# Small Game Hunting During Deer Season



## ScottyJ98 (Mar 3, 2013)

As the title states do you or dont you. I hunt the state game areas in southeastern MI. I generally try ro avoud hunting during the deer season but some days I cant control myself.


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## chefjeff007 (Oct 24, 2014)

Today I was hunting point Mouliee and some one just unloaded one after another shotgun rounds right at dusk.it was horrible they left before i could see them. Hope i wasn't you. Someone ruined my hunt today.


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## ScottyJ98 (Mar 3, 2013)

Wasnt me I've never hunted Point Mouliee.


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## drumcode (Dec 19, 2011)

I hunt all public land and I am going to have to say every single time I go out there are things that are not ideal. Seems like every time I go to Waterloo or Pinckney someone is running dogs, sometimes not even hunting, just getting practice in with their dogs. non-stop firearms going off as well. I've come to take it as the nature of the beast. This land is here for everyone to enjoy and no ones hunt is anymore important than anyone elses. Point Mouliee has some of the best duck hunting in the state, and it is duck season. I am guessing every weekend morning there you will hear a shotgun singing. 

As for deer rifle season, this is only my first year hunting, but I think I am just going to sit and wait it out. I am a passive guy and from what I hear the rifle deer crowd can get pretty aggressive and have a weird sense of entitlement. I have talked to some that even assume you're not allowed to hunt small game during rifle season. It's only a few weeks long. Only my choice though, you have every right to go out and hunt.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

i hunt public land. mostly northern oakland county. i am an avid squirrel hunter , and will not stop hunting for deer season. if i see you hunting an area i will do everything i can to avoid you, but your hunt is simply not more important then my hunt. so if i do come acrossed you in a blind,, sorry about that, i'll move on. but i will not stop hunting just because you want to hunt deer.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

drumcode said:


> I hunt all public land and I am going to have to say every single time I go out there are things that are not ideal. Seems like every time I go to Waterloo or Pinckney someone is running dogs, sometimes not even hunting, just getting practice in with their dogs. non-stop firearms going off as well. I've come to take it as the nature of the beast. This land is here for everyone to enjoy and no ones hunt is anymore important than anyone elses. Point Mouliee has some of the best duck hunting in the state, and it is duck season. I am guessing every weekend morning there you will hear a shotgun singing.
> 
> As for deer rifle season, this is only my first year hunting, but I think I am just going to sit and wait it out. I am a passive guy and from what I hear the rifle deer crowd can get pretty aggressive and have a weird sense of entitlement. I have talked to some that even assume you're not allowed to hunt small game during rifle season. It's only a few weeks long. Only my choice though, you have every right to go out and hunt.


on public land you stand just as good a chance of a small game hunter moving deer to you,, as moving them away. sit quietly, if someone moves through stay alert, deer often circle a moving hunter and may come right into your lap.


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## ScottyJ98 (Mar 3, 2013)

Like I said I try not to hunt during deer season but sometimes I do go out. I try to avoid areas where others are hunting. However there is only so much state land to hunt down state and it becomes hard to avoid each other.


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## drumcode (Dec 19, 2011)

john warren said:


> on public land you stand just as good a chance of a small game hunter moving deer to you,, as moving them away. sit quietly, if someone moves through stay alert, deer often circle a moving hunter and may come right into your lap.


I am a squirrel hunter, and a terrible one at that. None of the things that I come across are going to lessen my chance of getting an animal more than my own inability to wake up at a decent hour and not sound like a bear walking through the woods.  I was thinking the same thing though. If the deer hunters get nice and deep in the woods anyone coming to hunt from the parameter will only increase the deer hunters chances if there are deer around.


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## michhutr (Jan 16, 2009)

Rarely do I hunt squirrel during deer season but if I do I go in after 10am. If running my dogs I go mid day. Come December I run my dogs early morning and the hunters I've seen love me moving through. I also try to hunt areas without any cars around. Share the woods be thoughtful to others.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

drumcode said:


> I am a squirrel hunter, and a terrible one at that. None of the things that I come across are going to lessen my chance of getting an animal more than my own inability to wake up at a decent hour and not sound like a bear walking through the woods.  I was thinking the same thing though. If the deer hunters get nice and deep in the woods anyone coming to hunt from the parameter will only increase the deer hunters chances if there are deer around.


 lol,,,,are you sure your not me?

you should try hunting with squirrel dogs some time, you will love it.


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

I don't run beagles on State land during rifle deer season. I do run, during this time, in areas that are closed to hunting; so I'm not interfering with someone's deer hunt. If I stopped running on State land during bow season it would severely limit my running, so I run dogs during bow season. Too many guys wait all year for rifle deer to roll around for me to upset their hunt, so I hold off until 12/1. ALSO, it's hard to believe, but there are hunters out there that think it's legal to shoot a dog they think is running a deer. It's not, but the old wives tale persists.


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

I would never do it out of respect for the deer hunters. They get 2 weeks and small game goes into March. Just my opinion though.

Ganzer


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## drumcode (Dec 19, 2011)

SGC I was just reading about an incident in Kalkaska where some guys shot 2 of 7 of a guys beagles and scurried out of the woods. Luckily some other hunters caught the license plate number and the guys were caught. I cant believe that though. Why would someone ever shoot someone else's dogs? How can some meat and a rack be more important then someones pet?


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

I didn't see that. That is very unfortunate. They should expect some big fines, especially if the dogs held titles or were a part of a breeding program.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

drumcode said:


> SGC I was just reading about an incident in Kalkaska where some guys shot 2 of 7 of a guys beagles and scurried out of the woods. Luckily some other hunters caught the license plate number and the guys were caught. I cant believe that though. Why would someone ever shoot someone else's dogs? How can some meat and a rack be more important then someones pet?


 for that reason i don't hunt my dog during deer season, i have 8 years of hard hunting invested in her. not to mention untold hours of her in my lap watching tv and taking naps. anyone hurting her is not going to be safe,,,and i'm to pretty to go to prison.
oh, she is more then my pet, she is my hunting partner. my fishing buddy. and the more people i meet,,,the more i like her.


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

MERGANZER said:


> I would never do it out of respect for the deer hunters. They get 2 weeks and small game goes into March. Just my opinion though.
> 
> Ganzer


 deer hunting starts with the early kids season and liberty hunts, bow season, muzzle loader, gun ,and late muzzle loader season right to the end of december. 
two weeks my aunt betty's bunions.


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## kwelch11 (Dec 11, 2013)

I am an everything hunter so for me it is not an issue, I will be deer hunting during rifle season. While it is state land, the gun hunters only get two weeks and small gamers 6 and a half months. Small game hunting is fine in October and up until the 14 of November. On December 1st I say go for it, but in my humble opinion during the peak of the rut deer hunters can use all the courtesy they can get. Besides some of those guys are dangerous. Firearm season brings out the the amateurs who do not spend much time in the woods. I don't like the idea of busting brush around people who might shoot first and try to figure out what that movement was later.


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## steve w (Feb 15, 2004)

I run beagles and from Oct 1st thru Nov. 30th I run at night out of convenience and safety. I get tired of trying to avoid some deer hunter that perceives if a dog barks or a twig breaks the deer are gone from the county. In reality the deer know me and the dogs are no threat as we have been doing what we do all year with the exception of the time from April 15th till July 8th. It's a shame when some are so ignorant and selfish that they would harm a dog or person or property over something we all should only be enjoying. Only three more weeks and the camo and orange army will go home till next year.


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## dryfly24 (Mar 18, 2009)

steve w said:


> I run beagles and from Oct 1st thru Nov. 30th I run at night out of convenience and safety. I get tired of trying to avoid some deer hunter that perceives if a dog barks or a twig breaks the deer are gone from the county. In reality the deer know me and the dogs are no threat as we have been doing what we do all year with the exception of the time from April 15th till July 8th. It's a shame when some are so ignorant and selfish that they would harm a dog or person or property over something we all should only be enjoying. Only three more weeks and the camo and orange army will go home till next year.


Amen brother. Some people have a sense of entitlement from birth. But how anyone could call themselves a sportsman and yet harm a dog because he feels it is interfering with his hunt is beyond me. . .


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## sgc (Oct 21, 2007)

Some actually believe it's legal to shoot a dog if it's running deer. It's not, but I remember being told as a young first time deer hunter that's it's legal to shoot a dog running a deer. Some still believe this is true.


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## petersawesome (May 24, 2014)

chefjeff007 said:


> Today I was hunting point Mouliee and some one just unloaded one after another shotgun rounds right at dusk.it was horrible they left before i could see them. Hope i wasn't you. Someone ruined my hunt today.


Duck hunter perhaps?
also i assume you were deer hunting and if they unloaded at dusk wasnt your hunt pretty much over anyways? 
Did you have deer infront of you? If you did that sucks!


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## Tron322 (Oct 29, 2011)

have fun!

Anyone who thinks that others in the woods disturbs deer hunting hasn't been doing it too long, or is ignorant.

I love seeing people hiking, squirrel hunting...hearing tons of shots about a mile off from duck hunters.

Any intelligent deer hunter uses these things to their advantage, studies a map for literally 3 minutes to see water and trails in their public land area and sets up in a spot most people will not want to go.

Works for me year after year, but there are a lot of hunters that hang their ladder stand and have to hunt that spot even if there are 50 trucks parked there, but if they drive a couple miles down the road they are gonna be hunting alone...or set up a bait pile and cant leave it alone, I deal with it constantly.

go pop some small game, if there are "hunters" there saying they are deer hunting just overlook and ignore them...not as smart as they should be. let them know they should contact everyone they can on the NRC and the DNR to close all seasons during nov 15-30..especially waterfowl, would love to have those days tacked on in January.

I can only hope for hikers and other hunters where I like to sit, last year it was dead and had to get up and sneak around, no one was pushing deer to me...fingers crossed for this year..sleeping in and heading out as others are leaving...sitting until they all come back, see how that works.


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## HighSierra (Dec 3, 2014)

john warren said:


> on public land you stand just as good a chance of a small game hunter moving deer to you,, as moving them away. sit quietly, if someone moves through stay alert, deer often circle a moving hunter and may come right into your lap.


Good call!


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