St. Martin Island Deer Harvest
December 11, 2009
From what I can gather, these deer were taken on St. Martin’s Island off the coast of the Upper Peninsular of Michigan. All the deer were taken legally, however 10 hunters were ticketed because they had failed to attach their tags. This occurred in a raid by game wardens.
I don’t have much other information except that this entire hunt, on a private island, was part of a private deer management program aimed at growing healthier, bigger bucks. Are these the “little ones” they are getting out of the way?
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Fellow hunters,
I just got off the phone where I spoke directly with Debbie Munson Badini of the Michigan DNR’s Marquette office. She is VERY familiar with this story.
First off, the pictures are legitimate, and were from a deer camp on St. Martin’s Island in the U.P. However, the implications of the original e-mail are incorrect.
Debbie informed me that there was no poaching or other large-scale illegal hunting going on. She did say there were some tickets issued for some incorrectly tagged deer, and wardens are investigating a few other possible violations, but that, again, this was NOT some sort of “poachers camp” [my quotes on that phrase].
She said that Michigan DNR has not publicized this as yet since they are waiting until their officers wrap-up and tie off some of the outstanding issues.
I hope you’ll pass this e-mail around to, hopefully, correct any misconceptions.
Thanks!
Evan
Just looking at the photos, it looks like the wardens are enjoying themselves as much as the hunters……Must be a big island to hold all those bucks! Must have made a lot of people jealous……
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I am assuming that the island is free of coyotes, wolves, or other large predators.
The island is shaped rather like a rhombus, approximately 1 x w 2 miles with an area probably less than 1300 acres. It is an impressive take of bucks.!
Either it’s not managed by the same DNR that has helped destroy the rest of Michigan’s deer herd or those deer are imports! I haven’t seen that many bucks in 22 years of hunting “all over Michigan”, they must be doing something right…..
Thank you Debbie
Born and raised in Michigan I hate to think that this scale of poaching was going on in Michigan. I also hope that with the depressed economy in the U.P. these deer were distributed through out the community.
If trapping deer and transporting them is illegal that would make this whole act illegal correct? This isnt hunting its killing. I am an avid hunter and this is the kind of stuff that gives us a bad name thanks guys!! Deer management also the correct amount of does and seems as though there are far more bucks on this “island” and as for the conservation officers from the looks of the picture you guys should look for new careers. Have one question though 1200 acres and over 50 deer why didnt you guys just tie them up and shoot them. I bet you all made the other michigan hunters very happy for spending all those cold hard days in the tree well worth it.
These guys have alot of eating to do. Better get to it even though we all know they wont considering what they did with the does (cutting out the backstraps and leaving the rest).