Flint Township View

Area buck poles locations change







Photo courtesy MI DNR

Photo courtesy MI DNR

Genesee County pole at Madden’s Lounge

DAVISON — Of interest to area hunters is the neighboring buck pole at Madden’s Lounge on State Rd. in Davison. It’s the main pole in Genesee County and sponsored by the Flint River Chapter of Safari Club International. Shoulder mounts, guns, cross bows and monetary prizes will also be awarded around 8:30 p.m.

Lapeer County has a lot of changes

Opening Day of the firearm deer hunting season falls on Sunday, Nov. 15 this year. That is bound to delight the hunters, and the hosts of the annual buck poles.

Hunters will have to travel to new locations this year as the 11th annual Ray C’s Extreme buck pole has relocated south of 1-69 to the much larger and more prominent new Ray C’s Harley Davidson on M-24. There’s plenty more room inside, too, as Ray Clemens designed his new mega store with a lounge and fireplace area for all Harley travels to stop and rest their weary bodies.

The buck pole that used to sit front and center on M-21 is now in a prominent location with more viewing room around it.

Ray Brown. President and founder of Wheelin;’ Team 457, will be taking his perch on the buck pole on Friday, Nov. 13 in the annual fundraiser. People purchase tickets to bring Brown down off the pole, and others counter with tickets to keep him up their longer. It’s a fun day for everyone and the Wheelin’ Team 457 sets up a tent to educate visitors on how it works with people with physical challenges to get them involved in the outdoors – fishing, hunting, air rifle team—and in disable Olympic events.

Major sponsors of the buck pole this year are Jim Riehl’s Friendly in Lapeer and Chief Financial. Chief Financial is giving away a $500 gift card on Nov. 15 to help the winner purchase a gun.

“Without these two major sponsors, we couldn’t do this,” said Robin Finkbeiner of Ray C’s Harley Davidson. A hunter marks his kill tag.

Other vendors and sponsors for the buck pole include Fusion, High Street Eatery, who will be providing the chili, Williams Gun Sight, Ben’s Great Outdoors, Schlaud Trucking, Identities, who prints the T-shirts and TC Taxidermy donates the mounts and sets up a booth for display. Pine Tree heating will also be on site again this year with its heated tent. The biggest change to the pole will be the larger parking for the community to come out and support the fundraising and the big bucks.

The North Branch Area Business Association pole

After many years at the Self-Serve Lumber parking lot on M-90, the North Branch buck pole is also in a new location this year – at the North Branch American Legion Post at Lincoln and Huron Streets in North Branch.

The pole opens at daylight and all bucks must be registered by 7:30 p.m. Prizes include a shoulder mount for the largest buck (measured by rack dimensions). It’s a $500 value sponsored by Hampton Taxidermy and the NBABA. Fifty dollar awards will also go the winners of the first buck to the pole, the youngest to bag a buck, oldest hunter and first woman to register a buck. A business expo will also take place with plenty of raffles and giveaways. Coffee and donuts will be available.

A raffle will also take place throughout the day with $500 Mastercard Cash Card as first place and $300 and $200 for second and third place. Tickets are $2 for three tickets.


Leave a Reply