For some, the wait for November 15 is still a couple of years
Nathan Street, 11, of Posen has his own personal dream of firearm deer season, which opens in earnest Saturday in Michigan. Street, who earlier this month passed the hunter safety course at the Presque Isle County Sportsmen?s Club, can?t participate in firearm season until November 15, 2006, but he wants to come back to camp with the largest buck.
A buck bigger than his dad, grandpa Rodney Fleming, or Uncle Will Fleming.
A handsome eight pointer, which would make the jaws of all his family members drop, would go a long way to fulfilling that dream.
It?s what he thinks about, when he longs for those November 15ths that lie ahead.
BRANDON SCHUCH, 12, of Posen, who has a little more than two years to wait, hopes his aim will have improved by November 15, 2005.
Schuch, who also earned his hunter safety patch in Rogers City earlier this month, can participate in the bow hunting of deer and bear, and with a rifle, he can shoot small game, because he is 12.
Schuch was on family property, just days after passing the course, and hit a spiker in the back with his arrow.
?He was a little disappointed,? Brandon?s dad Mitchell related Monday in an interview on the telephone.
Mitchell watched Brandon?s first shot, which is the equivalent of a baby?s first steps, for a hunter.
The deer came into view, Brandon took aim, and ?it wasn?t good,? he said, as the deer got away with his life and Brandon?s arrow.
BOTH BRANDON and Nathan are anxious for that first November 15, but until then, they?ll hunt ?whatever?s in season,? said Nathan.
Nathan turns 12 on December 7 and would like to participate in a pheasant hunt for youth at TLC Ranch in the Ocqueoc area.
His aim and test scores during the safety course were outstanding.
During the live fire target shoot, he was right on target with a .22 he didn?t originally want to use.
The holes made in the paper plate target on the last day were clumped in one area near the bulls-eye.
?He got to shoot different (caliber) guns,? said his mother Brenda Street.
?It was fun,? said Nathan, ?I like it.?
Nathan got 47 of 50 correct on the test.
Grandpa Rodney and Uncle Will helped him learn the parts of a gun and how to load it properly.
The trouble
BRANDON AND NATHAN are expected to be in a deer blind with their fathers on the opener. Nathan said they haven?t seen much in recent years, but they?ll still be out there looking.
Regardless, just as his older counterparts, Nathan enjoys life at the camp. He?ll play cards and sip on the beverages 12-year-olds are supposed to.
Brandon will continue to practice with his bow and look forward to small game season.
Mitchell said his family loves the outdoors and if they are not hunting, they are fishing, and they usually don?t come home empty-handed.
Waiting won?t be easy, especially as much as the two are looking forward to it, but eventually, like this year?s crop of 14-year-olds, they?ll be able to join the November 15th club.