Here's some photos of my recent visit to Beaver Island which is located about halfway between Michigan and Wisconsin in Lake Michigan. It's a 2.5 hour ferry ride or 15 minute flight from Charlevoix. The distance from Charlevoix to the town of St. James is roughly 32 miles Northwest.
The flight wasn't cheap, but it gave me an additional 4-5 hours of hunting time on the island. I flew with Island Airways on one of their Britten Norman Islander planes. They're dual engine planes that are true workhorses. Top speed is 170 mph, but they typically fly around 120 mph to conserve fuel.
I was on the island for less than 5 minutes and this sight greeted me on the main road of the island. No Toms, but still a welcome sight.
I came across this old junker parked in the woods. I think it's been there for some time.... anybody know what it is?
I did lots of walking trying to find some birds away from the roads on Saturday. I could have easily run 100 birds over with my car, but that didn't seem very sporting. My GPS says I walked 7 miles and nature was certainly calling. This outhouse was in the right place, at the right time. I don't know who it belongs to, but I'm thankful it was there.
Hunting was pretty tough all Saturday morning and early afternoon. I moved to a different spot and found a flock of about 10 birds. I scattered them and called that guy back. Time was getting short and I didn't have any time to hunt on Sunday before catching my return flight. I took the shot and put down this nice size Jake. His fan was starting to lose the "notch" and he already had 1/4" spurs. The beard was about 3" in length. The camera operator got a few pic's before the battery died.
Here's the call I used... it's Light's Out Call made by Wendell Rye. The pot is laminated with Yellowheart, Honey Locust and Bubinga with a ceramic surface. The striker is Canarywood.
I had a few hours to kill on Sunday morning while waiting for my flight, so my buddy and I played a 9 hole round of golf on the islands only course. The fairways were a little sketchy, but the greens were nicely maintained. I even shot par on 2 of the holes with a set of rental clubs.
This is the Eastern shoreline of Beaver Island on the return flight. The water is extremely clear, and rivals the blues and greens of the Caribbean.
Home sweet home... Lake Michigan in the foreground, and Lake Charlevoix in the background. Round lake is in the middle.
About 1000 feet over Charlevoix looking towards the East.
Here was my base of operations for the weekend. I'd like to give a big thanks to the Peaine Township fire department for allowing me to stay at their fire hall. The left side of the building has an apartment with full kitchen, bedroom, living area and bathroom. And the price was right... FREE!
All in all, it was a nice trip. I did it in a pinch because the MDNR is not allowing hunting for the zone in which I reside. Beaver Island though still part of Charlevoix County falls in a different zone which was open to hunting. I'm glad I made the trip, otherwise I would have to wait until next Spring to hunt. The flight was expensive $92 for what was less than 30 minutes of flight time. Food is crazy expensive on the island. A large pizza, some mountain dew, gatorade and small bottle of booze set me back $62. I don't know how the locals afford to eat, but they're getting by somehow.
