By: Tom Lounsbury The older I get, the more choosey I am about who I go on adventures with in the “wild country” because if the chips are ever down, you need to know they will be right in there covering your “six” or enduring matters with you in a skillful manner. That is why when fellow outdoor writer Jay VanHouten of Midland wanted to know if I would be interested in going on a northern Ontario black bear hunt with him, it was a no-brainer for me to come back with an automatic “yes”. … Read More
Old Tyme Hunting Adventures
By: Tom Lounsbury. I must admit that I have a strong passion for reading, and when it comes to reading material, I have a real soft spot for that relating to history and if it entails matters associated to the outdoors as well so much the better. I came across a real jewel some time back, “The Hunting Expeditions of Oliver Hazard Perry”, based on his hunting diaries from 1836 through 1855. An article in an outdoor magazine brought this literary work to my attention, and I first located it through my local library. After … Read More
The Biography of a handcrafted knife
When there is a need to track and/or retrieve a big game animal in camp we usually find an entourage of helpers hoping to tag along. I remember one such time a hunter-client had made a nice shot on a black bear in Michigan’s UP. He returned to camp from hunting earlier than expected. He parked his Jeep a little cock-eyed and had a bounce in his step as he walked to the front porch. It was the first time I hadn’t seen him wearing his Stormy Kromer…whoa! I shouted to my fellow guide … Read More
Simple Stick and String Fishing
“The ever dependable cane pole” – By Tom Lounsbury Primitive humans probably first began fishing with spears and nets. Somewhere along the way, someone figured out a convenient way to catch fish, especially in deeper waters, was to use a baited hook and line. This was in the form of hand lining (just plain hanging on the line with bare hands – a method actually still used today). No doubt it was learned that attaching the line to a tree limb hanging out over the water took a better, shock absorbing beating than bare hands. When … Read More
Spring Sucker Fishing Is A Great Cure For Spring Fever
By Tom Lounsbury. The various 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 a very incorrect attitude to have. Suckers get their name from their fleshy lipped mouths located on the underside of their heads and they are for a fact, bottom feeders. However, they are what I call “clean bottom feeders” in that they feed only on aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, worms and in some cases, algae too. Suckers have also been … Read More
Operation Injured Soldier – Disabled veterans healing through hunting
by: Tom Lounsbury Listening to 20 beagles howling at various places in the surrounding woods, accompanied by a crescendo of (shotgun) shots here and there on a brisk winter morning is certainly a very unique sound that was quite frankly, music to my ears. I was observing a recent rabbit hunt for disabled veterans through a program called “Operation Injured Soldier” (OIS) on 400 acres of excellent wildlife habitat owned by Dr. Richard Horsch of Mayville. Personally, I’ve been on a lot of rabbit hunts with beagles in my day (which is quite a few … Read More
The Sweet Flavor Of Spring
I always look forward to my annual spring pilgrimage to the Battel sugarbush located just a few miles northeast of Cass City (on Ritter Road – a couple miles west of M-53), to stock up on freshly made maple syrup, a very sweet flavor of spring I always yearn for. This usually occurs not long after the first day of spring, because the typical timeframe for gathering sap from tapped maple trees in the Thumb runs from March 1 to April 1. (I thoroughly enjoy the annual Battel Maple Syrup Open House the third … Read More
Ode to the Dependable Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 pump-action shotgun first hit the market in 1950, and quickly became a favorite of American hunters (several million have been manufactured and sold). I can remember pump 870’s being in the hands of quite a few visiting pheasant hunters on our farm when I was a kid. I handled and shot an 870 for the first time about 40 years ago. I had stopped to visit a friend, and he and his brothers were just getting ready to do a pigeon harvest at a neighbors barn. This entailed flushing the birds … Read More
“Our Friend Maggie” (w/podcast)
Each year mid-winter brings a batch of new excitement. For me, it’s the time for some tweener stuff. My fall hunts for clients are behind me, but the turkey hunts are calling off in the distance. So, with that in mind, I reconnect with cross country skiing and most anything with my family…especially, my wife. Well, when I was invited to spend a day bobcat and coyote hunting not far from home I couldn’t hold back. I don’t think my wife had the same response…but, it was only ‘a day’, eh. Besides, it was time … Read More