OWOSSO — The Shiawassee Conservation Association is holding a hunter safety field day course Saturday, April 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students are required to complete and pass an online hunter safety course anytime prior to the event and to bring their online certificate for entry into the field day. In addition, students must register for the event. Information and instructions for both the online course and field day registration can be obtained at hunter-ed.com/michigan/hunter

There is a $10 facility charge for the SCA collected upon check-in the day of the event. The SCA is located at 4247 N. M-52 in Owosso. If further details are needed please call either (989) 725-7588 or (989) 627-6410.

Check your spring turkey drawing results at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses, through the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app or by calling 517-284-9453 (WILD). Licenses can be purchased online or at any license retailer.

Hunters who were unsuccessful in the drawing can buy a leftover license starting Monday, March 13, at 10 a.m. EST.

Didn’t apply for a license? Remaining leftover turkey licenses will go on sale to everyone Monday, March 20, at 10 a.m. Licenses are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no guarantee that leftover licenses will be available for any hunt unit.

Hunt 0234 license

Would you like a license that offers flexible hunting options? Hunt 0234 might be for you. With the Hunt 0234 license, you can hunt on:

• Both public and private lands in the Upper Peninsula (Unit M) and in the northern Lower Peninsula (Units A, B, E, F, J and K).
• Private land only in the southern Lower Peninsula (Unit ZZ).
• Fort Custer military lands with permission.
• Season dates May 6-31.

Hunt 0234 licenses go on sale March 20 at 10 a.m. Learn more about this hunt and season dates in the 2023 Spring Turkey Digest.

Only 2,000 Pope and Young Raffle Tickets Available to hunt with

Chuck Adams at Liberty Ranch Outdoors

March 7, 2023 – Pope and Young, North America’s leading bowhunting conservation organization has teamed up with Liberty Ranch Outdoors to offer one lucky winner the opportunity to share camp and hunt with legendary bowhunter Chuck Adams.

In their continued efforts to Preserve, Promote, and Protect bowhunting, Pope and Young has created a unique raffle that not only provides one lucky winner the opportunity to hunt Liberty Ranch, but the chance to share that experience with legendary bowhunter Chuck Adams. The winner will spend one week with Chuck at Liberty Ranch a 7,000-acre deer hunting paradise in Oklahoma with incredible lodging, great deer hunting, and amazing food.

Tickets for this once in a lifetime raffle are $20, and the funds raised go to supporting bowhunting rights, and Pope and Young as they fight for YOUR rights as a bowhunter. The hunt will take place in December 2023, and the winner of the raffle will be announced at the Pope and Young 33rd Biennial Convention. To Learn more, view our discounted bundled ticket pricing, and get your tickets HERE! Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Charter Member Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA)

A brand new season is underway (maybe under snow, too) and no license is needed.  An exciting means to shake off the winter blahs and to get the family into a little competition is before us all:  antler shed hunting.  Some of the whitetail bucks still have their headgear, but others have already shaken theirs onto the ground.

Why do it?  If exercise isn’t enough of a motivator, how about some cash? A click of the finger reveals many entrepreneurs on Ebay selling their finds either whole or in pieces for sizeable sums.  In most cases, however, finding both sides of an antler set is difficult, if not impossible, because they are not necessarily shed at the same time.  However, the fun is in the hunt.

The State of Michigan has no law prohibiting the collection or selling of naturally shed antlers. Furthermore, there is no permit necessary to do so, unlike in some of the Western states.

Last week, while cutting wood with my friend, Joe and his faithful four-legged hound-mix, Junior, we “received” our first shed of the season: half of a fresh 8-point shed.  While we were busy making wood chips, Junior followed signals from his nose and found the first antlers of the season and proudly trotted back to us with his head held high; looks like he needs no training for this routine.

While most veterinarians advise refraining from antlers for dogs, if you choose to give your dog an antler, it is a good idea to supervise your dog while it chews.

Pit Bull Mix Enjoys An Antler

Fragments can cause serious problems if ingested.  It’s best to avoid antler chews until a puppy’s adult teeth have fully erupted and their bones are mature.  Do not boil antlers before giving them to your dog, because so doing makes them more likely to splinter.

Apart from myriad iterations of chandelier artwork, knife handles and other craftwork, shed antlers are a hunter’s first indication of what may lie ahead in the next hunting season.  That alone may make the search worthwhile.  Serious whitetail hunters pride themselves upon scouring the terrain for the same buck’s sheds, year after year.

Examples of areas to search can be anywhere deer typically congregate:  bedding areas, trail crossings, and food sources such as food plots.  It’s best to take your time and to look closely at nearby ground, rather than far away.  If you’re one of the mushroom hunters, use the same technique employed to find them and you may stumble upon some discarded headgear.

Through the month of March, 80 percent of the whitetails congregate in 20 percent of any given habitat that has the best food sources this time of year. Bucks cast their antlers in these places, and it makes sense to look there first, rather than your favorite hunting grounds.

Take your dog, take the kids and take your time to fun and games with unique rewards.