# Pigeon River Country State Forest



## HuntTrap13 (Jun 26, 2011)

Does anybody hunt the pigeon for deer? I have some general questions. 

1. Am I allowed to hunt the elk viewing fields? I seen plenty of deer feeding while I was out scouting. I would access it in the back of the field, this way I'm not intruding on viewers. 
2.what are the rules for parking cars. Where can I park the car for hunting?
3. am I allowed to park the car outside the park area and ride our four wheeler to the hunting spots?
4. Is there a certain distance I must be from a campground to hunt with a rifle?
5. Are there any area that are off limits to hunting. 

Sorry for so many questions. I'm new to state land and only 15. Any help would be appreciated. I will post this in the deer hunting forum as well. 


Gary D.


----------



## hillbillie (Jan 16, 2011)

Gary,
All good questions and you have my respect for asking them.
I don't know the area so I can't reply.
It would be in your best interest to contact your local C.r Dnr office to get accurate answers to your questions.


----------



## TRAVISW74 (Aug 23, 2012)

Pigeon River forest is a great place to hunt that produces some dandy bucks but it is very well heavily hunted. I have lived in Northern MI my whole life and have never hunted there just becuz of the over population of hunters on top of each other. Just not my style. But if you do choose to hunt the Pigeon area there are miles and miles of trails to set up and get away. One area in the Pigeon I hear a lot about of deer sucess is called the "Green Timbers". If you visit the DNR field office in the Pigeon in Vanderbilt off Sturgeon Valley rd they have several maps.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## HuntTrap13 (Jun 26, 2011)

Thanks. I'll be sure to check that out. We will probably hang some rifle hunting stand we have already scouted sometime this weekend. 


Gary D.


----------



## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

I'm fairly certain you cannot hunt within a certain distance of the viewing fields for anything. 

I've never driven a quad there so I can't 100% tell ya, but I know you can't take them off the roads or two tracks. Come to think of it I'm not sure if you can even go down the two-tracks.

I've never hunted the PR for deer but hunt for grouse there yearly. A new scouting tool I've been using for grouse (you can use it for deer as well) is the MI-Hunt application they have on the DNR site. By going into "layers" you can view the cover maps. These will show you what types of trees are there and you can see it in topo as well. Huge advantage if you've never been there before. Granted there's nothing better than scouting in person but this will at least help a bit. 

If it were me and I was gun hunting a high pressured area like that....I wouldn't hunt within a linear mile of any two-tracks or roads. Much less pressure back there.


----------



## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

It's sad that the PR gets so much pressure now, which it does. There are still areas around the boundaries of the area that are "wilderness", tho, as intended, and I'd get some maps and look for those areas if I were you.

The person who said something about staying a mile or more away from the traveled two tracks in the core area was probably right. There's never been all that many deer out there, anyway. 

I haven't seriously hunted there at all in years, but I was never under the impression that you couldn't hunt around the viewing fields. I never knew of anywhere in the PR that you couldn't hunt, except for the standard 450 feet of an occupied building thing. That included the campgrounds. 

Now, as for ATVs, I don't think you can have them anywhere in Michigan except on designated roads, where allowed, and I don't think that includes the two tracks in the PR, and on designated ORV trails. 

I'd contact the Gaylord DNR office at 989-732-3541 and ask for someone from law enforcement. There's an office full of them over there, you shouldn't have any problem getting someone on the phone who knows the rules in the PR.

The PRSF was originally set up as a "wilderness" reclaimed...then the DNR got tired of all the people who got lost and marked the roads...and then they invented the GPS. So much for wilderness for the area right next to I-75.

Again, call Gaylord and look at areas not quite so popular with the madding crowd over there.


----------



## nate132004 (Aug 14, 2012)

We have a bow camp there every year. Lots of pressure, can't remember the last time any of us shot one over there. NO ATVs at all! Horses are ok though. Pretty sure u can hunt the viewing fields. Was over there looking around on Friday acorns everywhere! Hunt the oaks. Does will be feeding on oaks, bucks will be stupid and chasing very soon. We will be over there weekend of the 20th. If u see a camp with about 6 to 7 campers pull in for a beer!


----------



## nate132004 (Aug 14, 2012)

Wait forgot ur 15 lol no beer for u


----------

