One of my fondest memories as a teenager was working for a neighbor in his woods gathering sap to make maple syrup. This began first with “tapping” maple trees using a hand-drill and hammering in metal spigots (aka taps) on which we hung special metal buckets which had lids to keep out moisture and debris. Some trees on the smaller side only required one tap, while bigger ones could handle more. There was a lot of snow that particular winter, and we had to do some serious wading during our first attempts to reach the … Read More
Bottoms Up!
This story started with its title, or more accurately, an observation that led to its title. The snow filled and chilling past week has kept Michiganders inside, for the most part. The most outdoor activity I’ve engaged in is bringing more wood into our cabin home to keep us toasty and cozy. So was I ever surprised when I glanced out between the steep snowbank lined creek to see 5 Mallard duck couples. And to my delight, it was Valentine’s Day! Of course, my husband was in the U.P. with Bobcat hunters. With my … Read More
Spousal Date Redefined
About this time of year, it seems winter begins to wear out its welcome. Though I’ve enjoyed the beauty of the snow, especially during a recent snowshoeing adventure, the activity of wildlife slows. The birds who’ve been left behind, namely Chickadees, Nuthatches, Pileated Woodpeckers and Sap Suckers, provide the majority of wildlife sightings. We see the Bald Eagle near the creek looking for a defenseless victim, likely an unsuspecting Mallard Duck. Deer come and go as their dietary needs arise. After that, any other wildlife viewing is likely by way of trail cam. With … Read More
Shortcuts – Friend or Folly
We’ve all taken shortcuts at one time or another. Many live by the shortcut. Some, if we were to admit, have fallen by the shortcut. In a world where we want everything stat, patience is not only a virtue but a rarity. We live in an instant society where most of the time we can get answers in a moment with a google search, or alexa inquiry. Let’s face it, we don’t like to wait. But when it comes to nature, this may not be the best way to glean success, at least in the … Read More
Sometimes Lessons Need To Be Relearned
Well folks I don’t know about you but we had a decent deer season for 2024. A total of 6 deer were taken off the property we hunt this year and every one of them by yours truly. Not for lack of effort by my son or the landowner (Steve) and his daughter, but I just seemed to be the one blessed with the most opportunities. The old saying goes, I’d rather be lucky than good any day. Not to discount the skill and knowledge that are needed to successfully hunt a mature whitetail, but … Read More
Diehard – A Battle of Wills
The following article is about an extraordinary hunt as told by our nephew, Derek. Derek Harrison experienced the hunt of a lifetime on opening weekend of gun season 2024. It all started on the second day of the hunt, November 16 on his father-in-law’s property in Hillsdale county. It was a fluke of a site, as a few weeks earlier he’d set up his hunting spot in the dark. Heading out on the morning of the hunt, and running late, Derek reflects on saying to his brother-in-law, Kenny, “I know there are big deer, we … Read More
Humility and Kindness; Pass It On
Sometimes the sport of hunting becomes a “dog eat dog” world filled with pride and selfishness. Most hunters who have been at it long enough have stories to share about their frustrations related to this. They may even have to admit their own shortcomings on occasion as the pressure to succeed or “show off” builds. I’d like to propose another approach based on my experiences that takes a detour from the negative aspects that oftentimes taint this amazing sport. Let’s start with a story about farmers in years past who when tilling their fields, would … Read More
Drink What You Like …an Adventure along the Bourbon Trail
I have returned from an amazing adventure shared with three friends on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Narrow roads wind past horse farms and through the verdant rolling hills of central Kentucky. The weather was perfect with the fall colors at their peak. We shared great conversations and wonderful meals paired with bourbon tastings. What is bourbon? It is whiskey distilled from grain. What makes it unique is bourbon is defined by law! To prevent unscrupulous distillers from mixing turpentine, battery acid or tobacco juice into clear alcohol, the food and drug administration defined that bourbon … Read More
When rare birds suddenly arrive for a short visit
An enlightening moment for me was when my wife Ginny and I attended the annual mid-May Tawas Point Birding Festival in East Tawas several years ago and seeing the amazing amount of folks who took bird watching quite passionately. Michigan is located smackdab in the middle of both the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways and countless songbirds flying north while following the shoreline of Lake Huron, are literally given a “right hook” at Tawas Point, which abruptly turns them south, and they perform what is known as the Great Fallout, and the birds land in mass … Read More
Whenever hunter-pressured whitetails go nocturnal, nothing beats an old-fashioned deer drive.
At high noon a few December muzzleloader deer seasons ago, I was on a deer drive with friends and acting as a stander at a likely location on the corner of a briar-infested woodlot bordering a hayfield. According to all the fresh tracks there were plenty of deer seeking refuge in the thick and snarly cover, and I was anticipating plenty of action, which can be the case with a well-organized deer drive. Deer drives don’t have to involve a lot of hunters, especially when everyone knows the lay of the land. In this instance, … Read More