A Dixie Lady Deer Hunter

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Husband So Proud Of Wife's Second Doe

Robert Kimbrell is so proud of his wife because she was able to take her second doe of the season yesterday in Mississippi. He is also proud of her for hanging in there even though she was still looking for her first buck. She would have to wait and get him next year now, he said. She shot a CVA Stalker --- 35 Whelen, 180 grain vortex at 80 yards!

My congrats to his wife on getting another nice doe in our great wild outdoors!  I'm so happy of her!

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Stacking The Bacon!


Ted Smith of Picayune, MS in Pearl River County, put the hammer down on a lot of pigs this past week.  Nothing like stacking up the bacon in our great outdoors!  My congrats to Ted!  Way to go!

Friday, January 29, 2016

First Two Deer!!!!

Laden Haynes, 9, killed this buck with only one set of horns and the doe next to it about 20 minutes apart while hunting with his uncle and cousin Anthony and David Kinstley on private land in Alabama.  The buck's other horn had fallen off.  These were his first two deer ever! Laden is the son of Julie and Larime Hayes.

My congrats to Laden in getting two deer in one deer hunt.  That is awesomeness in our great wild outdoors!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

My Deer Hunting Story Published

Age doesn't diminish the thrill of the hunt 

by Marian Love Phillips for The Vicksburg Post


I am a proud mother of 4 daughters, 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandsons and have been hunting for over 30 years and I'm 75 years old.  

I was happy to again be invited to hunt at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on the edge of the Mississippi Delta recently.  The Howell family camp is approximately 2,500 acres with a 40 acre lake and the most beautiful place on Earth to hunt.  It has been almost three years since I have killed a deer there because of rota-tor cuff surgery.  

Last January I was able to killed a 180-pound sow, plus a smaller hog.  It has always been on my bucket list for several years to get a hog. Now, I was so anxious to get a deer after so long a time. 

So, there I was, 16 feet high in a double wide with my blogging friend and mentor, Rex Howell, of Deer Camp Blog (bodocktimes.blogspot.com) in the Dove Field Stand. While on the stand I prayed for a deer. Finally, at 5:00 p.m. on a very windy and cold Saturday afternoon, Rex spotted a doe approaching from the right toward the field and I put my .270 rifle up to scope.  She was slowly feeding toward the center and he said to me, "Can you shoot that far?"  

 I looked back at him and saw that he had his fingers in his ears,  That was my signal!

 BOOM! 

Dropped her at 85 yards in her tracks. I was so very excited and my knees started knocking so bad.  

When we got to my deer, Rex congratulated me and took a picture with my doe.  We loaded her up in the buggy and headed back to camp so happy.  She weighed 118 pounds. I was so thankful to get a deer in our great outdoors and hope to keep hunting as long as I can.  

Christmas Place Deer:  Vicksburg resident Marian Love Phillips poses with the deer she shot while hunting at Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on January 9.  The doe weighed 118 pounds.

Vicksburg resident Marian Love Phillips is a longtime hunter and outdoors-woman.  Visit her hunting blog at mariandeer.blogspot.com

Hunting Stories Wanted - This is part of an occasional series of hunting stories told by or submitted from Vicksburg Post readers.  If you'd like to submit a story or hunting photo, please send an email to sports@vicksburgpost.com.  Include your name, the hunter's name, details of the hunt such as time, date, size of the animal, weapon used and any interesting details.  Also include a telephone number so we can contact you.  If submitting a photo of children, please take the picture before they have been blooded. Any photos containing excess amount of blood and gore will not be published.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Happy 75th Birthday With Ian!

I asked my Great Grandson, Ian, to take a picture with me for my 75th Birthday and he was happy to.  I'm so proud of him.  He is 8 years old and I have another Great Grandson, Tidus David, who lives in Montana. Don't get to see him but thankful for being able to spend time with Ian who lives here.  I do keep up with Tidus on Facebook.  I'm so Blessed to have lived this long and to enjoy my daughter's children and their children.  

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

William's First Buck

Vicksburg resident William Floyd Field IV, 7, killed his first buck while hunting with his father Trey Field on private land in Redwood on January 15, 2016.  The buck weighed 175 pounds and its rack measured 16-1/2 inches wide.

My congrats to William on his very first buck in our great outdoors!  Way to go youngster!


Monday, January 25, 2016

Jeremy's 15-Point Buck!

This 15-point buck was killed in Mississippi yesterday evening. John Sellers said that a buddy of his, Jeremy, who is not on Facebook, killed it in Carroll County, MS.  He had been hunting him for four years and he can't wait to hear the score and weight. John said that Jeremy is one of the kindest, humblest fellows you've ever want to meet and wished he would get on Facebook.

I will post the score/weight when it becomes available.  
Carroll County 175.5" gross green score

My congrats to Jeremy on a mighty fine buck of a lifetime in our great wild outdoors!  Patience pays off!

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Mississippi River Waiting Game

I took the above picture at the Mississippi Welcome Center of three northbound towboats/barges hugging up against the west bank of the MS River waiting for word from the U.S. Coast Guard to continue their journeys.  The Coast Guard shut down the MS River to all barge traffic late Thursday after the 5th southbound tow hit the old U.S. 80 bridge in Vicksburg and a tow at the Natchez-Vidalia U.S. 84 bridge Thursday afternoon.  

This is the first time I have been this close to a towboat/barges that were waiting on the east side of the bank at Riverwalk Casino yesterday evening. All towboats are on standby for clearance to resume their trips upriver. The MS River remains closed to southbound traffic. The river is open to northbound traffic, but only tows carrying dry cargo are allowed to transit through Vicksburg.


Pictures taken from the parking lot of Riverwalk Casino.



"If you come look at the river and the tows that are holding up north of the bridge now, it looks like New York Harbor."  Austin Golding/Golding Barge

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Deer & River Commerce Woes


I'm sharing today a few pictures and words by Billy White on FB.  

This is why the state had to close the hunting season along the flooded river, 30 miles or so and well over 600 deer and around 250 of them being bucks nears Mayersville, MS, he said. 

It was up above Vicksburg, MS, along the MS River.  He was using his cell phone and seen 30-40 mountable bucks with 18-inch or better.  He also said that anywhere from Chotard to 61N Hwy wouldn't be hunting. Deer are so scared and lost.  It would be just like shooting a neighbor's cow.  One of the biggest herds he saw was about 1.5 miles from 61N Hwy away from the water (a good ways) but it was around 150 deer in that group with 30-40 bucks in that one group. It is crazy to see so many bucks in one pile like that.

John Sullivan responded - What about the guys 5 miles from there? Their season is closed and these deer are no where near them? MDWFP lazily picked a boundary, there's got to be a better solution. Hunters that get no increase in deer numbers are being penalized by the MDWFP inability to police the areas affected by the flood. Typical government response, take rights away from the innocent instead of punishing the guilty.
The same MDWFP allows farmers along the Mississippi River to kill hundreds of deer via "depredation permits" all summer long. Yet now, the MDWFP is protecting these same deer?

I can understand it in the MS Delta, as there isn't as much woods for the deer to hide. But this last closure south of Vicksburg is a joke. The deer come out of the river bottoms into the hill area, that is just as wooded if not more than the low lying areas from where they come.  The season was closed on the day the river crested. The water is actually lower now than the day it closed. Why wait until then to close the season? 

Isn't there a limit on deer? Enforce it. Once again a hunter miles from the river had his season ended when his land is in no way affected by the flood.

Ryan Windham responded - What do you suggest then? That the closures be 200 ft from the nearest water and no further?? There has to be a cutoff somewhere....all of those deer that were in say Panther swamp for instance have to go somewhere. That's nearly 40 thousand acres. Those deer are going to go to the nearest block of woods and pile up in it. Do you not think it would be unfair to have 100 acres 1 mile from there where hundreds of deer are going to pile in? It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel man.

Wayne Curran responded - 4 years ago when it flooded the Game Wardens have deer that are monitored with tracking systems and the said one deer went 26 miles from its natural habitat and went right back to where it came from when the river went down.


 


 





Not only are the deer having problems but commerce on the MS River at Vicksburg to Natchez-Vidalia is closed to barge traffic.  It is a costly traffic jam!  Right now north and southbound tows and the boats pushing them are sitting snug against the east and west banks of the MS River as their captains and crews wait for a U.S. Cost Guard notice announcing the river is reopen to traffic.  Within the last couple of weeks 5 towboats/containers hit the bridge (Hwy 80) here in Vicksburg with an accident in Natchez. MS River is closed until further notice.

Near I-20 Bridge @ Vicksburg, MS

Friday, January 22, 2016

You Are Never Too Old!

Jody LaRue posted these picture of her Pop-Pop who will be 88 years old in March.  She said he laid the hammer down on this 180 lb., 11-point buck in Heidelberg, MS, last weekend! His face says it all!!!  My congrats to her Pop-Pop!  It goes to show you that you are never too old or young to hunt in our great wild outdoors!

A nice 11-point buck!

Got to give credit to his baby as well because he carries her up in the shooting stand with him to hunt and she's a great tracking dog!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Happy "50th" Birthday, Kathy!

Today, my daughter who is a hunter, turns 50 years old.  Kathy loves to deer hunter just like her Mom and has killed deer.  Out of four daughters, she's my only hunter.  We have had many hunts together and made some wonderful memories in our great wild outdoors!  Wishing her a very Happy Birthday and many more to come.  Also, sending lots of love and hugs on your special day!

Pictures taken at Homewood Hunting Camp in Claiborne County back in the 90's.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Busted Deer Hunters In Flood Zone

These bucks were confiscated after being illegally killed in Bolivar County in an area closed to hunting due to flooding.  Courtesy MDWFP

Mississippi Conservation Officers continue to hunt people who are killing deer in areas closed to hunting by flooding along the Mississippi River, and they are having success.

Steve Adcock, chief of enforcement at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said Wednesday his officers have issued over 50 flood-related citations in one county alone.

“That’s in Bolivar County, but not all of those are directly related to deer hunting,” Adcock said, adding that the increased presence of officers in the flooding area has led to different citations. “There’s things like boating violations, too. Our guys are out there and they are doing their job.”

Mainly, that job is to protect wildlife who are stressed from the flooding, including deer that face exposing themselves while fleeing rising waters. Many areas of the Delta have been closed to hunting, and probably will not reopen by the Jan. 31 end of the deer season.
Some people haven’t been able to resist temptation, and have wound up in serious trouble.

E.B. Metcalfe, 70, of Benoist, faces multiple charges, including exceeding the daily bag limit and shooting deer during a closed season, after admitting to officers that he’d killed five deer, including three trophy bucks. The officers were acting on a complaint about shots being fired around the levee in Bolivar County.

Donald Hensley, 49, of Hernando faces numerous charges after officers found three dead does, one dead buck and the head of another buck. According to Adcock, officers were patrolling the levee in Tunica County when they witnessed a truck approach the levee, turn around and stop, followed by somebody shining a light.

Adcock said a chase pursued all the way to the Tunica city limits where he was apprehended. Adcock said Hensley admitted he’d shot four of the deer but claimed the fifth, the head of a buck, had been given to him.”  

“He’s been charged with four counts of headlighting deer, four counts of hunting from a public road, five counts of possession of illegal deer and hunting during a closed season,” Adcock told The Clarion-Ledger. “He’s looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of (over $10,000 in fines).”

Adcock said citizens have been active in reporting nefarious activity.

“People will call in on you for breaking game laws; people won’t stand for it,” he said.

The roles reversed on officers in one case near Vicksburg, where a recent letter to the editor of The Vicksburg Post has created a stir about officers euthanizing of a buck along a road in the Port of Vicksburg.

According to the letter, which was attributed to Jimmy Hart of Vicksburg, people saw a buck swimming to reach higher ground. A crowd gathered and apparently caused the buck to return to the water. Hart’s letter described the buck was being exhausted by the time it returned to dry ground. The buck laid down on the bank.

Adcock said conservation officers were summoned and after a discussion decided the best course of action was to shoot the deer.

Adcock was quick to defend the actions of officers and called it “a safety issue.” 

Adcock said if there had been woods nearby where the buck could escape, officers would have acted differently. He said that because the area was surrounded by roads, including the main trucking entrance to the Port of Vicksburg, the decision to put the buck down was prudent.

“That’s just a chance you can not take,” he said.

Anyone suspecting a wildlife violation has been committed is urged to call 1-800-BE-SMART (1-800-237-6278), which is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All tips are treated as anonymous, according to MDWFP spokesman Jim Walker.

***
In a related matter, the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has been temporarily closed to the public, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The closure began Jan. 11 and will remain in effect until otherwise posted.

That means Panther Swamp is closed to all hunting, including waterfowl, and fishing.
Courtesy of Mississippi Sportsman

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Kailey's 7-Point Buck

Kailey Knight bagged a 7-point buck while hunting on private property. Kailey is the daughter of Larime and Julie Haynes of Vicksburg.  A nice looking trophy in anyone's book!  My congrats to Kailey in our great wild outdoors!  

Monday, January 18, 2016

Cutest Hunting Expression!

If this is not the cutest expression ever, I do not know what is!  His Dad, West Brister, of Kentwood, LA, was going to get a skull mount on this deer that this "little guy" is holding.  Looks like he is hooked for life on hunting in our great wild outdoors!

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Small Property Bucks In MI



Published on Nov 3, 2014
Self filmed Video of a Big Buck getting killed on a small property in southern Michigan. Michigan deer hunting at it's best. This buck earned first place from Commemorative Bucks of Michigan as the largest Michigan buck in the crossbow category.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

More State Closures On Hunting Season

Deer pushed out of their habitat north of Vicksburg, MS, April 2011 flood.

The state wildlife regulators are expanding an order closing all open hunting seasons, except waterfowl, for the duration of the current high water event along the Mississippi River because rising waters are forcing deer and other animals out of their natural habitat.

Effective at the closing of legal hunting hours on Sunday, hunting seasons to include wild hogs will close from Vicksburg south to Port Gibson, west of Highway 61; from Port Gibson south to Highway 84 in Natchez, west of the Natchez Trace and from Natchez, south to the state line, west of Highway 61.

Waters are not expected to recede until after the close of most opening hunting seasons.  Sunday's closure will remain effective until river levels drop or until the previously established ending date for the season - whichever occurs first.


Friday, January 15, 2016

Start Them Young


When you are so proud of your Mom that you want to be just like her!  

A strong woman is always inspired by the success of others! 

My sincere congrats to her Mom in doing it right while making memories of a lifetime in our great wild outdoors!  

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Cooper's Really Nice Buck


Cooper Lankford, 7, shot this 9-point buck while hunting near Fitler Point on December 30.  It had a 19-1/2 inch spread on the rack. Cooper is the son of Chad Lankford.

My congrats to Cooper in getting this really nice 9-point in our great outdoors!  Way to go!  

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

An Enormous Wild Boar

A Meridian hunter has shot and killed a 428-pound wild boar recently. 

Larry Carman said it took two shots from his rifle to put down the wild pig last weekend.


Carman says it took five people to load the hog in the back of his utility vehicle, maxing out its weight limit.


Carman says he and his friends couldn't believe the size of the animal, which also almost maxed out his 440-pound scale.


The boar had a set of frightening tusks, which Carman estimates were about 3 inches, adding that they were razor-sharp.


Officials say a single hog Carman's size would decrease food sources for native wildlife by thousands of pounds each year.  For that reason, hunters are encourage to neutralize wild pigs, especially sows, whenever possible.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Wildlife On The Run

With the rising Mississippi River the wildlife is fleeing the wilderness to escape the flooding.

The National Weather Service has lowered the predicted crest to 50.5 feet, but flooding has already caused wild hogs, white-tailed deer and other fur-bearing animals to be misplaced from their natural habitats, which has led them to immigrate to the city limits and other areas.

The MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks issued a press release on January 4 reminding residents that the mainline levee from Vicksburg to Tunica is closed as a result of the flooding.  It will be patrolling the levee for public safety and to protect wildlife resources.

Wild hogs do serve as a cause for concern to weakened or damaged levees and the MDWFP has taken action to prevent further damage.  "It's always a concern that hogs will cause damage to levees," Chad Dacus said on behalf of the MDWFT.  "The water boards are monitoring situations."

While it is normal for hunters to shoot wild hogs on sight, it is strongly discouraged at this time.  The only types of animals excluded from the closing of wildlife hunting are waterfowl such as ducks and geese.

"If they're hunting in that area they will be hunting in a closed season and will be cited for hunting in a closed season," Dacus said.

MDWFP will not be trapping any misplaced animals.

Dacus said animals in the MS Delta deal with floods on a regular basis, and when they do get misplaced, they tend to gather food and find shelter.

"The deer and other animals that are being displaced by the water, typically they're not going to travel great distances," Dacus said.  "They'll go find food and shelter until the water recedes and return to where they came from."

For more information, residents can visit www.mdwfp.com or call the department at 601-432-2199 for updates on any closures of its management system and the MS River.
Courtesy of The Vicksburg Post

Monday, January 11, 2016

The Perfect Deer Hunt

My doe laying in the field at 85 yards while in the Dove Field stand.

I was so fortunate to be able to go to the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on the edge of the Mississippi Delta this past weekend for a deer hunt.  The camp is 2,500 acres with a 40 acre lake and the most beautiful place on earth to hunt.  It has been almost three years since I have not killed a deer because of rota-tor cuff surgery.  Last January was able to go and killed a 180 lb. sow and a smaller one running...all on my bucket list for awhile.  I was so anxious to get a deer after so long a time.  

I was invited by my blogging hunting friend and mentor, Rex Howell (Deer Camp Blog) at the family deer camp which is located about an hour and fifteen minutes from my home of Vicksburg, MS.

I hunted the Arrowhead stand Saturday morning but have seen a lot of deer from this stand and killed several.  

Looking up from the tripod stand on a cloudy morning after a stormy night.

My shadow in the Arrowhead stand (tripod) with the sun coming out briefly.

A hog wallow walking out from the Arrowhead stand Saturday morning and have seen a hog off of this stand a few years ago.

On the afternoon hunt Rex said we were going to hunt together at the Dove Field stand which is located on the backside of the camp.  We drove a good ways and finally got to the most beautiful field.  I climbed into a 16 foot double wide stand.  We did not see anything for about 2-1/2 hours and it was so cold and windy. About 5:00 he spotted a doe coming into the field from the right (top photo) and slowly fed towards the middle of the field.  I put my .270 rifle up to scope her and turned and looked at him.  I usually like to have two or three deer together to size them up but when I saw that he had his fingers in his ears...that was my signal to...SHOOT!  She dropped in her tracks at 85 yards!  I was so excited that my knees started knocking so bad.  We got down and walked to my deer and he congratulated me!  I got a picture with my deer and we loaded her up in the buggy and headed back to camp so very happy.  

Rex took this picture of me with my doe.

Rex field dressing my doe.

I look forward to the campfires!

Hunting under the Sneaky stand on a very cold Sunday morning but saw nothing.

Walking back to camp after my hunt.  Took this picture of a perfect Christmas tree at the Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club.

Noticed to the left side of the road a rusty old car.

I'm looking forward to a return hunt soon to get a hog at the camp.  Many thanks to my friend, Rex, for an unforgettable hunt in our great wild outdoors.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...