The last few weeks have been devoted to covering deer hunting here in southeasdt Michigan. With very few exceptions, it's been pretty smooth.
Several hunters have found success on public land as evidenced by the bucks being brought into check stations.
Then there are those that contine to advance the image of slob hunters. Tim Payne, DNR wildlife biologist for this neck of the woods mentioned it a month or so ago when I contaced him about a poaching case.
At that time he talked about people that shoot a deer, then take only the good parts like the rack, leaving the rest, or just the backstraps. The thinking is it's good for the wild animals and helps feed them.
That must have been true on McGinnis Road in Groveland opening morning. As I was interviewing a hunter with a nice rack, I noticed across the road a fres gut pile complete with the hide.
Why drag it out and gut it in the road? Why not gut it in the woods and leave the hide on? Let it hang for a few days then take the hide off and process it.
Must be someone else figuring to feed all those hungry critters in the woods. Stop and think about your actions or the ones you are about to take.
Things like gut piles on the road just feed the fire for the anti's. Slowly but surely, our hunting rights are going to be taken away by actions such as this.
Have a safe hunt.