In Michigan, November 15th marks opening day of deer season.

For Michigan's hunters, it's practically a holiday.

Hunters all over the state head out into the woods and fields in hopes of encountering a deer. Many of them will hunt on

private land, but those who don't have access to private hunting areas can try their luck on public lands

like the Fulton State Game Area, a square mile of swampy woodland in a rural corner

of Kalamazoo County that's been set aside for public hunting access. Ron and Sandy Elwell have

lived beside the Fulton game area for over 30 years now, in a cabin that they built themselves

in an idyllic wooded clearing that borders the public hunting land.

Back in 1990, Ron Elwell still was working on the cabin.

That November 17th,

the first Saturday of that year's deer season,

nearby hunters in the Fulton State game area,

would later recall hearing the sound of his hammering

ringing out through the woods all

afternoon.

But that fall, gosh, I can still remember it pretty vividly, a friend of mine was over and

we were building the deck on the back end of it.

And I heard the two shots, but you don't think nothing of it because we're, this is state property, you know, this is

state hunting area, so, you know, we hear shots constantly. So, but those two, it was, I don't know,

it was kind of a quiet afternoon, you know, again, we didn't think nothing of it.

During hunting season, if you're anywhere down near the game area, it's normal to hear gunshots all day long.

So if anything, that particular afternoon was notable because of how quiet it was.

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