CHECK IT OUT

BE SURE TO GO TO MY HOMEPAGE AND CHECK OUT

"PUBLIC WILDLIFE COMMISSION"

CHECK IT OUT

BE SURE TO GO TO MY HOME PAGE AND CHECK OUT

"HUNTERS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT COUCIL"

Hi, Brady here. Taking a lazy day today. You know that the settlers at Plymoth Rock outlawed lazyness. Not a bad plan, although today I'd be in the pen cause I have enjoyed listening to the wind howl while I dozed in a warm Lazy Boy. You need some down time every now and then. Even while you are hunting or fishing. I know a guy who made it to the Bass Masters Classic this year. While pre-fishing a tournament with him one day, in the heat of the afternoon, we pulled under a shade tree and sat in the bottom of the boat. He got out his lunch and stretched out on the bow of the boat for some r & r. I said to him most tournament fishermen would say you are wasting time. His reply to me was recharging his batteries is always a part of his day. We relaxed in the shade, ate a nice lunch, and had some good conversation. When we pulled back out into the Alabama River heat we were ready to fish once more and that momentum took us all the way till quitting time. I like the plan and ever since that day, I have taken myself a lunch while out on the water. Some guys may be to intense for that and can fish all day. All I can say is my buddy is in the Classic. Laziness is not a good thing. Being smart is another. I don't know if I am being smart or lazy today because I am not on the water or in the woods. I think I'll just lie here and consider it in the Lazy Boy.

Happy Is The Man Who Hunts For The Right Reasons

Just returned from an awesome hunt in Georgia. I hunted the Cedar Creek WMA with friends and we really had a good time. You will notice in the picture above our Saturday night supper being prepared. We are in camp 4 nights but we only plan 3 meals. We traditionally eat deer meat on Saturday night, that is if someone kills the supper. Otherwise we are forced to eat leftovers. J.T. Russom in this picture has a few miles under his boots. He has killed multitudes of deer and many, many wiley bucks have fell before his barrel. One of the greatest things I have ever witnessed was J.T. hunting through a swamp or over a hardwood hillside. The way he slips through thickets, listens, smells, and watches for deer is masterful. I listen to his stories. Many would call him crazy but he speaks a language only buck hunters can understand. True buck hunters, that is. Not the ones who believe the bigger the antlers the bigger the trophy. Not the ones who scoff at a little buck on the ground. The ones who understand a trophy is what makes you happy. It is what brings you joy. On this hunt, J.T. now in his seventies, slipped through a wet, difficult beaver swamp looking at signs and tracks left behind by his prey. Glancing up he saw a deer sneaking out of the swamp. He watched it as it left. He thought in his mind what the deer was thinking. By the deers actions he knew it was not spooked. He knew the deer left because it heard something. He also knew the deer didn't know what it was. He figured out over the years where the deer's tendency was to go. He knew these woods. He knew the deer would be headed to the "Rock Pile" and would be there by this evening. Putting the wind in his favor, he slipped around the swamp moving quickly to get to the "Rock Pile" before the deer arrived. Never letting his mind rest, continually figuring where the deer would be, and what his options were, he arrived at the hallowed pile of rocks and sat just below them watching and waiting. His thoughts were correct. The deer arrived. A spike buck appeared with some does. Another hunter in the area had put them on alert. Working feverishly to level the cross hairs, he found an opening. A pull of the trigger sealed the deal and another successful hunt was in the books. Back at camp J.T. was very happy. He told his story, louder each time. He smiled a lot. He laughed all night talking about the old times and other deer he and others had killed. Every year he retires from cooking breakfast but the next morning he was up singing and banging pots and pans. He was happy. As I watched him make jokes and talk about those who had not killed a deer yet I hoped that in my seventies I could be as happy over a spike buck as he is right now. I hoped that I would never loose my will to hunt one down. I hoped I would never loose the ability to walk through a swamp and be a true hunter. Lord, may I never scoff at a young buck, killed by a lucky hunter. What is a trophy? Is it a deer you sit in one spot and look at finally determining, well I guess it is big enough, never looking at the land or figuring his actions. Is it climbing into a box and having a guide tell you to shoot or not to shoot. Or is it walking through the acorns, looking at sign, finding his haunts, thinking as he does. J.T. has spent hours lost in the woods because he just couldn't leave a trail. He has been cut, twisted, injured, ran out of batteries, lost a hat, ran out of shells you name it and he has done it. He does it to hunt a buck. He did and does what makes him happy. At seventy plus years he is still happy and he killed an exceptional trophy. Congratulations J.T.!

Looking for some good fishing? Go to Dauphin Island. Just across from Fort Gaines there is a boat ramp. Luke, in the picture is standing on the jetty that protects the ramp. From the end of the jetty, we cast out to sea. He and Hunter caught peacock snapper, croaker, flounder, and right by his feet we saw a fish somewhere in the 70 to 90 lb range and 4 to 5 feet long. It came by two times. Me, I never got to fish. All I did was bait hooks! Not a bad job though when the kids are catching back to back fish. We used shrimp and squid for bait. There is a lot of bank fishing at Dauphin Island. To add to that there were hundreds and thousands of crabs in the surf for the picking. They say they are excellent to eat. Watch out for the stingrays though. You have to do what the locals called the stingray shuffle. Means don't pick your feet up, slide them. If you need more info on hook size, bait, locations, or anything else about Dauphin Island, just send me a message and I'll see what I can do to help. Have yourself some good fishing and don't forget the filet knife.

On a beautiful October afternoon, Hunter and I walk the Mulberry Fork WMA in search of squirrel. Squirrel hunting is a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family, do a little scouting for deer and hone the skills needed to be a woodsman. Hunter is off to a good start and for me it is a chance to return to more simple ways and remember never to underestimate our furry squirrel foe. Although I had seen many squirrel in this area before, Hunter and I returned empty handed. I would say that is what keeps me coming back but I believe if I killed a squirrel each time out, I would still return.