By: Tom Lounsbury. That first bear hunt in the U.P. was a do-it-yourself affair with friends, and we didn’t set out any bear-baits until after we arrived for the hunt. Other than we knew we were in good bear country, we didn’t have a clue as to where any hotspots were. We had a great time camping out and being filled with the sense of anticipation for even seeing a bear, but the odds weren’t on our side. For that reason I began going on guided bear hunts in Ontario, Canada, because the … Read More
“Plinking” during those dog-days of summer.
By: Tom Lounsbury. I’m no shooting expert, nor will I ever claim to be one. However after sixty-odd years of dedicated shooting, I do consider myself as being a well-seasoned shooter, and needless to say I’m set in my ways. On occasion, I’ve heard expert shooters (and they truly are experts) refer to shouldering a rifle as forming a proper “weld” with the firearm. Well folks, being a farm boy accustomed to using a welder since my youth, being solidly bonded to something involving molten steel and with sparks flying during the process doesn’t appeal … Read More
Bow hunting at a fever pitch.
By: Tom Lounsbury. When August arrives I can feel an annual bout of bow season fever coming on, because with summer winding down, I know the Michigan archery deer season which opens October 1 isn’t all that far away (and the older I get, the faster time seems to fly). It is the key preseason time frame to get all of my archery equipment checked over and start doing some dedicated shooting practice. I’ve been avidly bowhunting local whitetails for quite some time now, mostly with traditional archery tackle involving recurve bows and longbows, and … Read More
Plinking – “You’re a Daisy if you do”.
By: Tom Lounsbury. The young girl avoided stepping on downed leaves and twigs and quietly eased up to the tree trunk for steady brace, slowly brushed a wisp of blond hair away from her shooting eye, shouldered her gun, took careful aim at her quarry as she eased off the safety, and then touched the trigger. At the shot, a little green apple lying on the ground several yards away rolled over with a direct hit. The girl re-cocked her little lever-action and shot the apple again to make sure it was down for the … Read More
Exhilaration on foot
It’s exhilarating to be on foot in the woods, with the knowledge that if you head left and follow the trail, you’ll end up in North Dakota. If you hang a right, you’ll end up in New York. It gives me chills to ponder this type of decision in light of all of the daily choices I make. Imagine wandering off, with only shelter, water and food to worry about as you move across the nation at a pace not often experienced in our modern world. When you complete a long trail like this in … Read More
Trapping Came Early
Growing up in southern Michigan meant a lot of things…to me. My Dad worked for a job shop making parts for the automotive industry. Mom cooked and cleaned and went grocery shopping each Friday because it was payday. Our parents took us to a few Tigers games each year…parking in a nearby empty lot because of a torn down building. We also felt we had the best of both worlds…the big city opportunities in an hour, or so drive while living in the middle of “outdoor life”. Our outdoor life took on many meanings but … Read More
The Land Of Superior…as its affectionately called.
In today’s society, instant gratification is virtually nonnegotiable. We want it, and we want it now, whether “it” involves grabbing a burger from McDonald’s or speeding down the highway on your way home from work. Simply put, we don’t like to wait around for stuff anymore. If we don’t have to, we won’t. That attitude has trickled down to nearly every aspect of our lives, including deer hunting. Growing up, the U.P. looked to me like a paradigm of the great outdoors. It was brimming with wildlife, a special, almost mythical quality surrounding all it … Read More
He timed his whistle perfectly!
By: Jim Kushner. 2014 was my 43rd deer season here in Michigan. I live on 20 acres in northern Mi. and have enjoyed pretty good success deer hunting here in the last 20 years. My own son does not hunt (where did I go wrong) and neither does my younger brother who lives about 40 minutes from here. A few years ago my brother’s son John expressed an interest in deer hunting and I finally convinced him and his Dad to try the youth hunt weekend here at my place. Because of problems with … Read More
Do it! Hike it!
Spend a day or afternoon on a section of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) in the 500,000 acre Hiawatha National Forest. The NCT meanders through the Hiawatha “playground” for 82 miles. Pack your daypack, take water, and dress for the weather and season. Stroll along an ancient sand dune ridge. Wander under whispering red pines. Rest on the banks of a gurgling brook, or trudge beside the Niagara Escarpment outcrop. Enjoy the Lake Superior waves lapping the sandy shoreline along the Whitefish National Scenic Byway. Experience the amazing four seasons on the NCT. … Read More