A Minnesota Bear Emerging From Den

This is a little long but well worth watching of a Minnesota bear emerging from his den beginning in late February, then spending a lot of time lounging, scratching and yawning for a month before leaving the den area for the spring.

Riverboats American Queen & America Back-In-Town

Riverboats American Queen and America were back-in-town yesterday for a full day of sight-seeing for their passengers.  Notice a passenger looking at the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals depicting panels capturing the City of Vicksburg's crucial past, present, and future roles in American history, commerce, culture, religion and technology.  

The American Queen moored behind the Old Depot Museum.

Looking at the American Queen near the off-ramp. 

A wide-angle picture of the Queen!

A very pretty and sunny day for America's visit with her passengers touring our historic civil war town of Vicksburg, MS.  

A close-up picture of America moored in the Yazoo Diversion Canal.

Before leaving I took one last picture showing the water gages of past floods on the floodwall.    

River Level: 35.45 feet - Change: -0.11 foot - Flood Stage: 43 feet

KCS Holiday Express In Town Yesterday @ 4:00 pm

Yesterday afternoon we had the KCS Holiday Express Train to visit our historic civil war town of Vicksburg, MS.  

The KCS Holiday Express is a festive, 6-car train that brings Santa Claus and his elves to communities throughout the company's U.S. rail network at scheduled stops.  Guests to the train can visit with Santa Claus and walk through 3 cars filled with holiday displays. 

It started its 2018 journey in Shreveport and headed east into Mississippi.  At each of the 22 stops, gift cards for children needing warm clothing and other necessities will be distributed to The Salvation Army.  After leaving Mississippi, it will head back to Louisiana and then into Texas 

Here are a few pictures I took of the "festive train" yesterday.  A great turn out was had by all. 

What a cute train face!  It makes you smile!

A very big turnout with the weather being cool but perfect!

Holiday Express Train riding the rails!

The sunset in the Yazoo Diversion Canal last evening near the train.  

Looking from The Old Depot Museum towards the KCS Holiday Express Train with a lot of law enforcement making sure the huge crowd is safe and sound.  

Leaving to head home with a lot of traffic in town.  I'm sure the little ones enjoyed the train and seeing Santa and his elves.  It returns every other year and will be back in 2020! 

McKaleigh's First Hog!

McKaleigh killed her very first hog with a .223 rifle and weighed in at 160 lbs.  

A proud Dad, Cody Cochran standing with his daughter.

What a cutie and now officially a huntress!

Dad said she dropped it in its tracks.  My congratulations to McKaleigh on her very first hog in our wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  Way to go little huntress!  So proud of you!

Meet Mr. Bucket Head!

This was taken from Marshall Merchant of Oxford, Mississippi's game camera and said don't think for once that animals don't reason.  This buck hid his antlers before stepping in front of his trail cam.  LOL

A hunter commented that no way he would kill that deer.  He is a legend.  Could you imagine sitting in the stand and he comes by chasing a doe?  I shall call him bucket head! 

Another hunter commented that it's getting real when the deer start wearing helmets!   You never know what you will see on a game camera in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!

A Warren County 10 Pt. Buck!

Hunter Simrall of my hometown of Vicksburg, MS, Warren County killed this awesome 10 point buck yesterday morning.  It scored 160.  

Check out Hunter's rifle!

My congratulations to Hunter on a fine buck in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  I'm sure he will have this one mounted!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Little Charlie's First Deer

Little Charlie got his very first deer recently while hunting with his Dad, Big Charlie.  This is my best girlfriend, Jeanette's (Maw Maw) grandson.  Her husband, (Pops) Charlie are all like family to me.  They have three sons with Big Charlie above and I share the same birthday of January 27th and son, John Kirk, my Godchild and Michael who wanted me to be his Godmother.  I'm so proud of Little Charlie getting his first deer with a 7mm.08 rifle around 4:30 in the afternoon while on the Sweetgum Stand at the family camp south of town.  My congratulations to Little Charlie and the whole family on a proud time to celebrate him becoming a hunter in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors! 

A Sunday Afternoon Hunt

My Granddaughter Victoria with my Great Grandson Ian showing me this spot to hunt this past Sunday at their camp.

After I set my ground blind up I realized how uncomfortable my chair was and I'm in the process of getting a better one.    

My Great Grandson Ian and I before the hunt.  

Looking forward to hunting more with Ian and hope he will get lucky and shoot his very first deer this season. 

Our selfies together!

Ian with his Mom, Victoria before the hunt.  

I was so unhappy with my setup that I stood up the rest of the afternoon to hunt.  I took a picture of this thorn tree that I have never seen in the woods before.  My Granddaughter almost had a doe but only a butt shot by the time she got her .243 up.  Jamie her husband sat where I was the day before and midway towards him a doe came out and saw him and took off.   Hopefully, by my next hunt, I will have a new chair and be more comfortable in our great wild Mississippi outdoors.  Below a short video, I took of my hunt.

Close-up of thorns on the tree!

An Opening Day Afternoon Hunt

This past Saturday was opening day for rifle season in Mississippi and I was invited for an afternoon hunt south of town off of Hwy 61 in our great wild Mississippi outdoors!  

Here are a few pictures I took while on a stand called the "Shooting House" which was right off the main road.  

I was told that deer will cross the road at the end.

So I took a close-up to where the deer will walk by.

Me in the stand waiting and watching!

My rifle is ready to go!

At about 5:05 I had a chipmunk to almost climb in with me and I grabbed my phone to take his picture and then he ran across the road.  When I looked back up I saw a doe about 75-80 yards crossing over the road in front of me.  I took a quick picture and put my phone down and grabbed my .270 and my walking stick to brace my gun.  By that time another doe came in while the other one was out of site and put the crosshairs on her but not soon enough to put on fire and had the back in of the deer. I was hoping for a buck to come in behind the does but he never showed up.  Even though I did not get a deer it was so enjoyable to just see two which made it a great hunt and to get back into the woods again.

Getting Ready For Deer Season 2018-2019

Tomorrow is opening day for the 2018-2019 MS deer season for gun.  I was able to go to a deer camp today to zero in my rifle with my hunting friend, Charley Ring.   His family has a camp off of Ring Road south of town.  We both shoot a .270 and it was a perfect day to be in the woods.  So happy to get my rifle sited in and have no excuses in missing a deer this season.

Family Ring Deer Camp.

The skinning rack.

Charley shooting my gun first at 50 and then 100 yards.

Me shooting at 50 and 100 yards.

At 50 yards, Charley's shot to the left and my shot to the right.  Dead deer!

At 100 yards Charley's to the left 1st try and 3rd try after flenching twice.  Dead deer!

Took this picture from Charley's truck of a deer stand right next to his family's property.  A really nice stand.

A beautiful day to be in the woods and have hunted this field and saw a fawn and doe.

Charley getting ready to clean out his stand.  This is the stand I hunted a few years ago and saw the two deer but when I put my rifle up to shoot the sun glanced off my barrel and Mama doe was looking right at me and took off.  

 Charley got the wasps nest and cobwebs out of the deer stand and swept it out to hunt out of it tomorrow.  GOODHUNTING to all the hunters in our great wild outdoors!  Wish me LUCK this season!