Emily's First Deer

Last Saturday, Emily, of Scent Free Lip Gloss Blog, bagged her first deer after six years of hunting with a bow.  She started hunting with her husband after they got married and have been hunting together ever since.  It reminds me of my husband and I hunting together nearly 27 years now. She was with her husband when she got her deer and I know the thrill of it all!  It's awesome to share a sport together that you both really enjoy. I want to congratulate her on her first deer and I'm so proud of her.  Go over and read all about her exciting hunting story of how she got her first deer in our great wild outdoors!

2011-12 Mississippi Sportsman License

The picture of two bucks fighting is on our MS Hunting License for 2011-12 deer season.  Every year it's a different scene from deer, turkeys, birds, squirrel, ducks, fox and an alligator.  The above was photograph by Joe Mac Hudspeth, Jr., who has a site at www.southernfocus.com if you would like to view previous Mississippi Sportsman License and Duck Stamp prints.  

I started saving/collecting my license's cards back in 1997-98 season.  I wished now I had saved them all from the very beginning of hunting in 1986-87.  After you reach the age of sixty-five and older you are exempt from purchasing a hunting or freshwater fishing license.  Residents are exempt based on proof of age and MS residency in your possession while engaged in hunting and fishing activities.  You can voluntary purchased a Senior Exempt license which is a lifetime privilege, which I have done and keep in my hunter orange vest pocket.  My husband is disabled and he is also exempt and has to have proof of residency, disability status or other physical impairment in his possession while engaged in hunting and fishing activities unless an exempt license is purchased.  The Disabled Exempt license is an annual privilege.

If you're interested in finding out more about the rules and regulations of hunting and fishing in Mississippi, you can visit their website Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.  Also, you can become a fan on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.  Happy Hunting and Fishing!       

Opening Rifle Season This Weekend in MS

I just love this picture taken by Mike Persichini of Troy, MI, who is my friend on Facebook.  He can really capture deer and nature in its grandest form.  I have made this particular one my wallpaper on my computer.

I have really enjoyed the foliage this fall.  It has been spectacular to say the least.  I love the way this deer is laying on the floor of the forest with the vibrant colors of fall around him.  Looks as if he's enjoying his territory "home" as well.

This weekend is "opening day" of rifle season here in Mississippi and I'm looking forward to getting on my deer stand and hunting.

I want to wish all my hunting blogger friends a very successful hunting season in our great wild outdoors!    GOODHUNTING!

A Carpet of Leaves

This is another win for nature, sort of - - at first glance, it looks like any ordinary road on an October day last month, covered with thousands of fallen leaves.  Except the carpet of leaves has abrupt, geometric edges - made all the more striking by the patches of unaffected tarmac next to it. Careful inspection reveals the leaves are actually embedded on the tarmac. 

Motorists and pedestrians were baffled by the bizarre spectacle.  It is speculated that the early fall of autumn leaves this season mixed with the scorching heat London suffered from September softened a few sections of the tarmac, where the leaves became embedded after car tires ran over them creating a colorful collage that would probably last for many months.  

Nature is full of beautiful surprises!

Christmas Season Is Coming!

My friend, Addie, who lives in Dallas, TX, sent me this video today about Christmas season coming.  It's not really what you expect to happen!  

If You Leave it on Overnight

Just click HERE, click on play, then shift mouse pointer OFF the screen.  Then leave the mouse alone, sit back and enjoy a piece of creative brilliance. 


I wonder who had time to do this!!!

Towboat Scenes on Mighty Mississippi

This past Tuesday I went by the Louisiana Overlook at Vicksburg to see if anything was coming and could not see a towboat pushing two empty barges until it cleared the trees to the left. It was a very cloudy day and the clouds really looked ominous.

It's good to see the sandbars out after the Great Flood of 2011.  

Up close view of the Maritime towboat.

I saw this one come out from the Yazoo Canal as I drove up around the circle.  

The General towboat must have dropped off a load of grain at the Port of Vicksburg since the barge is now empty.

Passing in the wind and on the mighty Mississippi!

The General going under the bridges with a train passing overhead with...

...another towboat with loaded barges getting ready to make the wide turn in the bend going south.

Happy "48" Birthday Theresa Marie!!!

Today my daughter, Theresa Marie, is celebrating her 48th Birthday.  She was born at 12:05 p.m. on November, 11, 1963 and weighed 6 lbs. and 14 oz.  She was my first born. I was 22 years old at the time and her Dad was 30. We nicknamed her "Teri" and she attended elementary school at St. Francis Xavier Academy and graduated in the Class of 1981 (her senior picture) at St. Aloysius High School here in Vicksburg. She decided to make nursing her career and did most of her work in nursing homes.  She married Paul Gordy and they became parents to a daughter, Sonya Michelle, who later joined the Navy.  Lately, Teri has had some health issues in the past couple of years and has not been able to work and trying to get disability.  She has been living in Magee, MS, for the past 6 years and will be making a trip to Vicksburg to see family this weekend.  We are all looking forward to her visit and to celebrate her birthday.  She is such a dear, caring and sweet daughter and I want to wish her the very best on her special day and I'm looking forward to seeing her soon.  Happy Birthday Dear Daughter! Love and Hugs, MOM   xxoo

Swedish Lady Hunting Friend

I have a Swedish hunting friend who lives on a small family farm in the highlands of Smaland, 2-1/2 miles from Vetlanda in the countryside of Sweden.  She visits my blog frequently and I wanted to share her blog site Lindsjo Taxar with you today.   She also has a website dedicated to hunting with her dogs.  

As a youngster she would go and sit with her Dad and watch him hunt.  She became so interested that she wanted to be a hunter just like him. 

She has a love for dachshunds and now trains them to hunt for deer or moose.  She became the first female test leader and went on to management training and for the hunting season 2011-12 became Deputy hunt leader in one of the hunting parties.  Several years ago she took her boyfriend hunting and now he has become involved and they hunt and train dogs together.  She said, it's a lot of fun!  

She also takes beautiful pictures of nature, wildlife and the countryside. Drop by and pay her a visit soon.  Her site should translate into English for you.  I'm wishing her a great hunting season in the wild outdoors of Sweden.

Hunting moose without dogs.

A One-Man Hunting Blind

My husband and I recently invested in a One-Man Chair Blind, mainly for him to hunt out of.  He has been having some health issues lately with his back and cannot climb into a deer stand anymore.

Back in the early 90's he had a very bad experience from a "BIG MAN" climbing tree stand that could have killed him.  The weld broke on the standing platform and he loss his balance and the only thing that saved him was his safety belt.  It slammed him up against the tree, wrenched his back, broke ribs and messed up his front teeth.  He does not remember how he got down.  It was a good thing that he was not hunting alone and a hunting buddy, Brad, was nearby and heard the noise and came to his rescue.

He has had two necks and one back surgery already under his belt, so this one-man hunting blind will surely come in handy for him to hunt from.  He is really excited about using it and hopefully will harvest a deer this season in our great wild outdoors!  

Rifles Sited In

Sunday morning Bob and I met Greg, my stepson, down at the farm south of town to zero in our rifles.  Greg brought all the gear and did not take us very long to get sited in.  Our guns were basically right on the target with only one going out at the beginning and corrected.  We shot near a beautiful majestic 70 year old wild pecan tree and was told that the MS River had gotten about 6 feet above the treeline during the great Flood of 2011.  The property ends about ½ mile from the river.  Below are a few pictures I took at the farm and we are set to go for deer/hog season beginning soon our great wild outdoors.  GOODHUNTING to one and all!

Greg checking the shots made on targets at 100 yards

Greg checking his .30-06 rifle.

You can almost see where the waterline was 6 feet up this pecan tree.

Shooting near this majestic wild pecan tree.

 Shooting my .270.

Dead Deer!

Happy Blogoversary To Me!

Today, November 7, 2011, is my 5^th Blogoversary!  I can’t believe it has been 5 years already and have met so many nice people who enjoy the sport of hunting as much as I do. 

It all started one day while online reading my next door neighbor’s blog and thought to myself…why not make a blog of my own!  I thought I would start out blogging about my love of hunting and post deer hunts with stories and pictures of my husband, family and friends.  That’s when Marian’sHunting Stories, etc., etc., etc., was born.

 

As you can see from the archives, I did not blog from December 2006 to the end of January 2007.  I lost all interest until January 29, 2007.  At that time, I had my own personal website, “A Dixie Lady Deer Hunter,” which I have now converted into a blog.  A nice guy came by my site by way of a forum and took the time to sign my guestbook.  I always send a message of thanks to anyone who signs it!  I found out that this person was also a Mississippian and later on through his e-mails and calls, he encouraged me to continue to write more about my hunting experiences.  Now, after five years, he is still my mentor and dear friend to both my husband and I.  He’s a very fine southern gentleman and you could not meet anyone nicer.  You may know him by the name of Rex Howell, a.k.a., Editor, over at DeerCamp Blog.  If it wasn’t for him, I would not be here today celebrating my 5^th anniversary with you.  I owe him a great deal of gratitude for taking the time to stop by my website and from that moment has grown into a true friendship that will forever last.    

I also want to THANK YOU, all my readers, for your support, comments, emails, friendship and love.  I look forward to your visits and another year of posting to Marian’s Hunting Stories, etc., etc., etc.

Continuation of Glow Birthday Party

This is a continuation of Ian's Birthday party this past Friday and as you can see below was a glow party inside the barn.  It was so cool.
  

 Everyone with glow sticks and necklaces!

A flowered necklace all aglow.

Even his cake had glowing stars!

Ian after snacking on dip and chips getting ready to eat some birthday cake.

We are all singing Happy Birthday to him.  Cannot believe that Wal-Mart did not put Happy Birthday on his cake but it did not matter to him.  The sparkler was the number 4.

Ian getting the first piece of his Birthday cake!

His friends waiting in line for some of his Birthday cake.  

Opening his presents outside near the inflatable bouncing toy house.

Picture of me with my granddaughter, Victoria and her husband, Jamie!

Victoria trying on and looking cute in my new hunting hat.

A spooky picture I took of Carl, my grandson, Victoria's brother, inside the barn.

Ian's Fun 4th Birthday Party!

Picture above and two below of Ian (my Great Grandson) taken by my daughter, Kathy, before his friends arrived.

He had a blast playing inside the inflatable bouncing toy.

Here he is going inside to play again and again and again...  

What it looked like in full view in front of the barn. 

A horse in the stable on the back side of the barn.

Some more horses in the backside field.

A horse greeting me at the gate.

 A huge bonfire to enjoy and keep warm.

A nice glow from the fire being enjoyed by family members on a cool evening.

To be continued...