http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds News and opinions about issues that affect hunting and fishing. Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:36:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en As a Michiganian, I must admit I hoped that Tom Healy's world-record brown trout would stand for a while. But I'm not sure the split decision that's coming from the International Game Fish Association is ideal. And our hats should be off to Roger Hellen regardless. The subject here is a brown trout ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=237 A few years ago a buddy -- whom to this day is so embarrassed about this episode that he refused to let me name him -- was invited on a "hog hunt" at a game ranch in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Not wanting to seem ungracious, he accepted. And ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=233 Crossbows. Michigan. Statewide. It is on. With one small exception -- no crossbow use on deer after Nov. 30 in the Upper Peninsula -- Michigan on Thursday (August 12) became the fourth state in 2010 to make crossbows standard equipment for archery seasons. Delaware (?), North Carolina and Oklahoma already took the ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=230 The news today was encouraging: It appears that the sole Asian carp found in June in Lake Calumet did not pass through the electrical barrier near Lockport, Ill., which is designed to keep the invasive, ecosystem-crushing fish out of Lake Michigan. That's good. Instead, it looks as though it was put into Lake Calumet several ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=224 Last year I had the good fortune to shoot the biggest buck of my life, a two-and-a-half-year-old 9-point that came into range in the closing minutes of October 24. He had decent width, decent height and ginormous browtines that almost evened out with his G-2s. When the tape was applied, he came ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=219 As a young newspaper editor many moons ago, I paid extra close attention to details and tried to learn as much as I could about a lot of things so I could avoid putting stupid things in the paper. Things like calling Marines “soldiers,” which really rankles both Army guys ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=213 Sometimes people just don’t get it. I have on my desk a new video game titled “3-D Hunting 2010.” It’s made by a company called Kalypso, and promises that I can hunt 26 different species of “rare and wild animals” in a variety of “exotic locations.” The selling points listed on the package include ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=209 A few years ago, ineffective survey methods, a couple harsh winters and some aggressive deer management turned northeast Wisconsin into a deer wasteland. The hunters who had been told to shoot, shoot and shoot some more went ballistic when they found out that the oversized herd they were whacking back ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=207 I have to admit I am profoundly amused by the "spousal conversion kit" offered at www.discoverboating.com. All week I've found myself going back to it trying to decide if it's tongue-in-cheek, completely serious or something in between. At the moment I'm pretty sure it's both. They really want you to ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=201 Here's the report from the Pere Marquette River, courtesy of our friend Juri Geidans: "20 degrees this morning (Sunday), ice forming on my rod guides, water temp 46. Had to keep dunking my rod to melt it off. Went 2-for-5 on Saturday and 2-for-7 this morning. Hard to get good photos ... http://greatnorthernoutdoors.net/blog-ds/?p=191