Man-cation

Double Bogey, Fl> Bill Howard and Mark Larson sent me the facts about the recent mancation that they shared with my brother Paul and a whole bunch of shanking losers from their college days. Before the match started, Mark had to call his broker to see just how much of that Hooters stock was available. He bought a truck full. Like taking candy from a baby!


Paul ended up having to call his broker too! He needed to know how much of his Microsoft stock he was going to have to sell to pay off his debts.




Bill was a little too busy rolling in those birdie putts to listen to those other idiots hooting and hollering. Another day on the links another fortune made!



Here are all the drunken reprobates from the Man-cation.
glen stone, mark larson,bill howard, bob shull,david hyde, paul howell,greg myers, nick zouboukos, jim hedges

Chasing Turkeys

Gobble Ridge, MS> This weekend is the start of the regular turkey season in Mississippi. Spencer and I are going again and this time we are taking the mysterious Rod Storrs.
He is a Yankee, so you can't understand half of what he says, but he can call a turkey!
Looks like an interesting weekend coming up! Here is a picture of him with a goose from a couple of years ago.
In other news, Marian is cow blogging again.
Cookie has some good St. Patricks day jokes over at The Cook Shack and
Norm at Outdoors With Norm has Spring Fever.

Trying to Get it

I have been posting back and forth with KeesKennis. He is from Africa, but is trying very hard to understand this deerhunting. He sent me a recent picture of his deer dance and new hunting outfit.
For something unexpectedly weird go over and see my friend Steve He has real rabbits with antlers!
The Hammer wants you to write in and ask him questions. If you have a wicked sense of humor, now is the time to use it. My question is "Is Kees deranged or just plain crazy?"

The Cellar

The old house on the famous Christmas Place Hunting Club is affectionately known as the Witchs’ House. It is now dilapidated with the front and rear porches fallen in and the roof starting to go. We scare the kids and make jokes about it, but the real reason the old house is called that is a dark secret.
In 1996 we had owned the property for about a year and had spent a lot of time exploring the property and looking for old artifacts about the people that had lived there over the years. On one of these little expeditions, I got it in my head to crawl under the old house to look for antique bottles. Maybe I could find some old medicine bottles with writing on them or a half buried blue fruit jar. On a bright, sunny day I crawled under the house. I carefully crept along looking for any sign of glass and also looking for deer tracks after Dad had sworn he had seen a deer come out from under there. I found a few broken pieces of old bottles, a couple of jar lids, and a lot of old boards and trash. Nothing of value was under there as I moved toward the rear of the house.
As I moved toward the back of the house, I noticed a section of mortared bricks that barely stuck out of the ground. The section of brick was about 5 feet wide and ran back about eight feet and disappeared back into the ground as it went under the collapsed rear porch. I thought nothing of this as I finished looking around under the house and left empty handed from my bottle hunting expedition.
The section of brick kept coming up in my head the rest of the week. What was it for? Could it be a chimney, an old patio from a previous house or a floor for an old outside kitchen? Then it hit me and I knew what it was. A root cellar probably filled with old bottles!The next Saturday, I worked my way into the mess of old rotted boards that had been the rear porch. Looking out for snakes and spiders, I used a section of rebar to pry into the ground until I located the brick. I probed until I was sure it was as wide as I had originally thought and worked my way back to the end of it. The brick ended directly under the middle of the old porch. I marked this spot, cleared away the rotten boards and undergrowth and prepared to start digging.
Digging down I struck a metal covered wooden door that angled downward. An hour later it was cleared and I was ready to open the old door. I had been excited but now I was a little nervous. I went and found Hershel (my Dad) explained the situation and got him to bring a flashlight and come with me. We pried the old door up and swung it open on the rusty hinges.Flashlights on, we found a narrow set of steps leading down. Clearing spider webs and looking for rattlesnakes, we carefully followed the old brick steps down into the cellar. Eight steps down and we stood on a concrete floor. The light from the open door cast a little light in but our flashlights illuminated the interior clearly.
The room was about 15 feet wide and about 20 feet deep with smooth concrete walls. It was dry and musty inside, but the stale air had a faintly sickening, rotted smell that seemed to stick to your mouth and nose.
Not seeing any snakes near our feet and holding our noses, we moved further into the room. Our lights revealed 13 old wooden chairs lying around the room. The walls looked bare as we moved a few yards deeper and played our lights around. Then we were able to make out the rear of the room clearly. An altar stood in the rear, bare except for an old candle and a thick black book lying on it, but behind it was a terrifying sight. A large upside down crucifix had been painted on the wall in dark red paint. This was surrounded by strange writings that seemed to be mixed with Latin phrases, satanic symbols and crude drawings of horned beasts devouring people in gory detail. Much of what we saw was peeling or missing but, we could not believe the sick images as we started to slowly ease backwards. My light shone on the dust-covered floor and I realized that drawn there was a large dark red pentagram. My father whispered my name before I could speak. His light was shining on two sets of rusty manacles in the left wall. I think that we understood at the same time that the writings, symbols and drawings were all done in blood. We ran up the stairs and out into the fresh air. Dad leaned against the old porch stricken and pale, while I collapsed and gagged a few feet away.
A few minutes later I heard the heavy door slam and looked up to see my father busily shoveling dirt against it. He said “help me” and I started covering the door with dirt also.
After we were through, he said “Don’t ever tell anyone about what we saw”. We pulled the old porch boards over the spot and tried to make it appear as if we had not disturbed the area. We left and did not talk about it for a long time. Time moved on and we talked a couple of times and compared notes but never told anyone else about the cellar. We wondered several times about what was in that mysterious black book. A year later we spotted a man creeping around the house one night and ran him off. Checking the next day, we found where he had been digging against the old porch.
A few days later, my Dad had a bulldozer beside the house clearing the area and made sure he piled dirt on and up against the porch until we heard the cellar roof collapse over the old stairs, then he had the bulldozer continue to push up a bunch of logs, branches and dirt over what had been the porch. The cellar was sealed, and we hope it will stay that way.

The Source- OPR

In a hidden range of hills in Indiana sits a rustic log cabin looking out over a beautiful scenic valley. A small curl of smoke eases out of the rock chimney. A perfect photograph for hikers and outdoorsmen. Do not be fooled! Beneath this cabin is the secret and secure complex of a worldwide corporation reaching out it's globeular tentacles for information. Rows of fax machines shoot out paper, hundreds of computers trace, track and record the information, encrypted emails zip across the country and untraceable phones talk to their shadowy spies and informants. This is the supreme domain of the OPR. the electronic hunting news network of The Outdoor Pressroom. "If it's wild, it's compiled"

Woodies!!

Paul Brown sent me some beautiful pics of wood ducks on his pond
For all you crazy duck hunters, THE SEASON IS OVER!

Appraisals Pay the Bills

Water Valley, MS> I can't blog all the time, even though I am accused of it. Sometimes I have to work. I am an appraiser and nothing gets my blood going more than doing an unusual or oddball home. I have done several over the years in Water Valley. This is one of my favorites and is affectionately known as The Castle.


Another home I did a few years ago, (and Errin reads this blog) is known as the Rochester Home. Another 3 story home including sleeping porch and the 14 ft. ceilings.

Another Birthday!

Tyler Jones has his birthday today. He is 16 and is already a mountain of a man. He is 6'2" and 300lbs. He is not fat either. He is a great football player and is already getting interest from the scouts. They are coming over tonight for a cookout and birthday party. Hope we have enough food!
His father and mother are my best friends (Greg and Kim) and I really enjoy their friendship and hunting with Greg. Tyler and his brother Kyle are a joy to be around and really enjoy hunting too!

Catching Up To A Blog

I want to mention a couple of blogs of interest that you should visit. The first is with my friend David Voyles at Hunting Wild Game. He has a second blog called Hunting Memories of the Past. He is putting his best and most cherished hunting stories there. A nice read for anyone.

Another new link is with the very sassy and entertaining Libby Spencer. She has several blogs, and she can be read at Last One Speaks. She has me in her sidebar as Editor instead of Deer Camp Blog. She has posted some things I have sent her and seems easy to get along with and is a very good writer. Go give her a look.
We might have to invite her to the hog cooking!


Another guy that would fit in at the big hog cooking is Cookie over at The Cook Shack He is a tough old Seabee and as you guessed, loves to cook wild game! I horned in on him after enjoying his Gabby Hayes style and sent him my post of the Uncle Remus style story of Tales From Uncle Hershey Hope he will consider a permanent link with me.


I also don't want to forget my friends Matt and the Captain at Bright Ideas Outdoors. Great friends, easy going and they have those new bio rods to try and catch our lake critter. Damn thing eats all our bait, and you have to carry a rifle with you while you fish. We need to do something!

Another Moving Day

Mayflower, MS> We hunted turkeys at the first T-field stand Sunday morning. Dad called and we actually heard three different gobblers but none would come in. Back to camp, breakfast and then it was moving day. Oh hell! Dad is not happy unless he has a project going.

The new hog cooker looks like the damn Apollo Lunar Lander and weighs about the same.
Everyone grabbed root and growled to get it on the trailer.




Getting it loaded was one thing, but then we had to walk it over to it's new spot behind the camp. I don't want Phillip to be too far from the smell of fresh hog meat on the cooker after he gets here and supplys the camp with fresh pork.



All in all, Dad seemed happy. We will probably have to move the thing around 3 or 4 more times, but he seemed like he thought it was in the perfect spot right now.
The cooker looks like it will hold about 1 big deer, 4 turkeys, 2 hogs and a alligator at the same time. I'm telling you, make a reservation soon, the hog feast is coming up soon.

A Long and Fun Day

Jakeville, MS> Spencer and I got up before day and headed to the Spike Camp field with Dad. He was calling, I was watching and Spencer was the shooter for the turkey youth hunt. At 8:00 AM 5 jakes came running into our decoys. They were 20 feet away. We didn't shoot but it was really exciting. No turkey this weekend.
Later we all packed up and went to look at the alligators we had spotted in a slough a couple of miles away. Yikes! horrible looking beast.

Then we stopped and went down through the woods to the old Blissdale Cemetery. Grown up in the middle of the woods, it is strange and creepy. Blissdale is a ghost town of world renown, you know. Very few markers, sunken graves and a very spooky setting.

Then we went shed hunting. Here is a pic of my brother Paul and Paul Jones with the sheds we found. One of them is going to be a hoss next year. Later Paul and I went to explore the edge of our property where there was a Masonic Temple about 100 years ago. We looked for signs of old bottles sticking out of the ditch banks below the old site. We did not find treasure or artifacts but we visited our neighbor and he showed us this shed antler. It has 10 points on 1 side! Yikes! This ought to make The Shed Antler blog! I would tell you more but my obsessive-compulsive brother Trent has promised to shoot me if I say where it was found!

It's A Hunting Life For Me!

A new and very indepth hunting blog has linked with me. This guy is on top of a whole lot of the world hunting information (from polar bears to bighorn rams) Africa, Canada and all places in between are on his blog. There are elk, moose, and whitetail deer also! He believes and practices wildlife conservation and keeps up with new rules and regulations about hunting. He is not afraid to vent his views either. His name is Kevin Paulson and his blog is really taking off! He keeps the info coming, unless he is trapped in a snowbank somewhere, of course. He is blogging at Huntinglife.com. Hey! don't ask for a better picture, his hat is permanently affixed to his head!

Africa Has Nothing on The Christmas Place

Stunning Vista, MS> A well known and inquisitive Cape Buffalo, thinks he is so damn smart. He is always posting pictures of exotic and strange animals from God knows where. Blue lizards, strange monkeys, leopardses and lions, watergators, colorful birds, grinocerouses and ellies, Now damn cats. Well he has nothing on the famous Christmas Place. We have what I think are some exotic and rare animals too.
Everyone has heard of Thunderhoof. The few hunters that have survived a chance meeting in the woods with him will tell you about his 10 ft. wide antlers. He is majestic and the strangest Whitetail Deer I have ever seen.

A couple of weeks ago, I was hunting up behind the Lake and way down the hollow, I saw one of these slipping through the woods quiet as a mouse. Amazing that something that large could be that silent.

Later that morning, a herd of these came crashing through the woods. Damn varmints ruined my hunt. Those two kinds of animals look a lot alike, have no idea what they are but when those damn things start trumpeting in the woods, it is hard to hear yourself think.

We have all kinds of strange and unusual animals, but our Wildcats are something else! Damn things are 10-15 feet long and mean as hell.
We shoot them and use their big teeth to make knives. You know wildcats are hell on deer and turkeys. They are also not too scared of men. We always carry a rifle into the woods with us just in case. The last weekend of the season, I was hunting at the big Spike Camp field and a couple of these came out and started grazing. I was going to shoot one but it occurred to me that they might be rare, or endangered or something and besides I did not know what the limit would be on a hairy rhinocerous! Like I said that KeesKennis hasn't got anything on us!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is my birthday! I woke up this morning to the sound of a brass band playing in the yard. Wow! I staggered outside, where the mayor gave me the key to the City for my great literary works. The Dallas cheerleaders were there too! You know they love a man in camo. Cake, coffee and off to work, then this afternoon we are headed to camp to help the kids blast a 30 pound gobbler!

A Mohawkian Exchange

I received a link today from a gruff but funny guy today. He is known as the Mohawk Chieftain.
He does not suffer fools lightly. His blog is fun and full of interesting articles and sidesplitting parody. He is 1/8 Mohawk Indian you know. He blogs at Smoldering Embers In A Mohawk Campfire. Go take a look, but for Gods' sake, don't complain about his template or colors.

New Friends and Fun Blogs

First, you should really go over to The Shed Antler and look at a very unusual picture. Secondly, I have added two new non-hunting links to the sidebar. Dazed and Confuzed looks at life differently than most of us. Bizarre, yet hauntingly true. Always a good read!
Another guy that linked was the funny and entertaining man known only as the Hammer throughout the Blogosphere. For a good laugh and a real reality check, visit him at When Your Only Tool Is A Hammer. These two guys and and my friend at Charming, Just Charmng will always make you laugh.

Linking South

A new and very well written blog has arived on the scene. His name is Brad Faircloth, and he is blogging out of North Carolina. He covers all aspects of our great tradition from suburban hunting, varmints, hogs, big deer, habitat, and bringing kids up to enjoy our way of life.
Go visit him leave a comment or two and enjoy his Southern Adventures.

Strange Dreams

Gulfport, MS> My brother Paul, renowned 6-point shooter, called me today and sounded distressed. He is coming up with Michael to turkey hunt but said he has been having some horrible nightmares about a giant barnacle headed buck. Ridiculous!

The Blog From Tennessee

A warm welcome to my friend David Voyles blogging out of Sparta, TN. Going by the monicker of Deerslayer, his hunting blog covers a lot of fundamentals of hunting for new and experienced hunters. His blog shows a concern for our hunting heritage, and a sheer joy to be part of the hunting tradition. Please visit him at
Hunting Wild Game/ A Way of Life

Tales From Uncle Hershey

Brer Thunderhoof and Mistah Hershel

Thunderhoof, he be layin’ up on the hillside, just chewin’ his cud and catchin’ a lil sun that fine monin’. Brer Thunderhoof, he feel fat ‘n sassy whilst he looked down at them fresh green shoots of dat corn patch and just a’waitin’ for dat corn to be big and sweet, when he spy Mistah Hershel coming up the road lickity split. Thunderhoof, he ain’t worryin’ none, he relaxin’ in the sun.
Mistah Hershel, he pull up in his fancy cart and stare hard at Ol’ Thunderhoof. Brer Thunderhoof, he just stare back, chew his cud and don’ say nuttin.
Mistah Hershel say, “Brer Thunderhoof, I knows you’s jist up here thinkin’ bout my corn patch, waitin’ for them moist yella kernels soons they ripe.” “I ain’t goan let cha eat up my crop agin. You ates up my garden, wit my greens and butter peas and now yous sits up here waitin’ on my corn. I’sa shamed of you, Brer Thunderhoof!”
Brer Thunderhoof, don’ say nuttin, he jis reach back and scratch his back wit a giant antler where Mistah Hossfly be bitin’.
Mistah Hershel say, “It’s sad, sad you be so mean to Mistah Hershel.” I works hard plantin’ and a hoein’ and takin’ care of the farm and you sits up heah chewin yo cud and a wishing for sweet corn. I’sa mind to whup you jist for spite!” Mistah Hershel, he get down and walk over and grab Brer Thunderhoofs leg and pull. Thunderhoof, he jist lay still. Then Mistah Hershel try an grab his big ol horns, but Thunderhoof jist shake him off like a baby rag doll. Then Mistah Hershel say,”You good fer nuttin deer, I’se goan tie a rope to youse and drag you to the next county!” Mistah Hershel back his cart up while Thunderhoof watch in mazement. Mistah Hershel get a rope and tie around Brer Thunderhoof neck, then tie to his fancy cart. Mistah Hershel pull it tight den hobble back to dat cart, den jumps in and take off!
Brer Thunderhoof so surprise he quit chawin’ and watch them wheels jist spin. That cart ain’t goin nowhere. Thunderhoof start laffin, almos’ choke he laugh so hard. Mistah Hershel, he so mad he can’t talk, then he amble over and untie him from the fancy cart and he sit down beside Thunderhoof bout to cry. Thunderhoof, he feel pitiful sorry for Mistah Hershel now and he starts studyin’ on a slution to help poor Mistah Hershel. They sit there in that grass lookin’ out over the fields for a terrible long time and finally Brer Thunderhoof say,” Mistah Hershel, I’se got a answer to yo problum”.
I’se deer and can’t help my callin’, but if’n I had something else to eat, why I would leave yo beautiful ol corn crop alone till after the harvestin.” Mistah Hershel, he so relieve he bout hug that big ol deers neck and say “Brer Thunderhoof, how bouts I plant lots of good tastin’ pretty clover and green grass up in them hills so’s nobody be bothering you whilst you eats?”
Thunderhoof allow that be jist fine wit him, and Mistah Hershel so ’cited he jump up and say “We goan keep you fit all winter!, Brer Thunderhoof youse a mighty fine frien!” Then Mistah Hershel, he head for the barn to git that tractor fired up and Brer Thunderhoof , he go back to chewin’ his cud.

This is how and why the first food plots were planted in the hills of the famous Christmas Place. We currently have over 30 food plots scattered across the property.

Mail From Virginia

Water Valley, MS> The mailrider came through today and Surprise, Surprise, he had a package for me. Those bright guys from Virginia had sent me a very cool visor with their logo. I feel golf in the air this afternoon! I will be returning the favor, as soon as I can get to Oxpatch to get it set up. Matt and the Captain said they might make it down to see the Rebels play and bowhunt this fall. That would be great. Another bright idea would be for them to bring their kids for our doe hunt on Youth Weekend before the regular gun season.
I also want everyone who reads this to go over and sign Marians' Guest Book. It is the coolest thing I've seen in a while. Might be a bright idea for me and Matt

Getting Ready

Hickory Smoke, MS> The shed antler hunting did not go very well, but I did locate some very good big buck sign that has me fired up for next year. Dad and I found some fresh turkey sign at the Spike Camp field and set up a blind for turkey season.
The weather was cool, but beautiful. I sat up late with Dad and talked in front of the fire that night and it was a really nice weekend.
While I was scouting for deer, hogs and antlers; Dad and Paul Jones worked on his super duper hog cooker. This thing is huge and opens in 3 or 4 different directions.
The members over here can't kill a deer much less a hog, so send some spare change so I can buy Phillip a ticket to come here and blast them. We also need to buy GuyK a ticket so he can come up here and eat 'em. Hell, we need to buy Moose a ticket to come here and cook them. Sooner or later there is going to be a hog feast here!

Through Norms' Eyes

You're sitting on your deer stand just as the sun tops the trees. It is still and quiet as the rays of the sun finally hit the frost covered trees around you. Looking out, the sun reflects off the frost covered leaves and limbs like a million diamonds sparkling. You are overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the scene. For just a few minutes you are "Aware". Aware of the beauty and wonder of the world we live in and by the majesty of God that created our world. Maybe you say a quick prayer thanking him for letting you see and to allow you to enjoy his wonders.
This is the way Norm Sargent sees the world while hunting. He is another good blogger from the Skinny Moose Network and he blogs at Outdoors With Norm.

Sincere Apology

Gobblers' Roost, MS> I returned this morning from my trip to the famous Christmas Place to try and play golf this afternoon with Old Scratch and the rest of the guys.
Hope the sun stays out and it stays warm. The shed hunting was a disaster, there seemed to be a miscommunication with Camo on what we were looking for. Sheds, Armadillos, it's all the same to her.
I was going to sleep late this morning, but who the hell can sleep with all those damn turkeys gobbling outside the window! Jeez! Would someone please come down here and eradicate those varmints!
I owe a sincere apology to my friend Jeff Murray at Jeffs'Outdoor Notebook. I posted on his blog that turkey season opens in two weeks. I was wrong. The youth season opens this coming weekend! Oh well, I'm sure he will enjoy mine and Spencers' pics on the internet while that 12 feet of snow builds up outside his window. Try not to freeze to death!

Weekend Activities

Finally, it's Friday afternoon and time to get the heck out of here. I have taken enough abuse from Kees and Mohawk. Time to get going. I am going to load up my faithful companion Camo and finally get to camp and do some Shed Hunting. Should be fun! If I only had a Visor to wear.
If you want to do something interesting this weekend, go over and explore this guys blog. He has a whole different view of the world. (Like looking at bugs through a broken coke bottle.) Overall he seems Dazed and Confused from here.

The Deer Hunting Aura

The problem is that my friend KeesKennis does not understand the attraction women have for deer hunters. It makes them crazy with passion! Kees and Mohawk especially just don't understand southern women. Remember men, no matter what, it is all about Rack Hunting.

Golf Relaxation

Not long ago, we went on a golf Marathon to the Gulf Coast. 36 holes a day left you covered in sweat, with every muscle hurting. Lots of beer, hot sun, tons of seafood, and then we all crawled in Pauls' hot tub to relax, drink and tell stories. A great trip, but this is a photo that I was not thinking I would share. Not that I'm homophobic or anything. Anyway, a weird pic! Golf Season starts soon!

Hog Deer

I have been reading and corresponding with Phillip over at The Hog Blog. He understands hogs. They are ugly, smell bad, nasty to dress but damn, they taste great. I have been trying to figure out a hunt for us. He loves Hog Hunting but is lukewarm on Whitetail Deer. I am big on the deer but lukewarm on the hogs. I decided to find out how we could get something going and decided to Google the words Hog Deer. Holy crap, this is what came up. There really is a Hog Deer. The damn things are native to Australia. I feel a wild hunting trip coming up!

Feeding Wolves

My friend GuyK from Charming, Just Charming posted this on his site. It was forwarded to him from Pat. There is an inner conflict in all of us. Be careful who you feed.

Happy Birthday Spencer!

Today is Spencers' birthday. He is now 12. Everyone knows that all the cool stuff happens when you are twelve.
Spencer has become very interested in hunting this year. He took two deer, a nice doe and a really nice 7-point. His first buck! He said that he wants to try turkey hunting this year and for the first time in a while, I am fired up about turkey hunting. Nothing like a 12 year old getting his first long beard turkey. Congratulations Son, I hope this is the best year for you that a person could have