Michigan hunters..

[Steelheader323]

So if you are from Michigan especially the southern portion of the state in zone 3 you are aware that we have not had a true muzzleloader season in the last 2 years for whitetail. Now they allow the use of any firearms legal during the standard firearm season….am I the only one this irritates? It used to be great hunting for those of us who “put in the extra work” as in using a muzzleloader…especially on state land..the woods used to calm down..the deer kinda got back to a routine..it made for some pretty darn good hunting. The last 2 seasons the deer have been “on the run” so to speak from November 15th to mid December..don’t get me wrong I love my Ithaca slug guns and my ruger m77 chambered in 450 bushmaster..but I loved being In the woods during the our muzzleloader season a lot more…would a petition to the DNR be worth it? They seem to be all about the $$ so I doubt it…it sure would be nice to have a season back

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I doubt a petition would make a dif, i wouls still sign it(as many times as i could get away with). But i also think there's more too it than just $. I wish we could go back to a real ML season too. Maybe 2 of them, a traditional ML and an open ML season. But they probably would end up in January or even February.

 

[Scotts98rt]

Word has it all the biologists wanted a reg muzzloader season, the head of the dnr overruled them. I think we should go with a regular. Muzzloader season.

 

[Steelheader323]

Ideally I’d love a “traditional” season..even if it was just for a weekend..do it before gun season starts..camless bows allowed and sidelocks either percussion or flint lock allowed. Nothing else. No inlines. They could do it the weekend before firearm opener..then give us back the regular Michigan rules muzzlelaoder season in December like it used to be..now that would be ideal.

 

[snapbang]

You read my mind steadheader323. Our Michigan DNR is light years behind other states. I had an unnamed friend in the Michigan DNR. For years I argued for legalizing the 44 magnum rifles for Michigan deer hunting in zone 3. He said he took the argument to them several years in a row and eventually told him they didn't want to hear about it any more. Now 10-15 years later we have the 44 mag and other new strait walled cartridges to use in zone 3. While other states give muzzle loaders a little priority before regular gun season we have to wait until after the regular gun season. Then last year some genius figures to really dilute it by allowing the firearms from regular gun season to be used in what is a poorly timed muzzle loader season.


Genius, just stinking genius.

 

[JBushnell]

You might try for a Heritage Hunt like Montana recently added. Link to bill below:

HB242 - Montana Heritage Hunt

 

[Widude]

I’m off to the U.P. Wednesday, some visiting & then the tail end of the M-L deer hunt. I think this guy is still alive, though no pictures for a few weeks.

 

[bmfox30]

Not to agree with all the opinions but hunters can use muzzloaders all firearm season if they so choose. Yes it is easier for hunters to just grab their shotgun or rifle instead of their muzzleloader. And yes I believe our DNR is about money and not a healthy deer population. Was there not a full week years ago in between shotgun and muzzleloader season? I love hunting in the late season with my muzzleoader, especially if theres snow on the ground. Its hard for the DNR to make everyone happy. Good luck to all hunters the rest of the season.

 

[dottiesdad]

The muzzleloader season in zone three has been steam rolled by by our dnr being in ionia county its worse because of antler restrictions. That I don't believe in evertry antler soup?

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I’m off to the U.P. Wednesday, some visiting & then the tail end of the M-L deer hunt. I think this guy is still alive, though no pictures for a few weeks. View attachment 17828

Da 30 Point Buck Da Yoopers Da 30 Point Buck - Google Search

 

[ENCORE50A]

Money????? When has ANYTHING not been about money?? It's needless to continue to mention it.

Health of the herd?? It's debatable. More and more MI hunters are all about antlers. Access to private land hunting is not like it used to be. Leasing land is BIG MONEY and its nothing for hunters to spend $2k+ for a lease. Still its about antlers and not enough does were/are being taken.

So now they have CWD, bTB, ABC, DEF, GHI and all other numbers of disease. So they want to reduce the number of deer believing that it will reduce the disease incident rates. To harvest more animals they need more hunters. How better to involve more hunters than to implement the straight wall? There are hunters utilizing the muzzleloader season using straight walls, that would likely never have purchased a muzzleloader.

IIRC, there used to be somewhere near 10 or 11 days after the general season before the muzzleloader season started. THAT, I would like to see happen again.

What we need to realize is, once the door is open, it'll remain open. Welcome to the new normal. Petitions will be ignored. You'd have better luck petitioning for the use of smokeless propellants during the muzzleloader season. I'll sign that...............

 

[michiganmuzzy]

No one said that its not about money. The health of the herd is nearly as important. No one will spend big $ to hunt here if the herd is unhealthy and trophy bucks are too rare. If trophy hunters can't take their trophies home because their state won't risk contamination from Michigan diseases, why come spend money here at all. And big spenders arent going to want to compete for trophies on overhunted, high pressured, public land. I can imagine a future where a deer tag is as hard to get here, as it is in some western states.

 

[ENCORE50A]

If one wants a healthy herd here in MI, then hunters have to follow the science, biologists and vets. The issue always is the highest majority of hunters disagree. Then you have TV shows and Dr. Dear telling everyone about MONSTER bucks on every piece of private property.

One also has to consider the number of hunters in MI vs the numbers in the so called "trophy states". MI has dwindling numbers of hunters as do all states. Michigan held 3rd place for the number of hunters for decades behind Texas and Pennsylvania. MI has now fallen to 5th, with 586,000 whitetail hunters. Compare that to Iowa, where the state’s 8,200 paid hunting-license holders in 2018 constitute the nation’s smallest state contingent, according to the F&WS. These hunters took 1,900 deer in 2017-2018, with residents harvesting 1,700 and nonresidents 200. Archers took about 400 of the deer.

MI has a lot of really nice bucks, many of them taken off public lands every year. Private land owners are cashing in on HUGE sums of money leasing even smaller properties to hunters. Its nothing to have to pay $40 per acre.

Between disease, insurance companies, farm bureau, cattle farmers and farmers in general, you'll never see a lack of deer tags in MI.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Maybe if we few remaing MLers can show that we can kill a lot of deer, then possibly, we could get a dedicated season back.

 

[snapbang]

To your point I use and have been using a Muzzle loader exclusively for Michigan deer gun hunting. I don't care what anyone else uses. I like my muzzle loader and I have always said the first shot counts. After the first shot your odds of making a kill shot go down dramatically. Give me one good shot with a mz and Im good.

Just nice to hunt without hearing the neighbor burn 5 rounds at a deer.

 

[bstorric]

Ideally I’d love a “traditional” season..even if it was just for a weekend..do it before gun season starts..camless bows allowed and sidelocks either percussion or flint lock allowed. Nothing else. No inlines. They could do it the weekend before firearm opener..then give us back the regular Michigan rules muzzlelaoder season in December like it used to be..now that would be ideal.

I wish WV would do that as well. They have a "heritage" season that is sidelocks/flintlock and trad bows only but its in January. Public land (especially public land that is mostly mature hardwood) is very difficult to hunt that time of year. The deer have been pressured "to death" literally, and then the public land which is made up mostly of mature hardwoods, does not have much in the way of food sources this time of year. Seems like the deer just move to the nearest Ag property... which is great if you have access to that Ag land... but I and many others do not

 

[bstorric]

If one wants a healthy herd here in MI, then hunters have to follow the science, biologists and vets. The issue always is the highest majority of hunters disagree. Then you have TV shows and Dr. Dear telling everyone about MONSTER bucks on every piece of private property.

One also has to consider the number of hunters in MI vs the numbers in the so called "trophy states". MI has dwindling numbers of hunters as do all states. Michigan held 3rd place for the number of hunters for decades behind Texas and Pennsylvania. MI has now fallen to 5th, with 586,000 whitetail hunters. Compare that to Iowa, where the state’s 8,200 paid hunting-license holders in 2018 constitute the nation’s smallest state contingent, according to the F&WS. These hunters took 1,900 deer in 2017-2018, with residents harvesting 1,700 and nonresidents 200. Archers took about 400 of the deer.

MI has a lot of really nice bucks, many of them taken off public lands every year. Private land owners are cashing in on HUGE sums of money leasing even smaller properties to hunters. Its nothing to have to pay $40 per acre.

Between disease, insurance companies, farm bureau, cattle farmers and farmers in general, you'll never see a lack of deer tags in MI.

2018-2019 Hunting Season Results Iowa deer hunters harvested a total of 107,857 deer during the 2018/2019 season (Table 1.1), which is approximately 2% higher than in 2017 (Table 1.2). There were 601 more deer licenses issued for the 2018/2019 deer season, an increase of less than 1% compared to 2017/2018. Antlerless licenses comprised approximately 34% of the total licenses sold during the 2018/2019 season (Table 1.1)

Not sure where you got your numbers but this is a copy and paste from Iowa DNR website for the 2018 season

 

[ENCORE50A]

2018-2019 Hunting Season Results Iowa deer hunters harvested a total of 107,857 deer during the 2018/2019 season (Table 1.1), which is approximately 2% higher than in 2017 (Table 1.2). There were 601 more deer licenses issued for the 2018/2019 deer season, an increase of less than 1% compared to 2017/2018. Antlerless licenses comprised approximately 34% of the total licenses sold during the 2018/2019 season (Table 1.1)

Not sure where you got your numbers but this is a copy and paste from Iowa DNR website for the 2018 season

Thanks for the correction. That data was wrong.

State-by-State Hunting Data | Archery Trade Association

 

[Widude]

I’m packed, leaving early. I do as much visiting as I do hunting. Latest report was 10” of snow on the ground.

 

[Hausser1]

I’m off to the U.P. Wednesday, some visiting & then the tail end of the M-L deer hunt. I think this guy is still alive, though no pictures for a few weeks. View attachment 17828

I truly hope he presents for you. Beautiful buck. Are you thinking "Shoulder Sneak" or "European" mount. It's nice to plan ahead...