The family farm rests atop a range of hills above the Cass River. Whenever I had any free time as a farm kid during the summer, my favorite fishing holes were only a 10-minute bicycle ride away. My fishing gear was on the simplistic side, featuring a Zebco 202 spin casting rod and reel and only a couple red and white Eppinger dardevle lures, one small and the other medium sized. Nothing more was needed to catch rock bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike. A beauty of dardevle lures is they offer the perfect weight … Read More
IT IS WELL WITH MY POLE -The Spiritual Side of Fishing-
Stream time is sacred, an opportunity to commune with nature. This has always been God’s plan for us. Check out the Bible, Genesis 1:20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Mankind has enjoyed the … Read More
The Legends Ranch dedicated to passing on promoting wildlife conservation and the hunting heritage to future generations
Featuring over 2000 acres of very diverse woodland habitat, including cedar-shrouded swamps and rolling terrain cloaked in a mix of dense conifers and hardwoods, the Legends Ranch near Bitley, Michigan, is the brainchild of a worldwide hunter, Arthur Gutierrez Sr, who wished to create a well-managed whitetail hunting paradise in 1998. The property is surrounded by high-fence to assist in developing and maintaining great genetics in very large-antlered whitetail bucks, and the Legends Ranch has become well known for its outstanding trophies. Due to the very spacious and mixed-habitat terrain, this is not a typical … Read More
Dramatic and very timely changes are in place for Michigan’s 2026 Firearms Deer season
During the early 20th century, deer hunting had been put on hold in southern Michigan for quite a while to allow whitetail deer numbers, which had previously been decimated, to rebound back. Its first deer season occurred in 1948, and because state officials believed too many hunters would be crammed together on the smaller state game areas found in southern Michigan, it was determined to establish what would become known as the “shotgun zone” for what they thought were safety reasons. The first couple of seasons allowed only buckshot to be used, but eventually shotgun … Read More
A spring gobbler rendezvous
It was 5 am on May 2nd, the opening morning of Michigan’s recent 0234 spring turkey season in Arenac County. Stars sparkled in a clear, predawn black sky and frost covered the ground. We quietly eased our way through dense cover to a hunting blind placed there the day before, and there was no wind to speak of, which was blessing after having a steady supply of strong winds statewide this spring, not to mention plenty of rain as well. Once in the tent-blind, we sat down to patiently wait for daylight to slowly ease … Read More
ALL IN THE FAMILY -Turkey Trifecta 2026-
Nothing brings family together like traditions. When that tradition includes an interlude with nature, especially where hunting is involved, lifelong bonds are strengthened. This spring, during the opening week of Turkey Season, there was much to celebrate when 3 generations from the same family each tagged a tom. First up was the patriarch of the family, Richard Compeau, age 85. This was actually his first turkey, though his hunting experience of other wildlife has been an important part of his life from his early years. On this day, Richard was sitting in a tent blind … Read More
Big change is coming to Michigan Deer season
It’s all-over social media pages, it’s flooding YouTube and it sounds like it’s coming whether you like it or not. When I began hunting as a child, I remember the days when you had to put into a draw or lottery system just to obtain one antlerless deer permit. For many years, that was necessary to allow the Michigan deer herd to grow. Back then, a hunter was allowed to purchase an archery deer tag which was good for an antlered deer or an antlerless deer, then that same hunter was allowed to purchase a … Read More
The feathered harbingers of spring
In my opinion the robin gets too much credit for being the harbinger of spring. Sure, most robins migrate each fall from Michigan to warmer places for the winter, but a few do remain behind in brushy creek and river bottoms and make an occasional appearance like a single bird or two here and there to confuse folks as to whether we are in for an early spring. I saw a couple robins on my farm a couple months ago feeding on small crabapples in our yard, back when the sugar maple sap began flowing … Read More
The kayak – today’s king of Michigan’s bountiful waterways
The kayak is a very specialized canoe which was first invented about 5,000 years ago by indigenous Inuit, Aleut and yupik people. It was constructed using a driftwood or whalebone frame that was covered with animal skins waterproofed by animal fat. Called a “qajak” (hunter’s boat), it was used to hunt sea mammals in frigid Arctic waters and was major means for survival in a harsh and often unforgiving environment. They were tailormade to fit the user who wore a special waterproofed skin jacket called a “tuilik” that was attached to the kayak and prevented … Read More
THE ICE STORM OF ‘25 -ONE YEAR LATER-
The historic ice storm of ‘25 is behind us, but what are the lingering effects one year later? The effects are still a visible spectacle in many areas. What seemed less evident during the flourishing summer months when the deciduous trees were full with their yearly display of leaves would prove to be a ruse. As these leaves dropped in their usual fashion, having served as a masquerade of sorts, especially once winter was in full swing, the ugly truth was exposed as the inner ruins of the forests stood before us. Once spring arrives, … Read More