I have gone through these two days every year for the last "59" years, missing my only son, William David Boyd, who was born on October 25, 1964, and unfortunately passed away the next day from Hyaline Membrane Disease (HDM). The angel shown here was on his flowered casket, and I cherish it. I'm genuinely blessed to also have four beautiful daughters who have given me six granddaughters, three grandsons, and five great-grandsons in my life. I will see him again when the Good Lord calls me home. Happy "Heavenly" Birthday, Son.
I had to steal these cute pictures of my 5th Great-Grandson, Asher, enjoying the gourd life, as his Mother, Caitlyn, puts it. They live in Cinnaniciti, OH, and so far away from Mississippi. Looks like he had a wonderful time and got him a pumpkin to take home. I love and miss you so much, Asher! Great Gran Gran
This past Saturday was the 35th Over the River Run, a 5-mile run and race walk across the Old Mississippi River Bridge. I did not do the 5-mile walk, but you could walk on the bridge from noon to 6:00 p.m. I arrived around 4:00 but had to wait an hour for two trains to pass. Here are some pictures of an enjoyable walk across the MS River bridge to the Louisiana side of the bridge on a beautiful breezy Saturday. MS River stage at Vicksburg is -0.81 feet. The flood stage is 43 feet.
Congratulations to Scooter on his 11-point buck in our great wild Mississippi outdoors. I have known Scooter for over 30 years when he was videoing and hunting up at Brown's Point on Kings Point Island north of Vicksburg, MS. I have also hunted, worked, and hunted out of his Dad's deer stand.
Scooter Whatley harvested an 11-point buck on the Homochitto National Forest Tuesday morning before he could get cameras set up to film his hunt. Whatley is a native of Vicksburg and graduated from Warren Central High School. He grew up hunting and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1986, launching a career in videography. His first job out of college was in the news department at WLBT in Jackson.
Whatley is a producer, director, and videographer for the Mississippi Outdoors TV and marketing for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. He has manned a camera at sporting events for ESPN for the last 15 years as well.
The Hunt: Whatley said he went into the Homochitto National Forest with a friend and an Ole Man Climbing Stand with no expectations. His friend had a meeting at 11:00 a.m., so they only had a short time to hunt.
He was hunting blind in an area and found a high ridge overlooking a creek bottom and another bank. Deer would funnel through the site coming from a cutover. Checking the wind, he climbed the hill. Doe was behind him and left the area.
Turning in the stand, Whatley said he saw two bucks coming out of the cutover in the opposite direction and working up the ridge. At 22 steps, Whatley grunted to stop the 11-point buck at a perfect broadside and let an arrow from his Hoyt Torrex bow fly. The deer went as far as 75 yards before going down.
Whatley said it was special because his 18-year-old son Connor Whatley, a student at Hinds Community College, is three to four years into bow hunting. Connor has not killed a deer with Scooter's old Bowtech bow yet but has had a few close calls.
"It happened in a minute from the time I saw the buck. It was that quick. I want Connor to learn from the experience. I want him to have that same thrill. It was so unique. We had no idea what was there," Scooter said, "You get nervous if you have time to watch a deer. You try to not make noise and move at the right time. It happened so quickly that I just stood up, got my bow, and it moved so fast there was no time to get nervous. It's a process. You stand up when he doesn't see you, draw when he can't, pick a spot to stop him and shoot."
The good Lord was with me," he said.
Scooter said the first person he texted after the shot was his wife, Annette Whatley. He called his 93-year-old Dad, Harold Whatley, and then called his son, Connor, to share the news.
"My Dad is 93, and he taught me everything I know about hunting. He was elated," he said.
Way to go, Scooter!!!
RAYMOND - Mississippi's deer population is more significant than ever before, prompting state officials to encourage hunters to catch an extra target total this year.
Mississippi is home to more than 1.5 million deer, a state record, according to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. To keep the deer population under control, the department gave hunters the green light Wednesday to grow their harvest during the current and upcoming hunting seasons.
"Since there are more deer out there than there has been, there is less foot for each individual to get to. That's why we're encouraging hunters to take an extra deer this season on their bag limit, "William McKinley, the wildlife department's deer program coordinator, told WAPTV-TV. "licensed hunters last season took 270,000 deer, but that still wasn't quite enough to keep that heard from regrowing this year."
Deer hunting is a $1 billion industry in Mississippi, McKinley told the new station. The dates for hunting season around the state vary based on location, weaponry, and the types of deer.
I took this picture yesterday at the Vicksburg waterfront, and you can see how low the Yazoo Diversion Canal is now. The riverboats cannot dock here and must arrive at LeTourneau, south of town. The MS River is 1.70 feet. The flood stage is 43 feet. It also looks like a great day to go fishing with all the trucks at the waterfront. Vicksburg: The Key To The South! 10.08.23
Yesterday, while at the waterfront towboat, Patsy came by, and then suddenly, she turned sideways in the canal. She got stuck since the Yazoo Diversion canal was so low but righted herself. Here are a few pictures I took when it happened. The MS River is 1.70 feet today. The flood stage is 43 feet. 10.08.23
