Turkey hunting is one of the coolest hunts I have ever done! My son and I started Turkey hunting a few year ago, and got hooked. It is an awesome sport, because it’s you against the Tom. Unlike deer; the turkey can see like a hawk and hear like an elephant. They’re also very skittish, so hunting turkey is a challenge like no other.
Remember… January 31st is the last day to submit for a turkey license.
One of our users shot this buck in early November and finally got the final scoring of 160 5/8″. Becky wins the 2009 Michigan Bowhunting Blog Big Buck Contest!
My grandfather instilled my love for the woods and hunting when I was little by accompanying him rabbit and deer hunting, we also spent hours in the woods sitting quietly to see what wildlife we could observe and how close they would come to us. He unfortunately passed away before I was old enough to hunt but I still follow many of his “rules” about hunting. About 9 years ago a friend who knew of my passion for the woods and my craving to start hunting introduced me to bow hunting. I shot year round in archery leagues and spent my falls through Jan. 1st in the woods with my bow. The years of accounting work caught up with me and after three surgeries on my right hand and elbow in March of 2005 I could no longer pull my bow due to permanent nerve damage in by right hand, in the summer of 2005 I applied for a crossbow permit and was granted a permanent crossbow permit by the State of Michigan. It will never be the same as hunting with my bow but I’ve come to terms with it.
At 9:10 am on November 4, 2009 I observed the doe that is missing the tips of her ears walking down the trail to the side of where I was sitting. I then noticed movement about 40 yards behind her off the trail in heavy brush, when I caught sight of his antlers my heart skipped a beat. The direction that he was heading would only provide me with one very narrow shooting lane if he would step into it. I started mouth calling to him and spent about 15 minutes getting him to stay in the area but was never able to get him to step into the shooting lane. During this time the doe bedded about 15 yard from where I was sitting. My last sight of him was his antlers moving away from me in the heavy brush. At about 10:30 am another single doe approached down the same trail as the first doe, who then proceeded to stand up when she heard her approaching. As I glanced back and forth between the two does, the tips of his antlers suddenly appeared between them, he had bedded in the heavy brush. As he slowly approached the incoming doe he stepped into the narrow shooting lane and I instantly squeezed the trigger. He jumped high and ran back into the heavy brush, within seconds I heard what I was sure was him crashing. It was 10:45 am I quietly exited my stand going in the opposite direction. Upon reaching the house I called my 16 year old daughter and then drove and picked her up from school, I just couldn’t do the hour wait by myself. We easily located him, he went 60 yards. While finding him was easy the two of us quickly found out that loading him into the back of the truck was going to be impossible. (We do not field dress deer out in the field because of the increasing coyote numbers.) After multiple phone calls we located a neighbor and another friend who helped us load him into the truck. Kruizenga’s Archery weighed him after field dressing at 222 pound. The Plainwell DNR Office aged him at 6 ½ years old with a possibility of being 7 ½.
On January 10, 2010 he was panel scored by three senior measurers of Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and a Boone and Crockett measurer, his official net score is 160 5/8”. We currently hold the Michigan Women’s Crossbow Typical record.
My fondest memories of this buck will be the time I spent that day with my youngest daughter, having her with me to share the wait and then his recovery. I will never forget our laughter at not being able to get him into the truck and our time together while we showed him to relatives and close hunting buddies. Those will be my most treasured memories of this buck.
the deer pole looked beter in the Great Depression than it does now
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2009 was a rough year for many. The economic woes of high unemployment, recession, and the overall environment has left us all feeling like 2009 was a bust. The deer season has come to a close in the same fashion as everything else this year. I am curious to see what the DNR reports as the season results. My local observations were that it was a very trying season for most. There are some big deer around the state (proof is in the Big Buck forum), but my overall belief is that the deer herd is shrinking. Hopefully I am wrong , but I have talked to several hunters that feel the same.
Attached is a letter from one of the site administrators. Please leave your comments and feedback…
Friends,
Please take a look at my suggestions I have summarized from all of our discussions and frustrations over the last couple of years. I think we need to attend a couple of these MDNR/NRC Open Deer Hunting Forums to voice our opinions.
Let me know what you think…
2010 Michigan Whitetail Deer Mgt Suggestions for MDNR:
Prepared by Michael Bobay, Avid Deer Hunter
Situation:
In my opinion the current mgt practices of the Michigan Deer Herd are yielding disappointing results. In 1996, the sportsmen men and women of the State of Michigan voted Proposal G in order to scientifically manage the state’s Natural Resources. I believe Michigan’s current deer hunting regulations are NOT yielding the results for the improvement of the deer herd. Buck to doe ratios in many parts of the state are way out of balance, in some places 20 to 1 or 10 to 1. I believe are goal should be 1-Buck to 3-Does or better. This would balance the deer herd to the carrying capacity of the land. Goals: Farmland: 35 per square mile, forested: less than 25 per square mile. I believe adopting some of the Quality Deer Management Practices in our Deer Hunting Regulations would help accomplish these goals.
Opportunities:
Michigan should be a North American destination for Deer Hunting, our deer herd population and genetics can compete with any state in the union. All we need is some modern deer hunting mgt practices implemented, to show the true potential of the Michigan deer herd. We need to balance the deer harvest between bucks and does to attain the buck to doe ratio and carrying capacity deer density goals. In just 2-3 years of implementing the suggestions below, Deer Hunters in Michigan would see a vast improvement in daytime deer movement and rutting behavior activity. All which would improve the outdoor deer hunting experience and hunter satisfaction.
Suggestions:
1. Go back to a 1-Buck Kill Rule Per Hunter Per Year.
2. All Bucks Must have at least 4-points on 1 side for harvest.
3. Combo licenses are good for 1 buck and 1 doe, anywhere in the state of Michigan Public or Private land.
4. Issue additional antlerless permits as needed to accomplish harvest goals in high deer density areas like Southern Michigan and DMU 452.
5. Single purchase buck tags, Buck must have at least 4-points on 1-side.
6. Either Ban Baiting State-wide or allow the limited 2-gallons of bait statewide. All or nothing.
7. Improve the deer harvest self, volunteer, and mandatory registration process to attain more accurate harvest records.
Michael Bobay
michaelbobay@yahoo.com
We need to continue to voice our thought s and opinions! please post your comments.
Happy New Year
A couple friends of mine sent me emails with their opinion for Whitetail hunting throughout the rest of the country – see if you concur.
Anyone watched this episode yet? What a Joke!
10 Best Whitetail Desinations according to the Outdoor Channel Experts? Who are these idiots? What critera did they use, never was explained.
1. Texas
2. Illinois
3. AB/SK, Canada
4. KS
5. CO, No way in hell, less that 15,000 Whitetail deer is the whole state?
6. WY, Same as CO, not enough Whitetail to be a contender.
7. MT
8. MI, Won’t make my top 10, poor quality deer mgt practices.
9. OK
10. Iowa
Deerslayer’s Top Deer Huntin’ Destinations:
1. AB/SK, Canada: The next World Record 300+ Pound Monster, will come from here.
2. Iowa: Kisky, Drury, or Tiffany Lakosky Farms are all I have to say about that!
3. Illinois: Pike County Triangle is Spectacular, more P&Y kills in last 10-years, then any where.
4. Wisconsin: More B&C and P&Y taken than any where else on earth, Buffalo County Baby!
5. Texas: They grow them big here, birth place of Trophy Deer Mgt.
6. Kansas: Coming on strong last 10-15 years, great genentics and habitat.
7. Montana: that Milk River Valley is anazing deer country.
8. Minnesota: Across the river from Wisconsim continuation of great deer huntin’ territory.
9. MB/ON: Big Woods, Big Bodied Mature Bucks, Sleeper area.
10. Okalahoma, another Sleeper, very similar to Texas Huntin’.
Runners Up:
11. Ohio: Big Bucks and Buckeyes, I hate the Crimson RED state, GO BLUE!
12. Indiana: Another unknown sleeper, this state can produce 150+ Monsters.
MI Grand Slam’s comments:
Not sure I agree with the list too much. Here are my thoughts………..
MI is fair to poor at best. Deer mgt sucks. Too many hunters and issued tags.
SK & AB are too commericalized theses days. Was great in the late 80’s and 90’s. Was there did that.
TX…overrated…..all ranch hunting over bait piles……………been there did that.
MT…great place to hunt. Just not enough Whitetails and getting very commericialized in recent years. Been there did that.
WY….same as MT. Been there did that.
KS….The best place I have ever hunted whitetails with a stick & string………getting very commericalized and expensive.
OH…..hidden gem….getting much more attention these days.
IL & IN……great whitetail states. IL is very commericialized & can be costly.
This year has been extremely tough for me to get out for the “Late” season. With the everyday run around and extra chaos from the holidays, I have only found myself in the woods a few times. Since the rut is over (did it EVER happen), the deer are going into the winter conservation mode. I will have a chance tomorrow to get out, hopefully I will be able to let the air out of one.
If I do… I will be donating the meat to a needy family. If you already have venison in the freezer, you might want to do the same.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Hey Everyone, there is a 3D shoot for charity at DSC on December 6th. Make this a warm-up before the afternoon hunt! Dean Burnett at DSC does a great job of pulling this together every year. Please support the US Marines and a great cause!
Detroit Sportsman’s Congress
Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to a needy child & shoot the course for $1.00!
Sunday: December 6th
28 Target Outdoor 3D
Clubhouse Breakfast Starting at 8 AM
Course Open 9AM to 3PM
For more information call: (586) 739-3500)
This is a comment from one my readers that I wanted to share…
doodoctor
says:
Hello to all,
I am new here. I would appreciate any help to get to the right places on any forums. I live in Leelanau County and have the priviledge of QDM…let me tell you..it works!!! We all know that Michigan’s deer hunting has been in trouble for years. I have been to many DNR meetings and it seems like the hunters are talking to the wind. Next year Michigan will be getting a new governor. I am looking for input to get a large enough organization of people to have our new governor make the 9 commissioner positions on the DNR an elected position instead of 9 bureaucrats that are being controlled by lobbyists from the insurance companies instead of listening to what Michigan sportsmen want. The only way we will get anywhere is if they realize we are after their job. Please give me as much input as you possibly can (either here or email me doodoctor@hotmail.com ).
Please feel free to comment (anonymously) here, or login into the forums and post your thoughts.
Thanks Doc!
Greg
Michigan is the heaviest hunted state in the country, but due to lack of buck restrictions Michigan has one the lowest trophy buck harvest rates. I have talked to a lot of people that are trying to do some local QDM, by passing on the year and a half old bucks to see if they will make it another year. If the state were to impose a 4 point or better on one side, that would force us to take deer that are at least 2 and a half years old. A friend told me to shoot a doe before you whack a little guy.
Click on the poll below to let me know how you feel…
Too much pressure causes everyone to wear down! At work; if there is too much pressure you are going to wear down. At home or wherever. The same is true for deer in the woods. I think the parcel I have been hunting has seen its fair share of pressure. I have hit it hard and all of the neighboring farmers are starting to set up their gun blinds for the impending firearm opener on the 15th.
I am going to chill out and stay home for a few days and hopefully get one more hunt in before the boom-sticks go BANG!
Tonight I was able to rattle in a couple of bucks, they were both little six pointers. The one was on the heels of a yearling doe, and the other walked in right when I whacked a mature doe.
The bucks were grunting like crazy tonight, unfortunately the only shooter didn’t have headgear!