I’ve hunted whitetail deer in Michigan since 1968. One common denominator is that the deer population in Northern Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula, have gone down. The over harvesting of does, and the combination buck license is partially responsible. The problem with predators is another problem. Too many predators are killing the fawns, and young deer. And a State government that seems to believe that hunting must be phased out. And more predators need to be established.
I live in northern Dickinson County. I have had a small pack of wolves living behind my house for a couple years now, images captured on trail cameras. I have very few deer left in my immediate area. NEVER have I seen the deer numbers as low as these last couple years. I used to have a dozen or so in my field at night. Now, there are none. Driving around on the back roads in my county, deer sightings are way down, deer track counts are way down, harvest is way down, hunter numbers are way down. I think its time to boycott the State of Michigan as far as hunting licenses go. The bastards will only listen to us if we affect their bottom $$ line.
I remember back in the late 90s when people started complaining about the wolves in the U.P. decimating the deer herd. Seen my first wolf in the wild by Bond Falls. I remember getting checked by a warden one rifle season. He said even the wardens don't want to see the wolves. It got so bad with wolves I gave up hunting the U.P. sad in a way because it sure is some beautiful country.
Ahhh the UP deer herd it's far more complicated than people realize, I remember hunting our farm in the 70s and we always got deer but remember looking into our fields and saying look look there's a deer we didn't have an over abundance. Joined the Navy and got out in 84, when I came home there was a Change in forestry practice that's when they started using processors and doing large section cuts, prior to that all the pulp wood production was done with chain saws and the cut areas were pretty small each winter, all the new Aspen growth was deer food and cover and there was an explosion of deer up to the early 90s, we had a crop damage problem for farmers dead deer on the highways and you could buy 2 archery tags and 2 firearm tags but by that time the large cuttings were starting to get to big for deer food and then the wolves were brought back. Most of those large cuttings are ready to be harvested again and some have but we won't see the explosion we saw in the 80s because at that time there were no doe permits and only 1 buck tag, we're typically a decade to late at solving the problems we create but here nobody wants to acknowledge that we have to change the culture of deer management as well as reduce predators.
Loved and hunted in Central UP in the 90’s, lots and lots of deer and few wolves at that time. I did see a few wolves but I was out with Forest Service Workers doing Breeding Bird Surveys each Late Spring and we would see them but rarely. Saw tracks and had a few cross our two tracks out in the forests. It was a big deal to hear of a wolf sighting then like seeing a Cougar is now. Cougars are also taking down deer up there regardless of what the DNR/Feds want to admit. Wife, who knows here stuff had one cross her on US 2 just west of Cooks back in 98. Friends in Manistique around Indian Lake had one run up from the tree line and grab a neighbor’s chicken off their back porch! They can consume a deer a week. Now add in Bears, Bobcats, wolves, coyotes, natural death and auto collisions then hunting, it’s a wonder there are any deer left.
This have a quota to fill, say 100 wolves for the state with 24hr report per harvest and season stops when quota met. This is how mountain lions are managed in Iowa and it works fine.
@@TheREALLibertyOrDeath it's called an example. Notice how I said "say 100". Reintroduce them was not a mistake, wolves should be around there part of the natural environment and you people make it seem like there's wolves everywhere, and it's not your farm property at risk from pack harassment, it's deer.
As the Coyotes and the cross bred Coywolves have multiplied in Eastern Ontario Canada I am seeing a lot less Deer each year when I hunt as well. Now it also could be over hunting. A ton of young guys in my area have got into hunting. The young guys have really taken to Compound and Crossbow Archery too. When I was a kid the only Archery you saw in this area was on a John Wayne movie, and they were not hunting deer. Thanks for your videos.
Menomonee County from the late 80s through at least the early 2000s had an estimated 100 deer per square mile, and if you hunted, it would know that the estimate was pretty close. What happened to all these deer? Many friends have photos of wolves, and of course, the DNR gaslighted and said there was none. The Michigan DNR is the problem.
They are down here in northern Michigan now, too.I saw one hunting last year in the spot I've been hunting for 25 years on State Land. I reported it to the DNR, and they claimed it was a coywolf, but I saw it with my own eyes, and the coyotes didn't answer him. This year, I only saw two does and no yearlings.
I"m in Chippewa County. We have them. I have at least two on Trailcam this year. I had a longer string of them on trail cam last year. I hear them all the time. Also have a ton of coyotes. Can't do anything about the wolves but gonna thin out the coyotes this winter.
Could be worse, out here in MT we have wolves which we are able to hunt but they are still doing a lot of damage on our deer and elk, we also got a growing population of grizzlies that go unchecked, lions, black bears. There is a lot of country that is barren of game nowadays.
Part of the declining number of hunters is biology/game management as you indicate. I think another part is demonizing firearms and firearm owners. Kids who go to school terrified of a school shooting, because their teachers are irrationally afraid of guns, are less likely to be interested in hunting. There are schools that will not allow hunter safety classes on school property because they don't like guns...even though no guns are ever on school property for the classes. Laws prevent kids from hunting with firearms without adult supervision so there is less opportunity. When I was in jr. high school, we got off the bus after school, got our guns and went in the woods for squirrels and rabbits. Nobody thought anything of it. Also, more kids live in developed areas and don't have access to hunting land even if they could hunt so they are restricted to the adult's schedule..
Been hunting the Crystal Falls area since the mid 80's and it gets worse every year the Michigan DNR has failed the UP hunters big time and your exactly right not going to get a younger person to sit for days seeing nothing saw 4 wolves this firearm season
We need men who bring their kids. Only way todays boys are feminine even my daughters are more masculine than men their age and older. I have a 33 yr old n an 11 year old both can handle weapons do guy shit. My oldest dates a guy she’s worried I’ll hurt his feelings! Seriously? She’s even commented to me that aren’t like you any more dad…wtf? Yes I was a green beret and did all kinds of things but hurt his feelings? I give up..
Charlie I agree, the wolves are a big problem. I hunt Northern Wisconsin and we have seen a drastic decrease in the deer population since the reintroduction of the wolves. Our group of 16 hunters only saw 3 does this year. This was only the 2nd year we did not harvest a single deer, the other year was a Buck only year.
Yesterday in Hillsdale County I saw 51 does and 1 small 6pt. Some of the does I’m sure wandered past me twice but that’s a lot. Didn’t hear more than 3 shots all day.
I've only seen a deer on my property, I have 60 acres and lots of forestry property a round me.the deer are so few . Since the wolf's were brought back, yes we have hard winters up north of marquette. But the wolf are taking a lot of them and the loggers are cutting everything and leaving lots of acres bare to the ground and brush hard to walk through. They took away the cover for winter time for the deer. When they cut 60 or more acres that's alot of cover plus maybe food for the deer. I blame alot on the wolf's they are taking a big dent in the deer up here..I haven't shot a deer in 10 years up here!!
Maybe, the lack of deer has to do with the fact that deer season starts in late Sept. (Youth Hunt) and lasts into mid Jan. (Muzzleloader) Which, by the way, is now open to all rifles. And a single hunter can take 10 does if he so chooses. Insurance companies want the deer population down.
We have a place in Iron County. In the last 6 years bear hunter have lost over 26 dogs to wolves. 5 wolves have been live trapped with in 5 miles of our place and shipped to island royal because of the moose population on the island. Bird hunting is good but really scary in that area. Once the deer are at lower numbers and they are, what are those natural born killer going to eat? Most likely your dog will be on the menu. It is so bad brook trout fishing is a gamble because you hike down those small beautiful creeks in waders and it is pretty hard to reach for that pistol crammed down your chest waders. You would be a fool not to carry protection in iron county back woods.
Thanks for the age estimate Charley. I've never taken a doe off our property even when I could have legally with the bow . Just not enough deer period. I agree something needs to change to bring the UP deer population back up.
The MDNR is running out of hunters and running out of money because of it. Raising the license fees is about the only answer they can have for money. The real answer is live within their budget. Just like every other household in Michigan.
@@dwaynelevandowski6003 raise the price of licenses just prices people out. Every time think about buying a license and going out, they add more regulations to follow. Then the dnr officers think they have a right walk in on private property without permission. Let them go bankrupt. Bring wolves down to the lower part of the state. My donkeys will deal with them and the wolves can deal with the over population of field rats.
I think like in Minnesota, wolves do have an impact, but not the only one. Herd management by DNR regulations and hunter choices have a significant impact. I look to Steve Rinella’s comments that done of the best hunting he’s done is in areas with prolific wolf populations but great management
I live in the center of Eastern Upper Peninsula in the house that I bought seven years ago. I rarely ever any small game. Just the occasional squirrel. I don’t even bother buying a license for that. I have never seen a rabbit UP here. I have seen at least 30 wolves in that time frame. and thousands of tracks. The DNR is in absolute denial. I even talked to an DNR biologist just yesterday and she said that they’re less than a 1000 UP here. Yeah, right.
It's odd, was hunting on the Laurentian divide in MN last season and we saw lots of does but no bucks. Got to thinking about that and realized that the wolves up there don't prefer bucks over does. Are the does giving birth to more females than males or something?
I live on forty acres in the Bruce Crossing area, during this past season I sat in my elevated blind all day from dusk to dark and saw an average of 15-18 doe and fawns every day yet not one buck other then a five inch spike opening morning. I see doe on trail cams all night, I have also many wolf sightings on cam. Yet we cannot shoot a doe. I hunt for meat,rack size means nothing to me.
Been Hunting in Crystal Falls for 30 years. Worse every year it seems. Haven’t shot a Buck since 2014. Never shot a doe. DNR needs to end Doe permits for the whole UP for at least 3 more years. We only seen small bucks this year let em go.
Wisconsin has the same problem. I hunt in North Central Wisconsin. In the late 80’s and early 90’s you would see deer running like crazy on opening day of gun season. Now, nothing. I probably only heard 6-8 distant gunshots all morning. I also bow hunt. From the opening of bow season to the end of the opening weekend of gun, I saw a total of 5 deer. Three doe, one fawn and a spike Buck. I also had two wolf sightings. My first, but it could have been the same wolf. If this continues, the sport will die.
Don't feel bad, the part of PA that I'm in has been decimated! All those years of killing does has taken it affect. Now their are very few,I've hunted 12 days total day light till dark saw 1 fawn! I'm 50 an canning remarried when their were deer! It's sad to see how it has turned out!
Live in Lincoln county Montana a lot of animals around people, you go into the mountains and see a track in the snow, there is at least some wolf tracks with it
Thanks for the video that revives a old issue that still needs to be addressed,my message to all Michigan hunters even you’re not hunting deer or not hunting in UP ,we need to be proactive and do something about to have the wolves delisted and have a season (call Lansing ,call your state and federal representatives,put pressure on DNR)this is ridiculous what is happening,people pay attention what is happening in Lansing ,the last minute antigun laws they are passing before dems are losing majority.UP use to be the destination for deer hunting,the snowshoes hares 🤷♂️,I’m seeing lower numbers of deer even in Menominee where I hunted the last 21 years in the gun season .A new administration at the federal level is coming and we should not let it pass without solving the wolves issue.Peace
Mismanagement across the board. In the northern lower we are seeing numbers dwindle on public land. My hunting companions son ( in his late twenties) became so frustrated with not seeing deer that he left camp early due not seeing any deer. Our young biologists have no clue on how to manage the deer herd. If you don't have a large trac of private land to hunt and are stuck on public property you probably will not be seeing many or no deer. Get used to it because deer management is spiraling in the wrong direction.😢
The federal judiciary does not care how the economy is affected by the wolf population . originally from Wisconsin, and I still hunt NE Wisconsin . Only about 20 mile west of the Wi /Mi state line . There's wolves here too and we hunt the national forest as well . On one of our parties camera, he has a photo of a doe running at 08:01 am . At 08:02 there's a photo of a wolf on the doe's trail . Our partner was at the camera at 08:04 . Talking with a local resident, he states that there was a pack of 13 that had moved into that block earlier in the spring . He has camera photos of wolves within 30 feet of his building . Often has photos of wolves carrying deer legs onto his property and figured out he has a breeding pair that's apparently denned up on his piece .
Charlie, excellent videos. Deer hunting looking like a joke here in N. Wi . 78 and see no improvments coming. WOLFS WOLFS Thats the problem. The only problem.
It's not just the U.P. I hunt down here in the thumb on public land and it's been over kill on the doe over the years and the deer is really declining here I was hunting for a week seen a total of 4 doe not one buck in are square mile about 6 fawns were shot what I seen hanging at camps sites and threw out Sept and current I had a total if 3 different bucks on camera from 4pt to small 8 pt maybe same small 8 pt . And the same doe and 2 fawns in 4 months , it's bad here to
I'm a lifelong Yooper, Houghton county. Whitetail hunting is done. Eight years ago, when my son started hunting, he asked me half way through the season, "dad, if I see a deer should I even shoot it?" A first year hunter questioning the ethics of shooting a deer where the population is so low. I've been hunting since 1982 and this year we hung up the guns. Sad times. The DNR does not care. They will still make money on park passes, trail passes and raising the rates on whatever. A few years ago the wolf population has even made rethink my winter pass time which is backcountry snowmobiling. Anywhere we would ride just makes paths for the wolf's, tracks on ours the next day. We stopped riding like we used to. But really what's the difference if the wolf's kill deer now or later? They are still going to kill every last deer so why delay the inevitable?
I can tell you from my experiences here in N. Idaho that the wolves have wrecked our elk, moose and deer populations over the last 20 years. We lived on elk meat here for 20 years, all archery hunts but I haven't been able to get to full draw on a bull for 5 years now and I hunt a lot. I have not seen a moose in five years in an area that was routine to see 5-10 a season. The 1400-2000 wolves just keep picking away at our herds all winter. They say a wolf eats a big game animal once a week. Trapping is the only answer.
Its pretty simple, it's the wolf! Same thing in Wisconsin. Chequamegon Forest is over run with wolves and not only did our group not see any deer this season, other hunters in the area reported the same thing. The problem as I see it is the federal government! The Wolf needs to be delisted and managed... Period
Charley I agree we need to fix the deer/wolf issue in the UP. I have hunted in UP for 20 years with my best friend on 80 private acres in Chippewa county. worst season every. I sat for 56 hours and saw 3 deer. We saw or had wolves around daily. Trail camera pictures of wolves all summer. Same for the neighboring property owners.
@@scottmeade2918 my family owns 80 acres of woods in the EUP. the number of deer we see is declining every year and the number of wolf sightings and trail cam photos are increasing. Doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. By not taking action to control the wolf and cougar populations the Feds/DNR are forcing people to take this into their own hands
I have property in North delta county for over 60 years and the hunting was good with no wolf's, now we have wolf's and no deer, I quit hunting 10 years ago because of no deer, it's been a family tradition to go hunting but the dnr and their wolf's ruined that.
its called over hunting 20 some years of youth hunt and combow tags. if it was like it was when i first started to hunt it was one tag for bow and one for gun. and no doe hunting they stoped it in the 60s and did not bring it back until the mid to late 80s because the heard was down me and my dad owned a camp just passed golden lake on the 900 rd
hard winter kills and you need to feed during those hard winters drop as much alfalfa you can during deep snows keep them healthy till spring is critical for there survival
It's not just the U.P. that is losing deer numbers. In my section of the N.E. lower There is a cattle farm within a 1/4 mile of my property and the DNR this past summer went out and slaughtered the deer because of the made up reason of Bovine TB . If there is TB I thought I heard in the area then the farmer's can't sell their beef out of state . But at the same time my neighbors and myself have invested a lot of money into our property plus pay our taxes and buy licenses and just when we start seeing good Deer numbers the State comes out and takes it all away . I believe the biggest problem in Michigan is that science does not dictate how our Natural Resources are managed but money and the insurance industry lobbyist dictate how they are managed.
Wolves are a major problem in the UP. Also, they, whomever they are, need to stop cutting every tree that's standing. Complete swamps clear cut. Leave the cedar and hemlock alone. The yards are gone or getting much smaller and the wolves are standing on the migration trails. I live in a rural location, I see all the deer on my property. This year I had a doe and a fawn and 2 small bucks. That's it! I didn't see a deer in my yard until October. I used to see deer everyday. I have fruit trees, I had to go pick them up off the ground, there weren't any deer cleaning them up. The UP deer herd is in poor shape!
Not that I have any great faith in the Michigan DNR especially under the current administration, but the federal courts are the the greatest problem. We have people, judges, animal rights groups that want to make laws in Michigan and have no vested interests in the state and a state government unwilling to do anything about it. Good luck love the UP
I hunted northeastern Dickinson/Northwestern Menominee for many years, and some mid Marquette. The last time I seriously hunted was 2015. I dabbled a bit in northern Dickinson in 2019. After seeing a doe with two yearlings, I decided the DNR doesn't deserve my money anymore. There are too many predators, too many license options, and too many specialty hunts to try and entice hunters. When I was fourteen, I couldn't wait to get out deer hunting. If you want to do it, you'll get out there. It shouldn't take special enticement to get people in the woods. I think does need to be taken. There has to be a harvest balance. If you shoot nothing but bucks, you'll deplete the source of fertilization. One buck running to fertilize five to ten does, too much? I think so. The DNR needs to get back to the basic licensing structure and go back to Oct-Dec hunting season. They need to open up the restrictions on predators. Maybe increase the bear hunting tags and season.
I live in Northern Minnesota. Same thing here. We have to make the government delist them.we have a chance with republican majority this session.if not soon the deer population will never recover.
It’s ALL about the federal money the DNR is being fed and I think it’s more to do with the NRC. I believe the NRC “wears the pants” in that relationship.
@@KGPNBK not the same everywhere. In Allegan county deer populations were as high as I’ve ever seen. Crop damage was getting ridiculous. EHD came in end of summer beginning of fall and hit the population pretty hard in southern areas of the county. Northern areas of the county still overpopulated.
Learn from WI wolf impact. They may not kill all of the deer, but they drive them away. No different than humans that move away from crime. Deer move away from danger. What do you do? You have to fight at the state level to reduce the wolf population. In addition, you need to combine. Power in numbers. Both hunters and businesses need to combine efforts to fight the environmentalist groups who keep bringing the wolf population back and spend millions to keep hunters out of the woods.
Im in central UP. we live in a winter migration area, and normally feed 50 to 100 deer in harsh months. Last season we only had about 20. This year so far the most I've seen in a day was 12. Something is definitely wrong, as im not a hunter, own acreage, and the herds of of a few years ago are just gone.
The DNR needs to focus the resources on getting a real count of the wolves in the UP. But they won't spend the money and the liberal government and their Detroit voters won't allow wolf management. I used to hunt in the UP near Thunder Lake but it was too disheartening.
If they aren't yet they will be! If you have a cougar population the affects will be extremely damaging. The cats are prolific killers and the wolves will allow the wolves to do the dirty then take the kill. Washington state hunters, cattleman and farm/home steaders has seen the devastating affects of an unmanaged out of control predator problem.
It’ll probably hurt I’m from Minnesota and we have a bad wolf problem and it’s really affecting the deer population and unfortunately as of right now there’s no way of controlling it unless they are taken off the in dangered list I don’t really see no end in sight
@CharleyThePlumber i think if we take a look at the bigger picture,... wolves r part of it,...but theres more too it...u guys got yotes...harsh winters...truth is this ,.. gotta stop killin does once the rut is done...how many relize that killin a doe is got a huge impact on fawns that become botton bucks...let the does give birth so the population can increase...December hunts r brutal on next years growth....
Actually , Wolves help to keep Deer and Moose populations healthy , here in Northern Minnesota wolves have started to push Moose back from Canada , before last year i had not seen a moose since I was a kid , but I have seen 3 in the last 2 years . Last year we had a record number of deer harvested and this year too , thanks to the Wolves . Wolves can be a problem if there are too many but they can be re-located to somewhere that needs them , just like when they needed them in Yellowstone . So far there has not been a population found that is too big .
@@TheREALLibertyOrDeath You don't have to believe me , just learn the facts for yourself before you start diagnosing someone's mental health there Doctor .
Recommend you interview a retired DNR biologist and get there opinion. I am glad you keep continued tradition alive. I have paid to hunt MI from out of state. Won’t do it again because of how they mismanage the heard and habitats. The feds should allow food plots etc on forest land to feed deer
You said you spent 18-20hrs in the woods on this trip. Well, a wolf spends its entire life in the woods; they have more right to the deer than we do. Why do wolves always get the blame? They gotta eat too; They can't go to the supermarket like you. Furthermore, nobody ever mentions that every November, 250,000 people from down state show up here drunk with high-powered rifles. Is it really the wolves? Weare a part of nature, NOT manages of it.
There was a reason that our ancestors killed the wolves! When the venison gets scarce they will start eating more livestock and pets! That will have an impact on your trip to the grocery store.
I think like in Minnesota, wolves do have an impact, but not the only one. Herd management by DNR regulations and hunter choices have a significant impact. I look to Steve Rinella’s comments that done of the best hunting he’s done is in areas with prolific wolf populations but great management
I’ve hunted whitetail deer in Michigan since 1968. One common denominator is that the deer population in Northern Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula, have gone down. The over harvesting of does, and the combination buck license is partially responsible. The problem with predators is another problem. Too many predators are killing the fawns, and young deer. And a State government that seems to believe that hunting must be phased out. And more predators need to be established.
I live in northern Dickinson County. I have had a small pack of wolves living behind my house for a couple years now, images captured on trail cameras. I have very few deer left in my immediate area. NEVER have I seen the deer numbers as low as these last couple years. I used to have a dozen or so in my field at night. Now, there are none. Driving around on the back roads in my county, deer sightings are way down, deer track counts are way down, harvest is way down, hunter numbers are way down. I think its time to boycott the State of Michigan as far as hunting licenses go. The bastards will only listen to us if we affect their bottom $$ line.
I remember back in the late 90s when people started complaining about the wolves in the U.P. decimating the deer herd. Seen my first wolf in the wild by Bond Falls. I remember getting checked by a warden one rifle season. He said even the wardens don't want to see the wolves. It got so bad with wolves I gave up hunting the U.P. sad in a way because it sure is some beautiful country.
Ahhh the UP deer herd it's far more complicated than people realize, I remember hunting our farm in the 70s and we always got deer but remember looking into our fields and saying look look there's a deer we didn't have an over abundance. Joined the Navy and got out in 84, when I came home there was a Change in forestry practice that's when they started using processors and doing large section cuts, prior to that all the pulp wood production was done with chain saws and the cut areas were pretty small each winter, all the new Aspen growth was deer food and cover and there was an explosion of deer up to the early 90s, we had a crop damage problem for farmers dead deer on the highways and you could buy 2 archery tags and 2 firearm tags but by that time the large cuttings were starting to get to big for deer food and then the wolves were brought back. Most of those large cuttings are ready to be harvested again and some have but we won't see the explosion we saw in the 80s because at that time there were no doe permits and only 1 buck tag, we're typically a decade to late at solving the problems we create but here nobody wants to acknowledge that we have to change the culture of deer management as well as reduce predators.
@@robertlivingston1634 this is a great theory
Wisconsin has a large population of wolves also, our total harvest numbers have been down for years
Yup truth
When the deer population declines, inversely does the moose population then increase?
@@greghawkmanNope, the wolves eat them too.
Minnesota as well
Loved and hunted in Central UP in the 90’s, lots and lots of deer and few wolves at that time. I did see a few wolves but I was out with Forest Service Workers doing Breeding Bird Surveys each Late Spring and we would see them but rarely. Saw tracks and had a few cross our two tracks out in the forests. It was a big deal to hear of a wolf sighting then like seeing a Cougar is now. Cougars are also taking down deer up there regardless of what the DNR/Feds want to admit. Wife, who knows here stuff had one cross her on US 2 just west of Cooks back in 98. Friends in Manistique around Indian Lake had one run up from the tree line and grab a neighbor’s chicken off their back porch! They can consume a deer a week. Now add in Bears, Bobcats, wolves, coyotes, natural death and auto collisions then hunting, it’s a wonder there are any deer left.
I agree. The people in office are not controlling our wild life population the way they should be
They should've been taken off endangered list and limited hunts allowed 10 years ago at least.
This have a quota to fill, say 100 wolves for the state with 24hr report per harvest and season stops when quota met. This is how mountain lions are managed in Iowa and it works fine.
100? What a joke. That’s not nearly enough. Introducing them was a massive mistake
@@TheREALLibertyOrDeath it's called an example. Notice how I said "say 100". Reintroduce them was not a mistake, wolves should be around there part of the natural environment and you people make it seem like there's wolves everywhere, and it's not your farm property at risk from pack harassment, it's deer.
@@mickeymcafee7615 dinosaurs are extinct and I don’t hear anyone complaining about that. Delusional.
@@mickeymcafee7615 dinosaurs are extinct and nobody complains about that. Crazy
As the Coyotes and the cross bred Coywolves have multiplied in Eastern Ontario Canada I am seeing a lot less Deer each year when I hunt as well. Now it also could be over hunting. A ton of young guys in my area have got into hunting. The young guys have really taken to Compound and Crossbow Archery too. When I was a kid the only Archery you saw in this area was on a John Wayne movie, and they were not hunting deer. Thanks for your videos.
Menomonee County from the late 80s through at least the early 2000s had an estimated 100 deer per square mile, and if you hunted, it would know that the estimate was pretty close. What happened to all these deer? Many friends have photos of wolves, and of course, the DNR gaslighted and said there was none. The Michigan DNR is the problem.
They are down here in northern Michigan now, too.I saw one hunting last year in the spot I've been hunting for 25 years on State Land. I reported it to the DNR, and they claimed it was a coywolf, but I saw it with my own eyes, and the coyotes didn't answer him. This year, I only saw two does and no yearlings.
I"m in Chippewa County. We have them. I have at least two on Trailcam this year. I had a longer string of them on trail cam last year. I hear them all the time. Also have a ton of coyotes. Can't do anything about the wolves but gonna thin out the coyotes this winter.
0 deer left on my property the last 3 yrs use to have up to 25 resident deer since around 2010 been down hill since
Could be worse, out here in MT we have wolves which we are able to hunt but they are still doing a lot of damage on our deer and elk, we also got a growing population of grizzlies that go unchecked, lions, black bears. There is a lot of country that is barren of game nowadays.
I think all around they need a better management system. The DNR has dropped the ball
Part of the declining number of hunters is biology/game management as you indicate.
I think another part is demonizing firearms and firearm owners. Kids who go to school terrified of a school shooting, because their teachers are irrationally afraid of guns, are less likely to be interested in hunting. There are schools that will not allow hunter safety classes on school property because they don't like guns...even though no guns are ever on school property for the classes.
Laws prevent kids from hunting with firearms without adult supervision so there is less opportunity. When I was in jr. high school, we got off the bus after school, got our guns and went in the woods for squirrels and rabbits. Nobody thought anything of it.
Also, more kids live in developed areas and don't have access to hunting land even if they could hunt so they are restricted to the adult's schedule..
Been hunting the Crystal Falls area since the mid 80's and it gets worse every year the Michigan DNR has failed the UP hunters big time and your exactly right not going to get a younger person to sit for days seeing nothing saw 4 wolves this firearm season
I couldn’t agree more. Hunting is a dying sport and unless they fix the problems it will be gone eventually
Yes the dnr regulates the deer by the amount of revenue they need
@tonydentonarms4112 I think the DNR does exactly what the insurance companies are telling them to do eliminate the deer herd
DNR = Do Nothing Right
We need men who bring their kids. Only way todays boys are feminine even my daughters are more masculine than men their age and older. I have a 33 yr old n an 11 year old both can handle weapons do guy shit. My oldest dates a guy she’s worried I’ll hurt his feelings! Seriously? She’s even commented to me that aren’t like you any more dad…wtf? Yes I was a green beret and did all kinds of things but hurt his feelings? I give up..
Charlie I agree, the wolves are a big problem. I hunt Northern Wisconsin and we have seen a drastic decrease in the deer population since the reintroduction of the wolves. Our group of 16 hunters only saw 3 does this year. This was only the 2nd year we did not harvest a single deer, the other year was a Buck only year.
Trailcams in Newberry tell me how bad the hunting in the UP has become.
I have tracked multiple sets of wolves around the area 2-3miles from mouth of the two hearted river. Still haven't seen one
Yesterday in Hillsdale County I saw 51 does and 1 small 6pt. Some of the does I’m sure wandered past me twice but that’s a lot. Didn’t hear more than 3 shots all day.
I've only seen a deer on my property, I have 60 acres and lots of forestry property a round me.the deer are so few . Since the wolf's were brought back, yes we have hard winters up north of marquette. But the wolf are taking a lot of them and the loggers are cutting everything and leaving lots of acres bare to the ground and brush hard to walk through. They took away the cover for winter time for the deer. When they cut 60 or more acres that's alot of cover plus maybe food for the deer. I blame alot on the wolf's they are taking a big dent in the deer up here..I haven't shot a deer in 10 years up here!!
Maybe, the lack of deer has to do with the fact that deer season starts in late Sept. (Youth Hunt) and lasts into mid Jan. (Muzzleloader) Which, by the way, is now open to all rifles.
And a single hunter can take 10 does if he so chooses. Insurance companies want the deer population down.
Amen Brother!
I live in the UP and wolves are killing alot of deer here. Also hard on beaver populations when they learn to hunt them from the bank.
We have a place in Iron County. In the last 6 years bear hunter have lost over 26 dogs to wolves. 5 wolves have been live trapped with in 5 miles of our place and shipped to island royal because of the moose population on the island. Bird hunting is good but really scary in that area. Once the deer are at lower numbers and they are, what are those natural born killer going to eat? Most likely your dog will be on the menu. It is so bad brook trout fishing is a gamble because you hike down those small beautiful creeks in waders and it is pretty hard to reach for that pistol crammed down your chest waders. You would be a fool not to carry protection in iron county back woods.
Ask the people in northern MINNESOTA!
Thanks for the age estimate Charley. I've never taken a doe off our property even when I could have legally with the bow . Just not enough deer period. I agree something needs to change to bring the UP deer population back up.
The MDNR is running out of hunters and running out of money because of it. Raising the license fees is about the only answer they can have for money.
The real answer is live within their budget. Just like every other household in Michigan.
I completely agree. They need hunters making the hunters laws not politicians
@@dwaynelevandowski6003 raise the price of licenses just prices people out. Every time think about buying a license and going out, they add more regulations to follow. Then the dnr officers think they have a right walk in on private property without permission. Let them go bankrupt. Bring wolves down to the lower part of the state. My donkeys will deal with them and the wolves can deal with the over population of field rats.
I think like in Minnesota, wolves do have an impact, but not the only one. Herd management by DNR regulations and hunter choices have a significant impact. I look to Steve Rinella’s comments that done of the best hunting he’s done is in areas with prolific wolf populations but great management
I live in the center of Eastern Upper Peninsula in the house that I bought seven years ago. I rarely ever any small game. Just the occasional squirrel. I don’t even bother buying a license for that. I have never seen a rabbit UP here. I have seen at least 30 wolves in that time frame. and thousands of tracks. The DNR is in absolute denial. I even talked to an DNR biologist just yesterday and she said that they’re less than a 1000 UP here. Yeah, right.
Good luck to you I lived in Manistique as a kid never went hunting did see a few bears
It's odd, was hunting on the Laurentian divide in MN last season and we saw lots of does but no bucks. Got to thinking about that and realized that the wolves up there don't prefer bucks over does. Are the does giving birth to more females than males or something?
I live on forty acres in the Bruce Crossing area, during this past season I sat in my elevated blind all day from dusk to dark and saw an average of 15-18 doe and fawns every day yet not one buck other then a five inch spike opening morning. I see doe on trail cams all night, I have also many wolf sightings on cam. Yet we cannot shoot a doe. I hunt for meat,rack size means nothing to me.
I can't help but wonder if the goal is to reduce the free-roaming "wolverine" food? Two-legged wolverines, that is.
Been Hunting in Crystal Falls for 30 years. Worse every year it seems. Haven’t shot a Buck since 2014. Never shot a doe. DNR needs to end Doe permits for the whole UP for at least 3 more years. We only seen small bucks this year let em go.
Wisconsin has the same problem. I hunt in North Central Wisconsin. In the late 80’s and early 90’s you would see deer running like crazy on opening day of gun season. Now, nothing. I probably only heard 6-8 distant gunshots all morning. I also bow hunt. From the opening of bow season to the end of the opening weekend of gun, I saw a total of 5 deer. Three doe, one fawn and a spike Buck. I also had two wolf sightings. My first, but it could have been the same wolf. If this continues, the sport will die.
Don't feel bad, the part of PA that I'm in has been decimated! All those years of killing does has taken it affect. Now their are very few,I've hunted 12 days total day light till dark saw 1 fawn! I'm 50 an canning remarried when their were deer! It's sad to see how it has turned out!
Live in Lincoln county Montana a lot of animals around people, you go into the mountains and see a track in the snow, there is at least some wolf tracks with it
Thanks for the video that revives a old issue that still needs to be addressed,my message to all Michigan hunters even you’re not hunting deer or not hunting in UP ,we need to be proactive and do something about to have the wolves delisted and have a season (call Lansing ,call your state and federal representatives,put pressure on DNR)this is ridiculous what is happening,people pay attention what is happening in Lansing ,the last minute antigun laws they are passing before dems are losing majority.UP use to be the destination for deer hunting,the snowshoes hares 🤷♂️,I’m seeing lower numbers of deer even in Menominee where I hunted the last 21 years in the gun season .A new administration at the federal level is coming and we should not let it pass without solving the wolves issue.Peace
Mismanagement across the board. In the northern lower we are seeing numbers dwindle on public land. My hunting companions son ( in his late twenties) became so frustrated with not seeing deer that he left camp early due not seeing any deer. Our young biologists have no clue on how to manage the deer herd. If you don't have a large trac of private land to hunt and are stuck on public property you probably will not be seeing many or no deer. Get used to it because deer management is spiraling in the wrong direction.😢
The federal judiciary does not care how the economy is affected by the wolf population . originally from Wisconsin, and I still hunt NE Wisconsin . Only about 20 mile west of the Wi /Mi state line . There's wolves here too and we hunt the national forest as well . On one of our parties camera, he has a photo of a doe running at 08:01 am . At 08:02 there's a photo of a wolf on the doe's trail . Our partner was at the camera at 08:04 . Talking with a local resident, he states that there was a pack of 13 that had moved into that block earlier in the spring . He has camera photos of wolves within 30 feet of his building . Often has photos of wolves carrying deer legs onto his property and figured out he has a breeding pair that's apparently denned up on his piece .
Charlie, excellent videos. Deer hunting looking like a joke here in N. Wi . 78 and see no improvments coming. WOLFS WOLFS Thats the problem. The only problem.
It's not just the U.P. I hunt down here in the thumb on public land and it's been over kill on the doe over the years and the deer is really declining here I was hunting for a week seen a total of 4 doe not one buck in are square mile about 6 fawns were shot what I seen hanging at camps sites and threw out Sept and current I had a total if 3 different bucks on camera from 4pt to small 8 pt maybe same small 8 pt . And the same doe and 2 fawns in 4 months , it's bad here to
I'm a lifelong Yooper, Houghton county. Whitetail hunting is done.
Eight years ago, when my son started hunting, he asked me half way through the season, "dad, if I see a deer should I even shoot it?" A first year hunter questioning the ethics of shooting a deer where the population is so low.
I've been hunting since 1982 and this year we hung up the guns.
Sad times.
The DNR does not care. They will still make money on park passes, trail passes and raising the rates on whatever.
A few years ago the wolf population has even made rethink my winter pass time which is backcountry snowmobiling. Anywhere we would ride just makes paths for the wolf's, tracks on ours the next day. We stopped riding like we used to. But really what's the difference if the wolf's kill deer now or later? They are still going to kill every last deer so why delay the inevitable?
Hunted Dickinson county for 22 years,last time I went in 2012 I seen 1 doe and 4 wolves,Sorry local economy, I’m not wasting my time!
I can tell you from my experiences here in N. Idaho that the wolves have wrecked our elk, moose and deer populations over the last 20 years. We lived on elk meat here for 20 years, all archery hunts but I haven't been able to get to full draw on a bull for 5 years now and I hunt a lot. I have not seen a moose in five years in an area that was routine to see 5-10 a season. The 1400-2000 wolves just keep picking away at our herds all winter. They say a wolf eats a big game animal once a week. Trapping is the only answer.
Its pretty simple, it's the wolf! Same thing in Wisconsin. Chequamegon Forest is over run with wolves and not only did our group not see any deer this season, other hunters in the area reported the same thing. The problem as I see it is the federal government! The Wolf needs to be delisted and managed... Period
Charley I agree we need to fix the deer/wolf issue in the UP. I have hunted in UP for 20 years with my best friend on 80 private acres in Chippewa county. worst season every. I sat for 56 hours and saw 3 deer. We saw or had wolves around daily. Trail camera pictures of wolves all summer. Same for the neighboring property owners.
@@scottmeade2918 my family owns 80 acres of woods in the EUP. the number of deer we see is declining every year and the number of wolf sightings and trail cam photos are increasing. Doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. By not taking action to control the wolf and cougar populations the Feds/DNR are forcing people to take this into their own hands
I think we have already seen the results. hunter numbers are way down .
I have not hunted the U.p. in 20 years, it was bad before the wolf overpopulation and now, not a consideration
Any reservations up there? Those don't help the population either....
I have property in North delta county for over 60 years and the hunting was good with no wolf's, now we have wolf's and no deer, I quit hunting 10 years ago because of no deer, it's been a family tradition to go hunting but the dnr and their wolf's ruined that.
its called over hunting 20 some years of youth hunt and combow tags. if it was like it was when i first started to hunt it was one tag for bow and one for gun. and no doe hunting they stoped it in the 60s and did not bring it back until the mid to late 80s because the heard was down me and my dad owned a camp just passed golden lake on the 900 rd
I live in Ohio I’m not seeing deer at all
We get our bucks close to gwinn by town where wolfs dont come close to homes
hard winter kills and you need to feed during those hard winters drop as much alfalfa you can during deep snows keep them healthy till spring is critical for there survival
But that is hard to do unless you have property up there
Too expensive. The dogs gotta go
It's not just the U.P. that is losing deer numbers. In my section of the N.E. lower There is a cattle farm within a 1/4 mile of my property and the DNR this past summer went out and slaughtered the deer because of the made up reason of Bovine TB . If there is TB I thought I heard in the area then the farmer's can't sell their beef out of state . But at the same time my neighbors and myself have invested a lot of money into our property plus pay our taxes and buy licenses and just when we start seeing good Deer numbers the State comes out and takes it all away . I believe the biggest problem in Michigan is that science does not dictate how our Natural Resources are managed but money and the insurance industry lobbyist dictate how they are managed.
Im seeing wolf tracks in Gaylord.
Wolves are a major problem in the UP. Also, they, whomever they are, need to stop cutting every tree that's standing. Complete swamps clear cut. Leave the cedar and hemlock alone. The yards are gone or getting much smaller and the wolves are standing on the migration trails. I live in a rural location, I see all the deer on my property. This year I had a doe and a fawn and 2 small bucks. That's it! I didn't see a deer in my yard until October. I used to see deer everyday. I have fruit trees, I had to go pick them up off the ground, there weren't any deer cleaning them up. The UP deer herd is in poor shape!
lol it’s a huge problem if you have to pick up fruit tree droppings. To be honest I’m just shocked with how poorly managed the wolves have been.
Not that I have any great faith in the Michigan DNR especially under the current administration, but the federal courts are the the greatest problem. We have people, judges, animal rights groups that want to make laws in Michigan and have no vested interests in the state and a state government unwilling to do anything about it. Good luck love the UP
I hunted northeastern Dickinson/Northwestern Menominee for many years, and some mid Marquette. The last time I seriously hunted was 2015. I dabbled a bit in northern Dickinson in 2019. After seeing a doe with two yearlings, I decided the DNR doesn't deserve my money anymore. There are too many predators, too many license options, and too many specialty hunts to try and entice hunters. When I was fourteen, I couldn't wait to get out deer hunting. If you want to do it, you'll get out there. It shouldn't take special enticement to get people in the woods. I think does need to be taken. There has to be a harvest balance. If you shoot nothing but bucks, you'll deplete the source of fertilization. One buck running to fertilize five to ten does, too much? I think so. The DNR needs to get back to the basic licensing structure and go back to Oct-Dec hunting season. They need to open up the restrictions on predators. Maybe increase the bear hunting tags and season.
I live in Northern Minnesota. Same thing here. We have to make the government delist them.we have a chance with republican majority this session.if not soon the deer population will never recover.
It’s ALL about the federal money the DNR is being fed and I think it’s more to do with the NRC. I believe the NRC “wears the pants” in that relationship.
I would vote to dissolve the NRC in a heartbeat. They definitely are not living up to the promise.
DNR = Do Nothing Right
In the lower Peninsula all hunters have the option for 12 deer. Starting at age O. Soon the lower will be da Yooper.
@@KGPNBK not the same everywhere. In Allegan county deer populations were as high as I’ve ever seen. Crop damage was getting ridiculous. EHD came in end of summer beginning of fall and hit the population pretty hard in southern areas of the county. Northern areas of the county still overpopulated.
I’ve been told, wolves love baseball size ground beef balls mixed with Zylow the artificial sweetener.
Allegedly
@@rompinroger9614 heard 0 and saw 0 so that was a plus this year
Ass
No deer left in ne mn their's so many wolves. Now they are moving south and west
Learn from WI wolf impact. They may not kill all of the deer, but they drive them away. No different than humans that move away from crime. Deer move away from danger.
What do you do? You have to fight at the state level to reduce the wolf population. In addition, you need to combine. Power in numbers. Both hunters and businesses need to combine efforts to fight the environmentalist groups who keep bringing the wolf population back and spend millions to keep hunters out of the woods.
Yup, Iron county #1
Gotta love the .Michigan DNR when deer numbers are in the toilet what's their answer Raise licsence fees can't make it up totally mismanaged
Iam in wv seen 1 doe in 2 weeks coyetes are killing everything havent seen small game on mountain for a couble years
Wolves are killed by the thousands by men and Wolves haven't killed one man at all
I live with them up here in Northern Ontario
@@ArthurCollette-rc2ng we’ll be happy to send you ours!
Insurance lobbyists are the problem... a billion a year in car deer accidents...
Mother-in-law's property that's all you see is wolves no other animals
Im in central UP.
we live in a winter migration area, and normally feed 50 to 100 deer in harsh months.
Last season we only had about 20.
This year so far the most I've seen in a day was 12.
Something is definitely wrong, as im not a hunter, own acreage, and the herds of of a few years ago are just gone.
The DNR needs to focus the resources on getting a real count of the wolves in the UP. But they won't spend the money and the liberal government and their Detroit voters won't allow wolf management. I used to hunt in the UP near Thunder Lake but it was too disheartening.
If they aren't yet they will be! If you have a cougar population the affects will be extremely damaging. The cats are prolific killers and the wolves will allow the wolves to do the dirty then take the kill. Washington state hunters, cattleman and farm/home steaders has seen the devastating affects of an unmanaged out of control predator problem.
Stop buying licenses Hit the DNR where it really hurts! Play the old catch me if you can game!! "STOP" giving them your money!! For what?
Look at the mountain lions to they are getting out of hand to
Sounds like deer hunting in Maine, it's not easy....
Are your deer herds migrating south? That could be a simpler answer than wolves eating?
@@marcchenoweth8276 the migration doesn’t start until mid Dec
I saw mom and 2 little ones and that is all I saw in 9 days.
What's up Chuck? Have you been laying some pipe?
I've seen 8 wolves lately. Lots of deer, lots of wolves. Wolves keep herds healthy. Lots of deer tracks in the snow. Killing the bait.
A lot of people employ the SSS management system for wolves !!😁
Allegedly lol
It’ll probably hurt I’m from Minnesota and we have a bad wolf problem and it’s really affecting the deer population and unfortunately as of right now there’s no way of controlling it unless they are taken off the in dangered list I don’t really see no end in sight
Well i seen more wolves then deer all rifle season
That sucks
Poachers are as bad if not worst than any four legged predator.. and i know there up there too...😊
I do agree with that as well
@CharleyThePlumber i think if we take a look at the bigger picture,... wolves r part of it,...but theres more too it...u guys got yotes...harsh winters...truth is this ,.. gotta stop killin does once the rut is done...how many relize that killin a doe is got a huge impact on fawns that become botton bucks...let the does give birth so the population can increase...December hunts r brutal on next years growth....
Quit whining. Wolves have a right to life as great as any humans.
But let's all rely on the natural resources commission to make our hunting regulations.. a group of people who not one person from Michigan voted for
I agree. They need people of our peers that know a thing or two about hunting
@CharleyThePlumber we need actual representation throughout our state.. not just what the rich people pay for and demand us tax payers to py
Leave the wolves alone
Actually , Wolves help to keep Deer and Moose populations healthy , here in Northern Minnesota wolves have started to push Moose back from Canada , before last year i had not seen a moose since I was a kid , but I have seen 3 in the last 2 years . Last year we had a record number of deer harvested and this year too , thanks to the Wolves . Wolves can be a problem if there are too many but they can be re-located to somewhere that needs them , just like when they needed them in Yellowstone . So far there has not been a population found that is too big .
You are delusional
@@TheREALLibertyOrDeath You don't have to believe me , just learn the facts for yourself before you start diagnosing someone's mental health there Doctor .
Recommend you interview a retired DNR biologist and get there opinion. I am glad you keep continued tradition alive. I have paid to hunt MI from out of state. Won’t do it again because of how they mismanage the heard and habitats. The feds should allow food plots etc on forest land to feed deer
We have food plots on public land in Michigan.
Not legal ones. @@tombielecki160
You said you spent 18-20hrs in the woods on this trip. Well, a wolf spends its entire life in the woods; they have more right to the deer than we do. Why do wolves always get the blame? They gotta eat too; They can't go to the supermarket like you. Furthermore, nobody ever mentions that every November, 250,000 people from down state show up here drunk with high-powered rifles. Is it really the wolves? Weare a part of nature, NOT manages of it.
There was a reason that our ancestors killed the wolves! When the venison gets scarce they will start eating more livestock and pets! That will have an impact on your trip to the grocery store.
No deer no hunters I'll take that
Deer will continue reek havoc on city areas with car deer accidents and eventually wolves will come in and there will be much larger issues
9 IN ONE FOOD PLOT FOR 17 DAY AND NIGHT IN OCTOBER YES THEY ARE A PROBLEM NEED A SEASON AND LACK OF WINTER HABITAT
Every hunter should stop buying a liscence for a year no fishing liscence trail permits then tell dnr do something about the wolfs
I think like in Minnesota, wolves do have an impact, but not the only one. Herd management by DNR regulations and hunter choices have a significant impact. I look to Steve Rinella’s comments that done of the best hunting he’s done is in areas with prolific wolf populations but great management