NOVEMBER 2017 $4.

00

Woods-n-Water News
Michigans Premier Outdoor Publication

2017
DEER
FORECAST
PLUGS &
RIVER
STEELIES
Understanding
WHITETAILS'
Sociobiological Factors
Sharptail Grouse Hunting Walleye Brawlers Hunt Wood Ducks
Big U.P. BEAR Harvested How Old is that Deer? Funnel Hunting
Autumn Gobblers Open Water Trapping Ice Fishing Comfort
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 Deer Hunters
SALE!
Saturday, October 21
FREE
visit w/reps from:
GIFT
TO THE FIRST
Browning & Winchester 25 PEOPLE
Wood & Stream and FRI., OCT. 20
Gamehide OCTOBER 20 - 29 ONLY

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 Offer
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SALES: 810-653-0490 5605 DAVISON RD SALES: 810-653-0490
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5605 DAVISON RD Saturday 9am-2pm Saturday 9am-2pm

LAPEER, MI www.chapmanssports.com www.chapmanssports.com

Offers vary by model. Rebate offers valid on select 2014-2017 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/26/17- 9/30/17. Finance offers valid on select 2014-2018 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/26/17- 9/30/17.

2046500
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5605 DAVISON RD
prohibited. Tax, title, license, and registration are separate and may not be financed. Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris sole discretion.
*Offer is subject to credit approval by Synchrony Bank. APR of 6.99% will be assigned based on credit approval criteria. Monthly payments will be $15.09 per $1,000 financed. Example: A total 84-month term with an Amount Financed of
Warning: Polaris off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid drivers license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All
LAPEER, MI
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$5,599 and 6.99% APR requires monthly payments of $84.48 for 84 months. Price excludes title, tax, options, accessories, and dealer fees. Program minimum amount financed is $5,000 and minimum 0% 10% down payment required
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dont mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. 2017 Polaris Industries Inc.
LAPEER, MI

YEAR END
Offers vary by model. Rebate offers valid on select 2014-2017 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/26/17- 9/30/17. Finance offers valid on select 2014-2018 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/26/17- 9/30/17.
See your authorized dealer for complete details. Rates as low as 2.99% APR for 36 months. Examples of monthly payments required over a 36-month term at a 2.99% APR rate: $29.08 per $1,000 financed; and at an 6.99% APR rate: $30.87 per
$1,000 financed. An example of a monthly payment with $0 down, no rebate, an APR of 2.99% APR for 36 months at a MSRP of $9,999.00 is $290.74; total cost of borrowing of $467.60 with a total obligation of $10,466.60. Down payment may
be required. Other financing offers may be available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where
prohibited. Tax, title, license, and registration are separate and may not be financed. Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris sole discretion.

CLEARANCE SALE
Warning: Polaris off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid drivers license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All
riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs *Monthly payment based on new, unused MY17 Indy 550 with an MSRP of $6,799 with $1,000 down and $200 manufacturers rebate. $5,599 financed (6.99% APR) over 84 months on a Polaris/Synchrony Installment Loan Account.
dont mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. 2017 Polaris Industries Inc. Participating Dealers. Offer valid from 7/26/17 to 10/31/17.

*Offer is subject to credit approval by Synchrony Bank. APR of 6.99% will be assigned based on credit approval criteria. Monthly payments will be $15.09 per $1,000 financed. Example: A total 84-month term with an Amount Financed of
$5,599 and 6.99% APR requires monthly payments of $84.48 for 84 months. Price excludes title, tax, options, accessories, and dealer fees. Program minimum amount financed is $5,000 and minimum 0% 10% down payment required
based on credit approval criteria. A $1,000 down payment is required to obtain advertised monthly payment of $84.48. All rebates are paid to the dealer.

2018 BOATS ARRIVING WEEKLY

SALES: 810-653-0490
5605 Davison Rd., 4 miles east
of Downtown Davison
Open 6 Days: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm;
Saturday 9am-2pm
www.chapmanssports.com
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 3
 By Tom Campbell
Youth Grand Slam?
I
t hasnt been a good year for Michigans deer
herd with CWD claiming a deer in a new county
(see box below) and EHD detected in a deer in
Genesee Co. (see page 88). Fortunately for many
youth hunters, they found lots of success. Check
out the trophy photos on pages 92-93. A few early
archery hunters also found success including our
cover huntress Michele Malenskiand that monster
buck was the second buck of the day! See her story
on page 8.
Then theres eleven-year-old Travis Whipple of
Saranac who is trying to complete a Michigan Grand
Slam by harvesting an elk, black bear, deer and tur-
key! Hes completed three of the four at this writing
with only a fall turkey to go!
Travis has been going to the woods hunting with
his dad Tony since he was three. He shot his first
deer, a 6-point, and turkey with a bow at eight. At
nine, he shot a 7-point with a bow and last year, he
shot another 6-point and turkey with a bow, plus a
doe with a .44 mag.
This summer Travis received a Michigan cow
elk tag and also a Michigan bear tag. According to
his dad, Because he is only 11 we were only able
to hunt on private land if we wanted to use a gun.
We would prefer that but we also were able to use
a Raven crossbow from Gold Star Outdoors 2. We
contacted a couple of good guides; Gene and Trent
Skiba just east of Gaylord. They were great and
had lots of private property for us to hunt and had
done their homework. We saw a lot of big bull elk
but we only had a cow tag. On the last night of the
first 4-day hunt with 5 minutes of shooting hours
left, Travis had two bulls come in with one smaller
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-Dec. 31 Pure Michigan Hunt Application
Now-March 15 Pike, walleye seasons on L.P. inland waters,
U.P. Great Lakes, inland waters and St. Marys.
Now-Dec. 15 Muskie season on Lake St. Clair, St. Clair and
Detroit Rivers
Now-Dec. 31 Bass; catch and keep season on all Michigan
waters open to bass fishing
Now-Oct. 26 Bear season (various BMUs, permit required
and special regulations)
Now-Mar. 31 Cottontail rabbit/snowshoe hare season
Now-Nov. 14 Fall turkey season (permit needed)
Now-Mar. 1 Squirrel season, fox and gray (black)
Now-Nov. 14 Ruffed grouse season
Now-Nov. 6 Woodcock season
Now-Nov. 14 Archery deer season
Oct. 10-31 Pheasant season Zone 1 (partial)
Oct. 19-22 -- Independence Hunt; hunters with disabilities
Oct. 20-Nov. 14 Pheasant season Zone 2, and 3
Nov. 15-30 -- Regular Firearm deer season
Dec. 1-Jan. 1 -- Pheasant season Zone 3 (partial)
Dec. 1-10 -- Muzzleloading deer season in Zone 1
Dec. 1-10 -- Muzzleloading deer season in Zone 2
Dec. 1-17 -- Muzzleloading deer season in Zone 3
Dec. 18-Jan.1 - Late Antlerless Firearm
*Consult the Michigan Hunting and Trapping Digest, Fishing
Digest, or other species-specific hunting digests for a more
complete list of dates and regulations regarding each season or
hunt period.
MJC MJC
ARCHERY ARCHERY
MACOMB OAKLAND
19744 15 Mile Rd 3001 Rochester Rd
Clinton Twp. 48035 Royal Oak, MI 48073
586-791-4600 248-589-2480
4 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
cow at about 90 yards. We set up Travis
shooting sticks without hesitating shot
once we confirmed it was a cow. He
dropped her right there with a Ruger
American 450 bushmaster.
The DNR confirmed that Travis
was the youngest person to ever receive
an elk tag and the youngest person in
Michigan to ever shoot a Michigan elk.
Travis and his father hunted both
days of the youth hunt in Ionia Co. and Youth Grand Slam! Travis Whipple; elk, deer and bear.
that Sunday evening, after passing on a
spike, Travis connected with a 5-point it. Travis made another perfect killing shot after the
with a perfect shot. bear had been treed.
Trying to work around football and school
schedules to get a chance at a black bear wasnt easy We have had some close encounters but have not had
but the father and son arranged to hunt with hounds- a good shot yet. But I have confidence that we will
man Chris Huff and Reggie. Then it was a challenge get one.
making sure they were on private land for Travis
to hunt with a gun. GPS provided proof that the Travis fills his fall turkey tag to fulfill a grand slam.
property was private and they had permission to hunt
Federal lab confirms Montcalm County
deer had chronic wasting disease
The U.S. Department of Agricultures National
Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, con-
firmed Wednesday that a 3 1/2-year-old female deer
taken during Michigans youth deer hunting season in
September has tested positive for chronic wasting dis-
ease.
The animal, harvested in Montcalm Township in
Montcalm County, is the 10th free-ranging deer in
Michigan found to have chronic wasting disease. The
youth hunter who harvested the deer opted to take the
animal to a Department of Natural Resources deer check
station and then submitted the animal for testing steps
the DNR strongly encourages hunters across the state to
take during the 2017 deer hunting seasons.
Because this family decided to bring their deer to a
DNR deer check station, state wildlife managers were
able to gain important information about chronic wast-
ing disease in mid-Michigan, said Dr. Kelly Straka,
DNR state wildlife veterinarian. As we move through
the archery and firearm seasons, voluntary deer testing
will be critical not only within the currently affected
areas, but also throughout the south-central Lower
Peninsula and the entire state.
CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects
white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. It is caused
by the transmission of infectious, self-multiplying pro-
teins (prions) contained in saliva and other body fluids
of infected animals. Susceptible animals can acquire
CWD by direct exposure to these fluids, from environ-
ments contaminated with these fluids or the carcass of a
diseased animal.
Some CWD-infected animals will display abnormal
behaviors, progressive weight loss and physical debilita-
tion; however, deer can be infected for many years with-
out showing internal or external symptoms. There is no
cure; once a deer is infected with CWD, it will die.
Since May 2015, the DNR has actively conducted
surveillance for CWD. To date, more than 14,000 deer
have been tested since the first positive case was found,
with 10 cases of CWD confirmed in free-ranging white-
tailed deer identified in Clinton, Ingham and (now)
Montcalm counties.
To date, there is no evidence that CWD presents any
known risk to non-cervids, including humans, either
through contact with an infected animal or from han-
dling venison. However, as a precaution, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and the World Health
Organization recommend that infected animals not be
consumed as food by either humans or domestic ani-
mals.
As additional deer have tested positive for CWD
within Michigan, the DNR has put specific regulations
in place. Currently, there are two CWD Core Areas,
which are deer management units (DMUs) 333 and 359.
To review regulations related to those areas, visit michi-
Travis says, Now we are onto getting a turkey.
Well let you know ifmostly likely when...
Congratulations to the entire Whipple family!n
gan.gov/cwd.
With Wednesdays confirmation of chronic wasting
disease in the Montcalm County deer, DNR Director
Keith Creagh has signed an interim order (effective Oct.
4, 2017, through March 29, 2018) outlining next steps as
governed by Michigans CWD Response and
Surveillance Plan. The order:
Creates a nine-township Core Area that includes
Douglass, Eureka, Fairplain, Maple Valley, Montcalm,
Pine and Sidney townships in Montcalm County, and
Oakfield and Spencer townships in Kent County. Within
the Core Area specifically:
Institutes mandatory registration of deer at a check
station within 5 miles of the new Core CWD Area, with-
in 72 hours of harvest, starting Nov. 15. (Available sta-
tions currently are at Flat River State Game Area and
Howard City.)
Removes antler point restrictions for the restricted
tag of the combo deer license within the nine-township
Core Area.
Allows antlerless deer to be tagged using the deer
or deer combo license(s) during the firearm, muzzle-
loader and late antlerless seasons.
Institutes mandatory submission of the head for
testing of a road-killed deer within 72 hours of pick-up.
Allows disease control permits, effective immedi-
ately, for landowners with five or more acres within the
nine-township Core Area.
Bans the feeding and baiting of deer in Kent and
Montcalm counties, effective Jan. 2, 2018, and encour-
ages hunters not to bait and feed in these areas immedi-
ately.
The DNR will work with the Michigan Natural
Resources Commission to make the order permanent,
adjusting as needed in response to the evolving situa-
tion.
In Michigan, there are 338 deer farms, regulated
jointly by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development and the DNR. MDARD is working
with the farms that are within a 15-mile surveillance
zone to ensure compliance with CWD testing require-
ments, implement increased inspections and monitor
animal movement, said MDARD State Veterinarian
James Averill. All regulated deer farms participate in
the states CWD testing program; however, farms out-
side the surveillance zone will not have additional
requirements.
Starting Nov. 1, several new deer check stations
near the new Core Area will accept deer for CWD test-
ing. Archery hunters are strongly encouraged to have
their deer checked at existing check stations during the
early archery season.
A complete list of check stations, including locations
and hours, as well as weekly CWD updates, are avail-
able at michigan.gov/cwd.
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 5

HUNTING
COVER STORY...
Tagged Out on Opening Day
Jerry Lambert page 8
2017 Deer Hunting Forecast
MDNR page 10
The ultimate lever
action deer rifle
Tom Lounsbury page 14
Hunt wood ducks
Kenny Darwin page 18
Autumn Gobblers
Kenny Darwin page 26
13 POINTS
Adam Lewis page 30
BIG U.P. BEAR
Richard P. Smith page 40
Business and
bowhunting dont mix
Randy Jorgensen page 44
Funnel Hunting
George Rowe page 56
Sharptail hunting
...page 22
10 Major Bowhunting Mistakes
Byron Ferguson page 58
HAP offers private land hunting
Bucks, bears, and brook trout
Sharon Kennedy page 68
ALASKA
One moose--Two moose
RUT CRAZED
WHITETAILS
Kenny Darwin...page 106
FISHING
Keep comfortable on the ice
and increase your catch
Mark Martin page 16
WALLEYE BRAWLERS
Mark Romanack page 48
Operation Burt Lake...
Injured Soldiers project
Bill Semion page 52
Unique fall fishing
John Bergsma page 62
Winds of November provide
walleyes to remember
Mark Sak page 75
Hows the fishing?
Lane Walker page 102
Northwest Michigans
drowned river mouth lakes
Mike Gnatkowski page 104
FEATURE
page 43
Michigan Meanders
The Wild AuSable River
Tom Huggler page 60
Michigan Made
Jerry Lambert page 66
November...prime time for
open water trapping
John Chagnon page 80
Weirs: An important DNR
tool to manage fisheries
Bob Gwizdz MDNR page 94
Sporting Collectibles...
Bud Stewart
Extraordinary lure maker
Terry McBurney page 96
Michigans sensational
upland habitats
Holly Vaughn MDNR page 100
OUTDOOR NEWS
DNR seeks candidates for 2018
Conservation Officer School
page 67
Keeler Society
honors Wes ODell
page 74
Seasonal lake sturgeon
releases put nearly 6,000 fish
page 83
Wild game processors need
free permit from DNR
page 88
Deer in Genesee Co. tests
positive for EHD
page 88
PERSPECTIVE
I Quit...I Think
Tom Carney page 42
Michigan War Dog Memorial
Jonathan Schechter page 50
Loons and Finns
Drew YoungeDyke page 54
Dear Fish Diary...
The U.P. always makes
me laugh -- Part I
Ron St. Germain page 70
Boat Smart...
Being a Good Samaritan
Capt. Fred Davis page 78
Michigans Amazing Animals...
The Lake Trout
Patrick Bevier page 99
Plug fishing
river steelhead
Mark Romanack...page 24
OPINIONS
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
Tom Lounsbury page 89
ORV use on
state forest roads
page 90
GUNS/AMMO
Gun Chat...Colt Woodsman .22
Lee Arten page 37
Sighting-In
classic old rifles
Darryl Quidort page 38
The blessing of a
Northwest Gun
Dennis Neely page 72

DEPARTMENTS...
Betty Sodders page 76

COVER STORY...
Understanding whitetails
sociobiological factors Trophy Page. . . 92-93 Classifieds . . 110-111
John Ozoga page 84 News/Op-Ed . . . 88-91 Real Estate . . 112-125

COVER PHOTO 1-810-724-0254

Michele Malenskis www.woods-n-waternews.com
Trophy 11-Point P.O. Box 278, Imlay City, MI 48444
...page 8 www.facebook.com/woodsnwaternews
6 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 7
 COVER STORY...

Tagged Out on
Opening Day
M
any of you read-
ing these words
are anxiously
waiting for the
opening day
of firearm deer
season that annually occurs here
in Michigan on November 15. The
other deer opener, the
first day of the Michigan
archery season, annually
occurs on the first day of
October. It doesnt usually
receive the same fanfare
or hunter success rate but
never the less is more sig-
nificant to many because
ing to show in the sugar maples and
cottonwood trees. One significant
difference for this particular Oc-
tober opener, was that deer move-
ment was quite evident along with
many bucks up on their feet during
the first couple of hours of shooting
light.
Crossbow hunter Mi-
chele Malenski went out
opening morning with her
longtime hunting partner
Frank, who is also her best
friend and husband. The
married couple shared a
box blind while hunting on
private property in Jackson

By Jerry Lambert
it is the very first
occasion that
adult deer hunt-
ers have to hunt the elusive white-
tail deer.
This October 1 was like many
others in the fact that the daytime
temperatures were relatively warm
and autumns colors were just start-
Micheles Opening Day morn-
ing buck, an unique 10-point,
she arrowed hunting with her
husband.
8 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
County. Shortly
after daybreak,
the first deer
came walking a trail towards them
nibbling on acorns. The deer was
a buck; a buck that the two deer
hunters were quite familiar with,
because they had already collected
quite a few trail camera photo-
graphs of the unique buck. He was
a 10-point with six points on one
side and four on the other. Accord-
ing to Michele, He was not shy, he
liked to have his picture taken.
Once the buck was within
range, Michele waited for him to
turn broadside before taking the
shot. A quick lethal kill ensued and
the proud hunter got to use one of
her two buck tags on the archery
opener.
After taking care of the deer, it
was time to prepare for the evening
hunt. Michele said, I hesitated and
considered not going out because I
didnt know if I wanted to tag out
on opening day.
She must not have over-thought
the process, because she indeed
went out and was quite happy with
the final results.
It was unusually warm even for
early October standards. Michele
said, I didnt think much would
be moving because of a south-
east wind and of the heat. I chose
to hunt from one of my favorite
stands, a ladder stand in the hard-
woods. The first deer to appear
were a doe and her two fawns.
They meandered about the woods
for about a half hour. Then a spike
buck came in and got the does at-
Michele Malenski with her second crossbow buck of Opening Day,
this monster 11-point that unofficially green scored at 170.
tention. When I shot, I thought he
Five minutes later, I saw a big was a big buck that I had on trail
buck emerge out of a thicker part camera, but he obviously wasnt, he
of the woodlot. He was walking was much, much bigger. Frank and
straight at me. I immediately put I didnt even know that this buck
my sight on him and waited for even existed.
the shot. I ended up waiting for Michele went on to tell a little
what felt like an eternity but in all story about an event that occurred
reality was probably only about the day before that she thought was
five to ten minutes. When he finally an indicator of opening day suc-
turned broadside, I took the shot cess. On the last day of September,
and dropped him in his tracks. I they honored her late mothers
miscalculated and hit high, break- wishes by having a memorial
ing the deers spine. I then quickly service for her dog. While leav-
dispatched the buck with a second ing the burial ground, her husband
shot into the lungs. Knowing that found an acorn where there were no
he was now down for the count, I oak trees. Michele told him to not
texted my husband: I JUST SHOT throw it away. She believed it to be
A MONSTER! a sign and told her husband that she
Frank came so fast, I swear he was going to shoot a big buck on
flew. When he arrived on the quad, opening day. She promptly took the
he immediately asked, Where is acorn out with her during her two
he at? hunts. Now that people have heard
I told him that the buck was her story, they are now asking,
behind a tree. Ill never forget the How much for that acorn?
look on his face when he saw him. If you happen to see an acorn
His mouth dropped and his eyes demanding high dollars on eBay
bulged out. I then, got out of the you will now know why!
stand to get a better look. I honestly Michelles monster buck has
didnt know he was that big until eleven points and has been scored
I saw him up close on the ground. by her taxidermist. The preliminary
No ground shrinkage for me, he green score tallies 170 Boone and
actually got bigger! Crockett points.n
 Woods-N-Water News?
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 9
 2017 MICHIGAN DEER
The MDNR has compiled information hunters may find helpful before they hit
K n ow B e f o r e Yo u G o
Part of hunting preparation includes review-
ing and understanding pertinent deer regulations.
Visit mi.gov/deer, which provides highlights of
regulation changes, information about deer man-
agement and links to additional resources, such
as deer check stations. Refer to the 2017 Hunting
and Trapping Digest and Antlerless Digest, also
available at DNR Customer Service Centers and
license vendors, for a map of all deer manage-
ment units (DMUs) and other regulation details.
B r e e d i n g A c t iv i t y
The peak of breeding activity (the rut) for
Michigan deer occurs prior to the opening of the
firearm deer season on Nov. 15, with increased
movement and activity beginning in late Octo-
ber. The peak breeding dates are fairly consistent
statewide; however, does that are not bred during
the primary rut, or fawns who are able to put
on enough weight, are likely to be receptive to
breeding about a month later. This breeding activ-
ity often occurs in mid-December and, though
less intensive than the primary rut a month
earlier, can lead to increased activity and daylight
movement later in the season. Hunters can often
take advantage of these increased deer move-
ments. Archery hunting is very popular in late
October and early November, followed by the
busiest deer hunting day of the year the opening
of the firearm season.
W H AT TO E X P E C T
The 2016 season, while seeing a decrease
in hunter numbers, ended with a slight increase
in harvest from 2015. Overall hunting success
increased across most of the state in 2016, with
slightly more than five out of every 10 hunters
taking home at least one deer last season.
The winter of 2016 was relatively mild across The 2017 harvest in southern Michigan should be like last year, with perhaps a slight in-
the entire state. Low snowfall levels and above- crease given the current conditions. Harvest in the southern Lower Peninsula can depend
average temperatures made for good deer sur- heavily on the percentage of standing corn. Kenny Darwin photo
vival conditions and great potential for this years
fawns. Spring had relatively mild weather as units are in the south central portion of the U.P., on the regular and restricted tags of the combi-
well, which is a major factor in both deer fitness which typically has higher deer populations than nation license remains in place) and a one-buck
and fawn survival. Due to these circumstances, anywhere else in the U.P. All other areas in the limit for the entire deer season. This means any
this year both the overall number of fawns seen U.P. will not have antlerless licenses available. hunter participating in the deer hunting season on
and the number of twins and triplets across the In general, hunters should expect to see a Drummond Island may only harvest one buck for
state have increased. In addition to an increase in slight increase from the number of deer they saw the entire deer season, and that buck must have a
the number of fawns being reported, the overall last year, with increases especially in 1.5- and least three antler points on one side, each 1 inch
number of deer being observed appears to be up 2.5-year-old age classes. Keep in mind that each or greater in length. Drummond Island hunters
as well. area is influenced by local factors and conditions, may purchase a combination license, but the sec-
The 2017 deer season is forecasted to have which then affects deer density and sightings in ond tag must be used in any DMU other than 117.
similar to slightly increased success rates com- that area. The largest bucks (heaviest and largest
antlers) typically come from agricultural areas, N o r t h e r n L owe r Pe n i n s u l a
pared to last year. See below for regional infor-
mation. but nice bucks also are taken from forested areas The northern Lower Peninsula is expected
where access is limited and where they have an to see an increase in deer harvest this year. With
U p p e r Pe n i n s u l a opportunity to get older. the mild winter last year and little impact from
The Upper Peninsula has experienced two Continuing for 2017: archery hunters may the previous winter, deer populations have been
relatively mild winters the last two years. Though harvest antlerless deer only if they have an antler- increasing steadily across much of the area.
overall deer numbers are still lower than many less license. In the U.P., they may not use their Deer sightings have been good throughout the
hunters like to see, some areas have begun to single deer or combination deer license to take region, and many have reported seeing healthy
recover from previous harsh winters nicely. As a an antlerless deer during archery season. This fawns, including many sets of twins and even
result, DNR staff members recommended open- change does not affect the Liberty or Indepen- some triplets.
ing a few additional units to antlerless hunting dence Hunt and does not impact the mentored Many areas may see more 2.5-year-old and
this year. Deer management units open to public- youth license. 3.5-year-old bucks this year with the now-perma-
and private-land antlerless permits include DMUs New for 2017: DMU 117 (Drummond Island) nent three-point antler point restriction (APR) in
055, 121, 155, and 255. DMU 122 will be open has a new three-point antler point restriction on 13 counties in the northwest area. This APR al-
only to private land-antlerless permits. The open the single deer license (the antler point restriction lows the majority of 1.5-year-old bucks to mature
10 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
HUNTING FORECAST
the field this fallBy Chad Stewart, Deer, Elk, Moose Management Specialist
to the next age class, resulting in increased num-
bers of 2.5- and 3.5-year-old bucks in the years
following. All northern Lower Peninsula deer
management units are open for antlerless hunting;
refer to the 2017 Antlerless Deer Digest if you
are interested in obtaining an antlerless license.
New for 2017: DMU 487 no longer has
an APR in place on the regular tag of the deer
combination license. Hunters can harvest antler-
less deer using either their single deer or deer
combination license during the early/late antler-
less firearm, archery, firearm or muzzleloading
seasons, but the APR that had been in place since
2010 has been removed. Keep in mind that those
who purchase a combination license still have a
four-point APR on the restricted tag of the com-
bination license, which is similar to the rest of the
state. For a map of the different APRs in Michi-
gan, see pages 32 and 33 of the 2017 Hunting and
Trapping Digest.
Public-land antlerless licenses also have
changed. Removed are the individual public-
land units of DMUs 001 (Alcona), 004 (Alpena),
035 (Iosco), 060 (Montmorency), 068 (Oscoda),
071 (Presque Isle) and 135 (Tawas). All are now
a part of DMU 487. Hunters who previously
hunted public land under one of these licenses
now can purchase a public-land antlerless license
for DMU 487. This change opens more oppor-
tunities for hunters to move around public land
in the six-county area. DMU 452, the core TB
management area, remains separate from DMU
487 for public-land licenses.
S o u t h e r n L owe r Pe n i n s u l a
Abundant food and cover in the form of agri-
cultural crops and scattered swamps and wood-
lots provide very good habitat across the southern
Michigan landscape. This high-quality habitat,
combined with relatively mild winter conditions,
typically results in a more abundant and produc-
tive deer population compared to other regions
of the state. The 2017 harvest should be like last
year, with perhaps a slight increase given the
current conditions. Harvest in the southern Lower
Peninsula can depend heavily on the percentage
of standing corn. If corn harvest is delayed going
into the firearms season, a reduced deer harvest
can be expected.
Over the last decade or more, deer popula-
tion estimates and indices (including deer/vehicle
collisions, crop damage complaints, and observa-
tions of deer by the hunting community and field
staff) in the southern Lower Peninsula have sta-
bilized or declined. In many instances, reductions
were intended to reduce conflicts that can occur
when deer populations are high, though the DNR
still desires to keep adequate deer for enjoyable
hunting and viewing experiences. A relatively
high proportion of land in this region is broken
into small parcel sizes and privately owned. Giv-
en this framework, the DNR is working to find
more ways to balance high-quality deer hunting
experiences and increased hunting opportunities
with habitat management goals among networks
of private landowners and hunters.
The southeastern Lower Peninsula offers
numerous reserved and lottery deer hunting op-
portunities at managed waterfowl hunt areas,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife refuges
and Sharonville State Game Area in Jackson and
Washtenaw counties. Additional information
related to these hunts can be found on the DNR
Reserved Deer Hunts web page. A limited number
of leftover licenses are available for these hunts;
review the leftover licenses page and navigate to
Deer Reserved Hunts on the drop down menu
for available quantities. Hunters seeking more
information related to deer hunting opportunities at
the DNRs managed waterfowl hunt areas should
contact Nayanquing Point, Fish Point or Harsens
Island field offices and speak with staff.
Additionally, an Urban Deer Management Zone
has been developed for Macomb, Oakland and
Wayne Counties (see section below). The archery
season in these counties will extend to Jan. 31,
2018 to better manage human-deer conflicts. More
information on the Urban Deer Management Zone
can be found on page 35 of the 2017 Hunting and
Trapping Digest.
W I L D L I F E H E A LT H
A N D R E G U L AT I O N S
CWD in Souther n Michigan
Due to the CWD-positive free-ranging deer
that have been found in Ingham and Clinton coun-
ties since May 2015, several regulations are in
place to help monitor the disease:
The creation of DMU 333 to surround the
area where the positive CWD cases have been dis-
covered. This area includes Bath, DeWitt, Eagle,
Olive, Riley, Victor, Watertown and Westphalia
townships in Clinton County; Alaiedon, Delhi,
Lansing, Meridian, Wheatfield and Williamstown
in Ingham County; Woodhull Township in Shia-
wassee County; Delta and Oneida townships in
Eaton County; and, new for 2017, Roxand Town-
ship in Eaton County and Danby and Portland
townships in Ionia County.
Mandatory registration for all deer harvested
in DMU 333. Deer heads must be submitted to
a DNR check station within the DMU within 72
hours of harvest.
The removal of the four points on a side
rule on the restricted combination license for DMU
333.
The ability to harvest an antlerless deer in
place of a buck with a single deer or deer combina-
tion license during the firearm and muzzleloading
seasons.
The creation of a CWD Management Zone,
DMU 419, which includes the parts of Clinton,
Eaton, Ingham, Ionia and Shiawassee counties not
included in DMU 333.
A baiting and feeding ban in DMUs 333 and
419, along with increased antlerless quotas and
reduced antlerless license costs.
In 2017, two CWD positive animals were
reported from a captive deer facility in Mecosta
County. Regulations established this year are
meant to surround where these recent positive ani-
mals have been detected since last hunting season.
Due to this situation, DMU 359 was created, which
encompasses Mecosta, Austin, Morton, Hinton,
Aetna and Deerfield townships in Mecosta County
and Cato, Winfield and Reynolds townships in
Montcalm County. DMU 359 has mandatory deer
check. Deer heads must be submitted to a DNR
check station within the DMU within 72 hours
of harvest. For more information on CWD, visit
mi.gov/cwd.
Since the discovery of CWD in May 2015,
over 14,000 free-ranging white-tailed deer have
been tested and nine CWD positive animals have
been identified. For the most up to date informa-
tion and a map of CWD areas, visit mi.gov/cwd.
Because of the concerns associated with
CWD, a new regulation prevents the transporta-
tion of deer, elk and moose carcasses harvested
outside of Michigan from being returned to
Michigan, except for antlers and clean skull caps,
deboned meat, hides, quartered meat (that does
not include any part of the spinal column or head
attached), finished taxidermy mounts, and elk
ivories. Previously, this regulation applied only to
states with known cases of CWD. The regulation
now has been expanded to include all states and
provinces, regardless of their CWD status.
B ov i n e T u b e r c u l o s i s
In the northeast Lower Peninsula, the preva-
lence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in the core
zone, DMU 452, showed a slight decrease last
year. The rate in DMU 452 decreased from 2.7
percent in 2015 to 2 percent in 2016. The preva-
lence rate in the five-county TB Management
Zone (DMU 487) remained the same in 2016,
staying at 0.3 percent. Hunters are strongly en-
couraged to harvest antlerless deer to help main-
tain reduced deer numbers and keep TB in check.
Older antlered deer also should be harvested and
are especially important to be checked, as these
animals are more likely to contract TB. Bring-
ing in a deer or deer head to a check station for
testing allows the DNR to track the prevalence of
the disease in the population and informs hunters
whether their deer has the disease.
The DNR encourages everyone hunting in
the following counties to bring their deer head in
for testing: Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Cheboygan,
Crawford, Huron, Iosco, Lake, Midland, Mont-
morency, Newaygo, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego,
Presque Isle and Roscommon.
To learn more about TB and other wildlife
health issues, visit mi.gov/emergingdiseases.
T H I N G S TO C O N S I D E R
Urban Area Hunt
New for 2017: archery season has been ex-
tended in three counties in the southeastern part of
the state. The archery season will now run through
Jan. 31, 2018 in DMUs 050 (Macomb), 063 (Oak-
land) and 082 (Wayne). Any valid unused license,
including antlerless licenses, will be available to
be used during this time frame. This extension
allows additional opportunities for archers and
crossbow users to help manage deer that inhabit
a largely urban landscape. The DNR is optimis-
tic that this extension will provide a gateway for
many local parks to allow hunting as a recognized
form of deer management in these urban areas.
2017 Deer hunting forecast page 12
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 11
2017 Deer hunting forecast:
from page 11
Public Land
Hunting
The DNR offers an online tool
named Mi-HUNT, an interactive
web application located at mi.gov/
mihunt, to help hunters home in on
good habitat and potential hunting
spots. For those who find them-
selves short on time, these tools are
an excellent way to save some time
and narrow down their selection.
northern Lower Peninsula, offer-
ing many new properties. For more
information about hunting HAP
lands or enrolling your property,
visit mi.gov/hap to find property
information for each county, includ-
Hunting ing location details and aerial maps.
Access Program Each property offers specific types
Looking for a place to hunt this of hunting (all hunt types, youth and
year or interested in earning income apprentice, turkey only, small game
to allow public hunting on your only, elk only or a combination of
land? The DNR Hunting Access these).
Program has 23,000 acres of private Mentor
hunting land available this hunting
season. Since 1977, HAP has sup- a Yo u t h H u n t e r
ported Michigans hunting heritage A shared experience with fam-
and this year expands to include the ily and friends is one of the most
cherished aspects of hunting. The
DNR encourages hunters to share
that heritage with a young person in
their life. Under the Mentored Youth
Hunting Program, it is possible to
take a youth that is 9 years of age or
younger deer hunting. For specific
program requirements, visit mi.gov/
mentoredhunting.
Michigan Sportsmen
A g a i n s t H u n ge r
The Michigan Sportsmen
Against Hunger program is a
wonderful way for hunters to share
a part of their harvest this fall, or
donate a whole deer. Since 1991,
the organization has been working
to help connect donors, wild game
processors and charities that feed
needy individuals. Together, they
have assembled a network of pro-
cessors and charities to help channel
wild game donations into the hands
of those in need. If interested in
donating, please visit http://www.
sportsmenagainsthunger.org for a
list of participating processors.
Deer Check Stations
Michigan has some of the best
historical data on deer in the coun-
try. The data gathered at check
stations and from the hunter harvest
surveys helps the DNR make future
management decisions and helps
monitor the health of the herd. The
time spent talking with hunters is
invaluable to field staff. Be part of
this important aspect of deer man-
agement by bringing your deer or
deer head to a check station, along
with information about where and
when the deer was taken. As always,
you will receive a successful hunter/
deer management cooperator patch.
Review our deer check station list
for locations and hours.
APRs
See pages 32 and 33 of the 2017
Hunting and Trapping Digest for

0 %% Financing
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$1,000
$ ** lations. Visit the APR Corner page

0 Financing
located at mi.gov/deer for more

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for 84 Months*
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information and history on APRs in
A.P.R.

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To learn more about this pro-
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12 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
SALE GOOD WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 13
 The ultimate lever action deer rifle
Dont expose
your secret spot
use the
outpost
the stealth feeder
The lever action rifle is
Blends into definitely an American
icon. The lever action
Surroundings concept first came about
in 1848 in the form of the
AS SEEN ON Volition Repeating Rifle
MICHIGAN
OUT OF and under new owners
DOORS Horace Smith and
Daniel Wesson it would
become the Volcanic
SQUIRREL Repeating Rifle...
RESISTANT By Tom Lounsbury

T
CAP he term Volcanic prob-
ably related to the am-
munition which was
called a Rocket Ball,
entailing the hollow-
based lead bullet being
filled with black powder, capped off
holds
20 lbS
and with a percussion cap attached
for ignition (they also offered lever
corn action pistols). New Haven Arms
would then take over the Volcanic
Arms business in 1857, and Ben-
jamin Tyler Henry would begin
working at ways to improve the very
unique lever action rifle.
During this time, Smith and
Wesson would come out with their
pocket revolver which used a newly
developed, self-contained rimfire
cartridge, the .22 Short (which is
the oldest American cartridge still
in production today). Henry would
use this concept to come up with the
DURABLE
BROADCASTER
rimfire .44 Henry cartridge which
used a 216 grain lead bullet backed
by 25 to 28 grains of black powder.
Great For The Henry lever action rifle came
into being in 1860, just in time for
PUBLIC or PRIVATE the Civil War.
Land Hunters However U.S. Army officials
believed the Henry Rifle was too
Carry Sack Holds fragile for typical battlefield condi-
20 Pounds tions and they also felt it would
For Easy Refill expend too much ammunition.
As a result, only a little over 1700
Programmable Timer Henry Rifles were purchased by the
Drop 1# / Day U.S. government during the Civil
War. Despite this, soldiers saw the
Lasts Up To 3 Weeks
benefits of having a repeating rifle
on the battlefield, and those who
Hanging Wire & Throw Line could, would purchase their own.
INCLUDED Confederate soldiers who came up
With Metal Throwing Disc against U.S. soldiers armed with
Henry rifles called the lever action
rifle the gun that could be loaded
on Sunday and shot all week (al-
though the ammunition was nearly
impossible to obtain in the South,
Confederate President Jefferson Da-
vis had personal body guards who
were armed with Henry Rifles).
www.outpostfeeder.com The Henry Rifle would go on
to become a popular firearm in
outpostfeeder@gmail.com
14 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Tom Lounsbury practicing offhand shooting with his .44 Magnum
Henry Big Boy Steel Carbine. Its compact size and light weight of-
fers quick and natural handling characteristics.
the private sector, especially on
the western frontier where a little
extra firepower didnt hurt. Native
Americans would also appreciate
the Henry Rifle which would be
evidenced by artifacts discovered
on the Little Bighorn Battlefield. A
range fire in 1983 would reveal a
whole lot of unknown history about
Custers Massacre that was before
obscured by dense vegetation for
107 years. It turns out that the Sioux
and Cheyenne warriors who en-
gaged Custer were far better armed
than was once thought before.
Forensic archeologists uncovered a
wide variety of fired shell casings
and could literally map out how the
entire battle transpired.
A firearm that was prevalent in
warriors hands was the Henry Rifle
due to the distinct indentation it
made on the rim of fired .44 Henry
shell casings (there were other
firearms in the battle which used the
same round). Although the soldiers
single-shot .45-70 Springfield car-
bines had more power and effective
range than the Henry rifles, they
were no match against rapid fire-
power in an up close and personal
firefight.
Advancements would be made
in regards to lever action rifles
starting with the Winchester Model
1866 that featured a loading gate on
the side of the receiver as well as a
wooden forearm. It fired the same
rimfire .44 Henry round, and was
often referred to as the improved
Henry Rifle, as well as the Yellow
Boy due to its brass receiver. Win-
chester would bring out the Model
1873 in the newly developed .44-40
centerfire round which offered more
power and thanks to Hollywood
movies, it is the gun that won the
west. The Henry Rifle however, has
the honorable prestige of being the
lever action which paved the way
for a wide variety of makes, models
and calibers of lever actions from
1860 until present day.
I purchased my first lever action
rifle, a .22 Marlin Model 39, 50
years ago and it still remains to be
my favorite squirrel rifle. Lever
actions to follow were a Savage
Model 99 in .308, a Marlin Model
336 in .30-30 and a vintage Ithaca
in .22 Magnum, and I dearly en-
joy shooting all of them. However
none were legal for deer hunting in
southern Michigan when the Lim-
ited Firearms Zone came into being
3 years ago, which allowed rifles
firing specific sized straight-wall
cartridges to be used. To simplify
matters, I ordered a .44 Magnum
barrel for my single-shot T/C G2
Contender rifle system, and I have
taken several deer using this combi-
nation, with my longest shot being
in the neighborhood of 50 yards.
Since my preferred method of
bringing whitetails into range is
using deer vocalizations, the en-
counters are usually up close and
personal, and often in heavy cover,
which is a dandy environment for
the .44 Magnum round. There are
times when the shot occurs, I have
to thread the needle so to speak, in
order to hit my mark in dense cover
situations, and I have seen the occa-
sion when having a quick follow-up
shot isnt a bad idea at all. Needless
to say folks, Ive been giving using
a lever action rifle chambered in the
dependable .44 Magnum round a
serious look for some time now, and
just recently took the plunge.
An American gun manufacturer
that has kept the Henry Rifle legacy
alive is the Henry Repeating Arms
Company of Bayonne, New Jersey.
Ive long admired their lever action
rifles featuring brass receivers and
the fact that all the materials used
in making their firearms is obtained
from American businesses. A key
slogan for the family owned Henry
Repeating Arms Company is Made
in America or not at all, a fact I
truly appreciate and respect.
Not that long ago, Henry Re-
peating Arms brought out their Big
Boy Steel rifle (20 inch barrel)
which was all steel, lighter in weight
and with no brass, which caught my
attention and caused me to seriously
ponder matters. Then last year they
brought out the Big Boy Steel
carbine (16.5 inch barrel) which
was lighter yet, and very compact,
and I was immediately smitten. As
I write this, I havent had my new
.44 Magnum Henry Big Boy Steel
carbine for very long, but I have
been test firing it a number of times
on my backyard shooting range, and
certainly a lot more shooting ses-
sions will follow before the Novem-
ber deer season arrives (which will
be here before you know it). I prefer
to have complete intimacy with a
hunting arm before I ever venture
afield with it.
The wood (which is American
black walnut) to metal (American
steel) fit is perfectly done, and the
checkering on the buttstock and
forearm is deeply cut and tasteful
while offering a nonslip grip. At
only six and a half pounds, it is a de-
light to carry and it comes up to the
shoulder in a well balanced and fluid
manner to form the perfect meld.
The trigger is light, crisp and with
no creep, and I appreciate the large
loop lever which can readily ac-
commodate a gloved hand on cold,
brisk days. The adjustable sights
feature a semi-buckhorn rear and
bright brass front bead that on my
carbine are (point of aim) accurate
at 25 yards on my shooting bench
with Winchester .44 Magnum, 240
grain jacketed soft points, right after
taking the gun out of the box. Once I
fired a couple of rounds to season
the pristine bore, which formed a
figure-8 slightly low and to the left,
the next 3 shots formed a single hole
at dead center (pristine bores are not
always the most accurate and a bit
of fouling straightens matters out).
Besides .44 Magnum, this car-
bine will also readily fire .44 S&W
Special ammunition, and I test fired
with that as well. For the recoil sen-
sitive, I will state that there wasnt
any noticeable kick whatsoever
with the .44 S&W Special rounds
(Winchester 200 grain Silvertip hol-
low points, which hit 2 inches high
at 25 yards) and thanks to a thick
rubber recoil-pad, the .44 Magnum
rounds were quite manageable (I
wont hesitate to let a youth hunter
fire this carbine).
I also performed a 30 yard,
offhand rapid fire exercise (with .44
Magnum rounds) at an 8-inch paper
plate and the Henry carbines action
was very smooth for accurate follow
up shots. This was done while fo-
cusing on the center of mass on the
plate (there are no bulls-eyes painted
on deer) and all five rounds formed
a decent group near the center of the
plate (the magazine holds 7 rounds).
The Henry Big Boy Steel car-
bine (and rifle too) already comes
with sling swivel studs and has deer
hunting written all over it. Like the
old original Henry Rifle, there is
no loading gate at the side of the
receiver and rounds are dropped
into the tube just below the muzzle,
and then you slide a spring loaded
rod down, which I fully appreciate
because the carbine can be unloaded
without having to rack all the rounds
out (just be sure to have a good grip
on the rod when pushing it down
over a full capacity, because this
features a very strong spring the
reason for such a smooth feed).
During recent years Ive seen
where other firearm manufacturers
have added hammer-block safeties
to their lever actions which isnt ex-
actly my cup of tea because it is an
extra thing to consider when things
happen quick in the deer woods.
Henry Repeating Arms uses a slid-
ing transfer bar safety system on
its lever actions which simplifies
matters and certainly works for me.
Although I wouldnt hesitate
to take my Henry Big Boy Steel
carbine into the deer woods as is,
I will be mounting a Leupold 1 4
X variable scope on it (it is already
conveniently drilled and tapped for
scopes), which I believe is ideal
optics for typical .44 Magnum bal-
listics. I also dont have the owl-
eyes for low light shooting condi-
tions that I once used to have. When
it comes to hunting local whitetails
in dense cover, Ill take every edge
I can get.
That is also why Ive decided to
go to a compact and quick handling
Henry Repeating Arms lever action,
and a key reason lever actions still
remain popular today with American
shooters, and have been since 1860.
For more information, go to
www.henryusa.com.n
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 15
 Keep comfortable on the
ice and increase your catch
So much is written
about ice-fishing
equipment like rods,
reels, lures and line
that we often overlook
the apparent when
it comes to catching
more fish through the
ice...comfort!
By Mark Martin
T
he fact of the matter
if youre not comfort-
able while ice fishing.
Youll lose the concen-
tration needed to catch
fish; instead, all youll
be thinking of is your cold feet,
hands and, eventually, whole body.
And let you not forget the sore back
and joints later on, which stiffened
from being so cold.
And even though its very im-
portant, staying comfortable while
on the ice requires more than just
quality clothing and heat-producing
accessories. Its also how you
prepare yourself before the trip is
just as important. In short, keeping
warm, dry and, well, just plain ol
comfy will help you to pay attention
to what it takes to fool a fish into
striking. Your catch will increase,
and youll enjoy your day on the ice
from all aspects.
Creature Comforts
My guess is the most overlooked
steps to staying comfortable all day
long while on the ice are eating
well, cleaning yourself up before-
hand and keeping dry before and
after venturing out.
The first thing I do is to have all
my gear packed in my vehicle the
night before, so as not to work up a
sweat just before heading out. Well
ahead of time Ill get my rods, reels,
lures, auger, heater, ice shanty, and
snowmobile in place and strap them
down so all I have to do is grab my
bait and hit the road.
Right after waking up, Ill head
to the kitchen and eat a hearty
breakfast. No, I dont go overboard
and stuff myself, but have a healthy
meal so as to keep my blood sugar
stabilized, which will allow my
body to keep its stamina throughout
the morning and help me produce a
constant body temperature.
I also pack plenty of food and
water for later in the day, because
theres nothing more uncomfortable
than hunger pains throughout the
day. Also, eating throughout the day
keeps those aforementioned blood
sugars from spiking and allowing
me to be alert all day long.
16 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Blue skies and warm temperatures are not the norm when ice fish-
ing; learn how to stay warm, dry and comfor table and you will catch
more fish through the ice. David A. Rose photo
I keep hydrated by drinking lots
of water, this keeps my veins and
blood vessels from constricting,
which allows my blood to flow
smoothly throughout my body. As
youve probably experienced, when
circulation slows in any appendage,
it gets cold.
Sipping hot coffee from a Ther-
mos might keep you comfortable,
but its best not to drink too much
as caffeine is a diuretic and causes
dehydration. Alcohol of any kind
is also a diuretic and should not be
consumed when ice fishing.
As soon as I am done eating
breakfast, Ill hop in the shower and
wash up. Although my skin may feel
dry, my pores were secreting sweat
throughout the night, and the oils
in the sweat, now on my skin, will
hold any moisture that accumulates
later in the day. By showering, your
body oils are washed off, thus youll
stay dryer and warmer all through-
out the day.
Layer by layer
Once Ive bathed its time to get
dressed. I make sure to wear nothing
I wore the day or night before. I also
dont put everything on that I may
be wearing while on the ice.
Instead, I wear just the light in-
ner garments and a light jacket, and
pack the thick outerwear in a duffle
bag so I can find them easily and
put individual layers on as needed.
Its been proven that the best
way to dress for outdoor activities
is in many layers of light clothing
rather than bulk up in one heavy
garment. The reason? No matter
the insulation value of the clothes
you are wearing, the best insulat-
ing factor is the warm air trapped
in-between the layers. Also, you
can put on and take off clothing as
needed to regulate your body heat as
your activity level changes.
The first layer of clothing I wear
is Clams IceArmor Base Layer
Poly Top and Poly Bottom. The
brushed-fleece material is naturally
moisture wicking, allowing mois-
ture to move through the fabric and
away from my skin; which will then
be absorbed into the next layer of
fabric. Fleece, too, has great insulat-
ing properties.
Next I wear clothing that
absorbs moisture, like light cotton
pants, T-shirt and outer shirt. This is
because its the wicking of moisture
through the fleece, away from your
skin and into the next layer of cloth-
ing that is the most important of all
layers.
The next layer is my outerwear.
I like IceArmors Extreme Parka
and Edge Cold Weather Bib. The
Extreme series bib is windproof,
waterproof and breathable, and the
Edge bibs have padded knees and
rear end, which are comfortable as
well water resistant. The Extreme
parka has 200 grams of premium
Thinsulate insulation to ward off
anything Mother Nature throws your
way.
Extremities
Speaking from experience,
Im here to tell you nothings more
irritating than cold fingers and feet.
And when one these extremities get
cold, the rest of the body is not far
behind.
One of the most important
pieces of clothing for me has always
been high-quality footwear. In the
past, I used to bring a small carpet
sample to lay on the ice, which
acted as an insulation barrier, and
then wore boots with rubberized
lower halves and thick leather
uppers. These old-style boots had
flannel inserts, and Id have to use
disposable toe warmers to keep my
toes from freezing up.
Todays boots are light in weight
and warmer than ever. I suggest the
very first thing you purchase for ice
fishing is a high-quality pair.
My hands, conversely, rarely get
cold when Im ice fishing. And this
is a good thing as I like the feel-
ing of bare hands on an ice rod for
sensitivity sake. But when on my
snowmobile I like to wear Clams
IceArmor Extreme Mitts. (Tip:
Mittens are warmer than gloves!).
And when walking hole to hole to
check out my tip-ups and the like, I
wear their Fleece Grip Glove as they
allow me the most finger flexibility,
which lets me check my equipment
without having to take them off.
Theres No Place Like Home
Theres no doubt in my mind
that the most comfortable moments
when ice fishing will be spent inside
a nice, warm shanty. And there have
been a lot of changes in ice shanties
over the years.
Compared to what we Michi-
ganders call permanent shanties of
yesteryearlooking more like small
houses on ice; made of wood, metal
or whatever we could get our hands
on for cheaptodays portable
shanties are the best things ever
invented.
Unlike permanent shanties, por-
table shanties are easy to move from
spot to spot. They also second as
sleds for carrying all your gear. I use
Clams X300 Pro Thermal portable
shanty it has a super tough frame,
which holds up well in high winds.
And it has an insulated 1800 Denier
fabric shell to keep heat in and cold
out. Like permanent shanties, the air
inside my Clam is warmed by using
a portable propane heater.
Keep Comfy and Carry On
Overall, catching more fish
through the ice boils down to con-
centrating on what you are doing.
And if youre cold and uncomfort-
able you wont be able to focus on
fishing at all.
Pack up your vehicle the night
before, eat and drink well through-
out the day, shower up and stay
sweat free and youll be off to a
great start. Do all this and wear the
right clothing and fish from within a
portable shanty and youll find you
can fish all day without ever feeling
the cold.
Mark Martin is a professional
walleye tournament angler and an in-
structor for the Ice-Fishing Vacation/
School (fishingvacationschool.com)
who lives in southwest Lower Michi-
gan. Check out his website at mark-
martins.net for more information.n
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 17
HUNT
WOOD
DUCKS
By Kenny Darwin

T
he swoosh of duck wings almost
brushing my face got my heart
pumpin but it was still a few
minutes before shooting hours and
too dark to really see the ducks. In
the gray eastern sky I could see a
dozen birds in V-formation headed my direction
and when they got kissin close the flock dropped
landing gear and zoomed into my decoys and
plopped down with a resounding splash.
Now my heart was pounding as I clutched
the Winchester SX3 12 ga. loaded with steel shot
woodie #4 loads. I could make out the image of a
brightly colored drake calmly swimming among
the decoys. Thats when he let out a loud shrill
contact call that sent chills down my spine. I was
full camo from head to toe, face painted, hands
covered, gun spray painted swamp camouflage to
fool the sharp eyes of the wary adult birds only a
few feet from me. There were distant shots and
more birds appeared on the horizon and a quick
check of my watch indicated it was legal to shoot.
The squadron noticed the live swimming birds, The author likes to set up over decoys at daylight and jump shoot wood ducks during the
lowered landing gear and I greeted two big males mid-day. Come dark he is often back hunting over decoys or in a far location taking stand
with steel shot. Another brightly colored male in a wood duck honey hole.
crossed over the decoys and a quick shot dumped
him in the pond. you can have six ducks total daily including mal- Scouting can be the key to locating the exact
Wow! I thought to myself, the duck sea- lards, widgeon, gadwall, teal and more. Daily spot that woodies desire. Early morning and late
son just started and Im all tagged out. It was bag limit on mallards is four birds, no more than afternoon are when woodies are on the move and
a totally exciting opener and the birds provided two of which can be hens. Consult the Michigan swarming just above the tree tops. Watch them
awesome action and the kind of adrenaline rush Waterfowl Digest for shooting hours, time zones, with binoculars and locate hidden potholes where
that will keep any hunter coming back for more. hunting rules and regulations. Waterfowl hunt- they prefer to land. Now set up a few decoys in
The secret to my success hinged on some impor- ers must use steel shot and are required to carry the honey hole or simply use a tree as a backrest,
tant hunting strategies. If you want instantaneous a base license, waterfowl license and HIP and remain motionless and wait for incoming birds.
duck hunting shooting action Ive got good news. Federal Migratory bird hunters stamp. When the sun gets high and the birds stop
First, make the switch to woodies. Im talk- If you want to enjoy the awesome power of flying this is a time to go woodie jump shoot-
ing about really concentrating your efforts on woodies in your face you need to adjust your ing. The trick is to be completely camouflaged
wood duck hideouts and targeting the species. hunting strategy. For this brand of fast paced from head to toe and creep through likely woodie
Forget setting up over open water with mallard shooting you gotta get down and dirty. Im talk- cover. This is a very difficult task and requires
decoys. If you want hot shooting action you need ing about entering thick cover, tall cattails, boggy attention to detail and slow methodical wad-
to make the move to potholes, bays and swampy backwater bayous, hidden swamps, sloughs and ing. Woodies have excellent hearing and their
lairs that hold wood ducks by the dozens. marshes that offer thick cover. Dogs, duck boats eyesight is simply unbelievable. They can hear
This year will provide excellent duck hunting and large decoy spreads are almost out of the you at long distances if you are splashing wa-
for those who chase wood ducks. Numbers are question. In most cases you want to find a hidden ter and they often detect your presence in thick
up and great hatching conditions were enhanced swamp identified by water covered with bright cover by the telltale ripples on the water made
by abundant spring and summer rainfall. Most green duck weed. Wading is always difficult and while wading. Few challenges in hunting can
marshes carried open water through the entire you need to find ample cover to hide your human compete with stalking woodies. They are very
hot summer weather. You can expect excellent outline. Perhaps the biggest single habitat wood- difficult to approach and hide out in the thickest
gunning in local swamps, rivers, backwaters, ies desire is seclusion, far from the beaten path. cover you can find. The trick to success often
potholes and marshes. They tend to gather under willow trees covered hinges on your ability to move-pause while wad-
North zone season dates are now through with green leaves that hang over the water and ing, keeping movement to a minimum, making
November 26, 2017. Middle zone dates are provide a canopy on cool October nights. Wood- frequent stops to meticulously scan the cover
now through December. 3. South zone opens ies are experts at locating oak trees that drop for the telltale movement of swimming birds or
on October 14 and lasts until December 10. The acorns into the water along streams, ditches or
daily bag limit is three woodies either sex and marshes. Wood ducks love to eat acorns. Hunt Wood Ducks page 20
18 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 19
Hunt Wood Ducks:
from page 18
ripples on the water indicating birds past at lightning speed in low light
are swimming. The slower you conditions. Morning hunts can be
move, the less brush you break, the fast and furious and one hour after
less noise you make and the less daybreak come to an abrupt halt.
water you swoosh will determine This is when you begin stalking
how close you get to your target. woodies.
Make too much noise, use poor One of my favorite tactics is
camouflage and woodies quickly to sleep in and wait until low light
detect your presence and swim out conditions of late afternoon and
of range or jump up and fly away stalk through likely Woodie habitat. Wood ducks are a challenging target because they are relatively
out of gun range. Stalking woodies My white face is covered with face small, fly in zig zag patterns, have keen eyesight and often flare
is a tougher gig than approaching cream or a mask and my camouflage when they spot hunters. Kenny Darwin photos
wild turkeys or a big buck but it is clothing matches the environment.
Unlike other ducks, woodies multiple targets. Sometimes I use a
fantastic practice for those who wish My goal is to get the setting sun
offer only a single shooting op- #2, 3-inch shell for my last shot in
to hone stalking skills. to my back, sneak up on birds and
portunity. They zoom past kissin case the first two miss and I need a
One deadly hunting strategy is have some exciting jump shooting
close and they are gone, seldom do final long distance poke.
to set up on a pothole at daylight action. Then, come the last hour
they circle decoys and give shoot- One trick is to use motion de-
and switch to jump shooting when before shooting hours close I hug a
ers time to prepare for a shot. This coys in a woodie hot spot. MOJO
the light gets bright. Savvy hunters tree, stand motionless and ambush
is fast action shooting that requires makes a Screamin Woodie spinning
stalk their hunting location before birds flying low over the flooded
your complete attention. Expect wing decoy that almost guarantees
daylight and set up where cover timber. Some days I have my limit
targets to be in easy range but flying birds will be landing in your face,
hides their human outline. Most before I take stand. On other days
erratically and you only get shots at especially during low light condi-
hug a tree or slip into bulrushes, the birds detect my presence and
fleeing MIG jets with afterburners tions of early morning and late eve-
cattails or available brush. The trick jump far out of range. This one-two
turned up max. Jumping birds pro- ning when the white rotating wings
is to be concealed to avoid being punch hunting strategy is deadly
vides going away shots that require mimic ducks landing like no other.
spotted by ducks yet have enough during traditional duck weather with
cat-like shooting skills and you Dont overlook the drawing power
visibility to shoot in any direction. overcast skies and windy weather
need to have your gun in the ready of decoys that swim or splash in
When daylight arrives you can ex- when it is difficult for birds to detect
position with finger on the safety the water like the Wonderduck with
pect woodies to make a ceremonial a human sneaking through the
while stalking. Clean kills are often spinning feet making ripples that
morning flight. This is pass shoot- flooded timber like a cougar on the
a result of how fast you can get the draw woodies like a magnet. There
ing at its finest with flocks zipping prowl.
shotgun to your shoulder while wad- are several modern wood duck
ing. Pass shooting requires the same decoys that will get the attention of
attention and complete readiness birds looking for friends. My choice
and unlike hunting over decoys is is the Avian X Topflight Wood duck
more intense because you need to be decoys.
constantly looking for passing birds. So, make the switch from hunt-
If you relax, take your finger off the ing open water with mallard decoys
safety, dont have the gun in a ready to seeking woodies in marshes,
position then woodies can blow past potholes, creeks and watery hide
your stand and blast out of range outs filled with grass, cattails, thick
before you shoulder the gun. This is brush and the water is covered with
heads-up gunning and requires your duck weed. You can expect excel-
complete attention. lent gunning the first few days of
For this brand of awesome jump season but as fall progresses and
shooting fun I like to use 2 12 the leafy canopy disappears with
ga. Magnum loads in #4 or #5 shot colder weather the woodies migrate.
because targets are always inside 40 Cash in on the awesome hunting
yards. Once you fire at a flushing opportunity this season when
bird expect more birds to blow out conditions are ideal and there
of the cover and suddenly you have are birds aplenty.n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 21
 Sharptails offer unique
hunting opportunity
By Bob Gwizdz, MDNR
M
ention grouse to
most Michigan-
ders and they im-
mediately assume
youre talking
about ruffed
grouse, game birds that thrive in ear-
ly successional forests think aspen
and provide much of the romance
in upland bird-hunting lore.
But theres another grouse in
Michigan that is far less numer-
ous and widespread and is pursued
by far fewer hunters. Sharp-tailed
grouse are prairie birds, inhabit-
ing grasslands and the neighboring
brush, found only in the Upper Pen-
insula and mostly on the east end.
While only a relative handful of
sportsmen hunt them, they offer a
unique upland opportunity to Michi-
gan bird hunters. Michigan also has
spruce grouse, which are not hunted.
Sharp-tailed grouse (commonly
called sharptails, sharpies or sharps)
are mottled brown, tan and white
birds that get their name from the
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22 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
shape of their primary tail feathers.
They average about 20 inches
in length and weigh in at around 2
pounds when mature. They are com-
mon in the western United States
and Canada, but are much less so
here in Michigan.
Michigan is the furthest east
state where you can hunt sharptails,
said Al Stewart, the upland game
bird specialist with the Michigan
Department of Natural Resources.
We work with a variety of partners
soil conservation districts, pri-
vate landowners, and the Michigan
Sharp-tailed Grouse Association to
maintain sharptail habitat and sharp-
tails so we can maintain a hunting
season in this state.
Youll see them in hay fields
and cattle-grazed grassland fields.
Sometimes you see sentry birds sit-
ting on top of round hay bales. They
like that brushy, fringe edge along
grassland areas. Sharp-tailed grouse
are an open-land species and much
of the Upper Peninsula wants to be
Sharp-tailed grouse are found in greatest concentrations in the Up-
per Peninsula in Chippewa and Schoolcraft counties.
trees. One of our challenges is trying
to maintain these large open areas.
Sharptails were first documented
in Michigan in 1888 on Isle Royale.
They were widespread across the
U.P. after the logging era, when
wildfires opened up the landscape.
They were once more numerous
on the west end of the peninsula,
where it is assumed they moved
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into the state from farther west. But
sharptail numbers dwindled in the
western U.P. as the habitat suc-
ceeded to forests, though a remnant
population remains on the east side.
State wildlife biologists estab-
lished sharptail populations in suit-
able habitat in the northern Lower
Peninsula by trapping and transfer-
ring birds from the U.P. as well as
importing birds from Wisconsin and
Alberta, Canada.
They were popular with hunters
for many years, but forest regenera-
tion eventually eliminated their hab-
itat in the Lower Peninsula and most
of the U.P. By the late 1980s, an
estimated 90 percent of the states
sharptail habitat had disappeared,
and some biologists worried that the
birds were in danger of being elimi-
nated entirely from Michigan.
In 1996, the season was closed.
But subsequent surveys, led
by DNR research biologist David
Luukkonen, found that the birds
were more numerous than previ-
ously thought. Historically, surveys
were conducted on established
breeding grounds, which are known
as leks.
We did a radio-telemetry study
versity and found the birds arent
always faithful to one lek, Luuk-
konen said. They move around a
lot. We not only went to established
leks, but we did random samples of
other open-land areas. A little more
than half the areas we surveyed had
sharp-tailed grouse in them. And we
surveyed areas multiple times and
found out that on any given morn-
half the time.
We were pleasantly surprised
by the number of birds we found.
After a decade, the DNR re-
opened sharp-tailed grouse season in
the eastern U.P. in a small area east
of I-75. In a conservative approach,
the DNR gradually expanded the
open hunting area west of I-75.
During this time, habitat improved
in this western area largely as a
result of wildfires.
Still, few hunters chase them. In
the most recently completed sur-
vey of sharp-tailed grouse hunters
in 2014, an estimated 289 hunters
killed 134 birds.
Though there are good popula-
tions of sharptails in areas some-
what farther west in the U.P., the
DNR has been conservative about
expanding hunting opportuni-
ties. The counties with the highest
population levels are Chippewa and
Schoolcraft.
Were approaching sharptails
with a very conservative sustainable
management process, Stewart said.
We set our season to correspond to
that.
Sharp-tailed grouse season is
opened Oct. 10 and closes Oct. 31 in
portions of Chippewa and Mackinac
counties. Check the 2017 Michigan
Hunting and Trapping Digest for
details.
Sharptails are challenging to
hunt.
Theyre fairly wary, Stewart
said. Sometimes when you enter a
field, they flush out at the far side of
the field. You know how pheasants
are wary and wild late in the sea-
son? Sharp-tailed grouse are even
more wary.
You wont get a lot of shots at
them, he continued. In your effort
to hunt sharp-tailed grouse, you may
spend a lot of time walking through
pastures and meadows and then, if
your dogs go on point, if you get
close enough to get within a 20- to
30-yard range of them, you can
harvest one.
In Michigan, theyre a trophy
grouse. A Michigan Depar tment of Natural Resources fire crew conducts a
Hunters may take two sharptails prescribed burn to improve habitat at the AuTrain Wildlife Refuge in
a day and have four in possession, Alger County in 2016.
with a season limit of six. Surveys
show hunters average about a half a private land. tling shaking their wing feathers.
bird per season. We have very limited state On quiet mornings, rattling can be
The DNR is anticipating a good land that has the habitat on it, but heard for half a mile or more.
season this year. there are some Hunting Access From their early history in
Weve certainly been seeing Program (HAP) lands available, Michigan, to the hunting opportuni-
birds in the surveys weve done, Jentoft said. ties of today, as the birds make a
said Dave Jentoft, the DNR wild- More information about the comeback in the Upper Peninsula,
life biologist in Sault Ste. Marie. I Hunting Access Program is avail- sharp-tailed grouse are a fascinating
expect it will be a decent season for able at www.michigan.gov/hap. species to learn about, see and hunt
hunters who are pursuing sharptails In addition to hunting, sharp- a welcome denizen to our wonder-
in the area. tails are popular with birdwatchers ful prairie habitats.
Its a unique opportunity for because of their lavish courtship More information about the
hunters. Its a relatively small area, rituals. On spring mornings, males Hunting Access Program is avail-
given the size of the state. There are fly into leks where they dance to at- able at www.michigan.gov/hap. To
hunters who come from miles away, tract females. learn more about hunting for sharp-
even from out of state, to hunt. The birds arch their backs, raise tailed grouse and other Michigan
Most birds are harvested on their tails and twist and turn as they game species, visit www.michigan.
stomp their feet, vocalizing and rat- gov/hunting.n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 23

Plug fishing
river steelhead
F
all steelhead can be
caught on a lot of dif-
ferent presentations,
but when these fish
show up in Michigans
many spawning streams
wobbling plugs are in a class all
by themselves. For reasons only
steelhead seem to understand, a
wobbling plug incites an angry and
almost always savage strike. Com-
pared to the subtle take of fishing a
bead rig, a spawn bag or jig below
a bobber, steelhead literally crush
plugs, pinning the rod tip to the
water in the process!
Pick of the Litter
A number of wobbling plugs
routinely produce great ac-
tion on fall steelhead. His-
torically the baits of choice
included the Luhr Jensen
Kwik Fish and Hot Shot,
Storms Wiggle Wart and
Hot-N-Tot, plus the Yakima
Flat Fish. These days some
newcomers are making a
serious name for themselves
including the
Yakima Mag By Mark Romanack
Lip series and
Fat Wiggler, Brads Wiggler and the
Cotton Cordell Wiggle-O.
All of these lures have in com-
mon a compact shape, pronounced
diving lip and wide side-to-side
wobbling action. When it comes to
steelhead, there is something about
crankbaits with a wide wiggle that
trips their trigger. Other crankbait
styles and actions catch steelhead on
occasion, but nothing out-produces
24 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
the wide wobbling action on fall
steelhead.
Skip Beat Action
Lures that have a wide wiggle
are at the top of the list among seri-
ous plug fishermen. Lures that also
feature a hunting action are even
more productive on river steelhead.
The Yakima Mag Lip heads the
pack in terms of baits that hunt
while they fish. Yakima calls it a
skip beat action because the bait
will be wobbling in a consistent and
predictable manner, then suddenly
skip a beat and dart suddenly to one
side or the other. A second later the
bait is back to wobbling in a predict-
able manner.
The skip beat action
of the Mag Lip is some-
thing that didnt just hap-
pen by accident, explains
lure designer Buzz Ramsey.
We painstakingly worked
on creating not only baits
that are tuned and ready
to fish out of the package,
but baits that also have a
natural hunting
action.
The inter-
esting thing about lures that hunt
is they tend to generate even more
aggressive and intense strikes than
other wobbling plugs. I think when
that bait darts to the side, fish reach
aggressively because its getting
away, adds Ramsey. Ive noticed
in my own plug fishing experience
that baits with a hunting action are
often inhaled deep into the back of
the fishs mouth. There is little doubt
that fish are hitting these lures with
more enthusiasm and getting hooked
more solidly as a result.
Colors Matter
When it comes to steelhead fish-
ing it seems every angler has his or
her favorite plug colors. Some of the
most popular color patterns for fall
steelhead include metallic gold, me-
tallic gold/black back, metallic gold/
orange back, metallic gold/flame,
metallic gold/green pirate, metallic
perch and metallic gold/black bill.
On bright sunny days metallic
silver clown, metallic silver/blue pi-
rate, metallic silver/red herringbone,
grinch, metallic silver/chartreuse
and metallic silver/fluorescent red
stripe are also good color options.
Custom Colors
In recent years a growing num-
ber of manufacturers have started
offering their baits in custom colors.
Dealers must order a minimum
number to get these special color
options. A few of the custom colors
that have made quick names for
themselves include hammer time,
princess and payday.
Custom Hooks
In addition to fishing custom
painted plugs, most serious crank-
bait fishermen are removing the
factory hooks and adding premium
after market hooks. On the west
coast most anglers remove the treble
hooks and replace them with Siwash
hooks. A small swivel is first added
to the split ring and then the open
eye of the Siwash hook pinched
Plug colors make a difference and
this Mag Lip Metallic Gold Flame is
hands down the authors favorite
steelhead color. As evidenced by
this par ticular scarred up plug,
this is a very fishy color that
produces steelhead day in and
day out. Mark Romanack photos
closed around the swivel.
This rigging option allows the
hook to rotate when a fish is hooked,
preventing a powerful fish from
rolling, thrashing and leveraging the
hook free. For most plugs a 2/0 size
Siwash is about right.
My experience with rigging
plugs with Siwash hooks has been
very good. The hook up ratio is
about the same as with treble hooks,
but the ratio of fish that stay buckled
up is much greater. My favorite Si-
wash hook is the Eagle Claw Trokar
in 2/0 size.
Great Lakes steelhead anglers
are much more likely to use pre-
mium treble hooks when switching
out the factory hooks on their plugs.
Some of the most popular models
include the Eagle Claw Trokar
TK310 and Mustads Short Shank
KVD Triple Grip.
When switching out hooks on
plugs, most anglers will opt for a
hook one size larger than the factory
OEM hooks. Going any bigger than
one size is risky as larger hooks can
and do impact negatively on the ac-
tion of some plugs.
Sharp Hooks
For those anglers who arent
willing to purchase premium after
market hooks, the next best option is
investing in a good hook file and be-
coming religious about sharpening
hooks. Rapala makes a good file that
has a pair of rat-tail files on one side
and a grooved diamond stone on the
other. The file is handy for remov-
ing material fast and the diamond
stone best for putting a finish edge
on hooks.
A sticky sharp hook makes
all the difference in keeping those
fish that bite hooked up. Learning
to sharpen a hook is easy. Taking
the time when the fish are biting is
something many anglers struggle
with.
Scent Helps
All species of trout and salmon
have a highly developed sense of
smell. Using natural scent products
is one way to help trigger strikes
from fish that might otherwise be
skeptical of hard baits. Natural is the
operative word here because a lot of
fishing scents are made up primarily
of anise oil.
My favorite fishing scents are
produced by Pro Cure, who uses
natural baitfish like alewives,
herring, smelt, etc., to make their
fishing scent products. The baitfish
is first dehydrated and then ground
into a fine powder. Next a sticky
and odor free gel is mixed with the
ground up baitfish to create what is
known as Super Gel.
Super Gel is ideal for fishing
with hard baits because it stays
where it is put and gives off a strong
scent stream for about 30 minutes.
Most fishing scents are liquids that
wash off almost as quickly as they
are applied.
Clean Up Matters
Fishing scents work nicely for
triggering strikes, but for these
products to work properly the lures
must first be washed free of foreign
odors. Bad Azz Hand and Lure Soap
also produced by Pro Cure is ideal
for removing the sticky residue left
behind when using scent products.
If this residue is not washed away it
will eventually turn rancid.
A new product, this soap is de-
signed to be used without water and
also to be eco-friendly and nontoxic.
This product also does a nice job of
washing slime, blood, bait odors and
fish smell from your hands.
Plug Wraps
Another way to create a scent
stream in the water is to cut small
strips of herring and attach them to
your plugs using stretchy thread.
Plug wrapping is wildly popular on
the west coast, but few Great Lakes
anglers have tried this trick.
The Mag Lip series of crankbaits
even has groves molded into the
side of the plug to help hold herring
strips in place. Most guys who rou-
tinely use plug wraps tie up a few
baits ahead of time, pop them in a
plastic storage container and freeze
them.
A plug wrap will create a nice
scent stream for about 20 to 30 min-
utes. At that point the wrap can be
removed and replaced with a fresh
piece of herring or a scent product
added to recharge the bait.
Plugging Rods/Reels
The ideal plug rod for stream
steelhead applications is a medium
action graphite rod about eight foot
- six inches in length. The ideal plug
rod must have a soft tip that allows
the angler to monitor how well the
plug is wobbling by simply watch-
ing the rod tip dance. If the rod tip
stops dancing, most likely the plug
has fouled on leaves that are con-
stantly floating downstream.
A round frame baitcasting reel
loaded with 200 yards of 12 to 17
pound test monofilament line is
perfect for plug fishing. A growing
number of anglers are using high
visibility line and adding a six to
eight foot leader of fluorocarbon
at the terminal end. High visibility
line makes it easier to see the line
and direct baits into the kinds of
The author (left) and Josh Crabtree caught and released this impressive hen steelhead while filming an episode
of Fishing 411 TV on the Kalamazoo River.
places steelhead lay up like undercut premier steelhead streams that at- as the most popular destination on
banks, downed wood, rocks and cur- tract lots of fish in the fall. The St.
rent seams. Joe, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Pere
the Lake Huron side of the state.
Plugs catch steelhead on all of
Marquette and Big Manistee are the these rivers. The action gets going in
Mini Boards top prospects on the Lake Michigan November and stays strong through-
Most steelhead plug fishermen side and the AuSable River reigns out the winter months.n
fish their lures straight out the back
of the boat. A growing number of
anglers are discovering that with
JOE THOMAS PRO SERIES ROOSTER TAIL
the help of pint sized planer boards
DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY
wobbling plugs can be presented to
FOR BASS
places an angler could never cast
into.
The Off Shore Tackle Awesome
Crappie Board is just as awesome
when it comes to steelhead fishing.
By simply clipping the planer board
onto the line after deploying a favor- Classic Rooster Tail w/HD
ite plug, the Mini Board does a nice Split Ring & Pre-Sharpened
job of using the current to plane out Black Nickel Hook
to the side of the boat. Pulsating Hackle/Tinsel
Boards work great when tar- Dressed Hook Attracts Fish
geting current seams and they can
Genuine Silver,
also be used by anglers fishing Brass and/or
from shore or wading. When a fish
strikes, the board releases from the
Painted Blades
tow arm line release, but remains
pinned to the line thanks to an OR16
Snap Weight clip mounted at the
back of the board.
The second a fish is hooked the
board releases and when the line
pulls tight against the fish, the light-
weight board actually pulls right out This new Rooster Tail was designed with
of the water. When the board nears input from professional angler Joe Thomas
and built specifically for bass and schooling
the rod tip it is removed by simply stripers. Special components make it extra
pinching open the line clip. strong to handle the toughest fish, and it features all the
Board fishing for river steelhead attributes that make Rooster Tail so productive. Available in two sizes,
is becoming very popular because it and ounce for long casts and fast retrieves, the Joe Thomas Series
allows anglers to fish multiple rods. Rooster Tail comes in 12 finishes hand-selected by Joe Thomas.
Shore, wade and boat fishermen can
set out a plug and board rig with one
rod while casting spawn or a bead
rig with a second.
Summing It Up
Michigan has no shortage of
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 25
 AUTUMN
GOBBLERS
I
was stalking a beautiful huge gobbler. I was overjoyed to take
buck when movement from such a dandy tom using archery gear.
the underbrush More often than not harvest-
caught my atten- ing a fall gobbler requires
tion, something plenty of scouting and hard
dark black. To work. Heres why.
my surprise it was an adult When leaves be-
gobbler sporting a huge fan gin to fall and the smell
and 10-inch beard and then of autumn is in the air fall
I spotted two more toms gobblers become difficult to
following the lead bird. hunt. This is the time of year
My attention shifted to the when they travel in bachelor

By Kenny Darwin
feathered targets
as I slowly
shouldered the
Darton Toxin crossbow and centered
the crosshair on the lead gobbler. He
slipped through the underbrush silent
as a cat stalking a mouse and when
he came to a large fallen tree he
hopped on top. He looked absolutely
huge through the scope as I sent the
bolt through his vitals. The Spitfire
Gobbler Getter smashed through his
chest and knocked him on his tail
feathers. I rushed to the flopping
prize and quickly put my tag on the
groups and there
is always a look
out scanning the
forest for predators. Fall toms are
difficult to hunt, almost impossible
to stalk and calling a bachelor group
into bow range takes unbelievable
skill. Fall birds dont come running
to the sound of hen calls like spring
breeding birds. So, one hunting strat-
egy is to ambush them. A big gobbler standing erect offers an ideal target for those aim-
Begin by scouting and spot- ing at the stretched neck. However, birds that take this stance
ting birds that have a daily routine. while you are hunting them have probably spotted you and are
Often fall gobblers make daily treks about to run the opposite direction.
to white oak trees or grain fields in

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search of an easy meal. If you can set
up on their travel route and if you are
camouflaged to the max and super
patient you can get a shot at a bird of
a lifetime.
One of my best hunting
friends scores on a fall gobbler every
year by taking stand on his farm near
harvested corn fields or when hunt-
ing deer over apple trees. It seems
fall gobblers will wander into stubble
corn for an easy meal and they love
to peck fresh fruit recently blown
from autumn apple trees. Dont think
for a minute that some archery deer Fall turkeys gather under oak trees and they scratch
hunters take dandy toms when set up the soil and push aside leaves in search of fresh
while deer hunting. According to the acorns. Gobblers love acorns and will travel long
DNR, using bait is illegal for gob- distances to get the tasty nuts. Kenny Darwin photos
bler hunting. Savvy hunters set up
on turkey travel routes far from the
sweet spot and more than one tom Next I set up, cover the kids with one license a day until quotas are respond with some wake up calls and
has been taken near locations where fallen leaves and paint their face and met. soft yelps using a slate call. This gets
corn pickers have spilled kernels on hands. When young birds hear the This is a golden opportunity to the attention of fall gobblers and they
the ground. comeback calls they come running in harvest a young poult for the table will fly down and immediately come
This past spring there was excel- an effort to rejoin the family group. I and a big long beard for the wall. It is to investigate. The loud sounds of
lent poult recruitment and fall hunt- let them get kissin close to the kids unlawful to use bait to aid in taking wings hitting branches indicate birds
ers will see large groups of hens with before I shoot. Man, hunting with turkeys and mechanical decoys are are flying down and this will get
poult. Some hunters prefer to use kids is a riot. prohibited. You may not transport or your heart pounding. But your nerves
traditional hunting tactics and charge The beauty of fall hunting is have in your possession a turkey un- will kick into overdrive when you
into flocks and scatter them. Next you can get more than one tag and less the validated license is attached hear them land on the frost covered
they set up in the scatter location and harvest more than one turkey with a to a leg. morning bed of leaves and the loud
call birds into easy range using greet- beard or without a beard. According Another autumn strategy is to crunching as they walk in your direc-
ing calls and the famous come back to the MDNR Fall Turkey Guide; scout birds and roost them by figur- tion to investigate the sounds.
kee-kee noises. Any limited-quota licenses that ing out exactly which trees they Most hunters prefer using shot-
I love taking the neighbor kids remain as of Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. EST are using as a bedroom. Now you guns to harvest turkeys. But I prefer
on fall hunts in areas where I have may be purchased by any hunter, slip within 100 yards of the roosted a crossbow which has deadly accura-
scouted flocks. We sneak up on the with a current base license, includ- turkeys before daylight. Come
flock and unleash screaming, running ing those who did not apply for a fall dawn you wait for toms to greet the
kids that scatter birds like no other. turkey license. Hunters may purchase day with gobbles. Thats when you Autumn gobblers page 28

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 27

Autumn gobblers:
from page 27
cy at long distances and can be used
for deer in case a big buck stumbles
your way while on turkey stand.
Most shotgunners use 3 inch #6
loads but I recommend #5 loads be-
cause the larger pellets provide more
knockdown power. My broadhead
of choice for gobblers is the NAP
Spitfire Gobbler Getter with rounded
tip and three sharp cutting blades.
Sometimes I modify a used Spitfire
and cut off the sharp point, creating a
blunt tip that smashes through turkey
28 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
bones with ease.
Fall gobblers have super keen
eyesight and they are constantly
looking for approaching coyotes.
If you hunt turkeys in an area with
dense red tailed hawk or coyote
populations you will notice how alert
turkeys can be. They never ven-
ture into grass fields, open areas or
harvested grain fields without very
carefully surveying the area. When
they are traveling in groups you will
notice look out birds watching for
danger while other birds are eating.
One alarm putt and the entire flock
instantly becomes alert with heads
up. A turkeys first instinct when it
sees danger is to run in the opposite
direction. Boy, wild turkeys can run
fast and when needed they can shift
into high gear giving them running
speeds around 40 mph.
In southern Michigan turkey
hunters work white oak ridges where
turkeys feed on the mast crop. But
when local farmers harvest corn
the wild birds frequently are seen
feeding in stubble corn fields. Once
they get a tummy full of fresh corn
kernels they will be back. This gives
autumn hunters an excellent opportu-
nity to set up on the edge of harvest
corn and call in local birds. Some use
decoys to entice turkeys into close
range. But I must admit fanned gob-
bler decoys dont bring toms running
like during spring hunts. Fall hunt-
ers soon learn decoys with lifelike
details are necessary to fool the sharp
eyesight of wary turkeys. Avoid us-
ing decoys having an alert profile.
Decoys that look like they are senti-
nel or heads up position will tend to
chase other turkeys away. Remem-
ber, a stationary decoy in an upright
position sends a message to wild
birds of approaching danger. You
should be using decoys that attract
other birds and your best bet is to
use feeding, resting and fully relaxed
decoy profiles. Select decoys with re-
laxed body profiles and feather detail
resembling a live bird. Some hunters
use taxidermy full mounts. Avoid
using decoys with cheap shiny paint
and use only lifelike decoys with
exact coloration, detailed realism and
lifelike postures that fool even the
most cautious birds.
In spring you can simply hug a
tree and love sick gobblers will come
running for your full strut decoy.
Fall turkeys are much more cautious
and you need to pay attention to
your camouflage and make certain
you are totally concealed. Double
check to make certain your face,
hands and boots are covered. Savvy
hunters select stand locations in thick
brush, tall grass or any cover offer-
ing concealment to break up human
outline. Oh, is your gun or archery
gear camouflaged?
Drawing a bow or lifting your
gun for a shot on a wild turkey can
be a challenge. At times you need to
hug the ground and allow hens, poult
or jakes to pass at close range while
waiting for a big tom to come into
range. It is difficult to draw on a wise
gobbler when fully alert and ready
to fly at the slightest hint of danger.
The trick is to wait until your target
is hidden behind brush, trees, rolling
turf or anything that will block his
vision while you get the sights on
him. One trick is to draw when his
head is down and he is eating. Often
they catch your motion and come to
full alert and stand tall for a better
look. This offers you an ideal oppor-
tunity to shoot a standing still target.
If your goal is to take a head or neck
shot just give the feeding gobbler a
little yelp or yell at him to get his at-
tention and he will go to his tip toes
for a better look.
Michigan has an abundant turkey
population but very few fall gob-
bler hunters. There is no competition
in the field for those seeking adult
gobblers with an impressive beard
and long spurs. If you scout and
locate a target chances are extremely
slim other hunters are after the same
bird. More importantly land own-
ers are very willing to give hunting
permission for individuals who hunt
turkeys. The opportunity to harvest a
big gobbler is available now through
November 14, 2017.
Are you prepared? Do you have
your fall turkey license?n
 Public comment sought on new five-year strategic
plan to guide DNR Fisheries Division work
T
he Michigan Depart- ies Divisions Framework for plan. These efforts are related through a process that engaged
ment of Natural Re- Managing Aquatic Resources. to aquatic species, their habitats DNR fisheries staff and constitu-
sources Fisheries It can be found at michigan.gov/ and anglers. It is designed to ent group leadership. Those who
Division has released its fishing. assist the division in meeting its review the draft plan are en-
draft five-year strategic plan that The draft 2018-2022 Fish- long-standing responsibilities couraged to share their input on
will guide its future management eries Division Strategic Plan to protect, manage and enhance strategies proposed for managing
activities. builds upon the vision and Michigans aquatic resources for Michigans aquatic resources.
This draft plan expands on relevant activities for manag- the benefit of current and future Feedback can be sent via email
the divisions 2013-2017 effort, ing Michigans fisheries that generations. to DNR-FISH-SP2017@michi-
Charting the Course: Fisher- were outlined in the previous The plan was developed gan.gov through Oct. 24, 2017.n

Sandhill
crane
hunt?
T
he House Natural Resources
Committee advanced state
Rep. Jim Lowers resolution
encouraging the MNRC to add
Sandhill cranes to the game species list
and seek approval from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to establish a hunt-
ing season in Michigan.
Michigan is home to an increasing
population of Sandhill cranes, with an
estimated 23,082 reported in Michigans
2015 population survey. Over the past
10 years, the population has grown an
average of 9.4 percent annually.
The Sandhill crane population
has increased in Michigan to the point
where farmers are experiencing se-
vere crop damage, said Lower, of
Cedar Lake. Sandhill cranes appear
in Michigan farm fields in spring and
feed on corn sprouts and wheat plants.
A hunting season would help control the
population and limit damage to farms.
Sixteen other states have already es-
tablished Sandhill crane hunting seasons
and the number of Michigan farmers
with nuisance permits allowing them to
eliminate Sandhill cranes causing crop
damage has increased drastically over
the past decade. Still, Lower said the
population continues to increase.
Cranes killed with nuisance
permits are a wasted resource, as the
meat cannot be harvested. The addition
of Sandhill cranes to the game species
list will offer hunters an opportunity to
harvest excellent meat with the added
benefit of controlling the population
and limiting damage to crops, Lower
said. There is absolutely no reason to
believe the sustainability of the species
will be threatened if a Sandhill crane
hunting season is established in Michi-
gan. No game animal has ever been
threatened with species survival in the
history of regulated hunting.
House Resolution 154 advances
to the House floor for consideration.n
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 29
 13
POINTS
One buck, many lessons
By Adam Lewis
I
n that moment, my heart
raced, I was short of
breath, and I could not
believe my eyes. What
was the lowest point in my
hunting career just seconds
prior, accepting I would probably
lose the biggest buck of my life,
changed in one exhilarating moment
as I stared through the thick brush at
the massive rack of a downed Ohio
bruiser. This is the story of that
buck, and what I learned as I reflect
on 13 points.
POINT 1
Like homework
I sat staring at my computer,
reading blogs about the best Ohio
hunting, pouring over Google maps,
and cross referencing plat maps for
landowner phone numbers. I did a lot
of homework to find the areas of the
biggest bucks, highest deer numbers,
and highest success rates in the state.
This was six years before I laid eyes
on this buck, and two years before he
was born. It was not as glamorous as
a trophy shot, but the essential first
step toward catching the glint of sun
off 13 white tines that crisp Novem-
ber morning.
POINT 2
Legwork builds
a strong base
In my high school days they used
to say, Arms are for show, legs are
for go! It meant on the football field
what really mattered was a strong
base that would carry you down the
field. Ive never been about having
the coolest hunting equipment, but
about doing what actually advances
one toward the goal: legwork. After
identifying key counties and prop-
erties, I did the grueling work of
30 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
cold-calling, knocking on doors,
and scouting. I was relentless, and
it, exhausting. After all was said and
done, two key properties emerged:
a 100 acre and a 30 acre piece thirty
minutes from each other in the heart
of big buck country.
POINT 3
Think decades, not days
Ive learned planning long term
is where success lies. Learning new
land, bedding areas, how deer use
the topography, and when and where
neighbors hunt all took several years,
but I knew this knowledge would
pay off in the future. The first time
I knew of the 13 point was from a
trail cam picture taken the day before
I shot him, but it was the years of
preparation that told me the most
strategic place to put out some feed
and a camera, when bucks tended to
show up on the property, and exactly
when I should think about hunting
there.
POINT 4
Be strategic
The last six years told me the
window of time I needed to be in
the tree, and I planned my Ohio rut
hunt accordingly. I thought long and
hard about when to hunt, where to
hunt, what winds I would hunt these
spots, and stayed out until the time
and conditions were right. I exer-
cised self-control, and I believe due
to this was seeing buck movement
when I hit the woods at the 100 acre
property. The day before the 13-point
came into my sights, a high, wide
8-point came at me on a string to my
grunt call.
POINT 5
Take strategic chances
Im a firm believer in playing
wind, hunting logical spots, and tak-
ing strategic chances. These are not
reckless, but chances I can live with
if they go south and that are based on
Intel and reason. That morning I took
such a chance. I walked through an
open field well before light (knowing
I might blow out deer) and headed to-
ward the best doe bedding area on the
property (wind predictions allowed
me just this day to hunt it). This paid
off with a shot at a nice 8-point an
hour later who escaped with a mere
haircut (another story, another time).
Knowing my strategic chance had
made some impact on deer move-
ment, however, I decided to give the
30 acre property a try that evening.
The southeast wind told me to
hunt the far northwest corner of
the property, but instead I cut the
property in half, another strategic
chance that could alert some deer,
but would get me key intel (from my
trail camera) to know if I should hunt
there that day or future days.
POINT 6
Hunt current sign
Two years prior the hot spot
was a saddle on the 100 acre prop-
erty I hunt. There, I arrowed a nice
10-point and my dad arrowed a small
tree attempting to down an 8-point.
I hunted it the first morning of this
rut hunt, and did not go back due to
lack of sign. Deer change behavior
from season to season, and hunt-
ing the same spots can be a waste
of time, unless current Intel reveals
you should. Heavy rubs and active
scrapes with big fresh tracks caught
my eye on my walk to the trail cam-
era, and told me the 30 acre property
was hot. As I checked the pictures, a
great buck, in daylight, the morning
prior, lingered where I stood. Current
sign told me this was the time and
place to hunt!
POINT 7
Know your deer
Having one of the few climbable
trees on the property nearby, I got
set right then and there. A few hours
later loud bluejays told me some-
thing was happening, and I noticed
a buck pushing a doe behind and
parallel to me in the thick brush. As
he turned sideways, I saw the mass
and realized this was the buck from
the trail camera! The problem was,
the doe was leading him away from
me. I had to do something. If I were
in Michigan, I probably would have
tried a doe bleat or a young buck
grunt so not to scare him. However,
I chose to give a loud deep grunt
and a snort wheeze because I knew
the area and how deer would most
likely respond. With this big buck,
I was pretty sure he would want to
push off another buck. It worked,
as he broke away from the doe and
slowly worked down the hill toward
my shooting lane. As he emerged
broadside, one step, then another,
and his vitals came into clear view, I
drew. With the pin settling behind his
shoulder, I released the arrow.
POINT 8
Be honest
The broadhead cut through him
like paper, perfectly placed up and
down on his wide body, but back
further than I wanted due to a last
second step. In my mind I thought
liver, as I watched him walk away
from me, half expecting him to
wobble and go down. He did not. In
fact, he showed no signs of being hit,
and simply slipped into the brush.
This was not good. My excitement
told me to go after him, but I had to
be honest with myself about the shot.
I made a decision to wait the 50 min-
utes until dark, and then back out. I
had to be logical, not emotional. This
would make for a very long night.
POINT 9
Dont rush
As the sun came up the next
morning and I began tracking, I
knew I had to take it slow and give
myself every chance to find this deer.
With dew on the ground, and blood
turning to a random speck after 80
yards, I took extra caution not to step
on or miss any sign. Every turned
up leaf, scuff of dirt, or tiny drop
of blood was crucial evidence, and
I stood in one spot and scanned the
area for sign as much as I could find.
Excitement pushed me to speed up,
but I thought this buck was prob-
ably dead, and now I just had to be
patient, methodical, and not rush.
POINT 10
Maybe hit your knees
During the night I prayed for
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13 Points: One buck, many lessons
from page 30
help with the recovery. I felt I had a
killing shot, but kept thinking about
stories of guys tracking deer a mile
before they found them. This was not
an option for me. The small, thick
property would mean I would need
to find him relatively close or my
chances were slim. The blood was
drying up quickly, but I finally found
where he had bedded on the side of
an open ridge. There was blood,
but not much. I started getting a sick
feeling as the reality sunk in that I
just might lose this buck. Time to
send up a prayer.
POINT 11
Go with your gut
From the bed, there were four
distinct trails in four different direc-
tions. For a half hour I searched
every leaf on these trails and found
nothing. The wound had apparently
closed up, and this meant it was
down to a body search. Experience
told me if I were to find this buck, if
he were mortally wounded, he would
head downhill to thick cover. Direct-
ly below me was just that. Needing a
mental break, I decided to walk par-
allel to this cover on a two-track, and
after forty yards found an opening I
could walk into. Seeing what looked
like a scrape ahead, I walked further,
and discovered blood! A shot of
hope coursed through me. As I had
done several times during the day, I
scanned the area in hopes to end my
tracking with the sight of a brown
body. As I did I noticed something
just below. In that moment, my heart
raced, I was short of breath, and I
could not believe my eyes. What was
one of the lowest points in my hunt-
ing career just seconds prior, accept-
ing I would probably lose the biggest
buck of my life, changed in one
exhilarating, unbelievable moment The author
as I stared through the thick brush at with his trophy
the massive rack of a downed Ohio 13-point he
bruiser. I had found him! worked hard
POINT 12 for...
Dont keep secrets
Many times I dont want to
reveal my success due to the fear turned out to be producer of The lowed me this opportunity.
of others creeping in on my spots. Life on the Sportsmans Channel, The yardwork, late night euchre
Sometimes this is founded, but many and I got a lot of pictures, several games, and seemingly insignificant
times it isnt. Sharing my success years of stories, and some video of talks about football all led to it.
with the landowner made for a more this buck... because I didnt keep They allowed me chances. Chances
full experience as she also got to secrets). At that, I thanked her and to scout, chances to sit in a tree on
enjoy the thrill of the harvest. The headed out. land that wasnt mine, and chances
neighbors who had been hunting a POINT 13 to get to know great people I
big ten point for two years may hate Put relationships first would not have any other way.
me, but why try to hide it? Many As I packed up at the 100 acre I realized building those
times people open up and share their landowners home (yes they let relationships should be the
stories if you start by sharing yours. me stay there, a huge bonus) and main point, which in turn
Plus, I was curious about the his- watched their faces light up as I allows more opportunities in
tory of this mystery buck. (Later, I shared my story, I realized relation- the woods, more potential encoun-
had contact with the neighbor, who ships were the main thing that al- ters, potentially more 13-points.n

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32 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS

WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 33
 AGING
DEER
How old is that deer?
A
little while ago, one
of the Facebook deer
hunting groups that I
follow came up with
a new policy banning
all posts that ask the
question, How old is this deer?
The reason was that the groups
24,000+ members were flooding the
page with those aging requests bury-
ing other pertinent information that
was more vital to the primary mes-
sage and goals of the organization.
All those deer aging posts there
really did illustrate though just how
many hunters out there are now tak-
ing an acute interest in using the age
of a deer as a benchmark
for determining whether to
kill it or not.
From a deer manage-
ment perspective, allowing
younger bucks to live while
targeting older bucks is
certainly a good thing. It
helps to balance the buck to
doe ratio and also promotes
By Michael Veine
a more natural
buck age struc-
ture resulting in a
healthier overall deer herd, which is
what surveys indicate that most deer
hunters in Michigan prefer.
I got into using deer age as a kill
criterion back in the 1980s. It was
then that I started to weigh all the
deer I hung up too. I also learned
how to age deer by the tooth wear
and replacement method then too.
Practicing taxidermy from then
on also increased my deer aging
knowledge exponentially. Ive read
all sorts of articles and seen lots of
videos on aging deer, both on the
hoof and post mortem. Ive also
taken most of the deer Ive har-
vested to DNR check stations to
have them aged there too, which is
always interesting comparing their
age estimates to mine. Its certainly
34 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
been a learning process.
Before you can somewhat ac-
curately guess the age of a deer on
the hoof, you first need to gain some
knowledge about the size of the deer
in your specific hunting area(s) in
relation to their age. Many novice
hunters just focus on the antlers to
determine the age of a deer, which
is inaccurate at best. In Michigan,
based on the habitat and geographi-
cal location of deer, the average,
antler growth can vary greatly, to
say the least.
For instance, in much of the
U.P., the vast majority of yearling
bucks only grow spike antlers, while
in prime agricultural areas
of southern Michigan most
bucks wear a rack (three
points or more on an antler)
as yearlings. Correspond-
ingly, antler beam diameter
data from check stations
also varies widely in year-
ling bucks across the state.
To further confuse things,
in many regions
of the state, deer
body and antler
size varies greatly from one area to
another and based on past winters,
the size of deer can change even
from year to year in the same area.
Its wise to contact a local DNR
deer biologist and query them on the
average size of yearling bucks and
two year olds in your hunting area.
After that its a learning process
where you need to factor in a lot of
data and experience into making ac-
curate age judgments on live deer.
Keep Records
Keeping records of the weight
and age of the deer you harvest will
provide insight so you can more
accurately judge the age of deer on
the hoof. I kept detailed records
of not only every deer Ive shot,
but also every day spent hunting
too. My daily hunt log records such weigh a bit more than the chart
information as the date, weather indicates, and conversely bucks
conditions, hunt location and the that are all rut worn and down to
number, sex and estimated age class low body fat levels will weigh less
(fawn, yearling, adult) of the deer I than shown. My records indicate
see along with any other pertinent that bucks in my U.P. hunting area
information I might find interesting weigh 140 to 160 pounds dressed at
at a later date. If I kill a deer, then 2- years old. Three year old bucks
I write down the hunt in detail in a have weighed 165 to 200 pounds.
separate log, which contains a narra- Once a buck is four years old, they
tive of the hunt, date, time, weapon have likely reach their peek weight
used, location and the details about and the ones Ive weighed from my
the deer including sex, weight and hunting area have tipped the scales
antler characteristics. at 180 to 230 pounds dressed. Once
For many years (since my wife you have a good idea of how big
bought me a scale for Christmas deer are for their age in your hunt-
before we were married) Ive been ing area, then it becomes a lot more
logging the actual weight of the deer accurate to age deer on the hoof.
taken typically within 24 hours of Resources for
the kill. Deer are weighed minus Deer Age Estimation
the guts, tenderloins and interior I could go on and on describing
trimmings. how I estimate a deers age both on
In the last 10 years though, Ive the hoof and after death, but it is far
also been recording the measured better to study these things on the
weight of deer. There are charts Internet. The Quality Deer Manage-
available on the Internet where ment Association has a multipart,
people have developed a conver- YouTube video available to not only
sion chart where you can determine help you field judge deer ages, but
the approximate weight of a deer also to age them using the Tooth
by taking a chest circumference Wear and Replacement Method. In
measurement. I use the one on the addition to studying those and other
Pennsylvania Game Commissions deer aging videos, I also recommend
DNR check stations will age your deer using the tooth wear and replacement
website at http://www.pgc.pa.gov/ keeping a copy of a deer aging sheet method. They also record the number of points on the deer, the beam
Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/White- with you on your hunts, which is diameters, and other per tinent information.
tailedDeer/Pages/DeerWeightChart. what I do. A good one is available
aspx and have found that it is pretty through the Indiana DNR at https:// deers jaw bone. corner of the eye. This nose-to-eye
close to the actual dressed weight. www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/ Another tool for aging deer is a measurement is used in taxidermy to
Keep in mind though that bucks fw-deer_aging.pdf and it is a good taxidermy measurement taken from
that are really fattened will likely reference when you are examining a the tip of the deers nose to the front How old is that deer? page 36

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designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Read the BRP side-by-side Operators Guide and watch the Safety DVD before driving. Fasten lateral net and seat belt at all times. Operator must be
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 NEW FOR
How old is that deer?
from page 35
The author keeps all the jaw bones from the deer taken at his U.P. camp.
They are used for aging and are also displayed in the cabin.
order shoulder mount forms, but it
also can provide even more evi-
dence to the deers age too. A deers
skull and nose will enlarge as they
grow older until they are full grown
at about age four. I have found that
OUT-OF-THE-BOX, THE ECLIPSE WAS THE MOST ACCURATE CROSSBOW yearling bucks from Michigan have
IVE SHOT AND THE EASIEST TO COCK. I KNEW IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT a nose-to-eye measurement of less
HUNTING WEAPON...IT WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF TENPOINTS BEST! than 7-1/8 inches. Two year olds
CUSTOMER REVIEW
are normally 7-1/4 to 7-3/8 inches,
while three year old bucks are usu-
ally 7-1/2 to 7-5/8 inches. Mature
bucks typically have a nose-to-eye
of over 7-5/8 inches. By looking
at the deers teeth and factoring
in the dressed weight and nose-to-
eye measurement, one can be
UP TO
fairly confident of the age of the
deer.
370 FPS
Even though I have a good idea
UP TO how old the deer are that I have
116 FP KE shot, I still always get a second or
even a third opinion by taking the
140 LB DRAW WEIGHT deer or just the jaw and antlers to a
DNR check station. This is not only
6.9 LB BOW WEIGHT a good idea to get more age related
information on your deer, but it also
13.5 IN AXLE-TO-AXLE provides the DNR with valuable
information for deer management
purposes.
In 2014 my wife shot a big
U.P. nine-pointer with her rifle
that weighted 226 pounds dressed.
I aged the deer at five years old,
but when I took it to two different
DNR check stations, they came up
with two different ages of four and
five years old. In 2015 I killed two
PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A. bucks: the first one was extremely
GET YOURS NOW OR FIND YOUR LOCAL TENPOINT DEALER AT: fat and weighed 184 pounds and
TENPOINTCROSSBOWS.COM had a rather small, seven-point rack.
I aged it at two years old, but the
one DNR check station tech said
36 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
that one side of the jaw looked like
a two year old, but the other side
was worn more like a three year
old. They decided to age it at three
years old. The second buck I killed
in 2015 was 180 pounds and very
lean. It had a large, eight-point rack
with an 18 inch spread. I aged it at
four years old, but the DNR came
up with a similar issue as with my
first buck saying one side of the jaw
looked three years old, but the other
looked four. They decided it was a
three year old though.
Just for fun I had those three
deer aged using the cementum an-
nuli method where a tooth is sent
to a lab where they treat and ex-
amine it under a microscope. This
method is considered very accurate
on northern deer. I first used agey-
ourdeer.com and do not recommend
that business because it took over
six months to get the results back
and when I did they had mislabeled
them so I could not tell which deer
was which. I do recommend deer-
age.com as they are a lot more
professional.
The cementum annuli results
were interesting. My wifes buck
was deemed to be four years old,
my seven-pointer was three and
my eight-point was three also. The
seven-point was shot on public land
where there are no food sources
available to deer except what they
can scrounge out of the big woods.
The other two deer though were shot
off my property where food plots
abound and the habitat is ideal. Just
one more piece to the puzzle of ag-
ing deer.n
 Gun Chat...Colt Woodsman .22
T
he Colt Woodsman .22
with the four and a half
inch barrel always ap-
pealed to me. The heavy
target versions were inter-
esting, but the shorter guns
looked more streamlined. They also
seemed the best models of the Woods-
man to carry for hunting or fishing. Id
carried a bull-barrel Ruger Mark I in the
woods. While tough and accurate the
Mark I quickly got heavy on the belt. I
thought a Woodsman would be different.
I got the chance to shoot a Sport
Model Woodsman as a teenager. I
loaded five rounds into the 10 round
magazine, and fired them into a tight
group at 50 feet. (It was a Bullseye club,
so along with only loading five rounds,
I shot from a target stance, one-handed.)
While I was loading another five rounds,
the owner of the gun told me how well
I was doing. The second five shots
didnt make nearly as tight a group. Ive
wondered since how Id have done if Id
filled the magazine, or no one had told
me I was shooting well.
Woodsman pistols were made from
1938 to 1976. New or used, they didnt
show up in every gun counter, and I nev-
er bought one while they were in pro-
duction. This year I noticed one for sale
in June, just before leaving for The Pin
good understudy for my pin gun, a 1911 the other pins Id drawn. I think I was in or 25 yards next
built on a Para-Ordnance frame. too much of a hurry on those pins. time I go to the
Id drawn pins on a piece of card- I also shot the Woodsman at a range. Also on
board and they looked vaguely like the couple of self-healing polymer targets the menu will
set used on the first table at The Pin
Shoot. I shot from about eight yards,
from Cabelas. My daughter and son-in-
law gave me those targets for Christmas
be tests with
several other By Lee Arten
coming up and taking one shot at the a few years ago. The .22s didnt jump types of .22
first cardboard pin and then moving on them as much as centerfire rounds ammo. Early Woodsman pistols were
to the others. When I was done shooting do, but they were easy to hit with the only rated for standard velocity .22s.
at the first pin Id put 12 shots into two Woodsman, as long as I remembered to Third Issue guns, like mine, work with
and three eighth inches. They were cen- hold on the bottom edge of the polymer high velocity as well. With an adjust-
tered on the middle of the pin and would targets. ment to the sights, and a fix on what
have knocked the pin off the table. Two The Woodsman appears to have ammo shoots best in the gun, Ill be
groups of two shots in the larger group been sighted in for six-oclock hold. Ill ready to carry the Woodsman during
were touching. Groups were larger on change that to a center hold at 50 feet small game season this fall.n
T HERES NOT HING DIF F ICULT A BOU T I T.
T HERES NOT HING DIF F ICULT A BOU T I T.
A N E W W O R L D D E M A N D S N E W H O L L A N D.
A Boomer compact tractor is the definition of ease. Controls are intuitive, your visibility is unmatched, and
A Nthe
both EW ROPSWplatform
O R L Dand DE cabMareA Nlarge
D Sand N clutter-free.
E W H O LBoomer
L A N D. tractors continue to be the ultimate power
tool for homeowners,
A Boomer
performance
rural lifestylers,
compact tractor
both the ROPSinplatform
a maneuverable,
landscapers,
is the definition
comfortable
of ease.farmers,
Controls municipalities, andvisibility
are intuitive, your anyoneiswho needs reliable
unmatched,
package. Boomer tractors continue to be the ultimate power
and

Shoot in Central Lake. I expected the

and cab are large and clutter-free.
tool for homeowners,
Easy-to-use rural lifestylers,
transmissions: landscapers,
shuttle-shift or 3-rangefarmers, municipalities,
hydro with and anyone who needs reliable
cruise control

Woodsman to be gone when I got back.

performance in a maneuverable, comfortable package.
Fuel-efficient power and an emissions system that is completely automatic
The
Easy-to-use transmissions:
peace of mind shuttle-shift
of the Boomer or 3-range
Guard6 six-year hydro
limited with cruise control
warranty*
It was still available. It took a week or Fuel-efficient
Simple routinepower and an emissions
maintenance system that
and easy-to-switch is completely
implements
The peace of mind of the Boomer Guard6 six-year limited warranty*
automatic
and attachments
Learn more about these 35- to 55-HP tractors at www.newholland.com/na
more for me to get my ducks in a row, Simple routine maintenance and easy-to-switch implements and attachments

but by mid-July I had a Woodsman. Learn more about these 35- to 55-HP tractors at www.newholland.com/na

The gun had some metal and grip

wear. I bought it to shoot, not collect, so
I didnt mind. It came with a Colt box,
www.burnips.com Burnips Equipment Companmail@burnips.com
manual and a Brauer Brothers holster.
GET YOUR
y
55232 FRBAN KLIN DRIVE, THREE RIVERS, MI 49093
urnips Equipment Company
Im fairly sure the holster was the source

TRADE UP
55232 FRANKLhItN tpD
:/R/wIVwEw, .TbHuRrnEip
EsR.cIVoE
mRS, MI 49093
http://2w6w9w-2.7b3 u-rn
3i2p5s3.com
of the blue wear. It may add some more
since I intend to carry the Woodsman in
Dorr, MI Big Rapids, MI
WORK DONE,
3073 142nd Ave. 18612 Northland Dr. 7353 State Rd. 15838 Carleton Rd. 55232 Franklin Dr.
Coopersville, MI 269Hudson,-273-325MI 3 Three Rivers, MI

AMERICA
www.burnips.com mail@burnips.com (616) 896-9190 (231) 592-1200 (616) 997-9190 (517) 448-2071 (269) 273-3253
it myself.

TO TOUGH
*Including 2 years of bumper-to-bumper coverage plus an extra 4 years of powertrain protection. 2017 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many

There was only one magazine. I

other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or afliates. Equipped For A New World is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its
s*uInbcsliuddiairniges2oyreaafrslioaftebsu. mper-to-bumper coverage plus an extra 4 years of powertrain protection. 2017 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many
other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or afliates. Equipped For A New World is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its

may buy another, if I can find one for a

subsidiaries or af liates.

Dorr, MI Big Rapids, MI Coopersville, MI Hudson, MI Three Rivers, MI

reasonable price. For a gun to carry in 3073 142nd Ave. 18612 Northland Dr. 7353 State Rd. 15838 Carleton Rd. 55232 Franklin Dr.
GET
AND GET YOUR
0% INTEREST
TRADE UP
(616) 896-9190 (231) 592-1200 (616) 997-9190 (517) 448-2071 (269) 273-3253
the woods while fishing, use for casual
small game hunting, or to plink with, WORK DONE, AND GET REAL MAHINDRA SAVINGS

PROUDLY DEALING
AMERICA
one magazine may be enough.

TO TOUGH
Even the short Woodsman is rela-
tively heavy since its made of steel and Shown: 1526

walnut.
The balance is good, and the guns
have a reputation for accuracy. Accuracy
AND GET 0% INTEREST
AND GET REAL MAHINDRA SAVINGS
often depends on finding what ammo a
particular gun likes. I took two types
of Federal copper-plated hollow points Shown: 1526

to try. The Woodsman shot them well

and did about the same with Remington
Golden Bullet rounds. The advantage
of having different types of rimfire
ammo available is that it is usually
possible to find something a given gun
shoots well. I have some other brands on
hand. The supply of .22s at local stores
is better than it was a few years ago too. TRADE IN YOUR TRACTOR FOR:
The Woodsman was originally 0% FINANCING UP TO $X,XXX
designed by John Moses Browning. OR
FOR UP TO 60 MONTHS* CASH BACK & SAVINGS**
(Browning designed so many guns that
many shooters may be unaware of his SMITH TRACTOR
role in developing their favorites.) I 0000 Street Name .Town Name
www.burnips.com mail@burnips.com
didnt know that Browning designed the TRADE .dealersite.com
IN YOUR
000.000.0000 TRACTOR FOR:
Woodsman until I started writing this
0% FINANCING UP TO $X,XXX
* With approved credit. Program restrictions may apply. Limited time. Tractors less than 10 years old.
article. Handling the gun should have Dorr,approved
**With MI credit.Big Rapids,
Program MI
restrictions Coopersville,
may MI 0% for
apply. 20% down, Hudson, MI LimitedThree
84 months. time. Rivers, MI
3073 142nd Ave. 18612 Northland Dr.* 7353OR State Rd. 15838 Carleton Rd. 55232 Franklin Dr.
told me, since the safety, and the slide www.burnips.com mail@burnips.com FOR
(616) UP TO 60
896-9190 (231)MONTHS
592-1200 (616) 997-9190CASH (517)BACK & SAVINGS
448-2071
**
(269) 273-3253
release, mimic the placement of those in
Brownings famous Model 1911. Dorr, MI Big Rapids, MI Coopersville, MI Hudson, MI Three Rivers, MI
SMITH TRACTOR
I planned to use the Woodsman as a 3073 142nd Ave. 18612 Northland Dr. 7353 State Rd. 15838 Carleton Rd. 55232 Franklin Dr. 0000 Street Name .Town Name
(616) 896-9190 (231) 592-1200 (616) 997-9190 (517) 448-2071 (269) 273-3253 000.000.0000 .dealersite.com
plinker, for some small game hunting,
and to carry while fishing. Shooting it * With approved credit. Program restrictions may apply. Limited time. Tractors less than 10 years old.
**With approved credit. Program restrictions may apply. 20% down, 0% for 84 months. Limited time.

for the first time, I found it also makes a

WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 37
 Sighting-In
Those of us who enjoy shooting or
hunting with, classic old rifles need to
know how to sight them in properly
B
for accurate shooting...
FIRST IN
y classic, I mean the
single shots, lever
actions, old military
CLASS
arms, traditional
muzzle loaders, or
just about any firearm
using open sights. Sighting-in is ex-
tremely important because any rifle
that isnt reliable to hit where you
aim is basically useless. An
accurate rifle is essential
for serious target shooting
and hunting.
NEW FOR 2017 With open sights,
often called iron sights,
sighting-in is usually done
by moving either the front
or rear sight, or both, until
the rifle shoots
exactly where the
sights are aligned. By Darryl Quidort
THE ONLY CROSSBOW IN ITS CLASS WITH THE ACUDRAW Although it may
THE COCKING DEVICE THAT REVOLUTIONIZED seem complicated, there is no mys-
tery involved in this.
THE CROSSBOW INDUSTRY Two basic rules need to be fol-
lowed.
Rule one; the rear sight is moved
in the direction the point of bullet
impact needs to go to hit the center
Now compatible of the target.
with all Wicked Rule two; the front sight is
Ridge Crossbows. moved opposite the direction the
point of impact needs to go to hit the
center of the target.
As an example, if the rifle is
330 shooting to the right, you want the
FEET-PER-SECOND
point of impact to move to the left to
165 hit the center of the target. There-
fore, either move the rear sight to
LB. DRAW WEIGHT
the left, the way you want the bullet
97 impact to move. Or, move the front
FP KINETIC ENERGY sight to the right, opposite the way
you want the bullet impact to move.
6.6
The tools needed to accomplish
LB. BOW WEIGHT moving the sights will depend on
the type of open sights the rifle is
equipped with. The rear sight may
have a screw adjustment, a notched
ramp, or a sight that is dovetailed
directly into the barrel. A small
screwdriver will be needed if the
sight has a screw adjustment. A flat,
brass punch and a small hammer
can be used to move a sight which
is dovetailed into the barrel. Brass is
GET YOURS NOW OR FIND YOUR softer than steel and wont mar the
LOCAL WICKED RIDGE DEALER AT sight or the barrel. Be sure to care-
fully tap on the base of the sight, not
WICKEDRIDGECROSSBOWS.COM on the upper part. The front sight is
usually dovetailed in, so the brass
PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A. punch can be used. A fine file may
be used to carefully lower the top of
38 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
a blade type front sight.
After gathering the tools needed,
head out to the range for a shoot-
ing session. Always use a solid rest,
preferably a good bench rest, for
sighting in. This removes as much
human error from the shot as pos-
sible. Start at 25 yards using a small
aiming point on the target. Once
sighted in at 25 yards you
can move out to a longer
range and still be on the
paper for final adjust-
ments. Aim at your small
aiming point and shoot a
3 shot group. Never base
sight adjustment on just
one shot. Then use the cen-
ter of your group
as the point to
make your sight
adjustments from.
I like to adjust for windage (left
and right) first, by moving either
the front or rear sight, whichever
seems easier and keeps the sights
more centered on the barrel. Before
I move a sight, I use a knife point
to make a tiny index mark on the
barrel. Without it there is no way to
know how far the sight was moved
or to return it to the original posi-
tion. The index mark can be touched
up with cold gun bluing after the
rifle is sighted in to make it invisible
again. A very slight movement of
the sights will make a big difference
on the point of impact on the target,
so go slowly to avoid overcorrect-
ing.
When the rifle is shooting cor-
rectly as far as windage, I begin to
correct the elevation (up and down).
If the bullet point of impact is high,
the rifle needs either a taller front
sight or a lower rear sight. If the
point of impact is low, either file
down the front blade or raise the
rear sight.
When I built my .50 caliber
flintlock rifle, I initially put a tall
front blade on it to allow room for
elevation adjustment. Its easier to
remove metal than to add it on. Of
course, with the tall front blade, the
rifle shot low. Filing the front blade
down a little at a time soon raised
the muzzle enough to shoot dead
on at 25 yards. Since the iron sights
on that rifle are mounted low on
the barrel, it is still on at 50 yards
and as close as I can hold with open
 LOG CABINS OF OLD
Fishing... Hunting... Or Just Simply
Solid Logs with Perma Chink
A Getaway between Cabin To Enjoy
FishiNature!!
sights out to 75 yards
or more. In the wooded ng
areas where I hunt,
Cedar or Pine Just Or
Ive taken several deer
Solid
Fully Logs with Perma Chink between Hunting away Cabin
with that flintlock rifle Insulated
Get
simply by holding dead
on for the shot.
Cedar or Pine
Front Porch or Side Porch Styles Available
Custom Built to Your Ideas!
Fully Insulated
Stained & Preserved
Sim ply
To E
A
njoy Nature!!
If the rear sight is Front PorchtoorSurrounding
Delivered Side Porch Styles Available
6 States
adjustable by a screw Custom Built8totoYour
Sizes from Ideas!
36 Long!!
or ramp, it is easier to Stained
Single &and
Preserved
2 Story Styles
move it than to mess
with the front sight The rear sight on this old Winchester .22 rifle is
equipped with a screw to adjust for elevation
Delivered
Deliveredto&Surrounding States
Priced Fully Assembled
Sizes from 8 to 36 Long!! Relax
to get the elevation Single and 2 Story Styles
corrected. To adjust a
ramped sight perfectively you may
may be of value to pistol shooters.
This is useful on guns with fixed or
Delievered & Priced Fully Assembled
In Style!
have to remove the ramp and care- primitive style sights that cant be
fully file a new notch between the moved for sight alignment. Filing
factory notches. I did just that with a small amount from the side of
a little .22 caliber rifle that I often the front sight will make the blade
used when hunting rabbits with thinner. When centered in the rear
sight notch, this thinner
blade will change the
sight picture to correct
the point of impact. To
move the bullet impact
to the right, carefully
file on the right side
of the front sight. To
move the bullet impact
to the left, file on the
left side of the front
sight. The rear sight
Any dovetailed-in sight can be moved by tapping notch can also be filed
the base with a small brass punch. slightly wider to cor-
rect bullet placement.
my beagles. My shots were usually To move the point of impact to the
taken at fairly close range on rabbits right, widen the right side of the Poly Furniture and
that were either sitting or slowly notch. To move the bullet impact to
moving through thick brush. The the left, widen the left side of the Campfire Supplies and Rings
finely tuned, open sights allowed notch by careful filing. It takes only
head shots, which preserved the a very small correction on pistol
tasty meat on the bunnies.
It is important to
sight-in your own rifle. Relax In Style!
Every shooter has his
own style of holding
the rifle and aligning
the sights and needs to
be intimately familiar
with his rifle to have
confidence that it is
dead on for him.
Once properly adjusted, Standard Features
STANDARD FEATURES
iron sights seldom get This flintlock rifle has a dovetailed-in front sight Fully Insulated
out of alignment. After that can be moved for windage corrections. Carpeted Floor
Fully Insulated Silent Shadow Window Systems
being transported in the
Rodent Proof
Carpeted Floor Floor Peaked Roof
back of a pickup truck, in a scabbard sights to make a big difference
on a horse, or on a sling hung over a downrange due to the short sight ra- All-Aluminum Exterior Upper And Lower Vents
Rodent Proof Floor
backpack frame, iron sights will still dius on a pistol barrel. Go slow and Silent ShadowExterior
All-Aluminum Window Upper
SystemsInterior Shelf
be reliable. careful to avoid overcompensating. Peaked Roof
One final sighting-in method Back in the day, I believe Upper And Lower Vents
that has been used successfully almost every American pioneer had Upper Interior Shelf
the skill and knowledge to properly
sight-in his own rifle. In todays 1205 N. SR 5, Shipshewana
world of rifle scopes with built in
range finders and instant compensa- 260-768-7511
tion for both windage and eleva- -Open-
tion, I think maybe shooters are - Open - 8-5
Mon-Fri
losing some of the self-sufficiency
Americans were once proud of. Mon-Fri 8-5Sat
Sat 8-3:30
8-3:30
Therefore, I feel that its important
The rear sight on this Ruger target for us modern shooters to preserve
pistol is adjustable for both wind- the skill and knowledge of properly
age and elevation. Author photos sighting-in.n 1205 N. SR 5, Shipshewana 260-768-7511
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 39
BIG U.P. BEAR
G
reg Reimus from ed. It looked like he was putting on
Beaverton may have 50 to 75 pounds per year.
bagged the biggest Greg applied for a bear license
black bear in the every year, always applying for the
state for the 2017 first hunt starting on September 10,
season on property hoping the big bear would still be
he owns in the U.P.s Schoolcraft alive by the time he got a tag. The
County on the evening of September statewide reduction in the number of
11. The monster bruin had a dressed state-issued bear licenses since 2012
weight of 525 pounds, but its live obviously prolonged the wait to be
weight could have been drawn. Prior to 2012, it
close to 600 pounds. took an average wait of five
We had him on a years to get a bear tag for
550-pound scale, but it the first hunt in the U.P.
maxed out before his head When Reimus started
was off the ground, Rei- placing bait for bear
mus said. hunting this year, he was
The bears head was pleased when he found out
big, just like the rest of the big bear was still in the

By Richard P. Smith
him, and could
easily have
weighed 50
pounds. Greg said the animals head
was so heavy that he couldnt lift it
for photos that were taken of him
with the bruin.
I had the bear I shot on cam-
era for quite a few years, Reimus
stated. When it takes nine years to
get a license, hunters have to wait
a long time to be able to hunt. The
last time I had a bear permit was in
08. I had a bigger bear on camera at
Seney that year than on the prop-
erty in Schoolcraft County, so thats
where I hunted. I saw a bear while
hunting near Seney during 2008,
but it wasnt the big one, so I passed
him up.
The first time Greg got photos
of the bear he shot this fall was
in 2010. He estimated the bruins
weight at 280 pounds then. Since
then, he watched it gradually get
bigger.
Three years ago, the bear was
really big then, Reimus comment-
area by way
of his trail
camera that
monitored the bait site.
I usually start baiting with
dog food and oats mixed with oil
or bacon grease, Greg explained.
Closer to the hunt, I give them less,
but go with some goodies like circus
peanuts (marshmallows), granola
and fried chicken (the big bears
favorite) sprinkled with Kool-Aid.
A new bait I started using this
year may have been the ticket for
getting the big bear to come to the
bait during legal shooting hours. I
got some honey slurry from a friend
and mix some of it with oats, roll
them into balls about the size of a
golf ball and sprinkle Kool-Aid on
them before freezing. I put out about
a dozen the last couple of times I
baited my spot.
As an added attractant, Greg
burned a pair of scent sticks while
hunting. The scent sticks he used the
day he got his bear are called 12
miles of Dead Fish. Besides the big
Greg Reimus may have har vested one of the biggest bears this fall.
one, Reimus bait camera captured
photos of another adult male that he
estimated would weigh 300 pounds
three days before he scored.
I thought about hunting with
a bow and arrows, but the wind
was bad, Reimus added. I knew I
would probably only get one chance
at this big bear and I wanted things
to work out in my favor.
Greg hunted with a .300 Win-
chester Magnum rifle made by
Thompson/Center and he hunted
from an elevated stand about 45
yards from the bait. He also wore
Scent Lok clothing to reduce the
chances of being winded.
September 10 was the first day
of bear season, but Greg didnt see a
single bear that day. He had to wait
until almost 8:00 p.m. on the 11th
before seeing the bruin he was wait-
ing for.
I heard a branch break behind
my blind 20 minutes earlier that
may have been the big bear circling
me. Fortunately, he didnt smell me.
All of a sudden, he was just there in
front of me. I instantly recognized
him. When he turned broadside,
I hit him through both lungs. He
ran right by my stand 10 yards
away.
Greg said he had to locate some-
one with a 4-wheeler to help him get
the bear out of the woods. There was
no way he was going to move him
himself. Due to warm weather dur-
ing the first hunt, Reimus skinned
the bear as soon as possible after it
was out of the woods.
The monster bruin is Gregs
first Michigan bear. He shot a
250-pounder in Alberta.n

)!"#$%
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 I Quit
I Think
Sell Italian-made, 28-gauge over-under. Probably
the 20-gaugers, too. Put all my bird hunting boots,
shirts, pants, vests, shells, jackets, caps, knives,
luggage and dog bells and beepers into a box at
the curb. Stick a Free! sign beside it...
C
ouldnt find birds.
Took worst
spill ever: Spun
180-degrees after
lodging foot beneath a root. Nothing
to break my fall. Gun barrels hit me
on the back of head. Water bottle
valve bruised and tattooed my ribs.
Lizzy ran off for over
two hours. Not sure if thats
when she lacerated her leg.
Abbey ran off twice
for 20 minutes each time.
Nice looking aspen
stand disappeared from
where I had found it a day
earlier.
Lizzys lacer-
ated leg ended her
hunting season only By Tom Carney
three days after it
started.
Injuries both human and ca-
nine have now done us in for three
seasons in a row.
Sitting in the recliner on the en-
closed porch at my cabin, I looked
over these final items, part of a list
that seemed to have led me to a de-
cision about my continued participa-
tion in our annual bird hunting camp
in the Upper Peninsula. Heck, from
the looks of the list, Id even go so
far as to say the decision was actu-
ally about my continued participa-
tion in bird hunting, period.
Thats when Jerry Dennis
stepped in, freshly scrubbed from
the days hunt during our annual
post-camp decompression visit to
my cabin.
What are you working on,
Tom? he asked.
Im going to quit hunting. anything about the literature of the
What are you talking about?
You cant do that.
Facts are facts, however.
Just look at everything that
continues to go wrong for me. I
had hoped so much that this would
be the year everything would kick
into gear again. Gee, two years ago
each of the dogs had injuries that
kept them out of the woods for at
least three weeks. Last year, my
neck pain caused me to stop hunt-
42 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
ing by mid-October. This year, Id
been working out since May. The
dogs are in shape. Everything was
in place. This was supposed to be
the fall we finally put it all together
to find and flush fantastic numbers
of birds. Instead, its just been an
autumn of discontent.
Thats a good one.
You know where that
comes from, dont you?
Jerry asked.
Where what comes
from?
Youre saying, the
autumn of discontent. The
original is winter of dis-
content. You know
where that comes
from?
Of course, I
replied. Its from The Crisis by
Thomas Paine: Now is the win-
ter of our discontent. The summer
soldier and sunshine patriot will in
this crisis shrink from uh hell
shrink from something. Thats all I
remember.
Jerry replied, These are the
times that try mens souls.
Yes! You get it! I said. You
see how bad things are for me? Its
awful! What a great way to put it:
These times are trying my soul.
Testing me. My soul has been tried
and busted.
No, thats not what I meant.
Thats the opening line of The
Crisis. The winter of discontent
comes from someplace else. Ask
Bob.
Bob is a Steinbeck scholar, I
said. You cant expect him to know
American Revolution.
Jerry called in to the kitchen
table where Robert DeMott, our
guest in camp this year, was enter-
ing the days events into his hunting
journal.
Hey, Bob! Where does winter
of our discontent come from?
Almost absentmindedly and
without disengaging from his task at
hand, Bob muttered, Steinbeck.
Jerry advised, Its the title of a
Maddie the setter leads hunters Jerry Dennis (left) and Rober t DeMott
back from a successful foray in another good cover their pal and author
Tom Carney directed them to. Tailfeather Communications, LLC photo
John Steinbeck novel, Tom. And he
got it from Shakespeare.
Well still its a crisis for me.
Thats what matters, Jerry. My soul
has been tried and this is the autumn
of my discontent. Im done.
Jerry tried further to console
me: Look, youre a great friend.
Your genius seems to be in directing
your friends to promising cover and
helping them find birds. Bob and
I can attest to it. The Hidden Lake
cover today was magical. And look
at those grouse dishes you prepared
for the five of us on the final night in
camp. You just made them up from
scratch, and they were great! So,
youre not totally useless.
That was kind of him to
say, but
But the thing that tries my
soul, Jerry, is Ive lost the ability to
put my dogs into spots where they
can be successful locating birds. The
times have tried my soul, and Ive
come up short.
Without ceremony, Bob put
down his pen and quietly offered,
Maybe you should think of try in
the other sense, the Melvillian.
Huh?
Perhaps at this point in the nar-
rative it would be helpful to point
out that Bob, an English professor
emeritus from Ohio University, is a
real academic. Not the stereotypical
snooty professor-type who wants
to yammer you into submission but
rather a regular guy who will gladly
engage in conversation about litera-
ture if someone else starts it.
I had started it, and he engaged.
In the Try-Works chapter of
Moby-Dick, Bob explained, Herman
Melville describes the try pots a
pair of huge cauldrons found near
midship on whaling vessels in
which sailors would boil slices of
blubber, and, thus, render the oil for
market. Like separating the wheat
from the chaff.
So, Bob said, perhaps your
spirit is being tried out to remove
the impurities.
I thought about that on the drive
to our first cover the next day. De-
spair had descended upon me; faith
had begun to waver. Self-doubt, as
always, remained a dead weight on
my shoulders. If those impurities
could be boiled off, what would
remain to impel me consistently to
the woods with the dogs?
Hope.n
HAP offers private
land for hunting
L
ooking for a new place to hunt The HAP webpage includes details
pheasants, deer, turkey or rab- about enrolled properties, including
bits? Michigans Hunting Ac- types of hunting allowed and aerial
cess Program provides private-land photos.
hunting opportunities, and great Made up of many partners, the
habitat ranging from grassland to Michigans Pheasant Restoration ties on private and public lands via life habitat on their properties and
woodland to wetland for a variety Initiative is a conservation initia- pheasant cooperatives. The initiative by improving grassland habitat on
of hunting types. tive to restore and enhance Michi- works by acquiring state and federal selected state game areas, recreation
HAP is an important part of gan pheasant habitat (grasslands), resources to assist landowners in areas, or other public lands. To learn
Michigans Pheasant Restoration populations and hunting opportuni- the cooperatives to improve wild- more visit www.mi.gov/pheasant.n
Initiative. One of the initiatives
goals is to expand pheasant hunting
opportunities on public and private
lands HAP provides that link to
private-land pheasant hunting op-
portunities.
This year marks the 40th an-
niversary of Michigans Hunting
Access Program, created in 1977 to
increase public hunting opportuni-

CROSSBOWS
ties in southern Michigan, where 97
percent of the land base is privately
owned. It is one of the oldest dedi-
cated private-lands, public-access
programs in the nation, providing
access to quality hunting lands close
to urban properties and in agricul-
tural areas.
Landowners enrolled in HAP
receive an annual payment, up to
$25 an acre, for allowing hunters to
access their lands. Using funds from
the 2014 hunting license restructur-
ing and a new federal grant, the De-
partment of Natural Resources has
continued expanding the program
over the past few years moving
into the eastern Upper Peninsula and
northern Lower Peninsula.
Providing access to hunting
lands that are close to home is criti-
cal for supporting Michigans strong VISIT YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED
hunting heritage, said DNR wild- CARBON EXPRESS DEALER
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commitment to providing access
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Ferris said the Hunting Access AT ENTRY LEVEL PRICING
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to see a current list of private lands
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 43
 Business and bowhunting dont mix
Business and bowhunting go together
like water and oil. Most of the time one
interferes with the other.
As our economy begins to return from such
dire shape its sometimes hard to appreciate the
simple pleasures of fall.
Pick up a newspaper, watch TV or listen to
the radio and no doubt a good portion of the
programing will be devoted to less than pleas-
ant news. There seems to be no place to escape
from it all, except the woods.
And at times, perhaps escaping is the best
course of action.
There is not a time of the year I like any bet-
ter than right now. Deer season bowhunting
to be specific.
My brother-in-law and business partner,
Tom Campbell, shares my passion for bowhunt-
ing over all other forms of
outdoor pursuits. We attempt
to align our schedules to allow
as much time in the woods
as possible. And often the
conversation around the office
is tonights hunt.
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One of the office staff members caught Tom
and I in action just the other day, it went a little
like this...
Which stand are you headed to tonight?
The pine tree stand, I replied. Seen a
couple deer there the night before last.
Any horns?
Nope, but on the way in I heard the crash-
ing of brush behind and looked over my shoul-
der to see a spike and a larger buck head into
the bean field from their bed on the point by the
lake.
Where did they cross? Anywhere near that
stand you sat in the poplars?
Yep, bout 50 yards or so.
The staff member looked on as I broke out
a piece of scrap paper and started to doodle on
it, making crude landmark drawings of the lake
and giant oak trees. Then with a squiggly line,
I marked the path of the deer I had seen. Once
I was done, Tom latched onto the pen and did
some doodling of his own. The staff member,
no doubt, had an important business ques-
tion, but he has learned to wait till were done,
knowing our minds were too cluttered with
buck talk.
Its just the way it is around
our office during the hunt-
ing season. In good times or
bad times, its just the way it is. Its our time to
escape the everyday pressures of all that unfolds
around us.
Now, I cant speak for Tom, but to say Im
some sort of hunting wizard with many success
stories under my belt, well, as much as I hate
to admit, its simply not true. Although, some
are under that impression. No doubt because
Tom and I run the Woods-N-Water News, some
think we are some sort of grand hunting gu-
rus.
Im not and I dont think Tom thinks of
himself as one either.
In fact, I have to tell you of one telephone
call I got from a business which wanted to buy
some trophy deer head mounts.
I answered chuckling, Sure, are you lack-
ing a dandy 5-pointer with an 8-inch spread for
your collection? Wouldnt he look nice over the
fireplace?
No, there are no Pope & Youngers hiding in
my closet!
Were just trying to squeeze time out of our
jobs to get to the tree stand. Sometimes its two
hours here and four hours there and to be sure,
there is always some reason we have to be back
to the office.
There lies the problem, I know.
As a result, we dont always have the scout-
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ing time wed like to have. And
hunting time is a scheduled item
regardless of the weather or wind.
But as they say, a bad day in the
woods is better than a good day in
the office.
Our hunting property holds
a good number of deer and has
great deer habitat. Weve hunted
it for some time now and feel we
have a good handle on the deer
movements and patterns. We
have pinpointed bedding areas
and know the feeding routes. And
we take the time to plan out our
hunts before we go or at least we
attempt to.
Over the years Ive learned to
take my hunting a little more seri-
ously and have tried to pay special
attention to my approach to hunt-
ing.
In years past Id bust out into
the woods with the poise of a nicer to see deer close enough to I shoot straight, which by the way could care less what we do in our
heavy machine operator. Id get shoot if I so wished. Ive shot plenty of practice arrows spare time.
my hunting clothes out of the I have taken extra time using and feel very confident in my I have no answer for the
hamper, which laid under the jeans scent bags to store my hunting shooting ability. economy or fake news or politics,.
I mowed my lawn in last week- clothes, wash myself and gear in I climb into my treestand Like you, Im simply going to do
end. The only time I would worry non-scented soap, wear rubber silently, and leave my stand the best job I can.
about wind direction was once boots and walk into the woods as with the same stealth, or as Yeah, my retirement plan is
I got into the stand. For me, the slowly as possible. best I can. getting better and business surely
most important thing is just get- I spent hours checking and Tom and I have meetings and is getting better these days. There
ting a chance to get to the woods, double- checking my backpack phone calls we must attend to in is lots of bad news and lots of
not the noise and smell I bring to for all the essential hunting our business life, but the meeting work to be done. And most of it
it. needs. The wind is my friend we seldom miss is the 2:30 p.m. will get done.
Ive learned plenty since those and I know how to get to my meeting deciding our strategy for Till then, Im going to enjoy
early years and yes its nice to stand using it. stand selection. All else stops then, this time of year, my favorite time
simply be in the woods, but its I know success is at hand if even the people around us who of year. n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 45
 Sharing Our Love of Hunting
By Jeff Poet

H
unting, fishing and a implement and oversee a public Our initial research showed that generations can carry them on.
strong connection to education campaign to promote hunting enjoys strong approval Weve shared dozens of stories
Michigans outdoors are the essential role that sportsmen in Michigan, even among the on social media, television,
at the core of my fam- and sportswomen play in further- vast majority of nonhunters. At magazines and newspapers about
ilys heritage. ing wildlife conservation and to the same time, we found, most the men and women who tire-
My great-grandfather, grandfa- educate the general public about people have limited knowledge lessly work, as professionals and
ther and father passed that deep- hunting, fishing and the taking of of conservation and how hunt- as volunteers, to protect our re-
rooted tradition down to me, and game, which includes the impor- ing and fishing are key wildlife sources. There have been stories
now Ive passed it on to my sons tance of conservation and wild- management tools. about the decades of work that
and to my grandsons. life management to Michigans From the start, the councils has gone into restoring elk, stur-
That love and respect for the natural resources and outdoor goal has been to provide informa- geon, turkey, peregrine falcons,
outdoors is simply in my blood, traditions. tion that will help nonsportsmen woodcock, Karner blue butterflies
just as it is for many other sports- The nine members of the understand what is required to and more.
men. Michigan Wildlife Council share protect Michigans forests, waters Were also aiming to gener-
But as times change and the a common vision when it comes and wildlife. ate understanding and apprecia-
number of hunters dwindles, to Michigans cherished outdoor Let me be clear: Were not tion for how hunters and anglers
its sometimes a challenge to traditions: ensuring they are here asking them to join us (although demonstrate responsibility for
explain this love of hunting for generations. I am proud to everyone is welcome, of course). healthy animal populations and
to folks who grew up in a have served as a member of the We just want to help ensure that environments by leading wildlife
nonhunting world. council from the very beginning our states hunting and fishing and habitat conservation funding
Many people who have never and to currently serve as its vice heritage is respected, understood and initiatives.
hunted mistakenly think its just chair. and appreciated, so that future But we need your help in
about taking game. But we know
its so much more than that. For
most of us, the best part of a hunt
is time spent with family and
friends surrounded by nature.
Thats why its important for
us as sportsmen to help explain
to people who dont hunt or even
fish that our pastimes play a key
role in conserving Michigans
woods, water and wildlife.
Many nonsportsmen love the
outdoors every bit as much as
we do. We need to build on that
shared value by helping them un-
derstand how and why the things
we do in the outdoors help make
the activities that they enjoy
possible and also help ensure
that our states great outdoor
resources will be there for future
generations to experience.
With hunting season upon us,
its a perfect time to have conver-
sations centered on the fact that
hunters are the original conser-
vationists, that we have long
advocated for safeguarding
wild animal populations and
environments, and that we are
committed to continuing to
serve as partners in conservation
and wildlife management.

Changing hearts
and minds
The Michigan Wildlife Jeff Poet, right, and his grandson Jeff Allen, now 17, pose for a photo after he har vested his first
Council was created in 2013 to turkey. Poet says hunting and fishing are integral par ts of his familys heritage.
ADV

46 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS


Jay Poet, left, was the founder of Jays Spor ting Goods, which
grew from this 1967 location in the family garage to two
sprawling outdoors stores in Clare and Gaylord today. Jeff Poet,
right, has many fond childhood memories of hunting with his
dad, who shared his love of the outdoors with his whole family.
spreading these messages.
Surprisingly, Michigan Wild-
life Council research shows that
even avid sportsmen are unclear
about their important role in
conservation and the benefits
they confer to Michigans natural
resources as a result of hunting,
fishing and taking game.
For example, an unexpectedly
high number of sportsmen were
unaware that they not taxpay-
ers in general primarily fund
conservation work through their
purchases of hunting and fishing
licenses and gear.
We believe that the better
sportsmen and sportswomen
understand the positive impact
they have on our state through
their involvement in and funding
of wildlife management practices,
the better they can help nons-
portsmen appreciate and under-
Here. For Generations.
resources. positive stories about hunters
Nonhunters are more likely to and anglers and the benefits to
approve of and appreciate hunt- the community such as food
ing when it is done in a humane, donations, conservation work and
legal and regulated manner responsible hunting practices it
practices that all responsible builds stronger support among
hunters support. In other words, nonhunters.
we are partners in conservation We dont need to be apologetic
and wildlife management. We can for our beliefs and traditions.
proudly and legitimately say that Weve got a lot to be proud of.
we have respect for life and that But to safeguard our outdoor
our actions benefit wildlife by heritage, we need nonsports-
maintaining healthy populations men to understand and respect
and habitats. our hunting heritage. And that
To help ensure that we achieve depends on us.
and retain nonhunter approval,
all of us and Im including Jeff Poet is owner of Jays
myself need to put our best foot Sporting Goods in Clare and
forward. serves as vice chairman of the
When sportsmen emphasize Michigan Wildlife Council.
The Michigan Wildlife Council was created in
2013 to implement and oversee a public educa-
tion campaign to promote the essential role that
sportsmen and sportswomen play in furthering
wildlife conservation and to educate the general
public about the role of hunting, fishing and the
stand our love of the outdoors. taking of game, which includes the importance of
I encourage you to visit the conservation and wildlife management to Michi-
Michigan Wildlife Councils gans natural resources and outdoor traditions.
website, HereForMIOutdoors.
org, to learn more. The councils Here. For Generations. campaign
was launched in April 2016.
The importance of The council is a governor-appointed, nine-mem-
language and actions ber public body established by Michigan Public
As hunters, anglers and trap- Act No. 246 of 2013. The legislation updated the
pers, its important that we under-
stand the impact of our language hunting and fishing license fee structure and re-
and actions on nonhunters. quires the state Department of Natural Resources
The general public values to use $1 from the sale of every license to fund
the emotions, experiences and
memories tied to being outdoors. the Michigan Wildlife Council public education
But at the same time, they often campaign. The $1 share of each license sale
experience what I would call a generates approximately $1.6 million annually in
disconnect between the act of
hunting and the mindset of hunt- revenue.
ers. They dont necessarily grasp
the fact that hunters who shoot Learn more at:
animals in fact deeply care for
the well-being of wildlife and are www.hereformioutdoors.org
actually stewards of our natural
ADV
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 47
 Oct. 20 to Dec. 3...

Walleye
Brawlers
By Mark Romanack

T
he annual Lake Erie Walleye
Fall Brawl fishing derby is tak-
ing registrations and this year the
grand price is a Warrior 193 fi-
berglass fishing boat! Even better
this boat is fully equipped with a
200 horsepower Evinrude E-Tec G2 Outboard,
Cisco Fishing Systems track and rod holders and
Lowrance Electronics. A boat, motor, trailer and
accessory package worth over $70,000 is going to
be awarded to the angler who catches the biggest
walleye during the 2017 Fall Brawl.
Registration for the Walleye Fall Brawl is just
$30 and anglers can sign up online by visiting
www.lakeeriefishingderby.com. Its important
to note that a strict rule associated with the Fall
Brawl is that to qualify for the grand price or the
many cash and product prizes, everyone fishing
in the boat when a fish is caught has to be offi-
cially signed up.
Thats right, if three guys are fishing and two
are signed up and one isnt no one in that boat
is eligible to win cash or prizes as part of the of-
ficial rules of the Walleye Fall Brawl. This unique
derby format is fair and makes sure everyone
ponies up the $30 registration fee. Make sure
your fishing buddies are signed up and clearly
understand the contest rules.
Last year we had about 1600 individuals
sign up for the annual Walleye Fall Brawl, says
event coordinator Frank Murphy. This year we
expect that number to double thanks to Warrior
Boats, Cisco Fishing Systems and Lowrance
Electronics stepping up to offer an amazing grand
prize package. We have also added a youth divi-
sion to the 2017 event.
The Walleye Fall Brawl is a big fish derby
and the official weigh station is Erie Outfitters
at 5404 Lake Road, Sheffield Lake, Ohio 44054.
The telephone number at Erie Outfitters is 440-
949-8934. To be eligible fish must be caught in
the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New York or
Ontario waters of Lake Erie.
Day Trolling
Fishermen can compete in the Walleye Fall
Brawl using any legal sport fishing technique.
Overwhelmingly however, trolling with crank- The authors fishing tips will help anglers increase their odds of catching a super tanker
baits has been the most popular fishing presenta- walleye like this one and also doing well in the annual Walleye Fall Brawl taking place on
tion. Popular crankbaits for walleye trolling in Lake Erie from October 20 until December 3, 2017.
Lake Erie during daylight hours include the Reef
Runner 800 series, Rapala Deep Husky Jerk No.
12, Rapala Taildancer TDD11, Bandit 5/8 ounce
baits that are designed to reach the most common
fishing depths ranging from 15 to 30 feet deep. Night Trolling
Deep Walleye, Bay Rat Long Extra Deep 5.5, The majority of anglers who are trolling these Trolling crankbaits after dark is another
Berkley Flicker Minnow No. 9 and No. 11 and crankbaits are also using inline planer boards like popular method that Walleye Fall Brawlers use
the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow DD 7/8. the popular Off Shore Tackle OR12 Side-Planer to to target trophy sized Lake Erie walleye. Night
All of these lures are diving minnow style cover more water and also to target boat shy fish. trollers use some of the same crankbaits as day
48 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
time trollers, but shallow diving stickbaits are
important lures among anglers fishing the night
shift. Some of the most popular stickbaits or
shallow diving minnows include the Smithwick
Perfect 10, Rapala Husky Jerk 12 and 14, Rapala
No. 18 Floating Minnow, Yo-Zuri Crystal Min-
now Floating 5/8 ounce and the Bandit Shallow
Walleye 5/8.
All of these shallow diving stickbaits are
ideal for targeting walleye feeding at or near the
surface. As with day time trollers, inline planer
boards play a critical role in targeting night shift
walleye. In order to monitor their boards better in
the dark, most anglers use small Cyalume light
sticks taped or zip-tied to the planer board flag.
A few commercially produced battery operated
planer board lights are also available for those
anglers interested in customizing their boards for
night fishing. A lot of anglers also suggest adding
a couple strips of Coast Guard approved reflector
tape to their boards so they are more visible at
night. Adding reflector tape to both sides of the
board makes it much easier for other anglers to
spot planer boards on the water.
Snap Weight Trolling
A growing number of trollers are also us-
ing Snap Weights to get their diving minnow
and stickbaits to deeper depths. The Off Shore
Tackle Snap Weight Kit comes with an assort-
ment of 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 ounce size Guppy
Weights and four OR16 Snap Weight Clips and
split rings. The beauty of Snap Weights as inline
sinkers is they can be placed anywhere on the
fishing line between the lure and rod tip.
Most anglers let out their favorite crankbait
about 25 feet and then attach the Snap Weight Jake Romanack holds up a couple, Fish Ohio, class walleye taken on Lake Erie during the
onto the line. More line is then played off the reel fall. The later in the fall an angler targets walleye the bigger and heavier these popular fish
to achieve target depths. When a fish is hooked become. November is prime time for chasing these Great Lakes giants. Author photos
the angler simply reels in the fish and Snap
Weight until the Snap Weight is at the rod tip and slower trolling speeds routinely produce the best ages reluctant walleye into biting.
can be quickly removed from the line. results. Once the water temperature dips below Pro Cures Super Gel is a popular scent
A quick, easy and effective way of getting 50 degrees most anglers are slowing down their product designed for hard baits that consist of
crankbaits to deeper depths, Snap Weights are trolling speed to 1.5 MPH or slower to trigger dehydrated and ground up bait fish that are in
very popular trolling aids among Fall Brawlers. bites from lethargic, but still actively feeding turn mixed with a sticky and odorless paste. The
Lead Core Trolling walleye. gel formula insures the scent stays on hard baits.
Most fish scents are liquids that wash off almost
Using lead core line is another trolling option Cold Water Means... as quickly as they are applied. Pro Cure Super
suitable for getting crankbaits to deeper fish.
Lead core is a sinking line that is most often
REALLY BIG FISH! Gel produces a strong scent stream for up to 30
minutes before it needs to be reapplied.
fished as a segment of lead core sandwiched The Walleye Fall Brawl could be won Pro Cure Trophy Walleye is a popular formu-
between a 25 foot leader of fluorocarbon line and on day one of the 2017 event, but odds are la among fall walleye trollers on Lake Erie. Other
200 yards of monofilament backing line. the biggest fish of the event will be caught Super Gel formulas that are natural and effective
A common Lake Erie lead core set up consists much later in the season. As the water tempera- scent products for cold water walleye trolling
of three colors or approximately 90 feet of 27 ture of Lake Erie drops, walleye are triggered include the Alewife, Herring, Minnow and the
pound test lead core line. The lead core is rigged into a last minute feeding binge aimed at Smelt formulas.
with a 25 foot leader of 15 pound test fluorocar-
Summing it Up
securing critical protein before the onslaught of
bon line and 200 yards of 12 to 15 pound test winter. This feeding binge is necessary to help
monofilament line as backing. develop the egg mass growing inside
adult females. The annual Walleye Fall Brawl takes place
The lure, leader and all the lead core is played
The later in the season a walleye is caught, from October 20 to December 3. Registration is
off the reel and then an inline planer board is
the more egg mass that is developed and the just $30 and anglers this year have a chance at
attached to the backing line. Because lead core is
heavier these fish become. This is precisely why winning a $70,000 fully rigged Warrior 193 fish-
a sinking line, most anglers use it as their inside
ing boat. In addition to the grand prize there are
board lines that are designed to target deeper fish. lots of anglers put in extra time during the last
week of the annual Fall Brawl. thousands of dollars in cash and product being
This set up allows more shallow running middle
given away at this years Fall Brawl.
Dont Forget to use Scent
and outside board lines to be pulled right over top
Perhaps the coolest thing about the Walleye
of the lead core without tangles.
Fall Brawl is it keeps anglers fishing right up to
Trolling Speed Matters In cold water walleye are lethargic and prone
to follow lures before striking at them. Adding
the bitter end of the season. Everyone loves to
fish for trophy walleye and the Fall Brawl adds a
The Walleye Fall Brawl gets started on Octo- scent products to crankbaits is a good way to set little more incentive not to winterize that fishing
ber 20 and runs until December 3. Late in the fall up a natural scent stream in the water that encour- boat until after December 3.n

WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 49

 Michigan War Dog Memorial...
Pride, Honor and Sadness
L
By Jonathan Schechter
yon Township might
well be considered the
southern gateway to
the 900 square miles of
populous Oakland Coun-
ty. The township has
deep-rooted history in the growth
of our state; some aspects of that
history are well-known, and some
are not. And some of that history is
written with the blood of dogs, and
their military and law enforcement
handlers.
This is the proud tale of a
small roadside greenspace in Lyon
Township, a lesser known story of a
cemetery like none other in Michi-
gan. The site was once known as the
Happy Hunting Grounds for Pets
Cemetery and is the final resting
place for several thousand pets and
some farm animals. It also holds
the remains of some historic pets
including a parrot that was on Ad-
miral Deweys Spanish-American
war flagship, and Blizzard, one of
Admiral Byrds sled dogs from an
Antarctic expedition.
That walkable, open to the
public, historic cemetery is partially
shaded by a canopy of mostly large
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The Michigan War Dog Memorial honors these well trained K9s that
saved so many lives.
oak trees, and is now known as the
Michigan War Dog Memorial. It has
special significance for veterans of
all our wars and holds a high degree
of reverence for everyone that has
an appreciation for dogs, especially
Military War Dogs, Service Dogs,
LLC.
European Hunt Dates:
Pheasant and Mallard Saturday, 11-4-17
Pheasant Saturday, 12-2-17
Pheasant Saturday 1-6-18
Super Shoot Saturday 2-24-18
Pheasant Saturday 3-3-18
Pheasant Saturday 3-10-18
Pheasant Saturday, 3-31-18
Pheasant Sunday, 4-8-18
Pheasant Saturday, 4-21-18
Pheasant Sunday 4-22-18
NO Small Game License Required!
Hunter Orange REQUIRED!
Friends Family Corporate
tion to the attendees of the 2017
Oakland County Heritage Confer-
ence by Vietnam War Era vet, Phil
Weitlauf, the President and Director
of the Michigan War Dog Memo-
rial. A few bumblebees rested on
roadside goldenrod stalks and a lone
crow cawed as I walked silently
towards the main moment. Dappled
sunlight filtered through the oaks
casting a warm glow on a 16 ton
granite monument, a tribute to dogs
in military service.
The memories of war dogs that
served in WWII inspired pet lovers
to contribute over $3,700 dollars to
bring the monument project to frui-
tion. Old literature (combined and
abbreviated) describes the backstory
of the 1946 monument this way,
Sargent Sparks was a Doberman
pinscher, a Marine Corps scout and
messenger dog attached to the 2nd
Marine Raider Battalion 1st Marine
Raider Regiment that survived Bou-
gainville, Guadalcanal, Okinawa,
Search and Rescue Dogs and Law and Guam. He was returned to his
Enforcement K-9s. owner in Rochester after the war
I visited the site last month a and was present at the monument
few hours after sunrise to explore dedication----a year later, someone
the graves, monuments and markers poisoned Sgt. Sparks near his Roch-
that salute our four-legged veterans ester home. His master requested
before a special afternoon presenta- that he be wrapped only in a blan-
ket, like so many of his buddies at
the beaches and interred at the base
of the monument.
War Dogs are now known
as Military Working Dogs. In
WWI they were called Ambulance
Dogs, and at that time were trained
to search for wounded soldiers.
In WWII their roles were greatly
expanded, with some functioning
as sentries, others had tracker and
scout roles and even delivered mes-
sages. The website of the Michi-
gan War Dog Memorial states, In
Korea there were only one War
Dog platoon deployed consisting
of about 28 dogs. Of those 28 dogs
on patrol, thousands of ambushes
were averted. Thousands of lives
were saved. In Vietnam further
disciplines were added to their train-
ing; explosive detection and booby
traps. According to the Military
they saved 10,000 lives during this
conflict. In Iraq their main function
were detecting IEDs. Their other du-
ties were sentry and road side check
points. They continue on duty today
in Afghanistan. There are currently
600 teams deployed saving lives
every day.
The New York Times reported
in 2011 on Cairo, the dog that ac-
companied the Seal Team that killed
Osama Bin Laden. Although much
of the training of dogs in Navy Seal
Teams remains shrouded in secrecy,
the Times quoted Major Wes Ticer,
the then spokesman for the United
States Special Operations Command
who confirmed the dogs primary
functions as finding explosives and
conducting searches and patrols.
Weitlauf and I talked about the
site and he directed me to informa-
tion of a more personal nature, his To honor the well trained K9s of the Vietnam War that saved so many lives the Michigan War Dog Me-
summer of 2010. We were told morial erected a Black Granite Wall with all the dogs names and tattoo numbers to recognize them for
about an abandoned war dog monu- their ser vice and sacrifice to our country. Author photos
ment at the corner of Milford Rd.
and 11 Mile in Lyon Township. I law that guarantees the safe return oung, who was reunited with his war its funding. He explained, The
took my trusted companion Cody, of all retired military dogs to the dog, Cena, said in a press release af- MWDM is the Arlington for K-9
a German shepherd, to take a look. United States after serving abroad. ter Obama made it law. These dogs heroes and offers our service of
As we arrived at the corner we saw The Washington Times reported at have so much love to giveits time full ceremonial burials for K9s
nothing but a heavily wooded area. the time, The American Humane we show some in return. that passes from the Unit at no
We parked the car and went for a Association estimates that a mili- I walked along the edge of the cost, including the headstone.
walk and there it was a large granite tary dog saves between 150 to 200 woods near the Vietnam War Dog This allows their K9s to be
monument with the words The War service members during his tenure Memorial and listening to the wind memorialized and never forgotten.
Dog. As we looked around we by detecting improvised explosive rustle the fallen leaves, and the hum If anyone would make a donation
could see several headstones buried devices and hidden weapons caches. of insects that signaled the end of to help us off set our costs it
in the foliage and brush. The site Upon return from combat, these summer. Other visitors at the pre- would be appreciated. They can
was in horrible shape. animals, if given the chance, often sentation gathered in small groups go to our website www.mwdm.org
After much work and restora- continue to protect their humans to talk. I sensed a mixture of pride, and send a check to our mailing
tion, including walkways assessable and help them transition back into honor and intense sadness among address, or donate through the
to disabled vets, the War Dog Me- society.INTRODUCING THE NEW our Heritage Conference gathering, websites donation tab. My check
morial transformed into a beautiful, INTRODUCING
The bill THE
will NEW ensure that our especially from those that learned went in the mail the next day. It
yet somber place that openly reveals four-legged veterans will finally about the fate of the war dogs that was the right thing to do.
have their chance to come home and went to Vietnam, and never came Jonathan Schechter is the Na-
some of the tragedy that had fallen hope-
on our military working dogs. I live a comfortable, quiet life, home. ture Education Writer for Oakland
THE
fully STRONGEST.
with a BECAUSE Ithey
handler SAID SO. deployed I thanked Weitlauf for his County Government and an avid
walked over to a large black wall THE STRONGEST. BECAUSE I SAID SO.
with or a STEVE
fellow AUSTINveteran, retired remarkable efforts and asked him backpacker and naturalist. E-mail:
about the Vietnam War and was
Marine STEVE Corps AUSTIN Lance Cpl. Jeff DeY- about the future of the site and Oaknature@aol.comn
stunned by what I discovered after

WORK PLAY
inquiring about the 4,234 names on

WORK PLAY
the wall; names of dogs. Dogs were TH
trained and deployed to Vietnam
with their military handlers. As
INTRODUCING THE NEW
13 Annual

negotiations brought the war to an
end, and orders came down that the THE STRONGEST. BECAUSE I SAID SO. Buck Pole/

HARD PLAYHARD
STEVE AUSTIN

HARD HARD
troops were going home, the dog
handlers were excited about bring-
Family Event
WORK
ing their loved four-legged combat
partners home. That was not to be,
TH
for our government classified the
dogs as excess equipment, with
NOV. 15 !

HARD HARD Receiv

ea
orders that they be left behind. Be-
cause of their training they could notBuiltBuilt to work hard on and off the job, The MULE PRO-FXR stands out with
to work hard on and off the job, The MULE PRO-FXR stands out with
be let loose or given to the Vietnam- the MULE PRO-FXR side x side takes a premium appearance, painted nish
2017
the MULE PRO-FXR side x side takes a premium appearance, painted nish
ese. They were euthanized. strength, dependability and durability and aggressive styling. Show whos in
Weitlauf explained, To honor strength, dependability and durability and aggressive styling. Show whos in
Pole
to a Built
whole newhard
to work level.
on and off the job, The MULE PRO-FXR stands out charge
with with this true boss vehicle.

Buck
these well trained K9s that saved so to a whole new level.
the MULE PRO-FXR side x side takes a premium appearance, painted nish
charge with this true boss vehicle.
Experience the new MULE
strength, dependability and PRO-FXR
durability and aggressive styling. Show whos in

t
many lives, the Michigan War Dog Experience

T-shir
the new
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to a whole MULE PRO-FXR
new level. charge with this true boss vehicle.
Memorial erected a Black Granite Kawasaki.com/FXR Accessorized unit shown
Experience the new MULE PRO-FXR Accessorized unit shown
Wall with all their names and tattoo Kawasaki.com/FXR Accessorized unit shown

RayC's
C'sExtreme
ExtremeStore
Store
numbers to recognize them for their
service and sacrifice to our country.
They will be forever memorialized Ray
Ray C's Extreme Store1422 Imlay City Rd., Lapeer,Michigan 48446
and will never be forgotten. I ran
1422 1422
1422Imlay Imlay
Imlay City
City City
Rd.Rd. Rd.Lapeer,
Lapeer, Lapeer,
MI MIMI
my hand over the wall and easily
imagined the pain, anger and intense www.raycs.com
www.raycs.com
www.raycs.com
Phone: (810) 664-9800
Phone: (810) 664-9800
sadness the handlers and other sol-
Phone:Phone:
KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear protective gear(810)
(810)the664-9800
appropriate for664-9800
Website: www.raycs.com
use of this vehicle. Never operate under the inuence of drugs or alcohol. Protect
diers felt. the environment. The Kawasaki MULE side x side is an off-highway vehicle only, and is not designed, equipped, or manufactured for use on public
KAWASAKI
That will hopefully never hap- KAWASAKI2017 CARES:
streets; roads or highways. Obey the laws and regulations that control the use of your vehicle. Read Owners Manual and all on product warnings.
Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this vehicle. Never operate under the inuence of drugs or alcohol. Protect
CARES: Always
Kawasaki
the environment. Thewear protective
Motors Corp.,
Kawasaki
U.S.A. Printedgear
MULE sideappropriate
in U.S.A. for the use of
x side is an off-highway this vehicle.
vehicle only, and Never
is notoperate
designed,under the inuence
equipped, of drugs orforalcohol.
or manufactured use on Protect
public
pen again for in 2015 President the environment. roadsTheor Kawasaki
streets;18MULEFXR6x5c highways. MULE
Obey theside lawsx and
sideregulations
is an off-highway vehicle
that control theonly,
use and is not
of your designed,
vehicle. Read equipped,
Owners Manual or manufactured for usewarnings.
and all on product on public
streets; roads
2017 or highways.
Kawasaki MotorsObey
Corp.,the lawsPrinted
U.S.A. and regulations
in U.S.A. that control the use of your vehicle. Read Owners Manual and all on product warnings.
Barack Obama signed a bill into 2017 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. Printed in U.S.A.

18MULEFXR6x5c WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 51

18MULEFXR6x5c
Operation Burt Lake...
Injured soldiers find time for healing through Mark Martins fall walleye event
Some wounds of war Afghanistan, its taken years to push
open that door and peer through the
are visible. Some fog of both physical injury and Post
you cant see. Some Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
Not only for him, but also his
wounds cut deeper. family. For often, when the vet suf-
fers, the family suffers too, engaged
Some become visible alongside in his or her own private
only after years. And battle, often fought long after the
last rifle shot is heard.
some never do...

A
So on a weekend in mid-Sep-
tember, Donarski and about 30 other
nd sometimes, if vets, pushed that door open just a
youre one of the crack. To see those elusive slivers of
wounded, and are light.
enduring your own Finally, with his wife and adult
brand of pain, you children urging him every painful
just have to decide step of the wayDad, your bag is
youve had enough. You finally still packed, right?...Dad,
muster the courage to take youre going, right?...
a deep breath, and take that they asked Dan, who many
first step through that door, moons ago was my editor
out of the darkness, into the at the Michigan Hunting &
light. Fishing magazine before it
For fellow writer and was taken over by another
retired Army officer Dan publication, may have be-
Donarski, a Bronze Star gun the journey. Mar tin, center, makes two vets happy with a September Bur t Lake
recipient in the first Gulf He pushed the door walleye taken on a crank bait.
War who was later
seriously injured in By Bill Semion open just a crack.
He did it by driving
from his Sault Ste. Marie home to
a safe place just north of Pellston
annual event through South Lyons
Operation Injured Soldiers (OIS).
Airport, to join others with similar OIS operates Brave Hearts

BE READY THIS experiences incurred in places from

Korea and Viet Nam, Iraq to Kan-
dahar Province, Afghanistan. To be
SEASON!! with their brothers, as one fellow vet
called it. Some also, perhaps, were
taking that first step to quiet the de-
mons that in varying degrees afflict
all us vets.
Pellstons Brave Hearts Estate
was the LZ (Landing Zone) for the
pain, both physical and invisible, of
517.617.6786 this group of injured vets who got
Steven L. Lamier huntin.it.info@gmail.com the opportunity for free room and
meals, during Liberty Hunt weekend
Owner/President www.huntin-it.com in Michigan, for their choice of deer
Come see us for Banks outdoor blinds hunting or walleye fishing. And the
conduit for the fishing was Mark
and gravity feeders Martin, who pulled together a dozen
or so fellow anglers to host his third
Hot Shot Outfitters
Estate, a 238-acre compound given
to the group by a Pellston resident,
and opened two years ago. OIS was
formed by a recuperating vet who
wanted to create a group to give
back to fellow soldiers and sailors
and help them on the road to feel
good about themselves again. Fund-
raising began 10 years ago with a
motorcycle event with six riders that
now attracts more than 500. Private
contributors from service groups to
other community organizations and
individuals, also contribute. And
individuals like Martin.
Along with Donarski, David H.
Radle of Harbor Springs was one of
the other vets at Brave Hearts Estate
this September. He was in the thick
of it, in Viet Nam.
Stationed six miles from what

Call us at:
was then North Viet Nam, his group
lobbed 8-inch and 175mm shells
Ray Hoody
517-617-6786
in support of other units, morning,
noon and night, he said, at anything
that made noise.
In the service, youre short if
Huntin-It, LLC Goose Hunts
you only have a few months or days
left in your tour. Radle was short.
9851 West Youth Deer Hunts His buddies on his gun crew told
Turkey Hunts Coyote Hunts him he didnt have to be on the fir-
Territorial Road Whitetail Hunts ing line that day. He was down be-
Montgomery, MI 49255 low when the gun malfunctioned.
6900 Huron City Two of his friends didnt make
(East of Clear Lake, IN) Port Hope, MI 48468 it. He could have been there, but
Mon - Fri: 989-428-5071 wasnt. He survived. But sometimes,
its the wounds you cant see that
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He heard about Brave Hearts
52 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
HuntinIt_70824 Hunting Guide 6/29/17 dr/dr/dr KPC Media Group PROOF
Corrections must be made by 2:00
Full Page #43 Machele 4-COLOR p.m. Thursday, June 22 or ad will be
assumed correct and run as is.
through a friend who volunteered at
the house. He came for dinner, and
this Septembers event was his first
stay, hunting for two days on the
estate property.
Its really nice. Its just so nice
that people now show Viet Nam
vets respect for having served. Now
people recognize it. I went to the
Viet Nam Wall on my motorcycle
and a girl came up to me, gave me
a hug and gave me a set of beads
in the colors of the Viet Nam flag.
So now I make them and give them
to vets, he said. Viet Nam vets
know what it is. It says thank you Landing a Bur t Lake walleye during Mark Mar tins September Operation Injured Soldiers event from
to them. Pellstons Brave Hear ts Estate. Bill Semion photos
From the Wednesday before
the event, Mark Martins team was Youre with a bunch of guys others like walleye charter captains Brave Hearts and OIS, to make sure
prowling Burt Lake looking for who can relate. Who understand Brandon Stanton and Kyle Buck, every vet in need sees not darkness,
walleye. The early prospects werent what you went through. For six Ralph Pike, Ernie and Eric Plant but light. So every vet sees that
too good. That evening, this vet and years, I had family members who of Franks Great Outdoors, Randy those hands are out to help them
fishing partner Denise found a fish were in Viet Nam. Im totally sold Stohn, Todd Sokolow, Dan Locke, enjoy life again. All they need to do
in the evening south of Maple Bay on OIS, he said. plus Soo, Ontario walleye pro Joe is have the courage and willingness
campground, where wed hooked On Saturday morning, boats and Giuliani and others, including this to look, and ask.
some last year. Thursday morning, vets began gathering at Maple Bay vet, brought aboard. Combined, it For more on Mark Martins vet-
we went again, and Martin hadnt boating access. By that morning, was more than enough to make sure erans events, including an upcom-
landed a fish before finally bringing Martin and his boat captains knew each went home from the weekend ing ice fishing outing on Burt Lake,
up a rainbow on a crankbait early about where to go and how to show with a bag of fish. as well as next Septembers walleye
that afternoon. the vets a great time. While some Including Dan Donarski, whos gathering, go to www.injuredsol-
Team members like Jeff Sowa, still dragged crawlers, Martin and now thinking of helping out at diers.org.n
however, had better luck targeting others switched to cranks, spreading
fish on Slow Death crawler rigs. But out to troll Burt in about 30-40 feet
it looked, at least then, a little iffy of water, depending on individual
whether theyd have enough for Sat- preference.
urdays fish fry. Fortunately, Martin Noon came, and a wind chop
had other anglers in reserve. A West bumped up the lake near Maple Bay
Michigan Walleye Club tournament just enough to diffuse the light and
was taking place on Saturday, and turn on the fish. But not before a
theyd donate all fish that didnt shore lunch at the state forest camp-
survive weigh-in for this catch-and- ground prepared by Brave Hearts
keep event, so every vet attending Estate. There, Martin told the group,
could take home walleye Sunday. one vet who was out fishing that
They wanted me to tell you all morning almost didnt show. PTSD
thanks for what you did, Martin had reared up again. Sometimes, its
said to the group Friday. This isnt the wounds you cant see that are the
a charter. Before the end of the day worst. But, thanks to encouraging
youre going to be setting lines and friends, he did. And hes better for it.
reeling in fish, and each captain will By the time boats were on trail-
explain how to do everything. Its a ers that afternoon, Martin and his VALID TIL 12/31/2016

learning experience for each and ev- crew of vets had caught 10 walleye, % %
ery one so you can try some of this which was indicative of the catch
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 Loons and Finns
F
or the first time in 16 Bill Lantta bought an old deer
years, I dipped my pad- camp on this small inland lake just
dle in the still waters of above the Wisconsin border to con-
Chaney Lake in Gogebic vert to a summer cottage (mkki
County. I was return- in Finnish) for his family. The first
ing from the week-long journal entry in the camp log from
Association of Great Lakes Outdoor 1961 concludes with a postscript
Writers (AGLOW) annual confer- noting that Grandpa Bill caught a
ence at Lake of the Woods, Minne- beautiful 24 northern.
sota, and had stayed the night before My great-uncles Bill and Walt
at my familys cottage on used to take me fishing in
Chaney Lake on my drive the aluminum boat, though
back home to Ann Arbor. I dont remember reeling
A black protuberance on in many fish myself; some
the flat water caused me to things never change. What I
set down my kayak paddle do remember is hearing the
on my lap and raise my loons call, a haunting wail
binoculars, finding a loon providing the soundscape
through the glass. of the Northwoods. Cedars
I came up here every swoop before the enclosed The Lantta family cottage on Chaney Lake.
summer of cottage
my youth
with my par-
By Drew YoungeDyke porch, and a
few senti-
Little has changed physically
since I was last here: the same red
little brother and me in that boat,
and my mom as a teenager with a
ents and brother to spend time with nel white pines rim the lake amidst log cabin and the sauna any self- string of walleye I never knew she
the Finnish side of my moms fam- oaks, maples, cedars, and birch. respecting Finnish cottage must fished! Uncle Bill with a buck hang-
ily, but somehow I havent found Before I knew their name, I thought have. My dad and brother put in a ing from a pole in front of the cabin,
or made the time to visit since of white pines as eagle trees due new dock last summer, someone which he sometimes used as a deer
I was 21. In the middle of the last to the nest in one on the lake years likely my great-Uncle Bill built a camp, too.
century, my great-grandpa William ago. vestibule over the picnic table. It has But then, there are older photos,
indoor plumbing now, though I still much older. My grandma Ruth
insist on using the huusika, what who passed when my mom was a
you might call a two-holer. So teenager as a baby in 1924. My
much else has changed, though; Un- great-Grandpa Bill as a young man
cle Bill and his wife, my Aunt June, paddling a canoe, another of him
passed on a few years ago. Just over holding a rabbit hed hunted with a
W W W. S L AY E R O U T D O O R P R O D U C T S . C O M a month ago, my Uncle Walt passed revolver fitted with a shoulder stock
away just before his 97th birthday, out in Red Lodge, Montana. One
5-SIDED HUNTING BLINDS leaving my Aunt Elaine as the last of was of the whole family after a day
the greatest generation which filled of fishing in the nineteen-teens with
Outfitter Grade Hunting Blinds! this cottage with laughter, intellect, my great-great-grandpa John, who
One Floor Plan, Two Window Options and love for over a half century.
The night before, I flipped
Modular Design Aluminum Frame through the photo albums and
scrapbooks that didnt interest me
as much as a kid. There are pictures
of my great-uncles teaching my
younger cousins to clean fish in the
years that I was somehow too busy
to come up here. Then theres my

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Bill Lantta (front) paddles a
nor thern lake 100 years ago.
emigrated from Finland in 1887 to
work as a teamster in lumber camps
in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the
U.P. before starting a farm in Iron
Belt, Wisconsin.
In 1946, another Finnish im-
migrant to the Upper Peninsula
Frank Valin - told folk researcher
Richard Dorson why many small
farmers and sharecroppers emi-
grated during that time: The food
was always miserable; sour milk
thinned with water, potatoes and
herring, day in and day out while
the tables of the landowners groaned
with stews of beef, lamb and pork,
and carrots and onions. The lakes
were full of fish but we could not
fish in them, neither could we hunt
game, except by stealth, for the land
was owned by our betters. Is it a
wonder that we left Finland to come
here?
I thought of the concerted effort
by some of todays politicians to sell
our public lands and I wondered if
someday we would find ourselves
unable to hunt and fish because all
the land was owned by our bet-
ters. That thought was interrupted
by the wail of the loon, calling to
locate its partner. Loons live for
decades up to thirty years and The authors ancestors on a Lantta family fishing trip in the early 1900s.
some mate for life. Theyre also
territorial, and a lake the size of
Chaney likely supports only a pair
it landed. Reunited, they floated and
fished, one keeping a lookout while ITS HOG
HUNTING TIME!
they would defend their territory the other dove, then switching, mak-
from other loons. When the pair ing their way down the lake.
becomes separated, they call to each I turned the kayak around and
other as this one was doing now, try- paddled back to the cottage; Id
ing to locate its lost mate. I thought been away from home for almost
of my Aunt Elaine. a week and I missed my wife. I
Cedars and birches rimmed the packed my gear, made a cup of
shore with the morning sun casting coffee and heated one of my moms
a glow over the trees on the opposite homemade pasties for breakfast,
shore as I paddled down the lake, then got back on the long road home
not wishing to disturb the loon. In to Ann Arbor. With the windows
the shadows of the faint ripples on down and the moon roof back, a
the water, I almost missed seeing bald eagle flew overhead as Ed-
the other loon ahead of me, the lost die Vedder and Beyonce sang Bob
mate. It called out, and its partner Marleys Redemption Song on
flew to it, spreading its wings out as satellite radio. n

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 FUNNEL HUNTING
Take deer in compressed crossings...By George Rowe
A
fter a few years of
deer hunting, most
of us have dis-
covered that deer
generally move on
the same paths or
trails when they move through a
given area. On the land I hunt,
some of those trails are worn right
down into the soil and nothing
ever grows there. Those trails
have been in use for decades.
The trails most used are those
that are forced upon the deer by
the topography or some natural or
man-made feature of the land or
the terrain. The topography or the
terrain creates a funnel or a fun-
nel effect, compressing the deer
movement into a narrow band or
strip of land. The list of the things
that can create a funnel or bottle-
neck is long and mixed; a stream
or river, a swamp, a road or even
a two-track, a natural opening or
meadow, a crop field, a steep bank
or bluff, a thick band of cover in
an area of thin cover.
In most cases, the deer are us-
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ing a funnel because the surround-
ing terrain or some natural feature
pushes them into a narrow band
of cover. This is really avoid-
ance behavior. The deer are using
that trail to avoid coming out into
the open or crossing the road or
wading through the swamp. The
funnel route may be taken because
it offers better cover than the thin
stuff that surrounds the area.
To illustrate the value of the
funnel idea, let me describe two
stands that have been in use for the
past 20 to 25 years and produce
regularly.
One is in a little valley right
next to some large crop fields.
The deer come out of the fields
very early in the morning so it
is necessary to get in there early
and quietly, taking a route around
through the woods and away from
the fields. The deer are headed up
on a ridge to a favorite bedding
area. The does and fawns use one
of several well-established trails
This simple brush blind covers a natural funnel situation and has down though the valley and then
produced six deer in the last seven years. up on to the ridge. The bucks will
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often loiter in the area, trying to
intercept the does as they move
through and a buck will often fol-
low one group of does up the ridge
and then come back to look for
more action. The lesson quickly
learned at this stand is that the
bucks may show up anywhere and
including moving in the wrong
direction.
Another favorite stand is along
the edge of a rather large wet
swamp. There is a creek running
down through the middle of it and
it represents a barrier of sorts. The
deer are generally moving north to
south in the morning, coming
from some crop fields and headed
for a bedding area to the south.
They like to move along in the
grassy area of the swamp where
the brush is fairly thick but they
wont cross that creek unless
pushed by man or buck. The
trick is to anticipate just where
the deer will leave the swamp
and turn up toward the higher
ground of the bedding area.
Several stands along that route
might work and the trick is
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always to pick the right one on a
given day.
There are two considerations
that must be handled before set-
ting up a stand in a funnel loca-
tion. First, it must be remembered
that bucks very often dont use
the trodden down trails, prefer-
ring instead to walk along roughly
parallel and using the same cover
but not the same trail. We may not
know exactly why bucks act that
way but it may have something to
do with their habit of going their
own separate and secretive way.
The bottom line is you had better
make allowances for that buck to
come through at least a few yards
away from the main trail. Second,
many of the funnel situations are
very narrow.
It is often difficult to set up a
tree stand, a brush blind, a portable
or even get behind a natural screen
of trees without fear of detection.
Many funnel situations are so nar-
row that they can be hunted with
only one particular wind direction,
unless you are confident that your
scent control is 100 percent effec-
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tive. Obviously, the selection of a
stand site within the funnel area is
easier with any sort of firearm than
a bow and the much greater range
associated with a rifle. There are
two things to consider in any of
these situations. One is the direc-
tion of the movement of the deer,
morning or evening. The other is
the wind direction on a given day.
If these two things are handled and
the stand is placed correctly, the
hunt is on.
With all the things that can
screw up a given funnel situation
and the stand associated with it,
the canny hunter will have a num-
ber of stands ready on any given
day. This will permit the hunter
to use a stand only when the wind
is right for the known deer move-
ment and it will also mean that the
hunter will not use a single stand
more than once or twice a week,
even if he or she hunts every day.
The stand wont be ready until
the hunter has made some prepa-
rations and those might include
clearing some shooting lanes. The
hunter might also pace off the dis-
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(2 hours north of Detroit)
tance and mark some trees at criti-
cal ranges. If you have just two or
three trees marked with the dis-
tance, you can more easily gauge
the distance to a deer approaching
from any likely direction. At least
for me, it seems infinitely better to
know that a buck just passed the
30 yard mark than to be fumbling
for a range-finder at that critical
moment.
Another bit of stand prepara-
tion might be to move some of the
vegetation around. That brings to
mind a stand that had a fair-sized
downed tree in just the wrong
spot. The deer would walk
around that blowdown on the
wrong side of it, taking them
out of range for a few yards at
just the edge of good bow range.
To fix the situation, all that was
required was to trim that tree
down a bit so it could be moved
and than drag it about twenty
feet so that it forced the deer to
stay on the trail.
Funnel hunting is just another
trick in the bag of the experienced
and successful deer hunter.n
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 57
 10 Major
Bowhunting
Mistakes
By Byron Ferguson
Excerpted from his book Become The Arrow
1) Using Wrong learn to age the sign deer leave
behind. Many times I found areas
Approach To Stand loaded with old sign, but the deer
The most direct route is not had either depleted the food or sim-
always best. ply moved to a more favored food.
Make sure the sign you see is fresh.
2) Placing
Stand Too High 4) Shooting too Soon
If you shoot the first deer you The author, Byron Ferguson with a nice buck!
The higher the stand, the tougher see, many times you wont see the
the shot. There are more obstruc- big one that was just behind it. arrow. Wait for a high percentage dont like to hunt in the rain, I will
tions and tougher angles, less angle, i.e. broadside or quartering use this time to scout. Most scout-
chance of double-lung hits. Rule 5) Forcing a Shot away, if at all possible. ing should be done before the hunt.
of thumb climb in cover or climb
high, but only as high as conditions Because you may be able to 6) Scouting at Deer movement is governed by their
belly most of the year. When you
dictate. place your arrow accurately is no
excuse to attempt a low-percentage the Wrong Time scout, start with food sources and
3) Misreading Sign shot. Remember that a deer can Learn when the deer are the work from there. Just be sure youre
To avoid hunting a cold stand, and will get out of the way of your least active and scout then. Since I aware of seasonal foods and food

MANAGE THE
DAMAGE

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SWINE
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CALL:USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES AT
517.336.1928
OR
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DAMAGE AGRICULTURE,
NATURAL RESOURCES,
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58 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS


sources, and how quickly the deer
will move from one to another.
7) Scouting
Without A Plan
Scouting is NOT walking around
in woods looking for deer tracks.
My favorite tactic is to look for food
sources, being careful to stay clear
of bedding areas. Once a hot spot
has been located, I use a compass to
note different stand sites for various
wind directions.
8) Routine Hunting
Deer will pattern YOU! Break
up your routine. Have many more
than one or two stands ready, so
none are overworked and smelled-
up and all remain fresh. Stay on
stand longer, sleep in, and arrive at
your stand when you would nor-
mally be leaving.
9) Over-Hunting
As hard as it may be, dont
hunt the same stand over and over
because it seems to be hot. I have
seen many good stands turn cold
because of over-hunting. There is
too much human scent, too much
activity.
Theres another form of over-
hunting too. This is the burn-out
type you may encounter if you hunt
day after day early in the season
when your enthusiasm is high. Ive
seen bowhunters run out of gas,
so to speak, before the best hunt-
ing - the rut - begins. They have
lost enthusiasm, used up all their
vacation time, or been gone from
home so much that theyve had to
re-establish cordial relations with
their family.
10) Broadheads Sharp?
I mean sharp even after you
have hunted a couple of days
without shooting them. Check those
edges constantly. Weathering and
accidental contact with brush can
wear them. Just because theyre
covered by a quiver hood doesnt
guarantee continued sharpness.
Byron Ferguson carries many ar-
chery identifications archery trick
shot, bowhunter, longbow manu-
facturer, ambassador for the sport,
particularly traditional archery and
barebow shooting. He hunts some-
thing at least 150 days a year and
has taken more than 100 whitetail
deer, plus moose, bear, mule deer
and countless small game and birds.
He has given archery trick shooting
performances throughout the United
States, plus Italy, France, Spain
and Japan. For book content details
and to order go to www.targetcom-
mbooks.com or www.amazon.comn
DNR announces next round of Dam
Management Grant Program funds
Opportunity for assistance in addressing dam
removals and critical dam maintenance
The Michigan Department
of Natural Resources has an-
nounced its Dam Management
Grant Program is now open for
proposals. The sixth year of this
grant opportunity will award
$350,000 in 2018 to address
Michigans failing dam infra-
structure through dam removals
and critical repair/maintenance.
Since inception of the program,
more than $6.75 million has been allocated to 19 projects.
The DNRs Dam Management Grant Program is focused on the
growing issue of abandoned, unused or hazardous dams in Michigan.
The purpose of the program is to provide funding and technical as-
sistance to local and state units of government, nonprofit groups and
individuals to manage dam removals or repair/major maintenance
projects. Selected projects should not only enhance aquatic resources
and fishing opportunities, but also reduce infrastructure costs and
improve public safety.
There is an online application process for prospective applicants.
Interested parties first will need to register with MiRecGrants. Once
that registration has been approved by DNR Grants Management, the
applicant can complete and submit their application. Access to MiRec-
Grants and more information about the Dam Management Grant
Program can be found on the DNR website michigan.gov/dnr-grants.
Grant applications can be submitted through the MiRecGrants online
application system until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, to be con-
sidered for the 2018 funding cycle.
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 59
The Wild Au Sable River
T
he Au Sable ers and groups like Anglers
is a house- of the Au Sable, whose
hold name to mission is to keep the river
anyone who litter-free and pristine.
trout fishes in Every August I join
Michigan. Its several friends and family
no surprise this storied river members on a Michigan
is also a magnet for party river to canoe and camp.
people, those folks who like Our first choice was the

MICHIGAN MEANDERS
to drink Manistee,
while drift- followed
ing along
in kayak, By Tom Huggler by the
Muskegon,
canoe or the Pere
rubber raft. What does surprise is Marquette, the Pine, and now the
that the Au Sable accommodates so Au Sable. This summer we paddled
much people pressure and is none the South Branch from just below
the worse for it, thanks to landown- Roscommon and fished the Holy

The authors 10-member group poses at the end of their Au Sable adven-
ture. Other Michigan rivers they have toured are the Manistee, Muskegon,
Pere Marquette and Pine.
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60 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Tom Guerin of Metamora and his 10-year-old grandson Colin were first-timers on
the trip. Tom Huggler photos
Water of the Mason Tract and
camped there before joining the
Main Stream for another day and
night. Taking out at Parmalee Bridge
above Mio turned into a 40-mile,
three-day adventure.
We were treated to more wild-
life than any of the other rivers we
have visited. Members of our group,
which ranged in age from 10 to 78,
saw deer, mink, wild turkeys, pile-
ated woodpeckers, kingfishers, an
eagle, an osprey, cedar waxwings
from beginning to end, and abun-
dant waterfowl including teal, mal-
lards, gadwalls, Canada geese and
mergansers. Because they are used
to seeing people, most of the duck
families allowed us to drift by so
closely we could almost touch them
with our paddles.
We also encountered a parade of
friendly people, all of whom seemed
to enjoy the river as much as we did.
Putting in at Paddle Brave Canoe
Livery and Campground on a Friday
morning, we had the South Branch
mostly to ourselves, except for a
few fly fishermen. It was when we
hit the Main Stream the following
afternoon that the party crowd began
to thicken and peaked with a traffic
jam at popular Parmalee Bridge as
tubers put in or took out.
We brought our own canoes ex-
cept for one rental from Tom and Jill
Roberts, owners of Paddle Brave,
who also agreed to transport our ca-
noes from Parmalee Bridge back to
their campground for a nominal fee.
I can also recommend the Paddle
Brave Campground with its clean
restrooms and grassy tent sites and
where we camped the night before
launching on the South Branch.
The South Branch rises from
Lake St. Helen in Roscommon
County and begins to look like
a trout stream as it approaches
Roscommon. Near Chase Bridge,
where the Mason Tract begins, the
river is 40 to 50 feet wide. Classic
fly water, the roadless and cottage-
free Mason Tract runs for 12 river
miles and includes lovely Canoe
Harbor Campground. Managed by
the DNR forestry division, the rustic
campground features vault toilets,
fire rings, picnic tables and a hand
pump. Fee is $13 per site. We had it
to ourselves.
Fishermen in our group caught
a few small browns and brookies,
each of which was gently released
due to no-kill restrictions. The next
morning we left the Mason Tract
at Smith Bridge and drifted and
paddled a few more miles to where
the South Branch joins the Main
Stream.
The two rivers are quite dif-
ferent. The lower end of the South
Branch deepens and widens with
appealing cottages and cabins along
the banks. As we approached the
Main Stream confluence on this
Saturday, most of the homes were
The Grobe clan left to right: Grandpa Ed, Grandson Garrett, brothers
Justin and Kevin. The annual trip star ted 30 years ago when Ed took the
brothers camping and canoeing on Michigan rivers.
vacant and the few people we
drifted by waved or made small talk.
Bringing up the rear of our five-
canoe armada, my son Daniel and I
were surprised to see our group al-
ready on shore, making preparations
for lunch. After all, this was private
property with No Trespassing signs
everywhere it seemed.
Those in the lead canoe had ac-
cepted an invitation from one of the
landowners, a man named Bruce,
to use his picnic table for our lunch
break. Bruces wife, Barbara, sud-
Colin and the authors son Daniel
pose at Canoe Harbor SFC on the
South Branch.
denly appeared to see if we needed
water or the use of their bathroom.
Feel free to eat in the gazebo if
youd like, she offered. Upon
learning we were low on campstove
propane, Bruce donated a canister
and refused payment.
The river is not ours, Barbara
explained. It belongs to all of us.
We like to see people enjoy it as The Mason Tract is a roadless, cottage-free area that includes 12 miles
much as we do. of the South Branch.
Indeed. Ive long suspected that
rivers have a way of bringing out the Stream. Here we met members of between Grayling and Mio the most
best in people. Now I had proof that the Big Girls Camp, a group of popular. The lower half is mostly
some two dozen mothers, daugh- impounded water due to eight dams
ters and female friends who have from Mio to Oscoda.
camped, kayaked and canoed on the The incredible history of this
AuSable for 19 consecutive years. river includes more than one and
The Big Girls partied hard that Sat- one-third billion feet of logs run
urday night; luckily we had spread through the system during the
our tents near the river, 100 yards or 16-year period from 1867 to 1883.
more away. Catches as high as 5,000 grayling
Also, the earplugs I had packed from a five-mile section of the North
were good insurance. Branch Au Sable were reported by
Beginning paddlers will find commercial anglers using hook and
the river of sands, as a French line in 1878.
explorer called the AuSable in 1688, Trout apparently were not native
a good choice. The Main Stream is to the system, which contains 22
split between what researchers call tributaries the DNR has classified as
low gradient (less than 3 feet per top-quality trout streams. The first
mile) and medium gradient (3 to rainbows were released in 1875 and
10 feet per mile). A total of 71 miles brookies introduced ten years later.
is low gradient and 81 miles are Biologists have identified at least 90
medium gradient. Although not as species of fish living in the Au Sable
wide, the South Branch is also easy River. Sadly, two native species
it was true. to navigate due to its overall gentle the grayling and lake sturgeonare
That evening we camped at flow and ongoing efforts to clear considered extinct.
Rainbow Bend, another state forest fallen trees and other debris. Even so, the AuSable is an in-
campground between Connors Flats Total Main Stream length is credible river and a certain favorite
and McMaster Bridge on the Main 157 miles with the 30-mile stretch for me.n
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 61
 Unique
fall fishing
Cheboygan
Mullet Lake
If you are looking for a unique inland bite, the
steelhead in Mullet Lake are starting to
get active. Water temps have remained
warm following our recent string of 80+
degree days and surface temps are still
68-70 degrees. When seasonal temps
return and the water continues to cool
the steelhead will become very active as
they prepare for the long winter months
ahead. They will be most active and
feeding when the water temps reach the
60 degree mark.
Currently they are stacked By John Bergsma
up on the southeast shoreline
in the deepest parts of the lake. With the wind
at your back, hug the drop off where depths go
from 30 feet down to 90-110 feet of water. With
a south wind I started where the Indian River
flows into Mullet and worked the entire eastern
shoreline. We use a Lowrance HDS 9 unit to find
with your host
n B e r g sm a
Joh
Visit our website and find out about . . .
Destinations Fishing Reports
Our Show Cooks Corner
62 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
the contours and depths we are looking for and
with a split screen, you can use your sonar to find
where the fish are in the water column.
Right now, they are in the bottom 15 feet and
holding near bottom. This is a great
time to target them with lead core line
and down riggers. Experiment with the
number of colors you use, to find where
the most active fish are. I used 9 and
10 colors to reach 63-70 feet of depth.
Sufix Performance braid 18 pound lead
core is ideal for reaching maximum
depths because it drops seven feet per
color as opposed to everyone
elses five feet per color. At-
tached to the business end is
Mullet Lake Steelies will be most active and
feeding when the water temps reach the 60
a 30 foot leader of 20 pound degree mark.
Berkley fluorocarbon and a stinger spoon. The
most productive colors have been a perch pattern, marking a majority of the fish. Steelhead are fast
but white and blue showed some promise as did powerful fish so start trolling at 2.5 mph and
bright orange. dont be afraid to go as high as 3-3.2 mph to trig-
If you are using down riggers, drop them ger a strike. Steelhead are beautiful fish so make
so they are about two feet above where you are sure your camera is ready and fish on!
Traverse City
Grand Traverse Bays
The Traverse City region is the place to be
for extraordinary fall smallmouth fishing. Inland
lakes like Skegmog and Green will only get bet-
ter after a few consecutive cold nights to get the
water temperature down.
Bait fish rules this time of year, use your elec-
tronics to locate balls of bait and expect to find
smallmouth nearby. Top waters and jerk baits can
be very effective to locate roaming smallmouth.
Use these baits to catch as many as you can then
slowdown with soft plastics to catch those that
may not react to a moving bait. The same patterns
can be repeated on Grand Traverse Bay a few
weeks to a month later as it takes considerably
longer to cool down
If youre looking for a great fall adventure
contact: Capt. Tony DeFilippo upnorthsmall-
mouthcharters.com See you on the water!
Oconto Wisconsin
Bay of Green Bay The Traverse City region is the place to be for extraordinary fall smallmouth fishing.
Fall fishing by Oconto is winding down, but
still worth it if you can find the time to get out. nights crankbaits like reef runner 800 series, the pike and muskie. Weve been catching some
We are still getting some walleyes on the deeper Berkley flicker minnows, or Sebile koolie nice muskie near the weeds in less than 15 feet.
rocks casting baits like shiver minnows, Rapala minnows that can reach deeper depths will work Soon the Oconto river will be full of perch.
flat shads, or Berkley war pigs. For the trollers, better. As it gets closer to ice up the trolling night Remember the biggest perch will be found out in
if you mark fish in deeper water near the bottom, bite will turn on in the shallows by the leftover the lake, thats a local secret. If youre looking
25 to 40 foot, you can catch them with cranks or weeds. This is where you will see some bigger to get out here this fall contact my friend: Lynn
harnesses. fish closer to shore. Also with the colder water Niklasch at Your Fishin Pal Guide Service www.
As the water temp drops with the cold fall the perch have started to move in which brings in fishinpal.com.n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 63
64 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 65
64 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 65
MICHIGAN MADE
M
By Jerry Lambert agrunt
ike Perkins from
Leslie started
hunting at an early
age and developed a passion for the
outdoors. Like many other hunters,
he purchased various game calls that
were designed to lure wild game
within shooting range. Mike, how-
ever, wasnt satisfied with the store
bought calls. He said, I often wasnt
happy with the sound and they didnt
seem to last or have any longevity.
Instead of complaining about it,
Perkins showcased his genuine fron-
tiersmen spirit and set out to make his
own handcrafted calls. Mike bought
a bench top lathe and started experi-
menting. After two years of research-
ing, the industrial hunter developed
tough, all wood
call that
produced the deep
grunt that many deer hunters desire.
Proud of his craftsmanship, he started
selling his custom calls.
Consumers were genuinely im-
pressed and started ordering more for
their family and friends. Originally
word of mouth created a demand, but
then Perkins appeared on Michigan
Out-of-Doors TV with host Jimmy
Gretzinger and business soared.
In fact, business was so good that
Mike resigned from his job as a State
of Michigan Corrections Officer and
started making calls full-time. He has After two-years of experimenting, Mike Perkins has perfected his grunt tubes.
now sold the Michigan made calls in
every state except Alaska and Hawaii. the deep guttural grunt sound is kind offers a Lifetime Warranty. Perkins
Perkins credits much of his suc- of like the Colonels secret recipe. says, When a person buys a call, I
cess to the sound that he is able to People really fell in love with our want that to be the last call that they
generate on his grunt calls. He says calls. In fact, I sold a call to a Qual- have to buy. Quality is very important
ity Deer Management Association to me.
(QDMA) Officer out of Missouri and In addition to their popular deer
he liked it so much that he started grunt call, Timber Creek also makes
ordering a high number of calls to and sells elk, turkey and waterfowl
be featured at fundraising banquets. calls. The custom calls come in a
Last year, our Timber Freak Game variety of colors and for an
Calls were chosen as the official call additional five dollars Mike will
at the National QDMA Banquet. It personally engrave it. To order visit
was between us and Primos and they www.timberfreakgamecalls.com or
chose us! find them on facebook at Timber
Timber Creek Game Calls Freak Game Calls.n

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 DNR seeks candidates for 2018
Conservation Officer Recruit School
Twenty-three week academy pushes recruits academically, physically...

T
he Michigan Department of Natural
Resources is seeking candidates
for its 2018 Conservation Officer
Recruit School, a 23-week train-
ing academy that is the first step in
becoming a conservation officer.
Recruit School #9 runs July 15-Dec. 21, 2018,
at the training academy in Dimondale, near Lan-
sing, Michigan.
The academy demands total effort and com-
mitment, said 1st Lt. Steve Burton, training
section supervisor in the DNR Law Enforcement
Division. It challenges recruits academically
and physically. But those who succeed are on the
path to an exciting, fulfilling career as a Michigan
conservation officer. Not just anyone can wear our
gray and green uniform. Only the finest men and
women should apply.
The DNR is an equal opportunity employer
and encourages diversity among its applicants.
During the academy, recruits become state of
Michigan employees and are paid biweekly. After
graduation, they become probationary conserva-
tion officers and spend several more months train-
ing throughout the state before being assigned to
one of Michigans 83 counties, in which they will
live. The entire training process, which includes
the academy, takes one year before candidates
become full-fledged conservation officers, due to
the high quality and diverse nature of the training.
An applicant must:
Be a U.S. citizen.
Be at least 21 years old before graduating
from the academy.
Become a resident of Michigan by complet-
ing the Probationary Training Program.
Be allowed to lawfully possess a firearm in
Michigan.
Possess a valid Michigan drivers license.
Possess a satisfactory driving record.
Possess a clean criminal record absent of any
felony convictions.
Submit to a thorough background investiga- at life in the academy, subscribe to the weekly
tion measuring the applicants suitability for law conservation officer academy blog, which also
enforcement work. is posted on the Michigan DNR Facebook page.
Pass the Michigan Commission on Law En- View previous blogs from Recruit School #8.
forcement Standards (MCOLES) physical fitness DNR conservation officers serve a distinct
test. role in Michigans law enforcement community.
Complete and attach the Job Fit Question- They are certified police officers with full author-
naire, Location Preference Sheet, a cover letter ity to enforce all of Michigans laws. As conserva-
and resume when applying. tion officers, they also have specialized training
A detailed guide to the application process is in a variety of areas related to the protection of
available at www.michigan.gov/conservationof- Michigans citizens and natural resources. This
ficers. includes extensive training in fish, game and trap-
For more information contact Sgt. John Meka ping enforcement; recreational safety and enforce-
at mekaj@michigan.gov or 517-284-6499. ment, as well as firearms, precision and off-road
This years Recruit School is underway, with driving, survival tactics and first aid. Learn more
graduation scheduled in December. For a look at www.michigan.gov/conservationofficers.n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 67
Bucks, bears, and brook trout
Family traditions carried onBy Sharon Kennedy
J
ames Sutton of Newberry
began hunting at the age
of three when his father,
Jim, took him along dur-
ing deer season. As the
story goes, James was
more interested in playing with Lego
blocks than waiting in the box blind
and watching for deer, but at the
tender age of four all that changed.
James explained, Dad said I had
matured enough to venture into the
deer woods regularly. From then on, I
was with him every year until I could
go out on my own. We hunted on our
180 acre family farm in Brimley.
By the age of seven, the squir-
rels around our place didnt stand a
chance. My Daisy Grizzly BB gun
did the job. On my 10th birthday, I
graduated to a higher caliber and was
given a .22 caliber rifle. Its been a
tradition in our family to hand down
this rifle as a rite of passage. I was
the fourth generation to receive it. Its
my intent to give it to my son on his
10th birthday and continue the long-
standing tradition.
As James is only 22 years old
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Stripping down to your underwear in 40 degree weather may not be
a family traditionbut making every effor t to recover your quarry
is! James drags his trophy buck out of the river.
and has no children, I imagine the sity in Houghton where his focus is
gift will remain in his possession chemical engineering. As part of the
for many years to come. At present, program, hes interned for Marathon
his attention is given to his studies Petroleum Corp. in Detroit and next
at Michigan Technological Univer- summer will began his last internship
at a refinery in Canton, Ohio. Im
looking forward to the opportunity
and am pleasantly surprised at the
numerous career paths available in
the chemical engineering profession,
James said.
His enthusiasm over a bright
future after graduating from MTU is
matched with his interest in hunt-
ing. He was 12 when he shot his first
whitetail. The 7-point buck was
taken from the same box blind where
I first started hunting. I brought the
deer down with another family heir-
loom, a third generation Remington
700 BDL chambered in .308. Dad
and Jason Pesola, my uncle, helped
me drag it out. Ive shot a lot of deer
since then, but that 7-pointer remains
a cherished memory. Dad had the
buck mounted as a birthday gift for
me.
Two years ago James put down
his rifle and picked up a bow. Last
October he was in his deer stand
and used his bow to shoot a coyote.
Although he occasionally takes a rifle
with him when hes in the woods, he
says bow hunting has won his heart.
Whitetails are my passion, he ex-
plained. In the past two seasons Ive
harvested four mature bucks with a
bow and arrow. One is a record book
kill, a 5 year old buck that scored
Pope & Young 144 gross typical. I
agree with my dad that nets are for
fish. We think a buck should be given
credit for all the bone that he grows
on his head. The other three bucks
were in the 110-125 range.
I love being in the woods and
the challenge of patterning a ma-
ture whitetail buck. I have a history
with some deer. One years failure
can compound into the next years
success. That paired with the close
encounters afforded by bow hunting
and its limited range is intoxicating.
I get to witness first hand how these
animals live on a daily basis. Its a
unique experience, one I would rec-
ommend to any hunter.
Its the season of 2015 James
says he will remember for the rest
of his life. In early October, he was
in a tree blind waiting for the return
of a buck who fed at a public land
bait. With less than two hours of light
left, the deer came into sight about
35 yards from James. As he put in it,
The sun broke through a patch of the
overhead canopy and rested on the
buck. He was standing still as a statue
and taking his time as he approached
the bait pile. Buck fever hit me like
a truck. I was shaking, but I knew I
didnt have to rush my shot because
I knew his routine from pictures my
trail cam had captured. He always
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circled the bait, checking the wind.
Once his vitals were no longer
hidden by tree cover, I drew. He
stepped closer and I let her fly. I felt
sick as I watched the arrow nose dive
before reaching its target, the bucks
lungs. I thought I had missed him. He
bolted and stood in the brush down-
wind of me and out of range. As dusk
turned to dark, I climbed down from
my blind and thats when I discov-
ered I had liver shot him. The arrow
was covered in dark red blood and I
could smell gut. I was devastated. I
was on a small patch of public land
and didnt have permission to track
him onto adjacent properties.
As James told his story, he
recalled his mixed emotions. He
was upset that he had wounded the
animal instead of bringing him down
with a clean hit. He said he phoned
his father, more for moral support
James with coyote taken with his
bow.
than anything else. The Sutton clan
is a close knit one. James credits his
family for encouraging his love of
the outdoors and respect for what it
offers. His dad was supportive and
suggested James return in the morn-
ing and look for the blood trail.
I was out before daybreak,
crawling in the wet grass, looking
for blood. For two hours, I followed
the trail until it ended at the bank
of a river where the buck had gone
in. I wasnt about to give up. I took
out my cell phone and did a Google
search. I found a fellow who owned a
bloodhound. I waited an hour for him
and his dog to arrive, but the hound
soon lost the scent after continuing
down the riverbank. At that point, I
happened to look across the river and
saw the deer belly up in the brush on
the other side. I threw off most of my
clothing and plunged into the cold
water.
The buck was ten feet from the
bank and the water was chest level,
but I knew I was going to get him
no matter what it took. I crossed the
river without incidence and grabbed
his back leg, shook it free, and ran
my hand up his neck. I grabbed the
largest chunk of antler Ive ever felt
and pulled the beast out of the water.
Mike, the dog handler, took a picture
and exclaimed OMG as he helped me
pull out the deer. Dressed, it weighed
195 pounds, so it was easily 250+ on
the hoof.
So far, its the biggest deer Ive
brought down. It was the hunt of a
lifetime, the memories of which cant
be beat. I never dreamed Id strip to
my underwear in 40 degree weather,
tread water, and end up with a record
book buck, but thats the thrill of
hunting. You never know what youll
be called on to do or the lengths
youll go through to do it.
Most of my hunting experience
has been in the mixed forests of the
Upper Peninsula with some hunt-
ing in the hardwoods downstate and
in northern Ohio. Ive learned that
many of the tactics used to hunt are
the same regardless of the different
forest types. I hunt a lot of the travel
corridors as deer travel from food to
bedding in the morning and back in
the evening. The rut is wild no matter
where I am, and deer can come from
any direction at any time. Ive tagged
a few rut stricken U.P. bucks at 1:00
p.m., the least likely time to see any
deer activity any time of the year.
As we wrapped up the interview,
I asked James what his favorite cuts
were. I was surprised at his response.
Every morning after a success-
ful hunt, I have two eggs over easy,
toast, and the heart of the animal
fried in butter. After that, my favorite
cuts are the tenderloins, but my num-
ber one remains the heart. Its lean
and tender when prepared properly. I
started eating it after my first suc-
cessful bow hunt. I wish I had started
sooner.
James is a true sportsman. When
he was 13, he shot his first black
bear weighing in at 234 pounds.
Around the same age, he landed a 30
inch steelhead. He fishes the waters
of Michigan for walleye and pike
and joins his father in Canada when
they fish for brook trout. His biggest
Michigan brookie was 18 inches.
The largest one that came from a
Canadian lake was 19.75 inches. He
uses spinning tackle most of the time
with traditional spinners and spoons.
Ice fishing is done with minnows,
tip-ups, and jigging. James has tried
his hand at fly fishing but says it will
take time to become more proficient
at that sport. Hes hunted with his
father and uncles Paul Kreski and
Pat Sutton and their sons, Gage and
Hunter. Sometime in the future,
James and his hunting buddies are
contemplating buying property and
starting their own hunting camp in
the Lower Peninsula.
I have no doubt theyll accom-
plish their goal. After all, James has
already introduced his girlfriend to
deer hunting and hopes shell bag
her first buck this season. He also
convinced her to enter her name in
the May bear tag draw. Her name
wasnt picked this year, but he said
thats okay. Shell have plenty of
time to practice her aim for next year.
Any fellow who can talk his lady into
picking up a rifle or bow and arrow
and spending time in the woods is a
fellow who can accomplish anything
he sets his mind to. Well done, James James at secret brookie lake
Sutton.n in Houghton Co.
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The Upper Peninsula always
makes me laugh Part One
DEAR FISH DIARY... With camera in hand, I fished, and I

I
bought my first camera to
take photographs of my
monster fish. I
had big expecta-
tions. I was going
to be on the cover
of every fishing magazine
sporting my unmatched
trophies. Id practice my
big smile, that kind of
smiley-smirk like, huh, go
ahead, try and
fished, and I fished, and I fished, and
I fished, and I fished, and I fished.
From dusk till dawn and then some,
many times pulling all-nighters
Yes, I had a good flash, I
wasnt about to blow a shot
when I landed that monster.
Oh sure, I got a few Master
Angler patches, and a few I
didnt turn in, because after
so much effort, it occurred
to me, I really stink as a
fisherman.

By Ron St. Germain

match my mon-
ster catches,
you know you
cant. Dream on dreamers
The author discovered the worlds
shor test hiking trail - he named it -
The Trail of Lions Fans. home laughing. Each time I come
As time
went on and
my obsession
dimmed, I put less pressure on my
fishing and found my camera to be
an extremely useful tool, in fact
more proficient than any crankbait I
ever bought. The ability to capture
that moment because I was already
out there failing at fishing became a
way of life, and a career. I shot more
and fished less. Instead of fishing
driving me to carry my camera, my
camera began driving me to fish-
ing. It was my rod now that was just
along for the ride rather than my
camera.
Ive been told more times than I
can count that I see the world much
different than most. Believe it or
not, Im often told by people that
they wish they could capture and see
the world as I do. Maybe thats why
I started writing, because with the
support of the images I capture, or
the fact I look for something ob-
scure and unique, I can write to help
let people into that world I suppos-
edly see so differently.
Few worlds are as different as
Michigans Upper Peninsula. Three
times a year I head up for at least a
week looking for fishing and photo
opportunities and each time I come
left and Ontonagon right? After
Millions of people have taken photographs with the famous End of the
Ear th sign, probably nobody knows whats on the back of that sign.
home with a new story. Each trip I driving for what seems like forever
witness something that makes me through the trees, maybe I want to
say, Only in da U.P. eh. drive straight into Lake Superior and
In January Im going to let you how dare someone take that option
in on my big discovery and laugher, away from me. After all, this is one
but for now, Im just going to en- of the rare stretches where the big
lighten you on a couple of discover- lake is actually accessible through
ies I made while up there this fall. the entire western end of the Upper
Signs are an important part of Peninsula and youre just excited to
our travels. Signs tell us where to, see the lake.
and sometimes where not to go, After spending so many hours
such as this double arrow sign at surrounded by dense forest, you
the end of South Boundary Road start becoming sunlight deprived
headed into the Lake of the Clouds. and your mind starts thinking stupid
Two things I find particularly funny thoughts if its thinking at all. On
about this sign. One, its already further notice of this sign, its also
pretty obvious that the road dead one of the rare places there are no
ends and you have to pick a left or trees growing along the shoreline,
right direction. However; where which makes me think, there might
does left take you and where does be plenty of people who didnt
right take you? Shouldnt there be see the sign and have driven right
a sign that says Lake of the Clouds into the lake. Or, sunlight deprived
people who did see the sign and

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drove into the lake anyway.
Millions of people have photo-
graphed the end of the earth sign
leading into Lake of the Clouds,
often stopping for family photos
and selfies. But does anyone know
whats on the back of the sign? On
the back of the sign is a billboard for
ice cream. Ice cream? In the U.P.?
Who knew?
On this trip I discovered the
worlds shortest hiking trail. This
trail awaits you at the highest point
overlooking Lake of the Clouds.
There are no markers designating
where this trail leads or why youd
want to hike this trail. There are
no signs telling you not to take this
trail. In the photo I included you are
seeing the entire trail start to finish. I
figured this was the quickest route to
the shoreline of Lake of the Clouds,
just a few feet of a hike, then about
a 400 or so foot drop and youre
there. But it is definitely a trail, there
is no vegetation growing and not
enough rain to make this the worlds
shortest stream.
I did wonder how it would
be though to cast from there into
the Carp River below. From that
vantage point it is easy to survey
the water, however, spooling 500
or 600 feet of line on my reel was
a bit problematic. I finally came to
the conclusion to call this trail, The
Trail of Lions Fans. The fact that
most of the area is saturated with
Packer backers makes this a great
venue for Lions fans to put an end
to their misery as Packer bystanders
stand by and cheer the Lions fans
as they make their plunge. Im sure
there are probably some Wolverine
fans that might be thinking about
hiking this trail but its just more ap-
propriate for a Lions fan that hasnt
seen a championship in 60-years.
There should be a desk and couch
here just prior to the end of this trail
with a certified psychologist on duty
24/7 to talk disgruntled fans out of
completing the hike.
For sure though this trails ac-
cess needs to be blocked off. There
are far too many people up there
aimlessly walking around staring at
their phones hoping to find that one
piece of space where they might ac-
tually get a bar of cell phone service
and they could easily drift off, and
some of them are Packer fans. But
only in the U.P. eh?
If you have an Only in the U.P.
eh site or moment, by all means,
send me an email.
Funny fish stories wanted:
Strangest thing
youve ever caught...
Send a short description of your
best or worst fishing day, or worst
fishing-related adventure to me.
You dont have to write the entire
story, just a brief outline of what
happened. If it has some humor to it
Ill be getting in touch with you and
well work on the completed story
together.
Contact - Woods-N-Water News
columnist Ron St. Germain by
calling (517) 626-2814, e-mailing
DaPhotoDude@aol.com. Visit the
authors Facebook page www.Face- This double arrow sign creates such drama within the author and leaves
book.com/BearwaveBooksn more questions than answers. Ron St. Germain photos
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 71
The Blessing of a Northwest Gun
By Dennis Neely

T
wo wild turkeys clucked soft and sweet.
A gravel-mouthed hen uttered a terse
reply from over the ridge. The dim gray
of the eastern sky yellowed. A noticeable
silence gripped the glade. Such was the
dawn of that late-November morn in the
Year of our Lord, 1797.
Overnight the prior days steady rain froze.
All about, silver ice orbs clung to the tips of bar-
ren branches. The air smelled musty and damp,
yet cold and crisp. Before daylight, buffalo-hide
moccasins stepped light on an earthen trail. When
necessary, leather-clad toes slipped under the
boisterous, brittle leaves. Two dozen footfalls
down the slope, berry bushes encircled a large red
oak tree, offering a woodland haven for a forest
tenant.
Tiny snow balls began falling. The gentle
drone of firm snow striking rigid leaves soothed
the soul. All too soon a flood of fluffy, drifting
flakes hushed the din. With a great rushing of
wings, a hen turkey flew from her night roost.
The bronze streak flashed around the trees and
coasted out over the big swamp. Others followed.
Still huddled on the roost, a solitary bird
clucked a mournful solo. Intermittent leaf crunch-
es mixed with the reluctant hens soliloquy. To
the south, on the lower trail, between two cedar
trees, a deers ear flipped front-to-back. The
whitetails antlerless head displayed a sense of
caution. A bare thumb traced anxious circles on
As snow fell, the hunter engaged to provide meat for the Nor th West Company trading post offered
the domed screw that held the Northwest guns a prayer of thanksgiving. Then, with his back against a tree and his Nor thwest gun leaned within
razor-sharp English flint in the cocks jaw. arms reach, the woodsman drew his knife and settled about the business of the forest.
The deer broke over a little rise, nibbled on
a branch, then trotted into full view. It stopped watched, checked her back trail, then walked on, hind the two cedar trees where the does ear first
thirty-five paces distant and glanced away. With a never looking uphill at the mighty oak surround- appeared. The bucks head dropped from sight.
handful of violent flaps, the reluctant hen flushed ed by raspberry switches. The Northwest guns muzzle eased to where the
from the roost, flew behind the doe and coasted A fair amount of time passed before more doe stopped. A buckskin-covered knee raised up
in the direction of the rest of the flock. The doe leaves crackled over the rise. White tines rose be- to support the woodsmans left elbow. The Eng-
lish flint clicked to attention as the tarnished brass
butt plate settled against a hunt-stained linen
shirt. A clean kill, or a clean miss. Your will, O
Lord, the trading post hunter whispered with a
puff of white breath.
A small army of hunters, both modern and
traditional, will take to the field for Michigans
Firearms Deer Season on November 15th. Some
will hunt with a rifle, shotgun or pistol handed
down from a beloved family member, perhaps
several generations removed. Others will wait for
an opportunity to christen a brand new arm, or
at least, new to them. For most deer hunters, the
cost is secondary to the perceived importance of
the chosen arm.
Old Turkey Feathers is by far my go-
to gun. The smooth-bored, flintlock trade gun
accounts for its share of wild game, and has for
almost forty years. As I so often tell people, If
you called me and said, lets go hunting, Id
show up with Old Turkey Feathers, the optimum
projectile and load for that days wild game, and
dressed in the correct clothing and accoutrements
of a 1790-era woodsman.
In this daguerreotype-style image, the clerks wife tends the counter at the American Fur Company This particular Northwest trade gun is the
trading house on Mackinac Island. Even at a primitive post in the backcountry, clerks displayed the work of my own hands. Further, I cast each round
European goods to entice hunters to par t with their winter peltry and deer hides. Wild River tree photos ball or buckshot from molten lead, and on certain
72 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
occasions, drip my own bird shot. The accompa-
nying clothing and accoutrements are hand-sewn
based on existing museum examples. Thus, a
deep sense of personal satisfaction accompanies
each adventure set in the 1790s, and that is a
unique benefit of traditional black powder hunt-
ing.
Perhaps Old Turkey Feathers is not as pe-
riod-correct as it should be. Documentation on
the Northwest gun has advanced over the years,
but that is a common issue for traditional black
powder hunters. The historical knowledge and
understanding we base our simple pursuits on
is better today than yesterday, and with careful
study, will be better tomorrow than today.
Folks interested in getting started in tradi-
tional black powder hunting often ask, What
does a Northwest trade gun cost? A number of
variables affect the answer, but the price ranges
from $800.00 on up. The question that is never
asked is, What did a Northwest gun cost in the
18th century?
One prime beaver pelt (about 40 inches in
diameter or larger), written as plu or plus,
was the common currency in the fur trade. All
other furs were valued against the beaver. A bear,
lynx or otter hide equaled two prime beavers.
Two deer hides or two pelts from martens, minks
or small beaver equaled a plu.
When a Native American hunter needed
goods, he brought his peltry to the trading post.
The post clerk or one of his traders graded the Kinwalaniihsia unbound his pack and sor ted through the furs. The French trader offered a knife and an
furs and established a value for the lot, expressed ax for a prime beaver pelt, but the Miami hunter shook his head and patted the folded blankets. The
in prime beaver. If the hunter was not happy, he warrior ventured to the French for t because his family needed wool blankets to fend off the severe cold.
could leave and go to another trading house, un-
less he had accepted credit on account from that early 1930s, someone professed the idea that to ability to make each shot count provided not only
trading post, which had to be settled for. purchase a Northwest gun a Native American had food for the table, but hides and peltry for future
After the revival of muzzleloading in the to present a pile of prime beaver pelts as tall as purchases
the gun was. This supposition was not based on The buck came over the little rise at a fast
historical documentation, but nonetheless became walk. His nose nuzzled the trail, savoring the
repeated fact. does scent. His demeanor lacked the does cau-
This fallacy fails to recognize the Na- tious concern for impending danger. As expected,
tive American as an astute consumer, which is the eight-pointer stopped where the doe lingered.
established in a number of traders journals. On He sniffed the ground. The Northwest guns turtle
August 19, 1804, Francois Victor Malhiot, a clerk sight clutched a roughed-up tuft of hair over the
for the North West Company, records the frus- deers heart. The English flint lunged. Sparks
trated response of one of his traders, Bazinet: showered. Powder flashed.
Not one devil among them intends to give Kla-whoosh-BOOM!
three deer hides for a plus. I am obliged to do like Orange fire belched from the smoothbores
my adversary (traders for the XY Company) who muzzle with a deafening roar. White, roiling
takes two for a plus, (Collections of the State smoke billowed forth, shrouding the buck as the
Historical Society of Wisconsin, v. XIX, A Wis- death sphere delivered its fatal message. In due
consin Fur-Traders Journal, 1804-05, Francois time, the post hunter stood over a magnificent
Victor Malhiot, Madison, WI, 1910, pg. 192). forest creature and spoke a humble prayer of
Referenced ledger pages included with Mal- thanksgiving to God for the woodland blessing.
hiots 1804 journal indicate that a Northwest gun And as an aside, I also offered thanks for the
traded for ten prime beaver pelts (222). A double blessing of a Northwest gun
handful of powder required two plu and a Give traditional black powder hunting a try,
handful of shot one plu (216). Thirty bullets be safe and may God bless you.
traded for one beaver pelt (218). Dennis Neely maintains a web site devoted to
The values listed in Malhiots 1804 account traditional hunting at www.traditionalblackpow-
ledger are comparable to those of the last decade derhunting.com.n
of the 18th century. Thus, in 1797 a backcountry
woodsman could buy a Northwest gun, powder,
shot and round ball for thirteen prime beaver Muzzle Loading State Events
pelts or twenty-six dressed deer hides. Michigan State Muzzle Loading
Other necessities of wilderness life, wool Association State Shoots
point blankets, brass kettles, traps, knives,
hatchets, fire steels and assorted fabric carried a Nov. 3-5 - Turkey Shoot: Sauk Trail Long
price tag stated in prime beaver. Luxuries such Rifles: Tecumseh: 517-522-8976
Nor thwest guns lined the wall in the British as beads, ribbon, ear bobs, silver brooches and
tobacco required the same currency. The more Nov. 5 - Woods Walk: Clinton River Muzzle
traders house at For t Michilimackinac. Crate
No. 37 in the inventory of trade goods sent to skilled a hunter was, the better he and his ex- Loaders: Detroit Sportsman Congress
David McCrea in 1777 contained 8 NW fuzils. tended family fared. When game approached, the 586-731-6088
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 73
Keeler Society Honors Wes ODell
Submitted by the members of the Spirit of Roy Keeler Society

I
was stunned, Wes ing sports, not only in Michigan, spected his leadership skills. They
ODell said, absolutely but across the country. His wisdom, called him Pa. When he married
stunned. wit and humor touched innumerable his wife, Thelma, he affectionately
I kinda sat in lives and advanced all facets of the called her Ma. They lived their
the clubhouse and listened to the muzzleloading hobby in ways even entire life in Eaton Rapids.
awards for shooting. Then Randy he could not comprehend. Pa Keeler favored flintlocks,
[Mac-Innes] got up and started Following Keelers death in especially the heavy bench guns. He
talking about the Keeler Society. 1998, the MSMLA established the became a respected competitor at
I listened, but I dont remember Spirit of Roy Keeler Society. The MSMLA shoots and at the National
what he said now, ODell recalled society is charged with keeping Muzzle Loading Rifle Associations
with an abrupt chuckle. When he Keelers memory alive by honoring national matches, held at Friend-
was done, he said my namejust individuals who display the values ship, Indiana. Roy Keeler was the
stunned. There are people around he lived by: sportsmanship, friend- first inductee in the NMLRAs Black
here that deserve this more than ship and a passionate devotion to Powder Hall of Fame in 1995. Wes ODell displays the Spirit of
Roy Keeler Society memorial trophy
I do. You cant hardly help but promoting and preserving Americas He owned Keelers Trading at the 2017 Michigan State Muzzle
become overwhelmed when you rich muzzleloading heritage. Post and took his wares on the road Loading Associations State Champi-
receive this. In early spring, society mem- when he shot. Keeler wrote Pas onship Shoot. Mar ty Maddox photo
As Wes ODell walked to the bers select one Michigan resident Powder Horn, a popular column in
front of the meeting hall his fellow from a list of deserving candidates, the Michigan United Conservation day. I was pretty proud of that tar-
shooters rose and surrounded him nominated by MSMLA members. Clubs publication, Michigan Out- get, so I took it over to Roy and had
with enthusiastic applause. Randy The newest inductee into the Spirit of-Doors. He penned informative him autograph it. Ive got it hanging
MacInnes handed the heavy memo- of Roy Keeler Society is announced articles for the NMLRA magazine, in my shop. Its a prized possession.
rial trophy to the worthy recipient. during the awards ceremony at the Muzzle Blasts, and was a noted I was fortunate to have known Pa,
The Columbiaville Sportsman Club MSMLA state shoot. authority among antique arms col- ODell said in a hushed tone.
(5124 Klam Road, Columbiaville, Roy Keeler was born in Eaton lectors. Wes ODell joined the Colum-
Michigan), which hosted the Michi- Rapids, Michigan, in 1917. With I got my first muzzleload- biaville Sportsman Club in 1974. He
gan State Muzzle Loading Associa- the Great Depression approaching, ing rifle about 1965, ODell later is a three-time past president, former
tions 2017 State Championship he left school to help raise his eight recalled. That gun was one I was head range officer and a director of
Shoot, is Wes ODells home club. brothers. He was 10 years old. His never very proud of. It had a two- the club. He started attending the
Roy Pa Keeler was a soft-spo- brothers recognized his wisdom, piece stock and the inside of the MSMLA State Championship shoots
ken force in the black powder shoot- depth of understanding and re- barrel was like going down a wash- in the late 1970s, is a past MSMLA
board road. It was a brand new kit president and served on the board of
gun. directors of the organization.
A few years later I won a I noticed different clubs try
Superior Game Ranch Sharon barrel. It was a meet where
you shot and picked merchandise off
a table, according to how good your
to get young people interested in
shooting, ODell said. A lot of
parents dont have a gun for their
Route 3 Box 163 Cornell, MI 49818 score was. I lucked out that day. The kids to shoot. I had a .32-caliber
barrel happened to fit that gun, so I rifle with a shooting box, ramrod
Incredible U.P. of Michigan replaced the barrel. My son has that and supplies that I carried to all the
Hunting Opportunities gun and wont part with it. shoots. It was available to borrow
I bought the next gun at the for the shoot. I cant remember how
Private farmland in south Marquette Midland show. It was a collection of many young people borrowed the
County Michigan, fully guided parts I bought from Roy Keeler. It gun. A lot of times I would sit and
was a .54-caliber in a Hawken style. teach both the youngster and the
bow and firearm hunts in I built it up from the parts, and Roy parents how to shoot black powder.
hunting preserve for: Elk, gave me a lot of good advice. I think Wes ODell spends more time
Whitetail Deer, Buffalo, Wild Large Russian Boar
I still have those notes around.
I was shooting a cross-stick
helping others than trying to win
medals. Through sharing his friend-
Boar, Red Stag & Fallow Deer. Hunts Available! target that was part of the Keeler ship, life experiences and wealth of
Aggregate. I shot a 50-4X. Roy knowledge, Wes ODell keeps the
Keeler was the range officer that spirit of Roy Keeler alive.n
Trophy Elk,
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74 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS

Winds of November provide
WALLEYES TO REMEMBER
T
When water temps fall walleyes do nothing but feed and get fat...By Mark Sak
hat end of September
warm spell may help
put smiles on us die-
hard walleye anglers
later on this fall as we
prefer not to break ice
leaving harbors to fish giant late fall
walleyes. But walleyes are ever-
present around river mouths in the
Great Lakes. We usually see a lull
in the walleye fishing in September
as the water temps are high in the
beginning of the month as we exit
the dog days of summer and baitfish
havent yet returned to warm oxy-
gen depleted river waters.
As soon as the temps start falling
that all changes and the walleyes
gather to do nothing but feed up and
get fat. Shad and shiners are the big
draw but smelt eventually trickle
in if waters get cold enough. These
little protein bars help sustain fish
through the coldest times in winter
and prepare them for the spawn in
the spring.
Lake Erie is still producing
some giant double-digit walleyes
and it is pretty easy to hook up with
a ten pounder with big shoulders.
Ive weighed a lot of 8 to 10-pound
fish that would have been a run-of-
the mill 6-pounder only two months
earlier. Adding that much body
weight in 60 days means some seri-
ous around the clock eating. I truly
believe fall fishing is better than in
the spring. Fish are opportunistic
eaters most of the time, but do have
a drive in the spring and make a
priority to procreate. In the fall they
only have one thing on their mind
and that is inhaling anything that is
in striking distance.
My favorite baits in the fall are
large rattling stick baits with orange
bellies. I consistently find that an or-
FISH FOR STOCKING
Trout, Bass, Pike, Walleyes, Catfish, Pan Fish,
Minnows for Fast Fish Growth, Hybrid Bluegills.
FARM PONDS FISHING CLUBS LAKE OWNERS
(Fish available during the months of
April, May, October and November)
Fish may be picked up in small
quantities or we deliver by truck.
Imlay City Fish Farms, Inc.
Fish Consultants
1442 N. Summers Rd., Imlay City, Michigan 48444
Phone: (810) 724-2185
www.ImlayCityFishFarm.com
ange underbelly makes a difference. the Michigan side include Bolles
Sometimes I paint one on myself Harbor or Sterling State Park. I
with fingernail polish. The rattle just usually run a little further to Ohio
gives a signal to the walleyes lateral waters of Lake Erie and fish Huron,
line than there is something that Ohio just east of Port Clinton, and
sounds like a shad headed this way. even further east out of the town of
The slow wobble of the bait also Vermillion, Ohio. There is deeper
tells the fish that this thing looks and water along the southern shoreline,
sounds like a baitfish. Usually that (down to 45 feet) so there are also
is all it takes in the fall to close the more schools of baitfish and bigger
deal. schools of big walleyes.
Keeping the fish hooked though Saginaw Bay continues to pro-
is another matter as we see a lot of vide a consistent fall action for solid
big fish come unbuttoned in the fall fish up to eight pounds and the daily The author with a double digit-
and we lose them. Here is a trick limit is still eight fish. It wont take weighing Lake Erie walleye.
Ive learned over years of tourna- too many trips to Saginaw to run out
ment fishing that will up your odds of freezer room for the successful Marys River around Drummond
of catching a fish of a lifetime. Put angler. Further up the sunrise side of Island and all the way to Sault Ste.
a piece of crawler on the front treble the state Tawas continues to sport a Marie provide a great fall walleye
hook. I always apply it to the treble nice walleye bite in late fall and in fishery. Just remember that a major-
hook pointing toward the front of this area its not out of the question ity of the fish actually migrate north
the bait as if it is hooked on one for anglers to hook up with a big late in the summer through the fall.
of the trebles that point out it will brown trout, coho or chinook salm- Get out this fall and get some
throw the lure out of balance. Run on. Atlantic salmon are still being walleye along with your venison.
it directly through the nose of the planted but few target them, but a It is some of the best surf and turf
crawler. Applying a piece of crawler few still come to the nets in the fall. Michigan has to offer. Hopefully,
simply gives the fish another reason Further up still is Alpena, the Saint Ill see you on the water.n
to hold on to the bait.
Trolling in 42 degree water
is much different than trolling in
70 degree water. The presentation
needs to be slower in colder water.
My top trolling speed is 1.4 and I
usually try to keep it around 1.2. At
that speed the fish often takes the
bait but reacts when the hard plastic
doesnt feel right and simply spits
the crank. That crawler provides a
wild taste only provided by Mother
Nature, and one more second of tug
can make the difference of netting a
giant eye or reeling in a lot of line
for nothing. Scents can work well at
times but Ive still never witnessed
anything work as well as the real
deal, a good ole piece of crawler.
Places to fish in Lake Erie on
We also sell pond supplies...
pond dyes, chemicals,
aeration and fish pellets!
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 75
 ALASKA
One Moose - Two Moose

L
uke Jaroche and Lindy Hunt, back a trophy moose?
both from Cedarville in the A) We booked our trip in 2014 for
far eastern end of the U.P., mid-September 2015, which is the
each harvested a peak of the rut in Alaska.
worthy Alaskan Q) How long was your trip
bull moose. Lukes booked for? Where did you
Safari Club International SCI fly out of and how long did
score was 550 -5/8; ranked it take to get to your destina-
#59. Lindys moose scored SCI tion?
473- 1/8, ranked at #265. A) We flew from Kinross to
Luke and Lindy have Detroit then to Minneapolis,
been close friends since at- Seattle, Anchorage, Galena
tending elementary school. and then the 180 miles into Luke Jaroche, Cedar ville with trophy Alaskan moose scoring 550-
Jaroche owns and the bush near the 5/8 SCI with a ranking of #59.
operates Maples
Sawmill, Inc. and By Betty Sodders Kotzebue Sound. It
was scheduled as a pable of hauling heavy payloads in and scattered among a variety of bogs,
Hunt works there, ten-day hunt. out to the bush. They dropped us off creeks and shrub covered thickets. The
while together the pair own Mackinac Q) What was planned for you by on the shore of a small lake that had all distant hills were dense covered in a
Bluffs Maple Farms, Inc. Nothing World Wide Trophy Outfitters? Basi- the earmarks of great moose habitat. mix of aspen, birch, spruce and balsam
tops U.P. maple syrup at breakfast atop cally, what was your game plan? Q) I understood it was more or less forests. Open ground was covered in
a stack of pancakes! A) The air service provided air a one hunter only arrangement, Is that grassy tussocks that made it difficult to
Results of my interview with Luke transport as well as the gear and provi- correct? walk. Besides moose, the habitat also
Jaroche and Lindy Hunt follow: sions required for a five-day stay. They A) No. This was booked as a two supported grizzly bears and wolves.
Q) Outfitter Information: dropped us off and advised us to hurry hunter hunting trip. There were limited Q) Describe Alaskan weather during
A) Sportsmans Air Service in An- and set up camp as weather in Alaska tags available for the area we chose to your stay:
chorage, Alaska. It is a do-it-yourself tends to change drastically and quickly. hunt and we were fortunate enough to A) Temperatures ranged from single
drop camp booked through World Q) Did they arrange a future pick up draw two of them. The moose popula- digits to high 30s. We saw very little
Wide Trophy Adventures formerly date? Was part of the journey by float tion in this area has been on a steady sun during our time on the island
known as Cabelas Tags. plane perhaps? decline due in a large part to heavy which consisted of mainly rain, sleet
Q) When did you book this particular A) Yes, we were dropped off by a predation...namely, wolves! and snow.
hunt to Alaska in hopes of bringing Havilland beaver float plane that is ca- Q) Tell our readers what your living Q) How many bears did you view
arrangement consisted of; tent, heat, during your stay?

IR2,000EAGunsRinMStockS
TOTAL FOver
food, cooking, etc. I imagine the entire
set up was pretty rustic, beyond belief,
was it not?
A) We were outfitted with a Cabelas
three-season, two-man tent and a
INDOOR GUN RANGE Coleman gas camp stove for cooking
which we set up 50 yards from our tent
Hand Guns, Long Guns, Muzzleloading, in a makeshift lean-to kitchen. We
Reloading Supplies, Ammo, Archery & Accessories were unable to build a campfire at any
CASH FOR USED GUNS INDOOR GUN RANGE time during our stay due to lack of dry
GUNS, NEW & USED CCW COURSE GUN SAFES (In Stock) firewood. It rained at some point every
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1380 N. Cedar (517) 699-0597 Q) Describe your stay. How long was
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ported both bear and moose. Correct?
2017 GUN & KNIFE SHOWS A) The area we hunted consisted of a
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A) We saw a total of two bears and
more wolves than we could count. Not
a single day went by that we did not
see multiple wolves. Most memorable
was the giant black alpha male that
would appear by himself (lone wolf)
nearly every time we were in the bush.
While we had wolf tags in our pockets
we hesitated to shoot one due to a risk
of scaring off moose we were there to
hunt.
Q) Did either of you have a bear
encounter?
A) Lukes story: One encounter I
had was while I was in the thick brush
calling for a moose, I had three wolves
stalking me. A few unnerving minutes
later, I realized why the wolves had
suddenly departed. A grizzly stood up
less than 20 yards in front of me. After
what felt like a very long stare-down,

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76 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
the bear finally slowly moved off.
Q) Lets talk moose. How many were
observed during your stay? When did
you see the trophy animal you eventu-
ally harvested?
A) We saw a total of three moose
during our ten-day stay. Harvested two.
One taken down on the second day;
one on the ninth day.
Q) Tell us about the actual moose
hunt. At any point during the hunt were
either of you scared? Both of you;
please relate the circumstances:
A) Luke: We were in remote Alaska
and living under extreme conditions
which have a way of making your
senses razor sharp. Having been to
Alaska before helped prepare me for
this second hunt. The main thing you
cannot prepare for is being cold and
wet for the entire 10-day hunt. It is a
mental and physical grind. There is
no way to explain what it feels like to
wake up on the ninth day and put your
feet into a pair of frozen boots.
A) Lindy: The first time you actually
see a live Alaskan moose up close is
somewhat overwhelming to say the
least! The animals we harvested stood
over 7-foot tall and weighed in excess
of 1500 pounds! I would say fear is
replaced by a heightened sense of
caution and concern for ones safety as
once you have a moose carcass on the
ground you know soon the predators
will arrive!
Q) How did the two of you manage
field dressing the huge carcasses, re-
moving the horns, plus cutting up and
packaging the meat?
A) Lindy: While the two of us are
fairly skilled and well experienced in
processing game, the sheer size of the
animal dictates a tremendous amount
of effort to quarter and pack out the
175-200 lb. quarters not to mention the
cape and horns that were extremely
heavy as well. Packing a quarter of
moose meat a mile and a half over
boggy tussock filled tundra ranks as
the most physically demanding thing I
have ever done.
A) Luke: For this particular hunt
there were two of us. All I can say
is that if you leave camp on a do-it-
yourself hunt, it is a very physically
demanding experience.
Q) How did you signal the outfitter
when you had your moose down and
you were ready for pick up?
A) We had taken a phone with us
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which we used to check in with the
outfitter and let him know when we
had to fly a moose out. We had very
short windows when planes could fly,
not to mention the processed moose
served as a great attractant for bear and
wolves! The pilot flew back on day
four to pick up our first moose then
again on day 11 for the second moose
and we left that time as well. Our mis-
sion was complete!
Q) I understand that when you have
fresh cut moose meat, bears are at-
tracted to it. How did you manage to
keep grizzlies away at a safe distance?
A) We established a meat pole com-
plete with a tarp for shielding the meat
from the brief rays of the sun. This was
done about 100 yards from camp down
by the lake so as to avoid predator Lindy Hunt, Cedar ville, with his Alaskan bull moose that recorded a fine
encounters and aid in loading of the score of 473-1/8, ranked #265 by SCI.
transport plane. We were also careful sealed bags that you heated up in boil- searching for a bull holding remark-
in that any cooking we did was done a ing water on the small Coleman stove. able headgear. That evening I saw the
fair distance from camp as well. Better The toughest thing about Alaska moose and instantly realized it would
safe than sorry! is the fact that when I was there it be a once in a lifetime shot.
Q) How heavy were the magnifi- snowed, sleeted or rained or a combo The pilot flew in and helped quar-
cent horns? Where do you have them of the three, making for tough living ter the carcass. We used a small hand
displayed? conditions. No time to dry-out. My come-along and loaded 1200 pounds
A) Luke: The horns weigh 100 sleeping bag was frozen as were my of meat and hide. In Alaska you must
pounds and are hung in my living boots. All I had for heat was the small take everything with you, leaving
room. Coleman cook stove. nothing behind. Most likely, the animal
A) Lindy: Horns weigh 80-100 On the sixth day of a 16-day hunt, weighed over 1600 pounds All we
pounds and are hung as a full shoulder I shot my moose. (17th of September could take home was 50 pounds of
mount above the fireplace in the living 2014). The moose was positioned on meat packed in one cooler...the balance
room of my home on Lake Huron. higher ground traveling between two was given to area Native Americans.
Q) How did your wives feel about lakes and was slowly moving between The bull mooses rack mea-
the sheer size of the mounts? Almost them accompanied by two cows. Earli- sured 68-1/2 inches and scored 215.8
overwhelming? er the same day I had seen a somewhat Boone and Crockett; 525 Safari Club
A) Both of our wives can be de- smaller bull but let him pass as I was International.n
scribed as being wonderfully patient
Mid Thumb Game Ranch
and supportive.
Q) What will be your next hunting
trip and when?
A) Luke: New Mexico and Arizona
elk hunt for 2017.
A) Lindy: Bow hunting elk and mule
deer in south central Montana in 2017.
CONCLUSION
I might add that Luke Jarouch had 545 West Burnsline Melvin, Michigan 48454
previously bagged a moose during M-90 between M-53 & M-19 -- Approx. 50 Miles North of Detroit
an earlier Alaskan hunt. That hunt
was somewhat different due to the
fact Luke was booked in as a solitary
hunter. A short synopsis of Lukes
Contact at 810-378-5632
earlier hunt follows: DAILY 7 AM - 10 PM
I was scheduled to hunt north of
Galena, Alaska. Cabelas Outdoor Ad-
ventures outfitter set me up for a fly-in
hunt. Accommodations provided were
a tent, food supplies and a small camp
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 77
 Boat Smart...By Capt. Fred Davis

Being a Good Samaritan?

N
ovember may seem
like an odd time to
give advice about
towing but it is a
good time to be
certain to get readers
attention. Most of your boats are
cleaned and put in storage and now
you are just going to have to start
thinking about next year. This is a
very important topic to learn and
file in your memory for when the
subject is presented.
In the past, the Coast Guard
would ask a boater who had come
upon a vessel in need, Can you
help them? That question often
created greater problems.
If a boater is in need of a tow
that should be easy Toss them a
line, let them fix it to their vessel,
attach it to your boat and head in,
right? Wrong.
Do you know the condition of
the fittings on both vessels? Are
they solid, bolted through and plated
underneath? Is the line you are go-
ing to tow with capable of taking the
strain? Is the boat you are going to
tow in good condition? And, how
do you know?
For many years, Good Samaritan
towers found themselves in trouble,
some were hospitalized, and others
landed in court because they did
not know the answers to the above
questions.
Coast Guard policy has changed;
you may be asked your opinion of
the severity of the disabled vessels
condition. Depending upon your
response, you may just be requested
to stand by until help arrives. The
Coast Guard has allowed private
companies to perform assistance
towing for many years and will usu-
ally help you to contact them. They
are companies who qualify with an
operator who has a captains license
with a special towing endorsement.
Most boaters insurance and most
companies offer towing coverage on
a vessels policy.
If you find yourself in a position
where conditions are deteriorating
and you feel you must tow a vessel
in distress do the following.
Have all persons on your vessel
and the one you intend to tow put on
PFDs before you render assistance.
Capt. Fred Davis at the helm of his tow vessel; note the screen at the stern.
Below; Use of a bridle as shown will allow you to better control your tow.
When preparing for the tow, do not
fasten the line to one side of your
stern. Take a smaller, sturdy line
and create a bridle with the tow line
attached. Make sure the towline
is positioned so it can slide on the
bridle line Failing to do this will put
all the strain on one side and cause
the tow to be very difficult.
If you have the vessel you are
assisting fasten your towline to their
bow, its best to attempt to pull by
the bow eye. If you cannot do so,
have them place a bridle on their
bow cleats and tow using the bridle.
Have all persons on board the vessel
seated low, with their weight evenly
distributed. Have the operator re-
move the key from the ignition and
set the motor to straight ahead. As
to adjust the tow length so your ves-
sel and the one your towing are in
step with the waves.
If you must assist, stay in
contact with the Coast Guard or
other emergency resource so they
are aware of your progress. Keep
in mind, towing can be dangerous.
If the towline parts, damage could
be done to one or both vessels. If a
fitting breaks loose, it may become a
projectile and could seriously injure
personnel on the tow boat. Take
notice of Coast Guard and commer-
cial towboats they have screens at
the sterns of their vessels to protect
the crew.
Being a Good Samaritan is a dif-
ficult undertaking on the water, an
emphasis needs to be placed on the

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 79
 November...prime time
for open water trapping
S
ometimes in Michigan
the only time we can
trap muskrat, mink,
raccoon, otter and
beaver in open water
that is not frozen is
during the month of November.
Please check the Michigan Hunting
and Trapping rule book to see when
your water trapping season opens
in your zone, I believe all zones
are open to water trapping by the
end of November. One can catch
water animals after the lakes and
rivers freeze, however Ive always
enjoyed running a canoe or boat line
prior to the deep winter freezes. Of
course in the last decade we have
seen many a December or Janu-
ary with open water, but to play it
safe if youre going to plan a water
line, November or the first part of
December are usually a safe bet for
open water trapping.
Most of this article will focus
on sets to catch muskrat, mink and
When open water trapping you should try to focus your trap sets close to where you see animal sign.
raccoon, as most, if not all counties body grip traps, make sure to check I still use a small amount of lure.
in Michigan have some of all three the rule book as some areas have The lure can make them spend a When I was a school boy trapper
of the previously mentioned furbear- size and baiting restrictions. little more time around the trap and back in the 1970s, Michigan trap-
ing animals. The nice thing Body Grip type traps usu- I find that the catch is better when pers could not use muskrat colony
is, usually the same gear ally dispatch the catch using a good lure. Lenons Muskrat traps, now we can and they are
and trap sets can be used to quickly, still wire all body Super All Call Lure is my lure of extremely effective at catching
capture all three furbearers. grip traps to a stake or choice and is used by thousands of muskrats. These traps have two one
When water trapping sapling. The foothold type successful trappers catching lots of way doors that allow a muskrat to
you should try to focus traps require the trapper to the big three. enter but not exit. For many years I
your trap sets close to use a drowner wire or other In addition to setting a lot of saw the pictures in ads in trapping
where you see animal sign; type of drowning system. A good blind sets on hot animal magazines about this trap, so when
tracks in the mud at waters good drowning system can sign, my favorite water trap set is it became legal to use in Michi-
edge, muskrat or mink be made by driving a long a pocket set at water edge. Think gan I quickly put them to use. The
droppings on
logs and rocks, By John Chagnon hardwood stake
in knee or deeper
of a pocket set as a dirt hole set at
waters edge. One locates a pocket
muskrat colony traps often catch
two, three or more muskrats on one
or close to the water and run- set where the bank is kind of steep check. Simply place the muskrat
cuttings that muskrat make of roots ning some 14 gauge wire to a stake and the water is a couple of inches colony trap under the water in nar-
and vegetation. The raccoon tracks at shore. A drowner lock is added or deep at the edge. I usually wear hip row spots of ditches, den entrances
are some of the easiest to identify already on the end of the trap chain boots and construct the set while or trails through the marshes and
and the back foot looks similar to a and is attached to the wire prior to standing in the water. I find the set streams that the muskrat frequent. I
baby footprint in shape. A lot of the tying off at the shore stake. The produces more mink and other crit- usually place vegetation or a branch
time raccoon will start running the drowner lock should be put on in a ters if I do not leave tracks all over on top of the colony trap to force the
streams and waterways more after fashion that the trapped animal can the bank and keep it natural. I dig a muskrat to dive into the trap en-
cornfields and other upland crops take the trap toward the deeper wa- hole in the bank 6 to 8 in diameter trance. A trapper should take special
start to be exhausted in November ter but cannot go back toward shore. and 8 to 12 back into the bank. care to make sure he marks the
and December and the water still All of the big three furbearing My foothold trap is set in front of location of this type of trap since if
provides them a good meal when animals will quickly be dispatched the pocket set. By setting in front of it is not removed after muskrat trap-
preparing for semi-hibernation. in several feet of water. the pocket and not inside the pocket ping season it can and will continue
The big three muskrat, mink A lot of the big three are caught one can catch mink, raccoon and to dispatch muskrats. A great U.P.
and raccoon can all be caught using in blind sets. A blind set is any muskrat that might be just cruis- trapper of the past, Mark Spencer,
size number 1 or size number 1 set where the trap is set where the ing the waters edge. By adding a taught me at a demo the importance
foothold traps, my preferred would animal is naturally traveling. A piece of muskrat meat or fresh fish respecting this type of trap and its
be the 1 size Long Springs or good example would be placing a and some lure, one hopes to make use.
Coilspring Traps. Mink and musk- foothold trap under a few inches of some furbearers want to check out In practice, when Im trapping
rat can be caught in #110 4 X 4 water where a small trail enters the the eye appeal of the hole and scent water animals I usually take advan-
body grip traps placed in trails, dens water from the bank. Those small and attraction of the hole. Always tage of making some traditional dirt
and holes along the waters edge. trails are usually traveled by musk- remember to stake in deeper water hole sets on the high banks along
Raccoon can be caught in #160 and rat, mink and raccoon. Even when to quickly and humanely drown the
#220 body grip traps. When using blind setting for furbearing animals furbearing animal once it is caught. Open water next page
80 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 81

Open water trapping:
from page 80
whatever body of water Im trap-
ping. First, it is kind of nice to get a
few fox and coyote while checking
water traps, secondly it is really nice
to still have some traps in working
order when we get the occasional
flood during trapping season that
can knock our regular water sets out
of action for days. Those high bank
dirt hole sets also pick up an occa-
sional mink or otter. I also usually
place my stake for my drowner wire
on the high bank so I can easily ad-
just my trap for water fluctuations.
I have real good luck trapping
streams that are controlled by dams
as I find less fluctuation in water
levels. Also, when possible try to
locate your open water sets in areas
of current or rapids when possible as
this can keep the sets working some
time longer when ice first sets in.
I also have pretty good luck
using floats for trapping muskrats.
The obvious advantage is that floats
keep working during water fluctua-
tions. I have some areas I trap for
muskrat where the water is quite
deep for some of my regular favorite
sets and I can easily set a muskrat
float just about anywhere. My floats
work the best when set with trees
overhanging or in thick vegetation.
Just make sure there is a foot of
water so any muskrat or mink will
drown. I place vegetation and Le-
nons Muskrat Super All Call Lure
on my floats usually guarded with
two foothold traps.
In my December article I will
cover in detail how to trap otter and
beaver in our great state. For now
if you are setting foothold for other
water animals and know you have
beaver and otter in the area you are
trapping the big three you might
want to incorporate 11 gauge wire
for your drowners, 14 Gauge wire
can hold beaver and otter but occa-
sionally can break with large beaver. The big three muskrat, mink and raccoon can all be caught using
A final tip is to carry some news- size number 1 or size number 1 foothold traps.
papers with you in your boat or ve-
hicle and wrap any muskrat or mink raccoon after skinning to put up on of the big three.
caught during the day. When you boards later in the winter when not I welcome you to visit my
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rats and mink ready to be skinned. I shoot your ten point buck early in LenonLures.com I always wel-
usually put up rats and mink im- the season this year and have a little come call from fellow trappers at
mediately after skinning and freeze time left to enjoy harvesting a few (989) 569-3480 ext. 225.n

BOOKS/DVDS BY RICHARD P. SMITH

TRACKING WOUNDED DEER

Tom Carney
Lots of NEW INFORMATION and ALL COLOR PHOTOS.
A MUST FOR THE DEER HUNTER ~ Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine Among the Aspens
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Address the goods through a single form
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Please remit by MasterCard, Visa, Check or Money Order. To purchase: $34.95 (Michigan residents, please add $2.10 sales tax) plus
Circle card type: $6.35 postage/handling
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Expiration Date Signature Send check or money order to: Partridge Pointe Press, 2470 Strawberry
Make checks payable to: SMITH PUBLICATIONS Farm St. NE, Belmont, Michigan 49306.
814 Clark St. Marquette, MI 49855
www.RichardPSmith.com Purchase online at www.tomcarneywriter.com
82 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
 Seasonal lake sturgeon releases
put nearly 6,000 fish into Michigan
T
he Michigan Department enough to tag. Most fish were
of Natural Resources and tagged prior to being released into
several partners released their respective rivers to allow fu-
nearly 6,000 juvenile lake ture evaluations of stocked fish.
sturgeon into various public waters Many of these stocking ef-
across the state this summer and forts were public events that shined
fall in an effort to rehabilitate this a spotlight on how important lake
culturally significant fish species. sturgeon are to Michigan, said
The table below shows which DNR Fisheries Division Chief Jim
agencies stocked fish, how many Dexter. Our state has a long history
were stocked, and the date and loca- with the lake sturgeon, and working
tion of each stocking effort. with our partners helps us protect
Juvenile lake sturgeon were them for future generations.
collected from the wild during April The lake sturgeon is on the
and May and reared in streamside Threatened Species list in Michigan,
facilities until they were large and these annual stocking efforts
Several waterbodies throughout Michigan were stocked with juve-
Agencies Number Date Location nile lake sturgeon this spring and summer in an effor t to rehabili-
DNR-MSU 549 Aug. 19 Black Lake tate the states population. Statewide, nearly 6,000 sturgeon were
DNR-MSU 2,261 May 26 Lower Black River added to these waters. MDNR photo
LTBB of Odawa Indians 601 Sept. 7 Burt Lake/Sturgeon River are critical to restoring the states verse Bay Band of Odawa Indians,
DNR-MSU 740 Sept. 19 Mullet Lake lake sturgeon population. It takes the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish
DNR 302 Sept. 8 Cedar River the work of many partners to secure band of Pottawatomi Indians, the
DNR-USFWS-Gun ake Tribe 2 July 25 Kalamazoo River funding and resources to make res- Keweenaw Bay Indian Community,
toration possible. Partners include Michigan State University, the U.S.
DNR 72 Sept. 11 Whitefish River the DNR, the Black Lake chapter of Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S.
DNR-USFWS 1,261 Sept. 19 Ontonagon River Sturgeon for Tomorrow, the Ka- Forest Service.
DNR-MSU 193 Aug. 21 Tittabawassee River lamazoo River chapter of Sturgeon For more information about
for Tomorrow, the Little River Band lake sturgeon, visit michigan.gov/
Total Lake Sturgeon Stocked: 5,981 of Ottawa Indians, the Little Tra- sturgeon.n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 83
 Cover Story - Understanding the Sociobiological Factors of...

WHITETAILS
Visual signals expressed
through body language play
an important role in
establishing social bonds
and in aggressive behavior

E
among whitetails...
ven we humans can relate to, and
differentiate, the intents involved in
affectionate facial grooming versus
that of a nasty, swift kick. And al-
though whitetails are not overly vocal,
they will sometimes emit subtle bleats,
mews, grunts, snorts and wheezing sounds to
accompany and enhance the effectiveness of a
given bit of body sign-language.
With a forest-dwelling animal like the white-
tail, however, glandular secretions and scent-
marking, referred to as chemical signals, tend to
play an even more important role in communi-
cation than do visual signals and vocalizations,
since the latter serve only immediate, short-range
purposes. Nonetheless, despite the powerful role
that odors play in the lives of whitetails, even the
most astute observer will have great difficulty
discerning the chemical signals deer exchange
when they interact.
When compared to animals, it has been said,
we humans have no nose. We humans cant detect
odors as well as deer, nor can we think like deer.
But, we are beginning to understand more fully
the mechanisms, functions, and significance of
odor communication among whitetails. Findings
from Georgia-based research, in particular, indi-
cate that the whitetails world literally fumes with
complex odor signals that play a very special,
year-round role in the animals social lives.
As far as we know, the communicative odors
produced by deer may include secretions from
certain skin glands, urine, vaginal secretions and,
probably, saliva. Feces also serve as a means
of odor communication in some mammals, and
probably do in whitetails too, but this has not Researchers have identified seven types of skin glands in white-tailed deer that likely play some role
been documented. in scent communication: The forehead, preorbital and nasal glands located on the head, the tarsal,
Researchers have identified seven types of metatarsal and interdigital glands on the legs, and the preputial gland on the bucks penis sheath.
skin glands in white-tailed deer that likely play
some role in scent communication. These include bucks throughout their range, before and during ods of time even in the makers absence. Thus,
the forehead, preorbital and nasal glands located the autumn breeding period, presumably to com- signposts convey long-lasting messages that
on the head, the tarsal, metatarsal and municate their dominance, individual likely have both physiological and psychological
interdigital glands on the legs, and the identity, and other information of social impact upon other (generally subordinate) deer in
preputial gland on the bucks penis importance. the area.
sheath. Signposts arc both visual and olfac- According to Karl Miller, Chemical signals
To solve some of the communication tory signals in that they are showy in that relay information among animals are called
problems associated with living in dense nature and are scent marked with various pheromones. This term was originally coined to
cover, white-tailed deer have evolved an secretions. In some cases, bucks might describe chemical sex attractants in insects, but
elaborate system of scent communica- even emit auditory signals while making has since been expanded to include any chemi-
tion by establishing signposts, which signposts, thereby attracting the atten- cal produced by one individual that transfers
they use effectively during the autumn tion of other deer. Dominant bucks also information to another member of the same spe-
period. These signposts are more
popularly referred to as buck By John Ozoga sometimes make signposts in the
presence of other deer, especially
cies; some researchers reserve pheromones for
insects and use chemical signals when referring
rubs, made when bucks rub trees with their right after emerging as the victor in an aggressive to mammals.
antlers, and pawed areas in the soil, referred to as encounter. Whatever the terminology, notes Miller,
scrapes, which include urine deposits as well as Unlike other forms of communication, sign- these signals include releaser pheromones,
scent-marking of overhead tree branches. These posts virtually serve as an extension of the animal
signs are primarily made by mature, dominant itself, remaining functional for extended peri- Sociobiological factors next page
84 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 85
Sociobiological factors:
from page 84
which evoke an immediate behav-
ioral response; priming pheromones
which result in a physiological
response; and informer pheromones,
which relate information but gener-
ally do not result in behavioral or
physiological responses.
Miller proposes that signpost-
ing by dominant bucks plays a vital
role in maintaining social harmony
in white-tailed deer populations. He
suggests that primer pheromones
-- those which produce a physiologi-
cal response -- deposited by domi-
nant bucks at rubs and scrapes help
synchronize reproductive cycles,
bring adult does into estrus early,
and suppress the aggressiveness and
sex drives of young bucks. These
are conditions which help maintain,
and improve, the health and vitality
of the population.
Studies conducted at the Cusino
Wildlife Research Station in Michi-
gans Upper Peninsula lend sup-
port to the idea that the presence
of mature whitetail bucks has a
definite effect on the reproductive
physiology of does. Despite the rela-
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86 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
tively narrow breeding window that
prevails at the northern Michigan
latitude, confining bucks and does
together during autumn resulted in
advancing mean breeding dates by
eight to nine days. The exact mecha-
nisms involved here were unknown,
but observations suggested that the
close and unnatural confinement of
bucks with does had some type of
biostimulating effect and could have
been due to pheromones produced
by males, which induced ovulation
earlier than normal.
In whitetails, the adult sexes live
apart much of the year, meaning that
they may not associate for sufficient
periods to allow priming phero-
mones from the male to alter the
physiology of the female. Therefore,
Miller suggests: If continued expo-
sure to chemical signals is required
for biostimulation of female white-
tails, as it is for domestic animals,
rubs and scrapes probably serve this
purpose.
Currently, most deer population
management strategies in this coun-
try emphasize controlling total deer
numbers relative to the perceived
food and cover resources available.
Little management concern is ex-
pressed maintaining populations of
favorable sex and age composition
-- deer populations that exist in so-
cial harmony. Exceptionally heavy
harvesting of antlered deer, regard-
less of age, is generally encour-
aged by todays game management
policy, sometimes contributing to
grossly unbalanced adult sex ratios
and leaving the physiologically and
behaviorally immature yearling
bucks to function as herd sires at an
abnormally young age.
My research indicates that
well-nourished yearling bucks can
fulfill the role of herd sires, at least
on northern range, by impregnating
does on schedule with no decrease
in the number of fetuses conceived.
However, yearling bucks in my
studies demonstrated a distinct lack
of ritualized courtship behavior
-- exhibiting instead what Id call a
seek-and-chase courtship be- quality deer management, are
cause yearling bucks are delayed in
sexual development and do minimal
signposting, they likely lack the
biostimulating effects demonstrated
by mature bucks and necessary to
synchronize estrus among does --
at least in southerly environments
where photoperiod effects are not
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nearly so overpowering and white-
tails have a long breeding season.
Most certainly, the inept court-
ship behavior employed by yearling
bucks, and the lack of a firm domi-
nance hierarchy in the absence of
nature bucks, minimizes the chance
for female mate selection. In the
long run, this could reduce genetic
fitness within populations wherever
yearling bucks, solely, function as
herd sires.
Only recently have wildlife
biologists questioned how hunting-
induced mortality (or lack thereof)
influences deer social behavior. In
turn, researchers are striving to bet-
ter understand how such behaviors
as signposting impact deer biology.
In the process, theyve learned that,
while nutrition is of paramount im-
portance in producing healthy pro-
ductive whitetails, sociobiological
factors also play an intricate role.
As a result, some biologists, espe-
cially those involved in promoting
now calling for revolutionary
changes in traditional deer-manage-
ment practices by placing increased
emphasis on the restructuring and
maintenance of deer populations
that have optimal social structure,
in addition to being nutritionally
balanced.n
 TRAIL CAM/OUTDOOR PHOTOS
Join us in sharing interesting and sometimes rare trail cam
and/or outdoor photos with our readers.
Send your photos to: wnw@pageone-inc.com (please submit in jpeg format)

Efren Ramirez of Jackson Co.

checked his trail cam and after
75 pictures of nothing but does...
the last three pictures caught
this 8 point buck, right under his
tree stand.

Brad Beards trail cam photos taken near Gabe Rices trail cam near Alanson caught this doe
Barton City shows coyote predation. trying to nurse all three fawns at once!

An awesome trail camera

photo of healthy triplets with
their mother near Bellevuea
very rare occurrence for that
area. Photo submitted by
Lauren Trainor.

Chuck Gall of Oxford caught this bobcat Mark Salis trail

camera captured
behind his hunting camp in Pickford, these eagles. In
one photo there
were as many
as 7 eagles all
waiting their turn
at the roadkill
taken just south This interesting trail cam photo
of Perrinton. of a jumping deer was submit-
ted by Marsh Hawk.

Kraig Staples trail camera set up near Lauren Trainors trail cam near
Millersburg caught these mature elk spar- A late August trail cam photo from Robert Weller... Mio caught a fox and a skunk
ring. nothing but bucks! getting into a dispute.
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 87
 Hot Topics in the Outdoors and Letters...
Wild game processors now need free permit from DNR
At its June meeting, the Michi-
gan Natural Resources Commission
signed an order requiring anyone
who receives compensation for
processing wild game to be regis-
tered with the Michigan Department
of Natural Resources. The new
requirement was brought forward as
part of a larger set of deer manage-
ment regulations related to hunting
licenses, chronic wasting disease re-
sponse measures, urban conflict and
other issues. The commercial game
processor registration requirement is
effective immediately.
This free permit is to determine
how many game processors are in
Rep. Howell bill expands hunting opportunities for Michigan youth
Legislation recently introduced
by state Rep. Gary Howell, of North
Branch, increases opportunities for
young people to participate in men-
tored hunting programs in Michigan.
The Mentored Youth Hunt was
established in 2011 in an effort to
address growing concern about the
dwindling number of young sports-
men engaged in hunting and fishing
activities in Michigan. The program
allows children younger than 10 to
hunt alongside an experienced parent
or guardian.
The program has been very
successful, but it does have limita-
tions as far as the seasons and species
the youth can hunt with a mentor,
Howell said.
Deer in Genesee County tests positive for EHD
The Michigan Department of
Natural Resources Wildlife Disease
Laboratory and the Michigan State
University Veterinary Diagnostic Labo-
ratory announced they have confirmed
that a free-ranging white-tailed deer in
Genesee County has died from epizootic
hemorrhagic disease. EHD is a viral
disease, sometimes fatal, found in wild
ruminants such as white-tailed deer,
mule deer and elk.
The disease is transmitted by a type
of biting fly called a midge. Infection
does not always result in the disease.
Signs of illness within infected animals
are highly variable, ranging from none
at all to extensive internal bleeding and
fluid accumulation. There is no evidence
that humans can contract the EHD virus.
Illness can come on suddenly and
severely, but also can linger for weeks
or months in a low-grade state. In
severe forms of the disease, deer lose
their appetite and fear of humans, grow
progressively weaker, salivate exces-
sively and finally become unconscious.
Due to a high fever and dehydration,
infected deer often seek water to lower
their body temperature and to rehydrate,
and then are found sick or dead along or
in bodies of water.
88 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
the state of Michigan and where they
are located, said Casey Reitz, DNR
wildlife permit specialist.
As we work to manage white-
tailed deer diseases in Michigan, we
need to be able to contact proces-
sors who might be able to assist us
in processing donated deer," she
said. "In addition, we would like to
provide this information to hunters
so they can have their deer processed
relatively close to home. Right now,
we do not have those capabilities.
If you receive compensation
for processing game, you are now
required to be registered with the
DNR. It is a quick and easy process
Currently, children can obtain a
youth hunting license, which in-
cludes a base small game license, one
deer tag, spring and fall wild turkey
licenses, fur harvesters license, and
an all-species fishing license. How-
ells bill allows participants to apply
for and purchase additional tags for
antlerless deer, as well as licenses for
bear and elk.
Any change we can make to
provide more opportunities for our
youth to get into the field and experi-
ence hunting in Michigan will prove
beneficial, said Howell, who chairs
the House Natural Resources Com-
mittee where the legislation is being
considered.
Howell said he developed the
Although this has been a single
deer death at this point, we are asking
for hunters to look around as they hit
the field to let us know if they find
dead deer, especially any near wa-
ter, said Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife
pathologist.
Deer deaths from EHD in Michi-
gan have occurred sporadically since
2006. Prior to 2006, EHD outbreaks in
Michigan occurred in 1955 and 1974.
Brandon Road lock is a Little Boy with a finger in the dyke
Dear Woods-N-Water News:
I read the letter from Drew Youge-
dyke, Running the Asian Carp Gauntlet.
I went to the Asian carp meeting in
Muskegon about a 100 people attended.
I passed out Asian Carp maps (of where
theyre at now) and studies by the
USGS 2016 of the native predators we
have which is most native predators
eat Asian carp, the fact we have to use
native predators critical to restore the
native fish if you do not you leave the
ecosystem vulnerable to more reinva-
sion by the same or additional invasive
species according to the USGS.
Makes sense to me! So, lets do
what they said to do? If you have 95%
of filling out an online form and then
printing off your permit.
Commercial wild game proces-
sors should register immediately
so they are legal for the fall hunt-
ing season. The form to register
is located at www.michigan.gov/
wildlifepermits, and anyone who
is unable to fill out the online form
should call 517-284-9453 for as-
sistance.
Food safety requirements and
licensing are regulated by the Michi-
gan Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development and the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, not the
DNR. MDARD and USDA conduct
legislation after speaking with a
Lapeer County resident who felt the
program was too limited. The resident,
Nick Vanecek, and his 7-year-old son
Hayden spoke in support of the bill
before the Natural Resources Com-
mittee.
Vanecek said Hayden shot a deer
very early in the season, wanted to
continue hunting, but the current
rules prevented him from obtaining a
second deer tag.
He shot his first buck and
wanted to go back out and hunt for a
doe, but he couldnt, Vanecek said.
If Hayden and his sister want to be
out there hunting, and we stop them,
theyre going to lose interest. Id
much rather have them outside hunt-
The estimated mortality has varied from
50 to 1,000 deer per year in the affected
isolated areas. The largest die-off oc-
curred in 2012, with an estimated loss
of more than 12,000 deer. No cases of
EHD were confirmed in the state in
either 2014 or 2015, and minimal cases
were reported in 2016.
There is no known effective treat-
ment for, or control of, EHD in wild
populations. The disease has been seen
Asian carp and there isnt any predators.
We give you predators, lots of preda-
tors. The Asian carp is a fish, which has
to survive the Gauntlet of predators
dont tell me they grow too fast, tell
how many predators you stocked to
keep them from growing!
D. Chapman of USGS head guy
says we can control Asian carp with na-
tive fish, I agree!
They want to put a barrier in at a
cost of $275 million bucks in just one
spot, thats all it will work is in that one
spot, and in eight years, maybe 34 states
(and growing) with Asian carp in their
lakes and rivers!
We have more Asian carp than we
inspections associated with those
regulations.
Wild game processors who have
questions related to being licensed
or food safety requirements can visit
www.michigan.gov/meatprocessing
or call at 800-292-3939.
More information can also be
found at:
Wild Game Processing at Retail
Food Establishments Variance
Venison Processing - Process-
ing Guide and Sanitation Require-
ments for Retail Food Establish-
ments
Wild Game Sausage Processing
Requirementsn
State Rep. Gary Howell, (r t) and Lap-
eer Co. resident Nick Vanecek and his
7-year-old son Hayden.
ing than inside playing video games.
House Bill 4957 remains under
consideration in the Natural Resources
Committee.n
for decades in many areas of the United
States.
Property owners or recreationists
who discover dead deer should report
it through the DNRs sick or dead bird
and mammal reporting form, available
at michigan.gov/eyesinthefield, or call
their closest DNR Customer Service
Center.
For more information on EHD, visit
mi.gov/wildlifedisease.n
started with. Sen. Geoff Hansen said
Theyre moving with the speed of
Government by the time they figure
anything out the Asian carp will be at
the SOO!
Look at the Asian Carp maps check
Wisconsin to Duluth, you have until
Nov. 6 2017 to comment, tell then to
restore the native fish population. Bran-
don Road lock is a little boy with a fin-
ger in the Dyke; the Asian Carp will just
bypass it. Native fish we can do way
cheaper than $275 million, native fish
belong here, we can start Now! asian-
carp.us Brandon Road cant miss it!
Sincerely,
Tom Matych
 Hot Topics In The Outdoors...My Thoughts, My Views
Chronic Wasting Disease
A mysterious and insidious pariah of nature...
N
eedless to say folks,
in order to properly
write this article I
have to use some
big words which I
have trouble even
pronouncing much less being sure
I spell everything correctly, and Ill
try to keep matters in order. Trans-
missible spongiform encephalopa-
thy (TSE) is a fatal disease which
involves a misfolded protein known
as a prion to cause normally folded
proteins to become misfolded, and
affects the nervous system and
body tissues. Typically, certain
types of TSE are species related,
but recent times have shown what
is known as a crossover of the spe-
cies barrier can occur.
An example is bovine spon-
giform encephalopathy (BSE)
which is also known as mad cow
disease that was discovered in the
United Kingdom in the 1980s. It
is believed to have been caused by
scrapies (a TSE per sheep and goats
that is a disease which symptoms
were known to be around as far
back as 1732 the name
derived from sick sheep
rubbing on things and
the wool is scraped
off) infected sheep be-
ing processed in the same
slaughterhouse facility as
cattle, then contaminat-
ing a byproduct known as
bone meal, that was used
as a concentrat-
ed supplement By Tom Lounsbury
for cattle feed,
causing a crossover of the species
barrier.
This would in turn would cause
variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob dis-
ease (vCJD) in humans who had
eaten meat (and body organs) of
BSE infected cattle. This alarm-
ing evidence represents a species
barrier crossover of sheep to cattle
to humans and how a lot remains
to be a mystery continually being
researched.
Chronic Wasting Disease
(CWD) was first identified as a new
and nasty disease in a mule deer in
a research facility in northern Colo-
rado in 1967. CWD would soon be
seen occurring in mule deer in the
wild in Colorado, then Wyoming
and western Nebraska. It is often
wondered if all of this didnt start
at the research facility that to my
understanding, was also research-
ing scrapies in sheep at the same
facility, thus creating a crossover of
A questions and answers period was held with the panel of exper ts from several states and Norway each day.
the species barrier. However, parts transport the meat (and sometimes this area was probably the result
of the west are known as sheep whole carcasses) back to their of improperly disposed deer parts
country (wool is an important home areas and improperly dispose from a CWD infected deer killed in
product to the economy) and seeing of matters (such as dumping it in another state, but that mystery may
sheep pastured in the same vicin- the woods to get rid of it) and parts never be solved.
ity as mule deer isnt uncommon at relating to the brain (per a trophy Then in 2017, samples from a
all in a lot of places. So any finger cape with head intact) and spinal whitetail deer in a captive cervid
pointing at the research facility column (what can be left over after facility in Mecosta County proved
(performing vital and important deboning) which are true culprits positive for CWD. Remaining deer
research) isnt a sure thing at all. for containing infectious prions and in the facility were eliminated and
Prions are passed on by infected contaminating the soil at a dumping tested but none had CWD (not
animals in what is referred site (for years to come). much information is available due
to as shedding through When you study a map of CWD to an ongoing investigation). One
feces, urine and saliva. and how it is suddenly realized free ranging (wild) deer tested posi-
Prions are truly tough and in various states, it is quite clear tive for CWD in Montcalm County
can contaminate the soil that it was often brought there in as well. So Michigan to date as I
for decades and are even some form, on wheels. This is no write this has had a total of 11 deer
absorbed by plants. Deer doubt what occurred in Michigan test positive for CWD, nine in close
grazing on the contami- when a captive whitetail deer was vicinity, and two further out and
nated soil (and plants) and diagnosed with CWD in 2008 in spread apart. I can only guess what
drinking from associated the southwestern part of the state. that may mean in the future.
watering spots,
as well as close
All the remaining captive cervids
in this facility were eliminated and
What really surprised me was
when a CWD infected reindeer was
association to thoroughly examined, and none had recently discovered in southern
each other can be readily intro- CWD. Norway (by a helicopter doing a
duced to CWD. A critical part about Then a free ranging (wild) GPS study of reindeer). Norway
CWD is that prions can be shed for gaunt and sick deer near Lansing has strict laws which prevent any
a couple years or more by infected was euthanized by a Meridian importation of cervids which makes
animals that appear healthy without Township Police Officer in 2015. the arrival of CWD a true mystery.
showing the apparent signs (living Tests revealed it had CWD and a However sheep are pastured as well
skeletons) of the disease until just plan of action was immediately put in the reindeer territory and therein
prior to dying from it. in place by state officials (actually may lay the possible link which
CWD (which can affect deer, a CWD response plan was put in Im sure is being looked at. To date
elk and moose the bigger species place if CWD occurred in 2002, Norway has a total of two reindeer
take longer to show signs of the and revised in 2012 by wise and far and two moose that have tested
disease) has a tendency to travel thinking state officials). Because a positive for CWD and officials are
on wheels and captive elk from large portion of Meridian Township taking immediate measures in an
Colorado that were shipped to elk is urban related, skilled sharpshoot- attempt to eliminate the disease.
farms in Saskatchewan and Alberta ers were required to kill some of I was at the Natural Resources
transported the disease in a big the deer for testing as well as in Commission (NRC) meeting last
leap across the border. Elk sent bringing the deer numbers down year when they directed the MDNR
from Saskatchewan to elk farms in (some shooting was required to be Wildlife Division to arrange a
South Korea brought CWD across done at night by state sharpshoot- CWD Symposium with other states
the ocean. Captive mule deer sent ers to be effective in a suburban to share knowledge and information
from Denver to the Toronto Zoo environment). Eight more deer in regards to CWD, for this fall,
brought CWD with them. Also proved positive for CWD, and and I truly commend the NRC for
brought on wheels are infected DNA analysis discovered all nine taking this action. I also commend
animals (which appear healthy) deer were related in some form.
killed by out of state hunters who The most likely source of CWD to Chronic Wasting page 91
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 89
 Hot Topics in the Outdoors and Letters...
ORV use on state forest roads for northern lower Michigan
The Michigan Department of Commission meetings Oct. 12 in Send mail to DNR Roads DNR. Reasons for closures
Natural Resources is welcoming Alpena and Nov. 9 in Lansing. DNR Inventory Project, P.O. Box 456, include ensuring user safety,
comments on revised recommenda- Director Keith Creagh will make a Vanderbilt, MI 49795. preventing user conflicts and
tions to open thousands of miles of final decision at the Dec. 14 NRC Visit www.michigan.gov/for- protecting environmentally
state forest roads to off-road ve- meeting. estroads to comment online. Instruc- sensitive areas.
hicles in the northern Lower Pen- Public input will be accepted tions are available on the website. For more information about
insula. The expanded access takes as the process continues. In-person PA 288 encourages more people the state forest road inventory
effect January 2018, as required by comments will be accepted at all to enjoy Michigans public lands by and recommendation process,
Public Act 288 of 2016. three NRC meetings. Mail, email enhancing ORV opportunities in the visit www.michigan.gov/forestroads.
The revised recommendations and online comments will be ac- northern Lower Peninsula. Begin- For more information about
incorporate public input received cepted until Nov. 16: ning in 2018, all state forest roads trails in Michigan and to sign
in June and July. They will be Send emails to DNR-RoadIn- in the region will be open to ORV up for trail email updates, visit
discussed at Natural Resources ventoryProject@michigan.gov. use unless designated closed by the www.michigan.gov/dnrtrails.n

DNR offers business opportunities in Michigan state parks

The MDNR has announced sev- owners operating within our park kayak and stand-up paddleboard rent- set for other opportunities as they be-
eral business opportunities for operat- system bring real value and choices to als come available. Concessionaires have
ing concessions to provide goods and/ visitors. Little Presque Isle Recreation the ability to enter into a contract for
or services in several Michigan state The DNR currently is seeking op- Area mobile food concession up to seven years. The expectation of
parks and other DNR facilities. erators for the following concessions: Tawas Point State Park canoe, the DNR is that interested concession-
Those interested can visit www. Belle Isle Park bagged ice sales kayak, paddleboard, bike rental con- aires would have prior business expe-
michigan.gov/stateparkconcessions to Belle Isle Park giant slide cession rience and adequate working capital to
view the list of current opportunities. Burt Lake State Park beach Van Riper State Park aqua park fund the desired concession.
The services that concession- concession and beach concession The DNR will make arrangements
aires offer at Michigans state parks Copper Harbor lighthouse tours Waterloo Recreation Area beach to visit concession sites with interested
are vital to the overall visitor experi- and store concession and campground store bidders. For more information about
ence, said Ron Olson, chief of the Grayhaven Marina watercraft Yankee Springs Recreation Area concession opportunities at Michigan
DNR Parks and Recreation Division. rentals and tours beach store and inflatable water slide state parks, contact Lori Ruff, conces-
Whether its food options, watercraft Holly Recreation Area aqua park concession sion and lease manger for the DNR
or bike rentals, campground stores or concession Bid lettings are set for each of Parks and Recreation Division, at 989-
other amenities, these small business Island Lake Recreation Area these concessions and continue to be 275-5151 or ruffl@michigan.gov.n

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90 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS

 Hot Topics In The Outdoors... My Thoughts, My Views
Chronic Wasting Disease: from page 89
the MDNR Wildlife Division for
arranging the very well run CWD
Symposium at the Kellogg Center
in Lansing in early October, which
I attended. There was a very im-
pressive list of experts (most had a
PhD at the end of their names) from
several states affected by CWD
as well as the USDA, the captive
service industry and there was even
a representative from Norway.
It was an amazing podium of
speakers to say the least, and I
was in for a whole new world of
enlightenment in regards to CWD.
Normally Im not the sort who can
sit all day long in a stadium seat
without getting a bit antsy. How-
ever I was riveted to my seat and
anticipating what each new speaker
had to say. Not incredibly at all,
those two days of sitting station-
ary on my behind whisked right by.
At the end of each day, the experts
formed a panel to answer any and
all questions, which there were a lot
of, and good ones too.
Certain issues were brought
to the forefront, and one was in
regards to the fact that whitetail
bucks are more likely to transmit
CWD than female deer. This is be-
cause female deer tend to remain as
a family clan (mothers, daughters
and sisters) in a smaller territory
and males disperse from the fam-
ily clan when they are 1 years
old (Ive read the females give
the yearling males in their group
the boot which in turn prevents
inbreeding). Dispersed males can
go as far as several miles before
establishing a territory, and they are
known to wander even farther dur-
ing the rut.
Missouri for instance, estab-
lished mandatory antler point
restrictions (APRs) from 2004
until 2012, but dropped the manda-
tory APRs in order to prevent the
spread of CWD, because mature
bucks tend to be the major carriers
of CWD in a deer herd. Missouri
looks upon dropping the manda-
tory APRs as being a reasonable
management practice to eliminate
CWD, and noted that the annual
deer-kill ratio didnt drop any, with
a lot of yearling (1 year old)
bucks being harvested, because
Missouri deer hunters obviously
love to hunt deer. Dropping the
mandatory APRs very apparently
didnt cause much hunter dissatis-
faction.
Pennsylvania (which discovered
(continued)
CWD in 2012) on the other hand is
not dropping its mandatory APRs
and needs to see more evidence
before doing so.
Michigan has a combo-buck
tagging system which entails one
non-restricted buck tag and one re-
stricted buck tag (requiring 4 points
on one side). In what is determined
as the CWD Zone, the restricted
buck tag is now considered as being
non-restricted and the buck tags can
also be used for antlerless deer (see
the 2017 Hunting Guide for details
and a map of the CWD Zone). The
key here is to obtain more samples
over a broader spectrum and to
lower what are considered as being A slides shown during a presenta-
a high number of deer in the af- tion at the CWD Symposium with a
fected zone. strong message for hunters.
On another side of the issue, ing prions, that should be taken
Im also aware there are folks, very seriously and requiring a posi-
some quite notable, who believe tive response. There have been no
CWD has always been a natural confirmed cases of CWD crossing
occurrence in North American deer over the species barrier to humans
and look upon the measures be- who have eaten venison from CWD
ing taken by government officials infected deer (which often appear
as being too drastic and uncalled very healthy), but health organiza-
for, and as a result is dramatically tions recommend to not eat any
harming the future of deer hunting. venison from a deer that has tested
The impressive panel of ex- positive for CWD.
perts I observed during the CWD As the incident of BSE (mad
Symposium from several states, the cow disease) in the United King-
USDA and even Norway all agreed dom makes very clear, anything is
that CWD has all the hallmarks of possible and there is a whole lot to
being a new disease clearly involv- yet be learned about CWD.n
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 91


TROPHY PAGE

Dominic Brace harvested his first

Grace Sarratore, 14, took her buck, this big 9-pt., with a 123 yard
Nine-year-old Hailey Chris- Hadleigh Welch, 11, of Lap- shot.
eer took her first deer during first deer, this 6-pt., in Manist-
tian took this Mecosta Co. ee Co. during the youth hunt
the youth hunt, this nice 8-pt.
8-pt. with her crossbow taken in Osceola Co. hunting with her crossbow.
during the youth hunt. with her Grandpa. Gordon
Stolecki/
Keller, 8, of
Metamora,
took this
unique
6-pt. dur-
ing the
youth
hunt in
Lapeer Co.
hunting
with his
Emilee Lytle, 8, of Houghton Lake
Adam Schaefer took successfully harvested her first papa and
his first deer during the Gabriel McGugan, 14, uncle.
youth hunt, hunting with hunting in near Harrison deer, a 7-pt., during the youth
his dad. took his first deer! hunt in Roscommon Co. hunting
with her dad.
Savannah
Stankowski Hunter Tyson, Ryan
of Lenox is 13 of Capac Liphardt,
all smiles took this non- 6 , with
after tak- his first
ing her first
typical 11-pt. deer, a
with his own 6-pt. tak-
deer, this en with
nice 8-pt. handloaded a lever
she took .44 mag action .44
Emily Grimm, 13, of St. with her magnum.
crossbow. ammo.
Clair Shores took her first
buck, this spike with 9
inch tines in St. Clair Co.

Skylar Mc-
Cormick
took this
4-pt. on
the second
day of the
youth hunt,
using her
crossbow in
Huron Co.
Kaitlynn Demers, 12, of
Karson Gonyea, 9, took this Rockwood took her sec- Kyler Van Den Berg of Mac Kaster, 9,
nice Alcona Co. buck taken ond buck to date, her first Imlay City took his first took this nice buck
during the early youth with a muzzleloader, in buck during the youth during the youth
hunt. the youth season. hunt, a nice 5-pt. hunt.
92 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS


TROPHY PAGE

Kim Fast of Gaylord/Lansing
harvested this beautiful 6x7
bull elk in Gaylord the morn-
ing of August 31.
While waiting for legal shooting time, Terry
Vanderzee watched two Michigan bull elks
sparring. Later that morning he was able to
harvest this dandy 6x5.
Brooke Hubler of Hanover with a mon-
ster 13-pt. that field dressed near 200
pounds and had a rough green score
of around 150, taken during the youth
hunt. Last year she took a big 10-pt.

Jack Lavery
took his first
Zach Michigan
Hemker black bear
caught with his
Fred Bear
this 21 Compound
inch Bow hunt-
large- ing Craw-
mouth ford Co. on
near public land.
West He applied
Tommy Trudell of Attica for 8 years
Branch! to receive a
caught this 5 lb. bass in Keith Leighton caught this 42
Lapeer Co. in July while northern on ultralight tackle in tagtruly a
fishing with his dad. Van Buren Co. in September. blessing!

SEND US
Leah Christensen, 8, has
been in the woods with her
dad on his shoulders before

YOUR
she could walk or talk; scout-
ing, looking for deer, putting
out trail cameras enjoying as
much time together in the
outdoors as they can. They
are a family of bowhunt-
ers. Leah passed on 6 other
TROPHY
bucks during the youth hunt
before taking this dandy 8-pt.
She also took a jake this past
PHOTOS
spring with her crossbow. wnw@pageone-inc.com

10 year
old Luke
Schienke
bagged his
tom along
with his
dad, Tim,
and fol-
lowed up
with a
four point Isaac Trottier caught
buck in the these smallies on a live
youth hunt crawler and a crawler
with his
harness he made himself
Kole and Brady Kozlowski of Kinde had Grandad,
fishing the U.P. , 17 1/2
a successful youth hunt. Kole took a 5-pt. Fred.
and Brady an 8-pt. and 18 inchers.
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 93
 Weirs: An important DNR tool to
manage fisheries, educate public
Michigan is home to a
tremendous Great Lakes
sport fishery, which in-
cludes native lake trout,
steelhead, brown trout
and several varieties of
salmon introduced to
these freshwater inland
seas in the 1960s or
By Bob Gwizdz, MDNR
salmon.
There, the fish were born in
freshwater lakes and streams, then
migrated to the saltwater of the
Pacific Ocean, where they matured,
before returning to spawn.
Once they were transplanted to
Michigan, these fish continued to
act on this instinct, but instead of
migrating to salt water, they migrate
to the Great Lakes.
Fish with this type of behavior

T
beforehand..
o maintain this fishery,
the Michigan Depart-
ment of Natural Re-
sources relies on fish
stocking with the help
of eggs taken from
spawning fish.
Steelhead (rainbow trout) and
Chinook and coho salmon were
introduced to the Great Lakes with
fish stock taken from northern Cali-
fornia in the case of steelhead, and
from the Pacific Northwest for the
are called anadromous fishes.
To get eggs from salmon and steel-
head for fish stocking, the DNR
first needs to capture the fish. This
is done by use of one of the most
important parts of the DNRs fish-
stocking system: weirs.
My definition of a weir is a re-
movable dam, said Aaron Switzer,
the DNRs Platte River State Fish
Hatchery manager and weir coordi-
nator. There are two types of weirs:
those that allow water to completely
pass through but dont allow fish to
pass up and those that not only stop

Eggs are removed from a salmon at the Swan River weir in Presque
Isle County.
fish passage but impound water, too.
Our lower weir on the Platte
River allows water to pass through
but doesnt allow fish to pass. It
goes in Aug. 15 every year. What
that does is it allows us to control
the number of coho (salmon) that
we let up from the lower weir.
As part of a court-ordered con-
sent decree, the DNR allows 20,000
coho salmon through the weir. After
that, the remaining fish are harvest-
ed and marketed.
The upper weir at the Platte
River does back up the water at the
upper weir thats like that so we
can gravity feed the water into the
building (where spawn and milt are
94 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
collected) and maturation ponds,
Switzer said.
When fish reach the upper weir,
they remain in a holding pond until
fisheries biologists determine that
the females eggs are ripe enough to
be fertilized successfully.
When the females are 75 per-
cent ripe, its green light, lets go,
Switzer said.
Usually, egg take begins around
the second week of October.
Overall, the DNR operates five
weirs (six if you count the Platte
River weirs as two) on the Platte
River in Benzie County, Little
Manistee River in Manistee County,
the Boardman River in downtown
Traverse City in Grand Traverse
County, the Swan River (on Lake
Huron) in Presque Isle County and
Medusa Creek near Charlevoix in
Charlevoix County and they all
have different functions.
The Platte River facility is the
DNRs source of coho salmon eggs.
The Little Manistee River weir
is the prime source for Chinook
salmon eggs and the only source for
steelhead eggs. Any fall steelhead,
brown trout or other fish that wind
up in the Little Manistee River dur-
ing Chinook egg take are allowed to
pass upstream.
The Swan River facility has
A Michigan Depar tment of Natural Resources worker scoops salmon
eggs into a container at the Platte River weir.
been considered a back-up facil-
ity for many years, but was used to
procure Chinook eggs the last two
years when there was an insufficient
supply at the Little Manistee.
Theres a weir at the Boardman
River that is not used for egg take
at all.
We just dont get enough fish
there to use it as back up, Switzer
said. But its used to keep the fish
from going upstream and dying in
town. And weve used that for the
last few years as an educational
facility a place to learn about
salmon and how we manage them.
Its an educational facility as much
as anything else.
We get plenty of people
through the Little Manistee, Platte
and the Boardman. Theyre all great
places to educate the public and for
the public to see us in operation.
There is no public access at
Swan River; the weir is on private
property and access is restricted.
The weir at Medusa Creek is
strictly a harvest facility. There is no
physical facility there, but water is
diverted from the creek into a hold-
ing pond where the fish collect.
We cant have all those mature
salmon going up a creek thats 2 feet
wide running up into the cement
plant, Switzer said, though it could
be a potential egg-take site in the
future if necessary.
The lower weir at Platte takes
about a half days work for a crew
of four people to put it in and to
remove it, Switzer said.
The upper weir takes time, he
continued. There are basically big
steel boards that go in the chan-
nels in the concrete at the weir. We
install it and take it out in stages so
they dont completely deplete down-
stream flow in installation and not
let a big slug of water downstream
Contact Deb Gray (734) 623-2000 for more information and to enter www.miducalendar.org
Salmon stage in the Swan River below the weir. MDNR photos
all at once during removal.
That process usually covers
about two weeks.
Switzer said the DNR usually
installs the upper weir around Sept.
1 and it stays in place until July 15
because we also use it to block
steelhead and sea lamprey. Lamprey
cannot get past it. It is an effective
lamprey barrier.
Sea lamprey, an invasive fish
that preys on native lake trout,
spawn in streams like the salmon
and steelhead do.
Weirs allow the DNR to herd
fish into one place and process them
in a timely matter. Without weirs,
DNR staff would be reduced to
using nets or electro-fishing gear
to collect fish. The process would
be longer, more expensive and not
nearly as effective.
The DNR does not operate any
weirs in the Upper Peninsula.
Egg take at the Platte River
occurs throughout October. Its a
popular school group and tourist
attraction as it allows the public to
see how the operation works. At the
Little Manistee River, visitors are
welcome during the fall Chinook
and spring steelhead egg takes.
Staff members from the DNRs
Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visi-
tor Center and Carl T. Johnson Hunt
and Fish Center lead free fall tours
at the Boardman River, Little Man-
istee River and Platte River weirs
through mid-October.
Visitors can learn about salmon
biology, how weirs and fish ladders
work, invasive species, state fish
hatcheries, and the DNRs annual
egg-collection efforts and their im-
pact on Michigans fisheries.
For more information on tours,
visit www.michigan.gov/huntfish-
center and click on the Boardman
River Weir 2017 Programs or Platte
River Weir 2017 Programs link, or
visit www.michigan.gov/wolflakevc
and click on the Little Manistee
River Weir 2017 Programs link.
To learn more about how the
DNR manages Michigans fisheries,
visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.n
267 Gun Giveaway
5 guns will be raffled every Wednesday
PLUS a bonus Twelve Guns of Christmas
drawing Wednesday Dec. 19.
Your purchase of a $50 calendar
means you are entered in each
weekly drawing.
Must be 18 years of age to enter. Michigan Lottery License number C28069
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 95
9/17/18,20,22 - MI
 Bud Stewart
Michigans extraordinary lure maker
PART I
By Terry McBurney
F
rank Baron and his wife,
Pat, started driving on
the multilane Detroit ex-
pressway system turning
north at Brighton, then
working their way past
Fenton, Flint, and then into rural
northern Michigan. Their destina-
tion was some 240 miles north to
Alpena, Michigan where Bud and
Doris Stewart lived. Situated on the
northeast corner of Lake Hurons
Thunder Bay, Alpena had become
the Stewarts home in 1980, eight
years before Frank and Pats visit.
The couple lived on Long Rapids
Road six miles west of downtown
Alpena on a slow stretch of the
Thunder Bay River known as Four
Mile Pond and located about a half
mile below the Lake Winyah dam.
Four Mile Pond was known for
good fishing for northern pike, bass,
as well as perch and bluegills and
a great spot for Bud and Doris to
finally retire.
The reason for the Barons visit
was two-fold: to visit their good
friends and for Frank to continue
talking to Bud about his lifetime of
fishing, hunting, and trapping and
especially about Buds remarkable
creations that he had hand carved
and painted for over 60 years. Frank,
along with Ray Carver of Marshall,
An early photo of a young Bud
Stewar t with a nice stringer of bass
circa mid-1920s. Family archives
96 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Bud Stewar t in his Alpena workshop sometime in 1986. David Kenyon photo
was writing a book about Buds life a garter snake. He fished it on the
and Frank needed more background surface making the triple-jointed
information from him. Bud was out
on his dock fishing when Frank and
Pat Baron arrived. He had one of his
favorite casting outfits in hand and
was testing a variety of completed
lures to make sure they tracked cor-
rectly through the water. Bud talked
while he cast, switching from bait
to bait. Frank listened, made notes,
and every so often asked questions
steering the conversation to parts
of Buds history that needed more
details. Frank also watched Buds
skills not just his talent with a
casting rod and reel but how he
worked each of the different wood
lures he was testing. The baits came
alive with each of Buds casts they
dove, danced, popped, skipped, and
wiggled enticingly. Frank had fished
with some of Buds lures and knew
he was watching an incredible dem-
onstration of what Buds lures could
do. Bud worked the lures getting
the most action out of each of the
wood baits. At one point Bud tied on Left: Bud at one of the large Midwest spor t shows about 1953 demonstrating
one of his surface/diving snakes, his lures. Family archives. Right: Bud on his dock demonstrating one of his
his creation that colorfully mimics
dive. His ability to make it swim
was uncanny, and Frank decided to
buy one of Buds snakes before they
left that day.
Later, they moved to his nearby
workshop and continued talking
about Buds life, how he began carv-
ing and the unique ways he painted
his lures. Bud started by picking up
a piece of rough sawed cedar and
commenced carving what ended up
being a Crippled Wiggler. Then he
carved a second example and later a
third one, all the time continuing to
talk. What amazed Frank were two
things - that Bud only looked down
at what he was carving every couple
of minutes. The second was that
the carved Crippled Wigglers were
all basically the same bait but each
was uniquely different. Bud kept
talking to Frank as he sanded each
bait until they were interrupted by
their wives to come in for coffee and
sandwiches.
Buds story actually started in
Vancouver, British Columbia where
he was born on February 3, 1913.
Elman Bud Stewarts father was
Norman Garfield Stewart, a U.S.
citizen originally from North Da-
kota, who had moved to Canada to
work for an uncle at his successful
laundry business. It was in Vancou-
ver that his father met and courted
Elsie Metcalf, a Canadian citizen,
and the two were married on July
24, 1911. Three sons were born to
snake rush realistically across the the Scots-English couple in Vancou-
water, then pausing and making it ver with Bud the oldest, followed by
surface/diving snakes meant to mimic a gar ter snake. Frank Baron photo
George and then Donald or Babe.
The three Stewart brothers had dual
citizenship because of their parents
citizenship with their father from the
United States and mother a Cana-
dian.
Bud was four years old when the
family moved to Detroit along with
thousands of others from across the
U.S. and Canada. They were moving
to the Detroit-Pontiac-Flint corridor
to find good work in the burgeoning
auto industry, whether working for
one of the major automobile com-
panies or for one of the many parts
suppliers. Within a year, the Stew-
art family again moved, this time
to Flint, Michigan, about seventy
miles northwest of Detroit. At first,
they lived in a rooming house and
then moved to their home located at
1032 Ann Arbor St. in south-central
Flint. Their rental home was only
150-yards from nearby Schwartz
Creek, a small creek that emptied
Bud Stewar t also made metal baits
during the 1930s. Stewar ts Shiny
Shiners or the S.S.S. Minnows. Tony
Przybylo collection
Left: Early Bud Stewar t lures from the 1930s and early 1940s a Crip-
pled Crab, a Bass Teaser and a Tadpole. Right: Three Crippled Wigglers.
Tony Przybylo collection
into the Flint River about a mile
north.
The Flint River was a slow
moving stream starting in Lapeer
County northeast of the city and
then winding its way down through
farmlands towards the growing
Flint metropolis. Fishing close to
the Stewart home included northern
pike, smallmouth and largemouth
bass, walleye, channel catfish,
bluegills and black crappies, several
species of suckers, and a good for-
age population of gizzard shad. With
such a great place to grow up, Bud
spent endless hours first exploring
Schwartz Creek and then north on
the Flint River catching crayfish and
frogs, as well as watching fish in
the shallow, slowly moving waters.
According to Bud Stewart lore, his
first catch on hook and line was a
sucker!
During his formative years,
Bud made friends with neighbors
who liked to fish, as well as fisher-
men that he met locally on the Flint
River. He fished with many of them
all the while watching and learn-
ing from these more experienced
anglers. When he was twelve, a
neighbor invited him fishing on a
local lake where he hooked his first
bass on a rod and reel, most likely a
borrowed solid steel casting rod and
a basic Shakespeare reel. The bass
jumped and threw his bait after too
brief of a fight, but Bud was hooked
for life. Later that year, Bud con-
vinced his parents to rent a cottage
on nearby Lobdell Lake the fol-
lowing summer, a little over twenty
miles southwest of their home. It
was the perfect spot for Bud, a lake
stretching over a mile in length with
deep coves, islands, sandy beaches
and hundreds of places for a thirteen
year old teenager to explore. He
spent his waking hours out on the
lake fishing with his one wood lure
until his brother George announced
it was time to come in by blowing a
bugle. Quickly wearing the paint off
of the lure catching fish after fish, he
Bud giving one of his mini-seminars at the Milwaukee spor t show in
1955. Family archives
was forced to repaint the bait with
some of his mothers red fingernail
polish layered over some borrowed
white house paint. The white paint
was still wet when he applied the
fingernail polish, which produced a
wounded, bleeding effect a lesson
that he filed away for the future.
One of Buds great fish stories
has him out fishing for bass and pike
on another local lake when he was
about fourteen. At one point dur-
ing the trip, a baby muskrat swam
nearby the boat he was fishing in.
The little critter was paddling along
in a straight line when it swerved
sharply to the side and a northern
pike came up and nailed him. Later,
he visited a bait shop and asked for
a muskrat bait and was told Pike
dont eat muskrat. After leaving
empty handed, Bud went home and A Surface Crab sitting on one of
Buds notes written sometime
started carving one. during the late 1930s. Frank
When he was fifteen, Bud Baron collection
would visit an elderly angler and
boat builder who lived two blocks coal shed. Painting the baits in the
from the Stewarts home. His friend kitchen proved to be more than un-
entertained him with some amazing popular with his mother. He moved
fish stories. He also showed Bud the his fledgling business to the chicken
old lures in his tackle box, espe- coop behind Rubys Neighborhood
cially his favorite, Shakespeares Market where he worked carving
Swimming Mouse. Bud was so and painting his lures. Working by
taken with the Shakespeare Swim- daylight during the day, he used a
ming Mouse, he took some of his kerosene lantern after the sun went
hard earned money and bought one. down. Eventually, Bud talked Mr.
The lure caught fish, but he was not Ruby into running an extension
satisfied with its action, so he began cord to the chicken coop so he could
whittling his own crippled mouse work with an electric light bulb
design. That lure highlighted a gash overhead.
on each side complete with flowing His first lures were all some kind
blood coming from the wounds. His of injured critter - his surface crip-
surface crippled mouse fished great pled mouse, the crippled crab and
and was his best creation so far. probably his most popular bait over
Soon, fishing friends started asking the years, the crippled wiggler. Each
for him to carve a crippled mouse hand carved bait was made from
for them to use. Word quickly either red or white cedar, which was
spread through the local angling readily available in Michigan. Every
community, and demand was so bait was a slightly different version
great that Bud started carving his of the model he was carving, as
unique wood baits part time at the he did not use templates or a copy
age of seventeen while he was still router to rough out his lure bodies.
in high school during the Great He whittled what he had in his mind
Depression.
At first, Stewart carved his lures Bud Stewart next page
at home at a small bench in their
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 97
Bud Stewart:
from page 97
certainly a description of true American folk
art. This was the start of what collectors call his
Folk Art Period stretching from 1930 to 1940.
His first commercially produced baits were
painted with either solid colors, two-tone or
three-tone designs and were highlighted with his
popular swirl design or his spotted finishes. Bud
admitted that he discovered his spotted design
or what has also been called a starburst finish
by accident. To the author, it looks like a drop
A 7-inch Muskrat fishing lure from the late 1940s during this period wire pork rind clips and met- fishermen to either swim them with the front line
featured muskrat fur, a rubber tail cut from a bi- al ears that were called splashers because they
cycle inner tube, weedless trebles and ears made created splashes or ripples when pulled through
from a propeller blade. Tony Przybylo collection
Bud Stewar t sold two lures in printed card-
board boxes with photos. Top: The first was the
Crippled Mouse circa late 1940s and (bottom) A spinning-size Pad Hopper plus two of his
the second was the Crippled Wiggler circa
1950s Robbie Pavey collection
98 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Top: A 6 5/8-inch spearing decoy from the 1930s Folk Ar t Period featured it all his spotted
design and at least 7 colors. Gary Miller collection Bottom: This surface/diving Barber Pole sala-
mander was a special order bait from the 1940s or early 1950s. Tony Przybylo collection
of oil floating on water. Regardless, the effect is Period, most often painted with his spotted finish,
amazing and apparently never duplicated. The and rigged with a conventional line tie. Later
author has several Killer Spoons that have over spearing decoys from the Factory Period often
sixty spots! were rigged with both the standard line tie, as
He also used a lot of homemade hardware well as with a crippled line tie, which allowed
tie, or use the crippled line tie on the side and
swim the decoy so it at first turned over and then
the water. He also made many of his own line righted itself simulating a crippled or dying fish
ties and hook hangers, as well as flashers, or critter.
which were made in different shapes and finishes. Bud also started making a metal bait during
Sometimes they were round, willow leaf, or Col- this period, which he called the Stewarts Shiny
orado spinners that reflected light as the lure was Shiner or the S.S.S. Minnow. Buds hang tags
retrieved. The eyes were often simply painted on never lacked for adjectives, and the S.S.S. Min-
the bait or painted flat tack eyes. Glass-eyed lures now hang tag was no exception when it claimed:
and decoys are very rare. Positively the Liveliest Wiggling, and we mean
Bud started carving fish decoys during WIGGLE Spoon ever inventedBallast plate
the 1930s with sizes ranging from 3-inches to makes the S.S.S., a living, non-revolving min-
7-inches in length with almost all of them suck- now. The two-piece spoons were shaped like
ers. His Michigan customers were primarily a minnow and made from a die-cut fish-shaped
using the decoys to spear northerns, and he knew spoon riveted to a second piece of metal some-
that a live sucker was the best attractor to bring in times cut into a round shape, sometimes a smaller
pike under the ice. The larger sizes proved to be fish-shape or a hammered willow leaf spinner or
the most effective and his best sellers. They were some other decorative silhouette. Many of them
made with metal fins and tails during the Folk Art were painted with eyes staring back at the angler.
Some later ones were decorated with reflective
tape, while others had glitter sprinkled into the
wet paint before it dried.
I would like to thank Frank Baron for his help
and patience in putting this article together and
for allowing me to photograph some extraordi-
nary Bud Stewart creations. Special thanks to
Ray Carver for his insights and information; Tony
Przybylo for allowing to me photograph parts of
his Stewart collection; Robbie Pavey for his help;
Steve and Lori Parker from Flint; and Gary Mill-
er for his photographs and help with fish decoys.
I would also like to acknowledge the excellent
article, Fine Fooler of Fish written by C. Kurt
Dewhurst and Marsha MacDowell with photos by
David Kenyon and published in the September-
October 1987 issue of Michigan Natural Resourc-
es Magazine; and finally the book, Hands Across
Michigan, written by Alan R. Kamuda.
Feel free to contact the author at antiquefish-
ing@comcast.net with your questions. Photo-
graphs are important, so please send them. They
popular Pad Hoppers from the 1950s -60s with help me with identification and give me an idea of
a generic blue box. Tony Przybylo collection the condition of the item. Next Month Part II n
 Michigans Amazing Animals...
The Lake Trout
H
ere are some fabu-
lously-finned facts
regarding a favorite
game fish of many
Michiganders: the
Lake Trout.
The Name Game: Lake Trout
are also known as mackinaw, lake
char, touladi, togue, salmon trout,
and grey trout. In Lake Superior, its
also dubbed siscowet, paperbelly
and lean.
Naturally Native: Lake trout
are one of two native trout
species in Michigan. Their
fellow char and close rela-
tives, the brook trout, are
the other. Michigans other
trout species, the rainbow
and brown, were intro-
duced to Michigan from the
western U.S. and Europe,
respectively.
Splendid
Splake: the afore-
By Patrick Bevier
mentioned brook trout and lake trout
can produce viable hybrids known
as Splake. Splake can be caught in
several Michigan bodies of water in-
cluding Higgins, Torch, and Crystal
lakes and in the bays of upper Lake
Michigan and Lake Superior. The
Michigan record splake weighed
Lucky to be alive: A sea lamprey scar on the belly of a lake trout evidenc-
es the previous presence of one of the deadly parasites. Author photos
3415 South Portage
Jackson, MI 49201
(517) 740-6833
WWW.JACKSONGAMEBIRDS.COM
17.5 pounds when the delighted an-
gler hooked it on a Kast Master lure
in Big Bay De Noc.
Laker Logistics: Lake Trout
prefer water temperatures between
40-55 F. They spawn in the fall
and deposit their eggs after dark
amongst the gravel on the lake bot-
tom. Lakers reach sexual maturity
at age 6 or 7. Average weight is 10
pounds but some laker leviathans
reach 50 pounds. Lakers are long-
lived and may survive to age 25.
Showing Lakers some
Love: With the advent of
what has been called, the
single greatest success story
in fisheries history - that
being the introduction
of Pacific salmon (Coho
and Chinook) to the Great
Lakes in 1966, lake trout
-the once kings
of the great lakes
have been play-
ing second fiddle for quite a while.
The big char dont fight as vigorous-
ly as their salmonid brethren. Many
people prefer the flavor of salmon
over lake trout as well. However,
with the recent dip in salmon stocks
in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan
lake trout have become a more tar-
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Jim Chamberlain, fishing with veterans as par t of an Operation Injured
Soldiers outing, landed this beautiful lake trout on Lake Michigan.
geted species by anglers.
Arctic Advantage: Many an-
glers target lakers through the ice as
they actively feed all winter. They
hit various lures including Jigging
Raps, Do-Jiggers and others. A
favorite combination that weve em-
ployed is fishing for smelt on hook
and line in Higgins Lake- eating
some of the delicious little rainbow
minnows-but using some of them
to catch lake trout through the ice at
depths up to 100 feet.
Invasive Involvement: Lake
trout have close ecological relation-
ships with two of the Great Lakes
most noteworthy invasive species-
the sea lamprey and round goby.
Lamprey, which invaded the upper
Great Lakes from the ocean in the
1930s, have had an extremely detri-
mental impact on lake trout popula-
tions. The blood sucking parasites,
in combination with other factors
such as large scale commercial fish-
ing, all but wiped out laker biomass.
The round goby, on the other hand,
have filled a niche as a favorite
forage fish for lakers (weve caught
lake trout with teaming over mouth-
fuls of the little bug-eyed bandits).
1065 Pratt Rd
Metamora, MI 48455
Laker Lures: Lake trout are
most often caught by deep water
trolling with downriggers using
flashers and flies, spoons, or cow-
bells and minnows. In spring and
fall weve caught them from break-
walls and piers including those in
Manistee, Petoskey, Charlevoix,
and Ludington. Best baits have
been spawn bags, smelt, or
minnows fished on the bottom
or casting spoons and spinners.
In particular, Moonshine glow
spoons can be deadly at dusk and
after dark.
Remarkable Records: Lak-
ers are Michigans largest trout
with the state record tipping the
scales at 61.5 pounds! It was landed
from Lake Superior in 1997. The
world record laker was a battling
behemoth that strained the scales
at 72 pounds and was boated from
Canadas Great Bear Lake.
Tantalizing to the Tummy:
Winning lake trout recipes can be
found online at Genius Kitchen and
Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook.
Next months Michigans Amaz-
ing Animal column will feature
those cunning coyotes!n
Bulk &
Bagged
Carrots,
Sugarbeets, Corn,
and Apples
Large Quantities
available for pickup.
Statewide delivery available.
Service to retail locations
or private parties
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 99
Michigans sensational upland habitats
Michigan is home to a wide variety of spectacular habitat typesBy Holly Vaughn MDNR

P
erhaps one of the most
important varieties
of habitat is upland
habitat, which offers
countless recreation
opportunities for the
fall leaf peeper, mushroom hunter,
birdwatcher, hiker, hunter, beach-
goer, camper and others.
Michigans upland habitats can
be broken up into four broad cat-
egories dunes, deciduous forests,
coniferous forests and grasslands.
Dunes
Michigan boasts 275,000 acres
of freshwater coastal dunes more
than any other state in the nation.
These dunes were formed 4,000-
6,000 years ago as the glaciers that
once covered our region melted.
Michigans freshwater coastal
dune ecosystem is characterized
by sand, and lots of it. Occurring
mainly along the Lake Michigan
shoreline, coastal dune ecosystems
are dynamic and fragile. Dune
ecosystems are home to many plant
and wildlife species, including a
Deciduous forests produce fall color displays sought by a wide
range of leaf peepers from Michigan and out-of-state.
high concentration of threatened and
endangered species.
These species face a range of
threats.
Pitchers thistle, Houghtons
decline of the piping plover is the
increase of human-tolerant predators
like gulls, raccoons, feral cats and
skunks.
These ever-changing ecosystems
Deciduous Forests
Michigans deciduous forests
are characterized by tree species
that lose their leaves in the autumn.
These forests provide spectacular
displays of color in the fall and
attract thousands of tourists to the
state. In addition, the forest resourc-
es industry is an important part of
Michigans economy.
Four of the most common de-
ciduous forest types in the state are
beech-sugar maple forests, northern
hardwoods, aspen/young forests and
oak-hickory forests.
Beech-sugar maple forests are
found mainly in southern Michigan
and are characterized by moist soil,
long growing seasons, high nutrient
availability, and beech, sugar maple
and red maple trees. Other trees that
commonly grow in the beech-sugar
maple forest are walnut, tuliptree,
aspen, black cherry, ash and bass-
wood.
Northern hardwoods are like
beech-sugar maple forests, but they
occur farther north, where the grow-
ing season is a bit shorter. Eastern
hemlocks, white pines, yellow

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Another factor leading to the
that thrive there, we need to take a
few precautions.
Whenever possible, stick to
designated trails when hiking in
dune ecosystems.
Always check the rules regard-
ing off-road vehicle access to dune
areas.
Dune plants are easily uproot-
ed by foot and vehicle traffic which
can disrupt natural plant and animal
communities.
Watch the beach sands while you
walk to avoid plover nests and eggs.
Aspen forests are most often
found in northern Lower Michigan
and the Upper Peninsula and are
dominated by trembling (quaking)
aspen and big-toothed aspen, both
of which are shade-intolerant, fast
growing and short-lived. Other trees
associated with the aspen commu-
nity include white birch, balsam fir,
pin cherry, red maple, and white and
red pine.
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after recent logging. Aspen is a key
component of a young forest. Many
wild animals need young forest
habitat. A couple of these include
ruffed grouse and American wood-
cock, both prized by hunters.
Conservationists and landowners
create young forests by mimicking
natural disturbance events using
timber harvests, mowing, shrub and
tree planting, and controlled burn-
ing, all of which stimulate the dense
regrowth of small trees and shrubs.
Aspen is a valuable timber tree.
It springs up thickly following log-
ging, creating excellent habitat for
wildlife.
Oak-hickory forests occur
on well-drained soils in southern
Michigan. These drought- and fire-
tolerant species survive in some of
the driest forest soils in Michigan.
Shagbark, bitternut and pignut
hickories along with white, red, pine
and black oaks commonly grow in
oak-hickory forests. The dry soils
exclude species like maple, beech
and ash which need moist, well-
drained soils.
These deciduous forests sup-
port many wildlife species. The nuts
and acorns from oak, walnut, beech
and maple trees are an important
food source for deer, turkeys, bears,
wood ducks, squirrels and many
other species, said Al Stewart,
upland game bird specialist with the
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources. Young deciduous for-
ests with plenty of aspen are favored
by grouse, woodcock, deer, elk and
turkeys.
Coniferous Forests
Michigans pine forests are
found mostly in the northern por-
tions of the state. Northern lower
Michigan is known for its jack pine
and pine-oak forests, while the Up-
per Peninsula has a large swath of
spruce-fir forests, otherwise known
as boreal forest.
Jack pine forests occur in the
northeastern Lower Peninsula on ex-
tremely dry and nutrient-poor sandy
soils. Fire-tolerant jack pines have
cones that require fire or intense
Grasslands are stunning when in full bloom in summer time. Pete
Ber thelsen photo
heat to open them and spread their
seeds.
These forests are home to the
Kirtlands warbler, which is among
the rarest wood warblers in North
America. It nests mainly in young
jack pine forests on public lands
near the AuSable River drainage and
winters in the Bahamas.
Kirtlands warblers have very
specific habitat requirements; they
prefer large blocks of young jack
pine, usually hundreds of acres in
size. The Kirtlands warbler is a
ground-nester, often using the living
branches of 5- to 20-foot tall jack
pine trees to conceal its nests.
Because of these specific re-
quirements, stands of jack pine trees
must be actively managed. Large
areas of sandy soils are planted with
jack pine and then cut decades later,
on specific intervals, to achieve the
perfect-aged stands.
The result of this forest
management has been a marvelous
comeback of this beautiful bird spe-
cies, said John Pepin, DNR deputy
public information officer.
Pine-oak forests are made up
largely of red and white pines, sev-
eral varieties of oak, aspen and, in
some areas, red maple. These forests
also thrive on dry, sandy soils and
are fairly fire-tolerant. This forest
type can largely be found in the
northern Lower Peninsula and the
Upper Peninsula.
Boreal forests are made up
largely of spruce and fir trees that
thrive on the acidic, poorly drained,
rocky soils of the northern shore
of the Upper Peninsula. Ravens,
wolves, snowshoe hares, ruffed
grouse and deer can be found in this
habitat.
Grasslands
Southern Michigan, once upon a
time, had a bounty of prairie land. In
the last 150 years, however, grass-
lands have become increasingly rare
due to the conversion of prairie land
to agriculture and other develop-
ment.
Grasslands are, of course,
characterized by grass, which form
most of the plant life here. Natu-
ral grazing, wildfires and periodic
drought help to keep woody plants
from establishing and growing in
grasslands.
The soil in grasslands is nutri-
ent-rich from the growth and decay
of deep grass roots.
Grasslands are important part-
ners in the filtration and purifica-
tion of our air and water resources.
They have deep, dense root systems.
Grasslands trap precipitation so that
water can percolate down into the
soil, where it can be cleaned and
filtered.
In addition to the important
water purification that occurs in
grasslands, these areas also improve
air quality. Native grasses take in
carbon dioxide and give off clean
oxygen.
Native grassland vegetation also
traps carbon. When the plants die,
most of the dead plant material
(which gives off carbon as it dies)
is in the root system, under the soil.
The carbon is trapped in the soil
instead of being released to the air.
For many wildlife species,
grasslands are a vital habitat type.
Many creatures make their homes in
Michigans grasslands. A variety of
songbirds use the grasses for nesting
and feeding including red-winged
blackbirds, savannah sparrows, ring-
necked pheasants, bobolinks and
eastern meadowlarks.
Pollinators like bees and
butterflies love the wildflowers
that grow in grasslands, and many
mammals make their homes in
grasslands too, said DNR wildlife
communications coordinator Holly
Vaughn. Badgers, meadow voles,
coyotes and white-tailed deer rely
on grasslands. Believe it or not,
even American bison once roamed
Michigans southern prairies.
With Michigans wealth of avail-
able upland habitats, theres likely
one not far from home. Take some
time this fall to explore an upland
ecosystem - theres a world of won-
der there waiting to be discovered.n

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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 101
Hows the
fishing?
Most often our
greatest adventures
start with one
simple question...
By Lane Walker
O
ne of the reasons I
love Michigan so
much is the extreme
weather changes
and seasonal cli-
mate. When people
tell me they wish it was 80 degrees
every day, I tell them to move to
Florida. The weather cycle of Michi-
gan seems to change at the perfect
Bill Harrington and his son Ethan of Kingston caught a huge muskie
on Lake St. Clair. The fish was pushing 30-pounds and was over 43
inches long.
time, just as I am getting tired of one
season, a new one arrives. Fall is
great, but I get anxious for snow and
winter. Just as I am getting sick of
all the snow and cold, spring arrives
bringing everything back to life.
Summer is wonderful and al-
lows me the time to spend quality
time with my family. While most
anguish over the end of summer, I
welcome it. Fall is by far my favor-
ite season!
The cold fall mornings are
welcome relief. I count down the
days to football and hunting. With
fall in full swing, I reflected back on
a summer well spent. There are so
102 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
many great summer adventures for
Michiganders, but for me, most of
mine all started with a simple ques-
tion. Hows the fishing?
Hunting is my first outdoor
love, but fishing is a close second.
It seemed like whatever adventure
our family went on, I was always
able to find a kinship among locals
by bringing up fishing. The sum-
mer started out with a trip to Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina. When most
people think of Myrtle Beach, they
think of the 60 miles of golden,
groomed beaches. Their intercostal
waterways are great for scuba div-
ing, surfing, parasailing and fishing.
Anglers looking for adventure have
plenty of inland, freshwater opportu-
nities and the nearby ocean abounds
with a variety of exciting species.
During our stay, I booked a
shark fishing trip with a charter
fishing company located near Little
River and Georgetown, about thirty
minutes north of Myrtle Beach. Our
group had five total, including my
three daughters. They were excited
and anxious to have a chance to reel
in a predator of the deep. We started
out and headed eight miles out into
the ocean. The first mate mentioned
they knew a sunken sandbar that
was usually loaded with sharks that
time of year. We caught a bunch of
Spanish Mackerels that would serve
as shark bait and give us some good
The author and his nephew, Hugh,
tasting fish to take home. Once we
had enough, we turned and headed
east towards deeper water.
The captain cut the motor and
we drifted in the blue, rolling waves.
Suddenly a pole line lit up with a
load whizzing soundshark on!
The kids each took turns, as we
caught a bunch of North Atlantic
sharks ranging in size between three
and four feet. The first mate cleaned
and packaged our catch and we
threw them in a cooler to stay cold
on the long drive back to Michigan.
Once we were back in the Mitten
State, I took the shark filets to my
mom and she battered and deep-
fried them. They were fantastic and
everyone enjoyed them.
Once again my next summer
adventure started with, Hows the
Fishing?
I have always wanted to catch a
Michigan muskie and Lake St. Clair
was my next destination. I called
friend Jimmy Gretzinger, host of
Michigan Out-of-Doors, looking
for recommendations on the best
charter on Lake St. Clair. He pointed
towards Kevin Backus, owner of
Mr. Muskie Charters. Backus char-
ters fishing on Lake St. Clair and
the Detroit River, fishing for a wide
variety of species, but is most well-
known for catching huge muskies
Dave James and his son Tanner took advantage of the great fishing
oppor tunities near Myr tle Beach.
with a dandy Lake St. Clair muskie.
and sturgeons.
Five of us showed up for an
afternoon fishing trip and departed
from Jefferson Marina. Within the
first half-hour, we had a fish on.
This was the first time I had ever
seen a live muskie and was in awe
of the size of the fishseeing one in
person made the trip worth it. Over
the next couple hours we were all
able to land a muskie and I could
check off one more activity from my
outdoor bucket list.
Lake St. Clair was amazing and
lived up to its reputation. All five
fish were over 40-inches and pushed
almost 30-pounds. I enjoyed our
conversation with both the captain
and first mate, their passion for the
muskie population on Lake St. Clair
was contagious. We released each
fish and watched as the monster
retreated to the deep waters with a
sense of pride. It felt good to know
that maybe that fish would make
someone elses fishing dreams come
true like it did for us.
My wife has come to learn
when I ask the question, Hows
the fishing? I am really saying,
lets go fishing. Incorporating a love
and passion for the outdoors can be
done anywhere, whether on the salty
waters of Myrtle Beach or the fertile
muskie waters of Lake St. Clair.n
 MICHIGAN'S
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 103
Northwest Michigans...

Drowned River Mouth Lakes

T
he sculpting of Michi-
gans landscape took
place more than a mil-
lion years ago during
the great Ice Age. Four
vast glaciers descend-
ed across the Midwest with Michi-
gan experiencing the last great sheet
of ice during the Wisconsin Glacier
some fourteen thousand years ago.
This mass of ice extended from
Hudson Bay as far south as
the Ohio Valley.
As the climate began to
warm, soils and rocks fell
from the melting glacier,
called glacial drift, creating
moraines from the debris
that channeled water from
the melting ice towards
was loaded aboard schooners head-
ed for Chicago and other growing,
material-hungry cities. Eventually,
other industries sprung up on the
shores of the drowned river mouths,
too. A by-product was a myriad of
pilings, slab piles, docks, piers and
cribs that provide ideal fish habitat
to this day. Huge boulders and rocks
were brought in to straighten and
fortify the channels leading to Lake
Michigan creating even
more habitat.
The surprising thing
about northwest Michigans
drowned river mouth lakes
is that they dont receive
much fishing pressure.
Most anglers that put a boat
in on one of the lakes are

By Mike Gnatkowski
the lower
elevations. As
the glaciers
receded, the earth rebounded from
the repressive weigh. Fine, lighter
particles fell out last from the gush-
ing melt creating dunes of sand
along the lakeshore as the water
neared the forming lakes. The dunes
formed a blockade that caused the
water to backup and form a drowned
river mouth lake.
The drowned river mouth lakes
found in northwest Michigan are
unique not only from a geological
standpoint and to the region, but
also from a fishery perspective. The
drowned river mouth lakes typically
have a creek, stream or river that
feeds them. Some have disappeared
over time, but the lake still exists. If
the river or stream is a sizeable one,
marshy areas were created at the up-
stream end of the lake. The marshy
area is critical spawning habitat
for many species of fish including
perch, crappie, bass and pike and
act like a giant filter of sediments.
The river themselves attract a host
of potamodromous species such as
salmon, steelhead, lake-run brown
trout, walleye. lake sturgeon and
several sucker species that move
into the rivers from Lake Michigan
to spawn.
Many of the drowned river
mouths lakes became homes to in-
dustry beginning in the 1800s. With
easy access to Lake Michigan and
its affordable shipping, the lumber
industry boomed. Schooners lined
the docks. White pine logs harvested
from Michigan forests were floated
down the rivers and collected in the
drowned river mouths where mills
turned the timber into lumber, which
headed to Lake
Michigan.
Many of the
lakes see more activity when salmon
school there during the pre-spawn in
September before heading upstream
and theres a fair amount of ice fish-
ing pressure in the winter for pike,
perch and steelhead. Anglers target
walleye in the spring off the break-
walls and in the channels. There
are some bass tournaments that
take place on Manistee and Portage
lakes, but for the quality and diver-
sity of the fishing, there are few an-
glers. Other big game includes lake
sturgeon and Great Lakes muskies.
The Michigan Fishing Guide
lists the following northwest Michi-
gan drowned river mouth lakes:
Benzie: Betsie Lake; Manistee: Ar-
cadia Lake, Manistee Lake and Por-
tage Lake; Mason: Pere Marquette
Lake. An example of a lake that was
once a drowned river mouth, but is
no longer one is Hamlin Lake.
All of the drowned river mouth
lakes have a diversity of species
in them, claimed Central Lake
Michigan Management Unit Fisher-
ies Biologist Mark Tonello. Theres
good walleye, smallmouth, perch
and giant pike. The smallmouth bass
fishing is exceptional and has gotten
better since gobies have arrived on
the scene. Theres a fair amount of
fishing pressure for bass. Some of
the shallower drowned river mouths,
like Portage, seem to be best for
bass. Theres a post-spawn run of
walleyes that a lot of people dont
know about in Pere Marquette and
Arcadia lakes in May. The wall-
eyes move in to feed and you wont
find any fish much smaller than 20
inches.
Matt Gnatkowski with a walleye caught off the break wall that leads
from Pere Marquette Lake to Lake Michigan.
Forage is one reason game fish
do so well in the drowned river
mouth lakes. Theres a ton of for-
age in these lakes in the form of
gobies, alewives, gizzard shad and
salmon smolts not to mention native
minnows, like shiner and darters,
said Tonello.
Betsie Lake
Benzie Countys 289-acre Betsie
Lake is the northern-most drown
river mouth lake on Michigans west
side. The Betsie River feeds Betsie
Lake. The maximum depth of Betsie
Lake is 34 feet with an average
depth of 10 feet. The last survey of
Betsie Lake found pike, walleye and
largemouth and smallmouth bass.
The walleyes captured in the survey
averaged from 19 to 26 inches. Wall-
eye have not been planted in Betsie
Lake in recent years so the fish are
assumed to be naturally reproduced
fish or ones that have strayed from
Herring, Platte or Portage lakes.
Most of the fishing effort on Bet-
sie Lake occurs in the spring when
anglers are targeting browns and
steelhead and again in August and
September when Chinook and Coho
salmon are the quarry. The fisheries
provide trolling, shore and pier fish-
ing opportunities. Ice anglers target
steelhead, pike and yellow perch.
Arcadia Lake
275-acre Arcadia Lake has a
maximum depth of 28 feet and aver-
ages less than 20 feet. Arcadia Lake
is fed primarily by Bowens Creek.
The only boat launch on Arcadia
Lake is in the Village of Arcadia at
Veterans Memorial Park. The park
includes a launch, marina facility,
and a universally accessible fish-
ing pier, and is operated by Arcadia
Township.
According to Tonello, Arcadia
Lake has long had a good reputa-
tion as a fishing lake. In addition to
its spring brown trout fishery, it is
known for its good fishing for yel-
low perch, northern pike (both sum-
mer and through the ice) and bass,
both largemouth and smallmouth.

104 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS

Portage Lake
Portage Lake is considered to
be a drowned river mouth lake
because of its original connection to
Lake Michigan and Portage Creek,
which no longer exists, claimed
Fisheries Biologist Heather Het-
tinger in the most recent MDNR
fishery survey. Portage Creek was a
winding, fast-flowing stream located
approximately one mile north of
where the channel is today.
A dam had been built on Portage
Creek in the late 1860s to provide
waterpower for lumber mill opera-
tions. Flooding of riparian lands
frustrated landowners who took
the mill operation to court and won
their case. The mill refused to cease
the peaking operations, so in May
of 1871 the riparians began to dig
a ditch connecting Portage Lake
to Lake Michigan in an effort to
reclaim their flooded lands and put
the mill out of business. Once the
digging was complete, the barrier
holding the water of Portage Lake
was removed, and water began rush-
ing out into Lake Michigan. By the
time the water had slowed, the new
connection to Lake Michigan was
500 feet wide and 12 feet deep.
The channel now is a prime location
for spring walleye fishing.
2,110-acre Portage Lake has a
diverse fish population. There is an
abundance of warm-water spe-
cies such as yellow perch, walleye,
pike, smallmouth and largemouth
bass and a variety of panfish. The
MDNR has been planting upwards
of 53,000 walleye fingerlings in the
lake annually and the program is
paying dividends. Walleye in excess
of 8 pounds are common catches
throughout the year. Trolling at
night is a productive pattern.
Yellow perch are another species
that garners a lot of angling hours on
Portage Lake. There appears to be
two distinct populations of perch in
Portage- a resident population and
a transient population the moves in
and out from Lake Michigan. Perch
up to 14 inches are common.
Manistee Lake
Fed by both the Big and Little
Manistee rivers, 930-acre Manistee
Lake is one of the most prolific
of the drowned river mouth lakes.
Manistee Lake is famous for giving
up trophy-size walleye. The lake is
popular with bass clubs that host
tournaments there. Manistee Lake is
a sleeper for hand-sized panfish and
northerns exceeding 40-inches are
taken by ice anglers with regular-
ity. Salmonids headed for the rivers
offer seasonal opportunities for
anglers. Over 155 fish from Man-
istee Lake have been entered in
Michigans Master Angler Program,
which gives credence to the great
fishing the lake produces.
According to Biologist Mark
Tonello, The Manistee Lake shore-
line is predominantly developed
with heavy industry. Development
started in the mid-1800s with the
establishment of the City of Man-
istee and the village of Eastlake
(located along the eastern shore)
and the villages of Filer City and
Stronach (located on the southern
shore) when the Manistee and Little
Manistee River watersheds were
being logged. Industry on Manistee
Lake contributed to the degradation
of water quality on the lake, though
stricter standards and monitoring
have improved water quality over
time.
A favorite spot on the lake
downwind of the paper mill is aptly
named The Stink Hole. Health
advisories for fish consumption
on Manistee Lake are the result of
decades of industrial pollution.
Despite the fact that large por-
tions of the Manistee Lake shoreline
are heavily developed, some areas
of natural riparian wetlands remain
intact, including large cattail marsh-
es located near the inlets of both the
Manistee and Little Manistee
Rivers, said Tonello. There are
four public access sites (all have
boat launches) on Manistee Lake
and one on the channel just up-
stream from Lake Michigan.
Fisheries surveys on Manistee
Lake show it has a diverse fish
population. Bass are common and
fish captured generally topped the
14-minimum size limit. Sunfish,
bluegill and crappie were abundant
with many pan-sized specimens
available. Although never planted in
Manistee Lake, the lake has reputa-
tion for producing trophy walleye.
Walleyes topping 10 pounds are
routine and are likely the result of
natural reproduction in the Big Man-
istee River. The Big Manistee and
the Little Manistee rivers are world
famous for their salmon and steel-
head fisheries. Every one of those
fish has to come through Manistee
Lake.
Hamlin Lake
Mason Countys Hamlin Lake
is 5,350 acres in size and located
approximately five miles north
of Ludington, in western Mason
County, Michigan, in the northwest-
ern Lower Peninsula, wrote Mark
Tonello. Hamlin Lake was origi-
nally a drowned river mouth lake
located approximately one mile up-
stream of Lake Michigan, with the
Big Sable River flowing through it.
In the 1850s, a wooden sawmill dam
was constructed on the outlet of the
lake. That dam failed in 1888, but
was rebuilt. It failed again in 1912
and was replaced with a concrete
dam. Currently, the dam is a 20-foot
high concrete structure that raises
the water level of Hamlin Lake by
about 12 feet.
Hamlin Lake is one of the pre-
mier bluegill lakes in Michigan. An-
glers take thousands of hand-sized
bluegill from the lake in the winter
and spring with little impact on the
fishery. The prolific bluegill popu-
lation can be attributed to prime
habitat, an excellent forage base and
a balanced predator population.
Hamlin Lake also offers first-
rate crappie and perch action at
times. Walleyes are routinely
planted in Hamlin and the result is a
consistent fishery for eyes that av-
erage 16 to 24 inches, particularly in
the lower lake. Largemouth bass are
expanding and mega-predators, like
northerns and Great Lakes muskies,
afford anglers an opportunity to re-
ally stretch their string.
Hamlin Lake is popular with
anglers and water zealots because
the entire northwest shoreline of the
lake is comprised of Ludington State
Park. Lake Michigan is but a stones
throw to the west of the park.
Pere Marquette Lake
When the most recent fisheries
survey was done on Pere Marquette
Lake, researchers netted 27 walleyes
from 22 to 30 inches over a three-
day period in June. Id bet there
wasnt one angler targeting walleyes
in Pere Marquette Lake that year in
June. Its that way with a lot of spe-
cies in PM Lake.
Fed by the pristine, nationally Jean Kledzek caught this husky
renowned Pere Marquette River, Chinook salmon in Pere Mar-
554-acre Pere Marquette Lake has a quette Lake in September.
long history of heavy industry on its
shores. Because of this, areas of the dent and transient pike in particular
gorge on the abundant forage. Many
lake are contaminated with heavy
are caught by anglers fishing for
metals. Reports indicate the lake has
salmonids or by anglers spotting
been subjected to brine spills, cya-
tip-ups fishing off the sand dock
nide discharges, fish kills, and ex-
and Buttersville during the winter.
cessive thermal discharges. Despite
20-pound leviathans are caught
all of these issues, Pere Marquette
every year.
Lake still provides outstanding fish-
Pere Marquette Lake probably
ing opportunities.
sees the most activity in August and
Pere Marquette Lake is home to
early September when pre-spawn
trophy-sized specimens of northern
Chinook salmon headed for the Pere
pike, largemouth and smallmouth
Marquette River stage in the lake.
bass, yellow perch, and black crap-
pie. During seasonal migrations, Upwards of 50 boats are common
salmon and steelhead are the main on windy days that prevent fish-
targets of anglers. ing on Lake Michigan. The ticket
As a destination for timber being for salmon is to troll slowly using
floated down the PM River, rem- plugs on long leads off divers and
nants from the era still exist in PM shallow-set downriggers.
Lake. There are pilings, cribs, slab Northwest Michigans drowned
piles, docks and jetties that provide river mouth lakes provide some of
outstanding habitat for species like the most diverse fishing in the state
crappies and smallmouth bass and and see relatively little fishing pres-
hazards for anglers and boaters. sure. Theyre also one of the best-
Slab specs besting 16 inches are not kept secrets in the state.
unheard of and brown bass topping For more information on fishing
five pounds draw little attention. northwest Michigans drowned river
An abundance of forge in the mouth lakes contact the Central
form of alewives, shad, smolts, Lake Michigan Management Unit of
shiners, suckers and gobies provide the MDNR at 231-775-9727 or visit
a bounty of food for predators. Resi- www.michigan.gov/dnr.n
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 105
RUT CRAZED WHITETAILS
F
inally November has
arrived and Michigan
archery deer hunters are
treated to some of the
most exciting deer hunt-
ing of the entire year.
The best time to be afield is Novem-
ber 1-14, after that gun season opens
and Michigans huge orange army
of gun hunters will quell rutting
activity. Dont get me wrong, there
is breeding the entire month of No-
vember where there is a doe in heat.
However the influence of gun hunt-
ers tends to push the rutting activity
deep into cover and the craziness
associated with the rut often takes
place under the cover of darkness.
So, exactly why is November
the key month for buck activity?
The answer is simple yet somewhat
complex. Keep in mind the full
blown rut is created by doe activ-
ity. Basically, bucks are already
prepared for breeding but does
do not come into heat until their
sexual hormones go bonkers. This is
controlled by the amount of sun- Adult bucks frequently defend mates from suitors by lowering their ears, pointing antlers and eventually chasing
light that passes through the female them from breeding zones. Bucks of equal stature will sometimes lock antlers in battle and the winner gets the
deers eye. When October turns to hot doe as a prize.
November the sunlight diminishes ritory rubbing, scraping, chasing of ground searching and even mossy lasts only a couple of weeks and
drastically, leaves fall does, sparring with other horned monsters wander from if you want in on the action, plan
at a monumental rate, bucks and their activity swampy lairs in search of a mate. hunts just prior to gun season. Far
wood ducks migrate level spikes 300 percent. Local law enforcement can tell too many hunters take a peek at the
south and less sunlight During this time most you exactly when the rut peaks November calendar and after strug-
causes deer to go into rutting deer lose about because car/deer accidents suddenly gling through the October doldrums
heat. This process is best 20% of body mass due to skyrocket as love sick bucks cross of whitetail hunting they hang up
described by hunters as days of physical activity highways and busy roads with reck- the archery gear because gun season
the rut phase and it is the and the lack of proper less abandonment for their safety. is just around the corner. Bad move.
period of most buck ac- nutrition, rest and water. Some hunters swear they can predict Truth is the majority of Michigans
tivity of the entire year. Rutting whitetails are so the exact rut based on the number archers are burned out from October
The rut can be a preoccupied with finding of bucks they spot at dawn standing outings and when the cold weather
in agricultural fields and open areas.
By Kenny Darwin
boon for hunt- a sexual partner of November arrives they are weary
ers because deer they are more When bucks are rutting they tend to about taking stand. But those in the
move all day long, visible, cover spend more time along field edges know hold off and wait until No-
bucks are busy covering their ter- unlimited amount and open locations in an effort to at- vember. My unofficial opener for
tract mates. Once they locate a mate archery season is November 1 and
it is common to see them in open my best hunting days for big bucks
areas tending does. are often November 7-10.
You see, when a doe comes One short scouting trip and you
into heat her body releases several can easily identify the rut by the
hormones that drive bucks bon- amount of buck signs. Bucks that
kers. Most is distributed in urine are fired up during the rut rub antlers
and once the powerful odor hits the almost non-stop and all of a sudden
earth bucks in the area relentlessly the woods become filled with buck
search for the hot doe. When a doe rubs. On an average, adult bucks
first comes into heat she becomes will make 150-200 rubs during
frisky, relentlessly moving, covering the two-week peak rut period. The
ground and she urinates frequently. same is true for scrapes and mature
This is the powerful medicine that bucks tend to make dinner table size
drives bucks crazy, puts their body scrapes. The trick to hunting success
into overdrive and they will not rest hinges on your ability to identify
until they find the source. It is a high deer activity periods and take
powerful pattern of nature that sends advantage of the exciting time by
does into heat and bucks are attract- taking stand. If you are a weekend
Once a rutting buck gets a taste of hot female hormones he becomes sex ed to them exactly when breeding warrior, do not miss hunting this
crazed, hooked on the breeding ritual and presents an easy target for must occur in order to have healthy, year on November 4-5 and Novem-
the knowledgeable archer in the right situation at the right time; which is strong fawns during spring.
November. Kenny Darwin photos Michigans top breeding period Rut craze whitetails page 108
106 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
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WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 107

Rut craze
whitetails:
from page 106
ber 11-12, 2017.
This year the full moon falls on
November 4 and you can expect
bucks to increase activity 3 days
prior to full moon, during full moon
and roughly 3 days following full
moon. Believe me the hottest buck
activity this November will be
during the full moon. Dont miss
hunting during this short period that
will come and quickly vanish long
before gun hunters have an opportu-
nity to load their weapons.
The whitetail rut is overlooked
by most archers, probably because
they get caught up in hunting tech-
niques centered on bait. Many love
to be outdoors when beautiful leaves
and the appealing smell of autumn
fills the air. More need to understand
deer biology and spend time hunting
when the rut creates breeding sea-
son. You see, during this time bucks
are preoccupied with mating and
their sexual desire becomes their
weakness and they often wander
relentlessly presenting easy targets.
This is the time you forget hunt-
ing over bait and concentrate on
activity zones. The trick is to locate
a doe in heat and hunt in her do-
main. This is difficult but the other
choice is to set up over travel routes
and ambush bucks searching for po-
tential partners. The idea is to outwit
an animal that is hyperactive due to
raging testosterone.
Since buck activity is elevated
during this period, dont just sit on
stand. Now is the time to be ag-
gressive with your hunting tactics.
Start by using deer calls, they all
produce results during the rut but
if I had to pick a single sound that
brings bucks on a string it would be
the grunt call. While on stand make
grunt calls every 30-45 minutes.
Dont get too carried away with long
bellowing sounds but instead stick
to short, fast toots 1-4 in secession,
thats it. Rattling works too and
some savvy hunters shake tree limbs
and brush together while grunting to
mimic buck fighting activity.
If you spot a buck walking
through the woods, give him one
short grunt and watch his reaction.
Do not make more calls if he is
looking at you because he will pin
you down pronto. If he continues
walking give him a couple grunt
calls. The idea is to get his attention,
announce that there is another buck
108 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
During peak rut, breeding bucks will posture and stand in the open during broad daylight. Love crazed bucks
will remain by the side of hot does for a period of about two days. Savvy hunters seek out mega-bucks locked
up in love and make every effor t to get in archery range. Kenny Darwin photo
in the area and heighten his inter-
est to the point where he turns and
comes straight at you to investigate.
During peak rut you can call 75
percent of bucks into easy archery
range if you know what you are
doing. One of my deadliest big buck
tactics is to slowly sneak through
underbrush and woodlands and stop
every few minutes and give one
short tending grunt. Bucks in the
area will hear the sound and come
to investigate. Even a big trophy
buck that is tending a doe will break
off from breeding to come over
and chase the hell out of satellite or
intruder bucks. My sneak and grunt
strategy has been the downfall of
many big Michigan bucks and the
tactic works like dynamite on rainy
days, during windy weather and
when bucks are in lockdown with a
hot doe.
If you spot a buck that is tend-
ing a doe and he will not come to
your stand, get out of the tree and
stalk the bruiser. Move extra slow,
be fully camouflaged and try to
move into the breeding zone. When
a mature buck is breeding a doe he
keeps the activity in a very small
area often identified by tall grass,
multiple rubs and the musky smell
of a rutting buck. If you can stealth-
fully sneak into the breeding zone
you can harvest the bruiser of a
lifetime. While breeding zones can
be somewhat localized close to big
buck sanctuaries the exact location
can change every year depending
on availability of undercover, crops
and exact spots where bucks tend
to herd does for breeding. Ditch
lines, fence rows with brush and tall
grass, grassy knolls, alder patches
in lowlands surrounded by tall grass
are ideal breeding zones.
Love sick bucks are not stupid
and their behavior is often misun-
derstood. During breeding season
they are aggressive and display their
dominance. At times you can crawl
up to a big buck and he will look
directly at you and not run because
his mate is very close and he is not
leaving a breeding partner. A rut-
ting buck on the prowl will come
to investigate just about any sound
that could be associated with a hot
doe, sometimes breaking twigs and
raking leaves will get their attention
and bring them directly to you.
Keep in mind that weather, moon
phase and hunting pressure have
some effect on bucks but the number
one factor that controls and governs
peak of the rut is a doe in heat. The
rut is controlled by the doe not the
buck. Bucks are anxiously waiting for
does to become receptive all through
October and if there is no evidence of
a doe in heat bucks retreat to sleepy
hideouts. But when November arrives
and does come into estrus the bucks
venture from hideouts and suddenly
become visible making scrapes, rub-
bing and covering every inch of their
territory in search of a doe. Activity
often peaks when a hot doe urinates
in a buck scrape and the chase begins
in earnest.
Young bucks often go nuts
during the rut and chase the hell
out of does while the big bucks sit
back and watch. In many ways the
fast-paced chase gets the females
fired up, increases blood flow and
helps to initiate the actual estrus.
Rut is often highlighted by hordes of
young bucks running helter skelter
after does which eventually leads to
mature bucks coming out of hiding
and teaming up with receptive does.
Mature bucks drive off smaller
bucks and fiercely defend their girl-
friends from other suitors. In some
cases mature bucks have taken stand
against farm equipment, trains, cars,
and dogs and even charged hunters.
Timing is the most important
element of peak rut. It has been my
experience that deer go bonkers for
a period of about 7 days where the
rut is almost out of control with un-
believable buck action and multiple
buck sightings. Then it chills a bit
but the rut is still in full swing in
more refined areas. It is your task to
be in the field when the buck activ-
ity hits an all-time high and stay on
rutting bucks until the gun opener.
You will find great hunting during
peak rut and see more bucks than
any other time of year. There is no
doubt timing is the key to archery
buck hunting success. Are you
ready?n
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 Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section
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110 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
 Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section
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Corn and beans surround. Call 248-
978-7673. HL-10-2
..............................................
GOOD HUNTING/FISH-
ING! 200+ gated acres avail-
able for yearly lease. Boat
docks with power and offsite
boat ramp. mile canal with 2
dredged channels to the
Saginaw Bay, casino within 4
miles. Perfect for hunt clubs!
References needed. Email
DJRMVP@gmail.com by
appointment only. Please see
our ad on page 125 of this issue
of the Woods-N-Water News.
HL-11-1
REAL ESTATE
APPROXIMATELY 150
ACRE BUFFALO FARM
COMPLETE AND READY
FARM! $425,000.
TO
Contact Angela Mia DiLorenzo
for more details 231-632-5105.
RE-11-2
20 ACRES, beautifully wooded
with maple trees and a driveway in.
Well and septic tank. Good deer
country. $55,900 Land Contract
terms. Koske Realty Co. 989-732-
1012 Gaylord, MI john_koske@
yahoo.com RE-11-1
..............................................
40 ACRES: Grand Traverse
County on beautiful cold stream
10 to 20 ft. wide. Has small
islands on it. Completely sur-
rounded by forest, year around
road, county maintained. Road
ends at driveway of property.
Land is approximately 50%
forested. Has older duplex
rental. 2 section, 5 bedrooms,
REAL ESTATE
1000 FT OF PRIVATE
ACRES Rolling hills 80% wooded
RIVER FRONTAGE!
Beautifully remodeled and
updated cabin situated on
6 acres overlooking the
Manistique River. Cabin is
complete with 1 bedroom,
1.5 baths, electricity, Contact
Angela Mia DiLorenzo for more
details 231-632-5105. RE-11-2
WOODS AND WATER PAR-
ADISE! 2 bed, 2 bath home
w/2000+ ft. of shoreline on private
Horseshoe Lake and 45+/- acres of
woods. 11925 Strait Rd, Hanover
MI. Deer, wildlife and variety of fish.
Insulated 4 car garage w/workshop,
office. Additional 3 car garage.
Southern Michigan. $399,900 Amy
Gilpin, Assoc Broker, Production
Realty 517-879-4141. RE-11-1
..............................................
BEAUTIFUL HOME on 55
acres, with 4 bedrooms and 3 bath-
rooms, plus cabin, 2 car garage and
storage building. River and trails
REAL ESTATE
HUNTING PROPERTY: 160
NORTH DAKOTA - for the 21st
with markeable hardwoods, pine,
birch and cedar. Excellent hunting;
artesian streams with brook trout, a
3.5 acre lake for fish and waterfowl,
established blinds and food plots.
Access by paved road with electric.
A wide choice of building sites. Rose
City area, Rose Township, SEC 21.
Owner 989-820-5858. RE-10-2
..............................................
DOGS
BIRD DOG TRAINING IN
ALABAMA for the 35th year
we will train in Alabama where we
have found lots of birds. Birds shot
daily! Let Hall of Fame Trainer
David Grubb make a top dog out of
your dog. Leaving Thanksgiving
and returning April 1st $1,750 for
the trip, everything included. We
take Labs too! 248-860-1009.
D-10-3
..............................................
DOGS DOGS
BIRD DOG TRAINING IN
GERMAN SHORTHAIR
POINTER PUPS: Males
year well go to North Dakota the
and females available. Excel-
last two weeks in October. Your dog
lent hunting dogs and superb
will see more birds in two weeks
family pets. Close working
then they will see in a year in
dogs with strong point and
Michigan! Birds shot daily. We take
retrieve instincts. Reasonably
Labs too! $300 for the trip, every-
priced for the sporting family.
thing included. 248-860-1009.
Money back guarantee. Eulen-
D-10-2
hof Kennels, Gladwin, MI.
..............................................
http://www.eulenhof.com
989-426-4884 D-10-2
Classifieds work!
(810) 724-0254
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
or try our website
woods-n-waternews.com

Subscribe Today and

2 full bath and 1 1/2 bath. 2
BUSINESS FOR SALE car garage. Round pen and
small 2 horse shelter. Approx.
HUNTING LAND LEASE 2 miles from Cross MI Horse
BUSINESS. Match land owners Trail. Approx. 4 miles from
through property. Excellent deer
and small game country. $399,500.
Koske Realty Co. 989-732-1012
Gaylord, MI john_koske@yahoo.
com RE-11-1

Enjoy Michigans Best

with hunters. Started in 2010 - this
years leases ready for renewal.
Revenue generating, profitable and
recurring income stream.
Serious inquiries only. Email
Ranch Rudolf Resort. Also has
trout pond. Very quite loca-
tion. $250,000 or O.B.O. Pics
at jmshannon16@gmail.com
231-263-5605. RE-11-1
..............................................
BUYING OR SELLING!
Farms, vacant land or recreational
parcels throughout Michigan. Call
Doug Beasley at Faust Real Estate,

wayne@Trophylandlease.com
10-2
.............................................. 73 ACRES TO HUNT OR
BUILD ON WEST OF BIG
RAPIDS. Large red pines, ready
REAL ESTATE for a harvest now, along with small-
er pines, creek, mixed hardwoods,
Outdoor Magazine!
LLC 517-260-2939. RE-11-1
..............................................
HOME ON 33 ACRES, 3 bed-
rooms, full finished basement, 2
bathrooms, 2 car attached garage,
porch and deck, 40 x 64 pole build-
ing, good deer country. Call for

10 ACRES HILLMAN
MICHIGAN. Rolling hills and
woods pond, pole barn electric at
pole. Driveway well septic there.
$34,900. 810-689-1256.
RE-11-1
..............................................
APPROXIMATELY 150
ACRES IN BEAUTIFUL
NORTHERN MICHIGAN
3/2/2 House with FP, and 50x10
Barn with 18ft doors. Property
is complete with Hunting Blinds
and is heavily populated with
deer, bear, turkey, etc. Hunters
Paradise! Contact Angela Mia
DiLorenzo for more details at
231-632-5105. RE-11-2
ENJOY NORTHERN
MICHIGAN RIGHT HERE IN
THOMAS TWP. A 900 sq ft
asphalt driveway leads to this
unique Log Home that sits on 9.50
acres with over 1000 ft of frontage
on the Swan Creek. Wildlife and
fishing abounds. Kitchen Cabinets
and wood floors made from Ash
harvested on the property. The
Home features rain barrels, 12
English Walnut trees (anyone for
roasted walnuts?), outdoor barrel
sauna, heated floors, and a Geo-
Therm heating and much more.
989-971-0557.
RE-11-1
..............................................
wetlands, make this a wildlife para-
dise! Paved main road frontage,
$109,500, call Mark Wentland, 231-
598-4871, Big Rapids Realty, Inc.
RE-11-2
..............................................
10 ACRES with lake access,
nicely wooded parcel with large
maple trees and a driveway fronting
county maintained road. Good deer
country. $27,500 Land Contract
terms. Koske Realty Co. 989-732-
1012 Gaylord, MI john_koske@
yahoo.com RE-11-1
..............................................
REDECORATED 4 BD, 3
BATH RANCH on 5 acres
with stocked pond and stream.
Wildlife abundent. Owner
motivated. 810-664-4235.
F-11-1
38 WOODED ACRES with an
immaculate 3 bdrm., 2 bath ranch.
Many amenities. Near Pine River
and a short drive to a casino.
Montcalm Co. Michigan. Dont miss
this for only $299,000. Call Diana at
Faust Real Estate, LLC 517-270-
3646. RE-11-1
..............................................
ONAWAY AREA: 160 acres
hunting property, mostly cedar
$1000 per acre. Call Larry at 989-
733-4152. RE-11-1
..............................................
more details. $295,000. Koske
Realty Co. 989-732-1012 Gaylord,
MI john_koske@yahoo.com
RE-11-1
..............................................
200 ACRES, beautifully wooded
with driveway and road throughout
the property, excellent deer and
small game country. $375,000 New Subscription Renewal
Land contract terms. Koske Realty (Please attach mailing label)
Co. 989-732-1012 Gaylord, MI
john_koske@yahoo.com RE-11-1
.............................................. One year $29 Two years $55
CLARE COUNTY: Beautiful
145 wooded acres with food plots,
very nice 2 br. cabin. Miles of
groomed trails and about a dozen NAME
blinds (some elevated). This is a
must see for the serious hunter. Call
Don Decker today! 989-578-2029
Real Estate One - Gladwin
ADDRESS
$134,900. RE-11-1
..............................................
41 ACRES, Beautifully wooded
CITYSTATEZIP
with driveway and road through the
property with three deer plots. Ex-
cellent small game and deer coun-
try. $69,900 Land Contract terms.
Check/Money Order Visa/Mastercard
Koske Realty Co. 989-732-1012
Gaylord, MI john_koske@yahoo.
com RE-11-1
Card #Exp. Date
..............................................
LAND FOR SALE: 10 acres in Send to: Or Call
(810) 724-0254
Lake County, MI. Well, spetic, elec-
tric access. 25x40 pole barn - backs Woods-N-Water News
up to state land, near 10 cup motor-
head trails. $38,000. 231-342-8028. P.O. Box 278 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
RE-10-2
Imlay City, MI 48444
.............................................. DateCk#$

email: wnw@pageone-inc.com website: www.woods-n-waternews.com

WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 111
 LAND FOR SALE

58.38 Acres
Saginaw County, Michigan
Great combination cropland and hunting
land

Located at 1248 Meridian Road in Merrill,
Michigan
Easy access to the farm off paved East County
Line Road
Good productive soils
For property details please contact:
Steve Herr, Farm Manager/Agent

L-1700736
Business: (810) 569-5638 Lapeer, Michigan
SHerr@Farmersnational.com www.FarmersNational.com/SteveHerr

www.FarmersNational.com
PAGES 112 - 125 Real Estate Sales Auctions Farm and Ranch Management Appraisal Insurance Consultation
Oil and Gas Management Forest Resource Management National Hunting Leases
Lake Management FNC Ag Stock

4825 W. 36 Road, Harrietta, MI 49638

Amazing 80 acres adjoining Manistee National Forest! This proper-
ty offers everything you could ever want with 80 acres of mixed hard-
woods and pines, several open clearings, and an artesian well. Many
great bucks have been harvested off this land. 2 bed (possible 3rd), 2
bath house with deep 2 car garage provides the perfect hunting lodge
or up north retreat with room to store your toys. Enjoy countryside
views from balcony. House is available fully furnished. Propane tank
is owned by sellers and comes with the sale. Backup wall heater in
basement means youll never have frozen pipes! Property is situated
just 1/4 mile down seasonal road and directly on the snowmobile trail,
just minutes from Caberfae and Lost Pines Lodge. Owners are open
to splitting the land, or additional 40 acres to the south is also for sale.
ERA GREATER
NORTH PROPERTIES
3080 W. 13th Street Cadillac, Michigan 49601
Contact Rebekka Crawford 231.878.1307
Rebekka@ERAGreaterNorth.com
www.eragreaternorth.com

Own the 400 & 7.5 ACRES BREVORT LAKE.

UPs premier 4200 acre all sports lake.
Tree lined drive installed to a cleared,

experience.
prepped and permitted building site.
Sandy frontage, great fishing, easy access
to launch site. $140,000 #306093

Enjoy the thrill of the outdoors like never

before with a land loan from GreenStone.
260 OCQUEOC RIVER 1.6 acres. Taste-
With financing options on unlimited acres, fully remodeled 5 bedroom, 3 bath home.
and affordable terms up to 30 years, it is Nearly 2400 sft. not including the full
basement or work room. 2 car garage
not too late to purchase land for this season. w/2nd story storage (could be additional
Contact your local GreenStone office to get living space). Only $169,900 #300806
started, or go online to apply today.

800-444-3276

518 LAKE NETTIE. Just listed. Af-

fordable up north get-away on a quiet
all sports lake. 3 bedroom, 2 bath home
with a large deck overlooking the lake.
Great fishing, swimming and year round
sporting activities. $139,900 #308591
Carol Steiger, Associate Broker
www.greenstonefcs.com
(231) 627-9991 Office
(989) 351-0110 Cell
email: carol.steiger@remax.net
846 S. Main, Cheboygan, MI
www.liveupnorth.com
North
112 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
 Doug Leitch Office: 231-652-7000
&
Doug: 231-250-8200
Blake Ver Woert Blake: 616-308-3122
Hunting Land Specialists
WE WANT YOUR LISTINGS !!
537+/- 359+/- ACRES,
ACRES, TUSCOLA &
JACKSON GENESEE
COUNTY COUNTIES
Excellent Duck, Deer & Turkey 30 Acre Private Lake, 3,400
sq ft Custom Lodge,
$
1,750,000
Hunting. Area of Other Large
Property Owners. Man Cave 70x70 Pole Barn, 60x120
w/Game Cleaning Station Pole Barn, 2 Rental
$
1,074,000 Houses, 26 Ladder Stands,
5 Elevated Box Blinds
LD LD
SO SO

Alcona County, 240 Acres,
House, Barns, Pond, Stream, Food Plots
$499,000
Alpena County, 316+/- Acres, Good Trails
Lodge sleeps 10, Professionally Managed Forest
$439,000
Antrim County, 52+/- Acres Arenac Co, 167+/- Acres,
Rolling Hardwoods, Pole Barn 3,500+/- ft Lake Huron,
6 Bedroom Lodge, Guest Cabin,
with Living Quarters, Excellent Hunting
Great Duck & Deer Hunting
$129,000 $599,000
Calhoun County, 67+/- Acres
Calhoun Co, 61 Acres 300 ft. All Sports Prairie Lake,
2,500 ft. St. Joseph River, Excellent Hunting 1/2 Tillable, 1/2 Wooded
$129,000 $275,000

L D L D I NG
SO SO END
P

Calhoun Co, 86+/- Acres
750 ft. Frontage on Prairie Lake,
Big Buck Hunting, Outbuildings
$349,000
Iosco County, 783+/- Acres, Jackson County, 105+/- Acres Jackson County, 120 Acres Midland County, 80 Acres
1 Mile Frontage Tawas Lake, Kunze WRP Program, Mature Hard- Newaygo County,
Mixed Hardwoods, Good Trail 12 Miles to Mount Pleasant, 5+/- Acres Frontage
River Crosses Property, 5 Bedroom Log woods, Great Deer, Turkey &
Lodge, 3 Miles from East Tawas Waterfowl Hunting System, Big Buck Country Excellent Hunting on White River
$1,250,000 $211,000 $360,000 $176,000 $28,000

L D I NG
SO END
P

Newaygo County, 40 Acres Newaygo Co, 45+/- Acres Newaygo Co, 55+/- Acres
Newaygo Co, 25+/- Acres Newaygo County, 30 Acres, 2 Bedroom, 5 Ac Private Lake, Nice 25 Ac Private Lake, Excellent Newaygo County, 60 Acres
32x48 Pole Barn with Water &
7 Ac Private Lake, County 1 1/2 Bath Mobile Home, 24x28 Pole Electric, 20 Ac Old Apple Orchard, Pond, Trail System, Tillable Waterfowl & Deer Hunting, QDM, Trophy Bucks
Road Frontage, Pond Barn, Adjacent to National Forest 20 Ac Hardwoods, Great Hunting Land, Excellent Hunting Good Trails Harvested, Great Parcel
$75,000 $99,000 $199,000 $135,000 $165,000 $90,000
G
DIN LD
PE
N SO

Saginaw County, 460+/- Acres,

Newaygo County, 80 Acres
Rolling Hardwoods, Great
Hunting, 2 Bedroom Mobile
$150,000
Newaygo County, 125 Acres, Three
spring fed lakes, Excellent Deer,
Turkey and Waterfowl hunting
$375,000
Newaygo County, 240 Acres,
Adjacent to State Land, Good Trail System
Food Plots, High Deer Population
$384,000
Osceola County, 167 Acres
Nice Cabin, Good Trail
System, Excellent Hunting
$389,000
8 bedroom Log Lodge, 40x114
Presque Isle County, 80 Ac Pole Barn, Care Taker Residence
Creek Frontage, 24x24 Garage,
with Barn, High Fence
Excellent Hunting Deer Ranch, 275 Quality Deer
$90,000 $2,900,000

www. WildLifeRealty.com
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 113
 Recreation, Investment, Income!
Seller is relocating, these properties priced for quick sale!

MORE LIKE A RESORT THAN A HOME! CHEYBOYGAN RIVER HOME

IN NAUBINWAY, MICHIGAN 2 1/2 +/- ACRES - OVER 300' WATER FRONTAGE
Beautifully crafted log home on the Black River. This unique 3 br., 2.5 ba.
"Grand Lodge" offers quality/structural construction from the steel deck to Beautiful Log Home - ap-
the custom woodwork and unique trim work throughout. Features include a
double-sided field stone fireplace, open living area, geothermal heating/cool- prox. 5000 sq. ft., attached 2
ing, hot tub, 2 steam showers, granite, heated tile, vaulted ceilings and plenty
of glass to view nature and the river below. Great hunting and snowmobiling car garage, decks on 3 levels
area. 35 minutes to St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge and 1/4 mile to Lake
Michigan. The Black River is a desig-
overlooking the river plus a
nated year around Trout Stream. The guest house with additional 2
owner says "The steelhead run starts
in April and I have personally caught car garage - BLACKTOP CIR-
12" to 14" brook trout, right out the
front door!" Well over $1 million spent CLE DRIVE. Boat dock, just
on this house. Since the purchase of
this house it has been completely
minutes to Mullett Lake by
stained and sealed with Sikens. It has
CALL TODAY! water. The inland waterway
a one car garage and 42' x 46' cement
slab in place to add pole barn. 941-915-4141 that takes you into Burt Lake
and also to Crooked Lake. 4

$349,000
*Priced way under market value, must be seen to fully appreciate!
bedrooms, 3 baths, finished
basement, 2 fireplaces, wet
bar workout room.

MOVE
JB'S BEST CARDINAL CAR WASH IN
READY!
in Lewiston, Michigan CALL TODAY! 941-915-4141

$525,000
on Approx 1.5 Acres, High Demand Business,
Modern Touchless Automatic Wash,
with 3 Self Serve Bays, Complete Renovation
Just Finished, GREAT INCOME POTENTIAL!
CALL TODAY! 941-915-4141

$499,000
*Additional 4 acres adjoining also available - priced seperately that would be great for a mini-storage.

CALL 941-915-4141
114 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
 Recreational Property Leaders 10 Acres Wooded &
List and Buy with the Experts Rolling
Near Manistee National

www.TrophyClassRealEstate.com
Forest. Close to trails to hike &
snowmobile, short to Diamond
Lake and a county park with

877-843-0910 beach area/camping. Clear a

spot for your camper or build
that cabin.
NEWAYGO COUNTY
$24,900

Lake Miramichi Lot

Private All Sports
60 Acres, Updated Farm Share 115 of frontage,
House on Creek active association with many
Adj. to Manistee National amenities. Lake is 210 Acres
Forest, 6 bed/3 baths, finished and approx. 85 ft deep.
basement, guest quarters, Summer will be here before
28x32 pole bldg., horse barn. you know it!
Gorgeous setting and fabulous
home! Hunt, fish, work the land! OSCEOLA COUNTY
$12,500
OCEANA COUNTY
$349,900

20 Acres available 20 Acres on Tainer 35 Acres to Farm, Hunt

in Village Of Sparta Lake, 3 Homes & Raise Livestock
Great investment with Bring your ideas for the 1550 Close to town yet just
201 Improved status. R4 feet of lake frontage, homes far enough away to enjoy
fronting Sparta Ave and R3 800sf to 1440sf. Property country living. Corner
in the woods, meadows abuts Manistee National property with paved roads.
and meandering creek, AG Forest and is mile from This property is currently
nearby, several storage Manistee National Golf course. farmed and level. Possible
buildings. Bldgs need some TLC. Land Contract.
KENT COUNTY MASON COUNTY NEWAYGO COUNTY
$399,000 $275,000 $93,900

Million Dollar View 30 Acre Estate, View 173 wooded Acres on

of Lake Michigan! of Lake Michigan Drummond Island with
Hear the waves on this Near Arcadia Dunes, Mott over 3000 of waterfront
heavily wooded private Nature Preserve, adjoins on Whitney Bay
lot 100x292. Short walk to Grand Traverse Regional Land Deep channel to allow
beach access, tennis courts Conservancy. Immaculate for most boats to travel
on site, association road is home, 4 bed/4.5 bath, great to Lake Huron. Older
paved subject to covenants room, w/o lower level, gas farm house with updates,
of the Sable Point Plat. fireplace, wet bar, pole barn. trails, paved road access.
OCEANA COUNTY MANISTEE COUNTY CHIPPEWA COUNTY
$89,900 $350,000 $499,000

13 Acres - Pere 70 Acres with Pristine 102 Acres with Trout

Marquette River A- Frame Cabin Creek Frontage
700 on PM, just upstream Excellent hunting history, Former tree farm, zoned
from the M-37 Boat launch mix of hardwoods & AG, 35 + acres of wooded
at the start of the Flies Only pines, open areas, grounds hold deer &
Section . Prime hunting and wetlands. 3 bed/1 small game. Mobile on
fishing property. Currently bath cabin/home can property that brings rental
zoned commercial. service you all year long! income if you choose.
(Buildings have no value) Private setting! Very versatile property.
LAKE COUNTY OSCEOLA COUNTY KALKASKA COUNTY
$149,000 $169,900 $149,900

113 Acres with Home & 19 Acres 80 Acres, Creek &

Rustic Ridge Hunt Club High Producing Stylish Home
Pristine 4 bed/4 bath Blueberry Property Well managed acreage,
3600sf home, log club 28x38 building provides dry trails, food plots, public land
house, pond, fields, storage. Freshwater well, across road, wood boiler,
woods, 24x48 & 24x96 pond, diesel water pump, 40x80 pole barn, 5-stall
pole barns. Established overhead irrigation, local garage, 3 bed/2 bath ranch
upland bird hunting club management available. and wildlife in all directions!
with repeat customers. Land Contract possible. Come on Home!!
ALLEGAN COUNTY VAN BUREN COUNTY OSCODA COUNTY
$969,000 $159,000 $299,900

GRAND HAVEN TRAVERSE CITY

233 WASHINGTON, SUITE 202 4249 US 31 S
GRAND HAVEN, MI 49417 TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685
(877) 843-0910 (231) 233-3575
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 115
 BUYING OR SELLING? Amazing Family, Deer Hunting &
You cant make a better choice than us! Snowmobiling Retreat on 80 Acres
www.stoneycreekoutdoors.com
Eaton County Eaton County-100 Acres
465+/- Acres with custom built log home
This is one of those properties that There are irregular shaped
doesnt come along very often. fields for food plots. All this
How would you like to own 465
acres of deer hunting paradise!! $2,500,000 make for a pretty nice set up
for all types of hunting. $550,000
Clare County-Hunting Camp-90+/- Acres Eaton County-34.45 acres with Cape Cod home
Approx. 1 Mile of Muskegon River frontage- This is a very affordable homestead that allows you to farm yourself or rent out
1 cabins and 2 mobile homes! Here is a very to a local farmer. Approximately 30 tillable acres would bring a nice income.
rare opportunity to buy a turn key hunting camp Homeowner says there are deer in the hay fields all the time, although there
in northern Michigan! Situated just off
M115 northwest of Clare in Clare County. $244,000
are no wood lots to hunt, there are some
fence row stand locations to hunt from. $279,000 MASON COUNTY
MORE AVAILABLE PROPERTIES ON OUR WEBSITE! All Wooded with 3BD/2BTH Cabin, 10ft. Basement, Poured and

616-437-7176
Concrete Overhead Door with
Brokered By:
Stoney Creek
Outdoor Properties, LLC WEICHERT, REALTORS
St. Johns, MI 48879
Property Mart Southgate Plaza
800 S. BR 127
Walkout. Sheridan Township.
Cell: (517) 819-6344 St. Johns, Michigan 48879-1649 Asking $289,000

1790 ACRES ALPENA & PRESQUE ISLE COUNTIES Piece of Heaven, 30 gorgeous acres, so pictur-
Available in two separate parcels.
estic and lovely, This ranch home has so many
features that brings the outdoors to you. Wrap
around deck sits atop a large stocked pond, Deer
enjoy this property as much as you will. The pic-
tures do not do this home justice! Call me today
for your personal showing. You wont be disap-
pointed! Keys at closing, Hunting property for
this year if you hurry!!!
123-17-0056
CLOSE TO M-32 & M-65 WELL STOCKED FOREST EXCELLENT WILDLIFE HABITAT
UPLAND BIRDS FOUND THROUGHOUT THIS WELL MANAGED HUNTING GROUND.

MORE INFORMATION CONTACT HURON CONSULTING Osentoski Lola Flores

T JACQUES 989-329-8079 BROKER/
FORESTER ON WEB AT HHPROPERTIES.US/ Realty lolasellshomes@yahoo.com
989-551-3577

Heritage Exclusive Marketing Agents for Northeast

House Michigan Properties
RealtyPC Located in the Heart of the Huron National Forest, on the
Personalized Service is the Difference
Shores of Lake Huron and the banks of the AuSable River

4497 S US-23, Greenbush 217 Acre Hunters Dream 1739 E Mill St, Harrisville
Waterfront Resort with 300 1400 sf 3 br 2 ba with Pine 1300 sf, 3 bed, 1 bath on just
feet on Lake Huron, 24 River flowing through the over 1.5 acres with partial
rental units and 2000+ sf, 4 property. Enjoy sitting on basement. Located close to
bed, 2 bath Owners - the deck watching all the town but retains that
Managers Home included. different wildlife REDUCED secluded feeling. Move in
$1,250,000 For More $298,000 - For More Ready $69,900
Information Text R408888 Information Text R155061 For More Information Text
to 52187 to 52187 R491186 to 52187

4665 Healy Rd, Glennie 4801 E Trask Lk Rd 6806 Pine Tree Dr, Glennie
1400 sf, 3 bedroom, 2 bath 2400 sf, 4 bed, 3 bath with 2 This one acre parcel located
Manufactured Home on 10 car attached garage on 10 in Sunny Lake Ranch
acres with pole building. acres. Come enjoy the Up Subdivision offers private
This ideal location is perfect North feeling while still association access to Sunny
for the upcoming hunting being close to it all. Newly Lake as well as bordering
season. $79,900 Listed $164,900 Huron National Forest.
For More Information Text For More Information Text Perfect for planning that
R519634 to 52187 R524703 to 5217 upcoming hunting trip. NEW
$7,000

5684 Riverview Dr 1009 Zimowske Rd, Mio 4797 E Trask Lake Rd

1800+ sf, 3 bed, 2.5 bath 1500+ sf, 3 bed, 1.5 bath 1400 sf, 3 bed, 2 bath with
with deeded access to with detached garage and large deck overlooking 30
Foote Pond. Move in ready barn on 25 acres. Come acres. Move in ready home
home with 2 car attached see what living up north is with all appliances included.
garage. Must see to all about on your new Extra family room just
appreciate all this home has covered porch or covered needs finish to add to living
to offer. $159,800 For More deck with this Move in area. Newly Listed
Information Text R435893 Ready Gem. $182,900
to 52187 NEW $149,000

5157 Lake Dr, Glennie 480 acres on Mitchell Trail Hunting Camp, Hillman
1400 sf, 3 bed, 2 bath Perfect investment for any 1700 sf, 4 bed, 2 bath with
manufactured home with sportsman/woman. 2 private several other structures
Vaughn Lake Access. This lakes, borders federal land perfect the entire family
move in ready home is in on all sides plus it has two hunting trips. Just over 9
quiet neighborhood perfect cottages on site with acres with Millers Creek
for spending a day on the electric. Hunting and fishing running through. Will need
water. $57,900 was never easier than here. some TLC, being sold AS-
For More Information Test $1,300,000 IS REDUCED $58,000
R155064 to 52187

Call 800-650-5566 - Glennie or 800-982-0102 - Harrisville - www.HeritageHouseRealty.com

116 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
 WEST BRANCH HALE WEST BRANCH
R S ALE R S ALE
M-33/M-55 OFFICE F O OFFICE F O LOOP OFFICE
1953 S. M-33 3160 North M-65 2575 S. I-75 Business Loop,
West Branch, MI 48661 Hale, MI48739 West Branch, MI 48661
10 miles north of I-75 exit 202 Gateway to Huron National Forest 1 mile north of I-75 Exit 212

Local: 989-345-2662 Local: 989-728-2540 Local: 989-345-0315

Toll Free: 800-535-6520 www.CAHANES.com Toll Free: 800-495-2540 www.CAHANES.com Toll Free: 866-345-0315

HUNTING ACREAGE

GREAT HUNTING PARCEL!! 15 WOODED ACRES & 53 M/L ACRES!! SECLUDED HUNTING CABIN!! FANTASTIC HUNTING W/
10 wooded acres with trails, some lowlands, FRONTAGE ON STYLUS LAKE!! This heavily wooded property is a perfect Located on seasonal road, this 2 bedroom VIEW OF LOON LAKE!!
a variety of wildlife & lots of mature trees, Nice parcel of land for hunting with a great place to make your hunt camp w/ a variety home is neslted on 18 wooded acres w/ 45 heavily wooded acres w/ mature trees, a
including hardwoods & pines. On county variety of wildlife in the area! Beautiful rolling of mature trees & lots of wildlife in the area, State Land adjacent to property for great variety of wildlife in the area, trails thru-out,
maintained road for added convenience!! property and heavily wooded!! including deer & turkey. Survey on file. hunting!! driveway & 4 hunting blinds!!
$26,500 M791955R $32,000 1828108 $97,000 1804978 $64,900 1805656 $119,900 1818920

22.8 ACRES!!
Beautiful wooded acreage on paved road. Poten-
tial site for building you new home or getaway w/
electric at road or fantastic hunting acreage w/
lots of mature trees & wildlife in the area!!
$39,900 1824632
BEAUTIFUL ROLLING ACREAGE!!
36.89 wooded acres. Excellent spot for your
hunt camp w/ electric available, hunting
blinds, trails, outhouse & a 29 ft. Wildwood
camper included in selling price!!
$115,000
HUNTERS PARADISE!! 70+ ACRES!! 10 BEAUTIFUL ACRES with trails,
80 acres w/ great mix of mature trees, rolling Fantastic hunting, lots of wildlife in the area with lots of wildlife for hunting. 28 camper, 2 storage
terrain, variety of wildlife, hunting blinds, trails, 1200sf ranch-style home. There is a 30x40 pole barn/ sheds, including one large enough for bunk beds
blacktop road & artesian fed pond. All of this garage and a pond. Move-in ready for year round included in sale, generator, well, septic field, fire
BACKING UP TO STATE LAND!! or hunting camp w/most furnishings and LC terms!! pit and much more! Excellent spot for the hunter!!
1828040 $219,000 1829958 $249,900 1816928 $47,900 1833846

NICELY WOODED 10 ACRES!! YEAR ROUND HOME ON 30 ACRES!! ULTIMATE HUNT CAMP!! FANTASTIC HUNTING PROPERTY!! STATE LAND JUST ACROSS THE ROAD!!
Beautiful rooling property w/ lots of wildlife 4-bdrm, full walkout basement, a variety of wildlife 65.5 wooded acres w/ trails thru-out, electric, well, septic 80 beautiful acres for fantastic hunt camp w/ mature trees & lots of 3-bdrm home on full walkout basement on 13 BEAU-
in the area & Wilkens Creek running thru in the area, garage, deck, porch, beautiful views and lits of mature tress, including hardwoods. There is wildlife in the area, including deer, turkey & bear and LaPort Creek TIFUL AND WOODED ACRES, with lots of wildlife
rear of property. Nice mix of mature trees and a pond!! Well-maintained home can be your also a 2-story garage w/ electric, cement floor & finished running thru prop. Acreage has never been timbered! Hurry, hunting the area, garage and large 40x64 wired pole building
& great spot!! residence while you hunt the 30 wooded acres!! upstairs that you could use as your sleeping quarters!! season will be here soon! Great area, not far from town & secluded!! and great place to hunt or for the nature lover!!
$28,000 1834161 $174,900 1826749 $129,900 1834798 $149,900 1835747 $169,900 1837809

WATERFRONT AND WATER ACCESS HOMES

LAKEFRONT HOME ALL SPORTS FOREST LAKE!! A NICE OF VIEW OF RIFLE LAKE!! 80 FEET ON BEAUTIFUL RIFLE RIVER NORTH DEASE LAKE!!
BORDERS STATE LAND!! Nice 2-bdrm, full walkout bsmt, 178 sandy front- 3-bdrm, 2 full bath home, newer drywall, floor- and over an acre of property. 2 bdrm home, FP, lots Cozy home with frnt on all sports lake is mostly furnished
3-bdrm, built in 2007, open floor, basement, knotty age on private lake, open floor plan, rear deck, ing, counter tops and backsplash, updated bath- of windows with fantastic views, formal dining, and has laminatefloors, loft area, 2 sheds, full walkout
pine, cathedral ceilings, covered deck, AC & 64 feet appliances, a bath on each floor, AC, skylights, room, bonus room in garage w/FP, sunroom, some furnishings, attached garage w/wood stove unfinished basement, main floor laundry & more. Large
on tranquil Helmer Lake!! attached garage & much more!! possible 4th bedroom, fenced yard & more!! heat, screened porch, large deck & more!! deck overlooking lake has beautiful views of lake!!
$149,000 1833744 $160,000 1811285 $119,000 1838970 $139,900 1831481 $166,000 1837086

1.5 PARTLY WOODED ACRES
with trails leading to Silver Creek running thru back
of property!! Nice 2 bedroom home and 24x30 at-
tached garage with 14x20 lean to for storage. Great
year round or perfect getaway. Motivated Seller!!
$39,900 1833833
SPECTACULAR VIEWS!!
3-bdrm on 2 lots & 100 feet of sandy frnt
on all sports Loon Lake. Covered deck,
fantastic views, garage w/elec and more!!
$179,900
THIS GETAWAYCOTTAGE IS NEAR IT ALL!!
OVER AN ACRE & cozy 2-br, FP, knotty
pine, newer turn & well pump, storage shed,
deck & pond. Near State lands, popular all
sports Clear Lk & you can walk to Elni Lake!!
1818975 $49,900
2 BEDROOM COTTAGE with access
to all sports 186 acre GEORGE LAKE! Sun-
room, loft area for your guests to sleep and ga-
rage & shed for storage. Needs some TLC and
fixing up but would make an excellent getaway!!
1827648 $38,000
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS GALORE!!
153 of waterfront on all sports LAKE OGEMAW w/
lake views from front & rear! 3 bdrm, AC, open floor
plan, full walkout bsmt, 4 car garage w/elec, roadside
carport, deck, lakeside patio, lakeside porch & more!!
1833419 $269,900 1834261

ACROSS FROM LAKE!!
Cute 2-bdrm across from no wake Frost Lake w/garage &
shed. Mostly furnished & excellent views. Subd amenities
include nice common areas and a community boat dock!
Cozy year residence or excellent getaway or weekend home!
$79,000 1820195
LAKE OGEMAW!!
4-bdrm, 3 ba home with 86 of frontage on all sports 420 acre
lake. Move-in ready with wood floors, appliances, central air,
family room, living area with fireplace, open dining and kitchen
combo, paved driveway, covered porch & fantastic views!!
$279,900 1833767
VIEWS OF WEST LONDO LAKE!!
Cozy one bedroom home with deeded access to all
sports 190 acre lake. Sunroom, wood floors, newer
well, newer roof, newer siding on heated garage,
two nice lots, and back deck & boat dock!!
$65,000 1818008
PRIVATE LAKE ACCESS ON 21.9 ACRES!!
Beautiful custom built 4-bdrm, 2.5 baths, FP,
newer windows, AC, master suite, knotty pine,
loft, family room and full basement. Outside there
is a nice garage, a deck and fantastic views!!
$299,000
SOOTHING MULESHOE LAKE!!
Quaint 2 bedroom home on no motor 8.8 acre
lake. Some appliances & furnishings are included
in selling price and the home has been freshly
painted. Shed for storage & nice deck with views!!
1833576 $60,000 1798881

FOR MORE LISTINGS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.CAHANES.COM
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 117

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TODAY!
statewiderealestate.net
Houghton
Marquette
Iron Mountain Manistique
Gladstone
Escanaba
Powers
Menominee
Marinette
Contact Your Nearest State Wide Real
Estate Office To Buy or Sell In Michigan
ALPENA
1100 W. Chisholm, 49707
email: alpswre@speednetllc.com
989-356-2142 Fax: 989-356-2144
ALMONT
844 Van Dyke Road
lafrancesharon@yahoo.com
810-798-8591 Fax: 810-798-8079
CURTIS/NEWBERRY
Main Street, P.O. Box 305, 49820
email: swcurtis@sbcglobal.net
906-586-9606 Fax: 906-586-9607
ESCANABA
2209 Ludington Street, 49829
email: escanaba@statewiderealestate.net
906-786-1308 800-900-0777
Fax: 906-786-1388
GLADSTONE
1401 Delta Ave.,
Gladstone, MI 49837
906-825-9000
email: judy@statewiderealestate.net
HARRISVILLE
430 S. US-23, 48740
email: sold@anjstatewide.com
989-724-5711 800-655-5735
Fax: 989-724-6833
HAWKS
8383 Hwy. 451, 49743
email: rita8383@yahoo.com
989-734-4846
118 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Offices Serving Lower &
Upper Michigan
Bringing people and places together since 1945
Newberry
Curtis
Linden
HILLMAN
14938 State Street, P.O. Box 98, 49746
email: statewidehillman@yahoo.com
989-742-4523 800-228-7856
Fax: 989-742-3931
HOUGHTON
500 Shelden Ave., 49931
email: dick@statewideofhoughton.com
906-482-6955 800-676-6323
Fax: 906-482-7699
HOWELL/LINDEN
1285 S. Michigan Ave., Howell, MI 48843
email: statewid@earthlink.net
517-546-9060 800-531-4449
Fax: 517-546-9148
IRON MOUNTAIN
231 East A. St.
Iron Mountain, MI 49807
906-828-2525
Fax: 906-828-2727
email: steve@multistatewide.com
MANISTIQUE
10 N. State Highway M-149
Cooks, MI 49817
906-644-2304
email: dekeysermary@yahoo.com
MARINETTE, WISCONSIN
1460 Marinette Ave., 54143
email: statewidemarinette@yahoo.com
715-735-9964 Fax: 715-732-1107
Onaway
Hawks
Hillman
Alpena
Atlanta
Mio Harrisville
Skidway Lake
Almont
Howell
MARQUETTE
FALL CLEARANCE! DISCOUNTED PRICES! FALL CLEARANCE!
856 W. Washington, 49855
ALL OFFERS WELCOME!!!
FALL CLEARANCE! DISCOUNTED PRICES! FALL CLEARANCE! DISCOUNTED PRICES! FALL CLEARANCE!
FALL CLEARANCE! DISCOUNTED PRICES! FALL CLEARANCE! DISCOUNTED PRICES! FALL CLEARANCE!
email: sw@statewiderealestate.org 160 ACRES: Tower road property. Well
906-228-9312 Fax: 906-228-8069 CANADIAN WATERFRONT AND Treed, hunting and recreation property.
RECREATIONAL PROPERTY. Rolling Hills w/$30K in timber, beaver pond
MENOMINEE CLOSE TO SAULT STE. MARIE, surrounded by Government land. Two miles
MICHIGAN BORDER off year-round maintained road. 25 mins
3631 10th Street, 49858
*LAND CONTRACTS East of Sault, Ontario. $74,900 US.
email: statewideone@newbc.rr.com
906-863-9905 AVAILABLE O.A.C.* MACDONALD PROPERTY: 759 acres with
Fax: 906-863-7935 hunting camp, 25 miles east of Sault St.
BEAR DUCK Marie Ontario, property is gated, isolated and
GOOSE & SMALL GAME
MIO
wooded, with a four bedroom, two-story pole
102 West 8th St., P.O. Box 395, 48647
NOW OPEN barn. 20-acre lake and 2 streams. Great
email: info@statewidemio.com MOOSE & WHITETAIL
Bear Hunting! Two Deer plots! Five deeds, no
989-826-3292
guide required, underpriced at $259,900 US.
SEASON NOW OPEN Terms available, excellent buy!
Fax: 989-826-2108 OTHER PROPERTIES AVAILABLE! One-10 ACRE SAND BEACH LOT (this lot
TROPHY DEER & BEAR AREA has it all): 60 miles east of Sault Ste. Marie.
ONAWAY WITH GREAT FISHING!!! 300 frontage on Bright Lake near Hwy 17
M-33 & M-68, NO GUIDE OR East (lake area approx.. 24 sq. miles), year-
P.O. Box 478, 49765 OUTFITTER REQUIRED! round access with power to property. Inland
lake has Perch, Bass, Walleye and Northern
email: bigdan@frontier.com Don't Be Shy, Make An Offer.
Pike. Priced to sell at $119,900 US.
989-733-6522 LOOKING FOR OFFERS!!!
Fax: 989-733-2427 160 ACRES HARDWOOD & SOFTWOOD: EXCLUSIVE LAKE HURON WATERFRONT &
Large beaver pond. Only 2 miles off year- WATER-VIEW ESTATE LOTS LOCATED IN
round maintained road. 35 minutes East of THESSALON, ONTARIO 50 MILES EAST OF
POWERS Sault, Ontario. $54,900 US. SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO ON HIGHWAY
W3776 US2 & 41, 49874 400 ACRES OF ROLLING HARD-AND 17 EAST: Lighthouse Point serviced with
906-497-4190 SOFTWOOD HILLS: Large beaver pond and hydro, telephone, sewer, water, gas, cable on
Fax: 906-497-5328 creek runs thru property, next to above property paved street. Airport, marina and hospital in
area. No time limit for building. Waterfront lots
holly@statewiderealestate.net if more acreage is required. Property is great for
bear hunting, white tail and grouse. Four miles 100 478 frontage, waterview lots 80 front-
off year-round maintained road. $134,900 US. age. Prices from $11,900.00 US and up.
SKIDWAY LAKE
2228 Greenwood Rd., LAJAMBE OFFICE: (705) 248-9663 CELL: (705) 941-8355
FAX: (705) 248-1110
ENTERPRISESINC.
Prescott, 48756
email: atlas@m33access.com Frank Lajambe
989-873-3601 flajambe@lajambe.com
Fax: 989-873-6914 715 Finns Bay Road www.lajambe.com
Echo Bay, Ontario CAN POS 1C0 *Prices subject to change.
FALL CLEARANCE! DISCOUNTED PRICES! FALL CLEARANCE!
 SANILAC COUNTY RANDY MINTO OSCODA COUNTY
N EW Always Working Hard for You!
REDUCED $3
REALTOR
Direct:
0,000
40 ACRES 810.449.1286 20 ACRES
Gorgeous 3270 Sq Ft Ranch with loft. - OR - Amazing 3,900 Sq Ft, 1/2 Log Interior, Custom-Built.
Built 2011. 2 Pole Barns. Office:
Abuts 500+ Acres Federal Land. 5 Outbuildings & Pond.
*DV 810.653.4500
$419,000 $249,500 *DV
SPECIALIZING IN UNIQUE, LUXURY AND LARGE RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES
DEER & NATURE LOVERS DREAM PROPERTIES
* * LAPEER COUNTY *
D
V
257 ACRES ST. CLAIR COUNTY D 86 ACRES D
V
400 ACRES
V
LICENSED
PHEASANT
200 TILLABLE ACRES PRESERVE
Great farming, income producing. 1/2 mile on Fantastic Development Opportunity. CLARE COUNTY. Great Hunting Lodge,
Belle River, multiple Outbuildings, 2 Ponds. 30 2-Acre Lots. 14 Blinds, 6 Food Plots.
$1,250,000 $550,000 $598,000
* LICENSED DEER RANCH
D
V
*
D
V
AMAZING APPLEGATE HUNTING DV* E W COMMERCIAL
PRESERVE! $1,250,000 N PROPERTIES
34 ACRES 80-100 DEER
20-25 TROPHY BUCKS
GENESEE COUNTY
Woodland Deer Ranch in Davison. 6-car garage, pond, 5 blinds,
5 Parcels, $85,000-$395,000,
3 lg feeders, Lg polebarn. 4BD, 3BA, walkout & up basement. 1 Acre-18.75 Acres, Davison Twp.
$849,900 APPROX. 200 DEER APPROX. 100 ELK Prime Location! Commerce Park of Davison
* *
D 128 ACRES GENESEE COUNTY D SANILAC COUNTY 80 ACRES
V 25 ACRES V

SOLD SANILAC COUNTY 186 ACRES

COMMERCIAL Gorgeous Lodge, Great for
Genesee County. 3 Ponds, Deer Hunters Dream Property, Private &
65% Wooded. A Rare Gem! Great Building Site Entertaining Groups. 2,000 Sq Ft Secluded, 2-streams. mile from Lake Huron.
$599,900 $239,000 Ranch. Several Outbuildings. $275,000
*
D * 160 ACRES
D GENESEE COUNTY *
D
V
N EW COMMERCIAL V 26 ACRES V
PROPERTIES
Great Visibility from I-69 & Belsay Rd.
SOLD
Midland County, 56 ACRES
6 Parcels, 1.6 Acres - 12.3 Acres. 2-Story Log Cabin. Great Building Site Genesee County, Shiawassee Lake.
Genesee County. $135,000 - $495,000. $269,900 $119,900 $395,000

*
D CHIPPEWA COUNTY * 3 ACRES
D 10 ACRES *
D 50 ACRES *
D
V
E D UCE D V V NEW V
R
210 ACRES PR ICE GENESEE COUNTY
COMMERCIAL
OAKLAND
COUNTY
SOLD Commercial
Cozy Log Cabin, Outbuildings, 1/4 mile on GENESEE COUNTY $350,000
St. Marys River, Beach Front, Secluded. Great Building Site Great Building Site * Shiawassee River
D Davison Twp
$199,999 $249,000 $115,000 V $395,000 10 Acres

* 7+ ACRES *
D * 79 ACRES
D D 72 ACRES GREAT D
V SOL V
N EW V
BUILDING SITES
COMMERCIAL LAPEER COUNTY
LAPEER COUNTY GENESEE COUNTY
5 Parcels, $145,000 - $595,000 Amazing Home Over 5,200 sq ft of Living
Gorgeous Home on Excellent Visibility Space & Outdoor Entertainment. Gorgeous
72 Acres. from I-69 Commercial, 1 Acre - 2.6 Acres property, 8 ponds. Very Private and Secluded.
$895,000 $195,000 In the Davison Athletic & Country Club Complex $1,265,000

DRONE
*DV VIDEO GO TO: MIDREAMPROPERTIES.com
OR CALL 810-449-1286
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 119
 2303 South Nine Mile Road
Breckenridge, MI 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
1,625 Square Feet MLS #1809999
188.5 Acre Christmas Tree Farm 3,200 Sq Ft Barn
Prime Whitetail Hunting More than 50,000 Trees
Updated Appliances, Roof and Windows!
Species
Scotch Pine Southeastern White Pine Michigan White Spruce
Norway Spruce Black Hills Spruce Colorado Spruce
Canaan Fir Douglas Fir ConColor Fir Fraser Fir
Call Jim or Auric at 989-773-5972
Coldwell Banker Mt. Pleasant Realty
REALTY & ASSOC.
40 acres 2 bedroom/2-bath older mobile
home in Gladwin County
Great hunting camp or make it your private
get a way.
Hunting Blind, Pond, Trails, well & septic
and is only 2.5 miles from the city of Gladwin.
Gladwin County $91,900
145 acres of wooded bliss, many miles of
groomed trails, food plots, low lands, about
a dozen blinds. Rich in game and has
produced multiple bucks each year
Cabin built in the 1800s as a lumber
camp and remodeled with the perfect UP
NORTH feeling
2 bedrooms, nice living room with a wood
stove plus a very functional kitchen
Odorless outhouse complete with electric
light and exhaust fan. Even kids wont mind using this one! There is a 16x12
shed, great fire pit, covered patio and loading ramp ATVs
Most furnishings included, Move-in ready! Must See! Call today.
Clare County $349,000
40 Wooded acres with 700+ ft on the
Cedar River
1400 sq.ft. home w/attached 2 car garage
12x16 & 24x24 pole barns, 12x20 horse barn
12x24 Guest cabin w/6 screened porch
Fruit trees, large stand of Cedars, deer, bear,
turkeys, you name it.
Clare County $134,900
Real Estate One Gladwin
1005 N. State St.
Gladwin, MI 48624
989-426-6561
MT. PLEASANT
relgladwin@gmail.com

WOODED 2 ACRES 10 ACRES ADJOINS STATE 1+ ACRES W/2 SHEDS 5+ ACRES 18 ACRES ADJOINS FEDERAL
3 BD, 1 BA Mobile 3 BD, 1 BA Cabin 2 BD, 1 BA 3 BD, 1 BA Home 2 BD, 1 BA Mobile
MLS 17021101 $39,900 MLS 17048702 $51,900 MLS 17025829 $49,900 MLS 17038673 $59,900 MLS 17047384 $44,900

1.4 WOODED ACRES 10 ACRES M/L 18 ACRES OFF US 10 40 ACRES 2+ WOODED ACRES
Federal Land Across Road Wooded Mixture Rails to Trails 3 Sides Federal Land Adjoins Federal Land
MLS 17047388 $14,900 MLS 17039069 $23,900 MLS 17045808 $26,900 MLS 16053411 $35,000 MLS 17037563 $13,900

Looking for Affordable Vacation Property?

LAND CONTRACTS ARE AVAILABLE
Call us today & get started on the path to owning
your own little piece of Northern Michigan!
120 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
 HUNTING LAND FOR SALE

BRANDON CROPSEY CHUCK KEEFER EDMUND NOGASKI JAKE EHLINGER JUSTIN OLK
Broker, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist
Michigan Central Michigan Northern Michigan Southeast Michigan West Central Michigan
(269) 816-3010 (989) 600-4112 (231) 330-4107 (517) 937-2118 (616) 648-6156
MICHAEL TURNER SHAD WOODRUFF SHAWN KELLEY TONY HANSEN
Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist
Eastern Michigan North Central Michigan Southeast Michigan Central Michigan
(248) 770-4898 (989) 330-4032 (586) 292-1812 (269) 420-9510
CONTACT AN AGENT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUYING AND
SELLING HUNTING, FARMLAND AND TIMBERLAND

whit e ta il pr opert ie s. com

Whitetail Properties Real Estate, LLC | dba Whitetail Properties | Nebraska & North Dakota DBA Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate LLC. | Lic. in IL, MO, IA, KS, KY, NE & OK - Dan Perez, Broker
| Lic. in AR, CO, GA, MN, ND, TN & WI - Jeff Evans, Broker | Lic. in OH & PA - Kirk Gilbert, Broker | Lic. in TX - Joey Bellington, Broker | Lic. in IN - John Boyken, Broker | Lic. in LA, MS & AL - Sybil
Stewart, Broker | Lic. in TN - Chris Wakefield, Broker | Lic. in TN - Bobby Powers, Broker | Lic. in AR - Johnny Ball, Broker | Lic. in SC - Rick Elliot, Broker | Lic. in NC - Rich Baugh, Broker
Lic. in MI - Brandon Cropsey, Broker - Broker Address: 410 E. Chicago Rd., PO Box 165 White Pigeon, MI 49099

WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 121

 THREE GREAT HUNTING OR
FISHING CAMPS FOR SALE
40 acres on Private Lake near Remus,
MI. Electricity, well, dock and nice deck
set up for camping. Great Bass fishing
and Deer hunting in Rifle zone. Multi-
ple food plot sites. Corn and Hay fields
to the north of the property. Neighbors
are QDMA members. $125,000
Cabin on 5 wooded Acres
near Sunrise Lake. East of
Leroy Michigan. Miles of trails
to ride or hike on state land.
Pike and Bass on Sunrise Lake.
$47,000
Lake lot on Crispell Lake, south of
Jackson, MI. Lender owned foreclo-
sure sale. Large lake lot with house to
tear down or salvage. A great place to
have a summer cottage or Home on
the lake. $67,000
Call or Text Rob Trowbridge
at 517-726-0221 For More Information
122 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
TARGET REAL ESTATE SPECIALIZES IN
WATERFRONT HOMES AND HUNTING PARCELS
WE REPRESENT BUYERS AND SELLERS
HARRISVILLE TAWAS CITY
Nice building site, 1.63 +/- acres bordered by the East Large executive 4 bdrm/4.5 bath home on 20 acres
Branch of the Pine River, a known trout stream. Power with outbuildings. Close to town and Tawas Bay.
at the paved road and beautiful countryside views.
MLS #1836849 REDUCED: $299,000
MLS #1836231 $19,900
WHITTEMORE-$18,000, 11.15 acre parcel just off county maintained and paved Keystone Road. Previously
farmed, this cleared parcel would be perfect for a small hobby farm or a couple of horses. Additional smaller parcels
available. MLS #1835859
OSCODA-$24,900, Square 10 acre parcel just outside Oscoda. Well and septic already in place from former cottage.
Mostly lowland hardwoods and some wet areas. Would make a great 12 man hunting spot. Lots of cover with deer sign
throughout. MLS #1832226
EAST TAWAS-$26,900, Potential building site on Tawas Lake with nice views and great fishing opportunities. The deep
50x241 lot has lots of mature Oak throughout. Located just minutes from East Tawas and Tawas Bay. MLS #1832928
GREENBUSH-$54,900, 45 acres of hunting land off the beaten path. This rolling parcel is heavily wooded with
hardwoods and evergreens. Call today. MLS #1799569
HARRISVILLE-$96,900, 17.16 acres with 2 bdrm/2 bath home and outbuildings. Needs updating but just received
a new roof, dormers, and porch. 1800 of frontage on the East Branch of the Pine River, a known trout stream. Panoramic
countryside views. MLS #1836400
OSCODA-$124,000, 227 of sandy frontage on Cedar Lake in St. Georges Point Sub. Build your dream home on this
.74 acre lot surrounded by upscale homes. MLS #1826558
WHITTEMORE-$195,000, 120 acre hunting parcel. Diverse terrain with red oak, white oak, and red pine. Numerous
areas for food plots. Deer, turkey, partridge and other game are plentiful. MLS #1778247
MORE PARCELS ARE AVAILABLE . . .
CALL TODAY FOR MORE DETAILS
866-496-4400
TARGET REAL
ESTATE COMPANY
701 W. Bay Street, East Tawas, MI 48730
Office (989)362-4400 Cell (989)370-2152
info@TargetRealEstate.com
www.TargetRealEstate.com
Hunting/Farm/Ranch/Waterfront
FOR SALE
$364,500.00
40 Acre active Farm/Ranch on Fertile Land south of Cadillac. Well
maintained Log Home with a Four Car Garage, Pole Barn, Hay Barn
and Stable. A Private Hunting area Abundant with White Tail Deer
and Turkey as well as a well-stocked pond. Two Adjoining parcels
available:
20 Acres Cultivated Hay Field and 63 Acres Hardwoods with Trails
Abundant White Tail Deer and Turkey, stocked Pond
MLS # 451541

$985,500.00
500 of Sugar Sand Lake Michigan Frontage in Naubinway
on 20 acres with a Beautiful, Professionally Designed Log
Home. Full Guest Quarters above a Two Car + Garage. A
Membership to the 58 Square Mile Hiawatha Hunt and Gun
Club with a buildable lot Included.
MLS # 451575

$1,495,000.00
985of Sugar Sand Beach located in Engadine on 22 acres. Well maintained,
Large 5,400 sq ft Lodge, in a very private setting. Property includes a Large
Pole Building that is multi- functional for equipment, vehicle, fuel storage
and large generator. Home will accommodate 12 plus, comfortably.
Abundant Black Bear, White Tail Deer and Turkey hunting throughout the
22 acres and property is adjacent to 100s of acres of State Land. Brook
Trout Stream runs through property. Very private location with fuel and
food storage capacity for three months and more.
MLS # 452811

$267,500.00
40 Acres of Quality Hunting Land just north of Petoskey. Property
features quality built 1,300 sq ft home along with a 32 x 60 Pole
Barn with concrete floor, water, heat and phone. A second Pole
Barn has gravel floor. Both Barns have metal roofs. Property fea-
tures three ponds and elevated Tree Blinds. Abundant White Tail
Deer and Turkey Hunting on Property as well as some Game Birds.
MLS # 452787

Hunting/Farm/Ranch/Waterfront
Kathleen M. Emig
231-330-2028
www.LandLeader/brokerage/cedarcreekrealty.com
WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 123
 17 Acres of Terrific Camp on 80 acres
Hunting property in that has two blinds
the UP. Land con- already in place
nects with 80 acres and a nice camp.
of state Land in the 350 gallon holding
Northeast corner. tank for cold and hot water, a full kitchen,
Cose to connection for phone, electricity. Many outhouse has a flushing toilet and heat,
different tree types and both high and low 10x10 shed cement floor for toys, a Buck
ground. This is perfect spot to set up camp or pole in place for the lucky hunter. $99,900
build your new home. $28,900
99 acres of land
Natures Paradise! with a camp, in
High quality newer Perkins. about
maintenance free half the acreage is
camp on 280 acres of beautiful northern
mostly high ground, hardwoods stand that is dominated by
11 food plots, camp sugar maple. This is enrolled in the quali-
is a two bedroom fied forest program. $124,900
one bath with a loft, catherdral ceilings, all
tongue and groove, exterior is vinyl, steel roof, Great Place to
generator is included, propane space heater, build your dream
also a 24x32 pole building, the cabin features home, 376 feet on
an open concept, the property has two miles Stoner Lake and
of trails and two sections border state land. 3 sits on 4.40 acres. It
elevated blinds and one ground blind. All furni- has been cleard and a septic and electric-
ture and appliances included. $299,900 ity is on the property. It also has a shed.
This is a recreational lake, it is about 25
Great hunting feet deep with bass, perch, pike, fishing.
camp on 100 acres, A piece of Heaven. $79,900
lots of wildlife, deer,
grouse, turkey, bear,
bobcat, weasel, Country Living 3
Bucks are taken bed 2 bath home
every year, Heavily wooded with spruce, and siting on 30 acres,
cedar, Boudreu creek running through it, older Nice open concept
trailer in good condition, 1,000 gallon septic, kitchen area, bed-
newer windows , roof and furnace, property rooms are all good size, main floor laun-
borders state land. $130,000 dry, nice yard, garage. $134,500

If your Hunting for

a good deal call me
Tammy Garling
at 906-280-1169

1 Bdrm, 1 bth cabin. 40 Acres off the grid. 3 Bdrm, 1 bth camp. 78 Acres adjoins State land. 1 Bdrm, 0 Bths, Camp. 125 Escanaba River. 42
Food plots, apple trees, and pond. Rapid River. Power on site. Two power ponds. Shed. Stonington. Plus Acres for hunting and recreation. Cornell.
$164,900 1103217 $95,000 1101570 $99,900 1101607

THOUSANDS OF 1 Bdrm, 1 bth, garage w/loft. 194 Ft on Little

Bay de Noc. Stonington.
1 Bdrm, 1 bth cottage. Gorgeous sand beach.
Swimming! Small cottage. Stonington.
1 Bth cottage on 273 of Beautiful Round Lake.
7.65 Acres adjoins State land. Wetmore.
ACRES AVAILABLE $109,000 1102049 $129,900 1102261 $239,000 1104144
FROM $5200 TO $526,200.
Escanaba
2209 Ludington Street
(906) 786-1308
1 Bdrm camp. 40 Acres. Nice high ground. 2 Bdrm, 0.25 bth Camp. 80 Acres, Wilson 2 Bdrm, 1 bth A-Frame. Lake front Chalet,
Great hunting. Well built. Perkins. Creek, well, power, trails, pristine. Powers. great fishing and boating. Manistique.
Powers $84,900 1101098 $125,000 1100747 $150,000 1101361
W3776 US 2 & 41
(906) 497-4190

Gladstone
1401 Delta Ave.
(906) 825-9000
1 Bdrm, 0.5 Bth cabin. Rustic log cabin on 40 1 Bdrm, 1 bth cozy cottage near Stevens
acres. Shower and Sauna house. Snowmobile/ Lake. Elec. Generator included. Deck. Cozy 1 bdrm camp on 4.2 acres. Electricity.
ATV trails. Hunting. Northland. Gar. Wetmore. Outbldgs. Furnishings included. Stonington
$72,000 1103001 $57,000 1102479 $41,000 1099277
124 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Good hunting and fishing! 14.3 acres near Pigeon River State Forest, sinkholes and inland lakes. Centrally
located for ATV riding, hunting and viewing deer and elk. Land contract available.
Sunny Cove $33,231 #257296
100 Hunting
Preserve
* Subdivision
East of canal Affordable 40 acres camp near Alpena. Trails throughout and camp has well,
septic and electric Terms $69,900 #309026
Acres,

Saginaw Bay
40 acres in Ocqueoc. Wooded with mature trees and small openings for building/
* camping or greenfields. Terms available. $70,000 #309034
Dyked & 59 acres with camp in quality deer management area in Cheboygan county. Ready to

Farm
hunt parcel with ground & raised blinds, fool plots and tree stands. $110,000 #303829
Isolated *
Dredge 54 acres near Hawks with established trails, green fields and wildlife pond.
Building/camping site by road, property sets back for privacy. Terms available.
$113,900 #309930
Wetland
200+ gated acres available for yearly lease. Planned boat docks with power and
offsite boat ramp. mile canal with 2 dredged channels to the Saginaw Bay, casino
STATE WIDE REAL Check out our web site for
additional properties of all types.

within 4 miles. Camp sites with power. Perfect for hunt clubs! References needed. ESTATE OF HAWKS www.statewideofhawks.com
EMAIL DJRMVP@GMAIL.COM BY APPOINTMENT ONLY OF HAWKS FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ONE OF OUR AGENTS: 989.734.4840

Ken Ames (231) 838 - 7909

Kidd & Leavy Real Estate
realestate@kenames.com

www.kiddleavy.com

3161 Shooks Road, Wolverine | $1,600,000

A 5 bedroom 4 bath Lodge and 330 acres sitting
Call 810-724-0254 on an elevated site with dramatic view to the East,
To Place Your South & North. Located 4 miles from I-75
Wolverine Exit, just 10 miles North of Gaylord.
Ad Today! Additional buildings include guest cottage off the
corner of Corey Lake and a 30'x50 Storage
Building. To the East lies a remote portion of State
Land. To the South Corey Lake and to the North
the Little Sturgeon River meanders well over a
half mile through woods and hills. Living and
Near family rooms have replaces.
Marlette
in Sanilac 121
County Acres
$
375,100
Will OR
consider $3,100 per acre
all
offers. 2199 E. Bailey Road, Comins | $1,795,000
Lodge on 158 acres has a private peaceful
feeling offering country-side views, trails,
gardens, ponds, and wildlife everywhere. The
grounds still have the original farmhouse and
barn as well as a very modern accessory
building with ofce space and garage. There
is something for every family member, from
sitting near the outdoor replace under the
massive covered porches, hunting, shooting or
hitting golf balls on the driving range. Mostly
furnished.

WNW NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 125

 DAN DAN LOG CABIN
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THEMATTRESSMAN.COM
WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC CHECK
US OUT
ON THE
WEB!

Queen Size Log Headboard $

7500
Queen Log Bed $19999
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189
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CALL ANYTIME (989)-832-1866

THEMATTRESSMAN.COM 802 ASHMAN ST., MIDLAND
126 NOVEMBER 2017 WNW NEWS
Fall Hunting Specials

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$
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Suzuki 115ELPT CT, Mud buddy 37EFI, Mercury 115 HP,
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201 Industrial Way, Fenton, MI 517-202-2949
or available at...
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Available at: Layaways Welcome
St. Clair Shores, MI 48082
Phone (586) 296-2360
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STORE HOURS:
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