Hunting with Mike

This is my grand-daughter Nadia as we prepare to go mushroom hunting. My friend Randy Mills is going to fly us over some area’s that might hold the elusive “white Morel!” Any serious hunter of the delectable, fruity, fungus will go to great lengths to capture this prize. Once we find an area these tasty morsels are hiding in, we’ll land as close as possible, and put a stalk on them. Usually if you find one, others will be lurking near by! To be successful you have to be alert, know your territory, and keep your eyes focused on their favorite haunts.

As far as I know there are no record class categories for “bigger than normal” mushrooms, but there is a certain element of danger, in the hunt, as you have to use your bare hands! Also you need to chose your hunting partners wisely-very wisely. A slip up here could ruin your favorite hunting area for years to come. Also on a hunt of this nature, you need to spread out, so you can cover as much ground as possible. If two of you are hunting too close together, and you both spot the same mushroom at one time, serious injury could occur, as you both “dash” for the prize!

Hedgerows, woodlots, decaying stumps and trees, along with sandy soil, are just some of the places these little fungi try an hide in. If you have access to a spotting plane (like I do) and a really good set of binoculars, you’ll have an edge over your competition. My grand-daughter and I have already collected five (5) from the “white morel” family, and it’s only cost us $299.00 dollars in aviation fuel. Come to think of it maybe the plane isn’t such a good idea after all.

Mike

Yesterday my wife and I took two of our grandkids over to Calder’s dairy farm. It’s a working operation which makes all different kinds of dairy products, including ice cream. They deliver their products to local stores, and even do home delivery. There is an “on-site” dairy products store, and home made ice cream is their specialty. No trip to Calder’s would be complete without one of their cones!

The kids got to pet the calves, goats, donkeys, and horses. They saw geese, ducks, long-horned cattle, cats, dogs, and even watched the cows get milked. There is even a wildlife pond full of huge catfish and carp that you can feed. Usually there are a ton of wild geese nesting in the area. The kids had a great time, and we even took several pictures of them riding on the animal sculptures.

One animal not native to the farm was this beautiful male peacock, who was strutting his stuff! They have had to isolate the male and female peacocks, as the males were scratching customers cars! It’s mating season, and when the males would see their image reflecting off a shiny car, they would go into “attack” mode! I don’t know who ever came up with the idea to use a peacock call to locate turkeys, but I own one. Along with my owl, crow, and coyote calls I have enough to strangle me before I even get out of my truck! Truthfully though I have eliminated the peacock call, as the owl and crow call seem to work just fine. You have to admit - they are a “pretty bird.”

Mike

I don’t know how many blackpowder hunters out there did what I did this years, but I would guess more than a few.  I didn’t shoot my gun the last time I was out, and kept putting off “unloading it” till just last week!  Now I was smart enough to at least keep it in my garage  storage cabinet, as I didn’t want it going from extreme cold to room temperature.

I must admit I was a little hesitant to shoot it, as I could just imagine that 50 cal. round stuck in the barrel! I asked a couple of my friends about it, and even went on line to “Ask the sportsmen.”  Well everyone thought I should be just fine, so off to the sandhill I went.  I had a target set up 80 yards away and concentrated on a small corner of a playing card, that was stuck on plywood board we use.  Ka-Boom, no more corner of the playing card!  That target was only an inch square, so I was quite pleased with the old smokesticks performance.  Still I hope, not,to leave my gun sit for 5 months again before I “unload” it.

Mike

There probably isn’t a hunter in Michigan that doesn’t know the name of Richard P. Smith.  He is one of the premier outdoor writers in our great state, and has a reputation of the man to see, if you want to know about “black bears!”  He writes for numerous outdoor publications, and I had the honor to meet him at “The Michigan Deer Spectacular” in Lansing one year.  He seemed very cordial, and our similar interest in bear hunting, ruled our conversation.  I think Richard would be a great guy to have in camp, not only because of his wealth of knowledge, but because of all the stories he has stored away in his memory bank!  Incidentally Richard  also has many whitetail bucks and black bear trophies under his belt, and is as good of a hunter, as he is a writer.

I recently read an article in Woods-N-Water- News about Matt Wheelers Boone and Crockett 13 point, that he arrowed in Berrien county.  Richard P. Smith wrote the article, and as usual he gives you all the facts, and details of Matt’s 2007 best Michigan typical bow kill.  Any time you see Richards name as a writer or contributor to a story, do yourself a favor and read it.  Michigan outdoorsmen and women are richer by far because of men like Mr. Smith, who’s contributions to all aspects of outdoor recreation, has helped insure a heritage for future generations.  I for one “tip” my hat to Richard P. Smith, and say God bless you, and thank you for enriching our  great state of Michigan.

Mike

Awhile back I did a post about the 24 point non-typical deer shot in Jackson county this past season. Chris James could of been a celebrity of sorts, but instead he’s just a stupid criminal.  Chris is the guy that arrowed this monster buck (227 gross offical score) but bought his license the day after shooting the deer.  There was so much publicity about this huge deer that the D.N.R. ran a license check on Chris, and discovered the discrepancy to his published newspaper story.

Now Chris has lost his hunting privileges for four years, paid a fine of $1,300 dollars, and will spend 5 days in jail.  All because he wanted to save $15.00 dollars!  Does not sound worth it my friends.  Chris will probably agonize over his lack of ethics, and stupidity for the rest of his life.  In stead of being the guy that legally took the third highest scoring archery non-typical in the offical (CBM) record book, Chris will forever be the “dummy” that tried to scam the system, and got caught with his hand in the cookie jar!

Jackson county puts up some impressive numbers when it comes to record class bucks.  The illegal buck of Chris James would have been the No. one (1) non-typical ever taken in that county.  Crime does not pay!  If ever there was a wake up call for anyone  trying to get something for nothing, this should be it.  So here is just a pleasant reminder.  When you go afield this hunting season, do it legal and buy your license.  You may be very very glad you did.

Mike

It’s that time of year again when you bear hunters need to turn in your application.  Last year I missed the deadline, and had to forfeit my points, because of it!  Now I have to start all over, as the rules state that you must apply consecutive years, in order to build up your preference points.  Miss a year-loose your points  I’m quite sure the deadline is June 1st, check with your local hunting supply store just to be safe.

The three bear in the picture are the Momma bear, the Poppa bear, and the little-bitty baby bear.  Just kidding-don’t read that to your kids please!  Actually the one on the hood was a real mature boar that weighed in around 275 pounds.  Now just imagine the one I arrowed a few years later that weighed over 500 pounds!  Now that was a big bruin!  It took 4 adults just to roll him over for pictures.  I don’t expect to encounter anything that big again, but you never know what awaits you in the “wilds!”

I don’t like the lottery system that now determines who gets a bear license, and who doesn’t.  Years ago all the Ansel boys would head for the Baldwin camp, come Sept. 10th, for our annual bear hunt  Man, what fond memories I have of those days.  Now we are fortunate just to get one or two permits between the six of us.  Trying to get one for the first hunt is like winning the lotto, so we usually put in for the second or third hunt.  Hunting in Canada is an option, but that has gotten to be an expensive adventure over the last few years.  Oh well thats life!  Don’t put it off, and then remember it on June 2nd. cause if you snooze you loose.

Mike

When I can’t hunt, and the weather cooperates, I like to take in a relaxing round of golf.  I’ve had a membership at Deme Acres in Petersburg Michigan for four years now.  It’s about a 38 mile round trip from my house, which is kind of far, with gas prices the way they are, but membership is relatively inexpensive.  The layout of the course, and the up-north feel of the pines and ponds, makes the drive worthwhile.  The guy on the lawnmower is the head grounds keeper Steve, who does an excellent job keeping the course manicured and playable.  The owners of the course (Jim and Carol) are pleasant and manage the place with a family friendly atmosphere.  Alcohol is not served on the premises, which really keeps any problems to a minimum.

My golf partner Ed likes to be the “early bird” when we go, so we are generally teeing off by 7:30 a.m.  Being on the road this early we usually see plenty of wildlife on our drive out there.  We’ve been seeing a couple rooster pheasants, in one spot, and are they ever beautiful.  In years past we have seen plenty of turkeys, but so far, not a one this year!  The deer have also been few and far between on our drive.  One thing we have seen allot of is turtles and turkey buzzards.  No matter what kind of a round I have, the trip there and back, is usually therapeutic in itself.  Nature was made for our pleasure and enjoyment, and we all should be thankful for that

Mike

Turkey season 2008 has been kind of different, but then some things never change. The weather didn’t cooperate the first hunt, and the Toms were still grouped together at the start of the second hunt, but that doesn’t seem to bother my little brother Darryl. His ability to bring in the “longbeards” is legendary in our family, and he proved himself a ‘winner” again this year.

Darryl’s boy Derek had a second period hunt, and Darryl has the last hunt, so Darryl was “calling for Derek last week. Darryl took his grandson Tanner with him, and Derek took his son Tristin along. Monday they tried a pop-up ground blind set-up, and saw several birds, but didn’t have the right set-up to score. Tuesday found father, son, and grandkids set up on two Tom’s that had been seen earlier in the week, in the late afternoon. Darryl was not only calling, but videoing also, and already had some good pictures. The boys were having a blast, and getting some excellent training on how to fool a hunter wary bird!

Darryl decided to split up, and try and call the birds past Derek, which is exactly what he did. Two mature Tom’s couldn’t resist Darryl’s sexy hen yelps, and came in, in full strut! Derek “popped” one with a 9″ beard, and spurs just over an inch long. The boys got to see the whole “show,” and can’t wait till they can try their hand at turkey hunting. That’s the way you add hunters to the sport-these boys are “hooked” for life!

I’m sorry to say my hunt fell through, and I didn’t even go, which really bummed me out. My brother-in-law had three turkeys in his back yard four days ago, and he only lives 300 yards from my house. Michigan’s turkey reintroduction program is a huge success, and a boon to the states economy. I hope to have a better plan in place next year-like hide in Darryl’s hip pocket.

Mike

Yesterday I was at my son-in-laws property, with my grandson Kyle. I had loaded up an old archery bale into my ranger pick-up, and was going to dispose of it at Tony’s. Over the winter the bale came undone, and fell on the ground. I’ve had it for about 8-years, so I guess I got my $45.00 dollars out of it! It was not easy picking up that wet, moldy, ant infested straw pile for sure. I couldn’t believe that three bales could take up my whole truck bed! My next bale will have a little shelter around it to protect it, somewhat, from the elements. I had to be careful, cause as I scooped handfuls of the straw up, I ran across one bear broadhead tip hidden inside!

You can see Tony’s hunting layout at the back of his 6-acres. This is proof positive that you don’t need 40-80 acres to have a good hunting spot. The pond is a haven for ducks and even geese, but most summers drys up by July. There is thick woods and brush surrounding Tony’s property, which the deer and coyotes, love. Three deer have been taken off this small chunk of land, but so far the “big boys” have eluded Tony! Were talking “big!” I was standing at his kitchen window one day, and a massive 8-pointer came strolling across his back yard. Tony has seen several huge bucks, but they didn’t get big from being dumb. A couple years ago, a neighbor took one that scored around 170, about a half mile away.

Tony has a feeder, and a tower blind strategically located. Pheasants, rabbits, squirrels, and deer visit the feeder year round, along with birds, and various predators. I thought the whole scene had a very serene look yesterday, so I snapped a picture. Thank you Kyle for all your help.

Mike

Saturday morning Russ drove us to the airport in Bayfield to catch our connector flight to Phoenix. We were empty handed, as far as the elk and deer were concerned, but we all had some great memories. Bill and Ken knew I was really “bummed out”, and did their best to cheer me up, but I kept playing my ill fated attempt over in my mind!

Years earlier I had arrowed a huge Quebec black bear that probably weighed between 500-600 pounds. I had a complete “pass through” on the bruin, and my French guide assured me we would retrieve this bear. Well we didn’t, as the bear made it into a wet swamp, and we lost his blood trail. Movies of that bear, and now the elk, were playing in my head, and they were driving me loony!

I have gotten feed back from several readers, who have been following this Colorado adventure, but no one has suggested, what I am now going to reveal. As I pondered the whole elk tracking scenario , a light bulb clicked on in my “feeble” mind, and I wanted to tell the pilot to turn the plane around, so I could go get my elk. It was like “Duh”, how stupid can a seasoned hunter be. It wasn’t just me . but Ken and Bill “missed” this one also!

That darn elk wasn’t bleeding out of both sides! He had turned around, and was back tracking on the same trail! Thats why we lost blood at the end of the ridge, and couldn’t pick up his trail after two hours of futile searching. The blood was actually heavier on the left side of the trail (I hit him on the right side) which means he was bleeding more from the original right lung, after he turned around! Now I was feeling even worse about this whole deal! All we had to do was go back to where several trails branched off our blood trail, and we were sure to pick up were he was heading. Agony upon agony!

When I got home I called Russ’s ranch manager, and told him my story. I asked him to look for my elk, and explained, as best I could, where to look! He said he would, but next time I called it had rained really hard, and there wasn’t much chance of finding a blood trail now. He assured me the coyotes and mountain lions wouldn’t let the elk go to waste, but that really didn’t cheer me up any.

As you can see from the picture below, there is no elk hanging on the walls of my den. To this day it “bugs” me when I think of what could of been, or should I say” what should of been?” The hunt “was” truly a once in a lifetime trip, but now I’m stuck with a lifetime of “could of, would of, and should of’!” I did learn some important lessons from this “dream hunt,” and I hope you readers may of learned something also.

I still want to put an elk on my wall, and in the freezer, but I’m getting to the point where, physically, there are only so many years left in this body! I hope someday to redeem myself, or at least have my dreams become a reality, and not a “nightmare!”