LINCOLN PARK, Mich. (WXYZ) — It’s a heartbreaking start to what is usually an exciting time of year for the Adkins family.

‘We would like no family to have to go through this’ said Kayla Adkins.

On the opening day of Michigan’s firearms deer season, Friday, November 15, Gregg Adkins went hunting for the last time.

‘They found him on the ground. He would return at a quarter past five. He never came back to meet his hunting friends,” Kayla said.

Gregg Adkins, 57, of Lincoln Park, was hunting in Tuscola County and was found at the bottom of his tree stand.

Tragically, he is one of at least three deer hunters in Michigan who have died in the first week of firearms deer season.

The Adkins family said they still don’t know exactly what killed Gregg. Doctors told them it may have been a blood clot or a partial heart attack.

“He was physically active, he always went to the doctor,” Kayla said, emphasizing how physically fit her father was.

Authorities say the other two men, ages 65 and 83, tried to drag heavy animals away and died of heart attacks.

7 News Detroit contacted Dr. Chadi Alraies, a cardiologist at DMC Heart Hospital, for his advice to hunters.

He said anyone who goes hunting should condition themselves by starting an exercise program, or at least walking for an hour, four to five days a week.

He also said it is imperative that you meet with a doctor and that you are aware of any medical predispositions that may be putting you at risk.

“Especially if the hunters are smokers, they are at greater risk of heart disease,” said Doctor Alraies. “Second, if they are overweight, this is another risk factor, and the third, the most common or the most dangerous, is genetic predisposition, which means that heart disease runs in the family.”

One last tip from Dr. Alraies?

Always make sure someone knows where you are hunting and that there is a way for them to contact you.

As the Adkins family awaits Gregg’s autopsy results, they say they are grateful he always had a hunting buddy.

Someone who looks out for the man, who always looks out for the others.

“He loved his family more than anything, and his grandchildren more than anything.” said Gregg’s wife, Candace Adkins.