So the annual event has arrived.... the official opening day for firearms deer season. Time to head to the woods for a chance encounter with what Mother Nature has to offer. I have to admit.... I am not a hunter... was not raised in a hunting family... unless bagging the best price at K mart is considered hunting! I love the out doors and especially appreciate the many acres of state land available for our enjoyment. In fact.... the Bald Mountain Recreation Area is right out my window. I appreciate all that it has to offer and have even really just now began to appreciate the shooting range.
I recall when we first visited the home we have lived in for the past 16 years that it really wasn't anything at all like what we had on our "must have" list. We started out with a vision of a 5 acre parcel with a cape cod style house in the Oakland Township area. Sure... there were some homes that fit the description... but were slightly out of our price range... not really by much. But... the common thread in each that we found were that they were nothing at all like what we visualized... and were all major fixer uppers.
Ultimately after turning over every stone that fit the bill... we changed the bill.... and ended up where we are at today. Not a cape cod, not 5 acres... but unique and distinctive in it's own way. I remember looking out the second floor bedroom window (which by the way were all in need of replacement!) and looking out over the sun settling over the acres of trees and wet lands of the Bald Mountain South Unit. If you set just right... you don't even notice the neighbors house across the street that separates us from the park boundary. In a sense... this place gave us much more than the 5 acres could have ever given us and with much less in the way of maintenance. Just a short walk down the street and into the park along with all that it has to offer. You really can't beat it.
One thing we did overlook and missed in the timing of our visits is the Bald Mountain Shooting range. In our visit later in the day I think in late August or early September we heard the birds singing and that was pretty much it. It is possible that there may have been some distant occasional ring of a shot gun or hand gun... but not enough to really take notice of. We moved into the home in December and again... the quite and solitude of early winter... pretty quite. It probably didn't really become an issue for me at all since I am up and out early and return later in the day after the close of business. But... for a new mother at home with a new baby... the coming of spring... brought the realization that there was something going on over across the woods that picked up in intensity as the weather began to break. The gun range became a source of continual noise that broke through the peaceful early days of the new spring. Funny thing though... after the first year... it became really nothing but back ground noise.
We adapted to the eb and flow of the range just like some in the city tune out the sounds of the city. It really only came up again when we had a visitor that would ask about it. Doesn't that bother you? Aren't you worried about a stray bullet? No... you get used to it... and they really have controls on the direction and do a really great job keeping things where they belong.
The shooting range just went through a major renovation this past year. That's a good thing... because it means that there is value in the range and people enjoy using it. With few dollars available these days for State Parks it was really a blessing to see an investment of new dollars into the
Bald Mountain Park. I figure this is a good sign and look forward to being able to apply for the new State Park License plate pass port in the coming year. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_10402-234660--,00.html
For $10 you now have complete access to the best of what the Michigan State Park system has to offer... and don't have to worry about finding a ranger available to sell you an annual pass. I can't wait to get mine as I think it's the best $10 you'll spend this year. Hey... can't you deduct the cost of your tabs? Better ask a CPA that one!
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