Elk hunting in Michigan

[U.P. Whackmaster]

Has anyone here been fortunate enough to draw an elk tag? I was wondering because it would be kick- butt to hunt right here in Michigan!

[Foreveryoung001]

apply every year, but never drawn. Haven't gotten drawn for bear either.

[ds619]

Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in 1993 I was fortunate enough to get an anterless only and made good on it

[PsEbUcKmAsTeR17]

Nope, put in last year for the first time. Wasn't drawn but I agree that it would be a cool thing to do. Elk hunting anywhere would be cool but in Michigan that would be sweet. I have an elk farm down the road form my house, right now they are starting to bugel and fight a little. It's cool listening to them bugel, one starts then they all get going. Almost as cool as listening to gobblers in the spring or geese coming in to your decoys in the fall/winter.

[tobydick]

My son Tom got lucky and drew a anterless permit for the December hunt. I will be going with him since he is only sixteen. We can hardly wait for December to get here.

[huntswbow]

I was one of the fortunate one's that drew a tag for the Dec. hunt, "any Elk" tag. I could sleep for the first week I found out:woohoo1: . I have my Elk guide picked out, and loose ends tied up, just waiting for Dec. This bow season for deer hasn't been going to good for me but.......who cares I'm going ELK hunting!!!!!! I keep reminding myself. I'll post some pics if I harvest one. Notice I'm not jinxing myself. Wish me luck.

[hunting man]

I have been drawn in the past.

Dont worry about a thing. You will get your Elk during the December hunt period. No problem. Prolly have your pick of which one to shoot too.

[Big Game]

I drew an anterless elk tag in 2000 for the Dec. hunt. That was the second best hunt I've ever been on. I trailed a herd for two days and got a shot at a cow elk. I live up here and we have elk in our back yard but it was still exciting.

[WinMag]

I've applied every year for the past 7 or 8 years. No go. I'll keep trying.

[Termie33]

My dad drew a cow permit in sept 1993. He had an awesome hunt, and harvested an 11 year old cow. 380 pounds dressed, and the dnr said she was likely going down hill from her prime weight. They got the whole thing on camera. He seen many cows, and a lot of bulls, including a 6x6 when they are trucking his cow out. As much as i like deer meat, nothing beats Elk.

As for myself, ive applied every year since i was eligible, and no such like for myself.

[fdunford]

I drew last year and shot a small 5x5 bull. You can see a pic or two in my library (click on the camera). It was real exciting and now I have the bug to go out west. I applied to Montana but did not draw. Maybe next year.

Great tasting too - We ate the rascal all year and have not bought beef yet. We have only about 20 lbs of burger left. I guess we'll have to step down and survive as 'commoners' and just eat a venison this year.:sad:

[TNL]

I drew an anterless tag in '98. Best tasting animal ever! Hunted with my dad. We got into them a couple of times, but after leaving for a few days of work obligations, I hired a guide for the last day. This guy drove all over the county with his kin on CBs. They located the heard, got permission from the landowner and stopped traffic. Shot her at 30 yds in a pasture. $300 for 45 inutes of work.

Not the best hunting experience with the guide, but better than going home empty handed. The best part was the time spent with my dad. I've applied every year since. I remember at the class beforehand, the biologist said it was a 1 in 2 lifetimes chance.

TNL

[Ken]

I drew an anterless tag for December of 1997. Tried it on my own the first few days, but that didn't work.......hired a guide and 2 hours later had a big cow elk in the back of my truck. The shoulder mount is on my wall now.

[dechilson]

For over five years we live in the UP and we tried to get an elk permitt. When and if they have changed the rules - they do the drawing on what is called "per capita". Those years in the UP there were only 3 permits per year drawn for the whole UP and the rest of course was the lower. Not to do any slaming, but the big cities areas were the highest permits drawn. Have they changed the rule since? In Colorado if you don't get the permit you are put on the list until you get enough points that you will get a permit.

Say "ya to de UP ah". Thumper :)

[Elk Guide]

Hi......The elk tags are decided by the amount of applicants of each area not per capita population.....the state is broken up into 5 areas ...if we get 47,000 applicates and the bottom part of the state had 40 percent of the applicates then 40 percent of the tags go there....as a rule the U P only has about 4 percent of the applicates so they only get 4 percent of the tags...i hope that explains it for you.....As far as the hunt goes this year any one who thinks it is going to be easy better think twice ....the herd is down and you will have to work to fill your tag ...the total elk taken during the early hunt was only 30 elk and i dont expect us to take only about 50 out of the 88 hunters that have drawn the late hunt....in the last few years we have not had much snow and we need it to have a good season ....i will be at the eagles club on monday morning of oreitation and i am looking forward to talking to two of our members that morning....i know one has a guide and that guide is a freind of mine and the other well he knows who he is and i dont know what hes doing because he did not get back with me on my last email to him so if you read this toby dick email me.....take care carl

[dechilson]

Carl, thanks for clearing up the issue. When is the next time we can apply for an elk tag? Thumper

[tree dweller]

Ive been putting in for atleast 5 years now. I put in for the Bull only tag every year- hoping that when I do draw it will force me to wait for a good bull. No luck yet. Looking forward to your sucessful hunt pics.

Elk Guide, I'd love to hear any input you have about the choices in license.

Thanks- Jim

[Elk Guide]

hi guys.......the next time you can apply for a elk license would be next june the exact dates could be different next year because i dont think we will have a early hunt ....well at least we shouldn't have one but i guess that is up to rod clute and who knows what he will decide......As far as the license choices i think you should go for any elk not bull only because you only have a .005% chance with any elk and if you go with bull only you just made your self a worst chance at about .002%....I dont see the licenses going up in the future in fact i would like to see them go down to about 50 and no more than that for at least 5 years....We are suppose to have a guide meeting with the DNR and give our opinions but i havent recieved any thing on when it is going to be or if they have canceled it again ....If and when i find out something i will let everyone know on here.....I will make a call to the biologist for that area who i know and see what is up ....until then take care and enjoy our great outdoors.....bye carl

[tree dweller]

Thanks for the advise. For some reason I thought putting in for Bull only would also be putting me in a better position to draw a tag--- just as it is easier to obtain a licinse to kill a buck whitetail than a doe. Right?

I'll be putting in for "any elk" next year.

For that matter- If I am putting in for "any elk" does that mean I may get a tag for a cow only? It's kind of confusing to me. I just may need to do some reading in the reg book.

Thanks for your input Elk Guide.

-Jim

[Elk Guide]

Jim ...I dont blame you for being confused because actually it is just that confusing......if you apply for any elk you will be drawn for antlerless and bull ,if you apply for bull only you will be in the bull only draw.....so you are better off being willing to take either tag because you have a better chance of drawing.....heres how they do it every body willing to accept any elk tag will be put in the draw for antlerless and any elk ...then they draw for bull or what they call the any elk tag which the bull only apps and any elk apps are drawn for .....this can be confusing i know but let me explain it better.....once the license is drawn you will have either a antlerless only license or a any elk which is how they do the bull tag......the number this year were 1 out of 452 drew a antlerless and 1 out of 950 drew a bull or any elk tag.....i hope this helps if you have any other questions feel free to ask i will find out the answer if i dont know it for you....see ya Carl

[tree dweller]

That was an excellent explanation. Thanks- I appreciate your taking the time to spell it out.

I guess 1 outta 950 says I should start putting in for "any elk". Seems like I could be putting in for the rest of my life and never draw a tag- I never thought of it like that. Always assumed that if I put in every year, that I'd get one before too long.

Since were on the subject and you seem willing to share.....

Isnt there a point system? Where I get some kind of benefit, having applied in years past?

Thanks again, for sharing.

Jim

[Elk Guide]

Hi Jim.......you are right we do have a point system now how ever it isnt going to be a real advantage because of the amount of tags is so low and no one will drop out now....lets put it this way lets say we had 47,500 people apply this year and of those 47,500 people 30,000 have 3 points and 10,000 have 2 points and 7,500 are first timers with 1 point...all this does for you is that it means the ones with 3 points will thru the draw 3 times and 2 points 2 times and so on.....when you only have 155 tags availabe they are all gone because they will use a percentage of tags for each draw and i am not sure what that will be .. I just dont see this point system any better than what we had .....they could have came up with a much better way to do it ,infact i told them of a mathamitician freind who had wrote a program just for something like this and it was not even considered.....i guess if your a lucky person you could stand a chance to draw but if your like me and 22 to times with a big 0 then you wont draw...they keep stating the elk herd is at or about 800 to 950 animals when it hasn't been at that level in all most 5 years....ther are closer to 650 elk then 900 i guess i just don't understand what there way of counting is because there has been no count in 5 years ....they have 42 collared and they check them every other day and get a visual once a week and they guesstamate by how many they see on how many there are and thats how they determine how many tags they will give out ,i guess thats some kind of scientific method they have ....any way i hope this helps ....take care and happy hunting everyone bye carl

[MarshEO1973]

Have applied and have never drawn, getting frustrated, but I want one from Michigan.:bash:

[tree dweller]

Thanks for the info Elk Guide-

Jim