Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
Cass County, Michigan
A deer with a swollen snout may provide information about what is causing the strange malady among whitetail deer in Michigan and other states.
Dale Wallace of Cass County is sending the head of a deer he shot last week to scientists in Georgia who are studying similar animals found in Eastern states and as far away as Idaho.
Michigan’s deer-season kill appears to have increased over past years slightly. Only southern Michigan seems to have dipped.
By Glen Wunderlich
Whenever sportscasters spew off statistics about certain team rivalries and how two teams have stacked up over the years, it makes me think they don’t have anything better to talk about. It all means nothing, because the current teams have evolved through coaching and personnel changes – any one of which alters the team’s personality, potential, and character. An impending game, therefore, is sure to become a new adventure. So, too it is with hunting. Read more
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HARRISBURG – A Lancaster County resident was cited for poaching a record-book class buck, according to charges filed by Pennsylvania Game Commission in the court of District Justice William Wenner, in Harrisburg, on Dec. 7. Read more
I found these horrific photos on predatortalk.com. And animal rightists are so worried about how inhumane hunting is. A well-placed shot is about as humane as it gets; this is, however, acceptable to the whackos, because it’s natural.
http://www.predatortalk.com/topic/11965-why-hunt-coyotes/page__pid__48801#entry48801
Shawn Richard Wisniewski, a 22-year-old Medina, New York man was accused of shoplifting doe and buck urine at Kmart. He allegedly resisted arrest , which led to a 17-minute manhunt ending in his arrest.
So sad, because if he had been following my blog/columns, he would have known how to get his own – free! Just think “yellow snow.”
By Glen Wunderlich
Last evening’s hunt was filled with activity. Deer began moving into the brassica plot in front of me at 150 yards at about 5 pm and the action continued past dark. I wasn’t able to keep track of how many whitetails were on hand – kind of like counting fish in an aquarium – but they filtered in from all angles.
Near dark, one lone buck – a 7-inch spike buck – entered the area and remained into the darkness.
I am still holding off for a big buck and/or snow, whichever comes first. With the mild weather coming this weekend, it looks like I’ll have to break out the Knight Revolution muzzleloader at next week’s end for the beginning of muzzleloader season next Friday.
It seems as though the mild weather has the deer in more of a content mood instead of the typical frenzied feeding mode this time of year. It’s Michigan, however, and by January they’ll get a bit more desperate.
Much of the green foliage is still evident
Brassica Plot in Distance
Tonight and this weekend should be interesting because of all the anticipated fair-weather hunters moving deer.
Warm weather for Thanksgiving and the weekend may contribute to more deer being taken by Michigan hunters.
By Glen Wunderlich
Today, I had what appeared to be a challenge to say the least. I had dropped my slug gun, a NEF Ultra Slug topped with a 1.2 x 5 Leupold Vari X III, a few days ago and noticed that the scope caps had been swung off line from center/top. Therefore, I concluded that to be sure, I had to verify where my point of aim would actually hit.
To make matters difficult, I had only a total of five 12-gauge Federal Premium shells remaining.
Federal Premium 12-gauge shells w/Barnes bullets
Although, I had other ammo, I didn’t have enough of any one brand to sight in and hunt with unless I were to get lucky. As it turned out, I never had to find out.
I had resigned myself to the distinct possibility of having to use my muzzleloader. Not that it’s a bad option; on the contrary, it is a true 200 yard deer getter. But, with my new higher-power Leupold Vari X III, 3.5 x 10, 50mm objective, I hadn’t shot it a lot. In fact, I have only sighted it in at 50 yards. Not good enough for serious longer range shooting.
You can see all the targets I had set out figuring I’d need to shoot a bit.
100 Yards, First Shot to Verify Zero
For now the muzzleloader can stay at home. So can all the partial boxes of ammo. Yep, one shot!
Adult Doe Alert in Turnips
By Glen Wunderlich
Yesterday evening with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees, deer observation was a delight in Shiawassee County, Michigan. Horton Vision crossbow at the ready and plenty of action below my tree. All deer were antlerless with the exception of one rather frisky 6-point buck, who sucked down a mouthful of turnip leaves almost on the run. Equal time was spent making the females run away from him.
No photos of the yearling buck, but here are a few of the does in the turnip patch.
Doe with a mouthful of turnips
The rut is a bit off yet but it won’t be long.