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
A Bear Hunt That Sparked A Friendship
By: Bob Weller. Going on a bear hunt was one of those, “I want to do that someday” ideas. Well this past fall “someday” arrived. Conversations about going on a bear hunt started to take place between me and a friend of mine named Joe shortly after he acquired some property in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I mentioned to Joe that my friend Andy and I had talked about going bear hunting for years but it just hadn’t happened yet. Joe had said that he thought all of us could go in together and have a … Read More
The Ever-Versatile Shotgun
By: Tom Lounsbury. The shotgun has played an important role throughout the history of firearms. From matchlock and flintlock “fowlers” to today’s wide array, shotguns can be considered as multitask tools because they can handle a wide variety of shot, including heavy duty buckshot, and even solid projectiles for a heavier and very effective “punch”. This was originally a large lead round ball (aka “punkin-ball”), but it was usually not consistently accurate at long range. All of this would change when Karl M. Foster, who wished to help American hunters put meat on the table … Read More
The blind-siding way for savvy whitetails – Made in Michigan Lucky Hunting Blinds pave the way
By: Tom Lounsbury. There is no question that the whitetail deer is the most popular big game animal in North America with a big following of avid hunters. Michigan itself has more than 500,000 deer hunters in the woods by daybreak on November 15, a day I personally believe should be a state holiday. Until the 15th arrives however, I start being real serious about pursuing bucks from Halloween on, with archery tackle, due to the whitetail rut which is kicking in and peaking over that early to mid-November timeframe which I quite literally live … Read More
Using Dogs to Locate Wounded Bear or Deer
By: Jacob VanHouten. “I can’t believe I lost that buck, with a good shot and strong blood trail… I just don’t get it” was the depressing thought swirling around my mind as I recalled events to my family and friends in deer camp. If you are a deer hunter, the loss of a deer has or may happen to you or someone you know during your hunting life. If so, you may want to now consider an underutilized method to increase your odds of recovery by the use of a tracking dog. As of 2019, … Read More
Red Black Bear Killed In U.P.
By: Richard P. Smith. Ed Groom from Saline has always been lucky when it comes to hunting. One of the first turkeys he bagged was a smokey gray gobbler and he got a bull moose in Ontario with antlers that had a 58-inch spread. Then, on his first bear hunt ever in the UP during 2020, he shot a black bear with a red coat while hunting with guides Susie and Roy Little. Almost all bears in the state are black in color, but there is an occasional bruin that turns up on which the … Read More
Rare (Michigan) Bear Behavior
By: Richard P. Smith. After more than 50 years of bear hunting in the UP, I experienced something I’ve never seen before during the 2021 bear season. Before discussing that rare event, some background information is important. I drew a bear tag for the third hunt in the Baraga bear management unit, as did some friends from the Traverse City area who I usually hunt with out of Lac La Belle Lodge in Keweenaw County. The group included father and son Amos and Doug Esman along with father and sons Kent, Shamus and Seth … Read More
A spring black bear hunting season in Michigan would be a great alternative
By: Tom Lounsbury. The black bear is a very adaptable critter and can be found in a wide variety of habitats. Its range goes from Canada, south to northern Mexico, and is found throughout the United Sates, with the only exception being Hawaii, which has no bears. Michigan has a steadily growing number of black bears with over 11,000 in the Upper Peninsula and around 3,000 in the northern Lower Peninsula, where the range is steadily creeping south. A black bear was recently captured in Grand Rapids and taken back up north and released. Typically, … Read More
Is Michigan’s Bear Season Poised For Change?
As a avid bear hunter since the 1980s (mostly over bait and a property owner of 100 acres in the Eastern upper peninsula), I strongly believe we should separate the Bait & Hound seasons. The conflict and animosity between bait hunters and houndsmen has steadily grown. Since I have been hunting I personally have felt the the aggravation and pain of spending a large amount of time, effort, and money in a bear hunt only to have it ruined by houndsmen’s dogs tracking and running bears off my bait. No matter how deep in the … Read More
Handgun Hunting Memories
By: Tom Lounsbury. Certain memories stick with you, no matter how many years pass by. It was in the winter of 1974 I thought I’d buy myself a Christmas present and travelled to Williams Gunsight in Davison. My goal was to purchase a .44 Magnum Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver, which was referred to as the “New Model”, since Ruger had upgraded all the Blackhawk models in 1973 to have a transfer bar system which allowed revolvers to be safely carried fully loaded. For safety reasons the “Old Model” required an empty chamber to be under … Read More