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Best counties in the state

5K views 29 replies 23 participants last post by  johnhunter 
#1 ·
Just wondering your opinions on the best county in the u.p. and best county in the LP for overall deer hunting and why?
 
#3 ·
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..
 
#5 ·
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.


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#6 ·
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.


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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.
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#16 · (Edited)
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;

4. Everything else.

Southern mi would be Jackson County. I believe they have put out more record deer than any county in the state. The most booners also
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.
 
#17 ·
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.
Pheeeew FL I think I just made it in within your half mile line!

Actually I think Hillsdale sucks!

Move along, nothing to see here!.....lol
 
#18 ·
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.

Ganzer
 
#20 ·
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.
I had 35 acres about 4 miles southwest of Bronson Mi.(branch county)sold it about 5 years go.Kicking myself in the butt since:sad:
 
#23 ·
Hillsdale has pockets of good farms/neighbors that produce 5 year old animals routinely.

Let's just say that I have also noticed an equal amount of bad neighbors/landowners that you would not want to adjoin.

If you can find a property with high stem density near good neighbors in Hillsdale county, then it can be magical.
 
#24 · (Edited)
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]
 
#25 ·
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.
 
#26 ·
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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