Hunting big woods with big wolves.

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MITrackerman
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Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby MITrackerman » Sat Sep 17, 2022 1:08 pm

First time posting anything because I just joined; glad to finally join the movement. Looking for some tips for the big woods in Michigan's UP. We joined the Hiawatha's Sportsmans Club which is over 37K thousand acres of big woods, lots of conifer swamp mixed with clear cuts, swamps, cedar swamp, some hardwoods and river bottoms. Everything looked amazing when we were taken on a tour and we bought a membership after learning that there are only a handful of people who bowhunt, so basically we will have the place all to ourselves until our Nov.15 gun opener then all the older members invade the woods. Anyhow, went up in August to do some scouting for our Oct. 1 bow opener. Seen very little deer sign and a ton of wolf sign. way more wolf tracks then deer. I guess I should have asked about the wolf problems but they weren't very forthcoming with that info.After talking to a few members by the lake they said ten years ago the hunting was really good now that wolves have invaded you are lucky to see five deer in a week. I'm new to big woods as i hunt state land in SE Michigan and will continue with decent success, but there are more and more people invading the deep spots, that's why we thought we'd try the big woods. I've watched every video Dan and Eberhart has on you tube and read every article from just about any source I can find. I'm assuming water and cedar swam transitions are going to be my best bet's of finding decent bucks, but the question is don't the wolves focus on those areas as well. Or, should we just try to sell our lot and try the big woods in MI lower peninsula? Really wanting to try it this first year looking for any input. Thanks in advance. The members did say there are some good bucks there if you can find them because the wolves don't get them all.


Groundhunter@1
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby Groundhunter@1 » Sun Sep 18, 2022 2:01 am

Maybe StangeWilderness will chime in on this issue, for you, he seems to know his stuff. As far as the Hiawatha, well that is one big, big area, and I just came out of there, trout fishing. I fish the Fox and other streams, around Seney, at times. I can only say this, as I have a house in the UP, in Iron County. Where I am we have few wolves and very good deer hunting. Not big bucks, but good weight size. To hunt this country you have to have the time. Coming up from the lower is quite the drive. I know of 2 really good bucks, shot in Newberry area, last year. As far as watching someones videos, etc, I would not put too much stock in that. You need to talk to hunters, that actually hunt big woods on a regular basis. Its not easy.............................

You need to learn how to hunt deer in wolf country. There is alot of information out there, especially from hunters out of Northern Minnesota, again if your looking for an easy hunt, you picked the wrong area. If you really are not afraid of cutting lots of country, and I mean lots of country, it can be alot of fun....... I would plan my hunting, by putting on alot of truck miles, and lots of boot time on the ground, compared to sitting in a stand, on a bait..................... Get an In Reach for that country, and be prepared for a night in the woods, if needed. I would focus on drainage areas.

In heavy wolf country, you will find more mid day movement, than late in the day movement, since the wolves are up and moving, late afternoon, and the bucks know it. One thing I would do, is for sure, gun hunt the area, and do so simply by tracking. You will have lots of room to track, and I can assure you, you will have snow, and you can really learn alot. Again it all depends on the time you have...... If you get to Newberry, check in at the DNR station. They have a terrific biologist there, she knows deer, and can steer you, in some areas. Concentrate on logging operations also, and know what is going on. The warden out of Newberry, is a young guy, but he can also give you good information.....................

Believe me there are bucks being shot, you just may not hear about them. Good luck to you, and your new adventure...... Make sure your truck, has a good spare, carry a good jack, and all that you need, sometimes, you may not see another truck or guy, for a long time. Cell service is spotty at best.
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Sun Sep 18, 2022 4:36 am

Good luck and welcome to the site. I think groundhunter@1 had a pretty good overview. I have a small piece of property in Shoolcraft County outside Manistique, and don't get up there very often anymore, but I think hunting pressure is way down, especially where the wolves are. At some point wolves eat themselves out of food. There are deer up there, cover some ground and find them and you might be surprised. I saw the largest buck of my life up near my place. I was not hunting, just passing through and saw it around 4 in the morning. I am guessing it was a 200" rack. Before you are wondering what I am smoking, I know of at least 180" deer taken near me over the years. Not saying the UP has more 200" deer than Iowa, just saying don't be discouraged.
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MITrackerman
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby MITrackerman » Sun Sep 18, 2022 4:55 am

Thanks for input. I am not planning on it being easy. I have mobile setups, just looking for tips on best way to work around the wolves and how they affect deer movement.
Like the suggestion of mid day movement I would not have thought that to be the case. I've read that wolves don't like water that much so I was going to focus on river bottoms and heavy marsh. Do you guys think they hang in the cedar swamps more than recent clear cuts to avoid predation, or am I over thinking that part? I know they say two to three year old clear cuts are like the corn fields of the north, are they bedding on the edges and feeding on the edges, or do they bed more on the interior to again, avoid wolves? I am assuming they are eating browse in clear cuts and acorns in the open hardwoods, but probably not making it to oaks till well after dark.
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby Exophysical » Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:22 am

I'm from Northern Alberta, which has a bunch of wolves but might be slightly different.

While the booming wolf populations have changed the way deer behave quite a bit, there are still lots of deer. The problem as you alluded to, is that wolves often like to hunt the same types of areas that people do... so things can look pretty bleak to a hunter that doesnt evolve with the deer.

Both humans and wolves like to utilize cut blocks or other clearings, roads, and well worn trails. The deer start using these areas a lot less, mature bucks in particular will very rarely be in these types of areas during daylight, and often the deer sign can become almost non existent. Get further back into the timber however, and you will likely start to find allot more sign. In my area, where there is almost no old growth left, there is enough food within the bush that the deer dont really need to go out in the open to fill their belly's, so they quite often dont.

Not sure what size of an area you are dealing with, but other than a couple instances, my own observations have been that wolves usually have a pretty big home range that they patrol. The deer learn to make themselves scarce when the wolves are around, but return to normal behavior when the wolves move on. If wolves were in the area a night or two before you hunt it you will likely be in for at a pretty slow day, but not always. The wolves up here will rarely occupy an area much longer than that before moving again, though with less available habitat its possible they might act differently.

And finally, our wolf population is starting to drop a bit in the last couple of years, our moose population in particular has rebounded nicely, and as far as I can see the main reason is that we currently have huge areas of new growth. Logged and burned areas that have grown over thick. The thick new growth makes it much harder for the wolves to hunt effectively (and people), while the deer have all the cover and food they need. So looking at areas with lots of immature regrowth, and hunting whatever stands of more mature timber are available might be a good strategy for you.
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby Wetfoot » Mon Sep 19, 2022 10:07 am

There are no shortage of wolves up here to be sure. However, I find that if you put your boot time in you will find pockets of wolves and pockets of deer. Concentrate on wet areas, Tamarac, marsh and cedar. Bucks will bed on a hump as small as a coffee table in knee deep water that goes on and on.. You won't see that on a map.. Boots on the ground and time afield. Open hardwoods can be veritable deserts for deer sign if there are wolves in the immediate area. Expect to take several years to learn how to understand and begin to anticipate the interplay of terrain, predator and prey. Don't marry yourself to particular spots, understand that food sources change quickly and year to year. Challenging, sure. Been at it up here for 34 seasons and wouldn't have it any other way. Good luck!
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby <DK> » Mon Sep 19, 2022 11:03 am

Groundhunter@1 wrote:Maybe StangeWilderness will chime in on this issue, for you, he seems to know his stuff. As far as the Hiawatha, well that is one big, big area, and I just came out of there, trout fishing. I fish the Fox and other streams, around Seney, at times. I can only say this, as I have a house in the UP, in Iron County. Where I am we have few wolves and very good deer hunting. Not big bucks, but good weight size. To hunt this country you have to have the time. Coming up from the lower is quite the drive. I know of 2 really good bucks, shot in Newberry area, last year. As far as watching someones videos, etc, I would not put too much stock in that. You need to talk to hunters, that actually hunt big woods on a regular basis. Its not easy.............................

You need to learn how to hunt deer in wolf country. There is alot of information out there, especially from hunters out of Northern Minnesota, again if your looking for an easy hunt, you picked the wrong area. If you really are not afraid of cutting lots of country, and I mean lots of country, it can be alot of fun....... I would plan my hunting, by putting on alot of truck miles, and lots of boot time on the ground, compared to sitting in a stand, on a bait..................... Get an In Reach for that country, and be prepared for a night in the woods, if needed. I would focus on drainage areas.

In heavy wolf country, you will find more mid day movement, than late in the day movement, since the wolves are up and moving, late afternoon, and the bucks know it. One thing I would do, is for sure, gun hunt the area, and do so simply by tracking. You will have lots of room to track, and I can assure you, you will have snow, and you can really learn alot. Again it all depends on the time you have...... If you get to Newberry, check in at the DNR station. They have a terrific biologist there, she knows deer, and can steer you, in some areas. Concentrate on logging operations also, and know what is going on. The warden out of Newberry, is a young guy, but he can also give you good information.....................

Believe me there are bucks being shot, you just may not hear about them. Good luck to you, and your new adventure...... Make sure your truck, has a good spare, carry a good jack, and all that you need, sometimes, you may not see another truck or guy, for a long time. Cell service is spotty at best.


One of the best posts iv read in awhile. Fantastic tips
MITrackerman
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby MITrackerman » Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:05 am

Thanks for input guys and hope to hear more. This is the Hiawatha Sportsmans Club in Engadine. Members only 37500 acres. Ben around forever. Almost too good to be true, then the wolf sign shows why it was too good to be true. Lol. I plan on trying the water and cedar swamps and transitions around two to three year clear cuts. There is a lot of jack pine nothingness land as well, I can't see any moving through that as there is no food sources. Anybody know of anybody that has hunted in there recently?
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby headgear » Tue Sep 20, 2022 3:11 am

I've hunted with wolves my whole life, you just have to learn to move around and hunt around them or know how the deer respond to them. When the wolves are in an area they can can cover a lot of ground, most often the deer will head to wet bedding because they can travel faster and easier than the wolves through swamps. You should also have plenty of backup locations because if the wolf pressure was thick, you might need to move to a new area because the deer can and do leave. You should just let your scouting tell you where the wolves are and where the deer move to. Also remember that wolf pressure is just like hunting pressure, they are just as likely to push deer to you than scare them away so don't let a little wolf pressure scare you away. Sometimes I can hunt months without cutting a wolf track, other times they are everywhere you go, just try and be flexible and understand they are part of nature.
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby KLEMZ » Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:57 pm

Lots of good information here. I looked up the "The Hiawatha Sportsmans Club" to see what you are involved with. Wow! You have over 50 square miles to hunt with only members allowed. Lots of terrain diversity and a network of ATV style trails through the entire 50 square miles (great access for you, and everybody else too). Every single acre seems to have been logged, select cut, or managed by people at some point. Personally, I would be more concerned about human influence than wolf influence!

All joking aside, I believe you have a great opportunity here. I think your plan to hunt 3-4 year old cuts near swamp edges is solid. Also, I notice many small clumps of red oaks scattered throughout the property. Any one of these clumps could be a great place to kill a buck in early October or during the rut following a doe. However, I wonder if every small oak clump is recorded and mapped by the Club? If not, that would be a golden opportunity for you to kill a nice buck with your bow. Especially a small group of oaks near a swamp.

I also hunt wolf country and can honestly say the "reputation" of wolves is worse than the reality of dealing with wolves. Deer that exist up north have learned what they need to do to survive. As Uncle Lou suggested, there are 180-200" bucks up there, wolves or not. Your biggest worry should probably be, where are the humans on ATV's gonna be hunting, not where are the wolves.
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Re: Hunting big woods with big wolves.

Unread postby MITrackerman » Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:31 pm

It is crazy. they say last year only 10 or so people bow hunting. Thats pretty low pressure. lol. We were looking at buying a private piece of land but prices are crazy. I mainly bow hunt and I couldn't beat that much land with that little pressure. I'm going to do a lot of scout hunting as I'm mobile in all my set ups. Saddle and Beast stand for longer sits (thanks Dan). Will only make it up there for two separate weeks but hope to have some feedback after the season. Thanks for feedback folks, still appreciate any and all comments.


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