Northern Michigan Buck

[Cedarsavage]

I got a five point on the second day of rifle season here in the UP. I’m an oddball in that I don’t hunt over bait. It’s been a struggle to learn how to hunt these big woods since we moved here in 2016. The only thing I've found that helps is putting in a time of time scouting and not hunting unless you feel like you're gonna kill that day. I usually have a few things figured then deer change their patterns the closer it gets to rifle season as bait and pressure build. Our herd is very small here, we get almost 200" of snow a year and sometimes I go a week without pictures on trail cameras over runways. Anyways, I had over 100 hours of scouting from the time I killed my buck last year til I got him. I really enjoy the solitude of hunting here. But most of the time it’s kinda like getting a root canal but once in awhile you have a great couple days that makes it all worth it. I took some video of some of my scouting and my hunt. If you'd like to watch it, it's here.

 

[CBreeze]

You’ll eat good off that joker!
is that a yoop buck or a “northern mi” buck?

I love me some solitude but, Dang man. You need to pony up to cross the bridge and come hit up pigeon country! #publiclandowner

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[Cedarsavage]

is that a yoop buck or a “northern mi” buck?

I love me some solitude but, Dang man. You need to pony up to cross the bridge and come hit up pigeon country! #publiclandowner

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's a great buck congrats. "Northern Michigan" is a couple hours south for me yeah he's a UP buck.

 

[CBreeze]

Thanks man, doubt I’ll ever do better. Haha. There’s Plenty of pressure and wolves up there where you are, man. Most folks don’t know.

 

[SirChooCH]

I need to cross the bridge and try hunting the UP. Everyone says its hard but awesome to experience the big woods. Biggest chunk of public around Lansing is about 2000 acres, I have got a deer these past two seasons during bow season but it was PACKED out there this fall. Glad to have some extra time scouting and extra spots picked to move around.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Thanks man, doubt I’ll ever do better. Haha. There’s Plenty of pressure and wolves up there where you are, man. Most folks don’t know.

Yeah that’s for sure. It’s tough, I know a few guys that didn’t see a deer all season. I saw a wolf spring scouting about a mile from where I killed my buck last year, %99 sure I saw a cougar in 2016. Definitely not the best place for deer hunting lol. This season is the first in awhile that we could even shoot does during archery season.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Very different for sure. I lived in Chelsea for 4 years so I know what you mean. I remember one season driving around a 640 acre chunk of public on October 1. At 10am and counting over 10 vehicles. Sounds like it was worse this year with covid.

I need to cross the bridge and try hunting the UP. Everyone says its hard but awesome to experience the big woods. Biggest chunk of public around Lansing is about 2000 acres, I have got a deer these past two seasons during bow season but it was PACKED out there this fall. Glad to have some extra time scouting and extra spots picked to move around.

 

[SirChooCH]

Very different for sure. I lived in Chelsea for 4 years so I know what you mean. I remember one season driving around a 640 acre chunk of public on October 1. At 10am and counting over 10 vehicles. Sounds like it was worse this year with covid.

This was at a spot I found 2 years ago that only myself and 1-2 other hunter used during bow season. But this year it was packed on Saturdays all of a sudden. Record number of license sales...

 

[Cedarsavage]

Those are quite the hunting rigs. Are they hunting or hiking/mountain biking? We get lots of recreational outdoors here now that tourism is up.

View attachment 238119

This was at a spot I found 2 years ago that only myself and 1-2 other hunter used during bow season. But this year it was packed on Saturdays all of a sudden. Record number of license sales...

 

[CBreeze]

View attachment 238119

This was at a spot I found 2 years ago that only myself and 1-2 other hunter used during bow season. But this year it was packed on Saturdays all of a sudden. Record number of license sales...

were you in a Prius as well? Couple times now I’ve seen deer on the roof of a Prius either at or on the way (presumably) to the buck pole. Typically they are young deer, I suppose to reduce the wear and tear on the lid of the hybrid.

 

[SirChooCH]

Those are quite the hunting rigs. Are they hunting or hiking/mountain biking? We get lots of recreational outdoors here now that tourism is up.

No these are hunters. We have weekly mountain bike groups and hikers but they all park at a lot with a pavilion a half mile away. These guys were all new and have pre-hung stands right off the trail when I walk back to set up lol, that day I said screw this and moved to another lot.

I am in a subaru forester, works pretty well to throw a tarp down over the folded seats and toss a deer in lol

 

[Missahba]

Congrats on the Yooper buck. They’re all trophies up there. I hunted near Johannesburg in Northern (Lower) MI and we saw very few deer. But we can watch elk for our entertainment!

 

[Cedarsavage]

Thanks that’s pretty cool to see elk. I think I’ve only ever seen elk in Michigan once. Never spent much time in northern lower other than passing through

Congrats on the Yooper buck. They’re all trophies up there. I hunted near Johannesburg in Northern (Lower) MI and we saw very few deer. But we can watch elk for our entertainment!

 

[CBreeze]

No these are hunters. We have weekly mountain bike groups and hikers but they all park at a lot with a pavilion a half mile away. These guys were all new and have pre-hung stands right off the trail when I walk back to set up lol, that day I said screw this and moved to another lot.

I am in a subaru forester, works pretty well to throw a tarp down over the folded seats and toss a deer in lol

I thought theat display looked familiar. I’ve hauled elk deer and bears in a forester. I hauled that buck i posted above in a forester hahaha.
I was worried deer camp would be nonexistent this year. Ended up a great camp and I tagged out Tuesday and decided to get out of dodge when she shut it down that wesnsday. But it wa s slow year for sure. We only had 2 bucks by Wednesday.

 

[Missahba]

Here’s my buddy’s UP buck from Cedarville. He’s a bait hunter tho. A very patient one. Who doesn’t get jitters when the wolves walk through his shooting lanes.

 

[Miboy86]

I hunt public land about 35 mins west of me somewhat in central michigan, bow season isn't usually bad crowd wise, the first 2 days of gun and Thanksgiving morning are usually busy especially with deer drivers, this year was a complete different story but I've still filled 4 doe tags and a buck tag. Could have filled more doe tags already but I've passed on deer because I wasn't feeling like dragging anything. I do feel like the pressure has helped me get better at hunting trying to find and set up on deer this year. I usually fill both buck tags and couple doe permits each year. Gonna hunt my swamp spot this Saturday and hopefully fill my second buck tag.

 

[Cedarsavage]

Here’s my buddy’s UP buck from Cedarville. He’s a bait hunter tho. A very patient one. Who doesn’t get jitters when the wolves walk through his shooting lanes.

That’s a nice buck

 

[Cedarsavage]

I know what you mean. Pressure definitely helps concentrate them. At least let’s you narrow down where they won’t be.

I hunt public land about 35 mins west of me somewhat in central michigan, bow season isn't usually bad crowd wise, the first 2 days of gun and Thanksgiving morning are usually busy especially with deer drivers, this year was a complete different story but I've still filled 4 doe tags and a buck tag. Could have filled more doe tags already but I've passed on deer because I wasn't feeling like dragging anything. I do feel like the pressure has helped me get better at hunting trying to find and set up on deer this year. I usually fill both buck tags and couple doe permits each year. Gonna hunt my swamp spot this Saturday and hopefully fill my second buck tag.

 

[Miboy86]

Supposed to snow Friday, gonna hunt a tree Saturday morning by where I shot a doe last weekend then around noon I'm gonna creep back into my swamp spot, set a trail camera up the other day on a run, I'll check that to help determine whether to sit there or push in further, hopefully enough snow sticks for tracks if needed to be.

 

[Northpark]

Congrats. I went to college at MTU in houghton. 4 years never killed a deer. Always drove back below the bridge to my parents house to tag out.