2010 Firearm Season- Worst Ever

[badtoys]

i've got 3 so far including a huge 9pt i'm having mounted

[Sailfish]

I can only speak for my area in Central MI, but this was the second year in a row for outstanding hunting and deer numbers/sightings. This year actually had more buck sightings than we've encountered in a loooong time.
I figure because this year since there were no crops (IE corn) left in for once, it would explain the numbers. Certainly kept me on my toes trying to watch what direction they were moving from.

What was interesting as well was for an opener on a Monday instead of Th -Su there were actually a good many hunters in the woods I think (pushing the deer since they haven't the corn to hide in) I did hear a large amount of shots thats for sure. Day two was certainly lesser for shots, but just out of my family 1/2 had to go back to work so I think that would perhaps hold failry consistent throughout hunters. I killed my buck (9 pt) day 2 after 18-20ish deer sightings that morning.

I think overall (not tallying the nov14th-on) license sales, the number was around 1.3 million total license sold so far. Not bad, I imagine it will be another week or so before the final numbers.

I have a personal theory and there is not one shred of science to it at all, just personal observation of hunting a few decades on our land; I think the deer are cyclical. I have it on a 7+/- year plan. 2 years ago was the "peak" on my plan, it was altered greatly by no crops getting out......at all! They left the corn in the ground all around us. So even though we saw decent number, it wasn't like it should have been. Last year was incredible with sightings/kills. Tons of deer even with 30% of the crops still in at opening day. I think that explains the great number of sightings and deer killed in our area. This year was solid too, no crops to hide at all.
If my theory holds true, we should start trickling down again for  a few years before it picks up again.
Might be farmers, DNR management, numbers of hunters, moons, weather, all the above, who knows, but thats just how I have seen it.

[Fan Club]

Yes, I've heard better reports from farther north. Talked to some relatives who are in the Ithaca area, half an hour north of Lansing, and they are having a banner year as well.
 
But Calhoun county flat out stinks right now. Between myself, my brother in law, my father and half a dozen friends, we have hunted a dozen different locations to compare notes on- and no one is seeing any deer day or night. Its gotten colder (27 now) and overcast compared to last weeks 60 degree bluebird days, but nothing has changed. If it's cyclical then we are at the bottom of the cycle right now. I still think they were over harvested in this area last year.
 
I talked with an old friend the other day who has over 50 years experience hunting deer. He said "Jeff, you can drive yourself crazy trying to figure this stuff out", and after a pause, "And it sounds like you have a good head start."
 
Amen.
 

[cjgaleana]

Hunted in Howell the 17th and 18th saw nothing. My buddy Jake whose property it is we hunt on got himself a pretty nice 6 point. Is getting it mounted since it is his first deer. It had a very big body and the rack was quite large. After that I headed up to Port Austin for the 20th 21st and 22nd and hunted on state land behind my uncle's property. Saw deer every day, all doe though. Nothing was in my range to take and the one that was must have been born this year. She was so small there was no chance in hell I would have taken a shot. On Sunday evening there was so much orange in the woods that I didn't even make it to my stand. I ended up walking around a few bedding areas and trails I know the deer take and tried to kick something up. Ended up kicking up one deer, couldn't tell what it was by the time I really saw it, it was running far away, it looked like it had a nice large body though. On Monday I hunted all day and saw some doe about 200 yards away and then a little buddy of mine the great horned owl landed in a tree near my stand and had the pleasure watching him/her for about a half hour. Enjoyed watching it take off their huge wingspan still drives me nuts. Headed back home and then hunted again in Howell the 26th and 27th and this morning. Saw absolutely nothing, the wind was gusting at about 20-25 mph all three days and was pretty chilly.
Seems to me that there are being too many tags being given out the past couple years and I don't know if the populations are as big as they were then. I know that we used to see bucks and doe all over the place at my buddy's property out in Howell, although we heard tons of shots around us on other properties. Maybe they were just weren't by us this weekend but from everything I have been hearing on here, seems that lower southeast Michigan isn't loaded with the monsters we heard about 3-5 years ago. Although I am no pro, just my observations and opinions...

[badtoys]

just think about it you pasted early shotgun zone when you went north you saw deer,now down here nothing same here for me summer we saw 40 deer at a time in wheat field after the early doe season bang bang they are gone nocternal same for me in chealsea hope mi dnr gets a clue soon this is 3rd year for me too since early gun
 
 
 
ote]ORIGINAL: cjgaleana

Hunted in Howell the 17th and 18th saw nothing. My buddy Jake whose property it is we hunt on got himself a pretty nice 6 point. Is getting it mounted since it is his first deer. It had a very big body and the rack was quite large. After that I headed up to Port Austin for the 20th 21st and 22nd and hunted on state land behind my uncle's property. Saw deer every day, all doe though. Nothing was in my range to take and the one that was must have been born this year. She was so small there was no chance in hell I would have taken a shot. On Sunday evening there was so much orange in the woods that I didn't even make it to my stand. I ended up walking around a few bedding areas and trails I know the deer take and tried to kick something up. Ended up kicking up one deer, couldn't tell what it was by the time I really saw it, it was running far away, it looked like it had a nice large body though. On Monday I hunted all day and saw some doe about 200 yards away and then a little buddy of mine the great horned owl landed in a tree near my stand and had the pleasure watching him/her for about a half hour. Enjoyed watching it take off their huge wingspan still drives me nuts. Headed back home and then hunted again in Howell the 26th and 27th and this morning. Saw absolutely nothing, the wind was gusting at about 20-25 mph all three days and was pretty chilly.
Seems to me that there are being too many tags being given out the past couple years and I don't know if the populations are as big as they were then. I know that we used to see bucks and doe all over the place at my buddy's property out in Howell, although we heard tons of shots around us on other properties. Maybe they were just weren't by us this weekend but from everything I have been hearing on here, seems that lower southeast Michigan isn't loaded with the monsters we heard about 3-5 years ago. Although I am no pro, just my observations and opinions...
[/quote]

[CB375HH]

Best season ever for my hunting group.
Dad 173 lbs 8point and one doe
Uncle 17 inch wide 8 and 3 does
Best friend an 8 and 3 does
His brother killed a 19.5 inch wide 8 point.
My dad's oldest bro got an 8 and a half rack buck with 6 points on one side.
I shot a 6point and 1 doe
 
All of this hunting occured in 7 different counties by the way.
 
I never remember a 1 buck rule in MI and I have been  going hunting since the late 1980's
In fact I remember when you could shoot 4 bucks a year.
Hear is a DNR link
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10856_10905-28543--,00.html
 
"In 1991, the bag limit for bucks was reduced from four (two in archery plus two in firearm or muzzleloading seasons) to two bucks in all seasons combined."
Also the DNR get's less money then it used to from the genral fund thats why they have had to layoff so many CO's
 
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363-170963--,00.html
 
DNRE receives little money from general tax dollars (General Fund). In fact, out of the DNRE's total budget, only 9 percent comes from the General Fund - and half of that 9 percent goes to local governments, with only the remaining 4.5 percent to conservation.*