Southern Traditions Outdoors July - August 2016

1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2016

JULY - AUGUST 2016

DOVE HABITATDOVE HABITAT

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WARRIOR OF THE WETLANDSWARRIOR OF THE WETLANDS

REELFOOT LAKE’S BULL BLUEGILLREELFOOT LAKE’S BULL BLUEGILL

DUCK HUNTING – NUMBERS VS. VALUEDUCK HUNTING – NUMBERS VS. VALUE

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Advertising Information: Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville

(731) 446-8052 [email protected]

DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine LLC assume any responsibility or liability for any actions by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers are advised that the use of any and all information contained within Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.

On the Cover

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine vows to put forth a publication to promote the outdoors lifestyle in a positive manner. We will strive to encourage veteran and novice outdoorsmen, women, kids, and the physically challenged to participate in the outdoors in a safe and ethical manner. Our publication will bring positive attention to the wondrous beauty of the world of Nature in the mid-south.

Garry MasonWalter WilkersonTerry WilkersonSteve McCadamsKelley PowersShawn ToddEddie BrunswickLarry Self

John SloanRichard SimmsDana WatfordBuck Gardner Richard HinesEd LankfordDrew BrooksJohn Latham

John RobertsRichard HinesRob HurtMark BuehlerRichard FaganNeill McLaurinSam Bradshaw

Field Staff Editors

Owners - Eddie Anderson Rob Somerville Kevin Griffi th Stacey LemonsPublisher - Eddie AndersonEditor - Rob SomervilleMagazine Design -Donny Byrd

Advertising Sales Rob Somerville - Managing PartnerDistribution Johnathan Anderson Mike Robinson

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PG .................. ARTICLE .......................................................... AUTHOR

8...........................Warrior of the Wetlands .....................................................Rob Somerville15..........................Bulls of the Quake Lake ....................................................Garry Mason18..........................Dove Hunts: Festive Times with Friends in the Field ........Steve McCadams24..........................Farm News ........................................................................U.S.D.A30..........................Kids Korner ........................................................................T.N.W.F37..........................Setting up a Dove Field ....................................................Richard Hines48..........................Duck Hunting: Numbers Vs. Value ....................................Richard A. Fagan53..........................Trophy Room .....................................................................STO

Hunting doves is a great way to introduce youngsters to the great outdoors, as many of us were.Photo by Steve McCadams


Letter from the EditorFrom the Desk of Rob Somerville

Reelfoot Lake – A National Treasure Imagine traveling back in time, to an almost prehistoric age. As your canoe slices through the water, the morning mist curls around giant cypress trees and brownish water slaps gently against them, holding a myriad of fi sh. You look up and see a bald eagle, the very symbol of our great country, as she sits majesti-cally in her nest and feeds her eaglets a breakfast of fi sh. A raccoon seemingly washes its face in a nearby creek and a family of painted turtles sun themselves on a log. To your right a mother duck swims by, with six perfect ducklings, mimicking her every movement and vocalization. About twenty yards in front of you a school of shad break the surface of the calm water, as an unknown predator lurks hungrily below them. Where is this magical sounding place you may ask? It is Reelfoot Lake, a place that many of us in this region take for granted. Did you know that the “Quake Lake” is consistently voted one of the top three pho-togenic locations in the U.S. by photojournalists? Did you know that it was created by an earthquake over 200 years ago, which was so strong that it caused the Mississippi River to fl ow backwards? Did you know that it is 15,000 acres in size and is home to 54 species of fi sh? Over 270 bird species have been reported from the Reelfoot Lake area. Th is list includes numerous rare birds. Winter is an excellent time to observed waterfowl and bald eagles. Th e Reelfoot Lake State Park staff off er eagle tours every winter. Reelfoot also off ers plenty of opportunities for seeing diff erent species of snakes and turtles, amphibians, mammals and invertebrates such as butterfl ies and dragonfl ies. For these reasons, Reelfoot Lake is a premier place for outdoor recreational activities such as wildlife viewing especially bird watching. Th e lake also off ers excellent opportunities for fi shing and surrounding uplands for hunting. Th e contiguous area within Reelfoot Lake State Natural Area and Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge is home to over 30 species of rare or endangered plants and animals. Th ere are at least 14 rare bird species benefi ting from this large aquatic/terrestrial landscape. Th ese include the bald eagle, Swainson’s warbler, peregrine falcon, and Mississippi kite. Th ere are also 12 rare plant species including copper American featherfoil and yellow water-crowsfoot found in the seasonally fl ooded sloughs and bottoms surrounding the lake. Th ere are eight rare species of animals including mammals, amphibians, and invertebrates protected at Reelfoot Lake. Th e diversity of habitat and the large scale and continuity of the landscape off er a signifi cant refugium for all types of wild-life that are migrating through or inhabiting this Mississippi River fl oodplain. Well, there is a group of concerned, volunteer citizens who wish to make Reelfoot Lake and its state park even more appreciated. Th ey are called the Friends of Reelfoot Lake State Park and aft er meeting with their members I am behind them 150%. Th eir goal is simple, but very important, as addressed in their mission statement. To support and grow awareness of Reelfoot Lake State Park and all it has to off er our region and its visitors, hunters, fi sherman, and families. You can contact them and learn more by going to their Facebook page at Friends of Reelfoot Lake State Park. I immediately became a member for just $20.00 a year and I hope you will too.Reelfoot Lake is a national treasure and deserves to be recognized as such.See ya,Rob


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8 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2016Continued on page 10

e was my best friend and I hated to see him go. A part of me was grieving, but selfi shly, another part of me was angry. What would I do without him? I watched as they lowered him in to his fi nal resting place and found myself wishing that more people could have been touched by his personality and his compassion. My mind began re-playing all the good times we had shared together. Th e memory of

our very fi rst duck hunt fi lled my senses, as a scalding hot tear rolled down my cheek, nearly freezing solid before it hit the ground, in the bitter winter wind.

Two of a Kind Beats a Full House Any Day

I was generally considered to be a lone wolf hunter and somewhat of a curmudgeon, but upon meet-ing my new buddy, something just clicked between us. I remember

a beautiful and brisk November day when we anxiously jumped out of the truck and stepped into my old leaky john boat. I was con-stantly worried about traversing the frigid depths of the lake in our ancient aluminum rig. But my hunting partner, in his usual stoic and quiet manner, didn’t give hy-pothermia a moment’s thought. He just sat patiently in the front of the boat, staring into the darkness, deep in thoughts of mallards with wings locked and feet dropped, coming in to our spread. I guess we got along so well be-cause neither one of us had much use for idle chatter. We just went about our business in a serious fashion, working hard at what we both loved to do, that being hunt-ing ducks. As the blurry grays of pre-dawn began to cast shadows on the horizon, I noisily fumbled with my shell bag and shotgun, drawing a patient yet disapprov-ing look from my friend. You see, he was always ready and didn’t much like waiting on me.Shoot Th em Birds As the sun crept slowly above the eastern horizon, my partner con-stantly scanned the sky for ducks.

Fiction by Rob Somerville.

of the

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a beautiful and brisk Novemday when we anxiously jumout of the truck and stepped

Fiction by Rob Somerville.


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I found myself getting distracted and reaching for some grub out of the cooler, confi dent that no birds would evade his eagle eyes. All I had to do was glance at him oc-casionally, between bites of my sandwich, to see if he had spotted any birds. Suddenly I noticed a change in his vigilant posture. He was no longer scanning the skies. His eyes were locked towards the north. He glanced over at me silently to see if I had spotted the ducks as they be-gan to circle our spread. I simply nodded, and his eyes returned to our quarry. Mixed calls of feeding

chatters and clucks soon fi lled the air and the birds liked what they heard. Two ducks were locked up and spiraling downward – a drake and his suzey. Th e two gray ducks began to follow suit, but as is their frustrating manner, soon gained altitude and left . When the pair that remained were twenty yards out, I quickly raised up and fi red three times. Th e drake hit the water, but the suzie fl ew off , with hardly a tail feather ruffl ed. Know-ing I had disappointed my friend with my quick and errant shoot-ing, I snuck a sidelong glance over at him. He was doing his best to

look at me in disgust, but his eyes gave away a smile that said, “Nice shot – quick draw”Th is immediately set me off in to a fi t of laughter. He merely sighed, stood up and went out the door to pick up the dead duck.

A Lifetime of Memories Since that day I learned a lot from my hunting buddy. We both shared a passion for the hunt, but there were many lessons he taught me that were even more import-ant. I learned about trust, loyalty, and perseverance – to never give up. We enjoyed over a decade of shooting together including quail, pheasant, dove, geese and of course hundreds of duck hunts. We ate our meals side by side and shared many a campsite. Th e most amazing thing of all is that we never got mad at each other. Th ere simply was never a cross word passed between us. He was tireless and whether in the duck blind or hunting a fencerow, as good as any I’d ever seen.

One Last Hunt Fierce determination and an iron will were what possessed him to go on his fi nal hunt for wood-ies this past September. I thought it might be alright, as the weather was unseasonably warm. He was getting way up there in age, and though neither one of us let the other know our thoughts, I think we both knew this would be his last hunt. It nearly broke my heart when I had to help the old veteran in and out of the truck and boat, but he never once complained. He was a true warrior of the wetlands. Although age had taken some of the “get up and go” out of his body,


a fi erce fi re of determination and desire still burned bright in his heart and in his eyes. We killed a couple of wood ducks that day, but mostly shared a morning of quiet talk and reminiscence. He seemed to want to thank me for taking him on this last trip, but no words were necessary ….. Not between us. Two months later, aft er weeks of complete bed rest, he passed on quietly aft er a bout of pneumo-nia, complicated by his old age. He died as he would have want-ed to, resting in front of the fi re-place in the den; a room full of shotguns, duck calls, photographs of our trips afi eld and mounted birds from hunts we had shared together. He never complained in those fi nal days. It wasn’t his style. I was by his side when he gave up the fi ght. He just looked up at me,

sighed, and passed away.Goodbye Old Friend

I was shook out of my memo-ries of the past and returned to the somber situation at the grave site by a gentle and persistent tugging at my pants leg. Looking down through misty eyes, I saw a small black Lab puppy. I looked across the mound of earth at my wife and three daughters. All of them had tears in their eyes, but hopeful smiles on their faces. My wife nodded her head and point-ed at the pup, which now was fast asleep with his head resting on my boot. Picking him up I looked in to his huge brown eyes and had to smile myself. It was now time to say a fi nal farewell to my hunting partner. I looked up towards the heavens and said, “Goodbye for now, old buddy. I hope when it is time for

me to join you in the big duck blind in the sky, the wind will al-ways be out of the north, there will be bluebird skies and the ducks will be fl ying low.My hunting buddy had been the best damn dog there ever was!

I scratched behind the ears of the young pup that was cradled in my arms and realized a part of my old friend would be with me forever.Note: I wrote this story aft er two good friends of mine lost their hunting dogs, who were their most trusted friends and part-ners. Th ey were devastated by their loss. I dedicate this story to those of you that have lost your four-legged friends, and encour-age those of you that still have the pleasure of your faithful dog’s company to treasure every mo-ment of it.Rob.



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uring a massive earthquake, along the New Madrid fault line in December of 1811 and January of 1812, a brand new lake was creat-ed. Th e rest, as they say, is history.

But, before we get to that part let's talk about the birth of what has become one of America's most scenic fi sheries. During the earth-quake, it is said that the land close

to the Mississippi River, in North-west Tennessee, rose and fell like waves on an ocean and the depres-sion left by the earthquake caused the Mississippi River to run back-

BullsBulls

By Garry Mason

of the

The author {right} is pictured here with Reelfoot Lake guide – Billy Blakely, as they hold up two of Reelfoot Lake’s famous bull bluegill.

D


wards for a period of up to four days to fi ll the void left by the low lying area of what was to become Reelfoot Lake. Th is area in Northwest Tennes-see was fi lled with huge Ball Cy-press trees, some of which were tremendous is size. As the ground shook, so did these big beautiful Cypress trees and many of them fell and become covered by the new lake. Th ese trees would never rot while under water and most of the stumps that were left are still in the lake today. Cattails, Lily pads and other aquatic vegetation began to fl ourish around the new lakes shoreline, therefore creating not only scenic wonderland, but a fantastic fi shery as well.

As sportsmen, hunters and fi sh-ermen started settling the area

around Reelfoot Lake stories of the fi shing and hunting opportu-nities began to travel around the region and as they say in Holly-wood, a star was born. A fi shing star that is known today as Reel-foot Lake Th is grand old lake turned two hundred years old just a few years back but she still produces great stringers of Catfi sh, Largemouth Bass, Crappie and other fi sh spe-cies. One of those species is what she is maybe known best for. Gi-ant Bluegill or “Bulls” as some of the locals call them, seem to bed everywhere in Reelfoot Lake and during a recent trip to the lake, this angler was treated to a great day of fi shing with one of Reelfoot Lakes fi nest and most well know profes-sional guides, Mr. Billy Blakely, Chief Guide for the famous Blue Bank Resort. Coming along for the trip were my friends Bill Huntley of TH Ma-rine, Charlie Brewer Jr. of Charlie Brewer Slider Co., John Miles of Miles custom Rods, and rounding

Garry Mason is pictured here with another bruiser bluegill from the Quake Lake.


out the group was my pal Eddie Shankle. Billy met us at the resort for supper the night before and as he explained the next day's fi shing, I began to realize just how wonder-ful this fi shery has become and what a treat that it was going to be to spend a day on the waters of Reelfoot with a man who had fi shed for these hard fi ghting fi sh since childhood. Th e morning sunrise found us all up and ready to go when Bil-ly arrived, pulling his brand new Wareagle boat. Loading the gear, we all were in anticipation of the days fi shing. We did not have to wait long. Billy idled his boat just a few hundred yards past the dock to a shallow water, Bluegill bed and on the very fi rst cast Bill Huntley had a big Bull Bluegill on the line {a fact that he would not let the rest of us forget during the

whole rest of the day I might add}. Bluegill aft er Bluegill came in over the side of the boat and most were released to be caught again by oth-er anglers. Th e Bluegill population seems to be exploding on Reelfoot as almost everywhere we fi shed, there seemed to be big bulls full of fi ght and fury. Billy assured me that the Bluegill population was in great shape and our day on the wa-ter with him proved so. One thing that kept going through my mind, as I struggled to get each fi sh to the boat, was what would happen if these big Bluegill ever reached several pounds? You would have to use deep sea gear to reel one in. Fishing with Billy was a great privilege as he is; like most of the full time guides that I have been with on Reelfoot, very knowledge-able about the lake and the species that he pursues. He shared his knowledge of Bluegill fi shing with

us and even an old guide like me was able to learn some new tips on fi shing for these tasty and hard fi ghting fi sh. If you go: Th ere are several great resorts on Reelfoot Lake and most all of them off er packages for boats and motors, along with your stay. Fishing guides are also available and can be a tremendous help on an unfamiliar lake to the visiting angler. Our accommodations were pro-vided by Mr. Mike Hayes and Blue Bank Resort. You can visit their website at www.bluebankresort.com. Blue Bank off ers fi shing and waterfowl hunting on Reelfoot Lake, as well as scenic gardens for weddings and family reunions, and the meals at Blue Bank are su-perb.

Reelfoot Lake is not only renowned for its excellent hunting and fi shing, but consistently ranks as one of the most photogenic lakes in the United States. Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Parks


hen September rolls around each year, folks all across Tennes-see yearn for the opening of dove season and a thing call Big Orange football. Both have quite a follow-ing across the Volunteer State. Th ese two southern traditions make it a privilege to live in these parts. At high noon, on September 1st each year, is when dove season opens. Th at day and time are sa-cred on the calendars of Tennes-see sportsmen, and rightfully so. Most veteran sportsmen like-ly got their start in a dove fi eld, where friends and family gather beneath the shade trees prior to the hunt and chomp down on bar-becue, baked beans, cole slaw and sweet iced tea. Opening day dove hunts are festive occasions. Introducing a youngster to the sport has no better place than in a hot dove fi eld, when birds are darting in fast like bombers at-tacking a strategic military target. Under the guiding hand of a fa-ther, grandfather, uncle or experi-enced friend a young boy or girl can learn proper ethics and gun safety do’s and don’ts, all the while experiencing the fellowship that goes along with it. I remember my fi rst dove hunt

DOVE HUNTS FESTIVE TIMES WITH

FRIENDS IN THE FIELDBy Steve McCadams

Dove hunts are fun for girls too. The popular sport offers great fellowship among friends and family. Ellie Hamlin of Henry County loves the atmo-

sphere each year, enjoyed with her dad and grandfather.Photo by Steve McCadams

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and I got hooked quickly, despite shooting holes in the air with a .410-gauge double barrel. Either

the barrel was bent or I was shoot-ing too far, too slow or I was just too excited to take my time and

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A relaxing aft ernoon hunt might just consist of one hunter, his dog and a good dove pond. Photo by Rob Somerville

Continued on page 22


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not before burning up a few box-es of shells, as the adrenalin took over. When doves are really feeding in millet, wheat, silage or sunfl ower fi elds it is indeed wing shooting’s fi nest hour. Even old timers fall under the spell, when doves dart and the sounds of shooters re-sembles a Fourth of July fi reworks

show. Th e rush of the onslaught of gray darters is a sight for sore eyes. Feeding fren-zies occur when several hunters occupy scattered spots around the

After the hunt comes dressing time, for a successful crew who value the taste of doves, marinated and grilled. Doves are fun to shoot and great to eat! Photo by Steve McCadams


perimeter of the fi eld, keeping the birds stirred up and riding the air. It usually takes a pretty good group of hunters to keep a fi eld going, but that’s not too hard to do once this popular season opens and word gets out about where doves are concentrated. Tennessee has a three segment dove season with a daily bag lim-it of 15 birds. Aft er opening day, hunters can take to the fi eld before daylight and begin shooting at fi rst light. Th at’s enjoyable too as the morning hunts help beat the heat. Early morning shoots can be the best hour too, as during hot weather doves have a brief feeding spree early and oft en lay up the rest of the day with a little activ-ity in late aft ernoon. Middays in the dove fi eld are akin to a sauna, unless cloud cover and a little rain help cool things down. Th e lion’s share of dove hunt-ing across Tennessee occurs in the fi rst ten days of the fi rst season. Although hunting can be good in the mid-October portion of the second segment, or even during the winter portion when Decem-ber and January allow additional opportunities, it’s the fi rst couple of weekends that arouse the most interest. Doves will concentrate in big numbers around various grain fi elds at times, but have an uncan-ny ability to pick up and move out overnight when weather chang-es occur. Other factors, such as abundant feeding opportunities - especially during the early season - can scatter doves when farmers begin shelling corn all over the

countryside. Hunters and landowners go to a lot of expense to prepare dove fi elds. Sometimes the doves don’t respect that and aren’t there in suffi cient numbers to produce a decent hunt. Like ducks and fi sh, they don’t always know how early we rise or how far we’ve traveled! In the old days, most good dove hunts were the byproduct of agri-cultural harvests caused by pick-ing silage or shelling corn, which left enough on the ground to at-tract doves. Hogging operations also produced great shoots, as patches of standing corn mixed with some knocked down spots were dove Meccas at times. Today, most fi elds are prepared specifi cally for dove hunting. Top sown wheat or rolling hills of sun-fl ower are planted months in ad-vance, requiring a lot of time and eff ort. Finding a place to hunt has be-come more of a challenge too. If you’re fortunate to know a land-owner, or someone who invites you on a hunt, then things can be pretty rosy. Others depend on public lands for their dove hunting opportuni-ties. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency off ers a few public hunts each year across the state where the agency leases acreage from landowners and farmers. Plus, some wildlife management areas off er hunts as well. Once the season opener draws near, log onto TWRA’s website at www.tnwildlife.org, to fi nd a list-ing of wildlife management areas and leased fi elds posted by region. Each fi eld location is listed, along

with directions to the specifi c spot. Before season opens it’s a good idea to take novice hunters, or youngsters making their maiden voyage, to a nearby shooting range or even out in a rural fi eld to prac-tice a bit on clay targets. Going over the fundamentals and safety tips of shotgunning are best done before entering the dove fi eld with other hunters. Tossing clay targets can also help anyone gain a better feel of their gun, learning the correct lead and judging distance. Most novice hunters make the mistake of shooting at birds too far, which can spook them from the fi eld. Not only are doves fun to shoot, but they are also great to eat. When prepared properly with special recipes of bacon wraps, marinades and other concoctions the bird is indeed a tasty delight when pulled from the grill. Add a little brown rice and mushrooms and you will tip your taste buds with a fi ne del-icacy. Now is the time to start planning your dove hunts. Make friends with area landowners or farmers who hold traditional shoots. Do a little homework and search the TWRA website for locations. Equip that youngster with the right gauge gun and light target loads to off er a nice outing. Time spent with friends and family in the dove fi eld will produce fond memories and help pave the way for future hunters, just as someone long ago did for you!


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Twenty-seven West Tennessee children, new to the sport of bass fi shing, had the opportunity of a lifetime last weekend. Athletes from the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program and Tennes-see National Guard families spent the day with fi shing legend Bill Dance on one of his favorite pri-vate bass lakes. Th e event was the fi rst edition of the Tennessee Wildlife Federa-tion’s Dunavant Classic, a fi shing rodeo designed to get kids in-volved in the sport. Participants were selected at random to come to Bill Dunavant’s Memphis farm to get tips from Dance, enjoy the

fellowship and catch big bass. “It was a fun day, but also an ed-ucational one. Th e kids learned about diff erent fi sh species, how to bait a hook, how to handle fi sh safely, the importance of lake con-servation, and even how to clean fi sh to take home to eat,” said Ten-nessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) CEO Mike Butler. “We caught over 200 fi sh, so even with the poor weather it was a huge success all around.” Each participant caught at least one fi sh, with Jacob Russell, 16, from Jackson, catching 24 and Mi-randa Deberry, 9, also from Jack-son, catching 26. Most fi sh caught were under three pounds, but many were able to land four and fi ve-pound bass – a great day by any angler’s measure. Russell said he and his brother,

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very dove season, most of my hunting buddies always ask me to open a few dove we have shot and identify seeds the birds had eaten. Invariable our group is around a grain fi eld and most hunters are surprised to fi nd out doves were also eating numerous “weed” seeds, but it’s not unusual because throughout the year doves eat a wide variety of seeds, not just sun-fl owers or corn. With dove season just around the corner, you should start con-sidering where you are going to fi re away at these fast fl ying mem-bers of the pigeon family. A sun-fl ower, millet or harvested corn fi eld is always my favorite. If you do not have a place to shoot lined

out, you may be able to prepare a dove fi eld with only minimal work and management. Th e principles are the same, whether it is a large fi eld or just a small plot set up for a personal dove shoot. If you are reading this in July and have not planted anything, it’s already too late to have sunfl owers or millet ready by the September opening. Th is is because most seeds have a maturity time of over 60 days. If you are going to plan a small shooting plot there are a few things you should consider. First and foremost, check and see if you are on a dove fl yway. Spend 20 minutes watching for passing birds. Do you see birds spending time along fence rows or feeding

on bare patches of ground? You may only need a few doves stop-ping by. Next, understand doves are seed eaters and under all circumstanc-es they will avoid tall vegetation. Th ey feed directly on the ground and even heavy, matted ground litter can make them avoid a site. Bare ground or sparse vegetation is best. Th is allows them to easi-ly walk around to feed, plus have good visibility of their surround-ings, to avoid predators. With bare ground so import-ant I start disking a few strips to expose some dirt. I have even mowed a site so close that patches of bare soil are visible. Sometimes you will see doves hit these bare sites within a couple of hours and over the course of several days the numbers should pick up as other birds fi nd your site. Continue pre-paring bare ground with a fresh strip every week or so. Th e big question is if you have not planted anything what are they eating? In addition to favorites such as sun-fl ower, corn or millet their favorite group of seeds includes crabgrass, paspalum, panic grasses, foxtail and even ragweed seed. Other important elements in at-tracting doves are waterholes or small ponds. In a good location, you will see doves moving to and from water, every morning and

Setting up a Dove Field By Richard Hines - Certifi ed Wildlife Biologist

If you love the thrill of trying to shoot fast and acrobatic doves, you will want to read this article. Photo by Rob Somerville

E


aft ernoon. Again, they prefer to alight on a clean or bare soil and walk to water. If there is too much vegetation they will pick anoth-er pond to water in. By the way, here is an interesting point on the water need for doves. Researchers discovered some years ago that at a temperature of around 730 doves are capable of functioning four to fi ve days without water. If you have access to a pond you could develop good evening hunting opportunities by only providing some bare soil for access to the water. During the course of the day, doves will fl y 2 to 7 miles from their roost to feeding areas, so you need something to catch their at-tention as they fl y over. First and

foremost is bare ground, as it will stand out for passing birds. It should only be a matter of time before you have birds investigat-ing the site. You will hear a lot of hunt-ers say doves need grit. Th is is true but if you have bare dirt on site, doves will easily get enough grit they need while foraging for seeds. If you are wondering what grit (small rocks or sand) is need-ed for, it is more of a mechanical substance than food. Th e grit is re-tained in the gizzard to help grind up hard coated seeds. Salt is another item that people think doves eat, but it actually be-ing used for grit as well. Given the choice doves will consume a ma-jority of seeds and only occasion-

al consume rock salt. Regardless, putting out rock salt is considered illegal baiting. Each year I will sow wheat on my dove plot around mid-August. Th e doves have already been eat-ing the variety of weed seeds on site they found in the bare strips of soil, but the wheat helps get things ready for opening day. Remember … you cannot double sow wheat, such as on top of wheat that has already germinated from earlier plantings. Th is is a double plant-ing and is not a normal agriculture practice; therefore it is considered baiting and illegal. Additionally, a normal agriculture planting of wheat is around two bushels per acre, so do not exceed this rate. If you are ever in doubt, contact

Sunfl ower fi elds are often the location of choice for Volunteer dove hunters. Photo by Rob Somerville


your local wildlife offi cial for clar-ifi cation. By far, the best dove shoots hap-pen when having a big group of hunters on a large fi eld shooting and keeping birds circulating. If you don’t have this, consider a small plot. It won’t provide enough room for a big group of hunters, but last year I managed to shoot a limit one aft ernoon and by wait-ing 3 to 4 days aft er opening day. I was able to get an additional shoot in later that week. Granted, I will be on a good fi eld opening day

along with several dozen hunters, but these small plots are easy, in-expensive and can provide some good shooting opportunities for young hunters or just a relaxing evening in the folding chair. It’s the personal pan pizza of the dove hunter’s world.

July-August Dove Habitat Reminder List

• In early July, delay mowing to help protect nesting ground birds, such as northern bobwhite. Iden-tify and protect known nesting ar-eas.

• In August, prepare sites for planting winter wheat and other fall deer plots.• Check plant survival in water-fowl impoundments, spray herbi-cide on undesirable plants such as cocklebur if needed.

Cedar trees that are on the border of dove fi elds offer shade and allow doves to visually scan fi elds for predators. Photo by Richard Hines


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uck hunting, has seemingly become numbers hunting, as this is how some people seem to view today’s sport of duck hunting, or any hunting adventure for that matter. We have all contributed and we all have done this our-selves, whether we like it or not. You know the, “How many did you kill today?” type questions we ask in the store or around a group of buddies just to get an idea of just “how many” you have been

killing. Well folks, numbers are just your imagination placing a value on a hunt. Man, we killed 34 yesterday and 12 today! Really, well now that you mention it, two weeks ago we killed 52 and 2 geese! I’m sure that scenario will hit home with most people reading this article. By all means it is a natural conversation we all have day in and out during duck season. But, what is the pur-pose?

Th is past duck season for me produced one of the most memo-rable hunting seasons I have ever had. How many you might ask? Forty two - that’s how many. Th at’s right, for 42 days I was blessed and honored to be able to wake up and go duck hunting, one more time, with no hesitation from the pre-vious day’s bounty. We had some bad days, some good days and some really good days. Yet every

Numbers vs. ValueBy Sam Bradshaw

Family friends from Savannah, Tennessee taking their son and grandson on his fi rst duck hunt.Photo by Sam Bradshaw

D

Continued on page 43



day I left , questioning what the next day had to off er. Because, you see folks, that’s really why we hunt. Every aspect of a hunt gets me ec-static, from the time the alarm goes off , until I fall asleep on the couch from being exhausted at the end of the day. No two days are the same and no two days should be treated the same. You know how the day starts … wake up early, get all your stuff to-gether, and head out to the meet-ing spot. Wherever it may be, an-ticipation starts to build. You’re pumped up and everything needs to be perfect whether it be the

blind, decoys, calling etc. You have done everything in your will pow-er to make sure every detail was taken care of before now to ensure success. Th en it is day break and not a duck in the sky. Th e thoughts in your mind become negative about the eff ort you have put in. Is it your fault? Should I have stayed home? Dang, those guys are shooting a lot, why aren’t they fl ying here? More oft en than not this sce-nario can consume the mind of a duck hunter and one cannot be to blame for that. It’s easy to think you are doing nothing right and

everybody else is. It just comes naturally. On these slow days dis-couragement can set in, when in reality the hunt is unfolding be-fore your eyes. You just have to look around and fi nd it. Some days fi nd the ducks falling in the spread, and others could be as simple as sharing the blind with an old friend. Whatever it may be, it’s up to us as the hunter to fi nd the value we seek in each and ev-ery hunt. I mentioned previously how I believe hunters put value on a hunt by the number of ducks they shoot. On most hunts, there

Pictured here is an 87 year-old duck hunter, reminding me a 25 year-old duck hunter of the value in hunting. Photo by Sam Bradshaw


would be little to no value of any hunt if that was the case, especial-ly once you deem a hunt to be a bust. Value, in hunting, is for each and every one of us to decide on for ourselves. Th at’s right; the val-ue of any hunt can only be set by the hunter. Value, according to Google, is a person’s principles or standards of behavior; ones judgment of what is important in life. Th e last three words should hit home to every outdoorsman out there. “Import-ant in life”… Pretty powerful three words if you ask me. So, just what was important on that hunt? Th inking back on this past years hunting season there are several days that stand out to me that I will not soon forget. Do I remem-ber how many we killed, yes, but that was just a few months ago. What I will never forget are the

friends and family who joined me on those hunts. Th inking back, I can also re-member a hunt in January of 1999, when I was a mere eight years old. Do I remember how many we killed? Not exactly, but to this day I can tell you the exact tree I was stand-ing beside. Little did I know that would be the last duck hunt I would ever be able to enjoy with my father on that January morning.

Tragically, he passed away in May, later that year. To this day the memories of that hunt will never fade, as do the memories of numerous other hunts I can remember sharing with fami-ly and friends. Some days were good, some days were bad, but in the end I tried walking away from each hunt holding the value it brought me. You see folks, the point I am trying to make is each and every one of us owe it to our-selves to be humble and fi nd value in everything we do. Not by how many animals we harvest, or how big an animal is, but in fi nding value within yourself from each hunt that makes it memorable and valuable to you. My position to you is this, take away from each and every hunt what is special to you and hold

The walk out of the woods, with a few woodies. Photo by Sam Bradshaw


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Members of the University of Tennessee Football team, Will Bradshaw and Jack Jones, join us for some time away from Knoxville. Photo by Sam Bradshaw

on to it. We never know what to-morrow can hold and to base our success as hunters on a number of harvests is downright absurd. We owe it to ourselves and to the sport of hunting to look deeper into each hunt and fi nd what was tru-

ly precious that we walked away with. In doing so, success will fol-low. People always say if you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. Well, I love hunt-ing and value every time I get to enjoy the outdoors, just as much if

not more than the last time. With-out the drive to fi nd more value in our hunting adventures you might as well give it up, because you my friend are hunting for the wrong reasons.


2016

BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY OUT TO THE2016 DYER COUNTY FAIR!

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Last year the expo was held at Gibson County fairgrounds in Trenton, Tennessee. Well, due to the huge crowd and number of vendors, it had to be moved to a new, larger venue ... the Dyer County Fairgrounds in Dyersburg. There will be two large commercial building {they are air conditioned} that will be filled with hunting. fishing and outdoor recreational vendors. There will also be vendors set up outside with tractors, new trucks, ATV’s, campers, motor homes. To top it all off, there will be nationally renowned seminar speakers and great food! It has been a long time coming and show promoter - Phil Colwell said, “It will be bigger and better than ever and what better place to have it than the beautiful Dyer County fairgrounds?” Colwell expects to pull attendees from Rellfoot, Pickwick and Kentucky Lake areas, as well as folks from Missourri. There are still some vendor spaces available. For more information contact Phil at 731-434-9832 and like them on Facebook.I will be there and hope to see all the readers of STO Magazine as well. - Rob Somerville

PLACES TO GOPLACES TO GO


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TRADITIONS TIPS - with Richard A. Fagan

1. Keep fish hooks organized by stringing them on to a safety pin.

2. Add some extra insulation to your cooler by lining the inside with Reflectix (Aluminized bubble wrap). You can find it at most

home improvement stores.

4. A milk crate, some PVC and some zip ties are all you’ll need to put together an awesome bank fishing box. I also suggest a few stakes and a piece of Para-cord, to help anchor it down, and a stick-on LED

light.

3. When having at outdoor event at night, throw a glow stick or two in the drink cooler to help folks find their beverages.

This is great for campouts.

5. If you like to night fish, here is a cost saving tip. Spray paint your fishing bobbers with glow paint. This is cheaper than buying the

pricey bobbers and won’t hurt so bad if you should lose one.

Editor’s note: all photos and graphics are provided by the author. If you wish to submit a “TIP” send emails to [email protected].


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Cody Thorne of Huntingdon, Tennessee is pictured here with a nice stringer catch of bluegill and catfi sh.

Photo submitted by Lankford’s Taxidermy

Robert “Doc” Jackson caught this largemouth bass on a shiner, at Pickwick Lake, this past May.


54 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2016545444 SSSSSOOUOUOUOUTHTHTHTHERERERERNNNN TRTRTRTRADADADADITITITIT OIOIOIOIO SNSNSNSNS OOOOOUTUTUTUT ODODODODOOORORORORSSSSS |||| JUJUJUJULYLYLYLY - AAAA GUGUGUGUG SUSUSUSUSTTTT 2222010101016666

Andrew Hyde, of Tiptonville, bagged this 26 pound turkey on April 16th of this year. The gobbler had a

12 inch beard and double spurs on each leg.Photo submitted by John Spence

Robert “Doc” Jackson caught this 30 lb. catfi sh on a live shiner and bass tackle, at Pickwick Lake, on June 16th of

this year.

Pictured here from left to right are Eric Batts, Richard Fagan and Kyle Phillips. This was opening day of the 2015 Kentucky season.

JULY - AUGUST 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55JULY - AUGUST 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55JUJUJUJULYLYLYLY - AAAA GUGUGUGUG SUSUSUSUSTTTT 2222010101016666 |||| SSSSSOOUOUOUOUTHTHTHTHERERERERNNNN TRTRTRTRADADADADITITITIT OIOIOIOIO SNSNSNSNS OOOOOUTUTUTUT ODODODODOOORORORORSSSSS 55555555

Javan Winders shot this nice, 10-point buck in December of 2015 in Mansfi eld, Tennessee.

This is Jerry McDaniel, who has long been consid-ered one of Carroll County’s best fi shermen, with a

huge, black crappie.Photo submitted by Lankford’s Taxidermy

Lynn Johnson of Delta Chevrolet in Dyersburg, Tennessee caught these 42 channel catfi sh that weighed between 2 1/2

and 12 lbs. He was using hand-crafted jugs at an undisclosed honey hole.

It’s all

GOOD.

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Entertainment & Humor

Southern Traditions Outdoors July - August 2016