Monday, December 13, 2010

Insufferable

Do you know what is worse than your brother killing a nice buck? When he kills another one. A big 10 point! He got this really nice buck off of the Spike Camp field in his blind lucky way. Afterwards he was filled with hunting knowledge that he was glad to share with everyone. Daniel Boone would have been proud of the hunting lore he spread around until I threw up.
On the bright side David Hyde got this horrible looking 232 lb. hog at the Gamewarden Stand.
PS- the Mailrider spent the weekend in Memphis shopping at the Mall.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Off To Deer..Er..Hog Camp

What in the hell is happening to the famous Christmas Place Deer Camp. No deer and everyone wants to talk about hogs. Their color, the size of their snouts and tusks, how big they are and where are they hiding. Does anyone else see a problem here?
It is time to get back on track and this weekend the bucks are going to fall like dominos.

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Silver-y-Horns

Silvery horns
Silvery horns, silvery horns
Ev'ryone wishes for silvery horns
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.
Silvery horns, silvery horns
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold antlerations
On ev'ry hanging tree.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Christmas Card Update

The Christmas Card is coming along but please send in your pic or a link to a good pic of yourself. I have many already. Jody, Othmar, the jeep dude, Becky, Matt, Ralph, Marian and Bob, and a few others; so it is shaping up nicely.
Many of my links have not posted this year and I would still like a pic anyway, so please send one. New links, here is last years card.
PS- if you just read the blog, send me a pic and I will add you too.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

First Deerses

There is something wonderful and exciting about seeing someone get their first deer. It brings back old memories and you also get to see the total excitement of someone learning about the success of hunting.
A couple of weeks ago Stuart Allen and his stepson Jack Hanson were our guest and they both got a deer. Congratulations Stuart and Jack!

Monday, December 06, 2010

The Hogathon

Phillips Dream, MS> The muzzleloading season was strange this year as no big bucks were seen but we killed 4 wild hogs. Yes four of the varmints. What the hell is going on?
DAD GOT A HOG! For all you naysayers that thought he was washed up, old Dad has come through with a great shot over at the GameWarden Stand.

Burney got two hogs this weekend and the most importand news is that....
REX GOT A HOG!!!!
Yes this is my first hog and as you can see it is a rare Blue Grunter, the most aristocratic and desirable of the wild hog family. A true trophy!!!

Friday, December 03, 2010

Christmas Card Reminder


Heading to camp today but if you have time please send a pic of yourself for the Christmas Card. Last years was great and I hope this year will be better.
Good luck this weekend!
PS that stupid Thunderhoof is going to get a hole blown in him this weekend!

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Blunderbuss Season Underway


For those of you researching or thinking about the use of the .45/70 for use during the Primitive Weapons Season, don't worry. It is just about like shooting a cannon. If your bullet hits something it will kill it and probably anything within 10 yards of it. It is an awesome weapon.
The season starts today and we are headed to camp tomorrow to give it a try. My blunderbuss is sighted in (thank God) and I am ready to head up the lake again.

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Return Of The Jones Gang

Greg, Kyle and Tyler Jones just returned from a mule deer hunt in South Dakota. A crazy mule deer fanatic would love this.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

The Thanksgiving Hunt

It was a nice Thanksgiving and I will be posting pics of the meal and everyone that came later. Right now, the important stuff. Austin started the weekend by getting a doe and the big trophy hunter, Paul Howell, brought in this little 8-point off of the Point stand.

Later, Spencer took this hog off the Dove Field.

Last, but not least, Trent took this absolutely beautiful 10-point over at the Secret Field. A really good start to the season!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Over The River.......

Over the river and thru the wood,
To the hunting camp we go;
My Dad knows the way
To track the deer all day,
Thru the white and drifted snow, oh!
Over the river and thru the wood,
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes,
And bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.

Over the river and thru the wood,
To get that buck today;
Oh, hear the guns ring,
"Blam-a-ling-ling!"
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day-ay!
Over the river and thru the wood,
To find a buck of gray!
Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Hog Gone

Hillary took her boyfriend (John Ward) hunting with her this past weekend at the famous Christmas Place. They hunted the Box Field and late in the afternoon, 12 hogs came out in front of them. After this there is some confusion about what happened next, but most of us agree that Hillary probably saved his life when Hog Fever struck him. John pulled the trigger on the biggest, most horrible of the hogs and they disappeared into the woods. Here is a pic of Paul and Hillary down in the deep ravine that the hog landed in.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Nada Opener

It was cool opening morning, but the temperature climbed rapidly and stayed in the mid seventies all weekend. The breeze gusted from every direction and it just was not condusive to a great opener. we got nada in the way of deer.
Drew got a (doe), 2 hogs were shot at and Paul saw one average racked buck. We only had one near knife fight. No bucks were injured in the making of this fiasco.
Thanksgiving is coming and I am going up the lake again like I did last year.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Deer Eve

Today is Deer Eve and we will be heading to camp right after lunch. There is an excitement in the air here in Water Valley as everyone is spending the morning getting prepared. You can hear the distant BOOM of rifles being sighted in and every truck has a 4-wheeler on it. Tomorrow is the big Day.
Just to fire you up, Clint sent this picture from Nebraska. That's What I'm talkin' about!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

2010 Interview With Thunderhoof


(for your info) Thunderhoof is the biggest whitetail buck in the world and the leader of the deer herd in the Mississippi delta. He is hundreds, maybe thousands of years old and lives on the famous Christmas Place. They say that when he runs you can hear Thunder and lightning flashes from his hooves. He is extremely smart and may be a pooka in disguise.
Here is his annual interview.
ed- Saturday starts deer season, what do you expect from the hunters at the Christmas Place?
thoof- The same ole thing, a few bucks here and there but they still haven’t gotten one of my record book boys.
ed- Will they get you?
thoof- hahahahahahah
ed- what about Stewart, he’s a member of the 10 point club now?
thoof- perennial loser
ed- Rex swears that this is the year.
thoof- Please, he or his dog can’t even come close.
ed- Hershel says he will hunt this year and you are his #1 target.
thoof- he would be better served getting that garden going so I can have fresh greens.
ed- Paul saw a big buck the other day and says that he will limit out this year.
thoof- his idea of a big buck and mine differ by about a million miles.
ed- Trent is persistent and hunts hard, any chance that he could get you.
thoof- No, he hunts the same old stands and is hard of hearing too. I will probably tinkle on his tree while he is hunting.
ed- Ok, what is the state of the herd on the Christmas Place?
thoof- there are more big bucks than ever and the hunters should have a great year, of course Burney had his last year. I expect them to take about the same number of bucks but it will take something special for them to get a record book deer. Ain’t gonna happen.
ed- goodbye and good luck
thoof- see you in the funny pages
PS- no matter how many times I take that worthless deers' picture, it comes out as a pink rabbit.????????????????

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A Hunting Blogger Reminder

Deer season starts Saturday morning but I want to let you know what is happening with my blog right now. An interview with that pesky Thunderhoof should be posted tomorrow and then it is Deer Eve.
I want everyone to send me a new picture for the Christmas Card. If you are a new link go look at December archives, then send me a pic. It takes almost a month to put it together.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A Meeting Of The Ten Point Club

Skull, MS> In the secret labyrinth beneath the unpretentious camp house of the famous Christmas Place Hunting Club the members of the Ten Point Club filed into the stone meeting room next to the torture chambers. All members were dressed in their regal attire to begin the somber conclave. The bar was opened of course and everyone relaxed to enjoy the evening. Most threw darts at the cutout figure of Thunderhoof while they waited and soon the Big Magumba approached the podium. This caused a cheer and then a chant started to grow in the crowd.
"Fine Paul, fine Paul, fine Paul!" The noise grew in volume as the leader took another drink and raised his hands to quiet the crowd and start the meeting.
"The first order of business is to fine Paul for stupidity!" the crowd went wild, antlers were thrown into the air, there was a rush to the bar as free booze was passed around and everyone toasted the great news. Paul was not impressed.
After control was reestablished the Chief said "The second order of business is to induct Mark Stewart into the Ten Point Club." There were many hoots and catcalls of disbelief and beer cans were thrown in his general direction while many demanded a recount, but Mark was led to the sacred altar and given the Blood Rituals and a great round of applause greeted him as he was led back to his seat.
A bounty of a million dollars was put on the head of Thunderhoof (again), the rules were laid down of how many deer could be taken and by whom and Trent got a chance to bitch at everyone about all the other rules. By the time he wound down everyone was drunk and (blue deer hunting videos) were started for referencing future tactics. Everyone had a good time and Burney got the Best Deer Award for his 13-point. Now the season can start.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Massive Success!


Saturday morning we got 4.

Saturday afternoon we got 4.
Bob (Lazurus) got one and so did my old friend Marian. Terry Cutrere did too!
We finished with 8 for the day.
That night Burney cooked a whole hog and we had a roaring fire to sit around. IT WAS GREAT! The next morning we got four more and Jeffrey Hollis got this big hog.

What a weekend! Will have more pics and stories later.

Friday, November 12, 2010

We're Off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


All the posturing and bitching is finished, bags are packed, rifles sighted, and trucks are loaded to go. Heading to camp in a few minutes to enjoy the first weekend of the early muzzle-load season. Taking my camera for camp pics and if I see that damn Thunderhoof. Hopefully everyone will have a full cooler of deer (or pork) to bring back.
See you Monday.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Get Behind Me Satan!


The mad scramble to get to camp has started and I am having all kinds of hell to deal with. Thanks to the Great Satan, no my other brother Paul, whispering his evil, my kids are trying to bail on me from coming up. So far Burney, Matt Lammey and Austin are coming, me, Jeff Hollis, Marian, Bob and their grand-daughter, and Satan and half the people on the coast. If my kids don't make it I will be some kind of upset so I can imagine that it is going to be a real ring-dang-do this weekend. Hope I can make it through deer season without killing my evil brother, no, in fact, both of them.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Lazurus


Who is the short, dark stranger there?
Lazurus is the name.
Huntin' hogs from who knows where,
Death is his companion,
Shootin’ hogs is his game.
Smooth as the handle on a gun.
Lazurus is the name.
Raised from the dead with a hot gun,
Shootin' up a big ole tusker,
Easier to tame.

Riverboat, ring your bell,
Blastin’ hogs all to hell.
Bacon is the food he loves the best.
Natchez to New Orleans
Livin on pork and beans
Lazurus is a legend of the west.

Riverboat, ring your bell,
Fare thee well, Marian.
Pork chops are what he loves the best.
Natchez to New Orleans
Livin on pork and beans
Lazurus is a legend of the west.
Lazurus is a legend of the west.

Tuesday, November 09, 2010

2009 Deer Sheet



Buck count is down, hog count is up!

Monday, November 08, 2010

Who's Coming To Camp?

Yes, it's Paul Howell the original Mack the Knife

Friday, November 05, 2010

Camp Honey-Do's


Since the hunt this weekend has been cancelled, it gives me an extra week to get everything ready. I still lack repairing about half the stands and I still need to find a hot place for me to hunt. Camo wants to ride in the boat up the lake and look at our old hot spot. I am sure I will have to tie a big buck to a tree for the Mailrider. I need to stop at Walmart and buy some camo netting to take too.
It is about to get cold tonight and the big deer are going to move. Will give a big mule report when I get back!
(Yes, that really is Paul's picture)

Thursday, November 04, 2010

Big Mamba-Jamba Backyard Buck

Clint Hutcherson (one of the Tennessee contingent) sent me this. WOW!

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Hunt Cancelled??????

Looks like the youth hunt scheduled for this weekend is going to be cancelled. All of our boys are now 15 and chasing girls as hard as they can. They are busy; too busy to get to camp this weekend to hunt. I might be able to get Erin and Spencer up here but the Youth Hunt is going to be moved to next weekend at the best.
We are expecting a real crowd for that hunt and the more the merrier.
This will at least give me an extra week to get stands ready.
Stay tuned this may change in the next five minutes.
If only Matt had decided to come..........

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Rain Voting


The rain started during the night and is exactly what we needed. A slow drenching, soaking rain. This should really end the drought and get our food plots up and going if the turkeys haven't eaten all the seed. I would sit in the office all day drinking coffee and watching it come down but I need to go VOTE. You make sure to vote today too.

Monday, November 01, 2010

A Passel (?) of Squirrels


see more of the squirrel hunt from Thomas Card

Friday, October 29, 2010

Halloween Huntus Interruptus Blitzus

Looks like I am going to skip going to camp this weekend and will head down next week for the Youth Hunt. Everyone wants to go to the ballgame this weekend to try and pull a halloween trick on Auburn. That would be some trick. Deer season is right on top of us and next week we will finally get started.
The Ole Miss Rebels could use a ballroom blitz like this..

We need a Black Mamba as our mascot!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Halloween Hunt

We usually spend most weekends during deer season hunting at our camp on the edge of the Mississippi Delta. These few weekends each year are totally committed to hunting and the camaraderie that goes with it. Every few years though, we make sure to cut our afternoon hunt short. The local people in the area had warned us to be careful at that time and none of them go into the woods on that day.
This is always a Friday or Saturday afternoon when it falls on Halloween. Late in the evening on that day as the sun falls behind the hills and shadows grow deep in the woods, you will hear a bone chilling howl and you will know that the Halloween Hunt has started.
The year we learned that it was real, I had set up at the head of a long wide hollow to hunt that afternoon and Dad was below me a few hundred yards in a big Hickory. Trent was hunting down near the end of it at the Pond Stand and just at dark that afternoon we learned first hand about the Halloween Hunt, the terrifying Hell Hounds and the Wicked Creatures that drove them.
The sun was falling, and the woods seemed empty and lifeless that afternoon and it was right at the time to get down from my stand when I heard the blood curdling howls start. not the baying of hounds but something filled with hate and longing that instantly froze me in my stand. It was so evil and terrifying that I was afraid to get down; and then I heard the cry of the dogs getting closer to me. I could tell it was a pack of dogs but their sound left me with my mouth dry and heart pounding as they poured over the ridge and down into the hollow in front of me.
One terrified deer came by so fast that I could not tell what it was in the fading light, but a few seconds later I could clearly see the enormous black hounds that came after it. They were large and rangy beast that seemed to shine with a greenish glow. Evil looking, gigantic wolf-like creatures with enormous fangs and red eyes caught the deer’s trail and moved as fast as the deer through the woods.
Seconds later a flicker of dark movement behind them and three mere shadows seemed to move purposefully through the woods behind them. Dark twisted shapes with large claws that held whips. I did not move or even dare to breathe. I thought I had been scared before but these shadowy shapes paralyzed me. They passed within 20 yards of my stand and I felt I had escaped death as they moved on. I waited till the howls had moved a mile down the hollow and ran out of the woods to the truck where I hoped Dad waited.
He was out of his stand and had seen the hellish hounds at a distance. He had felt the same overpowering fear as I did and had hurried back to the truck. Trent had heard the awful howling but they had turned before reaching him. Back at camp we talked about the horrible looking hounds but I never mentioned the dark shapes that followed them, but several of our neighbors talked of the rumor of demons that held a Halloween Hunt each year.
Some of the members and guest laugh about it but we don't. Halloween afternoons are for relaxing, drinking and listening to ballgames. We do not hunt on the Halloween afternoons of October 31st.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

We Are Fired Up Now !!!!!!



We found this deer head up by the lake. A nice 7-point with a seventeen inch spread.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Repairing Stands



Mark, Burney and I worked on repairing stands, replacing camo, and repairing gun rests in stands this past weekend. We got about half of them done and time is running out. Halloween is next weekend and then the Youth hunt. Here are some pics of us hard at work.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Before I Go

Denise, Camo and I are packing up to go to camp this afternoon. Mark is supposed to meet us and go shoot our rifles with Greg out at his property. I imagine that will take awhile.
Than you Michael Still. I stole your rebel bear pic. Hope you don't mind.
Our object this weekend is to beat the damn Razorbacks and to repair all the stands with new gun rests and camo. That will take awhile too.
Two weeks 'till the Youth Hunt! Then a big muzzle-load hunt for all our friends and finally gun season will be here. Matt says he can't make it.
Thank you Mr. Porter for reminding me that in my Mississippi Bears story I forgot to mention that that is where the expression loaded for Bear came from. as in "if you come down to Mississippi to mess with us, you better be loaded for Bear."
Another sidebar is that the unit also became known as the "Bloody Bears".
The article about the bears ran in the Daily Mississippian and we have had a tremendous amount of interest in it and our research. Once again the cracker jack research team at the Bodock Times is ahead of their competition.
Will give a deer report when I get back and remember "You can't change the spots on a bear."

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The Mississippi Bears


The true story of the Rebel Bears.
In 1901 when President Roosevelt came to Misissippi on his famous hunt, the legend of the Teddy Bear was born, but the true story of the Mississippi Bears did not really start there. The real story started with General Grant and the seige of Vicksburg. During the Civil War the Mississippi Delta was still a tremendous and forbidding wilderness with few towns or roads and in the winter it was nearly impassible. This helped protect the city of Vicksburg during the assaults it undertook as the Union army tried to take control of the Mississippi River and complete the blockade of the South.
The famous ditch known as Grant’s Canal was started in an effort to cut a loop out of the river and bypass the ferocious shore batteries established at Vicksburg. The Confederate Army was heavily entrenched and no end was in sight as General Grant gave the go ahead to restart work on the project once he took command of the Federal forces.
A large contingent of pressed labor and 3000 soldiers restarted the excavation under General Grant that had ended in July and by January of 1863 they had dug a large canal 18 feet wide and 13 feet deep. The Union army believed that if they cut open the channel the Mississippi River would flow through the gap changing the route of the River and bypassing Vicksburg completely. As the Confederates watched the work from behind the city walls, it began to look as if it would succeed.
Finally a small detachment of volunteers under the command of Colonel James Pembroke was selected to try and disrupt the heavily guarded canal. Colonel Pembroke had been recently hired at the University of Mississippi before it closed and had been named a Colonel in the Mississippi Rifles made up of Ole Miss students and other young 17-20 year old men from across the state that had been unable to enroll at the University because of the War.
Under cover of night some 200 of these Confederates crossed the river five miles below the work area and made their way into position for an attack at sunrise. They were 200 hundred against 3000 but hoped that the shock of an attack could halt excavation until the Spring thaw would cause the River to rise and put and end to the digging for at least another year.
As the Confederates prepared to sound the charge something totally unexpected happened on the south end of the canal. Workers digging into the bank broke through a large underground chamber and as it was just breaking day, one of the workers threw a torch into the black opening to see what was inside. This elicited loud growls and roars from the hole and three large, enraged black bears that had been hibernating came boiling out into the bottom of the canal. Terrified soldiers and workers scattered in all directions and seeing the disruption taking place, Colonel Pembroke sounded the charge. The Confederate forces easily reached the trench and fell in behind the angry bears that were working their way up the canal scattering men and horses in every direction. In less than an hour of hard fighting, the Confederates had control of the area and the bloody bears had disappeared back through their lines apparently unharmed. The terrified Yankees were forced to retreat upriver and never returned to finish their work because of their fear of the Rebel Bears.
For their heroism,, this unit became known as the Mississippi Bears or Rebel Bears and were known for their Tough and Ferocious nature and refusal to quit even when pitted against overwhelming odds.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Dad 84, Squirrels 84

The mighty squirrel hunters at the Christmas Place managed to take 84 squirrels this weekend and Dad turned 84 last week. Coincidence? I think they also killed 84 bottles of booze too. Everyone had a great time and the squirrel and dumplings was once again wonderful.
Burney also got another deer and a hog. He is laying them low. Wish we could take out 84 hogs.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Bears? Bears?

After reading this I might have to take to my bed for the whole weekend
Rebel Bears

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Squirrel Camp Starts Now

I came to work this morning and where's Dad? Hell, he has already left for Squirrel Camp. Joe Newman, Sam Goodwin and Guy Dale have already left too!
They are going to have a day of fishing and just hanging out and enjoying camp before the shooting starts Saturday morning. Life is Good!
Anyone else out there have a tree rat fetish?

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Squirrels On Their Mind

The Squirrel Camp is upon us and everyone in town keeps dropping by to see what they can bring or what they can do to help get everything ready to go to the famous Christmas Place. I just stare out my window and watch those ungrateful tree rats bombing my car with pecans. Dad and a bunch of the guys are going down in the morning to fish, hunt hogs and relax for a day; then everyone else is coming down on Friday. The squirrels are more than plentiful and everyone is excited to get in the woods and get after them.
Stay tuned as Dad's Wild Bunch takes to the woods in search of the furry varmints.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Nary A Drop

Remember all those beautiful food plots we planted? They are still sitting there bare because we have had no rain in about two months. You walk through the dusty fields and you can't even see the grain laying there. On the other hand we are seeing some really fat turkeys. It is hot, dusty and dry with no end in sight. Kind of like Africa during the wet season.

Monday, October 11, 2010

An 80% Effort

We had a good weekend at the famous Christmas Place. Everyone was there and we got almost all the wood we need for the winter split and stacked.
Mark and I also got two stands placed in fields where we have not had stands.
Greg Jones and his boys Tyler and Kyle came down, helped us and also hunted hogs. Paul brought the Professor and his son Robert to hunt hogs also. No deer, no hogs. It was extremely hot and they were just not moving.
An 80% effort is pretty good considering the way things work down there. Do I need to say more?

Friday, October 08, 2010

The Messenger

A lot of strange things happened the first couple of years that we moved onto the old Plantation in the Delta known as The Christmas Place.
One of these strange things persisted for a year before we found a way to stop it. Thankfully we were able to stop it before someone got hurt.
We took possession of the grounds and the caretakers house in the early fall and busied ourselves with learning the land, getting ready to deer hunt and remodeling the house so we could have a camp. Dad had even hired a bulldozer to clear all the old roads and fields.
It takes us almost two hours to drive there on weekends and on this particular weekend I was the first to arrive and Dad pulled in right behind me. It was easy to see that someone had left a note for us on the back door.
Grabbing my rifle and bag I headed to read the note and go inside with Dad. The note was hanging on a little nail and simply said “RESTORE THEM” in faded block letters. We read the note and took it inside to mull over. The paper was dirty notebook paper and there were no other markings front or back. We thought it was a joke or maybe the former owners were mad about us getting the property. So started what seemed a bizarre set of messages that we would find on our door most weekends. “FIND THEM” ”REPLACE ALL” and stranger ones that made us think that we might really have a serious problem. “DEATH” “REVENGE” “BLOOD SOON” All words that kept getting more sinister as time went on. The last message we received simply said“DIE".
The messages had steadily become more insistent and frightening until finally one weekend we found the back wall covered in blood. It was time to end the charade and find out who was behind it.
I set up in the barn that Wednesday evening and waited through the night with no messenger seen but that Thursday was a different story. It was misty and foggy that night and I would have missed it except for a slight swirl in the mist that revealed a dark figure standing in the backyard as I watched that night. I eased the shotgun up and moved silently from the barn toward the rear of the house. I was almost too late as the shrouded figure had left our door and headed toward the woods. It was hard to see in the swirling mist but in the open woods I could see him clearly as he headed up a narrow valley. I was scared but the shotgun gave me a sense that I could control the situation. The man made no sound as I followed him and I thought that he could surely hear me as I closed the gap between us.
He seemed to disappear as he reached a giant oak rearing out of the side of the hill and when I reached it I could see a large hole going down under the roots and knew that he had entered there. I shined my little flashlight then and could see boot tracks heading down into the dark hole. Maybe it was some hermit living under the ground. I was frightened, this was just too eerie. I wasn’t going to go in a cave in the middle of the night. I would explore the area in daylight and got out of there as quickly as I could.
The next morning I followed the little creek up to the hollow near the big tree. It was open and flat in the center except for a small mound that I thought could be an old Indian Mound. Fifteen feet away the huge oak grew out of the side of the hill but there was no opening under it as I poked my head under the roots to look. There was no evidence that any kind of opening had ever been there and no tracks except mine. I knew what I had seen the night before. I walked back and forth up the little sand ditch and saw no tracks except for deer. I went back and poked the area under the tree with a large stick but there was no give in the dirt and the opening was gone. I was totally confused and sat down on the little Indian Mound to think of what else to do. That is when I found it. I thought it was a piece of concrete jutting up but it had writing on it. I wiped it and realized that it was limestone and the writing was part of a date. I poked around in the leaves and soon realized I needed a shovel. Later I had dug up 16 broken and battered headstones that had been buried there for almost 70 years. The dates of death were from the late 1800’s and the newest was 1901. When the family plot was abandoned, some new owner had made sure the cemetery disappeared. Someone clearing the land had taken a dozer and pushed the headstones into a pile in the bottom of the hollow, covered them up and reset the land to pasture or crops all those years ago. I think the dozer we had clearing the roads might have reawakened some restless souls. It took us awhile but we reset the tombstones against oak trees on top of the ridge and I think we got it right. The messenger has never returned.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

All Hands On Deck!

This weekend will start the big push to finish up everything for deer season and there is still a lot to do. We have to cut firewood and all the stands have to be repaired, camoed and shooting lanes cut.
We need all hands and the cook.
We will see how many of these big talkers will show up to help.
PS the Executive committee will also meet this weekend to discuss RULES.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Frost On The Pumpkin

The last two nights there has been a light frost on the ground and a taste of winter in the air. The thought comes of those big deerses throwing their noses up to smell, making scrapes for the ladies, and rubbing their big old horns on every tree they see. Deer season is coming if we can make it past this coming work weekend.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Happy Birthday Dad

Saturday Dad drove to the leevee, then walked down the edge of the cottonfields checking on a place to squirrel hunt. He walked all the way to the elbow stand. It is about a 1/4 there and a quarter back. He could not have done that last year. His knee surgery has been miraculous and given him new hope to hunt this year.
His birthday was yesterday. He is 84. If he gets that other knee going he is going to be hard to handle.

Monday, October 04, 2010

Running Amok

They had a great time at camp this past weekend. Trent took an old friend Robby Parsons down to hunt hogs, Burney bowhunted and Dad chased Ms Dorothy.
They put Robby at the Point Stand (my stand)where he saw 39 deer with 9 of them bucks. One was massive. Burney had the opposite and saw one nice buck with no shot and got skunked Sat. afternoon. Dad had a chance to get two young hogs with his walking stick but I think he changed his mind as they got too close. He had his pistol but forgot he was wearing it when they appeared in the trail heading straight for him.
The deer are running amok!
Things are looking really, really good.