Special days

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

I have to remember that these are special days as I slowly count down to normalcy. 

No, I’m not particularly happy about my ailments. I can’t run anymore. Haven’t been able to throw normally for quite some time now. (I used to have a rocket arm. Or so I’ve been told.)

But there is so much I can still do!

I’ve been taking a few shots at my hunting prowess or lack of it on this blog as of late yet I’m still out there and in the game. I feel like this is the year I score a breakthrough white-tailed buck.

RTWO Photo

by Mac Arnold

This smallmouth was hauled in in August on Michigan's River Raisin and came in just under three pounds.

And I didn’t post it on here back in summer but I boated, er,  canoed a pretty nice smallie all the while going backward down the roaring waters from the small dam on the River Raisin.

I’ve gotten through a rough two to three-year stretch where all I did was work and sleep while holding down two full-time jobs.

But I’m to the point where I no longer have to do this, and I’m not.

The thought of finally getting away from this leaves my mind so relieved.

It was hell. 

God got me through it. All glory be to Him on high.

Life should start being much more enjoyable in 2022. 

I think I’ll start it off by getting deep into the Ohio muzzle loader season, which opens Jan. 8.

Of course in the meanwhile I will still be hunting in Michigan's Sanilac County with the king of all seasons -- regular deer firearms season -- coming up next week on Nov. 15.

Talkin’ and walkin’

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

Many thoughts are swirling about in my head lately.

This hunting season has already been a trial by fire with my troublesome left ankle.

I’ve been out four times since mid-September in three different versions — early firearms for doe, fall turkey and, of course, deer archery — all in Michigan and it’s been a real struggle getting around.

Walking on the hard-packed drive is not an issue, but get me looking for blood or hair in an dry, crusty soybean field or hobbling along a squishy two-track, and I’m barely able to stay upright.

However, that all could change with the modern miracle of this new brace I finally got around to putting on and giving a whirl. 

The first test came Sunday on the awful foot-breaking and mole-ladened yard while mowing.

Outcome? It was a success. I really was surprised at how much better I could maneuver around.

For hunting all I needed was a way to get both foot and brace into a boot. 

I’ve already bought one pair of rubber boots with the same result of intense pain after pulling my foot out of a tight muck-style boot. (Believe me, this bone-on-bone arthritis in a joint that is gone is extremely painful.)

Then there they were on the TSC shelf: rubber overboots! Perfect! 

You know the ones. The old-buckled black ones that would get you teased by other kids when you wore them in grade school.

But for my purposes I think they’ll be just what I need to stay upright while walking across a mushy cut cornfield. 

Anyway, so sadly, this blog has turned from an exciting see how the self-taught suburban kid hunter slams big game is now like a former challenging NASCAR champion relegated to riding around in 35th-place never really getting in position to vie for first place.

So all I can say is I guess tune in to see how this gimpy graybeard does with this improved outlook. At least I may have staved off ankle surgery, which is probably a good thing for now.

RTWO Photo by Mac Arnold

So here it is: the Breg wonder brace helping me along to mow Sunday.

Past notes update blog

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

Written earlier this past summer:

Here I am at the end of another long stretch of paying child support.

Just thinking about it recently left me stunned when I realized it was 7 1/2 years this time. 

My youngest child — Zachary — turned 18 in August. 

Guess where I’m going with this is piggybacking off my last blog post published March 15, 2019.

Some of the rehash from that last post was how I was sick of having what I wrote about being used as ammo against me by my ex. 

That also should have ended in August but we'll see on that one.

Sadly I noticed that I had put up zero posts in 2020.  

RTWO photo by Mac Arnold

As promised, a quick glance at the 2020 hunting

log that I posted in the garage. Despite the small 

reproduction, each gig was noted on where and 

what was hunted.

But that really is more of a telltale of how busy I was working two full-time jobs. Beyond work at The Blade on the copy desk, I picked up a very laborious but decent paying job as a package handler at one of the larger shipping facilities. The corporation prefers discretion, and I will keep it at that.

However I was able to get out hunting — mainly for deer — more than I had in 2018 and 2019 in 2020 and even kept a pretty detailed calendar log. This may be worthy of getting shown on here even if it might bore most readers. But this is all things Mac hunts or has hunted, so I just may go ahead and do so. 

I had planned to post some of this spring’s turkey gigs, which had the best action in years. Mainly because I opted to pass on unfruitful Ohio outings and return to my native state of Michigan. If I remember correctly,
I got out four times to thee olde Thumb camp.

As I’ve long been saying: Great Lake State turkey hunting remains a downplayed golden nugget.

I’m hoping to put in some time for birds this fall

— before I get too obsessed over the white-tails
— and break up a bachelor brood party of toms.

I’ll be back on soon with what plans I have for the upcoming seasons. They certainly won’t be as 

ambitious as they have been in years gone by as now we will undertake Operation Restore Finances.

It was long ordeal, and I’m glad it is finally over.  Whew … relief! It’s going to take time to sink in that’s for sure!

Writing is life

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

Writing is life.

Detailing what I've done in the woods and on the water is what I do, and I see I did not make a single post in 2018.

What a shame.

It was a pretty awful year all the way around.

As the wind whistles away outside the glider window in my fairly recent place of residence, I realize I never can escape the howls of a whirling life.

We moved three times in 2018.

It was unsettling. Too unsettling to write about? Actually, that is the time TO write.

It's such good therapy, although some might find happiness in my undoing. We all have certain people in our lives that take such pleasure. They are to be pitied. What a weak and feeble person they are in doing so.

Someday I will unload on what went down these past few hectic years of uncertain financial times. It surely wasn't fun. Or deserved, in my opinion. But that's how it went down.

We are climbing out of it ... somewhat. Anyway, that will be a story to be told when the time comes.

Being it's nearly four months into this year, I pledge to get back to the keyboard and document my outings in the great outdoors.

As busy as I am now, the time out is much less, that is true. And it will likely be that way again as some of my favorite times of the year come about: spring gobbler, baaaaaaaaaaaass fishing, bird hunting, and of course, King Deer Hunting. Which will be my top focus now that I'm in Ohio where I see many great beasts conquered on a hunting site I belong to. However, I did not see a single deer on the hoof in the three times I was out in Ohio last season.

Three times. I scoff at such feeble amount.

In years gone by, I would be out during the first archery season close to 20 to 30 times.

Seems also more difficult to train properly with the compound bow but I'm thinking it might be easier to find places to practice with the recurve and the Black Hole target. Covert places. (Whoa.) The main problem is travel time to practice locations with high-speed archery gear.

Long distances are not as necessary with the recurve, and I never take very long shots in the deer woods anyway, so don't judge me.

Even with all of the time constraints I've always got some type of outdoor event in mind. In fact I heard a midnight goose honking in the wind overhead outside just a minute ago and prompted a deep-sleeping Lab Augustus to my awful goose mimic call.

He barely budged ... LOL. Oh well. He will once we get on them again for real.

We still manage to practice retrieves even if it is in the street here at the apartment complex.

Hopefully today I will get to replace the Lynch's Fool-Proof Hen Call that went crunch during the fall season in 2018 when I had to bust out of a blind 12 feet in the air after stirring a yellow jackets' nest. I also ended up getting stung four times. Funny now yet not so funny then, and I was really hoping to drop a turkey after setting back up to shake off the pain. No, it wasn't in the blind. The wasps won that one.

With spring turkey season nearly upon us, I can't even imagine not having that call in my pack. Many a time a repetitive light yelp and cluck from that old box call would bring in a nice tom.

The Lynch's one is all I believe in so forget about the rest.

Happy days for small victories.

Howl on wind. I'm here to hear you.

What happened ... where we're at now

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

So much time has gone on since my last post has been logged.

So many things have changed but I'm still here.

RTWO photo by Bill Brisebois

One of the better fish caught during our bass
challenge in July on the River Raisin. 

And yet blink, it's now the middle of the early goose season in Michigan with one already knocked down and cut up for the table.

Plus the small game and fall turkey seasons are now in full swing as of this Sept. 16 date that I write and detail what has gone on in my professional life and hunting and fishing adventures.

I will hold close to the vest on the professional life part because of agents of doom that still haunt my life and would love to hurt me, but will fully tell all of what's gone on in my triumphs in the Michigan killing fields and its magnificent bass waters.

Some of which I will have to play catch up as I get back to writing on this blog.

The latest success was a folly much like any "Rockin' The Wild Outdoors With Mac" follower would appreciate and laugh along with me at the silliness of it all.

For one, this goose rose up from the dead in our blind after I successfully brought it down Sept. 3. After much drama of hissing and clomping of its bill it was tamed. The best part of this harvest was how after three years, Augustus the bred-for-waterfowl-backwaters black Lab also rose up.

First with the initial take down, because it was mostly a wing shot. And as many bird hunters can attest, catching up with a bird such as a wounded goose by mere mortal man can be quite trying through the thick bog grasses. Enter the four-legged partner and that effort is cut in half.

Thinking after that episode it was at last dispatched, up it sprung a half hour later, stunning both of us as it tried another vain attempt at evasion but the black Lab was on his best duty.

As a doggie parent and a hunting commander, I was quite pleased.

***

With regard to the spring turkey season and summer bass action, both were decent.

RTWO Photo by Mac Arnold

As you can see from the final product, this 

bird wasn't bad but he wasn't the big boy.

I was left at summer's end still looking for that elusive monster smallie but one the better ones was caught during a friendly challenge with longtime childhood chum Bill Brisebois, who was able to click off a nice picture for me. It came off the favorite angling waters of the River Raisin in mid-July. The surprising part was the time of day it was -- midafternoon at about 2:30 p.m. (usually my least favorite time on the water). There may be another gig for fall, and I promise I will do a better a job of recording how the day ends up.

Spring turkey this May was another amazing experience at Dairy Farmer Dave's in the Thumb. For the second straight spring I was able to bag a long beard, but as is usually the case with the Gobbler Man, the giant of the bunch was the last to appear and it was not the one taken. I did have to act a bit hasty being the first shot with the H&R 20 gauge missed its mark and the bachelor brood was alerted to impending danger. This meant I had to make do with the dummy in front of me who was still very nice indeed with a 9 1/2-inch beard. But his pal that stepped out after the bird was dropped had my jaw hangin'.

As we know from previous birds shot at Dave's, the beards and poundage can go much bigger. It would be nice to make it out for fall turkey but with the new occupation now added into the mix it'll be tougher to take on all the prey. In fact, I thought I might be lucky to only get out once or twice for goose season. So far though it seems that isn't necessarily the case. Plus I have a client calling for goose breasts ... go figure. 

***

So what's on the horizon for fall here at RTWO? Next up toward the end of this month there could quite possibly be an Upper Peninsula bear hunt accompanied with some bird hunting since Augustus will be tagging along for the trip. 

Another part of the trip could include some baaaaaaaaaaaaaass fishing if I can rent a canoe or a boat on Manistique Lake, which I have heard has some awesome bass action.

Of course after this it'll all be King Deer Hunting once Oct. 1 hits and the archery season begins full throttle.

Look for follows at RTWO, I promise to post more vigilantly and let you in on the action. Promise.

***

Here are a couple of videos from the summer bass fishing outing with Bill. You can observe the candor of two old dudes who have been friends since they were 7.

Season wrap-up: Top hunts of 2016

By Mac Arnold
RTWO Editor-In-Chief

After nearly four months of insanity and mostly frustration, Michigan's white-tailed deer season will come to close Jan. 1.

Yes, sadly, and maybe with relief, when the sun dips below the horizon this chilly winter evening that is going to be it until mid-September.

The weapon of choice for this hunt by this worn, gray-bearded hunter will be a crossbow -- the same one as when the season began Sept. 17 for early antlerless deer.

There was some debate as to whether to go out instead with the freezer-packer -- the 12-gauge Mossberg slug gun -- but what if a decent buck chooses to come into range? So with that, the Parker crossbow made the grade, or at least we hope it does.

But most likely that is not to happen as few ... well, one antlered deer was seen on the hoof this past season, and it was hardly a nice buck. It was very much so a yearling buck, possibly a six-point, and if seen tonight it will be left alone to roam until next season.

So it is with this season wrap-up combined with a Top Hunts of 2016 post we hold promise for the new year with the knowledge that Michigan's lottery opens for Spring Gobbler from Jan. 1-Feb.1.

Goodbye 2016.

Starting in order from bottom to top:

No. 3: CAIDEN STAYS IN THE STAND -- It was all talk for most of the late November deer season with the 7-year-old grandson until we were to climb into the blind for that evening's hunt at the Sanilac County, Michigan camp. Once the young man got to the top of the ladder and a mere step inside the wooden enclosure, that was it. He was having nothing to do with it. "Whoaaaa, I'm coming down, Mac." Guess heights aren't his forte. But that's not how it ended. After a stern talk of "oh, no, you're a staying," from his Papa Mac, the hunt went on until dark. No deer came in to look over but some knowledge was passed on, and he learned how to use the grunt call ... um, ad nauseam.

RTWO Photo by Mac Arnold

While not everything might have gone to plan this

hunting season, we did bag our first mallard drake. 

And for being a part-time waterfowler, it was a

big deal. Augustus shows his approval.

No. 2: GOOSE FROM SEAT OF MY PANTS -- By early December, with the cupboards bare from few opportunities not only in the deer woods but along the duck pond, expectations were low as Augie and myself took point just outside the Monroe County, Michigan pothole. Despite the timing being right as many -- if not hundreds of ducks and geese -- picked up from their comfy confines inside the madly swaying cattails. The wind was howling on this day, but the only problem was our setup, which was back too far for a good shot. After a move to the edge of the pond, up went three mallards and once the Browning reported, one went down, which was my first-ever bagged mallard drake. A short time after that, a small flock of geese swirled overhead. While the others were wise to the nonsense behind the bush, one dipped in for a closer look despite the discombobulated hunter being twisted around to his backside in an effort to get a shot. So while practically lying down, with the first shot missing, the second shot rang true and down rained a goose.

No. 1: DAIRY FARMER DAVE'S PAYS OFF AGAIN -- The top hunt of 2016 was actually months ago on the very last day of May. Spring gobbler took me to three different states that provided a handful of decent opportunities but none of which that ended in a bagged tom. After mulling how to get the job done with the season down to its last days and securing a return invite from the Sanilac County dairy farmer, there I was back along the famous woodline where I shot my best-ever gobbler in 2010. Despite being late to the best place to sit for this hunt, the bunch of four or five birds that sounded off as I walked in eventually appeared with two nice toms in tow. Yet, not everything went as planned because the 1993 Mossberg Ulti-Mag did its occasional misfire gag not once but twice. That was enough for the wily big boys to say "uh-uh" to that and start turning around but not before one was dropped on the third attempt. It had a nine-inch beard and was pretty heavy, probably 20 pounds or better.

Reality looms as deer season dwindles and Michigan now a white wonderland

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

With the fields having been turned into snowy moonscapes, it is clear that I am truly up against the odds of putting a white-tailed deer in the freezer.

Dec. 18 was officially the last day of Michigan's muzzle loader season.

One in which I have had some success in over the years. In fact, this time around, on Dec. 9, it produced the only shot I've had at a deer during any of the regular seasons in 2016.

But this has been such a trying muzzle-loader season and deer season in general. When I got back to the camp cabin, I told everyone who asked "if I found (the deer)" that the shot on the doe "probably went left and over her shoulder." For some reason the .45 rifle had this tendency to hit like that despite me thinking I had fixed it the last time I had sighted it in. But this was confirmed when I wrapped up that final day of smoke pole nine days later by clearing the load with some shots at a practice target.

Not only were the rounds hitting high and to the left -- but the three grouped in the upper left-hand corner with each round an inch apart. After some tweaking on the scope, I got the round to hit where I wanted slightly above the bull and nearly dead center, which effectively squashed talk of getting a new muzzle loader for next year.

This $99 special -- a Knight Wolverine -- has always been one of the more accurate rifles to come out of the gun safe. I don't know what got the two of us on such a wayward path but it seems to have come full-circle back to good. And now the season's over.

 The slogan at this time of year that is usually "one more deer" is now a foreboding "wait until next year."

Sure, the family will survive but venison often does help to sustain our food lockers, or mine, however you want to look at it since I'm the one who primarily eats it. Again, I'll survive.

I'm more questioning why this year has gone so poorly, at least deer-wise. Whereas it's not uncommon for me to not shoot a gobbler some springs, deer have been taken in at least every season since I started hunting in 1993 except one: 2000.

I guess all streaks come to an end at some point as all good things eventually do too.

However, at the end of all this reflection, there is still season left. Even if I don't want to carry on in the frigid December temperatures with a bow, the late season antlerless firearms season took off where the muzzle loader ended.

Which is where I was hoping to add another hunt for the slim selection this year for the annual Mac's Top Hunts of the year installment.

But a Tuesday, Dec. 20, hunt out at the Sanilac County camp did not quite go as planned. The targeted deer decided to keep on going despite the hole in its side. After a two-hour tracking job it was decided I was putting myself and a friend at risk in the teen temperatures with the wind-chill factor, and I backed out ... but not before I got turned around and lost in the dark, everything-looks-the-same woods. Looking back now, I'm thinking maybe the Hornady SST slug didn't hit any vitals. Usually those 300 grainers drop deer in their tracks unless the previously mentioned scenario happens. It's rare indeed when the freezer-packer -- a 12-gauge Mossberg slug gun -- can't get the job done.

Anybody who questions how hard I looked for that deer needed to only look at my shredded hands. The doe's escape route through bramble tunnels was a bear to follow. One that I could not overcome this time around. Still it's not something that has me happy. In fact, I'm pretty bummed out.

But there will be other deer hunts.

Just maybe not in Michigan this season.