Pheasants were first released in southern Michigan in 1917. The pheasants being released were pen-reared birds of mixed blood known as “ringnecks” which owe their origins to eastern U.S. game farms, that in turn had gotten their original eggs from game farms in England. Those first birds were released into an ideal environment quite unlike what we have today and would readily adapt and propagate. The first official Michigan pheasant hunting season occurred in 1925 and it would be the beginning of a highly popular annual event. It became so popular that small game hunters … Read More
Rutting whitetails and jack-o-lanterns are a timeframe which goes hand in hand
Jack-o-lanterns and whitetail deer have something in common because Halloween is the key timeframe when the whitetail rut in Michigan starts warming up. It is a time when using various deer vocalizations, as well as rattling, can pay dividends for hunters. I’ve been using deer vocalizations and rattling for quite some time, and knowing what call to use, and when, was a trial-and-error learning process. Calling in whitetails remains to be my favorite deer hunting technique, and today there are even how-to DVD’s available along with a wide array of deer calls, and with something … Read More
“The Chamber of Flashbacks” – The Kid In The Candy Shop
Preparing baits for bear camp creates a sweet, sticky mess. Bears crave sweets and when they’re in the mode to beef up in preparation for hibernation, what better place than the well prepared cookie bait or bait pile. Procuring bait for bear season begins long before the hunt. Outfitters build relationships with businesses, such as bakeries and restaurants, arranging to have them save their day old or expired goods to use as bait. Setting this stuff aside may be inconvenient for them, as it takes up space. So the outfitter is tasked with timely pick … Read More
Life Is A Highway
There has been a lot of traffic at our place in recent months, so much so, that a particular song came to mind… “Life is a highway. I want to ride it all night long,” by Rascal Flatts. Even at dusk and dawn, we’re enjoying the unexpected wildlife sightings from our front row seats, though for the late night jaunts, we can only guess. They nonchalantly parade past our sliding door as if they own the place, and in reality, it is theirs, as they were likely here first. We share this outdoor paradise. We’ve … Read More
A Glimpse Of Bear Camp
For the first time in my life, I went hunting. Unless you count the time in Florida when I rode around on a 4 wheeler in pursuit of wild boar for maybe an hour, then yes, this is a first. (BTW, we did not see a boar.) Who would choose bear hunting for their maiden voyage, you ask? Only the wife of Gary Morgan. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ep-LKGtQEWA Apparently for several years, Gary would submit for preference points for bear hunting on my behalf. Initially unknown to me, he had hopes that I would at some point express … Read More
Putting a focus on targeting prime venison
One of the most daunting tasks for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is to get deer hunters to harvest a doe and when you check out the data of the overall annual deer harvest, antlered deer always outnumber antlerless deer. It is readily apparent that decades of a hunting tradition passed down through generations of Michigan deer hunters, that a female deer is the “Sacred Doe” of the forest, and making killing a doe in the past a literal taboo in the deer woods. This deeply seated attitude relates to Michigan creating the “Bucks … Read More
Liberty hunt memories – deer camp jokes and paybacks
Ever since the Liberty hunt came into being, I’ve made a point of taking a kid out hunting during it, and I have some fine memories in doing so. It was 8 years ago when 13-year-old Dale Skinner of Akron took a Hunter’s Safety class I was helping with. He was seeking to get a hunting certificate, but having recently lost his father, he had no one to take him hunting, and yep, folks, I gave him an invite. Whenever the occasion occurs, my wife Ginny and I call our home “deer camp”, and during … Read More
Nothing can beat fall fishing in Michigan
The origin of the name “Michigan” is derived from the Native American (Chippewa) word, meicigama, which means “great water”. Known as the Great Lakes state, Michigan offers wonderful fishing opportunities the year round, and for more fish species than anywhere else in this country. Although a lot of folks place a main focus on hunting, anglers in the know, realize that fall fishing can be very productive, as well as extremely entertaining. According to Jason Gostiaux, a MDNR Fisheries Biologist for the Southern Lake Huron Management Unit, the fall season offers Michigan anglers the advantage … Read More
Preseason readiness for fast approaching deer hunting adventures
When my wife Ginny and I put most of our farm into grassland programs, our focus was providing proper habitat for wild pheasants, and in so doing it worked to the benefit of all wildlife, including deer, wild turkeys, songbirds, and even butterflies and other insects. Our ground entails a mixture of warm season prairie grasses and wildflowers, with evergreen windbreaks all around the outer perimeters, and it didn’t take long for us to realize the very adaptable local whitetails absolutely love prairie grass fields which are tall enough for absolute concealment. Yep, folks, if … 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