By: Ray Hansen
It happened again as my wife and I were returning from town yesterday evening. A deer ran into the side of her car not far from our home along the Escanaba River here in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We were going along about forty miles per hour when two of the sleek animals suddenly jumped across the road in front of us just fifteen or twenty feet away. A third darted out of the heavy woods, but began to turn around as we passed it. It seemed that its rear hoofs banged the side of the Honda as the deer wheeled about. I caught a glimpse of it running back into the low cedar growth so it seemed alright. The car was not damaged either, so the outcome of this “meeting” was not bad.
It’s that time of year again. The early fall season when deer start roaming around more. A time when they are often found in fields near roads as they forage heavily in anticipation of upcoming cold weather. In November, the annual rutting season will arrive and bucks will be chasing does and as a result, paying less attention to safety. All this means an increase on car/deer collisions. Driving slower and remaining watchful is very important now.
Hitting a deer can cause major damage to a vehicle, and can even result in injured people. Sometimes drivers will swerve to avoid deer and lose control of their vehicles. Once in a while they will hit another vehicle while trying to miss the deer. As I said, this is a time to drive slower and stay alert.
Once in a while a humorous story comes out of car/deer accidents. One such incident happened to me. I had a 1996 Dodge truck at the time. The driver’s door was slightly damaged from someone backing into it in a parking lot. Each time I opened that door it made a loud “clunk” because the hinge was not aligned properly after the accident.
During the November rut season I was driving this vehicle to a friend’s home along a country road in the Upper Peninsula. Several deer jumped across the road in front of me at a distance, so I had plenty of time to slow down. As I neared the place they crossed, a smallish four-point buck stood in the ditch, looking off in the direction the others had run.
I came to a complete stop and simply watched the buck. In a few seconds he bolted directly toward me, then ran headfirst into the driver’s door with a loud bang. Bouncing off the truck’s side, he stumbled off the road, recovered for a few seconds, then ran into the woods in the direction he had come from. The animal seemed alright, and I simply continued driving to my friend’s home as a slow pace. I laughed at the thought of the story I had to tell – the deer had run into me, I didn’t hit him - but the best was yet to come!
When I parked in the driveway and opened the door to get out of the truck, it no longer clunked! Not believing what I heard (or more correctly did not hear) I opened and shut the door several times. It did not make the annoying noise it made prior to the buck running into me. He had repaired my truck! And at no charge! What a mechanic! I wish they were all like that.
Seriously though, most stories about deer strikes are not going to have happy endings like this. Be more watchful at this time of year, and slow down a little. This practice helps avoid a lot of trouble.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
WHAT DO PARTRIDGE EAT?
BIRD HUNTERS AND DEER HUNTERS CO-OPERATE
By: Ray Hansen
One of the wonderful things I get to observe from a treestand while waiting for a deer to pass within range is other wildlife going about its normal daily routine. Here in Michigan the small game season opens September 15th each year, and that includes Ruffed Grouse. Hunters who hit the woods with pointing dogs each fall call these gamebirds Partridge, and I frequently exchange information with a handful of these guys.
They want to know where I have seen birds, and I want to know where they are seeing deer. And since I simply watch Partridge walking through the woods without shooting them – I’m hunting deer after October 1st – I get to see them feeding. Hunters with dogs never get this chance because the dog points the bird and the hunter moves in to flush it and hope for a clear shot as the partridge rockets away. In the heavy forest cover found hereabouts, the Partridge wins this contest most of the time.
Anyway, from my treestand I have seen these birds consume a variety of foods including leaves from apple trees, buds from the branch tips of aspen (poplar) trees, clover, wintergreen berries, small leaves from fruits like wild strawberry plants, and a small, round black berry that I believe is hackberry.
I have also watched them pick at apples when I hunt near wild apple trees, and I think they catch beetles or grasshoppers at times. I’ve watched them bite and peck in grassy areas and I’m not sure if they chasing bugs or eating the grass itself. When near oaks, I’ve seen them grab acorns but I can’t imagine how they could swallow one. Maybe they target the smaller acorns.
Of all these grouse treats, I have most commonly seen them forage on apple and aspen leaves or the buds from these trees. I often advise grouse hunters to look for places where these trees grow close to a water source, since these spots typically provide gamebirds with all their necessities in a setting where heavier cover offers them security.
Places where wood cutting has taken place two to five years ago are potentially great spots. Here in the Upper Peninsula, poplar (aspen) starts refilling the cutover tracts the following year. Small trees with tender new buds grow in profusion. In addition, the left over branches and brush are usually piled throughout the cut area and grouse use these brushpiles as cover.
Deer also like these “second growth” spots as they are called. I recall hunting near Channing, Michigan one year when I put up a treestand in older growth forest right long the edge of a cut area. In the course of a five-day hunt, two of us tagged bucks thanks to bird hunters.
As the hunters put out their dogs on the edge of the cut nearest the old logging road, deer would move out ahead of the pointers. In nearly every case, the deer would simply circle back through the older timber – and sometimes past my stand – to get behind the bird hunters. The guys looking for partridge often failed to see the deer, or didn’t care because they were not hunting deer. They sure did me a favor though. It made my hunting a lot easier!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
By: Ray Hansen
One of the wonderful things I get to observe from a treestand while waiting for a deer to pass within range is other wildlife going about its normal daily routine. Here in Michigan the small game season opens September 15th each year, and that includes Ruffed Grouse. Hunters who hit the woods with pointing dogs each fall call these gamebirds Partridge, and I frequently exchange information with a handful of these guys.
They want to know where I have seen birds, and I want to know where they are seeing deer. And since I simply watch Partridge walking through the woods without shooting them – I’m hunting deer after October 1st – I get to see them feeding. Hunters with dogs never get this chance because the dog points the bird and the hunter moves in to flush it and hope for a clear shot as the partridge rockets away. In the heavy forest cover found hereabouts, the Partridge wins this contest most of the time.
Anyway, from my treestand I have seen these birds consume a variety of foods including leaves from apple trees, buds from the branch tips of aspen (poplar) trees, clover, wintergreen berries, small leaves from fruits like wild strawberry plants, and a small, round black berry that I believe is hackberry.
I have also watched them pick at apples when I hunt near wild apple trees, and I think they catch beetles or grasshoppers at times. I’ve watched them bite and peck in grassy areas and I’m not sure if they chasing bugs or eating the grass itself. When near oaks, I’ve seen them grab acorns but I can’t imagine how they could swallow one. Maybe they target the smaller acorns.
Of all these grouse treats, I have most commonly seen them forage on apple and aspen leaves or the buds from these trees. I often advise grouse hunters to look for places where these trees grow close to a water source, since these spots typically provide gamebirds with all their necessities in a setting where heavier cover offers them security.
Places where wood cutting has taken place two to five years ago are potentially great spots. Here in the Upper Peninsula, poplar (aspen) starts refilling the cutover tracts the following year. Small trees with tender new buds grow in profusion. In addition, the left over branches and brush are usually piled throughout the cut area and grouse use these brushpiles as cover.
Deer also like these “second growth” spots as they are called. I recall hunting near Channing, Michigan one year when I put up a treestand in older growth forest right long the edge of a cut area. In the course of a five-day hunt, two of us tagged bucks thanks to bird hunters.
As the hunters put out their dogs on the edge of the cut nearest the old logging road, deer would move out ahead of the pointers. In nearly every case, the deer would simply circle back through the older timber – and sometimes past my stand – to get behind the bird hunters. The guys looking for partridge often failed to see the deer, or didn’t care because they were not hunting deer. They sure did me a favor though. It made my hunting a lot easier!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
OPENING DAY DEER HUNT
Author's note: Today was the first day of the bow hunting season for deer here in Michigan. I was out in the woods, and this is how my hunt went.
Before moving here to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I rarely had an opportunity to hunt deer on the opening day of the bow season. Most years, I took a week away from wherever I was living and working, and drove here to hunt. Being here permanently has changed things in many pleasant ways. Today was one of these nice advantages.
I drove to Duane Deno’s house well before sunrise, to haul him and his hunting gear out to an area where we placed tree stands well before the season started. He and I have known each other for about fifty years and have spent a lot of time chasing deer together.
Light rain fell during the drive, but skies cleared (temporarily) when we reached the woods. His stand is named the “Pocket Stand” because it overlooks a very small open pocket surrounded by heavy woods. My stand is called “Birch Hill” because it is a very small rise of higher ground surrounded by low ground, marsh, and swamp. The rise holds some very scenic live birches, along with maple, spruce, and cedar.
Dead birch trees lay scattered across the rise as well, like so many deceased soldiers on a battlefield. Trails cross the spot, some of which look like cow paths from many years of use by deer. A bear stays around the spot, occasionally raiding old, wild apple trees and breaking their branches to get at the fruit. We only get to see this animal as photos on the trail camera we sometimes set there. As with most bruins, this one is secretive and mostly roams at night.
We had to cut our stay somewhat short today because the wind kicked up so hard that it swayed the trees we hunted from. The strong gusts would not have knocked us out of the stands, but it made aiming very hard with all the movement it created. By noon we walked back to the truck. This was the first day, and we’ll have plenty of other opportunities.
We both could have taken deer shortly after getting settled in. By 8:45 a.m. I had seen four different does pass by. Three stayed about fifteen minutes within range of my bow as they browsed on some plants that grow only on Birch Hill and a few other spots in the area. These plants have leaves that look like maple, but I’m not sure what kind of vegetation it is. About one to two feet tall and quite leafy, it sprouts on sunny openings. The stem is tough and I can hear deer pulling them out by the mouthful even when I can’t see the animals themselves.
Duane had a doe near his stand as well, but it stayed one and one-half hours, forcing him to stay quite still so it would not get spooked and run off. In a way, the doe acted as a live decoy. Duane hoped a buck would happen by, but it was not to be. We usually take a doe apiece to help keep the herd in balance, then concentrate on finding bucks later in October or early November. They are much more active at those times.
So our opening day was a success even though we did not fill a tag. Being out there before sunrise and watching the woods come alive around you is an experience I guess I’ll never tire of. I’ll have plenty more to write about as the season progresses. Keep watching this blogsite for additional reports.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Before moving here to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I rarely had an opportunity to hunt deer on the opening day of the bow season. Most years, I took a week away from wherever I was living and working, and drove here to hunt. Being here permanently has changed things in many pleasant ways. Today was one of these nice advantages.
I drove to Duane Deno’s house well before sunrise, to haul him and his hunting gear out to an area where we placed tree stands well before the season started. He and I have known each other for about fifty years and have spent a lot of time chasing deer together.
Light rain fell during the drive, but skies cleared (temporarily) when we reached the woods. His stand is named the “Pocket Stand” because it overlooks a very small open pocket surrounded by heavy woods. My stand is called “Birch Hill” because it is a very small rise of higher ground surrounded by low ground, marsh, and swamp. The rise holds some very scenic live birches, along with maple, spruce, and cedar.
Dead birch trees lay scattered across the rise as well, like so many deceased soldiers on a battlefield. Trails cross the spot, some of which look like cow paths from many years of use by deer. A bear stays around the spot, occasionally raiding old, wild apple trees and breaking their branches to get at the fruit. We only get to see this animal as photos on the trail camera we sometimes set there. As with most bruins, this one is secretive and mostly roams at night.
We had to cut our stay somewhat short today because the wind kicked up so hard that it swayed the trees we hunted from. The strong gusts would not have knocked us out of the stands, but it made aiming very hard with all the movement it created. By noon we walked back to the truck. This was the first day, and we’ll have plenty of other opportunities.
We both could have taken deer shortly after getting settled in. By 8:45 a.m. I had seen four different does pass by. Three stayed about fifteen minutes within range of my bow as they browsed on some plants that grow only on Birch Hill and a few other spots in the area. These plants have leaves that look like maple, but I’m not sure what kind of vegetation it is. About one to two feet tall and quite leafy, it sprouts on sunny openings. The stem is tough and I can hear deer pulling them out by the mouthful even when I can’t see the animals themselves.
Duane had a doe near his stand as well, but it stayed one and one-half hours, forcing him to stay quite still so it would not get spooked and run off. In a way, the doe acted as a live decoy. Duane hoped a buck would happen by, but it was not to be. We usually take a doe apiece to help keep the herd in balance, then concentrate on finding bucks later in October or early November. They are much more active at those times.
So our opening day was a success even though we did not fill a tag. Being out there before sunrise and watching the woods come alive around you is an experience I guess I’ll never tire of. I’ll have plenty more to write about as the season progresses. Keep watching this blogsite for additional reports.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
LATE FALL PIKE - PART 2
Author's note: This is part two pf the Late Fall Pike blog I started yesterday. I hope it help you locate some angling excitement. As a side note, Michigan's bow hunting season for deer starts Wednesday, October 1. I'll be out in the woods in a little spot I set up earlier this year. I call it "Birch Hill" since it is covered by fallen and live birches. It is a small two acre rise of higher ground surrounded by marsh, swamp, and similar low ground. I've got a treestand set about twenty-five feet up a big spruce there, and I hope to have something to say about it in a day or so on this site. Stay tuned to see how the season opener goes for me!
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
When you are heading out this late in the year, dressing like you were going ice fishing is a good idea. One-piece snowmobile suits, knit caps, gloves, and waterproof, insulated boots are best. Wearing a life vest – or at least keeping one out and ready to grab – is a good precaution. Remember that having a “throwable” floatation device at hand is mandatory on most waters. This usually means a floating cushion in the boat where you can get it instantly.
RIGGING FOR HEAVYWEIGHTS WITH SHARP TEETH
Just a couple rigs are needed to work this opportunity. Among the most basic is a “pike-sized” slip float set-up. I like to put a string stopper on my main line, then pass the line though a large Thill brand (Lindy Tackle) Center Slider slip float. Next, I run the line through an egg sinker weighing from one-quarter to one-half ounce (larger float, larger sinker). Finally, I tie on a thin, twelve-inch steel leader and clip a single, heavy-duty size 1/0 to 3/0 hook to the snap on the leader. This rig is suitable for use with four to six inch suckers or chubs, which are lip or back hooked. Some anglers prefer to use a small “Quick-Strike” rig consisting of a single hook on a steel leader, backed by treble hook positioned about three inches away from the single hook. All components are available at tackle shops. Quick-Strike rigs are sold in packages, with bait-hooking instructions in the package. They are recommended for bait exceeding six inches in length.
This rig is best used where you have a well-defined underwater target to work such as a log pile, rock hump, or fish crib. Set the stopper to hold your bait about two feet above the cover depth, cast upwind of the target from an anchored position, and allow the breeze to drift your bait over the “strike zone”. Each time your rig has drifted downwind past the spot, reel in and cast to the upwind side again. When finished with one piece of underwater structure, find another.
The other rig I like is a common weedless style skirted jig in a one-half ounce size, tipped with a four inch roach, chub, or sucker minnow. These jigs are typically used by anglers chasing largemouth bass during the warmer months. Again, tie a thin steel leader to your main line, and clip the jig to this leader. Cast beyond the target, and retrieve the jig using big, slow hops up off bottom, with the jig free-falling” back to bottom after each hop. Another proven tactic is to cast out, allow the jig to sink to a level just above the cover, then shake the rod tip while using a steady, slow speed retrieve (no hops). This makes the jig’s skirt twitch and flair out while “swimming” along. Both techniques can trigger fish, so mix up the action.
Upper Midwestern states can offer some great late-season pike fishing opportunities. Big waters like the many bays found along the Great Lakes are great starting points. I’m confident you’ll get some new stories to tell around the campfire!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
When you are heading out this late in the year, dressing like you were going ice fishing is a good idea. One-piece snowmobile suits, knit caps, gloves, and waterproof, insulated boots are best. Wearing a life vest – or at least keeping one out and ready to grab – is a good precaution. Remember that having a “throwable” floatation device at hand is mandatory on most waters. This usually means a floating cushion in the boat where you can get it instantly.
RIGGING FOR HEAVYWEIGHTS WITH SHARP TEETH
Just a couple rigs are needed to work this opportunity. Among the most basic is a “pike-sized” slip float set-up. I like to put a string stopper on my main line, then pass the line though a large Thill brand (Lindy Tackle) Center Slider slip float. Next, I run the line through an egg sinker weighing from one-quarter to one-half ounce (larger float, larger sinker). Finally, I tie on a thin, twelve-inch steel leader and clip a single, heavy-duty size 1/0 to 3/0 hook to the snap on the leader. This rig is suitable for use with four to six inch suckers or chubs, which are lip or back hooked. Some anglers prefer to use a small “Quick-Strike” rig consisting of a single hook on a steel leader, backed by treble hook positioned about three inches away from the single hook. All components are available at tackle shops. Quick-Strike rigs are sold in packages, with bait-hooking instructions in the package. They are recommended for bait exceeding six inches in length.
This rig is best used where you have a well-defined underwater target to work such as a log pile, rock hump, or fish crib. Set the stopper to hold your bait about two feet above the cover depth, cast upwind of the target from an anchored position, and allow the breeze to drift your bait over the “strike zone”. Each time your rig has drifted downwind past the spot, reel in and cast to the upwind side again. When finished with one piece of underwater structure, find another.
The other rig I like is a common weedless style skirted jig in a one-half ounce size, tipped with a four inch roach, chub, or sucker minnow. These jigs are typically used by anglers chasing largemouth bass during the warmer months. Again, tie a thin steel leader to your main line, and clip the jig to this leader. Cast beyond the target, and retrieve the jig using big, slow hops up off bottom, with the jig free-falling” back to bottom after each hop. Another proven tactic is to cast out, allow the jig to sink to a level just above the cover, then shake the rod tip while using a steady, slow speed retrieve (no hops). This makes the jig’s skirt twitch and flair out while “swimming” along. Both techniques can trigger fish, so mix up the action.
Upper Midwestern states can offer some great late-season pike fishing opportunities. Big waters like the many bays found along the Great Lakes are great starting points. I’m confident you’ll get some new stories to tell around the campfire!
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
LATE FALL PIKE - PART 1
Author's note: This blog passes along some details about fishing for northern pike during the fall cold-water timeframe. Watch tomorrow for part two.
By: Ray Hansen
Anglers almost always consider pike a “bonus catch”. They seldom go out looking specifically for these freshwater predators, but big pike show up often enough that the possibility of catching one comes up frequently in conversation between anglers fishing for other species. Well… why not set up gear that appeals to the water-wolves and target them on your late-fall trips? You may be in for a real treat. In this article I’ll pass along some ideas that can help you enjoy some memorable action.
PICK WATERS WITH POTENTIAL
Pike get big when they inhabit waters with a forage base that supports growth. Examples include smelt, chubs, whitefish, suckers, small carp, and perch. Most of the time this means choosing places such as the big bays on Lake Michigan along the Wisconsin coastline, big inland lakes like Geneva or Delevan in the southern part of the state, and the large “chain-of-lakes” connected waterways in a line across the state from Eagle River to the Hayward area. Big rivers and their associated backwaters in the central part of the state are an additional source of action.
I also have a “secret” type of lake that can produce pike in the forty-inch range. These are smaller bodies of water - often 100 to 300 acres - that are loaded with undersized perch. Get in the habit of asking baitshop owners if they know of a lake where fishermen constantly complain of catching mostly “dinky” perch. That is a big clue that the lake has trophy pike potential - an opportunity many local anglers overlook. Many Upper Midwestern states have lakes like this.
Having described these waters, you’ll probably realize that when chasing pike, you will also find other species like muskies, and an occasional big walleye. Well… who is going to complain? My friend Ken Poor once landed (and released – on video) a smallmouth bass that was probably one of the largest taken in Wisconsin that year, while using these tactics.
LOOK FOR STAGING AREAS
Each body of water will have places that pike inhabit late in the year as ice-up draws closer. Examples include the mouths of inflowing rivers, deep weedlines, drop-offs near incoming creeks or rivers, logs on bottom in bays, rock piles in the same areas, the deepest extension of land points out into the lake, and artificially placed fish cribs situated at the base of sharp breaklines. In the smaller lakes I mentioned, the deepest edge of any remaining vegetation is usually best – even when the depth is as shallow as four to eight feet.
End of part one.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
By: Ray Hansen
Anglers almost always consider pike a “bonus catch”. They seldom go out looking specifically for these freshwater predators, but big pike show up often enough that the possibility of catching one comes up frequently in conversation between anglers fishing for other species. Well… why not set up gear that appeals to the water-wolves and target them on your late-fall trips? You may be in for a real treat. In this article I’ll pass along some ideas that can help you enjoy some memorable action.
PICK WATERS WITH POTENTIAL
Pike get big when they inhabit waters with a forage base that supports growth. Examples include smelt, chubs, whitefish, suckers, small carp, and perch. Most of the time this means choosing places such as the big bays on Lake Michigan along the Wisconsin coastline, big inland lakes like Geneva or Delevan in the southern part of the state, and the large “chain-of-lakes” connected waterways in a line across the state from Eagle River to the Hayward area. Big rivers and their associated backwaters in the central part of the state are an additional source of action.
I also have a “secret” type of lake that can produce pike in the forty-inch range. These are smaller bodies of water - often 100 to 300 acres - that are loaded with undersized perch. Get in the habit of asking baitshop owners if they know of a lake where fishermen constantly complain of catching mostly “dinky” perch. That is a big clue that the lake has trophy pike potential - an opportunity many local anglers overlook. Many Upper Midwestern states have lakes like this.
Having described these waters, you’ll probably realize that when chasing pike, you will also find other species like muskies, and an occasional big walleye. Well… who is going to complain? My friend Ken Poor once landed (and released – on video) a smallmouth bass that was probably one of the largest taken in Wisconsin that year, while using these tactics.
LOOK FOR STAGING AREAS
Each body of water will have places that pike inhabit late in the year as ice-up draws closer. Examples include the mouths of inflowing rivers, deep weedlines, drop-offs near incoming creeks or rivers, logs on bottom in bays, rock piles in the same areas, the deepest extension of land points out into the lake, and artificially placed fish cribs situated at the base of sharp breaklines. In the smaller lakes I mentioned, the deepest edge of any remaining vegetation is usually best – even when the depth is as shallow as four to eight feet.
End of part one.
Copyright Ray Hansen, 2008
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