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
THE LONG WINTER AND NATURE’S CONSEQUENCES
As residents of Michigan, we are no strangers to what winter weather entails. Some years are more difficult than others. It seems that weather can be rather cyclic in nature. Remember the blizzard of 1978? Those who were there sure do. Record snow and high winds throughout the state caused consecutive snow days, remembered fondly by those who were school age at the time. I remember me and my brother being tasked with going to town, 7 miles one way, to pick up groceries for our family on our Alouette snowmobile, something we was more … Read More
Connecticut Valley Arms – celebrating 55 years and going strong with continual new products and innovations
Connecticut Valley Arms (CVA) was first formed in 1971 to manufacture traditional sidelock muzzleloaders that were offered fully assembled or in DIY kits, both of which became immediately popular with American shooters. The timing couldn’t have been better because the revival of using muzzleloaders for hunting was gaining a steady following. Thompson Center Arms (T/C) had come out with their “Hawken” rifle in 1970, and being none too pleased with shotgun slug performance back then for local deer hunting in the shotgun zone (where muzzleloading rifles were allowed), I had opted for a .54 caliber. … Read More
Silence Can Be Golden
A growing trend in the shooting world has been the use of suppressors to quiet matters down and be a bit easier on the ears. Suppressors reduce sound intensity and are often called “silencers” which is a misnomer, because depending upon the ammunition being used, matters aren’t totally silent. It relates to whether the ammunition is supersonic which will feature a loud sonic “crack” exiting the barrel, or subsonic which will lack the noticeably sharp crack. While a couple of “silencer” patents by Swiss inventors appeared during the 1890’s, the first commercially successful introduction was … Read More
TICKS AND LYME DISEASE – “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”
Enjoying the great outdoors is so beneficial to our emotional and physical health. But how might those feel who’ve fallen victim to the effects of Lyme disease? We’re going to take a deep dive into this important topic. It seems the occurrence is on the rise, though that may well be due to better diagnostics. For many years, diagnosing this disease would prove to be quite difficult leading to missed or delayed treatment, leaving many victims suffering with the long-term effects of what can be a devastating disease. We would later learn that Lyme disease … Read More