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Another strong hunting season is expected JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Pete Kailing has been serving the Big Rapids area several years as a DNR wildlife biologist and is intrigued by prospects for the turkey season. “We’re down from our peak of 15 or more years ago of turkey numbers,” he said. “We’re relatively stable like here in Mecosta County. The areas of the best habitat, which is like a 50 percent mix of fields and scrub and farmland intermixed, is a pretty popular habitat for turkeys. “So areas with good habitat have birds. Areas of marginal habitat may not. We did have a good hatch here last spring, average at least.” Turkey hunting in west central Michigan, Area K, always offers three seasons. The first season is April 17-23 with 4,000 license quota. The
second season is April 24-30 with a 4,500-license quota. Hunt 0234 has no license quota and goes May 1-31. “Hunters like to hunt that early season in late April,” Kailing said. “That first hunt is sold out now. You had to apply for it like a lottery. The second season of Area K had some permits left. “But many hunters have gone to that May hunt, 234, because it gives you the whole month of May to hunt turkeys. You can buy the permits over the counter.” But there is an advantage to the early season. “The toms haven’t been hunted so they’re vulnerable to calling because they’re looking for hens,” Kailing said. “Visibility is good for the hunter, and they haven’t been chased by hunters yet.” Turkey hunting in this area might rank as No. 2 behind deer
DNR wildlife biologist Pete Kailing expects the May hunt to be popular again. (Pioneer file photo) hunting in popularity. “Grouse hunting is very popular, but turkeys are easier access for people,” Kailing said.
“They cover more ground and there’s more of them and they’re easier to hunt, frankly.” The number of area turkey
hunters “are pretty good,” Kailing said. “Waterfowl numbers for a couple of weekends are also quite high.”
Reed City turkey hunter also enjoys steelhead fishing Al Remus has been turkey hunting for 40 years JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com REED CITY – Al Remus is among the area’s most diehard turkey hunters. The Reed City area resident has 40 years of experience turkey hunting to prove it. “I was staying at the farm I lived and started from there,” he said. Remus will be hunting the
last season which is most of May. “I don’t very often go without getting one,” he said. “I’ve been seeing quite a few (turkeys).” Remus is more than just a turkey hunter. “I hunted deer last year and came back from steelhead fishing (recently) and got skunked,” he said. The calling aspect makes turkey hunting very unique, Remus said.
“That and getting out in the spring of the year,” he said. “I’ve some really old calls that sound good. I do a pretty good job of calling.” Remus has had some good-sized turkeys during his career. “I killed one that had three beards on it, 11 inches was the biggest,” he said. “It was quite unusual.” Remus usually hunts in the Reed City area. “We live on a farm and they have
Turkey hunters are hoping to have among their best seasons ever. (Courtesy photo) quite a lot of turkeys on the farm.” Steelhead fishing is usually high on Remus schedule. “I didn’t do a lot last
year but this year I plan on doing a bunch,” he said. “I’m retired now and I like doing that stuff. I think it will be a good spring.”
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Ferris State University will offer new mycology course in the fall JOE JUDD course that includes “... joe.judd@pioneergroup.com extensive field labs and hands on experience BIG RAPIDS — For growing mushrooms.” some it’s a hobby and The course will be for others it’s a way of taught by FSU biologlife, and while most ical sciences professor people fall somewhere Dr. Scott Herron. in between, interest in “In 2016, some mushroom hunting and students came to mycology is perhaps me from different higher than it has ever departments across been. the university with an Whether it’s for interest in creating a research purposes mycology club,” Herron or general interest, Said. “...they became hunting for morel the de facto source and other types of of knowledge for all mushrooms has been a things mushrooms on preferred early spring campus.” activity for years. Herron said the FSU In recent years, this Mycology Club quickly popularity has piqued made its presence felt at the college level, within the science particularly among the department and outside student body at Ferris of it as well. State University. As a result, the club As it stands, FSU has gained popularity in its own mycology club a short span of time that is in the application from its founding just process of becoming five years ago and a a Registered Student new generation of Organization and in the mushroom hunters in fall, students can get a Mecosta County could first-person opportunity be underway. at a more extensive look “It’ll probably get at mushrooms with a offered once or twice in new course. the fall and possibly in Beginning in the fall the summer,” Herron of 2021, Ferris State said. “My colleagues will offer: Mycology: and the department Study of Mushrooms, decided that there was a 200-level biology more of an audience
with non-biology majors — we were really targeting that general university audience.” There is the potential that the course gets modified and made permanent with a few prerequisites attached, but that has still yet to be seen. Herron said he doesn’t think there is one specific reason as to why interest in mushrooms and Mycology has seen a spike in recent years, but also said it helps having so many students at Ferris who are from around Mecosta County and surrounding areas. “Some of them have just grown up around hunting, fishing, gathering and outdoor culture, including spring mushroom gathering,” Herron said. “Locally, I think it just started with the students wanting to learn more five, six, seven years ago.” Anyone who is seeking further information regarding Ferris State’s new Mycology course, visit FSU Mycology Club on Facebook.
Ferris State University will begin offering a course on mycology in the fall. (Photo courtesy/Scott Herron)
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Evart resident expects strong turkey hunting, fishing season Mark Sochocki is an avid spring outdoorsman JOHN RAFFEL john.raffel@pioneergroup.com LUDINGTON – Many area anglers dream of spending the summers going for trophy fish along Lake Michigan. This includes Evart area resident Mark Sochocki, who is also executive director of the Big Rapids Housing Commission. “We’ll be fishing. Our Ludington boat goes into the water April 20,” Sochocki said. “We start fishing in Ludington soon thereafter. The (Saginaw) bay is open and walleye season is open
Mark Sochocki usually lands a trophy fish during his spring and summer outdoor ventures. (Courtesy photo) all year round. We’ll be fishing there if the weather cooperates. “I’m primarily fishing (during the spring) and spend just a few days to
turkey hunt. I hunt around our farm in the Sears area. I haven’t paid that much attention to the turkey population although I think it’s been a mild winter. I don’t
think they got stressed too bad. We did get deep snow but it didn’t really start until later January this year. I think both the deer and turkey populations had fairly
mild winters.” Sochocki usually buys the over-the-counter tag for the last turkey season in May. “I pretty much get a turkey every year I hunt,” Sochocki said. “I wouldn’t say we have an overabundant population but we definitely have a huntable population in our area.” Sochocki enjoys the calling aspect. “The fun I have out of turkey hunting is the calling,” Sochocki said. “I like to move around a lot, start gobbling and bring them in. When hunters are calling and the turkeys are gobbling, that’s the challenge.”
Spring fishing prospects excite local anglers Experts anticipate another strong season JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Spring is the ultimate in pleasure for anglers waiting for a chance to get back at the open water ever since fall fishing ended. “It should be a good season, really good,” Greg Clark, at Schafer Bait & Sporting Goods in Weidman said. “There’s a lot of people out. Any of the lakes are popular. You have trout fishing at the Tobacco River, the Pines, the Muskegon and others.”
It’s time to get the boats out and enjoy the spring fever. “I think the spring fisheries is going to be good,” Bud Fitzgerald of Tangled Tackle Co., in Manistee said. “We’re warming up quick. We’re having plenty of bait. I’m hearing rumors in the Benton Harbor area that they’re catching larger coho than they’ve caught in the last few years. “I think we’re going to have a good fishery this year. The numbers are still going to be low. But I think the size
Anglers enjoy fishing in so many different ways. (Pioneer file photo) of fish is going to make up for that.” The last weekend in April is the long-awaited opener for trout, walleye and pike. “It’s a real good time,” Dewey Buchner of Don’s Sporting Goods in Manistee
agreed. The 2021 guide will be available online April 1 and will be valid through March 31, 2022. Fishing experts point out March and April are usually good for the spring
steelhead spawning run and the Muskegon river peaks mid-April with good fishable numbers into May. River and lake fishing pick up in May and June.
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Area hunting, fishing guide enjoys his profession Morley’s Tom Vernon set for a unique spring JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com
hunted an entire week together. He wound up taking a really nice MORLEY – Tom buck.” Vernon likes what he Vernon has does for a living. anywhere from 10 to Most fishing guides 15 hunting clients per do. year. The Morley resident Hunts are not 100 runs Vernon’s Reel percent guaranteed. Michigan River Guide “Sanctuary is a Service and also little different from wears other hats. everyone else,” He’s been in the Vernon said. “It’s a area for 23 years. He self-sustaining herd. previously lived in The opportunity is Lowell and married usually there. But a Morley resident, I’ve sent clients home which brought him to without a deer,” the area. The success rate’s Vernon has been a had approximately 90 fishing guide for eight percent. The hunts years and a hunting usually last from four guide for over 20. to six days. He guides for the “When we start Sanctuary Ranch in the season, we can Morton Township. have up to 80 degree “Our season for weather,” Vernon said. Sanctuary is we start “At the end, we could in August and we go have (much colder through December,” weather).” Vernon said. “They’re The key to success, some of the biggest Vernon said, “is bucks in the world. It’s patience and you have a pretty phenomenal to be a people person. place to say the least. I get to either hunt or (Hunters) come from fish a lot. It’s second all over the world. I to nature to me. But had a hunter from for the people I guide, Italy. It was probably it’s not for them. What 10 years ago. makes it neat is I “He didn’t speak find great pleasure at any English at all. We being a part of other
people’s success.” As a fishing guide, Vernon is contacted by potential clients. “I do it all, starting in the spring,” he said. “Right now, we have Fishing guide Tom Vernon shows the fruits of his labors from a walleye trip. the steelhead fishing (Courtesy photo) going on. We go out of there and go into early summer. I do a lot of trout, smallmouth and walleye trips. Those will go through until the middle of July. Then we switch into all trout and some of the summer-run steelhead. “Unfortunately, my fishing ends about the time it’s getting We aim really good in the to p fall. I’m back at the leas e! Sanctuary.” He’s also a guide for ice fishing trips. Vernon expects the spring fishing this year to be “fantastic. The one thing we are running into, like the Little Muskegon, are the water levels. As soon as the water comes up, we’ll get a big push,” he noted. Vernon said summer trips for the smallmouth, walleyes and trout are popular.
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Fishing slated to be strong in Manistee and Benzie counties
A charter boat finds a spot near Manistee’s Fifth Avenue pier. (Courtesy photo)
JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Spring fishing in the Manistee and Benzie County areas for 2021 is expected to be a good one. “They normally harvest the entire egg take for the steelhead for the state off Michigan and neighboring states,” Rob Eckerson, of Pappy’s Bait Shop in Wellston, said. “Last year they took none. We’re anxiously waiting to see what happened this year. I called the hotline in Cadillac and they say they started
the pumps and flooded the ponds as of the 30th (of March). But there was no indication as to when they may take eggs or even a commitment they will take eggs. “It will be interesting to see how that turns out.” As for fishing prospects, “Tippy Dam is definitely the end of the line for migratory fish,” Eckerson said. “That commands the best access as well. It’s really hard to beat Tippy Dam for catching spring steelhead.” There’s plenty of places from which to choose.
“People go off of Arthur Street and they fish off the buoys like at Penny Park and Ninth Street in 30 to 40 feet of water,” Dewey Buchner, of Don’s Sporting Goods in Manistee, said. “On the Big Manistee they fish like Rainbow Bend and Bear Creek, which is good for steelhead.” Portage Lake fishing is always strong. In Benzie County, Crystal Lake is always popular. “They’re starting to get a few fish out in Michigan,” Larry Scharich of Shipwatch
Marina said on April 1. “They’re getting an occasional coho or lake trout. It’s been kind of slow on the river. Manistee Lake has been on and off but there haven been some good days for perch fishing.” But nothing beats Lake Michigan fishing. Scharich likes the 2021 prospects for charter lake fishing. “The interest seems to be there and the fishing is to be seen,” he said. “It’s hard to say but everyone is optimistic. We’ll see how that goes.”
There’s at least a couple dozen charters in the area. Fishing generally takes place between April and October. July and August “is when we’re the busiest,” Scharich said. “The brown trout fishing in our area has left a lot to be desired the last few years. Probably the most fish being caught right now is lake trout. This year, there have been a few coho salmon and occasional brown, occasional steelhead. I haven’t heard of any kings being caught except, maybe some little ones.”
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Fishing club president ready for another successful season JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Dale Doepker enjoys fishing as much as anyone, which is why he’ll have his pole out a lot within the next several weeks and months. He’s president of the Canadian Lakes Fishing Club. “I was reading something recently where you shouldn’t be fishing for bass while they’re on their beds,” Doepker said. “If you catch the bass while off their beds and something sneaks in right away and eats all the eggs, you’re going to damage your fishery. There were some experiments taken on lakes. When they fish the bass off the beds, it cut down the natural production. “After the female lays the eggs, the male sticks around and guards the nest from other fish or whatever comes in to try to take the eggs. They probably don’t get on their beds until from mid-May until probably the first week in June. Generally
when they’re on their beds, it depends on water temperature.” Canadian Lakes usually has a bass tournament around mid-June after they’ve been off the beds. “We normally have a bass fun night around the 24th of May,” Doepker said. “But now that I’ve read this article about not catching the bass off their beds, I don’t know what to do about it. Maybe I’ll make it a pike fun night instead, to keep people from catching bass off their beds.” Doepker was working on his boat at the start of spring, putting a new trolling motor on it. “I would think some time in early April, I’ll be getting over to Saginaw Bay and go after walleye over there,” Doepker said. “I haven’t heard too much about things over there. I know they were doing real good before the season closed. The walleye season on inland lakes closed on March 15. Out in
Saginaw Bay, you can fish year-round for walleye. “You can catch bass year-round but can’t keep them until the last Saturday in May. I know some guys were catching them through the ice but you have to release them right away.” Doepker’s fishing club usually has various year-round activities for Canadian Lakes members and their guests. “We had about 60 kids show up for our ice fishing derby,” he said. “It was Feb. 13. They catch a lot of bluegills and a few perch, a couple of crappies. This year, we didn’t catch any pike. We give the kids a rod, bait, drill the holes for them. And have a raffle and prizes. We put out a dozen tipups hoping we’d catch some pike. I think this was the first year ever we caught zero pike. One year, we caught five or six of them. We have it on the north arm of the main lake. This was about our 18th year.”
Dale Doepker is president of the Canadian Lakes Fishing Club. (Courtesy photo)
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Area bluegill fisherman anxious for another huge season
Mecosta County’s Jeff Greene enjoys fishing throughout the entire calendar year. (Pioneer file photo)
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West Michigan has plenty of avid bluegill fishermen. But perhaps no one has as much passion for the sport as retired DNR wildlife biologist Jeff Greene. A Rodney area resident, Greene also is an avid baseball umpire. He’s an avid ice fisherman, but when spring comes around, he’s more than ready to do some bluegill fishing. “I go out as soon as I can start catching bluegills,” Greene said. “Usually it’s the second week of April, sometimes as early as the first week of April. I always start at Haymarsh Lake. I start on the south end where the water is really shallow and it’s mucky, so it’s black and it warms up the fastest. “The bluegills are in there in kind of schools or pods. You catch a couple of fish and they become spooky and swim out and then you have to go a little farther and catch a couple more.”
From mid-May to mid-June, bluegills tend to be on their beds. Generally speaking, this is when the bluegills tend to be easier to catch. “Sometimes, like last year, when I had really good fishing for four or five days, then they weren’t on their beds anymore,” Greene said. “They went into a little deeper water. They’re still easy to catch. But they don’t stay there on the beds for three or four weeks.” Bluegills is an extremely popular fish for anglers like Greene to pursue. “Perch are really seasonable, you can catch them in the spring and fall but not too many in the summer. For walleye, you have to work hard for them. With bluegills, they’re just about in any lake in Michigan. They’re easy to catch and they’re darn good tasting. “I can catch them pretty much all summer. Sometimes you have to go deeper water and later in the summer go to Rogers Pond where you get them in a little different spots.”
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Spring hunting and fishing is time to ‘try something new’ So says TV host Kyle Randall of Paris
JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Kyle Randall is host of TV’s Wilderness Journal, and ventures such as turkey hunting take him all over the Midwest and certain parts of the country But he also resides in rural Paris, which attracts him to do some hunting and fishing in this area. “I do a good deal of turkey hunting, not only in Michigan but we’ll also probably participate between 15 and 20 hunts around this state,” Randall said. “But we also tend to travel. This year, we have Ohio and Missouri on the schedule as well.” The “we,” Randall said, refers to the Wilderness Journal team. “It’s just not myself, but we have four or five people that go out and we’ll call and assist others in harvesting a turkey,” he said. “We have one person in Harrison, another in Cadillac, one down in Grand Rapids and another by Ravenna. So they’re spread out throughout west and central Michigan.” In Michigan for
turkey hunting, “we have a lot of diversity and cover which is always good for turkeys,” Randall said. “We also have a lot of turkeys. We’re, I believe, No. 4 in the nation when it comes to wild turkey population. Like many things in the outdoors, access to a huntable population is the No. 1 issue no matter who you are.” The calling process is a special joy. “It is frustrating, which is why is it also challenging,” Randall said. “When it works, that’s why it’s enjoyable. The calling process, the bringing in of a turkey, you’re trying to get a tom to do the exact opposite of what he would normally do in nature. Normally a tom would have a strutting ground and he will gobble and strut and draw the hens to himself. “What we’re trying to do is entice him to come to what he believes is a hen. It’s very satisfying when it works.” Randall said his favorite part in sport fishing is “the time we dedicate a few days
to trying something different. We’ll explore a new piece of water, a new type of bait, fish a different lake. Early fishing can be very fast and very good, so it’s the right time to try a new place and a new technique. If all you ever do is what you’ve ever done, then all you’re ever going to have is what you’ve already got.” April and May is especially a fun time for outdoorsmen to escape the winter blues and enjoy the spring weather. “Getting outside is part of it,” Randall said. “The early season before the mosquitoes and bugs get bad and the heat comes on, it’s a great time to be outdoors. It’s like the early fall. It is, in my opinion, one of the two best times to be out in the field. I truly believe spring time is the best time to try something new whether it’s turkey hunting or a different time for fishing. “Get outside and give it a try. You might find something you’re going to love for the rest of your life.”
Kyle Randall: “If all you ever do is what you’ve ever done, then all you’re ever going to have is what you’ve already got.”
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Mushroom hunter happy for a life spent outdoors
JOE JUDD consistently grown into joe.judd@pioneergroup.com adulthood. “My adoptive dad was Nicole Mathiasz has a crazy morel hunter; to one primary goal in me, going into the woods life: to spend as much and getting something time outdoors alongside to eat was just ingrained nature as humanly into me,” Mathiasz said. possible. “You create this love and So far, she has connection to nature in exceeded even her own the midst of it all. Before expectations and — all you know it, it’s just a cliches aside — it can be part of how you move said that she truly is one and groove.” with nature. Through foraging Avoiding the repetitive and gathering outdoors, day-to-day nature of Mathiasz also discovered most 9-to-5 office jobs her Cherokee Indian entirely, Mathiasz said ancestry. her friends and family This is something used to jokingly call her else that Mathiasz said a hippy or a witch. has brought her even Now, those same closer to nature as time individuals are amazed has gone on and it also and rather jealous of has brought her a great the many items in her source of pride in her possession left behind endeavours. by mother nature, “I was enthralled to particularly morel think I was connected and other kinds of in some measure and mushrooms. I really think that “Twenty years ago, I solidified it and just kind of had to be quiet made it all the more about what I did and it natural to me,” Mathiasz was a little bit ‘weird,’” said. Mathiasz said. “Now While Mathiasz grew it’s a lot more readily up without knowing her available if you want to mother, it was a single educate yourself.” hour-long conversation From a young age, with her years that threw Mathiasz said she would the floodgates open and venture into the woods made her realize exactly and come back with what her true calling in something to cook up life is. and eat, much to the Upon meeting bewilderment of her her mom for the siblings. very first time as an That trend has adult, Mathiasz said continued and everything immediately
came into perspective for her. “She was a professional mushroom hunter; that connection just floored me,” Mathiasz said. “It was then and there that I said: ‘I’m taking this a step further. This is not just going to be a hobby — this is going to be the real deal for me. It’s just in me.’” Mathiasz’ mother even passed away doing what she loved, and Mathiasz honored her in the best way she knew how, burying her mothers ashes at Mount Rainier in Washington state — the last place she foraged. “She always said she would die mushroom hunting because that’s what she loved to do and that’s how she wanted to go,” Mathiasz said. With everything now full circle, Mathiasz has since been moving forward with her outdoor foraging at top speed, and said doesn’t expect to slow down any time soon. Mathiasz said she will always consider herself to be a forager and farmer, although with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s been easier to do the latter rather than the former. “I’m presently a farm girl,” Mathiasz said.
Nicole Mathiasz has dedicated her life to foraging in the great outdoors. (Photo courtesy/Nicole Mathiasz)
Mathiasz’ collection goes beyond just morel mushrooms. (Photo courtesy/ Nicole Mathiasz)
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Local family enjoys outdoor activities JOHN RAFFEL john.raffel@pioneergroup.com
Getting ready for shooting exercises on a recent Saturday at the Mecosta County Rod & Gun club are, from left, Rick, Darwin and Dennis Johnston, and Ron Hart. (Pioneer photo/John Raffel)
“I live right in Edmore, and there’s probably 60 turkeys that come in my yard, right in town,” Darwin said. “I Hunting can be an extremely fun have to go chase them away because I family activity. don’t want them in there.” Just ask Rick Johnston of Mecosta. They all agree the calling process He has started coming to the especially makes turkey hunting fun. Mecosta County Rod & Gun Club “It’s really exciting when you’re with family members, such as his out there and you actually get one dad, Darwin Johnston, of Edmore, to gobble back at you,” Rick said. and his brother Dennis Johnston, “The main thing is you have to figure of Morley, for Saturday afternoon out where the turkeys are and their shoots. roost. You have to be there early and “We all hunt and fish,” Rick said. you can usually hear them fly down. Darwin said he has turkey hunted “I usually hunt at Denny’s.” in the past. Rick is also an avid fisherman. “I don’t go out much anymore, I’m “I didn’t do very much ice fishing,” 93,” he said. he said. “The winter was so cold. A But he likes coming out to the lot of guys didn’t fish.” shoots to stay in shape. Rick expects a strong spring Rick and Dennis both enjoy turkey fishing season. He usually spends hunting. his time on the lake for panfish and “There’s a lot more turkeys around walleyes. than there used to be,” Rick said.
Our seco location op nd en in Reed Cit ing y, June 2021. Watch for details.
Did you know? According to a report from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 101.6 million Americans — or 40 percent of the U.S. population 16 years old and older — participated in wildlife-related activities in 2016. Such activities included hunting, fishing and wildlifewatching. Such activities proved a boon to the U.S. economy, as those who participated in wildlife-related activities spent $156 billion in 2016. That’s the most money, adjusted for inflation, spent on wildlife-related activities in the last quarter
century. Wildlife-watching, which includes observing, feeding and photographing wildlife, has become increasingly popular over the last half-decade. The FWS reports that participation in wildlife-watching grew by 20 percent between 2011 and 2016, when more than 86 million people engaged in such activities. Hunters also made a strong impact on the economy, as the roughly 11.5 million hunters in the United States spent $25.6 billion in 2016.
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Big Rapids hunter, angler enjoys immense success during spring JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com
No one seems to have as much success when it come to turkey hunting and spring fishing than Big Rapids’ Terry Getts. “I like to steelhead fish, and turkey hunt,” he said prior to the start of the season in mid-April. “In fact, I’m scouting for turkeys right now. I sit in a spot and see if I can see some. Or I go out early in the morning and try to locate them when they’re gobbling on the roost. “You need to pinpoint them right where they are. They can hear you calling. I’ve got food plots over here on property across the road and they like coming in and eating the alfalfa coming up.” Getts usually turkey hunts on his own property. He has the second hunt this year in late April (24-30). “You have to pretty much be right on top of your game to get
Terry Getts, of Big Rapids, usually has immense success hunting turkeys. (Courtesy photo)
the job done,” he said. “Once you choose the hunt you want, that’s the hunt you’re supposed to have. Sometimes the first hunt you have bad weather. The second hunt, you more and likely aren’t going to have that. But you could. “The first and second hunts, the turkeys are quite vocal and quite active in the breeding part of the ritual. The third hunt (in May) most of that breeding has taken place and the hens are on the nest. It’s a little harder to call the toms over. But I used to do that third hunt all the time. You have the whole month to deal with them. I’ve been very successful doing that. I decided I wanted to hunt when the birds are more active and will come to your call better. You really have to work on that third hunt.” During the spring, Getts likes to go up to a place in the U.P to fish for brook trout. “I wait until May and go after the specs (crappies),” Getts said.
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Stanwood area turkey hunting guide likes season prospects Brian Boland encouraged with local turkey population JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Brian Boland is among the most active area turkey hunters, especially when it comes to calling and guiding for others. The season starts in April but Boland, who conducts hunts in southern Mecosta County, stopped by in March to scout the area in Stanwood. He anticipated being back in the area in late April. “I hunt on my farm and I hunt at other
private lands,” he said. “I mostly come down to call and guide for people.” The key to being an effective hunter, Boland said, is “be smart as much as you can about birds, about turkeys. You need to learn as much about them as you can on their habits and their habitat. “Calling is important. But calling, a good rule of thumb on that is don’t call a lot. Birds on a certain piece of property, all know each other. When you get in there and
start calling with a different call, the birds will know you don’t belong there.” Boland recalls a “battle” with a turkey a year ago when the calling process was nearly 1 ½ hours. “Boy, are they smart,” he said. “We call a whole lot of birds. We had a mild winter. So the birds came through it in real good shape.” He has a hunt in the White Cloud area, on May 1 for a sportsman, whom Boland, said, survived a motorcycle crash.
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Thomas Karsten (left) and his dad, Tom Karsten, a director with the National Wild Turkey Federation, show a turkey shot by Thomas, in a recent year, in the Rodney area. Area guide Brian Boland said it was a hunt he donated for the NWTF. (Courtesy photo)
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SPRING 2021
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WEST MICHIGAN OUTDOOR
Avid Big Rapids angler adores spring fishing Owen Seay especially likes pursuing steelhead JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Big Rapids’ Owen Seay is an avid 12-month angler, but admits there’s something very special about spring fishing. “Spring fishing, I really like to go to a place like Rogers Dam for walleye fishing and smallmouth fishing as well,” he said. “I
really like to go steelhead fishing, as well, which is perfect right now.” Steelheaders usually like to enjoy the season well into April. “They’re really a strong fish,” Seay said. “They’re a beautiful fish. They just fight harder than anything else.” Seay has only been steelhead fishing for a year. “I went on a guided trip
with Matt Brejcha,” Seay recalled. “I learned stuff from him and started using it when I went out and started catching fish. You have to put in the time.” While Rogers is a favorite spot for walleyes, Seay likes the Croton Dam for steelhead. Walleye is also a unique fish, which he has fished for 10 years.
“They’re really good to eat,” Seay said. “At about any lake (in the area), you can catch bass and pike.” The spring for fishing, compared to summer, fall and winter, is unique because “most species of fish will spawn in the spring at a certain water temperature,” Seay said. “So if you hit it at the right time, you catch a lot more fish.”
Seay
First season for turkey hunting, trout opener are very popular DNR officer expecting strong season JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com It doesn’t surprise area DNR conservation officer Angie Greenway to figure out which of the three turkey hunting seasons are the most popular. “Usually the first season (April 17-23 in Area K) is the most popular,” she said. “Some of that is personal preference. A lot of the guys think the turkeys are more responsive the first season. There haven’t been a lot of guys out pushing the areas and calling, so the turkeys aren’t call shy yet. They’re fresh and they’re responsive.” The second season is April 24-30. The third season in May, where hunters can get a license over the counter, “has been pretty popular,” Greenway said. “There’s a
lot of them and you can hunt during a longer season.” Greenway covers a lot of territory and has been able to observe where anglers have popular fishing spots. “The guys like the (Muskegon) river for perch,” she said. “The Davis Bridge is a real popular area if the perch are in. Spawning closures are on now, it started on March 15 for pike and walleye. It’s closed now until the last Saturday in April. So people are fishing the panfish or in the river for steelhead. The river seems to be very popular.” Lake fishing also picks up in April and May. The last weekend in April, the trout opener, “is still very popular,” Greenway said. “In some areas of our district like Lake County, I would say the trout opener is bigger than firearm deer season. There’s camps everywhere
along the river. That’s as much of a family outing get together as deer camps used to be. “We see a ton of activity during the trout opener. In the Mecosta County area, we get a big push for the walleye opener. The river can be packed with boats. That can be very popular.” Greenway has been in Mecosta County since 2014 and was in Lake County before that. Outdoor activity actually increased despite COVID Greenway observed. “There’s a lot more people out in our game area spring mushroom hunting,” Greenway said. “Our license sales went up 35 percent over the course of the year. We’ve gotten really busy because it’s something people can do. They can be together but they can be outside.”
Greenway
WEST MICHIGAN OUTDOOR
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Osceola County hunter eager to get active again Wickens notes the impact on area hunting from COVID JOHN RAFFEL jraffel@pioneergroup.com Tustin’s Marshall Wickens, an area physician, has been a longtime avid hunter. “I turkey hunt a little bit in the spring,” he said. “I’m what you would call a casual turkey hunter. Most of my hunting is fall hunting.” Deer and waterfowl “was a good season,” Wickens recalled. “I don’t think we saw the number of deer we usually see. But we saw a higher percentage of bucks, I think.” WIcken recalls the uncertainty cast upon the hunting and fishing season this time a year ago with the emergence of COVID 19. “The folks that suffered last from COVID were your wildlife fundraising organizations like Ducks Unlimited and your wild turkey federations and such,” Wickens said. “They were unable to raise funds because they didn’t have their annual banquets. That hurt them a lot. I think they’re still on hold this spring. They’re probably still hurting. I would encourage anyone who would like to support those organizations to do so anyway, regardless if they can’t attend a banquet. “I think by fall things will be opening. Typically my wife and I take a trip to Canada for waterfowl and we were not able to do that this
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SPRING 2021
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Did you know? Wickens year because the border was closed. It remains closed. The folks from Michigan who travel to Ontario for spring and summer fishing still aren’t going to do it. The border is closed yet. My brother-in-law had a bear hunt in Canada this spring, but that was canceled because of the border closure. A lot of the outfitters must be just dying.” The border closed last spring and has remained closed, Wickens noted.
Hunting enthusiasts anxiously look forward to the first day of hunting season, a date chosen after local gaming authorities carefully consider a host of factors. Conservation of both game and the hobby hunters love so much are two of the driving forces that determine when hunting seasons begin. Local gaming authorities want to protect wildlife from overhunting, and they also want to ensure hunters won't have to confront dwindling animal populations that will affect their hunting. Estimates of local animal populations are one of the main factors gaming authorities consider when trying
to figure out the best time to start a hunting season. If local authorities deem that the animal population is too large, thereby adversely affecting local residents, they will time hunting season in such a way as to give hunters an advantage. This can help control local wildlife populations and make communities safer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if population estimates are especially low, authorities will time hunting season so fewer animals are likely to be killed. These efforts at managing local animal populations can benefit hunters, animals and even local residents who don't participate when hunting season begins.
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