Managing Editor:
James Perry

By Steve Galea

Hunting and fishing wouldn't be the same if the locations we chose were any less spectacular than they generally are. Most of us hunt and fish because we love to see wild places and the majesty of nature. I'd even go so far as to say that the game is secondary. But when both of these things come together, the experience can be truly magical.

That's the sort of place Drummond Island is. For those who like to explore, there's nearly 90,000 acres of wilderness with over half of it state owned. Add to that dozens of satellite islands, forty inland lakes, and accommodations to suit almost any sportsman.

There's a network of over 65 miles of All Terrain Vehicle trails. Naturally, ATVs can be used to traverse these scenic pathways. Aside from the ATV trails, there are hundreds of smaller, wilder trails that crisscross the cedar and hardwood stands.

Located in Michigan's rugged Upper Peninsula, Drummond Island is at once wild and elegant, rustic but with just the right touch of civilization. It's a four season island, but autumn here will take your breath away. With a brilliant palette of leaves screening a fresh blue sky, Drummond in the fall is pure northern beauty.

In short, it's a place that caters to sportsman and their spouses too. Here you can look through a stand of cedar as the sun rises and expect to see the ghostlike movement of deer slipping through them. Or you can set your decoys out in one of the many bays and watch the sun slide toward a golden horizon. By then, you might have already given your retriever a good workout. Geese and waterfowl abound. It's one of the finest waterfowling spots in the Midwest. The island itself is bigger than first sight suggests with approximately 150 miles of stony shoreline for late season geese and divers and numerous back bays, creeks, and marshes for puddle ducks.

The problem is an age old one. Too many choices. 

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Jumbo perch can be caught in the bays and waters around the island. And if you've never has a perch feed, you have not really lived life to the fullest. The autumn run starts in September and continues through to November. Pike fishing heats up as the waters cools. And although the season ends at the end of October, now is primetime to catch a great northern lunker. The red and white or five of diamonds spoon is a sure bet when it comes to having old Esox put a bend in the rod.

Then again you might be an upland bird hunter. In which case the island is as close to paradise as it gets.

Picture you and your dog traversing thickets of hawthorns and cedar. Suddenly, the bell stops ringing, and there he is, every fiber of his being locked in a staunch point. Nose low, tail high, he faces the base of a hawthorn. He's done his job, the rest is up to you. You step forward, gun ready, heart racing. Suddenly, the whir of a woodcock rising somehow manages to catch you by surprise. Your gun shoulders instinctively and you slap the trigger as he crosses the open. Hit or miss, you smile.

Drummond Island is full of experiences like this. The woodcock flights pass through in October and November. The island is a major stopover for migratory birds. At times, the action is nothing short of spectacular. Excellent ruffed grouse shooting can be had from September to November. The island is a superb place to break in that new bird dog. There is a lot of room to hunt because 55 percent of the Island is state land available for public use. The trail systems are great edge cover for grouse.

But if you'd rather hunt in more controlled environments, preserve shoots complete with guides and dogs can be arranged. Additionally, pheasant, chukar, and quail shooting can be organized.

Snowshoe hare are a local favorite and provide exciting and productive hunts too. The island has perfect habitat for these snow ghosts--cedar swamps and thickets. They'll explode from the brush pile beside you and challenge your gunning abilities. A beagle man would love this place. The dog would think it had died and gone to heaven.

And last but not least is Drummond's fine deer hunting. The island is home to some big deer. Archers can pursue these north woods monarchs from October to mid-November. This is followed by a two-week rifle season that is generally timed to the peak of the rut. And when the rifles are packed away, the bowhunters can pursue whitetails once again, until year's end. In December, hunting around the cedar swamps pays big dividends. It's like I said--too many choices. And maybe, while you're out there breathing that fresh northern air, you might even decide where to start. Yeah, right.

To find out more, call The Drummond Island Tourist Association at 906-493-5245 or 800-737-8666, or write them at P.O. Box 200, Drummond Island, MI 49726. For a complete list of fishing and hunting regulations, check the Department of Natural Resources.

Copyright (c) 2000 Steve Galea. All rights reserved.