Thanks To Our Service Men & Women for New Year

Standing in uniform with quiet pride, Snoopy honors those who cannot be home with their families this New Year. Some sacrifices are unseen, but never forgotten. This moment is a reminder to be grateful, to pray, and to remember those who serve with courage and heart.

Two Deer by Emmalee

Emmalee Hays tagged a 9-point buck and a doe on opening weekend.  The 18-year-old from Vicksburg was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome at the age of one. 

(Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic disorder affecting the nervous system, causing severe intellectual disability, speech impairment, balance issues, seizures, and a happy demeanor with frequent smiling/laughter, alongside hyperactivity and sleep problems).

My congratulations to Emmalee on a job well done in our great Mississippi outdoors.  So proud of you!

Never Too Old to Hunt ~ My Congratulations

Ninety-seven-year-old, in the deer woods, and he’s still doing it the way it’s meant to be done — slow, deliberate, and respectful. No victory lap. No noise. Just a man kneeling beside a buck with the same steadiness he’s carried through a lifetime of seasons.

If this ends up being his last hunt, it’s a fitting final chapter — clean shot, ethical recovery, complete gratitude for the animal and the ground beneath his boots. Some hunters don’t just spend time in the woods… they become part of its story.

Here’s to a life lived by the seasons — and a legacy that outlasts any single deer.

Field & Stream

Four-Year-Old's First Deer

Walker Bockman, 4, killed his first deer, a spike, while hunting with his father, Ryan Bockman, on December 5 in Warren County, Vicksubrg, MS.  

My goodness, kids are getting younger and younger, becoming hunters.  My congratulations to Walker on a very nice spike for his first deer in our great Mississippi outdoors!  So proud of you!

Merry Christmas on Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas

 Wishing all my Blogger friends a very Merry Christmas!

On The Twelfth Day of Salvage

 

On the twelfth day of salvage,

The USS Cairo gave me

Twelve artillery shells were discovered,

Eleven mustard bottles,

Ten rounds of bullets,

Nine cups for drinking,

Eight leather shoes,

Seven nails abandoned,

Six mess plates for meals,

Five picture frames,

Four uniform buttons,

Three sailors’ combs,

Two service muskets,

and a recovered canister shot.

Day 12: Twelve artillery shells discovered

These heavy artillery shells highlight the USS Cairo’s combat role during the Civil War. Recovered from the wreck, they serve as powerful reminders of the ironclad’s mission, the dangers faced by her crew, and the moment the ship was lost beneath the Yazoo River during the Vicksburg Campaign.

NPS Photo: VICKC 3465, 3470, 3480, 3490, 3500, 3505, 3515, 3535, 3540, 3570, 3580, 3590 — Twelve artillery shells.

Jamie's Biggest Buck Ever

My Granddaughter, Victoria sent me this picture yesterday of Jamie (her husband) bagging a really nice buck.  She said he's super excited about it and that's the biggest one he has ever gotten.  I'm so happy for Jamie.  He has already harvested a doe.  My granddaughter said it was going to be mounted in their new home.

 

Next year he will be taking me hunting at or near the same place called Campbell Swamp.  I can just step into a hunting house and hopefully get a deer.  I haven't been in two years because of health issues but so far so good and making plans to go. 

 

My congratulations to Jamie in our great Mississippi outdoors!

First Deer @ 6 Years Old

Halston Hudson, 6, killed his first deer, an 8-pointer, on November 30 in Pattison, Mississippi.  He is the son of Ross and Harley Hudson and the grandson of Bob and Cyndi Hudson.  

My congratulations to this very young deer hunter in our great Mississippi outdoors.  Way to go, Halston!  So proud of you!

Initiated - First Deer

So proud of our youth. Noland's first deer! One of the kids who was with me was asking questions a couple of weeks ago. Great job!!

My congratulations! You will never forget this day! Proud of you!

NoVar Outdoors

Overkill Outdoors

Overkill Outdoors by Kymber Erskine, Fayette County, WV. 11.26.2024

                       Congratulations, little one! Nice buck!

Published by NoVar Outdoors

Happy 83rd Birthday Laura

Laura Love Ables

Wishing my only sister, Laura (Boo Boo), a very Happy 83rd Birthday today. This is a recent picture I took of her with her spider earrings, Mama spider, and baby spider, showing them off on Halloween. I hope her special day is a blessing. Love and Hugs from your big sister, Missy.

Fought Cancer & Buck

SHE’S FOUGHT CANCER FOR YEARS — AND TONIGHT SHE FOUGHT FOR THIS BUCK.

On December 7th, 2025, this brave grandmother battling chemotherapy stepped outside under the cold night sky and claimed a trophy that proves strength isn’t measured in muscle — but in willpower.

My Congratulations!

~Alabama Empire Buck Outdoors

First Buck Ever @ Five

 FIRST BUCK EVER — AND HE’S ONLY FIVE.

On December 3rd, 2025, this young hunter made memories that will outlast a lifetime, dropping his very first buck with a smile big enough to light up the whole forest.

#FirstBuckEver #YouthHunter #FutureOutdoorsman

Congratulations, little guy!!! So proud of you!

Kaleb Got a Nice Buck Sitting with His Grandpa

My Godchild, John Kirk Ring's son, spent the weekend at the Ring Deer Camp south of Vicksburg, MS, last weekend, and his son, Kaleb, got a nice buck.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend at the Ring Camp in Vicksburg. Charles Ring Sr. was sitting with Kaleb when this buck came in to see what some of the does were up to. He made a perfect shot. I’m incredibly thankful for the quality time this property has given our family for many generations.

Nice buck, Kaleb!  

Congratulations!

Kaleb, with his Grandpa Charlie Ring.

Grandpa Charlie Ring is married to my bestest friend in the whole wide world, Jeanette.  We have known each other for over 50 years.  I'm truly blessed to be friends with "The Ring" Family.

If You See A Bear In Mississippi

Numerous hunters are seeing bears while hunting in Mississippi.  The picture above of a video was taken by Anthony Ballard, Jr., in Issaquena County, which is north of us in Warren County, Vicksburg, MS, on the Mississippi River.  

Hunting in bear country? The thick of deer season in MS. There are lots of hunters seeing bears while hunting. Bears do not seek out conflict with humans, but there are some things you can do to minimize interactions with bears:

1. If you see a bear, stay calm and watch from a distance. If you have one approach, too close, loud noises, and significant movements will encourage it to leave.

2. If you shoot a deer with bears nearby, try to dispatch and recover your deer in as short a time and distance as possible. (Bears can sometimes learn to associate gunshots with free meals.)

3. If you think a bear has found your deer, recover your deer with a partner and/or vehicle.

4. Carry bear spray. It is legal to use lethal force to defend yourself against a bear (although it’s scarce), but bear spray is more effective. It’s harder to miss with bear spray and can be used more safely.

5. Taking your food, drinks, and scents out of your stand or blind after each hunt can help keep a curious bear from investigating and possibly causing damage.

6. Remove foam-padded seats when possible. The foam used in many seat cushions smells like the scent given off by insect larvae. Bears will target foam seats for this reason.

7. If possible, bury your deer carcasses instead of leaving them for scavengers. The smell can draw bears for an easy meal.

Good luck and goodhunting this season!