Hunting the UP

[tmb]

I am looking for information on hunting deer in the Germfask area(I am thinking of selling my land in the norhern lower and heading to the UP. less people). Any help would be very appreciated.

[JD]

tmb,

Send me an email and I'll see what I can do for you. I know some people who sale property. Don't get your hopes up on getting away from people we are getting more and more each year.

Jim

[CREW47]

HI GYE I USED TO WORK IN TOWN ONCE A YR --- I THINK
IF I RECALL CORRECT A GYE NAMED ZELLER IS QUITE THE HUNTER IF NOT HE COULD ADVISE YOU --- NICE GYE RUNS LOGS...........HAS LOTS OF LAND I KNEW HIS WIFE MORE

YOU HUNT UP HERE YOU WILL BE BOARD HUNTING IN TROLL
AREA

WELCOME

YOOPERCREW IN CAMPFIRE

[kingfisher 11]

John Zellar is the guy you want to talk with.

I purchased property from him in 1989. I have since sold it due to tresspassing problems and the distance. My relatives bought the the blue ridge Mt area from him. Another relative bought land just west of the US-2 and M77 intesection. Mine was on the south side ofUS- 2 about a mile east of the M-77 intersection.
They do well some years. They have not takin many decent deer though.

My friends take the bigger deer around M-28


I would highly recommend staying south of US-2. The deer will move south when the snow gets deep.

In 1991, 5 of us were archery hunting. The first night we saw a total of 72 deer. We may have seen the same deer, but we were up to a mile apart. And most of the deer hung around the bait piles the entire evenings. We all took at least one buck during the 3 days we were there.

I have heard the numbers are now down some.

The other problem we had was Ticks. They were everywhere. In the fall they were not a problem. We could not take the kids up there for the summer because they would be covered with ticks.

I did like owning my own piece, but, found that the money and time I spent going up there. I was better off taking guided trips.

The price of property up there has went crazy. There is an awful lot of paper and public ground you can hunt without buying something. I have friends who do this by the refuge and usually take at least one good buck each.

If you want John's numbers I do have them.

[JD]

I live in Newberry and if you are seriously considering buying look around first the prices are outrages and if you have time to look do it. South US 2 is a good area for late season and so is any place south of M-28 along the swamp area, there is property for sale between Newberry and Hulbert along M-28 this area is a good deeryard in the winter. North of Newberry also has property with some good hard woods great place to build a camp but no power out there, on the plus side lot of deer and bear and moose places to fish and plenty of CFA and State land.

Jim

[Al, L]

:) I will say hello neibour for starters. My area of the U.P. isn't what some people call the greatest for deer hunting. #1. has never had a doe season as long as I've owened the property. # 2 Lots of Marshes to cross to get to ridges that have hard wood trees on them. :D But I love it since I am a hunter not a killer so I don't need to kill a deer to be happy. :D best of all is the peace and quiet when hunting, I've only seen 9 hunters in 10 years and thats counting the neibour 3 times. I'd see that many before lunch at my dads near Cadillac. H. Greley said go west young man.
:) I have a friend who lives on the Garden that hunts a farm east of the village and does real well most years getting a big buck 8 point or better. An other friend lives near Carney and just raves about the hunting in his area.
Land prices are high now and going higher. The more acres you buy brings the price per acre lower also. Like 20 acres may be $20,000.00 but 40 acres might be $30,000.00. Just fine a place that makes your heart sing and thats the place to be.

[stevebrandle]

If you're looking for state land to hunt, there's a large track north of Naubinway along old highway 2. I think it goes east quite aways, but I don't think all the ways to Germfask. The state land goes to the north in spots almost to M-28. From what I've seen after the first couple days it's almost abandoned by deer hunters. To the west it borders the Hiawatha Sportsman's Club where I hunt.

Finding a place to stay would be the only detail to work oout. Many of the campgrounds and hotels are booked early. I'm not too familiar with the camping regulations, but there are spots to do it if it's legal.

If you're interested in more info, email question and I'll do what I can.

[Ringneck]

I've been hunting the UP for over 20 yrs now and would never give it up. For the new guys coming up a word of advise is to come up early and do your scouting well ahead of time. I first hunted up here in 1969 and just loved it but didn't have the time or money for long hunting trips then. Since 1980 I've had the good fortune of having relatives living off M77 between Seney and Grand Marias.

You can hunt all day and never hear or see another hunter, but you will not see a lot of deer. We hunt in the swamps and seeing 5 or 6 deer a day is a good day. The ratio of bucks to does is a lot closer then downstate. The hunting is harder, the woods thicker, and the swamps wetter and bigger. We also had to learn how to navigate and read maps with more than just finding a town for the night. Keep in mind that some of this land is a long way from civilization and you have to be able to take care of yourself and your hunting buddies no matter what the weather is.

[stevebrandle]

All very true Ringneck. A step in the wrong direction can have you walking 10+ miles just to cross a two track. That's what i love about the UP, it can test a hunter and break a wanna-be.

[JD]

Ringneck and Steve,
You both are right be ready for the worst at all times, even bird hunting or just a walk in the woods.

I was scouting a area north of Newberry one year with a friend and all I said to him was walk 50 yards in off the two track and look around then come back. I did the same thing on the other side of the road, I found myself turned around in under 100 yards of walking away from the little two track we stepped off of. If not for remembering which way the wind had been blowing when we went in I would of stayed the night there. I walked to a beaver pond and thought it looked like a great area to hunt and as I walked around it I found another by then I could not remember what direction was north. I ended up coming out on the main road 1 mile down from the road we went in on and 1 ½ miles from that road from where we parked. I never used to use a compass till then, I thought I would never get lost or turned around. It was one of the scariest times in the woods for me. Hunting in the U.P. can be life or death so do your home work and look at maps, arial photos, bring a compass and let at least one person know exactly where your hunting spot is. If you think you will never get lost or turned around think again because the U.P. woods will win in the end.

Jim

[Al, L]

:) I've been hunting my Namha area for over 10 years now, today just going for a walk in the woods I take the advice to heart a local gave me. Old Lew said carry at least 2 compasses when your out roaming the woods. When you think ones broke check the second one and belive them. I carried 3, two $2.oo ones pined on each inside layer: coat, jacket, shirt, or t shirt. One $15.00 on a cord hooked to my belt. I now have a 12 channel gps. It dose not always pick up in the thick stuff. Better to pratice useing the gps at your home or some where you know, My brother got lost here for a couple hours with his first one. He was in a swamp near enough to dark he paniced made so much noise waling through there I thought he was probably a bear, He was a long way from where he was sopposed to be. I also have an area where you can watch the compass neddle swing about 160 degrees just by taking a couple steps. :p
But it is fun I'd rather see only a couple deer a day than the 60 or 70 a day my dad sees along with 10 to 30 hunters walking the fence every day. Listen to their b/s story when they cross the fence and end up in your lap.

[CREW47]

Originally posted by Ringneck
I've been hunting the UP for over 20 yrs now and would never give it up. For the new guys coming up a word of advise is to come up early and do your scouting well ahead of time. I first hunted up here in 1969 and just loved it but didn't have the time or money for long hunting trips then. Since 1980 I've had the good fortune of having relatives living off M77 between Seney and Grand Marias.

You can hunt all day and never hear or see another hunter, but you will not see a lot of deer. We hunt in the swamps and seeing 5 or 6 deer a day is a good day. The ratio of bucks to does is a lot closer then downstate. The hunting is harder, the woods thicker, and the swamps wetter and bigger. We also had to learn how to navigate and read maps with more than just finding a town for the night. Keep in mind that some of this land is a long way from civilization and you have to be able to take care of yourself and your hunting buddies no matter what the weather is.

[CREW47]

Originally posted by stevebrandle
All very true Ringneck. A step in the wrong direction can have you walking 10+ miles just to cross a two track. That's what i love about the UP, it can test a hunter and break a wanna-be.

[Ringneck]

Yup, I finally got my transfer after trying for over 15 years in 94 and just retired here in Feb.

I have had some good times learning how to hunt up here and I know what it means to get lost and wonder if your compass is working right.

I once got lost just taking the dog out for a walk and wasn't going to be gone more than 5 minutes. I finally found the two track again 2 hours later. I never leave the house now without a compass.

I once took a friend into the Seney swamp and told him to go to a particular tree turn and follow his compass due north for a quarter mile. That was about 9AM and we didn't see him again until the Coast Guard lifted him out at 1AM. I really felt sorry for the 2 State Police Officers who went into the swamp after him at about 5PM and didn't get out until at least 6AM the next morning. That taught me to never assume someone will follow your directions to the letter. He went SE from the tree instead of North. Must have followed the wrong end of the compass. I was on his trail by 1130 and couldn't catch up to him. By 3PM I was worn out and decided I needed help. They found him about 2 and 1/2 miles SE of the cabin and very happy not to have to walk out.

[stevebrandle]

crew47,

Someday when I retire from the day job I hope to move up there. Our company has a branch office in Gwinn on the old Sawyer AFB and I beg constantly to be transfered. :D The boss tells me he'd never be able to get ahold of me because I'd be fishing and hunting all of the time. (Smart Boss:))

[tmb]

Several of you offered additional info if I contacted you, So I did with personal emails. To date I have received no response from anyone if I did something wrong and you did not recieve any emails from me please let me know so I can try again. (JD,stevebrandle)

Thanks,

[northern_outdoorsman]

JD, you are right! We started hunting in the U.P. about 8 years ago. The 1st 2 years I was always getting turned around. It seems like in the Lower *****ula I always had that "sense" of which way was north, but in the U.P. I didn't at first. Now I rarely get lost up there. I did find some great hunting spots while being turned around and thankfully I had my GPS and marked them and used that to get "Unlost" !!!!!

[JD]

tmb,

I sent you a p.m. let me know if you get it.

northern_outdoorsman,

A lot of people think they can just come to the U.P. and go into the woods and hunt without any regards for there safety. I’m not saying people are dumb but we have a lot of heavily wooded areas and swamps around this area and it does not take much to get turned around. If you want to hunt the U.P. be prepared and get educated on the area that you will be hunting with maps, aerial photos, and people don’t just walk in and think you can walk out. Using a GPS is great, I have one and mark every stand location on it I spend hours just driving around getting to know the area. On a morning hunt once I forgot my flashlight and thought I could walk in and find my stand. It was dark and my stand was only 50 yards off of a two track along the edge of a swamp. I thought I could walk right to it and when I didn’t find it after walking about ten minutes all over, I sat down and when daylight hit I was only 25 yards from it. I feel stupid for tell this story but it can happen and we all need to be prepared for anything at all times in the woods. It does not matter where you hunt prepare for the worst at all times. Invest in equipment that can save your life first before you buy something that can take an animal’s life. Something to think about.

JD

[stevebrandle]

I'm not sure which email address you used, but my address is stevebran@home.com. Please let me know if I can help you out.