# Goose/Duck Hunting Grand River



## Jeffrey Hamlin (Jan 5, 2008)

Was fishing on the Grand today (between Grand Ledge and Lansing) and saw TONS of geese and ducks. Anyone got any info on the legality of waterfowl hunting the grand. I would be hunting from my boat and would not be touching private property. The birds I saw were all on the river.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all.

JEFF


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## 1fish (Oct 2, 2006)

See the sticky at the top of the forum page on riparian rights. It's all private property through there, so need permission of the landowners to hunt anywhere through there and have to watch your saftey zones as well.


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

It is all private through there, so you can't float hunt it without permission. How about not blabbing locations on where on the Grand- just say Grand River. SOME OF US HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH PERMISSION IN THOSE AREAS.


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## Jeffrey Hamlin (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks guys. I will move on to Plan B.

Concerning the location...I didn't think I was blabbing. There is a lot of space between GL and Lansing. I was just trying to give a "general" location so that people knew what area I was talking about. But OK...in the future I will just say the GRAND.

I do appreciate all the input. Have a great (and safe) hunting season.

JEFF


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## Ferris_StateHunter (Apr 24, 2006)

Ieatantlers said:


> It is all private through there, so you can't float hunt it without permission. How about not blabbing locations on where on the Grand- just say Grand River. SOME OF US HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH PERMISSION IN THOSE AREAS.


C'mon man, he isn't posting up direct spots. I understand you have permission and all, but he wasn't asking between such and such roads... Heck there is what 15-20 miles between gl and lansing.
Who knows how many more miles of river.

He just had a question about a general area of the river. If he would have just said need help with grand river, people would ask him for more specific locations so they could answer his question accurately, as there are stretches of the grand people can hunt. 

Take it easy a bit, and go kill some birds in the spots you have permission to.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bloomy321 (Oct 18, 2006)

Hey fellas, I was on the mississippi and wanted to know if it was legal to hunt it? I know I shouldn't reveal spots but wow is there a lot of activity on the mississippi between Illinois and Missouri. Can you help me out here ieatantlers on what to do?

Secondly... i was canoeing down the "grand" and there is a ton of birds in there. I would recommend anyone interested in hunting ducks this year to start banging on doors and try to get permission and keep Ieatantlers company this year on the grand river. Especially between lansing and grand ledge. He wants to kill every duck in Michigan so keep him company... 

Take a dip in the clue bag bro... It's not all about you and there was zero reference to hot spots even though you think you're special because you HAVE PERMISSION TO HUNT PRIVATE PROPERTY...


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## Wardo (Sep 10, 2007)

You guys would be a little touchy too if you had to eat antlers!


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

bloomy321 said:


> Hey fellas, I was on the mississippi and wanted to know if it was legal to hunt it? I know I shouldn't reveal spots but wow is there a lot of activity on the mississippi between Illinois and Missouri. Can you help me out here ieatantlers on what to do?
> 
> Secondly... i was canoeing down the "grand" and there is a ton of birds in there. I would recommend anyone interested in hunting ducks this year to start banging on doors and try to get permission and keep Ieatantlers company this year on the grand river. Especially between lansing and grand ledge. He wants to kill every duck in Michigan so keep him company...
> 
> Take a dip in the clue bag bro... It's not all about you and there was zero reference to hot spots even though you think you're special because you HAVE PERMISSION TO HUNT PRIVATE PROPERTY...


There is a sticky about not talking about specific spots. Maybe you should 'take a dip in the clue bag' and read it. There is not 15-20 miles of huntable river between G.L. and Lansing- and morons on kayaks already think it is perfectly legal to do exactly what the OP is suggesting. If people knew the laws and obeyed them, there wouldn't be an issue. However, it is already a problem in that area- so more attention doesn't need to be drawn to that area. 

Kill every bird in the state? More like I asked for one specific stretch of river to not be mentioned having 'tons of birds'. Funny how you guys with 78 posts in over 4 years come out of the woodwork when your cyber scouting is put in jeopardy.


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## mattoliver11b (Jun 22, 2010)

I kind of want to go hunt the Grand now.


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## hunting man (Mar 2, 2005)

Less than 15 miles? Sounds like a all day float trip is in order. Any good tips for putting in and getting out along your stretch of the Grand?


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

hunting man said:


> Less than 15 miles? Sounds like a all day float trip is in order. Any good tips for putting in and getting out along your stretch of the Grand?


Sure. Try your all day float and put in at Fitzgerald Park. You won't have to worry about the exit- the DNR will handle that once you get called in for violating riparian rights.

And it isn't 'my' stretch of the river. It is available to anyone. Who happens to have permission from a landowner.


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## Quaaack (Nov 22, 2007)

Ferris_StateHunter said:


> C'mon man, he isn't posting up direct spots. I understand you have permission and all, but he wasn't asking between such and such roads... Heck there is what 15-20 miles between gl and lansing.
> Who knows how many more miles of river.
> 
> He just had a question about a general area of the river. If he would have just said need help with grand river, people would ask him for more specific locations so they could answer his question accurately, as there are stretches of the grand people can hunt.
> ...


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## bloomy321 (Oct 18, 2006)

79 post in 4 years means I don't need to ask or talk about when and where I hunt or see who can piss farther. I have more hunting spots than you bro... guarantee it. You jumped the gun on the kid and you're gonna take a lil beef on it. He wasn't doing anything outa the ordinary.. People talk about spots all the time. It's the people who only have one spot that worry about it like yourself.... If a bunch of people are hunting one of my spots then I just get there earlier then them and out hunt 'em, out call 'em and out shoot 'em.. simple.. not dis them on michigan sportsman and make them feel like a d bag for asking a question. Another reason I don't talk much on here is you get your head bitten off by the woods and water directors like yourself for trying to improve your chances on taking game and figure things out..


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## GT Charter Service (Jul 18, 2007)

Hey noone owns the water, You do not need permission from land owners to hunt on the river because they own the land not the water.
I have been hunting the Detroit River for years, and I have never had to ask someone permission, and I have confirmed this with CO's.:lol:


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## highcaliberconsecrator (Oct 16, 2009)

ah jeez.  Want to, but I'm not going there. Do your homework fellas.


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

GT Charter Service said:


> Hey noone owns the water, You do not need permission from land owners to hunt on the river because they own the land not the water.
> I have been hunting the Detroit River for years, and I have never had to ask someone permission, and I have confirmed this with CO's.:lol:


Try that when your getting a ticket! There's a good sticky on water rights. And yes I the landowner own the bottomlands from my property boarder to boarder to the middle of the river. So you need my permission to hunt the river on my side and my neighbors across. Again read up on the rules. Great lakes and their seaways are under different rules. Fishing isn't considered part of the bottomlands hence reason no permission is needed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## casscityalum (Aug 27, 2007)

Haha find a mullet  hope golfs going well I keep forgetting my clubs when I'm home! Leave for indiana hunt in 2 weeks! Gunna hopefully shoot a big ol buck!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

casscityalum said:


> Come on aaron go shoot something! Haha find a mullet  hope golfs going well I keep forgetting my clubs when I'm home! Leave for indiana hunt in 2 weeks! Gunna hopefully shoot a big ol buck!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


You are right. I am feeling deprived of killing things. I guess I gotta delete that message. He does sound like soft ball guy though, you gotta admit.:lol:

I haven't found a freakin mullet in months. The weather is getting cold though- mullets will start flowing to keep necks cold. I will find one soon.


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## lilsean95 (Mar 6, 2007)

LOL I love Duck Season in MI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW I am sure glad the people in Illinois and Missouri have it figured out(on the river) because I have been here 6 years and i see this post every freaking year!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL! Only state in the country that has Riparian Rights so screwed up that Duck Hunters fight about it each year. LOL.....Please don't:gaga: blog about me I am just having fun!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Hunting :gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga:

Damn glad I have Lake Michigan its Federal and thank GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## GT Charter Service (Jul 18, 2007)

Yes you may own the land but you do not own the water. I did not know that I have to ask permission to fish on that PUBLIC river. But I am sorry you must be god if you own the water to.

So I will still be floatin down the river as long as I am 450 feet from a house.:gaga:


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## BassFisher91 (Sep 11, 2005)

Too much bitchin not enough hunting...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SWMIH20FOWLER (Nov 17, 2005)

lilsean95 said:


> LOL I love Duck Season in MI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW I am sure glad the people in Illinois and Missouri have it figured out(on the river) because I have been here 6 years and i see this post every freaking year!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL! Only state in the country that has Riparian Rights so screwed up that Duck Hunters fight about it each year. LOL.....Please don't:gaga: blog about me I am just having fun!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good Hunting :gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga:
> 
> Damn glad I have Lake Michigan its Federal and thank GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!


You are right Sean...and you know whatelse...instead of bickering about who has what and where, why dont we collectively as hunters start to figure out a solution to solve our states rediculous law on hunting rivers.....

A history lesson....back in the early 1900's, not exactly sure what year, but this law came about from some duck hunters on the east side of the state wanting to have exclusive rights to hunting a certain area...leaving out names and areas for a good reason....lets just say they have a field named after them where the crappiest NFL team plays....anyway....this law was made because these people went out one morning and found another person in "their" marsh which that person had to travel along a certain river to get to that marsh/delta area.......Long story short, they were ticked off and went to the legislatures at that time and got the law to be what it is today.....

Solution....This was forever ago, and opportunities for our heritage of waterfowling would increase if we did something about it. So all of you write your local reps/senators and ask them to look into getting this law changed on riparian rights in Michigan...make sure they know that we are the only state that has this...

Furthermore we need to get larger groups involved in this...DU/Delta...etc...

ALL We can do is try and if we dont do that, then we can never say we failed.


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## Lvhuntnfish (Sep 2, 2010)

See all you guys on the Grand this weekend.:lol:


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

SWMIH20FOWLER said:


> You are right Sean...and you know whatelse...instead of bickering about who has what and where, why dont we collectively as hunters start to figure out a solution to solve our states rediculous law on hunting rivers.....
> 
> A history lesson....back in the early 1900's, not exactly sure what year, but this law came about from some duck hunters on the east side of the state wanting to have exclusive rights to hunting a certain area...leaving out names and areas for a good reason....lets just say they have a field named after them where the crappiest NFL team plays....anyway....this law was made because these people went out one morning and found another person in "their" marsh which that person had to travel along a certain river to get to that marsh/delta area.......Long story short, they were ticked off and went to the legislatures at that time and got the law to be what it is today.....
> 
> ...


I personally like the law.. Own property on a river that I duck hunt.. Why should someone be able to hunt the river because it is water and not the land surrounding it because it is land.. Makes no sense.. The law is perfect.. Heck the river is part of our acreage and thus pay taxes on the river or land beneath it..


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Jeffrey Hamlin said:


> I didn't ask where to find birds, I found them. I didn't post anything specific other than a 20 mile stretch of river. Lesson learned. Now go kill some geese and quit crying :gaga:
> 
> And yes...kill this thread already. The utter absurdity of it makes one wonder if this site is worthwhile at all.
> 
> Good luck to all on the upcoming hunting season!!!


Killed a 4 person limit of geese tonight in 20 minutes and still "crying".. I dont hunt the grand but know the effects that your post could have... Hope your spots if you have any get called out in the near future.


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

DEDGOOSE said:


> I personally like the law.. Own property on a river that I duck hunt.. Why should someone be able to hunt the river because it is water and not the land surrounding it because it is land.. Makes no sense.. The law is perfect.. Heck the river is part of our acreage and thus pay taxes on the river or land beneath it..


Exactly. 

People pay a great deal more for lake/river front property. How would a person feel to pay that kind of money, and have some stranger 1 foot offshore hunting ducks and have them be perfectly legal as long as your house was over 450 feet away? Hypothetically, you couldn't even stand on your own property and hunt without being 'harassing' another party if they got there first.

We don't live in a socialist nation, so don't expect to share all property and waterways. If you don't like it...fine, buy your own property or get permission from someone who does. It's that easy. I can not understand how someone in their right mind would think they should be allowed to float down any river in the state shooting ducks. I guess that is the self-entitled mind set of today.


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## Jeffrey Hamlin (Jan 5, 2008)

DEDGOOSE said:


> Hope your spots if you have any get called out in the near future.


Now that is sportsmanship!!! :gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga:


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## SWMIH20FOWLER (Nov 17, 2005)

Not even going to touch the tax issue.....LOL...If you are paying taxes on the river bottom......then many people thank you...LOL

http://www.michiganpropertytax.org/propertytax.html

*The distinction between tangible and intangible property is then commonly made by considering any item of personal property that may be seen, touched, or moved about to be tangible personal property. The following definitions are representative of the law in most states.

Real Property* - means land, an improvement, a mine or quarry, a mineral in place, standing timber, or an estate or interest in any such property.

*Personal property *- means property that is not real property.

*Tangible personal property* - means personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or otherwise perceived by the senses, but does not include a document or other perceptible object that constitutes evidence of a valuable interest, claim, or right and has negligible or no 
intrinsic value.

*Intangible personal property* - means a claim, interest (other than an interest in tangible property), right, or other thing that has value but cannot be seen, felt, weighed, measured, or otherwise perceived by the senses, although its existence may be evidenced by a document.

*The river that runs near your property is not included in your acreage and you do not pay taxes on it. The value of your property ie SEV is based on the fact that you do own waterfront property, and your taxes are higher because the value of the land on waterfront is higher, but you do not own the river bottom.*


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## SWMIH20FOWLER (Nov 17, 2005)

Ieatantlers said:


> Exactly.
> 
> People pay a great deal more for lake/river front property. How would a person feel to pay that kind of money, and have some stranger 1 foot offshore hunting ducks and have them be perfectly legal as long as your house was over 450 feet away? Hypothetically, you couldn't even stand on your own property and hunt without being 'harassing' another party if they got there first.
> 
> We don't live in a socialist nation, so don't expect to share all property and waterways. If you don't like it...fine, buy your own property or get permission from someone who does. It's that easy. I can not understand how someone in their right mind would think they should be allowed to float down any river in the state shooting ducks. I guess that is the self-entitled mind set of today.


People pay even more for frontage on Lake Michigan, and as long as you are 450 feet from them, you could hunt 1 foot off shore..now granted riparian right and littoral rights are different....again, we are the ONLY state that has these laws.


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

SWMIH20FOWLER said:


> People pay even more for frontage on Lake Michigan, and as long as you are 450 feet from them, you could hunt 1 foot off shore


That sucks too. I wish they would be given some sort of safe zone. I mean, how would you feel if you owned that property, woke up one morning to hunt the land that you own, and you couldn't because someone was already there?


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

Jeffrey Hamlin said:


> *I am new to waterfowl hunting* and asked a serious question.


Then act like. Instead of telling a bunch of people who already know how to shoot ducks how to act. We've all dealt with the competition of waterfowl hunting before, and been screwed out of spots we have worked for. You are out of your element. You don't know the reality of internet scouting because you are new to the sport. What next? You tell us how to set dekes, call, etc.

Instead of adding a bunch of sucky pacifier faces to a guy like Dedgoose, who knows what he is talking about, shove that thing in your own mouth and learn something.


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## duckhunter382 (Feb 13, 2005)

Ieatantlers said:


> Then act like. Instead of telling a bunch of people who already know how to shoot ducks how to act. We've all dealt with the competition of waterfowl hunting before, and been screwed out of spots we have worked for. You are out of your element. You don't know the reality of internet scouting because you are new to the sport. What next? You tell us how to set dekes, call, etc.
> 
> Instead of adding a bunch of sucky pacifier faces to a guy like Dedgoose, who knows what he is talking about, shove that thing in your own mouth and learn something.


antlers if you have permission to hunt there why are you so territorial about it? A guy last year announced one of my public land spots on here and asked a question about it and I answered them and didnt get worked up about it. no matter where you hunt there is always somebody who has been there before you, this state has been discovered many times and you will never find a spot that hasnt ever been touched. just get over it and let it go.


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

duckhunter382 said:


> antlers if you have permission to hunt there why are you so territorial about it? A guy last year announced one of my public land spots on here and asked a question about it and I answered them and didnt get worked up about it. no matter where you hunt there is always somebody who has been there before you, this state has been discovered many times and you will never find a spot that hasnt ever been touched. just get over it and let it go.


I DONT have permission to hunt there. It is the fact that it is against the forum rules. Simple.


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## Jeffrey Hamlin (Jan 5, 2008)

Ieatantlers said:


> Instead of adding a bunch of sucky pacifier faces to a guy like Dedgoose, who knows what he is talking about, shove that thing in your own mouth and learn something.


How about we just call a truce. I will stay away from your secret hunting spot and you can go bang some birds this weekend. 

See...now we can all settle down and move on with our lives.

Hope everyone is safe out there this weekend.

JEFF


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Jeffrey Hamlin said:


> Now that is sportsmanship!!! :gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga::gaga:


Ok not to keep piggybacking on antlers, but I see that you are new.. Many of the folks that wanted the no specific installed on this forum have been on here many a seasons.. These types of things come up each and every year as people do not understand the possible result of their post.. 

Waterfowling is highly competitive for spots.. Many folks on this forum drive hundreds of miles scouting, and I dont mean in a season, I mean in a weekend.. Thus if said spot is noted as having birds it is nothing for someone to drive 1 hour 2 hours to scout or hunt that area if it is known to have birds.. I will drive 1-1 1/2 hours and hunt with others that have birds when my area is stagnant. If you want to kill birds, you have to hunt where the birds are. 

You probably felt as if your post was harmless and was an aid to folks in that area.. But the truth is, this forum not only has many members, but many lurkers that view this forum everyday absorbing that type of information.. It might not effect you directly, but it could effect the folks in that area that hunt the river, hunt the fields along the river etc etc.. It truly can hurt someone when the post is about their backyard.. 

So before you get all defensive throwing the stupid pacifer smiley around.. Sit back for the season and just watch how many of the " Is their birds here" and "I saw birds here" posts come up.. Also watch the post count on the folks posting these type of posts, 1-50 posts.. They do not understand the possible repercussions of their actions both online and in the field.


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## Branta (Feb 6, 2002)

I think this subject is well tenderized by now.

left it up for two reasons; One, to get the views (here and the sticky(s) above and secondly, to (hopefully) get this subject put to bed early this season.

we'll lock it down now.


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