Camo Gamer

Fallout: New Vegas 9.0

2011-05-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

There are new games coming out all the time. And every year a select group of games are picked from the flow and held above the rest. You turn these games on and you can tell that they are a result of dedication to not only the craft of making these games, but to the gamers they are created for.
Then, there are games like Fallout: New Vegas.

The Fallout franchise is not something to be taken lightly. Fallout has a cult following like few games ever see. Fallout was published by Interplay in 1997 and Fallout 2 was published just a year later by Black Isle Studios. Both were tremendous games and laid the foundation that Fallout was built on. While spin-offs were made, when Black Isle closed its doors in 2004, it looked like we would never experience the wonders of the Wasteland again. But, like a knight in shining armor, years later, Bethesda Softworks picked up where Black Isle had left off. Just over a decade after the last Fallout title had been released, Fallout 3 was released in the U.S. and life was good. Not only had Bethesda revived the franchise, they had created a masterpiece. The game won several awards and was bound for gaming greatness.

Fallout 3

Now, onto Fallout: New Vegas. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda, it's very similar to Fallout 3. It takes place on the other side of the U.S. where the devastation isn't quite a severe as it was in our nation's once capital. Much of the dreary landscape and bleak skyline that we saw in Fallout 3 is replaced with a slightly more colorful scene and mostly blue skies. Aside from some minor tweaks, it plays the same way. The open world is simply beautiful and is fulfilling in it self to explore. There are numerous Easter eggs and fun little things tucked away waiting to be found. There's even a nod to Monty Python's "Holy Grail" that had this guy grinning for quite some time. Play wise, this game, although plagued by numerous bugs, is the same that we have come to know and love.

But it's the storyline in this game that separates this masterpiece from the rest of the great games released. Most RPGs have a linear storyline. Even Fallout 3 (which had a stellar story), even with all of it's side quests, had a main story that followed a somewhat straight path. While you still had the choice of how to handle the situations, the situations still came about in the same manner and most didn't have that much impact on the overall story of the game. Fallout: New Vegas has changed that. There is no blatant "good" and "bad" when it comes to the main factions. You still have your Raiders and the Fiends and the like, but when it comes to the main story missions, you're options are vast.
There are your two main factions; The NCR and Caesar's Legion and you can fight for either side. At first glance, The NCR looks to be the Wasteland saviors while the Legion appear to be nothing more than old world thugs. But a closer look tells a different story. The NCR is helping some of those in the Wasteland by offering protection and a form of infrastructure. They have put many of their resources to providing much needed utilities like water and electricity to the citizens of the NCR. But many have a poor opinion of the new government. When they appointed themselves as the new municipality, they also laid claim to all of the Mojave Wasteland as their property. If you occupied any of their new land, you were asked to leave. If you refused, you were forced to leave, be it drug out by your shirt or drug out in a pine box. There are also many "incidents" that involve the NCR and excessive force or just outright murder. But is it for the greater good?

Then we have Caesar's Legion. Slavers? Yes. Fair? That would be a stretch. They use a lot of the same tactics that the NCR use, but brutality is honored, not covered up. It is now a world when only the strong survive. They have a code they live and die by. Part of that code is keeping yourself free from drugs and alcohol, and that sounds like something good, right? And who is this group calling themselves the New California Republic and why do they now control all of this land? And you can bet that not a single member of the Legion voted on any of this.
Now, I'm not saying either way about who really is good or bad. My point is that there are complete different directions you can take the game. The "good" or "bad" here is more of a matter of perspective. Both sides have their reasons for their actions. And it's not just between the NCR and the Legion. There is also Mr. House on the Vegas strip. He has a vision of restoring the strip to it's former glory and his plans don't always mesh well with those of the NCR or the Legion. There is also the Brotherhood of Steel, the Followers of the Apocalypse, the Great Khans, the Boomers, and even the Enclave makes an appearance.
In short, there are many different directions that you can take this game, and all give a completely different game play experience. Many developers have tried to do this before but none have succeeded like Obsidian has.

The only reason I didn't give this game a 10 is because of the bugs. Now, when Fallout: New Vegas was given a release date, we all counted on two things: That this game was going to rock and that it would have more bugs than a by-the-hour motel. So is life, no big deal. And both expectations were met. But those of us that are veterans know the golden rule to RPG games - Save early, save often.
And be careful about trying to take a shortcut or find your way to what you think might be a secret area. There's a good chance you're going to get stuck in a permanent free fall or simply get trapped. But there are very few games that are worth playing that don't have some form of bug. Remember that little bug when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 put out their new map pack and the DLC itself made it so you couldn't play? But that's what patches are for, right. So, when a patch was put out for the Xbox360 version, everything seemed to be on track. Not only was the new patch going to fix over 200 bugs, it was prepping the world for then new DLC, "Honest Hearts". Only one problem. The patch was doing everything from causing annoying glitches in the game to crashing the system all together. I can't help but see a bit of irony in that.

Now let's take a look at the break-down for this game....

The Graphics of this game are outstanding. I couldn't imagine a post apocalyptic world any other way.

The sound is superb. From the very random noises that bring the world to life to the soothing voice of Mr. New Vegas and all of the swing and swag you can handle. The voice casting that include Wayne Newton, Matthew Perry, and Danny Trejo complete the Wasteland ambiance.

The controls are great. If you love FPS games, everything is setup for quick changes and can be very effective. If turn based is more your style, the V.A.T.S. system is for you. Your AP has to be filled for V.A.T.S. to work, so it can't be used for every shot, but it still works well.

Replay Value of this game is very high. This is one of those games that you can play over and over and over and have a different experience every time.

This game does not offer multi-player.

One thing I have to mention here is the bugs. While they have put out patches, there are still plenty of them in here. Most of the severe bugs were taken care of though.

Red Dead Redemption 9.5

2010-06-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

Red Read Redemption was developed by Rockstar San Diego, was published by Rockstar Games, and was released on May 18, 2010. It is rated Mature for Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs.

Red Dead Redemption is the long awaited spiritual sequel to the popular Red Dead Revolver released way back in May of 2004. A sandbox style game set in 1911 at the end of the wild west era, RDR has that Grand Theft Auto feel to it that has become synonymous with Rockstar Games. Many developers have tried to reproduce that feel and, in this writers opinion, have fallen very short. It can be played as a single player campaign or in online multi-player.

You start off as John Marston, an outlaw who has turned a new leaf and just trying to lead the good life at the end of the western outlaw era. He is then given a life changing ultimatum by The Bureau and this serves as his motivation for the game and leads to a very interesting storyline. As the game unfolds, you get all of the classic western gear like the classic revolvers, repeater rifles, shotguns, fire bombs (whiskey bottles with a cloth rag) and even a lasso. As the game progresses you can get some more modern weapons such as semi auto pistol and a scoped rifle.
The game has an auto aim feature, but for those looking for more of a challenge, this can be turned off. The weapons all have a different feel and are extremely fun to use, especially the lasso, which you can use to catch the bad guy and hog tie them. Or, if you don't want the trouble of tying them up, throwing them on the back of your horse (or over your shoulder) and taking them in for justice by the law, you can always just drag them behind your horse until there is nothing left.
Or, if you are feeling particularly dastardly, you can rope an unsuspecting citizen and take them to the nearest train tracks and watch them pop like a watermelon at a Gallagher show.

And what self respecting western game would be without the classic gunfights? In RDR, you will be challenged to a duel. If you choose to accept, you will enter the gun fighter mode. You will square off in the middle of the street and wait for the signal. When the town bell rings, you will go into a slow motion draw where you try to get off as many well placed shots as you can. If you are quick and accurate enough, you drop the dirty dog and gain a little respect, as well as notoriety. As you become more well known, you will gain certain perks depending on what you are know for. Save a few damsels in distress and thwart a robbery or two, and you will start getting better deal at the local merchants. It can also go the other way.

Much like the gun fights, there is also the "Dead Eye" action, which lets you place shots while time is slowed. As you progress through the game, your Dead Eye will gain extra perks, such as specific shot placement. This comes in very hand when you are ambushed by a group of bandits. Or in my case, run head first into a large bandit hideout only to find that there are a lot more of them then I thought.

Another aspect of this game is hunting, which makes this game that much better for me. There are plenty of animals roaming around for you to practice your quick draw on. From vultures and hawks (I even shot down a duck!) to rattle snake and armadillos to bears and wolves, this game has all the beasts you'd expect to see in the Wild West. But these critters are for more than just target practice. Every animal you harvest can be field dressed. On most animals, you will get the pelt and occasionally you will get a little something extra, like a heart or claw. These items can then be sold in one of the towns. Pay attention to how much a merchant pays you because different towns pay different amounts for different items. These items can also sometimes be used in side quests, so keep that in mind if you have a pretty good stash of cash and acquire more animal items.

There are other money making ventures such as poker, blackjack, liars dice, and five finger fillet. Not to mention the cash rewards you get for doing the random good, and some not so good deeds.

Speaking of random deeds, the random events that occur in the game is something that really makes this game stand out from the crowd. Rockstar calls this the "dynamic event system". As you wander this vast expanse, you will see characters and the animals interact with each other. People talking, working, or even fighting. You'll even see some stuff that looks like it came strait from Fox's "When Animals Attack". Which isn't new to the free roam world. In GTA4, fights between random characters were common. But to add to the realism of the game, you can intervene if you so choose. If you do choose to, you gain notoriety and usually cash. Or instead of aiding a helpless victim, you may be ambushed by thieves, or asked to aid in the capture of some escaped prisoners from a prison transport gone bad.

The mode of transportation across these western plains are not limited to foot and a trusty steed.
While these both work, there is more. First, there are many kinds of horses to choose from. Some are faster than others while others will wear out quicker. Better horses can be purchased or, if you are up to a challenge, you can try to catch a wild horse and break him to make him your own. You also have the option of stage coach which you can either drive or ride as a passenger. And of course there is the train. While on the train, you can sit and enjoy the ride, or you can challenge your shooting skills by trying to take down animals (or people if you choose) while propelling through the hills and plains.

Multi player is another aspect of this game that can stand alone and do just fine. Instead of being John, you start off as one of the basic characters you can choose as your own with some basic weapons. Unlike the single player mode, everything is based on experience points and leveling up. As you level up, you can unlock new characters and new weapons. As you play, you will find weapons dropped by other players and by random characters, but the only ones you keep permanently are the ones that are earned. You can have your friends or even random players in the room join your posse. You can roam the free world warring with others online or do missions. Which brings me to the only part of this game that I have a big problem with. Spawn killing. It's awful. It happens in every online multi-player game. But this game gives them a big helping hand. When in free roam, it's not that bad. You do re-spawn in the relatively same area, but it is spread out. But try and do a mission, and it's a completely different ball game. While doing missions in free roam, you have specific re-spawn points. And once some d-bag finds it, you may as well stop, exit multi-player, and start over. I was doing a particular mission and one of these wonderful players that should have met their early demise in stomach acid found the spawn point. All he did was aim his shotgun at where I would spawn and it was all over. When you re-spawn, you gun is holstered, so you have no chance at defense. I was spawn killed 24 times before I gave up on the mission I had spent the last 20 minutes trying to do and had to exit multi-player. Hopefully, this is something that will be addressed in the future.

So let's take a look at the break-down of this game....

The Graphics of this game are great. You truly feel as if you are in the wild west.

The Sound is just as good. From the action scores down to the all most cheesy western music. You almost expect Clint Eastwood to walk onto the screen.

The controls are very fluid. At first you will want for a quick single button for changing weapons, but after some practice you will come to like the weapon change system.

Replay value of this game is high. With the sandbox style and multi-player, you will be playing this game over and over.

Multi-player is great aside from the spawnkilling.

Healing

2010-05-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, a week after my surgery and starting to heal. First off, I was wrong about the two incisions on my back. I have one four inch long incision going down my lower back with 15 staples keeping it closed tight. The procedure itself is called a Double Lumbar Discectomy. My surgery took about two hours, but 40 minutes of that was them trying to intubate me. It turns out that I am part of a small minority (4% of the world population I am told) that has a small throat and can be intubated in the normal way. Aside from that, the rest of the surgery went fine. I spent the next 48 hours in Beaumont's ICU due to my low oxygen levels.
Now, let me take a quick moment to mention care that I received at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. This was hands down the best hospital experience I have ever had. You could not ask for a friendlier and more professional heath care facility. Every measure was taken to make sure I was as comfortable and as happy as possible. Even though it is an hour away from me, Beaumont is my families new hospital of choice.
Anyways, I was only out of the hospital about 24 hours when I noticed that my feet were swollen to almost double their size. I seriously looked like Fred Flintsone. I called up my surgeon and he instructed me to get to the nearest emergency room a.s.a.p. so off I went. The nearest hospital to me is Genesys, which is about eight minutes away, but I have to be three seconds from death before I will enter that hospital as a patient. The next closest hospital was McLaren Hospital in Flint, so we headed there. When I arrived, I was greeted with "We are busy as hell and we have 40 patients back here. You aren't that bad, so you're going to have to wait.". If they are busy, that's fine. If there are people in worse condition than me, that's fine. But to make that little speech my welcome is not. The main concern was a blood clot and secondary was CHF (chronic heart failure), yet it was hours before anyone even came in to start my work-up. After many more hours, they had ruled out blood clots, but my oxygen was dropping very low, so they decided to admit me. After hours of trying to get some kind of answer as to what was going on and why I was swelling, I still knew very little, so I decided it was time to transfer down to Beaumont where I had a much better chance of survival. So, with ten new holes in my arm (does anyone at McLaren know how to start an IV???) I was taken by ambulance to wonderful Beaumont where I spent another two days. But staying at Beaumont is a step away from staying at a resort, so it wasn't that bad. Plus, my wonderful sister in law works there and kept me company when she could and brought me a late night snack (Thanks Jackie!!!).
Come to fine out that the swelling was a result of another condition I have called Angio Edema, which is another story in itself. It was triggered by the pain medication I am on, so it's kind of a catch 22. Get rid of the pain and keep the swelling or get rid of the swelling and keep the pain.

Now, the most important part of all of this is did the surgery work? Well, I don't know. After waking up after the surgery, the first thing I said was how wonderful it was to feel my foot again and have no pain. Well, the numbness is slowly coming back and the pains started again last night. Now, around my incision is very swollen, so we are thinking that the swelling might be pressing on the disks that were altered and causing the same symptoms. I won't know if it fully worked until the staples are removed and the swelling goes down. I will try to make another post when thing s start to get better.

Another Stepping Stone On The Path to Recovery

2010-05-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

For anyone who has been following my blog for some time, my path to recovery has been a long and trying. What was supposed to be a two month hiatus from the outdoors that I love has turned into a long and painful voyage that has lasted over half of a year and the end is a long way off. As I write this, I am 11 days away from having surgery on my spine to try to correct what a simple four foot fall and a little gravity has done. I will be going to Beaumont Hospital where they are going to make two incisions in my lower back. They are then going to remove a small portion from three of the disks in my back, then put me back together. This will be the first major surgery I have ever had, and I have to say I am a bit frightened. But I have high hopes that this will put me on the right path back to the outdoors. While I have enjoyed all of the new video games I have been able to play, I am looking forward to the time when I can spend hours on end deep in the woods or wadding in a marsh. After I recover from this surgery, I will be going back in to have them fix the damage to my ankles. Anyways, I just thought I would give an update as to what is happening and thanks for reading!

Tropico 3

2010-04-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have been awaiting Tropico 3 for the Xbox 360 for some time now. I've had it in my GameQ since the day they put out a release date. After two months of waiting, I finally got that square white envelope in the mail from GameFly, and I went straight to playing.

Tropico 3 is published by Kalypso Media and developed by Haemimont Games and was released on February 16, 2010. The ESRB is "Teen" for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

The game is set during the Cold War in the Caribbean and you have just came into power as "El Presidente" of a tropical island. It starts out just like almost every other sim game out there. You have a very small population and a very small village of some kind. You might have a farm or two, a few shacks, and a shop of some kind. It is then up to you to build your newly acquired island nation up and lead it into prosperity, using whatever means necessary. While building your empire, you must keep a balance between the happiness of your people, your economy, political and religious factions, along with trying to keep both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. from coming to your shores with guns drawn. There are also the natural elements such as hurricanes and earthquakes. In these respects, it is a lot like many of the other sim games that have come before it.

What separates it from many of the others is how you go about doing many of the activities and actions. You can play any way you chose whether you want to play the "man of the people" role or Castro himself (yes, you can be Fidel Castro) or anything in between. You can bribe anyone in the game, send your military after them, or arrange for an "accident" to happen. A major portion of your score comes from you Swiss bank account, which you can siphon into from most of the monies that come through your palace. You can be very successful at either end of the spectrum, but the game makes it very easy to follow in the footsteps of Karl Marx or even Hitler, if you so chose.

They did a pretty good job at designing the islands, which there are many to choose from. You really get a tropical feel while playing. You can make it a remote tropical getaway or a five star resort filled with luxury hotels, casinos, and more.

The sounds of the island help add a tropical feel along with the music, but it's nothing you will be humming to yourself later.

The controls can be a bit frustrating at times, especially with not having the option to invert the "Y" axis. The type is a bit small and can be a bit hard to read, so if you are playing on a 32 inch screen or smaller, you will have to be right on top of the TV to know whats going on. One of the biggest fails was the road mapping system. There are many times where you will spend what seems like hours trying to get roads to line up, instead of automatically finding the best layout like many other games.

There is a campaign made with various objectives set as well as a sandbox mode for free play. At the end of a campaign, you have the option of continuing after the objectives are met, which is nice. There is also a tutorial mode which is helpful, but does not cover all aspects of the game, just the basics. But with a little online searching, I had all of my questions answered.

All in all, this is an aggravatingly fun and addictive game. You will find yourself cursing this game but unable to put the controller down, at least for a while. I would consider this to be a great "in between game" (that game you play when you've played five continuous hours of Modern Warfare 2 and you need something to refresh your brain before you kill someone because of that damn kid that wouldn't stop using a noobtube) and a good game over all with a moderate replay value.

HINT: The strategy that I have found to work the best is to establish a farm or two for food, then set up a tobacco farm and a cigar factory. This will get the money starting to flow. Then build a logging camp, a lumber mill, and a furniture factory. Follow it up with a pineapple farm and a fisherman's wharf. And you should have some cash left (or you should earn some at the end of the month from the docks) and build an oil rig (if there is one close by) or an oil refinery. Everything aside from the farms and lumber mill will put you into debt a bit, but it will start making money quickly and the farms and wharf will help to feed your population as the game progresses. Keep a close eye on your food supply as your population grows, because your people will start to starve quickly.

Something else I found helpful, if you are trying to develop as much of your island as possible, is to construct at least two more construction offices the second you start to make some money, and keep building them as the game goes on, increasing their pay as you go. The construction workers tend to be very inefficient. There is nothing you can do to help this, as it is simply how the game was programmed. This will keep your projects going.

Over all, I would give this game a 7.25 out of 10.

A day at the beach in Tropico

You have to appreciate the detail in this game. It truly gives you that "Havana" feel

Here is a list of the achievements you can earn in the game -

El Prez 101
Learn how to run a Banana Republic - 5gp

Presidente for life
Prove your governing skills on 15 different islands in Campaign mode - 50gp

Frequent Flier
Build an Airport - 10gp

Call me Tropifeller
Build a Skyscraper Hotel - 5gp

License to Kill
Issue 5 kill orders in one game - 5gp

Generous Leader
Bribe 10 citizens in one game - 10gp

You Saw Nothing
Arrange 15 "Accidents" in one game - 15gp

A little something
Have over $20 000 in your Swiss Bank account - 10gp

Pension Fund
Have over $50 000 in your Swiss Bank account - 20gp

Filthy Rich
Have over $100 000 in your Swiss Bank account - 30gp

Tropican Fiesta
Finish a game with overall Happiness of your citizens above 70% - 40gp

Viva la Revolution!
Finish a "Rebel Yell" Sandbox game. - 10gp

Tropico Tycoon
Construct 3 different industry buildings in one game - 20gp

Bureaucrat
Issue 200 edicts - 30gp

My People Love Me
Win 80% of the votes in Elections - 20gp

Nephew Sam
Make an alliance with the US - 10gp

Comrade Presidente
Make an alliance with the USSR - 10gp

Curse of the Llama
Survive 10 Hurricanes and Earthquakes - 40gp

Coup de Grace
Suppress a Military Coup - 20gp

Red Wire, Green Wire
Deal with a bomb threat - 20gp

The Negotiator
Resolve a hostage situation - 10gp

Agent 00
Establish Secret Police - 10gp

It's Just a Flesh Wound
Survive an assassination attempt - 20gp

In the Ivory Tower
Address the people from the balcony of your Palace - 10gp

Honest Politician
Fulfill an Election Promise - 20gp

Black Gold
Earn $100 000 from Oil export - 35gp

Fruitas LTD CEO
Become a leading exporter of tropical fruits - 10gp

El Commandante
Finish your mandate on 5 different islands in Campaign mode - 30gp

Let There Be Light
Build a Power Plant - 10gp

Homes for Everyone
Have population of over 250 and no Shacks - 30gp

Maximum Security
Arrest 20 citizens in one game - 20gp

Man of the People
Finish a game with respect of all factions above 70 - 40gp

Accomplished Dictator
Lead 10 different islands to prosperity in Campaign mode - 40gp

Tropican Utopia
Finish a Sandbox game in God mode - 5gp

Tropico and Beyond
Finish an online Challenge - 20gp

Free Elections
Finish a "Free Elections" Sandbox game - 10gp

Elitist
Construct 1337 buildings - 50gp

Top Exporter
Earn $1 000 000 from industry in a single game - 30gp

Viva El Presidente!
Win a battle against the Rebels - 20gp

Iron Fist
Suppress an uprising - 30gp

Architect
Rush the construction of 5 buildings - 10gp

Guest of Honor
Make 10 official visits to buildings - 15gp

High Praise
Praise yourself in an Election Speech - 10gp

Heavy Traffic
Construct at least 1000 meters of roads and 4 Garages - 30gp

Distinguished Service
Decorate a soldier with a medal - 10gp

Metropolis
Construct 200 buildings on one island - 25gp

Militarist
Have more than 20 soldiers and generals in one game - 20gp

Paradise Island
Earn $1 000 000 from tourism profits in a single game - 40gp

Tourist Resort
Build all Tourist Attractions on one island - 10gp

If you play games like I do, GameFly is for you. Follow the link and get a 2 game free trial!

Bring On The ICE!!!!!

2009-12-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again! The chill is gone from the air and has been replaced by the bitter cold breath old man winter. And that can only mean one thing... ICE FISHING!!!! There is nothing quite like sitting on the ice first thing in the morning with a hot coffee and a wet line. And it can't happened quick enough.

I have been out to a few lakes here locally to check ice conditions and my findings are good. We have had nice cold temperatures and very little snow, so the ice is coming along nicely. One of my favorite early season spots was about 2 1/2 inches thick, clear as could be, and hardly any snow on the lake. And with conditions like we are supposed to be having for the next week, we should have good ice.

For the past three weeks, I have been getting my equipment out from it's hiding spots and ready for the first ice that will be here soon. My rods are ready, my gear is clean and ready, and the "Bucket of Wonder and Awe" is ready for another season. Now, all that is left is the wait....

Sometimes, It's a Long Hard Hunt

2009-11-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

This hunting season has been very slow for me. With my injury that happened just three days before early goose season, getting out and about has been quite the chore. But it is always worth it. I have never had a hunt where I said "I wish I would have just stayed home". But, this past week, I came very close.

A friend of mine made his way up from North Carolina to do some Michigan duck hunting. He moved away from Michigan a few years back, but the waterfowl hunting out by him just isn't the same as it is here in Michigan. So, a couple of months ago he called me up and said he wanted to make a trip up here and told me to keep an eye out on the duck reports so we could have an awesome hunt. I was pumped when the time grew near.

He arrived in Michigan and took a quick power nap, then called me up for an evening hunt. He had always wanted to hunt the Holloway Reservoir, a place where he grew up fishing. I had never been there, but from what he described, it sounded like a duck haven. After a little research, I found a few forums that talked about the hunting out there, and there were a few success stories. Game on.

We got to the primitive launch site and dropped the boat in. It was pretty rocky, so we walked the boat the first 50 or so yards. After that it was smooth sailing. We reached the other side of the reservoir and found our spot, but the water level was very low. Time to test out the Mudd Buddy. We zipped across the remaining water until we got within 30 yards of where we were going to set up, then the mud changed. It went from sloppy mud to thick clay-like mud. So we got out again and pulled the rest of the way. We set up on a little point surrounded by cattails and a nice cross wind. After setting out a small spread, we brushed up the boat and got ready. everything was perfect and in place. But one thing was missing. Ducks. It was two hours before we saw our first birds, and they we a faint vision on the horizon. Every duck from then on followed the same flight path.

I was scanning the horizon when my buddy said to me "Hey. Wasn't that cinder block over there under water when we were setting decoys?". "I hope not" I replied. There was only about 30 minutes of shooting light left, so we watched to see if the water dropped any more. Then, he said he needed to use the little boys room. Now, anyone that has any experience hunting knows that the second you go to relieve yourself, whatever you are hunting will come out at that exact moment, stick out it's tongue and wave, then make it's way back out of sight. I told him that the second he stepped out of the boat, the ducks would come in. But he really had to go. Sure enough, the second his foot hit the water, a pair of woodies came in from behind. He scrambled back into the boat, but we were made and the pair got out of there. And that was the extend of our action. Last light came and our hunting was over.

But the story does not end there. Oh no, not at all. As we looked out of the boat, we noticed that more of the cinder block was indeed showing. The reservoir was being drained while we were in it. And when we stepped out of the boat, our boots hit ground and not water. It took almost 30 minutes to get the boat moved over to water that was float-able. As we made our way to our spread, we noticed that some of our decoys we actuality starting to tip because the keels were touching the bottom. Not good. Now for the trip out. Now, keep in mind that I am freshly out of a cast and am not supposed to be walking without a brace, let alone walking through a marsh dragging a boat. we wound up dragging (not floating) the boat probably around 100 yards or so. We finally reached float-able water and jumped in. We are now home free. Well not quite. We made our way back through the canals looking for our launch. But it was no where to be found. We drove up and down those canals, but just could not find it. Then it hit us. We had to drag the boat when we put it in because it was too shallow. And since the water had dropped, that canal was probably land locked. After some searching, we found another primitive boat launch and parked the boat. My friend then had a nice little walk to try to find the other boat launch and his truck. What a night. Then, to top it off, we were standing on the back of his tilt trailer to get the boat loaded and I stepped on one of the tail lights instead of the frame. The light had no chance against me and instantly broke.

All in all, I was glad to get out and hunt somewhere new. But, I was real close to saying those eight little words....

My First Regular Season Duck Hunt/MacGyver Boot

2009-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you that haven't read my previous blogs, I have been down for the count since a few days before early goose season with a broken leg. I have made it out a few times but, because of other complications, I was only able to get out a few times. And it was on a pond in my buddies back yard. It was fun, but it's just not the same as actually getting out in the field.

Well, I got a call from my friend Mike and he asks if I want to head out with him and another good friend, Randy. From my reaction, anyone around must have thought that I had just gotten a call from the Lotto Commission. I quickly told him I would love to go, and he gave me a time to meet them.

I went up to my hunting closet and started to get all of my gear together. It felt too good to grab my duck jacket, my trusty auto-loader, and my blind bag to go hunting and not just to move them. But then I came across a problem. While we were going to be hunting from shore, any waterfowler will tell you that at some point, you will get wet. I am still wearing an immobilizing boot, and it will not fit in or around it. I had to make something that would not come off and would be waterproof, and not just for a bit. The weather channel was calling for rain for the rest of the day, so what ever I did had to last. But what could pull of such a feat? Duct tape? Even better. Gorilla Tape. MacGyver, eat your heart out. I made a single layer "boot" out of this stuff and it worked like a charm. It rained all day and I even took a spill at the water's edge, yet my foot was dry at the end of the night. So, add Gorilla Tape to that list of thing's to keep in the blind bag.

On to the hunt. We set up on the shoreline of a small lake that is a local favorite for ice fishing. Mike and Randy had been out squirrel hunting and noticed a good number of wood ducks on the back side of this lake, so they decided to check it out. After a little scouting, they picked out a few good blind spots, and a new hunting spot was born. After throwing out a small decoy spread, we sat back up in the weeds and began the wait. And the majority of the night was just that. Unfortunately, we were hunting a small lake that backs up to a larger lake. And on that larger lake were some over zealous duck hunters. So, most of what came by us was moving at mach 5 and on a mission. Over all it was a good spot, it was just the wrong time. And there is no such thing as a "bad time" in the blind. There are just those that you get to pull the trigger a little bit more.

Another Update

2009-10-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since my last blog entry, so I figured I should put up a little update. Since the last entry, I have gotten a few new casts, putting my cast count up to eight. I guess I am a little hard on casts. I even had the nurse that put most of my casts on threaten me with a pink cast if I were to break any more. She kept true to her word. My seventh cast was neon pink, which my daughter loved.

My leg is healing wonderfully, with the only complication being that I lost most of the feeling in my left leg from the knee down. The feeling is coming back, though. The numbness is only in about half of my foot, from the middle of the foot to the toes.

I am also now out of the casts and into an immobilizing boot, which I will be in for another month or so. After that I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon to address the nerve issues. Yeah, not gonna happen. Color me old fashioned, but I just don't trust someone cutting and manipulating the nerves around my spine.

As for now, I am still pretty much out of the hunting game until I get the okay from my doctor. I was able to get out for opening day of waterfowl season. Once again, my good friend Brent came to the rescue and took me out to a blind that overlooks a pond behind his house. We didn't see a ton of birds, but I did get to pull the trigger plenty. I unfortunately shot the worst I have shot in a long time. I am going to chalk it up to the lack of practice this year.

Hopefully, I will get the okay to get out before the firearm opener here in Michigan. On a different note, if anyone has experience modifying a boot immobilizer to fit on the outside of waders, please email me.

It Feels Good to Get Out

2009-09-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, last week I got yet another new cast, and this one was going to be my salvation. I was getting a walking cast that I could actually walk on. I have had a walking cast for a while, but it was just because I kept breaking them and they needed something that could stand up to the awesome power the is me. But this one was for real. And when the doctor came in and told me, I couldn't help but grin ear to ear.

The second I got home, I started making the plan to get out. My brother in law was out hunting, so I called him to make sure that we weren't going to be hunting the same land. He told me he was actually heading in and going to grab his son, and that they would swing by and pick me up. Rock on.

So I gathered up all of my gear and waited. I felt like a kid in bed on Christmas Eve. I must have gone through my gear a dozen times while waiting. Then I heard the car pull up in the driveway. The closest thing I can use to describe my actions was they were similar to that of a dog that knows it's master just came home from work. I had completely forgot about my leg. I had not taken any pain medication as I did not want to go into the woods with a firearm while feeling those effects. But, for the moment, the pain could not have any farther from my mind.

As we are getting ready, my brother in law got a phone call. It was his work, and guess who was called in? Well, it looks like it's going to be just my nephew and myself. We can do this. So, my wonderful wife drops us off in the back of 7 Lakes State Park, and we make our way into the woods. I can feel my heart pounding to the point where I can hear it. We cross the wood line into the woods and pick out a nice log to sit on and wait. After about 25 minutes, we move to another spot. After another 25 minutes and nothing, we move again. The rest of our night went about the same. We would wait 25 minutes or so and move to the next spot, seeing the occasional hunter and a few crows. By the end of the hunt, we had made it all the way to the front of the park, and we only saw one chipmunk.

The next day, I was in more pain than I had been in for a long time. And it was more than worth it. Not only did I get a young hunter out, but I myself felt like a new hunter going out for the first time.

A Quick Update And A Realization

2009-09-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have been following, I had an incident that left me with a cast that will be here for most of the hunting season, if not the entire season.

Well, I now have my third cast on. It's a walking cast that I can't walk on. Kind of a cruel joke if you ask me! But I destroyed my last cast, so that had to give me something that could survive my daily abuse. On the good side, it is healing according to plan. So, as of now, no surgery is needed. Thank God for that!

To make things easier, and to make sure that there is no movement of the bone fragments, I have been put in a wheelchair that I am using 90% of the time now. At first, I had this idea that I would be more able to head into the woods with my new wheels. Well, I had a rude awakening the other day. I went to a local carnival with my family like we do every year. And moving around on the pavement was not bad. But when my daughter wanted to go to the kids game tent, everything changed. It was on a grassy lot next to the parking lot, and let me tell you, soft ground is a whole different ballgame. Every divot became a little wall that I would have to try to maneuver over. Every little soft spot seemed like I was sinking in tar.

I have said a lot in the last few weeks how much respect I have now for those men and women that have life challenges (the majority much worse than mine, and permanent) and still get out and enjoy the wonderful gift of the outdoors that God has given us. And I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I can't help but give more praise to those men and women. I find out more every day about how hard things can be and how many things I have taken for granted.

The Hard Hunt

2009-09-18T05:16:00.000-07:00

In my last installment, I expressed how I was feeling about my situation and how it is affecting my hunting lifestyle. Now, while I still have those feelings, I am also in awe. When it comes down to it, my plight is rather small. I have a broken leg, and nothing more. I can still move around with the use of crutches, or a wheelchair, if the going is rough. And, although I will be in this state for the majority of the hunting season, come next season (God willing), I will be healed and in tip-top shape for my hunts.

What put me in awe was a group of people that I met last year at a hunting expo that I had a booth at last year in Imlay City, Michigan. The group is called Wheelin' Team 457. Their mission statement is, “to provide the physically challenged with indoor and outdoor sports and recreation”. They also strive to spread awareness. Now, the gentlemen that I met weren't in a cast like I am. They were limited to the use of a wheelchair and two of them had slightly limited use of their arms. And they were talking about a goose hunt they had been on! We talked for a bit about what they do and hunts they had been on. You simply can't help but be inspired. These guys have the passion that hunting is really all about.
And they represent that passion. They embody the true spirit of hunting and sportsmanship.

I used to take for granted how easy it was to simply go out for a quick hunt. To know what will be involved every time you hunt, and that it will never get any easier, and still have the drive to do it time and time again is something I can only hope to have for the remainder of my days.

On a different note, I am hopefully getting a wheelchair that's big enough for me (that's a whole other story) so I can get out into the woods here in the next week. Wish me luck!

Early Season Blues

2009-09-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

We all have our "thing". For some people it's shopping. For others, it's gambling, or alcohol, or newborn babies, or any other number of things. It's that thing you live for. The one thing that, no matter how bad things are going, will lift you up. Make you whole. For me, that one thing is waterfowling. Now, don't get me wrong. I love hunting and the outdoors. But there is just something about waterfowling that makes me whole. I would even venture to say that it borders on a religious experience.

And nothing has driven that thought home any farther than this week. If you have read my previous blog, you know that I had a mishap with a deer blind and broke my leg. So here I sit. First two days of early goose season. I should be in a blind with good friends. But I am not. And, from what they and their pictures tell me, this is the beginning of an awesome season. Mike and his group have put down more that 30 birds in the last 34 hours, one of them with a band. Now, I don't want this to sounds like I am angry. I find some comfort in knowing that they are out enjoying the sport that I love so much. But I can't help but to be jealous.

In the last 48 hours, I have felt a void that I have not felt in years, not since I started hunting. I guess it is true about what they say about "not knowing what you have until it is gone". And it's not even gone. It has simply been delayed. I know that the cast will be off by firearm deer season, so I will have some regular season waterfowling to do. And if my cast "modification" idea works, I might even be able to be in field by mid next week. But that is still a week away. A week of a two week season.

To pass the time, I have tried to read up on decoy spreads, shooting tips, and any other information I can bring up on my computer screen. If I can gain more knowledge about the sport that I am missing, the I will be all the better when I recover. But I still find my mind drifting to despair. I know you probably think this sounds like a little kid throwing a tantrum. And you would be right. That's what I feel like. Our adult lives are based on what we can control. Your entire being revolves around what you make happen, be it the littlest detail or a life altering decision. And while it was my bonehead move that put me into this predicament, I fell as if I have lost all control. Like maybe there is something I am missing. Something I can be doing to make this better. But in the end I know that I just have to be patient. When this is all said and done, there will be more seasons. This is not the end, but it sure does feel like it.

Getting Ready For Deer Season; Season is Already Over

2009-09-01T04:12:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I headed north with a friend of mine (and two new friends) to work on some property that we are going to be hunting this year. Now, for those of you that know me, I have never shot a deer. In fact, I have never even seen a deer while deer hunting. When I am small game hunting, I dang near trip over them, but never when I am chasing the great Whitetail.

We started off by tilling up a few small plots (maybe 1/3 acre) that had been planted with clover earlier, but he didn't remove the oak leaves before he tilled, making it very acidic. Unfortunately, about half way down the trail, the drive belt snapped on the tiller. So, the rest of the day was up to us and our trusty rakes. Fun. After the leaves were picked up, we laid down a hefty helping of lime, followed by more clover, another random blend, then some neutral fertilizer. On to the next plot.

The next one wasn't nearly as bad. No leaves here. The clover here is coming up pretty well. The problem we were having was lack of sunlight. We had to remove some trees, but which ones? The problem we faced was the types of trees we were dealing with. The majority were white oak and cedar, with a few poplar in between. The poplar can go no problem, but the white oak and cedar are two major attractants for deer. So, after careful consideration, we cut a select few, making a few funnels with the fallen trees as we go. Now it's time to cut the shooting lanes for this plot. Next to this plot is the shooting house called "the condo", mainly because of the room you have to move around, and the Lay-Z-Boy chair that has replaced the overturned bucket. Part of this trip was to install another window on the one side so you would also have a shot into the food plot about 40 yards away, as well as the on in front of the shooting house. After an hour or so of clearing, we are good to go. But just to make sure, we all pile into the shooting house to check for ourselves. And it is in the next 30 seconds that my season ended before it even started.

As everyone piles out of the shooting house and down that ladder, someone made the comment about being careful coming down the ladder. Which is always a good idea, but how bad could you really get hurt falling from this thing? The top step is only at five foot at the most. So I start to make my way down. The, the next thing I know, maybe four foot off the ground, I'm falling. I don't know how it happened, but it did. I tried to bring my legs down, but my right foot became caught in the ladder, leaving my left leg the only one to break my fall. And that it did. The second I hit the ground, I heard the "crack!" come from somewhere in my lower leg. My buddy yells, "what the hell just happened?! Did you fall?". To which another friend replies, "yeah, he did. I tried to catch him, but it happened too fast.". "Are you all right?". Not wanting to ruin the rest of the work we still had before us, I replied, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just need to move around so it doesn't get stiff. I can walk this one off". With the adrenaline and initial shock, the pain was not bad at all, so I just kept working. But after a bit, each step became harder and harder, until eventually it was too much and I had to sit the rest of the day out. The other guys worked like madmen trying to get the rest of the work done so we could get out of there, and after a couple more hours, all of the work was done. Well, everything aside from the window because Brent forgot to bring the hinges and enough OSB (I told you I wouldn't let you forget that move :)). After that, we made our way back down south, with a little side trip to drop me off at one of the local hospitals. So, I sit here writing this on opening day of early goose season with a cast that will be with me for quite some time and my broken tibia. But all is not lost yet. I'm working on an idea for and epoxy coating and Mossy Oak Duck Blind burlap for the new cast I get next week. Wish me luck...

Scouting... From Your Armchair

2009-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

One of the most important pieces of the successful hunting puzzle is scouting. You can have every other aspect of your hunt down to a perfect science, but if you aren't where the game want to be, your chance of success is slim at best. And that is why every year we hit the woods and waters to observe. To try to pick up any indication of our game's everyday rituals so, when season comes, we can be in that right spot at the right time.

But where do we start? Starting is often where a lot of us have the biggest problem. Between work, family life, and many other commitments, we find it hard to go out and pick a piece of land and just start looking and even more so if you are scouting state land.

Now, there is nothing that will replace getting out into your prospective hunting areas. But you can eliminate a bit of leg work from the beginning of your scouting. And it can be done from the comfort of your home or office on a coffee break or commercial break on your favorite outdoor channel. Cyber Scouting is quickly becoming a popular form of early scouting, if not part of the norm. With programs such as Google Earth and MapQuest, You can get a good idea of the lay of the land. You can find where a field meets a a forested area, or a natural funnel in the middle of that prime deer spot. You can also see the elevation and where the good vantage points may be, along with noticeable landmarks, should you decide to check the area out further. And for those hunting state owned land, some programs show the hunting land boundaries and parking areas. Some programs also show coordinates so you can punch them into your GPS.

While this will not replace the actual footwork of getting into the woods, it will speed the process along. It can also provide that little bit of needed motivation to get out to do your scouting. I know that once I see a spot that looks prime, I want to check out the new spot so bad, it feels like waiting for Christmas morning. So pull up a chair and start scouting!

2009-10 Michigan Waterfowl Dates & Regulations

2009-08-14T18:48:00.001-07:00

The waterfowl season is fast approaching, so its time to start making our plans on the water and in the fields. I just received this email from the Michigan DNR today, outlining this up coming season...

Michigan duck hunters will enjoy three opening days this fall as the
Natural Resources Commission set waterfowl seasons at its meeting
Thursday in Lansing.

The seasons, which were recommended by Department of Natural Resources
biologists, correspond to the recommendations of the Citizens Waterfowl
Advisory Committee, which met Aug. 8.

Duck seasons will run Sept. 26 - Nov. 20 and Nov. 26-29 in the North
Zone (Upper Peninsula), Oct. 3 - Nov. 29 and Dec. 5-6 in the Middle
Zone, and Oct. 10 - Dec. 6 and Jan. 2-3 in the South Zone.

There is an open season on canvasbacks this year as well as expanded
opportunity for scaup. The daily bag limit is six ducks to include no
more than four mallards (no more than one hen), three wood ducks, two
redheads, two scaup, one pintail, one black duck and one canvasback.

Early Canada goose season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 15
statewide, except for the Upper Peninsula and Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron
counties, where it runs through Sept. 10. The daily bag limit is five.

Regular goose seasons are Sept. 16 - Oct. 30 in the North Zone; Oct.3 -
Nov. 9 and Nov. 26 - Dec. 2 in the Middle Zone; and Oct. 10 - Nov. 12
and Nov. 26 - Dec. 6 in the South Zone, except for designated Goose
Management Units (GMU). The daily bag limit is two.

In the Saginaw County and Tuscola/Huron GMUs, the goose season is Oct.
10 - Nov. 12, Nov. 26 - Dec.6, and Jan. 2-31 with a bag limit of two.

In the Allegan County GMU, the season is Nov. 28 - Dec. 21 and Dec.
28-Jan. 17 with a bag limit of two.

In the Muskegon Waste Water GMU, the season is Oct. 13 - Nov. 14 and
Dec. 1-12 with a bag limit of two.

Elsewhere in the South Zone, the late season is Jan. 2-31 with a bag
limit of five.

Hunters may also harvest other geese during the regular and late goose
seasons in their respective zones. The bag limits are 10 snow, blue and
Ross’ geese in combination; and one white-fronted goose or one brant.

Hunters are also reminded of the Youth Waterfowl Weekend on Sept.
19-20. This hunt is statewide for licensed youths 10 to 15 years of
age. Youths must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or someone 18
years or older. The adult will not be allowed to hunt waterfowl and is
not required to have a waterfowl hunting license. The daily limits are
the same as those allowed for the regular duck season.

To learn more about hunting opportunities in Michigan, visit the
DNR’s Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting.

My Newest Venure: Bass Fishing!

2009-07-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

I have always considered myself a fisherman. Never pro or an expert, but I knew enough to hold my own. Boy, was I wrong. All of these years I have spent a few weekends here and there drowning worms with the occasional walleye trip in between, and even then it was more about hanging out and having fun than fishing. Ice fishing has always been fun, but it's a whole different ballgame. Not anymore.

Two weeks ago, I packed up the car and headed to the great northern wilderness of Mackinac (Mack-e-naw) to join fellow Pro-Staffer Tim Ford and Mike and Mike from the Up North Journal for a weekend of salmon fishing. Unfortunately, half way there, I got a phone call from Mike saying that both of the boats that the charter service we were using had broke down. Bummer. But not to worry, as Mike always has a plan B. "We'll just do some inland fishing," he said. Not what I was hoping for, but it's better than sitting at home, right?

First off, I had forgotten how beautiful the northern woods of Michigan are. Whoever coined the phrase "Sportsman's Paradise" couldn't have been more right. When I stepped out of the car, it felt like a wave of tranquility ran over me.

We all gathered in the cabin and talked about what the next day's plan's were going to hold. And after we had a game plan, we headed out to the local outfitter to pick up a few supplies. While we were there, we met up with our newest field staff member, Dan Block, from Escanaba. We then headed back to the cabin and I had the pleasure of watching, for the first time, "Escanaba In Da Moonlight". If you haven't seen it, finish reading this, then get to your local video store and rent it. You'll be glad you did. And, you will see our field staffer Dan Block in the first 10 minutes! But now, onto the fishing.

5 a.m. came early the next morning, but we were all ready to go. After a bit of a drive and our usual breakfast at the golden arches, we arrived at our first lake. We fished there for about four hours, throwing everything we had. Not much happened. We landed a few small pike and a small mouth bass. We were all getting hungry and Dan had to make his trip home, so we broke for lunch. After a little debating, we picked another lake that looked like it could show some promise. We were told that there was an abundance of pike in this lake, so we switched gears and set up for predator fishing. We got off to a slow start, but after an hour or so, I got our first strike on a green BuzzFrog. A minute or so later, we had our first bass of the day in the boat. Rock on. Then about 20 minutes later, I got another hit. And another bass. Time to switch tactics. Tim and Mike start throwing out plastics. Now, I have bought plastics in the past, but I have honestly never used one. And up until that point, I had never know how to fish plastics. I had always thought that they were fished just like regular worms. That's when Mike showed me the beauty of the "Texas Rig". He handed me a Zoom white Horney Toad, showed me how to rig it weedless, and that's when the fun started. I was suddenly able to cast into places that would have brought me only headaches before. They also taught me about letting the lure drop for a second after it came over top of a lily pad. Watching it drop into the lilies and having to rely entirely on feel was awesome. Colors also play a big role. While white was hot in the middle of the day, Watermelon Seed was on fire towards dark.

I have found yet another venture to get me into the outdoors, and I am better for it. I also learned more important lesson about bass fishing. When setting the hook, one of the most important elements is reciting a certain word that somehow complete the act of setting the hook. So, in ending, BOOYAH!!!

My First Tukey Hunt

2009-07-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Some people might call me a green horn when it comes to hunting. While most people get their start in the outdoors at a young age, I did not hear the call of the wild until later in life. So, to me, some of what I experience in the woods is done so through virgin eyes. I experience the same wonderment and awe that is felt by a child on their first hunt. That is the reason I never turn down the opportunity to hunt something new. And most recently, that new thing was turkey.
And, as most of my new adventures, my good friend Mike Adams was there to show me the way. Our first morning, we make our usual stop at the golden arches, then head over to the hunting grounds. As we are getting our gear on, I hear the distance thunder of a gobble. Commence adrenaline application. Now, we are hunting in an area that I thought I knew well. Yet, as we head in, I'm already noticing new things. As we entered a large, open field, we hear the thunder again. I can feel my heart starting to beat faster. But we are a bit behind schedule, so we start to pick up the pace. As we head into the woods, we hear a few more gobbles, and we start moving even faster. At this point, we are being less than stealthy. After debating a few different spots, we settled down in front of a fallen oak tree with Mike sitting on a crook in the top of the tree and myself kneeling behind it.
That's when we heard them sound off. We had thought that we were within maybe 150 yards of their roosting tree. We were wrong. Somehow, even after all the noise we had made coming in, we had made it to within 40 yards of their roosting tree! And they were none the wiser. Mike started in on the calls and then we sat in anticipation for a second or two before they started to talk back. It was game on. They made their way to us in no time flat, sounding off the whole way. My heart felt like it was going to start breaking ribs. Then, when they got about 20 yards away from us, they stopped. We were rushing in so quickly to set up, we did not notice the flooded timber between, directly in front of us. And turkeys are not fond of water. They would look at our decoys, then pace in a small circle, then stare our decoys down again. And the whole time this was going on, I was in a position where I could not see a thing! This went on for about seven hours (it was really more like ten minutes).
It was at about this time that I was starting to feel the pain of sitting perfectly still for so long in a kneeling position. I quietly asked Mike let me know when it was clear for me to move, and he just kept telling me, "not yet". After what seemed like another seven hours, he whispered, "Okay. You can move now. Just try to keep low," as the turkeys were looking for a way around the water. So I quietly hopped over to the other side of the tree. And that's when I saw my first turkey up close. I mean, I was close enough where I could see their eyes. I was two seconds away from going into total meltdown. I just wanted to pull that trigger so bad, I could taste it.
But I did not have a good shot. Mike could have possibly taken one, but he said he wanted to see me take my first gobbler, so he declined.
That's when nature stepped in. On a ridge about 150 yards off, a hen started to yelp. And that was it. Check and mate. Those toms were off like a rocket. Turkeys 1 and Hunters 0.
So, we go to check out another spot down the road. On the way there, we saw a tom in a small clearing off of the side of the road. We quickly pull over and set up in a field not too far away from the other, and Mike starts in with the calling. We listen, but hear nothing. After a little looking around, that tom is no where to be found. Off to the next spot.
We took a small drive to see if we can spot any in a field that we normally see them in. As we pass, time stops. There he is. A boss tom that would be a prise for any hunter. Just standing there in all of his glory. We spin the truck around and head up to an old access road to start our hike in. This is going to be tough, as the land we saw him on was private property, so we are going to have to call him to us. And big turkeys, just like every other prize animal, don't get to be that big by being stupid. They are smarter than the rest. That's how they have made it this long. After a nice hike up the back of this property, we find what looks to be another old access road, and our target is at the end of it and just off to the side. So, once again, we set up. Mike starts in with the calling. He threw everything he had at him. Nothing. This one lives for another season.
I went out again with Mike, once with his son, and a few times by myself, with the same results as that first day. But I learned a lot, spent time with good friends, and most of all, it was quality time spent outdoors!

Second Annual Houghton Lake Ice Fishing Trip

2009-05-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I have last written, so I have alot of catching up to do! And the first story that I would like to tell is about our trip up to Houghton Lake for another stay out on the ice and the adventures that come with it. This year, my good friend Mike, along with his sons (and equally good friends) Mike and Jake accompanied me on this winter camp out. We started out our trip early Friday morning with a break from the norm and went to Tim Hortons instead of our normal Micky D's breakfast befor our two and a half hour drive. We arrived at Lyman's on the Lake where we checked in and bought all of our last minute supplies and bait. They helped us load all of our things onto the shuttle they provided and we made our way out to our home for the weekend. There was a pleasant surprise this year, as Lymans added a second set of bunks on the other side of the shanty. We got set up and started to rig up our poles and tip-ups with eager anticipation to the fishing frenzy we were about to take part in. After about an hour, we started popping holes in the ice with our new StrikeMaster power auger (we HAD to get a new toy for the trip) and set our tip-ups around the shanty.
But lets backtrack for a second. Before we had left, we decided we were going to play a game called "group tip-up". The rules of this game are pretty simple. Every hour or so, a new tip-up is chosen out of the group and deemed the "group tip-up". During that time, anyone who sees the flag spring on that tip-up can get it. If more than one person notices, they can do anything in their power (within reason - we don't want any one getting sevely hurt) to prevent the others from getting it first. The first person to get their hands on the tip-up gets to reel it in.
Now, back to the fishing. It's about here is where I would like to tell you that we brought them in left and right. That it was all we could do to keep bait on our lines. But that's not how it happened. Along with us came a low pressure system that killed all the fishing on the lake. There we a few flags here and there, but none in our camp.
Combine that with the near foot of snow that came down in blizzard conditions, it just wasn't a good weekend for ice fighting. But we still had a good time. We made the best of all of the time we spent inside our shanty. We ate like kings, told and retold stories, and made some fond memories. After all, isn't that what it's all about?

Awesome Fish Recipe: Fish Crack!

2009-01-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been saying for some time that I would give you guys (and gals) my wife's awesome fish recipe that I have dubbed "fish crack". It's pretty simple and the first time I made it, we had five kids over and all of them loved it (and for my kids, that's a feat!). In fact, I only got a few pieces that first time she made them. The kids got the rest! So here is the soon-to-be world famous "fish crack" recipe....

Fish Crack

(Oven-Fried Fish Fillets)
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 min
4 servings

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup crushed crackers (I use Ritz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1-ounce)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound sole, scrod, perch, blue gill or other mild-tasting fish fillets
Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Melt the butter in a 9 by 13-inch pan in the oven. While it melts, combine everything else except the fish in a pie pan. Dip the fish around in the melted butter, dip each piece in the crumb mixture, and return it to the baking pan. Bake the fillets for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish flakes with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges if like.

These are also good fried, just not as healthy. Same process, just fry 'em for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Make sure you have the grease good and hot! Enjoy!

First Limit of the Year on the Ice

2009-01-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was really craving some fish so I decided to go find a cure for my hunger. I headed out to Little Seven Lake in Holly to try my early morning luck. The walk out was less than fun because of the foot of snow on the ground. To make it even better, it was very warm out for this time of year, so the snow was thick and heavy. As I made the trek out to the ice, I noticed a lot of wet spots on the ice. I set my gear on the shore and made my way out with my spud. I avoided the wet spots and made a zig-zag pattern across the ice, checking every 10 feet or so. A solid 4 inches in most spots. So I went back and grabbed my gear and went out to my spot and set up. I cleared out an area of snow five foot by five foot and cut my hole. The second I broke through, water poured out, and the rest of the day I was standing in about 3 inches of water. Thank God I bought those new insulated rubber knee boots! When I finally got set up, I pulled out my trusty pan fish ice , tipped the teardrop with a waxxie, and sent it on it's way to work. I found bottom, reeled up about a foot, and let it set. Then, the first strike of the day. A nice gill. Teardrop back down the hole. This time, it didn't even have enough time to reach bottom. Another bite. And another nice gill. I repeated this process for about two hours. After the first 15, I started to get picky about what to keep. "Nothing under seven inches," I told myself. About two hours is all it took to limit out for the first time this ice season. I was home by 10am and ready to feed my addiction for fish. My wife found a new recipe for fish that I have dubbed "Fish Crack" because of it is possibly one of the simplest and best recipes I have ever had. And that recipe will be on here soon, I promise.

My Limit from Little Seven

First Ice!!!

2008-12-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

Well, the time is here to start fishing the hard waters of Michigan! I headed out to a local lake to test the ice and see if my season of ice fishing could start. I ventured out on Little Seven Lake in Seven Lakes State Park and was happy to find 4+ inches of good, solid ice! It was only an hour or so until dark, so my time was limited. I popped a hole in the ice, set up and sat down. For the next hour, it was all I could do to keep my hands warm because I never had enough time to get my gloves on! Now when I went out, I didn't think I would find good ice, let alone find a hot-spot on the first hole. I was pulling gills up as fast as I could put the line back down to the bottom. Out of the 30 or so fish that I caught, 15 were definite keepers along with a 15 inch bass, my first taken through the ice. But, I didn't feel like cleaning any fish that night, so everything made it back to the hole.

A couple of days later I went out to Big Seven Lake and found a solid 5+ inches of good ice, but lady luck wasn't with me that day and I went home with an empty bucket.

Then this past weekend, I decided to take my two youngest out on the ice with me. I was also accompanied by Mikey from the Up North Journal. We decided to hit Little Seven Lake again and try our luck. I got my kids set up and, at first, the bite was slow. We really didn't have any action for the first hour. But then things picked up and the spring bobbers on the end of our rods were starting to earn their keep. In between bites, the kids were taking turns spinning in circles on the buckets and making snow angels, as well as a quick game of "fishball" (it's just like football, just with a frozen fish).

Every couple of minutes they would come back over to the poles and fish for a second before finding another game to play. One of the times they came back to fish, my daughter, Caitlyn, was holding the rod and the tip bent right down. She fought and fought like it was the last thing she was going to do. After a minute or so of reeling, I saw the flash of silver in the hole. When she finally pulled that fish out of the hole, I couldn't have been more proud. My daughter had pulled her first bass out of the ice. At only 12 inches, we had to let him swim away, but not before a picture and alot of praise. Later that night, I cleaned the fish and tried a new recipe. But that will have to wait until next time...

The kids and their catch from our day on the ice

Caitlyn and her first bass

Another Recipe: Disturbed Duck (or goose)

2008-12-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

After posting that last recipe, I decided to start to put some more up from time to time. Here is one of my favorites. I got it from my good buddy Mike at the Up North Journal. The original recipe came from one of the forums on duckhuntingchat.com. This is a very simple recipe with very few ingredients. And it can be done with eaither duck or goose breasts. I changed the recipe a bit, so here is my version of "Disturbed Duck"......

Disturbed Duck

Here is what you will need.....

1 duck breast

Teriyaki (I use Veri Veri Teriyaki)

Soy Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce

Olive Oil

Any kind of instant rice or noodles (I like the chicken flavored rice or the teriyaki rice)

Start off by taking a duck breast and clean it off really good. Then cut it into thin strips (approx. 1/3in. x 3in.). Then mix 1/3 cup Teriyaki, 1 tsp soy sauce (I use the low sodium stuff), 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, and 2 tsp olive oil in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to medium and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Start your rice or noodles per directions on the box. Put the breast strips in the sauce pan with the teriyaki mixture and cook on medium heat until you start to see the strips turn grey and blood just starts to come out of them then flip them over. Cook only for another 2 minutes or so. Duck is very easy to over cook, so watch it carefully. If you want, after you flip the breast strips, you can add a variety of whatever you want. Broccoli, sesame seeds, onion, and water chestnuts all work well. Use your imagination! Let it cool for a minute then pour it over the rice or noodles. You can make this as lavish or as simple as you like. I really enjoy these right before I go on a hunt because it is simple and quick, but very filling.

A Great Salmon Recipe: Maple Salmon

2008-12-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

Over the past three weeks, I haven't been feeling 100%, so I haven't been out in the field a whole lot. Then, I have spent the better part of this past week getting various tests done, most of which required fasting. As of last night, I hadn't eaten in almost 48 hours, but I was still restricted because of another test, and could only eat off of a very limited menu. No meat, vegetables, butter, dairy, fried, or fatty foods. I was not very happy with my choices, but then I noticed at the bottom of the list that I could have fish! Rock On! So I dug up some old recipes and found a great one that is simple and delicious....

Maple SalmonIngredients:

1/4 cup Maple Syrup (if you want, you can cheat and use imitation)

1 pound of Salmon (I use fillets, but you can use stakes; just keep them under 2in. thick)

1/8 tbsp Ground Black Pepper

1 clove Garlic (minced)

1/4 tsp Garlic Salt

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

Mix together the soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper. In a shallow baking dish, place the salmon and coat with the syrup mixture, cover, and place in the fridge for 1 hour, turning once. Preheat the oven to 400F. Then, place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Simple as that. Easy and oh-so delicious. And it's healthy to boot!

Another Great Waterfowl Weekend

2008-11-09T05:11:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, both of the Mikes from the Up North Journal and I spent most of the weekend waterfowl hunting and it was great! We started out Friday night on Lake Ponemah on a little island that I have never hunted off of. Every time we have been out, someone has been out there, so we just go somewhere else. As we are first getting set up, I noticed a couple of mallards making their way off of the island, right where we were about to set our blind up at! Well, at least we know that there are ducks here!

After about 30 minutes, our decoys are set up and the blind is finished. We plop down and get ready for the onslaught. Nothing. It wasn't until an hour later that we heard a flight of geese coming in. With the gun mounted camera rolling on Big Mike's gun, Little Mike and I are laying in on the goose calls (well, I'm putting as many clucks out as I could manage while Little Mike throws out his champion calling skills) and they are coming right for us. There were three groups in the incoming flight, and the last group was looking promising. They started to veer towards us but they were not going to commit, so when they started to come overhead, we let loose. The lead goose dropped, but the rest kept flying. And that was pretty much the end of that night of hunting. But, around here, one is better than none. And, after reviewing the video and audio, we came to the conclusion that it was my bird. Add some more to the freezer.

The next morning, we headed out to another local lake that is only a few miles down the road from me. Big Seven Lake is in the middle of Seven Lakes State Park and is definitely our local waterfowl hangout. We were out on the water by 5:30am and set up with about 20 minutes to spare before first light. Right off the bat, the ducks were flying. This was going to be a good morning. After a few fly-bys that snuck past us, we had a pair fly in and circle around. They decoyed a little short and landed on the outside of the spread and swam in. When they got within range, we jump up to get them flying, but they just sat there. So we started yelling. They just sat there. Then we started throwing sticks. They just sat there. What was going on?!? No matter what we did, they just sat there and stared at us. So, we got out of the blind and started splashing towards them. Nothing. It wasn't until I got about 15 yards away did they even start to get up. I took one and Little Mike took the other. A mallard and a hen to start the morning off. The rest of the day was action packed. Birds were flying all over the place. We called a few in, but for the most part we were pass shooting. Or should I say pass missing. We didn't get anymore birds that day, but it was still a good day.

The next morning we headed out to the same place. Set-up was done with 20 minutes to spare again. Right at first light we had a flight of Wigeon come in from the west and they came in fast. They decoyed perfectly. Little Mike took the first one in. When he brought it up, it was perfect. A good sized body, perfect color, and just a few pellet makes in well hidden areas. With in the first five minutes, he decided that this one was going to be mounted. A while later another flight came in and Big Mike drop the middle one like a rock. We are pretty sure that Little Mike got one, but he managed to fly off. After two trips out in the boat and a walk around the island, we couldn't find him. But it wasn't from a lack of trying. We now had a Black duck to add to the count. After that, it was another day of throwing steel. I think in the next year, I'm going to join up with a sportsman's club that has a trap course.

So, all in all it was a good local weekend with some birds put in the freezer.

"Little" Mike and I
This is the Video "Big" Mike made of our waterfowling weekend....enjoy!

The History of Obama

2008-10-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

O.k. I know that this blog is supposed to be about my hunting and outdoor adventures, but this is one that I just couldn't pass up. I was talking with some of my co-workers today and we got on the subject of politics. I was blown away by the fact that some of the avid hunters here are Obama supporters! I kept hearing "He's a sportsman!" and "He doesn't want to take your guns" and "He just wants stricter laws for inner cities and it won't affect us". Well, I'm not going to sit here and tell you who to vote for. There are enough ad campaigns out there to do that. What I will do is show you a view of Obama's past voting history and how he has felt about guns...

Obama's writing was on the 1996 document, a political questionnaire which was filed when Obama was running for the Illinois state Senate. A Chicago nonprofit, Independent Voters of Illinois, had this question, and Obama took hard line:

Do you support state legislation to:
a. ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns? Yes.
b. ban assault weapons? Yes.
c. mandatory waiting periods and background checks? Yes.

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Obama was asked by interviewer Leon Harris “You support the D.C. handgun ban, and you’ve said that it’s constitutional?” during a Feb. 12 interview on ABC’s affiliate in Washington.

“Right, right,” replied the Illinois senator, nodding his head.

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“As president,” Obama said in response to the ruling, “I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne.”

“Reason” magazine’s Jacob Sullum noted that Obama’s response highlights his “peculiar view that the extent of an American’s constitutional rights depends on where he lives.”

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During Obama’s time on the board of the liberal Joyce Foundation, he “oversaw the distribution of $18 million to gun-ban groups, including major funding for the Violence Policy Center,”

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As a member of the Illinois Senate, Obama voted for a bill to ban and confiscate assault weapons that the NRA said was so poorly drafted that “it would have also banned most semiauto and single and double barrel shotguns commonly used by sportsmen.”

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Obama also has supported legislation to ban gun stores within 5 miles of any school or park, which the NRA plausibly argues could close down 90 percent of all existing gun stores in America.

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Obama voted to make homeowners guilty of a felony if their gun is stolen from their home and then used to harm anyone, thereby making it dangerous for any law-abiding citizen merely to own a gun.

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Obama has proposed banning inexpensive handguns, so-called Saturday night specials, that poor women and men could afford for self-defense, according to NRA document .tion. He also has proposed a 500 percent increase in the federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. To the extent that he favors any right to keep and bear arms, it appears to be only for the rich, not the poor.

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Principles that Obama supports on gun issues as stated in the 1998 IL State Legislative National Political Awareness Test Jul 2, 1998

Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.

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Barack Obama wants to re-impose the failed and discredited Clinton Gun Ban

From the Independent Voters of Illinois/Independent Precinct Organization general candidate questionnaire, Sept. 9, 1996

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Obama voted to ban almost all rifle ammunition commonly used for hunting and sport shooting

United States Senate, S. 397, vote number 217, Kennedy amendment July 2, 2005

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Obama supports local gun bans in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and other cities

David Wright, Ursula Fahy and Sunlen Miller, "Obama: 'Common Sense Regulation' On Gun Owners' Rights," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, http://blogs.abcnews.com, 2/15/08
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Obama voted to uphold local gun bans and the criminal prosecution of people who use firearms in self-defense

Illinois Senate, March 25, 2004 SB 2165, vote 20

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Obama voted not to notify gun owners when the state of Illinois did records searches on them

Illinois Senate, May 5, 2002, SB 1936 Con., vote 26

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Obama voted against a measure to lower the Firearms Owners Identification card age minimum from 21 to 18, a measure designed to assist young people in the military

Illinois Senate, March 25, 2003, SB 2163, vote 18

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Obama favors a ban on standard capacity magazines

“Clinton, Edwards, Obama on gun control,” Radio Iowa, Sunday, April 22, 2007

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Obama supports mandatory micro-stamping

Chicago Tribune blogs, “Barack Obama: NIU Shootings call for action,” February 15, 2008

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Obama supports repeal of the Tiahrt Amendment, which prohibits information on gun traces collected by the BATFE from being used in reckless lawsuits against firearm dealers and manufacturers.

There is more information out there folks. This is just some of what I found. Do some digging. Find out who you are voting for. And don't let an expensive t.v. ad make up your mind for you.

New Hunter Added To The Ranks

2008-10-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I took a new hunter out into the woods. She has been begging me for the past couple of years, and I finally gave in and said "yes". When I told her she could go upstairs and get some of her camo clothes on, her eye's lit up. She ran upstairs as quickly as she could and came down with everything camo she could grab. Her own camo pants, her brother's camo hooded sweatshirt, and a pair of my old hunting gloves. She was ready. She was born ready. I speak to my wife on the phone telling her that nothing will happen and we are just going to a few spots that I know very well. "I know" she replies. "But she's only four. Try and be careful." she says again with a quiver in her voice. "I will. We will be home by dark." I tell her as my daughter is pulling at my pant leg, asking if we can go yet. So off we go. My first hunting trip with Caitlyn. We make our first stop at the gas station to buy supplies. "Well need food" she says. So we load up on peanuts and gummi worms and a few other candy items. Then we head over to the cooler and she stares for a second. "What do we drink when we hunt, daddy?". "Whatever you want" so she grabbed a coke and I grabbed some water. Now, off to the hunting grounds. We headed back to a wooded spot in Seven Lakes State Park not too far from our house and started to sneak in. I was amazed at how quiet she could be. This, from the girl who at times can sound like a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant. We found a log to sit on a ways back and we started the wait. She asked what we were doing and I told her that we were waiting to for the squirrels to think that we we gone. Then, they would come out and we could take them. I told her to keep an eye out on the ground and in the trees and to look for any movement. She was on high alert. Every single noise or movement, she wanted to know if it was a squirrel. She would be still for about four or five minutes, then start to get rowdy. I'd tell her that she needed to sit quiet and she would for another minute or so. I really didn't expect to see any game that day. It was more about spending time with my daughter out in the woods and getting her ready for those times when hunting would be a little more of our focus. We went from spot to spot, and we saw a lot of birds and chipmunks and other little creatures, but no squirrels. But it was still a good time out. We sat down a few times and ate our snacks and sipped our drinks and talked more than we have in a while. When it started to get dark, we were heading out and I said to my daughter "Hey, we should just camp out here. It'll be fun!" all the while knowing she would not want to and that we would just head home. Then she replied "Sure dad! Let's stay out here!". Well, I wasn't expecting that one. So I had to explain to her that we were in the middle of a state park and we couldn't just set up camp. Plus, mom might get a little mad (remember, mom is at home thinking that we have both been eaten by a bear, or worse). As we left the woods, we came across a little playground and she played on the swings for a few minutes and ran around like a little kid will. And as we got into the car, she said "I'm glad I'm your new hunting buddy, daddy.". It almost brought a tear to my eye.

Dad's New Hunting Buddy!!!!

1st Duck Hunting Trip to Fish Point of '08

2008-10-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

My morning started at 2:15 a.m. Man, it's been a while since I've seen this time of the morning. My warm bed is sitting there, trying to persuade me back to it's comfort. But not this morning. This is the morning I have been waiting for all year. This is the morning I head to Fish Point, a managed state game area by the Saginaw Bay. I head downstairs where all of my hunting gear is ready and waiting for me. It was all organized and arranged the night before to help ease the excitement and give me something to do before it was time to sleep. 2:50 a.m., the car is packed and I'm on my way to meet my hunting partner for the day, Brent. Brent is an electrician that was contracted to work at my school. A couple of talks about hunting and I knew I had found a new hunting partner. 3:30 a.m. and I am in the Meijer parking lot switching all the gear from my car to his. He is as excited as I am. Inside the truck, Lilly, Brent's golden lab, sits waiting. This is going to be her first trip out. 5:00 a.m. and we are in Unionville, where Fish Point is located. We drive around a bit to see if we can hear any ducks or geese that maybe found a nesting spot for the night outside of the refuge. Nothing. So we head over to the headquarters and register. We are party #31. After we get registered, we head to the maps and the number charts to try to make a more educated decision about where we want to hunt. The number charts are put up every Saturday morning and they tell you how many ducks and geese have been taken in each spot up to the current date. We made our list of the top 20 and waited. It was hot in there. It was the first open weekend at Fish Point, and the crowd that gathered inside affirmed that. 5:30 hit and they started to read off the rules and regulations for the areas, then they started to call party numbers. Fingers crossed. It seemed like they were reading forever. Well, we're not in the first 10. Or 20. Or 30. Man, this is getting bad. We were picked 65th. Well, do we want to see what we can get or try one of the open marshes? Most everything is gone, but we decide to go with an area of newly flooded corn in an area that hasn't been hunted that hard. 5:55, we are in our spot and it's looking nice. About 16 inches of water atop a corn patch about 120 yards long by about 25 yards wide. We start setup immediately because we only have about 20 minutes until first shot. We throw the decoys out in a sideways "J" pattern with our mojo in the middle front and the geese on point. My new Heron decoy is at point and slightly off to the side. Hopefully, he works out the way I had planned. We turn the mojo on and check the time. It's two minutes after first shot! Load up and sit back. I position myself on my swamp seat and wait. I can hear the other hunters around trying their best to swat whatever is flying by out of the air. With our eye's fixed on the horizon, we wait. I look down to grab my water bottle and take a sip. As I look back up, two mallards right overhead, now flying out of range. Damn! Can't drop my guard for a second. Okay, here we go. Eyes fixed. A couple of minutes go by and I hear Brent yell, "dang it!". A small flight of three right over his side. Okay, no more playing. We discuss what went wrong in the last five minutes and re-affirm what our sentry duties entailed. I scan the eastern horizon and listen for any sounds. All of the sudden, Brent yells out "Crap! Out front!!". I spin around and there are about 15 teals landing in our spread, maybe 10 ft. in front of me. Taken by surprise, I pull up and fire. Damn! Missed! So I pop off a second one. Damn! Okay, I'm just excited. Calm down. Take a breath. Focus. I squeeze the trigger and I see one drop. Alright! First one of the season! At the same time I hear Brent take two shots and he drops them both. Lilly bounds out with Brent, but has no idea what to do with the downed ducks. After some coaxing, she got the idea. So, back into the corn and wait. A bit later, a single flier came over top, but after two shots, she was still flying. A bit later, three mallards came over top. A couple of seconds later, the duck count was one greenwing teal hen, two greenwing teals, a mallard, and two mallard hens. For a spot that was taken out of the scraps left over from the morning, we're doing pretty good. As the morning grew longer, we heard the occasional shot here and there, but the morning flight was pretty much over. It was 11:00 a.m. so we packed up and registered our ducks at the station and looked at what was left from the afternoon draw. There wasn't hardly anything left. So we decided to go to a marsh that Brent knew of. So, after a hearty all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at the lamplighter cafe, we did a little exploring around the refuge. Then it was off to Brent's spot. All cattails with an opening on the east side and a trench going around the perimeter. We get about half way out there and Brent says that it's getting too hard to row so we should jump out and drag the boat. Well, after a couple hundred yards of walking through knee deep muck, I was starting to wonder about Brent's spot. But, we were already on our way so no turning back now. We finally got to our spot and I could not wait to get the decoys out so I could rest on my swamp seat. Just after getting settled in, Brent decided he was going to walk over to the cattails and see if he could jump shoot some birds. And if he missed, maybe they would fly over me. Well, an hour an a half passed and no word from Brent. So I try to call him. No answer. A couple of minutes later, I call again. No answer. After four or five times of calling with no answer, I was starting to get worried. The trench that went around the perimeter was over eight feet deep. So, I started to call out for him. No answer. Just as I started to make the call to get the police involved, I heard splashing. Here came Lilly. And shortly behind her was Brent shaking his head and a big smile on his face. I ask, "well, any luck?". And he replies "Yeah, I killed my phone". He then proceeds to tell me how he tried to cross the trench in a shallow spot. He got about half way across before he realized that he couldn't make it. And at some point in this crossing, the water was high enough to spill into his pocket where his new cell phone was (two weeks earlier, he had lost his cell phone while out deer hunting, so this was the replacement phone). So, we sat for another hour or so, and not a single sign of birds. Sunset was upon us and nothing. Then, about 10 minutes before last shot, a single duck came flying by. It was a woody and he was on a mission. He was not looking at our spread and he was making a fast break for the refuge. It was a long poke, but at about 40 yards, I drooped him like a rock. We waited until shooting light was over to retrieve him. On the way back, I opted to stay in the boat and push with the oars. That was a tiring trek for this husky hunter. When we got back to the makeshift launch, we chatted with another hunter that had camped out there most of the week and done quite a bit of duck hunting and had been out that day hunting deer. As we drove home, we were already starting to plan the next outing. The sport of waterfowling is an addicting one. It is the closest I will ever come to knowing what a drug addict must feel like. Always thinking about the next time. Always setting up the fix. Now my mind is set to the next waterfowl outing. And it can't come soon enough.

The three I brought home from Fish Point

The One that Almost Got Away

2008-10-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

There is a little spot where I love to hunt squirrel. It's a little track of state land that has been very good to me. And nestled a ways back in my little haven is a small pond. A small pond that almost always has ducks on it. So, if my waterfowling adventures aren't going too well, I usually make the hike back and try to take a duck there. It's the same every time. I approach from the trail coming from the south, sneak down the bank, and they get spooked and fly from the east side of the pond to the west. And as they start to fly over the west bank, I take my shot and they come down in the woods just past the bank. I go and retrieve them and all is well.

Well, after an unsuccessful hunt early last year, I decided to make my way back towards my secret little duck pond. And as I crept down the bank there, as always, were a few mallards swimming on the east side of the pond. I got into position then stood up, and they took off as according to plan. They reached the other side of the pond, I pulled up, squeezed the trigger, and BOOM! The mallard hen trailing the others did a nose dive into the woods. Perfect! I was giddy as a school kid as I made my way towards the other side of the pond (I still get the same feeling that I got with the first animal I harvested every time I take game) and into the woods. And there she was, just waiting for me to collect her. I got about five yards away, and she started to move. Heck. I winged her. Oh well, what's done is done, so I'll go finish the job. I took a step then BAM! I'm on the ground cursing the root I had just tripped over. Then, I look up, and she is making her getaway. I raise my gun and squeeze the trigger to take another shot before she can make it to the water and, wouldn't you know, I had the safety on. Now cursing my self, I take the safety off, but it's too late. She's in the water and swimming away. So, there I stand with my gun in hand, staring at the duck I winged swimming in the middle of a pond, and no way to go out and get her. This will not do. Now, I had pulled the trigger, so it was my responsibility to retrieve this animal no matter what. But how? That's when the light bulb lit up. I have an inflatable raft in my trunk! Awesome! But the car is a 15 minute walk away and I don't want her wandering off and then I won't be able to find her. So, I sprint back to the car. Keep in mind that I am in my full hunting wardrobe complete down to my 1000 gram Thinsulate hunting boots. Also keep in mind that I am 6 foot tall and weigh in at a robust 310 pounds. So, I get to the car and I am now drenched from sweat. I open the trunk and pull out the raft and one small oar and start to make my way back. To save time, I get the brilliant idea to inflate the raft as I am running as to save time. After almost blacking out a few times, I finally make it back to the pond and my prize is still waiting for me. Rock on. I finish blowing up the raft and think to myself "funny. I remember this raft being a lot bigger". The raft I had was one of my kid's pool rafts. I look on the bottom and laugh as I read the label proclaiming "100lb max". This should be fun. So I take my boots off along with most of my hunting gear because I know how this is going to end up. I put the raft into the water and start to ease myself down onto it. As I settle down I wait for the water to start coming over the sides, but nothing. This might work after all. Then I push off , and it just gets bad from here. The moment I leave the safety of the four inch deep water, I feel the cold rush of water all over. Now, imagine this. A rather large hunter in a little red and grey play raft in the middle of a pond, legs dangling in the water (so I can keep my balance, and because the raft is only about three feet long) with one paddle chasing after a downed duck. It was quite the sight. And every time I would try to paddle, I would have to reposition the way I way laying to be able to row on the other side. So, amidst everything else, I was spinning in little half circles. I was in that water for almost 20 minutes before I caught up to that duck. When I finally did, I ended it quickly, then headed back to shore. I couldn't help but laugh as I paddled back in. I sat on the bank for about 30 minutes drying off in the sun and contemplating what had just occurred.

The one that almost got away

Duck Hunting Fish Point

2008-10-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite activities is waterfowl hunting. It's a little more social than other forms of hunting and when the action starts to pick up, there is nothing like it. There have been times while I'm sitting in a deer blind, it's below freezing, I've been in the same sitting position for four hours and I think to myself "it would be really nice to be home right now". I stick it out because that's a part of hunting. But I can honestly say that I have never felt that for even a second while waterfowl hunting. Even last year while I was up at Fish Point by the Saginaw Bay. By 8a.m., I could no longer feel my feet. By 10a.m., I was numb from the knees down. But it was worth every second, even though I didn't take a single shot the entire day. But back to the point of my story.

Fish Point contains more than 3,000 acres of flat farm fields, diked floodings, and coastal wetlands and prairies. Biologists manage the water levels and vegetation for the benefit of waterfowl and other animals that rely on wetland habitats for survival. And with the tremendous variety and abundance of waterfowl found here, the Fish Point area has been called the “Chesapeake of the Midwest”. While there is plenty of excellent hunting in this area, part of the state game area is a wildlife refuge and is off-limits to the public year-round. Unless, that is, if you volunteer for the Fish Point volunteer work weekend. Those that participate in this maintenance and upkeep event get a tour through the sanctuary, something most everyone else in the general public will never see. They have an observation tower and wildlife viewing trail to enjoy the wildlife when you are not hunting. There are also a few private lodges for those that would like a more guided experience. The lodges offer the basic from just a blind to hunt out of to fully guided hunts which include your decoys set, a dog and even lunch brought out to you in the blind.

Now, if you want to hunt the state game area, you have to be there bright and early. The huntable property is divided up into hunting zones. There are areas of corn, flooded corn, field, and little ponds and marshes. A few of these sites have blinds set up, but for the most part you are on your own. But, to get any of these, you must enter the lotto. When you first arrive, you are assigned the number in the order you came in, i.e. if you are the first person to walk into the building that morning, your number would be 1. If you are the second person, you would be number 2, and so on. Then, at 5:30a.m. (don't quote me on that, but I'm pretty sure that's that time) they pick a sheet of numbers randomly from a stack of about 15 sheets. They then read the pre-printed list of numbers, and you hope for the best. When they call your number you pick what area you want and that spot is marked off. The better spots (the one's with the blinds) are reserved for parties of 2 or more. If you are a single hunter and want one of the areas reserved for 2 or more, you can pass when your number is called until everyone else has picked and, if one is left over, you can take it. But, if there is more than 10 parties, there's a pretty good chance that those spots wont last long. Once you have picked your spot, you make your way out and you are good to go! There are two hunts. One in the morning from opening shot until 11a.m. and then another that starts at 1p.m. (once again, don't quote me, but I think that is the time) until last shot. You have to enter a lotto for the afternoon hunt just like the morning hunt, but there is usually not as many people at the second hunt.

Once you are done with your morning hunt, you have a few hours to kill. The local towns of Unionville and Sebewaing have some excellent diners and shops. Don's Sport Shop‎ is a great place to check out. It's a little "mom and pops" sporting goods store with some very interesting items and more information about the local hunting and fishing then you could learn in a lifetime.
Now, of the places there that I have hunted, my favorites would be over the potholes and the dry field. The dry corn field, also called the "scatter zone", is not a popular place to set up, but I have had some good luck there on the windy days. In the beginning of the season, the birds there are pretty uneducated. But once the season hits full swing, they learn pretty quick. It's amazing to watch these birds come off the bay and the second they cross the shore line, they jump right up above 350 yards and higher. They keep their height until the get over the refuge and then they perform a maneuver that still makes my jaw drop. They go into what is almost like a death spiral and drop strait down into their haven. It's just amazing to watch that many birds flying at once.

So, if you want to try waterfowling in one of Michigan's premiere hunting locations, give Fish Point a try. It will be well worth the trip.

Just a glimpse of some of what you will see up at Fish Point. This picture was taken right at last shot

First two mallards I took from Fish Point Last year.

Here is a link to Fish Point's page on the Michigan DNR's website

Trashing the Outdoors

2008-10-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Not to far from where I live is one of my favorite squirrel hunting spots. This was the spot that I took my first game, and where I spend most of my small game hunting time, so this place is special to me. It is my peaceful refuge. My little chunk of paradise. And I'm sure there are others that feel the same way. Which is why it is so hard for me to stomach what I see every time I go out there. Garbage. And lots of it. It's everywhere I look. The amount of land that we have to pursue our sport on can be few and far between. Why would some people be so careless to destroy it? It doesn't take much to take your trash out with you. I am a smoker (I know, I'm hoping to quit soon) and one of the things I do is I make sure that I have a small baggy or empty cigarette pack that I can put my butts into. The same goes for the wrappers from my snacks or beverage bottles I bring in. If it comes in with me, it will surely make it out with me.
One of my favorite spots to go in my little haven is a small pond about a quarter mile back in. And next to the pond there is a rope swing hung. It's an obvious teen hangout spot. And if there is one, there are 20 or so broken beer bottles along the side of the hill. So, one might say it's the kids doing it. But walk up that same trail and you'll find a couple different ground blinds with a circle of trash around where a hunter once sat. And it's easy to say "it's not me". But, when you see this destruction, what do you do about it? Do you pick up what you can while on your trek or on your way out? It's not a mess that you made, but I believe it is all of our responsibility to help keep our woods, fields, streams, and lakes as clean as we can.

Ice Fishing at Houghton Lake

2008-10-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

Last winter, a group of friends and I decided to take a fishing trip up to Houghton Lake, Michigan's largest inland lake covering 22,000 acres. But this wasn't going to be a run of the mill ice fishing trip. We were going to ice fish for 3 days and camp out on the ice. And that we did!
We rented a "sleeper shanty" from one of the local bait shops, Lyman's on the Lake. Now, when I say shanty, that's exactly what it was. No frills. It was an approximately 6' by 14' box with a wooden bunk bed, a few Plexiglas windows, a door and six holes cut in the floor. But that was all we needed. At only $75 per night (7a.m. to 7a.m.), it was more than worth it since we could fish all night if we wanted to. Now, I will say this; it's not for everyone. We started out with 5 guys the morning we arrived. By noon the next day, it was down to myself and my friend Jeremy. The other three opted to rent a cabin.

The shanty came with a 20lb tank of propane and a heater per night, and that thing kicked out some heat. I, being on the top bunk (where all the heat rose to), was as toasty as could be all night. Those that slept on the bottom bunk and the air mattress were fine right in the middle of the heat. My brother in law, Vince, was not so lucky. He drew the short straw and had to sleep on the opposite side of the shanty as the rest of us and got to sleep on the floor with only a blanket. Now, remember that the temperature at night was getting down to about 5 degrees Fahrenheit and we were sleeping above the ice. When he woke up in the morning, he was frozen...literally. The only thing we could figure was that there had been condensation from the heat towards the ceiling and ran down the wall and onto him. Over the course of the night, as the temperature dropped, his clothes and blanket froze to the floor! Needless to say, he was one of the one's to check out the next morning. It was a fun filled weekend, for sure! But, now, onto the fishing!

The fist morning we were there mainly involved us setting up, and the rest of the day was pretty slow going. We were mainly jigging for walleye, with a few tip-ups set around the shanty for any wandering northern pike that might have happened by. It wasn't until later that weekend that we found out we were in a location on the lake that the locals called "pike alley". That's a key tip; always ask the locals, because they usually know the terrain pretty well. And did they ever! When night started to creep up, the flags started popin'! We caught five or six northerns on the tip-ups right before dark, but they were all short by an inch or so. So, after a hearty dinner on the ice, we all moved in to the shanty to unwind and jig for walleye some more. After a few hours of not even a nibble, everyone else had pulled their lines, aside from me. I figured that if I was awake, I was going to be fishing! Around 11p.m., and after a few jokes about my determination to keep fishing, the end of my light action rod started to dip. I waited for a second to see if whatever had found my minnow tipped teardrop jig was going to take it and I felt another tug. I set the hook, then my rod bent to about 80 degrees and the fight was on! Finally! I was gonna bring up a walleye! And this was a good one. After five minutes or so of fighting I saw a shimmer in the water. That's when I noticed the head. This wasn't a walleye, but a giant northern pike! As I brought him up towards the hole, I heard my brother in law shout "Oh my God! I can see the tail!" as he pointed to the hole two holes down from mine! By this time, I was in disbelief. There was no way I was going to get this thing up. I was using a regular light action rod with 6lb test line and no leader. But, I tried still, and every time I attempted to bring him up, he opened his jaws and wouldn't you know, it was bigger than the 12 inch hole we had drilled! Finally, I pulled up at just the right time and slipped his opening jaws past the edge of the ice and Jeremy reached down and started to pull him out. By this time, there was no room left for blood in my veins. It was pure adrenaline coursing through me. And as he kept pulling that fish out of the hole, it just got better. It seemed like the fish never stopped. This was a trophy. As we exited the shanty with my prize, I picked him up and and just let loose. I probably sounded like a kid at Christmas the way I was yelling. Not only for the fish I had just caught, but for the fact of how I caught him. We took our pictures and said "that was awesome!!" over and over and admired the catch. We laid him next to the shanty and waited until morning to take him up to the bait shop and get the official measurement and weight to be entered in the weekly contest (I came in second, but that was fine with me!). The final tale of the tape was 37.5 inches and 11lbs 15oz.

The next morning (after we found Vince frozen to the floor) we set out our tip-ups and went at it again. The next two days were a blur of flags going up and rods bending. We caught somewhere around 45 northern pike, and only one was over the legal limit! But it was fun all the same. We had a couple of nice chats with one of the local Conservation Officers about the lake, the fishing, and a few tales he had for us. Top it off with a little horse play on the four wheelers in a foot of snow, and it made for a weekend I will never forget. I am already planning for our next trip up this year, and I think it will be even better. If you are ever in the Houghton Lake area and get a chance to do some ice fishing, take it. And if you want to try something a little different, try camping out! I guarantee you'll have a blast!

My father in law with one of the many caught inside the shanty on regular ice fishing rods. Behind him, you can see the bunks we had to sleep on.

Jeremy "admiring" his catch .

If you are interested in finding out more about fishing Houghton lake or about renting a shanty, contact Lyman's on the Lake. Tell them that Chuck from the Up North Journal sent ya!