Written by Dan Donarski, a noted professional outdoor and travel journalist

Michigan is nearing the top end of the grouses’ 10-yr population cycle. While next year is predicted to be better, this year is no slouch. Drumming counts are way up. Big broods were raised this spring due to excellent weather. And folks like Tom Carney are smiling.

You see, Carney is a bird hunter, bird dog man.

"Watching a good bird dog work is simply good poetry, it’s like watching and listening to a well-orchestrated musical" says Carney. "Without a good melody and good lyrics the thing doesn’t work. If it wasn’t for the dogs I wouldn’t hunt. If it wasn’t for the birds, I wouldn’t have the dogs. The two are that intertwined."

Hunting for Carney isn’t what most people think. Sure, there are days when the game bag is weighted with ruffed grouse, also called partridge, and complimented by what he calls feathered Artful Dodgers, a woodcock or two that more often than not pick his pockets of 20 gauge shells. But, for Carney, success isn’t measured by the weight of the game bag, it’s measured by the number of flushes that result from Lucy and Belle searching out and pointing the birds. Birds that are stumbled into and flushed but not pointed don’t get counted by the abacas-like beads strung on a lanyard hanging around his neck. The pointing is the score.

It’s a sport of arm scratching brambles, berries and thornapple branches. A sport of swamp edges and aspen thickets so thick you can’t see more than 10 or 20 yards in front of you.

According to Carney it’s best to start looking for aspen cut-overs, places where the forest has been clear-cut and the aspens are starting to reach to the sky. Ten-year-old aspen stands are the tried and true stereotype of perfect grouse and woodcock habitat but as long as the tree trunks are anywhere from broomstick to wrist size in diameter, you’re in bird heaven.

In dry spells you’ll find more grouse near water sources like creeks and streams. Grouse need water as much as they need food. These bottom lands provide both with food like dogwood, rose hips, berries and tender buds in the trees for their supper. Wintergreen and wild strawberry leaves are two other favorites.

When a grouse does launch itself in a staccato whir of wings you can bet that the bird will quickly fly behind the only pine tree in the county. And for the woodcock, when it twitters up from some tightly packed alders, be prepared for the darndest acrobatic flying this side of the flying circus.

Upland bird hunting is also a sport of mornings that linger over frost-wrapped fallen leaves. Of the sweet mustiness of the autumn forest and the rhythmic tinkling of a dogs bell as it works through aspens, the bark glowing a pastel green in slanted sunlight, maples and oaks dressed in Sunday best. A sport of afternoons where thornapples and abandoned grapes cling to branches like so many miniature Christmas bulbs, sunsets of deep red, the leafless trees sending craggy fingers of scars into the dwindling light. All this while wearing a favorite flannel shirt, and sporting flushed cheeks from the crisp air. It is autumn, full-glory autumn.

Trying to pry out the location of a bird hunter’s favorite locations, called coverts in bird hunter parlance, is like trying to get a trout angler to tell you his favorite hole for catching 20-inch brookies. It won’t happen. Thankfully, due to Michigan’s wealth of public land, held by both the state and the federal government there’s an abundance of forest lands to search in your quest for feathered royalty.

The season could only happen in autumn, after summer’s swelter has been swept away by dwindling daylight and Canadian winds bringing the promise of frost. The season where clouds are well defined bursts of white and grey against honest blue skies. When maples burn orange, oaks blush red and tamaracks burst yellow. It is the season of the harvest and hunter’s moon.

Autumn is the season of the bird dog, the birds, and those who chase them. For Carney and those like him, it is a season of celebration.

Hot Spots

Southern Lower Peninsula

 Minden, Deford and Sanilac State Game Areas - Cass City Area 

Allegan State Game Area - Allegan

Northern Lower Peninsula 

Pigeon River State Forest - Gaylord Area  

Manistee National Forest - Cadillac Area 

AuSable State Forest - Mt. Pleasant Area 

Upper Peninsula

Lake Superior State Forest - Newberry Area 

Ottawa National Forest - Wakefield Area 

Escanaba State Forest - Escanaba Area  

Written by Dan Donarski, a noted professional outdoor and travel journalist

Looking for a new spot to hunt whitetails this year? Look north and heed the advice of two deer hunters who have hunted the back country of the U.P. for dozens of years.

"Do ya really wanna jump? Huh? Do ya?" said a maniacal Mel Gibson in the movie. Gary Lubinski and Jim Junttila ask in the same maniacal voice, "Do ya really wanna hunt? Do ya?"

If your answer is yes, then come prepared. These two guys live and hunt in the harshest environment of the upper mid west, the Lake Superior watershed of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The area they are particularly asking about is from Silver City, northeast to Copper Harbor and then southeast to Big Bay. The Superior shoreline takes in parts of Ontonagon, Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, Marquette, Alger and Luce counties.

Right from the start they'll tell you this is not a numbers game. "Go somewhere else if you need to see a deer every day. That is not going to happen here," says Lubinski.

"During a two-week hunt we may only see a dozen or so deer. The farther north you go the fewer deer there are. The climate's just not right for them, you can tell that from a whitetail range map," adds Junttila, "Their natural range ends right here. Heavy snows come as early as September and often linger well into May. Twenty feet of snow each winter is a distinct possibility. It is so far up north that the range of the whitetail goes precious few miles farther in the direction of the compass needle.

Besides preparing for the threat of heavy snows and sub zero temperatures during hunting season come prepared to hunt. The habitat here is thin when it comes to food. Deer need to move around a great deal to fill their bellies. Characterized by expansive stands of mature forests and swamps, the area can get downright ugly. Cedar and hemlock dominates with parcels of hardwoods scattered throughout. The swamps are often sink holes of muck and, if that's not enough, add massive blow downs to the mix. Then there are the high granite hills. Moss and lichen covered, they are slick. Few trees have the gumption to push roots through the cracks in the rocks. In short, the area is hostile, rugged, and beautifully so.

So, the question begs, why hunt here?

"Because of the deer," says Lubinski. "We may not have the numbers most other places do, but do we have the bucks. If I see a dozen deer in a season six are probably bucks. Of those six, there's certainly going to be one or two heavy-racked trophies." For Junttila, it's the deer, too, but there's one other important factor. "It's the hunt itself. This is no sitting-on-a-stand, watching-a-bait-pile hunt. This is a scout-pray-stalk-pray-shoot kind of hunt. It's what hunting really is, you against the animal, and the deer has most of the advantages."

You need to know how to use a compass and a map-there are precious few roads in most of the area. The deep hemlock swamps can be real interesting, even if you do have a compass. If you are uncomfortable in deep and dark swamps then these will be very intimidating. Only fools hunt alone here.

Oh, besides the National and State Forest acreage found here there is even more "public" land. The Commercial Forest Act has thousands of acres available via the lumber and paper company holdings. A list of these is available, by county, from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

What about south of the bridge?

Going south from the Mackinac Bridge you’ll begin seeing more deer. The climate is less harsh, the food more plentiful, both wild forest fruits and much more agriculture. You will see more deer here. In the far southern counties you may even see bucks as large as those in the Superior watershed.

Be prepared if hunting the far southern part of the state to do a lot of door knocking asking for hunting permission. Whereas the U.P. and northern lower peninsula have acres and acres of public land, the southern reaches are privately held for the most part. Most of the public land here is found in small patches of State Game Areas. Certainly there are deer here, but there are also more hunters.

The northern lower peninsula might just be a very good compromise. Lots of public land and good to very good deer numbers. A fair amount of this public land is in huge holding so you truly can hunt, rather than just sit on a bucket and hope.

For more information on the Michigan deer season go to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Pay particular attention to the regulations pertaining to legal deer in the Upper and Lower peninsula as they are very different.

Enter the Pure Michigan Hunt drawing and you could be selected to hunt for elk, bear, spring and fall wild turkey, and antlerless deer in the same year. You're busy and your leisure time is limited. So, if you're a hunter, you need to take advantage of this unique sweepstakes offer. The Pure Michigan Hunt gives hunters the chance to participate in Michigan's most in-demand, limited-access hunting opportunities with just one application.

Winners of the Pure Michigan Hunt drawing will still be eligible to apply for other limited-access hunts. Furthermore, being selected will not negate any preference points for bear, nor weighted chances for elk.

The first Pure Michigan Hunt will take place in 2010, when three lucky hunters will be selected by random drawing for this great opportunity. Applications for the 2010 hunt will be available from July 27, through December 31, 2009, for a $4 fee. Apply as many times as you like.

For details, guidelines, restrictions and applications, visit a DNR license agent or the DNR Pure Michigan Hunt page online.

I ran into a guy at the gas station that a good old boy and saw that I didn't know anything about the place and was freezing. He loaned me his coat and explained to me that the diesel fuel up there was treated for cold weather and not to worry about it, and then he showed me where to go for my initial nights reservation in town and where the hosp. was located. I showed up for work the next morning bright and early. I met a large number of people that first morning that were more than nice to me and took me out to eat at a place that would become one of my regulars called Spikes Keg of Nails on the Au Sable River.

After eating, they took me to a sporting goods store out past the old Bear Plant and showed me what to buy to stay warm and what I needed to keep in my truck for an emergency. Then they showed me where my apartment was located in the North Country Lodge owned by Jim and Judy Craft, who were expecting me through my company.

Long story short, my first weekend I was off with nothing to do and the old boy from the gas station showed up along with some others that I worked with at the hosp. and brought me a black and tan hunting dog, which I still have. We all went to the Grayling Cafe' for breakfast and then went ice fishing on Houghton Lake. So we all hit it off great and started hunting and fishing together and I sent home for some of my guns, rods and tackle to be shipped to me. In the end, I stayed for four years in the area and spent another one year pulling assignments in the UP. I worked, fished and hunted all over that state.

People from down home warned me that northern people would not like me, but the only hatred that I ever encountered was out in New Mexico in the west. All of the people in MI took me in like I was family and I love that place. Yeah, they made a little fun of me because I'm from the country in the deep south, but they are just like me with a different accent and way of talking.

I love MI so much that I brought my children and parents up there several times to visit fish, hunt, etc. Not to mention just to eat at Big Buck Brewery in Gaylord, it's awesome!!!!!

I am getting married in May and my wife and I are planning our honeymoon for guess where? We're coming up to fish for two weeks and visit with all of my old friends. They are the best friends in the world and we have have always stayed in contact. Going from the low landers to the upers, the people of MI are the best that I've ever seen in my life and the state how so much to offer that one could not take it all in within twenty years.

My current goal is to one day have a home in MI, even if it's just a vacation spot around Higgins Lake. My next dream will come true in short time if it's warm enough in July. My wife and I are going to take the plunge off of the bridge behind Spikes in Grayling into the waters of the Au Sable River at the deep hole. Hold onto to the moment, cherish and preserve it and the great state of MI for future generations, it's wonderful.

This excerpted article is reprinted with permission from the website of Michigan's Department of Natural Resources.

As an experienced hunter, a clerk at a private hunting club and the spouse of a taxidermist, Linda Bolda was very much aware last summer that she'd won the lottery when she learned her name had been drawn for an any-elk tag for the December 2008 elk hunt.

The only thing she didn't know was exactly how big her prize would be.

On the second morning of the season, she found out. Bolda killed a massive 6 x 7 bull elk that tipped the scales at an amazing 750 pounds.

"I'm just overwhelmed by it all," said Bolda, who had applied unsuccessfully for years for an elk tag.

Bolda is one of about 450 Michigan hunters who had an opportunity to hunt elk in Michigan this season, the 25th consecutive year of elk hunting. Since elk hunting resumed for good in 1984, more than a million applications had been submitted. Through last year, some 5,310 licenses had been issued and hunters have taken 4,520 elk.

Elk hunting was very good in the 25th anniversary season. In August and September, hunters brought in 80 animals, including 37 bulls. In December, hunters killed 191 elk, including 84 bulls. And another 40 hunters killed 27 elk, including 11 bulls, during the Jan. 14-18 season. Not bad, considering elk were completely eliminated from the state more than a century ago.

Indigenous to the Lower Peninsula, elk disappeared by 1877. Conservation officials made several unsuccessful attempts to reestablish elk in the state until 1918, when seven Rocky Mountain elk released near Wolverine in Cheboygan County flourished.   By the early 1960s, the herd had expanded to an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 animals. Despite the fact that a tourism industry had grown up around the herd, the elk caused heartburn for some folks, mostly farmers, foresters and some deer hunters. As a result, the Legislature authorized the Conservation Department to hold elk hunts during 1964 and 1965.

In 1964, 23,000 hunters applied for 300 licenses for the Dec. 5-13 elk hunt. Hunting conditions were ideal with good tracking snow and the 298 hunters enjoyed a 90 percent success rate, killing 269 legal elk. The following year, some 35,000 hunters applied for 300 licenses for the Dec. 8-16 hunt. Mild weather (and almost no snow) dropped the success rate to 61 percent with 183 elk killed.

But by then, elk habitat was in decline and the hunts coincided with a period of significant real estate development in elk country. Reproduction suffered and the increased human activity, including poaching, took a toll on the herd. The population dropped to an estimated 200 elk in the winter of 1975.

In the late 1970s, however, more public attention was focused on the elk herd, in part because of the controversy surrounding oil and gas development in the Pigeon River Country State Forest. As the DNR worked to improve habitat, and reduce poaching, the herd responded. By 1984, it was estimated at 850 animals, around the current-day management goal for the herd.

That year, the DNR held the first of what is now 25 consecutive elk seasons. In 1984, 45,908 hunters applied for 50 licenses for the six-day, Dec. 11-16 elk hunt. The following year, a record 52,658 applicants applied for 120 licenses.

To read the full article, go to the Department of Natural Resources website

Yes, Michigan. Yes, pheasants. And yes, in winter.

Of course we're talking about hunting preserves now that the New Year has broke, but when it comes to die-hard bird hunters and their love of dogs, there is simply no better time to try your hand at a hunting preserve and the pheasants they raise. If you don't have a dog, no problem, the preserves all have their own kennels and dog handlers and they can join you.

Most hunters using a shooting preserve do so for their dogs. After a glorious Michigan autumn of following their setters and pointers and retrievers through countless coverts and fields, they simply can't stand the thought of their dog, or dogs, not doing what they are intended to do; hunt birds. Others use Michigan's hunting preserves as a quick escape from knowing the regular hunting season is nine months away. And these folks can't stand the thought of that. For both dog and man, Michigan's hunting preserves extend the season into the spring.

Preserve hunting isn't necessarily easy as some would have you believe. Sure you can call up a preserve, reserve a day or half day for you and your buddies, tell them how many birds you want released, and have at it. Certainly you'll see birds. If your lucky you'll see the number you asked to be released. If the Gods really smile on you you'll see many more.

A simple truth in preserve hunting is that the hunters do not generally shoot all the birds they ask to be released. More than a few are never found, and more than few, when found, simply escape the bird shot that wasn’t quite aimed correctly.

A number of preserves also allow you to come in cold– that is to come in with no birds released for you. Many hunters call this a clean-up shoot. If you are a part of one of these the standard fare is paying the preserve hunter a blanket fee, generally a quite reasonable one, and hunting for a designated time. The birds you shoot aren’t charged for as you are paying for the time you spending on their property.

If you’re new to preserve hunting the general way to do things is to pay for the number of birds you want released. Up front. If you don’t shoot them all do not expect a refund. On some preserves, if you shoot more than the number you had paid for these extra birds are free. Not a bad deal if you are lucky and your dog is a super star.

In winter the pheasants, and quail and chukar for that matter, will be looking for warmth. They will be looking for cover from foxes and birds of prey. The birds that have been out for awhile will be looking for cover from you. Expect to find these in the thick stuff.

Work the fence rows and thick stand of cat tails. Even the edges of a mature forest which backs up to a field of switch grass, corn, millet or sorghum can be a hot spot. All of these can provide good cover and protection for the birds. Look for the birds to be in brush piles and blow downs as well.

Three things should come to mind for warmth. If there is a good wind blowing work the leeward side of hills and valleys. If the sun is out, work the sunny areas. And, if there are areas of good-sized drifts, make sure the dogs nose these well. These birds will hunker down into a good snow drift to stay warm as easy as an Eskimo uses an igloo.

Assuming you'll be working at least a few birds that have been worked and worked again, don't expect all that many close flushes. For that reason a 20 or 12 gauge should be the preferred gun. If pheasants are what you are after then shot in size four to six is perfect. For quail and chukar, six to seven and a half will serve you well.

Due to heavy snow fall in the northern half of the state, most preserves that will be open throughout the winter are located in the southern half of Michigan. Expect to find large areas of flat to rolling grasslands with some timber and more than a few fence or hedge rows.

Hunting Michigan's pheasant preserves extends the hunting season for many in the state. More and more they are also being used by some companies as a quick retreat from the work place as a reward for their best employees.

Either way, seeing a good bird dog work through a winter's field, snow tickling their bellies and then going on point is a sight to behold. Then, when the bird erupts in a raucous cackle and a shower of snow it becomes one of those rare and precious Michigan Currier and Ives moments.

To find a hunting preserve near you, or near where your Michigan vacation or convention destination is, go to www.michiganhuntingpreserves.com. This Web site lists the preserves by county as well as detailed list of gamebird species available.

For many hunters rabbit hunting is something you do when there’s nothing else going on, or when a hapless hare darts across your path when you’re after more worthy game like grouse or woodcock.  Not in Michigan, not with great numbers of both cottontailed rabbits and varying hares, most often called snowshoe rabbits.

A few years back I met Millard, a rare breed of a fellow. A fellow who lives for his beagles and the thrill of the chase as much as any man lived for anything. Probably more.

He doesn't just go rabbit hunting, he goes RABBIT hunting, and when he does, it is pure, virtually uninterrupted music.

"I do it for the dogs," he told me, "they really like to run."

I met Millard while cruising a snow covered trail on the east end of Drummond Island. After chatting a few minutes he invited me to join him in a quick hunt for snowshoe hares.

While he was getting his seven dogs ready I asked him what was the best condition to chase rabbits. It's also best when the temperature is somewhere between 27 and 35 degrees with nothing more than a little breeze.

Less than five minutes later one of the beagles sounded off in a loud bawl and was soon joined by the others.

"Got one going," Millard said, "now we wait for them to circle the rabbit back to us."

And we waited, and waited, and waited some more until the sounds of the beagles running through the thick cedars grew faint and then disappeared altogether.

"They'll be back," he said, and sent me down to a bend in the trail where he thought the rabbit would cross as the dogs circled it back towards us.

As I was walking to the bend a white streak leapt across the road in a single bound. Millard saw him, too.

"Probably not our rabbit. Just one that got spooked by the dogs as they worked ours."

Ten minutes later the sounds of the beagles grew louder as they approached us.

Before long I saw the beagles approaching. Then they turned and paralleled the road not more than 20 feet away. Watching them they reminded me of a living train in miniature.

Their legs pumping in a fast, short-step rhythm they were lined up in the chase nose-to-tail in perfect step. It was almost comical.

I never saw the rabbit they were trailing. Millard did, however, and the sound of his shotgun finished the chase. A large snowshoe hare was securely in his game bag.

During the 90 minutes we, or, more correctly, the dogs chased a number of other rabbits.

All are still safely in the cedars of Drummond's forest.

Where snowshoes relish the cedar and hemlock forests, especially those with borders thick with alders, cotton tails seem to prefer a bit more open county. Not open mind you, but the openness of fields and wooded blocks thick with brush piles and blow downs. If these are adjacent to some agricultural fields, so much the better.

Unlike the snowshoes, whose coats turn from brown to white as winter comes on, cottontails remain brown all year long. Which makes them easier to see. That doesn't mean easier to shoot.

Beagles and basset hounds are used on these, too, and they will increase your percentage of success. That doesn't mean you have to use a dog to be successful however.

Tom and I were busting through a State Game Area in the southern part of the state by ourselves on a sunny January day. We started hunting right from the parking lot and within just a few minutes cut across what looked to be rather fresh tracks of a rabbit. Tom immediately became my bird dog.

Tom followed the track while I stayed put. A few minutes later he shouted back that he jumped the rabbit and it was heading to the right. I quickly moved right and found myself on the edge of an aspen woodlot bordered by an old fallow field thick with shrubs. The rabbit found it, too, and was quicker on his feet than I with my gun. Tom was not pleased. I became the dog the next time. Tom sealed the deal after I chased the next rabbit toward him.

Hot Spots

Southern Lower Peninsula

Flat River State Game Area; Northern Ionia/Southern Montcalm County; Cottontails; See Grand Rapids.

Barry State Game Area; West-central Barry County; Cottontails; See Discover Kalamazoo.

Sanilac State Game Area; Northwestern Sanilac County; Cottontails.

Northern Lower Peninsula; Manistee National Forest; Northen Lake/Southern Wexford County; Cottontails; See Cadillac info .

Pigeon River Country State Forest; Cheboygan County ;  Cottontails and rarely snowshoes.

Mackinaw State Forest; Emmet County; Cottonttails; See Mackinaw City info.

Upper Peninsula

Copper Country State Forest; Iron County; Snowshoe hares.

Hiawatha National Forest; Chippewa County; Snowshoe hares;  See Sault Ste. Marie.

Lake Superior State Forest; Alger County; Snowshoe hares.

Included in the latter group will be members of Michigan's whitetail deer herd.

Wednesday is the first day of Michigan's 2008 archery deer season. For those who believe the woods is never more beautiful or alive than during those early days of autumn, Oct. 1 each year marks the opening day of a hunting experience that is profoundly special. For most archers, it is a hunting adventure that transcends the firearms season, which begins Nov. 15 and, because the participant numbers are so great (more than 600,000 compared with just under 300,000 archers), is considered the pre-eminent "deer season" in Michigan.

"I enjoy time in the woods more these weeks of the year than during the firearms season," said Charlie Kehr, 57, and a dentist from Beulah who bow-hunts whitetails on private property in Benzie County, in the Lower Peninsula's northwest region. "The deer get so much closer. It's simply more exciting."

"Last year, I had dozens of deer pass within 15 yards of me," said Kehr, who hunts from four different locations, which include two tree stands and two ladder stands. "I even had deer walk between my ladder stand and my tree."

"You're just sitting there, frozen, afraid to move a muscle as they walk by. And because you have to be so super-careful about movement, it can be hard to get a shot. I didn't take a single shot last year."

Michigan's archery deer season is split, running from Oct. 1-Nov. 14, just ahead of the Nov. 15-30 firearms season. Archers can resume hunting Dec. 1, 2008 to Jan. 1, 2009.

It is the archer's methodology that makes the sport so challenging, and so fulfilling, to those who view bow-hunting more as a calling than a pastime. Unlike firearms season, when visibility is premier and blaze-orange is worn by hunters bent on staying clear of a rifle or shotgun's line of fire, the archer attempts to blend with the terrain's natural colors and contours. Camouflage is generally worn, head to foot.

Hunters tend to be as anxious about scent as about visibility. It explains why so many archers opt for apparel made with Scent-Lok (tr), a technology that uses scent-absorbing carbon to mask a human being's odor, which will generally send deer scrambling. Necessary equipment is in step with what most deer hunters would spend on rifles or shotguns. A mainstream bow can run $400-$1,000. Tree or ladder stands are $150-$300. Camouflage apparel can run another $200 or more. But sporting goods dealers agree that a tighter budget is no barrier to easing into a different brand of hunting experience.

You can forego the camouflage and opt for simple earth colors. A tree or ladder stand is by no means essential. A nicely concealed area of ground cover can be surprisingly effective. And a bow, with arrows, can be purchased for much closer to $400 than $1,000, with no negatives.

The trick is to make the deer so unaware of your presence that they move within range, which is the single biggest difference between archery and firearms hunting. Most archers want a shot within 15 yards. More skilled hunters can push distances to 25 yards or more. But the level of accuracy needed, and the need for drawing a bow quickly and without the deer detecting movement, generally calls for a close shot.

"It's not the taking (harvesting) of a deer that excites me," Kehr said. "To me, it's the excitement of seeing the deer and seeing them so close. If I take one, fine. But it doesn’t have to be a monster buck -- any deer taken with a bow is a trophy."

"Last year, I saw deer probably 75 percent of the time I hunted, and generally more than one. It's amazing how quietly deer can get in on you. All of a sudden, you're sitting over a couple of does, or maybe an eight-point buck."

"That's why people who get into it tend to be so passionate," Kehr said of Michigan's deer archers. "They're either into it, or they're not. But once you've experienced it, it's difficult not to be hooked."

This article was written by Lynn Henning of the Detroit News and is reprinted with his permission.