Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

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gander08
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Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby gander08 » Tue Apr 19, 2016 11:19 pm

I’ve been thinking a lot lately on how I can improve my big buck harvests once bow season passes, if I haven’t filled my tag yet. The first obvious thing that comes to my mind is get deep into the cattail marsh and let the pressure of other hunters pounding the easy areas push, deer towards me. If anyone is from Michigan and is reading this, you know how insane it can be on the opener of Michigan’s gun opener on public land.

My question, for some of the guys that walk way back into the cattail marsh during Michigan’s gun season, is how do you have the BALLS to do it? Lol. I really would like to walk way back into the marsh, but the idea of 50 other hunters surrounding the marsh with rifles, shooting at any movement in the marsh scares the HE## out of me. I guess things have changed for me because now I have a family, 5 years ago I wouldn’t of thought twice about doing this. So, are there any guys on here that do this during gun season? If I were to try it, I know I’d be in full orange from head to toe…lol.


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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby dirt nap giver » Tue Apr 19, 2016 11:32 pm

I have personally given up on firearm season. I dedicate that time to My Bride, family & friends. I typically roll solo, which is a double edge sword.
And where I reside in the state, others are also way back in the marsh/swamp. Access throughout Michigan makes it difficult to get way back where no one goes. I have had better luck finding overlooked thickets or travel corridors.

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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Wed Apr 20, 2016 3:20 am

To touch on DNGs overlooked areas, he's spot on. I typically don't hunt a lot of Mi gun season, but I am all public land. Over time I've learned where the deer go to escape pressure and how to set up on those overlooked areas, and have used the opener and found that funnel spot deer head to for safety to escape the pressure of the orange army. Study your maps, boots to the ground, and try to think how would a deer survive this assault and you'll get some oppurtinites others won't during this time of the year. As far as having the balls, guess since I was born with them I use em :lol: joke, I try to be safe but also hunt the way I want.

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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby cedarsavage » Wed Apr 20, 2016 3:40 am

I lived in metro Detroit for five years, three years I hunted public on opening day. I have to say it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be. I think the biggest obstacle was that the week before gun season there were so many guys walking around setting up blinds that it was difficult to bowhunt as gun season got closer. I did a whole lot better bow hunting though. What part of the state are you in?

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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Apr 20, 2016 4:09 am

Opening day is the worst, after that it slips back to less crowds daily. I hunt small blocks n its not that difficult to get away from people. Most are scared to go far off the beaten path. You may find you have it all to yourself. Maybe a big orange bike flag that gets above the cattails.

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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby gander08 » Thu Apr 21, 2016 6:55 am

Thanks for the advice...I like the orange bike flag idea!
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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby deerhunterdon » Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:19 am

Hunt a bigger Marsh, way bigger . Dont rule out huge fields. Im not talking about farm fields or crops. Grass. I have walked right next to some deer laying in fairly short grass. Find marshes that but up next to the road, people will overlook areas close to the road. I dont take firearm season too serious, just fun time to scout new areas. I never hunt with a tree stand then either. I like to be on the move until I find my spot and that might take awhile and be a few miles.
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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby May-39 » Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:37 am

Assassin and Don are spot on,

Deer go somewhere,,,I wouldn't hunt several bow spots opener/opener weekend out of safety concerns. But look how many dodos are 200 yards apart, 100 yards in down miles of dirt roads..Amazing more folks aren't shot I guess.

Last year chasing pheasants on public in Mid Michigan, I kicked up several deer over various outings and one a bucks that I would have gladly shot..One as Don said, was bedded alone dang near in the middle of a 60 acre ish grass field. This was also in the middle of a fairly large and heavily hunted state game area. You know what he did? he ran to the end of the field, looked back and trotted around the field and behind us. Never left that field, he musta known woods=wounds

I have same problem, I know deer are holing up in a piece of marsh with always occupied shooting tower a few hundred yards way...
I really want to sit on a deep run intersection inside the head high cattails but I've been kinda spooked myself. I had a bullet hit the tree holding up a corner of my brush blind as a kid,,,left a lasting impression to say the least.
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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Jul 25, 2016 7:21 am

In gun season I hunt big cedar swamps, anyplace more than a quarter of a mile from the road. I normally have my spots all to myself, it is very rare for me to see another hunter (you can't see anyway! :lol: ).
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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:18 pm

deerhunterdon wrote:Hunt a bigger Marsh, way bigger . Dont rule out huge fields. Im not talking about farm fields or crops. Grass. I have walked right next to some deer laying in fairly short grass. Find marshes that but up next to the road, people will overlook areas close to the road. I dont take firearm season too serious, just fun time to scout new areas. I never hunt with a tree stand then either. I like to be on the move until I find my spot and that might take awhile and be a few miles.


Gun season is a great way to scout and hunt for intel. How many times we nudged areas and actually learned pieces that helped us hunt areas more effectively? Lots.

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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:41 am

I have hunted a lot of public land in MI. Semi remote areas in the UP, northern lower peninsula, mid michigan and SE. My first 5 years in MI I was strictly bow, in 1995 my neighbor said you are coming with me on the gun opener and that was that.

I shot my first buck on that day in Holly State Rec area, and have been hooked on walking around during gun season ever since. I too was afraid of the orange army until I joined it. To the surprise of many, hunting is a pretty safe activity. Really does give some assurance that the orange army is not just a bunch of bullet slinging yahoos out to shoot at any brown patch that flashes by.

The last few years I found a place up north on Federal forest land that I have been walking around in all day and have not seen another hunter. With decent pressure all around me, I found part of the equation just haven't crossed paths with a big boy yet. But I will be right back there this year in gun season to see if I can find one.
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Re: Question for the Public Land MI Gun Hunters

Unread postby rbuckleyjr1 » Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:15 am

Last season I attempted to do some tracking on public land the day before Thanksgiving after a fresh snow. I went in around 11am and by 4pm I was trying to get back to my truck as fast as possible. Driving out I counted 15 vehicles in about a 1/2 mile stretch of road. I'll stick to bowhunting from now on...


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