Deer Disease Found In 2 More MS Counties

Cases of debilitating deer disease have been confirmed in two more Mississippi counties, make it present in five counties.

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks said Tuesday that tests confirm deer in Panola and Tallahatchie counties had a chronic wasting disease.  A total of 15 cases have been confirmed statewide, with others found in Benton, Issaquena, Marshall, and Pontotoc counties.  Four more cases awaiting confirmation.

The contagious and fatal neurological disease causes deer to have tremors and other movement problems and lose weight.

Spokesman Warren Strain says the department is assessing restrictions on feeding wildlife and hog trapping in Panola, Tallahatchie, and surrounding counties as part of its response program.

The disease is present in 25 other states.

What You Should Know About Preventing CWD

As more than 20 states report cases of a brain-wasting animal disease informally called "zombie" deer disease, officials worry that humans could be affected. 

Chronic wasting disease has been found in deer, elk and/or moose in at least 24 states and two Canadian provinces since the start of the year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. There are no vaccines or treatments available for the disease, which is always fatal. 

"It is probable that human cases of chronic wasting disease associated with consumption with contaminated meat will be documented in the years ahead," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "It’s possible the number of human cases will be substantial and will not be isolated events."

No cases of CWD have been reported in humans to date, but research suggests it poses a risk to humans. 

Here's what the CDC says you should know about preventing CWD:

Don't touch road-kill.  People shouldn't handle or eat meat from dead animals.  Also, never shoot and handle a deer or elk that is acting strangely.  Animals infected with CWD might be extremely underweight, stumbling and listless.  If you see an animal that appears to be sick, take note of its location and contact wildlife officials.

Test deer before eating meat.  Some states recommend of require hunters have deer or elk tested before eating their meat.  But even a test can detect CWD only at a certain stage.  There is not a test that can definitively say the animal is negative for the disease, TX Parks and Wildlife notes.  Information about what your state recommends is available from state wildlife agencies.

Wear gloves when field-dressing a deer.  The CDC recommends wearing latex or rubber gloves when handling a hunted animal and its meat.  Also, minimize the time spent touching organs such as the brain and spinal cord issues.  Never use household knives or utensils for field dressing.  Always wash hands and disinfect hunting instruments after use.

Process meat individually.  Hunters who typically have deer or elk commercially processed might want to ask whether their animals can be processed individually to avoid any chance of contamination.

Guest Post ~ 8 Sounds Of Turkey Hunting & What That Means Turkey Hunting

Just like humans, turkeys have their own language. As a hunter, it is of prime importance for you to learn that language. This will not only allow you to increase the probability of success but also have some fun while fooling some suspicious turkeys.

Fortunately, the language of turkeys isn’t that hard to learn. There are no complex grammatical rules and vocabulary, just a few sounds that each have a meaning.

With that being said, learning how turkeys communicate isn’t easy. The ability to distinguish between different sounds determines whether or not your hunt will be successful.

Now, let’s examine 8 common turkey sounds along with their meaning.

Yelp

The yelp is one of the most, if not the most heard sound from turkeys. When a turkey yelps, it makes a series of notes – usually in a sequence from three to eight – the purpose of which is to alert other turkeys of its location and beckon them to join in.

The yelp is used by both male and female turkeys. However, hens use this call specifically to look for a gobble. Due to this, learning to imitate the yelp can be very helpful in luring a hen to your location. If you manage to fire the hen up enough, she may come to investigate even if she already had found a gobbler. And the gobbler may even himself join the “party”!

Gobble

The gobble is one of the principal vocalizations of a male turkey. It is used by gobbles to indicate that they want a hen. In addition, it used to deter other gobblers.

The ability to imitate a gobble can be a very useful tool in your arsenal. In the breeding season, it could be used to attract hens to your position.

However, gobbling is a double-edged sword. First off, it can attract a dominate gobble looking for a fight. Conversely, it can scare away less dominant birds who want to avoid fighting. And lastly, the gobble can attract other hunters to your position, which you definitely don’t want.

Putt

The putt consists of a single or several sharp sounds. It is used by turkeys to signal a nearby danger. If you alert the turkey of your presence, it will start putting, warning other turkeys of the threat. Generally, if you’ve caused a turkey to putt, it means that the hunting is failed.

Learning to imitate the putt can be really beneficial in hunting. It can be useful when you want a turkey to raise its head or stop for you to get a clear shot. However, once you raise the alarm by putting, you will have only a little time to take the shot. Thereby, pre-aiming is a good idea.

Cluck

The cluck is also used by both gobblers and hens. It is usually used by one turkey to get the attention of another. Hens use it to encourage a gobbler to approach, especially when he is hanging up. In addition, hens cluck in conjunction with feeding or moving around the area.

This sound is a bit simpler with gobblers: they use it just to indicate their location.

The cluck sounds very similar to a putt, so it is pretty easy to confuse them for an untrained ear. The cluck is slightly longer and a less excited sound.

Since the cluck and putt have completely different meanings, distinguishing between one or the other means coming home either empty-handed or with a turkey.

Cutting

Cutting basically is a combination of rapid and loud clucks mixed with yelping. This sound indicates that the turkey is excited.

Cutting is used by hens when they are fired up. If the gobbler has gone silent, cutting can help the hen get a response out of him. In addition, it is used by hens agitated with each other. If you are hearing a lot of cutting in the woods, then you are likely near the peak levels of the breeding season.

Needless to say, imitating cutting can be a very powerful tool for attracting both hens and gobblers. If one gobbler is henned up and a hen is cutting, you could mimic her calls with slightly higher excitement and vocalization to lure her to you for a fight. In addition, you may be able to attract the gobbler with the cutting.

Purr

The purr is a soft sound that turkeys make when content. It is very often made by feeding birds. In addition, it is used by turkeys to maintain contact with each other.

Gobblers also use the purr as a sign of aggression, often when they spot another gobbler invading their territory. You could set up a decoy in a gobbler’s territory to lure him towards you. And imitating a purr, you could get the gobbler all excited to attack the decoy, thus exposing himself for a shot.

Cackle

The cackle is usually used by turkeys – mostly hens – when they leave the roost and fly down towards the ground.

This call usually starts with a yelp, which indicates a turkey’s location. Once the turkey is ready to leave the roost, it cackles. It starts out as a series of quick clucks and cuts. As the turkey lands on the ground, the cadence slows down and often turns into yelps.

If you hear the cackle, then you most likely got up early enough for a morning hunt. Imitating the cackle could allow you to lure a gobbler right into your line of shooting.

Kee-kee run

The kee-kee run is used by young turkeys who got separated from their flock. Young turkeys use this call to indicate that they are lost and want to be found.

The kee-kee run can be used in a variety of hunting strategies. For example, you could scare off and separate a flock of turkeys and then use the kee-kee run to lure more mature turkeys to your location.

In addition, opting for a kee-kee run is a good idea on public hunting grounds where other hunters are likely to use the more regular yelps and cuts. The kee-kee run would greatly help you draw attention towards you.

About Me

Hi, I am Morgan. I run RangeFindersAll.com where I talk about rangefinders (you kind of guessed that, right) and how it can be used for purposes related to hunting and sports. Feel free to reach out to me for anything related to rangefinders and I will be happy to help.

On The Mend

On the Mend

Many tears fall from broken hearts!

The heart of our nation is torn apart:

Divided by political parties

Fighting each other.

Let us reason together,

Work together,

And put the Heart of America

On the Mend.

This pendant is bronze. It is named "On the Mend." It is dedicated to America. Front and back sides are shown. Bill Worrell

I only VERY recently got these back from the caster in Albuquerque, and not in time to get them to the galleries before Valentine's Day.  Sandstone Cellars has some and in three or four days they will be at the Worrell Gallery in Santa Fe and at Exposures Gallery in Sedona.  Thank all of you for your responses.  I am SO GRATEFUL.  I was born in America, and I am SO SADDENED by some of the elected politicians' refusals to simply do what is found in Isiah 1:18.  "Come and let us reason together, says the Lord."

Valentine's Creations by Bill

My Facebook friend, Bill Worrell, with studios 'New Art' in Texas and "Worrell Gallery" in Santa Fe, NM, created some watercolors for Valentine's Day.  I have met Bill in person and he is a very talented artist, painter, sculptor, writer, and a gentleman.  I'm sharing some of his Valentine's LOVE with you today.

Hearts Aglow

Heartnado

One Starry Night

Slowly Eclipsing Heart

Bill Worrell

Rode hard - put up wet

by Kent Blazy

MS River On The Rise @ Vicksburg

It looks like we will be reaching flood stage by Saturday with heavy rains in the upper MS River and Ohio River basins contributing to rising waters here in my hometown of Vicksburg, MS.  Flood stage is 43.3 feet and it is projected to reach 48 feet by March 3rd.  Tomorrow's forecast issued today is 42 feet.

This is not taking into account all the snow up north that has not melted and some are predicting worse than the 2011 flood here.  Let's hope and pray that history will not repeat itself or worse.

One Hung Up Squirrel

Cassie Miller's Dad of Newton, MS, hung up the only squirrel he shot recently and here are some funny comments made of his kill.  

One heck of a squirrel!

17 ounces?

Looks like a great season right there!

Are you going to mount it?

What was it's weight?

It'd be a good one next year.

Stud!  Chasing or Feeding?

Hunting over that corn pile again?

Where're the scales?  That's a fat tree rat!

Great!

Broadway With & Without Antlers

My Facebook friend, Mike Persichini loves to take pictures of deer and to name them.  He named the one above, Broadway.  Recently he was lucky enough to find his sheds after he dropped them.  This is an awesome picture of Broadway with his antlers!

This is Broadway without his antlers and he looks depressed!

Mike proudly displaying Broadway's sheds he found in the commons area of a subdivision.  Congratulations, Mike!  You deserved them!

Mike said that since he has shed his antlers he has been an outcast with the other bucks!  Payback for kicking butts a couple months ago.

Weighing 6.59 lbs. and scored 181.25.

A Broadway buck painting by Laura Mark-Finberg that you can purchase.  

MS Hog Control Corral Traps

Jimmy Whittington and his son of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, posted today their way of controlling these nasty hogs in our great wild Mississippi outdoors.  Hogs are numbering in the thousands and are very destructive, invasive and wreaking havoc across the state.  As shown above, large corral traps are the most effective option for eliminating entire sounders (social unit).  On private lands, wild hogs can be taken year-round with no weapons/caliber restriction at any time of the day or night.  If you choose to hunt wild hogs at night, make sure to take precautions.  For more information, check out Wild Hog FAQ's on MDWFP site. 

A Little Squirrel Huntress

Jimmy and Elizabeth Greer of Canton, Mississippi, have a precious little girl that likes to go hunting.  Here she is on an early morning squirrel hunt with her favorite hunter, Dad.  After the second one, she said let's go to the Waffle House!  So that's exactly where they headed.  What a precious picture with her Dad and their dog.

Check out the squirrels tail hanging out!

So much fun hanging out with Dad in...

...our great Mississippi outdoors!

Holding her two squirrels!  What a cutie!

Congratulations little one!  I'm so proud of you! 

Last Day Of The Hunt

Not a bad way to end the season!
Killed by: Dwight Smith
Killed in: Neshoba Co.
Killed on: 1-31-19
Score: 140 4/8

Was hung up the night before and was cold enough to stiffen up for a great buck pose!

My congratulations to Dwight Smith in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors!  Way to go, Dwight!

MS River Traffic This Afternoon @ Vicksburg, MS

I went by the Louisiana Circle this afternoon around 2:45 and M/V Brother Wilson was passing by my hometown of Vicksburg, MS with empty containers northbound heading for the sharp bend in the MS River called Delta Point.

A close-up of M/V Brother Wilson.

Ahead of M/V Brother Wilson near Delta Point was the General and Synergy towboats headed for the Port of Vicksburg in the Yazoo Canal with Waterview Casino and Hotel in the foreground.  

River Level:  41.78 feet - Change: -0.07 foot - Flood Stage: 43 feet

An Unlikely Friendship

One Last Hunt

Yesterday, was the last day of hunting season for 2018-2019 in Mississippi and was invited to hunt one last time at my Granddaughter Victoria and hubby Jamie's 380-acre deer camp.  It looks like I'm hunting on buck fever drive.  A really cool sign for a deer camp.

This sign greets you first!  Love it!  

My Granddaughter Victoria and Great Grandson Ian dropping me off at my stand to hunt. 

A real nice camo blind that I got to hunt out of.  I was able to stand up in it as well and very roomy.  Loved it!

To the left of me.

Behind me and had my walking stick leaning up against the window.

To the right of me.

Waiting on a deer.  No deer showed up but I enjoyed being in the woods and watching nature in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors.  Until next season!

Doe On Sports Page of The Vicksburg Post

DOE:  Vicksburg resident Marian Ann Love, a 78-year-old great grandmother, shot this 120-pound doe while hunting at the Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club in Holmes County on Jan. 12.  She made the 100-yard shot with a .270.  Love has been hunting deer for 34 years and hopes to continue into her 80s.

The Vicksburg Post invites readers to submit their hunting photos.  Please email pictures to sports@vicksburgpost.com and include the following information:  Names of the hunters; the size of the animal; and the date and location of the hunt.  Pictures containing an excess amount of blood and gore will not be published.

It was nice to see a picture of my doe in today's paper, The Vicksburg Post, being published in the Sports Section.  

I will be heading to the woods this afternoon to try one more time which is the last day of deer hunting season for 2018-2019.  Wish me luck in our great wild Mississippi outdoors!  

Aging Whitetail Deer

Tomorrow will be the last day of hunting for the 2018-2019 Deer Season for Mississippi.  I may have a chance to get one more hunt in and will not know until morning.  I was fortunate to get a doe at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club a couple of weeks ago on the edge of the MS Delta.  I actually like to go and just sit in the woods to watch nature since I don't belong to a deer camp and have to be invited to hunt.  I'm hoping it will all work out that I will get one more chance to be in our great wild and wonderful Mississippi outdoors hunting.

Birthday Pictures From The Louisiana Circle @ MS River

After my family left I took a drive over to the Louisiana Circle to take some pictures.  It was a beautiful day on my 78th Birthday, Sunday, January 27th.  I stood next to "The Widow Blakely" to take a few pictures.  

A plaque about "The Widow Blakely" in the Vicksburg defenses.   

A wide angle view of the Mighty Mississippi River!

A sharp bend in the MS River at Vicksburg called Delta Point looking north on a very pretty day!

I'm so thankful and blessed to have had a very nice birthday and hearing from my four daughters, grandchildren, and friends.  I also received a dozen roses from my daughter, Debra Ann, phone calls, birthday cards and a lot of wishes from my Facebook friends as well.  It was a great 78th Birthday celebration!  Thanks to all who made my birthday so special!

In Memory ~ CAMO

Last Friday, January 25th my blogging/hunting friend, Rex Howell's (Deer Camp Blog) dog, CAMO passed away.  I have added the words of a man who loved his dog, best friend and companion.  She will be missed by everyone who was fortunate to know and love her.  

Camo 1/25/2019 - A Great Dog Has Left Us

Camo was raised as a circus dog and at an early age learned to walk the high wire, juggle, leap through flaming hoops, ride bareback, do flips, catch flaming arrows in his mouth and chase trespassers. She turned this down to come live with me and Denise and become best friends with Thunderhoof. She loved to go to camp. All you had to say was "Camp" or for me to pick up my rifle and bag and she was howling at the door ready to go.
She hated a big-eared deer, a squirrel, wild hog, any big black bird (crow or buzzard), didn't like a chipmunk or rabbit and was not too fond of a grasshopper. She would kill a damn snake.
When she was young, she loved to run like the wind, but in later years she would ride in the buggy with us around the camp. Her best hunting trips were barking at deer through the windshield of my truck at deer as we rode around in my truck and growling at me to drive faster so she could grab one by the ears. She refused to do any of the tricks she knew, she was above all that, but she could bark, beg or sleep on command or not. She had us trained to get her treats with just one bark! 
Camo was the camp mascot and most of my best hunts were when she was at camp. When I got a big old deer she would race out to meet me and double check just to make sure the big horned varmint was dead. She loved almost everyone and was the smartest, most loving dog I have ever known.
At home, she slept by Denise most nights, guarded our house against Big Foot, rhinoceroses, and burglars and was the child we didn't have. Also, she was our best friend.
We buried her in the yard so we could look out and check on her occasionally, but I think she will spend her time sleeping by the fire and keeping an eye on us. Denise and I are heartbroken but have been truly blessed to have known such a noble companion and best friend. I really don't have the words to express how much I loved that dog.

Rest In Peace, CAMO!

This Little Girl Turns 78 Years Old Today!

Today, I'm 78 years young and so blessed/thankful that I have lived this long and have four beautiful daughters; Theresa Marie "Teri", Kathleen Love "Kathy", Debra Ann, Marian Suzanne "Suzi" and my son, William David (Deceased).  I'm also blessed with six Granddaughters; Sonya Michelle, Candace Lynn, Victoria Leigh, Lucy Ann, Emma Claire and Katherine Elizabeth "Kate" and three Grandsons, Stephen, Michael "Ethan" and Carlton.  I'm truly blessed with four Great Grandsons, Tidus David, James "Ian", William David "Will", and Noah James.  Happy Birthday to me!

My Picture Published Today In The Vicksburg Post

                                                 Marian Ann Love - FOR THE VICKSBURG POST

REFLECTIVE:  Marian Ann Love submitted this photo taken from the Louisiana Circle of a train crossing the Mighty Mississippi going west from Vicksburg into Louisiana with the sun's reflection on the river outlining well cars that carry stacked containers. 

Many thanks to The Vicksburg Post for publishing my picture in our hometown paper as a photographer.  I appreciate it so much!