I'm in southeast MI near Auburn Hills. We have a good mix of gray and fox where we hunt. The number of grays in black phase has definitely increased in the past decade. We are good for at least one nearly every time we hunt.
There probably isn’t enough people that bareshaft tune. As mentioned above, if your form sucks it can be frustrating but shoot enough and you’ll figure out a pattern.
Honestly, getting a serving tool and learning how to re-serve your own string is an indispensable skill. No relying on your shop or string maker and no wasted time waiting.
Have used DMT plates by hand for several years but just picked up a Hapstone RS system with a set of their CBN plates during black friday. It was well worth the price.
Been using an orange Spyderco Delica for a couple decades now. Couldn’t tell you how many deer and other critters it’s been used to clean. I’ve got several other knives but the Delica has been my default for a long time.
Green Chile Squirrel is one of my favorites. It’s a killer recipe from Hank Shaw, highly recommend giving it a try. https://honest-food.net/tender-squirrel-recipe/
I’ve got an old CVA .32 cal I hunted squirrels with as a kid, it’s a challenge but lots of fun. Those small caliber muzzleloaders can be surprisingly accurate.