Michigan Bear and Elk apps are in for another year.

[Addicting]

Well I don't think I will get my bear tag this year, Newberry unit takes 7-8 for the 1st season and 3-4 for the second season. I am only going in with 3 so I have a 26% chance. If a NR wanted to come and hunt Bergland had 99 Left over licenses in the 3rd season. The later season is a tough hunt with all of the grouse hunters in the woods, the bears become very nocturnal from the pressure.

For all of you who are Grouse Addicts and like bear hunting, you are missing out if you are not applying in MI. We have a GEMS program where they specifically make sites enhanced for grouse. The season starts on Sept 15th and those sites are all public land that also hold good bears.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10363_10913_76778---,00.html

One thing about our Elk is it is a weighted lottery and my 7 bonus points give me better chances every year. This year I am up to a .01% chance based off from last years success rates! That is higher than my MT/NM permits I put in for... This year they are giving away a total of 200 licenses again, last year we had 37,399 applicants. If you get a tag here you have around an 84% (2014) success rate. Sorry, no NR on this hunt yet.

Good luck to all who apply.

 

[1_pointer]

I'll be just putting in for bear points this year. I am saving up for a 1st season tag, but have a few more years to go. Not sure where, but thinking one of the UP units as I'd like an excuse to see the UP. I've met a few guys here that travel up that way for grouse. Don't be surprised if I don't get in touch with you about that! I"ve got a young dog and if I could make a quick weekend trip up there I may try to pull that off.

 

[Addicting]

My GSP is getting finished this month up in the thumb, we are planning on heading north this year for grouse on a couple long weekend hunts and a bear if things work out. My hunting partner has 80 acres in the middle of a bunch of State land right off from the Saint Mary River/Munoscong bay. Its about an hour north of the bridge. I also have an old 300 acre family farm that has some good aspen growths on it as it hasn't been farmed in quite a few years. I haven't made up there to hunt that portion yet but last time we drove out there we had a grouse flush from the edge of the road. I have seen quite a few Yoopers on here over the last few months, maybe we can do a HT MI grouse hunt.

 

[1_pointer]

I could be up for a that! Couple guys I met here through dog training circles said they had as good of luck last year in lower MI than they did in the UP...

If I don't make it up for that, I do plan on a whirlwind trip somewhere for some wild birds. Last year we went to NoDak. I had a ball, but man is that a long drive.

 

[Steelsearchin]

Hopefully the Michigan DNR is kinder to me than the New Mexico folks this year...sitting on 11 elk points and 8 bear points. Plan is to continue to build points for a Baldwin tag for my son- although the bump in tag #s could make that unit a lot tougher in the future. He'll be seven in two weeks, so we've got some time.

 

[stillkickin]

I have seen quite a few Yoopers on here over the last few months, maybe we can do a HT MI grouse hunt.

Sounds like a good plan, count me in to help coordinate a function. I have a place near Munuscong also.

 

[Addicting]

Hopefully the Michigan DNR is kinder to me than the New Mexico folks this year...sitting on 11 elk points and 8 bear points. Plan is to continue to build points for a Baldwin tag for my son- although the bump in tag #s could make that unit a lot tougher in the future. He'll be seven in two weeks, so we've got some time.

I started putting my wife in this year to build points for a 1st season bear hunt for my daughter. I love that those are transferable tags for youth. She is 5 so by the time she is ready we should have enough to draw together. It's going to be my luck that my wife will draw a Bull Elk tag right out of the gate. Lol

 

[Addicting]

Sounds like a good plan, count me in to help coordinate a function. I have a place near Munuscong also.

.
I won't be able to lock in any dates until after the drawing. I do plan on doing some long weekend hunts up there in October and maybe one in Dec if we don't get a deep snow pack. Drove me nuts up there last year over thanksgiving deer hunt. We saw so many, it's like they knew I could shoot them. 1_pointer, I live just north of Indiana so we could probably head up together to save cost if your interested.

lets get together after the draw and see what our schedules look like.

 

[recon6036]

I have seen quite a few Yoopers on here over the last few months, maybe we can do a HT MI grouse hunt.

I haven't hunted Partridge in quite some time, but I'd be in for a get-together/hunt.

 

[1_pointer]

.
I won't be able to lock in any dates until after the drawing. I do plan on doing some long weekend hunts up there in October and maybe one in Dec if we don't get a deep snow pack. Drove me nuts up there last year over thanksgiving deer hunt. We saw so many, it's like they knew I could shoot them. 1_pointer, I live just north of Indiana so we could probably head up together to save cost if your interested.

lets get together after the draw and see what our schedules look like.

Sounds like a plan to me!! Just be forewarned, my dog has not had any professional training. So, all of his faults, of which there are many, are mine...

 

[Addicting]

Sounds like he will fit right in. This will be My GSPs first year on birds. He is getting some professional help over the next month as I just don't have the time with my work commitments right now and I was away at Army schools most all of last years season. Hopefully I have time to put him on some farm birds before we head out for wild ones. Just looking at it like an adventure and some exercise.

 

[1_pointer]

That last sentence is my general goal as well. There are a few game bird preserves on the IN side in the NW corner. We should meet up sometime and see if our pooches can find a few.

 

[Steelsearchin]

Not to totally hijack the thread, but you guys might want to consider taking a weekend in late August or early September and running north to put your dogs on some wild birds if we get some cooler weather. I ran my vizsla through the NAVHDA system, learned a ton from some veterans, and helped train with a lot of guys over the years. The guys whose dogs learned to handle grouse were the guys who ran their dogs on grouse. The guys whose dogs struggled were the ones who never ventured into the grouse woods until October, and often the pups would go into sensory overload and blow the birds out of the county (which is frustrating for everybody). Some wouldn't even leave their handler's side (and these were dogs that were money on pointing chukars/pigeons in hay pastures). Good exposure is key...

Once the wild-bird training ban is lifted, get them some time in the woods. Even a few hours on a Saturday morning can pay big dividends once season hits. Young grouse train young dogs and if you can handle all the ferns/leaves/cobwebs, it can be a great time for them to learn. Keep it fun, keep them hydrated, and leave when the dog wants more. It's also a great way to find some new covers.

Drive some two-tracks and find some broods that are picking gravel in the morning, then get some easy contacts with your pups. Carry a primer pistol, something tossable for them to retrieve (bumper w/ zip-tied wings?), and praise the hell outta them when they put the pieces together and start handling the birds well.

Game farms are great too, but balance them out with wild bird contacts. My old red dog will be 13 in June (good Lord willing) and our hunts are a lot slower/shorter than they used to be, but I'm hoping and praying he has a few more good grouse hunts in him. And one last thing- THERE ARE NO GROUSE IN MICHIGAN!!

 

[1_pointer]

Thanks! I might need to hit you up for some recommendations. Grouse populations are so low here in IN, that they have suspended grouse hunting for a couple of years now. I fully appreciate what you said about sensory overload. I too, my then 13mos old pup to NoDak last year for pheasants. After a 1.7 day car ride to get there, the first field was all about R U N N I N G! We found a few birds and he started to "get it" by the end of day one. Just wish we had even 1/2 those bird numbers here in IN.

 

[Steelsearchin]

Thanks! I might need to hit you up for some recommendations. Grouse populations are so low here in IN, that they have suspended grouse hunting for a couple of years now. I fully appreciate what you said about sensory overload. I too, my then 13mos old pup to NoDak last year for pheasants. After a 1.7 day car ride to get there, the first field was all about R U N N I N G! We found a few birds and he started to "get it" by the end of day one. Just wish we had even 1/2 those bird numbers here in IN.

I hear ya! We took a buddy's GSP to NoDak when he was two and quickly learned that he couldn't catch them if we didn't shoot 'em. That dog learned more in two days of real birds that a year of planted birds. Feel free to hit me up on grouse info. I'm hoping all these rain storms haven't nuked the chicks. The west end of the UP got a bunch of spring snow a few years ago and it really hurt birds numbers that season.