With all this snow falling all around. Make sure you remember to get in the draw for this springs, season. Before the end of the month. If your shooting with a bow. Get to the range.
Friends in Garyling tell me that they have run across several birds frozen in the snow while snowmobiling. The coyotes have done a good job cleaning them up. I hope this winter is not to harsh on the flocks. I'm going to buy some broadheads for next season for my bow, I'm not sure what to get. Any suggestions?
It's funny how the DNR , says. They have no money for ramps,parks or trashcans. Don't have the staff to do maintenance. Have you seen the booklet for this years spring turkey hunt? Looks to be high dollar and vary nice. I guess I know where my increase in licence's are going.
In taking a tom with a bow, this spring. I may use a ground blind. Only the following 3 types of ground blinds are legal on public land. Type 1 (portable ground blind) This blind must be clearly portable and removed each day's hunt. Type 2 (dead natural materials ground blind)A blind exclusively of dead natural materials found in the area. A hunter may add materials for concealment or protection from the weather. These materials must be removed at the end of the days hunt. Type 3 (constructed ground blind) The name and address, of the person that placed the constructed blind on the public land. Must be permanently attached to the blind.If a persons type 3blind has been permitted to be placed on land administered by local public agency. The local agency will establish the length of time a blind may be placed on it's property.
New beginning Mar,1 A base license is required for every resident and nonresident who hunts in Mi. Hunters may purchase their spring turkey license, only after they have obtained a base license for the year. Drawing results posted Mar.3 for the spring season. Base license resident will be $11, senior $5 and Nonresident $151.
Let's hope the snow is gone by first hunt. Last year there was snow on the ground and ice on the lakes two weeks before the first hunt. North of 55. This may be a vary wet hunt. Do to all that snow, get to your favorite outfitter and get some good boots. Basspro and Cabelas are having great spring sales.
For all of you who don't understand what a base licence is. The base licence is basicly a smallgame licence, that you add other hunt tags to, deer, bear turkey ete ete.The state needs $ to fund the parks, wildlife and fishery departments in our state. From what I am told by the head of the DNR, this base licence has an experation life of three years. At that time , if the state has not shown to the public any improvments set forth. The base licence may be taken off the table. We need to contact our DNR department when changes are made. Let them know how we feel. The DNR will the collect all that data. Give the information to a panel.
Snow in April? It could happen. Weather can slow some of the aggressive toms during the spring, but breeding and feeding our always on thier mind. Snow and cold temps will change turkey patterns and leave hunters wondering. Turkeys tend to communicate less when cold weather arrives. Gobblers tend to gobble less, making it harder to call them in. Don't be surprised to have a tom come into your set-up with out gobbling. Snow will also cause both hens and toms . To stay on the roost longer.look for areas that will lose snow the fastest, slopes and sides of hills. Turkeys will gather and scratch and look for food in these open areas
So have I got this right. I have to buy a base license, (small game) which I no longer hunt, in order to purchase a fishing license (which now includes the equivalent of a trout stamp) which I never fish for?
Added to this is the $10 fee I supported for my license plate fee.
I'm all for supporting the DNR and all that, but let's face it. The increase in license fees will no doubt be used to plant species of fish I don't fish for.
So over the last several years the cost of my participating in the outdoors has gone up significantly. Which is fine if there is a return on my investment. If boat ramps and state parks are improved and maintained for example.
But I'm a Bass fisherman. Any plan s to stock some bass in lakes around? Or how about hiring more personnel so that weed control applications on in land lakes can be properly investigated?
I'll be keeping a close eye on this.
Base license is only for hunting. fishing license is now $26.00.
You don't have to spend the extra $10. But spending only $10 , is a good price for fishermen. It beats $6 a day or $26 a year. In years gone by you had to purchase a state park and a DNR purmit if you wanted fish in all the state owned areas.That would cost $52 a year.
Don't let the elements beat you this turkey season. Make sure your wearing the proper cloths allowing you to stay warm, dry and comfortable. Make sure your calls are stored in a plastic bag, moisture can ruin your calls. Mother nature may be fierce and unpredictable, but this year don't let the weather dictate the success of your spring hunt.
I drew 2nd hunt 0109 area K. I guess l will be spending opening week of catch and release for bass in Kalkaska. Great I can do a surf and turf get away this year. I hope ice is out by then and the water temp isn't to cold. If it's not I will visit Elk Rapids for steelhead at the dam.
I talked to a friend who lives close to our hunt camp today, near Kalkaska . He was working on the camp, when a flock of turkeys wondered into the frount yard. Before he new it a large bald eagle swooped down and picked up a large hen and carried the bird off, with no problem. There has'nt been to many sightings, in the past few weeks. Birds are still coming to feeders. That area has over 200" of snow so far this season. The birds have also gone A.W.O.L. in the Grayling area.
I took a ride to GrandRapids this weekend to attend the hunting and fishing show at the Devos show place. I talked to a few young turkey hunters from Kent County, Who told me there has been sightings, but the birds are like ghosts. Now you see them. Now you don't. Two gentelmen from Eaton County, have been watching a flock for a few days now. Since the snow has melted and the fields are dirt. My road trip from Livonia to GrandRapids turned up not one turkey. Seems to be a slow start this season. Although last year started out to be a bust, then the season turned around. The birds came alive, once the weather broke.
It is not unusual for toms to display, fan and strut during spring. Some do it only when hens are around but others are gobbling, fanning and wandering the woods desperately looking for a mate. Lone toms that are in need of a partner and are the easiest to hunt. Henned up adult toms are suometimes impossible to harvest. They tend to ignore calling and often follow hens away from decoys. This is when you need change your calling , and challenge that Alfa hen. Copy her calls, challenging her to respond and walk in to eye balling range. This is when you need to be super serious about your camouflage . In this case I don't hunt over decoys, the hen is mad and will look until she finds you. Having poor camouflage, she will idntify hunters and blow out of dodge, with gobblers on tow. Turkeys can detect movement 10 times better than adult bucks and they have the capability of zooming in on anythong that looks suspicious.
Turkey hunt as long as you can stay out. Make sure not to throw in the towel too soon. Turkeys during midday hours can provide you the chance to fill your tag. Birds are less vocal but more responsive . The toms are often alone and looking for receptive hens. If you can get a bird to respond during midday , there's a good chance your gonig to call him in. Don't exspect him to come in gobbling, like he dose right off the roost. Qiite frequently they will come in relatively quiet. If you can get him to answer you a couple of times, there is a good chance he is going to come and check you out.
The ambush plan is simple but requires some precise planning. One hunter, the shooter, needs to get set up at the ambush point. The other hunter, the caller. Will set up 20 or 30 yards behind the shooter, who needs to be well hidden. The idea is for the caller to lure the big tom into range of the shooter. Since the gobbler is focused on the callers location, he will try to cruise past the shooter , and hopefuly end up in the oven. I tend not to use decoys when ambushing. Some times the tom will get a fix on your decoys, and flank the shooter. Leaving the tom between the caller and the shooter
Stopped in too Shooters Service today and picked up a base licence, turkey pemit and an all species fishing licence. For $52 and got too hang out with a couple of guys who live out near Brighton..They told me stories about the dozens of turkeys that have been coming into the feeder . The birds are so hungry, that he can walk right up to the flock and mingle with the turkeys
Tungston shot kills turkeys at a distance, and gives old shot guns new life. During the prosperous 90's, the excellent long-range killing power of tungston pellets won over many hunters, and not just those who had to use nontoxic shot. Back then, shells cost $2 to $3 a crack. Seemed like a good bargain in return for more one-shot kills, and a few more yards of added range. Hard times and the rising price of tungston. Due in part to demand for tungston tuoch-screen parts, mean few hunters- even turkey hunters who only fire one or rwo shots a year. Will pay for the shells at the current cost of as much as $5 to $6 apiece.
:-[As with any hunting situation, make sure you know exactly where your hunting partener is at all times. Remember, be a good hunting buddy and don't be offened when your buddy blindfolds you on the drive in to his secret hunting spot. Teamingup on toms is a great way to enjoy your season
When being the caller on your hunt team. I beleave using a box call, is the best call to use, having both hands free.It has the best range of sound and the sound travels better and futher. If your hunting alone and don't have both hands free. I still start off with the box call, to locate tom. Then when he gets close in to range, I switch to my diaphragm. This gives you both hands free to be as still as possible make sure your diaphragm is in your mouth before you start calling. Your caller should have several types of calls in his arsenal., box, slate, diaphragm and other types of friction calls. Having different types of strikers , wood, plastic and different types of friction surface's,slate or glass. Gives you the tone that the bird responds to. You won't tie on one single lure on you rod and reel. Then leave your tackle box on the dock. Do not be cheap when you buy your box calls. Spend a few dollars and get a call that is quality. Try them out and practice before you hit the woods in the morning.
Birds are starting to show up in Eaton, Monroe, Crawford.Kalkaska,Jackson and Oakland counties. Thay just came out of know where in Crowford and Kalkaska. My scouts are amazed in the amount of birds, after such a long cold winter. Feeding help through out the snowy winter. Friends in Jackson were woke up by loud gobbles on Tuesday .
Lots of birds starting to show up in Atrium, Crawford , and kalkaska counties. A mix of deer and turkeys, are all over everyones feeders. Most of my scouts can't keep up . The snow is mostly gone, except where snow was plied. The turkeys are all over the sides of the gravel roads and drivers must be careful when diving back and forth to town. Oakland County has a lot of open farm land , and the birds came out of the wood work this weekend.
The north eastern part of the lower has been getting snow every couple of days 1 to 3 inches. It melts the next day . Toms are starting to look for love. Several lone toms are starting to show up in fields and along side roads. The first hunt for the 2014 spring season starts on Monday.Areas near Monroe, are already in courtship mode. The DNR says there was a lot of starvation this year but game numbers are not as bad as first thought to be. Starvation takes almost 70% of game killed every year. Hunters and preditors and cars cause the other 30% of the year
Several tags have already been filled, just in this first couple of days of the 2014 spring season. Mostly jakes with a few nice mature toms mixed in. Not many single toms walking though the woods.
The snow is mostly gone north of Clare. Birds have been seen every where. I leave Saturday . Any one fill a tag yet?
There was ice on the lakes north of 72, when I got to camp Saturday.the weather was cold windy. Sundays warm weather melted most of the ice . The wind blew ice back and forth across the lakes. Monday morning we struck out in my first spot. There were 25 mph winds with cloudy skies. We didn't even get a gobble. I know where the bird's funnel through to get too a food plot. My son and I high tailed to our 2ND spot. Where we sat facing each other, oh maybe 10ft apart. We had a hen walk right between us. Our 3rd spot is a piece of state land, where there are marked Orv trails. We lit three nice toms up right away. With our backs to the road thay came running from the other side. Not able to get a shot, with out shooting across the road. We worked the flock for about 1/2 hour until thay were parallel with the road. When a black jeep came rolling down the road, stoped an older man jumped out .wheeling a 12GA shot gun and shot into the flock. The flock being between us. He was about 80 yards from us when he shot.lucky no one was hurt. Thank to LT Gorno of the DNR this road hunter was sighted. Needless to say I didn't fill my tag. He killed the big tom.