Up North Journal Hunting Blog

My Blog Is Moving!

2010-12-10T02:18:00.000-05:00

Ok folks, I just wanted to let everyone know that is following my journal over here that it is now going to be hosted over on our main web page at: http://www.upnorthjournal.com/wordpress/mikeadams/ this has all the same stories that I have posted here, but just in a new place. The title of the journal has changed also, it is: "Up North Journal Hunting Lodge".

So follow me over to the new page and enjoy the crazy things we do out in the field and on the water. It has a whole new look and feel to the journal and I'm excited about it. Stop on by and drop me a line to let me know what you think about the new digs!

My Son's First Hunt Of The Year!

2010-09-21T13:06:00.003-04:00

I thought about writing this story, but since I shot some video of it what better way to tell you about it than to show you! So here is my son Jake's first hunt of the year! Enjoy!

A Simple Request For Brady!

2010-09-18T19:31:00.004-04:00

Well about three months have passed since my last post. This summer has been busy, yet almost uneventful from an outdoors standpoint. As I sit and type after 36 hours of editing our last episode of Beyond The Wild along with other hunting industry obligations and my regular duties as a dad and husband this week, I long for a day out in the woods! It has been way too long since I spent a day afield sitting listening intently for the sound of approaching unsuspecting game! Do you ever have those days where you sit wishing for something else other than what you've been doing? This week is one of those weeks, that is until I heard a story about a young man named Brady!

Stories like this always bring me to a quick realization that I'm extremely lucky to be alive, let alone to be involved in the outdoors like I am with the Up North Journal crew. The story I'm speaking of is about how Brady touched our team. It all started with our Pro Staff Member Chico Lopez that received a message from someone following him on Facebook. Chico had posted a photo of three arrows that had their new name tags on them for the upcoming season. Some of us like to name our arrows or even shotgun shells before a hunt. Sounds crazy but it's fun and gives us something to chuckle about!

The Named Projectiles

After naming his arrows and posting that photo on Facebook, Chico got the message I spoke about, asking him if he could name an arrow for Brady. It was a simple request and of course Chico said yes not knowing the full meaning of what was being requested of him. Little did he know that Brady passed away last year the day after his fourth birthday due to a battle with the evil disease of cancer. (Be sure to read Chico's story about this by clicking here.)

After the full realization of what was asked of him, Chico called me and gave me the whole story! What could I say except wow and that was a quiet heavy wow! It wasn't one of joy or excitement. It came with a heavy realization that what was being asked was that he carry this young man into the field with him! All of my little problems or worries seemed to fade fast and immediately think how we can bring honor and awareness to Brady. Chico has set the example and I'm following his lead by honoring Brady by putting his name on my first arrow of the season and taking him on my hunt!

Brady's Arrow For My Quiver

Once I placed him in his place of honor on my arrow vane and took the photo of it and placed it on Facebook along with the many other photos that other outdoors men and women had begun post, I then realized that this was a responsibility that I wanted to share with the men and women who follow our team. It made me think not of myself or my seemingly small problems now, instead I thought about what an extreme battle this four year old little man had to endure! It made me think of getting with my kids and planning a few more hunts and fishing trips with them this season instead of worrying about what I was going to do.

When you hear about a story like this, you tend to put your priorities into perspective and that is what gives our lives purpose and meaning! It isn't about how big of a deer we shoot or if we even shoot one or not! It isn't about what kind of bow we shoot, what kind of camo we wear, or if we limit out or not! It is about what you do with the time you have here on earth and how you share your experiences with your wife, husband, kids, friends and mankind!

So when your thinking about heading out this season, take a moment and think about Brady and the battle he fought! Take a moment and share the outdoors with someone new this year, take a child out with you this year and teach them about the great outdoors that God has so graciously given us to enjoy! Name an arrow or shotgun shell in Brady's honor! It isn't by mistake that I put his name on the left side of my arrow, that way when that arrow is nocked I can simply look down and there he is riding along with me on my hunt and guiding my arrow home to it's intended target!

September is "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month" go to the website to learn more about how this disease robs youngsters of their lives. Over 12,000 youngsters are diagnosed with cancer each year. Learn more about how you can bring awareness to this and help stop this disease by following the link above.

2010 Turkey Season Part Two

2010-06-29T01:50:00.002-04:00

As you read in my last journal entry, my turkey season was a bust for many reasons this year but that wasn't the end of my season by any stretch of the imagination. I had the pleasure of hunting with my kids for their chance to bag one of the elusive gobblers! Mikey and Mackenzie both drew a late season tag so I knew I had plenty of chances to get back out and fool one of the 'ol boys to walking within range of one of the kids thunder sticks!

Since both of them drew late season tags and that gave us three weeks to get the job done, I knew I would have to rotate their hunts to get them into the field. One additional challenge was that Mikey had a buddy that he wanted to take out hunting with us this year since his friend had never been turkey hunting.

With that additional challenge I was only able to get Mikey and his friend out once this season. They really didn't seem too fired up to get out that early in the morning and chase birds, I guess I was the same way when I was 15! The morning we did manage to get out, I put them on some toms immediately as usual.

That morning before sunrise I started to work the owl locater call and the gobblers couldn't resist shouting back to me to give up their location! We hurried in and set up on what I thought was a sure bet, but it didn't take long for the old boy to show us who was the king of the woods that morning. As the sun rose and light began to filter through the canopy of leaves I knew that he couldn't be too far away from us. I began to call softly to try and coax him our way. He gobbled and gobbled at us and some other nearby birds that were calling also. As it became time for fly down, I began to search out the trees to see if I could make out a silhouette in the trees.

All of a sudden we heard the obvious noise of a turkey flying down off of the roost. He was now on the ground and only about 40 yards in front of us, only problem was we couldn't see him! I made a few soft clucks and that was the end of our morning! We waited and waited to see if he would show his head but nothing! Not a peep, not a sound, not one glimpse of the old boy! Once again he tucked tail and took off away from us! We did try a few other spots but there was nothing else moving that morning except for a few birds on some land we couldn't hunt.

On the way to the truck we did run across another person out taking a stroll and it was someone that I had bumped into earlier during last year's duck season. The good 'ol boy gave us a tip on where we might find a big tom in a field. I tucked that info back for my daughter's hunt!

On her first hunt we went to our new usual spot where we knew birds would be roosting. We only had about two hours to try and get a bird since it was a school day. Nothing like hunting before school I say! I got down deep in the woods and began to try my locator call and found them roosting in the usual area that morning. This was like clockwork, only problem was that we could never get them to play nice when they hit the ground.

A Wet Forest Floor

This morning would prove to be no different. We heard the bird hit the ground off of the roost and I knew exactly where he was, the problem this morning was the water hole that was between us and him! Oh yeah another little problem was the hen that decided to come through our area and pull him away from us! We heard a lot of birds but never saw one in front of us. But it was a good morning for Mackenzie since this was the first time she had heard a gobbler up close and thundering off of the roost! She told me that she couldn't believe how loud his gobbles sounded! I just wish she could have seen him up close and personal!

I Heard Somthing!

Hunt number two for her was a week later and again on a school day, but never fear we always get her to school on time! We started off again in the same patch of woods, but we only heard a couple of gobbles off in the distance. I thought that this morning was going to be a bust; it didn't take long to change! I saw movement out in front of us at about 50 yards!

Waiting For Mr. Tom

It was a hen putting around through the brush, then I saw a couple more heads and they were all headed our way! She could see them in the brush also, but then they disappeared completely! I thought I heard something to our left so I slowly turned to try and get a look at what it was. Low and behold they had cut around us and were sneaking behind us at about 20 yards! It was four hens moving through and one of them was a smoky grey! I have never seen a smoky grey hen in the wild before so this was a first for me also!

Mackenzie and Her Remington

Youth 870 20ga.

It was getting late so I knew we had to pick up and get to school, so we made our way back to the truck and started heading out. We passed the spot where the hunter I met the other day told me that he had seen a big tom in so as we drove by I noticed a hen in the ditch. I told Mackenzie to check it out and as I drove past her I looked in my rearview mirror and all I could see was a huge tail fan climbing the hill on the side of the road! I stopped immediately and turned around, she asked what was going on and all I told her was that "You're going to be late for school this morning"! I got up the road and parked quickly. We busted out all our gear and hit the nearby tree line to try and cut him off. I knew he was going to be coming our way. We got to the opposite side of the trees and hunkered down near a willow bush. I looked through the bush and all I could see was a tail fan walking dead at us at about 100 yards!

Dead Down Wind Face Paint And The Vest-a-Blind

I set her up into a good shooting position and then scurried down the tree line to set a decoy up to the right of us so it would pull him through us to the decoy for a shot. By the time I got back to her he was now at about 50 – 60 yards away and closing fast. The sun was glistening off of his tail feathers, it was a beautiful sight to behold. I looked at Mackenzie and asked her if she could see him and she told me yes very quietly! Within a few seconds I saw the hen that was with him and she cut in front of us at about 25 yards but she crossed on the opposite side of a huge willow bush. I knew that the tom would follow her on the other side so we couldn't get a clean shot at him. When he stepped behind it, I moved Mackenzie so she could get a good clean shot at him when he stepped out from behind it. This bush was the size of a van! After about 30 seconds I could see him starting to get to the edge of the bush and told her to click the safety off. He was within a step or two of his head clearing the bush for a clean shot when all of a sudden I heard a loud noise over head at tree top level! It was a stinking helicopter buzzing the tree tops!!!!! The tom immediately bolted in the opposite direction and was never seen again!!!!

I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed!!! I was stomping mad and Mackenzie was laughing and saying that was the coolest thing she had ever seen!!! It put me in my place at that very moment. This was her hunt not mine and what ever happened to make her laugh and happy should have made me feel the same way! Then we both laughed at each other and talked about what had just happened. I looked down at her hands and they were shaking uncontrollably. I asked her if she had an adrenaline rush to which she replied "yeah, that bird really shook me up"! Again we laughed and then returned to the truck and off to school we went. Yes she was late that morning but it was well worth it!

Before we left for school we had an experience that was a great piece of education for Mackenzie. Once we got back to the truck I noticed that there was a DNR truck nearby and there was a CO in the vehicle. He stepped out and approached us to chat. He told Mackenzie don't worry you're not in trouble he just wanted to talk. He asked her how her hunt went and sorry she didn't get a bird. He asked to check her license and explained to her why he was checking it and what he was there for. I thought that was pretty cool to take the time to explain why to her so she understood why he was doing it. He was actually checking the area for a guy he was trying to catch that had been reported to be poaching! We managed to give him some information on a vehicle we had seen in the area. It was a great experience for Mackenzie to see the good side of what Conservation Officers did and why we need them.

Mackenzie and The CO

We planned out our strategy for the next week's hunt and we both thought it was a great plan. We sat up in that same area we almost shot that big tom at, but we moved down the field a little and found an apple tree right next to the edge of the field. The tree had low hanging branches which gave us perfect cover along with the knee high wild grass. She could see right over the top of the grass and with my Quaker Boy Vest-a-blind spread out to cover us both with the guile suit there was no way that a turkey would spot us!

Turkey Ambush Spot

After sun up we could hear the tom on the roost just across the field and the little road we were hunting near. Then he appeared in green field across the road, I watched him with my binoculars for at least a half hour. Then he made his move towards us. He crossed the little road and hit the edge of the field we were covering. We were sitting at the top of a knoll so when he was within range there was no way he would see us until it was too late. Sure enough I could see the tail fan walking through the grass while he was making his way up the hill towards us. Mackenzie also took notice of him quickly and swung around into her shooting stance. His tail fan grew bigger and bigger the closer he got to us. I told her to click the safety off and get ready. All of a sudden his white head appeared in the grass and then at the top of the grass! I told her to peel his skull cap off when she got the bead on his little white dome! I was waiting for the sound of the shotgun going off but all I saw was the bird stop dead in his tracks and looked past us to our right! What was going on? Did our decoys spook him? What made him stop! Just as she was going to shoot, he tucked his head back and disappeared down the hill! Not again I thought. We were whispering and discussing what had just happened when she told me there he is dad! He went down the hill and circled down around it and came up to the right side of it in the opening. Only problem was that he was now about 45 yards away from us! I later found out it was 42 yards with my Leupold range finder. He stopped dead in his tracks and kept looking to our right. I glanced over to the right and there it was! Four sand hill cranes were standing there and he didn't like it! It was an old fashioned western stand off! They took a few steps towards him and he bobbed his head at them. They did it again and he took a step back. They did it again and he tucked tail and ran! That was the end of that hunt!

We didn't laugh at that situation this time. She told me that it was so close she could almost taste the gunpowder! Once was funny but twice was starting to get a little frustrating for me and her. She kept a good attitude about it and said that is why we call it hunting and not killing! She was right! That was the second to last day of her season, so we hit it hard one last time on the last day of season. The only problem was that we put in the time but didn't see one single bird that morning. We heard them plenty though. We heard a gobbler gobbling his fool head off for over an hour that last morning in the field across the road which was private property! There was no way he would leave that field and there was no way to get at him.

Mackenzie And Dad In The Field

We left that morning knowing that we tried everything that I had in my arsenal of tricks to try and woo a lonely tom to within gun range, but this year as I stated in my last journal entry: "Everything I threw at them this year either seemed to not work or if it did, they escaped at the moment of truth! No matter what I did, those Tom's always walked away to live another battle." These birds had the courage to walk in the face of danger and even death only to laugh at us and walk away with the lady or hen of his choice to live another day. That my friends is why I think Benjamin Franklin talked about why the turkey should have been our national symbol instead of the eagle. They have the courage to face death head on to get the ladies of their choice! Oh wily tom you may have out smarted me this year to live another season, but just you wait! I know where you roost and where you travel, I WILL have a new plan laid out for you next season. So when next turkey season rolls around in 2011, GAME ON!

Benjamin Franklin and Turkey Season

2010-06-14T01:11:00.004-04:00

When most people hear Benjamin Franklin's name now days they think of the $100 bill with his likeness on it. After this turkey season I will think of Benjamin Franklin talking about why the wild turkey should have been chosen as the American symbol instead of the Bald Eagle in his letter to his daughter.

Benjamin Franklin

Why you ask? His two reasons were that the turkey was a true native of America and very courageous. I think of the turkey as looking like it is vulnerable but always in control of the situation. Just when you think you've got him dead to rights, he manages to elude your best tactical set up. He always seems to win no matter how the cards are stacked against him! Lastly at the end of the season he always seems to be the last one standing after the battle has been waged and he also always gets the ladies at the end of the day!

That is why I will think of Benjamin Franklin when I see a wild turkey strutting his stuff as I start to scout for next season's hunt! Everything I threw at them this year either seemed to not work or if it did, they escaped at the moment of truth! No matter what I did, those Tom's always walked away to live another battle.

My season didn't start out as planned. I should've scouted the month before my hunt, but as fate would have it I wasn't able to get out once! Instead I was left scrambling trying to get an Episode of Beyond The Wild edited. Every time I should have been out something came up for me to tend to that kept me from hitting the woods trying to learn their patterns. That is what happens when your trying to run a team of outdoors men and keep them on task to get the show on the air.

After scouting hard last season, I had a couple of places nailed down to hunt and I thought I would rely on my go to spot to hunt this year. Once again when that opening morning of my hunt came, I learned that my go to spot had been gone to by some other hunters! What to do, it seemed like this season was doomed to be a failure even before it began! I decided to try another spot I had scouted last season in hopes that it wouldn't be over run with hunters. Finally I caught a break!

I had my cameraman in tow with me on that Monday morning not knowing what to expect to see or hear. After donning my new war paint from Dead Down Wind, we parked and hit the wood lot and I hit my owl hooter call. Immediately I heard a Tom off to my left a couple hundred yards in, then one to the right bellowed at about 400 yards! My cameraman called right and I called left since he sounded closer. We scooted in to within about a 100 yards and set up quickly. I settled in and gave a soft call.....nothing! I waited about 15 to 20 minutes and called again....nothing! This went on for about an hour. Finally we gave up not seeing or hearing anything. On my way home I did drive by my first spot and set up for about an hour with no luck what so ever. So much for day one! But I will say this, that camo paint from DDW is simply awesome! It goes on very easy and comes off just as easy with only soap and water! No scrubbing and tearing your skin apart. I've always had problems with the grease paints breaking my skin out and not coming off without sand paper. But this stuff is well worth trying out!

Dead Down Wind Face Camo Paint

On day two my cameraman and I went back to where we started but came in what I called the back door. As we approached the back side of the wood lot we were going to hunt, I blasted on my owl call and immediately got a response! Problem was it was only about a 100 yards away! We sneaked in as quickly and quietly as possible only pushing into the woods about 20 yards or so. I knew we were close to the perched Tom, so I played it cool for a few moments. As light began to break on the horizon I began to call softly. The Tom screamed out a loud gobble! I thought to myself this guy is on top of us! I began to scan the tree tops for movement and there he was! Only about 50 yards away in a tree that didn't quite have full leaves yet I could see a dark ball moving around. He kept gobbling and then I saw him fan out on the limb! He shook his wings and feathers, probably to throw off any water on him before he flew down. My cameraman was right behind me and I told him if this doesn't get your blood pumping nothing will! He was rolling tape and got all the Tom's sweet renditions of I'm Gobbling For You on video tape! It was simply awesome to be that close and see him on the roost. But that was also a bad thing, because when he pitched down on the ground he went in the opposite direction never to be seen again! Or so I thought for a moment! I knew exactly where he was headed and told Art that we needed to pick up and run to another wood lot and set up. We hit the trail running and got into the next section of woods just before 'Ol Tommy Boy made his arrival. I made a soft call and he gobbled a song of "Fat Man in a Little Feather Coat" to announce his position! Game On Again! But as fate would have it again he played with us a while and then headed back in the opposite direction, never showing himself to us to even get a glimpse of him on the ground. It was a disappointing yet also satisfying day in the woods.

Itchy Trigger Finger

Day three of my hunt I grabbed my oldest son Mikey to run camera for me. His school starts at 9:30am on Wednesdays so I knew I had about 2 ½ hours to hit the woods. We got to the same spot a half hour before day break and I used my locator call again with no luck! We sat and watched the sunrise waiting for a distant gobble to go and chase only to hear song birds waking up. I set up in the wood lot hoping that a straggler Tom would come by in the short time I had to stay out. Day three ended just as my first one did. Not seeing anything, but worse yet not hearing anything. My confidence from the previous day's hunt was now gone.

Gun Barrel Waiting To Thunder!

Day 4, 5 and 6 of my 7 day season were busts. Day 4 and 5 were torrential down pours and I had no cameraman to run with me even if the rain wasn't around. Day 6 was almost like we were in a wind tunnel to test for aerodynamics and wind shear! So needless to say I stayed home knowing that I still had Sunday to get the job done.

Tools of the Trade

Day seven, the last day of my week long season started with one of our Up North Journal staffers coming down to run camera for me on this last day. Dave and I headed back to the last spot I had seen or heard Tom's at. Once we left the truck we heard gobbling in every direction! This was going to be a good morning I thought to myself. Dave wanted to head in the opposite direction towards the closest Tom sounding off. I told him that where that bird was, was private property and that there was no way we could even get close to him. He reluctantly listened to me and we headed in the woods. I hit my locator call and got two responses immediately within a 100 yards or so. One to the left and one to the right. We also heard a bunch of hens cackling to the right with another Tom sounding off in the distance! This was going to get good quick!

I told Dave we were going to set up on the Tom to the left and he wanted to go to the right with the other nearby bird. My thinking was that the bird to the right was going to head to the hens which were further in to the right. This meant that we would have to get between him and the hens to cut him off. That was too risky so I chose the Tom on the left since he would come right through us to get to the hens on the opposite side of us. At least that was my thinking, yeah right! We set up and I gave a couple of soft calls and the old boy bellowed off the roost! After a few minutes I saw him pitch down to the ground to the left of the direction we were looking, great I can get a perfect shot at him as he walks past us since I'm a right handed shooter. I told Dave to get the camera ready and rolling. He was kneeling on the ground behind the huge oak tree I was leaning against. I caught movement to my left and there he was a beautiful white head bobbing in the undergrowth. He was about 30 yards out, when he hit an opening and I clucked once on my mouth call. He snapped his head around and puffed up! My bead was on his head and he was walking my way. I asked Dave can you see him. He told me, "Don't move we have a huge Tom strutting right behind me at about 20 yards!" What!!!! I can't believe this. I've got a bird staring down my gun barrel and now there is one behind me messing with me! Dave couldn't move for fear of getting busted by the bird behind us. I watched the Tom to my left start to head towards the other strutting Tom which now had a hen with him! Once I had the chance I rolled around on the ground being blocked by the huge oak tree and got to a position to see the other Tom and hen. I could have shot him left handed at about 20 yards but Dave was still pinned down. I then saw the bird turn and start to walk behind a tree, so I told Dave, "When I tell you to I want you to turn the camera and yourself as quickly as you can and get on that bird because when he comes out from behind that tree I'm going to take his head off!" I said go and Dave did just as I told him and I brought the gun up. The Tom just started to peak out from behind the tree and then turned and walked dead away from us never presenting me with a shot! He also took the other Tom and hen with him as well!

I told Dave to get up and let's go. He asked me to where? I knew that they were going to head the same direction as that Tom did on day two, so we started heading towards that other wood lot. Just as we got to within a couple hundred yards of it. I could see a truck parked in a nearby parking area. I had seen this truck before and knew that this guy was hunting turkeys as well. I simply turned and walked away not knowing where he was hunting at. I didn't want to ruin his hunt or walk in blind and possibly getting shot myself. It was hard to walk away knowing that this was how my season was going to end! But I knew that I could have shot either one of those Tom's that morning, but I wanted to get them on video for the show and I knew that wouldn't happen if I shot them without Dave being on them. If I let them walk, there was a strong chance one of my kids would get a crack at them the following three weeks they had to hunt, so with that we went home.

Quaker Boy's Guille Suit/Turkey Vest

Provide Great Concealment

With the way my week had went and what was about to happen over the next three weeks with my kids hunting, you will understand why I have given turkeys a new level of respect! In my next blog I will cover what happened during the late season hunts with my kids. Stay tuned!

Spring Cleaning!

2010-05-06T21:06:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since my last post back in March, that is partly to do with just how busy I have been lately. The Michigan UNJ crew along with myself have been on the road hitting it hard trying to lay down some video on some trips for upcoming shows. I thought I would do a little spring cleaning and report on my recent trips I've been on.

Starting in Early April just after my youngest boy's first coon hunt, Chico and I made another trip north to hunt the elusive "Devil Dogs" or coyotes! We took Jake with us so he could experience what he refers to as "Big Boy Hunts" and he was more than ready to go after that night coon hunt from a few weeks earlier! We had one day to get the job done which really didn't leave us much time to layout a plan. We got to the hunting lodge well before daylight and got all our gear ready and hit the woods running to an area a buddy of mine told me he had heard yotes a few days before.

The Lodge In Northern Michigan

After setting up and calling for a while, then moving to a few different places and doing the same with no luck we decided to head back to the lodge for a little relaxing and getting a snack. Jake decided he wanted to wet a line in the lake to see if he could catch a fish or two but that was as successful as our morning hunt. We got ready for the evening hunt and made our way to a ridge line that my friend told me he had seen some yotes near recently. Chico split off from Jake and I and made his way down the ridge. After about a half hour to 45 minutes we moved across the two track to another ridge line. Just before we got to our destination we heard a pack of about 5 or 6 yotes break loose! All three of us hustled into position and Chico began to call back to them with the new Quaker Boy Chompers we had just gotten.

The pack responded back right away! Jakes eyes got big and he was ready to get the drop on one! Light was fading fast, but the pack was getting closer. Chico called again as light was almost gone with the yotes responding immediately only about 100 yards away! We couldn't see them yet and what little daylight we had was now gone and there wasn't any chance of seeing through the scope on the rifle. We did what we could but we just couldn't connect with them this time! This would be the last time we would get out to chase the Devil Dogs!

Our next adventure was a trip to Saginaw Bay to do a little perch fishing with part of the UNJ Michigan crew! Art, Chico, Kevin, Mikey and myself headed up to the cuts to get a little fish dinner one early morning in April. We stopped and got some bait on the way along with letting Mikey try his hand at milking a rather large cow at a local cheese factory! Don't ask!

Mikey Milking A Large Plastic Cow!

It was a cold moring with a few snow flurries flying about, but there were a lot of eager fisherman trying to do the same as us. We did manage to catch a few for dinner but we didn't slay them by any stretch of the immagination. It was a good time to be out and hang with the crew!

Mikey And I Doing A Little Perch Fishing

Next item of business for us was a few events that we attended. The first was the Turkey Extravaganza at Cabela's for Mossy Oak with a few good friends, then we had a meeting at Spot Shooter Archery in Holly Michigan to meet with PSE and shoot a few of their new bows in the 2010 lineup!

Me Working At Cabela's For Mossy Oak

I ordered mine and simply love it! The PSE Vendetta is the perfect fit for me and I can't wait to get behind it in the treestand this fall!

The New PSE Vendetta!

Our first big spring trip of the season was next in order! Trout Boot Camp 2010! Chico and Art warned me that this was going to be different from anything I have ever experienced and they were right. We spent our evenings at the little cabin in the woods with no electricity, running water, etc... It was rustic and that is the way I like it! We had some fun shooting our new bows and shooting some clays with the shotguns the day before the Michigan Trout Opener. We also had a tremendous amount of food that kept us fueled for what was ahead!

Art & Dave Hanging Out At Trout Camp!

Opening day came at Midnight Friday night! We spent a couple of hours fishing some deep holes on a nearby stream to try and hook into a big 'ol brown trout. Dave Hagen who was also with us was the only one who managed to catch anything that night. We hustled back to the cabin to grab about three hours sleep, then it was off for the morning to hit the streams with the spinning rods!

Fuel For The Hike On The Trout Stream!

We got to the parking area and then took a Boot Camp hike through the woods up and down hills through brush etc... to get started! I was WAY over dressed for this hike! I was wore out before we got started but once we got there to start, boy was it worth it! What beautiful scenery, I was in awe of what I was experiencing. I simply sat back and watched, listened and tried to take in as much information as I could that the boys were telling me. I tried my hand at it with little luck. It was then that I knew I might not catch one of these beautiful fish the entire weekend, it was WORK!

Mikey's First Brook Trout!

After a few trout being caught, the morning soon passed us by and it was time to head back to camp for lunch. After another tremendous meal by our camp cook Cy, we took back off to finish our day on what the boys refer to as the "Drop Zone" I found out why it was called that! The parking area was at the top of about a 150 - 200 yard drop almost straight down to the stream! I didn't worry about getting down there, I worried about how to get back up!

One Of Our Many Views

Once on the stream I knew why we came here! It was as if no one had ever been there before, not one thing to show that any human had ever stepped into that stream! The hard to reach places and out of the way places are the best places to hunt and fish and this was one of them! Mikey landed his first fish of the trip within a few minutes. It was a little 4 inch brook trout! It didn't take long for the rest of the crew to start catching a few fish either, except me! After about two hours of frustration, Chico told me that it was my gear I was using so I gave his a try. I noticed the difference immediately! Don't let anyone tell you that a good rod and reel doesn't make a difference, it does! I could cast exactly where I wanted to and the retreival on the reel was lightning quick!

Another Awesome View Of The Trout Stream

Within about 20 minutes I had my first trout! It was a thrill that I won't ever forget, I will always remember just how beautiful a place it truly was along with all the hard work that went into catching that first fish! What a rewarding experience! That was the only fish I caught that weekend, but I'm now hooked on it! I never was much into fishing but I did do it occasionally to satisfy the kids on a warm weekend day. Now I'm looking forward to the next trip on the trout stream!

My First Brown Trout!

Mikey's First Brown Trout!

It only took a week to get back out to the next stream. Chico and Art took me to a little stream in the middle of Michigan to chase the brown's again! This time I had quite a bit more luck on my side. We managed to land about 30 of them with most being under sized but boy was it fun to catch them! We did put a few in the creel for a later meal, but nearly all went back in including the biggest catch for me!

A Great View Of Weekend Two's Stream

I managed to land a nice 11 to 12 inch brown trout and I was pretty excited about it. I took it over to Art who had the creel which had measurements laid out on the outside of it. I wanted to see just how big it was and as I was getting ready to lay it on the side of the creel, the fish flipped and flopped right out of my hands and back into the water! I looked at my empty hands and simply laughed "Oh well, I guess I'm catching and releasing today"! It was simply another great morning spent with friends on the streams of Michigan and I can't wait to get back out again!

Out On Another Of

Michigan's Wonderful Streams

The last part of spring cleaning has to do with Turkey Season here in Michigan. As I write this, we are smack dab in the middle of it and I will post more as it becomes available. Keep your fingers crossed for me as I chase the elusive Tom's in Michigans woods! Shoot Straight and Be Safe!

Afraid Of The Dark?

2010-03-29T01:01:00.003-04:00

Sound of the phone ringing, "Hello", Hey Mike this is Trieger (the guy we raccoon hunted with in November). "Hey man what's up,?", I answered back. Just wanted to know if you wanted to get Jacob out for a coon hunt this weekend? "Heck ya, man just let me know when and where."

That was all it took to get Jacob my youngest boy who is 10, out for his first night coon hunt with dogs! After I hung up the phone I asked Jake if he wanted to run with the dogs on Friday night and chase raccoons? The first word out of his mouth was "Awesome!" I took that as a yes! I got with my boss and took Friday night off of work so I could take Jake out for the most excitement any 10 year old boy should be allowed to have after dark!

Friday night came with a cold nip in the air. It was sunny for the day but the temps were only around 40 degrees and with clear skies it was supposed to drop down near 20 by the middle of the night. With a chilly forecast, we took extra layers to stay warm in case we needed them. I got Mikey, Jake and the camera gear ready to roll and we headed over to meet Doug McDonald and Mike Trieger over at Doug's house.

When we arrived, Doug and Mike had the blue tic hounds already loaded into the dog box on Mike's truck. Before we left Mike showed us some photos of past hunts he had success on along with a few of his animal mounts from some previous trapping he had done. That got Jake fired up and ready to hit the woods! By now the sun had set and it was dark! Time to hit the road!

Michael & Jake In The Dark

Jake was wide eyed with excitement and had a 100 questions to go along with his enthusiasm. Mike and Doug answered all of Jake's questions throughout the night with no hesitation. They made this hunt all about him having fun! We got to our first destination and got the dogs out of the box and ready to roll! Jake was anxious to see what was about to happen, when the dogs started off and began to sound off, all Jake could say was "Man that is cool!"

The dogs began to head off and crisscross the field near the woods we were heading to, after a few minutes we had to coax them towards the wood lot. After that it was game on! The dogs quickly treed a coon and we were off to see what was awaiting us. Jake was asking if he could shoot the coon if we found one, I told him that he was going to shoot all of them if we found any. We got to the tree where the dogs were and found them to be jumping up the side of the tree like their feet were on hot coals! After about 10 minutes of looking and shinning lights we found out that it was a den tree. The coon had made it's way into the hole where a limb had once been only to leave us looking and searching for the elusive ring tail!

We took the dogs back near the area where we first started which had a creek flowing through a drainage ditch. We had heard a coon chattering when we first walked near the area, so Doug and Mike turned the dogs loose near the water and within minutes they had another coon treed! As we approached we could see the dark silhouette in the tree due to the bright nearly full moon shining down on us. As soon as they lit the tree up the coon couldn't hide, he was in plain sight!

I got the .17 HMR Ruger rifle ready for him and turned on the illuminated cross hair scope so he could get a perfect bead on the little bandit! Once Doug had pulled the dogs back from the tree it only took a few seconds for us to hear, CRACK! The .17 sounded off and it was a near miss! Jake got up next to a small tree to steady his aim and with a flick of the bolt he had another round loaded and ready to go, CRACK! A solid hit and the coon came tumbling down to the ground! A smile came to his 10 year old face and with that thud of the coon hitting the ground came a round of high fives to the young hunter! He looked at me and said, "Now what?" I told him, "Now you have to pick it up and carry it back to the truck!" He loaded up his coon and carried it back out to the truck! Mike and Doug loaded up the dogs and we headed to the next stop.

We hit the next field and woodlot we were going to hunt and the dogs hit the ground running. It only took about 2 minutes and we heard the certainty barking of the dogs on a treed coon. We made our way to the edge of the woodlot where they had the varmint up a tree, all we could see was water and lots of it! Doug and Mike started out into the water and I could tell it was deep. There was no way that Jake's boots were going to be tall enough to keep the water out. It was almost over the boots of Doug and Mike. I handed the rifle to Mikey and told him that I would stay with Jake and he could go in and shoot the coon.

Just as Michael was walking into the water we heard the flapping of wings. All of a sudden in the darkness came a huge bird at our heads! Just as it got within a few yards of us it honked! It was a goose that was perched in a tree that got spooked off! When it flew over our heads in the darkness it was about 10 feet in the air! The tree the coon was in was about 50 yards off of the field down into the woods so I could see where they were shinning the light into the trees. I rolled the camera and caught the action on tape from a safe and dry distance! Right after the shot rang out and as the coon hit the water with a loud splash, we heard more wing beats coming our way! Only this time it was a huge turkey flying out of the trees to a safer and a less noisy area for the night! Once the guys made their way out of the water, the dogs were loaded up one more time to head to the last stop of the evening.

Michael With Two of The Coons

By now it was well past midnight and the moon was high in the sky. We arrived at the last hunting spot of the night and got the dogs ready for the walk across the field to the woodlot. About halfway across the wheat field we noticed something black and round walking through the field to our left. Thinking it might be a coon out wondering for a late night snack, Doug turned his spotlight on to check it out. First thing we all saw was a white racing stripe down the critter's backside! We immediately changed our direction and took the long way to the woodlot, which meant that we had to cross a deep ditch to get to the woods. The little stink bomb had our way to the foot bridge cut off!

Once the dogs were turned loose it didn't take long again for them to run a coon up a tree. We arrived at the tree with the dogs barking and jumping about to find a nice coon perched on a limb. Once the lights brightened up the treetops, Jake took careful aim and brought down his second coon of the evening. Doug asked if we wanted to see if we could tree one more for the evening for Jake and who was I to argue? Mike took the critter that Jake had just shot out to the edge of the woods at the wheat field so we could pick it up later. The dogs were again sent on their way to chase another unsuspecting bandit.

The last chase kind of threw us off somewhat. We arrived at the tree to see the dogs jumping around with all kinds of energy. Doug and Mike shinned their lights into the treetops and after about 10 - 15 minutes of looking there was no coon to be found. What Mike noticed was some freshly broken branches which he said meant that the coon either jumped to the ground and gave the dogs the slip or it may have jumped to another tree and took off.

Jake With Two of His Three Bandits Of The Evening

They pulled the dogs off of the tree and we began what we thought was our walk out, when one of the dogs began to bark loudly at a tree about 10 feet away just as we began to head out. Doug turned the dog loose and it locked onto that tree hard! Jake said maybe there is a coon up there! They threw the lights on and sure enough that coon jumped trees and was up there waiting on Jake to take his last coon of the evening! CRACK! Down it came with a loud thud! That round of high fives came again and we grabbed the two coons that were just taken and headed back to the truck.

The Four Critters

With the coons and dogs all loaded up, we headed back to where we started the evening. We got the dogs put in their kennels and the coons back into the garage when Jake asked, "Are we going to skin the coons?" Mike and Doug looked at him and asked, "Do you want to skin them?" I'm thinking to myself, "Does he want to skin them? Is his name Jake?" Of course he said yes! Mike gave Jake a course on how to skin a coon, then he let Jake take his turn at skinning a coon out, while I sat and watched the process. That is how Jake finished up his first night coon hunt! For a ten year old boy, who is afraid of the dark at times, he sure did have fun running around in the woods in the dark all night! I think he looks at the dark in a different light now!

The Boys And Their Coons

I would like to thank Doug McDonald and Mike Trieger for not only taking the time to invite us out, but to make sure that a 10 year old boy had the time of his life! They also took the time to show him how to skin out the animals after they spent 5 hours with us running through the woods! How many guys do you know would sit in a garage for an hour at 2 in the morning helping to teach a youngster how to skin an animal? That is what makes these two outdoors men so special! If everyone of us outdoors men would take the time to spend with our young and up and coming hunters, we would never run out of hunters! Thanks again Doug and Mike for a tremendous evening!

Coyote Hunt, Or Was Something Hunting Us?

2010-03-08T00:33:00.002-05:00

We finally made plans to hit the woods with the AR for a little coyote hunt this past weekend. I got with our Pro Staff Member Chico Lopez to see if he wanted to ride along and spend a day in the woods chasing the devil dogs. I picked him up around 1:30am and headed north, after a 2 and a half hour drive we arrived at our northern Michigan destination around 4am! After a little sleep we got our gear ready and hit the woods. As we were getting ready to take to the field, I noticed a beautiful bald eagle flying over a clearing next to the lake. I thought to myself, this is a good sign of things to come or so we thought! To read the rest of the story Click Here!

A Day At The Range With Jake!

2010-02-06T20:54:00.008-05:00

Well today was pretty windy and we decided not to do a coyote hunt, instead Jake and I headed to the rifle range to do a little shooting. Jake wanted to take his Marlin .22 out along with my Ruger .17 HMR which he had never shot before, I decided to take out the new toy! The Bushmaster AR-15 I recently purchased was itching to be shot for the first time, not to mention the fact that I had just put a new set of eyes on it from Leupold!

Me With The New AR-15!

Jake got busy with the .22 as soon as we got there. Take a look at his shooting prowess in the video below!

He next got busy on the Ruger .17 HMR that we set up for night hunting coyotes! He took right to that little popper! The .17's are a real nice smooth shooting rifle for youngsters to get the feel of a rifle that can take game other than just a squirrel. They have enough power to put down a coyote if the shot is placed in the right spot and there isn't any recoil to speak of, which makes them a very nice rifle to hit the field with for those younger hunters.

Jake Taking Aim

With The Ruger .17 HMR

After Jake finished up with the two smaller caliber rifles, it was time to get out the AR and try to set up the scope for future coyote and varmint hunts. I started on the 25 yard range and made a few adjustments to get it on center and then moved to the 50 yard range. It didn't take long to aquire the bull at 50, so we moved on to the 100 yard range to tweak it in. I was amazed at how loud the AR barked, but the bite was minor with very little recoil. In the video below is the first shot I took with the new firearm. Excuse the moving video below, it was shot by Jake my 10 year old son.

After I got it zeroed at 100 yards, it was Jake's turn to give it a whirl! He was eager to get behind the stock of this one! I know what your probably thinking right now, "How in the world would anyone let a ten year old shoot a gun like that!" Well let me tell you something, I have watched this young lad shoot for over four years now and he is safer with firearms than most adults I know! He has shot a .30-.30 deer rifle at the range with no problem, so a .223 should be a piece of cake for him. I only put one round in the firearm at a time just for safety reasons.

Jake Getting Ready!

Below you can see Jake taking aim and squeezing off a round on the AR. These firearms are really no different than that of his .22 Marlin that he was shooting in the video earlier except for the size of the cartridge. They are both semi-automatic firearms that shoot only one round with a single pull of the trigger. As I said before he is very aware of being safe, watch Jake lay his finger on the side of the frame and then acquire the target before he puts his finger in the trigger well. After shooting he immediately throws the safety on! This is what taking a youngester to the range and teaching them safe firearm handling will do! When you take the curiosity out of it, they respect and learn how to safely handle a firearm.

I will say that before he shot the firearm he was excited about shooting it, he mentioned the look of it like most people do but once he was finished shooting today it wasn't a big deal anymore! He told me that it was just like any other firearm we had. If you take the curiosity out of it, they will respect them and learn how to safely use them, just like he did today with the AR!

Jake Getting Ready To Shoot!

I did more than just take Jake to shoot today, we spent quality time today at the range bonding with each other. After shooting the AR today he was no longer interested in the "Cool" looking firearm, instead he was asking questions about how to zero in the scope and how math was used to figure out the minutes of angle and yardage. The allure of the AR was not an issue any longer, it was now just another firearm we have to take to the field or to the range. It was an important lesson for him to learn today, maybe you too have learned something about the AR today by reading this blog. I hope that you don't judge a firearm by the way it looks, by its color, or because it was patterned after a military style firearm. If you have any questions about these new sport rifles feel free to stop by our web site and email me. I will be more than happy to discuss any questions you might have about them! Now get to the range and start practicing for the upcoming season!

Arkansas Duck Hunt Wrap Up

2010-01-24T23:54:00.004-05:00

Well the girls took Arkansas by storm! According to UNJ Staffer Nancy Jo Adams, her and a few other friends managed to take a few ducks and have a whole lot of fun along the way. Below is her last video update of her trip. Be sure to stop by Nancy Jo's Blog to see all the photos and read about all the excitement!

Day One of an Arkansas Late Season Waterfowl Hunt

2010-01-24T01:15:00.003-05:00

Up North Journal Staffer Nancy Jo Adams and a few friends hit the state of Arkansas for a little late season waterfowl action. Below is a recap of day one in the field!

Arkansas Duck Hunt Preview

2010-01-23T00:53:00.004-05:00

UNJ Staffer Nancy Jo Adams along with 6 other ladies are taking Arkansas by storm. They have a weekend waterfowl hunt planned and below she gives the details of the upcoming hunt. Stay Tuned!

First Ice Fishing Trip!

2009-12-30T01:06:00.008-05:00

Well that time of year has arrived, what is it you ask? It is that time of year where you have finished up deer season, waterfowl season has ended and you are patiently waiting for the first good ice of the winter so you can get out and do some hard water fishing! That time has arrived here in Michigan!

Today fellow Up North Journal Pro Staff member Tim Ford called at 8am to give me the weather report and coax me into heading outdoors to hit the ice for the first time. In all reality I really didn't feel like getting out of bed, but I remembered a discussion I had previously with another UNJ staff member last week. That discussion was about us being fortunate enough to have the freedom to get out to hunt or fish while our soldiers fought and died in a foreign land for our freedom to be able to get out and do the things we love!

So I quit whinning about how cold it was and rolled out of bed and made the trip to the lake with my oldest son Mikey. He didn't want to get up either, but I made him! We arrived at the lake at the same time Tim and his kids arrived, so we loaded up the sleds and made our way to the frozen lake surface to spend a little time jigging for frozen fish sticks!

I only had about two hours to spend on the ice so we got busy quick. Mikey and Tim popped some holes and I got my rod ready. While Tim was getting his kids set up, Mikey told me he was going to break out the secret weapon today since we were on a limited time schedule. He broke out the seldom seen "Ice Dance"! I have heard about this secret tactic but I have never witnessed it until today! Mikey assured me that this always works and I was eager to see the dance live and in person. I was fortunate enough to have my camera phone to record the seldom seen event, take a look at the video!

The Elusive Ice Dance

I had my doubts about this crazy tactic actually working, but to my amazement and wonder Mikey actually caught a fish less than two minutes after performing the ritual dance! Fortunately I was rolling video on that event also!

Proof That The Ice Dance Works!

You can see my utter amazement that this crazy stunt actually worked and brought the fish to the hole!

My Amazement Of Seeing The Ice Dance Work!

I wasn't about to perform the ice dance around my fishing hole for fear that I might actually break through with my luck! I decided that I would just fish the old fashioned way and fore go the embarrassment. I did manage to pull a small panfish through the ice before leaving, which turned out to be my only catch of the day but atleast I put one on the ice.

My Big Catch Of The Day!

Tim's daughter and oldest son got cold so he ran them back to the truck to warm up. Mikey and I stayed on the ice for another 45 minutes to try and help Tim's other son Collin try to pull a catch through the frozen ice. As hard as we tried, we couldn't coax one of those little buggers to take the bait. Collin even resorted to doing the "Ice Dance" after watching Mikey give him a few lessons on the correct technique, but even that didnt' work! Actually after Collin did his dance it began to snow, so I think instead of the Ice Dance he did the Snow Dance!

Collin Trying To Put The Whammy On A Fish!

All in all we didn't tear them up by no means, but we sure did have some fun with the kids on the ice and it sure did feel good to get outside and do something, even if it was just a crazy little dance! Glad I made the decision to roll out of bed this morning and join the crew on the ice!

Remember that even a bad day outside is something our troops fighting for our freedoms would love to be a part of instead of being in some of the situations that they are in everyday! Thank and support our Armed Service People who are protecting us and our freedoms! Now go get outside!

The Hunt of Unintended Outcomes

2009-11-26T21:07:00.005-05:00

For the last week I have had the fortune of duck hunting the Shiawassee Wildlife Area with my son and a few friends. We haven't had much luck in the last three trips out, as a matter of fact there was only one duck shot and that was when we took UNJ Pro Staffer Kevin Hutchings out for his first duck hunt. What a trip that was for him, you should check out his post about that experience! Other than that lone duck, we haven't had any luck what so ever! I don't know if it has to do with the warm weather or the lack of duck movement or what, but we haven't had any luck yet.

The only ducks we are seeing are the locals that have been around all season long and they are extremely wise to what is going on. We need some migration ducks to come down for a visit if you know what I mean! These locals are decoy and call shy, it doesn't matter what you throw at them they are leery of anything that might bring a volley of steel at their tail feathers. I have been out with Chico Lopez one of our UNJ Pro Staffers every time I have been to Shiawassee this fall and have seen him try every trick in the book, so I thought. I have only been hunting waterfowl for three years now and I am still new to this game and try to take every ounce of info thrown my way to learn anything new that I can. When we hit the water for Wednesday morning's hunt, I was in for something new!

It all started with a friend of mine who wanted to start hunting. Keep in mind he is in his 30's, people of that age just don't pick up and start hunting so I jumped at the chance to bring a new hunter in the fold! He wanted to start with duck hunting and I was eager to help with what little I knew. I told Chico we needed to get Jeff out for a hunt since he had only been on one other duck hunt and didn't see anything at all. We set it up for Wednesday morning!

Now I hadn't had the video camera or still camera out for the last two hunts and I wasn't planning on taking it this time either. I've had the whole week off work and I just wanted to hunt. I didn't want to have the added pressure of videoing anything at all! I got all of my gear loaded up the night before and then awoke to the alarm at 2:45 am! Another short night of sleep! I met Jeff at a local parking spot and he looked to be bright eyed and bushy tailed! I thought to myself that, that was entirely way too much enthusiasm for 3:15 am! I really had high hopes of Jeff seeing something this morning to keep his hunting enthusiasm high, nothing worse than to try to get someone interested in hunting and then them not seeing anything their first two times out!

As we headed north for the hour drive to Chico's house, Jeff asked me what he should expect when we got there, I told him it really depended on how many people showed up for the draw and what area we got to pick. Finally getting to Chico's place we loaded everything into his truck and the boat, we then headed to the Dept. of Natural Resources station in St. Charles Michigan. We got there just before the 5am draw, we got our party ticket filled out but there were 23 other groups there also! That meant if we didn't get one of the first couple of draws we would be in trouble! Sure enough we drew 12^th, right in the middle! The previous morning we had to take an area where we had to pull our boat over a dike to get to our area. Some places had two dikes you had to pull over! Not my idea of a way to begin a morning with a new hunter.

Sure enough all the easy spots got taken early so we once again took area 13 which we hunted the day before. Not that I mind pulling a dike, but with a new guy you don't know what to expect since he doesn't know what to do. We made our way to the boat launch and put in the canal to head out. Still very much dark we navigated our way down to the dike. There it was in all its high and steep slender. The banks were slick with mud from the nights rain, oh yeah I forgot to mention it was raining that morning also! I knew that this was going to be tougher than yesterday morning's pull. It didn't take long before Jeff had slipped and fallen twice before we got started. I heard what sounded like either his head or arm hit the side of the boat! Ouch!!!! We managed to get the boat over the dike and down the other side. Time to get to our standing flooded corn! Jeff was in amazement of how the area was laid out.

We got to area 13 and I helped Chico put decoys out. Jeff tended the boat while Chico laid out his game plan. After we put out two bags of decoys I asked him did he want the other bag put out since it looked like he was finished with his spread. He told me that "I've got something new for you to learn today" I was immediately intrigued. He took the remainder of the decoys and put them on the opposite side of the strip of corn where we were hunting. Neat idea I thought to myself, this just might work this morning, something just a little different than what the ducks were used to seeing.

It was still drizzling a little when we had finished so I was glad that I had my waterproof coat on, I was going to be really glad later but I didn't know it just yet. Chico and I hid the boat in the corn just down from where we were hunting and as we were walking back to the decoy spread where Jeff was now sitting I managed to catch my foot on something down in the water! SPLASH! Down I went! I immediately put my left hand out to stop myself from completely going under. The water was cold and about thigh deep. I wished I had cinched down my wrist straps before I began my walk but I didn't. I hadn't intended on taking a bath that morning but I did! Luckily only my arms got wet. My coat kept my waders from filling up with water. The only reason my arms got wet was the water rushed up my sleeves and that wouldn't have happened if my wrist straps would have been tightened. Chico didn't laugh, but I knew that he was inside! He asked me if I was ok and did I want to leave? Leave? Hell no! I wasn't going to let this be ruined by some wet arms! I didn't care how cold it was.

I got my sleeves wrung out somewhat and I managed to find two hand warmer packs that I immediately put into my sleeves to keep my arms from getting too cold. This would test my endurance to see how much I could stand and just how hard core I could manage to muster from within myself. Nothing like a good challenge to see what your made of, I say! Once I got all situated we still had about 10 minutes to shooting light. At about 4 minutes to shooting light I heard the amazing sound of whistling wings overhead and I saw about 50 ducks flying just above us! What an amazing sight to see! Finally what looked to be flight ducks coming in! Nothing like new birds to start the morning, this just might turn out to be a great day after all!

As shooting light came, we noticed more flight birds coming in, groups of 20, 30 and sometimes even more. The cold front that had swung through the north had started to push some new birds down to our area finally. Then it happened! Something I have never seen in my life! I was looking in the early morning light to the North West and noticed a huge black ribbon moving across the sky, it was a wave of around 3000 flight ducks coming into the refuge! Wow can you believe that I told Jeff! He said yeah, but they are not here where we are. What I thought to myself! That is something you don't see every day! Then I had to check myself and remember that this was only his second hunt of any kind and that he couldn't put that into perspective. Chico tried to explain to him that some people hunt for years and never see anything like that! He still couldn't grasp the beauty of it, he will one day though.

A Few Flying Over

As the morning light grew we began to have ducks work our spread only to have two different groups of hunters across from us call to every bird that came near. With the season being so far in now, every bird that heard those calls just flared away as soon as the first note was blown. These guys just don't get it! They weren't reading the birds to see that they were scaring them away! We did manage to have two birds come in close enough to shoot, but by the time we noticed them and swung on them they had started to catch the wind and bug out. I unloaded any ways since I hadn't shot at anything in the last three trips out, man did it feel good!

Cold Front Moving In

After about an hour into the hunt we looked on the horizon to see the front coming in! Maybe this is just what we needed to get the birds moving. The cold rain came with the wind right in our faces! Yeah Baby! This was what we have been waiting for all season! I never thought I would stand in thigh deep water in 45 degree weather with it pouring down rain and blowing directly in my face! But this was fun! I couldn't believe I was actually having fun doing this, even with my arms soaked from the morning dunk in the water. It rained like that for about an hour or so and the birds began to fly a little more. The only problem was the two groups of idiots across from us, but it was still a great morning to be alive in the field! I took it all in and relished every moment of it! I looked over at Jeff at one point and asked him if he was having fun yet and is this what he expected duck hunting to be like? He was cool with it, but I think he thought he would rather be home where it was warm and dry. Chico on the other hand was as happy as a lark! I was half expecting him to be doing back strokes in the water and singing a song of joy all the while!

We stayed out until around 10 or 10:30 then pulled everything in and headed back to the truck. When we got to the dike everything seemed much easier to pull even though the uphill side going back wasn't as steep. I had a renewed since of energy and ambition. This hunt is exactly what I needed to get my blood flowing again. I can't explain what it was or what it did to me, but it was something that showed me I still had it in me to do something hard and still have fun while working hard to accomplish it. When I saw that weather forecast for the morning I thought I was going to be miserable out there but just the opposite happened.

Don't ever anticipate what your hunt is going to be like or expect something out of it. You might just be surprised at what the outcome actually is! It felt good to not have to worry about a camera, it was good to work hard, it was good to test my endurance, it was good to take a new guy out, it was good to experience nature's beauty of birds and weather, but most importantly it was just damn good to get out! Thanks Chico for a great week of hunting and I can't wait until our steelhead fishing trip in the morning! I don't know what to expect but I know it will be worth it!

Thanks for taking the time to read this story of mine, but now go and get outside so you can experience and enjoy what God and nature have to offer!

Day Three Of Our Bowhunt, Oh What A Day!

2009-10-17T21:02:00.006-04:00

Well this morning we decided to lay low since the temperature was a balmy 20 degrees! Michael was also sick as a dog, so we slept in then had a late breakfast.

Looking Out The North Window

Evening rolled around so Mackenzie and I decided to get our gear on and hit the woods, Michael was still sick so he laid on the couch and slept. We got into the stand by 3:20pm for the evening hunt. The weather warmed up a little to probably around 45 degrees but it was really windy. We couldn't have both the north and south shooting windows open on the tower blind because the wind was coming out of the northeast. I didn't want any scent blowing down out of the south window and across the field.

Waiting Patiently

Nothing was moving at all, and it seemed as if the evening was going to be a bust. Around 5:30pm the little spike came in and browsed around for a while. After a while the little buck seemed to get a little froggy and got spooked off. I couldn't figure out what made him take off until I saw four does coming across the field from the north. I told Mackenzie to get ready this might be her chance.

My Hunting Buddy!

The does came in quick, too quick for her and I to switch spots in the tower blind. We were caught out of position. I told her to stay put and lets switch very slowly so we didn't give our position up to the does. I took a little step then another, then another. Then Mackenzie would take a couple of steps and then I would take a few. It took about 2 or 3 minutes to make the switch. I had her bow in my hands so she wouldn't bump it against anything while switching spots. I knew that this would take some time if we were going to pull this off and that would cause her arms to fatigue so that is why I kept it in my hands until she was ready.

The two older does were really cautious and they spooked off a couple of times, but the fawns kept browsing right in front of us. The older does came back into the clover patch and began to browse again, so I handed her the bow and asked her if she was ready! She nodded yes! Game on!

It seemed like an hour had passed since this all started. It was moving too slow and that is when bad things happen. My heart began to pound in my chest, I was so nervous! I never got like this when I had deer in front of me when I hunt, but it is different when it is your kid and it is happening right in front of you. As she clipped her trigger release on the bow and I finished the hand off to her. It was now all in her hands! I felt like a momma bird who had just thrown her baby out of the nest and said, "Now Fly"!

I whispered to her, "you know where to place the shot right?" She nodded yes, and she drew back silently. The deer never heard her draw, but she said, "I can't see my target area!" She was standing too far back in the blind and couldn't see completely over the edge of the window. The deer were only 12 yards away and we were 13 feet up in the air. So she took one step forward while the bow is still at full draw. I asked her if she could see it now and she nodded yes! I said locate your mark and squeeze off the shot when your ready. The blind began to vibrate, it was Mackenzie shaking! I could see the bow shaking and her legs were shaking and I was shaking for her! The deer suddenly moved forward one step and looked up! Oh no!

Then the year and a half old doe took one step back and lowered her head when I heard THWAP! I saw the arrow hit the doe a little high and back. As she bounded away I saw the arrow sticking about 3/4 of the way in, I thought to myself Oh NO! The doe took about 6 bounding leaps and stopped. She just stood there then she went down! YES!!!! She rolled over and expired! My daughter had just taken her first deer and it was with a bow only one day after her 12th birthday!

Mackenzie and Her First Deer!

And She Took It With A Bow!

As I turned to her I said do you know that you just took your first deer? She asked me, "it is down?" I said, "YES, it is right over there in the field"! She couldn't see it when it ran off because I leaned into the window to watch it as it bounded off. I wanted to make sure I knew where it went incase we had to track it. She really began to shake then! She sat down and began to get all giddy! I exchanged hugs and hi fives with her as we relived the shot. After spending a few minutes watching to see if the doe was breathing, I made my way down with my bow to make sure it had expired. Once I knew it was gone I went back to the blind to get her and the camera.

Mackenzie and Her Doe!

We took plenty of video and photos of the event, then we had the pleasure of making the walk back to the truck to wait on my dad to show up. While taking photos I made sure to blood her, when my dad walked up she asked him if he had anything to wipe her face off. He looked at her and realized what she was talking about. He smiled and gave her a HUGE hug! We drove back to the deer and my dad field dressed it for her. We then brought it back to camp to hang it on the pole and wash it out. We also found out from John who lives up here that she is the first female to take a deer at this club in it's 70 year existance! WAY TO GO GIRL!!!!!

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!

I'm one proud dad right now!

Bow Hunting With The Kids Day One & Two

2009-10-17T12:03:00.011-04:00

Our much anticipated bow season trip to the north has finally arrived. We planned a five day trip to hang in the north woods to hunt the elusive whitetail deer. I brought Mikey and my daughter Mackenzie up for the hunt, this would be Mackenzie's first big hunt to hang out with dad.

We arrived in camp on Thursday afternoon during the second full week of archery season just in time to get ready for the evening hunt. We got our gear on and made our way to the stands. I dropped Mikey off at his raised tower blind, then Mackenzie and I made our way back to the tower we were going to hunt out of.

She was full of questions on the walk out which made me realize I needed to explain things that I and Mikey both take for granted. This was her second time out with a bow in her hands, but it was her first "real" hunt. It was great to hear all of the inquizative questions about what and why we were doing things. We made our way quietly to the tower and began our climb up.

One View From The Stand

Once settled in we got our game on and began our sit. The first two hours were uneventful, then around 5pm we saw movement! It was two big bucks out in the field about 200 yards out. They cautiously made their way down to about 100 yards, when they began to sniff and curl their noses and lips in the air. At the same time we noticed a couple does at the opposite end of the field we were hunting. It reminded me of the blog that Dan Block wrote last week about bucks coming out and checking fields with does to see if they are receptive. That is just what these bucks looked like they were doing. They kept looking down towards the does and kept sniffing, after about five minutes of this they casually walked back into the tree line and disappeared! Both were nice big bucks that looked like 8pts best I could tell. They both had antlers outside their ears, which got my attention right away!

Mackenzie Checking Her Gear

We saw one lone buck that was not quite as big as the first two but was still a nice buck later that evening, he to didn't venture close enough to consider a shot. During the waining light the does began to fill the field all around us! Macknezie told me that she couldn't believe how close they were to us and how many of them were out there! I could see the excitement in her eyes! This alone made me happy to see her having a great time! We only had one doe that came in close enough to shoot, but she had two fawns with her so I told Mackenzie to let her pass. As darkenss fell, the field was full of deer. We had to wait until they left out of the field before we climbed down so we didn't alert them to our presence.

We found out that Mikey had shot a doe that evening but we had a hard time finding a lot of blood. We decided to track it the next morning since it was going to be below freezing for the night. From listening to his acount of the shot, it sounded like he hit the deer good enough to put it down, we just had to find it. All in all day one was a huge success in my eyes!

The next morning was very slow, but I did have an opportunity for a shot. There was a heavy frost that morning and Mackenzie and I left our bows in the tower blind. Just at daybreak I saw a deer making it's way towards us right down the middle of the field. It came within 15 yards of us and by now it was light enough to see that it was a nice big 6 point with the antlers outside of his ears! He was browsing in front of us and finally got broadside to us! I drew my bow and it CREAKED! The cold caused it to creak when I drew back and that was all it took for the buck to bound away three or four leaps! He looked around, flicked his tail a couple of times and then casually walked away back into the brush. Other than that we only saw two other deer that morning. It taught me a lesson, if you leave your gear out in the cold, make sure you exercise it several times before setting up in the stand.

We went out after the morning hunt to look for Mikey's doe with no luck. We had four of us out looking for over three hours. We found blood for the first 100 yards but then nothing. The other guy who helped us search told Mikey that he saw enough evidence to know that the doe was piled up somewhere dead. It just didn't leave enough sign to be found. He told Mikey that he would find it next week and let him know where it was at. There isn't many deer that John doesn't find, he just waits to see the birds circling to find the carcases.

Little Spike In The Field

The evening hunt wasn't much better. We only saw 9 deer, only one baby spike coming close enough to generate any excitement. I did see one big buck, he was too far off to see exactly how big his rack was, but from the distance I saw him from I could tell he had a nice set of antlers on him. We did hear some coyotes off in the distance that drew Mackenzie's attention. She asked what they were and when I told her that they were coyotes, she asked if they were close to us and if they could climb up and get us! I told her that she need not worry, they were far away and couldn't climb up!

The Birthday Girl

One last thing I should mention is that this was her 12th birthday today! Not only did I take her deer hunting, but I also made a birthday cake in the evening for her! Not too many kids can say that their dad takes them deer hunting and makes them a birthday cake! There better not be any Betty Crocker Jokes! Call me Chef Boy-R-Dee!

Jake’s First Big Boy Hunt

2009-10-11T14:18:00.009-04:00

My youngest boy Jacob finally turned 10 last April, so he is now old enough to hunt here in Michigan. We've had him out during spring turkey season and on a squirrel hunt this fall, but he has yet to go on what he called a "Big Boy Hunt", that is what he calls it when I go out with all the guys on a group hunt. He has always wanted to be one of the gang so we planned ahead and thanks to Up North Journal Staff Member Chico Lopez, he helped put together a hunt to take a group of 6 out for the duck opener.

As the days approached his anticipation grew, I could see it in his eyes and I just knew this was going to be a hunt he would always remember! Then came the word that where we were going we would have to be on the water at midnight! Yes I said, MIDNIGHT! This spot that Chico picked for us to go was a hot spot that always filled up early, so we had to be first at the launch to get the prime spot or even a spot at all. I explained to Jake that we would have to sleep in the boat and that it would be near freezing conditions, he was still game for the trip, although I knew he didn't fully understand. I made sure that he had plenty of layered clothing along with the Mr. Buddy propane heater to keep him warm.

Randy Duncan a friend of the UNJ team got to the house around 10pm and we loaded the boat and truck, then we made the trip north! We got to Chico's house and had to wait on Dave Hagen to get out of work, we made it away from Chico's house by 11:45pm or so. As we arrived at the boat launch we saw only one other truck putting a boat in, so we were second in line to put our boats in. This was going to be an all new experience for us! I followed Chico, Dave, and Mikey who were all in Chico's boat to the spot we were going to set up at. It took about 10 minutes to get to the area Chico said would put on a good show for us all.

As we sat and Chico told us just how we would be setting up that morning. We took my boat first and pushed it into the cattail reeds parallel to the water's edge. Next was Chico's boat, we slipped it right in behind mine to form a line for all six of us to get some safe shooting at ducks we would be targeting. We were about 2 feet deep in the reeds looking out over the water so we took the reeds in front of us and bent them over so they formed a wall about two feet high in front of us as we sat looking out from the boats. Then we pulled the reeds behind us towards the boat so they would provide cover from the back just in case any waterfowl came in from the backside. These reeds were about 12 feet tall and provided excellent cover as you can see from the photos. Mikey is in the water in front of my boat with Chico standing next to my video camera, then Jake is to the left of him standing up. Imagine sitting behind the wall in front of them, there was no way anything in front was going to see us!

Our Set Up In The Cattail Reeds, Can You See Us?

We got the boats into place by around 1:30am, then Chico had a surprise for us! He broke out the grill! Yes I said, GRILL! He made hotdogs for all six of us, I brought the pop and chips, so we had a nice little feast to tide us over till the shooting started some 5 hours away!

The Offical Snack and Drink Of Team UNJ!

After the midnight snack, breakfast, or whatever you want to call it we settled in for the long wait till 7:10am legal shooting time! The jokes started flying and Jake joined right in the fun. For a 10 year old he can be pretty funny! Dave took the brunt of most of Jake's potshots! I think he was repaying him for flagging away his first goose a month ago. Around 3:30am the boys fell silent and the cold started to settle in, it was around 35 degrees! Jake climbed up on the casting deck of the boat and I fired up the propane heater for him to stay warm. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Randy and I small talked back and forth for the next couple of hours or so. Mikey tried to take a sharpie marker to Dave's face as he slept, but Dave had a camo face mask on so Mikey couldn't deliver any damage to Dave's mug! Chico began to cut about 2 cords of wood with his snoring, I could hear him from the opposite end of my boat some 25 feet away!

Everyone woke up around 5:30am to the sound of hundreds of geese flying overhead, all you could see was stars and the moon, but you could hear the geese and their wing beats on the silent predawn sky! Jake told me that he had never heard anything quite like that and that it was pretty cool! As the morning light began to break you could start to see the flights of geese silhouetted against the purple sky and smaller dots which were ducks making their way to the marsh. By 6:30am we were all wide awake and in position to start pouring the steel to the unsuspecting fowl in front of us. We had ducks flying in and dumping into our spread before legal shooting time, Jake told me that he couldn't believe that they were that close to us! I told him if you think this is good, just wait until the shooting starts!

Jake In The Marsh!

7:10am was signaled by the first shot of the morning from someone across the marsh! The shooting was non-stop and I mean NON-STOP for the next 45 minutes! It sounded like a war zone, and the ducks and geese were coming from all directions! Just as the shooting started we had a lone duck land just outside edge of the decoys, so we let Jake take his first bird. He drew down and took it clean! Everyone on the boat give him an ataboy! After that I told him that we needed to take them on the wing. When we got his bird back to the boat we realized that it was a Merganser, we all wished it would have been another species, but Jake was happy and that is all that mattered!

Jake Posing With His First Bird!

Another Pose With His Bird!

The shooting was hot for the first half hour or so, with all of us getting some shooting in. Most of the birds were Blue and Green Wing Teal. Randy Duncan took a nice hen Gadwall, which we didn't know at the time was his first duck!

Mikey Fetching Ducks!

We had birds coming from all directions and a lot of them came from behind overhead which caught us all by surprise! After about the first 15 minutes of shooting Jake turned to me and said, "Man my shoulder is getting sore, but this sure is fun" as he smiled at me and loaded another shell into his gun after shooting at a passing bird! That made my morning! He was using a Youth Remington 870 20ga with 3" magnum #4 steel loads. You cannot find much variety in 20ga steel shot around our area.

Looking Down Shooter's Row!

After the first hour or so, things started to settle down and the shooting became sparse. With all the shooting going on we only took about 10 ducks that morning, but we had a blast! By 12 noon the birds had pretty much quit flying, so we loaded up our decoys and headed back to the truck. When we got back to the launch, I went to the truck to put a few items in and move to the water to get my boat. Something caught my eye and I wondered why my back window was frosted over, that is when I realized it was BROKE! I went to the rear of the truck and saw three distinct hits from bird shot! Someone shot my truck! Looking everything over, we only found three hits on the truck, two on the rear window and one just above the window on the cab of the truck which left a dent and chipped the paint. Someone lobbed a shot towards the parking area and my truck took the hit. Thank goodness no one else's truck got hit. I called the police and filed a report, now I have to get the window replaced this week before I head north for bow hunting.

My Shot Up Rear Window

With the window incident putting a damper on the day, I still consider it a success since we got Jake out for his first "Big Boy Hunt"! He had fun, we had fun, and no one got hurt, so in my eyes the window was just something that shouldn't have happened and I won't let that ruin my first "Big Boy Hunt" with my son!

This Is What Hunting Is All About People!

I can't wait till the next one! A BIG thank you for Chico and Dave for inviting us up for opening day, breakfast, and a great time! That was the UNJ crew's opening day Big Boy Hunt!

Food For Thought!

2009-10-04T00:21:00.001-04:00

"A hunt based on only trophies taken falls far short of what the ultimate goal should be...time to commune with your inner soul as you share the outdoors with the birds, animals, and fish that live there." - Fred Bear

Al Baggett from Benefit 4 Kids, who happens to be a good friend of mine posted this quote this week on facebook. I found it to have a tremendous amount of meaning to me! The quote says it all, enough said!

Opening Day Of Archery Season

2009-10-03T20:02:00.005-04:00

Opening day of Michigan Archery Deer Season came way too early for my liking this year. With too many things to do and way too many projects going on, the opener came faster than expected. I never got a chance to set a treestand in the early season nor did I get the time I needed to tune everything the way I would have liked.

I know it sounds like excuses, but walk a mile in my shoes and you will understand the pressure I've been under lately. Wednesday evening at work was a real killer and the next morning was on my mind heavily. I hustled out of work at midnight only to get home and finish getting all my gear together for the next morning's opener. I finally got into bed around 1am and fell asleep quickly, then the 5:30am wake up alarm rang after what only seemed like an hour of sleep. I got up right away knowing fellow UNJ staffer Matt Woodbury would be heading to my house by 6am. I was actually more prepared than I thought by the time he arrived.

I walked out to my truck only to be greeted by a heavy frost and cold air! Hey it is only October 1^st! What gives? It was almost a record setting low for the night, I thought this might get the deer to stirring at day break. With my cup of coffee in hand I started the truck and ran the defroster along with my wipers and windshield washer fluid to clean off the windshield. Matt was ready to rock, so I followed him to our little private spot to see if we could muster some luck on opening day.

After pulling in the driveway to the landowners home, I began to strip down and suit up in my Scent-Lok and then spray down with a little Dead Down Wind that Matt had brought. I grabbed my pop up blind, camera, tripod, bow, and seat (well Matt carried my seat) then it was down the trail! My attitude had changed into a better mind set once we began to head to the deer woods. It is amazing what the outdoors can do for a person's soul!

My Morning View!

Matt dropped me off at my food plot and I began to pop up the blind I had brought, down deep I knew that it was going to be a crap shoot for the morning hunt since I hadn't scouted properly! I settled down into the cold darkness and began to nock an arrow, then set up my video camera for any possible action. As I was getting my arrow ready to knock I looked at the three offerings I brought with me, you see the day before I named my arrows! I labeled them on the cock feather with a sharpie! First was "Killer", second was "Back Straps", and last of all was "Heart Stopper". I blindly grabbed "Back Straps", great choice I thought. Maybe that was going to be an omen!

Back Straps!

The daylight began to creep over the horizon and the woods began to wake up, only there were no deer to be seen. I sure hope Matt was seeing more than me. I did manage to see one lone goose flying around the area three times looking and honking at something. After a couple hours of not seeing anything I got bored so I grabbed my I Phone and began to surf the web a little. I hit facebook and noticed that one of the guys on there from my home area had lost a dear friend over night in a horrible accident. It was then that my attitude once again changed!

After getting happy about being out in the woods I got bored because I wasn't seeing anything. After reading that post about someone losing a friend, I realized just how lucky I was to be sitting in a blind on the opening day of bow season! What more could I ask for? I was enjoying yet another opening day and watching the woods wake up! Even though I didn't see any deer I'm sure glad I went out to experience yet another opening day. We never know how many days we have left in God's beautiful creation so every day we spend out in it consider yourself one lucky person! You never know when it might be your last!

Jacob’s First Squirrel Hunt

2009-09-19T22:49:00.010-04:00

Since the kids are starting to grow up and as fall approaches my hunting season seems to become more absent as the years go by. This year is no exception to the rule. Here in Michigan the early goose season is immediately followed by the opener of small game season then early doe season along with the youth waterfowl weekend hunt all in about two weeks time.

The opening of these four seasons along with the fact that I now have three kids of hunting age has resulted in very little sleep and almost no hunting for me! You know what? I wouldn't have it any other way! This weekend was a tough decision to make for myself along with my two boys. We had to decide what we were going to tackle this weekend and try to make the most of if along with keeping all of us happy, well keeping the boys happy at least.

Jake Looking For Limb Bacon!

We or should I say they decided to opt for the waterfowl hunt on Saturday morning. The plan was to get both boys our for the youth waterfowl weekend which would be Jake's first waterfowl hunt over water. Now the problem was that where we were going to hunt was a marsh that was too deep for Jake to get into even with waders. Mike really wanted to go so I told him to go with my buddies and that I would take Jake out for his first ever small game hunt. Jake was cool with that since all he wanted to do was get out and harvest something since he was now old enough to hunt.

I took Mike up to Birch Run to meet fellow UNJ field staffer Chico Lopez who was going to take Mike out and meet up with Dave to hit the marsh that was a 4am wake-up call! I drove the half hour back home and got another 45 minutes of sleep before waking Jake up to hit the wood lot. It didn't take him long to get his gear together and pop into the truck. I managed to climb into the truck and get it pointed in the right direction. As we drove over to the state park Jake was a chatter box. He wanted to know exactly what to expect for the morning's hunt. I reassured him that all would work out and that I would take him to my new found location where the tree rats hang out.

As we wheeled into the park I was amazed that we were the only ones there! This was going to be great, it was 39 degrees, no wind, and the sun was starting to break the horizon! Perfect! We unloaded at the parking area and I loaded Jake's .22 mag bolt action Marlin rifle that he borrowed from Mike. I then loaded the little Winchester .22 mag lever action that I was going to carry. I made sure that the power was turned down on the rifle that Jake was going to use since he always seems to have a problem looking through a scope this scope was a Bushnell Banner series which worked well for him.

Once we got started down the trail into the wood lot I made Jake take the lead to see just how much he had remembered from Hunter's Safety, it didn't take long for me to see that he remembered all the safety lessons about carrying in the field. I watched him make the necessary carry switches depending on what obstacles he encountered. Don't tell me that a 10 year old doesn't understand firearm safety! As we made our way quietly through the woods, we would stop about every 20 or 30 yards to listen for sound and scan the tree tops for any movement. The woods were becoming alive and I could see the curiosity in Jake's eyes as he had that look on his face of "What was that sound?" I would ask him, "What do you think that was making that sound?" He would give me an answer and if he was right I would give him an ataboy! If not, I would try to let him figure it out without giving it away.

Walking through the wood lot, I would notice odd little things or features that I would point out to him for a later lesson on navigation through the woods. We finally settled up on a spot near where I had seen and heard some squirrels on opening day. We posted up and sat for about 30 minutes listening to the nearby sound of a squirrel going through its morning ritual of having breakfast. Not seeing anything though, Jake asked if we could move into the same location where I sat on opening day. We quietly made our way up a ridge into the exact spot I had been sitting when we heard the chatter of a squirrel in a nearby tree. Jake told me that he thought it was up a tree just in front of us so we both started scanning the canopy for movement. It took about 15 minutes and Jake spotted him first! I told him to get the scope on him and settle in for a shot. It took about a minute for the critter to settle down for a shot from the 'ol Jakester!

He drew down on it and popped off a shot, immediately the squirrel scurried behind the tree and started chattering at him. I told Jake to get ready and wait, he might come back out again. The problem was that Jake was free handing the shot. I told him to rest up against the nearby tree to steady his shot. The squirrel came down the tree and hit the ground eventually popping up on a little stick looking at us. Jake took careful aim and BANG! Down he went! Jake looked at me with a big grin and said, "I got him dad, I got him!" I noticed that the squirrel began to move and I was afraid he would run off so I put another round in him. Jake went over to pick him up and he began to move again, so Jake pulled up and touched the trigger one more time.

Jake's First Squirrel!

As he brought that squirrel back to me with that big grin on his face I was one proud dad! My boy has now become a hunter! After posing for a few photos, Jake was eager to get back to the hunt. We got a game plan together and did another push up towards a different ridge. Once we reached the top we heard more chatter. Jake saw movement in a tree up ahead and wanted to put a stalk on him. We quietly moved into position to a nearby tree for cover. Jake began to scan the tree tops again and found the movement, but this time it was WAY up top! He couldn't get into position to take a good shot so we waited. Finally he got to where he could see the squirrel and tried to put a shot on him. He missed, but the squirrel leaped down to the next limb in plain sight. I wasn't going to let him get away so I put the cross hairs on him and squeezed off a round that brought him to the ground with a dull thud! Jake looked at me and said, "You got him dad!" I couldn't have done it without you making him jump to that other limb, that is what I call team work I told him.

Number Two In The Bag!

It was getting late and I could tell Jake was getting tired so we made our way back to the truck to wrap up his first small game hunt. While on the way back to the truck I asked him if he know how to get back to the truck? He told me no, he didn't know where we were. While looping back through the wood lot I began to show him the odd little features that we saw on our way in. He picked up pretty quick on the direction we needed to head and I let him lead the way back out to the parking area. Without the aid of a trail he picked out the directions we needed to travel and he got us back to where we needed to be. He learned a little more than just how to hunt this morning. I remember getting lost in the woods with my dad a few times and I wanted to make sure that Jake knew how to keep his wits about him even in a small wood lot.

He was excited and tired from the day's hunt. As we made our way home he made the round of phone calls to let all the grandparents and family know that he bagged his first game from the woods! He told the story over and over with more enthusiasm each time he repeated it. I may have missed out on my early doe hunt today, but it was worth it! I got to spend time with my boy in the woods and watch him harvest his first game in the field! I wouldn't have it any other way!

On another note, he told me he wanted to make squirrel stew with his game. I asked him did he know how to make it and he told me he was going to use the recipe from Bob Rich from the "BR Shooting Journal", I can't wait to try it!

Michigan Squirrel Season Opening Day

2009-09-17T01:56:00.002-04:00

I haven't hunted squirrels by myself in probably over 20 years. Opening day was coming, the kids were in school and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get out by myself and do a little hunting without worrying about the cameras. The night before opening day I was to say the least a little excited.

Morning came and my wife informed me that I had to take the two oldest kids to school. Dog gone it! I just knew something was going to screw up my plans. Well I got my stuff together anyway and figured I could still make it to the woods about a half hour later than I wanted too. I got my turkey vest out and put my Thermacell in the pouch along with a box of .22 mag cartridges. I told my daughter to grab my vest and put it in the truck while I put my boots on, BIG MISTAKE! We left for school and then I headed to the state park after dropping them off.

While driving near the park I watched four deer cross the road in front of me, I thought this is a good sign to see game moving. It was bright and sunny with the sun just over the horizon. The air was crisp and cool with dew still on the grassy surfaces. This was a perfect morning to be in the woods. As I pulled into the entrance to the park three more deer crossed in front of my truck! I passed the guard shack and noticed one truck parked in the little lot near the booth. I thought I would drive back to hit the oak ridge near the big lake. As I came to the intersection, the road leading to the lake had the gate shut! I couldn't believe it, it should have been open for the goose hunters! I turned and drove to the other small lake near the campgrounds. That gate was also locked and the hunter parking area still had the rocks in front of the entrance, but there was a vehicle parked on the side of the road. It had to be another hunter in the wood lot already in the woods, so I turned and headed back to the small parking area by the guard shack.

I wasn't going to let a few little problems keep me out of the woods on such a great day. I parked and got out of the truck, grabbed the .22 mag rifle and slipped the clip with 5 rounds into the gun. I then went to grab the turkey vest and that is when I noticed that my daughter had forgot to put my vest in the truck like I asked her! Still determined to hit the woods, I told myself that I would have to just put up with the mosquitoes! I locked the doors on the truck and hit the trail leading into the woods.

I started towards the trail and couldn't have taken more than 10 steps into the woods when I heard a whistle from someone. I looked ahead and to my right and saw hunter's orange! MAN! I just can't win! This guy was no more than 50 yards from the parking area! I turned around and headed towards a field that paralleled him. I had walked about a quarter mile in waist high grass getting soaking wet when I saw a squirrel busting across a nearby tree top. I slithered into the woods near where I saw him and hunkered down next to a tree. I started looking around and noticed that I was surrounded by quite a few huge oak trees. This looked good!

As I sat down the mosquitoes began to buzz, but I was determined! It was about 10 minutes later when the woods became alive with chatter and noises. The squirrels began to bark back and forth, then I could hear them chewing on acorns and the scraps were hitting the forest floor. I just knew that I was going to get a crack at a few of them. The problem was that it was still so green and the canopy was so thick I couldn't see anything. It was still nice to just sit and listen to them, hoping to get a glimpse of them.

About a half hour passed when I began to hear some shooting to the south of me. It wasn't long until I could see orange coming at me. This guy must not have seen me until the last minute because he came within about 20 yards of me before he acknowledged me. I got up and chatted with him for a few minutes and learned that he already had three in his bag! Then I saw more orange coming our way, he told me that it was his friend. They left and I walked back near where I was at before they came in, I began to hear something overhead so I studied the canopy again for about 10 minutes with no luck. About that same time I saw more orange coming my way. I thought can this get any worse?

As I was watching this other guy come near me, I heard a gun blast about 50 yards behind me! It scared the day lights out of me! I never saw anyone behind me or any orange flashes in the surrounding woods. It was then that I said enough is enough! I started heading out!

As I broke back into the field, I noticed a downed tree and a squirrel had jumped up on it! I drew down on it and flicked the safety off. I put the crosshairs on the side of the squirrel and squeezed the trigger, SNAP! What the heck? I racked another shell into the chamber, but by that time the critter had moved on! I looked for the ejected cartridge but couldn't locate it since I was in waist high grass, even after getting down on all fours plowing through the weeds. I'm assuming it was a bad primer in the round since we have never had any issues with that firearm.

Soaking wet I made my way back to the truck and headed home! With all the bad luck that morning, I still had a great time spending some time out in the woods by myself listening to the woods come alive! I wouldn't have had it any other way!

Early Goose Season Take Two

2009-09-17T01:10:00.004-04:00

If you've been following the website lately, you've noticed that we have added a few field staff members to our team. One of those members is Chico Lopez, who I was fortunate enough to spend five days in the goose field with this early season. Chico along with his friends Dave and Art were nice enough to invite Mikey and I along for almost a week's worth of fun!

Day two of the season started out EARLY, like 3 am early! Mike and I made our way up to Saginaw in the Mid Michigan area to hook up with our new found friends. As we got to the field, I was once again relegated to lawn mowing duty! Actually I found this to be a good way to help the time pass until shooting light. I don't know the first thing about setting up decoys so it makes me feel useful at least by gathering the vegetation to cover the blinds.

Mike's Banded Bird

It wasn't a gang buster day by no means, but we did get to see some flocks come our way, and one of those groups was a smaller group of four birds that made the mistake of flying in our "No Fly Zone". Two of the birds didn't make it out to tell the others. Mike downed one of the birds and it happened to be a banded goose! It was his first band ever! We shared in his joy of obtaining his first piece of jewelry for his lanyard. Dave took the other bird that was harvested that morning.

I didn't get to hunt the next day with them since work forced me to miss the hunting trip back north. Mike made it and they took 12 birds that evening! The following morning I managed to wake again at 3 am and get the boys up for the trip north once again. Jake, my youngest boy was in tow this morning for his first goose hunt ever! He was wide awake and pumped to hit the fields. Once we got their he pitched right in and helped get the gear into the field and brush up the blinds. Chico's buddy Art brought us out breakfast that he made that morning. Much to our delight we had breakfast tacos that were still warm! What a way to begin the morning.

The Saginaw Goose Connection!

Art, Mike, Chico, Dave

The action was slow this day also, but we did get a single flyer to come in and we thought we were going to get to see Jake take a shot at his first bird. As the bird came in close, Dave began to flag for some odd reason and the bird took off! We hammered him pretty good all day for that one! To this day we still give him grief, but hey that is what friends are for, right?

The next day I invited the boys to come down and hit one of the fields I had permission to hunt. This time they had to get up the extra hour early to make the trip down here! We hit the field and got set up early. I once again had the camera in hand and managed to get a flight of 12 birds coming in flying in formation to their demise! The boys unloaded on them and took 5 birds! After that I said, enough! I'm putting the gun in my hands. Two more flights came in and I managed to rip off a couple of shots and down a bird, but once Mike went after it the bird took flight again and was never seen again as it flew out of sight!

We gave Dan DeFauw a call early that morning and got him to come out to the field and run camera for us. We had one more chance at a group of birds, but when the shooting started Art forgot to reload his gun from the previous round. His birds managed to get away! After that we got to hear Chico bust out in song with a rendition of "I ain't got no shells in my gun"! We took home 7 birds that morning so it was another productive day.

Seven More Birds In The Freezer!

Mike, Chico, Art

The next day we scouted some new fields in the morning and then hunted back in Saginaw for that evening. We took UNJ staffer Chuck Parr with us to run camera for the hunt, but we didn't get to fire a single shot that evening. What would be my last early season hunt began the next morning with the boys coming back down to one of my fields.

We drug out Dan DeFauw again to run camera for us. We got set up in the middle of a alfalfa field that was bright green! The morning was extremely slow until Dan saw three birds coming in silent! Mike coaxed them in with his Lynch Mob call for them to meet their eminent doom! All Three birds went down to our four guns blazing! As the boys went to retrieve the birds one took flight again and made it out to live another day. With the morning being slow, we eventually decided to pack up. As I unloaded my shotgun, two birds came in overhead and high. We all dove into our blinds and reloaded as we watched them lock up and start to land. The bird to my left got popped by someone and then I drew down on the right side bird. I shot and Chico shot with the bird falling to the ground. I claimed the kill, but I know I had his help at downing the bird. We each got to take a bird home that day with 4 in the bag!

The Big Green Field!

It was a great way to start the hunting season, but I was also tired and worn out. I've never hunted so hard and had so little sleep in a week's time. Glad I get a little time to rest before bow season starts!

Early Goose Season 2009 Opening Day

2009-09-16T13:45:00.004-04:00

This being my third year of waterfowl hunting thanks to my son Michael, I figured that I should probably try my hand at field goose hunting for the early season this year. Since we have made a few new friends that happen to waterfowl hunt, we hooked up with them and gave it a run!

Opening day we met up with Mossy Oak Pro Staff member John McNamara and a friend of his to hit the goose fields. I was excited to try my hand at videotaping Mikey's hunt to see what I could capture on tape. This was a completely new experience for me since I had never stepped into a goose field at all. They designated me as the lawn mower which I didn't mind, I had to gather up enough brush to camouflage four ground blinds.

With that task finished we hunkered down to get ready for the arrival of the flocks. I was amazed at just how fast and how many birds came in after day break. It didn't take long for the shooting to start and the excitement to begin! The first group came in and the three of them took seven birds! I was running two cameras and captured it all on video! What a rush to see the geese come in so low and noisy! Once the shooting stopped the three of them hit the fields running after their game! As they were in the fields more started to fly in. Back into the blinds they jumped!

Opening Day Harvest

Once again another round of shooting and seven more fell! The limit was 5 for each person so that was it for the harvest! As we gathered up our belongings and the birds, a neighbor lady came running into the field screaming and crying! We were upsetting her because we shot "her birds"! Oh boy here we go! After the boohooing and crying stopped she told us we couldn't hunt there anymore and she would see to it that we didn't, sure enough she had enough pull with the farmer that John lost that field. She actually told us she was an activist! Can you say hunter harassment! John didn't want to push the issue since the farmer had other fields he was allowing him to hunt.

This crap really upsets me, they squawk and we get shut down because the farmer doesn't want to deal with it. Come on guys! The farmers that want to continue to hunt, lease, allow people to hunt, etc… have to start standing up for their rights as well as the people he lets on his property! If you've been following my blogs and podcast you know how I feel on the issue. Since I was a guest on the hunt, I didn't say much!

Other than that though, the hunt was awesome and I was hooked even though I didn't carry a gun into the fields!

Watching Him Grow Up

2009-09-08T12:35:00.007-04:00

This last week was the hardest, wildest and most fun week I've had hunting in a long time! We hooked up with some new friends and a new UNJ Field Staff Member (Chris "Chico" Lopez) on a wild week of Michigan Early Season Goose Hunting.

Mikey And His Opening Day Birds

Mikey and I started the week off by going with Mossy Oak Pro Staff Member John McNamara to one of his fields for opening day, then it was off to the crew from the north that I mentioned earlier. What was so unique about these hunts was how I watched Mikey grow right before my very eyes!

Mikey On Opening Day With A Few Of Our Friends

Sure I had fun running the camera and capturing video of our hunt and I had fun taking a few shots along with bagging my first goose, but the real excitement was watching Mikey do his thing. I have never seen him work so hard to obtain a goal that he coveted so much. He was in a zone all his own this week, working at getting the goose trailer ready to haul the gear out, making sure we had all the gear we needed and taking charge in the field with the calling. It was like watching an adult growing into his own out there. He worked well with all the guys in the field and when it came to the teasing and ribbing, he was right there giving it back along with taking it like one of the guys should!

Mikey Practicing His Calling In The Field

When the hunt was over, he was right there cleaning up and making sure everything was put away properly, not to mention he took care of all the game we harvested! The field dressing and cleaning of the meat was all his doing, making sure nothing was spoiled or wasted. I can't wait until he makes his goose jerky that he has been talking about!

Mikey With Art And Chico Gathering Up Birds

What I witnessed this week was a 15 year old boy becoming a man and taking charge of the situation. If he had his drivers license he could have done this without me and that is when I knew he was growing up and becoming his own person. He doesn't need me to tell him what to do anymore when it comes to the field, I can't wait to see him pass that tradition along to his kids one day! One down and three more kids to go. My job as an outdoors men father is 25% complete! I don't want it to go by too fast, but it sure is fun watching it happen! It makes all those troublesome times seem so far away now and it was all worth it!

A Morning Harvest With The Boys From Saginaw

I will post later on how our whirlwind week went later. I thought this post was more important than what we took from the field, so look forward to the posts of our 7 day adventure.

Turkey Season Recap!

2009-08-25T00:20:00.004-04:00

Ok, I know I haven't exactly kept up with blogging my outdoor adventures as of late, well for the last 6 months for that matter! So it is now time to recap my adventures into the wild!

Turkey season came quickly this year and passed quickly as it always does. But I did have a great time and opportunity to show a couple of new hunters how to chase the wiley birds known as thunder chickens. My first trip to the field this spring was with a new friend of mine who eventually became one of the field staffers for the UNJ team, we call him Red but his name is Dan DeFauw. Red lives in the same little community that I'm from and he wanted to learn how to chase the birds this year and I told him I would teach him what I know.

I did quite a bit of preseason scouting to pattern a couple of different flocks of birds since I had a couple of first timers along with my three kids to take also. After about a month of hard scouting I knew where I was going to take Red for his first hunt. It was on a Saturday morning and everything looked as if it was going to be a great day afield. Just as light was breaking the wind kicked up and the clouds rolled in! After three set ups and not even hearing a bird we decided to call it a day and spend the rest of it scouting for the next morning.

We followed the advice of a DNR officer we met up with and searched a nearby field to see what we could find. Looking things over we found an area that would provide good concealment along with what looked like a great spot for turkeys to frequent. We decided that this would indeed be the spot for the next mornings hunt. That next morning we rode to the parking area near where we were going to set up, as soon as we got out of the truck we heard them gobbling off the roost. Red's eyes got big and he said, did you hear that? We kicked it into high gear and hit the field to set up on them. They were still on the roost quite a ways off, so we huriedly set up on them and hunkered down for the show.

I was running the video camera and calling at the same time, try that in the field! I started calling softly and didn't get too much of a response, then I heard the birds pitch down on the ground and the hens started cackling! I heard the gobblers sounding off for them, it was then that I knew that they were henned up and the only shot was to call in the hens to us. If they would come the toms would follow. I started cutting off the hens as soon as I heard them cluck or cackle. It didn't take long until one hen came charging into the field to find us. She came within about 15 feet of our setup! She looked but couldn't find out where the sound was coming from and she exited the field on the other end as I could still hear the other hens going off.
I started cutting them off as well, another hen came charging in looking for us and she walked within 10 feet of where Red was sitting! Then came two more hens out! They didn't come over to our area though, they stayed about 60 yards out and we later found out why! 4 or 5 huge toms came charging into the field to start the show! They also locked up about 60 yards out. I figured that they werer goint to stay away and the only thing we would be shooting was video of them heading out.

I noticed that one tom started to break off from the others, so I called softly to him to see if he would come our way, sure enough here he came! Not only that, but the others did also. They walked right past Red within 30 yards what looked to me like single file. He never shot! I couldn't figure out why, later he told me that they were crossing in front of each other and he didn't have a clear shot at just one bird. They got right in front of me and something told them that they were in trouble so they turned and walked right back past him. He put the bead on the last one in line and pulled the trigger! BOOM!!!! Down he went!

Red & Me With His Bird!

The other turkeys scattered off and Red went out to claim his prize, a nice Double Bearded Tom! 9 3/4" and 9 5/8" beards! 3/4" and 7/8" spurs also. It was a pretty cool deal to be able to call that bird in for him! We caught it all on video also. You can see the footage of that hunt in our first episode of our new show called Beyond The Wild at: http://www.upnorthjournal.com/ .
I also got to take fellow UNJ staffer Chuck Parr out on his first turkey excursion. We almost pulled off the deal, but it wasn't to be. We set up in an area that was holding some birds and I got on some hot toms right at day break. We set up and before I knew it we were too close and they were on the ground right across a small watering hole from us. Two nice big toms with ground dragging beards! They couldn't figure out how to get around or over the water to where we were calling from. They eventually bugged out and we never saw them again.

I got to hit the field with my oldest daughter and youngest son this turkey season also. We never saw any birds but we did hear some and they got to see some deer up close and personal so they really enjoyed their own personal hunts as well. I managed to get one day of turkey hunting in for myself, but all in all I had an awesome time this season with my kids and two first time turkey hunters as well! It was a great time this spring chasing the birds!

Houghton Lake Trip Day Three

2009-02-22T00:20:00.000-05:00

The final morning arrived without us freezing to death. Jake was sweating to death in the top bunk so I moved him down to my bunk and I began to cook the breakfast for a king again. We ate and I began to get our gear together for the trip home. We still hadn't caught any fish, but we weren't giving up just yet.

Me Cooking Again! Camp Cook For The Weekend!

The day was really windy again, but at least the snow had stopped. It was a bright and sunny day with a stiff blowing breeze. Michael kept bait on the tip ups while we got packed up and ready to go. Jake and I began to make trips back to the shore with all of our gear put in the trailer on the atv. After about five trips we had almost everything back on shore at the truck.

Looking Down An Ice Hole In The Shanty

We still hadn't got any fish when all of a sudden a flag on the tip up went off. Mikey ran out and checked it. Nothing on it but the bait had been cut in half! Finally a fish had bitten one of our lines! We had watched a couple of other shantys that weekend catch a few fish but nothing to write home about. But we finally had something to tell, at least something had hit one of our lines. That whole weekend we had thrown every lure at them that we had along with the kitchen sink! I knew the fish were there, but the weather had them all messed up.

One Of The Smaller Ice Houses In Shanty Town

We didn't catch anything but I didn't go for the fish, I went for the experience of sleeping out on the ice! The fish would have been icing on the cake! We got all of our gear out and loaded back into the truck and trailer so we could head home. Before we left we gave Dave and Chip a tip of $20 each. They looked at us like we were crazy, they told us no one has ever tipped them before! I couldn't believe that! These two guys were very helpful to us and when ever we needed anything they brought it to us. I couldn't have left there without showing them our appreciation. If you ever have someone helping you like that on a trip, take the time to tip them even if it is a small amount. Something like that goes a long ways. They told us to come back this summer and they would take us out on the lake and put us on some fish! I think we will take them up on that one!

Before we made it to the freeway to head home, Chuck and Mikey persuaded me to stop again at Jay's Sporting Goods store. It really didn't take too much talking to get me to stop there again for them. We had a wonderful time there and I would do it again next year. I'm looking forward to taking more people up with us next year and trying it again. If you would like to reserve a shanty or even a sleeper shanty at Houghton Lake, be sure to check out Lyman's on the Lake website for futehr information! Thanks Lyman for all of your help!

Houghton Lake Trip Day Two

2009-02-21T23:49:00.000-05:00

Morning came early and cold! At least Chuck and I were cold, the boys fared pretty well sleeping on the top bunk, heat rises! I got up and began to cook some breakfast on the camp stove. It wasn't long until the shanty smelled of bacon, sausage and eggs! A breakfast fit for a king! We all ate our fair share of good food that morning! Hey if you not catching any fish, you might as well eat good I say! By the time we got up and around andthe breakfast dishes done, the weather had changed drastically!

Breakfast On The Stove

By 9 or 10 am the snow began to come down heavily and the wind was something fierce! By noon it was a complete white out! The snow was coming down and blowing so hard you could barely see the near shore to the south some 300 to 400 feet away! The north shoreline was completely gone! You couldn't tell where the ice ended and the sky began! It came down like this for the entire day! We did go to shore once during the day to see what was going on at the bait shop, Lyman's. Chip and Dave were there working along with Lyman Foster the owner. We sat and talked a while about the bait shop and the fishing there. They apologized about us not catching any fish, I told them they couldn't control the weather, but they felt bad that we weren't catching anything. I told them it was all about the experience any ways! Chip and Dave had caught a few fish for a tv crew that was coming up to do a story, since the crew had left they gave us the fish to eat that night! I thought that was pretty cool of those guys. Only problem was that we didn't have any cooking oil, so I went to town and bought a bottle.

I thought we were going to have a good ol fish fry that evening. Fellow Up North Journal Pro Staffer Jim Stephan came up with his wife and another couple to fish for the day. They weren't catching anything either, so we invited them to join us for a fish dinner. Time slipped by quickly and they headed to shore for the evening so we didn't cook the fish up.

During the day it was extremely hard to keep the tip up holes cleaned and free of ice. It was an every 15 minute job to go and clean holes. One fisherman nearby drilled a hole with his power auger down about half way through the 22 inch thick ice and left his auger standing in the hole. It didn't take long for it to freeze in the hole. Mikey was kind enough to head to shore on the atv and grab an ice spud for the couple. They freed up the auger and then Mikey gave them both a ride back to shore. The couple gave him $10 and their leftover bait to use. It pays to be a good Samaritan!

Ice Build Up On The Tip Ups

As I mentioned the ice was about 22 inches thick, there were vehicles all over the ice. You could hear the ice crack everytime a truck drove past the shanty. It got my attention on more than one occassion. Before evening set in we asked Dave from Lyman's for a shovel to bank in the shanty. He brought one out for us on one of his shuttle runs. We took the snow around the shanty and filled in around the shanty to keep the wind from blowing in that night. It made a huge difference in how warm it was.

Looking Out Our Window At A Car On The Ice

Evening set in and the winds died down a little but the snow continued to fall that evening. We must have gotten about 6 inches of fresh snow. The snowmobile riders loved it, they were zipping all over the lake that evening. It sounded like a bee hive around there. We all bundled up and turned in for the evening by around 9pm that night. We slept much warmer that evening. Although Jake woke up burning up. He was in his underware and no sleeping bag! Remember heat rises. I thought I was going to have to flip him over like a piece of bacon, but we made it through the night.

Houghton Lake Trip Day One

2009-02-20T22:46:00.000-05:00

After months of planning the day finally came to head out on our first Up North Journal Team weekend outing. Somehow I let fellow Pro Staffer Chuck Parr talk me into sleeping on the ice out on Houghton Lake in the middle of Michigan's winter season. Chuck did this same trip last year and told me how much fun I would have and that I had to go this year and have a great time. So I let him plan this years trip and told him I would go along for the ride.

Chuck talked with Lyman's on the Lake about securing a sleeper shanty for the entire weekend. With Lyman's help we set up the date and began to make plans for the trip. We headed out on Friday morning at about 7:30am. It was Chuck, Mikey, Jake and myself with a truck and trailer full of fishing and camping supplies for three days of Michigan winter fun! We made our first real stop at Jay's Sporting Goods in Clare Michigan. We couldn't pass through Clare without stopping at Jay's. We bought a few more provisions for the trip and I had to finally pull Mikey and Chuck out of the store so we could be on our way.

Another hour on the road and we were pulling into Houghton Lake. We first had to stop at the local Wally World store to buy our food for the weekend. A basket full of hotdogs, beans, bacon, sausage, eggs and SPAM!!!! Yes I said, SPAM!!! and we were on our way to the ice! As we pulled up to Lyman's I could see shanty town out on the ice about 300 to 400 yards off shore. It was a beautiful clear blue sky day and the temps weren't too bad either. I thought to myself this is going to be fun! Chuck went in and took care of the reservations and I began to unload the trailer to get the atv out and hook up the small trailer to it. Then Chuck came back and one of the guys from Lyman's came out on a 6 wheeled atv with a huge trailer. We piled most of our gear onto his trailer and the rest in my little trailer. The boys and Chuck piled onto the trailer with all of our gear and I drove our atv out behind the 6 wheeled buggy onto the ice to our home for the weekend.

Mikey & Chuck Getting Ready For A Weekend Of Ice Fishing

As we pulled up I saw this huge box on the ice that we would call home for the weekend. It was about 8 x 20 and sitting right on the outter edge of shanty town. There must have been about 20 - 25 shanties out there and ours was the biggest! We unloaded our gear to the inside of the big box and then the guy (Dave) from Lyman's yelled to another guy on the ice to come over and help. This was the other helper from Lyman's. This second guy (Chip) grabbed a power ice auger off of the atv and went into the shanty and drilled four holes for us to fish through. Now we were all set to fish!

As we began to get our gear in order, we heard a snowmobile come to a stop just outside our door. Then there was a knock on the door with a voice saying, "DNR officer"! What did we do, I thought to myself. I opened the door and there stood an officer in his snowmobile suit and helmet. He asked us if we just arrived and how long we would be there. We told him and we began to pull out our fishing licneses. He told us no need to show him, that he just wanted us to know that he was on the ice if we needed his assistance. I told him that the atv had the appropriate stickers on it and he said, no worry on that either. He also commended us on bringing the boys out to enjoy the fishing as well. I was pleased at his attitude towards us, this was my first experience with a CO in the thirty plus years I have been participating in the outdoors.

After he left, it was then that I realized that I had forgotten that I needed a helmet for the atv out on the lake. I told Chuck I was headed back to town to purchase a couple of helmets for the atv. I couldn't believe I was so stupid and not remembering the helmet laws in Michigan.

After I got back from town, we watched a few nearby people pull out a few small pike from the ice on their tip ups. We got our power auger out and drilled 6 holes and put out some of our own tip ups then, we dropped two lines inside the shanty. We spent the rest of the day trying to catch some pike. We discussed venturing out to a different location to locate some fish, but we decided to wait until the next day to do this since it was getting late in the day.

Me Cooking Up Some Lunch In The Shanty

I fired up the stove and cooked some hot dogs and beans for lunch. The boys thought that this was pretty cool to cook inside of the shanty! I spent the next couple of hours reading a book that I had bought at Jay's on the way up. Nothing like sitting beside the heater fishing and reading a good book to pass the time.

As night began to set in, I new it was time to start thinking about dinner. I fired up the stove again and fried up a can of SPAM for all of us. SPAM sandwiches for the crew! The boys had never had a SPAM experience before, so this was their first time eating it. They thought it was SPAMtastic, Mikey said it was SPAMlicious! So with the SPAM and beans we were set for the night. We fished into the night until we all got tired. I think it was around 8pm when we began to turn in for the evening. We pulled the lines in except for Michael who kept fishing for another hour or so.

Jake Jiggin' For Some Pike!

I put Jake in the bunk above me and we turned up the heater for the evening. What we didn't realize was that the shanty was sitting up off of the ice about 8 inches. The wind blew underneath it and up into the ice fishing holes in the shanty. By about 4am it was getting pretty cold inside the shanty. I had to make sure and tuck in nice and tight to make it through the night. Mikey and Jake did ok since they were on the top two bunks, but Chuck and I didn't fare so well. We would change that the next day!

A Day On The Ice With Friends

2009-02-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I've been able to get out on the frozen water, so i decided to call the Up North Journal team to muster them about. I managed to get Tim Ford and his three kids along with Jim Stephan out to hit the Seven Lakes state park. I decided to take them over to Little Seven to hit a spot that Little Mike and Chuck Parr like to fish. We spent about two hours there with no luck at all. Not even one little bite! There were 8 other people fishing the lake and not one of them had a single bite either.

Up North Journal Pro Staffer Tim Ford

Helping His Daughter With Her Ice Rod

Two hours of that was enough, so we packed it in and headed over to the bigger lake Seven Lakes. The temps were in the high 40's that day and the wind was howling. By the time we made it to the boat launch of Big Seven, the water was ponding on the ice. I knew that Tim's kids were going to get wet, but they ventured out any ways. We made our way onto the ice and found a couple of holes left by a couple of guys who had just left the ice.

There was atleast a foot of ice maybe even 15 inches. The water was running back into the holes with all the wind blowing it around and it being a couple of inches deep. It didn't take long until I pulled a crappie through the ice. This was actually the first crappie I have caught in over 10 years. The last one was with my grandfather in Alabama and he has been passed away now for 10 years. About 5 minutes later Jim Stephan pulled a nice large mouth bass through the ice! We were all excited about that one. That was it for the next 20 minutes or so and that is when the kids got wet! It was time for Tim to take them in unfortunately, so Jim and I hung out on the ice for another couple hours. Jim managed to pull about 15 small panfish out but none were keepers. I only hooked one small panfish myself after that crappie.

Up North Journal Pro Staffer Jim Stepha With A Nice Bass

We caught a few fish, but nothing to bring home. Bass season was over and the other fish were too small. We all had a good time getting out on the water and spending some time together. There was some sad news to report on this day though, it was the same day as the big Lake Erie ice floe incident where 131 fisherman got trapped on an ice floe. One died in the process and the rest were eventually rescued. You can read my article on that incident at my webblog Hooks and Bullets.

Hitting The Ice Again For The Second Time!

2009-01-03T22:02:00.005-05:00

A Day On The Ice With The Kids!

We had to make a decision last night as to what we were going to do the next morning. It was the opening day of the late goose and duck season here in Michigan, we really hadn't been seeing any waterfowl in the field we could hunt. The decision was made since the girls wanted to go out ith us boys, ice fishing it was.

It was hard to get up once again at 6:30am to go out to fish. Sleep is at a premium these days and I didn't want to pry my eyes open that early to fish! Mikey kept coming to the bedroom door and whispering to me dad, dad, get up dad its time to get ready. I managed to coax him into getting the other kids up and ready before I had to fall out of bed. With that little trick I managed to get another 45 minutes of soul refreshing shut eye!

Once I did get up, it was a chore to get myself in outdoor mode. It took a bowl of cereal, but now there wasn't time to make coffee, the one thing I NEED to get me reved up for the day. By now all four kids are ready to drag me outside and to the lake. I managed to grab all the appropriate gear and head to the truck and the brisk morning air greeted me with a balmy 17 degrees! Hello! Although that was better than the last trip out two days ago when it was a whopping 9 degrees! The cold didn't bother the kids at all, at least not yet, hehehe! Their bright shinning faces were beaming lets go fishing! That would soon change! This trip was the first ice fishing outing for my youngest daughter who is seven. She loves to fish, but this will be an all new experience for her. She has never stepped foot on the ice for the winter angling experience. In all reality I didn't think we would be out more than an hour or so.

It was off to the corner gas station where they sold bait. I pulled in and sent Michael in to see what kind of bait offerings they had and the price of them. He came back and told me that they had three dozen wax worms for $4.16 and they were old! Forget it! We went to the old standby store in town where I should have went in the first place. They had the same three dozen for $2.00, now that is more like it. I knew that three dozen would be plenty, even if the fish were biting. The three youngest kids jabber jawed all the way to the lake, and while I was trying to see straight in the morning light and keep my senses about me while driving I almost hit a nice Tom wild turkey! He was right on the edge of the road when Michael yelled, "Watch out dad!" I swerved and the turkey flapped away at the last moment, the three younger kids thought that was cool! I didn't!

We finally pulled into the state park and began the task of deciding who would pull the sled, you would've thought they were after gold! This was a good thing, since Michael and I usually fight over which one is going to pull the sled, we both hate it. Little did the three others know that usually half the gear falls out along the way and you constantly have to stop and reload the sled. I guess I should break down and buy a bigger one some day, but with those three wanting to do it I will wait a while longer.

Me Bundled Up With The Video Camera

Mady, my youngest daughter, was a little reluctant to step on the ice once we got there. She had never been on the frozen water before, and found it safe to send dear 'ol dad out on the ice first. At least she is smart, send the fat guy out first to see if its safe! Then she said, " I will walk in daddy's steps where its safe." Once again if the fat guy makes it,his footsteps are safe! After about 50 steps all is well and she is off running around like she is on dry ground. Since we are the first ones on the lake we have our pick of spots to fish, of course we pick the best spot and begin to set up.

Michael Baiting Hooks

I start drilling the holes for the day since I knew they couldn't drill them and Michael was busy getting the rods ready. That would keep him busy for a while; you ever tried to bait hooks for kids while they are waiting for you to get them ready? Hehe, he! I won that battle also! That is twice I've tricked Michael this morning! I finally got all five holes drilled and Michael was still baiting hooks as I grabbed my rod and put bait on it. This trip is looking better all the time now. I put Mady next to me since this was her first time out and it didn't take long for her to get into the action!

Mady's First Catch On The Ice!

Her line wasn't in the water more than two minutes when she got a bite! She shrieked, "Daddy, I got a fish!" That made my morning! I told her to reel it in and within a couple of cranks of the reel she had her first fish on the ice, a nice blue gill! I told the other kids, "Ok, its game on now!" They now had something to beat and that was all the encouragement they needed! It is amazing how kids and adults react once you make a competition out of it. Mackenzie and Jake wanted to make it a team competition with those two against Mady and me, leaving Michael to fend all for himself. I said to him, "See how they treat you after you help them get their rods ready?" Now he is beginning to see how I feel most of the time! Hehe, he! Boy this is turning out to be a great day now, but for some reason I don't think he sees it that way!

Team Mackenzie & Jake

It didn't take long for team Jake & Macknezie to put one on the ice, she caught her first gill of the day. Then she caught a small one that had to go back. Then Jake caught a nice gill which eventually turned out to be the biggest catch of the day, he bragged all day about that feat! It was now 2 t0 1 to 0. Mady helped our team get caught back up with another nice gill along with one she had to throw back in. After that I caught one almost as big as Jake's fish, so we took the lead 3 to 2 to 0 for Michael.

Jake Getting In On The Action

Michael's Huge Bass!

Michael got mad and moved to another spot to fish since he wasn't getting any bites. It wasn't long until he caught his first one, but it was a small bass and it had to go back in. He then caught one to put on the ice to finally get on the board. Jake and Mackenzie were catching a few more but they were too small to keep. We had been there about an hour and a half and by now the three younger ones were getting a little froggy. They began to leave their rods on the ice and run around chasing each other. I got after them and told them that they needed to settle down because all the noise was making the fish spooked.

A Nice Sunny Day On the Ice

The next excuse for being restless was they were cold, so I fired up the little Mr. Buddy heater I brought along just for that very reason. You would have thought I was the greatest dad in the world for having brought out a heater! By now the sun was bright and the thin vail of clouds had disappeared completely. It was warming up nicely.

Mady Fishing & Warming Her Toes By The Heater

A few minutes later I hooked into another fish, so I yelled at Jake to come over and reel it in, now he and Mackenzie were tied with Mady and me. Mady realized that it was still a competition so she picked up her rod and began to fish again. It wasn't long until she caught one more to put us back on top again. Meanwhile Michael is catching a bunch of small ones, so he switched holes again. After another hour had passed it was time to go since we had an archery tournament to shoot that afternoon. The kids were satisfied with the fish we caught and Mady was proud that we won the competition. Jake didn't care since he had the biggest fish of the day, and Michael was ok with it since he had caught a bass.

Jake Trying A Different Hole

When it was time to leave the kids now fought over who was going to carry the little cooler with the fish in it. Now it seems as if the sled is unimportant, the fish was the prize to carry now. I let Mady and Jake carry the little cooler together trying to instill some team work concept in them. That didn't last long, after half way to the truck they were fighting over how to carry the cooler! So much for team work! Michael got stuck with the sled again! Hehe, he! I love teaching him lessons! He told me he can't wait to have some kids to do all the rotten stuff for him! All in due time I told him, for now you can enjoy helping dear 'ol dad! It was a great day to be out with the kids on the ice! As a side note, Michael got even with me at the archery tournament. I blammed it on my old and tired eyes! He's younger and he should see better than me any ways. Hey I have to blame it on something. I can't let him think that he is just simply better than I am! I have to keep the upper hand some how!

First Outing of the New Year!

2009-01-01T23:39:00.004-05:00

The 2009 Ice Fishing Season Is Here!

With the new year looking us in the face, I had to plan something to get us out in the field since I had New Years Day off this year. Fellow Pro Staff member Chuck Parr, myslef and Mikey decided we would hook up with a friend of Chuck's and try a little ice fishing at a lake in southern Michigan. It was the same lake that Chuck and his friend tried last year with no luck, but his friend has since found out where to set up on the pike!

Chuck & I With The Up North Journal Rig!

Looking Across The Main Lake

For some strange reason Chuck managed to talk me into getting up at 5:30am to go fishing! Is he nuts! Yes, but I guess I am too, since we got up and headed out! Now this year we have the Up North Journal rig to transport all of our stuff, so that means we got to bring out the quad! I wasn't exactly hip on the idea of bringing the four wheelers out on the ice at this point in the season. We had 55 degree weather just 4 days earlier with a lot of rain. I was afraid the ice would be too thin, but I thought I would let Chuck's friend be the guinea pig!

4" Of Clear Hard Ice

I watched as he crossed the ice and punched holes along the way to make sure it was thick enough. After seeing him cross safely and him wave me across I made the mad dash across the ice to the other side of the cove. We made our way around a point into another little cove and dropped off the gear, then we went back to grab Chuck and Mikey.

The Guys Heading Out After Dropping Off The ATVs

When we got everyone back to the spot where our gear was, we began to search for the big drop off that we saw on the hydro map. It took a few holes and checks of the depth until we found the spot we were looking for. Then we set four tip up rigs, then we began to look for the deep hole. The ice was only about 4 inches thick so we left the quads near the shoreline where it was a good 6 to 8 inches thick. We found the hole that was about 60 feet deep and began to drill our holes to fish in.

Looking Through The Ice Into The Deep

Just as we got set up and began to fish the wind picked up. Chuck's buddy Jeremy set up his ice shanty and he stepped out of it at the wrong time. The wind blew hard just as he stepped out of it and the shanty became a wind sock! It went sliding across the ice! I never seen someone move so fast across the ice before. Chuck gave him a few ice spikes to nail down the shanty and that worked pretty well. After about an hour of nothing happening, we moved back into shallow water. Jeremy said, it was probably too early in the season for the fish to be that deep. We left the tip ups on the edge of the drop off in hopes of a pike hitting them. We sat for a while and we were standing around talking when Jeremy tried something. He took a small spoon and tied it on his line to scrape up the bottom with. He explained that the disturbed sediment would atract the perch. They would think it was small burrowing water creatures that they feed on making the sediment cloud in the water. It took about 10 minutes and a small school of perch swam through his hole! Within a few seconds of seeing them he had one through the ice! That was a pretty cool trick I thought. After another hour of nothing happening though, Jeremy and I took a walk back into the bay to see if we could find any good spots.

Mikey Doing His Thing!

Along the walk he would punch a hole and check the depth, after about three checks we found a nice weed bed in about 5 feet of water. We got all the gear and Mikey and Chuck joined us at the new spot. We were sitting there talking when Jeremy's rod took a tumble in the shanty, he had one on! He scrambled to grab the rod and pull the fish through the ice. It was a bass, it was about 10 inches long, but at least it was a catch. It wasn't legal size so back in the hole he went. It wasn't long until Jeremy noticed a perch hanging around his bait. The fish was nibbling at the minnow but it wouldn't take the offering completely. It finally took off and that was the end of the fishing.

Mmmmm Bait!

About that time we noticed a couple of younger kids riding two quads across the ice at a pretty fast clip. They were hot dogging it and I told the guys, someone is going to go through the ice if they kept it up. They were out in the middle of the lake where the ice wasn't as thick so they were risking not only their machines, but their lives as well. Jeremy and I took the gear back to the vehicle and we were going to come back and pick up Chuck and Mikey. While we were taking the stuff back to the truck, one of the kids on the other machines went through the ice. According to Chuck and Mikey, he stopped on the ice and then reved up his engine to pop a wheelie. When he dropped the clutch the rear tires broke through the ice and water was spinning up over the tires. As he was going through, he reved the engine more and the machine grabbed something and pulled itself out of the hole in the ice! I bet that kid had to clean his shorts out when he got off the ice! I wished I would have had the video camera rolling on that one!

Me Looking Cold!

Chuck Looking Like Frosty The Snowman!

On the way back, Chuck had to set backwards on Jeremy's machine for the ride back to the boat launch. He got covered with snow and looked like frosty the snowman when we got to the boat launch. We got back, took a few pictures and loaded everything up and headed home. We didn't catch any fish, but at least we got out on the first day of 2009! It was a good way to start the year off, and as they say, a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work anytime!

A Late December Squirrel Hunt!

2008-12-27T18:28:00.006-05:00

Well the weather has been terrible the last three weeks. I haven't been able to get out to do anything. First it was extremely cold and blowing snow, then it was too windy, and now the weather has warmed up and the rains came to melt all the snow and ice. No ice fishing or atleast that is what I thought!

Snow Fog In A Near By Field

I finally gave up on the situation and decided that I would stop complaining and get out today no matter how bad it was. The rain stopped and I decided that I would grab my hat, boots, camera and head out. Then my oldest daughter Mackenzie said she would go with me. It was then I decided that we would grab the guns and do a little walk on the state park land to look for some unsuspecting squirrels! I knew that we probably wouldn't see anything, but what the heck, I sure wasn't going to see anything sitting at home complaining about it!

We got to the state park and got out at the parking area near the ridge that went between the two lakes. What did my wonderous eyes see? Four guys sitting on the sloppy ice doing some ice fishing! Man oh Man! I should have come out this morning, dang it!

Three Of The Four Guys I Saw On The Ice

I yelled to them, "How thick is the ice?" 3" of slop and 4" of solid clear ice! That would have been good enough for me! Well, we were here to hunt, so hunt we did.

I thought this would be a great time to scout for deer as well as looking for some small game. I also thought this would be a great time to let Mackenzie brush up on her field carrying techniques for carrying a long gun.

Mackenzie & The Rossi .22 Single Shot

You can never practice safety too much. Since there was some slippery trails and snow to trudge through, I knew I could use this as a teaching exercise for her, that is why I brought out the break action single shot Rossi I bought her for her birthday a year ago. It was a safe firearm for her to handle and it was light enough for her to carry it safely in the snow and slop. I decided on 'ol grandpap's side by side 16 gauge Stevens shotgun! I love that 'ol gun. It is the same one I took out for a December rabbit hunt last year.

Me & Grandpap's 16 ga Stevens Double Barrel

We made our way down the trail past the ice fisherman and into the woods. Then I allowed Mackenzie to load a single cartridge into the little .22 rifle. I loaded up the side by side and we discussed the proper carry technique for two people walking together. She rememebered her hunter's safety rules just fine. We no more than took 10 steps and two mallards flew right over head! Just my luck I thought, she picked them up immediately. It was nice that we at least saw some game right off the bat. About a minute later we heard voices laughing and carrying on. I knew that who ever this was coming towards us that they had scared off any game that might be in the area. Around the corner came four people hiking, we stopped and greeted them and then went on our way. I could still make a good time of it even if they had been loud coming through the woods. I didn't let on like anything was wrong, I didn't want to spoil it for Mackenzie.

It was hard to walk quietly through the snow and slop. We did the best we could making our way down and around the trails. It wasn't long until we ventured off the path up an oak ridge that boardered the lake. I could see the island where we had built our duck blind this last fall and took a photo of it.

A View Of The Duck Blind From The Back Side Of The Lake

We also saw where a deer had been through the area that morning since the rain had stopped. It looked like it was a big boy by the size of the tracks. We then headed back to the main trail to venture onward. Along the way I taught her the proper technique for falling down a hill while carrying a firearm. It wasn't by design though, I hit a slick spot and slid down safely as she laughed at me! Mackenzie called to me to look at a set of tracks she had found. There was a nice set of deer tracks in the mud and I told her good job at keeping her eyes alert for game signs.

Mackenzie's Deer Tracks She Spotted

We made our way to an area that had a good number of oaks in it and it was there that we found some nice sized squirrel nests. I told her we needed to post up in the area and wait to see if any popped their heads out. I didn't think we would see any but I wanted her to get the feel for sitting still for a while and looking for game.

Mackenzie Keeping A Watchful Eye Out For Squirrels

After about 20 minutes or so, we decided to head back to the parking area. I walked back through the oaks in a little bit different direction to see if we could see any signs of squirrels. It didn't take long until we could see some acorn casings on top of the small piles of snow left in the woods. I knew that they were from squirrels nibbling on the acorns recently. I told her that this was a good squirrel spot, and that we should have been out a lot earlier in the day.

The Single Shot & The Double Barrel

As we made our way back to the truck I heard a squirrel bark off in the distance, I told Mackenzie that he was laughing at us as we walked out! She thought that was funny and laughed at me. As we approached the area where the four guys were fishing at, I told her that we need to make sure that we didn't shoot any game in the direction of where the guys were fishing even though we couldn't see them. She understood why and said that if we saw anything we would have to let it go. As we approached the spot where they were at, we stopped and unloaded the firearms and made our way back to the truck. On our way out of the park we saw six deer off in a field so I stopped to take a couple of picutres.

The Six Deer We Saw On The Way Out

She told me thanks for taking her out hunting and that she had fun, that made my day! It didn't matter that we didn't see any squirrels, all that mattered was that she had fun! What a great day in the field!

Two Happy Hunters!

Merry Christmas From Up North Journal

2008-12-24T01:26:00.004-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Jake's Hunt Day Three

2008-12-06T21:50:00.008-05:00

The last day of our trip to Ohio was upon us and it was time to get up and at'em. I woke the boys up at 5:45am and we were dressed and out the door by 6:30am. The wind was HOWLING like mad! It had to be every bit of 20 mph and gusting at over 30 at times! I almost turned around and headed back in, but I though this would be a good opportunity to teach the boys how to tough it out a little.

Mikey headed to the treestand and I was a little worried that he wouldn't make it since the temp was only 20 degrees plus the wind chill. He assured me he would be ok, but I gave up my fleece balaclava. I knew he would need it. Jake and I headed back to the popup blind and as we arrived I could see something shiny in the distance. This wasn't good, the shiny spot is where the popup blind was supposed to be! As we arrived to the spot we could see all our stuff we left in the blind, but the blind was GONE! We found it blown back into the brush in the fence row! Lucky break for us to find it. I knew that this wind was going to cause us trouble, so I staked down the blind hoping it would stay.

I immediately lit the heater hoping it would stay on with the whipping wind. Jake was cold so he sat down next to the heater and I just waited for daylight. About 20 minutes went by and I knew I should call Mikey on the cellphone to see how he was making it. He was freezing pretty bad, so I told him to get down and come over to the blind and set with us. He got there just before daybreak and spent the rest of the morning with us

Mikey's Treestand Location

The wind was terrible and lifting the blind pulling some of the stakes loose. I kept reanchoring it every little while. Finally around 8:00am I noticed something off in the distance down the fence row. I asked Mikey if that was deer, since he had my binoculars. He checked it out and sure enough it was two deer. I looked through the binoculars and then saw two more pop out of the fence row. They were about 700 yards away! No chance to get a shot at them, but the boys liked seeing something. That kept it interesting for a while.

Jake Looking In The Direction Of The Does

By 8:30am, it was getting worse out, the wind was blowing harder and it was snowing by know. I knew they had enough of it, so I asked them what they wanted to do. They looked at each other and turned to me saying, "lets go in!"

I took down the blind and packed everything back in, knowing that this was probably going to be the last hunt of our trip. The weather was just too bad. Later that afternoon we loaded the truck up to leave and it was around 3:30pm, I told them we could still get a quick evening hunt in if they wanted to. Nothing doing they were ready to leave. I kept telling them that the deer like to move when it is snowing and they might get a good chance at seeing some deer. The wind had died down quite a bit, but they didn't want to try it. I didn't want to force the issue, fearing it might do more harm then good. We left around 4pm and about 10 minutes after we left my brother in law called me telling us that three does just walked past the spot we were sitting at! The boys just looked at me and each other not knowing what to say. All I said was, "You should listen to your dad, I do know a little about deer hunting." Jake looked at me and said, "I just learned a good lesson, don't ever give up."

So if nothing else, he saw deer, had a great time, and learned a good lesson. It was an awesome trip for all three of us, but especially him! One other thing we got to do was shoot a crossbow for the first time. I will post our experience about that on the Hooks and Bullets Blog later this week.

Me Trying Out A Crossbow For The First Time!

Jake's Hunt Day Two Evening Hunt

2008-12-05T20:47:00.002-05:00

After an afternoon nap and a quick snack, it was time to get back out to the field for the evening hunt. We made our way back out around 3pm, with a beautiful blue sky, no wind, and around 25 degrees. We sat until around 5:45pm this evening, except for Michael he got cold and headed in at 5pm. I told him that was the prime time to hunt, but I couldn't stop him from heading in.

There wasn't much to report for the evening hunt, we didn't see anything. Actually it was so slow that I had to keep Jake talking to keep him awake. He was sleepy just sitting all evening. But hey what do you expect from a 9 year old! He had his excitement in the morning hunt. So it is off to bed and up early for the final day of his big deer hunting adventure.

Jake's Morning Hunt Day 2

2008-12-05T12:16:00.005-05:00

We had high expectations this morning. The wind had died down from last night, but it was still extremely cold! We got the camo on along with the pumpkin colored vests and hit the trail! It was about 6:30am and still really dark, Jake has never been out early in the morning with us in the field before. This was a completely new experience for him. His only experience in the early morning was in the duck boat.

First Light!

Michael helped us get to our spot carrying some of our gear. This morning we had a pop up blind, two seats, a heater, cameras, and the muzzleloader! Michael then headed for the stand about 75 to 100 yards away. Jake didn't have a lot to say this morning, he was just watching the sun rise and mentioned how cool it was to see the sun come up while sitting out deer hunting! I think he's hooked on deer hunting! Just after day break we saw a deer off in the distance near the back barn of a neighboring house. A vehicle pulled into the driveway and spooked it off, it ran back in the field towards us! The doe made it to the fence row we were sitting in and Jake was all excited, he got set up and ready to fire. He asked me, "can I shoot it dad?" I told him no because it was still over 300 yards away from us! The doe jumped the fence and headed away from us, but Jake wasn't discouraged, he said, "That's the way huntin' goes sometimes." He has the right attitude!

Checking Out The Morning View!

It wasn't a half hour later, I had the video camera out and talking with Jake trying to capture some hunting video when he said, "dad don't move there are 5 or 6 deer behind us." I thought to myself, yea right, but then I asked myself why would he say 5 or 6? He must have seen something. So asked him if he was sure. He said, "Yeah, they're still there." So I put the camera away and crouched down on my knees and got him into position. By this time I could see the does he was talking about and they were only about 40 yards away! I let him swing the muzzleloader up over my shoulder for a steady shot and I plugged my ears! The deer jumped the fence behind us and stepped into the field we were hunting. They were angling away from us, but were only about 75 yards away now. I just knew the gun was going to go off at any moment, as I asked him if he could see them in the scope. He said, "Yeah, but I can't get the cross hairs steady on them. I had the scope set at 3x power since anything greater caused Jake to not be able to see in the scope easily. The deer were a little nervous and began to head out across the field. I could see Michael from our position and kept waiting for him to shoot one also, but the sound of a gunshot never came! He told me later he was waiting for Jake to shoot, he wanted his little brother to take one first! By the time he decided to take one, only the little ones were within range. Oh well that is why the call it hunting.

Looking For Deer!

Jake told me that he was sure that we would have been taking some meat home! Then he asked me "dad what do they call it when you get an adrenaline rush?" I told him that was getting excited and it was "buck fever". He said, "Then, I got excited!" Now I know he's hooked on deer hunting! That made my day! He once again said that he thought it was cool to just see the deer. He told me that we can't take home a deer everytime we go out. Like I said he has the right attitude!

Jake In His Hunting Hut

We lasted about 2 and a half hours this morning in about 15 degree temps. Mikey didn't make it quite as long as us, he lasted only about 2 hours before he got cold and headed back to the house. Sitting up in the air will definitely make you get cold faster! They had a great morning and they are still talking about it. I can't wait until the evening hunt!

Where's Mikey? Can You See Him?

My Son Jake's First Deer Hunt

2008-12-04T18:59:00.006-05:00

Well the big day finally came for Jacob. We left this morning to head to Ohio for his first deer hunt! He was so excited the night before he couldn't sleep. I got home from work and he was still up jabber jawing about the trip! I was almost as excited as he was after listening to him talk that night.

Jake Looks Like "Jimmers" From Escanaba In Da Moonlight

He Is Ready To Hit The Stand!

We then got on the road by 10am and headed south. Now a trip south out of Michigan wouldn't be complete without a stop at Cabela's! We bought Jake a new set of camo pants since he has grown so much since our Ohio turkey hunt last spring. I picked up a few bullets for the muzzleloader and a new Mad Bomber hat. Next stop, Ohio!

We made it to my father in laws house around 3:15pm and I knew we should have already been on stand, but what can ya do, you can only drive so fast. We immediately began to dress head to toe in camo and our required orange garments. Michael decided it was too cold for a quick evening hunt, so he decided to stay inside. After a few quick pictures we were off to the 2 man tree stand!

The Field We Hunted Over, A Nearby Woodlot Is In The Distance

Jake was asking me all kinds of questions and for the most part they were important questions that had to do with deer hunting! I knew that this was going to be a really cold evening and the wind was doing us no favors. It was around 25 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 mph! It was COLD! Jake was a real trooper! He didn't complain about anything, I think he was warm with excitement! Although his cheeks were pretty rosy! He did tell me his hands were getting cold and tingly, then he said they were getting stiff.

Jake Is Chillin' and Killin'

The view we had of the field was definitely different than what we are used to in Michigan. Open fields are great for seeing a long way, but unfortunatly we didn't see any deer. That didn't deter Jake's enthusiasm though. He was energized and looking the whole time. He was telling me which areas he thought would be the good places to look for deer movement. He was actually right on with what I felt would be a good area also.

Checking His Aim Just In Case He Sees A Big Buck

Another View Of The Field

After almost two hours I knew he was getting pretty cold so I asked him if he wanted to head in, he told me as soon as the sun set he would be ready. Now for a nine year old that is hard core! As time slipped away I knew it was time for him to get in and warm up, so I told him we need to head in, he didn't waste any time climbing down off the stand.

My Little Huntin' Buddy

A Great View To End The Day

For his first deer hunt ever, he was more than pumped up, and was not disappointed in the least that he didn't see a deer. Hhen I asked him if he was upset that we didn't see anything he told me, "no that is part of deer hunting dad!"

Afternoon Deer Hunt/Scouting

2008-11-25T17:51:00.006-05:00

I hadn't been out since the big Saturday hunt so I decided to head out this afternoon to a place that I've yet to deer hunt. I went over to Seven Lakes State Park where we duck and goose hunted earlier this season. I had seen that nice buck near the boat launch a couple of weeks back so I wanted to see what the area was like around there.

I got a little late of a jump on the hunt not leaving until around 2:30pm, good thing it is only a 10 minute drive. I jumped into my camo and grabbed the shotgun and keys, then it was out the door and into the snow! We have got about 4 inches of snow in the last day so I knew that any tracks I would come across would be fresh. When I got to the park they had the roads plowed but they were still icy and slick, so I dropped the 'ol truck into 4 wheel drive and punched it! YeHaw! With a little slipping and sliding I made my way to the boat launch. They didn't waste any time taking the boat dock out! it was up on land and the lake was already starting to freeze over. As I pulled up I could see a flock of geese on the ice right out in front of our duck and goose blind! You can see the duck blind just to the left of the tree roots sticking up on the shoreline, it is the darker brushy area right on the water's edge.

Notice the ducks just under the small tree branch on the left

Man does that figure! I wouldn't be able to hit them anyways so I don't know why I'm complaining! There must have been over 100 of them with a couple of groups of ducks thrown in for good measure, a few pictures and I was on my way to the woods.

This is the second photo of three that it took to get them all

When I parked there was another truck there already so I knew that at least one person was in the woods. When I looked closer I could see two sets of foot prints in the snow and they went right to the trail I wanted to take! Dog Gone It! Oh well I got out late so first come first serve. I headed down the road to another access point and began my walk in. As I hit the trail I slipped three slugs into the trusty 'ol Remington 870, it sounded good to slide the action close and hear the "CLICK". That means it is show time!

The wind was blowing out of the west and I knew that it wouldn't be good for me to use that trail but I had no choice. The snow was still coming down, but now it was a little finer snow and it was almost like sleet. With all the gear on it wasn't too bad cold out, but I walked slowly as not to break a sweat. The snow packed easily as I walked so I virtually made no sound walking in. All I could hear was my breath. I could see some older tracks in the snow, which looked like they were from the night before so I pressed on ward.

It was neat walking in an area I have never been before, I was like a kid in a candy store. I was taking it all in looking for any sign of an area that might hold deer or even a squirrel for a later small game hunt. The only problem was I wasn't seeing any tracks or any good spots to sit. The trail became really brushy really quick. But I could see a nice opening ahead so I kept moving towards it.

As I reached the opening it dawned on me that it was a power line right of way. I've seen these before and they give a good long look at a possible place for deer to cross from one wood lot to antoher. I walked right out into the middle of it and looked right, nothing, then I looked left! I saw something, but the problem was that it was pumpkin orange! It was another hunter and it looked like he had the same idea I did. As I watched and looked closer, it appeared that he was squirrel hunting. He kept looking upward into a huge oak tree. The last time I checked deer didn't climb trees.

I walked back out to the trail an tried to slip past him so I wouldn't disturb his hunting. I almost got by him when he noticed me, so I just raised my hand to wave at him and he returned the wave. By now I had walked for about a half hour and was starting to warm up a little. I knew I needed to find a place to sit and post up for a while. The trail turned and went down into a depression with a small creek at the bottom of it. On the other side was a ridge that looked somewhat open, that was going to be my resting spot.

Spot over looking the creek

I crossed the creek and found a nice tree to post up on up on the opposite ridge line. I could see the lake we goose and duck hunted earlier this year from that position. By now the snow had stopped and it was actually quite nice out. I took a few photos from here and rested a while. I was hoping a deer might come out and cross my path, it looked like prime deer woods to me. After about 20 minutes I thought I would walk another 10 to 15 minutes or so down the trail to explore some more.

Cool photo of the snow

As I walked down the trail I noticed that the old foot prints had disappeared completely. I was all by myself on the far end of the lake. This was going to be good I thought to myslef. I approached a nice stand of large pines and thought this would be my turn around point to get back to the truck before dark. It also looked good for deer but nothing showed any signs of deer or any other animal for that matter. Maybe it was the snow we have been getting for the last 24 hours that has made virtually every animal there disappear. After taking a few minutes to rest and take a photo of myself I turned back to head in the direction I had came.

Hey it's me out in the pine grove

As I approached the spot where I posted up at, all of a sudden I hear a loud BOOM! Someone has just shot! I tried to think of what it might be. It came from the area I wanted to explore first but the other guys had went in that way. Great I'm thinking to myself, this is probably the deer I saw at the boat launch that day and they just shot it. That is what I thought anyway. I kept walking and it wasn't another minute or two until another BOOM! Ok now this is making me think now. Did they just finish off the deer or are they squirrel hunting? It really didn't matter either way, so I kept walking.

As I came back up to the area by the power line I noticed another hunter in a different spot and it wasn't the same guy I saw the first time. As I walked back to where I saw the first guy I saw another hunter on the power line. They must be hunting together I thought to myself, so I kept moving down the trail so I wouldn't disturb their hunt. Maybe it was the two guys who went in on the trail I wanted to use originally. As I made my way back down the path I noticed a fresh set of foot prints and they were walking back to the vehicles. Ok now I'm really confused! Thinking to myself, there are too many pumpkins walking around here to be safe, I need to get back out of the woods and head home. It was getting late anyways, so I made it back to the parking area only to see that the truck I saw first had left and another vehicle had pulled in.

As I got back to the truck I noticed that the geese and ducks had taken off. I looked around the lake and didn't see them, they must have went to their nightly roosting spot. While I was looking around the lake I noticed the pine grove I stopped at and turned around. It wasn't as far around the lake as I thought it was when I decided to head back. I thought I was almost half way around the lake, only to find out that it wasn't even close. It is deceiving when your slowly walking through a new area as to how much ground you actually cover. Oh well that leaves more new ground to cover the next time I'm out there. I can't wait!

Up North Journal Team Hunts Together!

2008-11-22T23:20:00.002-05:00

We finally did it! We got five of the six pro staffers for the Up North Journal team together for their first hunt all together. I've hunted with Kevin for years and I've hunted and fished with Chuck for over a year now. But I have never had the chance to hunt or fish with Tim yet, that is until today. Not only that but we were all together along with Mikey for this hunt.

We planned this for about a week now, and it all came together this morning. I had Tim and Chuck meet me at our local breakfast establishment down the road from my house at 5am. That is Micky D's for those of you new to the blog! The 4am wake up call came WAY TOO EARLY for me this morning, since I didn't get to sleep until around 1:30am! I rolled out of bed after Mikey had already got up and around. It didn't take long to get things in order and make our way out the door. I was excited this morning about all of us out for a morning deer hunt, but I was also excited about getting my morning cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich! That is the only way to start any hunt off right.

We pulled in and ordered our food and as I was paying I noticed a BIG grey pickup parking off to the side, Tim was here 15 minutes early! As we ate and Tim loaded into our truck, Chuck made his usual early appearence. He had to get his morning fuel from the golden arches as well, then he loaded his gear into the truck. With the bed of my truck full along with the cab and our bellies, we made our way south to the hunting area to meet Kevin.

The conversation quickly turned to gun ownership and 2nd amendment rights on the way down, that was encouraging to hear. Not that I have to worry about these two guys views, but it is nice to be able to discuss these things without getting blasted by someone like I do at work! As we arrived to the parking area, I passed it to show Chuck the spot down the road where he would be sitting this morning. We made our way to the little honey hole he was going to sit at and quickly turned around and drove back to the parking area. As we approached it, there was a vehicle coming into it, it was Kevin so I made a swerving gesture with my truck to let him know I was there, as if I had to.

We all piled out of the vehicles and exchanged hunting pleasentries such as grunts and groans towards each other! It was too cold out to talk too much, we all had getting our gear on , on our minds since it was a balmy 18 degrees out this morning! It was darn cold let me tell you. The finger nail shaped moon slice was peering through a good amount of cloud cover and the bitting cold was blowing up my back as I pulled on my camo bibs. I slipped my boots on along with my new parka camo coat and fleece head cover, boy was that nice and warm! It was going to be needed this morning. I finished by putting my Mossy Oak Blaze Orange Break Up vest on so I would be able to be picked out against the newly fallen 2 inches of snow. No need in getting myself shot on the state land, I always worry about that since it is public land and we've had a hunter killed this week in the state already.

We got the firearms out and I let Chuck use my Remington 870 Express 12 gauge and a box of slugs. Then Kevin took him down the road to his spot for his morning frost bite session in the woods. I finished up getting my muzzleloader set and Tim was borrowing Kevin's muzzleloader as well. Mikey wouldn't part with his goose gun and a box of slugs. I tried to get him to bring the other Remington muzzleloader this morning but no doing. Far be it that he take some solid advice from dear old dad!

We hussled down the foot path that led back to our hunting area. I knew that Kevin would soon be behind us on his way from getting Chuck settled in. As we approached the ridge where I would sit Tim at, I explained the lay of the land and where everyone would be, so he would be sure what direction was safe to shoot. I told him that I would be back around 10am and exchanged good luck offerings as we parted. Mikey followed me along the ridge to the area I was going to drop him off at and I noticed a flashlight cutting across the swamp to the East of the ridge, I knew that was Kevin so I flashed my light on and off towards that direction to signal him that we were well ahead of him and on our way.

By now I was starting to sweat a little and I began to unzip my layers so I wouldn't work up a wet base layer to get me cold later. 18 degrees in a wet hunting suit is not good! After another 15 minute walk I had Mikey at his spot. He wouldn't go in by himself, so I had to walk in 50 yards to help him find the tree. I don't think he is quit ready to make those walks in the dark by himself just yet! It can still be a little spooky. I told him that I was going just to the top of the next ridge and would be back to pick him up in a couple of hours. Our cell phones had good signals so we stayed in touch every hour so.

I made my way down the trail and to the next ridge to over look a swamp, it was starting to break daylight just the very least bit on the horizon. I new I had to make my stand quick. I brought my little turkey seat with me so I wouldn't have to sit in the snow. I found a nice big pine tree about 60 to 70 yards off the trail on the ridge, so I cleared out the ground next to the tree and plopped down. As day broke I noticed that the swamp was a little more dense than I thought, there was quite a bit of wirey brush in front of me. I knew this wasn't good since I was using a muzzleoader. Any shot would be tough in that kind of cover, so I picked up and found another suitable tree about 200 yards down further off the trail. This was perfect, I could see about 200 yards in each direction.

By now I was sweating pretty good and I knew that I had to unzip my layers a little more or I would be in trouble. I had no more than set down good for about 5 minutes when I noticed movement in front of me across the swamp! I pulled up my binoculars and began to glass the opposite tree line and saw a flash of blaze orange! It was another hunter walking along the edge of the swamp. I pulled the front of my vest together so he would be sure to see my orange as well. He walked around for a minute or so and then disappeared. I don't know if he sat down or walked away, so I was extremely cautious of where I last saw him.

It didn't take long until the birds started flying and singing. I had a redheaded woodpecker in the tree above me! He was playing his tapity tap tap routine on the tree and I could feel the vibration of his jackhammering tingling in my back as I sat agianst the tree. The time passed quickly and when I first looked to see what time it was, it was already 8am. I called Mikey and he wasn't seeing much either, except for an owl that was in the tree next to where he was sitting.

As the sun rose it finally started to break through the forest canopy and shine against the limbs of trees whose leaves had all left them exposed to the cold morning air. It felt good to feel the sun shine against me, it made me shiver just a little when it hit my face. Maybe it wasn't the sun on me that made me shiver, it was probably the cold breeze that was creeping through to the damp base layer beneath my coat and bibs. My toes were now beginning to ache a little. Oh no, I've had this feeling before! I knew it wouldn't be long and I would have to move to keep warm. Even thought the sun was out now, it was still bitter cold. This is why it is better to walk in with a few clothes on and then bundle up after you get to your stand. This way you won't break a sweat and get damp.

I began to wiggle my feet and toes in my boots to keep the blood flowing through them. It also relieved the aching feeling in them. My hands were another story though. I didn't have very thick gloves on, I used a thin neoprene style glove so I could grip the muzzleloader tightly. My fingers were now beginning to ache also. I pulled my hands inside my sleves and laid the firearm across my lap. This worked well, my fingers managed to stay limber and pain free for the rest of the morning. By now it was 9am and I called Mikey again, his first words were: "I'm not seeing anything and I'm cold!" Ok bud I told him, I will stalk hunt my way back to you and I will be there in about 15 minutes I told him.

I got up slowly and quietly made my way back to where he was at. He met me on the trail and we walked back up to where Tim was setting. I wondered how he did this morning as we walked towards his area. I had heard about four or five shots this morning, but none were in his direction or any of the other two guys directions either. We picked up Tim and decided I would call Kevin and see if he had his cell phone with him to check in. He answered and told me to meet him at the trail crossing where there is a downed log we sit on for a meeting place. We made our way to the log to meet him and as I sat down, I looked over my shoulder towards the nearby swamp and I saw two flags waving good bye at me! I told Tim and Mikey, "Deer, Deer"! I watched two deer wave their tail flags at us and make their way across the swamp and out of site. I saw their bodies only, I assume they were does, but there might have been a buck in there who knows.

Kevin made his way to the crossing and he debriefed us on his morning activity, we then headed back towards the trucks and Chuck. We made it to the parking area and called Chuck to let him know that we were back. He then got his gear together and Kevin went down to pick him up as well. We all spent another 30 minutes at the trucks talking about the morning's hunt and what we were going to do for the rest of the day. For our first offical "Up North Journal" outing it turned out to be pretty adventurous. We didn't bring anyting home to put in the freezer, but we did bring some memories home with us to remember forever. I can't wait to get back out with all of them again!

Deer Season Day Two

2008-11-18T09:40:00.004-05:00

Well another morning is upon us and it is time to get up and hit the woods. 5am is here and breakfast is ready! Everyone gobbles down the food and very little talking is going on this morning. Everyone is serious and down to business today, with only one deer taken I think everyone is in a hurry to get out early today.

We get our stuff together and head out about a half hour earlier than yesterday. I once again took the camera with me and set down in the swamp blind hoping to see some movement. Mikey set back up in the same blind as the morning before and my dad went to a different field to hunt this morning hoping to change his luck.

View Out of Swamp Blind

I for one didn't have any luck this morning. All I saw was the typical squirrel fight that I watched the previous evening! They once again fought over the little area they were feeding in and gathering their winter supplies! I did see some movement way out in the distance in a small opening through some brush. I kept trying to see with my binoculars what it was and finally I spotted the movement. It was three turkeys sitting on a log, every now and then they would ruffle their feathers and that is what was catching my eye. I had high hopes of seeing something this morning since the weather had changed. It was cold and there was a trace amount of snow on the ground that had fallen during the night. It was really cloudy and the wind was pretty calm out. These conditions should have provided some movement by the deer, but I didn't see any!

Mikey saw a few deer filtering through his field that morning, but no shooters. My dad on the other hand was lucky enough to see a nice seven point buck and took it. He was actually catching a quick nap around 7:30am and woke up to see this buck on the move across the field he was hunting. He grunted at him to get the buck to stop for a split second, as he did he brought his gun up to shoot and the scope lense was fogged up. The buck was on the move again, he wiped the lense off and grunted one more time at him. The buck stopped broad side at about 75 yards, BOOM! Over he went!

Dad's 7 Point Buck!

This was the second buck taken out of the 14 hunters we had in the woods this weekend. We did have another buck taken later that morning by one of our guys, it was another six point. One of the ladies hunting with us threw a shot at a BIG boy, she said it was at least an eight point maybe bigger, but she missed it. So we now had three bucks on the pole. Things were starting to look better.

Camp Buck Pole

After we brought my dad's buck back in and hung it on the pole it was time for a quick lunch and then it was back to the woods for the evening hunt. Mikey and I now had the chance to take one more buck on my dads membership, they are allowed two a year per the club rules. We wanted to get in early since this was going to be our last hunt for the weekend, work and school were calling us home.

We got in the woods around 1:15pm and I set Mikey up in a new field and raised blind. It was near where my dad shot his deer earlier in the day. I set up in the blind my dad hunted that morning hoping another big buck would step out. It wasn't 15 minutes after I got into the blind until I saw movement behind me. It was a small spike horn buck working his way towardst the field, as I turned around I noticed a nice doe browsing the edge of the field off to my right. They both browsed around for a while and then casually walked out of sight.

I was starting to get chilled somewhat so I lit my heater to try to stay somewhat warm, the temperature was dropping and it was already cold out. It was about 3:30pm and all of a sudden the deer started coming out of the woodwork! There were three groups of does with their young ones with them that started to browse the field. All three groups came from different directions, I had eleven deer in front of me. A couple of them came within 10 yards of the ground blind I was in. They never knew I was there.

A Few Does In Front Of Me

Around 4pm or so, it began to snow extremely hard. The flakes were the size of half dollars and it was almost a white out! The deer didn't seem to mind at all, they just kept browsing around. It was almost like they knew the snow was coming and they needed to feed before the storm hit, although it wasn't much of a storm it quit after about a half hour or so but it made everything white!

A Little Snow On Day Two

They hung around for a good while, then around 5:30pm they had left but there were a few other does that came in when all of a sudden in the dim light I could see a huge bodied deer step onto the playing field! I could see the shimmer of horns in the low light! OH BOY here we go, I'm thinking to myself. I grab my binoculars to get a good look at him, but it was only a spike horn, but he was a huge spike with long tines! He commanded the field as soon as he hit it. He ran every doe out of that field, he wanted no other deer near him! I was thinking to myself, ok you bully, I hope a big boy steps out to kick your butt! Then I would have a chance to shoot one. No luck though he was the last deer I would see that evening. I saw 17 deer that evening, not a bad afternoon in the woods.

I think Mikey saw 11 different deer from his stand that evening. We did have another buck taken that evening. The lady who missed the big deer earlier that morning shot a huge eight point buck in the same stand that evening. So after two days and 14 hunters we had four bucks on the buck pole. It was a little slow for the first two days, but at least we got to hit the woods and have some fun. I'm hoping to get back out here locally this week to see what I can find. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us.

Opening Day Of Deer Season

2008-11-15T21:08:00.002-05:00

Well another year has come and gone since last firearm deer season. It is time to stash the bows away for a couple of weeks and head into the gun blinds for the 2008 firearm deer season here in Michigan. The usual sights of heavy freeway traffic, busy outdoors stores, and pickup trucks beds filled with firewood, atv's, and hunter's organge hanging in the backseats can be seen as you head north. Hunting season is HERE! We arrived at camp the afternoon before the opener and all the familiar faces were here, there were a few misisng but their arrival is expected before sunrise. After a awesome steak and potatoes dinner, it is off to bed. Mikey claimed the bottom bunk again this year. I get stuck sharing the double bed with my dad. The top bunk is full of crap! It has all of our odd ball hunting clothes, extra sleeping bags, a turkey decoy, and a pole saw on it! Don't ask why, it's just there! So now that the alarm is set it is off to dream land to dream of big bucks and a full buck pole.

The alarm rings at 5am! We all roll out and head to the dinning room. Breakfast is almost done and smells awesome. The cooks have put on the spread again as usual. All of us hunters grab a hot cup of coffee and watch the weather channel while we wait for breakfast to be put on the table. The morning discussion turns to how the weather is going to effect the morning hunt. The next topic of discussion is where everyone is going to hunt. Like we really need to discuss this at all, everyone goes back to the same 'ol blinds every year anyway. Then it is off to the breakfast table. Here there is little talking going on, everyone is rushing to get fed so they can get out to their blinds.

Mikey and I finish up, dad has already left, and we get our gear and head out the door. While I'm grabbing my gear out of the trailer, one of the older guys stops us to ask if we have any extra .30-06 shells! He has misplaced his and needs some asap! We get him a box of ours and then we are off.

Mikey and I outside the Lodge

The morning is cool and overcast, even though you can see a faint glimpse of the moon over head. The wind is light as Mikey and I make our trek out to the blind. The talk is minimal as we head down the two track towards the tower blind. Mikey is excited, I can tell by the anticipation in his voice. We finally get to the tower blind and I send him up the stair way after a few quick intructions. As he climbes up I set out his scent wicks. It isn't the easiest thing to do in the dark. I had to load them up with the buck lure, and a little got on my hand, man does that stink!!! I hung them up and started for my blind. I'm hunting with my camera this morning, since we are only allowed two guns in the woods at a time, club rules.

As I walk across the field to the two track, I noticed something ahead of me on the ground. It was white and moving. I've seen this before! It's a skunk! I make my way around the little bugger as he waddles out of the field. After safely passing him it is onto the two track. The woods are not exactly dark, so I don't need a flashlight to find my way. I find my turn off and head towards a new blind that I will be at for this morning. I put out my scent wicks as I got to my area and then I climbed up to the new raised blind. It was a little small, but it was nice. Actually this blind was left behind from a previous member and it was exactly like the one I was looking at, at Gander Mountain a couple of years ago. I got the windows opened and then I got all my gear situated. Just as light was breaking I saw a deer off to my left. I looked through my binoculars and saw that it was a small buck, a little spike horn. It was begining to lighten up some so I thought about grabbing the video camera. Dead battery! No problem I have two more, but the next one was dead also! The third one had some juice left in it but not much. Poor planning on my part!

My Dad and I outside the Lodge

While the little buck was still in the field I watched another deer pass across the far end of the field to my right, it was a doe. She disappeared into the swamp out in front of me. The buck browsed the field for about 20 more minutes and then headed into the same swamp in front of me. About a half hour later a doe and two little ones came out from in front of me and the spike horn was right behind them. He had his nose to the ground and made his way to the back side of the doe! She was having none of it! He chased her around and around the field for about 15 minutes. It was like watching a guy trying to pick up a girl at the bar and getting shot down over and over. I will say this, he was persistant! That was all I saw this morning. Mikey saw a lone doe feed across in front of him. Like I said it was a slow morning.

The highlight of my morning was just after I watched the deer chasing in front of me I tried to light my heater! It wouldn't light! The propane bottle was about half full on the little burner, so I swapped it out for a new one, still no fire! So I figured that the valve must be stuck, so I began to pull the valve apart and see if I could find out what the problem was. I found out how the valve worked after pulling it apart and I made darn sure that I didn't break any of the plastic pieces. Last thing I wanted was to tear up something and have absoloutly no hope of heat! I put it back together after blowing it out, still no fire! So I pull it back apart again to see if I missed something and as I put it back together this time I could hear the valve clicking! I think I've got it! So I put it back together and turn the valve, I can hear the propane hissing! I strike the match and FIRE! It wasn't like I was going to freeze to death, but it sure was good to have a little warmth.

After lunch and a nap back at camp we all headed back in to the stands. My dad sat with Mikey this evening in the little trailer blind we have in the field where I sat in the new tower blind this morning. I went to the swamp blind to try and change my luck. I figured that since the deer were not moving, they would be filtering through the swamps for cover. As I made my way over to my spot I found a new rub line! Two of the rubs were extremely fresh and big! This gave me some encouragment and hope for the evening hunt.

My Dad and Mikey outside the Lodge

I made it into the blind and got my scent wicks set out. When I got in the blind I was sweating like crazy! I had too many clothes on for the walk in. I immediately stripped down to my base layer and fired up the heater! This blind's heater has a large propane tank on it so I don't have to worry about that one running out! I got it nice and toasty in there and after about an hour I got dried out. Now it was time to hunt!

The swamp is dense and dark! It is hard to see but the deer filter through here all the time. Around 3pm I saw movement way out in front of me, I immediately grabbed the rifle and tried to pick up the movement again. It was a large bodied deer slipping through the dense cover. I kept waiting to see him come out the other side but it never came out, but then I noticed more movement and I could see a deer body through two trees. I put the scope on it and saw the head only through the dense cover. It was a doe. I watched as it slipped through the cover and that is when I saw the other one also. I still couldn't make out what it was though. Wishful thinking, I can only hope that it was a buck! They finally slipped out of sight, but at least that got the blood pumping! About an hour later I was reaching for the radio to call Mikey to check in, we do that every hour on the hour, when I started to turn the radio on I saw a deer right in front of me! It was about 15 yards away, a nice big doe just filtering through. Then came another one! I watched them for about three or four minutes then I noticed a small yearling doe coming through. They all slipped through the dense cover and out of sight. It was beginning to get dark, but I need to wait a while longer to meet up at Mikey's blind. It would be much lighter out in the field than where I was. I waited until I could barely see anything, then I made my way out. As I reached the edge of the field I busted out three deer! There was still a little light left, so I waited at the edge of the field for another 5 minutes or so. Then I made my way up to the blind they were in. Just as I got to where I could see the blind, I noticed that my dad was already out closing the windows and Mikey was wrapping up everything inside. I later find out that they saw about 11 deer and one of them was a nice 5 point! Just one point short of being a shooter!

We got back to camp and settled in for dinner and a little football on tv. Some of the guys were spending the evening at the card table playing euchre. For those of you who have never heard of that card game, it is an old favorite at deer camp here in Michigan.

Waterfowl Weekend

2008-11-12T12:20:00.003-05:00

DAY ONE

Well after I arrived back home Thursday night from my two day bow hunt, I decided that I wan't done hunting yet! My kids had Friday off of school and Mikey wanted to hit the water for a waterfowl hunt. My youngest boy Jacob hasn't been afield with us yet this year and he was itching to get out also.

We planned a quick trip for Friday morning to head to a nearby State Park and hunt the big lake we had hunted a couple of time already this year. Up North Journal Pro Staffer Chuck Parr and my son Mikey found an old duck blind on the island on the lake earlier this season, so that is where we headed. Little Jake thought we got up too early, 4:45am! He wasn't used to getting up at that time, but it didn't take long for him to get into the mood to get on the water. After a quick drive to the lake, we got the gear in the boat and put in at the launch. It was a windy and damp morning with a good amount of cloud cover. You couldn't see any stars out.

After a 5 minute trip across the water we arrived at the island and made our way out of the boat and onto shore. Jake only had hunting boots on, so I carried him to shore. Mikey began to quickly get his decoy spread set out and made quick work of it. In less than an hour he had a nice little spread set up for us. Usually it takes him and Pro Staffer Chuck Parr a good hour and a half to set up the spread.

Jake was getting a little edgy and ready for morning light. Then the clouds began to move out and the stars were shinning, also the morning light was breaking over the eastern horizon, it was almost shooting light. When the time arrived we loaded up and began to look to the skies for birds. The problem was we kept looking and kept looking. We only saw a few ducks flying that morning and they were all extremely high up. It looks as if the local ducks are wise to the schemes we hunters are putting out. It wasn't long until Jake got bored and began to play in the dirt. Actually I was getting bored myself and thought about joining him in the fun!

At about 9am we decided that there wasn't going to be anything to shoot at, so we began to work on brushing up the blind for the next mornings hunt. We put a good hour in, placing branches and leaves on the blind to make it look more full. We were going to bring a friend out the next morning to try his hand at hunting with us. After the blind work was completed we started to pack up the decoys and head in. But as usual, as soon as we started to pack up, a flight of geese came our way. Mikey was in the water picking up decoys and I told him to start calling. The flight was getting closer and headed our way. I got into shooting position and waited for the right moment. They seemed as if they were going to flare at the last moment so I pulled up and dropped three shots at them. Miss, Miss, Miss. Again as usual I wiff on them. Mikey is yelling at me, wondering why I shot so early. "You never wait" he tells me! He's right though, I get way to trigger happy when they come in. Oh well, I had fun letting the steel fly! We then packed it in and headed over to the taxidermist's house to pick up his Widgeon that he had mounted. It turned out beautiful. Here is a photo of it:

DAY TWO

The next morning came early again as usual, 4:30am this time! We loaded up and met my friend from work at the local Micky D's down the road. Of course I had to pick up my morning breakfast sandwich and coffee. It wouldn't be a hunting trip without it. My friend asked me why we had to get out so early since it didn't get light until almost 7am? I told him it takes a while to put decoys out, as he would soon learn.

We arrived at the boat lauch and to my surprise Pro Staffer Chuck Parr wasn't there yet! This is the first time ever, that we arrived before he did. I later learn that his local Mikey D's was closed and he wasn't happy about it! So do to technical difficulties beyond his control we arrived first this morning! I guarantee that won't happen again. He is always early.

This morning we had to make two trips to the island since we had four hunters, there was no way all that gear and four guys were going to fit into my boat. So I took out Mikey and Chuck first along with all the decoys, so they could start setting up the spread while I went back to pick up Randy and the rest of the gear. We unloaded the decoys and they got busy and I made my return trip to the boat launch. I grabbed Randy and we headed back out. The two boys were busy spreading the decoys as we pulled up. I unloaded and got the blind ready as Randy watched in amazement. He couldn't believe the spread the guys were putting out!

It was starting to near shooting time and I had to rush the guys to finish up the decoys, then we loaded up as shooting light arrived! This morning was different that the previous day. It was blowing, cold, spitting drizzle, and plain old nasty out! This should be a great morning! Then it began to sleet, which then turned to SNOW! But the problem was that there were no ducks or geese flying! We saw a few singles and doubles, but they were extremely high up again, just as the day before.

A couple of hours passed as we sat and talked about hunting, work, and families. We then had three geese drop on the opposite shore and hang out for a while. Mikey was determined that he could call them over to us, so he began to cluck ocassionally at them. Within a half hour or so, they took flight and flew straight for us. It worked! They came in broadside at 25 yards, Mikey called "Take 'em!" We proceeded to dump 12 rounds of steel at them! They kept on flying away from us as if nothing happened! Randy slowly turned towards me then asked, "What just happened?" I looked at him and said, "We missed! That's the way we roll!" We all just sat and laughed at each other in amazement that no one touched any of those geese. Now of course Mikey will tell you that he hit one twice, but there is no proof of it. That is what he always tells us when he misses.

We sat around for another hour with no luck, so we started to pack it in and again as usual, when we were loading up, the geese come flying in! We couldn't react fast enough to get a shot off, but it was nice to at least see something. Afterwards we talked with Randy and he is eager to try it again as soon as possible. Something must have went right for us, we now have another waterfowl hunter in the fold. It isn't always about taking game, it is about the experience! If we can remember that, we will be hooked on hunting for the rest of our lives!

Post Election Bow Hunt Day Two

2008-11-10T10:34:00.003-05:00

The alarm rang at 5:3oam again this morning, I wasn't as eager to get up this morning as I was yesterday! After a quick bowl of cereal and suiting up, it was time to head out. I dropped my dad off at his spot and then went to park the vehicle at the usual place. When I got out and shut the door to the car, I began to get into hunting mode.

It is truly amazing how the mind will change gears so quickly. It was like I had flipped a switch and now a renewed hope had entered my mind. I think nature brings that out in us, no matter what our mood is before we enter the outdoors. Mother Nature has a way of bringing out the best in us.

I start back down the two track and through the swamp towards the tower stand. It is still dark out and the air is cool this morning, but the stars are twinkling brightly. It looks like it is going to be another great day afield. I arrive at the stand and make the climb up the stairs and into the blind. I find the chair in the dark and remember that I had left the shooting panels open from last nights hunt. I find everything just as I had left it from the previous day's hunt.

As I sit in the morning darkness, I can feel the damp cool air wrap its arms around me and begin to pull the warmth out of me. You know when its happening, because you get that little tingly feeling and the small shaking in your muscles begin. I move around a little to try and stir up some warm beneath my clothing. Finally I can see day starting to arrive over the horizon and it isn't long until I see a few deer filter through the field.

The small bucks again make their appearance in the field. Nothing to get too excited over this time since I watched them all day the day before. I do see a lone doe coming through the field browsing towards me. I think to myself, "Do I want to take a doe today or not?" I keep asking myself this question as it walks closer to me. I watch her for about a half hour and she is coming into shooting range. It was then that I decided to make an attempt at her since she had no young deer with her. I won't take a doe that has young deer with her, that would do nothing more than make sure that the young ones won't survive the winter.

I slowly raised into shooting position but she was quartering towards me, so I waited a moment longer. She finally turned broadside at 15 yards, it was the perfect opportunity. I drew back and raised my bow at the same time with as much stealth as I could muster. She didn't notice, this is going to go down perfectly. I made sure my stance was good and that I had hit all my anchor points. The pin on my sight was placed right over her vital area. Without even realizing it, I squeezed the trigger release and let the arrow fly. I watched the arrow enter the left side of her into the lung area. A nice shot! I watched her kick and run towards the swamp! No, I thought to myself, do not run into THAT swamp! She went over the little rise between me and the swamp and disappeared. That particular swamp is dense and very very wet.

I looked to the ground to see if the arrow was there and it was, a pass through shot! I felt better now that I knew i double lunged her. I waited for an hour to pass before I went to look for her. When I got down to the ground and went to the rise where I last saw her, I found a nice line of blood on the ground, this was a fatal hit. I followed the blood for about 40 to 50 yards and then it stopped at the watery swamps edge! My heart sank inside me, this was my Colorado trip all over again! Where I stood at the edge was a fist sized area of blood with bright red frothy bubbles in it. I knew that this was a good lung hit, but where was she? The water got deep quick and this swamp was full of small willow type branches. You couldn't see more than 20 yards in any direction. I grabbed my field glasses and began to glass as far as I could see, with no luck. I didn't dare go any deeper into the water, I only had knee boots and I was already getting in deep. I circled around trying to get a better look into the swamp, but it wasn't meant to be. I had to face the fact that I had lost her. This begins to wear on a man's soul, this is the fourth time that this has happened to me. I know that I made a great shot, but we cannot control which direction and how far the deer will run. This is a fate that I have to accept and not let it deter me from hunting even though I can't stand myself for putting myself in this position.

I had seen 15 different deer this morning, and heard the turkey again coming off roost along with the coyotes again. The coyotes this morning were a lot closer than the previous morning, they must be working the other swamp behind me. Despite the lost doe, I'm having success and seeing and hearing game everytime out in the field.

The afternoon hunt came quickly as we had to pack up everything so we could leave as soon as we left the woods. My dad hunted closer to me this evening in hopes that a change in stands would change his luck. It did change for him. He saw a nice six point buck, but decided to let it walk. He had ample opportunity to take it but he was looking for something a little bigger. I on the other hand saw the usual small bucks and a good number of does. I watched 20 deer this evening browsing the field from one end to the other. I also had the opportunity to hear the turkey roost again behind me. As they were making their usual crashing noises as they roosted, I noticed that there was something coming into the field from the direction the noise came. It was four turkey coming my way. I watched them walk within 20 yards of my stand, I could see that each of them had small beards protruding from their chests. The four jakes were cautious as they made their way across the field in single file and down the two track between the two swamps.

We had made plans to leave just at dusk, so I had to climb down while deer were still in the field. I hate to do that since it gives away your location to the deer giving them another edge against you. There were 12 different deer from one end of the field to the other, it didn't take long for them to see me and flee.

When you know that it is the last day of the hunt and it is time to leave, you really don't care if you spook the deer. It is like leaving an old friend behind. You don't want to go but you know you have to, and you wonder when you will get back to see him again. Fortunately I have made plans to visit again this coming week during the firearms deer season. We will once again greet each other and enter my sanctuary of peace, solitude and soul cleansing. On that November 15th morning at day break we will once again shake hands and hunt together!

Post Election Bow Hunt Day One

2008-11-07T21:49:00.007-05:00

With the outcome of the election in jepordy, I knew that I would need some time away from work and soceity in general. So I planned a two day post election bow hunt with my dad. We hadn't had the opportunity to hit the woods together since last firearms deer season. I knew it would do him and me both some good, for different reasons for each of us. He made his way up to camp the day of the election to get everything ready and do an evening hunt before I arrived. I left right after work that evening right after the election. It was then that I was glad we had planned this trip. I had to get away for awhile. What better way to clear your head and get your thoughts back in order, than to hit the woods.

I arrived at camp at about 4am and proceeded to wake him up, he had fallen asleep on the couch with the tv on! I made a make shift bed on the other couch and managed to grab an hour of sleep. 5:30am rolled around way too early after that late night trip, but it was time to get up and hit the woods!

I was eager to make my way back to my stand to see what I could see. It was a beautiful predawn morning. It was warm and very little breeze blowing. We drove back down the two track to a parking spot and both of us grabbed our gear and wished each other good luck. It was time to get serious! I slipped through the woods and trails back to the field I was going to hunt.

As I walked down the trail through the swamp I could see the field opening ahead. I was in my sanctuary! This is my peace, my solitude, my metal medicine, and soul cleansing place to spend

two days! I made my way to the 13 ft. high raised shooting enclosure. I climbed the stairs and opened the door. It was just as I had remembered it. Cluttered with last years hunting supplies, a swivil chair and my dad's buck grunt call laying on the shelve and a propane heater over in the corner. I quickly turned the flashlight off and put my day pack on the floor and my bow in a another nearby corner. I fumbled in the darkness to find the hasp that kept the folding wall panels in place. Once I found them, I opened the hasp and lowered the panel down and out of the way to provide a nice 2 ft. by 3 ft. opening to shoot through. I then made my way to the opposite wall to do the same. I could see day starting to break over the southeastern horizon. It was time! I settled into my truck seat, yes I said truck seat. We took some old soft cloth truck seats with folding arm rests on them and attatched them to an office chair swivil base! They are awesome. They even have the little lever that allows them to fold back to snooze in! Once settled in I grabbed my new Bowtech Genreal bow and took the quiver off of it to drop some weight off the bow. I snapped one of the carbon arrows off of it and nocked it to the bow string. Now it is time to turn the senses on high alert! It was time to HUNT!

This is the connection to our past and to our inner selves to see what we are truly made of. Hunting tests men's souls, their patience, and their stamina. Can you sit still long enough to allow a whitetail buck to travel close enough that you can hear him breathing, close enough to see the grass he is munching on work down his throat when he swallows, close enough to see the fly buzzing his ear as he flicks his ears to drive it away. Now that he is that close can you move slowly enough to get into a position to take a shot without being detected? Now that your in that position, do you have what it takes to pull the trigger release to take the life of that animal? That is the real question! Can you do it, can you take the life of an animal to sustain your own life? It isn't the taking of a life that makes you a man, what makes you a man is do you have what it takes to survive? I think that is one of the reasons we hunt. We want to know about our connection to our past. Our fore fathers had to do this to survive, we do it maybe to try to connect to that past, to see if we have what it takes to survive given the chance we had to.

Now I realize your going to say, our fore fathers didn't have enclosed tower blinds and truck seat swivil chairs to use when they were hunting or trying to survive. Well I do like a little comfort when I hunt and this is the only place I hunt that I use comfort like this. Most of the time I do sit out in the elements or stalk hunt, so for this hunting trip I'm just trying to connect back to nature and clear my head. Now back to the story!

Day light is starting to break over the trees on the horizon. The light blue glow of morning light is illuminating the dark skies and the stars are starting to fade away as the blue light washes the darkness away. On the other side of the swamp behind me I hear a pack of coyotes sound off! This is always an adrenaline rush that makes your whole body tingle with excitement, it has been a while since I've heard a pack go off like that. It immediately brings the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention! A few minutes later I can hear a nearby flock of turkeys coming off roost. This sounds like a truck crashing through the tree tops! Where are these birds during the spring turkey season? This goes on for about 5 minutes and I'm thinking to myself, so much for my quiet morning, but eventually they settle down. By now the skies are brightening up nicely and I can start to see things off in the distance. As I look to my left I can see something white flickering in the field! Is that a deer's tail? I slowly lift my binoculars to my eyes and try to focus in the early morning light. What I thought was a deer's tail is a skunk! Yikes, I will be keeping my eye on this little guy! He eventually saunters out of the field to never be seen again. I look back down in the field near my stand and I see a deer has come in close to me without me detecting him. It is a little four point buck! I watch him munch on clover for a few minutes and then he picks his head up and looks intently in the opposite direction. I glance that way to see what has caught his eye. It is another deer walking our way. I glass in his direction and see that it is a small spike horn buck. He never breaks stride as he walks towards the four point. The little fork horn near me is still has his eyes glued to the spike horn. Then he takes a couple of steps in his direction and his ears go flat to his neck and the hair on his back begins to bristle! Oh man here we go, I'm thinking! I'm going to see them go at it! Meanwhile the spike horn has never broke stride and is still walking directly towards the four point. As he approaches he drops his head and lunges towards the fork horn. Once ready for a fight with ears pinned back and hair standing on end, the little fork horn tucks tail and runs! What a chicken I'm thinking as I'm laughing to myself! With victory secured the spike horn takes over the spot in the field where the four point once stood, almost like a bully on the block!

I then turn to look back into the opposite side of the field and I see something in the middle of it. I can't quite make out what it is, it looks like a coyote! I glass the field and to my amazement I see a bobcat! This is only the second one I have ever seen! I'm watching him through the binoculars while he is tending to his business at hand, he eventually makes his way across the field and out of sight.

I spend the next two hours in stand watching while three other small bucks make their way past me while they are on their morning routine. One of which is another four point and the other two are small spike horns. I'm thinking to myself, this is a nice way to start the hunt off! I'm seeing deer and they are all bucks, not to mention all the other game I'm seeing. All is well in my sanctuary this morning.

I make my way out of the blind and head back to the parking spot where my dad and I left the vehicle. As I arrive I can see my dad has beaten me back to the parking area. I have to give him the morning debriefing as to what I had seen. I had much more to report than he did. He only saw a few does feeding through the field he was hunting. We made our way back to camp and headed up to the corner store to buy some sandwiches for lunch that day, after a quick trip out of camp and back again, I ate lunch and proceeded to catch up on the sleep I missed out on that morning as I drove up to camp.

After a couple more hours of sleep it was time to hit the woods again for the afternoon hunt. My dad decided to make his way to the opposite end of the property to try his luck at another spot. After dropping him off I made my way back to my morning stand to see if I could maintain my luck at seeing deer. As I walked in, I had to make sure I had my Mossy Oak camo suit loosely fitted to me, it was starting to get hot! The last thing I wanted to do is break a sweat while walking in. I took my time and managed to make it without stinking up the joint, glad I was wearing my Scent-Lok suit.

It didn't take long for the deer to start filtering into the field for the evening dinner rush! I watched deer from one end of the field to the other for almost three straight hours. The five small bucks I saw earlier in the day made their way back to the field once again along with several does and their young. As I watched them it didn't take long for time to pass quickly. I started to notice that the sun was setting fast on the horizon and there were still 12 deer in the field from one end to the other. I didn't want to get down and spook them, since it would give away my location. I figured that I would wait it out and walk out after dark. Then I saw three other deer enter the far end of the field. Before I could get the binoculars on them, I heard it! Grunt, Grunt, Grunt!!!!! This was the big boy! He was over 200 yards away and I could hear him grunting at those two other deer. He was chasing them towards me and as I looked through the field glasses all I could see was a huge body and a huge rack on his head! This was it, but light was dropping fast! I got into shooting position in hope that he would come my way before there was no light. He cut the distance down to about 60 yards and he stopped right in front of me along with the two deer he was chasing. It was then I could see they were two smaller bucks that he was challenging. He dropped his head and grunted again at them, as if to say OK who wants a piece of me? I'm thinking to myself, I do! One of the other bucks circled him and walked right towards me, which made the big boy turn! Here is my chance, I'm thinking to myself. He stopped broad side at 2o yards and all I can see now is a silouette of him! I pull back and look through the peep sight and see NOTHING! The light has faded away and I can't see a thing! This is the buck of a lifetime and I can't do a thing about it! As I sit and wait it out I'm thinking why does this have to happen, then I realize that is how big bucks get to be big bucks, they come out when the light is low.

I couldn't ask for more for my first day out! I see all kinds of game and not to mention the buck of a lifetime. This is all good food for the spirit, my mind is starting to sweep out the clutter and I can start to focus on the connection that binds all mens souls, this is what truly makes us men. Nature is calling and it is calling you and me and I have just answered the call for the first time since I got back from Colorado! Man does it feel good to be back out in nature!

Weekend Goose and Duck Hunt

2008-11-05T22:59:00.005-05:00

What better way to spend the last weekend of October than to spend it on the water with my son and friend Chuck Parr. We hit it hard on Friday evening, after taking the day off work. We wnet to Lake Ponemah for an evening hunt. We made it out to the small island and I set up the blind while the boys put the decoys out.

After we got everything ready, we were talking instead of paying attention and a nice drake mallard buzzed by our blind, we all watched and pointed! That was it until almost last light, when a flight of geese came across the tree tops and Michael was hammering the goose calls. There was a family group that broke off and flew our way! Then the steel started flying! Chuck dropped one of them! This was his first goose. That was it for the evening.

Saturday morning we headed to Seven Lakes State Park to do a morning hunt. We went to the Island to setup and get going. I worked on the blind again as the two decoy pros began to set the spread up. It was pretty cool watching those two go to work in the pre dawn darkness. They knew just where to put the decoys out, and it wasn't long until daylight broke and the shooting started. We had two mallards buzz by just out of range. We kept our eyes peeled and it wasn't long until they came back into the spread. We had to jump them off the water to get them going. Mikey took the drake and Chuck took the hen. I put the gun mounted camera on it today to try and capture some video of some shooting. We threw a lot of steel, but we couldn't take any more ducks or geese but we did get some great footage of the shooting and missing.

Sunday morning we had the opportunity to get back out for a couple of good hours of hunting before church began. We motored our way back over to the island again in the darkness of the morning. The boys began their task of setting out the nearly six dozen decoys in their proper place. That in and of itself is a chore that just amazes me how long it takes. After an hour and a half of placing the decoys, they were finished and they found me asleep in the duck blind! Hey you catch a nap when you can! This morning shooting light was at 7:29am and we loaded up promptly. Within a couple of minutes we had a small group of four or five ducks coming in to our right. The cupped up and started to land. Mikey jumps up and yells take'em! The shooting commenced and we dropped one! Another one glided to the left and plopped over by the near shore. Mikey had taken the one that dropped in front of us, so he rushed out to grab it off the water. When he returned he showed us a beautiful drake Widgeon! It was truly a magnificent bird! As we sat in the blind commenting on how great the bird looked, he decided that he would get it mounted! A while later in the morning we had another small group of ducks fly by at about 30 to 40 yards out. We again poured the steel to the air! I took careful aim at one of the ducks flying off and pulled the trigger, and down it went. It was a hen black duck, my first duck of the year! I had to take the boat out to get this one since it was too far out to retrieve, I got out about half way to the bird and a flight of about 50 ducks broke over the near shore tree line! I couldn't believe it! I knew that I had screwed up BIG TIME! The guys called, with no luck. The birds flew by out of range! They razzed me pretty good when I got back to the blind. That was about it for the day.

We saw a couple of good flights of geese and actually got some shots off, but we didn't drop any more birds that day. We even made it to church on time that morning, just as they were begining to start the service. Our pastor looked at Mikey and me (the wife and three other kids were up north) and said, "You were out on the water this morning weren't you?" We just smiled and said yeah!!! He looked at both of us and said good job!!!! He understands, he is a hunter and fisherman also!

4th Bow Hunt of the Season

2008-11-05T22:47:00.003-05:00

I had a chance to get out last week to the place my buddy Matt has allowed me to hunt he was with me this morning. It was good to get back into the tree stand. I set up just down the fence row from Matt. As day broke I saw 18 turkeys in the field behind me. I also saw a flight of geese fly over head again this morning. I think I need to goose hunt here instead of deer hunt.

This morning I tried to use the camera mount from Elusive Wildlife Technologies. I put it on in the dark at the vehicle before we walked out. When I got to the stand to set up, I got everything put into place and reached for my bow. It was then that I realized that the camera blocked my access to the grip! I knew that this was not going to work. I immediately took it off and put the camera away. I will have to do some work on this to try and figure out a way to make it work.

No deer today, Matt saw three doe this morning. I have yet to see a deer on the property. I know they are there though. We walked the far property line after the morning hunt and found three new rubs. They were definetly fresh rubs. I guess that is why they call it hunting, you have to hunt them, they just don't come walking by on a regualr basis. I guess I will have to keep saying "Next Time".

Friday Morning Bow Hunt

2008-10-24T11:03:00.008-04:00

Well I finally got back out bow hunting this morning. This is only the third time out since my trip to Colorado. No excuses, just haven't got out. I made it a point to get up and ready this morning so I could spend it in the tree stand.

I tried to get everything ready and out the door, but I had a problem finding my range finder this morning. It wasn't in my backpack where I left it or so I thought. After about 5 minutes of frantic searching I said the heck with it. Out the door I went. When I arrived at the woods that I hunt, I quickly got my bow out and everything put together. Onto the trail I went. It was just beginning to break daylight. I was really about 15 minutes late getting into the woods, but man did it feel good to be back out in the outdoors.

I made my way down the trail and then I crossed into a field that ran next to the wood lot. This way I can sneak down to the tree stand without making too much noise. As I walked down the field's edge I could see something up ahead on the ground. As I approached it I could see that it was a scrape that a buck had made! There was a licking branch hanging over the scrape, this was what I needed to build some confidence in this morning's hunt. I walked another 10 to 15 yards and there was another scrape and licking branch! Another 10 to 15 yards and another one under a licking branch! Man this was getting me pumped up for the morning hunt for sure!

These were about 30 or 40 yards away from the treestand, so I slipped into the stand and began to get set up. I nocked an arrow and took my quiver off and strapped it to a tree branch, then I settled in.

From behind me across the field that I walked the edge of I heard what sounded like two bucks fighting. I looked behind me across the field and saw nothing. It sounded as if it was coming from inside the opposite woodlot. It went on for a couple of minutes and was rythmic in its sound. I knew then it was another hunter rattling trying to get a buck to come in. I've never had any success rattling bucks in. I think it is due to the fact that bucks here in this area don't have to fight for dominance to breed does. It wasn't long before I heard the hunter rattle again. It had way too much cadence to it. It sounded nothing like what a deer fight would be. I have seen them on video and heard the noise they make, and it was nothing like this guy was making.

After about an hour I heard a flight of geese coming towards me, as I watched the horizon I could see six of them flying straight for me. They buzzed the tree tops about 15 yards over my head! If I only had my shotgun! It wasn't long before I heard squirrels rustling around below me. I looked and spotted at least four different squirrels, two greys and two fox. The fox squirrels were pretty big, once again I thought if I only had my gun! One of the greys came towards my tree and stopped about 10 feet short of it. I thought he might try to climb up and visit me for a few minutes, but he turned and went back to his business.

Towards the end of the morning I noticed that three bluejays had flown into the tree right above my head. They began to pick what was left of the twigs and acorns off of the tree, the debris was falling right on me. The little buzzards kept this up for about five minutes, I was getting pelted with all the debris, once again if I only had my gun! That is always the story with hunting. You never have the right weapon to use for the game you happen to see. If I had been small game hunting I would have seen deer, but since I was bow hunting, no deer and a ton of small game! Oh well at least I got to get back out into the woods again, and boy did it feel good. The time passed quickly this morning, too quickly for my liking. I can't wait until this evening. If it isn't raining I will get back out again with the boys.

First Duck Hunt of the Season

2008-10-15T10:01:00.003-04:00

Well, I got out for my first duck hunt of the season this morning thanks to my son waking me up at 5:15am! I struggled out of bed and managed to get up and ready as he loaded everything up. We hit the water and went to a spot that we have hunted near before. We found an old blind that someone had knocked down, but the platform was still there so we made the best of it.
He dropped me off on shore like an old man who couldn't get to his hunting spot. I only had knee boots on and the water was too deep. I felt like I had to be carried into the blind, I guess that is a sign of getting old. I managed to hang our blind cloth on some branches and filled in the holes with cut sticks and branches while he put the decoys out. He then walked the boat around the point and anchored it so it wouldn't spook the birds.
I sat there with him waiting for first light, talking back and forth and enjoying each other's company. Then the time clicked to 7:16am! It was shooting time! It didn't take 2 minutes until we heard other hunters cut loose on some birds! We waited with anticipation hoping to see some flying our way. We waited until 8am until we finally saw some ducks flying, then they were too far away to even think about shooting. Once agian we heard the other hunters laying the lead to the waterfowl, then we saw four ducks coming our way. I hunkered down and Mikey began to call, this was it! Just as they began to get into range, the hunters at the other end of the lake cut loose again. The ducks we were waiting on flared and flew away! Man! That was our chance and now it's gone! We waited a few more minutes and finally saw some geese. Mikey worked his goose call and they started to fly our way but they never quite made it to our position. It was starting to get late and I knew we would have to pack up and head in. He had to be to school by 9:30 and it was now 8:15. I told him lets give it 5 more minutes. It wasn't a minute or two later and there they were, two ducks coming straight in for us! We got ready and then they turned in front of us, Mikey called "Take 'em". They were still a little far out, but I threw my three shots at them and he did the same. He rocked one but not well enough, and away they flew.
Well no ducks today, but at least we got some shooting in this morning and we got to spend a morning together in the duck blind. Not too bad for the first morning out.

2nd Bowhunt of the Year

2008-10-12T18:56:00.003-04:00

Well, I finally got back out this last week to bow hunt. It wasn't what I had anticipated, but I got out non-the-less. I took Friday off of work, since my kids had the day off of school, I thought this would be a great opportunity to get out with the oldest ones and hit the woods with the bows. Boy was I wrong.
My buddy Matt from Compass Outdoors invited Mikey and I over to his spot to hunt for a Friday morning excursion. Thursday night at work I began to feel sick! Oh no I thought, this is going to wreck my weekend! I went to bed that evening with the hopes that it would pass and I would be able to hit the woods that next morning. WRONG! I felt like junk when the alarm rang. I got Mikey up and ready to go and let Matt take him out and I went back to bed. They saw a few small bucks that morning and I saw the back of my eyelids under the covers in bed.
That afternoon I began to feel a little better so I planned to hit the woods with Mikey and try it. I didn't want my day off to be a waste. We got out around 4:30 that afternoon and made our way into the woods. He went to Matt's stand and I sat in the stand I used the last time out. It wasn't long until the mosquitos began to work their fury! I thought the frost from the previous night would have done those little suckers in! WRONG AGAIN! I tried with great fury to keep them from biting me and carrying me away. Then the neighbor began to cut small trees with his lawnmower just out of sight from where I was hunting and then there were some youths running the woods on the property behind where Mikey and I were hunting. What a miserable hunt!
As soon as the sun set, I got down and Mikey called me to check and see if I was ready. The bugs were taking him on also. I told him to meet me at the trail head and off we went.
It was a miserable hunt, but I'm glad I got out. It was the only time I made it out this weekend. My sickness got worse and I stayed home while my buddy Chuck Parr and Mikey went out for the opening two days of duck season here in Michigan. Mikey bagged a duck opening morning but nothing today. I will be looking forward to next weekend!

First Bow Hunt Of The Year

2008-10-02T09:43:00.003-04:00

Well opening day of bow season came and went with out me getting out in the woods. It always seems as if the best laid plans always go to waste. I felt really bad that morning so I stayed at home. But never fear, I did make it out this morning to partake in day two of the season.
My buddy Matt from Compass Outdoors showed up at my place at 6:00am to pick me up. I got my gear together and I was out the door. We drove the 10 minutes it takes to get to his spot to hunt and then it was time to get suited up. I always put my hunting clothes on once I get to the parking spot where I'm going to enter the woods. Once I got my Scent-Lok, rubber boots and other gear, I grabbed my bow and found out I forgot my quiver! Well I'm supposed to only need one arrow any way, I grabbed two though just incase.
We began the walk back to the treestands, this was the first time I've hunting this property and in the dark it looked different than it did when we were there scouting. After we split up on the trail I headed to the stand I was going to hunt. Luckily I had my bow sling so I could climb the climbing sticks and hold on to the two arrows I took while doing so. I got situated on the stand and proceeded to nock an arrow. The other arrow I laid across a couple of small branches and hoped that it would stay put. It wasn't long until I felt the cold air begin to creep into my jacket and pants. It was then that I thought boy this is going to be a cold morning. I later used my range finder that has a thermometer in it to find out how cold it was, 42 degrees was the pre dawn reading. The skies were clear over head but in the distance it was starting to cloud up somewhat. Then the wind began to blow in my face, it was then that I knew that I wasn't ready for the cold weather yet. I hung my bow on a hook and buried my hands into my jacket hoping to keep them somewhat warm.
As day broke, I noticed that there was a plane flying overhead. I forgot that this property was in the flight path of Flint's airport. I counted 8 big planes this morning along with 4 trains off in the distance and numerous cars driving down the dirt roads. It wasn't like it was when we were in Colorado. Out there you didn't hear anything all day.
As the sun rose it began to warm a little bit, but the deer were not moving this morning. I kept glassing the field and treeline ahead of me to try and see some movement. I must have lost track of time along the way, because I thought it was around 8:00am when I noticed some movement behind me. It was Matt coming up to pick me up. We had made plans to leave around 9:00 or 9:30 and he was sneaking up behind me. I asked him what time it was and he told me 9:00am. Boy did I lose track of time. I guess it was the anticipation of being out for the first time hunting whitetails this season that made it go so quick.
He also wasn't able to see any deer movement, so I guess we will have to wait until next time. I hope to get out this weekend and give it another shot. But for a first day out at home it was great. I got to watch the sunrise and spend time in the field, what more could you ask for?

Colorado Adventure Day 8 & 9

2008-09-28T00:23:00.003-04:00

Day 8 was pack up and head home day for us. I wasn’t in a good mood since I didn’t find my deer the night before. We did make one more pass on the opposite side of the creek to see if we could pick up the trail that morning, but we didn’t have any luck finding here. I hate leaving game in the field!
We got Kevin’s deer skinned and quartered up for the trip home. Then came the worst part of the trip. We had to leave. As we headed out I thought to myself, I will be coming back again soon. We made our way up into Wyoming to head back to I-80 to head east.

Near The Wyoming Colorado Boarder

We arrived at a crossroads and couldn’t decide which way to go. The GPS said to go through the mountains for a shorter distance, but it would be quicker to head north even though it was a longer route, there were no mountains to cross. So we decided on the only proper way to decide which way to go, we flipped a coin. Heads we headed north, tails we headed east through the mountains. The flip was tails, so we headed into the mountains and boy am I glad we did!
As we headed up to over 10,000 feet, we stopped on the Continental Divide.

The Continental Divide Looking West

It was an awesome place to be. I crawled up on the rocks at the roadside stop and placed a phone call to my family to let them know I was on top of the U.S.!
We then made our way onward and upward. We came around a bend in the road and saw a mountain that was absolutely gorgeous!

St. Marie Lake In Wyoming's Medicine Bow National Forest

It was St. Marie Lake at the bottom of the mountain and what a view. If you ever go through Wyoming and pass through Medicine Bow National Forest, you must stop here for the view. After about a half hour of photo taking we went on our way.

Another View Of The Mountain Overlooking St. Marie Lake

As we headed down out of the mountains we hit the high plains and saw hundreds of antelope in the fields along side the roads. It was awesome to see so many animals. Lastly on our way back home we had to stop back at the Sidney Nebraska Cabela’s store again to pick up some goodies for the kids. After a long 26 hour drive we arrived home. It was a trip that I will gladly take again anytime. As a matter of fact we are already planning our return trip for next year!

Colorado Adventure Day 7

2008-09-28T00:03:00.003-04:00

Day 7 of the Colorado trip started off with high expectations. The skies were clear and the moon bright this morning, although it was cold. This should have got the deer moving after yesterdays storms. Kevin joined me down in the valley and set up about 250 yards from the stand I was in. Hopefully we would see some deer this morning. Around 7:40am the coyotes cut loose again, they sounded like they were closer this morning than they were yesterday.
The minutes passed and turned into hours. I new that this morning was going to be a bust, nothing was moving except birds. I glassed the mountain sides to see if there was any movement, the only thing I saw was muddy trials and sage brush. At about 10:00am I noticed some movement off in the distance, but I knew that Kevin was going to be coming that way at that time. It was him heading in to pick me up to head back to camp. We crossed the creek and made our way back to camp.
We decided to make the most of the day since it was going to be our last full day here. We packed up the quads, camera, and our bows then we took off towards the summit blind.

View From The Summit Blind

We figured we would at least take some pictures and video from the summit blind and maybe, just maybe we would see a deer in the distance we could put a stalk on. When we got to the river we had to cross it with the quads, it was there we took some photos and video. Then we headed up to the blind. As we approached the blind I noticed a doe mule deer cross in front of us, finally we saw a deer! After a few photos and some video we headed back down to camp to eat lunch then it is to the creek for some fly fishing.

My Trout

We spent about an hour trying to catch some trout out of the stream. After no luck at the stream we tried the pond and had some success. We each caught one trout a piece on my fly rod. We then hurried back to the cabin to clean them and get ready to head into the woods.

Kevin's Trout

We got into the woods around 5:00pm, Kevin set up in the same place as the morning hunt and I headed back to the stand. At 5:30pm I saw a doe come in from the right just under my stand. I watched and waited for the deer to offer a shot. It made it to about 25 yards out and quartering away. I knew that this was the shot to take so I drew back and took my time placing the shot. I snapped the release and the arrow flew right into her left side. She kicked and ran off. I just knew that I had placed a good shot. I watched her run out of site and sit down for a while to rethink the shot. After about a half hour I got down and went looking for the arrow. I found it and when I looked at it my heart sank! Just a little bit of blood and hair. I am now thinking I made a bad shot. So I went back into the stand and replayed the shot in my mind over and over again. I kept seeing the arrow hit my mark, but I couldn’t be sure she was lying out there somewhere. I had to wait until dark to go look so I wouldn’t disturb Kevin’s hunt. It wasn’t long until I heard what sounded like a bow shot from his direction. I later find out that it was him who shot. He took a nice doe from about 36 yards away and it ran about 100 yards. I wish I could say that. We got a game plan together to go looking for my deer. We came back and got the quads and crossed the creek to start looking. It was so dark it was hard to see. I grabbed a new tool that I was given to field test this year. It’s called Illumitacks from Elusive Wildlife Technologies. They are flashing led lights that you can tack on a tree. We needed to be able to see our way back to the creek to cross and it was almost impossible to find it without them. I placed it on a tree near the brush that covered the crossing on the creek. We could see the light from over 200 yards in the dark! We then went to where Kevin’s deer was at so we could start the search for mine. I placed an Illumitack on my quad so we could find our way back to it in the dark also. Remember we are in the mountains in Colorado and didn’t know our way around too well.
Next I broke out another tool that I was given to field test. It is called Blue Star, it is a blood finding agent. You spray it on the ground and it illuminates blood no matter how small. We went to the spot where I shot the deer and started spraying the ground. Now remember it is dark out and you are not supposed to use any light source when using it. The ground turned florescent blue, it was amazing how well this worked. We began the tracking process finding blood along the way. I had blood on two sides so I knew that it was a pass through shot. We wound up tracking it up the mountain and back down again into a thicket, then to the creek and across it. That is where I lost the trail. We also had run out of spray to see if we could pick it up again. I hate like heck to hit a deer and not find it. I don’t know if it died or not, but I will try to do a broad search tomorrow morning before we head back home. That is why everyone needs to practice, practice, practice. I haven’t shot from an elevated stand on a regular basis this year and I think that is why I missed that buck earlier this week and possibly lost this doe this evening.
If nothing else at least Kevin got his first animal with a bow, that is pretty awesome to be a part of that.

Kevin's First Archery Harvest

Now that my hunting is over for this trip I have to say that despite my not getting a deer I had an awesome time. I will just have to take some time and reflect back on what an awesome week it really has been. I just have to get the sour taste out of my mouth for screwing up my two great opportunities.

Colorado Adventure Day 6

2008-09-27T23:54:00.003-04:00

Day six was somewhat disappointing, it was cold and overcast for the morning hunt. We got up and around as usual, then I headed out for my stand. Kevin headed for the stand on the hill, which is lower than the one he hunted the previous night.
I was heading to my spot on the ATV when I saw a deer in the headlights. It was a small doe standing in the two track, she didn’t seemed to be too startled and just wandered off out of my way. I got to the parking spot and headed for the creek. It was somewhat of a tough go this morning since the moon didn’t give off much light with all the clouds hanging in the air. I managed to make it across and head to the blind. I got set up and began the long wait to see deer. Around 7am I heard a pack of coyotes sound off. They were pretty loud and it seemed as if they were near where Kevin was set up. Then again around 8am I heard them again, but this time they seemed as if they were behind me somewhat. It was either another pack or the same pack had moved.
I waited until around 9am before heading back to camp. There was absolutely nothing moving this morning. It was cold and windy so I decided to head back in. As I approached the cabin, I noticed an eagle sitting in a dead tree next to the creek. I thought I might get to the cabin and break out the video camera to take some video of him, but he flew off just as I got to the cabin. So much for that! Kevin is still out in the field so hopefully he is seeing some movement this morning.
I watched the weather report for the next two days and it doesn’t look good. It looks as if rain is moving in, hopefully it will move through quickly or not at all. I guess we will have to wait and see.
Kevin just made it back in and once again saw nothing. I was hoping that he was seeing something since he came back in late. We got some lunch and took it easy for the afternoon.

Storm Moving In

Later on it was looking cloudy off in the distance and we decided to take another ATV ride down the road the opposite way as yesterday. After about a half hour ride it was looking really dark in the distance and there was lightning off in the distance, so we turned and headed back to camp. Within 5 minutes of getting back it began to pour out, then it began to hail and blow! Man am I glad we came back when we did.

Rain & Hail Storm

After about 20 minutes it quite hailing and the rain stopped a while later. We took the quads down to the creek to feed the fish and check to see how much the water had risen since both of us had to cross the creek to get to our hunting spots. The water level was up already a couple of inches and the wether looked to be getting bad again. We decided to hang it up for the day and stay at camp. There was too much rain, lightning, and rising water levels. We will try to hit it again in the morning.

Colorado Adventure Day 5

2008-09-27T23:41:00.005-04:00

Day five of our great Colorado adventure started out like the day before, getting up early and hitting the field before daylight. This morning was a little easier to get across the creek than before. I was starting to figure out how to cross in the dark. Although it wasn’t too dark, the moon was full and high, so you could see pretty well.
I slipped into the stand and got set up. I watched another beautiful sunrise on the mountain, there is something to be said about watching the dawn of a new day while in the field especially in Colorado!

Colorado Sunrise!

Later that morning I watched two deer come down off the mountain. It is really cool to glass the side of the mountain and watch the deer make their way down the steep slope. They bounded into the meadow, that is when I lost sight of them. I could only hope that they would pass my way. It wasn’t long until I saw them cross in front of me then disappear again. About 15 minutes later I saw the little buck coming in. He stepped out at about 20 yards, but he was behind a bush again. I could see his front leg though and I noticed that there was a raw spot on it, I had noticed that the night before when I took that shot at him that the arrow had hair on it but no blood. I must have just nicked him. He never did present a shot for me, but instead he circled around behind me with the doe and left back out into the meadow. Later that morning I was getting ready to come in for the morning when the land owner came down to the blind to discuss some changes he wanted to make to the blind. He climbed up into the blind with me and it nearly fell in! The guys who built it for him left a few nails out! Later that day Kevin and I went back and reinforced it and shored it up.
Kevin had moved to a different blind this morning since he wasn’t seeing anything. He managed to see one doe that morning.

Valley We Hunted

After fixing lunch and fixing the blind, we decided to take the four wheelers on a ride down the road. We saw some really beautiful rock formations and mountains. Along the way we saw what appeared to be goats, until I grabbed my video camera and zoomed in. I thought they looked like deer from such a far distance across the valley. Kevin noticed that since they were white, they couldn’t be deer but instead probably elk cows. So we blasted down the road and around the corner to sneak up on them. When we got near them we could see that it was a herd of antelope. I had my camera rolling and managed to video tape about 5 minutes of them from a fairly close range. The buck in the bunch was an awesome animal. He was every bit of 14 inches with wide beams and a fork at the top of each horn, truly a world class trophy and I have it on tape!

Antelope Jumping Fence

We also managed to find 3 rattle snakes that had been road killed so we took two of the rattles and a head from one. The land owner Bill had run over one on the way in and we grabbed that one also. We skinned it out and kept the head and rattles also.
After an afternoon of joy riding we came back in and got ready to head into the field to hunt. Kevin wanted to try the high blind at the opposite end of the property over a mile away. I wanted to try something different also, so I headed to the mountain to sit where the deer made their way up onto the mountain in the evenings. I sat down and managed to see five does, but none were close enough to shoot. I did have a porcupine climb a bush right over my head, that was interesting. Kevin managed to hear a lot of action but didn’t see anything. He heard two different bull elk sounding off along with some cows. He also heard a coyote nearby along with what he thought was a bear rumbling through the brush. So another day has passed with a lot of excitement but no meat in the freezer yet. We still have two full days to hunt though.

Colorado Adventure Day 4

2008-09-27T23:22:00.005-04:00

Day four of our trip was the first full day of hunting for Kevin and I. We got up around 5 am and got out to the field before daylight. I headed down to my spot on the ATV again, but I now had to cross the creek in the dark! This was a little nerve racking, but I managed to make my way across and into my stand.

Slater Creek

I was sitting there in the stand as the sun came up and I could see it shining off the mountain in front of me. Straight in front of me was a mountain about 300 yards away. It was amazing to see this land formation just shoot up out of the valley. I could see the whole mountain side which held the deer. I still couldn’t believe that I was sitting in a tree stand in Colorado in the mountains watching the sunrise! I began to glass the mountain side to look for deer. It wasn’t long until I began to see movement. They made their way down the mountain and headed towards my stand. It was a doe and tow little ones. They came to within 30 yards of me, but there was no way I was going to shoot a doe with little ones with her, but it was fun to watch them pass through. I also saw two other does come down from the mountain, but they didn’t come into the stand.
I headed back into camp to see what Kevin saw, which was nothing. So we made some lunch and got some rest. It takes a while to get used to the thin air in the mountains and I was beginning to get a headache. After a little rest we headed outside to put the Roscobie Riser Cams that we had on loan.

Kevin's Bow With The Roscobie Riser Cam

We had to re-tune our bows with the cameras on them, so we started out at 20 yards then to 30 and then to 40. One thing led to another and we decided to shoot some 50 yard shoots, why I don’t know I guess we were feeling brave. I hit about 5 inches low with my first shot. Kevin’s shot was only a couple inches off. My second shot clipped the top of the target and launched down range, Kevin later found it 80 yards behind the target. His second shot hit dead center bulls eye. My third shot was a couple of inches high, not too bad. I don’t think I will be shooting at a deer at that distance.
Well it was time for the evening hunt, so we headed out. I made it into the stand around 4:30pm and man was it hot. Way too hot to be hunting, but it would soon cool down and get right. It was like clock work again at 6:15pm the buck came in again. He give me a perfect broadside shot at 30 yards. I tried to keep cool and I made my draw on him. I put the pin right where it should be and let it fly! I watched the arrow fly towards him and slide right under his belly! I couldn’t believe my eyes. I knew that it was a 30 yard shot because I used my range finder to check it the day before. He made a small jump and walked behind a tree, so I grabbed another arrow and waited. He walked back out and just as he began to clear the tree I drew back again, but he stopped. After about a minute, I couldn’t hold it any longer so I drew down. He was still calm and didn’t seemed bothered at all. He began to take a step so I drew again. I estimated the shot to be 40 yards and I knew exactly where to place the shot, and I let it fly! I watched the arrow sail under him again and hit the ground behind him. This time he bounded off. I got out the range finder to check my distance and it was 52 yards! I guess I under estimated that one! I went down and found my arrows, then climbed back up to try and figure out what I did wrong. I watched some other deer pass through the area and head up the mountain for the evening.

Nighttime Photo, Notice The Stars!

Night fell and it grew cold, so I headed back into camp and had to explain what happened. That is worse than missing sometimes, everyone gives you the business for missing. Kevin again saw nothing from his spot.
Kevin made supper that evening, and then it was lights out for day four.

Colorado Adventure Day 3

2008-09-27T23:02:00.005-04:00

Well it is day three of our trip, and we spent the night in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was at a hotel on the Yamba River called Rabbit Ears! No it wasn’t the bunny mansion with Hugh! That next morning we got our groceries from a local supermarket for the remainder of the week.
We got the call around noon from the property owner, Bill Kelly. We met him in Steamboat Springs and followed him to the property or at least we tried to follow him. He cut a trail that would have made Mario Andretti proud. Now remember we were pulling a trailer with all of our gear in it and we had to follow this speed demon down the little mountain roads. If that wasn’t bad enough, he made a turn down another road and all of a sudden the pavement ended. The road wasn’t just a normal dirt road, it was a one lane trail through the Arapaho National Forest in the mountains! Now Bill didn’t slow down any just because it was a one lane dirt road. He managed to do 60 mph down this pig trail and we had to try and follow him through the mountains.

Arapaho National Forest

At one point we lost sight of him as we headed down a step incline with a hairpin turn at the bottom. As we neared the bottom of the road we met a gravel train truck at the bend of the road. Kevin slammed on the brakes and we slid to a stop without smashing anything. As we finally got around him there was 4 more gravel trains behind him and the first one had dumped his load in the road. Kevin floored it and drug my trailer through the gravel pile. It wasn’t long before we had to stop and pull gravel out of the brakes.
Along the way through the forest and the mountains there was a lot to see and we did manage to take a few shots along the way, not to mention an encounter with a rattle snake that we eventually coaxed into the back of the truck bed.

Mr. Rattle Snake

We finally made it to the ranch and we had to pull our fingernails out of the steering wheel and dashboard, but we made it in one piece. The view from the ranch was awesome, I couldn’t believe we were actually in Colorado to spend a week bow hunting mule deer.
After we got unloaded we were taken around the property by Bill to see where everything was at. While we were out on the trip around the property we saw two bald eagles down by the creek. It looked as if they were waiting for a quick meal. We got our bows out and tuned up to make sure they were ok after the trip down, all was a ok. Then it was time to get our gear on and hit the woods for our first hunt even though it was getting late. The excitement was almost too much to contain, but we managed to hit the field. I got the 4 wheeler fired up and headed to my area I was going to hunt. I parked the ATV and worked my way down to Slater Creek.

My Colorado Transportation

I had to cross the creek to get to my spot. This was a first for me, I have never had to cross water to hunt. I carefully made my way into the water and found that it was almost too deep at one point to keep dry, but I managed to cross without getting wet. I sneaked up to the stand I was going to hunt and made my way up into it.
Most guys don’t hunt mulies from stands, but I was assured by the owner that I would see a lot of deer. I got set up and settled in to see what would happen and within 15 minutes I saw a deer coming in. It was a buck! I couldn’t believe this, I no more than get set up and here we go! It was a 3 point mulie buck that came in and caught me sitting down. I could have taken a 25 yard shot, but I would have had to rush the shot and I didn’t want to finish my hunt in just 15 minutes. Within the next hour and a half I saw 8 deer total. One of them was a nice buck way off in the distance, so I had high hopes for this spot. As the evening passed I also saw a bald eagle flying across the valley, it was probably one of the two we saw earlier.
As night fell, I got down and made my way back across the river and headed back to the cabin. Kevin came in and he saw one doe while he was out on stand and managed to take a shot at a coyote at about 40 yards with no luck. The land owner told us to come up to the big house and eat dinner with him. He fixed steak for us and afterwards we sat down and got to exchange hunting stories. It was a great beginning to our week, I hope the rest of it goes this well.

Colorado Adventure Day 2

2008-09-25T01:55:00.002-04:00

We finally drove out of the rain after about 12 hours of straight water on the windshield. We drove into Nebraska early in the morning. It was just about as flat as Iowa, I really found it interesting as we got near the North Platte River. My son Michael always talked about the goose hunting on the North Platte, so I naturally thought of him. As the sun rose we stopped in Kerneay, Nebraska for gas. We knew that this was also the town where the 2nd Cabela’s store was at. We followed the signs to try and find it with no luck. We had all but given up and began to turn around when I saw the sign on the little store front. It was an old small factory building with a small water tank outside. I was amazed at how small the store was, we are used to seeing such huge Cabela’s stores, like the ones we passed in Chicago and Omaha. It was 6am so they weren’t open yet, we got our gas and headed west.

Later that morning we stopped in North Platte, Nebraska for breakfast just beating the Sunday morning church rush. As we planned our next stop for gas we noticed that the original Cabela’s store was within our reach. It was in Sidney, Nebraska and then it was on to Denver. So we made our stop at Cabela’s and bought a few things for the hunt.

Sidney Nebraska Cabela's Store #1

It just wouldn’t be right to drive right past four of their stores and not stop and buy something.
We then turned our sights on Denver. As we got closer to Denver I kept noticing small dirt piles in fields by the road. I later learned that these were prairie dog dens. Then I started to see the little varmints sticking their heads out of the holes. I wish I had time to shoot a few of those little hole diggers. We arrived in Denver around 1pm local time.

Denver Colorado Skyline

We had made arrangements to visit with Aneal Roney from Bowcast.com where we spent about an hour and a half talking with him.

We discussed the tactics we would need to hunt elk and mule deer. It was nice to finally meet a fellow podcast host. We had talked on the phone a couple of times and tried to plan to meet while we were in Colorado. So it was nice to finally put a face and name together.
Next we were off to Steamboat Springs for the night. It was supposed to be a 3 hour drive there, but we stopped at Sportsman’s Warehouse to purchase our elk tags, which turned into a nightmare. We thought that there were still 21 tags left for elk archery season. When we tried to purchase them we were told that they were for muzzleloader season! We then scrambled to think of what to do. We decided to try and buy a muzzleloader and the gear so we could hunt elk. When we got to the counter to purchase the gun and buy the tags we were told that we couldn’t purchase the license since the season had started the day before. They weren’t allowed to sell firearm license once the season had started. So much for hunting elk!

We left the store a bit upset, but we still had the mule deer hunt secured! Next we hit the highway again to head into the mountains. The sun was setting as we reached the Rockies. It was a beautiful sight to behold!

Sunset Over The Rockies

I had never seen anything so magnificent in all my life. Then the traffic stopped! A traffic jam in the mountains, then we found out it was road construction, I thought that was only done in Michigan! Finally we got on our way again and made our way through the Eisenhower Tunnel! We were at about 12,000 feet and the pressure began to get to me. My joints, ears, teeth, and sinus’ began to hurt extremely bad until we dropped down in altitude. You could tell we were flat landers. We had gotten on a two lane road for the last 60 miles and made it about 10 miles when we ran into a road block. We had to detour around and through the mountains on a small pig trail road which added another 15 miles or so to our trip. We finally made it into Steamboat Springs around 10:30pm local time. What a day!

Colorado Adventure Day One

2008-09-25T01:15:00.002-04:00

We got away this morning at around 7:45am after packing the trailer full of hunting goodies. Kevin and I headed north to pick up the ATV’s to use in Colorado. This would cost us about 6 hours on the road that we would have otherwise put to good use heading west.

Our Hunting Lodge In Michigan Where We Got The ATV

We really hope that we NEED the ATV’s, if not it was a waste of time. That is all part of it though.
It wasn’t 30 minutes into the trip and it began to rain. We drove 165 miles north to pick up my machine and it rained all the way there. When we began to load it into the trailer it quite raining for about 15 minutes then it began to pour again. We drove west about an hour to pick up Kevin’s machine, it quite raining while we loaded his also, then it began to rain again.
We needed to stop and pick up a few hunting supplies at a hunting outfitters store nearby, so we combined that stop with some lunch. After that we were on our way to Colorado!!! After 545 miles of driving we finally made it out of the state of Michigan and it rained all the way. During the lighter showers we managed to see a few deer and turkey along the way. In one cut corn field we saw what must have been over 100 geese feeding on the spilled harvest. Little Mike would have went nuts!
We finally rolled through the south side of Chicago just after dark in the pouring rain. As I write this part of the blog we are about 90 miles from Iowa and it finally stopped raining after about 650 miles! What a relief. We did see an accident just north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It looked like a guy in a pickup lost control in the pouring rain and flipped his rig over in the median.

A Truck Flipped Over In The Rain

We also got detoured in Indiana due to the freeway being shut down due to the road being flooded. It doesn’t surprise me with all the rain. Did I mention it was RAINING!
Kevin has just opened a bag of what he calls beef jerky but it smells like crap! I don’t know how he can eat it! We have been somewhat surprised by the price of gas. With hurricane Ike coming ashore last night, the price of gas jumped at home over 30 cents! I was worried that we would see gas at $5 a gallon, but we have only seen it as high as $4.29 a gallon. We just bought it in Illinois for $3.99 a gallon, but diesel fuel is cheaper here than gasoline. It is just the opposite in Michigan. So we have finally driven out of the rain and everything seems to be going well so far. We are keeping our fingers crossed. Davenport, Iowa here we come!

4th of July Catfish!

2008-07-14T00:12:00.007-04:00

Fireworks On The River

We started the fireworks early on the 4th this year. My wife had some relatives come into town for a visit for the holiday. They were from Indiana and liked to fish. So what better way to entertain the family, than to head to the water. On the first day (July 4th) we went to the local mill pond in our home town to let the little kids catch some pan fish! And catch pan fish they did.

There were no keepers but the kids had a ball catching the little buggers. Michael finally got to get his fly rod out and try it on some real fish. He caught about six small pan fish while we were there.

I told our guests that if they wanted to do some real fishing we could take the older kids up to the river and try some cat fishing! He was all for it, so we made plans and headed to the river the next morning. I recently purchased my new used 14' aluminum boat with a 15 horse merc on it. Mikey still has his 12' aluminum boat, so we hooked both boats up to the trucks and headed to the river the morning of the 5th.

I had to let Mikey drive his boat with the two older visiting boys in it with him. I had the other dad and my daughter Mackenzie. It was hard letting my teenager drive off in his boat! You gotta let them grow up sometime!

We made it to our fishing hole and it wasn't long until I hooked one. Sorry to say it was a sheep head bottom feeder. That was the only fish I caught all day. Michael hooked into a huge fish! It was pulling the boat and he managed to get it to the top of the water when I got a good look at it. It was a nice huge catfish. Probably over 4 or 5 pounds! He got it half way in the net and it flipped and spit the hook! No Fish! He did manage to catch two more that were about two to three pounds though. All in all we caught 8 fish total, and there were three really nice ones. We made our way back home and I cleaned them up before I had to head to work. I filleted them and packaged them up so they could take them back home to Indiana with them to enjoy. What a way to spend the holiday weekend! I can't wait until next year.

Catfishing Father's Day

2008-06-22T11:46:00.002-04:00

This years 2nd annual catfishing Father's Day event went off as usual. We got the boys together along with my brother in law and his boy along with another friend. We took off around 6 am and headed to the river in Saginaw County, near St. Charles. We unloaded the boats at the ramp and headed down the cut to the main river entrance. It was a beautiful morning, about 65 or 70 degrees and sunny.

We made it to the honey hole we fished last year, and proceeded to cast the lines and get ready for the action! It wasn't long before we got a few bites. Michael caught his first catfish ever! A nice keeper to go into the basket, last year he got skunked. So far so good, then I hooked one and let Jacob reel it in. It put up a good fight, then Michael scooped it in the net, another keeper. I finally reeled one in, to make it three in the basket. It wasn't long before Jacob hooked one by himself, he set the hook and reeled it all the way to the boat! This was his first catfish that he caught by himself, another keeper! While we were sitting in the boat, we heard some splashing in the nearby marsh. We looked up and saw a deer along with her fawn making their way through the weeds and water! That was pretty exciting. We managed to put 7 in the basket with only one too small to keep. The fish stopped biting so we moved up river to another spot.

It wasn't long before I hooked another one for the basket. Then I hooked another one that felt really big. So I handed the reel to Jacob and he struggled to get it to the boat, it turned out to be a really big sheep head. They are not a fish that you would want to keep but it put up a good fight for Jacob! He had a ball catching that one. My brother in law also caught a huge sheep head, probably close to 15 pounds! It was a monster.

All in all we caught 8 fish, the same as last year. We had enough to make a good size meal for the family. We also had the river to ourselves, we never saw another boat while we were there! It was a great day and a great way to spend the day with the boys on father's day! It reminded me of my grandfather a lot that day. I can't wait until next year.

Michigan Turkey Hunt Day 4, Memorial Day

2008-05-26T12:08:00.003-04:00

This morning I thought we were going to have to stay home. I was really windy with showers moving in. Michael stayed up too late and didn't go, so it was Mackenzie and me this morning. Our first time out with just the two of us.
We got our Micky D's breakfast and hit the highway. About 4 miles down the road it started to blow really hard and rain heavily. We also saw lightning in the distance. I gave Kevin a call to see if it was raining at his house. It was calm and wet only, so we kept on heading down. Good thing we did, it was nice this morning, but a little windy. I set up at the far end of the field we have been hunting, almost where I saw the birds on Saturday morning. We sat for 3 1/2 hours with not a sound, not a bird. Nothing. Kevin did notice that someone walked in near where I was set up, he could see the guy walking in behind the area where I was set up. Around 9am I told Mackenzie that we needed to get packed up to go, and as I did I heard a dog coming into the field. Sure enough a guy was walking two yellow labs and came right in on us in the open field. He didn't notice the decoys in the open, but he stopped his dogs when he saw my blind. I told him that we were heading out so don't bother leaving. I wouldn't have been so nice had there been a bird scared off of us!
One nice thing we saw this morning was, as we approached the last curve before the parking area, I noticed a deer on the side of the road. As we made the curve it bounded into the woods, then on the side of the road was a new born fawn all spotted up. It couldn't have been more than a couple of days old. I don't think I have ever seen a deer so small. Of course Kevin's daughter and Mackenzie at the same time said, awwwwww how cuuuute! Give me a break girls, that is dinner in a couple of years!!!!
After our hunt we did our usual drive and call at nearby fields. We saw what we thought was a turkey in one field, and upon further looking found it was a Montana Decoy Gobbler! We kept on driving, trying not to mess up the guys hunt! Luckily we had to use binoculars to see it, so hopefully we didn't mess up his set up. We drove by another field which was private, and I saw something that looked like a turkey, so we stopped. I grabbed the glasses again and sure enough it was a huge boss Tom strutting in the field. He put on a show for us for about five minutest or so. We all got turns at watching him work the ladies. Now if only I could find a way to get to that bird and stay on public land!
We have next Saturday to try and fill our tags, that is the last day of turkey season here in Michigan. I won't be able to get out this week so Saturday will be a do or die day for Kevin, Me, and the Kids!

Can't Turkey Hunt, Kids Want To Fish!

2008-05-26T11:57:00.003-04:00

We took the day off from turkey hunting this Sunday, due to the fact that all four kids wanted to go fishing for the day. What can I say, I would rather spend time with my kids doing something they want to, instead of sitting in the field watching birds.
Don't get me wrong I love to turkey hunt, but this was the kids day and tomorrow is the Holiday so I will get to go back out in the morning.
We got everyone and everything loaded up and headed to Seven Lakes State Park for the day. We hooked Michael's boat up to take along with the canoe strapped to the top of his boat. That was quite the site, we were the fishing version of the Beverly Hillbillies! We also met a good friend of ours at the park, Chuck Parr and his family. I took the boat out with the girls and wetted a few hooks with no luck. My youngest daughter Madalyn caught the first fish of the day, then Michael and Mackenzie each caught one. Jacob and myself were the only two from our bunch who didn't catch anything.
There were a lot of people at the park fishing that afternoon, and I saw only one keeper caught the whole day. It didn't really matter because the kids along with Chuck's kids had a great time out at the park and on the water.
Our big excitement for the day was that we saw a kayaker flip over and he couldn't get his rig turned upright. He was being pulled in by his partner while he was in the water and it was cold. So Chuck and I jumped into the boat and headed out to help. He didn't want a ride but asked if we could pull in his boat. We got it flipped back over and tied a rope to it and pulled it to shore. He was pretty cold it looked like, but thankful.
To my surprise, Chuck and his family brought me a small gift for some tickets to a theme park I give him a while back. They brought me an alligator head and a book called Elmer Keith's Big Game Hunting. It looks to be a great read, and the gator head will go nicely on my office desk! Thanks Guys!!!