Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Michigan UP vs. Eastern Kentucky for Deer?

was looking at some land in Pendleton County this weekend. Turned down a road that went along the licking river. Counted 11 deer in a 3 mile stretch

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Parts of the UP get the second highest snow depths east of the Mississippi. The Adirondacks get the highest - ha - Tug Plateau. Do you hunt the east or west Adirondacks?

No matter how good the habitat is snow depth is a deer killer.

Man that would suck

If myself or renegade dont see at least 10-12 deer each outing on this little 250 acre homeplace, we feel like we’ve had a shît morning.

Had a morning Saturday, I only seen 3 deer.

But my nephew 700 yards away in another hollow, seen 16 deer

renegade was 800 yards away from him and seen 4 and a yote.

lol

That would be my first choice but their season is too close to Thanksgiving. I have a wife and kids and can't skip holidays.

I hunt the Eastern Adirondacks so the snow is not as deep. Vermont and the Eastern ADKs get plenty of snow though. The Adirondacks have very little oak (none that I can find) and almost no agriculture where I hunt. As a result, they live off of forbs and browse. That limits them too. The coyotes take their toll as well.

No wolves? Not even coming in from Canada?

MN, WI and UP of MI have healthy wolf populations and Cougars as well.

There have been a couple wolves found in Vermont, I believe. I haven't heard of them in the ADKs. Coyotes around here can be over 60 pounds, though and hunt in groups. The kill a lot of deer.

I'd prefer central KY, but would still take eastern KY over MI.

Me and this guy are apparently neighbors as i live 5 miles from the bridge. Most of my family is from the N western UP and oddly enough I have family in eastern Ky as well. Bloody Breathett to be exact and here is my 2c.

The hunting is better in KY BUT...the terrain is tough and there are poisonous serpents to contend with in warm years. You also are dealing with a culture of people who don't like to [bleep] with and don't like outsiders so be aware where you wander if you catch my drift.

The UP is absolutely beautiful...imho Northern Michigan as a whole is the most beautiful area in the lower 48. The hunting pressure is very very low and you have access to trophy black bear as well every couple years (i draw 1st hunt generally every 3 years in unit 009). On to the deer hunting. We generally get some decent bucks at camp every year BUT...the UP is NOT trophy deer country. There are a ton of wolves and they have taken their toll but to be perfectly honest it wasn't great before the wolves showed up. There is just not much food for the deer and you get over 200 inches of snow to boot so a big snow year lowers numbers big time. Make no mistake though...there are decent bucks.

If I were to sum it up...if you want the true camp wilderness experience with serious life threatening weather and a true awesome experience go to the UP. If you want bigger deer and warm weather go to the bluegrass state.

One more important factor. Women here in N. Michigan are some of the ugliest in the nation. KY is the best of the best in this regard IMHO.

If you like to bed fat women...N Michigan is for you. They are always in heat it seems

I've hunted in Delta county several times and saw lots of deer . It has a lot of family farms and the pastures and fields are usually loaded with deer in the evenings. Two years ago my son and i were up in Oct and took a ride in the early evening and counted over 100 deer in pastures and fields driving down county rd 13 in the Stonington pennsula.

Like several others have said, if you want the "experience" of deer camp as much as the venison, go to the UP.

I hunt the Delta/Menominee county line basically - at one time deer outnumbered people 5 to 1 in Menominee county. Was something I always heard.

Back in the day - was nothing to see 100 deer in a field like you said. Now 35-50 is a good look see. The interesting thing is you'll go out and see 5 to 10 fields like that, not just one.

I can't speak for Michigan but for the past several seasons I have hunted Western KY in the LBL area around Cadiz. Deer population is outstanding, I've seen more deer there in one day than in any other area that I've hunted. Never came home empty handed, last season I harvested my buck and doe in the same day. KY allows NR hunters one antlered buck and two does. If I go this fall I intend to take the two does allowed.

Damn, I gotta find some better places to hunt. I am in the foothills and you wont see 11 deer down here all year. A normal year is catching two or three nocturnal does and a single buck on a trail cam.

We probably use our "deer camp" 3 or 4x more outside of deer season than in.

It's a great base of operations for the UP - world class smallmouth and walleye fishing in Little Bay de Noc, great pike in the Hiawatha National forest lakes, skiing, there's hundreds if not thousands of miles of ATV/UTV/Snowmobile trails and most every place in the UP allows them all on the "right of way" for roads. Can get anywhere you like.

And actually - there's some fine golf in the UP too for summer pursuits that don't involve killing or rippin lips.

It truly is GOD'S country

Don't be dissing the snow cows, they'll keep you warm on a cold winter's night. That's IF you can afford to feed em.

No deer in Eastern KY ....especially South Eastern KY....I would try Western Ky or TN.

I lived in the UP for 20 years. The deer hunting is worse than terrible and rifle season is over ran with people.
You also have to understand that one early november snow storm can push the deer 50 miles away and you wont see a single thing during rifle season.