- Saturday is day one of gun hunting season.
- Hunters say they're looking forward to hunting...and "buck poles" — showing off their bucks for prizes at the various hunting festivals planned around our state this weekend.
- Hunters say they're expecting lots of deer this season in mid-Michigan.
"For us, November 15th is a national holiday," says hunter Jason Fisk.
I don't think I need to tell you that hunting is a very big deal in our Jackson neighborhood.
"Jackson County, Ingham County, you know, we have some of the biggest bucks here in Michigan. I mean, there's so much farmland," says an enthusiastic Fisk.
Looking forward to the season? I ask Conner Nelson.
"Oh yeah," he says.
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I caught up with Nelson at a job site he was working.
"Trying to get rid of some work for the weekend so we can take the weekend off," he says.
And because gun season starts on a Saturday this year, you won't have to call in sick to be out there on day one. Not that any of you would do that, right? Right?
You're gonna let these workers off on Saturday? I ask the boss, Dean Caudill.
"Yeah, I'm gonna let them go deer hunting," says Caudill. "If I wasn't going, I wouldn't let them," he laughs.
"I'm going to go sit in my nice warm blind while everybody's probably in the cold," says Nelson. Patience is very much the name of the game, he says. "I'm gonna sit there and wait."
"I'm expecting big buck poles," says Fisk.
So what is a buck pole? That's this thing. You hang your buck on it and it's a way to show it off.
"Yes, it's a way to show off your buck," says Fisk. But it's also "a community gathering for all the successful buck hunters."
Buck poles are hunting celebrations that include prizes, drawings, and other festivities.
"They have a buck pole every night on opening day where everybody around the area brings their biggest buck and award gets. Somebody gets an award for the biggest buck," explains Nelson.
He says every community has one where there are hunters.
"Just, you know, tradition, you know, it's just a great way to get together, friends and family, and I'm sure we'll be checking out a couple of buck poles later," says Fisk.
And key to a successful hunt:
"Don't go out there smelling like a human," says Nelson.
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