It’s opening day of Deer Season 2025, at least for gun hunters. So much preparation and anticipation goes into this annual activity. For some, it involves year round scouting. As the days of the hunt draw near, serious planners consider not only deer sign, but wind direction. As such, they would do well to have back up sites ready to go based on this factor alone. For those hunters fortunate enough to have a shooting opportunity, their next challenge is surviving a sudden surge of adrenaline that at times does not serve them well at … 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
Sometimes You Need A Little Help
Anyone that has hunted for any amount of time knows the heartache that comes when you hit a deer and it runs off leaving signs that say you make a poor shot. It’s happened to me and it’s happened to just about every hunter I know at one time or another. Yes sir, even those guys on TV have to let them lay overnight once in a while. On October 23, 2025, my hunting partner, Steve and I were out for an evening bow hunt. We were both running late and I only beat Steve … Read More
Rifles for deer hunting are the most popular in southern Michigan today, but don’t sell shotguns short.
The shotgun has played an important role throughout the history of firearms. From matchlock and flintlock “fowlers” to today’s wide array, shotguns can be considered as multitask tools because they can handle a wide variety of shot, including heavy duty buckshot, and even solid projectiles for a heavier and very effective “punch”. This was originally a large lead round ball, but it was usually not consistently accurate at long range. All of this would change when Karl M. Foster, who wished to help American hunters put meat on the table during the Great Depression, developed … Read More
Rutting whitetails and jack-o-lanterns are a timeframe which goes hand in hand
Jack-o-lanterns and whitetail deer have something in common because Halloween is the key timeframe when the whitetail rut in Michigan starts warming up. It is a time when using various deer vocalizations, as well as rattling, can pay dividends for hunters. I’ve been using deer vocalizations and rattling for quite some time, and knowing what call to use, and when, was a trial-and-error learning process. Calling in whitetails remains to be my favorite deer hunting technique, and today there are even how-to DVD’s available along with a wide array of deer calls, and with something … Read More
“The Chamber Flashbacks” – Holly Holy
By now, if you’ve been following our Chamber of Flashbacks, you might wonder how it is that Ross has made it this far? This final Ross feature is a tribute to his lovely wife, Holly. We consider her to be practically a saint for all she’s endured, thus our title track, Holly Holy. (Neil Diamond fan here.) Throughout his career and even in retirement, Ross marches to the beat of his own drum. This means that he fills his time how he chooses and is very much an individual thinker. Sometimes with “genius,” it’s difficult … Read More
A Bear Hunt To Remember
I will miss the call of the Raven and the sound its wings made as it took flight. I will miss the hoot of the owl, and the feeling that I felt as I wondered what might be lurking in the woods around me as I waited patiently for a Michigan Black bear to appear. My friend Andy drew a first-hunt bear tag for Michigan’s Red Oak unit in 2023, and he harvested a bear the last night of his hunt with Gary Morgan and Wild Game Dynasty that year. As for me, well I … Read More
“The Chamber of Flashbacks” – The Kid In The Candy Shop
Preparing baits for bear camp creates a sweet, sticky mess. Bears crave sweets and when they’re in the mode to beef up in preparation for hibernation, what better place than the well prepared cookie bait or bait pile. Procuring bait for bear season begins long before the hunt. Outfitters build relationships with businesses, such as bakeries and restaurants, arranging to have them save their day old or expired goods to use as bait. Setting this stuff aside may be inconvenient for them, as it takes up space. So the outfitter is tasked with timely pick … Read More
A Glimpse Of Bear Camp
For the first time in my life, I went hunting. Unless you count the time in Florida when I rode around on a 4 wheeler in pursuit of wild boar for maybe an hour, then yes, this is a first. (BTW, we did not see a boar.) Who would choose bear hunting for their maiden voyage, you ask? Only the wife of Gary Morgan. https://youtube.com/shorts/Ep-LKGtQEWA Apparently for several years, Gary would submit for preference points for bear hunting on my behalf. Initially unknown to me, he had hopes that I would at some point express … 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