Hog Blogger Coming To MS To Hunt

Phillip Loughlin of The Hog Blog is on his way to the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club, on the edge of the MS Delta, to hog hunt.  This will be his first trip to hunt in Mississippi and to meet his fellow blogger, Rex, at Deer Camp Blog.  I will be posting some pictures here of his pending success. Wishing him the best of luck and a warm Mississippi welcome to Phillip who lives in the great state of Texas!

A Huge Rattler

This has been floating around the Internet in case you have not see it yet. Allegedly it was killed in a swamp land along the river in lower Claiborne County or just into Jefferson County, Mississippi.  Not sure where the picture was taken.  The snake is an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus.  It is said to be 8-1/2 feet (2.6 meters) long and had 21 rattles.

My Neighbor's Flower Box

My next door neighbors have a flower box attached to their white picket fence and every winter they have the prettiest flowers.  The pansy here are a little beat up from this winter with wind and rain but still look pretty good for wear.  They are still beautiful and we all need to stop and smell the flowers from time to time!

Hairy Bear Scare

My friend, Dennis, who lives in Port Gibson, MS, sent me these pictures by e-mail of a couple of his friends that went on a hunting trip for Elk in Montana.   

As the story goes...one of them sat down next to a tree in a small patch of undergrowth and did the "calling" while the younger man settled in on a piece of "high ground" to be able to survey the oncoming Elk and to be in position to make the best possible shot.

HOWEVER...

As the younger man looked back to where the "caller" was sitting he nearly thew up!  There, not about 5 paces behind the unaware caller was nearly 3/4 tons of GRIZZLEY BEAR...HUNGRY BEAR!!!

With ungodly fear in his heart, the young man immediately settled into a tight prone position and fired at the beast.  He was scared.  Scared of the bear, and very scared of having to shoot at something within a foot or so of his now fear paralyzed pal.  

It took all 5 rounds from his 300-Win Magnum to stop the bear less than a foot from the old man.

Both men just sat and shook for almost an hour until their host caught up with them and told them about the bear that had been known several weeks ago to have killed several young cattle, a few sheep, and other farm/ranch animals.  But, he was thought to have moved. on.

"I guess all's well that ends well."  But, this story will live in the hearts of these two for generations to come.

Guest Post ~ MS Turkey Hunters Have It Good!

I was contacted recently by Jeff Stevenson who is a writer for HuntersGuide.org. They run a small blog for hunters and he wanted to do a guest post on my blog as a way to get the word out about their new site.  I was excited to help Jeff and I am very happy to promote his site!  Go by and check it out because it is a very informative and you can share articles with your friends to your favorite accounts like - Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin, etc., etc.

Why Mississippi Turkey Hunters 

Have it Good

Everyone seems to have a deer hunter in their family, but there’s another animal that’s becoming more commonly hunted for throughout the United States: turkeys. There are really six different classifications of wild turkeys, differentiated by their colors and sizes. These turkeys can be found in almost every part of the United States. But one state, Mississippi, stands out for turkey hunting and is most well-known for their specialties in the turkey species. Between the plentiful amount of turkeys, the climate, terrain, and passion, Mississippi is a just a great place to go turkey hunting.

Mississippi has wild turkey. LOTS of wild turkey.

The Mississippi Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks releases detailed updates about their turkey program each year with statistics and information for hunters and those interested in learning more.  One reason why turkey hunting in Mississippi is great: there are an abundance of turkeys located in this area. The state even claims to have the largest population of turkeys in the country. The turkey population was not always this large, however. At one point in time, turkeys were almost extinct due to the lack of wild game protection and poor forest conditions. Around 1950, residents of Mississippi began to become concerned for the turkey population and began trapping turkeys in order to save them instead of hunting them. Everything went as planned and by 1980s, turkeys became abundant again. There are now rules and regulations set in place in order to prevent the turkey population from being in danger again. If you are a hunter who is looking for a turkey, you won’t waste much time trying to find one in Mississippi: They’re all over the place.

Diverse terrain and prime climate makes for great hunting

A second reason why the turkey hunting scene in Mississippi is excellent is because of its diverse terrain and compatible climate. The majority of Mississippi is covered with forests, making it the perfect hunting ground. In addition to the forests, there are also many farmlands, rivers, and hills. And the climate of Mississippi is mild which is appealing to both animals and hunters. Since turkeys do not adapt well to cold climates, Mississippi is a perfect place for them to roam. Likewise, this is a comfortable climate for hunters to be able to wait in a blind for long periods of time without overheating or needing to warm up. The official turkey hunting season in Mississippi begins on March 12 and ends on May 1 of each year.

The state welcomes hunters

A third reason to hunt turkeys in Mississippi is that some resorts, such as the Thacker Mountain Lodge, offer guided turkey hunts where you can find turkeys that are as big as 18 pounds. Guided hunts are usually offered during the fall and spring seasons. You can bring your family or friends along on these guided hunts and make it an enjoyable, memorable experience. Just remember to bring your camera as you’ll likely catch some huge turkey!

Although you can find turkey in most states, Mississippi is an excellent place to hunt turkey and might just hold the honor as the best turkey hunting state in the country. The best part is that hunters in Mississippi are genuinely concerned about the well-being of the turkey population and conservation instead of just focusing on hunting. Mississippi turkey hunters got it made.

Jeff Stevens is an avid outdoorsman who loves all things hunting, fishing, and outdoors. He writes for the hunting and fishing blog Hunter's Guide.  He recently wrote an article that covers Tennessee Hunting dates for 2013.

Kentucky Monument @ Vicksburg National Military Park

Karen, my step-daughter and Ron, my step-son-in-law were really excited to go to the Kentucky Monument today and also loved the walkway which was really nice to walk on.  It looks like bark and pieces of leaves but when you walked on it, it felt spongy. (The walkway is called Rainbow Turf which is a recyclable rubber and used for landscaping homes, paving playgrounds and parks).

We took another trip back to the Vicksburg National Military Park today and went to the south loop to the Kentucky Monument.  Here Karen and Ron, took a photo with two famous men in history, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.

Karen, my step-daughter and I standing with two great men in history!

United We Stand ~ Divided We Fall

It's A Cat's Meow!

Happy 71st Birthday Bob!

Today is my husband's 71st birthday and want to wish him a great birthday!  It is very special because his daughter, Karen (my step-daughter) and her husband, Ron, are here from Santa Fe, NM, for his special day and will be taking us all out to eat later this evening.  Happy Birthday Bob and hope you have many more to come!  xxoo

Family Visiting From Santa Fe!

This is a picture taken in February of 1993 when Bob and I flew out to Santa Fe, NM, to give Karen his daughter, my step-daughter, his Army shirt.  I think it looks really great on her!  

Tomorrow is her Dad's birthday and she and her husband Ron are flying in today to visit us and to celebrate his 71st birthday.  We are looking forward to their visit and I know we will enjoy their stay.

Rest In Peace Trigger

Trigger

Trigger with his Master, Hershel Howell

I just read on my friend/mentor's blog site, Deer Camp Blog, that his Dad's dog, Trigger, passed away.  It's very sad to hear about Trigger and he was a very good and loyal companion to his Master.  He will be sadly missed by everyone who had the pleasure to know and play with him.  May he rest in peace!

A Trail Cam Thief

Wanted!!!

Have you seen this guy?

***The Trail Cam Photo Gallery***

And you guys thought it was humans stealing your trail cam!

2nd Annual Warren County Wildlife Extravaganza

I look forward to attending this event again and will take some pictures.  Last year I won an oil change for our Sierra truck.  Luck of the draw!  

Support Mississippi Firearms

Here is documentation that proved why we must enforce and keep our rights to keep our guns!  Use these reasons to stop anyone from telling you otherwise.   I sent this letter to my Mississippi state senator and state representative.  Our Second Amendment Rights must not be stopped! You should send this same message to your senator and representative if your state has not already settled this issue. 

Subject:  Please Support Mississippi's Firearm Protect Act, HB 625

Betty Davis:

Your message has been sent to the following recipients:

   * Senator Briggs Hopson
   * Representative Alex Monsour


The content of your message is as follows:

Dear [The message(s) you sent had each recipient's name here]:

Currently introduced in the Mississippi House of Representatives is House Bill 625, the Firearm Protection Act. The purpose of this proposed legislation is to protect the people of Mississippi's Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms by making any federal law, rule, regulation, or order that attempts in any way to ban, restrict, or register a semi-automatic firearm or magazine, as unenforceable within the borders of the state of Mississippi; providing criminal penalties to any federal official who tries to enforce such a federal measure within the state's borders.

The key provision of the Firearm Protection Act (FPA) reads:

"Any federal law, rule, regulation or order created or effective on or after January 1, 2013, shall be unenforceable within the borders of Mississippi if the law, rule, regulation or order attempts to:
(a) Ban or restrict ownership of a semi-automatic firearm or any magazine of a firearm; or
(b) Require any firearm, magazine or other firearm accessory to be registered in any manner."

Another key provision of the FPA reads:

"Any official, agent or employee of the United States government who enforces or attempts to enforce any act, order, law, statute, rule or regulation of the United States government upon a personal firearm, a firearm accessory or ammunition that is owned or manufactured commercially or privately in Mississippi and that remains exclusively within the borders of Mississippi shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be subject to imprisonment for not less than one (1) year and one (1) day or more than five (5) years, a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both."

Such a law is not without historical precedent. Historian Thomas Woods has written an excellent brief history of state nullification of federal laws in his article, "The States' Rights Tradition Nobody Knows." In recent years dozens of states have introduced nullification-type legislation to stop Real ID, affirm the Tenth Amendment, reject a federal mandate to buy healthcare insurance, and to reject federal firearm laws for guns manufactured, sold, and used intrastate (known as Firearms Freedom Acts or FFA). A total of eight states have passed FFAs. Now, all across the country sheriffs and legislators are acting to nullify President Obama's gun controls.

The purpose of this new FPA is to guarantee that the people of Mississippi's Second Amendment rights are not curtailed or trampled on in any manner or form by the federal government. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

At the time of the Second Amendment's ratification, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights, in December 1791, it was understood that the militia meant the free able-bodied citizenry of the country. In 1788, Richard Henry Lee, signatory to the Declaration of Independence and subsequent Articles of Confederation, explained the meaning of the term militia, as understood at the time, and the imperative for citizens to be armed. Lee wrote, "A militia when properly formed are in fact the people themselves ... and include all men capable of bearing arms.... To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms...."

During the Massachusetts's Convention to Ratify the Constitution in 1788, Samuel Adams also explained, "...The said Constitution [is to] be never construed ...to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."

In volume 1, page 300, of St. George Tucker's edition of Blackstone's Commentaries: With Notes and Reference (1803), which was the most popular legal commentary of its day, Tucker stated:

"The right of self defense is the first law of nature: in most governments it has been the study of rulers to confine this right within the narrowest limits possible. Wherever ... the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction."

St. George Tucker was an attorney and a military officer who was wounded twice during the American Revolution, and was one of the leaders of the 1786 Annapolis Convention, which paved the way for the subsequent Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. Tucker was a legal professor at the College of William and Mary, and served as a justice in the Supreme Court of Virginia. President James Madison later appointed him as a federal judge.

In addition to the U.S. Constitution, Article 3, Section 12 of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi states, "The right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person, or property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall not be called in question..."

The right to keep and bear arms is one of the most essential components enshrined in both the Bill of the Rights and the Mississippi State Constitution in order to secure the preservation of one's liberty and property. The proposed Firearm Protection Act further strengthens this right by rejecting any newly created encroachment by the federal government and imposing criminal charges on any federal agent that would enforce any such violation of both the Constitution of the United States and the Mississippi State Constitution.

Please be sure to vote YES, in favor, of the Firearm Protection Act, HB 625.

I know I can depend on your 'yes' vote in favor of the Firearm ProtectionAct- HB625.

Sincerely,

Betty Davis
[Your postal address was included here]

Warning!

My Valentine's Day Card

My hubby, Robert Phillips, made me this Valentine's Day card at his program, Some Place Special. 

I'm wishing all my blogging friends a very Happy and Special Valentine's Day!  

A Different View On Gun Control

Interesting slant on things:  AMERICA'S HUNTERS ---  Pretty Amazing!   The world's largest army... America 's hunters!  I had never thought about  this...   A blogger added up the deer license sales in just a  handful of states and  arrived at a striking  conclusion:   There were over 600,000 hunters  this season in the state of Wisconsin ..  Allow me to restate that number:  600,000 Over the last several months,  Wisconsin's hunters became the eighth largest army in  the world. More men under arms than in Iran.  More than France and Germany combined. These men deployed to  the woods of a single American state, Wisconsin , to hunt with  firearms, and no one was killed.   That number pales in comparison to the 750,000 who hunted the woods of Pennsylvania and  Michigan's 700,000 hunters,  all of whom have now returned home safely.  Toss in a quarter million hunters  in West Virginia and it literally establishes the fact that the  hunters of those four states alone  would comprise the largest army in the world.  And then add in the total number of hunters in the other 46 states.  It's millions more. The point? America will forever be safe  from foreign invasion with that  kind of home-grown firepower. Hunting...  it's not just a way to fill the freezer. It's a matter of national  security. ******************** ******************* That's why all enemies,  foreign AND domestic,  want to see us  disarmed... Food for thought,  when next we consider gun control.  Overall it's true,  so if we disregard some assumptions that hunters  don't possess the same skills as soldiers, the question  would still remain: What army of 2 million would want to face 30, 40, 50 million armed citizens??? (IF YOU AGREE, AS I DO, PASS IT ON, I FEEL GOOD THAT I HAVE AN ARMY OF MILLIONS WHO WOULD PROTECT OUR  LAND AND I SURE DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT TAKING CONTROL OF THE POSSESSION OF FIREARMS)   For the sake of our freedom,  don't ever allow gun control,  or the confiscation of our guns.

My Very Own Blog!

Hello - My name is Millie Jane and my "new adopted" Mom has made me my very own blog and it's called, Dog Tails of Millie Jane.  

Above,  I'm sitting in Daddy Bob's lap soaking it all in.  I will be giving you all my tall tails of adventures in my new home.  Please go by and check me out!

In Memory of Mom's Birthday

Evelyn Anne Mason Love

February 11, 1921 ~ March 17, 1979

It's About HOG Time!

Spencer, Michael and their friend Blake.

I can't believe that those hogs are tearing up the backyard of the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club!  This really has to stop! Those nasty varmints are no good for nothing and need to be eradicated and I'm the one for the job.  Looking forward to going to the camp and giving them a helping hand in taking them all down.  What a terrible mess they have made of a nice backyard at camp.  It's about hog time to make them pay for what they did. Got my gun loaded and ready to go after them and get a trailer full like Mark did. Now, that would be awesome!

Mark Steward with a trailer full of hogs in one sitting!  Now that's Hog Wild!

Connor's First Deer!

Vicksburg resident Connor Whatley, 7, bagged his first deer on December 29.  He took down the 8-pointer with a youth H&R .44.  Connor is the son of Scooter and Necole Whatley, and the grandson of Harold and Jan Whatley, of Vicksburg, MS.  

I happen to know Harold and Jan Whatley.  I used to work with Harold at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and he's also the President of Brown's Point Hunting Club north of Vicksburg on Kings Point Island.  I have met his son, Scooter, at the camp on numerous occasions when my husband and I belonged to the camp and Scooter was there filming hunts.  

Scooter works with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks as a Segment Producer, Videographer, for the Mississippi Outdoors TV Program.  

I am so proud of Connor on getting a very nice "first" deer in our great outdoors!  Kudos!

A Very Nice Catch!

Vicksburg resident David Gunter caught this 12-pound, 10-ounce bass at Calling Panther Lake on January 31st.  My congrats to David on a nice catch in our great wild outdoors!

Raining Flower Petals

My Japanese Magnolia tree is raining flower petals now and it's suppose to rain all next week and the petals will be all gone by the weekend I'm sure.

No Signs of Oil Found On MS Side

Eastern bank side of the Mississippi River @ Vicksburg, MS

The eastern bank of the Mississippi River has shown no signs of oil residue after a damaged barge leaked 7,000 gallons of crude into the river after hitting the U.S. 80 bridge on January 27, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality officials said yesterday morning.

Ernie Shirley, an environmental scientist with the MDEQ said crews were traveling the river and oxbow lakes by boat yesterday and today to check for any oil.

"There's been some areas in the water, in some of the oxbows, that we've seen, but there's been very little sign of oil on the shoreline," he said.  "We're going to have to do some work on the banks to keep checking."

After a Coast Guard helicopter flew 50 miles downriver January 29 and found no oil, MDEQ officials said they felt the oil's impact would be minimal.

Small amounts of oil were found Friday around vegetation in an estuary about two miles from the barges, which have been held against the bank since hitting eh bridges, Lt. Aaron Jozef said.

"We're very thankful they were able to get out there and contain it," he said. "Louisiana has a little shoreline impact there, but unless a citizen calls us and says we missed something, we feel pretty confident that the Mississippi side will be mostly unaffected."

He said he expects MDEQ's work to be completed by today.

Meanwhile, salvage crews are trying to determine when the barges can be hauled north to Greenville for repairs.

Matt Stuart ~ The Vicksburg Post

A Great Buck With A Great Story

My fiance and I were running late and did not get to hunt this day (January 3rd) so we decided to ride out and check some game cameras. On our way to check the cameras we spotted a deer sleeping in the middle of a bean field. After looking through our binoculars we saw that this deer had antlers. After a few moments of observing the deer, we came to the conclusion that this was the deer that I had been hunting for the past week. We decided to attempt to stalk the deer through the bean field. We positioned ourselves so that the engine to the pivot in the field was between us and the deer. This gave us an opportunity to sneak up on the deer without him seeing us. The wind was perfect, right in my face. We snuck up to the engine and laid down without the deer knowing we were even there. We laid down on the ground and Bo, my fiancé, ranged the deer at 168 yards. He gave me his .308 Ruger scout rifle with a bi pod attached. He was explaining to me where the best place to aim would be when all of the sudden the deer stood up and faced directly towards us. In what seemed to be milliseconds Bo told me to aim directly in to the white patch on the deer's neck. I held steady and shot. The deer jerked his head back slightly then hit the ground with a thud. It was a perfect shot and the deer died instantly and cleanly. We walked up the deer and couldn't believe we had finally harvested the deer we had been chasing. It was exciting and fun and shows that hard work does pay off!  Story by Brittany Hurst

I'm so proud of Brittany in our great wild outdoors!  A very nice buck that was harvested in the great state of Mississippi!  Way to go girl! 

The Bear Necessities!

Mississippi River Reopened @ Vicksburg

A tug pushing 35 barges passes under the Vicksburg, Miss., bridges before making its way past oil removal operations near mile marker 436 on the Mississippi River, Jan. 31, 2013. More than 60 vessels and 900 barges had been cleared through the safety zone between mile marker 425 and mile marker 441. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.

The Mississippi River reopened yesterday afternoon as crews finished cleaning the leak that dumped 7,000 gallons of crude into the river, said U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Office 1st Class Matthew Schofield.

"The oil is effectively recovered at this point," he said.

The shipment of light crude began leaking January 27 when the barge struck the bridge. The tanker was carrying 80,000 gallons of crude, part of 1.5 million gallons being carried on the two-barge tow.

The river was closed January 27 through Wednesday afternoon when it was opened to single-file traffic though a 16-mile stretch north and south of Vicksburg.

Response crews remove fuel from the damaged MOC-12 barge after reconfiguring oil-pump equipment near mile marker 436 near Vicksburg, Miss., Jan. 31, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.

One mile around the barges remained a "trouble area" yesterday afternoon, but conditions were not severe enough to cause traffic restrictions, Schofield said.

"The traffic's going under normal direction, but they are having to talk a lot and look out for each other," Schofield said.

"As far as I know, everything is good to go," he said.

Preparations were underway to remove the two barges, which remained pinned to the west bank of the river.

Response crews remove fuel from the damaged MOC-12 barge after reconfiguring oil-pump equipment near mile marker 436 near Vicksburg, Miss., Jan. 31, 2013. Skimming vessel crews had recovered approximately 8,400 gallons of oily-water mixture since the incident occurred. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.  Image courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

"Temporary repairs are in the works for the barge that was leaking," Schofield said.

"As soon as it is fixed, we will get them shipped out."

The barges are owned by Third Coast Towing LLC of Corpus Christi, Texas, said Coast Guard Lt. Ryan Gomez.

Response crews remove fuel from the damaged MOC-12 barge after reconfiguring oil-pump equipment near mile marker 436 near Vicksburg, Miss., Jan. 31, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.

Both vessels were being pushed by the towboat Nature's Way Endeavor, which according to its websites, is based in Theodore, Alabama.  It identifies the towboat as a 3,000-horsepower, 90-foot-long boat.

The U. S. 80 bridge suffered no structural damage during the strike, said Vicksburg Bridge Commissioner Herman Smith.

Officials have said the cost of the cleanup has not been totaled, but it will be borne by the tow and barge companies.

By Josh Edwards jedwards@vicksburgpost.com

Riley's First Buck!

Vicksburg resident Riley Lampkin, 9, killed his first buck while hunting with his uncle, Ken Klaus, on January 5 in northern Warren County.  The 8-point buck had a 17-1/2 inch spread, and was shot with a .243 rifle.  Riley is the son of Gareth and Randy Lampkin. 

My congrats to Riley on his very first deer in our great wild outdoors!  Way to go Riley!

Mississippi