There is no other atmosphere which can compare to spring turkey hunting in our beautiful state, and Michigan offers an abundant bounty of opportunities. It ranks as being one of the top turkey hunting states in the nation, something I truly appreciate, and sure do enjoy! The fact that spring turkey licenses can now be purchased over the counter certainly works for me. A real nice offering for southern Michigan turkey hunters is the ZZ Unit which runs for the entire April 20 – May 31 season this year on private lands only and is … Read More
Howdah pistols – the forerunner of today’s hunting handguns
During the 1790’s, British officers and other gentlemen associated with the East India Company in India were introduced to big game hunting from the backs of elephants, riding in a basket-like platform known as a “howdah”. A key animal hunted was the tiger, which is a tad bigger than lions, and tigers are very fast and agile, and were well known for jumping and clawing their way up an elephant to reach a hunter riding in the howdah. Having something weighing around 600 pounds which is equipped with meat grinding sharp teeth and claws, can … Read More
The ever-unique atmosphere of spring turkey hunting
Spring of 2023 was a very lucky timeframe for me. I had purchased a raffle ticket from the Cass City Gun Club, for a turkey shotgun. I’ve been none too lucky when it comes to raffles and look at purchasing tickets as generally supporting a good cause and have no expectations of winning anything. However, my ticket was drawn for a Winchester SXP Longbeard 20 ga shotgun, which has turkey hunting written all over it. Being able to use this specialized shotgun a couple weeks later to bag my largest gobbler ever in over 50 … Read More
Nessmuk was a man of the wilderness
George Washington Sears was born in 1821 in Massachusetts and was the eldest of 10 children. While still a child, Sears had to work in a factory, and due to that experience, he enjoyed reading Charles Dickens novels, and grew to not care much for the urban experience. Somewhere along the line he was befriended by a Native American named Nessmuk who tutored him about the outdoors. At age twelve, he went to work for commercial fishermen on Cape Cod, and in 1841 signed up for a three-year whaling voyage to the South Pacific. When … Read More
Spring Sucker Fishing Is A Great Outdoor Adventure
Sucker fishing is right at the top of my springtime agenda, and I have my special haunts for applying the various fishing techniques. The multiple sucker fish species in Michigan get a bit of a bum rap from some folks who consider them to be a trash fish on the order of carp, which is very incorrect. Suckers get their name from their fleshy lipped mouths located on the underside of their heads and are for a fact, bottom feeders. However, they are what I call “clean bottom feeders” in that they feed only … Read More
Enjoy Paddling In Michigan’s Great Outdoors
The canoe has a very ancient and prestigious history with its origins dating back thousands of years, and its design has remained virtually unchanged. Variations of it can be found, with it having been used by primitive folks all over the world. The oldest canoe known thus far was a dugout discovered during an excavation in the Netherlands, which was dated to have been used sometime in 8200 – 7600 BC. The canoe gets its name from the word “kenu” (meaning dugout) of the Carib Indians of the Caribbean islands who used their handy … Read More
A Very Memorable “Coontest”.
During the first weekend in March last year, the Ubly Fox Hunter’s Club held their first annual “Coontest” in which contestants can enter raccoons they have harvested in any legal manner, such as using dogs, calling or trapping. Bringing in obvious roadkill was not allowed. Seventeen 4-person teams had entered that contest but were in for some challenging conditions when a foot of snow suddenly hit the Thumb area. Just the same, contestants managed to enter 331 raccoons, an amazing feat considering the weather. Early March is a good timeframe because raccoons are usually out … Read More
Thumbs Up Women On The Wing
Hunting, nationwide, has seen steadily decreasing hunter numbers in recent years. States have been trying to recruit new hunters and Michigan, for example, has developed a mentor hunting license for youth hunters 9 years old and under, and an apprentice hunting license for10 years old and older, which includes adults. There are also special youth-related hunts focused on getting new generations involved, all of which I fully support. I also fully support a new trend in the hunter statistics which represents women becoming more involved in hunting, as well as other shooting pastimes. The fact … Read More
The Legendary “Trash Panda”
The raccoon gets its name from the Algonquin word “aroughcoune”, meaning “he scratches with his hands”. Raccoons are unique in possessing thumbs (although not opposable) which allow them to gain access to many items, such as taking the lids off garbage cans, hence the nickname “Trash Panda”. Being very adaptable, the raccoon is at home in the woods as well as in urban settings, including even thriving in big cities. Toronto, for example, is known for being the raccoon capital of North America. The development of civilization has been kind to the raccoon, because it … Read More
Wyoming Adventures Long Remembered
The late Bob Brislawn is known by the USDA as being the founder of the Spanish Mustang as an American horse breed. I can remember a large picture of him in Life magazine in January 1969, in which he was wearing his trademark large Stetson with a small American flag protruding up out of the hatband. The Life magazine article about wild mustangs featured a bit of Bob’s history and his dedicated efforts to save the Spanish mustang as a breed. He had worked for the U.S. Geological Survey during the early 20th Century as … Read More