Just spent the last week hunting around the Baldwin Michigan area. This was my first trip to the "state up north" as all good Ohio State fans refer to it. I used to sing the song... "I don't give a damn bout the whole state of Michigan, the whole state of Michigan, the whole state of Michigan, I don't give a damn about the whole state of Michigan....blah, blah, blah, blah-blah!"
Well, now that I've hunted your grouse, I've now had a change of heart. Hunted 3 days in Pere Marquette State forest and moved 43 grouse and 8 woodcock. Reduced 8 grouse and 1 woodcock to the freezer. Then moved a couple of miles away into Manistee National forest for the final 2 days and experienced similar numbers in much different cover/terrain.
For an Ohio "grouse" hunter that's lucky to put up 12-15 birds a season... it made me feel like I was hunting with my grandpa in Ohio in 1975. Dog had a great time as did I. If my doubles could talk - I think they would have approved as well. Managed to shoot several grouse and 1 woodcock with an 1889 Remington (118 years young) a couple with a Grade 3 Ithaca Flues and a couple with a Fox A grade. All survived the Michigan sand. Saw 1 BIG bear, lots of bear scat/tracks, 2 huge coyotes and 1 20lb. pourcipine (had to dispatch of him so my Brittney didn't meet him first).
I've always heard stories about 20-30 flush days in Ohio's glory days but I am too young to have seen anything close. I didn't do quite that good on my first trip up north - but 12-15 birds a day was good enough for me to schedule next years visit allready. (If I could talk my wife into another permission slip- I'd go back in December)
Anyone else have a good experience hunting Michigan? I still have to hold my breath when I go through Ann Arbor but I'm making progress. GO BUCKS!!!
