# People everywhere!



## sniper (Sep 2, 2005)

My area is swamped with human activity for all the wrong reasons. Windmill farm going up right through my township. Semi trucks and workers everywhere! It’s a total clusterf#&$!....Deer hunters nightmare. Here’s the view from my stand Friday morning at 730 am. Workers on my property line tying in an electrical box 70 yds away. I was out of the tree by 9.. Here’s another pic of our lease with giant windmill parts laying right in the middle of the soy bean field. Our October may be a wash.
























Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


----------



## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

sniper said:


> My area is swamped with human activity for all the wrong reasons. Windmill farm going up right through my township. Semi trucks and workers everywhere! It’s a total clusterf#&$!....Deer hunters nightmare. Here’s the view from my stand Friday morning at 730 am. Workers on my property line tying in an electrical box 70 yds away. I was out of the tree by 9.. Here’s another pic of our lease with giant windmill parts laying right in the middle of the soy bean field. Our October may be a wash.
> View attachment 584949
> View attachment 584955
> View attachment 584957
> ...


Well that sucks.


----------



## zimmzala (Oct 20, 2007)

Back in 2007 I had pretty much free reign at the Maple River State game area. I have watched the numbers of hunters blow up over the years and this year is the worst yet. I haven't been out yet but I drive through there on my way home from work, on opening day there was not a parking area that didn't have a vehicle in it and some had multiple its just crazy. The worst part is there are stands everywhere and half of them are up year round. As a saddle hunter I cant' "claim" a spot like those throw up multiple stands in different areas.


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

No one owns those spots, they are open for all of us to hunt.


----------



## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

I think it great more people are getting back into outdoor activities. I don't care if it hunting (anything), hiking, fishing, offroading or just going for a cruise. I love it. 

Nothing makes me happier than to see a family out doing any of those and enjoying themselves. It is the right way to grow up. Just the things you learn, observe and enjoying yourself and each other. 

GTFO of the city. 

As far hunting, my area isn't much different yet it seems. But I don't mind pressure either, keep the deer on their toes.


----------



## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

zimmzala said:


> Back in 2007 I had pretty much free reign at the Maple River State game area. I have watched the numbers of hunters blow up over the years and this year is the worst yet. I haven't been out yet but I drive through there on my way home from work, on opening day there was not a parking area that didn't have a vehicle in it and some had multiple its just crazy. The worst part is there are stands everywhere and half of them are up year round. As a saddle hunter I cant' "claim" a spot like those throw up multiple stands in different areas.


Start garage saling and buy el cheapo tree stands and plaster them around where you hunt. Another suggestion is when hunting with buddies, bring an extra vehicle or two


----------



## perchjerker (Feb 8, 2002)

Coming home from the cabin on 75 wife wanted to stop at the Saginaw rest area so I pulled in no where to park! We kept going to the Flint one which was ok


----------



## hoyt03 (Jul 21, 2003)

Warm up this weekend...they will all be back to soccer and apple picking. Late in the month
when the weather turns south, you will have the woods to yourselves.


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

zimmzala said:


> Back in 2007 I had pretty much free reign at the Maple River State game area. I have watched the numbers of hunters blow up over the years and this year is the worst yet. I haven't been out yet but I drive through there on my way home from work, on opening day there was not a parking area that didn't have a vehicle in it and some had multiple its just crazy. The worst part is there are stands everywhere and half of them are up year round. As a saddle hunter I cant' "claim" a spot like those throw up multiple stands in different areas.


I'm in the same boat. I really wish the DNR would crack down on the people leaving stands up all year and not labeling them at all. Even if you report them to the DNR they don't have the staff available to manage the situation and remove them. People know this and get away with it so its never going to change.


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

zimmzala said:


> Back in 2007 I had pretty much free reign at the Maple River State game area. I have watched the numbers of hunters blow up over the years and this year is the worst yet. I haven't been out yet but I drive through there on my way home from work, on opening day there was not a parking area that didn't have a vehicle in it and some had multiple its just crazy. The worst part is there are stands everywhere and half of them are up year round. As a saddle hunter I cant' "claim" a spot like those throw up multiple stands in different areas.


I tear down every one I find on July 4th weekend. It’s become my tradition.


----------



## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

jiggin is livin said:


> I think it great more people are getting back into outdoor activities. I don't care if it hunting (anything), hiking, fishing, offroading or just going for a cruise. I love it.
> 
> Nothing makes me happier than to see a family out doing any of those and enjoying themselves. It is the right way to grow up. Just the things you learn, observe and enjoying yourself and each other.
> 
> ...


Yeah i saw one family cutting firewood witha big flatbed trailer and a quad. Looked like grandad, son and grandson working together. The grandson looked about 6 years old and he was thoroughly enjoying himself whacking sticks on trees. They were pulled off the road parked right in front of my best woodcock hunting covers hauling dead wood. I moved on and just waived hello. 

I agree. Good to see people out in the woods.


----------



## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Friend of mine in the NW12 went to a national forest land spot where we scouted up a good buck bed and community scrape. It was a tough walk and almost a mile back. 

Sure enough he got there last night and there was a pop up right next to the scrape. He didn’t see any bait but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. 

Im so suck of these YouTube channels teaching people how to hunt. Lol


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

I would hope that the people cutting wood were not driving it off the road because that will get them a ticket. It's rather expensive if you get busted.


----------



## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

Martin Looker said:


> I would hope that the people cutting wood were not driving it off the road because that will get them a ticket. It's rather expensive if you get busted.


Not sure what you mean by driving it off of the road? 

They had a trailer pulled behind a truck that was parked in the trail slightly pulled off to the side where I could barely get around. They were cutting up two dead oaks. Looked to me like they were using the quad's winch to drag bigger pieces out of the woods. 

I see plenty of people throughout the year doing the same. Pretty sure they issue permits for it But i am not sure about all of the legalities. I dont burn wood for heat.


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

It's simple. If you drive off the road and into the woods you can be ticketed. It all depends on the warden who catches you.


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

Those pop up blinds will get wrecked by opening day of gun season, if not by the bears then by the weather. I don’t leave mine out any more than one day, and really only use them for turkey hunting anymore.


----------



## Baybum (Jan 9, 2008)

A stand up on state land doesn't claim an area. Had it happen the other day. Section ive been hunting a long time and never see anyone. I didn't even notice the stand until I saw the hunter walking in. I use a climber. I was all set up. I wasnt leaving. I whistled at him and he left. I'm still very much planning on hunting that area when and how I want regardless of that stand. I bounce around according to how I think the deer are gonna come through and wind direction.


zimmzala said:


> Back in 2007 I had pretty much free reign at the Maple River State game area. I have watched the numbers of hunters blow up over the years and this year is the worst yet. I haven't been out yet but I drive through there on my way home from work, on opening day there was not a parking area that didn't have a vehicle in it and some had multiple its just crazy. The worst part is there are stands everywhere and half of them are up year round. As a saddle hunter I cant' "claim" a spot like those throw up multiple stands in different areas.


Sent from my SM-A716U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

Baybum said:


> A stand up on state land doesn't claim an area. Had it happen the other day. Section ive been hunting a long time and never see anyone. I didn't even notice the stand until I saw the hunter walking in. I use a climber. I was all set up. I wasnt leaving. I whistled at him and he left. I'm still very much planning on hunting that area when and how I want regardless of that stand. I bounce around according to how I think the deer are gonna come through and wind direction.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A716U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I totally agree, but I know that it does deter a lot of people (especially those new to hunting public land) when they see a stand in the area. I try to be respectful if the stand is labeled correctly and people are following the rules. If its a stand that I know gets left up I usually just hunt near it if its in the area I want to hunt. Like you said, they can't claim an area, but I think most people just go somewhere else to avoid conflict with a person you don't know (never know who you will run into out there). That's why it would just be nice if they passed a law that said stands couldn't be left up on public ground. Take it in and take it out.


----------



## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

Yeah, it is extra busy around Traverse City also. I get a lot of pictures of dudes walking by some spots. The rut will be a zoo. My biggest pieve is that I like to scout a lot, all season. When there are a ton of people out, I feel bad walking by them. I walked by a couple guys hunting at 2 pm, didn't expect to disturb anyone then.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


----------



## bowhunter42 (Aug 22, 2012)

Baybum said:


> A stand up on state land doesn't claim an area. Had it happen the other day. Section ive been hunting a long time and never see anyone. I didn't even notice the stand until I saw the hunter walking in. I use a climber. I was all set up. I wasnt leaving. I whistled at him and he left. I'm still very much planning on hunting that area when and how I want regardless of that stand. I bounce around according to how I think the deer are gonna come through and wind direction.


Theres a guy with 7-8 ladder stands through the property. Guy came in last year and left them up all year. There's also plywood chained to the ladder. He thinks his spots are claimed.... These stands were tagged by the co last year as well for no name.


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Did you bother to report them to the DNR?


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

bowhunter42 said:


> Theres a guy with 7-8 ladder stands through the property. Guy came in last year and left them up all year. There's also plywood chained to the ladder. He thinks his spots are claimed.... These stands were tagged by the co last year as well for no name.


Sounds like those need to come down...


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

bowhunter42 said:


> Theres a guy with 7-8 ladder stands through the property. Guy came in last year and left them up all year. There's also plywood chained to the ladder. He thinks his spots are claimed.... These stands were tagged by the co last year as well for no name.


Make the stands disappear, that will teach him to leave his trash on public land.


----------



## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

If a stand or spot is obviously being used, I steer clear of the area. Lots of land for all of us. Sometimes if there is good sign I will just cut them off by playing the wind, but not always. Advantages of being a ground hunter, primarily. I am as mobile as it gets.

There are some stands that have obviously been there for years and I have never seen anyone hunt them. Maybe they do for rifle, but I avoid the area during rifle season. 

I sat in a natural ground blind I found last night. I was following some sign and checking out an area and stumbled on it. Didn't look touched yet this year so I thought it was as good a spot as any. Figured if someone showed up I would just move on. I have no problem doing that. 

I have only had ONE time where I was hunting in a spot and someone else walked up to the same area. We talked and he had hunted it previously and I explained I was kinda checking out around this swamp trying to figure out how they move through there and bouncing around with varying winds. He told me what he had seen and we wished each other good luck and I offered to move on. I haven't really had any issues with people on Public ground, but I generally avoid other people to a respectful distance.


----------



## walleyerick (Sep 30, 2004)

I drove a loop that I like to do a couple times a week. For the most part, it is a mix of private and state game area. All of the parking spots are full and many more pulled of on the sides of the roads. There appears to be more hunters out there than there are deer. I can see why I see so many deer on the surrounding private ground.


----------



## kappa8 (Aug 8, 2013)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> Those pop up blinds will get wrecked by opening day of gun season, if not by the bears then by the weather. I don’t leave mine out any more than one day


I've got several $100 Ameristep popup blinds on private land which we leave out 24/7 October-January. Take 'em down, thoroughly clean & dry, ready for next year. Some only last two seasons, others are on their fourth year. Not many bears in Washtenaw county though


----------



## 131north (Mar 2, 2010)

Is mid-week still the best time to beat some of the crowds from what you guys are seeing?


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

I got back to my truck last night and it's just a little spot big enough for 2 vehicles. There was a truck with a fifth wheel and another truck waiting on the side of the rd for me to leave so they could set up camp at that spot. I did notice hunters and camps seemed to be down some this week but also noticed the weekend warriors rolling in last night.


----------



## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

DM90 said:


> I'm in the same boat. I really wish the DNR would crack down on the people leaving stands up all year and not labeling them at all. Even if you report them to the DNR they don't have the staff available to manage the situation and remove them. People know this and get away with it so its never going to change.


Yep, they need to pass a law that any stand from the beginning of February are considered abandoned and would be a free to take. The CO's do not have the time to take them down or enforce the present law.


----------



## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Three different camps popped up by my house yesterday, one is on a oak ridge where the idiot made his own trail. Plus one of my ladder stands is now missing. 
Last weekend I turned around in the spot where one camp was set up for youth hunt and last weekend. Both times I've found gut piles and remains of deer. Don't now if there legal kills or not. The garbage they left was ridiculous to say the least.


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

stickbow shooter said:


> Three different camps popped up by my house yesterday, one is on a oak ridge where the idiot made his own trail. Plus one of my ladder stands is now missing.
> Last weekend I turned around in the spot where one camp was set up for youth hunt and last weekend. Both times I've found gut piles and remains of deer. Don't now if there legal kills or not. The garbage they left was ridiculous to say the least.


Found part of a trail yesterday someone had freshly cut thru some thick stuff off the side of the road. Made it nice to drag my deer out in the jet sled but makes no since cause the trail damn near cuts into bedding. Guessing it's just lazy hunters trying to have a short easy walk.


----------



## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Former grunt said:


> Found part of a trail yesterday someone had freshly cut thru some thick stuff off the side of the road. Made it nice to drag my deer out in the jet sled but makes no since cause the trail damn near cuts into bedding. Guessing it's just lazy hunters trying to have a short easy walk.


This oak ridge was a main feeding area, either they don't deer hunt or just stupid I guess. There are several other spots they could of set up with out F ing the area up.


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

stickbow shooter said:


> This oak ridge was a main feeding area, either they don't deer hunt or just stupid I guess. There are several other spots they could of set up with out F ing the area up.


Seeing some of the same where I'm hunting, lotta new hunters out here, but looks like some of these new hunters have also already given up on hunting, noticeable difference in pressure between the first 2 weeks. Can't wait for the rifle opener lol


----------



## jr28schalm (Mar 16, 2006)

Former grunt said:


> Seeing some of the same where I'm hunting, lotta new hunters out here, but looks like some of these new hunters have also already given up on hunting, noticeable difference in pressure between the first 2 weeks. Can't wait for the rifle opener lol


 They be gone on Monday.


----------



## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

jr28schalm said:


> They be gone on Monday.


Thank God, can't wait until cold nasty weather then all of the fair weather folks will be done.


----------



## Swampdog467 (Jul 6, 2017)

Will be interesting to see Hunter number stats from DNR next year. I wonder if these are all new hunters or just people that are losing private access?

Sent from my E6810 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Thomas F (Oct 13, 2018)

131north said:


> Is mid-week still the best time to beat some of the crowds from what you guys are seeing?


If you can hunt weekday mornings you usually have the woods to yourself.


----------



## skipper34 (Oct 13, 2005)

In the NELP where I hunt there was actually fewer hunters. 1 bow hunter but a few bird hunters.


----------



## Stubee (May 26, 2010)

I just went to a couple public spots I hunted intensely from the 1970s through about 1998. Looking now as I can’t hunt my Canada camp the first two weeks of November like I usually do. Not that much activity out there right now, and where I saw multiple trucks parked years ago I saw only one. These aren’t high deer number areas for quite a few years but good buck areas if you know the spots so in my world things seem about the same.


----------



## sureshotscott (Jul 7, 2011)

I let a spiker walk tonight. Maybe my last chance at seeing a deer on the hoof.


----------



## dinoday (Feb 22, 2004)

Personally I'm tired of the conversation with climber guy and don't blame anyone for not labeling their treestand.
I've had a dozen stolen over the years (yes I had my information on it)and now a dozen thieves have my name and address.
If I see a stand I go somewhere else, simple.


----------



## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

DM90 said:


> I'd rather deal with the "climber guy" and have that conversation than deal with the guy who is trying to lay claim to something that is public by word of the law....9 out of 10 stands I find on public land aren't labeled with any owner information and therefore are illegal for anyone to use.


So you climb the stand and tie wrap a tag with your name on it. Just remember to remove the tag afterward or leave a joke tag (i.e. a complaint or sorry about the pile but accidents happen).


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Take a hike on the Midland to Mackinac trail right now and you can find dozens of tree stands and most aren't labeled. We are trying to get our local DNR officers to take a hike.


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, even if it isn't popular opinion on here. If you put up your stand on public and leave it there, I thank you for giving me a stand to hunt from on that day. Sometimes I climb them just to get a better view of the area. Regardless, placing a stand gives you ZERO rights to the area and I'll happily have that conversation if somebody forces it. Now, OF COURSE, if I were to be sitting somebody else's stand and they showed up and said hey, that's my stand, I'd simply wish them luck and head off in a different direction. In the end, I figure that a stand that's unused on a particular day by the owner of the stand is free to use by anybody else. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

dinoday said:


> Personally I'm tired of the conversation with climber guy and don't blame anyone for not labeling their treestand.
> I've had a dozen stolen over the years (yes I had my information on it)and now a dozen thieves have my name and address.
> If I see a stand I go somewhere else, simple.


The only way a stand gets stolen is if you leave it out there. If people don't want their stuff stolen then they should take it out with them when they leave. I've done exactly what you just said so many times (move on when I find a stand), but that ends up leaving you with no where to go in the areas that I hunt. Why should I have to "just move on" when a guy puts a stand in a spot and only hunts it a few times a year?....Yes, I could choose to hunt there and take the chance, but like I said before, "you never know what kind of person you could run into" if you chose to hunt the spot and the guy does show up...too many people think that their stand placed in an area makes it "their spot". They don't know the laws.


----------



## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

I'm not in the public land crunch game today.
But in the past if someone was using a stand ,(active site/recent use) vs stand not being used mattered.
I didn't want to hunt where someone else had been or was hunting recently.
A stand some one is not using in an area I wanted to hunt , I hunted.
Of course options were had should someone show up and insist they hunt their stand.

There are some buttholes out there. And some great folks.
Steering clear of each other should be natural.

One public hunt I snuck in , sat on my tripod stool a while and noticed an orange blob on the ground about 30 yards away. Figured somebody lost or tossed a hat.
About a half hour later the hat floated upward , on someones head!
It was a guy who lived beyond the property who spent a lot of time out there. And was napping.
We greeted each other as usual when we crossed paths. And politely argued about who should stay there. He was being overly nice maybe , as I was on crutches.
I insisted he was there ahead of me and told him where I was going to go sit.

Another public site a co worker had a stand taken.
He found it in a tree a distance away , with someone hunting out of it....
He was nicer about it than I might have been.

A stand never stopped me from hunting a site on the rare occasion it was where I figured the "X' to hunt was. Unless obviously an active/used stand.
Don't recall being near one someone came out to use. So could tell well enough when to be near one I guess.

Always hung my own where others were not hunting.
One morning a guy ignored my whistle and built a ground blind about forty yards away. I guessed for upcoming firearm.
Then he never used it.....

A friend had a guy build a blind under his tree when he was in it ,after he asked the guy ,do you mind I'm trying to hunt here! Similar timing before firearm season.
A day or two later friend arrowed a deer. Dragged it back to the site and into the blind to field dress it. Not saying that was nice. But chuckled about it at the time.


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

Macs13 said:


> I've said it before and I'll say it again, even if it isn't popular opinion on here. If you put up your stand on public and leave it there, I thank you for giving me a stand to hunt from on that day. Sometimes I climb them just to get a better view of the area. Regardless, placing a stand gives you ZERO rights to the area and I'll happily have that conversation if somebody forces it. Now, OF COURSE, if I were to be sitting somebody else's stand and they showed up and said hey, that's my stand, I'd simply wish them luck and head off in a different direction. In the end, I figure that a stand that's unused on a particular day by the owner of the stand is free to use by anybody else.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I agree with you, but the problem is that most people wouldn't handle that scenario in a kind way. There would probably be some sort of threats made towards the person using "their" stand...and then you are stuck up a tree with no way down and a lunatic yelling at you for "stealing their property". It just makes more sense to say that they shouldn't be allowed to be left out.


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

I would think that if another hunter starts giving you crap you could call in a hunter harrassment report. A couple of pictures and a phone call solves a lot of problems.


----------



## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Macs13 said:


> I've said it before and I'll say it again, even if it isn't popular opinion on here. If you put up your stand on public and leave it there, I thank you for giving me a stand to hunt from on that day. Sometimes I climb them just to get a better view of the area. Regardless, placing a stand gives you ZERO rights to the area and I'll happily have that conversation if somebody forces it. Now, OF COURSE, if I were to be sitting somebody else's stand and they showed up and said hey, that's my stand, I'd simply wish them luck and head off in a different direction. In the end, I figure that a stand that's unused on a particular day by the owner of the stand is free to use by anybody else.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I'd climb up and unwrap it with you in it. Just shows again what an amazingly lazy and slob hunter you are.


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Im convinced the saddle is the way to go. See a stand? Move a little farther away and hunt.


----------



## dinoday (Feb 22, 2004)

Anyone that wants stands removed and put back up every day should spend a couple days duck hunting a public marsh and find out exactly what it's like trying to hunt a spot someone else wants to hunt.
By the 2nd or 3rd day you'll head out at 4am trying to beat them only to find out they spent the night there lol.
Nobody will ever be happy unless things are done the way they want it done.


----------



## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

DM90 said:


> Hunted a spot in SELP on friday evening that I scouted during the spring and late summer. Ran into two hunters about to walk in for the evening parked on the side of the road smoking a joint with their crossbows cocked and laying on the bed cover of their truck. They seemed annoyed that I would ask what direction they were heading (I told them I was only asking so I could give them some space). I then headed for my plan B location and found two stands (both unlabled) where there hadn't been anything in late august. I then moved on to my plan C location and found another unlabled stand. I ended up hunting from the ground because it got too late for me to set up in a tree....All of these spots were more than 3/4 mile from the nearest parking and around a thick nasty marsh. This is where I get annoyed with the fact that it is legal to leave stands on public land. I ended up being the only truck in the parking area when I walked out, so I ended up not hunting where I wanted to based on the fact that there were stands there and someone "might" show up to hunt those stands. I try to give people space when I see a stand and assume that they could show up to hunt at anytime and I don't want the confrontation if I am hunting "too close" and they show up (you never know who you could run into out there)....These guys could have hung those stands and might not hunt them until gun season. The point is that no matter what people on here say, there are people who try to "claim" public land spots and they won't put their names on their stands specifically so they don't get caught. Some of these stands get left out and trash up the woods too. I really believe with the higher volume of public land users these days that its time to get rid of the law that makes it legal to leave stands and blinds on public land (especially in Zone 3). It would take the guess work out of having to wonder if it is "someones spot" and make it "first come first serve" ,as it should be.


Leave the chip on your shoulder at home and quit playing the victim. 

Hunters who do follow the rules shouldn't have to make additional concessions to sooth your butt hurt insecurities.


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

brushbuster said:


> Im convinced the saddle is the way to go. See a stand? Move a little farther away and hunt.


I hunt out of a saddle and I've used this tactic, but its not a perfect tactic because the other guy can still show up and yell at you for sitting too close to "their spot"...which brings me back to how leaving a stand out there is pretty much the same thing as "laying claim" in a lot of peoples minds.


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

mbrewer said:


> Leave the chip on your shoulder at home and quit playing the victim.
> 
> Hunters who do follow the rules shouldn't have to make additional concessions to sooth your butt hurt insecurities.


If you re-read my post then you would see that the stands are illegal due to not being labeled (so I'm not talking about those who follow the rules). The point is that the vast majority do not follow this specific rule.


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

DM90 said:


> I hunt out of a saddle and I've used this tactic, but its not a perfect tactic because the other guy can still show up and yell at you for sitting too close to "their spot"...which brings me back to how leaving a stand out there is pretty much the same thing as "laying claim" in a lot of peoples minds.


Yeah it is but there are a lot of people out there who cant hunt mobile. It comes down to common sense. Move out of sight and the guy in the stand will be non the wiser.


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

DM90 said:


> If you re-read my post then you would see that the stands are illegal due to not being labeled (so I'm not talking about those who follow the rules). The point is that the vast majority do not follow this specific rule.


I don't blame them, I hate the thought of leaving my address out in the public lands for some kook to harass me, because I hunted in his spot.


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Sparky23 said:


> I'd climb up and unwrap it with you in it. Just shows again what an amazingly lazy and slob hunter you are.


I'm not sure why you think that you know me or how I hunt. I'm not sure what I did to personally offend you so much. I'll assure you that assume makes an ass out of u and me (that's an old word play joke in case you didn't get it). 

Read this thread. Read the stuff that came before and after my post. Most people agree with my stance and YOU are the hypothetical a-hole in their scenarios. 

Lastly, as I've said many times, say that to my face mr internet warrior. I drive a Denali. I'm the guy with the facial piercings and carrying a Ravin R10. I hunt Jackson County public mostly. You cannot mistake me. If you see me, let me see how brave you are. I strongly believe in being polite and sensible, but I'll happily show you the game of picking your teeth out of the dirt. 

If you want to talk about a slob or a lazy person, that's all of the dudes leaving their stand up, so presumably you judging by your comment. I pack my Summitt climber in and out with me every time that I intend to hunt from above, but i CERTAINLY will not allow a slob such as yourself to disenfranchise me of a hunting area that I want to sit on public because you decided to lazily leave your stand there. If you are there or if it looks like a frequently used stand, I'm going to keep on trucking because I'll assume that you are a beer swilling pig that knows nothing about scent control and I don't like to hunt blown out spots.



Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

brushbuster said:


> I don't blame them, I hate the thought of leaving my address out in the public lands for some kook to harass me, because I hunted in his spot.


You do not have to write your address on the stand. You are allowed to use your drivers license number or DNR sportscard number if you do not want to leave your name and address. Choosing not to label it properly in any circumstance is a violation. It is no different than any other game violation. If people actually labeled their stands and removed them on the date that is required (if they ever remove them at all) then people wouldn't have as much of an issue with it, but people aren't following those laws and use it to get a leg up on everyone else. It's really not that hard to hang a stand/ pop up a blind, hunt, and take it down. Plus no one would have their stuff stolen. I understand if you have some sort of disability that prevents you from being able to do so (and the laws usually make sure that those individuals can have accommodations made to help them out), but everyone else is just making excuses.


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

As an aside, and I know that I speak with the caveat of only being in my second hunting season, but the few times that I've met other hunters in the field, or more precisely the parking area usually, they have been anywhere between cordial and very nice. Do you guys really run into jerks frequently? If so, I guess I've just been lucky. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

brushbuster said:


> I don't blame them, I hate the thought of leaving my address out in the public lands for some kook to harass me, because I hunted in his spot.


My stands had black magic marker for I.D. writing.
Yes , it could be read from the ground despite the camo paint. It required binoculars is all.

What the difference is in someones ability to hunt because a stand that is not theirs is properly labeled or not escapes me though.

It can be a slalom course dodging other hunters.
But don't hunters expect deer to be trying to do the same?
More so around established used stands.

If every quarter acre has stands , I'd ground hunt while plotting where else to go scout with lower hunter numbers.
My last public hunt after prepping a wheelchair entry prior showed a half dozen hunters in the first hour of daylight. It was the result of change. Throughout the past decade room was to be had. It was simply time to move on again , or expect to continue to hunt in a crowd...


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, and I know that I speak with the caveat of only being in my second hunting season, but the few times that I've met other hunters in the field, or more precisely the parking area usually, they have been anywhere between cordial and very nice. Do you guys really run into jerks frequently? If so, I guess I've just been lucky.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


People are usually nice if you talk to them in the parking lots or on the roads, but the few run ins I've had out in the woods when I am in "their spot" tend to usually involve them making some sort of statement that "this is my spot I've been hunting for "X" amount of years and that you better find another spot or there may be consequences" haha. I just say sorry and move along. You never know who you are talking to and what they are capable of.


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

Macs13 said:


> I've said it before and I'll say it again, even if it isn't popular opinion on here. If you put up your stand on public and leave it there, I thank you for giving me a stand to hunt from on that day. Sometimes I climb them just to get a better view of the area. Regardless, placing a stand gives you ZERO rights to the area and I'll happily have that conversation if somebody forces it. Now, OF COURSE, if I were to be sitting somebody else's stand and they showed up and said hey, that's my stand, I'd simply wish them luck and head off in a different direction. In the end, I figure that a stand that's unused on a particular day by the owner of the stand is free to use by anybody else.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


This is correct. First come, first served.


----------



## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

DM90 said:


> If you re-read my post then you would see that the stands are illegal due to not being labeled (so I'm not talking about those who follow the rules). The point is that the vast majority do not follow this specific rule.


So you want a rule that says - No illegal stands left unattended or no stands left unattended?


----------



## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Macs13 said:


> I'm not sure why you think that you know me or how I hunt. I'm not sure what I did to personally offend you so much. I'll assure you that assume makes an ass out of u and me (that's an old word play joke in case you didn't get it).
> 
> Read this thread. Read the stuff that came before and after my post. Most people agree with my stance and YOU are the hypothetical a-hole in their scenarios.
> 
> ...


I hunt a saddle and dont want stands left either. I work at the outdoorsman workshop not internet warrior here. I have no problem in saying the same things to your face. I have ran into a bunch of guys on public this year and we have good convos most of the time. I showed a guy bringing his daughter over 50 trail cam pics and where they were taken to get her pumped. I simply dont like the fact that you are a left wing liberal that drinks before he goes to hunt others stands amd has next to no experience but still try to act as if you know no wrong. You have told some of the most experienced guys on here they were wrong. Listen more talk less man. Anyone who willingly hunts another's stand has balls and no. Again no. 0 sense of being an outdoorsman. Good luck with your crossbow.


----------



## Mike75 (Aug 23, 2020)

I,m sure glad some of you guys don,t hunt near me. Some of you don,t want anyone to scout a spot out and hunt it all season and some of you want to just use the work that others have done. As far as stands being left out it is perfectly legal as long as they are tagged properly you can hunt coyotes from a raised platform and it's open year around no closed season. and for you guys that think sitting other peoples stands just because it,s on state is all right remember the same thing applies to your truck the minute you get out of it .how would you like to come out of the woods to find some jerk sitting in the back of your truck it,s no different.


----------



## Slimits (Jun 30, 2014)

Wisconsin dont allow people to leave stands


----------



## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Slimits said:


> Wisconsin dont allow people to leave stands


Good excuse to tell the Mrs. why you can't leave the woods! L.o.l..

Solves the abandon stand issue for forestry/timber/ trees sake.


----------



## LuckyBucks (Dec 6, 2010)

Slimits said:


> Wisconsin dont allow people to leave stands


Only south of State Highway 64. North of 64 it is legal to leave them overnight. About the northern 1/4 of the state.


----------



## wildcoy73 (Mar 2, 2004)

All I ask on public, if I am the first one to the spot is move on. 
But many of times during firearm I have hunter come in and ignore my lights and sit 30 yards from me.
I have been known to either go sit with them, go out and take a healthy dump upwind of them, or right at shooting light get up and walk around.
Once had an old guy sit up right in my shooting lane and faced me. Had the nerve to wave at me. Needless to say at day break a health doe walked behind him, as soon as it was safe from him being in line of fire I dropped her. Man he was upset I ruined his hunt by taking a doe.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

mbrewer said:


> So you want a rule that says - No illegal stands left unattended or no stands left unattended?


Personally I don't think any should be allowed to be left unattended, but I know that I am in the minority. What I am saying is that if the law is going to be written this way then people should be at least following the law as it is written. The majority of my issue with stands being left out there is that people tend to set a stand and then never remove it. It eventually grows into the tree and with no proper labeling of the stand there is no way to report the bad actors who are not removing their stands by the required date. People will go buy a bunch of cheap stands and set them up in an area to create the illusion that a bunch of people are hunting in a spot. They just leave them up and if they get stolen it doesn't outweigh the benefit of keeping others out.


----------



## fishonjr (Feb 16, 2006)

Martin Looker said:


> Take a hike on the Midland to Mackinac trail right now and you can find dozens of tree stands and most aren't labeled. We are trying to get our local DNR officers to take a hike.


What county? In Midland county, only about one mile of the trail actually butts up next to state land. Is that the area you are referring to? I live right by that section so maybe I’ll take a little bike ride this morning. I’ve never noticed any stands next to the trail. There’s a little more in Clare county but not much. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

Mike75 said:


> I,m sure glad some of you guys don,t hunt near me. Some of you don,t want anyone to scout a spot out and hunt it all season and some of you want to just use the work that others have done. As far as stands being left out it is perfectly legal as long as they are tagged properly you can hunt coyotes from a raised platform and it's open year around no closed season. and for you guys that think sitting other peoples stands just because it,s on state is all right remember the same thing applies to your truck the minute you get out of it .how would you like to come out of the woods to find some jerk sitting in the back of your truck it,s no different.


A little food for thought:

1.) "Scaffolds, raised platforms, ladders, steps, and any other device to assist in climbing a tree cannot be placed on public lands any earlier than Sept. 1, and must be removed by March 1. A permanent raised platform or tree stand may be used for hunting on private land with the permission of the landowner. It is unlawful to use an illegal tree stand, scaffold, step, etc., regardless of who placed it on public lands. Your name on a tree stand or ground blind on public land does not guarantee exclusive use." -2020 Michigan Hunting Digest Page 25

2.) "Coyotes may be taken day or night from an elevated platform IF ALL OTHER HUNTING REGULATIONS ARE FOLLOWED." -2020 Michigan Hunting Digest Page 57

3.) "Centerfire rifles and centerfire pistols may NOT be used in state park or recreation areas statewide, or on any public land in the Limited Firearms Deer Zone." -2020 Michigan Hunting Digest Page 57

^^^This debunks your coyote excuse. The law is what it is....stands are required to be removed from public land by March 1, and if you are not following that rule you are violating the law. If you want exclusive rights to a specific place to hunt then maybe its time to lease or buy some land. Sounds like you want those benefits but want it to be free to you...exclusive rights to an area costs money, its simple as that. Public land should be first come first serve.


----------



## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

DM90 said:


> Personally I don't think any should be allowed to be left unattended, but I know that I am in the minority. What I am saying is that if the law is going to be written this way then people should be at least following the law as it is written. The majority of my issue with stands being left out there is that people tend to set a stand and then never remove it. It eventually grows into the tree and with no proper labeling of the stand there is no way to report the bad actors who are not removing their stands by the required date. People will go buy a bunch of cheap stands and set them up in an area to create the illusion that a bunch of people are hunting in a spot. They just leave them up and if they get stolen it doesn't outweigh the benefit of keeping others out.


All these public land hunters with the money, time and energy to buy and hang stands just to keep other hunters at bay are a figment of your imagination. 

If it can happen, someone has done it before and will again but the exception doesn't make the rule. And a new rule won't cure the exception any more than the current law does.


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

mbrewer said:


> All these public land hunters with the money, time and energy to buy and hang stands just to keep other hunters at bay are a figment of your imagination.
> 
> If it can happen, someone has done it before and will again but the exception doesn't make the rule. And a new rule won't cure the exception any more than the current law does.


Its actually not a figment of my imagination. A guy in my area was reported for this exact thing (along with posting no trespassing signs on public property). Not all stands are expensive, you can go to Walmart and get one for $20. And you are correct, a new rule wouldn't change anything unless there was solid and uniform enforcement of the law. We have a difference of opinion on this one and I'm fine with that, good luck out there this season. Be safe and have fun.


----------



## vsmorgantown (Jan 16, 2012)

Sparky23 said:


> I hunt a saddle and dont want stands left either. I work at the outdoorsman workshop not internet warrior here. I have no problem in saying the same things to your face. I have ran into a bunch of guys on public this year and we have good convos most of the time. I showed a guy bringing his daughter over 50 trail cam pics and where they were taken to get her pumped. I simply dont like the fact that you are a left wing liberal that drinks before he goes to hunt others stands amd has next to no experience but still try to act as if you know no wrong. You have told some of the most experienced guys on here they were wrong. Listen more talk less man. Anyone who willingly hunts another's stand has balls and no. Again no. 0 sense of being an outdoorsman. Good luck with your crossbow.


And don’t forget a PETA member. When I hear I’m hunting your stand if I find it and I know that person is a PETA member my first thought is hunter harassment, otherwise, why would a PETA member be hunting?


----------



## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Mike75 said:


> I,m sure glad some of you guys don,t hunt near me. Some of you don,t want anyone to scout a spot out and hunt it all season and some of you want to just use the work that others have done. As far as stands being left out it is perfectly legal as long as they are tagged properly you can hunt coyotes from a raised platform and it's open year around no closed season. and for you guys that think sitting other peoples stands just because it,s on state is all right remember the same thing applies to your truck the minute you get out of it .how would you like to come out of the woods to find some jerk sitting in the back of your truck it,s no different.


Isn't this the first year you can predator hunt out of a elevated blind or platform?


----------



## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

DM90 said:


> Its actually not a figment of my imagination. A guy in my area was reported for this exact thing (along with posting no trespassing signs on public property). Not all stands are expensive, you can go to Walmart and get one for $20. And you are correct, a new rule wouldn't change anything unless there was solid and uniform enforcement of the law. We have a difference of opinion on this one and I'm fine with that, good luck out there this season. Be safe and have fun.


Thank you. Best to you as well.


----------



## mbrewer (Aug 16, 2014)

vsmorgantown said:


> And don’t forget a PETA member. When I hear I’m hunting your stand if I find it and I know that person is a PETA member my first thought is hunter harassment, otherwise, why would a PETA member be hunting?


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

vsmorgantown said:


> And don’t forget a PETA member. When I hear I’m hunting your stand if I find it and I know that person is a PETA member my first thought is hunter harassment, otherwise, why would a PETA member be hunting?


Just to be clear, I am not a PETA member, nor am I a "far left" anything. Politically, since sparky went there, I'm what you would call a middle of the road independent - I loved Barack Obama AND John McCain (Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt are my favorite historical presidents and they're both Republicans) and my guy for this year was Mayor Pete - a centrist military veteran from the Midwest. I suppose if labels and name calling are required for your satisfaction, that's your prerogative, but I vote based on issues, not party affiliation. To the first point, I mentioned that once, long ago as a young man, I sent a singular donation to PETA. At the time, I was unaware of their more extreme views on some stuff, including hunting policies. I would note that many of you likely support the NRA and the bulk of their work but don't necessarily agree with their more extreme stances.

Sparky, I apologize for my language toward you. My opinions are my own and I stand behind them, but I could have done my part in trying to keep the conversation civil. Good luck out there. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

Slimits said:


> What disease? So few deer have it its not even a drop in the bucket


Does it have a 99.6% survival rate? Because we stomped the brakes on an entire economy for that! Lol


----------



## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

jiggin is livin said:


> Damnit! This habit of personally calling me out is getting old!


Will you stop marking your trail in with your empties 

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/lfts-october-2nd.704991/page-3#post-8631261


----------



## jiggin is livin (Jan 7, 2011)

bowhunter426 said:


> Will you stop marking your trail in with your empties
> 
> https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/lfts-october-2nd.704991/page-3#post-8631261


Dangit! 

I forgot that sumbitch. I stuck it there when I had to squat down to pee.


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

vsmorgantown said:


> Since the ladder stand was on state land did it, at least, have a name on it? Also, since it's on state land and left up it's free game, go hunt it, just remember there's a dump on the platform before you put your hand on it.


No name, but maybe I will hunt it, although that would be kind of redundant as I have a stand a couple hundred yards away hunting the same deer on the same paths. But I might hunt it just for sh*ts and giggles (pun intended). Would like to see the guy's face when he realizes I've beaten him at his own game.


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

DirtySteve said:


> Oh now i see. It is one of those PIA state land hunters who you feel is trying to hunt your deer 100 yds from your food plot.
> 
> Just for clarification what is the acceptable buffer zone you feel a state land hunter needs to keep from your property so he isnt somehow taking advantage or you and your deer herd?


Idk, a couple hundred yards? Far enough where we're not hunting on top of another? Far enough that I can't easily shoot him with a rifle? At least so that we're not hunting the same deer on the same path. There's law and there's ethics. I know it's a weird and common thing for Michigan hunters to hunt boundaries, but you know it's just cutting the other guy off and messing with their hunt. Only MI hunters do this. Hunters in other states have common courtesy not to mess with other guys. It's like they're playing checkers or something.


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Tom (mich) said:


> C'mon man, this thread was much more entertaining when you two were fighting, enough of this civility BS, it's boring me.
> 
> Hey, I know a guy who said that Sparky23 said your wife was fat. I wouldn't let that go unchecked if I were you....


Lmao. I almost fell out of the tree. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

bowhunter426 said:


> I am surprised too see that Trigger doesn't want to share his hunting land with those that don't own hunting land.





jacksonmideerhunter said:


> Im surprised to see that he doesn't want to share the land he does not own with them either...





jiggin is livin said:


> Damnit! This habit of personally calling me out is getting old!
> 
> 
> 
> ...





vsmorgantown said:


> I know right. Doesn't want to share state land and is dropping deuce's on unsuspecting state landers stands. What the F is going on here?


It's not about whether I want to share my land. It's about whether I think it's okay to hunt right on top of other people, hunting the same game trails from stands visible from the road. I have plenty of spots on state land too, but none of them are within 500 yards of another hunter's spot. We have hundreds of thousands of acres of state land up here. There is no reason or need to be hunting with a strategy of shooting a deer before the other guy on the same trail shoots him. 

There's a group of guys on the 40 acres of public land next to me that hunt that 40 every year. We have a good relationship, share food/booze/trailcam pics because they respect my boundaries and my hunt. We're probably hunting the same deer, but I can't see them from any of my stands, and they keep a safe distance back.


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

I can hijack it again....

What's the thinking on listening to tunes while sitting in the tree? I don't mean cranking Zepp up on the ole boombox, but I use little earbuds. If it's on a super quiet volume, there's no way a deer could hear that, right? Sometimes I get bored up here. It's everything I can do to not flip on a Jonas Brothers video marathon with my Bartles and James wine cooler. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

Macs13 said:


> I can hijack it again....
> 
> What's the thinking on listening to tunes while sitting in the tree? I don't mean cranking Zepp up on the ole boombox, but I use little earbuds. If it's on a super quiet volume, there's no way a deer could hear that, right? Sometimes I get bored up here. It's everything I can do to not flip on a Jonas Brothers video marathon with my Bartles and James wine cooler.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I use apple airpods and listen to podcasts. I don't have very good hearing in the first place.


----------



## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

I used to hunt stuff so thick that I'd hear them before they came in.


----------



## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> Idk, a couple hundred yards? Far enough where we're not hunting on top of another? Far enough that I can't easily shoot him with a rifle? At least so that we're not hunting the same deer on the same path. There's law and there's ethics. I know it's a weird and common thing for Michigan hunters to hunt boundaries, but you know it's just cutting the other guy off and messing with their hunt. Only MI hunters do this. Hunters in other states have common courtesy not to mess with other guys. It's like they're playing checkers or something.


If agree with this. You need to be far enough away to where you can’t see each other. There is a difference between hunting a property line and having the property owner in the middle of a 20,30,40 acres. Or hunting the property line where you can wave at the property owner. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

Shoeman said:


> I used to hunt stuff so thick that I'd hear them before they came in.


Yep, especially if you're down wind where you should be...


----------



## buckguts1970 (Dec 7, 2012)

Mr.trigger discipline went fishing today and the hot bait was a poopy ladder stand seat. Well played sir.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Tom (mich) (Jan 17, 2003)

Macs13 said:


> I can hijack it again....
> 
> What's the thinking on listening to tunes while sitting in the tree? I don't mean cranking Zepp up on the ole boombox, but I use little earbuds. If it's on a super quiet volume, there's no way a deer could hear that, right? Sometimes I get bored up here. It's everything I can do to not flip on a Jonas Brothers video marathon with my Bartles and James wine cooler.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


On my 110 acres I probably hear the deer coming before I can see it 90% of the time, it's very thick. Basically, if I can see a deer, then its in bow range. If I eliminated my hearing, I'd miss a lot of excitement. Can't speak for other hunters, but I enjoy the sounds of nature over the visual experience. The only aspect of deer hunting more exciting to me than seeing a deer, is hearing it coming over dry leaves, sticks etc. 

Maybe if I hunted over a bean field adjacent to a roadway with hundreds of yards of visibility, I might then consider listening to music.


----------



## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Two different neighboring properties have major runs cutting corners with mine.
The one I have not been near for years. A mobility thing. But I cleared out of the entire area when those neighbors hunted. I'd be in their field of fire , IF deer cut the fallow field on their side.
We don't shoot deer on each others property. But why jam them up?
The other shared run I've never seen.
IF someone crowds those runs, deer can be expected to not use them the same. Let alone during daylight.
Nobody wins that way. Take away the security and deer will chose better options.
And because of the terrain and such , the major through routes are limited...
Better deer can pass back and forth , than ruin the security of doing so they have now.


----------



## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

Walked some state land in Saginaw/gratiot county state game area AKA marion springs. I was able to find an area with no cars around. So I could walk and not screw up any ones hunt However, that was the exception not the rule. Luckily I go up north for the opener. Hopefully it thins out by the 2nd week when I plan on hunting down here.


Found this skull. Im trying to convince my self the horns disappeared after it had been dead for a while. Everybody else can create there own conclusions.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Whitetail_hunter (Mar 14, 2012)

mbirdsley said:


> Walked some state land in Saginaw/gratiot county state game area AKA marion springs. I was able to find an area with no cars around. So I could walk and not screw up any ones hunt However, that was the exception not the rule. Luckily I go up north for the opener. Hopefully it thins out by the 2nd week when I plan on hunting down here.
> 
> 
> Found this skull. Im trying to convince my self the horns disappeared after it had been dead for a while. Everybody else can create there own conclusions.
> ...


I found a skull that looked exactly the same in the same game area this spring hunting turkey/mushrooms.

Did it happen to be at parking area that is on a road that starts with a g and the intersection just west the road starts with a r? If not seems there are a few of those just laying around.


----------



## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

Whitetail_hunter said:


> I found a skull that looked exactly the same in the same game area this spring hunting turkey/mushrooms.
> 
> Did it happen to be at parking area that is on a road that starts with a g and the intersection just west the road starts with a r? If not seems there are a few of those just laying around.


Huh, no it wasn’t there. That is peculiar coincidence to have all of these hatless dead deer around . The road I was on was a East west road started with S. Western north south road starts with a C ends with IN. the eastern north-south road starts with another S and shares the first 5 letters of a popular Great Lake fish. The state land is patchy in this area 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

If it were anywhere near a road it was likely dumped after processing.


----------



## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

DirtySteve said:


> If it were anywhere near a road it was likely dumped after processing.


Kinda far in there. However, I didn’t find any other bones either 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

mbirdsley said:


> Walked some state land in Saginaw/gratiot county state game area AKA marion springs. I was able to find an area with no cars around. So I could walk and not screw up any ones hunt However, that was the exception not the rule. Luckily I go up north for the opener. Hopefully it thins out by the 2nd week when I plan on hunting down here.
> 
> 
> Found this skull. Im trying to convince my self the horns disappeared after it had been dead for a while. Everybody else can create there own conclusions.
> ...


There's lots of room up here, you won't have a problem finding a good spot. There are more hunters than in the last few years, but still, there's hundreds of thousands of acres. Plenty of excellent spots where I had cell cam pics of 130+ bucks in years past have no stands up. I really shake my head at the behavior of the hunters in this state. They crowd any spot next to the road with doe tracks, but neglect the best areas that aren't even a mile from the road. No excuse either, as we have google maps and OnX these days.

You sound like a good, ethical hunter. Hope you have a great time up north.


----------



## Slick Trick40 (Nov 25, 2012)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> There's lots of room up here, you won't have a problem finding a good spot. There are more hunters than in the last few years, but still, there's hundreds of thousands of acres. Plenty of excellent spots where I had cell cam pics of 130+ bucks in years past have no stands up. I really shake my head at the behavior of the hunters in this state. They crowd any spot next to the road with doe tracks, but neglect the best areas that aren't even a mile from the road. No excuse either, as we have google maps and OnX these days.
> 
> You sound like a good, ethical hunter. Hope you have a great time up north.


That’s because all the honey holes are next to the road overlooked. Do you watch Dan infalt?


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

Slick Trick40 said:


> That’s because all the honey holes are next to the road overlooked. Do you watch Dan infalt?


Yeah now that Dan gave away that secret you can expect a stand in every tree from the front of a property all the way to the back. Maybe the deer will start digging tunnels to get out of the state land.


----------



## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

DirtySteve said:


> If it were anywhere near a road it was likely dumped after processing.


Yep and easily carried away by scavengers


----------



## mbirdsley (Jan 12, 2012)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> There's lots of room up here, you won't have a problem finding a good spot. There are more hunters than in the last few years, but still, there's hundreds of thousands of acres. Plenty of excellent spots where I had cell cam pics of 130+ bucks in years past have no stands up. I really shake my head at the behavior of the hunters in this state. They crowd any spot next to the road with doe tracks, but neglect the best areas that aren't even a mile from the road. No excuse either, as we have google maps and OnX these days.
> 
> You sound like a good, ethical hunter. Hope you have a great time up north.


Thanks. We do deer camp at my grandpas 40 acres in ogemaw co. That 40 butts up to and is surrounded by state land. everybody hunts the 40 or close to it. My brother, his friend and I go about another mile in to the state land. We have only ran into on other group during gun season. Them and us showed up back there about 8 years ago. We give each other space and try not screw each other up 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> There's lots of room up here, you won't have a problem finding a good spot. There are more hunters than in the last few years, but still, there's hundreds of thousands of acres. Plenty of excellent spots where I had cell cam pics of 130+ bucks in years past have no stands up. I really shake my head at the behavior of the hunters in this state. They crowd any spot next to the road with doe tracks, but neglect the best areas that aren't even a mile from the road. No excuse either, as we have google maps and OnX these days.
> 
> You sound like a good, ethical hunter. Hope you have a great time up north.


As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## triplelunger (Dec 21, 2009)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


It's worth it. Keep an eye on camofire.com. They often offer it at a nice discount. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## John Hine (Mar 31, 2019)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Worth every penny for sure.


----------



## Norman Kaster (Mar 6, 2017)

It even will give lake configures with depth.... Just like a chart plotter...I use it all year long... Just don't up grade for elite from premiere because when you come back and cancel your elite you will have to buy the original premiere again...I just got suckered in and repurchase it again for the rest of the year so, I should of just paid the damn 100 at the beginning of the year and got the elite.


----------



## jacksonmideerhunter (Oct 9, 2011)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


definitely worth the 30 bucks imo.


----------



## greense1 (Sep 20, 2012)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> Idk, a couple hundred yards? Far enough where we're not hunting on top of another? Far enough that I can't easily shoot him with a rifle? At least so that we're not hunting the same deer on the same path. There's law and there's ethics. I know it's a weird and common thing for Michigan hunters to hunt boundaries, but you know it's just cutting the other guy off and messing with their hunt. Only MI hunters do this. Hunters in other states have common courtesy not to mess with other guys. It's like they're playing checkers or something.


Why should he be the one that has to move? Why don’t you just set up further in on your land if being so close to people is such an issue? You know exactly where the boundary is so it shouldn’t be too hard to set up in a manner that keeps the distance you wish to have. Why do you get the right to decide where someone should and shouldn’t hunt when the land isn’t yours?


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

greense1 said:


> Why should he be the one that has to move? Why don’t you just set up further in on your land if being so close to people is such an issue? You know exactly where the boundary is so it shouldn’t be too hard to set up in a manner that keeps the distance you wish to have. Why do you get the right to decide where someone should and shouldn’t hunt when the land isn’t yours?


Because I was there first. Basic logic. What are you, the hunting version of Old Greg?


----------



## greense1 (Sep 20, 2012)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> Because I was there first. Basic logic. What are you, the hunting version of Old Greg?


I personally wouldn’t want to hunt anywhere near anyone else and try and actively avoid people but he doesn’t seem to have an issue with it. Was just curious why you thought you had any more right to that public land than him. It appears you think your stand on your private land gives you an extension of ownership into the public land. If you had said I tried to talk to him and it didn’t go well then I’d think differently and the guy is probably a prick. But you found a stand on state land and took a **** on it just because you thought it was “your area” before even interacting with them.


----------



## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

greense1 said:


> I personally wouldn’t want to hunt anywhere near anyone else and try and actively avoid people but he doesn’t seem to have an issue with it. Was just curious why you thought you had any more right to that public land than him. It appears you think your stand on your private land gives you an extension of ownership into the public land. If you had said I tried to talk to him and it didn’t go well then I’d think differently and the guy is probably a prick. But you found a stand on state land and took a **** on it just because you thought it was “your area” before even interacting with them.


Kinda what I was thinking. The guy may have seen sign and hunted it. He could be completely clueless that another hunter was nearby or that there is a food plot 100 yds away.


----------



## bowhunter426 (Oct 20, 2010)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Worth it, for anyone that hunts Public land. 20% off if you use THP code. I use it to mark all the trails/ paths i use. Every time i hit a new property I recorded all the trails and paths I want to take to the stand. . Radar overlay is nice. Wish it easily showed wind direction like Huntstsnd


----------



## Fordguy (Dec 18, 2017)

Sparky23 said:


> I was in Bethel Alaska for 6 months. Damp town. Couldnt buy or sell in town had to order in from brown jug. At the time. Cheapest beer was Coors. 69.99 a case natives begging at grocery store for you to buy listerine or lemon extract or lisal for them because they were on no sell list. Different world


Puzzling,... It's not that hard to brew your own. Blueberries can make a darn good wine if you can't find any of the really sour wild grapes we have in Michigan. I've made some really good stuff on occasion, let it ferment until it runs out of sugar or the alcohol content gets so high that it kills the yeast, then rack it. Won't freeze in a Michigan winter. Seems like those who are so desperate for a drink would just make their own.


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

mbirdsley said:


> Walked some state land in Saginaw/gratiot county state game area AKA marion springs. I was able to find an area with no cars around. So I could walk and not screw up any ones hunt However, that was the exception not the rule. Luckily I go up north for the opener. Hopefully it thins out by the 2nd week when I plan on hunting down here.
> 
> 
> Found this skull. Im trying to convince my self the horns disappeared after it had been dead for a while. Everybody else can create there own conclusions.
> ...


I found acouple out there this year while turkey hunting this year, one during after season scouting that looked fresh enough there was still meat on the bones.


----------



## triplelunger (Dec 21, 2009)

bowhunter426 said:


> Worth it, for anyone that hunts Public land. 20% off if you use THP code. I use it to mark all the trails/ paths i use. Every time i hit a new property I recorded all the trails and paths I want to take to the stand. . Radar overlay is nice. Wish it easily showed wind direction like Huntstsnd
> 
> View attachment 591681
> 
> ...


Food plots are like sore thumbs on those maps, too! I can slide right up on some loser's property line and hunt the trails headed to his side. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Sparky23 (Aug 15, 2007)

Fordguy said:


> Puzzling,... It's not that hard to brew your own. Blueberries can make a darn good wine if you can't find any of the really sour wild grapes we have in Michigan. I've made some really good stuff on occasion, let it ferment until it runs out of sugar or the alcohol content gets so high that it kills the yeast, then rack it. Won't freeze in a Michigan winter. Seems like those who are so desperate for a drink would just make their own.


One would think amd I'm sure some did. Different world up there


----------



## DM90 (Jan 7, 2014)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


IMO it is the best investment a hunter can make


----------



## Fordguy (Dec 18, 2017)

We used it in Wyoming this year. We would have been lost without it. Boundaries aren't marked there, and most of the public land is fenced, grazed, and not posted in the areas we hunted. OnX showed us where the boundaries were and what pieces of public land were accessible.


----------



## TriggerDiscipline (Sep 25, 2017)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


The great thing about OnX is it gives you the property lines overlaid on an aerial or topo map. I've found that it's not quite as accurate as county GIS data if you have that available, but it's accurate enough if you're in the field. The other nice feature is you can mark all your stands, rubs, scrapes, strut zones, with custom icons, and keep everything organized. You can also save your maps to use them offline with your phone's GPS. If you hunt a lot of different properties it helps a lot to keep everything organized. Google MyMaps can do a lot of the same stuff, but doesn't have the offline option and the property boundaries as far as I know. There might be a way to overlay county GIS data on a Google Map, but I don't know how.

Another nice feature I use a lot is the aerial-topo hybrid layer, that really helps me make sense of a property and figure out which areas might be worth scouting.

A couple things that I wish it had are wind indicators and weather/wind forecasts, and a feature that tells you what stand would be good to hunt based on the present wind conditions. It doesn't seem like it would be that difficult to program, especially since users already use custom icons for their stands.

As of now, I have all my stands with nicknames on an excel spreadsheet, with a list of what wind directions will work with each stand, what kind of cover it's around, best season to hunt, and most active times. When I want to hunt, I sort the stands by wind direction and select based on that. I have 20 treestands on 3 parcels of private property and public land. It gets a little overwhelming just considering all this in my head, so OnX is great for making the decision of when and where to hunt.


Slick Trick40 said:


> That’s because all the honey holes are next to the road overlooked. Do you watch Dan infalt?


I do watch Dan and contribute to the hunting beast forums. Dan's best roadside spots are wetlands. The spot I'm talking about in this thread, and the spots I'm thinking of, are decidedly not wetlands.


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

Drove around today at the local hunting area and there has been a blow-up on camps, should be interesting when I hopefully get back out to hunt next weekend.


----------



## Matt3ddsteel (Jan 10, 2002)

TriggerDiscipline said:


> Because I was there first. Basic logic. What are you, the hunting version of Old Greg?


Lmao... wtf is this


----------



## Falk (Jan 18, 2005)

triplelunger said:


> Food plots are like sore thumbs on those maps, too! I can slide right up on some loser's property line and hunt the trails headed to his side.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


If you were to do that then you are the loser.


----------



## jexmex (Jul 11, 2014)

Macs13 said:


> As an aside, how is OnX? Is it worth it to invest and learn that program? I see the The Hunting Public guys plug it pretty regularly. I'm wondering if real life Michigan hunters find it useful. Currently, for comparison, I swap between MI-hunt and Google Earth
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I have been using HuntStand, although mostly just for tagging spots. I might have to look into it myself.


----------

