Wishing away Michigan Gun Season...

[IronCreekArcher]

Agreed Arwin...wish the DNR took more of an Iowa approach though...imagine the monsters that would be lurking about...I hunt a nasty, thick swamp and am surrounded on all sides...not only that but all of their gun stands are pointed at my swamp...wondering if I should even go in there.  I think I will be more vulnerable in a tree, maybe I will put that gravel ridge between me and as many of them as possible...lol

[Arwin]

Oh I know, all that pressure at the peak of breeding. I have often wondered if the big smart bucks that I know are there but don't see, pass on the breeding in lieu of saving their own neck. I'm not talking about 3 1/2 yr olds and under. The rut makes them dumb and they don't know better. I'm talking about the 5-6 yr olds that might be wise enough to hide rather than chase booty. Sure they might breed at night, but I think most of the breeding on severely pressured land is done by lesser bucks who blindly chase the women. Kinda like a 18-20yr old male person who blindly chases females,LOL! Some of us older males know it's sometimes better to run the other way!  

[dino]

Iron,
I grew up in southern lower (Lenawee county).  Know exactly what your talking about.  If you can believe it the county I live in now in Indiana is worse than anywhere I hunted in southern lower Michigan.  We have the largest opening day firearms harvest of any other county in the state.  A war zone would be an understatement.  If feel for ya, but atleast we had six weeks to have our fun with out the mob.

Dave,
Having lived and hunted in Michigan for 20+ years I wouldn't stake a shinny nickle on anything MDNR has on deer harvests or numbers.  They honestly are guesses at best.  Since there are no mandatory deer check stations or hunter surveys like here in Indiana or other states, they are just guessin'.

[Bonebuster]

As silly as it sounds, there is a sadness that consumes the large tracts of public land when the smoke clears. I imagine the woodlots to the south experience something similar. It is something that can be FELT.

I feel the worst part of firearm season, are the "hunters" who grab a gun for the FIRST time all year, and become "deer hunters" with the addition of an orange vest.

Antlerless licenses are easily available, and many of these "hunters" shoot any deer they see.
Way too often, it is a button buck killed by a hunter who does not know what they are doing, or the harm they cause to the deer herd by doing so.

Many of the hunters who do not manage to kill a deer, then complain that there was a cause, such as bowhunters, or the use of bait, or not being allowed to bait, or the youth hunt, or SOMETHING.
It had nothing to do with the fact that they had not even entered the woods anywhere prior to "deer season".

All in all, being successful during or after firearm season requires special skills on the part of the hunter. And isn`t it those same "special skills" that draw us to traditional archery hunting in the first place?

[vermonster13]

Button bucks are the least likely to survive the season, usually they are late borns and the feed they eat makes it harder on the deer you want surviving. If you have a properly balanced herd, bucks are usually the first borns from the earliest bred does and should become spikes the first year if the nutrition is available for them to do so.

Iowa charges residents $47.00 to whitetail hunt, imagine the noise if your DNR upped license costs that much, they also have more agricultural lands and much fewer hunters and less population.

You could press for antler restrictions if you want bigger bucks but there are things that come with that also. Leasing has already begun here since restrictions were passed. As the deer get larger expect less land access as property owners are approached by outfitters and wealthier hunters with cash to gain exclusive rights thus packing more hunters into the public lands.

Also gun hunters aren't the only ones who grab a weapon at the beginning of a season and become "hunters". Visit the archery shop the week before season opens and get an eyeful.

There are many more good hunters in each group than there is bad, it's just that the bad ones always stick out unfortunately.

How many tags did you fill during the 6 weeks you had the woods for archery only?

[T Folts]

Quote:
Also gun hunters aren't the only ones who grab a weapon at the beginning of a season and become "hunters". Visit the archery shop the week before season opens and get an eyeful.

I think that is the difference between trad hunters and Wheel hunters. I am a converted wheel hunter so I know 1st hand.

[wingnut]

I guess I'll say if you are so disatified with the hunting oppurtunity in MI, go out of state.  I know when I left WA, I vowed to never spend another dollar in that state to hunt.

It's ok to not like what's happening, if you do the best you can to change it.  Join the organizations in your state that are moving in that direction.  Testify at state commission meetings with well thought out factual information.

Just like in politics, don't complain do what you can to make a change.

Mike

[MI_Bowhunter]

Given our long archery season it is hard to complain.    I have found some places to hunt during gun season that are still pretty calm.

I noticed fewer hunters in the areas I hunt during the archery seasons, presumably due to the baiting ban in effect here now.  I hope that it carries over into the gun season as well.

My experiences in the southern and mid lower during the firearms season were pretty harrowing to say the least, and honestly I'm surprised there aren't a lot more wounded and killed hunters then there are reported.

[DRR324]

I'm right with all of you, the rifle opener needs to be pushed back a week, and go from Nov 20th through Dec 5th.  I'll be taking my kids with me in hopes that my daughter can take her first buck.  She passed a spike last year- too small she said, this year, hard to say what will go on.
My neighbor to the east ahs been seeing a good buck on his chunk, and hope that he ventures our way on Saturday morning...good luck to all, and BE SAFE!

[Ron LaClair]

Gun hunters are people too... aren't they    :confused: ...      

   

[Kingstaken]

It sounds like to me that the Michagan DNR is using the Guns hunters as more like pre-birth control more then good population control. Sounds like Obama's idea to redistribute the wealth.

[Tim Fishell]

You guys are forgetting a few things.  Hunters are Hunters plain and simple!!  The complaining you do about gun hunters they do the same about bow hunters and you get what we have now which is a great devide in our numbers.  You guys should be happy that you can still use a bow if you choose during our gun seasons.  I for one enjoy any kind of legal hunting I can participate in.  The thing to remember is if you start messing with gun seasons then they are going to start messing with bow seasons as well.  Why wouldn't they.  There are a great number of gun only hunters out there that think it is crap that bow hunters get 6 weeks to hunt before they even get a chance.  

The youth hunt is one that I am very passionate about.  The youth hunters need to be out and see deer.  They should first and foremost get a chance because they are the future of our sport that we should all cherish and not take for granted.  Remember hunting is a privilege not a right and can be taken away if we dont ALL do our part as sportsman to protect it!!

[MI_Bowhunter]

Not bashing gun hunting Tim, I still pick up a rifle every now and again.  I just don't feel as safe in the woods during the season unless I can get away from crowds.

[Tim Fishell]

Yeah I hear ya Mike.  The thing about that crowd is 80% of them will be within 100 yards of a road.  If you are like me and enjoy a good hike in the morning then you rarely see another hunter even during gun season.  

Mike, I will be back home in Mt. Morris for the opener of gun season.  My dad and I have 80 acres in Clio that we hunt on.

[MI_Bowhunter]

Its the wading through the crowd that is scary, unless you get out real early.

I'll be in the UP, most likely hunting with my bow.  Although toting my grandfathers ol '06 would really bring back some memories.  

This will only be the 2nd time I can recall when I'll actually hunt opening day.  :-D

[Tim Fishell]

Awesome!!  Good luck up there man.

[Arwin]

Originally posted by Ron LaClair:
Gun hunters are people too... aren't they     :confused:  ...          

   

 Love that pic! I do have respect for those who muzzleload. One shot is all you get. I know those hunters will likely choose the most wisest shot available.
  Sorry if it sounded like I stepped on some gun hunters toes. I think the majority of us who show a bit of dislike for the season have had bad experiences year after year.
   There are good and bad hunters out there no matter the season, I just tend to see it more towards firearms.  
 Things like piles of carcasses with very little meat removed and you know they didn't get tagged.
 Littering, the woods become a garbage dump, which really ticks me off.
 Wreck less behavior, I've been shot at more than once by someone not checking their background. Now I will only hunt from a tree and still have had slugs go whizzing under my stand.
 Bad sportsmanship, I've had problems with hunters wanting to nearly sit in my lap.  When I ask them to move at least 100 yds away they either yell something rude, crash through the woods, or light up a smoke and stay in their spot.  
 My worst encounters during bow season might be someone setting up a bit close. I know the deer in my area enough to move around those hunters so it's not as much of a problem.

[jacobsladder]

"Hunting is a privelege not a right"..... Tim ,they got ya brain washed bud.... It should be my right to hunt anything I want on "my" land shouldnt it?.... The DNR has already started messing with archery season...its called the youth season and early firearm season..... Is the youth season "really" about youths hunting..or is it just another way for the DNR to sell more licenses? Heck I can buy a doe tag a day for my tiny piece of ground.... Its all about the dollar bud..... Keeps them big wigs polishing their leather seats with their rears.

[Tim Fishell]

Steve, no brainwashing here bud!!  Yes you SHOULD be able to hunt what you want on YOUR land. Some of us are not that lucky to have our own land to hunt and it is a PRIVELEGE for us to be allowed to hunt on stated owned land.  

Also you can buy a tag a day for anterless deer on private land but you cannot buy more than 5 tags total for the year.  

  http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_38954_38957-194921--,00.html

[jacobsladder]

...the reason there is state owned land is because you and I and the rest of the tax payers bought it... so youre darn right we should get to hunt it...and yes we all have the right to hunt it....