Steve
05-11-2000, 08:36 AM
What Bear Management Unit Does Everyone Hunt?
My wife and I put in for bear permits for Red Oak, for the first hunt. In a
way I am hoping that we will just get the preference points toward next
year's hunt, since I will be getting back from an elk hunt in Colorado one
week before the Michigan bear season opens.
It has been several years since I have had an opportunity to do any serious
scouting for bear, due to the fact that we have spent the past four years
working and living in Argentina and Brazil.
But prior to leaving for South America I would regularly see fresh bear sign.
One location where we use to camp to do some spring trout fishing was
especially good habitat for bears. My wife was a little uneasy when we found
some big fresh bear prints only 50 yards from the tent.
After living in South America I am really thankful for what we have here in
Michigan. Argentina does have some wonderful deer habitat, but no real
amount of game animals, besides a small pheasant and ducks. As far as I can
determine it is mainly due to the fact that they do not have an effective
means of controlling proachers. They are missing out on a lot of excellent
recreation and also the positive economic impact that hunting could have on
their economy.
People in Argentina and Brazil can not imagine it possible that Michigan
alone can have over 350,000 bowhunters. In all of Rio de Janeiro there were
no more than 50 archers total and they only participated field target
shooting. In the year and half we spent in Brazil I only met one archer that
had any hunting experience and his archery hunt took place on a preserve in
Cuba.
I did get an opportunity to do some pheasant hunting on a private ranch in
Argentina, where the pheasant were native and wild. I also had the good
fortune to see in the wild, the "Niondu", a large flightless bird that is
almost as large as an ostrich. It was a mother with about six youngsters
following behind.
The most interesting hunt I went on in Argentina was for an animal they call
"Visgaja". This animal is about the size of a large woodchuck. They live in
burrows and pile dead stick all around the entrance. I was told that the
reason they barricade their burrows was to provide some protection from
predators. But this is not the strangest thing about these animals, which
looked like a cross between a rabbit and a woodchuck. But to tell the truth
I could see no close similarities to any North American animal.
The locals hunted the "Visgaja" at night. The particular night I went out on
the hunt it was cold (frost formed on everything in the morning), clear and
no moon. The sky was full of stars, and it was beautiful to be tramping
across the semi-wooded landscape.
My host, his two sons and a friend of mine made up the hunting party. My
friend and I carried no guns. In the almost pitch dark we followed the
father and his two sons for a least a mile. Stopping every so often to
listen. This is the strange part. These animals come out only at night and
sit on their hind legs next to their burrows and make faint whistling noise.
Once this sound in heard the father and sons quietly approach the area,
normally located in a clump of trees. Once they are with in shotgun range, a
flashlight is shined in the direction of the whistle and if they are luck
they get a quick shot off.
On this night they were lucky five times and we had our hands full carrying
the game back to camp. The "Visgaja" meat is considered a great delicacy and
is normally canned. You can even purchase it off the shelf at the
supermarket.
There is a very small deer, which is native to Argentina. I forget the name.
But it is protected from hunting, or at least it is on paper. In reality
the locals regular hunt these deer. The other problem with increasing the
population of game animals is that there is very little public land and the
large landowners simply do what they want on their own land, regardless of
the law.
Be thankful you live in our great state of Michigan!
My wife and I put in for bear permits for Red Oak, for the first hunt. In a
way I am hoping that we will just get the preference points toward next
year's hunt, since I will be getting back from an elk hunt in Colorado one
week before the Michigan bear season opens.
It has been several years since I have had an opportunity to do any serious
scouting for bear, due to the fact that we have spent the past four years
working and living in Argentina and Brazil.
But prior to leaving for South America I would regularly see fresh bear sign.
One location where we use to camp to do some spring trout fishing was
especially good habitat for bears. My wife was a little uneasy when we found
some big fresh bear prints only 50 yards from the tent.
After living in South America I am really thankful for what we have here in
Michigan. Argentina does have some wonderful deer habitat, but no real
amount of game animals, besides a small pheasant and ducks. As far as I can
determine it is mainly due to the fact that they do not have an effective
means of controlling proachers. They are missing out on a lot of excellent
recreation and also the positive economic impact that hunting could have on
their economy.
People in Argentina and Brazil can not imagine it possible that Michigan
alone can have over 350,000 bowhunters. In all of Rio de Janeiro there were
no more than 50 archers total and they only participated field target
shooting. In the year and half we spent in Brazil I only met one archer that
had any hunting experience and his archery hunt took place on a preserve in
Cuba.
I did get an opportunity to do some pheasant hunting on a private ranch in
Argentina, where the pheasant were native and wild. I also had the good
fortune to see in the wild, the "Niondu", a large flightless bird that is
almost as large as an ostrich. It was a mother with about six youngsters
following behind.
The most interesting hunt I went on in Argentina was for an animal they call
"Visgaja". This animal is about the size of a large woodchuck. They live in
burrows and pile dead stick all around the entrance. I was told that the
reason they barricade their burrows was to provide some protection from
predators. But this is not the strangest thing about these animals, which
looked like a cross between a rabbit and a woodchuck. But to tell the truth
I could see no close similarities to any North American animal.
The locals hunted the "Visgaja" at night. The particular night I went out on
the hunt it was cold (frost formed on everything in the morning), clear and
no moon. The sky was full of stars, and it was beautiful to be tramping
across the semi-wooded landscape.
My host, his two sons and a friend of mine made up the hunting party. My
friend and I carried no guns. In the almost pitch dark we followed the
father and his two sons for a least a mile. Stopping every so often to
listen. This is the strange part. These animals come out only at night and
sit on their hind legs next to their burrows and make faint whistling noise.
Once this sound in heard the father and sons quietly approach the area,
normally located in a clump of trees. Once they are with in shotgun range, a
flashlight is shined in the direction of the whistle and if they are luck
they get a quick shot off.
On this night they were lucky five times and we had our hands full carrying
the game back to camp. The "Visgaja" meat is considered a great delicacy and
is normally canned. You can even purchase it off the shelf at the
supermarket.
There is a very small deer, which is native to Argentina. I forget the name.
But it is protected from hunting, or at least it is on paper. In reality
the locals regular hunt these deer. The other problem with increasing the
population of game animals is that there is very little public land and the
large landowners simply do what they want on their own land, regardless of
the law.
Be thankful you live in our great state of Michigan!