# Moving to Marquette



## UPJake (Apr 10, 2018)

As the title says, I am moving to Marquette. I’ll be making the move this week, and I’ll be coming from southeastern Indiana. I’ve trapped in Indiana, Ohio, and Mississippi. Just curious how it is to run a line in the upper peninsula.


----------



## U D (Aug 1, 2012)

Cold, wet, and snowy!!


----------



## Captain Sea Cow (Mar 29, 2018)

Jake, you’re in for a treat.. the great white north! Marquette is a great town!


----------



## John Koos (Dec 20, 2017)

UPJake said:


> As the title says, I am moving to Marquette. I’ll be making the move this week, and I’ll be coming from southeastern Indiana. I’ve trapped in Indiana, Ohio, and Mississippi. Just curious how it is to run a line in the upper peninsula.


The street signs are extra tall for a reason! Less salt too. I'm not sure if you're used to dealing with wolfs or big chocolate brown draft horses with horns. Those aren't chocolate labs swimming in the water, they're beavers! and those aren't birds, they're mosquito's! Good fishing, swimming is quite constricting. Nice country!


----------



## John Koos (Dec 20, 2017)

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/


----------



## shooter 50 (Feb 27, 2012)

TAKE ENOUGH BLACK FLIES AND MOSQUITO SPRAY FOR A LONG SUMMER OF THEM NASTY CRITTERS!


----------



## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

You will love it.Your going to GODS country.So much more peaceful not a rat race like southern lower


----------



## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Awsome place to live and enjoy the outdoors.


----------



## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

I believe you'll be very happy there.

Welcome.
(what the heck is there to trap in Indiana?)


----------



## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

I've never run a line in the UP so I can't really give you much advice there. I would love to spend a week or 2 in early Dec targeting Martin and cats. Those are not available where I'm at. 

The NTA convention is in Escanaba this year. Probably be a ton of fellow UP trappers there to meet. 
There is also the UP Trappers Association for more resources

I hope you will share your experience here for all of us trolls who wish we could move north with you. 
Good luck and congrats.


----------



## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Just remember you are and always be a troll because you come from below the bridge.


----------



## Lumberman (Sep 27, 2010)

Congrats. Marquette’s an awesome town. I spent a lot of time there working. 

As for trap lines I’m not much help. Just plan on 7 months of winter!!


----------



## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Spring beaver is a bust this year. Hard water and snow is everywhere. Beavers have taken a hit due to the number of wolves but there still are trappable numbers. We tried to make it to a friends camp to the NW of Marquette a couple weeks ago. We chained up on all 4 corners and couldn’t make it. Last weekend we received another couple of feet of snow. It’s possible there is now 4’-6’ of snow on the camp road. 

The UP has 6 million acres of land open to the public. It’s pretty well split between State, Federal and CFA land. Good luck with your move.


----------



## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Latest snow cover maps. See menu on the right for snow depth.


----------



## UPJake (Apr 10, 2018)

Thanks for the replies. Nostromo, I trapped a lot of *****, muskrat, coyotes, mink, fox, and beaver in Indiana and Ohio. Then we would go to Mississippi in late December and hit the cats, otter, and beaver hard. I’m really looking forward to going to the NTA. Last time I had chance to go was when it was in Lima, Ohio five years ago. I’ll definitely look into the UP trapper’s association. Is there a lot of competition in Marquette, Baraga, and Alger counties?


----------



## Jmohunts (Mar 3, 2013)

Marquette--- The Yuppy capital of the UP


Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


----------



## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Martin Looker said:


> Just remember you are and always be a troll because you come from below the bridge.


Actually he will be called a F.I.B.


----------



## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Michigan hunting and trapping digest
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/hunting_and_trapping_digest_461177_7.pdf

Michigan state land open to public hunting.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79119_79147_81529-200319--,00.html

Federal land map.
https://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/printable/images/pdf/fedlands/MI.pdf

CFA lands.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79119_79147_81529_82010_82074-178808--,00.html


----------



## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

stickbow shooter said:


> Actually he will be called a F.I.B.


But never "Franco" or "Jocko"!!


----------



## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

Trapping pressure is very low in most of the U.P. I mainly trap for nuisance animal control on private property during November. Keep in mind that snow is common from Nov. on and water typically freezes then too.


----------



## Captain Sea Cow (Mar 29, 2018)

Cork Dust said:


> Have you trapped beaver, otter, pine marten, or fisher before? Plenty of ATV and snowmobile trails to ride, inland lakes and streams to fish with limited competition. Crappie and bluegills don't get that big up here, but cold water species are offsets. Whitetail deer, bear, ruffed grouse, woodcock geese, ducks, gray squirrels, rabbit and hare to hunt, with next to zero land access issues. A really good UP Trappers Association that holds a great get together.
> 
> After spending three decades plus here, the yuppies that jmojunts bitches about are horrible people, who own and operate specialty restaurants, a produce vendor that sells locally and regionally grown items at competitive prices,local brew pubs (4), specialty bakeries, bike and ski shops, coffee shops, spice shops, make hand made jewelry for sale, sponsor and attend a couple of art shows a year. There is a local food Co-op with some great regional cheeses and specialty food items and a deli. There is a local farmers market that meets at The Commons during the summer where you can buy grass fed beef, heritage pork, mushrooms and locally grown produce and fresh fruits. Killer wild blueberries every spring and strawberries and blueberies locally grown. The local service clubs put on a very good Blues festival, Seafood Festival, an annual Brewfest,and an International Food Festival. I've found those yuppies are Horrible people who fight to maintain public access to the Lake Superior shore, work to support and maintain beautiful parks along much of the waterfront for public use, kayak waterway trails and rentals, bike paths throughout the city, public and private XC venues, a women's rowing club, the Iron Belle trail. You know all that repugnant stuff associated with leisure time fulfillment breadth and scope enhancement. No monster truck rallies, mud wrestling (unless you want to get in the Spartan race at the ski hill), topless bars, open racism and general social ignorance. You can find all of that up here, but just not in Marquette. Houghton/Hancock is also quite similar.


Easy Cork dust.. all those downstaters yupping up the yoop.. lol.. Marquette General sucks by the way.. lol.. it’s all good.. locals, hippies and yuppies living in harmony. Peace my brother


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Captain Sea Cow said:


> Easy Cork dust.. all those downstaters yupping up the yoop.. lol.. Marquette General sucks by the way.. lol.. it’s all good.. locals, hippies and yuppies living in harmony. Peace my brother


LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLA Lola, is that like a bad rendition of the Kink's song?

I moved here from the Soo. Darn generalizations, they just get in the way...

Sorry, I'm not conversant in social media speak, just English.


----------



## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Good news for trappers. 

DNR press release. 

Beaver and otter trapping seasons in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula have been extended by two weeks through April 30 for trappers who already have traps set for those species.

The change, involving beaver and otter Units A and B, will allow trappers more time to retrieve their traps and any beaver or otter they may have caught.

Heavy snowfall over the past several weeks, along with frozen wetlands and now rising waterways, has reduced the ability of trappers to complete their activities.

Springtime beaver trappers often target areas where beaver have the potential to cause damage to property, roads or other infrastructure. The two-week extension will aid trappers working to reduce the potential for beaver-related damage this spring.

The extension applies to any licensed resident fur harvester with traps set prior to, or on, April 15 in Units A and B. Trappers may also continue regular beaver and otter trapping activity on Upper Peninsula designated trout streams through April 30. 

Otter registration requirements, including registration deadlines, still apply.


----------



## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Captain Sea Cow said:


> Easy Cork dust.. all those downstaters yupping up the yoop.. lol.. Marquette General sucks by the way.. lol.. it’s all good.. locals, hippies and yuppies living in harmony. Peace my brother


Marquette General is the only decent hospital in the UP.


----------



## Captain Sea Cow (Mar 29, 2018)

Nostromo said:


> Marquette General is the only decent hospital in the UP.


That’s not saying much.. look up some reviews.. plus I was lucky enough to stay a week there in the early 90’s.. when it used to be descent.. I have friends and family members who do and have worked there also.


----------



## Captain Sea Cow (Mar 29, 2018)

Cork Dust said:


> LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLA Lola, is that like a bad rendition of the Kink's song?
> 
> I moved here from the Soo. Darn generalizations, they just get in the way...
> 
> Sorry, I'm not conversant in social media speak, just English.


Believe it or not.. I love Marquette.


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Captain Sea Cow said:


> That’s not saying much.. look up some reviews.. plus I was lucky enough to stay a week there in the early 90’s.. when it used to be descent.. I have friends and family members who do and have worked there also.


There is no one size fits all for medical care in any rural area of the United States. Rather than continuuing to work to fix the faults and issues with Obamacare, Congress has seen fit to do the exact opposite, despite high electorate-based support for the program.

Duke-Lifepointe's take-over of MGH has not benefited patients or hospital employees, since many qualified and competent physicians left the area and many sub-specialties are under-represented and overworked. That said, I used to work with pharmacy, lab, and hospital/physician staff at all UP hospitals, as well as Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay and northern Wisconsin facilities over nearly three decades. I also had coverage responsibility for the Tribal Health Clinics in the UP and the Oneida Tribal Facility in Green Bay.

The new hospital that is under construction will "cure" a great deal of the logistics issues that existed, and significantly address operating room number and layout, as well as provide some sub-specialty physicians clinic space within the facility. I honestly doubt that Duke-Lifepointe will keep the facility under their ownership for much longer;bad "fit" with their healthcare model.

Tertiary care facilities see the sickest of the sick, consequently they receive an additional 11% bump on their DRG reimbursements from HHS via medicare. MGH was one of 14 hospitals that had those reimbursement elevations removed during the George W. Bush administration era. This sucked a lot of cash out of their income stream because they and just paid for two major capitol improvement projects-ED facility and the Nehlberg Building. There were some other really stupid moves committed by the hospital's capital improvement board members, like not locking-in steel price when the iron production industry was booming and steel costs were escalating at light speed. Cumulatively, these acted to put MGH in a position where they needed to seek a deep-pockets partner/owner. Duke is an excellent hospital/medical school facility, just too far away to be a routine referral center for MGH...underscoring Lifepointe's mistaken logic.

If I were going-in right now for complex emergency or elective surgery, I would opt for Bellin Healthcare in Green Bay. Other than that, Nostromo's comment is quite accurate. If I had a "We still don't know what you have case", I would request to be referred to the Mayo Clinic facility in Rochester, Mn.

I just had emergency surgery at Marquette in September for a ruptured appendix, that probably should have killed me. Dr. Jameson did an excellent job conducting the surgery, in combination with my internist. I never knew until well into the third day what I had,when the pain intensified and shifted-that is a lot of bacteria and bacterial endotoxins released into the peritoneum. 

After not getting answers that made sense, I opted to take my wife over there nearly twenty years ago. She had a myxoma removed from her mitral valve, and the valve rebuilt at Mayo. She XC skis, snowshoes, rides her mountain and road bikes, and her horse without incident or issues

Sorry for the thread hijack...


----------



## Jmohunts (Mar 3, 2013)

Nostromo said:


> Marquette General is the only decent hospital in the UP.


That is a hilarious statement, maybe at one time. Is that why they lost most of the Good Dr.s when Duke Knife point took over. You couldn't pay me to go there now!! Talk about Generalized BS. 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


----------



## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

Jmohunts said:


> That is a hilarious statement, maybe at one time. Is that why they lost most of the Good Dr.s when Duke Knife point took over. You couldn't pay me to go there now!! Talk about Generalized BS.
> 
> Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


Are you referring the Marquette General. Or Health Care in General?


----------



## John Koos (Dec 20, 2017)

Luv2hunteup said:


> Good news for trappers.
> 
> DNR press release.
> 
> ...


You should check out Beaver Cleaning Products for a good laugh. I worked at a place that got their supplies there.


----------



## John Koos (Dec 20, 2017)

Beaverresearch.com


----------



## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Your one Lucky person, I know nothing about trapping but a bad day trapping in God's country is better than ANY day down here! 

Congrats, I'd love to live the slower life style up there.

What will you be doing, it would be good to hear the story if why your moving!



You'll be living many of our dreams!



UPJake said:


> As the title says, I am moving to Marquette. I’ll be making the move this week, and I’ll be coming from southeastern Indiana. I’ve trapped in Indiana, Ohio, and Mississippi. Just curious how it is to run a line in the upper peninsula.


----------



## UPJake (Apr 10, 2018)

I’m a GM and ASE master tech. I took a job up here at one of the GM dealerships. Moved because I wanted to be in an area that had more opportunities for the outdoors and a more rural area compared to where I was coming from.


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

UPJake said:


> I’m a GM and ASE master tech. I took a job up here at one of the GM dealerships. Moved because I wanted to be in an area that had more opportunities for the outdoors and a more rural area compared to where I was coming from.


There are numerous beaver flowages that no one hits,just depends on how hard you want to work. When you are out on you atv, keep an eye out for sign, particularly if you want to run a land line. Power line crossings, sand pits, gravel pits, terrain breaks with vegetation transitions all are good at steering game. GoogleEarth is your best friend, as are cubby sets. If you are just going to set culverts you will have some competition, depending on where you work from o along. A small canoe, no longer than 15' is a must, as is a pair of loppers and pruners. You can generally find enough junk wood to make floating platform sets for rats, and mink. Cubby sets work really well. Stop at Thills Fish House and introduce yourself by buying some fish. Make friends. They are an easy source of fish heads. If you don't already have a tile spade, pick one up. Standard #330 for beaver, 220 for ****, wired off or chained and staked. A notch in a beaver dam is an excellent place to set for anything from otter, mink, to rats. Angled pole sets with a Conibear will work for marten and fisher, and are dog proof. If you shoot a turkey, save the wings to use as an attractor; shed hawk feathers or a whole ruffed grouse wing works well, too, if you want to try for Bobcat down the road. Canine distemper put the hurt on coyotes, and fox (both red and grays), but they will build back, quickly, particularly if we have a high number of nutritionally challenged young deer(fawns and late yearlings, as well as run-down yearling bucks). 

If you run across tracks that look roundish that are about 4-5" in diameter, look for two things: toenail marks often absent, three rounded nobs on the back of the central pad. These are cougar. Wolves will have two nobs on the back edge. IF you are looking at good tracks that are fresh, you can often note that the toe pads angle inward toward the midline, where a wolf will have toe pad marks that run parallel to the track midline. Wolves have a harmonic stride, landing front to back when walking and trotting, as well as when traveling single file at pace. You can usually tell how many animals are in the group if you stay with the tracks until they hit a big blow down or a stream course they intend to hunt along, then they will break up and you can count individuals.

If you eventually pick-up a dog and are out in remote country and happened to come around any old beaver flowages with open grassy meadow area around it with a lot of wolf tracks, get your dog back in and work well away from there; you likely wandered near a wolf den site. The meadow areas form when the dam washes out and exposes old pond bottom that is rich dirt. My labs, start acting submissive when we hit into fresh wolf sign; coyotes they will mark scent posts and scat.

Big flat seed filled kinda "cow-pie looking" scat is late summer/early fall bear when they start hitting raspberries, black raspberries and choke cherry that drop during storms. If you run into choke cherry that have been filed stripped; it's a bear working the area. They will feed on marsh marigold and vernal plants that pop-up first around temporary or permanent wetlands in sping in open or timbered country, so if you are picking spring mushrooms around these spots, just look around every once in awhile...really no major danger, just good sense, particularly if you have a dog along. 

Respect any moose you run into, more unpredictable than anything that can eat you!


----------



## Nostromo (Feb 14, 2012)

UPJake said:


> I’m a GM and ASE master tech. I took a job up here at one of the GM dealerships. Moved because I wanted to be in an area that had more opportunities for the outdoors and a more rural area compared to where I was coming from.


There's a fair amount of Rural up there.


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

If you snare, snares are legal in Michigan, with some restrictions. A through-fence travel corridor is pobably one of the most consistent sets going. Snares must be deer-proof.


----------



## UPJake (Apr 10, 2018)

I’ve read the regs a couple times, and I’m planning on stopping into the Marquette DNR office, but I do have a couple questions that maybe you guys could answer. As far as using conibears for beaver and otter, do they have to be completely submerged or can they be somewhat exposed out of the water? Then as far as coyote and fox trapping, are MB 550s a legal size to use on dry ground?


----------



## ltcnav (Oct 10, 2010)

Cork Dust said:


> Generalization? Naw, no waaaaaaaaaaaaay.
> 
> Gee, there I was, sitting at the Sands Township meeting this past week where the item of discussion was? The configuration of a Public shooting range. Yup, first one to be sited in the U.P. I use the FFL of one of those left-oriented physicians to buy and collect guns, hunt and fish with over a dozen of them that I used to interact with prior retirement. Informed? Yes. Ultra-liberal? Hardly, unless deciding issues by consensus vote and rule of law is no longer the law of the land or routine course of action.
> 
> ...


So, took some research but; 16 townships voted Trump, the Cities of Neg, Ish, Marquette, Mqt twp and richmond twp voted Clinton. So, no the entire county did not vote Clinton.


----------



## Fool'em (Sep 29, 2016)

UPjake
550 are good
330 for beaver and otter have to be in the water. Only completely submerged on a beaver dam. 
I use common sense and if the area shows much activity or possible activity from other users I'll set my 330 submerged. Not only to avoid any possible incidentals but also to hide them from Johnny sneekum. 
Example - this season I was otter trapping and the spot that needed a trap was visible from the road really about 30 yards from the road and a culvert I elected to set submerged and put a dive stick over the top. A seasoned trapper would have spotted it right away but that's not who I have to keep out of sight from. As much slow moving traffic on that road and I know my trap would have been spotted and disappeared. 
2 days later a nice 44in otter was waiting for me under water and out of sight. 
Snares are also legal for beaver in MI. I've never snared a beaver but I made up some this winter and I hope to set some next season
I run MB550 for yotes and like them


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

ltcnav said:


> So, took some research but; 16 townships voted Trump, the Cities of Neg, Ish, Marquette, Mqt twp and richmond twp voted Clinton. So, no the entire county did not vote Clinton.


Now, tally the vote totals for all the twsps. and Negaunee, Marquette, Ishpeming...which would be the county vote.


----------



## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

UPJake said:


> I’ve read the regs a couple times, and I’m planning on stopping into the Marquette DNR office, but I do have a couple questions that maybe you guys could answer. As far as using conibears for beaver and otter, do they have to be completely submerged or can they be somewhat exposed out of the water? Then as far as coyote and fox trapping, are MB 550s a legal size to use on dry ground?


When fur is prime, keeping them nearly submerged minimizes ice issues. This is more of a dog protection insertion in the trapping regulations. Water levels fluctuate, so no self-respecting CO is going to nail you.


----------

