

They’ll then be taken out and hidden under brush or in bushes. Hunting birds will be raised from chicks by Butz or purchased as adults. It is now used to house and raise yaks that will be moved to the Gills Pier site or sold for their meat.įor now the preserve is being called the Gills Pier Hunting and Shooting Preserve, though that name may change. Only 120 acres is designated preserve.įormerly the couple’s Tree of Life Ranch, the property was once used to raise alpaca. The Solon Township property, which is 176 acres in all, is bordered on the south and west by Hoxie Road. “We’re still an agricultural use, so my position is that we don’t need to go to a commercial standard driveway … We’re talking about a couple guys in pickup trucks with hunting dogs.”
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“We’re really trying to create for the hunter and dog a wild bird experience.”īutz received approval in February from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to run a licensed game bird preserve on 120 acres of land he owns in Solon Township.Ī conditional site plan for the preserve also was approved last year by Solon Township planners, and Butz is now waiting for approval of a commercial driveway variance from the Leelanau County Road Commission.īutz is asking that he not have to upgrade the existing gravel driveway for the preserve, which will not be open to the public except by reservation, he said.
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“What we’re trying to build is a series of agritourism experiences that people can have,” Butz said. They can also bring their gun dogs for some training using non-native birds such as chukars or the Tennessee red quail that are raised by Butz for training purposes. Hunters can pursue game birds such as ring-necked pheasants, ruffed grouse and American woodcock in guided “put-and-take” style outings, Butz told the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Area yak and alpaca farmer Chris Butz is expanding his agritourism offerings by opening the first game bird preserve in Leelanau County. A Michigan bird hunting trip will simply be a very cherished adventure.Cedar, Mich. So, pack your bags and hit the road (or catch a plane) for the experience of a lifetime. They start to train them from the time they are 4 months old until they are competent hunters. Michigan pheasant farms train their dogs to do just that. To be a successful hunter, you need to develop a good hunting partnership with your dogs. These dogs will assist you to find, flush out, and retrieve the birds. It depends on the type of bird you are hunting. The gun dogs you will work with may be pointing breeds, setters, flushing dogs or retrievers. We recommend a 12- or 20-gauge shotgun for upland bird hunting however, some prefer using a 16 or 28 gauge. If you have your own gun, you can use it. It can be a break-breach gun, a semi-automatic gun or another type of shotgun. You can use any type of shotgun you like. Once you sign up for a bird hunting in Michigan package, the farm can provide you with a shotgun and trained dogs at an additional cost. As experienced hunters will tell you, the fun of hunting is not in the killing but in the chase. You will have to use your hunting skills and guile to get them. But, don’t think they’ll be easy picking. Before the hunt, farms release these birds into the wild.

You can expect to hunt one or more of the following game birds of Michigan on a bird hunting farm:ĭucks, geese, and waterfowl : Snow goose, Canada goose, cackling goose, trumpeter swan, wood duck, American black duck, cinnamon teal, blue-winged teal, gadwall, northern shoveler, American wigeon, Eurasian wigeon, mallard, green-winged teal, northern pintail, redhead, and canvasback.Īmong all the game birds, pheasants are by far the most popular. Michigan has a wide variety of game birds.

The state is especially rich in game birds that bird hunters prize, including pheasants, grouse, woodcock, and turkey. And, in the western half of the Upper Peninsula, there are some of the oldest mountains in the world.īeing so well-endowed by nature, it’s no wonder that Michigan has an abundance of wildlife. Glacial landforms dominate much of the state’s land surface. This northern state has everything that makes it an ideal hunting ground – plains, hills, valleys, rivers, lakes, and forests. Michigan is one of the top destinations for bird hunting enthusiasts in the United States. What makes Michigan a great hunting ground? Michigan bird hunting farms have everything you need to make the trip an experience you will want to repeat. But, it also has some of the finest privately run bird hunting farms in the nation. The Great Lakes State is famous for its inland lakes, farms, and industries. Things to Know about Hunting Birds in MichiganĪre you into hunting pheasants and other gentlemanly pursuits in life? Then, you should consider an upland hunting trip to Michigan.
