Leelanau bucks measure up in competition

Good genetics, plenty of food and a growing reluctance by hunters to shoot small-antlered bucks have made Leelanau County the northern Michigan star in the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan official record book.

“I don’t know if you realize how special Leelanau County is for deer hunting,” commented Travis Nelson, scorer for Commemorative Bucks, at Big Buck Night.

Nelson said in the most recent record book published two years ago Leelanau had more entries than all the Upper Peninsula counties combined. The county also easily out-performed other counties in the northern Lower Peninsula.