Well fire arms season opens tomorrow, just came in from setting up my blind. good deer sign, even tho bow seasons been a bust for me! My 250-3000 Savage 99 Barrel band Carbine gets the nod again this year! Good Luck to all the Michigan Boys & Happy Hunting!

I have never hunted there but always wanted to get to the Upper Peninsula . One day I will just drop my stuff and go.

This is the Firth year I haven’t hunted is my home state! I miss it!

Ours is Saturday, Best of luck guys ,be safe.

You and me both.

It used to great now with the wolves 🐺 not so much!

Good luck, fellas! I miss November 15th opening mornings in Roscommon county when I was a kid! Visiting Lenny's buckpole afterwards to see what got taken that day and hearing the hunting stories.

Coffee is brewing, eggs on on the frying pan, jokes are flying, both my Brothers and a couple of nephews are here, about to head out...good luck to all Michiganiacs and be safe!

Good Luck to all us MI boys

I am in Quanticassee in the Thumb with my 450
The wind is howling from the west and its about 28

Sad my hunting partner of many years at 78 decided to leave for the Keys instead this morning

Did everything to help get ready for the season as he always,does but I think with some flooding issues on the land he is a bit discouraged and said f it

But worked all year on the land getting it ready for me

He is a dam good guy been good to me for 30 almost as,soon as I met him

Hank

On the way in had a buck snort at me pretty pissed I was trespassing on his property

Hope you guys are having a great hunt today. It would be nice to see some pics of those big bucks.

Stacked does this morning over the food plot. Mom shot her first deer ever and her second 15 minutes later. I added another not too long after. No bucks sighted yet.

I cannot believe all the flat landers migrating north, be nice if everyone hunted locally and didnt crowd the northwoods like crazy.
State land is like a warzone, and they have no courtesy at all in the woods.
So if you live in southern Michigan and drive up north, thanks for ruining it every year. The ones who will drive in at first shooting light and sit be a tree 60 yards from your blind.

Nice work. Your one, sad, whimpering cry baby internet post just caused 4000 hunters to change their minds about driving 5 hours to hunt, now they will hunt close to home. You're a butthurt crusader for better public hunting, congratulations.

Hmmmm. Do you pay more than they to hunt it?

What kind of a crybaby are you? Evidently one that never travels anywhere to hunt and expects everyone else to be just as unadventurous.

I bet you have one of those stupid "public land owner" t shirts.
If you don't like it buy your own damn land and post it.

Oops said the wrong thing, I agree everyone has equal right to all state land.
But if you've never experienced the orange wave and the lack of etiquette, you won't get.
My original post is definitely too bitchy though.
It does bring a lot of business to rural northern towns each fall.

Emotions got the best of me.

Also I hunt private land now, so it does not affect me so much anymore.

A guy and brother and father flips their canoe at 7:00 at this morning going the their hunting area. One brother drowned! WTF!

Jack , you must be hunting where there are a lot of deer like in Delta Or Meniminee co. There are square miles of public land up there that wont see a single deer hunter this year. If you get up to Amasa and up to Lanse , that is some rough country. There is a guy on the Campfire here that hunts up there . He walks old logging trails and sees noone. He drove around the back roads for 150 miles last year and saw about a half dozen trucks. Not much for hunter numbers .
Where I hunt in northern Wis. There are areas where you will likely never see anyone. I can cross the river on to public land and never see a hunter. There are less and less hunters every year.

This AM started as a true Chit show but it is what it is
Water in my boots just stupid chit

About 2 I noticed a buck in a group of does and worked on getting close enough and with about 15 minutes left of day I got my shot and killed a nice,little 7pt

The only bad thing is my first shot was good and never had to shoot twice with a 450 but he didn't go right down and I didn't want to chance a night search so I shot him again and pretty much ruined a front quarter but immediately he was done
450bushmasters are brutal I always hunted with my muzzle loader and slow to change but killed my first couple and seen how well they work I,am onboard

Overall a good day
Hank

I saw a spike and had 3 deer run by me, thats all out of 8 of us 3 guys all killed 6pts, 4 of us have doe tags no does killed yet! maybe today will be my day!

Jack


I think maybe we are becoming the get off my lawn age
And yes there is nothing like opening day I get it

Here is the bright spot Sunday afternoon 84% (yes I have the exact amount) will be gone and you will have wonderful land to you and the,locals


I understand for 2 reasons I deal more with the flatlanders during the summer on the Northeast side Saginaw Bay/Lake Huron and all the inland lakes

Grew up in Chicago was there for 26 years
Been in Mid MI now for 30

And this year with no baiting the better Hunters will do well
Although I would rather be lucky than good anyday
Keep a smile next week its yours

Hank

I am sure you will have a good season my friend keep going
Hank

It’s crazy time in the UP!!!! Amateur hour

I live in the northeastern lower peninsula. I’m fortunate enough to have private land to hunt and that’s where I hunt almost exclusively the first few days of rifle season. I’ll start hitting up my public land spots again the end of next week after it quiets down.

I’ve lived in Michigan all my life, been traveling north for the past 20 years or so, all public land, and have never experienced what is described here.

As a matter of fact, the closest I’ve ever seen to this wasn’t up north but right here by GR... with people hunting locally.

As a matter of fact, in the area where my party hunts I’ve seen one hunter outside our group while hunting since we started in 2012... and he was lost and looking for assistance in getting his bearings.

When our area is over run or has too few deer we go find another. They’re there if you’re willing to do the work of finding them. We hunted Manistee Natl Forest up by Baldwin for years and needed to find a place w/ more deer. We did and it didn’t take much to do so.

Seems weird to blame other people for a bad experience on public land??

I wish everyone a safe and fun season . Bow season was good to me,tagging 3 doe and 2 bucks ! I kept a doe tag in my pocket so I could hunt the opener with my Dad and take my lady out. Was pretty slow so far,but maybe tonight I can get her on her first buck. She wants a buck for her first deer,I don't blame her.

Congrats to those who have scored and good luck to the rest !

Tim

I have never bought a combo license, but I assume the first license you can get any buck as long as it has 3 inch antlers, the second has to have 4 points on a side.

Yet I hear guys every year that shoot a buck that is an 8 point or bigger and tag with the second license! Is that legal???

Yep it’s just like you said; one tag for any buck 3” or longer on one side, and the other 4 points on one side. Doesn’t matter what order you shoot them in only the antler points on the buck they’re placed upon.

I wish they would do away with the combo license. If you want two deer get a doe tag!!!

Pretty quiet for us, very few gun shots. I didn't even see a deer.

This morning, Saturday, I swear every hunter was shooting full auto.

I thought the Taliban was taking on crockery creek. That's the gun opener I know. Yesterday was to quiet, glad it got back to normal.

Might try again tomorrow am but hitting a lumberjack hockey game tonight so I might just sleep in 😁

Oh gosh a friend I hunted with in Wyoming Wisconsin and here in MI. Took me for an opener near Grand Rapids probably close to Muskegon never again that was horrible

Shooting in pitch black people everywhere that was unsafe and never again

You just brought back horrible memories

Hank

.

neighbor to the North?

I live and hunt in Ogemaw County, there is definitely a lot of deer movement. M33 is non stop well of cars this time of year, and there were 6 conservation officers parked at the ferrel gas just north of rose city. Every car that drove by with a deer on it they went and pulled them over. So yeah, we have quite a lot of hunter presence. The land here is easy to navigate, and there are two tracks every where making it easier as well. We also have a pretty good deer population, making it a haven for a lot of hunters.

And actually boat boy I'm only 23, I just get my nerves going too hot and then say some dumb stuff.

I wish you guys could come hunt with me on opening weekend and see it haha. In fact if anybody wants a hunting partner and likes to stroll through the woods and Hope's to kick up a deer, I'm the guy for it.
Good luck everyone.

Definitely lots of ass holes out there hunting public land. I wouldn't apologise for saying so either. Doesn't matter that they paid as much for a license as you they should still show some common courtesy. Many don't, especially citiots.

Guys in the north did there fair share but it was all around. Then this morning it was the polar opposite, think I heard a total of 4 shots. I guess they got me all yesterday, they have been practicing on life size targets for about a month now.

I let a medium size doe go this morning.

Hey Jack
Cool I thought it was only old guys like me here haha

I am sure that area does get pounded
It's up north for a large population of the state

Hank

Well today it happened , my GF got her first deer/buck today ! First time ever pulling the trigger on a live animal even. Till today it has been paper targets and ringing steel. Small 8 pt but it did not matter, she was geeked as could be !
243 AI
NF NXS
105 Amax
340 yards

Out of 8 of us, 3 6pts and a small 8pt, we have 4 doe tags none were filled! I counted 26 shots on opening day, only 5 were before legal shooting time! I saw a spike, and had 3 more deer run by me! I hate the having to count points ect. Just hoping to fill my doe tag! was out this evening and the woods are bare of hunters, glad of that, I hear Lic. sales are way down this year!

We hunted the Prescott area on private property my brother owns. Deer sightings were way down from previous years and shots heard were also equally down. No bucks were seen the first 4 days of rifle season for us 4 hunters. Two of us hunted with archery a couple days before the rifle opener and I took a spike horn with a bum leg........the only deer seen that came within range. I saw a total of 7 deer in 7 days.
Personally I think the baiting ban changed the travel patterns of the deer, at least in our property. Two of the neighboring residents used to dump trailer loads of feed in their back yards to view the deer. A couple miles south of us a large farm was harvesting hundreds of acres of corn. My theory is a large number of the areas deer were hold up in the adjacent wood lots and feasting in the picked fields and winter wheat fields at night. Most, if not all, the shots I heard were from that direction. That's the problem with hunting private land is the inability to move to the deer.

You can move to the deer, it's just called trespassing 😁

Last year the baiting ban helped us, we were in the deer. This year I only seen 1 doe it about 2 weeks. Between all the logging going on, which has gone crazy this year and it's going on on our property also, poachers (sorry, folks that do just a single shot sight in at daybreak a month before gun) and the number of hunters the deer really changed there routines. [bleep] happens I guess.

I do know DNR has to come up with something, besides screwing it up more. With more modern weapons, and the way they are treating this CWD scare, I cant see hunting being good for big bucks in the coming years. I swear spots don't stop some hunters.

I should add that the guys that got the deer, in my group did use bait! the rest of us that didnt bait, didnt get Deer , Im still hunting, Probly take today off as its sposed to rain all day!

Lots of season left. 8 point came in trailing a doe.

I thought for sure that you would be up here this year. I hope your Wisconsin season goes well.

Except in the U. P. If you buy the single buck tag it is 3" on a side or better. If you buy the two buck tag, then it's 3 points on a side for unrestricted, and 4 points on a side for the restricted. That's why I buy the single buck tag. I don't want to end up shooting a buck that doesn't have brow pegs.

Here is a 2-1/2 year old U. P. buck. I can't get the image from the Image gallery into the thread. If you can do it, then great. If you can explain it, then even better. I've only been able to do this once, so any help is appreciated. Why this forum is so much more difficult than others is beyond me.
[img]https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/14306257#Post14306257[/img]

You've been fortunate because they are out there. I've had them walk in, see me and sit 30 yards away. One found my 82 year old fathers blind and set a pop up to cut him off. Caught another two on trail cam walking around on the 14th looking for a spot, look at my blind, then set a pop up and climber 50 yards away. I have several others, but slob hunters are out there. I get it's public and you have to deal with certain situations and accept them, but with 1000s of acres, if you're not prepared, show some courtesy and move on. Can't put those experiences on oneself, some are selfish and inconsiderate. Fortunately now where we are, most have been great and it's a great experience.

Here you go, I just threw it in my Imgur accout, easier for me. Was he aged by the DNR?

They are talking about making the opener on the 5th. Wonder what that will do to the rut. That means our deer will be nocturnal on the 6th...lol

I'm not for it. In the cwd area, that would be almost 2 months of gun.

Some areas it may help, not by me though (yes I'm being selfish).

I say open the gun season the same time as archery season! Fare is fare!

Either that or let the have to go back to recurve bows. There I said it!!!

The gun season already has a jump start in September with the "drag a kid along" Liberty Hunt, baiting allowed.

The gun season really opens when you get a crossbow and hunt in your blind over a pile of bait. There is really no difference between the two anymore. I could get a crossbow and hunt all through the rut and would all but guarantee a buck.

I suggested that in another forum. Just make it a general season, any weapon but I want APR's myself and throw in doe tags for firearms. They want to increase hunting #'s . Get rid of all special seasons. Just my worthless 2 cents

I'm still not for changing it but if they are going too, just make it straight across the board. I also want to use my damn 45/70 here in SW mi.

Have hunted Mi. close to 50 yrs now. First 30 yrs on state land, mostly the mid lower peninsula. I have experienced all the irritating stuff already described. Our only remedy was to sit all day and watch the deer being pushed around all day. Live & hunt less than 20 acres in the northern lower now with regular success.
For what it's worth I've done better without bait just by sitting in travel routes.
Another for what its worth. A crossbow isn't a rifle but I still prefer a compound myself. As far as the season dates go, leave things the way they are. The traditional Nov. 15 opener is just that, a tradition. If CWD is the issue and the DNR wants to lower the population than keep it in those counties that are effected or is it affected? Maybe infected.
For what it's worth. Mi is a great state for hunting whitetails. Scout, prepare and hunt hard if you can. Persistence has paid off for me more than once.

Hopefully you will find this at least a little humorous.
I was notching one of my combo tags this year and because I had both tags folded together I didn't notice until it was to late but I notched both tags. They were stuck together. Never had that happen before, wouldn't be the first time that I've "donated" the cost of a license to the state.

My nephew came to hunt with me last weekend. On Saturday 11:45am he shot a nice little 6 point.
His first buck. It was a great time helping him get his deer. I enjoyed it as much as shooting one myself.
He used my 450 RAR and Hornady 250gr. Flex-Tip.
The bullet performance was less than good.
It entered the left shoulder and turned 90* down, exiting between the brisket and the foreleg.
250-300 yard tracking job found him unable to get up with his antlers entangled in an autumn olive bush.
There's an educated doe on my place that needs to die.
She's going to be my target in Muzzleloader/second rifle season, 12-6 through 22.

Pictures mark or it didn’t happed!😁

Mark,
That 250 gr FTX is the worst bullet I have ever used! I had the same thing happen 2 years ago, a 90 degree turn. Turning, poor penetration, jacket and core separating...ugh! My daughters use the RAR in 450 and I load the 200 gr Barnes down to about 2250 fps. It i2 or 3" high at 100 and 4" low at 200. Bullet performance is excellent. Both my dad and a daughter successfully used the set up this year. Unfortunately my Raptor hates this bullet!

You know that you can use your 450 during the muzzleloading season on your Jackson Co property?

405wcf

Thankfully, yes I'll be using my 450 in the muzzleloader season. I've ordered both 200gr. and 275gr. XPB's from Barnes to reload for it. I won't have enough time to load anything up before the muzzleloader season and the factory ammo is going to be used to kill an educated doe. I'll just make sure it's a lung shot.

Yes, I took him to the DNR in Marquette for aging and weight.

I own the land everyone hunts on so we had a full house at deer camp here in W/C Michigan, we had a good season !!!!