Category: Hunting

Michigan Muzzleloading Deer Season Allowable Equipment

The 2023 muzzleloader season began December 1 and ends at the close of shooting hours on Sunday, Dec. 10. When heading out to enjoy your season, remember that legal equipment and other regulations vary based on where you are hunting.

“As the goals of deer management have changed, so do regulations around muzzleloader season,” said Chad Stewart, Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist. “The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recognizes the abundant deer population in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula and is focusing on ways to increase antlerless harvest. The DNR wants hunters to have every opportunity to maximize success and help manage the deer population in southern Michigan.”

Due to low hunter success during muzzleloader season, the DNR extended the late antlerless season in 2020, while reducing the muzzleloader season in the southern Lower Peninsula.

Additionally, in the southern Lower Peninsula, any firearm legal during the traditional firearm season (Nov. 15-30) can be used during the muzzleloader season. Read more

Hunting

Michigan CWD and TB Testing at Deer Check Stations

One of the most notable recent changes is in the strategy for testing deer.

For 2023, testing will be focused in the northwestern Lower Peninsula and in a few counties in other areas where additional information is still needed. The counties for CWD testing in 2023 include Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Hillsdale, Isabella, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford. In these counties there will be drop boxes, staffed submission sites, and partner processors and taxidermists to assist with collection efforts.

In light of the recent CWD detection in Ogemaw County, a drop box has been added at the Rifle River Recreation Area to test for CWD in deer harvested within the county. Deer from Ogemaw County also can be brought to the staffed deer check station at the DNR West Branch Field Office for CWD testing.

In the remainder of the state Read more

Hunting, Wildlife

Stay Warm for Spectator Sports

Fall sports are underway, bringing big games, great rivalries, momentous excitement and – unfortunately – the possibility of substantial cold temperatures cutting into the enjoyment of cheering on a favorite team.

Few things can dampen team spirits more than sitting on cold bleachers, no matter how hot the action gets on the field. A blanket or a towel just won’t cut the chill when the temperatures drop, and after jumping up a few times to cheer, any built-up heat gets lost. And there’s only so far that hot thermos of coffee or cocoa can go. The bottom line is, when it’s cold outside, everyone wants a warm seat to stay toasty and comfortable in the stands while cheering for the home team.

THAW has just the answer with their Heated Stadium Seat. Perfect for any season, the rechargeable THAW Heated Stadium Seat features multiple heating modes, ranging from a high setting lasting seven hours to a low setting that lasts 16 hours. It’s USB rechargeable, is made from tough nylon that can withstand wear and tear, and it has heat-retaining insulation, so the warmth doesn’t fade away.

The THAW Heated Stadium Seat comes with a storage compartment for a drink or other accessories, and a shoulder strap and padded handle to make it easy to carry. It folds down to a manageable size, so it can be taken almost anywhere it’s needed. It also has a 10,000mAh Power Bank and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable. Read more

General, Hunting

Judge’s Order Halts Wolf Trapping and Snaring Season In Most of Montana

Wolf trapping and snaring in Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks administrative regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and in Hill, Blaine, and Phillips counties won’t start until Jan. 1 and will run through Feb. 15, according to a federal court injunction issued Tuesday evening. In areas in eastern Montana outside FWP administrative regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and Hill, Blaine, and Phillips counties the order does not apply, and the wolf trapping and snaring season will start November 27 and run through March 15 as described in the 2023 wolf regulations.

The wolf hunting season, separate from trapping and snaring, remains in place and is open through March 15 as described in the 2023 wolf regulations. Wolf harvest quotas are still in place for FWP regions and can be tracked via the Wolf Harvest Dashboard.

FWP and the Fish and Wildlife commission have worked diligently to assemble and implement sound science-based management for wolves and grizzly bears, including the wolf regulations impacted by this ruling. The recovered status of grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone ecosystems is testimony to this effort. The State of Montana has appealed the ruling. FWP staff will continue to track the denning status of grizzly bears in case an appeal is successful, and the injunction is overturned.

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Hunting, Wildlife

Fish Monkey and Hunt Monkey 2024 Performance Gloves and Socks Catalog

Fish Monkey and Hunt Monkey—two of the fastest growing brands in the outdoor industry—have just released their new sales catalog for 2024. Among the many new items are several new color patterns including those from industry leader Mossy Oak, as well as new cold-weather fishing and hunting styles to keep your customers warmer and happier than ever before.

Founded in 2016, Fish Monkey stormed onto the fishing landscape as the world’s premier glove brand, rapidly evolving into 24 different fishing glove styles which cover everything from lightweight UPF-50 rated sun protection gloves for warm weather to the ultimate in cold-weather hand protection for ice fishing. Read more

Firearms, Hunting

New 30-day Arkansas Waterfowl hunting Permit Available for Nonresidents

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission unanimously approved on Oct. 31 a new 30-day permit for nonresident duck hunters who wish to hunt on AGFC-managed wildlife management areas.

According to the current Arkansas Code of Regulations nonresidents may only duck hunt on WMAs during the first nine days of regular duck season; Dec. 27-Jan. 5; and Jan. 21-31. To hunt, they must have a valid 5-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit or the new 30-day Nonresident WMA Waterfowl Hunting Permit. Read more

Hunting

Women’s Diver Duck Hunt

Saturday, Nov. 18, 6-11 a.m.

Saginaw Bay

The Safari Club International Flint Chapter will host this women’s diver duck hunt for hunters of all experience levels. Participants will hunt from a large boat, with very experienced guides, and will get the chance to hunt from a layout boat as well. At the end of the hunt, everyone will learn how to clean the birds for the table and get some beginner-friendly recipes.

Cost is $200 per person, and participation is limited to six hunters. Waders are not required. Each hunter needs to have a shotgun, ammo and necessary hunting licenses.

Questions? Contact Karly B. at 810-869-9412 or by email at karlyr@ljrolls.com.

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Hunting

Millennium Treestands M360 Revolution Stand

At Millennium Treestands® we know that opportunities in the woods can be few and far between. Our mission is to build the best-performing, highest-quality products to tip the odds in the hunter’s favor. The Millennium M360 Revolution does just that by giving hunters access to every shooting lane in every direction.

The M360 is designed to provide 360 degrees of shooting ability no matter the choice of weapon. Archery hunters will love the fold-up M300 seat and the ability to shoot in every direction. Firearm and crossbow hunters will find the ability to stay seated and quietly spin 360 degrees a significant improvement over traditional stands. The large platform is an added bonus that allows hunters to safely and quietly get in a preferred stance before taking the shot. Featuring Millennium’s famous ComfortMAX™ Seat and powder-coated steel/aluminum construction, the M360 Revolution is going to be the stand of choice for those who sit all day during the rut. Read more

Hunting

Michigan DNR reminds hunters to report deer harvest online

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters across the state that deer harvest reporting is once again required this hunting season.

Now in its second year, mandatory harvest reporting of all deer is designed to provide the most efficient and effective data for deer management and conservation. In 2022, 208,408 hunters submitted a harvest report, and nearly 83% of those hunters were able to complete their report in under five minutes. Read more

Hunting

Time to Balance the Deer Herd

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

“Hunters should take as many deer as they legally can for the good of the deer and the range,” the biologists urged, because deer numbers were far higher than what the habitat could support.  As Yogi Berra would have said, “It’s Deja Vu all over again.”  However, this biologists’ call to action came some 70 years ago.

Back then, the Southern Lower Peninsula (SLP) added 8,445 deer to the total taken – a distant third to the other two regions in the state. It fielded about one-half as many hunters as did the Upper Peninsula.  Today’s geographical shift now pegs the total number of hunters and deer taken in the SLP to exceed the remainder of the state.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  If we hunters do not step up, we run the risk of intervention by government to hire sharpshooters to lay our precious, renewable deer-herd resource to waste.  As frightening as it may seem to some folks, invited snipers are already piling them up legally via crop damage permits, while the over-abundance prevails.

With this in mind, I have committed my season to do my part to take at least one doe.  I purposely did not use the term “antlerless”, although perfectly acceptable in a broad sense; my focus will be adult, female deer.

Michigan Whitetail Doe

Doing so is a bittersweet proposition, but a necessary evil, if you will, for the future benefit of hunters, land owners, and wildlife.

I may not be subjected to “buck fever” as a result but sometimes an involuntary adrenaline rush makes things difficult for me even when I’m staring down wildlife as low on totem pole as a woodchuck.  At times, I have to talk to myself to settle down in an effort to get those crosshairs to cooperate.

Identifying a big buck is easy when his headgear may as well be a flashing light.  Not a whole lot of thinking is involved, when the biggest brute in the woods is at hand.  Female deer, on the other hand, require careful examination of myriad details to bring home the most venison for the dollar spent on licenses and processing.

I’ll consider the weather-related conditions, as well.  I won’t get involved with tracking in the rain.  If it’s too warm to hang a deer, I’ll wait.  If it’s too cold to hang one without it being subject to freezing, I’ll hunt another day.  After all, there will be over 90 total hunting sessions – mornings and afternoons each day – through the season’s final day, January 1, 2024 and that should suffice to choose ideal conditions.

A perfect shot is still imperative when the time arrives.  My Ruger American rifle in .450 Bushmaster caliber is up for the task and has been sighted in to maximize effectiveness.

Ruger American in .450 Bushmaster with Hydro Dipped Stock and Zeiss optic

Confidence?  You bet!

The anticipation and excitement of November 15th’s opening day is still bottled up with expectations.  That slow walk in the morning darkness will still be the same, as has been the case for decades.  It simply never gets old.

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