07 16

JULY 2016
$4.00
Woods-n-Water News
Michigans Premier Outdoor Publication
Summer
Eyes
Urban Coyotes
St.
Marys
Fishing Hotspots
Food
Plots
For Bowhunting
Antler
Regeneration
Articulated Jigs For Jammin on July Bass Summer Muskies

Trolling Plugs For Trout/Salmon Water Clarity and Walleyes
Modernize Pittman-Robertson Act Walleyes and Worms
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JULY 2016 - WNW NEWS
2016
22
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2016
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BENNINGTON PONTOON
By Tom Campbell
Field notes...
e love readers sharing their

stories or concerns with us and
we encourage you to do so.
Email me at wnw@pageone-inc.com
and you can send us the information to
WNWN, PO Box 278, Imlay City, MI
48444.
Here are a couple great photos
and stories. (Right) Phil Satkowiak at
age 86 harvested this trophy tom and
below, a little reminder of a past hunt
from Robert Duncan of Kalamazoo.
Check out the hunting apparel! Can
you imagine hunting in a shirt and tie?
Incredible what 75 years has done to
our outdoor pursuits! But if you strip
away the outer surface the core values
are still there, sharing adventures with
family and friends and the camaraderie
and traditions that develop.

Speaking of traditions, be sure to
mark your calendar Sept. 9-11 for the
30th Woods-N-Water News Outdoor
Weekend held at the Eastern Michigan
State Fairgrounds in Imlay City.
Spring turkey hunters, the DNR
needs you to report your hunting activity online. The information you provide will help them to evaluate hunter
success and total harvest. You can
report your hunting activity by visiting
the Spring Turkey Harvest Survey on
the DNR website (www.michigan.gov/
hunting). Its important for all turkey
hunters to participate, even if you do
not hunt or harvest a turkey. Survey
results will be posted on their website
as soon as they are available.n
Woods-N-Water News reader Robert

Duncan of Kalamazoo shared this photo
of his hunting buddies of a few years
ago (1939). Robert says he still hunts
the same area and this will be his 67th
year! The Kalamazoo newspaper story
with this photo mentioned "13 Kalamazooans were all successful in taking a
deer and two hunters take bears hunting southwest of Manistique." Members
were; Riley Stewart, Douglas Parker,
Freeman Way, Homer Reddinger, Mrs.
Homer Reddinger, Ralph Schuster, Isaac
Schuster, Craker Young, Clayton Revore,
Sherman Wilkerson, Newill Hirsch, Louis
Leetz and Ellsworth Newton. It was
also noted the largest deer was a 250
pound, 16 point!
SEASONS
Open All Year Pike and walleye season on

Lower Peninsula Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair &
St. Clair & Detroit Rivers
Open All Year Catch-and-immediate-release
bass season on all Michigan waters open to fishing
Now-Dec. 31 Pure Michigan Hunt application
Now Dec. 15 Muskie season on Lake St.
Clair, St. Clair River and Detroit River. (additional rules and regulations apply)
Now-March 15 Pike and walleye season on
Lower Peninsula inland waters
Now-March 15 Pike and walleye season on

Upper Peninsula Great Lakes, inland waters &
St. Marys River
Now-Dec. 31 Catch and keep bass season on
all Michigan waters except; Lake St. Clair, and
Detroit and St. Clair Rivers
June 18 Dec. 31 Catch-and-keep season for
largemouth and smallmouth bass on Lake St.
Clair, St. Clair River and Detroit River.
July 1 Aug. 1 Fall turkey hunt application
period
July 15 Aug. 15 Antlerless deer application
period
Aug. 1 Aug. 28 Reserved waterfowl application period
Aug. 1-Sept. 30 Crow season
MJC
ARCHERY
MJC
ARCHERY
MACOMB
OAKLAND
19744 15 Mile Rd
Clinton Twp. 48035
3001 Rochester Rd
Royal Oak, MI 48073
586-791-4600
248-589-2480
DNR seeks input on updated

Deer Management Plan
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources invites those interested in the
management of Michigans white-tailed deer population to review and provide
input on its draft updated Deer Management Plan.
The plan was created in 2010 through a process that involved substantial
stakeholder input and incorporated the best scientific information possible. A
similar process was undertaken in 2015 to update the plan, ensuring that it remains
current and reflects the current status of the deer program in Michigan.
The updated plan will continue to provide strategic guidance to DNR staff for
the management of white-tailed deer in Michigan, said Chad Stewart, DNR deer,
elk and moose program specialist.
The plan supports the mission of the deer program by maintaining a healthy
white-tailed deer population, using sound scientific management, maximizing recreational opportunities while minimizing negative effects on ecosystems and other
wildlife species and without creating undue hardship to private interests.
The draft plan focuses on goals and objectives that are desirable, with defined
actions outlined to achieve these goals and objectives. With this structure, the
DNR has the ability to adopt an adaptive approach to deer management, accounting for differences between regions and incorporating changes in management
techniques or technology to achieve a desired result.
Wed like to thank all of the individuals, stakeholders and partners who have
assisted in this process over the last year and a half, Stewart said.
The draft updated plan is available on the DNRs website at www.michigan.
gov/deer. The plan will be available for review through July 8. Comments may be
submitted to dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov or sent to DNR Wildlife Division, 525
West Allegan St., Lansing, MI 48909.
86-Year Old Has

Successful Turkey Hunt
Phil Satkowiak took this big old 25
pound turkey hunting in North Genesee County. His tom had a 9 inch
beard and inch spurs and was
taken with a 12 ga.
2016 Wildlife
Habitat Grants
available
through MDNR
The Michigan Department of
Natural Resources is accepting Wildlife Habitat Grant Program applications now through Wednesday, July
20. Projects featuring habitat enhancement for game species will be given
priority.
The Wildlife Habitat Grant Program, which began in October 2013,
is funded with a portion of the revenue
from the hunting and fishing licenses
sold each year. The DNR administers
the program through a cooperative effort between its Wildlife Division and
Grants Management Section.
This is an exciting opportunity
to partner with others in the state to
increase the habitat available for game
species in Michigan and to enhance
the existing habitat for the benefit of
hunters, trappers and wildlife viewers, said DNR Wildlife Division
Chief Russ Mason.
Funding is available for local,
state, federal and tribal governments,
profit and nonprofit groups, and individuals through an open, competitive
process. Minimum grant amounts will
be set at $15,000, with the maximum
being the amount of funds available
for that grant cycle. The 2016 overall
available grant amount is approximately $1 million.
The main objective of the Wildlife
Habitat Grant Program is to enhance
and improve the quality and quantity
of game-species habitat in support
of goal 2 of the Wildlife Divisions
strategic plan to manage habitat for
sustainable wildlife populations and
wildlife-based recreation.
In a continuing effort to enhance
the program and meet the needs of the
DNRs wildlife conservation partners,
a new two-year grant period is being
implemented with this application
cycle. This program change should
provide greater flexibility in delivering
effective habitat-restoration projects.
The grant application period begins today, June 1. Applications must
be postmarked no later than July 20 to
be considered for funding. Successful
grant applications will be announced
by Oct. 1. The detailed program handbook and application are available at
mi.gov/dnrgrants.
Boat Smart...
DNR wildlife vet.,
Ride off-road vehicles
Don't
bump the bottom
Steve Schmitt retires
safely and legally
page 20
page 83
Captain Fred Davis page 49
Journal keeping is fun

and pays dividends
DNR CO receives
award for saving life
Getting kids in the

great outdoors
Tom Huggler page 32
Get SMART
about urban coyotes
MDNR page 36
Go deep for gills
Fire, jack pine and aspen

MDNR - page 40
Kenny Darwin...page 12
HUNTING
Cover Story...
Antler regeneration
John Ozoga page 8
The ultimate,
"ultimate bow plot"
Mr. Food Plots Ed Spinazzola
page 60
Guest Column...
Deer hunting 2015
Spring cleaning streams

beneficial to fish habitat
page 44
Destination: Ely
Boundary Waters
John Bergsma page 34
A fly called "Bluegill Bob"

Darryl Quidort page 39
CHARTER DIRECTORY
page 42-43
PuttingItAllTogether...
An In Depth Look At
Bait Presentation
Larry Walter page 42
page 77
Michigan's Marine Laws

Capt. Jeff Pendergraff page 66
TRAIL CAM PHOTOS

page 76
Sporting Collectibles...
Readers' questions
Terry McBurney page 78
page 83
PERSPECTIVE
KAYAK SAFETY
be seen - be heard
Dave Mull page 22
Outdoor Foundation...
Preserve Outdoor Traditions
Randy Jorgensen page 28
Ghost Turkey...
Meet the Smokey-Gray
Jonathan Schechter page 38
Our cottage...
around the corner
Mark Sak page 48
Tom Lounsbury page 62
Empty boat syndrome

hit this parent hard
Ron St. Germain page 74
OPINIONS
Need to modernize
Pittman-Robertson Act
page 70
Moose not endangered

Richard P. Smith page 70
The Sagebrush Rebellion:

Michigan's latest invasive
Tom Carney page 71
'Life in the fast Lane'
Wilderness Park and

Mackinaw City area
a nature lover's gift
Lane Walker page 71
Bring back our

pheasant release program
Rick Fowler page 81
Fireworks Whitetails More summer steelhead Dog training questions

for Lake Michigan?
Charlie Linblade page 84
Kenny Darwin page 82
Ken Dalton page 72
Jim Bedford page 46
Guest Column...
First turkey hunt
Spinnerbait Bass
OUTDOOR NEWS
St Marys River is a hot

spot for predator fish
DNR ready to help

evaluate status of moose
George Rowe page 53
page 84
FISHING
Next Bite...
Summer walleyes
Gary Parsons/Keith Kavajecz

page 10
Walleyes and worms

Mark Martin page 16
Articulated jigs for

jammin' on July bass
Betty Sodders page 56
Who needs a boat?

Brian Marshall page 59
Water clarity and

walleye fishing
Mark Romanack page 64
High action trolling plugs

for trout and salmon
Kenny Darwin page 68
Buck Mallory page 18
Encounters with
summer muskies
Robert Dock Stupp page 24
Lake Trout Trolling 101

Mark Romanack page 30
FEATURE
016
$4.00
Woods- ater News

Summer
Eyes
COVER PHOTOS
Summer 'Eyes...
By Mark Romanack
Urban Coyotes...
By Kenny Darwin
Antler Regeneration...
Photo By Robert Peltz
For Bowhunting
Use caution and safety

when observing moose
page 15
Anglers asked to
complete online
muskie survey
Antler
Regeneration
Articulated Jigs For Jammin on July Bass Summer Muskies

Trolling Plugs For Trout/Salmon Water Clarity and Walleyes
Modernize Pittman-Robertson Act Walleyes and Worms
Follow us on
Charity
Island
Walleyes
Michael Veine..page 54
Traditional
Black Powder Hunting...
"This is going to be
my kids someday"
Dennis Neely page 26
Gun Chat...
Treasures of the
NRA National
Firearms Museum
Lee Arten page 52
page 21
New Arctic grayling

initiative could bring
species back to Michigan
page 25
DNR graduates 16 new

conservation officers
page 29
Urban Coyotes
Fishing Hotspots
page 14
GUNS/AMMO
DEPARTMENTS . . .
Trophy Page. . . . . . . . 80 Classifieds . . . . . . 85-86
Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . 70-73 Real Estate . . . . . . . 87-97
P.O. Box 278, Imlay City, MI 48444
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U.P. To Close Deer Season? Walleyes For Warriors Engraving A Legacy
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Antler regeneration
Cover Story - Antlers are the fastest-growing structures in the animal kingdom...
ntlers are uniquely mammalian; they are

the only appendages that annually replace
themselves, and their phenomenal growth
rate even surpasses that of dreaded cancer.
Antlers are actually two structures in
one: the antler itself and the pedicle, or stump on
the ends of which the antler develops. Antlers drop
off and are replaced; pedicles are permanently attached to the bucks head.
The annual cycle of antler growth, hardening,
casting, and regrowth is controlled by the bucks
endocrine system. It involves a complex interplay
between the hypothalamus of the brain, pineal
gland, pituitary gland, and testes. The cycle is
dependent upon seasonal changes in the amount of
daylight, or photoperiod, and follows the rhythmic
rise and fall in circulating blood levels of the male
hormone testosterone.
Before antler regeneration can start, antlers
must mature, die, and fall off. As soon as the old
antlers drop, normally during winter, the swollen ring of skin around the pedicle grows over
the stump of the antler -- a process referred to as
wound healing. This new skin is more like antler
velvet, into which it will ultimately develop.
In Northern latitudes, whitetailed deer grow
antlers in spring and summer, when testosterone
production is at its lowest level. The pineal gland,
tucked deep within the mid-portion of the deers
brain, serves as the whitetails nerve and hormone
transducer. That is, in response to changes in day
length, the tiny gland translates light signals into
chemical signals that cause hormone changes
responsible for setting the whitetails seasonal
rhythms. An increase in the amount of daylight
during April stimulates greater production of a
hormone known as prolactin that triggers new antler
growth from the bucks pedicles.
World renowned antler researcher Dr. Richard
Goss demonstrated the importance of changing
light regimes in regulating antler growth in Sika
deer raised under controlled lighting.
When light cycles were artificially shortened, the deer grew as many as three sets
of antlers per year. When light cycles were
lengthened, they only grew antlers every
other year.
Because day length is nearly constant
at equatorial latitudes, deer living in tropical and subtropical habitats experience
only slight seasonal changes in the
amount of daylight. Therefore, because
of the lack of photoperiod cues, does
may breed and give birth and bucks
may carry hardened antlers, at any time of the year.
But even in the tropics, bucks only grow one set
of antlers each year, the timing of regrowth being
determined largely by when the deer was born.
Before any deer can grow antlers, it must first
grow pedicles. These structures first show as a pair
of cowlicks on the forehead of very young fawns,
where they can be felt as small bony lumps beneath
the skin. Pedicles usually dont become pronounced
Cover Photo: Although the live antler may remain velvet covered for about four to five months, most of the growth is
accomplished during June and July. Complete elongation of the antler is normally completed within 100 days. Robert
Peltz photo
nubbins until the fawn is about four or five
months old. This is when the young bucks testes
produce sufficient testosterone to stimulate the laying down of additional pedicle bone.
In the absence of testosterone or the presence of
the female hormone estrogen, no pedicles
form and antlers fail to develop later on.
Buck fawns born late in the season, those
poorly nourished during summer and
autumn, or those subjected to severe social
(psychological) stress due to crowding at
high herd density tend to grow small pedicles (or possibly none at all), due either to
a deficiency in testosterone production or
because of a hormonal imbalance that
blocks its effect.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the
exact timing of antler growth varies somewhat among individuals, depending upon
their age and general health status. Healthy, mature bucks may show signs of bulging new antler
growth in early April. By comparison, new antler
growth among malnourished mature individuals and
yearling bucks growing their first set of full-fledged
antlers may be delayed from two to four weeks.
(Coat molt generally follows the same pattern, with
mature, healthy individuals being the first to don
By John Ozoga
their red summer coats.)

Early in their development, antlers are quite soft
and easily damaged. Growth occurs at the tips,
whereas calcification (hardening) starts in the shaft
of the antler. (The core remains moist and spongy
until the antler is cast.)
The growing antler contains an involved network of blood vessels and tissue which is covered
by a hairy skin known as velvet. Although quite
fragile and easily damaged, the live antler is richly
supplied with sensory nerves. Even the delicate
hairs serve as touch-sensitive feelers that warn of
a pending collision. As an added safeguard, bucks
seem to possess a special (kinesthetic) sense that
permits them to judge their own antler size and
shape. So equipped, even large-antlered bucks can
bound through dense forest cover without damaging
their soft antlers.
Antlers are the fastest-growing structures
in the animal kingdom. (Moose antlers, for example, may elongate at the astounding rate of threequarters of an inch per day.) Although the live
antler may remain velvet covered for about
four to five months, most of the growth is
accomplished during June and July. Complete
elongation of the antler is normally completed
within 100 days.n
Next Bite...Dominating the Dog Days Bite..By Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz
SUMMER WALLEYES
ts hot and the bites not. Are you sure about

that? Many people think that walleyes become
hard to catch in July and August. This isnt
true. The walleyes arent harder to catch, they
have just changed their feeding patterns and
you need to adjust to them.
By this time of year the open water basin bite
has begun to occur. On Lake Erie this bite is already
happening in April. On many inland lakes it begins
in late June and is in full swing by the beginning of
July.
Whenever you can, you

should build stretch into
your trolling system,
whether you are trolling
spinners or cranks.
Finding the Fish
Early in the season, walleyes tend to relate to

structure and shorelines. As the water temperature
changes and bug hatches occur, or as smelt and
alewives begin to school up, the walleyes begin to
roam the open water basins.
The first thing we do when we go to a lake
this time of year is look at a map. A prime area to
concentrate on is a 25-30 foot flat. The flat could be
sand or mud, which is the perfect place for insects
to hatch, so a lot of baitfish will be in the area.
While a lot of people tend to think of mayflies when
they think of a bug hatch, there are actually various
hatches happening throughout the summer. These
same flats can also hold an abundance of red worms
and wigglers.
Another key feature to look for is a basin that
has a smattering of underwater humps. The fish like
to relate to these humps, usually staying within a
quarter mile of them during the day and feeding on
them at night.
Once we have identified areas to target, we use
our Lowrance HDS to look for suspended schools.
A huge advantage of the HDS is the ability to pick
up on these schools while cruising at 18-19 mph,
instead of having to slow down to trolling speed.
With the scroll speed set on the HDS at two times
normal and the ping speed set at maximum, unless
the fish are tight to the bottom, they are easy to find.
great trolling speed of 1 mph. You should constantly be changing your trolling speed to get the best
action for your bait. In many cases you can troll
spinners and cranks together.
The beauty of this kind of fishing is unlimited
flexibility and experimentation. If you are bored
trolling then you are not doing your job as an
angler. You should constantly be mixing up your
speeds and your bait until you find what trips their
trigger. We love it when we are fishing in a state
where we can use several lines, as it gives us an
even greater opportunity to experiment.
We lean heavily on Berkley baits because we
have had a hand in their design. We dont prejudge,
we let the walleyes tell us if they will work and
keep playing around with the action until it is right.
The absolute epitome of a day is when you have
dialed it in so well that you have all of the lines runThere are a couple of ways to fish these flats. It ning with the exact same lure in terms of brand, size
and color.
is important to understand that these fish are wanJust as important as selecting the right bait and
dering nomads. The fish you find today could be a
speed is the proper planer board selection. Not a lot
couple hundred yards, a half-mile, or clear across
has changed over the years with Offshore planer
the lake tomorrow.
boards. They have a very heavy ballasted system
Structure is not as important when deciding if
you should chase after open water basin walleyes as that allows you to troll slow without the boards
weather is. Very high winds seem to turn these fish tipping. They are also great for handling rough
off, especially when a N or NE wind pushes a cold conditions.
We like to modify the clip set-up on the boards
front through. Yet when the weather is stable it is
when trolling crankbaits to what we call The Pro
lights out!
If we are looking to cover water, we tend to lean Set-Up. We remove the release hardware and the
OR16 (Red) release from the back of the board.
towards cranks over spinners because of their speThe board comes from the factory with an OR19
cialized actions. If you have a good crankbait, you
(Orange) release that is mounted straight out on the
can get a good bite in most conditions. Traditionally, the thought has been to use crankbaits until the arm and we add another OR19 just behind that one
so its aimed back at about a 45 degree angle (the
water gets warm and then switch over to spinners.
This line of thinking has changed with the introduc- board comes with a pre-drilled hole for this modifition of cranks like the Berkley Flicker Minnow and cation).
The advantage to the Pro Set-Up are that it
Flicker Shad.
makes
the boards easier to read because they will
One of the biggest mistakes people make when
tip back more when a fish is on. It also makes
they are trolling warm water is trolling fast. Boat
removing the boards easy, especially when you are
speed should not be predicated on the temperature
fighting a fish by yourself.
of the water, but the crank and the action of that
When we are trolling spinners we always use an
crank. While some people think 2 mph is a great
Offshore board equipped with a Tattle Flag. There
trolling speed, we have found it can be too fast for
are way too many instances when we are able to
some cranks. There are many cranks that have a
Getting the Bite
10
tease a walleye into biting with a Tattle set-up, in

which the flag moves when you have a strike.
There are many times when you will see that
the fish bit the worm, but then let it go. When the
flag indicates this, you should free spool your line,
count to three and then tighten up. Usually the fish
will slam it! We dont know of any other board that
will let you see those light strikes.
Keeping the Fish On
Whenever you can, you should build stretch into

your trolling system, whether you are trolling spinners or cranks. For years we have used monofilament 10# Berkley XT line because it allows the fish
to suck it in better and there is a lot of forgiveness
in the line. This minimizes the chance of putting
a hole in the mouth of fish. It also minimizes the
chance of losing a big fish on a headshake.
We have also begun using 14# Berkley XL
when trolling. It is tough as nails, has more stretch
than XT and is the same diameter at 10# XT.
We refer to the Precision Trolling app to know
how much line needs to be let out for our lure to run
at a desired depth in the water column. The calculations for the 10# XT are the same for the 14# XL.
If you are trolling with lead core line, it is important to keep the drag somewhat loose since you
will have stretch limitations. This prevents the fish
from ripping a hole in his mouth.
After you have worked hard to locate the fish,
get them to bite, and keep them on the line, the last
thing you want to do is lose them at the boat. One
of the biggest mistakes we see are people losing
fish just out of netting range with the pole pointed
straight up to the good Lord in the sky.
As soon as you get the board off, put the rod
close to the water at a right angle to the fish. You
dont want the fish to come close to the surface until
it is within good netting range. By keeping the rod
down and at this angle, you should hardly ever have
to reach out to net a fish.
So remember, dont give up when you think the
fish have shut down! With a little bit of homework
and experimentation you will be able to land your
Next Bite!n
Live-Fire Simulator
11
GO DEEP
SUMMER
FOR
12
By Kenny Darwin
luegills topping the scales at almost

a pound are prized catches. But after
the shallow water flurry they disappear
and many anglers stop fishing. They
are still there, rare on most Michigan
waterways but you can up your odds
by fishing waters rich in finned dinnerplates. Fishing pressure, predation and
abundance of food cause gill populations to rise and
fall. If you are not on the hot action when the lake
is on fire, youre too late. When algae blooms and
water temperatures rise you need to change strategies for big gills and go deep. Heres why.
First, begin summer adventures by targeting
bodies of water that have a reputation for whopper
gills. Some of my favorites include Lake Cadillac, Houghton Lake, Hamlin Lake, Gull Lake and
a host of others. The trick is to spend time on
productive waters that support a healthy population
of slab bluegills. Just about any lake with shallow
water, food and spawning habitat will hold gills.
But the big bulls frequently are found in specific
water providing deep water liars during summer,
frequently bordered by vast weed beds and ample
cover. Your goal is to isolate schools of active 7
inch adult gills and hopefully find a 10-incher. In
order to catch big gills you need to target lakes
where big fish live. Returning to waters where you
have caught big fish works but keep searching local
private ponds, lakes or reservoirs. Often big gills
flourish in lakes that do not have an abundant bass
population.
Keep in mind that the average six- year-old gill
is only about 6-8 inches long. In order to reach
8-10 inches they need a lake flush with food and
weed growth is essential so they can avoid predation from northern pike and bass.
There are several fishing tactics that catch big
gills with ease. One of the most productive is a
simple bobber rigged with two hooks and a few
split shot to take offerings deep. Some folks prefer
a slip bobber that can be set at any depth and is
effective when bluegills school 15-20 feet below
the surface. A small Northland Impulse mayfly or
stone fly is placed about 2 feet above a small ice jig
tipped with bait. Waxies are the bait of choice but
garden worms and crickets are often big fish catchers. The idea is to anchor near a bluegill holding
area and cast out two bobber rigs and allow them
to sink into the strike zone. Often you need to give
the bobber an occasional jiggle to make the jig or
Michigan offers great summer panfishing and the result can be a cooler full of dandy bluegills. The author
used live bait on a single bait holder hook to successfully fool this dandy bluegill. Productive summer
panfish baits include waxies, small garden variety worms, grasshoppers and crickets.
fly wiggle and draw savage strikes. Sometimes you
can slowly drift with the wind and work the lures
along drop-offs or weedbeds and cover more water
and often catch more fish and find new hot spots.
Another take off on this strategy is to use a size
#8 Eagle Claw style 181 baitholder hook in place of
the fly. This strategy is deadly in clear water lakes
where adult gills are shy about slamming presentations. There is something powerfully addictive
about crickets. Big bulls hit them with reckless
abandonment almost like they dislike the wiggling
critter with long black legs. Ive used grasshoppers
with this strategy and the hottest color hopper is
bright green and dark brown.
Many Michigan gill chasers reserve outings
for winter when they can sit in a warm shanty
and watch electronics while they work itsy ice
jigs tipped with waxies. This strategy is also very
productive during summer. You use 4 pound line
and an ultra-light spinning rod. Savvy anglers sit in
the bow and use powerful electronic bow mounted
trolling motors to navigate along deep water gill
liars. For this kind of fishing you can step up to a
larger jig and tip it with a waxie, itsy worm, and

cricket or meal worm. Just like ice fishing you keep
an eye on your electronics and when fish appear
on the screen you dance the tiny jig slightly above
the mark and entice strikes. This same strategy is
dynamite on crappie in Wixom Lake and jumbo
perch in Higgins Lake. Once you have located the
bigger gills you keep working the area searching for
those monster 10-inchers. If the bite slows, move
to a new location and return in an hour. The trick is
to work several locations, cover a lot of water and
target areas that hold bigger gills. With this strategy you keep everything moving and only pause
when a fish is kissin close to the hook. When fish
are active you will get slammed on a regular basis
and strikes often come when you are jigging the
offering upward. But if gills are touchy sometimes
you have to lower the jig, work it deep and keep
it in their face. This is a simple yet overlooked
technique, and once you get the hang of it, you can
catch a bunch of gills at lightning speed.
There are a variety of jigs on the market that
catch gills. I suggest you take a peek at those made
This angler uses electric motor to stealthily position over a school of panfish as the morning sun paints the
horizon pink. Summer gills can provide exciting fishing and memories to last a life time. Gills like this are
available all summer in hundreds of Michigan lakes and waterways. Kenny Darwin photos
which is best for a particular body of water.
Jigs tipped with plastics are a relatively new
summer tactic but it has a proven track record for
icing winter gills. Now, thanks to modern lures and
action tails, summer anglers can catch fish like kids
gobbling candy. Keys to success include keeping
the jig in perpetual motion, tipping with bait and
Small jigs combined with plastics and tipped with a waxie is the authors favorite vertical jigging presentation
for panfish. Modern plastic offer a variety of action tails that draw savage strikes from fish in deep water liars.
working the lure near deep water weed edges.

By August weed beds are down to 35 feet
which is where the thermocline sets up and the
biggest gills congregate. Thats when plastics
shine but you need sonar to mark fish and see
them charge the hook. Look for small schools
of maybe a dozen fish found in tight groups near
weeds or deep bottom humps. Test the school to
see if they are the 8-10 inch brutes you seek. If
not, use the electric motor to find a new school.
Sometimes you need to work the bottom
6 inches and gradually stair step the jig with
shakes and twitches until you find the preferred
depth in the water column gills prefer. If you get
machine gun strikes it is often little fish.
Big gills snap the jig with a solid hit. If you
miss a strike keep moving the lure and excite
the gill into a second or third strike.
This is finesse trophy bluegill fishing like
your father never dreamed about. Just like
walleye jigging you keep the boat directly
above the tiny offering and dance the jig in
the strike zone. If the wind pushes you off the
school try to motor over them and make a
second pass. This deadly strategy is best
during early morning or when the lake is placid,
seas calm and you can hover directly over active
schools of big hump backed bulls.
When you hit a hot school of hard thumpin
deep water gills the action is top notch. Once you
try jigging, get the technique down, you will reluctantly go back to grandpas cane pole or daddys
bobbers and heavy split shot. Try this strategy and
I guarantee your catches will be impressive and
you will be hitting the water with renewed enthusiasm and stay on the hunt for trophy gills until winter draws the curtain on the open-water season.n
here in Michigan by the folks at K&E Tackle and

those produced by JB Tackle. The trick is to use a
jig that rides horizontal in the water and dives, dips
and jiggles like an underwater micro critter dancing
for food. But the key to success often hinges on
what you use to tip the jig. Heres why.
Deep gills will power-slam a jig offering and
often rob the bait before you feel the strike. So,
the solution is to use plastics. My favorite is the
Trigger X Nymph chartreuse glow one inch size.
This nymph has a long forked tail, jiggly arms and
it swims in the water like a mayfly nymph headed
for the surface. The texture is soft, pliable and fish
tend to grab and hold on. Another excellent choice
is made by Clam, the folks who make Clam ice
shelters. They also produce a quality bluegill plastic called Polli that is 7/8 inches long and comes in
an 8 pack for around $3. The Polli boasts a natural
ball head with long teaser whip tail that delivers
incredible action. The Polli is injected with wormbased protein to give added smell and the kind of
taste that makes gills hold on. At times you need to
trim the plastic to fit the tiny jig hook.
When a big gull slams a plastic tail he will pull
it down the hook shank. To keep plastics in proper
position use a drop of Krazy glue. I carry a drip
bottle in my panfish tackle box.
Now, you get the picture. Just tip the plastic
with a waxie and drop it into the strike zone. Give
it a little jiggle and slowly work it upward and
watch the gills chase it at lightning speed. Now,
get ready for the strike. POW! Fish on! In my
opinion this bluegill combination is the most productive way to fill your live well with dandy gills.
For some reason the jig/plastics is targeted by the
biggest, meanest gill in the neighborhood and it
keeps you from catching undersized fish. There
are a variety of jigs in various colors and plastics
that guarantee savage strikes from deep water gills.
Experimentation is the key to success and savvy
anglers use different combinations to determine
13
DNR ready to help evaluate status of moose

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces initial finding that federal protections may be warranted...
he Michigan Department of
Natural Resources will aid the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the federal agencys
evaluation of whether the
northwestern subspecies of
moose found in four states including
Michigan should be added to the list
of threatened and endangered species
affording federal protection.
We will work closely with
the Fish and Wildlife Service
and the states of Wisconsin,
Minnesota and North Dakota to
further this important evaluation,
said DNR Wildlife Division Chief
Russ Mason. Moose are one of
Michigans iconic wildlife species.
In an announcement today, the
Fish and Wildlife Service found a
petition filed by The Center for Biological Diversity and Honor the Earth
provided substantial scientific or
commercial information that listing
under the Endangered Species Act
may be warranted.
This substantial 90-day finding initiates a rigorous status review in which
the Service will determine whether
the species warrants listing under the
Endangered Species Act, the Service
14
A moose walks in a wetland area along U.S. 41 near Humboldt in Marquette

County in May. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is evaluating whether the northwestern subspecies of moose found in Michigan and three other states warrants
federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. MDNR photo
said in a news release.
To ensure the process is comprehensive and the final determination is
based on the best available scientific
and commercial data, the Service has
opened a 60-day comment period to
solicit relevant information from the
public.
The northwestern moose subspecies (Alces alces andersoni) being
evaluated is found in the Upper Pen-
insula, including Isle Royale, northeastern and northwestern Minnesota,

northeastern North Dakota, as well as
a small, recently established population in Wisconsin.
During the subspecies status
review commonly referred to as a
12-month finding the Service will
take a closer look at the moose subspecies population, including threats.
At this point, the Service will
solicit additional scientific and commercial information from all sources

to inform their decision.
Ninety-day findings are published
in the Federal Register and represent
the Services first step in assessing the
measures proposed in the petition.
In Michigan, the moose population has declined for a variety of
reasons, including habitat loss, predation and climate change, Mason said.
Moose thrive in cold conditions due
to their thick insulating fur, long legs
and wide feet. Warmer temperatures
put moose at risk of overheating,
which causes malnutrition and immune system concerns.
Moose are native to Michigan and
occurred throughout all except the
southwestern Lower Peninsula prior
to European settlement. With habitat
loss, hunting and brainworm, moose
disappeared from the Lower Peninsula
in the 1890s, and only a few scattered
individuals remained in the Upper
Peninsula.
After a failed reintroduction
attempt during the 1930s, citizens occasionally observed moose in the U.P.
during the 1950s and 1960s.
In the mid-1980s, the DNR trans-
member Moose Hunting Advisory

Council, appointed by the governor,
studied impacts moose hunting
would have on the moose
population and the various
economic benefits associated with
moose hunting.
After producing its findings,
the Michigan Natural Resources
Commission determined that current conditions of the states moose
population did not support authorizing a hunt.
For more information on the Endangered Species Act listing process,
including 90-day findings and status
reviews, visit: www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/listing.pdf.
To learn more about moose in
Michigan, visit the DNRs webpage.
Also see Richard P. Smith's thoughts
and views on this issue page 70.n
DNR urges caution and safety

when observing moose
Michigan Conservation Officers with the DNR are urging motorists to use
caution and remember safety when stopping along U.P. roadways to view and
photograph moose or other wildlife.
In early June, for example, moose have been seen with regularity along a section of U.S. 41 west between Ishpeming and Humboldt in western Marquette Co.
In many cases, motorists stopping along the highway to take pictures of these
moose have created traffic hazards and unsafe conditions for pedestrians, said
DNR CO Mark Leadman. These dangerous actions could cause serious injuries
or fatalities.
COs and police have observed motorists opening doors into traffic, stopping
in traffic lanes, making illegal U-turns, not slowing down in areas congested with
parked vehicles and pedestrians.
Pedestrians have also walked or run across traffic lanes with vehicles present
or stood focused on moose, not paying attention to passing traffic.
Those stopping to look at or take pictures of moose need to be mindful of
their surroundings and think defensively while they are in and out of their vehicles, said Lt. Pete Wright, a DNR district law supervisor.
Moose have been seen along several highways in the U.P. including M-95 and
M-28.
The DNR Law Enforcement Division has offered some safety tips:
When you notice vehicles stopped to view wildlife, slow down when passing
through the area.
Do not stop in the traffic lanes to take pictures or watch moose.
When pulling over to view or photograph a moose, pull all the way off the
roadway onto the shoulder of the road, to the right of the fog strip.
Do not open car doors without looking for traffic.
Do not walk or run out into traffic.
Do not make U-turns or other illegal traffic maneuvers.
Be aware of moving traffic and other pedestrians.
Do not approach moose, view or photograph from a distance.
When pulling back into traffic, watch for vehicles and pedestrians.
Drive slowly away from the area when leaving.
Seeing a moose can be a very exciting Upper Peninsula experience, especially if its the first time, said DNR deputy public information office John Pepin.
Many people want to capture those moments with a photo or video, but in doing
so wildlife watchers need to remain safety conscious.
Moose are a native species to Michigan, but their numbers declined substantially during European settlement. By the late 1800s, moose had disappeared from
the Lower Peninsula and only a handful remained in the Upper Peninsula.
In the mid-1980s, the DNR translocated 59 moose from Algonquin Provincial
Park in Ontario, Canada and released them in western Marquette County. The goal
of the moose reintroduction was to produce a self-sustaining population of freeranging moose in the Upper Peninsula.
Moose are currently found in two areas of the Upper Peninsula: the reintroduced population in Marquette, Baraga and Iron counties, and a smaller remnant
population in the eastern U.P. found primarily in Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce and
Chippewa counties.
During the most recent moose population survey in January 2011, DNR wildlife biologists estimated 433 animals in the western Upper Peninsula, up slightly
from 420 animals in 2009. No formal survey of the eastern U.P. moose population
is conducted, but local biologists estimate there are fewer than 100 animals, based
on field observations and reports from the general public.
Moose are a game species in Michigan though no hunts have been authorized
in recent decades.
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located 59 moose from Algonquin

Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada
and released them in Marquette
County near Michigamme. These
relocated moose increased their
numbers, given improved habitat
conditions with fewer whitetailed
deer and poaching widely
discontinued.
DNR population surveys in recent
years have estimated the moose population at roughly 400 in the western
U.P. and, based on citizen reports and
field observations, about 100 in the
eastern part of the region.
Moose are currently listed as
species of special concern in Michigan, but this status does not afford
any protections to the animals or their
habitat.
Moose are also a designated game
animal in Michigan. In 2011, a seven-
15
Imitations or the real deal...By Mark Martin
and
They wiggle. They squiggle.

Theyre soft and smell funny.
Theyre worms. And all that holds
true whether they are modernday fake baits or the real deal...
he best thing about worms?

They work wonders when
it comes to catching walleye
in open-water. But not all are
created equal. Not even the
live ones.
Dive Right In
What is it about worms that work

so well for catching walleye? Well,
you dont have to dive too deeply in
thought to figure it out.
Like all fish, walleye are opportunistic feeders. In other words, theyll
eat whatever passes by when they are
in the mood to feed.
What about all those minnows and
bugs walleyes feasting on all summer
long, you ask? Well, yeah, they are
still feeding on those. But the cool
thing about worms is you can easily
change their appearance by adding a
little bling to your rig, or just even just
doubling them up or nipping them in
half. And you can fish them fast, slow,
and all speeds in-between. To boot,
the fish like the way they taste.
16
as Frabills Worm And Leech Lodge.

The foam liner in the Lodge does two
things, actually: It keeps the temperature inside the container constant and
cool, and, acts as a shock absorber
during travel in my vehicle and boat.
The latter of the two is often overlooked by anglers. Worms, no matter
the type, will parish quickly if jostled
around too much.
And when onboard, I keep the
Worm And Leech Lodge in a cooler
rather than adding ice to the container
itself. As the ice melts it will saturate
the bedding and eventually kill the
crawlers.
For long-term storage of worms,
however, and Ill transfer them into
Frabills Habitat V Worm Storage
System. This unit will hold 10 to 12
dozen huge night crawlers without
overcrowding the herd, which can also
lead to premature death.
Real vs Imitation
Whether I use live crawlers or

softbaits that imitate the real thing is
up to the fish. And knowing when to
use one over the other comes from
trial and error while on the water.
Seeing as I have confidence equally in live and imitation worms, I rarely
start using one over another. Instead, I
base my choice on the environment of
the waterway Im fishing, my technique, as well the other species of fish
that reside in it.
The Livelier The Better
Take, for example, when perch are
Youd be hard pressed not to find
present and pecking away at my live
live nightcrawlers in my boat anycrawlers on a crawler harness, nipping
time Im on the water. But lethargic,
away at the meat until its completely
lifeless crawlers wont cut it. In fact,
gone off the hook. This is when Ill
dying worms skewered onto a hook
will repel fish rather than entice them change up and use Gulp! Night Crawlers instead of live ones. Gulp! is soft,
to taking a bite.
yet tough enough that small fish cant
Crawlers must be kept cool and
tear it apart before walleyes get a
moist Not wet. When purchased,
most nightcrawlers are packed in rich, chance to take a poke at it. And Gulp!
black dirt. They should be kept in this expels scent that predator fish love.
When casting and jigging, on the
natural mixture for long term storage,
other hand, Ill often start out with
say, over a period of months, as they
softbaits as they stay on the hook betget nourishment from it. And they
ter when being ripped through strucneed to be kept cool, somewhere in
ture such as weeds, wood and rock.
the mid-40 degree mark about right.
Berkleys 4-inch PowerBait worm, for
Shorter term use, however, and Fraexample, as well their newly reintrobills Fat N Sassy Pre-Mixed Worm
duced Jigworm are two of my go-to
Bedding is ideal. Best of all it comes
pre-moisten with just the right amount baits when walleyes are in vegetation. I skewer them onto a 1/8- to
of water already added.
1/4-ounce Metallic Eye-Ball Jig as
When bringing along worms
this particular model has a BarbWire
aboard my Lund for the day, I keep
worm and grub barb on it that holds
them in an insulated container, such
This fine walleye Mark Martin is holding came on a Northland jig tipped with a
half of a nightcrawler. David A. Rose photo
the bait in place, snug to the head.
single hook without any spinner ahead

of it. If the waters dirt and I feel a
Changing Form
little colors need to attract attention,
As I mentioned above, worms
Ill slip one to three small brightly
work wonders on walleyes that are fo- colored beads ahead of the hook. Just
cused in on eating other forage. After pinch a couple split-shot a few feet
all, rarely do fish feed on worms, any- above the hook, or tie up a slip-sinker
way, because they dont live in water. rig and hang on.
A spinner blade above a nightcrawlers, such as on a crawler harWorm Roundup
ness, give off the flash and vibration
The only problem I know of when
walleyes love. Any time Im pulling
it comes to using worms, whether live
harnesses, whether high in the water
or imitation is the endless ways in
column behind Church Tackle in-line which to rig them for the fishing situaplaner boards, or, near bottom behind tion at hand. Above were only a mere
bottom-bouncers, Ill rig a nightcrawl- few, just to get you thinking. When it
er onto a Northland Baitfish Spinner
comes to using worms, let your imagiHarness. The blade on this rig has
nation run wild.
life-like images of minnows and small
Just remember to keep your live
fishes imprinted on them and look like ones lively, and use softbaits that
the real thing.
smell like the real thing. Do so and
If walleyes are feeding on inyoull catch fish on them during all
sects, such as mayfly nymphs, Ill use
summer long, I promise. After all, the
smaller blades and only half a worm
best thing about worms is they work
on a single hook spinner rig such as
wonders when it comes to hoodwinkCrawler Hauler speed Spinner. Walling walleye in open-water.
eyes are more likely to take a bite at
Mark Martin is a touring wallmy bait if its been shrunk down when
eye
tournament professional and an
they are feasting on bugs.
instructor with the Fishing Vacations/
Worms, too, imitate the small
Schools, who lives in southwestern
lampreys that walleyes often eat durcorner of Michigans Lower Peninsuing the midsummer period. In rivers
for example, Ill just nip the nose of a la. Check out his website at markmarnightcrawler onto a razor sharp Diichi tins.net for more information.n
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17
By Buck Mallory
Articulated jigs for

jammin on July bass
Definition for articulated
from dictionary.com:
1. made clear or distinct:

articulated sounds.
2. having a joint or joints; jointed:
an articulated appendage.
3. (of a vehicle) built in sections
that are hinged or otherwise
connected so as to allow flexibility
of movement: an articulated bus;
an articulated locomotive.
18
et me articulate (make clear)

something right here: Soft
plastic creature baits and
swimbaits paired with articulated heads, meaning heads
that basically have a joint
between them and the hook, can be
awesome. This design lets the soft
plastic lures behind the heads swing
freely. They are also one of the easiest
lures to use for folks not experienced
at bass fishing. For the most part, you
can cast them, wind them and catch
fish with them. The extra, swiveling
action does the trick, and at times, this
simple setup will catch numbers of
fish when other presentations dont.
When you see something such
as as a Strike King Rodent, behind
one of these articulated heads, you
can see just how much more like a
crawfish or an injured baitfish the lure
appears. You drag it along the bottom
or swim it just above bottom and the
soft plastic has a sort of quiver that
must trigger the predatory instinct of
a bass. When one of these lures with
a creature-type soft plastic falls to the
bottom, it initially has the look of a
crawfish with its claws upraised, ready
to defend itself. As soon as you start
the retrieve, water resistance forces
the plastic down to trail behind the
head, right along the bottom, just like
a crawfish on the move.
Pair an articulated head with a
swimbait and you get an extra shimmy
that looks like a prey fish in trouble.
The joint between the head and the
plastic adds way more action to the
presentation, making the whole body
move. Note: Sometimes less is more,
and a more standard swimbait on a
keel hook or on a standard jighead
works better, depending on the mood
of the fish. Sometimes the reduced action garners more strikes.
In May, I started experimenting

with a regular tube on an articulated
jighead for bedding fish; the largemouth and smallmouth ate it up.
But lets talk about July. One of the
best summertime tactics for largemouth bass in Michigan lakes is
attacking the deep side of weedbeds,
where bass hang out, hunting bluegills. Were talking about depths of
12 to 20 feet, sometimes a bit deeper;
sometimes shallower.
A football-shaped articulated head
is ideal now, its shape keeps the jig
from rolling over on its side, and you
want a fairly big one to sink quickly
into the basss strike zone, provoking him to snap at it. This is where
a slack-line, jerk retrieve can really
shine. You can set up to cast parallel to the weed edge, or sit in deeper
water and cast into the edge of the
weeds, letting the jig fall all the way
to the bottom. The weight of the jighead can be as little as a half an ounce
to one ounce.
After you cast and the jig settles,
allow a little slack to get in your
line and pull the rod tip back so that
when you make contact with the jig,
it scoots forward a bit. Repeat and let
the jig fall. Put a little slack in your
line and pull sharply again, moving
the jig one to three feet. This scootfall-pause-scoot motion is often more
effective at triggering strikes than a
simple lift-fall retrieve like youd do
with a Texas-rigged worm.
Thats not to say a simple lift-fall
retrieve wont worksometimes the
bass want it that way and youd best
cater to their desires.
For this outside-weedline technique, I like a 7-foot, 2-inch, mediumheavy casting rod, and really like the
new Shimano Zodius, which is super
light in weight and sensitive. I pair
this with the Shimano Curado 70, with
the 7:1 retrieve ratio. This speedy reel
is great with this technique, as sometimes a bass will pick up the bait and
swim at youthe faster ratio lets you
catch up easily to set the hook.
Some anglers like to use braided
line for this, or braided line with a
fluorocarbon leader, but I prefer to
spool up with fluorocarbon, as many
of the lakes I fish in July are clear,
and I dont care what anybody says,
I think bass are line-sensitive. Plus,
using a short leader of fluoro with
braided line adds another knot and
a possible point of breakage to the
equation. Ive had great success with
The author caught this largemouth on a Strike King Rodent rigged to an articulated jighead.
14-pound test Seaguar AbrazX, which
is highly resistant to abrasion.
Extra-wide-gap hooks work well
with these soft plastics, allowing you
to skin-hook the point in the plastic
body and make the presentation weedless.
For swimbaits, its tough to beat a
jighead that looks like a baitfish head,
such as the Hydra Head from Freedom
Tackle. These have a shiny finish and
eyes and do a good job of mimicking
a real baitfish. They match up well
with 5-inch soft swimbait bodies and
deliver a weedless lure that works in
weeds as well as open-water situations. Freedom Tackle also makes the
Stealth Head, which has the eyelet on
the point of the nose and does an even
better job of snaking through weeds,
its tail wagging. Biting off the tip of
the soft plastics head allows the back
of the Hydra and Stealth heads to join
smoothly with the plastic.

Swimbaits can also be paired with
articulated football heads, such as the
Biffle Hard Head from Gene Larew or
the Freedom Football Head for fishing right along the bottom, letting the
lure imitate a baitfish feeding on the
bottom. Of course you can swim the
swimbait right along the surface with
an articulated football head, too.
One last point worth making
about articulated heads is that they
are somewhat more difficult for a fish
to throw, as these lure heads dont
provide leverage to help a fish shake it
out of its mouth.
Simple-to-use fish catchers,
articulated heads are definitely worth
adding to a fishermans repertoire.
Add some to your arsenal this summer
try some different retrieves and hang
on.n
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19
DNR wildlife veterinarian

retires after nearly four
decades of service
fter 38 years with the Michigan Department of Natural

Resources, wildlife veterinarian Steve Schmitt has
hung up his lab coat for the
last time. Schmitt, 69, who is
only the fourth state
wildlife veterinarian
to have worked for
the DNR, retired May
31.
His passion for
his job and this states
natural resources
is unprecedented,
said DNR Wildlife
Division Chief Russ
Mason.
From his development and implementation of wildlife
disease surveillance
plans, including
important work with
bovine tuberculosis,
chronic wasting disease and avian influenza, to his more than 40 published
journal articles, Schmitt had a storied
career with the DNR.
He joined the department in 1978,
four years out of vet school at the University of Illinois. Before coming to
the DNR, Schmitt worked for a federal
fisheries program in Alaska and for a
private veterinarian in Oregon. He also
attended undergraduate classes in the
Beaver State.
Schmitt said he knew little about
Michigan before coming to work here.
The only experience I had in
Michigan is twice on family vacation
we went to Long Lake near Alpena,
20
Schmitt said.
But he did know that Michigan
was one of only a few states that had
a wildlife veterinarians position and
he jumped at the chance to come here,
driving across country in winter in
an MG with all of
his possessions and
a 95-pound golden
retriever.
Within a year, he
was at the Turtle Lake
Club, not far from
where his family vacationed, because the
deer herd was starving to death. And, as
it turned out, that club
was the epicenter of
Michigans bovine tuberculosis outbreak, a
crisis that would take
up half my career,
Schmitt said.
Beyond responding to the bovine TB problem, Schmitt
said there were plenty of highlights for
him at the DNR.
Michigan has been very, very
good to me, he said.
Participating in Michigans second
moose translocation, which brought the
ungulates to the Upper Peninsula from
Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario
in 1985 and 1987, was the most fun
thing Ive done, Schmitt said.
Riding around in a helicopter
with a tranquilizer dart gun and shooting the moose in the hindquarters,
Schmitt said. Its really pretty easy if
the helicopter pilot did a good job of
getting you on the moose.
Prior to the the mid-1980s moose lift, Michigan Depar tment of Natural Resources wildlife veterinarian Steve Schmitt is working out the details of crating
a sedated moose at Rose Lake, August 1984.
Michigan Depar tment of Natural Resources wildlife veterinarian Steve Schmitt

working on the bovine tuberculosis issue at the new Wildlife Disease Lab at
Michigan State University in East Lansing in 2011. MDNR photos
Because of the thick conifer forests, the
moose had to be rallied out onto a frozen lake to get a shot at them, Schmitt
said. When the moose went down, hed
get out of the chopper and go to work
blindfolding the animals, cutting the
antlers off the bulls and injecting the
moose with a drug to revive it.
The moose were then loaded on
slings below larger helicopters and
transported to a place where they could
be crated and trucked to Michigan.
We brought 29 the first year, 30
in 87, Schmitt recalled. Of course,
youd tranquilize many more. If they
ran into the woods, you couldnt recover them. Id hike in on snow shoes
sometimes a half mile and administer a reversal drug.
It was pretty traumatic for these
animals lifting them, moving them
for 5 to 20 minutes, putting them in
crates, trucking them to the U.P. Some
of those animals were in those crates
for close to 24 hours.
In 1988, Schmitt went to China as
part of the Sichuan pheasant program,
where DNR staffers brought pheasant
eggs back to Michigan to rear chicks.
The eggs were in first class,
Schmitt said. I was in business class.
That was neat from a both a
wildlife management perspective and
culturally. We were in a remote area
there was no electricity and we were
the first Westerners theyd ever seen.
We were driven around by a Chinese
military officer. Our interpreter was a
forester who came to Michigan State to
study as part of the deal.
It was a very neat experience,
something I have never had before or
since. The food was all fresh there
was no refrigeration. And we ate a
lot of noodles, not rice. We were at
a higher elevation where they grew
wheat. You couldnt get a Coke, but we

were told the beer was safe to drink.
Schmitt said he had the opportunity
to go to Isle Royale several times to
work with Rolf Peterson, trapping and
collaring moose and wolves as part of
his study.
It was also when turkeys were
being brought into the state, so when
those turkeys came in, we tested them
for a number of bacterial and viral diseases, pouring Gatorade into them to
hydrate them, he recalled. I remember making a long drive all night from
Rose Lake to the Hiawatha Club in the
U.P. to release birds in the late winter.
Schmitt was involved in tranquilizing and quarantining elk when some
were moved to Wisconsin.
That was a fun project back in
the 90s, Schmitt said. I got to be
involved in a lot of bear research early.
I did a lot of it when they were crawling into bear dens and drugging them
before they pulled them out. And I was
involved with peregrine falcons, getting young birds out of nests atop tall
buildings, going up with the windowwashing crew to take blood samples.
I started long enough ago that we
still had Cusino (wildlife research area)
with the large enclosure and Porter
Ranch where they had deer in smaller
pens. So there was a lot of hands-on
work with deer.
And, of course, there was a lot of
hands-on work with bovine TB. But
it wasnt all bad, said Schmitt, who
went on to spend five years as vice
chairman, and five years as committee
chairman, of the U.S. Animal Health
Association.
With bovine TB, I was able to
meet people all over the world, he
said I went to New Zealand and to
Africa where they had TB hosts in
Anglers asked to complete online muskellunge survey
wildlife. Michigan was unique as it

was the only place in the U.S. with TB
in whitetailed deer.
That expertise led Schmitt to travel
to states and provinces to consult with
their officials on disease problems and
associated issues, such as feeding and
baiting wildlife.
His most recent challenge the
discovery of chronic wasting disease
in free-ranging deer has kept him
hopping as his career wound down. He
has co-chaired a committee on CWD
involving state, federal and tribal wildlife and health officials.
He remains optimistic about that
disease challenge, though hell be
handing those duties off to his successor.
When we had CWD in 2008 in
a captive herd, that was good practice
The Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Michigan Muskie Alliance, is investigating
the muskellunge fisheries of the state by distributing an
online angler survey.
Since 2014 an angler survey has been conducted,
gathering information about muskellunge angler demographics and catch data. Fisheries managers have
difficulties obtaining muskellunge angler information
through traditional survey methods, such as creel and
postcard surveys. Starting this year the survey is being conducted online and can be found on the DNR
and Michigan Muskie Alliance websites or through the
surveys link.
By completing this survey, anglers will be assisting
fisheries managers in their evaluations, assessments
and trend monitoring of Michigans muskellunge
fisheries. Information collected includes fishing

location, method used, catch preferences, catch-andrelease data, and frequency of muskellunge fishing
outings.
All of this information plays a key role in proper
fisheries management, and the DNR appreciates respondent cooperation and feedback. Anglers may fill out
one survey per person per trip and they may complete a
survey for each angling trip they make.
Please note, anglers must obtain a muskellunge harvest tag when deciding to harvest a fish. These tags are
obtained when purchasing a Michigan fishing license
or any date thereafter as long as the angler has a fishing
license and a valid drivers license. Those interested in
registering a harvested muskellunge (optional) can visit
Michigan.gov/muskie.
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exercise, so when we found it, we

could at least accomplish the surveillance pretty easily, Schmitt said.
This time, I said we should be very
aggressive about taking deer in Meridian Township until we dont find it any
more. In five years well know what
were dealing with.
An avid sportsman, Schmitt said
hell have more time to pursue his
interests wild sheep hunting, for
instance though he will miss his job.
Ill miss the people and the challenge, its stimulating intellectually,
he said. Ill miss being connected
to other professionals. Youll still be
friends, but youre kind of out of the
game.
Its like baseball its a lot more
interesting when youre playing than
when youre sitting back watching.n
*/**
21
be seen - be heard
ayak angling in Michigan

isnt quite as popular as deer
hunting, but it could be on its
way. At Gull Lake Marine in
Richland where I work as a
kayak pro and take newbies
fishing, were moving the
plastic boats out about as
quickly as we get them in.
Talking to other dealers at
sports shows, the same seems
to be true across the state.
While lots of our customers are experienced boaters
looking to add a kayak or
two to their fleet, many of
the folks buying these watercraft are new to boating
and new to fishing. This column is for
them, and if youre among that crowd,
please take a quick read. Not to be
overly dramatic, but the information
in here could save your life.
While modern kayaks designed
for fishing are extremely stable, even
experienced kayakers occasionally tip

them over. In fact, Id hazard to guess
that just about as many experienced
kayak anglers as tyros tip and turtle.
New guys dont know their crafts
limitations; experienced guys get into
a complacent comfort zone
and push those limitations
too far.
The bottom line is this:
When kayaking, prepare
like youre going to end up
in the water. That means, no
matter how good of a swimmer you might be, you really
ought to wear a life jacket
of some sort. Todays
inflatable vests can cost
$100 or more, but theyre worth every
penny. They are so comfortable, you
can forget youre even wearing one.
Ive worn one in the truck all the way
home more than once. Ive also had a
couple of embarrassing incidents waiting in line to pay for a cold soft drink
By Dave Mull
Flags on light posts that fit into rod holders help other boaters see you...
at a convenience store, not realizing
it was still on until I got an odd look
from a fellow shopper.
That said, if Im fishing on a bigger lake during the summer months
when drunken knuckleheads on
personal watercraft and wakeboard
boats abound, Im wearing the less
comfortable foam-filled vest. Thats
because many kayak tragedies occur
when a bigger boats driver doesnt
see you and runs you over. If Im
knocked unconscious, I want to float
without having to pull a cord. (Those
inflatables that fire automatically upon
going in the water are another option,
but I had one of those things blow up

in a wet storage compartment once.)
The other consideration about
getting dumped in the drink is not
dying of hypothermia. Since this is a
July issue, well cover preventing this
serious possibility with dry suits and
other types of clothing in a fall issue.
Ben Franklin once said An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, and those words are certainly
true when it comes to avoiding being
run over by boats. The first key is
being seen, day and night. My kayak
brother Joe Colegrove (he even looks
sort of like me, poor fellow) came up
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with a terrific light post that also

helps boaters see the kayak with one
installed during the day. Joe hangs a
skull-and-crossbones pirate flag off
his. While plenty of light posts for
kayaks are available, these usually
have just a tiny light atop a short
stick. One night several years ago
as I navigated a 30-foot boat toward
an unfamiliar port, I became aware
of a bunch of small lights that didnt
look like they were on shore in
front of me. My instinct to jerk the
throttle back and shift into neutral
might have saved a life or two as I
found myself in the midst of about a
dozen sea kayakers about four miles
from shore.
Joes light uses a 5-foot section
of translucent PEC tubing and a
string of solar-powered LED porch
lights that run up inside the tube
and into a translucent white plastic
bottle affixed to the topits the
bottle part of a sprayer that cost him
a dollar. When he turns this beacon
on, it might be bright enough to be
visible from outer space and it fits
snugly in a rod holder. I made a
similar one with PEC tube, a string
of white LED Christmas lights and
an empty plastic bottle of bubblebath soap. It cost $23 and took a
half hour to put together. While its

nowhere near as bright as Joes, its
still way better than a single orb.
Hanging a big flag off those
posts helps you get seen, too. I like
Joes pirate flag, and being black
and waving from 5 feet above his
kayak deck, it is highly visible during the day. Im looking for a skulland-crossbones on a neon orange
flag, though. In the meantime, a pair
of orange flags gets the job done.
For being extra visible at night,
Ive added some strips of DOT
reflective tape to the sides of my
kayakthe expensive stuff that
truckers put around the bottom of
their trailers. The smallest bit of
light makes this stuff glow brightly.
Im working on a design that will
put a small LED light that I can
switch on to illuminate the tape
myself when I hear a boat heading
my way in the dark.
Now, heres something to think
about. You can have a 10-foot high
tower of spinning red lights on your
yak, but if the driver of a boat isnt
looking where hes going, you still
could be in trouble. You need to
make some noise to get noticed. All
kayakers ought to attach a whistle
to their PFD or wear one around
COMPOUNDS
CROSSBOWS
TRADITIONAL
their necks. Even better is a canned

air horn to blast at that pontoon
boat driver who is texting instead
of looking ahead. I have a little air
horn I hope I never have to use, plus
I have a metal whistle (somewhat
eerily, it says Titanic on it) on a
fluorocarbon lanyard that I also use
to keep a nail clipper and various
swivels and lure snaps handy.
All of these pointers apply to
inland lakes, and if youre taking a
plastic boat out on one of the Great
Lakes (or even Lake St. Clair), a
whole other level of safety gear
such as marine radio and some
flares should be added. More on
big-water considerations in a future
column.
Lets touch on one more thing.
Although kayak fishing is kind of
a rugged individualistic sport, its
safernot to mention usually more
funwhen you embark on a lake
with a friend or two in their own
kayaks. Like when you were swimming as a kid at summer camp, you
are far safer if you adhere to the old
buddy system. That doesnt mean
staying 20 feet from each other and
casting to the same fish. It means
keeping your buddy in sight where
you can go help him if he gets into
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...but a home-made light post featuring an

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your local Home Depot or Menards helps you be
seen by other boaters. Add a flag for even more
visibility during the daytime. Dave Mull photos
any trouble. With Facebook pages and
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23
Encounters with
SUMMER MUSKIES
Several days of stable July
weather! Thats what
fishermen want. However,
when you are searching for
the top predator in the lake,
things get a little tricky...
ost muskie hunters have

their own bag of tricks to
handle various situations.
What situations? On any
given day, you are liable
to encounter:
thunder, rain, wind, calm
water, no wind, clouds, a hot
sun and sloppy weeds, exit or
migration to open water from
heavy summer traffic, dawn
and dusk, and pressured
lakes. What to do?
Well, one thing for sure
is you certainly cant accuse
a muskie fisherman of not having
a plethora of lures
to choose from. Not only that but the
rods and reels of today are so much
improved over the past 10 years or
so; we have longer and stronger rods
like St. Croixs Big Dawg, Big Nasty,
and their Mojo muskie rods to handle
the demands of big, heavy baits like
Double Cowgirls. This bait has 2-#10
blades with flashabou skirts rather
than deer hair or marabou skirts and
changed muskie fishing like no other
bait. Right out of the gate, giant, 50inch muskies were being caught in
numbers never seen before; it is still
a hot bait and I have one and so do
thousands of happy muskie hunters.
Then there is the rubber, heavy
weighted Bulldawgs, but thats another story.
The thing of it is is this whole
muskie game hinges on making the
correct decisions to fit current situations. But, there is another factor to
consider. This isnt about your attitude, (although a positive one with
some confidence throw in, sure helps).
Its about the apex predators mood,
their metabolism, their aggressiveness
or not. Which baits will trigger a big
mama muskie day or night?
pigment in plants. An important byproduct of this process is oxygen. The

amount of oxygen in our Michigan
lakes and streams is called dissolved
oxygen.
Muskies love warming water
with dissolved oxygen in it. Emerging weedbeds then provide cover and
comfort. Summer muskies, after the
rigors of spawning, become very aggressive. Weeds also provide perfect
ambush spots to eat perch and sunfish
that are eating newborn baitfish. And
we as curious anglers are cognizant
of these natural phenomena. As water
temps rise into the 60s and lower 70s,
oxygenated muskies, with
their metabolisms boiling,
are ready to whack your
lures.
These prime time
muskies are lots of fun to
catch on small bucktails,
smaller Suicks, and slowmoving, walk-the-dog lures
like ReefHogs, Phantoms,
bass-size, white
spinnerbaits, and
suspending lures
like X-Raps and other crankbaits.
The action is fantastic but try to
spend some time on a summer nightbite. You wont be disappointed. You
usually will avoid the summer lake
traffic.
By Robert Dock Stupp
24
Now heres a U.P. summer day

-- cold, rainy, and windy. But
muskies can be caught; Ted
Kagy, from Iron River, caught
this nice muskie by casting
over a weedbed with a shallow
running Believer that had a very
erratic dive to the right as it
swam. He caught four muskies
that day, all on the same lure.
get you down. When it gets hot and

the weeds get gooey, possibly on the
verge of dying, change tactics to a
weedless, buzz bait the Slopmaster (also made by Bucher). It calls
muskies and triggers them to charge
out of seemingly unreachable, buried
conditions.
Another tool to use under these
conditions is a weedless spinnerbait.
A favorite lure that I use is the ERC
Grinder by legendary muskie ace
Dick Pearson. With the beatle-spin
design, big blades and lots of skirt to
hide the hooks, this is a lure that you
can slow-roll on the bottom or maneuver through deep cover or burn it over
the top of weedy cover. This bait is a
real problem solver.
Another reliable spinnerbait is the
virtually weedless, Northland Tackle
Reed Runner Magnum Spinnerbait.
Wind And Rocks And Weeds
We anglers love to talk about the

weather but when I start blaming the
Dusk And The Night Bite
weather for poor fishing success as in:
The summer night bite is out of
its too windy or too flat; too cold or
sight! It is addicting and it is memotoo hot; too cloudy or too stormy; or
rable.
how about the moons not right, its
On a dark and silent evening, we
time to change our attitudes. Fact is,
drove to a 1000, acre lake in Iron
weather just is just what it is but
County with a new moon (no moon)
your attitude can change from negaand calm conditions.
tive to positive or the opposite.
Keys to being successful are: being
When its windy I go trolling for
quiet, having all your baits for night
muskies but at the same time I am
fishing organized and easily accessilooking for any place where high
ble, wearing a headlight, wearing dark winds are blowing into rocky areas. I
clothing, and Oh, having a very large like to talk about places where baitmuskie net in a very accessible spot
fish end up tumbling and disoriented.
that both anglers are aware of.
Muskies are attracted to these spots
On a rock bar with weeds, big
and long casts into the chaos and
boulders, and access to deep water, I
turmoil is a good idea to turn the wind
casted to the bar in hopes of catching into your friend.
Ever hear the expression a big
a muskie up feeding on the top but
muskie spot is always a big muskie
also kept my Top Raider (made by
spot. From experience I know some
Joe Bucher) chugging and gurgling
through the break into 40 to 50-feet of such areas. On a familiar lake that I
water. After about 20-minutes Pow! lived on for eight years, a north wind
blew into an island with cribs in front
A jumping muskie almost jarred my
The Summer Peak
of it. Most anglers fished the cribs
arm out of its socket. I wont forget
As late spring moves into June and that one what a thrill!
and had some success casting there.
July, the weeds, like cabbage weeds
The other topwater bait I like is the However, the larger muskies stayed in
and coontail, are getting thicker and
a rocky area right on the shore of this
Whopper Stopper, designed by leghealthy. Through photosynthesis,
endary angler Larry Dahlberg, of The island. A black Suick can be worked
plants use carbon dioxide and water
to look like a wounded baitfish and
Hunt For Big Fish TV fame.
to produce simple sugars and oxygen.
this spot pays off, especially after a
Going further, the energy of the sun
Summer Slop And Algae Bloom three-day blow.
is absorbed by chlorophyll, the green
Dont let the August dogdays
Another hot big muskie is the front
of weedbeds where a common northwest or southwest wind is blowing.

Big mama gets first choice of the
perch or suckers that are blowing into
this area. The prime spot is where the
wind first hits the weed cover.
When working these windy areas,
most muskie guys prefer herky-jerky
diving baits like a weighted Suick or a
Bobby Bait, and minnowbaits worked
in a twitching, erratic fashion.
Last but not least, we have a favorite bait of mine, a gliding lure like my
dependable ReefHog. But here, I prefer the weighted gliders (which you
can order) that suspend and slowly
rise. Other gliders include: Mantas,
Phantoms, Hellhounds, and the erratic
sleeper called a Sandcat.
Practice erratic techniques with a
slack line; make your baits unpredictable as actual baitfish are. Finally,
learn to bump and tick cover.
After Summer Peak

Before the popular fall peak there
is a Pre-Peak Period, when water temperatures dip from the high 70s into
the low 60s.
Former open water muskies follow
the forage and move out of open water
into the shallows. Pere Maina, notable
muskie guide, writer, and speaker,
talks about this moment by noting
that new or fresh fish follow the forage and cooling water temperatures.
Pete suggests that muskie anglers
start casting into inside weedlines and
sandy areas from the shore and out
to the cover from close to shore and
out. This is an excellent technique for
monster muskies. Also cover docks
and key on rockpiles.
Finally, the good ol summertime
offers (or any period really) another
hot spot to try on any lake that has a
gap between two islands or an island
and the adjacent shoreline. I guess you
could call them funnels. Wind, once
again, is in your favor as it moves
forage through the funnel and muskies
will be there to eat them.
And you, like the predator that you
are, will be ready to do battle with
one of the biggest fish in Michigans
freshwater systems. Go big with big
baits like Double Cowgirls or Bulldawgs and make a memory with CPR
Catch-Photo-Release.n
New Arctic grayling initiative

could bring historical species
back to Michigans waters
Michigans native grayling population died off nearly a century ago
due to statewide logging efforts of
the 1800s, over-fishing and general
habitat destruction.
Although gone for an extensive
period of time, reintroduction efforts
have occurred with the most recent
one coming 30 years ago. While
unsuccessful at that time, lessons were
learned and significant strides have
been made to establish a better strategy to move this initiative forward.
For this Arctic grayling initiative
to work, we will seek to rely heavily on partnerships and collaboration
from across the state, said DNR
Fisheries Division Chief Jim Dexter.
Over the next several years we will
be taking methodical steps to move toward reintroduction of this historically
and culturally significant species.
These steps will include identifying interest and abilities of the partners, collecting baseline data, initiating the building of broodstock, and
Arctic grayling, shown here, once were available for Michigan anglers to
pursue. The DNR recently announced a proposed initiative to reintroduce them
to Michigans waters. MDNR photo
stocking efforts. The Manistee River
watershed, once known as a premier
grayling river, will be the first targeted
location for reintroduction.
The DNR will work closely with
partners as the proposed Arctic grayling initiative moves forward. The
Little River Band, located in Manistee
County, has for several years been
engaged in extensive research for
potential grayling reintroduction.
This is going to be Michigans
Arctic Grayling Initiative,

said Dexter. Collaboration and
partnerships will be crucial to its
success.
This effort also will lean heavily
on recent scientific research in Michigan, as well as the successes Montana
has achieved in re-establishing stable
Arctic grayling populations.
For more information on the history of Arctic grayling in Michigan,
visit Michigan.gov/fishid.n
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he Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, in partnership with the Little River
Band of Ottawa Indians, has
announced a proposed initiative that aims to bring back an
extirpated species to the state Arctic
grayling.
The proposed initiative, announced at Junes Natural Resources
Commission meeting in Gaylord, will
seek to establish self-sustaining populations of Arctic grayling throughout
its historical range. The initiative is a
proposed objective in the DNRs 2017
Inland Trout Management Plan, which
currently is being drafted.
The Arctic grayling is a native and
iconic fish species in Michigan. Slate
blue in color, they have a sail-like
dorsal fin and were virtually the only
native stream salmonid in the Lower
Peninsula. In the lower 48 states they
are native only to Michigan and Montana, further cementing their legendary status.
25
Traditional Black Powder Hunting...
This is going to
my kids, someday
June 20, 1754 (wed), the
date was written with a brass
nib and hand-brewed ink in
the upper left corner of a
worn journal page. A crumpled
page, torn from its binding,
water stained, edges burned,
and with six scorched holes of
varying sizes, lay loose to the
right. The meat of Brian Spieldenners French-and-IndianWar-era tale commenced at the
bottom of the damaged page:
Just beyond the

treeline several men were
tending a cook-fire, roasting a whole whitetail A
burned corner obliterated
a few of the hand-printed
words. fire had a
caste iron kettle chok full of
aromatic yummies that were
impossible to identify.
In the middle of
the camp lay all the
pieces of a full-sized
cannon! Powder, wadding and grapeshot were organized and stacked.
(ma enough for a six or seven day
siegI guestimated the actual field

pto be about a six pounder.
Capt. Jack andoupe of bandi
scoundrels and rascallions showed a
level of hospitality seldom sein the
wilderness. (A truly unique perspective on eticat ediquette.)
Reading beyond the largest burned
hole someone is quoted: We heard
that the Frenchies were marching on,
heavily armed, on toward the Brits in
Pennsylvania. We figgered wed meet
em on the way.
The June 23 (Sat) journal entry
contains the rest of the story: I kept
my promise to Capt. Jack not to make
another entry in this journal until we
were well away from him and his
troupe of volunteers.
Sitting by the fire on the evening
of the 20th, I was making
my journal entry. So imersed
was I that I never noticed the
Capt.s silent approach from
behindHe stood behind
me just long enough to see
what I was writing. When he
realized that I had documented the size of his unit, his
weaponry, and his intentions,
he grabbed the journal
from me and tore out
the offending page.
He crumpled it in his wet hand
and tossed it into the smoldering coals
of the fire. I feigned a cough and a
By Dennis Neely
Eighteenth-century-style sketches illustrating impor tant passages appear

throughout Brian Spieldenners journal. Hand-written with a pen and nib using
homemade ink, the right page explains the pitiful condition of the loose, waterstained and burned page to the left. Wild River tree photos
step and was able to salvage the page
by stepping on it until he was gone.
His actions seemed lunatic at
first but his logic was sound. Had the
French gained possession of this book,
they would have enough information
to foil his plot. (I must endevour to be
more careful)
Keeping a journal is a common
practice among living historians, and
especially for traditional black powder hunters. This is no surprise. Old
journals, written by individuals who
lived and survived in Americas backcountry, provide the historical how-to
information necessary for re-creating
any simple pursuit set in a bygone era.
In recent years, modern hunters
have discovered, or rather re-discovered, the value of journaling. Today,
outdoor-oriented merchants provide a
host of formats for recording the ins
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and outs of a days trek into the forest.

Some ready-made journals center
on specific data such as the time
of year, moon phases, atmospheric
conditions and lay of the land; others
focus on the hunt in general, like who
was in camp and a thumb-nail sketch
of an important encounter that day.
Some rely on loose-leaf notebooks,
pocket-sized notecards or leatherbound volumes; others mix photos
with commentary utilizing a scrapbook-style or rely on the mixed-media
capabilities of a home computer hard
drive. And some record notes on slips
of paper that end up in file folders
the choice is personal.
George Nelson was fifteen-yearsold when he signed a five year contract, indenturing his services as an
apprentice clerk with the XY Company, one of the fur trading companies
operating in the western Great Lakes
in 1802. In the first few pages of his
journal, Nelson pens a question: Why
then do I write?
First, it is to while away some
moments & dissipate some thoughts
of melancholy that frequently oppress
me. Secondly: To retrace at leisure
my past & chequered life: to recall
as many of its incidents as I can
Thirdly, as I intend to try to have
this preserved, so that some one, I
hope of my relatives, years to come,
may fall upon it & from sheer curiosity may turn over the leaves & see
how people fared, & what they had to
contend with in those days. (Nelson, George, My First Years in the Fur
Trade: The Journals of 1802-1804,
Edited by Laura Peers and Theresa
Schenck, Minnesota Historical Society Press, St. Paul, MN, 2002, pgs.
31 32)
The journal covers six years beginning in 1754, after the start of the
French and Indian War, Spieldenner
said as he sat in the shade of his open
wedge tent. Its based on my reenacting, approached from a civilian
stand point. Most people in the world
were civilians. Here in the Ohio country civilians werent involved with the
war until they came in contact with

someone with news.
The beginning of the journal
says it all, Spieldenner said as he
read the first paragraph out loud. My
name is Brian Spieldenner. I am an
artist, journalist, and an entrepreneur...
I take the journal to every reenactment, Spieldenner explained. I
write randomly, when I get the urge.
I do it for my own enjoymentas
an artist in the 1750s might. I would
have been considered a journalist,
too, because I kept a journal, not in
the modern sense of writing for a
newspaper.
I use period-correct materials. I
make my own ink, my own charcoal
and my own paint brushes. If a paint
brush wore out and you were in the
middle of the Ohio country, you had
to know how to make a new one.
The entries take place in the
Great Black Swamp (northwest
Ohio), bounded by Lake Erie to the
north, Fremont to the east, Bowling
Green to the south and Perrysburg
to the west. The homestead is in the
middle of the swamp. This was Native American hunting territory; three
days to a settlement, Spieldenner
said.
Capt. Jack Francis is based on a
real person, a re-enactor Spieldenner
got to know at an Eastern Primitive
Rendezvous. Hes an ex-Green Beret
who served in Vietnam, a unique
individual. Being ex-Special Forces
he understands the military references

and hes a great resource. I wrote him
into the book transporting the stolen
cannon. From reading about him,
you would know him in real life. Ive
written other people in, too, he said.
Spieldenners journal also acts as
a platform for advancing his 18thcentury research and the resulting art.
In the 1750s, an artists journal was
where you experimented with mediums and techniques, he said. Nothing was easy back then. Today, it
takes a lot of study on a re-enactors
part, a lot of work, to get to thinking
as they did.
Being a graphic designer and
artist in real life, it is little wonder
Spieldenners journal is filled with illustrations, some elaborate, some not.
His pen and ink drawings and charcoal renderings are available through
his online gallery (http://spieldennergallery.com) or at re-enactments and
historical rendezvous.
The three French deserters who
came to the area in the middle of
January was my first effort at writing
a fictitious story, Spieldenner said.
They show up at the homestead not
dressed properly for winter. Back
then, everybody got stuck out in the
forest.
Manners were different. With
the knock, I took the rifle down from
the mantle and primed it. We had a
little parlay. The tall blond one, Raphael, did all the talking. We had two
Native American house guests, Bear
Grunt and Otter, so it was three-on-
Sitting in
his tent at
the 2014
Midwest
Rendezvous,
Brian Spieldenner read
a passage
aloud from
his French &
Indian War
era journal.
three... Spieldenner said, recounting

the infamous journal entry.
The deserters stayed for three
days. As they prepared to leave,
Raphael and Smiley decided to rob
their hosts. As Spieldenner sat at the
secretary writing in his journal he
heard the double click of a pistol being cocked behind me.
A shot rang out. Jeremy, the
indentured man who lived in the barn,
fired from the window, saving the
journalists life. Blood splattered all
over. In the ruckus that followed,
Raphael and Smiley ended up dead in
the cabin.
Human blood splatters the pages
open at the time of this Ohio backcountry treachery. The journal entry
from three days later notes: It took

most of the night for Rene and me
to clean the gore from the house
That entry also includes a map showing the scoundrels graves out back of
the barn.
Brian Spieldenners journal is a
one-of-a-kind, history-based artwork. He has no immediate plans for
publishing his journal, most journalists dont. In a quiet tone, he echoed
George Nelsons motivation: This is
going to my kids, someday.
Consider keeping a hunters journal, be safe and may God bless you.
Dennis Neely maintains a web
site devoted to traditional hunting at
www.traditionalblackpowderhunting.
com.n
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27
Preserve Outdoor Traditions
Join us in helping promote youth and organizations in the outdoors
hen you think of our

Woods-N-Water News, most
likely you think of monster
whitetail bucks you see on our covers
or hopefully the many interesting and
helpful articles inside.
With that thought in mind, when
you think of the Woods-N-Water
News, we would like to introduce the
thought of our Outdoor Foundation.
It's nothing new, we established
the Outdoor Foundation long ago.
Given a half dozen years of tough
economy conditions and the elimination of Michigan's Community Tax
Credit program, donations to charitable organizations has suffered. We
hope those days are behind us now
and or efforts to restore it are successful.
In the mid-90s, working in cooperation with Arctic Cat we were able
to offer an Arctic Cat ATV for live
auction at the Outdoor Weekend.
During one of our Outdoor Weekend
organizational meetings, Tom

Campbell (Editor and Business
Manager) said, Wouldnt it be great
if we could use the money we raised
from the auction to help promote the
outdoors?
Of course it would, and why not?
So thanks to Toms thoughtfulness, Arctic Cats and many others
generosity, the Woods-N-Water News
Outdoor Foundation was developed
and has been used for a variety of
needy outdoor projects.
We enlisted the help of Janet
Bauer, President/ CEO of Four
County Community Foundation,
which accepts the grant proposals and
is the administrator of the fund for us.
There is a strict list of procedures we
must follow. Four County Community
Foundation, with a home office in
nearby Almont, offers a deep and
long standing tradition in philanthropy. The Foundation is dedicated to
bringing together human and financial
resources to support progressive ideas

in charitable work. You are welcome
to visit their Web site at
www.4ccf.org.
The creation of this fund has
helped support organizations dedicated to promoting the outdoors, Janet
Bauer said.
This Foundation will
benefit individuals and outdoor organizations for a
long time to come. I hope
individuals and businesses
who love the outdoors will
also join the Woods-NWater News in donating to
this fund, Janet went on
to say.
We encourage you to
apply for grants relating to
the outdoor fishing and
hunting sports. And we are
excited we have the fine
people of Four County
Community Foundation to
help us and advise us in
our goals of helping charitable organizations in
Michigan.
Over the years, the
Outdoor Foundation has
funded many quality and
wonderful projects..

Once a proposal is
received, there are six specific general policies and
considerations for the
Outdoor Foundations Grant Review
committee to look at:
1) The Outdoor Foundation provides grants to groups, clubs and individuals through designated nonprofit
organizations and programs operating
in the state of Michigan.
2) Grants will be made to support
progressive ideas that benefit or
enhance the outdoors and outdoor
opportunities in particular; hunting,
fishing and the shooting sports.
3) The Outdoor Foundation gives
priority to projects that encourage
outdoor education, participation by
youth and the physically challenged.
4) Grants are normally made for
one year.
5) Grants will not normally be
made for operating budgets.
6) Projects which facilitate cooperation and collaboration between
organizations are encouraged.
Readers and fellow outdoor businesses are encouraged to join forces
with us to help promote outdoor projects. Of course federal charitable tax

deductions are available.
So please join us in our efforts to
create an even stronger foundation
which can have a positive impact on
WNW NEWS
Outdoor Foundation
28
our outdoor community. If you have

any questions about our grant policies
and procedures or whether your project fits within our current policies
please contact the Woods-N-Water
News office at 810-724-0254 or
visit our web page at:
www.woods-n-waternews.com.
All checks are to be made out to
Four County Community Foundation,
noting that it is intended for the
Woods-N-Water News Outdoor
Foundation, c/o Woods-N-Water
News, 594 North Almont Avenue,
Imlay City, Michigan, 48444.
Woods-N-Water News
Outdoor Foundation operates
without
discrimination
as to age, race,
religion, sex,
handicap, or
national origin
in consideration of grant
requests.n
By Randy Jorgensen
DNR graduates 16 new conservation officers

enforce all of Michigans laws. As conservation officers, they also have unique
training in a wide variety of areas
related to the protection of Michigans
citizens and natural resources, including
extensive training in firearms, precision
and off-road driving, survival tactics
and first aid.
In addition to their conservation
and law enforcement duties, conservation officers deliver critical services
to the citizens of this state, providing search and rescue, ice rescue and
other lifesaving operations, said Gary
Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division chief. Enhanced public safety in
our communities is a top priority to the
DNR.
The new probationary conservation officers, their home counties, and
their county assignments following field
training include:
The recruits completed 22 weeks of
training at the academy, including 14
weeks of required MCOLES general
law enforcement training and eight
weeks of specialized conservation officer training. Instructors for the training
academy were current, experienced
conservation officers.
In addition to the 18 weeks of field
training, the officers also will receive

several weeks of specialized training in
areas such as marine boat handling and
waterfowl and trapping enforcement,
among others.
Michigan currently has 211 conservation officers, not including the 16 new
probationary conservation officers.
Our goal is to establish and maintain appropriate conservation officer
coverage for every Michigan county,
and this recruit school furthered that
goal, said Hagler. In addition to protecting the states natural resources and
assisting in rural and urban community
policing, conservation officers often
serve as first responders.
Conservation officers routinely conduct lifesaving operations such as ice
rescue and search and rescue.
In 2015, conservation officers performed a number of lifesaving operations, including a November rescue of
a lost hunter in Mackinac County and a
lost hunter and deer tracker in Gladwin
County, a November lifesaving effort of
a hunter with an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound, an October rescue
of a lost and injured Gladwin County
woman, a September lifesaving operation during a Pentwater fire, an August
apprehension of an escaped Iosco

County prisoner, and a March ice
rescue on the Detroit River, among
many more.
First Lt. Steven Burton, supervisor
of the DNRs Law Enforcement Division employment and training section,
said the DNR is actively recruiting for
future recruit schools.
Men and women interested in a
career as a conservation officer should
start the process now by taking the
Michigan Civil Service exam and completing an online application for a future
academy, Burton said.
To learn more about the conservation officer training academy, read posts
of the weekly academy blog found at
www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers
and by clicking on Conservation Officer
Academy.
Michigan conservation officers are
fully commissioned state peace officers
who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and
protect citizens by providing general
law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they
serve. Learn more about Michigan
conservation officers at www.michigan.
gov/conservationofficers.n
ixteen recruits successfully completed the 22-week Michigan

Department of Natural Resources
conservation officer training academy,
graduating in early June.
Ceremonies were held at the Michigan State Police training facility in Lansing, and involved the recruits families
and academy training staff. Twenty-four
recruits began the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards
(MCOLES)-certified training Jan. 3.
The 16 new probationary conservation officers now enter 18 weeks of field
training partnered with experienced
conservation officers across the state.
These new officers will fill critical vacancies for natural resources
protection and general law enforcement
coverage around the state, said DNR
Natural Resources Deputy Bill ONeill,
who delivered the graduation keynote
address. Conservation officers serve
as important ambassadors of natural resources management and provide a safe
recreational experience for our states
residents and visitors.
DNR conservation officers serve a
distinct role in Michigans law enforcement community. They are certified
police officers with the authority to
29
Paige Kuiper caught this typical Lake Michigan

lake trout trolling a dodger/Spin n Glo combination with the authors son Jake. The lake trout
is cer tainly not the most popular species routinely caught in the Great Lakes, but it may well
be the most abundant. Mark Romanack photos
Lake Trout Trolling 101
The lowly lake trout might come in fifth place in a popularity

standpoint but they put smiles on the face of more anglers...
Kwik Fish and Storm Hot n Tot work great in combination with Fish Flash.
My favorites are the 3.5 and 4.5 Mag Lip in the
Grinch and HammerTime color patterns. Both of
these bait work best when fished six feet behind the
Fish Flash on a 20# test fluorocarbon leader. Tie one end of the leader to the back
of the Fish Flash using the ball bearing
swivel that comes standard on this attractor. At the terminal end tie in a No. 3 Cross
Lok style snap and attach this snap to the
snap that comes on the Mag Lip. Attaching
a snap to a snap opens up the action of the
Mag Lip and personifies the skip beat or
darting action this plug is known
best for.
The Fish Flash and plug rig
is tailor made for fishing in combination with a
downrigger. Run the Fish Flash 20 to 40 feet behind
the ball and fish the ball so it just skips along touchFish Flash And Plugs
ing the bottom occasionally. When the downrigger
weight clips bottom a cloud of sediment is kicked
Because lake trout are routinely found on the
up exciting lakers into taking a closer look.
bottom and often in deep water, flash plays a huge
The Fish Flash and plug set up isnt well known
role in attracting and catching these members of the
yet,
but this rig literally puts the smack down on big
char family. A variety of flashers are used to attract
lake
trout. The most productive sizes for the Fish
lake trout and the new kid on the block is a product
Flash
are the six and eight inch models. In shallow
called the Fish Flash by Yakima Bait. Fish Flash are
water
I favor the smaller six inch models and switch
triangle shaped flashers that spin on their own axis
to the larger eight inch versions when fishing 100
creating rapid pulsations of light.
foot or deeper.
Because these flashers spin on their own axis
they have near zero drag in the water and can be
Lake Trolls
fished with a host of terminal tackle. Combining
Lake trolls, gang spinners or what lots of anFish Flash with high action plugs is a deadly combiglers call cowbells is an old school approach to
nation for targeting structure loving lakers. High
action plugs like the Yakima Mag Lip, Luhr Jensen lake trout fishing that works a well today as it did
ake trout are the only indigenous salmonid
commonly targeted in the Great Lakes. Its
true that most anglers are more interested
in targeting introduced species like the king
and coho salmon, steelhead and brown trout.
The lowly lake trout might come
in fifth place from a popularity standpoint, but day in and day out its the lake
trout that puts a smile on the face of more
anglers.
Charter captains know that lake trout
are the one species they can depend upon
because lakers tend to set up housekeeping
in the same spots day after day. Lake trout
can also be caught consistently
using just three different rigs. Any
angler who masters these three
rigs is just about guaranteed lake trout fishing success, no matter where these fish are found.
By Mark Romanack
30
when this rig first hit the trolling scene decades ago.
A number of manufacturers produce products in
this category including Luhr Jensen, Les Davis and
Yakima Bait. Most of these rigs feature very large
Indiana and paddle style blades that pull exceptionally hard in the water.
In fact these rigs pull so hard, many anglers
refuse to use them because it kills the enjoyment of
the fight! The Yakima Bait Rooster Troll features
the famous Rooster Tail modified willow leaf blade
that spins with far less resistance. These blades are
also genuine silver plated so they kick out an amazing amount of flash.
At the terminal end most anglers use a No. 4,
2 or 0 size Spin n Glo body rigged with a 24 to 48
inch 20# test fluorocarbon leader and a couple of
beads. This rig terminates with a No. 2, 1 or 1/0
treble hook respectively. The Spin n Glo gives great
action at the slow speeds lake trout trollers concentrate on. Every old school lake trout troller has
his favorite Spin n Glo colors but for my money the
Double Trouble UV Green, Pearl Clown, Clown
and Lime Chartreuse are the go to colors that
catch trout for me day in and day out. The new
Glo Wing Spin n Glo colors just hit the market and
these look very good as well.
Lake trolls produce best when fished in combination with a downrigger and fished a couple feet
off bottom. I fish a lake troll from 10 to 20 feet
behind the downrigger weight and troll them at 1.7
to 2.0 MPH.
Dodger/Spin N Glo
Last but certainly not least is a deadly rig
known as the Dodger and Spin n Glo set up. This
rig starts with the larger 000 size dodger and both
Luhr Jensen and Les Davis make good dodgers in
this category. The brushed stainless steel color or
what a lot of anglers simply call trash can is the
go-to dodger color among hard core trout trollers.
Other good colors include silver flash, chartreuse
and chartreuse/lime.
At the terminal end a Spin n Glo is rigged using
about 30 inches of 30 to 40 pound test fluorocarbon
leader. A 1/0 treble hook is snelled in place first
than a couple beads added to the leader. Next a No.
2, 0 or 00 size Spin n Glo body is threaded onto
the leader. The leader is completed by tying a loop
knot.
A finished Spin n Glo rig should be 18 to 24
inches long. The shorter version has a little more
snap and produces best when lakers are actively
feeding. The longer leader produces a more subdued action and works better on lethargic trout.
Excellent lake trout colors include the ones
mentioned above plus the Glitter Lime Chartreuse,
Double Trouble UV Chartreuse and Lime Chartreuse Chartreuse Wing.
Like the above mentioned set ups, the Dodger/
Spin n Glo rig fishes best in combination with a
downrigger. This rig is set 10 to 20 feet behind the
rigger and the rigger lowered so the ball makes contact with bottom. The downrigger weight should not
drag on the bottom, but rather skip along making
contact with the bottom every few yards. Set up this
way the Dodger/Spin n Glo rig is so deadly on lake
trout it should probably be outlawed!
All three of these lake trout set ups fish best at
the slower speed spectrums of from 1.7 to about 2.0
MPH. The Fish Flash and plug set up can be fished
Tom Stolt of Eagle Marine Service in

Boyne Falls, caught this nice lake trout
trolling with the author on Torch Lake.
Old school tactics like lake trolls
married to Spin n Glo bodies have been
catching lakers like this for generations.
a little faster up to about 2.2 - 2.5 MPH when the
fish are active and biting well.
A Little Smell Good

All three of these deadly lake trout trolling set
ups fish best when the terminal tackle is laced with
a premium quality fish scent that sets up a natural
scent stream in the water.
The hands down leader in the fishing scent
industry is a company called Pro-Cure. Their Super
Gel is ideal for fishing with hard baits commonly
used in trout and salmon fishing. Available in a host
of flavors my favorites are alewife, smelt, herring
and bloody tuna. Smear a dab of this scent on the
Spin n Glo, plug or other hard bait at the terminal
end. These scent products are designed to stick
to lures and give off a scent stream for about 30
minutes.
Anglers might also experiment with another
attractor produced by Pro-Cure called Pure Liquid
UV. Add this product to any hard or soft bait to
make it glow UV and make your baits more visible
to fish in all light conditions and water depths. Like
the Super Gels, the Liquid UV lasts about 30 minutes before it needs to be re-applied.
Downrigger Releases
All three of these rigs require a dependable
pinch pad style downrigger release to perform
properly. When trolling a Fish Flash and plug I
favor the classic OR1 Medium Tension Downrigger
Release by Off Shore Tackle. For trolling with lake
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When using both of these releases, I prefer to
spin the main line in my fingers to create a few
twists in the line. The pinch pad release is placed
over the line twists. This insures a solid grip on the
line and dependable hook sets. By twisting the line
its also easier to release the line for changing out
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Summing It Up
Lake trout are found in all five Great Lakes.
Compared to the glory species like kings and coho,
lakers get little attention from anglers. Maybe thats
why lake trout have remained so abundant and so
fisherman friendly when it comes to putting fish
in the box?n
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31
Michigan MeandersKeeping a Field Notebook
Journal keeping is fun and pays dividends

One of the best fishermen I
know is a charter boat captain
who takes his clients fishing
on Lake St. Clair. A key reason
for his ability to find bass, pike,
walleye and perch is his notebook, a daily record of where
he fishes, what the weather
was like, how the fish behaved,
and where he found them...
Mexico and Arizona. The problem

was, however, that I had not hunted
scaled quail, also called blue quail, in
at least 15 years. Where to begin my
research?
You guessed itthose old notebooks. My first encounter occurred
more than 30 years ago, and all the
details were there: Who I hunted
with, what the weather was like, and
how the dogs and birds behaved. The
article I wrote is called Scaled Quail
Give Me the Blues and it will appear
in the September/October issue of
Shooting Sportsman as an entry to
my backpage column called To the
Point. Heres a snippet of a sample
uring the off-season in
notebook entry from New Mexico
winter, the captain
for Monday, December 30,
enjoys reading his
1985:
log, rememberThe technical name for
ing the people and
this
region is the Upper
reliving special days
Sonoran
Arid Desert. Its
on the water with them. He
wide-open
country, distances
also looks for patterns of fish
you
can
see
nearly 100 miles
behavior and ponders ways
from
mountain
to mountain,
to catch more of them.
a vast area of desert seas and
For more than 40 years I
island mountains, which
have been an inveterate
look like cardboard
note taker, rarely vencutouts rising from the
turing outdoors without
enormous plains. The
a reporters notebooka four-inch by
highest
peaks
are
snow-covered, as
nine-inch spiral bound pad that neatly
though
someone
sprinkled
powder
fits into a back pocket or hunting vest.
sugar
atop
mounds
of
light-brown
ice
I have 100 or more of these journals, and they are invaluable to me as cream. The mountains are wind-eroded; today the sun is playing tag with
a writer.
shadows from passing clouds.
For example, a magazine editor
Such description allows me to
recently assigned a piece on scaled
relive
the experience and to write
quail, a gamebird found in the Ameriwith
authority,
that is to say, with accan Southwest and that I have hunted
curacy.
A
journal
entry is like a diary
in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New
on steroids. Instead of merely jotting
down details of who, what, where
and when and what you did all day in
the outdoors, the best entries include
some emotionwhat you observed
and how you felt about it. Heres an
example, from that same adventure:
One thing I am learning on this
trip is that it doesnt matter where
I am or exactly where I am walking. There is a certain peacefulness
that comes with walking anywhere
although the joy increases when
you drink in the habitat and weather
enroute to wherever you are going.
Walking makes me feel as though I
am one with the land, and I experience the land forms through my legs
as well as my observations.
A journal entry is not always about
The author and his buddies who
the writer, of course. It can include
experiences of othersstories and anhunt grouse in the U.P. have kept a
camp journal for 30 years and it, too, ecdotes you cant make up. Example:
Governor was a two-year-old britcontains all kinds of documentation
including photographs, limericks and tany owned by Ed Munoz. The dog
was bitten by a western diamondback
poems. Author photos
By Tom Huggler
32
it had pointed one fall when Ed and

some friends were hunting scaled
quail near Deming in the Florida
Mountains of New Mexico. Spotting
the coiled snake about six feet from
the dog, one of the hunters shot it in
mid-strike. The blast cut the snake
in two but it still managed to sink
its fangs in Governors right shoulder. The fang marks looked like .22
caliber bullet holes. Governor died 45
minutes later enroute to the nearest
veterinarian.
Of course, you dont have to be
a writer to be a journal keeper. Over
the years I have visited many hunting camps where members keep
a daily log for details about who
shot or caught what but also room
for commentary. Friends and I who
hunt grouse in the U.P. have kept a
camp journal for 30 years and it, too,
contains all kinds of documentation
including photographs, limericks and
poems. Those, too, are fun to read
over the years.
A few years ago I joined a group
of friends and their wives on a trip
to Hungary to shoot driven pheasants and flighted mallards. Naturally,
I kept a journal, but so did one of the
wives, who generously sent everyone
a copy, which included the names and
addresses of participants. I treasure
my copy because it provides insights
other than my own and adds so much
to what was a memorable experience.
In the same way that a family
photo album brings pleasure over the
years, keeping a journal not only offers the joy of reminiscence but adds
perspective as we go through life. You
can begin a journal at any age. As a
former high school English teacher, I
assigned journal keeping to my classes for a period each year. The regu-
lar entries not only sharpened their

powers of observation, it helped the
students to think clearly and to write
succinctly. It also brought pleasure to
some, especially those who kept at it
long after the report cards went home.
Keeping a field journal is simple
and fun. Reporters notebooks are
hard to find these days, but loose-leaf
notebooks are always available. Pick a
size you like and always write in ink,
so that years later the notes will still
be legible. Other suggestions, especially for kids and first-time journal
keepers:
Subject: At the top of each page,
write the days key topic (example:
wood ducks or blackberry picking) to help you find material later.
Date/Time: Living things are
creatures of habit. As seasons change,
so do the activities of animals. Deer,
for example, become active late in the
day, a mother robin feeds her young
every few minutes, and your pet snake
doesnt need food every day.
Weather: Keeping accurate
records of temperature, wind, cloud
conditions and precipitation not only
sharpens your powers of observation; it helps to predict fish and game
behavior.
Location: Writing down South
Branch of the AuSable River will not
help you find the exact spot where you
caught the 18-inch brown trout. Writing Third bend upstream from the
power line, north side will.
Description: Its nearly impossible to capture too much information. Add sketches or maps of your
discoveries and be sure to record your
feelings.
With reference to a popular TV
ad you no doubt have heard over and
over, Whats in your journal?n
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33
Destination: Ely Minnesota,

Boundary Waters beauty and fish galore!
was filled with tons of excitement as I busted

through Northern Michigan on my way to a
place I had only read about. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) was a
dream trip for me. Oh I know that I have fished
all over the country during my professional
fishing career but this was different. There was no
tournament, there was no traffic, and there was no
stress. There were just friendly people and lakes! I
mean LOTS of lakes, and they were all filled with
fish. I had died and gone to fishermans heaven
Bordered by the Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Wilderness on one side and the Superior National
Forest on the other, Ely is truly a special place as
far as fishermen are concerned. First and foremost,
it is considered the gateway to the BWCAW because of the numerous entry points to this protected
wilderness area. The BWCAW offers possibly one
of the most unique experiences left in the lower 48,
with thousands upon thousands of lakes and waterways that are totally the way they were a thousand
years ago. The scenery and fishing is unbelievable. Walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and
muskie all are common catches for the fortunate
folks who ply the waters of the Ely area. Lets take
a look at a few spots to give you a good starting
point for your trip to Ely.
Steve, who owns Spirit of the Wilderness, got
me going in the right direction. An outfitter that
specializes in canoe trips, Steve took me through
the fishing concepts of the Boundary Waters Canoe
Area Wilderness and gave me tips about fishing by
canoe. After our visit with Steve, we started our
This destination is one for your Bucket List!
fishing on Bear Island Lake. Bear Island Lake was
to a fun day. A couple hours of shoreline casting
a fun fishery that was loaded with smallmouth bass with a plain hook and a minnow. What I think was
the most fun was the constant action. Nice perch
produced several keeper-sized walleye and some
and walleye. We cast top waters in less than five
and
crappie
kept
us
busy
in
between
the
walleye.
very solid perch. I dont know about you, but I love
feet over rocks and cleaned up on the smallmouth.
This
is
what
fishing
used
to
be
like
in
the
old
days,
catching the additional fish that comes with walleye
We had never fished in any of these lakes before
great
fishing
with
family
and
fun
for
all!
fishing. There is just something about a jig and minand it took us about five minutes to land
If
canoeing
is
your
thing
you
must
now
that fish in general cannot resist.
the first of about 25 nice bass the first
check
out
Boundary
Waters
Outfitters
or
The
morning flew by and lunch was calling my
morning!
North Country Canoe Outfitters. Both are name. We grabbed a sub and headed out to visit one
Timber Wolf Lodge is a great spot to
located on the White Iron Chain and offer of the most unique properties in the Ely area. The
stay on this lake, offering both cabins and
canoe trips and full outfitter services to the shore of Burntside Lake is home to Camp Van Vac.
a campground as well as boat and canoe
BWCAW. We toured both facilities and
This scenic property is truly part of nature, from its
rentals. Another great stop on our advenI
was
amazed
at
the
tremendous
amount
rustic stone and log cabins built by Finnish craftsture was Northwind Lodge and the famous
of
care
and
effort
that
these
folks
put
into
men to the tree-lined paths that take you to breathRed Rock store. Northwind Lodge is a
a
canoe
trip.
They
are
true
professionals,
taking views of Burntside Lake.
fun family-owned fishing resort on
who
provide
the
canoes,
food,
tents,
The fishing was just as spectacular for smallJasper Lake, one of the best pan fish
cooking utensils everything you
mouth bass and tasty walleye. Again it was the jig
lakes known to man! Wood Lake,
Host of Great Lakes could possibly need. They map out and minnow that reigned supreme. We cast the first
which is located within the BWdrop-offs next to large points and did very well in
CAW, is also accessible from the re- Fishermans Digest TV your trip, customizing it to fit any
ambition
including
the
Hot
Fishing
the few hours we had.
sort and boasts tremendous walleye
spots!
If
you
need
itthey
provide
The day was not yet complete as we had a
and bass fishing. The Red Rock Store is like a mini
special
treat for the evening. The drive out to Lait!
Shoving
off
from
the
dock
I
imagined
what
it
Cabelas and boasts over 25,000 lures!
Tourells Moose Lake Resort was as relaxing as it
was like 100 years ago when Native Americans
was scenic. Moose Lake is little more than 15 miles
lived and relied on canoes and waterways like this
northeast of Ely but truthfully it felt like we were a
to forge a life in concert with nature. If you want
The White Iron Chain of Lakes is probably one adventure and amazing fishing, this is the part of
million miles away. That is what happens when you
of the most popular waterways in the area, and for
come to Ely and the Boundary Watersyou just
Ely you will love!
very good reason. Family resorts like White Iron
relax! LaTourells is a family run resort specializing
Beach Resort, Timber Trail Lodge and Deer Ridge
in canoe fishing trips deep into the boundary waters.
Resort keep families just a few feet from the amazThe fishing here on Moose lake and the BWCAW
It started early and sunny. Shagawa Lake and
ing fishing available in the White Iron chain. The
is exceptional, says Bob, the third generation
Lady Bug Lodge was our first stop. This fantasbass and walleye fishing was spectacular; many
owner. Our fisherman experience world class
fish ranging from 15-22 inches graced our net. We tic fishing lake is as scenic as it is productive. We
fishing for smallmouth bass, walleye and northern
were in a benevolent mood and so catch and release snatched one of the pontoons from the Lady Bug
pike. Our highly experienced staff will give you the
fleet and did a drive about the lake. The sight of
was practiced on this day. The fun part was how
guidance necessary for a trip of a lifetime. It was
readily the fish bite in these lakes. Jigs and leeches an eagle soaring and loons with their young ones
getting late and the sun set over an amazing place
worked well as did a one ounce bottom bouncer
in tow on glassy smooth waters was just the start
with just one more day to experience it.
By John Bergsma
Day Two
34
Day Three
Day Four
It was exciting. We were headed to Birch Lake
and two more fantastic stops on our fishing tour of
Ely. Timber Bay Lodge and Houseboats is a very
unique getaway. The lodge and cabins were beautiful and set directly on the gorgeous shoreline of
Birch Lake! The fact that they had houseboats was
really cool. I have had many conversations with
folks who have taken fishing vacations on these
beauties and have come back transformed. The
fishing on Birch Lake makes using a houseboat
even more enjoyable. Smallmouth bass and walleye are normal catches here. Birch Lake is 7000
acres of basically undeveloped shorelines. The
exceptional fishing and beauty of this lake make it
a truly great getaway! We fished our morning away
and the smallmouth kept us so busy that lunch did
not come until 2 p.m. A little lunch and a short
drive took us to the last stop on our Ely adventure.
River Point Resort & Outfitting Co. is a family
owned and operated resort. This spacious property
is nestled into its own peninsula of land offering
over one mile of spectacular views of Birch Lake
and the South Kawishiwi River. Steve and Jane
Koschak and their family have cared for this property and their guests for decades. Beautiful cabins,
miles of hiking trails, fantastic fishing and full
outfitter services make River Point an Ely experience to remember.
World class fishing from a canoe!
Conclusion
Ely, Minnesota is a Bucket List destination!
The scenery is unbelievable, the resorts and their
owners are committed to your enjoyment. The
fishing is spectacular. There are many places in
life you want to go, there a few places you need to

go.this is a need to go spot. For more
information on Ely check it out on
www.fishermansdigest.com
John Bergsma is the host of the WFN television
show Great Lakes Fishermans Digest.n
a
m
s
g
r
e
B
n
Joh
with your host
Visit our website and find out about . . .

Destinations Fishing Reports
Our Show Cooks Corner
35
Get SMART about
urban coyotes
M
any suburban and urban

Michigan residents have
had an encounter with a
coyote. A glance out a
window may result in a
shock when locking eyes
with a large, gray-brown canine standing in the backyard.
A backyard or city park is certainly no place for a coyote, right?
Coyotes can be found everywhere
forests, fields, farmlands, backyards,
neighborhoods and cities.
Resourceful members of the dog
family, coyotes have used human
development to their advantage.
Coyotes have learned how to
survive in urban landscapes, even near
people. They take advantage of abundant natural foods that can often be
found in urban and suburban areas,
said Hannah Schauer, a Michigan
Department of Natural Resources
wildlife technician. Because they are
highly adaptable, coyotes have expanded their range throughout North
36
America, and can be found in every

county in Michigan.
Urban Coyote SMART
The DNR offers a few reminders (in the form of the acronym
SMART) for those who have seen a
coyote in their neighborhood.
Safe to enjoy from a distance.
Make noise if they are too close.
Accompany pets outside.
Remove bird feeders; these
attract small birds and mammals, a
Coyotes have a life span of six to eight years and they maintain a home range in
coyotes natural food.
urban settings of two to five square miles. MDNR photos
Take in the trash, pet foods and
other possible attractants.
ticed, occasionally a coyote may get
humans, Schauer said. Humans tend
too comfortable being around people
not to realize the coyotes are there, or
and
lose
some
of
its
natural
fear
of
people do not threaten or try to scare
Coyotes are, by nature, very curihumans.
them away. Coyotes are shy, but very
ous animals and will investigate obAs
a
coyotes
curiosity
draws
it
intelligent. If they find an area with
jects of interest. Something such as a
closer
to
where
humans
are
found,
it
plenty of food, where humans dont
smelly trash bin might grab the attenmay
start
getting
comfortable
in
these
disturb them, they have found an ideal
tion of coyotes and they may venture
places,
particularly
if
there
are
food
habitat and will stick around.
close to a building to check it out.
sources
available
and
there
is
nothing
While a coyotes presence in
threatening about the experience.
developed areas usually goes unnoSay, for instance, someone has a
It is possible for people in suburbird feeder in their backyard. This free
ban
and urban areas to coexist with
buffet will attract all kinds of critters,
wildlife,
including coyotes.
not just birds, Schauer said. SquirHowever,
many people would prerels, raccoons, rabbits and mice are
fer not to have them hanging around.
just a few examples of animals that
While coyotes weigh in the 25- to
will also visit bird feeders.
45-pound range, their long legs and
Coyotes will be attracted to bird
fluffy fur coats make them appear
feeders, but not necessarily for the
much larger and more intimidating.
bird seed.
As humans, we play a role in
Coyotes, fox, hawks and other
reducing potential conflicts with wild
predators will find bird feeders to be
animals, including coyotes, Schauer
an excellent place to catch a meal,
said.
Schauer said. Bird feeders tend to
Taking into consideration what we
draw small birds and mammals out
know about coyotes and their need
into the open, making them much
for a safe place where they can find
easier prey to catch.
adequate food, shelter and water, we
Beyond trash cans and bird feedcan do a few things to make our space
ers, there are other manmade attracless appealing to them.
tants that make living close to humans
Removing food sources such as
advantageous for coyotes.
trash bins, bird feeders and pet food,
Brush or debris piles, shrubbery
and fencing off gardens and fruit
and other landscaping provide exceltrees, may make an area less appeallent shelter for many animals, including to a coyote because it is harder to
ing coyotes, and more importantly,
find an easy meal.
prey coyotes like to eat, like mice and
Yelling, clapping and chasing off
rabbits.
a coyote will let it know that it is not
Vegetable gardens and fruit trees
welcome in a persons territory and
also provide food sources for smaller help it retain its natural fear of huanimals a coyote will hunt for, as well mans, Schauer said. A coyote is not
as for the coyotes themselves. Coygoing to want to hang around an area
otes are not strict carnivores. They
where food is hard to find and people
take advantage of seasonally available are always threatening it.
foods, such as berries, to supplement
For those who have small dogs or
cats and are concerned for their safety,
their diet.
the best thing to do is accompany
Coyotes may tolerate humans to
them outside and keep them leashed.
take advantage of the variety of food
sources available to them in inhabited A persons presence often will make
a coyote wary and discourage the
areas.
In many suburban and urban ar- animal from getting close.
Coyotes typically dont bother
eas, coyotes have little reason to fear
Curious Coyotes
Coexisting With Coyotes
pets. However, if their natural food

sources start to become scarce, a
small, unattended house pet could
become an easy target. Additionally,
coyotes may be aggressive toward
dogs they perceive as a threat or an
intruder in their territory.
Sightings
In Michigan, people are most

likely to see and hear coyotes during
their breeding period, which typically
occurs January through March.
If there is a den nearby, people
also may see the adults throughout
the summer as they care for their
pups.
As fall approaches, pups begin dispersing from the den site to
establish home ranges of their own.
These young animals on the move are
sometimes more visible.
In urban areas, a coyotes home

range could be as small as 2 to 5
square miles. In more rural areas, a
coyotes home range may average
8 to 12 square miles, said Adam
Bump, furbearer specialist for the
DNR. The size of the home range is
greatly influenced by the food available as well as the number of other
coyotes in an area.
Coyotes are active day and night.
However, peaks in activity occur at
sunrise and sunset. Seeing a coyote
during the day does not necessarily
mean it is sick.
Removal
Options
There are various options available to landowners or residents who

may be experiencing problems with
A Michigan Department of Natural Resources wolf-coyote-fox size comparison chart.

coyotes.
In suburban or urban areas a
common complaint is that a coyote
has grown too comfortable around
people and is no longer easily scared
away.
When removal of food and attempts at scaring a coyote from an
area have not made the coyote more
wary of humans, a person may wish
to hire a specially permitted nuisance
control company to assist in the safe
removal of problem animals in urban
or residential areas.
In more rural areas, complaints
may include damage to private property, Bump said. For landowners
in an area where hunting or trapping
activities are allowed, coyotes may be
taken all year on private property by

a property owner or designee, when
they are doing or about to do damage
to private property. A license or written permit is not needed.
Coyote hunting and trapping seasons are available statewide.
In fact, coyote hunting is open
year-round and Michigan residents
only need their valid base license to
hunt for them, Bump said. These
liberal coyote harvest regulations give
tools to landowners and hunters to address local issues they may have.
To learn more about coyote hunting and trapping seasons and regulations in Michigan, please see the
current DNR Hunting and Trapping
Digest.n
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Rare but not uncommon in Michigan...
Ghost Turkey: Meet the Smokey-Gray
orget the strutting, gobbling

antics of spring courtship and
that fleshy red wattle. And
forget for the moment, tail
feathers flared into an
impressive vertical
fan, the dragging of wings
and the wobbling snood.
The coloration of a wild
turkey is unmistakable. That
beautiful brownish plumage
tinged with shades of copper,
bronze, red, purplish-green
and gold iridescence that
shimmer in the
light is unmistakable. Except
sometimes they are not at all like
this. Some Michigan wild turkeys
are ghostly smokey-gray. And that
coloration is not the result of a wild
turkey romancing in a barnyard with a
morbidly obese lily white farm raised
turkey. Its because of genetics, and
wild turkeys from Iowa. When we
mess with Mother Nature, even for a
good cause, things happen.
Late in May a ghostly hen appeared in my Oakland County
meadow and stalked the edge of the
woods. At first I was puzzled, for I

had no idea that turkeys could be this
color, but as a naturalist I know that
nature is full of surprises. In typical
turkey fashion she used her
strong feet to scratch about
the leaf litter and grasses in
search of old nuts and berries
and fresh insects. I sat on the
hillside and watched. She appeared successful in her hunt.
And she stayed in range for
photos and appeared again
a week later, again while I
was armed with
my camera. I
suspect she is a
regular afternoon visitor to my meadow of plenty. I would best describe
her as a smokey-gray ghost, and that
turned out to be very accurate.
The Michigan Department of
Natural Resources website explains
the presence of smokey-gray wild
turkeys this way. Smokey-gray wild
turkeys are rare but not uncommon in
Michigan. This color variation in wild
turkeys is a recessive trait, more common in females than in males, present
in Michigan due to the wild turkey
By Jonathan Schechter
38
This smokey-gray color aberration in wild turkeys is not an indicator of birds with domestic
turkey genetics. It is a trait similar to melinism or albinism and is found in wild turkeys.
restoration program using birds that
were acquired from Iowa in the 1980s.
Some of the birds from Iowa carried
this trait. Through our restoration
activities, the smokey-gray trait was
passed through the southern Michigan population of wild turkeys. This
smokey-gray color aberration in wild
turkeys is not an indicator of birds
with domestic turkey genetics. It is a
trait similar to melonism or albinism
and is found in wild turkeys.
A bit of research help from my
birder friends confirmed the condition
is a type of leucism, a very unusual
condition whereby the pigmentation cells in an animal or bird fail to
develop properly. In birds, leucism
affects only the birds feathers, and
the classic plumage colors do not
match those in the field guides. They
explained the plumage may look pale
or appeared bleached out. And they
were correct.
I am not a wildlife biologist, or
expert on genetics, but research left no
doubt my turkey was a true smokeygray. The final confirmation followed
when I shared these photos with Julie
Oakes, the local wildlife biologist
from the Michigan Department of

Natural Resources. Smokey-Gray
was her response.
I kept an eye on the turkey during
her return visits and noted that from
the distance, in bright sunlight, the
turkey appears to be whitish, however the ghost turkey is not albino.
Smokey-grays have dark eyes and
normal-colored legs. And depending on the lighting, and how far you
are from the bird, most of the colors,
although very much muted, match
those of our typical wild eastern wild
turkey. Science facts wrap up this
bird tale: This odd color phase is a recessive trait and both the gobbler and
the hen would have had the recessive
gene for this color phase. Zooming
in with the lens and clicking away as
she went about scratching and pecking gave wings to this story of the
coloration of our wild turkeys with a
genetic connection to Iowa.
Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist
in Brandon Township, and the nature
education writer for Oakland County
Government. Email:
Oaknature@aol.comn
Never met the real Bluegill Bob, but I wish I could thank him...By Darryl Quidort
A fly called Bluegill Bob

the fly on a #10 hook, any smaller and
the fish will consistently swallow the
hook. A #10 hook will usually catch
them in the lip. Its an easy pattern
to tie. Begin by tying a single barb
from a pheasant tail feather to the
bend of the hook for a tail. Next wrap
the body of the fly from chartreuse
colored chenille. A small wrap of dark
hackle on the front end will finish the
fly. Unweighted, the fly will work well
in shallow water but I have weighted
some of the flies with a couple of
turns of thin, lead wire to sink them
faster when fishing in deeper water.
One evening I caught enough nice
panfish for a good fish fry by rowing
a boat along the shore of a small lake
and casting the fly into the shallows.
An eating sized bluegill puts up a
decent fight on my #5 weight fly rod.
A floating fly line with a 6 foot long,
light weight, monofilament leader delivered the unweighted fly nicely. If a
bluegill didnt grab the fly as it slowly
sank, I retrieved it with six-inch pulls
to give it a natural, swimming motion.
A strike indicator on the line would
have been helpful, because sometimes
when I tightened the line to retrieve
The Bluegill Bob is a simple, unassuming little chartreuse colored bug.
the fly I found that a fish had gently

taken it without my knowledge as
it sank. Often, a fish followed the
fly back toward the boat and when I
stopped motion and let the fly slowly
sink, the fish would engulf it. Evenings of good fishing like that dont
seem to come often enough for me.
You dont need a fly rod to fish
a Bluegill Bob fly however, a spinning rod and casting bubble will work
just fine. In fact, in some situations a
casting bubble works even better than
a fly rod. A bubble can be cast from
tight quarters where a fly rod would
be restricted. A bubble and fly combination can also be cast farther with
a spinning rod than a fly can be cast
with a fly rod. This allows a fisherman
to fish his fly farther from the boat or
shore.
A casting bubble is simply a
plastic, torpedo shaped, float with an
eye on each end. Attach your fishing
line to one end and tie the fly, on a 36
inch long monofilament leader, to the
other end. Casting bubbles come in a
variety of sizes and colors. Mine is a
1/4 ounce, 3 inch long, clear plastic
bubble.
I once spent a sunny, spring afternoon fishing on a lake owned by the
local power company. They allowed
fishing but didnt allow boats to be
used on the lake. I left the parking
area, where most people fished from
shore, and waded along the shoreline casting my bubble and Bluegill
Bob fly out toward any bluegill
beds I could see. There were areas
where trees and brush grew along
the shoreline. Had I been using a fly
rod there would have been no room
for a backcast. With a spinning rod
and bubble, I didnt need room for a
backcast, I could fish anywhere. The
little chartreuse fly near their bed was
more than those fish could stand. A
savage strike usually resulted. In the
clear water, I could see those big gills
The author also fishes a Bluegill Bob fly

with a spinning rod and casting bubble.
coming up to hit the fly. I had to learn
to wait for the splash of the strike
before setting the hook, or risk pulling
it away from them. Those were the
big ol gills that turn sideways and
wont let you reel them in. Back at
the parking area, my stringer of 25
big bluegills caused quite a commotion among the other fishermen. When
asked, Whad ya catch em on? I
proudly showed them the little fly. The
memory of a wonderful day of fishing
like that can be enjoyed long after the
tasty fillets are gone.
No, Ive never met the real Bluegill Bob, but I wish I could. Id like to
personally thank him for introducing
me to the small, chartreuse fly we call
Bluegill Bob that has brought me a
lot of fishing pleasure.n
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ve never met the man called

Bluegill Bob, but Ive caught a
lot of panfish on his favorite fly.
Years ago I read an article about
him. I dont remember Bobs full
name, or the author of the story,
but I do remember how he tied the
simple fly that seems irresistible to
bluegills and earned him the moniker
of Bluegill Bob.
As the story went, Bob could catch
his limit of bluegills, on any given
day, almost year-round. And, he did it
using only one bait, a small hand tied
fly.
My wife and I enjoy fishing for
bluegills...sunfish too. They are available in most Michigan lakes, provide
plenty of fishing action, and the boneless fillets cant be beat when rolled in
flour and fried in hot oil. In addition to
the live bait we usually use, I often try
a fly we call the Bluegill Bob. More
often than not the fly will catch fish.
Sometimes it will catch more fish than
live bait.
By now youre probably wondering what this special fly looks like.
Surprisingly, its a simple, unassuming little chartreuse colored bug. I tie
39
Understanding the historic relationship...Prepared By MDNR
Fire, jack pine and aspen
he connection between
healthy forests and fire may
be firmly established, understood by foresters and wildlife managers, and helpful to
countless wildlife species.
However, not everyone outside
those occupations has the same understanding.
Recall the late 1980s, when wildfires blackened much of Yellowstone
National Park. Conservation professionals argued then that, long-term,
the effects of the fires would be very
positive for the ecosystem for a number of reasons.
The public at large wasnt necessarily convinced. This is understandable, as for decades government
officials had actively campaigned
against fires.
Remember Smokey Bears motto:
Only you can prevent forest fires.
That message has been edited in
recent years from forest fires to
wildfires, which allows that all fires
are not necessarily bad.
In Michigan forests, there are
several tree species that have a long
history of dependence on fire, though
newer forestry techniques have helped
A stand of jack pine grows near a highway in the Upper Peninsula. Jack pine grow in
sandy soils. MDNR photos
to diminish this need.
Aspen and jack pine are two
Michigan species that historically relied on fire for survival and regeneration. These species are well-adapted
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to regeneration following any standreplacing disturbance, such as wind

throw (trees being uprooted or broken
by wind) or timber harvest.
Both species exist in Michigan
because of fire prior to European

settlement, said Keith Kintigh, a
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources field operations biologist in
the northern Lower Peninsula. They
evolved to respond to fires.
Kintigh said aspen and jack pine
require 50- to 70-year tree stand level
disturbance for them to be maintained.
They are short-lived species that like
lots of sunlight.
When the surveyors came
through Michigan in the 1800s, they
found that in certain places, major
wildfires were occurring frequently,
at least every 60 years, Kintigh said.
Some ecologists believe that this
frequency could not be explained by
lightning strikes alone.
Kintigh said Michigan has a bunch
of wildlife species that are associated
with those disturbances.
Scientists have concluded that
Native Americans used fire to manage
forests and grasslands. Aspen forests,
and the associated flora and fauna
including white-tailed deer and ruffed
grouse would have benefited from
these fires.
Native Americans would have
found better blueberry crops in the
or
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Jack pine cones are sealed with resin.

Often, the cones do not release their
seeds upon maturity, but rather, after an
environmental trigger, including fire.
way to regenerate jack pine today in
the northern Lower Peninsula where
most all of the Kirtlands warblers
nest.
Were using logging to maintain Kirtlands warbler habitat in the
absence of fire, Kintigh said. There
are homes, cottages and schools
mixed into, or situated next to, state
forest and the trees have value. We
cant just have wildfires across the
landscape.
Prescribed burns are still being used for various purposes, but
not generally for aspen or jack pine
regeneration.
We burn jack pine after its
harvested, said Keith Murphy, the
DNRs Forest Resources Division fire
management specialist for the Upper
Peninsula. We have to be careful because jack pines are the most highly
volatile fuel out there.
In the spring of the year, its at
its worst when theres little moisture
in the needles, usually in mid-May,
but we burn it after a timber sale to
A Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighter conducts a controlled burn.

get the cones to release their seeds
or to remove branches and treetops
to make it easier to trench (plow) the
site.
In the northern Lower Peninsula,
foresters and wildlife biologists have
found they can best produce the highdensity stands required for Kirtlands
warbler nesting habitat by planting.
After a jack pine stand has been
harvested, the stand is trenched and
replanted from nursery stock grown
primarily in the Upper Peninsula.
Aspen is also well-adapted to fire
as it reproduces from suckers that
spring up from the root stock, so any
event that removes the trees will lead
to regeneration.
These days, aspen managers generally use clear-cutting to stimulate
regeneration. Murphy said thats just
as well because aspen does not burn
as readily as jack pine. Aspen has
moist leaves and thick stems, which
are comparatively not as combustible
as the dry needles and twigs of jack

pines.
Getting forest producers to harvest aspen is not a problem.
Theres a lot of demand for
aspen, said Tim Greco, a timber
management specialist with the
DNRs Forest Resources Division in
Gaylord. Its used in OSB (oriented
strand board) chip material the
fibers are very good for holding glue
and strength for OSB.
Forest products mills that use
aspen are also an important part of
rural communities in Michigan and
they provide a building material thats
in demand for new homes.
Aspen also has great utility for
use in writing paper, cardboard,
hardboard and pallet lumber. Some
manufacturers even use veneer from
aspen for certain products, like paint
sticks.
We very rarely have a problem
selling aspen timber sales, Greco
said. The demand is very good.

Combine that with wildlife values
and its an all-around win-win situation.
Prescribed burning of aspen is
often done to improve habitat for upland gamebirds and white-tailed deer.
But it doesnt have to be a
fast-burning, rip-roaring fire, he
continued. If you crack the bark
you can kill it. And we will burn it to
regenerate it for grouse habitat a lot
depends on what DNR Wildlife Division wants to do with it.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, though aspen forests do not burn
readily, aspen trees are extremely
sensitive to fire.
A fire intense enough to kill the
aspen forest overstory will stimulate
abundant suckering, though some
suckers arise after any fire. The Forest Service said as many as 50,000 to
100,000 suckers can sprout and grow
on a single acre after a fire.n
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years after jack pine forest burns as

many people do today.
Historically, jack pines were
especially dependent on fire because
of their reproductive mechanism.
Jack pines sport cones sealed with
resin (these are known as serotinous
cones).
Often, the cones do not release
their seeds upon maturity, but rather,
after an environmental trigger. In the
jack pines case, that trigger can be
fire. The cones remain tightly closed
until heat from fire or sunlight melts
the resin and opens them, allowing
the cones to release their seeds for
spreading by gravity and winds.
The DNR maintains significant
amounts of young jack pine forest in
Michigans state forests, as it is the
only viable breeding habitat for the
federally endangered Kirtlands warbler. However, fire is not a preferred
41
Putting It All Together...Fishing for Answers Series
An In Depth look at bait presentation

Man, did you see that!
That fish just
crushed that bait!
these rod ripping strikes could suggest

instead that we might need to adjust
our presentation?
Thats what our testing
revealed. And really, it only
makes sense. Picture the
fish lying there comfortably
rushed, Smoked,
when along comes our baits.
smacked,
Smashed, Ripped, Approaching them this time
at eye (and mouth) level,
Hammered, somethey simply intercept it. As a
times that happens.
result our rods load up bendSometimes, our baits
ing
ever so gradually
are slammed so hard as to unnerve
as we continue the
even the most seasoned anglers. And
retrieve. But now, in
it is only natural that we would asdirect contrast, picture
sume that this would suggest that the
this same bait being run a foot or more
fish are aggressive. However, have
above these fish. Should they risk takyou ever stopped to consider that
ing chase after this bait anyway, first

racing up out of the safety of this chosen hangout, ripping into the bait then
turn tail retreating swiftly
right back down, well, you
get the picture, Wham! What
happens is the rods buck
frantically, accordingly!
The deeper we dug into
this seemingly insignificant
matter, the more significant
it proved to be. Another clue
this may be revealing
is that this area might
be loaded with fish.
Picture throwing a
bunch of dogs but that one bone. The
one grabbing it first in an effort to
By Larry Walter
prevent the others from taking it away

rushes off. Common for the fish to
do the same, there goes those rods to
bucking again!
Bear in mind also that the type
of bait plays a key role in how the
fish treat it. Programmed to attack
those more powerful and/or swift
critters such as crayfish, baitfish, and
hellgrammites with much more line
ripping authority than foods such as
those (easy to snap up) earthworms
and nightcrawlers, obviously this also
makes quite a difference back at the
rod. But how then is the angler to
know which of these factors at any
given time may be involved? Well,
where time and experience can help
Charter
Directory
TROPHY SPECIALISTS
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CHARTERS STARTING AT ONLY $400 - GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!

Captain Mike Veine targets the hottest action at the best
places, during peak trophy producing periods.
Capt. Mike
Pittiglio
Eries Trophy
Walleyes
Early spring on Lake Erie
serves up the best trophy
walleye fishery in the world.
From ice-out in March
through April, Lake Erie
offers outstanding trophy
walleye action.
Saginaw Bay
Walleye
31 Sea Ray Amberjack
42
Specializing in Lake St. Clair Muskie

Everything Provided DNR Inspected
586-260-4068
www.muskiemainiacharters.com
All through spring and

summer our charters
produce consistant,
worldclass fishing.
Catch limits there are very
generous too. Both eaters
and lunkers are
typically caught on most
charters for the perfect mix.
734-475-9146
www.trophyspecialists.com
point to which one it might be, really

theres no way of telling for sure.
The best bet, should any given bait
produce that rod ripping strike, then
after a few more casts fail to produce
again, before switching it out for
another color or shape do whatever
necessary to make it (this same bait)
run deeper. The bite tough, time and
time again Ive found this to pay off.
For specifics phone the author;
Mon-Sat 9am-7pm 586-781-5777
Walts Ways
Of course, the amount of distance

fish are willing to rise up or otherwise
travel to intercept our baits is determined chiefly by how hungry they
may be at the moment. And to this
end, the tougher the bite the more im-
We assume after a powerful strike at

our biat the fish are aggressive.
However, have you ever stopped to
consider that these rod ripping strikes
could suggest instead that we might
need to adjust our presentation?
portant it is that the baits be put closer

to them. And to this end, it narrows
the choice of baits. For example, with
the fish sulking deep into the weeds
the odds now greatly favor trading in
those hardbait cranks, snaking instead
through those weeds those lead head
jigs loaded with one of those nifty
jig bodies. And now, with those baits
right down there at eye and mouth
level, dont look to having the advantage of the fish providing us with
those rod ripping, heart pounding
attacks on our baits.n
Manistee, Michigan
Trophy Salmon, Steelhead & Trout Fishing
FIRE PLUG
CHARTERS
Charter
Directory
CALL NOW! Special 8 Hour

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Captain Dan Golden
fishon@fireplugcharters.com
231-398-9073 517-260-5297
www.fireplugcharters.com
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BIGFISH
43
Spring cleaning for streams beneficial to fish habitat

determine the species of fish that live in each river.
Working Rivers
Sediment deposits quickly become vegetated, sometimes even below bankfull stage, as can be seen here
on West Branch Big Creek, Otsego County. MDNR photos
These floods may temporarily stall fishing

plans, but they are vitally necessary to rejuvenating
the habitats our favorite fish require, Freiburger
said.
During bankfull flows, the river is moving
water, woody material, flushing sand and rolling
pebbles and stones that make up the river bottom
and banks.
Whether its gravel for salmon, walleye or
smallmouth spawning, or the logs and branches
that provide cover for monster brown trout, bankfull events are the river function that creates and
sustains these natural habitats, said Patrick Ertel,
of the DNR Fisheries Divisions Habitat Management Unit.
As the water begins to rise in a river, there is
Bankfull discharge is the quantity of water
more and more pressure placed on the bottom of the
usually measured in cubic feet per second it takes river. The increase in water depth pushes harder
to fill a rivers banks to just before the point of
down on the river bed (or substrate).
flooding. This flow, which varies in each river, is
This force will cause the sand and gravel to
important to continued development of the shape
really get moving, Freiburger said. Once the river
and size of a river. Bankfull conditions typically oc- reaches its floodplain, the flow of the water spreads
cur, on average, about once every 1 to 2 years. out, which is why the most work done by a stream
to its own channel is during the bankfull discharge,
just before flooding.
nglers familiar with Michigans rivers in
springtime know their steelhead fishing may be inconvenienced by swollen
streams, with waters rising up to the top
of the riverbanks, making access more
difficult. However, MDNR fisheries personnel say this high water, while causing temporary
problems for anglers, actually provides essential
benefits to fish habitat.
Springtime is when your favorite river is most
likely to fill its banks or even flood, said Chris
Freiburger, a DNR natural resource manager. During this periodic flooding, each river may have what
is known as a bankfull event.
Bankfull Discharge
Flood Stage
Flows higher than bankfull, during flood stage,

will spill out onto the rivers floodplain those
large, flat expanses of land that generally run parallel to a river or valley. When a flood reaches the
floodplain, the water slows down and the stream
can dissipate energy, leading to depositing of sand
and other sediment.
With the stream now out of its banks, it will
take rather large inputs of water to increase the
height of the flood versus when the stream is still
confined by its banks, Freiburger said.
Variations
44
It is important to keep in mind that what constitutes a bankfull flow is different for every single
river in Michigan. Though our states watersheds
have similarities based on the region, they each
have their own factors controlling bankfull flows
including geology (soil types and groundwater),
weather patterns (snow melt versus heavy rainfall
storms) and land use (how impervious surfaces like
cement and blacktop prevent infiltration of precipiNeal Godby, DNR Senior Fisheries Biologist, measures the
tation).
stream bed elevation of West Branch Big Creek, in Crawford
These factors also control water temperature,
County, to assess stream stability, by determining if the stream
has good access to the bankfull bench, seen behind him.
substrate size and habitat types available, which
Floods also lift and float chunks of wood that

have fallen into the stream and move them around
to new locations. This redistributes woody material and sediment throughout the river channel as
the water flows toward the Great Lakes, ultimately
creating another unique habitat in river mouths.
Think of the river as one big conveyer belt,
moving sediment, habitat and nutrients to the lakes
from the uplands, Ertel said. It is not one direction though. Rivers, when theyre not blocked by
dams or undersized culverts, provide an avenue for
fish and wildlife to migrate upstream, back to the
headwaters.
Even in locations away from the channel, the
river can redistribute nutrients and materials in the
riparian zones and floodplains. This creates unique
habitats such as backwatered ponds and linear wetland features.
Balance
Of course, all of this is what happens in a

healthy river. There are many rivers in our state that
need customized help to get back to properly accommodating its bankfull flow.
When a river is out of balance with how it
moves a bankfull flow, several things can happen. Maybe, the river moves too much sediment
and erodes banks or exports the gravel many fish
need for spawning. Perhaps the river cannot move
enough sediment and the sand buries gravel or fills
pools that provide deep water refuge. This can leave
fish without important cover from predators.
Another problem occurs when rivers cannot
access their floodplains and they carve farther into
the stream bottom, causing increased bed and bank
erosion.
Understanding what is happening in each river
allows for the appropriate solution to be developed, Freiburger said. There is no perfect fix that
works on every river.
River Assistance
The DNR has numerous partners across the

state working to help rivers.
From nonprofit organizations to small homeowners associations or private businesses and local
governments, people care about our rivers and
actively work to protect them, said Jessica Mistak,
supervisor of the DNR Fisheries Divisions Habitat
Management Unit. They are diligently learning
about their favorite rivers, what the conditions
should be and how to best fix them.
Fixing rivers could involve stabilizing erosion
sites, adding instream habitat, removing dams,
replacing undersized culverts, treating invasive species, properly managing upland habitat, minimizing
impervious surfaces, cleaning up rivers and more.
One of the roles of DNRs Fisheries Division is
to provide guidance to these active groups to ensure
the projects are in line with the goals in place for
managing each river. Projects are being planned,
reviewed and permitted every day. Perhaps youre
already involved in a project just around the corner.
In the meantime, as youre chasing that elusive
steelhead, eyeballing a logjam for the hex hatch or
feeling the soft sand and gravel moving under your
feet, take comfort in the fact that you are witnessing
the river going through its spring cleaning.
Influenced by the weather, a healthy river continually renews its habitat resulting in better fishing
opportunities for those enjoying Michigans natural
resources.n
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45
More
summer
steelhead
for Lake
Michigan?
By Jim Bedford
couple of years ago my daughter Terri and

I were trout fishing in Prairie Creek when
suddenly a much larger fish than we had
been catching grabbed her spinner. The
big trout raced upstream and then jumped.
Its next move took it near the bases of
some trees that emerged in the water at the edge
of the creek. Terri managed to steer it clear of that
hazard and the summer steelie headed downstream.
After several tense moments Terri deftly guided the
fish to her dads waiting net.
Summer steelhead have never been planted in
Prairie Creek, or for that matter anywhere in the
Grand River system. But these fish stray a lot and
almost every year I encounter a few in Grand
River trout stream tributaries such as Prairie and
Buck Creeks and the Rogue River. They run
the Grand when we have a cold stretch of weather
that cools the Grand down to the low 70s and
some are also caught below 6th Street Dam in
like the cool tributaries.
Grand Rapids. As soon as the weather warms
In addition to providing a summer stream fishback up, these fish will look for thermal sanctuaries ery these fish also can act as an insurance policy
46
Lynda Hayslette admires a summer steelhead.
Brett Hartford with a summer

steelhead. Author photos
for fall and winter steelheading since the fall run of
both our Little Manistee strain of hatchery steelhead
and wild fish can be unpredictable. These fish are
especially important to the river angler because they
spend the most time in the tributaries. Virtually all
of our steelhead spawn in the spring and since summer steelhead run the previous summer or early fall,
members of this Skamania strain give the river rat
lots of time to catch them.
Right now summer steelhead are only planted in
three Indiana creeks and the St. Joseph River by the
state of Indiana and the Manistee River by Michigan. But, as stated earlier, these fish do stray a lot
from their planting sites. Michigan DNR has never
shown much interest in expanding summer steelhead stocking. They cite inconsistent returns and
the concern that they might interbreed with wild
Michigan steelhead and dilute their special adaptive
qualities. I think the continuing modest run of summer steelhead to the Pere Marquette River without
affecting the wild winter run steelhead is evidence
that is probably not a big concern.
I believe summer water temperatures probably
play the most important role relative to inconsistent
runs of these fish. Both the St. Joseph River and
Manistee River, where the entire Michigan stocking
goes, are often too warm. Despite several years of
attempting to cool the water discharged from the
turbines at Tippy Dam by upwelling colder water
from the bottom of the impoundment with com-
Fishing Summer Steelhead

The Orange Connection
pressed air, the water temperature
often remains in the low 70s around
the clock for weeks at a time. Steelhead can survive water temperatures
in the lower 70s for periods of time
but it is very stressful on them when
this goes on for weeks. And, stressed
fish dont bite very well.
My suggestion for an initial new
river to stock Skamania strain steelhead would be Bear Creek, a tributary
that flows into the Big Manistee below Tippy Dam. The advantage here
as we look for new places for this fish
is that the first step would not be in a
new river system. Bear Creek is not
an especially cold stream but it would
be a rare event for it not to cool into
the 60s overnight. It already supports
strong runs of wild steelhead and
chinook salmon. It is also undammed
and that seems be especially advantageous for summer steelhead. These

fish seem to do much better when a
dam doesnt force them to stack up.
While the spring run of steelhead
into Bear Creek is usually consistently strong, the fall run is another
story. Adding summer steelhead to
its waters would help make the fall
steelhead fishing here much more
dependable.
Another point to make is that as
Lake Michigan transitions to a new
food chainfrom a plankton-alewifesalmonid one to a plankton-quagga
mussel-goby-salmonid chain, steelhead may become the primary silver
target in Lake Michigan since we
already know that chinook salmon are
very dependent on pelagic bait fish
like the alewife and are rapidly trend-
Skamania strain steelhead seem to prefer lures with a fluorescent

orange finish. Many times Ive witnessed the second angler catch a summer steelhead in a run on an orange spinner when the first failed to have
action with a silver or brass lure. Orange is also the first choice in Lake
Michigan. The river angler can even make his or her spawn bag more attractive by tying it with orange netting, adding orange floaters to the roe,
and slipping a wisp of orange yarn under the snell.
Water Temperature
In warm weather use you thermometer to increase your success. Not

only will these steelhead concentrate where the water is cooler, they
also will be much more active and easier to catch. Tributary creeks and
large springs can create colder microhabitats. These fish can survive 75
degrees but are much more apt to strike when the water temperature is at
or below 65. Obviously, water temperature is key for the Big Lake angler
as well.
Cover the Water
Summer steelhead will spread throughout the available river, so it

pays to move along and cover lots of water until you find them. Plugs,
spinners, and other lures help you fish the holding water faster and are
good choices. These fish are usually aggressive and will readily attack a
gaudy lure that enters their territory.
The Chop
Summer steelhead really like to lie in deep riffles. The broken surface
hides their presence, which provides protection for fish that have arrived
in an environment much shallower than Lake Michigan. Fish this faster
hard when you find it.
ing downward. Summer steelhead
have always seemed to make up a
proportionally larger part of the
Lake Michigan catch of steelhead.
If this is true, and I think it is,
more summer steelhead will help
the Big Lake fishery too. Of course,

they will also be important to the
trollers as they zero in on the spawning tributaries during the summer,
not well into the fall like our winter
run steelhead.n
Author with a Prairie Creek summer run steelhead.
Good old fashion common sense bird dog training

for the foot hunter seeking a Companion/Hunter not
a field trialer. Give your dog plenty of field time and
plenty of birds on our licensed preserve with
two of Michigans top professionals.
ANN ARBOR
MICHIGAN
734-665-7489
charlie@MichiganWingShooter.com
www.MichiganWingShooter.com
CHARLIE
& CHUCK
LINBLADE
WE NOW ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS!
47
Our cottage...around the corner

A
common American dream is
working hard and finding a
little bit of paradise to call
our own. Many of us dream
to find a nice cottage on a
lake somewhere up north,
where we can leave the madness of
work or the rush of the bigger cities
behind. If you are working hard to
accomplish this dream, here is something else to think about. A cottages
close to home. Let me tell you my
story.
In the early 90s my wifes grandfather passed away. He was part of
Americas best generation. He emigrated from Italy and worked his entire life as an Ironworker even taking
part in the building of the Mackinac
Bridge. Being the hard worker he was
he had several rental homes in East
Detroit. When he passed Grandma
decided she didnt want to deal with
those rentals and sold them.
She wanted however, to create
a cottage where the family could
gather and enjoy the fruits of Grandpa
Bafiles labor. One day she came to
me and said, Id like you to help me
find a nice little cottage within 150
miles of Imlay City. Her daughter

Blanche and son-in-law Tim Ratliff
lived in Imlay and she was in process
of moving there.
The wheels immediately started
turning in my head. Houghton Lake?
Saginaw Bay? While I was thinking about how to figure this
out I decided to take a drive
around a local lake where
my father-in-law and I had
bluegill fished in the winter.
Rounding the corner and
driving down near the lake
one of the first cottages I saw
had a For Sale sign stapled
on the side. Fate stepped
in.
I told grandma about
the cottage and within a
month she signed a purchase agreement on the cottage. It was about
eight minutes from Imlay City. Unfortunately, Grandma Bafile passed
several months later and my wifes
mom and stepfather were blessed with
this little slice of heaven. It needed a
lot of work as most cottages do but it
was lakefront and sits on a beautiful
little lake that has very clean water as
it is a headwater and flushes out to a

creek. Springs keep the lake level high
for most of the summer and the result
is extremely clear water chuck full of
sassy fish.
Our family often gathered at the
cottage throughout the summer and at
times there would be four to
five boats on the dock. All
of the kids fished and swam
throughout the summer.
There isnt anything better
than the sound of an active
screen door at the cottage.
Cottages definitely bring out
a better side in most of us.
My wife and I purchased
the cottage from her mom
several years ago and
now we are blessed. We
love this place.
One of the best attributes of this
little cottage we have found is it is
close to home. Twelve miles away to
be exact. We have found that we can
go to our cottage after work on those
beautiful Michigan Mondays. We
often meet over there and throw something on the barbeque for dinner, take
a pontoon ride on the lake and head
By Mark Sak
for home. We have at times worked

our regular jobs while staying at the
cottage. We can also run home and be
back in a half an hour when we forget
Coopers medication. The drive home
on Memorial Day weekend was about
17 minutes and probably about $3
dollars in gas.
Some other things we have discovered about our cottage around the
corner is it still has a vacation feel.
Most of our neighbors are still driving up north from the suburbs around
Detroit so most everyone on the
lake is in a vacation mood. We have
developed many a friendship on our
little lake and in fact have many more
friends there than we do near our family farm where we reside.
The bottom line is we get to be
there much more than we would if it
was 150 miles from home and we are
less stressed with the drive.
If you are shopping for a little
piece of paradise dont overlook the
lakes close by. You may find that hidden gem like we did. I hope you have
a wonderful summer and you know
where you will find me. Ill be at our
cottage around the corner.n
BOOKS/DVDS BY RICHARD P. SMITH
BLACK BEAR HUNTING

6 NEW Chapters Plus New Material Added To Most Chapters
Best black bear hunting book out there! ~ C. Ramirez
DETAILED COVERAGE OF:
All Hunting Methods

Where to Aim
Field Judging Black Bears Recovering Bear You Shoot
Scoring on Nocturnal Bears Reading Bear Sign
Field Judging
BLACK BEARS
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
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AUTOGRAPHED COPIES TODAY.
48
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Please specify which books sent to the same address.
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www.RichardPSmith.com
Boat SmartDont bump the bottom
f you enjoy getting out on the

water, fishing or cruising, a bump
on the bottom could result in a
major problem and for sure ruin
your day. Running aground in
rocks can cause serious damage.
Whether your vessel is large or small,
trying to power off the lakes bottom
often results in much greater damage.
A great example of all
that can go wrong was a case
where a classic Owens cruiser went aground. My salvage
and towing company was
called to assist. We found the
vintage, wooden vessel hard
aground and knew the need
for a gentle removal would
be required.
Within a few
hours, we had her
free and afloat in
enough water. We gathered a damage
report which detailed extensive damage but fortunately no great amount
on the hull. There was no water
coming into the boat except around
the shaft and rudder stuffing boxes.
Temporary tightening reduced the
intake and a tow to the nearest deep
water dockage secured the vessel.

A total underwater inspection of
all gear was accomplished at dockside
and a list of damages was compiled.
Both propellers and hubs, one rudder
box, one strut, both rudders and both
shafts. Inspection inside the engine
room revealed the motor mounts were
also damaged.
I explained where the
nearest lift-out capable of
handling his size boat was
and how expensive a tow to
it would be. He asked if we
could accomplish the repairs
in the water and I said yes if
we could secure all the parts.
The owner wanted to have
his shop make the
motor mounts and
have us install them
Marine Machine, my supplier for underwater
gear, was contacted and they said they
could provide the parts. They had
them ready for pick-up in two days.
We met the owner at the dock and he
gave us the mounts saying no work
would be needed on them. I advised
and noted on his bill any damage
By Capt. Fred Davis
Running aground in rocks can cause serious damage. Author photo

caused by engine vibration would
void my warranty on new replacement
parts.
After two days of in-water and
engine room hook-up work the boat
was ready for a sea trial. As I suspected, there was vibration caused by the
motor mounts but the owner insisted it
was fine and he wanted to continue his
trip. A couple days later I got a call
from a marina 100 miles distant saying the mounts had to be replaced and
the new shaft my company installed
was bent. When I called Brian at Marine Machine he agreed to straighten

the shaft no charge after new mounts
were installed.
This is a true story and my point
is; if you have a slight vibration in
your running gear, have it taken care
of before it results in a very expensive
repair. This applies to all engines,
large or small - I/B, O/B and I/Os.
The problem could be as simple
as an out of balance propeller and you
can be on your way quickly.n
MICHIGANS LARGEST FIREARMS DEALER

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49
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51
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kids 12 and under free
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OutdoorWeekend.net
OUTDOOR WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Over 200 Retail/Vendors for Outdoor Enthusiasts
The Ultimate Air Dog Championships
Hunting Seminars Puppies Rotary Beer Tent
Country Smoke House Whitetail Field Dressing/
Butchering & Cooking Demonstrations
Wild Animals On Display-Bear, Cougar, Wolf
All New -- Kids' Archery Shoot Duck Calling
Randys Hunting Center Sunday Gun Auction
Saturday Camp Chili Cook-Off Competition
Chainsaw Carving Contest Birds Of Prey
Fishing Tackle/Sporting Collectible Roadshow
Commemorative Bucks of Michigan
A Step Back In Time--Frontier Encampment
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WOODS-N-WATER NEWS PRESENTS...
51
Gun Chat...Treasures of the

NRA National Firearms Museum
y wife and I made a trip

to Virginia in the fall,
three years ago. She had
a music conference at
Colonial Williamsburg. I
had things to do in Williamsburg too, but also hoped to make
a trip to the NRA National Firearms
Museum at the NRA Headquarters in Fairfax. Williamsburg kept me busy enough
that I never made the trip to
Fairfax. Next time I think Ill
start at the NRA museum and
work my way south to Williamsburg.
In the meantime I bought
myself Treasures Of The
NRA National Firearms
Museum. Jim Supica,
Doug Wicklund and
Philip Schreier are the authors. Photography was done by Michael Ives
and Terry Popkin. The book was first
published in 2013 by Chartwell Books
Inc., a division of Book Sales Inc., of
New York. A second edition is due to
be published in July 2016.
Treasures Of The NRA National
Firearms Museum is a large format
hardcover that would fit well on a
coffee table. I dont have a coffee

table, so will have to find a place in a
bookshelf for it. The 304 page volume
begins with an introduction to the
NRA National Firearms Museum and
then moves on to photographs of guns
from the museums 6,000 gun collection. Some of the guns featured are
from 425 donated to the museum by publisher Robert E.
Peterson. Peterson published
a lot of enthusiast magazines including car mags
and Guns & Ammo, which I
subscribed to for many years.
Ten Gatling guns and many
engraved firearms are among
the guns Peterson donated.
The book is divided
into four sections, Pieces
Of History, Classic American Arms, British Best
Guns, and Modern Masterpieces.
The first section begins with
photos of with flint ignition guns.
One of them is The Mayflower Gun.
It is a .66 caliber wheellock carbine
most likely brought to New England
by John Alden. Other flinters include
a double barreled fowler once owned
by Napoleon. Fine examples of long
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rifles, Hawkens, multi-barrel flintlocks, and the Girandoni Repeating

Air Rifle are also pictured.
The .49 caliber, 22-shot, Girandoni
rifle was carried on The Corps Of
Discovery Expedition by Louis and
Clark. Their reports state that it impressed the Native American tribes the
expedition met because it was quiet
and could fire over and over without
reloading.
The Classic American Arms
section includes guns from makers
like Browning, Ithaca, Parker, Remington, Savage, Winchester, Colt and
others. I was particularly interested in
the Smith & Wessons. Fine engraved
revolvers in .357 Magnum, .44 Special and .44 Magnum were pictured.
I also liked the engraved auto pistols,
an M39 and a target .38 Special M52
in the book. Besides the engraving
the M39 and M52 had grips that were
scrimshawed. The M52s grips are
ivory.
High quality double guns dominated the British Best Guns section.
Boss, Churchill, Holland & Holland,
Purdey, Rigby and Westley Richards were some of the photos in the
chapter. A Boss .410 double drew my
attention. So did a Fraser double rifle
in .600 Nitro Express. This elephant
gun has several gold inlaid elephants
and scroll engraving to class it up a
bit. Other rifles featured big cats inlaid
in gold and one had Cape Buffalo
engraved on one side of the lock and a
rhinoceros on the other. A Purdey .28
gauge was engraved with scenes from
Western art by Frederic Remington.
Some of the guns in this section make
me say, Nice gun. The Purdey .28
makes me want to be rich enough to
buy one exactly like it.
Modern Masterpieces showcases more modern engravers and
some more modern guns. There are
a lot of dog and bird themes in this
section, several hunting breeds with,
quail, pheasants, grouse and ducks are
shown. Different scenes include a his-
tory of hunting, imagined prehistoric

hunts, an engraved homage to a
Picasso painting, and some guns with
racing cars, racing cars and women,
and big cats and women, game birds
and women, all artfully arranged.
After the homage to Picasso, and
the women depicted with lions and
tigers, there might seem to be little
left to collect. Not true. The museum
also has a modern side by side double
rifle in .22 LR, made by Connecticut
Shotgun Manufacturing Co.
The rifle looks like it would balance
itself, and come to the shoulder, like
no shotgun Ive ever fired. It has great
wood, and gold inlaid small game
animals.
The museum also has an M14, serial number 6, presented to it General
Lyman Lemnitzer at the Annual Meetings in 1961. The last gun pictured
in the book is a bolt-action made by
Szecsei & Fuchs. A two-barreled bolt
rifle, it feeds two rounds at a time, has
double triggers, and an eight-round
magazine. The inventor, Joseph Szecsei came up with the idea after surviving being charged by three elephants
at the same time.
Besides the innovative features the
rifle also has engravings of the African
big five game animals.
Treasures Of The NRA National
Firearms Museum impressed me
enough that I may have to look for a
coffee table to display it on.n
ome anglers (younger folks,

perhaps) might think the
spinnerbait is a relatively
new lure. While these lures
are much seen currently on
the television outdoor shows,
they are by no means new. The spinnerbait is about as old as any lure that
is still in general use. A modern spinnerbait is built around a leadhead jig
and we know that the jig is the most
popular and productive lure in all of
fishing north, south, east or west,
freshwater or salt, there is just nothing
that catches more fish than a leadhead
jig. The spinnerbait is simply a leadhead jig with an embellishing spinner
or two or three attached. The spinners are usually attached on a durable
wire that doubles as a weed guard. As
a result, spinnerbaits can be used in
fairly heavy cover and will slip easily
through reeds, grass and weeds.
Spinnerbaits come in a wide array
of sizes and colors. The weight usually provided on packaging is downright confusing. After some research, I
have concluded that the weight shown
by the manufacturer on the package is
just the weight of the leadhead jig. I
took a package to my helpful pharmacist who took the lure out of the
package and weighed it on his delicate
scale. It weighed almost three times
as much as the weight shown on the
package.
As a result, the shopper must beware and tend toward the lures shown
with the lighter weights. If you buy
a lure that weighs more than 3/8
ounce, it will be so heavy that it will
be awkward to cast. Those marked
and 3/16ths cast quite nicely, however,
even on fairly light spinning tackle
and even those marked 1/8th will cast
well with line in the six to eightpound bracket. The heavier spinnerbaits almost demand bait-casting
tackle.
Colors are very much up to the
individual but are often makes sense
to stick with colors that are associated
with natural bass food. That means
green, chartreuse, white and mixes of
blue, silver and black. My personal
favorite for the jig head is chartreuse
with a skirt of white and yellow or
chartreuse. The skirts are usually replaceable and made of rubber, plastic
or Mylar. The Mylar models seem to
be the most durable and they flutter
nicely in the water.
The usual spinner make-up for
the current baits is one large and one
small spinner with both in metallic
finishes. One might be gold and the
other silver or one might be copper or
bronze. Some manufacturers paint the
spinners on one side, matching the jig
head or the skirt. The usual arrangement is one longer willow leaf blade
and one shorter, rounder Colorado
spinner. Some spinnerbaits have a
single spinner arranged in-line and
some have as many as four spinners,
offset.
The spinnerbait has no action
imparted by the angler one simply
tosses the thing out there and cranks
it back in. The depth will depend
on the time it is allowed to sink, the
speed of retrieve and the weight of
the lure. Many anglers like to crank
them in rapidly, so fast that the blades
will make a bulge in the surface of
the water. Hits on that sort of retrieve
will be visible and that, of course,
adds to the appeal of that speedy retrieve. The spinnerbait can be offered
to deeper bass by cranking it in more
slowly and, sometimes, the stop and
drop technique pays off with the
angler letting the lure sink for a count
of two or three before resuming the
retrieve. The bass will often hit as the
retrieve is being resumed.
Spinnerbaits seem to be most
productive when fishing light cover.
When there is a fair amount of water
over submerged deep weeds that
would be a good situation. A sparse
bed of reeds or bull rushes would be
another good application. A shallow
weed flat with a couple of feet of water over the weeds would be another
good possibility. In mid-summer,
the spinnerbait can be used advantageously along the lake edges, casting
into the shallows right at the drop and
retrieving the lure diagonally across
the drop-off into deeper water.
The spinnerbait really gets bass
going. The fish will hit it more than
once, on occasion, and, if you feel
a hit but no hook-up, just keep going. On occasion, the bass will
follow along and hit it again before it
reaches the boat. If the fish does not
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hit on that cast, chuck the lure back

to the same spot and expect another,
better strike. Bass will often hit the
lure quite close to the boat, much to
the surprise of the angler. Early this
summer, I cast a larger spinnerbait out
over this deep flat and had a nice hit
from a fair fish. The bass came out of
the water quickly and threw the lure.
Before the lure reached the boat,
however, another, larger bass took the
lure and that one was landed. If you
use a spinnerbait much, you will learn
that this is one of those cases in which
a larger lure means larger fish. The
big spinnerbaits will really attract the
senior bass. That larger single hook
is nice too, especially for those of us
who release all bass. The single hook
is easy to remove from the fish, doing
little damage since the fish are almost
always lip-hooked.
Spinnerbaits are attractive to other
fish too. If there are pike in your
favorite bass lake, you can expect to
catch some of them and, if you fish
a small spinnerbait and offer it deep,
you are sure to hook some crappie.
This bass was caught by fishing light

weeds on a shallow flat, with a small spinnerbait. Author photo
For bass fishing this summer, make
sure you have a couple of spinnerbaits
in your tackle box. They will add
some fun to your fishing and at times,
produce more fish than anything else
you could throw at the bass.n
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Old lure still producesBy George Rowe
53
The walleyes tend to run big with most of the

fish caught measuring well over 20 inches...
ast year the absolute best

walleye fishing that I experienced was by the Charity Islands during July and August.
During that period massive
schools of walleyes set up
around those Islands where
they feast on an abundant
baitfish. Round goby populations have really exploded in
that area in recent years and
walleyes seemed to really
target them there these days.
All it takes is some warm
water to attract seemingly
millions of walleyes
to that area. With the
right conditions, the
fishing there can be fast and furious
and the walleyes tend to run big in
that zone too with most of the fish
caught measuring over 20 inches.
Walleye anglers also regularly catch
some dandy smallmouth bass there
too just to spice things up. The Charity Islands have certainly been one of
my favorite places to fish for many
years.
Last year a few decent fishing
reports from Big Charity Island
started to ripple through the Au Gres
fishing community by late June. It
was during July and August though
that the fishing there really heated up.
I ran my first charter out by the Big
Charity on July 12. Up until then, I
had been catching consistent limits of
walleyes every day at other locations,
so it was a tough decision to head out
that way. Thats one of the problems
though with fishing on Saginaw Bay:
There are often so many good spots
to choose from. On July 12, I ran out
from Au Gres and set lines in about
20 feet of water north/west of Big
Charity.
We had a light, northeast wind,
so we just trolled with the waves

around the north and ended up on the
east side of the island. Our first few
fish on the line were sheephead and
catfish, but eventually we trolled into
a school of walleyes and hooked up
with a double header landing both of them. From then
on it was non-stop action as
we were constantly either
pulling in fish or re-setting
lines. In just a few hours we
amassed a five man limit of
20 to 26 inch walleyes that
nearly filled my cooler to
capacity. We caught
them on one long
troll in one direction
too without ever turning around. It
seemed like it was fin to fin walleyes for six miles of water and those
fish stayed there for weeks too. We
continued to fish in that area around
Big Charity until a strong wind storm
blew all the warm, stained water out
of that area. When that happened the
walleyes left the area for a stint and
so did we. Right after that big blow,
we found a big school of walleyes
near Little Charity Island where the
water was still warm and stained. On
that first trip out there we limited out
just as fast as we could reel in one
fish after another and reset lines.
I have been fishing by the Charity Islands since the early 90s, so I
have logged a lot of trips there and
know the area very well indeed. Little
Charity Island typically starts to produce walleyes a bit earlier than Big
Charity because the water warms up
earlier in that shallower area. There is
a fair amount of rock structure around
Little Charity, but there are also a lot
of sandy areas with some gravel beds
too. The diverse bottom composition
attracts a varied baitfish community
By Michael Veine
Its very possible to catch trophy class walleyes while fishing by the Charity Islands. A
54 lot of walleye fishing tournaments have been won fishing that area.
that attracts shiners and gobies galore, which walleyes certainly love.
The area close to the island is the
rockiest, with more scattered rocky
areas further away. July and early
August is prime time for this area
and I have run lots of highly successful charters to Little Charity during
that period. The fish will often school
up there in huge bunches that cover
miles of water. Other times though
the fish will be in smaller pockets.
The area west of Sand Point
running north to Little Charity is a
consistent, shallow water walleye
producer. I have run into some outstanding fishing in the shallows west
of Little Charity and Big Charity
Island too. This area is mostly a sand
bottom. The east side of Little Charity often has some weed beds in the
shallows. Trolling along the edge of
the weedy areas is yet another good
location for walleye action. It is shallower on the east side of Little Charity, so that action is typically much
further from the island on the east
side compared to the steeper dropoff on the west side of the island. In
the shallows, I like to run a mixture
of Hot N Tots and spinner/crawler/
bottom-bouncer rigs. I run the Tots
on the outside and middle boards
and the spinners on the inside boards
and flatlines. If one presentation is
working a lot better, then I make
adjustments. The walleyes around
Little Charity typically relate closely
to the bottom, so whatever lures you
use there needs to be put close to the
lakebed.
Most of the best fishing around
Big Charity Island occurs north
and east of the island. This area is
mostly a rock bottom with a lot of
varied depths that anglers like to

call structure. I fact this area has so
much structure that it boggles the
mind when you look at a chart of
the area. That rocky structure has a
round goby population that has really
exploded in recent years, but there
are also huge schools of suspending
shiners and other baitfish in that area
too. If a lot of suspended baitfish are
being marked, then you can typically

catch walleyes in those areas with
suspended rigs. Anglers use a variety
of crankbaits and spinner/crawler
rigs to catch suspended fish. There
are also always a lot of walleyes near
the bottom feeding on gobies too.
To get a lure down near the bottom
after those goby sucking specimens,
bottom bouncers with crawlers are
The Charity Islands are centrally located in the northern part of Saginaw Bay. Photo
courtesy of NOAA.
going to be hard to beat and are my

favorite presentation in that area for
consistent success. You really dont
want to drag the bouncers on bottom
though or you will snag up often. I
typically set them about three feet off
bottom and then use speed adjustments to keep them in that zone as
the bottom goes up and down over
deeper and more shallow areas. As
I speed up the lures rise up for the
shallow spots. If it gets deeper, I
slow down and the lures sink. This is
a deadly way to load up on walleyes
in that tough to fish, rocky structure.
When I fished out there last year,
spinner color did not seem to matter
all that much. If the crawlers were
put in their faces they bit. It was that
simple.
If you have never tried an outing
to the Charities, then you are missing some of the best walleye fishing
Michigan has to offer. The area is
accessed from Au Gres, Caseville
or Tawas, but it is a rather long
run there from any of those ports.
Caseville is the closest of the three
to reach the east side of Big Charity.
Its about eight miles from Au Gres
to Little Charity, but its a 15 mile
run to the north side of Big Charity
from there. If the fish are a distance
north of Big Charity, then Tawas will
be the shortest run to that water. Its
a super beautiful area just to see and
anchoring on a sandbar for a swim
is a lot of fun on hot days there too.
I cant wait to go out there once
again.
The author offers fishing charters
specializing in Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay walleyes. Contact Mike
Veine at www.trophyspecialists.com
or 734-475-9146.n
A nice box of Charity Island walleyes.
55
Cover StoryEastern Upper Peninsulas
St. Marys River is a hot

spot for predator fish
e are about to talk

huge predator fish
such as muskellunge
(muskie) and northern
pike. On my
living room
wall, I have a 52 inch, 41
pound muskie taken from
the St. Marys River by Bud
Thomas of Raber. Bud figures it took him 2,401 casts
to put that muskie mount
on the wall. During a 24
hour period, Thomas
took the muskie plus
a 41 inch, 15 pound,
northern pike and a
trophy-sized walleye. He claims you
dont land a fish of that enormous size
often; it can well be a once in a lifetime event. Basically, Bud fishes for
pike. Angling for pike is his passion.
Locally, he is known as Pike Man.
What is needed in the making
of habitat suitable for such big fish?

Cool water...adequate food supply...a
good supply of oxygen...state regulations. As far as the food chain goes,
northern pike and muskie
are at the top! These predator cousins thrive where
there are minnows, plenty
of panfish as well as bottom
feeders, and larger targets
including bass. But that is
not all the choices on their
daily menu, pike and muskie
also dine on crayfish,
muskrat youngsters,
baby ducklings,
frogs, snakes, shore
birds and probably anything else
that happens to swim by. These fish
have a mouthful of deadly sharp
teeth...remember they are top-ofthe-line predator fish! Claims have
been recorded where swimmers
have actually been bitten by a large
By Betty Sodders
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Bud Thomas caught this monster 52-inch, 41-pound muskie.

muskie.
Talk about really big fish...the
National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of
Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin holds
a huge five-story muskie replica, so
enormous that visitors have an observation deck right in the mammoth
fishs mouth. Nifty!
On a personal note, Ive fished
with Bud Thomas on many occasions.
We are on the water well before light
of day; on our way in with our limit
when most others are just heading
out. The Pike Man agreed to this interview advising that what works for
him, may not for others as everything
he does from the very feel of the rod
and reel to boating that trophy pike
or muskie enters into the big picture.
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Lets take a look at Bud Thomas

advice:
When hunting trophy fish, what
length pole would you suggest?
I prefer using a short pole; 5 feet
6 inches to 6 foot. But length depends
on other factors, including what is
comfortable for you to use, how many
anglers are in the boat, how much
space is allotted to each fisherman
due to boat size. Medium action will
be warranted when casting; a longer
pole provides more action when trolling.
What pound test line do you
suggest?
Ive taken many big fish on 12
pound test line. Many novice anglers
fail to have the drag set right. If they
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Map of the St. Marys River from

the Soo to DeTour including Lakes
Nicolet and Munuscong.
Yes they do, but no more than 3 lines
per person nor more than six hooks
or lures may be used by any one
individual.
What habitat proves worthy for
taking trophy predator fish during
mid-summer?
Basically, at this time of year,
pike are 80 percent found in weed
beds. Look to high weed areas, stone
piles, points of land such as Antelope
Point, and check for possible pike
and muskie habitat between Raber
Bay and Maud Bay. Actually, an avid
fisherman, can fish for Northern Pike
and Muskellunge the entire length of
the St. Marys River which equates to
some 70 plus miles. Boat launches
are scattered the length of the river
from Sault Ste. Marie to DeTour. Fish
the drop offs, stone piles, weed beds,
sand ridges...watch out for freighters
sailing in shipping channel waters.
Do muskies feed similar to
pike?
Muskies feed in weedbeds like
pike; however, they want habitat that
holds an exit where they can quickly
seek deep water. In other words...
an escape route. Often muskie and
pike can be found in the same water.
Ive taken numerous fish from areas
showing weeds along a drop off of 8
feet to 13 feet. Cast towards the shallows into the weeds beds and both
species will strike lightning quick
and run! I have noted these fish will
often go back to the selfsame hole, so
repeat the process until you land him.
What about water temperatures?
Water temps in the St. Marys
River seldom get more than a high
of 60 degrees in eight to nine foot of
water. Water is periodically let out at
the Soo Locks to lower Lake Superior and keep the lower lakes water
levels up.
Have you fished along channel bank (shipping channel) for
muskies?
I have not; however, many fishermen fish the shipping channel for
walleye. It could also prove decent
for muskie but Ive never tried it. I
think you have better luck casting a
weedy area than trolling.
Pike and muskie are predator fish,

is that why they tend to cruise an
area looking for a meal?
I think for the most part, they
tend to hide in say, a deep hole,
within a weed bed, than actually
cruising. Here they lay waiting for
fish to feed on.
I know you usually cast spoons
for Northern Pike. Why?
They work well for me. A spoon
resembles a wounded fish coming through the water. It wobbles. I
think a pike would bite a hubcap if it
thought it could eat it and the hub-
St. Marys predators page 58
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do not there is a chance the pike or

muskie will break the line. Actually, a
person could use 4 pound test line if
the drag is properly set...and that factor is crucial when fishing for pike.
As far as fishing with live bait,
what works for you?
In the spring of the year I prefer
using minnows while working bulrushes. Throw out with bobber in and
around open pockets in the bulrushes.
When you are trolling alone,
netting a large fish species can
prove difficult. Comment?
Yes, netting can be a problem.
Northern pike are fighters. An experienced netter can bring the fish in
quickly before the fish can run deep.
When I took the 52-inch muskie, I
nearly laid my pole horizontally on
the surface of the water, so the big
fish would not hit the boat or head
out into the weeds where he might
get hung up.
What type of artificial bait do
you prefer to take big fish predators on?
Spoons, the bigger the better,
seem to work well on St. Marys
River pike and muskie...Some never
seem to work...others bring in big
fish on a regular basis. My favorite
was made by Kush Lure Company,
which has been out of business for
a long period of time; bought out by
Cam Wobbler. I think they have also
become obsolete. The ones I have are
black or red with a silver lightning
strike down the middle. Others that
work well are Dare Devils and Little
Cleos. I used an ounce and a quarter
heavy spoon (Little Clio) to take that
52-inch muskie. Most of my spoons
show toothmarks from fish previously taken.
Pike have extremely sharp
teeth, how do you avoid them when
getting the hook out?
To hold open the fishs jaw, I employ a spreader or needle-nose pliers
if it is strong enough to do the job.
Do pike move to different areas
at certain times of the year?
In early spring pike will hit the
shallows. As water warms, they may
move into 7-15 of water in and
around weedy areas. Find a good
weed bed, work around it, for good
results. Or you might even try jigging
directly above the weed bed as often
times big fish are just lying down
below waiting to attack prey. When
one method fails to work, try something else.
When spring fishing shallows,
look for new weed growth that might
hide smaller fish, minnows, suckers,
panfish. Worth a try!
Does the DNR allow the use of
more than one rod?
57
St. Marys
Predators:
Spoons work well for me. A spoon resembles a wounded fish coming through the water...it
wobbles! I think a pike would bite a hubcap if it thought it could eat it and the hubcap had a
hook on it! Once I made a spoon out of a teaspoon that took fish. I left it silver; no paint. I
drilled holes in the spoon; one for the leader, one for the hook. It worked... Bud Thomas
from page 57
cap had a hook on it! Once I made
a spoon out of a teaspoon that took
fish. I left it silver...no paint. I drilled
holes in the spoon, one for the leader,
one for the hook. It worked!
Pike will bite all day if hungry.
If in a feeding frenzy, pike will bite
at anything and everything. I have
caught pike on hot summer days, so
hot that I kept a wet towel over my
shoulders to gain relief from the heat
of the day.
What do you use when trolling
for pike or muskie?
When trolling I add a scented
rubber crawdad to the spoons treble
hook by its tail, placing the crawdads pincers facing backwards.
How would you rate the St.
Marys River for pike and muskie?
As a young man raising a family,
heading north to the cabin on weekends; basically, I only fished for pike.
That is how I gained the nickname,
Pike Man! At that point in my life,
I also claimed that I would fish for
walleye when I was an old man.
Well, I must have reached that point
in my life, as now I fish for walleye,
perch, muskie, pike, bass and not unlike the predator fish we talked about
today, I eat and enjoy them all!
Fish Fry Anyone?
Thanks so much to Bud Thomas
for his expertise and information.
When writing about fishing, one
New for 2016!
Bud Thomas took this 41-inch, 15-pound northern pike within 24 hours of taking a 52-inch, 41-pound muskie.
cant help but think...Fish Fry! Thus
I am adding my fish fry recipe to this
article. Soak fish (perch, walleye,
pike or bass) for 10-15 minutes in
cold water to which has been added
1/4 cup of white vinegar.
In a good-sized bowl place two
eggs and whip them up with a fork or
a whisk. Add an equal amount of buttermilk and whisk again. Fill another
bowl with commercial cracker meal
(You can find it in the breading
aisle of your favorite grocery store).
Dip fish fillets or pieces into egg/
buttermilk bowl than bread with the
cracker meal. Lay breaded fish out on
an aluminum-covered cookie sheet
Church Tackle Co.
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Effective for all species. Run more lines out the back of the boat by staggering
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58
The Revelator
A Proven
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Hole for drop weights

or other applications
Pad
Part# 30610 (14 x 4 1/4 x 7/8)
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Weighs only 11 grams
Wire or Copper Lines and Heavy Weights. The size of the TX-44 makes it harder for
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No fish can resist the Revelator
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This clip may be mini but when it comes to holding power its second Hole for drop weights
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The Mini Lock-Jaw is designed to fit other side planers, drop weights and
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works for many other applications.
attaching
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Part# 40620, 2pk Color - yellow Replacement Pads part# 40701 6/pk
(10 1/4 long, weighs about 3 oz)
(makes clean up easy) and put pan

into refrigerator to chill the fish for
an hour or two before frying.
Fry fish in a large fry pan with
about an inch of canola oil in it...
do not pierce fish with fork while
frying...lift fish from pan with slotted
spoon or spatula...drain fish on paper
towels. Keep each batch warm in a
210 degree oven.
Winters in the U.P. are long! I
have many fish fries inviting friends
over. Somehow it seems to make the
winters pass by faster...or maybe we
just look forward to the next fish fry!
In Closing...
Fishing is a major recreation in
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10#
the St. Marys River. From Whitefish

Bay to DeTour, these waters and its
tributaries, hold a dozen major
species of game fish. This variety
and abundance, spanning the entire
range of temperature tolerances
from the cold water brook trout
to the warm water muskie and
northern pike, make this river
the most outstanding and unusual
fishing grounds in the entire
Great Lakes system.
The St. Marys River is busy!
Ore boats, lake freighters, tugs,
ferry boats, pleasure craft and
fishing boats all ply these
international waters. The river
flows out of Lake Superior located
between the twin Soos of Canada
and Michigan. It travels 72 miles
where the mile wide river empties
into Lake Huron at DeTour Village
at the far eastern end of the Upper
Peninsula. The St. Marys surrounds
three islands; Sugar, Neebish and
Drummond. Good fishing around
each. Car ferry schedules are posted
at the ferry docks at Sault Ste. Marie,
Barbeau and DeTour.n
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Shore and Pier Fishermen...By Brian Marshall
Fishing is comprised
of many opposites;
sea fishing vs. freshwater;
sturgeon vs. sunfish;
trolling vs. drifting and
boat fishing vs. shore fishing!
the last thing on his mind.

Its the greatest feeling ever, he
says, One of those feelings you cant
beat. You know youre finally about to
do something good for the day, better
than catching a rock.
Tristan Sparks of Roseville, although 18, sounds like an elder when
describing why he enjoys pier fishing.
I like catching off shore. Its fun
to
me
because you can get a chair, sit
his species known as shore
fisherman (or pier fisherman) down, he said. I just enjoy it. The
(boat) motors not going on, youre
carries a bit of a stigma that
says he doesnt measure up to not constantly moving. You can enjoy
the skills and savvy of boating yourself. After work I come and fish
and hopefully I get something.
counterparts. Look at those
Better days and bigger fish loom
guys stuck fishing in shallow water.
for
Sparks,
but he recalls nailing quite
Bet theyd give anything to be cruisa
keeper.
ing around with us.
I caught one pike about 13 inchA statement that accurately surmises the situation or a preconceived es. It was probably the best fish Ive
caught. When you see the size of the
notion that takes on water?
fish, its really cool. You get a burst of
Not all motor-driven fishermen
adrenaline. You just want to get it in.
mock their land counterparts. In fact
According to one count, there are
its a minority. But make no mistake
there is a rivalry between the two.
There is nothing sweeter for a docker
than to hook a slippery monster while
a boat-full mired in a dry spell gets an
eyeful. And nothing worse than when
one those boats creeps virtually on top
of a shoreline to steal fish.
David Redmon, a shore angler
from Lake St. Clair commented, I always get a little frustrated when boaters come within casting distance. That
happened the other day and my buddy
who was with me kept casting where
he was castingthey were within 30
feet of here! We have a little bit of
shoreline to fish from and boat anglers
have the entire lake. When there are
100 people out here...if you can get a
piece, you get a piece.
Shortly after explaining fishermens etiquette, Redmon dragged in
a nice-sized smallmouth bass with
David Redmon holds a smallmouth bass
a nice tussle. There were no boaters
he caught on a pier off of Nine Mile Road
to witness the event, which was just
in St. Clair Shores. Author photos
fine with him. While Redmon boasts
decades of experience, savvy and
anticipation, two shore-fishing neophytes a strong cast away from him
Jelly - Frostings - Caramel
were wide-eyed. While they didnt
Granola - Fillers - Chocolate
match Redmons experience, their will
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Julio Rosario shows skill with his
casts, but on this day the fish were
not exactly jumping onto his line.
The lack of action, however, hardly
spoiled Rosarios feeling of being
fortunate just to be standing on a
shoreline with fish lurking somewhere
beneath him. He brought up and
Located Northeastern Lower Michigan
(Near Hillman)
adjusted his bait and threw it in again
Contact:
Jon
989.464.4093
because this will be the time.
WWW.MICHIGANBEARBAITMAN.COM
Rosario said he has never fished
off of a boat. When he gets a strike
Open By Appointment Only!
with grass beneath his sneakers, thats
NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
Julio Rosario of Roseville

has fished on many piers,
but never on a boat. And
he says he has no regrets.
93 active piers in Michigan. The term
pure fishing has been used as shore
fisherman arent distracted by checking equipment, juggling multiple lines
that tend to intercede and being stuck
with someone who calls himself a
casual fisherman. No, its just the
water, the sky and the fish.
Redmon summed up the allure and
appeal of pier fishing. And ah, in the
same sentence, also the rivalry with
his boating counterparts.
Its calming, relaxing. This is my
therapy, he said. Its almost like an
addiction. When were out there and
we get on em and (boaters) dont, its
great.
There are hundreds of bait and
fishing shops in the Midwest. Store
owners hear from both sides con-
stantly.
Lake fishing on the bank, the
guys are kicking back and just
relaxing, enjoying their time. The
guy that owns the boat is more of a
hard-core fisherman, puts more
into it, said Roy Short, owner of
Gordons Bait Shop in Glennie.
That doesnt mean, he said, that
fisticuffs routinely break out in the
large lure aisle. Respect wins out.
All the fishermen here all pretty
relaxed, laid back, Short said.
Everybodys always in a great
mood. Fishermen are pretty
considerate of other fisherman.
As long as theyre giving themselves room to breathe when the next
wave of hungry fish pours into area
waters.n
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59
By Ed Spinazzola, Mr. Food Plots...
The ultimate, ultimate bow plot

U
nfortunately this does little
for my friends who hunt
public land. I have spent
years building up a four acre
public land field in Gladwin
County, (including nine tons
of lime per acre and no cost to the
DNR) with acceptable results. We offered to expand the research in public
food plots throughout the lower. The
answer from the DNR was to cease
and desist completely from any additional food plot research and without
giving a reason, plus that included the
five year effort in Gladwin County.
We, QDMA, have pushed hard for
public land hunters to have the ability
of creating small 1/8 acre food plots
on public lands, we even offered the
effective formula of no till, (just spray
three times, lime, fertilize and broadcast seed), no luck. My guess is our
MDNR sees it as just more work for
them.
The last article, Sugar Beets and
Corn is well illustrated with a definitive photo of two rows of field corn
separated several feet from another
two rows of corn, which are aimed at
the hunters blind. That unique field
of directed rows of corn is a firearm
kill plot that can be any size and up
to several acres. This Ultimate cornbased firearm kill plot also is seeded
the same day in mid May along with
a blend of soybeans and sugar beets
seeded 1/3 normal seeding rate. In
early August a blend of brassica at
no more than two pounds per acre
is broadcast, then followed in early
September with a broadcasting of no
more than a total of 30 pounds per
acre of a grain blend.
side of the blind as far as you desire

for improved deer security. It will be
viewed to the deer as a secure deer
trail.
Why so big for the bow kill plot
and having the firearm kill plot plus
a field of corn seeded normally part
of the picture? For the bow kill plot
The following detailed info for
we are timely seeding soybeans to be
the, Ultimate Bow Kill Plot is not
still growing new, green and luscious
much different than what is advised
leaves, for the bow opener, which is
when creating the Ultimate corn exactly what deer prefer. In addition
based firearm kill plot. We will be
fertilizing, tilling, seeding and spray- to timely seeding sweet corn to be just
ing in a timely manner. It will be very right for that bow opener. We need to
plant a lot of sweet corn to have some
important to include in this picture
available for that bow opener, deer
a good sized Ultimate firearm cornand raccoons can devastate a small
based kill plot plus field corn adjoinsweet corn plot. Having a good sized
ing or surrounding that firearm kill
plot. That firearm kill plot can start 60 field of corn normally seeded adjoinyards away from the blind. This gives ing or surrounding a large Ultimate
corn-based firearm kill plot that is
you that distance from the blind for
adjoining our new Ultimate cornyour new Ultimate Bow Kill Plot.
based bow kill plot is paramount for
It is recommended that this new bow
kill plot is as large as conditions allow success. Remember the large firearm
kill plot has some very attractive
you to create, with one acre being
minimum. If you can start the firearm forage such as soybeans, sugar beets,
brassica and grain and seeded two
plot 60 yards from the blind you will
months earlier than the bow site.
need 80 yards of width for the bow
This secure firearm kill plot has been
plot to equal one acre in size. This
bow plot width can wind off to either the deers preferred food source for
Ultimate Bow Kill Plot
60
This ultimate corn-based bow kill plot which was seeded in early August 2014 with soybeans, sugar beets, forage sorghum, and
brassica. Again with a grain blend in early September.
months. This set up in an open field,
which adjoins woods will be effective.
Creating an ultimate combination
corn-based firearm and sweet corn
based bow kill plot within the woods
gets hairy. Deer are woodsy animals
and will bed very close to the above
set up. A lot depends on your deer
density for sweet corn survival. We
are seeding eight bow sites this year
with at least one acre of sweet corn
for each site. Its called swamping
and its needed for the DNR estimates
there are 80 deer per square mile in
our area. Im not suggesting that you
forget about creating the above set up
within your woods. Im saying that
you will need to take into account
that your set up area may need to be
increased based on your deer density
and the fact that the kill plots are now
within the woods.
The Plan
On June 20 broadcast 350 pounds

19-19-19 per acre to your prepared
field and till it four inches deep. On
July 12 spray Roundup at one quart
per acre. The next day blend one acre
of sweet corn, (8 to 10 pounds sweet
corn with 8 pounds of 90 day plus

maturity field corn) and seed with a
planter at least two acres. Seed two
rows at a time around the perimeter
of the bow site, move over for a six
to eight feet space and seed another
two rows of corn. The eight pounds of
field corn is primarily used for cover,
for deer can and will eat sweet corn
and stalks. You should seed several
maturity dates of sweet corn to insure
corn at their peak come the bow
opener. Peaches and cream variety has
85 day maturity add a 70-72 day and
78 day maturity for the blend, thus the
seeding date of July 13. Create the
same practice within the bow site for
short two rows with spaces aimed at
the blind.
The same day blend 30-35 pounds
of soys with 20,000 sugar beet seeds,
(approximately two pounds of the
large seed) and seed the entire bow
site with a drill set at 35-40 pounds
per acre 1.5 inches deep (50,000 sugar
beet seeds per acre is normal).
If you are working without planting equipment on June 20 till 4inches
deep then on July 13 broadcast 350
pounds 19-19-19 per acre. Next
Camper storage program continues at state parks

Storage spaces are available on a first-come, first-served
basis and can be determined by contacting the park. Campers must show proof of campground use at any Michigan
state park or recreation area within the seven days prior to
the beginning of the storage period. The maximum allowable storage period is 15 days. The program is free.
A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry to
state parks and recreation areas. Learn more about how the
Recreation Passport gains you access to Michigan state parks
and more at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.
Inside Michigans Great Outdoors subscribers are always
the first to know about reservation opportunities, state park
events and other outdoor happenings. Visit www.michigan.
gov/dnr to subscribe now.
To check camping availability and make a reservation, please visit www.midnrreservations.com or call
1-800-44PARKS (1-800-447-2757).
ED'S NEW DVD
ULTIMATE
CORN-BASED
DEER KILL PLOTS
Takes you to a new concept of deer attraction.
Deer will freely enter your kill plot during daylight due
to the security and endless variety of forage deer prefer
ORDER
YOUR
COPY
TODAY!
Send Check or Money Order

Made Out to:
Edward Spinazzola
815 Sleeth Rd.
Commerce, MI 48382
New DVD ~ $25 includes shipping

Name
Address
City
State
Zip
Phone #
ULTIMATE LAND MANAGEMENT FORAGE & COVER SEED FOR MICHIGAN PLOTS
Tony Lapratt and associate Chris Pierson
with new associate Ed Spinazzola
WEBSITE -- tonysulm.com
ULTIMATE DEER FOOD PLOTS

BOOK & DVD
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COPY TODAY
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Made Out to:
Book $25
DVD $20
Includes
Check the Following:
DEER ATTRACTION
then mail to:
Deer Attraction
815 Sleeth Rd.
Commerce, MI 48382
Book @ $25 each
DVD @ $20 each
Name
Phone #
OR CALL ED AT 586-784-8090 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Seed
Cost
# Bags
(6lbs)
$25
Michigan's Ultimate Blend

(6lbs)
$35
Wildlife Cover and

Forage Blend (6lbs)
$50
Shipping and handling

Lower Peninsula Michigan
$11.00 first bag $7.00

each additional bag
Shipping and handling

Upper Peninsula and the
rest of the Continental US
$12.00 first bag $8.00

each additional bag
TOTAL
REMIT BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:
Ed Spinazzola 24150 31 Mile Road, Ray Twp, MI 48096

WEBSITE: deerattraction.com
Address
State
Zip
Total
Michigan Brassica Blend
Name
Address
City
The Brassica Blend provides both summer feed and winter forage. The Ultimate Blend is
an excellent mix that includes both annual and perennials. The Wildlife Cover and Forage Blend
is designed to keep deer on your property by providing them a bedding area and food in close
proximity. Go to deerattraction.com for a full list of ingredients and detailed planting instructions.
City
Phone #
State
Zip
broadcast the sweet and field corn

blend for at least two acres, and till
3 inches deep. Continue to broadcast
the soybean and sugar beet blend at
35-40 pounds per acre and till 1-1/2
inches deep and follow it all with a
slow cultipacking pass or two.
Regardless to the equipment you
are using on August 1 broadcast a
maximum two pounds of a brassica
blend with three pounds of buckwheat
per acre. On August 20 broadcast
100 pounds urea 46-0-0 per acre. On
September 1 broadcast a total of 20
to 30 pounds of a grain blend of oats,
winter rye grain and winter wheat.
Two weeks later, September 15
broadcast 100 pounds of urea 46-00 per acre and the sweetening thing
which is shown in detail on our web
site wwwdeerattraction.com.
You want the deer to move from
the woods to the corn field to the
firearm kill plot and eventually within
bow range in the Ultimate bow site.
Applying the sweetening thing where
you want the deer to stand works to
perfection.
Note the kill plot photo is on the
edge of the Ultimate corn-based bow
kill plot which was seeded in early
August 2014 with soybeans, sugar
beets, forage sorghum, and brassica.
Again with a grain blend in early
September. Check the young and luscious soys just before the youth hunt.
Yes, from that blind two youth took
two fine bucks. Add the sweet corn
and who knows. This year is the first
to be seeded as noted above. We have
seeded sweet corn many times over
the years. Most times we fed the deer
and raccoons.
This is part III of a series of
articles that complements my new
DVD, Ultimate Corn- Based Deer
Kill Plots. This article plus Planting
Roundup Read Sugar Beets followed
with Sugar Beets and Corn being in
the last issue of W-N-W News rounds
out the present additional information
to the above DVD. The DVD, Ultimate Corn Based Deer Kill Plots is
over 1-1/2 hour in length and covers
the basics in detail. This concept is
not for everybody who plants food
plots, for most hunting properties
consist of poor soil and this program
demands good farm soil for maximum results. That doesnt mean one
shouldnt think about it for the future,
for most poor soil can be improved
enough with five to six years of a soil
improvement program. This series of
articles and future ones that complement our DVD will be on our web
site, wwwdeerattraction.com.
Ed Spinazzola, Associate, Tony
LaPratts Ultimate Land Management. For more information check
our web sites wwwtonysulm.com or
wwwdeerattraction.com or call 586784-8090.n
The MDNR announced that the camper storage program

will continue this camping season at select Michigan state
parks and recreation areas to help families offset the cost of
fuel prices and enjoy their summer vacation plans.
"The fuel-saving camper storage program is part of a
pilot program introduced in 2008," said Ron Olson, chief of
the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. "Due to its overwhelming success, the program has continued to save fuel
and encourage families to vacation in and return to state
parks and recreation areas."
Olson said the program saves campers up to 20 percent
on mileage and provides an environmentally friendly option
when traveling.
Campers have the option to reduce fuel costs by temporarily
storing camping units, including trailers, motor homes or
boats on trailers, in participating state parks and recreation
areas between state park visits.
61
Getting kids in the great outdoors
ne 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, Im 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 todays high-tech
society, this fact in reality
can become a bit askew.
This is why I have
always fully supported the mentoring
hunting licenses that
allow kids to get involved at an earlier
age than was allowed by law before.
It is now up to the parents to decide
whether or not their child is ready to
participate and that certainly works
for me. Back when my sons were able
to first truly participate, they had to

be 12 years old before they could get
a small game hunting license, and age
14 for hunting deer with a firearm. I
can tell you for a fact they were fully
ready at a much younger age.
Certainly they could accompany
me on hunts when they were little (I
can remember even having to have a
diaper bag along while squirrel hunting), but there is a whole
lot more spice to the picture
when a kid who is fully able
(and under adult supervision) can actually participate.
With all the side attractions
such as todays high-tech
gadgets, games, gizmos and
computers for kids to entertain themselves
with, as well as other
activities, getting
them involved and fully interested
in an outdoor lifestyle can be easily put on the backburner, and sadly,
forgotten altogether along the way. I
truly believe this is why there is an
unrealistic animal rights/anti-hunting
By Tom Lounsbury
62
Six year old Kaleb Sting of Caro is proof positive that little kids (with adult supervision) can fully
participate in hunting. He used a crossbow to bag this dandy Thumb gobbler (his first) recently
that was called in to 7 yards by his father and hunting mentor Ron Sting. Kaleb bagged his first
deer at age four and has taken a total of three deer thus far, all with a crossbow from a stabile
shooting rest. Kalebs smile says it all. Hes a hunter! (Ron Sting photo).
mindset floating out there, and that it
bagged a 7-point buck with his crossis very important to get kids involved bow. You certainly cant beat the one
and participating into hunting at an
on one father and son, quality time
early age, because the future of hunt- this all represents.
ing depends upon it today.
Ron Sting also fully appreciates
Ive heard a few adult hunters
what a crossbow can do as a criticriticizing the fact kids can get out
cal hunting tool for a little kid when
there at any age their parents deem as hunting, where Ron believes the
being fit to do so, and that some kids
kid should be in a static and stabile
are way too young. There is also the
position while using tripod shoottypical rumor mill that claims parents ing sticks. The crossbow lacks the
are using the kids to take advantage
loud, explosive report and noticeable
recoil of a typical firearm, as well as it
of the special youth only hunts, and
provides accuracy and the efficient enthese same critics usually also think
ergy in quickly and humanely putting
such special hunts are very unfair in
game animals down for the count.
allowing the kids to get a head start,
Crossbows arent to be handled
something they (the critics) never had
the opportunity to do in their day. To as long guns either because of the
string-equipped horizontal bow. Ron
them, the kids still need to sit on the
believes in working very closely with
sidelines, just as they had to do, and
thus leave what they consider as being Kaleb per each shot, whether in praca more fair playing field (especially tice or at a game animal, to be sure all
fingers are in a safe place before ever
for them). One severe critic even
touching the trigger. It is the perfect
described the special youth hunting
example of mentoring, not to mention
seasons as being legal poaching
father and son teamwork.
(theres an acute oxymoron for you).
Kaleb had been spring turkey
Needless to say, I fully disagree with
hunting with his father before, but no
the critics.
A devoted hunter that truly appre- shots had occurred, because hunting is
ciates the mentoring hunting licenses hunting and not a sure thing, someis Ron Sting of Caro, who introduced thing he learned early on. That would
his son Kaleb to hunting at the age of all change recently, when at age six,
Kaleb would bag a dandy Thumb gobfour. Kaleb would use a Ten-Point
bler called in to a close seven yards
crossbow to bag a large doe during
the special youth deer season. The fol- by his father. Kalebs crossbow using
an arrow tipped with a two-blade
lowing year at age five he would use
Rage broadhead, put the bird weighthe crossbow to bag a 4-point buck.
ing almost 19 pounds and sporting a
He would also accompany his father
nine and a half inch beard and just a
on an Ohio deer hunt where Kaleb
hair under an inch spurs, right down

for the count. There is no doubt in my
mind that six-year old Kaleb Sting is
a dedicated hunter clean to the bone
and a full supporter of hunting who
possesses a realistic viewpoint of
life in general, thanks to his father
introducing him to the great outdoors.
I believe Kaleb wouldnt appreciate
anyone saying he was too little to actively participate, and he has certainly
earned his spurs in the field.
When it comes to my grandchildren in hunting, Im usually just an
observer in the background (and
enjoying every bit of it) because my
sons are typically the mentors, as it
is their time and opportunity to pass
it on to their kids. Just recently I had
an opportunity to accompany my son
Jake and his 12 year old daughter
McKenna on a local turkey hunt.
They were the shooters and I was
the caller (minus a shotgun), something I thoroughly have a good time
doing anytime, because I purely love
to talk turkey and watch other folks
get in on the action.
While McKenna and Jake got set
up in a ground blind, I positioned my
hen decoy (that I call Norma Jean)
out 15 yards in front. McKenna was
using an H&R single-shot 28 ga, a
shotgun her father and two uncles had
all began using for their first hunting
adventures, and Jake was armed with
an over/under 12ga. I got positioned
behind them just outside of the blind,
and began calling.
That day wasnt ideal turkey hunting weather with strong, cold winds
frequently spitting snow (a week later
the temps would reach the high 80s
its a typical up and down springtime
in Michigan), but we were giving it
a whirl anyway, as it is called hunting. Then something happened I have
never seen in all my years of turkey
hunting. Ive had predators such as
foxes (both red and gray), coyotes
and once even a large raccoon come

stalking and even charging in on my
turkey decoy and calling setup, but
never a bird of prey.
As if by magic, a large red-tail
hawk dropped silently straight down
out of nowhere with talons extended
and landed directly on my decoys
back, which naturally collapsed and
flattened right out. That was the most
surprised hawk you ever saw as it
stared all about in utter confusion and
even directly at the blinds window.
Its hard gaze seemed to say it was
best if nobody started laughing.
Actually, we were all mesmerized by the sudden and very unusual
event, something we wouldnt have
witnessed had we decided to be couch
potatoes and remain indoors. Then
the hawk just as quickly and silently
lifted up and flew away over the
treetops. We didnt see or even hear
any wild turkeys that day, but we sure
went away with some unique memories certainly never to be forgotten
(Im sure for the hawk, too).
My granddaughter McKenna and
my son Jake have certainly enjoyed
the benefits of the mentor hunting
licenses for kids that have allowed
father and daughter to share quality
time in the outdoors. McKenna had
bagged her share of small game and
a large doe, before she even took her
Hunter Education class last year. She
would, right after the class, go out
during the special youth deer season
last September and bag her first buck,
a plump 5-point, while using a .44
Magnum H&R single-shot rifle.
Like six year old Kaleb Sting, 12
year old McKenna is a devoted hunter
clean to the bone.
I firmly believe in introducing
a kid to hunting whenever possible
(with my children all grown now, Ive
been known to adopt a kid) because the future of hunting certainly
depends upon it. It always has.n
Twelve year old McKenna Lounsbury thoroughly enjoys sharing quality time hunting with her father
and mentor Jake Lounsbury. McKenna began taking her fair share of small game at age nine, as
well as she has bagged a couple Thumb whitetails. Here, father and daughter are on a hunting
mission recently for wild gobblers in the Thumb, despite blustery spring weather. Tom Lounsbury
photo
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63
Water clarity and walleye fishing
64
hen it comes to catching walleye, the most

important variable is to
find yourself firmly on
fish. Second only in importance to finding fish
is finding water ideal for fishing in.
Water clarity makes a huge difference in walleye fishing success.
Ironically, most fishermen pay little or
no attention to the color of the water
they are fishing in. Instead anglers get
caught up more worrying about the
color of the lures they are fishing!
My experience suggests that the
best fishing conditions do not occur
in gin clear water or in dirty water.
Instead the best fishing usually occurs
when the waters are lightly stained
a pale green color. Plankton and algae
in the water tends to turn water from a
blue color to a green shade. Green or
stained water holds the most food for
bait fish and in turn also attracts the
most predator fish.
If I can look over the back of the
boat and barely make out the prop,
thats what I consider stained water.
Hanging out and learning from the
best anglers Michigan has to offer has
taught me over and over again that
stained water is the just right water
clarity for walleye fishing success.
faced with clear

water conditions
and also very dirty
water. When the
water is gin clear fish have the luxury
of scrutinizing lures and baits a little
too closely.
Clear water is challenging because
fish can literally see every detail of
your presentation. When forced to fish
in clear water its best to concentrate
efforts early and late in the day when
light penetration is at a minimum. A
little wind that creates a surface chop
is also a good thing when fishing clear
water.
The most productive lures for
targeting walleye in clear water are
going to be ones featuring natural
color patterns. Its also important
when selecting lures to choose baits
that closely match the size of available forage.
In clear water lures that feature a
subtle action generally out-produce
high action baits and also baits that
create a lot of noise in the water. In
short, when the water is clear its
important to offer walleye baits and
presentations that are as realistic as
possible.
Dealing With
Clear Water
Wind and run off can often turn

a favorite body of water into a sea
of chocolate milk. In these conditions visibility is reduced to the point
At the extremes, anglers are often
fishing in off color water.

fish struggle to see
anything. Not surprisingly in dirty water
fishing success often
Another trick for targeting walleye
plummets.
in dirty water plays to flash. Last sumWhen forced to fish dirty water the mer Jake was fishing Saginaw Bay
general opinion is to bulk up or use with a buddy. The water was muddy
larger lures and baits. The idea is that and the boys were struggling to catch
larger baits are easier for fish to spot
fish on the Tadpole Diver and nightin dingy water conditions.
crawler rigs that normally produce
There is however other options
well.
that pays off big when fishing in dirty
Jake added a 4 inch Yakima Bait
water. Recently while fishing the De- Fish Flash to his Off Shore Tackle
troit River we were faced with muddy Tadpole Divers and immediately
water along the Ontario shore. This
started to catch fish. What was lookwas the perfect opportunity to experi- ing like a bust day suddenly turned
ment with a new product produced by into a two man limit of walleye.
Pro-Cure called Bad Azz Color Blast.
Fish Flash not only produces
This is a liquid bait dye that comes
pulses of light that attract fish, these
in six UV enhanced colors. When
triangle shaped attractors have near
applied to minnows or other live bait
zero drag in the water and they are
it stains the bait a bright shade of
also UV treated to increase their fish
magenta, orange, line, red, blue or
attracting powers.
purple.
In stained and dirty water condiI used a few drops of lime which
tions adding flash to trolling presentaimmediately turned my minnow a
tions makes a huge difference. Anbright shade of chartreuse/lime. It
glers can also increase flash by using
took about five minutes to realize this larger sized blades on their spinners.
stuff makes baits much more visible in Here in the Great Lakes the size 4, 5
dirty water. Pretty quick everyone in
and 6 are the most common blades for
the boat was asking if they could treat walleye trolling. Leaning towards the
larger size blades creates more flash
their minnow with Bad Azz Color
and vibration and simply makes it a
Blast!
little easier for walleye to zero in on
Besides dying the bait a bright
your lures.
color it also UV enhances the bait
Another good option is to run
making it even more visible to fish.
two or more blades in tandem using
In short, this stuff is magic for
By Mark Romanack
Dirty Water
Flash It Up
Scent Can Help
Flash and vibration are huge for
attracting fish when fishing in stained

to dirty water. Another trick is to use
scent products to create a scent trail
in the water when trolling. Scent products that match the smells of natural
forages such as the Pro-Cure Super
Gel alewife, herring, smelt, shiner and
nightcrawler formulas do an excellent
job of setting up a scent trail fish can
zero in on.
Most anglers simply spread a little
Pro-Cure on their favorite lures or
baits. Another option for deploying
scent is a new product called the Stink
Bomb produced by GDF or Good Day
Lots of anglers are concerned with the color of their lures, but not enough fishermen
worry about the color of the water when targeting walleye. Fishing stained or what
the author calls green water is a step in the right direction.
even in the worst of conditions.
Its slightly stained waters that
allow fish the ability to see a significant distance, yet the water is cloudy
enough to prevent them from getting
too good a look. In these conditions
walleye fishing tends to be outstanding regardless of the presentation, time
of day or water depth.
It would be great if every day on
the water we could count on finding
and fishing stained waters. Unfortunately, in the real world of freshwater
fishing, less than desirable conditions
are more common than we care to
admit and anglers must learn to deal
with these challenges on the fly.n
Fishing. The Stink Bomb is a capsule

you can fill with scent like Pro-Cure
natural fish oils and run this capsule
in-line a few feet in front of your
favorite lures and live baits.
The scent leeches (no pun intended) out of the Stink Bomb creating
an intense scent stream in the water
to attract fish and get them in a biting
mood. For more information on the
Stink Bomb visit the site
www.gooddayfishing.com.
Moral Of The Story

Adding UV and color blasters to live baits and hard lures
is one of the newest and most creative ways of dealing
with dirty water. Mark Romanack photos
KNOW A KID WHO WANTS A

GOOD START IN HUNTING?
Send them to SCIs State Hunter Apprentice Program!

WHAT IS S.H.A.P.?
The State Hunter Apprentice Program is a 3-day youth camp sponsored by

local chapters of Safari Club International for boys and girls ages 11 to 15. In the
period of a long weekend, kids can earn both their Michigan DNR Hunter Safety
Certificate and International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) Certificate.
State
Hunter
Apprentice
Program
Aug. 12 - 14, 2016

S.H.A.P. YOUTH CAMP
Echo Grove Camp on Lakeville Lake in Leonard, Michigan

SPONSORED BY
Safari Club International
SE Michigan Bowhunters Chapter & Detroit Chapter
GO TO SCIBOWHUNTERS.COM FOR MORE INFO OR

TO DOWNLOAD YOUR STUDENT APPLICATION!
REGISTRATION: The cost is only $90 per student for the entire three-day weekend. It
includes lodging, all meals & snacks, course instruction & materials, and special handouts.
Local sponsoring chapters of Safari Club International will underwrite the remainder of the
cost. To receive an application, please write to: SCI-SHAP, 32045 Dequindre Rd.,
Madison Heights, MI 48071 or call or email Colleen at: (248) 585-4863, or colleene@
eastlind.com Successful SHAP applicants will receive necessary maps, itinerary, consent
forms and a complete list of things to bring. Camp is limited to the first 60 students, so
please dont delay!
Safari Club International is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving

our wildlife, woods & water, and preserving our great American heritage ...
THE RIGHT TO HUNT
The moral of the story is yes its

typically harder to catch fish in gin
clear and dirty water conditions. By
adapting anglers can scratch out fish
n
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4989 Abbot Road Reading, MI 49274

Hunts Conducted On
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a few beads to separate the blades so

they spin properly. A good way to rig
multiple blades on a spinner harness is
to thread on a larger blade first, then a
few beads and a slightly smaller blade,
a few more beads and finally a smaller
yet blade. Keeping the smaller blades
forward in the spinner will guarantee
that all the blades turn properly, giving
off the maximum amount of flash in
the water.
65
Michigans Marine Laws
66
By Jeff Pendergraff
ichigan leads the

country as the
state with the most
registered boats. Michigan also has approximately 3,288 miles of Great Lakes
coastline; has more than 10,000 inland
lakes and ponds; and is interwoven by a 35,000-mile
web of freshwater rivers, streams and wetlands. So, it
shouldnt surprise us as leading the nation of registered boats, even more than Florida, according to the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
As a youth growing up in Flint I spent a lot of
my time during the summer on lakes around Fenton
and Linden. My first assignment as a Conservation
Officer was in Wayne County and I spent eight years
patrolling the Detroit River and Lake Erie. The next
nine years I spent patrolling Lake St. Clair, St. Clair
River, southern part of Lake Huron and the north end
of the Detroit River. Over those 17 years we were
normally on the water checking walleye fisherman
in mid-March until sometime in December checking
waterfowl hunters and fisherman. I would estimate
that I had put in over 10,000 hours during those 17
years and probably did several thousand marine
safety inspections on boats.
Talk about boat activity, on a calm day with no
wind you could still have a 3-4 chop just from the
wake coming from boat traffic because there are so
many boats on the water. Needless to say I have seen
just about everything when it comes to operations
of a vessel, the type of equipment that people did or
didnt have and in some cases the lack of knowledge
of some boat owners.
Lake St. Clair Metropark/Metro Beach is located
in Harrison Township in Macomb County just off
Lake St. Clair. If youre a boater and live in southeast Michigan you have most likely heard of it or
have been there. In my opinion it probably has more
boating activity on a given Saturday and Sunday then
anywhere in Michigan.
There is a canal that leads from Lake St. Clair
inland, into the metro-park. On one side of the canal
are homes and on the other side is the metro-park.
When I worked that area you could go into the canal
and we would park our patrol boat along-side the
seawall on the park side and just tie up for a while.
You would see hundreds of boats pass by in an hour.
The canal leads back into a small lake area and
then to a boat launch site. Some boaters were just
cruising back and forth through the canal, some using
the boat launch site and others anchoring in the small
lake.
All you had to do was sit next to the seawall in
our patrol boat and with-in a couple of minutes you
would see some people do some pretty careless and
sometimes stupid things while operating their boat.
Many times alcohol made a big role in these acts,
sometimes not knowing the marine laws played a
role!
Most boaters in Michigan operate in a safe manner and most know the marine laws, but not everyone
does. There is no test to take before you buy a boat
or operate a boat in Michigan if youre a certain age,
unlike an automobile. So, in the rest of this article
I am going to go over some of Michigans marine
laws, I think there might be a few that will surprise
you!
All motorized boats; (including electric motors)
regardless of length must be registered with the
Michigan Secretary of State. These registrations are
good for three years and expire on March 31. Never
understood why it was March 31 and not December
31. Even though you are sent a reminder beforehand
in the mail, its not uncommon for boaters to forget
getting it done when the weather

is still cold, then by the time the
good weather rolls in and forgetting about it all together.
Any boat 16 feet in length or larger, with or
without a motor must also be registered even if its
a rowboat. You must also carry your paper registration for the boat with you while boating. Kayaks and
canoes are exempt from registration unless they are
rented to the public.
Your boat registration numbers that are assigned
to you must be attached to your vessel high on the
bow side. They should read left to right, be affixed
as high as practical and above the waterline. The first
two letters are MC for Michigan then a space, then
the four numbers, then a space and then the last two
letters. It should look like this; MC 0000 KL. You
see a lot of this MC0000KL, this is called jammed
numbers and a violation. After the last two letters and
another space you should affix your boat registration
decal. A good rule of thumb is to have a 3 inch gap
between each set.
Personal flotation devices, (PFDs) also called life
jackets are most likely the most important piece of
safety equipment on your vessel. Most people when
they buy a new boat will be given the basic marine
safety package from the dealer. Its nice to get this
package from the dealer, but in most cases its not
likely the top of line in equipment.
But, if you buy a boat from another person you
are only going you get the marine equipment that the
previous owner leaves with the boat, and again most
likely not the top of the line. With PFDs you need to
have the top of the line.
The best in my opinion is the Type l: Offshore
Life Jacket. These jackets are geared for rough or
remote waters where a rescue may take a while. It
provides the most buoyancy, is excellent for flotation,
and will turn most unconscious persons face up in the
water.
Type ll: Near Shore- Vest are good for calm water
when a quick rescue is likely. A Type ll may not turn
some unconscious wearers face up in the water.
Type lll: Flotation Aids or vests are good for calm
water when a quick rescue is likely. Not recommended for rough waters since they wont turn most
unconscious persons face up.
Type lV: Throwable Devices are cushions or ring
buoys and are designed to be thrown to someone
only in trouble while in the water. Not to be worn.
Type V: are special use devices. Normally worn
by boaters who are windsurfing, kayaking or waterskiing.
The U.S. Coast Guard requires that all vessels
16 feet or longer have at least one Type l, ll or lll
personal flotation device that is USCG approved,
wearable and the proper size for the person wearing
it. Plus there must be one throwable device (Type lV)
and most important they must be readily accessible
to the people on board. Not stored in a compartment
on board.
Less than 16 feet in length you only need to have
a Type IV (throwable) or seat cushion for everyone
on board, that includes kayaks and canoes. However,
I would recommend having a wearable PFD for
everyone on board.
Another issue they look for is serviceability of the
PFD. Not only must you be able to read on the PFD
that it is USCG approved, it cant be worn out, torn
or have any damage to it. If the PFD has any damage
or not (serviceable) it wont count if you get checked
by law enforcement on the water.
An issue a lot of boaters run into is normally let
say they carry six PFDs and there is a larger group on
people on board than they normally take, now all of a

sudden they are short.
Its not uncommon for people who have either received the equipment package from a dealer or have
bought their PFD from a store such as Wal Mart or
K Mart and it comes inside a plastic bag. Many boat
owners have never taken the PFD out of the plastic
and then stored the PFDs in a storage compartment
on the boat and there it sits sometimes for years and
one day they pull them out only to discover that they
are ruined by mildew. Or what is worst you are ask
to show them to a law enforcement officer only to
discover they are ruined by mildew!
I can recall many times asking to look at a
boaters throwable device only to discover that it was
so old and worn it look like Christopher Columbus
had owned it at one time. With rips in the cover, the
inner flotation exposed and straps missing. Needless
to say, it would not pass.
Many boaters would also get confused on adult
PFDs with a PFD designed for a child. Written on the
PFD will describe if its for an adult or child and a
weight maximum for the person wearing it. Needless
to say an adult PFD will not fit a child and would be
too big, the outcome would be the same, a child size
will not work for an adult.
Anyone in a canoe or kayak must also have a
PFD. Same for personal watercraft (PWC). They
only work if you are wearing them. Normally if you
get yourself into a situation where you need one and
if youre not already wearing it, it may be too late.
During those 17 years myself and other COs were
involved in searching for drowning victims, I cant
ever recall any of those victims being found with a
PFD on.
Children under the age 6 must wear either a Type
l or Type ll PFD when riding in an open deck area of
a boat.
In the second part of Michigans Marine Laws I
am to cover other safety equipment, rules of the road,
PWCs just to mention a few. Author is Jeff Pendergraff, retired Captain from the Law Enforcement
Division of the DNR.n
MICHIGAN'S
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67
High action trolling plugs can be used

off inline boards in skinny water, behind lead core or super copper lines
or off snapweights or downriggers.
Sammy was happy when he landed
this dandy brown, his first on the new
Mag Lip. Kenny Darwin photos
stout hooks designed to handle the
savage strike and electric battle of big
Great Lakes trout and salmon. Some
captains prefer to use siwash style
single hooks which allow you to troll
the Mag Lip up to four mph. The
problem with most crankbait style
lures like Husky Jerk, Smithwick, Rapala, Bandit, Rouge, Bomber, Thunderstick and more is they are designed
for walleye fishing and big kings and
beer belly browns straighten the hooks
into safety pins at lightning speed.
Mag Lips quality hooks slam through
the hard bone in a kings mouth and
hold tight until he comes to net.
Im a brown trout fishing nut.
Each spring I make treks to Lake
Michigan in search of beer belly
browns. My father and the entire Darwin clan has a long history of chasing
trophy browns in area rivers, streams
and Great Lakes. I caught my first
beer belly 10-pound Lake Michigan
brown in 1966 and have made annual
treks ever since. My goal is to catch
silver-sided browns and pan fry them
in butter golden brown along with
fresh picked morel mushrooms. So
when Romanack informed me that
browns gobble Mag Lips I had to give
them a whirl.
The sun was barely above the
horizon as we cleared the pier head
and trolled the new cranks near the
long cement dog leg when a board
Lakes lake trout, kings, Coho, steelattractor flies and many other plugs
suddenly jerked back, signaling a
head and browns that gobble them like when the water is cold and best troll- strike. Line peeled off the drag as I
candy. Thats when I decided to fol- ing speed is 1.5 mph. From my boat
held the bent double Ugly Stix rod.
low in Marks footsteps and field test a trolling speed between 1.9 and 2.2
At first I thought it was another angry
the attractive new Flatfish lure lookmade the lure dance like a minnow in king salmon slamming the lure but
alike. My results were impressive
distress and produced savage strikes.
the fish stopped ripping line off the
and my first opportunity to use them
I just want to tell you this lure will
reel, dove toward bottom and offered
produced kings, Coho and beautiful
increase your hook-ups and hook-toa slugfest characteristic of a big lake
brown trout.
land ratio because fish slam the unique trout or maybe a dandy brown. The
Well, I have to be honest with
action produced by this lure.
battle lasted several minutes when the
you. I sort of cheated. Rather than
These babies come rigged with
fat brown finally surfaced near the
thumbing through a product catalog
and ordering on-line I contacted Romanack and asked if he would be kind
enough to select his most productive
colors and ship his hottest lures to me
for testing. A couple days later I was
excited to open the box and see lures
with trout and salmon attracting colors
of metallic silver, gold, fluorescent
red, UV green and more, much more.
When I trolled them in Lake Michigan
the results were impressive. Heres
why.
Let me say that I caught my first
adult Coho in Lake Michigan in 1968
using a U-20 Flatfish. The big salmon
was a monster by todays standards
and pushed the scales to 16.8 pounds.
Ive had a long history of catching fish
on the high action wiggling plug. But
the Mag Lip is different. The action is
unique, distinctive and it dives extradeep while yielding an erratic, dartMag Lip come in a variety of fish attracting colors (left to right): Metallic Gold
ing skip-beat action that drives fish
crazy. I found it out-produces spoons, Flame, NFL, Grinch, Double Trouble, MAD, Blue Pirate.
High action trolling plugs

for
POW! The 20-pound king salmon slammed the plug and when he felt the hook
he went skyward like a Polaris missile gone berserk...By Kenny Darwin
68
ith a resounding splash

the behemoth smacked
the calm Lake Michigan
surface and ripped line
from the Daiwa line
counter reel like he was
headed for Milwaukee. The board
was completely submerged while I
cleared lines and coaxed the hefty
fish toward the boat. Soon the silvery
prize tired, turned and swam directly
at me as I frantically reeled to take
up slack line. The sun was high and
the water gin clear as I removed the
board when I noticed a huge silvery
prize swimming past the boat just a
few feet under the surface. My heart
skipped a beat at the size of the big
fish I originally thought was a monster
brown trout but I could see the huge
gaping jaw and black lips characteristic of a king.
A short tug of war ended when the
pig-shaped silver bullet came to net. I
was smiling ear to ear at the sight of
the dandy fish. What really made me
excited was catching a trophy fish using a new trolling lure. As I unhooked
the fish my mind drifted back to a
conversation with Mark Romanack,
long-time Michigan Outdoor Writer
and producer of the TV series, FISHING 411, who explained, Ive been
trolling with a new crankbait from
Yakima Bait called a Mag Lip and the
results have been impressive for Great
boat and revealed sides covered with

big beautiful dots the size of a nickel.
Great Lakes brown trout are extremely beautiful fish and the distinct
large dots on their silver sides make
them easy to identify and they are
extremely attractive. It wasnt long
and I netted a big brown to go along
with morel mushrooms saved for the
sacred meal. By days end several
browns pounded the lure when trolled
in the main channel of the river outlet
leading to Lake Michigan and some
came in the skinny water near the
light house at the end of the pier. My
test results proved beyond a doubt
Mag Lip lures simply catch fish.
One look at them and you will
like the attractive colors. Keep in
mind these lures are custom designed
for big water trout/salmon fishing and
come in 40 attractive colors. Ive got
to be straight with you, my number
one color that produced 80% of the
strikes was Metallic Gold Flame with
white stripe down the belly. This lure
also has custom painted red gills and
trout or salmon lurking below come
kissin close for a better look and end
up smashing the enticing lure with an
erratic wiggle. My second best color
is called NFL and features metallic
silver body with a red herringbone
design on sides. Third best color
was Grinch, and then came Double
Trouble and Metallic Perch. If your
goal is to catch steelies try the Fluo-
rescent Red Black Tiger or Metallic

Red colors. But the Metallic Gold
Flame has caught 12 pound browns,
20 pound kings and a boatload full of
lake trout and Coho. It is by far my
favorite. You better buy more than
just one. Heres why.
I was trolling Lake Michigan
with my long-time fishin pal Eric
Conner, better known as Sammy
from Ionia. We put a couple nice
browns in the boat and just as we
were leaving for lunch the farthest
board jerked back and we were into
a big fish. The monster stripped line
off the reel and zipped right, then
left and tangled with a lure on the
inside board. Sammy fought the fish
as I cleared lines, removed lures and
eventually got the in-line board off
the line as Sammy reeled the big fish
to the surface. Much to our surprise
it was a huge brown trout complete
with beautiful spots, large gaping
maw and large beer belly. I cleared
the deck in preparation of netting the
trophy as Sammy announced he was
going to trim tangled extra mono line
with scissors. Thats when I heard
him cuss and I looked up just in time
to see the monster brown trout turn
away from the boat wiggle back to
life and dive for the depths with my
hot metallic gold lure dangling from
its jaw. As a final touch the trophy
brown waved its wide tail at us and
swished surface water as if to say
Use a 6-8 foot fluorocarbon leader

when trolling. I also use Mag Lip
off 1 pound lead balls rigged with
Church snapweight clips to take the
lure deep. Place the lure about 50
foot back, which gets it away from
boat shadow and engine disturbance
and allows the lure to dive about 10
foot below the ball. This tactic is
also deadly off downriggers. I use
coastlock swivels to eliminate any
line twist.
Mag Lip is available in several
sizes and I like the 3.5 size for most
trolling situations. The 4.5 dives
deeper than the 3.5 and offers a larger
profile attracting kings and lake trout
from long distances. My favorite 4.5
size comes in a fish-catching color
called Pay Day which is metallic
chartreuse belly with metallic orange
back and red slashes on sides. For
some strange reason male kings gulp
this color.
If you are looking for a hot new
deep diving rattle plug that trout and
salmon attack with a vengence, take a
peek at the Yakima Mag Lip. Guess
I agree with fellow outdoor journalist Mark Romanack that fish gobble
them like candy. Try them and you
will see.n
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Author proudly lifts 20 lb. king that was his first fish caught on the Mag Lip
lure. He believes trout and salmon smash this lure because it has an erratic
skip-beat action causing predator fish to savagely strike the lure similar to how
a cat pounces on a ball with string.
see ya as it drifted into the deep

blue. The moral to the story is put
more than just one of these fish catching lures in case your buddy cuts the
line.
The great thing about the Mag
Lip is steelhead go bonkers for them.
Stream fishermen love pulling them
behind drift boats but I like trolling
them near the surface of Lake Michigan and slam those steelies hugging
surface in search of an easy meal.
For this tactic locate surface temperature breaks or pockets of cold water
far from shore and use in line planer
boards to take lures far to the side of
the boat and set lures about 50 foot
back to get them 11 foot down. Steelies love lures colored red or orange
and the Fluorescent Red Black Tiger
is my top producer, although my last
trip out from Pentwater the hot color
was Mother of Pearl with black lip.
The high-action produced by Mag
Lip at slow and fast speeds produces
violent strikes from trout and salmon.
In early spring when water temperatures are in the low 40s Mag Lip can
be trolled 1.5 mph. As lake water
temperatures rise and fish go deep
use these high-action lures behind
Blood Run super copper or lead core.
69
Hot Topics, My Thoughts, My Views...
Need to Modernize Pittman-Robertson Act

ATA to spearhead coalition to improve states abilities to prioritize recruitment efforts...
he Archery Trade Association

(ATA) is working with 36
other hunting and conservation organizations to update
the way state wildlife agencies can use federal funding,
a move that would strengthen recruitment efforts in archery and bowhunting.
The vehicle for those changes is
the Pittman-Robertson Modernization Act H.R. 4818 in the House
and S. 2690 in the Senate which
would change how conservation dollars generated by federal excise taxes
(FET) can be used by state wildlife
agencies. Pittman-Robertson taxes
are collected in part through sales of
archery equipment.
State wildlife agencies currently are restricted on how they use
Pittman-Robertson funds for hunter
recruitment. With the exception of
some hunter-education activities and
other minor recruitment efforts approved in 2000, the laws guidelines
havent changed since its enactment
in 1937.
These revisions to the PittmanRobertson Act (as proposed in H.R.
4818 and S. 2690) wouldnt change
how FET are charged or collected,
said Jay McAninch, ATA president/
CEO. They would simply give state
wildlife agencies the option of using
Pittman-Robertson funds for recruitment, an area desperately needing
financial support.
Many in our industry are feeling
the recent downturn in hunting participation, and theyre very concerned
about its impact on bowhunting,
McAninch said. This legislation
is a major step in reversing those
declines. Every individual in every
one of our companies needs to send
a personal email to their senators and
congressional representatives, and
follow up with a call to their offices
to ask if they will co-sponsor these
bills.
McAninch emphasized this urgent
need for action by ATA members.
Many of our industry members have
never engaged in the political process, but with the industry in a downturn, now is the time to ask for help,
he said. If not now, then when will
we take action to build a better future
for archery and bowhunting?
Our industry; all 50 state wildlife
agencies; and all shooting, hunting and conservation organizations
recognize the need to aggressively
recruit, retain and re-engage hunters
and recreational shooters, McAninch
continued.
He said this change to the Pittman-Robertson Act would allow state
wildlife agencies to use their primary
funding source FET paid by the
archery industry to recruit and train
the next generation of archers and
bowhunters. In addition, the agencies
All 50 state
wildlife agencies; and all
shooting,
hunting and
conservation
organizations
recognize
the need
to aggressively recruit,
retain and
re-engage
hunters and
recreational
shooters.
could continue working to manage,

protect and conserve the nations
wildlife resources.
The ATA, which focuses in part
on legislative efforts to help the
archery and bowhunting industry,
strongly urges all of its members to
contact their representatives in the
U.S. House of Representatives and
the U.S. Senate to request they support H.R. 4818 and S. 2690.
The success of this legislation
has the potential to give a big boost
to recruitment efforts for archery and
bowhunting, McAninch said.
How can you help? Go to the Archery Trade Associations website
https://www.archerytrade.org/ where
My Thoughts, My Views...
you can find a sample letter along

with reference for you U.S. representative and U.S. Senator.
The Archery Trade Association is
the organization for manufacturers,
retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the
archery and bowhunting industry.
The ATA has served its members
since 1953. It is dedicated to making
the industry profitable by decreasing
business overhead, reducing taxes
and government regulation, and
increasing participation in archery
and bowhunting. The organization
also owns and operates the ATA Trade
Show, the archery and bowhunting
industrys largest and longest-running
trade show worldwide.n
Moose not endangered
E
70
fforts by The Center for Biological Diversity and Honor

the Earth to have moose in
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North
Dakota listed as
threatened or endangered
as a distinct subspecies is a
farce and its a shame that
the US Fish & Wildlife
Service and state wildlife
agencies in each of the affected states have to spend
the time and money
to address the issue.
A dose of common
sense rather than a position as a state
or federal wildlife biologist is all it
takes to realize the moose in those
states are all part of the Canada species of moose rather than a distinct
subspecies and that they are in no
way threatened or endangered by

climate change.
The moose in all of those states
either originated from or are genetically linked to moose in Ontario. Manitoba or Saskatchewan. Canada moose are the
species found throughout
those provinces and most
of the rest of Canada. That
species of moose is not
threatened or endangered in
that country nor are those in
the United States by
some mysterious set
of circumstances.
The greatest threat to moose populations in Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota is gray wolves, a species
of predator currently listed on the
By Richard P. Smith
Moose not endangered page 72
My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...
The Sagebrush Rebellion:
Michigans latest invasive species?
he insurgents who staged the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge last winter might have unwittingly
performed a public service by alerting
America to what U.S. Senator Martin
Heinrich, D-NM, calls the number one
problem we face right now. Hes referring to the
long-festering movement to have federal lands in
the West turned over to the states. And the movement or at least philosophy behind it has come
to Michigan.
In a January 2016 article in The High Country
News, Senior Editor Jonathan Thompson writes
that the United States is currently involved in the
third iteration of the Sagebrush Rebellion. The
first began in the mid-1970s in reaction to several
of the environmental laws established during the
Carter administration, and was mostly waged in
state legislatures in the West where a number of
bills were considered demanding the transfer of
Has the movement to force the federal government to sell public lands in the West gained a foothold with
federal lands to the states.
politicians in Michigan? Tailfeather Communications, LLC photo
The rebellion cooled down with the 1980
election of Ronald Reagan as president and his ap- often benefit the corporations bottom line at public site, Ninety-five state and locally elected officials
pointment of property-rights advocate James Watt
joined a variety of experts from 14 states to
expense.
as Secretary of Interior. By then, the American
draft and ratify a statement calling for land currentParticipating legislators then bring those
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) had
proposals home and introduce them in state- ly held by the federal government to be transferred
been operating for about eight years.
to the states.
houses across the land as their own brilliant
According to its website (www.alec.org)
Michigan citizens are feeling the effects of
ideas and important public policy innovaALEC is dedicated to the principles of limsimilar movements. In 2015, Michigans DNR
tions.
ited government, free markets and federalSeriously. Thats how it happens. Repre- engaged in what The Detroit Free Press called the
ism. ALEC provides a forum for experts
largest single public land sale in history. In exsentatives are handed their packets and off
to discuss business and economic issues
change for $4.53 million the State of Michigan sold
they go. On the ALEC website, check out
facing the states. The ALEC model
the Graymont mining company of Canada surface
model legislation like the Disposal
policy library is home to dynamic
land and underground mineral rights to over 8,000
and Taxation of Public Lands Act
and innovative ideas.
acres near Rexton in the Upper Peninsula.
that was approved in January 2012.
Of those model policies,
That was no surprise to some people.
You will see where the legislators
ALEC Exposed (www.alecexposed.org) explains,
States all across the country sell their lands
are literally told to (insert state) at various spots.
corporate lobbyists and state legislators vote as
In April 2014 at the Legislative Summit on the when they no longer can turn a profit from the
equals on model bills to change our rights that
highest best use, says Land Tawney, President and
Transfer of Public Lands, says the ALEC webCEO of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA).
Michigan is seeing more of the same with the
proposed Senate bills 39 and 40. Proposed Legislation SB 39 includes a laundry list of requirements
and prohibitions that add layers and layers of complications and obstructions to the DNRs ownership
and management of lands it holds for the people
of Michigan; it also includes wording to make it
easier for businesses to purchase land. For the layman the language of the two bills is pretty compliare a zoo. The animals live there child was?
veryone is up in arms
cated. A look at the groups opposed to the legislaYes! People overheard the child
and that is their life. Its too
and has an opinion on
tion might prove more enlightening: MUCC, BHA
the recent video from the bad such a rare, majestic animal saying he wanted to go in the
of Michigan, Heart of the Lakes, Ruffed Grouse
water. Okay, pretty common for
died.
Cincinnati Zoo where
Society, U.P. Whitetails of Marquette County,
a boy to want that. I am by no
Now animal lovers and
Harambe, a silverback
Straits Area Sportsmens Club, Trout Unlimited,
means justifying the parents
anti-hunting organizations are
gorilla was dragging
Cedar Rod and Gun Club, Michigan Sierra Club,
negligence, but do you think
around a four-year old boy. The outraged and want justice!
Michigan League of Conservation Voters, MichiJustice for a crime? Justice for a they actually thought the boy
gorilla was shot and killed.
gan Environmental Council.
would try to get in? As a parent,
gorilla?
Harambe had been born
The above list comes from the May 13, 2016,
I am constantly near my chilShould there be remorse
and raised in captivity and was
Legislative
Report of the Michigan Association
dren protecting them.
going to be a breeding male for and sadness over having to kill
of Timbermen, one of the groups supporting the
Should the zoo have more
Harambe?
the Cincinnati Zoo. His spebills. Other entities listed in support are the Upsafeguards to prevent a child
Yes, its unfortunate the
cies, Western lowland gorilla are
per Peninsula Sportsmens Association, Oswalds
from getting in with a dangerous
critically endangered with about gorilla had to be killed.
Bear Ranch, Hudson Township Supervisor, Lakes
animal? Yes, without a doubt
But people screaming for
765 in captivity and 175,000 in
States Lumber Association, Michigan Association
there is problem. There should
justice?
the wild.
of Timbermen, the Great Lakes Timber Producers
Should the parents have
Zoos are great places to take
been more aware of where their
your families and kids but they
A trip to the zoo page 73
By Tom Carney
A trip to the Zoo...By Lane Walker
Michigans latest invasive species page 73
71
Hot Topics, My Thoughts, My Views...Continued
Bring back our pheasant

release program!
Dear Woods-N-Water News Readers:
A cow moose with a concentration of winter ticks on its rump. These ticks often cause
hair loss and can weaken or kill moose in severe cases. Richard P. Smith photos
Moose not endangered:

endangered species list that does not
belong there.
In fact, the presence of gray
wolves from the Great Lakes Region
on the endangered species list makes
the list itself and the ways that species can be put on that list a joke. It
seems as though representatives for
The Center for Biological Diversity
and Honor the Earth figure theres
at least one species on the list that
doesnt belong there, why not add another. Actually, those folks probably
do believe that Great Lakes wolves
do belong on the list, and they are
obviously making a serious effort to
get Canada moose listed under the
guise those in the states are a separate
subspecies.
The best way to improve the
future outlook for moose in the Great
Lakes Region is to delist wolves, so
they can be managed by the indi-
from page 70
vidual states like they should be. By

controlling the number of wolves
through hunting and trapping, there
will be fewer wolves to kill moose.
A reduction of moose mortality will
allow their populations to increase.
Like I said, all it takes is common
sense to figure out how to help
moose.
A simple comparison between the
moose population on Isle Royale and
the Michigan and Minnesota mainland clearly shows how much of an
impact wolves are having. With only
two wolves left on Isle Royale, predation on moose there is not an issue,
so the island population is booming.
The official estimate of moose on
the island during the spring of 2016
is 1,300, but due to a shorter study
season on the island last winter and
limited flights to survey the moose
population, researchers feel the herd
Response to Richard P. Smith article
Dear Woods-N-Water News:
72
Richard, you are digging yourself a hole with your articles, bashing the U.P.
deer rules. In any wildlife population, you dont kill more to get more. Thats
why we have size limits and bag limits. If a population is declining, you dont put
more pressure on the most vulnerable member, (yearling bucks). The idea of killing more deer in the U.P. because they might not make it thru the winter is crazy.
We are far from being overpopulated with deer in the U.P.
These articles do nothing but divide people when we all should be working
together for the resource. As a writer, you could be leading the charge for habitat
improvements and predator management. Wolves are recent added predator, killing and stressing our deer. They havent been a factor for over 100 years. Its not
just the deer they kill directly. But, by regularly jumping and stressing the entire
herd in the wintering yards, the deer burn up their fat reserves sooner and either
need more food to survive, or die quicker.
You are a good writer, but with this twisted logic, you lose credibility with me.
We need help getting wolves delisted, other predators managed, and our deer fat
going into the winter, food and cover in the yards, and early green up foods when
they come out of the yards. Why not do something useful with your writing
skills?
George Lindquist
Negaunee, MI
Do you want to bring Michigan pheasant hunters back to the fields?

Let's start a release program like other states!
Let's look at the facts!
Wisconsin is building a $1.5 million hatchery releasing 200,000
pheasants for their
pheasant hunters.
They hatch out the
chicks and raised
them in prison facilities to keep the
costs down. This is
funded through the
state and through
a $10 pheasant
stamp.
Pennsylvania
has four game
farms releasing
approximately
230,000 pheasants,
generating $30-40
million in revenue for the economy. This is funded by the revenue they
receive from hunting license sales.
South Dakota releases tens of thousands of pen raised pheasants each
season, making millions of dollars from out-of-state hunters.
Nebraska also has a pheasant release program
Why can't Michigan do this? Think of the revenue that we could raise.
Currently, we have no pheasant hunters because we have no pheasants!
If you want to get involved, contact Ken Dalton at 810-358-9372. Tell all
your hunting buddies.
Go to my facebook page, like and share with all your friends, if you
want to make a change. We are planning a town hall meeting; we will
keep you posted on the date and time! Hope to see you in the fields soon!
Thank you...Ken Dalton

has more animals than that. Once
calves are born, there could easily be
2,000 moose on the island.
Meanwhile, moose are declining
on the mainland where wolves are
abundant. The DNR estimated there
were a minimum of 618 wolves in
the UP of Michigan last winter after
surveying 63% of the region. Since
wolves are distributed throughout the
region, there could easily be 1,000
of the predators present. Wisconsins
wolf population is a little higher than
Michigans, but Minnesotas wolf
population is much higher, numbering in the thousands.
With deer numbers reduced
across prime wolf range due to
severe winters in those states, moose
are a perfect alternative prey. Even
before those severe winters, Minnesota was studying moose survival and
wolves were taking a high percentage of calves as well as some adults.
It doesnt take a genius to figure out
wolf predation in Michigan and Wisconsin is having similar impacts. The
biannual survey flights by the Michigan DNR to estimate moose numbers
in the UP has shown a decline in the
number of calves per cow.
Parasites such as brainworm,
winter ticks and liver flukes do
contribute to some moose mortality as do road kills, but all of those
causes existed before wolves were so
abundant and Michigan moose num-
bers were increasing, not decreasing.

An increase of wolves has reversed
that trend. If climate change were an
important factor in limiting moose
numbers, it would impact moose on
Isle Royale as well as the mainland
and that does not appear to be the
case.
Now lets get back to the fact
moose in the Great Lakes Region
are the Canada species rather than
a distinct subspecies. Historical records show that moose from Ontario
colonized Isle Royale years ago. All
of the moose on the UP mainland
also came from Ontario. The nucleus
of the herd in the western UP were
trucked in from Algonquin Provincial
Park in 1985 and 1987. Some of the
moose from those releases ended up
in the eastern UP and others crossed
the St. Marys River from Ontario.
Minnesota and North Dakota
both share many miles of border with
Canada, making movement of moose
into those states from Canada a sure
thing. Wisconsins small moose herd
originated from either the UP or Minnesota, all of which are the Canada
species of moose. Common sense
goes a long way in understanding
why moose dont belong on the
federal threatened or endangered
species list. Lets hope the people
responsible for making the decision
use some.n
My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...Continued

Michigans latest invasive species: from page 71
Association and the Michigan Forest
Products Council.
These senate bills, as well as the
current efforts to allow a privately
owned commercial fish farm at the
former Grayling Fish Hatchery on the

Au Sable River to expand its annual
production of fish and their waste
products by 1,500 percent, seem
influenced by the ALEC philosophy.
A trip to the zoo... from page 71

be no way a child or anyone can get
into an enclosure with an animal that
could be dangerous.
People are asking, Why does an
innocent animal have to die? Isnt
the child even more innocent than an
animal?
The only injustice that would
have happened if that little boy would
have been seriously harmed.
That was prevented; they saved a
childs life.
This is a four-year old boy, a
human life. He has a soul, he has his
entire future ahead of him. Can you
blame a boy for being curious? I
could barely watch as he dragged him
through the moat. The boy was lucky
that he knew enough to keep his head
above the water or I would be writing a different column about the sad
death of a child at the zoo.
Its a shame they had to shoot the
gorilla, but guess what, they had to
period. They couldnt risk tranquilizing the animal. A tranquilizer would
take time to work and could have
startled the beast, it would have only
taken Harambe about a second to
crush and kill the four-old boy.
I think there is a bigger issue at
hand.
How do we value human
life?
Do we value animals in the same
regard as human life? I had a conversation with my daughters the other
day about the difference between
humans and animals. I have had
many conversations with anti-hunters
that think I am a barbaric caveman
because I hunt.
Animals can problem solve and
learn, but they dont have the same

emotions as humans. They are soulless, they eat, sleep and reproduce,
they function the way God designed
them. Our family has a chocolate
Lab, we love him. He is a part of our
family. He loves to swim and retrieve
all sorts of things. But at the end of
the day he is still a dog. He thinks
like a dog, he reasons like a dog,
because he is a dog.
Heres another big difference, our
dog is a pet.
I have debated with antis for years
that try to claim deer can be trained,
tamed and should be looked at like
we look at pets. I have been asked
before, why would you want to hunt
a deer?
Because I love it, they are wild
animals and taste great. They are not
pets, I would never support anyone
hurting or neglecting a pet. But legal,
ethical hunting isnt even in the same
category. The animals we hunt, the
animals we have seasons and bag limits on are managed by the Department
of Natural Resources because they
are wild animals.
Animals in zoos, arent pets, they
are still wild animals.
Its too bad Harambe had to be
shot, but thank God the zoo staff
made a stressful, quick second decision that saved a little boy. Hopefully
this serves as a wake up call to parents and zoos, to safeguard any future
incidents.
Lets learn and work together
so no one has to ever make that
choice again. But if they do, the right
choice was made and would be made
again.n
Nevertheless, Tim Brass, State Policy

Manager for BHA says, I don't think
there's an easy way for us to figure
out what role they played in SBs
39 and 40. The lack of any specific
ties to ALEC in the Michigan bills
doesnt mean, however, that the coast
is clear. The effort is underway to
help a chief precept of the Sagebrush
Rebellion take root in the Great Lakes
State.
Brass continues, The land
grabbers have been unsuccessful
in pushing their anti-public lands
message in the West and so they're
now trying to ram anti-public land
legislation through in the East. He
notes that ALEC-driven legislation to
transfer federal lands to states is currently meandering through the
legislatures of Missouri and Ohio.
The governor of Tennessee signed
such legislation in January 2016. He
has written, Sportsmen across the
nation are now calling it what it is:
a smokescreen for privatization of
the lands and waters we all currently
own,
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, headquartered in Missoula,
Montana, focuses on three primary issues: Access and Opportunity, Public
Lands and Waters, and Fair Chase.
Its done most of its work in the West,
fighting to Keep Public Lands in
Public Hands.
Says Brass, BHA is committed
to defending public hunting and fishing access, regardless of who owns
and manages that pubic access. We
are committed to defending public
ownership of state and federal lands.
Over the past few years we have been
working directly with our chapters
to help stop an increasing number
of mainly unsuccessful state-based
legislative attempts aimed at privatizing state and federal lands. SB 39 and
40 is just the latest iteration of this
growing attack on our public land and
public access that sportsmen depend
on.
The Michigan chapter of BHA
formed in April 2016 and hit the
ground running by addressing the sale
of state public lands, says Tawney.
There is an overwhelming desire in
Michigan to conserve public lands
and the backcountry.
At press time, SB 39 and 40 had
not come up for a vote in committee. If they pass there, though, Jason
Meekhof, President of BHAs Michigan chapter says, Hopefully with our
and many other conservation groups
opposition, legislators will refuse to
take it up.
And after that?
Has the weed already established
itself in Michigan?n
Semi-guided Whitetail ARCHERY hunts still

available this fall on FREE RANGE 400 acre farm
in northern Michigan.
NEW! Seasonal ATV, FISHING,

and HIKING Packages available!
MENOMINEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
UPPER PENINSULA
Sandra, General Manager 313-410-2204 Perry, Outfitter 906-241-9653

www.whitetaildeerhuntinglodge.com
Visit our booth at the

30th Annual Woods-N-Water
Outdoor Weekend
Manage Your Land
Hunt Your Land
Harvest Your Land
Contact Scott for land consultations at 734-717-1862
Trophy BOW HUNTERS Wanted!
73
When your fishing buddies grow up
Empty boat syndrome hit this parent hard
Dear Fish Diary:
une marks the beginning of

a new era for many of us. By
now many of you have had
a month to reflect back over
the transformation of a former
fishing buddy. That
transformation from youth to
adult. That time when fishing
with you suddenly becomes
their choice, not yours. That
time when you hope to hear
those words, hey, Id like to
go fishing with you.
Such is the case for me. I
dont know if empty nest
describes the feeling
a parent gets when
their children graduate and decide to
move on with their lives away from
home. For me, its more like a constant withdrawal and reminder how
fast time flies. And its not empty nest,
its empty boat.
You hope that by the time they
reach adulthood you can make up
for lost time. By that I mean, if your
children were in any sort of sports or
school activity, fishing and trips became few and far between. For me it
was six years of baseball which pretty
much went from March through July,
followed by football that started the
first week of August and went through
November. So from March to November well, you can see there wasnt
much time to fish.
Throw in the fact that by my sons
senior year he now had a job and
would have to take time off to go on a
fishing or camping trip. For a kid with
a new job, taking time off is difficult.
I was young once and Id have to ask
myself, would I rather take time off to
hang with parents or with my friends
or girlfriend Duh.
Still, with all the warning signs
present as they change from that innocent child to having lives of their
own, the shock factor when the day
finally comes is still very impactful.
Im not even going to pretend that
June wasnt an emotional rollercoaster
of a month for me. The photos of him
catching his first fish, catching his first
legal muskie, or sitting in the boat netting flying carp as part of our record
holding team at the Redneck Fishing
Derby in Bath, Illinois havent even
faded on the wall. And yet, off he goes
with college aspirations. In a heartbeat
he went from wanting to wear my
oversize hat to a graduation cap. In
the blink of an eye he went from wiggling around in the boat and playing
with the bait to me having empty boat
syndrome.
That time lost to sports wasnt ex-
actly time lost, it was mostly time lost

on the water. But to me, its that time
on the water where the actual bonding
occurs. I have a no cell phone policy
on my boat. My philosophy while
out on the water is that the rest of
the world can wait. Its a philosophy
that was heavily argued and
contested by my daughter.
So much so I had to make
our weeklong adventures to
places that didnt have any
cell phone service. Which of
course made me an evil dad
at the time. Those adventures
lead to the creation of my
international award winning
childrens books
where both of my
kids were instrumental in helping me
create the unbelievable photographs
that adore each page. Why? They simply couldnt be on their phones and
because of that we created magic like
nobody else had done. Now we have
conversation pieces that will last more
than just our lifetimes.
Its funny how the cycle of life
turns around. Our kids go through
a period of their lives begging for
our attention and now we find ourselves begging for theirs. How wed
ditch our parents to hang out with
our friends and now wed ditch our
friends to hang out with our kids.
Because hopefully weve made that
transformation from being parents to
our children to just being friends with
our children because we finally came
to the realization they arent going to
listen to our words of advice and wisdom anyway. And theyve come to the
realization we can no longer put them
in timeouts and take their toys away
or ground them.
Bittersweet I think is the term
best used when describing watching
your children walk across the stage
and get that very important piece of
paper. The hardest job on the planet is
being a parent. And its not a hard job
because just raising a child is difficult.
Its hard because we have an invested
paternal instinct involved and the job
of raising a child is both physical as
well as emotional.
I fished with my godfather until he
physically could no longer fish. Even
after he lost all his ability to move
himself all he wanted to do is talk
about fishing. There came a point I
felt guilty going fishing without him
and then telling him about a recent
fishing outing. To this day I carry his
favorite fishing rod with me every
time I go out on the water. I dont use
it, but its always there. Ironically, the
photos of he and I fishing together
have faded slightly but the memories
By Ron St. Germain
74
From celebrating catching that first fish to celebrating a graduation, the photos
will have barely faded on the wall in that quick time span. Ron St. Germain photo
are still very vibrant.
I can only hope my son shares the
same smiling memories of his time
fishing with me before the photos of
him and I fade. But what I really hope
is that he will decide to create even
more of those memories with me well
into his adult life. My daughter? Well,
until I back off of my no cell phone
policy on the boat she will continue
to boycott the fishing adventures.
Shes fine just coming for a visit, not
to mention shes a mom now. In the
blink of an eye though a light bulb is
going to go off in her head as to why
I made such a big deal about putting
the cell phones down. Because the rest
of the world can wait. When you see
how fast your kids grow up, people
can wait a couple hours for me to
return a call or a text.
I still hear my godfathers words
echoing in my head when I was being
antsy in the boat. Git to fishin son
quit foolin around. I think I should
take his advice and git to fishing.
Now when I head to the water Ill
have three unused fishing rods with
me, two that I hope will be used
again, but it will be their choice now.
Because I have to tell you, empty
boat syndrome isnt all its cracked

up to be and Id still ditch my fishing
friends to go fishing with my kids.
Well see down the road if theyll
make that same choice. I hope they
make that choice and we continue to
make more fishing memories because
I suddenly have plenty of room in my
boat. Having a good relationship with
your children as they become adults is
the best a parent can hope for outside
of the obvious.
Funny fish stories wanted:
Send a short description of your
best or worst fishing day, or worst
fishing-related adventure to me. You
dont have to write the entire story,
just a brief outline of what happened.
If it has some humor to it Ill be getting in touch with you and well work
on the completed story together. Fishing isnt always fun you know.
Have a fun or interesting fishing
related story? Woods-n-Water News
columnist Ron St. Germain can be
reached by calling (517) 626-2814,
e-mailing DaPhotoDude@aol.com.
Visit the authors online photo gallery
at DaPhotoDude.com.n
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75
Readers Choice Trail Cam Contest
Visit our website (www.woods-n-waternews.com) to vote for your favorite trail cam photo each
month. The photo with the most votes will receive a Woods-N-Water News mock Cover featuring
their photo. Once we have twelve monthly winners from our website, well ask you to choose the
Grand Prize winner which will get a new Stealth Cam.
Send your photos to: wnw@pageone-inc.com (please submit in jpeg format)
www.woods-n-waternews.com
Last months issue featured Kraig Staples trail cam that

captured 3 predators; fox, coyote, bear...now you can add
bobcat. Kraig also caught this raven in flight (rt). All from
the same trail camera!
A pair of sparring does was caught on a trail camera on

the Walton Farms in Lapeer County by Gary Walton.
This trail cam photo from Jimmy Topps was taken

in an area in Hillsdale Co. of six deer feeding.
Jeff Eiblings trail cam caught a

close-up of this young buck.
Roger Owens sent us this trail cam

photo of a fox after a raccoon!
76
Russ Videan had this big

black bear come in and
use a tree near his trail
cam as a back scratcher.
Guest Column By Jo Ann Small-Paw, Paw
Deer Hunting 2015 - How I was successful; get up late and sit for 30 minutes!
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t was opening day and

I was awakened by my
phone dinging. It was a
text from my husband at
6:02 a.m. asking if I was
up and in my blind yet.
Oops, I had overslept. I didnt
even heard him and my stepson
get up and head out to their
spots. I wasnt feeling all that
great and I wasnt even sure I
would go out. It was cold and
damp and I really didnt feel
like getting up.
I texted my husband back,
Im up but not out to my blind
yet. Is it too late? I was hoping he would say yes because
I really didnt feel that good.
Maybe he would say it was too
late and if I came out now I
would ruin it for them.
He texted back, No, get
out there and let me know
when youre in your spot.
So, I hurriedly got dressed,
grabbed my gun and headed
out. You can see my blind
from the kitchen window. I
didnt have all that far to go
and was in the blind by 6:32
a.m. and texted my husband.
Jo Ann Small of Paw, Paw took this dandy eight-point
I thinkI sort of dozed
buck last deer season after a 30 minute hunt!
off for a few minutes, mustve
been the effects of the mediin the family who didnt get a deer in
cine, I picked my head up and looked 2015 was...my husband.
So, I say; get up late, sit for half
out and there standing in front of me
was a pretty good sized buck. I slowly an hour, get your deer for the season
got my gun in position and took care- and be done. Stop wasting a bunch of
ful aim and squeeze the trigger. At the time. Thats how you do it!n
shot the deer took off but he didnt go
too far. I could hear him fall.
At 7:02 a.m. I got a text, Was that
you?
I texted, Yes!
Then I got bombarded with texts.
MOBILE
SERVICE:
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SERVICE:
What is it? Can you see it? Is it
WECOME
COME
YOU
WE
TOTO
YOU
down? Where did he run to? Are
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6 P.M.- 6 P.M.
you sure you hit it?
SAT.
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CLOSED
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8
A.M.
3
P.M.
CLOSED
SUNDAY
I know if my husband or stepson
had shot they would be down looking
for it, but they insisted I just stay put
for a few hours until they came to get
me. If I got down I would spook all
the other deer. Really?
As we started looking there wasnt
much blood. It was difficult to start
finding the trail. I suggested just walkKeystone
COUGAR
20112011
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2003 Colorado
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ing over to where I heard him fall, but
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living, 22Slides,
1 Owner!
no, thats not how you track a deer. If
$9,900
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I had hit it good there would be a nice
blood trail.
Needless to say, I had shot a beautiful 8-point. It didnt run far at all.
It was right where I thought it was!
And to make matters worse for my
husband, the next day my stepson shot
a deer. Another 8 point that weighed
eight pounds more than mine. And
over Christmas break, my stepdaughter got a deer with her car. When hunting season was over, the only person
77
Spor ting Collectibles...
Readers questions and answers
am asked quite a few questions

each year. Some are emailed to
me with photos and some I am
asked when I set up my fishing
collection at different
sport shows around
Michigan. Here are my answers to three questions that
I believe my readers will find
interesting.
I found this casting reel
in my grandfathers
tackle box, which was
passed on to me several years ago. It is a
Sportsman 1721 reel
and is packed in a
can. I have never seen a reel that came
in a can before. The reel was made
by the Kalamazoo Tackle Company.
What can you tell me about the reel?
P.S. - My grandfather, who loved
to fish, was born in Kalamazoo and
lived there his entire life.
Ed W. Portage
99.9% of all bait casting reels
came packaged in cardboard
boxes. Very few of them came
packed in cans with screw off lids, so
your grandfathers reel is relatively
rare. The reel was made by the Kalamazoo Tackle Company, which was
a small division of the Shakespeare
Company, one of the major tackle
companies of that era.
In 1889, at the age of 20, William
Shakespeare Jr. formed a partnership
in Kalamazoo, Michigan with Garrett
W. Low, and began producing camera
shutters, a highly technical mechanism. He later developed a design
for a level wind casting reel and was
awarded patent #591086 on October
5, 1897 for his invention. He and thir-
teen employees were soon producing

the Style C Shakespeare reel on the
third floor of the storage building that
previously had housed the Hanselman
Candy Company. Soon he
expanded into other reels,
bamboo and lancewood fishing rods, fishing line and a
few important fishing lures
including the Shakespeare
Revolution and the Evolution
hard rubber artificial minnow.
In October
1905, Shakespeare
purchased the
Kalamazoo Fishing
Tackle Manufacturers company from
Jay Rhodes. The acquisition covered
the rights to the Rhodes lure patents,
the Rhodes name, and The Kalamazoo Fishing Tackle Manufacturers
name. The key lures that he acquired
were the Rhodes Mechanical Frog,
Jay Rhodes underwater minnow, and
Fred Rhodes Perfect Casting Minnow. (Fred was Jays nephew who had
developed his own underwater minnow with several key improvements
over his uncles design.) Within two
years, Shakespeare stopped advertising the Rhodes lures separately and
moved the lures into regular Shakespeare advertising.
The Kalamazoo Tackle Company
name remained dormant until 1935
when Shakespeare decided to develop
a second line of bait casting reels and
fly reels that could be sold in markets
where there was strong retail competitors selling tackle. Shakespeare was
quite often selling to the more dominant sporting goods store or chain,
but they also wanted to sell reels to
The Kalamazoo Tackle

Companys #1721 Spor tsman bait casting reel came
packaged in a can with a
screw-off lid. Author photo
By Terry McBurney
the other sport store. To do this, they

developed a line of low to medium
priced reels under the Kalamazoo
Tackle Company brand name, which
they hoped to sell to the secondary
retailer.
Almost all Kalamazoo Tackle
Company reels came packaged in
black and silver cardboard boxes, but
someone came up with the idea of
packaging a few models in cans to try
something unique to help sell more
reels at retail. This most likely was
in the late 1930s, though the exact
date is uncertain because no Kalamazoo Tackle Company catalogs have
surfaced to my knowledge, and the
Kalamazoo Tackle reels were not engraved with a date code as compared
to the Shakespeare reels that were. I
have documented eleven different
Kalamazoo Tackle Company reels that

came packaged in cans as follows:
1699 Thrifty bait casting reel
1718 Challenger bait casting reel
1700 Utility bait casting reel
1721 Sportsman bait casting reel
1703 Monogram bait casting
reel
1723 Thorobred bait casting reel
1705 Lucky bait casting reel
1724 Alford bait casting reel
1706 American Boy bait casting
reel
1708 Atlas bait casting reel
#35 Cast Pal bait casting reel
with heavy engraving
Casting reels in cans were also sold
to a number of hardware wholesalers
including the George Worthington
Company, J.S. Johnson & Company, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett &
78 Two remarkable examples of the 2 -inch Jacobs Hoss Fly wood lure that was made in Vicksburg, Michigan during the early 1930s. Photos courtesy of Lawrence Kavlock/Langs Auctions, Inc.
I found this old lure in a metal

tackle box that I found at a flea
market north of here. I paid $2
for it. It looks like it was handmade
and a piece of folk art.
Phil Van D. Rockford
Your lure is a great find. It was
produced in Vicksburg, Michigan by Edward Lee Jacobs and
is called the Jacobs Hoss Fly. This
remarkable 2 -inch wood lure with
black beady eyes featured a moveable
metal collar to which fragile wings
were attached. As the lure was jerked
through the water the collar would
move and the delicate painted tin
wings would rise and fall simulating
a live winged insect according to the
patent.
Jacobs was born on October 11,
1890 in St. Joseph County, Michigan
to Daniel and Mary Jacobs who were
farmers. The family moved a number of times to small communities
south of Kalamazoo first to Brady
Township, then to Schoolcraft and
eventually to Vicksburg. Lee Jacobs
remained a bachelor during his lifetime and lived with his parents. He
worked as a day laborer, a laborer in
a flour mill, a taxidermist and eventually he opened his own bait shop at
126 South Main Street in Vicksburg
sometime during the 1930s. He later
moved his shop and sold out of his
Silver Street home on the south side
of Vicksburg. He eventually held
three patents for fishing lures, though
he is best known for the Hoss Fly
patent, #1874102, which was granted
on August 30, 1932, and for his Polly
Frog patent, # D133949, which was
issued on September 29, 1942. Jacobs
passed away in September 1968 and
is buried in the Schoolcraft Township
Cemetery in Vicksburg.
The Jacobs Hoss Fly was made
in seven known colors: bug, all black,
all green, gold body with a red head,
white body with a red head, yellow
body with a red head, and yellow
body with a black head. It is ultra
rare because Lee Jacobs did not make
many over the years. The lure was
too fragile one good toss against a
stump or a rock and the wings would
break and come off. Another point to
note is that the Hoss Fly came packed
in an unmarked olive green cardboard
box with a printed insert folded inside. A Hoss fly in very good condition with the wings intact would sell
for $800 to $1000 in todays market
and the price would at least double if
it came with its unmarked box containing the printed insert.
I inherited this green minnow

bucket several years ago from my
great uncle who lived near Higgins Lake. The label says that it is an
Air-Breather and not to submerge
it in water. How old is it and is there
any value?
Ross M. Clare
You have a terrific-looking minnow bucket. It is a Falls City
810 Air Breather minnow bucket
made from tinned steel with a Nile
Green baked enamel finish - a great
color and in nice shape. If you look at
the label you will see a patent number, which is #1843563. The inventor
was Grover F. Knoernschild of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a Prudential Life
Insurance executive, who applied for
a patent on October 19, 1927, which
was granted on February 2, 1932. His
patent covered a container made of
a fibrous or a pulp material that had
been treated to make it both waterproof yet porous so that air would
pass through the walls aerating the
water providing a constant air supply,
thus keeping the minnows lively.
This porous cellulose container
was then placed inside a perforated
metal bucket, which allowed for air
circulation between the metal bucket
and the container. Grover Knoernschilds invention worked so well that
it came to the attention of the Stratton
and Terstegge Hardware Company
of Louisville, Kentucky who apparently purchased the rights from him
even before his patent was applied
for. Stratton and Terstegge was a
large hardware wholesaler who sold
to large and small retailers scattered
across the South, the Midwest and
points beyond.
The company also had their own
metalware manufacturing division,
which among many other metal items
made minnow buckets, bait containers and tackle boxes all under the
Falls City brand name. (Falls
City is the nickname for Louisville
because the city was situated at the
falls of the Ohio River). They claimed
to be the Worlds Largest Manufacturer of Minnow Buckets.
Knoernschilds minnow bucket
was first introduced by the Shakespeare Company, one of Stratton and
Terstegges largest customers, in the
Shakespeare 1927 catalog where it
was the featured minnow bucket.
The ad copy trumpeted it as The
Fountain of Youth for Minnows and
named it the #777 Stay Alive Minnow
Bucket with a capacity of 7-quarts of
water and two to three dozen average
sized minnows. It was renamed the

#7777 two years later in 1930 when
Shakespeare added three more Stay
Alive models designed to carry larger
numbers of minnows for Conservation Departments or commercial fish
hatcheries a 5-gallon tall version, a
5-gallon squat style, and a 10-gallon
model that came with two washtub
styled handles. (Loaded with water
and minnows this 10-gallon version
weighed in at over 100-lbs!) Shakespeare soon added yet another Stay
Alive style, #7776. It came with an
outside welded wire frame instead of
perforated metal bucket and retailed
for $.75 less than the standard Stay
Alive bucket. The last time that
Shakespeare cataloged the Stay Alive
minnow bucket was in 1949 when
they listed the Model #7777 except
that they changed the construction
from galvanized steel to aluminum.
The Shakespeare #7777 Stay
Alive minnow bucket was successful, so Stratton and Terstegge added
it to their lineup in 1932. This was
five years after they made it for
Shakespeare, and apparently after a
5-year exclusive agreement had run
its course. The Falls City version
was named the Air-Breather and
was introduced in tinned steel with
a Nile Green baked enamel finish.
They continued to sell the #810 green
bucket through about 1937 when they
changed the outer bucket to galvanized steel with a red Falls City
stenciled logo and the new galvanized
model number to #810G. They added
the #810A aluminum Air-Breather
in the early 1950s plus several
other variations including the #816G
16-quart round galvanized model,
the #830G 20-quart round galvanized
bucket and the #8910, which was a
10-quart oval galvanized version that
showed up only in the 1935 Shapleigh Hardware catalog.
The tinned steel Falls City AirBreather minnow bucket with a Nile
Green baked enamel finish is rare.
I have only seen three examples in
very good condition in over a dozen
years of collecting minnow buckets.
I would put the value of one in nice
condition at around $100.
I would like to thank John and
Debbie Ganung of Langs Auctions,
Inc. for allowing me to use a photo
of the Jacobs Hoss Fly. I would also
like to thank Lawrence Kavlock,
Vicksburg, Michigan, who knew Lee
Jacobs. He helped me with background information and allowed me
to photograph a remarkable example
of a Hoss Fly from his collection.
Feel free to contact the author
at antiquefishing@comcast.net with
your questions. Good quality photographs are important, so please
send them. They help me with identification and give me an idea of the
condition of the item.n
The Falls City #810 Air Breather

Minnow Bucket was manufactured by
the Stratton and Terstegge Hardware
Company, Louisville, Kentucky star ting
in 1932. Author photos
The Shakespeare #777 Stay Alive

Minnow Bucket was the first minnow
bucket made with the Air Breather
concept. Stratton and Terstegge
gave Shakespeare a 5-year exclusive
contract to sell it star ting in 1927.
The Falls City #810A Aluminum Air

Breather from the early 1950s shows
the perforated bucket, the Cellutite Air
Breather insert and the removable top.
Company, Our Own Hardware, and

Simmons Hardware. I have also seen
a few Kalamazoo Tackle Company
solid fiberglass rods as well as several
models of spin casting reels, so the
concept continued until the mid1950s when the Kalamazoo Tackle
Company name again disappeared.
The reels by themselves have
small value. What collectors are looking for is a reel with its original black
and silver can in very good condition.
Then the value goes up to as much as
$40 to $60.
79
TROPHY PAGES
Ava Ferree of Kingsford with a largemouth bass and smallmouth bass

caught all by herself on Lake Antoine in
Iron Mountain.
Steven Wilkins, 13, shot
his big gobbler he got on
his trail camera (published in the May issue of
WNWN) on April 26. It
had a 10 1/8 inch beard,
7/8 inch spurs.
Andrew Rodak of
Imlay City took this
nice tom with a
10 in. Beard 7/8th
in. spurs hunting
Lapeer Co.
Chris
Stefaniak,
12 in his
second
year hunting, took
his first
duck taken
in Saginaw
Bay during
the youth
hunt and
his first
deer taken
on opening
day near
Farwell.
80
Matt Blakley took

this dandy 25
pound tom with an
11 inch beard and
1.25 inch spurs on
April 29 near Holly.
Mason Crane, 15 of
Manitou Beach, harvested a 6.5 inch bearded
hen on April 28, during
an evening hunt.
Ten-year-old
Jordan Nelson
took his third
gobbler in three
seasons near his
home in Tustin.
He and his Papa
called this bird
across the wide
open field to
their waiting jake
and hen decoys
before dropping
it with his 20
gauge shotgun. It
was an awesome
experience for
both of them.
Ashley Johnston, 14, caught a nice

lake trout on Lake Huron.
Gabe Mcgugan took this

nice largemouth on Lake
Alderman in Oakland Co.
2016 was another great season...Chris Wolfe

and his dad Clarence both took toms, Clarences was a jake and Chriss bird had an 8 1/4"
beard with 1" spurs and weighed 23 lbs.
Tom
Kuehnlein
of Coleman took
this 25 lb.
tom with
a 9" beard
and 1 1/8
spurs using a t/c
contender
410 with
#4 shot.
Ten-yearold Evan
J. Topps
with his
first turkey taken
in Lenawee Co. It
had an
11 inch
beard.
Reid Dejonge (lt) of

Ada and Rich Perry of
Lowell with toms taken
opening weekend.
Outfitter Perry Sebero took this
tom on Mother's Day, in Devil's
Creek territory Menominee Co.
in the U.P. with an American
12-gauge double barrel.
Kraig Staples caught this walleye and smallmouth one morning fishing near Millersburg.
Bill Peace from Curran caught this

32-inch master angler award walleye
on the Detroit river jigging may 20.
Wilderness Park and the Mackinaw City

area-a nature lovers natural gift
By Rick Fowler
It is good to realize that if love and
peace can prevail on earth, and if we
can teach our children to honor
natures gifts, the joys and beauties
of the outdoors will be here forever.
-Jimmy Carter
If all the recreation oppor tunities were not enough in the Mackinaw City area, waking up to a Straits of
Mackinaw sunrise is always an added perk. Rick Fowler photo
Nebo Cabin. The best half-day hike is a 4-mile loop
that begins at Goose Pond and combines Red Pine,
Hemlock and Big Stone Trails with a portion of
Nebo Trail and Wilderness Park Drive.
Another popular hike is from the parking lot at
the west end of Waugoshance Point Road to the end
of the point, a one-way 2-mile trek along a pebbled
and rocky shoreline. Check with DNR staff first, as
parts of the shoreline are closed in spring and early
summer when the endangered piping plover is nesting.
In addition there are a pair of walk-in campsites
that allow backpackers to enjoy the park as overnight treks. The most scenic is on ONeal Lake.
Combining the ONeal Lake Trail with portions of
Nebo Trail, Sturgeon Bay Trail and Swamp Line
Road makes for 13-mile loop with a night spent at
the remote campsite.
Trails that were originally two-tracks are open
to mountain bikers for almost 11 miles of nontechnical riding in a wilderness-like setting. The
longest loop would be an eight-mile ride that would
combine Old East Boundary, Old South Boundary and Sturgeon Bay Trails with a portion of the
park road, but keep in mind that several wet areas
might be encountered. The driest loop would be the
6-mile ride of Nebo Trail, a portion of Old South
Boundary Trail and Swamp Line Road. Mountain
bikers are not allowed on Red Pine Trail, Big Stone
Creek Trail, Hemlock Trail or portions of the North
Country Trail.
In the winter months skiers can enjoy six miles
of groomed trails during the winter along a loop
that follows Nebo Trail, a portion of the Old South
Boundary Trail and Swamp Line for an easy ski
with few hills to contend with. The cabins are
also well used during the winter, and Nebo can be
reached only after a two-mile ski from the park
road.
If thats enough to whet ones outdoor appetite
consider these other sites near Mackinaw City. Historic Mill Creek is located 3.5 miles east of Macki-
naw City on US Highway 23 towards Cheboygan.

Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park is situated on
over 600 acres with three miles of trails that contain
beautiful forests, wildflowers and scenic views. A
variety of wildlife species make their homes here
too. Even novice hikers will find adventure in these
forests.
Also French Farm Lake, a body of water in
Wawatam Township in Emmet County. 802 acres
in size, it is located approximately 2.7 miles southwest of Mackinaw City and is the northernmost
lake of Michigans Lower Peninsula. It is also
served by the North Country trail from Mackinaw
City and by local dirt roads.
A typical shallow lake in the area, French Farm
Lake is partly surrounded by wetlands. Like much
of the Mackinaw State Forest the region around the
lake was cut over in the late 1800s for timber.
The French Farm Lake State Flooding Wildlife
Management Area, a unit within the State Forest
that is owned and managed by the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), is a
parcel of land of 2,948 acres. MDNR maintains
an earthen boat ramp close to the northern end of
the lake, from which boaters can launch vessels
and fish for bass and pike. The surrounding
wetlands are breeding grounds for mallards and
wood ducks.
The International Dark Sky Park is located
about two miles west of downtown Mackinaw City.
The Headlands property is home to five miles of
well-groomed trails through the 600 acres of old
growth forest. The trail network offers hours of inspiration among hardwoods and ferns in the warmer
months, and spectacular snowshoe and cross
country skiing throughout the winter. For an easy
walk through the property, you can stay on the main
entrance drive, where every tenth of a mile you will
find a planetary station that includes information
from the cultural history of humanity related to the
planets of our solar system, as well as the history
and story and mythology of their discovery.n
ormer President Carter would be pleased

to know that there are natural gifts dwelling in Northwest Michigan. Specifically
near Mackinaw City in Emmet County
all of them need to be explored during the
four seasons of Pure Michigan. Wilderness
State Park, located on the shores of Lake Michigan
has amenities like cabin rentals, a boat launch and
campgrounds themselves as do many state parks
but what keeps people coming to this little piece of
heaven might be more the draw of its undeveloped
natural beauty.
The 10,500-acre unit, the largest state park in
the Lower Peninsula, contains more than 26 miles
of shoreline, a dedicated natural area and a network
of trails that attract those who want to photograph
wild flowers, identify birds or spend a day hiking or
mountain biking through its forested terrain of pines
and hardwoods. Today Wilderness is the largest
piece of contiguous, undeveloped land in the Lower
Peninsula, featuring 5 miles of sandy beach along
Sturgeon Bay and the islands and Waugoshance
Point that separate the bay from the Straits of
Mackinac.
The point, a designated natural area, is an especially popular place for birders, as over 100 species
either migrate through the area or nest here, including the rare piping plover. The park is also a haven
for whitetail deer, black bear and beaver.
Most of the state park is inaccessible by road.
The state park itself contains 38 miles of mapped
trails, including a long section (11.4) of the North
Country Trail, the national trail that winds from
North Dakota to New York. Many of the trails
are old forest roads that are closed to vehicles by
locked gates.
The main trailheads are along Wilderness Park
Drive and include Old East Boundary, East Ridge,
Nebo and Big Stone Creek Trails. Goose Pond, near
Pines Campground, is the trailhead for a number of
short trails; Pondside Trail, Red Pine, the west end
of Big Stone and Wilkenhs Trail, while nearby is
the north end of the longer Swamp Line Road. The
NCT enters the park from the east and merges into
the East Ridge Trail. It then follows a portion of
Nebo Trail, Old South Boundary Trail and Sturgeon
Bay Trail before splitting off and continuing south
along Sturgeon.
According to Trail Maps.com, Wilderness represents the largest trail system in Emmet County and
hiking opportunities abound here. One of the most
interest treks within the park is an 8.35-mile loop
that combines Nebo, Old South Boundary, Swamp
Line, Red Pine and Hemlock Trails. You can turn it
into an overnight adventure by renting the classic
81
he fourth of July celebration for many deer

hunters includes fireworks, dancing around
the camp fire after dark and scouting for local bucks. Savvy hunters know that July is
the month when the corn is not tall enough
to conceal bucks and the warm weather and
abundance of pesky bugs causes bachelor groups
to move into open fields come sunset. It is perfect
timing to scout and locate the buck of a lifetime.
Fact is, when the sun is high and the weather
is hotter than a firecracker whitetail bucks become
active. Sure they may reserve activities until the
sun touches the horizon and late afternoon breezes
sweep away swarms of biting bugs and temperatures fall. But they gather in bachelor groups and
venture from swampy lairs in search of open areas
where they can feed, relax and escape pesky critters. It is a gathering of male deer like no other
season and hunters who understand deer and their
habits know that bucks become more visible in
summer than any other time of year.
Part of this is because testosterone levels are not
soaring and males mingle, join together in groups
and spend time learning their local territory as a
group. At first the old mature patriarchs will lead
the pack, initiate younger bucks to the home turf.
But as the summer progresses the older deer may
take up position in the rear of the herd and they can
be the last to venture into open fields during broad
daylight.
With fond memories I recall an outing
in southern Michigan where I had been
scouting a monster buck. The boys in
bright brown began meandering from the
nearby woodlot an hour before sunset. At
one point there were seven bucks in one
small location the size of my living room.
They mingled, licked each other, cleaned
one anothers ears and spend time side by
side as if to line up in an effort to keep
biting flies from attacking. At one
point the two largest bucks stood
side by side and began licking each
other on the forehead, ears, eyes
and antlers. The huge black velvet racks wavered
tall above the grass like the headgear of an Alaskan caribou. During summer bucks like to mingle,
travel together and are more visible in local fields
and crop lands than any other time of year.
If your goal is to score on a dandy buck this season I have some helpful tips to guarantee success.
Begin by scouting during summer. Drive county
roads at sunset and locate bachelor groups. Some
folks like to shine deer at night, which is legal in
Michigan until 11 p.m. But it is my opinion that
shining can be the kiss of death when it comes to
alerting adult bucks. If you persist shining smart
deer know whats up and soon dash for cover the
instant they hear a vehicle. Shining can educate
bucks, chase them out of traditional gathering locations and make big bucks more difficult to locate.
Once you scout a particular big buck next get permission to hunt from landowners or lease property.
Finding new deer hunting ground in Michigan is
becoming a tough proposition. Few farmers let you
hunt for free and most expect you to dust off your
wallet and come up with some green gratuity for the
July is an excellent month for deer scouting. It is a good time to

evaluate bucks on your hunting turf, identify big bucks and determine if you have a wall-hanger in your area to hunt come fall.
privilege to hunt private land.
Now comes the tricky part. Scout the area but
do not drive the monster deer from his home turf.
Try to pattern deer; learn their travel routes, feeding behavior, bedding locations and more.
Many times when hunting the difference
between cooking venison steak or not filling your tag boils down to how well you
know the travel routes of deer in your area.
Many times it is a good idea to find the
travel corridors, travel routes and runways
bucks prefer and set up in their core area.
More often than not whitetail hotspots are
often small locations that are roughly 50
yards wide. Find these locations
and set up in one and you are on
the road to buck success. Look for
bottlenecks, creek crossings, ponds
that offer fresh water, preferred foods like apples,
tall grass bedding locations and get in the zone.
Dont stumble into a big bucks turf and blow
him across the fence to the neighbors. Approach
scouting like a sniper sets up his target. Dont let
the deer know you are there. Be patient. Keep out
of sight and use the wind to your advantage. Never
approach a buck haven with the wind at your back
and stay away from hot locations if the wind is not
right. Wait until the wind is in your favor and abort
scouting missions if the wind is swirling or shifts
abruptly, sending your human smell directly toward
deer. Rather than spooking the herd, get out. Sure
wish I had a dollar for every time I put on my camouflage outfit, wiggled into position and the wind
ruins my opportunity to take photographs. The
same holds true while hunting.
Your task is to get in and out without
detection. Tall order but dont over-scout
and leave too much human scent in the area. Use
the Minimal Disturbance Entry (MDE) methodology and stalk your location without alerting deer.
Hunters make the common mistake of staying in
By Kenny Darwin
82
a treestand too long and getting pinned own by

feeding animals. On photo outings I bail out soon
as the sunlight is too dim for quality shots and Ive
learned to do the same while deer hunting. If you
have deer coming to alfalfa, beans, food plots or
open hay fields it is a good idea to leave when you
can still see your way out. No, darkness does not
mean you are safe, deer can see sharp in total darkness.
Another tip is to practice with your weapon. I
know that modern crossbows and rifles are very
accurate. But the key to accurate shooting often
hinges on how well you know your weapon and
how to use it. Gun hunters should practice during
the dog days of summer when the gun range is not
over run with crazy shooters. Now is the time to try
those new bullets, buy that new illuminated scope
and sight in long before hunting season. Archers
need to practice at least once a week and crossbow
shooters should toss a few bolts throughout the
summer and be fully prepared for opening day.
So, you locate a dandy buck. Acquired permission from the landowner and you are all geeked for
archery opener. Well, I hate to spoil your fun but if
I were you Id hold my horses until late in October.
The reason is simple. Few if any trophy bucks are
tagged on October 1. By waiting until late October
and early November the big bucks come out from
hiding to participate in the rut. This is when testosterone levels are soaring and buck movement is at
an all-time high. Keep in mind that the vast majority of monster bucks are harvested while they are
out dancin and prancin with a hot little doe. Oh
sure, it is always fun to join the boys at buck camp
for laughs, drinks and cards. But dont alert your
trophy buck just prior to the upcoming key hunting
period.
Hey, its time to start scouting. Get off the
couch, switch off the TV and hit the woods with
binoculars in hand. You might spot the buck of a
lifetime.n
DNR conservation officer

receives award for saving life
W
ith summer now in full swing, conservation officers at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources remind off-road vehicle riders to follow ORV
safety rules and land-use regulations, riding only where ORVs legally are
permitted.
To ensure everyones safety and the protection of our natural resources, ORV
riders are cautioned to only ride their machines where its legal to operate them,
said Cpl. John Morey, DNR ORV and snowmobile coordinator. ORV restrictions
are in place to protect Michigans natural resources and minimize user conflict
with other outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
ORV trail system
It is illegal to operate an ORV on public lands in the Lower Peninsula unless

they are operating on the DNR designated ORV trail system. Michigans ORV trail
system has three basic types of trails, including:
Motorcycle-only trails maintained at a 28-inch width
50-inch-wide trails open to ORVs that are 50 inches wide or less
ORV routes maintained at a width of 72 inches
ORV use on designated trails is limited depending on the type of designated
ORV trail and the ORV width. Off-trail or off-route ORV operation outside of a
designated trail is prohibited, except for licensed hunters removing deer, bear or
elk and operating an ORV at speeds of 5 miles per hour or less and traveling to the
harvested game using the shortest possible route. Big game ORV retrieval provisions do not apply to the Pigeon River Country State Forest or to state game areas
and national forests.
In the Lower Peninsula, the ORV trail/route system is the only legal place
to ride non-Secretary of State-licensed ORVs on public lands other than frozen
waters. In the Upper Peninsula, it is legal for ORVs to operate on state forest roads
as well as the designated trail system, unless a specific state forest road is posted
closed to ORV use.
Snowmobile trails
Snowmobile trails normally are not designated ORV trails/routes, making

them illegal for ORV operation.
Snowmobile trails are indicated by numbered diamond shape markers. To
view images of ORV trail markers, see page 50 of the Handbook of Michigan OffRoad Vehicle Laws. This handbook alsois available at any DNR Customer Service
Center.
State parks and national forests
ORVs generally are prohibited on state game areas or state parks and recreation areas.
In all national forests, motor vehicles can be used only on roads, trails or areas
that are designated as open on motor vehicle use maps. For more information,
contact the local national forest headquarters.
Public roads
Roads, streets and highways maintained for year-round automobile travel

(including the shoulder and the right-of-way) are closed to ORV operation unless
designated open to ORV use by local ordinance. ORV operators should check with
that countys sheriff, road commission or clerk for local ordinances.
It is illegal to operate ORVs on state and federal highways, including the
shoulders and rights of way.
Private land
Private land is closed to ORV operation except by the landowner and the landowners invited guests.
Caring for the environment
An ORV may not be operated in a manner that creates an erosive condition.
Michigans soils and shorelines are fragile, and ORV operation in these areas and
along stream banks and other waterways is prohibited. It is unlawful to operate
any ORV in or on the waters of any stream, river, marsh, bog, wetland or quagmire.
For more information about ORV regulations and safe operation, see the
Handbook of Michigan Off-Road Vehicle Laws. Maps of state-designated ORV
trails also can be found there.
To report a natural resource violation, please call the Report All Poaching
hotline at 800-292-7800. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/rap.n
Ride off-road vehicles safely

and legally this summer
hether conducting water rescues, finding lost hikers or providing

CPR, Michigan conservation officers save lives. And thats just
what Conservation Officer Ben Lasher of St. Clair County did Nov.
15, 2015 opening day of firearm deer season when he responded to a
call about an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to a victim located
deep in the woods.
At the May Natural Resources Commission meeting held in East Lansing, Lasher
was honored by the
Michigan
Department
of Natural
Resources
for his efforts. Lasher
was presented with the
Lifesaving
Award by
DNR Law
Enforcement
Division
Chief Gary
Hagler. The
presentation
was attended
MDNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Gary Hagler (lt) presents a
by Lasher,
his wife, Re- lifesaving award to Conservation Officer Ben Lasher for saving the
nee, and their life of a 30-year-old man who was the victim of an accidental, selfinflicted shotgun wound. MDNR photo
sons, Jake
and Sam.
The actions of Officer Lasher saved a mans life, Hagler said. Were
honored to have him on our team, and the public is fortunate to have him
and all the men and women serving as conservation officers here and ready
to protect.
Hagler noted that conservation officers go through extensive training
so they are equipped and ready to protect the public and save lives when
not if the time comes.
At 5:20 p.m. Nov. 15, Lasher, while on patrol, received a report from
dispatch of an accidental, self-inflicted 12-guage shotgun slug wound to a
30-year-old man. The incident happened in a wooded area just outside the
village of Adair, located in Casco Township in St. Clair County.
Lasher, along with Deputy Greg Doan from the St. Clair County Sheriffs Department, responded to the call. They met a friend of the victim,
who had been present during the incident, at the end of a narrow two-track
on private property. Lasher drove within 75 yards of the victim, stopping
where the route was no longer accessible to vehicles. He grabbed his first
aid bag and ran the remaining distance.
The victim and his friend had previously secured a tie-down strap
above the wound in the victims upper thigh. Lasher removed the strap and
the mans bib overalls and then quickly applied his issued combat application tourniquet above the victims wound. While he and Doan continued
lifesaving measures, medical personnel arrived.
Lasher was able to strategically position his vehicle within close proximity to the victim, which allowed medical personnel to lay the victim in
the box of the truck. Lasher carefully but quickly drove the victim to an
accessible road where the ambulance waited.
We were told by medical personnel that Officer Lashers well-placed
tourniquet and expedited transport to the ambulance saved this mans life,
Hagler said.
Lasher has served the state as a conservation officer for 20 years. In
1996, he began his career in Arenac County where he remained until 2005.
He has served in St. Clair County for the past 11 years.
Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety
and protect citizens by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more about their
work at the DNR website www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers.n
83
Dog training questions and answers

Q)
I go to different chat sites trying

to find what the best dog for
grouse hunting is. It seems there are as
many opinions as to which makes the
best grouse dogs as there are people on
the site. What is your preference?
Albert K., Grand Rapids
I dont believe there is one breed
that would stand out above the
rest. I have enjoyed many different
breeds in the grouse woods and have
seen both good and bad dogs from
all the popular breeds. I think that the
number one priority is; what breed you
like? Then you need to select a bloodline or breeder that suits your style.
Many grouse hunters say they need
an extremely close working dog. One
that never gets more than thirty or forty
yards from the handler. They claim that
in the thick grouse woods it takes too
long to get to the dog on point. Or that
grouse will not hold for a dog for more
than a minute or two.
Then others may say that a dog with
more ground coverage will produce
more birds and if it were properly
trained it will not pressure or crowd the
birds too much. This would result in a
bird flushed out before the gunners were
able to get within range. Some people
want to see the dog every minute while
they are in the field and dont want a
dog to ever be out of sight. What you
are comfortable with is the most important thing.
I have heard a lot of heated discussion about teaching a pointing
dog to sit or not to. I would imagine you
have too. So what is your take on this?
Kevin S., Toledo Ohio
I have been hearing this for decades, usually from someone in
the completion world. The opposition to
the sit command claims that if a point-
A)
Q)
A)
The clumber is the biggest

of the spaniels.
Im attempting to
train my own dog,
a German shorthaired pointer, and
would like a little advice on how you
do things. It seems like about half the
people I talk to tell me that I need a
barrel to teach my dog the Whoa command. Im not sure I understand the
reasoning behind this. Can you explain
the concept of this?
Larry W., Brighton
Im not sure Im the right guy to
explain this because I dont use
this method. I use a six foot leash and
teach the dog on the ground. Remember
that the Whoa command is merely a
Stand Stay command. With the premise being that when told to Whoa, the
dog will stop and stand there. Usually
I advise that we stick with Stay since
the majority of dogs come to me already
knowing what stay means. Even if they
wont do it. And for house dogs, which
are what most of the dogs that come
here are, Whoa and No sounding too
much alike. While I hold up my hand
and tell him to Stay I also stop and
hold still. I will wait a few seconds then
release the dog to move on. Over time I
will make the dog stay longer and eventually introduce the command around
game birds.
Im working with my Lab for
waterfowl hunting and would like
to work on Marking drills. I usually
hunt small ponds and rivers so Im not
working on three hundred yard retrieves
but I do need to help him keep his eyes
up and pay attention to the fall of the
duck. Any advice?
Tim B., Battle Creek
A) That is a very important part of being a duck dog and fortunately it isnt
By Charlie Linblade
ing dog is taught to

sit it will do so when
on point. I disagree.
Then comes the ridicule and name calling that I dont know
what Im talking about or that I havent
trained enough dogs to know. For
decades we have taught all of the dogs
to sit. And have had no problems with
any sitting on point. I think that either
the trainer is using too much force when
teaching the dog to hold point or didnt
spend enough time on the command
before moving on to birds. I believe
the Whoa command should be taught
away from birds first. To make sure the
dog understands what youre saying.
But like I said we have taught it to thousands of dogs with no problems.
Do you ever train any dogs for
duck hunting? Or do you only
work with the pointing dogs?
Karen R., Warren
We work with just about any
breed that is used for waterfowl, upland or both. We also breed
Chesapeake Bay retrievers and English
setters. We do not use our Chessies as
upland bird finders but certainly have
trained many to do so. Our Chessies are
used for waterfowl hunting.
I love the spaniel breeds and was
thinking of getting one to do a
little duck hunting and a little grouse
hunting. Do you have any suggestions
on what type of spaniel I should get?
Roger C., Traverse City
Of the ones I have worked with
I would say a Boykin, American
water spaniel or a Nova Scotia duck
toller. The cockers, springers and Brittanys tend to have a lot of energy to deal
with and the clumbers I have worked
with tended to be better in the upland
but certainly could handle waterfowl.
Q)
A)
Q)
A)
Q)
A)
Q)
hard to teach. I would start on land. Get

a buddy to help throw the Marks while
the dog sits with you about thirty yards
away from where the Mark (training
dummy) will fall. Try to get the pup
to look towards where your buddy is
standing and tell the dog to Mark then
signal your friend to throw. Keep the
throw high so it is visible for as long
as possible. Then when the training
dummy hits the ground send the dog
with some enthusiasm. Back or fetch
is commanded when you send him.
Praise on the return and hold your hand
out to signal where he should bring it.
Use short bursts, five to ten seconds, of
praise as the dog comes back. Increase
the distance by ten yards once the pup
starts getting good at that distance. I
would also start teaching the Hold
command at this time. The Hold command is so the dog doesnt drop short
what it is being told to retrieve. It is also
one of the first steps in the Force Fetch
procedure, which Ill cover at another
time.
With the hot summer approaching what do you recommend for
working a dog in hot weather so as to
not overheat them?
Sherry V., Monroe
I wouldnt work during the
hottest part of the day. So early
morning and later near dusk would be
your target time. But even then some
days are just too hot. I would always
have a tub of water present and teach
the dog to get in the tub and lay down in
the water when it needs to. And I would
keep a close eye on the dog for excessive panting, distress and a change in
their gum color. Pink is good, gray is
a problem. My basic rule is dont push
too hard or too long when it is hot. At
least for a Michigan dog.n
Q)
A)
First hunt... first tom and its a trophy!
84
My wife, Tricia, a city girl from

Tulsa, and I arrived to the spot late
(about 6:25 a.m). Shooting time had
already started and we encountered
turkeys before we even got set up. A
small flock of birds; one gobbler and
six hens, moved from right to left
about 50 yards in front of us, just over
a small knoll. Frustrated that the hunt
started bad, I encouraged Tricia to
belly crawl to the top of the ridge and
see if she can get a clear shot at the
gobbler. It didnt come as a much of
a surprise when she reported that she
didnt have a shot.
Tricia slid back down the hill and
we moved around the side of a large
hill, putting about 150 yards between
us and the turkeys. We found a spot
on the side of the hill opposite where
we had last seen the birds and Tricia
got settled in. She found a nice spot
in between some fallen logs that offer
concealment and a natural shooting
rest to position her shotgun. I placed a
single hen decoy just over the crest of
the hill on our side and we got
comfortable.
When I made the first yelps
from my box call we got immediate
responses from the gobbler, but he
sounded like he was 300 or 400 yards

away already. The flock we saw had
moved on, I doubted that wed be
able to pull that tom away from his
harem of hens. However, more yelps
and putts from me got more gobbles
from him. To my surprise it seemed
that he might be getting closer with
each gobble. I let him gobble a few
times without answering him in the
hopes that he would close the distance
between us a little faster. When he
gobbled again he was about 75 yards
down and to the left of us.
Even though she was sitting perfectly
still, I knew that Tricia was getting excited at the calling exchange between
me and the gobbler and the prospect
of shooting her first tom.
Afraid of spooking the bird now
that he was closer to us, I kept my
calling down to a minimum (mostly
putts). He played hard to get, staying down along the bottom of the hill,
slowly circling all the way around
behind us. His last gobbles were from
up the hill and slightly to the right of
us and they sounded a little farther
away again so I figured we had been
made. My last few calls went unanswered and a sinking feeling came
over me. About 15 minutes passed as

our feelings of enthusiasm gave way
to feelings of numb limbs and diminished hopes.
Tricia was just beginning to stir a
little in her spot when out of nowhere
a loud gobble blasted from just over
the other side of the hill (exactly
where we wanted him to come from in
the first place)! I let out one quiet putt
and up popped a head over the top of
the hill. Tricia clicked her safety off
and I whispered to her to hold still.
Two more short steps and the gobbler
was standing in full view at the top
of the hill, staring straight at us, neck
craned straight up.
Trish lined up for the shot. Good
cheek weld, lined up on the sights,
sitting perfectly still. I knew from her
time at the range that she is deadly
with her 20 gauge at 35 yards... shes
ready.
Take him. You got to take the shot!
I whispered to her when I realized hes
not coming down the hill any closer
to us.
No sooner had I gotten the words
out of my mouth and BOOM! She hit
him hard and he flipped back over the
hill out of sight. It wasnt until she
Tricia Elbert took this 23.5 pound tom April

23. The bird had one inch spurs and a
nine inch beard was taken on public land in
Grand Traverse Co.
was right up next to him that she
realized how big he was. She shot
her first wild turkey and it was the
gobbler of a lifetime, one shot,
uphill, at 40 yards. I was just as
proud of her as I could possibly
be, and I told her so.n
Guest Column...By Edward Elbert
Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section

MISC
WANTED:
OLD PINBALL
MACHINES, ANY CONDITION,
CASH PAID, WILL PICKUP 519-9906027 M-7-1
................................................
A TEMPUR-PEDIC MEMORY
FOAM MATTRESS SET.
Clean. Never used. As seen on TV.
Cost $1700. Sell for $695. 989-8322401. M-4-14-TFN
................................................
AN
AMISH
LOG
HEADBOARD AND QUEEN
pillowtop mattress set. New. Sell all
for $275. 989-923-1278.
M-4-14-TFN
................................................
AMISH LOG BEDS, ANY
SIZE $199. 5 drawer log chest
$199. Good quality. Lowest prices in
Michigan. 989-839-4846. M-4-14TFN
LOG BUNK BEDS. $495. Amish

lodge furniture. Call Dan 989-8321866. M-4-14-TFN
................................................
WANTED
WANT TO BUY - 40 acres
(plus/minus) with small cabin
in Eastern/Central U.P. Must
be suitable for bear hunting.
Please call 810-845-9769 or
email blackbear709@tds.net.
W-7-1
................................................
TIMBER: Buying all types of timber, 5 acres or more, top price paid.
Cash in advance. Improve wildlife
habitat. Patco Forest Products, 989539-7588 after 6 p.m. W-7-12/15
................................................
WANTED
FISHING
HUNTING
HUNTING
BUYING
VINTAGE
ARCHERY
RECURVE
BOWS arrows, quivers,
broadheads, etc. anywhere
in Michigan. Call/text Andy at
1(586)215-1481. Will pick up.
W-5-3
CANADIAN
FISHING
TRIP. Want to go fishing?
Book early and save. One of
Ontario's best multiple fish
lakes, fish for Walleye, Northern, Small Mouth, Lake Trout,
Perch and other fish. Well
spaced out log & framed cabins, boats have electric start 15
hp Yamaha 4 stroke motors,
depth finders and swivel seats.
$399 U.S. funds if booked before March with a group of 4 or
more (2 people per boat) www.
northernwalleyelodge.com or
toll free 1-877-434-2440. F11-TFN
ONE BUCK HUNTING

CLUB MEMBERSHIP IN
NORTHEASTERN MICHIGAN
Quality club, camp and facilities (also
turkey, small game) West Branch Hale area. Tremendous value and
opportunity. Stag. $1375 per year. See:
dynamicra.com or phone
Dan 989-893-5819.
H-7-3
................................................
BEAR HUNTS: Cameron &

Sons years of experience and
licensed with the State offer
baited hunts in Newberry area.
We have acres of private and
public tracks to hunt for your
pleasure 1st and 2nd season
only. Limited hunts available.
Guaranteed active baits. Many
references available upon
request. www.ccameron.biz or
visit us on our Facebook! Call
Kevin at 906-293-8550 or 906630-1034 or Clarence at 407414-7622.
H-5-4
FISHING
POND SUPPLIES: Live gamefish for stocking. Large selection of
lake, pond and water garden supplies. Free catalog! Stoney Creek,
Inc., Grant MI, (800) 448-3873,
www.stoneycreekequip.com
F-4-7
................................................
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AUGUST, 2016 CLASSIFIED DEADLINE JULY 1, 2016

CLIP AND MAIL
Woods-N-Water News Classified Advertising

(Please print clearly. We are not responsible for unreadable orders.)
Make sure phone number is included in your ad!
NAME
ADDRESS
CITYSTATEZIP
BAIT
FOR SALE: GRANOLA
FOR BEAR BAIT. Average
over 1500 lbs per tote. This is
the most desirable bait to use
as recommended by outfitters.
Call for price and delivery.
Jerry Brower, 616-240-1557.
B-7-2
BEAR BAIT/FEED Year Round
Sales. Gummy Candy, Dry Cereal,
Cherry Pie Filling, Pretzels, Cherry
Syrup, Chips & Cookies. Small quantities to semi loads available. We also
sell a cattle and hog feed. All product
blend, 13% protein. Call 616 862
0122 for all info and feed analysis.
B-7-3
................................................
AUCTION
4TH ANNUAL NORTHERN
TRAILS
ANTLER AND SPORTING
GOODS CONSIGNMENT
AUCTION. Consignments
wanted, antlers; mounts; guns;
hunting; fishing and camping
related items. Anything for the
outdoor enthusiast. Let us turn
your antlers into cash. List your
consignments with us by July
4th for free advertising. Auction
date Aug. 13th. Contact Larry
or Stanley at 989-291-5556 for
all information. AUC-7-1
DAYTIME PHONE NO.

VISA/MASTERCARD#EXP:
GUNS
CLASSIFICATION OF ADMONTHS TO RUN

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)

(13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18)
(19)
(20)
$30.00
$30.25
$30.50
$30.75
$31.00
$31.25
$31.50
$31.75
$32.00
$32.25
$32.50
$32.75
$33.00
$33.25
$33.50
$33.75
$34.00
$34.25
$34.50
$34.75
$35.00
$35.25
$35.50
$35.75
$36.00
$36.25
$36.50
$36.75
Enclosed is $for
words to runmonths.
BOX MY CLASSIFIED - $5 Extra
7
MAG.
BELGIUM
BROWNING SAFARI Grade
with 3-9 Leupold Scope. One owner
excellent condition. $1400.00 Phone
616-887-7278. G-7-1
................................................
HUNTING
ATTN HUNTERS: Red Oak and
Baldwin Units Bear hunts over bait.
Also guided hunts for Michigan Elk.
honest and experienced. Michigan
Bear-Elk Adventures 231-924-6319.
H-7-1
2016 MICHIGAN BLACK

BEAR HUNTS. Newberry/
Gwinn B.M.U. 1st, 2nd, 3rd seasons. Seven day hunt/lodging/
stands/skinning/tag/sealing
bear. Year around lodge. Great
area for fishing, grouse hunting
and 4-wheeling. Convenience
store, 39 years of business.
State and Federally licensed.
Contact: Tom Losiewski, North
Country Hunting Adventures.
1-269-330-0480. Like us on
Facebook. H-4-5
MICHIGAN BEAR HUNTS
IN Amasa and Bergland Units.
Fully licensed and insured pinecreekoutfitters.com
906-281-5322. H-7-1
................................................
HUNT
WITH
BEAR
MOUNTAIN LLC THIS FALL
for your 2016 Bear Hunt. We look
forward to hunting on an expanded
area of private property this fall that is
in the heart of prime bear territory.
Baraga BMU, Private land only
hunts, check out our website www.
mibearhunt.com. References upon
request. Give us a call at 800-6769821 or call Derek at 906-458-3754.
H-7-1
................................................
BEAR HUNTS: Baraga
Unit. Be our guest at AA
LODGE. All inclusive. 5 day
hunts. $1000 - $1500. Call Roy
810-691-3373. H-5-3
CAMERONS LITTLE TWO
HEART
BEAR
GUIDE
SERVICE Dog and Bait hunts in the
Newberry area only. We hunt in the
area where we live. We have been
guiding for over 45 years and will
provide references upon request.
Contact Kip at 906-293-5650. H-6-2
................................................
BARAGA BEAR UNIT:
Northwoods Guide Services
Inc. 36 plus years experience
100% opportunity in 1st season. Hunting only 1st season
limited number of hunters. Contact Tim 517-627-3465 or Dan
906-231-2885 H-6-2
KENTUCKY TENNESSEE:
Hunt Trophy Bucks on one of my
thousands of acres of large private
farms with stands. October
Muzzleload hunt and November Rifle
hunt in Kentucky. Early November
Muzzleload hunt and December Rifle
hunt in Tennessee. September and
October Bow Hunt. FREE
BROCHURE 270-498-3374. H-3-5
RAY'S U.P. HUNTING Over

25 years experience guiding for deer
and bear. Baited stands in Amasa,
Baraga, and Bergland Units. Lodging
Available. Call Ray at 906-265-9420
or cell (906) 284-2216. Licensed and
Insured. H-3-6
................................................
2016 MICHIGAN BEAR
HUNTS: Newberry/Gwinn.
Just outside of Seney Wlidlife
Refuge. High success rate.
32 years. State and Federal licensed and experienced. Guaranteed active baits. 6 nights, 5
day hunt includes lodging and
meals. Start at $750. Bow and
rifle deer hunts. $125 per day.
906-439-5242. www.buckspportinglodge.com. H-5-6
NORTHERN
ONTARIO
BEAR HUNTS: Booking now for
Spring and Fall of 2016. Includes
comfortable cabin, boat and motor,
baited stands. Very experienced
guides. High success rate. 3 hours
from the Soo. References on request.
$960 U.S. 705-869-3272 www.texasandsons.com H-10-12-15
................................................
ATTENTION U.P. BEAR
HUNTERS: Top of the Line
Guide Service offers excellent
hunting opportunity for black
bear hunters in Newberry management area. Fully licensed
guide offers unlimited day hunting. Lodging available. High
success rate. For information
or references call Bruce at 906477-6983 or 616-566-0183.
H-7-3
GONZO BEAR CAMP - Bear
Specialist - We had 80% success.
Baraga, Gwen and Amasa Units Modular hunts start at $895. 7 days
lodging included. Write for more
information on how to apply for bear
permits on May 1st - 2730 S. Dort
Hwy., Flint, MI 48507 or call Dale at
(810) 814-8936 days 9-4 or evenings
John at (989) 257-2725 for more
information www.gonzobearcamp.
com. Like us on Facebook. H-5-4
................................................
ALBERTS BEAR GUIDE
SERVICE. Bergland and Baraga
units. Federal license, 24 years
experience. Cell 906-231-9136,
Home 906-827-3731. H-6-4
................................................
MISC
85
Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section

HUNTING
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
MEAD CREEK GUIDE

SERVICE - Bear hunt for
Newberry unit. 7 day hunt with
room and board. We hunt area
bait on mostly private property.
We hunt from ladder stands or
box blinds. Last year we went
11 for 13 on kills. Have been
guiding for 25 years. We do the
work, so you don't have to.
Bows and guns are welcome, 2
baits per hunter. Give us a shot,
we'll give you one. Call John
Rahn 906-586-3047 H-6-3
COURTYARD SETTING IS
WHAT YOU'LL FIND on this
beautiful secluded property. Large
home offers a family room, living
room, 3 bedrooms, large kitchen,
large attached garage and a pole
barn with horse stalls. #7205. 989348-5474 RE-7-1
................................................
15+ ACRE MINI-FARM located

on state highway in NW Lenawee
Co., Columbia Schools! Three bedroom, one bath, 1 story home, 3
car garage, 6 outbuildings, approximately 4-5 acres woods, whole
house generator and fruit trees!
Many possibilities. Immediate
Occupancy! $134,900. Call Diana at
Faust Real Estate, LLC 517-2703646. RE-7-1
................................................
139 ACRES WOODED, Pine
River Flows thru the Center, 3 Acre
Pond, Rolling, Big Oaks, Maples
90% Wooded, West of Pt. Huron St
Clair County. $278,000 Just Land
Sales 586-419-6716 facebook.com/
justlandsales RE-7-1
................................................
38 WOODED ACRES with an
immaculate 3 bdrm., 2 bath ranch.
Many amenities. Near Pine River and
a short drive to a casino. Montcalm
Co. Michigan. Dont miss this for only
$299,000. Call Diana at Faust Real
Estate, LLC 517-270-3646.
RE-7-1
................................................
74 ACRES HUNTING LAND
WITH LOG HOME IN JASPER
TOWNSHIP MIDLAND COUNTY
OFFERS FULL LOG 10 AND SALT
RIVER, BARN AND PRIVACY
LOCATED AT 5761 W BRADFORD
ROAD SHEPHERD MI. CALL DEB
MORRIS COLDWELL BANKER
MPR 989-621-8912 $244,000
RE-7-2
................................................
123 ACRES, Thick Deer Cover,
Surrounded by Woods & Farm Land
1329 x 4043, 95% Wooded Camp
Area with 36 5th Wheel Paris
Township, Huron County $299,000
Just Land Sales 586-419-6716
JustLandSales.com RE-7-1
................................................
BERGLAND UNIT. Guided bear

hunts over bait. State and federal
licensed bear guide. Call Rich 715663-0459 or www.upbearhunt.com
H-6-3
................................................
BEAR GUIDES: Newberry
Unit. We hunt all season, food
and lodging included in price.
Call us for your next hunt.
231-620-0398.
updeerandbearguideservice.com
H-7-3
RESORTS/RENT
SEASONAL-ONLY CAMPING
Private, gated paradise on Big
Manistee River offers large, wooded
sites, full hook-ups, easy access to
Lake Michigan beaches. Long season. Gorgeous newly built sites!
Coho Bend - 231-723-7321 www.
cohobend.com R/R-4-7
................................................
MUNISING AREA: Lake
Stella - Lakefront cottage w/a
boat. Furnished. Sleeps 8.
Great fishing - walleye, bass,
bluegill, perch, pike and crappies. 989-382-5491 or 989-3827722 or 989-285-2888 Ask for
Lonnie. R/R-5-3
PICKEREL
LAKESIDE
CAMPGROUND
AND
COTTAGES Baldwin area
1,425 all sport lake frontage, 45
semi-rustic sites, four clean modern
cottages. www.lakecamp-cottages.
com 231-745-7268.
RR-4-6
................................................
WANT TO LEASE
RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL HUNTER looking for land

to lease for the 2016 deer season,
or beyond. Location, land size, year
leases, and price are all considered.
Jay 248.396.8322 or jwarrington2@
att.net WL-6-3
................................................
86
Classifieds
Work!
(810) 724-0254
160 ACRES JUST 2 HRS

NORTH OF DETROIT
ANN ARBOR AREA & 10
MINS OFF I-75 BAY/GLADWIN
COUNTY PRIME HUNTING
LAND 100% VIRGIN WOODS
START YOUR OWN HUNTING
CLUB $265,000 CALL 989-6593373 OR bsjjj@tds.net
RE-5-3
BEAVER ISLAND: 10.01 acres
wooded with a mature northern
Michigan forest, ideal rustic camping
- recreation spot. Located in the
central interior of the island. Short
drive to Lake Michigan and Fox Lake.
Driveway, cleared site, no power.
Situated on a private dirt road, but
easily accessible. $24,900, $1,000
down, $310/mo 11% land contract,
www.northernlandco.com, Northern
Land Co 231-258-5100 RE-6-3
................................................
134 ACRES Capac Area, is
Leased for Farming, the Other is
Deer country. Huge Sanctuary, Lots
of Ambush Funnels 2640 x 221940% Wooded MusseyTwp St Clair
County $419,000 Just Land Sales
586-419-6716 JustLandSales.com
RE-7-1
................................................
200 ACRES IN UP. LOCATED IN
DELTA COUNTY, NORTH OF
GLADSTONE ON M-35. GREAT
HUNTING
LAND,
NICELY
WOODED, PRIVATE SETTING.
CALL TIM at 906-399-2949. RE-7-1
................................................
MEMBERSHIP FOR SALE IN
640 ACRE northeast Michigan
hunt club, 2 lakes, very nice 4000 sq.
ft. modern lodge, private bedrooms,
excellent hunting and fishing.
$76,000 for membership which is
transferrable, dues are $3670.
Excellent club for the professional
that wants everything taken care of.
989-369-9696. RE-7-2
................................................
17.48 ACRES, Good Hunting
With 100% Woods. Backs up to
Farmland. Paved Rd. 1322 x 739
Irregular Ellington Twp Tuscola
County $62,000 Just Land Sales
586-419-6716 JustLandSales.com
RE-7-1
................................................
10 ACRES. 330 ft frontage on
Lake Station Ave just a 1/4 mile North
of M-115. Property is 330 ft by 1300
ft deep. 100% wooded. Excellent
deer, turkey and squirrel hunting.
Property across the street was hunted November 15, 2015 by the
Michigan Outdoors Crew. See their
hunt at https://www.michiganoutofdoorstv.com/shows.
cfm?VideoID=382. Dont miss this
one. $27,500.00. State Land 1/4 mile
down the road for your ORVs or
hunting. RE-7-1
................................................
40 ACRES TO HUNT OR
FARM. Remodeled home, 2
garages, 36x56 pole barn with
horse stalls, pasture area. Great
country yard; Bear Creek runs
through property. Deer and turkey haven. Wood burning stone
fireplace in home. Large deck
too! 30 miles north of Lansing,
MI $450,000 Call Lance 989763-7358. RE-7-2
CASEVILLE/SANDPOINT
WATERFRONT LOT, 100x150.
Wide, deep water canal, minutes to
Saginaw Bay. Seawall, ready to
build, city water. 810-923-0280.
RE-7-1
................................................
2.25 ACRES, Paved Rd. 80%
Wooded. Mixed Trees. Residential
Property Triangle Shaped Lot
Emmett Twp St Clair County
$19,000 Home Sales Division of Just
Land Sales 586-206-0118 facebook.
com/homesales.justlandsales
RE-7-1
................................................
TUSCOLA CO: 40 acres w/mix of
woods, thickets, and fields. Has a
pond, barn w/electric, 3 elevated
hunting blinds. Big bucks, lots of
smaller game. $120,000. 586-7132895. RE-7-2
................................................
REAL ESTATE
20 ROLLING, WOODED
ACRES
IN
CLARE
COUNTY. Wildlife abounds
here. An updated 2 bedroom log
home w/attached garage in a
private setting a "cabin" even
the girls will love. $145,900. Call
Pam for details: 989-506-6509
Century 21 Pioneer 1102 N.
McEwan, Clare, MI 48617
RE-6-2
78.8 ACRES OF HUNTING

LAND
&
BEAUTIFUL
CUSTOM LOG HOME WITH
RIVER PRICED TO SELL LOCATED
4626 W SHEPHERD RD JASPER
TOWNSHIP, MIDLAND COUNTY,
MI. CALL DEB MORRIS COLDWELL
BANKER MPR 989-621-8912 FOR
APPT. $339,900. RE-7-2
................................................
U.P. 15 ACRE HUNTING
CABIN, deep water well. All plumbing, kitchen, bath, two bedrooms and
living room. $65,000 land contract.
313-286-4845 or 313-429-9688.
RE-7-1
................................................
OSCODA
COUNTY.
Secluded, beautiful 3 bedroom
lodge, vaulted ceilings, finished
basement, hot-tub, log railing
wrap around decks, 15 wooded
acres, near AuSable river and
Huron National Forest. Also
includes lovely guest/rental
cabin generating up to $25k
annually. Fantastic views of Mt.
Tom and the AuSable Valley!
Priced at $379,000 with additional acreage possible. To view
photos go to Lodge4Rent.com.
Call 989-619-8000.
RE-7-1
ISABELLA
COUNTY
BLANCHARD, MI 80 ACRES / 40
TILLABLE / 40 WOODS. 2
BEDROOM BUNGALOW, 3 CAR
GARAGE WITH WOOD BURNER.
POLE BARN, 52 X 25, EXCELLENT
HUNTING. $400,000. 989-944-3782
OR 989-944-3907. RE-7-1
................................................
20 BEAUTIFUL WOODED
ACRES between Hillman and
Atlanta. Michigan Elk capital.
Clearing with 35 ft. mobile camper.
Well water, electricity, propane gas,
secluded but close to roads and
conveniences. Great retreat for hunters or family $45,000. Open to offers.
Call Helen 248-210-6414. Randy
989-255-2169 Real Estate One.
RE-7-1
................................................
AMAZING OPPORTUNITY,
OWN
YOUR
OWN
ORCHARD, Cider Mill & Fruit
Winery, on 77.5 Acres, with Apples,
Pears, Grapes, Peaches, Cherries
and Black Raspberries Complete
with Buildings, Main w/400 amp,
External Cooler Room, and 2
Additional Buildings Includes
Businesss, Licenses, Inventory, and
Land and Training. $600,000 Just
Land Sales 586-206-0118 facebook.
com/homesales.justlandsales
RE-7-1
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
40 WOODED ACRES - Newer

furnished camp, very private.
Excellent property that has ridges,
swamps and blinds. CFA land on two
sides. Delta County. MLS#1086649
$85,000 Pine Tree Realty 906-2802586 - 906-280-4815 RE-7-1
................................................
EXECUTIVE HOUSE AND 12
ACRES, NEAR GRAND
RAPIDS, MI, Property includes
3,800 square ft. home, 1,250 square
ft. guest house and 24 x 36 Pole
Barn. A hunters paradise, 12 wooded acres, private pond and 900 ft. of
creek frontage. Quality smallmouth
bass fishing. Exquisite hunting for
turkey, wood duck and harvest trophy
white tail bucks. Creek flows through
state game land, excellent canoeing
and kayaking. $595,000 Call Brian at
616-894-2821. RE-7-2
................................................
SEASONAL COTTAGE Walpole Island, Ontario, Canada on
south channel across from Algonac.
27 X 30, Furnished, on leased lot.
Fishing, water sports, freighter
watching. $30,000 313-882-9803 or
morskivolk@aol.com RE-7-1
................................................
40
SQUARE
WOODED
ACRES, Excellent Hunting, a
Creek and 2 Rd. Frontages 1320 x
1320 90% Wooded Burnside Twp,
Lapeer County $102,000 Just Land
Sales 586-419-6716 facebook.com/
justlandsales RE-7-1
................................................
WALLEYE FISHING, ST.
CLAIR RIVER HOME. 2 bedroom, 1 car, 2 boat hoist up to 36
foot. Marine City, MI $279K - 810278-3366. RE-7-1
................................................
3 - 50 ACRE FARMS IN
NOTHERN
OAKLAND
COUNTY. Each partially wooded
$325K, $200K, $200K. For homesite
or hunting. Call Mark at 810-3480503.
mark@coopercom.com
RE-7-2
................................................
GREAT 10 ACRE HUNT
CAMP. 2 Elevated Blinds in Place
330 x 1324, 50% Wooded LynnTwp
St Clair County $39,000 Just Land
Sales 586-419-6716 JustLandSales.
com RE-7-1
................................................
40 AC WOODED PARCEL
surrounded by state land Beaver
Creek Twp, sec14, Crawford County
$60,000 land contract tyvoigt@hotmail.com 810-923-0280. RE-6-2
................................................
15.68 ACRES, Pine-filled Front,
Sits High, Over-looking a Wildlife Bog
50 % Wooded 518 x 1332
Goodland Twp Lapeer County
$64,000 Just Land Sales 586-4196716 facebook.com/justlandsales
RE-7-1
................................................
HULBERT MI, nice 24x24

cabin on 40 acres, deer migration area, land contract possible
$59,000. Call 810-252-1571
RE-6-2
HOUSE AND 78 ACRES near
Mt. Pleasant, MI - Prime hunting
property, mature bucks harvested
this year. Brick ranch, horse barn,
woods, farm land. Asking
$165,000. Call John 810-445-6811
RE-7-2
................................................
108 ACRES, Rolling & Beautiful
Wide variety of Trees, 5 Acre 12
Deep Pond & 24 x 30 Garage.
2304x1320 irreg 60% Wooded
Koylton Twp Tuscola County
$329,000 Just Land Sales 586-4196716 JustLandSales.com
RE-7-1
................................................
AN
ABSOLUTELY
IMMACULATE
HOME
THAT IS TRULY TURNKEY! This 3 bedroom, 2 bath
ranch has been meticulously
cared for over the last 11 years
of ownership with many updates
made to the home. Back deck
overlooking 2 acres which
backs up to a blueberry field for
added privacy. 2.5 car garage
and a new 12'x16' shed. There
is nearby access to sandy
beach along Lake Huron that is
a short car/bike ride away, along
with bike trails and close proximity to Tawas City and East
Tawas! This place is ready to
go! Call John Stanley at (989)
876-8171 for a tour today!
RE-7-3
SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY
1700 SQ FT HOME on 10 acres
backed up to 1000s of acres of state
land. 3/3, with 1700 sq ft fully finished
basement with full bath. Heated
attached 2 car garage. 32x40 pole
barn. In the floor hot water heat, A/C,
generator hook up. Built 2007.
$270,000. Call for pics/info 906-3410515, Owner. RE-5-3
................................................
DOGS
BIRD DOG TRAINING: by
world record holder and Hall of
Famer David Grubb. Only trainer in
history to win all 5 gun dog championships. (did it twice). All breeds
Special Spring rates $500 per month.
Dog training book for sale and stud
service. 248-860-1009. D-6-TFN
................................................
GUN DOG TRAINING AT
ITS BEST! by Paul
Rheaume. Over 30 years
experience with pointing and
flushing breeds. All inclusive 4
week class that is customized
to meet your dog's needs.
Excellent for young dogs starting out, for experienced dogs
tuning up, or for dogs with
issues. $600. Find us on
Facebook or online http://gundogtraining.webs.com.
Rheaume's Kennel. (989) 8648606. D-3-7
Subscribe Today!
(810) 724-0254
email: wnw@pageone-inc.com website: www.woods-n-waternews.com

87-97
204+/- Acres; Mile of Lakefront

Berrien County, Michigan
Youll think youre in the far North but in SW Mich! 1/3rd of wooded N. Smith
Lk which connects to S. Smith (150 acres of undeveloped lakes) . ATV
trails, ideal kayak/canoe area, 2-story large barn, low property taxes, 50
acres tillable w/good farm income, wetlands, & hills. Field or marsh hunt for
ducks/geese, bow hunters paradise, rare bird area, eagles, & so quiet you
cant hear a sound! The best waterfront view EVER! Build your hunt club,
cabin, or lodge here. Only 2 owners ever!
$739,000
Complete details at www.jerdon.net
32502 M-62 West, Dowagiac MI 49047
Contact Tom Jerdon (269)782-4000
tom@jerdon.net
PREMIUM FISHING-WATERFOWL-WHITETAILTURKEY-SMALL GAME
87
Tip of the Mitt Living
Hunters Paradise!
$499,900
5525 W 48 Road Cadillac, MI 49601
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 4
Square Feet: 4006
Lot Size: 98 Acres

Year Built: 2010
Listing ID: 1818330
If you are looking for the perfect place to call home, this is it! This 4006 sq.
ft. home has many comfortable options; very modern open concept kitchen
with island, stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and gas range
tabletop oven. Off the kitchen is a mud room and large utility room with laundry, sink and half bath. The separate dining room is open to the kitchen and
sliding doors lead you to the 20X16 three-season screened porch to have
your morning coffee, read book and enjoy the backyard wildlife. The spacious master bedroom with his and her walk in closets, and a large en suite
bathroom with garden tub and separate shower awaits. Two more bedrooms
and another two baths are on the main level. The large living room has a
wood burning stone fireplace ot warm up on cool nights. The fully finished
basement has two entrances; one from the inside the home and another
conveniently located from the 2 stall attached garage. The downstairs is
set up for entertaining, a theater room, pool room, bar and kitchen area with
granite island and counter tops, a large family room and two more large
guests rooms and full bath. This house has plenty of storage, large pantry,
office space and more. This very efficient home has all high-efficiency appliances, furnace, instant demand hot water heater with a back-up hot water
and the entire house is wired with a large Generac generator that automatically kicks on when needed and runs everything in the house. This home is
situated down a 1/4 mile crushed concrete driveway on 98 acres of beautiful mixed hardwoods and pine that is surrounded by the Manistee National
Forest. Outside there is a fenced-in garden with shed, a small trailer/guest
house and a large 64x40 pole barn with workshop, electric and water. If you
are looking for a great hunting/recreation use, the 98 acres is completely
wired enclosed, with marked trails, hunting stands and food plots. All just 15
minutes west of Cadillac across from the Caberfae Ski Resort.
Tamara McLeod Helsel
Cell: 231.920.6422
Office: 231.839.0077
Fax: 231.839.0066
tmcleodhelsel@gmail.com
www.lakecitymihomes.com
IG RIVER
PROPERTIES
159 ACRES 9366 BIG FOUR ROAD KALEVA This 159 acre parcel
offers a little bit of everything! Rolling hills, open pasture land, hunting land
and building sites. Some of the large trees have been timbered off but there
are plenty of pines and new growth. This property is located on a county
maintained road for year around access. Near Bear Lake, Onekama and Lake
Michigan. Sellers are retaining all of the oil, gas and mineral rights. $160,000
(CLI)
LITTLE MANISTEE RIVER HOME 10555 S INDIAN TRAIL DRIVE
MANISTEE Riverfront home/cottage with 180 of private frontage. Beautiful
views from the main living area, walkout basement and deck right on the Little
Manistee, one of the best salmon and steelhead fishing rivers in the state. The
cottage is situated in the Udell Hills area with hundreds of acres federal land
and easy access to snowmobile trails. The home features 3 bedrooms, 1 bath,
and laundry on the main floor, a loft and a daylight basement with a wood
stove. The open concept living and kitchen area has two sliders to the deck.
There is plenty of storage room in the 2 car attached garage, the basement
and a shed on the very large lot, just over an acre. Improvements include a
newer seawall, roof and concrete landing from walkout basement.
Furnishings are negotiable. Sellers are motivated. $149,900 $139,900 NEW
PRICE!! (BIL)
75 FRONTAGE ON ALL SPORTS LAKE 5370 N. BASS LAKE ROAD
IRONS This large lakefront parcel has 75 frontage on Loon Lake which is
an 80 acre all sports lake. The one bedroom, one bath mobile home has an
extended living room and an eat-in kitchen. There are three large sliders going
out to the oversized covered deck so you can sit and enjoy the great views of
the lake. Many updates have been done over the years including the septic
system, 5 well, new dock in the lake, and much more. There is a 20x20 two
stall garage and a 7x9 shed with a fish cleaning station in it. Use this perfect
getaway now and then if you want to build a retirement home in a few years
move the mobile home out! Lots of room in the yard for the kids to come with
their travel trailers. Dont look at my age you must see me!! $99,900 (POT)
55 ACRES ON BURKET CREEK 5387 N. M-37 MESICK This 55 acres
has over 2000 frontage on Burkett Creek. The pine trees were cut off this
property but have some great growth coming back and a few pockets of
hardwoods along the creek and drive coming into the property. The North
Country Hiking Trail winds across this property and it adjoins Consumers
Power property to the West. There is a 12x28 one room Amish built log cabin
on it and is situated so that the deck overlooks the creek. Its all set up with
beds at one end, LP gas heater and a wood stove. Most of the furnishings are
included. It sits back off of M-37 so you will enjoy the peace and quietness of
these 55 acres. $109,900 (DEN)
Hunters Call for our Acreage Parcels

5963 W. 10-1/2 Mile Rd. Irons, Michigan
231-266-8288 877-88-NORTH
www.BigRiverVentures.com Info@BigRiverVentures.com
Whitetail Realty,
Lake City, MI
231-839-8142 or
office@lakecityrealestate.com
lakecitymirealestate.com
N Missaukee MLS# 21120749 $76,900
1 Bedroom 1 Bath Cabin on 20 acres
Detached Garage, with electric & water
Water & sewer Hookups for campers
Great little hunting cabin setup
N. Missaukee MLS# 21119078 $154,900
3 Bedroom 2 Bath home on 10 acres
Full partially finished basement, Tile floors
Hardwood floors, Property adjoins state land
5 Outbuildings/Garages for lots of storage
Manton Area MLS# 21118448 $93,800
3 Bedroom Home on the Manistee River
100 of frontage on the river
Large Detached 24 x 32 Garage
Surround by state land on all sides
N. Missaukee MLS# 21118706 $24,900
10 Acre Heavily Wooded Parcel
Located close to State land & Trails
Good Hunting Area
Lake City Area MLS# 21118625 $139,000

Small Hunting Cabin w/well & Electric
25 x 40 Pole Barn for lots of storage
62 Acres of woods and wet lands
Tractor w/equipment & a Quad included
9326 S. M-37 | P.O. Box 843

Baldwin, MI 49304
www.cbnwr.com
231-745-4646
88
Baldwin River
2 Bed 1 Bath - 8 Acres
15045905 - $89,500
Middle Branch / Pere Marquette River

2 Bed 1 Bath
15061722 - $87,900
Loon Lakefront
2 Bed 1 Bath Great Swimming
15044508 - $165,000
Government Lake Baldwin

Shell Permits Pulled
16026047 - $37,500
Luther, MI
20 Acres 3 Bed 1 Bath Pole Barn
15023009 - $119,900
All Sports Bitely Lake

2 Bed 1 Bath Deck & Garage
16008505 - $149,900
Secluded Jenks Lake

3 Bed 2 Bath Full Basement
16010264 - $139,900
206 Frontage on All Sports Bitely

Lake 1 Bed 1 Bath
16010716 - $114,900
Carrieville Trails & River

2 Bed 1 Bath Garage
16007533 - $39,900
Federal Land on 3 Sides

2 Bed 1 Bath
16020598 - $38,900
10 Acres - 2 Bed 1 Bath Garage

Federal Land across Street
16024318 - $62,000
10 Acres
Adjoins State Land 2 Bed 1 Bath
16021439 - $59,900
All Sports Idlewild Lake Front Lot. Wooded and a great spot for a walkout basement
cottage or home offering 50 of frontage, paved road access, electric available at the
road, and in an area of thousands of acres of public lands only a few miles away. Great
camping site as well. $19,500 MLS 16020582
Well wooded 2.5 acre corner parcel just down the road from the Pere Marquette
River and close to the trails and federal land. Low down land contract possible. Great
price, great spot and great terms. Seller is a licensed real estate broker. $11,900 MLS
15058354
6 Acres with over 1100 of Baldwin River Frontage!!! This amazing property is buildable
and breath taking! One of the most beautiful spots on the Baldwin River! $29,900 MLS
15057165
Government
Lake land
Baldwin
Square 10 acre parcel sitting on a county road with
Federal
on 2 sides. All high
Shell Permits
with mixed trees, selective cut 5 years ago. Great location
forPulled
hunting, snowmobiling and
16026047 - $37,500
year around use. Electric is close, ORV trails are close
and lots of seclusion. Low Down
Land Contract Terms. Additional parcels are also available. $23,900 MLS16012724
Located in the heart of the Manistee National Forest this 58 M/L Acres is perfectly
situated between 2 county maintained roads. Property has small creek running through
it. Nicely wooded, with Michigans best mixture of Hardwoods, Walking distance to State
Land. Priced for sale, Low Down land contract terms may be available. $69,900 MLS
16020982
Hunting or Weekend getaway offering county road frontage, public land across the
road, all wooded and land contract terms. great spot for all recreational sports, hunting,
fishing, ORV riding, snowmobiles and just quiet afternoons sitting around the campfire. 5
Acres Parcel D $10,900 MLS15057012
Square 10 acre parcel sitting on a county road with Federal land on 2 sides. All high
with mixed trees, selective cut 5 years ago. Great location for hunting, snowmobiling and
year around use. Electric is close, ORV trails are close and lots of seclusion. Low Down
Land Contract Terms. Additional parcels are also available. $23,900 MLS 16009540
Hunting or Weekend getaway offering county road frontage, public land across the
road, all wooded and land contract terms. great spot for all recreational sports, hunting,
fishing, ORV riding, snowmobiles and just quiet afternoons sitting around the campfire. 5
Acres ParcelB $15,900 MLS15057000
231-652-7000
- or -
231-250-8200
WE NEED LISTINGS 40+ ACRES AND LARGER

REDUCED
$
299,000
12 Acre
Private Lake,
5,000 sq ft House
40 ACRES,
MECOSTA
COUNTY
499,900
240 ACRES,
ALCONA
COUNTY
House, Barns,
Pond, Stream,
Food Plots
L
SO
Alpena County, 316+/- Acres, Good Trails

Lodge sleeps 10, Professionally Managed Forest
$439,000
Arenac County, 146 Acres Rifle River &

Saginaw Bay Access, Tri-Level House
$399,999
Calhoun County, 70+/- Acres

Delta County, 39.6 Acres
House, Pole Barn, Pond, River, Elevated Blind 1,000+ ft Frontage Lake Michigan
$299,000
$79,000
Jackson County, 54+/- Acres, 2,000 ft

Grand River Frontage, Trail System
$179,900
Lake Co, 75 Acres, Borders National

Forest, County Road Frontage
$89,000
Isabella County, 156 acres

5,000 ft on Trout Stream, Good
Trails, 30 Ac Tillable
$590,000
LD
O
S
L
SO
Jackson Co, 47 Acres,

2000 ft. Grand River Frontage,
2 bedroom Home, Pole Barn
$244,900
Iosco County, 52.51 Acres

Food Plots, Trail System, Elevated
Blinds, Pond & Shed
$99,000
Lake Co, 5 Acres, 1,200 ft. Middle Branch Lake County, 330 Acres, Good Trail Missaukee Co, 40 Acres, Good
Trail System, Excellent Hunting
Pere Marquette River, Rustic Cabin
System, Food Plots, Sm Creek
$62,900
$59,000
$399,000
LD
SO
Missaukee County, 75 Acres Pond, Creek,

Guest Cabin & 2 Bedroom House
Missaukee County, 77 Acres, Rough

Country, Big Bucks, Trout Stream
$77,000
$199,000
Missaukee County, 200 Acres,

Cabin, Pond, Trails & Blinds
$289,900
Newaygo County, 5+/- Acres

557 ft White River Frontage, 1/2
Open, 1/2 Wooded
$50,000
Newaygo Co, 99 Acres,

Planted Pines, Great Cover,
County Road Frontage
$225,000
Newaygo County, 125 Acres, Three

spring fed lakes, Excellent Deer,
Turkey and Waterfowl hunting
$375,000
LD
Osceola Co, 94+/- Acres, 1,000 ft.

Newaygo County, 160 Acres
Newaygo County, 240 Acres
Osceola County, 2+/- Acres
Presque Isle Co, 63+/- Ac
Frontage on 9 Mile Rd & Cottonwood Rd, Adjacent to National Forest, Good 105 ft Muskegon River, 3 Bed, 2 Bath All Sports Goose Lake, Older Farm
House, Excellent Hunting
Carp Creek, Food Plots, Hunting Blinds
Adjacent to National Forest
Trails, Abundant Wildlife
Home, Nice Wooded Lot
$75,600
$335,000
$480,000
$360,000
$99,000
Presque Isle County, 395 Acres $276,500

or can be purchased in split, 195 Acres
$137,000 or 200 Acres $140,000
Schoolcraft County,
2282 Acres Fox River Frontage.
Owner will split.
$570,500
WildLifeRealty.com
www.
SO
89
Offices Serving Lower &

Upper Michigan
VACANT LAND
1320 ft X 3960 ft.
Call Sharon @ 810-441-6002 or 810-798-8591
Bringing people and places together since 1945
VISIT OUR WEBSITE TODAY!
121 ACRES IN FREMONT TOWNSHIP, WEST OF

CROSWELL, EAST OF M-19 ON BURNS LINE
RD AT THE NW CORNER OF BROWN RD.
statewiderealestate.net
FOR ALL YOUR REAL

ESTATE NEEDS CALL
Houghton
Newberry
Onaway
Hawks
Hillman
Alpena
Atlanta
Harrisville
Mio
Skidway Lake
Clare
Almont
Linden
Howell
Contact Your Nearest State Wide Real

Estate Office To Buy or Sell In Michigan
HAWKS
8383 Hwy. 451, 49743
email: rita8383@yahoo.com
989-734-4846
MARQUETTE
856 W. Washington, 49855
email: sw@statewiderealestate.org
906-228-9312 Fax: 906-228-8069
ALMONT
844 Van Dyke Road
lafrancesharon@yahoo.com
810-798-8591 Fax: 810-798-8079
HILLMAN
14938 State Street, P.O. Box 98, 49746
email: statewidehillman@yahoo.com
989-742-4523 800-228-7856
Fax: 989-742-3931
MENOMINEE
3631 10th Street, 49858
email: statewideone@newbc.rr.com
906-863-9905
Fax: 906-863-7935
CLARE
308 E. 5th Street, 48617
email: statewideclare@voyager.net
989-386-3396 Fax: 989-386-3800
CURTIS/NEWBERRY
Main Street, P.O. Box 305, 49820
email: swcurtis@sbcglobal.net
906-586-9606 Fax: 906-586-9607
HOUGHTON
500 Shelden Ave., 49931
email: dick@statewideofhoughton.com
906-482-6955 800-676-6323
Fax: 906-482-7699
HOWELL/LINDEN
1285 S. Michigan Ave., Howell, MI 48843
email: statewid@earthlink.net
517-546-9060 800-531-4449
Fax: 517-546-9148
ESCANABA
2209 Ludington Street, 49829
IRON MOUNTAIN - KINGSFORD
email: escanaba@statewiderealestate.net
112 S. Carpenter Ave., Kingsford, 49802
906-786-1308 800-900-0777
906-828-9079
Fax: 906-786-1388
90
FIFE LAKE
127 State Street, P.O. Box 190, 49633
email: swfife@charterinternet.com
231-879-4471 Fax: 231-879-4362
MANISTIQUE
10 N. State Highway M-149
Cooks, MI 49817
906-644-2304
email: dekeysermary@yahoo.com
HARRISVILLE
430 S. US-23, 48740
email: sold@anjstatewide.com
989-724-5711 800-655-5735
Fax: 989-724-6833
MARINETTE, WISCONSIN
1460 Marinette Ave., 54143
email: statewidemarinette@yahoo.com
715-735-9964 Fax: 715-732-1107
MIO
102 West 8th St., P.O. Box 395, 48647
email: info@statewidemio.com
989-826-3292
Fax: 989-826-2108
ONAWAY
M-33 & M-68,
P.O. Box 478, 49765
email: bigdan@frontier.com
989-733-6522
Fax: 989-733-2427
POWERS
W3776 US2 & 41, 49874
906-497-4190
Fax: 906-497-5328
holly@statewiderealestate.net
SKIDWAY LAKE
2228 Greenwood Rd.,
Prescott, 48756
email: atlas@m33access.com
989-873-3601
Fax: 989-873-6914
844 Van Dyke ALMONT
WOW CHECK THIS OUT! DISCOUNTED PRICES!
ALL OFFERS WELCOME!!!
CANADIAN WATERFRONT AND

RECREATIONAL PROPERTY.
CLOSE TO SAULT STE. MARIE,
MICHIGAN BORDER
*LAND CONTRACTS
AVAILABLE O.A.C.*
SPRING BEAR SEASON IS
BACK ON
FALL BEAR SEASON OPENS
AUG. 15 TILL OCT. 30
GOOSE SEPT. 1
DUCK SEPT. 10
SMALL GAME SEPT. 15
MOOSE & DEER SEASON
FOLLOWS
ALL PROPERTIES ARE IN

TROPHY DEER & BEAR AREA
WITH GREAT FISHING!!!
NO GUIDE OR OUTFITTER
REQUIRED IF YOU BUY
PROPERTY IN ONTARIO!
Land Management and
Maintenance Also Available
Brokers and sales agents
welcomed and protected.
LAJAMBE
ENTERPRISESINC.
715 Finns Bay Road
Echo Bay, Ontario CAN
POS 1C0
TELEPHONE:
(705) 248-9663
FAX:
(705) 248-1110
CONTACT:
Frank Lajambe
EMAIL:
flajambe@lajambe.com
WEBSITE:
www.lajambe.com
*Prices subject to change.
WATERFALLS PROPERTY: 160 acre parcel 45 min from

International Bridge. Waterfalls & Brook Trout River running
across property. Rugged, well treed, hunting, and recreational property with government land on 2 sides. Only 1 mile
off a year round maintained road. This won't be on the market
for long so act now. Dont delay, asking $79,900.00 as is or
make an offer. Standing timber value is $25,000 plus.
EXECUTIVE WATER FRONT HOME ON LAKE HURON
FOR SALE: This four bedroom home is situated less than 30
miles from the US/Canadian border in a private country setting, in a quiet bay. The lot is 200x750. This property has
unequaled sunsets facing southwest with deep water for
pleasure craft boating on Lake Huron in the North Channel.
$749,900.00.
PRINCE PROPERTY: 287 acres of hardwood and softwood
forest with a creek flowing thru. Year-round access. Existing
windmill generates approx. $5,500/yr. Deer, Bear, and small
game on property. Located 30 minutes from the International
Bridge. $84,900
MACDONALD PROPERTY: 759 acres with hunting camp, 25
miles east of Sault St. Marie Ontario, property is gated, isolated and wooded, with a four bedroom, two-story pole barn.
20-acre lake and 2 streams. Great Bear Hunting! Two Deer
plots! Five deeds, no guide required, underpriced at $274,000.
($361 per acre) Terms available, excellent buy!
400 ACRES OF ROLLING HARD-AND SOFTWOOD HILLS:
Large beaver pond and creek runs thru property, next to
above property if more acreage is required. Property is great
for bear hunting, white tail and grouse. Four miles off yearround maintained road. $124,900
EXCLUSIVE LAKE HURON WATERFRONT & WATERVIEW ESTATE LOTS LOCATED IN THESSALON, ONTARIO
50 MILES EAST OF SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO ON
HIGHWAY 17 EAST: Lighthouse Point serviced with hydro,
telephone, sewer, water, gas, cable on paved street. Airport,
marina and hospital in area. No time limit for building.
Waterfront lots 100 478 frontage, waterview lots 80 frontage. Prices from $15,900.00 and up.
REILLY PROPERTY: 2 - 80 acre parcels with beaver pond,
hardwood and softwood mixed forestland 30 minutes from
International Bridge. NORTH PROPERTY: Priced to sell at
$19,900.00 or $250 per acre. SOUTH PROPERTY: Priced to
sell at $15,900.00 or $186 per acre.
TWO 10 ACRE SAND BEACH LOTS (these lots have it all):
60 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie each lot has 300 frontage on
Bright Lake near highway 17 East (lake area approx. 24
square miles), year round access with power to property. This
inland lake has perch, bass, walleye and northern pike.
Priced to sell at $99,900.00 (lot #2) and $109,900.00 (lot #3).
LOG CABIN WITH LOFT AND 162 ACRES: Trails and tree
stands ready for the avid hunter or nature lover. Mixed hardwood and softwood bush with some water on the property and
a magnificent mountain scenic view of a large walleye and
pike lake awaiting the angler. Only 45 minutes from the
International Bridge. Asking price 138,900.
5 ACRES - Year-round access; with power, lake and river
frontage. Driveway and building site ready. Excellent Walleye,
Pike and Bass Fishing. 4 miles from international border.
Excellent bear and deer hunting. $49,900
Other Properties
Available Upon Request.
Don't Be Shy, Make An Offer.
All Properties Must Be Sold!
LOOKING FOR OFFERS!!!
ALPENA
1100 W. Chisholm, 49707
email: alpswre@speednetllc.com
989-356-2142 Fax: 989-356-2144
MAINSTREET
Fife Lake
Im not #1, you are.
Curtis
Manistique
Escanaba
Powers
Menominee
Marinette
Sharon LaFrance
810-441-6002
Marquette
www.TrophyClassRealEstate.com
THINKING OF SELLING OR BUYING?
CALL US FIRST!!
877-843-0910
THE LAND
EXPERTS
YOU CAN
TRUST
Measures 100 wide by 219

deep. Mature trees, easy
slope to waters edge, well
and septic in place. Crystal
clear lake with sandy hard
bottom for great swimming.
Nice variety of fish to include
the allusive Walleye. State
and Federal Land nearby for
the hunter. This just might
be a great spot to build that
cabin or year-round home!
Lake Lure Frontage

with expansive and rolling lot, nicely flowing ranch
home with 2 Bedrooms, sunroom, den & oversized 3 car
garage. Setting and location
gives you a life of endless
fishing and relaxed living!
Lake Lure is a no-wake lake
providing solitude and priceless views.
$149,900 MECOSTA COUNTY
$134,900 OSCEOLA COUNTY
Nicely wooded 40 Acres with good hunting history
Lake Michigan Frontage with wooded acreage!
Acreage is made up of
4 separate 10+ Acre
parcels. Private road
brings you in, land has
some trails and an area
groomed for camping,
blinds and seasonal water
source. Great location
near Lake Michigan,
Casino and Manistee
National Forest
Dense wooded terrain to sandy

shoreline, this property will
supply a life-time of recreational fun! So many possibilities
with this unique property. Up to
4 Acres of land with bluff views,
trails, stairway to shoreline
and heavy diverse forest. Options to purchase lots A B & C
separately.
$75,000 MASON COUNTY
$199,000 TO $629,000 MANISTEE COUNTY
Welcome to Lake Cadillac!!
120 Acres of Country living! Brick Home with rolling hunting land
open fields & next to Manistee National Forest. Currently used for horses with
multiple stalls, corrals and
pasture, outbuildings. The
home is solid brick with a
great room concept and can
be heated with the centrally
located wood stove. Only 30
minutes to Traverse City!
Wonderfully kept home sits

high on the lot. Captivating
waterfront enhances this
contemporary 3 bed/2.5
bath home. Virginia
Sandstone Floor, Western
Red Cedar beams, Cedar
Tongue & Groove, Stone
FP, Corian Counters,
Anderson Windows, dock &
boathouse, cathedral ceilings, Master Bath Jacuzzi.
$350,000 WEXFORD COUNTY
150 Acres of award-winning property!
85 Acres with BOAT STORAGE facility 45 min. south of Traverse City

Residence in fair condition, 33
X 28 Garage Shop and (2) 50
X 100 Storage buildings, mix of
some concrete and dirt floors.
Hunters take note: Ponds,
Hardwoods, Thick Cover & rolling topography. Agent witnessed
4 Grouse, 7 deer, 1 nice and
1 respectable buck and lots of
good deer sign in early morning
4 hour walk on property. Subject
to current boat storage lease(s).
Says Professional Forester for the

Oscoda/Ogemaw County Conservation District; If somebody
wants to see what good forest
management looks like this is
where I would take them. It is a
near perfect mix of grassland and
hardwood forest. Habitat for deer,
grouse, turkeys etc. with rolling
terrain, ponds, open space and
heavy cover. Property is a perfect
background for the well kept home,
workshop and barn.
$349,900 OGEMAW COUNTY

GRAND HAVEN
233 WASHINGTON, SUITE 202

GRAND HAVEN, MI 49417
(877) 843-0910

TRAVERSE CITY
4249 US 31 S
TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685
(231) 233-3575
Beautiful lot on Horsehead Lake!
91
TARGET REAL ESTATE SPECIALIZES IN

WATERFRONT HOMES AND HUNTING PARCELS
WE REPRESENT BUYERS AND SELLERS
OSCODA
HALE
169 of Van Etten Lake frontage. This stunning lakefront

home boasts 5 bdrms and 4 baths with 4839 square feet.
Property includes a 3 car garage and 36x54 workshop,
waterfront deck and dock. A must see!
40 partly wooded acres with 2 bdrm/2 bath home. 1200sf

plus 770sf unfinished bsmt. Newer furnace and water
heater, heat w/propane or wood, 2 car garage, 24x42
pole barn, garden shed.
MLS#1817109
Listed at $539,000
MLS#1814524
Listed at $199,900
AU GRES-$49,000, 21 acres of hunting land in agricultural area. Property is wooded with

tall grasses and good cover; lots of deer in the area. MLS#1809814
GREENBUSH - $59,900, 45 acres of hunting land off the beaten path. This rolling parcel is heavily wooded with hardwoods and evergreens. Call today. MLS#1799569
MIKADO - $89,900, 61 acres of prime hunting land. Joins State land and agricultural land. Trails thru-out
the heavily wooded parcel with hardwoods and Tag Alders, and openings for food plots. MLS#1806759
AU GRES - $149,000, 71 acres of hunting land surrounded by other camps. Areas of thick swamp with
some ridges and road frontage with power. Lots of deer and turkey in this location. MLS#1809806
WHITTEMORE-$195,000, 120 acre hunting parcel. Diverse terrain with red oak, white
oak, and red pine. Numerous areas for food plots. Deer, turkey, partridge and other game
are plentiful. MLS#1778247
EAST TAWAS-$259,900, 160 acre hunting camp, QDM is practiced here with food plots, ponds, Kunze
Creek and lots of mature cedar. The turnkey camp has 1 bedroom and 1 full bath. MLS#1806925
MORE PARCELS ARE AVAILABLE . . .

CALL TODAY FOR MORE DETAILS
866-496-4400
TARGET REAL
ESTATE COMPANY
701 W. Bay Street, East Tawas, MI 48730
Office (989)362-4400 Cell (989)370-2152

info@TargetRealEstate.com
www.TargetRealEstate.com
THOUSANDS OF
ACRES AVAILABLE
FROM $11,000 TO $575,000
92
3 Bdrm, 2.5 bth home/cottage. Unique Aframe

on private Lk, peaceful. Must see! Manistique.
2 Bdrm, 1 bth, 22 acres. Cabin built in 2010. Hardwood Impoundment frtg. Great fishing. Hardwood.
2 Bdrm, 2 bth home. 252 Sturgeon River. 10

Acres. 30x40 Pole bldg. 3 Season Rm. St. Jacques.
$154,900 1083871
$89,000 1094330
$218,900 1089445
4 Bdrm, 2 bth home.

Lakefront property close to Fox Park.
Cedar River.
3 Bdrm, 2 bth overlooking Stevens Lake.

Pole Building. Wetmore.
1 Bdrm, 1 bth home. Near Fox Park. 200 Ft

on Lk Michigan. Cedar River.
$159,000 1093130
$239,900 1092875
$109,000 1093343
3 Bdrm, 3 bth home. 100 on Whitefish River.

Two car gar, deck, shed. Rapid River.
3 Bdrm, 1 bth ranch. Round Lk beautiful home. 2

Acres. 249 of shoreline. Dock, private area. Wetmore.
3 Bdrm, 1 bth home. 240 Acres. Built 2005.

1200 Sq. Ft., fireplace, gar, sauna, trails. Rock.
$135,000 1093061
$285,000 1094602
$399,000 1090655
2 Bdrm, 1 bth home or camp. 10 Acres, great country setting. 26x50 Pole bldg. All appliances. Arnold.
40 Acres and comfortable camp. Hardwood ridges

border Federal land. Co Rd access. Great hunting. Osier.
2 Bdrm 1 Bth Ranch on Escanaba River. Cottage with

Garage. The River is Wide & has Rapids. Cornell.
$104,900 1090757
$59,500 1090852
$89,000 1094924
B U I LT E X C L U S I V E LY B Y W O O D H AV E N L O G & L U M B E R
Whether you want a cabin

thats a step up from roughing
it or a truly private retreat
to get away from it all,
WoodHaven has the answer
tiny rustic cabins built inside
and out with superior-quality
WoodHaven log siding,
knotty pine paneling and
barn wood products.
Financing is Available
Tiny Cabins are available in sizes of 12x12 up to 12x30 and
come with an open floor plan or you may choose from five of
our turn key floor plans. View our brochure on our website.
woodhavenlog.com
888.988.PINE (7463)
Fully insulated, wired to code with generator

hookup, LP hookup and finished off with
WoodHavens log siding and interior paneling.
IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN DO.
Call us toll-free for a

sample kit or to schedule
a visit to our mill:
1284 Mapes Road | PO Box 964

Mio, MI 48647
1.888.988.PINE (7463)
FINANCING AVAILABLE
www.woodhavenlog.com
Phone: 989.826.8300
WoodHavens handcrafted log siding, knotty pine paneling and accessories can help
your dreams come true with your existing home, cabin or new project.
93
REAL ESTATE AUCTION

Home/Summer Cottage * Bass Lake * Montcalm Co.
AMAZING MICHIGAN
PROPERTIES
Melanie Lovati
Cell: 810.650.4349
Office: 586.263.8220
Melanie@MelanieLovati.com
7317 Dyke Clay Twp.
PRICED TO SELL!!! 2965 feet of water frontage!! This
ISLAND is a one of a kind opportunity zoned
commercial it would be an ideal spot for a private club,
Bar/Rest/Marina has multiple possible uses. Incredible
location on sandy Munchies Bay this is PURE
Michigan!! City water and Sewer located on
M29 /Dyke Rd. See survey online for dimensions of
island 19 + Acres includes bottom lands, this is a once
in a lifetime opportunity!
8715 North Channel Clay Twp.
Best Walleye, bass, Sturgeon Fishing ANYWHERE!!
Once in a lifetime opportunity. This summer cottage/
island is located in the Flats! Located on premier waters
there is over 300' of steel seawall with the most amazing
view you have ever seen! Great fishing, Great Boat
Traffic and literally a 5 minute boat ride to pick up and
drop off guests from the mainland at Decker's.
Wonderful boathouse is the "Garage" storage shed, 4
bedrooms, open concept. This cottage has been in 1
family for 75 years it IS that special place. Did we
mention how good the fishing is? $249,900.00
7946 Vestaburg Rd., VESTABURG,MICHIGAN (Bass Lake). Or 1 mile west

of Vestaburg on M-46 to Vestaburg Rd. Turn south mile to sale site.
Or 6 miles east of Edmore, Mi. on M-46 to Vestaburg Rd.
South mile to the property. Montcalm County.
FRIDAY, JULY 8 *10:00 AM*

2 Bedroom Home on Bass Lake
Newer asphalt roof on house & garage
1 full bathroom * Brick fireplace
Casement Windows
50 Lake Frontage; Nearly 1 acre of property Circle Drive, large mature trees
Large open kitchen w/ breakfast bar
Cement sea wall & wood deck/dock
Large L.R. w/ plentiful windows facing lake Year round home or Cottage
4-season patio room
Separate laundry room
See www.PavlikLLC.com for all maps,
2-car garage w/head loft
aerials and information
Hotwater heat, 4 well, private septic
OPEN FOR INSPECTION

THR. JUNE 23 & 30 *11AM-1PM*
-Or call for appointment-
9551 MUD HEN Hwy Clay Twp.

Duck Hunter Heaven! Located in one of the best duck
hunting spots in the Flats. The privacy and views from
this location are incredible. 4 Bdrm Cottage is perfect for
family and friends to enjoy. Large Double lot, boat hoist
and awesome TIKI bar! Pontoon Boat negotiable!
15155 Belle River Berlin Twp.
Horsemans and Hunters paradise! 17 Acre Farm is
RD eligible ZERO DP!! The farmhouse is well over 100
years old but has had significant improvements such
as well, septic, siding, front porch, roof, windows new
furnaces, H2o heater, plumbing, electrical and newer
kitchen cabinets, wood floors on 1st floor, newer bath
on 1st floor, updated 2nd floor bath with claw foot tub!
The horse barn has been freshly painted, new doors,
maintenance-free soffits and 7 newer paddocks. Sellers
reserve crop rights on Hay Field till 2019. $205,000
50000 Taylor New Baltimore
Exceptional location for an Executive Retreat! YearRound waterfront action in this amazing property
Lakefront Luxury Living. This home is magazine worth
with architectural detail and design that is incomparable
to anything on the market! 7700 sq. ft. the specifications of this home are amazing. The journey begins as
you enter the 3-story foyer you are entranced by the
underwater mural and custom designed staircase with
a hint of art deco flare, the 2-story great room offers a
fireplace and floor to ceiling Pella windows with the most
incredible view of Anchor Bay. The chefs kitchen has
custom cabinetry, backsplash and granite countertops,
the commercial elevator services all 3 floors, 1st floor
master suite has a bay sitting area, incredible walk-in
closet with built-in shelves, drawers and hanging area,
master bath offers a steam shower, whirlpool tub, dual
sinks and custom cabinets. Game room above garage
plus bonus room, 8-car attached gar, 30,0000 lb. boat
hoist, Trex boardwalk, radiant heated floors plus zoned
HVAC & more. See the associated documents for a
complete spec list. $1,900,000.00
Ravenswood Kimball Twp.
94
There is a total of 40 Acres that can be purchased!

Heavily wooded, nature is bountiful with deer, pheasant,
and wild turkey! Currently split in 3 parcels adjoining
13.24 Acre parcel has a 2 car garage with loft and
underground electric! $49,900 and Up
517 Main Street Marine City
Beautiful river lot in Marine City! Overlooking the
international waterway, this lot is ready to build on!
Plans have been drafted specifically for the lot and are
available upon request. This is a dream location and a
rare find. Build your dream home and enjoy spectacular
views! $199,900.00
HOT PROPERTIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Lori Gamble
989.339.0611
PARTY STORE on popular All

Sport lake with all appropriate Beer,
wine and Liquor licenses. Owners want to retire after 25 years.
$229,900.
Harrison-lovely stone farm house
on 40 acres Scenic Rural vistas
and great hunting! Only $125,900!
GREAT FISHING. Quiet no-wake
lake with an up north feel 2 br,
garage, 3 lots. $99,900.
Eight Point Lake!!! 75 ft of lakefront with ripple sand. Spacious 2
br. 2 ba. cottage. $163,750.
Updated Eight Point Lake home.
4 br, 2 ba. 75 ft frontage, great
views!! $284,900.
Lily lake access! with 5 bedrooms, 2 baths, wood burner
supplemental heat, part basement
and pole barn. $79,900.
Bargain time!! Three bedroom
home with access to Bear lake
$24,500. Fireplace, and garage too.
Sandi Jeffery
989.205.0680
Sears-Super sharp well maintained cottage/year round home located on a beautiful private no wake
lake. If fishing and bird watching are
your passion, look now to own this
summer! $104,900
Harrison-Fabulous large home on
crystal clear Arnold Lake, in upscale
Woodshaw Estates. This home has
all the bells and whistles! Paved
road $359,000
Sears- NICE 3 BR home on a
quiet private no wake lake. 118 of
water frontage! $114,900
Charming 2 BR 2 bath home on
beautiful private all sports Surrey
Lake. Many updates $149,900.
Harrison-NEW Cute and completely remodeled 2BR chalet on
wooded lot with access to Lily
Laket-affordable getaway only
$59,900.
Farwell-Clean well maintained
cottage/year round home on beautiful Five Lakes. Paved Road! Break
taking views of the lake $154,900.
WEST BRANCH
M-33/M-55 OFFICE
1953 S. M-33
West Branch, MI 48661
HALE
OFFICE
ALE
S
R
O
3160 North M-65

Hale, MI48739
10 miles north of I-75 exit 202
Local: 989-345-2662
Toll Free: 800-535-6520
WEST BRANCH
LOOP OFFICE
ALE
S
R
O
2575 S. I-75 Business Loop,

West Branch, MI 48661
Gateway to Huron National Forest
www.CAHANES.com
Local: 989-728-2540
Toll Free: 800-495-2540
1 mile north of I-75 Exit 212
www.CAHANES.com
Local: 989-345-0315
Toll Free: 866-345-0315
YOUR UP NORTH HOMES AND GETAWAYS!!

1799233
1814604
1817489
1799155
1809226
QUAINT UP
NORTH
GETAWAY!
NESTLED
IN THE
WOODS!!
AFFORDABLE
COTTAGE!!
IMMACULATE
LAKEFRONT!!
1244
SQUARE
FEET!!
You can walk to all sports lake from this

cute cabin with newer roof, some furnishings and appliances plus a 24x24 garage
for lots of storage!
Log-sided 2-bdrm home full walkout

bsmt, 10 WOODED ACRES, large outbldg, knotty pine, wood stove, family
room, wood plank floors, deck & more!!
Cozy cabin in great recreational area,

mostly furnished, with loft for sleeping,
nice deck for enjoying the outdoors and
a large shed for more storage space!!
3-bdrm, 4 ba home, full walkout bsmt, garage, two FP, custom work thru-out, family
room, AC, lakeside deck, covered porch,
sandy beach & 2 boat docks!!
3-bedroom on large lot with garage and

2 sheds, family room, wood floors, newer
plumbing , boiler and roof, and not far from
many lakes and hunting land!!
$21,900
$149,900
$34,900
$279,900
$36,000
1816928
1816945
1817558
1816316
70+
ACRES!!
NEAR RIFLE
RIVER REC
PARK!!
GORGEOUS
LAKEFRONT!!
COMPLETELY
REMODELED!!
Fantastic hunting property with 30x40 polebarn/

garage and move-in ready ranch-style home
with some appliances and some furnishings &
LC terms available!!
Cozy 2-bdrm, mostly furnished, on 5

WOODED ACRES with detached garage
w/wood stove, rear deck with fantastic
views, firepit, pond 7 more!!
Spacious 4-bdrm on all sports Lk Ogemaw

on half acre w/garage, full walkout bsmt
w/2nd kitchen area, family room, SS appliances and wrap-around deck!!
Cute home near Bush Lake with loft area for

extra sleeping, fenced yard for pets, storage
and laundry sheds and perfect Up North vacation getaway!!
Immaculate, year round 2-bdrm w/over 175 on lake

and 317 feet on canal, beautiful panoramic views
newer roof & furnace, sandy beach, patio & more!!
$249,900
$37,900
$219,000
$37,900
$215,000
1816667
1812240
1811779
SPECTACULAR
COUNTRY
SETTING!!
ALL SPORTS
GEORGE
LAKE!!
420 ACRE
LAKE!!
NICE
COUNTRY
SETTING!!
Newly remodeled getaway cabin right

near boat ramp and public access to
popular all sports lake w/newer roof and
windows on nicely treed property!!
Spacious, custom-built 3-bdrm, 4 ba, with

garage on 3 ACRES, beautiful views, gazebo, sunroom, porch, FP, marble counters & much much more!!
Walk to lake from this cottage in need of

TLC, with log siding on 4 lots, mostly furnished FP, loft area, 3 storage sheds. Would
make excellent getaway!!
4-bdrm home, full walkout bsmt, garage,

open floor plan, large deck w/great views,
laminate floors, tons of closet space, sandy beach, dock & so much more!!
Easily walk to St land from this 2-bdrm home

on 5 ACRES, with garage and shed, open
floor plan, freshly painted, newer carpet, FP
& great year round!!
$39,900
$172,500
$42,900
$169,900
$54,900
1815363
1816105
21 MOSTLY
WOODED
ACRES!!
AFFORDABLE
LAKEFRONT!!
1817650
1815356
1799166
VICTORIAN
WEST
BRANCH!!
ELNI LAKE
WATERFRONT
HOME!!
REMODELED
LAKE ACCESS!!
Super clean 3-bdrm home in perfect rural location, trails thru-out, front deck w/
beautiful views, garage and great year
round home or hunt camp!!
Cute waterfront cottage w/frontage

on all sports lake, FP, garage, mostly
furnished, enclosed porch, rear patio,
views, built-in bunks & pontoon boat!!
Move-in ready 2 bedroom home near

parks, restaurants and beautiful Irons
Park. Garage and basement for storage
and great 11x16 enclosed porch!!
Spacious 3-bdrm home w/154 water frontage on all sports lake, lots of windows, open
floor plan, FP, garage, deck, patio & gorgeous views!!
This 3-bdrm home has 2 car garage, blacktop drive, newer carpet, fresh paint, full bsmt
w/family room and half bath & is near two all
sports lakes!!
$144,900
$54,900
$59,000
$129,900
$68,500
1813413
1816699
1817720
1802657
1798555
POPULAR SAGE
LAKE!!
LONG LAKE
ACCESS!!
TITTABAWASSEE
RIVER!!
NO WAKE
LAKE!!
FISHING
AT YOUR
DOORSTEP!!
Cozy getaway w/frontage on 785 all sports lake,

newer laminate floors & carpet, newer roof, enclosed porch, loft area, knotty pine, FP & much
more!!
Enjoy access to 493 all sports lake w/movein ready 3-bdrm w/open floor plan, most
appliances, front and back porches plus furnishings & household items!!
Affordable Riverfront home w/108 frnt,

so many updates, beautiful pine floors,
knotty pine interior, large deck, aluminum
boat & mostly furnished!!
2-bdrm home w/frnt on Wallin Lake and 13

ACRES!! Two garages, newer roof & septic,
some furnishings & appliances, FP, covered
porch, views & lakeside deck!!
3-bdrm mobile w/large addition, partly

furnished, garage, spacious deck, 82
frnt on TITTABAWASSEE RIVER, boat
dock, boat, trailer & boat hoist!!
$129,900
$69,900
$69,900
$125,000
$84,000
1808082
1817508
FOREST
LAKE WATERFRONT!!
SPACIOUS
YEAR
ROUND!!
Very nice 3-bdrm w/171 on all sports lake,

full bsmt, extensive decking, lots of windows, views, FP, garage, paved drive &
super subdivision!!
Nice 3-bdrm chalet w/garage on paved road with 4.67

WOODED ACRES, appliances, a bath in each floor,
beautiful views, near lakes & acres of State land!!
$119,900
$94,900
FOR MORE LISTINGS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
1816094
1816415
1799930
NICE
COUNTRY
SETTING!!
BEAUTIFUL
VIEWS ALL
AROUND!!
UPDATED
LAKEFRONT
HOME!!
Spacious 3-bdrm w/123 frnt on Big Williams Lake, large deck w/gorgeous views,
newer steel roof, AC, modern kitchen &
bath, boat dock & 2 boats!!
Well-maintained 3-bdrm on 5 ACRES,

two garages, apple trees, newer shingles, furnace and well, plus a rear deck
w/beautiful views, all not far from town!!
3-bdrm nestled among 13 WOODED

ACRES for privacy, lots of beautiful wildlife in the area, rear deck & covered porch,
oversized garage & 3 sheds!!!
$119,900
$100,000
$116,000
WWW.CAHANES.COM
CANAL AND
LAKEFRONT!!
1817048
1811201
NEAR
SAGE LAKE
ACCESS!!
1798185
95
Brandon
Podolak
VERY RARE LAKE FRONT - On Hillview Lake, east of Big Rapids, 23 acres,
cabin and 1700+ feet of waterfront. Family, Corporate, Development potential. $449,000
MUSKEGON RIVER SOUTH OF BIG RAPIDS - THE VIEW worth 10x the price,
great boating. Newly renovated. This is a Knock-Out Waterfront property. $149,900
20 ACRES - Wooded building sites and open land. Paved road 1/2 mile from 5000 acres of
Manistee National Forest, 7 miles west of Big Rapids, close to Hungerford Lake. $60,000
Hunting and Farm

Land Specialist
Cell: 989.251.9060
www.mwpbigbucksales.com
www.michiganwhitetailproperties.com
ARENAC
REALTY CO.
82.46 ACRES - Great hunting land not far from Hawkins, Barton Twp. Newaygo Co.
Nicely wooded and rolling. Shack sleeps 12. Buck Pole in place. $135,000
Jack Frizzell
(231)598-6700
http://jackfrizzell.fivestarmichigan.com
Hunters!
Fishermen!
240 ACRES HEARTSONG

SANCTUARY has well groomed
trails, several ponds, elevated deer
blinds, strategically placed duck blinds
& wildlife galore. Bordered on 3 sides
by Huron Natl Forest near Hale.
Large bunk house, newer pole bldg.
& custom one-room A-frame retreat
cabin. $475,000. (Great package deal if
you purchase this AND sellers 6000 SF
home w/guest house on
Lake Huron near Tawas!)
Contact Barb Hilborn
96
CORNER 20 ACRES - 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, home with finished work shop in garage
plus 48x44 pole barn, Quality construction. $249,000
9-Acre
Wooded
Lakefront
Improved Lot
174 ft. Lake Frontage on Jug Lake
Abundant Turkey and Deer
9.1 Acre 300 wide x 1322 deep
White Pine, Birch and Hard Maple

Throughout Property
Easy Access to Highway 42
$59,000
Sales Associate
Office: 989-876-8171
Cell: 989.903.5344
New Workshop Building on Lot
ARENAC REALTY CO.
Lazer-Leveled Foundation
For More Information

Contact Laura
Pete Stanley & Assoc.
Gated Gravel Driveway
906-573-2088 or
314 E. Huron (US-23)

AuGres, MI 48703
Lot has been Surveyed and Staked
Septic System in Place
765-277-3747
RANDY MINTO
LAKE OGEMAW MARINA
GENESEE COUNTY LAKEFRONT DREAM

PROPERTY
Always Working Hard for You!
REALTOR
1,095,000
Direct:
810.449.1286
OGEMAW COUNTY
Own your own Marina! Located on a 600-acre Private All-Sports Lake.
2 Large Storage Buildings, 16 Boat Slips, Turn-key operation. 225 ft of
Lake Frontage. Avalon Pontoon Dealer. $650,000
One of a Kind! Secluded on a

Private All-Sports Lake. Hunting & Rec activities. Perfect for
Entertaining. 3 hole Golf Course.
1500 ft of Frontage. Addtl 1280
ft Beach House. Huge Pole Barn.
- OR Office:
810.653.4500
66 ACRES
SPECIALIZING IN UNIQUE, LUXURY AND LARGE RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES

DEER
CLARE COUNTY
&
NATURE
LOVERS
DREAM
PROPERTIES
31.5 ACRES
90 ACRES
AWESOME HUNT CLUB
OVER ONE MILE ON THE MUSKEGON RIVER
Over 500 feet on Muskegon River
Over 5,600 feet on Muskegon River
$89,900
$239,900
121.5 Acres for $329,800
LICENSED DEER RANCH
156.66 ACRES
ALCONA COUNTY
Amazing property and Hunting Camp, 4BR on

Pine River. Bear, Deer, lots of wildlife. Apple orchard.
Fish and canoe the river. $325,000
PRIME HUNTING!
128 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY
Newly Renovated, 41 tillable acres, 3 ponds, 65% Wooded. Great
Development & Commercial Possibilities. A Rare Gem! $599,900
PRICE REDUCED
$1,350,000
34 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY
10 ACRES
HURON COUNTY
LAKE FRONT
80-100 DEER
20-25 TROPHY BUCKS
Beautiful Home, Guest House and Pole Barn.
Licensed Deer Ranch in Davison. 6-car garage, pond, 5 blinds, 3 lg feeders,

Lg polebarn. 4BD, 3BA, walkout & up basement $849,000
$199,000
AMAZING PRICE
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
257 ACRES
OAKLAND
COUNTY
Great Building Site. Nicely
wooded. 1/2 Mile from Brandon
Schools. $99,800
210 ACRES
IN THE UP
ALPENA COUNTY
AMAZING
PREVIOUSLY
PHEASANT
PRESERVE
200 TILLABLE ACRES
Great farming, income producing, Pheasant Preserve Possibilities, over 1/2 mile
on Belle River, multiple Outbuildings, 2 Ponds. $1,350,000
1/4 MILE ON
ST. MARYS RIVER
840 ACRES
4 Cabins and 2 hunting camps, 2 pole barns, Duck Marsh, Trout

pond, 05 Tractor w/equip., 1 ATV, stocked toolshed, 11 heated
blinds/feeders/food plots, miles of trail systems on Wolf River and
Widner River. 5-mile private entrance. Hardwoods, pines and 150
acres of cedar swamp. Fantastic wildlife; Trophy Whitetail Deer,
Black Bear, Bobcat, Coyote, and Wild Turkeys abound.
CHIPPEWA COUNTY
Cozy log cabin with loft. Beach frontage. Secluded,
Great Hunting, Fishing, Boating.
$219,900
LAPEER COUNTY 28 ACRES
108 ACRES
30 ACRES LAPEER COUNTY

Amazing Barn Home, over 2,000 sq ft. Walkout basement. Awesome loft rec room.
Nicely renovated Second home, 1,116 sq ft. is a rental, $850/mo income potential.
$395,000
20 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY
SHIAWASSEE RIVER
4,400 SQ. FT 6BD, 3.5BA LOG HOME, & Pool House. Great for entertaining
& Hunting. Deer Hunter & Nature Lovers Dream Property!
$389,000
MECOSTA COUNTY
SHIAWASSEE LAKE
Unlimited Outdoor Fun. Great Building site with Great Development possibilities. Lake & Riverfront. $775,000
LAPEER COUNTY
CLARE COUNTY
BASS LAKE
100 frontage, Private Lake. Enjoy 1/20th
Ownership of
520 Acres $219,000
86 ACRES
OSCODA COUNTY
32 ACRES
3900 sq. ft. Amazing log interior with
Rustic Log Home, Organic Farm,
knotty pine, custom built
$279,000
11 tillable acres.
$99,800
Fantastic Development Opportunity.

30-2 Acre Lots approx. Currently Zoned
agriculture. $595,000
120 ACRES
CLARE COUNTY
Prime Hunting & Nature Lovers Dream Property. 90% wooded, hardwoods,
pines & cedars. Nice hunting cabin built 2001. 2BD & 1BA. 5 Deer Blinds.
$299,900
154 ACRES ST CLAIR COUNTY

*McDonalds
80 ACRES
Deer Hunters Dream Property, Private, 2-streams.
Large Elevation changes. $275,000
157 ACRES
GENESEE
COUNTY
110 ACRES
Great Development Opportunity. Several Outbuildings. 80-90 Tillable Acres. $449,900
1/2 MILE ON MILL CREEK

New listing description: Ranch home, multiple outbuildings. Wooded, 40 acres
tillable. Awesome hunting cabin overlooks Mill Creek. Apple trees in a Wildlife
Paradise
$495,000
COMMERCIAL
US 10
MIDLAND COUNTY
Great Development Opportunity near Sanford Lake. 10 miles

NW of Midland Twp. Great location, off of US 10 on M-30, by
McDonalds, Subway, Shell gas station. $1,150,000
Call Randy Minto Or Visit: www.RandyMinto.C21.com

Email: rminto@c21metrobrokers.com
www.MIDREAMPROPERTIES.com
SANILAC
COUNTY
97
DAN DAN
LOG CABIN
FURNITURE
THEMATTRESSMAN.COM
WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC
Queen Log Bed $19999
Queen Size Log Headboard
CHECK
US OUT
ON THE
WEB!
7500
5 Drawer Chest Only

$
199
4 Drawer Chest
$
189
2 Drawer Night Stand

$
149
Finished Cedar Log Bed
ONLY
29999
BUNK BEDS Solid Wood Complete with Mattresses $29999

Rocker Recliners
From
19999
Rustic End Tables
from
98
14999
Log
Futons
39999
MORE SIZES,
SOLID WOOD,
AMERICAN MADE!
Mini
Cabins
starting at
1999
99
N
A
CALL
ANYTIME
(989)-832-1866
D
N
DA
Mattress
Not Included
THEMATTRESSMAN.COM 802 ASHMAN ST., MIDLAND
Let's Go Fishing!
Anglers
Choice
Pontoon
STARTING AT:
2016 Sweetwater 2086 BF

40hp Yamaha
2016 Polar Kraft 179 WT

90hp
Yamaha With
Trailmaster
Trailer
*plus tax, title & freight
STARTING AT:
22,995
189
Payments $
as low as...
per month
19,995 $169
per month
*PLUS TAX, TITLE & FREIGHT
Polar Kraft 2010 CC
Yamaha 115hp
4-Stroke With
Trailmaster
Trailer
70hp
Yamaha With
Trailmaster
Trailer
25,990*
189
ALL PACKAGES
POWERED BY
YAMAHA
2016 Polar Kraft 166 WT
STARTING AT:
Payments $
as low as...
Payments
as low as...
per month
STARTING AT:
19,999*
Payments $
as low as...
159
per month
Chene Anchor
THE KNOWLEDGEABLE BOATERS
Holding Power
Retrievability Durability
BEST CHOICE
Slip Ring Anchors that use rope ONLY, no chain!
517-202-2949
SPORTS
CENTER
Sales@Cheneanchor.com
Manufactured by Epic Machine Inc. Fenton, Michigan
Visit us at www.freeway-sports.com for a complete listing of boats!
FULL SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES

Service Department Indoor & Outdoor Storage
(810) 629-2291
Exit 84 on US-23
FLINT
EXIT 84
59
FREEWAY
SPORTS CENTER
FENTON
23
3241 Thompson Rd.

Fenton, MI 48430
Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 9am - 6pm
Sat. 9am - 5pm
Sun. 12noon - 5pm
PONTIAC
96
ANN ARBOR
DETROIT
SPORTS
CENTER
w w w. f r e e w a y - s p o r t s . c o m
sales@freeway-sports.com
31516 Harper Avenue

St. Clair Shores, MI 48082
Phone (586) 296-2360

Fax (586) 264-8307
STORE HOURS:
Mon. - Fri: 10am-7pm;
Sat: 10am-4pm; Closed Sunday
Michi-GUN
Available at:
Layaways Welcome
www.michi-gun.com

07 16

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