Deer Camp Blog- the outdoor column of The Bodock Times- (a satirical periodical)
Humor and Hunting at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club on the edge of the Mississippi Delta
Squirrel Camp letters have been mailed. Yes, things are beginning to pick up at the famous Christmas Place as we head into fall. Spencer went with me on his first squirrel hunt last year and did really, really well. See photos from last years camp. If I had known that Andy and Julie were going to start blogging again, I would have sent them a letter. They hate a squirrel almost as much as Camo.
Needless to say it is still raining. It always rains on the unloved. No, I do not want to talk about it. I am still so mad I could spit in a wild hog's eye. Yes, I am going to camp, will probably drown. no planting, no disking, no doing crap. Think I will drink all weekend.
Recently I finished an appraisal on this building in downtown Water Valley. An early 1920's service station along Main street. Rock exterior, pressed tin ceilings and 12-14 foot walls. Very interesting. It is for sale if you want to come here and open a little bistro style restaurant, art studio, deer removal service or anything else that strikes your fancy.
"Let me blog another day." It is raining again today, but do not worry. It is supposed to stop by Sunday. You know the maximum is 40 days and 40 nights. This could mess up our whole weekend of finally getting the rest of our food plots finished.
One, two, three, look at Mr. Kees Three, four, five, look at him jive Mr. Kees, Mr. Kees Oh, Mr. Kees Mr. Kees, Mr. Kees Oh, Mr. Kees Mr. Kees I met my mentor His name is Mr. Kees I met my blog boss His name is Mr. Kees He's got the craziest blog That you ever did see My Dog is barkin' for you Mr. Kees My deer are runnin' to you Mr. Kees 'Cause they love you so And we’ll never let you go (Chorus) Here comes Mr. Kees He's bloggin’ bout me Here comes Mr. Kees With a baboon for me He's a very clever boy Let's jump for joy Come on Mr. Kees and do your stuff Come on Mr. Kees, damn your rough 'Cause you're gonna be bloggin’ Till the end of time
One, two, three, look at Mr. Kees Three, four, five, look at him jive One, two, three, look at Mr. Kees Three, four, five, look at him jive (Chorus) PS go visit KeesKennis for a riotous, crazy and eye opening adventure
During football season, Mark sets up several tents in the park called the Grove on the Ole Miss Campus for us to tailgate. We watch football, eat, drink and visit with friends and old classmates. It is amazing to see thousands of tents and the people dressed in red and blue enjoying themselves before the game. We do our thing but then wander around visiting other people. We always go over to the rich peoples tent (Paul's Group) and visit. Later they come over and slum with us before walking into the game. Here is a pic of Mark Larson, Bill Howard and myself. Bill is in the middle with the 70's retro haircut.
A quick update on the Christmas card pics that I need from all of you for our famous Deer Camp Blog Christmas Card. So far I have received 0. Yes, 0. I need to get the pics as soon as you can send one. If anyone has a really cool background that I could use, please send that also. I would like to use different pics from the ones I used last year. Thanks.
Here, the rain keeps on falling and I am sitting here thinking about all the things at camp I need to get accomplished. I am also thinking about the huge amount of deer we have seen early and what the hunting season will bring. The clock keeps on ticking, but it seems like deer season will never arrive. I am in limbo, just waiting for it to start. On the good news front, it looks like Andy and Julie Outdoors has returned to blogging. Those guys stay mad at a squirrel. I need to find something to do while I am waiting.
Saturday night we were worn out from a full day of work. Mark had brought steaks for dinner and Burney cooked them to perfection. We ate hearty that night. Paul was really hungry from his loooong day of work. We watched a few football games on the tube and headed to bed.
Did I mention that Mark tore up the Gator. That old gator has covered a lot of miles down there and serves as our work vehicle. No one was upset, those steaks were good! He tried to blame it on Thunderhoof saying he was attacked. We all hooted at him.
It rained Saturday night and we slept in. Later Sunday morning the rain stopped and Mark, Burney and I headed to the north Cornfield to finish putting the window in that stand. After that we stopped by the Pond stand. (Shhh..it is red hot)and got Burney fixed up for opening day of archery season.
The morning started off the same as usual. Everyone got ready to go to work and Paul went hunting. He did get this really nice hog on the Point Stand and he was through for the day.
Meanwhile, the people who actually work got busy. Here is Trent getting jiggy with the tractor and disk.
Mark and I started putting the wheat out and working on stands. Each stand needs new gunrests and all shooting lanes cleared. Here is Mark working on Marians Stand at the Arrowhead Field. Burney showed up at lunch and we managed to get about half of the fields done Saturday. Paul (Squire) Howell kept us posted on the football scores. All of the fields we completed had the stands in good shape and we are waiting for Matt and his boys to choose their spots for Youth Weekend.
Yesterday, I alluded to the fact that Phillip is an expert. In fact he is a damn genius. He hunts in California where you can't even get a buck in your sights without some enviro whacko sticking his head in the way screaming "Save Our furry Friends" and "Lynch the Hunters." Phillip doesn't let any of that bother him. He is a singleminded hunter, guide and pin-up boy for the wall in Holly's office. Life is good.
Here he is after a successful squirrel hunt.
Here he is with a large whitetail buck after a successful hunt at the Tejon Ranch.
Phillip also enjoys hunting waterfowl. Ducks, Geese, if it flys it dies. Here he is after a successful duck hunt with Holly.
If anyone is an expert in hunting certain animals, there is no doubt that that man is Phillip. You can visit him and get all the advice you will ever need at The Hog Blog.
Yesterday, Kristine at the Outdoor Bloggers Summit asked a very important question. Why do you blog? I enjoyed her answer and here is mine. Deer huntin’ guys have always been a real close family but lately some of my kin folks have disowned a few others and me i guess its because i kinda changed my direction i guess i went and broke the family tradition
they get on me-wanna know Rex why do you drink? (Rex) why do you go huntin’? Why must you live out the blogs that you wrote? over and over everybody made my prediction so if i get stoned I'm just carryin' on an old family tradition
I am very proud of my daddys name although his kinda writin’ and mine ain't exactly the same stop and think it over put yourself in my position if i go hunting and blog all night long it's a family tradition
Don't ask me Rex why do you drink? (Rex) why do you go hunt? Why must you live out the blogs that you wrote? If I'm down in a Honky-Tonk Some ol' slicks tryin to give me corrections I'll say leave me alone I'm bloggin’ all night long it's a family tradition
Lordy, I have loved some ladies and I have loved Jim Beam and Thunderhoof tried to kill me in 1973 when that doctor asked me Son how did you get in this condition I said hey sawbones I'm just carryin on an old blogging tradition
So don't ask me Rex why do you drink? (Rex) why do you go hunt? Why must you live out the blogs that you wrote? Stop and think it over Try and put yourself in my unique position If I go hunting and blog all night long It's a family tradition!
My dad is a busy, busy man. He always has a project going in which he can use slave labor. I managed to avoid it last weekend but he captured my slacker brother Paul, Terry Cutrair, and Paul Jones and put them to work on his new duck blind. We were in the hills bush-hogging but I managed to check on them late that afternoon. My evil brother was in a foul mood. Dad has cleared all around his little pond to make some small fields for the deer. Now he can duck hunt, deer hunt, and hog hunt from one spot. I think he can probably chase women in it too. He was positively rubbing his hands together in glee. My crazy dog, Camo, got hot watching their labor and decided to go lay down in the water. Damn thing thinks it's a beaver. I got a picture of Denise showing her expertise with a level. You know it has to be exactly level for a duck to come by.
When Denise and I arrived at camp late Friday night there was a crowd of men around the kitchen table. Backed up in the corner was the new refuge manager Stephanie Allison. They had her blocked in the kitchen and they were all talking to her at once. What the hell is wrong with them. I broke my way into the circle, poured a drink and started talking to her too. Of course, I was just trying to get those fools back and give the girl some breathing room. Truthfully, we are enjoying her friendship and company. She is working hard at her job and we enjoy her dropping by and being part of the group. She is looking forward to being in the Christmas Card too. Now if we can just control those evil lawyers (Paul and Trent) and Paul Jones.
Kim Stewart finally agreed to return the hog head that has been hanging over her bed for the last couple of years. She was not happy about it. Mark finally got the massive thing down and back to camp this past weekend. He was relieved, and very happy about it. I find the whole thing very strange.
