Getting Soft In My Old Age

[northumbrian]

Northumbrian, one word.

Phhhhhhhtttttt........... :)

Hmmmm.........

[Scotsgun]

That really surprises me, Blu. I had no idea it is so restrictive - especially only being able to shoot one buck per year!

[Blu]

That really surprises me, Blu. I had no idea it is so restrictive - especially only being able to shoot one buck per year!

Personally mate I think it's a good system, keeps the herd numbers healthy and the money generated from hunters, fishermen, campers, boaters, well just about anyone who uses the State managed land and lakes and such are helping to keep it that way. Hell of a lot more than any hand wringing tree hugger does. While it may sound restrictive the hunting and fishing here is brilliant, I have venison, wild turkey, duck, geese and a variety of fish in my freezer. Everything from salmon to brook trout. There is always some hunting season open throughout the year.

Blu

[northumbrian]

That really surprises me, Blu. I had no idea it is so restrictive - especially only being able to shoot one buck per year!

Personally mate I think it's a good system, keeps the herd numbers healthy and the money generated from hunters, fishermen, campers, boaters, well just about anyone who uses the State managed land and lakes and such are helping to keep it that way. Hell of a lot more than any hand wringing tree hugger does. While it may sound restrictive the hunting and fishing here is brilliant, I have venison, wild turkey, duck, geese and a variety of fish in my freezer. Everything from salmon to brook trout. There is always some hunting season open throughout the year.

Blu

Sounds like a little piece of heaven

[Blu]

Northumbrian,

Sounds like a little piece of heaven

And that's why I love it here, Michigan has a fairly small population but it has millions of acres of unspoilt land teeming with wildlife.

Blu

[Scotsgun]

How much land do you have access to, before having go pay to get on private land?

If you were to purchase a tag for a deer, do you have the season to use it or is it date specific? Also is it species specific, e.g. Are there different tags for mule, whitetail, etc?

[Blu]

How much land do you have access to, before having go pay to get on private land?

If you were to purchase a tag for a deer, do you have the season to use it or is it date specific? Also is it species specific, e.g. Are there different tags for mule, whitetail, etc?

There is about 6 million acres of State/public land to hunt on. Also the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) leases just over 2 million acres of private land for hunting

Kill tags can be used for the Bow season, firearms season and BP season which is over a 4 month period. We don't have mule deer here in Michigan, only whitetails.

Blu

[Scotsgun]

Not short of a few acres then! Can you access all of it (provided your tag is in season) or are you restricted to blocks?

Must you book on and off?

I've always fancied taking a decent pronghorn for a head. I saw some when last in Texas, but I wasn't there to shoot and my timing was all wrong.

Marc

[Dougan]

Didn't see anything this morning and it being a Saturday everyone was out hunting and it got rather noisy at times. This evening though was rather different and somewhat entertaining, I had a large doe come into the zone and she was less than twenty feet from me. Now I'm sat in the blind and the doe is giving the blind a good look at but she couldn't see me and I've got the rifle up slowly when she looks away for a second or so. Well she figured the blind was cool because she relaxed some and started to wander and feed and I was about to fire when she turned abruptly and started heading towards the blind head down and glancing up and around occasionally.

I $h!t you not, the damn thing was about ten feet from the blind head down feeding, I could have shot it through the top of it's head and it wouldn't have known what hit it. I didn't shoot it Hey call me whatever but it didn't feel right shooting it that close up, instead I relaxed and sat and watched her while she fed then had a sniff around and wandered off. Next time though, she's table meat tongueout Saw lots of other wild life as well, it's never boring with all the critters around.

Blu

Arrrh, I didn't think you'd be such a soft boiled turnip razz

I'd be the same though - and I definately couldn't rear animals...it'd only take days to personify them; making it impossible to eat them.

It's a strange duality when you love nature but are also a confirmed carnivore - when I'm diving I love the beauty of the environment, but can't help looking at some fish thinking 'mmm, pan-size' or 'that'd do a lot of people on a BBQ!'...

[northumbrian]

Well I've just slaughtered a pig today, so in a week or so time, loads of bacon, pork & ham, not to mentions sausages & burgers.
At the end of the day you have to have the attitude, you are rearing it for the plate, not as a family pet.
Not easy I know very well it's not easy, my wife cannot be anywhere near it when the gun goes off, she just can't do it.

Me, I cry, but I then thank the pig for feeding my family, it's bonkers I know, but it's my way of dealing with killing an animal for food.