The late Mack Seney of Reese had his share of memories, with a couple of them relating to being very lucky. The first relates to a day in 1944 as an infantryman with 35th Infantry Division in France during World War II. The German forces were being pushed back so fast that American soldiers had to hitch rides on any sort of vehicle they could, including on top of tanks, to maintain the front line. Mack was in the back of a truck when it screeched to a stop and everyone was bailing out and … Read More
.41 Great Lakes – a new and truly amazing straight wall cartridge
When Michigan’s Shotgun Zone became the Limited Firearms Zone in 2014, it would completely change the complexion of deer hunting in southern Michigan, and other midwestern states with shotgun zones would soon follow suit with similar formats. A key feature is that only straight wall cartridges .35 caliber or larger, with a minimum case length of 1.16 inches and maximum case length of 1.80 inches are allowed. This is a straightforward approach which is easy to understand, and I do appreciate it. This would easily allow handgun-related calibers to be used in rifles, and I … Read More
Buckshot – an often misunderstood and maligned deer round
Buckshot has a long history of being a useful and efficient element in the American deer woods which dates from the flintlock era until now. It turns smoothbore firearms typically used for firing birdshot at small game, wild turkeys and waterfowl into useful hunting pieces for bagging larger game, such deer and wild hogs. It remains to be a favorite round for hunting in southern states per swampy and thick areas where even seeing the quarry is a close-up, fast-moving encounter in dense cover, an atmosphere for which buckshot is ideally suited. Single projectiles are … Read More
Arrowheads – A Steady Evolution
Being able to create fire was, without question, the main element for helping prehistoric humans to begin climbing up the food chain. Creating fire may have led to another advancement, the creation of the bow and arrow. I can easily see a “Firestarter” using the bow and stick used for drilling into a piece of wood to create friction and thus fire, playing around with matters once a fire was created. It would be discovered the bow could cast the starter- stick quite a way, and the lights came on to create a larger version … Read More
Venison – which is an annual fall harvest for a lot of folks
November 15th is a revered day for Michigan deer hunters, and it is when the majority of deer are harvested statewide each year. It also represents a very busy timeframe for meat processors and good venison has a very succulent nature which is a primary meat source for my family that we all enjoy. I was a state meat inspector for almost 12 years, working on various “kill-floors” in slaughterhouses, where I did ante-mortem (making sure animals to be slaughtered were in a healthy state) and post-mortem (performing an autopsy of sorts) inspections to assure … Read More
Hunting Michigan’s Wild Roosters
The annual opening of Michigan’s pheasant season on October 20th is a revered day for me, and has been since I was a kid. My first memories of hunting are of being in the fields of our farm with visiting pheasant hunters and their bird dogs. There were the sounds of dog whistles, shouts, cackling roosters rising and gunfire followed by the pungent scent of burnt gunpowder in the crisp autumn air. Yep, folks, to say this great outdoor experience is deeply engrained into my being to this day is an understatement. I feel blessed … Read More
Bow Season! …it is finally here.
The first day of October represents the start of Michigan’s archery deer season, and it is a long-awaited timeframe for a lot of avid bowhunters, me included. Often referred to as being “bow season”, it is an outdoor pastime I have enjoyed for over 60 years, and I have a lot of fine memories, as well as I’ve been able to witness an evolution of sorts, especially regarding gear and employed hunting techniques. My first bow and arrows were something I crafted when I was a farm kid, using a green limb from our orchard … Read More
Southern Michigan’s Limited Firearms Zone is celebrating its 10th anniversary
By the early 20th Century, there were very few whitetail deer found in southern Michigan, which resulted in closing the annual deer season in that region for quite a few years to allow the deer population to rebound. The first reestablished deer season for southern Michigan occurred in 1948 when, due to possible safety concerns, only shotguns would be allowed creating what would be known as the “Shotgun Zone”. During the first couple years, deer hunters could only use buckshot, but shotgun slugs were eventually allowed as well as .22 rimfire rifles, which … Read More
Michigan’s Liberty Hunt offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce kids to the wonderful world of deer hunting.
Michigan’s first Liberty Hunt was held in 2001, which would allow kids aged 16 and younger as well as adults with qualifying disabilities, to participate in the special two-day deer season, which usually occurs during the second weekend in September. My youngest son Joe, at age 15, was able to participate in that first Liberty Hunt, as well as the following Liberty Hunt in 2002. After that I would make a point of “adopting” a kid for that special hunt each year, and yep, folks, there are a lot of kids out there wishing for … Read More
The new Jay’s and Webber Wildlife Education Center is a great place for the entire family to visit.
July 24, 2024, marked the grand opening of the new Jay’s and Webber Wildlife Education Center located close to Jay’s Sporting Goods in Clare. Stepping through the doorway to the museum is a bit of a breathtaking moment, I can assure you. The first thing to greet you are the full-sized mounts of two zebra stallions fighting, and from there on as you look around and move to each exhibit, you’ll encounter wildlife from all over the world being presented in their distinct habitat. The artwork adorning the walls to enhance each exhibit is nothing … Read More