Sales prices good

thru April 26, 2015

Be Sure To Check Out Chapman's

BOAT SHOW DEALS & INCENTIVES

Before You Buy At A Boat Show!
2014 Lund

2015 Lund

Dual side stepped rod storage, aerated livewell, a large bow casting
deck and either a tiller or side console option provide the ultimate
convenience in a small fishing boat. Add affordability and youve
got one ferocious boat. This boat is powered by a 25 H.P. Mercury
four stroke motor, electric start with power trim and tilt. We have
added the following popular options to this boat, spare tire, trailer
load guides, windshield, horn and bow trolling motor harness.

Minn Kota 55lbs. thrust

trolling motor and Lowrance
fishfinder as standard equipment.
60 h.p. Mercury four stroke motor,
with power trim and tilt.

The boat is powered by a 90 H.P. Mercury four stroke motor, with power trim and tilt. The
boat is black and silver with gray interior. The floor is vinyl for easy clean up. The Pro guide
has tons of storage for all your tackle and locking center rod storage for ( 5 ) 7' 6" rods
and ( 5 ) 7' rods, side locking rod storage for ( 3 ) 9' and ( 2 ) 8' 6" rods. The rear livewell is
recirculating and is 42" long with a 19 gallon capacity. The bow livewell is 27" long and has a
12 gallon capacity. Big tiller handle with RPM adjuster, air ride seat pedestals, bow trolling
motor plug, bow cargo nets, drivers seat slider, travel cover, spare tire and trailer load guides.

Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker

with controls at the drivers seat, Air
Ride pedestals, extra Pro Ride seat, travel
cover, snap in carpet and transom saver.
The boat is powered by a 200 H.P.
Mercury Verado four stroke motor.

2015 Lund

2015 Lund

2015 Lund

2015 Lund

Pro ride seats, Air ride pedestals, addition seat, drivers seat slider, snap down
travel cover, Sport top, Infinity stereo with
USB port, 9.9 Pro Kicker with controls at
the drivers seat, plastic easy load trailer
bunks, spare tire, trailer load guides

Sun top, snap down travel

cover, air ride pedestals, ski pole,
bow cushions, additional seat, spare tire,
hydraulic steering, trailer and load guides.
The boat is powered by a 150 h.p.
Mercury four stroke.

Stand up sun top, cockpit cover,

under console drawer storage
Infinity stereo with USB and Ipod
port, kicker fuel line, spare tire and trailer
load guides. The boat is powered by
a 115 h.p. Mercury four stroke.

Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker with controls at

the drivers seat, helm seat slider, hydraulic
steering, bow cargo nets, under console
storage drawers, 3 step boarding ladder,
snap down travel cover, Sport top, custom
bunk trailer and to make this new Pro V
one of a kind, special walleye graphics.

2015 Lund

2014 Bennington

2274 GL

2014 Bennington

24 SSRXDT

2014 Bennington

2375 GCW

Custom trailer with spare tire,

Mercury 9.9 Pro Kicker with controls
at the helm, cockpit cover, sun top,
walkway curtain, port and starboard
pilot chairs and stainless steel prop.

Chrome logos, R series captains chair,

Garmin depth/ fish finder, Sony stereo M6
upgrade with USB port and curved bimini
top. We can install the Yamaha motor of
your choice, up to 150 horsepower.

Tilt steering, deluxe console with

reclining helm seat, Garmin depth/
fishfinder, Sony m6 with USB port
and Java upgrade docking lights. We can
equip this pontoon with the horsepower
Yamaha motor that will fit your needs.

Seagrass aft flooring, Seastar hydraulic steering, R series

reclining chairs, stern lounge upgrade, 4 step aluminum boarding
ladder, Bluetooth Sony M6 stereo w/USB port, curved bimini top,
stainless steel docking lights housings, heavy duty rub rail and
Sharkhide tube protectant . This boat has 25" dia. tubes.
We can add the Yamaha motor of your choice to this boat.

FURY 1600 SS

1650 REBEL XL SS 1875 PRO GUIDE

1800 SPORT ANGLER 1875 CROSSOVER XS 1775 IMPACT SPORT

2075 TYEE MAGNUM

2014 Lund

186 GL PRO V

1875 PROV IFS

SALES: 810-653-0490
5605 Davison Rd., 4 miles east
of Downtown Davison

Open 6 Days: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm;

Saturday 9am-2pm

www.chapmanssports.com

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

2015 Lund

By Tom Campbell

FIELD NOTES...

Spring Turkey Season

If you havent tried spring turkey hunting in

Michigan, I think youre missing out on a great opportunity; it really is fan-tastic! Do some scouting,
understand turkey habitats, learn some calling, brush
up on your woodsmanship, and get outside! You have
plenty of hunting methods and weapons; shotgun,
bow or crossbow and you can set up and call, roost
the night before, ambush, use decoys, outmaneuver
and even stalk (safety first). And you have hunting
options available.
You can purchase a Hunt 234 license throughout
the entire spring turkey season (through May 31).
Hunt 234 is a statewide license valid for all open
areas except public lands in Unit ZZ (southern Lower
Peninsula). Turkey hunters also have the option to
purchase a leftover license for units where licenses
are still available. Hunt 301 in Unit ZZ is another
great option, with many leftover licenses that can be
purchased over the counter. For a list of available
licenses, go to www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings. Be
sure to share your successful turkey hunt photos with
us! (email wnw@pageone-inc.com)

Walleye Notes

Erie: According to the MDNR the daily possession limit for walleyes in Michigans waters of Lake
Erie will remain at six through April 30, 2016. This
regulations process is critical to helping us manage
walleyes in Lake Erie in a timely manner, said DNR
Lake Erie Basin Coordinator Jim Francis. In order
to do that, we have to set regulations in March instead of the previous autumn. The Total Allowable
Catch for Lake Erie for 2015 is 4.114 million fish,
making Michigans quota 240,000 fish.
Saginaw Bay: The MDNR is also in the process
of jaw tagging nearly 3,000 walleyes in Saginaw Bay
this spring. Anglers are asked to collect information
on tagged fish they catch and to report it to the DNR.
About 10 percent of the tags include a $100 reward
for reporting the tag. Each tag is stamped with a
unique identifying number and a P.O. box address. If
anglers prefer, they can report their tagged walleyes

SEASONS

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Now-April 30-Preserve hunting open

Now-Dec. 31-Michigan Pure Hunt Application period
April 20-May 3-Spring wild turkey season(s) special
seasons/permits see rules and regulations
*Open Year Round--Catch and Immediate
Release Bass Season on all waters.
April 25-March 15, 2016-L.P. inland waters muskie,
pike, walleye season.
April 25-March 15, 2016-L.P. inland waters muskie,
pike, walleye season.
May 1-June 1-Elk hunt application period
May 1-June 1-Bear hunt application period
May 15-March 15, 2016-U.P. inland waters, Great
Lakes and St. Marys River muskie, pike, walleye season.
May 23-Dec. 31--Bass catch-and-keep on all waters,
including Great Lakes (except Lake St. Clair, St.
Clair and Detroit Rivers)
June 20-Dec. 31Bass catch-and-keep on Lake St.
Clair & St. Clair & Detroit Rivers

MJC
ARCHERY
MACOMB

MJC
ARCHERY
OAKLAND

19744 15 Mile Rd
Clinton Twp. 48035

3001 Rochester Rd
Royal Oak, MI 48073

586-791-4600

248-589-2480

online at www.michigandnr.com/taggedfish/ Anglers can keep the fish, of course, or release it if they
prefer.

Youth Shotgun Skill & Safety Clinic

The Macomb County chapter of Pheasants Forever will hold its 6th annual Youth Shotgun Skills &
Safety Clinic on Saturday June 6, 2015 at the River
Bends Park Trap Range. The Clinic will focus on
safe gun handling as well as actual one-on-one shooting instruction using thrown clay targets. This clinic
is an ideal way for youths to get hands-on experience
in safe shotgun handling and shooting. Very often
parents and guardians dont have the equipment or
other means to offer this type of instruction, and
Pheasants Forever is pleased to bring this educational
forum to the community.
The Clinic is open to youths, both boys and girls,
from ages 10-18. Included will be instruction on safe
handling and operation of shotguns. After a thorough
Gun Safety and Operation Lesson youths will be
instructed one-on-one on the proper form, aiming,
and firing of a shotgun at a thrown clay target. Its
anticipated that each youth will shoot at approximately 25 clay targets. A pizza lunch will be served
after the clinic.
Participants should bring a shotgun of their
choosing. Preferably an open-choked gun in either
20 gauge or 12 gauge. For those without a shotgun, a
limited number of 20 gauge guns will be available for
use and 12 gauge and 20 gauge target shells will be

Larry Piotrowski sent us a photo of a 7-point buck.

What makes this buck unique is that the photo was
taken on April 7 (and a trail cam photo April 14), most
bucks cast their antlers months ago. Larry nicknamed
this buck, Maverick.
provided.
The cost of the clinic is $20 per shooter. This
fee covers the cost of range fees, shells, clay targets,
hearing and eye protection, gift hat, instruction, and
pizza lunch. A parent or guardian must remain present for the duration of the clinic. To register, contact
Don Venburg Pheasants Forever at
dsvenburg@aol.com or call 248-830-0787. Space is
limited. Deadline is May 30.
To learn more about Michigans Macomb County
chapter go to www.macomb-pheasants.org or www.
facebook.com/MacombCountyPheasantsForever.n

Cover Story...

U.P.'s moose population down

The MDNR released the

results of its 2015 moose population survey in the western
moose range of the Upper
Peninsula, an important tool in
managing the species.
The 2015 population estimate in the western U.P. is 323,
compared to an estimate of 451
in 2013. From 1997 to 2007,
surveys of prime moose habitat
in Baraga, Iron and Marquette
counties suggested the U.P.s
moose population was growing at a modest rate of about 10
percent per year. From 2009 to
2013, survey results showed an
apparent change in that trend,
with the growth rate slowing to
about 2 percent per year.
There is inherent uncertainty with any population survey,
and due to the fact that the 2013
and 2015 estimates have some
overlap in confidence intervals,
the potential remains that the
states moose population has
remained steady rather than
declining, said Chad Stewart,
deer, elk and moose management specialist for the DNR.
However, coupled with survey
records that show a decrease
in the number of moose calves
seen with cows this year, its
quite possible that were look-

ing at a considerable drop in

numbers.
Future surveys will be
needed to identify any longterm trend for Michigans
moose population. Other states
and provinces have reported
declines in moose populations
near the southern edge of North
Americas moose range, yet
other populations are holding
Trail Camera Photo from Tate King of Muskegon
steady or increasing. Researchers in Michigan have hypothcovered all survey plots within
esized several potential causes
the core moose area where
for a possible decline of moose
80 to 90 percent of the western
numbers in Michigan. Among
U.P. moose population is located
potential factors:
along with a sampling of the
Back-to-back severe winter non-core plots as well.
weather that negatively affected
The survey is completed
moose condition, survival and
by flying transects over prime
reproductive success.
moose habitat to count moose
Year-round climatic
seen from the air. The number
changes, especially warmer tem- counted is then extrapolated
peratures, that led to increased
by a computerized population
parasite loads on moose, weakmodeling program to attain the
ening their overall condition.
final estimate. The next moose
A possible increase in wolf population survey is planned
predation on moose calves due
for early 2017. However, given
to the regions lowered deer
moose population trends, the
population.
DNR will again recommend to
The moose range in the
the Michigan Natural Resources
western Upper Peninsula covers Commission that there be no
about 1,400 square miles. Every moose hunt in the state.
other year, DNR staff memFor more information about
bers survey most of that area
moose in Michigan, visit
from the air. In 2015, the flights www.michigan.gov/moose.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Au Gres' Spring Walleyes

Michael Veine page 84

U.P. BOW program

page 67

PERSPECTIVE

The Way It Was...

white pine forest 100
years ago and now
Betty Sodders page 68

Why is it that...
Tom Huggler page 36
Setbacks in Spring
Tom Carney page 37
Wetland Wonders
Challenge Winners
page 44
Log driving activities still
affect U.P. trout habitat
Bill Ziegler page 50

2015 BASS
OUTLOOK

Labradors are a
hunter's best friend
Tom Lounsbury page 54
Good things happen
to good people
Aaron K. Bedford page 56

Mike Gnatkowski ...page 30

HUNTING
Turkey Madness
Jerry Lambert page 8
Last Chance Tom!
Jordan Browne page 38
A toast to our deer
hunting dad...and a deer
camp to call our own
Jacob VanHouten page 46
Training heel and whoa
Len Jenkins page 79

FISHING
Swimbaits: Easy to use
and they catch fish
Mark Martin page 16
TOP FIVE
Early Bass Lakes
Buck Mallory page 18
It's a sunfish surprise
Robert Dock Stupp page 21

'Tech-Savvy'
walleye anglers
Gary Parsons/Keith Kavajecz
page 34
Where will the next state
record walleye come from?
Mark Sak page 41
Extend your
river fishing fun
Mark Romanack page 48
Give 'YAK' fishing a try
Roger Beukema page 64
No Downriggers?
No Problem...
Dave Mull page 66
Tying your first trout fly
George Rowe page 71
Pontoon fishing!
F. H. O'Hare page 75
CHARTER DIRECTORY
page 77
MAY 2015

$4.00

-Water News

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

COVER PHOTO

Moose Trail Camera Photo

from Tate King of Muskegon
Story Page 4

DNR advises caution

to prevent oak wilt
page 72

OUTDOOR NEWS

Sturgeon guards needed;

expect fish kill
during thaw;
leave wildlife alone
page 76

Small game
hunting changes
Richard P. Smith page 10

BLACK POWDER

TB prevalence lowest ever

Richard P. Smith page 10
NEW STATE RECORD
FRESHWATER DRUM
page 23
Forest Legacy applications
page 25

Black Powder Hunting...

Fooling 'Old Lady Gray'
Dennis Neely
page 60
Make your own
powder horn
Darryl Quidort
page 62

Piping Plovers of
Sleeping Bear
Jonathan Schechter page 82
A woman's first big hunt
Tricia Croney page 77

FEATURES
Whitetail Biology...
How whitetails see you
John Ozoga page 24
MAY MORELS
Kenny Darwin page 26

Warm Weather

GOBBLERS
Kenny Darwin...page 12

Boat Smart...
Lifetime outdoor adventure
Capt. Fred Davis page 40

Silver Lake State Park

ORV improvements
page 55

Archery in the schools

program growing
page 42

Volunteers support state

parks' effort to eliminate
invasive plants species
page 58

Five birding trails

page 45
Gun Chat...Exotics
Lee Arten page 47

Michigans Premier Outdoor Publication

Who needs a compass?

Bill Kendy page 57

Let the Board Game Begin

Mark Romanack page 28

Sporting Collectibles...
The Bonafide
Aluminum Minnow
Terry McBurney page 80

Partnership gives wintering

U.P. deer new outlook
page 65

OPINIONS
BEAR vs. DEER
Richard P. Smith page 72
Dear Fish Diary...
I like our roads
Ron St. Germain page 73

DEPARTMENTS . . .
Trophy Page. . . . . . . . 78 Classifieds . . . . . . 86-87
Letters-Op-Ed . . . . . 72-74 Real Estate . . . . . . . 87-97

Western U.P.

MOOSE

Population Down
Warm Weather

GOBBLERS

WALLEYES

How Deer See You May Morels Extend River Fishing Fun No Downriggers-No Problem
Spawning Sunfish Old Log Driving Activities Affects Trout Best C&R Bass Lakes

www.woods-n-waternews.com Like us on facebook

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WOODS-N-WATER NEWS PRESENTS...

29th Annual

OUTDOOR
WEEKEND
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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Over 200 Outdoor Vendors Hunting Seminars

Puppies Gun Auction Wild Animals Much More

TURKEY MADNESS

You have to pay for every bird you kill and

the coin you use to pay for them is time.
The bird possesses a
remarkable ability to
turn arrogance into
hopelessness.
Tom Kelly, avid turkey hunter,
outdoor writer/author

y brother Jeff and

I, sit along the edge
of a cut soybean
field between two
known roosting
areas. Its the end
of April, a great time of the year to
be outdoors. Jeff is armed with a bow
and arrow and a valid turkey license.
I am armed with a digital camera and
possess a turkey license that is inactive until May.
Loud gobbling indicates that there
are indeed male turkeys roosted in the
woodlot bordering our field; at least
three, maybe more. Light casually
removes the darkness and I cant think
of any other place that Id rather be,
then watching the sun rise during a
spring turkey hunt.
We see birds fly down in the
woods and do some soft calling. The

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

By Jerry Lambert

birds shut up once they hit the ground

but previous experiences indicate that
there is a good chance that they will
come our way.
They dont disappoint. Two hens
work their way across the field with
four strutting toms in tow. The sun
has risen, just high enough to light up

The authors brother had to watch these big toms walk away as they wouldnt separate for an ethical shot!
their effervescent feathers. The hens
are leading them on a direct
path to our two decoys. I get numerous shots with my camera and Jeff
waits patiently with his stick and
string.
When the hens reach the decoys
the four toms are just 40 yards out.
Jeff chooses to wait until the toms
reach the decoys that we have set up a
mere 10 yards from the blind. I switch
the camera to video, to capture the
moment. If there was ever a turkey
hunting slam dunk, than this would
be it.
As I attempt to get all four toms in
the frame, they abruptly turn and walk
directly away. Jeff draws his bow but
by the time he is at full draw they are
over 50 yards away. Jeff passes on the
long shot and attempts to call them
back. All four toms ignore him and
bee-line for a distant hen that has appeared a couple hundred yards away.
I tease Jeff, Thats what you get
when you bring a bow to a gun fight.
Truth is; we werent that disappointed.
We had a great morning and this just
meant that we got to do it all over
again the following morning.
The next day, the four toms
went in the opposite direction but a
curious jake showed an interest in
Jeffs display of fake turkeys and
offered a close shot. This time Jeff
closed the deal and enjoyed a fantastic

experience while afield in southern

Michigan.
My turn came one week later.
We learned from Jeffs hunts that the
four toms used a small lane to exit the
woods. I decided to set up as close as I
could to the lane and ambush them as
they entered the field. We figured that
in all reality, I could have a bird down
within the first couple minutes of legal
shooting time. I have never been more
confident than I was for this particular
set-up.
When my season arrived, I made
my way out to my pre-planned ambush sight under a starlit sky. Shortly
after arriving, the birds woke up and
let loose with raucous gobbling. When
the light of day arrived, the birds flew
down. I was so close I could hear each
wing flap.
Sure enough, the four gobblers hit
the ground and went into full strut.
They slowly walked towards the field.
Slam dunk, a bright blue head appeared about twenty-five yards away.
Unfortunately, that bright blue head
had three additional red, white and
blue heads with it. The four toms
were clustered so tight that I would
surely kill more than one with a load
of 5-shot. Ethically, I had to pass and
hope for separation.
As fate would have it, they dipped
down into a low spot and didnt reappear until they were out of gun range.

Never in my life did I have such a

perfect situation vanish so quickly. It
just proved to me that there arent too
many slam dunks in hunting. Especially turkey hunting!
The following weekend I wanted
to hunt some new ground and had
two options near my home. I elected
to hunt the bigger of the two properties and unbelievably, I had four
toms roosted that all chose to go the
opposite way instead of on the 250
acres that I had permission to hunt. I
left that farm and drove by the other
property. From the road, I could see a
group of three gobblers standing in a
small field, at the exact spot I would
have been at had I chosen to hunt
there. Such is turkey hunting.
The following morning I set up in
the small field. At first light I could
hear a pair of gobblers a couple hundred yards away. I got their attention
using a striker slate call and 45 minutes later, two anxious jakes entered
the field. Shoot or dont shoot? My
daughter had a volleyball match that I
wanted to attend, so I elected to shoot
the lead bird. The 5-shot anchored the
bird to the ground.
The next day, I grilled the marinated meat and served it with fresh
asparagus. My family enjoyed a
delicious meal thanks to the wild resources of Michigan. Turkey madness,
I absolutely love it!n

Grand Rapids, MI
616-245-9156

LAKESIDE
St. Clair Shores, MI
586-777-7003

SPORTSMANS
DIRECT
Harrison Twp
586-741-6052

D&R SPORTS
Kalamazoo, MI
269-372-2277

MICHIGAN TACKLE
SPECIALTIES

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GREAT
OUTDOORS

CLEAR H2O
TACKLE

JAYS
SPORTING
GOODS

Battle Creek, MI
269-660-1745

Linwood, MI
989-697-5341

Edwardsburg, MI
269-414-4131

Clare, MI: 989-386-3475

Gaylord, MI: 989-705-1339

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

AL AND BOBS
SPORTS

By Richard P. Smith

Outdoor news, changes and updates

Small Game Hunting Changes

f the Natural Resources Commission approves changes in

small game hunting regulations
that were presented for information at their April meeting, it
will be legal to shoot small game such
as rabbits, squirrels, pheasants and
grouse from treestands this fall and
the area open to sharp-tailed grouse
hunting in the eastern Upper Peninsula (UP) will be expanded. Migratory
game birds such as waterfowl would
not be included in this regulation
change.
If shooting small game from
elevated positions becomes legal, the
only firearms that will be legal are
shotguns. Elevated hunters must also
wear hunter orange as required by law
for most small game hunters using
firearms.
The change in regulations is in response to a resolution that was passed
at the Michigan United Conservation
Clubs (MUCC) annual convention in
Roscommon last June. Such a change
is not expected to have a biological
impact on small game or result in a
significant change in overall hunter
success rates. There are also not
expected to be any safety issues since
hunting big game such as deer and
bear and predators such as coyotes
and fox, are already legal with fire-

arms.
Making it legal to take small game
from treestands is primarily designed
to expand opportunities for success
among hunters who are already hunting from elevated positions. Although
it is currently legal to shoot turkeys
from treestands with bow and arrow,
the change will not make it legal for
hunters to shoot turkeys with firearms
from elevated positions.
We havent had requests from
turkey hunters to harvest birds this
way, DNR upland bird specialist
Al Stewart said. It is illegal to hunt
turkeys over bait. We generally listen
to what our hunters have to say.
The area open to sharp-tailed
grouse hunting south of Sault Ste.
Marie would be almost doubled if
the expansion is approved. An area
encompassing 518 square miles east
of I-75 was opened to sharp-tailed
grouse hunting in 2010. The new area,
most of which is west of I-75, is 408
square miles in size.
Based on surveys of sharp-tailed
grouse populations in hunted and
unhunted areas, the hunter harvest of
sharp-tails has had no obvious impact.
Much of the land in both parcels is
privately owned, but Al Stewart said
some landowners in the parcel where
sharp-tail hunting is currently legal

The area open to sharp-tailed grouse hunting south of Sault Ste. Marie would
be almost doubled if the expansion is approved.
are enrolled in the DNRs Hunter
Access Program and others in the
new area are expected to participate
in the program. Under that program,
landowners receive compensation for
allowing hunting on their property.
An estimated 350 to 400 bird
hunters have taken advantage of the
eastern UPs limited sharp-tail grouse
season since 2010. A season was
reopened in 2010 after having been
closed since 1998. No changes in season dates or bag limits are anticipated.
The current sharp-tail grouse season
is October 10-31. Theres a two-bird
daily bag limit, a possession limit of
four and a season limit of six birds.

Sharp-tail hunters are required to buy

a stamp. Members of the Sharp-tailed
Grouse Advisory Committee recommend expansion of the unit open to
sharp-tail hunting. Besides employees of the DNRs wildlife and forest
resources divisions, committee
members represent the US Fish &
Wildlife Service, the Ruffed Grouse
Society, MUCC, Michigan Sharptailed Grouse Association and the
Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife
Commission on behalf of the Bay
Mills Indian Community and the
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
Indians.n

TB Prevalence Rate Among Deer Lowest Ever

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

10

he prevalence rate of TB
among deer in the northeast
Lower Peninsula (LP) has
dropped to the lowest level
recorded since surveillance
for the disease started in 1995, according to DNR veterinarian Dr. Steve
Schmitt. He told the Natural Resources Commission at their meeting on
April 9 in Lansing that the prevalence
rate of TB among whitetails in deer
management unit (DMU) 452 was 1%
during 2014.
The apparent prevalence rate for
the disease in DMU 452 each of the
previous two years was 1.7%. The
number of diseased deer in the TB
Zone has slowly, but steadily, declined
since 1995. The prevalence rate of the
disease among the states deer was
4.9% in 1995.
Schmitt said that 12 out of 4,256
whitetails tested for the disease from
2014 tested positive. Twenty-one out
of 5,868 deer tested for 2013 were
confirmed to have the disease. Out of
4,721 whitetails examined from those
collected in 2012, 23 had TB.
Ninety-seven percent (738) of the
deer that are known to have the dis-

ease since 1995 have come from five

counties in the northeast LP. Those
counties are Montmorency, Alpena,
Alcona, Oscoda and Presque Isle.
DMU 452 is comprised of portions
of the first four counties where they
come together. The largest sections of
DMU 452 are made up of southwest
Alpena County and northwest Alcona County, with smaller portions of
southeast Montmorency County and
northeast Oscoda County completing
the unit.
Sixteen or two percent of the deer
diagnosed with TB have come from
the six counties surrounding the five
mentioned above. They are Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw,
Otsego and Roscommon.
Three TB positive deer have been
identified in two northwest LP counties (Emmet and Antrim). Two were in
Emmet County. And three more deer
that had been infected with TB were
collected in Mecosta, Osceola and
Shiawassee Counties.
All of the 12 deer with TB that
were identified from 2014 came from
the 5-county TB Zone. Nine of those
12 were collected from within the

boundaries of DMU 452. One deer

from Alcona County was just outside
452. Two infected whitetails came
from Presque Isle County.
Schmitt said Presque Isle County
averages one TB infected deer per
year. Unlike the other four counties
that include DMU 452, deer baiting
is legal in Presque Isle County. In
spite of the legalization of baiting in
Presque Isle County in 2011, hunters have been successful in removing
enough diseased deer from the herd to
prevent its spread.
Hunting is the only practical tool
to reduce deer from such a large area
where TB has been found, Schmitt
said. Hunters have done a good job
of reducing the deer herd in the TB
Zone from 160,000 to 100,000, and
theyve been keeping that population
at about the 100,000 level, which is
good.
The veterinarian said there isnt
public support for significantly reducing the deer herd further, which would
be necessary to reduce the prevalence
rate of TB even more. At the present
rate of decline of TB infected deer it is
expected to take decades to eradicate

the disease in deer, if eradication can

be achieved.
Schmitt also reported that one
dairy cattle herd in the vicinity of
Saginaw that was infected with TB
was identified during 2013. That herd
is thought to have been infected by
cattle moved there from the northeast
LP. He said that so far there is no evidence that the disease spilled over
from the Saginaw cattle herd to deer.
In response to a question about
whether Michigan is better off today
than when TB management strategies
were started in 1995, Schmitt said that
we are absolutely better off.
There is no evidence that bovine
TB is spreading or building up outside
the 5-county TB area, he said. No
TB positive deer have been detected
outside those counties since 2010.
TB has not become established
in our elk herd. Six elk tested positive,
but the disease did not spread.
Theres no evidence that TB has
become established in any wildlife
species other than deer. And fewer
cattle herds are becoming infected
one per year for the last two
years.n

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Warm Weather Gobblers

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

12

ichigan turkey
hunters are lucky
because they can
go afield when
weather is ideal,
warm, and sunny
and the gobblers
are still active.
Choose hunt number 0234 to take
advantage of warm weather turkey
hunting. This year you can buy the
tag online at www.
michigan.gov/
huntingdrawings or
from a license agent
over the counter
and the hunt begins
May 4 and runs
until May 31, 2015.
More importantly,
hunting pressure is
very low and birds
are relaxed, active,
strutting, fanning
and eager to respond
to turkey calls.
You will need to
make a few alterations to your hunting clothing if you
want to fool wary
toms during the late
season. In order to match your hunting clothing with the green Michigan
environment you need to use green
camo. Perhaps one of the hottest camo
patterns going is the U.S. Forces forest green or tiger stripe. Advantage

has a green timber that will work but

you can forget traditional brown camo
patterns used for deer hunting or early
spring turkey outings. When the grass
grows tall and spring leaves bud out
the landscape is a green color and
hunters wearing brown camo tip off
the wary eyes of adult gobblers. One
trick is to use green spray paint on
pants, shirt, boots, gloves, hat and face
mask. My favorite paint colors are
Rust-Oleum army green and American Accents leafy
green. Oh yes, I use
the same leafy green
paint on my Benelli
shotgun, even on my
telephoto camera
when Im chasing
late season toms.
May turkey
hunting is a blast.
Song birds are
singing, plants are
growing, the smell
of fresh grasses
and flowers fill the
air and you can be
outdoors from dawn
until dusk without
wearing thermal
underwear.
However, you
still need to be covered with camo
clothing from head to toe. Fish net
style gloves and face mask will
conceal your skin and allow ideal air
circulation when the sun is high and
temperatures rise. Sometimes you can

By Kenny Darwin

use tennis shoes while hunting during

warm weather but I prefer a lightweight uninsulated rubber boot spray
painted green. Rubber boots allow you
to cross creeks, ditches, small ponds
or standing spring runoff and still
keep your feet dry and warm. Check
out Boggs, Muck boots or uninsulated
rubber boots for this style of hunting.
Savvy hunters roll the boot tops down
to allow increased air circulation
when hunting on dry land.
Last spring we had extreme cold
weather in April and heavy rain. Nesting hens got flooded out and breeding
was frantic during May. The extreme
cold February 2015 weather and
January-like weather in March has
put gobbler breeding activity on hold.
I expect spring 2015 to be a carbon
copy of 2014 and there will be an
abundance of breeding during May.
Gobbler numbers are fast declining throughout Michigan due to cold/
wet spring weather and recruitment
has been very poor. Northern Michigan turkey populations are taking a
big hit and many hunters are concentrating on Unit ZZ in southern Michigan where populations are somewhat
stable.
Food sources available in southern Michigan have helped turkeys
to survive cold weather and in many
areas with the drastic decline in deer
numbers the coyote population has
decreased substantially. Last fall
there was no turkey season in northern Michigan because biologists felt

the turkey numbers were at an alltime low and they wanted no birds
harvested. Smart hunters have made
the switch from northern counties to
turkey rich lands found in southern
Michigan.
As spring progresses and grass
or ferns grow tall, openings in the
forest disappear. Thats when you
want to concentrate your efforts along
the edges of open fields. The key to
harvesting wise old gobblers found in
fields depends on several important
factors. First, you have to find them,
which can take plenty of scouting.
Once you locate the tom you want,
try to determine his travel route. One
strategy is to set up along his route
with decoys and calls. Figure out a
toms pattern, set up close and you
can have almost instant success. Other
gobblers will usually follow routes
taken by hens. In this case, you try to
get within shotgun range of hens as
they leave the field. Love sick toms
will follow.
Truth is, big old, wary toms that
look precarious in open fields are very
difficult to harvest. They use their
keen eyesight to catch predators or
hunters sneaking toward them. They
stay cautiously behind hens and use
them as guards to protect their travel
route and detect hunters. If a hen
detects danger she gives an alarm
putt, scoots for safety and the big tom
immediately knows there is danger.
Trying to call a tom to thick brush or
woods is somewhat difficult, smart

birds that have breeding experience

expect hens to come running. Smart
turkeys are always looking for an
ambush from coyote or hunters.
One strategy is to catch the old
bird off guard and coax him from a
roost at daylight. This requires you
are set up long before the faintest
light of dawn. Which means you must
arrive and set up in total darkness.
Set up about 30 yards from the field
which gives you enough cover to
hide you from birds coming from the
open and hides your human outline
from birds traveling toward you from
the woods. Another trick is to place
decoys in secondary openings a few
yards from the open field. Use a few
wake up calls to get the toms attention, and then break into soft purrs to
coax the love sick tom toward you.
Most novice hunters make the common mistake of overcalling gobblers
and send them flying the opposite
direction.
Wise hunters set out decoys in
areas where gobblers can see them.
Good locations include agricultural
fields, roadways, two track trails,
openings in the forest, sand creek
bottoms, sand pits, freshly planted
fields and more. The trick is to set out
life-like realistic looking decoys and
conceal yourself nearby. Dont think
just because you are wearing camo
clothing that the super sharp eyes of
an adult gobbler will not locate you.
Turkeys detect motion much better
than trophy bucks and they can easily locate a shiny unpainted shotgun
barrel, black bottoms of your boots,
white fingers, anything that looks unnatural.

There are many decoys on the market

but I cannot say enough about using
an adult gobbler decoy with fully
fanned tail. Some hunters prefer a
folding style fake tail like the MOJO
Tail Chaser that is easy to transport
but I like to use actual wild turkey tail
fully fanned and treated with Boraxo
powdered hand soap. Real turkey
feathers give off little shine in bright
sunlight; they move with the wind
and offer the brand of realism that
brings toms running.
Full strut decoys are the ticket
to instant turkey hunting success
because local gobblers come looking
for a fight if they detect an intruder.
It seems woods-wise gobblers come
running when they see a new gobbler on their turf in full fan. Combine
realistic feathers with photo-quality
head colors and glass eye hypnotize
approaching toms with a Dare you to
fight me profile that gobblers cannot
resist. Combine a full strut gobbler
with a submissive hen decoy and you
have a powerful combination that is
certain to spell victory for hunters.
When gobblers go silent and ignore a decoy thats when I go trophy
hunting by driving country roads,
spot trophy gobblers and stalk the big
birds. My goal is to glass big birds
and find a gob with at least a 10-inch
beard, get permission from landowners, sneak into the woods and catch
birds as they leave the agricultural
field. This strategy works best in the
afternoon on birds that gather in fields
for an evening snack. Come sundown they leave the field to roost in
the woods nearby. By spotting birds,
scouting, and learning travel routes,

I can cut them off with ease. Im not

calling to attract birds, but intercepting them and sneaking into shotgun
range. Plus it is much easier to get
hunting permission from landowners
in the afternoon, rather than waking
them at the crack of dawn.
Moving on adult turkeys is a
tough task. It takes advanced woodsmanship to allow subordinate turkeys to walk past and you must have
excellent camouflage on your gun,
face, hands and total body. There is

Late season toms are still displaying. Early morning and late afternoon is prime time for birds to display in agricultural fields.

no room for error in this sport. Leave

your white hands exposed, show
your fingers or shiny gun barrel and
turkeys will scram, pronto.
Most turkey callers scale back in
the late season. When the timing is
right and gobblers are searching for
a mate, big boys will come running
to the slightest sound of a hot hen.
But when the leaves are out and May
birds move to open fields, try to pick
up your pace and use tactics like spotstalk gobblers.
Turkeys are most active at
daylight and late afternoon when
temperatures are ideal for hunting.
During hot, sunny weather gobblers
often take a nap and lay down in the
shade of a tree or in tall grass to cool
their body. A sudden thunderstorm
can bring gobblers on the run as they
quickly become active. May gobblers
often feed in plowed fields following
heavy showers in search of earthworms.
Warm weather turkey hunts
can be run-n-gun adventures where
you do plenty of scouting and then
the hunt begins. Keep in mind that
ambushing a wild turkey is a difficult
task, but it is a strategy to add to your
hunting arsenal. There are several
tactics we use to fill our tag. Fact is,
the more time you spend outdoors
hunting, the more encounters you
will have with wild turkeys, and the
better hunter you become and the
better you will appreciate the blessings of hunting gobblers during
warm weather.n

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Gobblers congregate in fields during

late season to feed on insects, freshly
planted crops, worms and locate
receptive hens. Kenny Darwin photos

13

Ironic how things work out...

Looking back at the start of the Woods-N-Water News

today and
shopping
Woods-N-Water News came growing
This is the second in a series of
By Randy Jorgensen
not then. I
from a TV
pains and strife. I was forced to recolumns which will appear in the
coming year, commemorating 30
years of publishing Woods-N-Water
News.
I wish I could tell you I have ink
running through my veins and starting
Woods-N-Water News was a calculated newspaper mans decision. But that
just wouldnt be true. After 30 years
of publishing the Woods-N-Water
News getting started actually went a
little more like this...
Tom (Campbell) and I were raking leaves some 32 years ago at our
mother-in-laws home. She had lost
her husband just a little over a year
prior and we were trying to help her
keep up on the yard work. Tom and I
married sisters, Lori and Kim.
I worked in my in-laws newspaper business and Tom taught school
near Lansing. We raked the leaves
onto a blue tarp and dragged them
into the woods for the better part of an
afternoon.
Tom and I chatted as we worked
about school, newspapering, blisters
and life in general. Tom is a quiet
fella and small talk is not his style, not

most likely did most of the

talking.
I remember telling
Tom we were going to buy
a new Compugraphic at
the newspaper. Its a typesetting equipment capable of
many fonts and font sizes.
It looked and sounded like
a washing machine with a
keypad, a cylinder or drum
of type-styles and cost more than
we had. (It was state-of the art at the
time.)
Good or bad, I have always had
an entrepreneurial spirit. And I told
Tom of my many business plans, past
and future as we raked. One of those
ideas was an outdoor newspaper.
Which could help pay for the fancy
new Compugraphic, I told Tom. And
if there was any money left over, Id
be able to afford a fishing boat. Tom
barely raised his head from raking as I
babbled on.
After all, I had already told him
about the racketball club I wanted to
start. Oh, and there was the idea of

for the elderly (man that was

stupid) and drive-through
convenience stores I wanted
to start and couple other
half-baked ideas.
Like always, Tom would
say politely, Oh thats interesting. You think theres a
market for that?
Thinking back, I suspect
it was hard for him to take
a guy seriously who drove a hand
painted Toms Candy truck when we
first met. Let alone my dreams of being a successful entrepreneur.
Nonetheless, I jumped feet first
into the outdoor magazine business.
In the spring of the following year
we published our very first issue of
Woods-N-Water News, May of 1985.
There seemed to be a surprising
interest in it and the 16 page monthly
tabloid turned into 32 pages and then
48 pages in just couple of years.
The Compugraphic was producing
fonts of all kinds and a small fishing
boat was floating.
With fast growth of the young

place my editor and ad director. It was

then that Tom told me he was interested in the job. My constant babble
about business must not have scared
him too much.
In February of 1988 Tom put his
teaching career on hold to become
the young publications second editor.
As I look back now it was a clear and
positive turning point for the business.
Having Tom onboard to bounce
ideas off proved extremely valuable
for me, since I never met an idea I
didnt like. Not all work!
Of course our wives, Kim and Lori
have also walked with us in this journey. They have both worked hard and
helped us forge a business and good
living for our entire family.
A business does not run itself. This
one took an understanding mother-inlaw, Delores, who had faith and funds
to allow it work. We would not have
survived without her and the publishing knowledge we learned from her
husband, Marty Heim.
This portion of the story would
not be complete without the names of

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some of the many people who helped along the

way. Linda Wolgast, graphics and proof-reader
who suggested our name, Woods-N-Water
News. Susie Hyde-Brill, graphic manager,
and Cathy Cowell, typesetter who used to
make our Compugraphics sing and spit out
type. Sally Cornell and Tina Dawe, who
sold ad after ad for us for so many years.
Jimmy Woodworth who delivered the
WNW News in those early days to the far
reaches of Michigan.
There were so many outdoor writers and photographers who helped us
along the way. Men like Tom Huggler, Herb Boldt, Tom Carney, George
Rowe, Betty Sodders, Richard Smith,
Pat Davis, Capt. Fred Davis, George
Richey, Larry Walters and Gordie
Charles who not only provided copy
and photographs but advice and helpful information, keeping our young
publication pointed in the right
direction.
I think of Mark Romanack,
Jim Bedford, Mark Martin, Tom Lounsbury,
John Ozoga, Joe Lunkas, Kenny Darwin, Ed Spinazzola,
and Darryl Quidort who bring Michigans outdoor hunting and fishing
tales to life in our pages. And Ill write more about them in future issues.
I think of advertisers like Bob Barch of Michi-Gun, Dale Chapman of Chapmans Sports Center and Dick Adams of Freeway Sports Center, who now have
second generation family owners running ads in our pages.
Ironic isnt it?
Speaking of ironic....the spot Tom and I raked leaves all those years ago, is
now owned by my son Keil, who also has become our first second generation family member at Woods-N-Water News. Maybe, just maybe, there will be more in the
next 30 years?
Yes, Id say its ironic indeed how things work out.
To comment on this column or add your own comments email Randy at:
rjorgensen@pageone-inc.com

Comments from our friends...

Betty Sodders, longtime contributor, emailed...
"30th Year for WNW News. I looked back and I signed on with you
remarkable people August 1995. At that time there were few if any, women
outdoor writers. There were times when I had to work harder than most male
outdoor writers. Husband Bill claimed I was your 'token' woman on staff.
By the way Tom and Randy; I am 86 years young; writing at least five hours a
day, with regular commitments of five feature stories and six columns monthly.
And, a few extra articles in-between.
Congratulations to you both, your staff and all your loyal readers. It has been a
pleasure working for and with you all. Thank you for that opportunity."
Pat Davis, longtime contributor, sent an email stating...
"Really love the 359 column by Randy, especially the picture of the two of you,
I actually remember when you both looked like that! The 25 cents an issue was a
hoot!
As one who has been happy to share most of the 30 year run with you and one
also hard hit by the tech explosion that cut out so many print opportunities may I
say well done!"
Joe Lunkas, longtime contributor, emailed...
"As a Woods-N-Water News reader and contributor for many years, I look forward to your "Blast from the Past" 30 year editions. I am proud to be associated
with your fine magazine! Keep up the good work for Michigan outdoors-persons.
George Rowe, outdoor columnist retired Petosky Review,
called and commented...
"It hardly seems like Woods-N-Water News has been around that long, 30
years? I've been contributing to your publication since 1990, I know I've contributed every month for 25 years.
I've watched the Woods-N-Water News continue to get better and bigger every
year. Good job, in a time where other publications have had so much trouble due
to technology."

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SWIMBAITS:
Easy to use and
they CATCH FISH
Cover Story...By Mark Martin
Cast. Retrieve. Repeat.
Except for setting the
hook and fighting a fish,
that is all there is to
fishing with swimbaits!

best in the bass industry. To boot, a

trophy-size 6.42-pound smallmouth
the third largest of the eventcame
over the gunwales of my Lund, as
well several more smallies and countless hefty rainbow trout.

How To Do

Today I fish a swimbait nearly

identical to how I started to way back
when.
o tell you the truth, I
First, I prefer casting them on suwas skeptical of the
perline, with Flame-colored 8-poundfish-catching ability of
test Berkley FireLine my preference.
swimbaits when they first
Whats the reason I prefer supercame to market years
line, you ask? The no-stretch properago. I thought theyre
ties of superline allows me to feel
just too simply made and too easy to
every pulse of the lures paddle- or
use to work so well.
curly-cue tail, as well its easier than
But it only took me a few casts to ever to detect when the lures ticking
realize I was wrong. And it doesnt
the tops of the weeds, rock, or wood
matter the species I am targeting, be
a signal for me to speed up the
it walleye, bass, panfish, trout, you
retrieve and get the lure up and out of
name it, swimbaits fool them all.
cover and swimming just over it.
That, however, is not the end of
Superline also lets me achieve
the story... There is a little more to
great hook sets when using such light
catching fish with these lures than
line, as the hooks on most swimbaits
anglers may realize.
are quite large and it takes a little
more gumption to get the point to
As Its Name Implies
pierce a bony jaw.
So what, exactly, is a swimbait?
A longer, medium-power fastIn a way, its a cross between a
action rod, such as a 7-foot 2-inch
softbait lure and a lipless crankbait.
Fenwick Elite Tech Walleye spinning
Many are made of pliable plastic,
rod, allows me to make long cast, and,
molded around lead and hook, and re- the beefier action aids in getting good
semble minnows, shiners and young- hooks sets, as well. I couple the rod
of-the-year fishes. Some come as just with size-30 ABU Garcia Orra SX
soft-bodied baits that you add your
spinning reel for a perfectly balanced
own jig head to. The end result of
rig.
catching fish is equal whichever style
Speaking of those long casts...
you choose.
Whether Im fishing clear water or
At their rear end is either a paddle- stained, I like to make lengthy casts
or curly-cue tail; the former resonatwhen using swimbaits, allowing the
ing a tempting thump as it swims,
lure to free-fall a few seconds through
the later a veracious flash and vibrathe water column before starting my
tion. Either way, its the shape, feel,
retrieve. And as for the reclaiming
and pulsation these lures make that
of line, its merely a slow and steady
fish have a hard time refusing.
one.
Thats the beauty of swimbaits,
It Started Somewhere
the best action is no added action; just
Its been at least a decade since
that aforementioned stable retrieve.
I first started casting swimbaits on a
Theres no lift and fall or no hopping
regular basis. And it all started while
along bottom.
fishing a charity tournament event in
And theres no refuting a strike when
Northern Lower Michigan. I was the
fishing swimbaits as the bait is usually
only professional walleye angler fish- an engulfed.
ing alongside some of the finest bassThe Devils In The Details
fishing professionals in the world.
Swimbaits come in so many difMy bait of choice during the oneferent shapes, sizes, and colors it can
day event was a 1/4-ounce swimbait,
be overwhelming when attempting to
which was about 3-1/2 inches long.
pick one out. As with any lure, howAnd with that one lure I was able to
prove a walleye guy can hold his own ever, it will depend on the depth I am
fishing and the shape and size of the
amongst a large pack of some of the

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

16

The slow, steady retrieve of a swimbait is what fooled this nice walleye that
the author is holding. by David A. Rose photo

forage at hand.
These baits work great in water 12
feet and under; thus I find the lightestweight lures, which that dont sink too
quickly and have the most life-like
action, work best.
With that said, I generally use 1/8to 1/4-ounce swimbaits most often.
This weight bait tends to be shorter in
length than heavier ones, measuring in
at 2 to 3 inches. There are also shorter,
1/32- and 1/16-ouncers on the market. These tiny versions are great for
panfish whether its crappie, bluegills
or perch youre targeting.
For the most part, in water any
deeper than 12 feet, I use the 3/8- to
3/4-ouncers, no matter the size of the
forage base in a lake.
As for shape and color of swimbaits I choose, that depends on the
waters I am fishing.
In waterways where shad, bluegills, and crappie are the main forage, the short fat profile of one of the
many Storms WildEye Live series
of swimbaits is great. Where shiners, perch, and other slender-shaped
forage is present, one of the many
Berkley PowerBait Slim Shad or
Gulp! Swimmo baits, coupled with a
VMC DHHJ Hammer Head Jig, will
do the trick.
Color, on the other hand, depends

on water clarity. I prefer the naturallycolored baits such as bluegill, perch,

and shiner in clear water, and brightly-colored ones, such Firetiger for
example, in stained or muddy water.
As for choosing paddle- or curlytail, I let the fish decide. I find changing often is best.
Last but not least, when attaching a swimbait to FireLine, I tie it on
directly with a Palomar knot; that is
not using a snap, as well forgoing the
use of a leader of monofilament or
fluorocarbon. The fish do not seem to
care when attacking a swimbait, even
with the brightly-colored line.

Cast-Retrieve-Repeat

Looking for a technique thats

easy to use to catch more fish than
ever this year, no matter the species?
Then by all means, tie a swimbait
directly to superline and make a long
cast, and then just give it a slow,
steady retrieve and hang on.
Yes, it really can be as easy as
that.
Mark Martin is a professional
walleye tournament angler and
instructor with the Ice-Fishing Vacation School, who live in southwestern Lower Michigan. Visit his
website at markmartins.net for more
information.n

45

Reg. $

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PRICE
OUR PRICE PL
BOOTFOOT
OUR
PRICE
OUR PRICE
4.99
WALLEYE
GRAVITY
LINE-COUNTER
REELS
WALLEYE
OUR PRICE
OUR
PRICE SIZE
ARUBA
8'
SS
FISHING
LINE
G
FI
DOWN
MAGDA
15
DX OR
20
DX
DOWN
Nylon
coil
zippers
W/
SIDE
TRAY
Dry
storage
compartment
WALLEYE
HOT
N'
TOT
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
WALLEYE
6,
8
&
12
pcs.
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
WALLEYE
DOWN
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
ple
Drive
From
All
Over
SPI
KNEE
BOOT
People
Drive
From
All
Over
HUSKY
JERK
People
Drive
From
All
Over
People
Drive
From
All
Over
DX
LINE
DX
LINE
Reg
79.99
OUR
PRICE
ULTIMATE
Rope #768388
$24.99
DOWN
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
SPORTSMAN
MAGDA 15 DXULTIMATE
OR 20
DX
DX LINE
COMBO
CLEAR
BLUE
BAITS
BO
ULTIMATE
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
COMBO
COMBO
TO
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
eople
Drive
From
All
Over
People
Drive
From
All
CLEAR
BLUE
COMBO
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
KING'S
BAY
DX
LINE
WH
Sn
9999 SPI
ple
Drive
From
People
Drive
From
All
Over
ULTIMATE
*Excludes
Mad
Flash
Lures
99
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20 Over
DX CUP
ple
Drive
From
All
Over
AND

On-board
storage
w/
shock
eople
Drive
From
All
Over
LUE
COMBO
CHAIR
COMBO
KAYAK

Velcro
fasteners
6.99
DEEP
DEEP
COMBO
COMBO
COUNTER
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
COUNTER
Reg
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29
FREE
38,000
LAST!
99
99 WHILE
x300
Twisted
Unmanila Rope
COMBO
DEEP
Reg
$49 OUR
PRICE
$29
Re
W
an
To
At
Northwoods!
989-879-1110
Size
Size
20
SB reel,
COUNTER
Reg
Specic
Pheromones
Reg $49
OUR
PRICE
$29
99
To
$ave
At
Northwoods!
9-1110
20 #707449
SB
reel,
Size
20
SB reel,
reel,
SMASH
SHAD
Michigan
To
At
Northwoods!
A DOZEN
DOZEN
Re
Ki
99 &
PLANER
Size
20
SB
reel,
PLANER
99
DEEP
To
$ave
At
Northwoods!
A DOZEN
DOZEN
FISHING
Sizes
5Michigan
&$ave
7 only
FISHING
VEST
ASize
20
SB
ope
#707113
COUNTER
$49
OUR
PRICE
LINE
$SB
00$ave
$$30
00
$
00
Reg
$49 OUR
PRICE
$29
$
00
00
$$29
00
99 FISHING
CHEST
WADER
AFTER
MAIL
IN
REBATE
A DX
DOZEN
gan
To
$ave
At
Northwoods!
9-1110
Michigan
To
$ave
At
Northwoods!
Reg
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29
Reg
Eagle
Size
20
SB
reel,
Holds PLANER
up
to
300
lbs.
R
20
SB
reel,
LINE
cord
deck
rigging
ARUBA
8SS
Lightweight,
easy
to
carry
designMichigan
HOLDER
an
To
$ave
At
Northwoods!
Michigan
$ave
At
Northwoods!
Reg
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29
SAVE
SAVE
Size
20
SB
reel,
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29
A
Eagle
20
SB reel,
Claw
7'6"
ASize
DOZEN
PLANER
20
30
an
To
$ave
At
FL
TROLLING
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
igan
To
$ave
At
Northwoods!
TROLLING
Size
Size
20
reel,
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29
A
DOZEN
To
Size
20
SB
reel,
LINE
Reg
Soft
Bait
Minnow
Sizes
XL
XXL
Claw
7'6"
MAGNA
30
Reg
$89.99
OUR
PRICE
A DOZEN
DOZEN
HUSKY
JERK
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
Bi
HUSKY
JERK
TROLLING
60
MAGNA
3015
DX
$29.99
24.99
Reg
17
colors
to choose
from
MAGNA
30 DX
Reg.
$
99
www.northwoodsoutlet.com
soutlet.com
m
JERK
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
$
00
$ 500
Eagle
7'6"
22
Pockets
ST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
HUSKY
6,Eagle
8,
&Claw
10
lbs.
TROLLING
Sizes 10, 11MAGNA
&
12
2
BLOCKS
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
Starre
2
piece
rod
WIT
2
BLOCKS
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
30
DX
492

Mesh
seating,

Adjustable
padded
seat
back
MAGNA
30
DX
BOARD

6,
8,
&
10
lbs.
Starre
2
piece
rod
BOARD
Starre
2
piece
rod
HUSKY
JERK
Claw
7'6"
2
BLOCKS
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
6
3
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Starre
2
piece
rod
MAGNA
30
DX
79
maST
Starre - 2 piece
rod
BOARD
Rope
#707414
GERSON
Wide
variety
of
MAGNA
30
DX
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
Reg.
$ #732761
99
soutlet.com
2DHJ-12
BLOCKS
EAST
OFM-13
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
MAGNA
30
DX
COMBO
COMBO

Tu
99
69
129
19
Starre
2
piece
rod
ST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
MAGNA
30
DX
2
BLOCKS
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
Starre
2
piece
rod
DHJ-12
WHEN
YOU
BUY
A
99

1
RID
COMBO
BOARD
WHEN
YOU
BUY
A
WHEN
YOU
BUY
A
99

3/8x600
Truck
Rope
WHEN
YOU
BUY
A
OF
LIGHT
OFF
IN
PINCONNING
Starre
2
piece
rod
Starre
2
piece
rod
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF
M-13
IN
PINCONNING
DHJ-12
Cotton twillYOU
fabricWHEN
Starre
rod
Starre
- piece
2 piece
rod 100%
WHILE
SUPPLIES
LAST!
NIGHTCRAWLERS
Recessed drink holder ZERO 79
Reg
PRICE
$36
99
Fully
adjustable.
Av
Re
Reg.
$- 2
99
Reg.
$PRICE
9999
Reg.
$
99
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
colors$59
& sizesOUR
YOU
BUY
A
DHJ-12
WHEN
BUY
A to Reg
24.99
Reg
OUR
PRICE
$36
99
Re
WHEN
BUY
A
OUR
PRICE
OUR
OUR
PRICE
WHEN
BUY
FREE
99 Reg
W
Fr
CERAMIC
99
NEOPRENE
Size
15-20
199
6A
OUR
PRICE
YOU
Size $59
15-20
DX
Okuma
Reel
YOU
A COMBO
WORKING
WHEN
Reg.
$SAVE
99
W/
WORKING
SAVE
99
Reg
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
FREE
EZ-C
Reg
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
Dry
15 #709852
Selected
Colors to OUR
15
Selected
ColorsDX
NIGHTCRAWLERS
Okuma
Size
15-20Reel
DX
Okuma
Reel 19
Reg
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
W/
WORKING
SMASH
SHAD
15W/
Selected
Colors
to Colors to
Gr
Reg
$99.99
PRICE
ck
Rope
Reg
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
FREE
OTHER
Nylon
coil
zippers AVAILABLE
Reg
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
7'6"
storage
compartment
Credit
Cards
Only
FIREPOTS
Bonus
Handwarmer
w/
$34.99
SOFT
Size
15-20
DX
Okuma
Reel
Reg
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
6,
8&
12
pcs.
W/
WORKING
00nning,
Cash
&
Credit
Cards
Only
COLORS
OUR
PRICE
229
W.
5th
St.
Pinconning,
MI
48650
Cash
&
Credit
Cards
Only
9
15
Selected
choose
7' Shimano
1 Piece
RodTHROTTLE
BOOTFOOT
7' Shimano
1MAGDA
Piece
Rod
MAGDA
45
DX
WO
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
MI
48650
Cash
&
Credit
Cards
Only
GRAVITY
45PRICE
DX
Man
FREE
AFTER
MAIL
IN REBATE
TOW
MAGDA
45
DX
SAVE
choose
from
PLASTIC
from
FULL
7' Shimano
1 Piece
Rod
7'6"
HO
Credit
Cards
Only
$
00
$
00
Cash
&
Credit
Cards
Only
AFTER
MAIL
IN
REBATE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
choose
from
ARUBA
8'
SS
$
99
$
99
$
99
SAVE
Credit
nning,
MI
48650
Cash
&
Credit
Cards
Only
VE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
24.99
SAVE
pocket
included.
MAGDA
45
DX
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE

7'
Shimano
1
Piece
Rod
MAGDA
45
DX
SAVE
SAVE
Credit
Cards
Only
SAVE

Flash
size
7

Slick
size
7
Cards
Only
LINE
On-board
storage
w/ 45
shock
RCredit
MAIL
IN REBATE
SPI
WHI
FLAG
SYSTEM
SAVE
FLAG
SYSTEM
MAGDA
45
DX
SAVE
SAVE
choose from
#MA
15-20DX,
SPORTSMAN
VelcroFLAG
fasteners
#MA
15-20DX,
KING'S
BAY
SAVE
SAVE
30
80
to
c
MAGDA
45
DX
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
w/
coupon
MAGDA
45
DX
BAITS
SYSTEM
SAVE
CHAIR
#MA
15-20DX,
MAGDA
DX
30200
99
SAVE
SAVE
99
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
w/
coupon
SAVE
99
WHILE
6,000
LAST!
KI
6,000 LAST!
a
#707449
$
99
FLAG
SYSTEM
SAVE
#MA
15-20DX,
KAYAK
$Printing
00
$
00
$
00
99
$
99
$
00
TOW
ROPE
6,000
LAST!
$XXL
00
00
$$00
00 WHILE
coupon
$ VEST
00 WHILE
00
$15
00
FXCTOMBZ
00
$
00
FXCTOMBZ
cord
rigging
ARUBA
8SS
w/
colors
to deck
choose
from
00
99
sible
for
Printing
Errors
Reg
$39
$$69 00 OUR
$ $39
00 SPI
CHEST
WADER
OUR
PRICE
99 ADULT
$ $OUR
00 PRICE
WHILE
SUPPLIES
LAST
Not
NO RAINCHECKS
WHILE
Not
Responsible
for $$Printing
Reg $69PRICE
OUR
PRICE
STRope
NO
RAINCHECKS

Responsible
for
Errors
Re
LINE
KS
22
Not
Responsible
for
Printing
Errors
Reg
$69
$
00
$FISHING
00Errors
99
6,000
LAST!
FXCTOMBZ
$
00
00
Sizes
XL
Re
492,
592
492,
592$ $39
99
60
5
99
5
&
R
00
purchase
two
spools
of stren
line)
45
99
BO
3
$$3
00 (must
$ 6
00
29.99
45
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for
Printing
Errors
Reg
$69
OUR
PRICE
492,
592
KS
Not
Responsible
for
Printing
Errors
Reg
$69 45
OUR
PRICE
$39
10
30
FXCTOMBZ
45
$$
00
10
30
$$
00
$ $39
00
00
(must
purchase
two
spools
of
stren
line)
sible
for
Reg
$69
OUR
PRICE
$39
AST

NO
RAINCHECKS

Not
Responsible
for
Printing
Errors
Reg
6
3
$
00
10
30
sible
for
Printing
Errors
Reg
$69
OUR
PRICE
$39
492,
592
COUNTER
onsible
for
Printing
Errors
Reg
$69
OUR
PRICE
$39
45
Reg
$69
OUR
PRICE
$39
45
wo
spools
of
stren
line)
SALES
ENDS
4/4/15
6
3
WIT
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
45
10
30
45
W/
ALL
2761
45
OPEN
6AM-9PM
EVERYDAY!

STORE
CLOSED
EA
MAGDA
PRO
REG
COUNTER
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
TYPE
II

Sh
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
34.99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
FREE
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
OKUMA
&
SHIMANO
OKUMA
&
SHIMANO
MAGDA
PRO
OK
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$$$ 99
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$8
Reg. $$6TOWABLES
99 Reg.
Reg. $$
99 OKUMA
Reg.
99 OKUMA
&
Reg.
$$
99
TROLLING
999
$ 19
00
$
00
$
00
Reg.
$
29
Reg.
Reg.
$6
99
6
199
19
6Reg.
19
29
FREE
Reg.
Reg.
99
29
69
Reg.
99
Reg.
$
99
$
Reg.
$
Reg.
$
99
29
&
8
5
OKUMA
& SHIMANO
SHIMANO
$
99
Reg.
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$5
99
Reg.
$
99
FULL
THROTTLE
29
69
29
69
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
99
Reg.
$
99
8
6
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
19
1999
29
OKUMA
&
SHIMANO
30
80
Reg.
BULK
ROPE
SALE!
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99 OKU
$
99
Reg.
$16
99
PADDLE
OKUMA
&SHIMANO
SHIMANO
Reg.
$ $$
99
8
OKUMA
&
SHIMANO
8
699TOW
OKUMA
& SHIMANO
TROLLING
29
69
FREE
WITH
ALL
29
69
19
6
29
8
6
5PADDLE
8
6
LINE-COUNTER
REELS
29
69
29
Gr
119
8
68
29
69
$
00
$ 19
00
$
00
69
69
LIFE
JACKET
SIZE
15-20
DIR
ROPE
SIZE 15-20 OUR
SIZE
15-20
PRICE
WORM
GEAR
CE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SIZ
60OUR
15
5PRICE
WORM
GEAR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
WALLEYE
D-SHOCK
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
D-SHOCK
OUR
LINE-COUNTER
REELS
ADULT
PRICE
SOFT
PLASTIC
SOFT
PLASTIC
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
WORM
GEAR
SIZE
15-20
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SIZE
15-20
BO
OUR
PRICE
D-SHOCK
SOFT
PLASTIC
SIZE
15-20
SIZ
DOWN
DOWN
OPEN
6AM-9PM
EVERYDAY!

STORE
CLOSED
EASTER
SUNDAY
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
HOT
N'
TOT
DOWN
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
DOWN
SIZE
15-20
WORM
GEAR
OUR PRICE
OUR
PRICE
ARUBA
8'
SS
SIZE
15-20
SIZE
15-20
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
D-SHOCK
WALLEYE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SOFT
PLASTIC
MAGDA
15
DX
OR
20
DX
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
OUR
PRICE
UP
TO
W/
ALL
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
DX
DX
LINE
DOWN
PRICE
50%
OFF!
DOWN
OUR
PRICE

Large
or
X
Large
ULTIMATE
Reg.
$
99
SPINNING
OR
DX
LINE
ULTIMATE
SPINNING
OR
ULTIMATE
DX
LINE
DOWN
DOWN
ULTIMATE
OUR
UE
ROD
&
REEL
ROD & REEL
SPINNING
OR
CLEAR
BLUE
DOWN
BLUE
SPORTSMAN
9
DX
LINE
TYPE
DX
LINE
Sh
CLEAR
BAITS
FREE
BAITS
ROD
&DX
REEL
ULTIMATE
FULL
THROTTLE
MAGDA
15
ORPRICE
20 DX
ULTIMATE
COMBO
DX
LINE
SPORTSMAN
DX
*Excludes
Mad
Flash Lures PADDLE
SPINNING
OR
LUE
ULTIMATE
CLEAR
BLUE
BAITS
ULTIMATE
DX
LINE
DX
LINE
CH
DX
LINE
FREE
WITH
ALL
& II
REEL
ECLEAR
CLEAR BLUE
BLUE
ULTIMATE
TOWABLES
MAN
DEEP
Reg.
$
99
E
BAITS
LUE
SPIN
CAST
ROD
SPIN
CAST 99
ROD ROD
CO
9/64x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope
#700316
DEEP
COUNTER
TOW
ROPE
KAYAK
COUNTER
DEEP
OUR
PRICE
COUNTER
USCG
Approved
SPIN
CAST
ROD DEEP
ADULT
COMBO
BALL
COMBO
BALL
Reg
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29
DEEP
DEEP
Size
Pheromones
BO
Gr
119
PLANER
Specic
Pheromones
COUNTER
PLANER
COUNTER
99
DEEP
COMBO
20
SB
reel,
DEEP
COMBO
BALL
PLANER
SPIN
CAST
ROD
LINE
PLANER
FISHING
LINE
LIFE
JACKET
Sizes
5Specic
& 7 only
NE
COUNTER
CO
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
FISHING
Specic
Pheromones
W/
ALL
A
DOZEN
DEEP
FISHING
LINE
VEST
COUNTER
COUNTER
COUNTER
$
99
COMBO
BALL

1
RIDER
TUBE
PLANER
PLANER
VEST
&
REEL
COMBOS
&
REEL
COMBOS
Reg
$49
OUR
PRICE
$29

Specic
Pheromones
TYPE
II
LINE
PLANER
FISHING
LINE
PLANER
TROLLING

Lightweight,
easy
to
carry
design
TR
TROLLING
Size
20
SB
reel,
Reg
$14.99
OUR
PRICE
NE
& REEL COMBOS HUSKY
FISHING
LINE
TROLLING
PLANER
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
VEST
$4.99
TOWABLES
Soft
Bait
Minnow
HUSKY
JERK
A
DOZEN
NE
Soft
Bait Minnow
Reg.30
$ DX
99
BEARING

Universal
Fit
LINE
BEARING
JERK
$
99
HUSKY
JERK
HUSKY
JERK

Large
or
X
Large

17
colors
to
choose
from
TROLLING
MAGNA
&
REEL
COMBOS
W/
TROLLING

Soft
Bait
Minnow
6,
8,
&
10
lbs.
BEARING

6,
8,
&
10
lbs.
OUR
PRICE
119
TROLLING
TR
HUSKY
JERK
HUSKY
22WITH
Pockets
6,
&
10
lbs.
HUSKY
JERK
LIFE
JACKET
6, 8, & 10 lbs.
TROLLING
NG TROLLING
BOARD
TROLLING
Soft
Bait
Minnow
HUSKY
JERK
Eagle
Claw
7'6"
LINE
BOARD
BEARING
WITH
LINE
228,
Adjustable
padded
seat
back
BOARD
Starre
2
piece
rod
BOARD

EZ-CONNECT
6,
8,Pockets
&
10
lbs.
JERK
HUSKY
JERK
COMBO
WITH LINE A DHJ-12
MAGNA
30 DX
COMBO
6, 8, & 10 lbs.
Wide variety of
Wide
varietyLINE
of
BOARD
BOARD
COMBO
DHJ-12
5/32x200
Starter Rope #768388
DHJ-12
CO
USCG
Approved Nylon
SYSTEM
BOARD
BOARD
SYSTEM
OUR
PRICE
DHJ-12
Wide
variety
of
WITH
NG COMBO
99
DHJ-12
COMBO
10200-200-004-12
WHEN
BUY
COMBO
BOARD
2 piece rod
SYSTEM
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100%
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twill In
fabricof YOU
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DHJ-12
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COMBO
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In 99
$
99
TOWING
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100% Starre
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twill
colors
&-fabric
sizes
SYSTEM
colors
&Selected
sizes
Reg
$59
OUR
$36
HARNESS
FREE
DHJ-12
FREE
FREE
Size
15-205',
DX
Okuma
Available
Si
FREE
colors
& sizes
COMBO
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WHEN
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15
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W/
WORKING
W/
15
Selected
Colors
W/
WORKING
Rod
sizes
5',to
5'6",
7'
Okuma
Rod
sizes
5'6",
7' Reel
FREE
Nylon
Selected
Colors
to
Reg
$19.99
OUR
PRICE
FREE
W/
Available
In
Reg
15
Selected
Colors
to
colors
&
sizes
$6.99
SHAD
Size
15-20
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Reel
Size
15-20
DX5'6",
Okuma
Reel
FREE
$59
OUR
PRICE
$36
WORKING
FREE
W/
WORKING
Green,
Blue,
& Orange
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sizes
5',
7' Reel
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Blue,00
& OrangeW/
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6,
8
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12
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6,
8
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12
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Blue,
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15
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15
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Size
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coil
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7'
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7'
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w/
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6,000
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00
$
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$
00
$
$
00
$
00
$
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$
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$
$
00
SYSTEM
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w/ #MA
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$
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w/
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$
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$
$
00
$
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$
00
$
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#MA
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WHILE
38,000
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FXCTOMBZ
w/
22 colors
to
choose
6,000
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$
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$
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cord
deck
rigging
ARUBA
8SS
WHILE
6,000
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$
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$
00
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w/
coupon
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$
00
$
00
$
00
$
00
$
00
$
00
w/
coupon
FXCTOMBZ
FXC
$
00
$
00
$
00
Reg
$69
OUR
PRICE
$39
WHILE
6,000
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WHILE
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592
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Sizes
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$
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99
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$69
PRICE
$39
6
3
492,
592
10
30
15
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15
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two
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45
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OR
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39
59
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Reg.
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OUR
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OUR
PRICE
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ROPE
9/64x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope TOW
#700316
SIZE
15-20
OUR
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OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
WORM
GEAR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
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GEAR
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OUR
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OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
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ADULT
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OUR
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OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
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OUR
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OUR PRICE
PRICE
OUR PRICE
PRICE
OUR
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WORM
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OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
D-SHOCK
WORM
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x300
Poly
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Rope PRICE
#709852
OUR
PRICE
OUR
OUR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
BOAT
SEAT
SOFT
PLASTIC
BOAT
SEAT
D-SHOCK
ZIP
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SOFT
PLASTIC
SPORTS
BAG
OPE
SOFT
PLASTIC
WINCHESTER
WORM
GEAR
OUR
PRICE
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WORM
GEAR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
DIRECTORS
D-SHOCK
ZIP
D-SHOCK OUR
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
BOAT
SEAT
OUR
PRICE
SOFT
PLASTIC
WORM
GEAR
DOWN
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SIZE
15-20
WORM
GEAR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
Reg
$14.99 OUR
PRICE
ARUBA
8'
SS
$4.99
D-SHOCK
D-S
ADULT
WORM
GEAR
OUR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SOFT
PLASTIC
BE
WORM
GEAR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
W/
ALL
GRA
D-SHOCK
CE
OUR
PRICE
W/
SIDE
TRAY
D-SHOCK
BOAT
SEAT
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SOFT
PLASTIC
SOFT
PLASTIC
SPINNING
OR
CHAIR
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
CHAIR
DX
LINE
W/
ALL
SPINNING
OR
SPINNING
OR
ROD
&
REEL
ULTIMATE
RO
SPINNING
OR
KNEE
BOOT
SPINNING
OR
CHAIR
DOWN
TYPE
II
ROD
&
REEL
#768388
Shadow
Grass
TYPE
II
Shadow Grass
SPORTSMAN
COUNTER
REEL
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
L
5/32x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope
SPINNING
Reg
79.99
OUR
PRICE
AN
SPINNING
OR
ROD
&
REEL
BAITS
SPORTSMAN
SERIES
UP
TO
$24.99
BAITS
SPORTSMAN
TYPE
II

Shadow
Grass
SPINNING
OR
BAITS
SPINNING
OR
CHAIR
ROD
&
REEL
50%
OFF!
BAITS
UP
TO
ROD
&
REEL
DX
LINE
MAN
SPINNING
OR
SW
50%
OFF!
SPINNING
OR
ROD
&
REEL
RO
BAITS
ULTIMATE
TOWABLES
AN
SPORTSMAN
Reg.
$
99
TYPE
II

Shadow
Grass
SW
ROD
&
REEL
SPIN
CAST
ROD
ROD
&
REEL
BAITS
DEEP
N
TOWABLES
Available
in:
SPIN
CAST
ROD
AND
CUP

Available
in:
MAN
KAYAK
Reg.
$
99
SPIN
CAST
ROD
BAITS
COUNTER
Reg
$19.99
OUR
PRICE
BAITS
SPIN
CAST
ROD
COMBO
BALL
$6.99
SPIN
CAST ROD LIFE
CHA
Available in:
PLANER
Grey
SAVE
LES
Grey SAVE
SPIN
CAST
CHAIR
119
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Pheromones
PRO
LINE
COMBO
BALL
Reg.
$
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Specic
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LIFE
JACKET
COMBO
BALL &$
JACKET
CAST
ROD
#700316
Specic
Pheromones
SPIN
CAST
ROD
REEL
x300
Twisted
Unmanila Rope$#707449
Grey
11999Rope
Grey
Specic
Pheromones
BY
Available
in:
AND
TROLLING
FISHING
VEST
LIFE
Specic
Pheromones
DEEP
COMBO
BALL
FISHING
VEST
LIME,
9/64x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope
CAST
ROD
LIME,
CAST
ROD
COMBO
BALL
JACKET
CO
COUNTER
BY
PRO
LINE
Specic
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Pheromones
EST
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CO
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#707113
TROLLING
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119
&
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Specic
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COMBO
BALL
REEL
COMBOS
COMBO
BALL
LIFE
JACKET
Lightweight,
easy
to carry
design Nylon
VEST
&
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COMBOS
&
REEL
COMBOS
Specic
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Starter
Rope
#700316
Specic
Pheromones HOLDER
& REEL
COMBOS &
PLANER
Holds
LIME,
Ins
In
EST
FISHING
VEST
Soft
BaitCOMBOS
Minnow
ORANGE,
PINKBEARING
20
30
&
REEL
COMBOS
ORANGE, PINK
Soft
Bait
Minnow
JERK
BEARING
HUSKY
Large
or
X Large
EST
Large
or
X
Large
VEST

Soft
Bait
Minnow

Soft
Bait
Minnow
BEARING
REEL
&
REEL
COMBOS
BE
ORANGE,
PINK

Soft
Bait
Minnow
OUR
PRICE
CAMO
22
Pockets

Large
or
X
Large
REEL
COMBOS
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE

22
Pockets
&
REEL
COMBOS

Soft
Bait
Minnow
$24.99
Soft
Bait
Minnow
RegLINE
$89.99
BEARING
PRICE
TROLLING
Reg
$14.99
OUR
PRICE
Soft
Bait
Minnow
ROD
COMBO
ORANGE,
PINKOUR PRICE $29.99
WITH
LINE
Soft
Bait
22OUR
Pockets
BEARING
WITH LINE99
BEARING
Pockets
$4.99
BOARD
or
X
Large
22
Adjustable
padded
seat
back
Soft
Bait
Minnow
HUSKY
JERK
WITH
LINE
BEARING
Large
Soft
Bait
Minnow
WITH
BEARING
22
Pockets
OUR
PRICE
Wide
variety
of Minnow
WITH
LINE PINK
Wide
variety
of
W/
SIDE
TRAY
BE
Mes
COMBO
Reg. $
Reg. $
99
22 Pockets
WITH
LINE
DHJ-12
USCG
Approved
CAMO
WITH
USCG
Approved
USCG
Wide
variety
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Wide
variety
of
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Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
#707414
LINE
SYSTEM
REG.
OR
CAMO
WITH
LINE

Wide
variety
of

Approved
GE
BOARD
SYSTEM
69
129
SY

Wide
variety
LINE

Wide
variety
of
100%
Cotton
twill
fabric
WITH
LINE
Reg
$14.99
OUR
PRICE
SYSTEM

100%
Cotton
twill
fabric
Wide
variety
ofof
Available
Wide
variety
of
KNEE
BOOT
$4.99
SYSTEM
SYSTEM
$
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1 RIDER
TUBE
#768388
USCG
Approved
1100%
Recessed
drink
holder
abric

3/8x600
Truck
Rope
#732761

Available
In
100%
Cotton
twill
fabric
COMBO
Wide
variety
of
colors
&
sizes

Wide
variety

Available
In
SYSTEM
Cotton
twill
fabric
SY
colors
&
sizes

5/32x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope
DHJ-12
$
99

RIDER
TUBE

In

Available
In
ill
fabric
100%
Cotton
twill
fabric
SYSTEM
colors
&
sizes
colors
&
sizes
SYSTEM
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE

Available
In

Universal
Fit
Universal
Fit15-20
colors
&Fit
sizes
CE
Size
DX Okuma ReelOUR PRICE
abric
100% 99
Cotton $24.99
twill fabric
Available
Available
In
W/
WORKING
colors
sizes
OUR
PRICE
$
ZERO
Ro
storage
15 Selected
Colors
to Nylon
abric
Universal
will
fabric
Rod
sizes 5', 5'6",
7'
WIN
Available
In
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sizes
colors
& In
sizes
Rodsizes
sizes
5',&
5'6",
7'
Fully
Ro
Available
In
Green,
Blue,
&
Orange
Nylon
coil
zippers
Dry
compartment
In
colors
&
sizes
coil zippers
zippers
Rod
sizes
5',
5'6", 7'
colors
&
sizes
Green, Blue, & OrangeKNEE
EZ-CONNECT
colors
Fit
5',
5'6",
7'
Rod
sizes
5',
5'6",
7' Poly
NEOPRENE
705
3BU
Green,
Blue,
&Piece
Orange
6,
8
&
12
pcs.
Green,
Blue,
Orange
BOOT
Nylon
coil
Size
15-20
DX
Okuma
Reel
8Available
&Shimano
12&
pcs.
Selected
x300
Truck
#709852
Green,CUP
Blue,
& Orange 10200-200-004-12
Nylon
EZ-CONNECT
WORKING
Rod
sizes
5',
5'6",
7'
FI
Ro
coil
zippers
6,
7'
1&
Rod
Reg
$99.99
OUR
PRICE
Green,
Blue,
&
Orange
#768388
6,
88
&
12
pcs.
Green,
6,
8
12
pcs.
Colors
toOUR
AND
rs
10200-200-004-12
Rod
sizes
5',
5'6",
7'
$34.99
TOWING
6,
8 Universal
&
pcs.
choose
from
Rod
Rod
sizes
5',
5'6",
7'
15
5/32x200
Nylon
Starter
RopeRope
Reg
$19.99
PRICE
Blue,
Orange
Green,
Blue,
&
Orange
BOOTFOOT
W/
6,
&
12
pcs.
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
VE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
Twisted
Nylon
coilSAVE
zippers
GRAVITY
SAVE
$6.99
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
Green,
Blue,
Orange
SAVE
SAVE WHILE 99
SAVE
SAVE OTHE
Green,
Blue,
&
Orange
6,
812
&
12
pcs.
6,
815-20DX,
&SAVE
12
pcs.
rs TOWING
HARNESS
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
6,
8
&
12
pcs.
10200-200-004-12
6,
8
&
12
pcs.
EVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
WHILE
4,000
LAST! $
WHILE
7'
Shimano
1&
Piece
Rod
10200-200-004-12
Velcro
fasteners
$
99
Reg
79.99
OUR
PRICE
FLAG
On-board
storage
w/ shock
SYSTEM
HARNESS
Velcro
Velcro
fasteners
SAVE
4,000
LAST!
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
KING'S
Boys Sizes
3-6
$24.99
#MA
choose
from
38,000
LAST!
WHILE
4,000
LAST!
WHILE
4,000
LAST!
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE

fasteners
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
WHILE
4,000
LAST!
BAY
10200-200-005-12
fasteners
10200-200-005-12
SS Velcro
WHILE
4,000
LAST!
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
VE
SAVE
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
WHILE
6,000
LAST!

WIN
705
3BU
CHAIR
SAVE
SAVE
WHILE
4,000
LAST!
$
00
$
00
$
$
00
$
00
$
00
$
00
$
00
WHILE
4,000
LAST!
00
$ 00 $
00
$00
10200-200-005-12
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
$ARUBA
00
$$
00
$$
00
Velcro
fasteners
FLAG
SYSTEM
302000-300-001-12
x1000
Poly
Braided
Rope
#707113
#MA
15-20DX,
WHILE
4,000
LAST!

x300
Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
#707449
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
00
$HOLDER
00
$ 4,000
00 LAST!
$00
00
$
$
00 WHILE
00
$
FXCTOMBZ
00
00
00
00
$
cordWHILE
deckReg
rigging
8SS00
10200-200-005-12
38,000
LAST!
0s00
$$$
00
$
00
00 CHEST
WHILE
38,000
LAST! $
Men Sizes
7-13
$XL
WHILE
Sizes
XL
XXL
$
00
$60
00
00
$
00
OUR
PRICE
Sizes
XL
XXL
4
12
4
20
12
492,
592
6,000
LAST!
$6.99
$
00
00
$
00
$$19.99
00
$20
00
00
15
5 $$$$ $$$5
10WADER
Sizes
XXL
12 302000-300-001-12
3
400
20
12
$
00
00
$$ 15
00
60
60
15
10
6, 8, & 10 lbs.

rod

DHJ-12
15 Selected Colors to
choose from
WHILE 6,000 LAST!

w/ coupon
(must purchase two spools of stren line)

Si
7'
#MA
FXC

492, 592

Specic Pheromones
Soft Bait Minnow
Wide variety of
colors & sizes
6, 8 & 12 pcs.
WHILE 38,000 LAST!

1 1 1 1

22 Pockets
100% Cotton twill fabric
Nylon coil zippers
Velcro fasteners
Sizes XL XXL

99

1 RIDER TUBE
EZ-CONNECT
TOWING HARNESS
302000-300-001-12

99

Large or X Large
99
USCG Approved
Universal Fit
10200-200-004-12
10200-200-005-12

Ro

99

99
Shadow Grass
Grey

Av

LI
OR

Size 20 SB reel,
Eagle Claw 7'6"
Starre - 2
99piece rod

99

99

99

99

1 1 1 1
99

99

Insulated

*Excludes Mad Flash Lures

Sizes 5 & 7 only
17 colors to choose from

6, 8, & 10 lbs.

WIN 705 3BU

Boys Sizes 3-6
Men Sizes 7-13
w/ coupon
(must purchase two spools of stren line)

99 7 Slick size 7
Flash size
22 colors to choose from

DHJ-12
99
15 Selected
Colors to
99
99
99
99
choose from

99
99

Holds up to 300 lbs.

Lightweight,
easy to carry design
99
Mesh seating,
Adjustable padded seat back
Recessed drink holder Fully adjustable.
OTHER COLORS AVAILABLE
Dry storage compartment
On-board storage w/ shock
cord deck rigging ARUBA 8SS

99
99

99
99
99
99
99

99
99

Snail
99
Specic
King Frog

Pheromones
99
99
Soft
Bird Bait Minnow
99
99

Wide
Turtlevariety of

colors
Frog
& sizes
Many
colors
& styles

6, 8 &
12 pcs.
to choose from
WHILE 38,000 LAST!

99

99
Sizes 10, 11 & 12
22 Pockets
WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!
100% Cotton twill fabric

Bonus
Handwarmer
w/
Nylon coil zippers
pocket included.
Velcro fasteners
Sizes XL XXL

W
co
y
40"

WHILE 6,000 LAST!

99
99

FREE
PADDLE

99

Available In
Green, Blue, & Orange
WHILE 4,000 LAST!

99
99

14
Ki
in
Av
Re
Gr
to
WHI

99
99

Sh
Gr

99
99

5
5 DOZEN
DOZEN BAG!
BAG!

1 RIDER TUBE
EZ-CONNECT
TOWING HARNESS
302000-300-001-12

Large or X Large
USCG Approved
Universal Fit
10200-200-004-12
10200-200-005-12

99
99

DIRECTORS
19
29
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
99
99
$
99
$
00
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
00
$
99
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
00
99
$
99
9
$$ $
99
99 $
99
$
99
00
99
$ 99
00
99
$
99
$$$ $ 99
99
$ $$99
$9
99
00
CHAIR
$
00
99
$
99
99
$
99$$ 99
$$$ $$ 99
99
W/59
SIDE TRAY
59
59
AND
CUP
3910
4910
5
10
15
20
30
10
30
SAVE
SAVE
15
5
10
15 Boys Sizes 3-6
15
15
5
15
$29.99
4
12
60
5
10
15
15
5
15
10
15
Reg60
$79.99 OUR PRICE
15
5
15
3
$24.99
10
30

x1000
Poly
Braided
Rope
#707113
OPEN
6AM-9
REG.#707414
OR PINK CAMO REG. OR
$
00
$
00 BR
MESH
RIM
MESH
RIM
BRIGHT
NEON

Men
Sizes
7-13
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
BR
BRIGHT
NEON
MESH
RIM
59
39
199
9
19
BRIGHT
NEON
39
59
39
199
BRIGHT
NEON

x600
Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
$34.99
BRIGHT
NEON
PINK
CAMO
FREE
PINK
CAMO
HOLDER
6
19
29
FREE
39
59
199
NIGHTCRAWLERS
BRIGHT
NEON
9
39
MESH
RIM
GE
9
39
19
69
129
FULL
THROTTLE
19
FREE
20
30
9
39
19
BRIGHT
NEON
BRIGHT
NEON
9
39
19
FULL
THROTTLE
FREE
FULL
THROTTLE
39
59
199
E
9
39
19
FULL
THROTTLE
9
39
FULL
THROTTLE
FREE
PADDLE
WITH
ALL
30
80
FREE
39
19
9
19
6
19
29
FULL
THROTTLE
FIRE
PIT FIRE
WITH
ALL
FIRE
PIT BAG
BULK
ROPE
SALE!
E
FULL
THROTTLE
FULL
THROTTLE
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE
PIT
TOW
ROPE
$24.99
SPORTS
TOW
ROPE
CE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
$24.99
SP
TOW
ROPE
SPORTS
BAG
PE
SPORTS
BAG
WORM
GEAR
CE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
ADULT
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
FIRE
PIT
OUR
PRICE
OUR
SPORTS
BAG
ADULT
WINCHESTER
TOW
ROPE
D-SHOCK
WINCHESTER
SPORTS
BAG
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OPE
BOAT
SEAT
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
ZERO
SOFT PLASTIC
ZIP
UP
DIRECTORS
ZIPOUR
UP PRICE
OUR$
PRICE
OUR PRICE
CE
SPORTS
BAG
ADULT
SP
PE
NEOPRENE
TOW
ROPE
WINCHESTER
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
OUR
ADULT
BOAT
SEAT
DIRECTORS
ADULT
ZIPPRICE
UP
99
OUR
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SPORTS
BAG
PE
BOAT
SEAT
SPORTS
BAG
OPE
BOAT
SEAT
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
BOAT
ADULT
ADULT
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBEEVERYDAY!
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
W/
ALL
STEEL
WORM
GEAR
WINCHESTER
CE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
STEEL
W/
ALL
OPEN
6AM-9PM

STORE
CLOSED
TORS
D-SHOCK
ZIP
BOAT
SEAT
BOAT
SEAT
ADULT
SOFT
PLASTIC
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
$ PRICE
99
$ PRICE
99EA
STEEL Reg.
W/
ALL
BOAT
SEAT
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
CHAIR Reg.
SPINNING
OR
x600
x300
Poly
Twisted
Truck
Rope
#709852
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
SERIES
W/
ALL
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
SERIES
LL
CH
TYPE
IIUP
CHAIR
ONL
Y
ROD
& II
REEL
UP
TO

Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
#707414
CHAIR
STEEL
HOLE
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
50%
OFF!
W/
ALL
CHAIR
SERIES
CHAIR
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
34
BAITS
SWEATSHIRT
SWEATSHIRT
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
TYPE
HOLE
SHOT
54"
TUBE
LL
GE
CHAIR
CH
TYPE
II
BOOTFOOT
69
129
TYPE
II
GRAVITY
TOWABLES
TYPE
II
SWEATSHIRT
CHAIR
SPINNING
OR
SERIES
CHAIR
TOWABLES
FI
TYPE
II
9
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
ROD
&
REEL
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
TOWABLES
$
99
$
99
$
99
TYPE
IIII$
SWEATSHIRT
SPIN
CAST
ROD $
ES
TYPE
BAITS
CHAIR
9
$
00
$
PRO
$
99
99
$
99
$
99
BY
PROJACKET
LINE
TOWABLES
LES
$
99
CONSTRUCTION
$
99
$
99
99
$
99
119
$
99
$
99
RegLINE
79.99
OUR
PRICE
ES
CHAIR
COMBO
BALL
TOWABLES
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
BY
PRO
LINE
$24.99
BY
9/64x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope
#700316
$
99
99
$
99
ES
CONSTRUCTION
LES
119
LIFE
119
SPIN
CAST
ROD
BY
PRO
LINE
LIFE
JACKET
119
119
9
$
00
$
99
$
99
LIFE
JACKET
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE
KING'S
BAY
LIFE
JACKET
LIFE
JACKET
119
$24.99
COMBO
BALL
&
REEL
COMBOS
119
LIFE
JACKET
119
CHAIR
LIFE
JACKET
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
LIFE
JACKET
ZERO
CAMO
CAMO
CE
BEARING
x300
Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
$
00 NEOPRENE
OUR OUR
PRICE
CAMO
Reg $14.99
OUR PRICE
PRICE
& #707449
REEL
COMBOS
$4.99
OUR
PRICE
CAMO
OUR
PRICE
W/
SIDE
TRAY OUR
OUR
PRICE
WITH
LINE
CHEST WADER
BEARING
OUR
OUR PRICE
PRICE
TRAY
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
SIDE
x300
Poly
Twisted
Truck
Rope
#709852
BOOT
E W/
TRAY
SYSTEM
KNEE
BOOT
OUR PRICE $29
WITH
LINE
Reg
$89.99
OUR
PRICE
KNEE
BOOT
$
99
$29.99
KNEE
5/32x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope
#768388
A DOZEN
BOOTFOOT
$
99
KNEE
BOOT
GRAVITY
SYSTEM
$
99
$
99
FI
$
99
99
$$
99
99
59
AND CUP $ 59
3/8x600
Truck
Rope
#732761
$
99
$
99
79.99
OUR
PRICE
RegReg
$19.99
OUR
PRICE
CUP
$24.99
WHEN YOU
BUY
A KING'S BAY
$6.99
59
59
59
59
OUR
PRICE $36
UPAND
Sn
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
CHAIR
Reg $99.99 OUR PRICE

5
KAYAKS
139
34
4
139
4
14

1
51 19
4
19
5
14

$XXL
00
$
00
Reg $89.99 OUR
PRICE
Sizes
XL
3/8x600 TruckReg.
Rope
$ #732761
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg $99.99 OUR
PRICE
Reg. $
99

00 Sizes XL XXL

99
99
99

Reg. $

99

29
KAYAKS
1
19
7
AKS
19
SALES ENDS 4/4/15

7
5119
9
19
9
7 19
1
39
14

19
9

$ 00
00
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$ 99
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$ $ 99
99
79
Reg.
$
Reg.
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
Reg.
99
Reg.
$ $$ 99
99

$
$

Holds up to 300 lbs.

FXCTOMBZ
Mesh seating,
Reg.
$
99
Fully
adjustable.
OTHER COLORS AVAILABLE

492, 592

Reg. $$
Reg.

OUR PRICE
7'6"
LINE
COUNTER
Grass
Reg. $
$Reg. Shadow
99
$
99
Reg.
99
TROLLING
Reg. $
99
Insulated
Grey
Insulated
WALLEYE

Large
or
X
Large

Large
or
X
Large
Large
or X Large
COMBO
Large
or or
X Large
Large
Large
or
X
Holds up to 300 lbs.
Large
X Large

00
00

$Reg.
99
Reg.
$ Reg.
99 Reg.
Reg.
$ Reg.
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
99
SAVE
$
99
Reg.
$ $
99
$
99
Reg.
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
99
Reg.
$ $$ 99
99
$
99
Reg.
99
$$
00

99
99

39

Sizes 10, 11 & 12

SALES
ENDS 4/4/15
WHILE
SUPPLIES
LAST!
Bonus Handwarmer w/
pocket included.

Reg. $$
Reg.

99
99

00

99
$ $ 99
99
Reg.
$Reg.
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
$ SAVE
99
Reg.
$ Reg.
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$$
99
$
00

9
497
5 39
19 19
29
9
14
29
9 1
49 19
5
5
19
5 29
9
5
9

Shadow Grass
Shadow
Shadow
Grass
Shadow

Grass
Shadow
ShadowGrass
Grass
Reg.
$Reg.
99
$ 99
99
Reg.
$
99
Available
in: Pheromones
Grey
Available in:
Reg.
$
Specic
Insulated
Reg.
$
Reg.
$
99

Grey

Grey
LIME,
Grey
W/
mesh rim, mesh
Grey
Insulated
LIME,
Grey
Specic
Pheromones
W/ mesh rim, mesh
Drive
Soft
Bait
Minnow
Large
or
Xprotect
Large ORANGE,
Large
or X Large
ORANGE,
PINK
Large
or
X
Large
cover
to
against
PINK
ople
From
All
Over
Large
or X Large cover to protect against
Soft Bait
Minnow
USCG
Approved
Wide
variety
of Northwoods!
USCG
Approved
ying
sparks.
USCG
Approved
gan To
$ave
At
USCG
USCG
Approved
20
SB reel,
Size
USCG
Approved
Approved
USCG
RIDER
TUBE
1 RIDER
RIDER TUBE
TUBE
1
Approved
USCG Approved ying sparks.
Wide
variety
of
Available
In7'6"
1
USCG
Approved
colors
& sizes
Eagle
USCG
Approved
Claw
Mesh seating,
Universal
Fit5', 5'6", 7'
1 RIDER
TUBE
Universal
1 PINCONNING
RIDER TUBE
Universal
Fit
40"
X Fit
14"
WIN
705
3BU
Rod
sizes
EAST
OF
LIGHT
OFF M-13 IN
WIN
705
3BU Fit
WIN
Universal
Fit
Starre
Universal
- Fit
2
piece
rod
Available
In

Universal
Fit
colors
&
sizes
40" X 14"

EZ-CONNECT

705
3BU
Green,
Blue,
&
Orange

Universal
Fit

EZ-CONNECT
Universal
Universal
FitFit
EZ-CONNECT
6, 8 & 12 pcs.
WIN
Universal

705
3BU

10200-200-004-12

Rod
sizes
5', 5'6", 7'

EZ-CONNECT

10200-200-004-12
VE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE

Fully
adjustable.
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
EZ-CONNECT

10200-200-004-12
Green,
Blue,LAST!
& Orange
Boys
Sizes
3-6
SAVE
Boys
Sizes 3-6
VE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
Boys
10200-200-004-12
TOWING HARNESS
HARNESS
SAVE
SAVE
WHILE
10200-200-004-12
TOWING
HARNESS

10200-200-004-12
6,
8
&
12
pcs.

Sizes
3-6

10200-200-004-12
TOWING

10200-200-004-12
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
4,000
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
10200-200-004-12
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
Credit
Cards
Only
SS TOWING
10200-200-004-12
HARNESS
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
Boys
Sizes 3-6
SAVE
SAVE
10200-200-005-12
SAVE
TOWING
HARNESS
VE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
10200-200-005-12

x1000
Poly
Braided
Rope
#707113
00
$
00
$
00
00
$
00
$ $ 00
10200-200-005-12
ESS
OTHER
COLORS
AVAILABLE
$
00
$
00
00$ $
SAVE
$
00

Men
Sizes
7-13
302000-300-001-12

Men
Sizes
7-13
$
302000-300-001-12
10200-200-005-12
00
00 10200-200-005-12
$
00
$
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WHILE
4,000 LAST! $ $ 00
$$ 00
00
00
$
00
$
00
10200-200-005-12
$
00
$
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Men
Sizes
7-13
10200-200-005-12
302000-300-001-12
10200-200-005-12
$
00
$
00
WHILE 38,000 LAST!
$
00
$
$
00
$
00
$00
$
00
$
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$
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10200-200-005-12
12
10200-200-005-12
302000-300-001-12
$
00
$
00
$
00
$
$
00
$
302000-300-001-12
00
$ 00
$
$ $
00 Men Sizes 7-13
nsible
for
Printing
Errors
00
00
$
00
$
00
12
Reg
$79.99
OUR PRICE

$34.99

7
29
14
914
14
7
29

WIN 705 3BU

Boys Sizes 3-6
Men Sizes 7-13

49
19
77
49
7
49

Ins

Sn
Kin
Bir
Tu
Fro
Man
to c

Shadow
ShadowMAGDA
Grass
Grass
PRO
Shadow
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Available in:
Availablein:
in:
Grey
Available
Grey
Available
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LINE-COUNTER
LIME,
Availablein:
in:
Available
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Grey
LIME,
W/
mesh rim, mesh REELS

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Av
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ORANGE,
PINK
cover
to
protect

Kin
ORANGE,
PINK
OR
ORANGE,
PINK
ORANGE,
PINK
99
cover
to
protect
against
ying sparks.
Reg $49 99
Bir
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sparks.
Sizes
11 &
12
MAGNA
30
DX
40" X 14"
Tu
99
40"
X 14"
WHILE
SUPPLIES
LAST!
99
SAVE
SAVE Fro
SAVE
SAVE
Reg
$59
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
MAGDA
Bonus
w/45 DX $
$ Handwarmer
00
$
00
$
00
00
$
Man
00
$
$
99
$ $ $39
Ki
00
99
pocket
included.
$ 00
$$
Reg
$69
OUR PRICE
to c

49

30
150
4 BAG!
20WADER
12
60
20
30
30
150
4 12 CHEST
20
60
5 20
DOZEN
15
30
30
150
4
20
12
4
20
12
30
80
4 up to10
Holds
300
lbs.
30
30
150
45
4
20
60
4
20
12
4
20
12
10
15
Bi
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99 ME
OKUMA
&
SHIMANO
MESH
RIM
Reg.
$
99
Reg. $$
99NEON129
Reg.
99 MESH
Sizes 10,
11
& 12
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$39
99
BRIGHT
29
69
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GERSON
Reg.
$
Reg.
$
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Reg.
$
99
129
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69
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599
Reg.
Reg.
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39
59
$
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$ 199
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39 EVERYDAY!
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99
Reg.
99
$
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RIM
MESH
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MESH RIM
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39
19
69
129
1999
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Reg.
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Reg.
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ME
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99
39
59
39
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MESH
RIM
BRIGHT
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SIZE
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39
59
39
199
69
129
5
39
59
39
199
39
59
39
OPEN
6AM-9PM

STORE
CLOSED
EA
OUR PRICE
OUR
PRICE
39
199

3/8x600
Truck
Rope
#732761
39
59
199
9
19
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE
DOWN
FIRE
PIT
FIRE
PIT
BULK
ROPE
SALE!
$24.99
WHILE
SUPPLIES
LAST!
FIR
ALE!
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OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE NEOPRENE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR PRICE
DX
LINE
FullyOUR
adjustable.
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR PRICE
PRICE
SPORTS
ULTIMATE
OUR
PRICE
CERAMICOUR PRICE
PIT
CERAMIC
FIRE
PIT
NEOPRENE
UE
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE ZERO
OUR PRICE BAG
OUR
PRICE FIRE
FIRE
PIT
ZERO
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR

x300 Twisted Unmanila

Rope
#707449
HOLDER
30
12
5
20
R HOLDER
60
60
60
20
$24.99
60
60
5
Reg $89.99 OUR
PRICE
$29.99

99MESH
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$$699
99
Reg.
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$$
99
Reg.
99
REG.
OR PINK
PINKReg.
CAMO
Reg.
$
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REG.
OR
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CAMO
Reg.
$8
99
Reg.
$
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Reg.
$
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$ $ Reg.
99
CAMO
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Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
#707414
Reg.
$
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REG.
OR
CAMO
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
Mesh
seating,
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
Reg.
$$
99
Reg.
$
99
REG.
OR RIM
PINK
CAMO
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
99
Reg.
99
$$
99
PINK
CAMO
NK
Reg.
$
Reg.
99
Reg.
$
99
REG.
OR
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CAMO
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
SALES
ENDS 4/4/15
Reg.
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$
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Reg.
$ 99
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Reg.
99
PINK
CAMO
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CAMO
PINK
CAMO
OUR
PRICE
OUR$PRICE

Reg. $

99

Reg. $

99

FIRE
PIT
ALE!
WASP
& OUR
CERAMIC
WINCHESTER
ADULT
NEOPRENE
DIRECTORS
FIRE
PIT
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
PRICE
PRICE
Fr
ZIP
UP
OUR
PRICE WINCHESTER
OUR $
PRICE
OUR PRICE&
PRICE WASP
OUR
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OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
FIRE
PIT
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ZIPOUR
UP
BOAT
SEAT
OUR
PRICE
WASP$
& OUR
WINCHESTER
OUR
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OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
DEEP
SAVE
SAVE FIR
CERAMIC
SPORTS
NEOPRENE
WINCHESTER
99
99
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
99
$
99
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PRICE
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
TORS
ZIP
BOOTFOOT
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Poly
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Truck
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#709852
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
ZIP
& WASP
ST
WINCHESTER
WINCHESTER
STEEL
DIRECTORS
ZIP
UP
STEEL
PLANER
ORS
DIRECTORS
ADULT
ZIP
UP
BE
INE
Reg
$99.99
OUR
PRICE
WINCHESTER
ZIP
UP
TORS
SEAT
ZIP UP
UP BAG
STEEL
Bonus
Handwarmer
w/ 39
$34.99
CHAIR
SERIES
BOOTFOOT
SERIES
OTHER
COLORS
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STEEL
GRAVITY
50%
OFF!
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TO
STEEL
ST
FIREPOTS
SERIES
FIREPOTS
HUSKY
JERK $
TYPE
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3
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00
$
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HORNET
9
$
99
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
$
99
Reg
79.99
OUR
PRICE
SWEATSHIRT
$
99
FIREPOTS
FF!
CONSTRUCTION
$24.99
SWEATSHIRT
TYPE
IIBAY
pocket
included.CONSTRUCTION
SWEATSHIRT
SERIES
Shadow Grass
$
99
99
BY
$$ $$ Snail
99
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BY
PRO
LINECONSTRUCTION
CO
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BY
PROPRO
LINE
SWEATSHIRT
SWEATSHIRT
$99 SWEATSHIRT
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$ #700316
99 BYCHAIR
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99
99 HORNET
CHAIR
CONSTRUCTION
LINE
$
99
99
99
KING'S
9/64x200
Nylon Starter
Rope
BY
Snail
BAYLINE
$
99
99
$
Grey
Rope
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30
80
toWc
CONSTRUCTION
Insulated
CO
PRO
LINE
FREE
Insulated
JACKET
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PRO
LINE
KING'S
BAYLINE
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Rope
#700316
CHAIR
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CONSTRUCTION
$
99
PRO
LINE
$
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PRO
BY
BY
PRO
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PRO
LINE
CHAIR
KING'S
W/
mesh
rim,
mesh
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Insulated
KILLER
W
KILLER
Rope
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LIFE
x300
Twisted
Unmanila
Rope #707449
Insulated

Insulated
CONSTRUCTION
Insulated
BY
Grey

KILLER
Insulated
LIFE
JACKET

Insulated

King
Frog
King
Frog
CAMO

W/
mesh
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mesh

W/
mesh
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mesh
CAMO
W/
mesh
rim,
mesh
W/
mesh
rim,
mesh
King Frog
W/
KILLER
CHEST
SYSTEM
CHEST
WADER
Reg
$14.99
OUR
PRICE $4.99
cover
protect
against
W/mesh
meshrim,
rim,mesh
Holds
upSIDE
toWADER
300 lbs. TRAY
4.99
W/
CAMO
co
cover
CHEST
FLAG
King
Frog
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CAMO
CAMO
CAMO
Holds
up
toto
300
lbs. WADER
co
14 oz.
mesh
14
oz. to protect against
CAMO
cover
to
protect
against
CHEST
WADER
W/
SIDE
TRAY
cover
to
protect
against
Reg
$89.99
OUR
PRICE

Bird

Bird

14
oz.
lbs.
4.99
cover
to
protect
against
cover
to
protect
against
co
$29.99
E
TRAY
W/
SIDE
TRAY
ying
sparks.
6
3
ying
sparks.
TRAY
cover
toprotect
protectagainst
against
Bird
10
30
cover
to
y
14
oz. sparks.
Sizes
10, 11
&
12
KNEE
Sizes
10,BOOT
11 &BOOT
12
TRAY
y
E
TRAY
KNEE
Mesh
seating,
KNEE
SALES
ENDS
4/4/15
Rope
#768388
KNEE
Bird
Sizes
10,
11 10,
&BOOT
12
#768388
5/32x200
Nylon
Starter
Rope #768388 OPEN
ying
ying
sparks.
BOOT
Mesh
seating,
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sparks.
Rope
Kills returning
Kills returning
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sparks.
ying
sparks.
y
KNEE
BOOT
BOOT
Turtle
Turtle
KNEE
Sizes
11
& 12
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sparks.
ying
sparks.
KNEE
BOOT

Kills
returning
6AM-9PM
EVERYDAY!

STORE
CLOSED
EA
KNEE
BOOT
Rope
#768388

Turtle
Truck
Rope
#732761
40"WHILE
X3/8x600
14" SUPPLIES
40"
X
14"
40"
WIN
705 LAST!
3BU 40" X 14"
40"
Kills
returning
WIN
705
3BU
LAST! AND19
WHILE
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6
29
40"
Fully
adjustable.
Turtle
WIN
705
3BU
insects
insects
CUP
SUPPLIES
LAST!
AND
CUP
Reg $19.99 OUR PRICE
X
14"
Frog
WIN
705
3BU
WIN
705
3BU
Fully adjustable.
40"
X
14"
insects
WIN
WIN
705
3BU
Frog19
40"
X
14"
40"
40"
X
14"
$6.99
WIN
WIN
705
3BU

WIN
705
3BU
WHILE
705
3BU
SAVE
WHILE
SUPPLIES
LAST!
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SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
UP
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
40"
X
14"
40"
X
14"
$6.99

705
3BU
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE

Frog
WIN
705
3BU
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
insects
P
AND
CUP
AND
CUP

Boys
Sizes
3-6
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
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SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
Boys
Sizes
3-6
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
UP
$99.99
OUR PRICEw/$34.99
SOFT
PLASTIC
Frog
Reg
Bonus
Handwarmer
$6.99
Bonus
Handwarmer
w/
SAVE
Boys
Sizes
3-6
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
COLORS
AVAILABLE
up 3-6
up
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE
SAVE Many
SAVE
SAVE
Bonus
Boys
Sizes
3-6
Boys
Handwarmer
w/
Boys
Sizes
3-6
Many
colors
&
styles w/
Bonus
Sizes
3-6
colors
styles
SAVE
SAVE
OTHER
COLORS
AVAILABLE
SAVE
SAVE
Boys
Sizes
3-6
Reaches
Boys
Sizes
Reaches
up
OTHER
Sizes
3-6
SAVE
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00
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#707113
00
$
00
$
00
00
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Poly Braided Rope$#707113
$
00
00
$
$
Boys
Sizes
3-6
colors
& styles
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Handwarmer
Boys
Sizes
3-6
$16
00
$ $$
00
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$80
00 Many
$16
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00
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#707113
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00
$
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pocket included.
Men
Sizes
7-13
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00 $
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Men
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7-1300
$
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$
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to
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ft.
to 29
ft.
Men
Sizes
included.
$
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$
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$
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150
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#707113
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2
to
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30
2
00
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00
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Men
Sizes
7-13
Men
Sizes
7-13
30
30
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00 Many
$
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$
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20
30
30
150
$
00
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$
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$$
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pocket
Men
Sizes
7-13
4
20
12
Men
Sizes
7-13
30
80
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2
Men
Sizes
7-13to 29 ft.$
to $
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$
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$
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Men
Men
Sizes
7-13
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29
ft.
Men
Sizes
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20
30
30
150
VEST
30
16
2
to
choose
from
Reg $79.99 OUR PRICE $24.99
20
30
30
20
30
R
20
30
150
$24.99
30
150
20
30
150
4
12
4
1
9
14
$24.99
Reg. $
99
MAIL IN REBATE

Large or X Large
w/ coupon
Large
or
X line)
Large
o spools
of stren
USCG
Approved

49
5
39
19
39
19
19

SAVE
$
00

USCG Approved
Universal
Fit
Universal Fit
10200-200-004-12
10200-200-004-12
10200-200-005-12
10200-200-005-12

Reg. $

99

339
2
19
19 9
2929
9
72
4929
3 49
29
9
49
3
29
49 3

DHJ-12
15 Selected Colors to
choose from
WHILE 6,000 LAST!

SAVE
$
00

Reg. $

OUR PRICE

99

OUR PRICE

Specic Pheromones
Soft Bait Minnow

Wide variety of
Reg.
$ 99
99
99
Reg.
$
99 REG.
Reg.
$
99
SALES
ENDS
4/4/15Unmanila
afabric
Rope
#707414
OR&PINK
CAMO
x600
Twisted
Rope
#707414
ll
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
Reg.
99
Reg.
Reg.
$599
99
Reg.
$
99
a
Rope
#707414
colors
sizes
69
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
Reg.
$$
99
Reg.
$$
99
Reg.
Reg.
$
99
Reg.
$39
99
Reg.
$
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Reg.
$
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59
PINK
CAMO
69
$
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO Reg.
Reg.
$
99 6,
Reg.
$
99
la
Rope
#707414
99
Reg.
$
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Reg.
$
99
69
129
NK
CAMO
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
REG.
OR
PINK
CAMO
s
NK
CAMO
69
129
69
8 & 12 pcs.
PINK
CAMO
GERSON
69
129
69
69
129
59
39
SAVE
SAVE
Reg
$79.99
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
$24.99
$24.99
OUR
PRICE
WHILE
38,000
LAST!
ZERO
OUR
PRICE
ZERO
WASP
&
CEZERO
OUR
PRICE
$
00 NEOPRENE
$
$24.99
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
OUR PRICE
PRICE
ZIP
UP
CERAMIC
NEOPRENE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
ZERO
OUR
PRICE
OUR
15
500
NEOPRENE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
CE
OUR
PRICE
OUR
PRICE
NEOPRENE
ck Rope
Rope
#709852
NEOPRENE
WINCHESTER
x300
Poly Twisted Truck
Rope
#709852
NEOPRENE
ck
#709852
WINCHESTER
ZIP
UP
SERIES
ckHORNET
Rope
#709852
GRAVITY
GRAVITY
Reg. $
SWEATSHIRT
BOOTFOOT
BOOTFOOT
999
BOOTFOOT
FIREPOTS
GRAVITY
BOOTFOOT
$24.99
SERIES
BOOTFOOT
Reg
79.99
OUR
PRICE
FULL
THROTTLE
BOOTFOOT
GRAVITY
24.99
BY PRO LINE
OPE
24.99
OUR
PRICE
SWEATSHIRT
Insulated
ADULT
KILLER
CHAIR
KING'S
BAY
KING'S
BAY

Snail
BY
PRO
LINE
CHAIR
KING'S
BAY

x300
Twisted
Unmanila
Rope
#707449
a Rope
Rope
#707449
BAYII BAY
Snail
CHAIR
HOLE SHOT
54" TUBE KING'S
L
KING'S
Insulated
CHAIR
a
#707449
CHAIR
TYPE
la
Rope
14CAMO
oz.#707449 Reg. Holds
Holds
up to
to
300 lbs.
lbs. CHEST
King 99
Frog
LES
Holds
up to
300 lbs.WADER
$
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TOP MICHIGAN

5M

EARLY SEASON
BASS LAKES
By Buck Mallory

ichigans
catch
and release season
starts the last weekend
of April state-wide. Bass are abundant
and havent been thrown at (legally
anyway) since last fall. Theyre also
getting ready to spawn, which can
make them easy targets. I dont like
catching them right off of bedsand
the four lakes here that are attached to
the Great Lakes have big goby populations. Studies show that these voracious little invaders move in immediately and eat bass eggs when an angler
pulls a bass off a bed. But these lakes
provide lots of bass that are roaming
flats and/or tight to structure this time
of year, so you can catch loads of fish
without interfering with reproduction.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

White Lake

18

Other than Lake St. Clair, this

2,571-acre lake that empties into
Lake Michigan in Muskegon County
is the best big-smallmouth lake
on the list. My personal best is a
5-pound 6-ounce beaut and Ive seen
other guys catch bigger oneslots
of themwith multiple 6-pounders
weighed in at tournaments here.
Early season, the best places are
the offshore reef sections where the
depth goes from about 5 feet to 15,
where youll find a big transition with
a big weed ledge. Some of the fish
in this area are on beds, others are
ambushing bluegills that are heading to beds. You can go through there
and crank on them. One of my best
lures for this is the Strike King KVD
1.5 Square Bill Crankbait in the Sexy
Shad pattern. Best method here is to
position the boat on the flat and cast
right to the edge of the weedsthe
weedline is easy to see. Crank, and if
the crankbait loads up in the weeds,
snap it out. Snapping it often triggers
the strike.
For throwing this little crank, I
like a baitcasting combo, a Shimano
Chronarch baitcasting reel with a 7:1
retrieve ratio spooled with 12-pound
test fluorocarbon line and paired with
a 6-10 medium-action G. Loomis
Crankbait Rod.
Another popular method is jerkbaiting on the flat with the KVD
Jerkbait. One of my favorite colors
is the Mad Dog Shad, which looks
a lot like the Sexy Shad, but has a
slightly less dense chartreuse stripe
down its side. Its a whiter lure. Use

the common twitch

and stop method. For
jerkbaits in general I
like to throw them on a Shimano 7-3
medium-action Jerkbait Rod with a
Shimano Chronarch 6.3:1 retrieve
ratio casting reel. A lot of guys prefer
throwing jerkbaits with open-face
spinning outfits, but I feel a baitcast
combo gives me more control. Ten- to
12-pound fluorocarbon line gets the
nod here, too.

Muskegon Lake

This is a popular lake for bass

anglers who catch a mixed bag of
largemouth and smallmouth, so expect
company on this 4,150-acre piece
of water attached to Lake Michigan.
Early in the catch and release season
here, its great to target smallmouth in
the shipping channel with lipless rattlers such as the Strike King Red Eye
Shad. I position the boat parallel with
the seawall and make my casts as precisely as possible so the lure stays as
close toeven occasionally deflecting
off ofthe steel seawall.
Another good tactic for catching
largemouth in the early season here
is targeting offshore slabwood piles
from the logging operations of yesteryear. You can find this structure really
well if you have sonar with side-imaging. I use a Humminbird 1199. Most
of these piles, youll find are near the
where the Muskegon River comes
into the lake on the east side. Theyre
in depths of 8 to 14 feet. I like using
a -ounce Hack Attack Football Jig
from Strike King with a Rage Craw
trailer. Black and blue and green
pumpkin are solid colors. Just cast it
out and drag it back trying to make
contact with the woodpiles. Thats
why a heavier jig works betteryou
can feel it really well as you work it
back. My set-up for throwing this jig
is a Shimano Chronarch in the 6.3:1
ratio on a G. Loomis GLX 7-1 JWR
Rod (JWR stands for Jig-Worm-Rod).
Those are two great ways to catch
them on Muskegon without harassing
bedding fish.

The author caught this nice Gull Lake smallmouth on Jackall Squad 120 jerkbait in the Super Shad pattern. Author photos

can get rough in a hurry, so if youre

not confident in your skills driving a
boat, fish where you have a quick run
to safe harbor.
Target smallmouth with the
jerkbait anywhere along the Mile
Road Section, which is a vast area
between the Detroit River and Detroit
Metro Park. Choose the color of your
jerkbait with the weather (and youve
probably heard this before, but its
really true) the brighter the day, the
lighter, brighter the color; the darker
the day, the darker, denser the color.
Favorite colors include Chrome/
Blue Back and Sexy Ghost Minnow
for bright days and Clown (basically
metallic gold sides with a metallic
red head) for dark days. A pattern that
goes against the dense colors for dark
days is the Strobe Shad, which has
clear sides and a chartreuse bellyit
is terrific for darker days. Anywhere
you can find gravel or shell beds is a
potential hotspot. Ive seen days of
well over 100 fish averaging 3 to 4
pounds. No wonder St. Clair was rated
as the top bass lake in the country by
a national magazine a couple of years
ago!
Another pattern to try is throwThe queen mother of all smalling a chartreuse spinnerbaitthe
mouth lakes (with great largemouth
1/2-ounce Strike King Tour Grade
fishing) in Michigan, St. Clair is a
is a great one. Target grass lines in
bass anglers paradise as soon as the
protected bays for giant largemouth
catch-and-release season opens. This
is a huge lakesometimes considered Ive caught five largies that combined
the sixth Great Lake, 430-square miles to weigh more than 20 pounds doing
in size. Averaging just 11 feet deep, it that. Most people dont realize the

St. Clair

largemouth potentialthe real likelihood of catching lots of big onesin

this lake. My spinnerbait combo is a
Chronarch 6.3:1 baitcast reel paired
with a 7-4 G. Loomis rod, medium action. I like 14-pound fluorocarbon. By
the way, most of my reels are spooled
with XPS Fluorocarbon from Bass Pro
Shops, which is not only strong and
abrasion resistant, but value-priced,
too.
One last tactic that has caught
many fish on St. Clair for lots of guys
is tossing the venerable tube. Goby
colors are popular and productive,
but black, blue, green pumpkin and
purple are all good tube colors here. I
like spinning tackle for tube fishing.
A Shimano Stradic spinning reel with
8-pound fluoro on a 7-1 G. Loomis
GLX Tube Rod is just the ticket.

Gull Lake

Located between Kalamazoo and

Battle Creek, this lake is the only one
of our Top 5 that isnt connected to
a Great Lake. Its fairly big, at 2,030
acres, and you can pretty much take
two rods in the spring and expect to
catch some nice bass. One is a jerkbait
rod; the other is a lipless crankbait
rod for throwing that Red Eye Shad.
Basically the same rules hold for Gull
as they do on St. Clair. Gull, in the
spring before it starts getting hammered by recreational boaters and jet

Top 5 Bass Lakes page 20

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

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19

Top 5 Early Season Bass Lakes:

skiers, is extremely clear. Target pre-spawn bass on
any staging flat near grass beds, most of which are
in depths of 4 to 10 feet. The most productive flats
are those that drop gradually into deep water. Other
flats that have steep drop-offs, but the fishing isnt
usually anywhere near as good. Target the dark
spots on the flatsthrow beyond them and bring
your lure through. A favorite jerkbait is the Jackall
Squad Minnow 120.
Gull is infested with northern pike, which are
plenty of fun to catch, too, but pike can bite off
lures quickly when youre targeting bass and dont
have a heavy, tooth-resistant leader. My Uncle Jim
Mallory taught me something about catching pike
when bass fishing and Ive found it to be true. If
you catch a pike or two on one of these flats, assume the toothy northerns have chased the bass
somewhere, so move to the shallower part of the
flat and continue targeting bass. If you dont catch
bass in the shallow areas, move to the deeper part.
Bass are usually still around somewhere on the flat.

Pentwater Lake

This is another beautiful, clear lakethe one

located farthest north of the five and one of the
smallest at just 483 acres. Like Muskegon and
White, its connected to Lake Michigan and it
has some dandy smallmouths in it. This is a long
lakemore than 8 miles of shorelineand about

from page 18

half of it is no-wake. So if you go there, dont be

in a hurry! The no-wake zone is most of the lakes
west end, from the pier all the way until you get
east of the condos by Charlies Marina.
You can target the smallmouth with the same
methods described for any of the above lakes, but
the seawalls are especially awesome. Like at Muskegon, a good tactic is to get close to the wall and
cast so you can bring your lipless rattler right down
and occasionally touch the wall as you retrieve.
Any place in this lake can be amazing, but
early in the year, the pierheads and channel seem to
shine the brightest. With the speed restrictions, this
lake doesnt get a lot of bass-fishing pressure, so
the fish can be super aggressive about going after
your lures.
This is just a smattering of the great waters to
target in the first part of the bass season. Others
include Burt, Mullet, Grand Traverse Bay, Saginaw
Bay, the Michigan waters of Lake Erie (which are
pretty phenomenal year round). So this year, get
out and get on em.
Buck Mallory, Lawton, Michigan, is a touring
pro fishing Bassmaster Open tournaments and an
enthusiastic angler for bass everywhere they swim,
but especially in his home state. Each month hell
be contributing a Michigan-oriented column about
his passion. For more bass action and videos, check
out Buck Mallory Bass LLC on Facebook.n

The author caught this nice 5-pound smallie on Lake

St. Clair by dragging a Strike King Coffee Tube.

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Its a sunfish surprise

lone ice angler sits on a bucket in

late March on a favorite U.P. lake,
pondering this last-ice state of affairs. A pink sunset is waning and
all his fishing buddies have since
departed. Fishing, he thought, is such
a celebration of all the good things of life; peace,
joy, understanding, patience, and little
successes along the way. Glancing at his
hole, a tiny cork bobber is sliding sideways in the hole, a sure-fire sign that a
crappie just hit his pink/white, Rat Finke
jig and it was now swimming to the
surface from a mere five feet of water. A
good tussle this sunfish gave, just like the
other sunfish in its family.
Suddenly, our lone angler remembered something he had put in the vault
(his memory box), but later, flew away,
until now: Two of his favorite
fish, the crappie and the bluegill,
both members of the sunfish
family, had relatives he did not know about. It was
a sudden epiphany and a sunfish surprise. Did you
know smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are
members of the sunfish family? And the rock bass
too. Yes, there is more to the sunfish family than
meets the eye.
Common Sunfish Characteristics include:
A Pan-shaped body the body of the fish is

compressed vertically.
A two-section dorsal fin with spiny rays near the
front.
The scales are rough-edged.
Males build and guard the nest.
Most sunfish prefer water temperatures of 70- to
85-degrees (quite warm).
Spring and Open Water
Its water temperature that determines
spawning cycles so why not start your
own personal opening day (according
to regulations) with some of the popular
Michigan species and their spawning
sequences. Then lets discuss the sunfish
family with the surprising bass in the
family tree.
Spawning Sequences: Pike 40-45-degrees, walleye 42-50-degrees, perch
46-48-degrees, muskie 49-59-degrees.
While the water warms, watch
and be surprised at all of
Mother Natures nesting and
spawning rituals.
Sunfish Spawning: Crappie 63-72 degrees.
Of all the sunfish species, locating crappies in the
springtime is a challenge.
They are extremely weather sensitive, says
Mark Mylchreest, Michigan DNR Fisheries Supervisor (Chrystal Falls Office), highly skilled, allspecies angler, and friend. I watch my barometer

By Robert Dock Stupp

for continuous warming days. Then I check water

temperatures. Crappies will move into relatively
shallow water, near a drop-off or weedline, and into
a pre-spawn mode when the water temperatures
reach the mid-50s.
They may move in and back out if a spring cold
front occurs.
Now here is the Nitty-Gritty for the sunfish
angler: Actual spawning takes place when temperatures reach into the low 60-degree mark. This
is a good guideline then search for main-lake
reeds and wind-protected bays with weed and/
or rock cover in soft sand, sandy loam or marl.
Mark continues by informing us that the males
penetrate the shallows first and are light in color
and very spooky. The longer they remain there, the
darker they become. This is triggered by hormonal
changes, making them increasingly territorial and
aggressive.
Females will join the males and the spawning
cycle may take several weeks.
Finally, I will mention that during this spawning period, crappies are extremely easy to catch. I
have seen, in my lifetime, good prolific lakes that
were seriously fished down to small populations of
small crappies. A good practice is practicing Select
Harvest keeping average fish to eat and practicing
catch and release on the spawners (I use my cam-

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Sunfish surprise
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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

era).
The Beautiful Bluegill: 67-degrees to magical multi-spawning ability. What a privilege it is
to watch the spawning cycles of newborns in the
natural world. From fawns to sunfish, to be a witness to these miraculous births, is an honor and it
would be a shame to miss the show! Get in a small
boat and use our trolling motor to creep up on the
bluegill nests.
There is no substitute for time on the water.
The magical spawning temperature is about 67 degrees but I have seen reports that put the spawning
temps anywhere from 65-80 degrees. Added to this
wide range of spawning capabilities is that bluegills possess multi-spawning ability. I like to think
that they are aware of their present populations and
the amount of forage available to them. Then they
propagate or not
I like going to Sunset Lake in Iron County and
fishing and watching the nests. In the cattails with
Notice the funnel-like, thin membrane lips of this
the Red-winged Blackbirds cackling away, the
beautiful crappies mouth.
shallow, saucer-like nests are excavated in the sand
Mylchreest, gave me this statistic and wants me
and gravel and are lighter in color than the surto keep in the vault for times like this, Folks, a
roundings.
The beautiful bluegill, with its stunning, almost nine-incher is a big bluegill in the north country
and it take upwards of 8-years to get there. A little
florescent sky-blues and oranges and sometimes
yellow hues, takes a long time to grow in the North swimming gem, these gillies are!
Mother Natures Equation
Country. The young grow a little over an inch a
Out in the cane forest with my john boat, the
year and reach 4-6 inches in three years (if the
loons and I are eating lunch. When I see bass in my
competition for food is not too heavy).
little bluegill heaven, I am no longer alarmed. Oh,
Our local MDNR fisheries biologist, Mark

22

the bass eat the gills alright, but it should be noted

that natures equation is figured into this predation
by producing and depositing as many as 38,000
eggs per female. Yes, eaten by their own relatives.
Never could trust em!
But, heres a sunfish surprise! A lake, river, or
pond is much better off with bass (mostly largemouths) being present because it produces balance.
Stunted bluegill populations are usually avoided.
Nature is grand!
Let me say here that bream is another family
member as well as the ubiquitous pumpkinseed, a
sunfish with a broad back that has, perhaps, more
zip in its zig-zag.
Yes, the sunfish family has more than 30 spiny
rayed species that are native to North America. For
most people interested in fish for the fry pan and
sport, their fighting tenacity includes those notable,
circling, powerful turns that ignite a piscatorial
rush that is unsurpassed until they bite into their
firm white flesh.
Both the largemouth and the smallmouth bass-the black bass of the sunfish family are super
game fish with a fighting, aggressive nature most
of the time and have good tasting flesh, most of the
time.
A very popular fish, they are seen by couch
potatoes like me, all winter. Lots of money is won
and lost in tournaments all over North America.
Identifying characteristics include: Two dorsal fins
with a deep notch between spinous and soft-rayed
portions, body longer than deep, upper jaw extends
beyond rear of eye, and telltale deep lateral streak.
Shares its habitat with muskies, northern pike,

yellow perch, and bullheads. They are adapted to

warm water of 80 to 82-degrees F. They spawn in
late spring or early summer.
The smallmouth bass the top game fish has two
dorsal fins with spinous and soft-rayed portions
united, the body also longer than deep, but, here is
where it derives its name --- the rear end of the upper jaw does not extend past the eye.
Smallmouth bass reside in Great Lakes bays
where waters are cool and clear, and the bottom
consists of rock and/or gravel. Look for bronzebacks in protective cover such as shoal rocks, on
sloping breaklines, and, of course, underwater logs,
the bigger -- the better. They prefer cooler water
than largemouths, about 68-70-degrees F.
Because I like to spy on them, I look for water temperatures about 60-degrees or more. The
male again builds a nest in quiet water near shore
or downstream from an obstruction that causes a
break in the currant. The busy male will guard the
eggs and newly hatched fry, so I look for the nest
not far from a drop-off or cover, a place where he
can retreat to when disturbed or frightened.
One of my most treasured of all gamefish, we
will certainly return to this bronze battler discussion a little later in the year. but suffice it to say,
my memory is crystal clear and so is the water
on Ottawa Lake, in the Ottawa National Forest,
where, surprisingly, smallmouths run to 5 and even
7-pounds (Ill show you a beauty). It was pitch
dark when the fish hit on a big, black Jitterbug.
will tell the whole story later.
Yes, the surprising, spawning sunfish rituals will
soon begin. Get out there in those cattails with the
loons and the red-winged blackbirds!n

Middlevil e angler breaks freshwater drum state record

The Department of Natural Resources confirmed a new state record last month for freshwater drum
caught by Mark Leep of Middleville on Gun Lake in Barry County Saturday, Jan. 24, at 4:30 p.m. Leep
was spearing. The fish weighed 28.61 pounds and measured 34.02 inches. Kregg Smith, a DNR fisheries
biologist in Plainwell, verified the record, the first record caught in 2015. James Black caught the previous state-record freshwater drum, weighing 26 pounds and measuring 37.5 inches, on Muskegon Lake
May 28, 1973. In Michigan, freshwater drum typically inhabit the Great Lakes or their tributaries. Based
on the size of this fish, it found its way to Gun Lake several years ago, perhaps through illegal stocking,
as there are limited connections to a large river system. Anglers are reminded that transferring fish from
one water body to another is prohibited without an approved permit, because such transfers can disrupt
the fish community in the receiving water through predation, competition with native species or introduction of new disease-causing organisms. State records are recognized by weight only. To qualify for a state
record, fish must exceed the current listed state-record weight, and a DNR fisheries biologist must verify
identification. For more information on fishing in Michigan, visit michigan.gov/fishing.

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Whitetail Biology...By John Ozoga

hite-tailed deer are a prey species.

Their sight, hearing, and sense of
smell are especially adapted to evade
predators, human hunters included.
While the whitetails ability to
hear and smell potential danger are
probably most critical for survival purposes, Ive
been impressed by their ability to detect even the
smallest bit of potentially dangerous movement.
As Lennie Rue notes: A deers eye is geared
to detect motion, the slightest motion, and to move
while the subject is in the deers range of vision is
to ensure detection.
Although the whitetails ability to differentiate colors has been hotly debated, even among
scientist, recently reported study findings may
have finally answered this intriguing question: Can
whitetails detect colors?

Vision Basics

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Like most prey species, a deers eyes are set on

the side of the head, providing a wide field of view.
Their slightly bulging eyes also increase their field
of vision. Hence, the deer eye structure permits deer
to distinguish distant objects across 310 degrees
field of view without moving their head.
Day or night, whitetails have excellent vision. Like other animals adapted to being active at
night, deer have a membrane in the back of the eye
referred to as the tapetum lucidum. This membrane
allows light to pass through the receptor layer a
second time, enhancing vision during dim light and
producing eyeshine when exposed to bright light at
night.
Unlike other mammals that are strictly crepuscular
and nocturnal, deer can also see well in bright light.
This ability is probably because of a ring of pigment surrounding the cornea in the eye that acts as
an antiglare device.
Given the deers ability to see in bright light,
noted scientist Dietland Muller-Schwarze suggests
the following: Under strong light, the pupils of the
eye close into a slit, focusing light onto a horizontal
band across the eyes retina. In exactly this streak
are clustered the nerve cells that function as signal
conductors, carrying messages from the photoreceptors to the brain. The arrangement and density of
the nerve cells, called ganglion cells, in the visual
streak account for the deers ability to detect danger
from afar.
Other researchers theorize that the visual streak
corresponds to the horizon that dominates an
animals view in open-country. If so, then deer are
especially adapted to detect danger in flat country.
As another aid in their vision, notes Rue,
deer often use triangulation. This generally
involves a deer bobbing its head up or down or
moving it from side to side, giving the animal two
vantage points of vision and helping in depth perception.

24

Debating Color Vision

Early reports concerning deer color vision were

conflicting. Some suggested that whitetails had no
ability to detect colors. However, other scientists
reported the presence of cones (color receptors) on
the deers retina and their ability to distinguish different colors.
According to Muller-Schwarze, deer appear
to have the anatomical apparatus for color vision,

Like most prey species, a deers eyes are

set on the side of the head, providing a wide
field of view. Their slightly bulging eyes also
increase their field of vision.

though again, not all studies agree. In vertebrate

eyes there are two kinds of photoreceptors: rods,
which respond to single photons and enable vision
in dim light, and cones, which account for color and
daylight vision. The mix of rods and cones -- or the
absence of one form altogether -- determines what
kind of vision an animal has.
Until recently, speculation regarding deer color
perception revolved mostly around an understanding of physiological and anatomical characteristics
of the deer eye.
One study measured the electrical activity of the
photoreceptors in the retinas of whitetails. These
investigators concluded that deer are less sensitive to light of long wavelengths (orange and red)
and actually rely upon their perception of only two
colors -- yellow and blue.
At least one study found that deer had difficulty
in picking out green. Considering that deer typically
forage in a myriad of grassy and green vegetation
this seems puzzling, leading the investigators to
speculate that deer may not need to distinguish colors in their natural environments, even though they
can do so in the laboratory.
Although the available data suggest that deer
can differentiate colors, until recently, there have
been relatively few studies based on the behavioral
response of deer to color.

so-called forced choice test, using a form of food

reward when deer made the right choice.
Initially, deer were trained to associate a lighted
trough with a food reward. That is, during a given
trial, deer were offered 2 similar troughs, but only
the lighted trough held accessible food. Hence, deer
were trained to feed from the lighted trough.
After training, deer were tested to determine
their sensitivity to light of various wavelengths,
ranging from 360nm to 650nm (bright blue to
orange-red). Then, the intensity of a given light was
varied until deer no longer responded.
Of the wavelengths tested, deer were most sensitive to 430nm and least sensitive to 650nm. Deer
were successfully trained to detect ultraviolet and
near-ultraviolet light (360nm and 380nm), but had
difficulty detecting long-wavelength (590nm and
650nm) colors such as blaze orange.
These findings, based on behavioral study, generally agree with previous speculation concerning
the whitetails ability to perceive color and that this
ability influences their behavior.

Implications

The whitetails crepuscular behavior is wellsuited to its improved sensitivity to short-wavelength light, because when deer are most active the
available light is in the short-wavelength part of the
visible light spectrum.
According to the Georgia-based researchers,
The [whitetails] sensitivity to blue wavelengths
One of the most recent published studies concerning white-tailed deer color vision was conduct- across a wide visual field likely facilitates moveed by Bradley Cohen and others at the University of ment through their environment during times
Georgia. They used 7 semi-tame whitetail does in a humans would typically perceive as low-light

The Latest

conditions, and also aids in predator

detection along a horizon.
In addition, these researchers point-out the following: Some
predator pelts exhibit low near-UV
reflectance; also, the twilight sky is
rich in the wavelengths at this end
of the spectrum. Thus, increased
sensitivity to short-wavelength light
may enhance the ability of whitetailed deer to detect predators during
crepuscular periods of activity. The
visual perception of the white-tailed
deer is well-adapted for a crepuscular
prey species with an array of both
coursing and stalking predators, being specialized for sensitivity during
the times they are most active and
enabling detection of predators along
their horizon.
Of practical importance to the
deer hunter, Rue emphasizes the following: While talking about wearing
camouflage, it is important that you
do not wash such clothing in any of
the supermarket super detergents,
because they all contain ultraviolet
(UV) brighteners that not only
makes your whites whiter than
white, but makes your camo
clothing brighter than bright. It has
been discovered that deer can see
the ultraviolet light emanating from
clothing so washed.

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Conclusions

Despite earlier disagreement

among scientists, the most recent
studies clearly show that white-tailed
deer not only have the anatomical
structures necessary to distinguish
colors, but also demonstrate behavioral responses to prove so. However,
deer perceive their world in colors of
blue to yellow-green which is considerably different than humans.
When it comes to employing
vision-based mechanisms to reduce
deer-human conflicts, such as deervehicle collisions, Cohen and his
group recommend increased consideration of the differences in deer
versus human vision sensitivity. They
suggest that vision-based deterrents
focus on the blue-wavelength spectrum to which deer are more sensitive. For example, car headlights
expressing longer wavelengths would
prevent deer from becoming blinded
by headlight glare.
As noted above, the hunter should
also be aware of the whitetails sensitivity to shorter wavelengths than
humans and avoid laundering their
hunting apparel in detergents containing brightening agents. Also, be
alert of the whitetails keen ability to
detect movement across a wide field
of view.n

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(989) 269-9249

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(810) 742-3364

The DNR announced that the application to nominate forest land for
enrollment in Michigans Forest Legacy Program is available online. The
program protects private forest lands from conversion to nonforest uses.
Completed applications and all required documentation must be postmarked and submitted to the Forest Legacy Program by Friday, June 12,
2015.
Michigans Forest Legacy Program uses federal and matching funds to
purchase fee ownership or development rights and conservation easements
(legally binding agreements transferring a negotiated set of property rights
from one party to another) on environmentally important forests within
designated geographic areas, known as Forest Legacy Areas. This can be
accomplished either by bringing the land into public ownership or without
removing the property from private ownership.
Sustainable forest management is as vital to the integrity of private
forest land as it is to public land, said Kerry Wieber, forest land administrator with the DNR Forest Resources Division. Through the Forest Legacy
Program, were able to leverage federal funds to assist people who want to
make sure their forest land continues to provide a home for wildlife, a place
for recreation and a source of timber for the forest products industry.
It is important to note that all easements and interests in land acquired
by the Forest Legacy Program last forever, and must contain agreements
and language to ensure perpetuity of the easements. Michigans program
also requires that the land be open to the public for nonmotorized access
at a minimum. Additionally, landowners are required to prepare a management plan for their property.
Participation in Forest Legacy is limited to private forest landowners.
The federal government may fund up to 75 percent of program costs, with
at least 25 percent coming from private, state or local sources. In addition
to gains associated with the sale or donation of property rights, many landowners may also benefit from reduced taxes associated with limits placed
on land use.
For more information about the Forest Legacy Program, visit www.
michigan.gov/privateforestland.

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May

By Kenny Darwin

Morels

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

ichigan is blessed with a

multitude of hotspots to
hunt tasty morel mushrooms. While some find
gray morels in April the
unseasonably cool spring of 2015 will
result in slim pickings but you can
look forward to a bountiful harvest in
May. Actually, the best time to seek
morels is the month of May when air
temperatures are above 50 degrees,
soil warms and spring rain causes the
fungi to grow overnight.
In areas of northern Michigan
black and gray varieties have already
come out when warming air temperatures allowed the ground to reach
48-56 degrees. Ground temperature
can be easily measured with a cooking
thermometer, I use the same thermometer used to determine water temperature in trout and steelhead streams.
Just place it in the ground, wait a few
minutes and check the reading.
There are many variables that
help mushrooms to grow and warm
soil is often the key to success. You
can count on morels growing when
the air temperature remains above 50
degrees at night. On the other hand
if we have a warm rain to moisten the

26

C old weather could put morel growth

on hold this year but warm spring rain

brings nitrogen, oxygen, moisture and
stimulates mushroom growth.

Finding a handful of fresh morels will bring a smile to anyones face. The authors family keeps a tradition of pan frying native stream brown trout to a crisp while smothering the tasty fish with morel mushrooms. Kenny Darwin photos
soil and enrich the earth with nitrogen
and water and air temperatures remain
warm, you can count on mushrooms
responding. Key elements for top
moral growth include soil type, moisture, and temperature and sun exposure. South facing slopes with sandy
loam are first to produce because they
quickly warm. As May progresses,
look on north slopes, along creeks,
lowlands and under decaying trees.
Perhaps the most important element in finding morels has everything
to do with decaying trees that enrich
the soil and create ideal morel growing conditions. Look under dying
apple trees, ash, elm, poplar, aspen
and more. The trick is to be on the
lookout for trees with bark that is
starting to peel off the tree. There
is a 3-5 year period of decay when
trees create ideal conditions for morel
growth. Decaying trees enrich the
soil with the proper nutrients to make
mushrooms grow. Look on the downwind side of dying trees and along the
root systems. Not all morels grow at
the base of trees. Dying trees are easy
to spot and several dead trees in close
proximity are likely candidates.
Im nuts about looking under dying elm trees in southern Michigan.
In fact, if you go hunting with me you
would be amazed at the deadly tactic
used. I simply stroll from dead tree to
dead tree and spend more time looking up to find decaying limbs than I
spend scanning the terrain. Ive found
bushels of morels under dead elm in
farm lanes, fencerows, yards in the
city, tree lines along the expressway
and more. For a period of three years
I knew about an elm that produced

monster white morels like clockwork.

The honey hole was on the edge of a
field and each spring morels would
pop out of the ground in the open field
where I could spot them with binoculars from the country road. Oh yes,
road hunting for decaying trees is perhaps the most successful moral hunting strategy going in southern Michigan. Ive filled my onion bag with
tasty morsels while scouting turkeys
during the May season. When Im
looking for gobblers fully fanned Im
also scanning for decaying trees. On
several occasions my hunt is cut short
when I discover a mushroom patch
full of tasty white morels. Given the
choice between picking a shopping
bag full of morels or hunting gobblers,
Ill take the mushrooms every time. I
can hunt turkeys another day.
Each spring I visit a west Michigan friend who finds morels on fruit
and apple farms. His tactic is simple,
just look under apple trees, around
tree trimmings and decaying trees
found on hedgerows along fruit farms.
He likes poplar tree lines and orchards
with mature apple trees. Abandoned
orchards that feature decaying trees
are often the ticket to success. He
also likes to hunt morels in northern
Michigan in areas of recent ground
disturbance by clear cut forest operations. Disruptive soil can promote
morel growth the year following the
change to the soil. His strategy was
to find clear cut or burned forests and
search the area by focusing on south
or southeast locations because prevailing winds tend to carry morel spores
to surrounding forests.
Savvy morel hunters practice

wise conservation and they always

try to seed their territory. Some carry
morels in open onion or grapefruit
bags which allow the spores to fall
from the picked morels and seed the
ground where they walk. The idea is
to keep morel spores in your hunting spot. Most morel hunters always
leave some for seed; they do not pick
every morel. Generally they leave
older mushrooms that are starting to
decay. Some crumple the old morels
and scatter the bits throughout the forest where they plan to hunt in future
years.
Many areas of Michigan have too
much clay or hardwood trees that create acidic soil where morels will not
grow. When morel hunting in northern Michigan concentrate on stands of
poplar, aspen, ash, elm and tag alder.
Scan southern exposure hills in early
May and as the month progresses
move to northern slopes and
valleys.
Spotting morels is fun and exciting. It is great sport for family and
friends and a good way to scout your
favorite deer hunting woods. But it
takes plenty of practice to be proficient at seeing morels with ease.
Grays and tans are very difficult to
spot and often blend with leaves.
Whites come out in mid-late May and
are much easier to spot; some will
stand 6-9 inches tall.
As for this old outdoorsman, you
can bet Ill be searching for those
monster whites when turkey hunting or trout fishing. Man, makes my
mouth water to think about fresh trout
and morels in hot butter flied golden
brown.n

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

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27

Let the...

By Mark Romanack

echnically speaking planer boards can be

used anytime the water is soft, but May
marks the month when the majority of
walleye anglers start targeting walleye on
the open waters of the Great Lakes. May
marks the end of the spawning season for
walleye and the beginning of a trolling
season that lasts until ice puts an end to the fun.
May is also a transitional month on waters like
Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay. Its during May that
the spring crankbait bite winds down and the postspawn spinner bite heats up.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

CRANKING IT UP

28

In early May when the surface water temperature is around 50 degrees or below, crankbait
trolling is one of the best ways to target post-spawn
walleye. A few key elements must be applied to effectively catch walleye on crankbaits in cold water.
Slow trolling speeds are needed to tempt strikes
from fish that are not exactly in a mood to chase
down food. For crankbait trolling speeds in the 1.2
to 1.5 MPH range are considered essential to triggering strikes from post-spawn walleye.
Auto-pilot electric motors like MotorGuides
new Xi5 are ideal for trolling at these slow speeds.
Not only do these electric motors have rheostat
speed controls that allow anglers to dial in any
desired trolling speed, the auto-pilot function keeps
the boat on course freeing up the angler to set lines,
adjust lead lengths and change out lures as necessary.
The second essential to effectively catching
post-spawn walleye on crankbaits is selecting lures
that have a subtle but seductive action. In general,
long slender minnow divers are the best baits for
spring walleye trolling. These lures can be stickbaits that only dive a few feet or minnow divers
which dive as deep as 30 feet or more.
Stickbaits can be fished in combination with
snap weights to help them achieve a little more
depth. Diving minnow baits are controlled in the
water column by simply controlling the lead length.
Often a mixture of stickbaits and minnow divers
produces the best results. Great stickbaits for postspawn walleye trolling the Rapala Husky Jerk 14,
Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, Smithwick Perfect 10 and
the Reef Runner Ripstick.
In the minnow diver category, must have
crankbaits include the Rapala Deep Husky Jerk 12,
Reef Runner 600 and 800 series, Smithwick Super
Rogue and Berkley Flicker Minnow No. 7.
All of these lures will perform best when fished

The authors wife Mari knows how to get the most from Board Games on the Great Lakes. Mark Romanack photos
in combination with a set-up of in-line planer
boards. In-line boards are preferred for cold water
trolling applications compared to traditional planer
board mast systems. Mast system planer boards
function best when used at trolling speeds of from
1.8 to 3.0 MPH making them a poor choice for cold
water trolling applications.
At the slow speeds needed to target walleye
bites in May, in-line boards allow anglers to troll
as slow as necessary. A standard set up for in-line
boards features either two or three boards per side
of the boat. This set up makes for a manageable
number of lines, yet allows the angler plenty of
flexibility in lure choices and target depths.
In May post-spawn walleye can be found anywhere in the water column from a few feet below
the surface to a few feet above bottom. The best
way to approach this situation is to trust in your
electronics and target the fish you see on the graph.

Understanding how deep your favorite crankbaits

dive is a critical part of this equation.
The Depth Diving Data provided by Precision
Trolling Data, LLC is available to trollers as an
iOS and Android app which can be purchased from
the Apple Store and Google Play respectively. The
same data is available in a printed format known as
Precision Trolling Stickers which are available
at www.precisiontrollingdata.com. The Precision
Trolling Stickers are printed on a waterproof vinyl suitable for adhering to the lid of tackle boxes.

THE BOTTOM SPINNER BITE

About the time the surface waters of Lake Erie

and Saginaw Bay hit the magic 50 degree mark,
post-spawn walleye fishing begins to phase away
from crankbait trolling in favor of trolling with
spinner rigs. Spinner rigs are nightcrawler harnesses
fished in various ways to target fish near the bottom

FISHING SPINNERS SUSPENDED

When walleye start to suspend in the water

column they can be targeted with a host of trolling
weights. Historically anglers used keel sinkers and
snap weights to target suspended walleye. These
weight systems work well and shine best when
walleye are found high in the water column. Both
keel sinkers and snap weights achieve their depth

Not only are in-line boards an affordable means of getting started trolling, they function very well at all
walleye fishing presentations including slow trolling in cold water.
based on the size of the weight used and the trolling speed. Because neither of these weight systems
actually dive, they are best suited for targeting fish
in the top 15 foot of the water column.
Reaching walleye that are suspended deeper in
the water column is a job best left to a newer trolling weight called the Tadpole Diver. Produced by
Off Shore Tackle, the Tadpole sinks but also dives
like a crankbait making it a much more efficient
means of targeting deeper walleye. Produced in
four sizes, the No. 1 and No. 2 sizes are the ones
most popular with walleye trollers.
The Tadpole is fished by attaching it to the
fishing line with a snap and then attaching the
desired spinner rig to the back of the Tadpole. The
snap slides to an elbow on the Tadpole causing the
weight to dive. When a fish is hooked, the snap
slides to the forward position on the Tadpoles tow
arm effectively converting the Tadpole from a diver
to an in-line weight.
The beauty of this system is the Tadpole dives
exceptionally well making it the most efficient
means of targeting deeper walleye. Just as important, when a fish is hooked the angler isnt fighting

Board trolling on the Great Lakes

begins in earnest during May.
Early in the month crankbaits
like pictured here are tough
to beat. Later in the month the
crankbaits give way to spinner fishing tactics. Cranks and
spinners are both best fished in
combination with in-line boards.

the resistance of a diver and can better enjoy the

fight of the fish.
Tadpole divers fish exceptionally well in
combination with in-line boards making them a
dominate force in targeting suspended walleye with
spinner rigs.

A FEW MORE TRICKS OF THE TRADE

When fishing crankbaits or spinners at slow

speeds and in combination with in-line boards
it can sometimes be tough to detect strikes. This
problem occurs most often when the fish are small
or when the waves are big.
The best solution to this common problem is to
mount an after-market flag system on your planer
boards. The Off Shore Tackle Tattle Flag is the
industry standard. This spring loaded flag system
allows the flag to tip down when a fish is hooked,
making the strike obvious to even novice trollers.
Anyone who has fished a Tattle Flag system
will tell you this after-market investment helps
them to become a more efficient and successful
troller. These after-market items are sold two ways
including a complete flag kit that comes with the
flag, linkage arm, spring, two line releases and the
necessary hardware at a price point of about $20.
Anglers can also get what is called an Economy
Tattle Flag Kit. This kit includes the linkage arm,
spring, washer and necessary hardware. The angler
simply provides his or her own line releases and
flag from their existing boards. The Economy Tattle
Flag Kits retail for less than $10 making them a
very popular option.

SUMMING IT UP

Walleye anglers in the Great Lakes region start

fishing boards in earnest during the month of May
and these products remain in popular use all season
long. The invention and refinement of the in-line
planer board may well be one of the most important developments in Great Lakes trolling history.
Not only do these boards help anglers spread out
their lines and contact more fish, they even help in
detecting strikes!
Compared to the first boards that hit the market
in the 70s, in-line boards these days are a lot more
functional and sophisticated. Anglers who embrace
these products are among the most successful on
the big ponds and thats exactly why its time to let
the board games begin.n

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

and also fish suspended in the water column.

As is the case with crankbaits open water spinner fishing is a slow presentation. The best success
trolling spinners normally occurs at speeds from
1.0 to 1.5 MPH. The most popular blade style is
hands down the Colorado and sizes 4, 5 and 6
dominate the Great Lakes scene.
The best spinner fishermen start out in cold
water using smaller blades and increase the size of
their blades as the water temperature warms and
walleye become more active.
The bottom bite is best approached with a timeless presentation known as the bottom bouncer and
spinner rig. Bottom bouncer weights do a great job
of presenting crawler harnesses near bottom. For
targeting walleye in Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay
anglers will need an assortment of bottom bouncers including models in one, two and three ounce
sizes. A one ounce bouncer works well in water up
to about 15 deep. A two ounce bouncer is needed
when fishing water from 15 to 25 feet deep and a
three ounce bouncer is required for targeting fish in
water deeper than 25 feet.
Bouncer rigs are typically fished as flat lines
straight out the back of the boat, but a bottom
bouncer rig can also be fished in combination with
an in-line planer board. The trick for using in-line
boards to spread out bottom bouncer lines is to
keep the boards fairly close to the boat. Keeping
the boards running about 20 to 40 feet away from
the boat reduces slack line while trolling and helps
to keep the bouncers running properly.
If the boards are spread out too far, slack line
frequently occurs while trolling causing the bouncer to drag on bottom and potentially foul on zebra
mussels.

29

Michigans 2015
By Mike Gnatkowski

If you like to fish for bass, youd better hook up

the boat and head to one of the numerous lakes in
Michigan that feature thriving bass fisheries. In
northern Michigan, there are several lakes that are
rated as some of the best in country for smallmouth
bass. Largemouth bass have been taking over some
northern Michigan lakes. Walleye anglers arent
happy, but bass aficionados are grinning from ear to
ear.

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

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There are a lot of great bass lakes in southeast

not named St. Clair. I would have to say that Kent
Lake is one of the best in southeast Michigan for
both largemouth and smallmouth, stated Lake Erie
Management Unit fisheries biologist Jeff Braunscheidel. Youll find good-sized examples of both
species. The lakes tends to get pretty weedy later in
the summer, so late spring and early summer is the
easiest time to fish it.
Access is good to 1,000-acre Kent Lake via
Kensington Metro Park. The lake is one of the
states busiest with regards to fishing pressure, but
there are numerous coves and bays where anglers
can find a spot all to themselves. The bays and
coves tend to get very weedy in the summer, so
theyre great places to pitch a jig, slither a frog or
call up a largemouth on buzz bait. Kent Lake has
been known to produce bucketmouths in excess of
7 pounds. Smallmouth are more likely to be found
along the old river channel and amongst the riprap
along I-96.
Pontiac Lake is another lake in the area that is
good for numbers of largemouths, claimed Braunscheidel. Look at a map of 585-acre Pontiac Lake
and youll see that it has an abundance of weed
beds and stumps that provide perfect largemouth
bass habitat. An impoundment of the Huron River, a
steady flow of water and nutrients produces excellent numbers of bass and fish to 5 pounds on occasion. Shallow-water techniques excel on the lake,
although you can find depths to 30 feet on the lakes
east end. That is a good place to concentrate your
efforts during late summer.
For details on bass lake in southeast Michigan
contact the Lake Erie Management Unit of the
MDNR at 313-396-6890.

Pond, especially on the east end, but bass can be

found anywhere in the weed mats and timber.
You wont find any water deeper than 8 feet and
the myriad of stumps keeps high-speed boating
in check. Polarized glasses are a necessity to spot
subtle structure that holds fish.
Grand and Hubbard lakes are gaining a reputation for being some of the top waters for smallmouths in the state. Hubbard is really good for
smallmouths, claimed Borgeson, and Grand Lake
has some really nice smallmouths in it and good
numbers. Youll find a lot of bass in the 14- 18-inch
range all the way up to 21 or 22 inches. The smallmouths there are under fished because most people
want walleyes.
8,850-Acre Hubbard Lakes smallmouth have
gained in popularity since the lake was featured
on a bass fishing show this past year, but its smallmouths still received relatively little pressure.
Known bass hangouts include Doctors Point, along
the contours found off Hardwood Point and in the
10- to 30-foot drop-offs found in South Bay.
Smallmouth numbers are booming on Presque
Isle Countys 5,660-acre Grand Lake. Target the
east side of the lake off Whiskey Point and in apply
named Black Bass Bay. Crankbaits in perch and
fire tiger colors take smallmouth that will push 5
pounds on occasion. With few spots deeper than 25
feet, the whole lake is a smallmouth factory.
For more information on bass lakes in northeast
Michigan contact the MDNR Gaylord Customer
Service Center at 989-732-3541.

Lake Charlevoix, Lakes Leelanau,

Torch Lake and Walloon Lake

Traverse City Field Office fisheries management biologist Heather Hettinger said its pretty
hard to beat lakes Charlevoix, Leelanau, Torch and
Walloon when it comes to smallmouth bass. The
problem with my lakes with largemouth is that they
are small, and cant really handle all that much
pressure. And truthfully, even my good largemouth
lakes are pretty mediocre compared to others in
the state. These bigger systems are much better at
sustaining good populations of big smallies, even
under pressure. My area of the state rules for smallies! declared Hettinger.
17,260-acre Lake Charlevoix is a favorite of
Alpena Countys 9,000-acre Fletcher Pond is
Michigan resident and famous bass pro Kevin
an anomaly. Its a shallow, stump-filled largemouth VanDam for good reason. The lake is loaded with
factory in an area that is famous for its deep, clear
3- to 5-pound smallmouths that produce great fishcold lakes. Created in 1931, the backwater of the
ing all summer long and well into the fall. Prime
Upper South Branch of the Thunder Bay River is
locations include Hemingway Point, Horton Bay,
one of Michigans most steady producers of trophy the Advance area and around Whiting Park on the
largemouths.
main lake. In the North Arm, concentrate on Oyster
Fletchers largemouth population holds up
Bay, Two-Mile Point, the Depot Beach Area and
pretty well in spite of the fact that its so shallow,
the mouth of the Pine River channel. Jiggin, slabsuggested North Lake Huron Management Unit
bin and other techniques catch smallies in water in
Fisheries Supervisor Dave Borgeson. Flowing
excess of 35 feet at times.
water prevents winter kill and bass survive very
Walloon Lake this one has been a bit of
well in the reservoir. If youre a bass angler taking a sleeper, but the past couple of years I have had
a long, hard look at Fletcher Pond, it will have you some great reports, claimed Hettinger. Most
drooling. Its shallow, weedy, filled with stumps and anglers dont think of the deep, clear 4,320-acre
screams Largemouths! The entire lake is a great
Charlevoix County lake as a prime location for
place to chuck spinner baits, skim buzz baits or
smallmouths, but they should. The smallmouth are
dance weedless plastics.
concentrated in the relatively small amount of shalThe main river channel is a focus on Fletcher
low water found on the lake and most anglers are

Fletcher Pond, Grand and Hubbard Lakes

Bass Outlook
concentrating on other species.
Hettinger rated both North and South Lakes
Leelanau as exceptional smallmouth waters.
Anglers should look for smallmouths in the 15 to
25-foot depths near the narrows between Brady

son. Later in the summer, move out to 12 to 18 feet

of water and concentrate on the inclines, irregular
points and rocky substrate.
Smallmouths are fairly easy to find in Antrim
Countys 18,770-acre Torch Lake. Just look to the

A Williams classic.
The second lure
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4 1/4 - 3/4 oz
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and Warden points on deeper 2,950-acre North

Lake Leelanau and anywhere your LCG indicates
a ledge or drop-off extending from shore. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jigs all take their fare share
of bass that will sometimes scare the heck out of 6
pounds.
5,730-acre South Lake Leelanau probably has
the best smallmouth numbers of the two lakes.
Concentrate on the south-end weed beds and gravel
bars in Perrins and Weisler bays early in the sea-

shallow drop-offs. Most of Torch Lake is deep and

cold so bass tend to concentrate in the warmest
water found close to shore. Concentrate on southfacing shorelines in the spring and early summer
where you find points, break lines and drop-offs.
For more information on northwest Michigan
bass lakes contact the Michigan Dept. of Natural

2015 Bass Outlook next page

/williamslures
@williamsfishing

www.williams.ca

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

The author caught this chunky smallmouth on Lake St. Clair last year.

2015 Bass Outlook:

from page 31
Resources Traverse City Field Office
at 231-922-5280.

Green, Duck and Long Lakes

Whenever youre fishing, its
always good to have a back-up plan.
If youre targeting smallmouth bass
in the Traverse City area, thats not
too difficult. There are more than a
dozen great smallmouth waters in the
Traverse City area and three- Green,
Duck and Long lakes- are close
enough that you can fish them all in
a single day. You could walk from
Green to Duck lakes and Long Lake
is just across US-31. All are topnotch smallmouth lakes that produce
good numbers of bass and fish of 5
pounds or more. All the lakes are
similar in that they are crystal clear,
right around 2,000 acres or so and
have great fish habitat in the form of
islands, rocky shoals, spits of gravel,
sloping contours and deep water.
Green and Duck lakes feature
two-story fisheries. Both lakes are
planted annually with a potpourri
if trout species that thrive in their
deep recesses. Long Lake is more

of a bass/walleye lake that has good

numbers of both. Drift with a minnow
on a jig or below a slip bobber and
youre likely to catch smallmouths
and walleyes along with a few jumbo
perch.
Long Lake can be tough to fish
though because it has so much good
structure. Bass can be widely scattered and the lakes intense clarity
make fish there spooky and they tend
to hold deeper than normal. Look for
smallies to be clustered in the shallows early in the season where rocks
and shallow water soak up the spring
sunshine. The brown bass remain
shallow into July. Casting with tubes
or pumpkinseed-colored twister tails
is a proven technique. The same
technique works well on the bass in
Green and Duck lakes, too.

Lakes Cadillac & Mitchell

Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac are
often viewed by anglers as one and
the same. Separated by a short canal
(and M-115), the two lakes shared a
common name historically - 2,580acre Lake Mitchell was originally

Joe Balog with a Lake St. Clair largemouth. Although smallmouth still dominate
the lake, there are places where you can catch some good bucketmouths.

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lakes.
617-acre Fife Lake in Grand Traverse County has been considered one
of northwest Michigans best lakes
for walleye and smallmouth for years.
Surveys conducted there in 2013
seem to indicate that largemouth bass
are taking over there, too. Of particular concern in the Fife Lake survey
was the absence of smaller fish. Another trend from the 2013 survey was
that fewer fish were caught overall

than in 2001. This may have been due

to colder water temperatures in the
2013 survey, which was conducted
nearly a month earlier than the 2001
survey. Fewer panfish were caught
in 2013, including only 83 bluegill
compared to 547 in 2001. Also, only
a handful of bluegill younger than age
5 were caught in 2013.
In contrast, the largemouth bass
catch of 107 fish from the netting
portion of the survey far eclipsed the

2001 catch of only 18 largemouth

bass. It is possible that the increased
largemouth bass population has affected the abundance of bluegill in
Fife Lake, wrote Tonello. A similar
trend has been observed in Missaukee
Countys 1,985-acre Lake Missaukee and Mason Countys 5,000-acre
Hamlin Lake. If youre a diehard bass
fisherman, thats good news. If you
like to catch walleye and perch, the
trend is disheartening.n

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

called Big Clam Lake, while 1,150acre Lake Cadillac was called Little
Clam Lake. To some degree, theyre
joined at the hip, said Department of
Natural Resources fisheries biologist Mark Tonello, who oversees the
lakes. Theyre similar in a lot of
ways. There are some differences,
too, though the differences seem to
have lessened over the years.
The fish communities in both
lakes have changed over the last
couple of decades, becoming more
homogenized. They went from basically walleye/pike-dominant lakes
that had some bass in them to now
being viewed as bass lakes. Pike
are still prevalent but walleyes are a
smaller part of the fish community
than they used to be and they no
longer reproduce. We have to supplement them with stocking. Tonello
indicated that similar changes are taking place on Missaukee and Fife lakes
where largemouth bass are becoming
the predominate specie.
Tonello says what happened is a
bit puzzling, but there are a few theories. Largemouth bass have always
been the dominant bass species on
Lake Mitchell but in the last 20 years
they have exploded, Tonello said.
Twenty-five years ago, Lake Cadillac was virtually all smallmouth bass.
Now we see largemouth have become
more dominant -- 60 percent largemouth, 40 percent smallmouth.
Tonello said he suspects bass
tournaments might have played a part
in the change as many tournaments
go out of a Lake Cadillac site and
largemouth bass, often caught in Lake
Mitchell, wind up getting released
into Lake Cadillac.
We also think it might be
climate, Tonello said. A warmer
climate probably favors a species like
largemouth over walleye and smallmouth because a warmer climate
favors more plant growth, which will
benefit a weed-loving species like
largemouth bass.
Theres some research coming
out Minnesota and Wisconsin thats
showing the same phenomenon,
where bass populations are exploding to the detriment of walleye, he
continued. They believe largemouth
bass have the ability to suppress
walleye year-classes, likely through
predation.
A change in angler behavior - i.e.
more catch-and-release fishing - probably benefits the bass population,
too. Twenty-five or 30 years ago,
more people were keeping bass than
they are today, Tonello said. But
if youre a tournament bass angler,
youll absolutely love Mitchell and
Cadillac because the bass fishing is
terrific. Most boats in most tournaments limit out. There are a lot of
two- to four-pound bass in those

Next Bite...

TECH
SAVVY
walleye
anglers

By Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

34

o whats it mean to be a tech-savvy

walleye angler? It means you are
knowledgeable and skilled with the
latest and most up-to-date technology
the fishing industry has made available
to you. Now that may sound simple
enough, but with the amount and level
of technological advancements that have hit the fishing scene over the past couple years alone, it does
take some serious time and effort to become savvy
with the tech available to us as walleye anglers.
Is it important to become tech-savvy in order
to become a better walleye angler? We certainly
think so. Obviously if you are serious enough about
walleye fishing to be competing in any type of tournaments, be it on the club level or opens, todays
modern technology will definitely help keep you
competitive. Even if you dont fish competitively,
your time is precious and utilizing fishing technology can go a long way to help you make the most of
your all-to-little time on the water.
When we talk technology and fishing, the first
thing to come to mind is fishing electronics; the
locator and GPS mounted on your boat. Whatever
model of unit you have, the more you know about
its capabilities and are able to put it to use in the
best way possible for your situation, the more its
going to help you catch fish.
The units available to us today are basically
computers with many of the same features available
to us on our laptops, tablets and even smart phones.
But these are very highly specialized computers
designed to allow us to see where we are on at any
given time on a particular body of water and precisely whats below the boat in that specific spot
in a nutshell.
When it comes to choosing a unit for your fishing purposes, the choices are many, ranging from
Lowrances top-of-the-line HDS-12 Gen3 Touch,
a touch-screen unit with a 12 inch high definition
display, to the smaller, but still very technologically
advanced, Lowrance Elite-5 HDI, a 5 inch display
model that still offers a lot of features at a very affordable price. The key is to match the technology
available to your style and level of fishing.
So what kind of features are available to todays
tech-savvy angler?
The list honestly seems to grow every day, but
lets look at some of the key features we feel the
more hard-core walleye angler should absolutely
become knowledgeable of.
For those of you with walleye rigs in the 18 to
21 foot range that consider yourself serious anglers,

So what kind of features are available to todays tech-savvy angler? The list honestly seems to grow every day!
Lowrances HDS Gen3 series of units are serious
contenders for your attention. The list of features is
too long to cover here, but we would like to discuss
a couple that can be of particular interest to fellow
walleye anglers.
Lowrance recently worked with MotorGuide to
create the Pinpoint Gateway system to connect the
MotorGuide Xi5 trolling motor to Lowrance HDS
units. This connects the Xi5 to the Lowrance NMEA
network in your boat and allows you to use the
stored information in the HDS units (like your waypoints) to position the boat. You can use the Xi5s
Anchor Mode to anchor the boat on a waypoint or
you can use Heading Lock to troll to a way point.
One of the really exciting things coming down the
line is the ability for the Xi5 to follow a route stored
on the HDS unit. Especially on the new Gen 3 HDS
units, making a route is extremely fast and easy. So
if you see a contour that you want to move along,
you simply press your finger on several points along
the contour and tell the motor to follow it.
Another feature that we really feel is going to
change how anglers look at GPS mapping is Lowrances Insight Genesis. This feature gives you the
ability to create your own contours maps. Basically
you can drive around a lake, reservoir, or river, log
your sonar data, upload it to the Insight Genesis
website, and have precise information generated for
you that can be displayed back on your Lowrance
HDS units. This data has precise contours, but you
can also get bottom-hardness data and vegetation data. The bottom-hardness data is particularly
interesting to walleye anglers because walleyes like
to concentrate on hard to soft bottom transitions. So
going back to creating a route, if you have that hardness data (which usually does not match the contour
data) you could create a route on the hard to soft
transition and then have the Xi5 follow that. Unreal
stuff for sure!
We have talked before about the advantages

we have come to love from using our Power-Pole

Shallow water Anchors and the Drift Paddle for
better boat control. Lowrance Gen3 units now offer the ability to wirelessly control the Power-Pole
via a simple touch-screen panel allowing anglers
to engage the anchor and control it right from the
console.
Of course Lowrances StructureScan technology
has added more to an anglers ability to see whats
below the surface than regular sonar ever could. The
ability to see visually whats below and to the sides
of the boat can make finding fish and structure so
much easier.
And the technology doesnt stop there. Theres
another Lowrance feature called SmartSteer user
interface that allows anglers to switch between electric-steer, trolling-motor as well as outboard-motor
control. The system also allows users to easily convert trails to routes to retrace a previous track and to
make the perfect pass by fish or structure. You can
get Wi-Fi for your Gen2 units with a Go-Free Wi-Fi
module, or the new Gen3 units come with built-in
Wi-Fi. This lets you use your mobile electronics to
view chartplotter, sonar, StructureScan HD, engine
data and more. You can even control your favorite
music right from your Lowrance unit.
The big question we often get asked is Do
you really need all this technology to catch
walleyes?, and the answer is obviously no,
you dont NEED it But you do need to be
savvy with the technology and equipment you
do use if you are going to be good at catching
walleyes. Technology helps us do the job better
and more efficiently. Whatever technology you
use on your boat, be tech-savvy enough to use it
to its best ability and it will go a long way to
helping you get your Next Bite!
If you have questions or comments on this or
other articles from Gary Parsons and Keith Kavajecz, visit their website www.thenextbite.comn

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By Tom Huggler

Why Is It That...

This Ad Size is 2 Column by 4" or 4.24" by 4"

When you finally shoot that grouse

double, no one is around to witness it?
The days biggest flock of ducks
dive bomb you at 20 yards when youre
out picking up decoys and your gun is
safely in the blind?
You have every lure made since
1981 for Great Lakes salmon trolling
except a chartreuse Michigan Stinger,
which is the only spoon the kings are hitting today?
Out-of-town company arrives just as
you are loading the truck with gear for an
evening fishing trip?
The next bend in the river looks better than the one you are fishing? The next
field of weed stubble holds more promise
than the one you are hunting?

The one that got away was bigger

than anyone else caught?
You should have been here yesterday translates into last week, last month,
last year, or never?
The rod you break or the rifle you
jam happens to be the one you borrowed?
You can recall the number of pellets
in a 000 buck shotshell, but you cant remember to get the garbage out to the road
by eight oclock Monday morning?
A rifle scope will fog the instant a
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Geese decoy better to the other
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Your dog will come into heat on
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A conservation officer will ask to

see your license on the one day you left it
on the kitchen counter?
It takes so long to get there and so
little time to get back?
The nail clippers are not in the fishing vest where you know you put them?
Someone else has found the muskrat
slides along your favorite stream and has
already set his traps when you return to
set yours?
Gas was a nickel per gallon cheaper
at that last station where you should have
stopped?
The dullness of an ice spud varies
in corresponding ratio to the thickness of
ice?
A duck-blind sandwich of ham and
cheese tastes better when cut diagonally?
And is really tasty after youve
given half of it to your human or canine
pal?
One last cast is followed by 10
more?
The book of county maps you left
on the state park picnic table is the book
with all your hotspots marked?
Tooling down the expressway, you
reach for a slurp of coffee and realize you
left your favorite mug on the car roof?
When deer hunting with friends at
the cabin, the subject is walleye fishing
next spring?
When you get to the sporting goods
store, discount coupons in hand, they are

Miles from the nearest power line? Cold soda?

Its possible!
Propane Refrigerators- No electricity required

out of the products you wanted to buy?

Our Labrador refuses to blind retrieve for the audience of friends youve
gathered as witnesses?
When going stream fishing for steelhead, you locate three pairs of sunglasses,
none of which is polarized?
A farmers electric fence will never
be on unless you touch it?
A new puppy in the house always
winds back the aging clock?
A stack of Girl Scout cookies still
tastes good after you retrieve them
months later from your fishing vest?
Neighborhood deer disappear on
November 14?
A man who splits and stacks
firewood all day will notice every ones
woodpile for a week?
Leaky chest waders dont miraculously repair themselves during the off
season?
A hunting dog will never jump into
the bed of a pickup truck if you lift them
up a single time?
The boss gobbler with the 10-inch
beard comes in on your blind side?
The missing box of dry flies shows
up the day after the trout-fishing season
closes?
Your guide will tell you You should
have been here yesterday?
The best way to find your lost hunting license is to stop looking for it?
A Labrador retriever can smell a
chicken-salad sandwich through both a
Baggie and a paper sack?
We dont listen to that inner voice
that tells us to check the drain plug on our
fishing boat before launching it.
The eternity between Octobers gets
shorter every year?
So does the time between those
monthly writing deadlines for Woods-NWater News?n

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36

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By Tom Carney

icroaggression thrives
beyond our city streets
and college campuses.
It thrives in our woods
and streams.
Apparently the term microaggression has been in use for 45 years,
ever since it was coined by psychiatrist and Harvard University professor
Chester M. Pierce.
A recent story in The Ithaca
Voice, an online newspaper serving
the Ithaca area, reports that a new
Ithaca College student government
bill proposes a platform that lets students report microaggressions online.
In other words it would require Ithaca
College to start taking names and
kicking what? Aspects beyond taking the reports have yet to be worked
out.
Freshman Angela Pradhan says,
Microaggressions are statements
by a person from a privileged group
that belittles or isolates a member of
an unprivileged group, as it relates to
race, class, gender, sexual orientation,
ability and more.
Examples include statements
like Where are you really from?
You speak good English, and You
dont look disabled.
The website www.microaggressions.com yes, it actually exists
adds further texture to the explanation:
Microaggressions often, are never meant to hurt acts done with little
conscious awareness of their meanings and effects. Instead, their slow
accumulation during a childhood and
over a lifetime is in part what defines
a marginalized experience,
Ive been marginalized by Nature
as it relates to my abilities. Instances
have slowly accumulated during my
lifetime, and now I can see they define
such marginalization.
More often than not its happened
in the springs turkey woods.
The first year I drew a turkey
hunting permit was 1976. I studied
and read so much and took so many
notes in preparation that I was able
to hand my buddy a six-page, singlespace prcis entitled, Terrible Toms
Terrific Tom Turkey Tips. So, yeah,
I had prepared as well as possible; I
knew my stuff.
What I couldnt prepare for because I had never experienced it until
then, however, was Natures First
Law of Tom in Motion When Immobile.
The first morning of the hunt I
was cold and tired having awakened
at three oclock. I wanted to get going early enough to walk quietly the
half-mile from the parking area to the
hunting spot I had so carefully chosen.
It offered the best vantage for seeing
an approaching gobbler, and it rep-

resented the halfway point the birds

would take on the walk from their
roosting spot to the small creek at the
base of the hill beside the trail.
It also offered the burned out husk
of a pine tree stump, just big enough
for me to squeeze into when I needed
to rest my back. It was so snug,
though, that once the Gil-obbleobble-obble of an approaching tom
turkey awakened me, I floundered to
stand up and mount the gun. I must
have looked like a turtle someone had
balanced on the tail end of its shell
as I flailed away trying to establish a
hand- or a foothold. The tom slammed
to a halt, watched the Tom struggle
a little, then sounded a putt! and
skulked off with its head held low.
Rats! Rotten stump! Damn you,
Nature and your natural laws!
Two years later on the other side
of the state, I lay prone on a small rise
beside a woods trail awaiting the visit
from the birds I had scouted a day earlier. Only problem: I had scouted later
in the day than when I was hunting.
So, at that moment, who knows how
many of them were casually scraping
and eating their way along that trail
from the opposite direction! One
sounded closer than the others.
I was afraid he might peck his way
up my leg to get to the Payday candy
bar in my back pocket. So I made the
only move available. I quickly rolled
over, gathered myself, and drew down
on the birds. However, that immutable
law had kicked into action again. By
the time I finished oomphing and
pushing myself over and upright, all I
could see were turkey tail feathers as
the birds hotfooted it away.
Another time, I had set up in the
perfect spot: up a lane in the brush
about eight yards from a trail that
meandered along a hill that fell away
to a small river. The bird had allowed
itself to be called straight to me. Its
head crested the hill right in front of
me, not 25 feet away. Maybe I can get
a better shot, I told myself.

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As I struggled to my feet, the bird

with its magnificent double beard
vacated the spot that had offered the
perfect shot and zipped away, once
more saluting me with tail feathers.
The most recent example happened about four years ago. I set up
on state land about 10 feet from a
fence line. Along a nice shooting lane
that ran perpendicular to me I set up a
hen decoy no more than 20 feet away.
A thick bush offered concealment as
the bird approached from the private
property on the right.
A few masterful yelps on the
mouth call brought the bird in, wanting to take a closer look. Then, just
inches from the inside edge of the
bush where he would have presented a
clean head shot, he stopped. No moving this time. I just held my breath and
waited.
Then for no apparent reason other
than it suited him, he turned around
and moseyed back onto the private
land. He didnt even take a recon trip
to check out the hen decoy that was in
plain view.
On the way out of the woods, I
chanced upon two, tiny morels. More
diligent, on-all-fours searching in the

Two tiny morels were the only

things the author left the woods
with after his latest encounter
with Nature in spring. Tailfeather Communications, LLC photo
area revealed no more.
The turkeys. Two stinkin morels.
Its as if Nature has been telling me,
Heres a taste. Now move along.
Youre not worthy.
Ive been microaggressed.n

Hello, this is Charlie Morse.

At 63 years old I don't have a lifetime
to wait! Air pruned containerized
plants, equals RESULTS SOONER!

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Setbacks in Spring

37

Last Chance Tom!

I Learned Last Year To Never Give UP...By Jordan Browne

t doesnt matter how many hunting seasons I endure, it seems

like every year I learn or relearn
a valuable lesson. The lesson for
the 2014 spring turkey season
was pretty simple but one thats easy
to forget, never give up.
With the end of season looming,
my fianc, Angela, and I decided to
hit the woods for one last evening
hunt; hoping to fill her tag before the
sun set. The odds were certainly not
in our favor on this particular hunt,
with above average temperatures and
rain in the forecast. Not to mention
the fact that the birds we were hunting had been heavily pressured for
over a month. Had it not been the last
night of season, theres a good chance
this story would have never had the
chance to be written.
When I opened the truck door, the
cab immediately began to fill with
mosquitoes. The 80 degree weather
coupled with a recent rainfall had
made for ideal conditions for these annoying little insects to thrive in. It was
about six p.m., and regardless of the

outcome, this would be our last turkey

hunt of the year.
Angela and I always enjoy hunting together, but between the bugs
and the weather I dont think either
one of us thought we had a very good
chance at actually notching a tag on
this particular evening hunt. The idea
of just planting ourselves next to a big
tree somewhere and waiting the night
out began to sound pretty good. But, I
knew in the back of my mind that the
chances of us killing a bird that way
was pretty small. Despite the odds,
neither of us was willing to throw in
the towel just yet. I decided to go for
a long hike to the other end of the
property, calling along the way.
As we descended down the first
hill we were surprised by a couple of
deer that immediately bolted after seeing us, all of them but one that is. One
lone doe made it about 20 yards before turning to look back. I knew that
look, she had a fawn nearby and she
didnt want us near it. Sure enough,
about ten feet from us laid a new born
fawn who appeared to have not even

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38

taken his (or her) first steps. My decision to head this direction had already
paid off. This was a new experience
for Angela, and it was easy to see how
much she enjoyed this encounter. We
snapped a few quick pictures and carried on.
We walked and called about every
50 yards and after an hour or so we
finally heard what we were looking
for, a gobble, though it was a long
way away. I called one more time in
the same spot just to make sure we
werent hearing things, sure enough
he responded again. We decided to cut
some of the distance off before calling
again.
As we closed the distance the bird
continued to respond to nearly every
call. Normally, I would have posted it
up somewhere and tried to bring the
bird to me. Often times, when you
cut a lot of distance between you and
a gobbler that quickly the bird thinks
youre going to continue his way and
will often sit and wait. Unfortunately,
we had no choice. It was the last day
of the season with an hour of legal

shooting light left; we had no time to

play games.
After a short hike, we posted up
against a large oak tree. Almost immediately, I heard a hen let out a couple
of soft yelps; she was close. I quickly
repositioned Angela in hopes that the
hen would have a tom in tow.
We corresponded for a few minutes when out of no where she took
off flying, landing in the tree directly
above us. It was late in the day, but
much too early for her to roost. I
quickly began to scan the woods
wondering if something may have
spooked her. It didnt take long to find
the culprit. A lone coyote was lurking
about 75 yards from us. In the midst
of all of this, the bird we were after
had closed the distance some, gobbling all on his own. This bird was
very fired up for an evening hunt, he
was interested but I could tell by his
demeanor that he wanted us to come
to him.
After observing where the hen had
flown up from and landed, I decided
that we needed to move closer to that

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area. I thought the tom, if he ever

did come in, was probably going to
use the same small ridge she did.
Once we were completely settled in,
I called again, he responded but he
wasnt any closer.
I decided to spice things up a
little bit. I began to call very aggressively, clucks, purrs, yelps, you
name it I tried it. The tom gobbled
eight consecutive times following my
sequence. To say it had fired him up
was an understatement. It was now
almost eight a clock and during all of
this another bird had began responding behind us. I started to wonder if
we shouldnt go after the other gobbler. After all, we had been working
this bird for almost and hour and he
had hardly moved.
I remember telling Angela that
we will know within five minutes if
this bird is going to come in. I hadnt
made a sound since the last montage
of calls and he hadnt gobbled either.
I guessed that he was either coming in
or he had decided he wasnt interested
enough to close the distance. Either
way, I was prepared to give it five
minutes before packing up and going
after the second bird. After a couple
of minutes I let out a pair of light
clucks; he responded immediately
and had cut the distance in half.
We scrambled to get everything
set up for the direction he was com-

Angelas double bearded trophy tom taken the last 30 minutes of the season.

ing in when he let out another gobble;

this one was almost loud enough to
hurt your ears. Though he was close,
he remained out of eyesight. Finally,
we spotted him in the tall grass,
within range. I remember quietly
reminding her where to put the bead,
to make sure she looked down the
barrel, to take her time, when the
bird popped into an opening. He
took a few more steps and I stopped
him with a loud putt. Angela slowly
squeezed the trigger and down he
went.
I think we were both in shock;
we had got it done on the last day of
season in the last 30 minutes of legal
shooting light. After a quick celebration, we made our way to the bird.
Little did we know, this tom was a
true trophy; he sported two beards
that had a combined measurement of
over 17 inches and 1 1/8 spurs. It
was a great bird by anyones standards and was a personal best for
Angela.
It can certainly get tough to keep
hunting as the season wears on, but
you just never know when you might
find success in the timber. Its hard
to believe that a hunt with such low
expectations turned out to be a hunt
well never forget. It was a great reminder to us as well as a great lesson
to all the turkey hunters out there; its
not over until its over.n

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39

Lifetime outdoor

ADVENTURE

ierre, Jennifer and their

Karelian Bear Dog, Jasmine
are living a life that is the
envy of most outdoor lovers.
The couple was marching to
the corporate band in Quebec City when they realized
life could be better. Pierre
56, was teaching Outdoor
Leadership classes at the
University and Jennifer 35,
was an operations manager
for a software company.
Pierre had spent most of
his life outdoors
working as a guide
throughout Canada;
Quebecs Saguenay
Fjord and northern
areas of the U.S.; along Lake Superior
and in Georgian Bay. He also served
13 years in the Canadian Army. He
always felt more alive while breathing
outdoor air.

The couple spent six months

working on a plan to make their break
and did a trial trip prior to committing to a lifetime of adventure. The
time arrived to disconnect from the
life they were leading and
seek an alternative. They sold
everything that held them to
one place; house, car, truck,
sailboat and all other possessions they could not carry.
In June of 2014, they set
out in their new home, an 18
8, Sea Clipper canoe they
christened, Wild
Raven Adventure.
I met the couple in
Key Largo while
they were camping.
They were preparing for a paddle to
Key West that would complete a leg
of the journey to canoe across North
America. After leaving Ottawa they
told me they traveled down the Great

Boat Smart...
By Capt. Fred Davis

The Team, Pierre Pepin, Jennifer Gosselin and 4 year-old Jasmine paddle
along a Key Largo waterway. Michael Ouellet photo
Lakes to the Mississippi and into the
Gulf of Mexico.
As I checked out their campsite
with all their gear they told me about
some of their experiences and how
they had determined the trip could be
made.
The Sea Clipper draws four inches
of water when loaded with an average
400 pounds of gear. A Dromedary bag
holds 100 pounds of water and their
dehydrated food supplies are picked
up at designated drop points along
the route. A waterproof box houses
their electronics; laptop, cellphone
and 7 watt, hand-held VHF. The cell
phone has an In Reach system that
provides emergency response when
activated.
Pierre said the VHF was handy
as they navigated through 120 locks
along the rivers they traveled, with
only one gruff lockmaster who was
not happy they were holding up a
large freighter. He told me because
of weight considerations, their dog
Jasmine serves as ballast while they
paddle moving back and forth as
needed. She also makes a pretty good
watchdog quickly alerting them if a
problem arises like unwanted wildlife
poking around.
While underway, the team as
they refer to themselves, paddle 20 to
50 miles a day and occasionally 24
hours to view sunrise and sunset with

a full moon following. While traveling the Great Lakes they visited Lake
Hurons North Channel and Georgian
Bay. They enjoyed Michigan and the
people they met there and hope to return someday. Lake Michigan was the
most challenging, with rough waters
that made for a tough paddle along its
shores.
Wildlife sightings were many;
bear in Canada a cougar on Drummond Island and all manner of sea
life. Weather conditions have varied
between heavy frosts to 100. While
passing through Mobile, Alabama,
they experienced record high and
low temperatures plus record high
winds.
The couple agreed their favorite
paddling experience was along the
Mississippi because it was so full of
sights and wonderful people. When a
need to ford along its length occurred,
someone was always ready to lend
a hand. One gentleman built them a
set of wheels to attach to the canoe to
make the endeavors easier.
Asked what has been the very best
part of their trip thus far, they both enthusiastically responded, The people
we met.
Many have encouraged them to
write a book detailing their trip. Until
they do, you can follow their adventure on the website and blog
www.wildravenadventures.comn

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Where will the next state

record walleye come from?
environmental conditions started to
change. Logging started it all followed
by industrialization and pollution.
Commercial netters continued heavy
harvests even though the walleyes
were not reproducing like they were
previous to these changes and by the
mid-1940s the population crashed. A
ban on commercial netting
followed which is still in
force today.
Looking at the previous
Great Lakes fish records,
the Niagara River (Canadian
waters) held the world record
walleye weighing 22.25
pounds caught in 1942 for
many years. The Michigan record was caught
in 1951 so both of these
monsters were probably hold overs
from the mega walleye fishery that
once existed.
Ohio finally broke their state record in 1999 but at 16.19 pounds and
33 inches long it was still two inches
shorter and a pound shy of Michigans
record fish. Other states that border
Lake Erie like New York and Pennsylvania boast state record walleyes
that didnt even come from Lake
Erie. Even though it has one of the
best big fish producers in the country,
those genetics and available forage
somehow wont let a fish go over 17
pounds.
But this is where I argue with my
own logic. There seemingly has to
be one fish in Lake Erie, one female
caught at the perfect time that will
smash all the records. Just the sheer
numbers of big fish down there seem
to lean in that direction. We keep
talking about the mega spawn of 2002
which are and will continue to swim
in Eries waters for years to come. It
could be our best chance at a new
Michigan record as they reach their
maximum weight. Those fish should

By Mark Sak

be very close to that weight currently

as they are 13 years old now.
I spoke with Jim Baker about
the subject of a state record walleye.
Jim stated very plainly that the DNR
fisheries division is really not that interested in the weight and specifically
state record type weight of walleyes in
Michigan.
Health is more of their concern.
Have they netted or shocked a walleye
that would test the state record? Yes.
Do we know that for sure? No. We
dont look for state record fish in our
studies. He also reminded me that
walleyes have been around for thousands of years, and forage and growth
rate eventually equal size. Most of the
forage species on the Great Lakes is
in decline and so is the size of many
walleyes in our state.
I think we would all love to see a
new state record walleye in Michigan.
I know I sure would. This time of
year and again in the fall is the best
time to land a fish of a lifetime. Ill
sure be out there jigging up a storm
this spring along with a few thousand

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

hink about our current

state record walleye for a
moment. It was caught in
the Pine River in 1951 and
weighed 17.19 pounds and
was 35 inches long. The record has
stood a long time -- 64 years to be
exact. It just doesnt make sense to
many of us walleye guys.
I have been deeply involved in walleye fishing for
much of my life. I have a lot
of social media friends who
share tons of news about big
catches in their region which
generally includes most of
the hot walleye holes; Lake
Erie, Lake Winnepeg and
the Columbia River in
Washington State are just
a few. Last year the Washington State
record was broken with a 20.32 pound
monster in the Columbia River.
That made sense to me. So why
am I so confused?
We all seem to think walleyes
numbers in our state are doing wonderfully. The number of anglers
fishing for those walleyes in Michigan
is substantially higher than in 1951.
Michigan recently broke the world
record for brown trout and a couple
of state records for muskie. Heck, we
even broke a catfish state record, but
still no monster walleye. Its been 64
years.
I started some research and found
some very interesting things about ol
marble eyes. The numbers of walleye in the Great Lakes in general in
the first half of the 20th century was
much, much higher than today. Just
in Saginaw Bay alone there were
commercial harvests annually of a
million pounds per year. (There are
none today). Lake Erie harvests were
much higher than that. Bait fish like
smelt and the alewife were present
in much higher numbers. Then the

41

Archery in the schools program growing

students.
Its all about the experience, he
said. These are inner-city kids. Our
school is 60 percent African-American, 40 percent from Bangladesh.
Some of them have only been in the
country a short while. Theyre meeting new people, different people than
theyve ever interacted with before.
Sarah Staten, an eighth-grader at
Davison who said she did better than
I expected at the event, said she was
particularly pleased with the interaction she had with another competitor
during the event.
It was amazing, she said. I
learned a lot from my shooting partner. He was from Gaylord St. Marys
and he was really friendly and helpful
he gave me some tips.
And thats what is expected, Garland said.
In all seriousness, helping students develop their social skills is part
of the program, she said.
Jose Ramirez, who teaches gym
Michigans statewide National Archery in the Schools Program tournament
at the Academy of America School
features flights of up to 80 youngsters shooting at the same time. MDNR photos on Detroits Southwest Side, said he
through 12th grades. Its about archery couldnt bring as many youngsters
as a recreational activity, a sport and a as he would have liked because of
learning experience. According to the limited space on the bus. He saw his
teams coaches, its succeeding on all elementary schoolers finish second in
the event, their first time at a competithose levels.
tion.
YOU SEXY LITTLE PHEASANT
Tom Barnes, the gym teacher at
None of them had ever shot arDavison Elementary-Middle School
chery
before, Ramirez said, beaming.
on Detroits East Side brought his
But
even more important is the
middle school team to Mount Pleaslessons
the
kids are learning.
ant, made up largely of youngsters
This
is
a life skill, Ramirez
who stood out in gym class.
said.
When
they start out, they
We shoot 3,000 arrows a week in
experience
every
negative emotion
gym class and that doesnt include the
they
can

theyre
nervous, scared,
archery team, Barnes said. Archery
frustrated and angry at being nervous
is a mental sport. Theres a physical
or scared. But once they start hitting
component to it, of course, but the
best archers are those who are focused that target, their self-esteem grows.
They become more confident. Theyre
Nestled in the quiet farmland of
and concentrating.
The tournament, Barnes said, was learning how to conquer obstacles.
Southeast Michigan, we are waiting to
This is a great experience for our
just a great life experience for his
give you an unprecedented pheasant hunting
experience. Tower hunts, grassland hunts, and
dog training are all available on 957 acres of
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by the Michigan DNR. Come join in
the experience that so many
others are talking about.

ast spring, when the

Department of Natural
Resources held its first
statewide archery tournament for youngsters in
the National Archery in the Schools
Program, just over 400 youths signed
up to come to Central Michigan University to shoot.
This year, more than 600 youngsters registered.
It just keeps growing in Michigan, said Kathy Garland, the DNRs
National Archery in the Schools
Program coordinator. We get more
schools and more kids every year.
There are 596 schools statewide
participating in the program, she
continued. Twenty-seven of them are
at the tournament. Wed love to have
more schools in this tournament, but
were happy just to have them in the
program.
The program, which is run largely
by physical education staffs at many
schools though some science and
math departments sponsor teams
is designed for students in fourth

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

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kids to be able to come here and

compete with all these different kids
in a college environment. Now they
have a common experience with kids
from Gaylord and Hartland a common experience that binds them.
Garland said she was tickled that
the Detroit youngsters did so well.
In more rural areas, archery and
shooting skills are a way of life, a
part of everyday life, she said. The
urban schools are different. A lot of
them know nothing about archery.
Some of the kids have never even
seen a bow and arrow.
People who you might not think
would be into archery are doing it and
doing it well. Were definitely reaching people who we havent reached
before. Its a diverse population.
The diversity at the tournament
is inspiring. Some of the teams, from
more long-established programs,
wear snazzy jerseys complete with
corporate sponsors. Some teams wear
T-shirts. And at least one Catholic
school had its team decked out in
their school uniforms.

The teams vary in size and in the

size of their commitment.
Grand Ledge coach Kelly Shaltry
brought close to 100 youngsters to
compete in elementary, middle school
and high school divisions. A history
teacher at Grand Ledge High School,
Shaltry started the districts program
three years ago. Hes been extremely
successful.
The first year, the high school
team made the nationals, Shaltry
said. Last year they made the nationals and the worlds. By the time the
freshmen graduate, we want a state
title.
(Grand Ledge fell shy of that
state title this year as perennial champion Hartland walked away with the
bulk of the trophies.)
Shaltry said that thanks to the
DNR and Safari Club International,
he obtained the resources to build
a program thats in the high school,
middle school and two elementary
schools. Its one of the largest sports
we have, he said.
In contrast, St. Joseph School in

Shooters remove their target after completing a round at the state National
Archery in the Schools Program tournament in Mt. Pleasant.
Wayne, a K-12 Catholic school with
a total enrollment of 18 students,
brought a team of 11 boys and girls
every student who was eligible for the
program.
We started the program in
January, said Sister Mary Petra, the
schools principal. We practiced in
a local auto repair shop. I love the
program because its so interactive
among the levels. You can have a
third-grader shooting next to a senior.
Theyre not relegated by age level or

ability or grade level.

Although the National Archery
in the Schools Program continues
to grow in Michigan, there are still
plenty of schools that are not in the
program, Garland said. Shed like
them to know theyre welcome, too.
For more information on Michigans Archery in the Schools Program, visit www.michigan.gov/
archery.n

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and Enjoy

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Sister Marie Janae is all smiles as she prepares some youngsters from St.
Thomas School in Wayne for their round at the statewide Archery in the
Schools Program tournament. MDNR photos

43

Wetland Wonders
Challenge winners

inners of the Consumers Energysponsored Wetland

Wonders Challenge, hosted by the
Department of Natural Resources and
Michigan United Conservation Clubs,
were awarded an ultimate waterfowl
hunting prize package on Friday,
March 20 at the Shiawassee River State
Game Area in St. Charles, Michigan.
I was very surprised to get the call
that I was one of the seven winners,
said Chris Armstrong Birtch. Its
great that the Michigan DNR, Consumers Energy and Michigan United
Conservation Clubs do things like this
to reward Michigans hunters.
To be entered in the drawing, participants had to hunt at three or more
of the seven southern Michigan Wetland Wonders. The seven winners of
the 2014 Wetland Wonders Challenge
are Mike Ahles of West Olive, Chris
Armstrong Birtch of Avoca, Duane
Builte of Gaines, Jason Robert Evett
of Coloma, Coty Hough of Waterford,
Eric Keen of Shelby Township and
Henry R. Manial of Burt.

The seven lucky winners were

awarded prize packages worth approximately $1,500, including a Mossberg
camouflage shotgun with a case, custom Zink duck and goose calls, premium Avian X duck and goose decoys,
a field bag, other waterfowl hunting
accessories, and a golden ticket, good
for one non-reserved first-choice pick
at a managed waterfowl hunt area for
the 2015-16 season.
Michigans Wetland Wonders are
the seven premier managed waterfowl
areas in southern Michigan: Fennville
Farm Unit at the Allegan State Game
Area, Fish Point State Wildlife Area,
St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area on
Harsens Island, Muskegon County
Wastewater Facility, Nayanquing Point
State Wildlife Area, Pointe Mouillee
State Game Area and Shiawassee River
State Game Area.
I hunt Harsens Island the most,
said Wetland Wonders Challenge winner Eric Keen. Being a member of
Harsens Island Waterfowl Hunting Association, you get to see how hard staff
members of the DNR work with clubs
and volunteers to make it a great place

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PLATFORMS!

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

like and follow us to stay up-to-date

with shows, events, news, contests,
photos, new products, etc.

44

Winners of the Wetland Wonders Challenge recently collected their prize

packages. Pictured here (lt-rt) are DNR Wildlife Division Assistant Chief Doug
Reeves; Wetland Wonders Challenge winners Mike Ahles, Jason Robert Evett,
Henry R. Manial, Duane Builte, Coty Hough and Chris Armstrong Birtch; and DNR
Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. Not pictured: winner Eric Keen. MDNR photo
to hunt. After hunting other managed
areas through this challenge, I see that
other units have people that work just
as hard. It is great for the habitat, wildlife and the people that enjoy the units.
Thank you everyone involved across
this state for another great season.
Hunters interested in entering
should look for a new Consumers Energy Wetland Wonders Challenge to
begin in the fall of 2015 and continue
through January of 2016. This contest
will focus on the managed waterfowl
hunting opportunities Michigans
Wetland Wonders. To learn more, visit
www.michigan.gov/wetlandwonders.

The Department of Natural Resources would like to extend a special

thank you to Consumers Energy for
sponsoring this contest. Its generous
contribution allowed for the promotion of the challenge and the purchase
of prizes for the winners.
The Wetland Wonders Challenge
is part of the Michigan Waterfowl
Legacy (MWL), a 10-year, cooperative
partnership to restore, conserve and
celebrate Michigans waterfowl, wetland and waterfowl hunting community. The initiative is a call to action
to honor yesterday, engage today and
build for tomorrow.n

Woods-N-Water
News
Hunting and Fishing
3.2K Likes
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Call

Five Michigan
birding trails

Offering wildlife-viewing adventure...

ichigans five birding
trails offer wildlifeviewing adventure
Those looking for an
outdoor adventure this
spring are encouraged to give birding
trails a try! With increasing popularity, birding trails are popping up along
Michigans scenic roadways. Now
with five different trails to explore, for
the beginning birder or the seasoned
veteran, wildlife-viewing hot spots
have never been easier to find and
enjoy.
With prime birding areas noted
along well-known driving routes, a
birding trail is like a treasure hunt for
those looking to get out and enjoy
Michigans outdoors. Birding trail
stops are typically in county parks, nature preserves or Department of Natural Resources state parks or wildlife
areas allowing access to all who
are interested. Visits in May and June
will provide the greatest opportunity
to witness both migrant and nesting

birds. Routes also include many options for amenities such as restaurants,
hotels and campgrounds.
Five birding trails, each offering unique experiences, are located
around the state:
Superior Birding Trail Along
Michigans oldest birding trail, bird
species and other wildlife can be
found at 10 sites along 150 miles in
the Upper Peninsula, from Seney
National Wildlife Refuge to Whitefish
Point.
Sleeping Bear Birding Trail
This new trail is 123 miles long,
running from Manistee to Traverse
City along the scenic M-22 highway
and Lake Michigan shoreline, and
contains more than 35 birding sites
including a bonus loop.
Beaver Island Birding Trail
The Emerald Isle of Michigan Birding, this new trail is located entirely
on Lake Michigans largest island,
encompassing 35 sites on over 100
miles of roads.

Michigans five birding trails offer beginning birders and wildlife-viewing enthusiasts
plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outdoors this spring. MDNR photo
Saginaw Bay Birding Trail
This new, 142-mile trail follows the
Lake Huron shoreline, stretching from
Port Crescent to Tawas Point State
Park with more than 20 birding sites.
Sunrise Coast Birding Trail
Soaring along the Lake Huron coast,
Michigans newest trail features 28
sites along its 296-mile route from the
Au Sable River in Oscoda to Mackinaw City.
Birding trails promote wildlife
viewing and conservation education, and provide economic benefit
to local communities. Birding is a
great way to enjoy the diversity of

Michigans wildlife and habitats and

to build an appreciation of the states
unique natural resources. These trails
are made possible through the efforts
of, and partnerships between, Michigan Audubon chapters, government
agencies, land conservancies, private
industries and many dedicated individuals working together to create
more opportunities to experience
the outdoors and visit local
communities.
For more information, visit the
Michigan Audubon Society birding
trail website or www.michigan.gov/
wildlife.n

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C O M P A C T

45

By Jacob W. VanHouten

A toast to our deer

hunting dad...and a deer
camp to call our own!

ets start out by saying that

most deer hunters I know
dream of having some type
of deer camp they can call
their own (if they dont
have one) be it a tent on state land,
a camper parked in a farm wood lot,
or a 2,000 square-foot log home on
600 acres of land. They run a range
of styles and concepts. But as a kid
growing up near Grand Rapids, my
dad, brother and I would head north
every November to the state land on
the county line road near Baldwin
for opening day of rifle deer season.
If we worked hard, and made good
grades, our dad would let us have
the opening day off from school
sometimes. Our camp was the
back of our station wagon parked on
a two-track off the main dirt road.
We hunted the hard wood swamp and
ridges along a power line that formed
a triangle that kept us from getting too
lost (us boys, not my dad).
We saw a lot of deer a lot. All
the same sex though. Does and fawns

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Ray Hoody

in large groups of 10, 20 and even

30 would trot past us regularly. We
didnt see any bucks but many shots
were always heard from the red
army, even though few bucks were
seen hanging from the many temporary camps along the two-track and
dirt road. These were the days of
the lottery for doe permits. Dave and
I hoped and prayed every year that
we would be selected as there was a
guarantee that we would get a deer
if we could just draw a doe permit
it never happened. Wed drive home
every year looking at all the deer
on the top of cars and in the back of
pick-ups down in the dumps as
we felt like losers for not getting a
deer. Over the many years of hunting,
we did manage to each kill one buck
off the state land a small spike for
Dave and a small Mr. Moose 6 point
for me. Dad never got one.
Since that time, my brother and I
have hunted many areas of the state
and out of state. Weve looked and
search for land and/or a camp/cabin
to call our own, never having enough
time or money to make it happen.
Dave was in the Navy, then working
like a mad fool, me in grad school,
then working like a mad fool too.
Finally, after all these years I wont
say how many, but its a lot, we made
the move last year and purchased

HUNT and enjoy! A deer in camp makes for happy hunters authors brother
is all smiles with his first buck taken in camp. Author photo
a custom made deer cabin from
Trophy Amish Cabins (www.trophyamishcabins.com or 248-459-2716).
Those guys really know what theyre
doing and if you want an instant
quality, reasonably priced log cabin,
this is the way to go. We still couldnt
afford property of any size, so with
the kind donation of a cabin site by
the best friend anyone could have (he
shall remain nameless), we placed the
log cabin on his property in October
of 2014 and spent our first deer season
there on November 15th.
My brother and his son both
scored on nice bucks at camp last year
although we didnt see many deer at
all, it was the best season in a long
time. We now have a place to call
camp and to hang our wet clothes,

cook our meals and we even have deer

antlers hanging from the rafters. Its
not exactly what we thought we
would wind up with, but we always
knew wed get something. As most
hunters know, its not where you
hang your hat or hunt, but who you
share the hunt with. Now we have
a permanent place to enjoy that time
and to make new memories. My
dad would have loved it and we
think of him every season since we
lost him in 2007. We miss him.
While we sit in our new camp, we
talk about the old seasons, read from
our hunting journals, write about
who shot what and where in our
camp journal and raise a toast or
two to Cal VanHouten, our deer
hunting dad.n

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By Lee Arten

Gun Chat: Exotics

rom time to time, Ive had

the chance to shoot exotic
firearms and have taken the
chance. One of the strangest guns I shot was a .54
caliber smoothbore, underhammer
muzzleloader. A home-built percussion gun, it was made from seamless
steel tubing, and screen door parts and
springs. The stock was made from
two-by-fours. Some on the range that
day declined the chance to fire it. The
builder, an engineer, said it worked
fine for him.
It worked fine for me too, making
a jet of flame (visible in daylight) and
a .54 hole in the target. Last I heard
the engineer was working out of the
country. Sometimes I wonder what
happened to the gun.
A friend put together a blackpowder cannon using a stout piece of steel
tube. He did some of the work and
had engineers and machinists help
out with the rest. He built his own
carriage for it, and added an old set
of rifle sights later. Its fairly small as
cannons go but makes an impressive
amount of noise and smoke. The ball
from it penetrates a long way into the
range backstop. A charge of scrounged
pistol bullets, in a plastic sleeve, does
significant damage to a cardboard
carton. It gives one a lot of respect for
what troops in the Revolution, the War
Of 1812, and The Civil War had to
deal with.
Ive fired that cannon several
times. Ive never been as stylish as the
artillerymen of Battery D, the Civil
War re-enactors who do demonstra-

tions at Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor

in the summer, but I have had a lot of
fun firing it.
The cannon is the biggest gun Ive
fired but Ive shot a couple of rifles
in the .50 Browning Machine Gun
cartridge, a .470 Nitro double rifle,
and two .375 H&H Magnums. The .50
BMG rifles were heavy and didnt recoil as much as I thought they would.
Muzzle blast from the .50s, even with
muzzle brakes, was very evident.
Spectators were well-advised to stand
directly in back of the shooter and a
fair way to the rear.
The .375 H&Hs were more abrupt
and heavier in recoil than my .3006s, or my pump12 gauge. Neither
was difficult to handle. I would shoot
either again this afternoon, if someone
else was buying the ammo.
The .470 Nitro was a different
story. Though a solid, heavy rifle the
double gun smacked me around. A
tighter hold on the forend might have
helped, but I didnt shoot it again to
find out. The owner had given me
two .470 rounds. I fired one, broke
the gun, extracted the empty and the
unfired round, and gave the gun back.
Id had enough fun for that day.
In 1988 at a range in Georgia I
shot my first full auto firearms. I started with a Thompson, then shot an M3
Grease Gun, and an H&K MP5. That
same year I began going to the Second
Chance Bowling Pin Shoot. I went
to the match till it ended in 1998 and
shot machineguns there every year.
One that stands out is the Browning M2 .50 Caliber machinegun. The

The small blackpowder cannon is the largest exotic firearm the author has fired.
Lots of fire, smoke, and fun.
gun is still in use by our armed forces runner of the CIA. OSS partisans who
(and various U.S. allies.) There have
abducted a German general on Crete,
been attemptsto replace it but, so far,
evaded pursuing German troops, and
none have really been successful.
got him to a submarine, which took
The M2 is large and impressive
him North Africa and captivity, carbefore being fired. It gets more so
ried UD42s.
when bursts of heavy .50 caliber bulThe UD42 had relatively standard
box magazines and an arrangement
lets throw up dust downrange, and
in whichtwo magazines were welded
recoil rocks the platform the gun sits
together, one facing up, one facing
on. The M2 is an exotic that I regret
down. I got to shoot one side of a twoonly shooting once.
sided magazine. I found the UD42
The Italian M38/45 subgun is
less choppy than some other 9mm
another. The gun had two triggers,
subguns. I liked the sights and the feel
the front one for semiautomatic fire
of the weapon. It would have been fun
and the rear for full. It was controllable and muzzle rise was reduced by to fire off both sides of that magazine.
It has been a while since Ive fired
a muzzle break machined into the end
anything
exotic. But, I know two
of the barrel. I favor wooden-stocked
shooters
who
took delivery of custom
SMGs and the M38/45 came so
rifles,
in
a
custom
caliber, late last
equipped. I would like to try another,
year. So exotics may be on the menu
or one of the similar models that Italy
for me again in 2015.n
produced.
I fired another interesting subgun
at a fall shoot in Princeton, Minnesota. It was the UD42, a well-machined
gun made by Marlin. The M38/45
was used by several different military
entities involved in World War II. The
UD42 was mostly used by the Office
Of Strategic Services (OSS), the fore-

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The Month Of May Is Still Prime Time...By Mark Romanack

Extend your river fishing fun

T
he month of April is king
when it comes to river run
walleye in Michigan. Countless anglers crowd into the
Detroit River to take a stab at
what is often described as the
best spring walleye run in the Great
Lakes.
When April runs its course, about
95 percent of all those walleye enthusiasts abandon the Detroit River and
look elsewhere for walleye. For the
most part its Lake Erie and Saginaw
Bay that anglers look to in the month
of May for fishing success.
Ironically, the month of May
dishes up some awesome river walleye fishing most anglers simply arent
aware of. The action takes place on
the Detroit River, the St. Clair River
and also on the Saginaw River. All
three of these rivers harbor walleye
fishing in May that rivals April on the
Detroit River.

DETROIT RIVER

ST. CLAIR RIVER

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

SAGINAW RIVER

Unlike the Detroit and St. Clair

Rivers which are open to walleye fishing year around, the Saginaw River is
closed to fishing until the last Saturday in April. The final week in April
and all throughout the month of May
anglers can enjoy excellent action for
post-spawn walleye.
Because the Saginaw River is
further north than either the Detroit or
St. Clair Rivers, walleye run this river
a little later in the year. Most of the
spawning actually takes place many
miles upstream in tributary flows
including the Tittabawassee, Shiawassee, Cass and Flint Rivers.
Because walleye in this system
travel much further to reach prime
spawning areas, it takes much longer
for these fish to exit the river after
spawning. The whole month of May
and even early June find the Saginaw
River full of post-spawn walleye.
Jigging is a popular method of
targeting Saginaw River walleye.
Because the water is turbid attractor
jigs like the Fin Spin by Bait Rigs or
the Whistler by Northland Tackle are
preferred. While the Saginaw River
is deep, the current is not strong and
most stretches can be fished nicely
with a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce jig.
Trolling crankbaits upstream
along the channel edges is another
popular method for targeting May
walleye in the Saginaw River. The
The St. Clair River gets almost
shipping channel in the Saginaw River
as good a walleye run as the Detroit
is dredged and maintained for shipRiver. Whereas the Detroit River
peaks in April, the St. Clair being fur- ping traffic from Bay City to Saginaw
creating more than 20 miles of prime
ther upstream doesnt normally peak
until May. Many of the fish that spawn walleye structure suited to crankbait
trolling.
in the St. Clair are actually coming
Good crankbaits include high
from Lake Erie and also Lake St.
Clair. This little tidbit of information
action models like the Salmo HorApril sees the biggest runs of
walleye on the Detroit River, but its
important to remember that all walleye dont run or spawn at the same
time. The spring spawning period lasts
about a month meaning that anglers
can still find significant numbers of
walleye in the Detroit River right up
to Memorial Day!
As the waters of the Detroit
River warm, the walleye bite actually
improves. Most of the fish taken are
males that linger in the river for weeks
after the larger females have spawned
and returned to their summer haunts.
Jigging is still one of the most effective ways to target these fish which
often show up in some of the deeper
stretches of the river. Jigs in the 1/2,
5/8 and 3/4 ounce range are generally
the best choices.
Productive runs include the waters
directly downstream of the Ambassador Bridge, out in front of the Steel
Mill just north of Wyandotte, in front
of the Wyandotte Boat Launch and
downstream from Grassy Island to the
Wyandotte Shores Golf Course. The
mouth of the Detroit River downstream of Horse Island to Erie Metro
Park is also a good last season walleye
stretch.

48

allows walleye anglers to enjoy an

extra month of quality walleye jigging
action every year.
Compared to the Detroit River
the St. Clair River is a little deeper
and faster. Jigging is still the most
popular means of targeting walleye,
but anglers will need little larger jigs
than are typically used on the Detroit
River.
To be well equipped for walleye
jigging on the St. Clair anglers will
want to come prepared with a good
assortment of 5/8, 3/4 and 1 ounce
jigheads. Because the water is a little
warmer in May, soft plastic grubs and
worms are generally preferred over
live bait on the St. Clair River.
Typical river stretch that routinely
hold St. Clair River walleye in May
include the waters between Stag
Island and the Blue Water Bridge and
also around the Marine City area.

While most anglers feel that April is the only time to jig for river walleye in
Michigan, the author points out that some rivers like the St. Clair and Saginaw
dont even peak until May. Mark Romanack photos
net, Yakima Timber Tiger and Mag
Lip 3.5. Brighter colors are favored
because the Saginaw River is silty and
turbid most of the time.
In the lower Saginaw River where
the current is exceptionally slow,
many anglers troll crankbaits on the
flats with the help of in-line planer
boards. When targeting the river channel edges, flat line trolling is generally
preferred.
Braided lines are critical to both
jigging and trolling applications on
Michigans walleye rivers. A 10# test
braided line is ideal for jig fishing applications. The low stretch characteristics of braid make it easier to detect
bottom and feel subtle strikes.
For trolling most anglers favor
30# test braid that has a diameter
about equal to eight pound test monofilament. Again the low stretch properties of braid make it easier to detect
when a crankbait is making contact
with bottom.
Jigging or trolling, anglers must
maintain contact with the bottom to
consistently catch river run walleye.
The single best way to insure your
baits are on bottom is to spool up with

braided lines.
My favorite braid is produced by
Maxima and features an eight strand
manufacturing process. The eight
strand braiding process produces a
fishing line that has a shape and handling characteristics similar to monofilament line. These lines load onto
reels properly and function flawlessly
for vertical jigging, casting and trolling applications.
Braids that are not eight strand
tend to be the less expensive brands.
These lines are flat in shape, overly
soft/limp and they bunch up when
loaded onto reel spools. Flat braids
also prevent the reels drag system
from functioning properly, making
them a poor choice for jigging or trolling.

FINAL THOUGHTS
April may be the month that
everyone gets out to target walleye on
rivers, but the month of May is still
prime time. Generally the weather
is better in May and the bite is often
much better. This year dont forget to
plan a return visit in May.n

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49

By exploring up rivers, you can find some interesting historical remnants from the 1800s and also locate excellent fishing holes...

Log driving activities still affect trout habitat

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

By Bill Ziegler

50

extremely shallow stream stretches or rapids that

would cause large log jams. Log driving dams had
sluiceways where logs could be driven though
them on a large head of water released abruptly in
the spring flushing the logs downstream.
Paddling the two rivers is the most practical
and enjoyable way to view many of the remote
log drive remnants. One of the best sections of
the Paint River for both log drive artifacts and
navigability is the 25.5 mile section from the
Gold Mine Road US Forest Service (USFS)
Road 3470 crossing of the South Branch of the
Paint River down to the Bate-Amasa Road (Iron
County Rd. 643) bridge on the Paint River. If you
are not pressed for time you could also trout fish
on the South Branch of the Paint River or fish for
smallmouth in the Paint River. There is a number
of good access points mentioned in this article (or
the maps above) if you only want to take a day
trip. If extensive exploring the historical remnants
or considerable time allotted to angling is your
goal, you should not try to paddle to far in a day,
my rule of thumb is no more than about ten river
miles a day.
Above this most navigable stretch, Cooks
Run enters the South Branch of the Paint River.
Cooks Run had three logging dams with one
of those being the log driving dam that formed
the famous trout fishing meadows. Many of
the log driving dams formed scour pools behind
them. Most of these pools still exist and are used
by trout and anglers today as holding cover and
fishing spots. Cooks Run and the South Branch
of the Paint River are outstanding combination
brook and brown trout streams. Cooks Run can be
floated with a canoe from US Forest Highway 16
down to the Paint River but only at higher water

Above Left: Historical photo of log drivers working with peaveys below a log driving dam. Photo courtesy of Marcia Bernhardt and Iron County Historical Museum. Above Right: This shows a log drive on Iron County's
Michigamme River. The photo shows the log drivers and a raft (wanigan) that was used to carry food and supplies for the log drive on a larger river. This sort of scene could also be seen on the lower Paint River. Photo
Log driving activities page 52
courtesy of Butch Harder.
nants are large timbers, large steel spikes, rock
to the mills. The log drives on the tributaries of
cribs, angled wood piling, scour pools, earth and
the Menominee, like the Paint River, were timed
rock dam berms along with noticeable nearby
to catch the high spring run-off high water period.
burrow pits. In a few rare cases workers conductThe harvested pine logs were decked along the
ing regular maintenance on the dams carved or
streams during the winter so they could be rolled
stamped their initials or names and dates in rocks
in to start the log drive at spring breakup.
near the dam sites.
One Menominee River log drive was operated
The Menominee River Watershed was a major
by a cooperative company called the Menominee
log transport system of pine logs in the late 1800s
River Boom Company. The Paint River was a
into the very early 1900s when 10,608,229,506
major river for log drives from the upper westboard feet of lumber were driven down the
ern portion of the Menominee Watershed. The
Menominee Watershed between 1868 to1917. RePaint River received logs from smaller drives on
portedly, the watershed drives supported over 30
the tributaries North and South Branch Paint,
saw mills down near the mouth of the Menominee
Cooks Run, Paint Creek, Holmes Creek, Bush
River. This volume could be supported since the
Creek, Morrison Creek, Net River, Hemlock
Menominee is the fourth largest watershed in the
River, and St. Paul Creek. Logging dams were
State of Michigan. As railroads were built in the
constructed on the tributaries and mainstream of
area, lumber companies calculated a comparison
the Paint River. Two types of dams were used
of the costs of log transportation to Menominee.
by log drivers. Reservoir dams were sometimes
Initially, river log drives were the only way to
constructed on tributaries although often they
move logs to the mills. Eventually, railroads and
were constructed at the outlets of some lakes to
supply roads were constructed although river
provide additional water to flush into the system
transport
of
pine
logs
was
still
the
most
economiin a coordinated effort to keep log drives going.
Author on a spring high water trout habitat reconnaissance paddle trip. He documented a number of logBrule Dam wood framework and scour pool just downstream. This is an example of another logging dam
cal
method
to
move
large
numbers
of
logs
down
Log driving dams were often constructed above
ging dam remnants and important trout habitat features on these trips.
remnant on the Upper Brule River (trout stream) in the Menominee Watershed.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

If you spend some time canoeing/

kayaking or exploring, and know how
to identify log driving remnants, you
can observe considerable features that
were constructed to transport logs that
are still present along many rivers in
Northern Michigan. Log drivers activities more than a century ago, resulted in
the trout stream habitat
both fish and anglers
use today. It enhances
an informed angler
experience to know the
historical significance of
prominent fish habitat
feature you encounter
on your favorite trout
stream. This can be
the case on any river
in Northern Michigan
where pine logging occurred (approximately
1870s to early 1900s).
As a prime example,
this article will focus on
the Paint River in the
Menominee River Watershed (Iron County).
Pine log drives down the Paint River were
preceded by the considerable construction of logging dams and other log moving features like log
slides. By using the County plat book, State of
Michigan DNR county maps, US Forest Service
maps, and US Geological Survey Quad Maps you
can find some of the historical dam sites marked
to aid your explorations. Significant remnants of
features like logging dams, log slides, and drive
logs can still be observed today since some of
them involved major alterations that are durable
on the rivers or landscape. Typical log dam rem-

51

By exploring up rivers, you can find some interesting historical remnants from the 1800s and also locate excellent fishing holes...

Log driving activities still affect trout habitat

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

By Bill Ziegler

50

extremely shallow stream stretches or rapids that

would cause large log jams. Log driving dams had
sluiceways where logs could be driven though
them on a large head of water released abruptly in
the spring flushing the logs downstream.
Paddling the two rivers is the most practical
and enjoyable way to view many of the remote
log drive remnants. One of the best sections of
the Paint River for both log drive artifacts and
navigability is the 25.5 mile section from the
Gold Mine Road US Forest Service (USFS)
Road 3470 crossing of the South Branch of the
Paint River down to the Bate-Amasa Road (Iron
County Rd. 643) bridge on the Paint River. If you
are not pressed for time you could also trout fish
on the South Branch of the Paint River or fish for
smallmouth in the Paint River. There is a number
of good access points mentioned in this article (or
the maps above) if you only want to take a day
trip. If extensive exploring the historical remnants
or considerable time allotted to angling is your
goal, you should not try to paddle to far in a day,
my rule of thumb is no more than about ten river
miles a day.
Above this most navigable stretch, Cooks
Run enters the South Branch of the Paint River.
Cooks Run had three logging dams with one
of those being the log driving dam that formed
the famous trout fishing meadows. Many of
the log driving dams formed scour pools behind
them. Most of these pools still exist and are used
by trout and anglers today as holding cover and
fishing spots. Cooks Run and the South Branch
of the Paint River are outstanding combination
brook and brown trout streams. Cooks Run can be
floated with a canoe from US Forest Highway 16
down to the Paint River but only at higher water

Above Left: Historical photo of log drivers working with peaveys below a log driving dam. Photo courtesy of Marcia Bernhardt and Iron County Historical Museum. Above Right: This shows a log drive on Iron County's
Michigamme River. The photo shows the log drivers and a raft (wanigan) that was used to carry food and supplies for the log drive on a larger river. This sort of scene could also be seen on the lower Paint River. Photo
Log driving activities page 52
courtesy of Butch Harder.
nants are large timbers, large steel spikes, rock
to the mills. The log drives on the tributaries of
cribs, angled wood piling, scour pools, earth and
the Menominee, like the Paint River, were timed
rock dam berms along with noticeable nearby
to catch the high spring run-off high water period.
burrow pits. In a few rare cases workers conductThe harvested pine logs were decked along the
ing regular maintenance on the dams carved or
streams during the winter so they could be rolled
stamped their initials or names and dates in rocks
in to start the log drive at spring breakup.
near the dam sites.
One Menominee River log drive was operated
The Menominee River Watershed was a major
by a cooperative company called the Menominee
log transport system of pine logs in the late 1800s
River Boom Company. The Paint River was a
into the very early 1900s when 10,608,229,506
major river for log drives from the upper westboard feet of lumber were driven down the
ern portion of the Menominee Watershed. The
Menominee Watershed between 1868 to1917. RePaint River received logs from smaller drives on
portedly, the watershed drives supported over 30
the tributaries North and South Branch Paint,
saw mills down near the mouth of the Menominee
Cooks Run, Paint Creek, Holmes Creek, Bush
River. This volume could be supported since the
Creek, Morrison Creek, Net River, Hemlock
Menominee is the fourth largest watershed in the
River, and St. Paul Creek. Logging dams were
State of Michigan. As railroads were built in the
constructed on the tributaries and mainstream of
area, lumber companies calculated a comparison
the Paint River. Two types of dams were used
of the costs of log transportation to Menominee.
by log drivers. Reservoir dams were sometimes
Initially, river log drives were the only way to
constructed on tributaries although often they
move logs to the mills. Eventually, railroads and
were constructed at the outlets of some lakes to
supply roads were constructed although river
provide additional water to flush into the system
transport
of
pine
logs
was
still
the
most
economiin a coordinated effort to keep log drives going.
Author on a spring high water trout habitat reconnaissance paddle trip. He documented a number of logBrule Dam wood framework and scour pool just downstream. This is an example of another logging dam
cal
method
to
move
large
numbers
of
logs
down
Log driving dams were often constructed above
ging dam remnants and important trout habitat features on these trips.
remnant on the Upper Brule River (trout stream) in the Menominee Watershed.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

If you spend some time canoeing/

kayaking or exploring, and know how
to identify log driving remnants, you
can observe considerable features that
were constructed to transport logs that
are still present along many rivers in
Northern Michigan. Log drivers activities more than a century ago, resulted in
the trout stream habitat
both fish and anglers
use today. It enhances
an informed angler
experience to know the
historical significance of
prominent fish habitat
feature you encounter
on your favorite trout
stream. This can be
the case on any river
in Northern Michigan
where pine logging occurred (approximately
1870s to early 1900s).
As a prime example,
this article will focus on
the Paint River in the
Menominee River Watershed (Iron County).
Pine log drives down the Paint River were
preceded by the considerable construction of logging dams and other log moving features like log
slides. By using the County plat book, State of
Michigan DNR county maps, US Forest Service
maps, and US Geological Survey Quad Maps you
can find some of the historical dam sites marked
to aid your explorations. Significant remnants of
features like logging dams, log slides, and drive
logs can still be observed today since some of
them involved major alterations that are durable
on the rivers or landscape. Typical log dam rem-

51

Log driving activities:

from page 51
levels. There were five logging
dams upstream of the Cooks Run
on the South Branch. Some of those
logging dam sites also still have
scour pools formed that are used by
trout anglers although those upper
stretches of the South Branch are
difficult to navigate with a canoe.
Paddling downstream from
the put in on the Gold Mine Road
1.4 miles you first encounter Uno
Dam. Uno Dam was a log driving dam (photo) and considerable
remnants are still visible. Our DNR
brown trout telemetry movement
studies indicated that large browns
use the pool at Uno Dam regularly
along with many of the other holes
mentioned. Continuing downstream
2.1 miles from Uno Dam brings you
to the Old Gold Mine Hole just
below the downstream Gold Mine
Road crossing. The Gold Mine
Hole was created by a misinformed

rustic USFS Campground. Below

the Forks you come to the old logging ghost town of Atkinson or
Gibb City. There were two logging dams one just above and one
below the Ponozzo Road crossing.
Atkinson Dam has a scour hole
(another brown trout fishing spot)
and considerable wood remnants
still visible.
The small rustic Blockhouse
USFS Campground is five miles
downstream of Paint Forks. In the
next section you pass by the mouth
of the Net River and Morrison
Creek. Just below Parks Creek (5.2
miles downstream from the mouth
of Net River) paddlers come to
the remnants of Pain Dam Number Two. Someone has built up
the remnants of the old dam with
broken chunks of concrete. There is
a large plunge pool downstream of
the dam that holds smallmouth bass,

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Waucedah Dam remnant wood framework, sluice way and scour pool below.
This remnant dam is on the Sturgeon River (smallmouth bass river section) in
southeast Dickinson County in the Menominee River Watershed.

52

miner that spent considerable effort digging out a large hole in the
river only to find out he was mining pyrite (fools gold). The Paint
River Forks (confluence with the
North Branch of the Paint) is 4.4
miles downstream from the Gold
Mine Hole. The Forks is has a small

rock bass and other warm water

fish. Dam Number Two was the
most upstream dam operated by the
Menominee River Boom Company.
Downstream of Paint Dam No Two
is the Upper and Lower Hemlock
Rapids. These are Class 2 and Class
3 rapids respectively. These rapids

Photo shows several log marks (see triangles with legs) in the butt end of
the drive log representing the owner on the Menominee Watershed.
both run through state land and the
upper Hemlocks (recently acquired
by the State) is used by paddlers
as a undeveloped remote campsite.
Both Hemlock Rapids have beautiful whitewater and rock outcrop settings for photography. The Hemlock
Rapids are excellent smallmouth
angling and they are only accessible
by canoe/kayak. You can finish up
this section of river by paddling
2.2 miles downstream of the Lower
Hemlock Rapids to the take out at
County Road 643.
If you wanted to paddle further
you could paddle down the Little
Bull Diversion Dam on the Lower
Paint River. A log landing was located about two miles downstream
of the M 69 Bridge at Crystal Falls.
Logs were slid down an iced slide
trough to the landing on the river.
That log slide trough can still be
observed running uphill on Kimball
Road past the Crystal Falls sewage
treatment ponds. Paint Dam Number One is 26 miles below the Paint
Dam Number Two. It would be best
to take out at the Little Bull Diversion Dam at the WE Energies boat
access site number 22. Below that
dam is the Horse Race Rapids that
are rated Class Four which is above
the level that experienced white
water open canoe paddlers should
attempt.
The log drives were major river
operations. A historical example

from Menominee Boom Company

records for 1896 showed that the
Kirby Carpenter Logging Company
conducted the log drives on the
North, South, and main Paint Rivers. Eventually, the logs were driven
down to the mainstream, in this case
Brule Falls. Reportedly, the tributary drives were to have the logs
to the main drive by May 1 for the
Menominee River Boom Company
drive. This combination of logs in
the river is why the logs had to be
marked with symbols representing the various logging companies.
They were to be sorted out by the
owners at the mill. The log drives
were extremely hard work and very
dangerous. A number of men were
killed or drowned on the log drives
and reportedly some were buried in
unmarked graves at some the logging dam sites.
Log drives were conducted on
most Northern Michigan Rivers
during the major white and red pine
logging period in the late 1800s.
On your next trip canoeing down
Northern Michigan rivers, keep
on the lookout for remnants of the
logging days. If you look on the
bottom of some of our area rivers
you will see deadhead (sunken logs
from about 12 to 16 feet in length)
logs that became waterlogged, sank,
and were left behind. Some Michigan streams have a number of these
sunken drive logs.n

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NAME

53

By Tom Lounsbury

Labradors are a hunters best friend

he Labrador retriever has

a pretty strong following
in this country, and for
good reason. It is a very
amiable dog to usually
both people and other
dogs, which makes it a top choice as
an assist dog to physically impaired
folks. Its good-natured versatility
causes it to cover everything from
family pet to rescue/ drug interdiction
canine and all around field/hunting
dog. Its natural beauty has also led it
to the show ring.
Personally I look upon Labrador
retrievers as having two types: Field/
hunting and show. With my major
focus being primarily hunting, this is
the type I shop for from a reputable
breeder that raises hunting labs.
This does not mean a show dog wont
hunt or a hunting dog cant be shown,
I just prefer labs that come from long
established hunting bloodlines, thus
Im more assured of certain desired
traits.
The Labradors name is a bit of a
misnomer as it hails originally from

Newfoundland and not Labrador. Its

first ancestors most likely accompanied Basque and Portuguese fishermen as ships dogs to Newfoundland
more than three centuries ago. These
were tough canines that were used to
retrieve nets and related tackle, often
in cold and rough seas. Newfoundland
settlers would later refine this breed
into handling the task of retrieving
downed waterfowl in a harsh environment.
The Labrador retriever first appeared in England during the early
1800s, being brought there by cod
fishermen, who fished along both the
Newfoundland and Labrador banks,
and thus is the possible connection
to the Labrador name. In England
however, it was called the St. Johns
dog to distinguish it from the larger
Newfoundland dog. Once in England,
the St. Johns dog was quickly recognized as being an outstanding sporting
breed.
According to an old dog book
I have, the St. Johns dog was the
basis for developing two new sport-

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Tom Lounsburys Labrador Ebony sharing a special successful moment in

the field with DNR Upland Game Bird Specialist Al Stewart during a December
pheasant hunt in the Thumb.

54

ing breeds that appeared in England

during the mid 1800s. A cross with the
Irish Water Spaniel created the Curlycoated Retriever, and a cross with the
Gordon Setter created the Flat-coated
Retriever, both of which are outstanding hunting dogs in their own right.
Black is the predominate color of
the Labrador retriever, but it also can
have a yellow, rusty, or chocolate coat.
When I hear folks call a dog a golden
lab, Im confused as to whether they
are referring to a yellow Labrador
retriever, or a golden retriever, which
is an entirely different breed. In this
country the Labrador retriever is often
succinctly and fondly referred to as
being a Lab.
Labs are powerfully built dogs
that have thick, otter-like tails,
webbed feet, and durable, weatherproof coats. Ive noticed their coats
tend to also shed burrs and other
clinging seeds, and in my opinion that
is definitely a good factor. They possess a natural fondness for water, and
as their full name dictates, they love to
retrieve anything from a stick tossed
in the yard to waterfowl downed by
hunters in open water. Their unique
ability to mark (visually target)
items to retrieve and their acute sense
of smell endear them greatly to hunters, in effectively and consistently
recovering game. In the upland hunting arena, the lab excels at finding and

flushing game (there is even a strain

of pointing labs), so it remains a
highly versatile dog.
When I was a kid, pheasant hunters visiting our farm introduced me to
a highly effective method of hunting
involving a combination of pointing
dogs and flushing dogs. The English
pointers found and locked onto the
roosters, and the flushers, which were
labs, were sent in to put up the birds
and retrieve those brought down.
Although the hunters were autoworkers from Detroit, they had originally
hailed from the South, and were some
of the finest gentlemen and dog experts that I have ever shared the field
with.
I would later read about this type
of point/flush dog system being used
for quail hunting on southern plantations. Needless to say it is an effective
hunting technique I have continued to
employ for wild roosters to this day.
My pointing dogs are (French) Brittany spaniels, and of course nothing
beats a lab for the other part of the
team.
When I was in need of a new lab
several years ago, I didnt hesitate to
contact Nick Anthony of the Rooster
Ranch near Ubly, who specializes in
raising and training good hunting labs.
This ended up with me bringing a
little black (7 week old female) ball of
fur home that my wife Ginny immedi-

ately named Ebony.

Watching a small lab puppy transcend into a large dog in a relatively
short time span is really an amazing,
but enjoyable affair. From the start
Ebony has that lab trait of looking
directly and boldly into your eyes,
something many dogs wont do. She
also is a natural retriever and cant
come into our house without bringing in some sort of token from the
outdoors. This is usually in the form
of sticks, stones, and pinecones, but
on occasion there has been an item
or two that had Ginny climbing the
walls, because it was still moving, or
used to.
Ebony has a very likeable and
tractable nature, which is a good thing
when you bring home a new family
member your wife wasnt expecting.
Of course Ebony won Ginny over in
record time by automatically squirming in my hands in order to meet the
lady of the house.
I have a mustang horse named
Rocky that all my other dogs give
a wide berth and for good reason.
Rocky was born in the wild (Nevada)
where canines in the form of coyotes
are a threat to colts. However while
I was doing chores during my pups
first winter, half-grown Ebony came
up missing, and I was stunned when
I found her resting calmly between
Rockys front hooves. When the
mustang lowered his nose to nuzzle
the pup, Ebony lapped his nostrils,
and both pup and horse seem quite
content with the relationship, much to
my relief. They still remain the best
of friends.
Despite being a serious hunting
dog, Ebony has a soft spot for cats,
especially abandoned kittens. I will
always remember hearing a kitten
but was unable to locate it one day
while I was retrieving mail from my
mailbox, and Ebony was with me. On
our walk back to the house I realized
Ebony was gently carrying something
in her mouth. It turned out to be the
kitten and Ebony made it clear she
liked and wanted to keep it. The kitten truly appreciated being cleaned

up (and adopted) by a slobbering

and doting lab and theyve been best
friends ever since.
Ebony isnt much of a watchdog,
but she makes a great greeter, and
visibly likes everybody. Just the other
day she wanted to go for a ride with
the UPS man. And when our grandchildren, come to visit, Ebony is in
utter heaven with her playmates. She
really enjoys swimming in our pond
with the kids and has become rather
adept at catching frogs for them (and
delivered to hand unharmed by a
gentle mouth).
With her share of pheasant
hunting seasons under her belt now,
Ebony has developed her own unique
style. She performs a natural cast out
front and remains relatively close
with frequent checks for my position,
and does this instinctively for me.
Her sniffing is normal until she picks
up scent and then the olfactory afterburners kick in and her loud snuffling
sounds like an inbound helicopter as
she seeks out the source. She quickly
learned to blend in and work as a
team with my French Brittanies and
use her flushing style at just the right
moment when the other dogs go on
point. Ebony also thoroughly enjoys
effectively working with my pair of
beagles when rabbit hunting.
It was a couple years ago I realized Ebony absolutely hates skunks
and will attack and kill them on sight
without hesitation, despite being
sprayed. Im not sure what brought
this about (per a normally very gentle
dog), but skunks obviously turn her
crank the wrong way and she apparently, much to my dismay, doesnt
mind the strong odor at all as a
result of the encounter. Needless
to say I have had to do some serious work at cleaning up a skunked
pooch that happens to also be a house
dog.
Skunk incidents aside, Ebony is a
regular part of our family and a very
versatile hunting dog, a certain fact
the Labrador retriever breed epitomizes.
It truly works for me anyway.n

Silver Lake State Park ORV

Area access improvements

The DNR has collaborated with a Silver Lake Off-Road Vehicle Area (SLORVA) core task group since January to develop an improved access plan for the
SLORVA.
The process began last fall to address the long waiting lines to access the ORV
area, which have caused inconvenience for the users of the area and the local community.
After the DNR's initial ORV area plan was outlined and considered last fall, the
DNR received additional public comment, resulting in a more robust process to
improve the plan.
More than 248 users participated in the first meeting in January. Three additional planning sessions followed, concluding with a final meeting involving
a 16-member core task group comprised of volunteers. Several improvement
strategies were identified. The objective is to speed up access to the ORV area by
ensuring users are dune-ready prior to arriving at the entrance to the dunes.
Strategies include:
Online instruction and educational videos.
Better educational and flow signage.
Ability to purchase ORV and trail permits and Recreation Passports off site.
More efficient check-in process and dune access.
Assessing options to expand parking.
Realignment of the site traffic flow.
Establishing a welcome center for dune information.
Local businesses, sheriff s department, emergency management, township and
road commission representatives joined Silver Lake State Park and other DNR
Parks and Recreation staff to provide input in this dynamic planning process.
ORV riders planning to visit Silver Lake should review the updated system
online at www.michigan.gov/silverlake.
There will no longer be a voucher system for dune-ready access; however, the
voucher process will be used consistent with the past process for use of the parking lots for trailered ORV units.
We have a very passionate community of ORV riders, said DNR Parks and
Recreation Chief Ron Olson. "We are glad to have their participation and input
as we work to improve Silver Lake State Park ORV Area and provide high-quality
recreation experiences that our visitors love and expect.
This season will be treated as a pilot program. Particularly on busy holiday
weekends, volunteers will assist in implementing the new procedures. The process
will be evaluated throughout the summer to ensure that it functions well, maximizes the recreational experience and creates minimal impact to the community.
For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/silverlake or contact Silver
Lake State Park Supervisor Charlotte Kiefer at 231-873-3083.
Inside Michigans Great Outdoors subscribers are always the first to know
about reservation opportunities, state park events and other outdoor happenings.
Visit www.michigan.gov/dnr to subscribe now. You can also sign up for updates
on specific topics like off-road vehicle trails.
A Recreation Passport grants vehicle access to any Michigan state park, boat
launch, state forest campground or nonmotorized state trailhead parking. Residents can purchase the Passport for just $11 ($5 for motorcycles) at the time of
Michigan license plate renewal through Secretary of State. Forgot to check YES
during renewal? Residents and nonresidents can purchase a Recreation Passport
window sticker during regular business hours at state parks. Learn more about
how the Recreation Passport supports state parks and local outdoor recreation opportunities at www.michigan.gov/recreationpassport.

North America
Dealer Inquiries:
Phone: 734-744-5566 | Fax: 734-744-5568
chris.temple@b-w-international.com
www.b-w-international.com

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Special Cases & Bags

55

Good things happen to good people

By Aaron K. Bedford

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

56

fter I agreed to swap seats

with her husband so he
could sit next to her on
the plane, I heard her
whisper to her daughter,
Good things happen to
good people.
That is so untrue, I angrily
thought to myself. One of my best
friends, Mark Knee, had just died a
few days ago in a tragic ski accident
in northern Michigan, and he was a
good person. He was an unbelievablygood person. He was unmatched.
He was 40. What good happened to
him? I silently asked myself.
Mark was one of west-Michigans
finest fly-fishing guides and also a
respected wildlife technician for the
state. He could drift the entire Pere
Marquette River or Manistee River
blindfolded. Yet, because he now has
two young sons and a beautiful wife at
home, grieving and alone, I felt guilty
succumbing to my horrible fear of
flying while anxiously wondering how
my plane, which was about to take
off, would crash down. As I always
thought when I fly, I was sure this was
going to be the one to go down. I was
terrified, again. Would it be an engine
failure, pilot error, catastrophic structural malfunction? As the big engines
revved up and the plane rocketed
down the runway of doom, I clutched
my armrests with strained knuckles,
fingernails digging into the cheap
plastic, and tried to think of something
else to get me through my two-hour
nightmare. I felt even guiltier.
I became stuck on Good things
happen to good people. I slowly tried
to unravel this commonly-heard riddle
by thinking about Marks life and trying to figure out how someone enjoying a rare weekend off from steelhead
guiding to enjoy a sunny late-winter
morning of skiing could have his life
ripped out from under him so quicklyin the snap of a finger.
Theres absolutely nothing good
about that, I whispered to myself.
The plane hit some moderate turbulence and I squeezed the armrests
even harder. I tried my best to focus
on Mark.
Good fishing guides put you on
fish. Great fishing guides help you off
the boat at the end of a long day and
send you on your lifes journey with
a better outlook on the world and a
heightened sense of self-respect
whether you caught fish or not. Mark
was an expert at this, and it wasnt
because he felt like he had to, it was
just in his soul. He had a lot of soul.
Whether in his drift boat, in a car, in

the duck blind or just sitting around

having some beers, Mark rarely
complained. He had no enemies. He
was very sharp and knew what drama
was, but he didnt seek it. He was a
solutions-kind-of-person. I couldnt
believe I never took the time to realize
this before. I had simply became accustomed to it.
I never got a chance to ask him
how, but I can only speculate that he
honed his people skills after spending
so many hours on the water listening
to complainers and gossipers like me
puke out their subjective reasoning
on what was wrong with the world
all over his boats floor. The moment someone starts the drama train
moving a lot of people will immediately hop on the rail cars loaded with
bombs of sheer negativity and drive it
straight into a mountain taking everyone with it.
Why? I guess to somehow get revenge on life for our own self-inflicted
pain, jealousies and low self-esteem.
Birds of a feather flock together,
right? Wrong.
Mark had a way of mysteriously
redirecting the flocks and switching
the canvas, and in a matter of a few
calm sentences, he had you learning
what a particular plant along a river
bank was, or what the mating call of
some rare frog in the woods sounded
like, or how to mend your line better
to get a longer drift. He could transition you from a fire-breathing dragon
to a newly-emerged brown drake
gracefully riding the current, within
a few strokes of his hand-made drift
boat paddles.
However, he didnt do this in
some theatrical voice with poetic
poise, he was far from that. He didnt
try to sound sophisticated. He was
from Indiana, he played soccer, he
went to college in Michigans Upper
Peninsula, and he still carried a halfhick nature about him that was oh-so
evident in his Dukes-of-HazzardSheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane-like laugh.
Even though he almost always had a
smile on his face, you could tell when
he really got excited about something
because his voice, somewhat mediumpitched, would drop down a few tones
and he would half whisper, half grizzle out a stretched, heeeeeer come
some feet-down mallards Bedford,
or thhhheeeeeeer he is feeding again
Bedford, cast up there by that log, or
..Geeet em!.
Regardless if you managed to
hook a trout after countless perfect
drifts or defeat a fresh Lake Michigan-run silver bullet on one of his
hand-tied secrets, he didnt care. Even
after working all day to put people

Mark Knee, fly-fishing guide and also a respected wildlife technician for the
state, could drift the entire Pere Marquette River or Manistee River blindfolded.
on fish, whether they landed 20 or
hooked none, whether they tipped him
or not, he didnt care. And at the end
of the day, anybody fishing with him,
whether paying clients or just friends,
they didnt care either. All anybody
cared about was that they just got to
spend a great day on the river and for
some reason, they felt better about
themselves. No matter what bad vibes
you stepped into his boat with, you
always left feeling good. You felt real.
You felt the world was a good place.
Only now do I realize why that was. It
was simple. It was because of Mark.
Unfortunately, I never got to tell
him that. However, even if I had, he
most likely wouldnt have understood
because he didnt know any better. He
didnt know any other way to be. In
addition to his love for fly-fishing, his
passion for his family, rare tree frogs,
plant species, hunting, people, friends,
and life was so genuine that I doubt
he realized how much his awesome
personality lifted people up. It was
just him, and he didnt have to work
hard at it like most of us do. In fact,
the moment his spirit left his vibrant
mortal shell upon impact of hitting a
tree after losing control while skiing,
I truly believe he died an extremely
happy person with no regrets on life.
And, that can only be possible for
someone who loved life as much as he
did including anything and everything
it threw at him. He came into this
world, and left, a very content person.
He wasnt perfect, and I know he had
a few inner demons of his own, but
his personality allowed him the rare

ability to focus only on the positive.

He focused on being alive. He was
one of lifes rare exceptions to the
norm.
I heard the planes flaps come
down, and we gradually began a very
smooth descent, and I slowly released
my grip on the armrests. It was at that
time I began to realize that Marks
wife, his kids, his beloved hunting
dogs, his family, and his hand-built
mahogany drift boat he constructed
with his fatherthose were all good
things that happened to him. All those
ducks that fell fool to his decoys, and
all those weird frogs that peeped and
chirped in the woodsthose were
good things that happened to him.
All of these people that are still in
shock about his death yet are forever
changed after being in his presence and witnessing the effects of
a positive-minded personthats a
good thing that happened to him. The
fact that I became friends with him
and having a better understanding
of what a true good soul is and how
graciously infectious it is on peoples
livesthats a good thing that happened to him. All of these things were
his amazing life, and they happened to
him, and that is a very good thing.
And as my plane gently landed
onto the runway and we came to
a gradual stop, I realized that the
woman behind me was right, Good
things do happen to good people.
Thank you, Mark. Life was very
good to you, and you sure returned
the favor during your short time
here.n

Who needs a
compass? YOU!

circles.
A compass is a handy, simple,
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and what is around you. You can use
it in conjunction with a topo to more
accurately schedule your route and
triangulate to find out where you are
when you are in the field.
Regardless of what you think is
the right way to travel, always, always
trust and follow your compass.n

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Love The Outdoors?

destination.
When you are hunting you dont
want to spend all of your time checking your compass. In forested areas
you cant see great distances and
everything looks similar so try to
pick something at your bearing that
stands out and is unique, like a tall
oak, group of pines, or deadfall, a hill
and work your way there. When you
reach your guide point, take another
bearing and pick another mark. It is
a little tedious but it beats walking in

LEFT

red orienting arrow.

A couple words of
caution. When you use
a compass be sure that it isnt near
metal because the metal will affect
the needle and give you an incorrect
reading. Also make sure that the red
magnetic needle is aligned North.
Otherwise, you will be walking in the
opposite direction of where you want
to go. It is an easy mistake to make.
To find out which way is North
hold the compass level about waist
high, turn the degree dial until the
orienting arrow lines up with the magnetic arrow (remember the old phrase,
when the red is in the shed) and the
direction of travel arrow is pointing
North.
Consider this. You are hunting
directly East of a North/South road.
If you get turned around you can find
your way back to the road by simply
traveling West. It is exactly opposite.
The only problem with this scenario is that while you will reach the
road, you have no clue whether you
will end up North or South of where
you want to be. If you want to hit
closer to the mark you need to take
a bearing to determine the direction
from one object to another in degrees
There are 360 degrees marked on
a compass with North being at 360,
East at 90, South at 180 and West
comes in at 270.
With your compass oriented to the
North, pick a landmark to the East,
turn your body to face it and point the
direction of travel arrow at it. Turn
the dial until the red is in the shed
and read the degree markings on the
dial. Lets say it is 45 degrees which
means you will be traveling 45 degrees which is directly Northeast. To
return you set your direction of travel
arrow at 225 degrees (180 degrees
plus 45) and you will be walking
Southwest. It is simply opposite but
using degrees gets you closer to your

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By Bill Kendy

n todays high tech

world pretty much
everyone has a
smart phoneand most have a
built in compass and even a GPS
system. So why fool around with an
old fashion compass?
Heres why. You are deer hunting and you leave your cell phone in
camp. Or you forgot to recharge it the
night before or you have no service.
You are on stand and catch a glimpse
of a buck working away from you.
You start following him and suddenly
you have no clue where you are and
are completely turned around. Now
what?
In most cases, you are not that far
from some type of road, path or waterway. You may have to break brush for
a while but if you have even a general
idea of direction you will run into
something you can follow to get out.
That is where a good old fashioned
mechanical compass comes in handy.
While this sounds like an obvious
observation, there is no excuse for
not familiarizing yourself with your
hunting area and that means a map,
preferably a topographical (topo) map.
Have an idea of where the main roads,
two tracks, trails, powerlines, rivers,
creeks, lakes, ridges and other landmarks are.
Compasses come in all shapes,
sizes and price ranges depending on
how sophisticated you want to get and
with proper care will last a lifetime. I
still have my first Silva compass that
I got over 40 years ago and it still
works like a charm.
A compass that you can use in the
woods and a map has a base plate with
a line of direction of travel arrow (to
point at where you want to go), index
lines and measurements, a liquid filled
capsule in a revolving housing that is
marked in degrees and directions, a
magnetic needle with one end painted
red that points to magnetic north and a

57

Volunteers support state

parks effort to eliminate

INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES

n a cold and windy

Sunday afternoon, Laurel
Malvitz-Draper leads a
crew of a dozen volunteers carrying hand saws
and pruning shears on a half-mile
trek through the woods at Brighton
Recreation Area to a large opening
where theyll go to work. The opening is a fen a rather unique wetland
that has an unwanted, exotic shrub
establishing itself in what is otherwise a habitat of grasses, sedges and
wildflowers.
Glossy buckthorn, the uninvited
guest, is originally from Eurasia, but
was brought to this continent generations ago by European settlers
who planted it in rows in their yards.
Spread by birds that ingested its seeds,
the tall glossy buckthorn works at
cross purposes to the native plants in
the ecosystem, which are typically
short, sun-loving species.
Glossy buckthorn will dry out
the ground ahead of it, MalvitzDraper explained. It will move more
water out of the soil than the plants
that are typically there. Its reached

that critical point here where it takes

active management to stay ahead of
it.
The assignment this day was
simple: cut down the buckthorn and
treat the stumps with an herbicide that
will be transported into the plants
roots and kill it, allowing the native
species to prosper.
Malvitz-Draper runs the Department of Natural Resources stewardship volunteer program in southeastern Michigan. The program is
designed to preserve and restore the
ecological balance to the natural areas
in the states parks and recreation
areas.
Fens, like this one, are rare habitats in the United States, found mostly
in the glaciated areas of the Upper
Midwest. They are similar to the
better-known bogs also grass- and
sedge-dominated wetlands with one
significant difference: Fens are fed by
ground water while bogs are renewed
by rainwater. While bogs are slightly
acidic habitats (with a pH of less than
7), fens are slightly basic.
People have heard of bogs, said

Working within a fen, volunteers at a Brighton Recreation Area stewardship workday cut
and remove glossy buckthorn from an area where the invasive plant found favorable conditions to thrive. Michigan DNR photos
training from Meridian Township,
Malvitz-Draper, who developed the
who was participating in her second
stewardship program. Theyre less
DNR stewardship in as many days.
familiar with fens. Fens are found in
Im originally from Wayne County
the lower three or four tiers of counties in Michigan, a combination of the and Ive seen what emerald ash borer
has done. We lost trees in our backglacial past and the soils and sediments they left behind. Theyre worth yard, but its just everywhere.
Bozgan, whod worked at Ionia
protecting.
Both bogs and fens are nutrient- Recreation Area the day before she
poor systems, she continued. Thats went to the Brighton site, said shed
why you find carnivorous plants there be back out removing invasive plants
pitcher plants and sundews. Theyre the next weekend.
Over the course of a three-hour
handling the fact that its nutrient-poor
by being able to digest insects.
shift, the volunteers remove almost all
The area the crew concentrated on of the glossy buckthorn, while leaving
has a slightly higher elevation than the the native plants on the island tamasurrounding area, creating an island
racks, hazelnuts and poison sumac
that allowed the unwanted buckthorns among them to stand.
to get a foothold. Volunteer Donna
The native things that are there
Bozgan didnt like that.
are naturally occurring, MalvitzI have problems with invasive
Draper said. They should be there.
species on a personal level, said
But we made great progress. Were
Donna Bozgan, a master gardener in
getting rid of that buckthorn in big

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chunks at a time.
The accomplishment, however, is
only temporary, Malvitz-Draper said.
The glossy buckthorn will be back.
And so will the volunteers.
This is an ongoing effort, she
said. Its never finished.
Brighton Recreation Area is one
of nine state parks where Malvitz
uses volunteer crews to maintain and
preserve the natural habitat. Most
have regular monthly stewardship
days, though the work varies with the
season.

At Brighton Recreation Area, volunteers cut down

the buckthorn and treat the stumps with an herbicide that will be transported into the plants roots
and kill it, allowing native species to prosper.

In the spring, we pull invasive,

garlic mustard and in summer itll be
spotted knapweed, Malvitz-Draper
said. In the fall we collect seeds
from native plants. Usually summer
and winter are our big shrub removal
times. Theres sort of a season for
everything.
And volunteers for every assignment.
We welcome anyone who has
an interest in or wants to learn a little
more about ecology, Malvitz-Draper
added. But all of the volunteers have
their own reasons for participating.
The volunteers were as varied as
the landscape.
Rodney Beckwith, the scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 395 in Hamburg, brought four Scouts, including
his two sons, Zachary and Alex, to the
event. Its part of the troops commitment to spend a day a month doing
community service. Though this was
the first time his Scouts participated
in a DNR stewardship event, it fit in
well with the Scouts ethic of helping
maintain the environment, Beckwith
said.
Tom Zerona, an engineer from
White Lake Township, made the halfhour drive with his 14-year-old son
Luke to help out. Lukes committed
to doing volunteer work as part of his
school program, Tom said, and we

un
O u t d o o r Fo f
f o r k id s
all ages

O n ly

$ 9.9 9

each

Volunteer Zachary Beckwith joined members of his Boy Scout troop to help remove
glossy buckthorn at Brighton Recreation Area during a recent stewardship workday.
thought it would be a good thing to
come out and help the environment.
Sean Zera, a herpetologist (thats
a reptile and amphibian enthusiast)
from Ann Arbor, said hes been participating in DNR stewardship days
for quite a while.
Its one of those things thats
hard to explain, he said. But it
gives me an excuse to get out, especially in the middle of winter, when
Im not likely to get out otherwise.
And it gives me an excuse to visit
these areas and check them out. Ill
probably come back in the summer
and check out the flowers.
In contrast, volunteer Dan Hawley
of Milford had no problem explaining why he came. Hes a hunter who
has an appreciation for habitat, he
said, and he first became aware of the
problem of invasive species when he
found a patch of garlic mustard that

was threatening to overtake one his

best morel mushroom spots.
He went online to learn more
about garlic mustard, stumbled onto
the DNR stewardship program, and
volunteered to help pull garlic mustard at a state recreation area. Hes
since begun coming to other events
to help remove other invasive species.
Its a good way to get out in the
winter get some exercise and enjoy
the outdoors, he said.
The DNR holds volunteer stewardship events almost every weekend
at parks and recreation areas across
southern Michigan.
For more information, check out
the departments Calendar of Volunteer Stewardship Workdays, available
on the DNR website www.michigan.
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59

Regardless of historical persona or whether

the traditional hunt takes place in the spring
or fall, careful observance of wild turkey
behavior offers guidance on when to call and
when not to.

more indignant. Ark, arkark, ark, ark, ark,

ark, ark, ark.
fivesixseven, I mentally counted
as I drew sharp breaths of air. fivesix
seven, I whispered as the box call barked its
response. Then the cardinals, sparrows, chickadees and a lone robin were all that could be
heard.
Agonizing minutes piled up. Spears of sunlight pierced the cedar trees; a bright horizontal
line illuminated the tree tops on the far ridge.
Then I heard a soft putt over my right shoulder. Ahead to the right, down by the hollow
oak, a hushed putt answered. I squinted just
as a bluish-gray head popped above the hills
curve, thirty paces distant.
Ark! A crisp cluck came from the left of
the broad-cedar lair. I fought the urge to turn as
movement entered the left corner of my foggy
field of view. Old Lady Gray, a smoky-gray
wild hen with a notable anti-hunter attitude,
charged uphill, paying no attention to the location of the box calls last retort. Head up, beak
straight forward, eyes slashing away at my
humble fortress, the obstinate turkey marched
intent on confronting her challenger or rooting
out an imposter.
A bronze beauty, circling around a dark
green hemlock bush, stepped into the right
corner of my eye. The hen from over the hill
appeared full-bodied in the tawny grass. The
two birds looked at each other. Old Lady Gray
stopped for an instant, not ten paces away, then
changed course, looking beyond my humble
existence. Her purple legs slowed their pace as
if tiptoeing around quicksand. Ark, ark!
Gob-obl-obl-obl-obl-obl! I feared Old
Lady Gray detected my surprised tensing, but
she continued to stare at the two hens as if to
ask Which one of you dares challenge me!
many forays, rolled back and forth between
ob-obl-obl-obl-oblOobl-obl-obl-obl-obl! The tom was
obl! The tom turkeys my thumb and forefinger. The Northwest gun,
closer than before. The moment of truth was at
charged with an anxious swarm of death bees, hand. With Old Lady Gray no more than seven
sweet yodel echoed
lay across hunt-stained leather leggins, dampup and down the big
trade gun lengths in front of me, I said a silent
ened with pre-dawn dew. Forty paces down
swamp as a third
prayer. Shower your blessings on Brad. A
longbeard, about even the slope I supposed my hunting companion
clean kill, or a clean miss. Your will, O Lord.
with the north island, joined the chorus. Gob- held the cedar box call in his lap with the same
On that warm April morning times threshburning anticipation.
obl-obl-obl! Obl-obl-obl-obl!
old lurked somewhere between the cedar
Ark, arkark, ark, ark, ark. My tongue groves west edge and the tall, broad cedar tree,
A wind gust whispered in the tight-packed
wet my lips. My hands cupped the bones
cedar trees, behind, on the hills crest. A crimforty paces down the slope. I hid behind three
rounded end. The oval end found its rightful
son cardinal flitted from twig to bough, then
scrawny cedars, secure in my 1790s Eden,
place. Quick, kiss-like inward breaths duplicat- deep in the Old Northwest Territory; my sonlanded on a bare sandy patch surrounded by
dried tufts of little blue stem. Another round of ed the raspy hens first utterance: Ark, ark
in-law, outfitted head-to-toe in camouflage, sat
ark, ark, ark, ark. Down the slope, sequestered with his back against that trees trunk, waitboisterous bantering overshadowed the subtle
under a tall, broad red cedar trees boughs, a
sounds of spring. Then sparrows chipped,
ing for a fine gobbler in 21st-century southern
loud, gravely yelp answered as well: Ark,
crows cawed and unseen Canada geese keMichigan.
arkark, ark, ark, ark.
honked off to the west, out over the River
We stalked through the cedar grove in the
Ark, ark, ark, ark! The hen on the far
Raisins flooded banks. Nary a hen spoke, only
dark with that hill in mind. It was opening
hill, up from the narrows and a bit north, rethe tom turkeys.
morning, and I whispered instructions as we
sponded. Ark, ark, ark, ark! said I. Ark, ark, walked. When Brad leaned back against that
Now and again, the pungent scent of rotark, ark! Brad Dennings box call shouted.
ting deer pellets, mixed with the ammonia
cedar tree, I pointed out land marks that formed
Ark, arkark, ark, ark, ark, ark, ark, ark. the boundary for a safe shooting field.
bite of stale urine, perfumed the air. A single
The distant hens tone became bolder, louder,
wing bone, creamy-white and polished from
Before I left, I reminded him to pay careful

Traditional Black Powder Hunting...By Dennis Neely

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Fooling Old Lady Gray

G
60

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After securing a fine gobbler, Brad Denning cut the 21st-century kill tag and applied it the
birds leg, just above a hefty spur. Wild Rivertree photos
of a gravel-mouthed hen on the far hillside.
hens cluck a bit, the birds fly down, the toms
She responded three times, note-for-note, then
head off to a favored strutting ground and the
walked back into the cedar grove.
hens follow. But if a woodsman can coax the
In about thirty minutes a large hen apdominant hen away, no self-respecting gobbler
peared on the very spot where the young
will dance alone
smoky-gray called. She clucked twice, then
A number of 18th-century narratives admarched into the clearing, not that far from the
dress making bird and animal sounds. Joseph
tall, broad red cedar
Doddridges explanation is the most often
Old Lady Gray paid little attention to her
quoted:
own safety. She continued to stare at the other
One important pastime of our boys was
hens, which now numbered four, as far as I
that of imitating the noise of every bird and
beast in the woodsthe imitations of the gob- could count through half-closed eyes. With a
handful of cautious steps, she passed me. My
bling and other sounds of wild turkeys often
arteries pulsed, marking the seconds as they
brought those keen eyed and ever watchful
usually do when the turtle sight holds on a fine
tenants of the forest within the reach of the
longbeards red head.
rifle (Doddridge, Joseph, Notes on the
BOOM!
Settlement and Indian Wars, McClain PrintAt the shotguns blast Old Lady Gray
ing Company, Parsons, WV, 1996, pg. 123)
lunged at the hens, then took wing. Whitish,
Years ago the words imitating the noise
downy feathers floated in the breeze. A tall,
of every bird attracted my attention. The
slender camouflaged figure scrambled to his
message many readers take away from Doddridges passage is: learn to duplicate bird and feet and bolted down the hill. I started to get
up, then eased back, understanding my presanimal calls. But I believe there is an implied
message hidden in his missive: it is not enough ence would prove useless. Instead I said a
to be able to make the sounds, rather a woods- silent prayer of thanksgiving, both for my
Brads good fortune and for being able to fool
man must also duplicate them within their
Old Lady Gray.
woodland context to his or her advantage.
Give traditional black powder hunting a
A worthwhile skill that oftentimes results
try, be safe and may God bless you.
in rich rewards in the wilderness classroom is
Dennis Neely maintains a web site devoted
the power of observation. A couple years beto traditional hunting at
fore, I watched a young smoky-gray hen walk
down that same hill, stop and duplicate the call www.traditionalblackpowderhunting.com.n

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

attention to my calling. If I responded to a gobbling tom, he was to remain silent so my seductive love songs would bring the longbeard
uphill, affording him a close-in shot. I also
said that if I thought it was safe, I might move
to create the impression of a disinterested hen
wandering off. But if I answer a hens cluck
note-for note, I whispered, try to duplicate
my call as if we are two hens in a fight.
The purpose of such a strategy is to challenge the dominant hen, as it happened that
day, Old Lady Gray. When two callers sound
like birds facing off in a territorial claim, the
challenge is difficult for a dominant hen to ignore. This is the same behavioral force behind
posting a jake decoyit infuriates the dominant gobbler.
Sometimes the result is a futile, longwinded, long-distance conversation, but other
times, three or four stern-sounding expletives
end with total silenceand that is when the
dominant hen comes looking.
This calling technique is most effective
when the hens and toms are settled into a midseason routine: toms gobble back and forth,

Make your own powder horn

E
ver since the invention of gun
powder some form of container
has been needed to contain it
and protect it from moisture
or, worse yet, a spark. Leather
bags, wooden boxes, metal
flasks, and animal horns were experimented with. Some of these worked
and were eventually perfected for use.
Here in America the cow horn
became the predominant container
used for carrying gun powder. Beginning in the early 1700s and continuing
until the mid-1800s, the powder horn
was the principal
powder container
used by soldiers
and hunters. For
at least 150 years
the powder horn,
along with the
bullet pouch, could
be found hanging

soften it enough to be pressed onto a

wooden sizing cone. This is a
round, tapered block of wood that will
fit into any size of horn base. Wearing
leather gloves, frequently check the
horn for flexibility as it boils. When
soft enough, press it onto the sizing
cone as far as it will go and leave it to
cool. After cooling the horn base
should retain its round shape pretty
well. Now trace around the horn base
on a piece of inch thick, soft wood.
Cut out the traced circle for making
the base plug. The edge of the plug
will need to be filed or sanded to a
taper to fit snuggly into the horns
base. The finished plug can be flush
with the horn base or slightly domed.
The neck area has been dyed, a forged staple driven into the finished base
The plug will be installed temporarily
at this time. It will be installed permaplug, and the body of the horn has been scraped smooth. This powder horn is
nently later, after the horn has been
now ready for scrimshaw art work. Author photos
scraped smooth. For now, just drill
produced by professional hornthe horn is a personal choice. No two four small holes, at right angles,
ers, idle soldiers while in camp, and horns are alike, so the perfect horn is
through the horn and into the edge of
individuals at home or on the frontier. in the eye of the beholder.
the base plug. Drive a round toothpick
They were made for pay, as gifts, and
Next, we will cut and drill the into each hole to hold the base plug in
for individual use. Same is true today.
alongside of the muzzle loading rifle
horn tip. Bend a wire to match place.
Professionals still make and sell
at all times.
the curve of the horn. Then
We will now layout and shape
Many of the antique powder horns powder horns through retail suppliers, push the wire inside the horn to
the neck of the powder horn.
and
many
still
choose
to
make
their
were utilitarian tools, a simple cow
measure the depth of the inside cavity.
The neck can be reduced in
own. Making your own powder horn
horn with a pine plug in the base and
Remove the wire, place it along the
thickness
to make the horn much
a groove filed around the neck to hold is not difficult. The following 8 steps
outside curve of the horn, and mark
lighter
and
more attractive as well as
will
guide
you
through
the
process.
A
a shoulder strap. Others were works
the depth of the cavity on the outside
serviceable
powder
horn
will
be
the
making
a
ringed
area to attach the
of art, complete with intricate scrimof the horn. This shows you how
result,
and
its
nice
to
be
able
to
say,
shoulder
strap.
A
wide rubber band
shaw art work, carved necks, and
much solid tip the horn has. Make a
I
made
it
myself.
can
be
snapped
on
the horn and
fancy fiddle pegs used as stoppers.
second mark where the tip needs to be
moved
around
until
you like the
The simple horns wore a leather cord
cut off, usually at least a couple of
Choosing the raw horn is the
proportions for the neck area. Then
shoulder strap, the fancy horns were
inches of solid horn should remain.
first step. Most any old horn
draw pencil lines around the horn to
adorned with colorful hand woven
will work but there are several Now cut the tip off square using a
mark the rings. Now, black electrical
straps. Whether carved, scrimshawed, things to consider when picking a
hacksaw. Carefully drill a hole in the
or plain, antique powder horns are
horn from the center of the cut off tip tape can be applied exactly along the
horn for a powder horn. Bison horns
now sought after and collectable exinto the center of the inside cavity.
and black cow horns are harder to
pencil lines. Use a hacksaw to care-

By Darryl Quidort

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

62

Electrical tape will guide the hacksaw blade for making a shallow cut to form the rings
and spout. The horn material between the cuts will be reduced with a rasp and file.

The neck area has been reduced, the shoulder of the horn has been carved, and
the base plug installed. The horn is now ready to dye.

amples of early Americana.

Today powder horns are still used
by muzzle loading hunters, historical
reenactors, and shooters at muzzle
loading clubs and events to safely
carry the black powder needed to fire
their rifles. When attending a modern rendezvous, primitive camp, or
muzzle loading show you will notice
the pride people take in their powder
horns. I imagine that it was always so.
Historically, powder horns were

Start a pilot hole with a small drill bit

and enlarge it with a inch bit.
Slightly taper the hole with a small,
round file. Finally, smooth up any
rough burrs so the powder will flow
freely.

work with than the slightly softer,

light colored cow horns. If you intend
to do any engraving or scrimshawing
on the horn choose one with a white
or light colored body. The neck color
of the horn doesnt matter, as it can be
dyed. Study the curve of the horn and
decide if you would wear it on the left
or right side. Discount any horn with
deep fractures or visible circles. These
are layer separations inside of the horn
that will cause problems later. Size of

Plugging the horn base. A

wooden plug can be fashioned
to fit snuggly inside of an odd
shaped horn. However, I find it easier
to shape the horn base to fit the plug.
Boiling the horn base in water will

fully cut lightly around the horn at the

edge of the tape. This shallow cut
gives you a shoulder to work
against as you rasp and file away the
unwanted material between your
marks. Carefully reduce and round out
the neck area with a rasp and finish it
smoothly with a fine toothed, mill file.
Once you have the neck area shaped,
the horn can be scraped extremely
smooth by using a knife blade or
cabinet scraper held at right angles to

the work. At this time smooth both

the neck and body of the horn until it
is quite thin and perfectly smooth.

Staining the horn is done with

a hot dye bath using Rit or
any similar dye. Remove the
base plug from the horn for the dying
process. Black or dark brown is
usually the color of choice. Bring a
strong mixture of the dye to a boil in
an old coffee can, then shut off the
heat. Immerse the neck of the horn in
the dye, for a half hour or more, until
the horn is as dark as you want it. If
any dye gets on the body of the horn
it can easily be removed by scraping.
Once dry, a coat of Johnson Paste
Wax will seal and protect the dye
from wearing off. Many original,
antique powder horns have a yellowish colored, aged look. I dont know
if this is caused by natural aging or if
they were originally colored for a
camouflage effect. If you want to give
your horn an old, aged look, now is
the time to lightly dye the body of the
horn with a mixture of yellow and
brown dye.

The base plug can now be

permanently attached by
carefully drilling a series of
small holes around the base of the

horn and driving small nails, brass

pins, or wooden pegs through the
horn and into the wooden base plug.
A little glue in the holes might be a
good idea. The nail heads can be left
protruding or filed off flush. Wooden
pegs should be cut cleanly flush with
the horn. Historically, the base plug
was sealed airtight with bees wax.
Bees wax will still work, as will
carpenters white glue. After attaching the base plug, blow a little
pressure in the horn from the spout
end to check for any air leaks that
need to be sealed. The base plug can
now be stained, if desired, and a
finish applied.

To attach a shoulder strap to

your powder horn, a staple can
be placed on the end of the
base plug or through the horn into the
edge of the base plug on the upper
side. An authentic looking forged
staple can be made from a heavy,
wire coat hanger. Pound the wire with
a hammer against a flat metal surface
until you have a square wire. Then
make the 90 degree bends, leaving
the desired width for your strap. Cut
off the ends to form a wide staple.
Drill two holes in the base plug and
tap the staple legs into the holes. A

little glue in the holes wouldnt hurt.

The other end of the shoulder strap
will be tied at the ring on the horns
neck.

A stopper for the spout will

finish your powder horn.
Some fancy original horns
used a fiddle peg as a stopper. A fiddle
peg is already tapered to fit the
tapered hole in the horn and works
very well. However, most original
stoppers were very plain. Many were
hand carved from a softwood stick
with enough of a head left on them to
grip with the fingers or even with the
teeth. Some were tied to the horn with
a thong so they couldnt be dropped
and lost. I find that soft wood, like
white pine, works better than hard
wood because it squashes into the
hole easier for a good fit. The stopper
can be finished the same as the base
plug. A light coating of bees wax or
paraffin will cause the stopper to
stick in the horn better.
Your powder horn is now an
airtight, moisture proof vessel for
safely carrying black powder. It will
also look good hanging on the wall,
with your bullet pouch, alongside of
your muzzle loading rifle or fowling
piece. Many original powder horns

A quart jar holds the hot dye bath used for

coloring the neck of the powder horn. A
half hour or more in the strong dye will be
required to sufficiently color the neck area.
were made and used in just this way.
It is interesting, however, to note that
many original horns were personalized by engraving, scrimshaw work,
or just scratching. The owners
name, dates, maps, and other information on the body of the horns left
us a valuable history lesson in early
American war efforts and American
folk art.
Next month in this column, after
you have made your own powder
horn, Ill show you how to personalize it with scrimshaw.n

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63

Adventurous and Economical...By Roger Beukema

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

64

Give YAK fishing a try!

ust like many automobiles are downsizing

or changing from gasoline-operated engines
to ones that incorporate a battery operated
power plant, boats and boaters have been
experiencing a change. The change has gone
from the larger, heavier boats with huge power
plants to-at least in some cases-smaller watercrafts
that includes canoes, kayaks and even float tubes.
Before you open up your wallet and plunk down
some hard-earned Jeffersons, think about how
much use youll get from that new or used boat that
is sitting in your garage collecting a coating of dust.
That doesnt mean there is something wrong
with the bass or walleye boats that are popular with
tournament fisherman and many weekend anglers
too. The point is there is room both on the lake and
in your garage for a smaller platform to fish from
and one that doesnt put a huge dent in your wallet.
Kayak fishing is one alternative that grows yearly. For some reason, its taken its time to become
popular here in Michigan; however, more and more
yaks continually show up at launches around the
state. At a Lake St. Clair launch and tournament
held last fall in memory of the late Ken Neeley,
high-powered bass boats were on the water, competing. Soon after all boats were accounted for and
recovered a car pulled up to the ramp with a kayak
on its roof. In no time, the cars driver had the boat
off the car, on the ramp and loaded with gear to fish
with.
Thats the beauty of fishing out of kayak. In a
way its kind of bare bones fishing. Youre fishing very close to the waters surface out of a boat
that usually doesnt allow you to get up and walk
around in.
While some kayaks are built to allow for standing, most are the sit in or sit-on-top variety and cost
less than boats with standing room being an option.
Fishing and maneuvering is done from a seated position. After some familiarity on the water, you will
soon be able to sit sideways, hanging your feet over
the side while fishing. Other positions will help you
get off the sit bones by changing the angle of your
behind, if only for a few minutes. Having a good
seat also helps.
The equipment you take on the water with you is
limited due to the amount of space thats available.
Kayaks usually have a watertight compartment
forward in the front of the boat with another about
mid-boat or just in front of the operators seat. The
front hatch is good for storing things like a change
of clothes, warmer clothing, camping equipment
and anything else you may not need as you fish.
The smaller mid hatch is most generally used to
hold personal identification, camera, car keys and
perhaps some extra tackle. If the seat is up off the
deck, the space created between the seats bottom
and the deck is great for a Plano tackle box. It stays
put if you are rolling about and is handy to get at
when there is a need for a bait change.
Most kayak anglers use the well directly behind
the seat for tackle storage. This is accomplished
with a commercially made combination tackle box
with rod holders or a homemade storage system.
The homemade variety could be a waterproof,
heavy plastic ammo case, one of your tackle bags
that isnt used anymore or a plastic box. The important detail is to have a way to strap your box and
your tackle in and to the boat in case of rough water

The authors grandson, Joshua Checkal landing a nice bass fishing from his kayak. Author photo
or capsize.
Probably the most popular storage system is of the
homemade variety, fashioned from a milk crate or
plastic office storage crate. Usually, plastic tubes or
manufactured rod holders are zip tied to the outside of the crate. A couple of tackle trays stand on
end inside the crate along with a small cooler with
snacks, extra water and anything else you wish to
carry but arent worried about getting wet.
Besides securing the crate to the boat, youll
want to secure your rods and those tackle trays to
the crate. Another good tip to help keep things dry
is to raise the bottom of your crate or tackle box up
off the boats deck. Fishing kayaks, by design, can
be a wet ride. Four scupper holes in front and two
or more in the well behind the seat are generally left
open to allow for water running in then right back
out again. If your tackle is off the floor it will stay
drier.
One lesson youll learn quickly is everything
has its place. Crankbaits or spoons left on the floor
of the boat will usually get tangled with something
else, move so far out of reach that when you want
to use them again its more than a stretch to grasp
them and eventually, those hooks are going to find
their way into your leg or hand.
Its best to put things back in their place before
tying on something new or reaching for another rod.
Before you hit the water take some time and think
about where things could be stored that make them
handy to get to and at the same time are secure and
out of your way.
As far as equipment is concerned, if youve
already been fishing chances are you have enough
stuff to get started. Begin with one rod and a small
box of baits. Youll soon figure out that less is quite
enough when fishing from a kayak. Eventually,
youll want to install rod holders, maybe an anchor
pulley and a place for electronics like a fish finder
or GPS.

So back to why a kayak may be a good investment.

A kayak can be purchased for $500 to 2-3$ thousand rather than $35-$60-thousand for a bass or
walleye boat. Instead of looking at the expensive
boat sitting on the trailer in your garage because
you figured out too late that you cant fish every
day, theres the kayak on the floor or hoisted to ceiling rafters hanging there with no monthly payments
attached.
Kayakers can get into more places to fish. Skinny or shallow water, under overhanging limbs, and
in and around brush are made to order for the kayak
angler. There is no need to look for a boat launch. A
kayak can be slid across grass to the waters edge,
carried through trees or across sand to that great
looking lake or pond you have been dreaming of
fishing.
For you tournament anglers there are more and
more kayak or non-motor fishing tournaments popping up.
If kayak fishing appeals to you, many of the
stores you are familiar with carry some form of
fishing kayaks. Bass Pro, Cabelas, Franks, Jays and
others all carry boats. Dont buy the first one you
see. Kick some tires first. Check out several models,
go to the many websites and read what others are
saying about brands of boats. Get in on the forums
and ask questions. If you can, try before you buy.
Get out and paddle the boat you think is for you.
Sitting in one on the water is a lot different than
looking at it on sawhorses in a show room or hanging from a rack.
For more about kayak fishing along with tournament and equipment information visit www.kayakfishthegreatlakes.com. Fishyaker.com is another
excellent site coming to you with video explanations for how to projects, new equipment and other
topics. Be safe on the water and always wear that
PFD.
Email the author at dutchbeuk12@gmail.com.n

Partnership gives
wintering U.P.
deer new outlook

he Department of Natural Resources and Plum

Creek Timber Company
are working together
to manage more than
16,500 acres of industrial
forest land for winter deer habitat.
This unique partnership is focused on
improving and maintaining conifer
cover, which is essential to winter
deer survival in the Upper Peninsula.
This long-term project shows a
serious investment by Plum Creek
on how the land will be managed for
wildlife and forest products into the
future, said DNR wildlife biologist
John DePue. Hemlock is a species
that can live over 300 years, is a preferred winter food for deer, but is difficult to establish. Working together,
our goal is to retain at least a 70-percent conifer canopy, because research
has shown anything less reduces
overwinter survival of deer.
The Lake Superior watershed
receives so much annual snowfall that

deer will migrate from their summer

range to traditional wintering areas
to survive the winter, with average
movement of about 18 miles. Hemlock and other conifer canopies catch
the snow and reduce the amount of
snow on the ground, which makes it
easier for deer to move, conserving
their energy. The dense trees also reduce the wind, which helps deer retain
body heat.
This project will focus on two
critical deer wintering complexes
(DWC) in the western U.P. the
Menge Creek DWC in Baraga County,
at the head of Keweenaw Bay, and
the Huron Mountains DWC, spanning
northeastern Baraga and northwestern
Marquette counties, along the Lake
Superior shoreline.
Foresters and biologists with Plum
Creek and DNR wildlife biologists
have worked cooperatively to develop
the guidelines to retain and enhance
hemlock and other conifer species,
while promoting forest regeneration

Kenny Darwin photo

and production of forest products.

Were maintaining and creating
habitat today that will benefit tomorrows deer, said Plum Creek resource
supervisor Jeff Joseph. Its the right
thing to do.
Plum Creek foresters have already
applied the new project guidelines to
more than 900 acres, demonstrating
how effectively harvested forests and
critical wildlife habitat conservation
and enhancement can happen together.
To learn more about deer wintering complexes, visit www.michigan.
gov/deer. To see an example of this
partnership in action, see a video from
906 Outdoors at
http://youtu.be/StqhZuO0g6g.
Plum Creek is among the larg-

est and most geographically diverse

private landowner in the nation, with
more than 6 million acres of timberlands in 19 states and wood products
mills in the Northwest. In Michigans
U.P., Plum Creek owns and sustainably manages more than 571,000
acres across 13 counties and has
offices in Escanaba and LAnse.
Forests are managed using sustainable
practices to benefit Plum
Creeks many stakeholders, and
employees work to create shareholder
value, serve as stewards of the
environment, make wood products
for everyday use and build strong
communities. Visit
www.plumcreek.com for the latest
information about Plum Creek.n

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Saturday June 13th, 2015 8am 3pm

65

No Downriggers?

NO PROBLEM!
Braided or wire line and big
weights with line counter
reels a worthy substitute

hile selling magazine subscriptions at sports shows

when I was editor of Great
Lakes Angler Magazine,
Id meet guys who had 16
and 18-foot deep-vee boats and who
didnt think that was enough boat for
the Great Lakes. And when I convinced them it was (evading stories
about the times in my idiotic younger
days when I was pretty sure I was going to die in 16-foot boats),
they would say something
like, But I dont have any
downriggersyou need a lot
of that equipment if youre
going to fish for salmon.
Nope. Not true. Dowriggers are great, for sure, but
let me introduce you to a
more than adequate substitute: The Braided/Wire
Line Big Weight Combo.
About 20 years ago, I had a 16foot Skeeter, (one of the two 16-footers in which I prepared to meet my
Maker). That Skeeter and I, and
usually my good old golden retriever
Coach, had lots of adventures, fishing
local bass tournaments, trolling for
salmon on Lake Michigan and walleyes on Lake Erie. I always regretted
selling it. It was a little fiberglass tiller
model, pushed by a 60-hp Mariner
outboard, which you other old timers
will remember was a brand of Mercury.
One Saturday morning in early
May, my good fishing buddy Ron
Barger and I were on Lake Michigan
in the Skeeter, trolling for whatever
we could get to hit at Michigan City,
Indiana. Since the boat had no downriggers, I had spooled four Daiwa
SG47 line counter reels with white,
20-pound test Spider Wire braided
super-line. The plan was to use
1-pound round lead weights with the
Luhr Jensen dog-whistle sinkerdrop releases. These were spring-loaded contraptions into which you fit the
eyelet of a weight or a loop in a piece
of line attached to the weight. When a
fish hit, it was supposed to pull against
the spring, which dropped the weight.
Not environmentally friendly, but we
were young and stupid.
Fortunately for the waters northern Indiana and our overall karma,
the dog whistles were either old
and too corroded or we rigged them
wrong, because they never dropped

the weight even when a fish hit. It was

also fortunate for us that we found out
that king salmon are still awesome
to fight, even when a pound-weight
is in front of them. We caught six really nice ones that day by dropping a
couple weights right to the bottom and
letting the boat motion pull it off for
trolling. These were fished on 7-foot
Shakespeare Wonder Rodsonepiece, white predecessors of Ugly
Stiks and as versatile as any
rod ever designed. We fished
these straight back, one on
each corner. The other two
rods were 8-foot Tiger Rods,
also from Shakespeare, fished
straight out to the sides just
forward of the corners of the
boat. The boat, incidentally,
had been rigged for walleye trolling with removeable rod holders. We fished
those two longer rods so the spoons
were about half-way down in the
water column. We figured this out by
noting on the line counters of the two
rear rods just how much line it took
to hit bottom, and letting out half as
much on the Tiger rods. The hot lure
that day was a Magnum Silver Streak
in the classic Watermelon pattern.
Over the years, the braided-line
rod with big weights has evolved in
my arsenal. Instead of the pound balls,
I now use Torpedo Divers, which
arent really divers, but hydrodynamically efficient weights that look like a
torpedo. And instead of some sort of
holder to affix the weight to the line,
I now hang the weights on the line
with a Church Clip. These clips have
a hole in the nose, through which you
attach the weight with a lock snap and
a short, maybe 8-inch, length of line.
Then you hang the clip on the line like
a clothespin. If you hit bottom with
the weight, the clip just comes down
tighter on the lineyou wont lose
the weight, which is good, because
they cost around $15 to $22 each,
depending on size. The clip lets you
hang the weight a good ways in front
of the lure if you want to, although
we havent found that to be necessary
much of the time. The weight itself is
pretty stealthy.
I like the Torpedos because they
are lighterthe biggest, called a
Cuda, weighs just 12 ounces, while
the next heaviest, the Musky, weighs
8 ounces. I also like the 4-ounce

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

By Dave Mull

66

Even if you do have downriggers, sometimes a big weight fished on a wire line
can garner some nice king salmon. Dave Mull photo
Shark, which is great for putting down
the chute with a spoon for steelhead
when theyre in the top 40 feet. For
these steelies, I use a 6-foot Fenwick
Line-Counter Rod with an Abu 5500
spooled with 15-pound test SpiderWire for this. Let back about 220 feet
of line at 2.6 mph, and youre down
about 35 feet. There is no combo that
provides more fun for an angler when
a double-digit steelhead is cartwheeling on the other end of the line.
The company also makes a
2-ounce Snapper Torpedo, which I
havent used much.
Another weighty option is the
Offshore Tackle Tadpole, which can
be hung on the line. This neat little
weight has a dive-plane face that
helps get your presentation down. It
can be hung on the line with a pair of
Offshore OR-1 clips.
A final weight well worth mentioning that works well for getting
lures down is the Michigan Stinger
Dive Bomb. Like the Tadpole, it is

shaped to dive when hung on the line.

It works with a peg, and is especially
good for taking lengths of copper or
leadcore line deeper. My buddy Coho
Bob Lausman says each ounce of
weight gets your copper or leadcore
down another 7 feet or so, and mostly
used 3- and 4-ounce sizes, although
Stinger makes Dive Bombs from 1
to 12 ounces in size. The peg line-attachment system allows the weight to
go right in the middle of your length
of copper or leadcore, which is the
preferred position among most of the
guys Ive interviewed who use them.
Downriggers are great, and I
cant wait to put a pair of Canon
Manuals on my new 17-foot, MirroCraft, which Im scheduled to get
sometime in April. But even with
two downriggers, Ill have a couple
of Braided/Wire Line-Big Weight
combos ready to deploy when I want
more lures presented accurately at
the depths where the salmon are
swimming.n

Department of Natural Resources briefs

Women seeking to improve their

outdoor skills can now register for the
18th annual Becoming an OutdoorsWoman (BOW) summer program,
offered the weekend of June 5-7 at Bay
Cliff Health Camp, in Big Bay, located
approximately 30 miles north of Marquette, Michigan.
Sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, this BOW
program offers instruction in more than
two dozen types of outdoor activities,
including kayaking, wilderness first
aid and survival, lake and fly-fishing,
fly-tying, geocaching, shooting sports,
boating and mountain biking to name
just a few.
Volunteer instructors provide
basic and advanced instruction that is
uniquely tailored to each participants
individual ability, helping all Becoming
an Outdoors-Woman participants learn
the basics in a short amount of time,
said BOW coordinator Sharon Pitz.
Participants will be housed in a
universally accessible, dorm-style facility with numerous amenities, including
a pool, sauna, tennis courts, hiking and
biking trails and easy access to Lake
Superior, Pitz said. The BOW summer
program also includes special evening
programs, such as hikes, group bonfires
and more.
The $185 registration fee includes
all food and lodging, as well as most
equipment and supplies.
Class information and registration
materials are available online at www.
michigan.gov/bow, and registration can
be paid online at www.michigan.gov/
estore. The summer program typically
fills quickly in fact, as of today half
of the spots already are filled so early
registration is encouraged. The deadline
for registration is May 15. A limited
number of BOW scholarships are available to help low-income participants
with the cost of registration; the scholarship deadline is May 1.
Pitz said that Becoming an Outdoors-Woman is a noncompetitive program that encourages each individual to
learn at her own pace.
The emphasis is on the enjoyment,
fun and camaraderie of outdoor activities, she said. Everyone shares in each
others successes and supports each
other in efforts to master skills. Having
these life-changing and empowering experiences in Michigans beautiful woods
and water is just icing on the cake.
For more information about this or
other BOW programs offered in Michigan, go online to www.michigan.gov/
bow or contact Sharon Pitz at 906-2286561 or e-mail pitzs@michigan.gov.

The state acquired Green Timbers

from McLouth Steel Corporation in
1982. At the time there were 21 cabins
on the property. Nineteen of the cabins
were removed after purchase; the remaining two cabins each had an exterior
wall removed and were turned into
three-sided camping shelters.
Green Timbers has been managed
as a walk-in-only area, and the shelters
were a popular destination over the
years for hikers, said Scott Whitcomb,
DNR unit manager for the Pigeon River
Country.
Whitcomb added that weather, vandalism and unfunded maintenance needs
have contributed to the shelters condi-

the continued use of the shelters is no

longer possible.
The Pigeon River Country is the
largest contiguous block of public
land in Michigans Lower Peninsula,
and the Green Timbers tract provides
more than 10 square miles for walk-in
recreation, including hunting, fishing
and wildlife viewing. Camping still
will be allowed at the locations of the
shelters.
For more information about the
Pigeon River Country State Forest,
visit www.michigan.gov/forestry,
click the Find a Forest icon and
select Pigeon River Country on the
map.n

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DNR to remove aging Pigeon River

Country State Forest shelters
The Department of Natural Resources today announced plans to remove the
camping shelters in the Green Timbers
tract of the Pigeon River Country State
Forest due to their unsafe condition.
The DNR plans to remove the structures
this spring.

tion deteriorating over time. An architectural assessment of the structures was

conducted following a decking collapse
on one of the cabins in 2014. At that
time both shelters were deemed unsafe
for public use.
Typically, buildings on state forest land are demolished and the site
restored to a natural state to provide for
public safety and minimize long-term
maintenance costs, Whitcomb said.
In this instance, the buildings were
left so they could be used by the public,
but after 30 years they are in a state of
disrepair.
Unfortunately, because the cost
of restoration is prohibitively high,

Includes

Check the Following:

DEER ATTRACTION
then mail to:

Deer Attraction
815 Sleeth Rd.
Commerce, MI 48382

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REMIT BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:

Ed Spinazzola 24150 31 Mile Road, Ray Twp, MI 48096

WEBSITE: deerattraction.com

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State

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Total

Michigan Brassica Blend

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City

The Brassica Blend provides both summer feed and winter forage. The Ultimate Blend is
an excellent mix that includes both annual and perennials. The Wildlife Cover and Forage Blend
is designed to keep deer on your property by providing them a bedding area and food in close
proximity. Go to deerattraction.com for a full list of ingredients and detailed planting instructions.

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

DNR Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

program set for June in the U.P.

67

The Way It WasBy Betty Sodders

White pine forests 100 years ago and now

Indians Made Good
Use of the White Pine

the business of logging. At one time,

the Ontonagon Valley was a sight to
behold, resplendent with towering
Native Americans used the white
white pines as far as the eye could see.
pine for medicinal uses; as a diuretic
It has been written that with the
brewed into tea for treatment of colds, coming of settlements, enormous
Ralph Waldo Emerson coughs and sore throats; as a powforested tracts were first hit by the axe
der made from the trees inner bark
and plow; next came the logger who
as a poultice to treat skin problems,
clear-cut vast sections of virgin pine;
wounds, burns, ulcers, scurvy and
finally, huge, out-of-control wildfires
boils. Pine resin was employed to
occurred throughout slashings left
Tree of Peace: During the early
waterproof baskets, pails and canoes. behind by careless logging practices.
1800s the white pine united one of
Sap was processed as turpentine.
the most powerful Native American
Furthermore, the trees inner bark
leaguesthe Iroquois League. Today, served as an emergency food source;
Chief Arnie General (London, Onused as a thickener in soups and
tario) heads that league comprised of was added to bread dough. A resin
five tribes; Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, obtained from tender new shoots of
Michigans State Tree
Onondaga, Seneca. The white pines white pine was made into candy; also
dedicated
in 1955
five needles in a cluster represent the
processed into a vanilla-like flavoring.
Tallest white pine: 180
five tribes.
Feet Marquette
At one point in time, the tribes
Largest of northwestern
were fighting each other in fierce
conifers
battles, but their people tired of the
It is interesting to note that the
Only conifer with five
constant skirmishes. They agreed
bark
of this pine tree provided easy
needles, east of the Rockies
to bury their weapons beneath a tall
climbing access for bear cubs and
Grows as high as 100
white pine. It was their belief that
their weapons would be washed away, its huge branches allow cubs to rest.
plus feet
During a 30-year period, 81% of bald
swept through the path of the trees
Reaches maturity
eagles used the white pine for nesting;
root system. Thus the weapons went
between
150 to 200 years
77% of osprey also nested in them.
in all four directions. The tribes no

Some
trees reported to
Common red squirrels, chipmunks,
longer foughtinstead the Iroquois
be
400
years
old
League was formed; thus the name field mice and birds feed on the seeds.
Michigan white pine
Tree of Peace. When viewing a towrebuilt Chicago after the
ering, majestic white pine, it appears
Great Fire
as though its curved branches are
White pine valued for
reaching skyward to heaven, perhaps
By the year 1890, western sections
tall ships masts
pleading for peace.
of the Upper Peninsula were well into

The wonder is that we

can see these trees and
not wonder more

Indian Lore Regarding

the White Pine

White Pine

Wildlife Make Use of the

White Pine Forests

Looking Back 100 Years Ago

When Pine was King

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What was next? Insect invasion.

Virtually, virgin pine stands across
Michigans Upper Peninsula were
decimated.
Recently the St. Ignace News
published an accounting of white pine
forests in the 100 Years Ago Looking Back column. Back then; white
pine was the wood of choice. White
pine and hemlock were over harvested
during the early 1900s due to their
value from lumber products to leather
tanning.

St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, December 3, 1914
Twenty years ago, or even l5,
the white pine was recognized as the
standard of lumber of the northwest
and indeed of the entire country. In
those days it was still the most sought
after lumber, its many excellent qualities recommending it for almost all
kinds of building. White pine was the
lumber par excellence and demand
could not be supplied.
It would seem that today, (100
years ago) with the white pine forests
getting scarcer and scarcer and the
price of lumber going up by leaps
and bounds, that the owner of white
pine stumpage is in a better position
today than he was l0, 20 or 40 years
ago. Such is not the case for the very
reason that the price of white pine
has gone up so high that purchasers
turn to the cheaper substitute, such
as Georgia yellow leaf pine and the
pines of South and Central America.
The result is that today, white pine as
a commodity is worth decidedly less
than it was just 10 years ago.
In the old days of lumbering white
pine sold for around $10 to $20 a
thousand. With the market price at
these figures the lumbermen were sure
of disposing of all the pine they could
cut in a season. The pine was in great
demand and builders, contractors and
other purchasers were lavish in their
use of it. The inevitable rise in price
came, of course. Lumbermen gradually exhausted their supply of timber
and naturally exacted a higher price.
This was reflected in turn on the
wholesale lumber dealer, the jobber,
the contractor and finally the consumer. The rise in price was accepted for
a time, but when the figures mounted
to $25 to $30 and kept going steadily
higher the lumber dealers turned to
other woods for substitutes.
Southern pine can be purchased
from $20 to $25 a thousand, and
while the wood does not possess the
superior quality of white pine, it does
very nicely as a substitute in ordinary cases. For building purposes

white pine has practically passed out

of use, for the general price of the
timber now runs from $50 to $90,
and the very highest grades will run
up to $l00. To be sure, there are still
some uses to which white pine may
be advantageously put, for instance
in pattern making in this country and
Europe where only the superior quality of white pine is satisfactory. But
in general white pine, the towering
stately timber which has furnished
all the romance and adventure of the
north woods, has lost its usefulness as
a commodity and has been forced to

lumbering in Michigan. But it is only

a fitful play on the imagination, for
there in a country seared and scarred
by the lumbermans axe, crossed and
recrossed by the lumbermans trails,
stands the white pine, relic of an early
day. It is there because nobody wants
it. The woods operator doesnt want
it because there is but limited market
for the timber. The consumer will not
buy it because he can get other pine
suitable for his use at a third of the
price. And the landowner cannot rid
of it because he held it for 15 to 20
years, while the price steadily soared,
and now finds himself with the white
pine, king of northern Michigan
forest trees, on his hands, with no immediate prospect for disposing of it.
There is still a big stumpage of
white pine in the peninsula, more than
most people suppose. It is located off
the beaten trails in many cases miles
from the nearest railroad. But it is
frequently located in the vicinity of a
river that could be driven and only in
a few cases is it in accessible to both
water and railroad. And so the white
pine still survives, thousands of acres
of it and with little danger that it will
soon be molested. Before the lumberman comes into the forest again
to look for the majestic white pine,
the Southern; pine will either have to
diminish appreciably in supply or else
some general use will be discovered
to the northern timber so that it can
become more of a remarkable commodity. In the meantime, the old

A single white pine is usually the tallest tree in the forest.

white pine can stand sentinel above
the rocky hills and landscapes for the
Upper Peninsula rearing their stately
head and saying, Well I have had my
day anyway! Reprinted from The
Ishpeming Record.

Plan a Road Trip To View

Stands of Virgin White Pine

Trip 1: Upper Peninsula

Keweenaw County - Estivant Pines
Nature Sanctuary. On US 41, turn
right in Copper Harbor. Take Manganese Road to Clark Mine Road and
then turn right at the beaver pond.
Estivant Pines are located approximately 6.10ths of a mile farther.
Save the Pines! was a rally cry
during the early l970s. This stand
of virgin white pine holds enormous
trees, many of which date back 600
years and have been termed as a liv-

ing museum. In fact early Native

Americans believed the trees could
talk; thus they are often called whispering pines.
The pines are believed to be the
last stand of virgin white pine in the
Upper Peninsulaa monument of
ancient trees. The pines were saved
from logging many times due to harsh
terrain and weather, and were saved
from the saw forever thanks to the
efforts of local activists and having been purchased by the Michigan
Nature Association.
The tract received its name from
the French family that owned the
property. Two-looped trails of close
to a mile each, take visitors on a moderate hike through this magnificent
forest ecosystem. At the end of the

White Pines next page

give away its commanding position

in the lumber industry to its inferior
brothers of the pine family.
Thus it is today we occasionally
run across a forest of white pine in
the Upper Peninsula and perhaps
wonder to ourselves why such fine
timber is left standing. We can find it
west of Ishpeming. There are thousands of feet of it; fine stately timber
that forms one of the few connecting
links between the lumbering of 40
years ago and the lumber of today.
We can imagine a busy lumber camp
with lumbermen sawing and hewing away at the big pines. We can
imagine the hum of activity, the
shouting of the men and the crashing
of the big trees as they came tumbling
down. And we think of Steward
Edward Whites, Blazed Trail: and
The Riverman and imagine ourselves taken back to the early days of

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Chief Arnie General (Iroquois League)

and Mary Two Owls

White Pines:
from page 69
Cathedral Pines walking trail, an observer can count over l00 enormous
trees from that particular spot.
Trip 2: Northern Lower Peninsula: Hartwick Pines State Park.
From Grayling, drive north on I-75
to Exit 259. Turn north onto M-93
and proceed about 2 miles to the park
entrance on the left side of the road.
Hartwick Pines contains the largest stand of virgin white pine trees
remaining in the Lower Peninsula.
An extensive visitor center and logging museum makes up the complex
where visitors can explore the history of a bygone era when most of
our state was covered with the huge,
majestic trees that can be seen here.
This site holds 50-acres of virgin
pine that were never touched by the
lumbermans axe. You can hike the
Virgin Pines Trail where
these giants among trees can be
viewed. Watch for sight of a pileated
woodpecker as it forages for insects.
The pileated is the largest of the
woodpeckers; prehistoric in appearance. Visitors can hike a number of
trails for wildlife viewing as well as
marveling over the white pine sanctuary.
Seasonal events are often scheduled at Hartwick Pines State Park
from wild animal demonstrations to
old-time logging contests and events.
Hartwick Pins celebrated its 75th

anniversary in 2010, having been

established on July l9th, 1935 by
Governor Frank Fitzgerald, P. J. Hoffmaster, the director of the Department
of Conservation and Mrs. Karen B.
Harwick who donated 8,800 acres of
land in 1927 to the State of Michigan
when the bottom fell out of the lumber business.

Diversify the Forest

Mesic conifers, primarily white

pine and hemlock, were over harvested during the early 1900s due to
their value from lumber products and
for leather tanning purposes. These
species declined by nearly 80%.
A DNR Success Story: The
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources began its Landowners
Incentive Program (LIP) in 2004; basically to diversify the Upper Peninsula hardwood forests wherein nearly
all traces of white pine and hemlock
had disappeared. The Departments
basic goal was to provide habitat
management assistance on private
land. Kevin Swanson, wildlife habitat biologist out of their Marquette
office, was put in charge. His position enabled him to assist landowners
with habitat questions or concerns by
applying a broad ecosystem approach
regarding forestry, wildlife management, wetlands, shallow water ponds
and food plots.
The ultimate goal of ecosystem
management is to achieve multiple
and sustainable values from our natural resources by managing and creating habitat for both game and non-

White pine log jam, Tahquamenon Falls. Carol Taylor Collection

game species. Creating or expanding
forest diversity is of utmost importance. For example, limited natural
regeneration has led to a 78% decline
in mesic conifer (mainly white pine
and hemlock) habitats throughout the
entire U. P.
Swanson added that funds are
available to provide mesic conifer
seedling along with planting labor on
highly ranked sites, such as northern hardwood forests where these
conifers are no longer present due to
previous logging practices.
With the loss of white pine and
hemlock trees, there has been a
decline in at-risk species such as
the red-shouldered hawk, northern
goshawk and cerulean warbler as well
as a reduction in thermal and escape
cover for other game/non-game species. Squirrels, snowshoe hares and

grouse benefit from the seeds that

pinecones provide. The loss of mesic
conifers along historical cold water
trout streams and tributaries had
degraded habitat is such waters due
to increased summer water temperatures. Conifer reestablishment in
needed here!

Current Expectations

It is gratifying to learn that between 2004 and 2007 approximately

850,000 white pines were planted in
target areas across the Upper Peninsula along with over 300,000 hemlocks. Other tree species were also
introduced including white spruce,
white cedar, red oak, yellow birch and
red pine. A grand total of l, 526,490
trees were planted over 6,569 acres. I
found that fact remarkable!
Further information can be
obtained by calling Kevin Swanson
at l-906-226-1357 at the MDNRs,
Marquette office.

Logger Comments

Charles (Chuck) Newell, who has

been in the logging business some 30
years, stated that there is no space on
todays markets for the sale of white
pine. Several years ago he had a
buyer in Canada, north of Sault Ste.
Marie, but that source seems to be
no longer available. He claims, as
the newspaper article of 100 years
ago also stated, that the wood was
more or less priced out of the market
making it simply too expensive for
loggers to harvest.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Conclusion

70

Whenever traveling I watch the

passing landscape for sight of a white
pine. I look for the tallest tree in
the forest or on a distant ridge that
has upturned branches that seem to
beckon the traveler or the bear cub;
whichever happens to be passing by.
If diversity of habitat is the answer for the continued regeneration of
the white pine, than may the species
prosper and continue to be a viable
part of Michigans forested lands.n

Fly Tying For BeginnersBy George Rowe

Tying your first trout fly

starters. Be aware that the hackle is
the heart of the fly and by far the most
expensive material. The smaller feathers will serve as hackle and the longer
feathers will be used for wings.
Hooks buy the top quality
hooks for flies. They arent much
more expensive than the cheap ones
and the quality will be well worth the
little bit more you spend.
Hair you will use some hair for
a number of patterns. Calf tail is generally preferred for dry fly wings.
Deer hair is too stiff and too large for
most flies but it is used for bass bugs.
Head cement this stuff is
used to help hold some materials in
place and to finish off the fly when
complete, holding it all together and
providing a nice finish over the thread.
Thread fly-tying thread comes
in various sizes and colors but you
will just need a basic black for starters. Dont make the mistake of using
a thread that is too light when starting
out. It will break and frustrate the beginner. You can get pre-waxed thread
or add the wax yourself. The wax on
the thread sort of grips the materials
as you put the fly together.
Miscellaneous materials for tail
materials, you might need something
like golden pheasant tippets and you
might need some floss or synthetic
materials for streamers or bass bugs.
You can get anything you need at a
fly-tying emporium or perhaps an Orvis shop or on the internet. Over the
years, I have had excellent products

The hair-wing
coachman is a
great dry fly for
Michigan streams
and is usually
offered in sizes
12 or 14.

from the Hook and Hackle Company

and you will find them on line
If you are getting on in years
or have any sort of vision problem,
you can use a special lamp that has
a round fluorescent bulb in it, along
with a center magnifying glass. Most
tyers like to have a special place for
this hobby but a simple big board can
hold all your materials and you can
leave your vise permanently attached
to it, getting the board out and placing
it on a table (and under a good light)
whenever you get the urge.
Good advice for the beginner is to
resist the urge to get overly creative.
Stick to basic patterns that have been
around for years. Someone else has
worked hard and fished for years to
perfect these patterns and provide us
with the exact recipes for success.
You wont need three dozen pat-

terns. Believe it or not, I use just one

fly for most of my Michigan trout
fishing and I have used it with some
success out west and on New York,
Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Vermont streams as well. It is called the
hair-wing Coachman and you can find
the pattern in any book.
The only change I have made is to
tie the fly with two colors of hackle,
(ginger and grizzly) in the style of
another fly called the Nearenuf. Both
patterns are among those called attractor flies, sort of generic mayflies and
these can represent many natural flies
when presented on the water.
The Adams, a fly created for
Michigan trout, is perhaps the most
famous of the attractor flies.
Try tying your own flies this year.
It can bring a new level of satisfaction
to your stream trout fishing.n

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

f you enjoy fishing with a fly rod

for trout, you should also enjoy
tying your own flies. There are
many reasons to take up tying,
chief among them the satisfaction
gained from fooling a nice trout
on a fly of your own creation. Another reason, of course, is that good flies
are expensive and it can cost quite a
bit to spend a day on a stream, with all
the flies that one can lose and ruin in
the course of a days fishing. Another
good reason for tying your own is that
you get to create just the right fly for
the streams you fish.
To get started, the first investment
should be a good book on flies and
fly tying. There are a number on the
market and there are all kinds of good
ones. You could even borrow one
from a complete library. The second
investment is generally a vise. Buy a
good one and it will last a lifetime and
end up in the hands of your grandchild.
You can buy a kit that includes a
vise and even a book but the materials that are likely to be included in
that kit may be inferior and they will
surely be inappropriate for most of
your needs. The thing to do is to decide just what flies you would like to
tie and then buy the materials that are
required. That way, you wont have
a lot of unnecessary materials and the
associated unwanted expense. If, for
instance, you wish to create a more or
less standard assortment of dry flies
for Michigan streams, you can get by
with just half a dozen patterns and
some of them will be tied with some
of the same materials.
You will need these basic tools:
A good pair of small scissors but
make sure they are not too small for
your fingers.
A hatpin or two or some large
straight pins. You will use these to
impale your flies while they are drying, to clear out the hook eyes and
to pull feathers and thread up when
finishing a fly.
You might like to invest in a
bobbin to hold the thread or you can
start by simply cutting off a length of
thread for each fly.
Many like to use a whip-finish
gadget that helps put the final touch
on a fly. At the outset, you may prefer
to just finish off with a series of halfhitches and rely on the head cement
for the finished look.
A pair of hackle pliers, to grasp
the hackle feather as you turn it
around the hook.
The list of materials should include:
Hackle buy half necks of a
good quality. You can buy hackle that
is packaged but it is usually not of the
best quality. You can probably get
by with three or four half necks for

71

My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions And Hot Topics...

Bear Versus Deer

Do you want to see more

bear or more deer in the
U.P. during the future?

efore you answer that

question, some background information
about both species of
big game in the U.P. is
important. Due to the
use of a method in 2012 to
estimate the U.P. bear population that is prone to errors, the
DNR thought bear numbers
were declining and reduced
bear hunting licenses by 32%
from 2012 through 2014 to
allow the bear population
to increase. By 2014, a new
method of estimating
bear numbers shows
that the population was
not declining in 2012 after all.
While bear numbers were increasing between 2012 and 2014 due to
fewer hunting licenses, two severe
winters in a row had the opposite
effect on U.P. deer. Many deer died
during the winters of 2012-2013 and
2013-2014 due to late spring breakups followed by deep snows and cold
temperatures. As high as 75% of the
deer population was lost in portions of
the U.P. due to those winters.
The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will be making a decision
at their April meeting in Lansing that
will determine whether the U.P. will
have more bear or deer in the future.
If they decide to further reduce bear
hunting licenses by 1,100, as recommended by the wildlife division, there
will be more bear and fewer deer.
Why is that?
Because black bears are one of the
most important predators on whitetail
fawns. The more bears there are, the
more fawns they eat, which results in
fewer deer. Its simple math.
Although coyotes were shown to
be one of the most important predators on fawns during the first years of
a fawn survival study being conducted
jointly by the DNR and Mississippi
State University, black bears took over
that spot during 2014. But even where
or when coyotes kill more fawns than
bears, the added fawns that bears prey
on further reduces the deer population.
The study was conducted in the low
snowfall zone (Menominee County)
the first three years and moved to Iron
County in the medium snowfall zone
for the next three years.
During 2014, black bears killed
57% of the fawns radio collared for
the study that are known to have been
taken by predators. Predators killed a
total of seven fawns. Bears ate four of

those and one each were preyed upon

by a coyote and bobcat. The identity
of the predator that killed the seventh
fawn is unknown.
Black bears accounted for a similar mortality rate of collared fawns
during a study conducted in Wisconsins Chequamegon National Forest.
During that study, 45 fawns were fitted
with transmitters in the same area
where 52 bears were wearing radio
collars. Bears were responsible for seven out of 12 fawn
deaths (58%). Coyotes only
accounted for the loss of three
fawns.
The loss of four or seven
fawns to bears during the
course of a year may not seem
significant, and it wouldnt be
if that were all it was, but the
results of those studies
are simply a small part
of the picture. Those
studies only document a fraction of
the number of fawns being killed by
bears as well as other predators, on
the study areas. It would be easy to
conclude that not all black bears kill
fawns based on these studies, for instance, since the number of fawns that
were killed is so low compared to the
number of bears present.
Results of other studies do indicate, however, that most black bears

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

By Richard P. Smith

72

Black bears are one of the most important predators on whitetail fawns. The more
bears there are, the more fawns they eat, which results in fewer deer. Its simple
math. Richard P. Smith photo
do prey on fawns on an annual basis.
Dr. Lynn Rogers from Ely, Minnesota pioneered a unique approach to
studying bears that involves habituating study animals to the presence of

people, so people can walk with the

bruins to observe their behavior. One
adult female black bear that was part

Bear vs. Deer page 74

DNR advises caution to prevent spread of oak wilt

or most people,
April 15 was
the annual taxfiling deadline. For
people like Roger
Mech and other forest
health professionals April
15 also marked the beginning
of the yearly window when
oak wilt can be transmitted
from diseased to healthy red
oak trees.
According to Mech, forest
health monitoring program
manager for the Michigan
Department of Natural
Resources' Forest Resources
Division, oak wilt is a serious
disease of oak trees. It mainly
affects red oaks, including
northern red oak, black oak
and pin oak. Red oaks often
die within a few weeks after
becoming infected. White
oaks are more resistant; therefore, the disease progresses
more slowly. "The normal
time-tested advice is to prevent oak wilt by not pruning

or otherwise 'injuring' oaks

from April 15 to July 15,"
Mech said.
He added that the spread
of oak wilt occurs during this
time of year as beetles move
spores from fungal fruiting structures on the trees
killed last year by oak wilt to
wounds on healthy oaks. As
warmer weather melts away
snow and ice, the beetles that
move oak wilt become active.
Unfortunately, many
learn not to prune or otherwise wound trees from midApril to mid-July only after
they lose their oaks to oak
wilt, he said.
A common question the
DNR is hearing this year is,
Can we push the April 15
day back a week or two because of the cold winter?
Mech says that isnt an
option.
It doesnt matter how

Prevent Oak Wilt page 74

OAK WILT IN 2014

A map illustrating the status of oak wilt in 2014

My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions

I like our roads

here is a ballot proposal

coming up asking to raise
our taxes again to fix
our roads and bridges.
But I like our roads and
this proposal confuses
me. It reads like my son asking me to
borrow $300 to fix the brakes on
his car. As a deflection and to tug at
my heartstrings, he claims
hes going to use a percentage
of that $300 to help out his
local school that needs some
basic, essential supplies. As a
kicker, he isnt actually going
to use the $300 on his brakes,
hes going to use it to pay
off a debt, and wont even
begin to use that $300
toward his brakes for
at least two years. And
that is basically how
this confusing proposal
reads.
My ride to and from my favorite
lake is extremely challenging. Its
basically like driving over railroad
tracks while dodging swerving vehicles and avoiding those coming to
sudden stops. Two years ago I hit a
pothole so big and deep that it exploded the tire on my boat trailer and
actually warped it into a figure eight.
There isnt anything like getting out
of my truck after a short drive and
having my body still vibrating. Cedar
Point charges for thrills like this, we
get it for free.
I dont drink coffee while driving any longer, I spill it on myself
and that seems to wake me up much
quicker than drinking it ever did. I
think the roads are actually safer.
People slow down, cell phones are

quickly jolted out of drivers hands

and can end up anywhere from on
the floor in front of them, to the back
seat, to flying out the window. The
Great Pothole State, as weve become,
should be embraced as you are being
bounced and slammed to and from
your destinations. Like snowflakes, no
two potholes are the same. And some
potholes arent even potholes
as sections of the road actually heave and form mounds.
You can go from a hole to a
mound or from a mound to a
hole.
Did I hear someone propose to raise the speed limit?
Maybe we should lower
the speed limit and
make everyone get an
ORV sticker for their
vehicle. ORV used to
stand for Off Road
Vehicle, but it can
now also stand for ON ROAD VEHICLE because soon we wont know
the difference between on and off the
road. Nobody will be able to drive
small fuel-efficient cars any longer
so the deteriorating roads will create
more revenue because well have to
drive bigger trucks and buy more gas.
The roads certainly arent kind to
our tourists. Driving here has become the closest thing to driving on
the moonwithout gravity. Prepare
for Impact has become part of Pure
Michigan lore. Checking to make
sure you still have all of your vehicle
parts is a daily routine. I know every
time I hit a big pothole I instinctively
look in my rearview mirror, especially
when Im trailering the boat. Bordering states have joked about putting

Dear Fish Diary...

By Ron St. Germain

billboards up as you exit Michigan

that read Now entering good roads.
Bad roads, good fishing, Ill take the
tradeoff.
Potholes offer up a lot of creative
entertainment opportunities such as
more inland fishing opportunities.
They can double as kiddy swimming
pools. Near my house is a pothole so
large I named it Lake Whatchamacallit. I often go and eat my lunch there
and view mosquitoes breeding and endangered frogs and toads finding new
habitat crucial to their survival. Its
become a refuge for bathing birds and
a drinking hole for the area wildlife.
My younger readers probably dont remember all of the new
taxes weve been hit with in the past
20-years. They probably dont remember that the biggest tax hike in
the history of our state happened not
too long ago. I know with my poor
budget Im paying more and fishing
less just to make sure my important
necessities and repairs are taken
care of. I for one simply cant afford
another tax increase. Maybe instead
of a tax increase we could all buy a
five-gallon bucket of tar and donated
it to MDOT? Or, we can just go back
to dirt and gravel roads, something I
know we outdoor lovers would be just
fine with.
I think Im going to ask the editors
for a raise because Ive come to realize I need yet another front end alignment on my truck, second one in less
than a year and this time its affecting
my brakes. Im still waiting for their
reply, in the mean time, Ill drive a bit
slower and a bit safer.
Worst Fishing Day Ever?
Best Fishing Day Ever?

I Need Your Fishing Stories.

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

Dear Woods-N-Water News:

My friends, I attended the NRC March

meeting to get response to our proposal, sorry
native fish are not allowed. I told them about
the Asian carp as did Tammy Newcomb of the
DNR, and some gentleman that wants us to get
passionate about Asian carp?
I informed the Commissioners the carp
bum rushed the water cannons and got past
themthe problem being, they still are using water cannons! In fact all the plans the
Federal biologists have are designed to employ
biologistsnot get rid of carp?
But all this seems moot, with the MDNR
Fisheries Divisions new predator prey plan; 10
to 20 pounds of alewives per pound of salmon.

Theres your problem! Thats where all our

zooplanktons are going plus native fish. At that
level it doesnt leave much for anything else!
When I told them keeping the alewives is the
same as keeping billions of baby Asian carp
(they eat the same thing), they had the look of
deer in the headlights, unreal.
Now, if this is the level the salmon need,
then they always needed this level. Back in
the day, 1966 they didnt have these numbers,
when they found out in 1985 they could run
out of alewives (BKD) but they knew the
conditions favorable to salmon meant lots of
alewives and low native predators. So since
1986 weve been stuck managing the lake for
1966. Thus allowing all the other invasive species, and biologically creating the weakest link

in the great Lakes.

So, the carp are going to blow thru
here like crap thru a goose, and were stuck
in 1966. Sorry there is no science based
anything. You see, Lake Michigan is pouring
spiny Fleas, and quagga mussel veligers down
that Chicago River, and the Asian carp know
it, and they want it, No barrier is gonna stop
them.
Shame, sacrifice an entire ecosystem
including inland, for one fish. You would
think the common good would take precedent
wouldnt you? Whats more important than
protecting the lakes?
Sincerely,
Tom Matych
Twin Lake MI

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Whats more important than protecting our lakes?

73

My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions And Hot Topics...

Bear vs Deer... from page 72

of that study was observed killing
seven fawns in northern Minnesota
where deer numbers are low during
the course of one fawning season.
Terry DeBruyn, who is now the
forest ecologist with the Hiawatha National Forest, also walked with some
of his study bears in the U.P.s Alger
County and he observed those bears
taking multiple fawns each year, too.
The most fawns a single bear was seen
killing during one year was six.
Walking with individual bears is
obviously the most accurate means of
documenting fawn predation, but not
even that provides the full extent of
the problem because study bears were
not being watched all of the time.
There were days at a time when fawns

Prevent Oak Wilt

were being born that no one was with

the bears. So fawn predation was
probably even higher than what was
observed.
Its clear that adult bears play an
important role as predators of whitetail
fawns, but what about yearlings that
are 1 years old and on their own for
the first time?
Retired DNR deer researcher John
Ozoga found out what impact single
yearling black bears can have on fawn
survival on two separate occasions.
For many years, Ozoga studied whitetails in a one square mile enclosure at
the Cusino Wildlife Research Center
in Shingleton. Yearling black bears got
in that enclosure twice while fawns
were being born.

from page 72

cold it was this winter, he said. It

only takes a few 50-degree or warmer
days for both the beetles and fungus
to become active. We have already
had warmer weather in many parts of
the state.
Although oak wilt hasn't been
detected in every Michigan county,
Mech said the need for vigilance is
present statewide.

Spring is a popular time for

people to move firewood to vacation
properties and other locations. During
this April-to-July period, Mech said
that it's vital not to move wood from
oak wilt-killed trees. These trees are
often cut into firewood and moved,
sometimes many miles from their
original locations. Any wounding of
oaks in this new location can result

Manufacturer of Fine Northern Hardwoods

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

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Wildlife and Timberland Improvements
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Mechanized logging and handcutting

74

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One of the yearlings weighed 100

pounds and the other tipped the scales
at 66 pounds. Both times yearling
black bears got in the enclosure, they
increased fawn mortality on that
square mile by 22%. Its impressive
that single black bears of that size can
have so much impact on fawn survival. Imagine what thousands of them
can do across the entire U.P.
The DNRs estimate of the number of black bears that are a year or
more in age as of September 1, 2013 is
9,000. Since that time, the number of
black bears in the U.P. has increased
due to reduced hunter harvest the last
two years and the adding of two more
year classes of yearlings. The number
of black bear hunting licenses issued
in the U.P. was reduced by 32% each
year 2012 through 2014.

By this year, there could be in

excess of 12,000 bears that are at
least a year old in the U.P. If each of
those bears only killed one fawn, there
would be 12,000 fewer deer in the U.P.
this fall. Two fawns apiece would put
the loss to bears at 24,000. Since some
bears are known to prey on more than
two fawns each, fawn predation from
bears could easily be between 30,000
and 50,000 this year.
U.P. deer hunters only harvested
an estimated 26,574 deer during the
2013 firearm deer season. Hunters
who think increasing bear numbers
wont have an impact on the number
of deer they see in the future should
reconsider.
The NRC will make a decision
about U.P. bear license quotas on their
meeting April 9 in Lansing.n

in new oak wilt infections as beetles

move spores from the diseased firewood to fresh wounds on otherwise
healthy trees.
"With the transport of firewood
and other tree-related activities, you
have to assume the risk is present,
whether you live in metro Detroit or
in the Upper Peninsula, Mech said.
The DNR recommends that
anyone who suspects they have oak
wilt-tainted firewood should cover it
with a plastic tarp all the way to the
ground, leaving no openings. This
keeps the beetles away and generates heat inside the tarp, helping to
destroy the fungus. Once the bark
loosens on the firewood, the disease
can no longer be spread.
New oak wilt sites have been
traced to spring and early summer
wounding from tree-climbing spikes,
rights-of-way pruning, nailing signs
on trees and accidental tree-barking (a
wound created when bark is removed
via impact from equipment, falling
trees and other causes). If an oak is
wounded during this critical time,
the DNR advises residents to cover
the wound immediately with either a
tree-wound paint or a latex paint to
help keep beetles away.
Once an oak is infected, the

fungus moves to neighboring red

oaks through root grafts. Oaks within
approximately 100 feet of each other
depending on the size of the trees
have connected or grafted root
systems. Left untreated, oak wilt will
continue to move from tree to tree,
progressively killing more red oak
over an increasingly larger area.
As more trees die from oak wilt,
more spores are produced which
contribute to the overland spread of
oak wilt.
To minimize the risk of oak wilt
infection caused by logging damage,
the DNR prohibits cutting of red oak
trees on state land between April 15
and July 15. This helps protect red
oak trees left after thinning from
damage that could lead to infection.
The DNR recommends private
forest landowners exercise caution
during this period and, whenever possible, delay harvesting activity in oak
forests until after July 15 to reduce
the risk of oak wilt.
To report a suspected oak wilt
site, email DNR-FRD-ForestHealth@michigan.gov or call 517284-5895. To learn more about oak
wilt and other forest health issues in
Michigan, go to
www.michigan.gov/foresthealth.n

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Pontoon Fishing!

By F. H. OHare

ccording to Wikipedia the first

pontoon was built by Ambrose Weeres in 1952 when
he put a wooden platform on
steel tubes made from barrels
welded end to end. Sixty years later
pontoons come in all sizes from paddles to pedals, small tiller outboards
all the way up to I/Os and twin high
performance outboards, some have
three tubes, upper decks, wet bars etc.
Fishing is my main reason for
owning a pontoon, so Im not going
to cover all the amenities available
to pleasure/cruise pontoon buyers. If
youve fished twelve to sixteen foot
open style fishing boats all of your
life, like I have, you know two people
is the best number of people in the
boat, three can work if everyone stays
in there spot, three people on a pontoon is where the fun begins.
Most pontoon manufacturers adapt
a model or two of their pleasure boats
and sell them as anglers .If your
goal is to wet a line and catch a few
gills for dinner while the rest of the
family/crew relaxes then this may
be the boat for you. Though many of
these pontoons will have some kind of
rod storage and a live well the actual
fishing area is usually only about three
feet at the rear of the deck, this is not
enough space for the person with an
eight foot plus trolling rod and the
person with the net to land a hog walleye or large salmon with tackle and
bait boxes under foot. As for which
manufacturers offer more space at the
stern where it counts, Ill let you do
your own research as this article is not
intended to be an ad for any company
or dealer, but I will say you will find
at least three made in Michigan pon-

toon companies that build true fishing

pontoons.
Fishing a 16 foot Lund Rebel XL
the last three years on Saginaw Bay
I noticed that when the waves got to
be about 3 feet even the 20 foot deep
V boats would ride up on a wave then
make a huge splash when they came
down, then youd see a pontoon go
by with the tubes cutting the wave
crests with a much smoother ride as a
result. A word of caution, if the wave
forecast says 1-2 footers Im good,
anything over 2 foot Im out, too far
(75 miles) to drive to find the launch
parking lot empty and the horizon
dancing wildly! Good day to stay
home and mow the lawn (or maybe tie
harnesses) be SAFE.
For those who question using a
pontoon on the Great Lakes, there are
2 pontoon rental companies in Munising on Lake Superior for Pictured
Rocks self-tours! (If the lake is too
rough they dont rent.)
As for upgrades, most companies
offer larger diameter tubes and they
are money well spent for the added
buoyancy and load capacity. After
baking in the sun for most of the day
while in an open style boat, the sun
begins to win and youre ready to call
it a day. A bimini top will allow you
to stay out longer (catch more fish)
and feel better at the end of the day.
In Florida its hard to find a
pontoon with carpet on the deck as
the high humidity causes mold and
mildew problems. At about $300 extra
for a full vinyl floor, you can eliminate those problems altogether and the
stain remover for this vinyl is brake
parts cleaner! (Use sparingly) On a
pontoon you have no bilge and newer

Fishing from a Pontoon boat can be very comfortable. Author photos

models have wall spacers that let
water run off the deck under the walls
so swabbing the deck to clean up any
fish mess is easy if you add a wash
down pump. If you try that with most
fishing boats all that nasty stuff ends
up in the bilge and the stink will not
be pleasant! The new style float on
pontoon trailers have made hauling a
pontoon a breeze, even when pulled
behind a fifth wheel.
Live-wells are generally found at
the stearn on pontoon boats which is
handy. But, it also adds more weight
just ahead of the motor and takes

up valuable space. We ordered our

pontoon with the live-well left in the
shrink wrap. It will more than likely
sit on a shelf in the barn as I prefer
just putting the fish on ice in a cooler.
This is how the fish end up for the ride
home any way.
The real reason for choosing a
pontoon for fishing is comfort. Stand
up, walk up to the bow, pet the dog,
count all those eyes in the live well,
grab a cold refreshment, sit in the
shade of the bimini, watch the boards
and laugh it up. Life is better on a
Pontoon!n

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Fishing from a Pontoon boat can be very successful. Author photos

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L3301/L3901/L4701 Series tractors to qualified purchasers from participating dealers in-stock inventory through 6/30/2015. Dealer subtracts rebate from dealers pre-rebate selling price on qualifying purchases.
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CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 6/30/2015. ****$0 down, 0% A.P.R. for 60 months on new Kubota BX, B/B26, L (excluding L39 & L45) and M Series (excluding M59,
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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

NEW
&
USED

75

Information From The Michigan Department of Natural Resources...

Volunteers needed to help guard Michigans sturgeon

he Black Lake Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow in Cheboygan

County is seeking volunteers to
join in its effort, in partnership with the
Department of Natural Resources, to help
protect lake sturgeon from illegal harvest
during the annual spawning run.
Every spring mature lake sturgeon, a
fish species that is threatened in Michigan and rare throughout the U.S., become
vulnerable to poaching as they briefly
leave Black Lake for spawning sites in
the Black River. Hundreds of volunteers
are needed to stand guard along the
Black River during the spawning season,
from mid-April through early June, to
report any suspicious activity and deter
the unlawful take of this iconic fish.
Lake sturgeon are a unique species
in Michigan, as they can live up to 100
years and weigh more than 200 pounds,
said Dave Borgeson, Northern Lake
Huron Management Unit supervisor with
the DNR. Their journey through the
Black River is critical to their long-term
success, and volunteers are necessary to

ensure its a safe trip.

When spawning begins, sturgeon
guards are assigned in shifts to sites
along the river. The volunteers stand
watch and, if suspicious activity occurs,
use cellular phones provided by Sturgeon
for Tomorrow to contact DNR conservation officers who are actively patrolling
the area in support of the guarding effort.
Aerial surveillance is also deployed to
help secure the area.
For more than 15 years, the annual
Sturgeon Guarding Program has proven
that people serving as sturgeon guards
watching over the river have greatly
reduced poaching while helping to ensure
the protection and reproductive success
of the species, said Ann Feldhauser, a
DNR retiree and the guarding programs
volunteer coordinator.
Many opportunities over the approximately six-week-long spawning season
are available for those who wish to help.
Coordinators will be on-site at the river
to assist and answer questions. In addition to guarding the sturgeon, volunteers

can also play a key role by recording the

number and activity of fish they see. This
has become a popular activity for families, scouting and church groups, as well
as students interested in natural resource
management.
Individuals or groups interested in
volunteering should contact Mark and
Ann Feldhauser at 906-201-2484 or 906346-9511.
Volunteers can also register online at
www.sturgeonfortomorrow.org/guardingprogram.php. Those interested can also
find the Sturgeon for Tomorrow Black
Lake Chapter online via its website or
Facebook page.
For those traveling from outside the
local area, several hotels, restaurants and
Onaway State Park (located on Black
Lake, with improved camping and cabin
rentals) are very close to the key guarding locations.
Volunteers also are encouraged to set
up their rustic camps along the banks of
the Black River. Several good camping
sites are available, and there is no charge

for camping on the state land adjacent to

the Black River.
Lake sturgeon rehabilitation in the
Cheboygan River watershed is a cooperative effort involving the Black Lake
Chapter of Sturgeon for Tomorrow, the
Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University and Tower-Kleber
Limited Partnership. In addition to the
guarding program, this rehabilitation
effort includes activities such as tagging
sturgeon adults and raising young fish
for stocking in Black, Burt and Mullett
lakes.n

DNR says fish kills may be common during spring thaw

he DNR reminds everyone that

after the heavy ice and snow cover
melt on Michigans lakes this early
spring, it may be common to discover
dead fish or other aquatic creatures. This
years winter with heavy snow, extreme
cold temperatures and thick ice cover
will create conditions that cause fish and
other creatures such as turtles, frogs,
toads and crayfish to die.
Winterkill is the most common type
of fish kill, said DNR fisheries habitat
specialist Chris Freiburger. Given the
conditions this winter with thick ice and
deep snow cover, it will be particularly
common in shallow lakes and streams

and ponds. These kills are localized and

typically do not affect the overall health
of the fish populations or fishing quality.
Winterkill occurs during especially
long, harsh winters. Shallow lakes with
excess aquatic vegetation and soft bottoms are particularly prone to this problem. Fish and other aquatic life typically
die in late winter, but may not be noticed
until a month after the ice leaves the lake
because the dead fish and other aquatic
life are temporarily preserved by the cold
water.
Winterkill begins with distressed
fish gasping for air at holes in the ice and
often ends with large numbers of dead

fish that bloat as the water warms in early

spring, Gary Whelan, DNR fisheries
research manager, explained. Dead fish
and other aquatic life may appear fuzzy
because of secondary infection by fungus, but the fungus was not the cause of
death. The fish actually suffocated from
a lack of dissolved oxygen from decaying plants and other dead aquatic animals
under the ice.
Dissolved oxygen is required by fish
and all other forms of aquatic life. Once
the daylight is greatly reduced by thick
ice and deep snow cover, aquatic plants
stop producing oxygen and many die.
The bacteria that decompose organic ma-

terials on the bottom of the lake use the

remaining oxygen in the water. Once the
oxygen is reduced and other aquatic animals die and start decomposing, the rate
that oxygen is used for decomposition
is additionally increased and dissolved
oxygen levels in the water decrease
even more, leading to increasing
winterkill.
For more information on fish kills in
Michigan, visit Fisheries Divisions fish
kills website. If you suspect a fish kill is
caused by non-natural causes, please call
the nearest DNR office or Michigans
Pollution Emergency Alert System at
1-800-292-4706.n

DNR reminds public to leave wildlife in the wild

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

76

ith the arrival of spring, wild

animals are giving birth and
hatching the next generation
of Michigans wildlife. Baby red foxes
appeared in dens during the last days of
March and the first days of April. Young
great-horned owls have already hatched
and are growing up in stick nests high
above the ground. Mourning doves have
made nests, and some have already laid
eggs. The first litters of cottontails will
appear soon.
Springtime brings with it an increase in sightings of nestlings and baby
animals. The Department of Natural Resources encourages Michigan residents to
get outside and enjoy the experience of
seeing wildlife raising its young, but reminds them that it is important to remain
at a distance.
These are magical moments to witness but, unfortunately, sometimes the
story has a different ending when people
take baby wild animals out of the wild,
said DNR wildlife technician Katie

Keen. Please resist the urge to try to

help seemingly abandoned fawns or other
baby animals this spring. Some people
truly are trying to be helpful, while others think wild animals would make good
pets, but in most cases neither of those
situations ends well for the wildlife.
We appreciate the good intentions of
those who want to help, but the animals
are better off left alone than removed
from the wild, Keen added.
The animals most commonly rescued
by well-intentioned citizens include
white-tailed deer fawns and raccoons.
Spring is the time for fawns, said
DNR wildlife technician Holly Vaughn.
Remember a fawns best chance for survival is with its mother. Do not remove a
fawn that is not injured from the wild.
Fawns rely on their camouflage
coat to protect them from predators,
while their mother stays off in the distance, Vaughn added. The mother will
not return if people or dogs are present.
If you find a fawn alone, do not touch it,

just quickly leave it alone. After dark the

mother deer will return for her fawn.
It is not uncommon for deer to leave
their fawns unattended for up to eight
hours at a time. This behavior minimizes
the scent of the mother left around the
fawn and allows the fawn to go undetected from nearby predators. While
fawns may seem abandoned, they almost
certainly are not. All wild white-tailed
deer begin life this way.
Most mammals have a keen sense
of smell, and parents may abandon their
young if humans have touched them.
Other wildlife, such as birds, should
not be handled either. Adult birds will
continue to care for hatchlings that have
fallen from their nest. If people move the
hatchlings, the adults may not be able
to locate and care for them. The DNR
advises:
It is illegal to possess a live wild
animal, including deer, in Michigan.
Every day an animal spends with humans
makes it less likely to be able to survive

in the wild.
Many baby animals will die if removed from their natural environment,
and some have diseases or parasites that
can be passed on to humans or pets.
Some rescued animals that do survive become habituated to people and are
unable to revert back to life in the wild.
Eventually, habituated animals pose
additional problems as they mature and
develop adult animal behaviors. Habituated deer, especially bucks, can become
aggressive as they mature, and raccoons
are well-known for this too.
If you find any baby animal, it
should be left in the wild, said Vaughn.
The only time a baby animal should
be removed from the wild is when you
know the parent is dead or the animal is
injured. Please contact a local licensed
wildlife rehabilitator before removing the
animal.
For a list of licensed rehabilitators
visit www.michigandnr.com/dlr or call
your local DNR office.n

A Womans First Big Hunt

he had bow hunted a little in

2013, actually hardly enough
to say she had. She remembers sitting in a blind by
herself on her uncles farm
wondering whether or not she could
actually shoot a deer and kill
it with a bow and arrow. One
year later she found herself
driving to South Dakota to
hunt some amazing deer on
an amazing property, not
entirely sure how she got so
lucky to be invited to this
hunting haven.
She arrives to the farm on
which they have cattle, corn,
a pheasant hunting outfit
and so much more, only
to be greeted by some
of the nicest, most sincere people she
had met in a long time. Took her
back to the family she has in Tennessee, from the hospitality to the hearty
meals.
The next morning was the first
hunt, which turned out to be her first
deer kill. The does were beyond curi-

ous, no regard for wind direction, she

could have smacked them on the nose
with an arrow! It was simple, swift
and set a tone for the remaining 10
days of hunting that was ahead on the
trip. Strapping herself with a successful hunt with her bow,
she set off with some
well needed confidence
to seek out those trophy
bucks that awaited her.
Fast forward to five
days later, everyday
consisted of two full
hunts with a break in
between of scouting.
The land was vast and
the deer were heating up. It became
a game and it was
getting to be more fun and a good
little challenge.
One particular evening hunt, sitting at a far removed watering hole,
the earth offered an obvious reason
why she was out there hunting, she
paused, took a breath and took in
what the moment had to offer. Out

By Tricia Croney

the front of the hay bale blind the sun

was setting and was of course gorgeous, turning to the back window
the rut moon was rising. She thought
it was quite a gamble to be out in the
middle of a prairie where most hunters
wouldnt even consider setting up, but
taking in the scenery was the benefit
of that particular hunt.
So if this hunting trip would have
been with an outfit she would not
have spent the hours between hunts
learning about the land, watching the
woods conduct themselves during the
midday hours, or learn all that she
did about the behavior of deer and
the evidence nature provides. Most
of all, she would not have been able
to say the success she had was due to
the decisions she made based on the
scouting she did herself.
She had passed on some definite
shooters on the first half of the trip, in
hopes of bringing home that trophy
buck. She did not bring that home,
but certainly came back with a wealth
of knowledge and experience that
can only come from hunting without

boundaries.
The woman that was so fortunate and somewhat spoiled to have
that hunting experience early on in
her hunting journey is me. I cannot
wait to take the knowledge I have
gained and will continue to gain in
hunts to come and share it with my
children and experience what nature
has to offer with her. Hunting whitetail can be parallel to living without
boundaries!n

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Early spring on Lake Erie serves up
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the world. From ice-out in March
through April, Lake Erie offers
outstanding trophy walleye action.

Saginaw Bay Walleye

Our spring and summer charters
produce consistant limits. Both
eaters and lunkers are typically
caught on most charters for the
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During August we target the
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This is the peak period at one of the
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734-475-9146
www.trophyspecialists.com

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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Lake Michigan Salmon

77

TROPHY PAGES

Jeremiah Lapaugh took these monsters on

Lake Erie, 12.4 and 11.4 pounds.

Brandon Watson caught this nice

steelhead drifting on the St. Joseph
River on a cold mid-March day. The
thick fish was 32 inches long.

Anthony Karroma took this

11-pt record book buck that
scored 148 1/5 on opening
day in Livingston Co.

Matt Waalkes of Cedar

Springs arrowed this
8-pt. on the morning
of Oct. 25 in southern
Newaygo Co.

Charlie Nielsen of Kaleva took his

first coyote on March 5 in Manistee Co.
Dan Beck with a nice Saginaw
Bay lake trout fishing with J&L
guide services.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Bruce
Jones
took
this
nice
buck in
southern
Michigan.

78

In an attempt to lessen the overpopulation of predators; hunting during the day with only shotguns this
group took 30 coyotes and 18 fox.

Jake Hickman caught this

steelie in the Rogue River
in Rockford the first day of
spring.
Carissa
Kraatz
with her
first ever
deer on
her first
ever shot
taken
during
muzzleloader
season.

Andrea Stine took this walleye fishing Crooked Lake in

early March.

Kevin Krupp (left) and Rob Koresky hit the

daily double with blue wildebeest in Kimberly
South Africa with Hunt Trophies Africa.
Owen Poole 9, of Stevensville caught this 11
5/8" bluegill ice fishing on
March 10 in Van Buren Co.

Ethan
Kastel took
this nice
10-pt. Dec
13 with a
muzzleloader, it was -7
wind chill
he had 18
does with
him. In Oct.
he took the
turkey with
his bow.

Tony Charron caught this beautiful 40

inch 19 pound pike in Van Buren Co.
on a tip up.

By Len Jenkins

Dog training heel and whoa

your left if youre right handed and

on the right if youre left handed. To
get your dog moving forward, give
a slight tug on the lead. This causes
the tightening spiked force collar to
exert pressure to his neck. You want to
make sure that the collar stops causing discomfort once the dog complies.
For this reason its important that the
collar be properly put on the dog. The
collar should slide through the end
ring in such a way that the collar will
loosen up once pressure is relieved.
When you start heeling, give the
command heel to get the dog moving forward. Proceed several steps
this way. When you plan to stop,
command whoa, thereby reinforcing.
(Through repetition) your command
that the dog stop on whoa and then resume walking when commanded heel.
Do this over and over again, praising
frequently when the dog properly
responds to the commands heel and
whoa. If the dog doesnt want to stop
on whoa, apply pressure by tightening
the spiked force collar. If he doesnt
want to get moving on heel, give a
slight tug on the lead. Just be sure to
check the collar, making certain that it
loosens up each time the dog complies.
Do not jerk harshly on the collar
because your dog will soon respond
when given slight tugs caused by your
wrist action. You dont need to pull
and jerk hard with your whole arm or
body unless yours is a grossly undisciplined older dog who was never
taught to heel. Always apply just
enough force--not too much. Try to
keep your lessons enjoyable for both
the dog and yourself.
During this stage it is important
that the dog learn that he must always
comply with your orders and reap the
satisfaction of your praise when he
heels and whoas nicely for you. To
obey routinely is vital because future
training sessions will be more complex. Let your dog get into the habit
of abiding by your orders. There is
tremendous carry-over value in all

These finished gun dogs work the scent cone to find birds, point, retrieve to
hand, are steady to wing and shot. But It all started with heel and whoa.
subsequent lessons.
If you have a flush dog (retriever
or spaniel other than a Brittany) you
can have the dog sit when you stop. If
you wish to teach the command hup to
a spaniel, you can give this command
in place of whoa or you can command
sit. In no case, however, should you
encourage a pointing dog to sit at this
stage. Teaching whoa instead will
facilitate teaching the next lesson.
Every good pointing dog must
whoa on command. This is initially
taught in conjunction with heel, but
it also has applicability for teaching a dog to hold point, back another
dog, or simply halt when told to do
so. Once whoa has been taught while
heeling, the handler should be able to
take a few steps away from the dog
and command him to whoa!
In order to do this you must establish eye contact with your dog and

maintain a serious, no-nonsense, facial

expression while holding out the flat
of your hand in a commanding, authoritative manner. If the dog remains
stationary on whoa, return to him and
praise him, resuming heel and whoa
together as a way of reliving pressure
by returning to familiar learning.
If the dog will not stay in place,
catch him and briskly put him back
in the original location. If this doesnt
work satisfactorily, use the whoa
stake, a device which you can push
into the ground and thread a check
cord through. Take the dog to the
vicinity of the whoa stake and pull the
cord through, commanding the dog
to whoa after you walk away. Once
again be authoritative and establish
a serious tone and eye contact. Once
your dog knows that whoa means halt
or stay where you are, youre ready to
teach come or come here.n

EDS ARCHERY / FLINT BOWMENS

WOUNDED SOLDIERS SHOOT

JOIN THE FUN AND HELP A CAUSE THAT TOUCHES US ALL,

JUNE 6, 9-5 & JUNE 7, 9-3 AT FLINT BOWMEN ARCHERY CLUB.

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THE SHOOTING FEE WILL BE $15.00 PER ROUND. EACH TIME YOU
EDS
ARCHERY
/ FLINT
BOWMENS
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TO SHOOT YOUR
NAME GOES
IN THE DRAWING FOR
THE
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RANGING
FROM
BOWS
TO
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WOUNDED
SOLDIERS SHOOT
DONATORS AND PRIZES ARE LISTED ON BACK OF THIS FLYER
Join The Fun And
Help
A Cause
That Touches Us All,
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UPDATED
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$1000.00s
in prizes will be
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June
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The Shoot Consists Of 30 Various 3-D Targets Through A Wooded Course
FOOD
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With Targets
Ranging
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The Shooting Fee Will Be $15.00 Per Round. Each Time You Register To Shoot Your
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Drawing For The
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Contact

Ed's Archery
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MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

ts always easier to train than to

retrain. If you want to develop
a quality gun dog, analyze the
training process and start from
the beginning and progress
toward the finished product one step
at a time.
Sounds easy, right? Well, it is,
provided you really start from the
beginning and build a firm foundation of behaviors which are reviewed,
reinforced, and rewarded.
The time to begin is when you first
get your dog and teach him his name
and make him aware of your acceptance of him as an individual, thereby
imprinting on his mind the notion
that his purpose in life is to nurture
and preserve this acceptance. After he
knows his name and realizes that he
belongs to you, begin the yard training
in which you focus on teaching your
dog to heel, whoa, and come when
called. All the while youre doing this,
however, youre building a relation
ship with your dog which is based on
love, acceptance, and fulfilled expectations. Each step of the training
process is satisfying to you and your
pup because you both gain satisfaction
with each task learned. Because all
complex activities build from the basics; thorough yard training is crucial
to long-term success.
The best way to teach your dog
to heel is to let him learn that the
collar and lead will not hurt him. If
he is a pup, let him wear the collar
and simply drag the lead around for
a while. Once youre satisfied that
the lead doesnt distress him, you
can hold the end and walk your dog
around, making sure that he enjoys the
experience. When you start training
your dog to heel, use a conventional
leather or nylon collar. Then switch
to the spiked force collar provided
your dog is big and strong enough to
handle this device, a wonderful means
by which you can keep your dog from
lunging ahead, balking, and reacting
to distractions around him.
It is customary to heel the dog on

79

The Bonafide Aluminum Minnow

The Beginning Of The Twentieth Century Brought A Revolution To
Anglers, Whether They Fished The Lakes, Rivers Or Our Saltwater Coasts...

his was the development of the wood

fishing lure in the United States - slowly
at first with many small manufacturers
with a few emerging and growing into dominating companies
such as Heddon, Pflueger, South Bend and
Shakespeare. The most popular style of
lure between 1900 and 1910 was the elongated minnow-shaped plug with propellers
generally at both ends of the bait. Some
models floated, but the majority of them at
first were built with lead belly weights, to
become the popular underwater minnows.
Around the Detroit area,
sport store shelves were filled
with three-hook and five-hook
underwater minnows including Heddons #100 and #150 Dowagiac Minnows,
Pfluegers Wizard, and Shakespeares Rhodes #33
and #44 Submerged Wooden Minnows. There were
also Michigan-made baits such as Jacob Hansens
Michigan Lifelike Minnow from Muskegon, the
Detroit Bait Companys North Channel Minnow,
the Pontiac Manufacturing Companys Radium
Minnow, and the Taylor Casting Bait from Coldwater. Add those made in nearby Indiana and Ohio,
and the number of underwater minnow-shaped
wooden baits must have overflowed on dealers
shelves!
The Bonafide Minnow from Plymouth, Michigan was the exception as it was made out of cast
aluminum rather than wood. Not surprisingly, the
lures inventor, Hiram H. Passage, was an accomplished machinist and metalworker. Born on April
22, 1850 to Andrew and Sophronia Passage, the
family had a farm in Canton Township, just a few
miles south of nearby Plymouth. With the exception of a period living in South Haven where he was
listed as a laborer in the 1870 census, Passage lived
his entire life in Plymouth.
By the 1880 census, Hiram Passage was living

again in Plymouth and listed as a machinist. The

census also showed that Hiram was now married
to Emma H. Passage who he had married in 1876.
Neither Hiram nor Emma can be found
in the 1890 census, but he does show up
in two patents as a resident of Plymouth
during this period. Patent #446711 for a
spring air gun was filed for on June 9,
1890 and granted on February 17, 1891.
A second patent, #638751 for a firearm
was applied for on May 23, 1898 and issued to him on December 12, 1899 with
one-half of the patent assigned to the
Daisy Manufacturing Company, also of Plymouth. It is
most likely that he was working
for Daisy during this period
where he further honed his skills as a machinist and
foundry expertise.
By at least 1896, Passage started manufacturing well-made fish and frog spears in Plymouth.
The company was the Bonafide Manufacturing
Company with St. Clair Spears as the trade name
for its products. One catalog sheet stated: Made by
expert workmen in the most up-to-date factorythe
largest makers of fish spears in the world. His St.
Clair Spears were mentioned in the 1896 Edward K.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Sporting Collectibles...
By Terry McBurney

80

All three sizes of the Bonafide Aluminum Minnow

are shown in this photo - the 3 -inch 3-hook model
(the rarest size) , the 3 -inch 3-hook model, and
the 3 -inch 5-hook version. Tom Amstutz collection

A 3 -inch 3-hook Bonafide Aluminum Minnow

sitting on top a copy of Hiram Passages patent
Author photo.
key claims. The first was that it effectively simulated a minnow, which it does. The second was that
the hooks could easily be removed or reattached
as needed. This was accomplished by inserting a
metal wire through the eye of the treble hook and
then passing the eye of the treble hook through the
hole and into the body. Then the wire was bent and
A 5-hook Bonafide Aluminum Minnow opened show- twisted against the inside of the aluminum body like a metal clip or wire pin. The third claim was
ing the inside construction and the original sheet
that the buoyancy of the lure could be changed by
cork which gave the lure some buoyancy. Frank
filling the inside of the lure with a piece of sheet
Baron collection
cork. This would increase the buoyancy of the lure
when the angler wanted to keep the minnow near
Tryon catalog and illustrated in their 1901 catalog. the waters surface. Removing the cork would make
On May 6, 1906, Passage applied for a third patthe lure less buoyant allowing the lure to be fished
ent, this time for a fishing lure that he would name
at greater depths. The lure could be made even
The Bonafide Aluminum Minnow. Patent number heavier by putting additional weights inside the bait
#841429 was granted on January 15, 1907, with
after removing the cork.
one-half assigned to Hiram Passage and one-half
The lure could also be made into a spearing
to George E. Vandecar. Vandecar, at the time of
decoy by opening the two cast aluminum halves
the patent, was the owner of Plymouths reputedly
after removing the mid-body brass screw. Then the
finest tonsorial parlora fancy barbershop that of- ice fisherman would remove the treble hooks and
fered both hot and cold bath accommodations.
the front swivel, take the cork out, screw the two
It is not known whether George Vandecar was
halves together again, and then tie his decoy line to
anything but Hiram Passages barber and financial
the hole in the dorsal fin - an instant spearing deinvestor in the Bonafide Manufacturing Company
coy! The patent also called for the angler to insert a
- whether he had any day to day involvement in
weighted metal ball inside the body of the lure. The
the spear and lure company. He continued barberball would move around the chamber and impart a
ing during their four-year partnership. How much
more life-like movement to the decoy.
Vandecar invested is not known, but his share in the
A flattering write-up promoting the Bonafide
company was worth $200 when the company was
Aluminum Minnow appeared in the May issue of
sold in 1910.
the 1908 Sporting Goods Dealer magazine. It
The Bonafide Minnow patent featured several
included a drawing of a three-hook version with a

This June 1909 National Sportsman magazine ad featured the retail prices of the three different sizes
of the Bonafide Minnow that were sold. Courtesy of Jerry Martin
course, no way of telling that Bonafide ManufacAt the May 1912 company board meeting,
turing packed their lures in plain cardboard boxes.
Passage agreed to sell the Bonafide Foundry
building for $50 worth of corporate stock and $100 It is my opinion that this small Michigan manuworth of stock for the unsettled amount for the ma- facturer with only three different sizes of one lure
terial he still owned at the time of the inventory. He packed them in simple cardboard boxes without
any labels. Other small manufacturers of that pedied on September 24, 1917 of pancreatic cancer
riod found it convenient to do the same. I hope that
and was buried in Plymouth. His death certificate
listed his occupation as none, which may indicate another Bonafide Aluminum Minnow will be found
in a box along with a printed paper insert. That find
that he had been retired for some time before his
would be close to priceless!
death.
Little mention of the Bonafide
Aluminum Minnow is found after the
sale of the company in 1910. A letter to
the Soo Hardware Company, Sault Ste.
Marie, Michigan dated April 17, 1911
has been found. The letter promotes
the line of Fish and Frog Spears,
Gaff Hooks and our artificial bait,
the Bonafide Aluminum Minnow.
Interestingly, H.H. Passage and G.E.
Vandecars names were featured at
the top left-hand side of the stationery
but had been neatly crossed off. The
companys 1912 spear catalog pictured
the Bonafide Minnow without any
description or pricing while the gaff
and all ten models of the spears were
This May 1908 Sporting Goods Dealer article promoted the fully described and priced. This single The only known Bonafide Minnow found in what is possibly
picture was the last time the Bonafide the original cardboard box. Bob and Liz Bulkley collection
Bonafide Aluminum Minnow. Courtesy of Bill Sonnett
Aluminum Minnow was mentioned in
I would like to thank the following people for their
any company publication or correspondence.
three-hook Bonafide Aluminum Minnow with a
help putting together the information, magazine
Three sizes of the Bonafide Aluminum Minsingle front propeller. The ad stated that the lure
ads and photos for this article: Gary Miller for
now were advertised in the 1909 National Sportswas Made in three sizes - 75, 85 and $1.00.
his excellent research, Coach Tom Amstutz for
man magazine ads without any dimensions given.
The June 1909 ad featured a five-hook version
his research and for allowing me to photograph
I have measured all of them and come up with the
without any propellers and declared that it Will
his collection; Liz and Bob Bulkley for sending
following. The smallest is the 3 -inch three-hook
last forever. Three sizes: 50, 75 and $1.00 (with
a photo of their 3-hook Bonafide Minnow in the
model with a front propeller without a hole in the
spinner). The question that arises is why the pricdorsal fin, the rarest of the Bonafide Minnows. The box; Jerry Martin for finding me all of the Bonafide
ing discrepancy between the two ads. No other
middle size is the 3 -inch three-hook version with Manufacturing ads; Frank Baron for answering my
Bonafide Minnow ads have been found, nor does
questions and sending photos, and Bill Sonnett for
a front propeller but with a hole in the dorsal fin.
the lure appear in any of the major sporting goods
The largest model is the 3 -inch five-hook version his advice and for sending me a copy of the 1908
wholesale catalogs or retail mail order catalogs of
Sporting Goods Dealer article.
with both front and rear propellers along with the
the day. This is surprising as Bonafides St. Clair
Feel free to contact the author at antiquefishspears had wide distribution in these same catalogs. hole in the dorsal fin.
ing@comcast.net with your questions. Photographs
Only one box has surfaced that could possibly
Sometime during the fall of 1910, Hiram Pasare important, so please send them. They help me
be the actual box for this lure. This unmarked box
sage purchased George Vandecars one-half share
with identification and give me an idea of the conwas found with a 3 -inch three-hook Bonafide
of the company for $200. Then on October 31,
Aluminum Minnow packed inside of it. There is, of dition of the item.n
1910, Passage applied for trademark registration
for the companys St. Clair spear line. Five days
after publication of the St. Clair trademark registration, Passage sold his company to a new corporation headed by John Jay McLaren, the son of John
D. McLaren, president of Plymouths J.D. McLaren
Elevator Company. The purchase price was $400
worth of the new corporations capital stock. The
sale included all machinery, tools, patents, electrotypes, dyes, stationery, all property rights and
ing metal lure for $1. He then
specialized in rare Michigan
Ten years ago, I wrote an
the good will Passage also agreed to allow the
showed the lure to a friend
lures, and they arranged to
article that included informanew Bonafide Manufacturing Company to use
who knew antique lures and
meet. The lure turned out to
tion on the Bonafide Alumithe building located in the rear of his dwelling on
be an excellent example of the asked the friend whether his
num Minnow along with a
the North side of Bowery Street in the Village of
five-hook Bonafide Aluminum garage sale treasure had any
photo of the five-hook model.
Plymouthrent free for a period of one year from
Minnow, and a deal was struck value. He was told No. Most
Sometime after the article
date [December 3, 1910]. The contract went on to
metal lures arent worth much
for more than four figures!
was published, a Woods-Nstate that Passage owned a quantity of material for
at all. Disappointed, he hung
Over coffee and donuts, the
Water News reader emailed
the manufacture of spears and artificial minnows,
the aluminum minnow from
happy seller related the folme saying that he thought he
that an inventory would be taken by December 31,
his cars rear view mirror for
lowing story. He had found it
might have one and whether
1910 and that he would be paid upon completion of
at a garage sale near Houghton about a yearuntil he read
I could help him. I got him in
the inventory. John D. McLaren became president
my November 2005 Woods-NLake and had purchased what
touch with a collector friend
of the new corporation and Hiram Passage became
he thought was a neat lookof mine from Livonia, who
Water News story!
a member of the board of directors.
single front propeller, a rear feather dressed treble
hook and a dorsal fin with a hole drilled through it.
Two ads ran in the National Sportsman magazine during 1908. The February 1908 ad featured
a five-hook version of the Bonafide Minnow with
a feathered treble hook but without any propellers.
This simple ad was duplicated in the March 1908
issue.
Two additional ads ran in the National Sportsman magazine in 1909. The first ad featured a

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Whats In Your
TACKLE BOX?

81

Its All About Habitat, Climate, Disturbance, Predation And Protection...

Piping Plovers of Sleeping Bear

y the time you read

these words a critically
endangered shorebird,
the Piping Plover
(Chardarius melodus),
will be back home in
Michigan. Maybe 7,000 exist on
Planet Earth. There are only three
known small populations of these
stout little beach- running birds in the
entire United States.
One of those concentrations is
found along the shores of the Great
Lakes. During the 2014 breeding
season approximately 65 pairs nested
along the shores of the Great Lakes,
the majority at Sleeping Bear Dunes
National Lakeshore. And that is actually good news for in 1985, when the
species went on the Endangered Species list, only 19 nests were found in
the entire Great Lake Region.
Its all about habitat,
climate, disturbance, predation and protection. And
cooperation from outdoor
recreationist of every passion and feather, including
nature-loving beach combers who do not watch where
they walk.
Piping Plovers are habitat specialists; unlike their
commonly found
more urbanized
kin, the Killdeer.
Killdeer thrive on golf course greens,
at the edges of parking lots; near highway shoulders and airports and sometimes strut their stuff on flat rooftops.
The Piping Plover needs seclusion and
the habitat of a perfect pebble beach,
one free of human intruders and preferably one rich with glacially polished
pebbles that match their eggs in size
and color. Such places exist at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in
northwestern Lower Michigan.
Good egg camouflage increases
the chances for survival. But it takes
more than evolution and adaptation to
habitat opportunity to thrive in an ever
increasing human-dominated world.
Regulations to protect that habitat and
keep out intruders during breeding
season, including man and his best
friend, the dog, are enforced at Sleeping Bear Dunes. And being a ground
nesting birds in beach areas the hazardous are obvious and includes the
accidentally stepping on eggs. And if
a plover takes flight at the approach
of an intruder, predators take note of
the disturbance and may snatch and an
egg or chick.
I encountered my first Piping
Plover on a sultry summer day when
the sand felt egg-sizzling hot and the
air felt heavy. I was hiking on the

Sleeping Bear Point Trail and had just

emerged from an area known as the
ghost forest where sand dunes have
buried a cedar forest. I continued
along for a few hundred yards and sat
on a wind-swept dune to catch faint
breezes from the Manitou Passage and
scan the shoreline with binoculars. I
was not looking for birds. And then
something scurried along the shore
and was gone. Just as I stood to leave
it appeared again, much closer this
time, but I still did not know what this
yellow-legged little bird that ran a bit,
pecked at the sand and ran some more
was. It looked a bit fat to me and that
helped with the ID. It was not until
I returned home and dug through a
bird book that one and one suddenly
equaled two and I knew I had seen my
first Piping Plover. Ever. Anywhere.
And, I discovered their eye-popping
rarity.
Three years went by
before past I saw my next
Piping Plover and this time
it was a close-encounter
of the best kind. And that
encounter left me smitten. Love at first sight. But
romancing of the plover
was not the reason of my
trip. I had travelled to my
dunes last summer to witness
the wilderness
designation ceremony for a section of
the national lakeshore and was on the
way home after a day of hiking lesser
travelled trails.
I took a quick break at my favorite sunrise greeting location of the
National Seashore near the mouth of
the Platte River. Only this time it was
late in the afternoon. The establishment of a temporary exclusion zone
at Platte River Point, one of the steps
undertaken to reduce disturbances in
the nesting areas was in place. And
that was fine with me. I understood.
Most visitors do, and most respect the
signage and barriers. Some do not.
Another protective action that
takes place right after the speckled
eggs are laid is the placement of boxlike wire enclosures. The enclosure
mesh lets the plovers enter and leave
but keeps out predators such raccoons,
skunks, gulls, fox, domestic dogs and
anything else that may want an easy
meal. The camouflage of the eggs
is superb and they blend perfectly
with the glacially polished pebbles
found along the shore and beneath
the dunes that formed after the last
glacial retreat some 11,000 years
ago.
They enclosures also serve as
reminders to humans to keep backa
reminder enforced by signage, barriers

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

By Jonathan Schechter

82

Jonathan Schechter photo

and patrols from volunteers and park
rangers. I kept back. Way back. And
I settled down a bit upstream of where
the Platte River feeds Lake Michigan
to enjoy the solitude.
My only plan was to listen to
waves. The solitude plan lasted
about twenty minutes. And then I
had company. A stout little Piping
Plover came trotting down the beach
outside of the exclusion zone. The
little beauty was either oblivious to, or
accepting off my motionless presence.
I quickly zoomed in with my constant
trail companiona camera. Every
few feet the plover stopped and poked
at the moist sand. Tiny crustaceans,
spiders and insects were the meaty
morsel this stout little plover seemed
to be successfully hunting. After a
few minutes slipped by the plover
turned and almost ran back towards
the exclusion zone, stopping a few
times for more tidbits of living protein
in the sand.
After returning home and uploading my images I noted the variety of
leg bands my friend carried and knew
this one was being monitored. As part
of the Piping Plover monitoring and
recovery efforts, birds are banded; science is preferable to guess work. The
colorful bands allow ornithologists,
researchers and park staff and volunteer workers keep track of and share
information with other professionals

on the longevity, travels, genetics and

even the faithfulness to a particular
nesting site of the Sleeping Bear
population.
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore Piping Plover protection
program is in conjunction with the US
Fish and Wildlife Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources,
the University of Minnesota and the
University of Michigan Biological
Station. For more information on Piping Plovers at Sleeping Bear Dunes
visit: http://www.nps.gov/slbe/learn/
nature/pipingplover.htm Facts on nationwide status and behavior http://
www.fws.gov/plover/q&a.html
Piping Plovers will remain on
our beaches all summer. By the later
part of July females gather in small
flocks and later head south leaving the
devoted males to guard and care for
the chicks until they are able to fly. All
the plovers will have left the protection of Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore for their southern homes by
the end of August. But it takes weather free of powerful nest-destroying
storms and the respect of their behavioral habits and habitat by humans to
let this happen.
Jonathan Schechter is naturalist/
paramedic in Brandon Township and
the Nature Education Writer for Oakland County Parks. E-Mail JonathanSchechter@Frontier.comn

Reader Trail Cam Photos

Send your Reader Trail-Cam Photos to:
wnw@pageone-inc.com

Brian Sluck of Chesterfield

Russ Videan sent us trail cam
Twp. with trail cam photos just photos of early spring at his
before season opens.
cabin near Tustin.

Marcus Wolter sent us these trail cam photos of

before, during and after the Duck Lake fire in the
U.P. Their place on the Little Two Hearted River
only lost an outhouse, the trail camera survived
but not the tree.

Dan and Patty Bohle sent us this trail cam photo taken by a
friend near their cabin in Stephenson, Michigan and thought we
would like to see it. Really great photo!

Here is a trail cam photo of a bobcat on the

prowl in January, near Evart. Bob Thomas sent us
this trail cam photo.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Look whos
checking out
Gary Tomlins
property near
Kalkaska. There
was also a nice
black bear on
trail cam. Popular spot, Gary.

83

By Michael Veine

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

84

bout half way between the southern

and northern boundaries of Saginaw
Bay lays Au Gres. This small, fisherman friendly town is well known as a
summer walleye destination for world
class walleye fishing; however during the spring,
Au Gres serves up perhaps the best walleye angling
of the year, especially for larger fish. After spawning, many of the Bays walleye migrate northward up the western shoreline, and that migration
route goes right past Au Gres.
During the spring, schools of smelt stack-up
along the shorelines from Au Gres to Tawas and
that concentration of baitfish halts those migrating
walleyes as they pause their migration to put on a
smelt feed bag. Savvy anglers take full advantage
by trolling, casting and even jigging for walleyes
that average bigger than at any other time of the
year. After the smelt move out, baitfish numbers
are often temporarily very low in the Au Gres area,
so remaining walleyes are easy pickings for trollers
in the know.
Spring and the warming waters draw in tons of
baitfish and walleye numbers explode in the Au
Gres area creating one of the most consistently
awesome fisheries this author has ever experienced.
Oftentimes, the spring fishing at Au Gres is close
to shore, which is ideal for small boat anglers and
even shore bound fishermen can cash in at times
too. Au Gres has become my favorite place to
chase spring walleyes, so read on for the scoop on
how to take advantage of this world class walleye
fishery.
Last year I moved my boat from Lake Erie to
Saginaw Bay on April 16. A few days before I
arrived at Au Gres, my two new Mercury motors
were delivered to Au Gres Marine, so my first order
of business once I got there was to get those new
motors installed. On April 16 my repowered boat
was ready for some break in on the Bay. A friend of
mine, Capt. Bill Carter went on a boat ride with me
that morning as I tested out the new Mercury 150
HP FourStroke main engine and I also put some
break-in hours on the new Merc 9.9 HP ProKicker
too. The motors ran great, but I decided to just try
the prop off my old motor and it was not the correct
size for the new setup, so I eventually headed back
to shore to change the prop. My plan was to head
back out on the Bay again and besides testing the
new prop, also get in some fishing too. Unfortunately Bill had to fulfill some honey-do chores, so
he couldnt join me for the afternoon voyage. After
running around for a while, I decided to set up for
a trolling pass going with the southwest wind along
the drop-off north of the Au Gres River towards Pt.

This big Saginaw Bay walleye fell for a Moonshine Walleye Spoon during late spring. Author photo
Lookout.
The water temperature was just above freezing with some icebergs still bobbing around here
and there. I deployed a three rod spread with two
shallow running, gold/purple, Smithwick, Rattlin Rouges and one deep diving, Tennessee Shad,
and Husky Jerk Bait. With a 3/8 oz. rubber core
sinker installed five feet ahead of each lure, and a
turtle slow trolling speed of just below one MPH,

I adjusted the setback to 60 on the Rouges and 40

on the Husky Jerk to present the lures about 10-13
down in waters 15 to 22 feet deep. All the lures
were run way out away from the boat off Church
Tackle Walleye Boards. In the clear, fairly calm
waters, getting the lures out away from the boat is
a must. I marked pockets of baitfish and large fish
concentrations while I was running around breaking
in the motors, so I had a planned route that would

Oftentimes, the spring fishing at Au Gres is close

to shore, which is ideal for small boat anglers.

How to Catch Them

During the early spring, when smelt are present,

walleyes will exclusively key in on that baitfish
source with reckless abandon. Naturally then,
lures that imitate smelt are going to work the best.
Since the water is still very cold then, baits with
good action at slower trolling speeds seem produce
the most action. I have tried literally hundreds of
different lures then and Shallow Rattlin Rouges
and Deep Husky Jerk Baits are my two favorites.
These are the three hook sized lures that are about
the same size as an average sized smelt.
Productive colors vary from day to day, but
Rouges in purple/gold/white and black/gold/orange have been consistent produced for me over
the years. Husky Jerks in green/gold/orange and
blue/silver/orange are also awesome on those smelt
chasing walleyes. I typically run a six to eight rod
spread with six lines off Church Tackle Walleye
Boards to spread things out and saturate the water
with offerings.

During the early spring, active walleyes will

often be suspended as they seek out and attack
schools of smelt. Because the fish may be below
the maximum running depth of some lures, savvy
anglers add weight to bring the baits into the strike
zone. I favor simple, rubber core sinkers for that
task because they are cheap, wont damage the line,
and can easily be added, changed or moved up or
down the line in seconds. In fact rubber core sinkers do more than just take lures deeper: They also
block lure fowling debris from sliding down the
line all the way to the bait, allow shorter setbacks
and generally make life easier for fishermen in the
know. They come in weights that range from 1/8 1.5 oz. I mostly use 3/8 ounce weights during the
spring, but sometimes I will use lighter or heavier
ones when the conditions dictate.
Extremely slow trolling speeds are often necessary to entice lethargic walleyes into biting. As a
general rule, if the water temp is in the 30s, I keep
my speeds below one mph. As the water warms
into the low 40, speeds of 1 - 1.3 mph seem to get
better results. When the water warms into the mid
to high 40s, then speeds in the 1.4 - 1.7 range will
put the most fish in the box.
As the water warms up past 45 degrees the smelt
runs are about over. After spawning, smelt typically move to deeper water and scatter. When that
happens, many of the Bays walleyes, especially
the larger, adult fish, continue their migration
northward into the open waters of Lake Huron.
Studies have shown though that about half of the
adult walleyes stay in the Bay year round. After
the smelt leave, the walleyes that stay around seem
to head to the bottom and stay their where they
feed on gobies, perch and anything else that will
sustain them until their main forage base of shiners
move into the area.
This is when a radical change in fishing tactics
is necessary. When the stick bait bite dies, I quickly change over to spinner/crawler rigs fished right
on the bottom in deeper waters that range from 25
to 35 feet. Since the water temperature is going to
be very cold then in those locations, a very slow
trolling speed is necessary of less than 1.0 mph. At
that time of the year walleye numbers are not very
high, but the ones that are there are typically hungry so it still makes for some good fishing.
During the late spring and summer I typically
use just a half a crawler on my harnesses, but during the early spring in that cold water, I use full,
big night crawlers as they seem to work best. My
favorite spinner patterns are silver/red or chartreuse/orange and I rely on bottom bouncers to put
the spinners right in the walleyes faces. That spinner/crawler bite actually will last well into the summer period too and is super consistent for catching
Saginaw Bay walleyes over a wide range of waters
and time periods.
As the warm weather of late spring warms
up the Bay, I increase my trolling speeds keeping things moving as fast as the fish will tolerate.
This allows me to cover the maximum amount of
water while trolling and faster trolling speeds will
increase the bite to catch ratio significantly.
When shiners start to move into the Au Gres
area, then crankbaits and spoons really start to
shine. Shad Raps and Hot N Tots are my favorite
cranks then. The #7 Natural Shad pattern Shad
Rap has been one of my favorite lures then for over
20 years. If the water is dirty or stained though, the

#5, Chrome/Shad pattern Rattling Shad Rap is awesome bait. Hot N Tots work best when walleyes
are aggressively feeding. Flashy chrome or fire/
tiger patterns are consistent spring producers. My
favorite spoons are Moonshine Walleye Spoons and
the Crab Cakes pattern has been especially hot in
recent years.
One doesnt need to troll though to get in on
the action when the walleyes are feeding on smelt.
Some anglers simply anchor up along shoreline
drop-offs and cast and jig for marauding walleyes.
Casting with body baits can be extremely productive too as can vertical jigging with a jig and
minnow. Shore bound anglers wade out as far as
they can and cast lures taking some nice fish. Ive
even caught walleyes still fishing from shore with
dead smelt. This type of fishing is best done during the low light periods of morning, evening and
after dark when the fish are more inclined to move
shallow.

Where to Catch Them

During the early spring, when walleyes feeding

on smelt big time, the waters right out in front of
Au Gres are often full of fish. Some years though,
like in 2013, the best fishing was close to shore, but
north of Pt. Lookout. The waters near Whitefish
Point are also a consistent producer then too.
During the day, smelt and their pursuing
predators are usually found in deeper water just off
shoreline drop offs. Waters 15 to 25 feet are usually a good place to start looking for fish. As the
water warms up and the smelt move out, then deeper waters in the 25 to 35 foot range seem to hold
the most fish. When lots of shiners start showing up, the warmer, shallow waters seem to draw
the fish like a magnet. Ive caught walleyes then
in waters from 10 to 15 feet deep. That shallow
water shiner bite can be good right out in front of
Au Gres, but increasing fishing pressure then often
negatively impacts the fishing there, especially on
weekends. The waters south of Pt. Au Gres down
to the Rifle Bar and even south to the Sagining
Bar often hold massive schools of walleyes then.
I have even gotten into some world class walleye
fishing from Pt. Lookout to Whitefish Point along
those shallows.
As spring closes in on summer and the water
warms to swimming temperatures, walleyes will
scatter out over a lot of the Bay and the walleye
bite goes bonkers in hundreds of locations. This is
when fishing reports brag of limit catches all over
the place from shallow waters to the deepest parts
of the Inner Bay.

Planning a Trip to Au Gres

Au Gres is set up really nice for traveling anglers with plenty of lodging, camping, and eatery
choices. They also have bait shops and all the
normal things you would find in a small, northern
Michigan town. There is a very nice DNR boat
launch right at the mouth of the Au Gres River that
is one of the best places to access the Bay. A few
years ago I put together an Au Gres Travel Guide
that details many of the businesses and attractions
in the area. You can find it on my website at trophyspecialists.com where I also post regular fishing
reports from Mid-April through the end of summer.
The author offers fishing charters specializing
in Lake Erie and Saginaw Bay walleyes. Contact
Mike Veine at www.trophyspecialists.com or 734475-9146.n

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

take me over those promising waters.

There wasnt another boat in sight as I set the
last rod in the holder and then fine-tuned my speed
and autopilot course. The winds were light and
the sky overcast, so I wasnt really surprised when
a Rouge board dropped back signaling a strike.
When a second board started bouncing and dropping back and then my third one also started doing
a walleye dance, I couldnt help but smile. I was
pleasantly surprised when the first fish I netted
turned out to be a dandy 27 incher. The remaining
two fish also turned out to be large fish too: Both of
them were 26.
After resetting lines, I phoned my absentee
buddy Bill to rub it in about the fish I was catching. Before I even got off the cell phone, I had
two more fish on. One got off, but the other one,
another 26 incher, was deposited into the live well
with the others. Before I could reset any lines,
the remaining lure hooked up and after battling a
dandy 28 inch walleye into the net, I had technically limited out in just 10 minutes of fishing, but I
decided to keep fishing though, so I tossed the big
walleye back and reset my lines.
I phoned Bill again to rub more salt in the
wound, but he was skeptical and thought I might be
just kidding him, so I made a friendly bet with him:
He would have to clean my fish if I was not telling
the truth. I kept fishing for another hour and hit
pockets of fish all along that long, winding trolling pass that ended at the end where Pt. Lookout
gives way to Gravely Shoal. All my fish were nice
sized that day too, between 24 and 28 inches long.
The only lull in the action occurred when I trolled
over a shallow spot and all my lures hit bottom
and loaded up with zebra mussels. I even hooked
up with a salmon briefly, but couldnt hold onto
the hard fighting silver bullet. Over the next week
though, besides limiting out on walleyes on every
trip, we also caught several kings as bonus fish too.
During the early spring, Au Gres anglers can catch
king salmon, steelhead, lake trout, whitefish and
even Atlantic salmon, which certainly spices things
up.
I phoned Bill when I was ashore and met him
at his fish cleaning station. I had put the walleyes
into a five gallon bucket and when he laid his eyes
on those dandy pigs, he just shook his head, got out
his knife and added fish cleaning to his honey-do
list.

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FOAM MATTRESS SET.
Clean. Never used. As seen on
TV. Cost $1700. Sell for $695.
989-832-2401.
M-4-14-TFN
................................................

EXPERIENCE
AN
ALL
INCLUSIVE TRIP TO ISLE
ROYALE NATIONAL PARK.
Accommodations at the ROCK
HARBOR LODGE on Lake Superior.
Enjoy the solitude and Natural
Beauty of this island park. Sunday
thru Friday. Also Guided Backpacking
trips into the wilderness. Sunday thru
Saturday. Photograph Moose. Call
231-564-1631 for details. M-5-1
................................................
AN
AMISH
LOG
HEADBOARD AND QUEEN
pillowtop mattress set. New. Sell all
for $275. 989-923-1278.
M-4-14-TFN
................................................

AMISH LOG BEDS, ANY

SIZE $199. 5 drawer log chest
$199. Good quality. Lowest prices in
Michigan. 989-839-4846. M-4-14TFN
................................................
LOG BUNK BEDS. $495. Amish
lodge furniture. Call Dan 989-8321866. M-4-14-TFN
................................................

FANTASTIC 213 WOODED

ACRES, with frontage on two great
fishing lakes, just 30 minutes from
G.R. Call Gary 616-901-5473.
FS-5-2
................................................

2015 MICHIGAN BEAR

HUNTS: Newberry/Gwinn.
Just outside of Seney Wlidlife
Refuge. High success rate.
31 years. State and Federal licensed and experienced. Guaranteed active baits. 6 nights, 5
day hunt includes lodging and
meals. Start at $750. Bow and
rifle deer hunts. $125 per day.
906-439-5242.
www.buckspportinglodge.com.
H-5-5

WESTERN
KENTUCKY:
Would you like to hunt one of my
thousands of acres of private farms
in some of the best Trophy Buck
counties in Kentucky? These farms
get very limited hunting. Trail camera
photos of Trophy Bucks from your
farm. Heavy duty tree stands on
farms. Hunts as low as $700. FREE
BROCHURE. 270-498-3374.
H-4-3
................................................

FREE
If you need HELP right now,
say aloud JESUS Please Help Me.
FREE-4-2
................................................

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NAME
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WANTED
TIMBER: Buying all types of timber, 5 acres or more, top price paid.
Cash in advance. Improve wildlife
habitat. Patco Forest Products, 989539-7588 after 6 p.m. W-4-12-14
................................................

FISHING
FLYING, FISHING & FUN!
Welcome to Garsons Fly-In Outposts, your fly-in adventure awaits...
We offer remote fly-in fishing and
hunting packages in Northern
Ontario. Visit us at
www.flyinfishingoutposts.com F-4-2
................................................
FISHING CLASS OFFERS CLOSURE: Just
looking at that maze of tackle
you "sense" spontaneously,
virtually unerringly, how each
individual component affects
the fish audibly as well as visually, and defensively as well
as offensively. Capable now of
readily adapting to any situation, not only do you feel justified in having accumulated all
those tackle boxes full of stuff,
but even about adding more
stuff to them. No longer needing to travel miles on end to
experience top notch success
while targeting any specie we
choose, ultimately we wind up
fishing more, enjoying it more.
If you've sensed that this is how
angling could and should be,
should our instinctive approach
be followed to the letter, this is
how it can be. All species, all
baits, all presentations, all in
one session, all for as little as
$45 per person. For further details 810-395-4334 Mon.-Sat. 9
am 7 pm. Instructor Larry R.
Walter, Sr. F-TFN

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POND SUPPLIES: Live gamefish for stocking. Large selection of

lake, pond and watergarden supplies.
Free catalog! Stoney Creek, Inc.,
Grant, MI 800-448-3873. www.
stoneycreekequip.com
F-4-7
................................................
LAKE ERIE WALLEYE AND
PERCH CHARTERS Captain
Bruce 517 740 5295 or
www.payableguideservice.com
Call now for Spring and
Summer booking. F-3-4
................................................
FISH FOR STOCKING:
MOST VARIETIES POND
LAKES.
LAGGIS' FISH
FARM (269) 628-2056 DAYS,
(269) 624-6215 EVENINGS
F-5-2

GONZO BEAR CAMP - Bear

Specialist - We had 80% success.
Baraga, Gwen and Amasa Units Modular hunts start at $895. 7 days
lodging included. Write for more
information on how to apply for bear
permits on May 1st - 2730 S. Dort
Hwy., Flint, MI 48507 or call Dale at
(810) 814-8936 days 9-4 or evenings
(810) 874-9018 for more information
www.gonzobearcamp.com Like us
on Facebook.
H-5-4
................................................
ROOSTER RANCH, LLC
- Since 1986. Ringneck pheasants, mallard ducks, chukar
partridge. Field and European
Hunts - lodging and meals
available. Your dogs or ours,
pointers or flushers. Wobble
Trap. Single family or corporate outings. Fundraiser hunts.
Check us out online:
roosterranchllc.com Call Nick
at 989-658-2332 to book your
hunt. H-4-6
BERGLAND UNIT. Guided bear
hunts over bait. State and federal
licensed bear guide. Call Rich 715663-0459 or www.upbearhunt.com
H-5-4
................................................
BEAR HUNTS: Cameron &
Sons years of experience and
licensed with the State offer
baited hunts in Newberry area.
We have acres of private and
public tracks to hunt for your
pleasure 1st and 2nd season
only. Limited hunts available.
Guaranteed active baits. Many
references available upon
request. www.ccameron.biz or
visit us on our Facebook! Call
Kevin at 906-293-8550 or 906630-1034 or Clarence at 407414-7622.
H-5-4
RAY'S U.P. HUNTING - 25
years experience guiding for deer
and bear. Baited stands in Amasa,
Baraga, and Bergland Units. Lodging
Available. Call Ray at 906-265-9420
or cell (906) 284-2216. H-5-4
................................................
BEAR HUNTS: Baraga
Unit. Be our guest at AA
LODGE. All inclusive. 5 day
hunts. $1000 - $1500. Call Roy
810-691-3373. H-5-5

ATTENTION U.P. BEAR

HUNTERS: Top of the Line
Guide Service offers excellent
hunting opportunity for black
bear hunters in Newberry management area. Fully licensed
guide offers unlimited day hunting. Lodging available. High
success rate. For information
or references call Bruce at 906477-6983 or 616-566-0183.
H-5-5
U.P. BEAR HUNT: Amasa Unit
D&D Bear Guide, 18 years experience. 7 day hunt over active bait
stand, trailcam used. Great success
rate. Lots of references. Call Ed 906875-6548, 906-367-0331. H-4-2
................................................
FALL MICHIGAN BEAR
HUNTS 2015: Newberry and
Gwinn Bear Management Units.
7 days hunting. 36 years in business. Includes lodging, tree
stands and ground blinds. Walkin cooler. Skinning. On location
bear check station. Located
on year-around resort. Fishing
lakes. Great ATV trails. Grouse
hunting. State and Federally licensed. Friend us on Facebook.
Contact: Tom Losiewski
1-269-330-0480
North
Country Hunting Adventures, Inc. H-5-4
HUNT NORTHERN ONTARIO
CANADA Guided bear hunts 2.5
hours North of Sault border. Large
bear management area, High success rate, Multiple bears on baits.
Harvest av. 2-300lbs, References
available. Gauranteed active baits,
started well ahead of time. $1,000
US plus tax and licences.Hunting
starts Aug. 15 www.murraylake.net
416-548-6124 H-2-4
................................................
HUNT
WITH
BEAR
MOUNTAIN LLC this fall
for your 2015 Bear Hunt. We
look forward to hunting on an
expanded area of private property this fall that is in the heart
of prime bear territory. Baraga
BMU, Private land only hunts,
check out our website
www.mibearhunt.com. Give us
a call at 800-676-9821 or call
Derek at 906-458-3754 H-5-1

Classifieds
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Woods-N-Water News Classified Section

FOR RENT

REAL ESTATE

NORTHERN
ONTARIO
BEAR HUNTS: Booking now for
fall of 2015. Includes comfortable
cabin, boat and motor, baited stands.
Very experienced guides. High success rate. 3 hours from the Soo.
References on request. $960 U.S.
705-869-3272 www.texasandsons.
com H-10-12-14
................................................

MODERN CABIN FOR RENT

on Bear Creek. Sleeps 5. A/C, Sat
TV, full kitchen. 10 minutes from
Manistee River. 1.3 miles from state
snowmobile trails. Now booking for
steelhead. 231-590-1136. FR-3-5
................................................

RESORTS/RENT

PRIVATE LAKE - $119000.

Lake front cottage on Lake Lure in
Evart and two back lots. No wake
lake and no public access. Pontoons,
paddle boats and great fishing. Two
bedrooms. Living room, kitchen &
dining area and one bedroom all
knotty pine. 8X10 storage shed. Half
of a mile to the Pere Marquette rail
trail/groomed snowmobile trail. One
mile from the Muskegon River. 16
miles east of M-131. 30 miles west of
Clare. email: s_pegley@yahoo.com
RE-5-1
................................................

BUSINESS FOR SALE:

Party store on Black River in
Tower, MI. The only store in
town. Beer, wine, lotto, DNR,
licenses, live bait. Village post
office rents rooms in the building. Located in the heart of the
Pidgeon River State Forest.
Excellent hunting and fishing in
area. Store has been in operation for 30 years on high traffic
M68/33 Hwy. 450K Gross in
2014. Asking 200K plus inventory. Owners retiring. 989-7332480. RE-5-3

RICE LAKE, ONTARIO

CANADA Lake front cottages
from $400 US per week.
Excellent fishing & boat rentals.
www.tambircottages.com email:
tambir@eagle.ca call 1-800661-5491 R/R-5-2
50 ACRES totally private lake in
Western Lake County near Branch
on 2000 acre family preserve. 3
bedroom cottage with boats, beach,
large dock, swim raft, swings, fire pit,
etc. Excellent fishing for bass, pike,
trout and panfish. Miles of streams
and hiking trails. Caretaker lives on
property 1 mile away. $950 week.
248-559-7744. R/R-5-2
................................................
ALL SEASONAL, full
hookup, riverside RV resort.
Make Coho Bend, on the Big
Manistee River, your own hideaway! Large wooded sites-Boat
docks available.
www.cohobend.com
(231)-723-7321. R/R-4-8

PICKEREL
LAKESIDE
CAMPGROUND
and
COTTAGES - Baldwin Area 1425' all sport lake, frontage, 45
semi-rustic sites, 4 clean modern
cottages. www.lakecamp-cottages.
com 231-745-7268. R/R-4-7
................................................

HUNTING LEASE
JACKSON 100 ACRES surrounded by 3500 acres unhunted
state prison land. Big bucks taken
every year. Corn and beans surround. Call 248-978-7673. HL-5-1
................................................
53 ACRES - deer, turkey, squirrel.
Starting with spring turkey hunt ending January 1, 2016. 2 miles north of
Almont, east of M-53. 517-263-5579.
HL-5-1
................................................
HUNTING LAND FOR RENT.
Hundred acre woods limit of 3 hunters. Modern cabin available. $1600
per season. 231-590-1136. HL-3-3
................................................

WANT TO LEASE
SEEKING HUNTING LEASE
Hoping to build lasting relationship
with owner using quality deer management practices. References available. 989-928-4177 or bergpm@
chartermi.net WL-5-1
................................................

REAL ESTATE

120 ACRES - Chippewa

County, 2000 foot water frontage on St. Mary's River.
Secluded, wooded, deer, bear,
rabbit, quail, prime fishing.
Artesian Well. $300,000 810455-3581. RE-5-1
MANISTEE
COUNTY
HUNTING CAMP 10 wooded
acres adjoins federal land. 36x72
insulated pole building half finished
into rustic living quarters. 4" well.
Included 5th wheel, boats, most furnishings and much more! Fish nearby rivers and streams. $89,900 Call
Margie Zaccanelli at 231-510-4751
CENTURY
21
Boardwalk.
www.7270CaberfaeHighway.C21.
com RE-5-1
................................................
50 WOODED ACRES, all
Cedar River frontage, nice
cabin with 3 out buildings.
Gladwin County. A MUST SEE
at $209,900 call 989-798-8775
or 989-513-5621. RE-5-2
CASS CITY AREA - Great hunting spot on 5 acres. Pole barn converted into living quarters. Contact
Tavis Osentoski at 989-551-2010.
RE-5-1
................................................
COLORADO ELK HUNTING PROPERTY. 40.1
acres in Costilla County CO.
Elk, Mule deer, Lion, Bear,
Grouse, Turkey, Bobcat on the
property and Big Horn sheep in
the nearby San Isabel National
Forest. Beautiful Ponderosa
Pines and rock outcroppings.
Mt. Blanca is the fourth highest
peak in the continental U.S.
gives great views. This 40 acre
parcel is part of an 18,000 acre
ranch that allows owners to
hunt on the majority of the
ranch. $60k land contract possible. Call Cell 313-929-0623.
RE-5-2

EXCELLENT 40 ACRES hunting parcel located in Northwestern

Lenawee County, MI. Close proximity
to Michigan International Speedway,
state highways and many lakes.
Approx. 1320 ft. of road frontage. 16
acres tillable, 23 acres wooded.
$164,900. Call Diana at Faust Real
Estate, LLC 517-270-3646. RE-5-1
................................................
TRAILS END RESORT on
Big Manistique Lake. 2 bedroom modern housekeeping
cabins. Boats - motors and pontoon rentals. Good fishing, hunting, birding. Central UP - Curtis,
MI. Call 906-586-3515. RE-33
159.1/2 ACRES: Secluded
Canadian Wilderness. Hunt bear,
moose, wolf and small game. 20
miles NE of Timmins Ontario. 6 hours
from Sault Sainte Marie. $35,000. US
Dollars. Includes 2 outpost cabins.
Argo, 2 trailers. Contact 226-9755142. email huntershaven@cdpwise.
net. RE-5-4
................................................
OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST
OF ANY KIND will love
this real estate offering.
Whether you hunt, fish, hike or
snowmobile this property offers
it all. 180 acres with trails,
blinds, creek and food plots.
Property adjoins thousands of
acres of public land and less
than 2 miles to boat launch and
the St. Mary's River. Present
owners use as a G.U.P. camp
but the 1100 sq. ft. home and
32x42 garage will satisfy most
as a year round residence. A
great buy at $289,000. Please
call listing agent Mike Gillhooley
at 906-440-7389. Pictures and
more details can be found at
smith-company.com. RE-5-1
ACRES GOULD CITY Mi, back
40 with bought-in easement. Fully
wooded with parking / camping area,
gated entrance with new driveway.
Land is not swampy, adjoining state
land two miles from town. Great hunting, bear, deer and birds. Trimmed
trails with blinds and feeders.
Snowmobile trail head minutes away.
Asking $45,000.00 any more questions call or e-mail Debbie Severn.
1-989-624-4670 or ddsesuntan@aol.
com RE-11-12-14
................................................

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

DOGS

KALKASKA COUNTY: 4.96

Beautifully Wooded Acres on year
round county gravel road adjoining
State Land and very close to trails.
Ideal hunting, camping spot or recreational base. Driveway and cleared
site. $22,900, $500 down, $280/mo,
11% L/C. www.northernlandco.com
Northern Land Co. 231-258-5100.
RE-5-1
................................................

40 ACRES of wooded hunting land

with seasonal stream in Bessemer Mi
area. It borders government land,
deer and bear hunting area.Contact
Tom at 989 798-6638. RE-5-1
................................................
40 ACRES, Gated and secluded
Roscommon County, excellent hunting, very private, near major snowmobile/ATV trail. Head serious only.
$89,900. 989-389-0956. RE-5-1
................................................
235 ACRES, Petoskey, a skier's
mountain, 500 foot vertical, 8 miles of
two track roads, $550,000, 70 acres
more available. 586-463-0114.
RE-5-2
................................................
NORTHERN MI. 36 acres mostly
wooded. 2 bdrm home. Wildlife,
quiet. 2 mi to Torch Lk. 9012 Manley
Rd Alden. www.aldenproperty.shutterfly.com $149,900 (269) 720-5264
RE-4-2
................................................

RABBIT DOG STARTING

PEN. 10 acres tall grass and wooded area. 989-670-4336.
D-5-6
................................................

AMAZING 44 ACRES near

Rose City, Ogemaw County.
Hunt where Fred Bear and Ted
Nugent hunted. High and dry,
very private, 1,000 ft. frontage
on Houghton Creek, 30 ft. travel
trailer w/electric. Property surveyed $88,000 firm. Call 248249-6794 for details. RE-3-4
HUNTERS' PARADISE! 120
acres of rolling wooded buck territory
and stunning 2011 custom built
Amish hunting lodge accommodates
multiple hunters and their gear. 5
sleeping areas, 7 gear lockers, vaulted firearm room, even a 2014 hot tub
and great firepit, deer hanging station
and 10 hunting stands. 5724 Hasslick
North Branch, MI Call Monique 989475-2958 BHHS Michigan RE-5-1
................................................
20 ACRES+CABIN-5 BR/1BA
w/ outbuildings, Irons, MI. Abuts 600
acres Federal. 86K Rose: 517-2907517 BaseCampIrons@gmail.com
RE-5-3
................................................
HUNTING CAMP NEAR
MARENISCO, new roof, 24x30
pole barn, secluded in the middle of
Ottawa Nat. Forest. 906-364-2178
RE-5-1
................................................
SAGINAW BAY AND
CANAL FRONTAGE
main home, guest house and
pole barn. Fishing and hunting
paradise. $229,000 call 810845-0098. RE-4-2

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-5-2
BRITTNEY PUPS, 4 females, 5
males. Variety of colors including tricolor. Available April 19th. Great
hunting/house dogs. Interlochen
area. 231-275-3911 D-5-1
................................................
TWO 1 YEAR OLD MALES
AND One 2 year old female black
and tan. Started on coon and bear
breeding outstanding hounds over 50
years, treed over 60 bears in last 3
years. One 4 compartment dog trailer
for sale. Granola bear bait for sale.
616-240-1557. D-5-2

ENGLISH POINTER LITER due in May. Champion

sired. Kentucky Gambler. Mother sired by National Champion
Lester's Snowatch. $500 either
sex. $50 deposit. Kalamazoo
area. Call Andy 269-279-7599.
D-5-2
GUNDOG TRAINING AT ITS
BEST! by Paul Rheaume. Over 30
years experience with pointing and
flushing breeds. All inclusive 4 week
class that is customized to meet your
dog's needs. Excellent for young
dogs starting out, for experienced
dogs tuning up, or for dogs with
issues. $600. Find us on Facebook
or online http://gundogtraining.webs.
com. Rheaume's Kennel. (989) 8648606. D-4-3
................................................
DOGWOOD
KENNEL:
Complete training obedience and
field work. Working with dog and
owners to create a complete hunting
dog. If you want to hunt with your
dog, not for your dog, we can help
you. Training for AKC and F.D.S.B.
tests and trials. All hunting breeds
welcome. Brittany and Pointer pups
and started dogs available. 989-7610234 Merritt, MI.
www.dogwood-kennel.com
D-4-6
................................................
SEVEN BRITTANY PUPPIES
AVAILABLE FOR SALE TO
GOOD HOMES. AKC Registered.
The sire (Max) and dam (Sasha) are
excellent in the field and with children. Great hunters and family dogs.
Whelped on Feb 3. Nice color on all
dogs -orange and white. Asking $700
per puppy. Available in Mid-April. Call
248-685-9820.
D-4-2
................................................

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

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

HUNTING

87

Auction

10
SATURDAY, MAY 16
ACrES

Real Estate &

PersonalProperty

LAKE COUNTY CHERRY VALLEY TWP South of Cadillac East of Ludington Northwest of Big Rapids

FOR SALE:

118 ACRES OF YEAR ROUND

RECREATIONAL LAND

GREAT HUNTING IN
YOUR OWN BACKYARD!

Personal Property 10 AM Real Estate 11 AM

BEAUTIFUL WOODED SETTING, EXCELLENT HOME & BUILDINGS

AUCTiOn LOCATiOn: 131 E. 20th St. Baldwin, MI 49304 AUCTiOn DiRECTiOnS: North of Baldwin, MI 3 miles on US 10 & M
37 to W. 24th St. (where US 10 goes west) go east 2.5 miles to S. Forman Rd. go north .5 mile to 20th St. go east to Sale Site.

RECREATiOn AnD LOng gUnS JD COMPACT TRACTOR & CARE Open HOuse Dates:
TAKER EQUiP. TiMBER & wOODwORKing EQUiP. SHOP TOOLS Saturday, May 3 1-2:30 PM
HOUSEHOLD iTEMS
Saturday, May 9 1-2:30 PM
OwnER: Grace A. Willson Living Trust; P.O.A. Tina M. Higgins SALE MAnAgERS: Ted Boyer - 574-215-8100; Ed Boyer - 574-215-7653

MLS# 67552. Vermontville, MI. location. Close proximity to

farmland, corn fields, and perfect for many blind spots. Wildlife includes trophy sized bucks; additionally, turkey, raccoons,
coyotes, squirrel, mink and otter are plentiful on the land.
There is wildlife for every season. Pike swim in the Thornapple
River that runs through the property. Ideal location, close to
town, yet feeling of being remote. 30 minute drive to Grand
Rapids, 45 minutes to Lansing. Price is $295,000.00.
Call Jim Convissor

(517) 449-9236

CALL FOR COLOR BROCHURE OR gO OnLinE!

AC63001504, AU10800060

Associate Broker

800-451-2709 SchraderAuction.com

Century 21 Looking Glass

31 ACRES
Rolling land with Fruit Trees, Berry Bushes, Hardwoods, and
tillable areas for food plots. Large Pond. Custom Built home
with 3BR/2.5BA. Fireplace, Custom Kitchen w/Cherry Cupboards and Hickory Flooring. 30x40 Pole Barn w/14 ft. doors.
Patty Clendenan

REALTY EXECUTIVES
MAIN STREET

1022 South Lapeer Lapeer, MI 48446

patty@buylapeer.com
ph: 810-664-1978 fax: 810-277-0189

ONLINE WOODED
LAND AUCTION

Cabin For Sale On Pigeon River

wOODS n wATER nEwS
May IssueNear Indian River, Michigan

1/8
page (28p6 xTWO
16p6)BEDROOM, 1 BATH ROCK CABIN WITH
REMODELED
NEW
ROOF
AND
FLOORS. 57 TOTAL ACRES THAT BORDERS
@ $270.00

200 ACRE CONSERVANCY. ACCESS TO BOTH SIDES OF

PIGEON RIVER, GREAT TROUT FISHING.
Contact
TERRIFIC HUNTING (DEER, ELK, BEAR AND
Ron at
TURKEY). TWO FOOD PLOTS, THREE
TREESTANDS, TWO BOX BLINDS.
231.649.2897

(989)
823.8835

80 +/- WOODED ACRES - VASSAR, MI (TUSCOLA COUNTY)

80 Acres +/- Vacant Wooded Land on the Corner of Hanes and Caine
Road. This Parcel Offers Excellent Hunting as it Surrounded by Sections of Wooded Land in all directions and is bordered on the West
Boundary by Farm Land. The Property has a creek running through it
and trails have already been cut to keep an eye on your hunting blinds.
Feel Free to Walk the Property at any time! You can pull in the drive on
Caine Road on the NE Corner of the Property. Location: Approx. Address for GPS: 6512 Caine Road, Vassar, MI. Directions: 2 Miles South
of Vassar on M-15 to Hanes Road, then 2 Miles East to Corner of Hanes
and Caine Road. Selling for the Edna E. Frank Revocable Living Trust

989.823.8835

166,900

$299,000

2 Bedroom, 1 1/2 Bath, 1350 Sq. Ft Cottage on Wixom Lake (N. of Midland).
Best Spot On The Lake. New Seawall And Roof In 2014. Central Air, Natural Gas Heat

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

CALL 770-335-2327

88

at www.BidNow.com

Bidding Open 6/9 Thru Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at 5:00 PM

Beautiful Lake Front Home

$

VASSAR, MI (TUSCOLA CO)

Albrecht Auction Service

www.BidNow.us

$1,100,000

4751 Johnson Road | Gowen, MI 49326

Luxury, Hunting, and Country!

Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2 Full
3,660 sq. ft. on 245 acres
Year Built: 1979
It's not about the house. Is it the location or the
property? Let me introduce you to a unique
opportunity where it may not be about the house.
Almost 245 acres on Flat river, with rolling hills,
ponds, trails lined with trees, hunting shacks, and
plenty of wildlife. Multiple barns and storage
sheds including the Sugar Shack setup just for
making maple sugar! The ranch style home is
just as unique as the land. A builder owned
home with vaulted ceilings, tempered glass
windows, kitchen with honey oak cabinets, and
formal dining room overlooking the Flat River.

Jason Lash
Luxury Collection Specialist
Team Lead
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan
Real Estate

616-447-7045
jason.lash@grhomes.net
http://www.GRHomes.Net

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

For a showing go to Http://www.GRHomes.Net.

89

WWW.

MICHIGANWHITETAILPROPERTIES.COM

COVERING ALL OF MICHIGAN

455 acres with Lodge - OGEMAW COUNTY
Property is off a country road a couple of miles east of Rose
City, about 20 miles north of West Branch and turns into
the private drive over a mile along a winding private road,
through the forest, you will come to a locked gate that leads
you directly into this fantastic property. An extensive road
system runs throughout this property, each trail is groomed,
big enough for a car and has its own name marked by trail
signs. The main trail leads you into roughly 10 acres that is planted with high protein clovers
(which is one of many food plots planted here) out in front of a gorgeous log cabin lodge.
Continuing on, there is a stocked pond as you drive up to the lodge. Lodge has wrap around
porch and fantastic views that anyone would enjoy. Deer and Turkeys will be feeding in the
clover at anytime of the day. On the southern end of the property there is a fire pit behind
the Log cabin next to Houghton Creek. This could be a year round home. Knotty pine walls,
stone fireplace, wrap around kitchen, laundry room, full bathroom, and two bedrooms. a loft
that is large enough to hold 6 beds! A full finished walkout basement! A family room with
a pool table, another full bath and a Hunting Locker room. Outside you will find a log built
garage that matches the cabin as well as a pole barn to store all of your toys and equipment.
$999,900

150 Acres - GENSESEE COUNTY

Not far from Flint, Lapeer, or Saginaw This 150 acre farm has
what it takes to be made into a fantastic hunting property! It
begins with an old farm house, that needs some TLC but it
structurally sound and would make a very good cabin. Leaving the front part of the property and heading north across the
nearly one mile deep property to the north, there is corn on the
left (west) and drops down into a grassy low area to the east, then back up again into more
corn and CRP grasses. Mature woods line an Oak ridge along the east side about halfway
back and then down into a thick bottom area while the west side of the property is high and
broken up into different fields and more CRP grasses and tree lines. The north end of the
property is completely wooded and very rolling and hilly. With the addition of some quality
food plots planted in strategic locations, this property would be one of the best in the area
without any doubt. AG fields border to the west. Call me if you would like to see this great
piece in Genesee County. $429,900

398 ACRES - INGHAM COUNTY

Land for sale in Michigan, Farm Land for sale in Michigan,

Hunting Land for sale in Michigan. 398 acres in Ingham
County. Where in southern Michigan will you find nearly 400
acres contiguous land? Here is where! This fantastic property
is three parcels with different owners and can be purchased as
one, or separately. Nearly 200 acres of tillable ground and the
balance is wooded and great whitetail deer and turkey habitat. Thick heavy bedding areas,
mature timber and some open areas to plant food plots.There simply isnt another one like
this in this part of our state. Included with this is a very nice fairly new three bedroom three
bathroom home that sits back in the woods about 1000 off the road. **This home can also
be purchased on 107 acres that is half wooded and half tillable for $579,000** These properties can be purchased as one parcel or separately as 233 acres for $1,000,000, the 107 acres
with the home for $579,000 and 58 acres mostly wooded for $179,000. $1,780,000

Jerry Slade BROKER

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

(517) 437-2946

90

Christie Plemmons

Assoc. Broker (517) 398-0268

Scott Coe

(517) 398-4436

Ben Oliverio

(734) 564-7985

LAND SALES HUNTING FARM RANCHES

340

Contact Maurer Real Estate

at (269) 673-3800
www.maurerrealestate.com

231-652-7000
- or -

231-250-8200

WE NEED LISTINGS 40+ ACRES AND LARGER

LD

LD

NG

I
ND
E
P

Allegan County, 71+/- Acres. Good Trail

System, Excellent Deer & Turkey Hunting
$114,900

Arenac County, 70 Acres 3,500+/- ft. Lake

Huron Frontage, Duck & Deer Hunters Dream
$280,000

Arenac County, 146 Acres Rifle River &

Saginaw Bay Access, Tri-Level House
$399,999

Arenac County, 349 Acres

2 Ponds, Blinds, Trails
SOLD -$523,500 - SOLD

Calhoun County, 61 Acres. 3,000+/- ft. St.

Joseph River Frontage, Big Buck Country
SOLD - $129,900 - SOLD

Calhoun County, 88 Acres

45 Tillable, Balance Wooded
PENDING - $299,900 - PENDING

Calhoun County, 336 Acres Caretaker House,

Lodge, Pole Barn, River & Lake Front
$1,150,000

Chippewa County, 1684 Acres 8,500 sq. ft. Log Lodge,

Guest House, Dock on St. Marys River, Private Lake
$2,490,000

Clare County, 155 Acres

Rolling Hardwoods, Pond, Trails
$224,900

Clare County, 136.76 Acres, Private Lake

5,000 ft. Muskegon River Frontage, Adjacent to National Forest
$350,000

Crawford County, 20+/- Acres. Nice Woods,

Cabin, Adjacent to State & Federal Land
$84,900

Delta County, 75+/- Acres

3,000 ft Lake Michigan Frontage, Cabin
$294,000

LD

Gratiot County, 40 Acres

Delta County, 40+/- Acres
1,200 ft. Lake Michigan Frontage Surrounded by Ag Land, Excellent Hunting
SOLD - $87,000 - SOLD
$109,000

Jackson County, 43 Acres

I-94 & M-99 Exit, Tillable
$299,000

LD

Jackson County, 60 Acres Custom Log

Jackson County, 52 Acres
Jackson County, 53.5+/- Acres
Jackson County, 51 Acres Rolling Terrain,
Big Buck Country, Mixed Hardwoods 15 Acres Tillable, Big Buck Area, QDM 2,000 ft. Grand River Frontage, Trail System Home, Pole Barn, Too Much To List
SOLD - $379,000 - SOLD
SOLD - $109,900 - SOLD
$212,000
SOLD - $122,400 - SOLD

LD

Jackson County, 125 Acres

Big Buck Country, Small Creek
SOLD - $187,500 - SOLD

Jackson County, 69 Acres, 2,800 ft Grand

River Frontage, House & Pole Barn
$349,900

Jackson County, 162 Acres CRP Program, 6 Elevated

Blinds, 115 Ac. Tillable, Pond, Big Buck Country
$599,000

Kalkaska County, 300 Acres Cabin, Rolling

Terrain, Professionally Managed Forest
$599,000

Kalkaska County, 480 Acres

Great Trail, Nice Hardwoods
$899,000

Mecosta County, 80 Acres, Significant

Timber Value, Adjacent to State Land
$139,000

I
ND
E
P

Missaukee County, 75 Acres Pond, Creek,

Guest Cabin & 2 Bedroom House
$199,000

NG

LD

Newaygo County, 140 Acres, Pond

Trout Stream, 40 Ac. Tillable, Food Plots
SOLD - $325,000 - SOLD

Ogemaw County, 40 Acres House, Pond,

Abundant Wildlife, Great Hunting
PENDING - $139,000 - PENDING

LD

LD

Lenawee County, 34 Acres

2,000+/- ft. Raisin River, Big Buck Cover
$61,200

LD

Lake County, 320 Acres, 4,700 sq ft Lodge,

Outbuildings, Sm. Creek, Pond, Elevated Blinds
SOLD - $599,000 - SOLD

LD

Missaukee County, 200 Acres

Cabin, Pond, 8 Enclosed Blinds
$329,000

Montcalm County, 40 Acres Church Creek

Frontage, Rustic Cabin, Excellent Hunting
SOLD - $129,900 - SOLD

Newaygo County, 40 Acres Surrounded by

National Forest, Trails, Elevated Blinds
SOLD - $85,000 - SOLD

Otsego County, 160 Acres

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

Otsego County, 200 Acres

Rolling Terrain, Food Plots, Cabin
$399,000

Schoolcraft County, 2282 Acres

Fox River Frontage
$499,000

LD

Osceola County, 112 Acres

Small Creek, Trail System
SOLD - $145,600 - SOLD

WildLifeRealty.com

www.

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

LD

91

Offices Serving Lower &

Upper Michigan
Bringing people and places together since 1945

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TODAY!

statewiderealestate.net
Houghton

Curtis
Manistique

Escanaba

Powers
Menominee
Marinette

Newberry

Fife Lake

Colleen Strader
248-840-9624

Onaway
Hawks
Hillman
Alpena

Atlanta
Harrisville
Mio
Oscoda

Skidway Lake

Clare

Almont
Linden

Howell

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

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

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

92

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

Your perfect getaway from the real world. 5 ponds, 1 behind

house (largest & stocked with panfish) & windmill that bubbles
the water. Immaculate log cabin. MB with master bath-jetted tub
on upper floor. 6 basement with sump pump, 28x36 garage has
1000 sq. ft. man cave, heated, full bath, wet bar. 30x50 pole barn,
24x24 workshp, both have electric. 12x12 pump house-electric &
water, used to service heavy equip. Ideal for hunters, several 5&10
acre scattered food plots. Backs up to Huron Natl Forest. 4800
airplane landing strip, equipped with gas. Airport identifier is 6
delta 9. Paved driveway. Very secluded Yet Within a couple miles
fo town & beautiful Lake Huron. Snowmobile & ORV Trails. Sale
includes parcels 031-011-200-001-00 and 031-002-300-01-00 totaling 500 acres. Motivated Seller! Make An Offer! $1,100,000

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

Main Street Of Almont

25 ACRES just north of
Imlay City in Goodland
Township on Van Dyke.
75% Wooded with a
big clearing, Fruit Trees
in the center. At least
1 Deer taken every
year for past 30 years.
Home has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath with a Living room, Kitchen, screened
in Front Porch, and Shed for Storage. $230,000

For all your Real Estate needs call

SHARON LAFRANCE
810-441-6002

Marquette

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS
PIECE OF PROPERTY

IG RIVER

PROPERTIES

BIG BASS LAKE 8885 W. ISLE PARK DRIVE IRONS 100 of sandy
beach frontage, 290 acre all sports lake, 3550 square foot home, 5 bedrooms,
3 baths, hickory trim, hardwood floors and cabinetry, ceramic tile floors, huge
walls of glass, soaring 20 ceilings that showcase the two-story gas/log fireplace a third story look-out tower, heated garage and massive deck overlooking the lake. $449,000 (DEY)
BIG BASS LAKE HOME 6598 NA TAH-KI DRIVE IRONS Stunning
views of Big Bass Lake with 76 feet. The home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bath,
with an ideal entertaining floor plan with a formal dining area adjoining the
living room, gas fireplace with a built in unit next to it. Kitchen has cherry
cabinets, coffee bar, breakfast area and the perfect sitting area overlooking the
lake and a laundry room. Generous sized master suite with master bath, large
tub, and walk in closet. There are cherry floors throughout most of the house
and it is painted with todays modern colors! The 24x36 barn style garage
has a loft upstairs with extra room for the kids. $299,900 (HAR)
LOON LAKE COTTAGE 5448 N BASS LAKE ROAD This charming cabin
features 60 of frontage on 90 acre all-sports Loon Lake. The home features
knotty pine throughout. There is a double sided gas fireplace facing both living
and kitchen and dining areas. There are two bedrooms and a bath on the main
level with a dual sided sleeping loft overlooking the living room perfect for
guests. A 3 season porch and large deck overlook the lake. A 3 car garage will
give you lots of storage room. $179,900 (STE)
LOON LAKE COTTAGE 5096 N BASS LAKE ROAD IRONS - Ideal
lakefront get-a-way on All sports Loon Lake with 75 feet of frontage. Two
bedroom updated cottage features a fireplace in the living room and attached
garage. Strong offer would include most furnishings, boat, and jet ski. Newer
well and 50 amp motor home hook up. Firepit area and dock on a nice sized
lakefront lot. Located on a county maintained paved road for easy year round
access. MUST SEE INSIDE!! $159,900 (NOW)
BEAR CREEK FRONTAGE 9087 PARCEL C RIVER ROAD MANISTEE
- BROWN TOWNSHIP- MANISTEE COUNTY - Spectacular view of Bear
Creek flowing into the Big Manistee River. Parcel C has approximately 200
frontage on Bear Creek and 750 of road frontage on River Rd. Part of a
larger parcel, a high ridge separating it from the remaining acreage. A mixture
of wetland, woods and highlands. Fishing and hunting can t possibly get any
better than this, not to mention the beautiful view you would enjoy from a
home built on the ridge. Property contingent on split from parent parcel at
sale. $145,000 (MAZ)
LOON LAKE COTTAGE 5211 N RED MAPLE DRIVE IRONS - $89,900
cabin on an all sports lakealmost unheard of!! 50 of frontage on Loon Lake.
There are 2 bedroom, 1 bath, living room, gallery style kitchen and dining area.
There is extensive decking on the lake side to sit and enjoy the views of the
lake. If you have seen this on the market before please take a second look
the roof has been replaced and the inside fixed and painted. $89,900 (LOW)

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

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

93

YOUR TOTAL
REAL ESTATE COMPANY.

PROFESSIONALS

67395 Main St.

Richmond, MI 48062

11.68 ACRES

ONCE
IN A
LIFETIME
CHANCE

NATURAL
GAS!
LOCATED
AT 11852
HILL RD.

THE OLD HOUSE HAS BEEN REMOVED AND THE PROPERTY IS

READY TO BUILD ON. DRIVEWAY, ELECTRIC, WELL, 2 CAR GARAGE, POLE BARN ARE DONE. YOU WILL SAVE THOUSANDS
BUILDING A NEW HOUSE HERE. The property has a 40 ft. X
80 ft. newer pole barn with electric. Also a newer 2 car garage
with electric. Two other old buildings on the property as well.
Could be restored. There is a good well on the property. Build
your dream house here and bring horses or any other livestock.
Ready to build. Driveways are in and the well is there ready to be
hooked up, and NATURAL GAS. Perk test is done and approved.
Partially Wooded. Call Mark 810-240-3331. $89,900

CUSTOM
BUILT
NEWER
RANCH
HOME

On over 62 acres at 7783 Mason in Yale. This home is 1900 sq ft on a

paved road with a large master bed with walkin closets, private bath
with shower and tub. Kitchen has high ceilings and granite throughout.
Property is set up for hunting or recreation. Trails go around property
that has a pond, food plots, tree blinds and borders the north branch of
Mill Creek. Property is over 80% wooded with plenty of oak trees and
enough ash firewood to heat outdoor woodburner. Deer hunters paradise as Quality Deer Management is in place here and the surrounding
properties as well. 30 x 40 pole barn used as a garage with 2 large rollup doors and enough storage for all the toys. Other wildlife include
turkeys, waterfowl and other game. Call Jim 810-531-1286. $320,000

To own your hunting, fishing and recreational land. 73 acres of

river bottom and farmland on Norman Rd. in Grant Twp. This piece
has 1900+ feet of Black River still in its natural state. Large mature
timber is mixed in with oak ravines, pine thickets and cliffs overlooking the Black River. Approx. 10+ acres is still farmland. Food
plots are still in place with some tower blinds remaining. This is
the last piece of private land in the Black River bottoms. It will
be hard to find anything in southern lower Michigan to compare
this to. The amount of wildlife including deer and turkey is amazing. The river frontage has natural rapids with runs of steelhead in
the spring and salmon in the fall. Call Jim 810-531-1286. $300,000

EVERY
DAYS A
VACATION
12.2
ACRES

Beautiful piece of property with over 1100 of

frontage on the Pine River, located in Kimball
Township on Smiths Creek Road near Wadhams.
This property creates a natural funnel and is
very private with lots of deer and turkey moving
through. The mature woods offer plenty of opportunity to hang your tree stand. Please contact
Garry C. Chaney at 810-341-4278. $47,900

More Listings Available!

CALL 586-727-2741 FOR DETAILS!

FULL TIME
HOME OR GETAWAY

AMAZING LAKEFRONT
EXECUTIVE HOME

Always Working Hard for You!

Hidden Horns Licensed Game

Ranch in Howard City. Awesome
Opportunity! Turn Your Dream
Property and Passion into Your
Dream Job. Dont Miss Your
Chance of a Lifetime!

586-727-2741

ST. CLAIR COUNTY LISTINGS

RANDY MINTO

MONTCALM
COUNTY

149-ACRE
GAME RANCH

499,950

REALTOR
Direct:

810.449.1286
- OR Office:

810.653.4500

SPECIALIZING IN UNIQUE, LUXURY AND

LARGE RECREATIONAL PROPERTIES

128 ACRES
GENESEE COUNTY

120 ACRES

Newly Renovated, 41 tillable acres, 65% Wooded. Great Development

$599,900
& Commercial Possibilities. A Rare Gem!

50.5 ACRES
GENESEE
COUNTY
Great Hunting 50% Wooded,
active Oil Well $162,500

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

121 ACRES
MUSKEGON RIVER

CLARE COUNTY

Great Hunting Hiking Fishing. Over 1 mile on the river. 90% wooded,
3 mobile homes, 2 cabins, 2 sheds, 3 trailers. 6 parcels. $339,800

40 ACRES
GENESEE
COUNTY
Great Hunting, 17 Tillable acres, the
rest Nicely Wooded. $120,000

MOTIVATED SELLER

3,000 sq ft home, 4-car Garage, 2 lg Pole Barns.

Over 1,000 ft on White River.
NEWAYGO COUNTY
120 ACRES

299,900

GARROW & ASSOCIATES

Call Randy Minto Or Visit: www.MIDreamProperties.com
Email: rminto@gogarrow.com

MARINA FOR SALE

3009 RIFLE RIVER TRAIL WEST BRANCH, MI 48661

COMMERCIAL
OPPORTUNITY
#QWW-21116663

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

#QWW-21116639

$395,000

Cottage/home has access to Loon Lake in

Missaukee County. Peaceful & beautiful spot.
Hardwood floors, fireplace, and 32x40 pole barn.
Very close to snowmobile trails & state land.

5 bed, 4 bath home PLUS 748 sq ft outbuilding that

offers guest room (in floor heat), bath, garage &
workshop! Approx. 200 ft. of frontage on all sports
lake. Gorgeous lake views from almost all rooms.

EXCELLENT
HUNTING CAMP

HOME ON
BERRY LAKE

#QWW-21115399

94

$59,900

$349,900

#QWW-21116628

Impressive 5 bed, 4 bath 5440 sq ft home

on 30 wooded acres. Home also available
with 2 large pole barns and 67 additional
acres for $549,900.

$149,900

3 bed, 2 bath home with approx. 139 ft on All Sports

Berry Lake PLUS an acre lot across the road to build
a garage or even an additional cottage. Berry Lake is
a 68 acre lake & is good fishing. Only 5 minutes from
downtown Cadillac.

THRIVING TURNKEY BUSINESS

LAKE OGEMAW MARINA

Includes AVALON

PONTOON DEALERSHIP
and MARINA STORE
225 Lake Ogemaw Frontage
Boat Launch 8 (4 x 30) aluminum
roll-in docks 16 Boat Slips
Store, Repair Shop
Garage with 3,210 sq ft
Two Pole Barns, 7,200 sq ft and 6,240 sq ft
3 Ford F150s and 4 Crank-up trailers
4.6 Acres on three parcels
Excellent location, fantastic Bass
Fishing, walk across street for scenic
Rifle River and Trout Fishing
All Sports Lake, Extensive Shoreline
Year-round activities

889,000

124 S. Mitchell Street Cadillac, MI 49601

phone 231.775.1205
fax 231.775.4223

www.TeamQuist.com

PLUS INVENTORY

Owner Ready To Retire!

CALL FOR DETAILS

989-709-0761

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 HOMES
M790635B

M782802R

M776325R

STUNNING
LOG HOME!!

80 ACRES
ON RIFLE
RIVER!!

M784779C

3 bdrm home w/3-car garage & many great features like AC, newer carpet, FP, full bsmt, fenced
yard, beautiful views, deck and covered porch.

10 ACRES ON RIFLE RIVER!! 3-bdrm, 4

ba, over 4700 sq ft, garage, full bsmt, upper
balcony, covered porch, deck, FP. Splendid
& gorgeous country setting!

Cozy 2 bdrm getaway, FP and shed. Excellent hunting camp w/lots of wildlife,
including deer & turkey, in the area and
fishing at your doorstep!

SANDY
FRONTAGE
ON ALL
SPORTS LAKE
OGEMAW!!
3-bdrm, full walkout bsmt, wood stove,
updated septic & elec, covered wrap-a
round deck, boat dock & gorgeous lake
views!

$134,900

$595,000

$249,900

$162,900

2.1 ACES
ON NESTER
CREEK!

M783771L

ATTENTION
WATERFRONT
BUYERS! THIS
IS THE ONE!!

M791552B

SPACIOUS &
UPDATED!!

M776647R

RIFLE RIVER
FRONTAGE
ON 1.4
ACRES!!

3-bdrm, open floor plan, FP, sunroom,

redwood deck, beautiful views, heated
workshop and garage, nice cedar sided
home!

$159,900

M785706G

M793162B

M749221L

WATERFRONT
LOG
CABIN!!

EVERETT
LAKEFRONT
HOME!

LAKEFRONT
PROPERTY

Well-maintained on all sports LAKE GEORGE!

Lots of updates like hardwood floors and appliances. Garage, porch & more!

3-bdrm on BIG WILLIAMS LAKE! Year round

home with fantastic views, garage, steel roof
and newer appliances. Comes with your own
boat dock & paddle & fishing boats

Nice "no wake" lake and great fishing. 2-bdrm,

loft area, stone FP, landscaping, storage shed
and gorgeous views of tranquil lake. Year round
or perfect getaway!

Cape Cod, 4-bdrm home, full bsmt, FIVE

WOODED ACRES. A dock for your boat
and you can ride to Stylus Lake, deck,
porch & move-in ready!

A lakefront lot across the road is included

w/nice 2-bdrm year round home. Country kitchen, patio, fenced yard, garage &
2 decks. Priced right to sell quickly!!

$159,900

$129,900

$109,900

$106,000

$69,900

M796687B

WATERFRONT
CHALET!!

H796275B

SOOTHING
NO WAKE
LAKE!!

M749664B

M796461C

M795962B

AFFORDABLE
LAKEFRONT
COTTAGE!!

CRANBERRY
LAKE!!

ALL SPORTS
LAKE
OGEMAW!!

2-bdrm home with frontage on serene Muleshoe

Lake. Deck, covered porches, sandy beach, boat
dock, full bsmt & garage!

Spacious 3-bdrm, large lot, newer tile & flooring, 330 shared waterfront on Laird Lake just
across road, nice views & boat dock!!

Cozy home on Skidway Lake w/FP, built-in

bunk beds, mostly furnished, enclosed porch,
boat dock & pontoon boat!!

Possible 3-bdrm with some furnishings,

boat dock, rear patio w/beautiful views,
50 of frontage on all sports lake. Great
getaway!!

3-bdrm, 2 bath Saltbox on full bsmt,

w/152 feet of water frontage, wraparound Trex deck, rollaway dock, spectacular views!

$126,900

$126,900

$54,900

$69,000

$274,900

M787467L

M792450B

M791873R

M794693C

M787816R

BORDERS
GOLF
COURSE!

VERY
DESIRABLE
LOCATION!

BREATHTAKING
COUNTRY
SETTING!

TROUT
STREAM!!

STUNNING
PARK-LIKE
SETTING!

1.7 ACRES, 2 bdrm needs some TLC, blacktop

drive, large shed, beautiful fenced backyard.
Priced to sell!

5.4 ACRES, 3 bdrm needs finish work, large

36x40 pole bldg, newer well, covered porch.
Convenient to town.

5 ACRES, older 5 bdrm home w/lots of

history, spacious rooms, porch deck,
stunning views!

Lovely 5 bdrm, 3 ba home on 21 ACRES

and frontage on Prior Creek! Tons of excellent amenities, move-in ready, trails &
deck.

Over 62 ACRES, pristine 4 bdrm home,

full bsmt, over 3100 sq feet, garage &
BORDERS HURON NATL FOREST!

$35,900

$39,900

$85,900

$170,000

$249,900

M794485L

THE VERY
BEST DEER
HUNTING!!

M749835A

NICE
COUNTRY
SETTING!

M747242C

M794795B

M782163R

NEAR STATE
LANDS & GOLF
COURSE!

BACKS
TO STATE
LAND!!

BEST OF
BOTH
WORLDS!

70 ACRES, 20 blinds, food plots, ranch-style 3

bdrm, large garage, full bsmt, deck & gorgeous
views!

Spacious 3 bdrm on over 2 ACRES, FP, AC,

3-car garage & barn-style shed with extra
storage in loft.

3 bdrm not far from town in country setting,

some updates, spacious rooms and 2.5 BEAUTIFUL ACRES!

5 ACRES, well-maintained 3 bdrm,

garage, wood stove, sliding doors to
deck, beautiful views, walk to fishing!
M794795B $82,500

WATERFRONT ACREAGE, 3 bdrm, on

private lake w/3.5 ACRES, lots of windows, great views, FP, deck, pole bldg &
much more!!

$249,900

$55,000

$42,000

$82,500

$115,000

M796893R

80 ACRE
QDMA
HUNT
CAMP!

M794766B

GORGEOUS
COUNTRY
SETTING!!

M790081B

M759407L

M775842C

A
HUNTERS
DREAM!!

QUALITY
WORKMANSHIP!!

104
BEAUTIFUL
ACRES!

Rolling with lots of mature trees, including red & white oak,
30x34 cabin w/generator & pole bldg, 9 deer blinds & trails!
Perfect for DUCKS & BUCKS with its own private lake!

40 acres w/spacious 3-bdrm home, Michigan bsmt, covered porch, garden areas and
Johnson Creek runs thru property!

91+ wooded acres w/ one bdrm home to finish

to your liking. Appliances, wood stove, storage
shed. Great hunting w/trails thru-out!

10 acres w/beautiful views and gorgeous

custom built 3-bdrm home. Lots of windows, rolling acreage, garage, pole barn
& more!

Custom built 3-bdrm, garage, two pole

barns, borders State land on East, lots
of wildlife in area and excellent hunting
w/trails.

$199,900

$138,000

$189,900

$235,000

$370,000

FOR MORE LISTINGS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

WWW.CAHANES.COM

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

HOMES ON ACREAGE

95

Land and Lakes Real Estate Co.

"Serving the NorthCentral Upper Peninsula"

Phone: (906) 387-5100

www.landandlakesrealestate.com
Land And Lakes Real Estate Is Proud To Announce Our Exclusive Partnership With LANDLEADER
E4476 M-28. AuTrain MI WH-211/1081255
This lovely three story home has 3168 sq ft of living space located on 266' of frontage & 5.44 acres
on Lake Superior. It has 3 BDs & 2 BAs & features 2 fireplaces, a family room, an office/workout
room, a lg utility room and a 10X44 enclosed porch/3 season room overlooking the Lake.
The garage has 3 bays and a WONDERFUL, 689 sq ft guest quarters or studio above. The 800+
feet of paved driveway provide privacy to this special home on the Great Lake. Price reduced TO
Priced at $454,900

z
t
i
r
B Realty

HUNTING AND
INVESTMENT PROPERTY

FOR SALE!

inc.

758 West US-10 Evart, Michigan 49631

Phone. 231-734-5554 Fax. 231-734-2055
Bill Britz Cell. 231-499-8655 Dennis Bryant Cell. 231-250-9237
email. britzrealty@sbcglobal.net
denniscbryant@sbcglobal.net

120 ACRES

A RECREATIONAL PARADISE. If you like to

hunt,swim, fish, or just enjoy the outdoors this parcel
is for you. Imagine, a trout stream, 2-ponds, woods,
trails, deer, small game, 4-bedroom remodeled home,
large stick built garage with loft at the end of a county
road. If this is what you have been looking for then give
us a call for full details. Priced reduced to $325,000.00.

TBD FS 2020 W,, Wetmore, MI 49895. WH-207/1080048

This secluded camp is located on 160 acres with the Sturgeon River running through it. Most of
the acreage is covered in spruce, pine & cedar, with various hardwoods spread throughout. A large
pond, visible from "camp" brings in waterfowl & critters. Use google earth & zoom into N46* 08.400'
W86* 40.425' for the camp & surrounding area. Great secluded hunting land surrounded by
Corporate & National Forests! Priced at $165,000
14571 33rd Rd (Co Rd 442), Wetmore, MI 49895. WH-210 / 1085325
PRIVATE LAKE Property. This 3-BD, 2-BA home was well-built in 2001 with comfort & ease of maintenance in mind. The tall crawl space has shut-offs & is easy to winterize for those who would like to go
south for the winter. It is located on 200 of frontage on picture-perfect Billy Good Lake with a dock & swim
raft. Centrally located in the Hiawatha National Forest, fishing is excellent here with pan fish, pike, walleye
& bass. The large two car garage has a heated workshop attached. Life is truly GOOD here! Priced at
$194,900
551W Cold Creek Dr, Seney, MI 49883. RC-160/1081485
This compound on 120 acres contains several buildings that form an effective, efficient living complex capable of supporting year round living. Located on a hillside overlooking an old bog, the site
is beautiful with white birch, poplar, maples & pines. There are living quarters, a generator shed, a
well house, a woodshed, a storage garage, an outhouse & a snowmobile garage. The hunting for all
types of game is great here with logging to encourage wildlife to stay. All 3 40s are high & nicely
timbered - with possible timber value, especially on the north 40. Snowmobile Trail 431 is close, with
unending trails & logging roads that you could ride on forever. This is the untamed Upper Peninsula at its best - with State of MI lands surrounding. Priced at $145,900
14677 LL (Stevens Lake) Rd., Wetmore, MI 49895. WH-214/1081501
This well-maintained property has 150 of park-like frontage on Big Stevens Lake & 19 acres of forest
that is adjacent to Federal land. The 3-BD main house has been fully remodeled with a warm blend
of drywall and T & G woods. There are 2 guest cabins (a 2-BD & a 1-BD), a 2-car garage, a wonderful fire pit area & room to park your RVs. Big Stevens Lake is known for its huge Bluegills with Northern
Pike & Large Mouth Bass also caught. This ideal location in the center of the National Forest provides
access to unlimited recreational opportunities throughout all the seasons. Priced nicely at $159,900

TROPHY DEER, BEAR

AND GREAT FISHING
Large Acreages Available!
$200 Per Acre & UP
in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Area
(within one hour of bridge)

Call for details and check our website!

15% DISCOUNT NOW

THRU MAY 15, 2015

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

LIVE AUCTION

W E D N E S D AY, M AY 1 3 , 2 0 1 5 1 P M
120 ACRES OF LAND IN 2 PARCELS
Muskegon County, Moorland Township- Section 9

Offered in two parcels, or together

Parcel 1: 80 Acres of Land Including: Approx. 38 Acres of young
blueberry bushes Blue Crop & Elliot Additional 22 Acres
cleared, which could be planted Solid Set irrigation every 60
Parcel 2: 40 Acres Wooded Land Great Hunting Parcel
Potential Building Site Nice Recreational Parcel
T. Jawor Blueberries - Owner
Auction to be held at: Moss Ridge County Club:
13545 Apple Ave, Ravenna, MI 49451 Please visit
1800lastbid.com for more information, or call 1-800-527- 8243

Please visit 1800lastbid.com for more information.

Call 1-800-LASTBID (527-8243) to request
a brochure or bidders packet.
601 GORDON INDUSTRIAL COURT BYRON CENTER, MI

THOUSANDS OF ACRES AVAILABLE FROM

$5,500 to $526,000. See all of
our listings at swreescanaba.com

ESCANABA OFFICE:

2209 Ludington Street Escanaba, Michigan 49829

(906) 786-1308 FAX: (906) 786-1388

email:

3 Bdrm, 2.5 bth home/cottage. Unique Aframe

on private Lk, peaceful. Must see! Manistique.

2 Bdrm, 1.5 bth Ranch on Whitefish River

and Bay. Enjoy year around. Garth Point.

3 Bdrm, 2 bth home.

10 Acres. 140 ft frtg on Jug Lk.
Pole barn. Wetmore.

$154,900 1083871

$129,900 1084993

$159,995 1080446

3 Bdrm, 2 bth Riverfront Lodge

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

2 Bdrm, 2 bth home.

470' Ft on Indian Lake. 57 Site
campground. Manistique

2 Bdrm, 1 bth ranch. Sandy shores of Gra-al

Shores. Swimming and fishing. Rapid River

$164,900 1084088

$549,000 1067085

$139,000 1085491

3 Bdrm, 1 bth home. 80 Acres. 1/2 open, 1/2

wooded. Pond. Completely redone. All new. Carney

3 Bdrm, 2 bth home. 40 Acres.

All new in 2003. 2 Garages. Rock.

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

septic, electric new in 2012. Rock.

$329,000 1080794

$156,500 1084571

$68,900 1083817

4 Bdrm, 2 bth log home on shores of Green

Bay. Fireplace, 3 season room. Cedar River.

2 bdrm 1 bath camp on 280 acres,

food plots, pole bldg, & more. Perkins

2 Bdrm, 1 bth home or camp.

48 Acres, everything included.
Borders state land. Nicely wooded. Rock.

$179,900 1084651

$425,000 1075830

$65,000 1070425

escanaba@statewiderealestate.net

POWERS OFFICE:

W3776 US 2 & 41 Powers, MI 49874

(906) 497-4190 FAX: (906) 497-5328

swreescanaba.com
dandylandhomes.com
MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

(800) 900-0777

96

VISIT OUR WEB SITE FOR ALL OUR PROPERTIES:

swreescanaba.com
or dandylandhomes.com
VISIT US ON FACEBOOK AT:

www.facebook.com/statewideescanaba

AUCTION

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 6PM

84 ACRES OF PRIME HUNTING LAND
225 SQ. FT. LOG HUNTING CABIN/ BLIND OFFERED SEPARATELY

Carole Porretta

NICE WEATHER + GREAT PRICES = YOUR SEE ASAP LIST!

Log Hunting Cabin/ Blind

84 Acres of Prime Hunting Land

This is a hunters dream, with all the amenities!

This will be offered as a separate lot on the real
estate auction. It can be moved to your hunting
location, or buy the land, and keep it there!
This cabin, approx. 180 sq. ft. is elevated about
15 feet and has a wrap-around deck bringing the
total area to about 225 sq. ft. The wrap- around
deck holds 5 adirondack style chairs and is enclosed with a cedar railing system.
The windows are hinged, and easily swing open
to form a perfect rifle rest which is an important
feature, given that the cabin sits on one of the best
deer hunting locations in the entire county.
The interior of the cabin has a cedar table with 4
chairs, a Ben Franklin style wood burning
stove, a fold out futon sofa and a loft with a
queen size bed. The cabin is also wired for power
with outlets and lights that can be operated with a
generator.
Its the most comfortable deer blind
or weekend get away location in the
perfect setting!

This will be offered as a separate parcel on

the real estate auction, along with another
separate 48 acres of land at the auction
84 acres, nearly all wooded, except for
approx. 10 acre farm parcel.
This is an outstanding hunting parcel having
produced many trophy bucks!
Each year at least one 135 class buck has
been taken from this property for the past
7 years, many years more than one has
been harvested.
This hunting blind and 84 acres of land,
along with other parcels of land will be
auctioned on Thursday, April 30th at 6PM
at Gerber Union Hall: 5960 South Werner, Fremont, MI.
Please visit 1800lastbid.com for
more information. Call 1-800LASTBID (527-8243) to request
a brochure or bidders packet.
601 GORDON INDUSTRIAL COURT
BYRON CENTER, MI

TWO NEW LAKEFRONT

PROPERTIES ON LAKE LAPEER

LOTS OF ROOM TO
RIDE OR ROAM

HUGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR

FARMING OR HORSIN AROUND

$745,000 Highest Quality Throughout,

2nd Kitchen, Possible In-Law Suite, Theatre Room

$485,000 80 Acres! Barn With Workshop, 2nd

Garage 30X40, Groomed Trails, Abundant Wildlife

$113,900 5 Beds, 2 Baths, 2 Barns, Ready For Large

Family And Persons With Disabilities, Priced To Sell

$749,000 44 Acre Masterpiece,

$564,900 - Huge Trex Deck For Lake Views,
Patio With Fire Pit, Dock, Water Slide, Fun! Morton Barn, Home & Horse Heaven, Pool

$575,000 15 Acres In Dryden, Private Lake,

Trails, Inground Pool, Victorian Elegance

OPEN THE GATE TO HILLS, HORSES & HOSPITALITY - METAMORA!

M-119 - 8 Acres
on Lake Michigan
$495,000

Sutton Rd
90 Acres, Wooded
$599,000

Beautiful beach 8 miles

to Harbor Springs! Huge
opportunity for a multi-family
homestead compound or
develop with 6 splits!

Metamora Hunt Country!

Long, winding driveway over a
babbling creek, complete with
stone culvert, leads you to the
lush & mature wooded build
site of your choice!

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

Some of the bucks shot

on this land!

97

DAN DAN

LOG CABIN
FURNITURE

THEMATTRESSMAN.COM

WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC

Queen Log Bed $19999

Queen Size Log Headboard

CHECK
US OUT
ON THE
WEB!

7500

5 Drawer Chest Only

$

199

4 Drawer Chest
$

189

2 Drawer Night Stand

$

149

Finished Cedar Log Bed

ONLY

29999

BUNK BEDS Solid Wood Complete with Mattresses $29999

Rocker Recliners
From

19999

Rustic End Tables

MAY 2015 - WNW NEWS

from

98

14999

Log
Futons

39999

MORE SIZES,
SOLID WOOD,
AMERICAN MADE!

Mini
Cabins
starting at

1999

99

N
A
CALL
ANYTIME
(989)-832-1866
D
N
DA
Mattress
Not Included

THEMATTRESSMAN.COM 802 ASHMAN ST., MIDLAND

Built for hunters who love to fish

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P
ter
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never
ats
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B
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on War
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e
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Blackhawk Series
The Blackhawk Series is available with either a center or side console,
with varying standard equipment. This boat allows for larger water inland
opportunities, so go ahead and reel in the big one.

Freeway Offers the Blackhawk

2170 CC, 961 SC and 761 SC models in stock.

The Sportsman Series is ideal for maneuvering between flooded timber or

through backwater sloughs. The wings transom design delivers superior handling
and performance in tight spots.

Freeway Offers the Sportsman

436 FLD, 542 LDV, 548 LDV, 648 LDV, 754 LDV,
754 LDSV, 860 LDSV models in stock.
All packages powered by:

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Fall in love with your boat all over again.

Sportsman Series

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Score a low down payment, attractive rates, and flexible payments
when you repower your boat with a new Mercury outboard.
See your participating Mercury Dealer today.

Holding Power
Retrievability Durability

mercurymarine.com/find-a-dealer

201 Industrial Way, Fenton, MI 517-202-2949

or available at...

Ask for details. With approved credit. Some restrictions apply.

THE KNOWLEDGEABLE BOATERS

BEST CHOICE

SPORTS
CENTER

A BETTER
MOUSE TRAP

MM-repower-financing-ad-c.indd 1

1/22/15 4:06 PM

Visit us at www.freeway-sports.com for a complete listing of boats!

FULL SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES

Service Department Indoor & Outdoor Storage

(810) 629-2291

Exit 84 on US-23

Starting May 3rd...

Open Sunday's 12noon-5pm

FLINT
EXIT 84
59

FREEWAY
SPORTS CENTER

FENTON

23

3241 Thompson Rd.

Fenton, MI 48430

Hours:
Mon.-Fri. 9am - 6pm
Sat. 9am - 5pm; Closed Sunday's

PONTIAC

96
ANN ARBOR

DETROIT

SPORTS
CENTER
w w w. f r e e w a y - s p o r t s . c o m
sales@freeway-sports.com

FULL LINE
DEALER

31516 Harper Avenue

St. Clair Shores, MI 48082

Phone (586) 296-2360

Fax (586) 264-8307

STORE HOURS:
Mon. - Fri: 10am-7pm;
Sat: 10am-4pm; Closed Sunday

Michi-GUN
Available at:

Layaways Welcome

www.michigunandtackle.com