Hunting Season 2008

[PegLeg45]

Dang, m25,.......that's one big nasty rooter. They don't get nearly that big in these parts. We had a big pack of wild hogs roaming up and down along the creek about 500 yds behind our house two years ago. The biggest one was around 200 pounds. but there was a lot of them. They nearly destroyed our neighbors entire corn field. They were quick too, could hardly get a shot at them so we had to start trapping them in cage traps.

Congrats on the nice kill.

 

[shooter32]

m25, have you used an (evil black rifle) for big game,elk or deer? If so what cal. was it?

p.s. love your pics

[ericire12]

m25, have you used an (evil black rifle) for big game,elk or deer? If so what cal. was it?

p.s. love your pics

Black rifles are "not suitable for sporting purposes". 

[MikeBjerum]

My hunting season has not gone well.  Not enough time to get out, so I'll post a picture of success from 1937.

[TSB]

JumboFrank....

Is it still illegal in MI to hunt with a .22 caliber for whitetail?  Also, what about tree stands? 

The old laws didn't allow a rifle hunter to be more than six feet off the ground, back in the 1970's I mean!

Just curious...I never hunted with anything smaller than a .30-30 with iron sights.  No need for a scope in a cedar swamp...100 yards was a long shot....

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

JumboFrank....

Is it still illegal in MI to hunt with a .22 caliber for whitetail?  Also, what about tree stands? 

The old laws didn't allow a rifle hunter to be more than six feet off the ground, back in the 1970's I mean!

Just curious...I never hunted with anything smaller than a .30-30 with iron sights.  No need for a scope in a cedar swamp...100 yards was a long shot....

The rules change every year. This is accurate until the middle of the year. It's only about a page from the 48 page rule book.

Raised Platforms and Tree Stands

The following persons may hunt from a raised platform or tree stand:
All bow and crossbow hunters.
Bear and deer hunters when using a firearm.
Fox and coyote hunters from one-half hour before sunrise to
one-half hour after sunset.
All other firearm hunters are prohibited from using a raised
platform or tree stand. A raised platform means a horizontal surface
constructed or manufactured by a person that increases the field of
vision of a person using the horizontal surface beyond the field of
vision that normally would be attained by that person standing on
the ground.
If you hunt on public land, your tree stand must be portable and
your name and address must be affixed in legible English that can be
easily read from the ground. Hunting platforms cannot be affi xed or
attached to any tree by nails, screws or bolts; however, a “T” bolt or
similar device supplied by a tree stand manufacturer can be used.
Screw-in tree steps are illegal on public lands. It is illegal to
use any item that penetrates through the bark of a tree in the
construction or affixing of any device to assist in climbing a tree.
Scaffolds, raised platforms, ladders, steps and any other device
to assist in climbing a tree cannot be placed on public lands
any earlier than Sept. 1, and must be removed by March 1. A
permanent raised platform or tree stand may be used for hunting on
private land with the permission of the landowner.
It is unlawful to use an illegal tree stand, scaffold, step, etc.,
regardless of who placed it on public lands. Your name on a tree stand
or ground blind on public land does not guarantee exclusive use.

All Firearm Deer Seasons - Rifle Zone

In the rifle zone, deer may be taken with handguns, rifles, bows
and arrows, shotguns and muzzleloading firearms including black
powder handguns. It is legal to hunt deer in the rifle zone with
any caliber of firearm except a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire (rifle
or handgun). Crossbows are legal to use by a person 12 years of
age or older during the Nov. 15-30 firearm deer season. During the
firearm deer seasons, a firearm deer hunter may carry afield a bow
and arrow and firearm.

Exception: See Muzzleloading Deer Seasons for restrictions
during this season.

All Firearm Deer Seasons - Shotgun Zone

In the shotgun zone, all hunters afield from Nov. 15-30, and all
deer hunters in this zone during other deer seasons, must abide by
the following firearm restrictions or use a bow and arrow. Crossbows
are legal to use by a person 12 years of age or older during the Nov.
15-30 fi rearm deer season. Legal firearms are as follows:
A shotgun may have a smooth or rifled barrel and may be of any
gauge.
A muzzleloading rifle or black powder handgun must be loaded
with black powder or a commercially manufactured black powder
substitute.
A conventional (smokeless powder) handgun must be .35 caliber
or larger and loaded with straight-walled cartridges and may be
single- or multiple-shot but cannot exceed a maximum capacity
of nine rounds in the barrel and magazine combined.
During the firearm deer seasons, a firearm deer hunter may carry
afield a bow and arrow and firearm.

Exception: See Muzzleloading Deer Seasons for restrictions
during this season. From Nov. 15-30, .22 caliber or smaller rimfire
rifles and handguns may be used to kill raccoon while hunting
raccoons with dogs between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

[TSB]

Thanks Frank...

Is M-50 still the line for rifle/shotgun?  Most everything else has changed in the last thirty years as I would have expected.

We are limited to shotgun/muzzleloader only for deer in MA although you can use a muzzleloader for the shotgun season as well.  As long as they are not the replaceable barrel types (centerfire), that would constitute a "rifle".  We can hunt coyote and bear with a rifle in the western part of the state provided you have the minimum acreage required by statute. 

Biggest problem...NO HUNTING of any kind on Sunday...

[Big Frank]

Umm... no. It's hard to make sense out of and the line zig-zags up and down a little as it goes through about 8 counties. The line between zone 2 and 3 is even more screwed up.

Michigan also is divided into a northern rifle zone where rifles may
used for firearm deer hunting and a southern shotgun zone where
only shotguns, muzzleloading firearms and certain handguns may be
used for deer hunting (see page 11). The dividing line between the
northern rifle deer hunting zone and the southern shotgun zone is as
follows: Starting at a point on the Lake Michigan shoreline directly
west of M-46, then easterly to M-46, then easterly along M-46 to
US-131 at Cedar Springs, southerly on US-131 to M-57, easterly on
M-57 to Montcalm Road on the Kent-Montcalm county line, southerly
on Montcalm Road and the Kent-Ionia county line to M-44, easterly
on M-44 to M-66, northerly on M-66 to M-57, easterly on M-57 to
M-52 near Chesaning, northerly on M-52 to M-46, easterly on M-46
to M-47, northerly on M-47 to US-10 west of Bay City, easterly on
US-10 to I-75, northerly on I-75 and US-23 to Beaver Road (about 1
mile north of Kawkawlin), easterly to Saginaw Bay, north 50 degrees
east to the International Boundary.

[TSB]

Duh, I did mean M-46.  I remember it was more or less a east/west line from Sagainaw to Whitehall on Lake Michigan.  I hunted almost exclusively on my uncles 1000 acres outside of Leroy on old 31.  Must have planted well over a million pine trees on the property in the 60's and 70's with all my brothers and cousins.

Eventually he made the place into a cross country ski area and retired from GM. 

[m25operator]

Shooter 32, I have only used my EBR for backup and hog hunting at this point, I did not intend to use it for this hunt as I brought bigger badder rifles, but my host said, " ready to hunt, bring something light and fast."  The light AR's are becoming my favorites though. All my AR's are .223, but my biggest buck was taken with a .223, same deal, did not intend to deer hunt with it, loaned my 7mm08 to the wife and I went turkey hunting, big surprise, My net 151" B&C buck came up, I said to myself, if you shoot , shoot for the neck. The rest is history . Pics to follow. Bullet - 55 grain Barnes X, strong medicine.

If you do your homework, as you should with any rifle or pistol, if it is capable of hunting accuracy and you know what it can do, the firearm itself matters not, I have 6 AR's, and 5 group nicely in an inch or less, at 100 yards. I have 2 M1A's that shoot 1 - 2 " at 100 yards, but can shoot 4-5" at 300 yards, very capable. I would use these for elk if the opportunity arose, within a reasonable distance, like 300 yards or less.