I’m really pissed off. Today was my day. I had been planning it all week. Couldn’t get out yesterday to hunt due to work stuff, but today was the day. All packed in the truck last night with today’s camouflage laid out and the alarm clock on EARLY. I hunt only public land, so my secret sauce is to wake up early and get myself set up well ahead of sunrise… and hopefully before the late sleepers get outta bed.
Normally when I arrive at my public hunting parking spot, one place I frequented last year I deemed a “1-truck” site just because the parking was limited, and more importantly, a second guy would be right on top of the first in the woods here. So, if another guy was there, I’d move on, and that seemed the norm. There are other parking spots just down the road, and I’d use them if I needed to, though I didn’t know the woods there as well.
My usual spot last year is truly a small hunting area , and I hunted it hard last year and didn’t see but one deer all season. Time to find another.
So last year after deer season I began scouting in earnest and found another place on public land about 1h from the first.I kicked out a few deer every time I visited, saw sign everywhere, and there were trails cut in here and there. The parking lot was bigger, so I figured this spot would attract others too, plus there just aren’t a lot of nearby parking areas or paths into the woods…. So I figured this would require the usual early alarm clock, plus, it could accommodate more than just one truck…
So this am I finally have a day when I can get out into the woods, and I’m there in the parking lot bright and early-5:30 am. Now, this requires that I left my home quite a bit earlier, but it’s worth it to me for the few days that I can actually get out into the woods to hint.
As I turn into the parking lot, what do I see? Two trucks and a damn RV sitting there. Who knows how many guys were piled into that rig? It was not huge, but definitely a good size rig. RV plugged into a generator too, so the guys have been here at least all night.
My understanding of the MI DNR laws are that you cannot camp In your RV in a state game land parking lot unless there is a sign expressly allowing it. No such sign here.
Not knowing how many guys were piled into that RV, I did what these guys didn’t deserve, and I left. My hunting day was ruined because of some jerk who either doesn’t know the laws of the land he’s hunting on, or my guess, doesn’t care about them.
Whether you like the laws or not, they are the laws. I invite anyone to chime in if they believe that I am wrong about this particular law. Here is the paragraph from MI DNR web page that talks about camping:
Camping Related: "Camp" means: set-up/ place and occupy a tent, tent-type camper, travel or house trailer; sleeping in any type of vehicle or water vessels moored off State land, or sleeping in any other manner. “Dispersed camping” is special by-permit camping away from a designated campsite, with special rules (not all listed here). “Quiet hours” ….
• Unlawful to camp outside of designated campground areas or sites on any type of State land.
• Unlawful to camp inappropriately or in prohibited areas (like in veg. buffers on natural rivers,etc.).
• Unlawful to camp in a designated parking area, except those posted to allow camping.
• Unlawful to camp in State wildlife and game areas, between May 15 to Sept. 10, except in
specific designated and signed camping sites noted as approved for use between those dates.
I am now regretting that I left so quickly. I should have taken down their plate numbers so that I could report them to MI DNR. This is what I will do the next time. Not because I’d like to see these guys get into trouble-but because I have every right to that land too, and I play by the laws. They need to too.
If you happen to be a guy who is illegally camping on state game land, please know that you are breaking the law. I hope that you will reconsider your actions. If not, I hope that others like me will report it.
The laws of public hunting land are for everyone.