Waiting patiently in the woods, enjoying the scenery, and feeling the adrenaline rush from bagging a buck is what Clinton Krueger, owner of Krueger's Fish Market in Mackinaw City, enjoys most about deer hunting. The camaraderie of hunting with friends and the time shared with friends and family makes the sport a social and family event for him.

A hunter since he was 12, Mr. Krueger took his first deer when he was 14. The adrenaline rush was incredible, he recalls, and the experience offered him a chance to impress his father. When his father returned after the deer had been shot, he found the boy already had completely gutted it. He had learned the skills from watching his father and other adult hunters he had spent time with. His father said he had no idea his son knew how to do it.

Mr. Krueger prefers using a bow over a rifle. Bow hunting is more of a challenge, he said, because you have to be closer to the target and have to be much quieter. With a rifle, a shot can be taken 100 feet away, while bows require a distance of about 20 feet.

Using a bow gives Mr. Krueger time to enjoy the outdoor scenery and watch animals as they pass by. Animals seem to have different personalities, he said. He has observed some deer circle around deer blinds to ensure a hunter is not around, for example. In other cases, he has observed a pecking order for groups of deer, and watched how they react differently according to their hierarchy.

Mr. Krueger wants to share the sport with his three children. His son, 11-year-old Kadel, will go on a deer hunting outing when he is 12. His youngest daughter, eight-year-old Cammie, is always eager to come with him whenever he goes on an outdoor trip, but his eldest daughter, 14- year-old Alyssa, seems to prefer eating venison to hunting it.

As a child, Mr. Krueger was only allowed to hunt if he was performing well in school. The same is true now for his own children, Mr. Krueger said, as school is important.

"There'll be time for them to hunt later in life," Mr. Krueger said.

When teaching his children to hunt, safety is the most important lesson, he said. He also enjoys teaching them outdoor survival skills.

In one case, he recalls, he and Cammie were picking raspberries when they inadvertently sat on an ant hill. They both had to clean their pants off to keep from getting bitten.

"We literally had ants in the pants," he said.

After hunting for 22 years, Mr. Krueger also has his share of deer hunting stories. One day while hunting, a buck surprised him from behind and poked its nose through his deer blind. He waited for the buck to leave, and once it was about 40 yards away he twisted around and shot it left-handed. Because of his odd position, the shell from the gun hit him in the eye, and he did not know if he had hit the buck until his vision cleared. Once it had, he found he had made his first left-handed kill.

Pat Wyman Finds Hunting a

Positive Influence for Youth

Pat Wyman, police chief of Mackinaw City, also favors bow hunting. A lifelong hunter, Mr. Wyman began taking part in the sport when he was 12. He enjoys the quiet of bow hunting and the challenge.

Also a rifle hunter from the age of 14, Mr. Wyman has never missed an opening day for rifle season. Opening morning is the most exciting, he added, as many deer can be seen then.

Mr. Wyman is an advocate of hunting for several reasons, he said. Hunting teaches patience, and a successful hunt builds confidence in one's abilities. The sport also keeps children off the streets where they could get into trouble, he said.

The police chief also teaches a hunter safety course at the Mackinaw City High School each year. The two-day course teaches students safety, ethics, and the laws governing the sport.

Deer hunting is an important family pastime for Mr. Wyman. He enjoyed hunting with his father, and intends to take his 14-year-old son, Brock, deer hunting.

"Hunting's been such an important part of my life and I want to share it with him," Mr. Wyman said of his son.