# Who's going back to the U.P. for deer camp this year?



## buck snort (Nov 9, 2007)

Just wondering who is going to the U.P. for deer season this year?


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## bones74 (Oct 14, 2013)

I'll be there Nov. 15th


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## IceHog (Nov 23, 2007)

Yup


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Of course. No better place to be.


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## dafalls (Jun 27, 2011)

I will be up there for the first couple weekends of bow season chasing this guy
View attachment 224993


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## angry angler (Mar 4, 2012)

dafalls said:


> I will be up there for the first couple weekends of bow season chasing this guy
> View attachment 224993


Good luck dragging that deer out! Cow! Nice buck


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## SWMbruiser (Jan 25, 2012)

I'll be there!


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

I am going, I was thinking of staying home, but I don't like being around other hunters.


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## chuckinduck (May 28, 2003)

I'll be at our camp on Drummond just like every other year. Deer numbers are way down as are overall hunter numbers based on what we see driving through the state land to get to our place. Still no place I'd rather be opening day.


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## kneedeep (May 30, 2008)

I'll be up there!


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## .44 (Oct 1, 2010)

Swore I was going to take a couple years off of the UP,but I can't stand the thought.Just got back from checking out a couple of areas I hunt.


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## Masterblaster1 (Sep 28, 2004)

I'll be there. Nov 12 thru 20 ish


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## Wild Thing (Mar 19, 2010)

Absolutely!


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## GATORGETTER (Jan 31, 2008)

Im going up for two straight weeks of bow camp. Already preparing


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## buck snort (Nov 9, 2007)

.44 said:


> Swore I was going to take a couple years off of the UP,but I can't stand the thought.Just got back from checking out a couple of areas I hunt.


How did the scouting trip go?


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Did not see too much sign around my cabin although more in surrounding area .I will take another year off and hope for easy winter . Lots of nice bucks downstate on my property but I really miss the solitude of UP hunting .


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

We just finalized our plans yesterday over a few beers. We're going to hit the opener down here and then head up the next day and see what happens. Our best bet for success is here at home and we know it but when the north winds blow there is no finer place to be and we've got to be there or deer season just isn't the same.


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## .44 (Oct 1, 2010)

buck snort said:


> How did the scouting trip go?


It went good got to spend time with my son scouting a couple spots we wanted to check out.There are actually some deer tracks this year.Bumped a couple grouse also which was nice.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

.44 said:


> It went good got to spend time with my son scouting a couple spots we wanted to check out.There are actually some deer tracks this year.Bumped a couple grouse also which was nice.


The Upper Peninsula Habitat Work Group has been slowly working their way east, doing forest type inventories around and in known and historic Winter Deer Complexes on State, Federal and now private lands. Foresters from the major for profit private companies, as well as Federal Forest managers attend these meeting. Management plans for winter habitat enhancement are then developed for each WDC. Community foresters that work for the various county extension offices, as well as the two MDNR private lands foresters are doing outreach work for private parcel owners within a mile of these WDC sites to provide personalized site-specific forest habitat management plans. Enrollment in this process has been quite high in the western U.P.

The folks who serve on the UPHWG have done an excellent job in developing specific, goal focused objectives for these WDCs as they have worked from west to east. MDNR Wildlife Division personnel are reworking their deer density estimation techniques to better gauge the impacts of the UPHWG initiative's efforts through time. 

If you read the most recent deer management plan that was submitted for Public comment by the MDNR Wildlife Division, you should have noted quite quickly that there are two key components missing from it: 1.) ANY initiative to determine empiric how many deer there are prior the season opener at either the DMU specific or Region 1 sub-segment management unit level. 2.) No companion efforts to empirically track habitat quality and quantity specific to deer, basically clear-cuts. 

With the paper-pulp industry at all time low paper production volumes, clear-cutting of private corporate forest and Public lands is at record low rates. Summer habitat quality matters, particularly high stem count habitat with high horizontal barrier site frequency( for you folks who have private land in the U.P. that is clear-cut or about to be) that is used for fawning, since it provides high levels of predation protection for fawns (Predator/Prey Study findings from Phase I and Phase II).

No, the UPHWG efforts will not automatically result in rapidly escalated deer numbers, but, since winter habitat size and quality is the major constriction point for U.P. whitetail populations, followed by predation factors which are closely linked to whitetail physical condition for all population components, including fawns (poor fawn condition at birth is related directly to parent doe physical condition ind late winter/spring), the long-term future of whitetail populations in the U.P. is looking much better. 

It has been a very long fight to convince the MDNR Wildlife Division managers in Lansing that this is a worthwhile effort. Thankfully, our two NRC commissioners are fully on board with this effort and its goals, as are most of the U.P. MDNR Wildlife Division biologists.


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## U of M Fan (May 8, 2005)

I'm probably not gonna make it this year. First time since the 80's. Not gonna be the same.


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## SmokeCity85 (Oct 25, 2011)

Our group of 4-10 will be there! We saw more deer last year than we have in a while. With the mild winter it could help produce some good deer this year. We've been heading north for 10+ years. I've never bow hunted the UP, and since the rifle opener is on a Tuesday a few of this will get a couple early sits in!


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

SmokeCity85 said:


> Our group of 4-10 will be there! We saw more deer last year than we have in a while. With the mild winter it could help produce some good deer this year. We've been heading north for 10+ years. I've never bow hunted the UP, and since the rifle opener is on a Tuesday a few of this will get a couple early sits in!


The ten day window prior the gun opener is probably the best time to bow hunt in the U.P.;bucks moving routinely in daylight ! From what I have seen thus far grouse and goose scouting, the acorn crop is pretty average to weak, at least near Marquette, a remote water source near good acorn production oak stands is a good choice. After leaf-drop in mid-October, funnels where two clear-cut corners intersect, or a two high woods intersection with two fields in the other quadrant quarters is also a good choice, particularly if the individual clear-cut edges or woods edge brush have high rub, scrape counts.


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## TCcrawdad (Jul 10, 2015)

Most definitely! Will be headed up to the Hurons as soon as I finish my exam November 16th.


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## Krmnnghia (Oct 2, 2007)

We will absolutely be up there for bow opener. Our same spot...some of the guys have been up there every year since the 80's I think. Some years we see nice bucks, some years we see 1 or 2 spikes and barely any does. I wouldn't care if there was just 1 doe in 5 miles and we weren't allowed to shoot it. Still nothing like a week at deer camp.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

U of M Fan said:


> I'm probably not gonna make it this year. First time since the 80's. Not gonna be the same.


Bummer


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## sparky18181 (Apr 17, 2012)

No better place to be than with all my buddies. Scoring on a deer is secondary to the comeraderie. Can't wait.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

I swore I wasn't going back to Baraga this year. Buuuuuut I am having second thoughts. The remoteness of that area just keeps calling me back. I just love roaming the country up there, it's simple beautiful. Hell, I can kill a deer in my backyard at home,so it isn't about that.


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## stagliano (Nov 10, 2006)

TCcrawdad said:


> Most definitely! Will be headed up to the Hurons as soon as I finish my exam November 16th.


You need to ask if you can take that exam early.


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## GrizzlyHunter (Jun 17, 2005)

U of M Fan said:


> I'm probably not gonna make it this year. First time since the 80's. Not gonna be the same.


What??? Say it ain't so...


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

stickbow shooter said:


> I swore I wasn't going back to Baraga this year. Buuuuuut I am having second thoughts. The remoteness of that area just keeps calling me back. I just love roaming the country up there, it's simple beautiful. Hell, I can kill a deer in my backyard at home,so it isn't about that.


I hunted for seven years south of L'Anse along the north side of the Sturgeon River right up until the winter kill crash in the mid-nineties. You didn't see many bucks, but when you did see one, he was usually a very nice one or a trophy.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

I feel sorry for the guys who have never experienced deer camp in the UP. They don't know what they are missing. It's more of a state of mind than a place to kill a deer. I'm approaching 50 years of going.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

That's one of the areas that I hunt, close to silver mountain lookout. My camp is on Clear Creek road.I use to go down into the Gorge, but not anymore. My mind says go but the body say no way lol.


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

We used to park our bus about 100 yds west of the parking lot for the gorge.. between clear creek rd and the bridge above prickett lake... we are over by Alberta now... sold the bus and built a camp about 10 years ago. Headed up around Halloween to get my blinds up and cameras out. Yeah, I have lots of property down state to hunt but being up there is definitely special.


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## GuppyII (Sep 14, 2008)

stickbow shooter said:


> That's one of the areas that I hunt, close to silver mountain lookout. My camp is on Clear Creek road.I use to go down into the Gorge, but not anymore. My mind says go but the body say no way lol.


Whoops.. see above post


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

GuppyII said:


> We used to park our bus about 100 yds west of the parking lot for the gorge.. between clear creek rd and the bridge above prickett lake... we are over by Alberta now... sold the bus and built a camp about 10 years ago. Headed up around Halloween to get my blinds up and cameras out. Yeah, I have lots of property down state to hunt but being up there is definitely special.



How far from Alberta is your camp? Pretty much smack-dab in the middle of where I used to hunt (Taylor Creek swamp, south to the Sturgeon River. One of my former co-workers owns the camp now.


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## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

Cork Dust said:


> The ten day window prior the gun opener is probably the best time to bow hunt in the U.P.;bucks moving routinely in daylight ! From what I have seen thus far grouse and goose scouting, the acorn crop is pretty average to weak, at least near Marquette, a remote water source near good acorn production oak stands is a good choice. After leaf-drop in mid-October, funnels where two clear-cut corners intersect, or a two high woods intersection with two fields in the other quadrant quarters is also a good choice, particularly if the individual clear-cut edges or woods edge brush have high rub, scrape counts.


I second the weak acorn crop in Marquette. Seems really down from last year.


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## outfishin_ (Jul 28, 2004)

Taking the 2nd year in a row off from the U P after 28 straight ....Next year going back no matter what for 2 plus weeks of bow season..


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Jager Pro said:


> I second the weak acorn crop in Marquette. Seems really down from last year.


Odd to me, given the amount of rain we have had spring though summer. Wild apples appear to be the same, based on what I saw scouting prior the early goose opener.


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## PERCHGILL (Feb 19, 2012)

Having bow hunted the U.P. for 30 years, last fall I stayed away & hunted State land in the thumb area . Will try hard not to make that mistake again. Will be bow hunting the U.P. Last week of Oct & 2nd week of Nov., I'll be on State land....bucks only.


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## Steiny (May 30, 2011)

Stories like these UP deer camps kind of inspired me. With exception of taking a few western hunting / camping trips I had always missed out on the real "deer camp" experience. Always just hunted around home, left house in the morning and returned after dark. Although I have good hunting around home, it's not the same hunting on the back 40. It's too easy to sit out there and think about some chore you ought to be doing at home, bail out mid day and go do chores. When you travel some distance to hunt, hunting is your primary focus and you can get a whole lot more relaxed and in to the hunt. You hunt, do a few camp chores, socialize, eat and sleep.

Although it's not the UP, last several years a few buddies and I have been hunting southern IL. Success has been good, but staying in motels, eating carryout, etc. sucks. Bought some ground and got a cabin built and this will be the inaugural year to use it. Still need to get a skinning pole built, but it's pretty much ready to go. Really looking forward to the new "deer camp" experience.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

The wheels just fell off our trip, my partner has come down with shingles!


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

old graybeard said:


> The wheels just fell off our trip, my partner has come down with shingles!


Oh Man!! Major Bummer, for sure.......... That #@&**#@%**# will ruin a hunting season real quick. Pure Agony............

There is a VG vaccine for shingles out now, and everybody should get it before they get shingles at the worst possible time.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

NATTY BUMPO said:


> Oh Man!! Major Bummer, for sure.......... That #@&**#@%**# will ruin a hunting season real quick. Pure Agony............
> 
> There is a VG vaccine for shingles out now, and everybody should get it before they get shingles at the worst possible time.


I mentioned that to him right after I got vaccinated a year ago


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## U of M Fan (May 8, 2005)

old graybeard said:


> The wheels just fell off our trip, my partner has come down with shingles!


Bummer!!!!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Bummer for sure! If he feels any better we might try going up during muzzleloader season but that's a big if right now. He is hurting big time and feeling real happy he shot a nice buck last week.


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

Luv2hunteup said:


> The DNR UP hunting prospects were just sent out. No surprises were contained in the email blast.
> 
> Cliff note version:
> The UP is still suffering the impacts of 3 consecutive winters.
> ...


I saw seven in a field the other night...a 2016 record for me!!!

My cam has been out for about 45 days. 16 pics of does/fawns and one coyote. 

Scouted an area on Saturday that had a smidge of buck sign last year. Couldn't find a track. 

Slim pickins'...


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## greense1 (Sep 20, 2012)

uptracker said:


> I saw seven in a field the other night...a 2016 record for me!!!
> 
> My cam has been out for about 45 days. 16 pics of does/fawns and one coyote.
> 
> ...


What general area? We've seen a pretty big increase in camera sightings. Mostly younger dear though. The 2.5 and 3.5 age classes are decimated from what we can tell.


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## Mightymouse (Sep 19, 2007)

Our bow camp fell apart a few years ago after 30 years in existence. The break down had nothing to do with the hunting (which had been slow) and was based on personal issues and crabby people. My dad and I have talked about going back up again but have yet to set the wheels in motion.

Last year was the first year since 1999 that I didn't go and the first year since 1985 that our camp wasn't there. I replaced that trip with a trip to SW Wisconsin (which I'm doing again this year) and while the hunting is 110% better in Wisconsin it still doesn't feel right not being in the UP. I will be back up there again, but it won't be this year.


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## HuronView (Oct 18, 2014)

In 2014, my wife and I decided we wanted to buy some land--mostly a place to retire to, but also a place that would provide us access to outdoor opportunities. Ideally, we wanted a place >40 acres, and we were largely open to anywhere in WI or the UP. I've spent hunting seasons in both places, and found that I could afford nearly 3.5 times the property in the UP than I could in most places in WI. So, we bought in Houghton County. Granted, there aren't as many deer, which we knew coming into it. However, I can't put a value on the fact that I can't see other hunters from my property, I see deer that I'm pretty sure have never seen a human before, and that opening morning of gun season isn't a continuous barrage of blasts. I'll never forget my first sit on our property in November of 2014, which required snowshoes to access my stand. There is nothing like the sound of the wind passing through the spruce and fir, and the echo of ravens. For me, as long as the good Lord grants me the strength to be on stand, I'll be there--deer or no deer.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Well said HuronVeiw.


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## yooper Bob (Jul 11, 2016)

Watch out Drummond Island, the 8 Point Camp will be jumping.


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## uptracker (Jul 27, 2004)

greense1 said:


> What general area? We've seen a pretty big increase in camera sightings. Mostly younger dear though. The 2.5 and 3.5 age classes are decimated from what we can tell.


Within 45 minute of the Soo. S, SE, SW and W.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

HuronView said:


> In 2014, my wife and I decided we wanted to buy some land--mostly a place to retire to, but also a place that would provide us access to outdoor opportunities. Ideally, we wanted a place >40 acres, and we were largely open to anywhere in WI or the UP. I've spent hunting seasons in both places, and found that I could afford nearly 3.5 times the property in the UP than I could in most places in WI. So, we bought in Houghton County. Granted, there aren't as many deer, which we knew coming into it. However, I can't put a value on the fact that I can't see other hunters from my property, I see deer that I'm pretty sure have never seen a human before, and that opening morning of gun season isn't a continuous barrage of blasts. I'll never forget my first sit on our property in November of 2014, which required snowshoes to access my stand. There is nothing like the sound of the wind passing through the spruce and fir, and the echo of ravens. For me, as long as the good Lord grants me the strength to be on stand, I'll be there--deer or no deer.


Some dream and others make their dreams come true! 

Good for you, enjoy and may God bless you with many years of memories there,I have dreamed most of my adult life of owning a camp in the UP,now it doesn't look like that will happen but I thank God for 35 years of hunting trips to the mighty big woods and one of the most beautiful remote places on earth!


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## erodrig4 (Oct 10, 2005)

Our plans have gone from opening day like we have done for 20 years, to muzzleloader camp in December, but now we have changed again and will be hunting the second week of the firearm season. It's getting frustrating but there will be only 3 of us in camp which is great, but at the same time I'm going to miss waking up and heading out on opening day.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

HuronView said:


> In 2014, my wife and I decided we wanted to buy some land--mostly a place to retire to, but also a place that would provide us access to outdoor opportunities. Ideally, we wanted a place >40 acres, and we were largely open to anywhere in WI or the UP. I've spent hunting seasons in both places, and found that I could afford nearly 3.5 times the property in the UP than I could in most places in WI. So, we bought in Houghton County. Granted, there aren't as many deer, which we knew coming into it. However, I can't put a value on the fact that I can't see other hunters from my property, I see deer that I'm pretty sure have never seen a human before, and that opening morning of gun season isn't a continuous barrage of blasts. I'll never forget my first sit on our property in November of 2014, which required snowshoes to access my stand. There is nothing like the sound of the wind passing through the spruce and fir, and the echo of ravens. For me, as long as the good Lord grants me the strength to be on stand, I'll be there--deer or no deer.


There is some pretty good "deer dirt" in the southern half of Houghton County...


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## HuronView (Oct 18, 2014)

Cork Dust said:


> There is some pretty good "deer dirt" in the southern half of Houghton County...


Bingo, I got lucky. We're off M-38, a few miles west of Baraga county line, close to the west branch of the Sturgeon. The early season is tough with the ag to the east. But once the snow comes, the deer move up to us.

FWIW I'd be happy just about anywhere in the NWUP. There's nothing like being within an hour of the Big Lake, having the pretty drive in the Keweenaw and the Spine, Huskies hockey, Vollwerth's, and KBC--just to name a few.


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

HuronView said:


> Bingo, I got lucky. We're off M-38, a few miles west of Baraga county line, close to the west branch of the Sturgeon. The early season is tough with the ag to the east. But once the snow comes, the deer move up to us.
> 
> FWIW I'd be happy just about anywhere in the NWUP. There's nothing like being within an hour of the Big Lake, having the pretty drive in the Keweenaw and the Spine, Huskies hockey, Vollwerth's, and KBC--just to name a few.


Your not to far from my camp, I am on Clear Creek rd about 4 miles south of Baraga.


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## U of M Fan (May 8, 2005)

stickbow shooter said:


> Your not to far from my camp, I am on Clear Creek rd about 4 miles south of Baraga.


Are you going there this year?


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## reelbusy2 (Jan 15, 2005)

Leaving tomorrow morning for a week of bird hunting& scouting,Iron Co.. Back home for a week then back to camp till whenever! Muzzle loader will be with me!


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

U of M Fan said:


> Are you going there this year?


Not to my camp, but maybe my cousins place in Crystal Falls. I just have to make up my mind.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Luv2hunteup said:


> The data is collected the same way every year so it represents trends from year to year. About the only thing that's changed is the Bridge card which mean less deer will be counted. The bridge count has nothing to do with the DNR it is administered by the Mackinac Bridge authority. Data is collected by toll takers.
> 
> Too bad the DNR got rid of the deer check station. They miss out on a lot of Data Collection.[/QUOTE
> 
> ...


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Thanks I was not aware of that, some how they need to increase the accuracy of the accuracy of the bridge I was not asked again this year during the first week of season they should come up with some sort of an incentive for the hunters to report and mandate that the booth personnel ask everyone 

hello,where you deer hunting, were you successful,

not that hard to do I've never been in heavy lineups in the last 10 years at the bridge, however I have felt like I've had people from Detroit or Chicago behind me like they're entering a drag race thinking they still have to drive like they're at home!

I'm looking for my glasses my change my wallet how much is it again when I should say are you going to ask me if we were successful or not!


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## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

Luv2hunteup said:


> The data is collected the same way every year so it represents trends from year to year. About the only thing that's changed is the Bridge card which mean less deer will be counted. The bridge count has nothing to do with the DNR it is administered by the Mackinac Bridge authority. Data is collected by toll takers.
> 
> Too bad the DNR got rid of the deer check station. They miss out on a lot of Data Collection.


How long have the Bridge Cards been used?

I have a truck with a shell on it. Some times I have been asked if I have deer, other times I have not been asked. This year I was not asked and I did have a deer in the back that was not counted. The bridge count has never matched the post card survey data closely, but it has shown similar trends.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Trophy Specialist said:


> How long have the Bridge Cards been used?
> 
> I have a truck with a shell on it. Some times I have been asked if I have deer, other times I have not been asked. This year I was not asked and I did have a deer in the back that was not counted. The bridge count has never matched the post card survey data closely, but it has shown similar trends.


I'm guessing I've had my commuter card for 6 years, more than likely longer. It was available before I got mine. I purchased it to simply avoid long lines. I should have done it years earlier.


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