Hunting with Mike

So what do you think of Tim Tackett’s huge Michigan muzzleloader buck?   You read alot about the big whitetails in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and other states, but I’d say Michigan has it’s own crop of trophy bucks.  Tim’s deer will no doubt hold on to be the new “state record” nontypical muzzleloader buck!  The current record is held by Dustin Hotchkins, and scores 204-1/8.  Tim’s deer has a green score of 214-1/4, and should not of shrunk 10 inches after the 60 day drying period required by the Boone and Crockett Club!

Tim shot this “Monster in late December (20th.), so you see there are still trophy deer running around, well after most hunters have cleaned their weapons, and put em away till next year!   This deer was shot in Calhoun County with a 50 caliber Remington 700 muzzleloader.  If you can believe it Tim had already taken a nice 10 pointer from the swamp he hunts, but knew there were bigger deer in the area.   His patients and persistence paid off in huge dividends, as his deer is truly a buck of a lifetime.

Tim’s deer had 19 scoreable points, with the longest tine being 13 inches.  One of the tines had a circumference of 8 inches, and the inside spread was 22 inches.  You can catch the whole story in the March issue of Woods-N-Water News.

Mike

It won’t be long and I’ll be back on the Big Manistee looking to land some great eating steel head. This was my second trip from a few years ago, and we landed three of these great fighters. I had taken a trip earlier in the year, when snow was on the ground, and we landed four that time! I’m telling you it was cold, and my hands about froze off! You couldn’t keep your gloves on, due to all the activity. I’m glad I had a couple of those little pocket warmers on me!

This particular fish, in the picture, pulled us a quarter mile downstream, then swam back upstream, just to make it interesting. You certainly don’t land all you hook, as you have to fight the fish, dodge other boats, keep away from log-jams, give the line no slack, work around others in your boat, and pray he “gets tired” before you do! If you are fortunate enough to land this “worthy opponent” you will have earned your “dinner!” If you’ve never given steelhead a try-make this your year to “just do it!” There are some great runs along the streams and rivers of Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Check out the DNR fishing guide or go to their web-site for regulations, license information, and “hotspots!”

Mike

I think for most hunters this can be kind of a boring time of the year.  Winter is winding down (at least it’s supposed to,) and the prospects of a spring turkey hunt are on the horizon.  Except for the “most hardy” of the outdoor gang we’re kind of stuck in “hunters limbo!”  That is unless you have 10 grandkids like I do!

My oldest grandson Quinn Russo is 13 years old, and wrestles on the Jr, varsity wrestling team at Mason School.  That’s him with his coaches in the picture.  I have another grandson Keegan McNamara (7) who wrestles for Clawson, and his sister Nadia also is in their swimming program.  Quinn’s sister Nina is  a swimmer for Mason, so the opportunities to stay “busy” are all around me.  I don’t get to see them participate as much as I’d like to, but usually I can at least watch the videos.  Quinn suffered a shoulder injury a few weeks ago, but he should be ready to hit the mat this week.  So in between rabbits, coyotes, and foxes, there is plenty to keep this old “geezer” from getting the winter “blahs!”

Mike

When we were kids we spent more than a few hours catching turtles. We had a really nice restaurant, about 1 mile from our house, that specialized in seafood. A couple of their great fares were fried turtle, and turtle soup. It was my dad’s  favorite place to go, whenever he could afford to take his gang of 8 out for dinner. The name of the place was Drouillard’s, and it sat right on the banks of Otter Creek, just a 1/2 mile or so from Lake Erie. Sometimes dad would “sneak” off by himself, just to enjoy a bowl of turtle soup, and chat with Don Drouillard the owner. Don’s turtle was always fresh, and sometimes we would even sell him ours, when we caught some large enough to make it worth while.

Back then you could bring your boat, in from the lake, and dock right out the back door of the restaurant. The atmosphere was one of always being on vacation, even when you weren’t. Don’s perch and walleye dinners were also well know among those locals, who liked seafood, and the atmosphere of this water side eatery.

The huge snapper in the picture was intended for the frying pan. I had visions of those great Drouillards turtle dishes, and figured I could get about 15 pounds of great meat from this “old buzzard!” I caught him by leaning out from a pontoon boat, and when I grabbed his tail, he almost pulled me in the water! Once I got him back to the cabin I started thinking “man This is a really old turtle!” The more I thought about “doing him in” the less I liked the idea. He was probably older than I was, and I was always told to “respect your elders”, so I put him back in the lake. He’d made it this long, and I didn’t want to be the one to stop his monopoly on 16 Mile Lake. Besides it made my wife and grandkids happy!

Mike

One of my favorite “bear camp” pass times is fishing the beaver ponds for brookies! This picture is of little brother Darryl and myself, as we do our “grocery” shopping for supper. Brook trout, baked potatoes. corn, and green beans was on the menu for this particular day, during last years bear hunt. I can still taste those crispy, tender, morsels of lightly breaded and seasoned, fresh lemon squeezed, cast iron skillet fried, “Big Creek” caught trout, as I write! Oh what a wonderful “bonus” these fish add to a week of bear hunting.

No matter where I hunt, my little compact spinning rod goes with me. I have caught 2-3 pound brookies in Quebec, mountain brookies in Colorado, deep pool fish in Tennessee, and fast water trout in Ontario, and I’m telling you they all taste the same-”delicious!” Take a hint from me this summer. Where ever you take your vacation this year,I’m willing to bet your within a few miles of some good trout fishing. Do your family a favor, and take your fishing gear with you. You’ll be glad you did.

Mike

A couple weeks ago I did a little rabbit hunting with my recurve bow.  Saw a couple, but didn’t put one in the pot.  I have a  nephews that  has never eaten rabbit, and I want to fix him one before the season is over, and the snow on the ground disappears.  I bet some of you (Art) are hoping to be done with these “lagging” snow storms aren’t you?

When I got home this evening (it was snowing) and a fresh set of rabbit tracks went right across my driveway.  I went in and got my camera, and as I did I passed my bow, hanging on it’s hook!  After taking the picture I strung the bow, and grabbed an arrow.  I followed the tracks around my shed, and over to the wood pile.  I figured he might be under one of my pine trees, trying to get out of the snow, that was coming down quite hard!  He wasn’t there, but headed for the back of my property where there is a group of pines.  They have low hanging branches, just right to hide under.  I followed the tracks to the last pine tree, and there he was sitting like a statue.  I was a mere 3 yards away, as I pulled my trusty recurve back to my mouth crease.  Usually as soon as my finger touches my mouth the arrow is on it’s way, but not this time!  Dag-nab-it I couldn’t shoot that furry little critter!  I must be getting “soft” in my old age.  Well that is why there is only a picture of this “fortunate” bunnies track.

After I put things away I went in the house and ordered a pizza!  I may end up ordering one for my nephew also.

Mike

Not very long ago I wrote a post on “Derek’s Melanistic Whitetail.”  I was hoping to hear from someone else who has seen one, or could offer some insights into this rare phenomenon.

Well the other day I received an e-mail from Cindy Edge from the Austin/Dripping Springs area of Texas.  Cindy doesn’t hunt, but she does take photographs.  In the above picture you will notice that one deer stands out from the rest.  It is a Melanistic Whitetail, in all it’s rare glory!  Cindy sent me two pictures, but this one was “zoomed” in a little closer, and turned out great.  She took this picture a year ago during an ice storm.  The deer has changed it’s travel route somewhat, but Cindy still sees it once in a while.  I don’t know if it’s a buck or a doe, but I’m assuming it is a female.  If she is able to get some more good shots of this lovely creature, she’s going to pass them on to me.  Good work Cindy-I really appreciate it.

Mike

Some people say “If you seen one Ansel you’ve seen em all!” Now I don’t see all that great of a resemblance, but I’m sure my kids have picked up a few of my good genes. More than once we’ve heard “Oh I bet your an Ansel you all look alike!” There probably is more “truth” than”fiction” to that statement.

All of creation has common traits, talents, physical features, and genes from the proceeding generations. I’ve noticed this firsthand while observing the natural world, but whitetail bucks, in particular, catch my interest! Early this year I had two 6-pointers come by my stand at the same time. They were the same size, except one had a wider rack than the other, What caught my eye was that each deer had a right brow tine that curved toward the left side of the rack. I figured this particular brow-tine formation made them brothers, and that “daddy” was probably running around somewhere with a similar set of headgear.

I didn’t really think of it very much after that evening, but toward the end of the season I got somewhat of a surprise! A very nice 8-pointer caught me “empty handed” (my bow was hanging on its hook) doing a stare-down at 15 yards. One of the first things I noticed was the tip of the right brow tine angling toward the left. I figured this was the “bad boy” that was passing those crooked brow tine genes around, and all I could do was look.

Several years ago my son took a fat corn feed 8-pointer, here in Monroe, that had 6-kickers coming off his bases. The deer was only 1-1/2 years old (first bow buck) but was already starting to show”who’s your daddy!” The reason I say that is because my son-in-law missed a “monster” with several noticeable kickers around his bases. He was less than a half mile away from where Micah shot his deer.

I’m sure you’ve all watched the hunting programs on T.V. where only 5 year old, and up, “wall hangers” are harvested, while the lesser bucks are “culled!” The reason for that is simple. It’s in the gene pool! Most of these ranches try and keep a 50/50 buck to doe ratio, which helps insure healthy deer. By eliminating the inferior bucks they maintain a sizable “trophy” population for hunters to dream about.

Not only is good genetics essential, but keeping the doe numbers down is also very important. Just today I ran across an 80 acre lease in the heart of deer/farm country. The owner had a stipulation of “bucks” only, no does. To bad, cause I would of leased it in a heart-beat, but I believe you have to harvest some does in order to keep the herd healthy.

Mike