OCTOBER 2018 $4.

00

Woods-n-Water News
Michigan’s Premier Outdoor Publication

Part I

FAKE
TACTICS
For Big Bucks

Skinny Water
WOODIES
October GROUSE
Monitoring for
BUCK STANDS West Nile Virus
• Make Waterfowl Decoys Come To Life • Biggest Bear Skull of 2017
• Magnums for Walleyes • Using Blinds and Stands on State Land
• Hemingway; The Hatchery And Historical Fishing • Save Our Hemlocks
www.woods-n-waternews.com • Like us on facebook Follow us on
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 CHAPMAN'S SPORTS CENTER
5605 DAVISON RD
LAPEER, MI SALES: 810-653-0490 SALES: 810-653-0490
5605 Davison Rd., 4 miles east 5605 Davison Rd., 4 miles east
CHAPMAN'S SPORTS CENTER of Downtown Davison CHAPMAN'S SPORTS CENTER of Downtown Davison
5605 DAVISON RD Open 6 Days: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm; 5605 DAVISON RD Open 6 Days: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm;
LAPEER, MI Saturday 9am-2pm LAPEER, MI Saturday 9am-2pm
www.chapmanssports.com www.chapmanssports.com

*Offers vary by model. Rebate offers valid on select 2015-2018 new and unregistered Polaris® RZR®, RANGER®, Sportsman®, GENERAL®, and ACE® models purchased between 7/25/18-
9/30/18 and financing offers valid on select 2015-2019 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/25/2018 and 9/30/2018. See your authorized dealer for complete details. Rates
as low as 2.99% APR for 36 months. Examples of monthly payments required over a 36-month term at a 2.99% APR rate: $29.08 per $1,000 financed; and with a 60-month term at a
5.99% APR rate: $19.33 per $1,000 financed. An example of a monthly payment with $0 down, no rebate, an APR of 2.99% APR for 36 months at a MSRP of $12,399 is $360.52/mo. total
cost of borrowing of $579.84 with a total obligation of $12,978.84. Down payment may be required. Other financing offers may be available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum
Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Tax, title, license, and
registration are separate and may not be financed. Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris' sole discretion. WARNING: Polaris off-road vehicles can
be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver's license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12
years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and
avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don't mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws
before riding on trails. ©2018 Polaris Industries Inc.
CHAPMAN'S SPORTS CENTER
Offers vary by model. Offers valid on select new 2016 – 2019 Polaris snowmobiles. On approved Polaris purchases. Minimum Payments required. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change
and may be extended or terminated without further notice. All rebates are paid to the dealer. The Promotional Limited Warranty consists of the standard 12-month factory warranty plus an additional 12, or 24 months of
5605 DAVISON RD
additional promotional limited warranty coverage for a total of 24 or 36 months of warranty coverage. Any additional warranty coverage after the initial 12-month factory warranty is subject to a $50.00 deductible per
visit. Valid at participating Polaris Snowmobile dealers only. Model & year exclusions apply. See your local dealer for details. Offers valid between 8/3/18 – 10/31/18. US: Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are
LAPEER, MI
based on credit worthiness. Program minimum amount financed is $5,000 and 0% – 10% down payment required. Sales tax, registration fees, and dealer fees not included. Minimum Amounts Financed, Interest Charges,
and penalties for accounts non-current, may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Canada: This is a limited time offer which is valid for the purchase of selected qualifying models and is subject to credit
approval from TD Auto Finance (TDAF) on qualified purchases financed during this program. Rates from other lenders may vary. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down
payment/trade. Minimum amount to finance is $5,000. Example: $7,500 financed at 3.99% over 36 months = 36 monthly payments of $221.40 with a cost of borrowing of $470.27 and a total obligation of $7,970.27.
Freight, license, PPSA/RPDRM, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees and other applicable fees and taxes are not included in the financed amount. Dealers are free to set individual prices, but must be
enrolled with TDAF to participate. Does not apply to prior purchases.

YEAR END CLEARANCE SALE

*Offers vary by model. Rebate offers valid on select 2015-2018 new and unregistered Polaris® RZR®, RANGER®, Sportsman®, GENERAL®, and ACE® models purchased between 7/25/18-
9/30/18 and financing offers valid on select 2015-2019 new and unregistered models purchased between 7/25/2018 and 9/30/2018. See your authorized dealer for complete details. Rates
as low as 2.99% APR for 36 months. Examples of monthly payments required over a 36-month term at a 2.99% APR rate: $29.08 per $1,000 financed; and with a 60-month term at a
5.99% APR rate: $19.33 per $1,000 financed. An example of a monthly payment with $0 down, no rebate, an APR of 2.99% APR for 36 months at a MSRP of $12,399 is $360.52/mo. total Offers vary by model. Offers valid on select new 2016 – 2019 Polaris snowmobiles. On approved Polaris purchases. Minimum Payments required. Offer may not be combined with certain other offers, is subject to change
cost of borrowing of $579.84 with a total obligation of $12,978.84. Down payment may be required. Other financing offers may be available. See your local dealer for details. Minimum and may be extended or terminated without further notice. All rebates are paid to the dealer. The Promotional Limited Warranty consists of the standard 12-month factory warranty plus an additional 12, or 24 months of
Amount Financed $1,500; Maximum Amount Financed $50,000. Other qualifications and restrictions may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Tax, title, license, and additional promotional limited warranty coverage for a total of 24 or 36 months of warranty coverage. Any additional warranty coverage after the initial 12-month factory warranty is subject to a $50.00 deductible per
registration are separate and may not be financed. Promotion may be modified or discontinued without notice at any time in Polaris' sole discretion. WARNING: Polaris off-road vehicles can visit. Valid at participating Polaris Snowmobile dealers only. Model & year exclusions apply. See your local dealer for details. Offers valid between 8/3/18 – 10/31/18. US: Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are

ALL REMAING BOATS

be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver's license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12
years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and
avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don't mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws
before riding on trails. ©2018 Polaris Industries Inc.
based on credit worthiness. Program minimum amount financed is $5,000 and 0% – 10% down payment required. Sales tax, registration fees, and dealer fees not included. Minimum Amounts Financed, Interest Charges,
and penalties for accounts non-current, may apply. Financing promotions void where prohibited. Canada: This is a limited time offer which is valid for the purchase of selected qualifying models and is subject to credit
approval from TD Auto Finance (TDAF) on qualified purchases financed during this program. Rates from other lenders may vary. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down
payment/trade. Minimum amount to finance is $5,000. Example: $7,500 financed at 3.99% over 36 months = 36 monthly payments of $221.40 with a cost of borrowing of $470.27 and a total obligation of $7,970.27.
Freight, license, PPSA/RPDRM, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees and other applicable fees and taxes are not included in the financed amount. Dealers are free to set individual prices, but must be
enrolled with TDAF to participate. Does not apply to prior purchases.

Rebate up to $3,000 on Lund Boats

2019 BOATS ARRIVING WEEKLY

SALES: 810-653-0490
5605 Davison Rd., 4 miles east
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Open 6 Days: Monday - Friday 9am-5pm;
Saturday 9am-2pm
www.chapmanssports.com
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 3
 By Tom Campbell...Field Notes

FIELD NOTES
A
OUTDOOR WEEKEND It’s a tremendous feeling seeing so many
huge thank you to everyone show goers enjoying the event, which in
involved in the 32nd Woods-N- turn makes it enjoyable and prosperous for
Water News Outdoor Weekend, our vendors and that makes the show a suc-
cess.
Winning deer patch
the event was a huge success.
Our vendors, speakers, sponsors, groups, Be sure to mark your calendar for next
clubs and entertainment were all fantastic. year’s show, September 6-8, 2019.
As too was help from our local community, More than 200 entries vied for the honor of
John Ozoga Honored being the DNR’s winning design in the 2018 Deer
the police and fire departments, the Eastern Michigan United Conservation Clubs Management Cooperator Patch contest.
Michigan State Fairgrounds, family, friends awarded Woods-N-Water News writer John In the end, Matt MacDonald of Toronto, On-
and our great staff that all pitched in. The Ozoga with the 2018 Ben tario, submitted a design that captured DNR staff’s
weather cooperated again, fall like tem- attention. Thanks to everyone who participated in
East Award earlier this sum- this year’s contest.
peratures really brought out the crowds for mer. The award is presented
this year’s Woods-N-Water News Outdoor Cooperator patches are used as an incentive for
Weekend…again Saturday was our largest
to celebrate and recognize successful hunters to bring their deer to DNR check
the work of individuals who stations. A deer head (antlers must still be attached
crowd ever! The success of the Woods-N- have demonstrated excellence on bucks) or an entire carcass must be presented
Water News Outdoor Weekend has never in communicating. John is a to receive a patch. Patches are not available by
been measured in numbers, but rather in the legend in the field of whitetail mail. Hunters are urged to call ahead whenever
satisfaction of our vendors and our attend- biology with over 30 years as possible to confirm hours and days of operation.
ees, and it appears we succeeded. This was Deer check station locations and hours for 2018
a researcher for the Michigan DNR and has should be posted on the DNR’s website.
a true celebration of our outdoor heritage! been writing since the early 1980s. Congrat- For more information, contact the DNR Wildlife Divi-
ulations John and well deserved.n sion at 517-284-WILD (9453).
SEASONS
Michigan Deer Trackers is an
Open All Year – Pike and walleye season on Lower Peninsula
Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair & St. Clair & Detroit Rivers
Open All Year – Salmon and trout season on Great Lakes, St. organization which promotes
Marys River, Lake St. Clair & St. Clair & Detroit Rivers
Open All Year – Catch-and-immediate-release bass season on the ethical recovery of wound-
all Michigan waters open to fishing ed animals using trained
Now - Dec. 31 – Pure Michigan Hunt Application Period
Now - March 15 – Walleye and pike open in Lower Peninsula tracking dogs. Each handler is
inland waters
Now - March 15 – Walleye and pike open in Upper Peninsula
independent and is dedicated
Great Lakes, inland waters & St. Marys River to helping hunters in Michi-
Now - Dec. 31 – Smallmouth and largemouth bass catch-and-
keep on all waters, including Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair
gan and surrounding states
and St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. recover deer. In 2017 alone,
over 600 deer were recovered
Now - Dec. 31 – Muskellunge season Lake St. Clair & St.
Clair & Detroit Rivers
Now - Sept. 30 – Crow Season for heartbroken hunters by
Now - Mar. 1 – Squirrel; Fox and Gray (black phase includ-
ed) Season trained tracking dogs in Michi-
Now - Nov. 14 – Ruffed Grouse Season gan. For more information on
Now - Mar. 31 – Cottontail and Snowshoe Hare Season
Now - Dec. 16 – Goose Season North Zone Michigan Deer Trackers go to
Now - Sept. 30/Oct. 6 - Dec. 21 – Goose Season Middle Zone
Now - Sept. 30/Oct. 13 - Dec. 9 – Goose Season South Zone
their Facebook page, website
Now - Sept. 16/Nov. 3-13, Nov. 22 - Dec. 9 – Goose Season www.michigandeertrackers.
Allegan County GMU
Sept. 22-23 – Early Antlerless Firearm com or call 517-652-3763.
Sept. 22-23 – Liberty Hunt, Youth and Hunters with
Disabilities Hunt
Sept. 29 - Nov. 25/Dec. 1-2 – Duck Season North Zone
Oct. 1 - Nov. 14 – Archery Deer Season
Oct. 6 - Dec. 2/Dec. 15-16 – Duck Season Middle Zone
Oct. 13 - Dec. 9/Dec. 29-30 – Duck Season South Zone
Oct. 16 - Nov. 13/Dec. 1-22 – Goose Season Muskegon
County GMU
Oct. 18-21 – Independence Hunt, Hunters with Disabilities Hunt
Oct. 10-31 – Pheasant Season Zone 1 (partial)
Oct. 10-31 – Sharp-tailed Grouse Season
Oct. 20 - Nov. 14 – Pheasant Season Zone 2 and 3
Oct. 20 - Nov. 14 – Quail Season
Nov. 15-30 – Regular Firearm Deer Season
*Consult the Michigan Hunting and Trapping Digest, Fishing Digest, or
other species-specific hunting digests for a more complete list of dates
and regulations regarding each season or hunt period.

MJC MJC
ARCHERY ARCHERY
MACOMB OAKLAND

19744 15 Mile Rd 3001 Rochester Rd

Clinton Twp. 48035 Royal Oak, MI 48073

586-791-4600 248-589-2480
4 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 5
 HUNTING
OCTOBER BUCK
STAND TACTICS
Kenny Darwin page 8
Understand buck rubs
John Ozoga page 16
Public land whitetails
Michael Veine page 18
Skinny water woodies
Kenny Darwin page 20
Waterfowl hunting information
page 23
Trail Camera Guru
Darryl Quidort page 38
Profiling a KILLER BUCK
Adam Lewis page 46
Adjusting The
Way We Hunt
Fred Abbas...page 32
At 89, Delor Wellman is one of
Michigan’s most successful hunters
Richard P. Smith page 52
Proper use of
FAKE DEER TACTICS
John Eberhart page 56
Scrape Tactics
Tracy Breen page 66
Waterfowl’s October Lull
Nathan Miller page 68
2017 BIGGEST BEAR
Richard P. Smith page 71
Kill Trees
Jerry Lambert page 76
October pheasant forecast
Mark Sak page 83
Ground blinds for deer hunting
George Rowe page 96
COVER PHOTO
BY . . .
Kenny Darwin
6 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
SAVE MICHIGAN’S HEMLOCKS
Joanne Foreman-MDNR...page 64
Michigan’s Elk Hunting Today
Tom Lounsbury page 102
FISHING
Bogdan rules the Michigan
Kayak Bass Trail
Dave Mull page 14
Make mine a MAGNUM
Mark Romanack page 24
Boat maintenance starts
before the season ends
Mark Martin page 28
Spooning fall fish
Jack Payne page 30
Early Fall Fishing Bonanza
John Bergsma page 60
Next Bite...
Get in on the walleye action
Gary Parsons/Keith Kavajecz
page 88
Michigan’s fall salmon
Mike Gnatkowski page 106
FEATURE
Hemingway...the hatchery and
historical Michigan fishing
Rick Fowler page 34 New bear population estimates
Outdoor Weekend
looks to year 33!
Randy Jorgensen page 36
Knives; keeping the edge
Bill Kendy page 62
Trail and Trail Town Program
page 70
Getting Wild in the Classroom National Hunting and Fishing Day
Hannah Schauer page 72

PERSPECTIVE
DEAR FISH DIARY:
It only takes one Bob to
change your perspective on life
Ron St. Germain page 48
Late season fun on the water
Captain Fred Davis page 82
Michigan Deer Camps
70 years in the making!
Jake Dykstra page 90
Our hunting community
lost a great ambassador
Bob Vogel page 98
Trail Cam Photos page 84
Winter fox and coyote trapping
Photos of the Month John Chagnon page 104
Ben Brotzke page 89
Minnow...buckets, traps, live OPINIONS
bait containers and aerators
Terry McBurney page 92 Hunting for the perfect photo
Jonathan Schechter page 78
Michigan Meanders...
Thunder on the River
Tom Huggler page 100
OUTDOOR NEWS
The return of lake sturgeon
to the historic Cass River
Tom Lounsbury page 40
Outdoor Writers
offer $3,000 Scholarship
Tom Carney page 42
Give your input on
state forest planning
page 44 Making Decoys
Prevent the spread of
aquatic invasive species
page 44
Come To Life
West Nile Virus monitoring
Grouse hunters help needed
Mark Romanack...page 12
page 45
Hot Topics...
Blinds and stands on state land
available; season underway Jeff Pendergraff page 79
page 47
New commercial fishing bill
Mike Veine page 94
Test site for ‘smart ships’
launched in Lake Superior
Rachel Coale page 50 GUNS/AMMO
Traditional
Hunting/fishing expanded at
30 National Wildlife Refuges Black Powder Hunting
page 81 “My mind was wholly occupied”
Dennis Neely page 74
page 87 Gun Chat...Basic AR
Lee Arten page 86
DEPARTMENTS...
Trail Cam. . . . . . . . 84 Classifieds . . 110-111
News/Op-Ed. . . . 78-80 Real Estate . . 112-125
1-810-724-0254
www.woods-n-waternews.com
P.O. Box 278, Imlay City, MI 48444
www.facebook.com/woodsnwaternews
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 7

OCTOBER BUCK
STAND TACTICS
S
o, you have done some
scouting and located
the ideal stand location.
Is your best chance to
score dependent upon
location or how you hunt
while on stand? Plenty of archers
are convinced once they have a
stand set up all they have
to do is wait. We all wish
it was that easy but unfor-
tunately that is seldom the
case. Truth is how you hunt
while on stand is just as im-
portant as the right location.
Here’s why.
Perhaps the most
difficult detail of success-
By Kenny Darwin
ful buck hunting
hinges on exact
stand location.
I’m not talking about simply being
set up in the ball park where you
see bucks but getting kissin’ close
and making easy kills. This requires
scouting, preparation and a willing-
ness to take the extra time to make
certain your stand is in the exact hot
zone.
Believe me, when opener finally
rolls around there is nothing more
A stand placed in the center of hot buck activity helped the author
to arrow a dandy buck sticking close to a cedar funnel area.
8 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
frustrating than a huge buck walking
past slightly out of range. Years ago
I learned a valuable lesson after be-
ing dubbed by a smart old buck that
would dance past my stand location
through an alder thicket. Finally I
got the hint and on a warm October
day slipped into the area and moved
my stand dead center on
the old boy’s travel route.
It was a damp early
morning following a heavy
rain and tendrils of fog
covered the nearby duck
swamp and lowlands as
I slipped into my stand.
I could smell the exhila-
rating aroma of the low
hanging cedar
trees nearby as
I knocked a bolt
and readied my crossbow for action.
Blue jays jumping from limb to
limb caught my attention and when
they sounded off with loud warning
calls I glanced over my shoulder
and caught movement in the thick
brush. It was a yearling doe and
she moved past in the wet October
leaves without making a sound. To
my surprise I saw another big deer
Stand hunting can solve most whitetail hunting problems and will
improve your odds of fooling a trophy buck come sunrise on open-
ing day. Kenny Darwin photos
coming from the same direction, and
immediately I could see antlers. I
could feel my heart pounding in my
fingertips as I reached for the Darton
crossbow and slowly rested the butt
against my shoulder. Through the
4-power scope the buck looked huge
with a shooter 10-point rack and
thick swollen neck. His vitals were
protected by the alder thicket as I
followed him gliding through the
wet brush without making a sound.
When he eased past at 20 yards I
finally found a small opening in the
alders, gave him a short grunt and
stopped the beautiful buck dead in
his tracks. He was staring directly
at me as I eased the crosshair on
his shoulder and lightly touched the
trigger. ZAP!
The bolt found its mark and the
big buck mule kicked and charged
through the thick brush bordered by
cedar trees. Seconds later I heard
brush breaking and I was certain
the dandy buck was down. I wasted
no time getting out of the blind and
rushed to where I saw him last.
There in the wet leaves was a gi-
gantic blood trail caused by the pass
through of the Spitfire XXX broad-
head. It was easy to follow the blood
and disturbed leaves where the big
boy charged through the brush.
Soon I could see his white belly
and minutes later I was tagging a
dandy Michigan buck that made the
mistake of reusing an existing travel
route. The secret to success hinged
on moving my stand location to
where the deer was crossing.
However, there is more to har-
vesting bucks than simply making
final adjustments based on deer
movement. Before you settle on a
stand, ask yourself several ques-
tions. Will you be camouflaged, hid-
den and comfortable? Do you have
stand sites for various wind direc-
tions? Is your stand in bow range of
deer travel routes, bait locations or
food plots?
Big bucks avoid direct sunlight
and prefer to move under the cover
of darkness. You can expect buck
activity during periods of low light,
evening, early morning, during fog
or misty conditions and overcast
weather. Savvy hunters get into
position long before daylight and
let the woods cool down after their
intrusion. One of the biggest mis-
Stand tactics page 10
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989-737-4289 989-737-8605
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 9
October stand tactics:
from page 8
takes rookie hunters make is they
bust through the woods and under-
cover like a bull moose on parade
rather than sneaking along trails or
runways to stand locations. Slowly
stalking your stand will alert fewer
deer and if you stop frequently there
is a good possibility bucks in the
area that hear you may come look-
ing for a doe and you catch them
off guard. One trick is to wear a red
headlamp that allows you to find the
stand but does not alert deer like a
bright white flashlight.
Stand hunting requires a great
deal of patience. You are playing
a waiting game and you must be
prepared for long hours of wait-
ing, looking and glassing without
seeing anything. If you remain still
on stand you will eventually be
rewarded but you must be comfort-
able, warm and dry and have a men-
tal willingness to sit for extended
periods.
Don’t forget your day pack
which should include your cell
phone, water or hot coffee, snacks
and more. Take a lunch or at least
some snacks and make certain to
drink water and avoid dehydration
that can lead to fatigue, dizziness
and blurred vision. Back packs
should also include first aid kit; saw
to trim limbs, rain suit, safety har-
ness, rope to pull up bow, headlamp
and rope to drag deer. Perhaps the
number one item rookie hunters
leave in the truck is a knife to gut
deer. Oh, don’t forget your hunting
license and pocket knife to punch
the tag before you move the animal.
One of my tricks is to carry
breakfast to the stand. My first order
of business is to eat breakfast and
have hot coffee to thoroughly be
prepared for a long sit on stand. In
my younger years I could sit all day
without food or drink. Now I’m a
mature hunter and understand the
importance of proper nutrition and
hydration to keep sharp and com-
fortable throughout the day. Don’t
make the common mistake of leav-
ing stand too early in the morning.
Often, bedded bucks will get up and
readjust locations around 10 a.m.
and during the rut you can expect
deer activity all day long. I’ve taken
most of my trophy bucks from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. when the rut is in
full swing and love sick bucks are
constantly on the move looking for a
receptive doe.
Dealing with your human odor
is an interesting art. Modern hunt-
ers have discovered the benefit of
using Ozonics to cover any human
odor while on stand. Ozonics scent
10 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
elimination units put out ozone
for odor-stopping power. They are
battery operated, silent and safe
provided you use them outdoors or
in a blind with ventilation. How-
ever, you need to consider a scent
elimination spray system like Nose
Jammer or Ever Calm to camouflage
your human scent. Spray your boots,
pants and any clothing that comes in
contact with grass or brush. There
are several clothing suits that have
durable water repellent finish and
scent control lining. I’ve long used
ScentLok camouflaged suits with
carbon alloy technology that reduces
game-spooking odors. Keep in mind
it is tough to fool a mature buck’s
nose regardless of your scent control
strategy.
The best way to avoid detection
by deer is to have your stand located
where deer do not cross downwind.
Always check the wind before go-
ing hunting and make certain it is
not blowing your scent into likely
buck hideouts. Select a stand loca-
tion downwind from your watching
zone.
It goes without saying in or-
der to avoid detection you need to
remain motionless and still while on
stand, especially when a target buck
is in the area. Total camouflage is an
absolute necessity and make certain
to cover your hands and face. Some
hunters like to use face cream but
many prefer a pull up style neck
gaiter or face mask. Camouflage October brings cool nights, shor ter days, leaves turn colors and
mesh headgear provides lightweight buck activity begins to peak. Kenny Darwin photos
breathable comfort and keeps you
hidden from the keen eyesight of of truth suddenly arrives and you flage and sitting still, you can fool a
deer. When weather turns cold go have that trophy of a lifetime kissin’ deer’s ears by using deer calls and
with fleece headwear with ninja- close and your sights are wavering remaining quiet on stand but if a
style hood and don’t forget ice fish- on the kill zone. Don’t look at the mature buck catches your scent it
ing toe warmers to keep your feet rack; concentrate on getting the pin is hunt over. If the wind switches
warm. or crosshair on his vitals. Remember direction and is blowing human
I like to snip off my gloves to aim small and you will miss small scent into a buck hideout, it is time
so the tips of my shooting fingers and don’t jerk the trigger but slowly to leave the stand and return when
are bare and I can feel the trigger. pressure the release. the wind is ideal.
Large bulky gloves keep your hands I’ve learned from experience the There are a number of skills you
warm but they can be a nuisance more you hunt a stand on consecu- must master if you want to consis-
when shooting requires good finger tive days the fewer deer you will tently harvest whitetail bucks. While
dexterity. My recommendation is see. I think what happens is deer some boast stand hunting as a pana-
to use thin camouflaged gloves and in the area discover your entry and cea there is more to it than simply
when the weather turns cold keep exit trail, get a whiff of your human getting off the ground. The science
your hands in pockets or switch to scent in the middle of the night and of stand hunting is ever changing
fingermits with a mitten that peels the next day they are gone. I recom- with new tree stand designs, cover
back and exposes fingertips. mend hunting the same stand only a scents, camouflage, faster more ac-
If you see a doe there is a good couple days and give the location at curate archery gear and much more.
chance a buck could follow. In least a week to become human scent In many cases success hinges upon
October you can expect him to free. One strategy is to have several your understanding of whitetail
show several minutes up to an hour stands and rotate hunting location bucks and what makes them tick
behind her and he will move more based on wind direction and deer and how to outsmart them on
cautiously, searching, looking. activity. their home turf. Certainly,
Make your moves when his head Let’s face it, constantly shift- patience can be key to success
is down or behind brush or trees. ing wind direction is a major cause but often trophy bucks are taken
Take your time. Try to control the for deer hunts going sour. You can by those blessed with a sprinkling
adrenaline rush when the moment fool a deer’s eyesight with camou- of good ol’ luck.n
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 11
 MAKING DECOYS
COME TO LIFE
Little details make a big difference in field hunting. Taking the time to blacken your face helps a great deal to close birds “in your face” and
flaps down. The author, Mark Romanack has hunted waterfowl in all the popular “duck states,” Canadian provinces, Mexico and Argentina.
P
The one thing that consistently fools waterfowl into going feet down is life-like motion in the decoys.
rior to 1935 it was a
common practice for
waterfowl
hunters to
use live birds
for decoys.
Commonly referred to
as “callers” using live
mallards to lure in wild
birds had a lot more
to do with the attrac-
tion powers of motion
than it did getting these
birds to call on cue.
After the practice
of using live
decoys was
outlawed, a By Mark Romanack
number of hunt-
ers went to using taxidermy mounts,
commonly called “stuffers” to lure
in wild birds. Besides being ex-
ceptionally delicate, stuffers didn’t
exactly move like a real bird moves.
The Magic of Motion
The key to getting heavily hunt-
ed waterfowl to drop into a decoy
spread feet down can be summed up
12 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
in one word.... motion. Most hunters takes to give incoming birds the “all
would assume that I’m talking about clear” signal. Even the most realistic
motion or spinning modern decoys are only marginally
wing decoys. Actually, effective when they are sitting still
spinning wing decoys like a statue in Central Park. This is
have a time and place precisely why as an avid waterfowl
in waterfowl hunting, hunter my worst nightmare is dead
but understanding how calm weather. On calm days field
to convert a stagnant decoys look lifeless and there isn’t
set of decoys into a much a hunter can do to change that
living and breathing stale or “stuffed” look.
flock of birds on the Weather is the great equalizer in
ground is what motion waterfowl hunting. On days when
is all about. the weatherman says it’s going to
Over the years be dead calm in the morning, I’m
decoys have probably going to spend that time
gotten a lot
more sophisti-
scouting instead of hunting. Experi-
ence has taught me that hunting on
cated. Not only calm days is going to yield disap-
do modern blocks feature incredibly pointing results anyway. Rather than
realistic paint and flocking jobs, beat my head against a brick wall,
many of these decoys are designed I find it makes more sense to spend
to sit on stakes that allow the decoy the time scouting and pinning down
to wobble and rotate back and forth. the next hunt.
With a little wind these decoys liter- It’s also worth noting that
ally come to life. on calm days, usually as the day
Motion that closely mimics the progresses a breeze starts to mate-
movements of wild birds on the rialize. On calm days, aiming for
ground or water is exactly what it afternoon hunts instead of morning
hunts is usually the better option.
Wind Socks
While the trend in modern de-
coys has favored more anatomically
correct full body decoys, I’ve found
that another option helps me fin-
ish birds. Rag or wind sock decoys
may look crude, but in the right
conditions the life-like motion these
decoys produce is second to none.
Rag decoys change direction as the
wind fluctuates naturally, the results
are eye catching to say the least.
A big part of finishing waterfowl
is getting their attention in the first
place. Rags do a much better job
of communicating motion or “life”
from a distance than other decoy
types.
A few years ago I started experi-
menting with rag decoys using them
upwind of my blind as blockers.
My original theory was that because
rags are not as realistic as full body
decoys, I was better off putting the
rags behind me where incoming
birds would not get a good look at
them.
 It didn’t take long to realize
that birds wanted to land in the rags
more often than they wanted to
land among the full body decoys!
Soon I was mixing the rags into the
full body spread with much better
results.
Each season since, I’ve invested
in more and more rag decoys. Cur-
rently I’m hunting over about 15
dozen rag decoys used to add life
throughout the spread and also to
help hide my blinds. This many
decoys stows in just two duffle bags
and weighs less than 50 pounds.
Because rags are so light and
easily packed into small spaces, they
are ideal for the traveling hunter,
guys who must walk into public
hunting grounds and places were the
ground is too muddy to drive in with
trucks.
Hiding with Rags
Using conventional full body
decoys to hide layout blinds sounds
good in theory, but it doesn’t work
that way in practice.
Rag decoys mount on a single
stake that allows them to set up a
little higher off the stubble. Crowd-
ing a bunch of rags between the
blinds, in front of and all around the
blinds works best at softening the
otherwise hard lines and shadows
created by layout blinds.
As the wind brings these rags to
life, the natural motion of the rags
snapping to and fro works wonders
at helping the boxy outlines of the
blinds to disappear. I proved this to
myself by using drone video footage
to see what the birds see as they are
approaching a decoy spread. Rags
hide hunters much better than full
body or other decoy types.
A finishing touch can be added
by using blind door rag decoys de-
Mari Romanack loves waterfowl hunting as much as her hus-
band, outdoor writer Mark Romanack.
signed to clip onto the stubble straps
sewn on ground blinds.
Duck or Goose Rags?
Since ducks readily decoy to
geese on the ground, it makes more
sense to use the larger goose rags
compared to duck rags. The cost
being about the same, goose rags
are larger and give the hunter more
bang for the buck.
Ducks readily decoy to both
snow geese and Canada geese. If
you hunt where snows are common,
using snow goose rags is a good op-
tion. White snow goose rags are vis-
ible at much greater distances than
darker Canada or speck decoys. The
problem with snow goose decoys is
that Canada geese are going to avoid
them like the plague.
Decoy Spreads
When using full body decoys,
I’m most comfortable hunting on a
crossing wind that brings the birds
from the right and landing to the
left. Right hand shooters typically
shoot better at targets that are com-
ing from the right and escaping to
the left.
Because full body decoys don’t
hide the blinds very well, hunting
with a crossing wind keeps the birds
from looking directly at the blinds
while approaching.
When using rags mixed into a
full body spread of decoys, I typi-
cally set up with the wind coming
directly over my back. The rags do
such a nice job of hiding the blinds,
it’s possible to finish birds literally
right in your face.
The ideal decoy spread for this
set up is a big sideways “C” or “U”
shape that spreads out the decoys
on the left and right flanks and finds
the majority of the decoys near the
Mixing shell, full body and rag decoys together in a spread
helps to add life-like motion and also does an outstanding job
of hiding layout blinds from incoming birds.
middle of the spread. A huge pocket
or landing zone is left right out
front.
Fliers
I generally set out a couple “fli-
ers” at 25 yards to help me judge the
distance of incoming birds. Fliers
are rag decoys with outstretched
wings that mount on a pole and flap
in the breeze like birds pitching into
flock on the ground. Because these
decoys are further off the ground
they can be spotted from great dis-
tances. Also, these flier decoys tend
to focus the attention of incoming
birds away from the blinds.
Spinners
For field shooting I like to set
my spinners about twenty yards in
front of the blinds. When targeting
ducks I’ll use up to four spinners.
For goose hunting, the spinners are
removed from the set up completely.
Some hunters use remote con-
trols to turn off the spinners when
geese are approaching. This option
works, but it’s not uncommon to get
surprised by birds that just pop in
and more times than not, the spin-
ners will kill the deal before they
can be turned off.
Adding Motion on Water
Motion is critical to field hunt-
ing success and also to water hunts.
Rags work great for shallow water
hunts where mud flats are exposed
along the shoreline. Some manu-
facturers like White Rock actually
make rag decoys with longer stakes
for use over sheet water and mud
flats.
Swimming and dabbling decoys
play a huge role in creating life-like
ripples on the water. Manually oper-
ated jerk cords accomplish the same
end result and can be fabricated
using any floating decoy, a fixed
anchor and some anchor line.
Final Touches
The drone footage helped me de-
termine that full body decoys don’t
hide blinds as well as rag decoys.
That same footage also confirmed
that in a layout blind if a hunter
doesn’t paint his or her face or wear
a camo face mask, they are going to
get spotted by incoming birds.
It’s also critically important to
stow blind bags, guns and other
hunting gear inside the layout blind.
During the hunt, spending a minute
or two picking up spent shotgun
cases is another small detail that can
pay off big in closing more birds.
For those who hunt with a
retrieving dog, it’s especially im-
portant to use dog blinds and also
to train the dog to lie down inside
the blind. Most dogs like to sit up
so they can see better and many
also creep to the opening so that a
good portion of the dog is visible to
incoming birds.
If your dog likes to creep to the
opening, try putting a few extra rag
decoys around the opening of the
dog blind to hide Fido a little better.
Waterfowl hunting has gotten
tougher in recent years. The good
economy we are enjoying has more
hunters than ever chasing water-
fowl. Fooling these heavily pres-
sured birds isn’t about investing in a
huge spread of expensive full body
decoys. Ironically more modestly
priced rag decoys do a better job of
attracting birds and creating that all
important illusion of life.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 13
 Bogdan
Rules the
Michigan
Kayak Trail
By Dave Mull

B
ogdan Korostetskyi of
Livonia is, plain and
simple, a very good
kayak bass angler.
The 22-year-old from
Ukraine with just three
years of bass fishing from a kayak
under his belt, Bogdan Korostetskyi
crushed it on the Michigan Kayak
Trail (MKT).
As of September, Korostetskyi
had won three kayaks and a tidy
sum of around $3,000 in the five
contests on the MKT. That circuit
culminated with its champion-
ship on Cadillac and Mitchell
lakes in mid-August. Bogdan won
that INTRODUCING
season-ending THE NEW
contest, which
INTRODUCING
was THE NEW
worth a new Nu Canoe Flint
kayak and $1,000. By winning that
tournament, Bogdan finalized ™ his
season-long dominance ™ of the MKT
“THE
andSTRONGEST. BECAUSE Jackson
I SAID SO.”
“THE STRONGEST. BECAUSEthe
also earned I SAID SO.” Kayak
– STEVE AUSTIN Bogdan Korostetskyi gets ready to release a nice bass he caught from his Native Watercraft kayak.
– STEVE
Angler AUSTIN
of the Year title, which came

WORK PLAY
with a new Jackson Liska-model

WORK PLAY
TH
INTRODUCING THE NEW
14 Annual kayak and a Torqueedo electric
motor made to mount on a kayak.
The prize package was worth about
™
“THE STRONGEST. BECAUSE I SAID SO.” Buck Pole/ $3,700.
In May, Korostetskyi won the

HARD PLAYHARD
– STEVE AUSTIN

HARD HARD
MKT Event No. 2, which was held
Family Event on the Grand River. That prize in-

WORK
cluded a new Hobie Outback kayak,
which retails for around $2,400. He
NOV. 15TH! also took big bass in the contest,

HARD HARD
worth around $300.
ea
Receiv
Any secrets to this fast suc-
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“When I started fishing I did
Ray
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more second guessing and chang-
ing lures,” Bogdan says, articulating
1422
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City Rd.Lapeer,
Rd.Rd. Lapeer,
Lapeer, MI MIMI a trait that many beginners share.
www.raycs.com
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Phone: (810) 664-9800 swivel to make it easy to change
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664-9800 Website: www.raycs.com
KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this vehicle. Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Protect
lures.”
the environment. The Kawasaki MULE™ side x side is an off-highway vehicle only, and is not designed, equipped, or manufactured for use on public His repertoire has come a long
KAWASAKI CARES:Motors
streets; roads or highways. Obey the laws and regulations that control the use of your vehicle. Read Owner’s Manual and all on product warnings.
Always wear protective gear appropriate for the use of this vehicle. Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Protect way from when he climbed into a
KAWASAKI©2017
CARES: Always wear
Kawasaki protective
Corp., U.S.A. Printedgear appropriate for the use of this vehicle. Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Protect
in U.S.A.
the environment. The Kawasaki MULE™ side x side is an off-highway vehicle only, and is not designed, equipped, or manufactured for use on public
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1418MULEFXR6x5c
OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
18MULEFXR6x5c
floating frog—and caught his first
bass. That day, actually captured in
one of his first YouTube videos, is
when the bass bug bit. Like most
successful ’yak anglers, he now
takes along several rods rigged for
different presentations. He fishes
from a Native Watercraft Titan 12
kayak, a pedal-propelled model
stable enough to allow him to stand
and fish.
His success shows his versatil-
ity. To win the second MKT event
on the Grand River in early May, he
stuck with a Z-Man Chatterbait in
one of the river’s bayous. He came
close to winning a Kayak Bass Fish-
ing tournament on Lake St. Clair in
late May. He finished third with 95.5
inches for five bass, just 2.5 inches
behind the winner. In that contest,
he targeted spawning smallmouth
he couldn’t see with a 5-inch soft
plastic jerkbait drop-shotted around
their beds. He was in the midst of
lots of other tournament anglers,
but out-fished most when he figured
out that rigging so the lure stayed
just a couple inches off bottom and
not moving it provoked strikes from
bigger fish. He also spray-dyed the
pearl-colored plastics with scented,
chartreuse dye to make them more
visible to the fish in muddy water.
Winning the championship was
a matter of sticking with flipping
Texas-rigged creature baits amidst
Lake Mitchell’s visible weeds. The
victory also shows his penchant for
hard work, as he stayed nearly a
week in a motel to pre-fish the tour-
nament. He found a room he could
afford in the town of Big Rapids,
making it an 80-mile roundtrip com-
mute to Cadillac each day.
“I probably made a thousand
casts,” he said after the tournament.
“The fish would hit it right away
or not at all, so I had to flip the lure
(on a 1/2-ounce weight), feel for a
bite and immediately reel in and flip
again.”
The Michigan Kayak Trail just
completed its second year, averag-
ing more than 80 anglers in four
regular season tournaments and with
44 who qualified and attended the
championship. It’s no small feat to
win one of those tournaments, let
along two of them in the same year,
let alone doing better than all other
competitors through the season to
win the AOY crown.
Yours truly also fished all of the
MKT events and finished 30 spots
behind Bogdan, winning a sum
total of nothing in all five contests.
I don’t want to go into how many
years I’ve been bass fishing and
tournament bass fishing in both
boats and kayaks, but it’s about 15
times longer than Bogdan has. I plan
to watch more bass fishing on You-
Tube myself. It couldn’t hurt.
Korostetskyi came to the U.S.
eight years ago with two brothers
when his mother secured a green
card. His father also lives in the
U.S. and was an avid bank angler in
Ukraine, but not so much in the U.S.
“He was more into the peaceful,
sit and wait type of fishing for carp,
which he’d take home to eat,” Bog-
dan says, noting the U.S. carp aren’t
nearly as tasty. “I used to get bored
and throw rocks in the water. He’d
tell me to go to the other side of
the lake to throw rocks and maybe
spook the fish to his side.”
Eight years ago, he says, he
knew about 10 words of English.
Now fluent with just a small trace of
an accent, he credits the U.S. school
system for giving his language
needs ample attention. A naturalized
U.S. citizen, he’s proud to be an
American.
Native Watercraft and FX
Custom Rods both claim Bogdan
on their pro staffs. He has to sell the
prize kayaks he’s won since they are
other brands than Native. He also
plans to sell the Torqueedo electric
motor, as ProNav wants to sponsor
him with one of their trolling motor
guidance systems on a Minn Kota
trolling motor.
The ProNav sponsorship came
because along with watching You-
Tube videos, Bogdan has created his
own videos, starting with his very
first trip casting a floating frog from
his inflatable kayak. He has chroni-
cled all of his tournaments, shorten-
ing down the footage to around 15
minutes worth of highlights. You
can see them on his Kayak Outbreak
YouTube channel. He has 73 of
them.
One of his earlier videos records
his first kayak bass tournament,
which he fished in 2016 on Lake
Ovid in central Michigan. He only
caught two bass in that first contest
and a highlight is him falling asleep,
which he laughs about now.
While he says a lot of the short
videos are boring, I think they’re
pretty entertaining and well worth
a look even if you’re only mildly
interested in bass fishing and kay-
aks. It’s fun to watch Bogdan catch
fish (even when I know in the same
tournament that he’s catching bass
after bass, I only caught two). He
definitely not only has a talent for
catching bass, but also for chroni-
cling the whole day with a pair of
Go Pros mounted on his kayak.
Bogdan now studies business
and marketing, hoping to be one
of the first kayak anglers to make
a living through sponsorship from
companies involved in kayak fish-
ing. He knows no one will pay him
to fish but that he might be able to
sign promotional contracts to build
brands and sell products.
With a passion for kayak bass
fishing that matches his talent for
catching them, I have no doubt he
will succeed.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 15
W
ith white-
tailed deer,
glandular
secretions and
scent-marking
play a more
important role in communication
than do visual signals and vocaliza-
tions. The latter serve only immedi-
ate, short-range purposes, whereas
scent-marks serve as an extension of
the animal itself, and remain func-
tional long after the maker has left
the scene.
Mature whitetail bucks scent-
mark vegetation year-round, usually
in a subtle manner which is difficult
to detect. During autumn, however,
they establish highly visible “sign-
posts,” referred to as “buck rubs”
and “scrapes.” The hunter who can
learn to interpret these signs will
add considerable self-satisfaction, if
not greater success to the hunt.
The Social Role
Few buck-rubs are made while
removing antler velvet, a process
normally completed within 24
hours. Instead, most rubs are made
by relatively few dominant bucks to
advertise their superior social rank,
allowing them to signal their readi-
ness to mate and proclaim domi-
nance in a given area.
Signpost rubs are eye-catching,
and they are anointed with the
maker’s distinctive odor. All white-
tails possess specialized forehead
skin glands that become especially
active during autumn, but tests in-
dicate mature, socially high-ranking
bucks exude greater amounts of the
glandular secretion as compared to
younger males and females. Because
rubbing is done with the antler base
and forehead, each rub carries the
distinctive identifying odor of the
maker.
While prime-age, dominant
bucks are the primary signpost
makers and message “senders,”
young males and females are at-
tracted to the signposts and are the
message “readers.” The chemical
signals exchanged tend to suppress
the aggressiveness and sex drive of
young males, but stimulate females
and help synchronize breeding. As
a result, the presence of older bucks
and their signposts help maintain
social order.
Preferences
When in the mood, bucks will
rub just about anything, includ-
ing fence posts, powerline poles,
and even boulders. Given a choice,
however, they prefer to rub trees and
shrubs, one-half to four inches in
diameter, with smooth bark and no
lower limbs. They generally avoid
those with low limbs and warty
bark.
Trembling aspen is by far the
most highly preferred species for
rubbing in the Upper Great Lakes
16 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Understanding
BUCK RUBS
region. In the smaller size classes, it
has smooth soft bark that is eas-
ily stripped, and the inner wood is
very light colored, with long-lasting
brilliance once exposed. Staghorn
sumac, red maple, black cherry, bal-
sam fir, pines, and willows are also
frequently rubbed, whereas
sugar maple, ironwood,
beech, and paper birch are
usually avoided.
All bucks occasionally
rub stems smaller than two
inches in diameter, whereas
only older bucks normally
rub trees six or more inches
in diameter. In
addition, young
bucks seldom re- By John Ozoga
rub the same stem.
So, large diameter trees that show
frequent rubbing (“traditional rubs”)
are a sure sign that older, rut-experi-
enced bucks are in the area.
Seasonal Pattern
The timing of velvet shedding,
and subsequent rubbing, is physio-
logically controlled and triggered by
the shortening day length in autumn.
Peak velvet shedding dates normally
vary by only a few weeks through-
out the United States.
On northern range, bucks gener-
ally rub off velvet during late Au-
gust or early September, nearly two
months before the first does breed.
Some yearling bucks and unhealthy
older individuals are de-
layed by several weeks.
Mature dominant
bucks maintain year-round
supremacy over their peers
and control a stable male
society within a given area.
They began marking their
domain soon after shed-
ding velvet, without
much prior combat
or testing, and con-
tinue marking until
they cast their antlers.
Therefore, serious signpost rub-
bing in September is evidence of a
big buck’s presence. Conversely, de-
layed and low level rubbing can be
expected where antlered males are
heavily harvested and few survive to
maturity.
Intensity
Prime-age bucks are the first
to reach threshold levels of testos-
terone that cause velvet shedding.
They also achieve higher concentra-
tions of the hormone, which contrib-
ute to their extreme aggressiveness,
attainment of higher social rank and
tendency to make more rubs.
Rub densities in any given area
will depend upon many factors.
Research shows rub densities even
change from year to year, depend-
ing upon the nutritional status of the
deer herd. For example, more rubs
are made during years when acorns
(an important autumn deer food) are
abundant.
On good deer range, buck-rub
densities may vary from a couple
hundred to nearly 5000 per square
mile, and will be closely related to
the number of older bucks in the
population. A fairly large number of
young bucks may make relatively
few total rubs, as compared to only
a couple of older bucks in the same
area.
Location
Soon after rubbing off velvet, a
dominant buck shifts his center of
activity to interact with other deer
over a breeding range of anywhere
from one to six square miles. Bucks
on northern range tend to travel
a large autumn range when deer
density is low, whereas they’re more
apt to cover less area where deer are
plentiful.
Clusters of buck rubs most likely
occur in habitats close to areas with
abundant autumn food. This could
be wooded cover near corn or alfalfa
fields, oak habitat when acorns are
abundant, adjacent to forest open-
ings, or near artificial feeders and
food plots. Such a rubbing strategy
makes good sense because other
deer would also likely concentrate
near such choice feeding sites,
making the buck’s signposting most
effective.
Also look for rubs along travel
corridors such as deer trails, ridge
tops, old logging roads, and in
swales at stream crossings. Clusters
of rubs in secluded patches of heavy
cover may also reveal the favored
bedding location of older bucks.
Stand hunting along travel corridors,
between bedding and feeding loca-
tions, will generally prove the most
successful.
Conclusions
The presence of mature bucks
and the availability of favorable
rubbing stems are primary factors
determining buck-rub density in any
given area. In fact, some research-
ers speculate that clumping of rubs
is primarily related to location of
preferred stems. Therefore, while
a scarcity of buck-rubs can gener-
ally be attributed to a lack of older
bucks, sometimes it may be due
to a scarcity of preferred rubbing
stems.n
 TIGER TROUT
A rare natural hybrid that was recently
caught on a Lower Peninsula trout stream

T
revor McDonald, of was so rare but knowing the ob-
Harrison, Michigan stacles it had overcome to make it to
recently caught and that size it would have been selfish
released a 14.25-inch for me to kill it. Releasing it and
tiger trout in a Lower watching it swim so strong back to
Peninsula its depths was just a feeling
trout stream. Trevor was you can’t describe. Hope-
participating in a recent fully someday some lucky
trout fishing tournament angler will have the chance
sponsored by the Michigan to experience that same
Trout Addicts group. Trevor amazing feeling!”
was drift boat fishing with a The tiger trout is a strik-
spinning rod and a Blue Fox ing fish that is a natural, but
Spinner when he caught the rare hybrid between a brown

By Bill Ziegler
tiger trout. Trevor trout and brook trout.
credits his fishing Of course, tiger trout
buddy Sam Barnett would only be found
for putting him on in streams that have Trevor McDonald of Harrison caught this 14.25 inch tiger trout on
the fish. a viable population of both brown
a Lower Peninsula trout stream recently. Trevor McDonald photos
Trevor said “I never for a second and brook trout. During my 35-year
thought about keeping such a beau- fisheries career in both federal and
tiful, rare fish. Not only because he state government, I electro sampled thousands of brown and brook trout
in trout streams from Minnesota to
Michigan and my survey crews only
encountered two tiger trout in one
small stream near Iron River, Wis-
consin in the source stream for the
Iron River National Fish Hatchery.
Tiger trout are a sterile hybrid,
so all their food energy can go into
growth rather than reproductive
products. Michigan DNR does not
list a state record size for tiger trout.
Wisconsin DNR lists an inland tiger
trout record at 16 inches and weigh-
ing two pounds and one ounce.
The Wisconsin DNR did stock
tiger trout in between 1974 to 1977.
The book Fishes of Wisconsin lists
a 20-pound 13-ounce tiger trout
caught in Lake Michigan off the
Sheboygan pier in 1978. Wisconsin
discontinued their tiger trout stock-
This nice tiger trout was caught and released recently during a trout fish- ing program in 1977 due to limited
ing tournament sponsored by Michigan Trout Addicts group. returns of these artificial hybrids.
Tiger trout have insectivorous
diets as small fish and readily
convert to smaller fish predation
(Piscivory) as they grow, much like
their brown and brook trout par-
ents. This strong piscivory on other
fish resulted in Utah Department
of Wildlife Fisheries Biologists to
stock tiger trout in attempt to control
chubs in some of their reservoirs.
Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife has also stocked tiger trout
to control unwanted bait minnow
species in a few of their lakes.
Michigan DNR has never
stocked tiger trout and, as stated pre-
viously, natural hybrid tiger trout are
rare. However, they do occur, so if
you ever catch a scrappy trout with
a striking and unusual pattern on its
sides, as shown in Trevor McDon-
ald’s photos, you could also witness
one of Michigan trout stream and
nature’s true wonders.n

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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 17

 Public Land Whitetails
Consistently tag quality bucks in Northern Michigan’s big woods…By Michael Veine
M
ichigan is blessed with
more public lands than
any other state east of
the Mississippi. Most of
these public holdings are located in
the northern part of the state with
the U.P. having the highest ratio of
public to private lands by far. Made
up of primarily of State, Federal and
Commercial Forest Reserve (CFR)
properties, Michigan publicly acces-
sible lands number in the millions of
acres.
The good news is that in much
of those northern, public lands, deer
hunting pressure is at a modern time
low. Public hunting areas in south-
ern Michigan though often have
some of the highest hunter densities
found anywhere in the state. People
just don’t want to travel north as
much nowadays, so read on for a
blueprint on how you can consis-
tently tag quality bucks in our beau-
tiful, northern Michigan big woods.
I have managed to take public
land deer in all the regions of the
state including southern Michigan,
the northeast lower, northwest lower
and the U.P. These days though I
focus all my hunting efforts on the
U.P. It’s true that deer numbers in
the U.P. are still very low overall,
but despite the long term, downward
trend in the deer population there,
in recent years I’ve still managed to
continue my decade’s long streak of
tagging out on good Michigan bucks
while only hunting in the U.P. I do
hunt some private lands in the U.P.,
but about half the deer I’ve taken
in the past five years have come off
public lands.
In fact, my best hunting spots
are not on my own carefully man-
aged, food plot laden property, but
rather on public lands. The main
reason those spots are superior is
that they are hunted very lightly,
whereas, my own property and
neighboring lands are hunted much
more. Finding lightly hunted public
lands with decent deer populations
is not easy, but the rewards are cer-
tainly worth the effort.
All of my best U.P. deer hunting
spots were first discovered while
bird hunting. I am an avid hunter of
roughed grouse and while most of
my bird hunting effort takes place in
smaller public spots that are easy to
access, I do search out remote areas
on maps that are way back in the
woods with the specific purpose of
checking them out for deer possi-
bilities.
18 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
This nice U.P. eight pointer taken by the author was the result of hours of
scouting, stand setup and perseverance from a lonely tree.
Most spots were logged over
in the past 15 years and always
include plenty of swampy terrain
too. I really follow where logging
operations on public lands are tak-
ing place and mark those areas on
my map book with notes on when
I expect bird hunting to get good
there. Deer numbers also increase in
areas where patchworks of logging
activity have recently occurred.
The ideal deer hunting places
require a wet ATV ride (where side
by sides can’t negotiate) on an old
logging road with terrain so miser-
able that you get beat by brush as
you ride. Getting occasionally stuck
in a well-equipped quad is expected
in the best places. That ATV access
should be no less than one mile from
where vehicles can penetrate and
potential hunting spots should be a
minimum of a half mile from where
ATVs can access. I found such a
spot years ago and scouted every
inch of it finding several very good
looking stand possibilities.
The first spot I hunted there was
a maple/cedar/balsam ridge that for
some unexplained reason, had es-
caped the logging denuding. It was
flanked by a cedar swamp and the
part of the ridge that I really liked
was split by a drainage creek that
only flowed when it was extremely
wet. I set up there for a Tree Saddle
stand where I just climbed the
branches of a big cedar tree about
20 feet off the ground. The first year
I hunted that spot I shot a nice eight
pointer in early November while he
was cruising the ridge looking for
rutting action. I abandoned that spot
though the next year when another
hunter blazed an ATV trail in from
another logging road to the east
and set up a blind a couple hundred
yards away.
On public land spots, I feel that
any hunting pressure at all really
degrades an area. So, I just avoid
deer hunting in areas where there is
any hunting pressure at all on public
lands. If I find a good spot where
other deer hunters move in, I just
keep tabs on it by bird hunting there
at least once a year and if I find any
illegal hunting activities such as
permanent blinds, huge bait piles,
blazed ATV trails or other such
abuses, then I report them to the
DNR to hopefully get the trash out
of the area.
I also really monitor my current
and potential hunting areas during
firearm deer season. I mainly hunt
during the archery deer season. In
fact I haven’t hunted with a gun in
many years; not that I have any-
thing against gun hunting, but just
because I haven’t had a tag left
by mid-November in a long time.
Archery season success can be es-
pecially beneficial to future hunting
efforts because it allows me to scout
and monitor spots all through the
firearm deer season, which is a criti-
cal period for spot evaluation for the
next year. For instance, I know of
several public areas of at least a cou-
ple square miles each that received
no firearm deer hunting pressure at
all last year. Those will certainly be
hot-spots this fall.
Another spot I found many years
ago was in a recently logged over
area where a clear cut backs up to a
swampy area. I can get within a half
mile of the spot if I have to with my
ATV to recover a deer, but other-
wise I just hike in about one mile.
I’ve been hunting this spot in recent
years using a Goido’s Web stand and
strap on tree steps to get about 25
feet off the ground in a fairly bare
cedar tree. I remove all the steps
when not in use. In the five years
I’ve been hunting there I’ve yet to
see signs of another hunter in that
area including during firearm deer
season.
For four years in a row I tagged
adult bucks from that stand and it’s
truly a rut hot spot where bucks like
to cruise by along the edge of the
clear cut looking for does. I don’t
even bother to hunt the spot until
the very end of October and it hunts
well with either a south or west
wind, so it’s pretty versatile. I never
got to hunt that spot last year be-
cause it was so wet in that area that
I couldn’t even get close to it. The
good news though is that nobody
else hunted there either, so it should
be top shelf this fall.
I like to have multiple stands for
every possible wind direction, which
equates to well over a 20 stand
setups that I keep up every year. Big
woods deer are super spooky. If I
do spook deer in an area, I pretty
much don’t want to hunt that spot
for at least one full week, so it is im-
perative that I have multiple, fresh
stands available to keep my odds
high for success on any given
day.
Stealth while scouting or hunt-
ing is essential, but especially so on
public lands. I really try to avoid
scouting much during the hunting
season. I don’t even bother using
cameras to monitor deer as they
would cause too much disturbance
for those super spooky adult deer
to tolerate. I mainly rely on my
scouting from the previous year to
determine if there is a good potential
for “shooter bucks” to be in an area.
I do however take a quick recon-
naissance walk through an area in
process.
Needless to say, my brand of
public land deer hunting requires
that I be in excellent physical shape.
If you are older, like me at 57 years
old, then proper conditioning is
especially critical. I simply walk
a lot to keep my legs in shape and
really step up my walking before
deer hunting season arrives with lots
of bird hunting. I also do a lot of
strength training. Simple pull-ups,
push-ups and sit-ups are a mainstay
in my workouts, but I also mix in
cardio there too with rounds on a
punching bag and treadmill to get
the heart beating like a drum. Since
I got back into tournament arm
wrestling a few years ago, I really
stepped up my workouts and that
has made extracting even the big-
gest bucks much easier.
I mostly hunt solo on my public
land forays now days. When you
put in lots of hours of often grueling
effort to find, dissect and success-
fully hunt a prime public land spot,
absolute secrecy should be main-
tained about such locations. Even
good friends may have other friends
or relatives that they will blab to
about your secret spots. I’ve had
great spots ruined by such blabbing
in the past and know better now not
to share such details with anybody
unless they clearly know it will cost
them your trust and any future rela-
tionship with you if they shoot their
mouth off. A great public land spot
should be treated like a top secret
military secret on a need-to-know
basis only.n

GET AHEAD OF THE GAME

the spring and then again during
September just to make sure things
are looking good. I key in on look-
ing for old buck sign and big tracks.
Most of my public land hunting is

Firearms Optics
done during the rut from Halloween
until mid-November. Before that I
mostly hunt food plots on my own
land.
Entering and exiting stands in
remote areas can be challenging to
say the least. I use terrain features, a
compass and glow tacks to navigate
to and from my stands in darkness.
I have a top-of-the-line GPS, and
use it to scout and for tough deer re-
coveries, but not for entries or exits,
which is done with one main goal
in mind: I want to avoid spooking
deer at all costs. The best way to do
that is to zigzag your way in and out
along a carefully planned, memo-
rized and marked route.
When you get a deer in some
God-forsaken place, extracting them
without killing yourself certainly
needs to be planned out in advance.
The U.P. bucks that I target tend
to be big bodied brutes that defy
gravity when I try to move them.
I always have a Jet Sled available
for extractions, which makes drag-
ging a deer much easier and also
saves the capes, which I use in my
taxidermy business on every buck
I kill. After locating and dressing
the deer, I sometimes drag it a short
ways to my entry/exit trail. Then I
leave carrying all my archery stuff
and return dressed lightly for the
extraction with the Jet Sled. I use a
shoulder harness to attach me to the
Jet Sled so I can do most of the pull-
ing with my body. I do have to use
my arms though to yank the deer

Gunsmithing Ammunition
over obstacles along the way. The
Jet Sled also makes it a lot easier to
load the deer onto the ATV or into
the bed of my truck. I just lift the
front of the Jet Sled up onto the rack Find us on: NEW EXTENDED HOURS
(ATV) or tailgate (truck). Then I go Mon -Sat: 9am - 8pm
to the back of the Jet Sled and while
pushing forward, lift it up and with a Sun: 9am - 6pm
rocking back and forth motion, slide
the Jet Sled into position. I have a
couple ratchet straps available in
my ATV glove box to fasten it in 7389 Lapeer Rd. Davison, MI 48423 - (810) 653-2131 - williamsgunsight.com
place for the rough ride out. When
I unload the deer, I just reverse the
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 19
 Skinny water
WOODIES By Kenny Darwin
S
uddenly the loud swoosh
of duck wings gave me
an adrenaline rush and
I almost jumped out of
my seat trying to locate
the fast moving ducks.
Three woodies spotted my spread
and dove straight down on me
from the heavens in the pre-dawn
half-darkness. By the time I got my
Truglo bead on them I was shooting
at tail feathers but managed to drop
an adult brightly colored male from
the flock. I plucked the prize from
thigh deep water and thought, “This
is a prime example of hunting wood
ducks in shallow water,” and done
correctly the results can be more im-
pressive than hunting heavily hunted
state marshes. Here’s why.
It goes without saying wood-
ies are the ultimate puddle ducks
and prefer to reside in flooded
timber, along the banks of rivers
and streams, and itsy pot holes
surrounded by bulrushes and cat-
tails and willows. Unlike most
other puddle ducks like mallards,
widgeon, black duck or teal, wood
ducks like timber rather than open
water. Now, I’m not talking about
pine trees, but woodies are drawn
by weeping willows with branches
bent over embracing water covered
with bright lime green colored duck
weed. Woodies also prefer water
During low water years when local marshes are low and muddy
savvy hunters set up on rivers or streams. Here the author is us-
ing Wonderduck D battery operated mallard motion decoys to make
waves to get the attention of woodies.
20 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
surrounded by oak trees because
they love to dine on fresh acorns
that are on the bank or floating in
the water. At times they will fly up
into oaks in search of nuts. With
this in mind savvy hunters have
made the move from hunting cattail
marshes, open lakes and ponds and
sought more secluded waterways
surrounded by trees.
One of my hottest woodie spots
is along the Grand River where the
swirling current creates an ox bowl
of knee deep water surrounded by
trees. Wood ducks naturally fly up
and down Michigan’s multitude of
rivers and streams. Often they rest
on sand bars or congregate under the
canopy of shade created by willows
with branches bent down close to
the water. This location is somewhat
hidden from the main river by a
kidney shaped point surrounded by
duck weed and oak trees. Woodies
dive for the seclusion of the tiny bay
and dine on acorns.
On evening hunts I carry de-
coys over my shoulder and trudge
through the underbrush to reach
woodie haven. When I get close to
the water I set the decoy bag down,
load my Winchester SX4 and slowly
stalk the tiny marsh. Woodies have
extremely good eyesight and for
this challenging brand of hunting
you need to be fully camouflaged
Author, Kenny Darwin, with adult male wood duck that fell prey to
his decoying tricks. The author prefers to use a Winchester SX3
auto loader 12 ga. but recommends using #4 steel shot in 2 ¾-in.
shells for close up decoying shots.
including face, gun and hands, the
works. Over the years I’ve learned
from trial and error that the faster
you rush woodies the fewer birds
you harvest. The trick is to approach
in a crouched position, gun ready
and move “slow as molasses in
winter” making frequent stops while
hiding behind trees, brush and cat-
tails. The challenge is to spot wood
ducks before they see you and slip
within shotgun range. Jump shoot-
ing woodies is always a challenge,
exciting and gets your adrenaline
pumpin’ for the afternoon hunt.
For this brand of in-your-face
fast flying duck hunting you don’t
need a large decoy spread. I usually
bring a half dozen Avian X wood
duck decoys and a couple motion
mallard decoys. MOJO spinning
wing decoys will get the job done
but I prefer water motion decoys
that send ripples across the placid
marsh and draw woodies from un-
believable distances. Incoming wild
birds detect the water moving, zero
in on the decoys and dive for the
spread. My decoy of choice for wa-
ter motion is the Wonderduck Cy-
clone Mallard Butt and Wonderduck
Magic Skimmer spinning wing.
Both water motion decoys operate
on 2 D-size flashlight batteries for
about 30 hours. The water motion
decoys bring the stagnant traditional
decoys to life, make the decoys look
like they are swimming and splash-
ing and they send water motion in
every direction. Wild ducks detect
the motion at great distances and
come close to investigate. More of-
ten than not they see the decoys, cup
wings and zoom into easy range.
Many times birds dive for the
decoys on the first pass, unan-
nounced, and believe me woodies
are very fast flying ducks and they
frequently catch you off guard.
Few thrills in hunting can compete
with the jet-like howling, swoosh-
ing sound of woodie wings as birds
attempt to land in the decoys. This
is close-range shooting inside 30
yards and the action is fast and
furious; one second you are relaxed
waiting for ducks, the next you are
desperately trying to get a bead on
ducks that are so close you can see
their eyes blink. Zoom, and they are
gone just as fast as they appeared.
Other times they spot the spread
but before they can slow speed they
fly behind trees, out of sight, many
times preparing for another tree top
fly by. Wood ducks can zoom in and
out of trees like no other duck and
frequently you have to snap shoot
though leafy openings.
It is not unusual for a flock to
zip past and before you can get off
a shot they are hidden by leaves and
branches and disappear from sight.
This leaves you sitting on pins and
Skinny water page 22
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 21
Skinny water woodies:
from page 20
needles waiting for birds to fly by
at close range. But sometimes they
don’t show up until later and sud-
denly appear and blitz the spread,
providing top notch fast-paced gun-
ning action.
It is no secret Michigan’s mal-
lard population is at an all-time low
and the resource is not recovering
fast. Ponds, marshes and waterways
once loaded with mallards are now
filled with woodies and teal. Wood
ducks do not hang around Michi-
gan when snow falls. Wood ducks
have migrated south when leaves
fall and the treetops are bare wood.
Therefore, wood hunts only last a
few short weeks during October and
early November if fall weather is
mild.
In recent years, with depressing
duck numbers on state game wet-
lands, I’ve concentrated on wood
duck hunting small marshes, riv-
ers, streams, flooded woodlots and
locations having no duck hunting
pressure. Many times hunts are
very productive, exciting and sort
of a cake walk when compared to
the crowded conditions and boring
state waterfowl hunts. The trick to
unbelievable fast shooting fun and
birds aplenty often hinges on your
ability to find ducks and set up in
their dining area.
This is not the brand of water-
fowling where you simply toss out
decoys on an open river. No sir, you
are best off scouting, locating wood-
ies and setting up near oak trees or
weeping willows where woodies
want to land. Forget about building
a duck blind, use available foli-
age and tree branches or stumps as
cover. Make certain to wear a face
mask, camo gloves and be com-
pletely camouflaged from the super
sharp eyes of wild woodies.
I grew up in Midland County
and cut my teeth on wood duck
hunting by stalking through the
flooded timber of the Kawkawlin
Creek flooding. I learned in the ’60s
how to slowly wade through flooded
thick brush and jump shoot woodies.
The trick to success hinged on my
ability to restrict body movement
and make slow motion silent steps
to avoid making a wake in the water.
Wild wood ducks are more difficult
to stalk than any other duck and
they are a challenge to approach and
get in shotgun range. The lessons I
learned at the flooding were ap-
plied to the winding Tittabawassee
River, Nayanquing Point, Saginaw
During mid-day spend time stalking woodies in local marshes, along
ditches, streams or flooded timber. Wear complete camouflage and
stealthfully approach likely woodie hideouts. Wood ducks have ex-
ceptional eyesight and getting in shotgun range requires a stealthy
approach. Move slowly; avoid making noise, waves or herky/jerky
body movement; use trees or brush to block your approach. Re-
main motionless when you see birds and creep into range.
Bay shore, Reedsburg Dam flood- I love male wood ducks and
ing, Backus Creek flooding, Pere admire their beautiful feathers. I
Marquette State Forest flooding, use the duck feathers when tying
Haymarsh flooding and many, many flies and steelhead jigs. When I’m
more. Jump shooting woodies is a hunting I try to single out males for
challenge on any Michigan water- harvest, which is a difficult task in
way, river, creek, beaver pond, trout the low light of early morning or
creek, timber flooding or marsh. late evening when ducks are on the
I’m still using the same sneaky tac- move.
tics today to stalk along waterways Now comes the best part, fresh
with shotgun in ready position and wood duck on the grill. I just have
jump shoot ducks. to admit wild wood duck rolled in
In recent years I’ve taken a more olive oil, wrapped in bacon and
mature stance regarding hunting grilled is a sportsman’s treat. Hey,
ducks and I tend to sit over decoys. ever noticed how woodies feed-
You know I’m the king of motion ing on acorns have the best tasting

MICHIGAN E-BIKE
decoys and use battery powered
swimming decoys to attract ducks
like a natural tornado. I’ve learned
if you are set up correctly you will
decoy all the ducks in the area.
1000 Watt Perhaps the most important tool
Rear Hub Drive for my success is a fold out cam-
flesh? Same holds true for squirrels
and deer. The trick to grilling duck
is to make certain you do not over-
cook the tasty flesh. Ideal cooking
leaves the bacon done and the center
of the duck breast slightly pinkish.
Always eat woodies fresh, forget

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or cold drinks. I place the chair near
trees, brush, flooded grasses, where
it is hidden. Now, here’s the trick,
QuietKat Ambush make certain to turn the chair so you
$3,299 can get off several shots without
standing. Since I’m right handed I
always have my left side parallel to
the decoys, which allows me to pull
up, swing and fire multiple shots at
ducks flying over the decoys.
freezing the meat.
Here’s the kicker. Every day
is opening day if you take your
duck hunting to a whole new level
and seek out miniature waterways,
beaver ponds, streams and hidden
marshes. Plus, if you are in the
mood for a nature hike or exercise
nothing beats the aroma of the Octo-
ber forest, the beauty of the colorful
leaves and the excited flush of a
wild duck in close range.n

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22 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 Waterfowl hunting information
I
t’s time to don that camouflage
for hunting ducks and geese
in Michigan! Area wildlife
managers have been working
hard all summer to make sure that
migrating waterfowl have great
habitat conditions on Michigan’s
state game and wildlife areas this
fall. Here’s some important informa-
tion for waterfowl hunters.
Goose Seasons
Canada geese, white-fronted
geese (or specklebellies) and brant
are now part of a dark goose aggre-
gate daily bag limit. From Now-
Sept. 30, the dark goose aggregate
daily bag limit for Canada geese,
white-fronted geese and brant is
five, only one of which can be a
brant. After Sept. 30, the daily limit
for dark geese is five, only three of
which can be Canada geese and one
of which can be a brant.
In simpler terms, hunters can
harvest five dark geese per day in
September, only one of which can
be a brant. All five dark geese har-
vested could be Canada geese. After
9 and Dec. 15 - Feb. 14, 2019
• Muskegon County GMU –
Oct. 16 - Nov. 13 and Dec. 1-22
Duck Seasons
Regulation changes for 2018-
2019 include an increased pintail
limit. Hunters may take two pintails
per day this season. Also new this
year for our nonresident waterfowl
hunters, a nonresident seven-day or
a non-resident three-day small game
license allows the purchase of a wa-
terfowl license without the purchase
of a nonresident base license.
Waterfowl hunting regulations
and bag limits can be found in the
2018-2019 Michigan Waterfowl
Hunting Digest. Digests are avail-
able at DNR Customer Service Cen-
ters, wildlife field offices and license
agents or on the web at michigan.
gov/waterfowl.
• North Zone – Sept. 29 - Nov.
25 and Dec. 1-2
• Middle Zone – Oct. 6 - Dec. 2
and Dec. 15-16
• South Zone – Oct. 13 - Dec. 9
and Dec. 29-30
of other wetland-dependent wildlife. waterfowl stamp program and how
Since the beginning, these areas you can support conservation efforts
have been funded by hunting license in Michigan through the purchase
fees, but they are open for anyone to of collector’s-edition waterfowl
visit, use and enjoy most of the year. stamps and prints at michigan.gov/
This fall, why not check out one of waterfowl.
Michigan’s Wetland Wonders? The stamp is a voluntary pur-
Waterfowl Stamp chase and does not replace the state
waterfowl hunting license. MDHA
Governor’s Edition will mail waterfowl hunters a free
The Michigan Duck Hunters
copy of the standard-edition stamp
Association, in cooperation with (subject to availability) if they send
the Michigan DNR, has introduced
a self-addressed, stamped envelope
the 2018 special Governor’s Edi- with a copy of their Michigan wa-
tion Michigan duck stamp and print.
terfowl hunting license to: MDHA
This special edition features a pair of Waterfowl Stamp Program, P.O.
American wigeons in flight, by wild-
Box 186, Kawkawlin, MI 48631.
life artist Christopher Smith, with
Governor Snyder’s signature. Only Help Stop Invasives
100 copies of the Governor’s Edition Invasive plants and animals like
print are available, along with 200 phragmites, European frogbit and
copies of the special-edition stamp. zebra mussels can cause significant
A standard version of the 2018 harm to wildlife habitat, reduce
Michigan duck stamp, featuring the hunting opportunities and damage
artwork only without the governor’s equipment.
signature, also is available. Invasive species often are spread
The Michigan Duck Hunters As- unintentionally. Microscopic organ-
sociation is a nonprofit organization isms and aqu atic vegetation readily
dedicated to waterfowl and wetland attach to equipment, and without

Sept. 30, hunters can still harvest
five dark geese per day; however,
only three can be Canada geese, and
only one can be a brant.
TEST DRIVE
conservation. Proceeds from stamp proper steps to remove them, are
Managed sales will be used to fund MDHA unknowingly transported from one
Waterfowl Areas projects, with 10 percent used to lake, river or wetland to another.
Michigan’s Wetland Wonders match DNR funding for purchas- Prevent the spread of invasive spe-

AND SAVE DURING

Three Canada geese can be har- are the seven premier managed ing wetlands. Learn more about the cies and protect waterfowl habitat.n
waterfowl hunt areas in the state:

TEST DRIVE
DRIVE
vested daily after Sept. 30, and the

remainder of the aggregate daily bag
limit can be filled with two white-
fronted geese or a white-fronted
goose and a brant. This change was
made to make it easier for hunters
to harvest any of the goose species
they encounter during the season.
An aggregate bag limit is also
in place for light geese, including
snow, blue and Ross’s geese. Hunt-
ers may harvest 20 light geese per
day during goose seasons.
• North Zone – Now - Dec. 16
• Middle Zone – Now - Sept. 30
and Oct. 6 - Dec. 21.
• South Zone – Now - Sept. 30,
Oct. 13 - Dec. 9, Dec. 29-30 and
Jan. 26 - Feb.11, 2019
• Allegan County GMU – Now -
HARVEST
Fennville Farm Unit at the Allegan
State Game Area (Allegan County),
Fish Point State Wildlife Area (Tus- TEST
AND
cola County), St. Clair Flats State
AND SAVE DURING
AND SAVE DURING
SAVE DURING
DEMO DAYS
Wildlife Area on Harsens Island (St.
Clair County), Muskegon County
Wastewater Facility (Muskegon HARVEST
HARVEST
County), Nayanquing Point State DEMO DAYS
DEMO DAYS
Wildlife Area (Bay County), Pointe
Mouillee State Game Area (Monroe
DEMO DAYS
and Wayne counties) and Shiawas-
see River State Game Area (Sagi-
naw County).
These areas, scattered across the
southern Lower Peninsula, were cre-
ated in the 1960s to provide excep-
tional waterfowl hunting opportuni-
ties, and are still managed today to
provide waterfowl habitat for nest- Shown: Retriever 1000 Flexhauler and eMAX 20S HST

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Make Mine a Magnum
The Larger The Lure, The Better Fall Walleye Seem To Like It...
I
n the fall of the year
outdoorsmen talk a lot
about magnum this and
magnum that. If your
goal is to reach out and
touch distant deer, ducks
or geese, for sure a magnum rifle,
muzzleloader or shotgun is going to
be in your future.
If October and November finds
you chasing more walleye than
whitetails, the same magnum phi-
losophy is going to put fish in the
boat. No matter if you’re fishing live
bait, soft plastic baits or crankbaits,
the larger the lure, the better fall
walleye seem to like it.
Understanding Walleye
In the fall of the year, walleye
go on a feeding binge, but these fish
aren’t setting their sights on devour-
ing every forage fish they encounter.
Instead, walleye seem to instinctive-
ly know that selectively feeding on
larger forage fish will better allow
them to pack on fat reserves before
the long and lean months of winter
arrives.
In Great Lakes waters it’s
common for walleye to turn their
noses up at the emerald shiners they
snacked on all spring and summer,
preferring instead in the fall to chow
down on larger, fatty and more
protein rich forage species. Alewife,
gizzard shad and smelt are the three
forage species that walleye
seek out above all others
when the water tempera-
tures start to dip below 50
degrees.
A similar situation oc-
curs among walleye living
in natural lakes. Many of
Michigan’s best in-land
walleye fisher-
ies like Burt and By Mark Romanack
Mullet Lakes
feature lake herring or cisco. Like
alewives, smelt and gizzard shad,
these natural lake forage minnows
grow large and provide walleye with
the ideal late season diet supplement
of fat and protein.
White suckers and young of
the year lake whitefish are other
abundant natural lake forage species
that find themselves singled out by
protein seeking walleye.
Bait Size Matters
Size matters a great deal among
fishermen who target walleye in
natural lakes. The typical three
inch minnows walleye anglers use
in the spring and summer months
will catch fish in the fall, but simply
switching to larger four, five or six
24 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
In the fall of the year the author spends a lot of time trolling oversized
crankbaits for walleye. Bigger baits like the Rapala No. 18 Minnow and
Bagley Rumble B series often produce a better grade of fish.
inch chubs and sucker minnows
pays off in more and bigger fish.
A good way to fish these
larger baits is with a slip sinker rig
equipped with an oversized No. 1/0
or 2/0 octopus hook. To keep larger
baits on bottom requires bumping
up to 1/2, 3/4 or perhaps one ounce
walking sinkers and/or single arm
bottom bouncers.
The best approach is to
drift or slow troll using an
electric motor along deep
water weed edges, structure
breaks, deep water reefs or
main lake points that taper
into deep water. It’s im-
portant when fishing larger
minnows to let
the walleye bite
and run off with
the minnow be-
fore setting the hook. I like to keep
the bail on the reel open and my fin-
ger on the line. When I feel a bite, I
simply let the line slip off my finger
and feed the fish slack line for about
10 to 15 seconds before reeling up
the slack and setting the hook.
Big Cranks Rule
The same bigger is better bait
theory is true of Great Lakes trollers
who typically use crankbaits to tar-
get fall walleye. Larger than normal
crankbaits routinely produce big
when walleye start targeting larger
forage species.
Some of my all-time favorite
walleye crankbaits for fall fishing
include the Rapala Original Float-
ing Minnow No. 18, Reef Runner’s
800 Series, the Reef Runner 900
Series stickbait, Bagley’s Rumble B
13, Smithwick’s Perfect 10 and the
Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow Magnum.
Many of these lures are larger stick-
baits that have a modest dive curve.
To get these baits deeper I com-
monly fish them using the Off Shore
Tackle snap weights or lead core, a
sinking fishing line.
Using snap weights is a simple
to use and practical means of getting
crankbaits to deeper depths. Lots of
guys prefer the snap weight option
because they can use their normal
trolling rods, reels and fishing line.
Any crankbait can be fished in
combination with any snap weight
size by simply consulting the Preci-
sion Trolling Data phone app and
looking up the diving depth of the
crankbait at a specific lead length
and then looking up the diving depth
of the snap weight at select lead
lengths and adding the two numbers
together.
The Precision Trolling Data
phone apps are available for both
Android and iPhone users. A more
precise method of fishing crankbaits
in combination with snap weights is
also available from Precision Troll-
ing Data and is called the 50 Plus 2
Method.
The 50 Plus 2 Method pairs
up select crankbait models with a
pre-determined lead length of 50
feet and also a two ounce Off Shore
Tackle snap weight. Once a lure is
selected and the 50 foot leader is de-
ployed, the two ounce snap weight
is placed on the line and additional
“dropper lead” is played out.
The PTD app provides precise
depths for 16 different walleye
crankbaits, on lead lengths out to
150 feet and at two popular trolling
speeds including 1.5 and 2.5 MPH.
For a list of the 16 baits currently
tested in the 50 Plus 2 Method, sim-
ply visit www.precisiontrollingdata.
com and click on the tab labeled app
content list.
As time goes on, more crank-
baits and snap weight sizes will
be added to the 50 Plus 2 Method,
eliminating the need to add the snap
weight data to the crankbait dive
curve data.
Lead core is a sinking line that is
commonly used to troll both shal-
low and deep diving crankbaits. The
most common lead core sizes among
walleye anglers are 18 and 27 pound
test. Both of these lead core lines
share the same soft lead wire core,
but the thickness of the Dacron or
Spectra braid sheath is different.
Modern Spectra braid lead core
lines such as Tuff Line’s Micro Lead
is thinner in diameter than tradi-
tional Dacron lead cores. The thin-
ner diameter reduces friction while
trolling and enables this line to fish
deeper compared to traditional Da-
cron coated lead core.
The most common way to fish
crankbaits with lead core is to set up
a segmented rig that consists of 200
yards of backing line, double uni
knotted to a specific amount of lead
core line which is in turn terminated
to 30 feet of fluorocarbon leader ma-
terial. The bait, leader and lead core
line are all played out and an in-line
board is attached to the backing line
so two, three or more rigs can be
fished on each side of the boat.
Walleye fishermen will find that
two, three, four and five color lead
core set ups are the most practical
for trolling with crankbaits.
Don’t Overlook
Big Swimbaits
Soft plastic swimbaits are
another class of artificial lure that
do an excellent job of triggering
strikes from fall walleye. The best
swimbaits are made from ultra-soft
plastics that not only mimic the pro-
file of baitfish, but also their natural
swimming action.
A couple of my favorite swim-
baits are the Z-Man six inch Swim-
merZ and the five inch PaddlerZ.
Both of these baits are made using
Magnum page 26
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 25
Magnum:
from page 24
a unique ultra-soft and stretchy
plastic known as ElaZtech. Unlike
other plastic baits that are delicate
and easily torn up by the sharp teeth
of walleye, ElaZtech baits have
the unique characteristic of being
ultra-soft, yet ultra-tough and long
lasting.
The PaddlerZ has the added
advantage of being factory scented
with Pro Cure Super Gel fishing
scent. The chemical make-up of
ElaZtech plastic allows oily fishing
scents like Pro Cure to soak into the
plastic, creating a natural and long
lasting scent stream in the water.
These scent impregnated baits come
packed in resealable plastic bags.
Plastic swimbaits can be rigged
on oversized weighted wide bend
hooks like the 5/0 Trokar TK170
or jigheads that feature extra-large
swimbait friendly hooks.
Everything Fishes
Better With Scent
In the fall when water temps
are colder not only do larger lures
and baits catch more walleye, using
natural scent products also helps
anglers catch more and bigger fish.
Most commercial fishing scents are
made up primarily of either anise oil
VALID 9/15/18 THROUGH 11/30/18
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transaction. Excludes: taxes, prior purchases, gift cards, extended warranties, licenses, store credit, services
or excluded items detailed in-store, or at fieldandstreamshop.com/Exclusions. Cannot be combined with other
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26 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
These chunky walleye came from the Saginaw River late last fall and
were taken fishing jigs with oversized soft plastics. Author photos
or pure garlic oil.
Anise and garlic scents are used
to mask foreign odors on fishing
lures. Walleye fishing scents made
from real forage fish, crustaceans,
nightcrawlers and leeches do a bet-
ter job of attracting fish. Pro Cure
Bait Scents is the leader in natural
fishing scents. Pro Cure’s Super Gel
is made by dehydrating natural bait,
grinding it into a powder and mixing
it back into a sticky gel formula that
stabilizes the scent against spoilage
and helps it stick to soft plastics,
hard baits and even live bait.
The result is fishing scents that
are not only natural, but potent
enough to create a lasting scent
stream in the water. When targeting
fall walleye I like to match the hatch
by using scents that also match the
primary forage species.
In the fall of the year, Pro Cure’s
gizzard shad, alewife and smelt are
all good choices. The colder the
water becomes in the fall, the more
fishing scents become essential to
consistent success.
The down side to using oily and
sticky fishing scents is a residue re-
mains on baits and must be removed
with soap and water. I carry a small
bottle of Joy dishwashing soap, a
small plastic wash basin and a scrub
brush in my boat for cleaning lures.
Cleaning lures not only gets rid
of the fish scent residue, it removes
any foreign odors from baits. While
you are at it, wash your hands to
eliminate human scent and other un-
natural odors like sunscreen, gaso-
line, tobacco and skin care products.
Wrapping It Up
Using magnum sized hard baits,
soft plastics and live bait are great
ways to put more and bigger wall-
eye in the boat this fall. The “big
bait” bite starts in October and lasts
right up until ice puts an end to the
open water fishing fun. This fall
when targeting walleye, go big or go
home.n
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 27

Boat maintenance starts before the season ends
By Mark Martin
L
ate summer... The water’s cooling, rec-
reational boat traffic’s down and the fish
catching is better than ever. The last thing
I think about is winterizing my boat for season’s
end… or is it?
Part of the responsibility of owning a boat,
whether it’s a large craft or basic rowboat, is
proper care of the vessel, even when you are not
using it. And if you start the process now, the
tasks won’t overwhelmingly come all at once
when the air turns bitter-cold and the lakes sud-
denly freeze over.
Although it may be months before I tarp it
and tuck it into the far corner of my pole barn,
there are many things I start doing now, main-
tenance wise, that saves me time and frustration
later on.
Gas Preparations
One of the first things to go bad in any mo-
tor or engine is the gasoline that runs through
it. Today’s gas is most definitely not the same
my grandfather used—it’s much more pure and
volatile; thus it turns for the worse faster than the
gasoline of yesteryear ever did. Nowadays, gas
that is only a month old is considered very old.
This is the time of year I start mixing fuel
additives every time I fill up. This not only allows
the gasoline in my Lund’s tank to be treated the
best it can, but the gas that is going through the
lines of my main outboard and 9.9-hp four-stroke
outboards will have the additives needed to keep
the lines from corroding.
There are many different brands to choose
from when it comes to additives, and most all
work well. What I like to use is an additive that
not only stabilizes the gas so that it doesn’t go
bad, but also cleans fuel injectors and the like.
And I make sure the additive is fresh, as well; be-
cause like gasoline, these chemicals will turn sour
with age, too. To boot, outboards and inboards
that have been cleaned of residue and gunk will
be much easier to start during that first trip next
spring.
And additives are even more important for
trouble-free trips if you’ve been filling up with
gasoline with a high-ethanol content. (Check the
decal on the pump where you fill frequently for
percentages.)
Unfortunately, ethanol is beyond rough on
the fuel lines of outboard motors, especially older
ones, as the inner lining will disintegrate and
the minute gooey chunks of hose will clog fuel
injectors, carburetors, and line cylinders. It’s also
corrosive to many alloys and the like. Look for an
additive that stops ethanol damage if you’re not
using recreational (ethanol-free) gasoline.
Oh, and by the way… use ONLY recreational
gas (Rec gas) if you’re able. There’s so much
damage from using gas with ethanol to your
outboards—as well any lawn equipment and the
like—that the slight increase in cost is well worth
it.
In short, do not let gasoline with ethanol set
for a month without additives; as well only use
ethanol-free gas when you can.
Lube It Up
Early is better than late, and even more so
never, when it comes to changing grease and oil.
28 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Even though there’s still plenty of fishing left in the open water season, now is the time to
star t maintaining your boat for winter.
And it’s not only motor and engine oil and grease
that should be changed, but trailer bearings, as
well.
This is the time to change your motor/en-
gine’s lower unit oil, even though you may still
be using it; one reason to do this before storing
an outboard is just in case you have a seal leak.
Before putting the unit to bed for the season, you
can check the lower unit lube inspect for water
mixed in (which turns the oil thick and gray in
color).
Find a bad seal now and you can get the prob-
lem fixed immediately; which lessens the chance
of damage to gears while the weather’s still warm
and comfortable. This also allows you to check
it again later to make sure the problem’s been
remedied.
And adding fresh grease to all the Zerk fit-
tings on your motor/engine will keep the grease
ports filled and will keep water from entering,
freezing, expanding, and causing damage.
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling…
Trailer bearings are, by far, the most over-
looked piece of lubed equipment when it comes
to maintenance. It’s well worth the time and ef-
fort to maintain these at this time; the effort now
versus the damage to your trailer when one blows
because of lack of maintenance it tenfold.
Proper trailer bearing maintenance is a no-
brainer for me as I put on tens-of-thousands of
miles on my Trailmaster boat trailer while towing
my Lund to and from tournaments.
But even if you only tow a few miles to the
boat launch, the grease and oil in oil hubs need to
be changed every year. Lube breaks down with
age, whether it’s heavily used or not. Completely
replace the lube surrounding your trailer’s bear-
ings every year and you’ll save yourself from a
major trailer bearing catastrophe in the future.
All Charged Up
Dead batteries are the cause of more botched
fishing trips than anything else. And now that the
weather’s cooling, having quality batteries that
can keep a full charge is more important than
ever.
On board my Lund I have four Optima
marine batteries: one cranking battery for my
outboards, as well running my Lowrance elec-
tronics, and three continuous-draw for my 36-volt
bow-mounted trolling motor.
What I like about Optima marine batteries
(with a blue top) is that they are maintenance-free
and I’m able to charge them three-times more
than standard marine batteries. (FYI: Charging is
the hardest procedure on batteries than anything
else.) And if I am unable to charge my batteries
during a fishing trip, I am able to get three-times
as much use out of them in-between chargings, as
well.
If you still have life in your old batteries—
ones that are not maintenance-free—then by all
means pop the tops off and make sure they are
filled with water to the point of just covering the
grids. If the water’s low, or worse yet, gone, fill
them with DISTILLED water. One of the best
tools for filling marine batteries with water is a
turkey baster. Just dip the baster’s tip into the jug
of distilled water, fill, and then place the tip over
the battery’s fill hole and squeeze.
Overview
It’s hard to believe winter’s right around the
corner; whatever you do this fall, don’t put off
boat, motor, and trailer maintenance until the last
minute. Start the process now and you’ll find the
chore of winterizing easier and much better on
your equipment in the long run.
Mix additives with your gas to stabilize it,
as well as clean your motors/engines and thwart
ethanol problems. Change all oils and grease to
make sure there are no problems now or in the
future. And make sure your old batteries are up
to the task of taking and holding a charge; if not,
replace them with quality, maintenance-free units.
You’ll find all of these tasks well worth your time
and effort.
Mark Martin is a walleye tournament pro and
fishing-school instructor who lives in SW Lower
Michigan. Visit his website at markmartins.net
for more information.n
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ROSY BROTHERS INC. INC.
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MICHIGAN 48428
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810-796-3770
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Optional equipment may be shown. © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2018
in-stock inventory is available to qualified purchasers through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A.; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply.
Example: 60 monthly payments of $16.67 per $1,000 financed. Offer expires 12/31/18. See us or go to KubotaUSA.com for more information.
Optional equipment may be shown. © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2018

WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 29

 Spooning
FALL FISH
F By Jack Payne where
all fishing is
rod in hand
fishing with
spoons, which I love. And
the fall air is great to take in, colors
are wonderful and the fish are in
predictable locations.
More anglers are learning the
secrets of spoons for both open and
hard water fishing. Recently I sat
down with Pat O’Grady, the owner,
innovator and inventor of the PK
Spoon family. He shared some
really cool insights in the spoon
fishery.
“I spent a lot of time laying
on the ice, belly down, face over
an open hole staring at fish” said
Pat O’Grady. He explained that
he needed to actually see how bait
fish moved through the water, how
wounded bait fish moved and how
panfish and gamefish reacted. He
then spent considerable time casting
and checking his baits and lures in a
swimming pool. Pat suggested that
all anglers find a swimming pool
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30 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
they can test
all of their lures. Jigs,
spoons, plastics, it
doesn’t matter.
This lead to Pat creating the
PK spoons, which includes the
Flutter Fish, the Predator and the
Panic spoons. Each is designed for
a particular presentation. Some fall
very quickly, others flutter more. It
depends on the wind, the current,
the depth and the mood of the fish.
I really enjoy the flutter fish. The author with an eater size walleye caught on a Swedish Pimple.
Vertically jigged it is awesome. It
really dances and moves side to the rod frequently. shorelines, tight sharp breaklines
side. There are various sizes with Tony Roach, legendary angler that run very close to shore and any
the smaller sizes great on perch, and instructor told me, “Late fall remaining green weeds. One other
bluegill and crappie. The larger fish are in schools, dependable good location is deep points or bars.
sizes work great on gamefish. The locations and will be on these spots “Jigging Raps and the Rip N
small spoons are really tearing up at first ice. Carry a hand held GPS Rap have been excellent late fall
the perch. so that you can mark and return to and winter baits,” said Roach. The
In deep water you drop it down these hot spots.” jigging rap also works great on deep
and give the spoon a hard pop. In The exception to this might be water fished when fished vertically.
shallow water you can cast them to the walleye. Walleye will be found “Late fall and early winter crap-
the shoreline and swim them back in both first ice locations and in pie are suspended fish,” said Roach.
or pop them back. When trolling it after dark feeding locations. After It’s not uncommon to find schools in
is suggested to hold the rod and pop dark locations include rocky rip rap 25-40 feet of water suspended 10-20
YOUR ARGO DEALER
feet down. Also search out for deep
points with some green cabbage
weeds.
Roach said fish vertical and keep
one line straight below the trans-
ducer. You will see your lure on the
screen of your graph.
“Gill anglers should scale down
their spoon or teardrop sizes,” added
Roach. Good color choices include
reds, pinks, chartreuse and blacks.
Remember to change colors often.
Water clarity, the sun and other fac-
tors can change throughout the day.
If your line goes slack, hit it quickly.
Tony spends a lot of time guid-
ing winter perch and he loves deep
basins and shallow flats. He looks
for structure and items that stand
out. He suggested looking for any
type of transition from mud to soft
bottom, sand to silt or rocks to sand
silt. Watch your graph, it will show
a different color change on the bot-
tom if tuned properly. Blue is com-
monly soft with green and yellow
harder. Mark these spots!
Search for anything different on
the bottom. It could be logs, fallen
over weeds, green grass or rocks.
These spots become the spot on the
spot.
Perch love spoons! You can
tip the spoon with spikes, waxies,
plastic or a combination. A one-
inch piece of plastic should be on
your spoon at all times. Remember
that perch roam all day. Thus, you
should move as well. One of his fa-
vorite spoons is the Buckshot spoon
in fire tiger or white/orange. When
you catch a perch check its belly
and see what they are feeding on.
“I scout for whatever I am
after” said Roach. Scout for fish as
if you were hunting. Spend consid-
erable time on your favorite lake
graphing the lake looking for bot-
tom changes, things on the bottom,
drop-offs and points. Record each
in a log book, save the way points.
Some of the best anglers that I know
carry a laminated sheet with details
on each lake. The more that you
learn about your body of water the
better an angler you will be come.
Ken Clark, a traveling guide,
calls White Lake his home based
port. He guides for walleye and
perch during the late year and is a
master with spoons. If you want to
learn how to spoon for walleyes or
perch, Ken is the guy. Vertical fish-
ing over the deep water for perch is
fun and the eating even better. Con-
tact Ken at fishmascharters.com.
There are two jigging baits that
Ken carries with him. One is the
White River Tackle Luna spoon in
the ½ ounce weight. Color, anything
with glow! Next choice is the #9
jigging Rapala. Both baits will catch
perch and walleye and both are best
fished on Fireline and tied directly
to the lure. No snap or extra hard-
ware.
Daryl Christensen won more
money using jigs and spoons than
any other angler. He is a fabulous
jig angler and come fall a Hopkins
spoon will be on his line. Daryl uses
mono line on spoons. He likes the
fall and the forgiveness working
with mono.
He hooks his spoon to a snap
and prefers to cast out to fish on the
bottom. Cast as far as you can, let
it sink with your bail open. Once
on the bottom close your reel, then
reel in the slack and let it sit for 3-4
seconds. Then start a series of lifts
and drops. Set the hook if anything
feels different. Do not be surprised
that a fish will pick the spoon up off
of the bottom and hold onto it for a
few seconds, much like grabbing a
dead bait off of the bottom.
Vertical jig for 5-15 seconds be-
fore reeling your spoon up. At times
a fish will follow the spoon and then
hammer it as you start vertically
jigging it upward. Daryl will use
spoons in depths of 5 feet or depths
of 80 feet.
“I am a proactive angler always
in search of fish” said Christensen.
He relies on his electronics, both
down scan and side view. One fall
tip, fish the green cabbage weeds
if you can find them. If the patch is
huge, Daryl will troll a small spoon
while picking apart the weed patch
as you move along. Once a fish
is hooked or something unique or
unusual shows itself he will stop and
drop down the trolling motor and
fan cast the area.
“I also look for long deep
points, both visual and underwater
points,” said Christensen. Steep
breaks are critical in the fall, the
sharper the better for many species.
Silver is his go to color in clear wa-
ters and golds in the darker waters.
In closing, this past season we
played around with the Swedish
Pimple. It’s made in Gladstone. The
owners granted us a tour during
deer season. It really is one cool
operation and every lure is touched
numerous times by a human hand.
Each spoon is hand produced,
polished and painted. This spoon
was an original spoon dating back
many decades, way before many
anglers understood the effectiveness
of spoons.
The Swedish Pimple is denser
and works great with a snap action.
This spoon is extremely good on
the piers, deep water and where
bottom currents can be found.
Pop it up and let it flutter down.
It will dart side to side. We landed
walleye, perch and pink salmon on
these spoons. Lake trout, Menomi-
nee, pike and whitefish love the
Swedish Pimple.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 31
 eer season 2018 will
be the last season for
baiting in the Lower
Peninsula because
of the concern of
chronic wasting
disease. Some wildlife biologists
believe the disease is spread by nose
to nose contact, while other wildlife
biologists have come to believe the
disease is spread by body fluids,
mostly from deer urine. Several
states and some Cana-
dian provinces have
banned the use of deer
urine. Michigan has
banned deer urine from
all deer farms except
the ones approved by
the Archery Trade As-
sociation.
We anticipated
this day would come
two years ago, where
synthetic scents would
come into their own,
and we weren’t By Fred Abbas
alone. In fact most of
the major suppliers to the bigger box
stores such as Bass Pro, Cabela’s,
Dick’s, etc. had come to this same
conclusion. But by this time we
had already developed several new
synthetic scents. Last year one of
the biggest suppliers in the hunting
industry approached A-Way Hunt-
ing Products and made an offer we
couldn’t refuse to buy our synthetic
“Scent Web” patent. During this
same time frame another big com-
pany bought our “Dual Grunter”
deer call patent. These products
sustained A-Way Hunting Products
for a number of years but once we
formed our new company, A-Way
Outdoors Invention Consulting and
Submission, we moved in a different
highly rewarding direction, one in
which we have the ability to really
help inventors.
Ironically, by selling these
patents we inadvertently created a
repercussion we never saw coming.
For the first time in about 20 years,
we had to cancel our booth space
and seminars at the Woods-N-Water
News Outdoor Weekend show
because we no longer had any deer
products to sell.
Being inventors, Greg and I
invented four new synthetic deer at-
tractant scents which were immedi-
ately scooped up (licensed) by a ma-
jor player in the industry. Since our
deer season was fast approaching we
had to invent other synthetic scents
for our own use, sort of reminding
32 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
me about the shoemaker’s son who
needed a pair of shoes. We love syn-
thetic scents not only because they
are an “all season” curiosity type
scent, but because you can build and
heighten a buck’s sense of curiosity
much beyond normal, this cannot
be done with natural scents. We
constantly switch up scents through-
out the season to keep the bucks
interested and curious, and bringing
them back time and again. Being
seminar speakers gives
us the opportunity
to speak to countless
hunters from the Mid-
west to the Northeast;
their favored subject is
mostly about scent use.
Alarmingly, too
many of these hunters
believe the rut time
frame to be the “con-
version period” where
they switch to “estrus”
urine only. That
mindset reminded
me of the old days
where I was taught to whistle to
stop deer, and worse, ignore scrapes
unless they were made during the
rut. Actually we make and use mock
scrapes throughout the season ef-
fectively, and firmly believe this to
be the deadliest tactic of all. How
else can you directly communicate
with bucks? There is no other sign
in the woods that gives up so much
information as a scrape.
Instead of relying solely on
an estrus scent why not make two
mock scrapes side by side, several
feet apart using both a curiosity
scent and an estrus scent? Here’s
why, not all bucks come into the rut
at the same time, and some bucks
even opt out of the rut altogether,
but all bucks will remain curious all
of the time. That way you cover all
your bases.
We usually start our double
mock scrape tactic around Hal-
loween. Last season we had to
temporarily break off our hunt on
November 2 because we would be
giving a seminar at Plaid Shirt Night
in Capac later that evening. It was
to be a pep rally, and that it was
with over 500 dedicated fired up
deer hunters. Greg and I had such a
great time with this friendly crowd
that we are pleased to announce that
we will be speaking there again on
November 1. We can’t wait.
We continued the hunt the next
day arriving in camp around noon.
We immediately set out our mock
Greg (left) and Fred Abbas with Greg’s 2017 trophy buck. The father and
son deer hunting team make and use mock scrapes throughout the sea-
son effectively, and firmly believe this to be the deadliest tactic of all.
scrapes near two of our Imperial
Whitetail clover food plots while
the local bucks were safely tucked
away in their bedding areas. These
food plots were getting hammered so
much that we envisioned our game
plan to go something like this. The
bucks would be lured into these food
plots not only by estrus does, but by
the powerful draw of these delicious
food plots, then the strong aroma
of the scrapes would siphon them
into range. We would be hunting out
of our Shadow Hunter blinds and
decided to stay for the evening hunt.
I love comfort in my old age, espe-
cially after having spent 13 years on
Outdoor television and the ruthless
elements Mother Nature threw at
us from around the globe. I often
wondered why, if given a choice,
more young hunters with their smart
phones and hunters over 40 who
experienced the elements, don’t hunt
from one of these blinds? Truth is
the local deer herd within a few days
will view these blinds as just another
tree in the woods.
Deer started filtering into our
food plots mere minutes after get-
ting into our blinds. It didn’t take
long before Greg drew first blood,
the excited call came in at exactly 4
p.m. Greg said he hit a big buck, I
wasted no time in getting there. Greg
was waiting for me to help track his
buck, not that he really needed help,
he just wanted to share his excit-
ing hunt with me. In fact Greg, as I
found out later, actually witnessed
the buck going down within 50 yards
of his blind after taking a double
lung hit with the bolt slicing com-
pletely through the buck. Of course
at the time Greg didn’t tell me about
that, instead allowing me to follow
the blood trail.
As Greg tells the story, this
gorgeous big 8-point buck indeed
fed across the food plot ending up
about 75 yards away from his blind
before getting a whiff of the aroma
emitting from the mock scrapes.
The buck turned and came directly
to one of the scrapes giving Greg a
perfect broadside shot. Wow, what
a thrilling finish to a plan that came
together.
On the very next day at last light
I was treated to an almost carbon
copy of Greg’s hunt when I wit-
nessed a very high racked buck who
initially looked like a shooter feeding
in the food plot. On closer examina-
tion through binoculars I could only
make out 6 points, his rack had a
main frame with potential, if given
another year, and that’s exactly what
I did when I let him walk after he
had spent considerable time going
from one scrape to another. As al-
ways, I enjoyed every second of the
season with family, camp cooking,
and my grand-dogs. I was already
looking forward to the next season.
For more information on A-
Way Hunting Products and A-Way
Outdoors Invention Consulting and
Submission; (989) 435-3879 or
www.awayhunting.com. Shadow
Hunter blinds; (888)446-4868 or
shadowhunterblinds.com. Whitetail
Institute; (800)-688-3030 or infow-
hitetailinstitute.com.n
 24th Annual

Pep Rally for

Deer Hunters
Featuring Fred Abbas
• Former Co-Host of TV’s A-Way Outdoors
• Ranks #1 all-time in the state of Michigan
for Trophy Buck entries in the record books.
• Currently has 60 bucks registered in the
trophy books of CBM, Pope & amp; Young,
Buckmasters and Longhunters Society.
Most of them taken with bow.
• Current record holder of Hillsdale County’s
non-typical bow kill, 183.5 gross.
• Inventor of the Bowgrunter Plus, Scent
Web, and several other hunting aids.
• The only Michigan hunter to officially tag and
register 4 trophy book bucks in one year
(1990, the last year to have a 4 buck limit.)
During this feat, Fred spent 88 straight days
afield. (And still married)
• Outdoor Writer
• Took early retirement to devote full time to
hunt Michigan trophy bucks.
• Invented 2 new and effective calling
techiques for “social” and “rutting” situations

Doors open at 5pm • Program starts at 7pm

For more info call J.R. at 586.201.9093
Thursday, November 1st, 2018
Capac High School
541 N GLASSFORD STREET • CAPAC, MI
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 33
 Ernest Hemingway...the hatchery
and historical Michigan fishing
By Rick Fowler Seney might have disappeared like
other small villages in the U.P. over
the many years, but it didn’t just
He watched them holding them- disappear. In fact, the mystique of
selves with their noses into the Papa Hemingway’s writing, the
current, many trout in deep, fast tales of the rugged population of
moving water slightly distorted as early Seney and the marvels of such
he watched far down through the unique topography have kept visi-
glassy convex surface of the pool… tors entranced for decades. Seney,
At the bottom of the pool were the however, is a great location to visit
big trout. Nick did not see them at in all seasons: hunting, fishing, color
first. Then he saw them at the bottom tours, mountain biking, hiking, cross
of the pool, big trout looking to hold country skiing, snowshoeing and
themselves at the gravel bottom snowmobiling.
in a mist of gravel and sand, Yet, the main draw for anglers
raised in spurts by the current. is the Fox River which runs through
“The Nick Adams Stories,” Seney. It is truly a picturesque

W
Ernest Hemingway
hen 20 year-old Ernest
Hemingway stepped
from the train with a
couple of buddies onto
the depot platform in Seney in 1919,
their quest was to fish specifically
for brook trout. This was when
Seney was young with an assort-
ment of saloons, brothels, a school
and a church. However, Hemingway
was able to resist the temptations
that Seney offered and he and his
stream flowing southeasterly from
Alger and Northern Schoolcraft
counties. There are campgrounds
This concrete walkway was par t of the fish runway, used as dykes which provide access to the river
to keep the fish healthy and moving. These walkways are plentiful system located very near Seney.
and today assist anglers when the waters are deep and dark. Without a doubt, the Fox River with
friends hiked north to find trout. the name of another Upper Penin- its branches, The East Branch, West
Hemingway eventually wrote about sula river for the title because it had Branch and the Little Fox offer
his trout fishing experience in the more poetry. some of the finest brook trout fish-
short story “The Big Two-Hearted Today, if it weren’t for the vivid ing in our state. An interesting note
River.” In reality, his angling at- descriptions from Hemingway, the is that natural reproduction is more
tempts for trout were actually on Fox River flowing through and the than sufficient to maintain good
the Fox River, He said he borrowed intersection of M-28 and M-77, populations, although 12,000 brook

CALL THE
HOTLINE

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SWINE
TO REPORT FERAL SWINE OR FOR
MORE INFORMATION PLEASE
CALL: USDA WILDLIFE SERVICES AT
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34 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS

trout are planted annually in the
main branch.
Interestingly, in 1933, the same
year the last Nick Adams story was
written, President Franklin Roos-
evelt established the Civilian Con-
servation Corp (CCC). This program
gave many unemployed Michigan
youths a chance to be gainfully
employed at one of the many CCC
sites around the state. One was
established at the Fox River. It was
destined to be the Fox River Feed-
ing Station where fish were reared
for the future stocking of rivers and
lakes. The station was located on the
west side of M-77, about nine miles
from Seney.
One of the features of the Rear-
ing Station was the “Big Pond,”
which was a quarter-mile long, 300
feet wide with a depth of 18 feet.
A crew from the Thompson Fish
Hatchery would deliver sub-legal
fish in the fall. They would then be
placed in the “Big Pond” to winter-
over until the spring planting. One
of the main duties for the Skeleton
crew at the station was to feed the
fish in the pond while also watch-
ing out for predators: animals, birds
and humans. In the spring, the
crews came back and lowered the
water level in the pond, then netted
and sorted the fish with the smaller
ones being put into the ponds along
Buck Pole Contest Nov. 15th & 16th 2018 2pm-9pm
Every Deer entered gets a prize!!!! - Daily Prizes for
the river while the larger fish were
planted in streams and rivers.
In the early 1950s, the Fox River
Feeding Station ceased to exist as
a feeding station due to fishermen
wanting to cast their lines for bigger
species like browns, salmon and
lake trout. Soon the “Big Pond”
was allowed to drain, the smaller
ones eventually became part of the
Fox River again and most buildings
were removed. The only evidence
of the activity that took place here
are the storage garage and the cooler
built into the side of hill, plus the
concrete walkways where the crew
would have observed and fed the
fish. There are also brick-like pavers
lining sections of the river used as a
source of erosion control.
The area today is a rustic
campground but remains a beautiful
location. The Nick Adams stories
brought some solace to young men
coming home from the ravages of
WWI, and sense of adventure and
hope for the future. Years later the
Rearing Station at the same locale
gave a sense of worth, accomplish-
ment and a chance for survival in
the midst of a country torn apart
by the Great Depression. The Fox
River area is still an escape, espe-
cially for anglers who don’t want to
troll, drift, or load their pockets with
tackle. There are sections that are
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so wild and overgrown it frustrates
many. There are sections where a
fly rod can be successful and others
where only a small spinning rod will
do.
I have been to the little village
and fished the nearby waters many
times with fly rod or spinning rod in
hand. Yet with each visit to the Fox
River there is a sense of adventure
and anticipation that might also have
awaited its most famous angler. As a
high school kid I read Hemingway’s
short stories with Adams as the
hero. He would walk down logging
roads until he found a spot away
from people and proceed to fish in The author poses with a Michigan
the solitude of the day. Most anglers Outdoor Writer’s Association plaque
would relish that sense of solitude dedicated to Ernest Hemingway
today. near where the Fox River Rearing
Yet, even if you don’t fish any Station was located. Author photos
section of this historic river, choos-
ing only to walk as much of its There was a tug on the line. Nick
banks as possible, there is a sense pulled against the taut line. It was his
of nostalgia. Especially if one is first strike. Holding the now living
familiar with Nick Adams or likes rod against the current, he brought in
the historical aspect of the camp that line with his left hand. The rod bent
used to be here nearly seventy years in jerks, the trout pumping against
ago. Either way the trout that inhabit the current. He knew it was a small
this river seem to be almost magi- one. Soon he held the trout with his
cal as they dart from bank to bank moist right hand while he unhooked
and mystical in their brief appear- the barb from its mouth…The trout
ance. Then, when one is hooked and rest on the gravel after the brief
brought to the net it is exciting to be battle, Nick’s fingers touched him
sure, but also satisfying in returning and soon he was gone. He’s alright
it to these historical waters. Nick thought. He was only tired.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 35
 Outdoor Weekend looks to year 33!
Hard not to reminisce about the early days and the help along the way
T
he planning for the
very first Woods-N-
Water News Outdoor
Weekend took only
a couple of months,
if that. Today it’s nearly a year
around job. Who would have
thought one day we would be
considering a 33rd Outdoor
Weekend. Not me, but we will
be doing just that!
The first Outdoor Weekend
had a dozen or so exhibitors.
Enough people attended to
make it worth our exhibitors
time. There weren’t many out-
door shows back then.
Now, 32 years have passed
and the Outdoor Weekend
draws several thousand visitors
each year and over 250 exhibi-
tors. The first 15 years we used
a small portion of the Eastern
Michigan Fairgrounds, today
we use it all and spill over into
the streets.
We’re newspaper people, not
show promoters so the learning
curve has been steep from time
to time. But we did learn our
visitors liked to chat first hand
with experts, see, touch and feel
the outdoors experience.
It’s hard not to reminisce
about those early days. It is such
a big part of my life and every-
one else here at Woods-N-Water
News.
Early on we booked the
most popular outdoor person-
alities from the mid-’80s, Jerry
Chippetta, Howard Shelley and
Bob Gardner from Michigan
Outdoors TV to name a few.
You could walk up to the Free
Press’s outdoor writer Dave
Richey and ask him a question.
Or Dave’s brother George who
was the state’s top antique lure
expert. Tom Huggler, a popular
outdoor writer and photographer
was always there. Tom was also
very important in helping us
in those early years, being our
spokesman for TV and radio, as
well as being a sounding board
for ideas
to improve
the Outdoor
Weekend.
Who
could ever
forget the hi-
larious antics
of Michigan’s
own Yoopers.
Randy Jorgensen
36 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
They were as talented as they
were funny and helped put the
Outdoor Weekend on the map.
Fred Trost, the outspoken
former Michigan Outdoors TV
host, visited as did his friend
Bill Yoder. Bill would bring
live deer, arctic fox and bobcats
for visitors to see and touch.
Richard English brought giant
whitetail bucks which people
would stare at in amazement.
Today Bob Sawmiller brings
black bears, grizzly bears, cou-
gars and wolves.
In the early ’90s we booked
others like Valerie and Verlen
Kruger, a husband and wife
team who kayaked through
North America on to the Ama-
zon River of South America.
They regularly talked with
radio host JP McCarthy on their
progress. On several occas-
sions we had Alabama’s Byron
Ferguson perform his incredible
archery skills. Byron could and
did shoot an asprin out of mid-
air. Always a highlight were
Michigan traditional archery
legends, Norm Blaker and Ron
LaClair. Norm often camped at
the fairgrounds with the frontier
and civil war encampments.
Let’s not forget the wonder-
ful folklore and dance of Native
American Reg Pettibone and his
family. Thousands of kids of all
ages have walked away with a
sense of awe on their faces.
As the years went on we had
visits from Jimmy Gretzinger
and Jenny Olsen from Michigan
Outdoors TV who did a few
shows from the Outdoor Week-
end. Ed Spinazzola, pictured here with his wife, Dianne at the Outdoor
Regular seminar speakers Weekend with a retirement cake to commemorate his many years
over the past 32 years have been as a popular food plot speaker and whitetail columnist.
Richard P. Smith, A-Way, Fred
and Greg Abbas, Tony LaPratt are the Eastern Michigan Fair Popular attractions remain
and Mr. Food Plot himself, Ed Board, Bob and Dave Zgnelic like Steve Francis, owner of
Spinazzola to name a few. Ed (Lumberjack Shack) Rick Bryan Country Smoke House who
has been a popular speaker for of Stihl Chainsaws, eXmark again offered his demonstration
many years and officially retired Lawn Equipment, Jim Novak of butchering and processing
from the show circuit this year. of Novak’s Supply and Jim your whitetail. Randy’s Hunting
We’ll miss his whitetail insight Adams of Freeway Sports Center was back with another
as well as his unique and enter- Center. huge gun auction.
taining speaking style. Of course the Outdoor So mark your calendar to
Thanks to many, we have a Weekend just wouldn’t be the attend the 33rd Outdoor Week-
32-year history to talk about and Outdoor Weekend without our end, September 6, 7 and 8, held
we thank Ray Clemens (Ray Puppy Tent, Chili Cook-Off at the Eastern Michigan Fair-
C’s Extreme Sports) and Dale Contest, a strong lineup of grounds in Imlay City.
Chapman (Chapman’s Sports seminars, Milt Wilcox’s Ulti- The entire Woods-N-Water
Center) as two who have exhib- mate Air Dogs National Cham- News staff has worked long
ited in every one of our Outdoor pionship competition, hundreds hard hours to make it something
Weekend’s. of exhibitors, the frontier and we are all very proud of.
Other people who have civil war encampments, and an Thank you all for a great
played key roles in the Outdoor
Weekend’s success of course
atmosphere of celebrating our
outdoor heritage.
event and a great run. See you
again in 2019. n
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 37
Brandon Cropsey...
Trail
Camera
Guru
...Accomplish Hunter
B
randon Cropsey is a Land Specialist
with Mossy Oak Properties. Brandon
not only knows the ins and outs of
buying and selling hunting property
but is an accomplished whitetail
hunter himself. Recently, Brandon
has taken some “once in a lifetime” sized bucks.
He really enjoys using trail cameras and
attributes some of his hunting success to
their use.
“Trail cams allow me to scout an
area pretty much undetected,” Brandon
says. “I don’t run cameras much from
March to June. Once the antlers fall off
there isn’t a lot to see until summer. I
start hanging cams in late May, but nor-
mally don’t check them much
By Darryl Quidort
until late June since the antlers
don’t start to develop well until
then. My favorite time of the
year to utilize cameras is the months of July and
August. This is the most exciting time. Bucks are
Brandon’s buck appeared to be even larger
a couple of years before he got him.
38 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
in their summer patterns and often in undisturbed season near stands where I’m trying for a specific
bachelor groups. If you have a good food source big buck. I have them secured in lock boxes fas-
that is drawing in the bucks this can be a great tened to trees as they are around $600 each. They
time of the year to monitor the herd with cam- also are protected by a password code so if some-
eras. I feel that I get 85 to 95 percent of the bucks one did steal them they couldn’t even use them.
in the area on camera during the summer months. They are a great tool to let me know when “Mr.
Cameras are not 100 percent reliable though; Big,” that I have been patterning all summer, is
some bucks are camera shy.” near my stand. However, during the rut they will
“Everything changes as September keep a trophy hunter awake half the night as his
approaches. Bucks absolutely change phone beeps with incoming photos.”
their patterns once they come out of Of course, getting pictures of a good buck
velvet and testosterone starts flowing. doesn’t mean it will be easy pickings. Brandon
Then I start setting cams on heavily told me about having pictures of a huge buck that
used deer trails, buck sign, and scrapes. visited a small food source every couple of days.
By mid-September I avoid my prime He took a four day weekend off work to try for
hunting locations and quit physically him, figuring the buck would show within that
checking cameras regularly. time frame. He sat the stand all of the first day.
I already know what bucks
are in the general area. After
Since the buck didn’t show, Brandon knew his
chances were even better the second day. Another
mid-September I only check long sit and again the buck didn’t show him-
cams when I can easily access them on my way self. The wind had changed directions the third
to hunt or to fill a feeder. During hunting season morning. Knowing that it would be all over with
I rely on cell cams which are placed near my if the buck ever winded him, Brandon decided
hunting stands. These cameras send the pictures
directly to my phone. If a huge buck that I have
been watching shows up at midnight on my cell
cam you can pretty much guess where I’ll be at
daylight that morning.”
“Glassing from the roads is my secondary
method of monitoring the bucks in my areas in
the summer months. I don’t spotlight deer or do
any scouting by walking the ground in the sum-
mer. Both tactics alarm mature deer and will push
them out of the area. I never enter a known bed-
ding area unless I’m tracking a deer after the shot
or during spring when shed antler hunting.”
Trail camera technology has advanced drasti-
cally over the years as they have become more
popular with hunters. “I’ve tried many different
cameras. Some of the old ones I wouldn’t use
for a paper weight now,” Brandon laughs. “The
cameras I currently run in summer are primar-
ily Browning, Spypoint, and Bushnell. They are
basic $80 to $150 cameras with 8 to 16 megapix-
els. The Brownings are my favorite because of
their cost and quality. I always get black flash or
infrared. I never buy regular flash cameras as the
flash has proven to spook big bucks even in the
summer. I also have Reconyx and Spartan cell
cams, which send a picture to my cell phone, but
I don’t use them much in summer unless I have a
remote location to watch that I can’t easily access
without disturbance. I mainly use them in hunting Two bucks enjoying one of Brandon’s food plots.
to hunt the other side of the farm that morning. Brandon told me the story of a big 13 point
As soon as the wind changed back, he hustled to buck that he watched grow up with the use of
his regular stand. The buck didn’t show up. After his trail cameras. He first saw the buck as a 1 ½
sitting all day on the fourth day, Brandon won- year old with 10 antler points. Knowing it had the
dered if the big guy had been killed by another potential to become a true trophy he passed on
hunter. Leaving after dark that night, he left word the shot. Brandon passed on him again when he
for the landowner to pull his camera chip for him was 3 ½ years old and had all of his 13 points but
the next morning. On the phone the next day the was still growing. He never laid eyes on the deer
landowner said,” You’re not going to like the again until the year he shot him, but he did get
news I have.” many trail cam photos of him as he grew up. In
“Did a neighbor get him?” Brandon moaned. fact he got trail camera pictures of him 5 years in
“Nope. On the only morning you didn’t hunt a row. He was fortunate enough to kill him with a
that stand you got a picture of a monster buck muzzle loader when the buck was 6 ½ years old.
standing there admiring a beautiful sunrise.” The In Brandon’s words, “In muzzle loader
landowner actually laughed. season of 2014 they picked a cornfield next to a
Brandon told me, “Most of my summer cams big swamp in my hunting area. There was a lot
are set on the edge of food sources and deer trails of waste corn left in the field where a storm had
in spots easily accessed by truck or ATV. The knocked it down. I sat a ladder stand and watched
deer don’t seem to mind the quad very much numerous deer coming out into the field. I let a
because they are used to them. It’s similar to really nice 8 point go by and was really excited
farmers checking crops, kids detasseling a corn when the big guy come out. But he was on a
field, farm equipment, or road noise. I’ll typically different trail and too far away for a shot. Be-
check them anywhere from twice a week to once fore dark he ended up right in front of a ground
every two weeks in July and August, depend- blind that I had set up across the field. I left way
ing on the location, this way I’m not creating after dark and circled wide so as not to scare any
too much disturbance in the area. Checking trail deer. I hunted that ground blind the next few
cameras is like being a kid at Christmas, waiting nights but he didn’t come out in the field. Then
to see what’s in the next box.” on December 14, about 20 minutes before dark, I
“Generally, I place cameras about three feet was in the ground blind when he came out on the Brandon’s trail cameras prove that big
high and I try to keep them back from the expect- trail right under my ladder stand. About 25 deer bucks are not entirely nocturnal.
ed photo point about twenty feet. Too far is not were in the field in front of me and he fed slowly
good but too close is just as bad. Photo quality toward them. It was getting later and later as I I once asked Brandon which he enjoyed
goes down under ten feet and over fifty feet.” watched him coming closer. Finally, with just a more, using trail cameras or actually hunting.
““I always wear scent controlled clothing few minutes of legal shooting time left, I took the After thinking a minute he replied, “You know,
and carefully watch the wind when actually hunt- shot. Deer were then running in every direction I really enjoy the year around activity of using
ing. But, I don’t worry too much about scent in and I couldn’t locate him. After the smoke from trail cams, hunting shed antlers, and putting in
the summer months. I haven’t noticed my scent my muzzle loader cleared, I could see him laying food plots about as much as the actual hunting. It
bothering the deer much as far as summer camera right where he was standing when I shot. I was has added a whole new dimension to my hunt-
usage. Once my wife was throwing out a few extremely pleased with him! But, on the other ing… I still like to kill a monster buck though!”
old apples. I jumped on the four wheeler and ran hand, that exciting hunt ended six years of fun I Check out his ad in the Real Estate listings of this
them out to a corn feeder where I had a camera had with that deer.” issue.n
set up. Soon after I returned home
the camera got a picture of a big buck
that was already eating those apples!
I’m sure he was laying close by,
heard me come, heard me leave, got
up, and went over to eat the apples.
I’m sure that wouldn’t happen in
October though.”
“Before hunting season I will
have targeted some trophy bucks
from the summer cameras. Then, by
using the higher dollar cell cameras,
I limit my disturbance to almost zero
at my actual hunting set-ups. I only
hunt my prime spots once or possibly
twice a week, and then only when
conditions are perfect. Big bucks will
pattern you very quickly and change
their pattern or even leave the area.”
“One cool thing I’ve noticed
is that in November you may have
a buck show up in your area that
you never got on camera all sum-
mer. They get behind a hot doe and
will sometimes travel several miles
following her into a completely new
area. With any luck, it might just be
your hunting area,” Brandon grinned.
“I once killed a huge buck that I
never got a picture of on my cameras.
Later I learned that a neighbor about
a mile away had been getting pictures
of him for the past three years.”
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 39
 The return of lake sturgeon
to the historic Cass River
T
he lake sturgeon found 300 pounds. Its reproductive rate is
in the Great Lakes is also slow, with only about 10 to 20
unique in that it has percent of the population
remained the same spawning each year, with
since prehistoric times. spawning runs taking place
The fact that it features each spring (usually in April
cartilage instead of bones like other and May) in fast running
fish has it closely related to sharks. rivers, and is water tempera-
Being a bottom feeder, the lake ture dependent requiring
sturgeon uses its spade-like snout to 53°F or warmer. Sturgeon
root in the mud to stir up food and are also slow to reach sexual
four sensory organs dangling down maturity with
By Tom Lounsbury
known as barbels to locate it, and males being at
uses its prehensile lips to vacuum up least 15 years
the food. Its diet consists of worms, old and females 20 to 25 years old.
leeches, insect larvae, crustaceans, The sturgeon mating ritual has the
mussels, snails and small fish. It is male and female circling each other
a large species which survives by while shaking violently until sperm
eating very small species. and eggs are released. The sturgeon
The lake sturgeon is a long lived afterwards will then usually return
fish with males typically reaching to the Great Lakes. The fertilized
55 years and females 150 years of eggs soon turn into juvenile stur-
age. It is very slow growing, about geon that will eventually return to
an inch per year, but can reach up to the Great Lakes as well, until they
eight feet in length and weigh over are sexually mature. Typically the
The Fish Passage on the Cass River at Frankenmuth allows spawning fish
to now venture upstream, which had been previously blocked by the Fran-
kenmuth Dam which had been originally constructed in 1850.
40 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
river in which the spawn takes place
will leave a genetic imprint for the
sturgeon to return to when
they have reached sexual
maturity.
The sturgeon was very
abundant in the pre-settle-
ment era and an important
food source for Native
Americans. Besides being
eaten fresh, it could also be
smoked or dried
to keep for win-
ter storage and
its flesh offered an excellent source
of protein. The spike-like projec-
tions on its body were also used as
abrasive scrapers (quite handy in
making wooden bows and arrows
or smoothing out a dugout canoe).
The plentiful sturgeon were also an
important food source for European
settlers, but its having an all too
common presence had it becoming
considered as being trash fish, tak-
ing a backseat to other species such
as trout and whitefish. It was buried
to act as fertilizer and used to feed
hogs.
Commercial fishermen devel-
oped a great dislike for the sturgeon
because there was no market for
them and their large size and body
spikes damaged nets when they
thrashed around. Instead of releas-
ing the netted sturgeon to eventually
cause more damage, the fishermen
would kill them. Dead sturgeon
were placed in piles on the beach,
and when they became oily enough,
set on fire. They were also dried and
stacked like cordwood to be used to
fuel steamboats.
In 1879, it was discovered there
was a market for lake sturgeon and
its flesh was considered a gourmet
delight (similar to cod) and its roe
(fish eggs) could be used as caviar.
The sturgeon’s swim bladders were
also used to create a gelatin called
isinglass which speeded up the clari-
fication process for beer and wine.
From that time on until 1900, Great
Lakes commercial fishermen would
harvest over four million pounds of
sturgeon each year. However, this
overharvest of a fish species with a
low reproductive rate would eventu-
ally have its effect. The Great Lakes
sturgeon harvest would be less than
2000 pounds in 1928.
Progress of a fast and growing
young nation would also be hard on
the lake sturgeon. Dams were built
in rivers to create energy to power
lumber and grain mills, and eventu-
ally to create electricity. The dams
in turn would block sturgeon from
performing their annual spawning
runs up rivers they had used for
eons. Pollution as well as sediment
caused by erosion would also have a
major impact, and the lake sturgeon
numbers would continue to plummet
in a steady and dramatic decline.
There is no question that the only
thing which kept the lake sturgeon
from becoming an extinct species
of the (near) past was its longevity.
Being able to live a long time was
its only edge during hard times.
Even though the harvest of sturgeon
became highly regulated, this very
unique fish truly required more help.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 has
certainly been one of the best things
to ever happen for the Great Lakes
in general, and is a definite boon to
lake sturgeon (not to mention other
fish species as well). Removing no
longer used dams which only serve
as a fish-spawning block in rivers
is another very positive move. A
good example is the Fish Passage
on the Cass River at Frankenmuth,
which was completed in 2015. This
replaced the Frankenmuth Dam,
which was originally constructed
in 1850, and blocked spawning fish
from venturing further upstream
ever since. This Fish Passage is not
a fish ladder like that provided for
salmon and trout, but is instead a se-
ries of fish ways, with resting pools
which allow fish such as walleyes,
suckers and sturgeon to successfully
venture further upstream.
A very important factor that is
bringing the lake sturgeon back to
the Great Lakes is the fish hatcheries
managed by the US Fish and Wild-
life Service and the MDNR Fisher-
ies. Roe (eggs) and sperm are col- The Fish Passage on the Cass River at Frankenmuth allows spawning fish to now venture upstream, which had
lected from captured wild sturgeon, been previously blocked by the Frankenmuth Dam which had been originally constructed in 1850.
after which the captured fish are
released unharmed. All is then taken
to the fish hatchery where fertilized
eggs are carefully brought to fruition
in a highly controlled environment.
In this manner thousands of juvenile
sturgeons are being released each
year in select Michigan rivers.
On August 31, 2018, Franken-
muth was the site of a grand celebra-
tion of releasing juvenile sturgeon
into the Cass River. It would include
representatives from the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, the MDNR
Fisheries, MSU’s Sea Grant and of
course the City of Frankenmuth.
This was the result of the success-
ful joint effort of all those folks and
agencies working closely together to
make it happen.
Water buckets carrying juvenile
sturgeon (which are small and beau-
tiful mirror images of the adults)
were carried down to the Cass
River, where participating children
were allowed to scoop them up from
underneath with cupped hands and
individually release them, one at
a time. This gave all the children
present an opportunity to play an
important role in a definitely historic
moment they will long remember.
In all likelihood these sturgeon will
make a genetic imprint of the Cass
River and return to spawn when
they reach sexual maturity in about Shown: 1533
20 years. Shown: 1533
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 41
 Outdoor Writers Offer Scholarship:
$3,000 UP FOR GRABS!
I
t’s the fall of the year
when three things always
flourish in fine fettle:
students’ return to school,
wondrous outdoor ac-
tivities and football. The
Michigan Outdoor Writers Associa-
tion (MOWA) steers clear of the
pigskin and the sidelines, but its
new program is helping to bring the
other two together in a special and
meaningful way.
MOWA is the state-level profes-
sional group for men and women
who communicate about the out-
doors and related experiences: writ-
ers, photographers, videographers,
bloggers, broadcasters and artists.
They cover everything from hunt-
ing and fishing stories to natural
resource issues, from outdoor
cooking to boating and travel. Part
of MOWA’s long-standing mission
since it began 74 years ago has
been to undertake a “campaign of
educating people to the urgent need
The New
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42 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
for conservation of our wildlife and
our natural resources,” and this new
program puts its money where its
mouth is.
But it’s not MOWA’s
money, exactly.
Thanks to a grant
from Toyota Motor North
America, MOWA is able to
offer college students the
MOWA/Toyota “Let’s Go
Places” Scholarship, worth
$3,000 in 2019. “So much
is fresh and new
about this schol-
arship that it’s
By Tom Carney
difficult to hold back on the excite-
ment,” says MOWA President Jeff
Nedwick.
In the first place, the scholar-
ship is aimed at a specific clien-
tele. Toyota expressed a desire to
help MOWA encourage and give a
financial boost to young people who
want to communicate about nature
and the outdoors as at least a part
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of their eventual career paths. A
positive byproduct of such efforts is
they also familiarize young people
with MOWA and help grease the
skids for them to eventu-
ally become eligible to join
the group.
Additionally, the
clientele comprises Michi-
gan residents who have
achieved junior, senior or
graduate student status at
any four-year institution.
So there’s $3K
available to any
Michigan upper-
classman at any university in the
country who envisions communicat-
ing the outdoors experience in some
professional manner.
Nedwick continues, “The
scholarship represents a crown-
ing moment for a program we’ve
wanted to offer to the public for
several years. As a small, private,
non-profit group, we simply have
Gladwin, Michigan
(2 hours north of Detroit)
not been able to raise the funds to
offer Michigan college students this
level of opportunity that we had al-
ways hoped to provide. Thankfully,
Toyota stepped in to underwrite the
program, so all we have to do is to
find a deserving student and hand
out the cash!”
And that’s not the half of it.
Though it’s called a “scholar-
ship,” the money does not have
to be used for tuition, books or
anything academically related. It
may be used for formal schooling
expenses, but it doesn’t have to be.
The presumptive theory working at
the core of the scholarship is that
it will provide “seed money” to a
student striving to achieve the “next
level” as a professional outdoor
communicator.
That next step can come in
the form of the acquisition of new
writing or photography equip-
ment; covering the costs of taking
workshops or seminars in topics as
varied as self-publishing,
identifying water plants
or starting a podcast, for
example; travel for story-
gathering activities; or
helping to pay for
actually self-publishing
that book.
And what follows is
probably the freshest idea
involved in the entire
scholarship application/
awarding process.
How often do we
see scholarships being
awarded on the basis of
an essay all applicants
must write? How fair is
that to the student who is
scholarship-worthy but not
a good essay writer? How
much more uneven the
playing field for someone
applying for a scholarship
as a communicator who
isn’t interested or talented
in communicating through
the written word?
What’s special about
the MOWA/Toyota schol-
arship is applicants are
asked to communicate in
the format and genre they
want to pursue. So … an
essayist might include an
essay or part of a proposed
book chapter; a videogra-
pher, a brief video; a pho-
tographer, a small gallery
of images. In other words,
student applicants are free
to explore and display
their strengths when they
apply. Such a treatment
of applications means the
scholarship committee will
have samples from several
young people to share with
publishers or producers
who just might be looking
for someone to do some
work for them. Thus, in a
way, the application can
also serve as a mini-portfo-
lio, if you will.
That part of the process
as well as every other
aspect of the scholarship
program leads Nedwick to
conclude, “We hope this
announcement brings as
much excitement and hope
to potential scholarship ap-
plicants and their families
as it does to us.”
For application in-
structions, please see the
accompanying sidebar. If
you have any questions
about the scholarship or
the application process,
please feel free to write me
at info@tomcarneywriter.
comn
2019 Michigan Outdoor Writers Association/Toyota
“Let’s Go Places” Scholarship Application Process
Directions
1. Submit a letter of application that includes:
• Name, address, phone number, email address
• College/university attending, major and minor
• Primary career goal plus outdoor communication goal if different
• Favorite area/topic to explore when communicating the outdoors
• Preferred mode of expressing the outdoors experience (writing, video, photography, etc.)
• How you envision using the money if you win
2. Sample of your preferred mode of expression on one angle of your preferred topic of
exploration – cover the topic as deeply as you can while staying within maximum lengths
• Written (news story, essay, sample book chapter, scientific writing) – 800 words,
maximum
• Photography (photo essay or “gallery” on one topic/subject) – 10 photos maximum
• Video or podcast (audio or video “essay,” news report, news feature) – 5 minutes
maximum
3. Writing or photo samples may be sent as a PDF attachment with the application letter
4. Videos or podcasts: Please provide links, clearly marked as such and included in the ap-
plication letter. Please provide a specific public URL link (YouTube, Vimeo, your website,
etc.). The URL must not require members of the committee to open an account or subscribe
to any kind of service to view or listen to the sample being submitted.
5. Submissions that exceed the stated maximum will be discarded
6. The decision of the judges is final.
7. Submit the application packet to Drew YoungeDyke, Chair, MOWA/Toyota Scholarship,
drew@michiganoutside.com.
8. Application packet must be received by March 31, 2019

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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 43

 Give your input on
state forest planning
Michigan’s four-million acres of state forest land require a lot of
careful planning to keep them healthy and thriving. That’s why the DNR
finalizes plans for each forest management unit two years in advance of
when any management activities – prescribed burns, timber harvests or
tree thinning, for example – will take place.
This summer and fall, forest management recommendations for 2020
are being presented at open houses within those forest management
units, giving people the opportunity to speak with foresters, wildlife
biologists and other resource professionals.
Upcoming open houses include:
• Sault Ste. Marie Forest Management Unit – Sept. 18 in Naubinway
and Sept. 19 in Kincheloe
• Gwinn Forest Management Unit – Sept. 26 in Ishpeming
• Crystal Falls Forest Management Unit – Oct. 3 in Crystal Falls
• Shingleton Forest Management Unit – Oct. 4 in Shingleton
• Newberry Forest Management Unit – Oct. 16 in Newberry
• Grayling Forest Management Unit – Oct. 17 in Grayling
About a month after each forest management unit’s open house, a
public compartment review meeting also will take place. That’s where
the foresters will present their final decisions on management activities
for that unit. Compartment review meetings coming up include:
• Roscommon Forest Management Unit – Sept. 27 in Roscommon
• Sault Ste. Marie Forest Management Unit – Oct. 2 in Naubinway
• Gwinn Forest Management Unit – Oct. 17 in Ishpeming
• Shingleton Forest Management Unit – Oct. 23 in Shingleton
• Crystal Falls Forest Management Unit – Oct. 25 in Crystal Falls
• Newberry Forest Management Unit – Oct. 30 in Newberry
• Grayling Forest Management Unit – Nov. 8 in Grayling
For more information – including a link to the interactive forest map
showing details of forest management activities, and the forest open
house and compartment review schedules – visit the public input section
of the DNR’s michigan.gov/forestry webpage.
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44 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Preventing the spread of
aquatic invasive species
Many aquatic invasive species – non-native
plants and animals that can disrupt the natural
ecosystem, tourism and the economy – are eas-
ily spread by boaters and anglers who use their
equipment in multiple bodies of water without
properly cleaning it.
As part of efforts to manage aquatic invasive
species, a habitat enhancement project at Fort
Custer Recreation Area in Augusta, Michigan,
recently kicked off. The DNR is working with
Kieser & Associates, an environmental science
and engineering firm in Kalamazoo, on a plan to
enhance the recreation area’s habitat by manag-
ing aquatic invasive species in its lakes. The
project is funded through the Natural Resource
Damage Assessment as part of the settlement levied against Enbridge
Energy in connection with the July 2010 oil release on Line 6B into the
Kalamazoo River.
In addition to aquatic plant surveys, which have found invasive
species in all of Fort Custer’s lakes, the three-year project will include
several different treatments to control these species. This will help
determine the best long-term, cost-effective options for invasive species
management in the lakes. The project also involves a public outreach
and educational component to help park visitors understand their role in
preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species.
You can help by following these simple steps:
• Clean boats, trailers and equipment.
• Drain live wells, bilges and all water from boats.
• Dry boats and equipment.
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
Learn more about preventing the spread of invasive species at
michigan.gov/invasives.
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West Nile Virus monitoring…
Help from Michigan ruffed
grouse hunters needed
M
ichigan saw historically high
positive West Nile Virus
(WNV) numbers in all species
in 2017 with ruffed grouse be-
ing one species that saw a sig-
nificant rise in WNV positives.
“Monitoring birds for WNV at a regional
level in Michigan and in conjunction with the
Great Lakes Region area, will result in a better
understanding of this disease in ruffed grouse,”
states Upland Game Bird Biologist Al Stewart.
“We need the help of grouse hunters from four
identified sample areas in the state to do that.”
For the 2018 fall hunting season, samples
will be collected from four areas of the state from
September 15 to October 15.
• Upper Peninsula: Dickinson, Iron,
Marquette, Chippewa, Luce, Mackinaw
• Lower Peninsula: Alpena,
Montmorency, Presque Isle, Missaukee,
Ogemaw, Roscommon
“Evaluating various impacts on grouse popu-
lations from influences like weather to the effects
of disease, is valuable information,” stated Labo-
ratory Technician Julie Melotti. “By testing birds
from key areas in the state we hope to learn the
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extent to which ruffed grouse are being exposed
to West Nile virus, and how it may be affecting
them.”
In 2017, WNV was identified in 12 ruffed
grouse in Michigan, more than ever before.
WNV has been present in Michigan, Minne-
sota, and Wisconsin for about 17 years and has
been documented in over 250 species of birds. A
region-wide effort to better understand WNV in
ruffed grouse began earlier in 2018 when Michi-
gan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin began collaborat-
ing on recent findings and future plans.
Prior to 2017, only one positive ruffed grouse
had been found in Michigan, in 2002. The virus
was confirmed in one ruffed grouse in the early
2000s in Minnesota and is yet to have been de-
tected in a Wisconsin ruffed grouse. MDNR photo
Ruffed grouse are hunted annually by around
300,000 hunters across the three states and will Like humans, wild animals can be exposed to
be a critical tool to gathering ruffed grouse car- WNV and survive the exposure. Currently, there
cass samples. is no evidence of humans becoming infected by
“We appreciate the willingness of many to consuming properly cooked birds or by handling
help with this effort,” says Stewart. “This certain- birds. Research has shown dogs can be infected
ly could not be done without a team effort from but are very resistant to developing clinical signs
the state agencies as well as the active hunter of the disease and are considered an end host.
groups.” Learn more about WNV and ruffed grouse.n
Lapeer County
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 45
 Profiling a Killer
BUCK
T
hey do it on NCIS, and
all the cop shows on
TV to help them nab
the elusive criminal:
identify key
characteristics
they must have, and make
a profile to match. Do they
have a habit of eating fast
food? Scratch vegetar-
ians off the list. Did their
government teacher fail
them in high school so now
By Adam Lewis
they abhor politics?
Yep, that politi-
cian didn’t do it. It
works nicely on TV shows, but what
if we could do the same thing with
hunting to increase our success?
Fact is, many hunters spend
too much time hunting elusive, and
downright unkillable bucks each
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46 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
season because they don’t make a
profile of one they actually can. So
here’s how to stop spending critical
time hunting the wrong bucks, and
find the right ones by profil-
ing a killer!
In this age of trail
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fall into the trap of think-
ing every deer that shows
up in our pictures is kill-
able. In reality, they are not.
Thinking so is a fatal error
that causes many
wasted hunts and
missed opportuni-
ties on bucks elsewhere. We need
a filter to help us determine which
bucks we should hunt based on evi-
dence. When we run across a buck
from our scouting that fits this well
thought out decision filter, we get
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a “yes” and know we should put in
time on that buck. However, when
we see that huge buck show up at
night, that makes our mouth water
but does not meet the requirements,
we need to be able to pass on hunt-
ing him for the time being because
he’s a “no.” We need to make a
profile, and find bucks that fit it. But
how do we do that?
THE PROFILE OF A KILLER
These factors are musts for me
to find that killer buck. Your pro-
file may be a bit more specific, but
should include the basics below.
Keep notes on bucks you find, until
you find one that fits the profile, and
then hunt him!
Profile Characteristic #1:
Shows Himself in Daylight
If a buck you are hunting never
shows up in daylight, it is impos-
sible to kill him (legally). So why
hunt him unless he proves that he
does, or will? Many times we hunt
bucks that we see show up at night
at our feeders and trail cameras, but
never have intel to prove that he
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is active when we can actually kill
him. Why?
Maybe out of ego, or that irre-
sistible draw to that mythical ghost-
buck of which legends are made, or
maybe because of the challenge of
such a task. However, chasing him
does not put the odds in our favor.
Yes, we never know when he may
show up in daylight, and betting on
the rut does put that chance in our
favor a bit more, but if we don’t
have sufficient evidence this char-
acteristic is present we should not
waste time on him.
Your play: Stay out but keep
tabs on him. If he shows in the day,
he starts fitting your profile more
and you may be able to move in on
him. Otherwise, stay out and hunt
elsewhere until he fits this part of
the killer profile.
Profile Characteristic #2:
Is Able To Be Patterned
This is all about odds. If you
don’t know anything about his
movements, habits, or patterns, then
odds are very low that he will show
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in a random place you happen to
hunt. This requires intel from scout-
ing (on foot, glassing, trail cams,
etc.). The more clues you have about
this, the better you can tell if he fits
the profile. Does he show repeat-
ing behaviors that will help you kill
him? Let’s break this into two parts:
• Places He Shows: Does he
show in areas at certain times of
year (based on past experience and
intel) or get careless during the rut?
If you can find predictable, repeat-
ing patterns this is what you are
looking for. This could be routes he
takes from bedding to feed, where
he likes to feed on a consistent
basis, where he cruises during the
rut, or other repeating occurrences
of travel. The key here is repeating,
and the more he repeats the better.
• Places He Lives: Can you find
his home range and favorite bedding
areas? Does he like to bed on a cer-
tain ridge, so you know where not to
intrude (and thus keep a sanctuary,
and him on your property)? Or is he
just occasionally cruising through
your ground, at night, but spends
most his time somewhere else (and
therefore a largely unkillable buck)?
Answering these questions is key
to getting a buck patterned, and
determining if he fits the profile of a
killer buck.
Your play: The key is intel here,
if you don’t have it, you won’t know
if he fits the profile and is therefore
worth spending precious time on.
Gather intel as if your life depends
on it, and make your decisions with
it. Remember, there are only so
many good hunting days during the
year, so make them count!
Profile Characteristic #3:
Hunt Huntable Areas
You now have him patterned,
but if he does not hang or travel in a
huntable area on your property, then
you may have to scratch him off the
list. Do you know where he beds?
Do you know how he accesses food
and bedding areas so you can catch
him coming and going? Do any of
these areas he frequents allow you
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Knowing a buck’s habits and
preferences can get you one
step closer to sealing the deal.
to get in and out without alerting
him? If your entry and exit is not
rock solid, or if he just does not like
to show much in huntable areas on
your property, attempting to hunt
him may just drive him out of your
area for good, so beware.
Your Play: Do a property inven-
tory. Put on a map his bedding,
feed, and travel routes as best you
can base on gathered intel. Find
potential stand sites close to these
where you can catch him in daylight
that are low impact, and identify
potential routes to come and go with
minimal intrusion. If you cannot
find these, keep searching and keep
an open mind. If you cannot, how-
ever, the checkmark may have to go
from huntable to unhuntable on your
hit list.
Profile Characteristic #4:
A Buck You’d Be Happy With
This is probably a no-brainer
for some, but also essential. No one
wants to hunt a buck they don’t
want to shoot, but at the same time
we do want to have success and
be realistic. There is a balance that
must be found when putting bucks
through the profile’s filter to see if a
“yes” or “no” pops out at the other
end. If you are realistic with your
area and your goals, making a killer
profile can amp up the odds of tak-
ing a great buck this season.n
New bear population estimates
available; season underway
Michigan’s bear hunting seasons are underway with the first opening
Sept. 10 in the Upper Peninsula, the Lower Peninsula’s first season started
Sept. 14 in select areas, and Sept. 16 for remaining locations below the
bridge. Bear seasons have staggered openers with various locations and
hunt periods. For each of the 2017 and 2018 hunting seasons, 7,140 bear
licenses were available.
“Over half of the state is open to regulated bear hunting,” said Kevin
Swanson, wildlife management specialist with the DNR’s bear and wolf
program. “Hunters are an important part of managing the number of
bear and where they are located, and they have been part of bear man-
agement in Michigan since 1925.”
Regulations governing how and when bear can be harvested are in
place to sustainably manage the bear populations. “Regulations are how
we control the take of bear, ensuring Michigan has a healthy population
within suitable habitat. They are adjusted, if needed, every two years.
“We have the ability to influence the growth of bear populations in
remote areas of Michigan. Habitat is not a limiting factor, but social toler-
ance has been reached in portions of the Lower Peninsula,” Swanson said.
“We are discussing another increase in harvest in the northern Lower
Peninsula.”
The state’s current population is estimated at 14,000 adult black bear
– almost 11,000 in the Upper Peninsula and nearly 3,000 in the northern
Lower Peninsula. Several different scientific indicators, as well as public
input, are used to determine harvest recommendations.
Hunters who were successful in drawing a bear license for the bear
management unit they chose will have a good chance at harvesting a
bear, with success rates generally from 25 percent to 60 percent. Mil-
lions of acres of public land are accessible to bear hunters, though many
choose to hunt on private land. A bear license can be used on either land
type within a particular bear management unit.
Learn more about the bear preference point system and how to get a
license or contact Kevin Swanson at 906-458-1889.
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 47
 It only takes one ‘Bob’ to
change your perspective on life
Dear Fish Diary:
I
t’s easy to beat yourself
down when things aren’t
going your way. Complain-
ing is just more natural. It
takes work to look past the
negativity and keep a positive per-
spective in the midst of a downpour
of bad luck. I don’t know
why this is, it just is.
On my most recent trip
to the Upper Peninsula, that
was me. Boo hoo, OMG,
whine, whine and whine…
I’m serious, it wasn’t pleas-
ant. It had rained maybe
twice around my house
all summer.
Typically I’m
mowing twice By Ron St. Germain
a week, I might
have mowed twice all summer and
even then I really didn’t have to.
Mostly I was mowing fallen leaves
that decided early August was a
good time to turn color, drop and
0% for 42 months
$3,599.00
3995 Fairgrove Rd.
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48 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
mess up the lawn.
I don’t mind rain, but when it
rains for your entire trip after not
raining all summer, well, that’s just
an invitation for odd behavior and
self-deflating thoughts. Two years
ago I was caught in a storm that
blasted my tent with 70 mph winds
in the middle of the night. The poor
tent could no longer stand on its
own. Upon buying a new
tent, I switched the carry
bags, putting the new tent
in the old bag and the
old tent in the new bag,
simply because the older
bag was better made. In
a hurry to pack, I threw
the new bag in the truck.
Of course,
the new bag
held the old
tattered, leaking tent that couldn’t
stand. That got monsoon week off to
a great start. Some of the situations Bob gets himself through are ones that
It was one thing after another people who can walk complain about.
from there. Washed out roads caus- ing me to abort missions to hidden age handicapped camper. In fact,
streams. A camera that just decided in 30-years of going to this area at
it was time to quit, not good for a least once a year, I’ve never seen a
photographer. Trees down at 2 a.m. handicapped person camp there.
preventing me from getting down to Bob just has one of those infec-
my camp where my soggy tent and tious attitudes. He takes on life like
sleeping gear awaited. Also, strand- a pirate swinging on a rope from
ing campers from getting out to a crow’s nest with a sword in his
civilization. Yup, on and on and on mouth. In the time I was there Bob
my sad saga went. had done a day kayaking trip on
Then… I met Bob. Bob is an Lake Superior through Pictured
amputee, a victim of an accident Rocks. He built his own custom
that left him without his right leg easel so he could paint. He went
and pretty much bound to a wheel- fly-fishing. He also managed to pho-
chair. His accident happened while tograph two waterfalls in the area
he was in the height of his career. that included hikes over a mile, then
Bob was camped at the same far off scaling several steep stairs just to
the beaten path Federal camp area I get to the falls. He did this by either
was at. It’s not the type of area you bouncing on his rear end, rolling on
expect to see a handicapped person his stomach, or as he said, “what-
camping, but Bob isn’t your aver- ever I have to do to get there and
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back.” It is the equal of four-wheel-
ing in a wheelchair without the
use of a motor. Bob’s backcountry
travels are all hand and arm driven.
I’ve heard people who can walk
complain about those rugged trails,
and here’s Bob, wheeling himself
through it just for a photo.
“I figure I can either lie around
and wait to die or die trying, I
choose to die trying,” he said. To top
off Bob’s struggles, his amputation
was in a place where sitting in his
wheelchair causes him to put pres-
sure on his sciatic nerve. While he’s
mobile the pain is minimal, how-
ever, when he gets out of the chair,
the pressure release causes severe
pain. Maybe the worst part of Bob’s
adventurous days is at the end when
he’s trying to sleep while in constant
pain.
The more time I spent around After watching Bob fly fish, I will never complain about being skunked. For Bob, every day is an uphill battle, but
Bob the more my nonsense com- he takes on life like a pirate swinging on a rope from a crow’s nest with a sword in his mouth.
plaining about my trip began to any kind?” I asked. pid complaining about the weather. don’t have to write the entire story,
cease. The more I watched him “Oh yeah,” he answered, “I carry Or complaining about anything for just a brief outline of what hap-
struggle the more blessed I began to a .22.” that matter. pened. If it has some humor to it
feel. The more I kept telling myself “Well that’s not much protec- I’ll be getting in touch with you and
I was happy to be away from work, tion against a big, nasty, aggressive Funny Fish Stories Wanted we’ll work on the completed story
the more blessed I felt about having bear,” I cautioned. Strangest thing together.
the job I had. Especially realizing
how much Bob just wants to go
“Well, I have to travel light, so you’ve ever caught! Contact Woods-n-Water News
I don’t plan on shooting the bear, I columnist Ron St. Germain by
back to work. The only obstacles just have to shoot you in the leg,” he Send a short description of your calling (517) 626-2814, e-mailing
keeping this master chef from laughed. “best or worst” fishing day, or worst DaPhotoDude@aol.com. Visit the
returning to a world-class kitchen “Well Bob, even if I shot you in fishing-related adventure, or strang- author’s Facebook page www.Face-
are countertops. Being wheelchair the arm to return the favor and you est thing you’ve caught to me. You book.com/BearwaveBooksn
bound the countertops are just too could only go in circles, somehow,
high. Although he can move some- I think you’d still find a way to go
what without the wheelchair, he faster than me to elude the bear.”
just can’t move fast enough to keep Watching Bob fly fish I will
up with the busy, hectic production never complain about getting
schedule of a four-star kitchen. skunked. There is an old saying, “I
“If they’d just lower the coun- complained because I didn’t have
tertops people would eat good,” any shoes, until I met a man who
he laughed. Bob’s situation is no didn’t have any feet.” That’s pretty
laughing matter, but somehow he much how Bob single-handedly
managed to laugh and keep a sense changed my perspective about life.
of humor about him. Bob could easily quit and spend his
In fact, one conversation we had days feeling sorry for himself, but
about bears pretty much sums up his he refuses to let his disability get in
outlook on life. We were discuss- the way of experiencing the beauty
ing my bear photography, and he of the outdoors he loves. That which
interjected with how much time he doesn’t kill you only makes you
spends in bear country throughout stronger is probably a tee-shirt Bob
the United States feeling like bear could wear every day. If that saying
bait much of the time.
Follow us on Facebook for huge daily specials!
is true, Bob is a one-legged Hercu-
“Don’t you carry protection of les and sure made me feel really stu-

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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 49
 Test site for ‘smart ships’
launched in Lake Superior
T
By Rachel Coale…MDNR
he spectacular rugged
scenery, isolated Lake
Superior shore, and
quaint mining towns
of northern Michigan’s
Keweenaw Peninsula
can make visitors feel like they’ve
taken a step back in time.
However, with a recent dedica-
tion at the Great Lakes Research
Center in Houghton, something new
is on the way – a hub for the devel-
opment of futuristic, state-of-the-art
‘Smart ship’ technologies.
The new Marine Autonomy Re-
search Site (MARS) will serve as
the world’s first freshwater location
for testing unmanned (autonomous)
surface and underwater vessels for
operation in Great Lakes and U.S.
coastal waters.
The dedication drew represen-
tatives from Gov. Rick Snyder’s
office, the Conference of Great
Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors
and Premiers, Great Lakes shipping
companies, legislators, the U.S.
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ASV Global’s “Co-Worker 5” vessel is shown being launched.
Coast Guard and Transport Canada,
and local dignitaries interested in
learning how the site is expected to
benefit Great Lakes science, re-
search and industry.
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Great Lakes – an office within the
Michigan Department of Natural
Resources that supports efforts to
protect, restore and sustain Michi-
gan’s waters and Great Lakes com-
munities – assisted with develop-
ment of the testing site.
“This innovative technology
will help researchers develop inte-
grated systems to collect data and
inform Great Lakes management
decisions,” said Jon Allan, director
of the Office of the Great Lakes.
Technology Demonstrated
The launch ceremony featured a
demonstration highlighting ad-
vanced autonomous technology on
the Portage Canal. A small surface
vessel captured the contours of the
bottom of the canal (bathymetric
profile), and an autonomous buoy
was demonstrated capable of main-
taining position and moving itself
when needed.
Additional unmanned surface
and subsurface vehicles were on
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display.
The MARS project test site will
be managed by Michigan Techno-
logical University, which plays an
integral role in Great Lakes research
on lake ecology, fish biology and
ecosystem change.
The testing area extends within
a 30-mile radius of the university’s
waterfront campus, where the Great
Lakes Research Center is located.
“Shipping will look differ-
ent in 25 years, largely because of
the work done here,” said David
Naftzger, executive director of the
Conference of Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Governors and Premiers.
The area already is served by the
university’s high-accuracy, real-
time, GPS survey system, its fleet
of crewed research vessels and a
licensed mariner, along with all U.S.
Coast Guard testing requirements
for monitoring and verifying vehicle
location and performance.
The Coast Guard’s Duluth-based
Marine Safety Unit is working with
Michigan Tech MARS researchers
on developing interim guidelines
and protocols for the unmanned
vehicle deployment and testing.
Testing will include the viability
of vehicle sensors, anti-collision
capabilities, shore monitoring, and
vehicle-to-base-station communica-
tions.
Looking to the Future
University researchers envision
unmanned surface and underwa-
ter vessels being used to augment
manned research ships to transport
remote-sensing technology, collect
sonar and video imagery, deploy
under frozen Great Lakes waters to
gather winter samples and venture
to sites unsafe for humans.
While the types of autonomous
vessels to be tested at the MARS
site could include larger vessels,
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they will initially be research- and Coalition of the Great Lakes and St.
survey-grade boats and under- Lawrence. The coalition, established
water drones less than 33 feet in by resolution of the governors and
length overall. Examples of typical, premiers of the Great Lakes St.
unmanned, survey-grade surface Lawrence in October 2017, is the
vessels include the ASV Global region’s group for those involved
“Co-Worker” and the Liquid Robot- in research, commercialization
ics “Wave Glider.” activities, workforce development,
Other testing could involve and regulatory matters pertaining
autonomous underwater vehicles to maritime autonomy and related
monitoring structures such as pipe- automation technologies. A modified jet ski cruises past an autonomous buoy that is hold-
line for their integrity, identifying The coalition unites scientists, ing station. Michigan Technological University officials required the
shipwrecks, like those found at the policy makers, resource managers, presence of a human on the jet ski for safety purposes, although
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanc- innovators, navigators and educa- the man was not driving it.
tuary and the Keweenaw Under- tors who share a common interest in
water Preserve, or mapping bottom the advancement and application of Autonomous vehicles have the region as a global center of ex-
substrate and recovering evidence autonomous technologies operated many potential applications to accel- cellence for smart-ship technologies.
when working with the Michigan in marine environments. erate progress and create new jobs “The opening of the Marine
State Police. An example of a typi- The organization’s web page for Great Lakes scientific research Autonomy Research Site at Michi-
cal unmanned underwater vehicle is notes that “in marine applications … and in shipping, manufacturing and gan Tech is another important step
the OceanServer, IVER3. the state of adoption for autonomous maritime industries. for our region and will help acceler-
Regardless of the vessel size or technologies is lagging that of air Plan for Action ate our work to create the needed
type tested, much of the autonomous and ground operations.” Coinciding with the MARS test policies and regulations for smart
technology, such as anti-collision The Smart ships Coalition plans bed launch, the region’s governors ships,” Allan said.
software, sensors and sensor fu- to bring marine technology up to and premiers released a Smart Ships Learn more about work to sup-
sion is expected to be similar and speed. Action Plan. The plan includes port healthy Great Lakes waters and
applicable to a wide spectrum of Prime Location policy actions for the federal gov- communities from the Office of the
unmanned vessels and vehicles. The waters near the Keweenaw ernments, states and provinces and Great Lakes, and explore Michigan
Therefore, the lessons learned Peninsula, including seasonally industry to help the region become Technological University’s role in
will be transferrable to others who “Arctic-like conditions,” make the a leader in this rapidly growing sec- Great Lakes science with its Great
want the knowledge. new Marine Autonomy Research tor. Lakes Research Center.
“This center put us on the Site an ideal testing ground for Smart ships represent a major Editor’s Note: Michael Beaulac
cutting edge,” said U.S. Rep. Jack developing expertise, platforms leap forward in maritime technol- of the Michigan Office of the Great
Bergman. “And if you’re not on the and equipment that can withstand ogy. The regional Smart Ships Co- Lakes and Dr. Guy Meadows of
cutting edge, you’re behind.” extreme Great Lakes and oceanic alition will be working to implement Michigan Technological University
In its 2017 Michigan State of the conditions. the action plan and further establish contributed to this story.n
Great Lakes Report, the Office of This area also allows the tech-
the Great Lakes published an article nology to be tested where it will not
noting that, “scientists in the upper interfere with commercial shipping
Great Lakes, and Lake Superior in or recreational boating.
particular, currently lack the capa- Michigan’s manufacturing
bilities for real-time science obser- expertise and abundance of working
vations during early- and late-winter waterfronts also position the state
periods, a large and critical portion for success at the forefront of this
of the annual thermal cycle.” new arena. Autonomous technolo-
Samples usually are collected gies have the potential to accelerate
by scientists in small watercraft, but new developments in many indus-
Lake Superior’s harsh winters and tries.
ice can make research both difficult The Great Lakes Commission
and dangerous. Unmanned vehicles reports that the shipping industry
can help close a significant gap in in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
knowledge and reduce the costs of system supports about 120,000 jobs.
human-led expeditions. Science and engineering account
Coalition Achievement for about 40,000 jobs, and manufac-
The dedication is a key victory turing employs nearly one million
for the newly-formed Smart Ships people.

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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 51
 At 89, Delor Wellman is one of Michigan’s
MOST SUCCESSFUL DEER HUNTERS
E
ighty-nine-year-old
Delor Wellman from
Bark River is one of
Michigan’s most success-
ful deer hunters. While
hunting in the U.P.’s
Delta County over the years, he shot
bucks 68 years in a row. Some years
he shot two bucks. And he’s saved
the antlers from all of the bucks he’s
shot since 1948.
Someone with that much experi-
ence is bound to have valuable in-
formation to share, so I took advan-
tage of the opportunity to interview
the veteran whitetail slayer
when I learned about De-
lor’s envious record from
his son Dave. Dave Well-
man is also into whitetail
antlers, especially big ones.
He’s a long time measurer
for state big game record
keeper Commemorative
Bucks of Michigan and is
year,” Wellman stated. “Last fall, I
shot an 8-pointer at 9:00 a.m. That’s
the time for me. I’ve got more than
70 bucks. Most of them were shot at
9:00 a.m.
“Bucks don’t come to eat.
They’re after does. I’ve only had a
few bucks come to the bait and eat.
You should have your gun in hand
because they don’t come to play
around. Most cruise on by if there
isn’t a doe at the bait.
“Another reason I like to be
ready when I see a buck is where
I hunt, they’re right on top of me
when I see them. It’s only
150 feet from my blind to
my bait. That’s point blank
range for me.”
Delor said he saw five
bucks on opening day of
the 2017 gun deer season
from his blind. Besides the
8-point he shot, he saw a
pair of 6s, a 3-point and a

By Richard P. Smith
also a scorer
for the well-
known national
big game record keeping organiza-
tion; the Boone & Crockett Club.
“I don’t go looking for them
(bucks),” Delor said. “I let them
come looking for me.”
The bucks he shoots aren’t actu-
ally looking for him. They are at-
tracted to the bait he puts out. More
accurately still, those bucks are
looking for the does that have taken
advantage of the bait he provides.
Delor is a rifle hunter, but he starts
baiting as early as he can. By the
time firearm season arrives, deer in
the area are familiar with the loca-
tion of his bait.
“I’m the first one to shoot every
Delor (second from the left) and most of his brothers under their buck
pole from the 1980s.
52 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
big one that
had at least
10 points. The
big one cruised by 200 feet away at
about 10:00 a.m. The veteran hunter
let the big one go because he already
had a buck down. He also didn’t
want to end his season so soon and
he knew other family members were
hunting in the area that might get a
chance at that buck.
His First Deer
The senior hunter said he was 11
years old when he started deer hunt-
ing in 1939.
“I come from a family of 14,”
he explained. “If we didn’t kill a
deer, we didn’t have meat for the
table.”
Delor saw a small buck during
Delor Wellman with the antlers from a pair of bucks he shot during 2015.
his first hunt and shot it. The buck
fell right away. Thinking the buck
was dead; the inexperienced boy put
his gun down and excitedly ran up
to the deer.
“When I got there, the buck
got up,” Wellman commented. “So
I grabbed the deer by the hind legs
and pulled it back to where I left the
gun to shoot it again. I learned my
lesson that day. I learned that you
should take your gun with you when
going to a deer you shot.”
Delor was extremely lucky the
injured deer did not retaliate and
try to hurt him during that episode.
That was the first of many valuable
lessons he learned over the years.
Those lessons contributed to the
evolution of his successful hunting
strategy.
“I had nine brothers,” Wellman
said. “Dad knew what runway the
deer would come on. My dad would
put me on that runway. He knew if
I saw a buck, I would get it. I can
shoot with the best.”
Delor’s brothers got their share
of bucks, too. The senior citizen
has many fond memories of sharing
annual deer camps with his brothers
and other family members.
His Biggest
“I got a lot of 9-pointers,” the
experienced hunter remembered.
“My biggest buck was a 10. He had
a dressed weight of 220 pounds. The
biggest 8-point I got is entered in
state records. The antlers measured
between 125 and 128.”
But Delor made it clear that he
doesn’t hunt for the antlers.
“I’m a meat hunter,” he com-
mented. “If they’ve got horns,
they’re on the ground.”
What’s the best bait for deer?
“One thing deer really love is
oats and molasses,” Delor said. “The
only problem is bears like it, too.”
Bears and Bait
The long time U.P. resident shot
two black bears while deer hunt-
ing over bait. Both were shot when
bruins were bonus animals on deer
licenses.
“One year I knew I had a bear
hitting my bait,” Delor stated. “I had
just shot a nice 9-pointer. After that,
two more bucks came to the bait.
Then the big bear showed up. He
got within 50 feet of those bucks be-
fore they took off. The bear dressed
out at 350 pounds.”
Bear hunting during November
is no longer legal. Seasons specifi-
cally for bear hunting are now held
during September and October. And
bear licenses are limited in number,
so hunters have to apply for those
limited tags between May 1 and
June 1 each year.
The second bear Delor shot was
smaller than his first. He’s also shot
two coyotes and a bobcat while deer
Successful Hunter page 54
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Randy’s Hunting Center

Successful deer hunter:
from page 52
hunting. Bobcats used to be legal to
shoot during deer season, but that is
no longer the case.
Shooting Does
Although Delor has shot his
share of bucks, the same can’t be
said for does. He’s from the old
school that think shooting does is
undesirable since they produce the
future crop of bucks. That reason-
ing ignores the fact does that die
during winter when too many are
present, don’t produce any bucks for
the future. He did admit to shooting
one doe 40 years ago though. It was
a big doe that was “mean.” The doe
chased other deer away, including
bucks, so he put an end to that.
Wellman said the meat was
so tough from that big doe that he
couldn’t eat it. He figured the tough
meat from that whitetail was his
punishment for shooting the doe.
Rifle of Choice
Delor’s favorite rifle for deer
hunting is a scoped bolt action .30-
06. When telescopic sights were a
new thing, Delor was the first person
in the area to put a scope on his rifle.
He uses a 4-power scope.
His favorite aiming point on
a whitetail is the neck. Most of
the deer he kills drop right where
they’re standing. That’s not the best
shot for the average hunter, how-
ever. The shoulder area on a broad-
side deer provides the most margin
for error. A bullet through the chest
cavity is consistently deadly even
though deer may run a short dis-
tance before dying.
Advice
When replenishing bait prior
to the opening of hunting season,
Delor recommends putting the bait
where you want it, then get out of
there. The reason for that advice is
that deer are often closer than you
think and may be watching you.
After the season opens, “If you
haven’t got a buck in the first three
days, pack a lot of lunches. They
know you’re there.”
Although Delor has killed many
bucks at 9:00 a.m., he often plans on
hunting all day because bucks can
and do show up at any time, includ-
ing midday. Prime time for bait
hunting success on bucks besides
the morning, is the last hour or so of
daylight. To make all day sits com-
fortable regardless of the weather,
Delor hunts from an enclosed blind
that is heated. He also brings food
and drink with him, so hunger or
thirst doesn’t force him to leave the
Par t of Delor’s antlers now displayed in his son’s garage.
blind.
During a day of hunting, it’s not
unusual for Delor to see 15 deer.
That’s one of the things the veteran
hunter likes about hunting over bait.
He likes to see deer even if none of
them are ones he wants to shoot.
That’s what most hunters find attrac-
tive about hunting over bait: seeing
deer. If you don’t see any, you can’t
shoot any.
“If you see that deer, he doesn’t
know you’re there,” the senior
hunter advised, “so take your time to
make a good shot.”
Back to 2017
Prior to the beginning of the
2017 firearms season, Delor knew
he had a pair of 8-pointers visiting
his bait besides some smaller bucks.
He ended up filling his second tag
later in the season with the second
8-point. Nobody did get the bigger
buck that he let go on opening
day. It should be even bigger this
year.
Delor gave his large collection
of antlers from bucks he’s killed
to his son. Dave has many of them
mounted on plaques in his garage,
but he’s still working on mounting
the remainder on boards, so they can
be displayed, too.
Although deer hunting with bait
remains legal in the U.P. so far, the
practice is supposed to be banned
across the entire Lower Peninsula
starting in 2019. Deer hunting over
bait faces an uncertain future in
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 Proper use of
Fake Tactics
Cover Story...Part 1 Rattling/Sparring…By John Eberhart
W
ith bait-
ing being
banned in 16
counties for
2018 and in
all southern
Michigan
counties for 2019, bow hunters may
want to consider the use of tactics
such as rattling, sparring, decoys,
mock scrapes, sex attractant scents,
and grunts, wheeze, bleat and fawn
calls in an attempt to entice deer
in close enough for bowhunters to
receive kill opportunities. However,
some factors should be taken into
consideration before doing so.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if a one
size fits all generic article could be
written or video be made on per-
forming tactics and have that infor-
mation fit for all for all deer hunting
properties and circumstances across
the country or even just here in our
diverse hunting state?
Well that would be wonderful
but unfortunately it’s literally im-
possible because from state to state,
area to area within each state and
oftentimes from section to section
within a county there are monumen-
tal discrepancies in the amounts of
hunters in an area, their kill criterias,
how they hunt, how frequently they
hunt and the general landscape of
the property. While the amount of
hunting pressure and hunter kill
criterias have a direct correlation on
how many mature bucks may be in
a given area, each of those hunting
parameters have some form of effect
on daylight responses to tactics even
if they’re performed perfectly, at the
right times of day and season and in
the right places.
Let’s focus on Michigan because
we have more bowhunters than any
other state and for hunters that don’t
own, lease or have much property to
hunt, Michigan is the most difficult
state to kill a mature buck in. That’s
why many bowhunters I know
continue to opt out of bowhunting
in Michigan to hunt in less pres-
sured states like Ohio, Iowa, Illinois,
Kansas, Missouri, Indiana and Wis-
consin where taking mature buck is,
to put it bluntly, much simpler and
I’m positive of that because I also
56 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
The author, John Eberhar t, with a buck he rattled in, back in 1999.
go out of state for a week during
Michigan’s gun season to continue
bowhunting.
Aside from Michigan’s hunter
density issues we also have another
disadvantage when it comes to tak-
ing mature bucks and that is that we
are a two buck state. With 320,000
licensed bow and crossbow hunters
and 700,000 gun hunters each being
able to kill two bucks, it’s amazing
how any buck reaches maturity, but
a few do and they’re really difficult
to kill.
In heavily pressured areas
where most hunters target any legal
antlered buck, year and a half old
bucks sporting their first set of
antlers either learn quickly how to
avoid hunters or they get wounded
or killed, it’s that simple. Once they
reach 2 ½ they’re pretty smart and
those very few that reach the ripe
old age of 3 ½ years old seemingly
have Masters Degrees at avoiding
hunters and typically do so by mov-
ing as little as possible outside their
secure bedding areas during daylight
hours and not falling for the hunter
tactics that they’ve heard, seen or
smelled on many occasions while
growing up.
Michigan does have areas with
extremely low hunter densities and
the entire Upper Peninsula falls into
that category. There are also many
isolated large leases, private lands
and hunt clubs in the southern Pen-
insula with minimal hunting pres-
sure that manage their properties
for trophy bucks by implementing
either antler or age kill criteria.
On lightly hunted and managed
properties where antlered bucks are
allowed to pass by hunters with no
negative consequences until they
reach specific kill criterias, once
they reach it they are much more
likely to respond positively to tactics
than mature bucks in heavily pres-
sured areas because since their first
antlered season they’ve been passed
on when responding to tactics that
were meant to call in mature bucks.
By the time a buck reaches the kill
criteria they are much more tolerant
of human intrusions, odor and faulty
tactics than mature bucks in heavily
pressured areas.
No matter the game animal or
fowl, when and wherever there
are no negative consequences for
interactions with humans, or hunt-
ers in this case, there are no reasons
for them to alter their lack of fear
of them or change their behavior.
That’s why there’s hundreds of
geese on every golf course, dozens
of squirrels in every yard, and deer
that don’t pay much attention to
people in the outlying edges of ev-
ery large city limits, in non-hunting
state and federal parks, in lake as-
sociations, etc.
Because of the heavy hunting
pressure on public lands in south-
ern Michigan and in rural areas
where it’s common to have 10 to
20 property owners per square mile
with one to several hunters on each,
what few mature bucks that exist are
far more in sync with their survival
instincts than their same aged breth-
ren in lightly hunted and managed
properties.
The amount and type of hunt-
ing pressure an area receives and
how the property is laid out con-
cerning security cover in the form
of swamps, brush and marsh grass
bedding areas, secure transition
zones, mature timber with dense
understudy, bedding area crops such
as standing corn and dense river
and creek bottom edges, or on the
opposite side of security cover, open
timber, exposed food plots and short
crop fields also have a lot to do with
how a buck may or may not respond
to tactics.
It’s blatantly obvious when
watching TV and video hunting per-
sonalities that in the micro-managed
areas they hunt where there are so
many mature bucks that have been
allowed to grow without conse-
quence and now they’re all com-
peting for breeding rights, that just
about any of the overly aggressive
tactics they perform whether per-
formed correctly or not will work.
Conversely, those same aggressive
or improperly performed tactics will
rarely work in heavily pressured
areas where there are so few mature
bucks and they rarely have to com-
pete or fight for breeding rights.
Every professional sports icon
had to initially move up the ladder
to the next rung of success by play-
ing against and outperforming their
competitors through middle school,
high school, college and lastly by
outperforming other professional
rivals. By the time they reach the
pinnacle of a professional sport they
have literally competed against and
outperformed tens if not hundreds
of thousands of competitors while
competing on the same playing
fields, courts, courses, pools, etc.
and that’s definitely not the case in
deer hunting.
TV and video hunting person-
alities may be icons in the eyes of
many hunters, but they are far from
being experts because they never
compete with anyone on the large
farms, leases, pay to hunt ranches,
or properties they own and hunt.
Their standard advertised terms of
100 percent wild, 100 percent free
ranging are meaningless and are
simple references that there is no
high fence enclosing the proper-
ties. They adopted those terms to
garner some form of credibility to
their kills even though there is zero
competition.
I struggle with TV and video
personalities offering instructional
information because they seem
to have no clue that the hunting
methods they use on the micro man-
aged properties they hunt are so far
removed from what works in areas
with heavy hunting competition.
Since most Michigan hunters
have to deal with heavy competition
I feel the aforementioned TV and
video hunting personality founda-
tion of reality has to be mentioned
so that hunters in pressured areas
don’t waste a lot of their precious
time replicating the hunting methods
and use of tactics seen on most film.
Since there is no way of writing
a generic tactics article, I’m going
to assume anyone reading this is
hunting in a heavily pressured area
where just going out and performing
tactics in the same manner and as
frequently as seen on film will likely
do more harm than good. The good
news is that anything that works in
a heavily pressured area will work
anywhere else.
Until I learned how to properly
rattle and make sparring sounds,
taking into account where I was
hunting, seasonal and daily tim-
ing and how long and loud the
sequence, my success rate was not
only poor, I probably spooked bucks
that would have otherwise come in
to my natural destination location
had I not rattled.
Rattling can be performed with
a set of split antlers, manufactured
antlers, commercial rattle devices,
or with a rattle bag. My choice is a
homemade mesh (mesh allows more
sound) rattle bag with six 10 to 12
inch long x ¾ to 1 inch diameter
hardwood sticks loosely sewn into
the bag with an elastic band around
it to keep it quiet when not in use.
These can easily be made by pur-
chasing a long hardwood dowel and
cutting pieces to length and stitching
them into a bag. For the few times
you may need to be aggressive the
long loose sticks can be separated in
the bag and clashed together louder
than a commercial bag with short
and tight sticks.
Tine tickling or sparring sounds
are made by twisting or rolling the
sticks gently or slightly aggressively
to get the sounds you prefer. A bag
is also much more user friendly than
antlers due to its compact size that
can fit in a pocket or pack. I used a
split 8 point before going to a bag
and the antlers hanging in the tree
were sometimes in the way of my
360 degree shooting mobility when
hunting from my saddle. There were
no noticeable differences in respons-
es between the bag and antlers.
The initial time spent rattling should be kept to an absolute mini-
After observing many sparring mum of five to ten seconds, with intermittent tickling, grinding
sessions and a few all out fighting noises and silence for about another twenty seconds thereafter.
brawls during the rut phases it be- During a 25 or so second rattle sequence there should be as much
came obvious that much more time silent periods than noise periods. Author photos
was spent pushing each other than you have his attention. morning hunt with a friend in 1997
twisting their heads and antlers (rat- After about a five minute period in a long but relatively narrow cat-
tling sounds) to lock up, at which after your first sequence, perform tail and marsh grass marsh. Because
time the push for dominance began. another similar sequence and then we were hunting across the marsh
The initial loud rattling sequence quit. If you want to perform another from each other we flipped a coin to
rarely takes more than ten seconds two sequence session, wait at least decide who would get to perform a
with tine tickling noises and mo- an hour before doing so. Keep in couple rattle sequences and he won
ments of silence occurring during mind I’m referring to these types of the toss. Shortly after first light I
the pushing segments of the spar or sparring sequence sessions because noticed a mature 10 point slowly
fight. they have proven to entice responses working down the edge of the marsh
Therefore, the initial time by mature bucks 3 ½ years old and towards him. From his position 14
spent rattling should be kept to an older as young bucks will respond to yards in the woods that bordered the
absolute maximum of five to ten improper rattling sequences. marsh he couldn’t see the buck and
seconds, with intermittent tick- Although I’ve seen many mature I knew it was getting about that time
ling, grinding noises and silence bucks on TV and in videos rattled in for him to rattle.
for about another twenty seconds with constant and aggressive rattling Sure enough he began perform-
thereafter. During a 25 or so second sequences, don’t mimic them as ing an aggressively loud and con-
rattle sequence there should be as they hunt on properties where just stant TV style rattling sequence and
much silent periods as noise periods. about anything works whether it’s the buck instantly stopped and took
The first few seconds of aggressive performed properly or not and you an aggressive posture. He contin-
rattling should be enough to get the don’t have the luxury of hunting ued the loud sequence without any
attention of a distant or nearby inter- in such areas with so many mature breaks or variation of pitch and
ested buck, and the quiet and softer bucks competing for breeding rights.
sparring sounds thereafter will allow
him to lock in on your location once
An example of being overly ag-
gressive in Michigan happened on a Fake Tactics page 58
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 57
Proper Fake Tactics:
from page 57
after listening for about 15 seconds
the buck turned and ran back from
where he came. Had he performed
a proper sequence with light spar-
ring sounds and periods of quiet that
buck probably would have contin-
ued along the edge of the marsh
and offered the 14 yard shot. My
friend never saw or heard that buck
leave, and if I had not been there to
witness it and tell him about it, he
would likely still be aggressively
rattling like he had seen on TV.
You can’t expect to just go out
in the woods and rattle in a buck;
it’s just not that simple in pressured
areas. If rattling is not done properly
and at the right time and place it will
rarely be successful and will likely
be detrimental to the success of
that hunt as well as future hunts in
that location using the same rattling
tactic or likely any tactic.
From the moment bucks shed
their velvet in late August or early
September throughout all the rut
phases, bucks will be sparring and
fighting for pecking or dominance
order which leads to breeding rights.
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Unfortunately, in the time between
our bow opener and the rut phases,
mature bucks are mostly nocturnal
and rarely move during daylight due
to the onslaught of human intrusions
during pre-season scouting and loca-
tion preparation ventures and early
season hunting pressure. After all,
they had been left alone during the
winter, spring and summer months
and the mature bucks know what
the sudden influx of human activ-
ity means because they’ve survived
through it before. The influx of early
season human activity is immedi-
ately followed by about three weeks
of the slow and natural loss of their
visual security cover in the form of
the leaves on the brush and trees
dropping and the tall weeds matting
over. They still spar and fight but it
is primarily done during the security
of darkness.
My seasonal rattling preference
times are during the first few days
of season in hopes that a mature
buck may not yet be nocturnal. If a
mature buck hasn’t already turned
nocturnal from all the pre-season
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scouting and location preparation by
other hunters in the area, and you’re
in the right type of location, you
may get a response during the first
couple days of season.
I will then wait until pre-rut,
which is around October 25, before
performing rattling/sparring se-
quences again. By then testosterone
levels have raised to the level that
a mature buck’s desire to breed
somewhat overrides their security
precautions.
If I’m going to rattle, my daily
preference times are shortly after
daybreak, during mid-day (during
the rut phases only), or about a half
hour before dark. Early mornings
are my overall preference as bucks
seem to be relatively calm early in
the morning, probably because they
had been casually moving all night
and are more relaxed.
Mature bucks that have been
bedded all day seemingly move with
more caution in the evenings, and
unless it’s during the rut phases they
rarely make themselves vulnerable
outside the security of their bedding
area until near or after dark.
Subtle sparring sequences work
best during the first few days of the
season. I’ve rattled in and taken
three Michigan book bucks on
morning hunts during the first two
days of season and they were all in
locations with adequate perimeter
security cover and that I hadn’t set
foot in since the previous spring
when preparing them or cleaning
them up.
On two of those three occasions
I heard bucks sparring in the dis-
tance and when they stopped I simu-
lated their sparring sequence noises
and within several minutes on each
occasion I received close shot op-
portunities and took an 8- and a
10-point. The other time I heard
deer walking through the woods
heading towards a known bedding
area and not having any idea what
they were but knowing they were
not going to pass by me,
I performed a short sparring
sequence and within minutes a
10- and 8-point came in together
and offered me a twelve yard shot
and I took the larger 10-point.
Because mature bucks in heav-
ily pressured areas are so few and
exceptionally wary, a key factor to
receiving a response is where you
are when the tactic is performed.
For instance, subordinate bucks may
respond in open vulnerable areas
such as open timber with no under-
study, along short crop field edges,
into exposed food plots and into
openings within timber, but mature
bucks rarely if ever will.
The odds of mature bucks
responding are also much higher if
they can transition through or along
some form of security cover from
where they’re at to your location
and then feel safe moving in close
enough for a shot due to the kill
zone having adequate perimeter
security cover. To be clear, I’m not
referring to hunting within a thicket,
dense brush or dense swamp, just
having adequate transition and pe-
rimeter security cover so they have
an immediate and secure exit route
option.
As we age, our security precau-
tions of where we go and when we
go there become more acute. I doubt
you would have issues walking
through a small rural town sev-
eral hours after dark yet I’m quite
positive you would have issue with
walking through a known crime
laden area in big cities during the
same time frame. The point is that
we do not have the exclusivity on
the desire to survive and just as our
security precautions become more
acute as we age, so do the security
precautions and movements of
mature bucks in heavily pressured
areas.
Prime rattling/sparring
locations would be within
bedding areas, along perimeters
of standing corn fields, natural
isolated destination feeding loca-
tions such as old fruit trees and
white oaks, active scrape areas,
terrain feature dumps, and pinch
points in transition corridors to
name a few and one thing all of
these locations must offer is the
transition and kill zone perimeter
security cover requirements.
Improper rattling or the daily
timing of proper rattling can poten-
tially ruin hunts for mature bucks
at prime destination locations such
as at isolated fruit or oak trees and
active scrape areas. At prime loca-
tions, your odds of seeing deer are
very good so they should be al-
lowed to work solely on the merits
you chose them for at least the first
hunt or two. When you do rattle at
prime destination locations don’t
ruin your hunt by rattling too often,
if you don’t get a response with two
sequence sessions, put your rattling
device away as the remainder of
your hunt should still be good.
Whether the general landscape
is agriculture or big timber, isolated
fruit trees should not be hunted
in mornings as your entry could
potentially spook the very deer
you’re trying to kill. In agricultural
areas, oaks in nearby timber can be
hunted in mornings as the deer will
likely be feeding in crops during
your early arrival time. In big timber
areas where there are no crops for
miles, acorns are a primary food
source and morning hunts are not
advised because you will likely
spook deer feeding in the oaks with
your entries.
On morning or all day hunts
you should be on stand and settled
in an hour and a half before dawn
so that you’re not spooking any
deer making their way back to bed
prior to dawn. Mature bucks are
more nocturnal and it’s common in
pressured areas for them to leave
open vulnerable areas where they
may have been feeding or chasing
at night and head back towards their
bedding area a half hour or more
before dawn. You have to be set up
and quiet prior to them making that
transition otherwise you will spook
them with your entry or while set-
ting up.
Hunting interiors of known
bedding areas require all day sits
with the same hour and a half prior
to daybreak on stand time and half
hour after dark departures so as not
to spook deer before they leave the
bedding area after dark.
During the rut phases there is a
decent chance of receiving an op-
portunity during mid-day. Depend-
ing on the layout of the property
and the security cover, mature bucks
that are not with estrus does will
typically get up and move sometime
between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to scent
check their core area for possible
estrus does that moved through in
the morning.
You must however be in the
right types of locations to receive
mid-day opportunities. If you’re
within a bedding area, at a destina-
tion location with all the aforemen-
tioned security cover requirements
or in a secure transition corridor
between bedding areas, a couple
mid-day rattle/sparring sequences
might entice a buck to respond.
When it’s dead quiet, an ap-
proaching deer can be heard just as
rattling sounds can be heard from
longer distances. If you hear a deer
approaching, tie your bag to your
bow rope and lower it to the ground
and gently tickle it in the leaves
to give the buck an exact direc-
tion. This should only be done for
a few seconds and not at all if he
is already coming directly towards
you. The rattling noise coming
from ground level is more natural
than from 20 to 30 feet high when
the buck is fairly close. If you’re
not wearing ScentLok gloves so as
not to leave odor on the bag, don’t
lower the bag to the ground.
It will be assumed that wind di-
rection will be taken into consider-
ation prior to any hunt, or that wind
direction is irrelevant to you because
you’re wearing a properly cared for
ScentLok complete suit comprising
of jacket, pants, gloves, head cover
with drop down facemask and a
clean pack and rubber boots.
Bucks that respond to rattling
could come from any direction
because it’s not part of their routine
movements.
On morning hunts, your first two
sequence session should start about
half an hour after daybreak. If you
see a buck later that is out of range,
use your grunt call to try and bring
him in before rattling again. Bucks
during the rut phases will frequently
grunt as they are moving through
an area, whereas it takes two bucks
to spar or fight. If I can see a buck
from my stand there is a good
chance he can see the ground below
me and not respond because there is
no visual of two bucks sparring and
moving around below the tree. In
such an instance rattling will likely
hurt that and future hunts at that
location.
So if you spot a distant buck that
is obviously not moving towards
you, rattling should not be attempted
unless there is abundant ground
cover between the base of your
tree and him to mask his vision.
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However, one or two short grunts
could come from an individual buck
standing behind a small amount of
cover. In this situation a grunt call is
much more likely to coerce a buck
to within shooting range.
Part II will cover the rest of the
tactics. All of John’s 50 record book
bucks from 32 different properties
were taken from public and knock-
on-doors for free permission proper-
ties. He’s never owned, hunted on
a relative’s property, leased or paid
to hunt anywhere. Deer & Deer
Hunting is currently running a new
YouTube “Public and Pressured
Land Hunting with John Eberhart”
topic video series and is releasing a
new video every Monday at: http://
www.deeranddeerhunting.com/john-
eberhart
John also co-authored 3 in-
structional bowhunting books and
produced the 3 part DVD series
“Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails.”
To view the podcasts John has done
and for information on his books,
DVDs, 2 day in-field/classroom
Eberhart’s Whitetail Workshops or
to link to the D&DH video series
please visit: www.deer-john.net or
e-mail him direct at: deerjohn51@
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 59
 Early Fall Fishing Bonanza
Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair
Perch, Bass and walleye
L
ake St. Clair in the fall means
one thing, big fish! Walleye,
muskie, smallmouth bass, and
perch are all on the feed, and
targeting these fish becomes easy
with less boat traffic and
decreased fishing pressure.
So, dress warm and enjoy
the fall with these helpful
hints.
Target walleye at the
river mouths. Both the De-
troit and St. Clair River are
great during the fall. Your
early spring hot
By John Bergsma
spots can also
be productive as
the weather gets
cold. Vertical jigging, trolling big
cranks, trolling bottom bouncers
downstream with crawler harness,
and hand lining are all great tactics
for catching these aggressive fall
walleyes.
My favorite way to target
muskie late in the year is to cast
giant cranks and plastics or vertical
jig the now famous Bondy Baits at
the river mouths. Trolling can be
with your host
n B e r g sm a
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60 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
effective too, but the occurrence of
floating weeds this time of year can
be a pain.
Smallmouth bass typically can
be found in less the ten feet of water.
This time of year bass are chasing
baitfish and crayfish in the shal-
lows; white, brown, or green tubes
are great. Lipless cranks and
spinnerbaits are good for lo-
cating active fish. Once you
locate the active fish, switch
to tubes and enjoy some fast
smallmouth action.
If I had to pick only
three spots to perch fish, my
top spot would be around
the dumping
grounds, fol-
lowed by the St.
Clair Light, and for anyone with a
Canadian license, the humps out in
front of the Belle River. Perch har-
nesses with a red bead are a Lake St.
Clair go to bait. Tip these rigs with
minnows and prepare for the best
catching and eating anywhere! Perch fishing Lake St. Clair in the fall is fantastic.
For the best multi-species charters
on the lake, contact Captain Eric Sault Ste. Marie about the options here on the St.
Long @ Long Line Charters, or on- Drummond Island Marys. Its biggest advantage is the
line at www.chartergreatlakes.com Saint Marys River diversity of fisheries and the unique-
or call (248)343-8863. Well, I could write a long time ness of them. Let’s start with my
favorite, the walleye that are all
around the lower river from Mu-
nuscong Bay to Drummond Island.
These are trophy caliber fish at this
time of the year.
Rock piles and gravel bars are
where they are being caught. The
technique takes some practice, but
is very effective in catching these
wary, clear water fish.
The two best presentations are
crankbaits and the ever-popular
crawler harness. With either presen-
tation, it’s as simple as skimming
the tops of the piles but be very
aware of how high the tops are.
in classic clean water, Great Lakes
colors and you will catch fish.
Don’t be afraid to attack the piles
from different angles as fish will
set up on different sides of the
structure. This can literally be
the key to catching a fish or two,
versus lots of fish.
When using the spinners, it’s
the same principle but at a slower
speed. I like 1.2 mph and I typically
will use ½ to 1 oz. inline weight. If
you go too light you have too much
line out and can’t be as precise
with depth control. I use speed to
raise and lower my baits as I cross
water colors almost no matter where
you fish.
The month of September always
brings out the salmon guys. Atlan-
tics and pinks are available for good
fishing in several spots. Bobber
fishing for Atlantics with steel flies
below the turbines is a sure bet
with the right choice of turbine and
some persistence. You simply have
to have good flow when fishing a
turbine. No flow means no fish, its
that simple. Trolling for Atlantics
in the fast water is also a blast. Fast
trolling small silver cranks like a
small Yozuri minnow along the cur-
rent edges where there are rocks is
the ticket. The pinks are best caught
casting into the rapids with vibrating
rip baits. It’s totally fun and when
they are in, its fast action!
No matter where you fish, fol-
low our weekly fishing reports now
in video format www.fishermansdi-
gest.com or on Facebook @ Great
Lakes Fishermans Digest.n

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These piles are bait eating mon-
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 61
 A Dull Knife is a Dangerous Knife...By William Kendy
KEEPING THE EDGE
“If I had four hours to
chop down a tree, I’d
spend the first two hours
sharpening the axe...”
Abraham Lincoln
W
ith all the hustle and
bustle of the hunting season
sometimes we forget about
taking care of those all-im-
portant basics that make for
a successful season. Having
a sharp knife is right at the top of the list.
Dull knives can make field dressing and
game processing an unnecessarily difficult and
time consuming chore. They are also dangerous
because they can slide off a bone or other surface
resulting in a hand cut. It’s all about control.
Here are some basic things to consider in or-
der to keep your knives in sharp working condi-
tion.
Not all steel is the same
The days of durable and flexible carbon steel
blades that require frequent sharpening and rust if
not immediately cared for are long gone. Today’s
knives are composed of carbon, chromium, mo-
lybdenum and other alloys that ensure a quality
non-corrosive blade.
A blade’s hardness is measured by its Rock-
well Scale rating. The hardness of a blade, along
with its flexibility and toughness forged in bal-
ance are the key factors that result in a knife that
will take and keep a sharp edge under a variety
of field conditions and uses. The higher the rating
the harder and more brittle the blade is and the
more difficult it is to sharpen.
“This new age of super steels such as S30V,
154CM or D2 have changed the game of sharpen-
ing,” says Kyle Crawford, Work Sharp Outdoor
Brand Manager for Darex, an Ashland, OR based
manufacturer of knife sharpening systems. “An
old 1095 carbon steel blade can be sharpened on
a whet stone with relative ease, but these modern
super steels require modern abrasives.”
Unfortunately, because blades hardness is
based on intended use, there is no “right” hard-
ness rating and it is a tradeoff between edge
sharpness longevity, brittleness and difficulty of
sharpening.
For example 420 HC with a Rockwell hard-
ness of 58 is the standard blade material for
Buck knives and maintains an edge and is easily
sharpened. On the other hand, Buck S30V steel,
which contains carbon as well as high amounts of
Chromium, Molybdenum and Vanadium results
in a corrosion resistant, high edge retention blade
and has a Rockwell hardness of 59.5-61, making
it a challenge to sharpen.
Working the “Angles and Edges”
Working the “angles” is not just about making
great shots or hustling in a game of pool. Know-
ing and maintaining the degree of blade angle is
the cornerstone of keeping your knife sharp.
62 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
The WorkSharp Guided Sharpening System allows you to follow the cur ve of the blade while sharp-
ening, putting a sharp edge along its entire length with coarse and fine sharpening plates and
ceramic field hone.
“The most important things to consider ly changing the edge angle does not compromise
about knife sharpening are the edge angle and the the knife performance but not creating a consis-
condition of that edge,” says Crawford. “If you tent angle does.”
cannot create a consistent angle when sharpening, There are commercial devices that can help
the knife won’t perform up to its potential.” maintain angle uniformity by clamping the blade
According to Crawford, most pocket and out- in position. Coincidentally, the slant of a pack
door knives have a 20 - 25° edge angle with filet of matches laid on a stone falls in that 20 to
and kitchen knives falling in the 12 -17° range. 25° range and can be used as a simple guide for
He also points out that the purposes for which pocket and outdoor knives.
outdoor knives are designed affect edge angle and Buck Knives posted on its website three criti-
abrasive grit choice as will the condition of the cal things to remember when hand sharpening
blade itself. a knife; some sharpening advice from company
“For example, a caping knife is intended for founder Al Buck (1910-1991). “Always cut into
precision detail work and benefits from a low the stone, never drag your knife edge back over
angle and high level of edge refinement to opti- the stone and always maintain your angle,” said
mize sharpness,” says Crawford. “On the other Buck.
hand a 10” fixed blade camp knife that endures Buck also advised sharpeners to take a black
a lot of abuse benefits from a wider, more robust felt pen and shade in the bevel of the knife and
edge angle that will hold up to more rigorous then take two strokes on the stone and examine
chopping tasks.” the edge.
“The condition of the blade’s edge is a major “If you had maintained the proper angle then
sharpening factor and the difference between all of the black will be gone. If you see black at
repairing a chip in a blade and just touching up an the top of the edge it means you are holding the
edge is significant,” says Crawford. “Start with a back of the knife too far from the stone. If there
grit that fits and can handle the repair needs of the is black on the bottom of the edge but the top is
blade.” clean then you are laying the knife too flat on the
Whether you use a whetstone, sharpen- stone and you need to raise it a bit. Repaint the
ing rods, an electric sharpener or other type of edge and try it again. Once you discover what
sharpening system the basic sharpening steps the right angle looks like then just maintain that.”
remain the same. Starting out, the knife is drawn Getting to the Edge
at the appropriate angle an equal number of times “A good edge is a consistent edge from heal
on both sides against a coarse surface to remove to tip and one that is free of nicks or chips and
chips and “burrs.” The process is repeated with I consider this a working edge,” says Crawford.
successively finer surfaces until you reach the “A great edge is when the right edge angle is
edge you want. Crawford maintains that the angle added and a range of grit progressions are applied
consistency is the key. so the edge is finely honed and highly refined.”
“While edge angle is important, consistency That is the edge you can shave with and gives
is even more important,” says Crawford. “Slight- you bragging rights.n
 E $$$
AV NOW
S OK LL
BO R FA
FO
0 1 8
2

WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 63

 SAVE MICHIGAN'S HEMLOCKS
Working Together...By Joanne Foreman - MDNR
I
f you travel past Michigan’s cities, past the
farms, there’s a point where the billboards
give way to forest land as far as the eye can
see.
This is the home of eastern hemlock – span-
ning from West Michigan’s dunes, across
the northern Lower Peninsula, into all but two
counties in the Upper Peninsula.
Though not a standout, hemlock is an important
part of the mesic northern forest, providing shel-
ter for deer and nesting birds, and keeping forest
streams cool and clean. Now, the state’s hemlock
resource, estimated at 170 million trees, is threat-
ened by a tiny invasive insect – the hemlock woolly
adelgid.
The Threat
Nearly invisible to the naked eye, the black,
aphid-like bug pierces branches and feeds on sap,
slowly sucking the life from the tree.
To protect its eggs, the adelgid spins a cotton-like,
waxy white ball. These “ovisacs,” resembling the
tips of cotton swabs, are visible on the underside of
hemlock branches, near the base of the needles. It
is the woolly appearance of these ovisacs that help
give the hemlock woolly adelgid its name.
A native of Asia, the adelgid probably arrived
in the U.S. on a shipment of hemlock from Japan.
It was first identified in Richmond, Virginia in 1951
and by the 1980s had spread to large tracts of forest
in the Appalachian Mountains. On the move despite
a 2001 external quarantine restricting the ship-
ment of hemlock to Michigan from states infested
with the adelgid, the insect was detected in Emmet
County, just south of the Mackinac Bridge, in 2006.
Reports were then later confirmed in Macomb
and Ottawa counties in 2010, in Berrien County in
2012 and in Allegan County in 2013.
These small, localized infestations were man-
aged by surveying and removing infested trees and
The hemlock woolly adelgid is an invasive species in
Michigan that came from Japan and damages eastern
hemlock trees. Michael Montgomery, U.S. Depar tment
of Agriculture Forest Service, Bugwood.org
64 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
treating nearby trees with insecticides. By 2015,
just when these sites were receiving an “all-clear”
designation, reports of hemlock woolly adelgid
were confirmed in new areas of Ottawa County and
in southern Muskegon County.
Surveys and reports from the public, revealed
infestations in northern Muskegon County in 2016,
and in Ottawa, Allegan and Oceana counties in
2017. Not only private lands were affected, but also
state parks in these four western Lower Peninsula
counties were found to have severe infestations.
“Given the checkerboard pattern of hemlock
woolly adelgid across the western counties, it is
likely that multiple introductions of infested tree
stock are responsible,” said Scott Lint, a forest
health specialist with the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources.
Once it is introduced, the adelgids can be spread
by wind, wildlife and vehicles that brush against
infested trees.
Coordinated response
As the map of new infestations grew, the need
for a coordinated plan of action to battle this in-
vasive species was clear. Staff from the Michigan
departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture
and Rural Development, Michigan State University,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Ser-
vice, and the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation
Department formed the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Coordinating Committee, which cooperatively
completed a statewide strategy document in August
2017.
Prevention
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development spearheads the first line of
defense – prevention. Along with the 2001 exter-
nal quarantine, the department issued an internal
quarantine in 2017, restricting the movement of
hemlock tree nursery stock and unprocessed hem-
lock products from, or within, Allegan, Muskegon,
Ottawa and Oceana counties.
Staffers provide education, certification and
inspection services to nurseries and producers han-
dling hemlock in the quarantined counties, and they
train certified pesticide applicators on the proper
use of insecticides to treat hemlock wooly adel-
gids. The agriculture department staff also verifies
reports of adelgids detected in new locations.
Detection and response
The DNR’s Forest Resources and Parks and
Recreation divisions are finding and treating
hemlock woolly adelgid infestations on state lands,
including at Silver Lake, Duck Lake, Muskegon, P.
J. Hoffmaster and Grand Haven state parks – span-
ning the shoreline along these four affected south-
western Michigan counties.
A recent grant from the U.S. Forest Service’s
Landscape Scale Restoration Program will expand
outreach to local units of government in affected
areas and provide training to their staff.
Infestations on private and municipal lands
in the four-county area are being surveyed by the
Ottawa Conservation District, supported by fund-
Eastern hemlock trees growing at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon County are shown. The
old-growth hemlocks here are part of the reason the forest was preserved as a park. MDNR photo
ing from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,
the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program and
Ottawa County.
To keep information organized and efforts coor-
dinated, all partners use the same software for data
collection. All survey and treatment information is
housed in one database managed by the DNR that
can be used by partners to inform decision-making
and work flow.
Investigation
When invasive species arrive, they don’t come
with a set of instructions. Knowing how they will
respond to a newly encountered environment, what
they need to survive and whether they develop new
behaviors are important considerations in determin-
ing how best to control them.
Deborah McCullough, a professor in Michigan
State University’s departments of Forestry and En-
tomology, is at the center of a multifaceted effort to
understand the hemlock woolly adelgid’s life cycle
in Michigan, its response to insecticide treatments
and the effects of Michigan’s winter temperatures
on its survival.
McCullough and her colleagues have already
completed an adelgid risk map, layering hemlock
stands identified by satellite imagery over climate
data indicating temperatures favorable for adelgid
survival.
The map directs survey crews to the most likely
places hemlock woolly adelgids might be found.
Preliminary findings from treatment studies are
communicated with partners and contractors to
improve results in the field.
“There are so many parts to managing an
infestation – research, funding, partnerships, survey,
treatment,” McCullough said. “Working together
means we’re sharing information and moving each
other forward, but at the same time each of us is
able to focus on our part of the task.”
The Northern Line
Silver Lake State Park, in Mears, along the
Lake Michigan shoreline in Oceana County, is the
most-northerly-known location of hemlock woolly
adelgid in Michigan. Emma Fojtik and Katie
Knapp, crew members with Ottawa Conservation
District’s adelgid project, say infected trees perch
halfway up the slope of a forested dune on private
property just south of the park.
They are mapping the location of every hem-
lock on the property, recording each tree’s diameter
and attaching a numbered tag to the trunk. This pre-
pares the site for chemical treatment to be applied
by contractors in the fall or spring.
“Once we find an infested tree, every hemlock
within 800 feet of the tree will be treated,” Knapp
explains, as she gestures toward a seedling full of
white masses. “Basically, all of the hemlocks on
this property have hemlock woolly adelgids.”
Nearly identical work is happening at Silver
Lake State Park, where DNR staff is surveying and
preparing for hemlock treatments.
“Our current strategy is based on the knowl-
edge we have now,” said James Wieferich, a
technician with DNR Forest Resources Division. “If
adelgid infestations are limited to the areas we have
surveyed, we can create a barrier to sever the infes-
tation from areas farther north that are not infested
and then stair-step treatment down to the southern This image shows a hemlock tree on the left that
limits (of the infestation).” has not been infested with hemlock woolly adelgid.
North of the designated barrier, the Nature The tree on the right is infested. MDNR photo
Conservancy – in partnership with the Michigan
Dune Alliance – will soon begin detection surveys improve the odds of success in the battle against
in coastal areas not known to be infested with adel- these invasive insects.
gids. After an extremely cold night in Muskegon in
Detection surveys are broadscale and quick, ex- January 2018, 80 percent of the hemlock woolly
amining no more than 30 trees per acre on selected adelgids on a sample tree at the campground in
plots to determine whether hemlock woolly adelgids Norton Shores had died. Warmer temperatures on
are present. These surveys will be conducted by Co- the same night at a site in Ottawa County showed
operative Invasive Species Management Area staff – far less adelgid mortality.
local partners who also assist by providing outreach “Michigan’s known infestations are along the
to communities affected by invasive species. lakeshore, which has its own micro-climate,” Mc-
Cullough said. “The lake effect means more snow
Signs of Hope and generally warmer winter temperatures than
At a campground in Norton Shores in Muskeg- our inland areas, which may have an effect on the
on County, an early infestation site and ground zero adelgids’ ability to survive and spread.”
for McCullough’s research, stands of hemlock look Knowing what’s at stake – the significant
gray and thin against the background of maples in environmental, recreational and economic costs of
full summer flourish. losing Michigan’s hemlock trees – keeps the team
A closer look reveals bright, vibrant hemlock committed to working together to protect this valu-
trees among the maples, tied with assorted colors able resource.
of plastic marking tape. Another hemlock has fresh, More information about hemlock, hemlock
green growth at its tips. These trees are part of a quarantines and identifying and treating hemlock
study, funded by MSU’s Project GREEEN, to im- woolly adelgid is available at www.michigan.gov/
prove treatment success for the insecticides Imida- hwa.n
cloprid and Dinotefuran.
Dinotefuran is fast-acting but short-lived,
protecting trees from adelgids for one to two years.
Imidacloprid takes up to one year to show results
but provides protection for at least four years.
Armed with effective treatments and a coordi-
nated management strategy, Michigan hopes to be
able to contain its hemlock woolly adelgid infesta-
tion.
The Nature Conservancy’s Shaun Howard,
project manager for Eastern Lake Michigan, is
cautiously optimistic. “(Working together) we have
more data to make decisions on a broader scale,”
Howard said. “Treatments are available and effec-
tive. Once trees are infested, tree mortality could
take four to 10 years, so we have time to save the
trees – but I can’t say whether this will be eradica-
tion (of the infestations) or just the beginning of a
long-term effort.”
McCullough is investigating the effects of tem- A hemlock tree branch shows ovisacs that resemble
perature on the adelgids – another factor that may wool, helping to give the insect its name. MDNR photo
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 65
 SAVE MICHIGAN'S HEMLOCKS
Working Together...By Joanne Foreman - MDNR
I
f you travel past Michigan’s cities, past the
farms, there’s a point where the billboards
give way to forest land as far as the eye can
see.
This is the home of eastern hemlock – span-
ning from West Michigan’s dunes, across
the northern Lower Peninsula, into all but two
counties in the Upper Peninsula.
Though not a standout, hemlock is an important
part of the mesic northern forest, providing shel-
ter for deer and nesting birds, and keeping forest
streams cool and clean. Now, the state’s hemlock
resource, estimated at 170 million trees, is threat-
ened by a tiny invasive insect – the hemlock woolly
adelgid.
The Threat
Nearly invisible to the naked eye, the black,
aphid-like bug pierces branches and feeds on sap,
slowly sucking the life from the tree.
To protect its eggs, the adelgid spins a cotton-like,
waxy white ball. These “ovisacs,” resembling the
tips of cotton swabs, are visible on the underside of
hemlock branches, near the base of the needles. It
is the woolly appearance of these ovisacs that help
give the hemlock woolly adelgid its name.
A native of Asia, the adelgid probably arrived
in the U.S. on a shipment of hemlock from Japan.
It was first identified in Richmond, Virginia in 1951
and by the 1980s had spread to large tracts of forest
in the Appalachian Mountains. On the move despite
a 2001 external quarantine restricting the ship-
ment of hemlock to Michigan from states infested
with the adelgid, the insect was detected in Emmet
County, just south of the Mackinac Bridge, in 2006.
Reports were then later confirmed in Macomb
and Ottawa counties in 2010, in Berrien County in
2012 and in Allegan County in 2013.
These small, localized infestations were man-
aged by surveying and removing infested trees and
The hemlock woolly adelgid is an invasive species in
Michigan that came from Japan and damages eastern
hemlock trees. Michael Montgomery, U.S. Depar tment
of Agriculture Forest Service, Bugwood.org
64 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
treating nearby trees with insecticides. By 2015,
just when these sites were receiving an “all-clear”
designation, reports of hemlock woolly adelgid
were confirmed in new areas of Ottawa County and
in southern Muskegon County.
Surveys and reports from the public, revealed
infestations in northern Muskegon County in 2016,
and in Ottawa, Allegan and Oceana counties in
2017. Not only private lands were affected, but also
state parks in these four western Lower Peninsula
counties were found to have severe infestations.
“Given the checkerboard pattern of hemlock
woolly adelgid across the western counties, it is
likely that multiple introductions of infested tree
stock are responsible,” said Scott Lint, a forest
health specialist with the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources.
Once it is introduced, the adelgids can be spread
by wind, wildlife and vehicles that brush against
infested trees.
Coordinated response
As the map of new infestations grew, the need
for a coordinated plan of action to battle this in-
vasive species was clear. Staff from the Michigan
departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture
and Rural Development, Michigan State University,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Ser-
vice, and the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation
Department formed the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Coordinating Committee, which cooperatively
completed a statewide strategy document in August
2017.
Prevention
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development spearheads the first line of
defense – prevention. Along with the 2001 exter-
nal quarantine, the department issued an internal
quarantine in 2017, restricting the movement of
hemlock tree nursery stock and unprocessed hem-
lock products from, or within, Allegan, Muskegon,
Ottawa and Oceana counties.
Staffers provide education, certification and
inspection services to nurseries and producers han-
dling hemlock in the quarantined counties, and they
train certified pesticide applicators on the proper
use of insecticides to treat hemlock wooly adel-
gids. The agriculture department staff also verifies
reports of adelgids detected in new locations.
Detection and response
The DNR’s Forest Resources and Parks and
Recreation divisions are finding and treating
hemlock woolly adelgid infestations on state lands,
including at Silver Lake, Duck Lake, Muskegon, P.
J. Hoffmaster and Grand Haven state parks – span-
ning the shoreline along these four affected south-
western Michigan counties.
A recent grant from the U.S. Forest Service’s
Landscape Scale Restoration Program will expand
outreach to local units of government in affected
areas and provide training to their staff.
Infestations on private and municipal lands
in the four-county area are being surveyed by the
Ottawa Conservation District, supported by fund-
Eastern hemlock trees growing at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon County are shown. The
old-growth hemlocks here are part of the reason the forest was preserved as a park. MDNR photo
ing from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,
the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program and
Ottawa County.
To keep information organized and efforts coor-
dinated, all partners use the same software for data
collection. All survey and treatment information is
housed in one database managed by the DNR that
can be used by partners to inform decision-making
and work flow.
Investigation
When invasive species arrive, they don’t come
with a set of instructions. Knowing how they will
respond to a newly encountered environment, what
they need to survive and whether they develop new
behaviors are important considerations in determin-
ing how best to control them.
Deborah McCullough, a professor in Michigan
State University’s departments of Forestry and En-
tomology, is at the center of a multifaceted effort to
understand the hemlock woolly adelgid’s life cycle
in Michigan, its response to insecticide treatments
and the effects of Michigan’s winter temperatures
on its survival.
McCullough and her colleagues have already
completed an adelgid risk map, layering hemlock
stands identified by satellite imagery over climate
data indicating temperatures favorable for adelgid
survival.
The map directs survey crews to the most likely
places hemlock woolly adelgids might be found.
Preliminary findings from treatment studies are
communicated with partners and contractors to
improve results in the field.
“There are so many parts to managing an
infestation – research, funding, partnerships, survey,
treatment,” McCullough said. “Working together
means we’re sharing information and moving each
other forward, but at the same time each of us is
able to focus on our part of the task.”
The Northern Line
Silver Lake State Park, in Mears, along the
Lake Michigan shoreline in Oceana County, is the
most-northerly-known location of hemlock woolly
adelgid in Michigan. Emma Fojtik and Katie
Knapp, crew members with Ottawa Conservation
District’s adelgid project, say infected trees perch
halfway up the slope of a forested dune on private
property just south of the park.
They are mapping the location of every hem-
lock on the property, recording each tree’s diameter
and attaching a numbered tag to the trunk. This pre-
pares the site for chemical treatment to be applied
by contractors in the fall or spring.
“Once we find an infested tree, every hemlock
within 800 feet of the tree will be treated,” Knapp
explains, as she gestures toward a seedling full of
white masses. “Basically, all of the hemlocks on
this property have hemlock woolly adelgids.”
Nearly identical work is happening at Silver
Lake State Park, where DNR staff is surveying and
preparing for hemlock treatments.
“Our current strategy is based on the knowl-
edge we have now,” said James Wieferich, a
technician with DNR Forest Resources Division. “If
adelgid infestations are limited to the areas we have
surveyed, we can create a barrier to sever the infes-
tation from areas farther north that are not infested
and then stair-step treatment down to the southern This image shows a hemlock tree on the left that
limits (of the infestation).” has not been infested with hemlock woolly adelgid.
North of the designated barrier, the Nature The tree on the right is infested. MDNR photo
Conservancy – in partnership with the Michigan
Dune Alliance – will soon begin detection surveys improve the odds of success in the battle against
in coastal areas not known to be infested with adel- these invasive insects.
gids. After an extremely cold night in Muskegon in
Detection surveys are broadscale and quick, ex- January 2018, 80 percent of the hemlock woolly
amining no more than 30 trees per acre on selected adelgids on a sample tree at the campground in
plots to determine whether hemlock woolly adelgids Norton Shores had died. Warmer temperatures on
are present. These surveys will be conducted by Co- the same night at a site in Ottawa County showed
operative Invasive Species Management Area staff – far less adelgid mortality.
local partners who also assist by providing outreach “Michigan’s known infestations are along the
to communities affected by invasive species. lakeshore, which has its own micro-climate,” Mc-
Cullough said. “The lake effect means more snow
Signs of Hope and generally warmer winter temperatures than
At a campground in Norton Shores in Muskeg- our inland areas, which may have an effect on the
on County, an early infestation site and ground zero adelgids’ ability to survive and spread.”
for McCullough’s research, stands of hemlock look Knowing what’s at stake – the significant
gray and thin against the background of maples in environmental, recreational and economic costs of
full summer flourish. losing Michigan’s hemlock trees – keeps the team
A closer look reveals bright, vibrant hemlock committed to working together to protect this valu-
trees among the maples, tied with assorted colors able resource.
of plastic marking tape. Another hemlock has fresh, More information about hemlock, hemlock
green growth at its tips. These trees are part of a quarantines and identifying and treating hemlock
study, funded by MSU’s Project GREEEN, to im- woolly adelgid is available at www.michigan.gov/
prove treatment success for the insecticides Imida- hwa.n
cloprid and Dinotefuran.
Dinotefuran is fast-acting but short-lived,
protecting trees from adelgids for one to two years.
Imidacloprid takes up to one year to show results
but provides protection for at least four years.
Armed with effective treatments and a coordi-
nated management strategy, Michigan hopes to be
able to contain its hemlock woolly adelgid infesta-
tion.
The Nature Conservancy’s Shaun Howard,
project manager for Eastern Lake Michigan, is
cautiously optimistic. “(Working together) we have
more data to make decisions on a broader scale,”
Howard said. “Treatments are available and effec-
tive. Once trees are infested, tree mortality could
take four to 10 years, so we have time to save the
trees – but I can’t say whether this will be eradica-
tion (of the infestations) or just the beginning of a
long-term effort.”
McCullough is investigating the effects of tem- A hemlock tree branch shows ovisacs that resemble
perature on the adelgids – another factor that may wool, helping to give the insect its name. MDNR photo
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 65
 SCRAPE TACTICS
By Tracy Breen
H
ere in Michigan, deer
hunting is changing.
Baiting deer will
soon be a thing of
the past. As a result,
hunters are going to
have to employ new tactics if they
want to get within bow or gun range
of deer. One of the most popular
ways to entice a buck within bow
range is by hunting over mock
scrapes. Doug Roberts from Con-
quest Scents in Michigan knows a
lot about the subject. Doug’s com-
pany has been selling deer urine for
over a decade. He has spent twice
that long hunting mature bucks over
scrapes.
“Hunting over scrapes can be a
lot of fun. Hunting over scrapes is
extremely effective when done cor-
rectly. If a hunter wants to focus on
killing mature bucks, hunting over a
mock scrape is one of the best ways
to do that,” Roberts said.
What Doug likes best about
hunting over scrapes is the fact that
he can control what bucks do and
where they go by building a mock
scrape in the right place. “I start
building mock scrapes long before
most hunters. I like to build them in
September near my favorite tree-
stands which are always located
near deer travel corridors. I like to
build my scrapes upwind and within
bow range of my stand.”
Build A Scrape that is
Worked In 360 Degrees
Doug believes there are four
basic components to a good mock
scrape that will fool deer. “First,
hunters need to build a scrape so
dirt is distributed in all directions.
The ground needs to be worked in
Remote controlled Wyndscent
scent dispenser that vaporizes
deer scent.
66 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Doug Rober ts with a dandy buck he took hunting over a mock scrape. Doug stresses to be successful
hunting over scrapes they have to be good quality and you have to be patient.
360 degrees around the scrape and
the ground needs to be torn up. This
makes the scrape more noticeable.
It also makes it a territorial scrape
that drives bucks crazy. This type of
scrape is one that does will use.”
Always use a
Licking Branch
The second step is the licking
branch. Doug never builds a scrape
without a licking branch. “The
scrape should have a licking branch
over the top of it and should be
roughed up like a real licking branch
is. It should be hanging down low
enough that deer can easily interact
with it.”
Build Rubs
Around the Scrape
The third step is putting a buck
foot print in the middle of his mock
scrape and rubs around it.
“Bucks can’t always see scrapes
from a distance. By making mock
rubs around my scrape, bucks
and does will approach the scrape
because they will notice the new
rubs from a great distance. When
they approach the scrape, they will
see the footprint and be able to see
which direction the deer was walk-
ing when it left the scrape. Deer
often leave their print in scrapes and
hunters rarely do this when they
are building a scrape. My goal is to
make the scrape look as authentic as
possible.”
Cover Scent
The fourth and final step is
putting a rutting buck scent in the
scrape and EverCalm on the licking
branch. “I want the scrape to smell
like a real buck built the scrape. By
using EverCalm, I am making the
licking branch smell like deer have
used the licking branch. By building
mock rubs and by using scent in the
scrape, deer can find the scrape two
different ways: by smell or by sight.
By using this method, 95 percent of
the time my scrapes become active
scrapes.”
Eliminate Human Odor
Many hunters don’t build mock
scrapes because they have had a
negative experience with scrapes. In
many cases, Roberts believes that
happens for a couple different rea-
sons. “Probably the most common
reason why deer spook when they
approach a scrape is because human
odor was left behind at the scrape.
Hunters should be as scent free as
possible. I wear rubber gloves and
boots when I build scrapes. Human
odor ruins a lot of scrapes. Second,
small bucks will often get spooked
by a scrape if they think a big buck
made the scrape. They will smell it
and run away.”
Be Patient
Roberts is a firm believer in
hunting over scrapes. He is quick
to point out that if a hunter wants
to be successful when hunting over
scrapes, hunting all day is a neces-
sity. “Our research shows that many
bucks check scrapes in the middle of
the day. They want to catch the other
bucks or the does near the scrape
so they will often check them in
the afternoon so I hunt all day. The
problem is most people work during
the day. If a hunter guy wants to
increase his odds of killing a mature
buck, they need to hunt over scrapes
during the middle of the day. My
favorite time to hunt over scrapes is
early afternoon during late October
and early November.”
The key to success when hunting
over scrapes according to Roberts is
building a good quality scrape and
sticking with it. Don’t get impatient.
New Deer
Scent Technology
Not much has changed in the
deer urine industry in the last decade
or so... until recently. Conquest
Scents recently partnered with
Wyndscent, a company out of Grand
Rapids, that makes a scent dispenser
that vaporizes deer scent. It heats
up the scent and turns it into a fine
vapor.
Independent testing by a tracker
and his bloodhound determined the
dog could smell the heated vapor
from several hundred yards away.
The cool thing with the Wyndscent
unit is it is controlled by a remote
control so hunters don’t need to pour
scent in a scrape or contaminate the
ground with human odor. They can
turn it on and off from their trees-
tand. Conquest Scents’ most popular
scents can be purchased for the
Wyndscent unit.
Learn more about this new tech-
nology at www.wyndscent.com.n
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 67

 Waterfowl’s October Lull
By Nathan Miller

H
unting throughout
Michigan my entire
life has given me a
great edge among
those who have come
into this state and to
those who are trying to learn or gain
knowledge of the waterfowl world.
I have had a passion for ducks and
geese most of my life and I really
cannot remember a day of my 37
years where I haven’t had a thought
of a honk or quack.
As us Michiganders know, the
weather here is very unpredictable.
Going from sunny and 70 to 20 and
blowing snow in a 24-hour period of
time isn’t all that unusual here. With
the waterfowl seasons expanding
greatly today and somewhat liberal
bag limits, true waterfowlers try to
make the most of the opportunities
given during the duck and goose
seasons.
Something that has come to my
attention when chasing these birds The author found sitting in a treestand bowhunting during the October Lull was a great way to scout
all over numerous counties is what and find potholes he hadn’t seen or had overlooked throughout the previous years. Author photo

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68 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
I like to call the October Lull. This Arriving in my stand before daylight take on before they can actually be their potholes I hadn’t seen or have
lull of the hunting season really put me under ducks chattering from seen with ample daylight. Of course, overlooked throughout the previous
starts when the season opens. We above going from roost to feed and this never comes with a guarantee years. The dreaded October Lull has
get a crack at some great wood duck roost to loaf. for permission to hunt these birds, now become fire, burning at me to
and teal hunting, with a few mal- Ducks can really be a hard bird but it is another way to kill two slow down, take a seat, and enjoy
lards thrown in. If you scout hard to scout before the north winds drive birds with one stone. the view from a tree stand. Taking a
enough you may even find a dry them to bigger feeds. Sitting in the I do not see any better way to set of back straps and everything the
field maxed out with some green- stand has helped me locate potholes scout birds than putting the miles stand gives us is just another way to
heads, come early October. they travel to at first light to loaf on the truck; however, sitting in a take the guesswork out of the Octo-
With today’s tennis shoe hunters for the day and other dry fields they tree has shown me a few birds and ber Lull so many of us encounter.n
hitting the wings early before the
big blows and cold snows move in,
the birds get a good dose of 3 inch
mags the first couple of weekends.
This leads up to smart and weary
birds right out of the gate.
I tell myself every year after a
couple weeks in I am going to focus
more on bow hunting whitetails and
give the birds a break. Yet again, I
find myself crotch deep in stinky
Michigan muck watching birds flare
at the sight of a decoy.
Granted, over the past few years
I have found a sliver of my bow
hunting roots and now I find myself
perched up in a tree a few more
hours than I have in years past.
It is not the deer, or the quiet
morning or colorful night skies
that drive me back to my stand;
it is the birds.
When I was drawn back into
bow hunting four years ago on an
evening hunt near some of the farms
I chase waterfowl on, I noticed the
amount of honker air traffic, which I
had not noticed in all the miles and
hours of scouting on the dirt. (You
see and hear things in a tree you
cannot see and hear over a V8
when ripping down a country
backroad.)
While sitting in the stand on my
first night back in the bow woods,
I watched a good number of birds
come off a roost and fly into an area
I knew had many dry fields and
no water; I made the assumption
they were hitting the feed and not
the water, based on the time of the
day - close to sunset. I had not seen
those birds in all my miles of scout-
ing because they were well off the
beaten path.
The following night I was able
to locate these geese, which num-
bered around 200 birds. (A decent
pair of binoculars can really be a
huge asset to your scouting arsenal.)
In true scouting fashion, my next
step was to locate the landowner and
try my luck at gaining permission.
In this attempt, I was successful. It
put us on a cut wheat field for the
following weekend and limit of
geese for a great hero shot to end
our day.
Throughout the rest of the
season I found myself watching and
listening to the birds flying above.
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 69
 New Pure Michigan Trail
and Trail Town program
T
he DNR and Travel Michi-
gan today announced the
official launch of the Pure
Michigan Trail and Trail
Town designation program. It’s
an effort aimed at acknowledging
Michigan’s position as the Trails
State, showcasing an array of qual-
ity trails (including water trails)
and trail-centered communities, and
recognizing extensive collaboration
of state and local governments, non-
profits, foundations and volunteers
that develop and maintain the trails.
“The concept behind the Pure
Michigan Trail and Trail Town
designation is a welcome addition
to the state’s trails program,” said
Bob Wilson, executive director of
the Michigan Trails and Greenways
Alliance. “Having first worked on
enabling legislation in 2014 and
now seeing the Pure Michigan
designation come to fruition, it is
an exciting time for all those who
believe in trails in our state.”
Local units of government, trail
authorities or nonprofits primarily
responsible for the proposed non-
motorized or motorized trail or trail
town may apply for the designation.
Applicants must demonstrate that
the trail or trail town:
• Offers a high-quality trail or
trail town experience.
• Provides clear information for
users.
• Enjoys broad community sup-
port.
• Has a sustainable business,
maintenance and marketing plan.
“This Pure Michigan designation
will help to shine a light on some of
the best and most scenic trails across
the state, as well as the communities
enhanced by these trails,” said Paul
Yauk, DNR state trails coordinator.
“Recognizing these valuable out-
door assets as part of this program
also will help us further anchor
Michigan’s position as the nation’s
Trails State.”
Michigan offers a network of
more than 12,500 miles of state
designated trails, with new connec-
tions in process every year. It’s an
interconnected trails system that
provides plentiful recreation oppor-
tunities for bicyclists, hikers, ORV
riders, snowmobilers, equestrians,
cross-country skiers and other out-
door enthusiasts.
“Highlighting the vast network
of trails throughout our great state
will continue to draw attention to
one of Michigan’s greatest assets,
our abundant natural resources,”
said David Lorenz, vice president
of Travel Michigan. “Residents and
visitors alike will have additional
access to resources, maps and infor-
mation to highlight both motorized
and non-motorized trails as well as
natural resources around the state.”
Information on the Pure Michi-
gan designation program – including received by Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018.
an overview, the application pro- During the following review and
cess, designation criteria, frequently evaluation period, the DNR may ask
asked questions, a handbook and applicants for supplemental infor-
other related resources – can be mation or documentation.
found at michigan.gov/dnrtrails. Questions and completed appli-
“We all know the benefit of cations can be submitted via email
being associated with the Pure to Mike Morrison at morrisonm4@
Michigan brand and its direct tie to michigan.gov or via traditional mail
our nation’s leading trails system,” to: Pure Michigan Trails Designa-
said Wilson. “It reinforces both the tion c/o State Trails Coordinator,
value of the trails and the value of Parks and Recreation Division,
the brand.” Michigan Department of Natural
All Pure Michigan Trail and Resources, P.O. Box 30257, Lan-
Trail Town applications must be sing, MI 48909.n

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 2017 Season’s...
BIGGEST BEAR
T
he list of Boone and
Crockett caliber bears
that were bagged dur-
ing 2017 in Michigan
continues to grow as
what may have been
the largest of them all, in terms of
skull size, was recently measured. A
bear that Jeff Kresnak from Cale-
donia shot with the help of hounds
in Manistee County last
September has a skull scor-
ing 21 15/16, putting it in
sixth place among those in
state records maintained by
Commemorative Bucks of
Michigan.
The bruin bagged by
Kresnak may also have
been the heaviest, but we
By Richard P. Smith
will never
know for sure
because it
wasn’t weighed. What we do know,
however, is the hide from Jeff’s bear
was 10 to 20 percent larger than the
hide of another bear that had been
weighed and tipped the scales at
525 pounds. The taxidermist Jeff
brought the hide for his bear to have
mounted, happened to have a hide
of the 525-pounder that he just got
in from another customer and they
laid the two hides out next to one
another to compare.
Kresnak was hunting with Jason
Ware from Frankfort, who operates
Final Chase Outfitters, when he got
his record book bear.
“I only like to hunt with dogs,”
Jeff said. “I started hunting rabbits
with beagles when I was a boy. I got
my first coon dog when I was 14.
Nothing sounds better to me than a
hound running a track.
“I’ve shot a few bears in my
life. On this hunt, I was determined
not to shoot a bear unless it was
north of 375 pounds.”
Jeff’s biggest bear prior to last
fall was a 300-pounder that he got
in Ontario. On the third day of the
hunt, they found the tracks of a big
bear in the sand on a woods road.
The guide thought the bear that
made the tracks would weigh at
least 350 pounds, so they put
Ware’s Plott hounds on the bruin’s
trail.
“The chase lasted for eight or
nine hours,” Jeff said, “and those
hounds stuck with it the whole time.
The bear was smart. He knew all
the tricks to try to throw the dogs
off. He swam through the Manistee
River and the Betsy River, but the
dogs managed to stay on the bear’s
trail.
“The chase was pretty intense.
We were on foot during the entire
time, right with the dogs in the
swamps and water. We walked,
crawled and waded for almost nine
hours when following the dogs.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to
make it,” Kresnak added. “A couple
of times, I was ready to quit. I was
running out of gas.”
Besides Jason and Jeff,
a young man by the name
of William Charles Wallace
from Frankfort, who was
Jason’s assistant, was a part
of the foot chase after the
big bear. Once the hounds
caught the bear, they would
hold the bruin at bay in a Jeff Kresnak from Caledonia with his record book bear and holding
a sapling his bullet went through before hitting and killing the bear.
thicket until
the hunters got cubs and whitetail fawns. who is one of Jeff’s cousins, came
close and then Where Jeff killed the bear was to the rescue. He brought the trio
would run for another 100 to 200 about a mile from a road and the water and granola bars then skinned
yards before stopping again. hunters were exhausted from the and quartered the bear and packed
“Every time we tried to slip in chase. Barry Reed from Bear Lake, meat and hide out.n
there to shoot the bear, he would
hear us coming and would leave,”
Kresnak explained. “I had a couple
of opportunities when I could have
shot the bear, but a dog got in the
way and I would have to wait and
the bear bolted before I could get a
shot.”
It was late in the day before Jeff
finally got into position for a shot at
the record book bear.
“I crawled for 50 feet on my
hands and knees to finally get into
position for a shot,” Jeff said. “I
would move when the dogs were
barking. If they stopped barking, I
would stop.”
Jeff was only 35 feet from the
bear when he killed it instantly with
a neck shot from an iron-sighted
.450 Marlin rifle. The bullet went
through a sapling before hitting the
bear. In the accompanying photo,
Jeff is shown holding the sapling
with a bullet hole in it next to his
big bear.
Kresnak said he has gotten
some backlash from anti-hunters
in response to publicity about his
success.
“What these people don’t
understand,” Jeff said, “is that bears
are thriving in the Lower Peninsula.
There are more bears here now than
there have been for years and they
are well managed by the DNR.”
What anti-hunters also don’t un-
derstand is that harvesting of large
adult males like the one Kresnak
shot protects bear cubs and fawns.
Adult males routinely prey on bear
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 71
 Connecting children to wildlife and other
natural resources can be one of the most
exciting, rewarding and fulfilling
endeavors for educators and students…

By Hannah Schauer-MDNR

W
ith another also prints a limited supply of the
school year cards, so students can have a set to
beginning, keep. The available card sets are
some people distributed to Michigan teachers on
may not know a first-come, first-served basis.
the Michigan “Throughout many lessons, I
Department of Natural Resources would hear, ‘I’ve seen that animal
provides numerous opportunities before’ or ‘I’m going to look for that
to help teachers make those valu- animal tonight when I get home,’”
able connections between the state’s Simpson said.

GETTING
natural and cultural resources and During the 2017-2018 school
students of all ages. year, over 800 kindergarten through
fifth-grade educators registered to
Elementary Get Wild receive this free curriculum.
Through the Go Wild for Michi-
gan’s Wildlife curriculum, elemen- Middle School is
for the Bears (and Ducks)

WILD
tary school educators can introduce
young learners to Michigan’s wild- Using actual location data from
life species and their habitats. radio-collared Michigan black bears,
“Go Wild for Michigan’s middle school students can find out
Wildlife brought an excitement into what bears are up to throughout the
my class that I wasn’t anticipating,” year.

in the
said Charlotte Simpson of Shettler A Year in the Life of a Michigan

CLASSROOM
Elementary, part of Fruitport Com- Black Bear provides lessons, videos,
munity Schools in Muskegon. “My activities and bear location data
youngest of learners – kindergart- to help students learn more about
ners – were engaged in the lessons bear behaviors and habits at various
and materials and were making times of the year. Like other DNR
connections to their beautiful home wildlife classroom curricula, this
state.” program is offered free of charge.
Included with the lesson plans Sixth- through eighth-graders
and activities, are “critter cards,” will learn all about bear biology, as
featuring 19 different Michigan well as the DNR’s role in managing
wildlife species. bear populations in Michigan. This
While each educator receives a year, additional bear location data
PDF version of the cards, the DNR have been added to the curriculum
and educators can choose which

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72 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Bear Contest
After learning all about black
bears in Michigan, students can
create a way to share the story of a
black bear’s journey throughout the
year. Educators representing the top
three projects are awarded gift cer-
tificates to purchase science supplies
for their classroom.
Prizes for the contest are pro-
vided by the Michigan Bear Hunters
Association and the DNR.
The DNR also offers middle-
schoolers curriculum centering on
wetlands and some of the birds that
live there. Michigan’s Wondrous
Wetlands and Waterfowl offers an
opportunity to learn about the ducks,
geese, and swans found in Michi-
gan, as well as the critical impor-
tance of wetland habitats.
Lessons include several activi-
ties. Students can become a bird in a
migration simulation that illustrates
the perils that waterfowl encoun-
ter during their bi-annual flights.
Students also will engage in land-
use planning, and analyze Michigan
waterfowl population data.
High-Schoolers
Become Elk Managers
Michigan once had elk across
the state, but by the late 1800s, all
the native elk had disappeared due
to unregulated hunting and drastic
landscape changes that led to a lack
of habitat.
In 1918, seven elk were brought
from the western United States to
Wolverine, Michigan to re-establish
our state’s elk population.
Now, 100 years later, Michi-
gan has a healthy and abundant elk
population resulting from intention-
al land management and increased
law enforcement.
Students can learn more about
this conservation success story and
celebrate elk in the classroom with
Elk University.
“This educational program
gives high school students to chance
to step into the role of a wildlife
manager,” said Katie Keen, DNR
wildlife communications coordina-
tor.
Students will learn about elk,
their habitat needs, Michigan his-
tory, wildlife disease and forest
management. They also will explore
social considerations for wildlife
management.
“I was really impressed with the
way Elk University uses real data,
video and photos to teach biol-
ogy concepts, but doesn’t ‘preach’
or ‘tell’ information to the kids,”
said Chad Miller of Hamilton High
School in Hamilton. “Instead, it
was clear that whoever designed the
lessons understood inquiry learn-
ing and the art of getting kids to
‘uncover’ concepts. It is so rare to
find – especially in free, pre-written
programs – this approach used so
well.”
Elk University is offered free of
charge to ninth through 12th-grade
educators.
Forests and Field Trips
“Forests are critical habitat
for many species, such as bear and
elk, and a field trip is a great way
to have students experience these
resources first-hand after learning
about them in class,” Keen said.
For those teachers hoping to
get their students out for some
forest exploration there is funding
available to schools for field trips
through a program called “Wheels
to Woods.”
Any pre-kindergarten through
12th-grade school in Michigan is
eligible to apply for funds to go on
a field trip to a school forest, private
forest, public forest or forest prod-
ucts company.
“Wheels to Woods pays for the
bus so that students, teachers and A student takes a crack at coring a tree during a Forestry Field
parents can go on an educational Day event at Presque Isle Park in Marquette County. Wheels to the
field trip to explore a nearby forest,” Woods helped fund transpor tation for the event. MDNR photos
said Mike Smalligan, DNR forest
stewardship coordinator. “Teach- More ways to bring natural offered in two locations during the
ers are free to use any topic about resources to the classroom... summer months, gives teachers the
forests that fits in with their lessons • Project WILD workshops opportunity to learn about Michi-
and curriculum.” offer professional development for gan’s diverse natural resources and
For more information and an ap- bringing hands-on natural resourc- how to bring that knowledge to the
plication form, visit treefarmsystem. es-related activities to classrooms. classroom. Learn more at michigan.
org/wheels-to-woods. Applications
are accepted throughout the year.
Several Project WILD guide books
for kindergarten through grade
gov/anr.
To register for wildlife class-
If a field trip is not feasible, edu- 12 are available. Find out more at room curricula and learn about addi-
cators can incorporate trees, forests michigan.gov/michiganprojectwild. tional opportunities the DNR has to
and more into the classroom with • Get salmon in the classroom. offer educators, visit michigan.gov/
Project Learning Tree. Caring for young salmon encour- dnreducation. The Michigan DNR
With this award-winning out- ages third- through 12th-grade offers numerous opportunities for
door curriculum that meets both students to think and care about the state’s schoolchildren to learn
state and national standards, educa- conservation and creates a connec- about wildlife and natural resources
tors can find lessons and activities tion between caring for their fish in closer, more involved and more
for learners of all ages to incor- and caring for their local environ- in-depth ways. These opportuni-
porate into classrooms and other ment. Learn more about the Salmon ties offered for today’s youth may
educational settings. in the Classroom program at michi- cultivate a bumper crop of wildlife
Learn more about Michigan gan.gov/sic. and natural resources stewards for
Project Learning Tree at www. • The DNR’s Academy of Natu- tomorrow. That’s what the DNR is
michiganplt.org. ral Resources, a week-long program aiming for.n
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 Traditional Black Powder Hunting…By Dennis Neely

“My mind was wholly occupied…”

C
anoe-shaped leaves,
faded and yellow,
twitched. Raindrops
plopped. Silver orbs
fell on old hoof prints,
raising tiny dust explo-
sions. Turkey leavings, dry and
brittle, dotted the doe trail. Dull-
black deer pellets lined the earthen
throughway that snaked to the secret
knob. The summer of 1797 parched
the glade.
Hunt-stained elk moccasins
traversed haunting shadows. The
red cedar trees grew so tight only
the crowns held green boughs. Dead
branches tugged and clawed at
linen and leather as the trading post
hunter hunched over and pressed
forward. To the west, a tawny sand
pile betrayed a woodchuck’s exis-
tence. It appeared only the white-
tailed deer, the wild turkeys and an
occasional fox squirrel knew of the
sequestered hill—and oh, now the
woodchuck.
Two score of half-steps later the
woodsman commanded the high
ground. Beyond the tangle, rain-
drops pitter-pattered in a syncopated
forest melody. A chilled gust carried
the April-like aroma of woodland
freshness as the late morning’s gen-
tle drizzle intensified. The hunter’s
bedroll, bound with a leather por-
tage collar, made an almost imper-
ceptible “whoosh” as it dropped to

(Above) Long pauses or sitting for a spell are all par t of executing
a meaningful still hunt. There is no time schedule to keep. For liv-
ing historians, every second in the glade is a precious and satisfy-
ing moment. (Left) Still-hunting in heavy brush is a challenge. Dead
branches and twigs tug at the traditional backwoodsman’s linen and
leather clothing, but venturing where the wild turkey and white-tailed
deer go is wor th the effor t.
the ground in the hacked-away sit- Fluky wind currents shifted for no
ting place that backed up to a thick apparent reason. Perplexed, the post
cedar trunk. hunter climbed to the spot where the
In the fall of 1795 that post young buck once stood. In due time
hunter stalked a fine seven-point he realized the deer’s dilemma: in
buck. The young stag stood close to front of the old cedar tree, the wind
a large red cedar tree, testing the air. currents came from all directions
A tad bit out of range, the woods- and rose straight up, following the
man had no choice but to drop to massive trunk like smoke drawing
his knees. With patience, he eased in a chimney. Scents never washed
back on his heels as the buck sifted over the knob or continued on. That
through the breezes that caressed tree was “scent neutral.”
the knob’s west slope. The seven- “Whack…whack…whack…”
pointer moved on. Then, just before One-by-one, the belt ax cleaved
nightfall, a hundred or so paces dead branches from the old cedar
to the southwest, the death sphere trunk. Satisfied with the hollow, the
delivered its message. woodsman wove those branches into
Days later, the forest tenant the ones remaining, creating the nest
returned to the knob and spent an where he sat on that rainy Septem-
afternoon walking the deer trails that ber morning in 1797.
crisscrossed below the high ground. The greased-leather lock cover
74 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
proved unnecessary—little mois- or three trips with grandmother’s
ture penetrated the tight packed olive-drab canvas tarp, overflowing
cedar canopy. Further, the death with the prior year’s leaves, added
bees slept within the buckskin shot invisibility to the “squirrel’s nest.”
pouch; the Northwest gun’s breech Back then the magic day for
remained devoid of black powder. small game season fell in late
Nonetheless, the smoothbore’s lock October. The first six-week mark-
burrowed under the protection of ing period dragged on forever in an
the linen hunting shirt’s spacious, eager teenager’s life. After chores,
fringed cape. The nest offered a a quick jaunt to the woods followed
soothing respite in the midst of a by quiet time in “the nest” afforded
scouting sojourn and an opportunity a sense of oneness with the woodlot
to wait out the cloudburst. and its tenants—a chance to sit and
Three blue jays flew into the observe and learn.
cedars from the east, jaying in a For all the effort, I don’t remem-
half-hearted attempt to warn the ber spending more than one or two
forest tenants of a mystery intruder. evenings in those ground blinds dur-
More angry, blue-bodied birds ar- ing hunting season. The fox squir-
rived, and within minutes a screech- rels were always somewhere else in
ing din drove away the solitude of the treetops. But thus began the first
that hallowed place. In time, a doe tree-to-tree stalking lessons for a
and summer fawn with faint spots future still-hunter.
skirted the knob. Their backs were Today, 18th-century adventures
wet as they plodded into the deep begin in late summer with the con-
valley below. A distant white tail struction or renovation of a period-
flopped side-to-side as a brass lead correct shelter, a humble wilder-
holder raced across a folded parch- ness abode for an alter ego. A new
ment page, scribbling notes for a generation of wide-eyed youths,
simple pursuit yet to be… my grandchildren, now assist with
In late August, Canada geese campsite tasks as my daughters once
began flying over the homestead did. A history lesson pertinent to The construction or renovation of a period-correct, 18th-century
morning and night. Wood duck and the activity accompanies each such shelter provides a great oppor tunity to share outdoor adventures
mallard flocks strengthened their outing. with a new generation of potential traditional hunters. Learning
wings at dawn and dusk. Days grew The recollections of long-dead simple tasks, like lashing sapling ribs for a wigwam, delight both the
shorter and mornings cooler, fra- backcountry woodsmen offer guid- student and teacher. Wild River tree photos
granced with a heavy dew from the ance for most traditional black
night before. The aroma of fresh- powder hunters. In the 1980s, do so, soon began to feel that they corn pushes me over the edge by
cut alfalfa gave way to the sugary Mark Baker’s column, “A Pilgrims were hunters. They became uneasy early September—like that morning
sweetness of drying field corn. Cat- Journey,” published in MUZZLE- at home. Everything about them in 1797.
tails started losing their greenness LOADER magazine, introduced became disagreeable. The house That day’s schedule was set
and black walnut leaves yellowed. me to Joseph Doddridge’s Notes on was too warm. The feather bed too in stone, or so I thought. A small
The glade knew no bounds as to the Settlement and Indian Wars… soft, and even the good wife was not wedge of Canada geese ke-honked
humankind’s marking of time. In one of his chapters, Doddridge thought for the time being a suitable low over the homestead as I walked
The advent of fall brings with it began reminiscing about the “class companion. The mind of the hunter to the pickup on my way to the first
an inner sense of urgency to return of hunters” with whom he was ac- was wholly occupied with the camp appointment. “Come with us, come
to the forest for this traditional quainted in the late 18th century. His and chase. I have often seen them on, come on” those seven geese
woodsman. A half century ago, timeless words captured the mys- get up early in the morning at this begged.
those same telltale signs lured an tique and magnetism of the glade: season, walk hastily out and look An unexpected telephone call
unsuspecting youth to the woodlot. “As soon as the leaves were anxiously to the woods and snuff opened a scant window of opportu-
Nimble fingers, ripe with excitement pretty well down and the weather the autumnal winds with the highest nity. A poorly hummed rendition of
and anticipation, wove dead limbs, became rainy, accompanied by light rapture, then return to the house and “The Gael” filled the guest room as
branches and twigs into a waist-high snows, these men, after acting the cast a quick and attentive look at the buckskin leggins slipped over dirty
semi-circle situated in front of a part of husbandmen, so far as the rifle, which was always suspended knee breeches. Who knows when
large oak, ash or hickory trunk. Two state of warfare permitted them to to a joist by a couple of buck’s horns or where the trading post hunter
or little forks. His hunting dog, crossed time’s threshold. All that
Muzzle Loading State Events understanding the intentions of his
master, would wag his tail and by
mattered was he did.
Deep, cleansing breaths calmed
Oct. 6--Ashley Woodswalk: Ashley Sportsman Club: 989-862-5853 every blandishment in his power the frenzied quest as soiled elk
express his readiness to accompany moccasins paused, then stepped,
Oct. 6-7--Meat Shoot: Grand Valley Cap n Ballers™: 616-836-5760 him to the woods…” (Doddridge, paused then stepped… Occasional
or 269-792-4384 Joseph, Notes on the Settlement and raindrops plopped and pattered.
Oct. 14--Woods Walk: Clinton River Muzzle Loaders: Detroit Sportsman Indian Wars…, McClain Printing The simple scout progressed with
Congress: 586-731-6088 Company, Parsons, WV, 1996, pgs. joyous, youthful anticipation. Like
Oct. 19-21--Fall Rendezvous: Lansing Muzzle Loading Gun Club 98 – 99) Doddridge’s woodsmen, my mind
517-930-2176 After reading this passage for was wholly occupied…
the first time, great joy and elation Give traditional black powder
Oct. 20--Lever Action Rifle Woods Walk: Clinton River Muzzle Loaders washed over my entire being. But hunting a try, be safe and may God
Detroit Sportsman Congress: 586-731-6088 unlike Doddridge’s hunter heroes bless you.
Oct. 20--Turkey Shoot: Benzie Sportsman Club: 231-378-2145 who awaited the cold rains and light Dennis Neely maintains a web
Oct. 20-21--Turkey Shoot: Columbiaville Sportsman Club: 810-223-3956 snowfalls, the first cooling trend, the site devoted to traditional hunting at
or 810-793-7799 morning and nighttime goose music www.traditionalblackpowderhunt-
and the sweet aroma of drying field ing.com.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 75
 KILL TREES
Establishing Hot Stand Sites…
By Jerry Lambert

A
s the dark gave way to a smaller buck the doe ran to a spot
light, I caught move- about eighty yards directly south of
ment at the edge of my location and was accompanied
the swamp. It took a by a much smaller 8-point who took
few seconds for me advantage of his opportunity to
to identify what I was breed the doe.
seeing but it soon became oh so Over the course of the season,
clear. A big-bodied buck was thrash- I noticed that spot where the doe
ing a tree with a heavy set of 8-point was bred seemed to be the preferred
antlers. He was about eighty yards travel area for bucks cruising for
from where I sat perched completely does, so I moved my stand over
hidden among the thick strong limbs there to a three-trunked maple tree.
of a mighty oak. As it turned out, a very good move
Soon thereafter, I could make on my part. Over the last three
out a couple of smaller bucks as years, I have killed three bucks from
well as a lone doe. Over the next this stand during the early bow sea-
two and half hours the big buck son and have seen numerous other
remained locked-down in the same bucks within bow range. (I have
general vicinity guarding “his” doe. posted video of some of these bucks
I attempted some futile grunts in on my Jerry Lambert Instagram
an attempt to bring him within bow page.)
range but he was not interested. My first stag taken from this
At about 9:30 a.m., the other stand location was an early morning The tree stand the author has shot a buck out of the last three years.
bucks started encroaching on his turf buck that ran in from the southeast
and he would run them off. Eventu- after getting a drink at a pond. To running but a mouth grunt stopped my deadly broadhead anchored him
ally, while the big-8 was running off this day, I don’t know why he was him in his tracks at twenty yards and to the turf.

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76 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 The following year, a true
heavy-weight moseyed in from the
south and ended up stopping in an
opening a mere fourteen yards from
the base of my tree. When the arrow
passed through his vitals, he took off
in a mad sprint and unbelievably ran
face first into a huge oak. He liter-
ally died on his feet fifty yards after
being shot and his momentum car-
ried him right into the thick-wasted
tree trunk. Even after field-dressing,
this buck tipped the scales over the
coveted two-hundred pound mark.
Last year, on the last day that
I would be able to hunt this stand
before gun season started, I saw
three bucks with 8-points or better
and shot a nice 9-point at 10 a.m.
This buck came directly from the
north of me and eventually gave me
a seventeen-yard shot.
I came to the conclusion a long
time ago, that if one big buck choos-
es to travel through a particular area
then other big bucks will also feel
safe to do so in the future. My first
four bucks that I shot with a gun all
came from the same stand and all
were shot on November 15. They
included; two 6-points, a heavy-
antlered 8-point and a 160-class
12-point.
I have had other stands that have
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produced multiple buck kills and
they all seem to have the following
in common:
Heavy Cover
My hot stands have been placed
on the border or in the middle of
heavy cover. The stand that I have
shot a buck in the last three years is
in mixed-hardwoods that are bor-
dered by a thick swamp. My origi-
nal hot gun stand was located in the
middle of a large swamp. Cover can
also consist of high grass, thick co-
nifer stands and thick weedy stands
of young saplings. I currently hunt
a stand during the gun season that
overlooks a thick patch of spruce
trees and it has tall grass between
me and the trees. I shot a 10-point
there last year as the buck chased a
doe out of the spruce and through
the tall grass.
Great Entrance
and Exit Trail
All of my hot stands have well
thought out entrance and exit trails.
You don’t want to spook deer while
traveling to and from your stands.
You also want to factor the wind
when approaching your stand. You
don’t want your scent blowing to
where the deer are bedded. Since I
often hunt close to where the deer
2 MAN
BLIND
The author’s trophies from 2015
through 2017
bed, I often use a turkey call while
walking to my stand. The cadence
of a human slowly walking through
the leaves is very similar to that of
turkeys. Last year, I was hunting a
new property in Branch County. I
used my turkey call to walk through
the leaves on the way to my stand
and had a beautiful 6-point come
in within five minutes of me being
there. I don’t think he would have
come in if I didn’t “camouflage” my
entry noise.
Concealment
What good is it to sit off of the
ground if you can be easily spotted? tree and tie them around my perch.
I like to utilize trees with multiple Utilize these three factors while
trunks so that I can tuck right up searching for your own kill tree and
inside the natural cover. If I don’t hopefully you’ll find successful
have natural cover, then I will cut hunting on a yearly basis. Good luck
the limbs from a spruce or an oak and happy hunting!n
Tom Carney
Among the Aspens
Award-winning nature and outdoor
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essays, Among the Aspens: Stolen
Moments in Secret Coverts.
As with his previous collections,
Sun-Drenched Days, Two-Blanket
Nights; and Bird Dogs and Betty
Cakes, Tom employs a variety of
perspectives and presentations
as his writing glides effortlessly
across the lines that delineate
serious writing, humor, nostalgia,
analysis, description and storytelling.
Different this time around: Instead
of moving from activity to activity
with the progressing seasons as he
did in his first two books of essays,
in Among the Aspens Tom delivers
the goods through a single form
of outdoor recreation: upland bird
hunting.
To purchase: $34.95 (Michigan residents, please add $2.10 sales tax) plus
$6.35 postage/handling
Send check or money order to: Partridge Pointe Press, 2470 Strawberry
Farm St. NE, Belmont, Michigan 49306.
Purchase online at www.tomcarneywriter.com
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 77
 Hot Topic: My Thoughts...My Views

Hunting for the perfect photo

“Ethics are not simply a factor to be
considered in wildlife photography, but exist
at the core of documenting living beings...

I
t happens every few charges for violating posted park
weeks. I receive a ques- rules.
tion about a Snake bites make news
wildlife photo especially when it’s the rare
that’s included encounter with our reclu-
in my monthly sive eastern massasauga
ramble for Woods-N-Water rattlesnakes. The one or
News or that I have shared two rattler bites that occur Back in June the author captured his “best ever” photo of an east-
on Facebook or used in a in Southeast Michigan each ern coyote in its natural habitat on South Manitou Island.
presentation. “How close year are almost always on
were you to get the photo?” the hand, not the ankle. However, I would not have all costs, but will instead ignore
is the most common That speaks vol- wiggled anywhere close to strik- the pressures of social media and
question. I try to By Jonathan Schechter umes, for snakes ing distance, which would have take no actions that will disrupt the
answer as honestly don’t jump up to been about two thirds of the snake’s behavior of the species. A photo that
as I can even when the answer is, bite a hand. It was a photo I took length. That action would have also shows natural behavior in its natural
“I’m not real sure, I was focused on at Indian Springs Metropark Park a disrupted the rattler’s normal be- habitat is, at least to me, far more
watching its behavior and just kept few years ago, that got me thinking havior. When the photo resurfaced powerful than a super close up im-
clicking.” I smile when the other about wildlife encounters in rela- a few days before I wrote this, the age that shows just the creature and
type of question comes my way, “I tion to ethics. A rattler was sunning questions came in again– How close nothing else.
hope you did not scare it away!” I on the relatively warm pavement were you? Six feet would have been As for the coyote trotting over
interpret that as coming from some- of their popular hike-bike trail and a potentially dangerous proximity the vegetated dune, it’s important
one that practices ethical photogra- for readers to know I had been on
phy when it comes to wildlife– even the island for over four weeks as the
if they don’t realize it. lighthouse keeper for South Mani-
We’ve all heard the stories that tou, and that means in all likeli-
sometimes end tragically when hood that coyote had come to know
someone attempts a selfie with an my ways, my wanderings and my
elk in a national park, or mind- behavior very well; most likely far
lessly places their child on a split better than I knew its ways. I was
rail fence near a herd of bison to simply sitting on a foredune (I’m
get that perfect photo for social always armed with my camera)
media sharing. In late August a man and unknown to me the coyote was
intentionally crossed barriers and scrounging for ripe wild strawber-
waded into a stream in Alaska’s ries when our eyes met. It hesitated
Katmai National Park and Preserve for a moment as it most likely sized
to get a selfie with brown bears that me up and thought to itself, “Oh it’s
were fishing for salmon at Brooks The author caught this Michigan ‘rattler’ sunning itself. just him,” before continuing on its
Falls. The National Park Service trek giving me a sidewise glance
explains, “Brooks Falls is one of the a small appreciative crowd had for many creatures. It was not for as it passed by on its berry forag-
best places in the world to watch gathered on that early autumn day. the snake, nor for me. ing mission. It’s a photo that could
brown bears because it is one of the I slowly laid down on the pavement Back in June I captured my “best not have been planned. Unplanned
first streams in the region where about six feet away and zoomed ever” photo of an eastern coyote in photos usually turn out to be the
energetic and pre-spawned salmon in for photos. I was not so close its natural habitat on South Manitou best photos, especially when they
are available to bears.” Thankfully however as to disturb it, and had the Island, 14 miles offshore from the capture natural behavior.
for that ignorant selfie-seeking man, knowledge that contrary to myth a mainland of Sleeping Bear Dunes Planning a photo through habitat
he escaped without a Darwin Award rattlesnake cannot leap forward to National Lakeshore. It was a totally manipulation or baiting with food is
but was rewarded with criminal “get you.” unplanned encounter that actually in my opinion unethical and unwise
inspired this story. And that’s where whether for photographic purpose or
this tale of wildlife behavior and hunting. An easy food source creates
situation awareness really begins in unnatural gatherings while cutting
relation to photography and ethics. brush away from a den site to better
I’ll toss a disclaimer in here now as watch fox pups playing, or trimming
well: Every scenario will have its branches from a tree for a clear
own defining boundaries as to how image of an owl nest puts the spe-
close is too close and much of that cies at risk from other humans and
depends on the habitat, the season natural predators. Likewise, taking
of the year and the knowledge of any action that stresses an animal
the photographer about the species is unwise and unhealthy and that
natural history, likely behavior and would include closely approaching
the surrounding natural features. most species. Typically, but not al-
I’m also writing this with the ways, the more the creature of your
Taking a photo of a doe and her twins in Oakland Co. is much easier assumption that a respectful person
than in wilder areas of Michigan. will not pursue a perfect photo at Perfect photo page 80
78 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 Hot Topic: Know Before You Go...

Blinds and stands on state land

W
ith hunting permanently fastened to the blind
season ap- and are removed at the end of each
proaching day.
rapidly, I These items can be tied to the
thought it was blind but cannot be stapled, nailed,
time to do an glued or fastened in any permanent
article on the dos and don’ts when manner. No identification is re-
it comes to using hunting stands, quired. Fasteners such as nails and
blinds and any other structure you screws cannot be used in construc-
might consider using in an effort to tion.
harvest your game this year. A Type 3 blind is a constructed
Going back many years, hunt- ground blind and it includes all
ers quite often would build wooden other blinds not meeting the require-
hunting blinds out of just about ments in Type 1 and Type 2 blinds.
anything and just leave them in the It also includes a portable ground
woods year after year. Other hunters blind if not removed at the end of
would use pieces of wood in combi- the day.
nation with other building supplies Bear hunters may use these
including pieces of plastic types of blinds on state
and build makeshift blinds lands, but must remove the
and again would leave them blind 5 days after harvest-
in the woods year after ing their bear or 5 days
year. Not to be outdone, after their bear hunting
were those hunters that season is over.
would build ladder stands Deer hunters may place
and wooden platforms. constructed ground blinds
Problem is, over time on public lands in Zone 1
either by not taking and Zone 2 starting
care of it or mother By Jeff Pendergraff September 1 to the
nature taking over, the end of deer season.
blind or stand would break down If you fail to remove the blind it’s
and nothing would be left in the a crime and it’s also considered
woods except a mess. Whatever abandoned.
was used to build the blind in most The name and address of the
cases was abandoned and left in the person placing a constructed ground Picture of a legal tree stand with nothing penetrated into the tree. Just a support
woods. This was done for decades blind on public lands must be per- pole and a strap around the tree at the top.
and over time our state lands in manently attached, etched, engraved that person standing on the ground. You can also find this information
many cases had a lot of debris lay- or painted on the blind. These blinds If you hunt on public lands, online.
ing around it. are not legal on state game areas, your tree stand must be portable Just a few examples of hunt-
Finally, the DNR came up with state parks and state recreation and your name and address must be ers not following the rules. While
rules that pertain to how, when areas in Zone 3. Fasteners, if used affixed in legible English that can following up on a complaint of an
and what you could do when using to anchor or attach the blind to a be easily read from the ground. You illegal blind permanently set on state
blinds on state lands to prevent the tree, cannot penetrate the cambium can also use your driver’s license land, CO Bucholtz made contact
eye sore of seeing this debris being of a tree and must be removed with number or sports-card number. with a suspect. The blind had been
left in our beautiful state forests that the blind. It is unlawful to use an Hunting platforms cannot be nailed to a tree and not properly
Michigan is well known for. illegal ground blind, regardless of affixed or attached to any tree by marked with his information. The
Our first type of blind we are who placed it on public land. Just nails, screws or bolts; however, a blind had also been left out past the
going to talk about which has be- wanted to get your attention for that “T” bolt or similar devise supplied March 1 deadline.
come very popular in the last decade last sentence, if you’re out walking by a tree stand manufacturer can be In Kalkaska County CO Mike
is pop-up blinds. I have personally around and find one and just think used. Hearn meet up with a hunter who
been using them for many years you can sit there and hunt for a Screw-in tree steps are ille- had left a blind on state land. It also
to hunt predators from, as well as while, don’t! gal. It’s illegal to use any item that turns out he had been issued a ticket
turkeys, bear and deer. Raised platforms and tree stands penetrates through the bark of a tree in the past for the same violation.
Most of you most likely already are a very common type of blind for in the construction or affixing of any While investigating, the CO deter-
own one. You can generally buy hunters to use. Of course, there are device to assist in climbing a tree. mined that the hunter had also killed
a nice one for a little over $100 to rules pertaining to them as well. None of these items can be a deer illegally. Probably should
several hundred dollars. They are Bow and crossbow hunters placed on state lands any earlier have taken the blind off state land
very portable and you can camou- hunting for all species can use them. than September 1 and must be re- when the season was over.
flage them very well and fool the Bear, deer and elk hunters can use moved by March 1. It’s illegal to If you think that it’s a rarity to
smartest deer in the woods. them when using a firearm. Small use an illegal tree stand or scaffold get caught doing this, you will find
If you’re going to use them on game hunters can when using a regardless of who placed it there. that COs find these violations on a
state land and plan on leaving it out shotgun, but not for hunting water- Unfortunately, many hunt- regular basis. Dozens and dozens of
overnight, you can and no identifica- fowl. ers this fall will not follow these cases are made each fall. Take the
tion is required to be on the blind. Fox and coyote hunters from rules and will run into trouble with time to read the rules and try to keep
This type of blind is called a Type 1 one-half hour before sunrise to one- a Michigan Conservation Officer. our forest looking as natural as we
blind. half hour after sunset can hunt from You don’t need to be one of those can.
A Type 2 blind is a blind made a raised platform. hunters. All the rules in this article Keep in mind; these rules only
by dead natural materials found in A raised platform means a and more can be found in the free apply to public land and not private
the forest. A hunter may add netting, horizontal surface, constructed or Hunting and Trapping guide that the land.
cloth, plastic, or other material for manufactured by a person, which Michigan Department of Natural Author is Jeff Pendergraff, a re-
concealment or protection from the increases the field of vision beyond Resources makes available to all tired Captain with the Law Enforce-
weather if these materials are not what normally would be attained by license agents throughout the state. ment Division of the DNR.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 79
 Hot Topics in the Outdoors...
Baiting is an effective tool for deer management
Dear Woods-N-Water News:
I’m 65 and have been hunting
and trapping all my life. I don’t
have a college degree but I probably
have more hours in the outdoors
than most of your committee
people making the new rules. I’ve
learned a lot about wildlife and
believe I understand much about
mother nature.
I suspect that CWD existed long
before modern science discovered it.
I view CWD in the same way I do
rabies, mange, and distemper. When
populations get too high, these are
Perfect photo: from page 78
quest is aware of your presence and
watches you, the more likely you are
too close, but there are exceptions.
Last week I meandered along a
popular trail at Independence Oaks
County Park in Oakland County.
The deer that live in those woods
“know” people and take humans on
the trail in stride. I simply stood still
on the trail and talked to the deer
that wandered within about 100 feet
of me. It was easy to get photos as
the doe went back to grazing and
her twin fawns would look up at me
nature’s controls.
I love deer and hunting them. In
many areas, there are too many. A
big reason is that people are buying,
leasing, and controlling large parcels
of land. They keep others out, plant
food, supplemental feed, and
improve the habitat. All this, so
they can cherry pick the large
antlered bucks. They create and
hold large herds of deer. Some
people consider this hunting, I call
it managing and killing. Very little
actual hunting is involved.
In some cases, people who can’t
every now and then. That technique
would not work with deer that live
in wilder regions, or if I hiked with
a noisy group or leashed dog.
No matter what the circum-
stances, or the creature of your
quest, a professional or causal
wildlife photographer should put
animals and the natural environment
first, and photography second. The
North American Nature Photogra-
phy Association explains it this way
“Ethics are not simply a factor to be
considered in wildlife photography,
but exist at the core of document-
ing living beings. Without ethics,
control large land parcels, can still put
bait out on a small tract and see deer.
When you take that away, those peo-
ple will stop hunting and the license
sales will continue to drop, meaning
the DNR will have less money to
work with.
Baiting is a very effective tool
for reducing deer numbers. If baiting
could wipe out the deer herd, Texas
wouldn’t have any deer, since they
rank on top of the list of states that
bait and feed.
Sincerely
Stan Vicki
wildlife photography is at risk of be-
ing another way we exploit nature,
potentially harming the very animals
and landscapes we celebrate in our
images.”
Wildlife photography should
not interrupt any natural phenom-
ena, and that includes interrupting
any predator prey interaction that
occurs within the natural environ-
ment. Never crop out the defining
habitat, for the habitat enhances the
story and also lets others know the
photo is real, and in the wild. As
the crisp days of autumn approach
new opportunities for that perfect
My Thoughts,
My Views, My Opinions
Share your thoughts, views, opinions
or short stories with Woods-N-Water
News readers by emailing
wnw@pageone-inc.com or mail to
Woods-N-Water News,
PO Box 278, Imlay City, MI 48444
Questions regarding Woods-N-Water
News subscriptions, newsstand
sales, Outdoor Weekend, stories,
trophy page, contact our office
Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm 810-724-0254,
www.woods-n-waternews.com or
facebook woodsnwaternews
photo in natural habitat emerge.
Walk slowly, stop often, look and
listen and you will find images that
showcase the wonderment and wild-
ness of nature’s way in the woods of
Michigan.
Jonathan Schechter, a resident
of Brandon Township, is the Na-
ture Education Writer for Oakland
County Government and a seasonal
volunteer Lighthouses Keeper for
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake-
shore. Email: oaknature@aol.comn

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80 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Hunting and Fishing Opportunities expanded
at 30 of America’s National Wildlife Refuges
C
ontinuing his efforts
to increase access to
public lands, U.S. Sec-
retary of the Interior
Ryan Zinke will open
more than 251,000
acres to new or expanded hunt-
ing and fishing opportunities at 30
national wildlife refuges across the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
National Wildlife Refuge System.
This will now bring the number of
units where the public may hunt to
377, and the number where fishing
is permitted to 312.
This will open more new acres
to hunting and fishing than in the
past and takes steps to simplify reg-
ulations to more closely match state
hunting and fishing regulations. The
final rule also outlines expanded
hunting and fishing opportunities at
136 national wildlife refuges. The
changes will be implemented in
time for the upcoming 2018-2019
hunting seasons.
“American sportsmen and
women contribute over a billion
dollars a year to fund conservation.
Without hunters and anglers, we
wouldn’t be able to conserve wild-
life and habitat; and, without access
to our public lands like national
wildlife refuges, many hunters
would have nowhere to go,” said
Secretary Zinke. “The last thing I
want to see is hunting to become
an elite sport, rather than a tradi-
tion passed on from generation to
generation. Today’s announcement
protects critical conservation fund-
ing, and ensures sportsmen have ac-
cess to public lands for generations
to come.”
Hunting, fishing and other
outdoor activities contributed more
than $156 billion in economic
activity in communities across the
United States in 2016 according
to the Service’s National Survey
of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation, published
every five years. More than 101
million Americans – 40 percent of
the U.S. population 16 and older –
pursue wildlife-related recreation –
hunting, fishing and birding among
others.
“Hunting and fishing are fam-
ily activities that pass down from
generation to generation. Na-
tional wildlife refuges provide all
Americans with places to hunt, fish,
observe the natural world firsthand
and experience the great outdoors.”
said Cynthia Martinez, Chief of the
National Wildlife Refuge System.
“We are pleased to be able to offer
hunting and fishing opportunities
and other recreational activities
where they are compatible with na-
tional wildlife refuge management
goals.”
The Service manages hunting
and fishing programs to ensure
sustainable wildlife populations
while also offering other wildlife-
dependent recreation on public
lands, such as wildlife watching and
photography. The Refuge System is
an unparalleled network of 566 na-
tional wildlife refuges and 38 wet-
land management districts. There is
a national wildlife refuge within an
hour’s drive of most major metro-
politan areas.
In Michigan’s Shiawassee Na-
tional Wildlife Refuge, hunting of
certain migratory bird, small game,
and furbearers, and expand existing
migratory game bird and big game
hunting.
More than 53 million Americans
visit refuges every year. National
wildlife refuges provide vital habitat
for thousands of species and access
to world-class recreation, from fish-
ing, hunting and boating to nature
watching, photography and environ-
mental education. In doing so, they
support regional economies to the
tune of $2.4 billion dollars per year
and support more than 35,000 jobs.
Under the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of
1997, the Service permits hunting
and fishing along with four other
types of wildlife-dependent recre-
ation, including wildlife photog-
raphy, environmental education,
wildlife observation and interpreta-
tion, when they are compatible with
an individual refuge’s purpose and
mission. Hunting, within specified
limits, is currently permitted on 340
wildlife refuges and 37 wetland
management districts. Fishing is
currently permitted on 278 wildlife
refuges and 34 wetland manage-
ment districts.n

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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 81
Late season fun on the water
T
his year’s boating
season is coming to a
close but there is still
a little time for some
fun. When it’s time to
go boating, just boats
cruising along is no longer what you
see on the waterways. Many fami-
lies take their water toys along to
enjoy at the ports they visit.
PWCs are often placed on a
swim platform while cruising or if
the distance is not too far,
towed behind the boat.
The little craft are great to
launch and explore the shal-
low waters where the cruis-
ers cannot venture. Larger,
two-person PWCs are
often transported by special
trailers and are launched
right alongside the
larger crafts. They
often have the BOAT SMART...
capability to travel
long distances Capt. Fred Davis
on the water and
therefore are a great way to enjoy
the offshore vistas. Most states –
and perhaps all, require a PFD be
worn while operating the small
1-800-700-2628
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82 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
“boats,” which is what the Coast
Guard considers them. Be certain to
check the requirements for the area
you plan to visit so your fun on the
water is not interrupted by a law en-
forcement vessel pulling you over.
Kayaking as a sport has ex-
ploded in recent years. There is not
a waterway nationwide where the
colorful toy boats are not visible.
They too can easily be carried along
on larger crafts; cruisers or larger
fishing boats. The cruis-
ers lash them to the swim
platforms and use them in
ports where they want to
explore the surrounding
shallow waters. Fishing
boats will sometimes carry
them so they can access
shallow inlets where they
know fish can
be found. They
simply anchor the
larger craft and
paddle into the
area nearby, keep-
ing their boat in sight. Although life
jackets are not required to be worn
while kayaking, they are required to
be onboard. Once again, the Coast
Lund 1875
Impact Sport
Always
Service After
the Sale
Fishing boats will sometimes carry kayaks so they can access shal-
low inlets where they know fish can be found. Author photo
Guard considers the crafts “boats.”
Stand-up paddleboards (SUPs),
have also gained great popular-
ity as a recreational activity. They
have the added attraction of being
a physical endurance challenge and
if you ever tried one out, you can
appreciate that statement. They are
so easy to transport, on top of your
vehicle, thrown into the boat or sim-
ply carried by hand from a campsite.
When you access a waterway, there
is no waiting in line to launch, you
simply toss them in the water and
climb aboard.
Caution needs to be exercised
while using your SUP because you
are vulnerable and can be at risk.
The Coast Guard has determined
SUP operators outside a surfing,
swimming or bathing area (very
shallow waters) are “boats” under
U.S.C.G. regulations. Just as kayak-
ers must carry a PFD, you will have
to have one on your board if you
venture offshore any distance. The
Coast Guard places other require-
ments to be aware of; look up the
current information regarding their
use before heading out on an unfa-
miliar waterway.
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Another really fun water toy is a
paddleboat. They too are very easy
to transport and drop in the water.
There is no great skill needed to
operate this vessel and it provides
a great workout for the legs. If you
venture offshore beyond the shal-
lows with them however, they can
be very difficult to maneuver. An
offshore wind can easily carry you
beyond a safe distance and if you do
not have the ability to call for help
your life can be in danger.
One of the toy boat manufac-
turers provides a detailed warning
message on their website where
paddleboats are offered for sale.
It notes under Security Measures;
WARNING and presents a list of
sixteen items to be aware of includ-
ing the statement, “Every passenger
should always wear a PFD when
using this boat.”
To sum up; “toy boats are fun,”
but as reviewed above and rein-
forced by the Coast Guard, and the
boat’s manufacturers, they must
be used responsibly and protective
measures must be observed. When
using any of them, PFDs must be
worn to insure safety.n
$1,200
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 October
Pheasant
Forecast
T
ake it from an old
pheasant guy, Michi-
gan has had a couple
decent nesting
seasons in a
row. I know
what you are going to say.
“There are no pheasants
left in Michigan.” To that I
would respond if folks are
not actively involved in up-
land hunting in Michigan, it
is like trying to guess how
many flies have landed
By Mark Sak
on your garage door
today. But here are a
few hopeful words from someone
who is actively involved as well
as a report on the state’s Michigan
Pheasant Restoration Initiative
program.
Wild pheasants are tough birds.
They can find spots to hide from
hawks, owls, coyotes and most
other predators if they have the right
cover. I have been very fortunate
to have worked my own habitat
program for 20 years. It has worked
wonders. My dad called me in late
winter this year and asked me to
look out my front door. (Dad lives
up by the road in a 20-acre field and
I live in the back). When I walked
to the window I was thrilled to see
16 rooster pheasants in my field
between our houses. Now that isn’t
40 or 60 birds, but I know between
my front field of switchgrass and
another one behind my woodlot I
could easily have 20-30 birds.
There is no question why I have
these pheasants. I have a good mix-
ture of food, cover and wind break.
H i f i ve Ke n n e l s
Wild Bird Dog Training
k now
o
Bo inter • Proven Training Program
w • All Pointing Breeds
for ining
tra • Pups & Star ted Dogs
Bruce & Neal Minard
231-499-3060
In late August I was sitting on my
front porch watching a young brood
of chicks trying to fly. I chuckled to
myself when one of those
chicks was trying to cackle
as he flew.
When I first got in the
habitat game, I started
to plant White Spruce
I bought from the soil
conservation service in
Lapeer County, and now
have about 700 trees lining
the fencerows. If you
remember two years
ago I wrote an article
for Woods-N-Water News called
the 45-foot fencerow. That refer-
ence was how thick I have made
all of my fencerows. I have three
or four rows of White Spruce with
High Bush Cranberry shrubs mixed
throughout, and switch grass and na-
tive shrubs in between it all. Those
White Spruce are key for both safety
from predators as well as wind-
breaks from -20-degree wind chills
in the winter. Pheasants are roosting
in these trees just off the ground.
I also watched a red-tailed hawk
make a dive towards a rooster while
I was deer hunting last fall, and that
rooster merely ducked his head and
ran under the tree. The hawk landed
in the tree for a few minutes them
finally flew off when it could no lon-
ger see the pheasant.
One of the most obvious things
moving forward with all hunters is
the need to create quality habitat.
Deer hunters are quickly jumping
on the habitat band wagon with a
baiting ban coming in 2019. It is
Hifivekennels.com
Hifivekennels@aol.com
Michigan - Georgia
extremely important to understand
how quality habitat will positively
impact both deer and upland birds.
Deer will utilize switch grass as a
bedding area. It has been a win-win
at my place for both whitetails and
ring necks.
The Michigan Pheasant Restora-
tion Initiative is entering its fourth
season and reaching into secondary
target areas. The program not only
has continued to restore high-quality
habitat for the initial target state
game areas, but new ideas
are constantly being developed
that are expanding the scope as
well as the excitement of restoring
pheasant populations and bringing
in new land outside of state game
areas.
There are now 12 cooperatives
in the MPRI improving habitat
on 12,000 acres. Cooperatives are
Mid Thumb Game Ranch
545 West Burnsline • Melvin, Michigan 48454
M-90 between M-53 & M-19 -- Approx. 50 Miles North of Detroit
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PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE!
merely landowners that are in target
areas that want to help connect the
tracts of land for the initiative. Some
of those are in already in the Soil
Conservation Service CRP program,
some are in other conservation pro-
grams, all are helping restore pheas-
ants in Michigan. There are now
30 more cooperatives in the works.
This is a tremendous development
for this initiative. As more coopera-
tives develop in core areas, land
will get connected and more nesting
habitat and winter cover will grow.
As we see more exciting develop-
ments of these cooperatives and
more work to develop these tracts,
we should also see less hunting
pressure in the state game areas.
For more information on the
Michigan Pheasant Restoration
Initiative, go to www.Michigan.gov/
dnr.n
Fallow Bucks
$1,000
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 83
 TRAIL CAM/OUTDOOR PHOTOS
Join us in sharing interesting and sometimes rare
trail cam and/or outdoor photos with our readers.
Send your photos to: wnw@pageone-inc.com (please submit in jpeg format)

This nice Osceola Co. buck eating

apples knocked down by the re-
cent storms. Russ Videan photos

This black bear really does like the swamp!

From Lance LaRock, Marquette County.

Chris Kokotovich’s trail cam caught this sleepy black

bear in Gladwin County.

Tom Spillane of St. Helen saw this

horned owl hanging from a power
line near his cabin. At first he
thought it had electrocuted itself,
but after doing a little researching
he discovered that horned owls will
hang upside down while resting.
Good news, he checked back later
and it was gone.

Russ Videan’s trail cam caught two black bears hang-

ing out along the swamp in Osceola County.
Tom
Spillane
caught
these two
deer on Joe Misiak’s trail cam caught a
family of raccoons above and the
his trail
strutting tom and hen below in
cam near Macomb Co.
Two trail cam photos showing this big black his bow
bear gets what he wants. Taken in Oscoda blind at his
County by Larry Piotrowski. place near
Spleenyen.

Ken and
Dawn Ball
captured a Coyote
caught by
variety of ani- three-year-
mal son their old Richie
trail cam in Perry near
The Webb and Sell families submitted this Newaygo Co. Lowell
trail camera picture of a bobcat taken
in northern Roscommon County.
84 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 MICHIGAN'S
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Michigan’s Premier Outdoor Publication
www.woods-n-waternews.com
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 85
 GUN CHAT...
BASIC AR
T
he idea of a scoped AR
rifle to use in Three
Gun matches, has been
bugging me. I have an
AR type rifle set up for
target shoot-
ing. I’ve used it for Three
Gun, but it wasn’t as quick
from target to target as an
AR carbine I borrowed
at a match near Sault Ste.
Marie. (My AR had been
working fine in practice, but
quit working at the match.)
While I thought
about what gun I
wanted, AR carbines
By Lee Arten
got cheaper. Over several months, I
looked at rifles by different makers
and decided on either a Ruger or a
Smith & Wesson. I planned to scope
it, but also wanted back up iron
sights. The S&W and the Ruger had
them, some other rifles did not. In
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86 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
the end I bought a S&W M&P 15.
The S&W M&P 15 is a basic AR
rifle. It’s finished in black, has a 16
inch barrel, a three-position adjust-
able stock, pistol grip with two fin-
ger grooves, a short carbine
handguard, and came with
a 30 round MagPul poly-
mer magazine. I have a few
other polymer magazines
which have worked OK.
I bought military surplus
magazines for as low as
two bucks each at the old
Second Chance Bowl-
ing Pin Shoot. Should
have bought more.
The surplus mags I’ve tried worked
fine in the S&W as well.
The M&P 15 has a dust cover
and bolt assist. Earlier S&W ARs
did not. While I have rarely used the
bolt assist, I preferred that the rifle
have one. To me, an AR without one
doesn’t look right. The M&P 15’s ate adjustable stocks. The one on my
barrel is marked 5.56 NAT0 1/9. AR-22 lets my daughter and wife
That indicates that the rifle is suit- shoot that rifle easily. I’ll probably
able for mil-spec 5.56 X 45 ammo, leave the fixed stock on my target
and has a rifling twist one turn in AR but won’t replace the adjustable
nine inches. That twist works well one on the S&W with a fixed stock.
with 55 and 62 grain bullets and Due to weather, and a trip to
those two bullet weights are often Florida, it took me a while to get
found in 5.56 and .223 ammunition. to the range with the S&W M&P.
The first AR I bought was built When I did I brought Federal
from an assortment of parts. It had a American Eagle, 55 grain, .223 full
20 inch barrel, the old-style trian- metal jacket (FMJ) ammunition.
gular handguards and an adjustable My younger son came along and
stock. I had the stock replaced with
a fixed one and shot it that way for
actually did more shooting with
the M&P 15 than I did. We started
a while. Then I had it worked over out at 50 feet, and finished up at 50
for match shooting. The rifle was ac- yards. The rifle shot to point of aim
curized and better sights and heavi- with the Federal ammunition. My
er, round handguards were added to son had one round that failed to fire
it. I used my original AR in NRA although the primer was dented. All
highpower matches, and in plinking. other rounds fed, fired, and extracted
More recently, I’ve come to appreci- without any problems.
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My plan was to scope the rifle
but I wanted to try it out with iron
sights first. I found a deal on a
Bushnell AR-223 1-4 power scope.
I prefer a 2-7 power scope for deer
hunting but for three-gun the lower
power variable should work fine.
The scope has three dots on the
vertical crosshair. These are to allow
for bullet drop at ranges out to 300
yards. I haven’t used this type of
reticule before and look forward to
trying it out.
The mount is a one piece Weaver
Tactical unit. It is made of aircraft
aluminum with a built-in recoil lug.
That might seem like more beef than
necessary for a cartridge developed
from the .222 Remington, a varmint
round, but solid scope mounting on
any rifle is crucial.
The scope and mount are a bit
heavy and change the balance of the
rifle. I don’t like that much, but will
put up with it because the scope will
help me shoot more accurately.
At one power the front sight ap-
pears in the lower part of the scope.
It disappears at two power. I dealt
with this before on my Chiappa AR-
22 and one of my deer rifles that had
a 1.5-4.5 power Weaver on it. It’s
possible to get used to the ghostly
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image of the front sight, and shoot
well despite it.
There has been a lot of misinfor-
mation about the .223 cartridge and
AR type rifles in the press recently.
One that rankles me is the claim
that people don’t hunt, or can’t hunt,
with ARs. AR type rifles made good
coyote guns, and can also be used
for deer.
The first time I saw an AR in the
deer woods was 30 years, or more,
ago. The sister-in-law of a friend
of mine was carrying it. Neither of
us got a deer that fall, but it wasn’t
because of either of our rifles. In
my case I just didn’t get a shot. The
woman passed up a shot because she
thought the deer was too far away. I
would have taken the shot.
I know of one large buck killed
with a .223 on the eastern side of
the Upper Peninsula. I don’t know if
the rifle was an AR, or not, but the
cartridge was the .223.
I started deer hunting with a .30-
06 and now often use a .250 Sav-
age. Both are more powerful than
the .223. If I was hungry and had to
shoot a deer with a .223 I wouldn’t
hesitate, I’d just use a softpoint bul-
lets made for deer, and make sure of
my bullet placement.n
• Meat Saws and Blades
• Meat Tenderizers
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• Spices
• Gift Certificates
Available
790 1800
National Hunting and Fishing Day
National Hunting and Fishing Day,
celebrated the fourth Saturday of every
September, remains one of the most effec-
tive grassroots efforts ever undertaken to
promote the outdoor sports and conserva-
tion. National, state and local organiza-
tions host hunting- and fishing-related
public events in various locations — from
shooting ranges and wildlife refuges to fish
hatcheries and suburban frog ponds. These
events help nurture understanding and
appreciation of conservation among diverse
segments of our communities.
In the 1960s, hunters and anglers em-
braced the era’s heightened environmental
awareness but were discouraged that many
people didn’t understand the crucial role
that sportsmen had played-and continue to play-in the conservation
movement.
The first to suggest an official day of thanks to sportsmen was Ira
Joffe, owner of Joffe’s Gun Shop in Upper Darby, Pa. In 1970, Pennsyl-
vania Gov. Raymond Shafer adopted Joffe’s idea and created “Outdoor
Sportsman’s Day” in the state.
With determined prompting from the National Shooting Sports
Foundation, the concept soon emerged on the floor of the U.S. Senate. In
June 1971, Sen. Thomas McIntyre, N.H., introduced Joint Resolution 117
authorizing National Hunting and Fishing Day on the fourth Saturday of
every September. Rep. Bob Sikes, Fla., introduced an identical measure in
the House. In early 1972, Congress unanimously passed both bills.
On May 2, 1972, President Nixon signed the first proclamation of
National Hunting and Fishing Day, writing, “I urge all citizens to join
with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in
insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.”
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 87
 NEXT BITE...
By Gary Parsons/Keith Kavajecz

Get in on the walleye action

L
ooking for new ways to zone. If you look at articles we have
crank up your walleye done in the past you will find a lot
game? Some new tools of detail on how to use the Preci-
to add to your bag? One sion Trolling Data app and optional
of the best ways to cover weighting systems to understand
water, put your bait in how to get your bait to the proper
front of active fish, and catch big depth. Yet even with a lure in the
walleyes in the process is to fish proper zone, more often than not,
with crankbaits. Part of the trolling what will trigger a walleye to bite a
equation is getting your lure in the crank is the action.
The Jointed Flicker Shad and Shallow Flicker Shad, which will be
available in the fall of 2018, are great fall lures.
88 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Over the years we have been fortu-
nate enough to be able to help de-
sign the Berkley “Flicker” series of
baits. These baits have proven time
and time again that their actions are
second to none. The Flicker Shad
has a top to bottom rolling action
that throws off a lot of side flash
as it moves through the water. The
Flicker Minnow has a combination
of both a rolling and a snake-like ac-
tion, which is spot on for a lure that
is meant to imitate a minnow.
Now enter two more players to
the game. The Jointed Flicker Shad
and Shallow Flicker Shad which
will be available in the fall of 2018.
Jointed baits have caught a lot of
walleyes over the years. These baits
are fairly aggressive because of the
extra tail wag you get from having a
jointed tail.
Aggressive tactics often equate
to summertime fishing, so jointed
baits are usually considered warm
water lures. The Jointed Flicker
Shad is different. This lure was
designed and tested to have a wide
window of opportunity. While test-
ing prototypes, we caught fish on
them as early as April in 50-degree
water and as late as November. The
key is to adjust speed based on time
of year. Colder temperatures mean a
slower troll, often down to 1.2mph.
Warmer means faster, all the way
up to 3 mph. This bait has a great
action at all speeds!
Another innovation with this bait
is the color scheme. Many colors
of Jointed Flicker Shad have a tail
color that is different than the body
color. During testing there were
many instances where this “hot tail”
not only seemed to trigger more
bites, but it got the fish to bite right
on the back hook!
Equipped with Fusion 19 treble
hooks, they have a good size hook
that still allows the bait to have a
great action. These Fusion treble
hooks have a needle point with
SlickSet Coating for easier penetra-
tion. Plus, the shape of the hook
locks the walleye on, which is criti-
cal for fighting a fish from a long
distance.
To top it off, another “attracting”
feature of the Jointed Flicker Shad
is that it is one of only a few jointed
baits with rattles. The original
Flicker Shad and Flicker Minnow
line-up have shown us that walleyes
seem to react to high pitch rattles, so
why change a good thing.
There are two sizes to choose
from in Jointed Flicker Shads, both
a #5 and #7. The Precision Trolling

Data app says the #5 will dive to 12
feet with 170 feet of Berkley 10#
XT. The #7 will go all the way down
to 20 feet with 187 feet of 10# XT.
Lifetime members of the PTD app
already have this data available.
Now let’s talk about Shallow
Flicker Shads. These baits really
have two uses - casting and trolling.
Casting
Anytime walleyes are shallow,
or you need to fish over the top of
some weeds or brush that come
fairly close to the surface, these are
go to baits. One of the great accom-
plishments of the #7 is that it has
an extremely similar action to the
original deep diving Flicker Shad,
but it is great for casting to depths
up to five feet deep.
With the incorporated rattles,
it casts great for a light lure. When
casting, go to a 7-foot medium-light
spinning rod with a fast tip. Use a
great casting no-stretch line like
10# Berkley NanoFil, or 8# Berkley
Ultra 8 FireLine. Each of these lines
have a slick finish, so they travel out
of the rod guides with less resis-
tance than other lines. This creates a
longer cast.
The #5 Shallow Flicker Shad
does not dive as deep, maybe down
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Photos of the Month...By Ben Brotzke
to three feet, so it is perfect for when
the walleyes are on a very shallow
lake flat, up on a bank, or just cast-
ing in an overall shallow lake. The
other big difference is that the #5
has a very subtle action compared to
the deep diver. It still has great top
to bottom roll to give the side flash,
but this lure is meant to trigger
fish that are not in an aggressive
mood.
Trolling
Once again, this lure is great
for shallow situations when trolling
shorelines, flats, reefs. The PTD app
maximum depth for the #5 & 7 us-
ing 10# XT is 8 feet (with 90 feet of
line out) and 10 feet. (with 136 feet
out). Remember, in both situations
you can let out less line and run the
baits shallower than the maximum
depth. For example, to get them run- Ben Brotzke, 13-years-old, enjoys taking nature photos.
ning 4 feet down, the #5 would go
out 19 feet, the #7 would go down These photos were taken at his Lapeer home pond. Ben
17 feet. If you are running the lures received an underwater camera for his birthday at the be-
that short, consider putting them
behind an Offshore Planer Board
ginning of the summer. He used birthday money to purchase
to keep them away from the boat in a snorkel mask and has since taken many fascinating under
this skinny water. water pictures. Ben is hoping to take scuba lessons in the
These baits are just coming out
– but we have been testing them for near future in order to become a certified diver so that he
over a year. They’ve got the right can explore deeper waters.
actions to get you – The Next Bite.n
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 89
 Michigan Deer Camp Traditions...

IN THE MAKING!
A series of stories about camp. Sure the deer were few and
far between, but as Fred Bear once
Deer Camps in the Great said, “A hunt based only on trophies

I
State of Michigan...
n an outdoor world that is
ever changing and evolv-
ing at record paces, there
is a certain level of com-
fort in knowing
that we maintain
some control over the tradi-
tions and pastimes that we
hold dear. Though hunting
practices can be influenced
by advancements in tech-
nology, tag restrictions,
wildlife disease, or season
adjustments, one
thing we Michi- By Jake Dykstra
gan hunters rest
assured of; we all
of Wildlife Realty
know where we will be on the open-
ing day of firearm season.
Many are the families with deep-
seated hunting traditions here in our
great state, but seldom are they able
to boast that their traditions have
been passed down from the same
tract of land and the same rustic
cabin that was built nearly seven
decades ago.
It all began in the late 1940s.
Ralph and his brother Phil had been
hunting and camping in Gaylord
every November. Each year, two
days before the firearm season
would begin, the two brothers (and
often times a few friends) would
head north to set up camp and
prepare handmade ground blinds for
the upcoming opener. Many a good
time was had in their mobile hunting
taken falls far short of what the ulti-
mate goal should be.”
Not long after, however, the
elk began to overpopulate the area,
running the majority of the deer out,
leaving this group of Michigan deer
campers to look for another
location to settle their roots.
Setting his sights further
north, Ralph soon caught
wind of greater hunting
opportunities and vast
spans of land not far from
Escanaba in Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula. A paper
company was
leasing eleven,
40 acre tracts. It
was in November
of 1950, with just $5 down for the
lease accompanied with a $5 prop-
erty tax; Ralph relocated his hunt-
ing camp to a private 40 acre tract
surrounded by thousands of acres of
publicly accessible forest. How long
could this annual lease be renewed?
Ralph laid stakes on his family’s
lease for 99 years.
For the next six years, Phil,
Ralph, and his son Tip would
travel north to their lease with a
few friends, always two days be-
fore opener. The tent needed to be
pitched and the camp made ready.
The day before opener was spent
repairing ground blinds with brush
and cedar boughs. Located five
miles off of a main road, the end
destination was incredibly remote.
In order to reach camp, the hunt-
One of Ralph and Tip’s first successful hunts on the new lease!
ers had to take multiple two tracks,
navigate old logging roads, and
drive across a professionally con-
structed logging bridge. For a few
years, Tip recalls having to drive the
truck through the Ford River due to
the washing out of the “profession-
ally constructed” logging bridge!
Needless to say, once you arrived in
deer camp, you were meant to stay!
Back then, there was no means
of phone service or communication.
If you needed to call home, Arnolds
Gas Station was your only possibil-
ity of doing so. This was with one
caveat, however. Both Tip and Scott
recollect Ralph would refuse to even
start up the truck to leave camp un-
less it was either time to go home or
in the case of emergency. Deer camp
was meant for rest, relaxation, and a
time spent with family and friends!
But in 1956, Ralph and Phil
were determined to make this a
permanent deer camp. With $450
in their pockets, they traveled back
north to their lease to build their
very own cabin with a chimney.
With a spacious 12x20 open floor
layout, this castle would be fit for
five faithful deer campers for years
to come! Two bunk beds were con-
structed in the corner of the room,
with a pull out cot stacking neatly
underneath for the accommodation
of one more.
Each and every morning since
building the cabin in 1956, Ralph,
his son Tip, and grandson Scott
would make pancakes and sausage
for breakfast, served from old tin
dishes (the style that was often used
in prisons years ago). It would be
easy to assume that shortly after
eating, the deer campers would pack
up and head out for the day, but this
would be far from the truth. Re-
gardless of the meal, Ralph would

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90 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
not permit the campers to leave the
cabin without first washing all the
dishes. A seemingly menial task, but
in order to wash the dishes, some-
one needed to fill the wash tub with
water drug from Doe Crick!
“Grandpa always ran a pretty
tight ship,” Scott recalled. And you
guessed it, after a long day’s hunt,
if you needed to bathe or clean up
before dinner, you were headed out
to the crick with a towel or a bucket!
I’ll bet you’re wondering as well,
“in a 12x20 space, where was the
commode?” The outhouse, built ap-
proximately 30 yards away from the
cabin, was constructed without heat,
and still to this day, remains without
heat. Scott said it quite well, “You
really don’t want to spend much
time in there in November!”
With the newly constructed
woodstove, the possibilities for
cooking dinner were endless. The
wives would send casseroles with
the deer campers. There were perch
fillets and venison steaks. No one
ever left the table hungry. After
dinner, when all the dishes had
been cleared from the table and
cleaned, it was poker every night
with Grandpa (Ralph) by lantern
light. Now a few decades later, little
has changed, but instead of poker by
the lantern light, these deer camp-
ers now play cribbage by propane
lights. After a few hours of light
hearted competitive fun, the camp-
ers would call it a night, retreating
to the same bunk and cot that had
been claimed for many years.
The hunting trip usually lasted
six days. Two days were used
strictly to prepare the cabin and
blinds and four days to hunt. More
often than not, that was all that was
needed to fill the two buck tags the
state allows each hunter. On mul-
tiple occasions the buck pole was
filled at the end of just three days
with ten bucks hanging between two
pines.
There was really never a ques-
tion where everyone would hunt.
Tip has been hunting from the same
stump behind the cover of a make-
shift ground blind for over forty
years now on the outskirts of a cedar
swamp. A small creek flows through
this area, stemming from an old bea-
ver pond. The deer would and still
do come routinely from the cedar
swamp to the beaver pond.
Just above the swamp resides
Stoney Ridge. It was here that Ralph
had laid claim to his hunting perch
for decades. He too, sitting against
a stump, would construct a blind
of cedar boughs for cover in hopes
of ambushing the deer that would
trickle down into the swamp. It was
here where four logging roads con-
verged, offering an excellent funnel
for deer to pass through. Since
Ralph’s passing, his grandson, Scott,
now sits directly above the same
stump in a ladder stand, overlook-
ing the same view his Grandpa had
enjoyed years before.
Like any true hunting camp that
has stood the test of time, there are
always the stories that are told and
passed down for years and years. It
seems every year, Scott mentioned,
that Grandpa Ralph’s “four corners”
buck was a tale that told in just the
same fashion. After a slow morn-
ing without any movement in the
deer woods, Ralph had elected to
go for a two-mile walk down the
old logging roads. After coming Scott (Left) and his father Tip (Right) returning from another successful hunt!
to an intersection, “four corners,” very little has changed at this cozy camp, making this a fourth genera-
he sat on the bank not far off of a little deer camp. Every year the tion pastime. Despite the rapidly
crick and waited. Just about ready group drives up on November 13 to approaching hunting season and the
to call it a day, Ralph suddenly start a fire in the cabin and prepare most recent changes in regulations,
heard twigs snapping across the the blinds. Breakfast and dinner are one thing is for certain. There’s no
crick, and it sounded heavy! With still served from the same tin dishes, question where Tip and Scott will
no sense that Ralph was sitting on and the same ground blinds used be sitting on opening day of Michi-
the other side, the deer walked right decades before are still being rebuilt gan’s firearm season!
in front of him. With the flash of his and hunted from. As time progress- What are your deer camp
rifle, Ralph dropped it in its tracks. es, loved ones have come and gone, traditions? Email me at jake@
As he walked up to his trophy, he but the memories made at their deer wildliferealty.com for your
stood over it, dumbfounded, in that camp have been engraved in their chance to be featured in a future
it was only a spike! Regardless of minds and on their hearts. Scott’s Michigan Woods-N-Waters News
the size, Ralph field dressed the son is also faithfully attending deer publication!n
deer and walked back to camp for
the night. The next morning Ralph
had the “younger hunters” tag along
with him to help him drag his deer
back. Scott, who happened to be
BE READY THIS
one of the fortunate few that was
selected for this job, hadn’t a clue
SEASON!!
that the deer his Grandpa shot was
over three miles away from the
cabin! It wasn’t until 4 p.m. that the
“successful” hunting party arrived
back at camp, shirts wide open, and
utterly exhausted.
In a similar fashion, Phil too had 517.617.6786
shot a deer, deep within the paper Steven L. Lamier huntin.it.info@gmail.com
company’s forest. Phil’s shot, on the
other hand, was not nearly as ac- Owner/President www.huntin-it.com
curate as Ralph’s, and required a full
camp tracking party. In uncharted Come see us for Banks outdoor blinds
territory, Tip, Scott, Ralph, and Phil
began tracking the drops of blood,
and gravity feeders
all the while keeping in tune with
their compasses. For miles they
tracked it, with the blood trail grow-
ing dimmer and dimmer. Everyone Call us at:
was dreading the walk back to the
cabin. When all was lost, suddenly 517-617-6786
a glimmer of hope showed in bright
crimson, glistening off of a leaf.
A few more steps, and sure
enough, there lay the buck that Huntin-It, LLC
Phil had shot! Now with their 9851 West
bearings set more on returning
back to camp, the deer campers Territorial Road
couldn’t help but begin to Montgomery, MI 49255
recognize their surroundings.
Sure enough, after numerous hours (East of Clear Lake, IN)
tracking and countless miles of
walking, the trackers ended up less
than 100 yards from the cabin!
Nearly forty years later now, WWW.HUNTIN-IT.COM
HuntinIt_70824 Hunting Guide 6/29/17 dr/dr/dr WNW NEWS OCTOBER made by 2:0091
Corrections must be2018
KPC Media Group PROOF
Full Page #43 Machele 4-COLOR p.m. Thursday, June 22 or ad will be
assumed correct and run as is.
 Minnow….buckets, traps, live
bait containers and aerators
I
was in charge of the min-
now bucket when my family
would go on our two-week
vacation each summer. I think
I was eight years old when I
started. This was an enormous
responsibility for a kid, but I took
great pride in carrying our Falls City
10-qt. floating minnow bucket into
the bait shop and then picking out
the liveliest minnows. I hung the
perforated metal insert filled with
minnows from the resort dock and
made sure the chain was securely
attached to the bucket. I checked
the bucket several times each day to
make sure the minnows remained in
good shape discarding any that may
have died. We fished with minnows
targeting perch, smallmouth bass
and northern pike, but our primary
goal was always walleyes.
The memory of that Falls City
round galvanized minnow bucket
from my childhood inspired me to
start collecting minnow buckets,
minnow traps and related accesso-
ries about twenty years ago. Re- This rare copper minnow bucket measures 7” tall by
cently, I have come across a number 12 ¾” wide by 4 ¾” deep & was probably made in
of rare minnow-related items as well Indiana or Kentucky. Author photo
as some unusual accessories that I
hope are of interest to my readers. sion of the Halls telescopic bucket I had seen them before, but these were almost identical except that
The earliest manufactured min- circa 1900, a Shapleigh Hardware other examples were always used their wire frames did not extend into
now buckets first appeared in the 10-qt. cold-rolled copper minnow and showing some wear and never the funnel.
late 1800s and were made bucket that retailed for $11 in the original shipping carton. The first Shakespeare glass min-
from tin-plated steel in a in 1935, a very expensive The Shakespeare Company now trap was their model #771 ½,
“japanned finish,” which price considering this was was founded in 1897 by William which was introduced in the early
was an enamel paint or during the Depression, and Shakespeare Jr. and over the many 1900s. It measured 8-inches by
lacquer that was not only an oval minnow bucket years it was located in Kalamazoo it 12-inches, was made out of heavy
rust resistant but produced that is commonly called an was best known as a manufacturer flint glass (a high quality glass with
a durable and attractive “Indiana-style” bucket and of fishing reels and lures and as a excellent clarity), had a swing-off
glossy finish. Galvanized was made by an Indianap- wholesale supplier of many kinds lid and was embossed with “Shake-
metal was first used to olis-area craftsman named of fishing tackle and accessories. speare” in script across the side of
make minnow “Dye.” This included just about any kind the glass bottle. Their next trap was
buckets start-
ing in about
Sporting Collectibles I found my
copper min-
of fishing gear that a tackle dealer
might need including hooks, sinkers,
the Model #7715, which was intro-
duced sometime in the 1930s and
1910 to 1920,
and it quickly
By Terry McBurney now bucket at
an auction two
bobbers, nets, fishing tools, minnow
buckets and glass minnow traps…
sold through 1949. It was basically
the same as the #771 ½ model. The
became the dominant material used summers ago. It had been part of all made by outside suppliers and big difference between the two traps
because it was almost 100% rust- a collection of a renowned antique branded with the Shakespeare name. is that the model #7715 was em-
proof, was very durable, and could dealer, and it was heavily tarnished The Shakespeare Company bossed with “SHAKESPEARE KA-
be easily painted. with green oxidation. Someone had started selling glass minnow traps in LAMAZOO MICH. U.S.A. PAT-
A few minnow buckets were also started cleaning it and had done the early 1900s, which were cop- ENT PENDING” across the throat
also made out of copper, as well as a poor job of it, and it took consider- ies of The Orvis Company’s “First of the trap. Collectors have found
some belt bait containers, leader able time and effort getting it back Model” glass minnow trap. Charles two versions of the #7715, one with
soak boxes and wading buckets. to looking good again. It measures F. Orvis invented the glass min- two top vent holes and the second
There were several drawbacks, 7-inches tall by 12 ¾-inches wide now trap in 1885 and the company version without any vent holes. My
however. Rust-proof copper was, of by 4 ¾-inches deep and comes with continued selling their glass min- example does not have the top vent
course, much more expensive than a cast iron handle with a wood grip. now traps until sometime in the holes, though.
galvanized metal, and it also tar- Now, I am trying to discover who late 1960s or very early 1970s. The The other unique thing about
nished easily. Many were made by made it and when. “First Model” Orvis had a swing-off my Shakespeare glass minnow trap
individual blacksmiths or tinsmiths The second item turned up at lid and a wrap-around wire frame is that it came packed in its original
and sold locally. The only “produc- one of the spring shows last Febru- with the wire extending back into shipping carton. The address label
tion” copper minnow buckets that I ary. It was a new in the box Shake- the funnel. The Shakespeare glass showed that it was shipped from
have found were the copper ver- speare #7715 Glass Minnow Trap. minnow traps throughout the years Kalamazoo and sold to “The Sports-
92 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
man’s Shop” in Prudenville, a small
village on the southeast corner of
Houghton Lake. Unfortunately, the
shipping label was not dated.
Who actually made the Shake-
speare glass minnow traps is not
known. Shakespeare most likely
contracted with a glass manufacturer
to blow the bottles and then shipped
them “in bulk” north to Kalamazoo
where the wire frames were cut and
then assembled around the glass
body. Then the swing-off lid was
added and the trap was carefully
boxed, stocked in inventory, and
made ready for sale.
I spotted the third item a number
of years ago when I did sport and
antique shows on the east side of
our state. It was called the Shurlure
Live Bait Container, and it came in
a printed cardboard box along with
instructions. It was a clear 2-piece
polycarbonate plastic globe mea-
suring 5-inches high by 8-inches
in diameter. The top center has a
5-inch removable trap door affixed
to the globe with three plastic tabs.
The bottom center is vented with
twelve small holes which allowed
the air to escape and water to enter it
as the Shurlure Live Bait Container
was lowered into the water. It was
designed to hold live minnows and
then to be dropped into the depths
to entice game fish to come near the
Live Bait Container to check out the
minnows swimming inside.
The angler ran his line through
the globe using a slip knot at the top
of the plastic cable and then tied on
a sinker to his line that ran through
the cable at the bottom of the globe.
He would then attach a large enough
bobber to his line. This setup al-
lowed the angler to slide the Live
Bait Container up or down for shal-
low or deeper fishing. The fisherman
would then take a second rod and
reel and fish near the Shurlure with
a baited hook and start to catch the
The Betzel Manufacturing Minn-O-
Pump was promoted as “The Car
Window Aerator that Puts Pep in Your
Minnows.” The white box was the first
packaging and the green & black box
was later production. Author photo
This new in the box Shake-
speare #7715 glass minnow
trap was sold during 1930s
through the 1940s and was a
copy of the Or vis glass minnow
trap invented by Charles Or-
vis in 1885. Right: A close up
photo of Shakespeare’s swing-
off lid. Author photos.
fish lured close to the trapped min-
nows swimming inside the globe.
The inventor of the Shurlure
Live Bait Container was an immi-
grant from Italy, Elio Goroni, who
arrived with his family in about
1912. Elio applied for his patent
on May 31, 1956 and U.S. Patent
#2842890 was issued to him on July
15, 1958 while he was a resident
of Allen Park and employed as a
welder at one of the Ford plants.
The manufacturer of the Shurlure
Live Bait Container, however, was
Do-All Plastics, a small manufac-
turer of injection molded plastics lo-
cated at 9921 Mack Avenue, Detroit
14, Michigan. Do-All Plastics was
owned by Roger LaDuke and his fa-
ther-in-law Theodore Moloci. It was
a small “garage operation” located
in an alley off of Mack Avenue.
According to Gary LaDuke,
Roger’s son, it was just down the
alley from one of Detroit’s notorious
“blind pigs.” Roger LaDuke was not
only one of the owners, but he did
much of the plastic injection work
and was also the Shurlure sales
manager. Nothing is known whether
Roger LaDuke bought the rights to
the Shurlure Live Bait Container
from Elio Goroni or if they became
partners.
The last item is an interest-
ing accessory for aerating minnow
buckets and keeping minnows lively
while traveling in an automobile
to and from your favorite fish-
ing destination. It was called the
“Minn-O-Pump,” “The Car Win-
dow Aerator That Puts Pep in Your
Minnows.” The Minn-O-Pump was
manufactured by the Betzel Spe-
cialty Manufacturing Company of
Arlington, Texas. The stand and the
fan blade housing were made out of
aluminum; the small air pump out of
plastic and metal parts – all attached
to flexible plastic tubing that the
speed of a boat while it was under-
way on the water. The small end of
the Speed Wand was placed over the
side of the boat approximately 2 to
3-inches below the surface. Water
would force the bubble up inside the
Speed Wand showing the speed the
boat was traveling.
I would like to thank the fol-
lowing people for helping me with
background information for this ar-
ticle: David Budd – copper minnow
buckets; Gary LaDuke – Shurlure
Live-Bait Containers and Brent
Vonderheide - author of The Ency-
clopedia of Glass Minnow Traps
published by Whitefish Press (www.
whitefishpress.com).
Feel free to contact the author
at antiquefishing@comcast.net with
your questions. Photographs are im-
portant, so please send them. They
help with identification and give an
idea of the condition of the item.n
angler would place into the bottom
of the minnow bucket. Moving air
turned the fan blade which ran the
motor that forced bubbles of air up
through the plastic tubing and into
the bottom of the minnow bucket
thereby aerating the minnows. My
best guess was that it was produced
during the 1950s or early 1960s.
The Minn-O-Pump came as-
sembled and ready to be mounted
to the forward top edge of the right
hand car window. This position
would allow the car ventilator wing
(remember those?) to be used as an
adjustable air volume control. This
would permit the angler to adjust
the wing and reduce the speed of the
fan blade since it was not necessary
to run the device at high speed. In
fact, the directions warned against
running the unit at high speeds as it
would shorten the life of the Minn-
O-Pump.
I have not been able to find any
background information on Betzel
Specialty Manufacturing Company
other than they apparently made
two devices, both involving precise
miniature machinery. Besides the
Minn-O-Pump, they also made the
“Speed Wand,” which measured the
Top: The Shurlure Live Bait Container was made in Detroit for just a few years
during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Author photo. Middle: The Shurlure
directions explained how to use the Live Bait Container to attract more fish.
Bottom: This 4’ by 8’ sign promoting the Shurlure Live Bait Container was used
during the Cobo Hall Spor t Show in 1961. Gary LaDuke photo
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 93
 My Thoughts, My Views, My Opinions...By Michael Veine
New commercial fishing bill
A
new bill is working
its way through the
Michigan Legislature
that will revamp com-
mercial fishing regula-
tions statewide. This
bill was crafted by a collation of
sportsmen’s organizations. As writ-
ten it will modernize commercial
fishing regulations with the intent to
better manage and protect valuable
game and non-game fish species. It
will also greatly advance enforce-
ment of netting violations and
improve navigational safety on the
Great Lakes with strict net marking
requirements.
Some background informa-
tion on the origins of the Bill is in
order. Last year, without input from
sport fishing interests, the DNR and
Commercial Fishermen drafted a
commercial fishing bill that in-
cluded allowances for the netting of
traditional game fish like walleyes
and lake trout. It also would form
a Commercial Fishing Advisory
Committee composed entirely of
commercial fishermen to set future
netting regulations which would
have been like the fox guarding the
chicken coop.
When news of that bill leaked
out to the general public, the in-
tense, negative reaction by the sport
fishing public was understandable.
Fortunately, thousands of sport
fishermen rallied together and killed
that bill with a tirade of opposition
directed at state senators, representa-
tives, the DNR and the Natural Re-
sources Commission (NRC). There
was even a march to save walleyes
taken down the streets of Bay City
to protest that unpopular legisla-
tion. Thankfully that bill never even
made it far enough to be officially
introduced.
In direct response to that ill-
1065 Pratt Rd
Metamora, MI 48455
94 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
fated bill, sport fishing groups came
together forming a collation to draft
a new commercial fishing bill (SB
925) that protects valuable game
fish among other notable improve-
ments. Michigan United Conserva-
tion Clubs led this coalition with
help from the Michigan Charter boat
Association, Saginaw Bay Walleye
Club, Hammond Bay Area Anglers
Association, Steelheaders, and other
sport fishing organizations.
To say that the current commer-
cial fishing laws are outdated would
be an understatement. Most of the
current commercial fishing regula-
tions were written in 1929 with no
updates in almost 40 years. The cur-
rent fee and penalty structure dates
back to 1929.
I was told by Larry DeSloover,
who oversaw much of the DNR’s
commercial fishing law enforcement
until his retirement earlier this year,
that the maximum fines allowable
under current law for commercial
fishing violations is $25. Netting vi-
olations are also not even a criminal
offense like hunting or sport fishing
violations. The poultry penalties are
certainly no deterrent and violations
are rarely, fully enforced as a result.
Even proper net markings of nets
are often neglected creating terrible
safety issues on the Great Lakes for
anglers and boaters alike.
When one considers that fish
often sell for over $10 per pound,
the $25 fines are a joke.
The new bill (SB 925) brings
fees and penalties into this century
with sharply escalating fines for
repeat offenders that also includes
loss of their license to fish too. The
increased commercial fishing license
fees will benefit the Fish and Game
fund and will at least force netters to
pay for a bit more of their fair share
of fisheries management and law
Bulk &
Bagged
Carrots,
Sugarbeets, Corn,
and Apples
Large Quantities
available for pickup.
Statewide delivery available.
Service to retail locations
or private parties
The author got his prop caught in this unmarked net on Saginaw Bay. It cost
him a weeks wor th of char ter income along with a four figure repair bill.
enforcement activities by the DNR.
Of course the new bill also excludes
all game fish from commercial
harvest including walleyes, salmon,
trout, bass, pike and other valuable
sport fish species.
Currently, on Saginaw Bay,
yellow perch numbers have been in
trouble. With over 100 commercial
nets fishing for perch in the Bay, it’s
no wonder that the perch have been
in a long term decline. They even
net the perch at some of the river
mouths during the spring, catching
them on their way to their spawn-
ing grounds. This new bill will put
yellow perch on the Game Fish list
excluding them from commercial
harvest.
The new bill also strengthens
net marking regulations requiring
commercials to post net locations
(latitude and longitude) so they are
available on he internet. Net soak
times between pulls will also be reg-
ulated under the new bill. Currently
there is no minimum time require-
ment between checking nets, which
unnecessarily kills fish and wastes
valuable natural resources. There is
also no provision for a special
Commercial Fishing Advisory
Committee and all future updates
to the laws will be handled like
normal changes involving sport
fishing input.
This new bill is especially im-
portant with the new 2020 consent
decree now in negotiations between
the Indian tribes and the State of
Michigan. Because our own state
licensed commercial fishers are al-
lowed now to violate netting laws
with little consequences, it’s hard to
demand that Indian netters receive
stiff penalties for violations. Pass-
ing this bill will put the state in a
much better bargaining position for
better enforcement in the consent
decree, which will greatly benefit
the fisheries.
As of this writing, SB 925 is cur-
rently stalled in the Michigan Senate
Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Committee. If you have an opinion
on this bill then I would encourage
you to contact all the members of
the Recreation and Tourism Com-
mittee along with your own district’s
state senator and representative.
• Sen. Geoff Hansen, committee
chairman who is holding up the Bill,
517-373-1635, senghansen@senate.
michigan.gov
• Sen. Dale Zorn, Vice Chair,
517-373-3543, sendzorn@senate.
michigan.gov
• Sen. Mike Green, Bill Sponsor,
517-373-1777, senmgreen@senate.
michigan.gov)
• Sen. Wayne A. Schmidt, 517
373-2413, senwschmidt@senate.
michigan.gov
• Sen. Morris W. Hood III,
517-373-0990, senmhood@senate.
michigan.gov
• Committee Clerk, 517-373-
1721
To find your district’s state
senator please go to http://www.
senate.michigan.gov/fysbyaddress.
html and to find your representa-
tive, go to http://house.michigan.
gov/MHRPublic/frmFindARep.aspx
where you can search them out for
contact information.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 95
 My Thoughts, My Views...By George Rowe
Ground blinds for deer hunting
D
eer hunters have
been getting up in
the world now for
years, ever since
Michigan made
them legal. Archers,
especially, have taken to the heights
but rifle hunters also use them. Both
groups of hunters, however, may
be better served by ground blinds,
especially after the first days of
November.
SAFETY
Ground blinds are inherently
safer than the elevated stands. We
haven’t heard of anyone being
injured by falling out of a ground
blind. The worst blinds, of course,
are those nailed up in trees, with
a ladder composed of slats spiked
to the tree or trees. These things
deteriorate quickly and the rot
is accelerated by the motion of
the trees in the winds. The safety
factor begins with ground blinds
and ends with nailed-up stands,
with manufactured tree stands and
ladder stands in between. The best
elevated stands, of course, would
be the well-made tower stands that
are popular in the west and on game
ranches.
RESTRICTIONS
Many stands and types of stands
impose some limits on the hunter.
Any enclosed stand will restrict the
hunter’s hearing and vision some-
what and may even limit the ability
to shoot well. Treestands, even lad-
der stands, impose real limits on the
hunter’s ability to shoot, perhaps
as much as only 100 degrees out
of the 360 degree circle. A ground
blind, however, or a tower stand,
can permit the hunter to shoot in
any direction by shifting the feet or
by swiveling around on a stool or
chair.
CAMOUFLAGE
Treestands are not very visible
until there is a hunter in the stand
and then the hunter is apt to stick
out like a sore thumb, especially
after the leaves are down. Adding
camouflage to the stand is likely to
increase the possibility of it being
spotted, rather than reduce it, since
it will bulk up the profile of the
stand and hunter. In a ground blind,
however, the hunter is able to blend
in quite well, especially in one of
the new fabric-covered blinds or in
a well-constructed blind made of
96 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
A good ground blind, well-located, can produce the desired result.
natural materials. The old box blind
or “outhouse” stand will stick out
in the woods, even if painted with
camo. The tower stand is very dif-
ficult to conceal, especially after the
leaves are down, and can only be
hidden a bit by placing it in a stand
of screening trees.
COST
Any manufactured stand is go-
ing to cost a few bucks with a tower
stand at the top of the expensive
list and the pre-fab box blind well
below that. Tree stands are fairly in-
expensive with the largest variable
being the type of ladder or climbing
device employed. The manufac-
tured ground blind can be fairly in-
expensive, especially those made of
fabric. A ground blind constructed
of natural materials can be made for
no cost except elbow grease.
THE LAW
There are many restrictions
on the use of all sorts of blinds or
stands on public land and these in-
volve identification on the blind, the
type of construction, whether or not
it is left out overnight and so on.
Important among the restrictions is
that no nails or metal fasteners can
be used, even in a blind constructed
with dead natural materials and
that no stand can be erected with
fasteners penetrating the bark of a
tree and the banning of any sort of
spikes for climbing. See the DNR’s
Hunting and Trapping Digest for
considerable detail. There are really
no significant restrictions on the use
of blinds or stands on private land
for deer hunting.
POSITIONING
Archers have long known that it
can be difficult to find just the right
tree for a tree stand. They start, of
course, with that great confluence
of trails that reeks of opportunity
or that arc of scrapes or rubs that
was made by a buck, but there is no
suitable tree in just the right spatial
relationship with the sign. The sling
type of tree stand will be the easiest
type for which to choose a tree. A
ground blind, on the other hand,
can be put just about anywhere and
it can certainly be located right for
the sign. That is also true of the
tower stand, except that screening
trees can be vital to the tower stand
location.
This hunter, being of advanced
years, wants no part of tree stands

of any sort, and uses only home-
made tower stands and brush blinds
on the ground. Last year’s choice
gives a good illustration of the
variables to consider. The hunt was
to be on a tract of private land new
to the hunter. It was on 120 acres of
farm land that hasn’t been plowed
for something like 20 years.
The land is on both sides of
a rural road. The south side was
chosen, since others were hunting
the north. This side was mostly an
old hay field, now grown up in tall
grass and weeds, small trees and
brush – good deer cover and plenty
of fodder. Several walks around the
plot (one with snow on the ground)
confirmed the movements of deer
in fair numbers, with numerous
trails, a number of buck rubs and a
couple of scrapes in the conifers at
the east end of the property.
The hunter was looking for a
downed tree that could provide the
core of a ground blind but there
were none and there were no trees
that could have been sturdy enough
for a tree stand or even a ladder
stand. A good situation was found,
however, just off the road, where
there was an elevation of perhaps
four feet above the rest of the hay
field, and on this bump there was an
old hay rake and the wreckage of
a baler. A camo bucket was placed
behind the hay rake and the blind
was complete. There was a sapling
that stuck up to conceal a standing
shooter and the rake provided a rest
from the seated position.
On opening day, the hunter was
on stand before first light, in a light
rain, with a favorable breeze from
the southwest. As soon as one could
see, a doe was spotted due south,
about 120 yards out, just standing
in a little clearing. This was a ma-
ture doe and she was alone, which
immediately suggested that a buck
had caused the separation of doe
and fawns. The doe was watched
carefully for about ten minutes
when motion to the west caught the
eye of the hunter. A big buck was
walking out of the brush. Just as the
scope came to bear on the buck, he
turned and walked south and the
only target was his broad butt. His
rack was high and very white.
Both buck and doe disappeared
in the brush and were not seen
again. Shortly thereafter while it
was still a little dark, a young buck
ran out from the east. This deer
was probably spooked by hunters
entering the cedar swamp in that
area. He had a small rack and was
probably APR legal but it was too
dark to be sure.
A few minutes later, another
deer moved from east to west, per-
haps 175 yards back in the brush.
The quick look offered no iden-
tification of gender. Then, just as
it was getting full daylight, a shot
rang out from the east, but close.
An old box blind had been spotted
down there during the pre-season
walks and it sounded like the shot
came from there. The hunter stood
with both hands on the rifle as a
big doe scampered right across in
front.
The hunter to the east must
have bagged the buck. Another deer
comes running, and it has a good
rack. Good luck prevailed because
the buck slowed to a walk, right out
in front, less than 50 yards away.
A careful shot put it down immedi-
ately, a nice eight-point, probably a
three-year old deer, but obviously
not the larger buck seen earlier.
The hunters from the east came by
while field-dressing was going on
and confirmed that one of them, in
the box blind, had shot at the buck
and missed. The natural stand had
served very well and the hunter is
looking forward to using it again
this season.n
Beyond BOW steelhead fishing
workshop set for Luce County
MDNR photo
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman Program is offering a Beyond BOW steelhead fish-
ing workshop for women.
This event is designed to introduce or further enhance steelhead
fishing skills in a wild, remote river setting. Beginners are welcome,
but some sort of prior basic fishing experience is preferred.
Steelhead are rainbow trout that spend a few years growing in Lake
Superior before returning to streams, like the Two-Hearted River,
to spawn. The river was made famous in the fishing tales of Ernest
Hemingway.
“There are new skills to be learned, great fun to be had, all
amongst the beautiful outdoors of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,” said
Michelle Zellar, event coordinator.
The workshop is scheduled for Oct. 26-28, 2018 and is open to up
to 12 participants.
Overnight accommodations will be provided at the Rainbow
Lodge’s Two Hearted Cabins, which are situated at the mouth of the
Two Hearted River in northern Luce County.
Instruction will start promptly at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 in
the beautiful Chapel of the Two Hearted River, located near the river
mouth.
“We will cover history, identification, equipment set-up, regula-
tions, casting practice and first-hand experience of fishing for steel-
head on the Two Hearted River with our passionate and experienced
instructors,” Zellar said.
Saturday, while spending the day fishing along the river, we will
also cook lunch over an open fire at the Two Hearted State Forest
Campground. S’mores included.
Participants must be 18 or older and responsible for their own
Recreation Passport, which is required for entry into state parks and
recreation areas, as well as a Michigan fishing license.
The registration deadline is Sept. 24, when a random lottery selec-
tion will be held to determine class participants.
Workshop information and registration materials are available
online at michigan.gov/bow. This will be a rain, shine or snow event.
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 97
 Our hunting
community lost a
great ambassador
By Bob Vogel
I
once wrote an article try-
ing to explain why I hunt. I
have friends who are profes-
sional hunters, friends that
are professional guides, outfitters,
and producers of hunting videos and
television programs. One of those
friends was Jason Peterson; the best
hunter I have ever known and an
even better man. On August 1 I re-
ceived an email, the sender’s name
was familiar, I clicked on it. The
email informed me of a fatal plane
crash a day earlier.
What? Who? What plane?
Where? How? I was having trouble
understanding. The email was from
Dean Partridge of Rack Media and
host of Canadian Whitetail TV.
His email was referring to his best
friend, business partner, Jason Pe-
terson, the host of Jason Peterson’s
Into The Wild TV.
I still had text messages on my
phone from Jason. He told me of
the great bear season at all three of
his camps. He told me things were
going very well at his new whitetail
camp. The last time we spoke he
was excited, busy, and planning his
next hunt in Africa. I struggled to
believe he is gone.
Jason grew up in Northwest-
ern Saskatchewan in and around
Nipawin. It was there he developed
his love of hunting, fishing and the
outdoors. He decided early in life
to make his living doing what he
loved. First, as a laborer at a fam-
ily owned fishing lodge. Later he
worked as a moose and mountain
goat guide in British Columbia.
Then as a cameraman. His hunting
skills and charismatic personality
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made for a natural move to produce
hunting video for television. His
fame and success from television
made it possible for him to flourish
as an outfitter for bear, whitetail and
fishing in Northern Saskatchewan.
I first met Jason on a lease in
Northwestern Saskatchewan. He
and Dean were filming a hunt for
a young woman who had recently
recovered from cancer. Dean and
Jason had befriended the young lady
as she battled through her illness.
She expressed her desire and wish to
hunt. A whitetail hunt was donated
by a friend of mine who owned the
lease. I was there bowhunting.
I tagged out prior to Jason’s
arrival. I helped set up the blind on
a food plot where the young lady’s
dream came true. After several days
of hard hunting she was able to
harvest a beautiful, mature Canadian
whitetail. The television produc-
tion detailing this hunt is a beautiful
tribute to the young lady and reveals
the good things about our hunting
community and the men who made
her wish come true. I liked Jason
and Dean immediately.
Later that season I hunted with
Jason and Dean for whitetail in
south Texas. After Jason had tagged
out and had enough film of his hunt
to produce a new show we sat in a
box blind together. We talked about
hunts in our past and hunts we
would like to do in the future. Jason
told me of his strategy to do more
outfitting and less travel for his tele-
vision productions. He told me he
was hoping for more time with his
family as his children grew. He told
me of his plans to become a pilot to
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Jason Peterson, the host of Jason Peterson’s Into the Wild.
have the freedom to fly home more
often and see his wife and children
whenever possible. We shared our
strategies and philosophies on bow
hunting. We shared our hope for
passing our passion on to others.
It was a special bond we shared; a
deep connection.
It was there in Texas that I
met Richie Casement. Richie was
Jason’s camera man for four years.
Each year Jason and Richie hunted
nearly every day together from
September 1, through the first week
of December, for whitetail deer. In
the spring Jason outfitted for bear.
Richie filmed Jason and guided the
guests. They were in bear camp
together for a month or more each
year. They hunted together for 30
days during their annual trip to Af-
rica. Moreover, they hunted together
enough to film 13 new television
shows each year. Days and days
on end together in tree stands, box
blinds or ground blinds. A hunter
and his cameraman get to know
each other.
I asked Richie what he knew
about Jason that the people who
watched his shows did not know.
What about Jason would he like
people to know. After some thought
he said, “Jason was good on tele-
vision, but he was a phenomenal
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hunter. He was the best hunter I
have ever known. He was more of
a hunter than he was a television
personality. He became the host of
a television show, not to become
famous, but to be able to continue
hunting and make his living do-
ing what he loved. If the television
shows did not continue, Jason would
continue hunting.”
The television shows did con-
tinue and were a success. Over the
course of his career Jason produced
over 150 hunting shows for his tele-
vision audience.
Richie recalled, “Jason loved
seeing others hunt and being suc-
cessful. He was the host of the show
and it was important for the show to
focus on Jason’s hunt. However, Ja-
son was good with a camera and he
loved to film and guide others.” He
loved to film children hunting. Not
just his children, but the children of
friends, children of neighbors, and
children from the area where his
hunts took him.”
He made sure Richie had his op-
portunity to be the hunter when time
and circumstances allowed. For that,
Richie is grateful to his friend.
I asked Richie to tell me about his
most memorable hunts over the
years with Jason.
“There were a couple of hunts
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when we were very much alive,”
Richie recalled. “In British Colum-
bia we were charged by a huge griz-
zly. It may have been a false charge,
but when a grizzly charges you
don’t try to judge his intentions. In
South Africa Jason shot a Cape buf-
falo with his bow. He made a good
first shot, but the buffalo did not
go down. We tracked that wounded
and very dangerous animal until
Jason’s third shot finally ended the
adventure. It’s all on film and aired
in one of our productions. No matter
what the adventure, no matter how
dangerous, Jason stayed calm.
His calmness kept others calm as
well.”
Jason’s favorite hunts and ad-
ventures were those he experienced
with his wife and his children. For
him, a daddy daughter dance was
done in a tree stand after a success-
ful deer hunt. If he found spare time
it was time spent with his son goose
hunting or ice fishing. He very much
enjoyed watching his children de-
velop their outdoor skills and their
passion for the life he loved.
Success in the hunting industry
requires hard work. Television view-
ers often see a parade of animals
moving past the hunter and crew.
They watch as the hunter harvests
the animal of his choice. For some
television hosts that is where the
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work ends. For Jason that is when
the work began. When Jason
harvested a deer or bear he field
dressed it, he skinned it, he caped
it, and he prepared the meat. As an
outfitter, Jason entertained his guests
by cleaning trails, setting blinds and
stands, baiting hunting areas, guid-
ing his hunters, setting and checking
cameras, wrenching equipment and
doing every job large or small it
takes to run a smooth and successful
camp. I have spent time with Jason
preparing for hunts and hunters. I
am not ashamed to admit, he could
out work me. Jason literally worked
his way to the top of the hunting in-
dustry as a host and an outfitter. Our
friendship was built on a common
passion for mature whitetail bucks.
My admiration for him was based
on his skill as a hunter, and his
love of his family. But, my
respect for him was based on his
work ethic.
I last saw Jason almost a year
ago in Northern Saskatchewan at
his deer camp. I have hunted that
area for many years. On this trip I
brought my son-in-law, Dave. He
is a fan of Jason’s television shows
and meeting Jason was like meeting
the star quarterback for a profes-
sional football fan. Jason’s pleasant
and humble personality had Dave
feeling at ease quickly.
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Dave tagged a beautiful 145-
inch 5x5 early in his hunt. That
evening while working together on
Dave’s deer Jason confided in me, “I
found a good one.”
He had my attention. I didn’t
have to ask what he meant. He was
talking about a mature whitetail
buck. “How good?” I challenged.
“Real good” he said with a smile.
“Where?” I wondered. He told me
the general area. We were hunting
in an area that covered over 100,000
acres.
The next day I knew Jason was
hunting and had taken a cameraman
with him. When darkness fell, they
were not back. I was sure he had
scored. He later pulled into camp
with a 180-inch non-typical monster
he had taken with a crossbow. While
telling the story of his hunt, Jason’s
passion for hunting was evident. Af-
ter hundreds of hunts and countless
successes, he was thrilled. He was
in awe. Not with himself, or what
he had done. He was in awe of the
animal, and the wild bush country
of northern Saskatchewan. Jason ap-
preciated large mature animals, but
he was not hung up on records or
scores. He entered very few animals
for record consideration. He simply
had a great deal of respect for the
animal. His excitement was almost
childlike and sincere. His apprecia-
tion for his hunt was as impressive
as the animal. Jason’s enthusiasm,
his passion, his humility, his genu-
ine excitement, was not fake. He
was not an actor. He was the best
damn hunter I ever met.
In late July, Jason returned home
from his annual hunting trip to Af-
rica. If you follow him on Facebook,
you will learn that his favorite part
of his trip was delivering fresh meat
and gifts to the children of a village
near his hunt.
On the afternoon of July 31
Jason was flying from Grand Prairie,
Alberta to his home in Saskatch-
ewan. His plane went down. He did
not survive. In his short life, Jason
was only 43 years old, he did what
few men will accomplish. He left
his legacy. Not just on his son and
daughter, who will carry on the
same passion for hunting as their
father. But also, on the millions he
touched across North America that
went with him…Into the Wild.
I hope for peace for Jason’s fam-
ily and friends. However, it is hard
for me to believe that my friend is
resting. Jason was not happy resting.
He was happy exploring and expe-
riencing a new adventure. I hope
Jason is on the ultimate adventure. I
hope he is in awe of his new sur-
roundings. I hope I will see him
again.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 99
THUNDER
on the
RIVER
T
hinking of taking a to portage around the biggest ones
canoe trip down the and to haul our four heavily-loaded
Thunder Bay canoes over solitary sweep-
River in the ers spanning the 50-foot-
northeast lower wide river from bank to
peninsula? bank.
I don’t recommend it. We were out of our
Our party of family mem- canoes 20 to 25 times to
bers and friends recently face these challenges, start-
floated the seven-mile ing with the first big pile
stretch (by road) from the up of logs about an hour
Hillman dam in into our journey.
Montmorency
County down- Michigan Meander The last tangle
occurred the
The group were out of their canoes 20 to 25 times to face these
challenges, star ting with the first big pile up of logs about an hour
stream to Salina
Road in Alpena By Tom Huggler following day a
few river bends
into our journey. Author photos
called for the shuttle service to pick
County. What before Salina
should have taken six to eight hours Road where we finally gave up and us up.
required twice as long due to log- took out—only halfway to our origi- The shuttle is operated by
jams plugging the river, forcing us nal destination at Herron Road—and Campers Cove RV Park and Ca-
noe Livery on Long Rapids Road
in Alpena. We rented canoes from
Campers Cove and had them take us
to Hillman. Unfortunately, no one
monitors river conditions because
information was scarce at best and
inaccurate at worst.
Although some might call our
canoeing and camping experience
an adventure, to my mind it was a
dangerous ordeal. You can get hurt
doing this stuff. In fact, I narrowly
escaped serious injury when I fell
into the river after losing my bal-
ance on one of those logs. Maybe
I should have crossed this river off
my bucket list without going there.
My observations are not meant
to be a rant, just an honest appraisal
of what we experienced on this
river. Every summer our party of
dads and lads, grandpas and grand-
sons take on a Michigan river. The
Manistee, Au Sable, Pine, Pere
Marquette and Muskegon have
spoiled us in the past. Those streams
are relatively free of obstructions,
thanks to canoe livery operators
and river friends who work to keep
them free of litter and obstructions.
Apparently no one does that on the
Thunder Bay.
Every river has its own per-
sonality. The Pine, for example, is
a slick-running, dam-free stream
reputed to be the fastest in the lower
peninsula. The Au Sable sees heavy
use from anglers along with the
party crowd of kayakers, canoeists
and tubers. The Thunder Bay River,
at least the portion we paddled, is
semi-wilderness with few homes en
route as it courses through the Thun-
Kevin Grobe, Colum and Dermot Madden after a difficult por tage! der Bay State Forest. We shared the
100 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
river with deer, blue herons, ducks,
kingfishers, a mink and a bald
eagle—not with people.
Odd, perhaps, that we saw no
turtles but that might have been
because the river ran discolored and
high due to two inches of rain the
day before our trip. The Thunder
Bay is said to produce good fishing
for smallmouth bass and northern
pike, although our efforts were
limited and we caught nothing. We
were too busy hacking our way
through the nettles and jungle-like
undergrowth along the banks and
chopping away drowned tree limbs.
Thinking back almost 60 years,
I remember a week-long canoeing/
camping trip down the Flint River
from North Branch to Genesee with
three high-school friends, all of
whom are now gone. That, too, was
a tough river–remote, rarely visited,
and full of obstructions. The easi-
est stretch was downstream from
Columbiaville, thanks largely to
Holloway Reservoir, created when
the river was dammed.
The Thunder Bay is also
dammed in several places along its
70-mile mainstream length. Be-
sides the Hillman Dam, one farther
upstream in Atlanta creates a small
pond. We decided the river between
Atlanta and Hillman was too narrow
for good canoeing. Downstream
near Alpena, dams at Seven Mile,
Four Mile and Ninth Street create
twisting impoundments with slow
current, which is why we chose
to put in at Hillman and take our
chances.
The original plan was to embark,
and not take out, at Salina Road
and paddle downstream to Camp-
ers Cove. Supposedly there are no
obstructions, or at best very few
(again, information was sketchy) in
this stretch. A new access site with
ample parking was recently com-
pleted at Long Rapids County Park
on M-65 about a mile upriver from
Speehely Rapids. This quarter-mile-
long run through boulders that range
in size from baseballs to basketballs
is the fastest part of the river.
Several tributaries feed the
Thunder Bay, which rises from
McCormick Lake upstream from
Atlanta. Hunt Creek, a Michigan
Blue Ribbon Trout Stream, enters
from the south between Atlanta and
Hillman.
We passed the Upper South
Branch where it enters the main
stream just above Salina Road.
Sprawling 9,000-acre Fletcher
Floodwaters was born from a dam
on the Upper South Branch in
1931-32. Below Herron Road, both
the North Branch and the Lower
South Branch (which drains Hub-
bard Lake) contribute to Seven Mile
Pond, which offers panfishing op-
portunities.
An important logging river in the
later 1800s, the dams that created
warm water impoundments broke
the Thunder Bay’s back. Before
timber cutting this was a wild and
natural river. The first hydroelectric
dam, built in 1909 at Ninth Street,
replaced a dam built by lumbering
interests to collect logs. Flow
rates and temperatures are more
stable now, thanks to a return to
run of river by Alpena Power Com-
pany.
This is a crucial consideration if
the Thunder Bay is to regain its rep-
utation as a great fishing stream. As
such, it is one of those “in-between”
rivers with conditions between the
impoundments too warm for trout
and too cool for optimum small-
mouth bass production.
Every summer a par ty of dads and lads, grandpas and grandsons
take on a Michigan river.
The canoe trip should have
taken six to eight hours but
required twice as long due to
logjams plugging the river, forc-
ing us to por tage around the
biggest ones and to haul our
four heavily-loaded canoes over
solitary sweepers spanning the
50-foot-wide river from bank to
bank.
One of the reasons I wanted to
explore this river is because I re-
member an early fishing experience
that happened there. I was about
five years old when my father, who
grew up in Alpena, took me to his
boyhood swimming hole where we
fished from shore. Something struck
my bait that day and before Dad
could help me land whatever it was,
the fish broke my line.
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 101
 MICHIGAN’S
ELK HUNTING
TODAY
Kevin Anthony of Ubly (right) and his hunting guide Robbie McLennia of Millersburg with the large 7 x 8 Michigan bull elk Anthony shot on August 29.
Winning the elk license draw
represents the ultimate adventure
T
his year marks the
100th anniversary of
elk returning to Michi-
gan. This all began
with seven Rocky
Mountain elk (from
Yellowstone National Park) being
released in 1918 near Wolverine in
northern Michigan. Elk are native
to Michigan, but they had become
extinct around 1875 due to unregu-
lated hunting and a major loss of
habitat.
The subspecies found here was
known as the eastern elk and was
once abundantly found from the
East Coast all the way to the Missis-
sippi River. It was also bigger than
its Rocky Mountain cousin, with
mature bulls being 60 inches tall at
the shoulder and weighing half a
ton, and carrying antlers 6 feet long.
These were the elk found in my
Thumb area, and prior to the Civil
War, hunters would use the Cass
River as a travel corridor through
the wilderness from Saginaw to the
elk hunting hotspot known as “The
Forks” of the Cass, near present day
102 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Cass City (and why the location is
named Elkland Township).
The last known eastern elk was
shot in Pennsylvania in 1877, and
this unique subspecies was declared
extinct in 1880. By the
early 1900s, the Rocky
Mountain elk population
in and near Yellowstone
National Park was becom-
ing too numerous for the
habitat and an offer was
sent out to states to give
away live elk for trans-
planting. Pennsylvania was
the first to ac-
By Tom Lounsbury
cept in 1913, as
did other states
which included Michigan in 1918.
Those seven elk would eventu-
ally reach around 1500 animals
by the early 1960s and limited
hunts were held in 1964 and 1965.
However, the elk numbers would
take a crash due to habitat issues
and poaching with only around 200
Michigan wild elk surviving by
1975. During this time a focus was
put on elk as being a viable natural
resource for Michigan, which would
include elk viewing, which remains
quite popular today. A great boon
to Michigan’s elk herd was the oil
exploration in the Pigeon River
region and the resulting
hydrocarbon development
which provided necessary
funds for habitat improve-
ment. Elk poaching was
also curtailed, and it is very
unwise to poach a Michi-
gan elk today.
Elk numbers would
recover and limited hunting
would resume
in 1984 to keep
elk numbers in
check with the habitat as well as
with agricultural issues. The hunters
for the special elk hunts are selected
by a random drawing, actually a lot-
tery if you will, for Michigan resi-
dents only. I’ve been trying for this
each year, and I will die a happy
man if I ever receive a chance to
hunt elk in Michigan. The pool is
100 times greater than the number
of licenses, but the truth is that it is
one of the cheapest elk hunts you
could ever go on and it has a typical
success rate of 80 percent. This year
there were 200 licenses issued, of
which 140 are for antlerless and 60
for any elk – which generally trans-
lates to all of those being bulls, and
there are some amazing antlered
specimens (there are now over 1000
elk in 105,000 acres of the north-
eastern Lower Peninsula).
Now some folks might assume
Michigan elk hunting is similar
to taking a short hike into a cow
pasture to shoot a domestic bovine,
but that is hardly the case in real-
ity. Elk, which seem to be easily
viewed from afar, are an entirely
different critter when you go to hunt
them, and especially so when they
realize hunting season has arrived.
I’ve interviewed quite a number of
Michigan elk hunters, even some
who were unsuccessful, and this is
no easy hunt at all to perform. For
a fact, I would hire a local guide
to hunt this area because of his/
her knowledge of the area which
includes a mixing of private and
public lands as well as the elk con-
centrations at a given time. There
is also the extreme feat of getting a
downed elk out of the woods, which
can be as much as five times bigger
than your average whitetail deer. So
it pays to get to know some folks
well before the hunt.
Kevin Anthony of Ubly has
been applying each year for a Mich-
igan elk license, but like many ap-
plicants figured it probably wasn’t
ever going to happen. He is also the
owner of the Trophy Ranch Hunting
Preserve, and has clients who come
there to hunt big game the year
round. Being the recipient of mail
from the MDNR on a regular basis,
he put a letter from them on his
desk for five days and forgot about
it, but upon discovering it unopened
as yet, he thought he’d better check
it out. To his shock and surprise,
he found he was the recipient of an
“Any Elk” license during the first
special hunting season beginning
this summer on August 28.
First thing on the agenda was
figuring out what rifle he would use.
Elk are notoriously tough animals to
kill and often don’t even show any
reaction when hit, even mortally so.
Anthony has hunted big game all
over North America as well as New
Zealand and Africa, and has long
depended upon a Weatherby “Van-
guard” bolt-action (topped with a
Leupold scope) in the venerable
.270 Winchester round, using a 130
grain Nosler bullet. It has proven to
be a dependable enough combina-
tion for him that he decided to stick
with it, even though he has some
more powerful options in his col-
lection.
Anthony’s elk hunt would take
place near Millersburg where he
found all the folks friendly and ac-
commodating to visiting elk hunt-
ers. His elk hunting guide would be
Robbie McLennia who is known
locally as “The Dog” for his skill
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and persistence in the field. The day
before the hunt was a mandatory
class elk hunters must take prior to
the hunt, which was MC’d by out-
door radio show host Mike Avery.
The hunt would begin the following
morning, with a strict adherence to
the start time.
However, with 90° F tempera-
tures, there was little elk movement,
as in that kind of weather elk are
trying to stay cool, and typically
are laying low in the shadows and
even in muddy areas. Anthony did
see a nice 6 x 6 bull elk, but it was
running at 400 yards away, and not
a good shot to take. Other than that,
the day proved fruitless.
The following morning proved
to be the same and at noon Anthony
and his guide took a lunch break
at the locally well know “Elbow-
room” Restaurant, which had quite
a crowd for the ongoing elk hunt-
ing festivities. Afterwards Anthony
and his guide went seeking elk. The
many snowmobile trails are open to
vehicle travel during the elk hunt,
and they weren’t far from the El-
bowroom when they caught a fresh
set of large elk tracks crossing the
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trail and soon saw the bull, which
was an obvious dandy. This had
Anthony bailing out the truck, and
uncasing and loading his rifle, and
the hunt was on by foot. The bull
finally offered a standing broadside
shot, and Anthony aimed for the
lungs, knowing animals can’t go far
without air, but then there are elk.
At the shot, the large bull reared
up on its hind legs like a horse,
spun around and headed for a dense
ravine with Anthony running in hot
pursuit. The key here is to run paral-
lel to an animal and not directly
behind it. There was no question
that if the bull made it to the ravine,
an already difficult animal to extract
from the woods would become
even more difficult. The bull was
just reaching the edge of the ravine
when Anthony fired and hit it in the
back of the head, dropping it on the
spot.
It would turn out to be an out-
standing 7 X 8 bull elk which would
weigh close to 850 pounds. With the
day being hot and having a large elk
to move, the guide returned to the
“Elbowroom” for help, as well as
notified the MDNR of the kill and
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its exact location. The entire crowd
at the Elbowroom would eagerly
head out to help, as well as they
called others, who would eagerly
come to assist. Kevin Anthony will
always remember seeing a red SUV
dragging bottom on the trail as it
approached, and an elderly lady,
known to all as “Aunt Katie,” got
out with her walker to review the
elk, and was carrying a jar pickles
to share with everyone. It was quite
a festive moment for all involved.
MDNR officials were on the
site within half an hour to document
matters (Aunt Katie offered pick-
les to them too) and Anthony was
allowed to get his elk out and head
for a cooler after field dressing it.
Thus far, Kevin Anthony’s 7 X
8 bull elk ranks in the top 5 taken
in Michigan, and just may be the
largest for this year, but the season
is far from over.
One thing is for certain, Michi-
gan elk hunting is alive and well,
and that is a good thing. Better yet,
for me at least, may I sometime get
drawn in that annual “elk lottery,”
and there is no question I’m not
alone in that desire.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 103
Winter fox and
coyote trapping
I
am writing a winter fox and
coyote trapping article in
October because if you do
not prepare for a late winter
fox and coyote trapline by
October, you may be cutting
yourself short. I will share some
tactics that have worked well over
the years on making some late win-
ter snow catches of prime fox and
coyote. As a trapper I do not like to
be putting out bait stations during
November for December trapping
time when I could be catching the
cream of the crop in November.
Plus I increase the odds of attracting
in some additional fox and coyote
with time.
October is great month once
it starts cooling down to start pre
baiting some areas for December
forward fox and coyote
trapping locations. Gath-
ering venison for the pre
bait has never been easier.
Currently in the State of
Michigan we can call law
enforcement and keep
road kill once we provide
our information. In addi-
tion to road kill other guts
By John Chagnon
and scraps from
our fishing and
hunting trips can
be kept frozen during the year and
placed at bait stations when it cools
down in the fall. The problem is if
you place the bait stations out any
sooner in the summer or early fall
everything will decompose and be
gone.
To set up my bait locations, I
pick locations that will be easily
accessible during the winter snows.
I set my bait locations 50 yards
from where two or more travel
ways meet. We will be setting the
traps close to where two or more
canine travel ways meet later when
the snow comes and we see fox
and coyote tracks. The area where
we are going to plan on setting the
traps should be fairly open. Where
we place the bait in October can
be thick or not but make sure it is
within 50 yards of where you plan
to set your winter sets. I prefer to
bury most of the fox and coyote bait
stations I place out in the woods. At
a minimum cover the bait station
over with weeds and branches; any-
thing to not allow crows and birds
of prey to see the exposed bait. It is
a main reason that we set the actual
fox and coyotes trap sets 50 or more
yards from the bait station so as to
not catch non-target species.
Many times the fox and coyote
104 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
will circle the bait locations from
a distance but opossum, skunk and
raccoon go right on in for a Scooby
snack. The nice thing is when we
wait for it to snow to actually set
our fox and coyote traps we will see
exactly where the fox and coyote are
traveling by the tracks left behind.
Most but not all large bait locations
will be checked out by fox and coy-
ote. It helps if you are familiar with
the area since if you see tracks in an
area one winter chances are the fox
and coyote will return again in the
next winter. Some say raccoon and
opossum carcasses will not be eaten
by anything, but fox and coyote
will still check them out. Now your
muskrat and beaver carcasses are
perfect to replace any of the baits hit
during late October and November
by coyotes and fox. Years
ago I would get tripe or
cow stomachs from the
slaughter houses for bait
stations.
I trap mostly on fed-
eral and state lands during
October and November. I
live on the outskirts of farm
country and that is where
I set up some of
my bait stations
for winter fox
and coyote trapping. Not only are
those locations close to my home
during the bad winter weather for
easy checking, that is the time of
the year the land owners are done
deer hunting and are okay with me
checking traps. A lot of land own-
ers do not want trappers on their
property checking traps during deer
season for the obvious reason we
could spook the deer while they are
deer hunting.
With most bait stations set up
on private property it allows trap-
pers to also set snares on the trails
that the coyote and fox travel while
checking out the bait stations. It
is not legal to set cable restraint
“snares” on public land. The cable
restraint regulations are detailed in
the Michigan Hunting and Trap-
ping Guide and should be followed.
Non-lethal cable restraints may be
used from January 1 - March 1 to
take fox and coyotes with details of
the cable restraints allowed in the
regulations.
Personally I prefer to use foot-
hold traps when trapping fox and
coyote during the winter months.
Depending on how much snow we
have, I will use a combination of
scent post sets, dirt hole or snow
hole sets, hay sets and trail sets.
Drags or grapples are what I use
mostly during the winter to secure
my foothold traps, note drags are
not allowed when setting snares.
Usually the ground is too frozen to
drive in stakes. Just make sure there
is some brush and such for the drags
to hook up on around the location.
With the snow on the ground the
drag marks left are very easy to fol-
low.
If you can find where the fox
and coyote are following a trail to
the bait station and deer are not
following the same trail, conceal a
number two or three coilspring trap
under one of the tracks. Wrap the
trap in wax paper that you crumble
so it is quieter. I like to use about
five-foot of chain on my drags and
will actually pick a spot in the trail
were I can hook the drag to a sap-
ling. Herb Lenon’s Classic Trapping
DVD shows the method. He used
a wooden snow scoop with a long
handle for winter trapping. Today
a non stick frying pan attached to
a long wood handle works fine.
The tool is used to scoop snow and
spread over our tracks and trap set
so we leave the set location more
natural. The method works best
when we have a foot or more of
snow and cold conditions so the
snow is powdery.
Scent post sets lured with
Lenon’s Fox or Coyote Nature Call
Lure is extremely effective on a
winter trapline. During the summer-
time, I will burn several posts out
of 2 x 2 pine two feet tall for using
on my winter line. One can also use
a high tuft of grass, wood stump or
other natural protruding item for a
scent post set. It gives a lot of eye
appeal and when lured with Nature
Call is extremely deadly. Conceal
your trap the same as in the trail set.
Mating season occurs in late winter
and marking of territory is in over-
drive by fox and coyote.
If conditions are right some-
times you can make a dirt hole set.
I have on several occasions made a
snow hole set in the side of a drift. I
placed lure and bait, concealed the
trap, and it worked. The hay set has
worked well for me over the years.
When making a hay set I like to use
three traps spread a foot apart and
place bait and lure between them.
Using scissors, I then cover the traps
with finely chopped hay and simply
fluff it up in a big pile. I want the
fluffed up hay to stick up at least
two feet giving it major eye appeal
for Mr. Fox and coyote. Sometimes
mice get attracted to the fresh hay
and it makes the set even more at-
tractive.
A winter fox and coyote trapline
can be very challenging with more
snow than you want or thawing con-
ditions making your traps freeze up.
Making your sets when a light snow
is in the forecast will increase your
odds when mother nature covers
your tracks with snow. Your own
creativity at set locations is often
necessary as conditions and terri-
tory can vary so much when winter
trapping. Having dried peat moss or
freeze proof dirt can also be an as-
set. Traps properly dyed and waxed
is ever more important for scent
control and to make sure your traps
are fast acting and not clogging up
with rust and dirt.
One thing is for sure, if you
place enough bait stations out in
October and November you should
have plenty of coyote and fox tracks
to see and choose set locations
from during December and January.
Nothing is more rewarding on the
trapline than walking up on your
fox or coyote caught in the middle
of our Michigan winter wonderland.
Those winter fox and coyote pelts
will be the most prime of the year.
I thank everyone that took the
time to attend one of the seminars
I did on trapping at the Woods-N-
Water News Outdoor Weekend in
September. For November I will
be writing an article with some tips
on catching mink and other water
trapping furbearers. I welcome you
to visit my websites at PcsOutdoors.
com and LenonLures.com. I always
welcome calls from fellow trappers
at (989) 569-3480 ext. 225.n
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 105
 MICHIGAN’S
FALL SALMONalmon fishing in the
S Michigan waters of Lake
Michigan has fallen on
hard times. The decline is
largely due to the reduc-
tion of salmon plants by
Michigan’s Department of Natural
Resources. Fisheries managers
theorize that bait fish numbers in the
lake have declined to the point that
they cannot support the number of
salmon that the MDNR was plant-
ing in the past so they instituted
a series of cuts. Over the
last decade, the reduction
has severely impacted the
number of salmon in Lake
Michigan available to
anglers.
Plants of Chinook
salmon in the southern half
of Lake Michigan have
been eliminated. Salmon
that stray into the
rivers and streams Mike Gnatkowski
there don’t pro-
duce much in the way of natural
reproduction. Plants in the northern
half of the lake have been reduced to
a faction of what they were during
the heydays.
The only thing sustaining any
kind of fishery in the lake now is
natural reproduction. Fortunately
for anglers, the rivers and streams in
northwest Michigan produce enough
naturally spawned fish to main-
tain some semblance of a fishery.
Natural reproduction has always
sustained a decent salmon fishery in
Lake Superior rivers and streams.
Some years are better than others on
Lake Superior depending on water
levels.
Northwest Michigan
The one time when anglers can
count on decent salmon fishing is
when naturally reproduced salmon
return to their natal streams in the
fall. Rivers in northwest Michigan,
like the Muskegon, White, Pere
Marquette, Betsie and Big Manistee,
continue to pump out millions of
smolts each year. Good portions of
the fish make it to adulthood and
return to the river each fall.
“There’s plenty of good spawn-
ing habitat and there are lots of eggs
being produced every fall,” said
Central Lake Michigan Manage-
ment Unit Fisheries Biologist Mark
Tonello. “The problem is not with
natural reproduction, but when the
106 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
fish migrate out. There’s no food for
them when they get to the lake. The
other thing is with fewer alewives
there isn’t the cover for out-mi-
grating smolts that there use to be.
Spawning alewives use to fill the
river mouths right about the time the
salmon smolts were out-migrating,
giving predators something else to
target besides the smolts. Without
the big number of alewives now, the
smolts are more vulnerable.”
Studies have shown that natu-
rally spawned salmon make
up a substantial portion of
the salmon population in
the lake. The percentage of
natural age Chinook salmon
in the Lake Michigan popu-
lation in 2013/2014 was
estimated to be 38.6%. In
2014/2015 the number was
59.8% and in 2015/2016
it was 48.6%.
Anglers would
be wise to con-
centrate their efforts in the fall near
rivers where these fish are returning.
“In a good year I would have to Dick Mott of Saginaw, with a fresh-run Big Manistee River king.
guess that the Big Manistee River
might produce a million smolts,” produces thousands of salmon each dropping back plugs, cast spinners
said Tonello. “The Betsie River is a year to provide some semblance of and crankbaits, drifting spawn and
“Chinook factory.” Studies conduct- a return. Runs are nothing like they casting flies, catch kings poised
ed back in 2009 showed the Betsie were back in the 80s and 90s, but near the gravel. A bonus is the large
River got a run of 16,000 adult there are still enough returning fish population of resident trout. Anglers
Chinooks.” to provide a decent fishery. targeting salmon can catch chunky
Coho salmon are not as prolific Chinooks begin returning to rainbow and browns all day long.
spawners as Chinooks because, like Muskegon Lake in late August and For more information on the
steelheads, Coho smolts spend a provide a unique jigging fishery for Muskegon River Contact the
year and a half in the river before some knowledgeable anglers. The MDNR Plainwell Operations Ser-
out-migrating. Chinook smolts only kings school in some deep holes vice Center at 269-685-6851.
spend a half-year in the river before just after entering Muskegon Lake White River
heading to the lake. Salmon smolts and will slam heavy jigging spoons The White River between
are not subject to the gauntlet of when in the mood. Trollers take Montague/Whitehall to the Hesperia
predators in these cold northern king s pulling J-plugs.
Kings stack up in the deep pools
Dam has some quality spawning
Michigan streams that they are in gravel. Consequently, it still gets a
southern Michigan. Other than the and runs near Mill Iron, Maple decent run of king salmon. Some
stray smallmouth bass, northern Island and Bridgeton in the lower salmon get over the dam and make
pike and kingfisher, salmon smolts river. The fresh-run salmon are it all the way to White Cloud,
in northwest Michigan have a pretty receptive to Flatfish and Kwikfish which offers even more spawning
good chance of making it to the dropped back and chunks of fresh habitat.
big lake. Once there, it’s critical spawn dropped back or fished under The White River is not a big
that they find a good source of ter- a bobber. With fewer fish in the lake, river. Anglers will have their hands
restrial insects along the shoreline it seems that fish have been bigger full landing a brawling king in such
during their early life stage. Once in recent years with salmon in the confined quarters. Deep holes near
they reach a certain size, their diet mid-20-pound range not uncommon. County Line Bridge lend itself to
changes to baitfish. That’s where Gravel becomes more com- boating, but most of the river is eas-
the lack of alewives can become a mon from Old Women’s Bend up ily wadable. The North Branch gets
problem. to Croton Dam, which is the final a stray salmon run and produces
Muskegon River destination for spawning salmon. great fall trout fishing.
Muskegon doesn’t receive any The Muskegon is a big river aver- For more information on the
Chinook salmon plants anymore. aging 150 to 200 feet across and
Fortunately, the Muskegon River is best fished from a boat. Anglers Michigan Salmon page 108
 Your Hunting
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WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 107
Michigan’s Fall Salmon:
from page 106
White River contact Hesperia Sport
Shop at (213) 854-3965.
Pere Marquette River
The first river in the United
States planted with brown trout,
the Pere Marquette River is equally
famous for its salmon run. Anglers
flock to the PM to try their hand at
catching the naturally reproduced
kings that return there every year.
Much of the fishing effort is focused
on the flies-only section from Bald-
win to Gleason’s Landing. Access
is limited so most anglers use drift
boats to float the river and get out to
wade and fish. Dredging deep holes
and runs using the chuck-and-duck
method gets flies deep quickly and
in front of finicky salmon. Though
not feeding at all, kings will lash
out at passing flies. Egg patterns,
nymphs and Wooly Buggers are a
few of the patterns that produce.
Downstream of the flies-only
section the PM has less gravel, but
fewer anglers. The river is still eas-
ily wadable and anglers can access
the river at Rainbow Rapids, Sulak,
Upper and Lower Branch Bridge,
and Landon and Walhalla roads. If
salmon are in the river, you’ll be
able to see them. Best techniques
include casting in-line spinners
and stickbaits. From Indian Bridge
to Pere Marquette Lake the PM is
mainly sand, but fresh–run kings
stack up in the undercuts and holes
in September. Dropping back spawn
and plugs and cast spinners are good
techniques then.
For fishing reports, tackle and
licenses contact Captain Chuck’s at
(231) 843-4458.
Big Manistee River
“The Big Manistee River is the
number one producer of naturally
reproduced salmon in Michigan,”
Skein Spawn For Salmon
It’s known that salmon
don’t feed once they enter the
river, but for some reason they
will still swallow a chunk of
skein spawn. Skein spawn is in
a membrane when it comes out
of the fish. Use a knife to cut
the skein lengthwise and open
it up. Use powdered Borax
and work it into the folds of
eggs in the skein. Allow the
skein to air cure and toughen
for an hour and then store it
in the refrigerator. Break off a
golf-ball-sized chuck of eggs and secure it to a single or treble
hook using a snell knot. Slip the eggs under the loop of the
knot to help keep it on the hook.
108 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
claimed Fisheries Biologist Mark
Tonello. “I would say in a good year
it probably produces a million fish.”
If even a fraction of those fish make
it back to the river it can make for
fantastic fishing.
Kings start filtering into the
lower river in mid-August. The
kings scoot from hole to hole under
the cover of darkness and stage in
deep holes, undercuts and logjams
during the day. The kings are impos-
sible to catch when they’re moving,
but once they stop dropping back
skein spawn and plugs is a proven
technique even though the salmon
are not feeding. Chucking in-line
spinners can be gangbusters when
salmon are packed in tight to cover.
Gold spinners with green or char-
treuse tape seemed to do the trick.
Anglers can gain access to the
lower river at Insta-Launch Camp-
ground and Marina and Bridge
Street. The middle section of the
lower Manistee has an alluring mix
of pools, runs and long gravel bars
that salmon relate to. Anglers can
gain access at Bear Creek, Rainbow
Bend, Blacksmith Bayou and High
Bridge. The river is best fished from
a boat, but there are places where
wading anglers can gain access.
From High Bridge to Tippy Dam
is a mix of deep bends and shallow
gravel bars that fill with spawning
salmon in September. There’s plenty
of public access. Denny Keysor of Flushing caught this king on a spinner in the Pere Marquette
Salmon are caught using a vari-
For fishing reports and tackle see pretty good returns.”
ety of techniques from drifting flies
contact Andy’s Tackle Box in Breth- Madison said some of the riv-
to floating spawn under a bobber.
The closer you get to Tippy Dam the
ren at (231) 477-5737. ers include the Black River from
Rainbow Gorge to Lake Superior,
more likely you are to encounter fat, Betsie River
resident brown trout that are com- The Betsie River is somewhat of the lower Ontonagon, Gratiot and
mon in the river. If you tire of the a sleeper when it comes to salmon. Chocolay. Most have falls that limit
salmon, try drifting single eggs or The upper reaches of the river are upstream migration and concentrate
small spawn bags behind the salmon too warm to produce much in the fish.
beds for the trout. way of steelhead or coho natural For more details on salmon riv-
reproduction, but kings do very well ers in the western U.P. contact the
Baraga Operations Service Center at
there and offer anglers plenty of tar-
gets when they return in September. (906) 353-6651.
The pools fill with salmon Eastern U.P.
below the old Homestead Dam site Eastern U.P. salmon runs depend
to US-31 and beyond beginning in on water levels in the fall. “The
late August. Anglers target fresh-run
run on the Two-Hearted River was
kings with spawn and bobbers in the pretty poor last fall because of
marshy stretch of river just up from the warm weather and low water
Bestie Lake. levels,” shared MDNR Newberry
Western U.P. Operations Service Fisheries Biolo-
The U.P. has never gotten much gist Cory Kovacs. “The run was just
in the way of salmon plants com- a slow trickle and the Cohos really
pared to the Lower Peninsula, but didn’t show up until November.”
it has always had a modest run of Kovacs said the Sucker River
naturally reproduced salmon that typically gets a decent run of salmon
includes Cohos, kings and pink as does the Carp River. The St.
salmon. The runs can be sporadic Marys River gets a smorgasbord of
depending on water levels in the fall. salmonids includes pinks, Atlantics,
“Salmon returns have actually Cohos, brown trout and steelheads.
been better in recent years than when Access to fish The Rapids can be
we were planting fish,” joked Baraga gained from the Canadian side. Pink
Operations Service Center Fisheries salmon numbers have been rebound-
Biologist George Madison. “It varies ed across much of the U.P. in recent
from year to year, but some streams years.n
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 Woods-N-Water News Classified Section
MISC.
AN ADJUSTABLE BED with
queen iComfort mattress included.
New in plastic, As Seen On TV.
Cost $3,800. Sell for $975. 989-
923-1278. M-3-18-TFN
..............................................
A TEMPUR-PEDIC
M E M O RY FOAM
MATTRESS SET. Clean. Never
used. As seen on TV. Cost $1700.
Sell for $695. 989-832-2401. M-4-
14-TFN
..............................................
AN AMISH LOG
HEADBOARD AND QUEEN
pillowtop mattress set. New. Sell all
for $275. 989-923-1278.
MISC.
LOG BUNK BEDS. $495.
Amish lodge furniture. Call Dan
989-832-1866. M-4-14-TFN
..............................................
WANTED
TIMBER MANGEMENT:
Ensuring landowners maximum
value for their timber for over
35 years. Michigan Timber
Products 269-967-2850. W-4-
7
FOR SALE FISHING HUNTING HUNTING
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River, jet or drift boat trips start-
tion. Owner retiring. 810-985-3374. fishing for bass and bluegills, cabin Amasa, Baraga, and Bergland
ing at $200.00. Fly or spinning
FS-9-2 with boat and motor. Text or call Units. Lodging Available. Call Ray
gear supplied. Trout, salmon,
.............................................. 989-493-2909. H-9-12/18 at 906-265-9420 or cell (906) 284-
steelhead, summer steelhead,
POND SUPPLIES: Live game-
smallmouth and walleye. Call .............................................. 2216. Licensed and Insured. H-1-
fish for stocking. Large selection of ELK HUNT: Northern Mich. We 12/18
231-250-3103 or email at fish.
lake, pond and watergarden sup- have ten club permits. Cows or ..............................................
slayerarcher@gmail.com for
plies. Free catalog! Stoney Creek, Bulls. $200 per point. Crop damage
reservation. No deposit
Inc., Grant, MI (800) 448-3873, area. Ranch phone 989-846-6228.
required. Major credit cards
www.stoneycreekequip.com FS-4- DNR inspects heads. H-9-4
7
accepted. See me on face-
book. F-10-1 .............................................. BAIT
.............................................. DEER HUNT, SAGANING
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To reach an immense outdoor market use the . . . Black bear hunts available. camping at a private, gated
Woods-N-Water News Classified 3.5 hours North of Sault Ste.
Marie. See web site for specials ELK HUNT: Northern Mich. No
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paradise on Big Manistee River.
Large, wooded sites, full hook-
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..............................................
TROPHY WHITETAIL DEER HUNT: Bay County. HUNTING LEASE
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loader spots available for January 5 H-9-4 $1,600.00. Call 248-240-0985.
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a limited number of hunters each game) West Branch - Hale area. room home sleeps six, bunkhouse
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.............................................. 1
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HUNTING LAND TO LEASE:
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$31.00 $31.25 $31.50 $31.75 $32.00 $32.25
HUNT MICHIGAN’S of Alpena, Michigan. Parcel is weekly and monthly. 906-586-3515.
$32.50 $32.75 $33.00 $33.25 $33.50 $33.75 GEMS October 20th Lewiston surrounded by private hunting FR-10-2
Michigan. Lewiston Thunder- clubs. $350,000.00 Call 586- ..............................................
$34.00 $34.25 $34.50 $34.75 $35.00 $35.25 bird Grouse Tournament. For 438-0157. H-6-6
more info call: Doug Tacka-
$35.50 $35.75 $36.00 $36.25 $36.50 $36.75 berry at 810-533-4916 or email
dgtacks@yahoo.com. Can also Subscribe More Classifieds
Enclosed is $                                               for Today!
words to run                     months. BOX MY CLASSIFIED - $5 Extra
call/text Alan Simasko at 810-
300-7784. H-10-1 (810) 724-0254
Next Page
110 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 Woods-N-Water News Classified Section
REAL ESTATE
WATERLOO TOWNSHIP -
Enjoy quiet country living on 57.8
acres with frontage on 30 acre pri-
vate stocked lake where wildlife
abounds and still just 10 minutes to
town and Chelsea schools. Endless
waterfowl hunting, fishing and #3
state record buck with bow har-
vested here! Seller to approve
building plans. Acreage and taxes
based on 2 parcels combined
including ID number 000-05-35-
326-001-09. Call 734-260-7483
RE-10-1
..............................................
MANISTEE COUNTY -
Hunting and fishing cabin on 50
acres in the Manistee National
Forest, located on a county
road in Brethren, MI. This prop-
erty has been known by local
hunters as a prized location for
whitetail, turkey and grouse.
Fishing on the Big Manistee
River and Tippy Dam backwa-
ters is within minutes. Property
features a fully furnished cabin
sleeping up to 6 people, wood
burning stove and solar electric,
9 deer blinds (3 fully enclosed),
7 food plots and the owner has
practiced QDM for 20 years.
The property borders over a
1000 acres of Federal land for
added roaming space.
$149,000. Chuck Smith, Re/
Max Bayshore, 231-794-0800
or chuck@manisteerealtors.
com RE-10-1
VACANT LAND 15+ ACRES.
Awesome Building Site & Hunting
W/Deer/Turkey/Rabbit. Many Big
Bucks Taken (Pics Available),
20X40 Pole Barn W/Electricity,
Paved Road. Onodagea, MI. 517-
404-1929 $98,000 RE-10-1
..............................................
80 ACRES 30 tillable, 50 wooded
5 bdrm 2 bath newer oil furnace or
outdoor wood boiler hot water heat
new kitchen cabinets & counters
new windows fireplace outbuildings
deep well submersible paved road
with state snowmobile trail close by.
Possible option subdivide or owner
finance with 25% down. 225k 989-
766-8106. RE-10-3
..............................................
180 ACRES CHIPPEWA
COUNTY: Hunt, fish, hike or
snowmobile. 180 acres with
trails, blinds, and food plots.
Adjoins thousands of acres of
public land, 13 miles south of
Sault Ste. Marie, less than 2
miles to boat launch and the St.
Mary's River. E.U.P. hunting
and fishing camp, the 1100 sq.
ft. home and 32x42 garage will
satisfy most as a year round
residence. A great buy at
$250,000. Call 989-390-0362.
Details Craigslist and Zillow.
RE-9-3
ONAWAY AREA: 160 acres
hunting property, mostly cedar
$1,000 per acre. Call Larry at 989-
733-4152. RE-10-1
..............................................
email: wnw@pageone-inc.com • website: www.woods-n-waternews.com
REAL ESTATE
191 ACRES LOCATED
IN THE CENTRAL U.P.
OF MICHIGAN, ALGER
COUNTY. Includes 34 acres
of pasture, deer, bear, par-
tridge, turkeys, ducks and
geese, rabbits, large pond, nat-
ural gas, year round access.
1.5 miles of very good drivable
trails. Call 906-446-3261.
RE-7-18-TFN
40 ACRES SANILAC
COUNTY: Awesome deer, turkey,
small game. Turnkey - tree stands,
28’ motor home. Electric (three 30
AMP, four standard 110 V outlets).
Fenced & gated. River runs through
NE corner. $160,000. 586-219-2041
or ubly4sale@gmail.com RE-10-1
..............................................
40 ACRES AND CABIN,
excellent hunting. Gladwin
County, easy access off US10
and M18. $109,000. 989-560-
9600. RE-10-1
MI THUMB, CASS CITY
AREA, 80ac, fenced/gated/ 5ac
spring fed lake, surrounded by pri-
vate land, access to 800ac state
land. Contact Hakawenterprises@
mac.com RE-10-4
..............................................
NEARLY 40 ACRES and
3-story chalet on Thunder Bay River
in Hillman. Prime hunting. Hunting
blinds. Shooting range. Snowmobile
trail access. Very private. Contact:
Nicole Bartlett, Realtor REO Alpena
989-464-3218. MLS#311747
RE-10-2
..............................................
30 ACRES with a beautiful ranch
in NW Lenawee Co. MI. Finished
basement, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 30
x 40 building with lean to, 15 acres
wooded. Near several state high-
ways. Call Bob at Faust Real
Estate, LLC 517-605-9982.
RE-10-1
FOR SALE: About 15 acres
on Small Lake in Allegan
County in Michigan. No public
access. Approximately 900 ft. of
water frontage partially wood-
ed. Nice building spaces with
walkout basement. Hunting and
fishing. Has flowing well and
small pavilion with fireplace.
Nice location. Good opportunity
for a developer or a family
retreat. Asking $425,000.00 will
consider any serious offers. PH
(269) 657-3414 in Michigan.
RE-10-2
LAKEFRONT, year round home
in private, gated hunting fishing club
Roscommon County. QDM deer
program for 18,000+ acres you
hunt, fish, shoot, fifty miles of roads,
year round caretaker. Home is two
bedroom, 1.5 bath, large 2 car
garage with loft/bunk room. Sand
beach, panoramic water views with
nesting loons, eagles and more.
Talking $295,000 very softly. 248-
979-4101. FS-9-3
REAL ESTATE DOGS DOGS DOGS
52-ACRE OFF-GRID FAMI- GERMAN WIREHAIRED FOR SALE – AKC Registered
GUN DOG TRAINING AT
LY RETREAT NW OF POINTER: 15 months old. Beagle Pups. Champion Bloodlines.
ITS BEST! by Paul
PARADISE WILL MAKE A Started dog neutered male. 269- Red Pine Kennels 989-736-3486 or
Rheaume. Over 35 years
GREAT GETAWAY! Cabin and 998-8325. D-10-1 989-254-2777. D-10-1
experience with pointing and
outbuildings have been well-main- .............................................. ..............................................
flushing breeds. All inclusive 4
tained. Set up for year-round use ENGLISH SETTER MALE:
week classes available that are
amongst rolling hills and towering 15 months old trained on wild birds
customized to meet your dog's FDSB LLEWELLIN
hardwoods (but you’ll have to snow- in Kansas, Texas, Northern
needs. Excellent for young SETTERS DAYBREAK:
mobile in during winter!) 130’ drilled Llewellins has puppies and Michigan and South Dakota. $1,200
dogs starting out, for experi-
well, gravity water system, genera- started dogs available. Find us Call Bob 810-516-1937. D-10-1
enced dogs tuning up, or for
tor/battery system, sauna, guest on Facebook or online at ..............................................
dogs with issues. $600. Find
bunk house and a huge shed for daybreakllewellins.com DAKOTA TRAINING AND
us on Facebook Rheaume's
storage. $124,900. Call Superior Please contact Kevin at HUNTING. For the 20th year,
Kennel. (989) 864-8606.
Shores Realty (906) 492-3750. real- 989-291-7915. D-10-1 we’ll take your dog/pup for 2 weeks
D-7-5
estateparadise@yahoo.com in North Dakota. They will see more
RE-10-1 birds than they have seen in a year
Classifieds
.............................................. ALABAMA BIRD DOG here! Only $350 for the 2 weeks,
110 ACRES IN THE ROSE TRAINING. Let bird dog Hall of which includes everything. Please
CITY AREA: Cabin, trout stream, Famer David Grubb train your dog/ call soon as we will only take 6
dogs. Last 2 weeks of October.
Work!
established food plots $350,000. pup in Selma, Alabama. With exper-
For more information contact Ron tise he has trained 100 open cham- David Grubb 248-860-1009. D-9-3
989-387-9641. RE-10-1 pions. Leaves Thanksgiving and ..............................................
.............................................. returns late March, any breed of
REDUCED! LITTLE TWO bird dog (labs too.) David Grubb
(810) 724-0254
EAGLE RIDGE BEA-
HEARTED RIVER, 32+acres, 248-860-1009. D-10-3 GLES: AKC pups born
quarter mile frontage, snowmobile/ .............................................. 8-15-18. 13 inch tri-colored
Monday-Friday
ATV trails, brook trout, blueberries, and brown and white. 989-424-
high ground, nice building sites on 8130. D-10-1
LOOKING FOR STUD
bluff, surrounded by miles of state
9am-5pm
SERVICE FOR MY GSP
forest. $75,000 OBO. FEMALE: Southern Michi-
Subscribe Today!
quantumdog99@yahoo, gan Area. Black German Short-
or try our website
cell 219-545-1702. RE-10-3 hair, must be AKC registered.
.............................................. Send copy of Pedigree and
EAST JACKSON
COUNTY 101 ACRES IN
picture of stud. 734-770-6109.
D-10-1 woods-n-waternews.com (810) 724-0254
BIG BUCK AREA. Nice
rolling land has everything they
Your Woods-N-Water News is
need. Corn and hay fields,
www.woods-n-waternews.com
divided by a steam. Woods and
a marsh with a wooded island.
“Just a Click Away!”
Fronts paved rd. close to Ann
Arbor. $499,000. Also in
Harrison 48.8 Acre hunt camp
near Cranberry Lake. Heavily
wooded mix of oaks and ever-
greens. A nice marsh in the
middle attracts waterfowl and
deer. Includes a small camper
and three raised blinds.
$99,900. Jack LeSage Realtor
734 476-0598. Keller Williams
Realty, Ann Arbor RE-10-1
40 ACRES PRIME HUNT-
ING LAND. Surrounded by farm-
land. Rows of cedar and pine trees
plus woods with trails throughout.
Call or text to set up your personal
tour. 810-705-1060. RE-9-2
..............................................
280 AC. AND CAMP IN • Subscriptions
• Email the Editor
ONTONAGON CO., MICHI-
GAN. All wooded must sell medi-
cal reasons. Food plots and blinds.
Ready to hunt. No CWD $185,000
will hold land contract. Call 616- • Classifieds - Buy, Sell, Trade
799-0530 or 616-723-4285. RE-9-
2 • Send Photos or Story Tips
..............................................
CABIN ON THE PINE RIVER
in the We-Hee-Gen Land Co.
• Advertising Information
www.woods-n-waternews.com
Private Club. 16842 Wereheegen
East in Leroy Tustin area. 1170 Sq.
Ft. $97,500 Call JAC 231-250-4951
or look up on realtors.com or MLS.
RE-9-2
..............................................
It’s Easy . . .
Classifieds work!
VISIT TODAY!
(810) 724-0254
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 111
  
PAGES 112-125

Game on!
Are you looking to take your outdoor
experience to the next level? We can help!
GreenStone offers a variety of loan options for
recreational land of any size. Contact your local
branch office to learn more!

800-444-3276

Hunting Lodge Setting! 5000 sq

ft pole barn with 1500 sq ft of liv-
ing space within this hand-milled
lumber structure. Parcel consists
of 40 acres of prime hunting ter-
ritory. Endless possibilities for this
www.greenstonefcs.com one of a kind sportsman getaway.
$265,000
Please Call Mary Moore, at
EXP Realty at 231-330-3521.
112 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS

Alcona/Alpeana County,
408+/- Acres, Incredible Retreat,
3 Lodges, Large Pole Barn, Beaver
Creek Frontage, Tons of Wildlife
$1,400,000
Gladwin, 142 Acres,
Fully furnished Deer Ranch.
The Rack Ranch
$835,000
Lapeer County 102+/- Acres, Trail
System, Mixed Hardwoods, Pond,
Food plot areas, Tons of Deer Sign.
$380,000
Newaygo County, 50.5 Acres, Custom
Built Home, Secluded, Wildlife Galore,
4 Beds & 2.5 Baths.
$550,000
Osceola County, LeRoy Twp, 141
+/- Acres, Easy access to US-131,
Large Pond
$211,500
SELL YOUR PROPERTY WITH US!
BLAKE VER WOERT: 616-308-3122
JAKE DYKSTRA: 616-916-8354
CURT BRYAN: 616-745-2759
Arenac Co, 167+/- Acres, 3,500+/- ft
Lake Huron, 6 Bedroom Lodge, Guest
Cabin, Great Duck & Deer Hunting.
$550,000
Isabella County, 80+/- Acres, Duck
and Deer Hunter’s Paradise, Over
a mile of Pony River Frontage.
$160,000
40+/- Acres Mecosta, Fenced
in pastureland and pond. Perfect for
equestrians and cattle owners!
$97,900
Newaygo County, 70+/- Acres, Mixed
hardwoods and pines. Abundant wildlife.
Minutes from downtown Newaygo.
$120,000
Osceola County, 160+/- Acres, Trail
System, Near Reed City, Tons of
Deer and Turkey Sign, Food plot areas
$359,000
I NG
END
P
Calhoun County, 74 Acres,
1/2 Tillable ,1/2 Wooded,
Trophy Buck Genetics
$275,000
Jackson County, 140 Acres, Loaded
With Deer, Impressive Tract Record,
Timber Value, Pole Barn/Cabin
$469,000
Midland County, 80 Acres
12 Miles to Mount Pleasant,
Excellent Hunting
$176,000
Newaygo County, Croton Twp,
80 Acres, Mature Timber, Cabin,
Additional 80 Acres Available.
$220,000
Osceola County, 163+/- Acres, Great
Trail System, Awesome Hunting,
Rolling Hills, Must See!
$290,675
Calhoun County, 67+/- Acres
300 ft. All Sports Prairie Lake,
Tillable Acreage
$275,000
Jackson County, 105+/- Acres, WRP
Program, Mature Hardwoods, Great
Deer, Turkey & Waterfowl Hunting
$199,000
I NG
END
P
Missaukee County, 80 Acres, Custom
Built Home, Wrap-Around-Porch,
4 Beds & 3.5 Baths.
$350,000
I NG
END
P
Newaygo County, 80+/- Acres, Rolling
Hills. Mature Woods. Heavy Deer,
Turkey, and Mushroom populations.
Just north of Emerald and Pickerel Lake.
$199,000
Presque Isle County, Grand Lake
Water Frontage, Gorgeous
Cottage along with Additional Cabin,
Gorgeous Views of Lake
$354,900
WWW.WILDLIFEREALTY.COM
15+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
& 70+ MILLION IN
MICHIGAN LAND SALES
1+/- Acre Clare, 1200’ cabin or
year round residence.
Move in Ready!
$40,000
Jackson County, 537 +/- Acres,
Excellent Duck, Deer & Turkey Hunting.
Area of Other Large Property Owners.
“Man Cave” w/Game Cleaning Station.
$1,074,000
Newaygo County 4+/- Acres
Muskegon Riverfront, New cabin,
Beautiful landscaping, Secluded woods.
$220,000
Newaygo County, 125 Acres, Three
spring fed lakes, Excellent Deer,
Turkey and Waterfowl hunting
$375,000
Presque Isle County, 1,500 Acres,
High Fence Deer Ranch, 50,000+ sq. ft.
lodge, rolling hills, caretakers
house, and pole barn.
$7,500,000
Clare County, 70 Acres, Mixed
Woods, Creek, Food Plots, Cabin,
Great Deer/Turkey Hunting.
$167,500
Lake County, 7 Acres, Little Manistee
River Frontage, Cozy Cabin,
Great Hunting and Fishing
$125,000
Newaygo 40 Acres, Secluded Cabin,
Rolling Hardwoods,
Big Buck County.
$199,000
Oceana County, 78 Acres, Great Deer
and Turkey Hunting, Tillable,
Thick Forest Floor, Food Plots, Pond,
Hunting Shack and Pole Barn.
$154,000
Roscommon County, 480+/- Acres,
High Fence Deer Rach, First Class
Lodge and House, 120’x60’ Pole Barn,
Quality Deer Herd.
$2,900,000
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 113
 REAL ESTATE AUCTION The Double Eagle Ranch
2,280 Acre Hunting Preserve
5181 Sargent Rd, Gladwin, MI
www.thedoubleeagleranch.com
$8,995,000

THURSDAY 73 acre parcel located west of King- Kyle O’Grady

Whitetail Realty, OCTOBER 18TH, 2018 sley on Clous Road, approximately 248 - 444 - 6262
Lake City, MI To settle the late Robert E and Delouise F. 75% hardwoods. Recently lightly kylejogrady@gmail.com
231-839-8142 or Van Eck Trust, 192+/- acres of prime Calhoun timbered, rolling terrain. Build your

office@lakecityrealestate.com
lakecitymirealestate.com
N. Missaukee • MLS# 201801776 • $49,900
• 20 Wooded Acres in North Missaukee
• Close to State Land and Trails
• Camper included in sale
• Well and Electric on property
North Missaukee • MLS# 201800647 • $89,000
• 28 x 48 Pole Barn with Electric
• 12 x 24 addition setup for sleeping qtrs.
2.5 Miles
County recreational land will be offered in
3 separate tracts. This land is situated right hide away home or excellent hunt-
in the middle of some of the best hunting ing area. Asking $220,000, terms
Calhoun Co. has to offer. There is both wooded and splits possible.
and tillable land, one parcel features it’s own
private lake and another has frontage along
Rice Creek, a designated trout stream.
Call James A Schmuckal
For more information go to
Realtor
www.BelcherAuction.com (231) 620-2260

CALL
• 15+ wooded Acres for recreation use
• State land and trails just ¼ mi away
Lake City Area • MLS# 21122954 • $85,000
320 Acre
• 33 Acres of woods and open area
• 450’ on the Hopkins Creek
Licensed
• 20’ Travel Trailer included
Deer
810.724.0254
• Small storage Barn also

Farm
• Only a mile to state land & trails
Cadillac Area • MLS#210800240 • $99,900
• Excellent hunting & recreational land
• 71.75 wooded and rolling acres
Located between Charlevoix
• Trail road access, Borders state land
• Lots of wildlife seen on the property
TO PLACE YOUR AD TODAY! and Traverse City.
10 foot x 3 mile fence.

Lake City Area • MLS# 201801290 • $23,900
• 12.5 open & wooded acres Mostly wooded, mostly maple.
• ATV & snowmobile trails close by
• Private drive off blacktop road Trout pond, access to
• Electricity available, State land close  shooting ranges.
$1,450,000
N. Missaukee • MLS# 2018017?? • $252,900 P.O. Box 278 • 594 N. Almont Ave. Imlay City, MI 48444
• 80 Wooded Acres of Prime hunting Land
• 3 Bedroom 1 ½ Bath home
Check out our website:
231-330-9210
• Basement, Back entry/mud room
• 36’ x 60’ Pole Barn with 11ft door
• 16’ x 36’ 3 sided addition to Pole Barn www. woods-n-waternews.com

Thinking of Buying or Selling?

CALL BRANDON | BROKER, LAND SPECIALIST (office) 269.357.7036 or (cell) 269.816.3010

MOSSYOAKPROPERTIES.COM
D ING T IV
E
LD T IV
E
PEN AC SO AC

Barry County 351.11+/- acres Barry County 99.6+/- acres St. Joseph County 54 +/- acres St. Joseph County 80 +/- acres
List Price $999,000 - Wooded acreage List Price $624,900 - Beautiful cabin overlooking a List Price $239,000 - Wooded acreage List Price $299,000 - Versatile acreage with
with private Tamarak Lake and Trout Creek spring fed fish pond on rolling wooded acreage on the St. Joseph River woods, swamp, and duck pond frontage
E E E G
TIV T IV T IV DIN
AC AC AC PEN

Cass County 42 +/- acres Eaton County 77.68 +/- acres Ontonagon County 80+/- acres Calhoun County 10.5+/- acres
List Price $168,000 - Woods, swamp, till- List Price $239,900 - Woods, swamp, and List Price $129,900 - Wooded acreage in the Western Up- List Price $34,000 - Gently rolling
able, and creek frontage tillable ground with a small creek per Peninsula with beautiful turn key D-style log cabin wooded ground
EACH MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
114 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 WE SELL LAND

EDMUND NOGASKI CHUCK KEEFER JAKE EHLINGER JEFF CHILMAN JUSTIN OLK
Broker, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist
Michigan Central Michigan Southeast Michigan North Central Michigan West Central Michigan
(231) 330-4107 (989) 600-4112 (517) 937-2118 (989) 205-2355 (616) 648-6156
MICHAEL TURNER SHAD WOODRUFF SHAWN KELLEY TONY HANSEN
Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist Agent, Land Specialist
Eastern Michigan North Central Michigan Southeast Michigan Central Michigan
(248) 770-4898 (989) 330-4032 (586) 292-1812 (269) 420-9510
CONTACT AN AGENT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BUYING AND
SELLING HUNTING, FARMLAND AND TIMBERLAND

whitetailpr operties.com
Whitetail Properties Real Estate, LLC | dba Whitetail Properties | Nebraska & North Dakota DBA Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate LLC. | Lic. in IL, MO, IA, KS, KY, NE & OK - Dan Perez, Broker
| Lic. in AR, CO, GA, MN, ND, TN & WI - Jeff Evans, Broker | Lic. in OH & PA - Kirk Gilbert, Broker | Lic. in TX - Joey Bellington, Broker | Lic. in IN - John Boyken, Broker | Lic. in LA, MS & AL - Sybil
Stewart, Broker | Lic. in TN - Chris Wakefi eld, Broker | Lic. in TN - Bobby Powers, Broker | Lic. in AR - Johnny Ball, Broker | Lic. in SC - Rick Elliot, Broker | Lic. in NC - Rich Baugh, Broker
Lic. in MI - Edmund Nogaski, Broker - Broker Phone Number: 231-330-4107

WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 115

MI_WNW_ad_9.83x13_2018.indd 1 6/21/18 2:13 PM

Ken Ames
Kidd & Leavy Real Estate • realestate@kenames.com• www.kiddleavy.com
$949,900
Everything is exceptional about the 180 acres, lodge and river. Don’t be
fooled by the name, Deer Creek is a full flowing main artery of the Jordan
River. The densely wooded rolling hardwoods can be hilly in places but are
completely accessible by a well maintained trail system. The lodge has 5
bedrooms, 2 baths, natural stone wood burning fireplace and covered out-
door living space. Truly a beautiful setting right next to the river.
$550,000
Drummond Island on Sturgeon
Bay is as good as it gets. Beau-
tiful views of the bay, offshore
islands and crystal clear water.
The home is tucked away down
a long driveway offering 5 acres
of privacy. There’s a unique
space for everyone on both the
upper and lower levels. In ad-
dition to the 4 bedrooms there
is an upper living space and a
spacious bonus room. On the
main level you’ll find a den/
bedroom, dining room, breakfast nook, living room and a sitting room. The
attached finished garage is 32x26. Landscaped and manicured.
116 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Sellers: Sell For Only 3% Commission Total
80 ACRES 874 Mitchell Lake Rd, Attica--$499,900. 80 acres of Pure Michigan. Lots of outdoor activities await you
here with the water, woods and farmland. Updates include roof, siding, windows, furnace & A/C, and septic.
1st floor laundry. Nice large rear deck offers peace and tranquility overlooking your private oasis. 2 large
deep ponds loaded with fish. 2 car detached garage plus two additional large pole barns. 50 acres of till-
able land and approx 15 acres of heavy woods. Great hunting here with two elevated deer blinds. This prop-
erty is great for fishing, swimwing, atv’s or snowmobiles, bird watching, hunting, or just 80 acres of privacy.
Property can be split and seller is willing to sell approx 56 acres of vacant land separately for $249,900.
WHY PAY 6% WHEN WE DO IT BETTER FOR 3%!
22 ACRES 22 Acres Homestead Lane, Imlay City, $109,900---22+ acres to build your dream home on. Located on
private road off a main paved road. Excellent hunting area. Build your new home and hunt off your back
deck. Property has a nice mix of trees, high grasses and brush, pond, farmland, etc. Small pond on site has
excellent pan fishing. Part of property is also farmed. It is an excellent food plot as some monster deer have
been taken off this property in last few years. Survey on file.
810-664-1819
email: Alex@RealtyVolution.com
KNOTTY PINE GET-AWAY-FROM-IT-ALL
2-3 bedroom cabin w/ garage on 2 wooded acres with 100 ft front-
age on an excellent fishing lake near recreational trails and State
land in Kalkaska County. $88,900 MLS 1848098
IRENE BELTINCK
Bayshore
231-342-6058
303 N. Cedar • Kalkaska, MI 49646
(231) 838-7909
$1,600,000
A 5 bedroom, 4 bath Lodge
and 330 acres sitting on an el-
evated site with dramatic view
to the East, South & North.
Located 4 miles from I-75 Wol-
verine Exit, just 10 miles North
of Gaylord. Additional build-
ings include guest cottage off
the corner of Corey Lake and
a 30’x50’ Storage Building. To
the East lies a remote portion
of State Land. To the South, Co-
rey Lake and to the North, the Little Sturgeon River meanders well over a
half mile through woods and hills. Living and family rooms have fireplaces.
$499,000
This 4 bedroom home is
the centerpiece of Gar-
lands Estates North golf
community. Centered at
the convergence of two
fairways with
views of multiple tees
and greens, however the
property is spacious and
very private. The grounds
are beautiful and land-
scaped with the circular
driveway surrounded by flowers as the centerpiece. Huge vaulted ceilings
with spacious rooms ideal for entertaining. Guest suite and full
basement, mostly finished. Furnishings included.
 Paradice Hunt Club
Paradice Hunt Club
Paradice Hunt Club

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The AMAZING
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on 1,120
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Lover’s Dream Property.
Don’t miss out on this DREAM OPPORTUNITY!
Don’t miss out on this DREAM OPPORTUNITY!
$3,950,000
$3,950,000
Randy Minto, Realtor
Ph: 810-449-1286
Randy
Email: Minto,
Randyrminto@c21metrobrokers.com
Minto, Realtor
Realtor
Ph: 810-449-1286
Visit: MiDreamProperties.com
Ph: 810-449-1286
Email: rminto@c21metrobrokers.com
“Specializing in Unique, Luxury, & Large Recreational Properties!”
Email: rminto@c21metrobrokers.com
Visit: MiDreamProperties.com
Visit: inLooking
MiDreamProperties.com
“Specializing to &Buy
Unique, Luxury, Largeor Sell? Properties!”
Recreational
“Specializing in Unique, Luxury, & Large Recreational Properties!”
Looking to Buy or Sell?
Looking to Buy or Sell? WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 117

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TODAY!
statewiderealestate.net
• Houghton
Iron Mountain • Manistique •
• Gladstone
Escanaba •
• Powers
Menominee •
Marinette
Contact Your Nearest State Wide Real
Estate Office To Buy or Sell In Michigan
ALPENA
1100 W. Chisholm, 49707
email: alpswre@speednetllc.com
989-356-2142 • Fax: 989-356-2144
ALMONT
844 Van Dyke Road
lafrancesharon@yahoo.com
810-798-8591 • Fax: 810-798-8079
CURTIS/NEWBERRY
Main Street, P.O. Box 305, 49820
email: swcurtis@sbcglobal.net
906-586-9606 • Fax: 906-586-9607
ESCANABA
2209 Ludington Street, 49829
email: escanaba@statewiderealestate.net
906-786-1308 • 800-900-0777
Fax: 906-786-1388
GLADSTONE
1401 Delta Ave.,
Gladstone, MI 49837
906-825-9000
email: judy@statewiderealestate.net
HARRISVILLE
430 S. US-23, 48740
email: sold@anjstatewide.com
989-724-5711 • 800-655-5735
Fax: 989-724-6833
118 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
Offices Serving Lower &
Upper Michigan
Bringing people and places together since 1945
Marquette
• Newberry
Curtis
•
Linden •
HAWKS
8383 Hwy. 451, 49743
email: rita8383@yahoo.com
989-734-4846
HILLMAN
14938 State Street, P.O. Box 98, 49746
email: statewidehillman@yahoo.com
989-742-4523 • 800-228-7856
Fax: 989-742-3931
HOUGHTON
500 Shelden Ave., 49931
email: dick@statewideofhoughton.com
906-482-6955 • 800-676-6323
Fax: 906-482-7699
HOWELL/LINDEN
1285 S. Michigan Ave., Howell, MI 48843
email: statewid@earthlink.net
517-546-9060 • 800-531-4449
Fax: 517-546-9148
IRON MOUNTAIN
231 East A. St.
Iron Mountain, MI 49807
906-828-2525
Fax: 906-828-2727
email: steve@multistatewide.com
MANISTIQUE
10 N. State Highway M-149
Cooks, MI 49817
906-644-2304
email: dekeysermary@yahoo.com
20 Acres wooded parcel. Adjoins state land. Terms $39,000 #311055
Two adjoining 15 acre parcels. All wooded. Each $15,000 #310804 &
#310803
31 Acres w/camping area, trails. Upland woods. Terms $58,000 #311173
40 Acres set back from road. Deeded access. Trails, building site. Terms
$70,000 #309034
59 acres in Quality Deer Management Area. Has ground blinds & raised
platforms overlooking food plots. Has cabin with electric, by generator,
& propane and septic. $109,900 #312071
STATE WIDE REAL Check out our web site for
• additional properties of all types.
ESTATE OF HAWKS www.statewideofhawks.com
OF HAWKS
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT ONE OF OUR AGENTS: 989.734.4840
Onaway
• • Hawks
Hillman
Alpena Near N
• •
• Atlanta W E
3,960 ft
Mio • • Harrisville Marlette S
in Sanilac 121
Acres
County $
326,700
40 acres of Hunting Bliss. Ranch home with a
Will OR
• Almont $
2,700 per acre
full walk out basement, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, consider
all offers. 1,320 ft
gourmet kitchen. All season Sun room with separate
Howell •
entrance. Attached 3 car garage plus a 32’ X 48’ Pole
Barn (can fit 2 semi trucks) 14 ft doors. Deer, rabbit &
turkey are bountiful. There also is a small pond and
swamp area on the property. Hunters Paradise is at
2152 Five Lakes Rd, Metamora MI 48455 $460,000
JUST 80 acres, 4 bedroom - 2200 sq ft home, 3 car att garage.
LISTED $280,000 • E 6809 Sandene, Bessemer, MI
MARINETTE, WISCONSIN
1460 Marinette Ave., 54143
email: statewidemarinette@yahoo.com
715-735-9964 • Fax: 715-732-1107
TARGET REAL ESTATE SPECIALIZES IN
WATERFRONT HOMES AND HUNTING PARCELS
“WE REPRESENT BUYERS AND SELLERS”
WHITTEMORE MIKADO
MARQUETTE
856 W. Washington, 49855
email: sw@statewiderealestate.org
906-228-9312 • Fax: 906-228-8069
120 acres of fantastic hunting property. Low lands 120 acres on Duval Creek accompanied by a
and ridges covered with red and white oak, and red beautiful 2492sf. 3 bdrm/2.5 bath home, garage,
MENOMINEE pine. Located between Tawas, Whittemore and pole bldg, blinds, bridges, stocked pond and trail
3631 10th Street, 49858 Hale. Call today. system throughout the property.
MLS #1847246 $159,900
email: statewideone@newbc.rr.com MLS #1849900 $475,000
906-863-9905 WHITTEMORE-$7,000, 3.12 acre cleared building lot in a country setting at the corner of Nile and Keystone Road
on a county maintained paved road. MLS #1835860
Fax: 906-863-7935
MIKADO-$8,000, Build your country dream home on this 2.71 acre lot in Four Season’s Subdivision. The subdivision
is surrounded by 600 acres of National Forest while the lot itself is nicely wooded with pine and hardwoods. Borders
McGillis Creek. MLS #1840694
MIO TAWAS CITY-$29,000, Unique offering in Tawas City! 200’ of frontage on Dead Creek in town with 3 lots totaling
102 West 8th St., P.O. Box 395, 48647 .33 acres. Tucked in along the stream these lots provide quick access to town, Tawas Bay and all products and services.
MLS #1851066
email: info@statewidemio.com
HARRISVILLE-$32,500, Nice 10 acre parcel minutes from Harrisville and the harbor. Elevated views compliment
989-826-3292 this well wooded property. There are hardwood ridges and planted pines. Potential area for walkout basement and pond.
Fax: 989-826-2108 MLS #1848888
EAST TAWAS-$44,800, Potential building site located on the shores of Lake Huron between East Tawas and
Oscoda on a side street off US23. This lot has 60’ of water frontage with seawall and is nicely wooded with several mature
oak trees. MLS #1846049
ONAWAY TURNER-$75,000, Well wooded 40 acre parcel filled with deer sign. Rubs, beds and runways found throughout most
of the property. Nice mix of tree types with some cedar. Located minutes from Tawas and Tawas Bay. MLS #1843675
M-33 & M-68, WHITTEMORE-$110,000, 33+ well wooded acres fronting 2 roads. Includes a 2 bdrm/1.5 bath 1360sf home with
P.O. Box 478, 49765
2 car garage, plus an additional home/structure to finish as desired. MLS #1831615
email: bigdan@frontier.com NATIONAL CITY-$215,000, 80 acre Poncho’s Sand Creek Longhorn Ranch. Working farm with a 5 bdrm/1 bath
989-733-6522 home, barns, outbuildings, pastures and approx 10 acres of woods. MLS #1819844
Fax: 989-733-2427 MORE PARCELS ARE AVAILABLE . . .
CALL TODAY FOR MORE DETAILS
866-496-4400
POWERS TARGET REAL
ESTATE COMPANY
W3776 US2 & 41, 49874 701 W. Bay Street, East Tawas, MI 48730
906-497-4190 Office (989)362-4400 • Cell (989)370-2152
Fax: 906-497-5328 info@TargetRealEstate.com
holly@statewiderealestate.net www.TargetRealEstate.com
 WEST BRANCH HALE WEST BRANCH
R S ALE R S ALE
M-33/M-55 OFFICE F O OFFICE F O LOOP OFFICE
1953 S. M-33 3160 North M-65 2575 S. I-75 Business Loop,
West Branch, MI 48661 Hale, MI 48739 West Branch, MI 48661
10 miles north of I-75 exit 202 “Gateway to Huron National Forest” 1 mile north of I-75 Exit 212

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

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

UP NORTH HOMES ON ACREAGE!!!

COUNTRY CHARM!!
3-bdrm, 1.5 ba home in need of some TLC on 4
ACRES!! Garage w/heated workshop, pole barn
& bsmt for lots of storage, front & rear decks,
paved driveway and maple & apple trees!!
$109,000 1839823
5 BEAUTIFUL ACRES!!
3-bdrm, 2 full ba mobile w/newer vinyl windows
& metal roof. Large detached garage is heated
and has its own kitchen & bath for hunt camp
or he/she cave! On county maintained road!!
$69,900 1850896
OVER 6 ACRES!!
Nice 2-bdrm, 2 bath home with 1680 square feet
and garage. Newer siding & furnace. Stocked
pond with a dock and picnic area. Just minutes
from restaurants, shopping & State lands!!
$129,900 1841975
6.41 ROLLING ACRES!!
Beautiful 3-bdrm, 2 full bath home, AC FP, mas-
ter suite, 3 season room, garage, 2 stocked
ponds, artesian wells, gazebo, blacktop drive
and shed. Additional 3.8 acres also available.
$139,900 1848506
10 ACRES!!
Spacious year round home, 4-bdrm, nestled among
the trees, mostly finished, full basement, wood
burner, porch for relaxing, separate laundry area, &
plenty of storage in 12x24 shed with electric!!
$105,000 1843928

10+ ACRES!!
Super nice 5-bdrm, 4 bath home, full basement,
pond, Hale Creek runs thru prop, garage plus 2 add’l
outbldgs, covered patio, foyer, master suite, FP,
laminate floors, radiant heat floors & so much more!!
$239,000 1843882
IMMACULATE CUSTOM BUILT!!
Over 13 acres with full log home with impec-
cable workmanship & so many exceptional
amenities. 3-bdrm-3 ba, hardwood floors, full
finished bsmt, stunning views & much more!!
$271,900 1843572
10 ACRES!!
Absolutely stunning 4-bdrm, 3 bath home w/500’ on West
Branch of BEAUTIFUL RIFLE RIVER!! So many great
amenities incl 2 garages, tons of places to relax out-
doors, immaculate inside & much more! A MUST SEE!!
$339,500 1852070
GORGEOUS COUNTRYSIDE VIEWS!!
2-bdrm, 2.5 bath home, well-maintained with
over 2600 square feet & detached garage. Lots
of windows, beautiful wood work, full bsmt,
deck and 41 PARTLY WOODED ACRES!!
$189,900 1850380
38+ ACRES!!
Mostly wooded prop w/mature trees and 3-bdrm
home with huge detached garage. Open floor
plan, formal dining, master suite, mudroom/laundry
area, large shed & beautiful countryside views!!
$186,000 1851925

HUNTING PARCELS!!

OVER 75 ACRES!! 80 ACRES!! 45 ACRES!! 36+ ACRES!! 42+ ACRES!!

Beautiful wooded property with driveway in and
electric available at the road! Approximately 5 acres
of cedar swamp at back of property and trails thru-
out for an excellent place to hunt a variety of wildlife.
$149,000 1840466
Fantastic hunting parcel with a great mix of mature
trees and creek running thru the property! Lots of wild-
life in the area including deer, turkey & bear. Beautiful
setting and the property has never been timbered!!
$145,000 1848502
Heavily wooded property and an excellent spot
for your hunt camp just across the road from Loon
Lake with trails thru-out, driveway, lots of wildlife
in the surrounding area and 4 hunting blinds!!
$119,900 1818920
Beautiful rolling property, nicely wooded with
electric available, trails, hunting blinds, out-
house, picnic area, firepit, lots of wildlife in the
area and a 1998 29-foot Wildwood camper!!
$115,000 1828040
This acreage is conveniently located just off of I-75
and minutes to town. Mostly wooded and a poten-
tial site to make your hunt camp with a nice variety
of wildlife in the area, including deer and turkey.
$105,000 1851086

40 ACRES!!
Mostly wooded with an open area for your food
plots or hunting cabin and some lowlands for
fantastic deer cover. Terrific hunting acreage with
electric at road and a ton of wildlife in the area!!
$64,900 1847306
ALMOST 164 ACRES!!
Gorgeous rolling prop with Hope Creek running thru,
20’ pond, rustic cabin and the perfect place for your
hunt camp!! Plus there is a great variety of wildlife in
the area, including deer, turkey and rabbits!!
$300,000 1852503
JUST OVER 20 ACRES!!
Partly wooded property with beautiful views and a
potential site to build your dream home or to have
your hunt camp! There is lots of wildlife in the sur-
rounding areas, including deer and turkey!!
$45,000 1851152
BORDERS STATE LAND!!
10 ACRES with trails thru-out, electric, well, sep-
tic and older trailer of little or no value that could
be used as your hunt sleeping quarters!! Bor-
ders State land for tons of hunting opportunities!!
$39,900 1848527
9.82 ACRES!!
Fantastic hunting parcel with frontage on Nester
Creek, a hunting blind and trails!! Electric at road, the
driveway is in and there is a large shed that could be
used as your sleeping quarters after a day of hunting!!
$35,000 1851406

WATERFRONT AND WATER ACCESS HOMES!!

ACCESS TO BUSH LAKE!!
Nice 2-bdrm home w/garage on cul-de-sac with
lake access within walking distance just across
the road! Large kitchen, FP, natural gas heat, front
and rear decks and in great recreational area!!
$59,000 1840484
POPULAR SAGE LAKE!!
3-bdrm, 1.7 ba home w/frontage on canal at
785 acre all sports lake. Full walkout bsmt, large
family room, 2nd downstairs kitchen, AC, FP, 2
sunrooms, some furnishings & much more!!
$200,000 1846248
VIEW OF WEST LONDO LAKE!!
Cozy one bedroom home with deeded access
to all sports, 190 acre Londo Lake! Sunroom,
wood floors, deck, garage, newer well, newer
roof & newer siding on heated garage!!
$65,000 1818008
BEAUTIFUL LAKEFRONT HOME!!
3-bdrm, 2 bath, manufactured home on BIG
WILLIAMS LAKE with partial walkout basement,
master suite, FP, large sunroom, wrap around
deck, sandy beach & 60” of lake frontage!!
$105,900 1842289
DEEDED LAKE ACCESS!!
2-bdrm home just down the road from private
boat dock and near sandy beach area of 179 acre
all sports Stylus Lake! A bath on each floor, nice
kitchen, bedroom balcony, rear deck & more!!
$114,900 1849895

RIVERFRONT!!
Nice 3-bdrm saltbox style home with 80’ of gor-
geous frontage on the Rifle River! Open floor plan,
full walkout bsmt, laminate floors, lots of windows,
covered porch, deck, newer roof, garage & more!!
$149,000 1844075
ON CHANNEL TO ALL SPORTS LAKE!!
Nice 3-bdrm ranch-style home with garage, for-
mal dining, bright kitchen, laundry area, master
suite, wrap around deck, ONE ACRE, pond,
boat dock & on ELBOW LAKE!!
$149,900 1810533
PRIVATE LAKE ACCESS!!
Spacious home w/over 1900 square feet, new-
er windows & siding, ceramic tile & laminate
floors, covered porch, rear deck, fenced yard
for your pets, garage and large pole building!!
$149,900 1847559
DESIRABLE SAGE LAKE!!
2-bdrm home, knotty pine interior, wood floors,
main floor master, full walkout bsmt & mostly
furnished! Covered porch, stamped patio, lake-
side deck & frontage on 765 acre lake!!
$164,900 1849059
LAKE OGEMAW!!
Super nice 3-bdrm home w/40’ of sandy frontage
on all sports, 420 acre lake! Full walkout bsmt,
garage, stone FP, upper and lower deck areas,
natural gas heat, move-in ready & fantastic views!!
$249,000 1846265

FOR MORE LISTINGS

VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.CAHANES.COM
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 119
 FALL CLEARANCE HUNTING AND
RECREATIONAL PROPERTY
SOME FINANCING AND ALL OFFERS WELCOMED

FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE!
FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE! • DISCOUNTED PRICES! • FALL CLEARANCE!

SPORTSMANS PARADISE: 115 1,350 ACRES: Prime hunting prop-

acres of softwood and hardwood erty - 50 min. East of International
bush uncut with creek flowing into Bridge. Hunt camp, hardwood
lake huron. Shoreline is over a half 900,000 board feet, and also some
mile facing south with a fixer upper softwood. Timber info available on
hunt camp plus a 2-bedroom cabin request. Miles of trails thru-out.
with a well, solar and generator Beaver ponds and streams. Small
power. Separate garage, storage amount of open area. $839,999 US.
building and sauna. All food plots
and blinds ready for the 2018 deer MACDONALD PROPERTY: 759
season. Small game and water fowl acres with hunting camp, 25 miles
out your front door with all species east of Sault St. Marie Ontario, prop-
of fish to whale up a storm from erty is gated, isolated and wooded,
your dock. Financing may be avail- with a four bedroom, two-story pole
able. All realtors protected and barn. 20-acre lake and 2 streams.
comissions paid on sales closing. Great Bear Hunting! Two Deer plots!
ASKING $339,900 US. Five deeds, no guide required,
underpriced at $249,900 US. Terms
available, excellent buy!
CANADIAN One-10 ACRE SAND BEACH LOT
WATERFRONT AND (this lot has it all): 60 miles east of
Sault Ste. Marie. 300’ frontage on
RECREATIONAL Bright Lake near Hwy 17 East (lake STARTING BID OF JUST $250,000
AUCTION BIDDING WILL TAKE PLACE ONLINE AT WWW.MICHIGANAUCTION.COM WITH
area approx.. 24 sq. miles), year-
PROPERTY. CLOSE TO round access with power to property. BIDDING CONCLUDING AT 7:00 P.M. NOV. 1, 2018
A 7% Buyer’s Premium applied to final bid price.
SAULT STE. MARIE, Inland lake has Perch, Bass, Walleye
and Northern Pike. Priced to sell at
MICHIGAN BORDER $119,900 US.
EXCLUSIVE LAKE HURON
*LAND CONTRACTS WATERFRONT & WATER-VIEW 616-460-8936
ESTATE LOTS LOCATED IN
AVAILABLE O.A.C.* THESSALON, ONTARIO 50 MILES
EAST OF SAULT STE. MARIE,
BEAR SEASON ONTARIO ON HIGHWAY 17 EAST:
NOW OPEN!!!
Lighthouse Point serviced with
hydro, telephone, sewer, water, gas,
Own a piece of historic
ALSO HUNTING cable on paved street. Airport,
marina and hospital in area. No time Van Buren County Zulu Land!
DUCK • GOOSE limit for building. Waterfront lots
450+ acres of deer, turkey and waterfowl habitat
SMALL GAME 100’– 478’ frontage, waterview lots
80’ frontage. Prices from $9,999 US
MOOSE & WHITETAIL and up.
Over a mile of
TROPHY DEER & BEAR
160 ACRES HARDWOOD &

AREA WITH GREAT

SOFTWOOD: Large beaver pond.
Only 2 miles off year-round main- frontage on the
tained road. 35 minutes East of
FISHING!!! Sault, Ontario. $49,900 US. Paw Paw River!
OTHER PROPERTIES 400 ACRES OF ROLLING HARD-
AND SOFTWOOD HILLS: Large
AVAILABLE SMALL AND beaver pond and creek runs thru
LARGE. SEND OR CALL property, next to above property if
more acreage is required. Property is
WITH YOUR INQUIRIES! great for bear hunting, white tail and
Four Ponds
grouse. Four miles off year-round
NO GUIDE OR
OUTFITTER
maintained road. $119,900 US.
designed for
140 ACRES HARDWOOD AND
REQUIRED! SOFTWOOD UNCUT BUSH ON planting duck
HWY 17, 48 MILES EAST OF
Don't Delay, SAULT, ONTARIO: this is in a great habitat!
hunting area and close to bruce
Make An Offer. mines for supplies etc. Power at the Price varies per parcel, call Listing Agent for more details!
LOOKING FOR property line with fields adjacent to

Blaine Allen
this parcel. ASKING 59,900. O.B.O. Cell: 269-903-6276
OFFERS!!!

LAJAMBE
Office: 269-273-2882
OFFICE: (705) 248-9663 CELL: (705) 941-8355 REALTOR®
FAX: (705) 248-1110
blaine.allen@remax.net

ENTERPRISESINC.
www.blainesellshouses.com
Frank Lajambe
58672 S. US HWY 131
flajambe@lajambe.com
715 Finns Bay Road Three Rivers, MI 49093
www.lajambe.com
Echo Bay, Ontario CAN POS 1C0 *Prices subject to change. Each office is independently Owned & Operated
120 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 128 Beaver Creek | Lachine, Michigan

BEAVER LAKE HUNT CLUB: Here is a unique opportunity for a dedicated sportsman or group of like minded friends to own one of the premier
properties in Michigan’s renowned “Club Country”. Beaver Lake Hunt Club consists of 3000 acres and 4,400 feet of waterfront on the south end
of Beaver Lake. It is easily accessible from M65, 17 miles north of Curran and 25 miles southwest of Alpena. Hunting opportunities span the
seasons, with habitat for waterfowl, game birds, turkey, bear, coyote, and of course, whitetail deer. The 3000 acres offer terrain for hunting from
tree stands and/or ground blinds over more than 120 acres of cultivated food plots spread throughout. Beaver Creek ßows south to the Thunder
Bay River through the middle of the property north to south, from an estuary at the south end of spring fed all-sports Beaver Lake (Alpena
County’s deepest lake, almost 650 acres). Pine ridges, swamps, and hardwood stands provide habitat for many species, including Bald Eagles
who regularly nest here and are beautiful to see! Included is the 100 year old clubhouse, which along with the property, has been lovingly
maintained by one family for more than 70 years. The comfort of an owner’s suite is provided, along with 2 additional ensuites,13 additional
bedrooms, and 4.5 more baths. A dining hall, great room with huge stone Þreplace, card room and bar invite relaxation and fellowship after a day
on the lake in the summer or in the woods during hunting season. The large kitchen is equipped to prepare delicious meals, and supported by
utility rooms, pantry storage and cookÕs quarters. The 20 x 80 ft covered porch overlooks Beaver Lake and is everyoneÕs favorite hangout space
in all but the most inclement weather. Equipment and vehicles are kept in the separate garage with 4 bays up and 4 bays on lower level, rebuilt in
2010. Other recent updates include new roof, upgraded electrical, new septic system, and automatic emergency lighting. $5,900,000

THE #1 AGENT IN
NORTHERN MICHIGAN
WITH OVER
$95 MILLION
SOLD IN 2017
(231) 838-6700
PATLEAVY@KIDDLEAVY.COM
www.PATLEAVY.com

Pellston Home with Acreage Private Island on St. Mary’s River

3273 Valley Road, Pellston 2018 S. Whitehead Road, Sault Sainte Marie
4 bedrooms - 3 full baths - 2 half baths 4 bedrooms - 3 full baths - Boathouse
75 acres - Multiple outbuildings 474 acres on mainland - Guest house - 7 acre Island
$499,000 $2,299,000

WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 121

 GRAYLING LOG HOME ON 17 ACRES!
Nearly 3000 sf of living space, 3 bedrooms,
3 baths, finished walk out basement w/fam-
ily room & 2nd kitchen, wrap around deck,
3-1/2 car garage w/heated workshop, 1 car
storage garage, RV station w all hook-ups. Ex-
cellent hunting! $329,500 #313950
LOG HOME ON 15 WOODED ACRES.
All the bells & whistles! 2 baths, stone
fireplace, covered porch, 2 side decks,
private setting, 2 ponds, a 2.5 garage
2 finished/heated workshop and 2nd
floor PLUS a 30x50 pole barn too!
$188,800 #300943 (Millersburg)

148+ Acres with over 1/2 Mile of Bear Creak Frontage

MLS# 1851308 - Offered at $915,000
185’ ON MULLETT LAKE! Includes two 2 bedroom
recently renovated & furnished cottages. One cot-
231.631.1337
tage has a hot tub and the other has a sunroom. Use
one for yourself and rent the other out, make a fam-
ily compound or as an investment property. Strong
jonzickert.com rental history. $445,000 #315324 (May split)
149 SECLUDED ACRES! Trail roads, 11 estab-
lished blinds, small clearings for food plots, trail
roads and a creek. Nicely wooded with a mix
of evergreens & hardwood, mostly high ground.
Abundant game. Close to Hammond Bay Har-
bor. $159,000 #313641 (Millersburg area)

57 N. Michigan Ave — Beulah MI

325’ OCQUEOC RIVER FRONTAGE! 3 13 ACRES W/PRIVATE LAKE & 380’ ON

ACRE PARCEL ON A PRIVATE ROAD. Gen-
tly rolling land that’s ideal for a walk-out
basement. Great place to camp or build
your up north cottage. Trout fishing or kay-
aking. Land contract terms possible. Re-
duced! $25,700 #295457 (Millersburg area)
THE OCQUEOC RIVER. Beautiful roll-
ing parcel in a secluded setting. There’s a
small cabin roughed in, a hunting blind
overlooking the lake with its own deck, a
well and electric hook ups for your camp-
er. Fantastic hunting. $99,900 #315879

RE/MAX NORTH
Carol Steiger, Associate Broker
(231) 627-9991 Office
(989) 351-0110 Cell
125+ Acres with 1700 Feet of Betsie River No Bluff Frontage email: carol.steiger@remax.net
MLS# 1850533 - Offered at $647,000 846 S. Main, Cheboygan, MI
www.liveupnorth.com

2 BD, 1 BA cabin in a very
good location, situated
close to many recreation-
al lakes and Federal land.
Inside is a clean, well kept
home with lovely wood
and brick work. Nicely
wooded half acre.
MLS 17025989 $37,900
Spacious 2 BD, 1 BA
mobile with lots of up-
dates. Situated on a
corner lot with just the
right amount of privacy.
Close to many lakes
and federal land is a half
mile away.
MLS 18019889 $29,900
Private Woodland Lake
front access without the
taxes! 4 BD, 1.5 BA, with a
walk-out basement and fire-
place. Enjoy the view year-
round with a large deck out-
side and a private dock all
the way to the lake.
MLS 18033487 $99,000
2 BD, 1 BA with a nice This little cabin is so af-
sized living room and fordable and has so
kitchen area. Detached many possibilities! Close
two and a half car garage to many lakes and Fed-
and a screened-in gazebo eral Land for hunting and
to sit and enjoy the beauti- trails. Includes the gen-
ful up north. This home sits erator, furnishings, and
on a full basement too. camp gear.
MLS 18031679 $52,000 MLS 18037036 $11,900

Cute little 1 BD cabin on
4.3 acres in the heart of
hunting and snowmobil-
ing area. Features a new
roof and has recently
been remodeled. Priced
right to sell come see this
one soon!
MLS 18033356 $48,900
122 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
3 BD, 1 BA, 5 acres m/l,
open floor plan concept,
new stainless steel appli-
ances, stackable washer,
dryer, and a nice year-round
porch. 2 stall garage has
extra shower and sleeping
area for guests.
MLS 18022692 $119,900
3 BD, 2 BA manufactured
home nestled on 12 acres!
This home has been well
taken care of and is move
in ready. There is a large
2 car detached garage
and a couple sheds for
additional storage.
MLS 18040801 $99,900
2 BD, 1 BA sitting on 2.5
wooded acres. New floor-
ing, updated kitchen, and
a new pellet stove. There
is an over-sized two car,
detached garage for lots
of storage. State land is
nearby too!
MLS 18028004 $42,500
1 (or 2) BD Hunting cab-
in. On county maintained
road, 12x20 bunkhouse
for extra family and friends
and a 24x24 pole barn.
For the kids, there is a
160 sqft tree top fort/deck
over 7’ off the ground.
MLS 18042016 $64,900
FORMER CAMP MANITOU WITH CAMPGROUND
ON ALL-SPORTS LAKE IN CASSOPOLIS, MI
Online Real Estate Auction featuring 51 beautiful acres on Little Fish Lake

This property lends itself to many uses including a youth camp, adult retreat, campground, lodge,
wedding or event venue, corporate retreat, redevelopment, private use, or countless other options.
The property itself is very private and is located over half a mile off of McKenzie Street. The entrance
drive is gated and has been recently resurfaced. Winding through the trees brings you to the main
lodge which overlooks Little Fish Lake, including approximately 2,400’ of lake frontage to enjoy.

This property is unique, desirable, and has untold potential to become an event destination.
• Multiple cabins
• Shower and Restroom
Facilities
• Caretaker’s residence
• Main Lodge Built in 2008
w/10,000 sq. ft space
• Commercial Kitchen
• Dining room seats up to
250 people
• Maintenance Barn
• Covered event shelter
• 52-site campground with
room for expansion
• Water and 30-amp electric
hookup
• Nearby Dump-Station
Viewable by appointment or during the open houses currently • Basketball Court and
scheduled for Wednesday, September 5 from 3:00pm - 7:00pm, Recreational Field and so
and Saturday, September 15 from 10:00am - 4:00pm. much more

UP FOR AUCTION Visit our Website

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 for full details!
STARTING BID
ONLY $50,000!
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 123
 Location: Gladwin, Michigan
1491 W. Sargent Rd.
Gladwin, MI 48624
200 Acres & 1,500 Sq. Ft. Clubhouse
w/Full Bath & All Amenities
MLS 18017520 - N French Bay Rd - Beaver Island: Beautiful acreage on majestic Beaver
Island! Imagine building your dream home nestled on your own private oasis or maybe having
your own deer hunting compound. This diverse wooded habitat boasts approx. 120 acres atop
the West side bluff which then splits down to a multi level bluff to the lower area on the Western
border. The NE corner features a Cedar swamp & the road to French Bay goes thru the SW corner.
The N & W sides of this 160 acre parcel is bordered by over 240 acres of State land. Access to a trail
to Lake Michigan with views that are second to none. Hold as an investment, clear the timber
& farm or build your future - opportunity is endless. This is your chance to own a large chunk of
Michigan's Emerald Isle. Preview tour at http://www.tourfactory.com/1828644

MLS 18017742 - S Kings Hwy. - Welcome nature lovers! This quaint, secluded cottage is nestled on
163.45 acres of Pure Michigan forest with 1300'+ frontage on the pristine Pere Marquette River. Whether
you love to hunt, fish or enjoy wildlife this wooded property has it all. The cabin is steps from the rustling
water & features an open floor plan w/ the focal point being a custom stone fireplace complete w/ a swing
arm to cook an amazing meal over the open fire. The 1st bedroom is river side to soothe you to sleep &
plenty of extra sleeping in 2nd bedroom w/ 2 sets of bunks & twin size bed. Also includes pull out couch &
trundle bed to accommodate up to 11 people great for a big get together. The large bath features storage
& walk-in shower. The fully applianced kitchen has plenty of counter space & storage. Also includes 24 x 32
pole barn, 6 deer blinds, fire pit, shed w/ wood shelter & wood stove. Mother Nature at her best. Own your
own private paradise today! Please view tour at http://www.tourfactory.com/1752547

Heritage Exclusive Marketing Agents for Northeast

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

40 Acres, South Branch, 4100 Lakeshore Dr Wallace Rd, Glennie

Fantastic hill top views 1960 sf, 2 bed, 3 bath, 27.5+ acres of beautiful
Bordered by Federal Forest attached garage with over hardwood with natural
on one side and large tracts 250 feet of Lake Huron clearing and drive already cut
on 3 sides. Stream, County Shoreline to enjoy all year. in perfect for that new home,
maintained road with power This gem is definitely worth hunting cabin, camping site-
on the east line. Cozy check out and won’t last possibilities are truly endless.
generator ready one room long. $379,900 REDUCED $59,000
camp. NEW at $83,000

3175 Big Buck Trl 610 Marilyn Ln London & Goddard Rd

2500 sf, 3 bed, 2 bath with 10 acres with rusting cabin 123.5 acres at the corner
60 ft attached waterfront lot just needs finishing touches. with plenty of hunting
on AuSable Lake. This Ideal location for hunting / available, flowing creek,
move in ready gem is just fishing / recreation with easy current farming lease,
waiting for you to enjoy all access to ORV trails and woods, fields. All makes for
year long without worrying National Forest lands. Make a great opportunity for the
about waterfront taxes! your Up North Retreat upcoming hunting seasons.
NEW $189,000 dreams come true. NEW NEW $209,950
$45,000

3754 Rearing Pond 7098 Lakewood Shores Dr 5770 Michaud

670 sf, 2 bed, 1 bath stone Recently remodeled 3 Move in ready! 2 bedroom
cottage with matching 2 car bedroom 2 bath home with home perfect for year round
garage and 40 acres of large deck and attached living, camp or vacation
prime hunting with Bryant garage all with Lakewood home. 3 acres with fruit trees
Creek flowing through to Shores amenities and and a pond. quiet country
enjoy all year or ideal as a access to both Cedar Lake setting across the road from
hunting retreat. NEW and Lake Huron. Reduced National Forest. NEW at
$167,900 $134,900 only $69,000

406 E Fowler Rd 5550 Michaud 5115 Pine St

1770 sf, 3 bed, 1.5 bath with 2220 sf, 4 bed, 3 bath 740 sf, 2 bed, 1 bath with
40 acres ideal for the overlooking your private 131 feet on Vaugh Lake at
upcoming hunting seasons pond as well as 40 acres this price makes this an ideal
or just to enjoy as your new with many trails to roam. investment. Restore the
getaway. This is one of Enjoy the views from your current home or design your
those hidden gems that covered porch or while ideal waterfront retreat.
doesn’t come along very sitting in your sunroom. NEW $69,900
often. NEW $169,900 NEW $289,900

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

124 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS
 Grover Real Estate
771 East Lakeshore Drive, Manistique, MI 49854
Our office is centrally located in the Heart of the Upper Peninsula,
surrounded by stretches of wilderness and picturesque lakes and
streams that are easily accessible for hours of outdoor fun!
Check out the Discover Manistique app or
906-341-2131 visit www.discovermanistique.com today!

www.GroverRealEstate.com

547 Acres of top quality hunting
land in southeastern Schoolcraft
County. The food plots of lush
chicory and clover are deer mag-
nets. Many quality permanent
blinds located throughout. 24’ x 32’
camp with Finished 28' x 32'
garage, 10' x 16' bunkhouse and 6'
x 8' power house.
$500,000 - #1096528
80 acres with 2 bedroom cabin lo-
cated just North of Big Springs.
The cabin is situated off the road
for seclusion and comes with appli-
ances and furnishings. Mix of high
and low grounds and adjacent to
1000's of acres of Federal & State
lands. Well known deer yarding
area and close to boat launch.
$78,900 - #1109421
4 Season Recreational cabin on 45
acres, centrally located in School-
craft County. This is a quality cabin
with hardwood floors, tongue and
groove walls and ceiling, kitchen
with gas range and refrigerator in-
cluded. Close to snowmobile and
ATV trails and near many lakes for
outdoor fun! Adjacent to State
lands. $85,000 - #1109002

305 acres of incredible wilderness
hunting land, located in a naturally
abundant wildlife area. Mostly level
with a good mixture of uplands and
lowlands. Winter deer migration
funnels through this property to
give you increased chances at a
quality late season buck.
$195,000 - #1098169
240 acres with small cabin, power
and year around access at the end
of a paved county road. Features
trail system that leads to deer
blinds, a very scenic quarry pond
and a 100 acre lake ideal for duck
hunting. Hunting gets better as the
season develops.
$189,000 - #1094233
140 Acres of prime deer hunting
land in Southern Schoolcraft
County. This area is known for pro-
ducing some of the better bucks in
the area likely due to the high min-
erals in the soil and managed hunt-
ing. Year round access. Lots of
mature spruce and cedar.
$95,000 - #1099696

1 Bdrm cottage on Escanaba 4 Bdrm, 1 bth camp or home.

2 Bdrm cottage. 100’ on Days River. 1 River. Porch & Large deck. Log home. 40 Acres. Pond.
Acre. Pellet stove, metal roof.Perkins. On the river. Cornell. Great hunting!! Cornell.
$56,000 1109597 $34,900 1108333 $116,000 1109383

THOUSANDS OF
ACRES AVAILABLE
FROM $6,900 TO $707,420. 1 Bdrm, 1 bth cozy cottage near 1 Bdrm, 1 bth cottage. Gorgeous
1 Bdrm Camp. 540 Sq Ft. Blk
bath house.Great hunting. Stella Steven’s Lake. Elec. Generator sand beach swimming!! Small
Escanaba Lk and Sturgeon River. Stella Lk. included. Deck. Gar. Wetmore. cottage. Stonington.
2209 Ludington Street $39,900 1110374 $54,500 1108449 $129,900 1107916
(906) 786-1308

Powers
W3776 US 2 & 41
(906) 497-4190

Gladstone
1401 Delta Ave.
1 Bdrm, 0 bth camp. Well 1 Bdrm, 1 bth waterfront home. 52 Acres. 3 Bdrm 2.5 bth Home. Full
(906) 825-9000
maintained camp on Sturgeon Approx 1,800 of river frontage. 2,000 sq Log. 38 acres. Garage, Decks,
River. Rapid River. ft gar. In-floor heat. Solar. Rapid River. Private Pave Rd. Felch.
$58,000 1108141 $194,790 1107284 $239,000 1106871
WNW NEWS OCTOBER 2018 125
 Dan Dan The Mattress Man
SPORTSMENS FURNITURE PARADISE

Solid wood bunk w/ mattress $

- Woodcrest 2400 bunk 275 Rustic Tables
- Hundreds to choose
$
149 - Choose your fabric 649
Made in Michigan Wood Fouton $

GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES

Child Recliners $
99
249 Unique Log Beds
- Queens start at
$ Solid Wood
USA Chest
$
199
www.DANDANTHEMATTRESSMAN.com
802 Ashman St. • Midland
989-832-1866

126 OCTOBER 2018 WNW NEWS

Fall Hunting Specials

2018 Polar Kraft Sportsman 2072 XSE 2017 Gator Tail GTB1754 2018 Polarkraft 2010Tiller
$
26,995 * $
19,995 * $
28,995*
Suzuki 115 HP, Gator Tail GTR Mercury 90 HP,
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*plus tax, title & freight *plus tax, title & freight *plus tax, title & freight

2018 Excel 1651 SWV4 2019 Alweld 1756 Mud 2019 Bankes 19ft Crusader
$
17,995 * $
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FREE
AVERY
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2016 Gator Trax 16' Marsh 2018 Gator Trax 15X38 Rogue 2018 War Eagle 548LDV
$
12,995* $
14,995* $
10,995*
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Fast Grass Blind Trailer Trailer
*plus tax, title & freight *plus tax, title & freight *plus tax, title & freight

Holding Power
Retrievability • Durability The Chene Anchor
201 Industrial Way, Fenton, MI • 517-202-2949
or available at...
THE KNOWLEDGEABLE BOATERS A BETTER
SPORTS
CENTER
BEST CHOICE MOUSE TRAP
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 Hours: FLINT FREEWAY
SPORTS CENTER
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3241 Thompson Rd. Mon.-Fri. 9am - 6pm EXIT 84
59

FENTON
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Sat. 9am - 5pm
PONTIAC
Fenton, MI 48430
23

w w w. f r e e w a y - s p o r t s . c o m
Closed Sunday's
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Exit 84 on US-23 ANN ARBOR DETROIT sales@freeway-sports.com
Not For
J T L Everyone
F P
ust hose ooking or erfection

Inspiring The Dreams Of Hunters

And Shooters Since 1945

31516 Harper Avenue

St. Clair Shores, MI 48082 Available at: Layaways Welcome

Michi-GUN
Phone (586) 296-2360
Fax (586) 264-8307

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