Arived in Montmorency co. and around 8 AM, indending to check out fields for elk, and do a bit of trout fishing, before heading down to the Oscoda Co. area later in the day.
Unfortunatly, severe storms had gone through earlier in the AM, closing almost all the forest roads to through traffic. I managed to go around, and over, a few smaller trees, but most roads at some point became impassible.
I saw 3 elk, bunches of deer and turkey, a set of bear tracks, but nothing remotely squatchy.
Took some cool pics(alas, not of the elk, they were glimpst just briefly, moving accross a logging road), mainly to give an idea of just "squatchy looking" this area is!
Oh, due to the rain, the rivers were high and stained, making fishing difficult(3 small brook trout for my efforts, all duely released to grow up).
Moved down to Oscoda co. at about 3 in afternoon, mainly to survey are area around Foley Swamp.
It is mile after mile of dusty, oak/jackpine forest, interspresed with small areas of hardwoods. I drove for nearly 30 miles on the main highway(M-72), and saw at most a half dozen small farms.).
The terrain/flora of Oscoda(and much of the N.E. lower), consists of almost complete forest cover, made up primarily of red and jack pine, oak, and popplar, with considerably maple/beech forest in some areas.
Lowlands are almost all pruce/cedar, very reminiscent of taigia.(took several photos of this, to illustrate the "look" of the area). I will post some pics in a couple of days.
I decided to drive whatever open roads I could find in the area of the swamp, and decided to work my way up every small two-track road that entered it. Again, no sign of anything squatchy at all(well, lots of teepee's and tree breaks...but you all likely know my ideas oh the validity of them as squatch sighn...), no tracks, no baby pine trees hanging in larger trees.
One reason I was there was to see if I could locate the general area that the alleged encounters mentioned in other threads was happening. I did not find any place I could say for sure, but I did find 3 camps, 2 of which had signs of recent use. Both of them very closely resembled the background photos from the other thread, including the pine plantations, and the cut tree truck sections laying around camp.
At about dusk, I tried some tree knocks from a low ridge overlooking a cut-over near the swamp. Nothing. I then fired up the predator call with both coyote calls and fawn bleats. I DID get something very large to come in to that!!
It came quickly, almost to within sight, but then just went quiet. Initialy lots of cracking brush and such, but never came into sight. I did not see anything(by now, it was essentialy dark), and never heard it leave, but the sound just quit.
The locaton I chose for the predator call attempt was a "slot" between the main body of the swamp(at least, the edge of it), and the afformentioned clearcut. The clearcut has grown up into a very thick area of aspen and small spruce, and was bordered on one side by the swamp, and the other by a low hill with more open jack pine and red pine. A small dirt road crosses behind where the sound came from, so after a half hour of nothing(although I admit, it was VERY creepy feeling back in there), I decided to drive the road using my spotlight to try to find some tracks of what had made the comotion. NO tracks at all(not even deer tracks) crossed that road(two track road). The dirt was very hard packed there, so finding tracks in daylight would have been a challenge, fwiw.
What was it?...I think it was a bear. They will come into a predator call, and act very much like that. They can also be totaly silent, and I suspect what happend it is came in, scented me, and quietly left.
I will say that the entire area has a very "edgy" feeling, and I would be at least a bit uncomfortable spending a night there alone. Not terrified, not even "scared", it was more just an out of place feeling...as if I did not belong...strange.
This, however, I think easily attributable to the simple fact that I know the reputation of the area, and was EXPECTING to feel that way. I would only think it more telling if someone with no idea of the history of squatch sightings, were to go in and feel the same way.
Anyway...no tracks or anything cool like that, but lots of stunning country seen, I will for sure be making some more trips up there.
Will again, post some pics of the area when I get them developed.

Great report Nightwing! Can't wait to see the pictures.

Thanks.

I second that.

very interesting Nightwing. I want to see the pictures to.

You already know my thoughts. Glad you had a good time.

I was in Oscoda a week and a half ago as well. I don't know if you experienced this, but when I was there, an incredable amount of bear hunters were training their dogs in the area. They would drag chains over the dirt roads at around midnight, to clean the roads of tracks. At first light, they were back, and letting their dogs run. I got to talk to one group the next morning because they were missing one of their dogs. They told me that bears had crossed on both sides of my camp, but that was the only signs of mammal life I experienced the entire weekend. I did not even see a measly deer track. Throughout the weekend, I saw 8 different groups of bear hunters training their dogs, and attributed the lack of wildlife activity to them. Were any bear hunters up there when you were up there nightwing, because I decided not to go back up there until the bear hunting season is over in late September.

Also, would you mind telling me where Foley swamp is. I searched all over all my topos of the area after reading the Chicago Tribune article, but could never find it.

I saw only one hunter, and he was loading 30 gallon drums onto his quad, I expect, to set a bait.
No one running dogs, as far as I could see.
Maybe becasue I was there on a weekday instead of a weekend?
Most of the day, I spent in Montmorency Co., in the Pigeon river country, and so many of the roads were blocked by fallen trees, maybe that had something to do with it also.
I did see some old bear tracks, but the heavy rain the evening before had whiped out almost everything.
I saw lots of deer(got a picture of one), and a couple of elk.
Foley swamp is N.W. of Luzern, running to the east of foley rd. It is between M-72(roughly 2 miles north of the highway) and the river.
The clear cut where I had the call response is on the S.E. part.

Great report, Night. I was eagerly waiting for it. Too bad you didnt have any activity. Did you camp overnight anywhere? How long were you there? Did you try luring anything in with food smells? If you didnt camp, how late were you out there? Seems a good time, as far as I can tell, would be between midnight and say 4 A.M. Hopefully I will have better luck in Sept. but I'm not going to get my hopes up too high. Thanks a bunch for the report.

Only there for a day trip Angie, I stayed until just about dark.
I didn't end up camping, as I ended up having morning obligations down home.
No food smell attempts or anything, as I didn't figure to be in any one spot long enough for that to work.
I am going to give the call another shot, as I was happy with an initial response, regardless of what it was that came in.
Good luck in September, keep us updated, stay impartial, stay safe.

Good report, NW.

Testing fish's panorama image idea(yep fish, that is a cool program)...
A compilation of a couple of the main roads in the pigeon river state forest.

alrighty then...I think I'll make em a bit smaller!

OK..here are the pics.
first one is just some of the roads in the area, showing general flora.
I am using the bottom one as my new background...I just came out as the classic north woods two-track, ironicaly better than any image of such I have been able to find on the web(I guess if ya can't get the pic ya want, you just gotta go find it yourself).

more pics. additonal flora of the area. There are a great many swamps and wetlands, all of which are predominantly spruce and cedar. Lots of winter food there, for something that likes evergreen needles....

some of the streams, for shaman..

Note the odd bent tree in the top one, and the clear "tree break" in the second.
The bent tree very neatly blocks the only passable access road to an area of several thousand acres....
These were the only things that looked remotely unusual.
Neither is even close to anthing I would consider claiming as squatch sign, but hey, it's what I got.

Logging is an active part of Michigans national forests. Here area a some images of clearcut areas, that in a few years will provide a ton of brows for the elk and deer.

The blocked trailhead is leading into Foley Swamp...sight of many squatch sightings aren reports in Michigan, a very active area.
The bottom image is looking into the thick, older clear cut area that I had the predator call response from.

these last 3 posts will just have additinal flora images..
As you can see, this is a very wild, and beautifull area.

....

almost done.
Grove of red pines.

Ah, proof that the great American Redneck ain't exclusive to the southland..
I don't think you could add another "redneck indicator" to this picture. Ya gots yer truck on blocks, yer giant Merican' flag, your woodpile out back, your cement block on the roof, your assorted junk scattered around the yard, your OTHER cars on blocks, even a teeter totter made of a 2x8 and an old stump..
At least the yard is mowed...
I wonder how many times a squatch as peeked in that their back window

The vast majority of the clearcut areas in Oscoda County are not for the purpose of logging. The general area is the only know breeding area of the Kirkland Warbler, which is the rarest Warbler in the world. There are currently about 1000 nesting pairs compared to the 167 males that were counted in 1987. The Kirkland will only nest in recent forest fire areas. The government does control burns in areas and then cuts down all the standing trees for habitat. There will actually be a initiative next years election to make the Kirkland Warbler the state bird of MI.

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/kirtwarb.htm

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/non-game...and_warbler.htm

I also wanted to ask if there was any info on the sign as to why the road was closed to vehicles in the Foley swamp pic. Is it a foot path or a closed road?

Thank You for the pics.

Thanks for the Kirtlands Warbler info. I was somewhat familiar with them, and nice to know that the areas in question are for a good cause.
BTW, the top two pics are from the pigeon river country, north of Oscoda, so not sure it that would still fall into the Kirtland warbler area or not. The bottom pic was just near Foley road. That does, however, explain all the signs I saw saying "Endangered species area, no entry without permit".
As to the blocked road, it looked like an old two track. The sign said foot traffic only, so I suppose it was to reduce vehicle traffic into the area. That gate was at one of the two camp sites I found, with recent activity, and the path led into a pine plantation, then turned into the swamp itself. Basicaly, looked like a converted hiking trail.

Cool pictures Nightwing. Thanks for sharing.

The one of the "homestead" made my heart flutter....looked just like my neighbor's yard.

Those are some great pics, Night. We usually go to that area every year on Labor Day weekend. Alas, we are missing out this year. Missing a great get-together at some friends of ours. Hopefully that Sept. trip will make up for it.

Yeah, those Warblers, they have land that we cant access legally. There's a bunch of Warbler area on the McKinley side too.

This continues to become more interesting. Thanks for the insight with the pics Night and bringing up the situation regarding the warbler. That
would make it a hot point for very serious wildlife management. No wonder there are areas there that are unaccessable.

yeah, signs all over th place up there bout th kirklands warbler.

ah, night, i should have mentioned this earlier.

south branch ausauble, outside roscommon. is a preserve that was owned long ago by some big General Motors exec who, when he died, gave it to th state on th condition that it never be used for anything but a haven for sportsmen. th sign at th entrance starts off.."sportsman, slow your pace.." its a supercool sign and well worth seeing.

unfortunately i cant recall th actual name of th place. is a road crosses th south branch just a couple three miles outside of roscommon proper.

this is th scene of my personally famous and best fishing trip ever. this one i got out of th car before dawn and walked down to th river.
as th sky turned grey from black and one could begin to see through th mist on th little river, i noticed a fairly good sized brookie rising right there across from where i stood, feedin on spinners.

i watched him, knowing i could string up th rod, knowing i could make th cast, knowing i would catch him.

i stood and watched and felt th glory of the morning unfold and there were trout.

i got into th car, drove to roscommon and had a danged good breakfast at that one-end-sunken-building-all-crooked-floors-too diner at th main four way intersection in town.

i call it my most sucessfull trout fishing trip ever.

the preserve has roads through it but there is NO overnight camping.

[edit] ok i couldnt stand not remembering so i drug out th michigan topos and its off 18 up chase bridge road tween th road crossin south branch and canoe harbor up to th north. the preserve is not listed here by name, buts its all th land on, if i rememebr right, th western side of th river through there. th southern entrance is bout a quarter to a half mile past th bridge over th south branch. 18 is th border of crawford and roscommon counties there.

Nightwing, nice pics! Beautiful area. Heck, if I was a Squatch, I'd wanna live there! Well, at least until late fall, when I'd migrate south and winter-over as a Skunk Ape.

Shaman, I believe you are refering to the Mason Tract.
I saw a sign for it pointing south off of 72, but didn't get down to visit it.

yes night, believe your correct there, mason does seem to ring a bell. th river along that stretch is simply magnificent. that is until th "aluminum hatch" happens on a weekend. gotta fish that river there on th weekdays. bout th same as main ausauble for th canoes.

Stream..there are thousands of acres of not only roadless, but non-human entry(for about half the year) forest there.
The other thing I noticed was a total lack of houses in most areas. Even the areas with access have NO ON LIVING there, for many, many miles in any direction.
Very much reminiscent of the U.P., northern Mn. and Wis.
Also, this area has a high bear population.
Bears, being omnivors, seem a good indicator of if an area can support large omnivors.

nightwing is totally correct. is some sure nuff wild areas still up there.


i developed a dream when i was up there bouncing around. that was to hit about three months of 7 day a week(if i could handle it that long) and just go BUY about ten or so acres up there surrounded by state or gov land.

its up there, sometimes(ok , this is four year old intel, of course) for as little as a grand an acre and WITH sometimes electricity and even a well and septic installed on th land.

one tract in particular i got all excited about was up by...uhh. dang..maple river runs right by th town. dang dang, hang on a moment...(lookin atg topos)....ah, pellston.
yes, about five miles outside of pellston to th northwest. state land on two sides. 20 acres, electricity, well, no sewer...18 grand. 18 freakin grand.

i gotta say nightwing is really messin me up posting these michigan pics and talkin bout runnin round up there.

dream retirement: small tract in upper mitten for th summer, east texas or texas coast winter.

and hey, only 15 years fore i can retire with pension at 55

too bad ive wrecked my life to th point if i tried to retire at 55 id have to go right back to work, hee hee

A truck full of handyman tools, a good dog, a fly rod, a 12ga shotgun, a 24ft camp trailer and a lifetime of dreams is all a man really needs to retire, shaman...

Everything else will fall into place as is was meant to be...


...in this country boy's opinion, anyways...

A GRAND an acre...
Heck shaman...I found a cabin in the U.P., just off of a branch of the Tequenomon(I just KNOW I butcherd the spelling on that one..)....
45 acres, 1 bedroom log cabin, w/ propane(no electricity...that's what the propane was for), at the end of a 15 mile two track(yep..a bit of a challenge in winter, with 5 feet of snow on the ground)...
For $25,000......
I should have just droped everything, grubbed up the down payment, and moved on north....

Beauty guys. Nweh: You might.

wow night, sounded like a deal.

course land in th UP with its 36 or so hours of summer wouldnt be for me!!

its kinda like th 300 buck an acre land out west texas, nearest electric forty miles, water is RIGHT there though, only have to go straight down a thousand feet through solid rock to get it. blast fencepost holes with dynamite. and th summers tend to get a little grim.

had a friend actually bought 20 acres for 2500 bucks a few years back. what he did or is gonna do with it is unknown. it was not too far out of th big bend area. thats about as rugged as it gets out there.

RB, you forgot willing nymphomaniac blonde who thinks old geezers are th best as part of th retirement kit.

Sha you got touch.

Oh, you're right, shaman!

But I figuured the blonde nympho goes with saying...

And she doesn't even have to be able to cook!