By Richard P. Smith

Thirteen-year-old Kevin Leith from Martin in Allegan County was one of Michigan's most successful bowhunters last fall.

He bagged a pair of bucks with antlers large enough to qualify for state records during November, and the larger of the two whitetails had a rack big enough to also qualify for places in national records maintained by the Pope and Young Club and the Boone and Crockett Club. Both bucks had 10-point antlers, but one scored 109 and the other 169 inches.

Leith arrowed the smaller of the two deer on the evening of Nov. 6 while hunting with his father.

"I was watching turkeys 60 yards in front of me when I heard a grunt noise behind me," he said. "So I turned around and saw a doe running. The first buck I got was chasing her. He stopped under me and I shot him. It was a two-yard shot. He ran about 50 yards and died."

It was the morning of Nov. 9 when he scored on the bigger buck from a tree stand that had been put up the day before. Leith hunted with his grandfather, Richard Risner, that morning. It was cold, but the boy forgot about how cold he was when the action started.

"At 9:15 a.m. I heard a crashing noise in the corn, and a doe came running out," Leith said. "She turned and ran by me. I heard another noise and a buck grunt. The buck then came on the doe's trail. I drew back as he was coming and grunted with my mouth to try to stop him. He didn't stop, so I grunted even louder. He stopped at 15 yards and I shot him. He ran about 150 yards before he died."

The big buck had a live weight of 248 pounds. Leith bagged his first buck, a 5-pointer, during the 2002 season at the age of 12.

Kevin Leith arrowed these two record-book bucks last November. Photo courtesy of Kevin Leith

One of the Upper Peninsula's highest-scoring bowkills for 2003 was also arrowed on the morning of Nov. 9 in Iron County by Bob Chimielewski of Iron River. The 10-pointer netted 159 2/8 inches. The buck was 4 1/2 or 5 1/2 years old and had a dressed weight of 193 pounds.

Chimielewski is an experienced bowhunter with about 20 years of bowhunting for whitetails under his belt. He said he usually manages to take a buck each year with bow and arrow, but his biggest before last fall was an 8-pointer that was much smaller than his trophy from 2003.

"It was real cold that morning," Chimielewski said. "The temperature was around zero. I had been hunting over bait, but I didn't bring any bait in that day. All of the bait I put out previously was gone. I got in the tree at 6 a.m. At 6:45 I saw the buck coming. He was looking for does. He came right under the tree. When he got out to 15 yards, I shot him.

"I have six stands, and I jump around where the buck sign is," he continued. "I saw a big rub in the area where I got this buck the year before at the end of gun season."

These two archers are only a small sample of the bowhunters who were successful in our state last fall. According to preliminary figures from the Department of Natural Resources, the number of bowhunters in our state was down during 2003 when compared to 2002, but the bowkill went up in every district except one. That's good news for those who plan on bowhunting this fall - less competition and a greater chance of success. Deer numbers are supposed to be similar this year to what they were during 2003, but if the number of bowhunters continues to decline, there will be more whitetails to go around.

The decline in the number of bow deer hunters between 2002 and 2003 is not large, but if you look at the difference between 2000 and 2003, the change is significant. Bowhunting participation has been declining steadily since 2000. There were an estimated 337,611 bow deer hunters in our state that year compared to 323,686 in 2001, 317,295 during 2002 and 310,806 last fall.

There may be a link between the number of deer and bowhunters because deer numbers have been declining in recent years. A downturn in the economy has probably also contributed to a drop in bowhunting participation. Whatever the reasons, the bottom line is the deer woods and fields should not be as crowded for archers who try their luck this year.

The greatest drop in the number of bowhunters occurred in the Upper Peninsula, or Region 1. Preliminary DNR survey results indicate there were 7.9 percent fewer archers in the U.P. during 2003 than 2002. The eastern U.P. experienced a whopping 15.3 percent reduction of bowhunters, compared to a decline of 5.4 percent in the western U.P. Much of the drop in bowhunting pressure across the U.P. is probably due to fewer archers from the Lower Peninsula traveling north.

As the region with the lowest number of people, there already were fewer archers in the U.P. than the rest of our state. Region 1 continues to have the lowest bowhunting pressure in the state. Only an estimated 8,248 bowhunters tried their luck in the eastern U.P. last fall, compared to 23,399 who bowhunted in the western U.P. Public land is far more abundant in both the east and west U.P. than in any L.P. district, so there's plenty of room for more bowhunters in the U.P.

The lowest number of bowhunters in any L.P. district during 2003 was 34,963 in the southeastern urban counties of Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Monroe. The district with the highest number of bowhunters during 2003, according to preliminary DNR figures, was the northwest, with 65,903. Part of the reason for that is the rate of decline for that district was the lowest in the state at .8 percent. South-central counties had the second-highest number of archers last fall at 63,233.

Bowhunter numbers went down by 2.1 percent in the northern L.P. last fall and 1.6 percent in southern counties. The Saginaw Bay District experienced the greatest decline in bowhunters across the L.P. during 2003, at 2.7 percent. That district includes Clare, Gladwin, Arenac, Isabella, Midland, Bay, Saginaw, Tuscola, Sanilac and Huron counties.

A similar drop in bowhunters (2.5 percent) took place in the Northeastern District, which includes the TB zone. The counties in the district are Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Alpena, Montmorency, Otsego, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Emmet, Charlevoix and Antrim.

In spite of the decline in the number of bowhunters in the Northeastern District, the bowkill there increased by a higher percentage than anywhere else in the state, going up by 35.6 percent. Archers bagged an estimated 12,949 bucks and does in that district during 2003, compared to a harvest of 9,546 in 2002. The number of antlered bucks that were tagged went up by 29.1 percent, but the antlerless tally was up by 41.9 percent.

Why was success so much better among bowhunters in this district during 2003 than 2002 and even 2001? Remember, five counties in this district are where deer hunting over bait is currently illegal. The DNR estimated that archers tagged 12,431 whitetails in the northeast during 2001, a year when it was legal to bait with up to one gallon of grain per day in the five counties where baiting is now illegal. Archers who used bait in those five counties that fall enjoyed a 41 percent rate of success. Those who didn't were successful at a rate of 13 percent. Due to the legalization of bait hunting for bowhunters in the TB Zone during 2001, the deer harvest in northeast counties went up 5.9 percent from the year before. That was one of only two districts statewide where the bowkill went up in 2001.

I think a major part of the reason the bowkill went up even more last fall is more bowhunters are ignoring the ban on baiting. Non-compliance with the ban on baiting has always been greater than 50 percent. Now that there is proof that regulated baiting is not responsible for spreading TB, something the DNR refuses to admit, even more deer hunters are using the method to help fill tags. The higher harvest among bowhunters can only help reduce the prevalence of TB in the counties where the disease exists.

As further evidence that regulated baiting is not responsible for spreading TB among deer, the prevalence rate of the disease in the TB Zone was 1.7 percent during 2003, which is the lowest it has been in years. The prevalence rate was 2.8 percent in 2002. The spread of TB among deer is going down in the face of a high rate of non-compliance with regulations that prohibit baiting.

The fact that the prevalence rate of TB among whitetails in deer management unit (DMU) 452 was identical during 2001 to what it was in 1996 (2.3 percent), before baiting was regulated, and remained statistically the same for 2002, is further evidence that regulated baiting is not responsible for spreading the disease. Based on the DNR's own figures, it's abundantly clear that if regulated baiting were legalized in DMU 452 again, the bowkill would increase further and the prevalence rate of TB would decline further.

The next highest increase in bow harvest occurred in the eastern U.P., going up 28 percent even though overall hunting effort declined by 17.4 percent. Hunting conditions obviously favored the archers who spent time afield.

Although the increase in bowhunting harvest between 2002 and 2003 is worthy of note, districts and regions where bowhunting success was highest is more important. The U.P., with its light bowhunting pressure, continues to produce the best success among archers at 33.7 percent. However, Region 3 - the southern counties - wasn't far behind at 33.1 percent. The percentage of archers who bagged at least one deer in Region 2 was 24.9, according to preliminary DNR survey figures.

Those figures represent success rates for both bucks and does. If you just look at the harvest of antlerless deer, the U.P. has even a bigger edge. The success rate of bowhunters in that category was 20.1 percent, compared to 14.1 percent in Region 3 and 12.9 percent in Region 2.

When it comes to the harvest of antlered bucks, though, Region 3 archers did the best. Bowhunters in southern counties had a 23.1 percent rate of success on bucks compared to 16.6 percent of those in the U.P. who got at least one buck, and 14.2 percent of bowhunters in Region 2 who killed antlered deer.

The two best districts in the state for bowhunters who are willing to take deer of either sex are in the western U.P., with a success rate of 35.3 percent, and the south-central L.P., with success of 34.4 percent. Counties in the west U.P. are Menominee, Delta, Dickinson, Iron, Marquette, Alger, Gogebic, Ontonagon, Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw. Highest deer numbers will be found in the southernmost counties of Menominee, Dickinson, Delta and Iron. Best chances of taking a trophy buck will be in Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw counties.

South-central L.P. counties are Montcalm, Gratiot, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale and Lenawee. Highest deer numbers in this district will be found in Hillsdale, Ionia, Jackson, Lenawee and Washtenaw counties. Four of those same counties - Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale and Lenawee - have produced some of the biggest antlered bucks in our state.

Bowhunting success for deer of either sex was still relatively high in three more districts in Region 3 during 2003. In the Saginaw Bay District, 31.5 percent of bowhunters arrowed at least one deer, 30.9 percent in southwestern counties connected, and 28.9 percent in the southeast filled at least one tag. Highest deer numbers in the Saginaw Bay District can be found in Tuscola and Sanilac counties. Saginaw is one of the best counties in that district for trophy bucks.

The southwestern district is composed of Muskegon, Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, Barry, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties. Highest deer numbers can be found in Ottawa, Allegan, Kent, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, St. Joseph, Barry and Branch counties. Allegan and Branch counties consistently produce book bucks for bowhunters.

Lapeer County is the top pick for deer numbers in the southeast district. Oakland and Monroe counties are on the top of the list for trophy-class antlers in this district.

If you plan to bowhunt in Region 2 this fall, your best chances of success will be in the northwest district. The rate of success there last fall was 24.2 percent compared to 22.9 percent in the northeast. Despite the 35.6 percent increase in the bowkill for the northeast during 2003, bowhunting success there was the lowest in the state.

The northwest district is the only district where the buck kill went down in 2003 from the year before. The harvest of bucks and does declined 8.8 percent (18,820 versus 20,645). The buck kill was only off by .6 percent, but 16.6 percent fewer antlerless deer were bagged by bowhunters in that district.

Counties that are in the northwest district are Leelanau, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Wexford, Manistee, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Oceana, Newaygo and Mecosta. The southernmost counties in that district - Newaygo and Mecosta - have the highest number of deer. If you are looking for a wallhanger rack, you are most likely to find it in the district's northern counties.

Bowhunting success in the eastern U.P. is better than either district in Region 2. During the 2003 season, 28.6 percent of the archers who tried their luck in the eastern U.P. counties of Mackinac, Chippewa, Luce and Schoolcraft got at least one deer. The odds of scoring are close to equal in all four of these counties. Bowhunting effort is lightest in Luce and Schoolcraft counties.

For bowhunters primarily interested in hunting bucks, the districts with the highest rates of success for 2003 were the south-central (24.6 percent), southwest (21.6 percent), Saginaw Bay (20.2 percent), southeast (18.8 percent) and the west U.P. (17.9 percent).

(Editor's note: Regardless of where you bowhunt this fall, increase your odds of finding the whitetails you arrow by reading an excellent book on the subject - Tracking Wounded Deer. Many bowhunters have recovered arrowed whitetails by following the information in this book. This highly rated reference for hunters can be obtained from bookstores as well as some sporting goods stores and gift shops. Autographed copies can be ordered from Smith Publications, 814 Clark St., Marquette, MI 49855 for $19.50 postpaid.)