Rather than take a few days off to hunt, people are doing work in the woods
SECLUDED WOODS, NORTHERN MI. -- If you ask avid hunters, they won't miss a chance to get out in the woods for anything.
But what if you have work to stay on top of?
That's no longer stopping some outdoor enthusiasts.
The answer is probably in arms reach.
"Every time I came Up North, I'd bring a book with me, or when I hunted around home, I'd be reading a book, but I've got past that now," said Josh Pyles.
Hunters know time isn't necessarily of the essence as they sit and wait, and wait. Josh Pyles lives and works downstate but has been coming to his sacred hunting spot for more than 10 years now. While passing time, it's no longer bookmarks for Pyles. He goes to his pocket.
“When I go back, I don't have a ton of emails to answer, things to keep up on, I just answer them out in the woods, or read emails to know what's going on, so it does make it easier," said Pyles.
Pyles says luckily on top of his tree stand, he gets a couple bars. No work typically means all play, but rather than being overwhelmed when he goes back, he says he works a little.
"I typically turn the vibration off, put it on silent, that way there's no vibration, no ring," he said.
He says he also sends texts, and stays on top of news. As a Michigan State graduate and an avid college football fan, while he's hunting this weekend…
“I'll be on top of those games, know what's going on."
Having your phone out in the woods isn't only the 21st century way of passing time as you're looking to shoot that big buck, it also acts as a safety mechanism for, just in case.
“Big woods though, you never know, it's always nice to have that safety feature on you, your phone, so you can call someone," said Pyles.
He says he thinks there are probably a lot of people who do exactly what he does, but when asked if he thinks if everyone will do it?
"A lot of guys I hunt with are older guys, so they're still taking books up into the tree with them, or sitting there taking a nap."
The DNRE said there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing what Pyles does, and they encourage you to take a phone into the woods.
