A Saturday Morning Hunt

It was 80% chance of rain all day Saturday (my 77th birthday) and my hunting friend/mentor, Rex Howell and I went to the Pond Stand.  It was slightly raining but had stopped after an hour.  I was his Dad's stand and not hunted much this season.  It has a walk-up ramp that is opened but enclosed with a bench.  I have seen ducks off of this stand but it's dried up now and ryegrass was planted.  We did not see a deer or a hog but enjoyed the hunt together and being in the woods. 

Sitting in the Pond Stand.

To the left of the Pond Stand.

Taking a selfie of Rex and me after our hunt.

Rex checking deer tracks in the field.

The Pond Stand.

To be continued...

A Friday Afternoon Hunt

On my way last Friday afternoon to hunt at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on Christmas Road at the edge of the MS Delta.  

My hunting friend, Rex Howell took me to the Game Warden Stand to hunt which is adjacent to the Hillside National Wildlife Refuge.  I have hunted this stand numerous times before.  Two does appear from the right side at about 125 yards between 4:30 and 5:00.  

I was hunting under the stand since I have been having problems with my knees/legs and had a chair and ground blind set up.  

To the left, a hog wallow.  I did hear hogs and turkeys in the area.

Looking through the ladder rung step towards the refuge.  

The woods from behind the stand.

Deer poop in the field!

Looking for blood after I shot my .270...but sadly I missed my deer.  

Having a campfire at a deer camp is a must to end the day! 

To be continued.....

Geese, Train & A Swamp

I had a great time deer hunting with my hunting buddies and will post my four hunts this week but first I wanted to post some pictures I took leaving the area.  A field full of geese, a train that literally stopped me in my tracks and a swamp area at the Yazoo City Interchange that I need to go through to get back home.  (Click on pictures to enlarge)

The swamp was full of ducks!

Gone Hunting

Today, I will be heading to the edge of the MS Delta to deer hunt at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club.  This weekend is the last of the 2017-18 deer season and it's also my "77th" birthday tomorrow and I'm hoping to get a deer.  Rain is predicted for the whole weekend.  Check back on Monday to see if I got lucky in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.

Lamar County Monster Buck

Jordan Paul Nettles of Larmar County, Purvis, MS killed this 249 lbs., 12-point buck yesterday.  What a very nice and awesome deer!  He said it was killed on his own leased land with NO members.  I'm sure it will be mounted on his wall with pride.  My congratulation to Jordan in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  

Got The One He Was After

Brad Sones near McNeill, MS was hunting with his son and said after hunting hard and passing on a few it all came together yesterday.  His first words after watching the deer fall in his tracks were....Thank You, Lord, I got the one I was after!

So proud of his son and in our great wild Mississippi outdoors!  Raising them right with good parenting!

My congratulations!

Hog Shine

You are looking at 33 hogs taken by Jerry Ferguson of Vicksburg near Greenwood, MS.  Jerry works at River Region Medical Center here and looks like he made a pretty good kill in the Delta.  Lots of bacon to me!  Congratulations to Jerry for eradicating these nasty hogs in our great wild Mississippi outdoors.

Guest Post ~ Raising A Hunter In Mississippi

Raising a Hunter in Mississippi: How to Introduce Your Child to Hunting

Like most things in life, there is not one proven recipe that is guaranteed to get a young person

interested in hunting one hundred percent of the time. Similarly, even the best efforts do not ensure

your kid will grow up to be a safe and ethical hunter. However, there are some steps you can take while raising your kids that most of the time will yield positive results in both areas. Mississippi happens to have regulations in place that create a great opportunity to raise passionate hunters that are also safe and ethical.

The Tag-Along Days

While Mississippi does not have a minimum age requirement for hunting, most parents implement some limits on their own. This is a good system because some kids are ready to hunt much sooner than others. Bring them along on some trips where the weather is favorable, the trips are of flexible duration and there are good odds of encounters. Use your early trips into the woods or field to teach your kids safety, ethics and hunting skills.

This is also a good time to get them started shooting an airgun or a kid’s compound bow. Again, the focus should be on safety and responsible use of the weapon. Of course, they will also start developing marksmanship skills.

During both the hunting outings and the shooting practice, do your best to test and gauge their

readiness to actually start hunting. Once they seem to have a handle on the safety and responsibility

involved with hunting, allow them to start fully participating.

Pre-Education Hunts

Until they are 12, youth hunters are not required to take hunter safety but must be in the presence of

an adult hunter. This is a great opportunity to further their training in the critical areas of safety and

ethics. Once they are 12, they will be required to pass a hunter education course to continue hunting. If you have done a good job of training them during their early hunting experiences, the course and test will just be a review for them.

After Hunter Education Hunts

Between the years of 12 and 15, youth hunters who have completed hunter safety can hunt solo, even though they do not need a license yet. Passing the course will make them eligible to hunt solo, but as their parent, guardian or mentor you should make the final decision on this. Make sure they have a full understanding of safety, ethics and the regulations before sending them off on their own. A critical part of this is not just explaining what to do in certain situations but also why you make each decision that you do.

Youth Hunt Opportunities

Mississippi offers youth hunting opportunities to kids 15 and under. These hunts generally come before the main season and offer better chances of success. Mississippi offers youth hunts for deer, waterfowl, turkeys and small game.

Youth hunts are a great chance to get your kid into the field on hunts where odds of success are better and there is not the added pressure to harvest your own animals. Even outside of youth-only seasons, do your best to make the early hunts focused on the youth hunter. In most cases, this will yield positive results.

Miscellaneous Tips

No matter where you are in the process, make sure to take some steps to create the best chance of the young hunter loving it. Pack them lots of snacks and make sure they are dressed for the elements. Be patient with questions and mistakes, both are part of the learning process. Make sure you enjoy the process. Before long your youth hunter will be off on their own doing their own hunts and you will find yourself longing for those days when they were tagging along by your side. 

Jon Sutton

Thank you Jon Sutton of Outdoor Empire for wanting to be a guest on my hunting site.  I'm happy to say that I have three grandsons, Stephen, Carl and Ethan who are hunters and took them to the Hunter Education classes.  My great grandson, Ian who is 10, hunts with his Dad for experience.  Grandson, Carl got a nice 5 point buck with my .270 while hunting together.  Grandson, Stephen killed a very nice 8 point buck with his Dad.  My grandson, Michael "Ethan" (shown above holding my .270) hunted with me and finally got a deer with his Grandfather.  Ethan is now serving his country in the U. S. Air Force stationed in Africa.  I'm so proud of all my grandsons and my three great grandsons. Thanks again for your contribution to our great outdoors and to my site.

Camouflage & What Do Deer See

A Warren County Monster Buck

Michelle Cole of my hometown of  Warren County, Vicksburg, MS killed this monster buck this week in the snow.  I don't know the hunting story behind it but it sure is a wall hanger!  Michelle is married with a son and daughter and I know her family has to be very proud of her as I am.  My congratulations to Michelle in our hometown in the wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!

Halleigh's First Deer

Halleigh got her very first deer this morning in the snow and was an 8 point buck.  Halleigh's only 10 years old and killed it at Brown Town in Greene County, MS.  Imagine she will always remember hunting in the snow and of course, never forgetting that very first kill hunt.  

Halleigh is the daughter of Jerrod and Alecia Turner and they are raising her right in our wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  My congratulations to Halleigh on her very nice buck!

Hunting Blessings For Pat

My Vicksburg hunting friend, Pat May Strange, said that two deer friends came to see her while hunting over the weekend so she kept them together.  She got them with two shots!  They crossed together in a bottom to her left and she hollered trying to stop the buck.  Then the doe brought him in front of her and doe stayed around so she shot her too.  She said this is the first time that this has ever happened to her and been hunting for a long time.  

I had similar experience years ago during the muzzleloading season when dogs were running a buck and doe and they just happened to stop in front of my stand.  I shot the doe with iron sights and she dropped.  I thought it was strange that the buck was hanging around waiting for her to get up...so...I decided to reload and shoot again but with all the anticipation and excitement, I missed.  

Congratulations to my hunting friend in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  You go, girl!

Charlie, Jr.'s Mississippi Buck!

My very best girlfriend (Jeanette) oldest son (born on my birthday) got a nice buck over the weekend south of Natchez, MS.  Charlie, Jr., who is the oldest, John Kirk (My Godchild) and son Michael (who wanted me to be his Godmother) are all college graduates.  Charlie, Jr. and his wife (Laura) live in Madison, MS with their two sons who are also young hunters.  

Andrew "Drew" and Charlie, III.  

Jeanette's husband, Charlie, Sr. hunts and they all enjoy hunting on family land south of Vicksburg.  I have hunted the land and really had a great time.  I saw a fawn and doe but Mama doe had her eyes on me.  I did take a picture and have fond memories of the hunt.

Fawn feeding before Mama Doe walks out.  

I'm so proud of Charlie, Jr. in getting a very nice buck in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  My congratulations!

Joey Finally Got Him!

Joey Rigby of Forest, MS, finally got him this weekend...the awesome buck he was after!  Joey works for the Scott County Sheriffs Department and the Grabuone Outfitters.   

The buck scored 164-6/8 and a mass with a lot of character!  My congrats to Joey Rigby in getting the job done in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  A wall hanger for sure!

LA Man Arrested For Killing Black Bear

A Louisiana man has been arrested for allegedly killing a Louisiana Black Bear.

The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested 28-year-old Ronald J. Kimble, of Lettsworth, on Monday for taking a black bear during a closed season and possessions of a firearm by a convicted felon.  It was unknown if he has an attorney.

Agents began November 29 investigating after the bear was found on the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area in Concordia Parish.  The necropsy revealed the 4-1/2-year-old female bear was shot twice with a rifle.

Agents later found Kimble hunting in the area and during questioning, Kimble admitted killing the bear on November 26 with a .270.

If convicted, Kimble faces up to 120 days in jail for killing the bear and up to 20 years on the firearm charge.

Carlie's First Buck

A big buck down for Carlie's very first buck in Harrison County, MS.  She killed it near Wolf River Road, Bay St. Louis, MS.  I love the look and the initiation of blood on her face.  My congratulations to Carlie in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  

Mississippi 100-Year-Old Lady Hunter

On December 19th, I posted about a Mississippi 100-year-old lady hunter who is still dropping deer.  I'm so glad I ran across this article recently about her because it did not give her name but I wanted to share her remarkable story with you.  

Meet Bertha Vickers of Morgantown, MS.

I'm so proud of Bertha and hope that I can hunt as long as I can (if the Lord's willing) in our great Mississippi outdoors.

Gracie's Very Nice Buck

Last night at my sorority meeting one of my sorority sisters showed me this awesome picture of her Granddaughter Gracie that shot this 215lb. buck in Louisiana.  What a very nice buck and a great happy smile to boot.  I'm so proud of Gracie as her Grandmother in our great wild and wonderful outdoors.  My congratulations to Gracie!  

Steven's Piebald Deer

Steven Albright of Starkville, MS was lucky Saturday to kill a piebald doe in Noxubee County, MS near Brooksville.  

He said he will also have the hide tanned.  What an awesome and rare deer in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  My congratulations to Steven!  You don't see many piebald deer running around in my neck of the woods!  Way to go!

Jessica's First Buck!

Jessica Griffin of Grenda, MS, is shown here with her first Buck!  He’s no monster she said but he’s perfect for her and dropped him in his tracks!  

She's also a mother two beautiful daughters. 

I'm so proud of her and extend my congratulations to her in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!!  

Hunter vs Bear

Three Bag Buck's For Terrie

Drake Broussard's wife Terrie has accomplished her 3 bag buck limit for the 2017 Dear Season and this is something he had never been able to do in his lifetime of hunting.  He is so proud of her getting her first one on October 1st (7-points) with her bow, December 27th (8-points) and yesterday January 3rd (8-points).  Terrie and her husband hail from Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  He also commented that she was wearing her Zebra Onesie PJ's under her camo!  Whatever it takes in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  Congratulations to Terrie!

New Year's Day Jones County Buck!

Tyler Ray Thornton of Hattiesburg, MS posted this picture of his Dad killing this fine buck on New Year's Day.  He said that they got this buck on camera last day of the season last year in the middle of the day.  He's congratulating his day on killing a great southern Mississippi Buck in Jones County, Ellisville, MS.  What a way to start the New Year of 2018.  My congrats as well to his Dad in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!

One Lucky Hunter!

Scott Alexander said that his Uncle killed this 207-inch stud in Lawrence County, MS recently near the Fair River.  Someone said that it was the largest deer roaming south of I-20. 

Tish Aquillard Foret commented that she had pictures of him from 2013/2014 season and think he was a 15 or 16 point then.  The following season no pictures of him and then last year he showed back up on another members camera.  She was not sure if he had him on camera this year.  She wanted him so bad because she knew he was something special for this area.  She said no one was letting him walk year after year because he was a bruiser 3 years ago.  She gave up on him and moved to another hunting club. 

Monster stud with a 3-inch split in the left ear.

Congratulations to this one lucky hunter who killed a buck of a lifetime in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!