By: John Buczek. For the past few years, I’ve volunteered as a cook with an outfitter based out of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This outfitter conducts deer, bear and turkey hunts in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. Throughout my time helping this outfitter, I’ve witnessed an issue that I believe affects bear hunting in the state of Michigan. What I’ve both seen and experienced doesn’t just feel like an isolated or local problem, but perhaps something more widespread that needs to be addressed. …The following is … Read More
The 100-inch “Booner”
By: John Eberhardt. Whitetail deer are the most adaptable, widespread, abundant, and sought after game animal in the country and under “normal hunting conditions” a mature whitetail buck is the smartest game animal we have to hunt. The Boone & Crocket club was established to promote and log record class game animals taken with all weapons and the Pope & Young club was established to promote and log record class animals taken with archery equipment. It takes a 170-inch net typical and a 195-inch net non-typical buck to qualify for the Boone & Crocket record … Read More
2019 Challenges Have Turned Into Measures Of Success…the rest of the story!
By: Jim Kushner. Since I was planning to hunt the field behind my house this deer season I decided in late October to put a trail camera out in likely crossings. It was easy enough to drive them out & check them occasionally. The first location produced only one sighting, the doe was so close that all I could see were here ears and the top of her head. I moved it to a different spot and saw a few does. Because of my situation the camera stayed in the same spot until Dec. 1st … Read More
This Should Be My 46th Deer Season!
By: Jim Kushner. This should be my 46th deer season. I started hunting with my Dad & older brother on State land. We stayed for the first week of the firearm deer season in the family camper. It was a tradition to hunt there that started before I was born, that particular spot was always where they set up camp & even though it was on state land & a fairly well traveled dirt road I do not remember there ever being anyone else camping there. Maybe it wasn’t the great spot that we always … Read More
My Hunting Obsession Came Late
By: Adrian Zarantonello. I’ll start this story off with the fact that I’m by no means a hunting expert. I haven’t shot any “Booners” and I’m relatively new to hunting. However, for a newer hunter with limited background and experience, some components of hunting stick out more than others in terms of importance. Although my learning curve was steep, I’ve cultivated a great appreciation for scent control and prevention. I thought I’d share my observations concerning scent control and prevention, and its importance in a successful hunt. My hunting obsession started late; I was really … Read More
Death Of A Gun Safe?
By: Jim Kushner. A couple of weeks ago I was educated about the old saying “you get what you pay for”. In this case that applied to my Cannon gun safe. I don’t mind mentioning the brand name because this is all absolutely true. I bought my safe from a chain store and as safes go it was neither cheap or expensive. The electronic keypad was easily programmed and it runs on a single 12 volt battery. After a few years I noticed that the battery would wear out quicker than the one before it. … Read More
Preseason Readiness – Deer Season is fast approaching
By: Tom Lounsbury. Ever since my wife Ginny and I became the 4th generation to own the family farm 20 years ago, we’ve put a lot of effort since then into creating our own little wildlife paradise, thanks to various conservation programs our farm is enrolled in. My main focus is providing proper habitat for wild pheasants, and in so doing it has worked to the benefit of all wildlife, including deer. The majority of the farm entails prairie grass fields, which have evergreen windbreaks all around the outer perimeter, and it didn’t take … Read More
Gearing up and getting ready for the fall hunting seasons – that time is here
By: Tom Lounsbury. Mid-August is the perfect time to take a good look at your hunting gear and make improvements or additions as is necessary, because before you know it, you will be out in the field pursuing various autumn outdoor pastimes. That is what I truly appreciate about our great state of Michigan, the very diverse availability of outdoor pursuits, in which my home Thumb area is no slouch at all. The crow season is already in progress and in a couple short weeks, the early goose season opens up. Mid-September represents my … Read More
Crystal Falls Resort – Home of Michigan Outdoor Writers’ Association Conference 2019
By: Tom Lounsbury. The Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA) is the oldest organization of its kind in the country. Formed in 1944 at Blaney Park in the Upper Peninsula, it celebrated its 75th Anniversary recently at Crystal Mountain Resort located near Thompsonville in Northwestern Michigan, where MOWA members were offered a wide variety of outdoor options during a couple days of activities of their choosing which are readily available in the area. Fishing, hiking, biking and canoeing/kayaking, you name it, can be found there. I’ll never forget joining MOWA 35 years ago and how “star struck” … Read More
An Ontario DIY Bear Hunt
By: Jim Kushner. Soon after buying a cabin in Ontario I learned that a non-resident could legally hunt moose & bear without an outfitter/guide within the game management until that their property was in. It wasn’t long before I had recruited a good friend to help me try and get my first black bear. That summer we fished and we scouted likely spots and we collected bait, mostly old doughnuts that we packaged tightly and froze. It is legal to use barrels etc. to bait bears in Ontario and I happen to have a 35 … Read More