Northern Michigan (too many deer)

[BAK]

Not only that, but don't expect a welcome from other hunters who live and hunt in the area.  Just because one farmer wants deer out of "his" land doesn't mean the oveall area isn't hunted by others who will view any coming in to do his dirty work as interlopers.

[kill shot]

Whats an interloper?

[Mojostick]

For those who may be ignorant of the situation, the deer in question are in the TB area of Michigan and any large number of deer over 100 that congregate isn't a good thing. Depsite 2 decades of very liberal antlerless tags, some area hunters are refusing to fill any more antlerless tags in protest of fewer deer seen, thus thwarting the DNR's attempts at lowering herd numbers, thus hopefully reducing TB rates in deer, that then get into cattle herds.

As far as interlopers, much of the vacant land in northern Michigan has, for decades and decades, been owned by downstate folks who bought the property mainly for hunting. Most hunters "up north" have always been landowners from down state and their guests.

This is an area known as "club county". My guess is, the majority of deer hunters in this area are not local landowners or even locals, but instead landowners and guests from the metro-Detroit/SE Michigan area, and have been since the 1950's.

For example, Presque Isle only has roughly 13,000 residents, yet has 10,000 deer hunters. While a higher percentage of rural residents hunt, it's not remotely high enough to make up the majority in that county.
 

[kill shot]

Mojostick is right.

[aim small...release]

Im pretty sure that he doesnt mean lureing all the deer in right now in winter and dropping a bomb on them. I think he means in the fall and hes posting on a bowhunting thread not a gun one so Im sure they dont want a slaughter just some deer taken especialy if its costing someone theyre income.

[kill shot]

This will be the last post on this subject. The corn was not harvested in the fall do to the high moisture content. It can't be harvested now because of the deep snow. The crop damage permits require a lot of red tape to sign someone up as a shooter. The area has an above deer population year round. My daughter killed her first deer during the youth hunt  in a field that had 45 deer in it when she finally had a deer close enough to shoot. Anyone interested in hunting there in the fall can send me a private message. But do to the negative responses, I am just going to drop the subject.