Be advised of some recent poaching activity taking place in Schoolcraft game refuge. The DNR is looking for tips on a blue Pick-up with Loud pipes taking deer illegally within the refuge. This is all the info I have at the moment, if more details come up I'll be sure to post them. This is quite serious as a member of my friends hunting party had a bullet shot in his general direction. As you may or may not know, the refuge is prohibited to firearms, and bow hunters are not required to wear orange clothing. This is not a case of the hunters not knowing where they are, as they are shooting directly from there vehicle at 10am. Any information known of this should be sent to the DNR TIP line.

Wilson,
I have been hunting the refuge for close to 20 years now. It is seemingly getting worse every year. I just don't get it. We have so many animals out there you would think that you would have the common sence not to put peoples lives in danger to shoot a deer. I where blaze orange during the rifle season in the refuge. I can't gamble my life because of total idiots out there. You should hear the shooting in the refuge during the week. I will keep my eyes open for the blue pick-up and hopefully they get made example of. It is just such a bummer the lack of respect for other people in the woods. I love the place and wish there were a lot more bow hunting refuges in the state.

this is good to know. We have a cabin in schoolcraft and we have been bow hunting there for years. I know the CO for the refuge and I have been hunting there 3-4 days a week for the last 2.5 months and actually have seen less suspicious vehicles and people than the previous couple of years. There has been a ton of people hunting the refuge this year and deer are pretty spooked right now. I have still been seeing a few but traveling alot at night. I know there is a guy that lives at the southwest corner of the Lake 20 that has caused many many problems for hunters in the area. He as has been harrassing hunters for years and does not like anyone hunting the west side of the lake.

Just an Update, I spoke with 2 - CO's in the refuge and I believe the got the individuals in question. Took two guns and gave them a fine. But, the one CO said he wished he had more time to dedicate to the Refuge. He says there is enough activity in there to keep him busy for the entire hunting season. As I was speaking with him, he said they had just heard a gun shot, and was going to wait a few minutes to let the hunter get his game and then they would nab him. It sounded like they Confiscated quite a few Firearms this year....

The last 2 CO also said the same, they felt the refuge could use it's own officer even though we all know that will not happen. The refuge is a well watched area by DNR and by people that hunt and live there. People are going out on a limb, way out, if they poach in the refuge at all I think.

I have a cabin on evergreen, my neighbor told me the guy on twenty harrased/threatened a little falls cop while he was hunting (off duty). sounds like he spent a liitle time in a special place('07) and is better this year.???this was the his report anyways. -------I've been hunting in refuge for 4 yrs, just curious aprox# of hunters, and if dnr has ever tried to control hunting in refuge by special tags or something? Would appreciate your feedback
.

Mondo,
Are you kidding me? Now that you have a place in the refuge you want to regulate how many people can hunt it. I always appreciate it when new people come to the area and find it too busy or not to there liking they want to make it there own by limiting access. Hunt somewhere else if it is too busy for you.

Actually I don't want to regulate anything. My family and I love it up there, and will hunt no matter the # of hunters, these posts were all concerened about poachers, and lack of dnr presence-which means either create a felloship of hunters that use it frequently so we can let each other know more the suspicious activity, or try and get more dnr presence. $=poss co for 3-4 months a year. whatever it was an idea! thanks for being such a welcoming fellow hunter. God speed.

and if dnr has ever tried to control hunting in refuge by special tags or something?
Huh,

Yeah- I see your point, a tag would produce $ for poss. co to baby sit pple. keep it safer, etc... maybe it was a bad Idea..... how did you do this past fall? Now I need to go baby sit employees. God speed.

My fall was good in schoolcraft. Had a close encounter with a great buck (130"-140" 8 pointer)that didn't pan out but thats o.k. It is always cool to get close to a nice one. Passed on a handful of small 8 pointers. We definitely saw less deer than years past. We started laying off killing does because of it. I also had a big bobcat walk by me at 20 yrds which was really neat.
I am really conserned about the winter the deer are having. I finished out the season grouse hunting of all things and there is a lot of snow in the woods. Lots of cold and snow is not good.
Good luck with the babysitting.

That means he will be a real dandy with your name on him next year. I saw 3 shooters w/in range, but never offered shots, a person can learn alot by just abserving them. I did see a few cat tracks-mainly on the ridge east of evergreen, heard alot of pple complaing of wolves, resulting in the lower deer population, but I saw not much evidence of wolves since the snow hit the ground. How big was the bobcat, I've never seen one in real life. Man I'm already getting excited for shed hunting. God speed.

Just a thought...

I think they should post the refuge better than it is... I know where it is and the laws for it, but it is not easily available..

Do you mean signs on the border of the refuge, or in the hunting handbook/internet?