10039903_MCM_OCT2021

MYFUN

uided tours are available from early spring until late fall – and sometimes,

see? “Lots of eagles,” he says. “You’ll see great egrets, herons and American white pelicans. There are 280 species of birds to see throughout the season and an abundance of wildlife.” Participants can bring a cooler (filled with whatever they want), picnic baskets, binoculars. “Cameras are highly recommended,” Hufton advises. “The worst part of the tour is when it’s over.” The “Wide Part” eco tour at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge explores one of the few watersheds that flows in a northerly direction. The “Narrow Part” is a maze of twisting rivers, creeks and bayous that offers exceptional scenery. The Oscoda “Dam Trip” is one of Hufton’s favorites. “There are 400-feet

of sand dunes, pristine water and five dams on the Au Sable River. Skiing and tubing are also options.”The “Marathon” tour (about eight hours) travels from Saginaw to St. Charles and back. Another favorite is the “Fall Color Tour,” which will be held in Saginaw this year. Hufton has found his work with Johnny Panther Quests to be very fulfilling. “It is not ‘work’ to me,” he says. “I’ve been chasing my dreams and working my butt off all my life and I finally stopped chasing. I am so lucky to be doing what I love.” Š

even later in the year. “Early and late in the season are the best times to go,” Hufton recommends.That is when you can experience the thaws, early spring migration and the first winter snows, he adds. According to Hufton, the Saginaw area has the state’s largest wildlife habitat. “I call it the Everglades of Michigan,” he says, “minus the snakes and alligators.”He has three tour boats – a 14-foot flat bottom, 16-foot modified flat bottom and a 22-foot custom-built boat. Describing a typical tour, Hufton says it averages three to five hours. What will you

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