Rabbit's for next year

With the small game season coming to an end, I'm disappointed I didn't harvest a rabbit this year.

I took my oldest dog out ( Toby) twice over the winter with no success on some unfamiliar state land. I blame my lack of preparation and perserverance for not having any fur on the table this year.

I found this PDF on Michigans DNR website and it was quite helpful.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/BrushPilesForRabbits_346025_7.pdf

I used it to make a small brushpile on a friends private property. We went back a few weeks later to shoot some guns and checked the brushpile for fun, we already have 1 rabbit living in it! :)

I hope to take Toby out before the season is over in hopes of finding our lone rabbit.

I plan on increasing the size of the brushpile over the spring and summer to hopefully increase the number of rabbits living near it.

Time to get the lines wet! :)

Wow, how about this 60 degree weather?

There's nothing that accompanies the sunshine better than the sounds of a spinning reel buzzing as we make our first casts of the year!

After a shortened ice season, I'm ready for some spring steelhead. If you've never tried fishing in a river before, bring patience and plenty of extra tackle

Check out this quick article on the basics

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/mscms/fishing-articles/steelhead-fishing-with-spawn/

Spring Turkey

I drew my turkey license for 4/30-5/6 along with my buddy and our fathers. We plan on making the most of our hunt and hoping that all of us will have a successful season.

This year I've decided to utilize a diaphragm call along with my box call. I prefer a box call to a scratch plate because I find the box easier and more versatile for the putts, purrs, and cackling the turkey's use to communicate while moving. Mastering these softer and more subtle sounds can help you find the birds when they are call shy or in adverse wheather. I also picked up a crow call because it can also help me locate the birds.

This video gives a great demonstration of the calls made from a box call. I listen to this and try to replicate the sounds. http://youtu.be/OkYDirtKwLA

I hope this helps. Good luck this season!

My first whitetails

This is my first harvested whitetail. I shot this doe just before dark on opening day of bow season '11 at about 30 yds. It was my first time bow hunting and my first time shooting my bow at something other than a target. An amazing experience! I had to track this one a few hundred yards... but it was a very rewarding feeling to finally harvest such a tasty creature

This is the second doe I shot during '11 muzzleloading season. She only went a few feet before she dropped. I shot her about an hour before dark at about 35 yds. This was only my second time having to field dress a deer and it went surprisingly smooth. My the time I got the meat processed, I was almost out of meat from my first doe!

Venison, chicken, bacon wrap

Ingredients:
1 Venison tenderloin (marinated)
6 Boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 lb of thick cut bacon
1 small red/yellow pepper
1 medium sweet onion

Step 1. Slice up your peppers and onions and saute them in a pan

(I use butter and cayenne pepper for flavor)

Step 2. Slice your tenderloin like a hot dog bun and apply marinade or glaze
( I use a blend of seasonings as well as traditional marinade ingredients such as Worcestershire, bbq sauce, and minced garlic. I puncture the tenderloin with a fork several times to help it absorb the flavor. I let the tenderloin marinade while the veggies are softening)

Step 3. Stuff the sauteed vegetables into the marinated venison and coat the outside with the remaining marinade

Step 4. Flatten the chicken breasts using a tenderizer or similar tool.
( I dust one side of the chicken in black pepper and the other in Beer Can chicken seasoning. Then I dust both sides with lemon pepper)

Step 5. Fold the chicken over the venison.
(Be sure to cover all sides and top and bottom with the chicken, space it evenly)

Step 6. Lay out the bacon like a sheet
(I dust the exposed side with Applewood seasoning)

Step 7. Begin to roll the bacon over the chicken
(start from one end and work your way to the other side. Grab one piece at a time and fold it over to get the roll started)

Step 8. Bake at 425 for about 35-40 minutes or until the center has reached 140 degrees
(I use an electronic thermometer and check it every couple of minutes after the 30 minute mark. I also use bread crumbs dusted in applewood seasoning covered with olive oil and garlic to give the log a crust)

Step 9. Feast!

Ice Fishing in Cadillac

I took advantage of the deals at the Fishing Expo held at Suburban Showplace in Novi. My buddy and I purchased our first shanty as well as some equipment in hopes for a successful ice season....

Michigan weather has other plans  :(

We found ice up in Cadillac from the DNR's website. We left around 3 am to make it in time for the morning fish. We had some minor success with Pike, no keepers...




This was the biggest of the four we caught

My Boys

These are my Brittany's. Tucker, 6mo (left) and Toby, 1.5yr (right)

Toby has been out hunting with me twice. Once for grouse last December and for rabbit in the beginning of the year. Both unsuccessful... He's due for a kill.

Tucker is still a rambunctious puppy. I am still working with him on the basics and haven't started working with scents yet. I hope to have him ready for fall.