Michigan Opener

[Guest twinsarchery]

Any suggestions? I'm hunting in Michigan during opening week of rifle. Northern MI big woods state land.

[MichiganHunter]

Hey Where in northern, the U.P. or the Glove, I would say that if you look for swamps and food you will find a few deer and lots of hunters, I have only ever killed a few does off state land but i have seen a few bucks always in bow season not alot of time spent state land during gun. But find the places that other hunters DON'T want to got the places that are just a little to far or just a little too out of the way or just way to over-looked. If you can find a map of the area and find the spots that don't have a parking spot close to them find some where to park and hunt them. Most NOT ALL but most of your state land hunters will be lazy and only hunt the land that they can easily access. I have always found the areas that are over looked and then stayed in the stand longer then everyone else. Pack u a lunch and stay in the stand ALL DAY, when the other guys get down to head to lucnch or go get a beer they will kick up some deer and they might just head towards you.

My normal spots are the spot that is so close to the road (FAR ENOUGHT TO BE LEGAL) that every one thinks every one else will hunt it, so no one will or the spots that are so out of the way that no one but serious hunters will put in the time to hunt them. If your in the L.P. you wont be able to bait this year but if you are in the U.P. try to do some light baiting. I've always thought that if you put out LOTS AND LOTS of bait the older smarter buck will go...."Humm I remember this from before, I don't think I should Hang around here any more". If your cant bait go a few weeks ahead of time and look for areas that the deer will travel from the deep woods to food sources or that they might travel from private land to public land to escape the pressure, one of my fav spots in the southern lower is a small ridge that runs between two swamps right from public land to food on private land. It's about an hour hike in the dark to get there and when I hunt it it's all day in the stand.

I hope this helps I know u hadn't had alof of help thus far so I put up a bunch of info here. go ahead and P.M. me if you have more questions, My int is spottie at best but I'll get back to you as soon as I can

P.S. I don't recommend a ladder or fixed position stand unless you can hide them really well, unfortunately like in a lot of place we here also have some stand theft problems, I use a climbing stand and find a tree that will work or use a pop up blind and bring it in with me and pop her up and brush it in just a bit...sometimes deer spook from sight of the blind but a lot of the time it's like surprise here's a hunter and they never know it was there....if you do decide to use a fixed position stand put it up a wile before CHAIN the thing down and take your climbing sticks out with you, DO NOT leave them in the woods, and just bring them in with you opening morning get in an extra half hour before and set them back up

[herriman08]

i dont know where you are going but i am from big bay and if you dont go far enough back in there will be every tom, dick ,and harry behind every tree. like Michigan hunter said if you can find the food and bedding areas or swamps then you should get into the deer. may i recomend still hunting because of the theft problem. every year i hear of people loosing blind and tree stands to people. if you do use a tree stand then have it locked and chained to the tree. just my 2 cents.

P.S. Up by big bay they have alot of state land that you can get back in a ways. hopfully you like walking up hills and steep ridges. there are plenty of them.

[MichiganHunter]

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