Six young Leelanau County nimrods and a Vietnam veteran were in the right place at the right time on the first day of the youth and liberty firearms deer hunt.
The hunt was held Sept. 14-15. Firearms were also allowed during an early antler less deer hunt held throughout the Lower Peninsula last weekend, although the big excitement for most deer hunters won’t come until Tuesday. That’s when archery deer season begins.
“She’s our little provider,” Renee Hobbins said of her daughter, 13-year-old Marie.
The St. Mary school eighth grader shot a wide-antlered eight point as day turned to dusk while hunting with Tom, her father. It was her fifth buck, and her biggest.
“The secret is having a grandpa with a lot of land. They have a blind set up over a nice field … I love it that kids want to get outside. It’s wonderful. And she’s got a wonderful daddy,” Renee said.
Colin Stein, son of Glen Lake athletic director Rachel Stein, shot a 10-point on the opening morning of the youth hunt. He was hunting with his father, Travis, on his grandpa Bill Olsen’s farm in Cleveland Township.
For those who understand deer scoring, the animal was truly a trophy. It green scored 139 1/2 inches and had an 18 5/8th inch spread between the antlers.
“The sun came up and he looked through the scope and said, ‘Dad, I think that’s a shooter.’ Dad said, ‘Yep, that’s a shooter.’ He’s gotten pretty lucky the last two years,” Rachel said.
The Glen Lake fifth grader shot a 9-point in 2023.
Spencer McNitt shot an eightpoint during the evening hunt. He was with his father, avid hunter Clay McNitt, who passed down the inclination.
“He’s shot quite a few deer. He hunts with a compound, he gun hunts, and we do quite a bit of hunting together,” McNitt said.
Hunter success was also noted in Centerville Township.
“I was surprised to see one as we hadn’t seen anything all night,” said Jim Fellows, a disabled veteran who was using an adaptive shooting devise to harvest a doe during the Liberty Hunt. He was accompanied in a wheelchair-accessible blind by his son, Steve, recreational therapist Samantha Mahon, and Cody Campbell, who guided the hunt through the Passing Along the Heritage (PATH) Foundation. Fellows resides at the Grand Traverse Pavilions in Traverse City.
They were hunting a cherry orchard courtesy of farmer Greg Williams after everyone was invited to a “deer camp” grill-out hosted by Debra and Al Campbell.
PATH is a sponsor of Kids Fishing Day in Leelanau County and a facilitator of outdoor adventures throughout the state.
