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
Reality Of Bowhunting
Pre-Season Scouting/Speed Touring Mature whitetails are creatures of habit and once deer season is over it doesn’t take them long before calming down and reverting back to set routines which include more daytime movements. Their routines will take on slight alterations throughout the year primarily due to changes in weather conditions, preferred food sources and during spring fawning there will be alterations as does break with wintering social groups, force their previous spring’s fawns away, and birth their new ones. Bedding to feeding area routines by mature bucks also remains constant throughout the summer until … Read More
Frozen Waterfalls & Ice Caves
What comes to mind when you think of a winter getaway? Probably some place warm right? Maybe a beach somewhere just lying in the sun with a cold drink in your hand. I would have to guess that most people don’t think of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as a winter destination. I mean unless you are into snowmobiling or skiing why would anyone want to go where it’s colder, right? Well, what if I told you that there are things to see and do in the U.P. during the winter months that you can’t see or … Read More
Wyoming Adventures Long Remembered
The late Bob Brislawn is known by the USDA as being the founder of the Spanish Mustang as an American horse breed. I can remember a large picture of him in Life magazine in January 1969, in which he was wearing his trademark large Stetson with a small American flag protruding up out of the hatband. The Life magazine article about wild mustangs featured a bit of Bob’s history and his dedicated efforts to save the Spanish mustang as a breed. He had worked for the U.S. Geological Survey during the early 20th Century as … Read More