Hunthunt you stir the pot more than me !! This is easy, i know nothing about U.P. but HILLSDALE is the best county in michigan !!!! Alot of ag fields so creating thick cover for those big bucks is king. Plus the soil is top notch, just as good as iowa and Illinois. Deer are what they eat
Hunthunt you stir the pot more than me !! This is easy, i know nothing about U.P. but HILLSDALE is the best county in michigan !!!! Alot of ag fields so creating thick cover for those big bucks is king. Plus the soil is top notch, just as good as iowa and Illinois. Deer are what they eat
IMHO hillsdale county used to be top notch deer hunting but not any longer.I lived here for 22 plus years and the deer hunting has declined IMHO.If I had a choice is would be southern branch county for big bucks..
Southern branch is great area. But really i would want to hunt hillsdale, branch, Calhoun, jackson counties. Some great counties west of these but to far of a drive for me
.
Give me Trolz farm in Jackson county and you could have the rest as far as the lower peninsula goes.
In the U.P. I hunt western Iron county but I have always thought the LaBranch area (Menominee County) was a place I would like to own land in the Yoop.
Give me Trolz farm in Jackson county and you could have the rest as far as the lower peninsula goes.
In the U.P. I hunt western Iron county but I have always thought the LaBranch area (Menominee County) was a place I would like to own land in the Yoop.
Second vote for Menominee county in the Yoop ( doesn't get the winter kill because food is everywhere ) and in the lower I would pic either Calhoun or Branch counties. Great soil ,lots of food and private land.
IMHO hillsdale county used to be top notch deer hunting but not any longer.I lived here for 22 plus years and the deer hunting has declined IMHO.If I had a choice is would be southern branch county for big bucks..
My part of Hillsdale county has gone down hill the last 7 or so years but I'm seeing a rebound now. I agree that southern branch county has been producing some pigs the last couple years. I'd love to find a spot to hunt around kinderhook.
Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming! I would say Menominee for sure in the u.p. I have never hunted in the LP but am willing to shoot a big buck anywhere!! Any invites?
I think this question should be broken into zones.
With that said I haven't hunted enough counties to have an opinion.... But if I had to pick it would be close to the Ohio border.
I am hoping Hillsdale pays off for me this year, Judging by the cam pics, it doesnt seem like it is too bad of a place.
I think oakland county is a sleeper county, that shouldnt get overlooked.
1. Anything right dead nuts on the Indiana or Ohio line, whether in Berrien, Cass, St Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale, or Lenawee. A half mile off of the line, forget it.
2. Oakland or Washtenaw counties.
3. Somewhere in the NW12 counties or Leelanau County;
Record book entries in Jackson County, while greater than other counties, are influenced by the relative abundance of available measurers there. For decades, Jackson County has had 3-4 CBM measurers residing within it. This has been acknowledged by CBM officers. Meanwhile, Hillsdale County, for most of the last two decades, has had an average of zero resident CBM measurers.
1. Anything right dead nuts on the Indiana or Ohio line, whether in Berrien, Cass, St Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale, or Lenawee. A half mile off of the line, forget it.
2. Oakland or Washtenaw counties.
3. Somewhere in the NW12 counties.
4. Everything else.
Record book entries in Jackson County, while greater than other counties, are influenced by the relative abundance of available measurers there. For decades, Jackson County has had 3-4 CBM measurers residing within it. This has been acknowledged by CBM officers. Meanwhile, Hillsdale County, for most of the last two decades, has had an average of zero resident CBM measurers.
I see some monsters from Barry and Eaton Counties as well. But I think if you're fortunate enough to hunt the southern half of the LP you have a decent chance of tagging a good buck. Some counties however are still rebounding from the EHD outbreak still but all the ag fields etc. in the south make for some very good opportunities.
My part of Hillsdale county has gone down hill the last 7 or so years but I'm seeing a rebound now. I agree that southern branch county has been producing some pigs the last couple years. I'd love to find a spot to hunt around kinderhook.
for quality and peace of the hunt I think Gogebic or Ontonagon are the best counties in the UP. I love having miles of land all to myself and rarely seeing another hunter. If you just want the best chance at a deer then definitely Menominee.
One thing I notice about these types of questions......
It seems a lot of times the answer to what is best, great, etc in deer hunting locations is usually backed by how many big bucks are taken in the area.
Not there is any thing wrong with that but kind of puts a point to what hunters view as what a " quality " animal is.
[emoji6]
One thing I notice about these types of questions......
It seems a lot of times the answer to what is best, great, etc in deer hunting locations is usually backed by how many big bucks are taken in the area.
Not there is any thing wrong with that but kind of puts a point to what hunters view as what a " quality " animal is.
[emoji6]
the best hunting and the best experience are two different things. I'll take my western UP and see 6 does and probably a spike or fork all week with the slim chance of a nice buck any day over the nice deer I see down here consistently. The best hunting is down here, my favorite place to hunt is up there.
In the Southern Lower I've hunted Monroe, Wayne, Washtenaw, Lenewee, Hillsdale, Jackson, St Joseph, and Branch Counties.
I like Branch the best but used to work around Ann Arbor. On the North side of town I saw a greater concentration of mature bucks but had no access to those spots.
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