Michigan Whitetail

[karrarararararar]

I'm going to be heading home to SE Michigan for Thanksgoving and have decided to use the opportunity to finally hunt whitetail rifle season. So far my only experience is hunting bow season here in NoDak. Anyone have any good locations they could point me towards? I will need to be North of the restricted firearm line as I will be using my 308 AR (blocked to 5 round magazine capacity.) I'm currently looking in the Grayling area as it looks like there is tons of public access around there.

 

[Scalloper]

Good luck

 

[284winner]

I'm going to be heading home to SE Michigan for Thanksgoving and have decided to use the opportunity to finally hunt whitetail rifle season. So far my only experience is hunting bow season here in NoDak. Anyone have any good locations they could point me towards? I will need to be North of the restricted firearm line as I will be using my 308 AR (blocked to 5 round magazine capacity.) I'm currently looking in the Grayling area as it looks like there is tons of public access around there.

Lots of hunters in that area. Personally I'd consider over closer to kalkaska. Nice deer in the area and hunter numbers shouldn't be real bad.

 

[284winner]

There have always been big hunter numbers near Camp Grayling. They've logged tons of that ground off so it isolated other areas for hunters to hunt, putting more hunters per sq mile than ever. Not saying you couldn't find some ground to hunt and do well but I think you'd be disappointed in the numbers of hunters around you let alone gunshots

 

[karrarararararar]

There have always been big hunter numbers near Camp Grayling. They've logged tons of that ground off so it isolated other areas for hunters to hunt, putting more hunters per sq mile than ever. Not saying you couldn't find some ground to hunt and do well but I think you'd be disappointed in the numbers of hunters around you let alone gunshots

Thanks for the heads up, we'll check it out.

 

[mike mccormick]

Ryan, be careful hunting public land. Kinda like having you present at matches

 

[Redd]

Good Luck , I'll be heading up to MI in the morning for two weeks ..... ducks and deer outside of Caro!

 

[Clous]

If you’re looking for meat I have a few doe that need to go. The second week is a bit tougher to find a good buck but doable. There is a ton of state land along the Manistee River.
I’m just south of Traverse City.

 

[sneakboxer]

I hunted south of Traverse City when stationed in the area 15 years ago. Between the national forests and Sleeping Bear NP there was a lot of ground to hunt. I found hunting in deep away from the roads to be the most productive. Opening day the woods look like a pumpkin patch within 200y of every road. But if you are in deep and stay all day the orange army will just push deer to you. There is a MWR morale cottage at PT Betsie that is pretty cool too if its not booked up. Best of luck, I miss living in that area.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Find pinch points for deer moving away from the Orange wave, be out front ahead of the movement.

 

[karrarararararar]

Lots of good advice. We won't be hunting until after Thankgiving, so hopefully most of the orange army will still be unconscious from. All of the turkey. I have a combo tag so while a buck would be nice, we won't be too hesitant about shooting a doe either.

 

[284winner]

Lots of good advice. We won't be hunting until after Thankgiving, so hopefully most of the orange army will still be unconscious from. All of the turkey. I have a combo tag so while a buck would be nice, we won't be too hesitant about shooting a doe either.

That's my favorite time to hunt in NLP. If that's your window period, i think you'll be fine most places you hunt up there. It's opening week that is tough to find places

 

[karrarararararar]

Just a follow-up. We ended up hunting the area around Cadillac, but came home empty handed. We still had a great time and really enjoyed how beautiful it was (we had fluffy lake effect snow the whole time). I just picked up a Savage 450 Bushmaster, so we will definitely have more options in future years.