Increased license sales compared to YOUR observations?

I know the deer and all the critters like the guts/seeds. When I gutted them for the grandkids and thru the seeds and slop in the woods next to house, a doe and fawns about scared the **** out of me one night lol.

Ok back on track, sorry BN

 

Back on track.
Slow from what I've seen and heard.

Saturday morning was a good day for deer movement and the most shots I've heard all season.

 

Gun season:
Way down from my earlier opinion that I gave nov.14th. The local hunters that like the same spots as I were out but it was a hit and miss during the second week of gun except on weekends.

Bow season:
My take on bow season even tho I haven't hunted bow since moving over to eastern Alcona from north of hale, mi. until this year..But I'm always in the fall woods daily for mushrooms and always stay out if the bow hunter is in his stand. I felt I had the run of the woods up here for the most part except for the local bow hunters and occasional cottage owner hunting the same stands as usual.

 

I was the only guy hunting a 1/2 mile section on state land in Kalkaska County for the past 3 years. This year - 3 new gun hunters showed up to hunt that section. They did not screw me up but the guy using a climbing stand did get a deer. He was about 180 yards from the main trail. The other two guys were ground sitters and they only went 100 yards into the woods. On a trail I travel to see who's going where, there were 2 additional trucks parked that I know never drove that trail before - but they were hunting in areas I never hunt. So yes - I did see an increase in hunters for sure.

 

I have to agree with that, probably how come the bait sales are up also.

 

The spot i park at the local rec area has room for 3 vehicles. its had cars almost every time. One time there 3 vehicles there and 2 more on the side of the road. 2 were definitely mountain bikers. 1 with rack on the car and the other guy just beat me there. And based on prior visits to that spot 2 of the remaining 3 were probably bikers. As i stated earlier the mountain bike Staging area is about 2 miles away from this spot and I see 20 cars parked there every time i drive by. A few of those guys i think just park were i hunt to jump into the southern loop and avoid the other bikers. I did learn one day that one section of that loop does take them about 100 yards are so from where i walk into.

 

It was crazy. I haven't seen this many guys since the late 80's/early 90's. A lot of slobs too. Many cans of Bush Latte along the road.

Every year there's one guy who road hunts in the intersection of two dirt roads by my property. Nice guy, but not the best tactics. He is pretty obese, so maybe that's all he can do. Every few years he gets lucky. This year, on the third day of rifle I drove a square mile around my property and saw not only this guy, but EIGHT more road hunters all around a clearcut. Including one guy who was sitting on a 5 gallon bucket in the middle of the road .

I went to switch spots opening day because the pressure was insane out in the public land. There was a big convoy of trucks going down Mayfield road heading to Kingsley for lunch.

Hopefully next year they'll have this COVID solved. Until then, I'm looking forward to coyote hunting.

 

Same number of hunters on private around me and not as many shots this year. Does the DNR break down the increase in license sales? We assume it's mostly deer but how many were turkey and small game? Were there a lot more squirrel hunters? Hate to assume the majority were deer hunters but probably were.

 

I think I saw that guys spot 3 years ago. Me and a buddy would park back in some secluded forest break roads(the one we pull into did not go through to the next one in either direction) and walk ~1/2 in opposite directions in the middle our own isolated 40's that were too thick to come into from any other direction. 3 years ago guy setup blind right at the intersection setup to shoot down the forest road. Not sure if he was there on the opener, I hunted an alternate spot, but was real tempted to show up early and park where we usually park, but figured he would just be pissed and shoot my windows out. Easier to use plan B, that is why we each have about 6+ alternate spots up there.

 

I mostly hunted a 450 acre piece of state land in Clare County.

Numbers were way down - last year on average there would 4-5 people hunting it per day. After the 2nd day of the season, I was mostly hunting the entire parcel by myself.

 

Oceana and Mason County public had WAY more people than years past. Many parcels that I hunt annually see little pressure, this year I had stands and cams popping up in every direction it seemed. My cameras also reflected the increase in pressure. Trash in the woods was also increased as a result. Some parcels with two tracks were just rutted up from OCT 1 all the way through gun season. Made for an extremely difficult season with daylight sightings way down for the kids and I.

 

Way more hunters in Mecosta county and a lot of public land trash hunters is being nice. A ton of baiting and what we own borders state. It’s been 25 years since the number of trespassing issues were as bad as this year. Guess I have to go back to being a huge ******* for a few years. Catch Them on there make their life hell. Had a boat taken and used to get a deer out. Found the boat nearly a mile away at a boat launch on another lake full of blood. Gave the CO info on 2 that we caught hopefully they get it for no orange and trespassing. For the 2 guys 15 yards off the fence with only shot onto ours hope you like looking at snow fence at eye level. Done being nice.

 

Interesting thread.

I hunted both state land as well as the property that we owned.

On the state land, there was only one other vehicle at the location that I parked on opening day.
After that, I was the only vehicle that was there through the 18th.

After that, I hunted our property in another county, and I would say that the shot counts were way higher around me....probably 3x's as many as usual for the remainder of the season.

Somebody could make the argument that hunter numbers were either up or down, and I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Funny you mention Busch light, as it is always the beer mentioned and usually for good reason.

This year, all I saw were Bud light cans. And quite a few. I figured it was the same dude or dudes driving around road hunting. Damn yuppies