MARCH 2016

$4.00

Woods-n-Water News
Michigans Premier Outdoor Publication

DNR Marks Progress...

PHEASANT RESTORATION

SPRING
WALLEYES

GO BOLD!

GRAYLING

Why They Failed

R3 Program; Recruit, Retain, Reactivate Fantastic Gobbler Forecast
Scout Now For Fall Deer - Part II An Apology For Ice Fishing
DNR Bear Numbers The Detroit River Wily Coyote Problems
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Canadians
Rusty
Heron, left,
and Erick
Hodgins,
right, stand
with Midwest Open
Ice Fishing
Tournament
organizer
Jim Knutson
following
their win.

By Tom Campbell...Field Notes

Share the outdoors

e are really excited about the

March issue with loads of information for your outdoors enjoyment. One story thats a must read is
Tom Hugglers Michigan Meanders on
page 8 in reference to a new program
to bring more people into our hunting
world called 3R, recruit, retain, and
reactivate. As Tom points out we
need to increase our numbers to keep
this synergy alive!
No better way to increase our
numbers than to recruit and our youth
is a great place to start, so I thought Id
share the following wonderful email
I received from reader Joe Gasperoni
from Harper Woods:
I felt compelled to send this in to
you after my son brought his writing assignment home from school.
My son Dylan chose a squirrel hunt
we had on state land in Roscommon
Co. as the topic for this assignment.
This was Dylans first time carrying a
hunting license, first time carrying a
weapon in the field and truth be told
he is an excellent shot. After reading
it I was curious and asked him if he
had other classmates who hunted. He
could not name anyone in his class, or
in the school, who talked about or had
stories about hunting. With the current
youth hunting opportunities available in Michigan I do hope that kids
of all ages become more interested in
hunting. If you have a place in your
publication for Dylans short story, I

feel that there may be kids out there

who will benefit knowing that other
kids do hunt, even if they dont see
their classmates doing so."
The Time I Almost Got a Squirrel
By Dylan Gasperoni, Age 8
Once I was walking down a long
dark path. My .22 atop my shoulder.
My dads atop his. The path wound
around trees. Soon it became dark.
We should head back now, I said.
Youre right, said my dad.
On the way back I saw movement.
It was black. Squirrel, I said. The
squirrel perked up its ears, looked up,
saw me, flicked its tail angrily, and ran
up the tree. We looked and looked, but
could not find him. We even shook
like five or six small trees. Then I
heard a branch snap. I saw the black
squirrel on a branch. I had a clear shot.
I took aimandandfired! And
missed, but I broke the branch.
I have been dreaming about that
squirrel ever since.
That is the story of when I almost
got a squirrel. The End
Joe added that Dylan has just
started a very long routine of Chemotherapy to treat a rare bone cancer that
was discovered as a tumor on his arm.
His current battle is our only focus
right now, but when he is able, we are
definitely heading back to that tree.
Good luck on your next hunt
DylanTake a kid and enjoy the outdoors, hunting, fishing, hiking!n

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

2016 Black Lake sturgeon season

MDNR officials announced the 2016

Black Lake sturgeon harvest season ended
after one hour Saturday, Feb. 6, with seven
fish being harvested. The fishing season,
which included spearing or hook-and-line
fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 6-10, or
until the harvest quota had been reached.
The allocation of sturgeon for Black Lake
anglers this year was seven fish, although
DNR officials set a quota of six fish.
There were 261 registered anglers on the
ice Saturday, down from 303 the year before.
Most anglers preregistered Friday, Feb. 5,
which allowed for a much more streamlined
process. Anglers of all ages and genders
participated, including a good number of
supervised youth.
According to the DNR, the first two sturgeon were harvested by 8:15 a.m. The first
was a 50-inch male that weighed 26 pounds,
and the second was a 56-inch male weighing
42 pounds. Fish three was a 70-inch female
that weighed 96 pounds, taken at 8:22 a.m.
Fish four was a 42-inch male weighing in at
16 pounds and was taken at 8:40 a.m. The
fifth fish was harvested at 8:50 a.m. and was
a 58-inch female that weighed 42 pounds.
The sixth and seventh fish harvested were a
40-inch female (13 pounds) and a 46-inch
male (20 pounds), both taken around 9 a.m.
Six of the seven fish taken had been
captured before by Michigan State University and DNR sturgeon researchers during
spring spawning runs or summer tagging
surveys on either the Black River or in Black
Lake.
The sturgeon fishing hotline was updated
at 9 a.m., officially closing the season. In addition, signal cannons and sirens were used
to indicate the seasons end within minutes

of the final fish being harvested. DNR law

enforcement officials and other department
personnel were embedded in the on-ice fishing communities and were able to quickly
report harvested fish this year, as well as to
quickly contact all lake sturgeon anglers on
the ice and close the season.
The unlimited entry fishery paired
with a significant on-ice presence of DNR
personnel allows for greater participation by
anglers while protecting the population of
lake sturgeon in Black Lake from overharvest, said DNR fisheries biologist Tim
Cwalinski. It was deemed a very successful
season for angler participation, fish harvest,
quick response times, and from a safety
perspective.
In addition, the Black Lake Sturgeon
Shivaree event was held on the ice, offering a
festive environment for the public, and was
sponsored by many local groups.
Rehabilitation of lake sturgeon in the
Cheboygan River watershed is a cooperative
effort involving the Department of Natural
Resources, the Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon For Tomorrow, Michigan State University and Tower-Kleber Limited Partnership.
For more information on sturgeon in
Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/sturgeon.

MIDWEST OPEN ICE FISHING TOURNAMENT WINNERS

ith the help of some world-class anglers, Canadians Erick Hodgins and
Rusty Heron finally put everything together with one great day of fishing. They won $20,300 at the Midwest Open Ice Fishing Tournament
Jan. 31 on Wamplers Lake near Brooklyn, Michigan. Three hundred
anglers spent most of the day in 40 degree temperatures and battled rain most of
the late morning and early afternoon. Eight inches of ice allowed for solid fishing
conditions.
Hodgins said the team has competed in the event four other times, finally putting everything together from what they have learned from other ice fishermen.
They finished the day with 8.36 pounds from eight bluegills and eight crappies.
We figured out what works in a five-hour window, Hodgins said. You have to
cover water and catch more fish.
Heron said the duo spent a lot of time watching some of the top teams and figured out strategies. We watched the Kniffens [Keith and Ron] and the Wrights
[Jeff and Ben] and paid attention to what they were doing, Heron said. It is
amazing to see how efficient these guys are.
The duo became the first non-Michiganders to win the tournament.
One hundred and fifty teams competed for more than $35,000 in cash and
prizes. Michael Lennox of Osseo and Ed Wade of Tecumseh finished second and
earned $3,500 for 7.92 pounds of pan fish; Barry Williams of Brooklyn and Al
Seagraves of Tipton were third (7.54 pounds) earning $2,000; Joseph Jaworski
of Lyons, Ill., and Bart Sitarz of Steamwood, Ill., took home fourth place (7.52
pounds) and $1,000. Teams 5-10 earned $500; those finishing 11-14 took home
$250; the 15th place team won two Strikemaster power augers; 16-19 earned
$200; and the 20th place team won a pair of Clam shelters. Prizes were also
handed out to every 10th team after the top 20 teams were announced. The top20 teams and past champions automatically qualify for the 2017 Midwest Open
Ice Fishing Tournament. This year four of the past champions finished in the top
20, so the top 24 teams will receive invitations. Information about next years
tournament may be found at midwestopentournament.com.

SEASONS
Open All Year Pike and walleye season on Lower Peninsula Great
Lakes, Lake St. Clair & St. Clair & Detroit Rivers
Open All Year Catch-and-immediate-release bass season on all
Michigan waters open to fishing
Now-Feb. 29 Bow/spearfishing for yellow perch on Lake St. Clair
Now-March 1 Bobcat hunting Unit A, B, C (see regulations)
Now-March 1 Fox; red & gray hunting season (see regulations)
Now-March 1 Squirrel; Fox and Gray season
Now-March 15 Spearfishing for northern pike and muskellunge
Now-March 31 Cottontail/Snowshoe season
Now-March 31 Crow season
Now-April 15 Coyote hunting (see regulations)
March 1 Dec. 31 - Pure Michigan Hunt application period
April 18 - May 31 Spring turkey season statewide (various seasons
and areas-check regulations)
April 25-March 15 - Pike and walleye season on Lower Peninsula
inland waters
May 1 - June 1 Elk and Bear license application periods
May 15-March 15 - Pike and walleye season on Upper Peninsula
Great Lakes, inland waters & St. Marys River
May 23-Dec. 31 Catch and keep bass season on all Michigan
waters except; Lake St. Clair, and Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, which
opens June 20
MJC
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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

SNOWY OWLS

Ice fishing tips,

tricks and tactics

2016 Pure Michigan

Hunt winners

OPINIONS

Equipment improving
for 'fish-yakers' too

Elk monitoring in Michigan

Life in the fast Lane...

Never apologize,
never back down

George Rowe page 76

Roger Beukema page 82

FEATURE
COVER STORY...
What happened to the
Grayling reintroduction?
Bill Ziegler page 28

School forests provide

valuable legacy of learning

...page 16

HUNTING
COVER STORY
FREAKY non-typical BUCK
Guest Column page 10

DNR continues to
track bear population
page 30

PART II
SCOUT NOW FOR NEXT FALL
John Eberhart page 55

Manistee County
Big non-typical buck

Steelheading...
Custom weighted spinners
Jim Bedford page 34

Crappies and the

curiosity of an angler

Robert Dock Stupp page 36

The Next Bite...

Crank out a new
spring walleye tradition

Richard P. Smith page 65

Michigan man tags

GIANT INDIANA BUCK

Destination Cadillac
Three lakes of fishing fun

Jerry Lambert page 70

John Bergsma page 40

Ferrets: Ferocious
hunter or pet?

Out and about the Great

Lakes Region for TROUT

Jeff Pendergraff page 84

Mark Romanack page 44

Group Moose
Hunting in Ontario

LITTLE BAY DE NOC

Year 'round angling
adventures

FISHING
Then and Now...
The Detroit River

Mark Romanack page 12

A good use for coots!

Early bass fishing
Buck Mallory page 26

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Kenny Darwin page 32

Gary Parsons/Keith Kavajecz

page 38

Betty Sodders page 88

COVER STORY
Spring walleyes...
GO BIG AND BOLD

COVER STORIES

Pheasant Restoration- MDNR photo...page 20

Spring Walleyes- Kenny Darwin photo ...page 32
Freaky Non-typical- Jeremy Cook photo...page 10
Grayling Reintroduction-Bill Ziegler photo...page 28

MDNR page 46

Ultimate Sport Show

Grand Rapids Special Pull Out
pages 51-54

Mark Martin page 50

March on in for
Detroit River walleyes
Mark Sak page 59

page 31

MDNR NEWS AND BRIEFS

page 33

Michigan gets USFW grant to

conserve Coastal Wetlands
page 74

PERSPECTIVE

Terry McBurney page 80

Spelunking the ice caves

Jan Ferris page 86

Wily
Coyote
Problems
Darryl Quidort
...page 14

New Saginaw
walleye regs confusing
Kenny Darwin page 73

Outdoor Safety & First Aid...

Dear Fish Diary:

Fishing isn't what it used
to be...imagine that

Sporting Collectibles...
What's in your old tackle box?

Tom Carney page 73

Canned sardines and the

'Dark Shadow of Death'

Readers' Trail Cam Photos

page 78

Despite arrests, motives

for standoff still at large

Randy Jorgensen page 24

Jonathan Schechter page 42

Captain Fred Davis page 64

Lane Walker page 72

Bird sightings mean

spring is nearly here

BOAT SMART...
Know how to anchor

Ron St. Germain page 60

An apology for ice-fishing

Jerry Dennis page 61

Operation Injured Soldier

Disabled veterans
healing by hunting

Tom Lounsbury page 66

Historic
whitetail migrations

FANTASTIC
GOBBLER
FORECAST
Kenny Darwin...page 18

John Ozoga page 72

GUNS/AMMO

Is your family prepared

for a home intruder?

GUN CHAT
Old book worth reading

Len Jenkins page 83

The illegal
commercialization
of black bears

Jeff Nedwick page 48

Don't be loud at last ice

page 25

Jeff Pendergraff page 85

Lee Arten page 58

Traditional Black Powder Hunting

Viewed from a
different perspective
Dennis Neely page 62

OUTDOOR NEWS
MICHIGAN MEANDERS...
Help is on the way!
Tom Huggler page 8

DNR Marks Progress on:

Pheasant Restoration Initiative
page 20

DEPARTMENTS . . .
Trophy Pages. . . . . . 68-69 Classifieds . . . . . . 90-91
Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . 72-75 Real Estate . . . . . . 92-101

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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The 10-year goal is to increase hunting participation in Michigan by 200,000 people...

Help Is on the Way!

If you dont have shooting,
you dont have hunting...
If you dont have hunting,
you dont have conservation...
If you dont have conservation,
you dont have wildlife...

sure: Im the current foundation president), which

provided matching funds with the DNR, NWTF and
Pheasants Forever to hire an R3 coordinator for the
state of Michigan.
Last month, the NWTF announced that Steve
Sharp, from Sunfield in Eaton County, is the new
coordinator. Sharp, 62, is no stranger to getting
people involved in hunting. During 21 years as the
state NWTF director, he helped raise $6.2 million
after costs associated with holding 607 banquets in
Michigan, a key reason he won the R3 coordinator
ob Keck, former executive director of the
job over 25 other candidates.
National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF),
For the new program to keep going, Sharps
is credited with those words. And
next goal is a daunting one: Within 12
the words are true because the
months, he needs to introduce 3,500 new
connection between sportsmen
shooters through 40 events in Michigan
and women and the wildlife we
and to certify 30 hunting mentors, each
all enjoywhether or not we hunt game
of whom will pair with 10 new recruits.
animals and birdsis now more than 100
That total of 300 new hunters will grow to
years old.
1,675 people in the second year and grow
But there is a problem. We need more
exponentially from there. The 10-year
hunters to keep this synergy alive. In 2011
goal is to increase hunting participation in
the median age of the American populaMichigan by 200,000 people.
tion was 45, but for hunters it was
The road to I have hunted to
46. Even more telling is the fact
I am a hunter is a long one that
that only six percent of Americans
may take several years. Most new
hunt.
hunters have to learn gun safety
Help is on the way. Several
and shooting skills and pass the DNR Hunter Safety
states, including Michigan, are developing proCertification program (young apprentice hunters,
grams that will bring more sportsmen and women
however, are exempted for two years). They must
into the hunting fraternity. The programs will help
be able to buy or borrow firearms and specialty
retain those that already hunt and will spark former clothing. Most importantly, they need a place to
participants to sign up again. The program, partly
hunt.
funded through the recent increase in license fees, is
The key to success lies in a strong mentoring
called R3 for recruit, retain and reactivate.
program. To illustrate, Sharp, who has introduced
Another recent source of funding is the Hal &
many neophytes to wild turkey hunting, tells the
Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation (full disclostory of Gordon Russell, a 30-ish man from Jamaica, who was interested in learning about the sport.
One spring morning a couple years ago, Sharp took
Gordon on a turkey hunt. While they waited in their
blind, dawn crept into the woods. An owl hooted,
birds sang and a gobbler sounded off.
Ive never seen the woods wake up like this,
a fascinated Gordon said. When it comes down
to it, though, I dont know if I can actually kill a
turkey.
Gordon, Im bringing you to the experience,
Sharp replied. What you do with that experience is
up to you.
The tom was hot for a hen, and Sharp succeeded
in calling him in. When the magnificent bird strutted into range, chest rumbling and fan opening and
closing like a card trick, an excited Gordon changed
his mind. I can do this! he whispered. And with
that he shot his first wild turkey.
Its experiences like that, Sharp admitted,
that got me excited about the R3 coordinator position. The pilot program were starting in Michigan
is one the whole nation can follow. The millennial
generation (those people 35 and under) is such a
large group, the possibilities for growth are endless.
Its also the most daunting. Keith Warnke, R3
Coordinator for the Wisconsin DNR, put it this way
at the recent Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference
in Grand Rapids: Millennials dont come to us
(experienced hunters) for our expertise. They are
the experts. We cant speak to them with authority
Gordon Russell, a new hunter from Jamaica
because they already measure success by what they
whom Steve Sharp mentored on his first hunt.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Michigan Meanders
By Tom Huggler

Steve Sharp with a nice tom turkey he bagged on state

land. Steve is the new R3 (recruit, retain and reactivate)
coordinator for the State of Michigan.
have accomplished. We have to change our approach to them (if we want to make a connection).
One way is to capitalize on activities like camping, which is already popular with many people. An
idea being considered is called Turkey Thursdays
where campers at Michigan state parks can shoot
BB guns at paper targets in the afternoon and then
learn about turkey hunting around a campfire that
evening.
Last year mentor demonstration days at four
DNR shooting ranges (Pontiac, Rose Lake, Ortonville and Sharonville) were popular. Sharp invited
the top 10 shooters to compete at the Demmer
Shooting Center on the MSU campus. A total of
168 people, including parents, came and were willing to pay $35 each for the event. Sharp hopes to
increase activities like these as well as actual hunting opportunities.
By the time you read this, for example, a squirrel hunt in Eaton County and a rabbit hunt in Lapeer County will have already taken place, and more
are scheduled.
For the latest developments go to www.NWTF.
org, click on Michigan and look for Learn to Hunt
Days and Mentored Hunts.
Michigan has a large population of fox squirrels
and Eastern gray squirrels, both of which are legal
to hunt from September 15 to March 31. Rabbit
hunting is also legal during this time.
Want to help or participate? Sharp is the go-to
guy for readers interested in becoming mentors,
volunteers willing to help him organize events and
open their land to new hunters, as well as those
eager experience something new: (517) 930-0947;
ssharp@nwtf.org.
When I interviewed Steve for this column, his
2009 Chevy Colorado had 235,000 miles on it.
Given his new responsibilities and knowing how
hard he works, I think he is going to need a new
truck.n

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Cover Story...
Guest Column By Jeremy Cook

FREAKY

Non-typical

BUCK

Ive been bowhunting whitetail

in Michigan on mostly state land
for 23 years now. I grew up just
outside of Detroit in the concrete
jungles of Harper Woods...

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

y grandfather, Ira Cook Jr. and my

uncle Kit had a hunting camp in the
Thumb area, near Deford. My uncle
Kit passed away before I had a chance
to hunt with him. My grandfather and
my uncle Kit were not only father and
son but the best of friends. Soon after Kits passing
I started spending a lot of time with my grandfather
at the hunting cabin up north as did my uncles Jim,
Rick and my cousin Jeff.
My grandfather was the strongest man I have
ever met! A World War II vet, he worked two jobs
most of his life, to support his wife and seven kids,
as well as my mom, sister Tammy and myself. We
grew up without a father and my grandfather took
on that role. My grandfather and cousin Jeff taught
me the ways of the whitetail woods.
I lost my grandfather in 2005 and the hunting
camp was sold soon after. Hunting just wasnt the
same. Ill always remember how he would always
scream at the top of his lungs at 5 a.m., Kit, Rick,
Jeff, Jerry, Brad, dang it I mean Jeremy! Naming
all his kids off before he would get to me, and I was
the only one in campold age? Let me tell you,
when he yelled, the neighbors down the road could
hear him. He would also say, You cant kill a deer
in that bed! Get up!
After the hunt, I wouldnt have one foot in the
door and gramps would be right there asking, Did

10

The biggest buck of Jeremy

Cooks life, a 17-point Michigan
non-typical giant!
ya get one? Did ya see any?
I miss him!
In 2009 I was up in my tree on Oct. 7 with my
10 year-old son Jakepassing down the tradition of
the hunt. He couldnt sit still, so it was about 5 p.m.
and I hit my doe bleat three times. Jake was standing up stretching when seven does and fawns came
in from behind us. His eyes lit up.
I heard a twig snap over to our left and there
stood a beautiful nine-point buck! With so many
eyes to deal with I got my bow off the hanger and
the release on the string but I got busted. The lead
doe took three leaps and stood there on full alert.
The buck turned around and started walking off.
I silently begged for the buck to come back and
whispered, Come on gramps, uncle Kit, bring him
back!
The buck stopped and stood there which seemed
like forever, he turned around and came back in,
unbelievable! I shot my first big buck at 15 yards.
What an amazing experience to share with my son!
After that day it was like someone lit a fire
under me. I have been so blessed to have taken
several big bucks since then. I havent had any of
them officially scored. I like to stay humble and
dont like to brag. Some of my friends call me the
Buck Whisper. Im certain its God, my grandfather, Uncle Jim, Uncle Kit, Uncle Rick, my sister
Tammy and my mom, God rest their souls.
This year with work, I didnt have much time to
hunt at all. I put my trail camera up on Oct. 1 and
was only able to hunt a few days the first week of
bow season. I had an encounter with a giant ninepoint who I nicknamed Tank. Soon after I started
getting steady trail cam photos of him. But with no
time to hunt I could only hope he made it through
gun season. I wasnt able to get back in the stand
until late bow season.

I checked my cam and wow, I had a giant nontypical with points going everywhere! I nicknamed
him Cactus Jack. The only problem was he and
Tank were completely nocturnal as are most state
land bucks in late season. I started using a mock
scrape system called Wind Pro early in the season
and the bucks were still visiting it. On Dec. 11 I
was able to hunt the evening and freshened up the
scrape as soon as I got to the stand. I was in the
stand four hours with no deer movement at all. As it
started getting dark I hit the Extinguisher deer call
with a few deep grunts and a bleat. I caught movement back in the woods several minutes later. I hit
record on the camera and zoomed in. It was him,
Cactus Jack!
He would take a few steps and stop to scan the
area. What a giant-smart old buck. I lost sight of
him and he just seemed to disappear. I shut the camera off and waited and waited. Turns out he made
a great big circle around me and came in to my
right. I was a mess, shaking and heart pounding! I
thought I turned on the camera, got my bow up, put
the release on the string and looked at the camera
and it wasnt on. I turned it on and got ready again.
At this time he was 20 yards broadside in front of
me. I drew my bow and said a little prayer. The arrow disappeared right behind the shoulder. Cactus
turned on the jets and was gone!
After a two-hour wait and a well over 200 yard
track in the swamp, I finally had my hands on him.
The biggest buck of my life, a 17-point Michigan
non-typical giant.
This story is more than just hunting and big
bucks. The deeper meaning is to enjoy these wondrous moments with your family and cherish every
second of every minute with them. We never know
what tomorrow brings.
God bless.n

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

11

Then and Now...The

DETROIT
RIVER
By Mark Romanack

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

elieve it or not, the first time I fished the

Detroit River was at the invitation of famed
TV host Babe Winkelman and the Good
Fishing TV crew. The time frame was in
the late 80s and the walleye fishing on
the Detroit River was just starting to gain
national attention.
Prior to Babe arriving I was asked to do some
pre-fishing, photography and interviews for magazine articles with a few of Babes professional
fishing team members. Any time Babe plans to visit
a fishing destination in anticipation of shooting a
TV episode, he contacts local outdoor writers and
arranges to spend a little time on the water with local talent.
I hooked up with noted walleye pro Bob Probst
who at the time was working for Lindy Little Joe
Tackle Company who of course was sponsoring the
Good Fishing TV series. Dan Nelson the marketing
guy and spokesperson at the time for Lindy Little
Joe was in charge of coordinating the pre-fishing,
photo shoots and evening bull sessions.
My buddy and fellow outdoor writer, the late
David Richey of the Detroit News was also on hand
to capture a story for the newspaper. Together we
all spent several days on the river walleye fishing,
shooting photos, sharing stories like fishermen will
do and enjoying some great moments off the water
as well.
I credit Dave Richey for giving me the kick in
the pants I needed to start writing outdoor articles
back in the early 80s. I give Bob Probst the credit
for encouraging me to start fishing the Masters
Walleye Circuit, which at the time represented the
big leagues in walleye tournament fishing circles.
Bob and his partner Mike McClelland were dominate forces on the circuit in those early years and a
big part of their success was due to Bobs ability to
find fish no matter where he traveled to.
Watching Bob work his magic on the Detroit
River was amazing. Prior to this trip Bob had never
fished the Detroit River, but he had little trouble
zeroing in on the best fishing spots and techniques.
Bob told me at the time that a river is a river and
he uses the same walleye fishing approach no matter what river he may be fishing.

12

Big jigs capable of supporting both soft plastics and live bait at the same time are one of the river fishing refinements that pay off big on the Detroit River. This monster was caught using a 5/8 ounce Bait Rigs OddBall jig tipped
with a three inch brown plastic worm and a live shiner minnow. Mark Romanack photos

like everyone else, we would slow troll upstream

dragging our jigs well behind the boat and then
drift back downstream over the same water vertical
jigging.
In the lower parts of the Detroit River the current is sluggish compared to the upper river and
most of the water we targeted was less than 10 feet
deep. This simple approach kept us fishing 100%
of the time. Actually, we fished almost 100% of the
time because trolling upstream we were snagging
our jigs on the bottom, breaking off and retying
fairly often.
Most of our time on the water during that first
On this particular trip I learned three lessons
experience with the Detroit River was spent in the
about river walleye jigging. I quickly came to the
very popular lower stretches between the power
conclusion that its best to fish with jigs provided by
plant just south of the Elizabeth Park Boat Launch
and the mouth of the river. What I found interesting a sponsor when trolling upstream! More importantis we fished both upstream and downstream. Instead ly, I also learned that as long as youre in contact
with the bottom its possible to catch walleye going
of drifting with the current and vertical jigging

Shallow And Sluggish

both upstream and downstream. We used 3/8 ounce

jigs for both vertical jigging and dragging the jigs
back upstream.
Thirdly, I discovered that even in shallow
water the boat can pass directly over top of walleye
without spooking them. Thankfully, most rivers are
fairly turbid and walleye feel very content in shallow water even when there are lots of boats fishing
an area.
This tidbit of knowledge has served me very
well over the years fishing a host of other walleye rivers including the Saginaw, Tittabawassee,
Kalamazoo, St. Joe, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Fox,
St. Croix and even the mighty Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The advent of thin diameter and low
stretch braided and fused lines makes it even easier
to maintain contact with bottom fishing both with
and against the current.

When targeting walleye in deeper water and

faster current, dragging jigs upstream is less
productive in most instances than vertical jigging.
When fishing deeper water the emphasis should be
put on vertical jigging and also mastering the art of
vertical jigging.
Vertical jigging sounds simple, but in fact this
popular fishing technique is a lot more difficult to
master than most anglers realize. Vertical jigging
is a boat control thing and to become good at this
presentation an angler must master the art of doing
several things all at the same time.
Call it walleye multi-tasking -- to vertical jig
requires keeping your jig in close proximity to bottom, while using an electric motor to keep the boat
positioned directly over top of the jig. Meanwhile,
most guys who vertical jig are also fishing two rods
at the same time, doubling the degree of difficulty.
Balancing all these tasks effectively is a challenge in of itself, but there is more to know about
vertical jigging. To be honest, most guys move
the jig by working the rod tips far too much to be
effective. Getting bit isnt so much about moving
the jig enticingly, but rather keeping the jig close to
bottom and letting the current naturally drift the jig
downstream.
Too much movement on the jig is counterproductive because it literally takes the jig up and out
of the strike zone. Remember when vertical jigging
that there is a one to one ratio between how far the
rod tip moves and how far the jig is lifted.
Guys who lift the rod tip two or three feet are
literally taking the jig out of the narrow strike zone
and then letting it drop back down into the strike
zone. The best place for the jig to be is a few inches
off the bottom. Keeping the jig in that narrow six
inch wide strike zone as much as possible is the
real key to becoming effective as a vertical jigger.
Instead of jigging constantly, lower the jig to
bottom, lift up a few inches and then hold the jig
still while the boat drifts downstream for several
seconds. This is surprisingly hard to do for guys
who have spent a lifetime keeping the jig in constant motion. Trust me, when you slow down the
jigging stroke and hold the jig near bottom longer,
the number of bites an angler gets goes up dramatically.

Plastics Or Live Bait

Back when I fished the Detroit River with Babe
Winkelman, Bob Probst and Dave Richey we were
all convinced that an emerald shiner minnow was
necessary to getting bit. We were tipping our FuzzE-Grub jigs with shiners and that combination
proved very effective.
These days my views have changed because we
now have soft plastics that are far superior to those
produced in the 80s and 90s. The biggest difference
is modern soft plastics are softer, they have natural
scent and they even have flavor enhancements that
encourage a fish that bites them to hang onto them.
I use soft plastic much more often than I use
minnows these days. Some of my favorites are the
Berkley Gulp Minnows and the Ripple Shad series
from PowerBait. Other good soft plastics are those
produced by Yum and the TriggerX baits produced
by Rapala.
There are still days that I feel it is important
to use an emerald shiner for bait, but those are the
days when the bite is tough, the water is cold and
every edge is needed to be successful. Typically
on these days I use a soft plastic and then top dress

the set up with a live emerald shiner. This way I

have the benefits of live bait and also should I miss
a fish, I can drop back down and catch that fish or
others in the group thanks to the fish catching powers of plastic.
When using a clean jig and live minnow, if you
miss a fish the odds are the bait is torn free of the
jig and there is no chance of tempting that fish into
biting a bare jig. Because I use plastic and live bait
in combination, its important to use a jig that can
accommodate both.
Short shank style jigs which are popular with
live bait anglers are a poor choice when fishing
plastics and or plastics and live bait. A long shank
jig with a larger hook gap is needed to fish both

To commemorate the 100th anniversary,

Williams is producing a limited edition 4 pack of
the classic mirror Wablers in the original nishes
of; Silver, Gold, & and Copper. Stamped with
the Williams logo & dates 1916 - 2016. Limited
production run only oered for the 2016 season.
Includes a booklet detailing the history of
William and a code allowing the angler to
Williams,
register for a chance to win 1 of 10 collectors
edition wooden boxes being drawn.

The key to river fishing is understanding boat control.

The electric motor on the authors boat is the most
important piece of equipment he owns when it comes to
catching river walleye.
plastics and live bait at the same time.
My hands down favorite jig for vertical jigging on the Detroit River is the 3/8 and 5/8 ounce
models of the Bait Rigs OddBall Jig. This unique
jig features a modified stand-up head that features a
thin wire long hook shank Mustad hook. The standup design keeps the hook point up off the bottom
when I lower the jig down, significantly reducing
snagging. The thin wire hook penetrates the tough
mouth of a walleye like no other and this jig readily
accepts soft plastic, bait or both.

The 175 collectors edition wooden boxes being

produced for the anniversary contain a W10
through W70 Williams Wablers in 24 karat gold
plate nish. Each Wabler is engraved with the
Williams logo and 1916 - 2016.
To register go to our website, Facebook page or
send us a note via regular mail for a chance to
win. Winners will be drawn at random on
January 15th 2017. Use code: WLM100A

RS
O
T
C
E
L
L
CO
EDITION

Summing It Up
Not a lot of dealers carry the OddBall jig in
the sizes or colors I favor so I order mine on-line at
www.baitrigs.com. Thirty plus years of fishing the
Detroit River have taught me a thing or two about
getting the most out of my hours on the water. Its
the details that make the difference. It takes time
to master the popular fishing presentations used on
rivers like the Detroit River.
The good news is that we dont have to talk
about the good ole days when we talk about fishing the Detroit River. The spring walleye run these
days is just as good as it was 30 years ago. Mark
your calendar because in the month of April the
place to be is the Detroit River.n

/williamslures
@williamsfishing

www.williams.ca

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Faster And Deeper

13

Wily coyote problems

By Darry Quidort

oyotes were once considered

a Western problem. For decades the Western coyote had
a bounty on his head. Ranchers considered the lowly
coyote to be a sheep and calf
killer and state game departments considered the coyote a small game and
deer killer. Several states employed
government trappers to try to control the coyote numbers in problem
areas. After the trappers were mostly
laid off from their government jobs,
private landowners often hired them
to remove coyotes from their property.
The trouble was, by hunting, trapping,
even using poison, they could never
make much of a dent in the coyote
population. A famous trapper wrote
that he expected the coyote would
be the last animal alive on the planet
earth. They survived, no matter how
hard they were persecuted.
It seems that even today most
ranchers hate coyotes. I once rode
with a Texas rancher that would slide
his pickup truck to a stop and jump
out to shoot at every coyote he saw.
Once a coyote jumped from some
sage brush about 400 yards away and
ran. As predicted, the rancher jammed
on the brakes, pulled his lever action
rifle from the window rack, and took a
shot at the distant target.
Ever hit one that far away with

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Bib

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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14

the deer finally came within range

of his longbow. At the shot the buck
swapped ends and crashed out of sight
into the thick junipers. John listened
intently as the buck ran away. I think
I heard him go down, John told me
when we met at camp just after dark.
But, Im not sure. Lets leave him
until morning.
The next morning we followed an
easy blood trail from where John shot
the buck to a skeleton. Coyotes had
completely destroyed the deer by eating everything from its hooves to its
horns. Even the innards were completely gone, leaving only the cleaned
bones. How many coyotes does it
take to eat an entire deer in one night?
At that time we had never heard of
such a thing happening.
Although coyotes are still thought
of as a Western animal, they have
been quietly moving eastward in
recent years. Coyotes are now found
in every state except Hawaii. They
Harry Leonard lost this whitetail buck to coyotes by leaving it overnight in Central
are now common here in Michigan
and are becoming a problem for deer
Michigan. Author photos
hunters.
open sights? I asked.
to the yips and yipes of what sounded
My father-in-law, Harry Leonard,
Heck (or something similar)
like a large pack of the song dogs. To began hunting with a crossbow when
no, he replied. But he gets shot at
us the howling seemed to make our
they became legal for use during
anyway, just for being a coyote.
hunting trip a genuine Western experi- Michigans archery season. One OcYears ago, my friend, John Sheph- ence.
tober evening, not long before dark,
ard, and I were bowhunting for mule
John was hunting near a waterhole he got a shot at a buck. He knew he
deer in Colorado. Every evening
one evening when a nice sized mulie
had hit the deer but found very little
about sundown the coyotes would
buck approached. The wary buck
blood in the area. As darkness began
serenade our tent camp with their best stopped and surveyed the area before
to close in, Harry decided to leave the
harmony. Every morning we awoke
committing. John was ready when
deer until daylight.
Early the following morning he
returned and with the help of his sons,
Bruce and Randy, followed the bucks
trail. The deer hadnt gone far, but
they were too late to salvage any meat
from that buck. Coyotes had beat
them to it and had already picked the
bones clean.
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leaving a deer overnight before

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trailing easier and a mortally wounded
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deer usually wont go far if left alone.
However, now-a-days the hunter may
be risking his venison by leaving his
deer overnight.
Some hunters say, Ill risk it.
Coyotes have to eat too, and besides,
they wont eat the horns.
Other hunters say, I wont risk
it. If I dont recover the meat from
my deer Ill feel like I have failed as a
M-13 LINWOOD, MI
hunter.
WWW.FRANKSGREATOUTDOORS.COM
Just before Michigans rifle deer
season opened two years ago, my
great nephew, Thad Shaffer, shot his

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first deer with a bow and arrow. As

they started to trail the doe, they
bumped it up and heard it move away
from them. Rather than push the
deer farther, they decided to mark
the spot and continue trailing in the
morning.
At daylight, they again took up
the trail and found the doe within
a short distance. But coyotes had
found her first and made a mess of the
youngsters first bow kill.
Thad did get his revenge though.
Just a couple of days later, on the
opening day of rifle season, he shot
and killed a coyote in same woods.
He hopes it was the one that ate his
deer.
Coyotes seem to be getting
bolder. Theyre not waiting for
darkness anymore. Last fall I had a
coyote experience of my own. I was
bowhunting from a treestand one
morning in early November. Id been
keeping an eye on a group of several
does hanging out in a thicket nearby.
A little spike buck was making a pest
of himself bothering the does. Then
a buck with a small rack came across
the swamp to check out the does. I
thought the spike would be intimidated by the bigger buck but they
seemed to be buddies. I grunted and
both bucks looked in my direction.
One more grunt and the larger buck
came my way on a trot. When nearly
under my stand he skidded to a stop.
I already had my recurve bow at full
draw and the arrow hit him right
where I wanted. The buck turned and
plowed a half circle for 50 yards out
into the swamp grass where I saw him
crash. Although I couldnt see the

deer in the tall grass, I knew exactly

where he was lying. Immediately, a
flash of movement caught my eye.
Something was running full speed
right to my deer. My first thought
was that it was the spike buck, but it
was too small to be a deer. It was a
coyote! He reached my buck within
seconds after it fell. As I watched,
the coyote warily circled the deer as
if to make sure it was dead. Then he
moved right in to feed on the deer. I
could see him bracing his feet and
jerking backward as he attacked a
hindquarter. I whistled and waved
my arms to get the attention of the
coyote. He stopped what he was
doing and turned to glare at me for a
few seconds.
Get out of here! I yelled as
he turned and disappeared into the
high swamp grass. Well, so much
for being a stealthy bowhunter, I
mumbled. Might as well go check
the damage.
As I approached my buck, I saw
that the coyote had pulled several
mouthfuls of hair from a hindquarter
of the deer. He hadnt reached the
meat before I scared him away. Since
I witnessed the whole event, Im
sure that the coyote reached the deer
within seconds of him going down
and did that damage in just a minute or so. Im glad I didnt wait the
customary hour before tracking the
arrow shot buck.
Ive heard similar stories from
other hunters lately. You may have
heard some too. It makes me wonder
if Wily Coyote problems are just beginning for Michigan deer hunters.n

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Thad Shaffer wasnt happy with the coyote that feasted on his first bow harvest. The
eleven year old hunter got his revenge though.

15

Snowy
DNR aids effort to study...

Owls
F
MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

rom Saginaw Bay to Sault Ste. Marie

and Kalamazoo to Escanaba, people
across Michigan this winter have been
reporting an influx of snowy owls
from their Arctic tundra home territory.
These beautiful white birds, with piercing yellow eyes and a nearly 5-foot wingspan, are North
Americas largest owls, by weight.
The reason the owls unpredictably travel so far
south sometimes in massive movements known
as irruptions is not well understood by biologists, but the behavior is linked to food supply, the
number of chicks the owls produce in a given year
and weather.
Snowy owls often arrive in Michigan weakened
and starving, dehydrated and infested with mites.
Others die along their extended flight paths, which
have taken them as far south this winter as Kansas and all along the northern tier states, the Great
Lakes and out east to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

16

Sherry MacKinnon, a wildlife ecologist with the Michigan

Department of Natural Resources at Newberry, holds a
snowy owl that was recovered from Mackinac County.

A GPS transmitterharnessed snowy owl

flies at the Waterloo
State Recreation Area
in late January 2015.
When the owls move south, Michigan Department
of Natural Resources offices typically receive several phone calls reporting snowy owl sightings or
birds appearing sick or injured.
Many of those calls were received in the Upper
Peninsula, as an early, sudden arrival of numerous
snowy owls was reported in mid-October.
Snowy owls are protected by federal law and
it is illegal to possess an owl, its feathers or body
parts without proper permits. Researchers suggest
contacting the DNR if an owl is found injured, sick
or dead.
When we receive a call regarding an injured
bird, we will either have the caller drop the bird off
at the DNR office or, if feasible, we will pick up the
bird, said Erin Largent, a DNR research wildlife
technician at Marquette. We then take the injured
bird to the Gwinn-Sawyer Veterinary Clinic.
The vet will assess damage to the owl and either
euthanize the bird if the injuries are too severe or
treat the owl and transport it to a rehabilitator.
On Oct. 19, Jerry Maynard and Bob Jenson, cofounders of the Chocolay Raptor Center in Harvey,
rescued a snowy owl from a municipal compost
facility in Marquette. This owl was among those to
arrive in the October influx.
We got a call that it couldnt fly and did not
look healthy, Maynard said. Exam showed it to
be seriously underweight and emaciated, and we
could find no other injuries.
The owl was heavily infested with mites.
Maynard sprayed the bird to remove the mites and
began treatments for dehydration.
During the first 24 hours, snowy owls being rehabilitated are tube-fed a special formula with easily digestible proteins and sugars. As owls recover,
they eat frozen mice, rats, chicks and quail.
If all goes well, the owls are released back into
the wild, often within a few weeks.
Of six owls brought to the Chocolay center
from the original October influx, only two survived
and were released Nov. 22 at a Marquette golf
course. Maynard and Jenson use the releases as an
opportunity to educate the public.
Meanwhile, sightings of owls continued
throughout the state as 2015 came to a close, including a Nov. 23 report of a snowy owl sitting on
the arm of a lamp post on the Mackinac Bridge
On Dec. 17, the DNRs Newberry office got a
call about a snowy owl west of the town of Curtis in
Mackinac County.
The caller moved it from the center of the
road to the side of the road and called me at home,
and other folks called the office, so we all heard
about it pretty early, said Sherry MacKinnon, a

DNR wildlife ecologist at the Newberry office.

This was a young owl, starving and unable to
leave the roadway on its own.
DNR staff fed the owl, dusted it for biting lice
and brought it to the Chocolay Raptor Center.
Snowy owls hunt over open territory and often
will sit on telephone poles, light standards, buildings or even small knolls or dirt berms.
Largent got a call about a dead snowy owl under a light post at a lakefront hotel in Marquette.
I picked up the carcass, which was still warm,
and put a necropsy tag on it with all the pertinent
information and sent it down to the lab for necropsy, Largent said.
The DNRs Wildlife Disease Laboratory is
located in Lansing. Personnel there are helping
researchers with Project SNOWstorm determine
the potential environmental effects of the owls
southward journeys.
Partners in the international project are studying snowy owls, alive and dead, to determine more
about their behavior, potential effects from chemicals, causes of death and genetics.
Some live owls are being tracked with solarpowered GPS transmitters. Owls are nicknamed and
their movements are plotted on maps on the project
website. In January and February 2015, four snowy
owls in Michigan captured in Detroit, Saginaw,
Grand Rapids and Pickford were fitted with tracking devices.
When a dead owl is sent to the DNR lab, personnel routinely perform a gross necropsy (animal
autopsy) to determine or confirm the cause of death
and, if warranted, perform a microscopic examination (histopathological) of fixed tissue sections to
look for evidence of disease.
We generally submit a piece of every organ
(brain, heart, lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys) when
we are requesting this (histopathological) testing,
said DNR lab technician Julie Melotti. Since this
examination is at the cellular level, it allows the pathologist to see something that might not be evident
on just a gross examination and can help determine
if there is a disease process at work and can aid in
our diagnosis.
Thomas Cooley, a DNR wildlife biologist and
pathologist at the lab, said several tasks are performed on snowy owls with the labs participation
in Project SNOWstorm.
We are doing a series of measurements, taking
a series of photos, taking tissues for histopathological examination, taking tissues for West Nile Virus,
taking fat and muscle tissue samples, evaluating the
physical condition of the animal by the gross appearance of the breast musculature and taking livers

Julie Melotti, a laboratory

technician at the Michigan
Department of Natural
Resources Disease Lab in
Lansing, inspects a snowy
owl carcass. MDNR photos

followed the next winter. Even in non-irruptive

years, some snowy owls generally wing their way
to Michigan.
While it might be the case that a small proportion of the owls that disperse are underweight
or malnourished, the researchers who study these
irruptions actually report that the birds that come
south during major irruptions are fatter and healthier than birds that wander during non-irruptive
years, Maynard said.
Maynard encourages using caution before judging an owl to be too weak to fly or to be incapacitated in some way.
Please resist the urge to try to catch these
birds or to approach them too closely, Maynard
said. It is far more likely that a quiet, unassuming
snowy owl is just being a normal snowy owl.

Since the initial snowy owl arrival in October,

birds have continued to be reported across Michigan, but this winter so far does not appear to be a
season of massive owl irruption.
Earlier this month, a snowy owl found emaciated near Deer Park in northern Luce County was
brought to the DNR office in Newberry and then to
the Chocolay rehab facility.
Maynard said the bird is recovering well after
initially consuming the formula, has gained weight,
was recently moved to an outdoor cage and is
expected to be released in a public event sometime
over the next several weeks.
As spring arrives, the snowy owls will make
their way back north to the Arctic.n

Prepared By the MDNR

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

for metals analysis, Cooley said.

The lab began participating in the project in
January 2015.
Melotti said feathers also are sampled from
various parts of the owls body and any feather lice
on the carcass are collected.
We also give a score (1-5) on the general condition of the carcass and on the physical condition
of the bird, Melotti said. All of these samples
will then be shipped to the coordinators of Project
SNOWstorm.
Since the concentrated snowy owl irruption
in October, the DNR lab has received two dozen
snowy owls for necropsy 14 from the U.P. and 10
from the northern Lower Peninsula.
The main cause of death has been starvation
or malnutrition and dehydration (17 owls), followed by vehicular traumas (4 owls), one electrocution and one diagnosed with a herpesvirus
causing hepatitis and splenitis, Melotti said. One
of these owls was sent out to be skinned for a study
skin and we will perform our necropsy and get a
diagnosis on it once we get the carcass back.
Most of the owls are incinerated after necropsy.
Several have been saved as study skins for education purposes.
Project SNOWstorm and some other snowy
owl research efforts emerged over the past few
years, beginning during a massive, perhaps oncein-a-century irruption in the winter of 2013-14,
when snowy owls were recorded as far south as
Florida and as far west as Hawaii.
A smaller, though still substantial, irruption

17

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GOBBLER
FORECAST

f I had to rate the weather

and its impact on Michigans
turkey population I would
say conditions were perfect
and wild turkey populations
slipped through the nasty
winter conditions in fantastic shape.
Sure some parts of Michigan had 10
inches of snow in late November but
December was highlighted by extremely warm weather, lack of snow
and turkeys thrived. A surprise ice
storm covered available food shortly
after Christmas followed by a cold
New Years Eve but 40 degree temperatures came the following week
that gave birds a reprieve from low
temperatures and remaining snow
quickly melted leaving food sources
easy pickins. Little snow remained
in southern Michigan into
January and turkeys were
surviving winter with ease.
This is good news for turkey
hunters.
I expect minimal 2016
winter kill and populations look solid going into
spring. The most important
variable that has
helped Michigans
turkey population
to rebound was ideal nesting weather
spring 2015 and there was excellent recruitment of young birds. We
finally got warm weather and less rain
in spring 2015 and hens raised bumper
crops of young poult. This is following several years of nasty cold spring
weather, frost, snow, freezing rain and
recruitment took a tail spin.
For a long time it looked like
Michigans turkey population was on
a major down slide. Even southern
Michigan flocks which have mild
weather and available food sources,
compared to birds up north, reflected
the declining trend. Hunters soon
discovered where there used to be
abundant turkey populations suddenly
there were few. Filling your gobbler
tag was difficult work and many hunters who had exciting hunts in the past
went home empty handed. Unseasonably cold spring weather was the
culprit and populations began to thin
out. However, the excellent nesting
season of spring 2015 brought many
poults and the population is back on
an upswing. The only problem is the
young male turkeys will only be small

jakes this coming spring hunting season and the number of adult gobblers
is somewhat declined from previous
years.
Get north of a line from Bay City
to Muskegon and wild gobbler population took a major hit. Keep in mind
that turkeys in northern Michigan
have tougher winters, more predators
and if the snow gets deep the food
sources disappear. This is also the
case in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota where biologists dont even
attempt to promote northern turkey
populations because they simply cannot survive winter. In many parts of
northern Michigan turkey numbers are
still very low.
One solution would be to increase
live trap and release projects and
rekindle stocking efforts.
Last year a few birds were
live trapped and released in
the Oscoda area but most
of northern Michigan needs
to boost populations too.
Another solution would be if
the DNR would lift regulations regarding feeding of
wildlife and allow
local conservationists to feed turkey
through winter months. However,
many sportsmen in northern Michigan are asking how does the DNR
expect bird populations to grow if you
have no population to begin with? It
would be great if DNR turkey biologists would get some of those monster
bearded gobblers from Wisconsin and
plant them in Michigan. Just look
in the NWTF record books and you
can see that Michigan has few entries
because our flocks lacks the genetics
to grow long spurs and trophy beards.
By introducing superior genetics
Michigan could be entering gobblers
in the books with monster 17-inch
beards.
Another important factor that has
influenced Michigans turkey population is the excellent fall 2015 acorn
crop. When it comes to deer and
turkey hunting, an increase in mast
crops help both to survive winter and
critters often are moving, looking for
fresh acorns and hunters simply see
more wildlife. Nut-producing oak
trees are a great place to hunt and last
fall oak ridges in many parts of Michigan were covered with acorns. Wild

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Kenny Darwin

18

Michigan turkey hunters will soon be placing their sights on dandy gobblers that made it through the 2016 winter weather in fine shape. You
can expect to see more birds this year with the majority recruits from
last spring which was a good hatching year. Author photo
turkeys prefer to lounge under white
oak trees feeding, preening, resting
and gobbling massive amounts of the
nutty fruit as it drops to the ground. If
acorns are available you can expect
turkeys to be in the vicinity and oak
trees are one of the most sought-after
areas to hunt in fall and spring.
The rain of 2014 helped acorn
trees and come spring when they
flowered the weather was warm, ideal
for pollination and acorn growth. In
some parts of Michigan forests floors
were covered with acorns this past
fall. This abundant food source will
help deer and turkeys survive winter.
I started seeing major flocks of
hens with poults during duck season

last fall. Come deer season more

flocks appeared and some areas of
central/southern Michigan had plenty
of young birds dancing across the
countryside. One early January photo
outing produced 112 turkey sightings,
most were young birds. However,
there were a few adult gobblers scattered in various areas.
Winter gobblers are a strange lot.
It seems the boys gather in bachelor
groups during fall and stick together
through winter until spring breakup.
Pods of adult gobblers are difficult
to approach because lookout birds
are always standing tall, heads up.
Im certain the group is continuously
protected by sentinels and therefore

predators find them difficult to approach.

Even in southern Michigan predators take their share. Coyote love
charging flocks and pulling young unsuspecting poult to the ground. But
the number one killer of wild turkeys
is red-tailed hawks. Boy, southern
Michigan is absolutely loaded with
red-tails. Death from above comes
on silent wings as hawks dive bomb
birds from their back side. Most
never know what hits them and
hawks prefer to take the smaller birds
that tend to be somewhat unprotected
and trailing the main flock.
Ive witnessed hawks killing
turkey in open fields, thick brush and
hardwood forests. Most have been
young hens but on one occasion I
watched a circling Red-tail swoop
down and dust an adult gobbler in full
fan. On another occasion I witnessed
a Red-tail miss a hen, fly into a tree,
dive and miss again and eventually
followed the scurrying turkey until it
was under a brush pile. The relentless red-tail perched on top of the
fallen tree and waited several minutes before it flew away. The turkey
stayed lodged in the thick rabbit
brush pile for another 30 minutes then

dashed for the safety of an overhanging thorny crab apple tree. Red-tailed
hawks are the kiss of death for unsuspecting young poult turkeys.
The new recruits are a welcome
sight for turkey hunters looking to
fill their turkey tag spring 2016.
Although in most of Michigan adult
gobblers are still trying to recover
from harsh weather, predators and
lack of food and finding those big ol
gobblin monsters can be a difficult
task. Most reside on private land in
Michigans agricultural belt where
dairy farmers sweeten snow fields
with fresh manure laced with corn.
Others hang out near agricultural
areas where winter thaws expose food
sources. This winter gobblers should
have a cake walk and birds should be
in excellent condition come opening
day.
I use winter treks to locate adult
birds with trophy beards. The strategy is simple, just cruise country
roads until you locate gobblers and
glass em. If you can locate an area
that has a solid population of adult
gobblers you are on the road to success when hunting season arrives.
This strategy is deadly for finding
those trophy birds sporting a 10-inch

plus paintbrush-looking beard. After

years of winter scouting Ive found
that if you locate one big ole gobbler
often other trophy birds will also be
in the area.
Yes, you can pattern wild turkeys
just like deer or waterfowl. Scouting
can uncover new birds that you never
expected on your hunting grounds.
More importantly, locating gobblers
now can give you a starting point for
spring hunts.
Wild turkeys are intelligent birds
with keen eyesight, hearing and good
instincts. Scouting birds without being spotted is difficult but savvy hunters understand the importance of not
alarming adult gobblers. The trick
is to observe them from far away
using binoculars. If you are using
your vehicle to locate birds in agricultural fields try not to disturb them.
The same holds true for winter treks
through the country, dont alert turkeys and chase them from their home
turf. Sometimes just one encounter
with a human and a wary gobbler will
pack his bags and find a new hiding
location. Other times they ignore
vehicles, people hiking and stick like
glue to specific locations that offer
food and shelter.

Winter is the best time of year to

gain hunting permission. Farmers are
not working fields, crops have long
been harvested and they have time to
chat with hunters. Most are willing
to provide turkey hunting permission
long before the first hint of spring
arrives. Sure, that monster 12-inch
beard may move come spring breakup but getting permission on a new
farm can lead to successful outings in
the future.
The outlook looks positive for
spring turkey hunts. I recommend
you concentrate scouting efforts in
southern Michigan. Now is the time
to begin, locate flocks of mature
gobblers sporting impressive beards.
Winter is a perfect time to talk to
landowners, get hunting permission
and zero-in on a hot spot long before
other hunters discover your honey
hole. Keep scouting because the
key to gobbler success often hinges
on how much knowledge you have
regarding gobbler travel routes,
roosting sites, travel patterns and
flock dynamics. When spring arrives and you are set-up before dawn
your pre-season scouting can pay big
dividends and you will fill your tag at
lightning speed.n

25th Annual

Saturday, March 19th, 2016

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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19

DNR Marks Progress...

Pheasant
Restoration
Initiative

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

few years ago, when the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced it
was putting together a coalition to rehabilitate pheasant hunting in Michigan, it
A male, in the background, and female ring-necked pheasants are shown. The species was introduced to the United
assembled an impressive array of partners
States from Asia in the late 19th century. MDNR photos
to address many of the problems that led
Since the golden days of Michigan pheasant hunt- Things are really starting to happen, Stewart said.
to the declining fortunes of ringnecks.
ing in the 1950s, changes in agricultural practices
However, those significant improvements on
Now, halfway through the 10-year project,
and land use have contributed to pheasant habitat
state-managed land represent only one small part of
those involved in the Michigan Pheasant Restorathe equation, as most of the states prime pheasant
tion Initiative say the program has made significant loss, declining food sources and lower production
of chicks.
range located in southern Michigan is privately
headway.
Over the first five years of the
owned.
We are seeing enhanced
Michigan Pheasant Restoration
To address this, the initiative has helped estabpartnerships, excellent teamwork,
Initiative, the DNR has enhanced
lish cooperatives and hired a co-ops coordinator
habitat improvements and increased
or restored roughly 7,400 acres of
in the focus areas so private landowners can meet
enthusiasm for pheasants and
grasslands on state game, wildlife
with other like-minded individuals to help improve
pheasant hunting, said Al Stewand recreation areas and established habitat for pheasants across the landscape.
art, the DNRs upland game bird
3,160 acres of food plots.
The DNR has funded five conservation district
specialist.
Another 556 acres of enhanced Farm Bill biologists, with more to come, to assist
The coalition began the pheasgrasslands and 203 acres of food
private landowners in habitat improvement projects.
ant initiative by establishing three
plots have been cultivated around
The money for the biologists was raised from the
pilot focus areas, concentrating
the Sharonville State Game Area,
DNRs recent license restructuring.
efforts in areas that offer some of
just to the north of the HillsdaleJason Myers, a Farm Bill biologist who covers
the best remaining pheasant habitat
Lenawee-Monroe focus area.
four counties working out of the Tuscola Conserin the state.
In addition, the DNR has acvation District, says 80 percent of his efforts are
These priority Pheasant RecovAl Stewar t,MDNR Upland quired 742 acres to add to existing directed toward pheasant restoration projects.
ery Areas each have three counties
Game Bird Specialist
game areas within the Pheasant ReHe said much of his work involves finding costand are situated in the Thumb
covery Areas. There have also been share programs for landowners and providing techArea (Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac
765 acres of grasslands and 2,000 acres of food
nical assistance for managing Conservation Reserve
counties), central Michigan (Gratiot, Saginaw and
Program and Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Clinton counties) and southeastern Michigan (Hills- plots established at the Allegan State Game Area,
which is located outside the existing focus areas.
Program lands.
dale, Lenawee and Monroe counties).
Under these two federal Farm Bill programs,
farmland is removed from production in exchange
for annual rental payments with the lands improved
for conservation or environmental quality enhancements.
I do a lot of habitat plans for guys, Myers
said. Were kind of like therapists in a way kind
of hold their hands through the process and make
sure they do it right. I spend a lot of time visiting
CRP and CREP lands to help landowners maintain
them in the shape their supposed to be in.
The work is paying off, he said.
A couple of guys in the pheasant cooperatives
have said they wouldnt have done what theyve
done in the last few years if it wasnt for the initiative, Myers said. Tuscola County had about 200
CRP and CREP contracts when I started. About 190
of them have re-enrolled and about half of those
have added acreage.
Bill Vander Zouwen is the Michigan Region
representative for Pheasants Forever, a group
dedicated to conservation of pheasants, quail and
other wildlife through habitat improvements, public
awareness, education and land management policies
and programs.
Vander Zouwen was a biologist and chief of the
wildlife ecology section of the Wisconsin DNR for

Bill Vander Zouwen, Michigan Region representative for Pheasants Forever, looks at a male

20 pheasant he shot in an area where habitat improvements have been made in Lower Michigan.

Pheasants page 22

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

21

Pheasants:
from page 20

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

more than 30 years before returning to Michigan.

He praised the cooperation between agencies
and hunters under the pheasant initiative.
Im impressed with the attention pheasants are getting and Im happy to see it, he said.
Pheasants are a priority of the DNR, a focus of the
More Bang for Your Buck program. The DNR has
really stepped up.
Pheasants Forever has 30 active chapters in
Michigan and focuses most of its attention on
private land, dispensing seed for food plots to its
members, though Vander Zouwen said about 15
chapters put their money up for matching grants
from the DNR to improve habitat on public land
where anyone can hunt.
The DNR has awarded State Wildlife Grants
totaling more than $850,000 to benefit 49 projects
that include almost 3,000 acres of grassland complexes.
Beyond the DNR and Pheasants Forever, other
members of the Michigan Pheasant Restoration
Initiative coalition include the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the
National Wild Turkey Federation, the Quality Deer
Management Association, Ducks Unlimited, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
These additional government and nongovernmental entities often focus on other priorities, but

22

About a dozen volunteers from the Lenawee County chapter of Pheasants Forever recently showed up to work with
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division staff to take out an overgrown fence row
between two grassy fields at the Lake Hudson Recreation Area. The goal is to create a large block of land that will
be more hospitable to not only pheasants, but other grasslands residents as well. Pheasants Forever member Ken
Parts helps clear a fence line in between two large grass fields.
they value grasslands for everything from biodiversity to improving water quality.
Doing work for pheasants is central for wildlife on the ground, Myers said. It helps everything from songbirds to white-tailed deer.
And, of course, it helps pheasants.
Cooperative landowners say theyre hearing
more crowing pheasant roosters in recent years,
and some hunters report seeing more pheasants on

state-managed land.
Despite these advances, much of the effort of
the pheasant initiative has yet to bear fruit, but
members say the seeds have been sown for the
future.
The coalition is committed to an even more
productive next five years, Vander Zouwen said.
To learn more about upland game bird hunting
in Michigan, visit the DNRs Web page.n

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

23

28th Annual Spring March 25-26

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35,336 applications purchased by 13,055
individuals, which generated more than
$176,000 to help wildlife habitat restoration and improvements in Michigan.
Applications for the next Pure
Michigan Hunt drawing will be available
starting March 1. For more information,
visit www.mi.gov/pmhn

229 W. 5th Street Pinconning

2 blocks east of light off M-13

989-879-1110 www.northwoodsoutlet.com

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

The DNR announced the three

winners of the seventh annual Pure
Michigan Hunt. Jeff Kresnak of Caledonia, Mike Scherzer of Freeland and
Makayla Fleetwood of Bloomingdale
each won a pocket full of licenses and
more than $4,000 worth of hunting gear.
Fleetwood is the first female hunter
in Pure Michigan Hunt history.
Each $5 Pure Michigan Hunt application purchased helps fund wildlife
habitat restoration and management in
Michigan.
Each winner receives elk, bear,
spring and fall turkey, and antlerless deer
licenses to be used in 2016. In addition
along with three hunting companions
the winners will get first pick opening
morning of the waterfowl season at any
of Michigans premier managed waterfowl hunt areas. Kresnak, Scherzer and
Fleetwood each also won a package of
gear donated by Michigan businesses
and organizations:
Camouflage pop-up blind Ameristep of Clio
12-gauge camouflage shotgun
Michigan Ducks Unlimited
Terminator II crossbow Darton
Archery of Hale
Marlin x7 30.06 bolt-action rifleDick Williams Gun Shop of Saginaw
Go-Pro outdoor camera St. Clair
Flats Waterfowlers, Inc.
Quiver accessories Kwikee
Kwiver of Williamsburg
Hunting accessories Harmon
Scents of Williamsburg
Custom waterfowl mount The
Trophy Room of Clare
Traps, DVDs, calls and more
Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers
Association
Turkey hunting gear Michigan
Chapter of National Wild Turkey Federation
Deer/habitat management package Michigan Chapter of Quality Deer
Management Association
$100 Cabelas gift card Saginaw
Field and Stream Club
Made in the USA quilt-lined Realtree Xtra jackets and bib overalls
Carhartt of Dearborn
Shotgun case and hat Ruffed
Grouse Society
Eberlestock team elk pack Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation
Two-day/two-night guided hunt
winners choice between guided turkey,
deer or bear hunt; includes lodging and
food East Lake Outfitters of Essexville
Memberships National and
Mid-Michigan Chapter of Safari Club
International
Custom shooting ear plugs and hat
Michigan Hearing of Lake Orion
Half-day, fully guided five-bird
pheasant hunt Bear Creek Hunt Club
of Clayton
$100 gas card MUCC of Lansing
$100 Jays Sporting Goods gift card
9&10 News of Cadillac
BrewVine passports valued at $100
BrewVine of Northern Michigan
Sweatshirt and hat Waterfowl
USA of Erie
Fletching Kit Bohning Archery of
Lake City
Personalized Pure Michigan Hunt

25

A good use for

Early spring bass with jerkbaits

and more...By Buck Mallory

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

s an avid duck hunter, Ive

heard folks ask over the
years whether those abundant coots you see on lakes
around the Midwest in fall
and spring are good to eat
or not. I saw a recipe once that used
a ton of garlic and hot sauce and proclaimed that coots could be broiled or
grilled to perfection. I think if you like
garlic and hot sauce, the same recipe
could have worked to make an old life
jacket edible.
They might not be good to eat
but in the spring, coots are a valuable
commodity for finding the first bass
of the year. When you see them on
the water swimming around and diving, you can bet theyre eating fresh,
green weeds. After a long winter,
green weeds attract bass like free beer
attracts some of my fishing buddies.
Coots can find the fresh stuff on any
body of water.
The reason bass are around green
weeds is that lots of weeds die off in
the winter, whether or not the lake
gets covered with ice. Less sunlight
takes its toll on a lakes vegetation,
and areas of a lake with patches of
coontail and cabbage weeds will
usually have more oxygen. Plus,
those remaining weeds often hold
large numbers of baitfish and baby

26

panfishtheyll be in those weeds

more densely than during the rest of
the year simply because the lake has
fewer weeds overall.
Most of the time, bass are rather
lethargic, but still have a killer instinct
in the cold water of spring. Sometimes
you can provoke a reaction strike with
a crankbait or a spinnerbait crashing
through a basss strike zone. Sometimes you can get these cold water fish
to bite a finesse presentation such as a
tube bait or a small worm like the Ned
Rig. However, the most consistent
cold-water producer for me and many
angling friends is the classic jerkbait.
Rogues, Husky Jerks, Rebel Minnows, Strike King KVD J200s and
the like are all examples of jerkbaits
that anglers can use successfully in
the early spring. But this time of year,
a better name for jerkbaits might
be twitch-and-settle baits. Thats
because instead of ripping a jerkbait
through a basss living room like
you can do successfully later in the
spring or in the fall, a slower, pausing
retrieve is usually more effective.
In fact, watch a jerkbait angler
who knows what hes doing in the
spring, and it looks almost like hes
free-lining a live, unweighted shiner
minnow out there. Hes holding his
rod tip high and watching his line, oc-

229 W. 5th Street Pinconning

2 blocks east of light off M-13

989-879-1110 www.northwoodsoutlet.com

The author holds a jerkbait bass for the camera.

casionally tightening up the slack and
giving it a quick twitch. And then he
waits and watches his line some more.
You cant let a jerkbait pause
long enough, says my friend Randy
VanDam, brother of a fellow named
Kevin and father of one of my best
friends, touring bass pro Jonathon
VanDam. He owns D & R Sports, a
full service hunting, fishing and boating store in Kalamazoo.
I tend to disagree with Randy,
but only because Im too impatient
to let a jerkbait set for more than 10
or 20 seconds. On a really good day
when I havent had much coffee, I
can let it set for 30 seconds. But I
know patience is something I need
to work on, and letting the lure set
there longer will get me some more
bites. Sometimes bites dont happen
until the lure has sat there for a whole
minuteor so Ive heard. Ive never
let one just sit there for that long! This
year I might bring along a stop watch

and actually time the pauses, just to

see if I can actually let it sit there for a
minute or more.
Heres another critical point: Use
a jerkbait that suspends, not one that
floats. Bass wont often go to the
surface to suck down a motionless
minnow-imitator this time of year,
largely because there arent usually
many dying minnows floating on the
surface. Bass will, however, often
suck down a minnow that is suspended, maybe rotating its tail or nose
toward the bottom ever so slowly.
Bass will inhale a jerkbait, too, if
its suspending and moving ever so
slowly like a dying fish.
Winter and prolonged cold water without a lot of food is tough on
baitfish, and lots of them, stressed to
the max, basically give up the ghost
in early spring. A bass, as a predator,
has the job of keeping lakes free dying
fish, and they take on this responsibility with varying degrees of enthusi-

Even when a mallard joins the flock, coots on the water are a sure sign that green weedsand bassare nearby.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

asm. They dont seem to like to chase

a fast-moving bait a long way in cold
water, but they will come from a
good ways away and eat it if the bait
is still kicking a little, but not moving
far. Hence the slow, pausing, twitching retrieve.
Many jerkbaits suspend right
out of the box and you dont have to
modify them to get them to lolly-gag
in the water column. My favorite
baits are the ones that suspend, but
start to float slowly upward. I like to
take these and add a SuspenDot or
two to the belly of the lure, just in
front of the rear hook. Storm SuspenDots are basically a small circle of
lead foil with a sticky back. This tiny
bit of added weight will make the lure
act like a dying goldfish sucking for
air. When you twitch, the nose shoots
downward, making the lure sit horizontally for a moment, and as you let
it set, the nose slowly moves upward.
Bass have a hard time resisting this
slow, subtle action.
Many experienced bass anglers
use spinning gear for jerkbaits, feeling they can get longer casts and
cover more water. They can also use
lighter line in lakes with super clear
water in spring. I prefer a baitcaster,
just because I feel like I have better control of the lure. I can still use
8-pound line on a baitcaster in clear
water, too. For rods, I like something
with a medium action and a mediumfast tip, 7-feet long or longer to keep
the line above the waters surface as
I watch it for strikes. A faster tip with
a heavier action rod can pull the bait
too hard when the fish grabs it, and
the jerkbaits smaller hooks might not
hit home.
Along these same lines, I have
found that a hard hook-set can miss
fish. I prefer to reel and lean when I
get a bite; just tighten up the line and
pull those sharp little jerkbait hooks
into the basss lip.
One final note: perch colors are
great in the spring in northern waters
that have lots of yellow-bellies, as
lots of baby perch kick the bucket
after a long winter. I also like the
tannish-yellowish AYU color offered
in the Strike King KVD J200. Ive no
idea what the bass think this is, but
its a subtle color with a little bit of
flash and they do eat it up.
So this spring, look for coots, and
learn to enjoy watching them do their
running takeoff from the water when
you move your boat into their midst.
As you start fishing the weeds those
coots just showed you, watch where
the flock goes. Theyll likely land in
a different part of the lake and start
feeding again in your next good fishing spot.n

27

What happened to the Grayling reintroduction in Michigan?

hen I was studying fisheries at the University

of Michigans School
of Natural Resources
my major professor was
Karl Lagler. Lagler
was one of the pioneers of Michigan fisheries. He proudly told us
young students how he had collected
a specimen from one of Michigans
last grayling populations. There have
been several historical attempts to
re-introduce grayling to Michigan and
Wisconsin waters without success.
According to retired Fisheries
Supervisor Ray Juetten one such attempt was in the Otter River in Upper
Michigans Keweenaw Peninsula.
This and many other historical reintroduction attempts failed. Reportedly, although the main population of
grayling in Michigan was in Northern
Lower Michigans streams, the last
population of grayling in Michigan
was found in the Keweenaw Peninsulas Otter River. Grayling disappeared
from the Otter River in the mid-1930s.
Troy Zorn, Michigan DNR
fisheries research biologist and other
researchers like Gaylord Alexander
extensively checked grayling history
for a study of the Au Sable River. The
researchers found a historical account

Two Arctic grayling showing their large dorsal fin. Unfortunately they were not caught in
Michigan, rather in a mountain stream on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Author photo
documenting that construction of the
railroad to Grayling in 1873 and the
discovery of a world renowned recreational fishery in the Au Sable River
led to the great increase in recreational
fishery for grayling.
Reportedly anglers came
from all over the U. S. and
Europe in quest of Arctic
grayling. This resulted
in an increase in fishing
guides and development of
a specialized Au Sable River
boat to float clients down the
river to fish. The Michigan
Fisheries Centennial Report
states that the most
famous grayling
streams were Au
Sable, Manistee,
Muskegon, Boardman, Pine and Hershey (tributary to
the Muskegon).
Grayling are relatively easily
caught and very susceptible to exploitation. In those days with no bag
limits it was reportedly easy to catch
extremely large numbers (reportedly
hundreds) of grayling. In part exploitation lead to the demise of grayling
populations in Northern Lower Peninsula rivers.
The grayling is a member of the
trout/salmon family of fish. Aggressive stocking of brook, brown, and
rainbow trout established those species in places that only grayling were
native. The grayling did not compete

well with the other species of trout

and other fish species. As other species of trout established themselves
in former grayling waters grayling
greatly declined.
Brook trout and other naturalized
species of Michigan trout
spawn in the fall. Grayling
spawn in the very early
spring. All pine logs were
transported down to mills by
river drives in the late 1800s.
The timing of these very
disruptive spring flooding
and scouring events of the
log drives were thought to
be extremely detrimental to the spring
spawning grayling
natural reproduction.
It appears logging
permanently altered former good
grayling habitat and facilitated the
shift to other species like brook and
brown trout.
Many reintroductions have failed
due to transferring limited number
of a species to minimal waters or in
some cases, the wrong fish strain was
used. This was not the case in the
most recent grayling reintroduction to
Northern Michigan in the late 1980s.
DNR fisheries research biologists
studied potential strains and obtained
two strains that were thought to be
best suited to Michigan habitat conditions. Grayling were introduced to
eight streams and 15 lakes in Northern

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

COVER STORY...
By Bill Ziegler

28

to travel to a distant state for that experience. My family has found excellent stream and lake grayling angling
in a number of streams and lakes in
Alaska where they are both native in
streams and stocked in lakes. This
experience is also possible in some
northern areas of Canada and to
limited degree in some Northwestern
Rocky Mountain States. If you get the
chance to fish for this scrappy member of the salmon family, I would
highly encourage you to take it.n

229 W. 5th Street

Pinconning

2 blocks east of light off M-13

989-879-1110
www.northwoodsoutlet.com

PLANT YOUR HABITAT

IT'S TIME TO ORDER YOUR TREES AND SHRUBS

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Place Your Order Now For Spring Planting Projects. We Offer Evergreens, Hardwoods, Fruiting
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3001 Coolidge Rd, Suite 250 East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: 517-324-5274 Fax: 517-324-4435

ALCONA CD

DICKINSON CD

LENAWEE CD

ALPENA CD

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MANISTEE CD

320 S. State St.

Harrisville 48740
989-724-5272
www.alconaconservation.org
1900 M-32 West
Alpena 49707
989-356-3596 x3
www.alpenacd.org

420 North Hooper St.

Kingsford 49802
906-774-1550
www.dickinsoncd.org
551 Courthouse Dr., Ste 3
Charlotte 48813
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BRANCH CD

387 N. Willowbrook Rd., Ste F GENESEE CD

1525 North Elms Rd.
Coldwater 49036
Flint 48532
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810-230-8766 x3
www.branchcd.org
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CHARLEVOIX CD
303 North St.
Boyne City 49712
231-582-6193
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2847 Ashmun St.

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906-635-1278
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588 Olds St., Bldg #2

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HURON CD

1460 South Van Dyke

Bad Axe 48413
989-269-9549 x3
www.huroncd.org

CLINTON CD

IONIA CD

DELTA CD

JACKSON CD

2343 N. US-27
St Johns 48879
989-224-3720 x3
www.clintonconservation.org
6822 US 2-41 & M35
Gladstone 49837
906-553-7700
www.deltacd.org

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616-527-2620 x101
www.ioniacd.org
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517-784-2800 x5
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Bear Lake 49614
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www.manisteecd.org

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906-226-2461 x129
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231-839-7193
www.missaukeecd.org

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1137 South Telegraph Rd.

Monroe 48161
734-241-7755 x5
www.monroecd.org

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4735 Holton Rd.

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231-828-5097
www.muskegoncd.org

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www.newaygocd.org

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Clarkston 48346
248-922-7822
www.oaklandconservationdistrict.org

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231-861-5600 x3
www.oceanaconservation.org

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1900 South Morrice Rd.

Owosso 48867
989-723-8263 x3
www.shiawasseeccd.org

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1075 Cleaver Rd.

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989-673-8174 x3
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1035 East Michigan Ave.,

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Paw Paw 49079
269-657-4030 x5
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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Lower and the Upper Peninsula of

Michigan. Grayling were reintroduced to the Au Sable and Manistee
Rivers where they had been indigenous.
However, a few streams in the UP
were thought to be the graylings best
chance of successful reintroduction.
Grayling do not tolerate competition even from other trout species
very well. Several streams in Alger
County had high water quality and
barrier falls in the lower sections of
the stream. Brook trout populations
were limited in these streams and no
other salmonid species were present.
Introductions were made in
1987 and 1988 to the best candidate
streams although follow up evaluation indicated the stocked grayling
had moved out of the host streams.
Surveys indicated no stream introductions were successful in establishing
a naturally reproducing population of
grayling.
Survival in a number of small
trout lakes and ponds was significantly better and a viable sport fishery
was developed in a number of the
lakes and ponds targeted for grayling
introduction. Grayling, like most trout
species, need to spawn in streams.
Unfortunately the lake portion of the
grayling reintroduction was an expensive Put Grow and Take program
and was finally dropped in the early
1990s.
In the end the experiment with
reintroduction of grayling to Michigan failed to re-establish naturally
reproducing populations. The reasons
are not entirely clear, although the
consensus was that habitat conditions
and certainly fish communities have
changed significantly in the rivers
where grayling were indigenous.
More puzzling, even in high water
quality streams in the U.P. where
competition from other fish and trout
species was minimal, the habitat
was still not adequate for grayling
to establish a resident population.
Apparently, some habitat aspect
was missing. In the end, of course,
grayling were not native to those U.P.
streams where there was both high
water quality and minimal trout species competition.
Grayling are of similar size to
brook trout. The comprehensive
text, Fresh Water Fishes of Canada
states the average size is 12 to 15
inches in length. From personal angling observation many of the stream
resident grayling we have caught (like
brook trout) are more like 6 to 10
inches in length. Grayling readily will
take small spinners although the most
effective presentation is to use flies.
For those trout angling enthusiasts
that want to fish for this species that
was a significant part of Michigans
trout stream heritage; they will have

29

Hunter success rate increases as MDNR

biologists continue to track bear population

is to increase bear numbers as justified by habitat

capabilities. We will then begin to stabilize the
population by increasing the harvest after population growth is evident.
Regulated hunting helps keep bear populations
at acceptable levels. DNR officials staying connected with stakeholders and constituents, and setting license quotas based on appropriate population
goals, will help manage a healthy bear population.
Bear hunting seasons open across Michigan in
September and, depending on bear management
unit, largely continue into October. Some days of
the hunt are restricted to bait-only hunting, while
bait and dogs may be used during the remaining
days of the seasons.
Non-resident licenses in Michigan are capped at
2 percent. In 2015, 125 out-of-state residents were
granted bear hunting licenses from the nearly 7,000
DNR biologists said preliminary results showed issued.
a 12-percent increase in the 2015 statewide bear
Bear nuisance complaints in the U.P. tallied a
harvest over 2014.
bit over 100 for 2015, down from the peak of nearly
Hunter success rates continue to increase in
250 in 2004. In the northern Lower Peninsula,
Phil Barry of Hancock with a bear he harvested. Barry
many bear management units throughout Michibear complaints were over 120 in 2014, but had
was among roughly 70 participants in a Bear Forum
gan, said Kevin Swanson, a wildlife management
slipped to more closely align with the U.P. in 2015.
held in Mackinac County.
specialist with the DNRs bear and wolf program.
In 2003, complaints peaked in the northern Lower
This is one indication of good bear numbers.
Peninsula at more than 160.
Swanson said in general, most bear hunters
Numerous factors affect bear complaints includwant Michigan to have more bears.
ing available food sources and public attitudes
The harvest in Michigan of 1,647 bears in
toward bears over time as population numbers
In 2014, the DNR began using the statistical
2015 remains approximately 30 percent below the
increase.
catch-at-age
analysis among its measures to estipeak harvest of 2006, Swanson said.
mate
bear
population
levels in Michigan.
Since 1990, the peak harvest in the U.P. ocFew
states
have
committed to the collection of
curred in 2006 at more than 2,000 bears, while the
such
detailed
harvest
data
as Michigan, said Sarah
northern Lower Peninsula high harvest was in 2008
Mayhew,
a
DNR
wildlife
research
biologist who
at over 500 bears.
developed the statistical analysis. The mandatory
registration and tooth collection of harvested bears
and the annual harvest mail surveys have given us
Bear populations throughout Michigan currently
data sets filled with information about the states
are stable or are increasing, depending on region.
bear populations that we have, until now, not taken
Bears are found across roughly 35,000 square miles
full advantage of.
of suitable habitat, mostly in the northern two-thirds
The statistical analysis uses the data sets to estiof the state. Most of Michigans bears live in the
mate
the size of Michigans bear populations, along
U.P.
with
mortality
rates and the number of recruits,
According to the DNRs Statistical Catch-Atwhich
are
new
yearlings added to the population
Age (SCAA) analysis which uses bear sex and
each
year.
age data since 1992 bear abundance in Michigan
Since 1989, DNR bear researchers have been
was most recently estimated at a total of 10,754
using tetracycline bear bait surveys in the U.P. Hair
sub-adult and adult bears, with 8,721 in the U.P.
snare surveys were first conducted in 2003 in the
and 2,033 in the northern Lower Peninsula. Those
northern Lower Peninsula. Prior to that, there was
figures represent bear pre-harvest in 2014.
no estimate of the bear population in that region.
While the analysis estimates the bear population
They are both mark-recapture surveys wherein
in the Upper Peninsula has dropped about 9 percent
we
mark
a subset of the population, recapture
since 2000, in the northern Lower Peninsula, bear
those
marks
in the harvest and then calculate an
numbers have risen an estimated 64 percent over
estimate
of
the
population based on the number of
the past 15 years.
bears marked and the number recaptured, Mayhew
Phillip Barry of Hancock is a bear hunter who
said.
said he thinks the bear population is rising based
She said both surveys are extremely labor intenon the 2015 license allotments and his personal
sive
and provide only an occasional estimate of the
observations.
total
bear population.
This year, for the first time in several years, I
To
generate annual estimates, we used to use
recorded several sows with cubs, Barry said. The
the
mark-recapture
estimates as a starting point and
1 -year-old (age) class appears to be increasing
projected
forward
based
on assumptions of bear
also. In fact, I passed on two 160- to 175-pound
reproduction, survival, and harvest, Mayhew said.
bears to let them grow.
The SCAA models allow us to now generate an
State bear managers have worked to balance
annual estimate of the bear population broken down
requests from the public for more bears with local
by a number of different sex and age classes.
bear population densities and numbers of bear nuiBiologists can also use the harvest data and
sance complaints.
models
to estimate a variety of other demographic
Due to previous concerns expressed by DNR
parameters
such as bear reproduction and survival.
biologists and a wide array of hunters and bear
We
now
use the mark-recapture estimates to
hunting clubs, license quotas and the associated
scale the results of the SCAA model, not as standbear harvest were decreased significantly beginning
alone population estimates, Mayhew said.
in 2012, Swanson said. The current DNR goal

or the past 90 years, black bear hunting has

been part of the bear management program
in Michigan.
Bears are managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to maintain
populations, provide recreational opportunities, including hunting and viewing, and help
reduce the potential for problems with bears.
The strategic goals of the DNRs Black Bear
Management Plan recognize hunting as a priority
component of scientific management that balances
bear biology with the desires of the public.
This past fall, bear hunters took to the woods on
Drummond Island and within six bear management
units in the Upper Peninsula and three units in the
northern half of the Lower Peninsula.

Bear Harvest

Study Methods

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Population Statistics

30

Bear Hunter Surveys

Each spring, the DNR issues results

of its bear hunter mail surveys. The
2014 Michigan Black Bear Hunter
Survey provides the most recent
survey statistics on bear hunters and
their methods:
Eighty-five percent of hunters
relied primarily on bait alone.
About 11 percent relied primarily on dogs alone or a combination of
baiting and dogs.
Eighty-two percent of bears
harvested were taken over bait.
Baiting hunters had a 28-percent
success rate, while hunters using dogs
had a 37-percent success rate.
The success rate for hunters who
used a guide was 43 percent.
About 12 percent of Michigans
662 hunters hired a guide, which accounted for about 19 percent of the
statewide bear harvest.
Across Michigan, 78 percent
of successful applicants purchased a
bear hunting license.

Elk monitoring in Michigan

Sarah Mayhew, a MDNR wildlife research

biologist who developed the statistical
catch-at-age analysis, is shown with a
black bear cub. MDNR photos
Forum participants also discussed
theobromine or chocolate poisoning,
which occurred in Michigan in a bear
cub in 2010 and raccoons in 2002 and
2005. No other instances have been
reported dating over 80 years.
A notice warning hunters of the
harm caused by chocolate will be in
the DNRs 2016 bear hunting digest.
The DNR will continue to monitor reports of dead animals at bait
sites and a question will be added to
the bear hunter surveys we distribute,
asking hunters whether they use any
chocolate or cocoa derivative as bait,
Swanson said.
With the recent increase in bear
hunter success rates, enhanced statistical analysis and valuable input
gained from hunters and others, the
DNR will continue to monitor Michigan bear populations, balancing what
the public desires with whats beneficial for bears.
For more information on bear
hunting, visit the DNRs webpage at
www.michigan.gov/bear.n

Federal tax credits are about to expire!!

MILLIONS

U.P. Bear Forum

In December, about 70 participants gathered in Mackinac County

for a Bear Forum meeting. The session was designed to engage DNR
staff and a wide variety of groups and
non-affiliated stakeholders who have
an interest in bear management.
Potential regulatory topics were
discussed for the upcoming 2017-18
regulation cycle. Forum attendees
also reviewed the preliminary harvest
results and other statistics.
Several attendees polled at the
session said theyd seen more bears
since regulation changes made in
2012. Others said black bear numbers
were rebounding, but the population
still needs to grow.
Barry attended the forum for the
first time.
l was impressed with how the
DNR will be blending stakeholder
experience and knowledge with
scientific data to formulate regulation
recommendations, Barry said.

The DNR just finished its 2016

elk survey after nine days of flying in
northern Michigan.
Every other year, we conduct
the survey by counting elk from an
airplane, said DNR Field Operations
Manager Brian Mastenbrook. Because elk are so large and typically
found in groups, they are a great animal to count by airplane. An airplane
allows us to cover large areas much
quicker than any other method, and it
gives us a confident estimate of elk.
Two airplanes flew transects, or grids, over the entire elk range, which is in
the northeast Lower Peninsula from Indian River east to Onaway, south to Atlanta
and back west to Gaylord. The planes covered 88 transects each two miles wide
by six miles long flying more than 5,000 miles.
This is an extremely effective survey that provides great input for our
management recommendations, said Mastenbrook. Weve used this survey to
generate population estimates since 2008.
In recent survey years, population estimates of elk were 1,040 (2012) and 668
(2014).
A total of 1,002 individual elk were counted during the 2016 survey, giving
a population estimate of 1,371 elk. The number of animals seen during an aerial
survey is always an underestimate, because not all can be seen from the airplane.
Although winter is the best time for an aerial survey because elk stand out against
the white snow and leaves are off the trees, they still can be missed among dense
conifer trees, which do not drop their needles annually. Therefore, to provide a
more accurate estimate of elk, a correction factor is used. The correction factor,
developed by running experimental trials on radio-collared elk, is now the standard practice among wildlife managers across the nation.
Mastenbrook said part of managing an animals population is having clear
goals, and todays elk management goals are to balance the population with the
available habitat, or food and cover required; use hunting as the primary method
of population control; and improve the publics understanding of elk. He said the
elk population goal is 500 to 900 animals in order to reduce crop damage, disease
concerns and forest regeneration, while maximizing recreational opportunities.
"Michigan has come a long way with elk management," Mastenbrook said.
"Elk had disappeared from Michigan in the late 1800s, and todays population
is a result of seven elk released in 1918, just outside of Wolverine. Even though
elk are found only in the northern Lower Peninsula, they are an important part of
Michigans natural resources history and also a great conservation success story."
Currently elk can be viewed throughout the Pigeon River State Forest area.
Visit Michigan.gov/elk for more information. To learn more, watch a short video
about the 2016 elk survey.

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Development of the SCAA

analysis began in 2012 and was first
used to help inform bear management
during discussions of the 2015-2016
harvest management recommendations.
Prior to that we generated population estimates through a combination of the mark-recapture population
estimates every two years in the
U.P. and every four to five years in
the northern Lower Peninsula and
a completely different population
model known as the accountingstyle model, Mayhew said.
Biologists will update the SCAA
model in March or April when the
ages of the recently harvested bears
become available.
At that point we will have an
estimate of the pre-harvest 2015
population and we will be able to
start projecting forward from there to
future years based on various proposed harvest scenarios, Mayhew
said.

31

SPRING WALLEYES;

GO BIG & BOLD

Cover Story ... By Kenny Darwin

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

32

ichigan fishermen love

the spring walleye bite.
When ice disappears and
spring robins announce
daylight, Michigans
waterways are alive with
spawning fish and some of the best
fishing of the entire year becomes
available, particularly for trophy
walleyes. Sure there are times when
small jigs and tiny minnows take fish
but typically when walleyes become
active it makes sense to offer them
something worth chasing. Lures that
resemble mature baitfish are important
and when it comes to fishing rivers
large jigs fit the criteria. The trick is
to tip them with something that offers
flash, wiggles like live bait and triggers a feeding frenzy from big supertankers. This point is best made by
the following anecdote.
It was a warm spring day when I
picked up my son Zach and his girl,
Kat Hawkes from Dearborn, and we
bought minnows at Bottomline and
headed to the Trenton Channel for
walleyes. We tipped our 5/8 oz. jigs
with Fin-S-Fish by Lunker City and
bounced offerings along bottom. The
weather was perfect as I used the bow
mounted Minn Kota electric motor to
keep lines vertical. Zach hooked the
first fish but Kat quickly put a fat hen
in the net. Soon the sun touched the
western horizon and Kat broke off on
a snag. I think Ill use this one, she
announced as Zach attached to her
line a bright chartreuse TJs Walleye
jig tipped with a Fin-S Chartreuse
Ice minnow. Then she reached into
the minnow bucket and grabbed the
biggest minnow available. Soon as
the bold offering hit bottom Kat was
fighting a monster walleye. It stripped
line from the reel and she let out a
delightful scream. The tug of war was
interesting to watch and when the big
hawgeye came to net she smiled from
ear to ear.
I readied the camera, snapped
photos of the duo as they proudly held
their prize catches in the beautiful
setting sun. From the corner of the
jaw of the impressive fish Kat held
dangled a big sparkling plastic and
super bright jig. I laughed with joy at
the sight of my son enjoying Michigans great outdoors on a pleasant day

with his dad and girlfriend. Seagulls

circled above and announced the end
of our adventure. We motored back
to the launch with lights reflecting off
the calm surface of the beautiful waterway and our live well full of tasty
walleyes.
Whenever I think of spring walleyes, plastics come to mind. When it
comes to realism and fish-attracting
power the debate is over. These fishlooking soft plastic imitation minnows
rule. They offer a combination of
color, realistic profile, natural forked
tail movement and body action that
walleyes simply cannot resist. I prefer
the models with jiggly tails and some
manufacturers are now designing
plastics with metallic sides, big eyes,
gills and more. Last spring I field
tested with outstanding success Jackall Clone Fly in violet shad and Fish
Arrow Flash J split tail plastics made
in Japan. These minnow imitation
plastics are difficult to find, I ordered
them online in the four inch size. I
hope American manufacturers will
come out with similar looking plastics
that look like real minnows.
Im absolutely sold on big bulky
baits for spring hawgs. Walleyes
obviously like the enticing action.
Perhaps the draw is itsy forked tails
that vibrate in the current, maybe its
the dancing tail action that mimics
baitfish, or is it a wiggling darting
flash that draws the savage strike?
My hottest bait is a Fin-S-Fish colored
Blue Ice rigged on a TJs Tackle 5/8
oz. walleye jig. However the secret
to limit catches is you need to bulk up
the presentation and add a live minnow. And Im talking a large walleye size blue shiner that resembles a
miniature tarpon. There is something
powerfully attractive about this big
and bold presentation that gets the
attention of big walleyes and causes
them to engulf the offering.
Jig size is important but color
and jigging technique are the keys to
fishing success. In cold clear water
fish it slow. In stained or off-color
water slow the drop and lift jigging
technique. At times you lightly drag
bottom or twitch the offering near bottom to entice strikes. In clear warmer
water you can jig more aggressively,
hop it in the current and aggressive

Kat Hawkes, Dearborn, found that

river walleyes love bulky minnow imitation plastics that sparkle, wiggle,
dance and vibrate in current. Come
sunset she found a bright chartreuse jig tipped with Fin-S-Minnow
along with live minnow was a winning combination that produced big
fish and a happy smile.
monsters will gulp the offering. With
a jig and plastics you can fish slow by
dragging bottom, medium speed by
lifting and dropping or fast by thunking bottom and lifting the jig 15-24
inches off bottom and allowing it to
free fall and crash bottom. Jigs that
tap bottom disturb sand and have an
action like a live minnow dusting bottom in search of food.
It is also my belief after watching
walleyes feed that when baitfish tip
upward and nibble on bottom they are
in a precarious position and walleyes
instinctively attack. Therefore, when
a jig thunks bottom, kicks up silt and
stands upward with plastic minnow
and live minnow attached it mimics
natural movement of live baitfish.
Predator fish instinctively slash at
minnows that have their head in the
sand. Add to the realism a jiggling
plastic tail hugging a live minnow that
wiggles and flashes mint silver and
big territorial walleyes go bonkers.
When stream conditions are ideal
and the fish are biting, you will catch
big dogs that gulp the presentation
with a solid unmistakable thump
strike. You will net fish that engulf
the presentation and you need pliers
to remove the hook from their gullet.
Believe me, there is nothing more enjoyable than large walleyes attacking
your hook. The adrenalin rush keeps

you coming back for more.

With this setup I can bounce it
along bottom, jiggle the rod and make
the forked tail on the minnow wiggle
and POW! Fish on! This offering
is heavy enough to allow me to feel
bottom structure and it comes through
rock piles and sunken logs very well.
Over the years Ive learned I can
triple my catch if I bulk up the presentation with a live minnow. Now
youre talkin about big, bold bait
that not only attracts the attention of
walleyes but it offers the smell of live
bait and seductive wiggle of a silvery
shiner. In some ways the bold offering keeps little fish from striking but
when it comes to those giant walleyes with canine teeth like a German
Shepherd the bite is ferocious, savage
and the results are huge walleyes in
the box.
Rising spring water with murky
to moderately clear conditions is ideal
for this presentation. The combination of snag resistance, flash, vibration, smell and color prove irresistible
to walleyes. Part of the key is to
match the jig size to the water conditions. Use oz. in the Saginaw
River, try 3/8 oz. in the Tittabawassee
River, for Detroit fish in 12-17 ft. try
oz., 5/8 -1 oz. in 20-40 ft. depths.
The faster the current the larger the
weight is a good rule. If the water

MDNR NEWS AND BRIEFS

$100,000 in U.P. Deer Habitat Improvement Grants

turns to chocolate milk try a black jig

head and sparkle chartreuse plastic.
If water temperatures are in the
30s use a slow jigging presentation
by slowly lifting and lowering the
offering. When temperatures hit 40
degrees use more active techniques
and in 50 degree water you can use a
lift and drop style and actively bounce
bottom or jiggle and twitch the offering a foot off bottom and entice
walleyes to swim upward and gulp the
lure.
If water conditions are clear I
switch to Fish Arrow Split Tail minnows which have a slightly smaller
profile but the realism of these plastics
is unsurpassed. Split Tails have gills,
bulky eyes, lateral line. Wiggly forked
tail, metallic flash from sides and
scale pattern covering their irresistible body. Fish Arrow look and feel
like a live minnow. My top producers were four-inch Flash-J Split tail
colored: Maiwashi, Sirasu, Katakuchi,
Neon Green and Pro Blue with silver
sides. When large hen walleyes have
finished spawning chores and smaller
males are still in rivers switch to the
perch color or purple/gold colors for

increased hook ups.

When it comes to plastic worms,
I like the Lunker City Ribster 4.5inch ribbed variety in black or brown
colors. Ribsters have extra-action
because of a uniquely designed slinky
tail section. In addition, they have a
special cupped Willowleaf tail that
will catch the river current and cause
the worm to wiggle. However, the
most popular plastic worm used on
walleye rivers in Michigan is the
four-inch Wyandotte Worm and the
hot colors include white, brown and
black. To make worms even more
appealing make certain to tip the hook
with a lively minnow and use a small
piece of plastic to hold the live bait in
position.
Try these tactics this spring and I
guarantee you will be happy with the
results. Kat certainly enjoyed catching those big walleyes on big and
bold presentations. But come to think
of it all the fish came to the surface
with a smile on their face. I think
they slammed the hook just so they
could get cranked to the surface to get
a peek at the gorgeous blond on the
other end of the line.n

The MDNR has announced a March 1 deadline to apply for a total of $100,000
in deer habitat improvement grant funding in the Upper Peninsula. The Deer Habitat
Improvement Partnership Initiative is a competitive grant program designed to
enhance deer habitat on non-state-managed lands in the U.P.
Now in its eighth year, the initiative is supported by the states Deer Range
Improvement Program, which is funded by a portion of deer hunting license revenue. The maximum amount of individual grants has been raised from $10,000 to
$15,000, with the minimum remaining grants at $2,000 each.
In the U.P., all of the deer population is situated on about 30 percent of the
regions landscape during the winter months.
Project applications must be postmarked by Tuesday, March 1, and successful applicants will be notified by Friday, March 18. The complete grant application
package is available on the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants. For
more information or questions regarding eligibility, please contact Bill Scullon at
906-563-9247 or scullonh@michigan.gov.

DNR continues investigation of dead cougar found in Dickinson County

MDNR COs are continuing their investigation into the finding of a dead mountain lion in Dickinson County, about 4 miles north of Iron Mountain in early Feb.
The dead male cougar, was discovered by a woman walking her dog near the intersection of Johnson Road and Dickinson County Road 607 in Breitung Township.
The carcass of the cougar has been sent to the DNRs Wildlife Disease Laboratory in Lansing where a necropsy, or animal autopsy, will be performed to determine
the cause of death.
When we inspected the cougar, we found it had been in a snare, said Lt.
Pete Wright, of the DNRs Customer Service Center in Marquette. This was later
confirmed by X-rays.
Cougars are listed as endangered species in Michigan and are protected by state
law. The DNR has confirmed 33 cougar reports in the U.P. since 2008, but so far
there remains no evidence of a breeding population.
The DNRs Report All Poaching hotline offers money to tipsters. Rewards vary
in amount depending on the incident being investigated and the information provided. Anyone with information concerning this case can contact Lt. Pete Wright at
906-226-1328 or call the RAP hotline at 1-800-292-7800. Those providing tips may
remain anonymous.
To learn more about cougars in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/cougars.

DNR seeks public's help monitoring moose

U.P., or those who are just visiting, to share any moose sightings through the Moose
Observation Report form, now available online. The DNR has been monitoring
Michigan's moose population since the species reintroduction to the state in the
1980s. To estimate the population status of Michigan moose, the DNR conducts
aerial surveys across the core moose range in the western Upper Peninsula. When
determining the aerial survey sample area, observation reports are important resources that help to identify where resident moose occur.
Observation reports give insight to where resident moose are being seen in the
U.P., allowing us to assess the distribution prior to conducting the aerial survey,
said Chad Stewart, deer, elk and moose management specialist for the DNR. The
survey is an important tool that provides an abundance estimate of moose in Michigan. Using the observation reports helps us tailor our survey to account for any
distribution changes that may have occurred over the past couple of years so we can
get the most accurate estimate of our moose population.
Citizen participation is the key to monitoring Michigans moose population.
Learn more about moose in Michigan or report sightings by visiting mi.gov/moose.

Some of the authors winning walleye combinations include: Black Ribster worm, Blue
Ice Fin-s-Minnow and Fish Arrow Flash-J Split Tail minnows. Modern plastics have lifelike
realism and are designed for maximum tail movement but you can up your odds if you
tip them with a live minnow. Author photos

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

State awards $3.6 million in grants to combat invasive species

Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program will fund 19 projects across the state.
The MDNR, DEQ and ARD announced the award of 19 grant projects totaling $3.6
million, under the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program. The program a joint
effort of the three departments is part of a statewide initiative launched in 2014 to
help prevent and control invasive species in Michigan.
This grant program seeks to strengthen partners efforts in:
Preventing, through outreach and education, new introductions of invasive
species.
Monitoring for the introduction of new invasive species and the expansion of
current invasive species.
Responding to and working to eradicate new findings and range expansions.
Strategically managing and controlling key colonized species.
Grant amounts range from approximately $35,000 to $350,000, and recipients include nonprofit organizations, universities, conservation districts and other units of
government. The full list of grant recipients, project descriptions and grant amounts
is available on the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program Web page.
Several projects are designed to reduce the introduction and spread of invasive
species via pathways such as firewood, recreational travel and ship ballast water.
Outreach campaigns targeting oak wilt, invasive plants and aquarium pets will help
industries and consumers adopt strategies to prevent those species unintentional
introduction and spread in Michigan. Funding will expand efforts to eradicate
invasive phragmites from coastal areas and wetlands in Saginaw Bay and the Upper
Peninsula through aggressive treatment, monitoring and strategic management and
restoration planning. A host of technologies, including high-resolution satellite and
drone imagery, radio telemetry and environmental DNA will assist in detecting and
controlling populations of European frogbit, invasive phragmites and feral swine.
Grant applicants were asked to commit to providing at least 10 percent of the
total project cost in the form of a local match. Learn more about invasive species in
Michigan at www.michigan.gov/invasivespecies.

33

The Ultimate Moving Water Lure For Steelhead And Many Other Species...

Custom weighted spinners

s I write this in mid-winter,

the 2015-16 steelhead run
has been relatively light
in most Lake Michigan
tributaries. When steelhead
numbers are down they will
often be quite scattered in the rivers
and covering lots of water will be key
to being successful. The weighted
spinner is a great searching
lure as it attracts fish both
visibly and sonically from a
considerable distance. Thus,
using spinners can shorten
the time it takes to find steelhead in your favorite river.
Even though very large,
gaudy spinners with real
silver blades will be
the most visible it is
important to remember that too large of a
spinner may turn off or spook steelhead. So, as is the case any time and
with any fish species it is important to
match the conditions with your spinner. Your goal is to make sure the fish
notice and are attracted to the spinner

without over doing it.

Both atmospheric and stream conditions need to be taken into account.
A brighter spinner will be better when
the stream is large, the holding water
is deep, and there is some cloudiness
(turbidity) or stain to the water. Likewise, when the day is dark and the
sky is cloudy or there is lots of shade
a shiny silver spinner will be
the one to tie on to your line.
Conversely, when fishing a
small very clear stream on
a sunny day you will want
your lure to have a muted
flash and a smaller blade.
The amount of light reflected
by the various metals used
for blade varies greatly
and utilizing that information helps you pick
out your spinner. The
amount of light reflected by nickel and
chrome is about 60 percent while copper and brass reflect about 75 percent.
Real gold reflects a bit more, usually
in the low 80s while real silver reflects
more than 90 percent of the light that

By Jim Bedford

4756 N Huron Rd. Pinconning, MI 48650

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Hours: Monday - Thurs. 10-6,
Friday 10-7, Saturday 10-4
Closed Sunday

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34

Pro Series Dealer

Terri Bedford with spring steelhead on a spinner.

strikes it.
The weighted spinner is what
I like to call the ultimate moving
water lure and will catch many other
species besides steelhead. Since many
rivers are quite snaggy, making your
own spinners at a fraction of the cost
of a store bought lure is often the best
plan. Below we outline how to make
spinners of various sizes.
The weighted spinner is very easy
for the angler to make. One simply

assembles the component parts with

no carving, painting, or other effort.
There are four principal components to a weighted spinner--the blade,
body, shaft and hook. There are many
styles and shapes of blades available
but the French type is the most popular for weighted spinners. The blade
is now available in seven sizes and is
commonly available in nickel, brass,
and silver finishes. Black nickel, copper, gold, and painted blades can also

be purchased.
Lets start by assembling a
number five spinner for steelhead,
northern pike, and salmon in big rivers. First place fluorescent tubing on
the shank of a size two treble hook.
Hang the hook on the loop of a preformed open wire shaft and close the
loop by sliding on a large brass body
over both wires. Now add a smaller
brass body and two 5mm beads for
a total body length of about 33mm.
The chart below has suggested body
lengths for all sizes but these can be
altered as long as the hook does not
interfere with the spinning of the
blade.
Now hang a number five blade
on a clevis and slide it onto the shaft
with the concave side toward the
hook. Using needle nosed pliers
make a right angle bend in the shaft
about 5/8 inches from the clevis.
Then move the pliers just the width
of them closer to the clevis and make
another right angled bend. Place the
squared off loop in the jaws of the
pliers and squeeze. This will cause
the wires to cross and round the loop.

and then slide on the ounce painted

worm weight followed by two 5 mm
beads. A number six is made the
same way except for using three 5
mm beads on the brass body model
and an 8 mm bead at the base on
the lead body version. Likewise the
only modification for the size three
and four is to use single 4 and 5 mm
beads respectively on the brass body
models.
Blade Size 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Hook Size 10 8 6 4 2 2 2
Shaft wire diameter (inch)
.26 .26 .26 .31 .31 .31 .31
Body length (mm)
11 13 17 21 27 33 40
Smaller models are built slightly
differently because of the smaller
base body. For a size one spinner
you should bend over and clip off
the extra wire of the open loop after
you have slipped on the 1/16 oz brass
body. Next slide on a small bearing
bead followed by a 3/16 solid brass

Janns Netcraft (800-NETCRAFT) and LurePartsOnline.com

are good sources of spinner component parts. If you have trouble
finding what you want or if you are
interested in real matte silver blades,

you can contact the author at (517)

484-5178 or gairdneri@comcast.net
Signed copies of Spinner Magic,
a book about using and making
spinners are also available from the
author.n

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bead and the blade and clevis. The

zero is made the same way except
a 7/32 brass bead is used instead of
the body and the size two and light
weight three models are made using the 1/16 oz. body, a smaller
brass body and one 4 or 5 mm bead,
respectively.

Great for trolling in congested areas and for more effective contour
trolling along drop offs, contour lines, reef edges and weed lines in
rivers, lakes or the ocean. Effective for all species.

Run more lines out the back of the boat by staggering the TX-007.
Run any distance from the boat yet maintain desired depth.
Easy to attach and remove. Suitable for salt water or fresh water

TX-22 and TX-44 are reversible and both have

a fluorescent red flag included, making the
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TX-22 Special
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The most perfectly balanced boards on the

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35

By Robert Dock Stupp

omewhere along the

path that anglers take
from boyhood to
senior citizen there is a
crucial point when an
angler moves from just
asking where the fish are today to why
fish behave the way they do in Michigans seasonal changes. I believe we
anglers and all sportsmen are naturally
curious about Mother Nature.
There is a little bird that flies
15,000 miles roundtrip every year
from Alaska to a relatively small
island --New Zealand. Now that is a
long flight for a jet liner let alone for
a small bird called a bar-tailed godwit
(now thats a very unique name)!
How come the godwit never
misses his target never gets lost?
Ahhh the curiosity of it all! What
other natural mysteries can be found
in a Michigan lake near you!
At the beginning of the U.P. of

Michigan ice fishing season this December and all the way to late March,
my obsession about a favorite fish and
a favorite dish of mine the crappie, borders on the ridiculous. I enjoy
reading about, chasing, and catching
crappies, but I really like observing
them with my new underwater camera. Yes, I saved a bunch of gift cards
and was able to purchase an Aqua VU
micro 5c. The underwater world is
still as fascinating as ever. More about
this later.
Crappies have their own unique
life style. Fishing for them is also
rather unique; one day they are shallow, then deep, and then somewhere
in-between suspended.

Location And Feeding Habits

As a fisherman we are always

curious about a fishs location, feeding
habits, and what they are biting on.
Its a pretty good bet that where you
found crappies in late fall is where

Fishing Benzie County is

Fish on some of Michigans finest waters,

in Benzie County, Michigan!
Enjoy Lake Michigan from our port city of Frankfort or try your
luck on one of our over 57 inland lakes, two rivers and several
streams. Our waters are rich with Coho Salmon, Steelhead,
Brown Trout, Bass, Pike, Walleye, Bluegill and Perch. Every
fishing enthusiast will find just what their fishing for. Crystal
Lake, Big & Little Platte Lakes, the Betsie and Platte Rivers and of
course, Lake Michigan are the most well-known, but you will also
discover hidden gems like Turtle Lake, Long Lake or Herring Lake
that may just be the experience youre looking for.

2016 Fishing
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ty, Michigan!
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ut
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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Lodging choice abound and area sporting shops sell all your fishing
needs and provide tips on the hot spots. Great local shopping
and dining options make for a well-rounded trip to Benzie County.
For more information, call our office or visit our website at
800-882-5801 or www.visitbenzie.com

36

Benzie County
Visitors Bureau

www.visitbenzie.com
800-882-5801
Northern Michigan Preserved
/benziecounty.cvb

First ice produced these nice crappies by using two holes; one hole was used to jig a
waxy and the other hole was used for dead-sticking a two inch minnow.
you will find them at first ice. If you
found crappies in a relatively shallow lake and in the weeds, bug baits
like small jigs tipped with waxworms,
spikes, or wigglers will produce
results. Of course, the new, realistic
plastic imitations with and without
scent will catch a crappies eye too.
On fairly deep, rocky lakes with
lots of structure like underwater
points, rocky hard structure like

underwater islands and reefs, or

boulder-type rock piles, crappies like
to suspend and they probably will eat
minnows up to two inches. A two-inch
minnow imitation or a small spoon
(tipped with a minnow head if needed)
or a hair jig should trigger medium
to large 15-inch and larger crappies.
Larger crappies, I believe, have a
distinct preference for minnows. But,
what if you arent sure which way to

Single/Dual/Triple Holes
Single Holes
Before I bought a shack, I had a
bucket and a hand auger. I drilled a
single hole and sat on the bucket. The
bucket had everything in it, including lunch. But I was still mobile and
productive. Simple is as simple gets.
For ice fishing on the run I like
a longer pole in my hand and an ice
scooper hanging out of my back
pocket. Its a last ice thing when prespawn crappies move shallow. Carrying a bait puck with waxies in your
pocket or a small minnow bucket, we
walk from one hole to the next. Lots
of fun and the fishing is hot.

Double Holes
Enter mobile ice shacks, heaters, and fish finders. December was
too warm to ice fish so I dont know
where the fish are or what crappies
are biting on. So my best bet was to
drill sets of two holes, about two-foot
apart, in shallow weedy cover or out
to the weedline.
I rigged a light pole with one of
the newer straight-line reels where
the line falls straight off a spool and
prevents that coiling effect that spinning reels sometimes cause; the result
is a spinning jig.
I use a small jig and a waxworm
in one hole, jigging or pounding it
with short, quick quivers.
In the other hole I place my
Vexilar, temporarily, and set another
pole on a bucket in the same hole and
use the now familiar dead-sticking
method. I just set the pole on a bucket
and put a two-inch minnow on a
small, glow jig. After a few minutes,
in came a crappie and it ate the waxy.
Sometimes they attack the minnow.
So give crappies a choice and learn
from it.

Triple-Hole
Camera Crazy Dance
Talk about busy! My latest electronic gizmo is my lightweight, portable, underwater camera with a fiveinch screen. However, Im spending

an inordinate amount of time on the

ice. Shack Happy!
My wife and I went to see Revenant, the movie about the mountain
man, Hugh Glass. Great bear mauling
and wilderness scenery! Lots of tense
action, but I gotta tell you, viewing
the underwater extravaganza and all
that goes on, including the predator/
prey relationships, just blows me
away. Just sayin!
So I now drill three holes and
hunker down with my heater and
camera. Fishing? Not as much pass
the popcorn!
I drill the holes in the shape of
a triangle, with the camera hole at
the top of the triangle -- (The other
two holes are set up like the abovementioned two-hole method). The
actual camera is, of course, the
small transducer about the size of an
acorn. The thin wire on the camera/
transducer runs through a devise on
a three-legged tripod placed over the
hole. The beauty of all this is the fact
that I can turn the camera in all directions or stop it when I see a fish or my
lure with a small wireless, remote
control unit I hang on a lanyard
around my neck.
My old, heavy underwater camera
worked well enough, as long as I
could spot my bait and then put two
clamps on the camera cable and then
attach it to the camera case. Tedious
at best!
I am compelled to tell you this
story: one morning last March I went
to a small, Iron County lake that still
had safe, last ice. I set up on one of
my crappie spots in 25-feet of water. I
lowered my old camera to the bottom
and worked up from there. It was
sunny quiet peaceful. Except for
the birds that seemed to be celebrating a pre-spring day. But one bird call
ran a chill down my spine. It was a
shrieking, prehistoric, unworldly call.
A harbinger of things to come? Then,
near the swampy shoreline, I saw
the red head of the striking sandhill
crane.
Immediately following the rau-

cous calls, in about 10-feet of water,

my camera exploded with a bonanza
of crappies. They were swimming
up, down, and all around. I raised my
camera and witnessed a cluster of
dark-speckled crappies porpoising
(as in porpoise) in the water column.
I was getting dizzy from watching
them, darting to and fro. Ill never
forget that piscatorial spectacle.
Were they joyously celebrating
spring and dancing before spawning
time? God only knows. But I know I
caught several diving crappies with
unforgettable thumping action.

Tips
1) Because crappies can be caught
all year round, especially on the
slip-bobber method, I like to use a
smaller, rubber bobber stop size in
the 2-4 lb. line range, even for 6 or
8-lb line. Your slip-bobber will stay
tighter and not move to undesirable
depths. Easy to use just slip your
line through the wire loop and set
your depth.
2) Because crappies and other
panfish like a natural presentation,
one with a lot of jiggle and wiggle,
you can put your hook or jig on your
line with a loop knot. However, if
you have arthritis in your hands or are
lazy like me, I recommend a small

hook holder or snap. It works faster

than I can tie a knot, especially with
cold hands. Try the hook holder, by
Mustad.
3) Mr. Crappie, Wally Marshall,
has a new jig called a Slab Daddy.
One color I like is pink and chartreuse, with a feathery pink tail.
There is a chenille collar too, and it
is perfect for adding scent. All I
know is several times I have been
biteless in Ironland but this jig
saved the day.
Finally, I just got out of my C.A.
meeting thats Crappies Anonymous. This thought still lingers:
Crappies, following their phenomenal
natural characteristics that make a
crappie a crappie, following those
unique genes that give them their
large light-sensitive eyes, and following a perfect profile that gives them
their quick, stealthy maneuvers, I am
still as curious and excited as a little
kid.
Crappies have that flat profile
thats flat and thats that for executing those powerful, circular runs
for freedom, and offering us that hallowed connection to Mother Nature
to wildness on a hook that sustains
us. I have an attitude of gratitude!
Stay curious, my friends.n

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go bugs or Minnows?

37

CRANK
OUT
a new spring

WALLEYE
TRADITION
Next Bite...
By Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

38

here is a lot of tradition in fishing. Whether

it is an annual fishing trip with a group
of friends, stopping for breakfast at the
family-owned restaurant on the edge of
town, or wearing your lucky hat, tradition
isnt something many people stray from.
Once you get on the water, you will most likely
head to your favorite honey hole. On smaller lakes
in the springtime, chances are once you get to your
spot, you will start out jigging. This is because it is
what you have always done or because you read it
in a magazine. This is a big mistake. Fish dont care
and they dont read magazines! They live in their
own environment.
There are many opportunities for casting cranks
on lakes beginning in early April as the water starts
to warm up. The key is to fish shallow structure
near shore.
Any lake with features like; shoreline points,
humps, reefs, rocks, both natural and man-made
reefs can hold spawning walleyes, even if the lake
is connected to a river system. Many people make
the mistake of thinking that all of the walleyes head
up the rivers.
The best areas top out at 2-5 feet, like a hump
that is shoreline connected or a hump that is within
real close vicinity of the shore. Another thing to
look for is any shoreline spawning area with a 2-5
foot drop onto a shelf. Unfortunately, because the
water is really cold, most people automatically
think that they have to jig these areas slowly.
This was the case years ago when Gary was
pitching jigs on a lake while pre-fishing for a tournament. When fishing pro-co tournaments, there are
times that the co-angler doesnt have technical jigging skills. However, because it is a boat weight
tournament, it is important to get the co-angler
catching fish.
Gary was thinking about how it would be
difficult to pitch jigs on that spot if it was windy.
Looking for an alternative presentation to put fish in
the box, cranks became the answer. The key was to
fish them slow.
Since then, time and time again, we discovered
that if we were catching fish on jigs, we could also
go through the area and catch those casting cranks.
The #6 Berkley Flicker Shad is a lure we
designed for casting. It was important to make it
neutrally buoyant and heavy enough to cast. While
any shad styled bait will get bites, it is best to steer
away from #7s and #9s early in the season, as they
have a wider action. Baits with a subtle action are
best for casting in the spring.
The #5 Berkley Flicker Minnow is also a good
choice for casting, as it dives quickly and has more
of a minnow type profile as compared to a shad
style bait. The #5 refers to the length of the bait,
so at 5 cm, this bait is a great size for early season
walleyes that are relating to the newly hatched bait.
By alternating between the shad style and minnow
style bait you should be able to dial in the cranking

This bait is a great size for early season walleyes that are reacting to the newly hatched bait.
presentation.
When it comes to the retrieve, slow and steady,
but still being able to feel the vibration is the rule.
Berkley Nanofil in 10# test is a great no stretch
line. Not only does it allow you to feel the bait,
but it also has the additional advantage of being
a Uni-filament line. Uni-filament means there is
no braiding or fusing, making the line super slick,
which can add significant casting distance for these
lightweight lures.
Steady retrieve is the norm, but occasionally the
lure should also tick the bottom, which will cause
it to jerk off to the side. Also be aware that the nostretch lines will telegraph fish swiping at your bait.
If that happens, stop and pause for a second, then
restart the retrieve. This will often trigger bites.
On any given day, casting cranks will work better than jigs. It is mind blowing to see how aggressively the fish will hit the bait!
Then there is the early spring crank bite on the
Great Lakes. Fishing cranks on the Great Lakes
(and in particular Lake Erie) in spring is a whole
different animal, as the big females will head out
to deeper water right after spawning to chase big
minnows. After you find the bait they want, it is a
numbers game as you troll over a school of roaming
fish. Only a certain percentage of the walleyes in
the school will take the bait.
Boat speed and water temperature are key.
When the water temperatures are still in the 30s and
40s the fish tend to prefer cranks that are 9cm-13cm
long overnight crawler harnesses. Once again, slow
and subtle is key. You arent going to be trolling at
2.5 mph! We typically like to troll anywhere between 1 and 1.5 mph. Historically, minnow shaped
baits with a more subtle action have been best.
Once water temperatures reach about 50 degrees, a mix of harnesses and cranks are often used.
When the water crosses 55 degrees, a lot of guys
like to stick with harnesses, but cranks are always a
player.
This is why we spent three years perfecting the
big Berkley Flicker Minnows. The #9 and #11 sizes

were made for trolling in both cold and warm water.

The action of the lure changes slightly with the
speed of your boat. When trolling at slower speeds
it has more of a roll. At higher speeds it has a little
bit of a kick. These changes in action make this a
very versatile lure!
A big part of this early season Great Lakes bites
getting your lure in the right zone. The fish can be
tight to the bottom, but more often than not, the
feeding fish are suspended. In this case, you need to
fish your baits at or above the marks you are seeing
on your fish finder.
For example, if you are seeing marks at 20 feet
down over 30 feet of water, the deepest you would
want to run the crankbait is 20 feet down. In dirty
or stained water, you might want to also run lures at
17 or 19 feet down. In clear water where the walleyes visibility is increased, the range would more
than likely be 12 to 16 feet down. The easiest way
to get a crankbait right where you want it is with the
Precision Trolling Data (PTD) app.
The PTD app is available on the Apple App
Store and on Google Play. Once you have downloaded it to your phone or tablet, you dont need an
internet connection for it to work out on the water.
Lets say you were going to run one of the new
#11 Flicker Minnows and wanted it to go 18 feet
deep using 10# Berkley XT line, which is the most
commonly used trolling line. On the app you would
simply bring up the #11 Berkley Flicker Minnow,
dial the first wheel (Feet Down wheel) to 18, and
the app would tell you to let out 95 feet of line.
Then let out that length of line and you can be confident your bait is running 18 feet down, just above
those big arches 20 feet down on the graph.
So as you are dusting off your rods and loading
your storage compartments with tackle trays for
the maiden voyage of the year, be sure to pack the
cranks! Remember, you can never assume that one
technique will always be better than another! Then
put on your lucky hat, stop at the restaurant for eggs
and bacon with your buddies, and start a new tradition with cranks to get your Next Bite!n

MY NEW ULTIMATE BUCK ZONING SYSTEM

will be unleashed at 2016 Boot Camps! Im going to set the whole

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Whitetail Deer or Whitetail Land Management anything this BIG! PERIOD!

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TONY HAS BEEN CONSISTENT FOR OVER 28 YEARS ON TROPHY CLASS WHITETAILS,
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Here is a small example of the Ultimate Buck Zoning System.

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2016 BOOT CAMP DATES

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In fact if youve deer managed in the last

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The most extensive Whitetail Boot Camp in history! No one even comes close to it. No individuals or organization, period. We have
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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Gordon Whittington - (of North American Whitetail Magazine and TV) -- Over the years, Ive been able to pick the brains of the worlds best deer hunters and managers, I can honestly say that Tony LaPratts ideas and techniques are unique, and they work in the real world. If your goal is to make your
land better for whitetail hunting, his techniques will get you there.

39

Destination Cadillac

Three lakes
of fishing fun

Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac

y first foray into the

world of walleye fishing
began here! Thats right
this lake was not only a
training ground for my
future walleye career but
an education on how much fun the
multi-species game can be. Twentyeight years have passed since that first
trip and in my humble opinion, very
little has changed...Lakes Mitchell and
Cadillac are still premier fun fishing
destinations! Now to be honest the true experts on this
lake are the many locals who
fish it weekly, but let me take
you through these lakes from
first ice to fall.
Steve and Sue Knaisel
have owned and operated the
Pilgrims Village Resort and
bait shop for as long
as Ive been fishing
Mitchell. I recently
sat down with Steve
and compared notes and found that
the Lakes are as productive as ever if
a person is flexible and simply enjoys
fishingyou know what I mean, Joe
lunch-bucket style! Thats what I do
whenever I fish these lakes, I fish for
what is biting the best at the time.
Winter was late this season but
the ice should be safe and the mixedbag panfishing has begun in earnest.
Winter fishing for gills, sunfish, and
crappies is always a reliable bite. They
will move around a little but typically they can be located, but when
you find them the quality is definitely
there. Steve and his staff at the bait
store will help you get on the bite with
reliable information. I always start the
ice season in almost the same way on
Mitchell and Cadillac.
I fish a combination of tried and
true methods at the same time. I set
tip-ups to target northern pike which
can typically be found on the weed
edges, first drop-offs, and break-lines.
Lets face it tip-up pike and walleye
fishing is not rocket science, set up on
breaks and weed edges and set your
baits about 6-18 off bottom depending on water clarity. The clearer the
water the higher off bottom you can
be. Pay attention here as the set can be
critical, if you are working multiple
tip-ups set them at different distances
off bottom and pay attention if the
same ones are always going off, it
may not just be the hole it could be
the set!
A simple medium to large live
minnow is my tip-up bait of choice

with a small treble hook #8 seems to

work well. Depending on your target
I usually use the thinnest wire leader
I can get as the pike are everywhere
and you will simply lose too many
rigs without one. I finish the set-up
with a #4 split-shot and the hard work
is done! I always settle in with either
a jigging rod for the walleye or a slip
bobber rod for the panfish. Jigging
Rapalas are a staple on the lakes and
my personal favorite is the #7 in perch
or silver/blue. A small tungsten jig
is almost always my choice
when slip bobbing, tipped
with a spike or wax worm,
but wigglers are killer on
these two lakes and Steve
is good about having them
around. The winter season
wont disappoint on these
lakes!
Open water after ice out
is another great time
for excellent fishing.
Let me say that Ive
experienced this many times and the
pan-fishing is fantastic on the lakes.
My personal favorite is the crappie
fishing. These lakes offer some of
the best early season crappie fishing
anywhere with lots of limits and some
really nice sized fish.
The key here is the location. The
crappies seem to favor the shallow
bays and coves, especially the ones
that have dark colored bottoms. The
presentation is brainless here, slip
bobbers set a foot or two off bottom
with a small treble #12 or Aberdeen
style hook #4-6 works well. The
set-up is completed with a small blue
shiner or pinhead minnow. Light line
can be a real game changer when
pan-fishing. Ive been a fan of 4# test
Berkley XL for this type of fishing.
If you want to run a leader of light
line thats fine but remember to set
the drag for your leader strength and
not your mainline. Nano-fil is a great
long casting micro line that Ive used
for a long time as my base line and
8# works great for a lot of different
tactics.
Walleye season holds some excellent opportunities on the lakes. Lake
Cadillac has very good early action
on the east side in front of the Four
Winns test area. Ive done well in that
area by slow trolling crawler harnesses. Another excellent option in
and around the area is trolling #9 or
#11 Rapalas. I like to run either the
floaters with a #4 split-shot about 4
in front on the first breaks or if the
fish are deeper try the same size in the
count-down version. My color choices

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By John Bergsma

40

A spring stringer of Lake Cadillac panfish.

seem to be anything perchy or the
trusty silver/blue.
The walleye on Lake Mitchell are
a little more finicky and seem to want
live bait. Ive done very well in two
general areas. The deeper holes on
the eastern shoreline, the other area is
on the deeper break-lines out in front
of Mitchell state Park. The methods
are very traditional but seem to be
the best presentations for this lake. I
use leeches on a rig and slow troll or
drift the breaks and holes. The one
variation I have done many places is
to change out the single hook with
a Northland Phelps Floater. This
small soft foam floating jig-head
seems to really up my catch. I think
it is the added color as well as getting the leech up off the bottom a few
inches. I favor the smallest size in
either pink or chartreuse.
Another great early option is slip
bobbing with small minnows over
newly emerging weed beds. As summer gets going there is the always reliable board trolling bite. Ever since
Bruce De Shano at Off-Shore tackle
introduced the small yellow on-line
board, my mid-summer presentation
has changed. I now troll suspended
crawler harness rigs on many inland
lakes with great success. Use your
electronics and mapping charts to
find the mid-lake humps, bars, and
weed beds. I have the new Lowrance
HDS-9 which does a fantastic job.
I troll over and around these main
lake structures and have much better
success than working shorelines. It
just seems like the fish move to these
spots as the water warms. I use in-line
weights of about 1 oz and let them out
varying lengths until I start catching
fish. If you keep your speed consistent
you can really do well and mimic the
fish catching recipe.
Two tools that are critical for any
type of trolling are your reels and your
form of power. I have a MotorGuide
Xi5 bow-mounted trolling motor on

my Crestliner 2050 Authority. This

combination gives me precise boat
control and the ability to dial my
speed in perfectly from anywhere in
the boat. The other tool is a reliable
line counter reel which gives you the
ability to replicate the distance out
and really hone in on the fish.
Bass fishing on Cadillac and
Mitchell are solid all year long but
really fires-up in the late summer and
early fall. The great thing about the
bass fishing are the many ways that
they seem to be able to be caught
effectively. For most the summer
Yamamotos are the ticket if you are a
worm or plastic guy. Here are another
couple good options. Jerk baits on the
shallow flats can be killer. I look for 4
to 7 foot flats and cover them quickly
finding the active fish.
Another overlooked presentation
is the floating frog bite over weed bed
and in coves. This can be a blast in
the dog days of summer. Pike fishing is always an option on either lake
and my best presentations are either
burned spinner bait or your most
expensive bass crank. Im not kidding, every time I put on something
expensiveBam a big northern hits
it and it gone. Thats why I rarely
target pike, you catch them enough by
accident!
The accommodations are first
rate in the Lakeside district between
Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell. Pilgrims
Village and Bait shop is right on the
shores of Lake Mitchell. The Sands
Resort is right on the shores of Lake
Cadillac and features rentals. Right
around the corner is Sunset Shores a
newer lakeside resort that features all
the amenities. Laura at the Days Inn
offers great rooms and features Adventure Island Summer Waterpark. No
matter which of these you chose you
will be well served by these fine folks.

Lake Missaukee

Lake Missaukee in the small town

of Lake City is yet another Cadillac

area option. Casey and Korinda Miller own and operate Millers Corner,
the only legitimate bait store in Lake
City. Casey is a true fisherman and
is always there to help you with your
needs (Except when hes fishing).
Casey tells me that the ice fishing is
starting to pick up for panfish. The
panfish bite on the lake is normally
good early and fantastic late. In other
words, March is the time to make
plans for ice fishing on Missaukee.
The whole lake seems to fire up in
March and continues right through
the early season ice-out. Panfish are
all over the bays and in the shallows
right through the spawn. The best
presentations are slip bobbers tipped
with pinhead minnows, waxworms,
or spikes.
Spearfishing is extremely popular
on the lake as well. Missaukee has a
strong pike population and very clear
water, the perfect recipe for spearing.
Casey says to set up your shacks on
main weed edges or main breaks with
some type of structure. These are
surefire areas for roaming pike. The
best depth to look is 7-9 foot. There
are dandy pike around and a cozy
town with good food and drinks after

a long day on the water.

Bass fishing is king come the end
of May. Missaukee is a busy cottage
lake so its important to get out early
or fish late, those who do will experience better than average largemouth
fishing. The presentations here are
very traditional. K and E bass stopper worms, jig and grubs, beetle spins
all work well on Missaukee. Early
season is fishing is usually best working shoreline breaks, docks, and bays.
Later in summer the fish relate to the
main lake weed beds. This is due to
high concentration of small perch and
bluegill. I work the deeper edges with
a jig and my favorite rubber worm
with good success.
Walleye fishermen have reasonable success in the early season
according to Casey. Slip bobbing
leeches over new weed beds or
drifting a crawler harness are the
most common presentations. Millers
Corner has everything you need for
a fun day or weekend of fishing on
Missaukee.
My conclusion on the Lakes of
the Cadillac area is simple. Pack up
the ice house or hook up the boat and
make plans to enjoy the fantastic fish-

A dandy Lake Missaukee walleye. Author photos

ing that is available on one of these
three lakes!
John Bergsma is the host of a
nationally aired TV show Great
Lakes Fishermans Digest. John was
a full time Walleye Pro and past PWT

champion who now travels the

Great Lakes and shares his fishing
adventures with you. Watch Johns
television show on WFN or online
at www.greatlakesfishermansdigest.
comn

a
m
s
g
r
e
B
n
Joh

with your host

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Visit our website and find out about . . .

Destinations Fishing Reports
Our Show Cooks Corner

41

Outdoor Safety And First Aid...By Jonathan Schechter

Canned sardines and the Dark Shadow of Death

anned sardines might just save

your life if you are an adventurous soul infatuated with
uncharted territories and backcountry trail adventures. And
if sudden urges to meander
off a trail sometimes surge through
your mind with the impulsiveness of
salmon heading upstream, you may be
afflicted with the same acquired ailment that I suffer: IWF, better known
as Incurable Wanderlust Fever.
There is no cure for wanderlust
fever. But you can live with it, thrive
with it, and embrace it. And thats
where this outdoor safety and first
aid ramble begins, just in time for the
unstable weather days of March.
When you venture into the unknown all by your lonesome, your
senses soar into overdrive, and you
absorb more of the wonders of the
natural world than ever possible by
trekking with a noisy herd of fellow
humans. Solo hiking can become an
intoxicating pleasure rich with unplanned distraction and thats where
sardines come in handy. But these
tiny fish need to be in a can, and not
just any can. The can with the ring
top pull opener that leaves sharp edges

Consider carefully what should be in a go-everywhere day pack.

is part of your situational
awareness preparation plan
to get you safely back home
and avoid--The Dark Shadow of Death.

Situational Awareness
A lack of situational awareness
can be found almost any day in any
newspaper anywhere across the country. It might be a terribly tragic story
like the father and his four year old
son that broke through a spring-fed
Oakland County lake while ice fishing on the first day of a February and
died. Two days of temperatures in the
low 50s and areas of open water sent a
loud warning that was not heeded.
Or how about the total lack of preparedness of the hundreds that were
trapped in their cars in late January on
a 35 mile section of I-75 in Kentucky
for 20 hours as drifting snow and
multiple crashes made the expressway
impassable. Their emergency solution
was to Dial 911. And that meant they
had no plan. And they had no supplies. No food. No blankets. No toilet
paper. But most had their Smartphone
to complain about their predicaments
and whine over the lack of warning.

Note: Warning is not given when

things go wrong.
If youve read this far and are
wondering why sardines keep
popping up and what that shadow of
death headline so all about, well,
keep reading. Its all about you.
And me too.
Let me toss in a disclaimer in the
form of this brief nature/hiker guy
resume. I began running barefoot
in the woods of rural Connecticut as
soon as I could put my underwear on
by myself, push open the screen door
and escape to the big meadow and
forbidden barn. That was my introduction to adventure hiking off the beaten
trail. Nowadays I tend to wear hiking
boots, and my newest pair will send
me into unchartered territory along
a newsworthy international border
sometime this spring. I will practice
serious situational awareness on that
adventure for I will trek near the
edges of mine fields.
I am also a contingent Emergency
Department paramedic for McLarenOakland Hospital and a member of
the Wilderness Medical Society and
a nature education writer for Oakland
County Government. Ive been to the
summit of Kilimanjaro, I have hiked
from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea
of Galilee and my feet are very much
at home in the wondrous world of
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. However, none of this means
a rats rear end if I am not expecting
the unexpected on the everyday hike.
For that is where The Dark Shadow
of Death lurks, in the everyday stuff.
That is what situational awareness is
all about.

Day Pack
Whats in your day pack? Sardines in pull top opening cans are
always in mine. Actually I keep two
cans of them in the grab and go day
pack.
Why? For one reason, if things go

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Preparation Over Aspirations

It may be a noble aspiration to
travel light, but noble aspirations do
not add to preparation and situational
awareness. A poncho is always in
my day pack, even on warm sunny
days when the sands of Sleeping Bear
Dunes are sizzling. Think multiple
use. Ponchos can be emergency
shelters, shade shelters and if you can
find one in bright orange, a signaling
device. Weather, as the saying goes,
can turn on dime, so wise hikers or
hunters or mushroom foragers are
prepared for everything. And check
the forecast before heading out.
Pack a compass, and know how
to use it. A topographical map of
the region you are trekking coupled
with that compass make for perfect
silent companions. GPS? Sure, why
not? But batteries die, signals fail,
and in my not so humble opinion
hiking along staring at the GPS in
the palm of your hand takes away
from reality and wonders of what

clothes soaking wet. With the Escape Bivvy, condensation is no longer

an issue, and you never again have to
choose between staying dry and staying warm. It weighs a fraction over a
half-pound and it will get an all-night
test in my woods before it finds a
home in the day pack. I also pack
a small notepad, Ziploc bags and a
pen. The cardinal rule of becoming
lost or injured is to stay put, but if its
necessary to move on, a note left for
searchers puts the odds in your favor.

The icy shoreline of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is rich with rewards, and
the need for situational awareness. Author photos
surrounds you. GPS does not see the
formation of towering thunderheads
or the low-hanging yellow jacket nest
or loose rocks at the edge of cliff.
GPS may actually impede your situational awareness and function as a
false prophet. Humans are the most
perceptive when they are immersed in
unfamiliar territory with eyes scanning the horizon, not staring like a
zombie at their electronic must have
tethers.

Fire And Other Essentials

Only a fool heads out without
multiple ways to start a fire. And be
it flint and steel, or newer high tech
devices, know how to use them. A
small pack of dry tinder, or paraffin
saturated cotton balls, should also be
included accompanied by a waterproof container of matches.
Signal mirrors are small and can
save your life. Someone screaming
for help will quickly become hoarse,
but for less than five dollars a high
quality emergency whistle that will
awaken the dead can be had. Do you
know how many blasts of the whistle
are a distress call? And what is your
plan to purify water? And toilet
paper is really nice if your plans go
to crap.
Fifty feet of paracord has uses
only limited by the imagination. I
include a small ultralight stove in

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my pack and a canister of fuel and

a few packs of dehydrated food and
single coffee packs are with me too.
The food preparation stash will add
another pound of weight. So what!
Unexpected things happened and
humans get hungry and may want to
eat more than the weeds.
I am about to replace my old style
SOL (Survivor Outdoors Lounger)
Bivvy Sac with the new Escape
Model that is designed to reduce
condensation The complaint with
most ultra-light emergency shelters
is the same: condensation builds up
inside as you get warm, leaving your

Attitude

But perhaps the very best survival equipment one can pack with
the physical items is free, needs no
review, and takes up no space; an attitude change. An acceptance
of the fact that things can go wrong
and just like the Boy Scouts taught,
be prepared with a large stash of
situational knowledge and the ability to survive the unexpected night
out or other misadventures with a
well-crafted day pack that arms you
against the Dark Shadow of Death.
Jonathan Schechter is a naturalist/paramedic in Brandon Township
and the Nature Education Writer for
Oakland County Parks. Email:
oaknature@aol.comn

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wrong and the unexpected night out

occurs when a trail suddenly vanishes
I can eat them. And when empty, the
can may be used as a tool for digging
or for boiling water. It can be used as
signaling device, and if things really
go bad, the sharp lid can be transformed into a cutting tool and with a
bit of creativity it can be sliced into
shiny little pieces and be transformed
into a fishing lure.
Everyones day pack to keep
the dark shadows at bay should
hold about a dozen items; items that
may need to be seasonally adjusted
for personal or medical needs. For
example, if you are allergic to honey
bees, have not one, but two epi pens
and some Benadryl and fully understand usage and doses. The same goes
for any other must have medicines. If
you become lost or trip over a rock
and break a leg you may not be able
to get home to take your insulin or
heart medicine. And thats when really bad things happen.

43

Trout

Out And About The Great Lakes Region For...

By Mark Romanack

and again in the late fall and throughout the winter, this Great Lakes port
is rapidly becoming the epicenter for
anglers who covet the Great Lakes
brown trout.
Strong stocking efforts from
Racine in the south to Sheboygan in
the north puts Milwaukee literally in
the middle of Lake Michigans best
brown trout fishing action. Spawn bag
rigging and jigging from anchored positions dominate the catch in the late
fall and winter months. In the spring
trolling high action crankbaits like the
Yakima Mag Lip 3.0 and 3.5 rules this
fishery.
Not only does the Milwaukee area
have lots of prime water to offer the
Lake Michigan, Milwaukee
traveling angler, being situated on the
In recent years the port of Milwestern shoreline of Lake Michigan
waukee has earned a new nickname.
Known better for producing breweries enables anglers to fish in weather they
than world class fishing, Brown Town would never even consider launching
a boat in on the east side of the lake.
is a fitting name for this overlooked
Case in point, last April when the
Lake Michigan fishery. In early spring

ne of the things I like best

about producing Fishing 411
television are the places my
team gets to visit and the cutting edge fisheries we enjoy.
Half the fun in fishing comes
in the anticipation, the planning of
trips and of course getting the boat
rigged and the gear organized.
March is the perfect time to plan
one or more trout/salmon fishing adventures. From browns to brook trout
and every salmonid in between, the
Great Lakes region has no shortage of
destinations that should be on every
anglers bucket list.

Anglers who visit the west shore of Lake Michigan

will find amazing fishing for browns like this from
Sheboygan on the north to Racine on the south.
Fishing 411 crew visited Milwaukee
we were greeted by three days of
25-30 MPH winds out of the west.
We fished every day and pounded the
brown trout by sticking close to shore
and fishing around the many sea walls
of Milwaukee Harbor. Meanwhile
during the same time period on the
Michigan side of the lake, our fishing

buddies werent even able to launch

their boats.
The prevailing westerly and southwesterly winds make it possible to
fish this region most days. Even when
the wind blows into this shoreline,
the protection of Milwaukee Harbor
and the Municipal Mooring Basin
provides angles protected waters to

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Lake Ontarios Niagara Bar

Think of the best salmon and trout

fishing that Lake Michigan has ever
produced and youll have a pretty
good idea what anglers who travel
to Lake Ontario in early May can
expect. The Lake Ontario fishery is
thriving at both ends of the lake, but
in the spring the Niagara Bar region
is hands down the place to go for king
salmon with a side dish of coho and
lake trout.
The famed Niagara River dumps
into Lake Ontario not far from the
town of Lewiston, New York. This
quiet little village is the perfect place
to set up salmon camp.
The nutrient rich waters of Lake
Erie drain through the Niagara River
into Lake Ontario. Beginning in late
April salmon stage off the Niagara
Bar in 80 to 120 feet of water. The
best fishing typically occurs in early
May when the water temperatures hit
the magic 45 degree range. Obviously
the dates when this water temperature
peak occurs changes from year to
year, making it a little tough to plan
trips months in advance.
The good news is this region offers some interesting options should
anglers arrive and the water temperatures are still too cold to set up the
Bonzi king fishery. A world class lake
trout fishery can be enjoyed in 30 to
60 feet of water even if the water is
icy cold. Also, the many creeks that
pour into Lake Ontario offer great
brown trout and coho action when the
main lake is icy cold.
The off shore king salmon fishery
is the primary draw to this region and
most anglers focus on the big silver
fish. Catching these coveted spring
kings is no issue when the conditions
are right. During our early May visit
to the region last spring we averaged
15 to 20 fish per day with the majority of the catch being kings and coho.
We actually tried not to fish the
bottom to avoid catching lake trout
which are so abundant in this part of
the lake they can be almost annoying
at times. When the kings are on hand,
very few anglers will bother with the
lake trout despite the fact 20 pound
fish are common!
Trolling spoons, cut bait rigs,
flasher/fly combinations and plugs all
produce equally well. One of our best
producing rigs was a six inch Yakima
Fish Flash attractor rigged six feet in
front of a herring wrapped 4.5 Mag
Lip plug. This simple set up caught
kings, coho, lake trout and even a
bonus Atlantic salmon.

Local anglers fish pretty
much a steady diet of downriggers
and diving planers, but in-line board
fishing using lead core line proved to

be the most productive set up for our

crew.

Lake Nipigon Coasters

Lake Nipigon is the largest inland

lake in Ontario and is situated on the
border of the Algoma Country and
Northwest Ontario Tourism Bureaus.
From a geographic standpoint, there
is no easy way to get to Lake Nipigon
and that is one of the primary reasons
this unique brook trout fishery continues to thrive.
At ice out in early May through
June this overlooked fishery produces in my opinion the best drive
to brook trout fishing available
anywhere. Smelt were introduced to
Lake Nipigon some years ago and the
native brook trout of this area have
adapted nicely to this protein rich forage. Brook trout in the 20 to 22 inch
range are every day fish and anglers
have a real chance at landing brook
trout in the 25 to 27 inch range!
Even better, the way these fish are
caught is simple and straight forward.
Casting in-line spinners and small
spoons to the rocky shorelines is a
good way to cover water and contact
the maximum number of fish. Brook
trout tend to be found in loose schools
or pods, so when one fish is hooked,
concentrate on that area.
Its not uncommon for one point
or rock pile to produce a half dozen
noteworthy brook trout! The fishing
regulations here are stringent and
designed to give these fish as much
protection as possible. Anglers are
restricted to only keeping one brook
trout and that fish must be at least
22 inches in length. The lake is also
managed for barbless and single hook
lures.
Its also noteworthy to mention
that its illegal to keep a brook trout
on a stringer or in a boat livewell.
Fish that are kept must be placed in a

Lake Nipigon brook trout like this are readily taken casting spinners. Author photos
cooler and this is to prevent anglers
from culling and releasing fish that
may later die.

Lake Erie Silver

Lake Erie will forever be known

as the worlds greatest walleye fishery, but the north shore of Erie could
easily be described as a world class
destination for steelhead trolling.
Locals simply refer to these stocked
rainbow trout as bows and they
catch them by accident while they are
targeting the more coveted walleye!
The Ohio and Pennsylvania DNR
both stock huge numbers of steelhead which migrate north to spend
the summer months in the cooler and
deeper waters of Lake Eries Ontario
shore. Anglers who travel to the
region of Wheatley on the west and
Erieau on the east will find steelhead
numbers so strong that limit catches
are the norm, not the exception.
The majority of these fish are
taken in August and September when
a defined thermocline sets up in the
lake and smelt pile into the cooler
and deeper waters of the north shore.
Trolling spoons is hands down the

ticket for double digit days on rainbows that range in size from about
three pounds to 10 pounds.
Spoons fished in combination
with 5 to 10 colors of lead core line
are the standard set up. Of course
these rigs are most effective when
fished with an in-line board like
the famous Off Shore Tackle Side
Planer. Downriggers and diving
planers also produce their share
of the fish.
A host of spoon brands will produce good catches of the Lake Erie
steelhead. Standard and mini sized
spoons do the best job of imitating the
smelt these fish key on.

Summing It Up

For anglers who are willing to

put the boat on a trailer and travel,
the Great Lakes region has some of
the most amazing salmonid fisheries
available anywhere. Browns, lake
trout, steelhead, kings, coho and even
brook trout abound in this region.
They say variety is the spice of life
and thats just one reason youll often
find the Fishing 411 team out and
about for trout in 2016.n

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

concentrate on.
Late March and the month of
April are the cant miss times of
year to visit the Milwaukee area. The
catch is dominated by brown trout,
but bonus coho salmon and lake trout
keep things interesting. The later in
April an angler visits the greater the
chances of catching coho and the occasional king salmon.

45

School forests provide

valuable legacy of learning
Forests can be a lot of
things, depending on
ones perspective...

In 1931, the Michigan Legislature passed the Municipal Forest Act

(Community Forest Act) authorizing the Department of Conservation
(DNR) to convey tax-reverted land
to school districts and other units of
o a timberman, a forest is a
government to establish community
place to go to work and make
forests.
a living. To a deer hunter, a
At first, many of the land transforest is a place to seek prey
fers were of significant acreage. The
and meditate while sitting on
largest block, some 25,000 acres, was
the stand. To a hiker, its a
conveyed to Gogebic County over a
place to recreate and escape the everynumber of years.
day world.
But gradually, Natural Resources
But to Mike Smalligan, a forest
Commission policy that tax-reverted
can be something entirely different. It
lands should be managed for forestry
can be a classroom.
and recreation at the state level reSmalligan, who is the Forest
stricted the conveyance of large tracts.
Stewardship Program coordinator
The DNR cut the program blocks
with the Michigan Department of
back to 40 acres, but over the years
Natural Resources, said forests are
has deeded roughly 65,000 acres to
valuable learning tools that havent
various schools and units of governbeen used nearly to their potential.
ment.
We see lots of education and
There are probably 250 schools
North Dickinson County Schools sophomores Jared Miller, 16, of Sagola and Juliann
outreach value in school forests,
out there that own forest land, Smalsaid Smalligan, referring to the states Wickman, 15, of Felch show each other nature photos they took on their cellphones
ligan said.
school forest program that began back while on a January outing at the Spring Hill School Forest.
Smalligan is on a mission to
revitalize the school forest program,
which may seem like an anachronism
in the 1920s. The use of these forin todays urbanized, industrialized
est lands for educational purposes is
Michigan.
underutilized.
Nonetheless, while preparing for
School forests were pioneered by
the
25th
anniversary of the Forest
Negaunee Schools in 1925 when the
Route 3 Box 163 Cornell, MI 49818
Stewardship
program, which was celUpper Peninsula district established
ebrated
in
2015,
Smalligan discovered
an official school forest for educaIncredible U.P. of Michigan
there
was
only
one
Michigan county
tional purposes.
that didnt have some sort of forest
Hunting Opportunities
The idea soon caught fire.
land enrolled in the program: Wayne
By 1929, the Cooperative ExOver 4,200 acres of private farmland
County.
tension Service at Michigan State
After casting around for a worthy
in south Marquette County
College held a conference to encourproject
in that 83rd county, Smalligan
age, promote and foster an educaMichigan, (2,000 acres) fully
found
an
ideal target: Frost Middle
tional program by the establishment of
guided bow and firearm hunts in
School
in
Livonia.
school and community forests.
The
12-acre
woodlot behind
The conference, which was athunting preserve for: Elk,
Large Russian Boar
the school had been improved with
tended
by
higher
educators,
state
and
Whitetail Deer, Buffalo, Wild
Hunts Available!
railings along part of its nature trail
federal foresters, and even economic
Boar, Red Stag & Fallow Deer.
development authorities, really got the built, in part, by students in the
schools gifted program, under the
ball rolling.

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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46

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F O O D A N D B E V E R A G E S AVA I L A B L E D U R I N G S H O W

watchful eye of science teacher Carim

Calkins, who often uses the woods as
a classroom.
However, there was no Forest
Stewardship Plan in place. So Smalligan guided Calkins toward grant
money available through the states
Forest Stewardship Program. Now
Frost Middle School is one of about
25 school forests with a management
plan.
Thats what we want to do,
Smalligan said. We want to identify
those schools (that have forests), approach them and offer them similar
assistance.
Smalligans dedication to school
forests comes from his time as a
private forester, before he joined the
DNR.
Hed written plans for three
school districts and liked what he
saw.
Working with a school involves
working with an entire community,
Smalligan said. I saw children
enjoying themselves out in the forest
and I saw community members that
were passionate about the management of land that they considered
theirs a community asset.
Smalligan points to the North
Dickinson County Schools as an example of how school forests thrive.
The district has had a management plan for its forests since 1932
and still has a copy of the original
plan much of it handwritten, with a
birch-bark cover.
Darrell Oman, director of support
services for the school district, said
the forests are used in programs for
all age groups and many disciplines.
Recently, for instance, high school
English teacher Vicki Lindholm, took
a sophomore class working on poetry
out to take photos to help them understand imagery.
I think it helps them get out of
the classroom instead of looking up
nice pictures on the Internet, Lindholm said. It gets us out. It looks at
different perspectives of photogra-

Two students from North Dickinson County Schools plant trees at the school forest
property near Sagola in spring 2015. Students planted about 7,500 seedlings
roughly 1,500 white pine and 6,000 red pine.MDNR photos
phy, not just the straight-on view, but
maybe underneath, up-top, looking
up-down, different angles. Its been a
lot of fun.
The students took photos of
trees, snow and ice crystals and other
features in the natural environment of
the school forest.
I think it just shows that your
curriculum doesnt have to be paper,
pencil, in a classroom, sit down at a
desk, she said. It helps you explore
a little bit, not only explore with nature and the curriculum that way, but
also with your friends and classmates
and student-teacher relationship.
The North Dickinson County
Schools use the forests in other ways.
They gather pine cones, sprouting the
seeds to plant seedlings, hold scavenger hunts to identify various elements
from nature and write about them,
learn to conduct forest inventories,

use maps and even clean up trash.

Next year, students will go out with

the consulting forester a professional forester who offers advice

to landowners to mark timber for
harvest in the school forest.
Some school forests are located a
fair distance from the schools, making
it difficult for cash-strapped districts
to arrange field trips.
Smalligan is working on a grant
program Wheels to the Woods!
to help schools defray the costs of taking students out to their school forests.
Beyond students, school forests
are used by others.
School forest lands are open to
the public and are used for recreation.
In fact, the states Natural Resources
and Environmental Protection Act of
1994 was amended during the 20112012 session to make sure that recreational usage is a part of the mission
of school forests.
As it should be, Smalligan said.
These are multiuse resources
for any school, he said. They offer
educational, economic, ecological and
enjoyment rewards.
For more information, visit the
DNRs webpage at www.michigan.
gov/foreststewardship.n

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47

The Cycle Of Great Fishing ... By Jeff Nedwick

Year round angling adventures

flourish on little Bay de Noc

G
Jumbo perch and pike also fall for walleye jigging tactics.

reat Lakes bays and connecting waters are known

around the world for their
incredible walleye and
bass fishing. The attention is well deserved but
sometimes the publicity leads to
overcrowding - especially in areas
near large population centers, like
Lake St. Clair, where hundreds
of anglers often gather around a
single community hole.
Communities are fine for corn
roasts and concerts but sometimes
anglers need a break from the
crowds, where a day of fishing
doesnt begin with a long wait
at the ramp and end with a drive
home through rush hour traffic.
The Upper Peninsulas Little Bay
de Noc just might be the respite
anglers seek.
A fish for all seasons and
a season for all fish is a fitting
description of Little Bay de Nocs
fishery. This large, shallow bay
tucked into the remote, northern
shore of Lake Michigan is a great

place for anglers looking for

terrific Great Lakes walleye and
bass fishing without the hassle of
some of the busier ports.
Freshwater Fishing Hall of
Famer Mark Martin host of
a popular ice fishing school on
Little Bay de Noc in March has
been fishing the bay for 28 years
and has developed a deep understanding of the seasonal patterns
and movements of its walleye.
Martin says the urge to
reproduce drives walleye toward
spawning habitat in late winter
and on Little Bay de Noc that
means a general migration to the
inner bay or toward the mouth
of one of the primary spawning
rivers. Walleye hold on reefs in
the inner bay or along drop-offs
in front of the Escanaba and Ford
rivers, says Martin.
In winter, Martin uses a combination of tip-ups and jigging to
target both neutral and aggressive
fish.
Jigging is his choice for ag-

gressive fish and he typically uses

jigging Rapalas, spoons or rattle
baits in a variety of colors to suit
light conditions. Glow colors are
best at dawn and dusk and natural
colors work better at mid-day,
says Martin. The key is to work
them aggressively. Quickly rip
the lure upward and immediately let it free fall to the bottom
where it stirs up silt and makes
an audible thump that gets the
attention of walleye in the vicinity. A walleyes inquisitive nature
causes them to come in to investigate the commotion.
Often, fish are drawn to the
jig but wont commit. Thats
where the more subtle presentation of a tip-up produces. Martin
rigs his tip-ups with an eight
pound test fluorocarbon leader
and a single, plain hook to which
he attaches a medium sized shiner
lightly through the back between
the tail and dorsal fin. This forces
the minnow into a nose down
position requiring it to swim in

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Bassmasters Elite Series tournament

on the bay in 2014. Holt, Michigans
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chad
Pipkins practice fished on the bay in
preparation for the tournament and
was quite impressed with the fishery.
Id never fished there before, but I
caught two 25+ pound limits
in practice the biggest five fish
limits Ive ever caught, said Pipkins,
adding that he was amazed at how
easy it was to catch them. If you
saw a fish and cast to you, it would
bite.
Smallmouth bass generally spawn
in the inner bay and tributaries in
early June and slowly disperse to
the first major drop off or humps by
mid-summer. Pipkins suggests working along drop offs using aggressive
tactics like spinnerbaits or crankbaits.
These less-pressured bass are aggressive so finesse tactics like drop
shots or spy baits arent needed, says
Pipkins.
By late fall, bass have retreated to
deeper water humps where they will
winter over until spring. However by
then walleye are moving back into the
inner bay and the cycle of great fishing begins anew.n

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chad Pipkins shows off a big Little Bay de
Noc smallmouth bass.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

order to stay horizontal.

Walleye are the main draw for
these late-ice tactics, but the same
rigs also catch jumbo perch and the
occasional pike. Its not uncommon
to catch limits of 10 14 inch perch
using these walleye tactics, says
Martin.
Walleye that finish spawning in
one of the tributaries eventually end
up back in the inner bay by mid-May
where they congregate around the
same reefs they used under the ice in
late winter. Trolling suspending body
baits behind planar boards or stern
planers works well into late spring
until walleye gradually migrate out
toward the deeper waters of the outer
bay and Green Bay.
About the time walleye are dispersing from the inner bay, Little Bay
de Nocs smallmouth bass fishing
kicks into high gear. Until recently
the bays incredible bass fishing was
overshadowed by the great walleye
fishing. Except for locals, few anglers
targeted bass.
But nothing stays a secret for long
these days and eventually, the great
bass fishing caught the attention of
the folks at B.A.S.S. who hosted a

49

Dont be loud at last ice

A great bite can turn bad very quickly if you dont pay attention to the commotion you make...

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

50

By Mark Martin

am not one to have faith in fairytales. But I can easily understand

why last ice is such a magical
time of year for most anglers.
The catching of walleye, pike and
panfish become much simpler the
moment a lakes exterior just starts to
thaw. And it will stay that way until a
lake turns from frozen to open water.
But even something as great as a
good bite can turn bad very quickly if
you dont pay attention to the commotion you make while ice fishing.
Overall, due to the lack of snow
upon the frozen faade this time of
year to muffle your sound, you must
stay as stealthy as can be or youll
spook fish. And, obviously, if there
are no fish underneath you, you are
going to go home with nothing more
to show for your days fishing other
than frigid fingers and a can of baked
beans for the dinner table. As well a
bad attitude.
Here, There, Just Not Anywhere
The primary key to your catching
success during the last-ice period is
knowing exactly where to drop a line
right away. If you do, you wont be
creating chaos on the ice throughout
the day and spooking fish. And if you
did any fishing (better yet catching) at
first ice, you already know where to
go.
This is because the first place to
be late in the ice-fishing season is also
the last place you caught fish earlier
in the ice-fishing season. Although
the fish may have left at one point in
time, the fact is they will swim back
to similar areas this time of year.
For me, its the areas along the
outer edges of any weed beds that are
still standing, closest to points, especially when adjacent to deep water,
which I target. And these outer weed
lines usually occur along breaklines
(aka: drop offs) no matter how slight
they may be.
Breaklines are easy to find when
using mapping from Navionics. An
SD card filled with hydrographic
maps by Navionics in the card reader
of my Lowrance Hook-5 Ice Machine
will show me, with pinpoint accuracy,
where they lay below me in a particular waterway. This is imperative
when it comes to walking directly to
my fishing spot. This way I can and
drill holes with my StrikeMaster auger
all at once over prime water so as to
keep commotion down to a minimum
throughout the day.
On The Move
More than likely, because the ice
will be deteriorating too much for

And speaking of augers, I

make sure the blades of my StrikeMaster Lazer Synthetic Ultra-Lite
or StrikeMaster power auger are
razor sharp, even well before the
ice-fishing season starts next season.
This is because I want every hole
drilled fast and efficiently, allowing
me to bore as many holes as possible
in a short period of time. This way I
can keep the uproar to a minimum,
and, the effort it takes to turn the
surface Swiss-cheese like down to a
minimum.
Before my blades dull, however,
Ill purchase replacement blades
mid-season so as to always have
another set on hand in case I somehow
damage the originals. In short: Sharp
auger blades are one of the biggest
reasons for frustration when ice fishing. Yet, replacing them with new
ones is the last thing on an anglers
mind.
Cover Me, Im Going In
Once I have drilled several holes,
checked the depth and looked for fish
at each one with my Lowrance Hook5 Ice Machine, its time to drop a line.
But even while fishing I try and stay
as quiet as possible.
First off, Ill deploy my tip-ups,
hooking up minnows fresh from my
Frabill minnow bucket, and then
lower them into place. Once done
with that, Ill erect my Otter ice shelter; not only to stay warm while inside
its thick, insulated walls, but also to
keep my silhouette shaded while on
the thinning ice. Another easy trick I
use for keeping quiet is to lay a piece
of carpeting down on the ice where
my feet are going to be so as to muffle
any sound my boot may make as I
shuffle around. This will keep your
feet warmer, too.
Hear That? I Didnt Think So...
If youre looking to catch more
fish during last ice, then by all means
take every measure to stay as stealthy
as possible.
While wearing footwear that will
let you walk upon the ice quietly yet
safely, walk directly to the spot you
caught fish at first ice, and then drill
as many holes as you can muster. Get
The author, Mark Martin, will fish from within his ice shanty at last ice, even during
those tip-ups set, and then get inside a
warm days, so as to keep his commotion to a minimum. David A. Rose photo
portable shanty.
Overall, if you keep your footme to drive my quad or snowmobile
Instead, I don boots with a soft yet
steps
hushed, youll catch more fish. I
upon, Ill be hoofing it rather than
aggressive rubber tread built right in,
promise.
riding. And if I can get away with
such as IceArmors Onyx boots. Onyx
Mark Martin is a professional
not having to wear ice cleats over the boots are super warm, and, provide
walleye tournament angler and
soles of my boots, all the better. This
superior grip on the weakening ice.
is because the noise from ice cleats
Onyx boots are also 100-percent water instructor with the Ice-Fishing Vacascraping and digging into the ice will proof so as to keep my feet dry when tion/School. For more information
reverberate tenfold under the water
water splashes up and out of the hole on Mark, any of the items mentioned
in this article or the school, visit his
and give up my whereabouts to the
when I am boring a hole with my
website
at markmartins.net.n
fish.
auger.

DEVOS PLACE

MARCH 17-20
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HOW TO PROCESS
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2:30-4:30pm SATURDAY ONLY

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WALLEYE FISHING

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TURKEY HUNTING

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MUSKIE FISHING

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BASS FISHING

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Sunday 1:30-3:30pm.

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The Annual
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Hosted by the Grand Valley
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as they compete for cash and prizes. Judges will include
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compete in the National Calling Competition.

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WNWN

PART II

FOR NEXT FALL

n order of early scouting importance, once on

foot, focus your attention
on sign for stand locations in primary scrape
areas, fruit and mast
trees, within bedding areas,
funnels between bedding
areas and terrain feature funnels. Plus areas offering security cover that
protrude out into crop
or weed fields, scrape lined runways,
narrow draws offering transition
security. Also cover that protrude into
crop or weed fields, funnels between
bedding and feeding areas, clusters of
rubs and rub lines, convergence points
of several runways, and water in areas
with minimal water sources.

good hunting locations.

While its common on
TV and in videos to see big
bucks taken along perimeters of short crop fields and
food-plots, remember; they
hunt micro-managed properties that; hold several mature
bucks, have heavy breeding
competition, and have
minimal if any other
hunter interference.
For these and many other reasons,
mature bucks in those types of areas
are comfortable moving into open
vulnerable areas during daylight and
your hunting area likely doesnt offer
that same luxury.
Well over half of the bucks Ive
taken in the past 25 seasons, whether
at home or out-of-state, were taken
1 - Primary Scrape Areas
from active scrape areas surrounded
A primary scrape area consists of
by some form of security cover. When
several ground scrapes (could possibly hunted correctly and during the right
be one large scrape) in a small opentime of season and time of day, an acing or open area and they are always
tive scrape area within security cover
located in high doe traffic areas. Most is as good as it gets.
commonly they are located; within
close proximity to or at a preferred
2 - Mast And Fruit Trees
food source, where multiple runways
When apple trees (any fruit tree)
converge, at pinch points within
and oaks (especially whites) located
transition cover, and where differing
within security cover bear food they
terrain features meet and force conare awesome locations that depending on the area may become primary
solidation of deer (doe) traffic.
While ground scrapes are made by scrape areas. Other mast trees to note
in big timber areas where there is no
bucks, each scrape will have one to
several overhanging licking branches agriculture are chokecherry, beechnut,
that are socially scent marked by does and locust trees (with long thorns and
and bucks with their saliva, preorbital, long beans).
During post season you wont
nasal, and forehead glands.
Due to their high doe traffic loca- know which trees will produce food
next fall, but the location and the sign
tion parameters, active scrape areas
appeal to all bucks, especially leading at them should be noted as they may
be sites you end up preparing.
up to and during the rut phases, so
Isolated mast and fruit trees are
even if the dominant buck from the
previous season was taken, the social excellent early season locations as
well as rut phase locations if they
scrape area will attract other mature
continue to drop food. If there are
bucks next season.
Scrape areas are usually perennial only one or two fruit trees in an area,
however crop rotations, and fruit and they will become a first come, first
serve breakfast or dinner course and
mast production can cause them to
deer will somewhat compete to get to
change.
them first.
Keep in mind that in heavy conIf in a woods with lots of simisequential hunting pressure (HCHP)
lar mast trees such as oaks, search
areas, isolated scrape areas that offer
for white oaks, and if there are a lot
perimeter security cover are likely
of them, choose the one closest to
the only ones that will get visited by
the best transition cover or nearest a
mature bucks during daylight hours,
known bedding area as it will likely
thus eliminating common perimeter
scrapes around short crop fields as
be the first tree a mature buck would

By John Eberhart

It was good scouting that allowed the author to harvest this record book buck with his
bow on the opening day of firearm season. Author photos
the secure confines of bedding areas.
Never forget that killing and not listening from the outside perimeter of a
bedding area, is the end goal.
Michigan and many other states
gun seasons coincide with the peak
rut when mature bucks are typically
with or are in search of estrus does, so
unless you have control over a large
area, the likelihood of a mature buck
wandering beyond your fence line and
getting shot is pretty good. So why
not strategically plan a couple all-day
interior bedding area hunts between
Halloween and gun season.
To hunt within bedding areas they
need to be scouted and locations need
to be prepared during post season.
When scouting interiors of bedding
areas search for; isolated mast and
fruit trees, scrape and or rub lined runways, rub clusters, and small openings
where several runways can be within
3 - Within Bedding Areas
your comfortable shooting range and
Depending on the circumstances,
where there may be a scrape area.
for the life of me, I cant understand
Standing cornfields are tempowhy hunters dont strategically hunt
rary bedding areas if the field is large
where mature bucks spend most of
enough. Mature bucks will transition
their lives.
between timber and standing corn
Bedding areas have many entry
and do so wherever the most secure
and exit routes and there are unlimited transition route butts up to it. While I
directions a deer can go once outside, never hunt along perimeters of short
so with limited rut phase hunting time, or picked cornfield edges in Michigan,
why not strategically hunt within the
I do hunt along perimeters of standing
confines of their home?
cornfields and thats where I took my
I have a hypothetical question. If
first buck in the 2015 season.
someone wanted to kill you, wouldnt
If you know a field will be planted
their best opportunity be to wait inside in corn and theres a lone oak within
your house where they know youll
it, it needs to be prepared as a locacome home to each evening?
tion. During the years the oak has
In pressured areas the vast majority of daytime chasing and breeding
Scout now for next fall page 56
by mature bucks takes place within

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

visit.
White oaks are identified by their;
rough bark up the tree and out each
branch, rounded lobes on their leaves,
and their small acorns. Burr oaks
often found in swamps are a type of
white oak and have big fuzzy caps on
their acorns.
Red oaks are identified by their;
smooth bark up and out each branch,
pointed lobes on their leaves, and
large acorns.
Do yourself a favor this fall and
pick up one of each. Shell them and
eat the white first and then the red.
You will not forget this test and will
immediately know why deer prefer
whites. Youll spit out the red due to
its strong bitter tannins.
Deer eat red oak acorns, but if
there are whites in the vicinity, they
will visit them first.

55

Scout now for next fall:

from page 55
acorns and the field is in standing
corn, hunting it at any time of season
can be productive.
Swales or openings in standing
cornfields are also great locations as
deer will oftentimes skirt their edges
when transitioning. These locations
may require a ground blind be prepared later in the summer.
There is an exception to hunting
interiors of bedding areas. On private
parcels, if there are several hunters
on the same property and they all
have equal authority, if you decide
to hunt the bedding areas, they may
want to as well. Interiors of bedding
areas are not for party hunting, but
rather for very specific and strategic
solo hunting. If this is the case, leave
the bedding area as a sanctuary area
otherwise multiple hunters will blow
all the deer out or severely alter their
daytime movements.
Most public lands are large
enough that if you do the legwork,
you can usually locate an isolated
honey hole where others are unwilling to go due to the work involved in
getting there and those are the exact
locations mature bucks are pushed
into once theres perimeter pressure.

4 - Funnels

The most common way to describe most funnels or pinch points

is to simulate them to an hour glass
where deer movements from a larger
area tapers down to a narrower passageway which most deer will move
through to get from one area to

another.
Funnels often exist between large
stands of timber, in long meandering
saddles and draws, in swamps and
marshy areas that border and follow
rivers and creeks, at ends or along
bottoms of ridges, and in agriculture
areas where crop fields are not perfectly squared off and there are travel
corridors between them.
While other types of funnels such
as those created by; small dry ground
passageway gaps in large areas of
standing water, a shallow flat a deer
can walk across in an otherwise deep
river or creek, mucky areas within
the understudy of timber, differing
densities of security cover understudy beneath the tree canopies, and
changes in general terrain features are
more difficult to notice, they are just
as, if not more likely to consistently
funnel deer traffic. It would take a
long chapter in a book to describe
each of these funnels and how they
might apply to hunting areas final
location choices.
Pinch points located between
bedding and open feeding areas (short
crop fields) get used the entire season
however the amount and type of hunting pressure an area receives will
dictate whether or not a mature buck
will transition through them during
daylight hours.
Funnels offering transition security cover located in travel corridors
between bedding areas are my preference for rut phase hunting as during
this period mature bucks are laser

While scouting, mark location prospects on your map or note pad but dont set anything up until youve totally scrutinized the entire property.
focused on searching their core areas
for estrus does and the most likely
places to find them are with bedding
areas. The odds of mature bucks
searching these haunts for hot does
during daylight hours are also much
higher than any other time of season
due to the peaking of their testosterone levels during the rut phases.
From an amount of sits standpoint, my history of success on
mature bucks in HCHP areas in funnels between bedding to open feeding
areas is so dismal that I rarely prepare
those types of locations anymore.
My top four location options all
have one common denominator, they
are all destination locations or transition zones that offer some semblance
of security cover. Always search for
small transition or destination locations because deer naturally funnel
through, gravitate to and or use them
to; feed at, locate estrous does, breed
in and transition through.
In HCHP areas, locations that also
offer an immediate exit route with
ample security cover are more apt to
have daylight visits by mature bucks.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

5 - The Rest

When scouting during post season, relax and take all the time you need, dont

56 make it any more difficult or stressful than it needs to be.

Deer will transition through areas

of untillable security cover that protrude into crop fields. If theres a tree
in which you can shoot to each edge
as well as at the tip, youll have three
phenomenal routes at which to shoot.
Its common for the edges and
tips of these fingers of security transition cover to have active scrapes
along them. One of the best locations
I ever hunted was a long finger of
untillable ground that extended into a
crop field and it was only good during
the years the field was in standing
corn.
The same holds true to protrusions into tall weed fields which often
act as bedding areas.
Water is pretty basic. If you locate
a source of drinking water in an area

otherwise devoid of water (which

is rare in Michigan), and it offers a
secure transition route to it, it will
attract all deer during hot weather and
will attract does during daylight and
therefore bucks during the rut phases.
Scrape and or rub lined runways
need to be noted and not necessarily prepared unless your certain the
buck using that route that made them,
wasnt killed. They are noted so that
they can be checked the week prior to
season for fresh rub activity and obviously set up on if it exists.
On many parcels of both public
and private property Ive scouted
over the years the only sign was runways. There were no scrapes, crops,
oaks or fruit trees, water, bedding
area, funnels, points, and few if any
rubs. Most often I walked away from
them without preparing anything. If
this is your quandary and there are
no other property options, all you can
do is scout where the most runways
converge and hope for the best.
Always be on the lookout other
hunters locations. They should be
quite obvious by looking for cut
lanes, scars on trees from climbers,
and bare ground where bait piles were
as a high percentage of Michigan
hunters use bait. I view many other
hunter locations as deer deflectors
for the mature bucks I target and
typically their hunting skillset can be
assessed by looking at their set-ups.
If possible avoid setting up anywhere near other hunters as they will
likely have the mature bucks in the
area well educated and likely nocturnal outside their secure bedding areas.

6 - Requirement

Six is not a location, but rather a

requirement for every location when
hunting in HCHP areas
Some hunters that own, lease or
have their own large parcel of property to hunt, struggle to accept the
hard reality that the amount and type

Security cover is so critical to

daytime movements that when scouting public land I have a standing rule
that I never waver onno matter how
awesome the signposts or location
looks, if I can easily walk to it, it
wont get set up. Not only will other
hunters set up at or near the area due
to the easy access, the likelihood that
mature bucks made or left that sign
during the security of darkness is
nearly 100 percent.
On Michigan public lands in
zones 2 and 3, only pay attention to
sign left in areas where few if any
other hunters are willing to go. Locations only accessible by using chest
waders, hip boots, canoe, boat, or
crawling through brush are where you
need to scout and interestingly, those
will be the same areas mature bucks
may feel secure moving in during
daylight.
When scouting HCHP areas think
of it this way. If all the hunters in the
area were trying to kill you, where
are the places on the property where
you might feel secure moving in, or
transitioning through during daylight
hours. Once you find those locations
and if there is sign, you can bet that
if hunted correctly, theres a good

of hunting pressure an area receives

has a direct correlation to how many
mature bucks exist, how much they
move during daylight, their tolerance
to human presence and odor, and how
difficult they are to kill.
No matter how awesome the sign
looks, without transition and perimeter security cover, the odds of a
daytime visit by a mature buck in an
HCHP area is extremely low. Security cover is that vital to a locations
daytime mature buck traffic.
Having perimeter security cover
negates setting up along edges of
short or picked crop field edges even
if there is a scrape area, clusters of
rubs, and multiple runways passing
by. I learned over 30 years ago not to
waste my time hunting exposed areas
for mature bucks in heavily pressured
areas.
To be extremely blunt, anyone
consistently taking mature bucks
from exposed areas such as in food
plots and short crop fields is not hunting in a heavily pressured area where
theres typically consequences when
bucks of legal size encounter hunters.
This is so blatantly obvious
when watching most TV shows
and videos.

chance of an opportunity.
You certainly wouldnt walk into
an exposed area or through a stand
of open timber with no understudy
security cover. This realistic thought
process should narrow your search
down quite a bit and save a lot of
time in preparing locations that are
relatively worthless for daytime mature buck traffic.
Unlike the old days searching large parcels of public ground
on foot. Nowadays some of these
remote locations are easily found by
reviewing Internet aerial maps. While
scouting, mark location prospects
on your map or note pad and dont
set anything up until youve totally
scrutinized the entire property. Otherwise you prematurely might set up
a location and then find a better one
close by. Thats the beauty of post
season scouting, you can trash out the
area without concern of altering fall
traffic.
When scouting during post season, relax and take all the time you
need, dont make it any more difficult
or stressful than it needs to be.
Once all your scouting is done
and youve noted potential hunting
locations of interest, its time to de-

cide which ones to prepare. Do not do

this hastily. Take into consideration
which ones are best suited for early
season, the October lull, and the allimportant rut phases.
Choose according to sign, security cover requirements, available trees
or ground blind cover, other hunters
locations, and accessibility for other
hunters. Its also very important to
know how heavily pressured the area
is as that should make a difference in
not only choosing your locations, but
in how you prepare them.
Once your locations are decided,
you have ample time to prepare them
as spring green-up while preparing
locations, is a non-factor.
John Eberhart is an accomplished
big-buck bow-hunter that specializes in heavy consequential hunting
pressure areas with 28 bucks listed
in CBMs record book from 19 different properties and 10 different
counties. John produced a 3 volume
instructional DVD series titled Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails and
co-authored the books, Bowhunting
Pressured Whitetails, Precision
Bowhunting, and Bowhunting
Whitetails The Eberhart Way. They
are available at: www.deer-john.netn

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57

Old book worth reading

I
had magazine subscriptions
before but one of the first gun
books I bought myself was a
copy of Chic Gaylords Handgunners Guide. (Its been followed
by many others.)
I was in Escanaba on a trip with
friends in the late 1960s. A couple of
us wandered into a bookstore there.
Handgunners Guide was lying on
the remainder table and was within
my budget. It had been published in
1960 by Bramhall House, New York.
Mr. Gaylord had an interesting life.
Born in Colorado, he studied art in
Nebraska, worked as an art teacher in
New York and as an idea man for
cartoonist Peter Arno.
Then he worked in public relations and started making holsters. His
holster designs took off with cops,
government agents, bodyguards and
other armed individuals. Gaylord
paid attention when his customers
discussed fights theyd had, and the
good points and drawbacks of holsters
theyd used. Designs he came up with
are still being produced by at least one
holster company today.

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The book is a bit dated now, but

the holster designs stand up well. It
begins with a preface entitled Our
Handgun Heritage which is illustrated with photos of the
Colt Paterson and Little
Dragoon cap and ball revolvers. Chapter 1 deals
with Adapting Your Gun.
One of the adaptions he
suggests, trigger shoes, has
fallen out of favor now due
to safety problems with
re-holstering guns so
equipped. A trigger shoe
can catch on the edge
of the holster, moving
the trigger and firing the
gun. They were popular for a while,
particularly with target shooters.
Chapter 2 is Weapons for Concealment. Gaylord makes the case
for snubnose revolvers. Some of the
ones he discusses are out of production but a variant of the S&W Chiefs
Special is still made. Kimber announced that it is bringing out a new
six-shot snubnose revolver at the
recent SHOT Show in Las Vegas.
Other chapters discuss weapons
for personal defense, service and
combat practice. Gaylord was one
of the first writers I remember who
advocated practice with a .22 gun
that was as close as possible to the
centerfire defense or service weapons.
I have several .22s that are similar
to .38 or .357 revolvers. For years I

practiced for bowling pin matches

with a .22 Conversion Kit installed
on my .45 ACP pistol frame. After
discussing plinking and guns for it in
Chapter 6 The Fun Guns,
Gaylord wrote on Centerfire Hunting Weapons in
Chapter 7. Except for the Colt
Python and Colt Buntline Special, all the guns he illustrated
the hunting chapter with are
still made in some form.
Chapter 8, Ammunition
may be the most dated
chapter in the book. There
have been a lot of developments in ammunition since
the book was published.
The chapter still contains some interesting information.
Some of the holsters shown in
Chapter 9 and 10 and 11, Undercover Holsters and Concealment
Holsters and Service Holsters are
still being produced. Other holsters
makers seem to have been inspired
by the early efforts by Mr. Gaylord.
Pocket and inside the pants holsters
produced by modern holster makers
seem to use elements from Gaylords
designs.
After chapters on targets and safe
gun handling Gaylord dealt with elements of combat shooting in chapters
16, 17 and 18. Although Elmer Keith
is regarded as the most recognized
proponent of long range handgun
shooting, I read Gaylords discus-

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sion of it in Chapter 19 of Handgunners Guide before I read some of

what Keith said about it. Gaylords
take on long range handgun shooting
may have been the reason I started
to shooting handguns beyond the
standard seven to 10 yards. Chapter
20 Quick Draw had an effect on me
too. I never got really fast but, with
practice, I did get faster.
Whenever I think of making a
holster for a single-action revolver,
Gaylords Chapter 22, Holster History comes to mind. Gaylord shows a
method of making a holster that looks
simple enough for me to do. I havent
tried yet, but was thinking about it
again last winter.
Chapter 23, The Shooting Gallery gives brief histories of lawmen
and gunfighters and outlaws from the
old west. (Sometimes all three descriptions might fit the same man.) I
found these pocket biographies interesting at the time and still do.
My book has been damaged from
reading, and from being moved from
place to place when I was younger.
Paladin Press brought out a new edition of Handgunners Guide in 2000.
Its available from Amazon on Kindle
for $22. Not cheap but a lot cheaper
than original book in good condition
that Ive seen listed. Hangunners
Guide is one old book that is still
worth reading. There are others. I
may discuss some of them in future
columns.n

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March on in for
Detroit River eyes
follow the forage base
out to bigger and cooler
water.
Catching Detroit River walleye
is not always as easy as it seems.
The Detroit River has enough current to completely empty massive
Lake St Clair every four days. It has
a discharge flow average of around
200,000 cubic feet of water per
second. A pretty stiff current makes
both vertical jigging and trolling very
tricky. This is where the art of hand
lining was developed back in the
1940s.
Hand lining utilizes wire cable on
big spring loaded reels mounted in
the Gunwale of the boat. The system
utilizes a hard wire shank at the end of
the cable that usually has four leader
snaps built in to it with a big snap on
the bottom for attaching a one pound
weight. Anglers troll cross-current or
very slowly upstream bouncing the
weight on bottom. Monofilament or
fluorocarbon leads up to 40 foot are
attached from the snap on the shank
and floating stick baits are on the
business end. Big fish of 10 pounds
arent much of a problem until they
get next to the boat. An experienced
hand liner will flop the fish over the
side into the bottom of the boat while
many others try to pull the fish by
hand into the net.
Jig anglers have some of the best
fishing one could ever ask for, after all
who wouldnt love catching a 10 or 11

A successful day on the Detroit River for the author and his fishing buddy.
pound walleye on a jig? It is a good
idea to start with at least to 1 ounce
jigs until anglers can get their brain
and trolling motor to cooperate as one.
Many areas of the Detroit River have
slag dumped on the bottom from long
ago. If anglers dont stay completed
vertical and on top of their jigs theyll
be snagged up after only five foot of
drift. It is almost impossible to motor
with the electric up stream past the
snag as often there are three other
boats drifting right towards the snag.
The best advice I can give is go big
on jig size and there will be more fish

netted in your boat. We always use

stinger hooks and usually use a fourinch paddle tail worm or a smelt-looking rubber bait. I usually will throw
on two or three perch minnows, (not
three-inch walleye minnows) as well.
For some reason I just get bit more.
Dont bring an old worn out trolling motor battery to Detroit. That
river eats them for breakfast.
I hope you are as excited as I am
about another spring on the Detroit
River. As always, take a youngster
out, be safe, and Ill see you on the
water.n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Mark Sak

he last two seasons folks were

still ice fishing in
March in a lot of places. This
year will be much different.
The El Nino weather patterns
set up across the U.S. in January and
most of the big water never froze
and got the two feet of ice we had in
the last two years. That means early
access to big water fisheries that are
open all year long. The Great Lakes
and connecting waters means the
army of anglers will be out early,
and if we have a lot of open water it
will warm quicker. The spawn could
possibly move up by a few days to
a week or so, which means the end
of March could be prime time on the
Detroit.
There are many fish that had
already moved into the river since
the fall period. There are many more
that stage at the mouth or a few miles
from the mouth. They follow the huge
schools of shad and smelt into the river systems. These fish can sense the
change through the current as warmer
water and longer days start to make
their impact on the system. The numbers are staggering as literally millions of fish move into the river from
both Lake St Clair and Lake Erie. The
usual peak spawning time runs from
April 3 through April 12. But as of
this writing we have open water on
Lake Erie and areas of St Clair. It is a
distinct possibility we may have open
water on March 1. Whenever I have
been fortunate enough to get down on
the river in late March I have found
the fishing is never fantastic. Muddy
cold water right after ice out stalls
that bite until cleaner water moves in
and a degree or two of warmer water
puts fish in a fighting mood. But this
year it is very possible to have weeks
of open water before the calendar hits
April 1, so its time to get things ready
now.
We are still in an extreme golden
period of walleye fishing in the
Detroit River, Lake Erie and Lake St
Clair. Most folks fishing this system
regularly dont faint when they hook
a ten pound fish as they picked up
two yesterday. Pre-spawn has some
anglers looking for smaller fish for
the table as they are sometimes hard
to come by. But the males will come
in droves and within just a few days
most of the fish harvested will be a
feisty 18 incher with gills flared. It
is truly amazing to see how fast the
spawn can end. By the third week
in April many transient anglers have
left the river system and headed for
the big lakes to chase the big fish.
Although there are always resident
walleye in the river a huge number

59

Dear Fish Diary: Back In My Day...

Fishing isnt what it used to be imagine that

n explosion, or rather an
eruption and explosion,
quickly got my attention one
afternoon while sitting on
the ice with a couple of my
friends. Usually explosions
and eruptions are a scary event, but in
this case, it was more of a laughable
moment rather than a run for cover
experience. It was also an incident
which really got me and two friends
thinking about what the heck is happening to fishing? It sure isnt what it
used to be.
The explosion? Well it was merely
just an intoxicated fisherman slamming what appeared to be a fish finder
onto the ice. The eruption? A sling of
cuss words from the angry, inebriated
fisherman that Im probably not able
to repeat as he feverishly packed up
all of his gear and left the scene.
Of course I had to walk over there
during what appeared to be a major
crisis and get the gist of this traumatic
event. Indeed, it was his fish finder
that he spiked to the frozen surface.
And due to the inefficiency of his
electronic device, it caused a firestorm
in his liquored mind which, of course,
gave him cause to give up fishing for
the day in a heated tizzy on this cold
afternoon.
Upon returning to my friends I explained the situation and we all got a
good laugh out of the series of events.
Mainly because we didnt have any
electronic devices with us and we
were catching fish. He evidently was
not. And in that poor guys mind, he
would never catch any fish if that
electronic device wasnt telling him
where the fish were.

Which really made us think about

how much fishing has changed over
the years. I cant believe this, but for
the first time in my writing career, Im
actually writing the words Well
back in my day. As if it
cant still be my day, but you
know where Im going with
this.
So, back in my day
fishing was just plain fishing.
Todays modern fishermen
are becoming too spoiled by
electronic devices and technology and theyre totally
missing the point of
what we called fishing. Its become more
about catching than the experience of
fishing. Believe it or not, we actually had to find and catch fish on our
own without the use of a fish finder.
Imagine that. We had to know a lot
about the fish we were after. We had
to know their habits, habitat, routines
and preferred foods. We had to study
the lakes we were fishing and know
where our best chances would come
and how that might change at certain
times of the day or night.
On this particular day we were
catching fish without the use of an
electronic device while Mr. Snockered
up, hothead didnt catch a thing. He
thought it best to quit fishing when
his fish finder failed him. Which, is
another issue with many of todays I
want it now generation. They simply
want a machine to tell them what to
do and when to do it and they simply
have no patience.
Back in my day We didnt have
cell phones to distract us. We actually

went out to fish as a group of friends

and we actually talked to each other.
Imagine that, we actually talked to
each other. Sometimes we talked too
much and didnt always come off the
ice as a group of friends, but
whatever, we didnt text each
other to try and make up
either. We just talked about
it. To this day we still dont
bring our phones fishing.
And imagine this, our kids
wont fish with us because
we wont let them bring their
cell phones with them while
were fishing. Were
simply more worried
about the conversation we are having face to face rather
than whos trying to text us or get a
hold of us. So seeing a group of young
fisherman in a boat or on the ice, all
with their heads down because theyre
on their cell phones chatting with
someone else makes very little sense
to me.
My generation did not drill holes
in the ice with a hatchet, but we didnt
have gas powered augers either. And
we still dont. We knew how to find
fish and drilling 100 holes in the ice
certainly wasnt the way to do it. In
fact, if you just want to scare a school
of fish to the other end of the lake that
would certainly be the way to do it.
Im not sure this generation knows its
even possible to scare fish. And they
drop so many things down the holes
now, there is barely room to get their
line down there. Yes, in my day it
was just plain and simple, no batteries
needed to catch your limit. And yes,
on many occasions we did catch our

By Ron St. Germain

No Electricity? Keep Your Food Cold!

limit.
As we move further into this era
of electronics I can see more changes
coming. Soon it wont be good
enough to just drop a camera down
the hole, well have to get a report
back to see if the fish we are seeing
are actually hungry. And not only hungry, but hungry for what? How many
kids can you ask what a bass eats
and theyll tell you a bass eats rubber
worms. Its true, Ive done it.
I remember my first boat that had
a live-well. I refrained from using it
for the longest time because I was
afraid it would sink the boat. I didnt
say we had to be brilliantly smart to
catch fish without any modern day
electronics.
Did you know young man that
a simple heavy sinker on the end of
a fishing line will tell you the depth
of the water every time? Go ahead
young bucks, think that one through
LOL OMG, did I just say LOL? Im
getting younger by the sentence, but I
still dont need all the electro gizmos
to catch fish. Id rather get skunked on
my own.
There is a certain mystery and
anticipation related to the experience
of fishing for me and Id like to keep
it that way. And besides, one of the
biggest reasons I go out fishing is to
get away from all of the modern day
distractions and electronic devices
that bog me down. So maybe once
the guy we saw smash his fish-finder
on the ice sobers up, he might realize there is more to fishing than the
alcohol induced spiking of expensive
gear onto a hard surface. I might suggest he does not go out and purchase
a new fish-finder. Id suggest he finds
some old fart from my era and has a
non-cell phone conversation about
the lake and the fish hes after. Im
pretty sure that old fart will give him
more, and better information than the
fish-finder or the internet and he wont
need batteries or a 110 outlet to get it.
And who knows, he might even make
a new friend without the use of Facebook Imagine that

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Have a funny fishing

story to share?

60

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fishing-related adventure to me. You
dont have to write the entire story,
just a brief outline of what happened.
If it has some humor to it Ill be
getting in touch with you and well
work on the completed story together.
Fishing isnt always fun you know.
Woods-N-Water News columnist Ron
St. Germain can be reached by calling
(517) 626-2814, e-mailing DaPhotoDude@aol.com. Visit the authors
online photo gallery at DaPhotoDude.comn

An apology for ice-fishing

gers to sort them out and rebait. Dad
stepped onto the porch again.
You coming up? he shouted.
Im trying to!
When I was 16 we discovered
brown trout in Long Lake and icefishing took on a new
seriousness. Until that winter
nobody believed there were
trout in the lake. There were
pike, walleye, smallmouth
bass, and panfish, but nobody
had ever heard of a trout
caught in Long Lake. The
day we caught our first we
were on the lake before
daylight. My father, my
brother, our neighbor
Dave Hardy, his son
Brad, and I set a long row of tip-ups
over a submerged ridge beside the
island. It was a good place for walleye,
but we also caught occasional pike
there.
The nights for the past week had
been very cold and there had been no
snow or wind. The ice was as hard and
clear as plate glass and three inches
thick. By daylight our fingers were
numb from grabbing minnows in the
bait buckets, and we stood in a loose
group near the island, shuffling our
feet and blowing into our mittens, all
of us eager for the first fish of the day.
The first flag went up shortly after
the sun rose. As we started toward it,
the one beside it popped. Then the
next in line. Then the next and the
next. We had ten tip-ups set along
the ridge and seven of them tripped
in sequence during that first rush of
activity.
We split up and went to our lines. I
leaned down and looked into the hole
and watched my spool turning steadily, evidence that a fish had the bait and
was running with confidence. I waited
until the spool stopped and imagined
the fish turning the minnow in its
mouth to swallow it. When the spool
began moving again I lifted the tip-up,
grasped the line, and set the hook with
long hand-over-hand pulls.
I could feel the fish bucking far
away. It came fairly easily at first, then
fought strong enough to take some
line. I gained it back and had the fish
coming toward me when it veered
toward the surface, rising the way a
kite rises on the wind. I could feel a
shudder as it struck the ice. It was trying to jump. I had never known a pike
or walleye to do that and I wondered
if I had hooked a bass, though they are
rare in winter. Suddenly the fish was
running toward me so fast I could not
keep up and it shot past just beneath
the surface, as visible through the clear
ice as if it were in an aquarium. There
was no mistaking it: a brown trout,
about eighteen inches long.
I fought it carefully then. When it
tired and allowed itself to be led into
the hole I grabbed it behind the head

and threw it on the ice. I straightened

up and shouted in triumph but when I
looked around everyone was hauling
fish out of the water and each was a
gorgeous brown trout the size of mine.
The lake was not the same after
that. Big pike, walleye, and
bass had made the lake seem
dark and mysterious, vaguely
ominous, but with trout in
it whole new possibilities
opened up. There was glamour and promise, as if the
bottom had been seeded with
precious stones. The bright
colors of the trout, their
novelty and abundance,
created a kind of enchantment. Here was a
lake so bountiful it allowed us to haul
jewels from it.
We caught trout all winter. They
traveled in schools and we either
caught a limit of them or we caught
none. They would show up for two
or three days in succession, then they
would disappear for a week. A few
anglers at the other end of the lake discovered them also, but we were careful to keep our mouths shut. None of
us had a sure explanation of how the
trout had gotten into the lake, but ru-

By Jerry Dennis

mors flew. Somebody said he had seen

a Department of Natural Resources
hatchery truck parked beside the lake
a couple years earlier; someone else
said he heard that a truck filled with
fingerlings slated for release in Grand
Traverse Bay had to dump its cargo
into Long Lake when the aerator broke
in passage. It wasnt until the following winter that the word leaked and
clusters of shanties showed up near the
public access sites. Even after that the
fishing remained terrific. Every year
we caught fewer trout but they were
two or three inches larger than the year
before. Eventually they all measured
more than two feet long. The last one I
caught weighed nearly eight pounds.
It would be twenty years before
I met Stan Lievense, the Department
of Natural Resources biologist who
had been responsible for planting the
trout in Long Lake. When I asked him
about it, he admitted that he intentionally kept the planting secret because
he didnt want the lake overrun with
anglers. Besides, he was curious. He
wanted to see what would happen.
Adapted from the book, The River
Home: An Anglers Explorations,
by Jerry Dennis. To learn more, visit
www.jerrydennis.netn

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

came to ice-fishing at a young

age, and in desperation. The
months from December through
March were too long to tolerate without some kind of fishing
and in northern Michigan most
of the kinds available happened to be
through the ice. When I was presented
with a new fly rod for Christmas one
year I rigged it with a wet fly and
spent the afternoon standing on the ice
casting into a narrow strip of open water in the channel between Long and
Mickey lakes. The water was about
two feet deep, the bottom clean sand,
and of course I caught nothing. I gave
up finally and went home, where my
father and I baited tip-ups with minnows and hauled in enough walleyes
for dinner. The fly rod stayed in my
closet until spring.
In my family it was traditional on
Christmas day to set tip-ups on the
lake in front of my parents house.
Some years it was just my father and I
who fished; other years my mother, my
brother and sister, their spouses, and
my wife and sons all got involved. We
placed our lines in a loose semi-circle
just beyond the drop-off, built a fire on
the ice near shore, and stood around
talking and waiting for the tip-ups to
pop. If the ice was good, we shoveled
a rink and skated while we waited. Always, no matter what we were doing,
everyone kept an eye on the tip-ups.
A tip-up baited and set is a pure
embodiment of potential energy. At
any moment that latent loop of taut
possibility could become unleashed,
leaping upright, its small square of
red cloth waving back and forth as if
crying, Me, me, attend to me! Stare
long enough at tip-ups on a frozen
lake and they seem to tremble with
the urge to be set loose. Theyre so
potent that they often make regular
appearances in my dreams. I see a flag
upright above the snow and know that
a fish has taken the bait and is running
all the line off the spool. Im excited
but when I try to run to it I discover
that Im stuck in snow so deep I cant
move.
Our Christmas outings were
always unpredictable. Some years we
caught nothing, others we caught fish
steadily through the day and into the
night. One Christmas we went all day
without a flag and by evening, with
darkness creeping over the horizon,
I tended the lines alone while everyone else was up at the house getting
ready for dinner. When it was nearly
dark my father came out on the porch
and called for me to come up to eat.
I started for shore but had gone only
a few steps when a flag went up with
a metallic click. I walked toward it
and another flag popped, then another.
In ten minutes I landed four walleye
weighing from three to five pounds
each. They lay on the ice tangled in
line while I struggled with useless fin-

61

Traditional Black Powder Hunting...

Viewed from a

Different
Perspective

oarfrost clung to prairie

grass blades. Spindly goldenrod stems masqueraded
as downy ostrich plumes.
Errant white crystals melted
on bare skin. A tingling
rivulet raced down that cheek. To the
north, fragile, lace-like ice skinned the
nameless creeks muddy edges. Twinkling stars faded overhead, replaced
by a soft lavender glow to the east.
Hoo, HooHoo, Hooooo
One ridge distant, the hollow tones of
a roosting owl asked, Just
whoare yoouuu? Hoo,
HooHoo, Hooooo
Invigorated lungs huffed
the pre-dawn cold as buffalohide moccasins whispered
along the familiar path. A
doe and her two fawns dark
silhouettes plodded single
file on a far hillside.
Two tall white ash
trees skulked by, as
did a cottonwood
and a spreading willow. Then a gray,
barkless red oak afforded respite to an
anxious woodsman as he waited for
the dawning of a November day in the
Year of our Lord, 1792.
An eternity later, black gunpowder
grains sprinkled from the cow horns
spout, half-filling the Northwest guns
priming pan. The frizzen snapped
down. The back of a folded wool
mitten wiped a few spatters of melted
frost from the browned barrel. Muzzle
up and forward, right thumb fretting
and fidgeting over the jaw screw of
the flintlocks hammer, the woodsman
plunged into the tangled grass.
Hostilities burned with irregularity in the backcountry near the headwaters of the River Raisin in the Old
Northwest Territory. Pursuing fresh
meat alone, a woodsman bore a keen
sense of vulnerability, exacerbated by
zig-zagging back and forth in a swale
surrounded by open prairie. The trade
guns butt stock hovered closer to
my shoulder than usual; the muzzle
skimmed inches above the amber
grasses.
A couple steps forwarda long
pausetwo steps rightanother
pausetwo steps forwardpause
left four small stepsan about face
pausea few stepsa quarter-turn
pause The nonsensical dance con-

tinued with no discernible purpose

other than to confound and confuse a
crouched rooster pheasant and afford
it no choice but flight.
Part way through the swale I
paused within a scant willow stand,
not that far from another patch of
cattails. The sun hung brilliant; a
sliver still hid behind the eastern tree
line. The back of the linen hunting
shirt warmed as I watched for intruders. With a scowl, I realized I had
not offered the usual prayer while I
tarried beneath the barkless
oak. A clean kill, or a clean
miss. Your will, O Lord, I
whispered with a twinge of
remorse.
A quarter-turn right and
a long pause followed three
zigs and zags due west. Two
steps ahead, a handful of
canary grass shook.
Wings thrashed.
Color streaked.
Feathers drifted.
Lungs filled fast. The sear clicked
a blink before the brass butt plate
slammed home. The turtle sight jerked, then swung through the whipping,
black-barred tail, through the churning, flailing body, and almost through
the roosters iridescent, green head.
In hindsight, I recall feeling the
sear move in the tumblers notch,
edging closer to the brink of unleashing the death bees. As my body
twisted farther right, the rooster grew
darker, turned black, then vanished
in a white-hot flash of beaming light.
My finger eased. The sear settled. My
head jerked left.
Out of the corner of my eye,
behind the curved edge of my silverrimmed spectacles, I glimpsed the
blurred fowl descend a bit, veer left,
then coast, wings cupped, over a
knoll. After resetting the locks hammer to half cock, an eerie foreboding
washed over my being. I crouched
down, grounded the Northwest gun
muzzle up and rubbed my strained
eyes. I think I chuckled, but I didnt
curse the rising sun.
Traditional black powder hunters
live in the past by choice. The primary
focus of any traditional hunt is putting
wild game on the family dinner table.
But beyond that, these simple pursuits
include the nurturing of a mental atti-

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Dennis Neely

62

A night later, a fine rooster came to the family dinner table, flushed from deep
canary grass a dozen yards nor th of the bend in the nameless creek.
tude that shapes all aspects of the hunt
while kindling a deep desire within
ones being to re-create the hunting
conditions of a bygone era.
As living historians, traditional
hunters research the daily life circumstances of ordinary people who survived in Americas harsh backcountry.
The process is ongoing; the learning
and refinement of woodland skills is
never-ending.
In many instances, the narratives
depict a nomadic lifestyle, undertaken
by choice, filled with solitude, and
fraught with constant danger, an existence judged barbaric and unthinkable
by todays civilized society. The
harrowing tales of these woodland
wandererssome famous, some infamous and some obscureare far more
intriguing than any fictional character one might imagine. And woven
throughout these dusty, long-forgotten
journal passages is a captivating and
unmistakable sense of self-reliance,
rugged individualism and personal
fortitude that generations later seem
bred out of modern man.
A common question asked of
traditional black powder hunters,
both men and women, is: Do you
ever hunt with a modern gun or use
modern clothes? The answers vary
depending upon the person, but my
answer is always the same: No. You
see, for me and a fair number of others, this history-based hunting philosophy has developed into an addictive
lifestyle that brings great enjoyment,
unbelievable satisfaction and tremendous personal fulfillment throughout
the entire year.
Yes, a cornfield-camouflage
hooded sweatshirt hangs in the back
closet, but I do not own modern hunting clothes, and havent for over three

decades. The Lefever Nitro Special

12-guage that I hunted with in high
school, along with my father and
mothers shotguns, reside in the gun
safe, kept for sentimental reasons.
To demonstrate how bad my
addiction is, if someone calls and
says: Denny, come over tomorrow
and lets hunt pheasants, or turkeys,
or squirrels, or , I would show
up with Old Turkey Feathers, my
smooth-bored Northwest gun, the
proper projectiles and fixings, and
dressed in the 1790s clothing of either
a trading post hunter or a returned Native captive, my two current historical
personas.
Now such a statement might draw
a raised eyebrow or two, but the other
side of that response is What would
you choose? The essence of the answer, for both you and me, is we each
would bring the arm, ammunition,
supporting accoutrements and wear
the clothing that we have the most
confidence in.
Traditional black powder hunting
is not for everyone. For those modern
hunters who dare sample this joyous
pastime, building confidence is the
biggest obstacle: first, in the muzzleloading arm; second, mastering the
loading process and accoutrements;
third, adapting to period-correct clothing; and fourth, developing and honing the skills necessary to approach
game close enough to effect a clean,
humane shot.
Success bolsters confidence,
acknowledging that each individuals
definition of success varies. To a
hunter, success usually involves the
taking of game. The high-tech nature of todays hunting methodology
promotes a feeling among moderns
that scientific advances nullify the

ing the limitations of daily life

two centuries ago is perhaps the
greatest stumbling block of all.
After a fashion, the limitations garner little conscious
thought. Thirty-five years
ago, engaging in an adventure
centered in the 1790s appeared
to be the best option for gaining a firsthand understanding
of what it was really like to
hunt, live and survive in the Old
Northwest Territory. The choice
was mine, and the restrictions
seemed a fair tradeoff.

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Lapeer: 810-744-1716
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Choosing any given hunting philosophy, modern or

traditional, is just that, a choice.
Each methodology has its own
advantages and drawbacks. One
is not better than the other. And
many modern hunters set aside a
day or two for a traditional hunt,
and vice versa, seeking out the
best of both endeavors.
In retrospect, I believe I have
brought to the table as much,
perhaps more, wild game with
Old Turkey Feathers as I would
have with a modern shotgun.
But such success is view from a
different perspective, a perspective rooted in my beloved 1790s.
Give traditional black powder hunting a try, be safe and
may God bless you.
Dennis Neely maintains a
web site devoted to traditional
hunting at www.traditionalblackpowderhunting.com.n

Unfor tunately, the ring-necked

pheasants are gone now, leaving
only fond memories of pristine
moments in an 18th-century
Eden. Wild River tree Photo

Drive-in housekeeping camp for Walleye, Pike & Smallmouth

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Property use and boundary disputes
Lake access/dock placement
Subdivisions/easements/roadway disputes

Attorney Philip L. Ellison, MBA, JD, Esq.

Statewide Practice

229 W. 5th Street Pinconning

2 blocks east of light off M-13

989-879-1110 www.northwoodsoutlet.com

www.olcplc.com
(989) 642-0055

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

need to develop woodland skills.

For many people, improved
success rates support this
hypothesis.
Depending upon degree, a
prospective converts reliance
on tree stands, ground blinds,
scoped firearms or crossbows,
electronic calls, computergenerated camouflage patterns,
chemical scents, lifelike decoys
and such can become a huge
barrier when stepping over
times threshold. Shedding todays conveniences and accept-

63

Boat Smart...By Captain Fred Davis

Know how to
safely anchor

ost of the marine perils

at sea are the result of
severe weather combined
with lack of knowledge
and failure to plan ahead.
Mixing all three conditions can lead to a boating mishap
with dire consequences.
The day began with a clear sky,
calm sea and just a light breeze. The
morning forecast was favorable, for
those planning to head out to sea,
under power or sail, the weather appeared ideal. Many had been forced
to remain at dockside the past few
days and they had gotten underway
early.
The morning weather continued
to be a boaters delight; sailboats,
fishing boats and cruisers could all
be seen offshore. I had a full boat of
passengers on my charter vessel who
were enjoying the calm seas along
with good fishing success. My office
contacted me regarding calls being

received about the afternoon trip going out and I responded saying it was
likely.
After returning to port the job of
cleaning up for the next trip out was
lengthy because of all the fish caught,
they had made a mess splashing
around the decks. I called my office
and asked to have lunch brought to
the dock. After getting our boat all
cleaned, the mate and I sat down to
enjoy lunch. We had about a halfhour until the afternoon trip was to
begin.
The VHF marine radio called out
a security; a severe storm warning for
Saginaw Bay and adjacent waters.
A strong thunderstorm, with high
winds was forecasted to strike in the
afternoon hours. When my charter
customers began to arrive, I shared
with them the threat of severe storms
forecasted for the area. I told them we
could head offshore but not as far as I
had been for the A.M. trip because if

Celebrating another great year of QDM!

16th Thumb QDMA REACH Banquet

McKenzie Stomack with her
2015 Huron County bucks.

Dr. Craig Harper

Special Guest Speaker

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Ubly Heights Golf & Country Club
Dinner, Drinks, Guns, Bows, Games, Raffles, Auctions
Order your tickets by February 14th! No ticket sales at the door!
Doors open at 4PM, Dinner at 6PM.

Fun for the whole family! Bring your deer for scoring!
Cut & mail to: QDMA, P.O. BOX 82, Bad Axe, MI 48413. Check payable to: Thumb Branch QDMA

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

or MasterCard / VISA accepted (circle card type)

64

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Ticket Prices include a 1-Year
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The sail boat the author

had observed at anchor
offshore was laying
sideways, its hull hard
aground on the beach.
strong winds developed and we had
to make a run for the harbor, it would
be uncomfortable. The eager anglers
elected to take the trip and hope the
storm held off.
As we headed out of the port,
the Coast Guard channel repeated
the storm warning and added winds
of up to 75 miles per hour could be
expected. I was apprehensive because
handling my 35 steel-hulled vessel
with 20 people aboard would be a difficult task in strong winds.
The fishermen and women,
along with their youngsters, could
not believe a lake, so placid, could
change as fast as I told them it could.
I headed a few miles straight out to an
area where I had a good view of the
predicted path of the coming storm. If
it developed, I would be able to make
a quick retreat ahead of it.
As I set anchor, I noticed a sailboat approaching the lighthouse reef
two miles offshore. I radioed the captain and advised him I was the owner
of the local salvage company along
with my charter business. I said I was
fishing nearby and had observed him
navigating too close to the lighthouse.
I urged him to change course to avoid
going aground. He responded he was
concerned about the weather report so
he had cut it close but said he would
change course immediately. It was
not long before evidence of the storm
forming could be seen on the horizon. Smaller vessels were headed for
safety and I elected to return to port as
well. We just beat the quickly building storm. As I entered the harbor, I
noticed the sailboat I had talked too
earlier made it safely into a mooring
area and had set anchor.
The storm came ashore swiftly
with winds clocked at 88 miles per
hour and rain fell hard and heavy.
After checking to make sure all boats
had made it to port, I headed home
to check my messages. A short time
later, I received a frantic call from
the owner of the sailboat I had
helped out on the lake. He said he
needed my assistance and could I
meet him at the county park beach
opposite the dock.
When I arrived much to my
surprise the sailboat that I had observed at anchor offshore was laying
sideways, its hull hard aground up on
the beach. The captain told me after
securing his vessel with anchors, he
and his wife had got in the dingy and

rowed ashore to get ice cream cones.

By this time it was late afternoon but I
called a crew to meet me at the beach
to try to determine how we could
remove the vessel.
When they arrived and we examined the vessel we knew heavy equipment would be required to dig out
around the vessels hull so we could
turn it facing seaward. We would
then jet along the keel and ease her to
deeper water and a towboat. I told the
men I would contact the heavy equipment operator and ask him to meet us
first thing in the morning because it
was too late to begin such an ambitious job with fading daylight.
Early the next day my team met
and the heavy equipment operator
skillfully and gently dug sand away
from the boats hull and assisted as
the men turned the vessel. A group
of beach goers had gathered and were
shouting encouragement as the work
progressed. After five hours of careful
maneuvering, the towline was carried
in and hooked up and we towed the
boat to dockside in the harbor. The
inspection by the divers revealed a
slight bend to the rudder shaft.
The captain said he had deployed
two anchors off the bow and when
my crew checked they determined the
anchor closest to the hull had begun to
drag. The trough it made allowed the
second anchor to slide and because
both anchors were on short lines the
mishap occurred. A longer anchor
line, perhaps as much as ten times the
water depth, would likely have held
the sailboat at anchor in the sandy
bottom.
To set a second anchor, he should
have fallen back on the first anchor,
then moved forward at around a 30
angle before dropping the second
anchor. Both anchors should have had
the same length rode.
This mariner got lucky twice.
He didnt go aground on a dangerous
reef, and he made it to safe moorage
ahead of a massive wind storm. His
luck ran out when he failed to know
how to safely anchor his vessel and
was foolish enough to leave it
unattended with a storm bearing
down on it.
Captain Fred Davis is a retired
charter captain and nationally published author of boating articles. His
Boat Smart articles are published
online at
www.captainfredsboattips.comn

19-pt Second Biggest...By Richard P. Smith

Manistee County
big non-typical
in the trail he was walking on and a
path had been cut around that hole, so
he could avoid it.
Vest explained that it had rained
the night before, so all of the leaves
and vegetation were wet, making for
quiet walking. He had only walked
about 20 feet along the path around
the mud hole when he saw and heard
the buck getting up from a bed about
30 feet away in a row of pine trees.
I think the buck was going to let
me walk by him, but he got up when
I got so close, Chuck said. I got my
rifle up as quickly as I could and shot
and the buck dropped right where he
was. After I got him, I was so excited
that I was jumping up and down and
hollering.
When he got home, Chuck told his
wife, I just killed the biggest buck
Ive ever seen in my life.
The whitetail proved to be an oldtimer, being aged at between seven
and 10 years old. The mandatory

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Held at the
Eagles Hall
301 Detroit St.
JACKSON,
MICHIGAN

www.mhfcc.net or call 248-760-7785

Chuck Vest took this 19-pt. with nine non-typical points that measure a total
of 17 2/8 inches in length. Both antler beams were more than 23 inches in
length and the inside spread was 18 4/8 inches with nearly a 5 inch circumference. Candy Grossnickle photo
antler point restrictions that went into
effect in the county three years ago
cant be credited for the age of Vests
buck. The deer was already an oldtimer that knew how to avoid most
hunters when those restrictions went
into effect.
Chuck said a unique feature the
deer had was a white stripe that went
up the front of each leg from the hoof
to the first joint. The hair on the front

of the legs is brown on most whitetails.

The rack has a 10-point typical
frame, with nine nontypical points
that measure a total of 17 2/8 inches
in length. Both antler beams were
more than 23 inches in length and the
inside spread was 18 4/8 inches. The
longest tine was over 10 inches long.
The circumference of the antlers at the
bases was about five inches.n

Whats In Your

?
??

?
k
c
l
a
e
T
B
d
o
l
x
O
??

Terry
McBurney,
Woods-n-Water
News staff writer and fishing
tackle historian,
will be setting up
his antique fishing
tackle displays at
the Outdoorama in
Novi and the
Ultimate Sports
Show in Grand
Rapids. With a lifetime
of experience in the
fishing industry and
author of many magazine
articles on antique tackle,
he will be answering
questions and offering
free appraisals at each
show.

Joining him
will be Dick
VanRaalte
of Starboard
Marine Restorations, Grand
Haven, Michigan
who will exhibit
part of his
collection of vintage
outboard motors.
With over 20 years
of experience restoring
old outboards, as well
as wood and fiberglass
boats, VanRaalte will
also be answering questions and offering free
appraisals. They are also
interested in buying old
sporting collectibles for
their collections.

COME IN AND MEET THE EXPERTS

Grand Rapids Ultimate Sports Show
Novi Outdoorama
February 25-28, 2016
March 17-20, 2016
DeVos Place
Suburban Collection Showcase
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Novi, Michigan

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

harles (Chuck) Vest from

Kaleva bagged a 19-pointer in
Manistee County on November 27, 2015 thats the second
highest scoring nontypical
on record for the county.
The massive antlers have an official
nontypical net score of 179 4/8, according to Commemorative Bucks of
Michigan measurer Wayne Anderson.
The gross score is 183 7/8. Anderson
measured the antlers on January 27,
60 days after the buck was bagged.
The highest scoring non-typical
currently on record for Manistee
County measured 198 3/8, according
to Commemorative Bucks of Michigan (CBM). Raymond Socher shot
that deer during 1936. Chucks buck
takes over the second place spot previously held by a whitetail scoring 171
6/8 that James E. Schriber shot during
1974.
A number of people in the area,
including Chuck, had seen the buck
prior to the beginning of 2015 deer
seasons. At least one person got trail
camera photos of the deer.
I saw him when he was in velvet, Chuck said. He was with four
other bucks in a wheat field.
Knowing such a big buck was
in the vicinity gave Chuck plenty of
incentive for hunting during 2015.
Every time he hunted, he hoped he
would see the big one. When he
finally did see the whitetail, it was
when he was least expecting to.
He spent about an hour and a half
in his tree stand on the morning of
November 27 and then climbed down
to go home. Chuck hurt his back during the summer, so he wasnt able to
hunt as long or as often as he had in
the past. There was a large mud hole

65

Operation Injured Soldier...

Disabled veterans
healing by hunting

istening to 20 beagles howling

at various places in the surrounding woods, accompanied
by a crescendo of
(shotgun) shots here
and there on a brisk
winter morning is certainly a
very unique sound that was
quite frankly, music to my
ears. I was observing a recent
rabbit hunt for disabled
veterans through a program
called Operation
Injured Soldier
(OIS) on 400 acres
of excellent wildlife
habitat owned by Dr. Richard Horsch
of Mayville. Personally, Ive been
on a lot of rabbit hunts with beagles
in my day (which is quite a few and
actually too many to count), but this
one in particular surpassed them all in
intensity and action.
There were 30 participants (veterans) along with skillful hunting guides
and their eager hounds which were
divided up into 3 teams to be stationed
at strategic parts of the hunting area
to keep things moving. For starters,
weather-wise with snow and then
freezing rain the night before, and
followed by daytime overcast skies
and steadily dropping temperatures, it
wasnt ideal cottontail rabbit hunting conditions. However with good
ground, guides and hounds, matters

can still happen and they did on this

day.
Upon arriving, I noticed several
rabbit hunters sitting in a
very handy hunting transport
designed for disabled folks
who cant walk, called the
Action Trackchair (www.
actiontrackchair.com).
Picture an electric-powered
wheelchair with tank treads
which can even lift a hunter
up into a stabile
standing position
when needed. Attach
a gun rack, and it is
ready for action. I witnessed rabbit hunters so equipped going uphill,
downhill and through snow drifts, and
I was hard pressed (with camera in
hand) keeping up with them on foot
in the snow. The Action Trackchair
allowed the hunters to readily position
themselves in relation to the singing
beagles and join in on the fast and
continually moving atmosphere.
However, the majority of rabbit
hunters were on foot which clearly defines there can be much more to being
a disabled veteran than physical scars.
According to Dr. Horsch, anyone who
has served our country in combat can
be considered as being a disabled
veteran. There is the emotional wound
known as Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) that wasnt fully
identified and recognized until more
recent times. Veterans returning from
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
are a distinct testimony to this fact,
but it relates to veterans of all wars
and conflicts. There are the Viet Nam
veterans who (now in their 60s and
70s) are realizing they have issues related to the war which they have kept
suppressed for many years.
A veteran himself, Dr. Horsch is
fully aware of all this, because he has
seen the effects of combat firsthand.
He was the head of the operative
section of a MASH Unit in Viet Nam
(1966-67). He also remembers returning home with other soldiers and having hippies at an airport in Seattle
on the sidelines jeering and even
casting cupfuls of urine at them. What
was also really dismaying was the fact
police were on hand not to protect
the soldiers, but instead to protect the
hippies, a nasty and very unfair twist
of fate for soldiers returning to society
after experiencing combat for their
country. Fortunately, being shunned
and estranged isnt the case today, but

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Tom Lounsbury

66

OIS rabbit hunters move into position on Action Trackchairs while the beagles in hot
pursuit are approaching. Below; One of Dr. Richard Horschs of Mayville many wheelchair accessible (and heated) deer blinds on his property.
there is much still to be done for our
veterans to help them in the healing
process.
That is why Dr. Horsch is a strong
and dedicated supporter of Operation
Injured Soldier (OIS) in the Thumb
area. Presently the program has 3000
acres of private land available for
participating disabled veterans, but it
is a far cry from being enough. Presently the program can accommodate
50 veterans in the hunting field, and it
could easily have 150 veterans if the
land was available.
According to Dr. Horsch, participating disabled veterans are the best
hunting guests a private landowner
can have, because they respect the
land, reliably follow the landowners
rules and truly appreciate the hunting
opportunity. There is also a signed
form which releases the landowner
from any liabilities. Game species the
OIS participants wish to hunt are deer,
wild turkey, waterfowl and rabbits.
While there are enough skilled
guides (who donate their time and
resources) for the OIS program, the
real problem is in having enough land
available. When a landowner is will-

ing to participate, an OIS guide will

review the property and answer any
questions.
The go-to person for all of this
whether you are a veteran, or private
landowner (anywhere in the Thumb)
wishing to participate in OIS, is Mark
Zmierski, the Tuscola County Veteran Affairs Director (mzmierski@
tchd.us, or call 989-673-8148). His
office hours Monday Friday are
8am - 4pm, and until 7pm the first and
second Tuesday of the month.
During the recent OIS rabbit hunt
near Mayville, the participants bagged
48 rabbits (29 in the morning, and 19
in the afternoon), so it was an action
packed day for all. During lunch I had
the opportunity to sit down and visit
with some of the veterans. Several
mentioned how OIS was a literal life
saver for them, and that the camaraderie involved, and also being able
to talk to fellow veterans who have
been there (and fully understand), is
the best therapy ever. They all agreed
that being able to go hunting certainly
helps in the healing process.
All veterans have my sincere gratitude for their service.n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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67

TROPHY PAGES

Thomas Salbut took this

beautiful heavy beamed 9-pt.
hunting in the rain near Ubly
on Nov. 18.
Adam
Kupiec
of Grand
Blanc
earned his
Michigan
Master Angler Patch
for this 40"
pike. Proud
mom, Kelly,
is holding
while Captain Adam
took the
picture!

Thomas Hilgendorf took

this big 10-pt. hunting
Patrick Curtis of Bancroft Lapeer Co.
took this dandy trophy
buck hunting Dec. 15.

Amy Proos took her first steelhead fishing the Muskegon

River in mid-Dec. and it was
exciting and fun!

Troy Blake
harvested this
big 8-pt. with a
20 inch inside
spread with
his crossbow
on Oct. 30 in
Calhoun Co.

Stephen Hyde
had a good fall
hunt, taking a
Tom with a 9
inch beard with
a crossbow on
Oct. 12. Nov. 19
he took this 3 1/2
year old 8-pt, with
his muzzleloader.
Both were taken
on the same farm
in Barry Co.

Rick Adlen took this nice 9-pt. bowhunting Dec. 9. Earlier on Nov.
7 he took a 10-pt. with his bow. Dawn Adlen-Pratt took her 8-pt.
bowhunting in Oct.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Isabella
County
Hunting
Family...

68

Husband and wife Jean/Tim Coughlin and family had another great year of deer hunting (lt-rt top): Jean 7-pt. bow and 5-pt. rifle, Tim 7-pt. crossbow and 6-pt.
rifle, son-in-law, Steve Onstott10-pt. rifle, daughter, Trixie Onstott 6-pt. rifle, grandson, Cooper Onstott 7-pt. rifle, 8-pt. bow, Dick Onstott 6-pt. and 9-pt. rifle, Jean's
brother Jim Pifer 6-pt. rifle, nephew Keegan Pifer 9-pt. rifle, nephew Cody Pifer 6-pt. rifle, nephew Jared Pifer 8-pt. bow, niece Angie Pifer, 8-pt. crossbow, Jared
and Angie's son, Luke Pifer big 10-pt. crossbow, nephew, Nick Pifer 8-pt. bow, Nick's daughters, Kylie Pifer nice 8-pt. rifle, Ashlynd Pifer doe rifle, nephew Seth Pifer
6-pt. rifle and nephew Wesley Pifer who took his first deer, a doe dedicated in memory of his dad, George who passed away earlier in 2015.

TROPHY PAGES

Kyle Forman had an amazing deer season; he and his son

were hunting neighboring treestands and Kyle shot this 10pt. directly under his son at 25 yards with his bow. A couple
weeks later at deer camp he tried a spot he developed
throughout the season and shot this great 8-pt.

Heather
Kellogg of
Eagle took
this very
unique
16-pt.
non-typical
buck with
her bow
on Oct. 18
in Clinton
Co.

Lori Derewitz of
Dryden took this buck
with a broken antler
Nov. 20 in Lapeer Co.

FAMILY SUCCESS: Brian Hall 8-pt. and 7-pt. Nov. 15, Iosco Co. rifle, Renae Hall 4-pt. Nov. 23 Iosco Co.
rifle, Rachel Coggins 4-pt. Nov. 28, Iosco Co. rifle, Colton Coggins 7-pt. Oct. 1 and 4-pt. Oct. 26 Genesee
Co. bow, Phil Allard 7-pt. Oct. 8 crossbow and 9-pt. Nov. 30 shotgun both in Genesee Co., David Hall 8-pt.
Nov. 14 Tuscola Co. crossbow, David Jarvis took his first buck, a 4-pt. Nov. 21 Iosco Co. rifle, Brian Petiprin's
first buck, a 6-pt. Nov. 15 Tuscola Co. shotgun and Kim Hall took her first buck, a 9-pt. Nov. 17 Tuscola Co.

Success in Alcona County: (lt-rt) Ken Sharp of

Hazel Park took this 8-pt. Nov. 15. Mike Jasky of
Rochester Hills took this first deer ever, a trophy
12-pt. on Nov. 17 it was aged by the DNR at 5
years old. Larry Ross of Shelby Township took a
9-pt. on Nov. 15.

Bob Calkins of Rockford took this 11-pt.

on his property in
Lake Co. on the last
day of the gun season.

Ron Brinks of Hamilton took

this 11-pt., double-brow
tine buck Nov. 15 with his
muzzleloader in Allegan Co.

Keith Yorks of Evart

took this 5-pt. the last
day of gun season.

Noah Sheridan, 14 of
Dublin, OH shot his first
buck, this 7-pt. in Roscommon Co. on opening day
of gun season.

Twin sisters Sharen Bitz

(lt) and Karen Yorks hunt
together every year. This
year Sharen took a doe and
Karen (rt) took a 7-pt.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Aaron
Stites of
Durand
took this
huge Shiawassee
Co. buck
with his
bow on
his first
hunt of
the season.

69

Michigan Man
Indiana Buck
Jason Stiver traveled two hours
south from his home in Portage,
Michigan and found himself
hunting in the land of giants...

ichiganders might not think of our

neighbors in Indiana as a destination state for trophy whitetail
hunting but that perception might
quickly change after reading Jasons story.
Stiver booked his hunt with
Bill Sickafus, who owns Rack N
Tracks Outfitters, located in Peru, Indiana. Rural
farmland with scattered woodlands makes for ideal
whitetail habitat in the north-central region of the
Hoosier state.
Jason ventured south on Halloween and started
hunting November 1. He was committed to make
the most of his time so he stuck to a game plan of
sitting in a deer stand from before sun-up to after
sundown. This was easier said than done due to an
above average warm spell that kept the temperatures in the 60s. The warm temperatures did not
encourage daytime movements but it was the prerut so there was always the potential that the deer
would eventually get up and start chasing.
As the week progressed, Jason saw a few deer
that he estimated would score around 140 B&C
points but they were always well out of
crossbow range. On Friday, Sickafus
placed Stover in a blind that he called the
trap house. This blind was made out of
metal and the floor was only about eight
feet above the ground. It had a metal railing that the outfitter used to brush in
the blind with cut limbs. Behind the blind
was nothing more than a steep gully that
lead to a set of railroad tracks and
a highway. Jason said, I didnt
think anything would come in from
behind me due to the steepness of the ravine and the
fact that there were railroad tracks and a highway
behind me.
Stover did not see any deer during the morning
or early afternoon hours but remained vigilant. Late
in the day he heard a loud noise which alerted him
that something was coming. Directly behind him a
doe walked under his treestand followed by a massive 10-point. Jason estimated that this huge buck
would score in the 180s. Following the big 10-point
was a big 8-point that the outfitter named Mr.
Perfect, because it had a perfectly symmetrical rack
that they estimated that he would score in the 150s.
Jasons heart was pumping hard. He says, The

Jason Stiver of Portage missed the opportunity to harvest this record book buck the evening prior as his
bolt deflected off a branch. However, the next morning he made sure his crossbow was clear and despite
a bit of a fogged up scope made a perfect shot on the Indiana monster 22-point buck. Photo provided
10-point trotted into the field and took a turn so I
couldnt shoot him. However, the 8-point stopped
broadside, so I eased my crossbow into position to
prepare for a shot when I heard yet another grunt.
This grunt was very soft and distinctive. Looking
back, it sounded kind of girlish. It was another big
buck and this one was a lot bigger than the 8-point
so I held my shot.
This buck walked directly underneath my stand
and went in the same direction as the big 10-point
but stopped at a shorter distance. I quickly aligned
my crosshairs on this buck and took a shot.
Even though the buck was only 25 yards
away, my shot went high. The limb of my
crossbow hit one of the branches tied to
the blinds railing and threw off my shot.
The buck flinched when I shot but remained in the field. I now had three monster bucks standing in the field in front of
me and I was holding an unloaded crossbow. By the time I re-cocked and
loaded another bolt, the big buck
was 35 yards away but standing in
brush. A few seconds later the doe took off with all
three bucks in hot pursuit.
Bill was very familiar with the buck that Jason
missed. He had captured several trail camera photographs of the big buck and found a few of its sheds.
He nicknamed the buck Slugger. After missing
Slugger, Stover says, I was in the lowest of lows,
no doubt about it. Missing a buck of that caliber
hurt.
Since Jason missed, Bill gave two other hunters the opportunity of hunting the trap house but
neither on them wanted to because they figured the
area would not produce after being disturbed. Stiver
desperately wanted to return and the following

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Jerry Lambert

70

morning he headed out extra-early. He says, Under

the cover of darkness, I used the sound of a passing train to cover my noise as I entered the metal
stand. I was settled in way before first light. There
was nothing in the field when it got light enough to
see. Eventually, I heard the same distinctive, girly
grunt that I heard the night before. It was Slugger
and once more he walked directly under my stand
and out into the field. He was all alone in the field
when I heard other deer coming. He started walking in a quartering away position. When I raised my
crossbow he saw me move and stopped and stared
at me. I was breathing so hard that my scope fogged
up. He was only 15 yards away and I could make
out just enough of him through the foggy scope to
take a shot. I made sure that my limbs were clear
and then punched the trigger. This time the shot
was true. I was sure that I double-lunged him.The
monster buck only ran 75 yards before expiring.
Stiver went from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs. Slugger is the proverbial buck of a
lifetime. He has it all: exceptional mass, long tines,
a wide spread and a lot of points. He is a 22-point
that has an official Boone and Crockett score of 216
non-typical points. His gross score measures 229
1/8 B&C points. He has an inside spread measuring
20 1/8 inches and a longest tine that measures an
incredible 13 7/8 inches. In addition, Jason says that
he believes that his incredible 2015, trophy is going
to be recognized as the new crossbow state record!
To add further incentive for hunting Indiana
whitetails, in 2012, Tim Beck shot a 37-point buck
that scored an amazing 305 7/8 B&C points. At
the time it was the worlds number-two all-time
non-typical taken by a hunter. If you are seriously
thinking about a destination hunt, you might want
to consider our neighbors to the south!n

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71

Hot Topics, My Thoughts, My Views...

Historic whitetail migrations

Whitetail deer in our Northern region are in serious trouble. In fact, there are probably fewer deer
in Michigans Upper Peninsula today than there have been for the past 40 to 45 years...

amous photographer and naturalist George Shiras III contended

that during the early 1800s, before
major logging of the mature pine
forests, whitetails living along the
south shore of Lake Superior in Upper Michigan migrated 75 miles or more to
their favored wintering grounds in northern
Wisconsin.
According to Shiras, Doubtless the
great depth of snow is this region was
the original cause of the fall migration of deer, and
the habit had finally become so fixed by inheritance
that long before there was any apparent necessity,
the retirement took place. The deer traveled southward on many trails, which by centuries of use had
become about two feed broad, clear of obstructions,
and deeply cut in banks and soft ground. In swamps
they were like the caribou trails found in Newfoundland.
The fall migration was always in the form of

a drift before cold northwesterly wind.

Whenever if in the progress of the migrations such a wind ceased or veered so as to
blow from the southward, the deer at once
stopped traveling. This phenomenon was
so well known among hunters that they
promptly abandoned the hunt as soon as
the favoring wind ceased.
It was Shirass impression that such
historic deer migrations ceased when
railroads and barbed-wire fencing
formed barriers to free deer travel -- which I doubt.
Today, many (if not most) wildlife biologists
discredit claims of such lengthy, massive whitetail
migrations. However, historical notes from the
region indicate that Indians frequently employed
drift fencing to assist them in killing large numbers of whitetails during certain times of the year.
As late as 1850, J.W. Foster and J.D. Whitney,
while reporting on Upper Michigan geology noted
the following: Within this township (Iron County)

By John Ozoga

Kenny Darwin photo

the Mackigamig (River) receives from the right its

two principal tributaries, the Mitchikau or Fence
River and the Nebegomiwii or Night-watching
River. The origin of these terms as explained by

Historic whitetail migrations page 74

Never apologize, never back down

If you think education is
expensive, try ignorance.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

72

African Proverb

e are at war. Every day

hunters are battling
against the other side,
against anti-hunters.
Social media is their
tool and the goal is to
change peoples perspective about the
outdoors, to take something pure and
make it messy.
Yes, we are at war daily.
We are at war to maintain our
hunting heritage and culture.
We are at war to teach our children and grandchildren that political
correctness shouldnt be the norm and
doesnt shape our society.
We must educate and instill truth
into our children, because when they
know the truth they are arming themselves for battle.
When people know the truth, they
can defend and educate others about
hunting and fishing. Not knowing the
facts is not an excuse, get educated
about our hunting and fishing heritage so you can do your job to be an
outdoor advocate. Here are four facts
anyone that loves the outdoors should
know and use to educate others.
Fact: Hunters create and pay for conservation.
The great hunter Teddy Roosevelt
can be thanked for a lot of what we

enjoy today. He created over 230

million acres of national forests and
grasslands that are protected and open
for the public. Who actually pays to
help maintain our outdoor rights? Its
simple, we do. Hunters pay 11% tax
on ammo, guns and arrows through
the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937.
Franklin D. Roosevelt backed and
signed the bill to provide funds to
each state to help protect and manage
habitats. This tax provides over $371
million dollars of conservation per
year. In addition, hunters pay almost
800 million dollars a year for conservation programs through state licenses and fees. According to the Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation, hunting
supports 680,000 jobs. A great example of how we are the backbone of
this great nation.

Fact: Wild game provides the

most pure, organic, renewable
resource on the planet.
I always get a kick out of
opponents that bash hunting. In
an ever-changing world that loves
all natural food, hunting provides
the freshest, free-range protein
packed meal. There is no health store
that can compete, no food that rivals
how healthy wild game is. There is
no comparison to whitetail deer
and a cow being butchered at the local slaughterhouse. Wild game
meats are loaded with omega-3 fatty
acids and other minerals such as
iron and zinc. They graze on natural

By Lane Walker
elements and offer great nutritional
value. So for the haters that want
to be against hunting. Tell me
a healthier, more organic way to
eat.
Fact: Hunters help control
animal numbers and protect people.
How does hunting protect people?
Deer collisions kill over 200 people
a year. According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are roughly 1 million car
accidents and over 10,000 personal
injuries. Whitetail deer cause
around one billion dollars in vehicle
damage per year. Imagine what
those numbers would be if there
wasnt hunting. What would the
fatality rate be then? Besides whitetail deer, hunters control predators
and maintain healthy numbers. I
have seen places that have an overabundance of animals and its
terrible. Health problems arise and
diseases are much more prevalent
when herds arent managed. So
when anti-hunters start their rhetoric,
ask them how much they enjoy
deer collisions and pesky animals
roaming around. They should
actually thank us for maintaining
the much needed balance between
humans and animals.

Fact: Make no excuses

and never apologize!
Famous huntress Eva Shockey said
it best, Ill never apologize for being
a hunter. As hunters, we need to
stand united and never make excuses
about our hunting and fishing rights.
Since the beginning of time, hunting
and gathering has been our God-given
right and a human necessity. Track
back anyones family tree and you will
find hunters.
Anti-hunters like to say, We dont
live in the Stone Age anymore. We
have groceries stores now, you dont
need to hunt.
Please refer back to Fact #2 and remember there is so much more to hunting than killing an animal. The journey
is more important than the finish line.
Please keep in mind, I dont harvest. I am not a farmer, I am a hunter.
I know where my food comes from
and what I am eating. A hunter should
never apologize for being a hunter!
A hunters most important tool isnt a
bow or gun, its an education. Knowing the facts about hunting is what
is going to be our greatest assets to
promote the outdoors.
Educate yourself and others, stand
at the gate and defend our hunting
heritage!n

My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...

Despite arrests, motives

for standoff still at large

n 1908, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,

187,757 acres of wildlife habitat near Burns,
Harney County, Oregon, became the 19th of
51 wildlife refuges created by President Theodore Roosevelt, established
he said, as a preserve and breeding
ground for native birds. Of this unit, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proudly
proclaims, With over 320 bird species
Malheur is a mecca for birdwatchers. At
the beginning of January 2016, however,
Malheurs official website greeted visitors
with a less-welcoming notice in bold,
capital letters accompanied by a yellow Caution sign with a blinking
exclamation point in its center: Alert Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge Closed. The closure
resulted from a concern for employee and public
safety because armed individuals have broken
into and occupied the facility the notice said at the
time.
What started as a peaceful protest to support
Dwight and Steven Hammond, a local father and
son who faced additional prison time for committing arson on federal lands, moved onto the refuge
and turned into an armed standoff. The leader of
the armed group, Ammon Bundy, has been quoted
as saying, This is not a decision we've made at the
last minute. In other words, for reasons different
from simply supporting the Hammonds, the occupation had been preplanned, the scheme had been

hatched earlier and it derived from no spur of the

moment burst of patriotic fervor. Group members,
including some from as far away as Arizona, Ohio,
Wisconsin and Michigan, had traveled
with the notion of armed takeover rooted
in their minds.
In a video posted on YouTube January
1, 2016, entitled Dear Friends, Bundy
said, among other things, I asked the
Lord for help I began to understand
about how the Lord felt about Harney
County and about this country. I clearly
understood that the Lord was not
pleased with what was happening to
the Hammonds.
He closed by asking people to come to Harney
County to participate in the wonderful thing that
the Lord is about to accomplish.
Ultimately, though, the wonderful thing
Bundy had hoped to accomplish with the help of
the Lord, however, was to provoke the federal government into ceding its land holdings to the states
and counties.
By January 27, from behind bars in Portland,
Oregon, Bundy preached a different message.
To those remaining in the refuge, he said
through his lawyers, Please stand down. Go home
and hug your families. "This fight is ours for now
in the courts. Please go home.
By that point, the wonderful thing had resulted
in one dead, 11 arrested, untold acts of criminal

By Tom Carney

By Kenny Darwin

Last fall the DNR passed new Saginaw Bay

and River walleye regulations and fishermen can
keep 8 fish with a minimum length of 13-inches.
For some unknown reason the DNR set the upstream limit on the Saginaw River at Center Bridge
which is far from where the river begins. The
Saginaw River begins at the mouth of the Tittabawassee River and Shiawassee River at the
east end of Green Point approximately 3/4 miles
upstream from Center. This section of the Saginaw
River is closed to the 13-inch, 8 fish regulation
and anglers can only keep 5 fish at least 14-inches
long. Anglers find the upstream closure confusing,
especially when spring run walleyes congregate at
the river confluence. Many view the restrictions as
entrapment or simply a bad DNR decision.
Even Google Maps show the Saginaw River
running the entire length of Wicks Park to the
confluence at Green Point. Anglers fishing the
mile stretch of popular Wicks Park area can only
keep 5 fish with 14-inch size limit. The traditional
swirling deep hole at the mouth of the Tittabawassee River where it meets the Saginaw is a 5 fish,
14-inch area. However, the rest of the Saginaw
has different regulations. Why would the DNR
have two different regulations and limit restrictions
on the same river?

Saginaw River walleye fishermen who fight ice and

cold weather may have to
fight the DNR regarding
fishing regulations.
If the intention of the DNR was to open the
entire Saginaw Bay and River to the new 8 fish
regulation they fumbled the ball, made the regulation confusing and could entrap honest anglers
who thought the entire Saginaw River is open to
the new 13-inch regulation. Fishermen beware!
What if you go walleye fishing downtown Saginaw
and have 13-inchers in your possession when you
later try the upper Saginaw near Wicks Park, are
you legal or in illegal possession? The new law is
confusing, unfair to the general public and discriminates against anglers who enjoy fishing Wicks
Park which offers easy access.n

mischief at the refuge, and a community both

rocked by disagreement and fearful of its safety.
And as of the deadline for this story, four militants
remained at the refuge headquarters, refusing to
leave unless law enforcement promises it wont
prosecute them for the laws theyve broken.
Bundy and his compatriots might very well
have fizzled in their specific mission. Their stance,
their cause, their fight, however, is still going
strong. Thats because their action was only part of
something bigger and of longer note.
Regular readers of Woods-N-Water News
might recall my article, This Land is Whose
Land? from a year ago, March 2015, that discussed the movement by people in the West to
get the federal government to cede its lands to the
states.
People living east of the Mississippi might not
realize there is nothing new about this notion. And
the fact that in the early days of the occupation
several presidential candidates endorsed the reasoning behind it indicates that the movement to force
the federal government to cede lands it owns to the
states will not fade quietly into the sunset.
Here, in a single word, is why this issue is of
vital importance to sportsmen and sportswomen:
Access.
The math is simple. States and counties do not
have the financial resources needed to manage and
maintain such large areas of land, especially in the
West, where for example, the government owns
nearly 53 percent of Oregon, 64 percent of Idaho,
67 percent of Utah and 81 percent of Nevada. The
inclination is to monetize such areas by granting
drilling, mining or logging rights or to sell them
outright. And as soon as that happens up will go the
Private and No Trespassing signs.
Heck, people are fencing off public land already, treating it as their private holdings and doing
their best to keep the public off.
For example, on a Saturday morning, January
16, 2016, while the Malheur group occupied in full

Motives for standoff still at large page 75

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

New Saginaw walleye regs confusing

If groups like the one that occupied the Malheur

National Wildlife Reserve in January 2016 get their way,
the reality for sportsmen will be lost access to formerly
public lands. Tailfeather Communications, LLC photo

73

Hot Topics, My Thoughts, My Views...

Historic whitetail migrations...from page 72
our voyageurs was this: At one time
the deer were observed to be very
numerous about the mouth of the
former, and Indians, to secure them,
built a fence from one stream to the
other. They (deer) would follow rather
than leap this barrier, until they were
entrapped by their concealed foe. This
method of capturing the deer is also
practiced on the Menominee.
A similar report from northeastern
Wisconsin (Vilas County) claimed
that three Indians employing a 15mile long fence killed 150 deer for
their hides only in a few days.
If Indians were indeed that successful in capturing deer with fencing,
deer must have been either fantastically abundant locally or, more likely,
moved through the area in great
numbers at certain intervals, probably
during early winter and spring. Otherwise, such laborious fence-building
projects would hardly have been
worthwhile, as the Indian had little
spare time to fritter away on ventures
that did not produce.
There are also early reports from
Wisconsin indicating that deer in
northern parts of the state sometimes migrated southward in winter.

In the 1840s, T.J. Craill stated that

the Indians of the Lac Vieux Desert
vicinity moved southward, following the deer for the winter hunt. And
when Richard Dart came to Green
Lake County in 1840, he observed
that deer were plentiful, except when
they went south in winter to escape
the cold.
Today, deer in northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan travel in all
directions from where they live in
summer to reach their favored wintering grounds, but the vast majority
of them leave areas of deer snow
cover and travel southward to spend
the winter in areas that receive less
snowfall. And although most deer in
this region travel less than 10 miles to
reach protective cover in winter, some
of those living along Lake Superior
travel over 50 miles.
Its quite obvious that whitetail
deer in this Northern region are in
serious trouble. In fact, there are probably fewer deer in Michigans Upper
Peninsula today than there have been
for the past 40 to 45 years -- primarily
due to severe winter weather and the
declining quality of deer wintering
habitat.n

Mid Thumb Game Ranch

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DAILY 7 AM - 10 PM

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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Michigan gets USFW grant to

Conserve Coastal Wetlands

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced over
$20 million will be provided to 28 projects in 12 coastal states to protect,
restore or enhance more than 10,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent
upland habitats under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant
Program.
State and local governments, private landowners, conservation groups
and other partners will contribute over $20 million in additional funds to
these projects, which acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish and wildlife
and their habitats.
The Fish and Wildlife Services Coastal Wetlands Grants provide
critical funding in the effort to protect some of our most fragile and at-risk
wildlife habitats, said Service Director Dan Ashe. With rising ocean levels
eating away at coastal wetlands from one side and development claiming
more and more acres on the other, our coastal wetlands are being squeezed
into an ever thinner sliver of land. Never before has it been so important to
protect these places.
The program, funded in part through taxes paid on equipment and fuel
purchases by recreational anglers and boaters, creates significant benefits
for other recreationists and the American public. The billions of dollars
generated through recreational angling, boating, waterfowl hunting and
bird watching benefit communities in the vicinity of wetlands restoration
projects.
States and territories receiving funds are California, Georgia, Maine,
Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington. Click here for the complete
list of projects funded by the 2016 grant program.
Wetlands in coastal watersheds in the United States are experiencing
a net annual loss of more than 80,000 acres according to a 2013 report by
the Service, highlighting the importance of coastal wetland conservation.
Conservation of these habitats will not only benefit coastal wetland-dependent wildlife, but will also enhance flood protection and water quality, and
provide economic and recreational benefits to anglers, boaters, hunters and
wildlife watchers.
These grants will help coastal communities create on-the-ground
projects to make them more resilient and ensure the preservation of our
wildlife heritage for future generations, added Ashe.
The Service awards grants of up to $1 million to states based on a
national competition, which enables states to determine and address their
highest conservation priorities in coastal areas. Since 1992, the Service has
awarded over $377 million in grants under the program.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is awarded $900,000 to
protect a 390.8-acre, privately owned parcel in Alpena County, Michigan
on Thunder Bay. Acquisition of the property would connect two sections of
Negwegon State Park and prevent fragmentation of wetlands and associated uplands, and potential subdivision and development. The property
is dominated by high-quality emergent wetlands that provide important
habitat for migratory and breeding birds, Lake Huron fish, amphibians and
other wildlife, including the endangered Hines-emerald dragonfly.
The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal
Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by
Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue money generated from an excise tax
on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels. More information
is available at: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/index.html.

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My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...

Motives for standoff still at large: from page 73
This land seizure movement theres
a lot of dark money behind it. This
whole idea that money is speech is
caustic to our democracy.
Working to ensure sportsmen will
always have access to public land are
two groups, Backcountry Hunters
& Anglers (BHA) and the Theodore
Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
(TRCP).
In 2015, thousands of hunters
and anglers gathered at state capitols
across the West with a single, unified
message: Keep public lands in public
hands, stated BHA President and
CEO Land Tawney, who was among
the pilgrims exploring OMDP. This
will remain our rallying cry in 2016.
BHA remains dedicated to protecting
those lands from abuse and keeping
them in the hands of their owners, the
American people.
Referring to the occupation in
Oregon Tawney added, National
wildlife refuges like Malheur are a
treasure shared by all Americans. The
actions being perpetrated by extremists in Oregon are the misguided actions of a fringe element and should
be condemned by sportsmen and all
citizens in the strongest terms.
What the TRCP reported a year
ago remains true today: If privatized,
millions of acres of the nations most
valuable lands and waters would
be closed to public access, and an
American birthright would be lost.
Another hunter among the visitors
to the OMDP who spoke on the condition of anonymity said about six or
eight ranchers have permits to graze
on federal land within the monument.
How many of them could be
considered friendly to members of
the public who want to gain access to
those lands?
None.
There has not been enough organized resistance for the public to fight
such abuses, he added.
Whether meant as a warning or
a challenge, Heinrich added, Its
absolutely critical for sportsmen to
lead the fight to keep public lands in
public hands.n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

force, about 1,400 miles away some

visitors to Las Cruces, New Mexico,
departed the Hotel Encanto and
caravanned to the Organ Mountains
Desert Peaks National Monument
(OMDP). Some planned to explore
in general, some, to hike in to view
the petroglyphs left about 8,000 years
ago by the Desert Archaic Indians,
some, to quail hunt. All looked forward to experiences available at the
most recently established national
monument in the United States, nearly 500,000 acres in size and with over
600 miles of public roads available
for travel. Well, they are all available
in theory anyway.
At one point the vehicles came to
a halt, their progress on the county
road blocked by a locked gate. The
tour leader said a local rancher owns
a stretch of land about one-eighth of
a mile long on the other side of the
gate. Beyond that, the road continues over at least another two and a
half miles of the monument. But the
rancher prevents public access to
those public lands.
One of the hunters, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity, mentioned another local rancher who
owns about 2,000 acres. He has grazing permits for about 50,000 acres.
So he claims he owns a 52,000-acre
ranch. And he keeps the public at bay.
You take away public lands you
pinch off the heritage we enjoy, plus
you destroy the economic drivers in
the area, the hunter added.
On his website, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, D-NM, had mentioned
the Malheur Refuge occupation as
only the latest example in a wellorganized and well-funded campaign
to seize and sell off public lands.
He shared more details with the
visitors to the OMDP.
Over the last several years,
people in Washington have started
embracing these ideas that were
going to give away the public
lands.
In no uncertain terms, he laid out
the reality. Public access is the number one problem we face right now.

75

Ice fishing tips, tricks and tactics

I
fishing is a handheld GPS and that is
particularly true if you fish the same
lake in the summer and have some
n a normal year (if there is such
good fishing spots loaded as waya thing), this would be a suitable
points. Even if you know the lake
topic for January or February.
well, everything looks different in the
This year, however, we still dont winter and those landmarks probably
have good ice late in January so
wont serve you very well.
March may be the best month,
The GPS will also save, for you,
this winter, for ice fishing. First ice
those locations that you find produc(first good ice) is going to be fairly
tive in winter fishing. You can put a
close to last ice, this season. To help
mound of snow out there or think you
with the challenge of getting those fish can find the same spot from tracks or
out of the water and onto the ice, here old augered holes but a fresh snow
are some tips, tricks and tactics that
can change the looks of everything.
have worked well over the years.
With a GPS, you can return to the
same spot within a few feet, regardless of snow cover. If you are looking
for a weed bed or a drop-off, it can be
Carrying a power auger out to the very hard to find and require augering
middle of the ice is a chore so these
many holes but a GPS can locate that
fancy tools are generally in the poshot spot for you easily and quickly.
session of only those who also have a
vehicle for running around on the ice.
A hand auger can serve just as well
and is a heck of a lot easier to cart
If you are fishing over six feet
around but you have to have a buddy. deep, you will find that you need a
Two men, armed with a sharp auger,
slip bobber and a bobber stop, unless
can cut a hole while another guy is
you want to land your fish hand-overstill trying to get his power auger
hand. When the temperature is below
started, as long as the ice is less than a freezing, ordinary slip bobbers dont
foot thick. Doubling up on the auger work well they dont work, period.
gives you more than double the power You can fashion one quickly, howto drill because the other guy elimiever, that will slip and work when it
nates that dead spot, when your arms is freezing. Use one of those clip-on
have little power to continue turning
bobbers but you arent going to allow
the tool.
the clip to close just let that clip
Sharpness is also important.
engage the side of the bobber rather
While it is almost impossible to get
than go into the hole. This makes for a
the blades re-sharpened, unless you
very generous area to allow the line to
can find someone with a cutlery grind- slip through. To make a bobber stop,
er, you can replace them often and
check the depth and grab the line at
get the stainless version they stay
the appropriate spot. Make an oversharp longer. Also, there are batteryhand knot in the line but dont pull the
operated augers on the market now
loop tight. Put a little piece (threeand these have some advantages over quarters of an inch or so) of heavy
the gas-powered models. They are
(eight or ten pound test or larger)
lighter, smaller and can be re-charged mono in the loop and pull it tight.
sufficiently that they will serve the
The little piece of line will go easily
needs of one outing. Best of all, they through the rod guides but it wont go
always start.
past the bobber. To change the bobber
stop, just pull the little piece of mono
out and pull on both ends of the line
the knot will pop out. This technique
works best on line of six pounds test
While some folks carry all sorts
or stronger. Lighter line will be weakof electronics out on the ice, most of
ened significantly by pulling that knot
them have limited utility. A graph or
out repeatedly.
flasher is nice but it isnt difficult to
If you must leave your ice-fishing
tell how deep the water is you just
drop a plumb weight down there. The holes for a minute to check on your
buddy, just lift your bobber out and
flasher will tell you when a fish is
present but it wont make him bite. A place it on the ice at the side. If it is
back in the water when you return,
graph will tell you something about
you know you have had a bite and you
the bottom or bottom growth but a
flasher will not. An underwater video will need to check your bait.
If it is really windy and your
camera will provide you with some
bobber keeps blowing to one side of
great entertainment but it probably
the hole and getting stuck there, rig
wont catch the fish. For me the one
your bobber so that it is just under the
really great electronic tool for ice

By George Rowe

AUGERS

BOBBERS

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

ELECTRONICS

76

Jigging is one of the very best techniques for catching walleyes through
the ice and may be combined with another technique, in an adjacent
hole, for great results.
surface of the water. It wont be affected by the wind and it will indicate
a bite just as well as it if was on top of
the water. You should always use the
smallest bobber that will work to keep
your bait roughly stationary in the water column, to show bites best. If your
minnow pulls the bobber around and
down a bit, that would be ideal.
You can tell a good deal about the
sort of fish down there if you watch
your bobber closely. A series of little
taps often means perch. A big perch
or a nice walleye will often take the
bobber down slowly and it will be
seen down there a few inches, almost
motionless. A pike will hit that minnow so hard that the bobber will make
a splatting noise as it disappears. A
trout will often take the bobber down
quickly and immediately start a long
run that will rip line off the reel.

TACTICS

Most ice anglers use two or three

lines, as provided by law. There is
often some synergy is you use two different techniques in adjacent holes. If
you jig in one and offer a minnow on
a bobber rig or a perch rig in the other,
you may get better results than if you
fished with the same technique in both
holes. The fish may be attracted to
your jig and then take the live minnow
or vice versa but it often works well,

particularly for perch and walleye.

Even if you jig in both holes, there is
something to be said for working one
jig fairly often and letting the other
one just rest there, motionless. Those
who enjoy jig-fishing through the ice
often swear by this two-rod technique.
When fishing for perch, in the
winter, you may find that they are
somewhat scattered. This is most
likely to be true if the water you are
fishing produces jumbo perch. The
big ones (almost always females) just
dont group up much. If you find
this situation, try fishing with tip-ups.
This is particularly rewarding if you
have some youngsters along and can
set quite a few tip-ups. The kids will
find this great fun, running from one
hole to another and catching 10 or 12inch perch. Another good tactic for
perch fishing is to pound the bottom
with your jig from time to time, especially if you are fishing over a sandy
or silt bottom. The dust raised by
pounding your jig on the bottom will
attract minnows, which, of course,
will attract perch. If your jig doesnt
raise enough silt, try using a big sinker
or a weight, such as the one you clip
on your line to plumb the depth.
Just as in the summer, a small percentage of the ice anglers catch a large
percentage of the fish because they are
armed with the best tackle, the best
tactics and superior techniques.n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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77

Reader Trail Cam Photos

Send your Reader Trail-Cam Photos to:
wnw@pageone-inc.com
Kevin Mann, of
Lawrence, left
his trail cam out
all winter and
got this
wonderful shot
of coyotes.
Kevin comments,
They sure are
pretty for being
such nemeses.
Amber Humphrey of Grand Blanc captured this
small buck in November after a big snowfall on
trail cam. After a long night buried in snow hes
looking for a little breakfast.
Dave Schultz
sent us this trail
cam photo of a
parade of wild
turkeys. We
think we know
where Dave will
be hunting this
spring.

Kyle Phillips
of Hillsdale
County was
able to get this
all telling trail
cam photo
of a coyote
approaching a
road kill deer
on ice. Great
photo!

Phil M. of Clinton
sent us this trail
cam photo of a
very impressive
buck. Phil has
him on two
separate trail
cams, but not
in his sights
during the
hunting season.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Webb Wood of Atlanta got this great trail cam

photo of a Presque Isle County elk. Webb is a longtime contributor to this page and we appreciate his
photos.

78

Nick Dizzle
got this
monster buck
on trail cam
in Northern
Michigan.
What a buck!

Marc Gramlich
of Maybee, in
Monroe County
captured this
curious button
buck.

SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL

Flint Regional Chapter
Presents Two Big Events!
Friday, March 11; 1-9pm
14th Annual Outfitters Hunting Expo
At the Davison Country Club
9512 Lippincott Boulevard
Mile South of I69, West of M15
Davison, Michigan

O ve r 5 0 H u nting G u ides & O u tfitters F r o m C a nada, Ala ska,

Afr i c a, N e w Z e aland, Ar g entina & th e C o ntinental U n ited States.
Sh ow F e atures:
G u n R a ffles, SC I Me mber ship Booth,
T a xider my, 5 0 /50 R a ffles
D a r t In ter active Sh ooting G a ller y
A d m i s s ion F r e e w i t h t h i s a d!

Saturday, March 12
34th Annual Fundraiser & Wild Game Dinner
At Dort Federal Event Center
3501 Lapeer Rd. Flint MI

Doors open 3:00 pm. Live Auction starts 7:00 pm.

This show benefits Safari Club International and their mission to conserve
wildlife and wilderness lands, to educate youth and the general public and
to promote and protect the rights and interests of hunters worldwide.
Ticket Package #2 $175.00
(1) Wild Game Dinner Ticket; (1) Outfitters Expo Ticket
(1) $150 worth of Bucket Raffle tickets
(1) Weatherby PA-08 Shotgun Raffle ticket

Registration Form :
To attend this event at the Early Bird Special Rates, please fill out the card below, enclose payment & send to:
SCI Flint, PO Box 639., Davison, MI 48423; Make checks payable to SCI Flint Regional Chapter
Name _______________________________
Address _____________________________ City __________________ State________ Zip ___________
Phone _____________________________ E-mail _________________
Package#1______x$75= _______ Package#2 ________x$175= ______
Check Visa, MasterCard, Discover Questions? Bob Myers 810.441.1115; Tom Dennis 810-614-1358
Credit Card Number ________________ Expiration Date ___________
robert.myers@hotmail.com

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

Ticket Package #1 $75.00

(1) Wild Game Dinner Ticket
(1) Outfitters Expo Ticket

79

SPORTING COLLECTIBLES ... PART II

Whats in your
old tackle box?

here can be some interesting finds in old

tackle boxes after you
pull out the well-used
casting reels, boxes
of hooks and bags
of sinkers. You often
have to remove a layer of tangled
snelled hooks and steel leaders, an
oily bottle of 6-12 insect repellent,
ancient tins of fly line dressing and
bottles of solidified reel oil. Sometimes, in the midst of this
search, you will find some
out-of-the-ordinary fishing
tackle and fun things to collect.
I wrote on a similar topic
in my June 2015 WoodsN-Water News article. The
items ranged from split shot
pliers to an old
wood spool of GoIte silk casting line
that eventually sold for over $400 and
then a very early Shakespeare Revolution cardboard lure box that dated
from 1901-1902. I would value that
lure box north of $500! Soon after the
issue was published, I started receiving emails from friends and WoodsN-Water News readers who had found

some remarkable objects in their old

tackle boxes. Here are some of those
items that I hope will be of interest to
my readers.
The first is a small bright yellow
tin of Dr. J. Cannons salve made
in Petoskey, Michigan. Dr. Cannon
claimed that it was the BEST SALVE
in the WORLD. Then the writer, presumably Dr. Cannon, goes on to claim
that it would cure just about anythinghealing cuts, bruises, burns,
scalds and erysipelas. That
last ailment stopped me
because I had never heard
of it, so I looked it up and
discovered that it was a skin
rash typically on the legs,
toes, face and fingers and
was known in bygone times
as holy fire or St. Anthonys Fire. All
I can say is Dont
get erysipelas. The
Doctors claims continued with boils,
carbuncles, sprains, poisoned sores,
broken bones, diphtheria, eczema,
inflamed breasts, gunshot wounds,
inflammation of the eyes, ringworms,
rusty nailsand blood poison.
Bill Sonnett, good friend and
fishing tackle historian from Jackson,
Michigan who owns the tin wrote:
It makes me wonder why so much
time and money are put into medical
research when Dr. Cannon discovered

a cure for everything many years

ago! As a postscript to our first item,
in 1938 there was a $75 judgment in
U.S. v. Emma I. Van Gorder, Carrie
B. Van Gorder and William H. Van
Gorder (Dr. J. Cannons Salve Company). The judgment stated: The
labeling of this product bore false and
fraudulent curative and therapeutic
claims. This was probably the end of
Dr. Cannons medicine show salve!
This next item, an unusual advertising piece, was found by my wife,
Audrey. It is an oversized cardboard
book of matches meant to promote
the Shyster spinner, which was made
by Glen L. Evans Inc. of Caldwell,
Idaho. Glen and his wife started their
business in the 1920s when they
started tying flies for themselves and
for friends.
The company was still actively in
business when I got into buying and
selling tackle during the 1960s and
1970s. Their nicely packaged products
included flies, poppers, soft plastic nature lures, Reflecto spoons, as well as
their top selling Shyster spinners, an
American made copy of the popular
Swedish Abu Reflex spinner. I have
fished with both of them and could not
tell which version caught more fish.
They both did.
The closed book of matches measures 4 -inches tall by 3 -inches
wide and is as thick as a book of
matches. The red, white and blue layout and copy emphasizes American
Made, Not an Import and Made in
America By Americansfor American Fishermen and Fish! The fishing
Glen L. Evans, Inc. promoted their
top-selling Shyster spinners by giving tackle industrys umbrella group at the
time was the AFTMA or the American
this adver tising piece away at consumer spor t shows and at trade shows Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association, and Glen L. Evans Inc. was a
in the 1960s. Author photo

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Terry McBurney

80

Dr. J. Cannons Salve was made in Petoskey, Michigan and claimed cures
for just about any ailment. Bill Sonnett collection.
proud member of the association. The
group held its annual convention in
Chicago during August, and foreignmade product, whether it came from
France or Sweden or Japan, was not
allowed on the show floor. Imported
products were displayed at a second
hotel, a couple blocks away from the
big show. How things have changed
in the last fifty plus years! This neat
Glen L. Evans Shyster book of
matches was probably a giveaway
at trade shows and consumer sport
shows sometime during the 1960s and
is in mint condition for its age.
The next category is really a group
of different containers to hold small
objects like hooks, sinkers, swivels
and extra outboard motor shear pins.
All of these loose accessories would
make a mess if not corralled into some
sort of container, so anglers came
up with novel ways to store them.
Certainly, the most common was an
empty cardboard lure box.
Two years ago, I found five South
Bend lure boxes in the bottom of an
old tackle box. Each of the yellow
boxes held something different including treble hooks, extra spare parts for
a casting reel, sinkers, and sidewalk
chalk in assorted colors.
The last cardboard lure box, a
rare South Bend introductory box for
their luminous Bass Oreno, contained
the most sought after metal lure ever
made in Michigan, a Bonafide Aluminum Minnow made in Plymouth
about 1910. What a treasure to find!
My point is for you to keep digging
through everything until you hit bare
metal, because you never know what
will be tucked away in a corner or in
some old container.
I have also pictured three differ-

(top) This Lucky Dice lure was found

packed away in an old wooden hook tube.
Author photo. A 1959 ad for Kiva Products
two novelty lures the Lucky Dice and the
8 Ball.

sizes - -oz, -oz. and a tiny 1/20-oz

size by Kiva Products of Glen Ellen,
Illinois, a suburb on the west side of
Chicago during the late 1950s. The
company also made an 8 Ball lure.
The 1959 ad copy stated that the lures
were designed for the times when
the fisherman will toss anything in
frantic efforts: will actually catch
muskies, northerns. I wonder what
size they would catch!
The last item found in just about
any old tackle box is some kind of
reel repair tool, which was given
away free by many manufacturers,
especially with their more expensive
reels. The tools were built specifically
to fit each companys reels with small
screwdrivers on one end and different
size cutouts to fit the respective reels
nuts. Sometimes there will be two
or three different kinds of reel repair
tools in the same tackle box because
the original owner fished with several
brands of reels.
Vintage casting reels were much
different in a number of ways from
the amazing reels we fish with today.
The biggest difference was the need
for constant maintenance, often after
every outing or even during an all
day session on the water. With all
metal bushings and bearings, they
needed to be kept clean and oiled
often so they would continue to run
and cast smoothly. It was also important to make sure the handle nut, oil
caps and body screws did not loosen
up unnoticed until a heart-sinking
plunk indicated a loose part was
dropped overboard. This started with
the Kentucky reels built during the
latter half of the nineteenth century
and continued forward at least until
the 1970s. It explains why reel repair
tools were such a valuable addition to
the tackle box.
The rarest of the reel repair tools
are, of course, the oldest ones starting
with the Kentucky reels, and they are

(top-lt-rt) Each South Bend lure box held something different hooks, sinkers, spare reel
parts, side walk chalk and, last but not least, a rare Michigan lure. Author photo. This
vintage Sheik tin contained outboard motor shear pins. Tony Przybylo collection. (bottom lt-rt)
A Remington typewriter ribbon tin held old boxed swivels. Frank Baron collection. A talented
angler cut down this Dial tobacco box to hold loose accessories. Author photo.

An assortment of old reel repair tools South Bend, Shakespeare, Bronson and
Pfluegers Little Giant. The oldest one is the small Shakespeare wrench in the front.
Craig and Deb Emery collection.
the hardest to find. Collectors look for
them marked with the manufacturers
name stamped on one side including most of the well-known brands
such as Shakespeare, South Bend,
Pflueger, Langley, Bronson and Horton. Most Post-WWII reel repair tools
were not stamped with the makers

ITS SPORT SHOW TIME AGAIN....

Outdoorama, Feb. 25 - 28
Suburban Collection Showcase- Novi

Ultimate Sport Show, March 17 - 20

Devos Place, Grand Rapids
Dick VanRaalte and I will again be setting up our antique displays at both the
Outdoorama in Novi and the Ultimate Sport Show in Grand Rapids.
I will be exhibiting my Made in Michigan fishing tackle collection and offering free appraisals on old tackle brought into the show. Dick VanRaalte, from Starboard Marine Restorations in Grand
Haven, Michigan, will be exhibiting a display of vintage outboard motors. Dick will also be answering your
questions and offering free appraisals.
Bring in your fathers or grandfathers tackle box, old rods and reels, or a vintage outboard motor. We will
be happy to answer your questions, as well as offering FREE appraisals. We are also interested in buying old
sporting collectibles for our collections. Please stop by and enjoy our displays. We will see you there.

name and have very little value today

other than to be used for reel maintenance and repair.
One of the nice things about the
incidental stuff you find in old
tackle boxes is that most of these
items do not cost much. You can put
together some fun collections for not
much money whether it is old tins,
bottles of oil, rod varnish, reel repair
tools, pre-WWII spools of line
whatever peaks your interest, so start
looking!
Thanks to the following people
who allowed me to photograph their
remarkable items: Bill Sonnett for his
can of Dr. J. Cannons Salve, Tony
Przybylo for his Sheik tin, Frank
Baron for his Remington typewriter
ribbon tin, Craig and Deb Emery for
their reel repair tools, and my wife,
Audrey, for finding the Shyster match
book and the Lucky Dice lure. A
special thanks to Len Sawisch for a
primer on old reel repair tools.
Feel free to contact the author
at antiquefishing@comcast.net with
your questions. Photographs are
important, so please send them. They
help me with identification and give
me an idea of the condition of the
item.n

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

ent metal tins that were used to store

small accessories. The first is a Sheik
prophylactic tin from the 1940s that
contained shear pins. The second is a
Remington brand typewriter ribbon
tin that was used to store vintage
boxed swivels. The third item, a
cut-down Dial tobacco tin, also held
swivels. Hopefully, several readers
will email me photos and information
on something even more unusual that
they have found in an old tackle box.
The next unusual item is a novelty
lure that my wife found hidden away
last summer. It is called a Lucky
Dice and was made in three different

81

Equipment improving for fish-yakers too

By Roger Beukema

ike most every sport, kayak

fishing gets its share of, new
updated equipment almost on
a yearly basis. New equipment
can range from rods built especially for kayak fishing to many
forms of tackle storage containers,
new and improved seats and personal
flotation devises, electronics, lighting,
anchoring systems others.
One addition that isnt exactly new
to fishing is rod pockets or sleeves
that rods slide into to protect them
from damage from transportation and
storage. Rosies Rod Covers are one
example. Rosie is the daughter of
kayak aficionado, John Toast Oast
from Pennsylvania.
I thought it would be a good idea
to get Rosie involved in a small business, gain some experience and save
some money toward college, Oast
said.
These are a great concept because
they can be customized by using the
material design the customer prefers.
And they are a standard design made
for 6-8-foot rods.
Rosies Rod Covers can be found
and ordered at fishyaker.com and the

link for Rosies rod pockets.

Speaking of fishyaker.com, if you
are new to kayak fishing in general,
this is a great place to go even before
making a kayak purchase. We have
several hundred episodes now, Oast
said. Hes talking about the short
videos he produces on everything from
anchoring to making a kayak selection
to paddling in surf or any other subject
you may have a kayak-related question
about.
Oast began fishing around Virginia
Beach, Virginia then wound up near
Williamsburg, PA, trying to fish tidal
swamps. I wanted to access them with
a boat but canoes were too heavy so I
started using sit-inside-kayaks. They
were easy to car top and drag in to
these small bodies of water and were
lighter too, I was fishing out of a kayak
before anyone was doing it, he said.
For Oast, one of hottest gadgets
out is a new underwater camera by
Waterwolf. The small camera attaches
to your fishing line ahead of your lure.
You can watch the action of bait and
see a fish when it strikes. It gives you
the point of view of the lure, Oast
said. You can float it under a bobber,
cast it or suspend it. I use it on braid.
Its a cool concept, he said. For more

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Kayakers can now tow more gear with the Kayak Kaboose or it could be used for a
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Magnets have found their way
inside of kayaks to hold and temporarily store baits. Some are sold commercially while others have found their
way into the hands of the do-it-yourself-bunch. Generally, they begin with
narrow magnetic strip four-inches or so
long. Rather than screw it into the boat,
Velcro is used to attach it to the hull
facing into the cockpit. If you need to
change lures or grab another in a hurry,
just hang your lure on this strip.
Tackle storage is another item that
ranges from the very basic-a single,
small tray lashed by bungee cord to
the floor of your boat-to expensive,
commercially made tackle systems and
even some that fit inside your pfd.
Probably the majority of kayak
owners still use a milk crate or plastic
office file crate to store rods, a couple
of plastic tackle boxes, emergency
lighting, and some tools. Rod and
tackle storage can be as simple and
basic as you care to make it or more
customized by adding something as
simple as pipe insulation, zip-tied to
the crate and used to hang baits.
A do-it-yourself recently suggested
using a koozie, one of those foam-insulated covers that wraps around a cold
beverage can. Instead of using it for
that purpose, put it in the cup holder
on the floor of most kayaks. Now it
becomes a place to drop those lures in
you have used or coil up any fishing

line you have cut off and put it in the

koozie to be properly disposed of
when you get back to shore.
For those that plan on making an
overnight trip with their kayak and find
they dont have enough room, check
out the Kayak Kaboose. It comes with
fittings to attach to the back of your
kayak, longtime kayak angler Lucien
Gizell said.

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It can be easily retrofitted for use

as a live well. That opens up kayaks
for bass tournaments where live weight
is needed for scoring, he said.
The Kayak Kabooses looks like a
small version of a kayak. Its completely towable and allows you to take more
equipment to extend your stay. Visit
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You can contact the author at
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Is your family prepared for a home intruder?

By Len Jenkins

an intruder and your

children are behind
you, one arm is holding that gun and the other is on the
children. So ladies choose a gun
that you can manage with one hand.
No matter what weapon you
determine is best for you and your
familys safety. Get to know your
weapon! Use it, learn how to correct

of them and ensuring

my familys safety.
Furthermore, a 9mm
with 13 rounds vs. a 45 cal. with 7
bullets could save your life.
Another favorite gun that makes
sense for women and children is a
simple and light 20 gauge. Im going
to speak for most women when I
say that if you are face to face with

a malfunction. Just having a gun in

your house does not make you efficient with it.
I sincerely hope this provokes
some thought when it comes to the
safety of your family in your home
and what precautions and defense
you may choose to ensure that
safety. Watch for more on this topic
in articles to come!n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

recently have given a lot of

thought to how prepared I
would be if someone were to
break into our home, moreover,
how prepared my kids would be
if faced with that situation. This
thought has come and gone over
the years and I have shoved it in the
corner, not doing anything about it,
concluding that the likelihood of that
happening is pretty slim.
Just because one might live in
an area where folks dont ever lock
their doors and the crime rate is low
does not mean that it wont happen.
As for the families that live out on a
quiet piece of property, a few acres,
complete privacy, they also are not
exempt from bad people coming
onto their land.
God forbid anything like that
happen to anyone, but what if it did?
How prepared would you be?
Where do you start when it
comes to talking to kids about
preparedness against bad people?
Perhaps we enlighten them that bad
people do exist and help them to not
be nave when it comes to this. In
the world today, we tend to think we
protect, when a lot of times we shelter our children from the world and
they may not know entirely what is
out there. Help them to understand
what could happen if a bad person
were to try and invade your home.
Then talk about where would be
the smartest place in your home to
go if someone broke in. Because
the reality is most of us didnt figure
in a panic room in the blue prints!
I was really impressed when I had
this conversation with my clan! The
input from the kids was logical and
made good sense, as a family we
confidently determined what part
of the house made the most sense
to retreat to if someone uninvited
entered.
Next step is talking about defense. I am going to try and summarize the best I can after doing some
research I now realize this could be
a five-part article itself! There are
some great suggestions out there
from various sources, formulating what weapon would be the best
for you and your family, but every
family and their house have several
variables that are different. So what
may work for Joe Schmoe down the
way who swears by his super heavy,
tricked out AK may not work for
you!
A few of my favorites are a
9mm with a larger capacity magazine, intruders usually have help, so
I increase my chances of stopping all

83

Poaching...Jeff Pendergraff, retired Captain MDNR Law Division...

Ferrets: Ferocious hunter or pet?

ot everyone knows what a ferret is, or what they are capable

of doing. Before I became a
Conservation Officer I really
didnt know what a ferret was
or what they looked like and
certainly not that many people keep
them as pets.
For a long time they were illegal
to possess in Michigan. In the 1990s
Michigan changed the law which allowed people to keep them as pets.
They were banned in many states until
the 1980s and 1990s. They are still illegal in California, New York and Hawaii.
According to Wikipedia, ferrets are
part of the weasel family and can be
very aggressive animals when it comes
to hunting for their food. Their average
length is 20 inches and weigh between
1.5 to 4 pounds. Its believed that they
have been domesticated for at least
2,500 years and their natural diet consists of whole small prey (mice, etc.).
They are not native to Michigan and
some types of ferrets are endangered.
Michigan has laws governing the
possession of ferrets as pets; they must
be kept on a leash off your property,
have rabies shots and if imported into
Michigan you must have a copy of their
health records and they cant be released into the wild.
I can recall many years ago reading about a few cases where people
had them for pets in their home and the
ferret ending up attacking some child in
the household. But, I havent heard anything like that happening in many years.
One of the main reasons they were
illegal in Michigan is because they are
very good rabbit hunters. Put one down
a rabbit hole and if there are any rabbits
in the hole they will be running out of
another hole very quickly, because the
ferret will be right on their heels.
So, in the mid-1980s our law makers
passed new poaching laws, increasing the fines and restitution on animals
illegally taken. Prior to those changes
there was no restitution on small game
animals illegally taken. A deer illegally
taken before the change the restitution
was only $100.

After the new law was passed the restitution was now $1000 on a deer and
$500 per small game animal illegally
taken.
My first Sergeant, Rick Asher had
often spoken of people using ferrets
to hunt, but I had never come across
anyone doing so. I had over the first few
years as a Conservation Officer working in southeast Michigan seized ferrets
from people who had them as pets,
because they were illegal to possess.
One thing I did notice about the ferrets
that I had seized was that they all had
a very strong odor to them. A strong
musk smell!
One Super Bowl Sunday in Monroe County in the mid-1980s, it was a
very bitter cold day, with a strong wind
blowing. I was patrolling in Monroe
County and not expecting to see anyone
out hunting with no Sunday hunting in
the county. I am not sure why I was out,
other than it was a scheduled work day
for me. But, my plans were to be home
in time to watch the game. As I drove
through the small community of New
Port I saw three people that appeared
to be hunting along the railroad tracks.
I drove down the right-of-way of the
railroad tracks and made contact with
those three people.
By the way, its illegal to trespass on
railroad property. You cant be on the
right of way or on the tracks. No hunting, no trapping, no ORV or snowmobile operation, nothing! As I got out of
my patrol car I noticed they didnt have
any hunting dogs. They did have seven
freshly killed rabbits. For some reason
things just didnt seem right. They were
very nervous and it wasnt because they
were hunting on Sunday. I had not mentioned Sunday hunting and they didnt
know they couldnt hunt on Sunday.
It was so cold the rabbits should
have been frozen and its not normal
to take seven rabbits from one location
without a dog.
I started looking around their
vehicle to see if they had something besides the rabbits they were afraid of me
finding. As I did, I noticed that strong
musk odor. I looked into the glove box

and noticed a small hole that led into

the interior of the car from the glove
box. I had never seen a hole inside of
a glove box before (man-made) and as
I got closer to look, something jumped
from the interior of the car back into
the glove box from that hole and almost
gave me a heart attack!
It was a ferret, running all around
the inside of the car, like a family pet.
Thats what they were so nervous about!
They confessed to using the ferret to
hunt rabbits. They told me they would
tie a string onto the ferret and put it into
the hole. With-in seconds, rabbits would
be running out. Then they shot the rabbits as they came out. Very effective,
but very illegal.
If I said I wasnt surprised, I would
be lying. Not what I expected to find.
One of the men told me the ferret was
his and he shot all seven rabbits. I
charged him with using a ferret to hunt
with and possession of seven rabbits
illegally taken. The ink on the new
restitution law probably wasnt dry yet
when they got caught. Besides the fines,
he was also ordered to pay $3500 in
restitution for the rabbits, $500 per rabbit. That is a lot of money now and even
more in the 1980s.
Lieutenant Walt Mikula (retired)
told me about a ferret case he made
in the mid-1970s in Iosco County. He
said it was a very cold day in February,
when he came across a young kid sitting in a vehicle trying to get warm. He
talked to the boy for a few minutes and
discovered that his father and his hunting buddies were hunting rabbits. While
talking to the young man CO Mikula
smelled what he thought was the smell
of a ferret.
CO Mikula drove down the road
and waited for the subjects to return. He
made contact with them and after further investigation found the ferret and
26 rabbits that the ferret flushed out of
their hole to be killed by the poachers.
Lieutenant Mikula told me it was
common for people to use ferrets then
for hunting and he had made several
ferrets cases during his career, along
with many other officers. This was one

Ferrets are part of the weasel family and can

be very aggressive when hunting for food.
of the most unusual cases that I had
during my career and I thought it might
be interesting enough to share it with
readers of Woods-N-Water News.
Our lawmakers have been very busy
the last couple of years passing new
laws on restitution for animals illegally
taken. First it was on whitetail bucks.
Restitution is now $2000 on a buck,
plus $500 per point up to 8 points. After
11 points its $750 a point. So, an 8
point buck illegally taken is going to
cost you $6000 in restitution, plus all of
the other sanctions.
They just passed another law
increasing restitution on elk, moose,
bear, waterfowl, turkey and on an eagle.
Elk is now $5000, plus $250 per point
up to 10; $500 a point after 11 points.
Moose was $1500 now its $5000. Bear
was $1500, now its $3500. Eagle is
now $1500, along with waterfowl being $500 and a bearded turkey is now
$1000. I think they are trying to get the
point across to people that we as a state
take poaching very seriously. A lot of
other states have already increased their
restitution for their trophy animals that
are poached also.
Poaching hurts all of us. If you
know of anyone who is poaching,
please report it!
Author is Jeff Pendergraff, retired
Captain from the DNR Law Enforcement Division.n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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More Poaching...Jeff Pendergraff, retired Captain MDNR Law Division...

The illegal commercialization of black bears

and cost and revocation of hunting
and trapping license for three years.
Phuc Hong Phan was charged with
three counts of violating the Wildlife Conservation Act. He pled to
two counts and received the same
sentence as the other suspect. Information on these two suspects came
from the public, which resulted in
another investigation by the DNRs
Special Investigation Unit.
After an investigation that
started four years ago by Detective/
Sergeant Robert Mills III from the
DNRs Special Investigation Unit
resulted in the arrest of four subjects who were charged with several counts of violating the Wildlife
Conservation Act. Tuan Hoa Pham,
of Kentwood, was charged with one
count of buying bear parts and one
count of buying sport caught fish.
Hoang Linh-Duy Tran, of Wyoming, was charged with two counts
of buying black bear parts. Hoa
Trung Huynh, of Kentwood, was
charged with one count of illegally
possessing black bear parts and one
count of aiding and abetting the
purchase of black bear parts.
All three above poachers pled
guilty and were sentenced on January 13, 2016. Judge Michael Distel
of the 61st District Court in Grand
Rapids thought these charges were
serious enough to sentence all
three subjects to five days in jail
with fines/cost and restitution in
the amount of $2425 for all three
suspects.
Hieu Van Hoang, of Sault Ste.
Marie, Michigan was charged with
five separate counts. Three of his
charges were for buying bear gallbladders and two counts of buying
deer meat.
Detective/Sergeant Mills stated
that with the volume of bear parts
that were sold to the suspects in the
Grand Rapids area, he felt that not
only were they using the bear parts
for personal use, but some went
to relatives in Vietnam. He also
learned that a bowl of bear paw

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soup went for $1000 in China.

The suspects had a gallbladder
soaking in a bottle which contained
either vodka or cognac. The suspects would drink straight from the
bottle because it made them stronger?
Two of the suspects had previously been convicted of felony
illegal commercial enterprise. At
the time the warrants were served
Mr. Hieu Van Hoang was lodged
in the Chippewa County Jail on a
charge of attempting to murder his
wife. Mr. Hieu Van Hoang since has
pled guilty to two counts of buying
bear gallbladders, the other three
charges were dismissed. He was
ordered to pay $3150 in fines/cost/
restitution and given 60 days in jail.
Detective/Sergeant Reid Roeske
was the lead investigator in this
case.
As you can see this is a bigger
issue than most people realize. Several years ago while I was in Alaska
on a brown bear hunt I was in a
taxi in Anchorage and my driver,
after learning I was bear hunting,
offered to buy my gallbladder after
my hunt. He gave me his cell phone
number and told me to call him

after the hunt. I did make a phone

call after my hunt. It wasnt to my
driver, it was to an Alaska State
Trooper I knew and I passed the
information to him. He contacted
me several months later and told
me the driver had been arrested for
buying bear parts.
Many times the information
that the DNR receives about this
type of activity comes from the
public. If you have any information about any type of poaching you
should contact the RAP line (Report
All Poaching) at 1-800-292-7800.
Detectives from the Special Investigation Unit have done a great job
infiltrating these commercializing
groups of criminals and need all the
help they can get from the public.
These types of investigations are
very common and several have been
prosecuted in the past several years.
Not just with bears, but with deer,
fish, reptiles, just to mention a few.
If there is an opportunity to make
illegal money, there are people out
there who will try to do it.
Author is Jeff Pendergaff,
retired Captain from the Law
Enforcement Division of the
DNR.n

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

he illegal commercialization
of bears is still alive and apparently there are plenty of
people who are still trying
to get away with it.
Its been going on for years.
People are buying and selling black
bears and/or their parts. Bile is
produced from the gallbladder and
often used in traditional Chinese
medicines. The bile can be sold for
$400-$600 locally and can be sold
on the black market in other countries for up to 30 times that price.
There are many parts of a bear
that are used for medicine. Starting
from the brain and ending with the
spinal cord these parts have been
used for the treatment of cardiac
issues, asthma, cancer, burns and
impotence. In many countries these
bear parts are more valuable than
narcotics. The thought that these
animal parts help anyone medically
is considered a myth in this country.
There are 34 states in the
United States that ban the trade of
bear gallbladders and other parts
of bears. Globally, six of the eight
known bear species are threatened
with extinction. Black bears are not
included on that list, which is why
there are so many people attempting to buy bear parts in the U.S.,
with almost every state having a
black bear season.
In the June 2015 Woods-NWater News I reported how detectives from the DNRs Special
Investigations had arrested a subject after a year-long investigation
for selling 50 pounds of bear meat
and five gallbladders to undercover detectives. Two residents of
Midland County were also arrested
and charged with several charges
related to the commercialization
of bear and bear parts. Richflair
Nguyen was charged with four
counts of violating the Wildlife
Conservation Act. He pled guilty to
two counts. He was ordered to pay
$1500 in restitution, $500 in fines

85

Spelunking the ice caves

By Jan Ferris

he first week of March 2015 found

me complaining grumpily about the
weather. The cold and snow were
relentless and I was more than ready
for spring. Then my friend, Julia,
came into my office and reported
that she heard on the news that Lake Superior was
frozen, making the ice caves accessible. Without
hesitation we left the lingering winter of Southwestern Michigan and headed to the frozen Upper
Peninsula!
Julia knows me well enough to know whats
on my bucket list. I had seen photos of the big ice
caves at the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, near
Bayfield, Wisconsin, and I was awestruck. Then
a photographer friend showed me photos he had
taken of the ice caves on Grand Island near Munising in the winter of 2014. I never knew we had such
a thing right here in Michigan, but I knew that I had
to see this phenomenon for myself, sort of like the
giant sequoias of California that I needed to stand
beside to believe.
The ice caves of Grand Island are formed by
groundwater seeping through the 300-foot high,
outward-sloping sandstone cliffs along the islands
shoreline. Water drips to the shore ice and freezes
into thick walls. Occasional openings between the
frozen waterfall columns create doorways into
magical wintry caves of all sizes, shapes, and
colors.
The channel on the east shore of the island has
a swift current so it doesnt often freeze, yet it had
done so two years in a row. I knew this was an
event with a small window of time that could slam
shut at any moment and that may not open again for
an unknown number of years. I had to act quickly if
I wanted to see the ice caves.
The plan was to start with the caves at Grand
Island and if they werent all that great, wed head
over to the Apostle Islands. We had seen on the internet that more than 20,000 people had gone across
the ice to the Apostles to view the ice caves the first
weekend they were accessible, a steady stream of
people making the migration like a herd of caribou.
They also had to park far away and pay for parking.
In planning our trip, we found that many of the
motels in Munising are closed either part or all of
winter, so we were glad we had made reservations.
While searching for information about Lake Superior and ice cave conditions, we learned that the

The author and her friend spent five hours on the ice and under the ice and took some 500 photos!
jurisdiction of the area is very interesting. Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore, a national park, is on
the mainland. Grand Island National Recreation
Area is within the Hiawatha National Forest, and
Lake Superior waters are within Michigan state
jurisdiction.
We were told at the motel to call the Alger
County Sheriff Department (906-387-4444) to
check on ice conditions before going over because
the temperatures had been very mild. The sheriff
deputy I spoke with was very friendly and helpful. I also gathered information from the Munising
Visitors Bureau (906-387-1717, www.munising.
org) and the Interagency Visitor Center for Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore and Hiawatha National
Forest (906-387-3700).
We reached Munising on Sunday night and went
over to the ice caves early Monday morning. Very
few other people were out there. We parked along
the turnaround at Sand Point, for free, and prepared for the trek. We had packed all of our winter

SPRINGS COMING

AND SO ARE WE!

THE GEESE WILL BE BACK!!

gear because we werent sure what would serve us

bestsnowshoes, cross-country skis, or boots. Several people were snowmobiling across and we met a
man who offered to shuttle us over to Grand Island
and Pictured Rocks on a sled behind his snowmobile, for a price. We opted for boots with YakTrax
and ski poles for balance, which served us well.
The icy surface of Lake Superior was snowcovered but windswept and bumpy from the ice
continuously moving and freezing. We hiked over
to the far left side of the islands shoreline where
the thick icicles began to appear, and worked our
way along the shore to the right until the cliffs
sloped downward and the ice formations dwindled.
The frozen waterfalls could be distinguished from
the mainland, but it was hard to fathom how huge
they really were until we stood in front of them 1.2
miles later.
This was our first time exploring ice caves so
we werent sure how to go about it. I crouched
timidly to look into the first opening. The cave

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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on a mission!
The colors of the ice were amazingcitrine,
chartreuse and emerald green, pale turquoise,
deep teal, and more. Minerals secreted from the
cliff walls tinted the ice rose and coral. From what
I have read about how the ice takes on various
colors, it has to do with hydrogen and oxygen
bonding, the amount of air bubbles trapped inside,
and how color is absorbed, scattered, and reflected
in ice. Ice absorbs red and yellow more efficiently
than blue, so the ice will appear blue. I didnt care
how the color was made as much as how awesome
it was to see.
There were a couple of openings that were a
little tricky. A block of ice in the middle of one
doorway made for a steep and slippery entrance to
the cave, which ended in a small pool of meltwater.
As I slid into the cave and hit the pool, my right
foot got soaked, so I spent the rest of the day with
a cold wet foot. No matter. I was having too much
fun to worry about it.
Each cave was unique and it was a blast checking out each one that I could safely get into. Most
of them I could stand up in and several had very
high ceilings. The sloping rock walls inside the
caves were streaked with minerals, as is typical
in the Pictured Rocks, with roots and plant matter
exposed or thin strands of ice or ice straws seeping
from cracks.
We spent five hours on the ice that day and I
took about 500 photos. I love digital photography
and how the number of photos I take is limited only
by the size of my memory card!
My very favorite ice cave was huge, longer
than my house with ceilings two or three times
higher. A weathered tree trunk was half submerged
in the frozen floor, and the high sloping walls were
darkly striped. Overhanging aqua icicles formed a
thin curtain with glimpses to the world outside and
the deep blue sky.
I have been to Munising many times in the
summer, but never in winter. We learned that an
ice festival is held there each February, and that
ice climbing along Sand Point Road and on Grand
Island is a very popular winter sport. The many
waterfalls in the area are beautiful when frozen,
although not all are accessible in winter. We went
to see Munising Falls but did not risk getting too
close as it was very icy and steep.
We read about the Eben Ice Caves in Eben
Junction so we went to see them. We followed a
long trail through a field and then a forest, which
sloped quickly to Rock River Gorge, where the

The colors of the ice were amazingcitrine, chartreuse

and emerald green, pale turquoise, deep teal, and more.
water seeped through the rock to form hefty ice
columns. The approach was so smooth and icy, and
there was a drop to get down into the caves, from
which I could see no way to easily get out. So I
only went close enough to peek inside the unusual
green-colored cave.
All of the waterfalls and ice caves we saw paled
in comparison to the wondrous ice caves of Grand
Island. We were satisfied with what we had experienced and had no desire to see the Apostle Islands.
For a nice side trip, we spent a night in Newberry and visited Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
The Upper Falls were frozen and motionless, all
but about ten feet of silky tannin-colored water
slipping over the rocks. We took advantage of the
beautiful day to ski the Giant Pines loop, which
pierced a narrow trail through the two-foot snow
base in the woods. Our visit was topped off with
lunch and a flight of Tahquamenon Falls brews in
the comfortable confines of Camp 33.
Now its just a memory. With El Nino hanging
around there isnt much chance of seeing such a
winter wonderland this March. But if the opportunity ever arises, I would not hesitate to go spelunking the ice caves of Grand Island once again.n

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was small but it was so beautiful that I crawled in

to get a better look. The day was bright and once
inside the cave, the sun shone through the ice wall,
turning it various shades of bright green and casting an eerie glow into the small cave and onto the
glassy smooth floor. Afraid to walk completely into
the cave, I reached my arm around to capture a
photo of the spectacle. Inside the cave it was cold,
silent, and serene. I wanted to spend the whole day
in there, but there were many other openings to
explore.
The doorways and caves got bigger and I got
braver as we worked our way along the shore, stopping in each cave. I enjoyed standing beneath the
huge icicles, looking up at their dramatic shapes,
the trees leaning over the cliffs, and the blue sky
above. Julia, on the other hand, wasnt fond of
ducking under the overhanging icicles to enter the
caves, being afraid they would break off and spear
her, a fear not totally unwarranted.
As the sun got higher it warmed the ice wall
enough that it started dripping, gathering in small
pools. Some columns had been broken as the ice
shifted, leaving them half attached to the cliff and
half attached at the bottom, sometimes a little
misaligned with a wide crack separating them.
And some icicles in the doorways had broken off
and refrozen on the floor, leaving a hump to climb
over. We did hear ice cracking and saw a few small
pieces break off. But that didnt deter meI was

87

Group Moose
Hunting in Ontario

ears ago I met Ontario

resident, John Borrelli, a passionate moose hunter from
that Canadian Provence. At
that time he was telling me
about their group moose hunts
which represent a favorable chance of
drawing a moose tag on an annual basis.
Naturally he had my interest.
We talked about doing a story
and then decided to wait until
the group took down their first
bull...that involved a wait of
some 13 years. But a good
story is always worth waiting
for, isnt it?
The group has been hunting together for 15 years,
actually since John
graduated from college. Canadian moose
hunting regulations
recognize 6-10 hunters as being a viable
group. Each region calls for a specific
number of hunters forming a group in
order to be eligible for obtaining an
annual bull or cow tag. Ontario moose
group hunting requires 6-10 hunters.
Borrelli praised his hunting group,
relating that they hunt well together. It
becomes an annual event as they travel
some 320 miles north of Sault Ste.
Marie. He commented, Upon arrival
to our region to hunt, we put up a large
cook/sleep tent. However, the past several years we have also brought in a renovated travel trailer that sleeps six men
well, which makes our adventure a tad
more comfortable. We trailer in 4-wheel
ORVs as well. We are in bush country...
remote and rough to access. Makes for a
great nine to 10 day hunt. Moose hunting runs from October through January
15th.
We have six hunters forming our
group. We have managed to obtain a
cow or bull tag each and every year
as long as we maintain the required
number of hunters; that being of course,
six.
I asked Berrelli, During a 10 year

period how many moose have you

harvested?
Actually we have taken seven
cows; weve been skunked three times.
We did not harvest any moose in 201415. I would advise USA hunters to go
through an outfitter at least long enough
to know their hunting land better plus
be aware of Ontario moose
hunting rules and regulations
before arranging a hunting trip
by themselves.
The year 2013 was our
Year of Redemption and was
perhaps our most exciting
hunt, for we took our first bull
moose; otherwise cows were
taken or we went home emptyhanded. We called
the moose, Bucko the
Bull.
I asked John Borrelli for an accounting of the 2013 hunt
in which he personally bagged his bull.
We set up camp. Left around 6:30
a.m. opening day on our 4-wheelers.
Traveled some 8-10 miles taking 45-60
minutes due to rough riding, rutty, back
country trails. Arriving at our area to
hunt, each rider went their own way. At
that time of morning, the sun was just
rising. It was the fourth day of our hunt.
Since none of us had seen a moose at
this point in time, my partner, cousin
Carmen and I, decided to split up as had
the rest of our group, working in the
same immediate area, yet close enough
within shouting distance should we be
lucky enough to take down a moose.
I had the wind in my face. Favorable! I walked up on a cow moose
feeding in a clearcut. She never realized
I was there. I watched her for approximately 30 minutes until she ambled off
towards the woods.
At about 9:15, a young bull came
out from the tree line and entered the
clearcut. I shot the bull and he dropped.
I screamed and waited for Carmen.
Then we both walked over to see our
first downed bull moose...Bucko was

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

By Betty Sodders

88

The group travels 350 miles north to their hunting area and set up camp.

Four of the group moose hunting buddies with Bucko, their first bull in 13 years of
hunting. Photo provided
his name!
We radioed the rest of our group
with the good news. It was far too
heavy a load for the two of us to pull
out so when the others arrived the
moose was cut in half then packed out
via an ATV trailer we had brought along
for that purpose. Back to camp, both
halves were hung on the pole...then...
we celebrated! We were ecstatic! After
13 years we finally had our first bull
moose...Bucko the Bull! Yes, it truly
was our Year of Redemption having
missed a trophy bull the first year of
our group hunt and not downing a bull
moose for the following 13 years. Yes, it
was our year to celebrate.
I felt we had just experienced a
successful hunt. It felt good after having
put in so much time, expense, effort,
travel time, support from spouses, along
with camp set up. Total overall time
runs 7-9 days.
I might add that the bull was taken
down at 128 yards. I never felt threatened. In fact once the rest of the group
arrived to see our bull, I remember we
were all screaming...screams of joy...a
happy time for sure.
My cousin, Carmen Blonda, was
practically in shock; he was that excited; absolutely elated...a happy time
for the entire group.
Our young bull field dressed at
500 pounds estimated total weight was
afforded at 900 lbs. It probably was a
2-1/2 or 3-year old moose. Our Bucko
held a 34 horn spread; a mooses headgear is termed horns, not antlers.
Next on my list of questions for
John Berrelli was,Did you have your
bull moose mounted? And naturally
his answer was, Yes, I had a local
taxidermist do the mount. It was attractively mounted on a cross-section of
a log, with matting behind, plus it also
held a brass plate at the bottom stating
that John Borrelli had taken the moose
showing other informative data. It hangs
on the wall in our rec-room. It is a very
striking mount. Cost was $300.
We hunt approximately 320 miles
north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,

Canada. (For those unaware of the fact,

there is a Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
across the St. Marys River from Sault
Ste. Marie, Michigan...The Twin Soos.)
We are all excited over our upcoming 2016 group hunt which runs from
October, 2016 through January 15th of
2017. No moose were harvested during
2014-15 when we were issued bull
tags. Seemingly, our jinx has been broken with the taking of Bucko, so right
now to say the least, hunting expectations are running high.
I was extremely curious as to what
was done regarding the meat from the
animal. John replied, We divided it up
between the six of us. Once downed, the
carcass was cut into two sections and
hauled out; then divided into 4 sections. Next the carcass was skinned and
wrapped in cheese-cloth to keep clean
and free from insects. Back home, the
meat was deboned, freezer-wrapped,
and equally divided among the hunters. The neck roast was frozen separate
to be oven roasted for our first nights
meal on opening day of the 2016 deer
season. Moose meat is delicious and I
prefer its taste to deer venison.
If you desire additional information
regarding Ontario Group Hunting for
Moose, search online for the Ontario
Canada Hunt & Fish Guide then scroll
down to moose hunting rules and
regulations. Cost of a resident license
runs $56. It is suggested that a new to
the group hunting experience hunter
(especially one that is a non-resident),
go through an outfitter, as they take care
of everything from obtaining licenses
and fees to advising what is required for
the hunt.
During closing of the interview
with John Berrelli I asked if there was
anything we had not touched on and
he replied, I would like to include the
names of our group hunting
buddies: John Berrelli...Carmen
Blonda...Tommy Parrella...Ricky Parrella...Robert Guzzo...Glen Vine. All
great guys! Good companions! Each
loves the sport of group hunting for
moose.n

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MISC.

FOR SALE

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A TEMPUR-PEDIC MEMORY
FOAM MATTRESS SET.
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Cost $1700. Sell for $695. 989-8322401. M-4-14-TFN
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BUISNESS FOR SALE:

Party store on Black River in
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Excellent hunting and fishing in
area. Store has been in operation for 30 years on high traffic
M-68/33 Hwy. Over $500K
gross in 2015 asking $250K +
inventory. Owners are retiring.
989-733-2480. FS-2-3

WANTED BUYING VINTAGE

ARCHERY Recurve Bows Arrows
Quivers Longbows Fred Bear
Anywhere In Michigan call text Andy
@ (586)215-1481. W-3-1
................................................
TIMBER: Buying all types of timber, 5 acres or more, top price paid.
Cash in advance. Improve wildlife
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READY FOR AFRICA

Win Model 70 416, 2 rifle airline
case scope, 2x8 Leupold, 80
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Condition $2,500 586-9940785. G-3-1

NORTHERN
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BEAR HUNTS: Booking now for
Spring and Fall of 2016. Includes
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2.25 ACRES, Paved Rd. 80%

Wooded. Mixed Trees. Residentiall
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10 ACRES IN THE BEAUTIFUL IRISH HILLS AREA.
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................................................
GREAT 10 ACRE HUNT
CAMP. 2 Elevated Blinds in Place
330 x 1324, 50% Wooded. Lynn Twp.
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Sales 586-419-6716 JustLandSales.
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................................................
GREAT FARMING & RECREATIONAL PROPERTY IN
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WASHTENAW CO. 55 acres,
some woods, spring fed pond. All
offers appreciated! Call Doug at
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................................................

BOATS
40 SEASONAL BOAT SLIP
on the Cheboygan River/Island
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community. Bathhouse, water, electric, dedicated parking. Easy access
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Call or text 517-712-0448. B-3-2

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CONCEALMENT FURNITURE (stylish furniture with

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other fine hand crafted furniture. Au Sable River Furniture
- 989-826-8444.
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HUNTING
2016 SPRING TURKEY
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ZZ, April 18th to May 1st, non-guided, $450 Ciavola Hunting Preserve,
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H-3-1
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ONE BUCK HUNTING CLUB
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HUNTING LEASE
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................................................
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REAL ESTATE
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the remainder wooded with the
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Minutes from US-127, I-94, M-106,
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Furnished. $175,000. 248-6133179. RE-3-1
40 ACRES, 3 Buildings, Small
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................................................
36 ACRES. Near Torch Lake,
Traverse City, Charlevoix. Mostly
wooded. 2 bdrm like-new home.
Quiet. Wildlife. $145,000. 9012
Manley Rd. Alden MI www.aldenproperty.shutterfly.com (269) 7205264. RE-3-2
................................................
16.79 ACRES Tree-Lined
Farmland, with 2 Road Fronts, 641x
1181 with 192 on Vandyke,
Evergreen Twp Sanilac County
$62,500 Just Land Sales 586-4196716 facebook.com/justlandsales
RE-3-1
................................................
CURTIS MI. UPS PREMIER
FISHING LAKES. LAKEFRONT
ESTUARY BUILDING LOT ON 4000
AC. SOUTH MANISTIQUE LAKE.
HOUR WEST OF BRIDGE. $ 24,900.
517-265-7909. RE-3-1
................................................

Classifieds Work!

810.724.0254

Woods-N-WaterNews Classified Section

40
SQUARE
WOODED
ACRES, Excellent Hunting, a
Creek & 2 Rd. Frontages1320 x 1320
90% Wooded. Burnside Twp,
Lapeer County $119,000 Just Land
Sales 586-419-6716 facebook.com/
justlandsales RE-3-1
................................................
42 ACRES FOR SALE IN AU
GRES TOWNSHIP ASKING
$95,000. 20 acre marsh with fishpond great for deer and duck hunting. $39,000 in future CRP payments
over next 15 years to new owner.
Email john.porath64@gmail.com or
call 989-868-4518. RE-3-1
................................................
HOUSE AND 75 ACRES
NEAR HART, MI. Prime hunting
property. Mature bucks harvested
this year. House needs updating.
Asking $200,000 If interested contact
either Tim at 231-834-2931 or Lee
Ann at 616-443-3714 RE-2-2
................................................
40 WOODED ACRES - surveyed and fenced with three elevated
blinds. Gladwin, MI. Asking $72,000
Call 734-854-6904 and leave a message. RE-2-3
................................................

DOGS
CHESAPEAKE
BAY
RETRIEVER PUPS FOR
SALE. $900. One started male
English Setter for sale. Call 734-6657489. michiganwingshooter.com.
D-2-TFN
................................................

DOGS

DOGS

GERMAN SHORTHAIR
POINTER PUPS: Males
and females available. Excellent hunting dogs and superb
family pets. Close working dogs
with strong point and retrieve
instincts. Reasonably priced for
the sporting family. Money back
guarantee. Eulenhof Kennels,
Gladwin, MI.
http://www.eulenhof.com
989-426-4884 D-3-2

AKC LAB PUPS. OFA certified. Excellent hunting background. $700. Now accepting
$25 deposits. Gundog training
available. Check us on
Facebook. Rheaume's Kennel.
989-864-8606. D-3-1

BIRD DOG TRAINING: by

world record holder and hall of famer
David Grubb. Only trainer in history
to win all 5 gun dog championships.
(did it twice) Dog training book for
sale and stud service. (248) 3911446. D-7-TFN-15
................................................
BRITTANY PUPS. AKC.
Out of excellent "Hall of Fame"
background.
$700. Now
accepting $25 deposits.
Gundog training available.
Check us out on Facebook.
Rheaume's Kennel. 989-8648606. D-3-1
AKC GERMAN SHORT HAIR
PUPS. Litter expected around 3-1216. Both parents black and white
patched with ticking. Quality hunting
dogs, high energy, close working,
excellent family dogs. Call 989-7120368. D-3-1
................................................

GSHP PUPS. AKC. Black/

white & Liver/white. Excell.
pedigree. $700. Now accepting $25 deposits. Gundog training available. Check us on
Facebook. Rheaume's Kennel.
989-864-8606. D-3-1

GUNDOG TRAINING AT
ITS BEST! by Paul
Rheaume. Over 30 years
experience with pointing and
flushing breeds. All inclusive 4
week class that is customized
to meet your dog's needs.
Excellent for young dogs starting out, for experienced dogs
tuning up, or for dogs with
issues. $600. Find us on
Facebook or online http://gundogtraining.webs.com.
Rheaume's Kennel. (989) 8648606. D-3-7

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It is estimated that 10% of all the fishermen

catch 90% of the fish. Regardless of which group
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STREAMMAPOFMICHIGAN is available either
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P.O. Box 278 Imlay City, MI 48444 (810) 724-0254

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

REAL ESTATE

Heres your
guide to
success!

91

Pages 92-101

5+ WOODED ACRES BOATING NEARBY

Well maintained 3 bed/1.75 bath

home on 5+ wooded acres. Detached heated 2 garage. Ideal
located for your up north activities. Close to trails, state land
and Lk Huron and inland lakes.
Land contract available to qualified buyer. $89,000 # 300754

Wonderful 3bed/2 bath home

with detached garage & deeded
interest in 700 acres. Located
by Hammond Bay Refuge Harbor
for boating. Use the 700 acres
walking, birding, snowmobile,
biking, etc. Land contract available to qualified buyer. $139,000
# 300761

THUNDER BAY RIVER WATERFRONTAGE

OF HAWKS

STATE WIDE
REAL ESTATE
OF HAWKS
Check out our web site for
additional properties of all types.

www.statewideofhawks.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
ONE OF OUR AGENTS:

350 frontage on the Thunder Bay

River near Alpena. The home is
3bed/2bath and 3.79 acres. Enjoy
relaxing while fishing, boating or
setting and watching the wildlife.
$135,000 # 300736

81 sandy frontage on all sports

Lake May. The main cottage is
2bed/1bath and the bonus cabin
has 2 bed/1bath. Just the spot
for family and friends to enjoy
the lakes. There is a 2 car garage
with workshop area. Cottage is
year around useable. $138,000
# 300619

Rita Arlt: 989-734-4840

Laura Mertz: 989-306-3851
Susan Cochran: 313-618-0033
Charlie Fairbanks: 989-255-7910
Dan Kulik: 989-734-2534

GET NOTICED!
LIST YOUR PROPERTY
a
h
Wit Ad!
TODAY!
Real Estate

Call: (810) 724-0254

or Email our Ad team at WnW@pageone-inc.com
HUNTING AND
INVESTMENT PROPERTY

FOR SALE!

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

TROPHY DEER, BEAR

AND GREAT FISHING
WINTER CLEARANCE SALE OF LAND
WATERFRONT AND HUNTING
ACREAGES

92

DISCOUNTED 35%

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE!

CALL WITH YOUR INQUIRIES OR EMAIL

LAJAMBE
ENTERPRISES INC.

120 Huron Street (across Street from Canadian Customs)

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 1P8

Telephone: (705) 248-9663 FAX: (705) 248-1110

Email: flajambe@lajambe.com Website: www.lajambe.com

IG RIVER

PROPERTIES

BEAUTIFUL RETREAT 8919 W. 11 MILE ROAD IRONS Beautiful

up North retreat with Stronach Creek running through the property. This
amazing home comes with 2 bedrooms and a full bath with a 40 x 54 pole
barn that has an additional 12 x 40 heated living space with a large bedroom
that currently sleeps 5, a kitchenette and a 3/4 bath. There is also a 12 x 40
heated space currently used as a wood shop. Between the two is a 30 x 40
garage with a 14' ceiling. The home has an over-sized kitchen with cherry
cabinets with one of a kind Michigan stone knobs, stainless steel appliances
and a built in breakfast nook that seats 8-10. The living room features a Jotul
wood stove surrounded by live edge bookcases and a stone hearth. The
master bedroom has a unique sliding barn door on the closet with shelving
built in. This is a must see! Seller is a licensed Real Estate Agent in the State
of Michigan. $169,900 (ELL)
61 ACRES ON NORTH LAKE 1829 W 68TH STREET BALDWIN This
is a well wooded 61 acre waterfront acreage with a 24 x 40 garage already
in place. The original home was lost in a fire so there is already electric, well
and septic in place. This property would be great as a home site or as a
hunting property with fishing on your frontage on North Lake. A tree stand
tower is already in place. This is a beautiful property with nearly 1000 of
North Lake shoreline. $129,000 (VID)
GREAT GET-A-WAY ON 7.9+/- ACRES 3181 W 4 MILE ROAD IRONS
Get-a-way to this great location in Irons, just West of M-37, walking distance to Little Manistee River, Federal land and ORV from your cabin to the
trails! This well-kept 1986 Skyline mobile home has 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths,
eat in kitchen, living room all tastefully decorated for your up North getaway.
Features a woodstove in the living room, metal roof and covered porch. The
24x24 pole barn is insulated and has a woodstove for year around use with
a paved approach and parking and 2 sheds. Nicely wooded 7.9 acres, surveyed and offering lots of wildlife! Most furnishings stay making this ready
for you to come up and enjoy. $54,900 (KRO)
18 ACRES NORCONK ROAD ARCADIA This 18 acre parcel of land
is located on Norconk Road in Arcadia Township in Northern Manistee
County. Close to M-22, Lake Michigan, Arcadia Lake and Bear Lake. Ideal
location for your new home or if youve been looking for that property to build
a garage or pole barn on to store you toys this might just be for you. There
is about 10 acres of tillable land and 8 acres of maples and other hardwoods.
The drive is into the back of the property! There have been a few bucks
taken from this property also if youre a hunter! $69,900 (RUS)

Hunters Call for our Acreage Parcels

5963 W. 10-1/2 Mile Rd. Irons, Michigan
231-266-8288 877-88-NORTH
www.BigRiverVentures.com Info@BigRiverVentures.com

CANADIAN REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

www

.landncanada.com

Hunting Fishing Waterfront Land

CARIBOU LAKE LOG CABINS - Private resort 80 acres waterfront, 3 PENNEFATHER UNORGANIZED TOWNSHIP - 560 Acres mixed hardwood, Hunt cabin, trails, hills, bear moose deer. $149900. Cdn =
properties, House, shop, 9 cabins, 10 trailer sites. 4800 ft. water$107928. US Funds*
frontage. $349,900. Cdn. = $251928. US funds*
SEARCHMONT, ONTARIO - 48.5 Acres recreation land on Achigan
River, private road in. Adjacent public lands fishing, hunting, trails,
skiing. $39,900. Cdn = $28728. US funds.*
LAKE LAUZON WATERFRONT - 1200 sq ft home, 155 ft on water,
immaculate updated with Walk out bsmt. Dock, deck, carport 1.6
hrs. From International Bridge. $259,900. Cdn = $187128 US funds.*
ABERDEEN UNORGANIZED TOWNSHIP - 80 acres on Thessalon
River, year round road, hydro, driveway. $54,900. Cdn = $39528 US
funds.*

*Exchange Rate Subject to Change*

LAKE SUPERIOR WATERFRONT LOT - 1 Acre, sheltered bay deep

water, Bunkie, Garage, entrance $129900. Cdn = $93528. US Funds*
HARMONY BAY LAKE SUPERIOR - Entrance, septic, sheltered bay
$79900. Cdn = $57528.US Funds*
ST JOSEPH ISLAND - 40 Acre commercial corner plus hardwood lot
$99900. Cdn = $71928 US Funds*
ST JOSEPH ISLAND - Waterfront cottage/home 4 bdrms, fireplace,
sand beach, great fishing recreation area. $169900. Cdn = $122328
US Funds*

PICTURES, MAPS,
189 EAST ST.
Sault Ste.
INFORMATION, VISIT
Marie
www.ericbrauner.com
ONTARIO
Email:
Braunerrealestate@shaw.ca

Cell/TXT (705) 256-0680

231-652-7000
- or -

231-250-8200

WE NEED LISTINGS 40+ ACRES AND LARGER

289,900

200 ACRES,
MISSAUKEE
COUNTY

Cabin,
Pond, Trails
& Blinds

349,900

House, Barns,
Pond, 25 Ac.
Tillable
NG

LD

I
ND
E
P

Allegan County, 59+/- Acres. Good Trail Arenac County, 146 Acres Rifle River &
System, Excellent Deer & Turkey Hunting Saginaw Bay Access, Tri-Level House
$399,999
$99,900

D
OL

SO

Genesee & Shiawassee County, 140

Delta County, 39.6 Acres
Acres, Half Agricultural Land, 1,300
1,000+ ft Frontage Lake Michigan
sq ft Lodge, 24x40 Pole Barn
$79,000
$475,000

Iosco County, 52.51 Acres

Food Plots, Trail System, Elevated
Blinds, Pond & Shed
$99,000

Isabella County, 156 acres

5,000 ft on Trout Stream, Good
Trails, 30 Ac Tillable
$590,000

NG

D
OL

I
ND
E
P

Jackson County, 53.5+/- Acres 2,000 ft. Jackson County, 60 Acres 2Bed, 2Bath Jackson County, 119 Acres, Little Montague Lake Jackson County, 162 Acres CRP Program, 6 Elevated
House, 2 Stall Garage, 40 Ac Tillable Frontage, 40+/- Tillable, Excellent Wildlife Habitat Blinds, 115 Ac. Tillable, Pond, Big Buck Country
Grand River Frontage, Trail System
$315,900
$275,000
$199,000
$599,000

Mecosta Co 28 ac 1320
Chippewa River, Nice Cabin
$150,000

80 ACRES,
MIDLAND
COUNTY

Lake Co, 5 Acres, 1,200 ft. Middle Branch Lake County, 330 Acres, Good Trail
Pere Marquette River, Rustic Cabin
System, Food Plots, Sm Creek
$68,000
$399,000

Mecosta County, 40 Acres

Missaukee Co, 40 Acres, Good Missaukee County, 75 Acres Pond, Creek,
Guest Cabin & 2 Bedroom House
12 Acre Private Lake, 5,000 sq ft House Trail System, Excellent Hunting
$349,000
$62,900
$199,000

Missaukee County, 77 Acres, Rough

Country, Big Bucks, Trout Stream
$77,000

Osceola County, 80 Acres

Lots of Deer, Excellent Bedding
Cover, Great Hunting
$89,000

Presque Isle County, 395 Acres $276,500

Presque Isle Co, 63+/- Ac
Carp Creek, Food Plots, Hunting Blinds or can be purchased in split, 195 Acres
$137,000 or 200 Acres $140,000
$75,600

Schoolcraft County,
2282 Acres Fox River Frontage
$570,500

Shiawassee Co, 137+/- Acres,

3,000 ft. Shiawassee River, 70
Acres Tillable, Great Hunting
$340,000

Osceola Co, 94+/- Acres, 1,000 ft.

All Sports Goose Lake, Older Farm
House, Excellent Hunting
$335,000

Otsego County, 160 Acres Private

15 Ac Lake, 6,000 sq. ft. House
$1,749,000

WildLifeRealty.com

www.

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

93

12412 STATE ST.

ATLANTA, MICHIGAN 49709
NORTH FORK RANCH
* SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR
DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEO

One of a Kind Executive Home and Retreat with

Trout Stream and Ponds on 872-Acres of Pristine
Rolling Woodland with Grass Airstrip. Built with Full
16 Logs shipped from Montana, Perfect for Entertaining. Motel Style Guest House with 3-Units Sleeps
6. Bunk House sleeps 9 with Bathroom and Kitchenette. 2 Additional Out Buildings next to the Airstrip.
Detached Garage across from Main Home has
Huge Commercial Kitchen that is Heated with Central Air Conditioning. Corral is Fenced for Horses.

Matthew Farkas
248-884-8616

DETROIT HUNT & FISH CLUB PRISTINE 800-ACRES WITH 2-LAKES

Huge Lodge Accommodates about 20-People with
Large Kitchen and Caretakers Quarters. Lakes
are Exclusive to this Property and have never had
Gas Operated Motors on them. The first Lake is
about 20-Acres and about 90-Feet Deep with Pike,
Bass, Crappie. Lots of Wildlife including Deer and
Bear on the Property. The Second Lake is Shallower and excellent Waterfowl Hunting. Miles of
Trials Throughout this Property give easy access.

SOUTH BRANCH - 800 ACRES

$3,800,000 MLS #296683

$1,550,000 MLS #299227

YEAR-ROUND OUTDOOR PARADISE

!!! OWN YOUR OWN ISLAND !!!

Experience Breathtaking Sunrises and Sunsets, Northern Lights, Great Lakes Freighters,
Beautiful Beaches, and wildlife from one of the
Modern Cedar Log Cabins and housekeeping units that sit on Lake Hurons shore on
Manitou Beach. Year-round Outdoor Paradise
with unlimited woods and water recreation
adventures: lighthouses, boating, hiking and
biking trails, mushroom hunting, fishing charters, shipwreck diving and more. Additional
520-Acres available nearby see MLS# 297032.

$1,200,000 MLS #297034

D
L
SO

DRUMMOND ISLAND - 20 ACRES

Prestigious Standerson Island...Own your Own Island! AKA Island #9 Capitalize

on this rare opportunity to own a piece of history. Located across from Harbor
Island National Wildlife Refuge.

$400,000 MLS #284786

REDUCED!

MILLERSBURG - 345 ACRES

WILDWOOD LODGE
MIO - 240 ACRES

ALL SPORTS MCCOLLUM LAKE

Private, Rich in Wildlife w/Big Bucks and Black Bear. Approx.

-mile of waterfront on Clear Lake (91-Acres) in Northern
Michigan. New Custom built Log Home. Field Stone Fireplace,
radiant Floor heating, Guest Cottage w/ 2-car Garage. 2 large
storage buildings 14ft high. Back-up generators.

9 BR, 11 BA on 3 levels w/Finished Walkout on 2.5 Acres.

200-Feet of frontage on All Sports Wildwood Lake, Bridge
access and Fire Pit. Fireplace in living room, large fam
room, Kitchen, 2 Gas Ranges, 2 refrig. Fully Furnished.
Excellent Rental History http://www.vrbo.com/9421

Former Organic Dairy Farm Certified Organic Beautiful Farm

Land with Creek Running through it. Several Structures on the
Property. Milking Equipment may be available as well. Excellent
hunting property. Also available with 200-Acres at $380,000.

Stunning Quality Built Home, 4 BD, 3 BA appx 4,000 finished sq ft w/about 5 Acres
of Woodlands and Towering Pines on 200 ft of All Sports McCollum Lake, a few
miles N of M-72 and M-65. Open Floor Plan, Hard Wood, Tile Floors thru-out. 14x13
Loft. Main Floor laundry. 4-bay Garage Prepped for Upper Apartment w/Doorwall

REDUCED! $775,000 MLS #283240

$549,900 MLS #297147

$475,000 MLS #294306

$345,000 MLS #300749

MILLERSBURG - 250 ACRES SHARED

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

10 ACRES

94

Log Home, 4BR, 4 BA Sprawling Ranch has 380 on the Thunder

Bay River on 10-Acres of Land. Custom built bar, Open Floor
Plan. All BR have private BA and Doorwall overlooking Lawn
and River. Built with Serious Entertaining in Mind. Stereo System with speakers inside and out. Nice Pole Barn with Electric.

Relax on Sugar Island in your 2 BR, 1 BA Year-Round Getaway.

On 8 Acres w/ 600 Feet of Frontage on Beautiful Lake George.
Spectacular Views of Canada across the lake. A T shaped Canal leads to the Water for easy access and keeps your Boats
protected.

Beautiful 4-Bedroom 2-Bath Executive Hunting Lodge on 81.58

Wooded Acres. 2 Ponds stocked with Perch, Glue Gill, & Crappie. The Lodge has a large 29x20 Entertainment Room with 16
wet bar, 5 sliding doors to 4 decks, hardwood flooring. New Pole
Barn with 3-Large Doors for Easy Access. Trails throughout the
Property with Hunting Blinds and Food Plots.

Beautiful Custom Built Home on All-Sports Lake Nettie, 1,400

frontage! 4-Bed, 4-Bath w/ Walkout Basement. Great Room w/
Stone Fireplace. Master Suite w/ Jacuzzi Tub. Gated Community has 30 Lots with Addtl 10-Acres each in the form of 1/25th
shared Interest of 250-Acres adjoining Recreational Property
for Hunting/ATV Riding Snowmobiling, Horses, etc., Over 3/4
mile of frontage on Ocqueoc River. Private Lake Ann is part of
the Shared 250-Acres as well. Great Views!

$289,000 MLS #298241

$185,000 MLS #298478

$375,000 MLS #299437

$375,000 MLS #299330

SUGAR ISLAND

ALGER - 102 ACRES

ATLANTA - 41 ACRES

Gorgeous 2400 sq ft Home on 100 Acres with Rolling Land,

Creek, Ponds, Deer Blinds, Food Plots. Attached 2-car Garage, Large Barn for boat or RV. Excellent Hunting-Deer, Bear,
Waterfowl, Bobcat, etc. Original Stone Cabin Remodeled in
2005, Knotty Pine Interior and Loft. Located btw Standish/West
Branch, minutes from I-75, Exit 202.

Thunder Bay River Front Chalet with Great Views of the River
on 41-Acres. Thunder Bay River is a Blue Ribbon Trout Stream
and also Great for Canoeing, Kayaking or just Tubing. Great
Hunting on the property with lots of State Land nearby as well.
Home has 4-Bedrooms, 2-Full and one half Bathrooms, with
Laundry in the Screened in Porch area.

$375,000 MLS #296907

$340,000 MLS #298765

LACHINE - 82 ACRES

LEROY - 92.5 ACRES

3-Bedroom Chalet on 92.5-Acres with apx. 700+ Feet of Frontage on Little Mud Lake with Excellent Fishing! Great Deer Hunting with lots of Apple Trees, Oaks, Browse Farm Land across
the Street. Spring fed Little Mud Lake with Pike, Bass, Crappie, Bluegill. Addtl 37.5 Acres is down the road and inc. in with
this Property. The 37.5 Acres is avail Separately for $100,000.
Home and 55-Acres is avail for $260,000.

$345,000 MLS #299475

ATLANTA
Business Opportunity!! Owner Retired. Beer/Wine/Liquor Lic.
available. MOTIVATED SELLERS LOOKING FOR MOTIVATED BUYER! 13-Great Fishing Lakes just minutes from Store
bring Fisherman in year round. The Only Bait Shop in the Area!
Inc. most Equip and Shelving. Gas Pump/Tank is negotiable.
Possible Land Contract for $65,900.

$59,900 MLS #282613

THINKING OF
SELLING
OR BUYING?

877-843-0910

www.TrophyClassRealEstate.com

TREMENDOUS GATED PROPERTY INCLUDES 33 PRISTINE ACRES

40 ACRES AND A CLEAN EFFICIENT HUNTING CABIN

Wooded and open with private frontage on Hyde Lake. 2014 custom
designed home meticulously maintained and used for hunting and fishing getaways. Open land at the road
for crops or horses. Woods have
trails, elevated blinds, food plots &
rolling terrain. This property has it all!
Private tours by Dan Hoffman.

This property provides an excellent habitat for a variety of

wildlife. Diverse mixture of hard
woods and conifers plus plenty
of cover, swamp and food for
whitetails and small game..
Cabin is compact and rustic
but has everything you need
to be comfortable. 1 hour from
Grand Rapids.

*CALL DAN (269) 377-4049

*CALL (616) 414-5420

$585,000 CALHOUN COUNTY

$76,900 LAKE COUNTY

40 ACRES GREAT FOR SMALL FARMING OR RIDING FACILITY

WOODED 40 ACRES LOCATED NEAR FARMS

Ranch home with geo

thermal heat, 40x36
arena with stalls/tack
room, 40x30 & 36x22
Barns, mobile home on
site also. This property
is versatile and priced
right! $229,000 Oceana
County

Private land to help enhance your hunting experience. Potential timber value
and building sites for a secluded lifestyle. A few valleys and rolling areas, utilities available at the street.
Near many lakes and the
White River.

*CALL (616) 414-5420

*CALL (616) 414-5420

$229,000 OCEANA COUNTY

$89,000 MUSKEGON COUNTY

ROLLING, WOODED 30 ACRES WITH CORNER FRONTAGE

181 WOODED & ROLLING ACRES WITH 4730 OF LAKE MICHIGAN WATERFRONT.

On quiet country paved road access with electric available nearby. Excellent hunting history with
plenty of deer sign through out.
The bird hunting is very promising
as well. Location is ideal for fishing
the amazing White River salmon
and steelhead runs and adjacent
to Manistee National Forest.

*CALL (616) 414-5420

A magical place with alluring spirit as the deer,

grouse and a variety of small game are evident
at every turn. The first thing that comes in focus is
the mature Cedar Forest. Not a thicket but beautiful old Northern White Cedar. As you wind through
the forest the opulent lightness from the big lake
begin to peek through and eventually the green
to blue transition is complete with breathtaking
views. A cove, east setting has had calm water and may lend itself to opportunities for direct boating access. *CALL (231) 233-3575

$59,900 OCEANA COUNTY

$500,000 DELTA COUNTY

36 ACRESHUNTS LIKE A 1000 ACRES!

10 ACRES GEARED TOWARDS GENTLEMAN FARM

Multiple building sites and reserves a

great western zone that holds whitetails, grouse and plenty of small game.
Woods is a mix of white pine, slashing
and planted pine with plenty heavy cover and open areas. Western boundary
is Traverse City Forest Management
Unit offering 1000s of acres of additional hunting.

or small horse ranch. Top-notch

contemporary home combined
with finished oversized 3 car
heated garage, 6460 pole
building with horse stalls, automatic waterers and outdoor
wood burner, 2- story storage
building 2814 and 4020 leantwo with stalls. Spectacular!!

*CALL (616) 414-5420

*CALL (231) 233-3575

$59,000 BENZIE COUNTY

GRAND HAVEN

233 WASHINGTON, 5UITE 202

GRAND HAVEN, MI 49417
(877) 843-0910

VISIT OUR
BOOTH!

$399,900 BRANCH COUNTY

TRAVERSE CITY

4249 US 31
SOUTH TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49685
(231) 233-3575

ATLANTA

12412 MAIN STREET

ATLANTA, MI 49709
(989) 785-3661

ULTIMATE SPORT SHOW/GRAND RAPIDS MAR. 17-20

HUNTING & FISHING EXPO/TRAVERSE CITY MAR. 18-20

VISIT OUR
BOOTH!

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

CALL US
FIRST!!

THE LAND
EXPERTS
YOU CAN
TRUST

95

Offices Serving Lower &

Upper Michigan
Bringing people and places together since 1945

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TODAY!

statewiderealestate.net
Houghton
Marquette

Curtis
Manistique

Escanaba

Powers
Menominee
Marinette

Newberry

Fife Lake

Onaway
Hawks
Hillman
Alpena

Atlanta
Harrisville
Mio
Oscoda

Skidway Lake

Clare

DEER CAMP

VACANT LAND

2 BEDROOM, LIVING RM, KITCHEN, BATH, ENCLOSED FRONT

PORCH ON 25 ACRES OF PURE HUNTING PROPERTY (829 X
1364) JUST NORTH OF IMLAY CITY (I-69) ABOUT 5 MILES.

121 ACRES IN FREMONT TOWNSHIP, WEST OF

CROSWELL, EAST OF M-19 ON BURNS LINE RD
AT THE NW CORNER OF BROWN RD.

Almont
Linden

Howell

Hunting is
superb on
this land, at
least 1 deer
off it for the
last 25 years,
usually 3 or 4.

1320 ft X 3960
ft. Asking
$500,000. Call
Sharon @ 810441-6002 or
810-798-8591

$199,900

$500,000

FOR ALL YOUR REAL

ESTATE NEEDS CALL

Sharon LaFrance
810-441-6002

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

HAWKS
8383 Hwy. 451, 49743
email: rita8383@yahoo.com
989-734-4846

ALMONT
844 Van Dyke Road
lafrancesharon@yahoo.com
810-798-8591 Fax: 810-798-8079

HILLMAN
14938 State Street, P.O. Box 98, 49746
email: statewidehillman@yahoo.com
989-742-4523 800-228-7856
Fax: 989-742-3931

CLARE
308 E. 5th Street, 48617
email: statewideclare@voyager.net
989-386-3396 Fax: 989-386-3800

HOUGHTON
500 Shelden Ave., 49931
email: dick@statewideofhoughton.com
906-482-6955 800-676-6323
Fax: 906-482-7699

CURTIS/NEWBERRY
Main Street, P.O. Box 305, 49820
email: swcurtis@sbcglobal.net
906-586-9606 Fax: 906-586-9607

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

ESCANABA
2209 Ludington Street, 49829
email: escanaba@statewiderealestate.net
906-786-1308 800-900-0777
Fax: 906-786-1388

96

FIFE LAKE
127 State Street, P.O. Box 190, 49633
email: swfife@charterinternet.com
231-879-4471 Fax: 231-879-4362
HARRISVILLE
430 S. US-23, 48740
email: sold@anjstatewide.com
989-724-5711 800-655-5735
Fax: 989-724-6833

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 - KINGSFORD
112 S. Carpenter Ave., Kingsford, 49802
906-828-9079
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
MARQUETTE
856 W. Washington, 49855
email: sw@statewiderealestate.org
906-228-9312 Fax: 906-228-8069

Im not #1, you are.

MAINSTREET
844 Van Dyke ALMONT

MENOMINEE
3631 10th Street, 49858
email: statewideone@newbc.rr.com
906-863-9905
Fax: 906-863-7935
MIO
102 West 8th St., P.O. Box 395, 48647
email: info@statewidemio.com
989-826-3292
Fax: 989-826-2108
ONAWAY
M-33 & M-68,
P.O. Box 478, 49765
email: bigdan@frontier.com
989-733-6522
Fax: 989-733-2427
OSCODA
335 South State St., 48750
email: lakehuronsw@chartermi.net
989-739-2050
Fax: 989-739-2280
POWERS
W3776 US2 & 41, 49874
906-497-4190
Fax: 906-497-5328
holly@statewiderealestate.net
SKIDWAY LAKE
2228 Greenwood Rd.,
Prescott, 48756
email: atlas@m33access.com
989-873-3601
Fax: 989-873-6914

From the minute you drive down the paved driveway you will
realize this is a very SPECIAL Property!!! The entry boasts
a drive over the wonderful pond and thru the manicured
lawn/flower gardens and on to view the spectacular backyard with Gazebo, Deck,
Pergola and walking path
thru garden. Its evident
that the owners are meticulous! The Hand Crafted Log Home boasts over 2600 sq.
ft. of living space. The main floor features Ash hardwood
floors, Custom Kitchen, Expansive Living room with Stone
Fireplace and vaulted ceiling and Master suite. Step up the
custom 1/2 log curved staircase to the second floor - here you will find a wrap-around family
room with a view of Lake Michigan, a Den, 2 more bedrooms
and a 3/4 bath. Also included are a Workshop to die for! (30x36
with another floor for storage), a 12x22 storage shed,
a 9x12 Square/log shed, an
open air workshop, and a
16x24 1-1/2 story log Bunkhouse (this one is special
also)!! All Buildings are hand crafted and one of a
kind!!! All this nestled on 48 Acres just across the highway from 2 miles of State-owned public sand beach...Wonderful Privacy!! A Dream Home or
Seasonal Cottage in the Gorgeous Upper Peninsula. Come Explore and Live the Dream!!!

MLS#1090487

$375,000
Betty Kinnunen
Associtate Broker

Helping you find the property of your dreams.

Call me today for all your Real Estate needs

906-202-2223

1901 W. Ridge Street, Suite 9 Marquette, MI 49855

www.BettyKinnunen.com

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

97

RANDY MINTO

LAKE OGEMAW MARINA

GENESEE COUNTY LAKEFRONT DREAM

PROPERTY

Always Working Hard for You!

REALTOR

1,095,000

Direct:

810.449.1286

OGEMAW COUNTY
Own your own Marina! Located on a 600-acre Private All-Sports Lake.
2 Large Storage Buildings, 16 Boat Slips, Turn-key operation. 225 ft of
Lake Frontage. Avalon Pontoon Dealer. $650,000

One of a Kind! Secluded on a

Private All-Sports Lake. Hunting & Rec activities. Perfect for
Entertaining. 3 hole Golf Course.
1500 ft of Frontage. Addtl 1280
ft Beach House. Huge Pole Barn.

- OR Office:

810.653.4500

66 ACRES

SPECIALIZING IN UNIQUE, LUXURY AND LARGE RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES

CLARE COUNTY
31.5 ACRES

DEER

&

NATURE

90 ACRES
AWESOME HUNT CLUB
OVER ONE MILE ON THE MUSKEGON RIVER
Over 500 feet on Muskegon River

Over 5,600 feet on Muskegon River

$89,900

$239,900

Combined 121.5 Acres for $329,800

LICENSED DEER RANCH

LOVERS

156.66 ACRES

DREAM

PROPERTIES

ALCONA COUNTY

Amazing property and Hunting Camp, 4BR on

Pine River. Bear, Deer, lots of wildlife. Apple orchard.
Fish and canoe the river. $325,000

PRIME HUNTING!

128 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY
Newly Renovated, 41 tillable acres, 3 ponds, 65% Wooded. Great
Development & Commercial Possibilities. A Rare Gem! $599,900

PRICE REDUCED

$1,350,000
34 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY

HURON COUNTY
LAKE FRONT

80-100 DEER
20-25 TROPHY BUCKS

ALCONA COUNTY

2000 SF Ranch in Lost Lake

Beautiful Home, Guest House and Pole Barn. Woods. Membership Reqd.
Hunting, Golf Course, Archery,
$199,000
Rifle Range. $185,000

Licensed Deer Ranch in Davison. 6-car garage, pond, 5 blinds, 3 lg feeders,

Lg polebarn. 4BD, 3BA, walkout & up basement $849,000

257 ACRES

ENJOY OVER
11,000 ACRES
& 5 LAKES

200 ACRES

ST. CLAIR COUNTY

IN THE UP

1/4 MILE ON
ST. MARYS RIVER

ALPENA COUNTY
AMAZING

200 TILLABLE ACRES

PREVIOUSLY
PHEASANT
PRESERVE

Great farming, income producing, Pheasant Preserve Possibilities, over 1/2 mile
on Belle River, multiple Outbuildings, 2 Ponds. $1,350,000

840 ACRES

4 Cabins and 2 hunting camps, 2 pole barns, Duck Marsh, Trout

pond, 05 Tractor w/equip., 3 ATVs, stocked toolshed, 16 heated
blinds/feeders/food plots, miles of trail systems on Wolf River and
Widner River. 5-mile private entrance. Hardwoods, pines and 150
acres of cedar swamp. Fantastic wildlife; Trophy Whitetail Deer,
Black Bear, Bobcat, Coyote, and Wild Turkeys abound.

CHIPPEWA COUNTY
Cozy log cabin with loft. Beach frontage. Secluded,
Great Hunting, Fishing, Boating.

$229,000

LAPEER COUNTY 28 ACRES

ST. CLAIR COUNTY 30 ACRES

4,400 SQ. FT 6BD, 3.5BA LOG HOME, & Pool House. Great for entertaining
& Hunting. Deer Hunter & Nature Lovers Dream Property!

Updated 2200 sq. ft. split level ranch, Wooded.

Creek. Private & Secluded. $249,900

$389,000

3 ACRES

GENESEE
COUNTY
10 ACRES
Beautiful updated,
2,000+sq ft home. 70% Wooded.
Davison.

$249,900

MECOSTA COUNTY
Amazing setting, log home on
Chippewa River.

$235,000

10 ACRES
OAKLAND
COUNTY

GENESEE
COUNTY

MECOSTA COUNTY

32 ACRES
Rustic Log Home, Organic Farm,
11 tillable acres.

$99,800

Corner Lot. Agriculture or

Great Building Site.

$119,900

Great Building Site. Nicely

wooded. 1/2 Mile from Brandon
Schools. $99,800

LAPEER COUNTY

86 ACRES
Fantastic Development Opportunity.
30-2 Acre Lots approx. Currently Zoned
agriculture. $595,000

120 ACRES

CLARE COUNTY

Prime Hunting & Nature Lovers Dream Property. 90% wooded, hardwoods,
pines & cedars. Nice hunting cabin built 2001. 2BD & 1BA. 5 Deer Blinds.

$299,900

SANILAC COUNTY 80 ACRES

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

*McDonalds

98

157 ACRES
COMMERCIAL
US 10

GENESEE
COUNTY
110 ACRES

1/2 MILE FROM LAKE HURON

Great Development Opportunity. Several Outbuildings. 80-90 Tillable Acres.

Great Building Opportunity! $449,900

Deer Hunters Dream Property, Private, 2-streams.

Large elevation changes.

$275,000

MIDLAND COUNTY

Great Development Opportunity near Sanford Lake. 10 miles

NW of Midland Twp. Great location, off of US 10 on M-30, by
McDonalds, Subway, Shell gas station. $1,150,000

Call Randy Minto Or Visit: www.RandyMinto.C21.com

Email: rminto@c21metrobrokers.com
www.MIDREAMPROPERTIES.com

WEST BRANCH
M-33/M-55 OFFICE
1953 S. M-33
West Branch, MI 48661

HALE
OFFICE

ALE
S
R
O

3160 North M-65

Hale, MI48739

10 miles north of I-75 exit 202

Local: 989-345-2662
Toll Free: 800-535-6520

WEST BRANCH
LOOP OFFICE

ALE
S
R
O

2575 S. I-75 Business Loop,

West Branch, MI 48661

Gateway to Huron National Forest

www.CAHANES.com

Local: 989-728-2540
Toll Free: 800-495-2540

1 mile north of I-75 Exit 212

www.CAHANES.com

Local: 989-345-0315
Toll Free: 866-345-0315

WATERFRONT AND LAKE ACCESS HOMES!!!

1799953

1800427

1798881

1811195

1798555

SOOTHING
MULESHOE
LAKE!!

NEAR
BEAUTIFUL
HOUGHTON
LAKE!!

GREAT
FISHING
AT YOUR
DOORSTEP!!

3-bdrm, full log home on 1.7 ACRES

with 232+ feet on Silver Creek! Open
floor plan, wood floors, beamed ceilings, covered porch & garage!

ALL
SPORTS
GEORGE
LAKE!!
Cozy 2-bdrm home on almost AN ACRE,
move-in ready, some furnishings, newer
well & roof, deck, private deeded access, sandy beach area & more!!

Quaint 2-bdrm home on no motor lake,

some furnishings, freshly painted, spacious deck, great subd and not far from
State land for hunting!!

Roomy 4-bdrm, 3 ba home, large corner

lot, FP, family room, some updates and
located in great rec area for year round
fun!!

3-bdrm mobile home w/large addition,

partly furnished, garage, deck, 82 feet
on gorgeous Tittabawassee River and
boat dock!!

$89,900

$57,900

$67,900

$59,900

$86,000

BEAUTIFUL
CUSTOM
BUILT LOG
HOME!!

1809936

1802608

1805393

1811189

1809583

BEAUTIFUL
RIFLE
RIVER!!

NICE VIEW OF
HARDWOOD
LAKE!!

EXCELLENT
TROUT
FISHING!!

2-bdrm, almost a ACRE, 160 feet on

River, newer furnace, brick fireplace,
garage, covered porch, fantastic views
and a bunkhouse for your guests!!

3-bdrm saltbox on full basement just

across from all sports lake, hardwood
floors, some furnishings, wrap-around
deck and much more!

WALK TO
FLOYD
LAKE!!
2, possible 3-bdrm home, great year round,
workshop, encl porch, two nicely landscaped
lots, privacy fence and deck for enjoying the
outdoors!

400 feet on Perrys Creek and 3.88

ACRES, 4-bdrm, 2 full bat, family room,
FP, updated kitchen, wood floors, newer
wood blinds, AC, garage & much more!!

POPULAR
SAGE
LAKE!!

Very nice 2-bdrm home w/sandy frontage

on all sports lake, full basement, charming &
finished enclosed porch with beautiful views,
on county road!!

$99,900

$99,900

$47,900

$134,900

$139,900

1803706

1802657

1784779

1797440

1807023

LITTLE
LONG LAKE
ACCESS!

TRANQUIL
WALLIN
LAKE!!

SPECTACULAR
VIEWS!!

ALL SPORTS
HENDERSON
LAKE!!

ALL SPORTS
LOON
LAKE!!

Nice 3-bdrm, 1.5 story on large lot, shade

trees, newer roof, vinyl & furnace, FP, balcony, deck and near hunting and trails for
snowmobile/ATV fun!!

2-bdrm on no wake lake, and over 13

ACRES, garage and pole barn, some furnishings, cathedral ceilings, covered porch
and great lakeside deck!!

65 feet of sandy frnt on ALL SPORTS 420 ACRE

Lake Ogemaw, spacious 3-bdrm, full walkout bsmt,
lots of impressive amenities, deck & boat dock!!

2-bdrm home w garage, 16+ ACRES,

large deck, nice sunroom, fantastic
views, newer roof, partial bsmt, boat
dock and is mostly furnished!!

You can walk to lake from this spacious

3-bdrm which is just across the road, nice
garage w/finished upstairs, large workshop, deck and in fantastic area!!

$43,500

$140,900

$159,900

$164,900

$124,900

1810533

1811285

1798185

1799155

ALL SPORTS
ELBOW LAKE!!

PRIVATE
FOREST
LAKE!!

NORTH
DEASE
LAKE!!

MUST SEE
LAKE
OGEMAW
HOME!!

1811201

POPULAR
SAGE
LAKE!!

Well-maintained 3-bdrm on channel leading to Elbow Lake, garage, bright kitchen

with island, pantry & breakfast nook, on an
ACRE, nice views & your own pond!!

2-bdrm home, full walkout bsmt, 178 on

all sports 300 acre lake, rear deck, AC,
year round lakefront, 2 lots, finished garage, excellent location in super subd!!

Immaculate 2-bdrm home on both the

canal and lake, beautiful panoramic
views, recent updates, sandy beach,
patio, garage plus a pole barn!!

68+ feet of sandy frontage, spacious

3-bdrm, 4 ba home, full walkout bsmt,
garage, custom work thru-out, 2 FP, AC,
some furnishings & more!!

Newly remodeled getaway/cabin, near boat

ramp and lk access, nicely treed lot, newer roof
& windows, perfect Up North getaway!

$165,000

$179,900

$219,000

$284,900

$44,900

1805656

1794795

1799930

1808352

SECLUDED
HUNTING
CABIN!!

PANORAMIC
VIEWS!!

21+
ACRES!!

Small cabin needs TLC, wooded acreage,

creek running thru, perfect Up North getaway in great area, also near lakes, state
lands and Natl Forest!!

BACKS
TO STATE
LAND!!

2-bdrm home, nestled on 18 ACRES, wooded, ADJACENT TO STATE LAND, appliances, propane lights and gravity water tank,
great rustic getaway!

Great 3-bdrm home ON 5 WOODED

ACRES, garage, large kitchen, wood
stove, year round home doubles as hunt
camp and you can walk to lake!!

Great mix of trees surrounds this 3-bdrm

home on 13 ARES, beautiful views, covered
porch, deck, oversized garage and 3 sheds,
secluded for privacy!!

Spacious 2-bdrm home in Hale area, 3 acre

pond, fantastic views, garage, insulated workshop, open floor plan, back deck, wood stove,
circular drive & more!!

$20,000

$69,900

$82,500

$116,000

$117,000

1807482

OVER 5
ACRES!!

1810574

1804694

1809578

1790081

1800556

40 ACRES
BORDERS GOLF
COURSE!!

40 ACRE
HORSE
FARM!!

IMMACULATE
HOME!!

A HUNTERS
DREAM
PROPERTY!!

BEAUTIFUL
COUNTRY
CHARM!!

Gorgeous rolling property BORDERS STATE

LAND, riding arena, horse stalls, tack room,
alley way, 30x40 heated bldg, workshop,
leanto and 2-bdrm home!!

2-bdrm, 1.5 ba on 4.85 ACRES, FP and wood

stove, family room, cooks dream kitchen, sunroom, lrg pole bldg w radiant heat, acres of
State land across road!!

One bedroom cabin surround by over 91

ACRES, trails thru-out, wildlife galore, woo
stove, shed, and appliances are included!!

Remodeled 3-bdrm on 80 ACRES, FP, beautiful views,

rear deck/patio, large garage & 2 outbldgs for storage,
deer blinds, trails, creek & more!!

$260,000

$133,900

$179,900

$210,000

Outstanding custom built, 4-bdrm, 2.5 ba, tons of

fantastic amenities, 2 garages, secluded, many
floor to ceiling windows & a must see home!!

$389,900
FOR MORE LISTINGS
VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

WWW.CAHANES.COM

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

HOMES AND CABINS WITH ACREAGE

99

104 Acres - Vacant Land

Offered in 3 tracts from 9 to 75 acres

50 Tillable Acres, Recreational Land, Fishing Pond,

Building Sites, Rolling Picturesque Views

ONLINE AUCTION: Tuesday, March 22

Harper Rd & Eifert Rd, Holt, MI 48842
OnLInE bIddIng EndS At 1pM
Agents On Site: tues, March 8 (10am-12pm) & tues, March 15 (2pm-4pm)
Sale Manager: Doug Sheridan (517) 749-7976
doug@sheridanauctionservice.com

(517) 676-9800

SheridanAuctionService.com

Land and Lakes Real Estate Co.

Woods N Water News
Carole Porretta

THESE PROPERTIES SHOULD HEAT UP YOUR INTEREST!

5186 CURTIS

3628 THORNVILLE

BACK ON
THE MARKET

$715,000 Brick Country Estate. First floor master

suite with turret sitting area & 6 bdrms & 6.5 baths.
Finished lower level. 44 acres with Morton horse barn,
paddocks, pool and pond.

$595,000 - INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY for a horse

farm, conference center or family estate with 3 residences on 23+ acres. 16 stall horse barn and paddocks. Hunt Country

5255 AUGUSTA

3248 SUTTON

NEW!

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

$835,000 - Exceptional 5 acre parcel tucked in the

woods, partially paved drive to Vanderbilt Castleinspired lodge, limestone in & out, English garden
courtyard & a huge value in reclaimed artifacts.

100

$334,900 - Gorgeous all brick golf course home on 7th

hole of premier Metamora Golf & Country Club, beautifully landscaped & lovingly maintained. Incredibly
priced!

BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME!

Metamora Rd.........$127,900
Metamora, 13+ Acres
Seven Ponds...........$29,900
Court, Dryden 3.5+ Acres
Bordman Road......$139,000
Almont, 11 Acres

Genesee Rd...........$269,000
Elba Twp, 43 Acres
Medford Hills...........$55,000
Metamora Steeplechase Beauty
E Sutton Road.......$598,000
Metamora, 90 Acres

N Maple Leaf Rd......$84,900

Elba, 8 + Acres
Peters Lane.............$48,500
Dryden, 3+ Acres
Casey Rd...............$179,900
Metamora, 23+ Acres

Metamora Golf and Country Club, Several lots available starting at $28,900

"Serving the NorthCentral Upper Peninsula"

Phone: (906) 387-5100

www.landandlakesrealestate.com

March edition
Land And Lakes Real Estate Is Proud To Announce Our Exclusive Partnership With LANDLEADER
1/4 page = $310
14584 LL Rd on Eva Lake, Wetmore, MI 49894. WH-235 / 1091724
This 89+/- acres of woods and fields is surrounded by
xs 1 run(s) = $310
thousands of acres of Hiawatha National Forest and, in
turn, surrounds crystal clear, spring-fed, 50+ acre Eva
Lake. Theres no other private owner here, and the few
hundred feet owned by the Forest Service border lowlands with no roads near. Its your own lake, for all
intents and purposes! Clear and clean, Eva supports a
healthy fish population with large perch and bass taken.
Ducks, geese and other waterfowl enjoy the lake and provide great hunting opportunities. The acreage is
largely high and dry, forested with beech, fir, birch, pine, maples and cherry and provides for rewarding hunting for deer, ruffed grouse and bear. Recreational trails for snowmobiling, four-wheeling, skiing, hiking run
through the acres and join others to provide hundreds of miles of trails leading throughout the Upper
Peninsula. Underground electricity and telephone are installed to a comfortable cabin on the shoreline with
an inviting deck and firepit. Little of the value of this parcel is in the 1973 mobile, however it is well insulated,
well heated, and air conditioned and being sold with most all furnishings. The 30 X 40 stick-built garage has
clean open spaces, a 10 overhang and a 10 X 38 recreation room with a hearty FS fireplace, Roads are
plowed to within about mile of the cabin, so that one could build a year round home or lodge with cabins on
any of a number of lovely building sites.
This is, indeed, a UP recreational treasure!
Priced to Sell at $ 179,900

3650N Smith Creek Truck Trail, Manistique, MI 49854. RC-155 / 1066967

This 2000 cedar log cabin sits on a slight hill overlooking 120 acres of good hunting with
jack, red & white pines on mounds surrounded by cedar, spruce & tamarack. There are
trails though the land with 3 permanent hunting blinds. Bear, grouse & deer (incldg 2
commemorative bucks) have been taken here. The Sturgeon Hole Creek runs through &
is rated as a trout stream by the MDNR. The cabin is open & bright & comfortable enough
for hunters' wives! It was carefully built & meticulously maintained. There are 2 propane
cook stoves, a large bunk-style bedroom on the main floor, & more sleeping area in the
loft. There's also a sauna, an outhouse & a root cellar. The appliances, generator, & all
the (really nice!) furnishings are included. There's no human noise here to irritate, just the
birds & other sounds of Nature! Price GREATLY Reduced to $ 139,000

N3395 Raspberry Lane, Munising, MI 49862. RH-285 / 1088109

This raised ranch is remote and very private, sitting on 80 acres, but ABSOLUTELY NOT
rugged! Overbuilt &over-equipped, this property has power & telephone, air conditioning, security cameras, solar power with inverters to power the entire complex, a HeatMor wood boiler & propane furnace, a graveled drive & topsoil for lawns, a screened
porchall the luxuries! There are no close neighbors here, except for the wildlife. And
yet you are only 12 miles from Munising. This is a treasure for those who love their
privacy with security, woods and wildlife, peace and quiet. Price Reduced to $180,000
11541 W. Ramsdam Rd on Thunder Lake, Manistique, MI 49854. WH-236 / 1091747
This 2-BD cabin on 5+ acres of woods is on a year round plowed road and includes a 60' waterfront lot on Thunder Lake with
boathouse/shed within walking distance. Enjoy all the benefits of waterfront living without the taxes!! Enjoy all the recreation
sports: 4-wheeling (less than a mile from the famous Thunder Bowl); snowmobiling out the front door; fishing on Thunder Lake,
a 340 acres and n spring fed; hiking out your front door. The list goes on and on. After all the fun, whether quiet or loud, sit
down and enjoy a beautiful fire in the wood fireplace or go out on the large deck and have a barbeque. Priced at $96,900

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Cedar River. New Roof 2015. Cute & Furnished.

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3 Bdrm, 2.5 bth home/cottage. Unique Aframe

on private Lk, peaceful. Must see! Manistique.

3 Bdrm, 2 bth home. 10 Acres. Jug Lk frtg. Pole

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3 Bdrm, 2 bth Riverfront Lodge

40 Acres, secluded hunting and fishing.
Corp land surrounds. Watson.

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1 Bdrm, 1 bth camp. 20 Acres, well, septic,

electric new in 2012. Rock.

1 Bdrm camp. 10 Acres. Metal roof. Vinyl siding.

Wood stove. Rapid River.

$149,900 1084088

$139,900 1086911

$63,900 1083817

$29,900 1088477

2 Bdrm, 1 bth log home. 2 Car log garage. 88 Acres

with State land nearby. Watson.

3 Bdrm 2 Bth Country Home. 5 acres.

Treed Lot. Cornell.

3 Bdrm, 1 bth ranch. Tastefully remodeled. Full

bsmt, gar, quiet setting. Sellers moving. Rapid River.

3 Bdrm, 3 bth ranch. Executive style home with many

amenities! 2.97 Acres. Pole barn. Powers.

$185,000 1089004

$179,500 1089142

$77,900 1089355

$299,900 1090495

3 Bdrm, 1 bth home. 240 Acres. Built 2005.

1200 Sq. Ft., fireplace, gar, sauna, trails. Rock.

2 Bdrm, 1 bth home or camp. 10 Acres, great country setting. 26x50 Pole bldg. All appliances. Arnold.

40 Acres and comfortable camp. Hardwood ridges

border Federal land. Co Rd access. Great hunting. Osier.

3 Bdrm, 1 bth home/camp. 40 Acres. Nice! Pole bldg

with power. 2 Car gar. Fireplace. 2 sides Federal. Ensign.

$104,900 1090757

$59,500 1090852

$139,900 1090258

$399,000 1090655

MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

$154,900 1083871

101

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MARCH 2016 - WNW NEWS

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THEMATTRESSMAN.COM 802 ASHMAN ST., MIDLAND

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St. Clair Shores, MI 48082

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