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Author Topic: Da U.P elk  (Read 1406 times)

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Offline petemi

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Da U.P elk
« on: July 25, 2012, 12:16:47 AM »
I spend as little time as possible below the bridge, so I have never seen a Michigan elk.  Monday, coming home from Tony's Gun Shop in Pickford I saw my first.  We crossed I-75 headed west on M-28.  A Semi exited I-75 in front of me.  We just passed the commuter parking area on the north side of 28 when I hollered to my buddy Fred "Holy S--t, look at that".  The bull, about a 5X5 crossed south to north in front of the semi, so we couldn't see him for a couple of seconds.  He popped out on the north shoulder  and faded into the brush headed NW.  We stopped at DNR Newberry and told them what we saw.  They said they had other sightings in the same area.  I hope the old boy brought some of his ladies with him, cause he's gonna get lonely up here ::)

Pete
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Offline spruce

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2012, 11:33:29 AM »
Maybe they're like cougars and don't breed while they're in the U.P.!
 
Seriously though, that's the first I've heard of them up here.  I assume they came across on the ice looking for new territory.  Must have been a nice treat to see it.
 
Haven't been to Tony's for about a year, starting to get the itch.  They sure broke the mold when they made those guys!
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Offline petemi

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2012, 02:12:07 AM »
I've never heard of an elk on Da U.P. either.  He could have walked over from Wisconsin too, but I'm sure he would have been spotted along the way.  The thought crossed my mind that it could be an escaped Red Deer.  The DNR said others had seen him in the area, so he's probably an elk, or they were wrong too ::)   That prompts a couple of questions:  I wonder if Red Deer and Elk will interbreed?  If so, would the offspring be fertile or sterile?

The elk sighting in a way is a lot like the cougar sightings.  Like what else could it be?  My wife had a cougar cross in front of her car at nine in the morning on M-117 at Kak's Lake.  That was 10 or 12 years ago.  DNR told her she was wrong.  It was something else....a dog, wolf, coyote, bobcat.  Of course, all of those have a tail about as long as its body :o ??? ??? and are buff colored.

Tony is alive and well at 92.  He's usually at his desk wanting to sell you a raffle ticket for something.  The old guy's still on his toes.  He'll answer any question you have off the top of his head, or if in doubt, he knows where to look it up.  A remarkable guy.  It's always good to see him.  My buddy Fred picked up a brand new Ruger .40 that he's been wanting and I got another 336 .30-30 used beauty that I need like a hole in the head.  His bottom line was too good to pass up.  His grandkids are pretty much running the show now.  They're easy going guys and will work with you.  They always sweeten the pot with a box of ammo, a gun case, or something.

Spruce, shoot me a PM if you head to Tony's.  Perhaps we could meet up and go together.

Pete
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The growing Handi/Sportster/Pardner/Topper Family:  .22 WMR, .22-250. 223, Two Superlight 7mm-08s and one .243, .30-30,  .308, 32-20, 18 inch .356/.358 Win., Two 16.5 inch .357 Max., 18 inch 38-55 BC Carbine, 16.5 inch .445 Super Mag., .45LC, 16.5 and 22 inch .45-70s, .50 Huntsman SS, .410, 20 ga., 12 ga., 20 ga. Pardner Pump, Versa-Pack .410 - .22
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Offline spruce

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2012, 12:11:23 PM »
Always been treated very well at Tony's.  And man, it's really fun digging around back in the middle rows of those racks!
 
Right now it looks like sometime in September is a possibility for a trip over there.  Kind of you to offer, and yes I'd enjoy that.  I'll give you a heads-up before I go.
 
Dan
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Offline petemi

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2012, 03:59:13 AM »
We'll do that Dan.  By September, I'll be ready to scratch the itch ::)

Pete
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Keep both eyes open and make the first shot good.
The growing Handi/Sportster/Pardner/Topper Family:  .22 WMR, .22-250. 223, Two Superlight 7mm-08s and one .243, .30-30,  .308, 32-20, 18 inch .356/.358 Win., Two 16.5 inch .357 Max., 18 inch 38-55 BC Carbine, 16.5 inch .445 Super Mag., .45LC, 16.5 and 22 inch .45-70s, .50 Huntsman SS, .410, 20 ga., 12 ga., 20 ga. Pardner Pump, Versa-Pack .410 - .22
[size=7.4 pt]PLEASE DONATE TO THE GBO SERVER FUND  We're closer to the goal but not there yet, we can still use more donations, thanks

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Offline kshantz

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2012, 04:09:12 AM »
Howdy, I'm new around here, but since I live in Rudyard, I figured I'd speak up. That bull, or one like him, has been around for a few years now. My brother in law south of town here even fed him one winter. Several years ago there was a cow hanging around just south of the Soo. I heard these are from a herd the Canadians have started. Too bad our own DNR didn't think of doing it up here.
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Offline spruce

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2012, 12:22:23 PM »
Welcome to GBO kshantz!
 
Interesting information, learn something new everyday.
 
I'd guess the DNR has about all they can do managing the herd down in the Pigeon River country.  I suppose that could be one reason why there hasn't been much (if any) publicity about any elk sightings up here - the fewer people who know about it the less chance the DNR will have to get involved.  Sort of like the cougar sightings where they denied they were actually cougars for several years, then when there was positive proof they started saying they were transients just passing thru.
With as many trail cams as there are out there I'd bet it's just a matter of time before someone gets a picture of some baby cougars - wonder how they'll explain that????
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Offline kshantz

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2012, 04:07:24 PM »
Thank you for the welcome sir. :)  The cow [I think] made the Evening Snooze, but I haven't seen any print on the bull.
I take ANYTHING the DNR says with a grain of salt. People have seen cougars in the Fairview and Curran area where I grew up for decades. The DNR doubts it. I know some of the people who have, and I don't doubt them. It's the same way with fishers in the L.P. My brother saw one a long time before the DNR decided it could be possible.
As a matter of fact, I was in Tony's myself yesterday. ;)
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Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2012, 10:51:47 PM »
got to wonder if it crossed the ice in the straights or if it is just one that escaped a hunting preserve.
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Offline longwinters

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2012, 09:46:52 AM »
Hey, I get over around 117 and the Sault several times a year.  Where is this "Tony's"?  I need a new gun shop haunt.
 
Long
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Offline GRIMJIM

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2012, 11:15:53 AM »
Man, I was just up in Calumet last month. Wish I'da known about Tony's. Maybe coulda stopped on the way up.
 
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Offline petemi

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2012, 02:29:00 AM »
Tony's is on the corner of 15 Mile Road and M-129 north of Pickford.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the former range of the Woodland Caribou.  It seems they roamed the entire U.P.  Now, why do we have to have wolves in place of more Moose, Elk and the Woodland Caribou?  Years ago, about 1960 the Caribou were reintroduced to Baxter State Park in Maine.  I don't know how that herd fared.

Here's the link for the Caribou info:

http://www.borealcanada.ca/pr/documents/IBCCcariboubackgrounder.pdf

Pete
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Keep both eyes open and make the first shot good.
The growing Handi/Sportster/Pardner/Topper Family:  .22 WMR, .22-250. 223, Two Superlight 7mm-08s and one .243, .30-30,  .308, 32-20, 18 inch .356/.358 Win., Two 16.5 inch .357 Max., 18 inch 38-55 BC Carbine, 16.5 inch .445 Super Mag., .45LC, 16.5 and 22 inch .45-70s, .50 Huntsman SS, .410, 20 ga., 12 ga., 20 ga. Pardner Pump, Versa-Pack .410 - .22
[size=7.4 pt]PLEASE DONATE TO THE GBO SERVER FUND  We're closer to the goal but not there yet, we can still use more donations, thanks

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Offline yooperamoungtrolls

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2012, 07:50:58 AM »
I believe back in the 20's or 30's the DNR attemped to reintroduce the woodland Caribou around the Shingleton area. I recall seeing some old B&W photos from the research station at Cusino in some old magizne.

  I recall my dad took me to Tony's MANY many moons ago. I got my first H&R 20ga and a Marlin .22 for my 12th birthday. I stll have them both.

 In 100's of trips I have made back to the Central UP Ive only seen one Elk passing through the Pigon River Forest area, a young cow that was hit on I-75. Sad to see, and I would have hated to be the driver of the car.

 Its been more than 20 years since I saw a cougar in the UP. It was during winter break  from Northern rabbit hunting between Au Train and Chatam. I was driving down Rock River road when it came out of the pines on one side of the road. into the middle of the road took a short hop and then COMPLETELY cleared the snowbank on the other side and was gone into a cedar swamp. There was an old guy in a beat up blue Dodge coming the other way. We stopped side by side and at about the same time said, "did you see that?".
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Offline kshantz

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Re: Da U.P elk
« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2012, 04:53:26 PM »
Hey Pete, your elk made the Soo paper today, page three. Sounds like the same spot, too. :)
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