# Some questions about Pt. Mouille and Shiawassee



## General Ottsc (Oct 5, 2017)

Good afternoon everyone,
This is going to be a bit long winded, but I want to try to be thorough. I apologise. Anyway, as my thread title states, I'd like to ask a few questions about both areas. 
With the duck season approaching quickly, I was looking for new hunting opportunities. I'm located in the Metro Detroit area, so both areas are about an hour drive for me, give or take.
The downfall, I hunt by myself and although I have a boat, it's a real pain to move by myself. 14 ft Meyers boat and 6 horse motor. Last time I tried hunting Harsens Island, I spend more time just trying to get my boat over the dikes to my spot and clear weeds off the prop then hunt. Now it just sits up north, where I won't see it until firearm deer season. I had every intention of buying a poke boat this year, but it wasn't in the cards. 
I'm pretty close to the Wetzel Rec. Area, which you can get to all the prairie-like pothole ponds on foot. But on a weekend, you're more like to get shot then to shoot anything. So I'm going to try and avoid that area this year unless it's during the week.

So my questions about either area are as follows; 1) are there any parts that are accessible on foot? If so, is the water particularly deep in those areas? Waist high is ok with me, not much higher then that by myself. Accessibility my biggest concern. 2) I know it varies day to day, but has anyone ever gotten a few birds in the afternoon? Since I've never been to either area, I'm stick with the afternoon hunts for now. 3) What species do you typically see? More divers or puddle ducks? A good mix? 
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and good hunting!


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## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

There are plenty of zones at SHI that are walk in accessible. Zones, 1-5, 55-60, 61-66, are all flooded waist deep (usually) and are a short walk, Zones, 6-8, 9-14 are also walk in but are a little further walk. I would highly recommend borrowing a canoe and doing your homework (scouting before hand) if your going to make the drive, it opens your possibilities up to the entire area. I'm not saying it will be easy but there are plenty of people who paddle and hunt anywhere they want to. there are deep ditches that go around the fields so you will need to know ahead of time where the tractor access's are or be a good swimmer. Ill post a video link that will give you lots of good info as well. As far as Mouille you might want to practice on your looooonnngggggg distance shooting game. Good luck this season!


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## LooksMoosey (Aug 29, 2015)

General Ottsc said:


> So my questions about either area are as follows; 1) are there any parts that are accessible on foot? If so, is the water particularly deep in those areas? Waist high is ok with me, not much higher then that by myself. Accessibility my biggest concern. 2) I know it varies day to day, but has anyone ever gotten a few birds in the afternoon? Since I've never been to either area, I'm stick with the afternoon hunts for now. 3) What species do you typically see? More divers or puddle ducks? A good mix?
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and good hunting!


I can only speak to Shiawassee as I have never been to Pointe Mouille.

1) Yes, see above posters info on that. Plenty are walk in accessible but better to know the area ahead of time or do it in the daylight (PM hunt). The map shows a lot info and the folks at the check station can show you the best route as needed. A canoe is the best bet though imo. I use that and have no issues accessing any areas in a canoe.

2) Yes, I hunt afternoons a lot and kill birds. Every hunt is different. Some years its better in the AM and sometimes not.

3) Mostly puddlers but I have seen both


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

In my younger days I would walk to the sones in shiawasee. Now days? I’m no longer angry enough at the birds to go through that BS to maybe shoot a couple birds. If you are young and full of piss and vinegar than by all means do it up. That muck will ware your ass down in a hurry. 

Your boat could get you into prior rd units and the flooded woods at Shi without pulling a Dike


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## squawk7500 (Jun 20, 2011)

Shiawasse is possible by foot, especially now that the Miller Rd bridge is constructed. Although to get to some zones from Miller Rd is a 2 mile hike. These easiest way to get around if you're by yourself is a small canoe and a 3ish HP motor. You should be able to easily portage that over the dikes.

Fish Point is basically all walking if you ever head there.


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## TheHighLIfe (Sep 5, 2017)

pt mouilee (draw area) is all walk in accessible. most are long walks. guys there use bicycles with wagons. i am 67, and can get to most of them. and sometimes a single on tues and thurs (no draw on mon-wed-fri)


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## General Ottsc (Oct 5, 2017)

Thanks for the advice so far! I plan on hunting the afternoon at either area since I'm unfamiliar with both. Sounds like I'm leaning towards Shiawassee though because as charcoal said above, you better have a good long distance shooting game. And quite frankly, my long distance shooting sucks. 
I could probably borrow a kayak from a buddy. He even had an otter sled to go with it. I could use a bike too.
Which I guess brings up another question, do smaller spreads typically work better? I realize it depends on the day, your calling ability, things like that. But the less I have to haul in and out, the better. 
I might be able to get out to Shiawassee Sunday morning to scout. Are you allowed to get out and walk around and check stuff out? Thanks again for help!


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

good input already regarding Shiawassee. But I would suggest giving the guest hunter program a try. Hopefully the attachment comes through. There may not be any spots available since you've waited so late before the season starts, but give them a shout ASAP. You will learn more from them in one hunt than in a year of screwing around aimlessly on your own.


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## General Ottsc (Oct 5, 2017)

just ducky said:


> good input already regarding Shiawassee. But I would suggest giving the guest hunter program a try. Hopefully the attachment comes through. There may not be any spots available since you've waited so late before the season starts, but give them a shout ASAP. You will learn more from them in one hunt than in a year of screwing around aimlessly on your own.
> View attachment 273877


That's a good idea. Since I'm the only one in my family who duck hunts, I really have no frame of reference for things and have been learning things on my own. I'll give this guy a shout out. Thanks!


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

I have been hunting Point Mouillee for years. Just like any other area it has its days. I've had some great afternoon hunts out there if the weather is good and by good I mean the stuff most people turn around and go back in their house. A massive spread is not needed. 

If you are a solo hunter I would suggest bringing a friend or get there a few minutes before the draw and try teaming up with another solo hunter. That way you will have more options to hunt.


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## lastflight (Aug 16, 2005)

If you are walking in, Fish Point is the most user-friendly IMO, and the drive there will be roughly the same.

You should certainly jump at the chance to do the Shiawassee guest hunt. I know there are limited spots so get the ball rolling now.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

pt mouilee (draw area) is all walk in accessible. most are long walks. guys there use bicycles with wagons. i am 67, and can get to most of them. and sometimes a single on tues and thurs (no draw on mon-wed-fri)

Zones 11-14, and 15-22 are for sure walk in. The marsh unit, zones 2-10, claim to be walk in, but I've hunted there three times and every time as soon as we push the kayak off the dike we're in water that would float my hat, and I'm 6'4". Once in the zones it's 2-3' with a lot of weeds on the bottom, not hard to walk but you have to be deliberate. I've heard rumors that there's access points to get into each zone in the marsh by foot, but have never found them. Not that I've looked much, as I have a canoe and a kayak.

A $200 10' kayak will open possibilities at all managed areas, if you travel light. A canoe can haul more gear, but also is harder to handle, harder to paddle, and much slower.

Google "Michigan Managed Area Annual Reports" and download the ones for the areas you want to hunt. Lots of good info there. 2014 my 11 year old daughter and I hit all the managed areas, did our research using the reports and calling the HQ and asking researched, pointed questions. We killed birds at every managed area, regardless of weather and draw, and that included draw 73/75 at Shiawassee. 

Oh, and while the guys at Harsen's called their buddies hunting that morning to steer us to the best field, and the guys behind the counter at Shiawassee would talk theory about what zone to take all morning, DO NOT ASK THE PEOPLE AT PT. MOUILEE WHAT ZONES TO PICK! Trust me on this.

Nyanquing is all walk in as well, maybe a bit farther than Fish Point.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

I don’t want to deter you from the other area but if you are planning on strictly being able to walk in to any zone and have a potentially quality hunt then FP is your best bet. It offers the easy access. With easy access comes more hunters on average. In my experience Shintypically has less parties on tour average day, I believe that is associated with the “difficulty of access” in comparison to other areas. However, at the very least you can take your boat to the flats and should have no issue getting into the flooded woods.


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## General Ottsc (Oct 5, 2017)

Per just ducky's suggestion, I contacted Mike about the volunteer hunt last night. He said there's one person ahead of me to go out, but he's going to try to pair me up with someone willing to take 2 hunters or pair me up with his brother. 
Either way, he's really putting the effort forward to try to get me out there. Stand-up guy in book. And if doesn't happen to work out this year, I'd be first on the list next year. 

But I'll look into Fish Point as an option. I don't care about the extra hunting pressure. It's just nice to get out there.


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## duckcommander101 (Jan 14, 2003)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> pt mouilee (draw area) is all walk in accessible. most are long walks. guys there use bicycles with wagons. i am 67, and can get to most of them. and sometimes a single on tues and thurs (no draw on mon-wed-fri)
> 
> Zones 11-14, and 15-22 are for sure walk in. The marsh unit, zones 2-10, claim to be walk in, but I've hunted there three times and every time as soon as we push the kayak off the dike we're in water that would float my hat, and I'm 6'4". Once in the zones it's 2-3' with a lot of weeds on the bottom, not hard to walk but you have to be deliberate. I've heard rumors that there's access points to get into each zone in the marsh by foot, but have never found them. Not that I've looked much, as I have a canoe and a kayak.
> 
> ...


There is a shallow area at the pullover to walk across to access the East side zones, but I would only use it to access 4 as it is a long wade to get to 6 or 8.
No one will tell you what zones are good because until a few years ago there were only 12 zones available. Depending on wind direction and speed any of the zones can be great.
You can walk into most of the zones directly from the dike, except for 6 and 8, these two zones you have to wade through zone 4 to get to (no thank you!).
I suggest if you plan to hunt the marsh zones (2-10) that you purchase some sort of cart and a jet sled, this makes it a lot easier to get your equipment to your zone without carrying it all on your back as some of the zones are well over a mile walk.
I have never hunted Shiawassee, but Fish Point was pretty easy to access the couple of times that I have hunted up there.
Zach, Chuck, Tammy and the other folks from the DNR are happy to explain how to access each area if you wait until the draw is done and approach them with your questions regarding accessing the zone that you have chosen,


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

As stated above, Units 11 -14 (Nelson Unit) and Units 15 -22 (Walpatich Unit) are pedestrian walk in units, correct? Do these units get flooded and if so, how deep is the flooding, pass hip boot depth? Are you allowed to park in that little parking lot past the gate where the farming equipment is at the start of the Nelson Unit? Are these the units that have been farmed and flooded? How deep does 20 & 22 units get? 

It is soft muck or hard bottom or does 4 lbs of clay mud stick to your boots like in a corn field pheasant hunting on a drizzly Oct 20 morning? In these units, is the, whatever, water level vegetation at a point to if you had to chase a cripple without a dog it would be a good chance of not finding it? 

Just basic condition questions. Or, should I ask the Field office there? I suppose you would have to experience the winds and how hunter pressure moved the birds around when there are birds. Which unit does this so called ?7-11? club hunt?


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Pull the managers reports. Year in and out 4 zones kill 65% of the birds there.

I've compiled reports for the last few years and pivot charted them every way you could think. Two years ago on the youth hunt we got drawn second to last but had a plan. Shot 11 out of the 46 ducks taken that night.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

a bicycle and a well crafted bike trailer can be your friend. haul/tow a jet sled on the trailer. ride bike to zone walk in....walk in pulling jet sled. Done it a hundred times. Although a canoe or small kayak would probably serve you better, i know the struggle well.

back in the day i used to run a 12' aluminum with small outboard (my first rig) and i pulled all the dikes easily by myself. 2 trips over dike, 1 for motor, 1 for decoys/boat. With the water up like it is, we are back in the haydays of good access.


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

My competition whack n stack braggin days are over. This is the first time in 17 years that I bought a duck stamp. A few years ago the ole back disc finally did the major pop, so high caution is practiced when any grunting or heavy is involved. Last fall a case of pneumonia kick started COPD, so the lungs are shot. Henceforth, deer have been put on the back burner, possibly ended. 

I shot my first duck on the north side of Rat Island almost 50 years ago. I hunted the Humphries before the banana dike was built in the lead shot days and back in the '90s a few times. I use to see a bit of success on the first draws in late '70s. Though, I never did hunt the draw. Just doing a few easier things that I have never done before, maybe watch a few sunrises and sunsets, but preferably with heavy low cloud cover if PM is like what it use to be. 

I have been checking out the DNR PDF of PM and Google maps satellite images to find the closest easiest units. But, that does not tell me the actual ground/water/vegetaion conditions. I doubt if I will ever put on a pair of waders again. So, if I ever wanted to check out the office parking lot on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon hunt and not to many vehicles were there I might go in give them $4. 

I use the electric buggies at WallyWorld and joust with old ladies. No more fullback and pulp cutting for this guy. I did make a cart though a couple of couple of years ago that I could winch a deer on it without having to pick it up. I could use that for a bag of dekes, gun, hip boots, etc. but, I ain't walking more than about a par 4 maybe 5.


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