hare in northern lp in mi

[scott calkins]

i would like to see the dnr change the bag limit on hare in nlp of mi. its getting hard to find them they are way down . theres a lot of spots that have been hunted out. just in past few yrs. its not like the UP. hell even there is down . wouldnt mind . it changed inn all of mi. mind u i hunt. but i am seeing a real decline in hare. and its distubing. JMO. BUT i think it would help them come back .especialy in nlp. its getting tough to find hare .

[Lone Pine Beagles]

Ground predators are at high levels.
Avian predation has increased ever since DDT was outlawed.
Habitat is over browsed by deer.
State: more emphasis on Timber production than wildlife.

Some hunters don't understand the bag limits.
5 per day or 10 combined limit.
6 hunters does not equal 30 rabbits!

[scott calkins]

i was notice there is more good habitat in houghton lake due to logging then ive ever seen there before . but a lot less hare. the area i run is cyote hunted with dogs and cat hunted with dogs very heavly. by friends of mine. but u could be rite more owls and such.but when u have little pockets and not wide spread habitat. i belive hunting can be very devastating . when the hare are so few and spread apart . like is the case in a lot of the nlp . its not like the up were the habitat isall over and not in small areas . just something to keep in mind . if hunting in nlp . the hare are not plentiful. leave a little seed so there to run the next yr.

[DEA]

Scott
I agree with you completly, the numberx are way low down here some days its hard to find a good one to run at all as a personal rule i dont kill any hare under the bridge. and to be honest i havent pulled the trigger this year, hare or cottontail.

Shoot Straight
DEA

[Budd]

I believe there is more to it then habitat, predators, hunting. Were I live in northern Minnesota I have NEVER seen another hunter or heard of any, there is one guy with hounds 30 mile from me and they are house dogs more then hunting dogs. I try to keep my running grounds clean of any predators, don't see many birds of prey yet my population is VERY low. I know were each hare hangs out in about a 500 acre area and I'm pretty sure there are only 7 maybe 8 hare. Some year there are a few more other years less. Last season I only killed 3 out of the area and this year none.
When I first moved here 15 years ago I can remember populations VERY thick but I haven't seen that for maybe 8-9 years. Good habitat, mixed hardwood, swamps, poplar slashing's, got to be something else that is killing our hare population and I'm wondering if it isn't lymes, deer ticks are extremely thick here.

[sbeagler]

you made a valid point in lymes but remember too there are several other tick borne diseases that have evolved in the last 10 years ie Ehrlichiosis is prevalent in several kinds of that can be lethal to man dog deer or any host . i think its becoming a problem nationwide from what i read about it. the only way to know if it's impacting the hare is a study be done contact your biologists and universities http://www.cdc.gov/ehrlichiosis/

[scott calkins]

u make a good point but i lived in harrison and houghton lake area and theres not much in the way of ticks there not like down south or in the up. ive trapped and relocated some hare to small swamps i run in harrison and as long as no one guns it i have runing but as soon as guys find out theres hare there. yhey gun it and kill every one in it . and gone no more hare. some of theses spotsare 40 acre holes swamp and are surounded by hard woods . but its state land so its ok i guess i was just putting it out there. to plz be a wear thats all. its easy to hurt a little pocket by gunning it to much ive seen it first hand.

[mybeagles]

I agree hunters are not the BIG problem but if it's noticeable that hare are scarce or rapidly declining like they are in northern lower Michigan then cease shooting them till they recover or go to area that has good populations.

Cottontail are plentiful last couple years and my boys have killed a bunch but have not harvested and hare for several years for that very reason Scott. Seems like a good way to explain game management to the boys.

[SMITTY1233]

I've hunted the Northern Lower for the last 25 years and I'd say we are in an upward tick in our area this year. Hare tracks in places I haven't seen hare tracks in 5-7 years. 7 years ago we went hunting and were 4 1/2 hours between jumps with real good hounds. We cashed in the beagles and moved to running coyotes with big hounds. It was the bottom of the cycle for sure. I've never seen it so bad. When I was a boy you didn't hunt with a single shot because doubles were the norm and triples were possible. We have fell in love with yote hunting. I still keep two beagles in the pen and hunt the Northern lower 4-10 times a season. I have not had any problem finding hare this year in the limited times I've gone do to the depth of snow. We have been busy killing a bunch of yotes in our area and maybe that is why they are recovering. I really don't know. Beagles were my first love and I have a 10 year old boy that likes to rabbit hunt and we get up to the cabin to do it now and again. Just thought I'd share my insight on the issue.