Random thought about State Land

[Due51]

I just pulled a map off the michigan.gov/dnr website and I guess I'm surprised to see that there is virtually NO state land in the southern half of the LP.
According to this map, there is NO state land in the following counties:
Genesee
Calhoun
Branch (except for a state park)
Berrien (same as above)
Van Buren (same as above)
Wayne (of course not)

I've always wanted to go south (not north like everyone else) but I either have to buy/lease property or find some HAP/CF land.

Am I missing something here?

[mparks]

I think you should check out the state land north and west of your beloved Alma Mater.:)

Seriously, there is a lot of state land in Jackson, Northern Wastenaw, and Livingston. I've spent a lot of time in all of them and other than gun deer season on the weekends there is a lot of elbow room.

I'm annoyed that there isn't any state land in Genesee either so I feel your pain but I think there is quite a bit of State land down here if you take into account land prices and population vs. Northern MI.

[part timer]

There are decent pieces of public property in Southern Michigan for hunter use. Not as much as you find up north but enough to get out and enjoy. I hunt grouse and woodcock 1 mile from my home in the Kalamazoo area. I've also bow hunted hundreds of acres within a 15 minute radius. Very rarely do I encounter another hunter.

November 15-30 is a madhouse and I won't go near those pieces of land during that time.

[schopie4]

if you look at a mp of michigan. probably 2/3 of the people live in the southern LP, and 3/4 of the public land is north of there. There are too many people in the southern part to have the vast tracts of land the north has

[fasthunter]

There is alot of really good hunting land near Jackson, and in Washtenaw. It doesn't look like much on the map, but there's more land that I could ever hunt in a lifetime. It's not like private property, but I've never had a problem finding deer, turkey, and squirrels where I hunt.

[john warren]

don't forget to check county park land and townships.

[bullcan]

Allegan and Barry counties both have quite a bit of public land, muskegon county also

[Due51]

I'm looking at the map again and I see a fair amount of State Forest or State Recreation Area in northwest Washtenaw County and Northeast Jackson County. There also appears to be 4 State Game areas. Is that the land you are referring to?

Obvioulsy I don't want to give away anyones spot so if you would rather not say or prefer to PM, please feel free.

Thanks in advance.
John

[dinoday]

Am I missing something here?

Yes:D
There's state land,you just have to know where to look. ;)

[mparks]

I'm talking about Pinckney, Gregrory, Waterloo, and Sharonville Recreaction areas. Should be maps of them somewhere on the DNR page. Pretty big areas and I don't think mentioning them is giving away a secret anymore than mentioning that The Ausable, Manistee, and PM hold trout.:)

The idea is to check out a few spots in the offseason and then when you go out to hunt in November and find three cars in the parking lot of choice A you drive on to choice B or C.

[elvis]

i know a little north of me up by north branch and what not, there are private property spots that people are allowed to hunt on and it gives them a taxbreak, i know my dad hunted some of that last year, i dont really know how you would find the info but i do know of quite a few places around here that do that

[Due51]

i know a little north of me up by north branch and what not, there are private property spots that people are allowed to hunt on and it gives them a taxbreak,
That's HAP (Hunter Access Program) and CF (Commercial Forest) land. I hunt some of that land too.

[Chuck]

There is a little public hunting land in Vanburen and Berrien counties. Berry has the Berry SGA and Allegan has a 50,000 acre SGA. I hunt the Allegan SGA alot. I also hunt some of the smaller public spots during the week in Berrien and Van buren. Cass has a small sga with good land to hunt to. Its out there.

One of the easiest ways is to call the DNR headquarters in or near the county you want to hunt. They will help alot. Also the local CO knows areas too. There is also small sections of CF lands and HAp lands in these counties. With a phone and some work you can find alot of places to hunt.

The DNR web page has a map of the Allegan SGA you can download and you can camp for free during hunting season with a free permit you can get at the headquarters.

Lots of land out there just have to find it. Is there a particular area you want to hunt? Maybe soemone could help narrow your search.