It was 5 am on May 2nd, the opening morning of Michigan’s recent 0234 spring turkey season in Arenac County. Stars sparkled in a clear, predawn black sky and frost covered the ground. We quietly eased our way through dense cover to a hunting blind placed there the day before, and there was no wind to speak of, which was blessing after having a steady supply of strong winds statewide this spring, not to mention plenty of rain as well. Once in the tent-blind, we sat down to patiently wait for daylight to slowly ease … Read More
ALL IN THE FAMILY -Turkey Trifecta 2026-
Nothing brings family together like traditions. When that tradition includes an interlude with nature, especially where hunting is involved, lifelong bonds are strengthened. This spring, during the opening week of Turkey Season, there was much to celebrate when 3 generations from the same family each tagged a tom. First up was the patriarch of the family, Richard Compeau, age 85. This was actually his first turkey, though his hunting experience of other wildlife has been an important part of his life from his early years. On this day, Richard was sitting in a tent blind … Read More
MI Shed Hunter Kills Black Bear in Self Defense
Twenty-three-year-old Kyle Nelson from Norway, Michigan killed a black bear in self defense while looking for shed antlers on April 12, 2024. He shot the bear with a CPX2 9 mm handgun made by SCCY that he has with him every time he goes in the woods. “I was walking along a swamp bottom where I got a buck last fall to try to find antlers from bucks that made it through hunting season,” Nelson said. “At one point I heard a noise by a big pine tree. When I looked toward the sound, a … Read More
WGD Podcasts 2.0!
About ten years ago I decided to take Wild Game Dynasty on a journey to explore the world of Podcasting. The beginnings were certainly exploratory…at least from a technical point of view. I have been blessed to converse with so many interesting and knowledgeable people as a result of this adventure. With nearly 250 episodes from such a variety of hunting, fishing & outdoor enthusiasts…much was learned and new friendships were established. Over the past year, I have taken what might be described as a bit of a sabbatical from podcasting. After much thought, I’ve … Read More
A missing dog found while anticipating opening day
Going into a countdown for the November 15 opening day of Michigan’s Firearms Deer season is a tradition of mine, and I was in that mode with only 4 days to go on Tuesday evening. I was in the process of tossing hay to my horses in the pasture with my female GSP shorthair, Zelda, at my side. I’m assuming she spotted a rabbit in our nearby orchard and gave chase while I was looking the other way. All I knew when I turned around, she was gone. What I call my “rabbitat” borders the … Read More
A Snowy Deer Recovery
There’s something about the first snow that has always excited me. As a young boy it meant snowmen, forts and snowball fights. Now as a grown man, the first snow brings with it beauty and peace, the thoughts of approaching holidays and time spent with loved ones. And of course, if the first snow comes early enough, I get the chance to hunt deer with snow on the ground. This year, that day was November 9th. It had been forecast that we would see accumulation that day, so I made plans to be in my … Read More
Ladies-only pheasant hunt
A saving grace for the future of hunting is the involvement of women wishing to get involved in outdoor activities. The fact is, women are the fastest growing demographic in hunting and shooting sports today, which truly pleases me to no end. The person who got me interested in hunting and taking me into the field to show how it was done many years ago, was my mother. When in the field with the other pheasant hunters on our farm, she was the only woman and could give a hoot as to what the men … Read More
Liberty hunt memories – deer camp jokes and paybacks
Ever since the Liberty hunt came into being, I’ve made a point of taking a kid out hunting during it, and I have some fine memories in doing so. It was 8 years ago when 13-year-old Dale Skinner of Akron took a Hunter’s Safety class I was helping with. He was seeking to get a hunting certificate, but having recently lost his father, he had no one to take him hunting, and yep, folks, I gave him an invite. Whenever the occasion occurs, my wife Ginny and I call our home “deer camp”, and during … Read More
The Chamber of Flashbacks – “$h*t Happens”
This sweet release is necessary in removing waste from the body, which is essential for health maintenance! And if you’re into the great outdoors, it helps with wildlife identification. This time of year, sightings of the bear variety provide much reassurance to an outfitter. It certainly put some zippity in Gary’s doo-dah. We thought our captured photograph was the perfect emoji for bear sign. And take a look at the blackberry filled dung. Brings almost as much delight as seeing a freshly baked blackberry pie! How do we bring Ross into this story as our … Read More
A lucky lady and her dandy Michigan bull elk
Due to the odds, drawing a Michigan elk tag is a matter of pure luck. It only took me 36 years (of faithfully applying each year) to finally draw a tag in 2020. Up until then, I had always applied for “bull only”, but getting a bit long in the tooth caused me to apply for “any elk”, and I drew an antlerless-only license, and I was mighty glad and excited to receive it in the mail. I had the early elk season which is divided into three 4-day periods in August, September and October, … Read More