George Washington Sears was born in 1821 in Massachusetts and was the eldest of 10 children. While still a child, Sears had to work in a factory, and due to that experience, he enjoyed reading Charles Dickens novels, and grew to not care much for the urban experience. Somewhere along the line he was befriended by a Native American named Nessmuk who tutored him about the outdoors. At age twelve, he went to work for commercial fishermen on Cape Cod, and in 1841 signed up for a three-year whaling voyage to the South Pacific. When … 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
Enjoy Paddling In Michigan’s Great Outdoors
The canoe has a very ancient and prestigious history with its origins dating back thousands of years, and its design has remained virtually unchanged. Variations of it can be found, with it having been used by primitive folks all over the world. The oldest canoe known thus far was a dugout discovered during an excavation in the Netherlands, which was dated to have been used sometime in 8200 – 7600 BC. The canoe gets its name from the word “kenu” (meaning dugout) of the Carib Indians of the Caribbean islands who used their handy … Read More
A Very Memorable “Coontest”.
During the first weekend in March last year, the Ubly Fox Hunter’s Club held their first annual “Coontest” in which contestants can enter raccoons they have harvested in any legal manner, such as using dogs, calling or trapping. Bringing in obvious roadkill was not allowed. Seventeen 4-person teams had entered that contest but were in for some challenging conditions when a foot of snow suddenly hit the Thumb area. Just the same, contestants managed to enter 331 raccoons, an amazing feat considering the weather. Early March is a good timeframe because raccoons are usually out … Read More
Doubling Down On Turkeys
What have you been doing since the close of the last deer season? Maybe you’ve been doing a little rabbit or coyote hunting? Maybe you’ve hunkered down in your nice warm house for the winter. Well a spring turkey hunt is a great reason to head back to the woods and get that blood flowing again and of course being in the woods again is good for the soul. As we approach turkey season each spring, my thoughts always seem to drift towards the fond memories of turkey hunting with my good friend, Andy. Of … Read More
Thumbs Up Women On The Wing
Hunting, nationwide, has seen steadily decreasing hunter numbers in recent years. States have been trying to recruit new hunters and Michigan, for example, has developed a mentor hunting license for youth hunters 9 years old and under, and an apprentice hunting license for10 years old and older, which includes adults. There are also special youth-related hunts focused on getting new generations involved, all of which I fully support. I also fully support a new trend in the hunter statistics which represents women becoming more involved in hunting, as well as other shooting pastimes. The fact … Read More
The Legendary “Trash Panda”
The raccoon gets its name from the Algonquin word “aroughcoune”, meaning “he scratches with his hands”. Raccoons are unique in possessing thumbs (although not opposable) which allow them to gain access to many items, such as taking the lids off garbage cans, hence the nickname “Trash Panda”. Being very adaptable, the raccoon is at home in the woods as well as in urban settings, including even thriving in big cities. Toronto, for example, is known for being the raccoon capital of North America. The development of civilization has been kind to the raccoon, because it … Read More
The Anomaly Grouse
Sometimes hunters and fishermen have a tendency to embellish their stories, or at least the stories grow bigger as time goes by. Who knows that the passage of time may cloud the memory which causes such delusions. More often than not we add to or take away from our experiences to make the stories more entertaining than anything malicious. With this in mind I am putting to paper the story about the “Anomaly Grouse”, as best I can recall it! Wink, wink! The word, anomaly means, abnormal, peculiar, something different; you get the idea. When … Read More
A Michigan Bear – one of the biggest!
Samuel Wiltzius from Marquette bagged one of the heaviest black bears bagged in the state during 2022 seasons while hunting over bait in the Carney Bear Management Unit in the southern UP. The bear he shot certainly was the biggest entered in the annual Big Bear Award Contest sponsored by the Michigan Bear Hunters Association for its members. The bruin Wiltzius tagged in Dickinson County on September 16 had a live weight of 578 pounds and dressed weight of 503 pounds. The skull from the bear scored 20 12/16, qualifying for a spot in Boone … Read More
Location Preparation Tools – John Eberhart Shares His Expertise
Proper location preparation can make the difference in whether or not you have success stories to tell. While your on-foot scouting only required the use of maps and or a notebook, location preparation requires specific tools and a great amount of physical labor. I finished drywall for 14 years and like any trade job, the more prepared you are concerning tools, more thorough and expedient the job will be done. The ideal scenario is to be able to pack in and carry the necessary tools to totally prepare a location yet be mobile enough to … Read More