Inventions

Here are some neat tips for all you outdoor people.

Apply for the Pure Michigan Hunt online or at any license agent. A great prize

Fishing:
Use heat shrink tubing to help your wacy worm last longer. Just cut a 1/2" piece of heat shrink tubing with a large enough diameter to slip over your worm and heat until it fits snug. Insert hook thru both heat shrink and worm.

Hunting:
For all of the lucky pheasant hunters out there or and bird hunters check this video out.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Wolf Delisting?

 We've heard this many times before but now this may become a reality. Due to Congress passing a law to delist wolves it becomes very hard for the anti-hunting groups to " persuade " a judge to put an injunction on any sane decision the Department of Natural Resources makes. Finally we'll have people making decisions on wolf numbers based on scientific data. This will make residents and hunters in the UP very happy.

   Recently it was stated that the wolves were introduce by the MDNR 30 years ago. This was news to me as they've always said the wolves came down from Canada thru Minnesota and Wisconsin to get here. If they were introduced I'd like to know who decided that dumb move. Now, however, it looks like we can expect a wolf season soon. Up until now to hunt a wolf was a major undertaking. Some Canadian provinces let non residents hunt wolves but the license is costly and to get into Canada with a gun is tricky at best. Idaho and Montana are currently in their wolf seasons and let non residents hunt. Idaho charges $187 to hunt wolves and with travel costs at almost $1000 in the least the urge to hunt a wolf must be strong.

   People involved with the first hunts in Idaho 2 years ago are saying the wolves are much more wary now that they have been hunted before. As with any hunting finding your quarry is more than half the battle and 2 years ago the wolves would respond to howling challenges which greatly helps the hunter. Now the wolves aren't as vocal and tend to stay farther away from places inhabited or roads so a lot of leather work is needed. Only time will help hunters figure out what's needed to successfully fill a tag.

   So if your interested in hunting the eye of the pyramid in the predator chain the first season in Michigan will be the best. I'm sure there'll be many farmers willing to let you hunt their land if and when a wolf season opens here. This situation has gone on too long without any plan in place to control this predator and like any other problem that's left to fester, emotion run high on both sides. Hopefully now the MDNR will be allowed to study and control the population of wolves although with declining revenues I'm sure they'll just try to deal with the worst problem areas. With the loss of ~200,000 deer hunters to the tune of $14 each has got to be putting a lot of pressure on the department and the decisions on where the money they have will be spent. Baiting was reintroduce late in the year and some hunters may not have received the message but weather you like this type of hunting strategy or not it helps the weekend hunters feel good about their chances. Do wolves like sugar beets? oh that's right we can't buy them here. Maybe they'll go for corn and we can hunt wolves and deer together.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Crossbow Crossroads

That's where I'm at. The crossroads of buying a crossbow or not. My boys both got deer already during the bow season using these high tech devises. Justin got a doe on hard hunted state land in October. It was an amazing shot right thru the heart. Jason got his 8 point buck in early November a nice rack with a 14 inch spread. His 25 yard shot didn't hit any bone and we couldn't find the bolt in the tall weeds so it must have been going pretty fast to bury in that stuff. Speed however is still higher in the new compounds so what's so special about these weapons?


Speed not being better what else is there for bow hunting. Crossbows usually have scopes on them but you can put a scope on a compound bow. Compounds are lighter than the counterpart so that's not it. I think it all boils down to the amount of practice needed to become proficient with the compounds. They're definitely easier to use, especially for women, but they do have some drawbacks.

Crossbows I think are clumsier to use because of the orientation of the weapon. A compound is in one hand and is balanced while the crossbow needs two hands to point and aim. The crossbow allures you into thinking you're using a gun which isn't a big problem unless one of the limbs catches on the window you're shooting thru. The biggest problem that occurs, as reported by vendors, is a user’s thumb can catch on the bow string causing injury. This injury can be very severe so chose a new crossbow accordingly.

So just like trying to decide on which deer license to purchase I'm not sure about buying a new crossbow. Do I really need another option to hunt deer with? It's probably more important to hunt in a good area with high deer numbers than to cover every option to take them with. So maybe I should use that money to lease some good hunting land, or maybe I could hire a guide to take me to the deer, or maybe buy a mountain bike to take me deeper into the woods, or maybe take deer calling lessons, or maybe....

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Deer Hunting in Michigan- Get Your Program and Lose Your Head Win $200

  The article will be much shorter than the headline implies. Compared to last year the regulations are easier to remember. Last year the combination of hunting scenarios was 47. That's combining hunting area, antlers/ no antlers, antler length, number of points and type of license. This year the regulations are more traditional lets say. However the baiting rules are much different, last year no baiting - this year baiting is allowed except for area 487. Well for most  of area 487, the new regulations allow baiting in certain township included in the area. You'll have to check the regulations for which townships are excluded because once again the DNR has made it difficult to know them. So get a program and good luck his year.

  Another decision the DNR made but hasn't got the word out about is the cash for TB. If you're luck enough to bag a deer in the 487 area, and are willing to turn in your head , if your deer is infected with TB then you'll win $200 from the DNR. They say lightning doesn't strike twice but you could bag a buck and bag some bucks all at the same time.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Extreme Makeover Downriver Edition

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge will be celebrating the makeover of the area this Monday November 7th at 2pm in the Gibraltar Carlson High School. The DRIWR is the only international refuge in the country and the property just north of Humbug Marsh, designated the Refuge Gateway, has gone thru an amazing makeover in just a few short years. Considerable cleanup and restoration has been accomplished in 2011 including restoration of a natural shoreline, restoration of 3 acres of riparian buffer habitat (thanks to Nathan Lewis and the scout troop #802 out of Woodhaven), construction of a second access road, creation of the kayak landing and the greenway bike trail connecting Humbug marsh and Lake Erie Metropark. Amongst other projects with more to come.

From October 16, 2011

Not that long ago the developer, Made in Detroit, would have ripped this area apart to make a high end housing development with a marina and golf course. I wonder how that project would have ended up with the current economy. Definitely no where near the jewel it’s become so far and will become in the near future. So come and join Congressman Dingle and all those involved in the making for a truly joyous celebration.

From Downriver Outdoors

From October 16, 2011

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They Shoot Plates, Don't They?

      Friday night at the Wayne County Sportsman Club they do during the "Duel". This is a neat set up that's unique for this area. There's a shooting booth that 2 shooters occupy and the starter spins a double arrow on the top of the booth to determine which shooter aims at which color plates. Whomever knocks down all their plates first advances to the next round. The last shooter standing wins.




    They have many rules that fill up a sheet of paper that make the event fun for everyone and safe. The gun must be of a .22 LR caliber with a barrel limit of 10 inches. No shooter may win more than $50/month or $200 per year but many compete anyway with the winnings going to the next eligible participant. The cost is $5 per game with a $1 clean up fee, very reasonable for a night of fun.

     The club also has skeet, trap (available under the lights at the end of video), a pistol range and archery. They host ANSS and ATA shoots, steak roasts and lots of other fun get together. Definitely check them out at http://www.waynecountygunclub.webs.com/. With the pheasant season upon us this is the only skeet shooting in the area to practice up.



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Ms. Nature

I've taken my Grand Daughters for the last 5 years to the Oakwood Nature Center to attend the Tadpoles program. That's the park located just south of Michigan memorial Cemetery and is part of the Huron-Clinton Metro Park system along with Willow, Lower Huron and Lake Erie in this area. The $25 entry sticker gets you in all the parks in south east Michigan and is quite a bargain. Lake Erie is closer and has many attributes like the wave pool, boat launch and their own Nature center along with Luc the eagle. Our Granddaughters really like Oakwood because of the instructor Ms. Jennifer.


Ms. Jennifer is a grade school teacher from the Deaborn School District and it shows when does the Tadploe program. I don't remember much from my Kindergarten classes but Ms. Jennifer is the best I've seen recently to combine a book and a craft around a theme. This month's was spiders, kind of a lead in to Halloween. She reads the book and draws pictures to explain things in the book. To keep 3-6 year olds attention for 15 - 20 minutes while she covers the book is amazing and well worth the price of admission. Then there's the craft and the parents/guardians are needed so everyone gets involved.


At the same time there's a program for the 8-10 year olds. Our Oldest Grand daughter still likes to stay with Ms. Jennifer  but in just a short hike around the center the participants discovered some mushrooms, many of which I'd never seen before. So check this program out.


Go to their website to check out all the events they have.
http://www.metroparks.com/parks/index_all.aspx?ID=10
Like the Owl Prowl on November 11th and 12th.


Don't forget Veteran's appreciation Day.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Perch Madness

Saturday was the Downriver Walleye Federation Perch Tournament and the die hards were out. Actually it was great weather but I think the giant low pressure system parked over us put a damper on the fish. Recent reports had the fish coming in shallow and really biting but the results weren't there on Saturday. A nice time was had by all with the food offered at weigh in. The biggest fish was caught by John Lewandowski at 1.14 lbs and 13 3/4 inches. Bob Clark and John also supplied the pickles.
Captain Jerry Hinton guide his team to the overall title amassing 6.34 lbs. Doesn't sound like much but the rules of this tournament allow only 10 fish to be weighed in. Last year pre-fishing for the tournament Jerry and his partner caught 2 limits weighing 75lbs. So the 10 didn't average quite as good but still fine none the less. The rest of the team was made up of M. Pasik, T. Taylor, D. Bloxum and M. Barkley. Congrats to all, it's always nice to be in a tournament, get in next year.

, 2011

Looks like the weather should be better by Thursday so go get some perch.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Fall Back

I just got back from a long trip to Colorado. It's always amazing for me to see the Rockies. From awe inspiring to sheer terror in just a few miles. We went out for my niece's wedding and were part of a beautiful experience from the church to the reception. The lodge we stayed at and attended the reception at has a view of Long's Peak, one of Colorado's 50+ 14,000 foot and higher peaks. My BIL, Dan and I climbed this beast 40 years ago so the sight of old Diamond Face brought back a lot of memories.
We took Trail Ridge Road thru Rocky Mountain National Park and were entertained by the sights.
What a beautiful place to visit.

On the way home I met up with Jay Wolf from Illinois that bagged a nice 5x5 elk with Hubbard Creek Outfitters out of Hotchkiss, CO. Jay had a great hunt and his guide got him to 125 yards so the muzzleloader could get the job done. Shoot me an email Jay with all the details if you read this.
We stopped on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River to get some Kum and Go gas and saw this trio.
So it's time for fall and time to get back in the hunting mode. That means target practice weather its bow and arrow, or shotgun, or rifle get out and put your time in. Bow and arrow practice can be had at the local Gander Mountain, the Lincoln Bowman's range and Wayne County Sportsman's Club. Shotgun at Wayne County Sportsman's Club with non-members paying a little extra for skeet shooting. Rifle practice can be had at Western Wayne County Conservation Association. Get out early.

Hopefully you've consulted my calendar during my hiatus. Maybe you saw a kettle of raptors at Hawkfest, or heard the Championship duck caller at the Point Moullie Waterfowl Festival.

Get Outdoors Downriver.

Find Your Niche

  I recently talk to a good friend of mine that's a charter captain on the great lakes. He follows the fish from one side of the state to another depending on what's biting. Captain Dan from Stormy Chinook Charters starts fishing in April from Lexington then heads to Drummond Island from the end of May till early June. From June to half of July he's at the tip of the thumb then he heads to Frankfort for the rest of the season. Like my cousin Jojo it's hard to know where Dan is half the time. His daily schedule during the fishing season is very rigorous, we met him at the boat at 4:30 am for the morning fish. He'll get done cleaning fish after 11 pm most nights. That's a crazy schedule and he's booked up most of 6 months. I couldn't last a week let alone 25+ years like Dan has. He says it's a love to do what he's doing, in some minds it would compare to torture. You can tell he really enjoys what he's doing as he sets up ten lines in record time, just don't touch the steering wheel or any other equipment unless ofcourse there's a fish on. Dan is driven to catch fish and it seems that’s a common denominator in successful guides. They start young and fish all hours of the day then develop a way to take others out to make a living. Drive is imperative but some use creativity to keep successful.

Stormy Chinook

 Jon Bondy was at the Downriver Walleye Federation meeting this month to talk about fishing the river. He started young fishing for smallmouth and walleye but was then smitten by an incidental catch, a musky. When a big fish hits and tries to yank the rod out of your hands while taking line out of the reel it's an exhilarating experience, one you tend to remember. Jon couldn't forget and the passion he developed caused him to concentrate on catching these fish and using some extreme measures. At least that's how the clubs musky expert tells it. Mr. Johnson also has the musky fever and while he was trying to treat it one day a kid in a tiny boat came up and started to follow him. Mr. Johnson enjoys his solitude during these musky fever treatments and so after some negotiations he showed the kid how he was fishing and actually let him catch one of his musky. That kid was Bondy tying to learn everything he could about the ways of muskies. Jon used Mr. Johnson's techniques and caught many fish while trying different methods like casting. What he found was that after 9 am his catch rate really dropped off causing him to think the fish were moving into deep water. After all that's where he was making the incidental catches fishing for walleye. So after much trial and error he came up with the Bondy bait.

 

Bondy bait

The baits have been around for a while and Jon has been on many outdoor TV shows and in many outdoor magazines. A smaller version is out now and are being used to catch lake trout and also some saltwater fish. It's nice to see a local guy make good even if he's on the wrong side of the river.

 Another guide often seen on the Detroit River is Lance Valentine he's often seen because he drives a big white boat and is hard not to notice. Lance's niche is walleye and he likes to talk about anything and everything about walleye. You may have heard of his Walleye 101 web site where the motto is “Teachin' fishin' ...That's our mission”. Check out his site for everything to do with walleye fishing from techniques on fishing, sonar use, gps workshops and fishing reports. His latest endeavor is “Catch For a Cause” along the same lines of Sparky Anderson's charity with a different kind of catch. It's a fishing tournament on Lake Belleville in conjunction with the HOSPICE of Michigan. There is a ton of prizes for a raffle that uses tickets won during the event depending of which fish you catch. There's also a bigger ticket raffle that anyone can buy a ticket to win. Visit Lance's site for more info or to buy tickets.

Lance

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