The first of October is a date that no Michigan bowhunter can forget — it is the opening day of archery season.
But before any hunting takes place, bowhunters must prepare themselves. Hunting is not as simple as walking into the woods and shooting whatever is seen.
Hunters must purchase their gear and practice with it. Hunting land needs to be scouted for areas with the highest amount of deer traffic.
MCCC student Tom Nordyke, explained how he has geared up for this bow season.
“I’ve been practicing with my bow about three days a week, twenty minutes each time. And I drove down to one of the areas I hunt in Ohio to walk the woods and look for deer sign,” Nordyke said.
His gear includes the Bowtech 101st Airborne compound bow, Demon arrows, Rage 100 grain two-blade broadheads, Mossy Oak camouflage, and a Summit climbing treestand.
The Summit climbing treestand allows him to climb a tree without the use of a ladder. The platform and the seat of the treestand are two separate halves. He locks his feet into the platform section and buckles his waist into the seat section. Both sections have a cable wrapped around the tree. This setup allows him to change treestand locations without much hassle.
“My climbing treestand lets me move to wherever I think the deer are going to be moving at,” Nordyke said.
This could give him the edge on that big buck this year.
Michigan had 285,000 registered bowhunters last year.
Ohio is the only state that sold more archery licenses with 300,000.
The 285,000 bowhunters from Michigan choose to hunt deer with a bow for many reasons.
One reason is that archery season lasts two and a half months, while firearm season is only fifteen days.
Another reason is that bowhunters like the challenge of getting close enough to a deer to hit it with a bow and arrow. Hunting deer with a firearm, on the other hand, does not take as much skill.
“I like the outdoors and the feel of nature around me. A kill is just a perk to the whole experience. It’s about enjoying nature for what it is and what it has to offer,” said MCCC student Andrew Grow.
The days are getting shorter and the leaves are starting to turn. The woods are starting to smell like fall. Bow season is almost here.
