Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Goldfinch
Lauren Gamboa, a freshman at Lake Orion High School, has won the design competition for the 2013 Michigan Wild Turkey Cooperator patch contest, the Department of Natural Resources announced.
Gamboa, who was an eighth-grader at Waldon Middle School in Lake Orion when she submitted her design, created a patch using drawings of feathers from a turkey’s breast, wing and tail as part of her design. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
As the firearms deer season progresses, deer are fewer. Careless deer have become freezer venison or have been educated. Remaining comfortable on stand becomes more problematic with colder weather upon us and it may be time for “Plan B”.
Enter the one-person chairblind – a relative newcomer to the bevy of store-bought blinds. These low-cost, hideout options have pros and cons and here’s a look at both. Read more
Skip’s Sport Shop held a buck pole and anecdotal results indicate a better year. Details here…
A well done video is here on the oft-overlooked mode of human transportation in deep snow. Made me recall the days when I hunted on snowshoes for snowshoe hares. Spooky in the cedars. A pistol – in my case a Ruger MK II – was all that was needed to sneak into the low areas and plink some fine tablefare.
The video doesn’t take anyone hunting, and really there’s not much snow for the video, either. But, it conjurs up visions nonetheless…
There’s nothing quite like getting outside after the first big snowfall of winter! Are you ready? Join us at the following locations to weave a pair of traditional wooden snowshoes following a centuries-old Native American tradition. Need more inspiration? Click the green “play” arrow (at right) to see a two-minute video of a magnificent snowshoeing experience at Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
Don Burgess of Montana woke to the sound of a dog fight. Turns out his 65-pound boxer was missing. A short walk in the dark told the story: A wolf attack. More is here…
The 2012 firearm deer season opened Thursday, Nov. 15, and the Department of Natural Resources has compiled early impressions from the first few days. Read more
Thomas Seibold of Three Lakes, Wisconsin went hiking and wilderness adventure in Alaska and failed to show up for a return flight home. No signs of him have been found and the cabin he was staying in has been vacated for weeks. He is a survivalist instructor but concern is growing. Details here…
The Senate on Thursday was unable to unanimously agree to waive certain procedural rules to allow a vote on the widely supported, bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 (S. 3525), the most important package of measures for the benefit of sportsmen in a generation. Read more
By Glen Wunderlich
The crisp, clear morning of opening day of firearms deer season in Shiawassee County was made to order. It was somewhat noisy with the crunchy ground afoot but an early start would mean plenty of time to settle in, well before dawn. The trick would be to remain comfortable amid temperatures in the mid-twenties – the coldest morning this fall.
At 7:45 as Ken Wallace was busy taking his 15-point buck across the road, movement caught my eye. My Leupold binoculars helped to identify the bushy, horizontal tail of a coyote, as it vanished in the brush heading away. But, moments later Read more
Ithaca, NY-The Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers gifts for nature lovers that support bird conservation at the same time. From a book that “sings” to smartphone apps and online learning, here are some suggestions to delight the bird lover in your life. All gifts are available at www.birds.cornell.edu/BirdGifts. Read more