Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Michigan Deer Season is Upon Us

Just a couple days away. Heading to camp. Anyone in northern Mi. is always welcome at camp. We are about 10 miles north of Curran Mi. Where are you all hunting.

Right between Cadillac and Mesick, off 115 Good Luck All!

EUP. Worked my ass off this year to get set-up 1.2 miles off the road on foot, water and all, and the biggest deer I have on cam is a 6-point. Not happy. Might even turn in my vacation time. My oldest daughter will be five next year, youngest with be 3 1/2, so I'll be able to go out of state once again...Thank God!

THAT PUT U DOWN BY BEAVER LAKE OR CLOSE

Property in between White Cloud and Big Rapids.
NO acorns this year. Baiters will have there way totally.

South of the Beaver Lake store on 65 then west a couple miles

Highlands overlooking the Manistee River near Manistee. We've been taking some great deer ever since the state passed antler point restrictions. No acorns around here either.

I was watching the bucks chase the does on Friday and get into their pushing matches for dominance. Much slower today, so I'd guess the peak of the rut has passed.

Near Copemish, few acorns, but the food plots look good, some nice ones on cam, hoping to meet one on Wednesday. Good luck to all.

Old70

Just a small plot between Holland and Grand Rapids. It always has deer moving through like clockwork, but rarely a older buck. Real comfy raised blind though...

Leaving for the IL gun opener Thursday.. so might just sit Wednesday AM.

When does your season open? This coming Saturday?

Good Luck. Gotta shoot me a Yankee deer one year.

Nov 15th every year

Interesting, thanks.

Here, rifle always starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

I'm headed to the Mio area tomorrow morning. We have hunted the Huron National Forest for the last 28 years. We'll be in camp through Monday of next week.

Good Luck All sounds like there will be few of us from the fire chasing the Michigan Whitetails

Hope you all do well and enjoy. I will take a moment to reflect on good hunts in Oceana County years ago.

Across the road from our home here in Clare County. Lots of deer so far on trail cams plus a few bear. The wife and I have permanent blinds on a good 80 acres. I went out and just watched a couple of days ago and saw a big eight point chasing a doe and another hot doe just standing around.

It's supposed to rain opening day... fine with me. I carry the gun to the blind in a case and, when inside, light the heater... cozy and comfy. The rain will keep the city hunters in the bars and restaurants.

I'm a city hunter and I'll be in a tree stand regardless of the weather. I'm sure the crummy weather will keep country folks out of the woods as well for those that don't hunt box blinds with heat. Good luck and enjoy your hunt.

Alpena here.... heading up Wed. morning, bummed to miss the opening morning. but have thru the weekend. few nice ones on cam and the one in my profile pic was from last year.


rylee - off 65? I go up 65 heading to Alpena.

you would turn off of 65 on Doctors Club Road

Jordan Valley between East Jordan and Mancelona

ah yes, know that area and road. good land back there.

NW of Mt Pleasant, by a little town called Weidman. Looks to be a wet one.

My Youper friends have invited me to hunt again in Dickinson County. Is there tracking snow in that area?

I will be in southern Montcalm county for my first Michigan gun opener.

Good Luck to all

Menominee/Delta line

Leave in the morning to get up there.

I'll have my butt up in a ladder stand, rain or shine. Never hunted out of any blind with a roof of any sort. Lots of seasons in a lawnchair with my back to a maple.

Good luck.

Looking Wet Boys, Iv got a bad cold so I put of the tent blind! so far not many hunters around my area! was out last night but didnt see any!

And Pennsylvania and Ohio always start the Monday after Thanksgiving.

School here is closed for the 1st full week of rifle season

The schools here in Northern Michigan are just closed for opening Day!

Good Luck, fellas. I've spent many an opening morning in Roscommon county.

My parents retired and bought a place in Prudenville which backs up to state land. It was awesome to be able to get up and just walk out the back door to go hunt.

I wish I was there to share it with ya'!

I will be hunting Eaton county with dad and BIL. This year is dad's 70th season of hunting deer and I'm putting him a pop up to keep dry.

Good luck to all!

405wcf

Living and hunting in Ogemaw county. It was wet today and only saw does, but have good hope.
Just wishing the flat landers would stay south.

I’ve always thought that’s how it should be up here too.

I hunted today in Middleville SE of Grand Rapids got nothing but wet saw a couple of does when I went into town for lunch but goin again Thurs & Fri then up near Empire Sat & Sun.

Good luck everybody!

Was WET rain all day! I didnt see a deer, but my buddie doubled got a large 7pt, and 10 mins later shot a bigger 8pt. go fig the other 8 of us saw a few doe that was all, kinda sucked today, might get snow tommorow tho!

We slept in this morning. I don't hunt in 35mph gusts and sustained winds over 25. A couple of years ago i went out in winds like this and found our previously anchored pop up blinds 100 yards away from where they had been anchored.

I looked out my back door on our way out for yesterday's evening hunt and had a 7-pt. standing there watching us load up.

Not closed for a week, but opening day is a ghost town in the little towns up in the mountains. Everybody hunts.

Hey, Michigan Hunters, anybody killin' anything?

nothing more since wed., weekend looks bad rain and high winds! hunted the last 2 afternoons no deer seen, going to try a few diffrent spots!

I've seen deer every time I've gone out. Unfortunately, every one has been either running or trotting. I've got an antlerless permit, but I'm not taking the chance of dropping a spike with the antler restrictions in this area. The weekend sounds like a wash with rain and wind, at least until Sunday evening. Time for a rest and get some things done around the house.

Best deer season for our family ever, even tho the weather was terrible. Out of 9 hunters only one hasn't got a buck and she opted to pass up some small ones. One oops buck but the other 7 were nice 16-20" 7s and 8s.

I got a nice little basket 8 point opening morning. When he went down - snapped off his left G2. Kinda ticked about that - couldn't find it.

7-08 Montana shooting 162 A-Max over Reloader. Took out the top of the heart, made goo of everything and the buck died within 100 feet of where I squeezed the trigger.

Saw about 6 other bucks that should be decent in the next couple of years.

Overall - very quiet opening week - not much shooting at all.

I saw ONE deer, a legal buck (up where I was a buck must have 3 points on one side to be legal) yesterday LITERALLY at the last second… was hiking out of the woods to check out of the hotel. He jumped up and bounded off, upwind so he couldn’t smell us, and I used my deer call to stop him as my hunting partner said “oh theres a doe”. I put my rifle up to look at it’s head but there was thick brush and I had a hard time first finding him, then verifying he had the headgear necessary… as I did I clicked the safety off and just as he turned to walk away I squeezed the trigger and all my rifle did was a faint “click”. The long sit in the freezing cold had gummed up the firing pin and it hit the primer so lightly it didn’t go off!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH!

Obviously I’ll be cleaning out the bolt of that rifle rather thoroughly; it was my Mauser Straight Pull model 1996 in 30-06.

Anyway I had an amazing 5 days of hunting. I shot a coyote on Thursday with my ML and that was cool.

Hunted near Prescott, weather sucked. Deer didn't seem to be moving much & we didn't bait. I saw one deer total, my brother took a six point. Did not hear as much shooting as usual. Heading to the UP (Munising) tomorrow morning. Don't hold much hope of seeing anything there but roaming the big (empty) woods is cathartic.

Took a doe and 4 1/2 year old 8 point (18" spread, dressed weight 185 lbs) Sunday AM, lots of snow, good hunting in Leelanau County, Friday was the first decent day to hunt, Sunday was the second. Not very many shots heard both days we were out.

Nice buck Jerry that’s awesome man! I was in northern Benzie and Sunday was awesome!

jbmi, Nice buck!

Awesome buck jbmi. Without antler restrictions that animal would have died three years ago.

Hunted firearm opener without a buck tag in my pocket. A single doe tag allowed me to go out and enjoy the opening day tradition. Saw deer all day long in the rain ,one small buck and lots of doe and fawns. It was nice to sit back and know my freezer is full ! Bow season was very good to me this year to say the least. Killed the first legal buck that wondered by (6pt) , then arrowed 2 doe after that. Took it easy till the rut got hot and heavy, which brought me my best buck in 37 years of bow hunting ! A nice clean 8pt with a 20.25" inside spread and just hair shy of 22" outside. Still smiling about that one .

Congrats to all that tagged some deer this season.

This season has been a contrast from previous years.
We finally bought our own hunting property in Jackson County, 28 acres fronting on the Grand River.
Since we closed on Nov. 9th there was not much time to scout.
I've seen a giant 10 point once, and am being very careful not to make any mistakes. The big ones will only give you one.
Wrong winds for my woods have kept me in the trailer for at least half of the available hunts.
knowing the big guy is around, I won't be shooting any little bucks, and will probably shoot a doe in late archery season in December.

Nice buck Jerry!!

Hunted the UP for two days and did not see any shooters then went home to hunt Wisconsin's opener. Returned and scored.

I had a ladder stand in the same spot as last year which is in an old borrow pit. It is an unlikely place to setup but it is near a fence line between a pasture and hayfield with woods to the north and south. Last year the camp boss (Uncle) kidded me about the lousy location. He said since he has been at camp over 25 years nobody ever set up there. I shot a nice buck there last year now there is a lot of interest by other camp members, but to his credit the camp boss said I have dibs on the location.

Just after daybreak there was shooting to the north on a neighbors land. Soon two large doe and a fawn broke out of the woods and into the open pasture. Then a couple minutes there was movement in the brush filled fence row parallel to the path of the three deer. Up came the binos and I soon spotted horns...a shooter.

There was a chance that a slight SE breeze could carry me scent to him so I took a shot sooner than I would have preferred, He was quartering toward me but stopped and turned almost broadside momentarily. The sight picture was good when I sent a 250-3000 87 gr Speer Hot-Cor at the crease behind the front shoulder.
His back legs kicked out, he jumped the fence into the pasture then zig zaged about 25-30 yards along the fence.

Later I lasered the distance of the shot at 187 yards.

The bullet broke a rib going in, double lunged, broke a rib on the oft side and was found under the hide.

Nice Buck Congrads! still trying to fill a tag. also useing a 250-3000!

When I crossed over the bridge yesterday, the deer count was up from 19xx last year to 29xx this year.
I however did not add to the data above or below the bridge.
Tim

Seems the count keeps climbing on CWD finds.
I expect some serious changes to the rules for next year as to extra tags, baiting and testing.

I heard it was up to 30 deer, with 1,000 or more to test! Not a good thing!

This morning local Fox said over 2 dozen, but I am waiting for something from DNR.

Sucks for sure. I did not have to worry about turning in anything this year.

Same here for rifle! Bow was good for me, I never saw many fawns this fall tho, alot of does without fawns, not that I saw very many does.