# Hunting Port Huron State Game area hunting



## sparty75003 (Dec 15, 2011)

has any one ever hunted this place before i am just trying to find some new ground to hunt closer to home just looking for some info on it


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

I've been up there 4 times but I wouldn't say I seriously hunted it any of those times. Or rather wasn't ever going to kill a deer the way I hunted it. 

Once was one of the worst days i've ever been out the 2nd year I started hunting. I went with my FIL and my wifes Uncle for muzzleloader and it was just nasty windy, snowy, blustery day. Hiked in maybe 1/4 mile off one of the main road accesses (I'll be damned if I knew which one). 

I was then up there 3 other times 2 years ago bowhunting when i had a climber. I went in off of Shoefelt rd. This was the first time I took my climber out more than a hundred yards. Probably hiked 1/4 mi to 1/2 mile and my shoulders were completely wasted. But I did find some isolated apple trees that I gps pindropped. There was a nice scrape in the area but I was still pretty amatuer about hunting blind calling and rattling and whatnot and never saw anything. It was also a midday hunt and I went up and down a couple of steep valleys and crossed an iced-over creek. Only sat out for a few hours because I wasn't terribly familiar and didn't want to risk the hike in the dark. 

The next time I went up was off of Metcalf rd. where they have a CRP field and a couple of ponds. This was late season during muzzleloader but I took my bow and climber anyway. Walked in quite a ways with my climber again completely blowing out my shoulders ( I shutter to think what would have happened if I actually saw a deer and had to pull back my bow). Saw tons of tracks / trails and a nice scrape but it was all in open timber. Found trails going into some thick cedar/pines that was probably bedding. Again a mid-day hunt that was un-productive. As I was leaving a local couple pulled up with his muzzy locked and loaded uncased in the back seat, jumped out said hello and marched off into the woods with a determined look. 

The last time I was up there was also for late season there was snow on the ground and went in off of Bryce Rd and tried my hand at a spot and stalk. Had the place to myself as it was the middle of the week. Walking in I noticed there was pretty fresh blood drops and drag marks back to the parking area. I followed the blood up to a CRP field there, mosied around for a few hours and counted 5 different stands in the area. I did find a couple of really nice buck rubs though.

My sense of the area is that it probably holds some really nice deer but you are going to have to work for them and really work your tail off to find the sign and get away from the other hunters. I wouldn't want to be up there during rifle season either. My wifes uncle shot a doe up there (supposedly) a while back... but i'm not even sure he remembers how long ago it was. I have not even so much as seen a deer up there. As with any state land i'm sure it gets hammered. 

Still It's a beautiful area and i've hiked Beards Hills and have canoed down the black river. Some of the best terrain in Southern MI. Again, if you were so inclined to properly scout it in in the post season and try to find places where other hunters aren't you would probably be rewarded thusly. 

If you are ever looking for someone to scout with in the later winter / early spring i'd be more than happy to tag along. I am down in S. Clair near 32mi + wadhams rd. Good luck!


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## retiredsailor (Feb 25, 2007)

If you go, don't expect deer within approx. 1/4 mile of the roads. And opening gun season is like a Pumpkin Patch. Take a good look via Satelite Maps or DNR website for MI-Hunt maps. Lots of hills so expect some climbing while walking. My suggestion is too look for boarding farms for food sources and get between them and bedding areas. Good Luck, there are Deer there.


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## dmc1651 (Oct 20, 2011)

I've scouted it a few times and it looks promising. I've been temped to give it a try. I can't really add much more than what the guys above said. All in all I'd give it a try.


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## M.Schmitz87 (Mar 12, 2013)

sparty75003 said:


> has any one ever hunted this place before i am just trying to find some new ground to hunt closer to home just looking for some info on it


So how did you do? I just lost my privat land lease yesterday. I'll be going up there in a couple of weeks to bowhunt late october.


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## eboll (May 6, 2008)

How did you do Schmitz? I was there the past two days. Didn't see one deer. Treestands and ground blinds everywhere. It didn't matter how far off the road I was, I couldn't avoid people. It'll probably be a zoo this weekend.


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## M.Schmitz87 (Mar 12, 2013)

The hunting gods looked out for me. I found a new lease just a couple days after my post and was able to tag a nice doe. Closer to home, exclusive hunting rights, cheaper than my last. I couldn't be happier. Haven't seen one buck big enough to shoot yet but the next years look promising.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Productive day scouting the game area east of the black river... Two for sure spots, one nice thick bedding/staging area and the other a nice funnel with tons of rubs, couple of scrapes and fruit trees, and found a couple of dead heads. Pin dropped and will be coming back to prep some stands in the spring.


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## eboll (May 6, 2008)

Awesome d_rek. I'll be scouting that area within a few weeks. I didn't have any luck out there last fall. Lots of sign, just couldn't make it happen in the limited amount of time I hunted there.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

I'll be back up there in another week or two to scout north of the area we did yesterday.


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## MAP1 (Oct 3, 2010)

Have small game hunted it....not much game there i just go because its close to home...don't expect to kill a big buck there....a beautiful piece of ground along the river you almost feel like your in foothills of kentucky.....


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## buggs (Jan 21, 2011)

Beautiful land but waaaaaayyyyyy over hunted!!!


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

buggs said:


> Beautiful land but waaaaaayyyyyy over hunted!!!


What time of season? I imagine rifle is a zoo, but then again all state land is for rifle.


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## buggs (Jan 21, 2011)

Oct 1st thru Nov 30th - zoo unless you walk way in.......


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

buggs said:


> Oct 1st thru Nov 30th - zoo unless you walk way in.......


We walked way in. Gotta put in the work for public land. No shortcuts to success. Gotta be smarter than both the deer and the other hunters.


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Take a look at the map, in the center of the game land at Beards Hill is a dam that is enclosed by Wingford Farms (old Ford estate). This is a large amount of fenced land with that could hold some whilly deer. I always liked coming off of 136 northwest of the ford estate. This has old river valleys with two feet wide deer paths and 70 foot drops on each side of the path. You could explore a different area once a week and would need 2 years to cover the area due to the river course and natural blocked access.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

I've heard there's good fishing just south of the dam too


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## Chessieman (Dec 8, 2009)

Sure is, private as hell unless you are in the water. every spawning fish goes there from the St. Clair river. If they want to go further they turn around then go 1/4 mile downstream then go up Mill Creek. Excellent shallow Steelie fishing but not assessable to the public after a mile upstream unless you know (Yak, Yak) a land owner. The Mill Creek river valley is deep and wild with clear water.


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