# Gaylord Area State Land



## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

I have just become a land owner of a 20acre parcel a few miles west of Gaylord. There are some buildings/houses nearby so I don't know how much hunting I will be able to do on this parcel, but a couple miles away is some state land.

Has anyone hunted in this area? Does the state land get real packed or have lots of pressure in this area? Is roadside parking legal or not? 

PM me if you don't feel like posting in a public forum.

Just looking for general thoughts. I've never really hunted state land other than a state game area years ago for bunnies and squirrel. I used to have access to our family farm in the thumb but unfortunately that had to be sold off to pay eldercare bills. Been out of the game since and would like to have a decent shot at a deer and turkey. Just wondering if its worth my time and effort to scout, drive, set up a camp to hunt up there on this state land or should I really just look elsewhere.

Thanks,
Steve


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Otsego County traditionally suffers through, along with Kalkaska County, the hardest winters in the lower Peninsula, with more snow than any other LP county, lots of cold weather, and a winter that usually starts in mid-November and ends in mid-April-or later. This year it may be later. 
That is due to the several micro-climates in this part of Michigan and the elevation. Otsego County is the absolute heart of the nw snowbelt, and why the National Weather Service keeps a Doppler radar station there. 
So, wildlife suffers in this county, whether it's deer, turkey, squirrels or bunnies. 
Although bunny numbers have come back in recent years and we're even seeing some snowshoes, the numbers of bunnies are far, far below those of southern Michigan and it's still pretty rare to see snowshoe sign, which you'll only see in the deep swamps anyway. 
Due to low numbers of good mast trees like white oak, unreliable red oak acorn crops and even more unreliable beech nut crops, as well as a dearth of corn crops, squirrel numbers are also very low, with small spikes in some areas with good food sources. Red squirrels are everywhere. 
Wild turkeys, until recent years, did very well with organized winter feeding programs, with populations growing to 10x the number of birds originally stocked in the late 80's, until about a decade ago. Since then, the high price of corn coupled with the ban of feeding deer, which had many people afraid to feed anything, has resulted in much lower wild turkey numbers except where the birds have been fed on a consistent basis. Although we did feed a few birds in Otsego County this winter, it was much less than in the "golden" years. 
Deer numbers, which have never been really high in Otsego County, have also suffered due to the three year ban on feeding and a couple of years of unlimited antlerless hunting. This winter was hard on them, we'll find out how hard before too long, I'm sure. Otsego County is not considered a destination for deer hunting anymore, never really was, for that matter. 
The good news? Elk numbers are stabilizing, with elk now found in many areas they've not been previously seen, with speculation that the Pigeon River just gets too much human attention these days for the elk to feel secure. Elk are traditionally very reclusive, shy animals that really like their peace and quiet. Lots of habitat work is done on state land in the Pigeon to keep the elk there, but it's becoming obvious, as they have crossed I-75 and headed west to private lands, that they need more than food. 
Ruffed grouse and woodcock, in areas with habitat cuttings, are in pretty good shape, although in my opinion and those of many people I know who have hunted game birds in Otsego for more than 2 decades, no where near the numbers of 30 years ago.
Black bear are doing well, with numbers now higher than they've been in many years, becoming almost common sightings in Otsego County, which is not always considered good news to residents. Watch your pets, bird feeders, and barbecues.
Trappers do pretty well, although you'll find you have competition from lots of other trappers. Coyotes are everywhere, but seem to have suffered a bit in the last year or so from mange.
Fishing is not something I feel qualified to rate for you, but although you'll find lots of anglers on the rivers, streams, and lakes of Otsego County, I don't think any of it would get the attention of Field and Stream. 
Best thing you can do, as a new Otsego County property owner, is everything you can to improve the habitat there, even if you only have a lot. Every little bit helps.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I don't think you've hit the lotto but, in the famous words "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need."
I think you can find enough fish and game in a very short driving distance to enjoy the area.


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

Just noticed that I wrote west instead of east, its slightly east of Gaylord. pretty bleak picture. Its 20 acres, so I have enough room to put a decent plot in and see if there are any benefits.

I think I'll give it a whirl this year and see what happens.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2


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## JDR (Sep 10, 2012)

Just a few miles east of Gaylord, on M-32 there is the DNR office. Stop in there and inquire. I'm sure they may have some answers to your questions.


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## tgafish (Jan 19, 2001)

First off Congrats Steve! Great round up Linda! Steve my family has had a small amount of property around Wolverine since I was a kid. State land does not get terribly crowded. Especially for turkeys. In fact area J has tons of permts left over every year and I believe they only have 4K draw permits for a large area. There are definitley fewer of them out there than before but the southern explosion has definitely spread out the hunters and dropped the pressure. There are animals and space to be had no matter what your poison. I'm not much of an upland hunter but I rarely spend a day deer scouting where I don't kick up several birds.


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## Craig M (May 17, 2000)

Steve,

I used to hunt the lands just north of Vienna Corners for deer and always did fairly well. If your into yote hunting, quite a few of those around. 

Is roadside parking legal or not? I never had a problem but I always parked in areas where i didn't obstruct the 2 tracks. As for the turkey, I would always find them on the 2 tracks close to creeks/water sources.


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## Nork (Apr 29, 2009)

I used to live in the Gaylord area for about 7 years and was not impressed with the deer hunting at all. I've taken rides around the Pigeon River Forest and have seen more elk than deer. But if you're into trout fishing, I think it's a great area.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Craig M said:


> Vienna Corners


Do they make those little sausages there? :lol:


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## Craig M (May 17, 2000)

FREEPOP said:


> Do they make those little sausages there? :lol:


Don't know John, I always brought my own kielbasa with me!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Been to the Big Bear many times for supplies.

If you're toting a kielbasa, remember:


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

i wouldnt say the state land gets pounded over there but it is state land and it does recieve some pressure. Find the oaks and you will find some deer. I live just south east of waters if you need more info shoot me a pm. Trout fishing, snowmobiling, and grouse hunting, is fantastic. There are a few turkeys to be found


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## Craig M (May 17, 2000)

What does sheep have to do with kielbasa unless your making veiled references to certain preferences one may have... to which I will state, I'm Polish and not Irish!.:evilsmile

Back to Gaylord... Deer hunting around there is not what it used to be Steve. Used to be camps all over the place on the state land and opening day was a pumpkin patch. Now there are hardly any camps and very little hunting pressure so you should have plenty of elbow room to explore and hunt.


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## Michael Wagner (Jul 17, 2007)

Craig M said:


> Don't know John,I always brought*my own kielbasa* with me!**


Unsubstantiated rumor!!!!! All I got was a text it was in the smoker, never recieved any tangible proof such as a care pkg. in the mail......


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## Spartan88 (Nov 14, 2008)

I think the OP would have better luck hunting state land east of Lewiston...PM me if you want to know where OP...


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## zachattack (Nov 2, 2012)

JDR said:


> Just a few miles east of Gaylord, on M-32 there is the DNR office. Stop in there and inquire. I'm sure they may have some answers to your questions.


it is actually west of Gaylord and east of meijer


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## Craig M (May 17, 2000)

Michael Wagner said:


> Unsubstantiated rumor!!!!! All I got was a text it was in the smoker, never recieved any tangible proof such as a care pkg. in the mail......


Well Mike, you never sent me any of that Jerky you made:corkysm55 but I'll make you a deal, when we bear camp hammered out, be ready for some of my kielbasa. Dear lord, writing that is wrong on so many levels!:lol:


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

Thanks everyone for your pointers and recommendations! I think I'm going to try the area but I will stop by the DNR station to chat with the folks there with some land use questions. 

A few have pm'd me. Once I get all my thoughts together I'll be contacting you and thank you for your offers of help! 

Right now the 20 acres is vacant, has a gravel path to a clearing that I'm 99% sure is buildable. Not in the near-term, but long term we'll probably put a small place on it. A place to just get away and relax.

I used to be big into trout spin/fly fishing, I'll have to take it back up. I see the headwater of the black river isn't very far from my property, so I may be taking a few hikes to see if theres anything out there to catch.


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