Vicksburg On The Hunt

Josh Free, 13-year-old son of Dal and Jasmine Free, harvested this 11-point, 240-point buck in Jefferson County, using a .270 Remington at 90 yards.  The antlers were 17 1/4 inches wide and scored 147 3/4 Boone and Crockett points.

Mary Pat Wright shot this 180-pound, 8-point buck on December 19 while hunting with her husband, Lummy, at Mill Pont Hunting Club in Claiborne County.  My deer camp, Jasper Bottom, borders this camp on the Big Black River south of Vicksburg. 

Sara Grace Daniels, 8, killed her first deer on January 9.  She shot the 160-pound 6-pointer with a .243 while hunting with her father in southern Warren county.  Sara Grace is the daughter of Mark and Shannon Daniels.

Cooper Orman, 7, killed this 8-pointer buck at Russellville Hunting Club on December 29.  He shot it from 110 yards away with a youth model 7mm-08.  It weighed 175 pounds and its antlers were 13 1/2 inches wide and 18 in the main beams.  Cooper is the son of Charles and Susan Orman.

Vicksburg resident Talon Thompson, 12, shot this 9-point buck in November at his family's hunting camp in Redwood.  It was his first buck and had a 15 1/2-inch spread.  Talon is the son of Billy and Lisa Thompson, and Shay and Sam Scarber.

Shelby Bottin, left, shot an 8-point buck and her brother Connor Bottin, right, shot a 10-pointer while hunting with their father, Bobby, on Paw Paw Island.  Shelby shot hers from 152 yards away, while Connor shot his at 120 yards.  I'm so proud of all our hunters in our great outdoors!  Charming, Just Charming!

Jamie's Nice Buck

My name is James “Jamie” Gerache and I’m 18 years old and attend Warren Central High School here in Vicksburg. I want to share with you my buck that I killed on December 18, 2009. My dad and I were suppose to go duck hunting that morning, but he didn't want to get in the water and freeze. We got up to my deer camp at 5:30 a.m. He left the camp soon after getting there and I didn't leave until daylight. I got to my stand on a long wheat field after daylight. I only hunted for about an hour before I saw this deer fighting behind the stand. This deer ran off and then came back about 10 minutes later. He stepped out into the road to the side of the stand about 150 yards away. After I shot, he got up and ran off and I couldn't find him. I had to wait till 9 o'clock to go and get my dad so he could help me look for him. When we got back we stepped into the cut over and looked around and didn't see him. My dad walked about 10 yards and the deer was lying right in front of him in some thick brush. The deer weighed 225 pounds and was a main frame 8-pointer with a split brow tine. He had an 20-inch inside spread and 7-inch bases.

After school hours Jamie works at Corner Drug Store owned by his uncle.  My congrats to Jamie and his fine buck taken in the wild outdoors!

A Snowy Vicksburg!

Bob taking Katie out...she's a good girl!

Katie's footprints in the snow on the handicap ramp.

  

Neighbor's house with huge oak trees.

It started snowing here in Vicksburg around 9:00 last night and snowed all night long and it's still snowing.  Our power did go off this morning for about an hour but came back on.  Here are a few pictures I took off our front and back porches.  All the schools are closed and basically everything in town is closed down.  The snow is suppose to stop between noon and 2:00.   A Mardi Gras Parade is scheduled for tomorrow at 2:00 but don't know if it will be cancelled or not.  As the snow falls off the huge oak tree hanging over our house, you can feel the house shake...just so it's snow and not a big limb. 

Our truck covered in snow.

A Monster Ohio Buck

My friend, Rick, over at CamoSpace, sent me some great pictures today of this huge buck that was taken by a muzzleloader on opening day 2009 in Ohio.  They say it's not official quite yet...but unless a buck's main beam can shrink by almost two inches in 60 days, you are looking at least the longest left main beam and likely the longest two beams recorded on a whitetail deer—ever. On November 30th, the opening day of Ohio's gun season, 39-year-old software developer Brian Stephens dropped this 18-point colossus at 80 yards with his .50 caliber T/C muzzleloader. The enormous buck should shatter The Buckeye State's nontypical muzzleloader record and will almost certainly set the new mark for whitetail beam length. Here's his story/photos as told to Dave Hurteau.

"The first time I saw the buck was in 2007, on November 24th. My Dad and I looked out onto a field on our property and there he stood, about 450 yards away. I happened to have a video camera in my truck. As I filmed, it wasn't until he turned broadside that we could see how big he was, and we were both blown away. What's crazy is that the buck wound up dying about 10 feet away from the spot where I last got video of him. Here are some grainy stills from that footage." 

"On opening morning of our gun season, I headed out before dawn with my Dad, my uncle, my brother-in-law, and a few friends to hunt our 180-acre family farm in Highland County . If you look past the pond in this picture, you see a CRP field and some scraggly pines. My stand is in the timber just beyond. Deer bed in a brushy draw in the CRP, as well as on a bunch of wooded knolls behind my stand. Between the field edge and the timber is a path, and on it, in the middle of one my shooting lanes, was a fresh scrape."

"I climbed into my stand and just after daybreak, a small doe jumped out of some cover and cruised right toward me. Immediately, I saw this absolute monster right behind her. They stopped at 50 yards, directly behind the only tree with any leaves left on it, where they milled for several minutes. Once they started to move again, I needed them to take just 10 steps for a shot. But the doe winded me and disappeared into a ravine. Unspooked, the buck ran after her, through the only spot where I could have shot, but it happened too fast for me to get on him. I was sick. I knew the opportunity of a lifetime had come and gone."

After just two minutes of hanging my head, I looked up and there were four bucks standing right behind the same leafy tree: a good 8-pointer, a 120-inch 10, and two yearlings. Then came three more bucks, another 8 and two more yearlings. They must have had that doe's scent because they followed right in her footsteps--except for the 10-pointer. He took a slightly different route and gave me several shot opportunities that I would have taken in a heartbeat if I hadn't just seen that giant.

A saw two more does and another small 4-point buck a little later, and at 9:30 I heard a fairly close shot. Around lunchtime, I was debating whether to stay put or go in and grab a bite. I was leaning toward the former. I was thinking, How can I go in and tell the guys I saw 10 bucks with nothing to show for it ? But then, I heard our John Deere Gator coming off the hill and I knew someone had killed one. I decided to go in, and back at camp found out that my neighbor Glenn had shot a nice 8-pointer. I was really excited for him. I told my story over lunch and everyone said "Yeah, right."

Back in stand before one o'clock, I started getting that feeling like my chances had come and gone. I spotted a coyote coming toward me and feeling the way I did, I said the heck with it and shot him at 50 yards. Not 10 minutes later, two does came, walked within 10 feet of that dead coyote, and never flinched. About 3:20, eight does crashed down the hill from where the big buck and doe had disappeared earlier. I saw a flash of horns behind them, but it was just a forkhorn. The group moved toward the CRP field and got about 150 yards away where I couldn't see them but could hear all kinds of running, and crashing, and grunting. Then everything went quiet for about 20 minutes--and suddenly, I see the monster, about 250 yards downhill, straight in front of me.

He'd heard the racket, too, and was up to check it out. For several minutes, he just stood still, then starting moving directly at me. I couldn't believe it was happening. He swayed side-to-side like a moose as he walked. I whispered to myself, Stay calm . . . stay calm . And I whispered to the buck, Keep coming. . . keep coming . I figured he was headed for the scrape, about 80 yards below me. And sure enough, he hit that path, turned, and went right for it. When I got him in my scope, he stopped broadside, just a few yards from the pawed dirt. The crazy thing is, I wasn't nervous. I was far more calm than I've ever been on any buck. I shot and smoke was everywhere. It took forever to clear and when it did, nothing. No buck. No blood. No hair. My heart sunk. I couldn't believe I missed.

And it only got worse when I suddenly caught sight of him 120 yards moving away. On a little knoll 200 yards out, he stopped and looked back. He was just standing there, staring at me. Through my binoculars, I couldn't see a drop of blood—and I just knew I missed him. I felt nauseated. I felt absolutely disgusted. I wanted to throw myself out of the tree. Then he fell down dead.

I sat down, took a drink of water. I wanted to savor it for a little while. I ate an apple, and waited about 20 minutes. Then I got down, picked up my coyote and started toward the buck. I knew he was big, knew it was the best buck of my life, but I still was not prepared. As I walked up the knoll and caught my first up-close glimpse of the rack, I almost fell over. My legs turned to Jell-O and I literally dropped to my knees and thanked God and my two late grandfathers. My mom's father bought this place in the 50s and just loved to see family and friends gather here to enjoy the outdoors. My Dad's father was the big hunter. They got along great, and between them, they got this all started. "I know both of you guys are watching," I said, "and I thank you." 

While the other guys were still hunting, I got the buck with my truck and put a tarp over it to surprise them when they got back. The second my Dad came in and saw the tarp he said, "Let me guess. You killed a coyote at 1 p.m. and a buck around 4." I lifted up the tarp and I can't tell you what he said in a family magazine. Let's just say he was bowled over. Honestly, the look on his face made the whole hunt for me.

It's been pretty chaotic ever since. At the check-in station, somebody saw the buck and yelled "Oh my God, it's a giant!" Next thing I knew I was surrounded by people and getting my picture taken with complete strangers. Heading home the next day, people were beeping, waving, giving me thumbs up.

When I got home, I put both my deer and Glenn's on the garage floor. And seeing them side-by-side again, and knowing that Glenn's is a very respectable 8-pointer, I began to understand the size of this buck. And it wasn't until then that I realized it was the same buck I'd video-taped two years earlier.

My 9-year-old son, Cole, couldn't believe how big it was.

A couple of buddies came over and wanted to put a tape on him. The kept writing down numbers and shaking their heads. Finally, one says, it's going to go over 240.

Later, I got hold of Jason Snyder at Boone & Crockett. He asked me to measure the left main beam and told me exactly how to do it. I did and told him it was 35 inches. Jason said, "No way. Not possible." I measured it again and said, "35 inches." He told me I needed to call Rick Busse, an area taxidermist who mounted and measured the famous Beatty Buck. I told him the main beam was 35 inches. He said "Not possible. No whitetail in history has ever had a 35-inch main beam." I said, "I guess I could be wrong, but I get 35 inches." He said, "I need to see that buck."

When I got there the next morning, there were several outdoor professionals there, including some TV personalities. Rick said, "You don't realize what you have here." And I'm sure he was right. Since then, its been pretty crazy, with TV interviews, magazine stories, and nonstop phone calls. Not that I'm complaining.

Last night, two official B&C and Buckmasters measurers put a green score on it. Numbers aren't everything, that's for sure. But they can be kind of fun, so I thought I'd share some of the figures:

Left G2: 18 inches

Right G2: 16-6/8

Inside Spread: 24-3/8
Left main beam: 35-1/8
Right main beam: 34-4/8
Green gross: 249-5/8
Green net: 232-5/8

Friends and family have been joking that I might as well hang up my gun. I can't imagine ever seeing, let along taking, anything bigger. I keep saying to myself, "How can he have been living on our farm? How can he have walked past me?" In other words, I've probably used up most if not all of my luck. But as long as I believe my grandfathers can see us enjoying the farm each season, I'll be out there.  My congrats to Brian in harvesting his monster trophy buck in our great wild outdoors!

Hunting Heroes

A county boy can survive:  Knowlege of guns and concealment provides a good basis for soldiering.

Bob, my husband, recently showed me an article that was written up in Outdoor Life a few years ago about hunters making better soldiers.  It went on to say that if you want to become a great hunter, consider joining one of the military's elite Special Forces units.  The skills taught to those soldiers work as well on deer hunts as they do on combat mission. 

Likewise, if you hope to become a great soldier and you grew up hunting, your're already got a leg up on other new recruits.  Retired army major Herman Harke, a former Special Forces Qualification Course insturctor, says country boys and hunters make better soldiers from the start.  Likewise, Hugh Bartrug, a longbow hunter and recently retired SEAL, says his training pays hugh dividends when he is deer hunting.  -Ken Perrotte

Why Hunters Make Great Soldiers -
*  They're more at home in the woods.
*  They've honed basic stalking skills and the use of camouflage to remain concealed.
*  They know how to sit patiently for hours.
*  They've looked down the barrel at a living, breathing animal and pulled the trigger.
    -Ret. Army Major Herman Harke

Why Soldiers Make Great Hunters -
*  They're taught advanced tracking, map-reading and movement skills.
*  Training improves shooting skills, including how to better lead a target.
*  They're taught to move stealthily in the dark and set up ambushes where the quarry is comfortable.
*  Training helps them develop the ability to read terrain, patiently still-hunt to a desired location, control noise and use backdrops for cover. 
    - Ret. Seal Hugh Bartrug

Bob served in the U. S. Army and the U. S. Army Reserves and fired expert.  I wanted to join the WAC/WAVES when I graduated from high school but my mother would not hear of it.  At least now I can get out in the woods and enjoy the great sport of hunting.

What A DOG!

'Giant George' and owner Dave Nasser share a couch together: The four-year-old blue great Dane, weighs a staggering 245lbs and measures almost 43ins at the shoulder.

The gentle giant, who measures 7ft. 3ins. from nose to tail, could be a prime contender to take the title from the former record holder, Gibson, a harlequin Great Dane who passed away from cancer last August.

Now George's owners, David and Christine Nasser, are awaiting confirmation from Guinness World Records to see if he has achieved the lofty heights.

'He's 42.625 inches at the shoulder,' said David. 'He's very very unique.'

According to David, George consumes 110lbs of food every month, and sleeps alone in his own Queen Size Bed.  David and Christine raised George from when he was 7 weeks old, but never expected him to grow so big.

With size comes problems: The giant great Dane barely fits in the back of his owner's SUV.

The couple eventually had to move their aptly named dog out of their king sized bed, when he grew too large for the three of them to share the same sheets.

Dr. William Wallace of the Buena Pet Clinic in Tucson, who witnessed the documentation necessary for the Guinness record, said: 'In my 45 years of experience working with giant breed dogs, without question, George is the tallest dog I have ever seen.'

David is currently rushing to get that necessary documentation into Guinness as other dog owners are coming forth claiming the record.

As they wait for the results to come through, George is busy occupying himself with his new found stardom and even has a Facebook fan page and Twitter accounts for his adorning fans.

It appears as though the sky's the limit for this mammoth hound.

Paws for thought: George's giant feet dwarf his owner Dave Nassar's hand.

The Orangutan & The Hound

I wanted to share this neat video of an orangutan named, Surya, and a hound dog named, Roscoe.  They meet by the river and carry on like two lost friends.  Enjoy!

Hunting Bill 1282

Hunting Bill passes easily in House...

Jackson (AP) - Legislation to restructure deer hunting seasons has been passed by the Mississippi House.

The bill, passed 86-30 Thursday, now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

The bill, among other things, would move primitive weapons to Nov. 1; add more gun hunting, extending it through Jan. 31; and remove up to three weeks of exclusivity previously enjoyed by bow hunters.

The hunting season structure under the bill would become:

* Archery only; Oct. 1-Oct.31.
* Primitive weapons: Nov. 1-the Friday preceding Thanksgiving.
* Gun, with dogs: Saturday prior to Thanksgiving - Dec.1.
* Gun, without dogs (still season): Dec. 2-Dec 23.
* Gun, with dogs: Dec. 24-closing on the day that a total of 39 days of dog hunting has been allowed.
* Gun, without dogs: Opens the day after the close of dog season and ends Jan. 31.

Under the bill, state wildlife officials could extend the season to Feb. 15 in southeast Mississippi and set special youth hunting seasons throughout the state.

The bill is House Bill 1282.

Dancing Turkey Huntress & Mentor

On January 22, I posted about Sharon, the dancing turkey huntress, and her first turkey harvest.  She recently sent me a picture of her and her mentor, who helped her get started turkey hunting.  Looks like Sharon is going to be a very avid hunter.  This is what she had to say in her own words...

This is Rick. He is the one who really got me interested in hunting turkey. He was building our house when one day in April he stopped what he was doing and said, "did you hear that?" It was a gobble, gobble up the holler. A few days later we were up in the woods behind my house looking for sign and listening. He spent the whole season of '07 working with me, and I missed a few chances to get a bird. In '08 he wasn't available so David and I went together. He taught me a lot and we had a lot of fun. He is awesome, my friend Rick.

Mentors are "awesome" people that have encouraged you to go for what interest you.  I have been fortunate to have had two mentors in my life, my 2nd husband, Bob, who taught me all about hunting and Rex, at Deer Camp Blog, who encouraged me to continue my blogging after I let it go for a few months.  Yes, they are very special people in your life.  You are very lucky if you have one or two!

A Hunting Dad's Blog

I saw where hunterdad had came by to visit me and went over to his blog to find a very interesting guy by the name of Ron, who actually had died and was brought back to life.  He is 39 years old and due to this experience and recovery, he had time to reflect on his accomplishments in life.  What is most important to him is spending time with family and what really counts is his time spent with his children in the outdoors.  This is a fairly new blog that will share tips and advice for developing a good strong hunting relationship with your children.  I was very impressed and wanted to share Huntingdad's blog with you.  I'm hoping that he will soon join Outdoor Bloggers Summit and invited him to do so - he would be a great asset to our community.  Go over and give him a warm welcome.

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle

that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us

all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed,

arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false

pride, superiority, and ego.

"The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,

humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth,

compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his

grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Dave's Snow Cam Pics

I want to Finish Well

I want to end this race

Still leaning on His Amazing Grace

D. Robert (Dave) Quick

Member: Community Christian Church

Member: Pilots 4 Christ

MY WEBSITE:

HANDLOADING FOR HUNTING

MY DISCUSSION FORUM:

HFH DISCUSSION FORUMS

Don't tell GOD how big your storm is.

Tell the storm how Big your GOD is!

The Soul of New Orleans!

My cousin, Sidney, who lives in New Orleans, sent me this video the other day and wanted to share with you.  My Father was a native of New Orleans and we still have family living there who went through the devastation of Katrina.  This video is narrated by Wright Thompson who tells the amazing recovery for New Orleans post-Katrina, through the excitement over the Saints Superbowl run.

Click here to view!

Don't You Just Love Nature?

Scott Nelson and his sons were fishing in Idaho one day when this small whitetail fawn approached them on the South Fork of the Snake River.  It must have spent the summer bumming from campers or maybe one of the home owners in the lower canyon was feeding it so it lost its fear of humans. This is without question the Catch of the Year!  Charming, Just Charming!