Michigan Deer Hunting ?

[ChuckC]

My place in da UP has no pressure.  Yet the deer are very nocturnal all the time.  Sure i see some movement during the day, mainly does and fawns, but the occasional buck.  I have several trail cams out all the time and the pix I get are pretty typically in the dark.

CHuckC

[tradgreenhorn]

Three of us went for a mid day scout on some state land. we only went to check a oak ridge tha t we have hunted in the past. There where so many acorns that is like walking on marbles. In years past they would be gone. We never saw any rubs or scrapes in this area. Again only going by what we have seen from years past. This area of state land does not get hunted very hard.

[Chain2]

I have hunted the same 30sq miles or so since I was 15 years old. State ground. I used to shoot a lot of deer. I used to see a lot of deer. I feel I am a better hunter. With grouse hunting early I feel I spend a lot if time in the woods. There simply are a lot less deer here than there used to be. We all have listed symptoms but I think the bottom line is, poor management period. By everyone period. I think the APR's will help but it is only a start. I also think that our area can't be managed the same as the downstate farming areas nor the UP. I am not saying this is solely a DNR issue. I've hunted in other states and they all seem to do it better.

[Steve Chappell]

I hunt around where I live and there is a stark difference in deer sightings and shot opportunities from  2013 to 2014...drastically down in this year (2014) and not one sighting of a decent buck.  The crops were the exact same both years, corn.  2014 was definitely a banner year and 2013 an unusually bad year compared to all other years  In 2013 I would see 3 to 7 bucks almost every time out and saw 3 really nice shooter bucks...when corn was up and cut. Despite a lot of shot opportunities in 2013, I choose not to shoot anything...just enjoyed seeing lots of deer/buck action.  Contrast this with lucky to see a single deer when out and saw a buck or two only a few times out in 2014.  The overwhelming majority of the times out this year I saw nothing. The only differences from 2013 to 2014 is there were standing corn throughout bow and into gun.  The last two corn fields were cut the last day of gun.  I did see three bucks one morning in muzzleloader but northing the other times out. I was blaming the standing corn but even when it was cut the deer sightings did not change other then a single morning.  I do not know what the cause is for this drastic difference is...but it is significant.

[Jon Stewart]

maybe the deer don't go nocturnal but in December they sure show up later in the evening, like closer to dark.

No-one is hunting my property or the property that borders my property. My son and family live on our property.  Spoke with him today.  Seeing very few deer, late and closer to dark.

I would call that, going nocturnal.

I think most everyone who has been hunting for years knows that the later in the year it gets the later the deer come out especially after gun season and in December.

Originally posted by Chain2:
 There simply are a lot less deer here than there used to be. We all have listed symptoms but I think the bottom line is, poor management period. By everyone period. I think the APR's will help but it is only a start.

If low deer numbers are your concern, MAPR will not help that.  MAPR, by design, are intended to shift the harvest pressure from young bucks to does.  This will result in more bucks making it to their second year, but will result in even lower deer populations overall.

[Chain2]

I have to post the other side of my argument. Last year I had the veneer cut from out place and bought a veneer cut 20 from the timber co. adjacent to ours. Deer movement interrupted last year. This year I had a firewooder in there. He was supposed to be done 1 Nov. He actually left 2 weeks ago. My first sit in two years out back last night. 8 deer including one 4 pt. All deer appeared fat and healthy. All within shooting range. Trying to build up the population, I passed. I had a ball though.