On rare occasions, a trophy will be rejected for entry into the Boone and Crockett Club’s big game records. The reasons aren’t as juicy as you might think.
In 2023, the Boone and Crockett Club Records Department, which consists of Kyle Lehr (director) and Jennifer Schwab (assistant director), processed and recorded 1292 entries. They rejected 141 of them for an acceptance rate of 89 percent.
Lehr and Schwab are assisted by an army of Official Measurers (OMs) who volunteer their time and expertise to meet with hunters who think they have an animal with horns, antlers, tusks, or skull large enough to meet the minimum requirement of the record book. These OMs are tasked with scoring the trophy based on the Club’s scoring system. The hunters or the OMs then submit it to Club headquarters in Missoula. Once submitted, Lehr and Schwab go through that paperwork to ensure every entry meets the Club’s basic requirements for entry into the records. Most times, entry packets are complete and make it to the finish line. The hunter’s trophy is ranked and placed among more than 58,000 existing records. Other times, there’s a problem.
“Sometimes we might need a signature, or maybe there are a couple of pieces of missing documentation,” Lehr says. “If a trophy qualifies for the record book, we want it to be in the records. We are happy to follow up with hunters and trophy owners to make sure they get recognition.” Then again, it doesn’t always work out.
Over the next few weeks, pheasants will be released on 10 state game/wildlife areas across southern Michigan to conclude the 2024 pheasant release program.
“The pheasant release program had a great regular season this year,” said Adam Bump, Michigan Department of Natural Resources upland game bird specialist. “Hunters enjoyed spending time together in the field, pursuing released birds across all 13 of our regular season release areas. This year, we made the program even more accessible by providing parking lot locations online. I encourage hunters to take advantage of December pheasant hunting at the 10 release areas still open.”
Birds will be released throughout the December pheasant season, offering a great opportunity to get outdoors and experience the hunt.
Brownells is proud to announce that its Veterans Day Week campaign has successfully raised $120,000 for Special Operations Wounded Warriors (SOWW), thanks to the overwhelming support of its customers.
From November 11 to November 17, Brownells committed to donating 4% of all sales made at Brownells.com to SOWW. This week-long initiative allowed customers to join Brownells in giving back to the brave men and women of the Special Operations community who have sacrificed so much for our country.
“I want to sincerely thank our customers for participating in our Veterans Day fundraiser in support of Special Operations Wounded Warriors (SOWW),” said Pete Brownell, CEO of Brownells. “Together, we raised over $120,000 to help operators and their families on the path to a healthier future. Operator Syndrome claims far too many of our nation’s protectors, and any effort we can make to assist in their recovery and well-being is deeply meaningful and greatly appreciated.” Read more
Archery deer season: Now through Jan. 1, 2025, statewide on public or private land.
Muzzleloader deer season: Dec. 6-15, statewide on public or private land.
In zones 2 and 3, you can use all legal firearms. If you are hunting in the limited firearm deer zone, you must follow equipment requirements for that zone.
In the Upper Peninsula (Zone 1), only muzzleloading firearms may be used.
There are times during waterfowl season when savvy hunters rely on special tactics to bag their birds. Hiking-in to remote areas or using small watercraft such as canoes to gain access to back bays, creeks and bayous where some of the smartest ducks live are a couple ways to improve your odds to bag a few ducks, albeit with a little more effort.
These scenarios call for traveling light, including cutting way back on decoys and other equipment. All the creature comforts hunters come to expect in blinds – forget about all that stuff. A gun, a reasonable amount of ammo, calls, and a few decoys are all that is needed.
When ducks become “stale” and the migration stalls during warmer patches of weather, smart ducks still go about their business in little nooks and crannies around the countryside where they are seldom seen. Oftentimes, ducks will be inactive during daylight hours and restrict movement to a nocturnal schedule.
Scouting morning and afternoon is critical. Observing a given spot’s full potential may require staying well past legal hunting hours. You may not be able to see birds very well, but you should be able to hear them. These lowlight observations help determine the number of ducks in the area. Also, by watching which direction ducks come from, you can derive where they’ve been. Confirmation is a simple matter of observing that other spot…so, the inverse of the evening scout in the morning. Share the burden by tag teaming assignments with a hunting buddy (or friendly confidant). Read more
Archery season, firearm deer season and the holiday season — these are tried and true traditions that most every Michigander knows! If you’re a hunter looking for a way to give back and help protect the outdoors and wildlife you love, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources hopes you’ll take part in critical disease testing for deer you harvest.
As part of ongoing monitoring and management, the DNR is offering chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis testing for deer harvested during the 2024 hunting season. Every head that is turned in will help wildlife managers better understand the scope and movement of CWD and bTB in Michigan.
Chronic wasting disease testing
CWD testing is focused on the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. Counties eligible for CWD testing include Antrim, Arenac, Baraga, Benzie, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clare, Dickinson, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Iosco, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Otsego and Schoolcraft.
Hunters can submit samples for testing through the following options: Read more
Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)
As Michigan’s Regular Firearms deer season comes to an end, I am going to take this opportunity to explain why the choice of ammo – and, specifically, bullets – can make all the difference in outcomes. Long ago, I have come to the conclusion that a bullet with proven design characteristics and elements that produces controlled expansion is always my choice for deer hunting; varmint hunting is a different matter and is not the issue. We’re talking deer hunting.
Never before has there been more varieties in conventional store-bought ammo. Some folks may opt for price, others accuracy or just plain availability. However, without understanding what happens to that bullet when it strikes the target, may leave hunters at a distinct disadvantage afield.
Many YouTube videos exist that depict penetration and expansion characteristics when chosen projectiles are fired into ballistic gel. This is always helpful and can lead shooters to make educated decisions as to ammo choices. With this in mind, I made the video below to unscientifically demonstrate vast differences in two bullet designs: Hornady’s flex tip and Federal’s with its proprietary Fusion projectile as they strike bone.
Before going any further, it’s understood that my test is extreme; however, it demonstrates the integrity of both. My personal choice is neither, but its proven design fits the bill for me: Barnes Vortex – a copper hollow-point offering that produces controlled expansion results regularly.
Two cases in point this deer season; one is a sizeable buck that I took and another is a doe shot by my pal, Joe, with the Hornady Flex Tip. My buck was taken at 108 yards and Joe’s doe was shot at less than that.
When I decided to let that Barnes bullet fly, the deer had moved to a quartering-away position. To me that meant I’d aim a bit farther back than straight broadside shots and the suppressed .450 Bushmaster round from my Ruger American hit the mark, as evidenced by the “mule kick” and “thump” sound of the bullet. The mortally wounded deer piled up within 70 yards. Because of the angle, there was no usual exit wound, but that bullet traveled through the vitals lengthwise taking out both lungs. It’s rare for this bullet not to pass through, but the total distance of travel of the projectile after impact was impressive upon inspection.
When Joe punched his doe, he mentioned he too saw the mule kick from the Flex Tip. He didn’t hear the impact, but his hearing has diminished over the years. It was assumed to be an easy recovery, as he marked the scene, although no evidence was found: no hair, no blood and no deer.
I was back at headquarters pacifying his trusty tracking dog, Junior, when he radioed me. To give the dog some excitement, we took him along for the seemingly easy recovery. We were totally dumbfounded when after over an hour later we had no clues. For the first time, Junior, came up as empty as were our hearts.
Next morning, back at it with the dog. Same results. Nothing but someone else’s dead by that expired on my property.
The following day, I found Joe’s deer some 70 yards from the scene of the crime in plain view. Why the dog never found it, may be attributable to a lack of blood trail. Although Joe mentioned the direction of the fleeing, accompanying antlerless deer, we blew the chance to recover it before spoiling. The dog seemed to be trailing the other deer to Nowheresville.
Upon inspection of the wound, I noticed an entry hole but merely as spec of blood on the opposite side – apparently from a small bullet fragment. It was an accurate shot in the ribs but that explosive bullet never produced the exit hole we desire. Had it been shot in the same place with a better bullet, I suspect we’d have had no problem finding the prize. Dang it!
Animal-extremist group Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), along with Mountain Lion Foundation, WildEarth Guardians, Wildlife for All, and others, recently petitioned the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to prohibit the use of hounds for hunting mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, coyotes, and other furbearers and small game in the state. The petition asks for a statewide ban on hound hunting to “recognize principles of fair chase and ethical hunting, protect wildlife… and ensure public safety.”
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is the rulemaking body of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The two work hand-in-hand to promulgate hunting and fishing regulations and manage the state’s wildlife resources. Current Arizona regulations allow the use of dogs while hunting mountain lions, bears, rabbits, and other game. The petition asks the commission to amend these regulations to ban the use of dogs as a legal method of take, but it stops short of requesting a ban on the use of dogs for hunting birds.
“CBD and it’s animal-extremist posse are, unsurprisingly, at it again,” said Dr. Todd Adkins, Senior Vice President at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “They continue to lie, cheat, and steal unabashedly in an effort to force their ideology on the masses. This time, they’re elevating their buffoonery to a new level, but we’re happy to offer a reality check.” Read more
Splitting resident and nonresident sales will smooth the flow of high-volume sales
The sale for 2025 nonresident deer and elk tags will be held on Dec. 10 this year. The change is intended to allow residents to conveniently buy licenses and permits in early December, ensure auto-renew transactions can be processed in a timely manner, and provide better customer service to all buyers.
However, due to high volumes of online sales throughout the month of December, printing and mailing of tags will be significantly delayed. To ensure hunters and anglers get their permits and tags that are needed in January, online sales for those tags will be unavailable, and buyers will need to purchase in-person at a Fish and Game office or a license vendor location. Read more
Discover the Ultimate Trail Camera Guide for First-Time Buyers
Are you ready to capture the hidden wonders of the outdoors? Browning Trail Cameras has just released an insightful guide crafted especially for first-time buyers. Whether you’re interested in wildlife tracking, securing your property, or simply exploring nature in new ways, this guide covers everything you need to choose the perfect trail camera.
Accessible on Browning Trail Cameras’ website, the blog post serves as a go-to resource for beginners stepping into the world of trail cameras. With growing interest from homeowners, nature enthusiasts, and hobbyist photographers alike, trail cameras have broadened their appeal beyond seasoned hunters. This guide helps newcomers understand the variety of features, functions, and setup options available, making their buying journey both simple and enjoyable. (Direct Link: https://browningtrailcameras.com/blogs/behind-the-lens/browning-trail-cameras-releases-first-time-buyers-guide) Read more
