Outdoors: Deer hunters find success on season's first day
Antler restrictions making a difference
Outdoors: Deer hunters find success on season's first day Antler restrictions making a difference Check out this story on Freep.com: http://on.freep.com/1j2R6yV
Special to Detroit Free Press Published 10:23 p.m. ET Nov. 15, 2015
Dean Smith, an electrician at U.S. Steel in Ecorse, bagged a nine-point buck with a .50-caliber muzzleloader.(Photo: Courtesy of Dean Smith)
Dean Smith, an electrician at U.S. Steel Great Lakes Division in Ecorse, got into the stand, an elevated platform, at 6 a.m. Sunday in Branch County. He was hopeful. He had seen a 150-class buck while bow hunting and had taken a 31/2-year-old nine-point buck Tuesday.
He saw a giant nine-point buck tending a doe at 7 a.m. Smith watched him for 2 hours.
"I could only see his antlers and his ears," Smith said.
He was using a .50-caliber muzzleloader, so he had only one shot to work with.
"I shot him in the base of the neck, and he folded like a sack of potatoes," Smith said.
Smith was one of hundreds of thousands of men and women who took to the hardwoods, swamps and fields for the firearms deer opener throughout the state.
Smith started hunting at 13 with his father. He also is helping his son and stepdaughter get a deer.
"Eighty to 85% of the protein we eat is wild game," he said. "We make our own jerky. You name it, we do it. You can't get any more organic than wild game.
"This buck this morning was the biggest one yet, but it hasn't cured me of the fever. My father and I will be hunting Up North to Greenbush, north of Oscoda."
Smith is a board member of the Lower Peninsula Deer Management Initiative. The group sought antler point restrictions for the Lower Peninsula. He believes his success is because of these self-imposed restrictions.
Currently, 12 counties have mandated restrictions.
"I think as attitudes change and people understand deer biology and see the benefits of restricting antler points, antler point restrictions are the wave of the future," he said. "The only way to get big bucks is to let the little guys walk. If you take all the little perch ,you'll never get any jumbos if you keep wiping out an age class.
"If you want to see some great bucks, check out the co-ops that practice quality deer management online. They're all over the state. Bean Creek is a good one or the Southeast Michigan chapter. It shows what a little self-discipline can do."
■Buck pole check: Buck poles become part of the autumn landscape, which, to some degree, gauges the success or failure of the season. Though all deer are considered trophies in the land of long winters, the most difficult ones to get are the longest in the tooth. Those hide away in the swamps and thickets.
This year, if Knutson's buck pole in Brooklyn or Ray-C's buck pole in Lapeer were any indication, it was a pretty normal year despite the unseasonably warm temperatures and downed crops. Upper Peninsula buck poles reported some success, but the news wasn't as good. Three unusually cold winters and an ever-expanding predator base took their toll.
"Well, it wasn't bad here in the south," said Tom Knutson, who owns Knutson's Sporting Goods. "It was average. The new average."
His deer weights during archery season were up about 20% over the previous year. The gun opener maintained just about the same as last year.
"I hoped we would be up, but the weather was too warm," Knutson said.
Amid the real-world buck poles, virtual ones abound on social media. They may even ultimately replace the time-honored tradition. This year, Mill Creek Sports Center's famous buck pole was noticeably absent, as were a number of others.
Ray Brown of Lapeer hopes social media is a supplement, not a replacement. So does Knutson.
"Opening day isn't just about hunter participation and license sales, it's also about helping Michigan industry thrive," Knutson said.
His business picks up about 30% during years that opening day falls on a weekend, and the buck pole is part of the draw.
"People come in to see how others have done, to share stories and to buy what they need for the rest of this season or for next year," Knutson said.
Ray Clemens Jr. of Ray-C's agrees.
"A weekend opener with a real buck pole brings people together, and that's what it's all about," he said. "It's also better for business, without a doubt."
Through Nov. 30: Firearm deer.
Through March 31: Rabbit and snowshoe.
Through late November or early December, depending on zone: Duck, goose.
Dec. 1-Jan. 1: Bow deer, ruffed grouse.
Dec. 21-Jan. 1: Late antlerless firearm deer.
Out of season: Pheasant, quail, wild turkey.
Opossum, porcupine, weasel, red squirrel, skunk, ground squirrels, woodchuck, feral swine, feral pigeons and starlings may be taken year-round with a Michigan hunting license.
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