From left, fisherman Bill Fowler guides a fish into the Stormin’ Norman with help from Kaleb and Joe Barrientoz. The trio of Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians fishermen have adapted to a lack of whitefish in Lake Michigan by targeting other species.
(Ed. Note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. Visit the newsroom online: bridgemi.com.)
By Kelly House
Bridge Michigan
For more than three decades, Great Lakes fisherman Richard Boda has kept a handwritten logbook of his time on the water – a legacy to the son and daughter who would one day inherit the family business.
Jotted in a waterproof notepad each day and transferred to a spiral binder at night, the notes detail weather, net locations, fish catches and his love for family who often joined him aboard the Izzie Kate.
“My thinking was, they could refer back to things if they ever got in a pinch – if they couldn’t find fish or they tried to figure out a new place to go,” said Boda, 56, a third-generation commercial fisherman and a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
“They could look at that book and say, ‘OK, my dad was here. This is what he did.’”
That was the hope. Instead, the book has become a diary of species collapse, a firsthand account of the decimation of whitefish that have fed Great Lakes denizens for millenia.
The logbook that begins with bounties in Lake Huron takes a turn in the early 2000s, when invasive mussels colonized the lake and hogged the food. In more recent years, it recounts how Boda began focusing on Lake Michigan, only for the crisis to follow him there. A passage this year details the day when he caught just 87 pounds, worth about $250.
“I basically got my gas money back, and that was about it,” Boda said.
The book could have been written by any of a few dozen fisherfolk remaining on the Great Lakes, trying to eke out a living from an ecosystem forever changed. Gross catches have declined 70 percent in 15 years in Lakes Michigan and Huron, where whitefish account for about 90 percent of the commercial catch with a dockside value of roughly $5.8 million. The fish’s total economic impact is significantly higher, given its immense popularity with restaurant diners and Up North tourists.
It’s a crisis unlike anywhere else in the world, said Grantly Galland, project director for international fisheries with the Pew Charitable Trusts. Collapsing fisheries are common. But they’re almost always caused by overfishing.
That’s a simple fix: Dock the boats until stocks recover.
In the Great Lakes, blame lies with billions of invasive quagga and zebra mussels that have become the lower lakes’ dominant life form, siphoning nutrients and creating famine throughout the food chain.
There’s not much, if anything, fishermen can do to help.
“No amount of personal sacrifice is going to lead to future benefits,” Gallant said.
Some fishers have hung up their nets for good. Other holdouts work side jobs or clean, smoke and sell their whitefish directly to consumers to maximize profits. Tribal fishers with the right to target other species have often done so, while the state-regulated fishers lobby Michigan lawmakers for similar flexibility.
But it’s not clear whether any of it will be enough to keep these multi-generational businesses afloat if the whitefish keep disappearing.
“Something’s got to give,” said Scott Everett, legislative consultant for the Michigan Fish Producers Association, or the lower lakes fishing industry “is going to go away.”
—————
A crisis like no other
At its heyday a century ago, tens of thousands of Michiganders worked in commercial fishing.
Overfishing tanked populations, leading to bitter battles over the remaining catch, stricter regulations and a much smaller industry by the time Boda took over his late grandfather’s license in 1991.
The survivors found steady income in a more tightly managed industry, subject to strict quotas and clear lines of delineation: Commercial operations, both state-regulated and tribal, split most of the whitefish catch, while sportfishers got most salmon and shared the lake trout with the tribes.
Lakes Michigan and Huron were the commercial industry’s lifeblood, accounting for about 80% of the state’s total catch with far lesser amounts coming from Lake Superior.
“We did pretty good for a long time,” said Boda, who lives in Brutus near Petoskey. Some years, he made as much as $100,000.
His sister and late brother sometimes fished alongside him. His 32-year-old son, Nate, began tagging along when he was so tiny he napped on a pile of life jackets and stood on a 5-gallon bucket to reach the Izzie Kate’s wheel.
Their view every day was sunrise through what Boda described as “the most beautiful office window.”
When the weather turned nasty or the fishing turned bad, Boda would pray to his grandfather, “help us out on the lake today.”
It always seemed to work until the mussels took over.
After arriving in the Great Lakes in the late 1980s and early 90s, invasive zebra and quagga mussels from eastern Europe soon took over. The small shellfish now carpet the bottom of lakes Michigan and Huron, gobbling plankton and algae that once supported a rich underwater food web.
Whitefish have been hit the hardest.
For years now, their offspring have been dying of starvation and sunburn soon after hatching, leaving the lakes with a thinning population of aging adults. Stocks are now on the brink of collapse in much of the lower lakes, except for spots like the Saginaw Bay and Lower Green Bay, where nutrient-laden farm runoff offsets the mussels’ impact.
Nowadays, Boda struggles to clear $40,000 in income. If his grandfather was alive, “he probably would be like, ‘Pack it up,’” Boda said.
State and tribal regulators have ratcheted down allowable harvests in hopes of slowing the decline, but they admit it won’t make much difference. So long as mussels dominate the lakes (and so far, nobody has figured out how to suppress them) the fish will struggle to reproduce until they eventually die of old age.
The scarcity has led to tense debates about how to respond. Unlike other threats to the lakes – sea lamprey and invasive carp – critics say mussel control research is underfunded. It has received about $14 million in federal funding since 2010. The effort to keep carp out of the Great Lakes, meanwhile, costs $1.2 billion.
Efforts to stock whitefish – the main target of commercial fishers – are small and led primarily by tribes. Meanwhile, Michigan and other states spend millions to support recreational anglers by stocking salmon and the federal government spends millions more on a stocking program meant to recover lake trout.
—————
Doing more with less
As whitefish populations continue to decline, commercial fishing advocates have set their sights on wringing more profit out of fewer fish.
The Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers is working to develop markets for the skin, bones and guts – potentially profitable bits of carcass that are currently thrown away.
Iceland did the same with cod. John Schmidt, who leads the effort, said there’s potential for whitefish-based pet food, fishmeal, fish oil and even collagen products. But so far, small-scale experiments such as a Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa Indians program that turns fish waste into fertilizer are not putting money back in fisherfolks’ pockets.
In the meantime, fishing families survive by adapting.
Some weld and wire their own boats to keep costs down. Others have set their sights on vertical integration. Rather than selling it wholesale at $2 or $3 a pound, they clean and prepare their own fish patties, pâtés and fried filets, then spend the weekends hawking at farmers markets or food trucks.
Longtime tribal fisherman Bill Fowler has stayed in business by swapping whitefish for the stocked lake trout.
“If we didn’t have a market for trout, we’d be in big trouble,” Fowler said.
But trout brings in a much lower price per pound. And state regulations prohibit non-tribal fishers from targeting trout, leaving them with even fewer options to stay afloat.
“Ten years from now, there won’t be anybody left fishing,” predicted Joel Petersen, a fourth generation state-regulated fisherman who operates out of Muskegon and Leland. “The quotas are just too small to make a living.”
The trade group representing state-regulated fishers has spent years lobbying lawmakers for access to other species, contending it’s senseless to throw back bycatch that may not survive the trauma of being hauled to the surface.
But the effort faces opposition from recreational anglers who argue lake trout populations are too fragile to withstand more fishing pressure.
Given that the mussel-infested lakes are incapable of producing as many fish overall, perhaps commercial fishing “is an industry that needs to die,” said Dennis Eade, executive director of the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s Association.
“Who’s making buggy whips anymore?” he added.
—————
‘Makes you want to cry’
Richard Boda gets frustrated with the politics of it all. He just wishes the lakes would rebound so his kids could make a living fishing.
“I’ll probably be the last of us,” he acknowledged. “It makes you want to cry.”
After more than two decades as his dad’s first mate, Nate Boda decided this year to go fulltime at the ski resort where he’s worked seasonally for the past several winters. He was tired of traveling farther from shore each year, only to bring back fewer fish. And with a son of his own now, he needed a consistent paycheck.
“I’m not going to sit here and say we don’t have good days,” Nate Boda said. “But they’re few and far between compared to what they used to be.”
His 27-year-old sister, Alicia O’Neil, has started fishing with their dad instead. If circumstances were different, she said, she’d keep at it for the rest of her life. But the way things are going for the whitefish, she doubts that’s possible.
This summer, Richard Boda put the Izzie Kate up for sale.
His fishing days aren’t over, he said, but if he one day finds himself fishing alone, he’ll need a smaller boat.
By Kelly House
Bridge Michigan
For more than three decades, Great Lakes fisherman Richard Boda has kept a handwritten logbook of his time on the water – a legacy to the son and daughter who would one day inherit the family business.
Jotted in a waterproof notepad each day and transferred to a spiral binder at night, the notes detail weather, net locations, fish catches and his love for family who often joined him aboard the Izzie Kate.
“My thinking was, they could refer back to things if they ever got in a pinch – if they couldn’t find fish or they tried to figure out a new place to go,” said Boda, 56, a third-generation commercial fisherman and a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
“They could look at that book and say, ‘OK, my dad was here. This is what he did.’”
That was the hope. Instead, the book has become a diary of species collapse, a firsthand account of the decimation of whitefish that have fed Great Lakes denizens for millenia.
The logbook that begins with bounties in Lake Huron takes a turn in the early 2000s, when invasive mussels colonized the lake and hogged the food. In more recent years, it recounts how Boda began focusing on Lake Michigan, only for the crisis to follow him there. A passage this year details the day when he caught just 87 pounds, worth about $250.
“I basically got my gas money back, and that was about it,” Boda said.
The book could have been written by any of a few dozen fisherfolk remaining on the Great Lakes, trying to eke out a living from an ecosystem forever changed. Gross catches have declined 70 percent in 15 years in Lakes Michigan and Huron, where whitefish account for about 90 percent of the commercial catch with a dockside value of roughly $5.8 million. The fish’s total economic impact is significantly higher, given its immense popularity with restaurant diners and Up North tourists.
It’s a crisis unlike anywhere else in the world, said Grantly Galland, project director for international fisheries with the Pew Charitable Trusts. Collapsing fisheries are common. But they’re almost always caused by overfishing.
That’s a simple fix: Dock the boats until stocks recover.
In the Great Lakes, blame lies with billions of invasive quagga and zebra mussels that have become the lower lakes’ dominant life form, siphoning nutrients and creating famine throughout the food chain.
There’s not much, if anything, fishermen can do to help.
“No amount of personal sacrifice is going to lead to future benefits,” Gallant said.
Some fishers have hung up their nets for good. Other holdouts work side jobs or clean, smoke and sell their whitefish directly to consumers to maximize profits. Tribal fishers with the right to target other species have often done so, while the state-regulated fishers lobby Michigan lawmakers for similar flexibility.
But it’s not clear whether any of it will be enough to keep these multi-generational businesses afloat if the whitefish keep disappearing.
“Something’s got to give,” said Scott Everett, legislative consultant for the Michigan Fish Producers Association, or the lower lakes fishing industry “is going to go away.”
—————
A crisis like no other
At its heyday a century ago, tens of thousands of Michiganders worked in commercial fishing.
Overfishing tanked populations, leading to bitter battles over the remaining catch, stricter regulations and a much smaller industry by the time Boda took over his late grandfather’s license in 1991.
The survivors found steady income in a more tightly managed industry, subject to strict quotas and clear lines of delineation: Commercial operations, both state-regulated and tribal, split most of the whitefish catch, while sportfishers got most salmon and shared the lake trout with the tribes.
Lakes Michigan and Huron were the commercial industry’s lifeblood, accounting for about 80% of the state’s total catch with far lesser amounts coming from Lake Superior.
“We did pretty good for a long time,” said Boda, who lives in Brutus near Petoskey. Some years, he made as much as $100,000.
His sister and late brother sometimes fished alongside him. His 32-year-old son, Nate, began tagging along when he was so tiny he napped on a pile of life jackets and stood on a 5-gallon bucket to reach the Izzie Kate’s wheel.
Their view every day was sunrise through what Boda described as “the most beautiful office window.”
When the weather turned nasty or the fishing turned bad, Boda would pray to his grandfather, “help us out on the lake today.”
It always seemed to work until the mussels took over.
After arriving in the Great Lakes in the late 1980s and early 90s, invasive zebra and quagga mussels from eastern Europe soon took over. The small shellfish now carpet the bottom of lakes Michigan and Huron, gobbling plankton and algae that once supported a rich underwater food web.
Whitefish have been hit the hardest.
For years now, their offspring have been dying of starvation and sunburn soon after hatching, leaving the lakes with a thinning population of aging adults. Stocks are now on the brink of collapse in much of the lower lakes, except for spots like the Saginaw Bay and Lower Green Bay, where nutrient-laden farm runoff offsets the mussels’ impact.
Nowadays, Boda struggles to clear $40,000 in income. If his grandfather was alive, “he probably would be like, ‘Pack it up,’” Boda said.
State and tribal regulators have ratcheted down allowable harvests in hopes of slowing the decline, but they admit it won’t make much difference. So long as mussels dominate the lakes (and so far, nobody has figured out how to suppress them) the fish will struggle to reproduce until they eventually die of old age.
The scarcity has led to tense debates about how to respond. Unlike other threats to the lakes – sea lamprey and invasive carp – critics say mussel control research is underfunded. It has received about $14 million in federal funding since 2010. The effort to keep carp out of the Great Lakes, meanwhile, costs $1.2 billion.
Efforts to stock whitefish – the main target of commercial fishers – are small and led primarily by tribes. Meanwhile, Michigan and other states spend millions to support recreational anglers by stocking salmon and the federal government spends millions more on a stocking program meant to recover lake trout.
—————
Doing more with less
As whitefish populations continue to decline, commercial fishing advocates have set their sights on wringing more profit out of fewer fish.
The Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers is working to develop markets for the skin, bones and guts – potentially profitable bits of carcass that are currently thrown away.
Iceland did the same with cod. John Schmidt, who leads the effort, said there’s potential for whitefish-based pet food, fishmeal, fish oil and even collagen products. But so far, small-scale experiments such as a Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa Indians program that turns fish waste into fertilizer are not putting money back in fisherfolks’ pockets.
In the meantime, fishing families survive by adapting.
Some weld and wire their own boats to keep costs down. Others have set their sights on vertical integration. Rather than selling it wholesale at $2 or $3 a pound, they clean and prepare their own fish patties, pâtés and fried filets, then spend the weekends hawking at farmers markets or food trucks.
Longtime tribal fisherman Bill Fowler has stayed in business by swapping whitefish for the stocked lake trout.
“If we didn’t have a market for trout, we’d be in big trouble,” Fowler said.
But trout brings in a much lower price per pound. And state regulations prohibit non-tribal fishers from targeting trout, leaving them with even fewer options to stay afloat.
“Ten years from now, there won’t be anybody left fishing,” predicted Joel Petersen, a fourth generation state-regulated fisherman who operates out of Muskegon and Leland. “The quotas are just too small to make a living.”
The trade group representing state-regulated fishers has spent years lobbying lawmakers for access to other species, contending it’s senseless to throw back bycatch that may not survive the trauma of being hauled to the surface.
But the effort faces opposition from recreational anglers who argue lake trout populations are too fragile to withstand more fishing pressure.
Given that the mussel-infested lakes are incapable of producing as many fish overall, perhaps commercial fishing “is an industry that needs to die,” said Dennis Eade, executive director of the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen’s Association.
“Who’s making buggy whips anymore?” he added.
—————
‘Makes you want to cry’
Richard Boda gets frustrated with the politics of it all. He just wishes the lakes would rebound so his kids could make a living fishing.
“I’ll probably be the last of us,” he acknowledged. “It makes you want to cry.”
After more than two decades as his dad’s first mate, Nate Boda decided this year to go fulltime at the ski resort where he’s worked seasonally for the past several winters. He was tired of traveling farther from shore each year, only to bring back fewer fish. And with a son of his own now, he needed a consistent paycheck.
“I’m not going to sit here and say we don’t have good days,” Nate Boda said. “But they’re few and far between compared to what they used to be.”
His 27-year-old sister, Alicia O’Neil, has started fishing with their dad instead. If circumstances were different, she said, she’d keep at it for the rest of her life. But the way things are going for the whitefish, she doubts that’s possible.
This summer, Richard Boda put the Izzie Kate up for sale.
His fishing days aren’t over, he said, but if he one day finds himself fishing alone, he’ll need a smaller boat.
Awesome Autumn Outdoor Activities
By Jack Payne
Enjoying the great outdoors covers more than the standard hunting and fishing events. Now, I enjoy sitting in the woods, watching for deer as squirrels scamper around.
When I hunt near water, I enjoy listening to the wing beat of the ducks. Watching a muskrat grab some vegetation and swim off with it. I also enjoy stream fishing, watching a fish splashing upstream.
Sitting in a marsh hunting ducks is magical. Pretty tough to bet the sight of a small flock of ducks dropping in. The sun was slowly rising behind the gorgeous color-changing of the leaves.
The next few weeks will offer any outdoorsperson some incredible experiences. Hiking along Lake Michigan and climbing Mt. Baldy near Douglas and Oval Beach should be a must-do item.
Climbing the stairs amongst the tall majestic trees and looking at the Kalamazoo River is just plain awesome. Of course, walking all of the stairs is a great workout, and the reward is a tremendous view of Lake Michigan. After your hike, treat yourself to a cup of apple cider from one of the local cider mills.
Two of the prettiest boating or boating and fishing areas in west Michigan would be Croton Pond and Hardy Pond near Newaygo. Both bodies of water are surrounded by tall hills and ridges, and are loaded with walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch. Landing a fish with this incredible background draws me back year after year. Just cruising the shoreline is well worth the drive.
A few years back, my daughter and son surprised me with a fall hot-air balloon ride. If you have never tried this, please do. The colors are breathtaking. From the air, we spotted deer, ducks sitting on ponds, and bayous. Make sure that you have a jacket once the sun drops.
The High Banks area along the Kalamazoo River and the bayous south of M-89 are well worth the hike. You will enjoy walking the tall bluffs, looking down at the bayous and the Kalamazoo River.
The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is another fun place in the fall. Migratory birds use the ponds, and the trails are easy to walk. This hidden gem is well known among bird photographers for a good reason. Make the drive and check out the birds and scenery.
The next few weeks offer some of the best photography settings of the year. The scenery is vibrant, the color hues are near perfect, and endless subjects to photograph.
Outdoor photography can be as simple or complex as you like. Just about any smartphone has a camera. If you click on the option page of your camera, many different shooting selections are offered – nighttime modes, close-up/macro, panoramic, zoom, time delay, and many more. If you spend 30 minutes on Google, you will master your cellphone camera.
In most cases, having the sun at your back delivers the best photo. Of course, there are times when the opposite is true, but the sun at your back is a good guideline.
I happen to have a Canon Rebel camera with a few extra lenses to pick from. My camera gear can be summed up quickly: nice, but far from expensive. The lower the F-stop, generally, the higher the cost of the lens. My expensive lens costs maybe $500 new, and there are numerous sites where you can find an average lens priced 75 percent less than new.
A tripod or a monopod will help stabilize the camera. I made a walking stick that has a camera screw on one end so that I can screw the camera base to the walking stick.
I keep things super-simple with my photography. Take plenty of photos; they cost you nothing. We are blessed in Michigan with many great places to hike, fish, and take great photographs. Bob’s Gun and Tackle is ready to assist you with your outdoor needs.
Enjoying the great outdoors covers more than the standard hunting and fishing events. Now, I enjoy sitting in the woods, watching for deer as squirrels scamper around.
When I hunt near water, I enjoy listening to the wing beat of the ducks. Watching a muskrat grab some vegetation and swim off with it. I also enjoy stream fishing, watching a fish splashing upstream.
Sitting in a marsh hunting ducks is magical. Pretty tough to bet the sight of a small flock of ducks dropping in. The sun was slowly rising behind the gorgeous color-changing of the leaves.
The next few weeks will offer any outdoorsperson some incredible experiences. Hiking along Lake Michigan and climbing Mt. Baldy near Douglas and Oval Beach should be a must-do item.
Climbing the stairs amongst the tall majestic trees and looking at the Kalamazoo River is just plain awesome. Of course, walking all of the stairs is a great workout, and the reward is a tremendous view of Lake Michigan. After your hike, treat yourself to a cup of apple cider from one of the local cider mills.
Two of the prettiest boating or boating and fishing areas in west Michigan would be Croton Pond and Hardy Pond near Newaygo. Both bodies of water are surrounded by tall hills and ridges, and are loaded with walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch. Landing a fish with this incredible background draws me back year after year. Just cruising the shoreline is well worth the drive.
A few years back, my daughter and son surprised me with a fall hot-air balloon ride. If you have never tried this, please do. The colors are breathtaking. From the air, we spotted deer, ducks sitting on ponds, and bayous. Make sure that you have a jacket once the sun drops.
The High Banks area along the Kalamazoo River and the bayous south of M-89 are well worth the hike. You will enjoy walking the tall bluffs, looking down at the bayous and the Kalamazoo River.
The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is another fun place in the fall. Migratory birds use the ponds, and the trails are easy to walk. This hidden gem is well known among bird photographers for a good reason. Make the drive and check out the birds and scenery.
The next few weeks offer some of the best photography settings of the year. The scenery is vibrant, the color hues are near perfect, and endless subjects to photograph.
Outdoor photography can be as simple or complex as you like. Just about any smartphone has a camera. If you click on the option page of your camera, many different shooting selections are offered – nighttime modes, close-up/macro, panoramic, zoom, time delay, and many more. If you spend 30 minutes on Google, you will master your cellphone camera.
In most cases, having the sun at your back delivers the best photo. Of course, there are times when the opposite is true, but the sun at your back is a good guideline.
I happen to have a Canon Rebel camera with a few extra lenses to pick from. My camera gear can be summed up quickly: nice, but far from expensive. The lower the F-stop, generally, the higher the cost of the lens. My expensive lens costs maybe $500 new, and there are numerous sites where you can find an average lens priced 75 percent less than new.
A tripod or a monopod will help stabilize the camera. I made a walking stick that has a camera screw on one end so that I can screw the camera base to the walking stick.
I keep things super-simple with my photography. Take plenty of photos; they cost you nothing. We are blessed in Michigan with many great places to hike, fish, and take great photographs. Bob’s Gun and Tackle is ready to assist you with your outdoor needs.
Outdoor Truths
By Gary Miller
What I do requires me to travel. I’m not sure how many days I’m gone from home, but it’s quite a few.
If my trip is 10 hours or less, I prefer to drive. Driving lets me pack my truck with as much gear as possible. When these trips don’t involve a hunt, I can load plenty of the stuff that is associated with my ministry. When the trips include hunting, I can pack bows or guns as well as all the gear I need.
I really like doing it this way. Planes limit me unless I pay an extra expensive fee. And while taking weapons on a plane is doable, it can also be a hassle. So, when I fly and hunt, I usually borrow a friend’s gun. This also gives me an excuse if my hunt is unsuccessful. I can (and do) blame the gun I was given. I actually blame the guy who let me borrow his gun, because I firmly believe he gave me one with a crooked barrel (looking at you, John and Jason).
Being able to borrow anything from a friend is a great benefit. It fills a need when our own is unavailable, broken, or simply something we don’t have. Borrowing is a temporary exchange that allows one person’s supply to meet another person’s need. It is using someone else’s plenty in the presence of someone else’s lack.
There are times in each of our lives when what we are lacking, or what is broken, or what is absent is our faith. Not our religion, but our trust, our faith in God.
There are times when our own beliefs have been damaged so much, we don’t trust them to take us much further. It’s like an old truck that we have patched and patched so much that it’s good for a few miles, but we just don’t trust it on a long haul.
If I can bring this home, I would say it this way. We’ve prayed, and we’re tired of praying. We’ve sought God, and we’re tired of seeking. We’ve forced gratitude, and we’re tired of faking it. We’ve confessed and promised until we’ve exhausted every word we know. And if we’re just being honest (and God loves honesty) our faith is not taking us anywhere, and the only words we can conjure up to God, is, “God, I got nothin’.”
If that’s where you are, that’s okay. You can borrow faith from those who still have it. Be open and honest. Let someone know – let several know – you have crippled faith – you are unable to bring yourself to Jesus – you are unable to muster up even a mustard seed of faith. And what they will do for you, is break through a crowd, bust a hole in a roof, and lower you to Jesus. And when Jesus sees their faith, your healing will come. Because borrowed faith still moves mountains.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 22 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
What I do requires me to travel. I’m not sure how many days I’m gone from home, but it’s quite a few.
If my trip is 10 hours or less, I prefer to drive. Driving lets me pack my truck with as much gear as possible. When these trips don’t involve a hunt, I can load plenty of the stuff that is associated with my ministry. When the trips include hunting, I can pack bows or guns as well as all the gear I need.
I really like doing it this way. Planes limit me unless I pay an extra expensive fee. And while taking weapons on a plane is doable, it can also be a hassle. So, when I fly and hunt, I usually borrow a friend’s gun. This also gives me an excuse if my hunt is unsuccessful. I can (and do) blame the gun I was given. I actually blame the guy who let me borrow his gun, because I firmly believe he gave me one with a crooked barrel (looking at you, John and Jason).
Being able to borrow anything from a friend is a great benefit. It fills a need when our own is unavailable, broken, or simply something we don’t have. Borrowing is a temporary exchange that allows one person’s supply to meet another person’s need. It is using someone else’s plenty in the presence of someone else’s lack.
There are times in each of our lives when what we are lacking, or what is broken, or what is absent is our faith. Not our religion, but our trust, our faith in God.
There are times when our own beliefs have been damaged so much, we don’t trust them to take us much further. It’s like an old truck that we have patched and patched so much that it’s good for a few miles, but we just don’t trust it on a long haul.
If I can bring this home, I would say it this way. We’ve prayed, and we’re tired of praying. We’ve sought God, and we’re tired of seeking. We’ve forced gratitude, and we’re tired of faking it. We’ve confessed and promised until we’ve exhausted every word we know. And if we’re just being honest (and God loves honesty) our faith is not taking us anywhere, and the only words we can conjure up to God, is, “God, I got nothin’.”
If that’s where you are, that’s okay. You can borrow faith from those who still have it. Be open and honest. Let someone know – let several know – you have crippled faith – you are unable to bring yourself to Jesus – you are unable to muster up even a mustard seed of faith. And what they will do for you, is break through a crowd, bust a hole in a roof, and lower you to Jesus. And when Jesus sees their faith, your healing will come. Because borrowed faith still moves mountains.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 22 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
Hunters Feeding Michigan Sets Record for Donated Venison
In fiscal year 2025, Hunters Feeding Michigan provided a record 560,000 servings of donated venison to help feed those in need across the state.
Photo courtesy Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Hunters Feeding Michigan – a Michigan Department of Natural Resources program connecting donors, wild game processors and charities to help feed those in need – processed 140,000 pounds of donated venison during fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30.
That equates to more than 560,000 servings of venison and sets a new annual record for the program, which allows hunters to share their harvest by donating deer at participating processors and helps distribute venison donations across Michigan.
“Every year it seems like more hunters choose to donate their harvest to the program, which helps feed even more of our neighbors across the state,” said Hunters Feeding Michigan program specialist Joe Presgrove. “I frequently receive calls and letters from the local food pantries thanking the program for providing much needed protein to their communities.”
The success of what Presgrove calls “such an amazing program” is largely due to the hunters who choose to donate their harvest, the individuals who donate money toward processing expenses, the hardworking, dedicated processors, and the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Feeding America food distribution network.
Since 2007, the program has provided more than 3 million servings of protein-rich venison to those in need.
The DNR urges outdoor recreationists, when purchasing their licenses or permits, to consider adding a monetary donation to Hunters Feeding Michigan.
“Your contribution covers processing costs, turning donated deer into meals,” Presgrove said. “A donation of just $3 provides a venison meal for over four Michiganders!”
For more information about the program, visit Michigan.gov/HuntersFeedingMichigan.
That equates to more than 560,000 servings of venison and sets a new annual record for the program, which allows hunters to share their harvest by donating deer at participating processors and helps distribute venison donations across Michigan.
“Every year it seems like more hunters choose to donate their harvest to the program, which helps feed even more of our neighbors across the state,” said Hunters Feeding Michigan program specialist Joe Presgrove. “I frequently receive calls and letters from the local food pantries thanking the program for providing much needed protein to their communities.”
The success of what Presgrove calls “such an amazing program” is largely due to the hunters who choose to donate their harvest, the individuals who donate money toward processing expenses, the hardworking, dedicated processors, and the Food Bank Council of Michigan and the Feeding America food distribution network.
Since 2007, the program has provided more than 3 million servings of protein-rich venison to those in need.
The DNR urges outdoor recreationists, when purchasing their licenses or permits, to consider adding a monetary donation to Hunters Feeding Michigan.
“Your contribution covers processing costs, turning donated deer into meals,” Presgrove said. “A donation of just $3 provides a venison meal for over four Michiganders!”
For more information about the program, visit Michigan.gov/HuntersFeedingMichigan.
Collect and Save Some Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
By Melinda Myers
Be a part of history and save money when planting next year’s garden. Collect and save the seeds from your favorite heirloom tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas this fall.
Seeds of heirloom plants have been collected and passed along for generations, producing offspring identical to the parent plant. Hybrids on the other hand involve crossing different plants to create a unique or improved variety. Saved seeds from hybrid plants do not grow into plants with all the same characteristics as the parent plant.
Heirloom peas and beans are generally self-pollinated, so they form seeds that will grow into plants like the parent plant. Allow the peas and beans you plan on saving to dry on the plant. Once the pods turn brown and the seeds rattle inside, they are ready to harvest. This is about six weeks after you harvest snap beans for eating and about four weeks after the normal picking stage for peas.
Protect plants from frost or pull them out of the ground and hang them in a cool dry location, so the pods can finish drying if needed. Remove the pods from the plants, spread them out and allow them to further dry indoors for about two weeks.
Remove the seeds from the dried pods, store in an airtight opaque container in a cool dark location. You may want to store different varieties separately in paper packets and all the packets in one large airtight container. Label the seeds with the varietal name and date they were collected. Store in a cool location.
Saving seeds from tomatoes requires a bit different preparation. Once the fruit is fully ripe scoop out the gelatinous center. Place this in a container of water set in a warm location to ferment.
Swirl or stir the contents twice a day. After about a week the good seeds will sink to the bottom of the container.
Remove and compost the layer of fermented tomato waste and the inferior seeds floating on the surface. Pour the remaining water and the good seeds sitting on the bottom of the container through a fine mesh strainer. Rinse the seeds, removing any of the gelatinous material that may remain. Spread the seeds on a piece of paper to dry.
Once dry, place the seeds in an envelope labeled with the date and variety and set in a sealed jar or plastic container. Store in the refrigerator or other consistently cool location until it’s time to start them for next season.
Use your saved seeds the following year for the best results. Then repeat each season.
Start with these and then consider trying other open-pollinated vegetables, flowers and even tree and shrub seeds. You’ll find helpful information in books, online and on the Seed Savers Exchange website. Saving your own seeds can help you save money while preserving and planting a bit of gardening history.
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Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is MelindaMyers.com.
Be a part of history and save money when planting next year’s garden. Collect and save the seeds from your favorite heirloom tomatoes, peppers, beans and peas this fall.
Seeds of heirloom plants have been collected and passed along for generations, producing offspring identical to the parent plant. Hybrids on the other hand involve crossing different plants to create a unique or improved variety. Saved seeds from hybrid plants do not grow into plants with all the same characteristics as the parent plant.
Heirloom peas and beans are generally self-pollinated, so they form seeds that will grow into plants like the parent plant. Allow the peas and beans you plan on saving to dry on the plant. Once the pods turn brown and the seeds rattle inside, they are ready to harvest. This is about six weeks after you harvest snap beans for eating and about four weeks after the normal picking stage for peas.
Protect plants from frost or pull them out of the ground and hang them in a cool dry location, so the pods can finish drying if needed. Remove the pods from the plants, spread them out and allow them to further dry indoors for about two weeks.
Remove the seeds from the dried pods, store in an airtight opaque container in a cool dark location. You may want to store different varieties separately in paper packets and all the packets in one large airtight container. Label the seeds with the varietal name and date they were collected. Store in a cool location.
Saving seeds from tomatoes requires a bit different preparation. Once the fruit is fully ripe scoop out the gelatinous center. Place this in a container of water set in a warm location to ferment.
Swirl or stir the contents twice a day. After about a week the good seeds will sink to the bottom of the container.
Remove and compost the layer of fermented tomato waste and the inferior seeds floating on the surface. Pour the remaining water and the good seeds sitting on the bottom of the container through a fine mesh strainer. Rinse the seeds, removing any of the gelatinous material that may remain. Spread the seeds on a piece of paper to dry.
Once dry, place the seeds in an envelope labeled with the date and variety and set in a sealed jar or plastic container. Store in the refrigerator or other consistently cool location until it’s time to start them for next season.
Use your saved seeds the following year for the best results. Then repeat each season.
Start with these and then consider trying other open-pollinated vegetables, flowers and even tree and shrub seeds. You’ll find helpful information in books, online and on the Seed Savers Exchange website. Saving your own seeds can help you save money while preserving and planting a bit of gardening history.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” streaming courses and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is MelindaMyers.com.
