By: Amy Gauthier. “Heel toe, heel toe”… A little girl walks in the woods pretending she’s like Marty Stouffer from “Wild America”. Not sure if I got that trick to walk quietly in the woods from that show, or from Michigan Outdoors, but I knew I wanted to be silent as I observed the wildlife on my parents little piece of Michigan paradise. My dad helped to instill my love of the outdoors at an early age, and I couldn’t get enough of it. That love brought me to hunting and fishing, and continues today. … 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
Hitting the mark during some youthful shooting competition
By: Tom Lounsbury. Trapshooting was first developed as a competitive sport during the 18th Century, using flintlock fowling pieces (the forerunners of today’s shotguns) firing shot. This would be done using live pigeons, with the birds being placed in a wooden box, called a “trap”, on the ground out in front of the shooter. Upon the shooter saying “pull”, a cord attached to the box was used to release the pigeon. Several traps were spread out in different spots, and the shooter had no idea which trap was going to release the pigeon. The typical … Read More
Youthful Fun Times Spent In The Rabbitat
By: Tom Lounsbury. When it comes to weather, March can be quite a fickle month. One day you will think spring is coming early, and the next day winter is back, and with a vengeance. That is what was on my mind when the date of March 12 was set for a rabbit hunt on my farm, entailing youth hunters. Just like the month of March, cottontail rabbits can be real fickle, too, according to the weather. One day they are out and about, and suddenly they have literally gone to ground, and can remain … Read More
Are Ruffed Grouse Toxic? Maybe Sometimes
By: Ben Long. Reprinted with permission by MeatEater. Ruffed grouse are widely considered one of the more delectable upland game birds. But did you know they might also be poisonous? Odd as it seems, there is a fairly extensive—and largely forgotten—body of medical literature detailing unfortunate souls who have been poisoned by eating ruffed grouse. Curiously, these poisonings dropped off with the invention of hunting seasons, which protected grouse when they happen to pose the largest risk. A document entitled “Dietary Roulette”, posted on the University of California-Davis website, both explains the phenomenon and raises … Read More
A Fine Opening Day For Michigan Pheasants
By: Tom Lounsbury. In the gray light of dawn, the pheasant hunters on my farm had released their bird dogs in the yard in order to get the kinks out before the hunt. The growing light in the eastern sky let us know we were in for a splendid day weather-wise, and that certainly worked for me. You name it, and I’ve seen it on Michigan’s October 20th opener for pheasants, including blizzard-like conditions with driving wet snow, gully-wumper rainstorms, and even driving, painful, hailstorms that had both hunters and dogs seeking whatever cover could … Read More
Getting Kids Involved In The Great Outdoors
By: Tom Lounsbury. One of my greatest pleasures in life as a parent was getting my three sons involved with the various pursuits in the great outdoors, and mentoring them, one on one through the process which is truly the joy of sharing, and of course “passing it on”. As a grandparent, I’m even further pleased seeing my sons doing the same in passing it on with their children. This is something we humans as hunter/gathers have been doing since the beginning of time, although in today’s high-tech society, this fact in reality can become … Read More
Squirrel Dogs…like lightning in a bottle
By: Tom Lounsbury. The first time that I ever hunted with what I would call a “squirrel dog” was back when I was a kid. I was hunting near the Cass River with a friend the same age as me, and we were using his unique hunting dog that was half beagle and half Border collie. This stocky dog weighed about 30 pounds and looked pretty much like a beagle with the black and white markings of a Border collie. Crossbreds for a fact can often be incredible hunters, and this dog was no exception. … Read More
The Bear Necessities Of Bilateral Symmetry – Its A Michigan “Thing”
By: John Buczek. Over 50 years ago my Dad introduced me to one of Michigan’s favorite pastimes – hunting. Each adventure out of doors was an opportunity for us to share many of life’s lessons. I fondly remember how respectfully he treated other people. I remember him saying “it takes more energy to treat people poorly, so why do it?” My outdoor experiences continued in mid-Michigan, which included pheasant hunting in “the thumb”, deer hunting “up north” and eventually an occasional turkey hunt in “God’s country” . Of course, specific areas of the state provided … Read More
All’s Well In Love & War but not necessarily with Michigan Bear Hunting
By: John Buczek. For the past few years, I’ve volunteered as a cook with an outfitter based out of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This outfitter conducts deer, bear and turkey hunts in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. Throughout my time helping this outfitter, I’ve witnessed an issue that I believe affects bear hunting in the state of Michigan. What I’ve both seen and experienced doesn’t just feel like an isolated or local problem, but perhaps something more widespread that needs to be addressed. …The following is … Read More