Rous14
PMA Member
Recently received an email with results from a survey that NDA did in my home state of MI. Says there were 631 respondents so pretty small sample size but sill, I was surprised that the recently hot topic of Access ranked dead last on the list of concerns that the participants were asked about. Not 100% sure what to make of that but interesting for sure. Also caught Skips recent podcast with The Huntr podcast guys. Some random thoughts from it and the MI survey:
- Can’t overstate enough how important skips fight against the crossbow lobby is and wish other midwest states would have had an organized group(s) to fight them like Skip is doing. Can the other Midwest states over turn it now that it’s so far down the road? Don’t know but gut says highly unlikely. Awesome work Skip.
- MI hunters have been pretty adamant that they don’t want our Nov. 15 gun opener moved to the first Friday around the 15th much less later in the year (post rut). Just one example of how hard it will most likely be to improve many states- at least to the extent where those resident hunters that are passionate enough about it and have the financial means to go on hunts in other states or own land in other states won’t still do so. Going to be a long, slow, uphill battle to take pressure of the iowas and Illinois of the world. Worth the effort though for sure!
-Not sure MI has really been “ruined” or “degraded”. its really been the same forever imo wouldnt you agree Skip? It’s not as though the state has ever had much for quality. Quantity yes, and that’s stayed somewhat similar it seems but there has never been a time in my 35 years of recollection that the quality was anything different than it is today. Our southern MI back in the 70s hardly even had any deer much less quality deer. So from that stand point it’s “better” I guess? So many hunters (home of Fred bear and Ted nugent) and the farms in general are much smaller. Just a tough equation to think we can get the quality to where IA or IL is but it can definitely be improved significantly. Only way to improve quality here imo is to go to 1 buck and move gun season to after the rut.
-Small quibble…..I know it’s a perfect and super effective argument to use to advance your initiatives but I still don’t think it’s fair or accurate to suggest that nrlo’s won’t or can’t control herd numbers, shoot does, etc…NRLO’s along w folks that pick up and move to a different state for the deer quality are flat out the best of the best when it comes to conservation/management/stewardship etc…they are simply not going to make the time & financial sacrifice to drive 5-9 hours unless they are ALL IN on doing what’s best for the herd and the habitat and if killing 20 does or zero does is what’s in the best interest of the herd/habitat then that’s what we’d all do. Go to the deer processor on opening day and 98% of the 1-3 year old bucks laying there will be taken by residents or outfitter hunters. The access issue aside, the hunting quality would absolutely go up in areas with nrlo’s in IL, IA, WI, OH, IN
- Access. Been thinking about this and something to consider in the discussion….unless a state can buy land that is not currently hunted (not much of that out there in most of the Midwest) then in order to provide access, access must also be taken. Me and my hunting group of 6 hunt 200 ac let’s say. State comes in and buys it in the name of increasing access, the 6 of us just lost access unless we want to continue to hunt it along with 10-20 more folks but then the same quality/experience issue that ranks #1 in MI survey and across Midwest arises again. I still think at the end of the day we simply have more hunters than we do places to put them unless the importance of quality gets eliminated from the equation which nobody wants.
- Can’t overstate enough how important skips fight against the crossbow lobby is and wish other midwest states would have had an organized group(s) to fight them like Skip is doing. Can the other Midwest states over turn it now that it’s so far down the road? Don’t know but gut says highly unlikely. Awesome work Skip.
- MI hunters have been pretty adamant that they don’t want our Nov. 15 gun opener moved to the first Friday around the 15th much less later in the year (post rut). Just one example of how hard it will most likely be to improve many states- at least to the extent where those resident hunters that are passionate enough about it and have the financial means to go on hunts in other states or own land in other states won’t still do so. Going to be a long, slow, uphill battle to take pressure of the iowas and Illinois of the world. Worth the effort though for sure!
-Not sure MI has really been “ruined” or “degraded”. its really been the same forever imo wouldnt you agree Skip? It’s not as though the state has ever had much for quality. Quantity yes, and that’s stayed somewhat similar it seems but there has never been a time in my 35 years of recollection that the quality was anything different than it is today. Our southern MI back in the 70s hardly even had any deer much less quality deer. So from that stand point it’s “better” I guess? So many hunters (home of Fred bear and Ted nugent) and the farms in general are much smaller. Just a tough equation to think we can get the quality to where IA or IL is but it can definitely be improved significantly. Only way to improve quality here imo is to go to 1 buck and move gun season to after the rut.
-Small quibble…..I know it’s a perfect and super effective argument to use to advance your initiatives but I still don’t think it’s fair or accurate to suggest that nrlo’s won’t or can’t control herd numbers, shoot does, etc…NRLO’s along w folks that pick up and move to a different state for the deer quality are flat out the best of the best when it comes to conservation/management/stewardship etc…they are simply not going to make the time & financial sacrifice to drive 5-9 hours unless they are ALL IN on doing what’s best for the herd and the habitat and if killing 20 does or zero does is what’s in the best interest of the herd/habitat then that’s what we’d all do. Go to the deer processor on opening day and 98% of the 1-3 year old bucks laying there will be taken by residents or outfitter hunters. The access issue aside, the hunting quality would absolutely go up in areas with nrlo’s in IL, IA, WI, OH, IN
- Access. Been thinking about this and something to consider in the discussion….unless a state can buy land that is not currently hunted (not much of that out there in most of the Midwest) then in order to provide access, access must also be taken. Me and my hunting group of 6 hunt 200 ac let’s say. State comes in and buys it in the name of increasing access, the 6 of us just lost access unless we want to continue to hunt it along with 10-20 more folks but then the same quality/experience issue that ranks #1 in MI survey and across Midwest arises again. I still think at the end of the day we simply have more hunters than we do places to put them unless the importance of quality gets eliminated from the equation which nobody wants.
