Mi muzzle loader season

[10_point]

I sure hope i do better with a muzzle loader , than i did with a rifle.

Our season in Michigan starts friday the 5th .(tomorrow) Pretty much every one i talk with say they never seen such a bad year of deer hunting like this year.

Any way i will be using my 50 cal TC Hawkens with my 370 grain Maxi-ball, hope to get something.

 

[jackpine54]

Good luck!

You're luck sounds like mine so far.
All the deer up here are still digging acorns up on the oak ridges. All the regular spots haven't even had a track on them. :idunno:
We've had 59" of snow so far which usually means they are moving down by the rivers, not this year.

I'll be up in the oaks in the morning before light. I only saw does during rifle season, and didn't draw a doe tag this year.

 

[10_point]

Well good luck, i have private land and was not selected for a doe permit. well i still have all my other tags , would feel better shooting a buck any way.

 

[jackpine54]

I'd rather shoot a buck also, but after counting 26 does walking into my corn for several nights in a row I'd be happy to eat one of them! They can really tear up a corn field.

Be safe and good hunting!

 

[10_point]

You to, be safe good luck, maybe things will change for us.

 

[Flint311]

My 14 year old got two 8 points this season. I got a 9 point, and another guy in camp got a 6 point. Past on fair amount of bucks. I still have a tag left and my son has a doe tag. Will have to see how it goes... Not as many deer as other years, but quality was up I'd say. Varies all over the state though.

 

[Captjoel]

So far after a very long two week regular fire arm season....(I only use a flintlock) I have made friends with a very entertaining red squirrel. He comes up on the downed branches of my deer blind and sits with me watching out over the bait pile. Together we share snacks and have seen a ton of rabbits, several partridges, a bob cat, a family of raccoons, a porcupine, and a great horned owl who tried to nab my little buddy but failed. I did manage to see a nice buck right at the break of dawn on Thanksgiving morning. It was a very brief moment without a clear shot opportunity. The deer heard is either down a lot here in Northwest lower Michigan, (Traverse City area) or their patterns and habits have changed drastically. Now for the start of our muzzleloading season, we have lost about all of our snow cover. Well, me and "Little Buddy" wish you all a safe and prosperous hunting season. We'll be here in the blind enjoying the thrills of nature at it's best! Joel

 

[charcoleburner54]

I live in north west washington state all I saw were does and two bucks no shot we have wolves I think that has alot to do with it do you have wolves?

 

[10_point]

hunted all weekend , did not see anything, beside a few squirrels and another hunter (that was on my posted private land and he tried to say it was his friends, but i told him he is no friend of mine) well anyway it was a nice weekend weather wise anyways . got a couple days left, things may change .

 

[Patocazador]

Have the wolves invaded your area? That would explain the lack of deer.

 

[10_point]

No just the damn coyotes, they were real bad last year, and now you do not even hear them.
Hell they are not going to stick around with out food.

 

[Flint311]

My bro-in-law, nephew (not his son), and his friend went to hunt in Gaylor and one other city up by you. They saw nothing, except after dark in the truck lights. Meanwhile, the bro-in-law's son (14 yrs. old) got a 7 point near Martin, south of Grand Rapids. They were going to hunt their U.P. property, but couldn't get in because of 3 ft. of snow.
I called in a fox with a squeaker and it wouldn't leave after it saw us. Was looking for the rabbit, lol. Jumped a Bald Eagle off my deers gut pile. Lots of wildlife to stay entertained.
This week, the full moon didn't help anyone. Can't wait to get out with the flintlock, just gotta find time.

 

[mzloder]

It has been a strange season here in western NY as well. It's as if the deer vanished! My buddy's corn field has historically been a deer magnet; not so this year! There's only 4 of us hunting the property, about 120 acres, 30 acres of corn, the rest wooded. Just by the tracks in the snow, there can't have been 15 deer anywhere on the property. And, it's not just there, most of the hunters I know are saying the same thing, not even seeing a deer! Strange!

 

[Peter LeRay]

Here in WI it has been a horrible season as well. Never seen it this bad.

 

[10_point]

I heard rumors the dnr is trying out birth control for deer , spraying plants and areas with high deer problems. Makes you wonder doesnt it

 

[Flint311]

They've tried that, but for city deer, where there's too many. Brought more deer in..... When the doe won't "take", they come into estrous again, month, after month, after month...... So buck keep coming back.

One thing I've noticed over the years, people have their favorite spots to hunt, no matter the wind direction (even with "scentlok" suits!). They'll go there and actually ruin their hunt time (deer wind them/scent stays long after your gone). Or, hunt/take same route to the spot, over and over and over.... ruining where they hunt. Hunt one spot more than twice and deer know it/avoid it. I used this tactic to get the 9 pt...go when wind was right and no one had hunted near there. This was very end of season. Took this past year (after the last 5) to get a young hunter in our group to stop walking through the swamp to his stand, because he drove deer out every time he went there-he sees more deer now.
Moon phase then enters the equation. There's a lot of things to consider when deer hunting.
Depending on timing, follow the doe... the buck do!
There's soooo much that go into deer hunting and seeing them...

 

[jackpine54]

I've hunted every day of M/L season so far. I've snuck up on does several times and even had some bed down within 20 yards of me. Yesterday I saw 11 does throughout the day, but no doe tag.

I still haven't seen a buck that was bigger than a spike. I haven't even seen one on any of the game cameras? :idunno: Might have to use the crossbow after the 14th.

 

[Captjoel]

Not that it will do you any good if you don't have an unused doe tag, but their is a late doe season. Starts on Dec. 22 and goes through Jan.1. I am still hoping that I will not need to use this season. The hunt continues......

 

[Flint311]

Wow, read my last post and it is not directed at anyone here :redface:

Here's the "count" for Michigan hunting (really down from last/other years): http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153--342836--,00.html

 

[stinkyfeet]

Everyone I know from Michigan who hunts says there was a huge winter kill last winter and the deer population is down. Thats the excuse they used. I went up for Thanksgiving and shot a decent 8-pointer on state land after sitting 10 minutes. :rotf: I kept sitting and seen 11 does after that, and 2 small 4-points. I guess they never bothered to move to locate deer just sat in their old faithful spots.