When there is a need to track and/or retrieve a big game animal in camp we usually find an entourage of helpers hoping to tag along. I remember one such time a hunter-client had made a nice shot on a black bear in Michigan’s UP. He returned to camp from hunting earlier than expected. He parked his Jeep a little cock-eyed and had a bounce in his step as he walked to the front porch. It was the first time I hadn’t seen him wearing his Stormy Kromer…whoa! I shouted to my fellow guide … Read More
“That Can’t Be The Bear I Shot!..?”
“Ground Shrinkage” is a term that black bear hunters become all too familiar with because bears often look bigger than they really are, especially to hunters who have seen few, if any, bears in the wild. It’s common for bear hunters, even those with plenty of experience under their belts, to shoot bears that they think are big only to find out they are smaller than they thought when they recover the bruin they shot. Is there a way to avoid ground shrinkage when bear hunting? There are no guarantees, but one of the best … Read More
High Noon Gobbler
By: Tom Lounsbury. Atlanta, MI hunting guide John Jones (left) prefers to use a Woodhaven conditioning stone to “sweeten up” his (Rod Benson Calls) Cherry Poppin’ slate call. Time flies when you are having a good time because it sure doesn’t seem like I’ve been hunting springtime wild turkeys in Michigan for over 45 years. In the early days this all took place “up north” and there was a chancy lottery that had to be dealt with, and you could only hunt in the morning. I was quite fortunate on the draw for a spring … Read More
Simple Stick and String Fishing
“The ever dependable cane pole” – By Tom Lounsbury Primitive humans probably first began fishing with spears and nets. Somewhere along the way, someone figured out a convenient way to catch fish, especially in deeper waters, was to use a baited hook and line. This was in the form of hand lining (just plain hanging on the line with bare hands – a method actually still used today). No doubt it was learned that attaching the line to a tree limb hanging out over the water took a better, shock absorbing beating than bare hands. When … Read More
When In Rome, 2.0 (w/Video)
Like most people, I like to think I know what I’m doing. I’ve learned to trust my own instincts in most areas of life, and hunting is a situation in which going with my gut has served me pretty well. I’m not one to throw around terms like “expert” or “guru,” but I consider myself to be relatively knowledgeable on the topic of hunting. After all, you’ve got to have a fair amount of confidence and know-how to guide hunts. That being said, I’ve learned a thing or two about my own limitations, and what … Read More
Spring Sucker Fishing Is A Great Cure For Spring Fever
By Tom Lounsbury. The various 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 a very incorrect attitude to have. Suckers get their name from their fleshy lipped mouths located on the underside of their heads and they are for a fact, bottom feeders. However, they are what I call “clean bottom feeders” in that they feed only on aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, worms and in some cases, algae too. Suckers have also been … Read More
Operation Injured Soldier – Disabled veterans healing through hunting
by: Tom Lounsbury Listening to 20 beagles howling at various places in the surrounding woods, accompanied by a crescendo of (shotgun) shots here and there on a brisk winter morning is certainly a very unique sound that was quite frankly, music to my ears. I was observing a recent rabbit hunt for disabled veterans through a program called “Operation Injured Soldier” (OIS) on 400 acres of excellent wildlife habitat owned by Dr. Richard Horsch of Mayville. Personally, I’ve been on a lot of rabbit hunts with beagles in my day (which is quite a few … Read More
Visiting Rome During Turkey Season
Michigan’s spring turkey season begins in the later part of April and runs through the end of May. With that generous length of time, weather can provide an inch of snow on the opener, to perfect morel mushroom picking halfway through and the need to crank up the air conditioner as the seasons draws to a close. When in Rome… Better yet, when hunting in Michigan…As a guide for spring turkey hunting, I find it resembles hanging around with a new ‘best friend’…waking up a couple hours before daybreak, eating breakfast and discussing strategy over … Read More
Burning the Candle Of Desire – at both ends!
If I thought substituting “she loves me, she loves me not” with “go hunting, go hunting not” would give me another opportunity to go hunting I would’ve use that method back in the day. My wife and I were at the front end of raising a family, working as much as we could and juggling a schedule to squeeze more time out of the day and into our relationship. Challenges were among us as they are today but in a much different context. One thing for certain, my love of the outdoors had not changed … Read More