“At last, the skies above are blue” …. And he’s not blue anymore. Hmmm, of whom could I be speaking? Well of one who finally landed his dream turkey, of course. What started out as a hunting opportunity soon escalated into somewhat of an obsession. This is his story through his wife’s eyes… The time it takes to shoot a turkey is brief, but when you consider the time involved with getting to that point, there’s much more to be said. This story takes place in Montmorency County, in what is known as big timber … Read More
Foul Weather Gobblers Can Be A Challenge
Walking into the Cass City DNR Field Office at 4:30 am just prior to going turkey hunting is always a delight for me, because ladies all clad in camouflage, will be having donuts and coffee while excitedly anticipating heading out with their mentors during the annual 2-day Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Turkey Hunting Workshop. I greeted the 2 ladies who I was going to mentor, Anna Bucholtz, and her 10-year-old daughter, Delilah and we were soon headed out in my Jeep to some private property I had permission to take them hunting on and … Read More
Gearing Up For Spring Gobblers
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
All That and a Bag of Chips!
You don’t have to hunt to enjoy the great outdoors. Being newly retired and living further north has provided me with ample opportunity to enjoy what’s all around me. I have a newfound understanding of why many hunters are so passionate about the hunt. I’ve learned that it’s not just about the hunt, but everything in between, as in truth, how many hunting adventures actually result in meat? The meat is great, God put it there for us. But it seems that hunting is so much more. I hope you enjoy a non-hunter’s interpretation of … 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
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
2023 Turkey Season; More Great Memories With Dad
By: Keith Kinyon. I have hunted and fished with my dad since I was 12 years old. Some of my very best memories are experiences afield and on the water with my dad there to share the moment. This year, with my dad approaching his 84th birthday in a month, we were able to share a turkey hunt that unfolded quickly and had all the components of an exciting hunt. This story started back in December when I had a group of 14 Toms and Jakes that made their way through my property every day. … Read More
Getting prepared for Michigan’s annual spring turkey season
…”Hearing that early morning gobble is a big reason I choose to turkey hunt each year”… By: Tom Lounsbury. With April finally arriving, I’m in the preparation mode for the impending spring turkey season, which includes getting reacquainted with my preferred shotguns. The title “Turkey Gun” conjures up a variety images in the minds of turkey hunters today. What seems popular is a compact and camouflaged shotgun which is equipped with a very tight-patterning screw-in choke tube. It will often be a 3-inch or 3 and half inch 12 ga “Magnum”, or even a behemoth … Read More
The “Sucker” Run Is On!
By: Tom Lounsbury. Spring sucker fishing is a very popular outdoor pastime in Michigan, which includes various techniques such as with hook and line, spearing (including bowfishing with archery tackle) and netting. In my agricultural Thumb area featuring countless drainages, I grew up with “sucker-spearing”, and it is a time- steeped pastime I much enjoy, and freshly cooked sucker is seasonal flavor I yearn for. For years, sucker-spearing had established seasons, typically set in April with various opening days occurring on different dates according to different zones in Michigan, which I had a problem with, … Read More
Enjoying Michigan’s fantastic spring turkey hunting opportunities is a great seasonal pastime.
By: Tom Lounsbury. Having been an avid Michigan spring turkey hunter for over 50 years, I’ve been able to witness how this popular pastime has evolved, with the steadily increasing wild turkey numbers which have successfully extended their territory, as well as the hunting equipment, including calls, specialized ammunition and shotgun chokes. Some of the rules have changed as well, such as the most recent which allows turkey hunters on private property to be able to use shotguns from an elevated platform or tree-stand. Because I often like a change of scenery in our great … Read More