Sounds like a Christmas Carol, right? That’s not what I’m going for here. Afterall, we just celebrated The Resurrection. It will be a few months before we celebrate His birth again. Let’s enjoy this season and the wonders it entails, such as… Can the pursuit of Morel Mushrooms in Michigan inspire one to answer some of life’s thought-provoking questions? I’d like to think that indeed it can. While I enjoy a few mushrooms in various foods, the real draw is the challenge of the hunt and the feeling of satisfaction when success is finally achieved. … Read More
“Turkeyology 101”
I never really hunted turkey with any regularity and seriousness until 2016, when I booked a hunt Gary Morgan. I have hunted several more times with Gary on his turkey hunts and I always seem to learn at least one new thing each time I go. I knew next to nothing about calling, setting up decoys, and shotguns/choke tubes as they related to turkey hunting, . I have learned a great deal over the past 10 years and now I have a decent knowledge base, a great deal of which I learned from Gary Morgan, … Read More
When Turkeys Go Silent
One of the best things about turkey hunting is when the morning silence is broken by the sound of the first Tom gobbling from his roost. For the next several minutes to a couple of hours, the conversation between toms and hens will continue to echo through the woods and surrounding fields. It’s every turkey hunter’s dream to get a tom to hear and respond to the hunter’s calls. In fact, some might say, a turkey hunter’s true measure of success can be from his or her ability to call the turkey to the hunting … Read More
Uncle Bob’s Memorial Turkey
By: Rodd Little. Feeling Lucky and blessed after Connors Turkey hunt I decided to try and Take a turkey with my deceased uncle Bob’s Winchester model 1300 he won in the early 90s at a DU banquet. Bob was my mothers younger brother, 9 years older than me and for three decades we hunted ducks, geese, turkeys and deer together. I have spent a lot of time hunting with friends, family and many other people but the time I spent in the woods and fields with uncle Bob will forever have a special place in … Read More
Doubling Up On Dandy Gobblers
Nothing is quite like an early morning in a spring “turkey woods”. It starts out pretty quiet, except for the occasional chorus of frogs trilling away. Then, as the woods begin to take shape as darkness begins easing into the gray light of dawn, songbirds begin chirping away, just a few at first, then all the rest soon join in to create a unique woodland symphony, something I have always enjoyed. This is exactly what we were experiencing from our newly erected ground blind. It wasn’t long when a great-horned owl hooted, quickly followed by … Read More
Great hunting memories in introducing a lady to a trophy swamp gobbler
The spring temperature, though cool, wasn’t uncomfortable and the ink black sky filled with bright stars and a partial moon gave just enough light to find my way through the dense cover with a lady following close behind. Pastel yellow and violet hues hinting in the eastern sky let me know we would be setting up at just the right time and we were in for some good weather. Our destination was a hunting blind on the high ground in a heavily wooded swamp, the perfect setting for a mid-May turkey hunt in the Thumb. … Read More
Duck… Duck… Goose… Spring is Finally on the Loose!
Oh, what sweet relief as the undeniable signs of spring arrive. From the distant gobble of a turkey and many bird songs, to the bulbs surfacing in my garden. One can’t help but smile, especially after such a challenging winter, with the ice storm of a century now just five weeks behind us. But perhaps one of our most pleasing encounters has been the almost daily stream traffic of ducks. We’re amazed at the unique details each possess. The distinct differences between male and female mergansers, at least at first glance, might lead one to … Read More
A Springtime Family Affair
The multiple sucker fish species in Michigan get a bit of a bum rap from some folks who consider them to be 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 consider clean bottom feeders in that they feed only on aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, worms and algae. Suckers have also been accused of eating the spawn of other game fish species and competing with … Read More
Competing with Coyotes for Turkeys
Well, my friends, deer season is behind us. The snow is gone, and those toms will soon be gobbling away in the woods this spring. Your chance to put in for a 2025 turkey hunt has come and gone but, not to worry because there will be plenty of over-the-counter tags available for purchase and that late hunt can be a good one. Last year, I told the story I called “Double Trouble” in which my good friend Andy and I doubled on a couple of nice toms. Well would you believe me if I … Read More
Nice Ice Baby!
In Northern Michigan, we are currently “Under Pressure” as ice surrounds us on all sides. It’s beautiful but deceivingly dangerous. At moments you find yourself amidst the ultimate winter wonderland as ice glistens in minute detail. Pine needles, branches, and even each blade of grass hangs in their own ice cocoon. One can’t help but marvel in God’s creation at this spectacle. But then you hear the crashing of numerous trees falling from a distance, and some very close by. Your heart rate increases briefly at the ominous danger of it all. During the … Read More