02 17

FEBRUARY 2017
$4.00
Woods-n-Water News
Michigans Premier Outdoor Publication
Steven Schmidt
13-point & 11-point
Tim Eishen
20-point
Ryan Deveney
12-point
Scott
Renfer
12-point
MDNR Considering Changes to Pike Regs. 'Tie One On'
When Will Our Bucks Drop Their Antlers? Bear Harvest
Live & Soft Baits 'On Ice' Bring Those Coyotes Running
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WNW NEWS FEBRUARY 2017 3
By Tom Campbell...
More Big Bucks
Tall Tined
Buck...
Wide Buck...
Lou Clark of Laingsburg headed to his elevated blind

on the edge of an alfalfa field on his 75 acres the
morning of Nov. 16 with no intentions of harvesting a
buck. At first light he passed on a nice buck. Around
7:30 he spotted a big deer coming out of the thick
stuff, a big buck, all by himself. Lou had to calm his
nerves a little as he raised his 20 ga. and waited for a
good shot, he judged the 11-pt. to be 80 yards away.
Lou couldnt believe it, his trophy book buck had a
21 inch spread with four tines over 11 inches, green
scored put it number 3 biggest in Clinton Co. Lou, commented since harvesting the monster, his neighbors,
from all around, have trail cam photos of his buck, one
was over 5 miles away. Lou said, I dont use cameras,
I figure if you play the wind right and theyre there its
good and if not there, well, theyre not there!
SEASONS
Open All Year Pike and walleye season on Lower
Peninsula Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair & St. Clair &
Detroit Rivers
Open All Year Salmon and trout season on Great
Lakes, St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair & St. Clair &
Detroit Rivers
Open All Year Catch-and-immediate-release bass
season on all Michigan waters open to fishing
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-March 1 Squirrel - Fox and Gray (black
phase included) season statewide
Now-March 31 Cottontail rabbit and snowshoe
hare season statewide
Now-Jan. 31 Raccoon hunting statewide
Now-March 1 Fox hunting season statewide (red
and gray)
Now-Feb. 1 Spring Turkey application period
Jan. 21-Feb. 11 Late goose season South Zone
(excluding some GMUs, see specific regulations)
Feb. 1-March 31 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
4 FEBRUARY 2017 WNW NEWS
Cover Buck...
December Archery BuckEdward Bowers arrowed this wide 13-point with a 24 inch outside spread with his crossbow hunting Genesee
County in the evening.
Scott Renfer of Jackson and his wife moved from the city
a year ago to a property located in the country. They set
up a food plot and they have had non-stop deer activity
throughout the year in 2016. Their trail cams caught several
bucks ranging from 8-pts. to 12-pts. during the second
week of muzzleloader 2016. Their property is only 3 acres
however it is located between two very large stands of pine
and adjacent to two agricultural fields with a running river.
Theyve sat out in their backyard hunting the food plot for
many nights since the early doe season without any success.
However, on Sunday Dec. 18 at last light, this big buck came
in and gave Scott a 20 yard shot with his new Thompson
Center Muzzle Loader. The first time he shot his new gun at a
deer. It hit the mark! Scott commented, This will most likely
be the biggest buck I will ever shoot and will also be the
most memorable! A beautifully symmetrical 12-pt.
Lake sturgeon season on Black Lake to begin Feb. 4
The MDNR has announced that the 2017 lake sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake (Cheboygan
County) will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. All
anglers must register to participate in the lake sturgeon
season.
The 2017 total recreational harvest limit for Black
Lake is seven lake sturgeon. However, to reduce the
chance of exceeding the harvest limit, officials will
close the season when one of two scenarios occurs:
1) Once the sixth fish is harvested, or
2) If five fish have been harvested at the end of
any fishing day.
Fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day of the
season. The season will end either at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 8, or when one of the above scenarios is met, at which point anglers will be notified on the
ice by DNR personnel that they must immediately stop
fishing for lake sturgeon.
Anglers 17 years of age or older must possess a
valid Michigan fishing license. In addition, all anglers
must possess a lake sturgeon tag, available for free
from all license vendors. Anglers must have both of
these prior to registering for the Black Lake sturgeon
season.
The 2017 angler registration process will be similar to what was enacted several years ago. Anglers
need only to register once for the entire season. An
early registration will be held at the DNR Onaway
Field Station from 2 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3. This station is located approximately 5 miles north of Onaway
on Route 211. Anglers can pick up their fishing identification flags at this time and learn more about season
logistics and sturgeon populations from the DNR.
Anglers unable to participate in the Friday registration may register Saturday only at the registration
trailer located at Zolner Road ending on Black Lake.
Morning registration begins at 7 a.m. Anglers are
strongly encouraged to register Friday, Feb. 3.
At registration, anglers will be issued a disposable
flag that must be displayed each day at the entrance of
their shanty.
Anglers who harvest a lake sturgeon must immediately tag the fish, contact an on-ice DNR employee,
and register the fish at the Zolner Road trailer.
Registration may include an examination of internal

organs and removal of a piece of fin tissue for DNA
analysis and aging.
Registration logistics were developed in recent
years to allow greater participation by anglers while
also protecting the population of lake sturgeon in
Black Lake from over-harvest. In addition, the DNR
and Michigan State University have been determining
annual population estimates of adult fish from the
spring spawning run with the assistance of Sturgeon
for Tomorrow, which allows officials to set a safe harvest level in cooperation with tribal agencies.
Rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in the Cheboygan
River watershed is a cooperative effort involving the
DNR, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for
Tomorrow, MSU, various tribal agencies and TowerKleber Limited Partnership.
For more details, anglers may call the DNR
Customer Service Center in Gaylord at 989-732-3541
or visit Michigan.gov/fishing.n
Free Fishing Weekend

Grab a fishing rod and enjoy some of the finest
fishing Michigan has to offer during the 2017 Winter
Free Fishing Weekend, set for Saturday and Sunday,
Feb. 18-19. On those two days, everyone residents
and non-residents alike can fish without a license,
though all other fishing regulations still apply.
During #MiFreeFishingWeekend, the DNR also
will waive the regular Recreation Passport entry fee
that grants vehicle access to Michigans 103 state
parks and recreation areas. Several of these locations
will host official 2017 Winter Free Fishing Weekend
events perfect for the whole family.
Official winter #MiFreeFishingWeekend activities
are being scheduled in communities across the state to
assist with public participation. These activities are
coordinated by a variety of organizations including
constituent groups, schools, local and state parks, businesses and others. A full list of these events can be
found online at michigan.gov/freefishing.n
HUNTING
COVER STORY
Giant Calhoun
County Bucks
Jerry Lambert page 8
Bring those
coyotes running
Kenny Darwin page 20
Bear Forum
COYOTES
Stephen King page 74
2016 bear harvest

Richard P. Smith page 75
aren't fun anymore
Introducing kids
to hunting
By Darryl Quidort...page 48
FISHING
Live bait
and softbait:
Ice fishing
great debait
Tie One On!
Mark Romanack page 16
Late Ice
Walleyes
Mike Gnatkowski
...page 26
One incredible
archery hunt
Guest-Steve Schmidt
page 28
Wintertime
squirrel hunting
Tom Lounsbury page 38
High-tech
ice-fishing
Mark Sak page 36
Zeroing in on
Erie's Steelhead
Elk antler from

1800s found?
Michigan DNR
considering new
northern pike
regulations
When will
Michigan's bucks
drop their antlers
Betty Sodders:
A Pioneer
Outdoor Writer
Sharon Kennedy page 44
Wildlife in winter
'Best Bets' for ice

fishing success
Mighty Mouse nest
John Bergsma page 55
Installing your
new electronics
Capt. Fred Davis page 57
Guest-Tony Karsen page 41
Dave Mull page 70

FEBRUARY 2017
Jonathan Schechter
page 60
Sporting Collectibles:
My made in
Michigan fishing
lure wish list
Part II
Terry McBurney page 82
ater News
Check trees for

hemlock woolly
adelgid
page 31
DNR battling
invasive
grass carp
page 42
COs on deer
season patrol
Jeff Pendergraff page 64
PERSPECTIVE
The 'Barbasol'
Approach
Tom Carney page 32
Ron St. Germain page 88
OPINIONS
There's a
difference between
APRs and MARs
Guest-Curtis Stone
page 75
GUNS/AMMO
Gun Chat:
Shooting
and recoil
Lee Arten page 66
Black Powder:
Filling a
black powder
grocery list
Dennis Neely page 67
page 84
DEPARTMENTS . . .
Plowing moose
on Isle Royale
Trophy Page. . . 72-73 Classifieds . . . . 89-90
John Ozoga page 86
COVER PHOTO
Bill Ziegler page 12
Dear Fish Diary:

What's the
strangest thing
you've caught
Trail Cam Photos
$4.00
Jerry Lambert page 61
OUTDOOR NEWS
Mark Romanack page 53
The "Salute the

Troops Swamp
Buck"
Scott Renfer...page 4
Tim Eishen...page 8
Ryan Deveney...page 8
Steve Schmidt...page 28
FEATURE
George Rowe page 58
Kayak On
Cold Water:
Suit up and
use your head
Big Berrien
County Buck
Tom Huggler page 62
Randy Jorgensen page 22
Mark Martin page 14
Do what
you can do
Life isn't
always fair
Michigan
Meanders:
About that
New Year's
Resolution
Betty Sodders page 80
MDNR page 10
Patrick Bevier page 40
Roger Beukema page 46
Second chance
Newfoundland
moose
Ice Fishing Basics
Angler
seeking
Antlers
Letters/Op-Ed . . 74-77 Real Estate . . . . 91-97
8107240254
P.O. Box 278, Imlay City, MI 48444

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Tim Eishen with his

20-point trophy buck!
Ryan Deveneys
monster buck!
Giant Calhoun County Bucks
f youve traveled from

Detroit to Chicago, then
you have been in Calhoun
County. It is located in
southern Michigan and has
two major interstate highways crossing within its border, I-94
and I-69. It is also the home of both
Tony the Tiger and Sugar Bear, mascots created by Kelloggs and Post
Foods that have factories located
in the counties biggest city, Battle
Creek. It is also the spot where one
million gallons of oil dumped into
the Kalamazoo River.
On a more positive note, Calhoun is like all of the other counties
in the bottom two tiers of the state,
and has a rich history of producing
world-class whitetails. The current
state record blackpowder non-typical was taken in Calhoun County.
Tim Tackett shot the monster buck
in 2007, which scored 215 1/8
inches via the Boone & Crockett
measuring scale.
In 2005, Dan Farmer shot a
non-typical during archer season
that scored 193 3/8 Pope & Young.
Earlier this year, Kris Ambrose
shot a 170 inch 12-pointer that was
featured in the December issue of
Woods-N-Water News.
On December 8, 2016, Tim
Eishen shot a 20-point non-typical
that has currently been green scored
just shy of the coveted 200-inch
standard. It grosses 197 inches
even though a couple of tines were
broken off, including one that would
of exceeded another four inches of
bone so the what if factor says that
this buck grew more than 200 inches

of antler in 2016.
Eishen has a long history with
the big deer. He has been watching
this buck for five years. In fact, he
passed up this deer in 2014, even
though at the time it sported an impressive 13-point rack that the hunter estimated would have scored in
the 150 range. Why? Well,
I asked him why and Tim
replied, I had already shot
some really nice bucks but I
knew that this buck had the
potential to be something
great so I wanted to let him
go to let him grow and as it
turned out I was right. He
developed into being a really great buck!
To understand
how this could be
possible you need to no more of the
story. You see, for over twenty-five
years, Tim has owned a fifty-one
acre farm that borders Bakers Bird
Sanctuary which according to the
Sanctuarys website is nearly 900
acres in size. There is no hunting allowed in the Sanctuary and
the habitat consists of ideal, thick
whitetail cover. Many deer are able
to grow to old age. Eishen draws the
deer onto his property by planting
food plots as well as cash crops.
This year, he left a row of soybeans
standing in the middle of a field and
this became a favorite destination
for hungry winter deer.
Ironically, on December 8, the
big buck didnt come from the direction of the Sanctuary but instead
came from across the road. Eishen

says, When I first saw him he was
about one hundred yards out. He
was walking directly at me. I waited
until he came into forty yards. He
turned broadside and I pulled the
trigger. I made a perfect heart shot.
He only ran about fifty yards. I
had one of my two boys with me,
Hunter, he helped me retrieve the big buck. I really
enjoyed my kids reaction.
They were both ecstatic that
I had finally shot the big
one!
Another Calhoun
County giant was shot on
November 19, in Ceresco.
Ryan Deveney was hunting
on his good friend
John Schraggs property when the proverbial buck of a lifetime appeared.
It was a Saturday, and Ryan was
quite content to sit inside and watch
MSU and WMU football because
the weather was less than desirable
with thirty mile an hour wind gust
and frigid temperatures. However,
Johns stepson, Sam Mateer wanted
to hunt so he forced Ryan to go.
Ryan said, I got to my stand a
little before 4 p.m. I use a climber
and climbed twenty feet up a tree in
the middle of the woods. John had
hinge-cut several trees to create
bedding cover and I was downwind
of the thicket. The wind was brutal
and I was miserable. At 5:28 p.m., I
saw a glimpse of horn and knew that
I was looking at a shooter. I thought
that he was this big 10-point that
By Jerry Lambert
some of the guys had seen earlier.

I took my eyes off the horns and
focused on getting a shot. I took
the shot when the buck was standing only twenty-five yards away.
He tucked his tail and ran into the
thicket and disappeared. I tried to
stop shaking, gathered my stuff and
walked over to Sams stand. I wasnt
sure of the hit, so I chose to wait a
couple of hours before looking for
him.
We went back to the house and
watched the WMU football game.
Two hours later we went back outside to look for it and found a solid
blood trail for about sixty yards but
then it disappeared. We decided to
back out and return in the morning.
John found it the following morning.
The buck had doubled back on
his own trail and that is why we
didnt find it the night before. I
had no idea that I had shot such a
big buck. We had a pretty special
moment filled with high-fives and
laughter. Of course, we took some
pictures and the buck went viral. It
seemed unbelievable to me that this
buck was out there. I had no idea.
No one had ever seen it and we had
no trail camera pictures of it.
Ryan had made an agreement
with John that if he ever shot a hog
(giant buck) that he would have it
mounted and hang it in Johns man
cave. Now that it has actually happened, he says that he is going to
keep to his commitment. Ryan adds,
Im just happy that my buddy lets
me hunt his private land.n
Prepared By The MDNR...
ICE FISHING
ichigan is a place
where anglers can
take up their rod
and fish year-round
with the expectation
of having fantastic
experiences. Winter is no exception,
with thousands of lakes open to ice
fishing.
Although not everyones first
pick for recreational activity, ice
fishing attracts thousands of Michigan men and women according to
some estimates, roughly a fourth of
all Michigan anglers say they fish
through the ice who brave winter
weather to keep on fishing. Many
say they actually prefer fishing
through the ice to the open-water
sport.
Ice fishing is a terrific way for
the entire family to enjoy Michigans world-class fisheries during
the winter season, said Darren
Kramer, northern Lake Michigan
unit manager for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Ice fishing can be as simple or
as complex as an angler chooses
to make it.
But for beginners, theres not a
lot to getting started. Anglers need
just three things: something to make
a hole in the ice with, something to
clear that hole and keep it open, and
something to fish with.
There are two basic tools for
opening holes in the ice, spuds or
augers. Spuds are long-handled
tools with chisel-like heads used to
gouge holes through the ice. A spud
is all thats needed when the ice is
relatively thin.
As the ice thickens, however, an
auger a corkscrew-like device with
cutting blades on the end allows
anglers to drill a hole. As the ice
gets extremely thick, power augers
driven by batteries or small gasoline
engines are extremely helpful.
Once a hole is opened, it must
be cleared. A skimmer or slush
scoop which resembles a ladle
with holes in the cup can remove
slush and ice from the water surface
in the open hole. Plastic skimmer or
scoop models are inexpensive and
available wherever fishing tackle is
sold.
The vast majority of anglers
fish the same way they do during
open-water season with a rod or
pole. It can be as simple as a thin
dowel with a line attached to the end
or it can be a high-dollar rod made

of modern materials with an equally
expensive reel. There are countless
options in between. Many anglers
begin with simple fiberglass rods
with small spring-tension spools
to hold line, and they never see the
need to upgrade.
I think that one of the real
attractions to ice fishing is that an
angler doesnt need to buy a lot of
expensive gear to get started and try
it, Kramer said.
Anglers can fish through the
ice for every species that swims in
Michigan, though they may not be
able to keep everything they catch.
(Largemouth and smallmouth bass,
for instance, must be immediately
released from Jan. 1 to the Friday
before Memorial Day.) And although you can catch all species on
the simplest gear, all sorts of tackle
exists for anglers who specialize in
particular species.
The most popular fish targeted
by ice fishermen are the same as
those sought by most open-water
anglers: panfish. Bluegills, sunfish,
yellow perch and crappie are all
highly sought as they are relatively
easy to catch and make fine table
fare.
Panfish are terrific for introducing kids, family and friends to ice
fishing for the first time, Kramer
said.
Small weighted hooks, such as
tear drops or jigs, tipped with insect
larva are the most popular baits,
though some prefer minnows, especially for perch or crappie. But some
eschew bait completely, although
they use weighted flies or artificial
lures, such as tiny spoons or plastictipped jigs.
Walleye are among the more
glamorous quarry of anglers.
Plenty of others prefer to fish for the
various species of trout. Still others
prefer pike or muskellunge, which
brings us to other forms of fishing
beyond rods and reels.
Tip-ups are devices that are set
on the ice above the hole and are
used to suspend bait in the water
column below. Tip-ups feature
spring-loaded flags that tip up
when the bait is taken, alerting the
angler to the strike. Tip-ups are most
commonly associated with pike fishing, though they can be used for any
number of species walleye, trout,
even perch.
A group of anglers enjoying a day ice fishing in Michigan. MDNR photo

Fishing with tip-ups is a great
way to move around while ice
fishing, especially on cold blustery
days, said Cory Kovacs, DNR
acting Lake Superior unit manager.
The excitement of running for
the flag is what really warms the
anglers.
Because anglers are allowed
to fish three lines, many set tip-ups
while actively fishing with rods.
Others particularly those who target pike, muskie or sturgeon prefer
spearing. Simply put, they cut a
large hole in the ice, usually with an
ice saw or chainsaw, and sit beside
it, waiting for a fish to swim into
range.
Most spearing takes place inside
shelters, as its easier to see into
the water when the light is blocked.
This has given rise to the term
dark-house spearing, and many
spear fishermen build comfortable
shacks (commonly called shanties)
to fish from. Most anglers use portable shacks they can drag out with
them and remove from the ice when
they leave for shore.
Anglers who spear typically use
decoys either live or artificial to
lure fish into range. There are many
restrictions to spear fishing, so be
sure to consult the Michigan Fishing
Guide for information.
Although many rod-and-reel
anglers are content to sit on a bucket
(which doubles as a gear carrier)
on the ice while they fish, it can be
miserable even unbearable during the depths of winter.
Portable shanties not only block
the wind and elements, they allow
anglers to use small heaters, making
the experience less physically taxing.
Either way, its important to
dress for the weather, even if youre

fishing from a well-appointed, insulated shanty. It can be awfully cold
getting there.
Moisture-wicking underwear
helps keep anglers dry. You can
work up a real sweat trudging across
the ice, especially if youre dragging
a shanty or carrying heavy equipment, and wool clothing continues
to provide warmth even when wet.
Modern, insulated outerwear made
for ice anglers is sure to keep you
warm.
Waterproof boots are de rigueur,
and moisture-wicking socks, under
wool socks, are helpful too. A thermos of a hot beverage alcohol is
not recommended will help keep
anglers warm on the ice.
Those interested in ice fishing,
but who are wary of the learning
curve, might find it helpful to attend one of the Hard Water Schools
offered this winter by the DNR at
the Carl T. Johnson Hunt and Fish
Center at Mitchell State Park in
Cadillac.
Programs are scheduled for Jan.
28 and Feb. 25. These sessions, led
by seasoned anglers and DNR
staffers will teach you everything
you need to know to get started
ice fishing, and include an afternoon on the ice with hands-on
instruction.
To register for the Hard Water
Schools, visit www.michigan.gov/
outdoorskills.
Another opportunity to try ice
fishing is during the DNRs Free
Fishing Weekend Feb. 18-19. During this weekend, anglers may fish
without having to purchase a fishing
license. However, all fishing regulations on daily bag limits and other
provisions still apply.n
Michigan DNR is considering

changing its northern pike regulations
By Bill Ziegler
ce fishing for northern pike

is one of Northern Michigans most popular winter
fishing activities. In 1993
the Michigan DNR Fisheries
Chief approved a statewide
fishing regulation change to significantly raise the minimum size limit
(MSL) for northern pike from 20
to 24 inches. The goal to improve
the size structure of northern pike
populations by limiting the anglers
harvest in Northern Michigan has
not worked.
In the Upper Peninsula the DNR
is considering changing the overall
MSL to no size limit, although only
one fish in the bag limit could be
over 24 inches. Upper Peninsula
Sportsmans Alliance (UPSA) Fisheries Committee discussions with
the current Fisheries Chief indicate
he is open to this proposed change.
This proposed change has been
endorsed by the Upper Peninsula
Sportsmans Alliance.
Fisheries biologists have long
known that for higher minimum
size limits to work, the majority
of the target species in most of the
waters to be regulated must have
good growth rates and low rates
of natural mortality. In northern
Michigan, waters with good pike
growth rates are rare. The majority
of Upper Michigans pike waters
are well documented to be relatively
slow growing pike that experience
high natural mortality. Those two
factors would make increased pike
minimum size limits incapable of
working on almost all U.P. waters.
Michigan has used a Statewide
Fish Growth Standards to measure
the status of fish growth in a local
fisheries survey. Wisconsin DNR
recognized early on that fisheries
ecology varied considerably from
Southern Wisconsin to Northern
Wisconsin. They have long maintained regional fish growth indices
to compare fish survey data. These
Regional Fish Growth Average
Standards give a true and realistic measure of a growth rate found
in any local fisheries survey. The
Michigan State Fish Growth
Indices are highly biased by much
better growth conditions that existed
downstate for northern pike. This
Southern Michigan data is used in
the current Michigan Fish Growth
Index.
The proposed pike regulations
take into account the typical Upper
Michigan pike growth and relatively high natural mortality rates.
The author with a 42 inch pike

caught and released (right)
from Por tage Lake in Houghton
County. Por tage Lake is one of
the few lakes in the UP with the
quality pike habitat to produce
trophy sized pike. Large female
pike help maintain the waters
pike size structure, fish community balance and are not that
good to eat, compared to pike in
the 20 inch range.
For a relatively higher MSL of 24
inches on northern pike to work,
regulations need to allow older
faster growing fish to stockpile. If
pike have a relatively high natural
mortality, not enough fish survive
to have a reasonable number of fish
over the MSL. With northern pike
the females are the faster growing
sex and in most waters they are the
only ones to attain trophy status let

alone become a legal size of 24
inches or greater.
One strong concern at the time
of the pike regulation change in
1993 was that this regulation would
backfire by putting undue pressure
of harvest on the only fast growing
female fish. In this situation anglers
would crop off the faster growing
female fish as they attained the 24
inch MSL and most of the male
northern pike would not ever become legal sized before they died of
natural causes. This would greatly
reduce the likelihood of any pike
attaining trophy size.
About 20 years ago Wisconsin
DNR Fisheries followed Michigan
DNRs lead by establishing Wisconsin minimum size limits on walleye
and bass. They did not apply these
same minimum size limits on northern pike. Instead, they recognized
a strong diversity of pike ecology
from Southern to Northern Wisconsin. They established a relatively
high minimum size limit in Southern Wisconsin where pike typically
have limited pike populations with
excellent growth rates.
In roughly the northern half of
their state (which has many ecological similarities to Michigan)
they have no minimum size limit
on northern pike with a bag limit
of five. They knew that the size
limit on pike in the north would not
work and could even be counterproductive. The 24 inch minimum
size limit is similar to the 10 inch
minimum size limit on brook trout
in Michigan Type 2 streams. Very
few trout attain legal size and that
causes the anglers who want to keep
trout to try to sneak sublegal sized
trout off the stream. We do not have
a survey to see what the angler compliance is with the current pike size
limit, although we do have a survey
of the 10 inch trout size limit and we
found compliance was low among
anglers.
Before my retirement I served
on a statewide committee to evaluate the success or lack there of the
new cool water (bass and pike) fish
regulations. I established a robust
survey schedule to evaluate the
regulation changes of 1993. Luckily, we had a good cross section of
surveys that included pre-regulation
data on all the species where regulation changes had been made. In
the case of largemouth and smallmouth bass, we found a significant
improvement in size structure and
percentage of legal sized fish after
a couple years when their size limit
was increased to 14 inches.
We also had over 30 preregulation change surveys on the

Crystal Falls Fisheries District pike
waters. Our surveys showed that
overall in our pike waters the average growth rate was over 2 inches
behind Michigan state average
growth rates but was the same as
Wisconsin Regional growth rates
for Northern Wisconsin. The same
set of data on pike lakes showed
that overall before the regulation
change only about 11% of the pike
had attained 24 inches or greater.
I maintained a strong evaluation
schedule post-regulation change
and we found no improvement in
the pike size structure.
After a decade when we had
checked over 30 pike waters, only
10% of the pike had attained 24
inches or greater. To put this in
perspective, our bass and walleye
waters typically have about 25 %
of the fish legal sized or better.
For additional perspective, a DNR
wildlife biologist stated with that
percentage for the deer harvest it
would be similar to having a minimum buck size of nine points or
better.
About 1998, after the five year
regulation evaluation of the performance of the new pike regulations,
a meeting was held with Michigans fish management biologists.
There was strong sentiment to drop
back to the previous pike minimum
size limit of 20 inches in the northern regions of the state since there
was no evidence the new 24 inch
minimum size limit was working.
The meeting revealed that only a
few of Michigan DNRs fisheries
biologists actively fished for pike
in Michigan. In the end, no change
was made to the 24 inch minimum
size limit although the statewide
pike bag limit was reduced from
five to two. Eventually, Lansing
Fisheries Division allowed a few of
the many waters where extremely
slow growth had been proven by
extensive surveys to be put back
on the former list of waters with no
minimum pike size limit and a bag
limit of five. Fisheries management
biologists were only able to reinstate the No Minimum Pike Size
Limit on a small number of waters
The authors son-in-law, Ryan

Buxton of Nashville, Indiana with
his first nice sized nor thern pike
taken from a No Minimum Size
Limit water in Iron County.
An extreme example of a pike population thinning repor tedly in a

Russian lake. Many waters with ample spawning habitat can produce large numbers of hammer handle sized pike limited opportunity to grow large. Internet photo.
in Northern Michigan compared
to the large number of pike waters
where the regulation was failing.
See page 14 and 15 in the Michigan
Fishing Guide for a list of those
waters. Subsequent requests based
on data and Michigan conservation officer recommendations were
rejected.
Michigamme Reservoir in Iron
County is a good example of waters
where a minimum size limit did not
work. In 2001 we collected 1503
northern pike in a large population
survey. The size structure was poor
with only 6.2% of those being 24
inches and larger. Although many
of the male northern pike in Michigamme Reservoir fail to reach 24
inches, occasionally a fast growing
female pike grows large enough
to utilize a large forage base of
suckers and attains trophy size. A
significant number of 40 inch and
larger pike have been caught over
the years in Michigamme Reservoir. This is despite the fact it has
had no minimum size limit on pike
for most of the last two decades.
Michigans lead pike and
muskie specialist is a fisheries professor at the University of Michigans School of Natural Resources.
Professor Jim Diana concluded in
his research that for pike to have
a quality size structure a lake or
reservoir should have a good forage
base of soft rayed forage fish (suckers, cisco, and minnows), maintain
good genetics and have adequate
oxygenated colder waters during
the summer to provide adequate
habitat. Waters that do not have all
these habitat features and characteristics do not have the potential
to produce a significant number of
larger pike.
In one respect locally we are
lucky that we do not have to depend on pike stocking to maintain
our fisheries the way many of our
walleye and trout lakes do. Often in
our waters pike natural reproduction is too successful and the pike
become over abundant and slow

growing. In Southern Michigan, in
addition to other pike habitat limitations, there have been significant
shoreline alterations to lakes that
have almost eliminated pike spawning habitat. As a result, if pike
are present, they are typically at
extremely reduced levels with the
remaining pike growing very well.
An example is Lake Antoine in
Dickinson County, where much of
the pike spawning habitat was lost
through development. During 1989
and 1990 DNR fisheries crews
removed 1,340 over-abundant and
slow growing northern pike from
Badwater Impoundment and moved
them the short distance to Lake
Antoine. Those fish grew much better in Lake Antoine with its reduced
resident pike population and a good
fishery developed for them.
Habitat conditions that are
not favorable consistently produce trophy pike in the majority
of U.P. lakes. A small number of
U.P. waters have all the necessary
habitat factors to produce quality
sized pike where a higher size limit
or slot size limit might work. These
good pike habitat lakes include:
Portage Lake Waterway Houghton County; Lake Independence,
Marquette County; Little Bay de
Noc, Delta County and other bays
of the Great Lakes or larger lakes
with a direct Great Lakes connection.
It has been since 1993 that pike
anglers have had a reasonably good
chance of catching legal sized pike
in many Northern Michigan waters.
If this new pike regulation is approved on those northern waters,
it will greatly increase reasonable
fishing opportunities. Pike are common in the thousands of Northern
Michigan waters. Soon anglers will
have a reasonable chance of catching a popular game fish and even
take a few home to eat. In addition,
trophy pike potential will stay the
same or even improve.n
LIVE BAIT AND SOFTBAIT

Ice Fishings Great Bait Debate
In my opinion, theres a place for both when fishing on ice..By Mark Martin
eruse the isles of your

favorite tackle store and
you cant help but notice
the huge array of packaged
softbaits hanging from
the pegs, as well plastic
containers full of these gooey lures
floating around in scented liquid on
the shelves. Read most any article
in a magazine about them and youll
notice most tell the tales of how these
fake baits have replaced all need for
live bait.
But, could the latter really be true?
Im not so sure.
The fact is, theres a place for both
live bait and softbait when it comes to
ice fishing. In the following Ill delve
into ice fishings great bait debate and
break down the times I like to use one
over the other.
Understanding Softbait
Softbaits have morphed into more
life-like shapes than ever before over
their soft plastic predecessors. And
notice the different in their names
softbaits verses soft plastics? As the
name soft plastic states, the pliable
lures of yesteryear were made of this
compound; dyed, poured and molded
into all sorts of shapes. But these baits
smelled just like what they were made
of plastic. This is not the flavor most
fish want to eat. And the so-called
soft plastics of former times had to
be molded thick in shape to keep
from falling apart. But the thicker and
stiffer the bait the less action it has,
which is also not attractive to fish.
Now, Im not saying the soft plastic lures didnt work. On the contrary
as they worked well when needed.
But they were used more for bulking
up live baits profile, or, when fishing
at a fast pace with artificial lures.
Todays softbaits, on the other
hand, have little to no actual plastic in
them, and the materials they are made
of are ultra-soft and exude whatever
scent a manufacture infuses into them.
Some are made of natural, biodegradable material and are more lifelike in
shape and color than ever before. You
can use them the same way as the oldfashion soft plastics, or, use them like
you would live bait. Yes, they are that
versatile.
A Place For Everything
While softbaits definitely have

their place when ice fishing, so does
live bait. And heres when I use each
one. Ill use some of the past IceFishing Vacation Schools (fishingvacationschool.com) as an example of
how both live bait and softbaits both
produced fish.
This seasons second Ice-fishing
Vacation/School will be February 5
through 8, 2016, and, like one of the
The author, Mark Mar tin, holds a walleye that ate his bladebait
tipped with a soft plastic bait. David A. Rose photo
many of last years events, will be
on the frozen waters of Michigans
Saginaw Baya bay of Lake Huron
teaming with walleye. Here we catch
several other species of fish, as well,
including perch, lake trout and whitefish; both with live bait and softbaits.
Ill start each of the three days
on ice during the school as in the
past powering up my StrikeMaster
Lazer Mag power auger and drill up
to twenty holes over the area I was
going to fish. This way I make all my
commotion all at once, so the lake can
settle down after a while rather than
keep on riling things up throughout
the day.
Once all holes are drilled and
cleared, Ill then check the depth
under each hole with my Lowrance
Hook-5 Ice Machine, so as to figure
out which of the holes are nearest the
breaklines. I also rely on the Navionics mapping program in my Lowrances card reader to see the lay of
the land under the ice. Once I find the
hole(s) closest to drop off, I will set
up tip-ups in them.
Because tip-ups are a do-nothing
device (the lure and/or bait sitting in
one area), they are best suited for live

bait applications. In the case of setting
my tip-ups for walleye on Saginaw
Bay, Ill use a large, lively shiner
minnow of at least 3 inches in length,
scooped fresh from my aeriated Frabill Bait Box.
My tip-up rig will consist of a
ball-bearing swivel tied to the main
line, and a 2-foot leader of 10-poundtest Sufix fluorocarbon leader. To the
end of that, Ill tie on a thin-wired
size-10 Bleeding Bait (red) Daiichi
treble hook, and a small split shot
pinched onto the fluorocarbon about
a foot above that. (Note: When using
split shot on a tip-up, use just enough
to keep a lively minnow in its place,
but not so much that when a fish grabs
the minnow and trips the spool that
the weight falls too quickly. A walleye
that feels the sudden tug as the weight
makes the line suddenly taunt will spit
out even the most appetizing looking
minnow in an instant.)
And when fishing a live minnow
under a tip-up, I teach my ice-school
students to nip one point of the thinwire hook just under the dorsal fin,
making sure not to get too deep and
prick the spine. That will render the

minnow motionless, defeating the
purpose of using live bait.
In short: Any time I am using a rig
that I am not physically adding action
to, be it a tip-up or deadstick rod, I
use live bait as it will have action
of its own whether its a minnow or
grub.
Now, when jigging, the great bait
debate of live verses fake bait can go
either way. More so than not, I prefer
softbaits when jigging and heres
why: You can hope hole to hole much
easier with softbait as it stays on the
hook better, and, you can easily change
out the style and size of softbait to best
match the lure you are using.
Hole-hopping can be the death
to even the liveliest live bait. As you
take it out for the water, the extreme
cold will instantly freeze it, rendering
it lethargic the more you move. Also,
depending on the lure you are using,
too big of bait and it could impede the
action of your lure.
One of my favorite softbaits that
stay pliable in cold conditions, comes
in several different shapes and sizes
and has scent that attracts all fish is
Northlands line Impulse baits. And
with the ice angler in mind, Northlands developed a few different
softbaits in shapes that are smaller and
wont impede the action of lures such
as Rapala Jigging Raps and Northland
spoons. (Both my all-time favorite
go-to lures you can find in my Plano
tackle totes).
Also in the Impulse line is their
Smelt and Minnow Head. All have a
small profile that wont ruin the action of your lure, yet has all have fish
attracting scent. Other Impulse baits
are their Hellgrammite and Perch Eye
for smaller presentations yet. All can
be used in place of the real thing and
with just as good of catch results.
One Or The Other
When it comes to ice fishing,

theres a place for both live bait and
soft plastics. When using a line that
just sets there on its own, I prefer the
liveliest of live bait and let it work its
magic. But when Im the one giving the action to my lure, I prefer the
modern softbaits over the real thing.
The fact is theres a place for both live
bait and softbait when it comes to ice
fishing.
Mark Martin is a touring walleye
tournament pro and an instructor with
Fishing Vacation/Schools who lives
in the southwest corner of Michigans Lower Peninsula. There are still
openings for this winters Ice-Fishing
Vacation/School. Check out fisingvacationschool.com and markmartins.
net for more information.n
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COREPROTECT, applied to
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the line roller, provides water
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heavy rotation feeling.
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Grand Rapids, MI
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St. Joe, MI
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1/4/17 8:28 AM
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Tie
One
On
By Mark Romanack
hen its time to

tie one on, fishing lures that is,
its important
to know how
different lures
and terminal tackle function best.
Attaching a fishing lure to a fishing
line improperly is like taking the
dog for a walk and leaving the leash
at home! How lures, hooks and live
bait rigs are attached at the terminal
end makes all the difference in how
well this gear fishes, how strong the
terminal connection becomes and
ultimately how many fish end up
landed.
Jigs
One of my pet peeves about jig
fishing is how often anglers improperly attach these productive lures to
their fishing line. The fastest way to
look like a rookie in a fishing boat,
is messing up this basic man skill
associated with fishing.
Jigs are finesse lures designed to
be tied direct to the fishing line. No
snaps, swivels or quick clips should
be used with attaching a jig to fishing line. The best knot to use when
attaching jigs depends on the target
species and the line type being used.
For panfish applications where
light line is mandatory, the best knot
is the classic Palomar. This knot is
stronger than other knots, an important consideration when fishing with
thread like fishing lines. To tie a
Palomar simply double the line, pass
both sections of line through the
jig eye, tie an overhand knot forming a loose loop, then place the jig
through the loop, wet the line and
pull up the knot slowly.
One of the easiest knots to tie,
illustrations for tying the Palomar
can be found a number of places,
but www.animatedknots.com is
a good place to start. This knot is
ideal for attaching smaller jigs on 1,
2, 4, or 6 pound test monofilament,
co-polymers and fluorocarbon line
types.
The Palomar is also an excellent choice for attaching somewhat
larger jigs, including those used for
casting and vertical jigging up walleye. Tube baits used for bass fishing,
weedless bass jigs and even muskie
and pike jigs are all best attached to
the line using the Palomar.
In the case of walleye jigs and
also bass sized tube jigs 8, 10 or 12
pound test fluorocarbon line is the
ideal choice. When targeting pike
and muskie with jigs, heavier 15,
18, 20, 25 and 30 pound test fluorocarbon or monofilament line is
required.
Not to sound like a broken
record, but the Palomar knot is also
the best choice when jig fishing
using fused and super braid fishing
lines. Because these super lines are
extra slick and they have near zero
stretch, many knots simply wont
hold. The Palomar does an excellent
job of holding firm when tying jigs
directly to super lines.
Jerkbaits,
Swimbaits,
Spinnerbaits
The Palomar also does a fine job
for attaching bass style spinnerbaits.
A somewhat larger over-hand knot
must be tied to facilitate getting
these larger lures to pass easily
through the over-hand loop.
When trying to attach lures
with lots of hooks on them, such as
crankbaits, jerkbaits and articulated
hard body swimbaits, the Palomar
The author and bass fishermen swear by specialty knots like the
King Sling for tying on spinnerbaits, hard swimsuits and jerkbaits.
starts to become a problem. Lots of
anglers prefer to use a knot called
the King Sling in these situations.
The King Sling is essentially a loop
style knot that allows certain baits
a little more freedom of movement
in the water and it doesnt require
passing the lure through a loose loop
in the line when tying.
The King Sling easy to
tie and a quick visit to this
video link www.youtube.com/
watch?v=A7fUOLvrAN0 will have
any fisherman tying this knot like
a pro. The Rapala Knot is similar
to the King Sling and is commonly
used when fishing light jerkbaits
like the famous Rapala Minnow.
To learn how to tie the Rapala Knot
visit a site called netknots.com and
follow the simple animated illustrations.
In-Line Spinners
and Bucktails
In-line spinners like the world
famous Yakima Rooster Tail, Mepps
Aglia or the Panther Martin are casting lures that feature a blade rotating
on a metal shaft. The rotation of the
blade causes the shaft of the lure
to also spin in the water. Line twist
can quickly become an issue if these
lures are casted without the aid of
some type of swivel on the line.
Most anglers solve this problem
by tying a ball bearing snap swivel
to the terminal end of the line using
a Palomar Knot. This is a satisfactory option, but snap swivels are laden
with other issues. The most common
problem associated with snap swivels is human error. If the snap is not
closed, the lure and or hooked fish is

going to be lost. Its amazingly easy
to think the snap swivel is closed
when it really isnt.
Cross-lok style snaps are the
strongest snap swivel terminal connection and once closed properly,
they stay closed. Unfortunately, all
snap swivel designs add hardware to
a lure design that already has a lot of
hardware.
Yakima Bait recommends a
more stealthy option created by
fishing their spinners by attaching
a small ball bearing barrel swivel
in-line. This is accomplished by tying the barrel swivel to the terminal
end of the line and then adding a
short 12-18 inch leader to the barrel
swivel. The leader is then in turn
tied directly to the spinner using a
clinch, improved clinch or Trilene
Knot.
Fishing in-line spinners using an
in-line swivel eliminates any issues
with line twist and keeps the hardware to a minimum. A small No. 1
or 2 size ball bearing swivel is ideal
for targeting panfish and trout. For
larger bass, pike or muskie spinners,
a heavier No. 3 or 4 ball bearing is
required.
Super Line to
Leader Connections
The popularity of fused lines
and super braids has led to another
common fishing problem. Lots of
anglers love to fish with super lines,
but just as many dont like to tie
super lines directly to their favorite
Tie one on page 18
Michiana Boat & Sports Show 2017

January 27 29, 2017
Free Trout Pond Fishing
Century Center
Admission $5 per Adult Age 12 and under FREE
120 South St. in South Bend, Indiana
Parking is $5 per vehicle in the Century Center Parking Lot
Friday Noon 8 Saturday 9 9 Sunday 9 4
Vendors
Fays Marine
La Porte, Indiana
(BaylinerBoats, Lowe Boats &
Pontoons, Crestliner Boats,
Apex Compact Pontoons,
Fourwinds, Excursion
Pontoons).
Hubers Marine
La Porte, Indiana
(Lund Boats, Sweetwater
Pontoons, Aqua patio Pontoons,
Sanpan Pontoons, Hurricane
Deck Boats).
D & R Sports Center
Kalamazoo, Michigan
(Tracker Boats, Tahoe Boats, Sun
Tracker Pontoons, Nitro Boats,
Triton Boats, Ranger Boats).
Starboard Choice Marine
Edwardsburg, Michigan
(Mirro Craft Boats, Tahoe
Pontoons, Polar Kraft Boats)
Pier 33 Marina
St. Joseph, Michigan
(Chaparral Boats, Robalo Boats
and Pre-owned Brokerage
Services)
L&R Marine L.L.C
Shipshewana, Indiana
(Starcraft Boats and Pontoons,
Qwest Pontoons)
Eagle Lake Marine
(Godfrey Hurricane Deck Boats,
Sweetwater, Aqua Patio and San
Pan Pontoons)
Lake Drive Marine
Coldwater, Michigan
(Lund Boats, Lowe Boats,
Phoenix Boats, Skeeter Boats,
South Bay Pontoons).
Seminars and Speaker Schedule

Mark Romanack Host of Fishing 411 TV and an outdoor communicator for over

30 years, Mark Romanack has dedicated his life to teaching fishermen and

women to become better anglers. He has written 1000s of articles, produced
countless technical videos and has been filming TV for ten years.
Julia DavisCaptain Juls fished as a Professional Walleye Tournament Angler for 10
years. Shes competed on the FLW Walleye Tour, Professional Walleye Trail
(PWT) and Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC). Juls is also a senior moderator at
www.walleyecentral.com. She has learned the Western Basin secrets from
some of the best anglers on the lake. And, now she would like to pass on what
she has learned to you!
Jake Romanack Co-host of Fishing 411 TV, Video Editor and a USCG Captain. Taking

his passion and knowledge of fishing to the next level, Romanack is also a

great communicator and teacher of the sport.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27
7 p.m - Ice Fishing with Jake
8 p.m. - Intro to the Fishing World, Charting and Fishing Lake Erie with Julia
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28
Vendors
Erie Marine Sales, L.L.C.
Sheffield, Ohio
(Warrior Boats, Hewescraft Boats)
Krupps Power Sports
(Can-Am ATVs, Can- Am SSV, Ski-doo
snowmobiles, Sea-doo watersports)
Gates Chevy world
Mishawaka, Indiana and
Gates Automotive Group
South Bend, Indiana
Chevy trucks and SUVs and
Toyato trucks and SUVs
Clear H2O Tackle, LLC
Fishing Tackle, Hunting Gear
and More
www.clearh2otackle.com
2 p.m. - Mark, Jake and Julia Host Free 2-hour Walleye Fishing Seminar
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
1 p.m. - Lake Michigan Steelhead, Coho and Salmon fishing with Mark
2 p.m. - Follow-up to Intro the Fishing World, Charting and Fishing Lake Erie with Julia
Other Topics to be discussed with additional speakers include:
Bass, Crappie and Pan fishing by local club members
IDNR will discuss Indiana regulations and have an open discuss with the general
public.
The state Biologist will discuss the topic of local water conditions and other topics
related to the outdoors.
The South Bend Power Squadron will discuss boating safety and required items
need to pass a coast guard inspection.
Dealers will discuss rigging boats and the use of electronics.
These times and schedules will be posted on the Michiana Boat & Sports Show
Facebook and Michiana Walleye Association.org website after December 1st.
Other vendors include ODonnell Docks, Canadian

Lodges, R&R Extreme (ATVS), Lake Erie and Lake
Michigan Charters, Clear H 2 O Tackle, Fluid Fun
Canoes & Kayak, fishing clubs, (Michiana Walleye
Association, St. Joseph Bass Masters, Michiana Trail
Riders) Karts are Us, just to mention a few. Last
year we had 64 small vendor booths that sell and
support all aspects of outdoor activities.
Fishing for a Chance to win a $2,500.00 Scholarship

At the Michiana Boat & Sports Show
Catch a tagged trout and win a chance to

have your name drawn out of the Old Bait Bucket for a $2,500.00 Scholarship.
The Drawing will be on January 29, 2017 after the show. Need not be present to win.
**Details and rules will be posted on Michiana Boat & Sports Show site on Facebook and on the Michiana Walleye Association Facebook site after December 01, 2016
ADDITIONAL SMALL VENDOR SPACE AVAILABLE, 8 X 10 $120, CONTACT DALE BRINDLEY AT 574-286-6311 OR daledbrindley@comcast.net
Tie one on:

from page 16
lures. The primary problem here is
super lines tend to be more visible
in the water than monofilament, copolymer lines and fluorocarbon.
The solution here is to tie a
short leader of clear line to the more
visible super braids. A fairly easy
knot to master called the Double
Uni Knot works well for attaching
fused and super braid lines to monofilament and fluorocarbon leader
materials.
It takes a little practice to master
this knot and its best to practice
with two different line colors at
first. The video www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Xk_VUb-dOQo does a
nice job of illustrating how to best
tie the Double Uni.
The Double Uni is very strong
when used with 10 pound test and
larger leader materials. Last year on
the Detroit River my fishing buddy
Dale Voice landed a 100 pound lake
sturgeon while jigging for walleye.
His rod and reel was equipped with
10 pound test Maxima Braid 8 and
10 pound test Maxima Ultra Green
as a leader.
The battle lasted about 30
minutes and after releasing the fish,
Dale inspected his main line, leader
and the Double Uni Knot connecting
both. The connection was in perfect
shape and he continued to fish the
rest of the day without having to retie the leader!
Attaching Leader
to Sinking Lines
Because the waters of the Great
Lakes are increasingly getting
clearer and clearer, more anglers
than ever are fishing with sinking
line types including lead core, copper line and the new weighted steel
line. All of these line types require
using a clear fluorocarbon leader.
The Albright Knot is the best
way to attach these sinking lines to
fluorocarbon leaders. The Albright
When fishing in-line spinners like this famous Yakima Rooster Tail, its best to tie directly to the fluorocarbon leader. To prevent line twist add a small ball bearing swivel about 12-18 inches up the line.
This solves the issue of line twist and creates a stealthy presentation for wary species like trout.
Knot is a strong connection and also
small enough to easily pass through
the line guide on trolling reels. A
You-Tube video www.youtube.com/
watch?v=s40lmqVux4E does a nice
job of teaching the best way of tying
this knot.
Live Bait Rigs

Lots of anglers in Michigan love
to tie their own live bait rigs for
walleye. A couple knots are required
for tying up your own spinner or
nightcrawler harness rigs.
Attaching the beak style hooks
to the leader material is accomplished using a simple to tie knot
called the Egg Loop. The Egg Loop
works well because it is strong, easy
to tie and allows the angler to position the hooks on the leader with
precise spacing.
To tie an Egg Loop pass one
end of the leader material through
a turned up eye beak hook and
pinch against the hook shaft. The
turned up eye hook helps to keep
hook perfectly in line with the

leader so the crawler pulls straight
in the water.
Wrap the leader around the hook
shaft 7 to 10 times and pinch these
wraps firmly on the hook shaft.
Now pass the tag end back through
the hook eye the opposite way and
pull the knot up tight. The second
hook is tied exactly the same and
the beauty of the Egg Loop Knot
is wherever that hook is positioned
on the leader, it will stay in position when the knot is pulled up
tight. This allows anglers to produce
crawler harnesses with whatever
hook spacing they favor and also to
produce rigs that identical rig after
rig. The site www.animatedknots.
com is a good source for learning
how to tie the Egg Loop.
Beads, a clevice and blade are
threaded onto the leader and the
rig is completed by tying a Double
Loop Knot at the end. The Double
Loop Knot may well be the easiest
of all knots to tie. Simply double
over the line and make a loose

over-hand knot. Then pass the
loop formed through the opening a
second time. Wet the line and pull
up tight. The Double Loop Knot is
amazingly strong and simple to tie.
For an illustration visit the YouTube video www.youtube.com/
watch?v=LoDhQdOf29E and spend
a little time practicing this knot.
Summing It Up
Learning how to master a few
critical fishing knots is something
that only takes a little time and practice. The best way to learn any knot
is to pick a place thats well lighted
and start out with large diameter
lines. When joining two different
lines it also helps to use two different line colors when practicing.
A fisherman who knows the
common knots and a few not so
common connections is not only going to be a more successful angler,
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Bring those
coyotes
running
By Kenny Darwin the predator ran
f there
is one
thing that
crafty old coyotes like to do
its keep moving. They are
always, dancing, prancing,
and never sitting still and a darn
difficult target. But the one time
you want them running is when you
have your call cranked and yotes
come running directly at you with
head held high and tail flying. Just
the sight of a big dog charging your
direction will get your heart pumping but if you get a peek through the
powerful rifle scope it will give you
an adrenaline rush like no other. Just
to see that predatory gleam in their
eye causes your heart to explode
and a glimpse of those large canine
teeth will automatically cause you
to squeeze the trigger. If it is the
adrenaline rush of a top predator
charging toward you at close quarters that you seek, listen up Ive got
some sneaky tricks that guarantee
exciting results.
First let me say that now is the
time to be hunting predators, when
snow covers the landscape and hungry coyotes are on the prowl. Winter
is ideal predator hunting season because pelts are prime and many other hunting seasons have come and
gone. But more importantly coyote
hunting should be the responsibility
of every Michigan sportsman. Its
not that they are great eating but the
impact they have on the deer herd is
astounding.
Michigans DNR has finally
come to the realization that one of
the main reasons the deer herd is not
increasing is because coyotes are
slaughtering fawns at a monumental
rate. According to one Ontonagon
County predator/prey relationship
study it was discovered 44% of
fawns are killed by coyote within
the first 30 days of birth. Another
Pennsylvania study of urban whitetails found 49% of spring fawns
were gobbled down quickly by
coyotes.
My friend Steve Pinkston has
some huge bucks on his hunting turf
but fawn recruitment has been slow
and in recent years deer numbers
have taken a nose dive. While hunting spring turkey he saw a coyote
nibbling on something and when
he investigated
off with a fawn

leg cradled in its jaws. Thats when
he waged war on the critters and
began trapping. The first year he
trapped 27 coyotes in the two mile
section. The second year he trapped
an amazing 25 dogs. That spring he
noticed deer giving birth to double
and triple fawns and his whitetail
population rebounded quickly. The
result of trimming coyote numbers
is deer can give birth to fawns that
eventually survive and deer recruitment becomes a reality.
Last year in April the NRC
passed a law allowing hunters to
take coyote year round, day or night.
Sportsmen are just beginning to understand it is their responsibility to
trim predator numbers if they want
good deer hunting in the future.
Fact is coyote have been decimating
Michigans deer herd for years.
So, how do you get started
coyote hunting? Nowadays it is
simple, just get an electronic caller,
a fake decoy and grab your favorite shotgun or rifle and head to the
woods. Another strategy is to set up
with some hunters that already have
all the necessary gear and learn from
them.
Some folks prefer to chase coyote with hounds and use electronic
telemetry to pinpoint where coyote
intersect trails or roads. Hunters
drive to pinch points, set up with
long range rifles and pick off coyote
trying to escape hounds. If you
join in the hunt you will discover
the abundance of coyote on your
deer hunting turf and learn deadly
strategies to keep predator numbers
at bay.
One thing I find amazing about
coyotes is their ability to quickly occupy habitat. If you go in and hunt
them, trim numbers, the next year
they will be back. It appears that
coyote hunting in Michigan must be
an annual task. The only solution I
can see to possibly resolve booming coyote numbers is to bring back
the old bounty program. If the DNR
would take a more active role in
predator control they could quickly
see the whitetail deer population
regenerate. What the DNR needs
to do is pay for animals harvested.
Author with monster 46 pound male coyote that charged his set up using
FoxPro Crossfire rabbit distress call and MOJO Super Critter decoy.
Im talking sportsmen turn in the
dead critters and get cash in hand.
Harvested animals can be quickly
identified by a clip hole placed in
the ear. Furs could still be sold and
coyote hunters will simply harvest
more animals.
Also, if you are looking for new
hunting turf I guarantee that the
vast majority of property owners
will grant open permission to those
hunting coyotes. Western state beef
farmers hate coyote because they
kill calves. Last year a cattle man
told me he witnessed a cow pushing
on one end to give birth to a calf and
a coyote pulling on the other end to
eat the new born. Without a doubt
the coyote populations throughout
Michigan and the entire whitetail
world has quadrupled in the last few
years.
Perhaps the best time to score on
coyote is at night. Savvy hunters use
sophisticated night vision and red
lights to spot wary coyotes. Others
wait until the full moon lights up the
landscape and they can see sneaky
night predators. Keep in mind the
best night period only lasts three
.days prior to full moon and three

days after full moon, after that seeing animals becomes more difficult.
Back in the day Id go full camo,
sneak upwind to likely calling
locations and use a squealing rabbit
hand call to bring coyotes. Hunting
alone on a snowy night is exhilarating, fun and when you score the accomplishment seems monumental.
Hunting with a hand call is still fun
but nowadays I go with electronics.
I love my FoxPro call and I use
an inexpensive MOJO critter as a
decoy. Most importantly with electronic callers you can get great action during broad daylight, although
calling at dawn and sunsets are the
hottest times to fool adult coyotes.
Ya gotta love those days when the
warm sun heats the environment and
you can hunt without bomber hat
and bulky gloves.
Successful coyote hunting with
electronic calls hinges on one important point, how you set up. First
you begin with a stealthy approach
and avoid loud noises, slamming of
truck doors or rattling gear and you
sneak into position without alarming
wildlife. Moving to calling locations

requires a silent, sneaky approaching like you are stalking a big buck.
Try to select a spot where your
human outline is obstructed by trees,
brush, fence, rock pile, hay bale and
more. Obviously you need complete
camouflage including gun, shooting
sticks, hands, face and the idea is to
be completely concealed. Michigan
predator hunting laws say you can
only load your weapon at the calling
site. This is a good example of a
bad law because most savvy hunters
make the loud loading noise at the
vehicle not back in the field at a set
up site you have carefully stalked.
The trick is to load your weapon
without alerting predators and be
ready for action soon as you turn the
caller on.
Often it takes coyotes a few
minutes to come into view. Once
you see them get the scope on them
and wait for them to offer a shot.
Coyotes running directly at you provide top notch excitement but if they
are in plain sight give them a loud
dog bark to get them to stop. Dont
wait for perfect broadside targets,
slam them directly in the chest if
they are facing you and some folks
blast them in the tail feathers if they
are running away.
Some hunters carry two guns, a
rifle for long shots and a shotgun for
close range work. The problem with
coyotes is they are great tricksters
and often come dancing sideways
through your spread at kissin close
shotgun range. Some simply dash
through and never slow, thats when
a shotgun loaded with #4 buckshot will make them dance. You
can rock a coyotes world with #3
buckshot or by using F, T or BBB
One tactic is to slowly stalk through

likely coyote country at sunset, make
shor t calling stops and shut off the
caller and listen for 5 minutes for a
response. If a coyote howls back,
set up quickly, get concealed, place
speakers and turn on decoy and
turn on the electronic caller. Expect
critters to arrive within minutes but
keep calling for at least 30 minutes
to entice stragglers close.
steel shot.
According to DNR sources
the Natural Resources Commision
approved new regulations to allow hunting raccoon, opossum, fox
and coyote with center fire rifles at
night. The new rules allow use of
.223 rifles or .269 or smaller ammunition for center fire night hunting.
The rules prohibit center fire night
hunting in state parks and recreation
areas anywhere in Michigan. In
addition, the rules limit center fire
night hunting to private lands in the
shotgun zone in the southern Lower
Peninsula.
I use a .22 magnum Ruger bolt
action for night forays equipped
with illuminated reticle cross hair
scope and loaded with Winchester
varmint ammunition. The magnum
rimfire will anchor most predators
with ease, depending on where you
hit them. Sometimes it takes more
than one shot to put a big dog down
and often you will empty the clip on
fast running coyotes and not cut a
hair.
One strategy is to open your
calling sequence with coyote howls
combined with greeting calls. Make
this calling sequence short and
turn the caller off and listen for a
response. Once you get a response
change to the rabbit in distress
squeal and hold onto your hat.
Leave the electronic caller on for
several minutes while you survey
the ground in front of you looking
for moving brown fur. Most coyotes
come in prancing, covering ground
relatively fast, others sit far away
and watch or listen and the most
exciting are coyotes that come running, full tilt boogie directly into
easy gun fire. Running shots are
difficult and one tactic is to let them
get into easy range and give them
a loud bark or yelp to distract their
attention and get them to stop for
the shot.
Some savvy coyote callers carry
only a shotgun. They often set up
in woods or thick cover downwind
from likely coyote hold outs. When
they encounter a yote prancing
into easy range they shoulder the
shotgun and dustem. If the target
is running straight at them they just
point and shoot, same holds true for
critters running away but when they
dash sideways through the spread
they make certain to give them at
least a 12 inch lead.
In recent years electronic callers
have seen a boom in popularity because they produce outstanding results. They are so realistic sounding
and volume can be increased during
wind or to draw animals from long
distances. Gone are the days of practicing with a hand call to get ideal
tones, now you simply select from
hundreds of effective calls, push a
button, turn up the volume and scan
Electronic calls and battery

operated decoys are the secret to coyote hunting success.
Want some fast-paced shooting
fun? Want to help your local
deer herd to thrive? Now is the
time to get rigged and star t
hunting coyotes.
the horizon for coyotes dashing for
the kill.
Make certain to carefully select
calling locations and stalk your set
up site. Try to keep a low profile,
keep silent and sneak into position without disturbing wildlife. In
most cases you want to set up about
100-300 yards from where coyotes
are hiding in thick brush, swamps,
standing corn, large field of standing
grass, stump piles and thick wood
lots that conceal coyotes and offer
shelter.
Make certain you place new
batteries in calls prior to making a
trip. Most run on 8 AA batteries and
make certain to bring extras. Speakers are designed to deliver crisp,
clear sounds that imitate wildlife.
Speakers can be placed several feet
from callers and the units are controlled with hand held remotes.
Rookie hunters make the mistake of not using a decoy. A motion
decoy attracts coyotes by creating
a realistic distressed motion. The
motion does not spook predators
and provides the ideal visibility that
draws critters like a magnet. Many
electronic callers come with a builtin woodpecker decoy.
Last year I spent time with some
professional coyote hunters. Man,
they would slip into a location, set
out speakers and decoy, turn on the
electronics and shoot a coyote or
two and pack up and leave. Most
callers give set up locations about
45-60 minutes but these boys were
hit and run artists. By days end they
had seven coyote in the back of their
truck. Their success hinged on how
many calling sites they would visit.
They had a run and gun strategy
that was very effective and the day
went fast because they were hunting, shooting or moving. They also
drove country roads after fresh snow
and would set up quickly when they
found fresh coyote tracks. Their
vehicles were four-wheel drives but
rigged with extra heavy duty muffler
systems to conceal the noise of the
truck as they drove to likely set up
locations.
These boys were extremely successful and one peek at their gear
was a visual clue to their success,
they had full camo suits, camo
automatic rifles with silences and
every electronic call or decoy available. I was looking at their Primos
Sit-n-Spin decoy when I noticed
a deer decoy in the pile of gear. It
was a lost fawn Lucky Duck decoy
designed to imitate an easy meal
for hungry predators. Across the
back were some large scratches and
when I asked about the scar I was
told they were teeth marks from a
charging coyote. I was surprised to
learn that the fawn decoy worked
like dynamite for coyotes in March.
Now, guess what was their most
effective call in spring? You got it,
a fawn death bleat that mimicked a
fawn being attacked by coyotes. The
response made my blood boil.
What about you are you fully
geared up and prepared to start
trimming the booming coyote
population in your hunting area?
The problem with coyote attacking
fawns and killing over 40% soon
after birth is a recently discovered
problem. Hey, all of a sudden biologists are becoming savvy about why
Michigans deer population is going
downhill pronto.
Its time to take up arms, head to
the woods.n
Elk antler from 1800s found?
Southeast Michigan trapper makes interesting find atop beaver lodge
Rare and
historic elk
antler on the
seat of a
boat after
a trapper
found it on a
beaver lodge.
Photo provided
t was just another day of checking the traps for Rob Sarka, 34, of
Imlay City. Robs been trapping for
a few years now, mostly beaver and
muskrat. Its a hobby for him and
he takes great joy in just being in
the outdoors.
Rob had no idea what he might find as
he and his friend scooted along the northern Lapeer County lake
by boat. It was early
December.

As he swung
his boat into place to
check his next trap set,
Rob reached for what
he thought was a stick
which was jammed in
a layer of mud atop the
By Randy beaver lodge.
You never know
Jorgensen what youre
going to
find on top of a lodge,
sticks, mud, 2x4s, whatever isnt food
goes on top of their lodge, Rob tells me.
What he found he could have never
expected.
As he grabbed the stick, he noticed it
felt heavy and didnt look at all like a stick
as he held it up for further inspection. He
Rob Sarka,
holding an
elk antler,
which is
suspected
to be 120
to 200
years old.
Photo by Randy Jorgensen
turned to his buddy, Jason and said,

What do you think this is?
A deer horn, his friend
replied, with a puzzled look on his
face.
Rob, shaking his head, stated,
Nope its not a deer shed, its an
elk shed! And it didnt fall off anyones garage and end up here!
I thought I hit the lottery, he
continues laughing.
It was indeed an elk antler,
muddy, water-logged and discolored. An elk antler? The last
elk have not been seen in Lapeer
County since the mid-1800s or even
earlier.
For generations, I suspect this
elk antler has been dragged about
by critters, eaten by rodents, stuck
deep in the mud, hidden and forgotten by time.
The elk antler was found just
north of Lum. Its entirely possible
the antler Rob found on the beaver
lodge could be 120 to 200 years
old.
The area Rob found the elk
antler was covered in marshes and
swamps. Trappers and hunters came
to the area for its abundance of
wildlife, beaver, muskrat, waterfowl, squirrels, rabbits, whitetail,
bear and of course elk. The hunters,
trappers and pioneers came from
Ohio to the south and from Saginaw to the north.
Did you ever just sit in a
meadow, look over the landscape

and wonder what it was like several
generation ago? I suspect Rob had
similar thoughts.
Robs story inspired me to do
a little checking on the history of

southeastern Michigan and specifically Lapeer County.
Here are some excerpts from
an article published in 1870 by the
Atlas Publishing Company, titled

The History of Lapeer County.
Lapeer at that time consisted
of two hamlets separated by a
tamarack swamp, where the wolves
were wont to convene of winter
nights, and make the woods ring
with their dismal howlings.
I was mesmerized by the descriptive style of the time and was
not able to get enough of it.
I learned from the unknown
author that in the early 1800s
two-thirds of Lapeer County was
covered by pine trees, perfect for
the growing lumber industry. Opening the door for scores of sawmills.
Floating logs down the Flint River,
Mill Creek, Black River and its
tributaries were common sights.
Towns grew fast and roads to
Romeo and Rochester were cut.
Lapeer, Metamora, Blacks Corners,
Dryden, Attica and Imlay were
places to make home. In the early
1800s the area grew from 71 people
to over 800 in a very short time and
3,000 by the early to mid 80s.
The midsection of the county
was covered by huge bogs, which
were nearly impossible to travel
other than by Mill Creek or Black
River. And any movement by pioneers, trappers, hunters or surveyors was under the watchful eye of
many Native people, who dotted
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the Thumb region from Saginaw to
Port Huron and south to Ohio.
Mosquitoes were so fierce and
so abundant surveyors were known
to go crazy from the relentless noise
and pestering. They could only
do their work in the winter, so as
not to be eaten alive in the summer months. Pioneers went to great
lengths to avoid the dangerous and
endless bogs.
Almont too, grew fast, and as
the article explains was lousy with
black bear in the 1830s. Here is another excerpt none of us could have
imagined.

Bears were very abundant
and Oliver Bristol had a rather exciting adventure with one near the
site of the present Congregational
Church. He was a cripple at the
time, the result of a limb fractured
some six months before.
He had fired at the bear,
wounding and knocking it down.
When commencing to reload he
perceived the bear, a very large one,
making toward him. He turned to
run but his crippled leg failed him.
His only recourse was to

reload. With a few of the liveliest
motions he ever made in his life, he
did so, and dropped the powder in
the pan of his old flint-lock just as
Bruin rose to receive him with open
arms. But for the lucky shot that
followed, the name of Oliver Bristol
would probably have figured no
more in this eventful history.
Rob went on to trap the beaver,
which most likely dragged the elk
antler atop the lodge.
I suppose Ill have the beavers
pelt next to the antler I found somewhere in my home, Rob goes on to
tell me.
Its a unique find and a piece of
history few get a chance to feel and
put in their hands.
I know the antler isnt worth
much, but I did enjoy a nice beaver
rump roast, Rob says chuckling.
Rob plans to send the antler on
to Michigan State University to have
it carbon dated.
Im just curious, thats all.
You just never know what youre
going to find in the outdoors, more
than you might suspect. Rob
concluded.n
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Photo provided
Rare find: elk antlers

may date back to 1800s
Rob with the beaver he suspects placed the rare elk antler atop
his beaver lodge.
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By Mike Gnatkowski
Late-Ice
Walleyes
Last ice is one of the hottest times of the year to

catch winter walleyes, and you dont have to risk your
life to cash in on the bonanza. In fact, the increase
in late-winter walleye activity and ice-fishing success
begins long before the ice begins to disappear...
alleye that have

been lethargic
and semi-active
during the dead
of winter awaken
as the days
begin to lengthen and walleye sense
that spring isnt that far away. The
wakeup call is further enhanced by
changes in water temperature and Ph
due to run-off. These subtle changes
take place well in advance of actual
break-up, but they spur walleyes to
a heightened level of activity that
anglers can take advantage off.
As winter wanes, walleye become more active and more predictable. The closer spring gets, the
more time theyre going to spend
in the shallows chasing baitfish,
which also move shallow in anticipation of spring. The only stimulus
greater than the need to eat is the
need to procreate. Long before the
actual spawn takes place walleyes
gravitate towards barriers such as
dams and rivers, inlets and gravel
shoals where they will spawn in
early spring. Savvy anglers position themselves along these travel
corridors that transient walleyes are
using to migrate towards the shallows. During the waning days of last
ice, expect hot action in as little as a
couple feet of water.
Moving water is like a sirens
song to late-winter walleyes. Look
for late-ice walleyes to be drawn to
wherever creeks or streams enter
natural lakes. Even subtle flows like
drainage ditches can attract prespawn walleye and adjacent flats in
the main lake can be a hotspot. On
manmade lakes, look for walleye to
head towards the reservoirs source.
Where a chain of lakes exists, walleyes will congregate below dams
that block their migration.
Expansive Great Lakes bays and
estuaries are home to prodigious
numbers of walleyes that roam wide
and fair in search of baitfish. Come
last ice though, the walleyes zero in
on rivers and streams that feed the
bays. The migration is not a hellbent-for-leather rush, but more of
a gradual push that gives anglers

plenty of opportunity to intercept.
The elevated metabolism and
activity levels mean walleyes will
spend increasing amounts of time in
the shallows as last ice approaches.
During the bright midday hours,
expect walleyes to retreat to the security of deep water, but schools of
marauding walleyes will begin patrolling adjacent structure and break
lines on a more regular basis before
ending up in the shallows from dusk
to dawn. The same fish-holding
humps, reefs, and structure that
provided hot walleye action on first
ice will be dynamite again when the
ice starts to melt. Expect the really
skinny water to be hot from dawn
to early morning and again in late
afternoon until just after dusk. Fishing after dark is a time most anglers
dont explore, but it has tremendous
last-ice potential.
Shallow is a relative term, but it
might mean as little as a couple feet
of water. Walleyes invade the shallows to harass and corral schools
of baitfish. Under lowlight situations and under the cover of darkness, walleyes have the advantage.
Their superior vision allows them
to feast on unsuspecting schools
of baitfish and hunt in marauding
packs. Still, walleyes are on edge
in the skinny water. They realize
theyre out of their element and
are ultra-spooky when in the shallows. Buzzing snowmobiles, the
rhythmic thumping of a spud, the
drone of an ice auger and a cluster
of noisy anglers will send a pack of
walleyes hightailing it for deeper
water. Keep noise to a minimum and
avoid crowds. Punch holes well in
advance of prime time.
Several Michigan walleye
waters produce predictable last-ice
walleye bites that youll want to
take advantage of this winter.
Little Bay De Noc
We definitely see a big influx of fish from Green Bay right

at the end of the season, claimed
Kevin Lee of Sall-Mar Resort in
As winter wanes, walleye become more active and more predictable.

Rapid River (906-553-4850; info@
sallmarresort.com). The last couple
years weve been lucky to even
have ice at the end of the season.
Lee said that as the waters of Little
Bay De Noc have gotten clearer
walleyes have tended to use increasingly deeper water during much of
the year. Last ice though is one time
when the walleyes move back shallow to traditional structure. Lee said
expect to find schools of walleyes
on last ice in the 20- to 40-foot
depths on structure on Center Reef
and along the East Bank south of
Gladstone. Lee said that the waters
of Little Bay De Noc have become
so clear that you can see bottom in
26 feet of water. As a result, anglers
have had to fish deeper or at night to
be successful.
Last-ice walleyes in Little Bay
De Noc are on the move headed
towards reefs or river mouths where
theyll eventually spawn, so anglers
need to be mobile willing to make
a change if the eyes arent present.
Then again, positioning yourself in
a prime location and waiting for the
walleyes to come to you can be a
good tactic, too.
Typical walleye fare still produces on last ice in LBDN. Your
Jigging Raps, Do Jiggers, Swedish
Pimple and Rattlin Buckshot lures
are still going to be you best bets on
last ice, claimed Lee. Many anglers
tipped their lures with a minnow,
but Lee catches dozens of walleyes
each year on the bay using a clean
Jigging Rapala.
Indian netting has taken its toll
on Little Bay De Noc. The fishing
is still good, but its nothing like it
was 10 years ago. Even with fewer
walleyes Little Bay De Noc remains
a good bet on last ice.
Saginaw Bay
My biggest walleye taken
through the ice was caught on last
ice on Saginaw Bay. I was within a
stones throw off the mouth of the
Saginaw River with my friend Don
Luenberger. Don told me to fish a
hole hed had good success in the
day before. Id only jigged my gold/
orange Do Jigger a couple of times
when I felt a familiar thump. After
a spirited, anxious battle I had a
29-inch pig flopping on the ice. Fish
like that are rare now, but youll still
find hot action on last ice on Saginaw Bay.
We usually still have ice at the
end of the season, said Ernie Plant
of Franks Great Outdoors (989697-5341; franksgreatoutdoors.
com) in Linwood. Anywhere off of
feeder streams or rivers around the
bay can be great on last ice. Walleyes are attracted to flowing water
that time of year so fishing can be
very good in 3 to 6 feet of water off
places like the mouth of the Rifle
River near Standish, in the shallows
out from the mouths of the Pine, Saganning and Pinconning rivers, west
of the Kawkawlin and the Saginaw
rivers and near Quanicasee.
The influx of runoff and moving water produces a murky tinge
to the shallows that walleyes prefer.
Its good if its a little murky, said
Plant. You want a little tinge because walleyes are going to be very
spooky in the shallow water. Plant
said that stealth is extremely important when fishing walleyes in the
shallows. One key is to stay away
from the crowds, advised Plant.
You get a couple guys running
power augers or a few snow machines running by and its over. Drill
your holes well in advance of when
you expect the action to take place,
which is usually early and late in the
day.
Plant said that up to 60-70% of
the walleye spawn in the bay. Some
fish will run up the rivers in the fall,
but those are normally males. The
bigger females will move into the
shallows, do their thing and head
back out into the main lake. The
window of opportunity is short and
sweet, but hit it right and the fishing
can be incredible.
Plant said that youre not going
to catch the hawgs that Saginaw Bay
was known for 10 or 15 years ago,
but catching a limit of 4- to 5-pound
walleyes during the hot last-ice bite
is not uncommon. A variety of jigging spoons will fool last-ice walleyes including Northland Rattlin
Buckshot spoons, Swedish Pimples,
Moonshine lures, Custom Jigs and
Spins RPM jig and Do Jiggers.
Do Jiggers are a favorite of mine
because they are a light spoon that
flutters slowly down when jigged
in shallow water giving walleyes
plenty of time to strike.
There are numerous access sites
and road ends where ice anglers can
get on the bay. For more information contact the Bay City Operations
Service Center office at 3580 State
Park Drive, Bay City, MI 48706
989-684-9141.
Houghton Lake
Michigans largest inland lake at

more than 20,000 acres, Houghton
Lake is also one of the Wolverine
States most consistent walleye
waters. With few spots over 20 feet
deep and little structure, walleyes
can be widely scattered on Houghton Lake much of the year, but come
last ice youll find walleye in very
predictable locations.
Moving water is a big attraction that time of year, claimed Jeff
Light spoons
that slowly
flutter down are
proven killers on
shallow last-ice
walleyes.
Dow of Lymans On The Lake Resort (989-422-3231). Out in front

of the creeks and rivers like the Cut,
Denton and Knapen can be really
good then. Dow said that schools
of pre-spawn walleyes cluster in the
6- to 8-foot depths on last ice prior
to moving up the streams to spawn.
Dow said Houghton Lake produces
steady walleye action thats supported by natural reproduction.
Limits of two to three-pound
eyes that will average 16 to 20
inches are common on last ice.
Houghton Lake usually has upwards
of 20 inches of ice during a typical winter so safety usually isnt an
issue right up to seasons end. Dow
said that two tactics take Houghton
Lake walleye-tip-ups baited with
lively blue shiners are good because
anglers can back off and use a passive approach to prevent spooking
walleyes in shallow water. Others
use jigging spoons like Williams
Wobblers and Swedish Pimples with
minnows. I dont know if its the
water clarity or what in Houghton
Lake, but purple is always a good
color, offered Dow. Gold, silver,
pink and chartreuse are good colors,
too.
Lakes Cadillac/Mitchell
Both lakes Cadillac and Mitchell are among the states most
consistent producers of walleyes.
Similar to Houghton Lake, both
lakes are relatively shallow and
featureless. Walleyes relate to subtle
humps, scattered rocks, weedlines
during much of the year. On last ice,
the walleyes become a little more
concentrated and the angler who can
be on the ice during the waning days
of the season can cash in.
The last few days of the ice
season finds avid ice anglers playing
hooky to get in on the hot last-ice
walleye bite. On Cadillac, off the
old Navel Reserve building on the
northeast corner of the lake is typically a good spot on last ice. Typically the walleyes are nice 17- to
22-inch fish, but youll catch a lot of
short fish, which bodes well for the
future of the fishery.
Its pretty hard to beat a jigging
lure, like Custom Jigs and Spins
RPM jig (customjigs.com/products/
rotating-power-minnow), for Cadillac walleyes. Try the new No. 5 size
in the rainbow of new glow patterns
the lure comes in. Most anglers fish
it clean, but adding some scent or a

minnow head can help.
The channel that connects lakes
Cadillac and Mitchell is always a
draw for last-ice walleye on both
lakes. Like Cadillac, Lake Mitchells relatively uniform depths has
walleye widely scattered during
most of the year, but one hotspot
on last ice is on the north end of
the lake where Mud Creek empties
into the lake. Look for the roller
rink building along the road there.
A rocky bottom there in 8 to 12 feet
of water attracts spawning walleyes.
Early and late in the day is best, and
if your timing is right, taking a limit
of chunky walleyes is not too difficult.
For information on lodging
and amenities in the area contact
the Cadillac CVB at Cadillac Area
Visitors Bureau, 201 North Mitchell Street, Suite #102, Cadillac, MI
49601. Phone (231) 775-0657, Toll
Free (800) 22-LAKES, Fax: (231)
779-5933 or e-mail visit@cadillacmichigan.com.
Last ice has its perils and
rewards. Last ice is shaky ice and
should never be trusted, but if you
can get on it safely, walleyes will
be in a heightened activity level and
schools of pre-spawn walleyes can
be found in predictable locations.
As the ice starts to deteriorate,
an extra measure of caution needs
to be used. Ice conditions that are
safe one day can change quickly as
intensifying sunlight, current and
increasing temperatures melt ice
quickly. The window of opportunity
can be short. Take extra measures
like wearing a life jacket or even a
survival suit, carrying ice awls and
a GPS and make sure you have you
cell phone in a water-proof bag or
container and go with a buddy or
two. Most of all, use your head.
No walleye is worth an icy dip or
worse yet, loosing your life. Theres
always next year.n
229 W. 5th Street

Pinconning
989-879-1110

Cover Story -- Guest Column By Dr. Steve Schmidt
One incredible December archery

hunt in Michigans out of doors
am a lifelong hunter here

in Michigan. My aunt and
uncle got me into hunting
whitetails at the age of 12
and I have been hooked ever
since. I grew up hunting in
the Grayling area. Over the years
my passion for hunting big mature
whitetails grew and I began to focus
in on hunting southern Michigan. I
have taken several big deer over the
years but nothing as big as the two I
harvested on Dec. 19.
One of the bucks that showed up
at the end of the 2015 season on my
property in Van Buren County, was
a split brow 13 pointer. The 2015
season left me buck-less and I ended
up eating tag soup on my combo
license.
With high hopes for 2016, I
spent significant time preparing for
the season. Early archery season
was slow. Come November several
big bucks began showing up. Two of
those bucks included the split brow
13, and a mainframe 10.
I had a few trail camera pictures
of both of these deer come November, however, they were strictly
nocturnal at that time. It wasnt until
mid-December did the cold weather
finally show up. Along with the cold
weather came better deer movement
with the split brow 13 now making
appearances closer to first and last
light.
Heading into the week of Dec.
19 he made appearances two times
during daylight. The last day of
Steve Schmidt har vested a pair of record book bucks 15 minutes apar t hunting December 19 during
the late archery season with his crossbow.
muzzleloader season came and
went, still deerless having both
tags left on my combo license. With
muzzleloader season closed I was
able to focus back on crossbow
hunting. I closely monitored the
weather and knew that Monday,
Dec. 19 could make for a great hunt
being one of the coldest days of the
year with temperatures ranging in
the 5-10 degree range. The recent
string of cold weather was getting
the bucks moving much earlier
The 13-point was caught on camera but mostly during the night.
than normal.
That day I was in my stand
around 3 p.m. hoping tonight would
be the night, as I do with every hunt.
I remember the wind being perfect
for the spot I hunted, a Southwest
wind, which essentially blows out
into an open blueberry field and is
the direction I walked in from. I
had good activity early; within 45
minutes of getting set up I heard
deer crunching around behind me.
Around 5:00 p.m. I had a group
of three does followed by a basket
8-point and a smaller spike cross a
creek and walk off into the distance.
And then around 5:20 p.m., out of
the corner of my eye I spotted a big
rack about 100 yards out walking
through the trees. As the deer was
approaching I quickly recognized
the split brows and knew it was the
big 13 I had been after.
The deer approached from my
left and began to funnel around
behind my stand to my downwind
side. The split brow buck had
walked within 10 feet of the base of
the tree I was in and crossed behind me. As it began circling to my
downwind side, it appeared on edge
but I held as still as I could given
the circumstances.
Sure enough seconds later,
the deer blew, and I thought my
encounter was over. Luckily he
didnt run, but I knew I didnt have
much time to make things happen. He now stood at 20 yards and
I knew it would be difficult to get

my crossbow up and pointed in his
direction given he was on high alert.
The deer took a couple more steps
went behind a double trunked tree, I
knew my opportunity to get my bow
up was here. As he took two steps
beyond the other side of the tree I let
my arrow fly.
The deer quickly donkey
kicked and took off on a full tilt
run. Interestingly he stopped about
70 yards away and slowed down to
an extremely slow walk. I was waiting for him to drop, but he never
did. I questioned whether this may
have been a liver shot by the way he
was walking, but felt it was a fatal
hit. My heart was pounding as my
adrenaline ran high. I first began
texting a couple of my buddies letting them know I just got an arrow
in the big 13.
After realizing I still had 15-20
minutes left in shooting light and
one tag left on my combo license,
I reloaded my crossbow never
imagining I might get a shot at
another Michigan monster. I was
quite surprised when another doe
began walking from nearly the same
spot the 13 came in from 10 minutes
later. However, this doe stayed on
my upwind side. I took a good look
at her through the scope and was
considering pulling the trigger when
I saw a flicker of brown not far
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from page 28
behind her. Initially thinking it was
probably a fawn following behind,
I decided not to shoot the doe. As
the trailing deer stepped out, I could
not believe my eyes. All I saw was
tall tines and at least 10 points. As
the buck followed behind this doe
it now stood broadside at 20 yards.
With three minutes left in shooting hours, I centered my crosshairs
over the vitals and let the arrow fly.
Another donkey kick, and the deer
started hauling full tilt away from
me. Visualizing the deer between the
trees he stopped at about 80 yards
for a split second and then took off
running again. To my dismay this
deer didnt go down.
I was in complete shock of what
just happened. At first I wasnt entirely sure which deer this one was.
It took a minute to digest the
situation, not one but two monsters
in one night. I got down out of my
stand and took a quick look around
for my arrows. The first deer I shot,
I didnt find my arrow only a few
small drops of blood and hair. The
second deer, my arrow was sitting in
the snow, a clean pass through with
good blood on the arrow. Given that
I saw neither of these deer go down,
I decided it was best to back out and
give them a couple of hours.
With my hopes running high I
headed back out after a couple of
hours to do some tracking. Feeling
more confident in my shot on the
second deer I started tracking that
one first. I had a great blood trail for
about 90 yards and then nothing.
Searching for over an hour I began
to get turned around. To make matters worse I had kicked up at least
one deer bedded nearby questioning if I had bumped the buck. With
concern this deer may still be alive
I went back to search for the first
one. Other than a few drops of blood

and hair where I shot him, I could
not pick up a blood trail. I was now
beginning to question my shots on
both of these deer. I began to feel
sick to my stomach wondering if
I would find either of these deer.
I was getting turned around and
decided to back out and come back
in the morning. As they say when in
doubt, back out!
After getting back to my house
I decided I would give it the rest of
the night and head back first thing in
the morning with a bit of help tracking. Talk about a sleepless night!
Im not sure I slept a wink. I drove
back first thing in the morning and
began searching as it was getting
light. Additionally I contacted Mike
Riepen from Michigan Deer Trackn
Hounds to see if he may be able to
assist me in tracking if I was having
trouble.
As I began tracking I again
started with the deer I had shot
second given the blood trail I had
found the night before. I tracked to
the spot I had last marked blood.
Sure enough I looked over and he
was lying 20-30 yards away. Somehow tracking the night before I
circled all the way around him and
didnt find him. As I walked up on
him, I quickly realized it was a big
11 pointer that had been on my hit
list for a large part of the season. My
emotions went from feeling apprehensive to pure excitement knowing
I would find at least one of these
bucks.
Revisiting the site I had shot
the first deer, I now began finding
some foul smelling material mixed
in with a few drops of blood. It was
clear that I had made a gut shot.
I realized the night before my sense
of direction was off when track-
The 11-points photo was captured by the same trail cam as the 13
point, again most photos were during the night.
ing this deer as I quickly found an
impressive blood trail. I followed
large quantities of blood for nearly
200 yards where I saw the big 13
pointer laid up under a tree. His
head appeared to be up but I could
not tell if he was alive or just leaning against a tree. As I got within 15
yards it was clear the deer was still
alive. Crossbow in hand, I attempted
to get close as the tree he was under
provided thick cover and I was concerned I may not be able to get an
arrow through. Sure enough the deer
gets up and runs never presenting a
shot.
I contacted Mike Riepen again
and he gave me some great advice,
he felt I should back out and give
it several more hours, as he did not
feel that I would need his dog given
how close I was able to get and the
amount of blood.
After 6 hours I headed back
out tracking crossbow in hand. I
had tracked the deer approximately
another 75 yards. There he lay up
under a tree, sure enough his head
was still sticking up. This time I was

able to get follow up shot and seal
the deal on harvesting the big 13.
As I walked up on the big buck
I was in disbelief. I felt like the
luckiest hunter alive! I would have
been happy harvesting either one of
these bucks, but could not imagine
getting a shot at both of them 15
minutes apart. I also felt a great
sense of accomplishment, knowing
the hundreds of hours I put in this
season finally paid off. This was a
hunt that dreams are made of! A late
season double I doubt I will ever
top.
I green scored both of the bucks
myself. The 13 grosses in the 160s
with a net in the 140-150 range, the
11 point grosses 154 with a net
just under 150. Over 300 inches of
gross antler in one sit! My taxidermist provided me with the jaws and
aged the 13 at 5.5 years old and the
11 at 4.5 years old.
I end my 2016 season thanking
the good lord for one incredible year
in Michigans out of doors.n
229 W. 5th Street

Pinconning
989-879-1110

CHECK TREES FOR...

hemlock woolly adelgid
he hemlock woolly
adelgid (HWA) is
a serious threat to
Michigans eastern
hemlock, and forest
health experts from the
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development are asking residents in
west Michigan to check their trees
for this harmful insect.
These tiny insects secrete white
wax as they feed on sap. HWA
feeding also can kill needles, shoots
and branches. Over time, growth
slows as trees become less vigorous. Eventually, infected trees may
take on a grayish-green appearance.
HWA often kills infested trees when
combined with other stress factors,
such as drought.
Hemlock woolly adelgid has
been found in several locations in
Park, Port Sheldon and Spring Lake
townships in Ottawa County, as well
as in Norton Shores and Whitehall
in Muskegon County.
Efforts to find additional HWA
locations are ramping up across the
state. In cooperation with MDARD,

Michigan State University and others, DNR staff this winter will be
searching for HWA in state parks,
state game areas and eastern hemlock trees all over Michigan.
Were asking for assistance
from the public in detecting occurrences of hemlock woolly adelgid
in Michigan, said Roger Mech,
DNR forest health specialist.
While people are out enjoying
our natural resources, we hope
theyll take a moment to check
their trees.
Quickly detecting and eliminating HWA is critical to slowing the
spread of this insect. Eggs and very
young adelgids can be carried by
birds and can be moved on peoples
clothing, hemlock nursery trees,
logs or firewood.
Hemlock trees can be protected
from HWA with proper insecticide
treatments.
Citizen involvement in reporting and treating HWA is crucial
for the future of hemlock trees in
Michigan, said John Bedford,
MDARD Pest Response Program
HWA: Adult hemlock woolly adelgid on hemlock twig. MDNR photo

specialist. Examine your hemlocks,
or have them examined by a qualified arborist and, if HWA is found,
treat them or have them treated.
Eastern hemlock is an essential
component of Michigans forests.
Hemlock also is a critical component of wildlife habitat. Brook trout,
for example, are more common in
streams running through hemlock
forests. More than 12 percent (2.3
million acres) of Michigans forests
contain eastern hemlock.
A statewide response strategy
requires knowing precisely where
hemlock woolly adelgid occurs. The
insects have entered Michigan several times in the past decade from
HWA-infested areas of the U.S.
Each time HWA has been detected

in Michigan, MDARD, the DNR,
MSU and the U.S. Forest Service
have joined forces to address this
threat.
If you find a possible HWA
infestation, take photos, note the
location of the affected trees and
contact MDARD at 800-292-3939
or MDA-info@michigan.gov. To
prevent spread, do not move the
potentially infested material.
For more information about
hemlock woolly adelgid, visit the
Forest Services Forest Health
Protection website: http://na.fs.fed.
us/fhp/hwa/. For information about
treatments, go to www.michigan.
gov/hwa.n
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Sometimes You Just Want The Classic...By Tom Carney
The Barbasol Approach
ausing for a moment

in the Mens Shaving Needs aisle in
the local super-duper
market, I weighed
my choices. Shaving
cream what brand this time? I
dont really like the kind that comes
out of the aerosol can like a gel and

then turns foamy on your face. Ill
often look for the kind that comes
in a tube, the kind that comes out
like liquid soap and then turns
foamy on your face. And sometimes Ill look for the medicated
type or the moisturizer or some-
thing else for sensitive skin because

Im sensitive you see.
On this trip, though, it just felt
right to move beyond the modern
iterations of the product. I just
wanted something old timey, classic.
I reached for the Barbasol.
True, in 2015 Barbasol did

produce a Collector Can series
promotion in conjunction with the
Jurassic World movie a renewal
of the original partnership for
Jurassic Park from 22 years earlier. And true, Barbasol sponsored
12 different professional golfers
last year. But it remains Americas
classic shaving cream, originating
in 1919 as the first alternative to
the ol soap cup and brush setup.
Magazine ads carrying Babe Ruths
endorsement ran in the 1920s.
Barbasol does the job just fine.
Plus, guess what? Barbasol comes
out foamy and goes on foamy. No
shapeshifting required.
Sometimes you just want the
classic. Like instead of carrying a
disposable butane lighter, you drop
a Zippo in your hunting pants pocket along with a Case Peanut, the 2
7/8 inch-long, two-bladed, perfectly
sized gentlemans folding pocketknife. Preferably in a traditional
color like bone, stag, or that pale
yellow. Sometimes, the selected
tool brings to the overall experience
a welcomed, sepia glaze.
That concept has floated around
my mind a bit lately accompanied
by temptations disguised as logic: I
probably need another shotgun. At
least I didnt say a new shotgun.
For reasons having nothing to
do with status or elitism and everything to do with custom, familiarity,
good luck and my lazy gun handling habits, Ill use a double-barreled shotgun for grouse, woodcock
and quail.
First off, I cant hit anything
with a side-by-side, so over-under
it is.
I started with an original
Browning Citori then the Citori
Upland model I think it was called.
I switched to a Beretta over-under
in 1992 when the late wildlife artist
Jim Foote gave me the 20-gauge
gun the Ruffed Grouse Society had
bestowed upon him when it named
its northern Michigan chapter after
him earlier that year. When I get
tired while walking in the woods,
Ill often break open the gun and
empty it so I can let it ride safely on
my shoulder or in one of my hands
with the barrels pointing behind
me.
While I will never be able to
say Ive had enough grouse hunting in a season, Ive been fortunate
to set my sights on other vistas
once things start to wind down in
the northern Great Lakes area. A
few times now, I was lucky enough
to have to be packing for trips to

the Great Plains for some pheasant
hunting. And while the over-unders
are beautiful tools for the uplands,
something else calls my name for
the corn and stubble fields: a pump.
And not just any pump. Ive had
those. Im talking about an 870.
Among its other traits, the 870
Wingmaster bears sleek classical
lines according to the Remington
Arms Company. Tough to argue
with that assessment since the 870
is the biggest-selling pump shotgun
in history. I think of carrying one
in pheasant country, and my minds
eye envisions me stepping into
the scene portrayed in the pheasant hunting panel permanently
displayed in the arena of the Corn
Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota:
one hunter shooting and two others
seemingly overwhelmed by commotion caused by the number of
birds in the air.
Though the scene is painted
in corn kernels, it engenders images of the clear blue sky and the
fading yellow cornstalks slapping
in the breeze against the guns
thick, brown wooden forend as one
marches down the rows. And the
notion that racking a spent shell out
of the barrel and a fresh one in will
help a shooter regain his composure and get on track for a second
A Great Plains hunt doesnt get much more traditional than this.
Ducks in the Missouri River, island hopping for pheasants, a good
retrieving dog, for safetys sake unarmed stern man, and a shooter
in the bow with a Remington 870 Wingmaster. Tailfeather Communications, LLC photo
shot. Or the quick and satisfying

schwit-chunk x 3 of the breech
bolt when time comes to unload at
days end.
Maureen and I had met Marty
Monsma once in the fall 2008
before he married our niece Lizzy
in the fall of 2009. Between those
events he worked one season in
Antarctica. In the spring of 2009, as
I was driving around Detroit on my
way to the Final Four at Ford Field,
Lizzy called to tell me Marty had
returned and had bought himself a
comin home treat.
Turns out, the clear, Antarctic
air delivered Marty the thought that
he might like to learn about bird
hunting with his old uncle-in-law to
be. He got some input and advice
from the Alaska guys at the South
Pole, and no sooner had he set foot
back in Grand Rapids, than he had
outfitted himself with a classic.
A fixed-choke Wingmaster from
the Used rack at Gander
Mountain.
Now, seven years after his
return and with two growing boys
to entertain and nurture, he really
doesnt have time to do right by
that gun.
At least thats what Ill tell him
when I stop by on my next drive to
South Dakota with a spare, empty
gun case.n
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When will Michigan bucks...
By Kenny Darwin
ast week a friend told
me he saw an 8-point
buck visiting his food
plot carrying one antler
and the next day it
was bald. He seemed
puzzled because last
year the same deer had headgear
going into March. But every year is
different in Michigan weather; last
year was warm, sunny and grasses
were exposed all winter. This year
is a different story and deep snow
and freezing subzero temperatures
can cause deer to quickly drop their
crown of ivory.
So, when do Michigan bucks
drop their antlers?
Michigan DNR biologists will
tell you from December through
late March depending on genetics, age, availability of nutrition
and cold weather. I agree with a
few important modifications. First,
winter severity and deep snow have
a significant impact on Michigan
animals, especially those that reside
in the Upper Peninsula and northern
zones.
As a kid I spent winter vacations
with my grandparents, Herman and
Elizabeth Beck, who were caretakers on the Ivan McCarther ranch
near Grayling. Grandpa would take
me on daily jeep rides to deer feeding stations where he dished out
corn and alfalfa hay. As a kid I grew
up around hundreds of deer and
seldom would see a buck during late
December.
The same holds true while
attending CMU in Mt. Pleasant

where I spent countless hours afield
near Beal City, Clare and Cadillac.
Spotting a buck after the middle
of December was rare. But when
I moved to East Lansing that all
changed and I began seeing bucks
throughout winter. Ill never forget a
St. Patricks Day scouting trip with
Ed Carlin when we spotted a herd of
100 deer and several were sporting
large racks. My point is this, upper
Michigan deer drop antlers earlier
than southern Michigan strains.
Some southern Michigan bucks
hold onto their headgear until spring
breakup.
Others drop antlers early. If a
buck is crippled from a car accident
or wounded by arrow, bolt or gun
fire they can become dormant, slip
into a resting or recovery mode
and drop antlers very quickly. Then
there was Pearls buck, a magnificent adult monster that sported a
huge 160 class mega-rack. I chased
him for years and managed to catch
him with his pants down standing
among Pearls prize cattle. One
look through the scope revealed
a massive body, huge neck along
with flat forehead that looked like
a dinner plate. Only problem is the
plate was clean, Pearls buck was an
active breeder, covered a lot of mile
sections during the rut and come
rifle season he would disappear. By
muzzleloader season he was completely bald and it is my guess he
dropped his heavy rack the end of
November soon as he completed
Some Michigan yearling does come into heat during winter and the fragrance of powerful female hormones can cause bucks to become active and
testosterone levels rise which can delay antler drop.
Whitetail bucks dont always drop both antlers at one time. This buck recently shed one antler and the pedicle crater is still bloody. The other antler
hole is completely healed and covered with a protective gray membrane.
breeding chores.
If you draw a line from Midland to Muskegon you can count
on bucks dropping antlers by New
Years Eve, although there are some
exceptions close to agricultural
zones near Clare, Gladwin and
more. If your bucks reside south
of this line you can expect them to
carry headgear well into the New
Year and some could still have antlers as late as April.
But December of 2016 has
served up brutal cold weather and
record snowfall. This weather can
throw bucks into a tail spin; cause
them to go into winter mode as
their systems shut down to conserve
energy. Last year cold weather hit
in late January/early February and
local bucks soon dropped their antlers. With the more traditional cold
snowy December 2016 weather Im
predicting that most bucks should
drop antlers by the third week in
January.
We do know that following the
rut a bucks testosterone level drops.
But in southern Michigan this year

the rut was long and drawn out and
I witnessed some bucks still chasing
does and attempting to breed in December. Obviously sexually active
bucks will retain headgear longer
than their brothers sitting on the side
lines. Since antlers shed at different
times late rutting activity with bucks
chasing does in estrous could causes
levels to vary from area to area and
cause bucks to retain antlers longer.
It is my opinion the more does that
is not bred until late the more likely
bucks will carry headgear. Soon as
testosterone levels drop the antlers
drop too.
Nutrition can play a big role in
whitetail health, antler growth, size
and time antlers are dropped. Sick
and unhealthy bucks suffering from
poor nutrition causes testosterone
to lower and antlers are cast early.
Healthy deer that get proper nutrition tend to hold antlers longer and
grow larger racks.
Deer breeders throughout the
country make certain deer get
proper nutrition through the year.

Thus antler growth can be outstanding with two year old bucks sporting
200 inch monster racks. The proof is
in the pudding and no wild deer can
grow a mega rack like those who
get supercharged food year round.
Scientific studies have also proven
beyond the shadow of a doubt that
feeding deer makes them healthy
and disease resistant. It is my opinion that Michigans DNR needs to
fully evaluate the many benefits of
feeding deer to make them healthier
and disease resistant. Starving deer
or animals struggling for food leads
to increased disease, smaller animals and tiny buck racks; which is
common across most of northern
Michigan.
Some researchers have found
that older bucks tend to shed antlers
early and some scientists feel bucks
that go bonkers during rut can run
down their bodies, weaken their
immunities and the physical toll on
their bodies during rut can cause
premature antler casting. We have
all seen it happen, bucks chasing
does, fighting, breeding, refusing
water and food which reduces a
healthy condition. When the rut
ends, over-active breeding bucks
tend to be run down, dehydrated and
tired. This can cause testosterone
levels to drop and bucks go into a
deep sleep mode, curl into a ball
deep in a brushy swamp and disappear for several days or weeks.
Some never recover from the rigors
of the rut, especially if old man
winter brings fast deepening snow

and subzero freezing temperatures.
Combine this with limited available
of food and northern Michigan deer
are destined to drop antlers earlier
than southern bucks that have less
rigorous winter weather and a vast
array of agricultural crops to feed
them immediately following the rut.
Poor nutrition often leads to
early shedding and one study of
Midwestern farm bucks found they
tend to hold antlers until late January or later. These bucks rut hard but
good nutrition keeps testosterone
levels less affected as deer from
cedar swamps and poor habitat like
northern Michigan.
One Iowa study revealed that
good nutrition keeps fawns healthy
and over 70% of fawn does are bred
their first season in December. The
sexual activity late in the year leads
to bucks keeping their antlers later
than other parts of the Midwest. The
relationship between feeding deer
and increased good health has led
several researchers to conclude that
antler retention is a good measure
of those animals living in food rich
whitetail habitat.
Another researcher found early
antler drop in an area with abundant
does. However, the excessive doe
numbers over browsed the habitat
and food availability was poor.
Thus, the buck dropped antlers
early.
Take a look at a Mississippi
buck study that found bucks in captivity tend to drop antlers every year
Bucks will be bucks and sparring is par t of daily activities for young deer in
good physical condition. Author photos
on the exact same date. This seems
bucks shed immediately; physically
to suggest, weather, moon phase,
healthy deer will shed antlers later
age, food availability, presence of
than injured animals.
does in estrous have no impact on
Im predicting that most southantler casting. If you buy this reern Michigan bucks will drop antsearch Ive got some property to
lers this year around the first week
sell you for big bucks in Michigans in January through mid-January a
Upper Peninsula. Ha!
tad earlier than last winter. Well,
Once again, as for the reason
unless a tropical breeze sweeps the
antlers shed, its due to a drop in
Midwest, melts snow and ice and
testosterone following the rut. When we spot trophy bucks while golfing
a bucks testosterone levels fall it
on thick green fairways.n
creates a weakening in the tissue
and bone at the base of the antler
(pedicle). Sooner or later the bone
becomes honeycomb-like and the
antler falls off. The process can take
weeks or happen quickly, antlers
that are attached firmly one day can
weaken and fall off in less than 48
hours. Weakened, hurt, crippled
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High-tech
ice-fishing
he ice fishing evolution has not left

behind one of the
most basic
and standard means
to catch fish through the
ice. Im talking about the
Tip-up.
Tip-ups have been
used by anglers since anglers have ventured onto
the ice to catch fish. There
is no solid data available that tells us who
first invented them.
But we have to know they have
been around for many, many years.
I have some myself that are
50-plus years old that my father
gave me. The old standard three
pieces of wood with a bolt midway
through all three pieces of wood
can be found on every lake in the

north through most winters.
A weighted sucker or shiner
on the hook is easy prey
for a nice pike, walleye
or bass and tip-up fishing
is quite effective. There
is always something fun
about running to check a
flag that has popped over
by the weed bed.

There is now a new
wave in tip-up fishing
and several high tech
designs are really
turning heads. Many
of the newest style tip-ups involve
a fishing rod. The Jaw Jacker tipup allows anglers to set a fishing
rod into a rod holder and load the
tip of the rod so when a fish bites
the bait that tug releases the set
and the rod automatically sets the
By Mark Sak
Self-setting Jaw Jacker tip-up. Author photo
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hook. The Slammer Tip-up has a

very similar design that also auto
sets the hook when a fish takes the
bait. Both can be set with varying
degrees of sensitivity so they can
be used on species from light biting crappies to very large northern
pike.
One of the important things
to remember with these rigs is
anglers still must pay attention to
their set up throughout the day as
it doesnt take much for a feisty
walleye to shake a hook.
The Hot Box is another innovation in tip-up fishing that does
what all of the other models have
struggled with over the years. It
prevents the hole from freezing.
The Hot Box utilizes a box around
the hole with a small propane
lantern inside that provides heat to
keep the hole from icing over. This
would be a very important feature
in the more frigid regions when
-10 degrees is just another day on
the ice.
Some very interesting add-ons
to tip-ups are on the market and

incorporate electronics into the
system. Either a signal light or
beeper can be seen on many tipups that will signal anglers in low
light conditions or when the angler
is fishing in a shanty.
But the newest of the new involves a phone app that will send
a signal to your smart phone. The
Deep Freeze Bluetipz transmitter
sends a Bluetooth signal stating
youve got a big one and you better run and get the fish. Cool idea
Im just not sure I could find my
phone with ice fishing clothes on.
The best way anglers can find
outlets for these new style tip-ups
is to go to their favorite sporting
goods store or you can check their
website. Several of the models
listed above are offered for sale at
the big outdoor box stores. Most
are running in the $30 to $40 dollar price range.
When Michigan began to allow an angler to fish three rods it
really revitalized the tip-up world.
Now an angler can sit over two

holes in their shanty or out on the
ice and have one additional tip-up
working its magic over near the
weed bed. The regulation change
has really made ice angling more
enjoyable.
To be a successful tip-up
angler, it is still quite important to
understand the species targeted.
Pike anglers usually like water
less than 10 feet deep close to
both weed beds and a deep shelf.
Anglers drop a weighted sucker
down to about the halfway point
or a little below the halfway point
as its important to remember that
pike feed up as their eyes are on
the top part of their face, although
some anglers will drop a dead
smelt right on the bottom and
claim they have decent results on
big fish.
Suspended baits seem to get
the attention of more fish regularly.
Remember to utilize a steel leader
as the razor sharp teeth of a pike
can cut any lessor line very quick-
ly.
Most anglers targeting walleye
look for deeper water adjacent to
structure or weed beds. Depths
of 20-40 feet are not uncommon
depths to catch a nice eye through
the ice and most anglers run a nice
shiner one to five-foot off the bottom.
No steel leader is needed
when targeting walleye and many
anglers downsize line diameter
and hook size as walleyes can be
finicky and line shy in the winter
months when water clarity is excellent.
Remember safety is the most
important issue we all face through
the ice season. No ice is safe.
Always bring a partner and think
about purchasing a nice life jacket
that will fit under your winter
clothes. It is also easy to throw
50 feet of rope in the bottom of
your shanty, it may save you or
someone else on the lake. Have a
great season and Ill see you on the
ice.n
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Dont be a couch potato - To spice up your winter try...
Wintertime Squirrel Hunting
hen January and

the rest of winter
rolls in, I automatically begin
pondering
squirrel hunting and there is
little doubt in my mind that
a highly underutilized outdoor pastime is wintertime
squirrel hunting. Personally
I thoroughly enjoy every
opportunity to go squirrel hunting and I have my
favorite spots
on both private
and public land
(actually the Thumb area offers
excellent squirrel hunting opportunities at the various State Game Areas
found in all three counties and some
of my squirrel hot spots are on
public land).
A beauty about squirrel hunting
is that you dont have to travel far to
find ample opportunities anywhere
in our great state of Michigan and
with plenty of public ground available, it is a very accessible winter
pastime which doesnt cost a fortune

to pursue (the Base License covers small game hunting). Once
January comes around and with the
deer seasons being over, a
proper and polite approach
can often provide access to
private property.
I was real pleased when
squirrel season was extended all the way through
the first day of March, and
this allows me to pick and
choose my days according
to winter weather influences.
Ive found that
cold and blustery days arent that
conducive to good squirrel hunting,
but when the wind calms down a bit
and add some sunshine, Ill be in the
woods seeking bushy-tails, which
are great to eat with a whole bunch
of recipes to use (squirrel meat
makes just as good a hasenpfeffer as rabbit meat and a variety
of hasenpfeffer recipes can be found
online, and we have our own family
special, a great wintertime flavor).
By Tom Lounsbury
When the winter wind calms down a bit and the sun comes out, the
author will be in the woods seeking bushy-tails!
Being a resident of the hardwoods,
squirrels are tree rodents that live
primarily on a wide variety of nuts,
berries and buds. Squirrels take
advantage of food caches (usually
a variety of nuts) theyve made in
the woods to see them through the
winter. If you find nut-bearing trees,
you should be able to locate plenty
of squirrels.
With leaves gone and usually
snow on the ground, winter squirrel
hunting is a much different atmosphere than the early fall season,
and has its own share of distinct
challenges. While it is easier to see
squirrels in the winter landscape, it
is also easier by the same token for
sharp-eyed squirrels to spot hunter
movements. Being prey animals
with a wide variety of predators
after them, squirrels are quite alert
and hunting them during the winter
is usually not a slam-dunk affair.
An advantage to winter squirrel
hunting however is due to the nut
caches which are usually located
on the ground. A majority of my
shots at squirrels during the winter

are actually on ground traveling/
feeding squirrels. Because of this I
more often than not prefer a .22 rifle
that allows me a little more reach
on wary winter squirrels, and I do
appreciate the white, snowy backdrop for this type of shooting. When
it comes to shotguns for this atmosphere I prefer the small bores such
as .410 and 28 ga stoked with number 4 lead shot (I dislike my squirrel
meat being peppered with birdshot).
Besides a variety of twenty-twos
(some scoped, some not) I also use a
variety of air rifles and a .32 caliber
muzzleloader. (When using a rifle
for squirrels, always try to make
sure there is a safe backstop for the
shot. A .22 rimfire round for example has a range of over a mile, so
popping away at a sky-lined squirrel
scampering overhead through flimsy
branches is very unwise).
No matter what firearm I use,
I prefer to focus on a headshot
whenever possible not only to
prevent meat damage (and no, Ive
never had a hankering for squirrel
brains a Southern delicacy), but

also because squirrels are surprisingly tough and resilient despite
their small stature. When you clean
squirrels you have shot and remove
the hide, you can readily see their
very muscular and lean stature that
allows them to scamper through the
trees as fast and gracefully as they
can do. Skinning squirrels can also
be interesting (and requiring patience) because they certainly dont
peel as easily as rabbits do Im
always looking for an easier squirrel-skinning method.
One thing to always remember
when it comes to skinning squirrels (and rabbits too) is to never,
ever bring them into your house to
perform the task. It is amazing how
many fleas can suddenly appear
when a warm room temperature
wakes them up. I do all my squirrel
(and rabbit) skinning and slicing and
dicing outdoors. Also it is wise to
wear rubber gloves when skinning
because squirrels (and rabbits) often
come into contact with poison ivy
which doesnt bother them a bit, but
it can be transferred to you, even
during winter (although poison ivy
leaves are long gone during winter,
the rest of the plant including vines
can still pass on their allergic residue). Ive been there, done that, and
now always wear rubber gloves for
skinning purposes. Poison ivy and I
dont get along a bit.
The two squirrel species hunted
in Michigan are the fox squirrel
(which is the largest specie) and the
gray squirrel (which often features
a black color phase that some folks
assume is a different specie altogether, but isnt). Here in the Thumb
the most predominate specie is the
fox squirrel due to our agriculture
rich atmosphere it much prefers
(and it loves field corn especially).
There are however pockets of gray
squirrels (including the black color
phase) and one of my favorite local
hunting spots features both species,
and I dont mind the variety at all.

Once in the pot they all taste the
same, which is always very flavorful, and ultimately the meat is fatfree (although the recipes I prefer
sort of knock the heck out of being
fat-free).
A key I use in selecting my
winter days for seeking squirrels is
that if I notice a likely number are
out and about in an urban environment, the chances are they are out
and about in the woods where I
can hunt them. My favorite wintertime method is usually spot and
stalk and I dont appreciate crusty
and crunchy snow that renders
this particular method practically
useless. Like I said earlier, I do
pick and choose my days. I also sit
and hold tight once I figure Im in
range of a lot of squirrel activity,
and I dont move to retrieve each
and every squirrel Ive shot right
away, because hunter movement is
more unforgiving than the sound of
a gunshot. When I shoot a squirrel,
I mark its location to memory and
only retrieve downed squirrels after
Im done with that setup. I have on
occasion bagged my 5-squirrel limit
in this manner, from one spot.
Being able to recognize dentrees certainly helps. Squirrels have
their notable leaf-nests but I have
found they usually prefer dens by
exploiting holes in mature hardwoods caused by a branch falling
off next to the trunk. They are quite
snug for winter in this manner and
Ive noticed large sugar maples are
often a favorite tree. A den-tree will
feature a somewhat sanded appearance in the bark (caused by the
continual sharp nails of squirrels
latching on) leading up to the notable hole in the trunk (a literal trail,
so to speak). Some large, mature
trees can certainly feature more than
one squirrel-den, and these always
get my focus.
Nothing beats a fine day spent
in the squirrel woods (which as I
McKenna Lounsbury at age 9 with a late-season fox squirrel (sometimes you have snow, and sometimes not these days). McKenna
used a Henry Mini-Bolt .22 rifle which is an ideal firearm for small
framed youth hunters. The plastic tubing on trees in the background is for gathering maple sap, and squirrels love to chew on
the tubing which in turn often makes avid squirrel hunters a welcome presence for the landowner.
mentioned before, are readily available on public land in the Thumb),
and Ill take that over my being a
couch potato anytime to shorten
the winter months. And if you ever
try squirrel meat in a hasenpfeffer recipe, you probably will be out

performing more wintertime squirrel hunting activities, trust me. It is
truly a great winter pastime.n
BIRCH RUN
HUNTING & FISHING

EXPO
February 10-12, 2017
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Birch Run Expo Center

Angler seeking
ve never been much of a

deer hunter. My dozen or
so experiences treestand
hunting in Jackson and Livingston Counties
have been punctuated by an inevitable and
immediate need to urinate,
not being able to feel
my toes, and nary a deer
spotted. And when my
friend almost fell off his
bar stool when I pondered
if that cigar I smoked up
there might have
something to do
with it I realized
I was still mighty wet behind the
ears.
Angling has always been my
passion. Usually when friends and
family have been out seeking Michigans official state mammal-the
whitetailed deer- Ive been in pursuit of Michigans official state fish,
the brook trout, and his two cousins
brown and rainbow. My wife, outdoor writer and television personality Lydia Lohrer, is an accomplished
huntress. She has downed just about
every large mammal in
North America. Our sons,
Wolfgang and Aaron, are
also excellent marksmen.
This year, however, I
made a concerted effort to
educate myself about-and
participate in- deer hunting.
My son, Wolfgang, an avid
outdoorsman, has moved up
to Petoskey and
I truly enjoyed
learning from and
with him about the pursuit of Michigans most sought after mammal.
Being a scientist, Ive always
been much more in tune with aquatic entomology and trying to match
the hatch to fool river trout or pond
bluegill. This autumn, however, I
experimented with the best place to
put a blind, what bait deer prefer,
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Pursuit of trout, like this Au Sable River brown, was put on hold
this autumn as the author sought deer instead.
what time of day they are most
active, what behavior is typical of
bucks and does, and where exactly
to shoot one from our ground and
tree blinds. Heres what I learned:
The area we are hunting is
private land near Pellston and the
Maple River. We put in a natural
brush blind about 25 feet high on a
steep hill that goes down to the river
valley. The river is about 50 meters
away.
We also put a doghouse blind
at the edge of the field above the
valley. I spotted many more deer
from the valley blind compared to
the field blind. Perhaps this had to
do with more tree cover, adjacent
swamp, variety of food items, and
proximity to a water supply.
The deer were true to their crepuscular nature as they were much
more active at dawn and dusk. A
once-in-a-lifetime bonus was a fleeting glance of, what was absolutely
without doubt, a mountain lion
ambling along the river bank.
In a completely non-scientific
study Ive discovered that deer
prefer food items in the following
order: apples, corn, sugar beets,
and carrots. This is based on how
quickly these items were eaten but
doesnt account for some being
easier to gobble up completely. I
just about pulled my hair out one
day when, after putting out a gaggle
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hunting/fishing related items.
For more information go to
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of eared corn, I watched a scurry

of seven squirrels carry most of the
ears off to places far out of reach of
deer and hunter!
The sweet apple block I purchased from an Indian River gas
station was a complete fail for me,
as it had nary a nibble despite being
placed in several locations throughout the season. I plan to try the Deer
Cane concentrate product next year
as I have hunter friends who laud its
effectiveness.
Ive been fascinated to learn
about where exactly to shoot a
deer from various heights and the
animals juxtaposition. Ive taken
away that a broadside shot is most
preferred while a quartering away
position is also a good opportunity.
With my level of inexperience Im
not planning to pull the trigger of
my new Barnett Jackal crossbow
until absolutely sure I can make a
double lung and/or heart shot.
Even early in October bucks
had much more of a fight club
attitude. When does discovered my
spying they immediately threw up
their white flags and darted for the
deep woods. Contrarily, a spike
horn buck snorted, stomped his foot
several times and stood his ground
when spotting the Homo sapien
hiding on the hill before bounding
across the river.
I did not take a deer this fall,
but next year Ill be more prepared.
Ive gotten much more accurate
with my crossbow, have improved
my stealthy approach, have studied
deer behavior (the most activity I
witnessed was at the very beginning
of bow season and after rifle season
ended), and have absorbed YouTube
videos on how to track and gut a
deer in the field.
So, as an angler now seeking
antlers although antlerless would
also be terrific Im cherishing
the adventure. For the first time in
autumn I was seeking to put venison
in the oven as opposed to trout in
the frying pan.
Oh, yes, probably the biggest
lesson Ive learned----leave the
cigar at home!n
The Salute the

Troops Swamp Buck
Guest Column...Tony Karsen Grand Junction, MI
On Veterans Day evening
2016, I was blessed with
an opportunity to take a
quality bow shot on an
amazing 12 point buck,
a true gift from the
Big Man Upstairs...
fter honoring military vets of past and

present at Lawton
schools, where I teach
and coach, I hustled
to my backwoods
Grand Junction home to get ready
for an eagerly anticipated evening
hunt, and had a great north wind
in my favor. Once I made the hike
through cattails, muck, mud, and
swamp grass, I sat down in my
stand and started to reflect on this
special American holiday. We are
so fortunate to have wonderful men
and women who have served and
continue to serve this great nation,
to allow us the special freedoms we
get to enjoy each day. Our country
was truly shaped and built by the
American soldier and we will be
forever grateful.
As I was thinking, pondering,
and praying about the sacrifice of
our real American heroes, I saw a
big bodied deer step out of a thick
bedding area, 60 yards upwind of
me. I grunted two times and he
came right in, down a muddy-water
trail. He quartered to me roughly 24
yards away and I put a clean, sharp
shot on his vitals.
I patiently sat in my tree stand
for another hour under natures
beautiful night light of the full
moon. During that time, many patriotic prayers and thanks were recited,
just enjoying the moment. When I
finally got down, found my arrow,

found good blood, and I heard some
light struggling in the bedding area,
I backed out. I decided to head back
home to my wife, 2 young boys, and
daughter and told them all about the
great hunt I just had.
After the excitement settled, we
went outside and took care of our
nightly farm chores with the goats,
chickens, ducks, and bunnies, then
settled in for our Friday night, family tradition, watching the Dukes of
Hazzard.
The next morning my whole
family and I went out to the thicket
and began our search. My boys
found the continued blood trail and
we knew we were close. Then I
found him and yelled to everyone
with pure American adrenaline!
What an incredible buck, what a
glorious animal, and what a special
hunt. I ran back home, fired up
the ol 1952 John Deere and drove
around the backside of the block to
try to get as close as I could to load
up the swamp monster. My wife,
kids, and I dragged him 60 yards
uphill out of the thicket, loaded him
in the tractor bucket, and drove him
back home beaming with American
pride.
I now find myself constantly
thinking about that special Veterans
day bow hunt. I am still in awe of
the glorious beast that gave me an
incredible shot, but am truly inspired by the entire series of events
that occurred during that stretch of
time.
A powerful Veterans day
program at work, cruising home in
my lifted Chevy, a perfect wind, a
majestic buck, a clean shot, the patience and anticipation, family farm
chores, Dukes of Hazzard, pizza
and a Pabst Blue Ribbon, finding
the buck with my excited family,
driving him home in the John Deere,
125
Tony Karsen and his kids pose with Tonys very special Veterans
Day bow hunt buck.
and low a behold shooting him with
an Old Glory Broadhead, made
in the USA. If thats not an All
American experience, I dont know
what is.
None of that would have ever
been possible without our Veterans
and their families, of past and present. Again, I am so truly appreciative of those who have served and
continue to serve within our great
military. Thank you to all of our

men and women of service and
thank you for the wonderful freedoms you have fought to protect.
You are all true American heroes.
As a tribute to that memorable Veterans Day hunt, that 12 point will
be hanging in my basement and will
forever be known as the Salute the
Troops Swamp Buck. Thank you
and God Bless America!n
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DNR continues effort

battling invasive grass
carp in Lake Erie Basin
Talk to anyone familiar with
Michigans invasive species
and youre likely to hear their
concern about carp
voracious, prolific, invasive carp.
News of electric barriers and fish
flying into boats by the dozens may
sound like a big fish story...
owever, while they are

sizable creatures, there
is nothing exaggerated
about the ecological
and environmental
damage that would
occur if bighead and silver carp
were ever to enter the Great Lakes.
Therefore, a good deal of attention
is being paid to the work done by researchers and biologists in the Great
Lakes states and Canada to help stop
invasive bighead and silver carp
from moving through the Chicago
Area Waterway System toward Lake
Michigan.
In addition to this ongoing work
in Lake Michigan and its tributaries,
Michigan Department of Natural

Resources Fisheries Division staff
and researchers are also focused
on the problem of grass carp in the
Lake Erie Basin.
Distinctions
Small numbers of grass carp
have been caught in the Great Lakes
and its tributaries since the 1980s.
While bighead and silver carp
are believed to have escaped from
aquaculture ponds, grass carp were
stocked intentionally in water bodies
throughout many states for the purpose of aquatic plant control.
Since the mid-1980s, grass carp
used in this manner were required
to be sterilized so that they could
not reproduce. However, periodic
captures of fertile or diploid
grass carp and the discovery of grass
carp eggs in the Sandusky River in
2015 suggest that either the methods
used to sterilize these fish were not
always effective or compliance with
state regulations barring fish able to
reproduce was not complete.
Michigan Depar tment of Natural Resources fisheries biologist Cleyo

Harris displays a Lake Erie grass carp. MDNR photos
It is illegal to possess or stock
grass carp in Michigan. However,
sterile or triploid grass carp may
still be used for stocking water bodies in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania
and New York.
Though similar to silver and
bighead carp in their breeding and
habitat requirements, grass carp
are different in two very important
ways.
Grass carp feed exclusively on
plants, whereas bighead and silver carp devour large quantities of
plankton the same food source
required by native and sport fish
species. In large numbers, grass
carp can cause significant damage to
wetland ecosystems and waterfowl
habitat.
Unlike silver carp, grass carp
do not jump out of the water at the
sound of boat motors.
Varied Research Approach

Invasive species management
is most effective at the early stages
of an infestation, before a species
becomes established.
The Michigan and Ohio Departments of Natural Resources have
launched a collaborative research ef-
fort with Michigan State University

and Central Michigan University
to better understand the situation
posed by grass carp in Lake Erie to
then develop effective management
measures.
In 2014, grant funding provided
to Michigan through the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative was
awarded to Central Michigan University and Michigan State University to study the biology and behaviors of grass carp, with the ultimate
goal of working towards eradicating
these invasive fish from the Great
Lakes.
Under the management of lead
coordinator Seth Herbst with the
Michigan DNR, Central Michigan
University researchers are studying
the fertility, diet and origins of grass
carp captured in western Lake Erie.
Michigan State University researchers are evaluating large-scale
movement, seasonal tributary use
and migratory patterns of grass carp.
Herbst and other DNR staff from
Michigan and Ohio are aiding in
study design, collecting samples,
and acting as liaisons between the
commercial fishing industry and
university investigators.
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According to Herbst, this research is a first step toward the ultimate goal of eradicating grass carp.
If eradication is not possible,
the next goal is to use research information to develop and implement
more effective control strategies,
Herbst said.
The research itself is being conducted by Travis Brenden, associate professor in the Department of
Fisheries and Wildlife at MSU, and
Andrew Mahon, associate professor
of biology at CMU.
Brenden is studying the movement of grass carp in western Lake
Erie by use of acoustic telemetry
transmitters. According to Brenden,
these transmitters are electronic tags
that are surgically inserted into the
belly cavity of the fish.
Every 2 to 3 minutes, the
transmitters emit a series of pings
unique to each fish, Brenden said.
The pings are detected and data including date, time and approximate
location are recorded by receivers
placed at different locations in Lake
Erie.
Brenden said one thing discovered, even with the limited results so
far, is that these carp move farther
than researchers thought they would.
One fish that we detected in
the Sandusky River in Ohio was
originally tagged near Monroe,
Michigan, Brenden said. Before
being detected in the Sandusky
River, that fish was detected north
of Pelee Island, Ontario. The overall
straight-line distance of this movement was close to 100 kilometers
(62 miles).
The location estimate of these
pings lies within a small radius,
as the signals are typically only
detectible if a fish is within 1 kilometer of the receiver. That makes
these findings both conclusive and
surprising.
To some, another surprise might
be the fact that these fish are permitted to move around the lakes at all.
It may seem strange that we
are releasing grass carp back into
Lake Erie rather than just killing all
the fish that are captured, Brenden
said. However, these tagged fish
are providing a better understanding
of migratory patterns that will allow
management agencies to more effec-
An acoustic transmitter is shown being inserted into the stomach cavity of a grass carp. Blood is also being drawn
from the fish to use in determining whether this carp was capable of reproducing (diploid) or sterile (triploid).
tively and efficiently exert control
efforts.
While Brenden focuses on telemetry to track movement, Mahon
is hard at work studying the genetic,
genomic, and fertility or ploidy
status of grass carp.
Were finding that the large
majority of grass carp are diploid,
which is not a good thing, Mahon
said. However, it is good that we
are able to provide these data for
management groups to use in their
response to the invasion of these
harmful fish.
For this project, Mahon and his
students are using some of the latest
molecular technology.
It is a great opportunity for
me to train students and have them
interact with the agencies that
they may be working with in their
future careers, Mahon said. And
it gives me the excuse to be able to
use some pretty amazing molecular
tools.
That suite of tools includes
digital technology to screen water
samples for environmental DNA,
which can indicate the presence or
absence of grass carp.
For our reproductive tests,
were conducting ploidy analyses by
screening grass carp blood samples
via light microscopy, Mahon said.

Lastly, we are using some genomic
methods to examine population
structure of grass carp from the
regions where we are able to capture
and collect samples.
Outlook
When asked about the future

of Lake Erie, Mahon and Brenden
agreed that it is still too early to
predict the potential severity of the
issue, as so much depends on the
feasibility and success of control or

eradication methods.
Its better to be proactive
rather than reactive, Mahon said.
And Seth Herbst is a leader
when it comes to making sure
Michigan is in front of this issue
and preventing these fish from
spreading any more than they
already have.
Get more information on invasive species, including carp, at
www.michigan.gov/invasives.n
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Betty Sodders:
A Pioneer Outdoor Writer

Special Feature By Sharon Kennedy
heres a television cook

who calls herself the
Pioneer Woman. She
lives in a beautiful home
outfitted with all modern
conveniences, appears on
QVC to hawk her wares, and occasionally youll see her smiling face
on a placard as you enter Walmart.
Shes about as pioneer as my fake
fingernails. If you want to meet a real
pioneer woman look no farther than
Goetzville, Michigan, and youll find
Betty Sodders.
Many readers are well acquainted
with Bettys wildlife articles, but they
may not know the story behind the
woman who traded in city life for
the wilderness. The story behind the
photographs and articles is as interesting and intriguing as the lady herself.
She and her husband of 59 years lived
what she calls a simple life because
it was rustic. Once you get to know
her, youll realize there was nothing
simple about their life except the
cabins without modern facilities and
the jobs taken. The former thrust her
into a pioneering tradition and the
latter offered her a chance to observe
and record the daily activities of
wildlife.
Betty and I are contributors to the
Mackinac Journal, a monthly magazine published in Cheboygan. I was
intrigued by her stories and wanted to
meet her so I sent an email. The first
time we met was last winter when she
invited me to her home for a fish fry.
As the lunch progressed, I realized it

was time for someone to tell her story
and give her fans a chance to meet the
delightful lady who has lived a life as
full of adventure as that of the early
pioneers.
Betty didnt set out to live as a
pioneer woman or to become Michigans first female outdoor writer,
but as she put it, If I wanted to stay
married, I had to follow my husband.
In the late 1970s, when Bill and I
were both 46, he announced he was
quitting his job and heading north. I
had two choices. Wave goodbye and
wish him well or tag along with him. I
decided a change of scenery might be
an interesting challenge, but I had no
idea it would lead to the most exciting
and rewarding years of my life.
We sold our home in Marine
City in 1979 and never looked back.
Our four kids were married and
probably thought our decision was
crazy, but that didnt deter us. Bill
was stressed from police work and
ready to live closer to nature. When
we crossed the Mackinac Bridge, the
enormity of our adventure became apparent, but we settled down in a rustic
cabin west of Detour in the Eastern
Upper Peninsula and took to the area
like bears to honey.
Bill had experience as a duck
hunting guide. He was also an excellent hunter and angler. His goal was
to accept only wilderness related jobs,
never work the same job twice, and
never stay at one position for more
Watching a war between two rival flocks of wild turkeys led Betty to
her first ar ticle and began her writing career. Betty Sodders photo
Many readers are well acquainted with Betty Sodders wildlife

ar ticles, but they may not know the story behind the woman who
traded in city life for the wilderness. Author photo
than nine months. My contact with
nature was the usual kind found in
urban areascats, dogs, birds, and
the occasional skunk or raccoon that
ambled through our backyard. I was
raised in Ironwood in the western end
of the U.P., and although I enjoyed
the out-of-doors, I never dreamed of
living among wildlife.
Bill was a visionary who wanted
to pursue life according to his rules,
and it didnt take me long to learn the
wisdom of his decision. The wilderness promised a smorgasbord of
opportunities for us. We did some fascinating things from managing hunt
clubs to co-directing the first Michigan Youth Corps Camp at Brevort
Lake where we supervised young
people on forest and stream related
jobs. We managed outdoor museums,
raptor release units, were caretakers
on an island seven miles out in Lake
Huron, and conducted numerous studies of regional and local deer herds.
Bettys adventures are many and
varied. Soon after she and Bill arrived
at Detour, she got out her camera and
started taking pictures. She had no
idea her hobby would land her a job
as an outdoor writer and photographer. Bettys stories and photos earned
her the honor of becoming the first
female outdoor writer in Michigans
history. She won the admiration and
respect of men who had been outdoor
writers for years. It wasnt a case of
fighting her way into a mans world.
It was a case of good writing, superb
photographs, and living in tandem
with nature. Although the stories of
other writers were interesting and
informative, her work was a firsthand
look at nature. Living in the wilderness gave her stories an unmatched

authenticity.
As our conversation continued,
Betty, who is the size of a minute,
grew taller with the telling of each
new tale. She has the energy and
enthusiasm of a giant, and at 88 years
of age, her memory is as sharp and
clear as a pane of glass. Her joy for
life and all manner of wildlife is beyond measure. Her home is a treasure
trove filled with items like bird track
(Cuspidiform Petroglyphs) rocks
dating back millions of years, burls,
webbed deer antlers, Pudding and
Petoskey stones, Polypores, and a 52
musky mount caught by her friend,
Bud Thomas. I quickly took notes as
she reached into the past and recalled
days full of excitement, surprise, and
even some danger.
Anytime I look back and realize all the interaction we had with
wildlife, I am amazed, she said.
Watching a war between two rival
flocks of wild turkeys led to my first
article and began my writing career. I
was 53 years old and had never written an article or submitted anything to
anybody. I had no formal education
as a journalist or photographer, but I
thought the battle of the turkeys was
too good a story to keep to myself. I
sent the article with photos to Michigan Out-of-Doors, and the response
of editor, Ken Lowe, went like this.
The story was filled with amusing
observations of the antics of these
birds, some of which I had never
come across in the literature dealing
with this species. This was nature lore
of the first order. I couldnt wait to lay
the story before our readers. Those

turkeys were the beginning of 35
years of writing outdoor articles.
Betty became a prolific writer
who continues to crank out stories
about her years in the wilds as well as
conducting interviews with interesting
people who cross her path today. She
loves talking with folks and sharing their stories. She has written six
books, thousands of magazine articles,
been a staff member of prestigious
outdoor magazines, and a field editor
and feature story writer at Whitetails
Unlimited for 22 years. Shes contributed to Woods-N-Water for 23 years
and Michigan Out-of-Doors for 12
years.
At the national level, her articles
have been published in the American
Waterfowler, the Varmint Hunter,
Bear Hunter, Deer and Deer Hunting,
Trapper & Predator Calling, Gun Dog,
Wing & Shot, Fishing Facts, BuckMasters, Women in the Outdoors,
Wheelin Sportsment, and Woodalls
Travel Publications. Thats an amazing resume for a lady who started her
writing career at 53.
Other notable accomplishments
include writing historical booklets on
Michigans early history, its lighthouses, the Soo Locks, the Mackinac
Bridge, and a Drummond Island
Tourist Brochure. She appeared on
a PBS segment of Ancient Copper
Miners of the Keweenaw and Isle
Royal and on the podcast Hunting
Michigans Black Bears for an Ohio
Internet magazine entitled the Hunt
Fish Journal. She was adopted by the
Cherokee Indians of Georgia who
named her Ni-ag-aka which means
Bear Who Writes for work she did
Betty Sodders has contributed to

Woods-N-Water News for 23 years!
on a Magelan Project entitled Michigan Prehistory Mysteries I & II. Shes

been a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of American for 26
years and is currently a much sought
after lecturer. Some of her books are
still in print. Michigan on Fire can be
purchased from Amazon and Michigan Prehistoric Mysteries Volumes I
& II are available from Wisconsins
Hay River Press.
Betty has lived with and been
amused by the antics of Pine Martens,
watched seven black bears sleep off
their intoxication from feasting on
fermenting apples, and witnessed two
bears stealing a campers frying pan
filled with pork chops. She saw a sow
sit down and spank one of her cubs
for not crossing the road with her
and their siblings. She studied three
families of red fox that lived a few
yards from each other. She watched a
mother woodchuck carry her babies
by their tails and place them in a new
burrow. And she helped Mother Nature raise two separate litters of raccoons after their mothers were killed
by cars. Nightly the kits trooped in
for portions of popped corn, puppy
food, and if they were good, they each
got an Oreo cookie. Just like kids,
the little ones took apart the cookie
and licked off the white filling in the
middle. Betty learned how turkeys
choose their leaders by means of what
she called the Turkey Olympics.
There were two large flocks of
birds. It was January and toms and
jakes squared off in pairs and began
a wrestling match. As the loser slunk
off to stand in the ditch, another male
tackled the winner. The matches
lasted half a day. By the last round,
four birds were left. Apparently they
co-lead because the four marched
down the road, and the show was
over. Their cheerleaders were hens
that sat on the fence and watched the
matches.
Another fond memory is that of a
litter of Eastern Gray Squirrels. The
most interesting thing about the litter
was their unusual color phase, Betty
said. One kit was black with a honey
gold tail. Another was all honey gold.
A third was honey gold except for its
black tail. The youngest was totally
black. Such coloring in one litter is
unusual. I called them brothers under
the skin, so to speak.
Bettys interaction with whitetails
is legendry. She once walked with
the matriarch of a wintering deer
herd who ruled with an iron hoof.
The doe adopted three orphan fawns
although she had twins of her own. As
Betty tells it, While the other does let
their fawns play after eating, she had
her three orphans and her twins line
up in single file only to leave without
play time. Her story was special, from
trying to kill me to her acceptance of
strangers on her land. Betty has seen
deer migrate as wolves followed them
and witnessed a six-point buck driven
Betty has lived with and been amused by the antics of a variety of wildlife.
out of the feedlot by a doe that took
him on head-to-head. She studied a
colony of beavers that hadnt been
disturbed in 50 years.
One of her favorite memories is
that of two Canada Lynx. A friend,
Jan VanHoesen, brought them to
Bettys house for socializing. My
first encounter with Crystal was when
she wrapped her huge paws around
my leg. Jan yelled that Crystal was
just hugging me. A second Lynx
named Aurora was adopted when
Crystal died. Aurora liked to jump on
top of the fridge, walk across countertops and the gas range, and inspect
my coffee pot. Helping to socialize
the Lynx was a task much easier than
teaching her German shepherd to hunt
pheasants and partridges, but she did
the latter by walking the dog through
the bush every morning until he
learned the art of hunting.
As a fearless protector of wildlife,
Betty touched a moose that was dying
of brain worm disease. She spoke
to the animal in a soft, cooing voice
realizing, of course, it was too far
gone to hurt her. It was oblivious of
its surroundings to the point that dogs
were attacking it. I asked the owners
to pen up their dogs. Then I pushed
the moose off in a different direction
which gave it time to move away
from the dogs and die on its own
terms.
Bettys stories about porcupines
are chilling. I saw many deer that
died or were hurt by porkies quills,
she said. One deer came away with
a face filled with quills and could not
eat. Another suffered from quills to
its eyes. There is so much in nature
we never see from the comfort of our
homes. Its when we live on a par
with nature that we see the beauty as
well as the harshness inflicted upon
wildlife. There is no right or wrong
in nature. Its all a matter of survival.
The porcupine has its quills. The
skunk its odor. Both use what nature
has given them in order to survive
potential life-threatening attacks.
Because Bill Sodders was the
catalyst who ignited a firestorm of
creativity in Betty, I was curious how
they met. She explained, I was visiting my sister who lived in Algonac.
One summer day I was pushing my

nephew in his stroller when I passed
by Bills house. He was mowing the
lawn. Upon my return from downtown, I noticed he was still cutting the
grass. He yelled at me so I stopped
and asked how long it took to get
the job done. He said he would have
pushed the mower all day until I came
back down the sidewalk. That began
a friendship that blossomed into a
love that lingers to this day. Bill lost
his battle with Leukemia in 2009.
Ours wasnt an easy life, but it was a
rewarding one few people are fortunate enough to experience. And it was
a whole lot more exciting than my job
as a secretary at Chris-Craft!
Talking to Betty is like conversing with a youngster. She has more
energy and zest for life than many
folks half her age. Betty has overcome
health challenges that endangered her
life, but instead of taking it easy shes
eager to see what surprises the New
Year brings. Her primary goal continues to be turning hunters into wildlife/recreational enthusiasts.
Like a true pioneer, Betty says
shes fortunate to live as a leader,
not a follower. Shes an inspiration
to her many friends who applaud her
good humor and positive attitude. Ree
Drummond may have QVC, but Betty
Sodders has the heart of anyone who
reads her stories.n
About The Author: Sharon M.
Kennedy has published a collection of
her newspaper columns and titled her
book Life in a Tin Can. Sometimes
poignant, often amusing, her stories are
a combination of present day observations and nostalgic glances at the past.
By her own admission, Sharon is a
late blooming Boomer. She says that
when most people her age are enjoying
retirement, shes embarking on a new
career.
Her columns run in the Bay Mills
News, the Marquette Mining Journal
under Musings of a Matriarch, and
the Drummond Island Digest as Coffee with Sharon. Her View from
the Sideroad runs in the Mackinac
Journal, a monthly magazine. You can
also find her work at www.go60.us and
www.herviewfromhome.com. Sharon
also speaks before audiences of all
ages, interests, and backgrounds.
Do what you can do...
Life isnt always fair
avison resident Tim

Pifher doesnt let
much get in is way of
participating in outdoor activities. Born
with cerebral palsy,
the 61-year-old continues to come
up with ways to help him hunt and
fish. Those of us that hunt and fish,
scarcely give an outing
much thought. You launch
your boat, walk out to your
blind or use a public access
point to get on your favorite trout stream. Pifher has
more to worry about than
gutting a deer if he gets one
or getting fish ready for the
frying pan.
Cerebral
palsy is a physical disability that affects movement and posture. It is a permanent
life-long condition, according to the
Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Despite
his physical condition, Pifher hasnt
let life slow him down. Hes had a
couple bouts with non-Hodgkins
lymphoma. The chemo treatment for
this condition brought with it heart
problems. Despite these obstacles,
he remains active as a sportsman
even trying to figure out how hes
going to fly fish.
Do what you do with what
you have. Life isnt fair for most
people, Pifher is fond of saying.
For a person that wasnt expected to live beyond five, Pifher
has pushed himself, not only for his
own recreation but also as a proponent for others with some form of
disability.
Despite what the doctors said,
I learned how to walk, ride a bike,
slalom water ski, hunt and fish.
Dont tell me I cant do it. That
makes me want to prove I can do
it, he said.
Pifher didnt deer hunt this year.
His lack of mobility and physical
inactivity since his heart attack left
him out of shape. But next year, he
plans to be in the woods.
My dad Frank has been my
hunting partner my whole life. Hes
85 and doesnt hunt anymore, Pifher said. I began following my dad
around pheasant fields with a BB
gun. I had to earn the right to have a
gun. The outdoors has always been a
part of my life.
A big help for him getting into
the woods to hunt deer or squirrels
or fields for upland bird hunting is
a modified, off-road scooter that the
Flint chapter of Safari Club International (SCI) donated.
It has eight inches of ground
clearance with 13-inch tires. With

two speeds, it flies. I can still get out
hunting squirrels, rabbits and pheasants, he said.
Despite having a reliable vehicle
to get to and from the woods, there
are problems he has to overcome. If
a tree limb falls across a trail, ablebodied people would walk around or
over it. Pifher doesnt have
those options.

Getting into a
pheasant field with grass
wrapped around the axle
isnt fun and when the
ground is wet the tires spin.
But my scooter gives me
the opportunity to get out
there.
When hes
not shooting in
five-stand shotgun events, or otherwise enjoying all the outdoors has to
offer, Pifher tirelessly works behind
the scenes in an on-going effort to
make the outdoors accessible to
everyone.
Years ago, under the urging and
encouragement of the late Roger
McCarville a group known as Outdoors Forever was formed. The
purpose of ODF was to make the
outdoors accessible for everyone.
Promoting an accessible outdoors
was done by attending sports shows
around the state, talking to disabled
persons and encouraging them not
to give up their sports, contact with
local and state officials for help
making fishing piers and hunting
trails accessible and appearances on
outdoors-themed TV programs.
Because of the efforts of McCarville, Pifher, physical therapist
Dan Selahowski, the late Kevin McCrory and others, ideas about how
to customize equipment to work for
a disabled sportsman began appearing.
From shooting a compound bow
to a special glove and mitts designed
for anglers with little or no muscle
control to fish, were some of ways
suggested to keep people active.
One such pioneer was Rick
Klein, a bow hunter who lost an
arm in an industrial accident. Klein
developed a nylon tab sewn into
the string of a compound bow.
Klein, along with others he worked
with, practiced shooting arrows by
drawing and holding the string back
using his teeth. He travelled the
country promoting his method of
shooting a bow with a disability.
Today, ODF doesnt exist but
that doesnt hold Pifher back from
being involved.
I figure the best way for me
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Tim Pifher has always enjoyed the outdoors.

to help the disabled was to get
involved with mainstream organizations like Pheasants Forever, the
Ruffed Grouse Society and others, he said. The idea is to change
things from the inside. Being active
with a disability makes a difference
because it increases awareness.
Another way Pifher increased
awareness was teaching hunters
safety at Bass Pro for 14 years.
Through the years Pifher says hes
signed 3,000 hunter safety cards and
received the DNRs Hunter Safety
Award. I retired last year when my
cancer returned, he said.
Three years ago, Pifher was
recognized nationally by the SCI
receiving the disabled hunter award
now known as the Pathfinder award.
Three of these are awarded annually.
For his efforts, Pifher was
awarded a hunt in Spain. I took a
fallow and Mouflon sheep, he said.
Until then, I had never shot anything.
Not much gets Pifher down.
Despite my physical problems Ive
had a very full outdoor life including receiving a couple of awards
and helping to get bills passed for
outdoors accessibility. My disability
has been an impairment but I dont
regret it. Its made me work harder.
I get extra satisfaction with attaining
goals. Over the years, Pifher says
he has learned to be more tolerant
toward people that offer to help
him.
I recently bought a 25-pound
bag of dog food. The clerk asked

if I would like some help. Sure, go
ahead, I said. It used to be I would
load it myself. You want to do as
much as you can even as you grow
older. Its hard to learn to accept
help.
These days his hunting partner
is an English setter, JJ that was born
deaf. Hes ten years old and never
hunted.
He works as a service dog
helping me keep my balance and
assisting me off the ground if I fall.
At shows I worked with ODF
I once asked Pifher why people in
wheelchairs ignored us, wheeling by
without giving us so much of a look.
He responded, Thats because
they havent been in a chair long
enough, People that would come
to our booth to inquire about ODF
usually prefaced their questions by
saying they werent disabled.
Pifher had a name for those
people. I call them TABs or temporarily able bodied, he said.
No matter who you are, sometime in the future youre going to
lose some sight, hearing, develop
arthritis or encounter other physical
ailments that go with getting older.
We may be healthy today but over
time those that continue to enjoy the
outdoors will be looking for ways to
help them function easier.
You can email Roger at dutchbeuk12@gmail.com and view his
blog at opoutdoornotes.blogspot.
com.n
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By Darryl Quidort
Coyotes
arent fun anymore!
ve tent camped and

hunted Out West
many times where Ive
always enjoyed the
coyote serenade each
evening at sundown.
The yips, yipes, and
howls always made
the trip into a genuine
Western experience. It was fun then.
But, coyotes arent fun anymore.
Once considered a Western animal, coyotes have been quietly moving eastward over the last 30 years.
They are now found in every state
in the continental United States.
Coyote populations in the Eastern
U.S. have basically exploded in the
last 10 years.
A couple of decades ago, it
was considered uncommon to see a
coyote in Michigan, but today we
have become accustomed to seeing
coyotes almost anywhere, even in
urban settings. Although considered
by many people to be a beautiful
natural predator others are concerned that the rapid increase in
coyote numbers may soon have an
undesirable impact on Michigans
deer herd.
Recent studies in Eastern states
attribute coyote-fawn predation as
a direct contributor to falling deer
numbers. Dr. John Kilgo, research
biologist with the U.S. Forest
Service Southern Research Station,
conducted a study which showed
coyotes taking a tremendous toll on
whitetail fawns. Of 60 fawns monitored, 36 (60%) were either confirmed or probable victims of coyote
predation within their first month of
life. Outdoor writer, Kenny Darwin,
wrote in the December issue of
Woods-N-Water News that, One
U.P. fawn predation study shows
44% of fawns are killed by coyote
within the first 20 days of birth.
In 2014, lawmakers in Pennsylvania proposed placing a bounty on
coyotes to encourage their destruction for the sake of the deer herd.
The concern is that coyotes may
be changing the established population dynamics of white-tailed deer
herds through increased predation
on fawns, said Duane Diefenbach,

leader of the PA Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit. Besides predators, the other major
source of mortality in fawns is hunting. Thus, reduced hunting can be
used to offset mortality from natural
predators.
Seriously? Will we really need
to reduce deer hunting opportunity
in the future to satisfy the hunger of
coyotes? I guess that is something
for conservationists, hunters, and
wildlife managers to contemplate.
Fawns arent the only venison that coyotes enjoy. As Darwin
pointed out in his article, coyotes are
fully capable of taking down adult
deer as well. It has been said that a
coyote will eat anything that cant
eat him first. Sadly, that includes a
hunters deer when available.
Several of my friends and relatives have lost legally taken deer
to coyotes in recent years. The
once common practice of leaving
an arrow shot deer overnight, to
be trailed in the morning, is now
avoided. More than one hunter has
followed a blood trail to the skeleton
of his trophy: the meat entirely eaten
by coyotes during the night.
Coyotes arent even waiting for
darkness anymore. My own coyote
troubles began in the bow season
of 2015 when I made a good shot
on a buck with my bow and arrow.
The mortally wounded deer plowed
a half circle for 50 yards out into
the swamp grass where I saw him
crash. Immediately, a flash of movement caught my eye. A coyote was
running full speed right to my deer.
He reached the deer within seconds
after it fell. As I watched, the coyote
warily circled the deer as if to make
sure it was dead. Then he moved
right in and began to feed on the
deer. As he attacked a hind quarter, I
whistled and waved my arms to get
his attention. He stopped what he
was doing and turned to glare at me.
Get out of here! I shouted.
The coyote turned and disappeared
into the high swamp grass.
As I approached my buck, I saw
that the coyote had pulled several
The author with what was left of his archery buck after waiting a
couples hours before taking up the blood trail.
mouthfuls of hair from the hindquarter, actually cutting the hide,
but hadnt reached the meat before
I scared it away. Since I witnessed
the whole event, Im sure the damage was done in just a minute or so.
Im glad I didnt wait the customary
hour before tracking the arrow shot
buck.
I was able to salvage all the
meat from that deer, but things got
worse in 2016. On an early November morning I shot a buck with my
recurve bow. The arrow passed completely through the deer, low in the
chest. After a half hour wait, I took
up a heavy blood trail which led
through a small cornfield to a grassy
ditch. Blood was hard to see in the
tall grass and as I circled around
searching for the trail I moved the
deer out of a brushy ditch corner.
By the looks of the new blood trail
I was confident I would recover the
deer.
A couple of hours later my
grandson, Chance, and I returned
to take up the trail. We followed
decent blood sign where the buck
had traveled along between the ditch
and cornfield. Glancing out into the
corn, I spotted the remains of a deer.
Is that him? I asked.
Cant be him, Chance answered.
I think this is him, I decided
after reaching the spot. This is all
fresh and there are coyote tracks all
over here.
Im staying on this blood trail
just to be sure, Chance replied.
After following a short distance he

announced, Heres where they got
him.
Between us the ground looked
like a 20 foot long deer hair carpet.
Long strips of deer hide appeared to
have been cut out with sharp scissors. The carcass had been completely skinned and the hide turned
inside-out. Everything from the
knees to the chin had been completely eaten, including all of the
innards, leaving only the hide and
skeleton. My arrow hole in the hide
was proof that it was my deer. The
area was covered with coyote tracks,
making us wonder how many had
been involved. It must have taken a
large pack to have consumed an entire deer in such a short time. And,
in daylight no less!
My emotional high, from a well
conducted hunt and taking a nice
buck with a traditional bow, was
now dashed to a discouraging low,
from losing my venison. I dont feel
that the hunt was successful when I
couldnt recover the valued meat.
In a decade, the Central Michigan area has gone from a coyote being a rarity to coyote packs so large
that they can consume a hunters
venison before he can claim it. We
joked that you wouldnt want to
cut your finger out there. There are
so many coyotes that if you were
bleeding you might not make it back
to your truck.
I think Michigan may be facing
a serious coyote problem. Coyotes
just arent fun anymore.n
Novi, MichiganDetroit Market
FEB 27-MAR 2, 2014
February 23-26
Novi, MichiganDetroit Market
Produced by ShowSpan
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outdoorama.com
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Thursday Feb 23 1pm-9:00pm
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Saturday Feb 25 10am-9pm
Sunday Feb 26 10am-5pm
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Celebrating Michigans
Great Outdoors!
10th Annual
Cottage &
Lakefront Living Show
- Detroit
novicottageShow.com
FEBRUARY 23-26, 2017

with Paid Admission to Outdoorama
OUTDOORAMA NOVI
SPECIAL PULL OUT
Celebrating Michigans Great Outdoors!
Boat Supermarket!
The best place to buy a boat!
Boat LineS!
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Anderson Boat Sales
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Schedules & Details: www.Outdoorama.com
SeminarS at the
hunting & fiShing academy
MARK ROMANACK
WALLEYE FISHING
JAKE ROMANACK
WALLEYE FISHING
WAYNE CARPENTER
BASS FISHING
GREG ABBAS
TURKEY HUNTING
JASON HERBERT
DEER HUNTING
BIG BUCK
NIGHT
THURSDAY NIGHT ONLY
Presented by Michigan Out-of-Doors TV

Show. Celebrity hosts Jimmy Gretzinger
and Jenny Olsen will interview the lucky
Michigan hunters who bagged some of the
largest whitetail deer of the season.
ED SPINNAZOLA
FOOD PLOTS
TOM RICHARDSON
DEER CALLING
KEVIN BACKUS
MUSKIE FISHING
TONY LA PRATT
LAND MANAGEMENT
LUMBERJACKS
The Great Alaskan IRONJACK Timber Team will be battling it out in the Olympics of the Forest at this years
Outdoorama Show. Two top Alaskan Lumberjacks will
be going head to head in Chopping, Sawing, Axe Throwing, Hot Saw, Tree Climbing and Log Rolling. These men
have honed their skills all summer long doing competitions for the Cruise Industry on the Alaskan island town
of Ketchikan. These rugged woodsmen are two of the
worlds best timber athletes and have been featured on
the OUTDOOR CHANNEL. Show Host, Rob Scheer is a 5 time World Champion Lumberjack
and Alaskan Adventurer. When not cutting logs in competition you can find these men
in the wilds hunting bear or mountain goats and catching halibut or king salmon on the
ocean. The action and stories provided by these men will captivate the crowds on stage at
Outdoorama.
DEER
PROCESSING
DEMO
Sponsored by
Presented by
Country Smoke House
3pm Saturday
on the Main Stage
BRING YOUR DEER ANTLERS

TO THE SHOW AHD HAVE
THEM SCORED!
You can display them for all to see on the buck
boards for the duration of the show!
Schedules & Details: www.Outdoorama.com
FOLLOW US ON
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OUTDOORAMA NOVI
SPECIAL PULL OUT
MARK MARTIN
WALLEYE FISHING
SpeciaL featureS
ANTIQUE & CLASSIC FISHING TACKLE
Terry McBurney, Woods-N-Water News staff writer, will be on hand
all four days of the show exhibiting some of his Made in Michigan
fishing tackle collection. Outdoorama visitors are welcome to bring
in their old fishing tackle and talk to Terry, who will be answering
questions and offering FREE appraisals.
PELLET SHOOTING
RANGE
A Pellet Shooting Range will
thrill plinkers and shooters of all
ages. Certified instructors teach
accuracy and safety.
COMMEMORATIVE
BUCKS OF MICHIGAN
PREMIER ANIMAL
ATTRACTIONS
Commemorative Bucks of Michigan

Premier Animal Attractions is a federally
will be at the show to score your
licensed, family owned, private zoo
deer, turkey, bear and elk. They will
located in Michigan. They will be at the
also have Boone and Crockett /
show with some of their exotic animals!
Pope and Young measurers to assist you. Bring
The animals are obtained through a
your trophies to Booth 6013 and have them
variety of ways including rescue, breeding programs, donation and zoo
scored while you enjoy the show.
surplus.
VINTAGE BOATS & OUTBOARD

MOTORS
OUTDOORAMA NOVI
SPECIAL PULL OUT
Dick VanRaalte, from Starboard Marine Restorations of Grand Haven,

MI, who restores wood and fiberglass boats, will be on hand all four
days of the show exhibiting one of his restored classic boats as well
as a display of vintage outboards. Outdoorama visitors are invited to
come in and talk to Dick about boat restoration projects or to bring in
old outboard motors for him to appraise. Visit Starboard Marine on the
web at www.boatrestorations.com.
TROUT POND
Operated by Michigan B.A.S.S.
Federated Clubs as a fundraiser,
you and your kids are invited to
come and try your hand at one of
the states best trout ponds. It only
costs $5 to give it a try.
VIRTUAL FISHING
SIMULATOR
Presented by Michigan Charter Boat

Association
Take the trolling rod in hand, watch

the video screen and get ready! The
salmon takes that lure like a freight
train and your job is to land that fish.
Top scores for the weekend will win
charter trips on the Great Lakes.
FLY FISHING AREA
Presented by Michigan Fly Fishing

Club
Outdoorama has teamed up with the best

local y fishing stores to create a huge
y fishing area! With continuous free y
casting lessons and non-stop y tying
demonstrations, this area will offer the
best in information and products to y fishing anglers of all ages and
all skill levels. Other activities include book signings and expert advice
on local fishing opportunities from guides, professional instructors,
outfitters and pros.
SPORTSMENS GRILL
A large dining area has been designated as the
site of the Sportsmens Grill food court. After
rave reviews last winter, the area has acquired
Ultimate status with an expanded menu,
a family
entertainment
area and a
large bar
popular with
pinger
with Ep rld
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sportsmen.
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A basket of fish fillets breaded in a
ShowS cturing, cre to give away to
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special breading mix will be served
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Special thanks to Woods-N-Water News for producing this flyer.
Visit the Woods-N-Water News booth, Michigans premier outdoor

publication, at Outdoorama and online at
www.woods-n-waternews.com. 1-800-387-7824
Schedules & Details Outdoorama.com

A ShowSpan Production
Zeroing in on Eries Steelhead

In the Great Lakes
the fish everyone covets
is the beautiful and
acrobatic rainbow trout,
aka steelhead...
ike their relatives king and coho

salmon, steelhead spawn in streams
and grow rapidly. Unlike salmon, many
steelhead survive the rituals of spawning and they can live as long as 10 to 12
years.
Because steelhead live longer, it could be
argued that these fish provide a better bang for
the buck. Natural reproduction of steelhead also
occurs across the Great Lakes region, but the majority of the fish caught by anglers are hatchery
fish, stocked as fingerlings when about three to
four inches in length.
Like all trout and salmon, steelhead favor
cooler waters, but compared to salmon and lake
trout the steelhead is content in water 10 to 15
degrees warmer on average. This little known
fact means that the steelhead is at home in all five
of the Great Lakes, even Lake Erie a lake known
best for producing warm water species like walleye and smallmouth bass!
Lake Erie Silver

Lake Erie is a sleeper steelhead fishery. The
Eastern Basin and much of the Central Basins
North Shore produce some of the best open water
steelhead trolling found anywhere. Steelhead
thrive in the deeper and cooler water regions of
Lake Erie because this fishery has a rich forage
base. Unlike the other Great Lakes that are relatively sterile, Lake Erie is a nutrient rich fishery
that supports huge concentrations of rainbow
smelt, alewives, gizzard shad and emerald shiners.
An abundance of baitfish is the building
block of any great sport fishery. In mid to late
summer a noteworthy Lake Erie steelhead bite sets up near the thermo layer in
the water known as the thermocline. The
thermocline marks a rapid temperature
break that separates warm surface waters
from colder subsurface depths.
Steelhead stick close to the cooler
waters of the thermocline. In part these
fish are found in or near the thermocline
because many of the forage
species they prefer are also
fond of cold water. Smelt
are the preferred forage of
steelhead and like the steelhead smelt require
water temperatures similar to trout and salmon.
What many anglers dont understand about
steelhead is this species can and will readily
abandon preferred water temperatures to feed on
more abundant warm water forage species. When
smelt are not readily available, steelhead have no
problem targeting forage species that thrive in
warmer water.
After feeding in warm water, steelhead retreat
to the cooler waters surrounding the thermocline.
Steelhead are commonly thought of as a species found in places like Lake Michigan and
Lake Huron. Actually the best steelhead trolling action in the Great Lakes takes place in
Lake Erie. Mark Romanack photo
This pattern of feeding in warm water and retreating to cooler water is why Central and Eastern
Basin Lake Erie walleye anglers often catch
bonus steelhead.
Summer Trolling Tactics

In the summer time the go to lures for
trolling up Erie steelhead are spoons. Fished on
downriggers, diving planers and sinking
lines like lead core, spoons have their
best action when trolled at 2.0 to 2.7
MPH.

Lead core lines are commonly
fished in combination with in-line planer
boards like the famous Off Shore Tackle
Side-Planer. Using planer boards spreads
out trolling lines, covers more water and
gives anglers an opportunity
to target different depths and
experiment with different
spoon sizes and colors.
The most popular lead core set ups for Erie
steelhead trolling include the standard and
mini size spoons fished on five, seven or 10
colors of 27# test lead core line.
By Mark Romanack
Fall Trolling Opportunities

Steelhead stick pretty close to the thermocline until mid to late September when the waters
of Lake Erie start to cool. Eventually surface water cools and sinks, dissipating the thermocline.
About the same time, steelhead move out of the
mid-lake basins and start to inhabit the shallower

shoreline regions of the lake.
Areas where major rivers flow into the lake
start becoming hot spots for steelhead. These
same river mouth areas also attract other species like walleye, smallmouth bass and lake trout
largely because as the lake cools, rivers pour in
slightly warmer and nutrient rich water that attracts baitfish.
From early November right up until ice
freezes out the boat launches, steelhead and other
species can be caught in these river mouth areas.
Fall Trolling Strategies

Because steelhead are found in shallower
water during the fall, downriggers, diving planers
and long lengths of lead core line are typically
not needed to reach these fish. Diving crankbaits
fished in combination with in-line planer boards
become the mainstay for targeting steelhead.
High action wobbling baits are the most
popular crankbaits among anglers targeting fall
steelhead. Among the long list of baits that will
consistently take steelhead, the Yakima Mag Lip
series heads up the charge. This unique lure has
exceptional action at the slower trolling speeds
and also comes in several sizes ideal for targeting steelhead. The most popular Mag Lip sizes
include the 3.0 and 3.5 versions.
Lake Eries steelhead page 54

Lake Eries steelhead:

from page 53
Other noteworthy floating/diving style crankbaits include the Yakima Flat Fish and Fat Wiggler, the
Storm Hot n Tot, the Luhr Jensen
Kwik Fish, the Lindy River Rocker
and the Heddon Tadpolly. All of
these baits are compact in size and
feature an aggressive side-to-side
wobble that steelhead simply cant
resist.
Natural Scent Stream

All trout and salmon species
depend heavily on their sense of
smell in hunting for food. Adding
scent products when trolling spoons
or crankbaits sets up a fish attracting
scent stream in the water.
The best scent products are
those that replicate natural forage

species. Pro Cure is the industry
leader in producing scent products
made from actual baitfish.
The Pro Cure Super Gel line up
of fishing scents are made by dehydrating popular baitfish like ciscoes,
alewives, smelt, shiners, gizzard
shad, crayfish and many others. The
dehydrated baitfish are ground into
a powder and mixed with a proprietary gel that allows the scent to
stick to hard baits providing a long
lasting and natural scent stream in
the water.
Pro Cure Super Gel scents also
feature a stabilizing element that
gives these products a five year shelf
life. Simply apply the gel directly to
your favorite lures. Each application
The steelhead fishery of Lake Erie isnt a new development. This throwback image of the author was taken in the early 90s near Wheatley,
Ontario on Lake Eries Nor th Shore. The Lake Erie steelhead fishery is
thriving, but there arent a lot of anglers who target these cold water fish
in the warm waters of Lake Erie.
provides a scent stream that lasts
products, unnatural odors includabout 30 to 40 minutes. At the end
ing human scent, tobacco odors,
of the day, lures treated with Pro
sunscreen, gasoline, etc., are also
Cure will have an oily film on them. eliminated.
This film can be easily cleaned by
Scent products work best when
washing the baits in a light solution
applied to clean and odor free lures.
of soap and water.
The regiment of washing lures like
Washing away the scent residual spoons and crankbaits prior to using
is important for a couple of reasons. scent products is something few
If left on lures the natural amino
anglers understand. Lemon scented
acids in these scent products will
Joy dishwashing soap is popular
eventually damage the paint and reamong avid anglers because it
flector tape finish. Also, by cleaning removes the oily residue and doesnt
lures before and after applying scent leave any scent behind.
Lake Leelanau Narrows Resort

Great Northern Michigan Fishing
Reservations call: 231-994-2108

www.lakeleelanaunarrowsresort.com
New for 2016!
Church Tackle Co.
WE DIDNT INVENT THE PLANER BOARD, WE JUST PERFECTED IT!
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The Mini Lock-Jaw fits The Walleye Board, TX-44, TX-22, TX-12 & TX-6 1 7/8 Long
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planer boards, but we recommend the full size Lock-Jaw for the TX-44. 1/2 Wide Locator holes for
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The Mini Lock-Jaw is designed to fit other side planers, drop weights and
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The TX-44 is the first and the only in line planer to pull the large Divers,
Lead Core, Wire or Copper Lines and Heavy Weights. The size of the TX-44
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designed for lead core & copper, makes accidental
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Great for trolling in congested areas and more effective contour trolling along
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Effective for all species. Run more lines out the back of the boat by staggering tow-arm removal. Part# 30630
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Part# 40519 sold 2 per package 1 left & 1 right
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Locator holes for

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Unique error-proof design allows anglers to put

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Please check with your local tackle shop first, if they dont carry our products visit us at www.churchtackle.com to view all
of our great American made fishing gear, or call us at 269-934-8528 to request a catalog.
Lake Erie is known best for

producing world class walleye and
smallmouth bass fishing. The steelhead bite of Lake Eries Central and
Eastern Basins are just starting to
get popular among the mainstream.
From mid-summer right through until ice up, the best steelhead fishing
found in the Great Lakes takes place
in the last place many anglers would
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On Select Weekends!
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Summing It Up
Walkiewicz Farms
6115 Chapin Road Deford, Michigan 48729
1-989-683-2749
Best Bets for ice

fishing success!
s I travel
around this
great outdoors
state we live
in, its amazing
to me all the
great year-round fishing that
we experience living here
in Michigan. To some who
have ice fished for
years this is no
surprise. But to
those who have either stayed close
to home or not yet gotten involved,
let me say just one thing. Ice fishing
is easy when you have good information, a good lake and some common sense. Lets tackle this together.
Ice Fishing is not rocket science! I thought for years that somehow I needed special powers to find
and catch winter fish. I found out
the easy way that that is the biggest
myth in ice fishing. First of all, common sense and a good source of information are the two biggest things
that any ice angler needs. Early ice
can be dangerous, so use common
sense. You need bait and maybe a
little tackle, so go to your

local bait store. Sure Cabelas or Bass Pro may sell
you the stuff for .25 cents
less, but are they going to
tell you where to fish or
what to use or when the bite
is happening? Local bait and
tackle shops provide a service that a chain
store cannot..
Relevant, Real
and up to date information. Thats
worth .25 cents to me, and probably
worth $25 to most people. Heres
the information on a few good options for you to try this season!
By John Bergsma
Houghton Lake
I know what youre thinking,
everybody knows about Houghton Lake. And for GOOD reason.
Houghton Lake is a large weedy
shallow lake. For my money that
spells three things: First, lots of
room for me to get in an area and
fish By Myself. This can be important as fish dont travel a ton in
the winter and an areas fish popula-
Little Jack with a Mullett lake walleye.

tion can dwindle under too much
fishing pressure. Houghton Lake is
quite shallow so it usually is one
of earliest larger lakes to freeze, its
abundant weed beds offer a zillion
places to find good panfish action
as well as lots of weed edges that

are prime areas to set up a spread of
tip-ups.
Lastly Houghton lake is a very
Best Bets page 56
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
Best Bets:
from page 55
diverse fishery. I love it that I can go
and catch gills, and crappies while
I wait for flags to go on my tip-ups.
The fact that I never know if its going to be a nice walleye or northern
also adds to the fun.
Lymans On the Lake is your
source of great and accurate fishing information and all the bait
and tackle youll ever need to fish
Houghton Lake. So give this landmark lake a try, I think you will like
the results!
Crooked, Burt & Mullett

These three lakes offer some
great winter fishing. Burt and Mullett are larger lakes and sometimes
take a bit longer to freeze up but it
is worth the wait. Crooked lake is
a classic ice fishing lake. Most ice
anglers target perch and walleye
when and where they can, Crooked
Lake will not disappoint you. Fishing the weed edges and main point
break-lines will usually produce a
nice batch of eater sized perch and
walleye. Small spoons tipped with a
minnow head or shiners on tip-ups
set about 18 off bottom.
Burt and Mullett also offer great
perch and walleye fishing. The tip
here from local angler Jon Jansen

(Go Blue) is to start your winter
fishing exactly where you left off
in the fall! These fish set up on the
main points and major drop offs
(25-30) in these two lakes. Fish
them with small spoons tipped with
a minnow head on your jigging rod
and a whole small shiner on a dead
rod or tip-up. A Moonshine shiver
minnow is a good aggressive bait
and a VMC 1/8 oz. Tingler spoon is
a great bait for subtle jigging. Move
to the deeper flats in February and
back to the drop offs close to shallow flats for the Late Ice bite.
Fletchers Pond
and Hubbard Lake
These are two of my favorite

places to fish! On Fletchers the bite
starts early as this is a shallow lake.
The big pike and bluegill bite is
as good here as anywhere I have
ever fished. First ice for about four
weeks, Lots of pike and bass action
(Remember to release the bass after
Dec. 31). I smoke the bigger pike
theyre fantastic.
The whole month of March
this lake is a great lake for lots of
action and pan fishing that is second
to none! Ive been staying at Jacks
Landing right on the lake for years.
They have great comfy cabins 20
from shore and a fully stocked bait
store onsite! This makes the trip so
easy and convenient that I almost
dont feel like it was work.

Hubbard Lake has been a staple
for walleye and perch fisherman for
decades. This lake has a fantastic
early and late season bite for eater
walleye and big perch. Tip-ups
are the game here, and the bait is
critical. Small shiners work the best
because theyre easy for the big
perch to eat. Perch up to two pounds
are caught here every year. For great
bait check out Side Door Bait and
Tackle.
The Lakes of
Marquette County
I have fished this county a lot

and this is a U.P. sleeper. There are
dozens of small cottage lakes all
around Marquette and they are filled
with some of the best panfishing
through the ice anywhere. The lakes
around Ishpeming and Negaunee:
Teal Lake, Deer Lake, Greenwood
Reservoir. Also the Silver Lake
Basin and the lake system around
Gwinn. The panfish stack up just
off the deeper break lines that
have weeds on the edges. Many of
these lakes have resident walleye,
and northern pike are ever present. These are under fished lakes
and mostly ignored. That is a great
recipe for success. The Wilderness
Sports store in Ishpeming is a great
spot for bait and information.
Conclusion

Michigan is one of the best
Pike for the smoker.

states for ice fishing. Its relaxing
and theres plenty of great options to
help break up the winter blues. I like
to fish with a group. This helps in
finding fish quicker and the camaraderie is great.
We post updated fishing reports
both on our website www.fishermansdigest.com and on Facebook
as well. Stay connected and follow
John as he fishes his way through
our great region and lets you know
where the next Hot Bite is.n
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Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm; Sat. 10am-4pm
Boat Smart...
Installing your
new electronics
any marine publications, sales outlets and

equipment
providers offered gift lists
to choose
from for Christmas. You
may have left your list lying
around and now that Santa
delivered some new toys for
your boat, its time to learn
how to install
them.
If you want
to DIY, you should check out these
tips.
Electronics vary in size and
application but if not properly
installed, no matter the size of your
vessel, major problems can occur.
Before drilling holes or putting bolts
in the dash, have all your installed
electronics powered up and in their
normal positions. Be certain your
boat batteries are fully charged.
Next decide where you want to
mount any new electronic items.
Hook up the wiring and antennae
(if so equipped) to each of them and

power up, one at a time.
Now its time to check
read outs or gauges of each
of your existing electronics and note any changes.
Watch your compass carefully for any variation while
turning each dash instrument on and off. When certain there is no interference,
use the template
or bracket to
determine bolt
positions.
Locate the proper drill size and
be sure its sharp and carefully drill
your mounting holes. Be aware
of any wires or equipment on the
underside of the bolt holes. Each
hole drilled should be counter sunk
to avoid chipping. Any heavy item
or free-standing piece should have a
plate or stainless washer underneath
the mounting area to avoid vibration. All fasteners should be high
grade stainless with lock type nuts.
Avoid using screws whenever
By Capt. Fred Davis
Be very careful mounting items on your boats dash.

possible and remember to prepare a
hole for wiring before mounting.
When wiring use solder or
crimp connections protected by heat
shrink tubing. Run the bolts into
the mounting holes to check size
then remove and mount the item
firmly. To avoid cracks, do not over
tighten. Use a sealant bedding to
insure moisture cannot seep in at
bolt holes or around wiring. If you
must route a wire in a blind area,
be sure to pull a string through for
future wiring needs. If you install
speakers or a microphone, test with
power on before mounting because
these items can also interfere with
your compass.
If you received new fenders
or dock lines, locate a good place
on board to store them where they

can be readily available. There are
straps to hold lines and varying size
fender holders that fasten to your
rails. On larger vessels a fender
board may provide more protection
in areas of choppy water or boat
wakes. Now is a good time to make
one.
With all the modern electronics
on board, you may believe you dont
need paper charts but an electrical
storm or a magnetic field can leave
you helpless. Most boaters that
have attended Power Squadron or
Coast Guard Auxiliary classes know
the importance of carrying charts. If
you dont have them, perhaps you
should find out why they should be
on board and find a waterproof tube
to store them in.n
TROPHY SPECIALISTS
FISHING CHARTERS
CHARTERS STARTING AT ONLY $400 - GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!

Captain Mike Veine targets the hottest action at the best
places, during peak trophy producing periods.
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
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
Wildlife in
any of the wild

creatures we have in
our Michigan woods
and meadows go
through some profound changes in the
winter. Over the centuries, they have
developed some traits or mechanisms that permit them to resist the
ravages of winter, which include migration, adding protective hair, fur
or feathers, hibernation or simply
withdrawing when the weather is at
its worst.
Migration seems like the
simplest solution. Most waterfowl
leave the north and fly south way
south, in some cases, with some
birds going all the way to South or
Central America. Our local loons are
likely to winter in Florida, just like
some of our people. Lesser birds
also move south but many of them
fly just far enough to reach a climate
that will feed them in the winter
months. Ducks and geese leave
when the crop fields are covered in
snow and the lakes are iced over.
Many birds and animals pro-
duce additional hair, fur or feathers

during the cold months. The thicker
coat that deer wear in the winter
is composed of hollow hair. They
apparently have the ability to make
it fluff out, to make it a better insulator, much as a bird will fluff out its
feathers. This gives the deer that
fuzzy-faced look that we recognize as their winter appearance.
Deer
Our whitetails do a number
of things to ward off the perils of
winter. Most important among these
is their slowing activity. They move
around a great deal less and thus eat
less when the snow is deep and the
temperatures low. This conserves
the reserves of body fat that must
see them through the winter. The
deer often seek shelter from the
wind and cold, heading for thick
growths of conifers. Those cedar
swamps have less snow on the
ground (because it accumulates on
the branches and subsequently melts
more quickly than the snow on the
ground). The cedars also protect the
TOTAL FOver
IR2,000EAGunsRinMStockS
The thick fur and those padded snowshoe

feet enable snowshoes to cope with deep
snow. Rick Baetsen photo
deer from the wind, producing an
environment that is warmer, for the
inactive deer.
In some areas this yarding
produces heavy concentrations
of deer, which quickly wipes out
any available food supply and also
invites predators. In the northern
part of the lower peninsula, deer
are known to migrate from farm
woodlots to the conifers near Lake
Michigan. While the migration to

the west is gradual and takes place
over a number of weeks, the return
to the east, usually late in March, is
much more noticeable with perhaps
a hundred deer visible in a single
field, late in the afternoon.
In the U.P., in the area around
St. Ignace, tagged deer have been
proven to travel 15 miles or more to
cedar swamps, in the winter. Some
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P.O. Box 404 Mason, MI 48854
Ph: (517) 676-4160 Fax: (517) 676-6824
Port Huron
Birch Run:
Lansing/Mason Ingham
Manistee Little River Casino
Jackson
500 Thomas Edison Pkwy
Expo Ctr
County Fairgrounds
Intersection
ORS Field House
Blue Water Convention Center
I-75 @ Exit 136
US.31 & M-22
700 E. Ash
3055 Shirley Drive
Novi
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Jackson, MI
Flint:
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480 Cleveland
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28th St. Showplace
46100 Grand River
1256
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S.W.
Wyoming
I-69
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deer will more or less stay put, if

there is good shelter near their summer/fall grounds, but they will head
for the thickest stands of pines or
cedars around.
Deer are well-equipped to get
through a more-or-less normal winter, even in this northern climate, but
they can be worn down by sustained
low temperatures and deep snow.
When their fat reserves are depleted,
they are susceptible to starvation
and they become much more easily
pulled down by predators.
Turkeys
Turkeys in the northern twothirds part of the state are in the

northernmost limits of their territory.
In a bad winter, with much snow
and cold temperatures, they must
have some sort of supplemental
feeding or they will almost surely
perish. Many individuals feed them
and some turkeys will find a corn
crib or a field of standing corn that
will sustain them through the winter.
The feeding program of the
Michigan Wild Turkey Hunters
Association must be credited with
getting a lot of our birds through
the winter. Any thaw that bares crop
fields will be of major importance to
the turkeys and, while that big wind
we had recently was bad for driving,
it did blow many crop fields absolutely clean, enabling the turkeys to
get at any food available there.
A January or February thaw
will give a lot of them a real good
shot at lasting through the rest of the
winter. If the turkeys get stressed
by extreme cold or a lack of food,
starvation and predation ramp up
quickly.
Grouse
Our native ruffed grouse cope
with winter quite nicely. They have
the ability to feed in trees and one
of their main sources of food, in the
winter, is the buds of aspen trees.
Up in those trees, they can feed
without any care for the deep snow
and they can even use the snow as a
shelter, if the weather demands.
They can fly or burrow into a
snow bank and spend the night comfortably, although they would rather
roost in a low tree.
These rabbits usually spend their

nights below ground and if it is
really cold and they dont venture
forth to get some food, they may
freeze in their holes. Their footgear
is not at all ideal for getting around
in deep snow so they have good
reason to stay in the holes in some
snow situations.
When the weather warms,
however, and the snow packs, they
can get around well and will come
out of their holes every night to feed
on brush and buds. Cottontails are
found more often around the works
of man than out in the deep woods.
Man often creates good cover for
cottontails in the form of brushpiles,
old buildings and garden wreckage.
Bears
The bruins really know how to

cope with winter. They withdraw
very completely. As soon as the
temperatures get down there below
freezing on a regular basis and there
is sufficient snow falling to cover
their dens, they go into a more or
less dormant state. Their state is not
the true hibernation of some lesser
animals, like ground squirrels, that
become almost lifeless, but their
systems change drastically. They do
not eat, defecate, or urinate but they
do give birth to cubs while in their
dens.
Early in the winter, bears can
easily be aroused and they will flee
the den is you get too close. In midwinter, however, their withdrawal is
so complete that they can be approached and even prodded without
regaining full consciousness. Bears
make quite elaborate preparations
for denning, gathering some sort of
forest duff or debris for a bed before
sacking out. If you are out in a cedar
swamp, for instance, and see a number of trees more or less completely
The red fox depends on mice and voles for winter nourishment. This one
was caught diving headlong into the snow for a mouse. Gail Innes photo
stripped of bark, that is a sure sign
that there is a bear den nearby. They
will even use corn stalks for that
cover over their hole.
Other Creatures
The animals that we frequently

see around our bird feeders are
largely invisible during the winter,
even though they dont hibernate.
They sort of withdraw. A raccoon,
for instance, will store up a big
layer of fat in the fall and waddle
into a hollow tree and just stay there
for most of the winter. They may
emerge if we get a nice, warm sunny
day in February and look around
a bit before retiring again. By the
middle of March and when the snow
is receding, the coon will emerge,
thin and hungry and start being a
pest around bird feeders, garbage
cans and anything else he can get
into.
Possums and skunks have much
the same behavior. They arent
hibernators, by any means, but they
do sort of withdraw for the winter.
They wont be seen prowling around
much until the spring thaw has begun.
Even squirrels are less active
in the winter. They might go for
days without leaving their den trees,
when it is cold and snowing. When
we get a nice warm sunny day, however, they will be on the search, trying to remember where they hid all
those nice tidbits they had stashed
away for winter.
The end of winter is often
heralded by the re-appearance of
the creatures that we so often see
around our homes in the woods.
When that first chipmunk shows up,
we know that real winter is over.n
No Electricity? Keep Your Food Cold!
Rabbits
The white rabbits or varying

hares handle winter with the greatest of ease. The thick fur and those
padded snowshoe feet enable them
to cope with deep snow and they
feed on whatever part of the brush
is sticking up above the snow. They
seldom go below ground, even in
the coldest temperatures, but they
will take shelter under a low bush
or the tangle of a downed-tree. This
may be as much to avoid attacks
from predator birds as for thermal
shelter. They are also subject to
predation from foxes, coyotes and
bobcats and, of course, they are a
favorite hunting target of man so
many of them dont survive their
first year.
Cottontail rabbits are much
more vulnerable to a bad winter.
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Mighty Mouse nest

Vestiges of summer love;
the key to winter survival...
he noticed it first, the

bright splash of red
amidst the forked and
thorny branches of
a hawthorn tree. We
crunched through snow
for a closer look, but in my mind I
already knew it was just a kids lost
glove, or perhaps a piece of cloth
snagged by thorns on that blustery
winter day. I was wrong. Ten seconds later I enthusiastically
exclaimed, Its a mouse
nest! And then, in a torrent
of unbridled enthusiasm, I
gushed out a further explanation that a mouse took
over an abandoned birds
nest and capped it with a
roof made of hawthorn berries.
My companion was
an engineer. I could see her mind
grinding methodically away trying
to apply a degree of calm engineering logic to what she saw, and what
so excited me. She smiled, an appeasement sort of smile. Without her
prodding for more detail I added the
best part, Its an edible roof! She
looked puzzled, perhaps concerned
about my state of mind, so for the
moment, I opted out of telling her
the mouse snared a vestige of summer love, and those vestiges are keys
to the winter survival of mice in the
woods of Michigan.
White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) are more than meaty
mouthfuls for predators. They are
pros at snow-tunneling, tree-climbing, seed-gathering, shelter-building
and, believe it or not, predator avoidance. Those that do not successfully

avoid predators do not live long
enough to pass on their genes. Thats
evolution in action. Those that have
adapted to the vestiges of summer
love survive longerand thats
where this tale of the industrious and
inquisitive white-footed mice with
the red-capped winter roof really
begins.

Vestiges of summer love are the abandoned
nests of song birds. Confused? Heres the rest of the
tale of the bird nest covered
with a cap of red berries.

In the early days of
spring song birds that overwintered in Michigan, such
as cardinals,
black-capped
chickadees
and the white-breasted nuthatch are
joined by migrating species which
include vireos, warblers, and tree
swallows. Their mission is to find
mates and get about the business of
staking out territory and building
nests. The nest was the aftermath of
summer love, or less romantically,
what followed the very brief act of
mating that sometimes lasts less
than a second. The nests are abandoned before the end of summer.
As winter approached, white-footed
mice appropriate the nests for cold
weather housing. They scurry about
turning the nests into cozy bivouacs
lined with fluffy milkweed seeds,
soft moss and grasses, bits of paper,
and feathers. And until the day of
our find I never discovered a bird
THE RINGNECK
RANCH, LLC.
Hot Shot Outfitters
Above: Winter nest of a

white-footed mouse with
an edible roof. Left: Trail
of a white-footed mouse
hunting for food. Below:
Trail of a white-footed
mouse intercepted by an
owl. Jonathan Schechter
photos
By Jonathan Schechter
Upland Game
Ray Hoody
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Facts of Life
White-footed mice are promiscuous parents and make the rounds assuring a degree of biodiversity in the
population. Some pups in a single litter have different daddy mice. They
are also opportunist omnivores. During autumn they feasted on insects,
worms, grubs, grains, berries and
seeds, but once winter snows arrived
the diet switched almost exclusively
to nuts and seeds and bits of fungi
that was gathered and stored earlier.
There is rarely a shortage of food,
but there is plenty or risk in visiting a
cache away from the winter home or
searching for more
Facts of Death
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nest transformed into a mouse condo

capped with anything but leaves and
moss.
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In winter their tiny tracks leave

clues to their movements. Tracks
sometimes include traces of tail
marks if snow conditions are right
as they bound about on re-supply
missions, sometimes for a long distanceat least long in the world of
mice. Home ranges of white-footed
mice might be from a quarter of an
acre to over an acre and a half. Follow the bounding, leaping trail of
a mouse and it often ends at a tiny
plunge hole leading to tunnels under

the snow. The coyote, fox, bobcat,
red-tailed hawk, screech owl, barred
owl and great horned owl also pay
attention to the mice movements
searching for mid-winter meals. And
they are all pros at mousing.
Location - Location
If a mouse lives under its food

supply, combining the bed with the
store, there is less danger. And if the
transformed bird nest topped with
food includes a bed of soft cattail
fluff or milkweed seeds that mouse
truly becomes the mighty mouse
of the woods of Michigan. I was
tempted to poke my finger through
the roof of red berries to confirm the
construction technique and interior
design. I did not, for the tiny incisors
of mice are sharp, and my engineer
companion, now fully intrigued with
our find, assured me it was an excellent design. I will wager that mouse
with construction and food-hoarding
skills will live to see the dawn of
spring, thanks to a vestige of summer love left in a lonely hawthorn
tree.
Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist in Brandon Township and the
Nature Education Writer for Oakland
County Government. oaknature@
aol.comn
January 2017 Cover Story...
Big Berrien
County Buck
By Jerry Lambert
Editors Note: Brian Arnys big
buck photo appeared on the cover
of last months issue, however his
complete story was unavailable by
press time...so here it is.
everal of us have been

there. You get trail
camera photographs of
a big buck but never
actually see him nor
for that matter, get any
daylight photos of the big guy. This
happened to Brian Arny in 2015.
Nothing fuels a hunters desire more
than physical proof that a big buck
is indeed in the area.
Fast forward to 2016, and
Brians father was the first one in
the family of hunters to actually see
the big buck. This sighting occurred in early
October with
the buck staying
well out of bow
range. As hunters usually do,
Brian and his dad
devised a plan to
try to intercept the
buck in case the
deer used the same
travel pattern. They
set up a ground
blind where he was
last seen.
The deer once
again went into hiding until the Friday
before gun season. Brian hunted that
morning and saw deer but nothing
that he wanted to shoot. When he
left the property and turned onto the
road he saw a big bodied deer standing right in the middle of the road. A
slow approach revealed it to be the
big buck that he was after. The deer
had his nose to the ground and casually walked into a corn field. Brian
got out of his vehicle and grabbed
his bow. He then walked toward
where he last saw the deer and
could not see it. It was at this point
that he got that feeling that something was watching him. He looked
back at his vehicle and the big buck
was standing beside it. When the
deer saw Brian looking at him, he
ran away.
Brian went back the very next
morning and the deer where on
their feet. He saw four bucks and
was contemplating shooting one
of them if given the chance when
he heard two snort wheezes. Brian
exclaimed, I had never heard that
sound in the wild. When I could

see the deer that was doing it, I saw
that it was him! He went directly
to where the other bucks were and
started bullying them in the field.
He prodded two of the bucks in
the rear ends with his antlers. He
was definitely the dominant buck.
He then started chasing a hot doe.
Twice, he ran by my tree in bow
range but he would not stop for a
shot even though I was mouth bleating at him.
Brian thought for sure that was
his last chance because he was going up north to participate in the traditional family deer camp in Irons,
Michigan for the first few days of
gun season. He returned home on
November 20, and immediately
checked his trail camera.
The thirty-six year old
hunter was elated to
see a current photo, the
buck was still alive!
Brian said, The
next time off that I
had to hunt the deer
was Thanksgiving
weekend but I got really sick with a 102
degree temperature
and couldnt get
out. I finally felt
better on Sunday,
November 27, and
decided to go out
for a short hunt before
church.
My morning started out rough.
As soon as I climbed into my stand
I dropped my hat. It was my only
hunter orange, so I got down and
retrieved it. When I got back up into
my stand, I then dropped my gloves
and headlamp.
Fortunately, my day got a
whole lot better shortly thereafter.
When it got light enough to hunt, I
caught movement out of the corner
of my eye and saw a big deer. As
fate would have it, it was the big
one and he walked within ten yards
of the ground blind that I was not
in. I grunted twice, he stopped and
made a complete turn and started
walking towards me. He was all by
himself.
When he was 113 yards out I
ranged him and felt confident in taking a shot. I lifted my .44 mag bolt
action rifle into shooting position,
aimed, fired and then saw him lying
on the ground. I quickly racked
another bullet but he didnt get up. I
had to make myself settle down be-
Brian Arnys monster 11-point buck with a 24 inch spread that he

har vested Nov. 29 in Berrien County.
fore trying to climb down from my
stand. When I finally did walk up
on him, I was worried about ground
shrinkage but this deer had ground
growage.
Brians Berrien County trophy has a gross green score of 192
inches and nets in the mid-180s.
It carries 11 points with a 24 inch
spread.
Brian says that he became quite

emotional, I sat down beside the
buck and just looked at him as the
sun started to rise. My grandpa,
Claude Unrath, had passed away in
March and he loved to hunt, fish and
read Woods-N-Water News. I dedicated this hunting season to him and
I truly believe that he had a hand in
me getting this big buck!n
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MICHIGAN MEANDERS...
About that New

Years Resolution
his winter day is too

cold to cut wood and
so you are going to
make good on that
New Years resolution
to clean up
The Hunting Room. Its
in the basement and its a
total mess with guns and
gear scattered everywhere.
You didnt scrub the mud
from the chest waders you
tossed aside after that great
shootout on Saginaw Bay. I
know what youre
thinking: hope
they didnt get
mildew. You forgot
to remove the battery from the dog
beeper (hope it didnt leak acid) and
failed to clean your favorite shotgun
(hope it didnt rust).
The satisfying work you do
today will make someone else
happy, too. Wives have a bad habit

of hounding people like you and me
because we dont pick up after ourselves. We let tasks go, promising to
do them tomorrow or the day after.
If we start a job, we dont
finish it. I tell my wife its
A.D.D., but shes not buying it.

How can it be
A.D.D. when I remind you
every day? she demands.

My wife can be,
shall we say, formidable.
Whoever
invented the man
cave did so out
of self-defense.
And this is why my man caveThe
Hunting Roomhas a door with
a key. Only I know where the key
is. No one is allowed in The Hunting Room except me, which is why
it looks like a birds nest after the
By Tom Huggler
Superior Game Ranch

Route 3 Box 163 Cornell, MI 49818
Incredible U.P. of Michigan

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tracked while working.

You know what they say about
a trip having three partsplanning,
executing, reminiscing? That last
part is the toughest. For example,
grouse feathers, shaken from my old
Columbia Sportswear vest (bloodstained and torn, I should toss it but
cant), have a strange way of taking
us back a few months while propelling us forward a few months. How
can we forget that perfect afternoon
last October when we shot back-
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young have fledged and left.

If I asked you to fetch my binoculars, you could never find them
in the piles of stuff. But I know
exactly where they are, right next to
the lightweight canvas boots beside
the insulated dog kennel cover.
Even so, things are out of
control in The Hunting Room. But
if Hercules could clean the Aegean
Stables in a day, we are up to the
task once a year, right? The problem, of course, is in getting side-
Hunts Conducted On
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Call
Cleaning the guns takes much longer; after all, this is a labor of
love for the author. Tom Huggler photos
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to-back birds over points by our

friends shorthair? That thought has
me wondering now if I remembered
to mark the cover in my map book.
Where is the map book, by the
way?
Much later were back to work,
looking for socks missing their
mates and trying on hunting trousers weve outgrown (Note to wife:
Stop shrinking the pants!). Next, we
rearrange the coats, jackets, vests
and pants according to upland and
waterfowl apparel, from lightweight
to heavyweight, waterproof and
non-waterproof, neatly hanging
everything in the coat closet except
those items that need washing or dry
cleaning.
Over the house intercom, the
wife informs that she does not
shrink hunting trousers. If they no
longer fit, put them in the Goodwill
box,
Ah. Where is the box, again?
Cleaning the guns takes much
longer; after all, this is a labor of
love. The odor of solvent can whisk
one back 60 years to when we
helped Dad ramrod the barrels of his
L.C. Smith 12 gauge, a two-trigger
gun we now own. The Binelli
autoloader that jammed last fall on
99
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7979
999
$7
9
$9
9
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that became trade bait for something

else we try to remember but cant.
Because the stuff we own is
saturated with history, it is good
to dally a bit and savor the experience once more. Oh, the duck-blind
stories my battered Stanley thermos
could tell!
Or the whiskey flask, squirreled
away on an upper shelf. Unopened
for some 20 years, any Canadian
Club left should be aged just right
by now.
Or the softball batters gloves
I wore for years in the brambly
grouse woods before investing in
The authors plan is to rearrange the coats, jackets, vests and
real-leather Browning shooting
pants according to upland and waterfowl apparel, from lightweight
to heavyweight, waterproof and non-waterproof.
Pr e dator Att ra ctgloves.
o rs
Especially poignant are the dog
est blemish annoys, like spotting
a duck hunt gets an extra squirt of
paraphernalia, like the brass Swissanother missed nose hair after the
penetrating oil. We lovingly wipe
made bell my long-gone setter, Lady
clippers are put away.
the barrels on an old Remington
Macbeth, carried for years on hunts
The next adventure is sorting
Model 870 pump that weve owned
all over North America. I turn the
S
through the shotshells, separating 12 bell over and over, recalling its soft
sinceOR
high
even though we
LESschool,
gauge rounds from 20 and 28 while
havent shot the gun for years.
tinkle and dull, worn patina and sudtaking care not to mix the steel loads denly Im back in that Iowa pheas The beloved 28-gauge double
guns are last, and we linger over the with the lead ones. This mining
ant slough where the head-high ragexpedition turns up a few Spred-R
AyA No. 2. Every year this fitted
weed trembled from a ghost-white
loads by Polywad, leftover shells
favorite suffers another scratch or
setter on point.
from some testing we performed a
two on the stock, and we do our
Nearly every piece of hunting
best to rub them out even though we long time ago, and a wooden box of stuff we own tells a story. But we
bought this gun to shoot, not to lock loose, 28-gauge reloads we bought
have that new years resolution to
away in the cabinet. Still, the slight- along with that Citori over/under
keep, dont we?n
79
99
Open Since 1987
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2016 - 17 season is here. This marks our
30th year at Rooster Ranch. Now booking
Field & European hunts throughout the
season. Our cover is excellent, lots of grasses,
grain and sorghum - waist high with plenty
of walking trails, ponds and creeks. Several
training areas available with shorter
LLC.
grass - away from any distractions. We have
7480 Germania Road Ubly, Michigan 48475
a new BBQ area that features an outdoor
Visit us on the Web: WWW.roosterranch.COM kitchen with seating for 64 persons. It's been
a great hit with our hunters.
Open 7 days a week thru april 30, 2017.
No Membership Required!
Call 989-658-2332 or email to reserve your
date. Our books are filling fast so please book
your hunting trip early!
989-658-2332
European Hunt Dates:
Feb 25 - Sat, Super Shoot

March 5 - Sun, Pheasants
March 11 - Sat, Pheasants
March 25 - Sat, Pheasants
April 9 - Sun, Pheasants
April 22 - Sat, Pheasants
April 23 - Sun, Pheasants
reserved.
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DESIGN YOUR OWN HUNTS:

Any combination of birds and what you desire
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We raise champion hunting dogs fully

trained ready to hunt for you or bring your
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managed with both the hunted
and the hunter in mind.
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enthusiast. Hunting parties large and small
are lead afield by one of the Ranchs
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To further opportunities for our guests,

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NO Small Game License Required!

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NOW BOOKING FALL, WINTER & SPRING HUNTS! QUALITY PHEASANT HUNTS
Friends Family Corporate
By Jeff Pendergraff
COs on deer
season patrol
oure about to read how

successful our Michigan
Conservation Officers were
during the beginning of
the 2016 deer opener. This
is going to be a three part
series on just a portion of the cases the
officers made. Part I will consist of District 1 and 2, which is the entire Upper
Peninsula.
DISTRICT 1

Conservation Officer (CO) Ethen
Mapes and Sgt. Grant Emery assisted a
fur harvester by releasing a timber wolf
from a trap in the Ewen area.

CO Brian Lasanen and Sgt. Grant
Emery were working together on opening day of the firearm deer season and
stopped to check a campsite. During
this check an excited hunter riding on a
four-wheeler came into camp with his
first buck ever taken draped over the
back rack. Unfortunately for the hunter,
the deer was untagged and his rifle was
loaded. Enforcement action was taken
for transporting a loaded firearm on an
ORV and a warning issued for failing
to attach his kill tag to the deer. Sgt.
Emery assisted the hunter with showing
him the proper way to notch out the kill
tag and attach it to the deer.

CO Lasanen received a tip that a
hunter with a combination license had
shot a 3-point buck on opening day. CO
Lasanen was able to determine that the
hunters wife had purchased a single
tag on opening day in the middle of the
afternoon. CO Lasanen, CO Mapes and
Sgt. Emery investigated the incident
and ultimately came up with the deer,
tagged with the wifes tag. Further interviews resulted in a determining that the
husband had placed his wifes tag on the
deer. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Doug Hermanson contacted a
hunter and upon checking the deer that
he had harvested it was determined the
deer had been improperly tagged with a
combination regular kill tag, in violation
of antler point restrictions. Enforcement
action was taken.

CO Lasanen was patrolling on the
third day of the season when he was
flagged down by a hunter near a hunting
camp who had a question. The hunter
had two deer in the bed of his truck
and stated that he shot one and a buddy
shot the other. As things didnt add up,
CO Lasanen was able to make contact
with the second subject. After a lengthy
interview, it was determined that the
first subject had shot one deer on opening morning with a single license. Not
wanting to be done hunting, he had the
second subject buy a license and tag
the buck so he could continue to hunt.
Enforcement action was taken.

CO Mapes contacted a hunter
leaving the woods after an afternoon
hunt With information that the hunter
had shot a 4-point buck without a tag.
Questioning was conducted with the
hunter. After a short search, the 4-point
buck was located only 50 yards from
the subjects bait pile and was not
tagged. Enforcement action was taken
for taking an over-limit of bucks.

CO Mapes stopped an ORV in
Rockland for not wearing a helmet, failing to license the ORV, and operating in
an area open to public hunting between
the hours of 7am and 11am. The hunter
also forgot his deer hunting kill tag
in his truck when he was out hunting.

CO Brian Bacon and CO Jared
Ferguson were patrolling in Dickinson
Co. when they encountered and ORV
being operated with two occupants. A
stop was conducted and a loaded rifle
was seized from the passenger. A check
of the two subjects found two handguns
in the pockets of the occupants. Neither
subject had obtained a concealed carry
license. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Bacon and Sgt. Marc Pomroy
were patrolling the Dickinson-Iron
Co. line area when they waited for two
hunters to return to their vehicle. The
subjects came back to the vehicle long
after shooting hours had closed, with
their rifles still loaded. One of the subjects was also found to be violating the
hunter orange law. Enforcement action
was taken.

CO Bacon and CO Ferguson received a call from the MSP Post in Iron
Mountain of a subject at their office
who wanted to report a hunter harassment incident. The COs interviewed the
subject to find that another hunter in the
area had confronted him and threatened
to shoot him. A suspect was quickly
identified through past contact with the
COs and a felony assault warrant was
obtained from the prosecutors office.
The following day CO Bacon, CO
Ferguson and Sgt. Pomroy were able to
locate the suspect in the reported hunting area and safely arrested the subject
on the felony warrant. The subject was
lodged in the Dickinson Co. Jail.

CO Bacon and Sgt. Pomroy followed up on an illegal blind that CO
Bacon had located earlier in the year.
The COs found a hot fire still in the
wood stove of the blind, but no hunter.
A check of the bait at the site led the
COs to a gut pile nearby that was fresh
from that morning. A check of the blind
two days later found a suspect hunting
in the blind, but denying ever shooting
a deer from the blind. A short interview
with the subject led to the confession of
a deer being shot two days earlier and
still not being tagged. The COs and the
suspect returned to the nearby residence
to recover the untagged deer. While addressing the untagged deer, CO Bacon
was also able to obtain a confession on
a nearby timber theft of nearly ninety
maple trees that had been cut over the
course of the last year. Enforcement
action was taken for the deer violations
and warrants are being sought for the
timber theft.

CO Bacon contacted a hunter who
stated he had shot an 8-point during
the bow season. A check of the subject, found the hunter produced two
unused licenses. Further conversation
with the subject found he had bought
MDNR Conservation Officers were very busy during the 2016 deer season. MDNR photo
replacement licenses and then found the
licenses he had lost. Enforcement action
was taken and the extra licenses seized.

CO Shannon Kritz was on patrol
with Cpl. Painter when they received a
road hunting complaint in Iron Co. The
COs responded and met with the complainant near the scene. The complainant showed the COs two shell casings
found on the roadway. The COs quickly
observed a dead 6-point buck lying near
the roadway of the private property.
With the assistance of Sgt. Pomroy
and CO Jason Wicklund, the COs set
up to observe anyone coming back for
the deer after dark. Approximately two
hours after dark, four subjects were
observed exiting a vehicle with flashlights near the scene of the dead deer.
The COs made contact with the subjects
and quickly discovered they were the
suspects returning to retrieve the deer.
Through interviews with the subjects,
one subject admitted to shooting the
deer earlier in the day and returned now
after dark. Enforcement action was
taken and the deer seized.

CO Kritz responded to the late
night call of a lost hunter near Watersmeet. The subject had been tracking a
deer by himself and had gotten turned
around in thick cover. At approximately
5:30 pm, the subject texted his hunting party that he was turned around but
would be finding his way out. CO Kritz
along with MSP, Gogebic Co. Sheriff
Department, and the local search and
rescue, located the hunter just before
2:00 am, cold but in good condition.
The hunter was transported to the local
hospital for treatment.

CO Ferguson and CO Bacon
followed up on an area where the COs
had problems in previous years. The
COs found an illegal ORV trail leading
behind a temporary tent camp. The COs
waited on the trail until dark and made
contact with two individuals on an ORV
returning to camp. One subject returned
on an ORV with a loaded rifle. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Ferguson and Sgt. Pomroy
contacted a vehicle that was slow moving in a section of state land. Contact
was made with the driver and a check of
firearms found their rifle to be unloaded
and encased. Sgt. Pomroy asked the
driver if he had any success yet this
deer season and the driver replied that
he had not had any success. As the vehicles separated, Sgt. Pomroy observed
a deer in the bed of the truck that had
not been field dressed. A further discussion was had with the truck occupants
on their reported lack of success. The
COs interviewed both truck occupants
and found the deer in the truck was shot
earlier in the day by the driver, and left
in the woods. The suspects girlfriend
then went and purchased a deer license
that eventually ended up on the deer.
Enforcement action was taken with the
driver and the girlfriend who purchased
a license after the deer was shot.

CO Nathan Sink was patrolling the
Iron-Gogebic Co. line area with CO Jason Wicklund when they encountered a
slow moving vehicle. CO Sink was able
to make contact with the driver before
he noticed the COs. A loaded uncased
rifle was found on the front seat of the
truck. Enforcement action was taken.

Sgt. Ryan Aho and CO Jeffrey
Dell were patrolling state land near
Cedar River. A quick investigation of a
parked vehicle led to a tree stand with a
bow-hunter. The hunter had an improperly labeled tree stand, litter and an
excessive amount of bait. Enforcement
action was taken.

CO Jeremy Sergey and Sgt. Aho
received a report of an injured eagle on
Co. Road 557 and Number 9 Lane. The
eagle was recovered alive and delivered
to a rehabilitator.

CO Dell and Sgt. Aho were patrolling public land when they noticed a
truck blocking a roadway. The roadway had also been covered by debris
to block access. Further investigation
lead to an individual hunting over an
illegal bait pile, hunting from an illegal
deer blind and hunting without hunter
orange. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Dell was patrolling in the
vicinity of North Lake when he encountered several hunters canoeing
back to their vehicle after hunting.
Neither hunter had a PFD. One hunter
stated that he did not need a life-jacket
because the canoe was less than 12 feet
long. Enforcement action was taken.

Sgt. Aho and CO Sergey found an
illegal ORV trail and followed it to a
hunter. The hunter used an unlicensed
ORV, which he operated through several
wetland areas, to get to his tree stand.
The hunter had several other violations
including exceeding the bait limit, cutting down trees on state land, and hunting from an illegal tree stand. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Dell and CO Sergey were
patrolling in Menominee Co. when
they made contact with a hunter who

was transporting two deer in his truck.
Upon investigation, it was determined
that one of the deer was harvested by a
hunter who did not have a kill tag. The
hunter admitted to purchasing a kill tag
after the deer had been harvested. Enforcement action was taken and the deer
was seized. The meat from the deer was
donated to Sportsmen Against Hunger.

CO Mark Leadman, CO Brett DeLonge and Lt. Pete Wright investigated
an untagged buck found hanging on the
buck pole at an empty hunting camp.
When the occupants of the camp returned from hunting that evening, they
were all transporting loaded rifles on
their ORVs. After a brief conversation,
it was discovered that the buck had been
shot by an unlicensed, non-resident occupant of the camp. Enforcement action
was taken.
DISTRICT 2

CO Mark Zitnik and CO Michael
Evink were on patrol early on the first
day of the 2016 firearm deer season.
The very first hunter they encountered
was next to a two-track trail the COs
were on. CO Zitnik asked the hunter
about his blind, the lack of name and
address on it, and all the litter around it.
The hunter took responsibility for his
actions and the situation was dealt with.

An impromptu group patrol was
the result of an in progress complaint.
Lt. Skip Hagy, Cpl. Steve Martin and
Cpl. Shannon VanPatten, along with CO
Evink, joined forces to simultaneously
check blinds with several violations
present. CO VanPatten and CO Evink
located one individual whos lengthy
list of issues included hunting without a
license, no hunter orange, illegal operation of an ORV, loaded/uncased firearm
on an ORV, no helmet or ORV sticker,
too much bait, and no name or address
on the blind. Lt. Hagy and Cpl. Martin
were not quite as lucky. The blind they
found, following the illegal ORV trail
across National Forest land, was empty.
It was illegal however, had far too much
bait, and an abundance of litter. The
owner was however located, educated
and enforcement action was taken with
him as well.

CO Chris Lynch and Sgt. Jerry
Fitzgibbon worked the opening day of
the firearm deer season. Many good
contacts were made with violations
including over-bait, no hunter orange,
hunt from illegal blinds, cut trees and
shrubs on state land, and blocking
public access to state land. Eight tickets
and several verbal warnings were issued
that day.

CO Lynch waited for a hunter
on an ORV to come back to his truck
after the evening hunt. When the hunter
arrived, he had an uncased rifle on the
front of the ORV. A ticket was issued
for the violation. He also discovered
a non-resident hunting on a resident
license.

CO Chris Lynch contacted a group
of deer hunters that were road hunting.
The odor of marijuana was present. A
quick search of the vehicle turned up a
subject to be in possession of marijuana.
The drugs were seized and a report will
be submitted to the prosecutors office.

CO Zitnik and CO Evink were following an illegal ORV trail when they
made contact with the hunter. Upon
further investigation, the COs found the

hunter did not have on hunter orange,
no hunting license in possession, no
name on blind and an expired drivers
license. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Zitnik and Cpl. Martin located
a vehicle driving over a berm on a
closed road. While making contact
with the hunter, the COs found that the
hunter owns a local body shop and was
using a customers jeep to drive over
a four foot berm. He was concerned
the customer was going to find out.

CO Zitnik and Cpl. Martin were
patrolling on a snow covered two-track
when they found a spare tire on the
road. They picked up the spare tire and
were going to follow the vehicle tracks
to the tires owner. The tracks led to
a nearby camp. Upon making contact
with the camp owners wife, it was
found the tire came off her nephews
truck. While rolling the tire to the
camp, Cpl. Marin noticed a garbage
bag hanging from a rope. Upon further
investigation, it was found that it was a
quartered-up deer. The wife stated her
husband shot a 5-point buck a couple of
days ago. While the COs were investigating the meat, the wife asked CO
Zitnik if it was ok if she had bought a
hunting license and her husband could
use it while she was in camp. CO Zitnik
said no. Upon making contact with the
husband, it was found he used his wifes
hunting license to tag his 5-point buck.

CO Pat Hartsig was patrolling
when he noticed two hunters exiting a blind and walking towards their
residence. At the residence, CO Hartsig
contacted the hunters. While speaking
with one, the other subject was seen
hiding a rifle behind a tree. When CO
Hartsig asked for his license, he replied
he wasnt hunting. CO Hartsig recovered the loaded rifle behind the tree and
pointed out the fact he was wearing
orange, had grunt calls around his neck
and was in possession of a loaded rifle
in the field. The subject then admitted
he was indeed hunting, but never purchased a license. Enforcement action
was taken.

While on patrol, CO Freeborn
noticed a 4-wheeler traveling through
marsh grassland. The CO stopped on
the two-track and waited for the hunter
to drive to his location. CO Freeborn
talked with the hunter who stated he
was baiting his deer stand. A walk to
the hunters bait found it to be way over
the legal limit. The hunter was also not
wearing a helmet and did not have an
ORV sticker. Citations were issued for
the violations.

CO Freeborn and CO Evink
received a tip from an informant that
a tribal member had just shot a deer
with a rifle during the closed tribal rifle
season. The COs were only a few miles
away from the suspects house at the
time of the complaint and stopped for
an interview. The suspect admitted to
shooting the deer out of his house with
a rifle. The suspect was also found not
to have a valid tribal hunting license.
A report will be submitted through the
tribe. The deer and rifle were seized per
request of the Tribal COs and turned
over to them for evidence.

While working opening day of
firearm deer season, CO Robert Freeborn and Lt. Skip Hagy checked several
hunters throughout the day. Overall
compliance was good and the hunters
seemed encouraged with the amount of
deer they have been seeing compared
to years past. The COs did issue a few
citations for no hunter orange, no name
on blind and uncased firearm on an
ORV. They also dealt with a subject
who constructed an elaborate ORV
bridge over a creek on public land to
access his hunting area.

CO Freeborn and CO Pat Hartsig
encountered a road hunter on a busy
ORV trail. After speaking with the hunters, it was determined that the driver did
not have a valid drivers license. Upon
further investigation, it was determined
that the vehicle did not have current
insurance or a valid license plate on the
car. The operator was arrested for the
violations and lodged.

CO Kevin Postma was patrolling
a two-track road near dusk when he
noticed a light turn on and off down
the heavily wooded road. CO Postma
used his binoculars to determine that a
vehicle was the source of the light and
it was heading in CO Postmas direction. CO Postma then pulled his truck
off of the road as far as possible and
proceeded on foot in the direction of the
slow moving suspect vehicle in an attempt to distance himself from his own
patrol vehicle. CO Postma stepped out
of the woods and made contact with occupants of the slow moving vehicle. It
was quickly determined that there was
an uncased gun next to the driver who
stated he was grouse hunting. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Kevin Postma interviewed an
individual reference a suspicious license
purchase. After a short conversation, it
was determined that the grandmother
had purchased a license for her grandson who didnt want to be done hunting
after shooting a 3-point opening morning. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Kevin Postma contacted an
individual driving down a two-track
road in a heavily wooded area. After a
lengthy conversation, it was determined
that the individual was in possession of
a firearm without a license while in an
area frequented by game. After going
back and forth with the individual for
several minutes, CO Postma advised
If it quacks like a duck and walks like
a duck and looks like a duck... its a
duck. The individual then advised I
wasnt duck hunting, I was deer hunting, to which CO Postma replied exactly. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Bobby Watson and CO Calvin
Smith made contact with several deer
hunters who had placed permanent
ground blinds on CFR land. One hunter
confessed to the COs that he had left his
blind there over 30 years. Enforcement
action was taken.

CO Jon Buskens assistance was
requested with a probation search. The
individual on probation was found
to have several rifles, unregistered
handguns, and more than 1,000 rounds
of ammunition in his possession. CO
Busken lodged the individual on several
felony counts.

CO Jon Busken found an individual placing deer mineral out in April.
The man claimed he was only putting
the mineral down to see what was on

camera. The CO gave the subject a
warning and told him that he could not
put any more bait down until it was
the legal date if he wanted to hunt that
spot. Six weeks before baiting opened,
CO Busken found more bait had been
placed. Contact was made with the
hunter on opening day. He was reminded of their prior discussion and enforcement action was taken.

CO Tom Oberg was on patrol with
U.S. Forest Service Officer Jeff Wise on
Drummond Island. CO Oberg observed
a deer in a sled and three individuals
standing around it at a camp. CO Oberg
observed one of the individuals run
back into the camp and came out with a
deer tag and attached it to the deer. CO
Oberg explained to the subject that the
deer needs to be tagged immediately after kill. Enforcement action was taken.

CO Brett Gustafson worked with
Senior Forest Technician, Cory Luoto,
on the second day of the firearm deer
season. They encountered a hunter
while checking an illegal blind on state
land near Rexton. The hunter admitted
that his blind had been there for a while
(since 1995 to be exact), and that he
had not purchased a firearm deer license
since he moved to Florida in 2014.

CO Bobby Watson and CO Calvin
Smith responded to a tip that a very
small spike buck was waiting to be
processed at a local deer processor. CO
Watson measured the spike and found
it to be short of the legal 3 requirement. CO Watson made contact with
the hunter and informed him he had
shot a spike that didnt make the 3
antler requirement. CO Watson then
asked the hunter to meet with them to
discuss the matter and show them his
hunting blind, bait pile, and campsite,
all of which he stated were located on
state land. The hunter continued to ask
if they could meet the following day
rather than at that moment. CO Watson
began questioning the hunter as to what
he was doing that was more important.
The hunter responded that he was at
the bar and watching the Lions game.
CO Watson informed the hunter that an
illegal deer could face him with over
$1,000 in fines and costs. The hunter
then immediately responded that he
would meet the two COs whenever they
needed to meet him. CO Watson and
CO Smith discovered additional violations, including no name on the hunters
blind and excessive bait. Enforcement
action was taken.

It surprises me how many people
still transport loaded and uncased firearms in their vehicle or on an ORV. The
amount of loaned deer tags and illegal
deer cases continue to climb.

Part II of this series will cover
the northern lower peninsula
Conservation Officers cases. They
are just as interesting as the cases
you just read about.

In the last issue of Woods-N-Water
News my article on hunting raccoons
behind dogs made a mistake on the
dates for trapping raccoons in Michigan, the correct dates are October 15 to
March 31.

Author is Jeff Pendergaff, retired
Captain from the Law Enforcement
Division of the DNR.n
Gun Chat: Shooting and recoil
ts been years but I can remember enjoying shooting

rifled slugs from a sevenpound single-shot 12 gauge.
The gun had a lot of drop
in the stock and not much
of a forend to hold. I had fun with it
then. Now, if I shoot slugs its from
a Mossberg 590 with a good recoil
pad, or a Remington 1100.
My first deer rifle was a cut
down 1917 Enfield in .30-06. In
practice, off the bench, I noticed the
steel buttplate. In the field, I didnt
feel it much. I used the Enfield
when I started to shoot NRA Highpower Rifle matches. The recoil
didnt bother me much in the early
stages of the match. It was harder to
shoot it well when I was tired and
had to shoot the last 10 or 20 rounds
of the match from the prone position. Prone tends to accentuate the
effects of recoil. The body doesnt
give as much when a rifle kicks as it
can in standing, sitting, or kneeling.
The M1 Garand in .30-06 I used
next, and the .308 M1A I shot in my

last matches also had steel buttplates. But both were easier on the
shoulder due to the semiautomatic
actions. My first good deer
rifle, a Browning BAR, also
in .30-06 and also a semiautomatic, is also easy to
shoot.
In much of the hunting
Ive done recoil was not a
big factor. (Im not a duck
or goose hunter.) Chances
in the field are usually
one shot events. Having a deer in range, or
a grouse flying, keeps recoil off my
mind. Occasionally, my 20 gauge
seems a bit more abrupt than usual.
Ive often shouldered it poorly in
those cases.
In Bullseye shooting most loads
are light and recoil isnt a problem.
I shot a Bullseye match with heavy
pin loads once. I did OK but the
noise my loads made and the brass
bouncing far down the line bugged
some of my competitors. The next

match Id had time to make light
target loads.
In bowling pin and steel plate
shooting recoil has to be
balanced with power. I
shot pin matches with .45
ACP pistols, and a Smith
& Wesson M57 revolver in
.41 Magnum. My reloads
for the .45 were chronographed at 910 feet per
second (FPS) with a 230
grain lead or jacketed
bullet. I could have
made slightly more
powerful loads but wouldnt have
been able to control them as well.
Power delivered to a pin is important, but so is coming down from
recoil and shooting other pins as
quickly as possible.
My .41 Magnum loads used
215, 225 or 230 grain lead semiwadcutters (LSWCs). The bullets
all had flat noses and tended to
impress pins more than the round
nose .45s. Velocity was right around
1,000 FPS. Recoil wasnt my problem with the .41 Magnum, it was
having only six shots. (I needed one
more too often to do real well at
pins.)
Plate matches are similar to pin
shooting but, after shooting pins,
plates can look BIG and easy to hit.
Hits dont need to be as precise as
those needed on pins either. I still
proved that they can sometimes
be missed. I used the same loads
on plates as on pins, and the same
handguns. Recoil was still a consideration, but since the plates were
generally bigger than pins, it was
easier to handle. Plates can be shot
with smaller calibers and lighter
By Lee Arten
Licensed Shooting Preserve

Mayville, MI
(989) 843-6576
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Located 17 Miles North of Lapeer
www.jankspheasantfarm.com
loads. Just to see if it would work,

I took a Walther PP in .32 ACP to
steel night at a local club a few
times.
The .32 would knock plates
down but they fell sloooooowly.
It was a good idea to hit high on
the plate. Low hits might only turn
them on the stands. Various .38
Specials with 158 grain LSWCs
dropped the plates more quickly.
Forty fives and loads from Magnum
revolvers take plates down with
even speed.
Before I was done with pin
matches I had a custom .45 with a
ported slide and barrel. It was accurate, easy on recoil, and lots of fun
to shoot. Porting and muzzlebrakes
are two ways to fight recoil. Making
guns heavier is another. My 1917,
M1 and M1A all weighed around 10
pounds. The BAR went about eight
pounds but the stock was straighter
than any of the other rifles. Stock
design doesnt make a gun recoil
less, but can make a gun more comfortable to shoot. A stock with a lot
of drop may be fine in a .22 Long
Rifle but will punish the shooter in
higher calibers.
I really appreciated the porting
on my pin .45. However, none of
my hunting rifles have porting, or
muzzle brakes, except those which
were designed to have one originally. I dont like the idea of increasing
the muzzle blast on a hunting rifle
unless I really have to.
Where Ive appreciated muzzle
brakes is on .50 BMG rifles. Ive
shot a few .50s and hope to shoot
more. The aggressive brakes on
those big boomers funnel blast to
the side and cut recoil to about that
of a stout 12 gauge load. Spectators
when a .50 is being fired are advised to position themselves directly behind the shooter. Standing off
the side can expose them to muzzle
blast. I once compared feeling the
blast of a .50s muzzle brake to a
slow walk into a wall. I still think
thats a good description.
Noise from shooting can make
recoil feel worse. Good ear protection can help make recoil feel like
less of a problem. Suppressors also
tend to make guns feel like less of a
explosion against the shoulder, or in
the hand. Thats one of the reasons
I was glad to see Michigan allow
them a few years ago.
Shooting and recoil have always
gone together. The right techniques,
loads, and equipment can help make
it less unpleasant and annoying.n
Filling a black powder grocery list
ere she is
folks, the
email from
the Michigan
State Muzzle
Loading
Association read, the

2017 MSMLA State Shoot
Schedule mark your
calendars for these events
and support as many of the
clubs as you can
For experienced black
powder shooters, the lateDecember arrival of the
state shoot schedule, as
the annual listing
is called, is akin to
Christmas morning
for awe-filled youngsters. The two,
single-spaced pages contain twelve
months worth of muzzleloading
events, each open to the public and
hosted by one of the forty-plus clubs
around Michigan that support this
addictive pastime. But the MSMLA
shoot schedule also includes muzzleloading arms and accoutrement
shows.
Black powder shows exist in
a variety of formats, from a swapmeet/garage sale at a local club to
a full-blown, juried living history
fair at a convention center. Regardless of size, one of the attractions
of such gatherings, at least from the
perspective of muzzleloading enthusiasts, is the overlooked treasure
that waits at the next table.
These unique events differ from
a modern gun show in a number
of ways, and the contrast is evident
a few steps inside the exhibit hall
entrance. A 19th-century time limit
is imposed; no guns, accoutrements

or clothing made or used after a
given date, usually 1865 or 1890,
are allowed. This restriction covers
most re-enacting eras up through the
Wild West days.

Vendors, traders
as they are called, display
new or used muzzleloading arms on neat rows of
folding tables covered with
trade blankets or deer hides.
Some offer racks of readyto-wear, period-correct
clothing while others might
sell hand-sewn leather
shot pouches or
museum-quality,
finger-woven
sashes, leg ties and bags. Piles of
tanned deer, elk or buffalo hides
stand beside shelves overflowing
with rare books dealing with the fur
trade, the French and Indian War or
18th-century ladys fashions.
Traders and attendees are
encouraged to wear period-correct
clothing. Juried shows require all
traders to dress in historical garb,
which adds to the ambiance and
enhances the authenticity of the
marketplace. Yet even at these
events, newcomers in street clothes
are always welcome and never out
of place.
Artisans often demonstrate their
chosen craft, in addition to selling
the fruits of their labor. Guests can
ask questions, and depending upon
the trade, an impromptu, hands-on
lesson might introduce an inquisitive bystander to an almost-forgotten frontier survival skill. At some
living history fairs, experts from
By Dennis Neely
Dressed as an 18th-century longhunter, Rober t Scheffler displays

an assor tment of hand-crafted, scrimshawed powder horns at the
Kalamazoo Living History Show .
A typical black powder gun show, like the Lapeer Contemporary

Muzzleloading Arms and Accoutrements Show, occupies one or
more rooms with traders arranged in neat rows. The Lapeer Show
is one of the longest running muzzleloading shows in the country.
around the country present educational seminars on an hourly schedule.
Non-profit organizations
representing museums, historical
restoration sites and archeological
digs often have tables filled with
artifacts and literature about their
work. Clubs sell raffle tickets on
hand-crafted muzzleloading arms,
shot bags and related goods. Authors
hawk their books, and re-enacting
groups recruit new members.
And as an added treat, living
historians portraying noted personalities from the past often walk
about. A show guest might strike
up a first-person conversation with
Abraham or Mary Lincoln, George
Armstrong Custer, Betsy Ross,
Benjamin Franklin, Simon Kenton
or Daniel Boonecomplete with a
side-by-side photo.
Michigan, Ohio and Indiana are
blessed with some of the best black
powder shows and living history
trade fairs in the nation. Black powder gun shows are not mainstream
events published in the normal mass
media sources. The MSMLA State
Shoot Schedule is one source (published monthly in Woods-N-Water
News or online at: msmla.org), and
Smoke & Fire News (27 N. River
Road, Waterville, OH 43566, 1-800766-5334 or online at: www.smokefire.com) contains listings of events
and shows across the country.
The March listings in the state
shoot schedule include two prominent Michigan shows. The 59th
Annual Contemporary Muzzleloading Arms and Accoutrement Show
hosted by the Lapeer Firelocks is
scheduled for March 5, 2017. The

show is held at the Lapeer American Legion Post 16, located at 1701
West Genesee St. in Lapeer, MI,
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The legion hall accommodates
over 90 tables distributed on two
floors with ample aisles for viewing or socializing. The Lapeer show
is promoted as one of six regional
shows by the Contemporary Longrifle Association, a national organization of muzzleloading arms collectors and related artisans based in
Staunton, VA. For more information
about this show call 810-875-4643.
On March 18 & 19, 2017,
the 42nd Annual Kalamazoo Living History Show returns to the
Kalamazoo County Expo Center,
located at 2900 Lake Street, Kalamazoo, MI. This show is open from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Visit
kalamazooshow.com or call 765563-6792 for details.
The Kalamazoo Living History
Show is the largest juried show in
the Midwest with 270 traders and
artisans housed in three spacious
fairground buildings. Within the
re-enacting community, it is often
said that a person can walk into the
Kalamazoo show in modern clothes,
and leave outfitted as his/her favorite character in history.
Current participation in the
black powder shooting sports is not
a prerequisite for attendance at a
muzzleloading gun show or living
history fair. The education gained by
wandering around, asking questions
Black Powder list page 68

Black Powder list:

from page 67
and absorbing the many facets of
this hobby is worth more than the
modest entry fee.
Experienced members of the
pastime caution newcomers to make
their purchases with care. Buying
an item that looks good or is just
like in the movies is a common
and sometimes expensive mistake.
Muzzleloading competitors and
living historians suggest making
thoughtful selections based on careful research and historical documentation. And much of this studying
must be done before the shows
doors swing open. In essence, start
with a black powder grocery list.
A veterans shopping list develops over time. Most long-time
smoke-pole shooters keep a running list, unless there is a dire need
of an item. A part of the page may
be dedicated for known purchases,
another section may be set aside for
nagging questions and people to
see might occupy a third area.
Everyone has their own method
for creating a shopping list, and
most include plenty of blank paper
to record the answers to questions,

names of vendors or contact persons, websites of interest, email addresses, telephone numbers and new
ideas. A common accoutrement is an
empty haversack for carrying small
items, paperwork and flyers touting
other shows or events.
Most traders and re-enactors
are willing to share information
or direct a newcomer to an appropriate historical resource. Simple
questions, asked of the right person, sometimes open the door to a
lifetime of knowledge that might
otherwise be overlooked. And if an
individual does not have the answer
to a vexing problem or a frustrating
question, ask who does.
A digital camera or a goodquality cellphone is an added tool
that can supplement a shopping list
or record a long-sought answer.
Our deep American heritage spans
three-plus centuries, and paintings,
etchings and sketches are a valuable
element of the primary documentation of the past. A photograph or
photocopy of such an illustration,
especially if it applies to ones historical persona, is an additional aid

for finding the right reproduction at
a black powder gun show.
Sometimes original artifacts
are marked Not for sale or For
display only due to the rarity of the
item. In those instances, a photograph may be the only method to
document the artifacts existence. It
is considered proper etiquette to ask
permission from the owner before
clicking the shutter.
At the least, ask what the owner

has learned about the history of
the item, including any period
references to the manufacture and
everyday use of the artifactand be
sure to write down the answers and
the contact information of the owner
for future reference. Such diligence
is also a key part of filling a black
powder grocery list.
Pencil a muzzleloading gun
show on your calendar, be safe and
may God bless you.n
Muzzle Loading State Events

Michigan State Muzzle Loading Association State Shoots
Feb. 4 - MSMLA Annual Meeting: Eaton Rapids CC
11 a.m. 989-746-0723
Feb. 12 - Woods Walk: Clinton River Muzzle Loaders
Detroit Sportsman Congress: 586-731-6088
Feb. 10-12 - Hog Rendezvous: Sauk Trail Long Rifles
Tecumseh: 517-522-8976
Feb. 19 - Numb Skull Shoot: Bridgeport: 989-746-0723
Feb. 28-March 6 - Western National Shoot: NMLRA
Phoenix, AZ: 812-667-5131
For a complete 2017 shoot schedule, send a SASE or e-mail to: Ron Fernwalt,
16808 Peach Ridge, Kent City, MI, 49330, or email Ron rbfern@triton.net
Mid Thumb Game Ranch

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M-90 between M-53 & M-19 -- Approx. 50 Miles North of Detroit
Contact at 810-378-5632
DAILY 7 AM - 10 PM
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Woods-N-Water News
Kayak on Cold Water:

Suit up and use your head!
The author, in his Kokatat Dry Suit, took his 11-foot Hobie Outback out for a spin on January 2 on
Maple Lake in Paw Paw. Author photo
or some, kayak fishing is

a fair weather sport with
shorts, a tank top and sun
screen considered proper
attire.

But many of us
launch our little plastic boats in
snow storms if theres some open
water and a chance of catching a
fish (which there always is). This
makes us knuckleheads, but knuckleheads who have found
kayaks to be safe, stable
crafts even in cold weather
on cold water. But we also
prepare for the worst, and
that starts with attire that
will help keep us alive if
we fall in.
One buddy took a good
dunking when he turtled
his kayak while
muskie fishing in
Novembers 40-degree water on Lake St. Clair and we
visit that episode below. He credits
his dry suit with helping save his
life. To make winter kayak fishing
safer, get a dry suit.
Fishing over water thats below
50 degrees is like fishing over boiling oil. Either one of the liquids
can kill you quickly, but you can
prepare to survive getting dunked in
cold water. Since my wife doesnt
read anything I write, I can tell
you that I paid around $700 for a
dry suit the year before last. Its a
Kokatat, a popular brand among
paddle sports aficionados, and actually a lower-priced model as dry
suits go. Its easy to spend upwards

of $1,200. So far, I have no regrets
about spending as much as I did for
a more entry level model. Well,
other than the first time I actually
tried to enter it. Not having a clue
on the proper procedure, I felt like I
might have a heart attack while contorting my body in a reverse Harry
Houdini maneuver to get inside the
one-piece suit. That first attempt
took about an hour; now it
takes around 15 minutes.

Dry suits are
basically like one-piece
jumpsuits that painters or
hazmat responders might
wear, featuring gaskets at
the wrist cuffs and collars
to keep water from seeping
in. Each time I put my head
through the neck
hole, I wonder if
babies have a similar experience when theyre born.
Its a tight squeeze, but despite the
cost and challenge of putting it on,
its really essential equipment for
kayaking in cold weather.
By the way, Youtube has some
videos that I wish I would have
watched before trying to pack my
body into the dry suit for the first
time. One quick tip: Get the bottom
part on and ease your feet well into
the attached booties, then strap on
your separate wading shoes before
putting yourself into the top part.
Otherwise you end up like a 2-yearold toddler, on your back, having
your mom (or your wife) slide the
By Dave Mull
boots on for you. Its a decidedly

unmanly position.
I have waded knee deep with
my suit this winter, and with the
proper insulation underneath, neither legs nor feet got cold. Experienced kayakers preach that you
should test your dry suit in controlled circumstances to see if you
could climb back into your kayak
while wearing it, and to discover
any leaks. I plan to do this when the
water warms this summer.
The first time I wore my suit, I
went steelhead fishing in an aluminum jet sled with a guide friend and
got cold without getting wet. The
temp was in the teens and I didnt
have enough layers underneath. The
dry suit itself is just a waterproof
membranethe material is something like Tyvek used for a houses
wind and moisture barrier, but
breathable (some are Goretex) so
sweat doesnt build up. The suit has
no insulation, however, so you must
add layers underneath.
Ive found that a first layer of a
GHUnders brand long-sleeve shirt
and what the company calls tights
for the bottoms works greatbetter than any long underwear Ive
ever worn. Designed for hunting
and fishing in the cold and clammy
Pacific Northwest, these things
insulate while wicking perspiration.
Theyre expensiveabout $150 for
tights and top combinedbut they
work exceptionally well. Check out
www.ghunders.com.
For extra leg warmth I wear a
set of Cabelas fleece wader pants

over the GHUnders, and a pair of
basic sweat pants over the wader
pants. Wool socks go on my feet.
Above waist I add a thermal long
sleeve undershirt over the GHUnder
shirt, and a thick sweatshirt (sometimes two) over that. With moderate
activity pedaling my Hobie around
and casting, I stay comfortable in
temperatures ranging from 15 degrees up to 40 degrees.
While testing your suit is a
good idea to make sure it will keep
you dry, you never really want to
find out if it will keep you alive
after you tumble your kayak in
extremely cold water. Our buddy
mentioned above did find out, and
the reason he capsized his big Hobie Pro Angler was because he got
over-confident.
Rich Ofner of Windsor, Ontario,
is one of the nicest guys youd ever
care to meet. A promoter for Hobie,
he shows and tells in a remarkable
self-made video how standing and
facing sideways while casting a big
muskie lure caused him to go over
into frigid St. Clair. Although hes
a fun, outgoing guy to hang around
with, in the video Rich is deadly
serious, sounding a bit like Dragnets Joe Friday as he narrates how
getting overconfident caused him to
flip.
To be truthful though, since no
one was hurt, its kind of a hilarious
video. You can find it on Youtube
by searching Richard Ofner, dry
suit and cold water survival. Or
go to greaterontariokayakangling.
com/cold-water-experience.
Rich had three GoPro cameras
rolling and they catch him going
in the water from three different
angles and in slow motion that is
almost painful to watch as he loses
his balance and clunks down on the
side of his kayak, which causes it to
turtle and Rich to disappear into the
calm surface.
Rich was close to shore and
around several fishing boats, so he
swam to some rocks and a friend
motored over and brought his yak.
The main loss was a box of expensive muskie lures and his depth
finder cost $400 to repair. As they
say, it could have been a lot worse.
Yes, the video is funny and cold
water kayak angling is fun. But if
youre going to try it, best suit up
correctly, always wear a PFD and
fish with a buddy. When you catch
fish and safely return home, you
might note that it feels good to be a
knucklehead.n
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Theyre the catch of the day. And thats no fish story.
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See Honda.com for517-536-4256
full warranty details. *The Honda Power Equipment Visa credit
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terms apply to purchases
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Equipment
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the purchaseLawn
date atEquipment
the regular APR if the purchase balance is not
paid inand
full within
a late payment.
For newly opened
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the minimum
interest charge will
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Please read the owners manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment and never use in a closed or partly enclosed area where you could be exposed to carbon monoxide. 2016 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Alisha
Jones
(lt)and
Cathy
Kelly of
Romeo
took
these
3 nice
kings
fishing
Lake
Michigan
in Aug.
TROPHY PAGE
Bob Hoenicke took this

beautiful buck opening
day of gun season.
Carol Brinks of Hamilton took

this dandy 9-pt. buck opening day of firearms season in
Allegan Co.
Blake Hansen of Hart, harvested

this beautiful 10-pt. in Oceana
Co. on Oct. 28. It field dressed at
180 pounds.
Hunter
Bailey,
13 of
Evart
took
this nice
buck
during the
youth
hunt.
Twin sisters have a successful year:

(lt) Karen Yorks of Evart with her 8-pt.
taken Nov. 19 near Reed City. Sharen Bitz
of Monroe with her doe taken Nov. 16
also near Reed City.
The Murray sisters

success! (top-lt)
Jenifer Murray, 17
took a 5-pt. hunting Nov. 16 and a
doe (bottom-lt) on
Nov. 15. (Above)
Alison Murray, 13
took her 6-pt. on
opening day of the
youth hunt.
Wyatt
Ball, 11
took
his first
buck,
this 4-pt.
hunting
with his
father
in Oct.
in the
U.P.s
Chippewa
Co.
Kraig Staples took this

buck with his crossbow hunting near
Millersburg.
Brady Failing, 14 of Bay

City took this nice 10-pt.
bowhunting Tuscola Co.
His first buck with a bow.
AJ Fritz, 9
harvested this
beautiful buck
on Nov. 30 with
his daddy's lucky
20 gauge on his
Grandpa Fritz's
farm, right over
the food plot
that AJ spent
the summer
planting and
caring for.
Mocny Brother/Sister of
Okemos: Nolan, 10 took his first
deer a 3-pt. and Julia, 14 took
a 4-pt. hunting family property
near Millersburg.
Jacob
Kaylor, 13
took his
first deer,
this 4-pt.
hunting
Allegan
Co. with
his Grandpa during
the youth
hunt.
Jordan Broeker of Imlay

City with her nice 8-pt.
taken near Brown City
Ethan
Galbraith,
12 of Clio
with a
beautiful
Roscommon Co.
buck. It is
Ethan's
third
buck.
Scott Phillips of Hillsdale was hunting with his best hunting buddy, his
son Kyle and took the fourth buck
he saw the morning of Nov. 10, this
tall tined 9-pt. in Hillsdale Co.
TROPHY PAGE
Mitchell Krueger, 15 took his

first buck, this monster 10-pt.
taken bowhunting near Argyle.
Jeffrey Eibling of Higgins Lake

took this massive 8-pt. with his
crossbow in Isabella Co. Hes
been bow hunting since 1968!
Doug Epperson of Armada

took this 11-pt. droptine
buck taken in Manistee Co.
Nov. 16 while he was tending a scrape.
Kriss Hahn took this beautiful Midland Co. 8-pt. on Dec. 10 during
muzzloader season.
Claire Thomas, 9 with her first

deer she took with a crossbow.
Proud dad Gregory was glad
Michigan has a mentor hunting program. Claire just loves
the outdoors.
Michael
Leighton
with a nice
archery
10-pt.
taken the
evening of
Nov. 13 in
Van Buren
Co.
Cliff Allen of St. Louis,

7-pt. and Chad Allen
(rt) of Breckenridge
with an 8-pt.
Cayla Hadrian 12, of Belleville took her first 6-pt

buck with a crossbow
Don Horn, of Marenisco, took

this nice 9-pt. buck on opening
day of the firearms season in
UPs Ontonagon Co.
This 8-pt. buck taken on opening day

of firearm season
by Dave McKeon in
Sanilac Co.
Zachary Rau of
Gaylord with his
monster Smallmouth bass from
late Sept.
Tenyearold
Haylee
Smith
having
a blast
running
the
familys
2016
water
trap
line!
Mark Jahn of Jeddo

took this nice 8-pt. on
Nov. 15 in St. Clair Co.
Mark
Kazmierczak
took this doe
in St. Clair
Co. on Nov.
20 hunting
his parents
property.
Jim
Wehler
caught
this gorgeous
double
stripe
steelhead
on the
Muskegon river in
Dec.
Jim Knights trophy turkey

with an 11 inch beard and
1 5/8 inch spurs. Taken while
using an Avian x hen Decoy,
and an A-way push button call
on state land in Kalkaska Co.
Laurie Deitering took her first bear

hunting Keweenaw Co. Sept. 26,
a 200 pounder and Ruth Buning
took her bruin hunting the same
area the next day.
Letters, My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...
Bear Forum held in St. Ignace
n Saturday, Dec. 17,

there was a DNR
meeting held in St.
Ignace regarding bear
hunting and potential
changes to both the
harvest numbers and other issues
regarding bear harvesting. The Bear
Forum was an information gathering meeting that saw DNR staff get
together with representatives from
a variety of interested groups. The
DNR staff would present information and data and in return solicit
responses from the representatives
of the various groups and organizations there. The purpose was to
both review the current 2-year bear
harvest regulation cycle as well
as the 10-year Bear Management
plan. The 2-year regulation cycle
deals with short term issues, such as
harvest numbers while the 10-year
By Stephen King
plan deals in more

general topics
such as the size of
Bear Management Units.
The Agenda included topics
such as the preliminary numbers and
findings from this past seasons Bear
Hunter Survey, Predator Prey Relationships in the U.P., Evaluation of
Long Term Data; along with some
new proposals such as allowing
bear baiting to begin earlier, allow
the use of barrels on Public land,
change dates of season, ban the use
of chocolate as a bait, and change
the number of out of State licenses
allowed.
Groups with a seat at the table
included the Michigan United
Conservation Clubs, Michigan Farm
Bureau, Michigan Bear Hunters
Association, Safari Club International, and the US Forest Service,
We need pheasants
Dear Woods-N-Water News:
Kudus to Randy Jorgensen for
bringing to light the lack of Michigan DNR interest to rekindle the
pheasant program. His article on
Ken Daltons pheasant plan was
super informative and illustrated
how many other states have successful pheasant hunting, tremendous
hunter recruitment and log millions
of man hours in the field.
Ive hunted pheasants in Pennsylvania, had fantastic shooting
fun and seen the masses of smiling
hunters enjoying the great outdoors.
Pheasants are the ideal hunter
recruitment game species because
they are easy to raise, cost little
and can be released on private and
public lands. Michigan has plenty of
pheasant habit but the resource will
never return on its own. We need
to start stocking birds and develop
a program to make Michigan the
popular pheasant state it once was.
Now, the DNR will argue that
there is no money to fund a pheasant
program. But, what about the 17.9
billion brought in from the Upper
Peninsula logging project in 2015?
Rumor has it over 20 billion in
lumber sales was achieved this year
alone and the DNRs long range
plan is to butch lumber across the
entire Upper Peninsula and norther
lower Michigan. Come to think of
it the DNR has been using lame
excuses regarding dwindling deer
herds, loss of northern Michigan

turkey populations, decreased trout
and salmon planting, decreased
opportunities for waterfowl hunting
and much, much more. Why is the
DNR turning their backs on Michigan sportsmen and not developing
wildlife enhancement programs to
create more hunting and fishing
opportunities, restore valuable sport
species, increase hunter and fishermen recruitment and pump millions
in revenue into the states economy?
Ken Dalton is a classic example
of an honest law abiding citizen
who has been pushed aside by DNR
employees hell bent on doing nothing about Michigans stumbling
hunting resources and plummeting
hunter recruitment numbers. He
is fed up with the DNR runaround
and his grass roots program will
soon get the attention and support
of concerned citizens and hopefully legislators. It appears the only
way we can have good hunting
and fishing in Michigan is to have
politicians give Lansing DNR Game
Managers a swift kick in the tail
feathers. Someone needs to wake
them up so they quickly develop
a pheasant management program
that benefits sportsmen statewide. I
personally feel they need to do the
same regarding deer, ducks, turkeys,
salmon, trout, walleyes and much,
much more.
Kenny Darwin
East Lansing, MI
plus many more.

In addition, there
were also approximately 50 persons in the audience.
And, although this was a formal
meeting, quite often, impromptu
questions were taken from audience
members. As well, there were also
official places on the Agenda for
audience participation.
One of the main speakers at the
meeting was DNR Bear Specialist
Kevin Swanson, who stated, Very
simplified, we have seen an increase
in bear numbers and are looking
at increasing the number of bears
taken. We were looking at asking
for an increase of from 10 to 15%.
However, we decided to err on the
side of caution, as far as bear numbers are concerned, and ask for an
increase in harvest numbers of 5%.
This was primarily for BMUs in the
U.P.
As for how the population of
bears is calculated, Swanson stated,
We use bear harvest numbers and
the data we collect from the bear
check stations and the Bear Hunter
surveys. Along with other factors,
this gives us a pretty good idea
of the bear population. He also
added, I am very confident about
the number of bears. He estimates
the current U.P. population at about
9,000 animals.
Someone else talking about
numbers was Katie Keen, a DNR
Communications Specialist who
talked about the differences between the carrying capacity of the
resource, the social carrying capacity, and the publics perception of
bear hunting. First, in addition to
Keen, Kevin Swanson also had
noted the difference between the
physical capacity of the area and the
social capacity of the area. On this,
Bear forum page 76
We dont need wolves

Dear Woods-N-Water News:
Im writing this letter to explain why I think the DNR allowing wolves to repopulate the Upper
Peninsula was a bad idea.
Our ancestors may not have
been college educated or anti-hunters, but they were smart enough to
realize that wolves played no good
part in our society.
There are approximately 600
to 1,000 wolves in the U.P. A few
years back, the DNR did a study on
wolves in Ontonagon County. There
were five trackers following five
different packs of wolves that had at
least one collared wolf in each pack.
I spoke with one of the trackers. He stated that the pack of eight
wolves that he was following killed
an average of one or two deer nightly, but one night they killed six deer.
Im wondering, where the results of
this study were posted?
Since the DNR is funded mainly
by sportsmens money, we should
have the right to see the results of
the study.
Dont forget that wolves are not
just killing deer, but pregnant deer
for six to seven months. Wolves also
kill moose and their calves, bears
and bear cubs, beavers and anything
else they can sneak up on. They go
onto private property and kill livestock and beloved pets.
Two adult wolves and their pups
killed 38 geese and 11 ducks in one
night near Bruce Crossing in Ontonagon County. They came back and
killed a calf and a dog.
Half of the hunters who used
to come to the U.P. each year dont
come anymore because of the
wolves. Why would they? There
arent any deer left to hunt. Motels,
bars, grocery stores and restaurants
are all losing big money. The wolves
have taken over and destroyed the
economy.
I wish the pro-wolf people
would tell us about the good things
wolves are doing in the U.P.
Ron Scott
Jeddo, MI
Theres a difference between Antler Point Restrictions

(APRs) and Mandatory Antler Point Restrictions (MARs)
This is in response to
the editorial in the
December, 2016 issue of
WNW by Michael Veine
titled, Antler Point
Restrictions in Michigan.
hile I realize
that antler point
restrictions
(APRs) and more
fittingly for this
article, mandatory antler point restrictions (MARs)
have been turned into a political
issue by our Wildlife Division and
the Natural Resource Commission,
the half-truths and the hyperbole
spewed in this article as fact cannot
go unchallenged.
First lets agree that APRs have
been practiced voluntarily for generations by many Michigan hunters
as part of their traditions, including
myself since 1989. APRs practiced
voluntarily are a choice enjoyed by
Michigan deer hunters and encouraged by slogans like, let-em-go,
let-em-grow, shoot or dont shoot
and hunt and let hunt.
The writer of this article is being
disingenuous in his attempt to use
the acronym APRs, when in all reality this article is referring to MARs.
There is a BIG difference. It insults
my intelligence that throughout the
article he keeps referencing APRs

and never once mentions MARs, the
true subject of his agenda. The ethical dilemma has become, should one
group of hunters, mandate through
regulation manipulation that ALL
hunters be forced to practice extreme regulations against their will?
There are many false claims
by the writer and I will address the
most blatant ones. First statement,
Antler point restrictions are gaining
rapidly in popularity too. According to annual DNR hunter surveys,
APRs are gaining favor statewide
every year to the point where those
opposed to APRs are now just a
small minority of deer hunters.
First lets get the facts straight.
Michael is confusing APRs with
MARs and as discussed above there
is a huge difference. The MDNR
does NOT survey support for APRs
but only for MARs that have already
been imposed on Michigans hunters. And, as hunters opposed to
these extreme regulations leave the
woods because of the perception of
diminished satisfaction from hunting, (166,000 since 2006 statewide),
their opinions are no longer sought.
The disgruntled hunters that do
remain refuse to participate in the
annual survey process thus eliminating their opinions from the survey
data.
Sound far-fetched? Here is the
proof.
In the Upper Peninsula, from

2008 thru 2015, hunters all seasons have dropped 24,338 or nearly
25 percent. 2008 was the first year
of Hunters Choice (HC), a mandated MARs regulation. As hunters left
Year
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Response Support
Rate
for HC
59%
56%
62%
53%
57%
59%
55%
56%
53%
56%
51%
59%
51%
63%
50%
64%
the woods in the U.P., the response

rate consistently dropped as well.
But, surprisingly, the support for
HC/MARs went up accordingly.
These numbers are an indication
that those opposed to HC/MARs
no longer hunt, and, if they do are
so disgruntled that they refuse to
participate in the annual survey process thus producing a low response
rate. This is not to mention that with
the side effect of HC/MARs, the
over harvest of antlerless deer, the
resource population in the U.P. was
reported as less than 100,000 before
the fawn drop in 2014.
Second statement, After the
first year of the new regulations the

buck kill remains the same compared to pre-MARs regulations
hunter retention was comparatively
better after MARs were implemented in an area, and neighboring counties without MARs saw
significant drops in hunter numbers
during the same time frame. These
statement are not true. In the three
years of MARs regulations in the
NW-12 county area, 2013, 2014 and
2015, hunters all seasons, antlered
bucks harvested and hunter success
rates ALL dropped drastically in the
second and third years. The only
metric that went up was antlerless
deer harvest, which went up significantly. (remember the U.P. people)
In his eighth paragraph Michael
takes liberty with the truth he proclaims that 81% of Michigan hunters supported MARs. He is trying
to create a presumption of positivity
for MARs, a message that does not
gel with reality.
In the tenth paragraph, he gets
to the real agenda of the pro MARs
supporters, the real crux of the issue,
BIG antlers. Three times he boasts
about TROPHY racks. Again, in
the eleventh paragraph he mentions
a beautiful buck that scored 132 by
Commemorative Bucks of Michigan. The picture posted of John
APRs and MARs page 77
Michigans 2016 Bear Harvest

A total of 1,615 black bears were
registered during 2016 bear
seasons in Michigan, according
to preliminary DNR figures. Tribal
hunters claimed 52 of those bruins
and state licensed hunters
registered the remaining 1,563...
ne hundred and three fewer

bears were registered during
2016 than the 1,718 tagged by
hunters the year before. The
issuance of fewer bear licenses
was partly responsible for the
reduced harvest. There were 55 fewer bear
licenses issued by the state (6,896) than the
6,951 handed out in 2015.
Reduced hunting pressure both in terms
of hunters and hunting effort, may have also
played a role in the slight reduction in the
bear kill from 2015. Only 4,994 of the hunters
who were drawn for bear licenses during 2015
By Richard P. Smith
actually hunted, according to the DNRs Bear

Hunter Survey from that year. Almost 2,000
(1,957) bear hunters who drew licenses decided not to hunt for one reason or another. Some
of them didnt even buy a license.
The number of hunters and hunting effort
declined significantly from 2014 to 2015,
the abstract for the 2015 Bear Hunter Survey

states. In 2015, an estimated 4,994 hunters
spent nearly 34,502 days afield. The average number of days required to harvest a bear
statewide was 20.1 days in 2015 compared to
23.9 days in 2014.
During 2014, 5,499 bear license holders actually hunted bear, which is 505 more
than 2015, and they spent 37,250 days hunting. Even though fewer hunters spending less
time afield during 2015 than the year before
harvested more bears than 2014, a continued
reduction of hunter numbers and effort could
have been enough to result in a lower kill during 2016. Specifics about hunter numbers and
effort from 2016 wont be available from the
DNR until some time in 2017.
There is certainly no shortage of bears.
The number of bear licenses issued by the
DNR since 2012 has steadily declined, and
declined significantly, to allow the bear population to increase and the animals have done
2016 Bear Harvest page 77


Michigans Bear Forum: from page 74
Swanson noted, The resource can
hold a lot more bears than we have
now. However, when those bears
start causing problems. Getting into
peoples garbage, emptying their
bird feeders, and generally becoming a nuisance, the public will not
accept this.
About the bear harvest, Keen
also stated, There is a big difference between how the people up
here view bear hunting and how
the people downstate, in the cities
view bear hunting. In St. Ignace, we
have no problem explaining why we
hunt bears. The people here know
that hunting is a tool that we use to
properly manage the resource. She
also noted a far different perspective
in the Cadillac area, where an attack
on a young girl occurred a few years
ago, stating, Everyone you talk to
down there wants to ask about bears
and what were doing to control the
numbers. They are very interested in
bear numbers. And, in sharp contrast, she also noted that many urban
dwellers are against bear hunting all
together.
Also commenting on bear
numbers was Wildlife Biologist
Terri Minzi, who stated, One of

the things we are actually looking
at with bear populations is actually
the deer population. We know that
in the spring, bear have a significant
impact as far as fawn predation. We
also know that right now, with the
deer population being down, we do
not want to significantly increase the
number of bear, which would have
an adverse effect on deer numbers.
On a somewhat related issue,
another person talking about properly managing the resource was
Richard Pershinski, who was there
representing Michigan Farm Bureau, who stated, We are watching
the increase in bear numbers with
interest. Over the last few years, we
have seen an increase in beekeepers.
And, we are watching incidents of
problem animals in the agricultural
community. We want to insure the
resource is properly managed. But,
I do want to say outright that if bear
numbers increase and they become a
problem, farmers will do what they
have to do to protect their livelihood.
On the opposite side of that
issue, there was a response that
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farmers, along with other area

residents, have some responsibility
to keep bears out of their property.
The comparison was urban residents keeping squirrels out of their
garages. For bee farmers, this would
be by putting electric fences around
their hives. Or, the average homeowner taking down bird feeders in
the spring, when bears come out of
hibernation and are the hungriest.
Someone else commenting
about the meeting in general, was
Amy Trotter, with the Michigan
United Conservation Clubs, who
stated, We are not concerned about
how many bear are taken in each
unit. We have confidence in the
DNR on that. What we are concerned about at this meeting, is that
all user groups are being properly
represented and their views and
opinions noted.
As for individual topics, as
noted, the topic of increasing
harvest numbers took up the majority of the conversation. However,
there was also significant discussion
on allowing bear baiting to begin
earlier. On this, the DNR biologists
were against the idea. It was their
contention that this would increase
the number of mother/cub groups at
the bait piles. It was then noted that
this would make it easier for dogs to
pick up these bears during the early
dog training season. And, this would
stress the cubs. Discussion went
back and forth on this issue.
Another issue was chocolate.
On this, the DNR was in favor of
a ban. Swanson stated, It not only
affects bears, but other animals,
from mice to canines. It was also
the contention of the DNR that bears
were becoming ill or dying because
of ingesting to much chocolate.
However, they could not produce
any carcasses or other hard evidence. In contrast, it was also noted
that there is no evidence of the bear
population suffering because of
chocolate. In addition, it was noted
that in other states, such as Wiscon-
sin, there is also no documentation

of ill effects on the bear population.
As a matter of fact, it was noted
the even with allowing the use of
chocolate as a bear bait, the Michigan bear population has actually
risen.
One more issue discussed was
Out of State licenses. On this, it was
noted that only 2% of bear licenses
are given to Out of State hunters.
The economic benefit of allowing
more out of state hunters to participate was discussed. As were rules
regarding the percentage of Out
of State hunters allowed for other
game species. On this, Swanson
stated, This is totally a political issue. We have no position on this. As
biologists, we are only concerned
with how many bear are taken. Not
who takes them.
Yet another issue was bear seasons. On this, there were ideas put
forth to change the rules on who can
hunt how and when. Such as time
periods for dogs, or bait. On this,
there was much discussion. However, no consensus was reached,
between the various groups present.
Overall, the meeting was run in
an orderly and proper manner. All
of those who wished to speak
were allowed to voice their opinions. With a relatively light turn
out, as noted, the moderators were
very liberal in their allowance of
comments, both from seated members of the forum and audience
members. All in all, the meeting
went very well.
Summing up the meeting, Shannon Hanna, Wildlife Policy and
Management Section Supervisor,
who stated, We will review the
information and take into consideration the opinions gathered here
today. Then, we will present this
to the NRC at their March meeting. Hopefully, they will then make
a decision at their April meeting.
That will give us enough time to
incorporate any changes into the fall
hunting season.n
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My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...

Michigans 2016 Bear Harvest: from page 75
that. Bear license quotas statewide
were dropped from 11,742 in 2011
to 7,991 for 2012. At the time,
DNR data showed bear numbers
were declining, but that data has
since been proven wrong. Bears
were actually stable to increasing.
In spite of that information,
organized bear hunters have lobbied the DNR to continue reducing bear licenses. Only 7,906
state-issued tags were available
during 2013 and 7,831 in 2014.
Licenses numbers were dropped
by about 1,000 more for 2015.
DNR data from the fawn survival study conducted in Menominee County between 2009 and
2011 in cooperation with Mississippi State University showed that
bear numbers were still increasing there even when bear license
numbers were between 11,000
and 12,000. DNR study coordinator Dean Beyer reports that there
were an estimated 0.36 bear per
square mile in the Menominee
County study area during the
summer of 2009, 0.39/square
mile in 2010 and 0.49 bear/square
mile for 2011. With reduced bear
license quotas since 2011, bear
numbers should have continued to
increase at a faster rate there was
well as elsewhere in the state.
Our bear estimates are based
on a genetic mark-recapture
estimator (hair snare technique),
Beyer stated.
Clumps of bear hair are col-
APRs and MARs are different: from page 75

Boss is the frosting on top of the
agenda.
Again, I must reiterate, it insults
my intelligence that throughout
this entire article he keeps referring to APRs and never once uses
the correct acronym MARs, his
true subject. I cant believe that he
is that uninformed. Any hunter in
Michigan can choose to practice

voluntary, self-imposed APRs on
themselves. But, when you add the
M to the acronym, it promotes one
group of hunters while disadvantaging another. In my book, that is
unethical.
Finally, he ends his article with
the statement, quote, Its just a mat-
My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions

Share your thoughts, views, opinions or short stories with
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All inclusive, housekeeping packages and

cabin rentals on a remote Algoma Lake.
Fish for . . .
Northern Pike, Walleye, Lake Trout,
Perch, Smallmouth Bass and Whitefish
Train-in or Boat-in Only
Canadian Funds
lected from barbed wire surrounding a bait and a bears genetic

makeup or DNA is extracted from
those hairs. The collection of a
second hair sample from the same
bear is considered a recapture.
What we do know about the
number of bears registered during
2016 besides the total is that state
licensed hunters registered 1,226
bruins in the U.P. and 337 in the
L.P. Twenty of the bears from the
tribal harvest came from the Red
Oak and Baldwin Bear Management Units and the remaining 32
were taken in the U.P., with 20 of
those killed in the Newberry Unit.
The Baraga Unit posted the
highest harvest among state licenses hunters at 314. The Newberry Unit came in second with
289 followed by Bergland at 187.
The tally for the Gwinn Unit was
179, 144 for Amasa and 112 for

Carney. A total of two bruins
were bagged on Drummond
Island, one each with state and
tribal licenses.
A total of 261 bears were
claimed by state licensed hunters in the Red Oak Unit. Baldwin
accounted for 54 kills and there
were 22 in the Gladwin Unit.
Sixty percent of the bruins
bagged in the U.P. were males
compared to an average of 50% in
the L.P..
The average success rate for
all bear hunters during 2015 was
34%, which is excellent. Hound
hunters enjoyed a 52% rate of success, however, compared to 32%
for bait hunters. Success rates
were probably lower during 2016,
but we wont know for sure for
months.n
ter of time before the DNR manages

our deer herd for the clear majority of hunters instead of the vocal
minority. Excuse me, is he really
that uninformed? The clear majority
of Michigans deer hunters, past and
present, support APRs by choice
NOT by regulation manipulation.
If someone lies to you to further a
selfish agenda, shame on them. If
you believe their lies, shame

on you. As Michigan traditional
deer hunters, we must NEVER accept normalization of the unacceptable, it has and will continue
to destroy us.
Concerned Wildlife
Resource Advocate
Curtis Stone
Michigan SMART Hunters
Whats In Your
?
??
?
k
c
l
a
e
T
B
d
o
l
x ??
O
Terry
McBurney,
Woods-nWater News
staff writer and
fishing tackle
historian, will
be setting up his
antique fishing
tackle displays at
the Outdoorama
in Novi and the
Ultimate Sports
Show in Grand Rapids.
With a lifetime of
experience in the fishing
industry and author of
many magazine articles
on antique tackle, he will
be answering questions
and offering free
appraisals at each show.
Joining him
will be Dick
VanRaalte
of Starboard
Marine
Restorations,
Grand Haven,
Michigan who will
exhibit part of his
collection of vintage
outboard motors.
With over 20 years of
experience restoring
old outboards, as well
as wood and fiberglass
boats, VanRaalte will also
be answering questions
and offering free
appraisals. They are also
interested in buying old
sporting collectibles for
their collections.
COME IN AND MEET THE EXPERTS

Grand Rapids Ultimate Sports Show
Novi Outdoorama
Booth 5150
March 16-19, 2017
DeVos Place
February 23-26, 2017
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Suburban Collection Showcase
Novi, Michigan
www.foxsdenlodge.ca
519-636-3697 foxsdenlodge@gmail.com
INTRODUCING KIDS TO HUNTING

I
t goes without saying that
kids will not become hunters on their own. They
need parental guidance and
many times approval from a
friends relatives and close
family members. While most kids
learn hunting skills from thoughtful
fathers eager to share their outdoor
passion, many today are influenced
by other kids, grandfathers and in
single parent homes, mothers begin the process.
Todays youth are
flooded with electronic
games, constant television,
videos, smart phones and
electronic devices that can
occupy their free time and
turn them into computer
nerds or electronic
couch jockeys.
The trick is to
introduce kids at
a young age to hunting. This is a
gradual process and often begins by
taking kids on outdoor hikes, fishing
and teaching them about the great
outdoors, the many gifts of nature
and getting them interested in the
outdoors.
Parents need to take time from
their busy schedule to encourage
kids to join them in the field. Most
hunters are introduced to nature by
taking short hikes with parents while
walking the beach along a lake looking for rocks, listening to birds or
following wildlife tracks in the sand.
Savvy parents keep outings short
and share the excitement of enjoying nature with kids. Parents need
to educate youth on the importance
of wildlife and how much fun it can
be in the outdoors. This can be done
while hunting for frogs and turtles,
listening to bird calls, climbing trees
and hills, fishing or simply going on
nature hikes.
The most important key in
teaching kids how to shoot or hunt
is to have fun. Try not to be an
overbearing adult, try to teach in
a respectful, cheerful manner, be
happy and share the fun with your
child. Adults make the common
mistake of measuring outdoor trips
by tags filled, but kids remember the
fun, laughs, loving hugs, parental
support and time afield with family
and friends they can cherish.
The idea is to get kids interested
in the outdoors, hunting becomes
secondary. It all starts with a father
figure, friend, relative, grandfather,
mother or caring friend introducing
kids to the outdoors and showing
great love and enthusiasm about the
outdoors.
I love taking neighbor kids on
hunting trips. Early season goose

hunts are a riot as you let the kids
set out decoys, build blinds, put on
camo face paint and play games in
the field. Killing birds is secondary
but when giant honkers come into
close range you can bet the kids get
excited to be so close to large flying
birds, hear loud honking and when
the shotguns start blazing kids go
bonkers.
Now, how you handle
the kill is important. Always treat harvested game
with respect and tell a kid
how great it is to harvest
game and how hunting
provides fantastic meals to
be shared with family and
friends. In short; the more
fired-up you act
about the sport
of hunting and
convey the excitement of the kill to kids the more
likely they are to become involved
and share in the thrill.
Some parents begin at a very
young age and by the time the kid
is 10 years old they are already
passionate about hunting. Others
start with hunting videos, purchasing camouflage clothing and outfitting kids with toy guns, bows or
crossbows and encouraging them to
practice hunting or shooting skills.
Trips to the gun range teach kids
safety but the environment is much
too ridged to get kids excited about
shooting. Backyard sessions or trips
to the cottage, state game area or
farmers field are ideal locations for
kids to learn how to hunt safely and
develop shooting skills. Wise parents build makeshift ranges in their
yard or basement.
One way to get your kid shooting is to purchase a kids crossbow
and set up a shooting range in your
basement complete with backstop
and target that catches bolts. In your
own home and on your time you
can give safety lessons, show kids
how to handle and use the crossbow
and eventually get them shooting.
Use targets like balloons attached in
front of the target or have them draw
targets to shoot. Make shooting fun
while practicing safety and developing accuracy and hunting skills.
Heck, my kids are now over 30
and we still have crossbow competition shooting in my basement
on birthdays, Christmas and when
we get together. My son, Zach, is a
natural born killer with the eye on
an eagle and keen hunting instincts.
My daughter, Sarah, is a full time
nurse studying to be a doctors assistant at University of Michigan
By Kenny Darwin
Allow kids to join you shopping for camo clothes, camo chair and
other gear used for hunting small game, deer, turkeys or waterfowl.
and she has fantastic shooting skills
and can drill the bulls eye better
than Zach or I. Shooting can be fun
and the more you practice the better
shot you will be when the moment
of truth arrives. Same holds true for
kids and my suggestion is get them
shooting!
Some hunters make the mistake
of forcing kids to shoot large caliber
guns and the abrasive recoil ruins
them for hunting because they fear
the loud noise and unpleasant recoil.
Most guns are too heavy and the
stocks too long for kids to shoulder
the gun and reach the trigger. Get
a gun that fits youth and start out
allowing kids to plink at targets with
air guns that have no kick. Gradually move to small caliber guns like
rimfire rifles or .410 shotguns.
Once a kid has gained some
shooting confidence then you can
step up to larger calibers. One slick
trick is to get a Caldwell gun rest
and teach a kid how to drill the
bulls eye by resting the gun on the
device, centering sights on target
and learning how to squeeze the
trigger. Shooting accuracy only
comes with practice and the more
kids shoot the more targets they
hit and soon handling a gun can be
achieved. Now, after the kid develops shooting skills with BB guns,
pellet guns, .22 rifles or .410 shotguns, you can take them hunting.
Gun safety is certainly important
and once again requires parental
guidance and gun training sessions.
After repeated use and practice, kids
quickly pick up on gun safety and
they learn how to handle and carry
a gun, bow, crossbow, anything.
Some communities offer gun safety
classes.
While the DNR requires youth
complete a safety class their needs
to be more hands on shooting and
range work. When my neighbor
kid completed his DNR class he
didnt touch a gun and the entire
program centers around lectures, not
developing gun handling techniques
or honing shooting skills. It is my
opinion parents need to take kids
outdoors and teach them the basics
of shooting, with and after the DNR
classes.
Parents must make every effort
to assist kids. Dont make the common mistake of shooting or hunting
with kids and not giving them attention. Be certain to answer questions
and involve the youth in the outdoor
process, ask them questions. Most

importantly your main goal should
be to teach kids how to hunt.
I started with stick and string
chasing frogs around a local pond.
Santa brought a Daisy air rifle and
I was allowed to roam the local
farmers sand pit with my friends
shooting at bits of paper clumps of
dirt, any target. What about you?
Do you let your child handle and
shoot on a regular basis? If so, you
can bet he will quickly develop into
a safe hunter if you provide some
parental guidance and keep an eye
on shooting activities.
Start your kid on small game
hunting. Lessons learned while
chasing cottontail rabbits in the
snow can develop much needed
skills to enhance deer hunting.
Squirrel hunting can teach a child
the importance of camouflage, how
to move silently through the woods,
tactics to help them hide from
wild animals and the much needed
patience necessary for all forms of
successful hunting. The excitement
of sneaking along logging trails,
moving quietly, stealthfully, can
develop hunting skills. Take a kid
squirrel hunting and you can build a
strong foundation that helps them to
develop more fully in the future.
Why wait? The sooner you
take your kids on nature hikes and
allow them to carry an air gun, bow,
slingshot and practice hunting the
faster the child will develop into an
avid outdoorsman. Winter is a great
time to track small game and deer,
get a taste of varied terrain and walk
through the forest and cover used
by wildlife. Keep outings short and
spend more time teaching your child
and having fun than actually killing.
Too many parents place too much
emphasis on the kill and children
come home from hunting with a

feeling of defeat because they did
not accomplish the goal of killing.
Killing is secondary to hunting and
should not be a priority on initial
outings.
One tactic is to keep the kid
by your side as you move through
cover in search of tracks. If you
jump a rabbit, see a squirrel, flush
a pheasant or grouse make certain
to take a shot. Even if you miss
the child gets to be part of the hunt,
develop a feel for what it is like to
pursue game and take a shot. If you
score and shoot something enjoy the
excitement of the kill with the youth
but dont make killing your number
one priority.
One way to get kids excited is
to take them shopping for their own
gear. Let them pick out camouflage
clothing, hat, gloves water resistant
boots and more. Shopping for a
crossbow, air gun or .22 rifles is
another opportunity for you to share
time with your child, communicate,
develop a meaningful relationship
and get them thinking about hunting.
Most hunters take their craft
very seriously. When it comes to
kids lighten up and have fun together. Take initial hunts close to home
rather than making long distance
trips. Go hunting for small game
and make initial outings sort of a
shake-down cruise to practice safety
and look for tracks, sign and maybe
see a critter. Take several short
hunting outings with your child
rather than rushing out opening day
to kill a critter. The idea is to give
youth an opportunity to sample
hunting, experience time afield and
slowly develop hunting skills. Keep
in mind that hunting is a learned
skill and there are few good hunt-
Dermestid Beetles at work!
14038 SPEAKER RD. YALE, MICHIGAN 48097

Male or Female
Cleaning, Degrease, Whiten

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Coyote, Fox, Lynx, Bobcat, Badger, Wolverine
$50
Deer, Javelina, Goat, Antelope
$100
Wolf, Mtn. Lion, Black Bear <13 length, Boar <13
$110
Elk, Sheep, Bl. Bear >13, Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Boar >13 $140
Cleaning, Degrease, Whiten

Prepared by Us
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j.ohmer@yahoo.com
Teaching kids how to hunt means you integrate youth into outdoor spor ts
and take them hunting and fishing, allow them to practice shooting at
targets, learn how to hold and carry a gun or retrieve big geese.
ers who did not have the guidance
and leadership of a loving father,
grandfather, other family member
or close friend. If you want your
kids to become avid hunters just like

you, you better start scheduling time
and channeling effort to teach them
valuable lessons.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!
____ Field Judging Black Bears($20.00 postpaid) _______
SEND FOR YOUR

AUTOGRAPHED COPIES TODAY.
Name
Address
City
Phone #
Quantity Cost
____*NEW* Black Bear Hunting - 2nd Edition ($40) _______
____ Great Michigan Deer Tales - Book 6 ($16.50)
_______
____ Walking with Whitetails DVD ($24.00)
_______
____ Deer Hunting - 4th Edition ($35.00)
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
____ Deer Tales Set - 2 for $28; 3 for $40; 4 for $50; 5 for $60; 6 for $72 _______
Please specify which books sent to the same address.
____ Tracking Wounded Deer ($20.00)

_______
____ Stand Hunting for Whitetails ($19.00)
_______
____ Understanding Michigan Black Bear - 2nd Edition ($20.00) _______
____ Animal Tracks & Signs of N.A. ($23)
_______
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TOTAL _______
State
Zip
Please remit by MasterCard, Visa, Check or Money Order.
Circle card type:

MC/Visa #
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Signature
Make checks payable to: SMITH PUBLICATIONS

814 Clark St. Marquette, MI 49855
www.RichardPSmith.com
Second chance...By Betty Sodders
Newfoundland
MOOSE
an Swanson of Howard
City and Doug Witti of
Stanwood hunted moose
in Newfoundland in the
Fall of 2015. Somewhat
disappointed in their
hunt due to the fact they saw little
game while holding licenses for black
bear and moose hunts, the hunters
came back to the states with a young
bull moose taken by Swanson during
the final moments of their last day of
hunting.
Dan and Doug attended a large
Hunting and Fishing Exposition held
in Grand Rapids early in 2016. They
knew their former outfitter would have
a booth at the show. He and Doug
wanted to talk face-to-face with him
regarding their 2015 hunt.
Total cost of the mens first
Newfoundland hunt ran $3,950 each.
At the Expo, having located Portland
Creek Outfitters (www.portlandcreekoutfitter.ca) they learned that hunts for
2016 had greatly increased in price,
but since the men were disappointed
over last years hunt, the outfitter
would give them a second hunt for the
same price they spent in 2015; that
being, $3,950 each. He also agreed to
put the men in a different camp; one
that held more game.
Dan Swanson mentioned that
should anyone be interested in hunting
for caribou, moose, bear or signing on
for a fishing trip in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland, they should
do so at one of these Shows as the
earlier you get details worked out the
better.
After last years hunt, I learned
that the men were somewhat disappointed as to the amount of game
seen, especially bear. I found the fact
that their complaint was addressed...
refreshing. This says a lot about their
outfitter; willing to offer a discount for
this years hunt. Portland Creek Outfitters, in turn, had two satisfied clients
and the men were provided a second
chance to harvest a moose. Their 2016
hunt started September 14-20.
Back in a day, moose were not
native to Newfoundland...
In Canada, moose are often
described as being the worlds largest deer; that they surely are! Moose
are found throughout most of the
northern forests of Canada; however,
this animal was not native to Newfoundland. It was introduced on two
different occasions; in 1878, a cow
and a bull were brought from Nova
Scotia and released at Gander Bay. In
1904, two bulls along with two cows
were brought from New Brunswick

and released near Howley. By the
l920s, moose were being recorded
in hefty numbers over 50 miles from
their release site. And by l935, moose
occupied much of the island. By 194l,
moose were commonly being reported
along the Avalon Peninsula. Vehicle/
moose accidents became common
place.
Description of Swanson and Wittis
first Newfoundland trip
Dan Swanson advised; We must
admit we liked where we hunted
in 2015 as we saw a lot of caribou;
however, we had no license to take
one down. Caribou are magnificent
animals. They are extremely curious;
a cow walked parallel to us for some
distance before bidding us adieu!
Terrain and landscapes of
Newfoundland are beautiful; a lot like
the state of Maine; lots of wetlands,
bogs, marsh lands, lakes and streams.
Due to the type of terrain these hunts
cover, it is wise to invest in a good
pair of high, insulated, rubber boots.
Land varies from hilly to flat. At times
conditions are very boggy. Moose are
at home in such situations. Temperatures run between 45-55 degrees during mid-September hunts.
Brook trout fishing also remains
a popular sport as these waters are
famous for serving up 5-pound brookies. Spring bear hunts can be booked
in conjunction with fishing trips
making double-dipping of two sports
possible.
The 2015 camp held four
hunters; Doug and I, along with two
hunters from Texas. We both used
firearms...300 Winchester mags; the
Texans were archers.
We saw no bulls until the last
day...the 24th. Being our last chance
at a bull we decided to refocus. One
of our guides had seen a bull and
trailed it to an area they called the
Blowdowns. After lunch, due to the
fact that we had not seen a bull up to
that point, we went through the blowdowns...nasty stuff...again...nothing!
Now it was late in the day and the
guide suggested we make one more
final trip through the blowdowns and
just before dark, I managed to take
down a young bull moose. Our guides
skinned the animal out using light
from our quad.
The two Michigan hunters are Back
in Newfoundland for
second moose hunt
Dan reported; We were satisfied
with the price offered so we booked
our return trip for September 14,
The successful moose hunters: (Lt-r t): Scott Summer ville, Karl
Smith, Doug Witti and back row Dan Swanson.
2016. We drove 1,700 miles to reach
our destination, crossing into Canada
taking the Blue Water International
Bridge from Port Huron to Sarnia.
Doug and I drove to North Sydney,
Nova Scotia where we caught a large
ferry which took us to Channel Port
aux Basques. The ferry runs three
times daily and the fare remains $100
per vehicle.
When we exited the ferry we
still had 330 miles to travel to reach
our destination; moose camp. Our
trip through Canada presented no
problems as our outfitter took care
of every detail from papers to sign to
obtaining proper licenses...all part of
the total package.
Once again we were told that
fishing was great but September found
closed seasons; however; the guides
stated that if you booked a spring bear
hunt you could also work fishing in
with that package. Or you could book
a trip hunting caribou along with your
bear package. Custom fit, so to speak.
They said that during the spring hunt
you can actually fish while taking
your gun along in the boat in case you
observed a shoreline bear.
Accommodations at camp were
great. They had a generator that only
ran during daylight hours, a wood
stove for heat, hot showers and meals
were excellent. Temperatures ran
around 45 degrees and we had
light rain almost daily. Rain did
not bother any of the hunters...
we dressed for it!
We took a float plane into camp.
As like the 2015 moose hunt, four
hunters and their guides attended
camp.
The 2016 hunt involved the
two of us plus a hunter who was an
antique firearms collector, Karl Smith,
West Liberty, Ohio. The other gentleman was a knife maker from Indiana.
Camp spirits ran high...interesting
conversations...guides joining in.
Each hunter was assigned a
guide and followed his instructions.
Two moose were downed the first day
of the hunt; by noon the following
day, the other two hunters had their
moose.
Scotts moose was a 10-point

with a 41 inch spread; Karls was a 20
point with a 40 inch spread; Dougs
was a nine point with a 39 inch spread
and Dans proved to be a 13 point
with a 41 inch spread. Dan added;
The guide and I took the boat to the
far end of the lake. We walked about
a half mile to an elevated position.
The guide called for moose about
every 30 minutes. After sitting for two
hours and not getting any response,
we walked to another elevated spot
and continued calling. After about
an hour, a bull moose came out of
the woods and I dropped it with one
shot.
There is a period following
a successful hunt when things get
difficult as the huge animals have to
be skinned by the guides, quartered,
then hauled back to camp with fourwheeled vehicles. Once back, they are
hung in the fish cleaning shack until
the float plane arrives to take them to
the processor. The plane picked our
moose up on Tuesday; another the
following morning. They did not hang
long at all. The moose goes directly
from the hanging hook to the processor, vacuum-packed, frozen. We had
no problems transporting the frozen
meat home.
I asked the men what they did
with the remaining hunt time left.
They replied, We enjoyed ourselves,
relaxing, reading, socializing and
keeping warm.
They noted that the area holds
little industry, so guides either fish
commercially or travel to different
provinces to pick up seasonal guide
work.
Dan Swanson laughed as he mentioned that he came home with 380
pounds of moose meat. I asked for
his favorite recipe: Put mooseburger
patties in slow cooker and add a can
of Beef Broth along with cut up vegetables. Cook on slow for eight hours.
Tasted like Salisbury Steak.
Final question on Dans moose hunt
What is your plan for using such
an enormous amount of game meat?
His reply? I plan to eat as much as I
can!n
VOLUNTEER for WILDLIFE

with
UPCOMING PROJECTS
August 7: Grayling State Forest
Pruning apple trees to promote soft mast food
sources for game .
Volunteer to improve public land

wildlife habitat with
Michigan United Conservation
Clubs! Through hunter, trapper
and angler-funded wildlife
habitat grants from the
Michigan Department of
Natural Resources, MUCC
organizes multiple wildlife
habitat volunteer workdays on
public hunting land throughout
Michigan. Sign up for one of our
upcoming projects at
ww.mucc.org/ontheground!
August 13: Barry State Game Area

Cutting black locust trees to open forest canopy
and build brush piles for small game.
August 27: Shingleton State Forest
Planting trees and shrubs in the Garden Grade
Grouse Enhanced Management System for
upland birds.
September 2016: Allegan State Game Area
Removing fencing and building brush piles for
small game.
September 2016: Gourdneck State Game Area
Building brush piles for small game.
Fall 2016: Traverse City State Forest
Building brush piles and planting trees
Learn more at www.mucc.org

My made in Michigan
fishing lures wish list
PART II
began the New Year a month ago with

my first article in a series I am calling
My Made in Michigan Fishing Lures
Wish List. I started with the letter A
with Franklin Algers amazing baits from
Grand Rapids and Arnold Tackles BonNet lure made in Paw Paw and then to B with
the Babbitt Automatic Weedless Lure that may
have been made in Holland. My February article
features three more Michigan baits that are on my
wish list of lures the Beyerlein wood lures from
Frankenmuth, the unique aluminum & rubber
Boris Flipper from East Detroit and the ultra rare
Burgess Artificial Minnow from Jackson, Michigan all baits that I am hoping to add to
my collections.
I saw my first Beyerlein (bye-erline) wood lure about twelve years
ago. One of his classic wood baits, it
measured about 4 -inches, came with
two treble hooks with cup and screw eye
hook hangers, and had a shiny gold body
with a red head. It reminded me of the
more famous Rush Tango
lures made in Syracuse,
New York during the teens
and twenties of the last century. The Beyerlein
lures were listed in George Richeys important
Made in Michigan Fishing Lures book as having
been made in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The same
basic information had been in a 1990 article in
the Saginaw News, as well as from the Frankenmuth Historical Society. After researching Beyerlein I came up with slightly different information
moving the Beyerlein lures from Frankenmuth to
the nearby city of Saginaw.
The lure inventor, Gustav August Beyerlein,
was born February 14, 1874 to John and Elizabeth Beyerlein, both German immigrants. Gus
Beyerlein was listed as being born in Buck Run,
Michigan, but I have been unable to pinpoint
where this was except that it was most likely
southeast of Saginaw and probably near Frankenmuth. The Beyerlein family - mother, father, four
sons, one daughter plus a daughter-in-law and
two grandchildren - all lived together on a farm

near Birch Run, Michigan according to the 1900
U.S. Census. Gus and his older brother, George,
were both listed as carpenters. Four years later
in 1904, Gus and Etta Douglas were married and
lived initially in Birch Run. The couple along
with their two children, Clifford and Ola ages two
and four years old, next showed up in the 1910
U.S. Census living in Saginaw where the couple
resided until Gustavs death in 1947. U.S. Census
and Saginaw City Directories list his occupation
as carpenter or carpenter-contractor throughout
these years.
What little is known about Gus Beyerlein
was that he loved to fish and made wood bass
and pike lures as a hobby, first giving them away
to friends and then selling them locally to sporting goods and hardware stores where
they retailed for $1.25 to $1.50. My best
guess as to when he made his wood lures
ranges from the late 1920s through the
1930s. Most of the Beyerlein wood baits
measure 4 to 4 -inches in length, while
the largest I have seen was 5 -inches in
length. By far the majority of them were
painted with the shiny gold body with
red head, and many of these
also had red tails. A few
Beyerlein lures have turned
up that were painted with white bodies with a red
head, and it has been reported that an all gold version has been discovered. A few other lures with
different shapes attributed to Beyerlein have been
found a 3 -inch bait with a metal collar with
the classic gold body and red head and a 2 -inch
white with a red head lure with a single treble
hook. Gus Beyerlein apparently never patented
his design, and no box has ever been discovered
for his baits. Finding one in a cardboard box
would be quite a treasure.
The Boris Flipper, a truly unique lure made
from some aluminum, a strip of rubber along with
two hooks, was made by the Boris Machine and
Tool Company, East Detroit, Michigan during the
early 1950s. Theodore E. Schnabel of Southfield,
Michigan applied for a patent on his lure design
on December 22, 1945, and patent #2569642 was
granted to him on October 2, 1951. Not much has
By Terry McBurney
Left; The rare 3 -inch Boris Flipper came packed in this blue and yellow cardboard box. The adjustable diving plane is in the extreme downward position to take the lure down deep. Author photo.
Right; All three colors of the Boris Flipper red, yellow and silver. Tony Przybylo collection
Four examples of the Beyerlein wood lures:

A 4 -inch gold with a red head bait, a
4 -inch white with a red head example, a
3 -inch lure with a metal diving lip in gold
with a red head, and 5 3/8-inch model in
gold with a red head and tail. Tony Przybylo
collection. Below; All four Beyerlein baits
had two cup rigged treble hooks and a
single belly weight.
been found about him except that he was born

in North Dakota to Russian/German immigrants
in 1901 and initially was listed as a farm hand
on the family farm. He first turns up in Detroit
records where he married his wife, Amelia, in
1924. Eight years later, Theo and his wife were
listed in the 1932 Detroit City Directory where he
was listed as an electrician for the Fuller Ventilating Company. Schnabel, his wife and two children moved to Southfield, Michigan by the 1940
U.S. Census where he was listed as an electrician/
building contractor.
The information on the yellow and blue Boris
Flipper cardboard box does not clear things up at
all. The three or four rare Boris Flipper boxes that
I have inspected have Domore, Inc. 3247 Wight
St. Detroit, Mich. Pat. Appld For printed as part
of the original box. The box was then overprinted
with a black line covering the Domore, Inc.
name and address and then a new line printed
below that reads Boris Machine & Tool Co.,
East Detroit, Mich. The 3247 Wight St. address
is a single story brick warehouse-office building
and is located a block from the Detroit River, just
south of Belle Isle. Further research has added
nothing further to either Domore, Inc. or to the
Boris Machine & Tool Company.
My best guess is that Domore, Inc. acquired
the rights to make the lure from Theo Schnabel
and had the Boris Machine & Tool Company
manufacture the bait. Selling one style of a fishing lure is almost always next to impossible and
for one reason or another the bait did not sell
well. When this happened, Boris Machine & Tool
Company restamped the boxes and took over the
selling chores as well as manufacturing the lure.
The box was also stamped Pat. Appld For,
so they were most likely manufactured between
1946 and late 1951 when the patent was granted.
This lure is 3 -inches in length. It has a painted
aluminum head with glass eyes and an adjustable diving plane. The directions on the box read:
For adjustment For surface fishing set fin in
upward position. For underwater fishing set fin at
level elevation. Injured minnow set fin at extreme
downward position. The box further states that it
was made in three colors. The one that I own has
a red head and diving plane with a painted silver
dorsal fin and tail. The other two colors that I am
aware of are silver head and diving plane with
a painted silver dorsal fin and tail plus a yellow
head and diving plane with an all silver tail.
The rare Burgess Artificial Minnow from
Jackson, Michigan is the third fishing lure on
my wish list this month. The wood lure was
made by the Burgess Weedless Hook Company
which began in 1895 or 1896. The company was
founded to manufacture weedless hooks and what
we would call weedless spinners today all based
on Benjamin Franklin Burgess patent #524582.
Burgess applied for his patent for a guard for
fish hooks on November 10, 1894, which was
granted February 26, 1895. The patent was for a
weedless attachment to a fish hook or spoon bait
to make it weedless. His invention worked and
the carded Burgess weedless hooks and weedless
spoon baits apparently sold well so well that
examples can still be found in old tackle boxes if
you know what you are looking for.
Benjamin F. Burgess, born on December 20,
1835 in Gorham, New York, moved to Norvell,
Michigan in 1861 along with his father. A small
unincorporated village, Norvell sits on the Norvell Mill Pond, and is about fifteen miles southeast of the city of Jackson. The pond was formed
by damming the Raisin River. It has a good

reputation as a pike producer and is very weedy.
In October, 1861, Benjamin Burgess married
Louisa Carr, and the couple remained in Norvell
until moving to Jackson about 1883 where he first
became the deputy registrar of deeds and then
Justice of the Peace in 1891.
The first mention of the Burgess Weedless
Hook Company in the Jackson City Directory
was in 1896 with Hull G. Sutton listed as president and Burgess listed as Secretary-Treasurer.
The company disappeared from the city directory
in 1901 and then reappeared the following year
under new ownership. Clarence E. Markham took
over management in 1904 and continued through
at least 1916 when the last known national ad for
the company appeared.
Markham developed an extensive line of
weedless hooks, trolling spoons, and bucktail
spinners all featuring the patented Burgess
weedless hook. About 1912, he introduced the
Burgess Artificial Minnow, a rather crude wood
bait featuring the typical floppy Burgess propeller
at the front, single weedless hooks on each side,
a smaller rear propeller with a single weedless
hook trailing at the rear. The few that I have
seen were white with hand painted green spots
and others with hand painted black spots. The
Burgess Artificial Minnows, though extremely
rare, are easy to identify because of the weedless
hooks, the floppy bent propellers and the crudely
painted spots.
Benjamin Burgess and Louisa moved back to
Norvell and the Norvell Mill Pond from Jackson, Michigan. He died August 30, 1912, and his
death certificate listed his occupation as inventor
saws and fish hooks.
I would like to thank Tony Przybylo for
allowing me to photograph his Beyerlein lures
and his Boris Flippers. Thanks also to John and
Debbie Ganung of Langs Auction, Inc. for letting
me use their photo of the Burgess Artificial Minnow. I also would like to recognize Bill Sonnetts
excellent article In the Beginning Benjamin
Franklin Burgess, published in the December
2000 issue of The NFLCC Magazine.
Feel free to contact the author at antiquefishing@comcast.net with your questions. Photographs are important, so please send them. They
help me with identification and give me an idea
of the condition of the item.n
Top; Three examples of Burgess Weedless Hooks

and one example of their kidney-shaped spinner. Tony Przybylo collection. Middle; A Burgess
Weedless Hook ad from the April 1904 issue of
the National Spor tsman magazine. Bottom: A
rare example of the 2 7/8-inch Burgess Ar tificial Minnow with green spots. John and Debbie
Ganung, Langs Auctions, Inc. photo
ITS SPORT SHOW TIME AGAIN....

Outdoorama, Feb. 23-26
Suburban Collection Showcase- Novi
Ultimate Sport Show, March 16 - 19

Devos Place, Grand Rapids
Dick VanRaalte and I will again be setting up our antique displays at both the Outdoorama in
Novi and the Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids. I will be exhibiting my Made in Michigan fishing tackle collection and offering free appraisals on old tackle brought into the show.
Dick VanRaalte, from Starboard Marine Restorations in Grand Haven, Michigan, will be
exhibiting a display of vintage outboard motors. Dick will also be answering your questions
and offering free appraisals. Bring in your fathers or grandfathers tackle box, old rods and
reels, or a vintage outboard motor. We will be happy to answer your questions, as well as offer
FREE appraisals. We are also interested in buying old sporting collectibles for our collections.
Please stop by and enjoy our displays. We will see you there!
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
from pagefeaturing
??
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)
Larry Hector of Manton placed his trail cam near an old deer
carcass and caught these two Coopers Hawks fighting over
scraps in Northwest Missaukee Co.
Mark Jahn of Jeddo trail cam caught

this buck on Christmas Eve.
An 8 point buck making a

scraping in Eaton Co. from
Lauren Trainor of Bellevue.
Jim Reckley of Clark

Lake caught this deer
after a snowstorm.
Tom Spillane caught these two spikes sparring on his trail cam
near St. Helen.
This trio; a raccoon, black bear and deer were caught by Ron
Winkelmans trail camera
Dennis Bishoff of Grand Blanc caught a pair of sparring bucks
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WO O D S - N - WAT E R N E W S R E S E RV E S T H E R I G H T T O R E F U S E A N Y O R D E R I F I T I S C O N S I D E R E D T O B E I N P O O R TA S T E O R U N E T H I C A L .
A Look Back -- Before The Moose Lift I of the Mid-80s...By John Ozoga
Plowing moose on Isle Royale

Todays moose population on Isle
Royale is estimated to be 1200 to
nearly 1700. Moose numbers are on
the rise due to good habitat, lack of
disease and the lack of predation as
the wolf population has nearly
vanished...2016 estimates two wolves
remain on the island. Although
Johns story has been published
years ago its an interesting
perspective on relocating moose...
t is said, necessity is the mother of

invention. So it was, more than 80
years ago, in a desperate moment
of need and inspiration, the moose
plow was born.

The re-stocking of moose in Upper
Michigan in 1985, has been erroneously dubbed Moose Lift I In reality,
Michigans Moose Lift I was initiated
50 years earlier, in 1935, when nine
moose captured on Isle Royale were
transported to the Upper Peninsula and
released in Schoolcraft County.

Between 1935 and 1937, a total of
71 moose were captured and transported
from Isle Royale. Of these, 18 were
released in the Keweenaw Peninsula, 17
in the Escanaba River Tract of Marquette County, and 34 in the Cusino
Game Refuge in Schoolcraft Country. In
addition, two moose went to the Detroit
Zoological Park and six were held for
study at the Cusino Wildlife Research
Station, then located at the small hamlet
of Cusino (now a ghost town) in northwestern Schoolcraft County.
A Crisis In The Making

Early records suggest that moose
reached Isle Royale from Canada about
1905, either by swimming or walking
on the ice. Their numbers increased
rapidly. Some authorities estimate 5000
moose roamed the island oy the late
1920s.

A crisis was brewing. If disease
did not check moose population growth
food shortage would; no hunting was
permitted on the island and there were
no natural predators there capable of
killing adult moose (coyotes were present, but gray wolves did not reach the
island until about 1948). To make matters worse, the spruce budworm invaded
Isle Royale in 1929. Within a few years
it wiped-out vast areas of balsam fir, the
most important winter food for moose.

Noted wildlife authority, Dr.
Adolph Murie, surveyed the Isle Royale
moose situation in 1929 and 1930. He
concluded, all of the important winter foods as well as several species eaten only in summer are overbrowsedif
the population is not reduced, the rate
which the vegetation is destroyed will
rapidly increase, and, in the near future,
the moose will begin to be eliminated
by disease and starvation.
Proposed Solutions

This warning started the political
wheels turning, searching for a solution
to the dilemma of moose overabundance on Isle Royale. But as usual, the
political machine moved slowlymuch
too slowly.

The winter of 1933-34 was a severe
one. By spring, predictions of trouble
Hard to believe back in the 1930s 71 moose where live trapped

from Isle Royale and transferred back to the U.P. by boat.
came true. Large numbers of dead and
dying moose began to show-upthe
result of malnutrition. Now, the island
moose herd was in serious trouble. Food
shortage was the problem, and action in
one form or another was necessary.

Four possible alternatives were put
forth to solve the problem: (1) artificial
feeding of moose, (2) herd reduction by
introducing an effective predator like
the wolf, (3) allowing hunting of moose
by sportsmen or state-paid hunters, and
(4) live-trapping of surplus moose for
release in Upper Michigan.

Feeding was the only suggested
measure designed to maintain the population. However, it was judged to be far
too expensive to freight hay and grain
to the island. The effort probably would
have been futile anyway, because moose
are browsing instead of grazing animals.
They are also notoriously difficult to
maintain in captivity.

The mere suggestion that predators be released on the island met with
great disfavor among sportsmen and
islanders, alike. Only naturalists favored
introducing wolves, pointing out that
wolves must have resided on the island
in the past.

Shooting, if started soon enough,
would have been the simplest, most
practical way to hold the island moose
population in check. Unfortunately,
funds were not available to pay shooters
and the public strongly opposed a general hunt by sportsman. Furthermore,
Michigan moose have been protected
from hunting, by law, since 1889, and
Isle Royale was considered a sanctuary.
The sanctuary idea had become so well
established that many considered it sacrilegious to allow hunting on the island.

Therefore, for better or for worse,
it was decided the most acceptable solution was to live-trap surplus moose and
release them in Upper Michigan.
Two Men and a Pile of Lumber

In autumn of 1934, Michigan De-
partment of Conservation wildlife biologist Paul Hickie was delegated to head

up this task. As his assistant, he chose
Ellsworth St. Germain, of Baraga. Two
weeks later, on November 25, 1934, the
two men landed at Chippewa Harbor,
via the last boat of the season, unloaded
their cargo and prepared for a winter of
moose trapping.

Compared to the modern-day, hightech moose translocations undertaken in
1985 and 1987, the 1930s project was
primitive beyond belief. For Hickie and
St. Germain, there were no helicopters,
hydraulic lifts, sophisticated immobilizing drugs, TV cameras, or tour buses
relaying spectators. The pioneer moose
trappers didnt even have a team of
horses or sleigh to assist in the ominous
task of moving equipment, or their
anticipated catch, some of which would
exceed a half ton in weight.

Indeed, Hickie and St. Germain
set forth to live-trap moose, with little
more than a small pile of lumber, a
couple rolls of haywire, several bales of
hay, and a few bags of grain. A beat-up
toboggan, tugged along by their own
brute strength, substituted for Horsepower; snowshoes and skis were their
primary mode of transportation through
a winter of deep snow.

To their advantage, the moose
trappers made arrangements to live in
one of Holger Johnsons cabins, and to
board at his house. This freed the two
from mundane household chores.

Their arrival increased the number
in this small colony to 13eight in the
Johnson family, a schoolteacher, two
fishermen, Hickie, and St. Germain.
Holger and the two fishermen were
available for work on the moose project.
The only contact with the outside world
was by short-wave radio.
Moose Trapping

The better part of December was
spent surveying the vicinity around
Chippewa Harbor. Although initially
scarce, as the snow deepened, more

and more moose sought the protective
conifers along the harbor, near the small
settlement. Apprehensively, Hickie
decided to erect a corral and concentrate
trapping efforts within a half mile of the
cabin. Site selection was critical, as it
would determine the success, or failure,
of the winters work.

Within a week, they built a large
corral made of birch poles, which would
hold their captives, and a large live trap
nearby. The trap was modeled after the
Stephenson deer trap that had been used
effectively to live-trap deer throughout
northern Michigan. But by comparison,
the moose trap was enormous. Built of
pine boards, it consisted of a rectangular
box 16 feet long, eight feet high and
five feet wide, with uprights and dropdoors at both ends and a trip-wire in the
middle.

When set, a moose approaching
the trap saw only an open tunnel with
bait inside. When sprung, both doors
dropped simultaneously, leaving the
captive in darkness. An old Indian maneuver, Hickie also built a 200 foot long
drift fence to the trap, in hopes of
guiding moose in the desired direction.

Since there was no way to move
captive moose long distances, the trap
was erected beside the corral. Using poles to form a runway between,
trapped moose could then be released
directly into the corral, where they
could be held and fed.
Chagrined But Not Discouraged

The first moose, a small cow, was
captured two days later. However, it
promptly escaped by scrambling over
the corral fence. Although chagrined
to lose their first moose, Hickie and
St. Germain were now confident that
moose could be trapped. They strengthened the corral with more poles, and
added another two feet to its height. Six
days later a small, antlerless bull was
trapped and released into the corral. The
young bull tested the fencing, but was
unable to escape.

To supplement their trapping
effort, the ingenious biologists also
built a drop-gate pole trap. It consisted
of a gate seven feet square fitted in a
framework about 14 feet high. When set
the gate hung seven feet above ground,
suspended by a rope threaded through
a pulley. A moose walking under the
hanging gate to get the bait, would
touch a trip-wire, releasing the trigger,
dropping the gate behind the animal.

Within a few weeks, eight moose
were housed in the corral, enough to
care for and feed for the time being.
Considering that an individual moose
eats 40 to 50 pounds of browse per day,
Hickie and his companions were kept
busy cutting and hauling tons of balsam
fir branches, as well as white birch, red
maple, and aspen to feed the captive
herd.
Moose Crates

Anticipating problems in transporting captive moose come spring, the
biologists built and tested a handling
crate. Made of one-inch pine boards,
and reinforced with two-by-fours on the
outside, it was two feet wide, six feet

high and eight feet long.

On March 7, they tested their new
crate on a live-trapped cow, before its
release into the holding pen. Satisfied
with the crates performance, dimensions and instructions for construction
were radioed to the Game Division
office in Lansing. Fourteen crates were
then built at the Cusino CCC camp,
and were soon on the dock at Munising
awaiting spring break-up.
Live Cargo

It was April 26, before the 65-foot
Michigan Department of Conservation
Patrol Boat Number One finally arrived at Chippewa Harbor. The arduous
task of transporting their live cargo
from shore to ship was soon under way.

The large box trap, was still an essential piece of equipment in the transfer process, but had to be moved to the
harbor side of the corral. The plan was
to catch moose one at a time in the livetrap, by placing it up against an opening
in the corral fence and opening only
one trap door. Once in the live-trap,
the moose were to be coaxed into the
smaller handling crate with bait. Crated
animals would then be within 100 feet
of the bay, where a scow would ferry
them to the boat anchored in deeper
water off-shore.

Expecting problems handling the
largest bull, it was decided to take him
first. The night before crating started,
the big bull was separated from the rest
of the herd and enclosed in the lower
part of the corral. The trap was baited
and set overnight.

The next morning the bull was
safely in the trap. According to plan, a
baited crate was then put into place up
against the live-trap and the door of the
trap was opened. The bull was supposed
to enter the crate, willingly, for the
baitbut not so.
The Moose Plow

According to Hickie, We waited
and waitedbut nothing happened.
Only then did we realize that the moose
were going to wait for us to come and
get themif we could.

Hickie and his crew soon acknowledged, You dont make a moose do
anything a moose doesnt want to do.
So it was, on the spur of the moment,
out of necessity, the moose plow was
devised.

Lying by the fence were two doors
made of 2x12 inch planks, recalls
Hickie, first used on the box trap, but
later discarded because they were too
heavy. Using one door for the face and
knocking the other apart for runners
and supports, we built a structure with a
smooth, solid front, slanting backward
at an angle of thirty degrees, resting on
runners, and well supported by braces.
The front or face was just wide enough
and high enough to fill the entrance to
the trap. It worked perfectly.

In use, the plow was edged forward
under the door as it was raised, thereby
blocking the entrance at all times.
The smooth, slanting face of the plow
prevented the captive from hurting
itself when striking with its back feet,
because the hooves instead of the hocks
struck first.

With their new device in hand, the
crew again faced Bullwinkle. Everyone being ready, recounted Hickie, we

slowly raised the trap door and pushed
the plow forward. The bull moved quietly before it entered the waiting crate,
the rear door was bolted in place and
our first moose was ready for shipment.
Together, moose and crate weighed
three-quarters of a ton.

Now beaming with confidence,
the crew prepared to handle the next
animal, a large cow. In sharp contrast
to the bull, the cow suddenly cut
loose with fury. She struck the plow
with her front feet, kicked it and sat on
itAt last, applying all our strength,

we increased the pressure of the plow
against the moose. Resistance began to
diminish. Finally with one last kick she
moved into the crate and shortly was
resting aboard ship.

During the first winter, Hickie
and St. Germain trapped a total of
16 moose. One died, two escaped,
two were released because of insufficient corral space, and 11 were taken
to the mainland. Sixty more would
leave the island for the Michigan
mainland in the next two yearsbut
the pioneering work was accomplished
that first winter of 1934-35.
Conclusions

The Isle Royale moose lift can
hardly be considered a booming
wildlife management success. It certainly did not solve the problem of m
oose overabundance on the island. Nor
did it set the stage for a rapid moose
comeback in Upper Michigan. Nonetheless, plowing moose on Isle Royale in
the 1930s will go down in the annals of
Michigan conservation history as a bold
and Herculean undertaking with few
equals.n
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Dear Fish DiaryBy Ron St. Germain
Whats the strangest thing youve ever caught fishing?
hen you spend

your day dragging hooks in
a lake, river or
stream, youre
bound to catch
something you didnt expect. Id
like to know, whats the strangest
thing youve ever caught.
Mostly, I catch firewood, lots
and lots of firewood. I have caught
trophy firewood, and let me tell you,
it puts up a one heck of a fight.
I started thinking about this
topic when I read about a fisherman
in Miami, Florida, who caught a kilo
of cocaine off the coast of Miami
this past December. Of all the things
people might snag while out fishing
that would be a story to tell. Now
Id like to hear your story about
what might be the strangest thing
youve ever caught while fishing. I
know there are some great stories
out there so please, share yours with
me so I can share it with our readers. Im not talking about catching
grandpa or dad with a wild unorthodox cast, thats just wrong.
I have caught two fishing rods
Whats the strangest thing youve ever caught while fishing? The author is really good at catching firewood. He
hauled this trophy in all by himself. Most people would have cut their line, not him, its all about the catch.
just so happened that when he broke
and managed to eventually use both Does a Lochness monster size fish
drag them to the depths? Does a
off, due to a poorly tied knot, mainly
of them before giving them away.
frustrated fisherman, such as myself, because my fingers were numb from
A lot of things end up in a body of
the cold, it took my favorite lure
one day just say the heck with this
water, but I never quite understood
silly sport and toss everything over- with it. Upon catching it, I not only
how fishing rods ended up there.
board? Did someone snag a jet skier had the fish, but my favorite lure
was still in its mouth. I released the
and lose control of their rig?
fish and kept my favorite lure. Ironi While fishing with a friend, he
cally, that was the only fish I caught
caught a bra. Thats right, a bra. I
that day.
thought, wow, strangest fish marker
We dont plan to catch unorIve ever seen. Then the bright idea
dinary
things, but when I need to
hit me. Why dont you throw it
actually
catch something unordinary
back in as bait and maybe youll
I
cant.
When
one of my favorite
catch the rest of the mermaid.
lanterns
went
overboard,
I couldnt
I told him. Or dang, maybe hes
catch that thing no matter what I
the only person to actually snag a
mermaid and just couldnt quite land tried. And as far as catching fish?
PfffffffffftIm better at catching
her. Yeah, lots of crazy things run
through your head when you catch a things that arent fish as long as
it isnt something I really want to
bra.
catch, or, fetch back.
Then there was the time I
If the tug at the end of your line
caught a seagull. Well, better yet,
seems a bit fishy, in a not so fishy
the seagull actually caught itself,
way, you might be reeling in a combut it was my line it was attached
plete surprise. I cant wait to hear
to. You think your heart races when
your stories, and if you have photos,
you hook into a 15-pound steelhead
on a fast moving river? There arent even better.
Funny Fish Stories Wanted:
too many things that will get your
It is estimated that 10% of all the fishermen catch 90% of the fish. Regardless of which group you fall into . . . theres a sure
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a
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trip
Strangest Thing
way to up your odds . . . simply try new fishing waters. Fish where few fishermen ever fish.
Michigan is loaded with great fishing waters . . . many of them over-looked. From the AuSable River to all of the Great Lakes
than
a
crazed
seagull
trying
to
free
Youve Ever Caught
tributaries to the Pere Marquette River . . . thousands of miles of streams, lakes and rivers are now easy-to-locate on one map.
itself from your line. It swooped in
Professor Higbees Stream Map of Michigan is the first and only highly detailed map of its kind. This new 4 foot by 4 foot

Send
a short description of your
color map shows virtually all for the 35,000 miles of Michigan streams & lakes on both peninsulas. Thats almost two times the
so fast I didnt have time to react.
best or worst fishing day, or worst
earths circumference!
STREAMMAPOFMICHIGAN is available either rolled or folded. And, in heavy gauge clear lamination, write-on-wipe-off
Luckily the ordeal ended safely for
fishing-related adventure to me.
surface with brass eyelettes for easy hanging, rolled only.
both of us but thats a lot of bird to
You dont have to write the entire
reel in and try to contain. I didnt
story, just a brief outline of what
ROLLED $26.00 FOLDED $26.00 LAMINATED $46.00
know the proper drag setting for
T a x & P o s t a g e I n c l u d e d
happened. If it has some humor to it
landing a seagull, but I can tell you I Ill be getting in touch with you and
NAME
caught and released it using 6-pound well work on the completed story
ADDRESS
test line.
together.
The strangest, and possibly the
Contact - Woods-n-Water News
CITYSTATEZIP
luckiest thing I ever caught was a
columnist Ron St. Germain by
Check/Money Order Visa/Mastercard
steelhead in a river. Not just any
calling (517) 626-2814, e-mailing
Card#Exp. DateSignature
steelhead. This particular fish had
DaPhotoDude@aol.com. Visit the
Mail To: Woods-N-Water News
broken my line about two hours
authors Facebook page www.FaceP.O. Box 278 Imlay City, MI 48444 (810) 724-0254
prior to catching it a second time. It
book.com/BearwaveBooksn
Heres your guide to success!
Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section

MISC.
HUNTING
HUNTING LEASE
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
A
TEMPUR-PEDIC
M E M O RY
FOAM
MATTRESS SET. Clean. Never
used. As seen on TV. Cost $1700.
Sell for $695. 989-832-2401. M-414-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-414-TFN
..............................................
LOG BUNK BEDS. $495.
Amish lodge furniture. Call Dan
989-832-1866. M-4-14-TFN
..............................................
BEAR GUIDE Merv 5 day

hunt in 98 sq miles. Room and
board $1500 US mervrinta@
gmail.com See website www.
bearguidemerv.com
H-8-8
WANT TO LEASE: Our

hunting club members are highly educated responsive professionals looking for 80 acres
plus hunting lease in southern
Michigan. Call Jim 734-7886668. HL-2-2
WANTED: HUNTING ACREAGE BY PRIVATE PARTY.

Oceana, Lake, Newaygo County.
Water a plus. 231-788-3443.
RE-2-1
..............................................
139 MATURE WOODS, Pine
River Flows thru the Center, 3 Acre
Pond, Rolling, Big Oaks, Maples.
90% Wooded, West of Pt. Huron,
Wales Township. Dead end road.
St. Clair County. $278,000
JUSTLANDSALES.COM to see pictures or call me Tom Kinzer 596419-6716. RE-2-1
80 ACRES PRIME OCEANA

HUNTING LAND with Custom
Home/Hunting Lodge with just
under 5000 sq feet. Must See!!
Gated entry, rolling hills, 56x40
Barn, Deer, Grouse, Turkey, Rabbit,
Quail and more. Please Call Monica
Owens CB Anchor 231-750-2393
for personal tour and more information! See this and more listings at
www.PentwaterProperties.com
RE-1-2
..............................................
10 ACRES - LUCE COUNTY. Year-round home. Detached

garage, wooded, excellent hunting,
close to snowmobile and ORV
trails. Newly remodeled. On deer
migration route. 3 bedroom, 1 1/2
bath, $65,000. Call 906-293-5616.
RE-1-2
..............................................
WANTED
TIMBER: Buying all types of timber, 5 acres or more, top price paid.
Cash in advance. Improve wildlife
habitat. Patco Forest Products,
989-539-7588 after 6 p.m. W-912/16
..............................................
FOR SALE
FINISHED BEAR RUGS!
Wolves, mountain lion, coyote,
bobcat and zebra rugs for sale.
rugsbynancy.com
989-2915124. FS-12-3
1989
UNIMOG
SEE
FREIGHTLINER
TRUCK
WITH Case 580 backhoe and
loader bucket Daimler Benz engine,
4x4, 16 speed new clutch, 7050
miles Complete with hydraulic chain
saw, hammer drill, jack hammer, w/
original tools, spare tire, all in good
working order/condition $22,000.
Call 517-521-3478 FS-2-2
..............................................
FISHING
CANADIAN
FISHING
TRIP. Want to go fishing? Book
early and save. One of Ontarios
best multiple fish lakes, fish
for Walleye, Northern, Small
Mouth, Lake Trout, Perch and
other fish. Well spaced out log
& framed cabins, all boats have
electric start motors, fish finders
and swivel seats. Upgrade
boats and motors available. 6
days/nights $445.00 U.S. funds
per person with a group of 4 or
more (2 people per boat) www.
northernwalleyelodge.com or
toll free 1-877-434-2440. F-1-TFN
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) 2842216. Licensed and Insured.
H-1-12/17
..............................................
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK
HUNTS AVAILABLE IN
LUPTON, MI! Valhalla Lodge is
offering a limited number of bull elk
hunts on our 880 acre private hunting preserve. Your hunt will be 3.5
days for you and a guest, all
inclusive, 1 on 1 guided for a
bull scoring between 280 SCI and
320 SCI. Hunts are available
December - January for $5750
w/ no additional fees. Discounts
available for multiple hunters!
Contact Anthony 810-223-4587.
H-12-3
..............................................
TROPHY
BUFFALO
BULL HUNT - head, hide
and all the meat with custom
processing included. Only one
left at this price - $2000.00!
Also, $395.00 for Stoker Hogs.
Trophy Ranch 4076 Spencer
Rd in Ubly. Call 989-658-8634
or www.trophyranch.com H-21
NORTHERN
ONTARIO
BEAR HUNTS: Booking now for
Spring and Fall of 2017. 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-10-1216
..............................................
RESORTS/RENT
UPPER
PENINSULA,
REXTON, MI 2 bedroom, 2
bath mobile home for rent. 3 night/4
day minimum occupancy, no smokers. mile to trails. 906-430-2269.
RR-1-2
...............................................
MODERN CABIN FOR
RENT ON BEAR CREEK,
sleeps 5. Full kitchen, AC, Satellite
TV, BBQ, 10 Minutes from Manistee
River and supplies. 231-590-1136.
RR-9-6
...............................................
Classifieds work!
(810) 724-0254
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
or try our website
woods-n-waternews.com
PROPERTY WONT SELL?

Responsible family will consider
any size acreage or location, with or
without cabin or outbuilding, may be
interested in purchase at end of
lease. Call Jay at 248-396-8322.
HL-1-3
..............................................
GOOD HUNTING/FISHING! 200+ gated acres available for yearly lease. Boat
docks with power and boat
ramp. mile canal with 2
dredged channels to the
Saginaw Bay, casino within 1
mile. Perfect for hunt clubs!
References needed. Email
DJRMVP@gmail.com
by
appointment only. HL-1-4
REAL ESTATE
19 ACRES OF BEAUTIFUL
RECREATIONAL PROPERTY. Mostly wooded. Great bldg.
sites. Wildlife pond, frontage on the
big swamp Raisin drain. Trails
throughout. Lots of wildlife. Enjoy
the natural beauty. A very rare find
in Western Lenawee County. Sand
Creek Schools and priced at only
$82,500. Call Larry at Faust Real
Estate, LLC 517-270-3645. F-637.
RE-2-1
..............................................
134 ACRES, Leased for
Farming, the Other is Deer
Country.Large Sanctuary, Lots of
Ambush Funnels. 2640 x 221940% Wooded three rentals or cabins and pole barn. Mussey Twp.
St. Clair County. $390,000.
JUSTLANDSALES.COM to see
pictures or call me Tom Kinzer 596419-6716.
RE-2-1
..............................................
40
ACRE
FARM
IN
WESTERN
LENAWEE
COUNTY near Hudson MI. 4
bdrm., 2 bath, 2300 sqft home, two
car attached garage. 25 acres tillable, 9 acres woods, pasture land,
Bear Creek frontage. A rare find and
only $224,900. Trade ins considered. Call Diana at Faust Real
Estate, LLC 517-270-3646. RE-21
..............................................
123 ACRES, Heavily Wooded
with 4 Miles of Trails. 1329 x 4043,
95% Wooded, very thick cover.
Camp Area with 36 5th Wheel.
paris Township, Huron County
$299,000. JUSTLANDSALES.COM
to see pictures or call me Tom
Kinzer 596-419-6716.
RE-2-1
..............................................
BUYING OR SELLING?
Farms, vacant land or recreational
parcels throughout Michigan. Call
Doug Beasley at Faust Real Estate,
LLC 517-260-2939. RE-2-1
..............................................
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Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section

REAL ESTATE
19.24 ACRES, Rolling Mature
Hardwoods. Build your Home in
Front the & Hunt the Back. 90%
Wooded - 660 x 1310, paved road.
Attica Twp Lapeer County
$129,900. JUSTLANDSALES.COM
to see pictures or call me Tom
Kinzer 596-419-6716. RE-2-1
..............................................
Subscribe
Today!
DOGS
DOGS
GERMAN SHORTHAIR
POINTER PUPS: Males
and females available. Excellent hunting dogs and superb
family pets. Close working
dogs with strong point and
retrieve instincts. Reasonably
priced for the sporting family.
Money back guarantee. Eulenhof Kennels, Gladwin, MI.
http://www.eulenhof.com
989-426-4884
D-2-2
GUNDOG 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-11-6
(810) 724-0254
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Lewiston 69 Acres
Large hunting cabin (1600sf.)

Borders State Land
Pole barn, garage, pond, stream, lean-to
4 miles from Garland Golf Course
Owned by same family for decades.
One of a kind Property!
91-97
$229,000
Sandi Ahlers
Coldwell Banker Schmidt
Office 989-366-5522
Cell 989-538-0131
St. Louis
John Baker
Cell: (517) 490-4108

Home: (989) 307-1060
Email: jbaker@greentractors.com
9774 RIVERSIDE DR
ST. LOUIS MI, 48880
Paved road, 5 minutes from town, 3 bedroom, outdoor kitchen,

forced air heat, wood stove in living room, 3 out buildings. 30x40
fenced dog kennel with heated dog house. Laundry room, partial
wrap around front porch, lots of custom features, St. Louis school
district (bus stop in front of the house), 5.6 acres. Appliances
included: dishwasher, stove, fridge, washer, and dryer.
River frontage, bon fire area, paved drive, old growth trees, lots
of wildlife, great deer and turkey hunting, eagles and otters seen
on regular basis. Ladder stand and shooting lanes with trails
throughout the woods.
$
142,000 SELLING PRICE
9326 S. M-37 | P.O. Box 843

Baldwin, MI 49304
www.cbnwr.com
231-745-4646
5 Acres,
2 Bed 1 Bath,
MLS 16046052 $19,900
1+ Acres,
2 Bed 1 Bath
MLS 16036378 $22,500
5 Acres,
3 Bed 2 Bath
MLS 16017833 $25,000
4+ Acres,
2 Bed 2 Bath
MLS 16040198 $39,900
9 Acres,
2 Bed 2 Bath
MLS 16044803 $46,900
1+ Acres,
3 Bed 1 Bath
MLS 16042664 $49,000
10 Acres,
2 Bed
MLS 16028581 $55,000
6.5 Acres,
2 Bed 1 Bath
MLS 16043976 $65,000
10 Acres,
3 Bed 1 1/2 Bath
MLS 16021240 $129,900
11 Acres,
2 Bed 1 Bath
MLS 16052675 $132,900
VACANT ACERAGE - LOW DOWN LAND CONTRACT TERMS

Parcel 4- 5 Acre parcel, level- liberally wooded with a mix of hard and soft wood.
Excellent for hunting and outdoor pursuits as it is close to State Land, right in the
heart of ORV country. Additional acreage available. Taxes based on a larger parcel.
MLS 16056896 $17,900
Parcel 11- Beautifully wooded, square 9.67 acre parcel with State Land on across
the street and down the road. Level with a mix of hard and soft woods. Trail Head
is located just down the road. You will NOT find a better property or a better deal!
Additional acreage available. Taxes based on larger parcel. MLS 16056290 $26,900
Parcel 2- Affordable 5 Acre parcel, level- liberally wooded with a mix of hard and soft
wood. Excellent for hunting and outdoor pursuits as it is close to State Land, right
in the heart of ORV country. Additional acreage available. Taxes based on a larger
parcel. MLS 16056905 $17,900
Great location for this 10 acre parcel! Hundreds of acres of State land across the
street and close to the trails! This piece is priced to sell! Come walk this property
before its gone. MLS 16057544 $21,900
5.26 Acre parcel level- with a mix of hard and soft wood. Excellent for hunting and
outdoor pursuits as it is across the street from Federal Land, right in the heart of ORV
country. Additional acreage available. Taxes have not yet been assessed.
MLS 16058075 $17,900
Great location for this 5 acre parcel! Hundreds of acres of State land across the street
and close to the trails! This piece is priced to sell! Come walk this property before its
gone. MLS 16057316 $13,900
Parcel B- Lovely acreage and excellent location, it is really a great place to get away!
Build a cabin or simply use it for camping- it is close to the ORV trails and San Born
Creek is just down the street. Priced to sell, its a must see! MLS 16057600 $9,900
Lilly Township. PARCELs A&B Great Recreational Hunting Acreage Parcel. Almost 17
acres sitting on both sides of this quiet stream offering great hunting, small stream
fishing, large woods and 2 really nice building sites, one on each side of the creek.
Great location for a week-end retreat or a year around home. Underground electric
is on the north side of creek with a great camp location. The south side of the creek
is rolling hardwoods which borders state land. Just down the trail are thousands of
acres of federal land. Great find. MLS 15059911 $42,500
HUNTING LAND FOR SALE

$1.7
BILLION
& 490,000
ACRES
sold in the
last 5 years
BRANDON CROPSEY
Broker, Land Specialist
Michigan
(269) 816-3010
CHUCK KEEFER
Agent, Land Specialist

Central Michigan
(989) 600-4112
JAKE EHLINGER

Southeast Michigan
(517) 937-2118
SHAD WOODRUFF

West Central Michigan
(989) 330-4032
SHAWN KELLEY

Southeast Michigan
(586) 292-1812
TONY HANSEN

Central Michigan
(269) 420-9510
CONTACT AN AGENT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUYING AND

SELLING HUNTING, FARMLAND AND TIMBERLAND
whitetailpr operties.com
Whitetail Properties Real Estate, LLC | dba Whitetail Properties | In the State of Nebraska DBA Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate LLC. | Dan Perez, Broker - LIC in IL, IA, KS, KY,
MO, NE, OK | Jeff Evans, Broker - LIC in AR, CO, GA, IL, MN, TN, WI | John Boyken, Broker - LIC in IN | Kirk Gilbert, Broker - LIC in OH | Johnny Ball, Broker - LIC in AR | Bob Powers,
Broker - LIC in TN | Brandon Cropsey, Broker - LIC in MI | Chris Wakefield, Broker - LIC in TN | Sybil Stewart, Broker - LIC in AL, MS, LA | Joey Bellington, Broker - LIC in TX
www.TrophyClassRealEstate.com
THINKING OF SELLING OR BUYING?
CALL US FIRST!!
We have the resources to get your property sold

on the internet and on the ground!
We are looking to expand our inventory.
Please call to discuss listing with us!
877-843-0910
PROPERTY
EXPERTS
YOU CAN
TRUST
165 acres with
waterfront cabin!
Lake of the Woods
frontage tucked in
Manistee National Forest.
Secluded cabin with
generator, brick fireplace,
loft area & 1 Bdrm.
MANISTEE/LAKE
COUNTY
#16030560
$449,000
100 Acres Rare offering
in this area!
Be ready for next hunting
season! Wooded, food
plots, trails, elevated blinds
throughout and small
bunkhouse. Trail cam shows
lots of activity!
120 acres of farm and

hunting land!
Used for horses with
multiple stalls, corrals and
pasture. Past dairy farm
with outbuildings. Brick
home needs TLC.
WEXFORD COUNTY
#1814988
$314,900
160 Acres Bay De Noc all

season UP Camp.
Rustic Lodge, Bunk House,
pond, adjoins National Forest
& Lake 16, tried & true hunting,
food plots, tower blinds.
DELTA COUNTY
#1806867
$180,000
MUSKEGON COUNTY
#16046193
$209,000
Lake Michigan Frontage

with well kept, remodeled
ranch home.
Located in desirable Arcadia
Bluffs area offering priceless
views, 100 sandy beach,
wooded lot, sauna, basement
& garage.
MANISTEE COUNTY
#1811884
$490,000
35 Secluded Acres
Wooded near farmland!
Gently rolling hills, open areas,
wooded, 2-track access, water
source close by to make this
parcel very hunt-able for all
types of game.
OSCEOLA COUNTY
#1802678
$54,900
GRAND HAVEN
233 WASHINGTON, SUITE 202

GRAND HAVEN, MI 49417
(877) 843-0910
560 Acres!! Rare large

tract property located
below the Bridge!
Property has all the signs of
holding its own deer, grouse
and small game. QFP report
and plan is in place and
indicates standing timber
value over $400,000. Lodge,
remote camp/outbuilding and
extensive trail system.
OGEMAW COUNTY
#1819025
$699,000
50 Wooded Acres
with Cabin!
Diverse woodlands, adjoins
federal land & Slagle
Creek Club. Walk to Slagle
Creek, 3 bed/2bath heated
home, fieldstone fireplace,
garage, gated.
WEXFORD COUNTY
#1823593
$179,000
TRAVERSE CITY
4249 US 31 S
TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685
(231) 233-3575
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
HOMES COTTAGES CABINS GETAWAYS!!!!

1820337
1798150
1805656
STUNNING
RIVERFRONT!!
BEAUTIFUL
CAPE COD!!
3-bdrm mobile home that also has 165 feet of

water frontage on all sports JOHNSON LAKE!
Sunroom, wood stove, pantry, built-in bookcases
and more! Great rec location for four season fun!!
Beautiful custom-built, bamboo floors, top of

the line appliances, guest house, gazebo, deck,
beautiful views and 493 feet of river frontage all
nestled on 5.85 WOODED ACRES!!
3-bdrm, 2.5 bath home with 1170 feet on

gorgeous AU GRES RIVER, wood floors, FP, AC,
heated garage w/bonus upstairs, 12x12 screened
porch, nice views & 8.8 GORGEOUS ACRES!!
SECLUDED
HUNTING
CABIN!!
2-bdrm weekend getaway ADJACENT TO STATE
LAND and trails, appliances, propane lights,
gravity tank, wood heat & more! The perfect rustic
HUNT CAMP on 18 WOODED ACRES!!
1200 square foot modular home has appliances

and is mostly furnished. FANTASTIC HUNTING
& 70+ ACRES, large pole barn/garage for your
Up North toys, pond & fantastic hunt camp!!
$44,900
$225,000
$285,000
$64,900
$249,900
2.78 ACRES!!
1824110
1810533
MOVE-IN
READY!!
1820282
1798555
BEAUTIFUL
ROLLING
PROPERTY!!
FISHING AT
YOUR DOOR!!
Spacious 4-bdrm, 1.88 WOODED ACRES, large

pole barn, some furnishings, FP, appliances,
patio & deck with stairs to BEAUTIFUL RIFLE
RIVER with kayak pulley at waters edge!!
Nice and spacious 4-bdrm home and attached

garage, pole building & shed for storage, on 5
WOODED ACRES w/trails for walking & mature
trees incl apple and pear trees!!
3-bdrm mobile w/addition, partly furnished, garage,

deck with gorgeous views, boat dock, great fishing,
canoeing & kayaking & 82 ON GORGEOUS
TITTABAWASSEE RIVER!!
$162,000
$129,900
$82,000
1808352
1818044
ON CHANNEL
TO LAKE!!
21.9 ACRES!!
Nice 3-bdrm w/water frontage on Channel to ALL

SPORTS ELBOW LAKE, bright kitchen w/island,
pantry & breakfast nook, wrap-around deck, ON AN
ACRE and pond with boat dock!!
2-bdrm, 2 full bath w/fantastic views, garage,

heated workshop, open floor plan, door walls to
nice deck, wood stove, convenient circular drive
and home sits back off of road for some privacy!!
STUNNING
RIVER
SETTING!!
$162,500
$117,000
1823342
1816928
1825821
1807457
1823766
1824677
TW0 LEVEL
LOTS!!
WELLMAINTAINED!!
SPACIOUS 4
BEDROOMS!!
COZY
GETAWAY!!
WALK TO
ALL SPORTS
LAKE!!
Excellent year round home, ON AN ACRE, lots of

updates like newer carpet, well and insulation, FP,
appliances, part bsmt, family room, skylights, deck,
garage, all at end of road!!
Located in excellent recreational area, this 2

bedroom home would make a nice weekend or
vacation escape. Also not far from Huron National
Forest for hunting opportunities!!
Spacious 3 bedroom home just across from

lake. Needs total remodeling inside and out but
would make a nice year round home. Decks,
garage, fenced yard, balconies & more!!
Affordable 2-bdrm getaway on partly wooded

property not far from lakes, state lands and the
beautiful Rifle River for year round recreational
fun, including hunting, fishing and kayaking!!
3 bedroom modular, ranch-style home w/

over 1250 sq feet, applia, master suite, open
kitchen/dining, large yard & front & rear decks.
Not far from lakes & River & mostly furnished!!
$84,900
$20,500
$24,900
$25,900
$39,900
1818838
1818975
1826379
ACROSS
FROM NATL
FOREST!!
SPECTACULAR
VIEWS!!
80
ACRES!!
basement and newer roof in 2015. Two decks for

enjoying the outdoors, near ORV/snowmobile
trails & popular all sports Clear Lake!!
This 3-bedroom home on deep lot across from

Huron Natl Forest for privacy, has been freshly
painted, needs some TLC, has some shade trees
& sits on almost an ACRE!!
This 3-bdrm waterfront home has 100 feet of

sandy frontage on all sports LOON LAKE,
covered deck area, detached garage w/elec &
work bench area, fantastic views & much more!!
You will enjoy the trails and delightful views with

this super clean 3-bdrm, 3 ba home on full partly
finished basement! Open floor plan, wood stove,
master suite, large deck, circular dr & garage!!
Nice mix of trees & 13 ACRES with 3

bedroom, 2 full bath home. Covered front
porch, sizeable rear deck, blacktop drive,
oversized garage 3 sheds & semi-secluded!!
$49,900
$49,900
$179,900
$219,900
$116,000
1811769
BORDERS
STATE
LAND!!
2-bdrm w/lots of kitchen cabinets & pantry, partial
1808082
1799930
BEAUTIFUL
VIEWS ALL
AROUND!!
1818008
1798881
1802608
1825235
GORGEOUS
WATERFRONT!!
VIEWS OF
LAKE!!
SOOTHING
MULESHOE
LAKE!!
ALL SPORTS
HARDWOOD
LAKE!!
LAKE
OGEMAW!!
This 3-bdrm home has 171 feet of frntg on all

sports 330 acre Forest Lake and full walkout
bsmt, extensive decking, lots of windows, large
driveway & also near State lands!!
Cozy one bedroom cabin or getaway with

beautiful views of West Londo Lake has sunroom,
wood floors, heated garage, rear deck, 3 nice lots
and newer roof, well and garage siding!!
Quaint 2-bdrm on no motor 8.8 acre lake.

Has some appliances and furnishings, fresh
paint, shed for storage and spacious deck
for entertaining, and in nic e subdivision!!
3-bdrm home just across from lake & public

access, large rooms, hardwood floors, spacious
kitchen, main floor laundry, wrap-around deck &
some furnishings included!!
Cute 2-bdrm home w/90 feet of frontage on all

sports 440 acre lake! Family room, appliances, 1.7
ba, some furnishings and appliances, two garages,
lakeside deck, firepit & boat dock!!
$119,900
$65,000
$67,900
$79,000
$169,900
1825859
1824115
1817508
1825811
1826114
CONDO
LIVING AT ITS
FINEST!!
PRICED TO
SELL!!
SPACIOUS
YEAR
ROUND!!
GREAT
AREA!!
SUPER NICE
SUBDIVISION!!
Beautiful and DETACHED 4-bdrm, 3 ba condo, w/

over 2600 sq feet, gorgeous views of River, laminate
& tiles floors, FP, AC, garage, deck, move-in ready &
built in 2010!!
Spacious 3-bdrm, on 3 WOODED ACRES, large

pond, garage, pellet stove, family room, mud room,
appliances, kitchen pantry, newer roof in 2015 and
just needs a little TLC for year round!!
3-bdrm, 2-story with attached garage, on 4.67

WOODED ACRES and paved road, mud room, a
convenient bath on each floor, beautiful views and
in great recreational area!!
3-bedroom year round home just needs a little

paint to be move-in ready and has 1300 square
feet, 2 baths, open floor, gas FP, kitchen island
and pantry, newer roof & windows & a garage!!
2-bdrm home just a short walking distance of

ALL SPORTS 330 ACRE Forest Lake with FP,
open floor, main floor master, cathedral ceilings,
deck, garage & JUST OVER AN ACRE!!
$169,900
$84,500
$89,900
$57,900
$169,000
FOR MORE LISTINGS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
WWW.CAHANES.COM
231-652-7000
- or -
231-250-8200
WE NEED LISTINGS 40+ ACRES AND LARGER

783+/- ACRES,
IOSCO
COUNTY
1 Mile Frontage Tawas
Lake, Kunze River
Crosses Property, 5
Bedroom Log Lodge, 3 $
Miles from East Tawas
1,250,000
Antrim County, 52+/- Acres
Alcona County, 240 Acres,

House, Barns, Pond, Stream, Food Plots
$499,000
359+/- ACRES,
TUSCOLA &
GENESEE
COUNTIES
30 Acre Private Lake, 3,400
sq ft Custom Lodge,
70x70 Pole Barn, 60x120
Pole Barn, 2 Rental
Houses, 26 Ladder Stands,
5 Elevated Box Blinds
1,950,000
Calhoun Co, 61 Acres

2,500 ft. St. Joseph River, Excellent Hunting
$139,900
Calhoun County, 67+/- Acres

300 ft. All Sports Prairie Lake,
1/2 Tillable, 1/2 Wooded
$275,000
Missaukee County, 80 Acres

Pond, Professionally Managed
Forest, Food Plots
$129,500
Newaygo County, 5+/- Acres

557 ft White River Frontage, 1/2
Open, 1/2 Wooded
$41,000
Barry County, 80 Acres
Rolling Hardwoods, Pole Barn

Alpena County, 316+/- Acres, Good Trails
5 Bedroom, 6 Bath Custom Home, Branch County, 43+/- Acres, Big Bucks,
Lodge sleeps 10, Professionally Managed Forest with Living Quarters, Excellent Hunting
Cold Creek Crosses Property, Nice Woods
3,000 ft. on Dake Lake
$439,000
$129,000
$136,500
$1,650,000
NG
I
ND
E
P
L
SO
Calhoun Co, 86+/- Acres

Calhoun County, 70+/- Acres
ft. Frontage on Prairie Lake,
House, Pole Barn, Pond, River, Elevated Blind 750
Big Buck Hunting, Outbuildings
$289,000
$349,000
Jackson County, 54+/- Acres, 2,000 ft

Grand River Frontage, Trail System
$179,900
Kalkaska County, 40 Acres, Cabin, Barn, Mason County, 35+/- Acres, Farm Land
on 2 Sides, Heavy Bedding Cover
Trout Pond, Excellent Hunting
$115,000
$52,500
LD
Newaygo County, 36+/- Acres

Newaygo Co, 80 Acres
Farm Land, M-37 Frontage, 1000s of Close to Federal Land, Pole Barn,
acres Public Land 1/2 mile Away
Great Hunting
$50,400
$140,000
Newaygo County, 80 Acres

Rolling Hardwoods, Great
Hunting, 2 Bedroom Mobile
$150,000

Rustic Cabin, Pond, Nice
Woods, Good Trail System
$129,000
Newaygo Co, 99 Acres, Newaygo County, 125 Acres, Three

Planted Pines, Great Cover, spring fed lakes, Excellent Deer, Frontage on 9 Mile Rd & Cottonwood Rd,
Turkey and Waterfowl hunting
Adjacent to National Forest
County Road Frontage
$375,000
$400,000
$198,000
NG
LD
DI
EN
Oceana County, 100+/- Acres

Remote Property, Nice Forest,
Good Deer Population
$150,000
SO
Osceola Co, 54+/- Acres

650 ft. Frontage
All Sports Grass Lake
$225,000
Osceola County, 167 Acres

Nice Cabin, Good Trail System,
Excellent Hunting
$399,000
Presque Isle County, 47+/- Acres, 2 Bedroom

House, Pole Barn, Excellent Hunting
$99,000
Presque Isle Co, 63+/- Ac

Carp Creek, Food Plots, Hunting Blinds
$69,300
Presque Isle County, 80 Ac

Creek Frontage, 24x24 Garage,
Excellent Hunting
$90,000
WildLifeRealty.com
www.
Near
Marlette
in Sanilac
County
3,400 per acre
IG RIVER
PROPERTIES
NORTHERN PARADISE ON SAUBLE LAKE #1 7888 W 6 MILE ROAD

IRONS Pristine setting for this 3 bedroom log sided cabin on 21+/- heavily wooded acres with frontage on both Sauble Lake #1 and Quick Lake.
Cabin features a stone fireplace, knotty pine interior, some hardwood floors
and central air. Breathtaking views of the lake from the open concept kitchen/dining area. Kitchen features German stone countertops. Living room
opens to a porch room/den on the lakeside offering more stunning views.
Power at the lake, 1 car garage and the cabin is wired for a back-up generator. In addition across the road is a section of land with frontage on Quick
Lake which is a small fishing type lake. A true Northern Michigan Retreat!$259,900 (MIL)
2 40 ACRE PARCELS OFF FOREST SERVICE ROAD 8436 IRONS
Located near Freesoil Road and Elk Highway on Forest Road 8436 Sits this
Prime hunting property that is a family owned 80 acre parcel Sellers have
taken many nice deer from this location as well as turkey and grouse. Bears,
coyotes, fox, and wolf have been spotted here as well. There is a small creek
that is flowing in the spring and early summer. There are numerous driving /
ATV trails that will extend to every section of the property and several
meadows to be used as food plots. The entire property is posted and gated
and bordered by National Forest on all sides. Sale includes all Mineral Rights
Owned by them. Make this another family Hunting destination or Joint
Venture. $145,000 (JAM)
HUNTERS CHECK THIS ONE OUT - 15+/- ACRES-BORDERS FEDERAL
LAND 7776 E. SAUBLE ROAD FOUNTAIN 15+/- acre parcel of land is
heavily wooded and an ideal secluded hunting location. Gated entrance to
this clean, comfortable cabin with knotty pine interior, an open floor plan,
and a well and septic. The cabin runs off solar panels for electricity and is set
up for year around use with a woodstove and a back-up propane wall furnace. A nice cedar deck off the living room and fire pit in the yard. Prime
location 2/10 of a mile from the Big Sable River. Located on a seasonal
county maintained road! $65,500 (GAR) REDUCED!!
CABIN ON 12+/- ACRES 4075 E JOST DRIVE IRONS This 2 bedroom
1 bath cabin is situated on 12 nicely wooded acres of land. The cabin does
needs some TLC but the potential is there to make it a great spot to visit on
the weekend. There is a wood burning floor furnace and a propane wall unit
for heating. The attached 1 car garage comes in handy for storage and a place
to put all the up north toys. Great recreational area near all the ORV and
snowmobile trails. Comes furnished as is! $70,000 (COO)
PINE LAKE PROPERTY - PRICE REDUCED!!

$80,000.00 DON'T MISS THIS ONE!
Parcels C & D on survey are 11.81 wooded acres on a private spring

fed lake in Mecosta County. This is a hunter's and fisherman's
paradise complete with 705 feet of lake frontage. The Southwest
corner of the property is 80 feet above lake level and gently
slopes downward to an expanding vista of lake frontage. All lake
front property surrounding this lake is owned by five individual
owners. There is privacy galore! But, if you prefer more action,
Chippewa Lake, an all sports lake, is only one mile away. There is a
well on the property (condition unknown). Motivated seller! SEV
is over $65,000.00 This land would make an excellent hunter's
retreat, fisherman's camp or a campground. It has to be seen to
be appreciated.
For more information call

734-325-3103 or 989-463-2975
Thomas B. Camp Alma, MI 48801
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
Heritage
House
RealtyPC
Exclusive Marketing Agents for Northeast

Michigan Properties
Personalized Service is the Difference
Located in the Heart of the Huron National Forest, on the

Shores of Lake Huron and the banks of the AuSable River
3110 S Pinetree,
Greenbush
3 Br, 1.5 Ba Ranch with
Private Association access
to Lake Huron. Enjoy being
close to town while having a
piece of peaceful paradise
to call your own. $84,900
For More Information Text
R155068 to 52187
217 Acre Hunters

Paradise
1400 sf 3 br 2 ba with Pine
River flowing through the
property. Enjoy sitting on
the deck watching all the
different wildlife
REDUCED $349,000
R155061 to 52187
5157 Lake Drive, Glennie

3 Br, 2 Ba Manufactured
Home with Vaughn Lake
Access across the road.
Move in Ready home just
waiting for you. Minutes from
1000s of acres of Federal
Land. $67,900
R155064 to 52187
6396 N F-41, Spruce

3 br, 1.5 ba, ranch with full
unfinished basement. Move
in ready home, nice setting
on large lot. Fireplaces in
living room and in den.
ONLY $82,500
R155070 to 52187
334 acres in Doctors Club

area, prime hunting property
awaits you. A portion of land
is a cattail swamp with
Robb Creek. There is 2 beat
up cabins on property with
electric and flowing well.
This would be a great group
investment. $499,500
Black River frontage

3 br, 1.5 ba, 1232 sf Deck
with steps to water, Canoe,
Kayak, fish or float to the big
lake Includes appliances,
2 car garage, privacy fence.
This unique riverfront home
is only $87,500
R155065 to 52187
201 Fourth St, Harrisville

Ranch style home with large
decks, pond, family room,
open
concept
kitchen,
dining, living room and
attached 2 car garage that
is finished. Walk to town
and harbor. $117,750
R167434 to 52187
2175 N US-23, East Tawas

Fully furnished 4 bedrooms,
2 bath bi-level just outside
East Tawas. Enjoy all the
area has to offer while still
feeling like youre getting
away from it all! REDUCED
to sell fast at $109,000
3305 W F-30, Glennie

40 acres with 1200 sf, 3
bedroom, 2 bath home with
a full finished basement.
Large deck, paved drive,
and fireplace. Hardwood
forest with isolated ponds,
fruit trees, hunting blinds
and trails. $194,500
1166 Chris Road, Barton

City
2 Br 1 Ba Ranch on Private
Dead End road.
Enjoy
watching the wildlife around
Mudd
Lake
from
your
heated sunroom or curl up
next to your fireplace to
enjoy the evening. $69,900
991 N Verner Dr, Barton

City
View of Jewel Lake, 3
bedrooms 2 baths with over
2.5 acre site. Appliances
stay, finished garage and
this one comes with a Home
Warranty. Dont miss out
on this deal at $100,000
Poor Farm Rd, Greenbush

This 37 acres is perfect for
just that. Make this your
next hunting camp or build
your new home and still
have plenty of room to
recreate. $49,900
More
Information
Text
R155060 to 52187
Call 800-650-5566 - Glennie or 800-982-0102 - Harrisville - www.HeritageHouseRealty.com

RANDY MINTO
108 ACRES GENESEE COUNTY
72 ACRES
Always Working Hard for You!

REALTOR
SHIAWASSEE RIVER SHIAWASSEE LAKE
LAPEER COUNTY
Direct:
Unlimited Outdoor Fun. Great Building site with

Great Development possibilities.
Lake & Riverfront.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzDqDMo9cHc
810.449.1286
Gorgeous Updated Home, Ponds, Waterfalls.

Barn with 6/stalls. Truly a Deer Hunters, Nature
& HORSE LOVERS Dream Property.
https://youtu.be/3VQLD4yrpBE
- OR Office:
810.653.4500
$895,000
*DV
SPECIALIZING IN UNIQUE, LUXURY AND LARGE RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES
$775,000
*DV
DEER & NATURE LOVERS DREAM PROPERTIES
*
D
V
128 ACRES
*
D
V
GENESEE COUNTY
LAPEER COUNTY
Newly Renovated, 41 tillable acres, 3 ponds, 65% Wooded.

Great Development & Commercial Possibilities. A Rare Gem!
* LICENSED DEER RANCH

D
V
34 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY
*
D
V
Awesome 2,238 sq ft Ranch Home with Finished

Walkout Basement. 32 x 56 Pole Barn.
Great Country Farm House, 2,600 sq ft home, Large Pole Barn.

Amazing kitchen and Jacuzzi house. $229,000
$599,900
*
D
V
80-100 DEER
20-25 TROPHY BUCKS
78 ACRES
LAPEER COUNTY
5 ACRES
$584,500
PRIME HUNTING! DV*
AMAZING PRICE
ALCONA COUNTY
PINE RIVER
156 ACRES
$1,350,000
Licensed Deer Ranch in Davison. 6-car garage, pond, 5 blinds,

3 lg feeders, Lg polebarn. 4BD, 3BA, walkout & up basement.
4-BR on Pine River. Bear, Deer, lots of Wildlife. Apple

Orchard. Fish and Canoe the River. New Roof, New Price!
$849,000
$299,000
SANILAC COUNTY 80 ACRES
ST. CLAIR COUNTY
257 ACRES
ALPENA COUNTY
AMAZING
PREVIOUSLY
PHEASANT
PRESERVE
200 TILLABLE 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.
Great farming, income producing, Pheasant Preserve

Possibilities, over 1/2 mile on Belle River, multiple
Outbuildings, 2 Ponds.
$1,250,000
*
D
V
GENESEE COUNTY
25 ACRES
30 ACRES
840 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY
26 ACRES
Deer Hunters Dream Property, Private, 2-streams.

Large Elevation changes.
$275,000
*
D
V
GENESEE
COUNTY
110 ACRES
Great Development
Opportunity. Several
Outbuildings. 80 - 90 Tillable
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.
15 Acres zoned Commercial.

Great building site, walkout.
Wooded.
Great Building Site, 4 splits

available. Zoned Ag. Paved
Road, Corner Lot.
$369,900
$239,000
$119,900
MECOSTA COUNTY
OAKLAND COUNTY
*
D
V
OSCODA
COUNTY
20 ACRES
* LAPEER COUNTY
D
V
3900 sq. ft. Amazing

log interior with knotty
pine, custom built. Abuts
500+ acres Federal land
(land locked).
86 ACRES
*
D
V
*
D
V
10 ACRES
32 ACRES
$279,000
$449,900
Rustic Log Home, Organic

Farm, 11 tillable acres.
Great building site,

nicely wooded
with pond.
$99,800
$115,000
LAKE OGEMAW MARINA
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
*
D
V
*McDonalds
157 ACRES
OGEMAW COUNTY
Fantastic Development Opportunity. 30-2 Acre lots
approx. currently zoned agriculture.
$550,000
*DV
DRONE
VIDEO
Own your own Marina! Located on a 600-acre Private All-Sports

Lake. 16 Boat Slips, Turn-key operation. 225 ft of Lake Frontage.
Avalon Pontoon Dealer.
$650,000
GO TO:
COMMERCIAL
MIDLAND COUNTY
US 10
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
MIDREAMPROPERTIES.com
OR CALL 810-449-1286
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
299
99
BUNK BEDS Solid Wood Complete with Mattresses $29999

Rocker Recliners
From
19999
Rustic End Tables

from
14999
Log
Futons
39999
MORE SIZES,
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AMERICAN MADE!
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Cabins
starting at
1999
99
N
A
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ANYTIME
(989)-832-1866
D
N
DA
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(810) 629-2291
Exit 84 on US-23
FLINT
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59
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FENTON
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3241 Thompson Rd.

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sales@freeway-sports.com
M-48 Heritage -The Model 48 Heritage combines classic styling with modern engineering and top of the line components, for
a rifle that is as beautiful as it is functional. The fancy-grade, oiled walnut stock has been carefully designed for a seamless
fit between the shooter and rifle. With a delicate palm-swell, slender forearm, and shadow-line cheek-piece, the Model 48
Heritage just feels right. A handsome, Heritage matte-black Cerakote all-weather finish compliments the dark wood grain,
while fully protecting the metal-work from the elements. The Model 48 Heritage is for the shooter who desires all of the
features expected in a contemporary hunting rifle, but with all of the tradition and warmth of a wood-stocked rifle.
The Model 48 Liberty possesses all the traits that have earned Nosler Rifles a reputation for fantastic performance and
robust dependability. Featuring a lightweight synthetic stock, top quality components, and protected by a hearty all-weather
finish, the Model 48 Liberty Rifle is ready for any condition Mother Nature has to offer. With available cartridge chamberings
ranging from the 22-250 Remington to the hard-hitting 35 Whelen, and our premier new cartridges, the 26 Nosler, 28 Nosler,
and 30 Nosler, there is a rifle for everyone in the Model 48 Liberty lineup. When used in conjunction with prescribed Nosler
Ammunition, shooters can expect sub M.O.A. three shot groups at 100 yards. Whether you are punching holes in paper, or
putting meat in the freezer, the Model 48 Liberty is sure to become the rifle you reach for time and time again.
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
Available at:
Layaways Welcome
Michi-GUN
www.michigunandtackle.com

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FEBRUARY 2017

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