Field Notes Michigan

[largemouth19]

Sailfish where about are you hunting? UP, Northern lower, Southern lower? Just wondering if it's the same in all areas of the state.

[Sailfish]

Gratiot county ( central mi)
Saw some deer today around 2-3 in bean/corn fields being combined
Nothing else while in the blind this evening

[largemouth19]

Damn, I'll be in Isabella for the weekend so that means it will pretty much be the exact same. Man I need to move back to Michigan so I so hunt the entire season bow and rifle!

[Sailfish]

Oh it's not tha bad.
They come out at dusk in good numbers.
We saw 5 this am(8:00) feeding and one was a small buck. I def think the bigger boys figured it out though.
These midweek opening days dont have as much folks in the woods IMHO to really push the deer in hiding
I bet this w/e will be fine for you.

Hope mine comes through. I have to get something soon otherwise it's back to the heat and skeeters ( luckily my prerut activities are just getting started. Might be another 4 weeks for chasing)
need another moon and some cccccold



Good luck this w/e!

[Sailfish]

Finished the 5 day hunt.
WInd never stopped, in fact I think it increased as the week went by.
Deer harvest (word of mouth of course) was down in our area. Stopped at a outdoor store 40 miles east they reported numbers were down as well.
Deer were there though, at night we would see up to 15-20 in a field feeding.
They just started harvesting the corn when I was leaving

There is always next year.

[largemouth19]

So I got zero deer this year for the first time in a few years and it kind of sucks. It wasn't from a lack of seeing deer but from never getting an opportunity to take an ethical, quick, clean, kill shot. I could have shot some hail mary garbage and wounded a deer, like I may have when I first started hunting. But after having gotten a few season under my belt I am not going to do that stupid stuff anymore.

It was really warm all weekend, I think there was only one day that it even barely dipped below 40. I saw deer ever time out and I think I know some adjustments that I can make for next season having watched how and where the deer moved. I may get a chance to do the late doe season during Christmas but I may elect to bow hunt instead though. Several people told me a giant buck was running around the area I hunt leading up to the rifle opener and he disappeared right after that. So do I pull out the rifle to get a some meat in the freezer and shoot a doe or do I dust of the bow and hope Mr Big Buck is still around? I have never really hunted that late in the season so it will be new territory for me. Hope everyone else had some luck.

[Sailfish]

40 warm? LOL I froze my tail off

hope Mr Big Buck is still around? I have never really hunted that late in the season so it will be new territory for me. .

I've read the big boys can get taken around this time actually. After the rut and the hard winter approaching they are out heavily foraging for calories to get their bodies back from its rut, depleted state and often can be caught eating in the daylight hours.
I've always seen does though.

[largemouth19]

I work in an ice rink so 40 degrees is plenty warm to me! Yeah I think I might spend a day or two doing a little bit of both bow and rifle and hope IF I see a buck its a day I decided grab the bow. Can I take both with me? LOL

[DeerCamp]

I don't know about anyone else....But our winter has been really messed up here in central Michigan! We have had any real snow storms. I was wondering what others have been getting as far as accumulated snow goes? I'm hoping this will be good for the deer, and the numbers will go up due to a very weak winter.

[Deebz]

Same down here in East Central IL... We got a couple of storms with accumulation, but it never lasted more than 1 or 2 days. I didn't hunt even 1 day with snow on the ground this season. I still had an amazing season with taking 2 does and 2 bucks (1 each bow and shotgun) and sitting with my wife when she got her first deer ever. However, I'm thinking you may be correct in the mild winter being beneficial to the deer herds. I'm hoping to see some really monster racks on the big boys next year...