What would draw grown men to the edge of Lake Erie at 5am in the late fall? Yes, Fall. I’m just a little behind in my article chronology. This fine morning I came to find out what happens at the duck hunting drawings at the Point Mouillie Headquarters on Campau road. There were about 25 men waiting for the drawing results. As with all endeavors of chance there are those that try to sway favor their way. To this end the area manager, Joe Robinson, has listed almost 2 pages of rules to comply with in order to be eligible for a permit. Yet that doesn’t deter these men afflicted with the fever. As the numbers are drawn the best spots go first and it seemed these were the easiest to access, and they have corn. Many times the drawer for the day, Chuck Pulling, mentioned that you couldn’t wade that ditch because the water was over your head. Some areas are accessed by boat only so that’s another obstacle to overcome. Of the 12 areas for permit only 9 got picked for the morning hunt, there’s another drawing later for the afternoon hunt. Something Joe failed to mention when I first inquired about the permit process.
So only a little more than half of the hunters got a permit and it seemed like a waste of time for the unlucky ones, time which could’ve been spent sleeping in. No, the fever doesn’t allow sleeping in; you have to be ready when shooting light becomes available. Ready means all decoys are deployed and a blind or some place to sit and not be seen by incoming birds is set up. So getting a permit only allows an easier, quicker set up, the others usually already know where they’ll be. Then it becomes a matter of first come, first to set up. There are 4000 acres in the Point Mouillie State Game Area and with a little work you can find your own little paradise within it’s’ boundaries. As I left the drawing building I could hear a cacophony of duck sounds that I didn’t hear just half an hour earlier. I don’t know if it was just the normal chatter of the duck or an in your face tease like here I am come and get me.
PMSGA is considered the “Jewel of the Midwest” by many and not only duck hunters. It’s a natural flyway for ducks and many other birds and that’s what makes it so popular. Many birds use it as a reference for their migrations north and south. As I wrote last fall about the Hawkfest at Lake Erie Metropark, many birders flock to the area to catch a glimpse of birds that may only be in the area for a few days on their trips back and forth. Everyone visiting the site must follow the rules and regulations of use. The most notable is that no one is allowed within the PMSGA after September 15th and the end of duck season, usually the first weekend in December, without a permit. Call the area’s headquarters at 734-379-9692 between 8am and noon on Wednesdays only to ask any questions about permits and other subjects. Check out Jerry Jordan’s web page for info on what birds may be in the area at any time of the year. Last year while working outside at home I heard the most awful honk coming from the sky. I looked up to see a lone sandhill crane looking for a mate or just some company in its new climes.
Get Outdoors Downriver
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