Generally, I prefer to handle my own problem wildlife issues around my home, such as dealing with destructive garden-raiding raccoons (which once tried to reside in my attic), and I have usually been successful. That is until now. Red squirrels are considered as being pests in Michigan, and I fully agree. I used to have both fox and gray squirrels (the larger tree-squirrel species) near our home, and I much enjoyed watching their antics, especially viewing all they went through to raid my birdfeeders. I had an ongoing and enjoyable contest in finding ways to … Read More
The beautiful jewel of the Straits which takes you back in time
There is no question that when you step off a ferry boat onto Mackinac Island, you are taking a literal step back into time, very similar to the late 19th Century. This is because motor vehicles have been banned (with the exception of emergency vehicles such as fire and ambulance, and on rare occasions, the Michigan State Police can be seen driving around in a vintage 1930’s patrol car). Commerce here depends solely upon horses, and tourists have a choice of walking, using bicycles or riding in carriages pulled by horses. Everything goes at a … Read More
Dependable ‘Chuck rifles – tools for a great summertime outdoor adventure
My first hunting trip to Canada 40 years ago might surprise most folks. It wasn’t for moose or bear, but rather for that ground-dwelling rodent called a woodchuck. The area was rolling farm country interspersed with hardwoods and stone fences, and it gave you the impression that you were in New England, and not Ontario farm country on the Bruce Peninsula. My three hunting companions were avid woodchuck hunters, who lived and breathed the pastime. When most hunters look upon spring/summer as an off-season period, it is the time when woodchuck hunters shine. The Ontario … Read More
The First Annual Free Cass River Rough Fish Derby was a great day for all
The Dead Waters of the Cass River has a lot of local history associated with it. Its name has nothing to do with being stagnant but is in reference to the fact that it lacks very little current caused by a pair of river-wide limestone shelves located over a mile apart creating a natural basin possessing a unique limestone-associated river bottom topography. In essence, it is a long and narrow lake. In 1900, a wooden bridge spanned where M-53 is now located, and where Pinney Lodge catered to visiting anglers, and even … Read More
Ticks – an unseen and often unnoticed menace ready and waiting in Michigan’s great outdoors.
While growing up on a Thumb area farm and enjoying local outdoor pastimes such as fishing, hunting and camping whenever possible, I don’t remember ever seeing a tick. However, that has all changed in recent years, and last year was one of the worst in my memory. This is in relation to my kennel of hunting dogs which entails two mountain curs, a redbone coonhound and a German shorthair pointer. I consider all my dogs to be versatile hunting dogs and use them for just about everything which primarily include hunting for squirrels, rabbits and … Read More
Anticipating when the wonderful birds of spring finally arrive in Michigan
The robin seems to get all the glory of being the key harbinger of spring in Michigan, and in some ways that is true. However, not all robins migrate south in the fall, with some of them wintering through, where habitat will allow, such as river bottoms. I often hear folks believing we are going to have an early spring when they have sighted robins in January and February, but I am sure they have had an occasional sighting of winter holdouts. I put more faith in seeing male redwing blackbirds, which normally show up … Read More
I Wonder As I Wander
Sounds like a Christmas Carol, right? That’s not what I’m going for here. Afterall, we just celebrated The Resurrection. It will be a few months before we celebrate His birth again. Let’s enjoy this season and the wonders it entails, such as… Can the pursuit of Morel Mushrooms in Michigan inspire one to answer some of life’s thought-provoking questions? I’d like to think that indeed it can. While I enjoy a few mushrooms in various foods, the real draw is the challenge of the hunt and the feeling of satisfaction when success is finally achieved. … Read More
There’s More To Be Said
As the legendary musician, Dave Matthews says…. “So much to say, so much to say, so much to SAY!” So does Gary Morgan have a lot to say, or at least his blog, newsletter, and podcast do. These voices have come from many sources over the years, from outdoor writers, some who are members of the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA), to some who just enjoy writing as a hobby or happen to have a natural gift or interest in related topics. Of course, there are many with the gift of gab or have a … Read More
“Turkeyology 101”
I never really hunted turkey with any regularity and seriousness until 2016, when I booked a hunt Gary Morgan. I have hunted several more times with Gary on his turkey hunts and I always seem to learn at least one new thing each time I go. I knew next to nothing about calling, setting up decoys, and shotguns/choke tubes as they related to turkey hunting, . I have learned a great deal over the past 10 years and now I have a decent knowledge base, a great deal of which I learned from Gary Morgan, … Read More
Kayaking in an Abandoned Mine
Have you ever paddled a kayak in an abandoned, underground mine? Well folks, this year on our spring break trip to Kentucky, we did exactly that. We have been paddling for almost ten years now, ever since my wife surprised me on my fortieth birthday with a guided adventure paddling the Pictured Rocks along Michigan’s shorelines on Lake Superior. After that trip, we came home and went kayaking crazy. We bought ourselves a used Old Town Loon tandem as well as a couple of cheap Sun Dolphins for the kids. Over the next several years we … Read More