LANSING, Mich. — Michigan's firearm deer season starts Friday and although it's not an official holiday, many are taking off the day to head out to the woods.
"Bows be putting away...guns all coming out," laughed hunter Rylen Drostha.
Young, but certainly not an inexperienced hunter, Rylen Drostha, used Thursday to grab some last minute necessities.
On the list, gloves, flannel and heater to keep him warm especially with snow on the ground.
"You got to bundle up, it looks like it's going to be pretty cold," said Drostha.
Drostha, like many hunters will be out in their tree stands as early as 5 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 15 when temps will be in the low 20's.
But the cold and snow won't bother hunters....in fact many are looking saying it's a positive.
"The deer will be forging a lot better because they are looking for food that they want to eat," explained Chuck Desander, the owner of Specialized Deer Processing.
"The deer like to move when it's cold in the morning and at night...so be ready," Senca Desander added.
Hunters say the snow on the ground will also make it easier to track deer and the colder weather is better for the ones that are harvested.
"The cold weather really helps preserve the deer and it helps with being a lot safer harvest because of the cold weather," said Chuck.
Specialized Deer Processing expects about 150 hunters to drop off their deer on Friday to get processed, and that's good for business.
"The bow season has been a good season for us, we have already had 400 deer be processed so far," said Chuck. "The youth season has been great, it's always nice to see fathers and mothers hunting with their children."
While the number of hunters is down statewide, the number of deer harvested in last year's firearm season was up a little more than 1% from 2017.
"Hunting is beneficial for our economy, very beneficial for our state and there really is nothing better than making memories with your family through hunting," said Chuck.
Regular firearm season only goes until the end of the month, but muzzle-loading follows right behind in December.
Want to see more local news ? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Appleand Android
and
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
