Small Game Animals of The Upper Peninsula
This is a snow shoe hare. They are a little bigger than the cotton tail rabbit. In the summer, spring, and early fall the snowshoe hares are light brown with a white underside. In late fall and the winter months the hares turn white in color and have black tipped ears. Making it difficult to see from predators. They have very large back legs making them very fast. They also are great for listening because of their large ears. They are difficult to hunt without a beagle but it can be done. A 22 rifle, shotgun, or high powered pellet gun is good for hunting.
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This is a cotton tail rabbit. They are a little smaller than Snow shoe hares. The are the same color all year round. They are still extremely fast. And also difficult to hunt without the aid of a hunting dog, preferably a beagle. They have very short ears and legs compared to the snowshoe. They are much more common than snowshoes and are more urban dwellers. They like cedar swamps, thick cover, grape vines, and long grass.
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This is one of the most hunted small game animal in Michigan. It is called the roughed grouse. They are a medium sized game bird that is fast in flight. They blend in fairly well to their surroundings with their natural camouflage. The males fan out and strut to show dominance. They can be hunted by simply driving dirt roads and looking under pine trees and road edges. Some people use dogs to flush the grouse. I just take walks with my shotgun where poplar slashing meet pines and because the grouse seem to like this type of habitat best. Guns suitable include any shotgun, 22 rifle, or high-powered air rifle 22 caliber or higher.
This is a male ring neck pheasant. It is a colorful bird, larger than grouse and also very fast. They are manged very strictly in Michigan, but in a few counties hunting is allowed. Only males also known as roosters are allowed to be harvested. The best weapons are bow and arrow and shotgun, specifically 12 gauge. The shells used for pheasants are typically 3" magnum shells with more gunpowder and bb's than other shot-shells for small game. The best place to hunt these are places with thick and long grass to provide cover. These include corn fields, wheat fields, and other long grasses.
This is the largest game bird of Michigan, the turkey. The males are larger than the females and have a blueish red head compared to the females grey head. The males also have beards on their chest, sometimes in rare occurrences females the females grow beards. To show dominance and to attract mates the males strut out, like in the picture. They can be hunted in the spring and fall in Michigan. The bag limit is one per hunter per season. In the spring only turkeys with beards can be harvested. In the Fall any turkey can be harvested. The best weapons include bows, crossbows, and shotguns. With shotguns special turkey shells must be bought to ensure a humane kill. It is also recommended to use a barrel choke tube to make the bb's into a tighter spread for head shots. Any spot with turkeys is a good spot to hunt.