The original Mrs. T was so named many years ago due to her scrunched-up facial resemblance to Mr. T and his ever-present scowl. If you recall, Mr. T starred in the 1980’s action series, The A Team. Thus, we are many generations removed, yet her legend lives on through her progeny. Memorial Day Weekend fell a few days early this year, and as such, the annual journey of snapping turtles to attempt the continuation of their species took place a few days after, on May 28 and 29. And so I was blessed to observe … Read More
“Busy As A Bee” Season
After a quiet winter, at least in respect to wildlife, there’s a lot of buzz going on in the outdoors, and I don’t mean the bees or gossip. As I go for my almost daily walks, I never cease to hear or see something that fills me with wonder. I often hear what I refer to as the percussion section, with a well-played drumroll from an unseen partridge, let’s call him Danny from the Partridge Family (Okay, I’m dating myself here.) This soft drumroll also reminds me of the days when I could hear the … Read More
Autumn Olive – The Great Invasion
The ground my wife Ginny and I started with in 1976 to build our home, was a bare corn stubble field. Entailing 10 acres located at the back of my parents’ farm, a top priority was to establish wildlife covers wherever possible. Because the ground had been treated with herbicide, grass would not get a good start for another 3 years, but it could grow trees and shrubs in good form due to less competition from weeds. Evergreens were at the top of the list, as well as a highly recommended, berry-producing shrub called autumn … Read More
A Winter-Wonderland Travel To Yellowstone – “Experience the Magic”
A thumbnail sketch of the wonders of Yellowstone through the eyes of our dear WGD’s friends, Bruce & Nancy Ter Beek…worldly travelers-extraordinaire…”Thanks for sharing!” My wife and I spent ten days exploring our first national park. Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872. The Department of the Army managed the 2.2 million acre reserve for over 40 years until the National Park Service was created. This was my 10th trip to this spectacular place, but my first winter experience. Yellowstone never disappoints. From May through September the park is crowded with over two million visitors. … 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
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
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
A Father And Son Double
The Michigan DNR sent out emails to thousands of Michigan deer hunters this year asking us all to take a doe if we had the opportunity. My son, Jacob and I were both sitting on our second combo tag and I still had a doe tag going into Christmas weekend, so I figured we should try our luck in the woods one last time for the year. It was a bit warmer than I like it this time of year but the weather was kind of rainy so I figured that might get the deer … Read More
Will Work For Food!
Many of us have booked a wild game hunt with an outfitter…at least once. There are many reasons for trusting our hunts to someone else’s planning and handiwork, but few will admit they most need a professional to cover their ‘back side’. WGD found a handful of some of the toughest hunting guides in the Midwest. We recently sat down with them to get a feel of what drives their ambition. “Most guides are in shape, physically…it’s the mental toughness that matters most”, says Ross Chambers, a professional guide in Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula. Imagine … Read More