Jack-o-lanterns and whitetail deer have something in common because Halloween is the key timeframe when the whitetail rut in Michigan starts warming up. It is a time when using various deer vocalizations, as well as rattling, can pay dividends for hunters. I’ve been using deer vocalizations and rattling for quite some time, and knowing what call to use, and when, was a trial-and-error learning process. Calling in whitetails remains to be my favorite deer hunting technique, and today there are even how-to DVD’s available along with a wide array of deer calls, and with something … Read More
“The Chamber Flashbacks” – Holly Holy
By now, if you’ve been following our Chamber of Flashbacks, you might wonder how it is that Ross has made it this far? This final Ross feature is a tribute to his lovely wife, Holly. We consider her to be practically a saint for all she’s endured, thus our title track, Holly Holy. (Neil Diamond fan here.) Throughout his career and even in retirement, Ross marches to the beat of his own drum. This means that he fills his time how he chooses and is very much an individual thinker. Sometimes with “genius,” it’s difficult … Read More
A Bear Hunt To Remember
I will miss the call of the Raven and the sound its wings made as it took flight. I will miss the hoot of the owl, and the feeling that I felt as I wondered what might be lurking in the woods around me as I waited patiently for a Michigan Black bear to appear. My friend Andy drew a first-hunt bear tag for Michigan’s Red Oak unit in 2023, and he harvested a bear the last night of his hunt with Gary Morgan and Wild Game Dynasty that year. As for me, well I … Read More
“The Chamber of Flashbacks” – The Kid In The Candy Shop
Preparing baits for bear camp creates a sweet, sticky mess. Bears crave sweets and when they’re in the mode to beef up in preparation for hibernation, what better place than the well prepared cookie bait or bait pile. Procuring bait for bear season begins long before the hunt. Outfitters build relationships with businesses, such as bakeries and restaurants, arranging to have them save their day old or expired goods to use as bait. Setting this stuff aside may be inconvenient for them, as it takes up space. So the outfitter is tasked with timely pick … Read More
Life Is A Highway
There has been a lot of traffic at our place in recent months, so much so, that a particular song came to mind… “Life is a highway. I want to ride it all night long,” by Rascal Flatts. Even at dusk and dawn, we’re enjoying the unexpected wildlife sightings from our front row seats, though for the late night jaunts, we can only guess. They nonchalantly parade past our sliding door as if they own the place, and in reality, it is theirs, as they were likely here first. We share this outdoor paradise. We’ve … Read More
A Glimpse Of Bear Camp
For the first time in my life, I went hunting. Unless you count the time in Florida when I rode around on a 4 wheeler in pursuit of wild boar for maybe an hour, then yes, this is a first. (BTW, we did not see a boar.) Who would choose bear hunting for their maiden voyage, you ask? Only the wife of Gary Morgan. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ep-LKGtQEWA Apparently for several years, Gary would submit for preference points for bear hunting on my behalf. Initially unknown to me, he had hopes that I would at some point express … Read More
Crossbow hunting adventures and discovering an ancient and simplistic design made better than ever
Since 2009, crossbows have become quite popular with Michigan deer hunters due to their handling characteristics which are very similar to a rifle. I noticed this right at the get-go the first time I shot one, but there is a learning curve while getting acquainted, such as a crossbow is a crossbow, and not a rifle. In my opinion, it is a close-range hunting tool, and I prefer to keep matters at 40 yards or less, and generally less. I’ve taken a couple whitetails near the 40-yard mark, but the majority have been taken, quite … Read More
The Chamber Of Flashbacks – Palley’s Pate’
Ross has a way with blenders. Ask his buddy John and other witnesses to this iconic event. Let’s begin by defining Pate’: a paste-like food, typically made from ground meat, often combined with fat, seasonings, and sometimes alcohol. Neither fat nor seasonings were added to this dish, though alcohol may have been involved. In preparation for bear baiting, Ross was to prepare the castor gland pate’, which is obtained from beaver, and provides an irresistible aroma to allure bears. Palley would lack patience on this fateful day, as his efforts to blend frozen castor glands … Read More
The Big Pay Off
I’m not talking about greenbacks here. I’m referring to the occasional benefits reaped from the fishing stream, despite myself. Those who venture into the stream often face challenges that provide many lessons in life. Certainly patience, preparation, and dealing with adversity are among these lessons. I have had an ongoing battle, so to speak, in a specific fishing hole within a particular small fishing stream. The operative word here is “small.” As such, the downed trees and branches create obstacles that while they make great habitat for the local fish, they make it nearly impossible … Read More
Putting a focus on targeting prime venison
One of the most daunting tasks for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is to get deer hunters to harvest a doe and when you check out the data of the overall annual deer harvest, antlered deer always outnumber antlerless deer. It is readily apparent that decades of a hunting tradition passed down through generations of Michigan deer hunters, that a female deer is the “Sacred Doe” of the forest, and making killing a doe in the past a literal taboo in the deer woods. This deeply seated attitude relates to Michigan creating the “Bucks … Read More