# Best and worst managed units



## Highball28 (Oct 17, 2014)

I definitely want to start hitting more managed units. I hunt fennville a lot, and have hunted Muskegon in the past, but I've never tried any other managed units. If you could rank 1-7 of the managed units what would they be? (1 being best 7 being worst)


Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


----------



## TINGOOSE (Apr 16, 2010)

When it comes to over calling and skybusting shi town circus wins #1. I can't bash my hometown you just gotta know how to hunt it  Everyone hates on Shiawassee but we just sit back and kill the birds haha. Not always


----------



## Nuff Daddy (Dec 5, 2012)

I've only hunted Shi, FP, and NP. I've had good and bad hunts at them all. I don't like one any more than the others. Only thing is shi is tough to hunt if you don't have a rig they goes over dikes easy.


----------



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

i've hunted all the east side. never ventured to the west side and probably won't. I know where i would rank them but i'm biased so it won't mean too much. 

i grew up hunting nqp, place has a soft spot for me. hope it comes around and is the powerhouse it once was...sounds like they are on the track now.

some of my best hunts ever were at fish pt. It does feel a little bit hokey there being you can see your spot from the road. Never got comfortable with that. My best hunts happened in dry fields there and kinda wish srsga had designated a block of dry fields because of it.

Harsens is great...but you must goto battle at the ferry, then battle at the draw (lots of people), then finally try to kill yer 6 birds with limited shells...damn skybusters.

srsga big bonus is water. we have it when no one else does, and a bad draw doesn't mean you go home (see harsens) constant river system and the way its harnessed by dikes and floodgates make low water a non-issue but you pay a price for that....tall dikes. Its also remote and unpopulated or even intimidating for some (2.5mi ride to the furthest field). right about this time of year its not unheard of to have your own section to yourself...specially once deer season kicks off and everyone chases the brush carp. srsga also sports the largest fields I believe the spacing between fields at a minimum its 600 ft and in the big fields is 700-800ft. (don't quote me as i cant remember exact footage but i'm close).


----------



## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Harsens is by far the worst ever.

No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.

And, the ferry costs $25.00 round trip.


By far SRSGA is the best, maybe in America. Limits every time, can kill them with your eyes closed. Complimentary free shells, and cart girl comes around on the dikes with hot omelets, on the house.

That's where I would go.


----------



## Duckhunter66 (Nov 24, 2013)

Thanks Waxico... I know where I am going on Friday


----------



## LumberJ (Mar 9, 2009)

waxico said:


> Harsens is by far the worst ever.
> 
> No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.
> 
> ...


hahahaha!


----------



## Tom_Miller (Apr 23, 2010)

waxico said:


> Harsens is by far the worst ever.
> 
> No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.
> 
> ...


Lol, I hunt SRSGA quite often and am going to start looking for those free omelets.


----------



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

waxico said:


> Harsens is by far the worst ever.
> 
> No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.
> 
> ...


free shells and omelets. putting that in the suggestion box.


----------



## Matthuntsall (Feb 21, 2013)

waxico said:


> Harsens is by far the worst ever.
> 
> No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.
> 
> ...


You forgot to mention that all the DNR Techs are former Hawaiian tropic models, and they "service" us at the draw topless.


----------



## Flooded Timber (Nov 1, 2006)

Matthuntsall said:


> You forgot to mention that all the DNR Techs are former Hawaiian tropic models, and they "service" us at the draw topless.


 
Wow... I will never be able to look at Vic again without smirking.


----------



## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

Never been to shi town ! But ? It seems I'm gonna have to make a serious attempt.....lol Kind of a meet and greet......


----------



## CougarHunter (Oct 2, 2008)

waxico said:


> Harsens is by far the worst ever.
> 
> No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.
> 
> ...


Hahaha :lol:


----------



## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

Well that escalated quickly :lol:. 
I have hunted SRSGA/FP/Harsens, there is always gonna be sky busters, and morons at the boat launch who cant back a trailer up. With that being said IMO SRSGA has the best crowd by far. Yes it is much larger and more difficult to hunt however that seems to keep out a lot of weekend warrior's that just wanna shoot there gun and don't know anything about a quality hunt let alone give a damn about anyone else. There are some fields on the area that do bring out the weekend warriors but generally when your traveling 2.5miles, ramming logs, conquering huge pull overs just to get into some zones it tends to weed out the less dedicated crowd. There aren't any birds there anyway so everyone should stick to Fish Point .


----------



## gooseboy (Jul 11, 2008)

My roots are at the Todd. First goose and duck came from there. My family used to have a lot of the corn that was planted there Muskegon can be good if you scout and scout and then have to get a top 5 draw. ****own in my opinion is a very special place. Get to see how good you really are identifying ducks on the wing Get to see how tough your mind body and equipment are. And a top 20 draw is still better than a top 5 at the Todd and mww


----------



## Dead Bird (Oct 2, 2001)

Mike L said:


> Never been to shi town ! But ? It seems I'm gonna have to make a serious attempt.....lol Kind of a meet and greet......


maybe we can get a little help from a local... would the shiw kid would be able to help...:evilsmile


----------



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Dead Bird said:


> maybe we can get a little help from a local... would the shiw kid would be able to help...:evilsmile


i'll take you guys out. i haven't even bought my michigan license yet, haha. waiting for a reason to go and the warriors to put the tennis shoes away.


----------



## gaustin (Jan 14, 2009)

waxico said:


> Harsens is by far the worst ever.
> 
> No ducks, you will get robbed in the parking lots, there are poisonous snakes in the canals, the bats with Ebola come out after dark.
> 
> ...


Best post ever on MS...LMAO...Love it :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

My opinion was starting to change on FP until this morning. The bad weather just brings out the duck commander wannabe morons. I satay the tower for an hour and half this morning. I seen a group in 13 try to light up some swans. The 4 kids in 17 wouldn't stop calling. Non stop calling. Sounded like hell too. Swans come over?? Hit them with the goose call. Just bad. Other then that I like the place. I seem to almost always kill more ducks here then anywhere else. That's for sure. I Like that FP says The Pledge of Allegiance before the draw.


----------



## TINGOOSE (Apr 16, 2010)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> i'll take you guys out. i haven't even bought my michigan license yet, haha. waiting for a reason to go and the warriors to put the tennis shoes away.


To much duck dynasty out there. I'll stick to field hunting ducks right now


----------



## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> i'll take you guys out. i haven't even bought my michigan license yet, haha. waiting for a reason to go and the warriors to put the tennis shoes away.


I call BS, i saw your truck at the PM draw a few days ago, looked like your dog was standing guard in the back :lol:. Agree that the warriors need to pack it in, wont be long now with deer season creeping up.


----------



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

charcoal300zxtt said:


> I call BS, i saw your truck at the PM draw a few days ago, looked like your dog was standing guard in the back :lol:. Agree that the warriors need to pack it in, wont be long now with deer season creeping up.


hah seriously. i was gonna hunt this weekend for first time here but snowshow in novi is this weekend so i think i'm headed there instead.

been tough to find time this fall. I bought a house like 3 days before opener so had to move in, work on house, fix stuff and then take off for nodak...came back and fix more stuff. I'll get out eventually...break some ice maybe.


----------



## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> ....My best hunts happened in dry fields there and kinda wish srsga had designated a block of dry fields because of it.


  Here here!!!! I've proposed this a couple of times for certain fields. I think it would be great, and be some variety that is not there now. "boat/winch" lovers have laughed me outta the room :sad: Most regulars there think if you can't use your boat, and carry all your S%&@ to your unit, then you can't kill ducks. How wrong they are.


----------



## Mike L (Sep 8, 2003)

just ducky said:


> Here here!!!! I've proposed this a couple of times for certain fields. I think it would be great, and be some variety that is not there now. "boat/winch" lovers have laughed me outta the room :sad: Most regulars there think if you can't use your boat, and carry all your S%&@ to your unit, then you can't kill ducks. How wrong they are.


Plus when it freezes up, people who don't like breaking ice have a place to hunt. Just because it freezes the water there are still a lot of ducks around.
Those double and triple curl mallards don't leave because there's hard water.
Dry area's provide "*Opportunity"*.....


----------



## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Originally Posted by Shiawassee_Kid 
....My best hunts happened in dry fields there and kinda wish srsga had designated a block of dry fields because of it. 

Plus when it freezes up, people who don't like breaking ice have a place to hunt.

MWW didn't get good last year until the first week of December. And it's nice to be able to drop something and not have to write it off as being gone. My daughter is going to patent "portable land" to set up in the flooded units. I'll keep you posted on how that develops.


----------



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

i should also mention that srsga does have some dry ag units but they are kinda outside the designated "flight path". I've done good in them over the years but its by 20 years or so since i've hunted one on purpose.


----------



## neil duffey (Feb 22, 2004)

craigrh13 said:


> My opinion was starting to change on FP until this morning. The bad weather just brings out the duck commander wannabe morons. I satay the tower for an hour and half this morning. I seen a group in 13 try to light up some swans. The 4 kids in 17 wouldn't stop calling. Non stop calling. Sounded like hell too. Swans come over?? Hit them with the goose call. Just bad. Other then that I like the place. I seem to almost always kill more ducks here then anywhere else. That's for sure. I Like that FP says The Pledge of Allegiance before the draw.


about 6 or 7 years ago... maybe more, i watched a guy do the same, and then drop the swan... he then proceeded to bring it to the office and checked it in as a "snow goose". the draw guy called one of his "buddies" who'd never seen a snow taken at fp... his buddy was the C.O. who took his boat, gun, decoys and handed him a hefty fine... the guy was baffled... so was i, at the stupidity.  still blows my mind to this day.


----------



## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Guy with a golden ticket hunt dropped two swans at Fennville last year. Even more baffling is they flew low enough over 5-6 zones without any one shooting before he opened up.


----------



## Highball28 (Oct 17, 2014)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Guy with a golden ticket hunt dropped two swans at Fennville last year. Even more baffling is they flew low enough over 5-6 zones without any one shooting before he opened up.


I was there that day! We got drawn bad so didnt hunt, wish we would've just to see that! That is sad and funny at the same time &#128514;


Sent from my iPod touch using Ohub Campfire


----------



## Tom_Miller (Apr 23, 2010)

neil duffey said:


> about 6 or 7 years ago... maybe more, i watched a guy do the same, and then drop the swan... he then proceeded to bring it to the office and checked it in as a "snow goose". the draw guy called one of his "buddies" who'd never seen a snow taken at fp... his buddy was the C.O. who took his boat, gun, decoys and handed him a hefty fine... the guy was baffled... so was i, at the stupidity.  still blows my mind to this day.


I actually find this kind of sad. The guy obviously didn't know he had done wrong and was probably happy until he learned what he had done. Yes, he should have known and has to pay the consequences, but it still seems kind of sad.


----------



## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Tom_Miller said:


> I actually find this kind of sad. The guy obviously didn't know he had done wrong and was probably happy until he learned what he had done. Yes, he should have known and has to pay the consequences, but it still seems kind of sad.


yeah kinda agree. if he went through and checked it in, he evidently wasn't educated in the ID of such birds. guess he learned the hard way eh?


----------



## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Like college, Ornithology can be expensive


----------



## Big Honkers (Dec 20, 2008)

If it had an orange bill I would have thanked him and given him a free box of shells to shoot more.


----------



## neil duffey (Feb 22, 2004)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> yeah kinda agree. if he went through and checked it in, he evidently wasn't educated in the ID of such birds. guess he learned the hard way eh?


sure, it is sad, i guess... but isn't the number one rule of hunting, know your prey. isn't that the main way we can ensure an ethical harvest? its sort of catch 22. it sure does suck, but at the same time, had he done his job... it is what it is, you know.


----------

