Hunting SE Michigan

[krzesze1]

I am just moving back to Michigan after living in IL for 5 years and am looking for places to bowhunt in the SE Michigan area. I am looking for any info on state land, possible leases, permission to hunt, hunt clubs, archery shoots...anything anyone can help with. Please let me know. I am a die hard, responsible bowhunter for the past 15 years. I look forward to being part of this forum and appreciate everyones help.

[uptracker]

Try Sharon Hollow in the Chelsea/Manchester area. Pinckney State Rec. Area, Holly, Bald Mountain.

[PrtyMolusk]

Howdy-

Here's the place to start....

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr

Get the low-down on State Game areas, public land, etc. then hit MapQuest or MapPoint for a clearer look at the area. Next, purchase plat maps or books for the county you are interested in.

BTW, make an introductory post in our 'Introductions' forum so you can get an "official" welcome from the rest of the gang. ;) Be sure to follow the pictoral instructions in the 'How to Fill Out Your Profile' post.

[TLWOODS]

Try Hudson Lake State Game area in Lenawee county. about 15 miles west of Adrian Mi. Nice population of deer and turkey, also some very good small game.

[jk hillsdale]

I am just moving back to Michigan after living in IL for 5 years and am looking for places to bowhunt in the SE Michigan area. I am looking for any info on state land, possible leases, permission to hunt, hunt clubs, archery shoots...anything anyone can help with. Please let me know. I am a die hard, responsible bowhunter for the past 15 years. I look forward to being part of this forum and appreciate everyones help.

Welcome to the site.

What counties are you most interested in hunting in? Where did you hunt in Illinois? If you can arrange access to land in Illinois, you could gain access to some prime spots in MI through a hunt swap. I'm sure there are others on this site who would also be interested, but if you were able to arrange bowhunting access for me in Illinois, it would be no problem for me to arrange access for you on some prime spots in S MI.

In addition, it's easier to get access just for bowhunting, as compared to firearms. You'd probably only have to knock on 4-6 doors before you could gain bowhunting access. Who knows, it might only take one.

If you're looking for a lease, I would register with basecampleasing.com, and receive their email alerts when new leases come available. They just added a few properties for Lenawee County, one of which looks like it would be ideal for one guy.

Hope this all helps. Welcome back to MI!

[jme]

Welcome to the site. You might want to try Waterloo and Pinckney Recreation Areas in Washtenaw County. It's some of the closest state land to Detroit/suburbs so it can get pretty crowded during gun season. Bow hunting isn't too crowded, however. I've hunted there for quite a few years and have had real good success.

Good luck,
John E.
Ypsi

[brdhntr]

Check your PM. I have extensive experience on Chelsea, Waterloo, Pinkney, Sharonville, and Gregory State Game Areas. Since I do little deer hunting on the State Game Areas anymore, I would be more than happy to help you in some spots I used to hunt.

[krzesze1]

For the counties I have hunted in IL: Lake County only. I had a farmer who gave me permission through a friend. It was great property. We killed some nice bucks. I myself have taken a 140 11pt, ~ 110 8pt, and several does. It was archery only. I have lost that permission due to the farmer retiring and moving. IL gets a lot of press for big bucks and it is well deserved. They have strict management policies even for their public lands. Some public lands only allow bucks to be harvested with 4 or 5 on a side and require does to be harvested. Pike/Pope/Adams county get the most publicity and your going to pay for it, but if you can find property a couple of counties north or south, you will have just as much luck. sorry I couldn't help with the hunt swap.

Thanks to everyone who replied. Your help is appreciated. I will keep you posted on what I find. Thank you.

Dan

[mal]

lotsa good public bow spots in SE Michigan. I would focus on Lost Nations, Lake Hudson, and Waterloo. These are all vast properties and have great opportunities for the patient archer. Find a good spot at lake Hudson and be out there very early on the morning of Oct. 20, as it gets a good push of pheasant hunters to send the deer scurrying.

Three tips:

1. Don't plan on gun hunting these spots unless you want to deal with slob hunters, and lots of them. Opening morning of gun produces some nice bucks out of these spots, but don't let your life insurance agent know you're going...he might cancel your policy.

2. Anything you take with you, and would like to keep as yours, will need to be locked. That includes anything you may leave behind in your vehicle. I've hunted in the morning, walked to the truck for lunch and a siesta, and come back to find my treestand gone four hours later. Don't even think about using game trackers either, the coon hunters like to confiscate them.

3. Find yourself a piece of private property to buy or lease. Save yourself a lot of headaches.

Long story short, if you can prepare yourself for the occasional disappointments caused by people who should be in pinstripes rather than camo or blaze orange, there are some nice deer on public land in SE Michigan. Just remember though, we have 1 million deer hunters in this state, so there are very few spots in SE Michigan, and this includes private property unfortunately, that are truly sacred and solely yours.

[brdhntr]

1. Don't plan on gun hunting these spots unless you want to deal with slob hunters, and lots of them. Opening morning of gun produces some nice bucks out of these spots, but don't let your life insurance agent know you're going...he might cancel your policy.



While it is crowded, and can get unpleasant, it is not nearly as dangerous as that. While it happens, you are much more likely to be hurt on the drive to these places, than while hunting them.

[Bwana]

I am just moving back to Michigan after living in IL for 5 years and am looking for places to bowhunt in the SE Michigan area. I am looking for any info on state land, possible leases, permission to hunt, hunt clubs, archery shoots...anything anyone can help with. Please let me know. I am a die hard, responsible bowhunter for the past 15 years. I look forward to being part of this forum and appreciate everyones help.

It might behoove you to go North somewhat. I have heard how crowded some of the State Game Areas get and the stories are not usually too great. I have heard good things about hunting in Tuscola and Sanilac Counties (but they are still crowded). I hunt in the NELP so I can't add too much more than what I have heard. Maybe some of the guys from those areas can chime in to give some advice. Welcome to the site.

[mal]

[.





The more I that is read written by arrogent, loud mouthed, ethical, egotistical, self proclaimed master hunters, is the more I seem to appreciate the slobs

hey dodge7...you infer quite a bit about people by reading posts on the internet. based on the fact that you highlighted my quote, i'll presume you're calling me all of those great adjectives. the only one i'll own up to is ethical. i guess i should be more descriptive on the "slob hunters" (i didn't make the term up, it's used quite a bit on these boards). a few great SE michigan state land experiences in the last ten or fifteen years:

- guy walks right by me and sits down 50 yards to my left. tells me as he walks by that he's been scouting this area all year...i remind him he's on public land and he says "so f---ing what". this was opening day of shotgun season.
- came back to my truck one day to see that someone had blasted the "public hunting" sign to bits in the parking lot...about ten yards from my vehicle.
- watched a guy drive his truck across state land, knocking down brush and small trees and leaving nice ruts, because he was too lazy to drag his deer about 400 yards.
- saw a guy take out a whole family of does (mom and two fawns). now i'm not a CO, but i doubt he had three public land antlerless permits.

many more, including stolen stands, tampering with vehicles, etc. now the guy just moved here from out of state and he's asking about hunting on public land. i mentioned the "good" by stating that there are some nice deer to be had on state land, but he should also know the "bad and ugly". i don't think that makes me a loud-mouthed and egotistical self-proclaimed master hunter as you stated, so get a grip with that anger thing. hunting public land in SE Michigan is a far cry from hunting public in the UP, I would want to know that if I was new to a state.

[bigmac]

You are way out of line on that insinuation. Let me guess you drive a Dodge...I like GMC. See how stupid that sounded to make that insinuation. In no way did mal say he was a master hunter any way, shape or form. Geez... we could start going off about your spelling. It makes you look uneducated but I am not INSINUATING that you are a pabst beer, 1987 Dogde 4x4 rust bucket drivin' Larry the Cable Guy listening Red Neck. So let's keep our personal insults to ourselves. I found his thread to be quite frank, honest and somewhat true as to what goes on in those areas. Lay off ;) As hunters we all have to stick together.

[jimmyboy]

I second that emoticon Bigmac. T'was a bit over the top,an I'm a redneck drivin' a '89 bronco II 4x4 w/no rust-winders down and volume up good ol' country boy! Put smore gravy on that-an gitter dun!

[bigmac]

Listening to "The Right To Bare Arms" right now, was just using it for an anecdote ;)

[bigmac]

This wasn't fair either...

"The more I that is read written by arrogent, loud mouthed, ethical, egotistical, self proclaimed master hunters, is the more I seem to appreciate the slobs" I really don't know how you inferred that from Mal's post. You basically called him out.

And I'm sure that in Mal's case "Slob" is the exception and not the rule. But it's like the old saying "don't let a few bad apples spoil the bushel" but THAT IS what is happening in the woods.

Let's not keep beating a dead horse though, Let it go

:grouphug:

[jk hillsdale]

Still don't like to be catogorized, and labeled, and stereotyped, by any one.

Mal posted a helpful response for a new member, and spoke generically about the presence of some hunters on public land being slobs.

You then called him "arrogant, loud mouthed, egotistical, and a self proclaimed master hunter".

And now you state that you don't like to be "categorized, and labeled, and stereotyped, by any one"?

[hard luck]

:bash: i'm with you dodge7 i have hunted public lands all my life, even when i owned some property up north i still did most of my hunting on public lands. have had a few bad experiences but very few, considering all of the good ones and great people i've met they seem hardly worth mentioning.

[I'llbeoutside]

This is the problem we have as a group. I agree w/ mal, especially in the heavily populated areas. The SLOB, so called hunters, are not usually hunters though. They are just SLOBS that buy a license and think they have a free pass. Some may be rookies and have no basic guidlines to follow, others are just plain rude and/or don't care. Its pretty easy to tell the difference!! I have hunted state land in the past and will in the future and take no offense to his comments. It can be tough finding a good spot in SE Mi or ANYWHERE for that matter. The truth is ugly sometimes! We need to do a better job as a group to weed out these "bad apples" or we are all in trouble!! BTW, Larry the Cable guy is a little funny.......if you don't agree w/ that you can just get out of this forum :lol: .

[bigmac]

"That's Funny right tha'r...I don't care who ya are that's funny :lol: