When I began deer hunting in my home Thumb area in 1963, deer weren’t as numerous as they are today, and just seeing one, much less one with antlers and being able to shoot it. Back then, the “bucks only” law wasn’t a bad thing, in order for deer to better propagate in a region. Whitetail deer are in fact quite resilient critters, and when given a chance, can do some serious propagating. In 1970, the DNR realized something had to be done to help keep the deer herd in check with the habitat, and … Read More
.41 Great Lakes – a new and truly amazing straight wall cartridge
When Michigan’s Shotgun Zone became the Limited Firearms Zone in 2014, it would completely change the complexion of deer hunting in southern Michigan, and other midwestern states with shotgun zones would soon follow suit with similar formats. A key feature is that only straight wall cartridges .35 caliber or larger, with a minimum case length of 1.16 inches and maximum case length of 1.80 inches are allowed. This is a straightforward approach which is easy to understand, and I do appreciate it. This would easily allow handgun-related calibers to be used in rifles, and I … Read More
Southern Michigan’s Limited Firearms Zone is celebrating its 10th anniversary
By the early 20th Century, there were very few whitetail deer found in southern Michigan, which resulted in closing the annual deer season in that region for quite a few years to allow the deer population to rebound. The first reestablished deer season for southern Michigan occurred in 1948 when, due to possible safety concerns, only shotguns would be allowed creating what would be known as the “Shotgun Zone”. During the first couple years, deer hunters could only use buckshot, but shotgun slugs were eventually allowed as well as .22 rimfire rifles, which … Read More
A Thompson Center Encore .450 Bushmaster
Thompson Center Arms, as you may know, is famous for producing the very popular Encore rifle and Contender pistol platforms. These platforms were known for being very accurate single shot firearms with interchangeable barrels. Their slogan was “One gun, for all your hunts.” On January 4, 2007, Thompson Center Arms was purchased by Smith & Wesson. On December 8, 2010, Smith & Wesson announced the original Rochester, New Hampshire plant would be closed and manufacturing was transferred to Springfield, Massachusetts. In Late May, 2022 Smith & Wesson closed down the TC line completely. However, in … Read More
A Methodical Deer Tracking Effort Can Minimize Mistakes
By: Jim Kushner. I want to share this story because even after several decades of deer hunting I learned a little something from the experience. It was opening day, Nov. 15, 2022. I had not seen a deer all morning and it was nearing noon. Suddenly, a deer popped out of thick cover and walked across the back of the field I was watching. I brought the gun up and looked through the scope and determined it was a doe. A few seconds later another deer stepped out from behind the same doe I was … Read More
Michigan’s Deer Seasons Are Fast Approaching
By: Tom Lounsbury. As I write this, August has arrived, which means summer is winding down and fall will soon be easing in. For many Michigan hunters, this is the time to start preparing for the various deer seasons, and there is no question that the whitetail deer has become our state’s most popular big game animal (actually, this is a fact almost nationwide). The “Liberty Hunt”, which will take place September 11th and 12th this year, is a favorite time of mine to look forward to, as I truly enjoy taking a kid deer … Read More
The “Vampire Buck” – A rare & very unique trophy
By: Tom Lounsbury. Ken Martin of Cass City truly enjoys hunting local Thumb whitetails, something he has been doing since he was a kid. Having taken his share of deer over the years, he isn’t a trophy hunter, but like many deer hunters, he always has his eye out for the “big one”. Little did he know when he went to his hunting blind on the second morning of the 2020 Michigan Firearms deer Season, he would soon encounter a dandy buck, and actually a real trophy too, in more ways than one. Daylight was … Read More
The Colorful History Of Michigan Deer Hunting
By: Tom Lounsbury. Humankind certainly has a way of changing the face of the world, especially in the name of progress, and Michigan is a prime example. When Europeans first made their appearance in the Great Lakes State, the southern Lower Peninsula featured more open areas, including prairies and bogs, which was ideal habitat for whitetail deer and elk. The northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula entailed a very dense, unending old growth forest which allowed very little sunlight to penetrate through. This was ideal habitat for woodland caribou and moose, and detrimental to whitetail … Read More
Michigan’s U.P. Deer – “not a ground ball”.
By: Adrian Zarantonello. Despite the favorable conditions, opening day didn’t yield any activity for me. My father-in-law Jeff shot a nice 8-point on opening day, his first deer in 5 years. Jeff could care less about antler points and would equally have someone else have success as himself, so as he regaled us with the story, of his first 8-point, I was glad that someone so selfless had found some personal success. With the wind changing to the southeast the next day, a location change was in order. The morning of the 16th, we were greeted … Read More
Before The Hunt – Michigan Elk Hunting Preparations
By: Tom Lounsbury. One of my bucket list dreams has been to get lucky on the draw for a Michigan elk license. I have been faithfully applying each year since 1984, and getting long in the tooth, it was my hope to receive a Michigan elk license while I could still put one foot in front of the other. Needless to say, folks, I was euphoric to the core when I went online in early July and discovered my dream had finally come true. At the time, I didn’t know whether I had a bull … Read More