, and if so how are you getting away from other hunters? From the the thumb area but picked up a jon boat to try and get to some remote areas around the hillsdale/Jackson/washenaw county area, working in metro Detroit so I’ve been shooting over that way with the boat on fridays after work and trying to find pockets in the marsh lands to access but so far I’ve found stands just about everywhere even with boat access, any pointers would be appreciated


User avatar
seazofcheeze
500 Club
Posts: 3860
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 1:13 pm
Location: Billings, MT
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:40 am

You won't get away anywhere in southern Michigan. Its just a fact of life in those areas. Some of the bigger areas up north, like Gratiot State Game area get less pressure and you can find some areas without pressure.
User avatar
jmaas07
500 Club
Posts: 2645
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:21 am
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby jmaas07 » Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:46 am

seazofcheeze wrote:You won't get away anywhere in southern Michigan. Its just a fact of life in those areas. Some of the bigger areas up north, like Gratiot State Game area get less pressure and you can find some areas without pressure.


X2 there are stands everywhere, you can get into the nastiest stuff the furthest out and there’s stands there, just how it is. might be worth checking out some of the other areas like seaz mentioned one day after work if your looking for a little less pressure
User avatar
oldrank
Posts: 6158
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
Location: USA
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:55 am

As stated by the fellas above.....good luck. If you are going to hunt down here, you are going to deal with people. It is just part of the game. Always go in with the expectation that your hunt could be ruined that day.

Now with that said. I seldom have hunts ruined. Why? Because I know what the people are doing. There are bucks to be had. My best advice would be scout like a maniac. Learn every inch of the land. There will be small little pockets that don't get alot of attention. Once gun season starts everything is a free for all so focus on getting it done early.
d_rek
Posts: 402
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:43 am
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby d_rek » Wed Aug 08, 2018 6:43 am

I hunt SE Michigan. Yes, lots of pressure but - IMO - it's as bad or worse on private than it is on public.

Last year I did my first year of serious public land hunting on a large game area by me. Put in quite a bit of scouting in the post-season to find good spots. I hunted public 5 sits last year and saw a deer on every sit, and never saw another hunter except at the parking lot.

I did 4 sits on weekdays during archery and 1 on a friday afternoon a week into gun season. Still saw a deer that day. I could have taken a deer on those first two sits, but they weren't quite what I was looking for. Saw deer that last three, but 1 came in right at dusk with not enough shooting light, and the other two were too far out of range.

The problem I see is that access is too easy and the terrain isn't challenging enough to deter really hardcore hunters, or even some casuals. I have found most hunter sign 1/4 mile from parking and within a few hundred yards of trails. The last time i was out scouting this spring I actually came a cross a group of guys setting up a natural ground blind less than 50 yards off a main trail. I walked all the way back to the further spot from the access I could that day and lo and behold there was someones ladder stand. Not in a great spot mind you, but still there. Quite a hike to haul a ladder stand all the way out there.

You have to do your scouting. What looks good on topos can be trash when you get boots on the ground - either because of other hunters or because the sign isn't there.

Hunt weekdays. Of the 5 sits I did I only had one where there was another car in the lot. And that was when I was leaving.

Be mobile. Very mobile. If you don't see the sign, or are seeing other hunters, MOVE!

I'm determined to take a buck off of MI Public Land, but I know it's going to be tough. But that's what motivates me. I need to out-hunt the other hunters and out-smart the game too.
"I don't know what the f*** this is but it's weird as f*** so i'm leaving."
-The Deep
User avatar
Corsair7
Posts: 129
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:55 pm
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby Corsair7 » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:06 am

All good stuff so far that people have said.

I have had my best success for bucks on public, it's true, private land is just as much or more pressured here in SE MI. Just need to find those pockets of less pressure.

Honestly I have had my most success in the early season and during late archery season after muzzle loader when hunter numbers thin on public land. All on week days, have never hunted public on weekends or gun season. Personally I try my hardest to avoid hunters, if an area has a few parking lots and one is packed full of cars I'll go to the least packed, preferably empty. Get out earlier in the stand than most guys, hunt smarter, hunt harder and think outside the box. If you can be in your stand and listen to the num-nuts slam their car doors and push deer to you, you might be doing something right.

Just my .02 good luck out there!
User avatar
Uncle Lou
Moderator
Posts: 10308
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:32 pm
Location: Holly, MI
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:32 am

Years ago I used to hunt Highland rec a bit. I would mostly go between Tuesday and thursday. Rarely would I go on a weekend. I also have a county park I hunt that I really like to bowhunt it in gun season. During bowseason the deer get pushed out, during gun they get pushed in. Its still southern MI and I do not have high expectations, but those are a couple of things I do. That and go up north to see less humans.
Silence Your Gear with Stealth Strips®
http://www.stealthoutdoors.com
User avatar
Ack
Posts: 3030
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby Ack » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:38 am

jmaas07 wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:You won't get away anywhere in southern Michigan. Its just a fact of life in those areas. Some of the bigger areas up north, like Gratiot State Game area get less pressure and you can find some areas without pressure.


X2 there are stands everywhere, you can get into the nastiest stuff the furthest out and there’s stands there, just how it is. might be worth checking out some of the other areas like seaz mentioned one day after work if your looking for a little less pressure


You're going to have to go farther north than that for the pressure to thin out.
AndyRoo
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:42 am
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/andyroo.lichtle?ref=bookmarks
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby AndyRoo » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:42 am

It’s Hard to do in SE Mi. I’ve had some luck in the thumb on a few 3.5 year olds. Just have to be stealthy and go in the Nastiest places possible. I’ve lost boots in muck and plenty of arrows plucked from my quiver. But it’s worth it when you finally see a big one. As far as pressure goes it’s everywhere. Use the tree stands and hunting sign to your advantage. Beast style takes time. Lots of time. But if you don’t give up you will see a difference after a few years of understanding the tactics and utilizing them. I hunted a 500 acre chunk with at least 15 other hunters and still had a chance to kill a mature buck. Missed him at 30 yards but that was my own fault. Buck fever got the best of me, if he’s still alive I’m guessing he is 5 1/2. Good Luck to ya this season.
User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby headgear » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:50 am

Not from Michigan but I would think those overlooked spots might be the golden ticket, those little pockets close to parking, the road, watching trails or where no one else on earth would setup for deer, explore those areas and you might find the goods.
d_rek
Posts: 402
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:43 am
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby d_rek » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:56 am

I have been finding beds on public but I am most curious about locating 'pressure beds'.

I was talking to a CO about the public I hunt by me and he said during archery most of the deer get bumped onto the neighboring private because the public is a narrow, but long, stretch of land and it's easy to do so. But the opposite happens during and after gun when gun pressure on the private land pushes them back onto the public.
"I don't know what the f*** this is but it's weird as f*** so i'm leaving."
-The Deep
cwalker5586
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon May 01, 2017 5:19 am
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby cwalker5586 » Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:05 am

ThNks for the responses guys, I thought a boat and islands of trees in the cattails would do it on the Waterloo but soon learned that I was wrong after a couple trips, and andyroo, surprised you where able to find a 3.5 year old in the thumb, I can say from living in the thumb their few and far between around here even on the private grounds, a fair amount of 2.5s but 3.5 has been a challenge
d_rek
Posts: 402
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 7:43 am
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby d_rek » Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:47 am

cwalker5586 wrote:ThNks for the responses guys, I thought a boat and islands of trees in the cattails would do it on the Waterloo but soon learned that I was wrong after a couple trips, and andyroo, surprised you where able to find a 3.5 year old in the thumb, I can say from living in the thumb their few and far between around here even on the private grounds, a fair amount of 2.5s but 3.5 has been a challenge


I head up to Oak Beach for rifle season every year to hunt with my uncle and cousins. It’s as brown as down as it gets up there. Never even seen a 3.5 or older on the hoof in that area, though have found some crazy sign.
"I don't know what the f*** this is but it's weird as f*** so i'm leaving."
-The Deep
User avatar
wolverinebuckman
500 Club
Posts: 2764
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2017 11:55 am
Location: S Kentucky
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:04 am

I've been working to try to learn a lot of the SGA's around me here in southeast Michigan. I made sure to get out while there was still snow on the ground, right after the season closed. Seeing where the other hunters were set up, it was easy to see why the deer were moving to where they were moving.
I do believe it will be all about the overlooked spots. One of the hottest spots I found is where there are no really good hangable trees, and has been underwater most of this year. It'll be a ground set for sure, but I can tell there's a big deer in there...
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
User avatar
oldrank
Posts: 6158
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
Location: USA
Status: Offline

Re: ? For fellow Michigan guys

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:22 am

Image

Got out today to scout a new little area. As usual I am always drawn to the typical areas first... Funnels, pinch points, blah blah blah. I have been breaking this spot down for a bit now trying to figure it out. The pic above is a tip. I know someone else is looking at the same stuff. So I move along and break it down more. My objective is to find what others are missing. I know what my first intuition was. It was wrong. Almost every hunter is going to come in and make that same mistake. The difference is I'm doing it now. They will do it during season.

Image

So now I move to potential spot two. Human sign. This is a prime example of basically every "good" spot on southern Michigan public. So the trick is to not think like everyone else. I continued on..... and....

Image

We have a prospect. This area is about 300 acres. I know there are mature bucks in there. I will continue to break it down for the next week or so. I'm not worried about burning anything because I'm looking for future Intel. I really only care about 2 things. How are the mature bucks using the area and what are the people doing.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 113 guests