Emma's Kiss!

I received some pictures from my daughter, Suzi, from Virginia the other day and this one I really liked. She is kissing Emma her daughter...so cute! They spent the day at the Harvest Festival in Stratford, Virginia and standing in front of Robert E. Lee's home place. I had spent a week in Fredericksburg this past July visiting my daughter and family. Emma celebrated her first birthday while I was there. She was only taking small steps but now walking all over the place. She is charming, just charming!

On The Wing

Meredith Spencer ~ The Vicksburg Post

Hundreds of birds believed to be American white pelicans take flight along the Yazoo Diversion Canal Monday morning. Unlike the brown pelican, this bird does not dive for its food. Instead it feeds while swimming, and one of its delicacies is catfish. They winter at Eagle Lake, north of Vicksburg and along the Mississippi River, as far north as St. Louis, and in central California and along the Pacific coast of Guatemala and along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The birds are among the largest in North America with wingspans of up to 9 feet in our great outdoors. This is a sweetthing!

Hunting Alligators in MS

Recently, The Vicksburg Post had an article about Mississippi's first hunting season on private land for alligator hunting. It said at least 16 alligators were harvested in four of the seven counties that were eligible. The numbers could increase as nearly one-quarter of those who participated have missed the deadline to report kills. Ricky Flynt, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Alligator Program coordinator, said that he hesitated to say if the hunt was a success or not until they have the final results, but he can say those who participated have all said they were very satisfied with the opportunity to participate in the hunt and how it was conducted.

Of the 49 permits made available for the one-week season that ended October 4, 43 were sold in Warren (Vicksburg), Issaquena, Yazoo (Christmas Place), Hinds, Holmes, Madison and Rankin counties. Participants were required to submit their reports by October 11. All but nine permit holders had not submitted their reports.

"The information is very important to us, and we need it to evaluate the hunt so we can decide how we're going to expand it," he said, noting even those hunters who did not harvest any alligators are required to submit a report.

Those who have not met the deadline to submit their hunting report may face penalties, Flynt added. Alligators harvested in Warren, Issaquena, Hinds and Rankin counties ranged in length from 5-feet, 6-inches to 12-feet, 10-inches.

"I feel certain there were more alligators harvested that haven't been reported yet," he said. "Some of those who did not harvest any alligators did catch some and release the. They wanted to kill the BIG one."

The first alligator hunting season on public waters in MS took place in 2005, and it has been expanded each year since to award more permits and include more eligible waters. Alligator hunting on public land is legal only in two parts of MS, defined as the Pearl River/Ross Barnett and Pascagoula River zones. Of 214 permits sold for the public land hunt this year, 120 alligators were harvested.

State records for both length and weight were broken during this year's private land hunt. Jack Hamilton of Moss Point bagged a 13-foot, 6.5-inch alligator, while Justin Vandevender of Diamondhead caught an alligator measuring more than 13 feet and weighing 636 lbs.

Eligibility for the private hunt is controlled by requiring applicants to have rights on minimum land and water parcels and to attend pre-hunt training sessions. Alligators remain a protected species.

It's been reported that an alligator was sited over at the famous Christmas Place Plantation and Hunting Club's lake. You can vote as to what you would do to catch this problem alligator on their private land in the great wild outdoors! No permits required!!!

A Squirrel's Demise

Before we left the house to go to the camp Bob showed me this squirrel that apparently did not make it. Bob said it looked like it had a concussion and died right there. It over estimated going under our neighbors fence next door. Unusual circumstances for sure.

Deer Camp Fun

Bob and I went to the deer camp yesterday and rode around checking out the sites around the camp. This is our first year to hunt and just now getting around checking out the layout of the land. One of the hunters did take us around one area after we had joined. A lot of steep hills and deep hollows. When we got to the camp five other hunters were riding around and it's their first year at the camp also. They had signed in at 11:00 but we did not get there till almost 1:30. Spent the rest of the afternoon riding around and sitting on my deer stand with my .22 rifle squirrel hunting. We saw two squirrels going in while riding around but did not get a shot off. Heard one squirrel bark and was hoping the big 8 pt. buck would show up, but nothing came out. Bob sat in his stand also and was going to take pix if a deer walked out. Three hunters came in to bow hunt while we were on our stands. Bob also got to practice with his bow some. He has not made up his mind if he wants to bow hunt or not. We have about four more weeks to go. Rife season will pick up on November 22, 2008.

Bob going down towards the gravel pit area. Once upon a time this was a bustling business until the land was sold as a deer camp.

....and look what we found, a deer feeder.

....and a trail camera

Bob coming up out of the gravel pit area.

An old deer stand....if only it could talk!

Happy Birthday Candace

Today is my second born granddaughter's birthday and she is 24 years old. Candace made me a great grandmother last May. She, Tidus and hubby live in Great Falls, Montana now. One day I hope to go and visit them. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday Candace! I Love You ~ Gran Gran

Louis' Buck Last Season

As the story goes...I was in a climbing stand in the Big Black Swanp. It was 28 degrees last January and I was hunting a scrape. About 7:00 I notices a doe coming to me very slow eating cane leaves. I watched her about 20 minutes and then I saw horns coming through the canes. He was 30 yards and coming slow behind her. I waited until I got a good shot and took a neck shot. He fell right there. The doe didn't know where the shot came from and just stood there. After about 10 minutes she started walking off the ridge into a bottom and I prepared to get down. I noticed movement and would you believe there was another buck about the same size that followed her. I came back the next day and used the doe bleat. I heard him come off the ridge next to me and come to me. He came up the hill and I was waiting to shoot. I couldn't believe I couldn't see him. I could hear him walking. Sound does trick you. He came up behind me and saw me and all I saw was his tail going down the ridge. He'll be there next weekend! (Louis will be in the woods bowhunting this coming Saturday in our great outdoors. GOODHUNTING Louis)

Louis sent me a picture via email of is his 8 pt. buck that he harvested this past deer season. He graduated from St. Aloysius in the "Class of 1959" and I graduated from St. Frances Xavier Academy the same year. This coming Thursday our "Class of 1959" has been invited to be in the St. Aloysius Homecoming Parade. Friday morning we will be attending Mass at the St. Aloysius Gymnasium with a reception afterwards. Friday night at the St. Aloysius football game, our "Class of 1959", will again be recognized at halftime. Our classmates are looking forward to this event and celebration. In April we will have our 50th Class Reunion. It is hard to believe that it has been 50 years already. Where has the time gone too! I'm looking forward to seeing my classmates and visiting with Louis and talking about all our hunting adventures. Charming, Just Charming!

In The Hunting News

Matthew Bell, 14, bagged his first elk on September 14 while bow hunting in Wyoming during a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park with his parents, Bob and Michele Bell. Matthew is in the eighth grade at St. Aloysius High School. Congrats Matthew on your first elk in our great wild outdoors!

Mississippi man arrested, fined for killing bald eagle...

A Dundee, MS, man was sentenced to six months house arrest and fined $2,500 last week after he pleaded guilty to killing a bald eagle in Tunica County in November 2007.

Joshua Lee Garrison also was stripped of his hunting privileges for two years, put on probation for two years and required to forfeit the Remington .270 caliber rifle used to kill the eagle for violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. He was facing a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Deer hunters cautioned on legal use of cameras...

Hunters and wildlife enthusiasts are being reminded that it is illegal for deer to be baited even if fed for the capturing of trail camera photos.

Trail cameras -- which are sold at most outdoors stores -- can be used without obtaining a permit. However, permits for wildlife camera surveys are available through the MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks at no cost.

The permits are issued to individual property owners working with a biologist for legitimate camera surveys used to estimate deer population characteristics. Permits are required if camera stations will have bait poured, piled or placed on the ground. Trail cameras can be used without a permit if they're placed on trails, food plots, scrapes, rubs, salt licks, natural food sources and legal feeders.

"Trail cameras are a legitimate tool used for scouting and gaining population data," said Chris McDonald, regional deer program biologist. "The intention of the supplemental feeding regulations is not to limit the use of trail cameras. Hunters can still use cameras for scouting and deer managers can still conduct pre- or post season camera surveys. The big difference is that corn and other feeds cannot be poured, piled or placed on the ground just to take photos."

Vicksburg Reader's Pix

Betsy Scott grabbed this close-up of a donkey on the levee between Eagle Lake and Lake Chotard. She said the animal simply “ran toward” her car and circled it, before following it when it pulled away. “It seemed lost and begging for a ride home,” she said.

Don Brown found this hawk resting on a bird feeder in his yard on Woodstone Drive.

Nellie Caldwell said her husband made this bird habitat from an old shoe in his yard. The bird took advantage.

A tree frog nearly blends in with the grass in Carol Coleman's back yard off Woodside Drive.

Evana also found this beautiful trio of butterflies at Rocky Springs Park.

Evana Davis found this toad in a cup!

In our paper, The Vicksburg Post, you can submit a picture and if it is good enough, will be posted at the top of the Classified Section of the Sunday paper. Here are a few that I thought were excellent pictures taken by readers in and around Vicksburg. I want to toot my own horn and say that I have had a few myself. See what you think! Charming, Just Charming!

The Correct Way!

I'm so glad I found about about this...I can't believe I was doing it wrong all these years. WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD!! :)

Never take life seriously; nobody gets out alive anyway......

A Flatboat Journey Ends

Recently I wrote about a flatboat that stopped here in Vicksburg and wanted to let you know how the journey ended. It was used to re-enact Abraham Lincoln's 1828 flatboat journey down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. It will be trucked back to Indiana now that it has reached its destination of New Orleans.

The flatboat's journey, called "Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance," began Sept. 9 from the Ohio River town of Rockport, abut 15 miles from where Lincoln grew up in southern Indiana.

The 60-foot-long, 25-ton flatboat made 23 stops on its journey before arriving in New Orleans on last Saturday, a trip of nearly 1,100 miles, including a stop here in Vicksburg on Sept. 28.

The crew braved 7-foot waves as the boat met with the remnants of Hurricane Ike. The crew had to use two 150-horsepower outboard engines to ride out the storm.

Crew members met with the visitors and shared stories about Lincoln during the trip.

Duane Walter, 71, told how Lincoln witnessed a slave auction at the end of his flatboat journey. Seeing family members separated at auction made an impression on the young Lincoln, Walter said.

"He said he would hit that hard if he ever got the opportunity," Walter told the Evansville Courier & Press. "Of course, well, he got something of an opportunity later in life."

The flatboat was being dismantled in preparation for loading it onto a semi-trailer and driving it back to Indiana.

The boat will be put on display at Lincoln Pioneer Village in Rockport, about 30 miles east of Evansville.

The trip is one of the area's events marking the nation's two-year celebration of Lincoln's life and legacy tied to the 200th anniversary of his birth. Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809, then lived in Indiana's Spencer County from ages 7 to 21 before moving to Illinois.

Crossing The River

This past Saturday our 20th Annual Over The River Run was held here in Vicksburg. My youngest daughter and I entered this way back when and have not walked it since. It is an experience to say the least and the view is spectacular. I love walking but this was a long walk across the Mississippi River Bridge to Louisiana and back. You have to be in good physical condition to do this. In the picture above is the Kansas City Southern train crossing the Old Mississippi River Bridge Saturday morning as some of the 400 participating runners and walkers headed out for the Over the River Run. The race returned to the bridge this year after being moved off because of work on the bridge. The top runners in this year's events were Caleb Hamons, 26, of Flowood, (27:44, 21 seconds) and Kristi Hall, 29, (34 minutes, 44 seconds) of Vicksburg. There are three competitions, a 5-mile run, a 5-mile walk and a 1 mile fun run for the youth. Food with refreshments and entertainment were available after the walk.

One runner came farther than anyone. Jenz Kissell of Kiel, Germany is in town for a one month business assignment with ERDC. He saw a flyer and decided it would be a fun thing to do. He said, "I saw a leaflet at McAllister's while dining with a couple of my co-workers. We decided to join as a team. I've run races before in Hamburg and Berlin but never across a river. I think the only run in Germany that crosses the Rhine is the Cologne Marathon." Kissell finished second in his 25-29 age group. A classmate of mine, Jackie Doiron also completed second in her age group of 65-69 age group. Way to go Jackie! Also, Troop 638 Vicksburg Mississippi (Blog) had lots of fun walking across the river bridge. Congrats to all the winners (racers/walkers) of the 20th Annual Over the River Run in our great outdoors. Charming, Just Charming!

A Camp Day

Deer Camp

Old antique iron stove under the woodshed at the camp.

In my stand checking out my shooting lane.

Food plot going to my stand.

Bob on our 4-wheeler at his stand

Berries by Bob's Stand

Yesterday, Bob and I spent most of the day getting the camper ready and trimming brush from around our deer stands. We had just pulled up to our camper when one of the hunters came out of the woods and told us that he did not know who's stand that was on the road at the fork, but there has been a real nice 8 point crossing there. He said he has seen it on three different occasions. I told him that it was my stand! I was excited to hear about this. The food plot is looking good and got up in the stand to check my shooting lane. Had to do a lot of clearing and when the leaves fall off will be more visible. Hopefully, the 8 pt. buck will have my name on it. Speaking of 8 pt. buck, we saw a nice one laying in the medium of the highway coming to the camp, no more than a mile and half away from the camp across from River Region Hospital. You usually see a dead doe or fawn but hardly ever an nice buck.

Chuck and Trey Thornton

We also met some newcomers to the camp like us. As we were working on our stands, Chuck and his son Trey, came by as they were riding around checking the camp roads out. Also, Richard Jordon has joined the camp as a newcomer and is friends of the Thornton's. To Bob's surprise they both new one another from hunting together at Brown's Point on King's Point Island, back in the 80's and early 90's. He also remembered that Bob's nickname was Two Dogs.

Richard Jordon

We really got a lot accomplished and the next time we go to the camp, will ride around and explore the layout of the camp while the hunters are in for a break from bowhunting in our great outdoors.

Beautiful Deer Photos

Some beautiful photos of deer that RobZ sent me from CamoSpace. RobZ lives in Kerrville, Texas. I have had numerous deer hunting stories of Rob here on my site. He is quite the avid hunter in our great outdoors. According to his site he is hunting this weekend in South Texas. Goodhunting Rob! Charming, Just Charming!

First Bow Huntress Buck

In The Vicksburg Post last evening was a picture of the former Miss Vicksburg 1990, Adrian Atwater Sanders, who harvested her trophy buck with a bow. Her husband, Dana Sanders, believes a higher power was looking on and rewarding his wife when she bagged a trophy buck in Claiborne County just hours into their hunt on the October 1 season opener.

Married for 17 years and with three children, including a 3-year old with cerebral palsy, Sanders said he and his wife rarely get a chance to spend time alone due to the dedication his wife has for their children.

So when the couple got the opportunity to take a hunting trip together to their 300-acre farm near Rocky Springs and his wife brought down a 9-point buck during her first ever bow hunt, Sanders felt it was a true blessing.

"She's an awesome mom, and she has always sacrificed her time and energy to put our boys first," he said, "She killed this deer with a borrowed bow in the first 90 minutes of her first bow hunt, and for us to be able to get away and share that together - that's a blessing. That's God at work."

Adrian Atwater Sanders was Miss Vicksburg in 1990, and she and Dana have three boys - Nathan, 14; David, 10; and Jason, 3. Natives of Vicksburg, the Sanderses have lived in the Moss Point area for 10 years.

It's not the first trophy buck Adrian has brought down.

"She's also got the biggest white tail deer on our wall, an 11-point buck she got with a rifle on our farm," he said.

Sanders said his wife had remarked more than once how she would like to take a buck in velvet - a rare treat for any hunter - and was simply astonished when her hopes came to fruition.

"All the way up the the farm she was saying how neat it would be to kill a buck in velvet, and I just kind of thought, 'yeah, right', " he said.

"I've been hunting since I was 18 and I've only taken two or three in velvet. It was unbelievable that she got one - and one so big - and she couldn't have gotten a better shot on him.

Sanders said he has returned the bow he borrowed for his wife to use, and will be looking to purchase her one soon so she can follow up on her luck next year.

Meanwhile, they're planning a full shoulder mount for the one from their farm.

My congrats to Adrian for her successful bow hunt in our great wild outdoors! You Go Adrian!

Another Monster Buck Taken in MS

This deer has been tagged, "The Mitchell Buck" and was harvested by Jay Mitchell shown above. It has 18 scoreable points, 16" wide, and roughly scored 184 7/8 gross. As the story goes...Mitchell was hunting 150 yards from his Dad and the deer was chasing does in between them. After about five minutes of catching glimpses of this deer, it ran right under his stand at 10 yards broadside. It was harvested in the Mississippi Delta on the family farm in Carroll County outside of Greenwood, MS, around Seven Pines. His sheds from last year was a main frame 10 with forked G2's and scored 163. Congratulations to Jay Michell in our great outdoors! Charming, Just Charming!

Two Mississippi Monster Bucks

My mentor/friend, Rex, over at Deer Camp Blog, emailed me yesterday some photos of a monster buck taken somewhere in Mississippi. After doing some research I found out some information of this monster buck on the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) forum. As the story goes, this hunter had watched this buck come into a bean field for the last three weeks with his trail cam. He knew that if the deer gave him a shot it would be a long one. So he had been practicing at 60 yards.

At 5:00 p.m. this buck was the first deer to enter the field. He shot the deer at 60 yards...made a good shot and the deer ran 150 yards and fell. The hunter's name is Michael Burkley. It was shot in Jefferson County, near Rodney, MS, just north of Adams County. It is a major agricultural area with soybeans, corn and cotton. Below are the stats for the buck harvested in Rodney and was scored by Chris McDonald, Biologist, with the MDWFP.

Location: Jefferson County
Hunter: Michael Burkley
Harvest Date: 10/04/08
Weapon: Archery
Green Gross Score: 193 2/8
Green Net Typical Score: 163 2/8
Green Net Non-Typical Score: 188 0/8
Typical Points: 10
Non-typical Points: 5
Inside Spread: 25 1/8
Left Main Beam: 24 7/8
Right Main Beam: 26 0/8
Left H1: 5 3/8


Congratulations to Michael on his fine harvest of a monster buck in our great wild outdoors! Two monster bucks were harvested in Mississippi on the same day. Will bring that story to you tomorrow.

"To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi." ~ William Faulkner

Doggie Treats!

I received this video yesterday from my e-mail buddy in Port Gibson and this is what he had to say about that....“I wonder how long they worked on this poor little mutt.?” And.., did you take note of their bravery.? They put the ‘dog’ on camera, but no one else. What courage.”
~Dennis ~

Don't Tread on Me?

John Gregory (center with white shirt and black back strap) with his Troop 7 at Camp Orr in 2006.

This past Sunday, my step grandson, John Gregory, was bitten by a Copperhead Snake at Rocky Springs Trail off the Natchez Trace National Parkway. He was there helping out the Knights of Columbus who were there feeding the bike-a-thon racers on behalf of Multiple Sclerosis. Rocky Springs was one of the stops to feed the bikers as they rode over a 100 mile trip on the Natchez Trace. He was in the rear watching the younger ones on a walking trail so they would not veer off into the woods...when he stepped on it. Of all times to be wearing flip flops! He had a cell phone and called for help and while waiting...put a tourniquet on his leg. He was carried out piggy back and taken to the hospital for anti-venom and rounds of antibiotics. John Gregory is also an avid deer hunter and a Boy Scout. Next year he will be an Eagle Scout. His training paid off big time. Bob and I went up to the hospital yesterday afternoon to visit him and in his bed was a huge stuffed, you guessed it, SNAKE! Also, he was given two more rubber snakes as a happy. His leg is still swollen and elevated. Hopefully, he may get to go home today. John's in the the 9th grade at St. Aloysius High School. His Mother teaches Calculus at the same school and his younger sister, Laura, attends the elementary school there. Laura was with John when he got bitten. Get well soon, John Gregory!

PS: John Gregory said...this was the last time he would ever wear flip flops in the woods in our great wild outdoors!

Swimming and Running Bucks

Darlene Davidson, who lives at Eagle Lake, said she "loves camping on the Mississippi River" and this is one of the reasons why. She saw these deer swimming and running a few weekends ago in our great outdoors. (Photos by readers are submitted to The Vicksburg Post and I have been fortunate to have had a few listed) Charming, Just Charming! (Click on picture to enlarge)