The multiple sucker fish species in Michigan get a bit of a bum rap from some folks who consider them to be trash fish on the order of carp, which is very incorrect. Suckers get their name from their fleshy lipped mouths located on the underside of their heads and are for a fact, bottom feeders. However, they are what I consider clean bottom feeders in that they feed only on aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, worms and algae. Suckers have also been accused of eating the spawn of other game fish species and competing with … Read More
Competing with Coyotes for Turkeys
Well, my friends, deer season is behind us. The snow is gone, and those toms will soon be gobbling away in the woods this spring. Your chance to put in for a 2025 turkey hunt has come and gone but, not to worry because there will be plenty of over-the-counter tags available for purchase and that late hunt can be a good one. Last year, I told the story I called “Double Trouble” in which my good friend Andy and I doubled on a couple of nice toms. Well would you believe me if I … Read More
Remembering when a lamb suddenly turns into a lion
There is an old saying – “In like a lamb and out like a lion” and vice versa, relating to how a winter will most likely be. Some of those old sayings often bear fruit, because they have been created by years of keen observance. Around my parts, this winter came in like a lamb, somewhat anyway, which makes me wonder what spring will be like. Some of the worst snowstorms I’ve ever witnessed in my Thumb area have occurred in the spring. It doesn’t seem like 50 years have passed by so quickly, but … Read More
Nice Ice Baby!
In Northern Michigan, we are currently “Under Pressure” as ice surrounds us on all sides. It’s beautiful but deceivingly dangerous. At moments you find yourself amidst the ultimate winter wonderland as ice glistens in minute detail. Pine needles, branches, and even each blade of grass hangs in their own ice cocoon. One can’t help but marvel in God’s creation at this spectacle. But then you hear the crashing of numerous trees falling from a distance, and some very close by. Your heart rate increases briefly at the ominous danger of it all. During the … Read More