Awesome Crappie Catch!

Connor Baulch with David and Tracy Baulch had a good day crappie fishing at Grenada Lake recently.  Connor said to go and check out Grenada Lake Crappie Guides and they will give you an experience of a lifetime!

Congratulations on an awesome catch in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!

Goldfish?

A Mississippi man, Jonathan Toth, caught a strange looking fish in the Steele Bayou north of my hometown of Vicksburg, MS.  It appears to be an albino bighead carp.  Toth was bow fishing on the bayou when he made the catch on June 7th.   He said he normally fishes for alligator gar, and was surprised when he pulled this fish out of the water.  According to the United States Department of Agriculture, bighead carp are an invasive species.

America's Return Visit To Historic Vicksburg

Today "America" showed up at our waterfront with her passengers again for a full day of sightseeing and touring our historical civil war town of Vicksburg, MS.

The Yazoo Diversion Canal has receded a lot since we were above flood stage for a couple of weeks or so with all the trees under water.  

You can barely see "America's" stacks but when the water was high a few weeks ago the paddle wheelers would be more than half way up over the floodwall.  

While walking through Catfish Row Children's Art Park near the waterfront, I saw this pretty magnolia blossom and took several pictures of it.  

Love this up close picture!

Mississippi State Flower ~ The Magnolia!

Man, Son Accused Of Killing Bear

A rifle confiscated in a night hunting case let authorities track down a father and son accused of killing a Louisiana black bear, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.

Ellie P. Dupre, 59, of New Iberia and his 15-year-old son both were cited for killing a bear near Lydia in late 2015, according to a news release Monday from department spokesman Adam Einck.

Dupre could not be reached for comment because the phone number given by directory assistance was not in service and a current number was not available in online directories.

The citation can bring up to 120 days in jail and a $950 fine, plus up to $10,000 in civil restitution for the bear's value.

Einck said agents arrested Dupre on December 27, 2015, in a separate night hunting case, and confiscated three firearms.

Ballistics tests showed that bullets from one of those rifles matched the one found in a 9-year-old female black bear found dead November 4, 2015.  

The bear had worn a tracking collar for eight years as part of state research, and had provided valuable information on black bear populations, productivity and population viability in the state of Louisiana, Einck said.

He said that after further investigation, agents learned that Dupre's son was with him when the black bear was shot.

The subspecies was still federally protected at the time, but Einck said in an email that he didn't think there would be federal prosecution since wildlife agencies had already proposed removing the bears from the list of threatened species.

The U. S. Interior Department said in March 2016 that the Louisiana black bear had recovered enough that it no longer needed federal protection.

A Mississippi Big Snake!

Gregory Scott was building fences in a field off of Hwy 27 recently when he came across a snake that was 12 inches off the ground.  He hollered to his brother to "bring the gun, bring the gun" and he shot at it twice but missed and his brother took the gun and shot it in the head.  The snake had an estimated 13 rattles.  He said he would not go back into the field until it was icy or snowed up, he said.

Taking A Break!

Taylor's Very Nice Mount

Taylor Wooten of Sandersville, Mississippi got a very nice 10 point buck on January 2, 2017 on public land.  Taylor said that he is more than pleased with his mount that he got a few days ago from Jay's Taxidermy.  He's a very happy hunter!

165 2/8"
20" wide
27.5" main beams
160 lbs.
4 y/o

Congratulations to Taylor Wooten in our great wild Mississippi outdoors!

A Hoppy Frog Ending

Des Allemands, Louisiana - For 168 frogs, hunting citations had a hoppy ending.  Louisiana wildlife officials say three Raceland men are accused of exceeding a limit on catching frogs at a wildlife management area.  One of them allegedly took nearly double the limit.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says in a news release that an experimental frog season's limit is 50 frogs per boat at the Salvador Wildlife Management Area near Des Allemands.  But one boat checked late Saturday held 69, and a second held 99.

Enforcement agent Adam Einck says all three men in those boats were cited for exceeding the legal frog limit, which has maximum penalties of 90 days in jail and a $350 fine.

He says the frogs were alive and were returned to the water.

Hunter's First Bear

It was a long hard season full of missed opportunities and tons of work but finally this past weekend we were able to connect 12 year old Hunter with his first bear ever. What a wonderful moment between he and his dad. Absolutely what we live for in raise 'em right in our great wild and wonderful outdoors!

Great Grandson In Japan

My Great Grandson, Tidus David, who lives in Montana is in Japan with his Dad, Ryan.  What an exciting adventure for both and wishing them a safe and fun trip. 

Calgary to Tokyo

In flight for eleven long hours.

In Japan!

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Tidus David looking out the hotel window at Tokyo!

Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan traveling on train.

Have fun you guys and enjoy the ride!

Snakehead Fish Found In MS

BENOIT, MS:  An invasive fish has been documented for the first time in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Department of wildlife, Fisheries and Parks says a northern snakehead was caught Monday in Lake Whittington in Bolivar County.

Nathan Aycock, a fisheries biologist with the department, says Cleveland bow fishermen Brad Baugh and Bubba Steadman caught the snakehead in the oxbow lake.

Aycock says the Asian fish established itself in Arkansas' White River in 2008 and is expanding its range.  It can swim to other waters connected to the MS River.  Northern snakeheads are typically found in shallow backwaters and can breather air, letting then survive out of water for extended periods.

Aycock says it's unclear what impact snakeheads have on native fish.  It's illegal to transport, sell or keep live snakeheads in MS.

Happy "17th" Wedding Anniversary

Mr.. & Mrs. Dennis (Suzi) Nicholas cutting the grooms cake.

Wishing my youngest daughter, Marian Suzanne (Suzi) and son-in-law, Dennis, a very Happy 17th Wedding Anniversary today.  

They were married at the Chapel At Cedar Grove and stayed overnight at Cedar Grove Mansion Inn in Vicksburg, MS.  Later they flew to Spain and took a Mediterranean Cruise for their honeymoon.

Suzi and Dennis live in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and works for the FAA in Washington, DC.  They have given me two beautiful granddaughters, Emma 9 and Kate 4 years old. I love you all so very much!

Hog Hunting With Dogs

American Duchess Coming To Town

Tomorrow the American Duchess is suppose to show up at our waterfront for the very first time for a half-a-day.  I'm looking forward to taking some pictures of her while passengers tour our historic civil war town of Vicksburg, Mississippi. 

The American Duchess is the first all-suite paddlewheeler on U.S. rivers, a floating, intimate masterpiece that can carry up to 166 guests through America's heartland. The paddlewheeler, created from a 1995 hull, was completely reconstructed to become one of the most luxurious river cruising vessels in the country, featuring single-seating main dining and entertainment venues, soaring ceilings, and all of the features guests have come to expect.

We welcome the American Duchess with open arms and hope this is the first of many returns to our historical city of Vicksburg: The Key To The South!

UPDATE:  Looks like the "American Duchess" will be making her maiden voyage in August according to Pat Millett.  The riverboat scheduled said she would come in today but things are subject to change. Could not find her docked at the waterfront this morning according to my app FINDSHIP. Looking forward to the "American Duchess" arrival in August and taking pictures of her.

Riverboats Back-In-Town

What a beautiful day for the American Queen and America riverboats to bring their passengers to tour our historic civil war town of Vicksburg, MS.  Six or seven buses were lined up taking tourist to historical sites in and around our city.    

"America"

Picture I took of both riverboats on Washington Street before I went down to the waterfront.

Smoke pouring out of the smokestack looking through the red caboose.

Other side of the red caboose sitting on railroad tracks. 

American Queen near the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals.  This particular mural depicts the Miss Mississippi Pageant that has been held here in my hometown for 60 years and the pageant will run from June 19 through 24 at the Vicksburg Convention Center.  Tickets for the Miss Mississippi competition was sold out a week and half ago.    

Electric carts taking passengers to and from the waiting buses. 

Another picture at a different angle in front of the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals.

American Queen riding high in the Yazoo Diversion Canal due to the Mississippi River being above flood stage.  River level today is 45.03 feet - change +0.34 foot - flood stage is 43 feet. 

American Queen moored behind The Old Depot Museum in the canal.

The American Queen's smokestacks between the cupola on top of The Old Depot Museum.

A Tailgate Full

Darrell Hill started out bad Saturday morning fishing but at 1:30 things started to pay off and he ended up with a tailgate full of fish!  My congrats to Darrell on this fine mess of fish in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!

A Nice Deer Mount

Shawn Copeland's son is shown here with a winning smile and his deer that he got back recently and was mounted above the fireplace.  He's one happy and lucky little hunter that got such a very nice deer this past season.  I've heard that it's a bad thing to hang a deer mount over a fireplace because the heat will dry it out and it's such a nice deer.  My congrats to this young hunter in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  I'm so proud of him and got a buck of a lifetime!  

Deer Antler vs. Mare

Evidently this mare laid down to roll and rolled over onto a deer antler according to Dr. T. Thompson of Springtown, TX.  The mare was sedated, given an IV, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics.  A local anesthetic was injected around the periphery of the puncture while a short video of the removal was made. (Dr. T Thompson Veterinary Services, 5102 E Hwy 199, Springtown, TX  76082)

Deer antler in mare. 

A close up of the deer antler.

Nice Mess

Joseph Holliman of D'Iberville, MS got a nice mess of fish recently in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!.  I'm sure it will be some good eating at the Holliman's household!  Congratulations on a bountiful fishing trip, Joseph! 

Bear Hit By Car In MS

Last Saturday night a black bear was hit by a car while on Hwy 84 near Roxie, MS in Franklin County.  Kayla Bland posted a video on Facebook while driving by and you could hear someone say that the bear was running across the road when it was hit.  The game warden was called and the bear had to be put down because of it's injuries and the meat will be donated.  The driver of the vehicle was unhurt.  It's always sad to hear about a bear losing it's life to a vehicle since it is an endangered species in Mississippi. 

Watch Your Step!

All these snakes were killed recently somewhere in Mississippi during the day.  So watch your step and don't walk around barefooted day or night.  When the weather is hot they often stay put but when the sun goes down they are on the prowl for food.   So be extra careful and alert because you never know where they will be lurking in our wild Mississippi outdoors!

By Grant Allen Franklin

By Jeremy Wills

 By Mick Wall

By Tony Crane

By Jeffrey Polk

By Lance Morgan