Manitoulin Island Deer Hunting

[Pathfinder]

Im thinking about heading down to the island for Deer on the third week.

I hear populations are pretty good. Does anybody here hunt on the island ? How was last season ? Also wondering how this winter is affecting them as I know they are having a tough time in Eastern Ontario.

 

[Jimbobob08]

I was told it was hit and miss last year.. Retired police officer I know past up dozens where he was hunting, and some fellas he talked to just down the road saw none all weekend.

 

[DVXDUDE]

my buddies gang got 4 deer and had 9 tags. Only seen one little buck and they push lots of bushes and covered lots of ground. Other years they do really well so it might have just been a fluke.

 

[Pathfinder]

I keep hearing about the locals beint outnumbered by the deer (2.5 to one). If there really is 20000 Deer on that Island I should be able to find one for my freezer.

 

[juanvaldez]

You do realize it is all private property right? No hunting without a permission slip. I shot 3 last year and had a chance at another but could not get off a good shot.

 

[canuckchap]

Our party took 5.

Like others have said, its all PRIVATE land AND the CO's have checkpoints and do check for "permission slips" Its nice to have several hundred acres in the family

 

[hunter.d]

Some people are really lucky, would love to Hunt there, heard so many great things about Deer Hunting on the island.

 

[Pathfinder]

You do realize it is all private property right? No hunting without a permission slip. I shot 3 last year and had a chance at another but could not get off a good shot.

Yeah, Ive got a place lined up

 

[leonard the punk]

I hunt 200acres near Evansville wmu 43b.
The deer from there are real tasty not much wild taste atall, there all field fead.
Not many shot over 100yards, 3030 all you need,without scope.
We got 3 from that property and 4 from other spots last fall.
Nasty snow storm last year slowed things for couple of days.
COs where nasty to they took one deer and fined a brother inlaw because he taged doe with wifes tag ( she wasnt there ) , they whent to talk to her in hamner and she got the story wrong.
They came back next day and took deer and handed 700$ fine.
So be legal.

 

[leonard the punk]

Date to put in for antlerless tag a month earlier this year.
100% you will get doe tag plus second doe tag if you want.

 

[Pathfinder]

I hunt 200acres near Evansville wmu 43b.
The deer from there are real tasty not much wild taste atall, there all field fead.
Not many shot over 100yards, 3030 all you need,without scope.
We got 3 from that property and 4 from other spots last fall.
Nasty snow storm last year slowed things for couple of days.
COs where nasty to they took one deer and fined a brother inlaw because he taged doe with wifes tag ( she wasnt there ) , they whent to talk to her in hamner and she got the story wrong.
They came back next day and took deer and handed 700$ fine.
So be legal.

The area im looking at pretty much all woodlot, Ill have an iron sighted rifle with me in case. I prefer it for close up work. Seems like tags will be a breeze...the question is can I fill the buck tag ?

 

[juanvaldez]

The area im looking at pretty much all woodlot, Ill have an iron sighted rifle with me in case. I prefer it for close up work. Seems like tags will be breeze...the question is can I fill the buck tag ?

Its 100% on the antlerless if you want, but a week of solid hunting should get you a couple chances at bucks in most spots on the island. My experience has been the season there is pretty late for the rut though.

 

[leonard the punk]

We go to fill the freezer ,where not trophy hunters.
Over the years 8 & 10 point have been droped.
Ill shoot a spike over a 10 point , there beter eating.
The moto is If Its Brown Its Down.

 

[Pathfinder]

Im not worried about it, Im more of meat hunter too but I like to bring back a set of antlers this time. Im taking a few friends down there and Im trying to get them addicated like me so I want to make sure they get their chance. Im sure they will be able to fill a doe tag at the very least.

Is there any additional rifle tags or just the two (buck and antlerless draw) per person ?

 

[juanvaldez]

Im not worried about it, Im more of meat hunter too but I like to bring back a set of antlers this time. Im taking a few friends down there and Im trying to get them addicated like me so I want to make sure they get their chance. Im sure they will be able to fill a doe tag at the very least.

Is there any additional rifle tags or just the two (buck and antlerless draw) per person ?

If you apply for antlerless and are successful you can shoot either. Only one regular tag per person. Their may be a limited number of extra rifle tags for doe only that can be purchased separately.

 

[Pathfinder]

Im being told to be there on opening morning or the chances vastly decrease ? The only deer hunting ive done was done on the later half of first week in 59 for a few years and I didnt' think it was that bad, of course last year there was quite a bit less deer in eastern ontario.

 

[marty vk]

I worked on Manitoulin Island for over 10 years and have hunted there for over 20 years. You will have lots of fun and a great opportunity to see more deer than average, however I feel the deer population is gradually declining back to the numbers from the early to mid 1990's. We took 2 deer last year, 5 in 2007, 6 in 2006 for 3-5 hunters as some only come out on days they can get out of work.

There was a large population boom in the early 2000's which saw extra does tags, even farmer tags issued in the more invested areas, such as Robinson Twp. around Gore Bay.
(2-3 tags for farmers prior to season depending on your farm size and location- basically to cull some of the large population).

I think those days are on hold for a while as last year we seen about half the deer we did the last 3-4 years and I hunt in Gore Bay where the population explosion in the early 2000's was tremendous. I think the extra tags allocated the last 6 years or so, the winters (cedar trees- feed) ) and predation have all taken a toll. We did note that some of loss of population may be on the large number of coyote's that can now be heard and evidence seen (seeing or hearing a coyote in the 1980's,1990's was very infrequent), along with almost every cedar tree in the more previously populated areas were chewed bare from 3, sometimes 4 feet to the ground (winter feeding).

I have found that different areas on the Island, as anywhere, have better populations than others. The west end of the Island, also Gore Bay,Kagawong, Billings have always been very good with other areas such as Sandfield, South Bay good as well. This also depends on the property itself (woodlot, swamp or fields) and the weather during that week. I would however, offer this advice from my experience, don't over hunt your property with too many hunters. It is private property and the numbers of hunters during rifle season exceed the local population of residents, so yes, after the first day, the deer get a bit nervous. During the boom years, opening morning can sound like a military shooting range during drill.

 

[Pathfinder]

Thanks Marty, Im hoping for opening morning. Trying to work some scheduling issues with the fellas. We can hopefully help out the Yote issues while we are around.

That Swede you sold me is still shooting good by the way.

 

[canuckchap]

100% on the second?? Last year it was 100% for the second tag, but bow only

 

[Slooshark1]

I spoke with a fellow today that said he saw over 300 deer in the fields last weekend on his way out to Meldrum Bay at the West end of the island. Like any hunt, the weather will play a large part in your success.