Contributors to this thread:
Just saw the new regs, no does again for bowhunters in the UP except for a few in the banana belt. I guess I will get a single tag and shoot the first spike I see, now that makes a lot of sense, so much for sound deer management
I’m right there with you Jim.... I’ve been talking about this for a few years...... I even called the lady deer biologist up there and she confirmed to me that it had nothing to do with sound biological deer management..... It was politically pushed through by the gun hunters..........
As soon as they find one deer in the UP with CWD...... They will change their minds and ask us to kill all of the deer there.......
Until then I’m like you..... Hunting for a spike buck.
The DNR's been losing a lot of money since they implemented this a few years ago. Many hunters, myself included, switched from the combo to the single license.
Come on down to the CWD zone and you can shoot 10 does and 2 spikes. There is no sound deer management in this state.
This is crazy. But nevermind the winter and wolfs will take care of thoughs does.
But IF you see a doe in the UP it will be big. I used to hunt up there, why I don't know, but it gave me a chance to visit with my dad when he lived in Crystal Falls. When we saw a deer it was always a big one, even the yearlings we big. Now bear hunting is a whole nother ball game. Lots of bear up there.
I will give you my report. This will be for the area, west of Iron River. Lots of deer, and lots of twin fawns. I also believe that you can not stock pile deer in the north, but I have no control over that........
In the Ottawa National Forest 70 percent of it, has no deer. Its simply a matter of no food really, its mostly chipmunks and chickadees, because its so mismanaged. BUT I do see change, and more logging, so there is hope..........
Streams and drainages are the key, and during my trout travels, seeing good number of deer.........
Grouse are down, but to me its simple, without young forest and not enough snow, the grouse do not do well.......
by my place I could kill a lot of does,,,,,, no I am not going to shoot a spike, WHY? give the little guy some more time, but I agree, not a lot of combo licenses are being sold...
There is a big push for even less bear tags next year,,,,,,,,
I just spent a week on Lake Gogebic. We drove all around looking at falls and sightseeing. The Porcupine Mountains, Copper Harbor, Waters Meet, Ironwood, Bruce Crossing, Bergland, and Ontonagon. We saw three deer, one spike one fawn one doe. Lots of Turkeys. Beautiful country just wish it had more deer.
Bownut thats my spike ! LOL
Bownut its a shame how that area has been managed,,,, but don't kid yourself their are some bruisers there, and I know of a 163 that came out of the Houghton area, I know its rare, but there are still some big boys in there........ the best way to hunt that country, is to have fresh snow, a rifle, and track, and have no concerns on where you end up...........
However a partner is really nice, and you have to have the time...... the locals sit on bait piles, which is all a waste of time, its okay if you want to take a nap all day.......
You need to get aggressive in that country,,,,, again, its a whole nother ball game,,,,
The deer stay pretty close to the towns, in this area
One tag for me... spike hunting.... I could give a crap about horns..... I’m hunting venison.... A nice 120 pound butterball Spike is on my menu...... Easier to drag than a bigger deer and probably better eating........ Screw the DNR !!! Let me shoot a doe next year !!!!!
what turns me on, what I like to save my tag for, is a big body deer,,,,, but shoot what is legal and makes you happy...... there is no doe hunting, because a lot of MI deer organizations, asked the DNR for no doe tags, up here...... just check it out
Fewer deer is a positive to help slow the spread of CWD into the UP. Makes no sense to not issue antlerless tags.
I could careless about horns meat in the freezer is all i care about.
I was able to get a doe tag for me and my son in Delta County DMU 155. These are left over, over-the-counter. My crappy land has loads of does and fawns (and mostly immature bucks). We definitely need to take a couple this year again.
The does in this pic were eating on a clover trail. I was heading that way this weekend to water an apple tree and stopped the ATV when I saw them. They never waivered. They looked at me and kept eating. I eventually had enough watching and just proceeded to the tree to get my work done. They simply walked down the trail and watched me water the tree.
today I was in the woods, hanging 2 stands,,,, saw 11 does,,,,,, I think next year, we will have some tags. its not the dnr, that is against the tags, its the UP whitetail group, and associate groups, that for some reason, think the UP, should never kill does.....
smaller herd is better for this far north, for many reasons....... I was by ski brule the other night, counted 30 deer in one field........ other side of gibb city nothing to see 20 deer in a herd on the farm
The dnr may not be against the tags, but it was their decision.
Is anyone/groups in the Yoop who supports more doe tags talking to the bios/DNR? I have in the past I believe swayed DNR bio opinion by providing photos and video's of deer and bear. IMO giving the bios/DNR documented evidence (photos/vids) of what you're seeing in the field is priceless and gives them something to back up their decisions.
You can not stockpile deer in the Yoop.
The annual forecast came out today. Here is the Yoop's.
Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula (UP) appears to be rebounding well from the harsh winters observed in 2013 and 2014. Deer numbers are increasing across the entire peninsula and harvest numbers increased over fifty percent across the region in 2017. With recovery under way some units will be offering an increase in antlerless opportunities including one unit that was opened to public land antlerless licenses . Increased antlerless license s this year are available in the following Deer Management Units: 055 (Menominee), 121 (Bay de Noc), 155 (Gladstone) and 255 (LaBranche). Deer Management Unit 122 (Norway) is now open on public land and had an increase in the number of priv ate land antlerless licenses . The increases are in the south -central portion of the UP which typically has higher deer populations than anywhere else in the UP. All other areas in the UP will continue to not have antlerless licenses available. Continuing for 2018: Since much of the UP still hopes to see deer numbers increase over the next several years the decision was made to conti nue to no longer allow the harvest of antlerless deer with either the single deer license or a combination deer license during the archery season. Archery hunters may only harvest antlerless deer if they have an antlerless license. This change does not affect the Liberty or Independence Hunt and does not impact Mentored Youth. In general, hunters should expect to see about the same number of deer they saw last year Always keep in mind that each area is influenced by local factors and conditions that affect deer density and sightings in that area. The largest bucks (heaviest and largest antlers) typically come from agricultural areas, but nice bucks are also taken from forested areas where access is limited, and they have an opportunity to g et older.
Piles of deer around Helps.
DNR stock piling wolf food for winter.
the only way to support a bigger herd is habitat...... more young forest is needed, and logging is working now, compared to years of stoppage....... I can only hope for another mild winter, because it takes time for the habitat to catch up
Numbers look good around me we counted 15 does and yearlings the other day. But the marshes around us have been dry all summer.
Saturday nite ( I do not hunt weekends) from Hwy 2 south to the Brule River, along M73 I counted over a 100 deer, and all does from what I could see, I counted over 40 along 73 from 2 to just south of Bass Lake, and once you got to the farm fields south of Hagermann Lake, there had to be another hundred deer in them farm fields
Yep, keep stock piling deer in the north, I will never understand it............. we already had 3 small squalls, and I believe we are about to get the winter of winters,,,,, I saw snow owls in Sept, and lots of critters know, what is coming, from what I see in the woods,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
and yet no doe tags,,,,,,,,, I have got to believe, the predators know where them deer are,,,,,,, after the snow, they had hit the fields pretty good
well the deer are hurting now,,,, seen over a hundred on a cut site,,,,,,,,,,,,dam shame them does can not be taken
Friggen DNR have there head up there ass. That's my stomping grounds you mentioned in your older post Ground hunter. The Hagerman lake area and along the Brule river ,know it well.
Need to allow us to tip some over this year. You cant stock pile deer in the Yoop. Talked to a friend yesterday said theres 60 inches on the ground little less in the pines at my place could be another tuff year
Burly its not the DNR at all,,, our biologist out of Crystal falls, she both wanted doe tags and, if you buy a single license, make it your choice doe or buck,,,, its the NRC that shuts it down, and qdm mentality from the lower
Ah ok, I watched one of the NRCs meetings online. It was the one where they banned baiting. Anyhow, it looked like a cluster ( you know what ). It looked so un organized.
I was just up in Esky and the snow is waist deep and deeper on my land. I could barely get out there. I saw a few tracks (not as many as I would normally have) and wondered how they are getting around. I was spent trudging the snow and didn't get too far. I didn't get to the cameras - too much work. I cut down 4 cedars. I don't expect the branches to last long. I was up there to get some trails cut but that had to be aborted due to a machine malfunction. If I had known how much snow was there, I'd have cancelled because the trails could not be cut well with that much snow.
its getting worse as the deer are now walking the FS Roads,,,,, they are all over any log job,,,, going to be some dead deer in a few weeks,,,, some are really struggling when the next storm comes,,,,,
We put out a 900lb alfalfa silage bail gone in 10 days.
our dnr wanted the tags but the NRC and our qdm mentality UP Whitetails did not,,, they have no idea of what they are thinking..... I and many are feeding now,,, something wrong with whitetail mgt in this state, wish John Ozoga was calling all the shots
going to get worse this week, freezing rain,,,,,, the predators are doing well though,,,,
Maybe we'll get lucky early spring temps rise sun comes out good fawn crop.
Bows I am not optimistic,,,,, this spring, will tell the tale, but I think they are being hit hard, very hard...... rumor is a feeding program, is going to start, hard to cut more brush for them when you can not get into the woods........ I hope I am wrong
Time to thank loggers and private land food plotters for their contributions, this is when it counts the most.
Hard to get to those private land plots and logging operations with 50 inches on the ground. Bad feeling the herd gets hit hard like winter of 13/14
After my operation on Wed, I will be good to go,,,,, bringing up, dog chow and alphafa,,,maybe some oats and a little corn,,,,,,,
I hate to do any feeding, as I was thinking, it would just make it easier for the wolves, so I guess I will just drop some trees for them, I have enough
Sad state of affairs when the only creature allowed to hunt does are the wolves.
I'm worried about the new DNR Director. He has close ties with UP Whitetails of Marquette.
The does in my driveway will not move out of the way,,, they feed on the tops that I have dropped,, I literally could shoot them from within 20 feet,,,, they have to deal with over 40 inches in the woods,,,,,,, I am making roads for them at this time
I really believe that those that survive this winter, will get a break from me,,,,,,, here I will hunt grouse and go after trout,,,, but as for deer, I will hunt SD and Nebraska and SW Wis,,,,,, these poor deer here are spent,,,,,,
I see another year of no doe hunting, and qdm bs.............................
ground hunter..........sorry to hear about the deer in your area. How any deer can survive in those conditions is beyond me. It is nice to see that you are trying to do your part and help them out.
Actually deer can survive a lot, and what they need is just Habitat, and they will make it,,,,,,, However, some does need to be taken out once in awhile,,,,,,,,
What MI should do, is manage using wildlife science, not political science from outside influences,,,,
Russ was on " Ask the Dnr" stating there will be doe permits in the UP this upcoming season. Bob Gardener had a very strong opinion that they were needed in southern Iron County. I wonder how bad this year's winter kill will be.
I read the other day that a state rep. has introduced legislation that would require the youth hunters to "earn a buck." Meaning they would be required to shoot a doe before they could purchase a buck tag.
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79137_79763_79909---,00.html
Blame these guys, not the DNR...groundhunter makes a great point about political vs. wildlife science
These guys will make decisions (and they have full authority to do so) based on political motives. The DNR is the one who has to enforce it.
Burly the WSI in N Wis was about a 61, and I am across the Brule river, in Iron County.... Deer came thru real well in my area, lots of deer. The most deer in southern Iron County is south of 2, west of 73 and east to Iron Mountain area......
My opinion, you should have a choice with a tag, but that is my opinion, which means little..... in the woods a lot this spring, have not seen any deer kill, except from usual sign from road side hits, some predation, but not much
I have observed a lot of deer, crossing the Brule, they are cutting heavy, in Wis, and the deer, have gone to those areas late winter, but all in all, they are in good shape
Good to hear Ground hunter, those were my stomping grounds also when I lived in that area. Hoping to get back and do some hunting this fall.
My deer have looked skinny for the most part. This is my 1st fawn on camera and the doe looks really skinny. I suspect I won't have many does with multiple fawns this year but it's early yet. The deer I have are grazing in my clover/chicory plots so they are getting nourishment. Only a couple little racks thus far.
I noticed this week, trout fishing a lot of car kills,,,,,,,, deer are in really good shape,,,,,,
I have seen plenty of deer around the Helps to Gwinn area, should be great hunting there this fall..
lots of fawns,,,,,, nice to see
I only have 2 fawns (2 different does) on my land but loads of deer. I'm guessing some does have not brought their fawns out to the plots yet. The deer are still skinny by me.
This week I have seen 4 sets of twin fawns,,,, I have seen over 25 does, while trout fishing, and one buck, getting his horns started. From the sound of it, looks like there will be doe permits in the UP, but only over in the CWD zone..... None for Iron County
Does not look like the archery option is going to go either,,,,,,, we have a lot of deer though in Iron County
Lots of does in schoolcraft tons of them at my place.
So the NRC released the deer regulations for the year.
The only areas in the U.P. where archers are allowed to harvest a doe will be the areas where doe permits are available. No does allowed where my property is in Newberry. I doubt if I will hunt my property in the U.P. at all this year. I’m not driving 6 hours to bow hunt.... just to be forced to pass on a doe if I see one. The NRC is a joke.
I agree on the NRC being a joke.
It is really sad, and I am going to write a letter to Russ Mason and others,,,,,, the amount of doe deer in Iron County is bulging, and yet the NRC would rather see the wolves and bad winters take them out than hunters
I have to really ask how many of them actually hunt, or have any skin on the game itself,,,,, I think few
Well I was given the wrong information, so the DNR has to get this right.... I just go a e mail for doe tags in Iron County,,,,,200 public and 500 private, so I applied for one private tag
How does the NRC come up with this. I go up to my my place and see does running everywhere but I cant take one ridiculous. Instead winter can wipe out how many thousands. I'm beginning to think that's what they want so the wolfs have something to eat. Wouldnt want them to suffer
They don’t want Bowhunters to kill THEIR DEER...... (U.P. Whitetails Association.... also known as “Friends of the NRC”).......... (Rifle Hunters).
The president of MUCC is a member of UP Whitetails of Marquette County. Another member of UPW Marquette is on the MUCC Board. The Director of the DNR is the former executive director of MUCC. Anyone see any problem with this?
If you go on the UP Whitetails Assoc web site, and look at the photo gallery, your looking at some nice bucks, from way before, not recent. I agree on their stance on habitat, but do not agree with their belief, you can stock pile deer in the north........
Just curious what the winter kill number is. Why not hand out doe tags. If we know the winter kill is 20,000 average why not hand out 20,000 tags for a late doe season. Just a thought. Let us tip them over right before winter gets rolling and food becomes harder to find.
I can only speak for Iron county,,,,,,, lots of deer,,,,,,, winter kill must be next to nothing, I would think,,,,,,, 022 does have tags available to apply for,,,,, draw is Sept 3rd
That’s because U.P. Whitetails feeds the deer corn at the deer yards every winter.
No baiting or feeding is allowed in the lower.... because the NRC says it’s bad because of CWD.
But wait. There’s CWD in the Upper too. But baiting and winter feeding by the U.P. Whitetails Rifle Association is OK...... They need to keep all the deer alive and to themselves with baiting being legal. Screw the Bowhunters.
looks like the archery option may come back, for a doe, also, in certain counties
Yes but that is only where there are doe permits available.... which is a small portion of the U.P. Across most of the U.P. (Including my property)...... There are no does allowed again.
I can understand your frustration,,, just drove from Baraga to Crystal Falls, deer all over 141,,,,,,,
