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The Struggles of the Michigan Buck Hunter

So I will start off by saying, if you are a Michigan buck hunter like myself, I applaud you. Statistically speaking, we are a dying breed. The number of deer harvest tags sold in our great state, seems to be dropping yearly. We have seen a 21% drop in the past 10 years. But that isn’t what this article is about. 

I am currently a 34 year old Michigander, born and raised. I don’t actually remember how old I was the first time my dad took me into the deer woods, but lets say it was 25 years ago, and I haven’t missed a season since. I am most certainly not an expert, however I do feel like I have a decent grasp on the ins and the outs. Or at the very least, the basics. There are few who know less than me, and many who know more. I am average. At the very least, I can say that I have been doing this long enough to know how it feels to struggle, in regards to mature whitetail bucks. 

Out of everything I know about deer hunting in Michigan, I think the thing that stands out the most to me is that it is a challenge. Not that it isn’t a challenge everywhere else. However I do think that Michigan is unique in the level of that challenge. I am sure there are other places like it. But I have never hunted (deer) outside of my home state.

Now, I am talking specifically about hunting mature bucks. Hunting deer in general in our state, while still challenging, is almost 100% attainable with a little bit of knowledge and patience. Especially in the southern portion of lower MI. Even before I really took the time to learn more about this game of chess, I was successful at harvesting a deer, almost 100% of the time. Most people I know, can say the same. Michigan has a very high deer density. We are lucky in that regard. I understand that not everyone cares about hunting big antlered deer. I get that everyone is entitled to their own hunt. And I would never knock you for shooting something I would pass on(at this point in my life). I will congratulate you and probably give you a high five(do people still do that?).  

But this is for those of us who are after those mature Michigan bucks, the ones we lose sleep over. The ones that haunt our dreams. The ones that are talked about at the local restaurant over coffee. The rumors about that “monster buck” so and so has on his trail camera. Or your buddies cousin who laid eyes on one so big he could see the rack from 500 yards with the naked eye. The ones that you yourself finally figured out how to get on your own trail camera (that make your jaw drop)….but have yet to see it in day light. Thats what I am talking about here. 

Michigan is home to some big whitetail bucks. We have even held world records. The former largest 8 point was taken in Hillsdale County in 2001 measuring 180(and some change). In 1976 a man named Paul Mickey shot a buck that measured 238 2/8s non typical B&C points. A buck measuring  257 2/8s was found dead in Clinton MI in 2010. That buck had 26 score-able points and a 29 inch spread. In 2017 a man broke MI’s state crossbow record with his 12 point that measured 185 2/8s. My buddy Brandon shot a 157ish this season and two smaller, but not by much last year. Times Up Outdoors founder (Niko Tonti) shot a 116 3/8 this year and his father shot a 144 2/8s. 120’s and 130’s have been taken on my fathers property, and Everyone I know who runs trail cameras have at least a couple of toads running around where they hunt. We have all seen the dandy’s posted on pages like Mi buck pole, and we’ve all watched big buck night on Mi out of doors. We know, for a fact, that Michigan is capable of producing trophy whitetail bucks. They are here…….

Yet, when looking at the top ten states for Boone and Crocket entires, we aren’t on it. Why? Most would say Michigan is over pressured. Especially the souther lower. The orange army. In some places it will look like a damn pumpkin patch come first light of gun season opener. All of that pressure would seemingly shut those big ol smart bucks down, and force them to be nocturnal. Not only that, but Michigan, especially below the shotgun line where most of the deer are harvested, is made up of many small farms, rather than vast sprawling properties. Managing the bucks on your 150 acres that is surrounded by several smaller plots can be difficult. For one, you are most likely putting more hunters into a smaller area. And for two, those other property owners might not agree with your passing on yearling bucks. If it’s brown it’s down, so they say. And that’s ok, it is legal and they have every right. 

The struggles of the Michigan big buck hunter are shared far and wide. The over pressure most certainly has a bit to do with it. But we all know that our regulations are also making things difficult for us. With our two buck rule, our first one can be any size we care to take. We then still have another tag to maybe hold out for something bigger, or not. Our non resident licenses are much cheaper than those other big buck states also. And I am not even going to start on the changes that came with CWD this year. Michigan also relies on hunter surveys to record our deer harvest, for the most part. That gives us an unreliable record of antlered buck harvest based on age structure. Most states known for bigger deer have mandatory reporting giving them better results, which to me equates to better management. They also have one buck rules. Sometimes even an “earn a buck” program. There is a multitude of ways to better manage a deer herd. And I’m definitely not an expert but it is my opinion that our state does not seem to care to manage our deer herd to support trophy whitetails like states such as Iowa does. I do not think I am alone in having that opinion. But I do think Michigan hunters are starting to make a change by taking management into their own hands. 

The amount of monster antlered deer taken in other states, seeming with ease, might cause one to believe that Michigan hunters just aren’t that good. But I think it is the exact opposite. Anyone can spend a few extra dollars and fly or drive down or over to top B&C producing states like Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, or Iowa. Find some public land, or private, pay an outfitter, or even DIY it, and have a pretty damn good chance at killing what would make most bucks taken here, look tiny. It would be a challenge. But the chances are much greater than they would be here in the mitten. I am almost not impressed. (I am impressed and jealous). But you get what I am saying. Ive heard it said “Once you hunt in (enter your favorite big buck state), you’ll never want to hunt MI again”. Not true for me. While I would love to go to any number of states to kill one of their trophies, Michigan will always be my number 1 state to chase these big beautiful creatures. Giving up on MI is taking the easy way out. In my opinion. If you can kill a big buck in MI, you can probably do it anywhere else that holds them. I don’t think you can switch that statement around and have it be true for other hunters, from other states. I have been told that in some places, you will see 120 inch and up  deer, as often as we in MI are seeing little basket 5 points and fork horns. I passed on 8 of those small bucks this year and had close encounters with 3 big ones that I wanted to harvest. Had those 8 I passed on been close to 120 inches, I would have probably taken the shot. Those odds are looking pretty favorable elsewhere. See what I am saying? Some of you might be reading this thinking “120? Thats not even that big!” Which would further prove my point. Our big deer seem small elsewhere, because bigger deer are taken elsewhere, more often. 

If you are like me and want to harvest bigger, older bucks in Michigan, I propose this to you. Challenge yourself. If we all continue to take 1.5 year olds, we won’t have as many opportunities at 2.5 year olds. Challenge yourself to hold out for that next age class. If you normally take 2.5 year olds, hold out for 3.5 or 4.5. It might take a few years to figure it out. But I promise that when it comes together, you will be so very satisfied. So next year, take a few doe’s and pass on those little guys. Let them grow. There are risks involved, and it doesn’t always pay off right away. But it will. And if more of us do that, which I think more of us already are, we will eventually out manage what our DNR seems to want for us. 

The Michigan buck hunter is resilient. We are aware that it will take a fight to get our state to listen to us and/or other states regarding deer management. We know we will struggle with passing on yearlings and small bucks, waiting for that mature brute, while running the risk of that same deer being shot by the neighbor. We know that going out and killing a mature buck in this state will take more than good luck(for some). It will take skill, and hours of time spent in the woods. Scouting, planning, and executing everything we have learned about them, in perfect fashion. You simply cannot get away with (in MI) some of the things you can do in other states, and still be successful. We know that we can do everything perfect and still not succeed. It will take sweat and sleeplessness. It will be emotional and exhausting. But when it all comes together, it will be that much sweeter. Don’t give up. Like I said before, if you are a Michigan buck hunter, I applaud you. The Michigan buck hunter is the best buck hunter. (No bias here). 

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Where does your food come from?

Where does your food come from? As a society we seem to have a major disconnect with the answer to that question. In order to survive, other things must die. It’s a circle. It’s a part of the equation that used to be widely understood, but has somehow been lost over the years to emotions and recreational outrage.

You can get mad at us for hunting and harvesting an animal to feed our families, but it’s ok for you to eat the meat that comes packaged at the grocery store. I’ve heard it said “these animals did not have a choice in your way of taking their lives”. Are people really under the impression that the meat in the grocery store came from animals that willingly took their own lives so we could eat? I don’t think so.

And for the vegans, how many animal habitats are destroyed to make way for the ever growing farming industry that mass produces the crops you eat. Or how about any other of the many examples of daily habits we as humans almost cannot avoid doing, that impact other animals. Turning your head from it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Our existence on this earth equates to other things dying. Life requires death. Period.

I’m not telling you that it’s wrong to go buy meat from the grocery store. Or that it is wrong to go vegan. I don’t have any hatred in my heart for those things. Heck I buy meat from the grocery store too. But I know how life works. And I know where that meat comes from. If I can avoid it, I will.

The meat we as hunters are harvesting is clean. It is free of genetic modifications. It tastes great and it is healthy. I cannot say those things about what is on your favorite chain grocery stores shelves. And I don’t think people are dumb, generally speaking. I think that most people actually do know where there food comes from, and they know it isn’t necessarily good. But for some reason they have the ability to ignore those ugly facts, then turn around and slam hunters for ethically taking game to eat. It is almost as if they know they could never take down the big food industry, but they feel closer to taking down the small amount of people who still hunt for their food. So they ignore one, and go after the other. Even though the other does much more harm to our planet.

The funny thing about hunters is that though our main goal and end result may seem to be death, in reality it is actually life. We love hunting, and in order to continue doing so, we must care more about the survival of said species we go after. Which is why most of us don’t mind paying the growing price tag on our game licenses every year. Or the excise taxes we pay when purchasing equipment used on our hunts. We know that all of that money is going back into the environment we have grown to love so much.

Most people do not realize that hunters almost completely fund wildlife conservation and protection in the US. Hunters are responsible for the comeback of many species. For example, in the early 1900s wild turkeys were on the road to extinction. The lowest number was 30,000 birds at one point. There are now an estimated 7 MILLION turkeys in the wild today. 49 states have a huntable population. Hunters are solely responsible for that. But no one cares about turkeys right?

How about Elk? At one point the elk in the US were also almost decimated. Fewer than 100,000 were confined to a few remote and protected lands. That was down from an estimated 10 million. Today more than 1 million elk inhabit the US. One of the largest contributors to that comeback is the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Which was created by an avid Elk hunter.

These are just a few examples of how hunters greatly impact our wild animals that we all love, in a positive way. Aside from poachers, we do not hunt in excess. It is well regulated to sustain healthy populations. Whether you are a  hunter, or someone who simply enjoys observing these beautiful creatures that roam our lands, hunting is in your favor, it is in the animals favor as well.

All this said and I haven’t even mentioned the fact that in order to keep these populations thriving, they must be regulated. Humans have been a part of that regulation in some way since the beginning of time. Nothing has changed. For example, the deer herds can sometimes get out of control. Leaving deer to die of starvation. Over population is not a good thing. We cannot simply remove ourselves from something we have always been a part of. There are places that do not allow hunters to take game, due to uneducated voters. But in those same places, snipers are hired to kill and leave the animals for waste, in the name of population control. What would make someone be ok with that, but not ok with a hunter paying the state to purchase a tag, and harvest said animal?

Hunting does not have to be for everyone. But know this, your existence on this earth will most certainly cause something else to no longer exist. You cannot avoid it. No matter how hard you try. Life requires death. Period. Hunting provides life. Its food, man.

Written and poorly edited by

Scott Ziegler





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Why Now?

As I sit on a beach chair during my Florida vacation, I stumble across this article on social media that reads “DO NOT EAT”. I typically don’t like being told what to do, so I hastily click on it. I am redirected to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources website, where this article explains that there was a “DO NOT EAT” clause in effect for Clarks Marsh in Oscoda County. The article tells us that 1 out of 20 deer in that area, tested positive for “high levels of PFOS” and that “the DHHS put this advisory out and the MDNR wanted to make hunters aware of this problem”. The article then explains that they have been testing deer around the state and that the MDHHS have deployed PFAS response teams in attempt to contain this outbreak.

I shut my laptop and grabbed my phone. This could be a serious problem! I know people who hunt up there and one of which harvested a deer 2 days ago. How could live with myself if I let them consume contaminated meat, or at least tell them about it so they could get it tested!?… But then a different and, in my opinion, more logical response was triggered inside of me. Frustration

What in the hell is PFOS and why do I care?! I just read a 1/2 page article from a few, seemingly credible organizations, about an apparent spread of, yet another infection in my beloved Michigan whitetail. This article scared me enough to let me blindly share it on Facebook and call my Northern brothers and demand they throw away all of their meat. All of this in about 14 seconds, and I didn’t even know what PFOS even stands for.

I will spare you most of the details of PFOS because this is hardly the point of this blog, but here are the cliff notes of my research.  Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) is a synthetic Fluorocarbon that was created by 3M in 1949. This product is used to decrease liquid tension in chemicals and other compounds to make the final product thinner and more absorbent. This is the primary ingredient in Scotchguard and other deck stains. PFOS was also used in AFFF fire suppression foams but has since been replaced with organic based polymers. In 2000, 3M released a statement saying they were going to “Phase out” the production of PFOS, but the product is still heavily being produced in China, 18 years later. PFOS is known as a global pollutant and has been investigated and monitored in wildlife and the human body since the 70’s.

All of that being said, my question is why is this my first time hearing of this in my Michigan whitetail? Now, I know I am young and I am hardly the most up-to-date when it comes to articles and things of this nature, but I have to imagine I would have heard something when I was eating animals 20 years ago. It seems, in the last 7 years I’ve watched multiple different outbreaks “plague” our whitetail population. CWD, TB, HD and now PFOS. most have been around for hundreds of years and will continue to stay for hundreds more.

I have never heard of anyone having any issue while eating game in Michigan, but if you were to ask any outsider, we should all be dead. I am not saying it hasn’t happened because certainly these things exist, but are they really worth all of this commotion? Or is this something we can solve together behind closed doors? I have a hard time believing that these issues are actually as problematic as they are portrayed. Lets take CWD. Its hard for me to believe that the magnitude of CWD is so overwhelming, that i need to kill all of the deer on my property in Jackson County, when you can’t even tell me how CWD is contracted. Some say its in the soil others say its genetic, but everyone agrees that it’s not transmittable to other species, and its been around for a long time. So… Why now?

Is this only an issue now, because we live in a world where we pay serious tax dollars for whitetails to get vasectomies, to reduce heard sizes in populated cities? Is it because the easiest way to make money in todays society, is to create a problem and sell the solution? Is it because people today will cure their small problem by infecting themselves with a bigger problem? I have no idea why, but I do know that if people spent more time enjoying nature and less time fixing it, we just might have some left when were gone.