Deer Hunting in Michigan

[Rock4]

Any tips or advice for deer hunting in Michigan?

 

[Tourguide]

You won't have trouble finding deer, most bucks are killed before their 2nd birthday. After a few days of bow season they get even harder to kill, especially if on state ground, which there is a lot of. Halloween to Nov 15th is best time for buck hunting

 

[Agross]

if you give some specifics, you might get more help. Bow or gun, public land or private?

 

[Rock4]

if you give some specifics, you might get more help. Bow or gun, public land or private?

Bow or Gun, but public land only. I am young and willing to drive or hike as needed. I am new to Michigan so just looking for some better information. I am living in the southeast corner near Washtenaw County.

 

[feanor]

I just talked to a buddy near Holland who said a lot of the white tails have bug or mite infestation. He doesn’t hunt but he heard that from others. Is that a thing up there?

 

[Trott2478]

Live very close to you, if hunting public, get out and scout now. Look for large concentrations of old sign, not new sign. Look for thick and nasty areas, areas that need creative access(boat, bike etc) look for ag or oaks for food. Setup near private boundaries at the back of properties where others may not go. Always consider access, and know you will only get 1-2 hints at each location and then move on. If you want to see more deer and unpressured deer go to state land up north

 

[Fordguy]

Waterloo State Park -Jackson County. I used to ride my horses on the trails there, and I would see some monsters each year in September and October. For scouting- there are trails on hills that overlook the swamps, find them and glass in the evenings. I've heard that Waterloo gets a lot of pressure during bow season, but i haven't been there in a few years now and things can change from year to year.
Also, Im not sure how far you are from Blissfield, Monroe, or surrounding areas, but I've seen some HUGE bucks come from those areas. I don't know about public land though.

 

[Tank9]

A lot of the public land I used to hunt downstate received a ton of pressure but there are often areas that are overlooked close to some of the parking areas. Everyone lately wants to go super deep but I have seen bucks set up bedding areas close to roads and access points so that they can observe people coming in and slip out without being seen.

 

[SirChooCH]

Watch Dan Infalt on YT he will teach you want you need to know. Scout a lot to find areas to hunt, bet on most of them getting pressured as it gets closer to gun season and needing to move to avoid people. I avoid public land the opening days of gun season cuz its wild west. Try to find places close to where you live to get out during the week when everyone else is busy not hunting to avoid that pressure.

John Eberhardt is the GOAT of michigan deer hunting and he will say the same as others here. Scout your buck and kill it first few days of archery season before the pressure comes and changes its pattern. The guy has like 30 P&Y bucks in Mi and 50+ overall so he's seen a thing or two.

 

[Cedarsavage]

I used to live in washtenaw. Killed a bunch of deer on public. I had best luck around Halloween to Veterans Day. I’d watch a bunch of infalts videos and use it as a template. His terrain is identical to yours.

Bow or Gun, but public land only. I am young and willing to drive or hike as needed. I am new to Michigan so just looking for some better information. I am living in the southeast corner near Washtenaw County.

 

[Nick Wysocki]

I’m originally from Alpena. Get some hip waders and get on the high spots in the swamps or on the edges of the swamps all day sits during the rut and hunt doe bedding. You can’t be to quiet so a good stand system is a must. Good luck

 

[burns152]

A lot of good public land in MI, but there will also be a lot of pressure especially in the Metro-Detroit area. Rifle opening day down here is just a sea of orange! haha

 

[magtech]

Michigan has a wide array of hunting conditions. The southern half of the LP is most field and some marsh/swamp hunting. Heading north of that you get rolling hills with plenty of wooded and swampy areas. Then there's the tool, which is different from lp in soil. Yoop eastern 3/4 of the yoop is a giant swamp with some sand and hills thrown in. Depending on where you go it can be the densest wood/swamp structure imaginable.

You really have to look at it from how do you want to hunt and prioritize your location based on that. Or, just say the county/town and we'll have an idea.

Regs for legal equipment vary by parts of the state as well.

 

[Rock4]

Michigan has a wide array of hunting conditions. The southern half of the LP is most field and some marsh/swamp hunting. Heading north of that you get rolling hills with plenty of wooded and swampy areas. Then there's the tool, which is different from lp in soil. Yoop eastern 3/4 of the yoop is a giant swamp with some sand and hills thrown in. Depending on where you go it can be the densest wood/swamp structure imaginable.

You really have to look at it from how do you want to hunt and prioritize your location based on that. Or, just say the county/town and we'll have an idea.

Regs for legal equipment vary by parts of the state as well.

I'm in Washtenaw county.

 

[magtech]

Eww Ann Arbor. I hear the idiots that run that city paid to castrate deer instead of shooting them.

Beyond that. Read the regs for your area. There's specifics that apply in the southern part of MI that don't up north.

If you have land, hunt the crops or lowlands. If not, find someone who does or find some state land nearby.

I drive around my area every evening come aug/sept and spot fields to get an idea of what/where to hunt.

Spend time understanding deer habits and in time you'll know them better.

 

[Rock4]

Eww Ann Arbor. I hear the idiots that run that city paid to castrate deer instead of shooting them.

Beyond that. Read the regs for your area. There's specifics that apply in the southern part of MI that don't up north.

If you have land, hunt the crops or lowlands. If not, find someone who does or find some state land nearby.

I drive around my area every evening come aug/sept and spot fields to get an idea of what/where to hunt.

Spend time understanding deer habits and in time you'll know them better.

Haha!!! Thankfully I’m just a student and will return to Georgia, where I am from, quickly after graduation. Definitely a different world here than It is back home. I appreciate the advice. Goodluck this season!

 

[Oakman]

It makes me sad and mad everytime i drive down 94 on the way to ann Arbor and see tons of dead dear along the road, unfortunately you can't hunt there unless you own land, even though restrictions apply.
Any how, Midland was my preferred hunting area until it got occupied by campers after COVID, now I have to look around, try the thumb (Bad axe), you may get lucky

 

[Jimijames35]

Well I’m brand new to posting to this site and plan to get active posting. I’ve hunter southern Michigan (Primarily Branch County) for the better part of 30 years. If hunting public land hunt hard and be able to be mobile. Using a climber, saddle like a Lone Wolf is a must. Work scrape lines.

I also recommend doing some e-scouting on private land. Zero in on some good areas and contact a few land owners and offer work on their farm for a hunt. There’s no comparison to private land vs public in Michigan. Target Hillsdale, Branch, Jackson and Calhoun as your counties probably in that order. Jackson is a huge QDM county and heavily hunted so it may be difficult to get landowners to grant permission however I am in branch and know of several landowners who are receptive to this arrangement. Also leases are always an option.

 

[Skipper34]

If you don't mind traveling, go north. We hunt public land in NE Michigan and pressure is non-existant. Out of 3 hunters at least one or two of us bring deer home every year.

 

[Dooger]

Someone mentioned the eastern U.P. Don’t bother. The U.P.’s deer numbers are at a 100 year low and not coming back anytime soon. I live in the area. When I say low, there are big woods areas with 0-3 deer per square mile.

I grew up hunting in Washtenaw Co. Personally, I’d drive west and maybe a touch south a couple hours before I would hunt public around Ann Arbor. Or go north over 2.5 hours.

Don’t expect to see a 120” deer around every tree. MI is by no means comparable to KS, IA, KY, IN, etc.