AnnArbor.com file photo

Unfortunately, there’s a huge disconnect between those that reside in the Ann Arbor area and the rest of the State of Michigan. Simply stated, many Ann Arbor residents don't like hunting, while the rest of the state does. As a matter of fact, Michigan has more than 700,000 hunters, making it rank as one of the top three hunting states in the country.

Many local residents don’t know this, and I think this is a large part of the disconnect. I’ve read many comments from a recent article that was posted on annarbor.com, and I think its fair to say that many local residents were not in favor of the culling.

Many comments had words like murder, slaughter and innocent victims to describe the killing of these whitetail deer. I used to say the same things before I began hunting at the age of 24 while attending Northern Michigan University.

Ricky's first turkey.

I recently wrote about the internal struggle that every parent grapples with. Is Ricky emotionally ready to hunt? Does he truly understand what he’s doing in taking the life of another living creature?”

I also wrote that Ricky has seen what happens after the deer is killed. He’s seen the gutting, skinning and butchering of wild animals. He’s also seen and looked forward to the end result on the dinner plate.

Is Ricky ready to hunt, I ask myself? Yes, he is.

I took Ricky to the archery range with a crossbow, and Ricky did a masterful job of putting the bolts (crossbow arrows) in the bullseyes at varying distances up to 40 yards away.

The cost involved in buying a good crossbow is another factor in my reluctance, since I already have quite a few bows at home to choose from. I also wanted my 11-year-old son Ricky to hunt this fall with me, and a crossbow is legal during the archery season.

I had taken Ricky out the other day, and I can honestly say that the crossbow we used was awesome. I had Ricky hitting the bulls eye at 40 yards and great groups at varying distances. I do plan to take him hunting with the crossbow this week if the wind is right.

Photos courtesy of Yerkes family

The truth of the matter is my friend Tina Yerkes knows more about conservation than most of us “experts” will ever know. Dr. Tina Yerkes has her PhD in zoology and has worked throughout North America.

Tina and I have known each other for a few years, and I’ve always been impressed with her passion for improving and restoring conservation. Most of us wish we could do something about it, but Tina leads the way in improving wildlife conservation. Tina is the chief operating officer for “The Stewardship Network” based out of Ann Arbor.

This highly effective organization works on a multitude of items relating to the restoration and improvement of land, the eradication of invasive species and promotion of native flora. More specifically, The Stewardship Network is a grassroots cooperative organization working to protect, restore and manage Michigan's natural lands and waters. It helps individuals, organizations, and businesses manage specific sites through sharing ideas, resources, and information.

“The Stewardship Network” works with landowners throughout the area and will gladly assist them with their concerns.

I put on my safety harness and used my lanyard to carry up my bow and arrow. I settled in and began to relax as the sounds of nature filled the air. The weather was a balmy and the sun was shining, a gorgeous day all around.

I’ve been a bow hunter now for 18 years, and I’ve never lost the excitement of getting out in the woods and hope I never do.

There wasn’t any wind to speak of which is a problem for most hunters. Whatever slight breeze does come around has a tendency to swirl since there isn’t a defined wind direction making it more likely for a hunter to be scent detected.

This gorgeous 10 point buck was taken with one of my trail cameras just a few days ago.

It’s hard to believe that the bow hunting season is a mere two weeks away, beginning Oct. 1. This year has gone by so fast yet I had an epiphany about early season scouting. I didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of last year by not scouting like I should have.

So, I found three of my trail cameras in the garage and bought 2 more along with fresh batteries and SD cards. I was going to make sure I had my trail cameras taking pictures of deer in the woods long before the Opener of Bow Season.

I made the necessary phone calls to landowners who extended me the courtesy to hunt their land again. I’d be nowhere without the hospitality of the landowners, so I’d like to sincerely thank them for making my hunting season a reality.

Dr. Randall Forsch proudly holding a very impressive and elusive Brown Trout on a recent fly fishing trip out west.

photo courtesy of the Forsch family

I've known Dr. Randall Forsch for more than 10 years as my primary care physician. We've hardly ever talked about our personal lives, probably due to our doctor/patient relationship. I did, however, know that Dr. Forsch loved to fly fish. It was a complete surprise and a pleasure when I received the story below from Dr. Forsch in an email last week.

I hope this story resonates with you as it did for me. Thank you Dr. Forsch for allowing all of us to read your story:

When I moved to Chelsea from the Snake River country of Idaho and Eastern Oregon in 1995, I knew I’d miss many things, including the beauty of the high desert, the rugged mountains and the wonderful friends Christine and I made as we started our family.

That which I miss the most is the cold water of the rivers and lakes and its resident trout of brown, cutthroat, bull and rainbow hues. I grew up in Michigan and truly enjoy fly fishing the steelhead and salmon runs and for resident browns and brookies, but nothing compares to angling in the scenic beauty of the West, especially when the fish cooperate.

On July 3, I turned on the History Channel and watched an excerpt of “Mountain Men.” The show discusses the lives of three different men who live off the land in the Alaskan, Kentucky and Montana mountain ranges. One of the men in this show talked about his fear of the timber wolf and how he didn’t want to die from a possible wolf attack.

This stereotype of wolves is nothing new yet I find it profoundly frustrating every time I hear how someone’s “afraid to get eaten by a wolf.” Let’s be honest, most people are scared to death of wolves, and that has lead to their demise in many parts of North America over a century ago.

So, I’d like to set the record straight on the number of humans killed by wolves. Perhaps you too might get frustrated once you know the facts.

There are a total of two humans killed by wolves in the U.S. (including Alaska) in recorded history. That’s right, I said recorded history — period.

The last human killed was a 32 year old woman in Alaska in 2010. She was the first person killed by a wolf in Alaska — ever.

I find it repugnant that The History Channel, The Discovery Channel and other media sources ignore facts and allow this misinformation to by promoted to the unsuspecting public for the sake of ratings. I find it impossible to believe that these shows don’t have the resources to fact check this stuff first.

That doesn’t mean that wolves aren’t a pain to deal with. Ranchers in the western states absolutely hate wolves with a passion. I’ve seen bumper stickers say: “Want to save a hundred elk? Then kill one wolf!” I’m not condoning this sentiment but rather letting you know the difference of opinions that are out there.

The reintroduction of wolves throughout the country including Michigan’s Upper Penninsula has sparked debate among those on both sides of the political isle. But, that’s not the issue here today.

I believe that people should have the facts and that’s the whole point of this article.

There’s another animal out there that is known to be the cute and cuddly. I’m talking about the hippopotamus.

The sobering truth is that hippos kill more people in Africa every year than any other animal-including the lion, leopard and God knows what else. The funny thing is that wolves get a bad reputation yet the hippo is beloved; the hippo even has its own Christmas song.

So, why does a hunter like me want you to know this stuff? Because; the more you understand wildlife behavior the more you’ll understand nature as a whole.

By the way, mosquitos kill more people annually on this earth (5,000,000) than any other animal through the transmission of malaria.

Your story ideas and comments are warmly welcomed. Rick can be reached by email at rtaylor@reinhartrealtors.com or by cell at 734-223-5656.

Senate House Majority Leader Randy Richardville and I holding an eight-pound walleye caught in Lake Erie.

Rick Taylor | AnnArbor.com Contributor

I haven’t done anything related to the outdoors in months. I haven’t fished once this year; heck I didn’t even go turkey hunting at all this spring.

Home sales have absolutely exploded in Washtenaw County. I’ve always been busy selling homes but nothing compares to the spectacular real estate market I’ve seen this year. I’m not the only agent touting this fact; many agents are having their best year ever.

Unfortunately, this real estate success puts our personal passions on hold, let alone our personal time with our families. I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get outdoors when I came across an email on my smart phone.

It was an email from the Michigan Association of Realtors; they offered two free tickets for a walleye fishing tournament on Lake Erie near Monroe.

“Oh Yeah, I’m doing this,” I thought to myself. I immediately called the number provided and found myself confirmed for this event. I laughed to myself because I didn’t even know who was hosting this fishing event, and I didn’t care either. I just wanted — actually really needed — a few hours to just get away from work for a little while.