Hooting Owl @ Pond Stand

I forgot to add this video of an owl hooting while hunting the Pond Stand at the famous Christmas Place Hunting Club on the edge of the MS Delta last Friday.  If you missed the story of my hunt you can read it here.

Saturday Afternoon Hunt & Sunday @ Christmas Place

On our way to the Crossover Stand where Rex was going to put me, we made a stop by the 40-acre lake on the property and saw that the wooden dock was underwater from all the rain. 

After setting me up at the Crossover Stand I took this picture of Rex leaving to go to his stand for an afternoon hunt.  

Rex had made a makeshift brace from a branch to rest my rife on so I could get a clean shot on a deer at the Crossover Stand.  

Looking out in a very nice field for a deer and/or hog but nothing showed up.     

I had to get a picture of Mark's dog, Marley!  She was so gentle and sweet.

Sunday morning was a washout from all the rain, so we broke camp early and this is a picture that was taken by Steward.  Mark with his dog, Marley, Paul, myself and Rex.  Missing was Trent who had to leave the night before and Barney who was in the woods checking on some unfinished camp business.

Mark, Paul, Steward, and Rex my hunting buddies.

On my way home from the deer camp, I always like to stop at the Yazoo Interchange to take pictures of this swamp.  I have a fascination with swamps and their mysterious look.  

Thanks, Rex for inviting me again to hunt at the family's famous Christmas Place Hunting Club on Christmas Road.  It was great to see you and visit with all my hunting buddies even though I did not get a deer.  Just being in the woods and enjoying nature is the best of both worlds in our great wild Mississippi outdoors

Saturday Morning Hunt @ Famous Christmas Place

Rex took me to my stand before daylight and put me on the T-Field Stand.  I have never been to this stand before and I set up under the ladder and waited.  Below is a video that I took before sunrise of the duck hunters shooting which woke up the turkeys and the forest.  

I took a picture under the T-Field Stand.

It was nice to see the sun finally peaking through the woods!

To the left of me at 9:05 a doe came up from behind at 25 yards and blew at me.  I could only see half of her body but she kept blowing at me and finally took off with her tail in the air.  

Another picture was taken under the stand after the sun came up.

You can barely see my shadow on the ground of a real nice field where nothing came out.

While waiting on Rex to come and get me around 10:00, I took another picture of the T-Field Stand.

Looking down the road where Rex will be coming to pick me up.  

I'm on the road looking back taking another picture of the T-Field when Mark and Rex showed up.  Mark had hunted the Cheeseburger Stand and Rex hunted the Spike Camp Stand and we were all close together and heard the shootings of the duck hunters and turkeys gobbling.  I could not ride the gator back with Rex because of a flat tire, so I rode the 4-wheeler back with Mark and Rex limped back to the deer camp. 

To be continued...

Friday Afternoon Hunt @ Famous Christmas Place

I got to the famous Christmas Place Hunting Club off of Christmas Road around 3:00.  Three hunters were in the woods already and the only hunter at the camp was Barney.  I got all my hunting gear into the bunk room and waited on Rex (Deer Camp Blog) to get there.  He arrived about an hour later.  Barney and Rex decided to go down to the Privy Stand to hunt and it was a good distance away so I decided to go across the road to the Pond Stand behind the storage hanger.  We only had about an hour and a half of daylight left. 

Rex and Barney walked down Christmas Road and went to the Privy Stand into the woods on the far left.  

I took this picture of the pond before I got to the deer stand.

The floor of the woods looked camouflaged.  While continuing my walk to the stand I heard a big splash in the water and guess what was at the stand before I got there?  Two deer.  They dashed across the water to the other side and out of sight.

I saw where the Pond Stand that had a ramp with a long opened stand and long seating area had deteriorated.  So I decided to stand by this camouflaged tree to hunt. 

Another picture of the pond with the shadows of the trees on the opposite side of the pond.

A beautiful sunset was happening.

While walking back I took this picture of the camp house lit up.

150 lb. Deer

Stewart Allen of Gulfport, MS, got a 150lb. doe.  He said when he shot her she fell backward.  My congratulations to Stewart in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  That is one big doe!

Happy Birthday To Me!

This little girl turned 79 years old today! 

(Marian Ann Love)

(Missy)

Going Hunting To The Christmas Place In MS Delta!

I have been invited by my hunting friend, Rex Howell of Deer Camp Blog, to hunt at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club near Eden, Mississippi for the weekend.  This picture was taken last January taking a break from a morning hunt and getting ready to head out for an evening hunt.  I'm looking forward to seeing Rex, his friend Mark and all the hunters who come to enjoy the last weekend of hunting season for 2019-2020.  I hope to see or even get a deer and/or hog in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  Wish me luck!  

One Bullet Counted

Felicity and her daughter had their first-ever hunt together in Eupora, Webster County, Mississippi.  They were in the tree stand for three hours and only had ONE bullet so they had to make it count.  The buck came out of a thicket chasing a doe. Bang!  The buck went down with grass in its mouth. What an awesome experience and memories to share with her daughter in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  My congratulation ladies!  

Kimberly's Second Deer Ever!

Ryan Page of Wiggins, Mississippi is so proud of his wife, Kimberly in getting her second deer ever.  He videoed the kill and you can click on the link below to see it.  

Kimberly is also 4-1/2 months pregnant.  My congratulations to Kimberly on the very nice buck in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  Way to go!

Kimberly's awesome shot!  (click here)

https://www.facebook.com/ryan.page.9659/videos/3221297584555363/?t=0

Happy 54th Birthday To You, Kathy!

On January 21, 1966, my daughter, Kathleen (Kathy) Love Boyd Day was born at 4:21-½ in the morning. She is 54 years old today and the only daughter out of four, who is a deer hunter. In this picture, we were hunting at Homewood Hunting Club in Claiborne County, MS, back in the early ’20s. We have had some great hunts together and made some good memories. I’m wishing Kathy a very Happy Birthday today. Have a Blessed one, Kathy! I Love you, MOM xoxo

Mississippi Hunter Bitten On Head By Copperhead

Tyler Hardy of Philadelphia, MS, said he was leaving the woods after a deer hunt on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, when he was bitten on the head by a copperhead snake that was in a tree.

A Mississippi hunter was taking the last of his dog pack back to a truck on Wednesday evening when he encountered a flooded ditch. He found a narrow spot where he could jump across. When he leaned forward to jump, he felt severe pain on the left side of his head.

"As soon as I leaned forward it was, 'Bam,'" said Tyler Hardy of Philadelphia. "As soon as it hit me I thought it was some sort of massive impact he struck me so hard.

"I thought somebody had shot me or hit me with an ax. It knocked the fire out of me. I just could not believe the force the snake had when it hit me."

Hardy had no idea what had hit him at the moment, but when he shined his light on a branch near his head he saw something he never expected.

"I backed up and shined my light to see what was in the tree and I saw the snake coiled up on a limb," Hardy said. "It struck at me again and fell out of the tree at that time."

Hardy and his hunting partner, Michael Kilpatrick, also of Philadelphia, both identified the snake as a copperhead, which is common in Mississippi and venomous. They grabbed the dog and loaded her and their gear in the truck. Even though that took only a couple of minutes, Hardy was already feeling the effects of the bite.

"It was about 4 inches above my ear," Hardy said. "It started burning and swelling.

"It was a lot of severe burning. By the time I got in the truck the burning was spreading. It started spreading rapidly, the swelling."

Amazingly, the two hunters didn't panic. Hardy said he called his wife on the way to the hospital. He also called Neshoba General hospital so the emergency medical team would be prepared when he arrived.

Hardy said Crofab, an antivenom, was administered while at the hospital. Then he was airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

He received five vials of Crofab to help with the effects of the bite and soon began feeling better. After a day of hospital care, doctors agreed to release him because his wife is a nurse practitioner and could monitor his condition.

"I was struggling before I got the antivenom, but I feel a lot better," Hardy said. "As of now all I have is throbbing and a goose egg on my head. I feel like I've been on a five-day drunk, but I'm fine."

What Hardy doesn't understand is why a copperhead was in a tree about 6 feet above the ground. His only explanation is it was caught in flash-flooding that occurred the day before.

"I've never seen a copperhead in a tree," Hardy said. "I'm assuming he came out in the warm weather and got caught in the flood and found a tree to get in."

Herpetologist Terry Vandeventer of Hinds County said copperheads do climb trees, but don't expect to witness it.

"I think this was a very rare and unusual circumstance," Vandeventer said. "They are basically terrestrial snakes, but it's been known for decades (that they will climb trees)."

Vandeventer said one of the more common times for copperheads to climb is during summers when cicadas emerge from the ground and cling to trees and bushes while they shed their shells. During that time, copperheads will climb to eat the insects, but that obviously wasn't the case with Hardy's encounter.

"Finding a copperhead in a tree in January is unheard of," Vandeventer. "I don't doubt it went down the way he said it did, but in doing so it made him the unluckiest guy in America."

Vandeventer said unusual situations like this get a lot of attention, but said it needs to be kept in perspective because it's not the norm, it's rare.

"People need to understand this isn't something to worry about," Vandeventer said. "People don't need to let this keep them out of the woods."

However, he said don't let your guard down either.

"Be aware of your surroundings," Vandeventer said. "Stuff happens in life and he'll have a story to tell, for sure

While he does have a story to tell, it's not something Hardy wants to take a chance on happening again.

"I'll be looking the rest of my life," Hardy said. "I'll get some snake boots and a snake hat, I reckon."

The Clarion-Ledger

Grandmother, Mother & Granddaughter Killed Deer

Shelia Garnathan (Grandmother) with Marcie Johnson (Mother) and Granddaughter of Mantachie, Itawamba County, Mississippi, each killed very nice bucks recently and it's all in the family!

My congratulations to everyone!  What an awesome experience for the whole family to share in our great wild Mississippi outdoors!  You go ladies!

MDWFP Curtails Hunting Due to Rising Flood Waters

NEWS ALERT:  Heavy rains and rising Mississippi River levels have hunters yet again looking down the barrel of hunting season closures. As a result of these high-water levels, all hunting except for waterfowl will close based on these parameters (projected date of closure levels listed for each zone):

Zone 1: (Projected to reach 34 ft on Tuesday, Jan. 21)

When the Memphis, Tennessee gauge reaches thirty-four (34) feet and shall remain so until the Mississippi River level falls to or below 32 feet. (Lands in DeSoto, Tunica and Coahoma counties which lie south of Tennessee state line, west of Highway 61 and north of Highway 49)

Zone 2: (Projected to reach 41 ft on Monday, Jan. 20)

When the Helena, Arkansas gauge reaches forty-one (41) feet and shall remain so until the Mississippi River level falls to or below 39 feet. (Lands in Coahoma, Bolivar, and Washington counties which lie south of Highway 49, west of Highway 61 to the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 444, west of Highway 1 and north of Highway 82)

Zone 3: (Projected to reach 48 ft on Monday, Jan. 20)

When the Greenville, MS gauge reaches forty-eight (48) feet and shall remain so until the Mississippi River level falls to or below 46 feet. (Lands in Washington and Issaquena counties which lie south of Highway 82, west of Highway 1, and north of Hwy 14)

Zone 4: (Projected to reach 43 ft on Friday, Jan. 17)

When the Vicksburg, MS gauge reaches forty-three (43) feet and shall remain so until the Mississippi River level falls to or below 41 feet. (Lands in Issaquena, Sharkey and Warren counties which lie south of Highway 14, west of Highway 61, and north of the Big Black River)

The following Wildlife Management Areas (WMA): Shipland, Mahannah, Phil Bryant

Zone 4B: (Projected to reach 90 ft on Friday, Jan. 17)

When the Steele Bayou gauge reaches 90 feet and shall remain so until the Steele Bayou level falls to or below 88 feet. (Lands in Sharkey, Humphreys, Yazoo, Issaquena, Warren counties which lie south of Highway 14, west of Highway 149, south of Highway 16 / 149, west of Highway 3, and east of Highway 61

• The following Wildlife Management Areas (WMA): Lake George, Twin Oaks, and Sunflower.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, including the Carter Unit, consistent with state regulations.  In addition, the Brown Tract on the northeast side of Delta National Forest is closed to all hunting until floodwaters recede.  

MDWFP will increase its law enforcement presence in the affected areas to patrol the levees, ensure public safety for residents affected by rising waters, and enforce wildlife laws that protect animals displaced by floodwaters.  

For more information about this closure and to view a map displaying closure zones please visit our website at www.mdwfp.com or call us at 601-432-2400. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mdwfp or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDWFPonline.

Forty Deer Tested For Deadly Brain Disease In Mississippi

A deadly brain disease has been found in or is suspected in 40 Mississippi deer, and the state is asking hunters to continue providing samples through the deer season.

"Deer harvest begins to tail off this time of the season.  I hope we will get several hundred more before the season is over, if not a thousand or so," Russ Walsh, wildlife chief of staff for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, said Thursday.

Chronic wasting disease, or CWD, is a highly infectious disease spread by malformed proteins called prions, like those that cause mad cow disease and the related human infection call Creutzfelt-Jacob disease.

Nearly all the infected and suspected deer were in north Mississippi, including 25 killed or found in Benton County and 10 in adjacent Marshall County, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) said in the news release.  Both counties border southwest Tennessee, where the disease has also been found.

"It's likely tied in with the cases they have," Walsh said.

Three of those in Marshall County and 18 in Benton County have been detected since October 1.

But two, including Mississippi's first and third, were about 160 miles away in west-central Issaquena County, along the Mississippi River.

"As we collect more samples and more data, hopefully, we'll be able to connect the dots.  It's still a mystery why those two were there," Walsh said.

Panola, Pontotoc and Tallahatchie counties, all closer to Benton and Marshall counties, have had one each, according to a department news release.

The department has collected nearly 4,700 heads from hunters, road-killed deer and white-tails reported as diseased.  "We still have several hundred of those pending lab testing," Walsh said.

The news release said, "Continued surveillance is critical, and hunters are the key source for sample collection.  MDWFP is relying on hunter-harvested deer for the remainder of the 2019-20 hunting season."

The gun-with-dogs season runs through January 22 and archery/primitive weapons season through January 31.

The department had 36 freezers where hunters can leave deer heads.

CWD can be present in a deer's saliva, feces, urine, blood, and antler velvet for a year or two before symptoms show.  It's been found in most kinds of deer and related species, including moose, elk, and mule deer, and in at least 25 states including Texas and in at least 25 states including Texas and Arkansas.  It has not been found in Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina or Alabama.

No human infections are known but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that hunters in areas where CWD had been found have any deer or related species they kill tested for the disease and not eat meat from infected animals.  

The Vicksburg Post

Blogging/Hunt Friend Becoming A Grandfather & Marriage

My blogging/hunting friend, Rex Howell of Deer Camp Blog became a Grandfather for the very first time on January 11th.  His oldest daughter, Sarah had the cutest little baby girl and was named, Willow by her parents.  What also makes it so special is that she was born on her Sarah's birthday.   Father, Ryan Roberts, and Sarah live in South Carolina. My congratulations to the new parents!

Rex also got married on December 23rd to Denise.  A lot of happy special moments for him.  Wishing Rex and Denise best wishes on their marriage and becoming a Grandfather for the very first time.  

A Rare Long Neck Deer

Tracey Bridges of Aliceville, Alabama got a picture of a very rare and highly elusive "Deeraffe" on his cam.  He said he hopes to get him necks year.  Never seen a deer with such a long neck before.  Have you?

Tynslie's First Deer Hunting With Her Dad!

Chynna and Keith Brewer of Taylorsville, Mississippi are so proud of their daughter, Tynslie on her way in getting her first deer recently.  She is making her way to the deer stand to get the job done!  I love the hat!

Waiting for a deer to walk out with her Dad taking a selfie! 

A nice size doe walks out and the rest is history!

She has now been initiated with the blood of her first deer.  My congratulations to Tynslie and thanks to her parents for introducing her to the sport of hunting in our great wild Mississippi outdoors.  

Grace's Very First Deer

Mark Jones of Mathison, Mississippi is so proud of his daughter, Grace, killing her very first deer in Webster County.  Dad said it had some good stickers on the back with a total of 7 points.  I'm so happy that her Dad gave her the opportunity to hunt.  So proud of little Grace in our great wild Mississippi outdoors! 

A Hog, Ducks and Deer, Oh My!

It looks like little Mattie is on a roll killing a hog...

...Ducks and

...a deer.  My congratulations on a job well done Mattie!  She hails from Columbia, MS in getting it done in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  I'm proud of you young lady!