The Curse of the Pink Paulanther!

Broken Diamond, MS> A strange and horrible curse showed itself at the famously jinxed Christmas Place Hunting Club this weekend as the workers found that every piece of equipment they used and every project they worked on was a complete disaster.
Research from the cracker-jack investigators at the “Bodock Times” found that this curse started during a terrible storm late last deer season as an unnamed pink faced hunter killed a baby six point deer probably nursing from it’s mamma. (See archives: My Big Seventeen Inch)
Since that time there have been terrible consequences. Mark Stewart killed the biggest deer last year, (Yikes!) Trent wounded a big deer that got away, Hershel missed Thunderhoof at 40 yards, Mr. Jones let a monster walk under him at #1. This was the beginning.
This weekend the tractor tore up and then had a flat tire. Hershels four wheeler broke down (across the beaverdam) and has to have a new battery, Pauls four wheeler had the axle completely break and we believe he will have to buy a new one.
Several people ended up with alcohol poisoning from suspicious (and numerous) cans of Budlight, and one of them was the cook! All the children were screamed at until they had to hide. Numerous tools were broken, and all Gregs tools were even stolen or lost, plus Terry probably ruined the Gator with his horrible driving. Even Camo hid in the back room. Mud from the only rain in two months was everywhere and covered tractors, four wheelers and kids. Everyone had short tempers and even Ezra Brooks couldn’t keep them happy. There was much confusion and fighting over stand placement, without Rex the work probably would not have gotten done at all. The bright point was that Rex got some stands in place without someone getting killed and the ribs for dinner were delicious. A horribly messed up weekend, if only we could make someone atone for their sins by staking them out on a fire ant mound. We will try to catch the Pink Paulanther, and see what happens.

Unnatural Acts

Kim sent me these in an email. The deer and rabbit bonding together as friends is a wonderful picture of the harmony of nature.
Trent and Greg were very excited over the picture because with their superior shooting skills, they figured if they could wound one of them with three or four shots, they would have a chance to reload and shoot a few more times at the other one.

WORK CAMP SET FOR THIS WEEKEND

Devils Island, MS> A work camp has been set at the hot and dry Mississippi delta plantation known as The Christmas Place. The temperature should be just right at 102 degrees.
Mark "Buzzsaw" Stewart and his son Drew "Doe Popper" will be there. Trent "Chunk Chunker" Howell and Burney "Snake Eater" Howell are coming too.
Rex "Lackey" Howell will be worked to death along with his kids, Sarah "No Way" Howell, Erin "Forget you" Howell and Spencer "Why Me?" Howell.
Greg "Bulldozer" Jones and his son Tyler "Terrible Tenpoint" Jones are trying to get there.
Bobby "ShadeHog" Howell will also be there to oversee everything. He is bringing his grandchildren Austin "Sleep-In" Howell and Katie "Honey Dew" Howell.
Paul "PhoneBoss" Howell will be griping all over the place along with his son Michael "Softy" Howell. He may also bring Terry "Wonder" Cutrere.
Lording it over everyone will Be Hershel "Simon Legree" Howell.

The View from Above

Carnivale, MS> A last look at the Watermelon Carnival 2006. These were taken from the roof of my building facing the park.

The Champion Watermelon !

Big Slice, MS> The champion watermelon set a new state record this year at 210.2 lbs.
Tensions ran high as the watermelons were weighed and the bets flew!
The winner 210.2 lbs!

One Hot Watermelon

Boiling Water Valley, MS> The Watermelon Carnival started in 100 degree heat. This kept many people away, but everyone that came seemed to have a great time.
Erin bought cool shorts for her birthday!
Rock climbing was a big hit this year!
A polka band played "Jambalaya" and kept things festive
Courtney Lowe "The Watermelon Queen" reigned over the carnival and helped with the entertainment.


Trent and Snooky helped out with the rotary Club fish fry.

The Pullens parked at the office and sold watermelons by the truck load

WaterMelon Carnival 2006

WaterMelon Valley, MS> The 2006 Watermelon Carnival starts today in the city park in Water Valley. We will be live blogging throughout and hope that y'all will come Saturday for a full and fun day. Last night the Watermelon Fest kicked off with the community band, and many talented acts. The Watermelon queen and her court were presented, a lot of patriotic music and of course there were cheerleaders.
The Community Band plays a song about Flght 93
Kim wailing out "Ghost riders in the Sky"
Kim and Denise relaxing after her performance
Finally Cheerleaders! Hey! Wait! My daughters out there!
For some reason Tyler wasn't interested in the program

Waiting For Godeerva

Summer Dream, MS> They are all still out there. Thunderhoof (King of the deer), The Black Knight, Big Horn, The Shadow, Old Droptine, Shovel Horns, The White Buck, and many others are being thought about as deer season rapidly approaches.

Rex and Trent show off a couple of nice bucks taken recently

"Who Is This Man?" Contest Over

Stinking Lawyer, MS> The contest on "Who Is That Man?" is officially over and the reults are in.
17 votes were for Don Rickles
29 votes were for the star wars emperor
47 votes were for the shrimpy little Boss Hogg
3862 votes were sent in with some combination of the picture below

Albino Fawn

Truett Rohrscheib sent me this, he claims to be a friend of Burneys which makes him suspect.
Albino Fawn from folks who live on Bolivar Peninsula , Texas
A very eventful day around here... A once in many lifetimes experience! Mark saw this lil' feller run out in front of a car, thought it was a lost baby goat. Stopped to get it, and WOW. A real Albino Whitetail Deer. Just hours old, but doing fine. No Mama deer around. Another car nearly hit it in front of Mark... Well,, he is THE neatest thing any of us ever saw. And such a 'freak of nature', that only 1 in more than a million are even born. He took his bottle of food, followed us around the house, doing great. So, we called the Zoo & Fossil Rim, who were both interested, but going to send him to a Rehab farm, at a vet that we have never gotten along with... So, one of Dad's best friends is our Game Warden. Kinda reluctantly, but, I called him and told him the deal. He came right over, of course... and assured me that he wouldn't take it to that vet, that he was going to 'go to higher levels' than that with him. So, he is gone now. We got a lot of pix, and something we will never see again probably, so it was very cool. Maybe he will make it in captivity somewhere and be appreciated. So rare... Sure wanted to keep him tho. but, not the thing to do. And not LEGAL either ; But, here are a couple of pix to show ya. He was snow white, pink eyes, ears, nose and hooves. Kids called him POWDER. He was SO small. That is my shoe lying beside him... WOW..how cool is that??

The members of the Christmas Place Exotic Species Hunting Club are in a lather and are putting "POWDER" on the guest waiting list to come spend some time here after he gets about 12 points on his head.

Ashleys' Wedding

Oxpatch, MS> Saturday, Denise and I were invited to Ashley Warrens' wedding at the Oxford- University Methodist Church. Denise's daughter Sadie was here, so we loaded everyone up and headed to the 5 o'clock service. Usually I am not a man that would have any interest in going to a wedding, but her father Terry Warren was my running buddy in high school and I do think a lot of her. Besides, there was a good chance a knife fight would break out and I wouldn't want to miss that. The wedding was beautiful, she was beautiful and it went off without a hitch. Damn!
We wandered over to the City Grocery for a drink and ran into Richard Gurner. A former Water Vallian and deerhunter. We talked over some old times and I do want to invite him to come bowhunting in the fall.
Several beers later, it was time to go to the big party! An open bar throwdown at Long Shot Bar just off the square. Hot, crowded, wild, a live band. We were at the right place. Swivel hips Barry Weeks and his wife Charmie were there. I'm dancing with Denise and there is Snooky and Mary Lou dancing beside me! I also danced for the first time with Mrs. Kim Jones who was shaking a leg and even with Sadie. Liquor flowed and we were having a great time. We ended up leaving before the fight which I heard was great and ate at Ajax on the square and then headed home. A fun time for sure!

You're Not Going to Believe This

Lazarus, MS> These heartstopping photos were taken recently. I know you believe it is trick photography but these are real pictures. Caution- if you have heart problems, do not look below. Yes, it is Paul Howell riding a tractor and doing manual labor.

The Black Knight

Camelot, MS> After dragging stands around all day Saturday at the Christmas Place Prison, we relaxed in the cool of the evening around the picnic table behind the camp. Sipping ice cold beer and watching the last of the sun sink below the treeline, we were too tired to move and just sat there drinking and talking about the upcoming season. Mark Stewart mentioned the deer that had been seen but never shot at, a giant black deer named the Black Knight. Mark had seen it at about 300 yards whipping a large 8-point with ease. Then chasing the buck away from the does it wanted. The 200 lb. 8-point came slipping by Mark, bleeding and gasping but the Black Knight had disappeared back into the brush. Burney saw him later off the same stand, and watched it whip a big 10-point and another 8-point while chasing does. It laid down about 500 yards away and spent the afternoon chasing bucks away and relaxing. Burney says it was the biggest deer he had ever seen. Mark said it was so large that it made the other bucks look like fawns. They also agreed that he was jet black with giant white horns. A toast was made to this monster deer and a plan was put into motion to bring him to justice at the end of a rifle.
We will see.

Musical Deerstands

Hokey-Pokey, MS> OK, this is the way it works. (make sure temperature outside is over 100 degrees) Take Point Stand and move it to Number 1 field, repair and take Number 1 stand to new Sneaky Stand. Take new tripod to Narrow Field, take that stand to Levee. Take a new 2 man stand to Spike Camp, remove that stand and put on Clover Field. Take new tripod to Point Stand. Take new 2 man to South Corn Field, remove that stand and put at Graveyard. Drag Pond stand all over bottom and then put it back where it was. Got it?

Once Again I am Right!

Hellfighter, MS> Hershel Howell did not send the bulldozer home. The terrified bulldozer driver gunned the engine and plunged into the underbrush. Hershel Howell believes in working a man till he is dead. The bulldozer roared through the woods as Hershel shouted and pointed things for him to do. Hershel can find more things to do than you can imagine, even if you had a gun to your head! Sweat rolled from the operator as the temperature soared. Damn that! FULL SPEED AHEAD! The temperature reached 105 as Hershel stood on his four wheeler, like a captain of a mighty battleship surveying his forces and ordering his ships into the thick of the fray. He pitched a peanutbutter, pickle and pimento cheese sandwich and a cream soda into the cab and pointed at new gound to be cleared. The white eyed bulldozer driver gulped the sandwich down and tore down through the woods. Hours later, the bulldozer finally gave it's all. The oil cap shot 50 feet in the air, fire and smoke shot out of the motor and black smoke covered everything. The bulldozer driver jumped down and ran for it. He escaped from Hershel through the billowing smoke and has not been seen since. The bulldozer crawled to a stop in the clearing as fire swept over it. Hershel stood there amazed and silent. Gritting his teeth and mumbling under his breath he headed back to camp.

The Dogs of The Dogwoods

Grenada, MS> The new golf course (the Dogwoods) at Grenada Lake and Hugh white State Park recently opened. This 18 hole design against the lake has been the talk of all the golfers
in the area and everyone is looking forward to play there. There are a few people who have already played there that may never want to play it again after the whipping they received last weekend. Trent Bogey Howell and Barry Whiff Weeks scheduled a scramble match against the team of Joe Flutterputt Black and Greg BrokeShaft Jones. A warning was issued to all players on the course and the two teams teed off. According to Mr. Black, it may have been the worst drubbing in history. A great eagle on the last hole just rubbed salt in the wounds of the hopeless moral midgets.They beat Trent and Barry like dogs, took all their money and then talked ugly about them. They raved about how great the course is while we have yet to receive any interviews with the losers. If you get a chance go play this course and leave us a review.

The 2 Great Deer Camp Axioms

Squashed Flat, MS> At the famous Christmas Place Deer Ranch and Obstacle Course, the members live by two simple rules. #1 Never show up for a work weekend. #2 Never let Hershel Howell near a bulldozer. Unfortunately, rule number two was broken this weekend, as a very small amount of clearing was needed at the camp. The object was to move a small tree off the side of a field near the camp, run a couple of trails out and fix the road near the lake so we could get the pontoon boat in the water. The bulldozer arrived and Hershels eyes kind of glazed over.
He sprang into action! He vaulted onto his four wheeler and lead the charge to the tree in the field. Sizing up the situation, he decided to clear about 40 acres around the area. He shouted and waved directions while standing on the four wheeler. His dog even barked directions. The engine roared as the terrified bulldozer driver cut a swath through the woods. Trees fell, squirrels flew, armadillos headed for new areas as the bulldozer crushed and twisted everything in it's path. Hours went by with Hershel only leaving to get his dog a drink of water as everything beside and behind the witchs' house was demolished and removed to a huge gulley.
Hershel was in his element, the bulldozer driver could not stop or slow down with out Trigger trying to rip his leg off. Hershel beamed! The temperature soared above 100, perfect weather!
When I left at 3 o'clock the tree was still in the field, no roads had been cleared and the road to the lake was still a washed out rut. The 40 acres was flat and clean as a whistle. Hershel was eyeing the next 40 as I gunned my old truck for Water Valley.

Who's in Charge?

Ft. Courage, MS> How come this year at the camp reminds me of this old TV show?

Who is This Man Really?

Water Valley, MS> This man recently left Water Valley claiming to be Paul Howell.


Everyone here is still guessing but we think he was really one of these characters!






The last one is my guess, but be sure to send those pictures in to the Deer Camp Blog and have us post your favorite guess. Voting will take place at the end of the month.
(editors note) please do not send pictures of yours or anyone elses butt, the system is overloading!!!

Marilyn Puts on The Dog

Oxpatch, MS> A great July 4th celebration at my Aunt Marilyns










Later we went to the Grove for music and fireworks!



Saw some Water Valley friends, Baron Caulfield, Glinda Griffith, Bobby Suratt

Heard a heart stirring and patriotic Marine Corp. Military Band!

A gigantic fireworks display and home to bed at midnight!