Signs point to a successful firearm deer season in the Jackson areaBy Brad Flory, Jackson Citizen Patriot, found at Mlive.com
December 01, 2009A monster buck gave Amy Slade three chances for a great hunting season.
Her first chance was on opening day of the firearm season, when Slade saw the huge buck on her property near Bankers in Hillsdale County.
Slade, who's hunted only a few years, grew so excited she made noise and scared him off.
Her second chance was missed because she fell asleep in her blind.
The third time, about 5:20 p.m. Sunday, was charmed.
"I spotted him coming out of a fence row about 400 yards away," said Slade, a property manager in Hillsdale. "I watched him through the scope."
Then her brother, who was hunting on the same property, took a shot at the buck but did no damage. The deer ran toward Slade.
"I shot him on the run from 110 yards," she said.
The rack had 12 points and was 22 inches wide. It scored out at 170.
Amy Slade shot a 12-point buck on her property
in Hillsdale County. (Courtesy photo)"I've never seen a deer so big, except hanging on a buck pole," said Dick Slade of Jackson, Amy's grandfather, who's hunted for 50 years.
Don't tell the Slade family it was a poor hunting season, because they are among thousands in south-central Michigan who will disagree.
Firearm deer season ended Monday amid considerable speculation deer kills will be down. Many hunters have griped about a late-standing corn crop, which gives deer good cover to hunker down.
Deer-kill numbers from Michigan's Department of Natural Resources will not be released for a month or more, but some signs point to a fairly successful firearm season in the greater Jackson region.
"As far as I am concerned, it was probably a little better than it's been (in recent years)," said Tom Knutson, owner of Knutson's Recreational Sales in Brooklyn. "Not a lot better, but a little.
"Everybody's been complaining about the corn being up, but that's nothing new."
Jerome Country Market processed 2,780 deer by midday Tuesday, up by 26 (1 percent) from last year, said Bret Griffis, co-owner.
"The bodies of the deer, weight-wise, were larger than normal," Griffis said.
Knutson said opening day of firearm season, Nov. 15, was one of the most successful in years.
Griffis said firearm season "started off great" then tailed off when fewer hunters were in the field to move deer around.
"As we got into Thanksgiving and the corn still was not picked, it made it really difficult for the hunters at the end of the season," Griffis said.
One year ago, hunters harvested an estimated 60,626 deer during firearm season in a 12-county region that includes Jackson County, according to the DNR.
In Jackson County, an estimated 11,466 deer were taken last year in all hunting seasons, including archery and muzzleloader seasons
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2009/12/signs_point_to_a_successful_fi.html
