Time sure flies these days. It seems like the spring turkey season just ended, but we’re already looking at fall and another fall turkey season here in Area J.
No one’s quite sure why we are once again having a fall turkey season here. With no organized feeding programs in this area any more, two horribly cold winters, and several late, cold springs, which along with a long list of predators has had a devastating effect on the last two nesting
The Pigeon River Country State Forest located in the northeastern portion of the lower peninsula is truly a very unique, publicly owned forest. Those who founded the Pigeon had a vision that it would remain as the last truly wild place in the lower peninsula of Michigan the BIG WILD. For over a decade the BIG WILD has been severely compromised by special interest groups and this is unacceptable to us.
Did you ever wonder what to say when you were giving up a volunteer position? The MWTHA is a good organization but after 20 years of writing articles as Ole Sarg I am hanging up my pencil. My mind takes longer and longer to come up with ideas to write about, so this is the last article that I’m writing.
This past March fellow member and great supporter Don Minier of East Leroy (Battle Creek area) passed away. Don was one of a very few who knew how to call up a gobbler during the very first days of turkey hunting. His reputation was well known among the rest of us would be turkey hunters. Don’s parents owned a restaurant north of Reed City in Osceola County and in the early days Don turkey hunted in this area. Each year he came to the Wild Turkey Hunters Rendezvous. If you attended our event Don met you at the door and was happy to collect your entrance fee.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third article by John Gunnall that has appeared in Michigan Turkey Tracks. (CONTINUED…)
At least monthly the Michigan DNR has published a column entitled “Cuffs and Collars” describing its actions taken against persons committing illegal acts in each of ten separate regions making up our state. Regulations being violated by those who have no regrets and take no responsibility for obeying rules have always been the primary justification for having DNR enforcement officers.
The following includes action taken by both the PM Chapter and MWTHA.
This past winter the Pere Marquette Chapter began our winter survival program on January 12. During the winter we purchased and distributed 15,000 pounds of shelled corn to 2,866 Wild Turkeys distributed over our 13 county area of northern Michigan. The program was concluded on March 21,2015.
