On Saturday, Rusty and I joined Art Johns and Walt Lucken for a little bird hunting around Art's house near Chesaning. On and off rain made for tough conditions but we still were able get out for an hour.

MAHFS photo by Walt Lucken

By Mac Arnold
MAHFS Editor

As I previously posted on Facebook, so far I'm having a Mr. Murphy deer archery season, which opened Oct. 1.

Judgment miscue (maybe). Equipment failure (definitely).

Not that I will go into specific details. I'm leery of being awarded another online site's worst hunter of the year just for doing what hunters do: pursue game. Although I'm sure I'll be nominated anyway on basis of being an honorary member.

A couple of these screw-ups I touch on briefly in an archery article slated to run in our "Sporting Michigan" special section on Oct. 28.

Happily I can say the gear is back on track and now I'm again shooting with a high level of confidence. And just in time for what I consider the best time of year from the Halloween week until the second day of the gun season, Nov. 16.

Now is not the time to stay rutted in a funk.

Instead, it's one to work out the wrinkles and star at the moment of truth.

I've already seen lots of sign -- nice rubs and scrapes in the areas I hunt -- and had two great opportunities to load up a slowly emptying freezer.

Now I need a little luck at the right time.