Deer & River Commerce Woes

I'm sharing today a few pictures and words by Billy White on FB.  

This is why the state had to close the hunting season along the flooded river, 30 miles or so and well over 600 deer and around 250 of them being bucks nears Mayersville, MS, he said. 

It was up above Vicksburg, MS, along the MS River.  He was using his cell phone and seen 30-40 mountable bucks with 18-inch or better.  He also said that anywhere from Chotard to 61N Hwy wouldn't be hunting. Deer are so scared and lost.  It would be just like shooting a neighbor's cow.  One of the biggest herds he saw was about 1.5 miles from 61N Hwy away from the water (a good ways) but it was around 150 deer in that group with 30-40 bucks in that one group. It is crazy to see so many bucks in one pile like that.

John Sullivan responded - What about the guys 5 miles from there? Their season is closed and these deer are no where near them? MDWFP lazily picked a boundary, there's got to be a better solution. Hunters that get no increase in deer numbers are being penalized by the MDWFP inability to police the areas affected by the flood. Typical government response, take rights away from the innocent instead of punishing the guilty.

The same MDWFP allows farmers along the Mississippi River to kill hundreds of deer via "depredation permits" all summer long. Yet now, the MDWFP is protecting these same deer?

I can understand it in the MS Delta, as there isn't as much woods for the deer to hide. But this last closure south of Vicksburg is a joke. The deer come out of the river bottoms into the hill area, that is just as wooded if not more than the low lying areas from where they come.  The season was closed on the day the river crested. The water is actually lower now than the day it closed. Why wait until then to close the season? 

Isn't there a limit on deer? Enforce it. Once again a hunter miles from the river had his season ended when his land is in no way affected by the flood.

Ryan Windham responded - What do you suggest then? That the closures be 200 ft from the nearest water and no further?? There has to be a cutoff somewhere....all of those deer that were in say Panther swamp for instance have to go somewhere. That's nearly 40 thousand acres. Those deer are going to go to the nearest block of woods and pile up in it. Do you not think it would be unfair to have 100 acres 1 mile from there where hundreds of deer are going to pile in? It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel man.

Wayne Curran responded - 4 years ago when it flooded the Game Wardens have deer that are monitored with tracking systems and the said one deer went 26 miles from its natural habitat and went right back to where it came from when the river went down.

 

 

Not only are the deer having problems but commerce on the MS River at Vicksburg to Natchez-Vidalia is closed to barge traffic.  It is a costly traffic jam!  Right now north and southbound tows and the boats pushing them are sitting snug against the east and west banks of the MS River as their captains and crews wait for a U.S. Cost Guard notice announcing the river is reopen to traffic.  Within the last couple of weeks 5 towboats/containers hit the bridge (Hwy 80) here in Vicksburg with an accident in Natchez. MS River is closed until further notice.

Near I-20 Bridge @ Vicksburg, MS

You Are Never Too Old!

Jody LaRue posted these picture of her Pop-Pop who will be 88 years old in March.  She said he laid the hammer down on this 180 lb., 11-point buck in Heidelberg, MS, last weekend! His face says it all!!!  My congrats to her Pop-Pop!  It goes to show you that you are never too old or young to hunt in our great wild outdoors!

A nice 11-point buck!

Got to give credit to his baby as well because he carries her up in the shooting stand with him to hunt and she's a great tracking dog!

Happy "50th" Birthday, Kathy!

Today, my daughter who is a hunter, turns 50 years old.  Kathy loves to deer hunter just like her Mom and has killed deer.  Out of four daughters, she's my only hunter.  We have had many hunts together and made some wonderful memories in our great wild outdoors!  Wishing her a very Happy Birthday and many more to come.  Also, sending lots of love and hugs on your special day!

Pictures taken at Homewood Hunting Camp in Claiborne County back in the 90's.

Busted Deer Hunters In Flood Zone

These bucks were confiscated after being illegally killed in Bolivar County in an area closed to hunting due to flooding.  Courtesy MDWFP

Mississippi Conservation Officers continue to hunt people who are killing deer in areas closed to hunting by flooding along the Mississippi River, and they are having success.

Steve Adcock, chief of enforcement at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, said Wednesday his officers have issued over 50 flood-related citations in one county alone.

“That’s in Bolivar County, but not all of those are directly related to deer hunting,” Adcock said, adding that the increased presence of officers in the flooding area has led to different citations. “There’s things like boating violations, too. Our guys are out there and they are doing their job.”

Mainly, that job is to protect wildlife who are stressed from the flooding, including deer that face exposing themselves while fleeing rising waters. Many areas of the Delta have been closed to hunting, and probably will not reopen by the Jan. 31 end of the deer season.

Some people haven’t been able to resist temptation, and have wound up in serious trouble.

E.B. Metcalfe, 70, of Benoist, faces multiple charges, including exceeding the daily bag limit and shooting deer during a closed season, after admitting to officers that he’d killed five deer, including three trophy bucks. The officers were acting on a complaint about shots being fired around the levee in Bolivar County.

Donald Hensley, 49, of Hernando faces numerous charges after officers found three dead does, one dead buck and the head of another buck. According to Adcock, officers were patrolling the levee in Tunica County when they witnessed a truck approach the levee, turn around and stop, followed by somebody shining a light.

Adcock said a chase pursued all the way to the Tunica city limits where he was apprehended. Adcock said Hensley admitted he’d shot four of the deer but claimed the fifth, the head of a buck, had been given to him.”  

“He’s been charged with four counts of headlighting deer, four counts of hunting from a public road, five counts of possession of illegal deer and hunting during a closed season,” Adcock told The Clarion-Ledger. “He’s looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of (over $10,000 in fines).”

Adcock said citizens have been active in reporting nefarious activity.

“People will call in on you for breaking game laws; people won’t stand for it,” he said.

The roles reversed on officers in one case near Vicksburg, where a recent letter to the editor of The Vicksburg Post has created a stir about officers euthanizing of a buck along a road in the Port of Vicksburg.

According to the letter, which was attributed to Jimmy Hart of Vicksburg, people saw a buck swimming to reach higher ground. A crowd gathered and apparently caused the buck to return to the water. Hart’s letter described the buck was being exhausted by the time it returned to dry ground. The buck laid down on the bank.

Adcock said conservation officers were summoned and after a discussion decided the best course of action was to shoot the deer.

Adcock was quick to defend the actions of officers and called it “a safety issue.” 

Adcock said if there had been woods nearby where the buck could escape, officers would have acted differently. He said that because the area was surrounded by roads, including the main trucking entrance to the Port of Vicksburg, the decision to put the buck down was prudent.

“That’s just a chance you can not take,” he said.

Anyone suspecting a wildlife violation has been committed is urged to call 1-800-BE-SMART (1-800-237-6278), which is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All tips are treated as anonymous, according to MDWFP spokesman Jim Walker.

***

In a related matter, the Panther Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has been temporarily closed to the public, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The closure began Jan. 11 and will remain in effect until otherwise posted.

That means Panther Swamp is closed to all hunting, including waterfowl, and fishing.

Courtesy of Mississippi Sportsman

Kailey's 7-Point Buck

Kailey Knight bagged a 7-point buck while hunting on private property. Kailey is the daughter of Larime and Julie Haynes of Vicksburg.  A nice looking trophy in anyone's book!  My congrats to Kailey in our great wild outdoors!  

Cutest Hunting Expression!

If this is not the cutest expression ever, I do not know what is!  His Dad, West Brister, of Kentwood, LA, was going to get a skull mount on this deer that this "little guy" is holding.  Looks like he is hooked for life on hunting in our great wild outdoors!

Small Property Bucks In MI

Published on Nov 3, 2014

Self filmed Video of a Big Buck getting killed on a small property in southern Michigan. Michigan deer hunting at it's best. This buck earned first place from Commemorative Bucks of Michigan as the largest Michigan buck in the crossbow category.

More State Closures On Hunting Season

Deer pushed out of their habitat north of Vicksburg, MS, April 2011 flood.

The state wildlife regulators are expanding an order closing all open hunting seasons, except waterfowl, for the duration of the current high water event along the Mississippi River because rising waters are forcing deer and other animals out of their natural habitat.

Effective at the closing of legal hunting hours on Sunday, hunting seasons to include wild hogs will close from Vicksburg south to Port Gibson, west of Highway 61; from Port Gibson south to Highway 84 in Natchez, west of the Natchez Trace and from Natchez, south to the state line, west of Highway 61.

Waters are not expected to recede until after the close of most opening hunting seasons.  Sunday's closure will remain effective until river levels drop or until the previously established ending date for the season - whichever occurs first.

Start Them Young

When you are so proud of your Mom that you want to be just like her!  

A strong woman is always inspired by the success of others! 

My sincere congrats to her Mom in doing it right while making memories of a lifetime in our great wild outdoors!  

Cooper's Really Nice Buck

Cooper Lankford, 7, shot this 9-point buck while hunting near Fitler Point on December 30.  It had a 19-1/2 inch spread on the rack. Cooper is the son of Chad Lankford.

My congrats to Cooper in getting this really nice 9-point in our great outdoors!  Way to go!  

An Enormous Wild Boar

A Meridian hunter has shot and killed a 428-pound wild boar recently. 

Larry Carman said it took two shots from his rifle to put down the wild pig last weekend.

Carman says it took five people to load the hog in the back of his utility vehicle, maxing out its weight limit.

Carman says he and his friends couldn't believe the size of the animal, which also almost maxed out his 440-pound scale.

The boar had a set of frightening tusks, which Carman estimates were about 3 inches, adding that they were razor-sharp.

Officials say a single hog Carman's size would decrease food sources for native wildlife by thousands of pounds each year.  For that reason, hunters are encourage to neutralize wild pigs, especially sows, whenever possible.

Wildlife On The Run

With the rising Mississippi River the wildlife is fleeing the wilderness to escape the flooding.

The National Weather Service has lowered the predicted crest to 50.5 feet, but flooding has already caused wild hogs, white-tailed deer and other fur-bearing animals to be misplaced from their natural habitats, which has led them to immigrate to the city limits and other areas.

The MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks issued a press release on January 4 reminding residents that the mainline levee from Vicksburg to Tunica is closed as a result of the flooding.  It will be patrolling the levee for public safety and to protect wildlife resources.

Wild hogs do serve as a cause for concern to weakened or damaged levees and the MDWFP has taken action to prevent further damage.  "It's always a concern that hogs will cause damage to levees," Chad Dacus said on behalf of the MDWFT.  "The water boards are monitoring situations."

While it is normal for hunters to shoot wild hogs on sight, it is strongly discouraged at this time.  The only types of animals excluded from the closing of wildlife hunting are waterfowl such as ducks and geese.

"If they're hunting in that area they will be hunting in a closed season and will be cited for hunting in a closed season," Dacus said.

MDWFP will not be trapping any misplaced animals.

Dacus said animals in the MS Delta deal with floods on a regular basis, and when they do get misplaced, they tend to gather food and find shelter.

"The deer and other animals that are being displaced by the water, typically they're not going to travel great distances," Dacus said.  "They'll go find food and shelter until the water recedes and return to where they came from."

For more information, residents can visit www.mdwfp.com or call the department at 601-432-2199 for updates on any closures of its management system and the MS River.
Courtesy of The Vicksburg Post

The Perfect Deer Hunt

My doe laying in the field at 85 yards while in the Dove Field stand.

I was so fortunate to be able to go to the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club on the edge of the Mississippi Delta this past weekend for a deer hunt.  The camp is 2,500 acres with a 40 acre lake and the most beautiful place on earth to hunt.  It has been almost three years since I have not killed a deer because of rota-tor cuff surgery.  Last January was able to go and killed a 180 lb. sow and a smaller one running...all on my bucket list for awhile.  I was so anxious to get a deer after so long a time.  

I was invited by my blogging hunting friend and mentor, Rex Howell (Deer Camp Blog) at the family deer camp which is located about an hour and fifteen minutes from my home of Vicksburg, MS.

I hunted the Arrowhead stand Saturday morning but have seen a lot of deer from this stand and killed several.  

Looking up from the tripod stand on a cloudy morning after a stormy night.

My shadow in the Arrowhead stand (tripod) with the sun coming out briefly.

A hog wallow walking out from the Arrowhead stand Saturday morning and have seen a hog off of this stand a few years ago.

On the afternoon hunt Rex said we were going to hunt together at the Dove Field stand which is located on the backside of the camp.  We drove a good ways and finally got to the most beautiful field.  I climbed into a 16 foot double wide stand.  We did not see anything for about 2-1/2 hours and it was so cold and windy. About 5:00 he spotted a doe coming into the field from the right (top photo) and slowly fed towards the middle of the field.  I put my .270 rifle up to scope her and turned and looked at him.  I usually like to have two or three deer together to size them up but when I saw that he had his fingers in his ears...that was my signal to...SHOOT!  She dropped in her tracks at 85 yards!  I was so excited that my knees started knocking so bad.  We got down and walked to my deer and he congratulated me!  I got a picture with my deer and we loaded her up in the buggy and headed back to camp so very happy.  

Rex took this picture of me with my doe.

Rex field dressing my doe.

I look forward to the campfires!

Hunting under the Sneaky stand on a very cold Sunday morning but saw nothing.

Walking back to camp after my hunt.  Took this picture of a perfect Christmas tree at the Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club.

Noticed to the left side of the road a rusty old car.

I'm looking forward to a return hunt soon to get a hog at the camp.  Many thanks to my friend, Rex, for an unforgettable hunt in our great wild outdoors.

Gone Hunting!!!!

Getting ready to head out to hunt on the edge of the MS Delta at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club.  I'm looking forward to seeing my hunting buddies and hope to get a deer and a hog in our great wild outdoors!  

Saving The Depot

The city workers and volunteers are busy sandbagging a 2-foot high wall around the Yazoo & MS Valley RR Depot yesterday. It houses a museum and offices of the Vicksburg Convention & Visitors Bureau and Vicksburg Main Street. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing a pump to remove water from the building's basement. Also, to the left a barrier has been erected to block Levee Street to keep the Vicksburg Murals on the flood wall dry. River level is 46.38 feet and flood stage is 43 feet. Flood prediction has been lowered from 52.5 feet to 52 feet in Vicksburg, MS.  A historical flooding was here in Vicksburg in 2011 of 57.1 feet.  (note last photo)

Three gates are closed now by the waterfront.   

The iconic picture that was posted in the paper in 2011 flood.

Braxton's 7-Point Buck & Tradition

Braxton Hartley and his father, Chris Hartley, were hunting on the evening of January 5 when this monster walked in front of them. It was a 7-point buck and weighed about 190 pounds. Braxton's mother is Aimee Hartley. 

My congrats to Braxton in our great wild outdoors!  A beautiful picture with his buck and dog.  




I wanted to share this write-up in today's paper, The Vicksburg Post, that I am old enough to remember this man who wrote several articles of my deer that I harvested.  

Deer Photos A Tradition Well Worth Continuing by Ernest Bowker.

Those of you who are old enough might remember one of the most beloved reporters to ever grace the halls — although he’d probably say deface them — of The Vicksburg Post, Fred Messina.

Fred was quite the character. He once famously made a phone call to someone for a story, then told them to hold on for a minute so he could “Write down your name so I know who I’m talking to.” In the 1970s and 80s, readers opened their newspaper to see Fred pointing a .357 magnum at them in his column mugshot.

Fred passed away in 2007, but if you look at the top of this column you’ll see that his legacy lives on.

During his heyday, Fred started a tradition of running pictures of hunters and fishermen with their trophies. If you grew up in Vicksburg, having your picture in Fred’s “On Target” column was probably up there with driving and having your first kiss on the list of life’s milestones. I have my name in the paper almost every day, but the day in 2006 when he ran my picture with a 9-pound bass that I caught was a career highlight.

I’m aware that seeing grinning children posing with dead deer is not everyone’s cup of tea. Besides the fact that some animal lovers are opposed to it on merit, some of the pictures we get are downright gruesome. To be honest, some of them still haunt me years later. We don’t publish the worst of those.

The vast majority, however, are more palatable and publishing them is a tradition worth continuing. Hunting is an activity shared by parents and children. It’s a time when they can bond. Even though I’m not a hunter, I can appreciate that and see the value in it.

Publishing the “deer photos” is an extension of that. For a child, taking their first deer is a waypoint in life to celebrate. It’s one we’ll continue to celebrate in these pages for years to come.

So please send us your hunting stories and photos. We prefer email — our address is sports@vicksburgpost.com — but if you want to drop them off to our office at 1601-F North Frontage Road, that’s fine too. If you’d like to go the extra mile and write a short story about it, we might even publish it. Just keep it around 375 to 450 words, please.

Thanks to all of those who have sent in pictures and stories this hunting season. Let’s keep Fred Messina’s memory, and this wonderful tradition, alive by keeping them coming.

Ernest Bowker is a sports writer. He can be reached via email at ernest.bowker@vicksburgpost.com

Ashley's First & Second Deer

Vicksburg resident Ashley Bowser, 9, killed her first deer on New Year's Day, and then got her second while hunting with her stepfather Bear Meacham at the family's deer camp in Pattison, MS. This was her first time hunting and using her own gun.  

My congrats to Ashley on her first and second deer in our great wild outdoors!  She is now a huntress and hooked for life!

Cloe's First Deer

Vicksburg resident Cloe McGowan, 11, killed her first deer Nov. 22 while hunting with her Uncle Paul Powers. McGowan arrived in the stand on family land in Hinds County late in the afternoon and saw more than a half-dozen deer before taking this 4-pointer. She took a shot at an 8-pointer but missed, and then moments later the 4-pointer trotted into the food plot.

“The deer jumped back and a big clob of dirt came up,” Cloe said of taking her shot. “I really like hunting now!”

Cloe is the daughter of Mark and Callie McGowan, and the granddaughter of Ronnie and Linda McGowan.

I used to work with grandmother Linda McGowan at the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.  I'm so proud of Cloe and I know her grandparents are as well.  My congrats to Cloe in her first deer in our great outdoors!

Andrew Brewer Got His Buck!

Andrew Brewer, 13, killed his first buck while hunting with his grandfather David McDonald at St. John Hunting Club in Jefferson County.  Andrew used a .243 rifle to make the 125-yard shot. Andrew is the son of David and Allison Brewer.

Congratulations to Andrew on his first buck in our great outdoors!

Charli's Buck

Charli Van-Norman, 11, killed this 8-point buck on family land in South Warren County, Vicksburg, MS. The buck weighed 180 pounds and had a 16-inch spread.  She shot it with a .243 rifle while hunting with her father, John Van-Norman.  This is her second buck.

My congrats to Charli on her second buck of the season in our great wild outdoors!  You go girl!

My Picture Published

My picture above was published on the first day of our New Year 2016! The Vicksburg Post did cut out the lit lamppost but got the rest.  I only wished that it could have been in color. Once again I'm humbled to have my picture published in our hometown paper. Many thanks, Vicksburg Post!  

You are invited to submit your photos to share with The Vicksburg Post readers.  Simply email high resolution images in .jpg format to photos@vicksburgpost.com.  

Flooding On MS River May Interrupt Deer Season

Parts of Mississippi along the Mississippi River could see the deer season shortened — or at least interrupted — later this week if the Big Muddy keeps rising as quickly as forecast, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks announced.

Under Mississippi’s Administrative Code Part 4, Rule 1.5, no person shall take, catch or kill, or attempt to take, catch or kill any wild bird or wild animal except waterfowl within specific areas along the Mississippi River during times of flooding, the agency said.

The rule includes automatic closures of certain areas based on nearby river gauges. Specific gauges, river stages when closures are enacted and areas closed at those levels are as follows (all river stage information provided by the National Weather Service’s riverwatch.noaa.gove website):

• Memphis, Tenn., gauge at 34 feet — Areas closed will be those parts of Desoto, Tunica and Coahoma counties west of U.S. Highway 61 and North of U.S. Highway 49.

Monday’s level was 25.1 feet and is forecast to reach 34 feet by Jan. 1, with a crest of 43.5 on Jan. 9.

• Helena, Ark., gauge at 41 feet — Areas closed will be Coahoma, Bolivar and Washington counties south of U.S. Highway 49, west of U.S. Highway 61 to the intersection of Highway 61 and Mississippi Highway 444, west of Mississippi Highway 1, and North of Highway 82. Monday’s level was 32.8 feet and is forecast to reach 41 feet by Jan. 2, with a crest of 52.5 on Jan. 11.

• Greenville gauge at 48 feet — Areas closed are Washington and Issaquena Counties south of U.S. Highway 82, west of Mississippi Highway 1 and north of Mississippi Highway 14. Monday’s level was 42.4 feet and is forecast to reach 48 feet on Jan. 2, with a crest of 60 feet on Jan. 14.

• Vicksburg gauge at 43 feet — Areas closed will be Issaquena, Sharkey and Warren counties south of Mississippi Highway 14, west of U.S. Highway 61, and north of the Big Black River. Monday’s level was 36.6 feet and is forecast to reach 43 feet on Jan. 3, with a crest of 54 feet on Jan. 16.

Maps of the approximate closure boundaries are at the bottom of this story.

The agency also pointed out that, as waters rise, deer and other wildlife also might be displaced from their normal habitats. As these animals move onto adjacent lands, this will place additional pressure on food sources, according to the MDWFP release.

Supplemental feeding is not recommended in areas that will be inundated with floodwater, the agency said.

Private landowners adjacent to areas inundated with floodwaters may utilize supplemental feeding as permitted by law, rule or regulation, but the MDWFP pointed out that it is illegal to pour, pile or place any supplemental feed directly on the ground.

“The MDWFP will increase its law enforcement presence in the affected areas to promote public safety for residents affected by the rising waters and to enforce the wildlife laws that protect game animals affected by flooding,” the agency stated in its release.

The agency said it will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether or not any seasons need to be suspended or closed, and to provide information to the public to promote safety until conditions improve.

Much of the Mississippi Delta is expected to begin closing to hunting by Jan. 1 because of flooding, MDWFP officials announced.