Manistee hunting

[jworster08]

I'm a student at grand valley and i hear the best place to hunt is the manistee national forest. Hw far away is it from allendale? Is this good advice? I have no idea where ot begin to look there

[skipper34]

What is it that you are looking to hunt? Partridge? Squirrels? Deer? If deer, then I suggest that you consult the nearest DNR field office, in this case, in Baldwin, and ask direct questions. The CO's that are on duty are more than happy to answer your questions as to the deer populations and where in the area they have seen the best deer numbers. They usually give honest answers. My own observations are that the deer numbers in the area of Irons and Peacock in Manistee county seem to be on the upswing. Lots of public land in those areas. Some good legwork will do wonders if you can find the time.

[duckhunter382]

my suggestion is to go buy a county atlas you can get them at meijer and they highlight all the state and federal land in the whole state as well as even the smallest roads. Also it will show you the swamps and forests so you could get an idea of where to start looking. Also the manistee national forest encompasses area from muskegon all the way up.

[pipe dream]

Jworster,
Are You sure You want to travel all the way up to the Manistee National Forest this fall? I have hunted there over the years and it is a good place to hunt but there are areas closer to GVSU that are equal or better. Have You looked at the riverside gravel pits and bass river rec area? It is about a 10 minute drive from the Allendale campus and has some respectable deer on it. Like most public land it has alot of pressure but it is a big area and plenty of places to hunt. Other areas to consider that are closer drive wise is Muskegon area (45 Min. drive) or Allegan state game(45 min. drive). I to am going to college as well and know how time in class can effect your hunting season. To save time I would look into bass creek rec area since it is so close. Just my 2 cents, any questions just PM me.

[7MM Magnum]

Another thing you might want to check out would be the "Commercial Forest" (CF) Program lands that are available to you in the area.

There are a lot of good hunting areas you can find by doing so as many people don't bother hitting them. There's normally a lot less hunting pressure on them than you will find on public access state lands. Just go to the Manistee County Clerks office and ask for the booklet for available CF Lands. There is a fee,... $25.00 (if I recall correctly) for it but it's well worth the investment. You'll be surprised at just how much private land is out there for public hunting use. ;)

[skipper34]

You can also find the CFA land on the DNR website under "forests management". They provide maps and land descriptions and location for free.

[Scott K]

Some of the best deer hunting in the state is right there in Allendale. The biggest problem is that most of the land is private, but if you can get permission to hunt from someone I would try it close to home.

[Rudi's Dad]

Much of the Manistee National Forest is oak-jackpine. You have to do some looking to find Aspen stands, and lots of looking to find any cuttings that are over a couple acres. To appease the tree huggers, they have taken to cutting very small non connected clearcuts. Takes 10 minutes to hunt many of them, then you move on. Gets tiring.
The State Forests are much better managed for hunting by doing larger clearcuts.

[Brillo]

How about going to the facilities/campus police office and see about hunting the draws and river bottoms around campus. Lots of good deer right there. I live in the area and see big numbers of deer in the fields south of campus. I also am aware that others have hunted there.

Good luck.