Cat Alarm

This is so funny!  Enjoy!

A Good Sign

A Caring Mom

Today's Towboat On The MS River @ Vicksburg

A huge load getting ready to make the turn in the MS River heading south at Vicksburg, MS.

A pulled-out view of a very pretty day on the MS River.

Slowly ever so slowly making the turn 

Saw this trash swirling around in the MS River.

An old rotten tree stump at the Louisiana Circle lookout about to fall down.

A Mother enjoying some playtime with her daughter at the Vicksburg Riverfront Park below.

Slowing coming into view behind a huge tree that blocks the spectacular view of the bend.

M/V River Addyson ribbing up it's motor pushing it's way towards the MS River bridges at Vicksburg.

A pulled-out view of the M/V River Addyson sizing up the piers ahead.  

Going under the bridges with it's big load of full containers.

Kareen's Wild Boar

My Facebook friend, Kareen Beinhauer, of Alpine, TX, was out at 11:45 p.m. trying to get a wild boar. She was just about to give up on anything coming when a boar showed up at 3:04 a.m.  She didn't even give him a chance to eat, and when she shot him, she could see him hunker up and run down into the dry creek. She saw a blood trail going down to a creek but waited until daytime as it was so bushy. Her husband, Roy, actually found the blood trail at the creek and they followed it to the boar.  It was a lot bigger than she had thought. She said, "It may not look like it to some people but we estimated it to weighed around 240 to 260 pounds."  It made her weekend!  My congrats to Kareen on getting her wild boar in our great outdoors!

One ugly nasty boar!

Bear Here, Bear There, Bear Everywhere

My Facebook hunting friend, Eva Shockley, will be going bear hunting in the state of North Carolina with a friend in November.  What do you think her chances are in getting one?

   

Some Interesting Deer Facts

My Facebook friend Terry Brennan's photo called, Looking Back!

The average range of a deer in Mississippi is one square mile, but this range is variable.   Some deer move much more than others, and ranges in excess of seven or eight miles have been noted.

An adult deer consumes seven to eight pounds of forage a day, depending on the season of the year, age of the animal and quality of the food.

Deer are color blind, but they can see well at night and detect very slight movements. Whitetails really see the world in shades of gray.  They do not see the orange color worn by deer hunters as we do.  But an entire jacket of one color is more easily detected than the different colored shades of camouflage.

Deer weights vary around the state.  How much a deer weighs depends on its sex and age, fertility of the soil, size of the deer herd and other factors.  

The weight (field dressed) of a one and one-half-year-old buck will generally be between 70 and 100 pounds.  Weights of buck two and one-half years or older are normally between 90 and 130 pounds.  Does are smaller then bucks and weight 20 to 50 pounds less.

Male deer lose their antlers each year, normally around March or April.  There are exceptions. Bucks in the state have been known to shed horns as early as the first week in January. Usually antler growth begins during each spring and is completed around late September or early October when fully hardened and polished antlers appear.

There are three basic elements needed for good antler development.  First is nutrition.  A deer must have enough of the right kinds of food present.  For example, some species of honeysuckle or greenbriar should be available on a year-round basis for any deer herd.  The buck must be old enough to have a well-developed rack.  And, if proper genetics are not present in the deer, antler size will be reduced.

A Woman's Place...

M/V Ron W. Callegan Passing by Vicksburg!

M/V Ron W. Callegan passing under the bridges at Vicksburg on Monday, July 21, 2014.

A very pretty day for the M/V Ron W. Callegan on the Mighty Mississippi.

Passing by the Vicksburg Riverfront Park headed for the bend in the MS River.

A pulled-out view near the bend in the MS River.

Finally making the big turn in the MS River at Vicksburg.

Musical Birds

Post by Karim Metwaly.

All the birds are praising our creator!

Honey Bears

I recently read about some black bears in a town of Eolia, Kentucky taking a sweet, sticky cue from Winnie the Pooh in the search for honey.

Bears are roaming around in Letcher County, invading bee hives.  Carl Church says a bear broke through a window to get into his building where he keeps bee hives.

It's not the first time bears have ditched the garbage cans for something sweeter.

Machaela Lee says bears have gotten to her bee trees as well as berry patches near her home.

Lee says bears can slow down honey production, especially if they get to the queen bee.

The beekeepers say they've seen multiple bears on their property, including a mom and two cubs.

Tired vs Re-tired!

My Facebook friend, Steve Buckee Kane, took this picture in his neighbor's yard of this doe who is always laying down near a fence beside some old tires to sleep.  He named the deer "Tired" but then someone came up with a better name of "Re-tired" which Steve said was more appropriate.  He commented that she was an old dry doe who never had a fawn this year, so that name is perfect for her!   

Raccoon's Loving Doritos?

Post by WOWK 13 NEWS.

I had to share this with my blogging friends.  Have you ever seen a wild pack of raccoon's being fed Doritos?  This is absolutely crazy and literately coming out of the woods for it!

"Hogman" Trapping A Hog!

Post by Trapper John Hogman Schmidt.

My Facebook friend, Trapper John "Hogman" Schmidt, with his partner Suzy, are trying to get the hogs killed because they are destroying the landscape in the New Orleans area.  The meat will be eaten and the rest used for bait for coyotes, etc., and nothing is wasted.

I hope to get one in the near future at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on the edge of the MS Delta.  I will used my .270 rifle to take down the nasty varmints because they are a nuisance and destroying the hunting grounds.

M/V Leslie M. Neal Meets "The Queen"

My new Facebook friend, Grace Robbins of Kentucky, took this neat picture of the M/V Leslie M. Neal passing the American Queen on the Ohio River. 

The Majestic American Queen!

Deer Me

A smiling deer!

Care Bear

Nature By Numbers

Amazing!

Yesterday's River Traffic

After I left the Farmer's Market yesterday morning, I decided to drive by the Louisiana Circle on my way home.  As I turned into the circle I saw this big towboat making a turn in the bend of the MS River at Vicksburg.  

I was able to get this picture of another towboat out my truck window.  It was moving pretty fast going south.  

I got out of my truck and noticed that the big towboat had made it's turn and was following behind another towboat pushing containers.

I never could get a name on this M/V but it did have the name Blanco on the back end of it.  

Heading under the bridges at Vicksburg, MS.

A close-up view.

Almost under the bridges now.

I turned back towards the bend in the river and it looks like the big towboat was trying to play catch-up!

A pulled-out view of the towboat making it's way on down the Mighty Mississippi.

(Click on pictures to get a closer view)

Mississippi Is Happy

Published on Jul 11, 2014

Produced by Tom Beck, Thabi Moyo, Nina Parikh, Philip Scarborough, and Terry Sullivan
Production & post-production by Spot On Productions, LLC
Music by Pharrell Williams (thank you!)

Happyms Community on Facebook

Guest Post - Training A Hunting Pup

I was recently contacted by Gwyn Jones of DJ Decoys based in the United Kingdom about doing a guest post on hunting dogs.  I thought this would be great information for all my blogging hunters/friends in our great wild outdoors in our 

country.  You can check out his website at www.djdecoys.com. 

Training A Hunting Pup

Most hunters understand that it doesn't make sense to skimp or pinch pennies when purchasing a hunting dog.  The breed of dog as well as the lineage is important.  Certain pedigrees may command a higher price.  However, a hunter who does not properly train a pup is simply throwing money away.  As stated, breeding is important.  One cannot train desire, a work ethic, a keen nose, or natural attentiveness.  Certain dogs just have a better attention span than others.  But there are many things that can, and should, be taught early on that will increase the pup's success as a hunting dog, as well as the hunter's success in the field.

A summary about training a pup

When we think of training a pup, we tend to think of commands that every pup needs to know:  no, heel, come, kennel, and words such as those.  Without these commands, training fails, but there is more to raising a confident, happy hunting dog than a few simple commands.  Socialization is incredibly important.  Without socialization a dog can become skittish and scared in new situations.  When hunting, a dog is most likely to be exposed to more new situations than a non-hunting dog that spends most of his time in the house as a family pet.  Socialization is nothing more than exposing your pup to different people, places, and things.  The more often you can do this, the more comfortable your pup will be and the more confident he or she will be as an adult dog.

 

Is socialization part of hunting training?

Simply because you are focusing on socializing your pup does not mean that you need to forgo more formal training.  While you are allowing your pup to experience a new neighborhood, for instance, you may be walking him on a lead and teaching him to heel.  At a dog park you may be exposing your pup to a variety of other dogs, but it may also be a good time to work on the "come" command.  The biggest thing with socialization is to expose your pup early and often to all of the things he will experience in his lifetime.  A waterfowl hunter needs to experience water early in life, and often thereafter.  Even before a pup starts to hunt, if you want him to retrieve waterfowl, he must understand water first.  His first experiences with water do not have to be productive in a hunting sense.   Even pups that will be hunting in an upland environment will typically encounter water at some point.  Show your pup early on that water is fun, and being in the water is a positive experience that brings rewards.

How much training should I give my pup?

 How much training a pup needs is purely down to the time, interest and breed of dog you own. However, if you want a dog to work for you, ideally, the pup should spend as much time with you as possible.  He should get to bond with you.  This can increase the rate at which your pup learns commands and techniques.  Most breeds of dogs have a natural willingness to please, so the more important you are to your dog, the more important it will be to him to make you happy.  This can go a long way in your success with hunting training.

Practice and more practice

When taking your pup out into the field, don't overlook the power of play.  Allow your pup to explore the types of areas where he will eventually hunt.  Let him chase songbirds, game birds, and anything else he might see.   Keep in mind, however, that you should have the ability to call him back at any time.   This type of play will not only acclimate him to the area and make him less afraid or curious, but it also adds to his natural hunting instincts and predatory drive.  It is also important, though, to teach commands and obedience.  At the very least a dog, before heading out into the field for any reason, a pup should know "sit" and "stay".  Practice this every day, at every chance.  This will allow you to bring your pup into hunting situations even before he is ready to hunt, without being a liability to your current hunt.

Training will lead to a successful hunting dog

In the same vein, future hunting dogs need to be exposed to guns, gunfire, and to fields or marshes that are like the ones they will be expected to hunt later in life.  When exposed to these things properly and in a positive light, pups will grow up knowing that guns mean hunting, and the gunfire means the opportunity to retrieve, which is a positive and fulfilling task for the hunting dog.  Also, do not forget to introduce hunting dummies and bird scents early on.  Do not treat decoys and dummies as normal toys, however.  Only bring them out during structured training.  It is wise to start training sessions at five minutes or less.  Pups do not have the attention span of full-grown dogs, so five minutes of training at time is about all they can handle successfully.  Once you notice your pup's attention waning, stop the training.  Slowly build the amount of time you are training until your pup can focus on the task at hand for as long as he will need to in the field.

You will learn new techniques and each dog is different

While there is no substitution for spending time with your pup, many see formal, professional training as a great way to ready a hunting dog for the field.  Professional training can be a great way to teach the dog and master alike what is needed from both to create a successful hunting team.   This is not to say that you cannot be successful without professional training, however.  Just keep in mind that every dog is different.  While each breed has attributes that are typical to the breed, individual personalities are sometimes stronger than breed tendencies.  As you begin your training, take the cues from you pup.  He or she will tell you what works well for him or her and what does not.  Above all, don't be afraid to talk to other hunters about the specific techniques they have found that work well.  Bringing your pup hunting with others and older dogs can also go a long way toward teaching appropriate behaviors.  A pup will then be exposed to behaviors of other dogs and will see which behaviors are rewarded.  Training a hunting dog is an intensive and lengthy process.  But it is definitely a process that will pay more dividends, and will be worth every minute of time in the long run.

About the author:

Gwyn Jones has 25 years in the field sport industry specializing in pigeon shooting which all of his dogs have been by his side throughout his years of staking out with in his camouflage net. His dogs Charlie and Polly and not only been companionship but a hobby in training the dogs to see them grow to be great hunting dogs even for the most challenging breeds. 

Deer Whisperer

According to the Father of this little girl they were unpacking the car from a canoe trip when this fawn stumbled across their front yard and into Maya's arms.  The fawn had a good sense about Maya and followed her every step.  They are inseparable from the moment they met. Maya knew it needed is mother, who believed was off eating and recuperating from the birthing, so she led it back to the woods until is finally hunkered down.  They have not seen the fawn since.

An update:  Saw two two does and two fawns in the neighbors yard and then again a fawn and doe in their backyard the same day so they are pretty certain that she was found. Everyone please take a breath!

What a touching deer story in our great wild outdoors!

Baby Elephant, Rooster & A Human

Trying to wake up a sleeping dog.  Watch and see it was successful!  

Milk Can On Black Bear Rescued

In Rick Lake, Wisconsin a lumberjack rescues a Black Bear with a milk can stuck on it's head. This happened a couple of weeks ago and was recently uploaded.  The lumberjack used his forwarder machine to pluck the can off the bear's head.  It's like a real-life claw crane game. Life is great when you see things like this happening in our troubled world these days.

A Portable Deer Stand

My granddaughter's husband and family owns a company by the name of "BUBBA JOHNS" portable toilets and has converted this particular one potty into a camouflage deer stand.  

Deer stands come in all sizes and shapes these days and also have names!  

   This is the name of the deer stand on the inside door. 

Giving Thanks

Always thank The Lord for every opportunity you have to hunt and every meal you bring home.

Explosion Inside Fireworks

Videographer Jos Stiglingh flies a DJI Phantom 2 drone with a GoPro Hero 3 Silver through the heart of a fireworks show and the results are worth the risk of his drone being blasted out of the sky.  Hope everyone had a Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Birthday America!

Respect

Supplies For M/V David A. Lewis, Jr.

This past Monday I drove by the Louisiana Circle to see what was happening on the Mighty Mississippi at my hometown of Vicksburg.  Before I could reach the circle I saw a towboat coming under the bridges and as I pulled around to the circle there was a supply boat headed towards the towboat.  Here are a series of picture I took as the supply boat makes his delivery.  

Almost there!

Making his way to the towboat to deliver the goods.

Coming into view at the circle.  

In full view...

...the M/V David A. Lewis, Jr., passing by my hometown.  

A very large load...

...and another close-up shot!

Heading to the bend in the MS River going north with it's empty load of containers.

As I was leaving another supply boat was headed south with another M/V vessel making it's way north under the bridges.  A very busy day on the Mighty Mississippi!