Hunters prepare for deer season

Many U.P. residents will head to the woods this Friday to try to bag a buck, and hunters are getting ready. A Marquette County gun club offered them a chance to make sure their equipment was working properly before firearm deer season opens.

The West Branch Sportsmen’s Club in Skandia has held what it calls ‘Sight-In Days’ for more than 15 years now. Prospective hunters visited the club’s firing range over the weekend to fine-tune their rifles and scopes.

“It’s really important to fire a few shots before you go out in the woods,” West Branch Sportsmen’s Club member Art Lauren said. “You don’t want to go out there cold. Our philosophy is that you want to use one shot and make it a good one.”

But if a crossbow is your weapon of choice, your season is underway right now. The early archery deer season in the Upper Peninsula ends this Thursday night.