- Hello, everyone.

Welcome to "Michigan Out of Doors," and happy fall.

I'm Jenny Ciolek, and we've got an exciting show headed your way this week and it's all about hunting.

Jordan will take us out on a bear hunt with a Michigan hunter who completely lost his eyesight.

It's an amazing story.

You will not want to miss that.

And Jimmy's got some other hunting excitement in store for us this week.

- Well, that's right.

We do have some more hunting on this week's show.

We're going to follow along with a father-and-son team for the youth hunting in the mid-Michigan area.

We had a great time in the woods.

You won't want to miss that.

And we're going to see what you have been up to with a new bragging board segment as well.

I'm Jimmy Gretzinger.

You stay tuned.

It's time for "Michigan Out of Doors."

♪ From the first spring rains ♪ ♪ To the soft summer breeze ♪ ♪ Dancing on the pine forest floor ♪ ♪ The autumn colors catch your eyes ♪ ♪ Here come the crystal winter skies ♪ ♪ It's Michigan ♪ ♪ Michigan Out of Doors ♪ - [Jimmy] What a beautiful day in the woods.

♪ Someday our children all will see ♪ ♪ This is their finest legacy ♪ ♪ The wonder and the love of Michigan ♪ ♪ As the wind comes whispering through the trees ♪ ♪ The sweet smell of nature's in the air ♪ ♪ From the Great Lakes to the quiet stream ♪ ♪ Shining like a sportsman's dream ♪ ♪ It's a love of Michigan we all share.

♪ - [Announcer] "Michigan Out of Doors" is presented by: My Country Smoke House, a sportsman's destination since 1988, featuring varieties of homemade sausage, jerky, brats, and gourmet entrees.

Holiday gift boxes can be assembled in store or online.

Details at countrysmokehouse.com.

(gentle country music) By Great Lakes Firearms and Ammunition, a family-owned and operated firearm manufacturer in Sparta, Michigan, offering a wide variety of calibers and colors backed by a lifetime warranty.

More information available at glfallc.com.

By SAAB, providing defense and civil security products and services for over 85 years and now part of the Grayling community with our new advanced munitions facility.

Career opportunities are available.

More information at saabinc.com.

(gentle country music) (dramatic music) (energizing music) (bright guitar music) (bright guitar music continues) - [Jordan] For this week's show, I was up in the Red Oak Unit of northern Michigan for opening day of bear season.

For this hunt, I would be tagging along with Dan Mancina as he set out to notch his first-ever bear tag, a tough feat for anyone, made all the more unique by the fact that Dan is completely blind.

- My name's Dan Mancina.

We're here in Red Oak to do a bear hunt.

And I'm at my brother's property.

We've got 80 acres out here.

It's been about 10 years waiting on this tag.

So we'll see if I can handle the pressure when it comes time.

Hopefully we get a opportunity.

And yeah, I'm fully blind.

I'll be hunting with my brother.

We've been hunting together for, gosh, I think maybe eight years now.

Got a couple deer with him.

He's in a rifle, little scope mount.

And he's usually pretty true, guiding me where I need to be.

Literally using an iPhone, mounted on the scope, so my brother sees on the screen what the scope sees, essentially.

And he's guiding me up, down, left, right.

Yeah, once we get lined up, it's just really me holding steady and squeezing that trigger and hoping that I'm not pulling it and just trusting, really, with my guide, what my guide's telling me to do.

(bright guitar music) - [Jordan] Losing his sight in his 20s was a life-altering shift, but Dan was determined not to lose the passions that drove him.

He kept chasing the things that he loved, adapting his approach to both the outdoors and his lifelong love of skateboarding.

- So I grew up skating.

I used to be sighted.

Skateboarding and I skated since I was, geez, like nine years old and I started losing my vision really bad in kind of my mid-20s.

I was born with a hereditary disease called retinitis pigmentosa.

Pretty much means it just kind of deteriorates your vision throughout time.

Different for everybody, but for me, mid-20s, it hit hard.

And then I've been fully blind, I think, right around eight-ish, eight and a half years.

And yeah, obviously that's tough in the beginning and getting used to adjusting to living a completely different life, really, and having to adapt to everything.

And luckily I was able to kind of live the dream that I always chased as a kid and skate for a living.

And I've been doing that for just about eight years now too, and making a good living to be able to support my family, buy a house, and all that stuff.

So it's been a dream come true.

And yeah, but I guess kind of the hard thing was, like I said, getting used to people treating you different.

But my family never did.

It's kind of a good feeling having that family, especially my brother having that understanding in me and belief in me.

And yeah, it's a special kind of connection, obviously, hunting and stuff like that.

- It's the number-one bear hunting spot in the city of Kern.

We've been successful here before.

Hopefully we're successful here tonight.

I don't see why we wouldn't be, besides it being 80 degrees.

But can't do much about that.

Just hope for the best.

- [Jordan] In the blind, Dan and his brother rely on a phone scope setup they've used successfully on multiple deer hunts.

But in order to try it on a Michigan black bear, Dan had to wait his turn like every other hunter, applying for over a decade to draw a tag.

- [Dan] So I started putting a tag, I think it's been 11 years now, right when I started hunting with my brother in the very beginning.

And yeah, honestly, you kind of forget about it.

You just keep putting it in whatever June and just waiting for that time.

When I first started putting in, I think it was like, "Oh, yeah, maybe eight years," six, seven, eight years, right around there.

And then it keeps getting pushed and it was 10 years, and finally got it.

Kind of a little hectic.

I have a two-month-old son, so it's kind of been a lot pressure kind of getting up here and trying to make everything line up.

So we're pretty limited.

I got a couple days.

Not fun to do that, but there's been a bear coming in really consistent.

So we're just crossing our fingers that he comes in tonight or maybe tomorrow night and we can get a shot.

I'm not nervous.

I usually don't get nervous until it really comes time to pull in the trigger.

So we'll see if it all stacks up the whole 11 years and everything.

I think I should be good.

I'm pretty confident with my brother lining me up.

- [Jordan] After about an hour in the blind, we had our first bear make its way into the bait.

We were set up and ready, but the bear just wouldn't turn broadside to give us the shot we were looking for.

After almost 15 minutes, he turned and walked off.

(bright guitar music) We were all a little bummed, but it was the right call.

The perfect shot angle was an absolute must in this situation.

A few quiet hours passed before a second bear hit the bait, and this time things escalated in a hurry.

(bright guitar music) - [Nick] See, Dan, get it up.

Kind of come down.

Hang up, down, to the right, up.

Hold steady.

Hold steady.

Are you ready?

All right, Dan, hold steady, hold steady.

To the right and down a little bit.

Up a little bit.

Hold steady.

Hold steady.

He's doing it.

He's doing it.

Hold up.

Pull.

Pull.

Yep.

Good.

Good.

(gun firing) Got it.

You hit him.

- [Dan] I got him?

- [Nick] You hit him.

He went down, rolled, and took off.

Listen.

Listen.

- [Dan] Oh, man.

- It felt good.

I feel good about it.

I feel good about you.

You were steady.

- [Dan] He didn't see me pull?

- No, you were rock solid.

He dropped too.

He got in, he went down.

- Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know.

Yeah, you're sitting there thinking we should have shot him straight on earlier.

But then, yeah, I guess I'm glad we waited, you know, waited for a better broadside shot.

I was a little nervous about pulling left or right.

- [Jordan] Two very different experiences.

One bear that went a little bit... - [Dan] Yeah, one that was like 30 seconds there to go.

- [Nick] Yeah.

You didn't have time to think.

- [Dan] Yeah, it was like that quick.

I'm like pulling the trigger and you're just... I don't know.

You almost want more time.

- [Nick] Yeah.

- [Dan] Yeah.

- [Nick] Somewhere in between those two... (bright guitar music) - [Jordan] A quick review of the footage confirmed it was a good hit.

So we climbed down to track while we still had light, and it wasn't long before the trail led us straight to Dan's first bear.

- [Dan] Let me get my hands on this guy.

Right to the right ear?

- [Nick] Yep.

You're about to bump into him there.

Put that cane out.

There he is.

That's him.

- Oh, no way.

Oh, no.

- [Nick] Good shooting, Dan.

- [Dan] Thank you.

Thank you.

Good job, boys.

Nice work, man.

- [Nick] Yeah, Dan.

Nice work, man.

- [Jordan] Congratulations.

- [Dan] Thanks.

11 years, we did it.

- [Jordan] Yep.

- Bear down, Jordan Brown.

- [Jordan] I like that.

- Yep.

I think it's awesome.

I knew it was going to happen.

It's easy to say after it does, but no, it was a fun hunt.

Started early with a bear coming in about 5:30.

- [Dan] Yeah.

- [Nick] We couldn't get a shot.

It makes you start second-guessing everything.

We didn't have much time to think about this one.

It just happened.

Dan got it done.

Dan did a great job.

- [Dan] We got it done.

- [Nick] It's not easy holding steady on something you can't see.

- [Dan] Yeah, you lined me up true.

I held it steady.

We got it done, man.

- [Nick] No, I'm happy, man.

Speechless.

- [Dan] Yeah.

That's wild.

- [Nick] It takes a long time to wait in Red Oak to get a permit.

It's good to be successful, especially first night.

- Yeah, it all comes down to 30 seconds.

- [Nick] It's amazing.

I'm happy.

Now the work begins, Dan.

- [Dan] Yeah.

Got a good shot there.

That's all you can ask for.

- [Nick] Now the work begins.

- For me, I guess the hardest part was, you know, seeing the difference in the way people treat you as a blind person, really just all the little things.

They lose all that confidence in your ability and stuff like that.

But I've luckily had a really great family who didn't coddle me through that process.

Luckily, I was a bit older too, and I kind of just could be hardheaded and really trying to prove my independence.

It's kind of a good feeling having that family, especially my brother having that understanding in me and belief in me.

And yeah, just trust him, him trust me, and experience coming up here, up north Michigan, and being able to experience the outdoors and everything it has to offer, really, holds a special place in my heart for sure.

(bright guitar music) - [Jordan] As Dan put it, the hardest part of losing his sight wasn't the adaptations, it was the way people lost confidence in what he could do.

This hunt was the ultimate answer to that doubt.

From hiking into the blind to field-dressing the bear and even helping to cook dinner back at camp, Dan was simply one of the guys.

His perseverance was inspiring and it stuck with me long after I left bear camp.

Thanks to Dan, Nick, and the entire crew for having me in camp.

It was a great couple of days in northern Michigan.

(bright guitar music) - Well, in our next story, we are going to do a little deer hunting.

The youth season was just a week or so back.

I was able to get out with a good friend of mine and his nine-year-old boy, and I tell you what, we had a hunt that we will not soon forget.

(bright guitar music) (bright guitar music continues) This year, the youth season and the Liberty Hunt, as well as the early doe, were all on the same weekend.

This evening hunt, I was joining good friend Dan Lipski and his son Easton, just north of the Grand Rapids area.

Dan had an eye on this alfalfa field and we were hoping the deer would show up tonight.

- Well, we are going to try to give my son Easton a buck.

- [Jimmy] Yeah?

- Been watching a couple of bucks here in this field this summer.

- [Jimmy] Okay.

- There's a couple of nice eights and there's a really big seven-pointer that Easton has some history with.

Two years ago, that buck was pretty nice for a two-year-old, but he was wounded by the neighbor during bow season and he disappeared for a bit.

But he showed up back here in December and was feeding right there on the edge of that woods at 90 yards.

And Easton had the hammer back on him for a half hour and said that he was shaking too much, and the deer walked away.

We saw him a couple times last year.

He still limped a little bit.

No one shot him and he's back this year as a really big seven-point, probably four and a half-year-old.

And I really hope he shows up tonight, but there's a couple other respectable eight-pointers here too, so... - [Jimmy] Sweet.

You ready to rock and roll?

- Yeah.

- [Jimmy] We're excited to be able to use... Yeah, what are we shooting tonight?

- We're shooting Easton's Henry 243 single shot.

- [Jimmy] Nice.

He's been practicing with this summer and shoots it very well.

So, all we need is one to show up, I think.

- [Jimmy] The big seven that had been missing the last few days leading up to this hunt was actually one of the first bucks to hit the field.

Now we had to wait to get the deer and the hunter in the right spot for a good shot.

- [Dan] Yeah.

I'm going to pull the hammer back for you.

- [Easton] I can shoot him.

- [Dan] Or we can shoot him right now, okay?

- [Easton] No, no, no, no, no, no.

- [Dan] Well, we got to get the hammer back.

I know.

- [Easton] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- [Dan] All right.

You got the cross hairs on his shoulder.

- Yeah.

No, no, no.

He's moving, he's moving, he's moving.

- He's not just still, buddy.

Make sure you're aiming at the seven point, not the spike, okay?

Are you on the big buck?

Huh?

- [Easton] Yes, I am.

- [Dan] Okay.

You get the cross hairs right on his shoulder.

Okay?

No, now he's turning.

Now he's facing us so you can't shoot this way.

He'll turn again.

He'll turn.

Just take some deep breaths, you're fine.

(animals chirping) This is exactly what we went through before.

Same spot even.

Exactly the same spot he was standing before two years ago.

- [Easton] I'm scared that was our only chance.

- [Dan] No, we got all kinds of time, you watch.

Okay, he's not spooked.

Get ready to get on him.

You're good.

He's going to turn, okay?

Just get the cross hairs right on his shoulder.

The hammer is already back, okay?

He'll turn for us.

You watch, you watch.

There's another nice aim coming behind him.

- [Easton] He's crying to us too much.

- [Dan] A little bit too much.

He could go.

He'll turn, he'll turn.

- [Easton] I'm shooting that buck.

- [Dan] You're good.

- [Easton] I'm shooting that buck.

- [Dan] Yes, you are.

So here comes the good aim.

All right, right now.

Right now, buddy.

Wait till the other... Wait till that buck clears right there.

All right, get him right.

Wait till he stops.

Wait till he stops.

I'm out of the window now.

All right, follow.

He'll stop again.

(indistinct whispering) Okay.

Now you can aim at him again.

Okay, he's cornering away a little bit.

You just aim right behind the shoulder, right?

Yep.

Just behind the shoulder.

Yeah, now you can.

Just behind the shoulder.

Get him, buddy.

Take him.

(gun firing) - [Easton] I missed it.

- [Dan] Shh!

Quiet, quiet, quiet.

- [Jimmy] Well, it was a good clean miss and we were all a little emotional, but Dan was quite sure the deer didn't know where the sound came from.

So, sure enough, about a half hour later, the deer were back in the field and Easton was going to get another shot at this nice buck.

(animals chirping) (indistinct whispering) - You got it.

Take him.

(animals chirping) Take him.

(animals chirping) (gun firing) That's a hit.

That's a hit.

(indistinct whispering and bustle) You hit him.

Okay?

- I killed him.

- It looked good to me.

It looked good to me, buddy.

He did a mule kick and everything.

Did you feel good?

- Yeah.

I pulled him back very soon.

If I missed him... - No, you didn't.

- I'm going to grab my eyes out.

I think I got him good.

I shot him.

I think I probably killed him because my dad said that he saw a spot and he said that means that blood's leaking out of it.

And I'm really excited because I missed it the first time and I was crying.

And then now, I'm all happy.

- [Jimmy] Well, not too far into the woods, at the bottom of a ravine, we found Easton's buck.

What a hunt to remember.

- [Dan] Come here, buddy.

- I just got him.

I killed a seven-point!

(indistinct chattering) - [Jimmy] Where is he?

Oh, there he is.

- Oh, there's deer walking over there.

I just heard it.

- Hey, congratulations, buddy.

You did it.

And you missed him the first time, and I told you, "Don't worry, they'll come back out."

And they did, and you made a great shot.

- I knew!

I just had a feeling he was in there.

(bright guitar music) - Nice job.

- [Jimmy] This was such a fun hunt to be a part of.

Talk about your highs and lows for a nine-year-old to keep it together with camera over his shoulder, miss the first shot, but to then rally and give it another chance.

Well, both Dan and Easton did very well tonight.

So much so that Dan wanted to say a small prayer and thanks for this great deer.

- Bless this meat to our bodies and this memory to our soul.

And Lord, if it be your will, I pray that you would've reminded Jimmy to hit the record button tonight.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

- Amen.

- He wasn't recording?

(men laughing) - Well, what a night.

Thanks to the Lipskis for letting me tag along on a memory of a hunt and a deer that they will have for years to come, right here in "Michigan's Out of Doors."

(bright guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) (gentle guitar music continues) - Thank you so much for joining us this week for "Michigan Out of Doors."

Make sure you stay tuned in upcoming weeks.

We are into the full swing of the fall seasons.

We have lots of hunting and fall fishing headed your way coming up soon.

If you'd like to see where we are on a more daily basis, interact with us, or check out some of our apparel, you can always do that online.

- Well, online is a good way to see what we're up to.

You can check us out on Instagram and Facebook to see what we're up to on a day-to-day basis.

And while you're at our website, michiganoutofdoorstv.com, you can check out our merchandise area.

We have some cool limited edition runs on some really cool hoodies that we're going to be doing this fall.

You won't want to miss that.

And you won't want to miss the show.

Make sure you are joining us.

We're getting ready to head north to follow the elk hunt that's happening in just a couple of days here in the great state of Michigan.

So much stuff happening around the state.

Get out and enjoy it.

And if we don't see you in the woods or in the water, hopefully we'll see you right back here next week on your PBS station.

- [Announcer] "Michigan Out of Doors" is presented by: - [Narrator] Get away from it all, to your own place.

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To learn more about all the product options available for your food plots, visit dairydoo.com.

(energizing music) - [Narrator] At Boss Shotshells, we make all our shotshells right here in Michigan and deliver them direct to your door.

(energizing music) - [Announcer] By GreenMark Equipment.

GreenMark Equipment is a John Deere dealership network in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.

GreenMark provides sales and services to farmers, commercial businesses, large property owners, and homeowners.

Information about pricing and products available can be found online at greenmarkequipment.com.

(bright country music) (bright country music continues) ♪ When I'm gone far away ♪ ♪ The dream stays with me night and day ♪ ♪ It's the road that leads to my home state ♪ ♪ I am a Michigan man ♪ (bright country music) (ambient music)