Sounds like a Christmas Carol, right? That’s not what I’m going for here. Afterall, we just celebrated The Resurrection. It will be a few months before we celebrate His birth again. Let’s enjoy this season and the wonders it entails, such as… Can the pursuit of Morel Mushrooms in Michigan inspire one to answer some of life’s thought-provoking questions? I’d like to think that indeed it can. While I enjoy a few mushrooms in various foods, the real draw is the challenge of the hunt and the feeling of satisfaction when success is finally achieved. … Read More
There’s More To Be Said
As the legendary musician, Dave Matthews says…. “So much to say, so much to say, so much to SAY!” So does Gary Morgan have a lot to say, or at least his blog, newsletter, and podcast do. These voices have come from many sources over the years, from outdoor writers, some who are members of the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA), to some who just enjoy writing as a hobby or happen to have a natural gift or interest in related topics. Of course, there are many with the gift of gab or have a … Read More
“Turkeyology 101”
I never really hunted turkey with any regularity and seriousness until 2016, when I booked a hunt Gary Morgan. I have hunted several more times with Gary on his turkey hunts and I always seem to learn at least one new thing each time I go. I knew next to nothing about calling, setting up decoys, and shotguns/choke tubes as they related to turkey hunting, . I have learned a great deal over the past 10 years and now I have a decent knowledge base, a great deal of which I learned from Gary Morgan, … Read More
Kayaking in an Abandoned Mine
Have you ever paddled a kayak in an abandoned, underground mine? Well folks, this year on our spring break trip to Kentucky, we did exactly that. We have been paddling for almost ten years now, ever since my wife surprised me on my fortieth birthday with a guided adventure paddling the Pictured Rocks along Michigan’s shorelines on Lake Superior. After that trip, we came home and went kayaking crazy. We bought ourselves a used Old Town Loon tandem as well as a couple of cheap Sun Dolphins for the kids. Over the next several years we … Read More
Foraging is a great and popular outdoor pastime
Humans from the beginning of time have been foragers seeking edible plants in order to survive, and foraging in the wild remains to be a highly popular outdoor pastime today. When spring finally makes its appearance after a lengthy winter, foraging becomes a primary focus for a whole lot of folks, me included. There are great books available today to enlighten potential foragers on how to go about searching for edible plants, and most important, how to properly identify them. May is well known for being “morel month”, especially in Michigan. Springtime weather and temperatures … Read More
When Turkeys Go Silent
One of the best things about turkey hunting is when the morning silence is broken by the sound of the first Tom gobbling from his roost. For the next several minutes to a couple of hours, the conversation between toms and hens will continue to echo through the woods and surrounding fields. It’s every turkey hunter’s dream to get a tom to hear and respond to the hunter’s calls. In fact, some might say, a turkey hunter’s true measure of success can be from his or her ability to call the turkey to the hunting … Read More
Uncle Bob’s Memorial Turkey
By: Rodd Little. Feeling Lucky and blessed after Connors Turkey hunt I decided to try and Take a turkey with my deceased uncle Bob’s Winchester model 1300 he won in the early 90s at a DU banquet. Bob was my mothers younger brother, 9 years older than me and for three decades we hunted ducks, geese, turkeys and deer together. I have spent a lot of time hunting with friends, family and many other people but the time I spent in the woods and fields with uncle Bob will forever have a special place in … Read More
Doubling Up On Dandy Gobblers
Nothing is quite like an early morning in a spring “turkey woods”. It starts out pretty quiet, except for the occasional chorus of frogs trilling away. Then, as the woods begin to take shape as darkness begins easing into the gray light of dawn, songbirds begin chirping away, just a few at first, then all the rest soon join in to create a unique woodland symphony, something I have always enjoyed. This is exactly what we were experiencing from our newly erected ground blind. It wasn’t long when a great-horned owl hooted, quickly followed by … Read More
Great hunting memories in introducing a lady to a trophy swamp gobbler
The spring temperature, though cool, wasn’t uncomfortable and the ink black sky filled with bright stars and a partial moon gave just enough light to find my way through the dense cover with a lady following close behind. Pastel yellow and violet hues hinting in the eastern sky let me know we would be setting up at just the right time and we were in for some good weather. Our destination was a hunting blind on the high ground in a heavily wooded swamp, the perfect setting for a mid-May turkey hunt in the Thumb. … Read More
Duck… Duck… Goose… Spring is Finally on the Loose!
Oh, what sweet relief as the undeniable signs of spring arrive. From the distant gobble of a turkey and many bird songs, to the bulbs surfacing in my garden. One can’t help but smile, especially after such a challenging winter, with the ice storm of a century now just five weeks behind us. But perhaps one of our most pleasing encounters has been the almost daily stream traffic of ducks. We’re amazed at the unique details each possess. The distinct differences between male and female mergansers, at least at first glance, might lead one to … Read More