A glimpse at the morning before sunrise:

A wary Mid-Michigan gobbler hangs up and persists in his attempt to lure a hesitant hen his way.

COLUMBUS, Georgia — The Motorola T265 Rechargeable Two-Way Radios Sportsman Edition in Realtree Xtra Camo deliver dependable, instant hands-free communications at the touch of a button, so you can enjoy your outdoor adventures without worrying about losing contact with those in your group. Read more

MISSOULA, Mont. – The public exhibit of Boone and Crockett trophies for the Club’s 30th Big Game Awards opened for public viewing on May 4.

Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, will host this public exhibit of recently taken, high-ranking B&C trophies from across North America from May 4 through August 4.

“After 70 years of holding these exhibitions, this is one of the largest one we ever had in terms of the number and quality of animals on display,” said Justin Spring, the Club’s director of Big Game Records. “It’s impressive. This is excellence in nature and what is possible when we commit ourselves to the conservation and stewardship of these species, which is why we continue to see such outstanding specimens and records broken year in and year out.” Read more

MISSOULA, Mont. — According to the Boone and Crockett Club, more states are being forced to take a closer look at how information gained from GPS technology is being used to hunt big game species. The issue is making its way onto the dockets for some state legislators and governors to decide.

The state of Montana has been discussing two proposed bills. One would make it illegal for an individual to take GPS location data on a particular animal they have intensively scouted, and sell this information to another hunter. The other bill would prohibit the use of radio collar GPS tracking information obtained by wildlife biologists for monitoring and scientific management purposes to be used as an aid to locate these research animals, or transfer the information to another person. Both bills address how this information should not be used for the purpose of hunting.

“In both cases, Fair Chase is being used as the justification for proposing and supporting the passage of these laws,” said Mark Streissguth, chair of the Club’s Conservation and Hunter Ethics Committee. “We anticipate other states will be faced with the same decisions and we feel a few points of clarification will be helpful, especially between what is ethical or unethical and what is a matter of Fair Chase.” Read more

BESSEMER, Ala. — Steyr Arms will be hosting the 2nd Annual Steyr Challenge, Oct. 5 in Seetaler Alpe in Austria, with teams from across the globe competing for the title of “Toughest Hunters in the Alps.” This competition is a combination of a more than seven kilometer mountain run with about 300 meters of elevation gain, different shooting disciplines, abseiling and sawing. Each four-person team, with one alternate, will need to train together, shoot together and strive for the ultimate goal of winning together.

Steyr Arms is looking for a few good teams to represent the U.S. in this year’s competition. If you think you have a team that has what it takes to take on the course and the other competitors, send an audition video of your team explaining why you wish to compete in the challenge before the registration closes on July 15. Click here to register. There is no cost to submit. The $250 registration fee is only charged to teams that are selected and will be participating in the challenge. Teams will be responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from Austria. Lodging and food are covered upon arrival. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

One good way to start an argument is to pronounce a certain firearm and caliber the perfect choice for deer hunting. A well-respected hunter/writer, Craig Boddington, who has hunted big game in 29 American states, has offered up his favorites and I’m about to dissect some of his rationale. However, when it comes to Michigan, common logic used elsewhere does not always apply.

To begin, there is no perfect choice for all of Michigan’s deer hunting territory. Plus, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Deer hunters come in all sizes and ages and hunt in farm fields, woodlots, big woods and swamps. If we add caliber restrictions for the Southern zone, things get even more complicated. Here goes anyway.

Slug guns were popularized years ago when a line was drawn to separate Michigan’s Lower Peninsula into two zones. Since then, however, laws have changed with the times and those heavy hitting big bores are going the way of the phone booth. The now-legal straight-wall cartridges have been a big hit and the .450 Bushmaster is at the top of the list. Still a big bore, it can be relatively pleasant to shoot with a ported barrel for all but the most diminutive hunter. Other pistol cartridge options for rifles down to the .357 magnum can get the job done, as well as some of the old-time favorites such as the .44-40 Winchester. For youngsters, who may be recoil sensitive, muzzleloaders make plenty of sense, because loads can be reduced to suit the smaller hunters.

In thick cover for areas in Zones I and II, Boddington likes the fast-handling .30-30, but cautions it won’t offer the ranging abilities you need in open country. He explains that the fastest cartridges need extra-long barrels, and they also need considerable gun weight to keep recoil manageable. Long, heavy rifles aren’t pleasant to carry all day.

He also states that they are extremely awkward in a lot of deer stands and blinds. We differ on this point, because nowhere else is a heavy gun at home than in a hunting shack, while it rests on the window sill until it’s needed.

Although it’s legal to use .22 centerfire calibers, they are not necessarily ideal. Considering the average size of our whitetail deer, centerfires from 6mm through the big-bore bottleneck calibers have their place. Mr. Boddington also mentions we may “need” flatter shooting 30 caliber rigs for shooting to 300 yards to minimize holdover, but that only applies to optics with a single aiming point in their reticles. Today, options abound in mil-dot and bullet drop compensated glass that take the guess work out of the longer shots – assuming that range has been properly estimated or calculated.

Boddington explains that no whitetail hunting actually requires a magnum cartridge and here we agree. His personal choice for the most versatile and most perfect whitetail cartridges falls to the veteran triad formed by the .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, and .30-06. All are powerful and efficient cartridges that anchor deer up close . . . but also shoot flat enough to handle almost any shot most of us have any business taking. In fairness, a host of other cartridges such as the 7mm-08, 7mm Mauser, .308 Winchester, and magnums up to the .300’s are equally good, and most could be used interchangeably with no difference in results on game.

Boddington prefers bolt action rifles and his logic is hard to knock. They are available in most calibers, are reliable and accurate. An obvious “shortcoming” of single-shot guns is there are no quick follow-up shots. However, single-shots have a way of developing the single-shot mentality, which requires no quick follow-up shots.

I agree that the whitetail rifle should be scoped. This is not so much a matter of distance as it is the scope’s light-gathering capabilities during the critical periods at dawn and dusk. Fixed-power scopes are simple and weigh and cost less than variable-power optics and do well for most Michigan opportunities.

When it comes to accuracy, just about any firearm will produce acceptable results depending on the operator. If a hunter is able to keep 9 out of 10 shots in a six-inch circle at any given range, that hunter is ready to go afield with the gun of his choice, as long as he stays within his self-imposed limitations.

The conclusion is that there is no single, perfect deer hunting caliber or rig. It all depends.

You could get two tags in a single year with Pure Michigan Hunt!

Elk and bear license applications are on sale now through June 1. You can increase your odds, or even get two tags in a single year, by picking up Pure Michigan Hunt applications while you’re applying for bear and elk. Read more

Natural Resources Commission anticipates July decisions

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has recommended a series of deer regulation changes for the upcoming fall hunting seasons, which the Michigan Natural Resources Commission will be discussing over the next three months. Several opportunities for public comment will be available before the commission makes decisions expected in July. There are changes proposed statewide and for both of Michigan’s peninsulas individually. The recommendations range from a baiting and feeding ban proposed for the Core Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Area in the Upper Peninsula and a moderate increase in U.P. antlerless deer licenses, to redefining bait to exclude natural or synthetic food-scented materials not consumed by deer and moving the Liberty Hunt to the second weekend in September to avoid potential conflicts between hound bear hunters and youth deer hunters. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

On a rabbit hunt some 40 years ago, Fast Frank and I discovered wild turkeys in Montmorency County. Neither of us knew much about the large birds other than what we had learned around the Thanksgiving dinner table. And, that was enough to cook up a plan to go after them during the spring season. Back then, permits could be issued to a pair of hunters and we were fortunate enough to be successful in the drawing for tags.

We had a plan that involved arriving at our chosen area a few days early to scout. We didn’t have much to go on, because there simply weren’t many birds anywhere in the state but we struck out to locate some form of sign: tracks, scat, or feathers – anything. We were familiar with the state land east of Lewiston, so we monitored clearings where we had found fresh tracks.

Excited to find an obvious travel path, we formulated an ambush plan. Although I had studied the calls on cassette tape, I didn’t have the confidence to try calling afield and neither did Frank. So, we would hide and watch.

Frank constructed a natural blind in the middle of the field among a couple of trees and bushes. I fashioned a hideout on the edge of the field and just a few yards from the game trail the birds had been using based on our scouting efforts.

Opening day had us in our positions at first light. The hiding-and-watching plan would take some patience, because before the age of game cameras, it was impossible to know the timing patterns. Nonetheless, we would hope for the best.

Several hours had passed, when I detected some putt-putt sounds behind me. The excitement grew, as I realized the setup had put me within several yards of the approaching group.

My limited research – and, this was before the internet – had me thinking this was one of the wariest creatures on earth. The eyesight and hearing of wild turkeys was beyond comprehension, so I didn’t move a muscle, as the sounds of their approach grew louder; heck, I wasn’t about to turn my head or even to blink. The plan was working to perfection, but I had yet to see one set of walking drumsticks. I sat motionless and waited.

I did happen to notice some movement at long last. Alas, it was Fast Frank waking from a nap and stretching his arms. My hapless partner got a good look at the birds, but not until they were scampering away from us on the well-traveled trail; I never saw them.

As it turned out, the blown opportunity put us in the 90 percentile of unsuccessful turkey hunters. We did almost everything right to take one of the 400 or so birds killed that year, but close doesn’t equal drumsticks.

Thanks to the efforts of conservationist/hunters and their funding from license fees and excise taxes on gear, the paltry population of wild turkeys has grown and stabilized in all of the Lower Peninsula and some of the farm country in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan hunters now bag over 30,000 birds annually with an impressive 30 percent harvest rate. I’ll join the throng of hopefuls next week, because these are the “good ol’ days!”