With a total of 42 acres surrounding his home, Rick now has his own special place to hunt and enjoy the out-of-doors. “Before I had my own land, I would hunt on public land or other places with friends,” Rick says. “Now I can walk out there and hunt when I want. I probably hunted 60 days this year.” The ultimate reward came this fall, shortly after acquiring the last parcel, when Rick and his sister, Cindy, and friend, Eric, were out bow hunting and Rick shot a 96 inch buck on the property. “He wasn’t the biggest buck I’ve seen around here, but he is still decent size for this area,” Rick comments. “The advantage we have is that the 400 acres or more surrounding my land only has four people hunting on it. Plus, we are close enough to the state land that when there are a lot of hunters out there, the deer push toward our area.” Rick, who has lived in the Upper Peninsula as well as southern Michigan, is an avid hunter who tries to practice
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Winter 2018 — Partners
good quality deer management to keep the population in check. “My dad worked in wildlife management and taught us about population control,” Rick says. “An ideal herd will have one buck for every doe. Around here I see about four does for every buck. I try to only take mature animals.” Since acquiring the additional land, Rick has focused on improving the land by planting trees and clearing areas with overgrown vegetation. “I see myself as a steward of this land,” Rick says. “I plant around 250 trees a year on the property, both seedlings and 2-3 foot trees. I’m working to clear out overgrown areas where apple trees are so they can produce fruit.” Rick hopes to continue improving his property so he can enjoy both the wildlife and the beauty of the property for several years. ■