2002-2003
 News Archives

 

June 17, 2003

      The last update that I promised has been a long time in coming.  I had planned to compile some recent photos from around the Swamp to include here but I never got around to taking them.  Once turkey season ended, I moved in different directions.  I don't spend much time in those woods during May, June, and July.  Once the late summer arrives I will return often for general maintenance on the property and to begin preparations for another hunting season.  
      I appreciate your regular visits here and I have enjoyed the emails that have been sent by many of the visitors.  The regular updates will resume in mid September.  I look forward to seeing you back here then.  Have a good summer!

 

May 9, 2003

      I have enjoyed the extra hour or so of sleep I have been getting each night now that turkey season has closed.  The extra rest has now given me some energy to reflect on the season.  I was looking back over the notes that I keep on each days hunt.  Do you do that?  It is interesting to read back over each hunt of this season and particularly interesting to read back over the hunts from a number of years ago.  I would encourage you to keep some sort of log.  You don't have to write much.  You need just enough to jog your memory into recalling each particular hunt and the experiences enjoyed that morning.  
    Reflecting on this season, the turkeys should receive some sort of medal for their efforts.  They did exactly as nature has taught them.  They waited for the hen to come to them rather than getting too anxious and going after the hen themselves.  We usually take 7 to 9 birds from our property each spring.  We had plenty of birds again this year, but only took a total of 3 this time.    
      I am fortunate to be able to hunt most mornings of our 46 day season.  I was there for about 4 out of 5 of those sunrises.  I heard at least one gobble on most days, with the exception of a few nasty mornings.  I was no doubt dealing with some wise birds.  Where in the heck were the dumb two year olds?  They were not in the Swamp for sure.
      Last fall I had decided that this season I would attempt to kill a gobbler with my bow.  A few weeks before the season I reneged on that idea in favor of my 12 gauge.  But I'm going to give the idea more consideration between now and next season and may indeed give it a run in 2004.  I think it would be quite a challenge.  If I had indeed tried it this season I do not know that I would have gotten but one shot at a turkey.  Most years provide more opportunities so maybe I did the right thing for once.
     It would be quite something to be chasing turkeys with a bow as most of these local hunters have a very hard time downing a turkey with 3 1/2" shells in a 12 gauge shotgun.  Again this year I listened in amazement as some hunters' tally of missed or wounded birds rose much higher than those they collected.  How in the heck can you miss (or fail to collect) a big ole turkey?  I admit it can be done but it should not happen very often.  No more than than once out of every 15 to 20 or so killed should one fail to be retrieved after a shot is fired, in my opinion.
      I began my turkey hunting career using 2 3/4" shells in a 20 gauge with a modified choke.  I killed my first few turkeys with that combination.  Then I moved up to 2 3/4" shells in a 12 gauge, modified choke.  Around 1991 I bought the gun that I am still using to hammer gobblers every spring, a Remington 870 Express 12 gauge.  I paid $190 plus tax for it.  It has the screw in chokes and I quickly found a super full choke that shot well using Winchester XX Magnums in 6 shot.  Since then I have taken somewhere around 35 gobblers and lost just one.  I refuse to alter the set up.  I will not be lured into thinking I must shoot the big 3 1/2" guns. (I know too many people that can't kill 'em with that either!.)  I don't try different shells.  I stick with what has gotten the job done for me.  A turkey is a great bird and I appreciate the opportunity to hunt him.  I refuse to take a poor shot, a low percentage shot, or do anything that would cause a wounded bird to escape.  I wish more hunters would adhere to that philosophy.
     Which leads me back to the bow hunting idea.  I really have not been happy with my current bow and have been told that the draw length is too long and that is the reason for my inconsistent shooting.  I did not want to be sending errant arrows at turkeys.  Between now and next fall I am going to have a new bow and get back on track with my arrow placement.  I have a new little bow picked out and have gotten some good advice on the set up that will get me back in the groove of sharp shooting.  
      Thanks to all this rain we've had in the northern part of the state in the last week, the Alabama River is expected to swell quite large in the coming days.  We are going to have a good bit of water backing across the Swamp this coming week.  Unfortunately, we're going to lose some turkey nests when that happens.  If more rain falls between in the next week, it could be worse.  
     I'll be back for one final post in another week or so.  I'll show you my new chufa plots and a few other interesting tidbits before we part ways for the summer.               
     I want to share a couple of pictures sent to me during the season.  The first is Hill Robinson of Mobile and a Wilcox County gobbler he got early in the season.  The second photo is father and son duo Parrish Pugh and Parrish Jr. of Thomaston.  Thanks for sharing these pictures with us.  

Hill Robinson

Parrish Pugh Sr. & Jr.

  
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May 2, 2003

      After taking Monday off from the turkey woods, I headed back out early Tuesday morning, the second to the last day of the season.  I started on the eastern side of the property and finally heard a gobble back to the west, deep into the piney woods.  I quickly made my way in that direction and began to hear a more distinct gobble the closer I got.  The woods are thick with vegetation now and sound does not carry as it did earlier in the season.  I discovered that there were two there gobbling, surely some of the same ones that I have hunted for weeks now, if not all season long.  
      I got as close as I could while they were on the limb and I waited.  And then I heard them.  Hens.  Hens everywhere.  It was as if nearly every tree sported a hen and that was not good.  Here we go again, I thought.  
      I soon heard a ground gobble though I never heard the birds fly.  They had pitched in the opposite direction of me so I moved closer.  I began calling and they answered.  They had answered me all season long only to go about their business elsewhere.  Hens continued to yelp in all directions as well.  A few minutes later the pair gobbled a little closer.  I yelped and they answered again.  A hen yelped somewhere between me and the gobblers.  Minutes went by and they gobbled closer still.  I offered one more soft yelp and waited.  Five silent minutes later, I hear a gobble right in front of me and I saw one of them, then the other.  They were coming to me, tipping along from my right to left, angling toward me.  They were at 30 yards but the trees were too close to get a good shot.  When the lead bird was at 20 steps I finally had a shot I was comfortable with and I dropped him right there.  
      The other bird pitched close to the ground and in the other direction.  I waited about 10 seconds and yelped once and he gobbled right back.  I stayed there for another 10 minutes and heard the turkey gobble a few more times as he moved the other way.  
      My 3rd gobbler of the season had one good spur and one that appeared to have never reached the potential of its counterpart.  I would guess he was at least 4 years old.  Several months of chasing women had reduced his body weight to a mere 15 pounds.  
      My father and I returned for the final day of the season and had a good hunt.  We heard a turkey gobble a lot of the limb, fly down and get quiet for a while, then fire back up after we repositioned and began calling to him again.  But he would not come, demanding that we come to him as they have mostly done to me all season.  

His best spur...

Other, smaller spur...

Found this pair of sheds side by side in the piney woods.  Notice that kicker at the base!

     See you back next week for a few more updates until we take the summer off.  Thanks for stopping by.  

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April 28, 2003

      We could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend to wrap up turkey season than what we experienced during the last two days.  The severe weather that passed through the state Friday evening left us with cool nights and mild days and that bit of crispness in the air that usually makes the turkeys gobble well.  I did say "usually."  The Swamp's turkeys were not as impressed with the weather as I or maybe the gobbling, and breeding season, is winding down.  After all, it is time for that to happen.  
     I heard four gobbles on Saturday and about 10 on Sunday.  Please note that I did say "gobbles" and not "gobblers."  I actually was pretty close to two gobblers on Sunday but again they showed no interest in me other than to answer me twice and then go their separate ways in silence.  The highlight of the hunt was eventually falling asleep later that morning and awaking ten minutes later to find 5 jakes standing right in front of me.
     I gave it all I had this weekend but could not find a gobbler with interest.  Exhausted, I took today (Monday) off from the woods.  I plan to go out for the final two mornings.  I would like to experience another good hunt before I call it a season.  Considering how difficult and ornery these birds have been all spring long, that is a long shot at best.  But the weather is going to be nice and the turkeys are certainly there so why not give them a few more opportunities.  
     On Thursday I'll have another update and let you know how bad the turkeys were to me.  I have a few other summer projects to mention and will spread them out in several more posts that will span the next few weeks.  By the end of May these regular updates will be put on hold until the fall.        

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April 24, 2003

      I promised you a picture of a dead turkey this week.  I'll have to ask forgiveness as I have no picture to offer.  I have nothing to offer but sob stories of ones that either would not gobble or would not come close enough for me to shoot them.  Don't you just hate that!?
      We had some good hunts this past weekend.  Turkeys gobbled well in the first hour or two of the day but did not offer much more after that.  We had them answering and appearing to cooperate at times.  They all gave us ample opportunity to come to them if indeed we were a real live hen.  But they would not come looking for us when we did not appear and they always would eventually give up on us and vanish into the forest. 
      My brother in law, John Turner, and I chased them all weekend.  We got out for a short hunt early Sunday morning.  Our plan was to get deep into the piney woods before the first hint of day appeared in the east.  We heard the first gobble at 5:30, a full fifteen minutes before you would expect such.  This turkey and two others nearby really said a lot in the next 35 minutes.  They flew down.  The closest two answered me three times.  They headed off in the opposite direction and by 6:30 there was no sound of them.   
      These are some of the same turkeys that I have hunted all season and they are well versed in how to escape an untimely death at the hands of a twelve gauge.  The woods are simply full of hens which does not help the hunter one bit.  I have toned down my routine and now only offer a sweet seductive yelp and cluck, yelp and cluck.  One morning I even had a hen fly down right behind me and do my yelping for me.  Even she could not call in the pair of gobblers that were hammering away in front of us.  (I actually thought she called too much but I dared not turn around and mention this to her!).  
      In the past week I have heard gobbling on some mornings that appeared to be very poor and heard nothing on some mornings that seemed made to order.
       It is going to take some sheer luck to get one of these birds.  I am going to try them a few afternoons too as the seasons winds down.  It closes here on the 30th.  I will be glad to be able to once again sleep a little later in the morning, yet I'm having a good time and will give them all I have until the final hour is upon us.    

April 18, 2003

      A front moving through yesterday morning made a tremendous difference by this morning in the gobbling of our turkeys.  Yesterday dawned cloudy and very humid.  I did not hear a single gobble.  Today those same woods sounded like a turkey farm.  
     I had invited my friend Kevin Matthews to hunt with me.  He has been guiding at Bent Creek Lodge all season with much success.  Kevin is also a maker of some very fine mouth yelpers.  He and I work together on our local NWTF chapter committee.  I enjoy sharing time in the turkey woods with my fellow turkey hunters.  There is always something to learn from another turkey hunter, not to mention the fun of sharing the morning's adventure with another sportsman.  
      We were on our way to a pair of birds that began gobbling soon after the sun's rays reached the Swamp.  Suddenly another gobbler fired up, already on the ground at a surprisingly early time.  We moved to where we could yelp to all three and soon the single gobbler came into view.  We had a real open section of pines in front us that allowed this old bird (he acts "old", certainly wise) to see quite a distance through the timber and he would not come closer than 80 yards.  He eased off but a bit later gobbled again not far away.  Kevin was handling the yelping and I the gun.  He offered up a few more soft yelps and the bird again came to the edge of the thinned pines and looked, strutted, and gobbled.  But he would not close in on us and eventually walked away.  
      We are going to get a turkey in those woods this weekend if we have to stay all day.  I'll have a picture of him for you next week.  Keep your fingers crossed!

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April 16, 2003

      I may never kill another turkey.  That pretty well sums up my last week or more of hunting.  I have heard a few gobbles but it has been frustrating to say the least.  The last three days I've hunted some turkeys in the piney woods of the Swamp.  They gobbled well on the roost Monday and a few times on the ground as well before they got quiet.  On Tuesday I tried coming into the big block of woods from the other side, the side they moved toward on Monday.  But they ended up a distance away and by the time I reach them their short burst of gobbling at the crack of dawn had ended.  Today I heard several of them fire up at 6:05 and then shut up 10 minutes later.  There are certainly birds in the Swamp but actually working a turkey is easier said than done.
     Yesterday I did stumble upon a gobbler that was firing up at about 8AM.  This is certainly the type bird that is callable and killable.  But I made the mistake of getting too close to him and apparently I spooked him.  I wanted to just move up 10 more steps and get by a big oak but that 10 extra forward steps saved his neck and sent me home fussing.
     This past weekend I attended the 3rd Annual Wiregrass Turkey Rodeo.  No, this was not a riding and roping affair.  My college buddy Judd Lisenby hosts this hunt each year.  We had a total of 10 hunters.  The five hunters that did not have property to hunt teamed with the five that did, via a drawing.  The teams competed for the best turkey, scored using the NWTF scoring method.  Our host, Judd and his partner Dale Armstrong won the event.  A total of 3 turkeys were killed.  My team had tough luck, hearing only a few gobbles on a piece of property that was eaten up with fresh gobbler tracks.  I did have the opportunity to stay at Judd's new cabin overlooking a 7-acre lake that has just been completed.  I have some photos of that cabin shown below.  It may give you some ideas for one of your own.  

     Two weeks remain of the season.  In some past years I've had my fill, called up enough, killed enough, and am back to enjoying a good night's rest.  Not this year.  I'm going to run the heck out of them until the last day if it kills me in the process.  

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  April 11, 2003

      The first part of this week was quite a washout.  The rain and wind kept me away from the woods and when I did go out, I did not hear much action.  One local hunter that really enjoys the rain is Danny McDonald.  Danny tells me he loves to see a rainy morning because he knows his turkeys will be in the fields and he can go right to them.  And he knows what he is talking about as he collected two big gobblers early this week in all of that foul weather.  
      This morning was sure nice.  Cool and calm with blue skies overhead.  The turkeys finally got cranked up a little.  I'm looking forward to the weekend when I can really spend some quality time with the birds.
      I've been seeing some hogs this week.  I was proud to make a great shot with my little carbine the other morning, downing a 200 pound boar at 115 steps.  The little Mini-30 has basic iron sights and I did not know if I was going to hit that hog or not.  But amazingly I nailed him right in the shoulder and he dropped about 50 yards away.  
      I've got a fun weekend in store and will let you know all about it next week.  Good luck to you.  Knock 'em dead.

April 8, 2003

      I collected my second turkey of the season on a really fun hunt with my friend Jess Martin.  Two gobblers had flown down across a creek from us but I was able to call them back to our side later in the morning and get one of them, a 2-year old.  
      Much of the rest of my time has been spent butting heads with a pair of gobblers in the Swamp that will answer every sound I make but absolutely will not come to the hen calls.  I have tried them from as many as four different angles in a single morning and have tried the silent treatment, the nearly silent treatment, and the never shut up calling treatment.  So far they have not come within 75 yards of me and I have not even gotten a good look at the pair.  It is uncertain if I will actually bag one of these birds before the season is over but I am sure I will have lots of fun trying to outmaneuver them.  
      We've now progressed three weeks into the season.  So far I grade the season from my perspective an overall "C+."  Our turkeys have been extremely inconsistent in their gobbling (I think because they have lots of hens).  That could change soon as the hens begin to pay more attention to their nests and less to the boss gobblers. 
      The early part of this week appears to be a washout for hunting.  As of this morning I've recorded nearly 3.5 inches of rain and more is on the way.  The good news is that it is expected the clear out before the weekend.  The cool, crisp weather that will likely follow will be great for hunting.   
       Check back for another update and commentary prior to this weekend.  I'll try to post bi-weekly updates until the season concludes on April 30th.  

L to R - William Malone & Jess Martin

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April 1, 2003

      Our turkeys continue to gobble some one morning, then remain quiet the next.  There have been rare exceptions so far of any turkey that has gobbled much after the first hour of daylight.  
      The 32nd Annual Wilcox Academy Turkey Hunt was held this past weekend.  We had some of the worst weather in years, but killed more turkeys than we have in many years.  A total of 25 hunters took 7 birds and lost 2 more, either missed or victims of poor shots.  For the 6th year in a row my hunter collected a gobbler.  Thanks to my secret weapon, friend Don Lauderdale.  Don's an excellent turkey caller and when he calls, they generally excitedly respond.  Don also gives the owls fits as well.  He just won his 3rd World Championship Owl Hooting title last month in Birmingham. 
     We are into the 3rd week of the season and the last before the time changes this weekend, giving us weekday hunters one fewer hour in the morning to chase turkeys.  I'm planning to make the most of this week.  I still think the best gobbling is yet to come, however, I'm ready for it to come on and get here!  Silence in the turkey woods is annoying!

(L to R) Don Lauderdale, Barnett Serio, William Malone

Spurs were 1 1/8", the bird weighed 19.5 pounds.   
     

March 25, 2003

      We're nearly a week and a half into turkey season and so far most area hunters say the gobbling has been fair to poor so far.  It will improve, all agree.  A long cold winter coupled with lots of rainy and cloudy weather in February and March has not allowed the turkeys to really get cranked up yet.  The season is young and the best is yet to come.
     With the exception of the first day of the season, I've been without my turkey hunting partner.  My father had surgery last week and will be missing the first half or so of the season.  But he'll get back to the woods and hopefully get a few gobblers before the end of April arrives.  
     As we move through turkey season, my late friend Forrest has been on my mind with every trip to the woods.  Forrest hunted the property across the river from us.  He loved to call our turkeys across the river to him.  I attempted to return the favor at every opportunity.  Forrest would rarely miss a day of turkey season.  He loved everything about it.  This past Sunday was one of those mornings that all us turkey hunters welcome---cool, crisp, and clear.  I arose at about my regular time to go to the woods but instead my wife and I traveled to Columbus, Georgia to attend the christening of Forrest and his wife Jodi's baby girl.  After Forrest death, Jodi moved back there, her hometown where her family lives.  If not for a terrible car accident and a bizarre illness that took him from us last December, that christening would have taken place here in Camden.  Forrest and I would have been in the woods earlier that morning, likely on opposite sides of the river, calling turkeys with the cares of the world left far behind.  Later that morning before church, and likely after too, we would have compared notes on the turkeys' antics, telling tales of ones that did or did not get away.  Indeed, times have changed and they are hard to accept. 
     I finally closed the deal on gobbler this morning.  I worked him yesterday, but he flew down across a stretch of water into a wide open hardwood bottom, with hens, and chose not to come my way.  This morning I got there a half hour earlier and brought my friend J. B. Travis.  J. B. was going to film the hunt.  I had this one in the bag.  We rode in on mountain bikes, which I use to get around the Swamp quickly and quietly, then crept onto the ridge between the two ponds exactly where the bird flew down Monday morning.  When dawn arrived he gobbled 150 yards east of where I anticipated him, but we moved closer and the original plan was still in place.  He was roosted over some shallow water, but surely would fly down on our ridge and come to us.  I knew it was going to make one heck of a video.  But somebody forget to tell this old bird what he was supposed to do!
     He answered our tree yelps with much excitement.  He gobbled his head off on the roost.  Then he did it.  He flew down on the opposite side of the water (right where I was sitting the prior morning) and moved off into the adjacent pine plantation.  These pines are about 13 years of age and not exactly where you would think of hunting a turkey.  I suspect the hens are nesting in there, though.  We went toward him.  The pines are so thick that we walked 60-70 yards from him and sat down.  He answered everything, but held his ground.  At about 7:00 we backed up and made a half circle around him and sat down again.  He now moved a little closer to us, then began circling us, just out of sight.  He got behind us (we twisted around to be ready), then moved in.  I shot him as soon as I had a clear shot.  He was a 3 year old and weighed 18.5 pounds, with a 10" beard.  There were actually two gobblers in the group.  I never saw the second until I shot and the second gobbler took flight.  I have no idea if I killed the gobbling bird or his companion.  

   
       

 

March 18, 2003

      It appears the first week of turkey season is going to be known for clouds and rain.  Rain will not necessarily spoil a turkey hunt, but days on end of this gloomy weather does not usually result in much gobbling from the turkeys.  Such in the case for us in the Swamp and for most in the area that I have spoken with.  I have heard of some successful hunts so far, but most hunters are wishing the clouds will move out and the sun will shine very soon.
     I have heard a little gobbling on one morning so far this season.  Otherwise, all has been quiet.  Indeed it is early.  Until last year, the season has always opened on the 20th and even then our turkeys have been slow to get going.  Again, pretty spring mornings with blue skies overhead and a bit of crispness in the air will always fire up the turkey woods.  Tack on a few of those type days in a row and the whole woods can sound like it's gobbling!

 

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March 11, 2003

      My spare time, what little there is, has been recently spent helping to organize and put together our NWTF chapter's superfund banquet.  It was held here in Camden this past Saturday night and was another big success.  The folks in this area really support the NWTF and that makes our job of putting the banquet together a real pleasure.
     As we were cleaning up late Saturday night we received word that our fellow Camden resident, Don Lauderdale, had reclaimed the title as the World Champion Owl Hooter at the calling contest going on in Birmingham.  This is the second time Don has won this title, along with a Grand National Owl Hooting championship as well.  Don always helps me during our private school benefit turkey hunt and with his truly expert turkey calling our hunter has bagged a bird for 5 straight years.  Don finished 8th in the World Champion Turkey Calling Contest on Sunday and another Camden resident, Sadler McGraw, finished fourth.  We are proud of our fellow Camdenites!
       The season opens here in Alabama on Saturday, the 15th of March.  I'm looking forward to it.  I think it is going to be a good season for most in this area as nearly everyone I talk with reports that they have been seeing lots of turkeys on their property.  
       The trees and bushes are beginning to bud here and that will give the deer a little more to eat and maybe they will leave my corn alone long enough to catch a hog in the trap.  The problem seems not to be that the hogs are scared of the trap but the fact that the deer are beating them to the corn every time.  We'll keep after them.
      

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February 26, 2003

      Finally another round of photos from the game cam.  The first 12 pictures were taken at the scrape where we got the good buck pictures in mid January.  This time we got a couple more bucks and the rest does.  I had then moved the camera to one of my "corn pipes" that I told you about a few weeks ago.  I put one of these pipes beside each of the new hog traps.  The camera got some hogs and deer going after the corn in the pipe.

     We've been having some hog activity in the #1 hog trap but the #2 trap seems to be feeding only deer.  Maybe the hogs will find it soon.
     Turkey season opens March 15th.  Until then, I've been preparing for our NWTF banquet here in Camden on March 8th.  For that reason, there will be no update next week.  Updates will return the following week and will continue through turkey season.  We may not be quite as regular or prompt on posting every Tuesday, but we'll get something up about every week at some point.  Thanks for stopping by.  

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February 18, 2003

      Two weeks ago I returned the game camera to the hot scrapes where I had gotten the many buck pictures in mid January.  For the past two weeks the camera watched over that same once hot scrape yet it took only 10 pictures.  None of the other scrapes in the area appeared to have been tended either.  For the most part it appears they abandoned any scrape tending right about the first few days of February.  That is interesting as I have always felt that the rut spilled heavily over into February.  Maybe it did this year, but the bucks certainly found better things to do than paw the ground.        
      The hog traps did no good this weekend.  It seems that some deer are feeding on the soured corn but no hogs have come to the trap, though plenty of fresh sign exists in the area.  I moved the game camera to watch over one of the traps and to take the remainder of the roll of pictures. I'll pick it up this weekend and will definitely have that roll of film ready for next week.
      Last week I showed you my pipes filled with soured corn that I hoped would lure the hogs to the trap.  It appears that the deer are enjoying that soured corn a bit too much.  They are even craning their neck down the pipe to eat as much corn as they can.  
      I get a lot of emails from visitors to this website.  Most concern hogs.  Last week I got an interesting email from a man in Texas looking for advice on getting rid of hogs.  He said that he is superintendent of a golf course out there and they have been invaded by hogs.  And we think we have problems!  Can you imagine a group of hogs rooting up the golf course all night?  Good grief!
     See you next week.  

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February 10, 2003

      A bear in Wilcox County?  First I heard the rumor then the bear's picture showed up in last week's Wilcox Progressive Era newspaper, our local weekly paper.  Unfortunately the bear had been hit by a car.  The accident happened on State Highway 10 between the Weyerhaeuser mill and Pine Hill.  That's just a few miles through the woods to the Horn Swamp!  I understand the bear was a juvenile so likely there are others in the vicinity.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  I just don't know.  Bears do exist in the river delta north of Mobile but a sighting this far north is pretty rare.
     Can you guess what I have going in the picture below?  My friends from Texas that come on our school's benefit deer hunt gave me this idea.  You place a piece of PVC pipe in the ground 3 or 4 feet and fill it with soured corn.  The hogs will come but they can't get the corn.  I have put one of these by each of my new permanent hog traps, hoping the soured corn smell will lure them by the trap more often.  I'll have more corn in the trap.  

Pipe after being filled with corn

The next day after the hogs found the pipe.  

      Speaking of that, my big stash of corn that I began souring last weekend was quite ripe by this weekend.  As you can see I filled up the pipes.  I'll feed the hogs in the trap for a week or two, then go back to setting it.  Hopefully we'll catch more than one or two per setting this time around.  
      I did not get a chance to check the game cam this weekend but will have pictures ready by next week.  We'll see if the bucks are still working the scrapes with any regularity at that time.  
      I have a few more photos to share with you that have been submitted by our readers.  We'll keep accepting them for one more week so if you have a good one, let us have it!
      For those of you in the Wilcox County area, let me remind you that our local NWTF chapter will be having their annual fundraising banquet on Saturday evening, March 8th.  It is always a fun time and the money raised goes to a worthwhile cause.  This event sells out here in Camden each year and no tickets are sold at the door, therefore, don't forget to buy yours early!  If you are not in our area I encourage you to look up the banquet in your area and get involved.  You can find out where you closest chapter is by going to the www.nwtf.org website. 
      We have a few more pictures below that have been sent in.  I imagine this will about round up the photos for this season.  Special thanks to those who worked hard to send me photos to share, especially Harvey Crawford, Kirk Talbot, and David Thibadeau.     
      Next week I'll have some game cam pictures and news from the hog wars.  As always, thanks for stopping by the Horn Swamp Online website. 

Donald Harvey
Buck killed in Coy, AL (Wilcox Co.)

Jay Owen
Buck killed in Portland, AL (Dallas County)

Dickey Andress
300 pound + hog taken near Jackson, AL
Clarke County

 

February 5, 2003

     Another deer season has come and gone.  For me, the season---and I'm sure it does for you too---  always begins with a lot of anticipation.  What will I see this season?  Will I have any chances to take a real nice buck?  Just how much time am I going to get to enjoy the great outdoors?  The early hot bowhunts in October finally give way to some milder weather in November.  When December rolls around the deer have wised up and become significantly more wary.  After Christmas I begin to look forward to the end of the season and moving on to other adventures.  Then, sometime between the first and second week of January the rut hits and the fun really begins.  About two weeks later, as the bucks continue to rut and the really nice racked bucks, the older ones, continue to romp about, the season closes.  If you haven't gotten him by now, you won't get him at all (legally, of course).  
     I got one last hunt in on the next to last day of the season, a Thursday afternoon.  For those of you that have hunted the Swamp, I chose the new shooting house in the far end of the Red Field for my hunt.  Not fifteen minutes after I got to the stand, two hogs appeared to my right.  They began rooting in the edge of the field.  I waited about ten minutes to see if any more would appear and then decided to go ahead and take them, putting an end to the destruction of the once smooth open field.  They were both boars.  The largest weighed about 125 pounds and the other about 75.  

     My father and I built our second permanent hog trap this past Saturday.  We put this one in the Red Field area.  That now gives us two permanent traps and two portable.  I have several hundred pounds of corn souring now and by the weekend we should get to some regular trapping.  
     I have also completed the hog trap plans for the website.  You can follow the link above or get there by going to the hog trapping page that is linked on every page of this website.  I have explained the process for building the door as best I can and also included enough pictures that you should be able to understand my instructions.  If not, just send an email.  Hogs are certainly spreading through many areas of the south, unfortunately, and some of you might could benefit from using one of these traps.
    I got the game cam back to the woods this past weekend.  I went back to some scrapes that were really hot about two weeks ago.  I was surprised to find that they had not been worked since the last rain which was 4 days earlier.  It appears the bucks are not spending much time working those scrapes, or any scrapes, right now.  We did see several nice bucks this weekend that were undoubtedly looking for does.  
     I'm getting lots of pictures in from our readers.  Here are a few of them.  I'll share more next week.  Even though deer season has closed, we'll continue to update through turkey season (end of April.)  

Billy Perez, taken near Camden, AL
1-26-2003

Amy Crawford
Wilcox County

Frank Martin
Buck taken in Coy area of Wilcox Co.
(Frank had gotten photos of this big buck on his game cam before harvesting him in late November.)

Don Gardner - 325 lb. piney woods rooter from Coy 
(Wilcox Co.)

 

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January 30, 2003

     Last weekend brought some mighty cold air to the area.  It made for a nice weekend of deer hunting.  Friday morning was the coldest here, at 12 degrees.  My cousin and fellow landowner Curtis Malone and his friends Chad, Randy, and Walt hunted the Swamp for a long weekend.  We saw a lot of bucks.  The bucks were certainly on the move and quite preoccupied with the does.  Each of us saw young bucks and quality ones as well.  It always amazes me how many I see this time of  year compared to how few I see in December.  Most of the time the quality bucks didn't offer much of a shot for us, either too far away or through too much cover.  Randy took one 8 point which appears to be the only one we'll harvest this season.    
     On Saturday morning I hunted a road we call the Sandy Ridge Road.  From a ground blind you can see about 300 yards down this road which is not more than 10 feet wide.  It is much easier to see a good buck here than to kill one.  At mid-morning a fine 8 point stepped out in the road at about 270 steps away.  He walked towards me for a few seconds, stopped and looked my way briefly as I studied his rack, then stepped off into the pines and was gone.  His rack was 16 to 17" wide and he had good mass and tines.  By the time I had decided he was a shooter he was gone.
     The game camera is again working and I'll get it back to the hot scrapes on Saturday.  It will be another week or two before I'll have any more pictures to share but they will come in time.  
     As of this writing, another day and a half of the season remains.  We've certainly had the coldest winter in some time and I have enjoyed it.  I think it has helped the deer hunting.  Some really nice bucks have been taken in our area this season.  I am pleased to show you a few more of them this week, along with a few photos from the Horn Swamp.
     I'll see you back here next week with more news and commentary on the past deer season.  We'll accept deer photos for a few more weeks so keep them coming.  Thanks to all who have contributed.  I'll have more of them on next week.  Congrats to all of you successful hunters!  

Chad Knight & a 150 pound boar from the Horn Swamp

Randy Chastain's 8 point from the Swamp

Relaxing around the campfire after a cold morning of hunting

Billy Perryman
Wilcox County buck

Stuart Head
Wilcox County 10 point

Jason Riggs (L) and Harvey Crawford
Wilcox County bucks

Pree Middleton
Buck killed north of Mobile in the river delta

Trey Gunter
Wilcox County buck

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January 21, 2003

     The hog trap struck again this past weekend.  Two more hogs fell victim to the set up.  One weighed about 130 pounds and the other about 60.  This coming weekend we'll build part of the second permanent trap planned for the Swamp.  By February we'll be getting after them pretty hard.  I've had lots of request for the plans for the trap.  They should be ready within a week, complete with pictures of the new and improved trigger mechanism.         
     The bucks in our woods are rutting hard.  During this past weekend I watched some scrapes appear literally overnight.  You can't help but notice all the large tracks crossing the roads these days.  It happens every year about this time.  Why not?  It's the end of January.  The last---the best---week and weekend of deer hunting is upon us.  Here in Alabama, deer hunting doesn't get any better than the second half of January.  The rut finally reaches is full swing at this time and will continue into February, though the season will not.  
      Did you hunt Saturday morning?  The mercury dipped to 16 degrees here.  I slept late and hit the woods at mid-morning.  With a full moon overhead I felt the deer would move well during the middle of the day rather than early and late.  And I imagine they did but in the thickets where I have been hunting one can go a long time without seeing a deer, even if they are moving a lot.  
      The Swamp Sleuth, our game cam, did a fine job of turning up some antlers in the past two weeks.  The following pictures came from one hot scrape line from January 5th to January 18th.  One of these bucks is the same one I let walk while bowhunting in early November.  He fed under my stand at 5 steps, giving me a perfect shot for at least 15 minutes.  He needs a little more mass and he would be a real fine buck, so I chose to roll the dice and hope he can make it another year.  If he does, I know just where he likes to eat acorns!
     For some reason the date/time stamp didn't work this time around.  That also happened to my last Moultrie game cam.  But notice that every buck came to the scrape in the dark.  I had lots of doe pictures but not a single buck in the day.  These deer are not and have not been heavily pressured, yet they know when to move in order to avoid us humans.    

I had a chance to take this 9 point (above) back in November but chose to roll the dice and hope that he not only makes it one more year but that I can get another opportunity to arrow him.  He scores about 100 to 110 B&C this year.  

 

 

 

This is a "shooter."  Notice his heavy bases.  
This deer is 5 years old or older, most likely.  

The buck pictured above is also shown below.  Notice the kicker point coming off the base of his left antler.  

This little doe obviously has no respect for our 
operations and let us know in no uncertain terms.

     Keep those buck photos coming.  If you can't email it to me you are welcome to use snail mail (William Malone, 14 Woodland Dr., Camden AL 36726).  I'll scan the picture and mail it back to you.  The rut is upon us and the hunting is going to be good for the last 10 days of the season.  See you here next week.       

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January 14, 2003

     I guided three hunters this past weekend as part of the Wilcox Academy Benefit Hunt.  It was good to see my friends Ron Kirby and Jim Smith back in Wilcox County.  They have hunted with me for about 5 years now I guess, driving 13 hours one-way from College Station, Texas.  This year Ron brought his daughter, Jill, who took up deer hunting just a few years ago and has been enjoying every minute of it since.
     Unfortunately, the group found some tough hunting in the Swamp.  They got only one doe.  They passed up some small bucks and saw one or two decent bucks right at dark.  The bucks were hard to come by.  We did get two hogs from the new hog trap and that added a little weight to their "meat cooler."  The hogs weighed 96 and 107 pounds.  
     Overall there were 109 hunters that attended the benefit hunt.  A total of 45 bucks, 66 does, 11 hogs, and one bobcat were brought in to the skinning shed there on the corner of the school's campus.  

Ron Kirby, Jim Smith, Jill Smith
W. A. Benefit Hunt

      Our deer are hanging close to the main food in the Swamp these days, several large briar thickets.  You can hunt the thickets on the ground, watching straight stretches of roads or by hunting the open woods that adjoin the thickets.  The deer aren't straying far from the thickets though.  Our food plots don't have much to offer and very few deer are coming to the openings where the permanent, shooting house type stands are located.  I saw a few bucks over the weekend while hunting around these briar thickets.  The best one--and I think he was a shooter for me--jumped the road after I had spooked him.  The bucks I saw were right with does.  From what I can see and from what I hear from other hunters, the rut is happening right now. 
     The Swamp Sleuth game cam didn't take a full roll of film last week so we'll have to wait 'til next Tuesday to see what has been working the hot scrape that it is watching over.  
     We had an unusual sighting in the Swamp this weekend.  One of our guests had been seeing several droves of turkeys in one of the green patches.  Twice  the turkeys scattered like a covey of quail but it was never seen what was putting such fear into the birds.  I expected a coyote or a bobcat maybe.  Saturday afternoon another of our guests watched 9 hens scatter from another nearby green patch.  Moments later a golden eagle set down in the middle of the acre patch, just 50 yards from the stand.  The bird was huge, said Mr. Smith, and sported a head full of bronze feathers.  A number of bald eagles are known to exist, and often seen, on the lake here after having been released a decade or so ago.  But golden eagle sightings are rare indeed in these parts from what I can learn.  It's a first for us in the Swamp anyway.  
     I have a number of pictures of nice bucks taken in the past few weeks in and around the area.  I'm especially excited to show you 7-year old Tate Brand, of Camden, and his 9 point he got two weeks ago!  Go Tate!  Congrats!     

Tate Brand - 1st Deer - 9 pt.

Parrish Pugh, killed in western Wilcox County

Wayne Guy of Wayne's Processing in Camden 
showing the big 8 point that I showed you last week
This buck grossed 168 5/8 B&C


Will Fendley with a big 11 point taken in Wilcox Co.

Will Fendley with a 195 lb. hog taken 
in Prairie, AL (Wilcox Co.)

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January 7, 2003

     I took last Tuesday off from the weekly updates but I'll make it up to you this week.  I've got lots to tell you today.  
     We have not done much deer hunting the last few weeks.  Just a little.  I had the pleasure of taking two Auburn football coaches to the Swamp this past Sunday afternoon.  They saw a few deer, does and small bucks.  It was a beautiful afternoon.  The scrapes are beginning to heat up and I think the rut is just beginning to occur.  These last few weeks of the season should be very good indeed.      
     On Saturday my father and I built a new permanent hog trap in the Swamp.  We have a couple of portable traps that you can see featured on the hog trapping page, but this is our first permanent trap.  The two primary advantages to this new trap is that the top is open and, therefore, a deer can jump out.  Also, this trap is bigger and can hold twice as many hogs as the other traps.  This trap is easy to build and the only tools needed are a hammer, wood saw, hack saw, and post hole diggers.  I'm working on drawing up exact plans since I've had many requests already.  If you are interested in the plans please send me an email and I'll be glad to mail you a copy (for free) in the next few weeks.  The plans will also be available on this website.  The cost to build this trap is between $150 and $175 and can be done by two people in about 4 hours.  

  

     Basically, the trap is 16 feet long and 8 feet wide.  We used cattle panels for the sides that are 52" high.  The posts are sunk 3 feet in the ground.  The door frame is built out of 2x6s with a 2x4 in the interior to form the track for the door to slide up and down.  The door is made of plywood.  
     The trigger works in this fashion.  A lip is created on the top end of the door by nailing a couple of short 2x4s together.  Another board is nailed horizontally  on the door frame about mid ways.  You raise the door and place the two trigger rods shown above that hold the door up.  Attached to one of the trigger rods is a string that extends to the back of the trap.  The string runs across the back end of the trap about 2 feet from the end to form a trip wire.  This trip wire is placed 10 inches off the ground.  It only takes a little nudging on this trip wire and the trigger rods are pulled forward and the door falls. 
     The trick will be to feed the hogs for a few days and get them coming into the trap with ease.  During this time the door is wedged open and not allowed to shut.  When the hogs are using the trap the corn is placed all over the inside and the trigger is set.  Hopefully the trap will fill up with hogs before the trip wire is triggered.  You can bet the first victims will be featured right here.  It won't take long.  

     Some really nice bucks have been taken in the area in the last few weeks and these are but a few of them.  Father and son John and David Thibadeau took these two fine bucks in extreme south Dallas County in the Portland area.  

John Thibadeau - 10 pt.

David Thibadeau - 8 pt.

     Once again Kirk Talbot has sent me a photo of a nice buck that he took on December 25th.  

Taken by Kirk Talbot in late Dec. 2002

     Kirk contacted me Monday afternoon and told me to go by Wayne's Deer Processing in Camden and look at a buck that had just been killed reportedly in the Gastonburg area of Wilcox County.  This buck was green scored by taxidermist Morris Lipham, an official B&C measurer, on Monday.  The buck's green score is 168 5/8.  He's just an eight point.  He was taken by a hunter from Pensacola.  Incredible.  How about those brow tines?  His main beams are 27 inches.  The back tines are just over 13 inches each.  

168 5/8 gross B&C, green score
8 point

  
     The Wilcox Academy Benefit Deer Hunt is coming up this weekend.  There will be a 120 or so hunters in Camden to take part in this hunt.  I'll let you know how they do in next week's update.  I'm looking forward to seeing the hunters that I have been guiding for the last several years, Jim Smith and Ron Kirby, that drive all the way from College Station, Texas each year to participate in the hunt.  

1/4/2003 - 8:40 AM

1/3/2003 - 12:09 PM

     The game camera got some antlers on film this week!  Nothing big, but much better than all those does it got last week.  It was positioned on a scrape line.  I've moved it to another scrape line for this week.  Maybe a better buck is working there.

     Thanks to all who contributed this week.  Keep those buck photos coming.  If you can't email it to me you are welcome to use snail mail (William Malone, 14 Woodland Dr., Camden AL 36726).  I'll scan the picture and mail it back to you.  The rut is upon us and the hunting is going to be good from now to the end of the season.  See you here next week.       

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December 26, 2002

     I spent the day in the woods today.  During the morning I stirred about doing some deer scouting and squirrel hunting.  I killed only one squirrel.  They just weren't moving.  I didn't see but a few deer.  
     This afternoon I bowhunted.  I did not see a single deer from my perch overlooking a good trail that connects two thickets.  I did see a most interesting chase.  I big bobcat was working along the edge of the pine thicket.  About 30 yards in front of me he stopped and sat back on his haunches for a few minutes.  Suddenly a squirrel ran up a sweet gum tree and the big cat took off up the tree after the squirrel.  The tree was about 50 feet tall.  At a height of about 30 feet the squirrel passed through a tangle of limbs and vines.  When the cat reached that point he could not get through that tangle and he then backed down the tree.  I wished I had a video camera with me!
     The last roll of film from the Swamp Sleuth was developed.  After three weeks I had picture after picture of does and turkeys but no antlers.  Dang.  I moved it to a scrape line that appears to be getting some action and maybe real soon we'll begin to get some buck photos.  

     The hogs are on the move.  I saw a group of five today and there's lots more sign in the Swamp right now than in prior weeks.  That trend should continue as the winter wears on.  

Surveying hog rooting in the Swamp

     We're taking a week off from our weekly posts.  Our next update will be on January 7th.  If you have a photo to share, please email it to us.  We would love to share it with the site's readers.  Happy New Year and good luck in the woods.  

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December 25, 2002

     Christmas Eve morning brought strong storms through our area that included plenty of lightning and heavy rain.  Rainfall totals were between 3.5 and 4 inches, depending on whose gauge you use.  The ground has been soaked for some time now and the ponds and low areas of the Swamp are as full as they have been at this point in the winter in quite a few years.  I'm seeing a few scattered wood ducks as well.  We just might even have a shoot before the season is gone.  We haven't had reason for that in about 5 years now.  
     I have not done much deer hunting the last few weekends but have gotten out stirring in the outdoors a few times.  Last Saturday afternoon I enjoyed a dove shoot in Beatrice, Alabama courtesy of Jess Martin.  I killed 10.  Michael Stacey of Monroeville (now Fairhope) showed me these two nice bucks taken by him and his father earlier that day.  

Michael Stacey

     I rescued the Swamp Sleuth game camera from some low area of ground yesterday.  The river is rising and will back into portions of the Swamp, cresting most likely on the 26th.  It was almost knee deep all around the camera but thankfully the camera remained dry.  The film is being developed right now.  After three weeks in the woods and three different locations for this roll of film, I'm really interested in seeing what develops.  I had promised to have those by now but it just didn't happen.  
     Hope you are having a Merry Christmas.  I'll post the Swamp Sleuth pictures on Thursday night right here.        

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December 17, 2002

     My friend Forrest Johnson, 33 years old, that I have mentioned here the last few weeks passed away last Tuesday (Dec. 10).  Please continue to remember the Johnson family in your prayers.  Forrest was an avid outdoorsman and I'll tell you more about him real soon.  
     Last Saturday afternoon I did something that most big game hunters would consider a bit crazy.  I went squirrel hunting!  Had a nice time too.  I took out my Remington Speedmaster and loaded it up with "shorts."  It holds 22 so there's no need to reload very often.  I hunted a stretch of the riverbank that is not good deer hunting and therefore I was not "messing up" a good deer hunting location.  Sometimes the squirrels are stirring and sometimes they are not.  This particular afternoon they were.  I must have seen 30 within two hours.  I bagged eight.  I had so much fun I returned for a few hours on Sunday afternoon.  It was another beautiful afternoon but the squirrels were laying low.  I saw only 3 and did not fire a single shot.  

Mark Coffman
     

     My old college buddy from Dothan, Alabama, Mark Coffman, took this doe two weekends ago while hunting with me in the Swamp.  This doe was looking for acorns in the hardwoods.  Those acorns are pretty much gone at this point.  The crop was a bit less than I had earlier thought. 
     These warm days this week are not the best for deer hunting as temps have edged to the low 70's, however, our food plots could use this warmth.  They have been heavily grazed and do not grow much in the cold weather that we have been enjoying.  This should give them a bit of needed growth before the next cold wave hits this weekend.  
     The Swamp Sleuth game cam has gone two weeks in the woods without taking a full roll of film.  I guess I have not gotten it in a heavy traffic area.  I have moved it again and will pull the film this weekend regardless of the number of pictures taken.  I'll have something to show you next week for sure.  I've had it monitoring trails which can be slow.  My best results have always been on scrapes but there are no hot scrapes in the woods that I know of as of last weekend.
    David Thibadeau emailed me a picture recently of a big 10 point that his father killed in the Portland area of south Dallas County on December 6th.  I had planned to show everyone that picture this week.  But apparently that photo has taken on the qualities of a big mature buck itself and has eluded me.  I thought I saved it but now I can't find it.  David, will you please email me that picture again so I can post it next week? 

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December 10, 2002

     The weather continues to be nice for deer hunting and any other kind of hunting you might be doing this time of year---duck, squirrel, or hog.  We had a really hard freeze on Saturday morning here.  It looked as if a light snow had fallen.  Even the young pine trees were covered with a white coating.  
      I'm seeing no signs of an early rut like we saw last season at this time.  There are a few scrapes around but nothing that appears serious yet.  Hog sign is picking up but I did not see any hogs this past weekend.  My old college buddy Mark "Slim" Coffman took a doe by bow on Sunday morning but otherwise all was quiet in the Swamp.      I'm beginning to get some nice pictures in via email from friends and regular readers.  There is no doubt that the good weather conditions are putting some quality bucks on the move and in front of hunters.  

Julie Talbot

     Julie Talbot took this "cull buck" in Wilcox County this season.  It was her first buck.  Julie's husband Kirk and his family have hunted in Wilcox County for many years.    

Jason Grubbs

     This picture was traveling the email circuit through the south and was forwarded to me.  I recognized the successful hunter as one of my fraternity brothers at Auburn.  Jason lives in Montgomery and took this buck in south Montgomery County.  The rack's largest base measurement is about 6.5 inches.  He has a 22 inch outside spread and an 18.5 inch inside spread.  The unofficial B&C green score is 169.5.  According to the Buckmasters BTR scoring system, he is the 15th largest buck killed in Alabama in their records.  He tipped the scales at an impressive 245 pounds!  

     Another view of the rack shows its impressive mass.  Congrats to both Julie and Jason.  We have some more in the pipeline for next week and we'll look for you here.  Thanks for stopping by.    

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December 3, 2002

     Perfect weather greeted deer hunters during Thanksgiving weekend and I imagine many had great success.  I have heard of quite a few big racked bucks taken from this area and the season is still quite young.
     I have been hunting down in the hardwoods of our property, finding deer feeding on acorns there.  The acorns are not in the abundance that they were last winter, but still enough to draw in the deer and provide some forage.  I have passed up two pretty good bucks, holding out for their grandfather I guess.  Both of these bucks would score 90 to 105 on the B&C scale.  I moved the Swamp Sleuth to the area and got the smaller of the two bucks on film.  You will see that picture below.    

     The largest tree you see in the immediate background is one of the trees that I climb when hunting this area.  Late Sunday afternoon this deer fed even closer to that tree (with me sitting there) than he is now.  He's an 8 point with a spread of about 14" to 15".  He has good back tines but short front tines.  His rack has decent mass but is not what I would mount, therefore, I have held my fire.  The other good buck has longer tines but less mass and is truly a good young buck as well.
     Not everyone these days is zeroed in on the deer.  I stopped by Loftin's Bait Shop in Camden after work on Monday.  Craig Gamble, of Camden, stopped by to weigh a bass that he had just caught in a local farm pond.  The bass weighed 12.3 pounds!  He caught him on purple culprit worm.  

Craig Gamble

     I saw one group of hogs in a green field after dark on Saturday evening.  I have also seen a lone boar working the hardwoods where I have been hunting.  As the food in the woods becomes less as winter drags on, they will move more and more.  
      My friend Forrest Johnson that I have mentioned for the past few weeks continues to be very sick.  We've built a website to give updates on his condition.  You can follow that link to the site.  
     Until next week, thanks for stopping by.

---------William Malone, Jr.

 

November 26, 2002

     Last Saturday and Sunday brought about as good of weather for opening weekend of gun deer season here as one could ask for.  The highs were in the upper 50's and lows in the 30's under sunny skies.  The one lone drawback was the large moon that hung overhead, yet that just means that mid-day hunting is even more important than usual.  
     On Saturday I was in Tuscaloosa attending the Auburn-Alabama football game (WAR EAGLE!) and did not hunt.  I got out for a while on Sunday afternoon.  Of course I am still bowhunting and will be for most of the season.  I had several does feed under me on Sunday evening and I watched a few small bucks feeding nearby, but did not fire any shots.  
     The Swamp Sleuth has been positioned over some intersecting trails in the edge of a thicket.  I've been hoping to get some photos of a good buck moving from the thicket into the hardwoods.  I know there is one there, surely several, but so far no luck.  I have found a developing scrape line that I will move the camera to this weekend.  There should be some results on film very soon.
     My friend Forrest continues to be in very critical condition.  There is no doubt that the many prayers being lifted up for him have kept him here thus far.  Your continued prayers are very much appreciated.  A website has been created where more news on Forrest's condition is being posted.  Remember too the families of the three victims of the terrible hunting lodge fire this past weekend at Bullpen Hunting Club---Edward Green, Edward Green, Jr., and William Radcliff, all of Mobile.  I hope your Thanksgiving is a good one.  See you next week.  

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November 19, 2002

     Let me begin by saying thank you for the emails and prayers concerning my friend Forrest Johnson.  Forrest remains in ICU.  His lungs remain very sick and so far his doctors have not been able to pinpoint what is fueling the lung problem.  Please continue to pray for Forrest and his family.  

Harvey Crawford

     Harvey Crawford sent this picture to me of this nice bow kill buck.  Harvey grew up right here in Camden and now attends Troy State University.  But most weekends you will find Harvey on his family's property in the Coy area of Wilcox County.  Congrats on a fine bow kill, Harvey.

     I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the woods this past weekend.  I arrived early on Saturday and enjoyed the cool air for a change.  I killed a doe Saturday morning, my fifth of the season.  I did not hunt Saturday afternoon, choosing instead to watch the Auburn-Georgia football game.  
     Sunday I decided to hold my fire and not shoot the first doe that walked past as I so often do.  The day dawned cold and clear.  From my perch overlooking the stretch of hardwoods I saw five bucks and eight does before 9AM.  Before climbing into my stand I cut several limbs from a mock orange tree.  Quite a few of the deer that passed by stopped to feed on the leaves from those limbs, including a 7 and an 8 point.
      I first saw the 8 point in an opening over my left shoulder.  He was just 25 yards away.  At my first glimpse of him I was quite certain that I would shoot him.  He passed right under my stand and to the mock orange limbs 5 yards away from my tree.  For the next 10 minutes he fed there as I studied his rack.
      His spread was about 15 to 15½ inches.  He had good brow tines 3 inches long and other tines from 5 to 6 inches.  He had one nub of the beginnings of a 9th point on his main beam.  This buck would score right at 100 or just a little over.  He lacked mass, particularly at the base of each antler, which told me that though he would be a nice bow kill he still had room to grow into something real special.  
     He was not a big bodied deer and his rack loomed large in relation to his 135 pound body.  I knew that a gun hunter could likely mistake him for something better and he might take a bullet during the coming two and a half month gun season.
     The buck began to move away, stopping at 10 steps to give me that perfect quartering away shot that bowhunters crave.  I drew my bow and aimed right behind his shoulder.  For 10 seconds I held the sight pin in place over his lungs.  I then released the tension on the bow and the buck eventually disappeared into the timber, never aware of his brush with death.  My hope for him is that he will avoid an early death and eat plenty between now and next season.  Maybe then I'll see him again.  And maybe then he'll just be a Pope & Young buck!      

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November 12, 2002

     Once a year during bowseason I gather a group of friends together for a weekend of catching up and bow hunting.  It was once a standing agreement that the gathering would be the first weekend of the season.  Several years ago we moved the hunt to early November, hopefully to coincide with cooler weather.  Sometimes it works, other times it does not.  
      Nevertheless, the hunt was held this past weekend.  A couple of the regulars had conflicts that prevented them from attending but the rest of us had a fine time anyway.  Todd Murphy, who I have hunted and fished with for as long as I can remember, now lives in Louisiana.  I haven't seen him since the hunt last November.  Will Reaves, another of my hunting friends from high school who now lives in Auburn, also made the hunt.  A couple of my college buddies did not make the trip this year and were sorely missed.  

Todd Murphy and a doe from the Swamp
   

     Friday night was cool and the day began Saturday in similar fashion.  By afternoon the temperature had warmed into the 70's and by Sunday it reached 83.  That's pretty hot for deer hunting.  Nevertheless, we took a total of four does.  Will passed on a nice 9 point that he said just wasn't quite a shooter yet.  I passed on a good 8 point (16" spread and nice tines) that just looked like he needed another year to be something real special.  We hunted the acorns and that's where we found deer.  The only hog spotted the entire weekend was seen by me late Sunday evening, a boar that I would guess weighted 150 to 200 pounds.  He didn't get quite close enough for a shot.  
     I saw a few scrapes in the woods this weekend.  This is early for such, but we saw scrapes this time last year and eventually witnessed what appeared to be an early rut.  I wonder if we are going to repeat that scenario?  
     We entertained a few guests at the cabin on Saturday night with a fine meal of boiled shrimp and crabs, brought fresh from Louisiana by Todd.  On Friday night we had an interesting visitor at the camp.  Kevin Matthews joined Will and I for supper (hobo dinners cooked on the grill)  and just as we were finishing up, along comes a doe.  She was feeding on acorns there in the outer reaches of our lantern light.  She fed to within 15 steps of us as we stood in amazement.  I was able to walk over to my truck and retrieve my camera for the photo that you see below.   She fed along for quite sometime, paying us absolutely no attention.  It is amazing how calm the deer are at night.  This is not the first time such as happened to us.  

The deer is in the center of this photo.  Its eyes are shining in the light.  

 

     This next weekend's forecast is again calling for rain at this point, but also for cooler temperatures.  It looks promising.  I'm looking forward to it.

     I have a very special request for the hundred or so visitors that stop by here each week.  My good friend Forrest Johnson is real sick and he needs your prayers.  Forrest was hit head on by another vehicle last May, just days before our annual catfish tournament.  He spent weeks in the hospital in the early summer.  Both of his ankles were crushed.  One healed but the other has not.  He has been fighting an infection in that foot since the wreck.  Last week he was hospitalized after having difficulty breathing.  It is believed that he is suffering from Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).  He is in intensive care at UAB Hospital in Birmingham.  This is a very serious condition.
     Forrest was a year ahead of me in high school.  I've known him, his parents and sister, forever.  We've fished together and hunted together so many times.  We attended the same college, are in the same Sunday school class, and regularly dine together----his family and mine.  He's one heck of a guy.  His second daughter will be born within the next couple of weeks.  I have been told that his doctors have given him a 50/50 chance of pulling through this.  
     Pray for Forrest.  Pray for his family.  Pray for his doctors.  Please.    

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November 5, 2002

     Though it rained for the third Sunday in a row, this past weekend saw some pretty good weather for deer hunting.  Temperatures were cool and the deer were on the move.
     Many months ago I had planned to follow my Auburn Tigers to Oxford, Mississippi.   We had a good trip but I hated that I missed time in the deer woods on such a good weekend.  We did get back home in time Sunday to get in the woods for an afternoon hunt.  The rain quit for several hours and my friend John Barrett Travis and I saw quite a few deer on the move.  John Barrett downed a doe and I had two does with spotted fawns pass right under me.  I did not shoot.  We saw several small bucks but nothing of any size.    

John Barrett Travis
A doe from the "Vaughn Line Hardwoods"

     On our way in and out of the Swamp we saw a lot of deer.  The food plots are looking good and we saw quite a few deer already feeding in them.  
     I'll be spending two full days in the Swamp this weekend along with two nights at the little cabin there.  I've told you many times before that November is my favorite month to bowhunt and I'm really looking forward to this weekend and the next several weekends as well.  
     Thanks for stopping by.  Should have lots of pictures for you next week!

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October 29, 2002

     Thankfully it did not rain the entire weekend.  No, the rain actually let up here Sunday morning for about an hour.  It gave me time to get deep in the woods and climb a tree.  Then once again it began to fall.  I hunted another hour and a half in the rain, having a doe slip right up behind me and then right under me before I saw her.  Once I did see her, it was too late to get a shot.  She tipped away unscathed.  
     Other than that brief period Sunday morning, rain fell here continuously beginning before day on Saturday and finally ending late Sunday evening.  A total of 4" fell in my gauge.  It certainly was not a pleasant weekend for bowhunting.  
     I've invested in some good quality waterproof camo in recent years.  It certainly makes weathering the rainstorms a bit more tolerable.  I don't mind a brief shower, but I don't care for bowhunting when the rain is expected to last for hours and hours.  So often I'll need a bloodtrail to locate my kill and if the rain is falling a bloodtrail is not to be found.  Yet if you time it correctly and get in the woods when the rain does quit, the deer will often move about quite a bit at that time.
     My cousin Josh Smith from Bainbridge, GA, was here this weekend along with friends Greg, Clay, and Clay.  Josh was able to get a doe late Saturday afternoon, the first to be taken from the Horn Swamp this season.  
     We're now approaching November, my favorite month to hunt.  November is typically the month in which we finally begin to have some cooler weather.  Acorns begin to drop more readily from the trees and deer become a bit easier to pattern.  The sounds from gun season are not yet in the air and the deer remain calm through most of the month.  It's an excellent time to see a mature buck.  It appears the first weekend of November will bring excellent weather conditions.  This will be a good weekend to be in the woods.
     Last Wednesday in the misting rain I finally got our food plots planted.  I believe this is the latest we've ever planted, but there should be plenty of moderate weather in the near future to get them up and growing.  Everyone that I have talked with in the area has struggled this fall to get in their plots between the frequent rains.  October is normally the driest month of the year but I believe this year it will be the wettest.  I was fortunate to get our seed in the ground before this latest 3 inches of water fell.    

 

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October 22, 2002

     Was Saturday not a beautiful autumn day?  I thought so.  It was my first day of hunting.  The day dawned cool and crisp and found me strategically positioned between several good white oak trees.  It is still a bit early for those big nuts to be falling much on their own, but squirrels and weekly storms are blowing a few out of the trees and the deer are coming by to check their progress on a regular basis.  I saw the first deer about 8 AM and by 9AM I had arrowed two does, both which fell a short distance away.  The afternoon hunt was not as successful.  But I did see a lot of mosquitoes!   
     I hunted a different group of white oaks on Sunday morning.  I saw only 2 deer but was able to get one doe and still make it back to church.  Rain fell in the afternoon and I did not see a deer, only more mosquitoes.  
     Needless to say I was pretty pleased with the results of my first weekend in the deer woods.  Deer movement went according to my expectations.  The deer moved during the cool mornings and were pretty scarce in the warm afternoons.  The deer were scrapping up what acorns there were on the ground.  The nuts will be falling better as November arrives and progresses.  
     Deer are pretty naive this time of year.  They can whiff the scent of a human but don't get as concerned as they will later in the year, especially after the guns begin sounding.  Keeping one's scent to a minimum is a big task in the warmth of October.  I wash my clothes in unscented detergent and try to stay clear of any strong smells that could absorb into the clothing.  I don't wear my camo when back at the camp and cooking lunch.  I don't put on any more bug repellent than is necessary.  But it isn't easy to keep the scent down when you are sweating in the woods.  If you wear light clothing the mosquitoes will bite through.  You'll sweat less but need more bug repellent.  If you wear thicker clothing the mosquitoes will be more tolerable but you'll sweat so much more and more sweat is more odor.  Once consistently cooler weather arrives many of these issues will be resolved. 
      Hopefully we'll get our food plots planted on Wednesday.  It has been quite a chore to get them in the ground this year.  Barring any major tractor breakdowns, we should have them in the ground by nightfall tomorrow.  
      I can't wait to get back in the deer woods.  I'm hoping for decent weather this weekend.  Of course, we'll have a report here next week.  Plus, I'll try to have a few pictures from the weekend as well.         

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October 15, 2002

     Do you see him?  Look hard at the picture above.  See him now?  Come on.  Look hard.  You have to sharpen up your eyes.  How about a closer look...

     This fat boy was 4½ feet long.  I covered 4 miles on foot Saturday, scouting for the perfect location for opening day.  I came upon Mr. No Shoulders near the end of my trek.  Thankfully I saw his movement ---as he coiled into strike position --- before he had the chance to test my snake-proof boots.
     As you can somewhat tell from the photo, the snake was in an open hardwood bottom.  Several squirrels were running around the ground near him and I suspect that a squirrel is just what he had on his menu.    

     Somebody just does not want us to plant food plots this year.  We've been through numerous equipment breakdowns and finally had a planting date set for this past Saturday.  Friday morning 2½ inches of rain fell and ended those plans.  We rescheduled for Thursday the 17th but a rain moving through today will likely be just enough to keep the fields too wet.  Whether or not our plots get planted at all will depend on the amount of rainfall we get in the next month.    

     I've received lots of emails recently regarding the Swamp Sleuth camera.  We had a lot of luck with it two years ago, then last year it never captured much other than varmits and does.  And then it quit working.  I've replaced it and look forward to getting some new pictures in.  Look for them here starting in mid-November through February.  I have a particular buck in mind to target with the camera that lives in a big briar thicket and works some trails leading into some older pines.  I've never seen anything but his rubs, scrapes, and tracks but feel that he's a good one.    

     I'm doe hunting on a new piece of ground this weekend, taking a brief vacation from the Swamp.  This cool weather should have the deer stirring.  The forecast call for great weather this weekend.   I'm looking forward to it.  Good luck to you.  We'll have a report here next week from the first weekend in the woods.    

October 8, 2002

     We're just one week away from bowseason and the air outside this morning finally is a bit cooler (low 60's).  So far it has been quite a warm late summer and early fall.  The mercury just doesn’t want to leave that 90 degree mark.  I don’t much care for deer hunting in extreme heat and I consider anything over 80 degrees “extreme.”  So just what is normal weather for early October?  According to The Weather Channel, the average high for our area the first week in October is 79 degrees with a low of 53.  By October 20^th the average high drops to 75 and the low to 48.  Currently we have been experiencing highs from 85 to 90 and lows from 70 to 75.  I’m hoping for some pleasant weather by the first weekend of the season.  Even with this cool snap we're experiencing above average temps. 
     Hurricane Lili brought us just a couple of drops of rain.  We're going to get our plots planted this weekend, at the last minute! 
     A few weeks ago I suggested that everyone have a good flashlight by the time deer season rolled around.  My friend and regular reader Kirk Talbot offered another option for a top quality light.  You can find them at surefire.com and they appear to be comparable to the Streamlights that I mentioned.  I appreciate Kirk passing this along.  If anyone else has a comment about a product that is working well please let me know and we’ll mention it here.
     In the early season when the weather is warm, I seem to have better luck from early in the morning until mid-afternoon.  My late afternoon hunting has been the least productive.  We will also have a full moon hanging overhead for opening weekend, which tends to bring more deer movement during the middle of the day.  So what am I going to do?  I’m going to be there at daylight, you can bet!  And I’m going to hunt most of the day.  I may or may not hunt the same tree all day.  Sometimes it is nice to get down, stretch one’s legs, and move to a different location for a change of scenery.  But you can't kill him/her if you aren't hunting so I'll spend all the time I can in the tree.  
     If you are like me you have been shooting your bow quite a bit now as the season approaches.  Have you been through a "dress rehearsal" yet?  It sounds crazy but it isn't.  Make sure to put on the clothes that you will hunt out of, including facemask and gloves, and fire a few rounds.  It wouldn't hurt as well to shoot some from an elevated stand and to also test the arrow flight of your broadheads.  You may not get but one chance at that big buck and one little miscue can result in failure.  
      
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October 1, 2002

     Six inches of rain fell in the Swamp in the past week, most of which came with TS Isidore.  We did not get any bad weather, only a few days of light to moderate rainfall.  
     The storms have been knocking down acorns and I have already seen some locations where the deer traffic is heavy in pursuit of the fall mast.  
     We had plans to plant the food plots this coming weekend but the ground was too wet to disc this past weekend and we'll need more time to prepare.  We put the planting off a week and will try to get it done right just in time for bowseason.
     There's lots of talk these days about the West Nile disease.  Transmitted by mosquitoes it seems to have the worst effects on the young, the old, or the sickly.  I don't fall into either of those categories but I will be taking extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites this season.  It might be something you should be thinking about as well.
     Squirrel season opens in Alabama today!  Try to get out and take a youngster to the woods.  Some of my first hunting was shooting squirrels with a 4-10 with my father shaking vines.  It's a great way to introduce a youngster to the hunting scene and usually there is enough action to keep them interested.  
     We'll have more next week.  Thanks for stopping by.  

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September 24, 2002

     We spent the weekend preparing the food plots for planting.  We broke them up several weeks back in order to let the grass begin to rot well before planting time.  We ran a chisel plow through them this weekend, which we have not done in several years, then went back over them with the plow.  We'll put the seed in within the next two weeks.  In our Swamp it is important to plow the plots early and often in order to get all the grass and roots out.  Otherwise the hogs will come through and root up the whole plot, usually after the seed has been planted and begins to grow.  They aren't after the wheat and oats but the roots from the grasses that have grown there all summer. They can make one heck of a mess of a food plot.
     Bowseason is fast approaching.  After we finish the planting, I should have one or two good weekends left to get the cabin cleaned up and some final bushhogging done before it comes time to kick back in a tree.  
     And before I finally climb that tree I'll need to get all my bowhunting gear together.  Us bowhunters have quite a bit of it too.  There's the bow, arrows, release, compact saw, treestand, flashlight, and etc.  I've had the opportunity to hunt with a lot of folks over the years and the one item that I see most often left out of the essential equipment is the flashlight.  A guy will have spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars (when you consider his 4x4 truck and ATV) but will not carry a simple flashlight.  
     For a bowhunter the likelihood of having to track a deer is high.  I usually carry a few spare flashlights in my truck so that the hunter that I am hunting with, who most likely didn't bring a flashlight, can help look for the deer along with me.  Let me tell you about a real handy little light that I was given as a gift last year.  
     This light is called the "Stinger" and is made by Streamlight.  It is a compact, rechargeable flashlight that has 15,000 candlepower.  It comes with 2 chargers, one for your vehicle and one for home.   It is the brightest, most compact flashlight that I've ever used.  Streamlight says it can be recharged up to 1,000 times and replacement batteries are available.  The light is quite pricey at $90 but well worth the money if you are fond a really good flashlight.  It has one drawback in that it's battery will only last one hour.  For that reason I make sure to have my back up Mini-Mag light to get me back to the truck in case of a long tracking job.  (Streamlight has come out with a new Stinger HP light that boasts 40,000 candlepower!)
     I'll confess that I'm a flashlight junkie.  My truck is full of them.  The rechargeable Streamlight stays charged in my truck and I put it in my fanny pack when I take to the woods.  A Mini-Mag light is also kept in my fanny pack.  In my truck I have two Mag Lights (3 D cell version @ $20 each) with extra batteries.  Those are used for the longer tracking jobs or to share with a fellow hunter that failed to bring a light.  
     Regardless of the light that you choose, just make sure you have at least one reliable one when the season opens.  A light is essential for not only after hours tracking but safety purposes as well.  
     We got a good rain across Wilcox County on Sunday and the forecast is for more during this week.  This is great news for the food plots that have already been planted or are soon to be planted.        

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September 17, 2002

     Tropical Storm Hanna got our hopes up for some needed rain and then left us disappointed.  Some areas of the county received 1 to 2 inches of rain but in the Swamp only a quarter of an inch fell. 
      I spent the weekend limbing roads.  It is a constant chore to keep the roads through the woods passable.  Last year we bought a handy tool that speeds up progress quite a bit.  I call it a “chainsaw on a stick.”  It is made by Stihl and is basically a heavy duty weed eater with a straight shaft and a chainsaw bar on the cutting end.  They make an extendable model that will really get up high, but the six foot shaft on ours is all that is needed for road maintenance.  During the day Saturday I somehow managed to stir up a stump hole full of yellow jackets and get away without a single bite!  Once I saw them boiling out of the hole I ran as fast as I could which actually isn’t very fast.  I guess it is better to be lucky than good!
       Last week I promised to tell you about my new arrow rest.  It is really working well for me.  No, it isn’t a brand new or never before seen contraption.  If you have been around bowhunting the last few years you have heard about the Whisker Biscuit (WB) arrow rest.  Maybe you already hunt with one and know all that I am about to tell you.  But maybe you are looking for a change in arrow rests and need some valuable information.
       For many years I have hunted with the two prong style rest.  Tuning the arrows to get proper fletching clearance was always a chore.  Three years ago I first saw the WB on a friend of a friend’s bow.  The guy swore by it.  He loved it.  I was skeptical.  But this summer I started looking into making the move to the WB.  I talked to a number of hunters that have used the WB rest and nearly everyone gave it good reviews.  I bought the latest model, the Deluxe, and had it installed on the bow in minutes.  With just a bit of simple tuning I had eliminated my fletching clearance problems and my arrows were flying true.  I’m consistently grouping arrows out to 35 and 40 yards, better than what I was doing before.

 
      
     The WB is a strange concept.  I load it the opposite direction as the arrow will go when shot.  The fletchings pass right through the rest’s bristles.  The arrow will never fall off the rest, which is perfect for stalking.  Furthermore, it is quiet and that is essential.  I read that the rest was patented by a couple of engineers that had lost their jobs in the fiber optics industry and formed Carolina Archery Products.  
     I was given one bit of good advice from other users of the WB.  They tell me, and I complied, to put a drop of fletching cement on the front end of each fletching to prevent fletching damage that can be done by the WB.  I've had no problems.  
     If you are looking for a good rest I suggest you look to the WB.  You can find the Deluxe model for sale on the internet or your favorite bricks and mortar retailer for about $45.00.  

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September 12, 2002

     I made the comment last week that we had been blessed with frequent rains all summer.  We were.  I had a hard time keeping the grass in my yard in top shape.  It never slowed down growing.  But we never did get a lot of rain at any one time that ran off into the ditches, ponds, and creeks.  What did fall soaked right into the ground and into the vegetation.  And for the last several weeks the rains have stopped while the mercury in my thermometer has moved closer to 100 than it has been all summer.  I did a little scouting in the Swamp last weekend and found the numerous shallow ponds all dry.  And they have not just dried up in the last few weeks, they have been dry for some time.  We need some rain.  And Lord, while you’re at it, how about a cool front too?!

      We plant food plots by the rainfall, not particularly the calendar.  The last thing I want to do is plant in the middle of September and go several weeks without a rain.  The seed can swell and die if you don’t get a good rain or don’t plant in good moisture.  We’ve got our plots broken up but we’re going to wait until the last weekend in September or the first in October and plant depending on the moisture at that time.  Let’s hope some rain falls in the meantime and we don’t fall into a extremely dry fall pattern.

     And while out stirring about in the Swamp this weekend I got a good look at the many trees that are loaded with acorns.  And believe me, there is a bumper crop on the limbs.  It could be another winter of deer in the hardwoods and not in the green patches.  

     Next week I’m going to venture out and do a product review featuring my new bow rest.  Hopefully, this will be of some interest to all of you bowhunters.  I'm not the type that buys all the latest gadgets, but I do have some that I have found to be very good and very useful.  I’ll bring some of those to you in the coming weeks. 

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September 4, 2002

     Welcome back!  We're resuming the updates here on the Horn Swamp Online in anticipation of another hunting season in the South.  
     I don't know about you but I'm getting excited about it.  Earlier this summer our local cable provider finally brought the Outdoor Channel to little old Camden, Alabama.  Now I never cut on the TV without checking that channel first.  I've been getting my daily dose of hunting shows and I'm ready to get out and actually do some hunting instead of being a mere spectator.   
     Indeed the summer has flown by.  I got started early on a few projects in June.  I built two new shooting houses that should serve us for many years to come.  I've also put new roofs and floors in a couple of others that were in poor condition.  We're beginning now to get ground broken for the food plots.  We never bushhog in August as there are so many young fawns in that high grass during this period that the potential is great that some will be run over.  We learned the hard way about that.  
     I'm interested to see how the upcoming deer season will play out.  Last season we saw an early rut and more buck sign in the woods than I have seen in a long time.  There were a lot of acorns in the woods and the deer did not feed much in the green fields.  I've seen another big acorn crop maturing on the limbs right now.  I wonder if we'll see similar rutting again this fall.  Time will certainly tell.
     Though we haven't had an abundance of rainfall, the rain has been adequate to keep everything growing.  After the extremely dry summer of 2000 one can really appreciate the lightest little sprinkle from the sky.  In 2000 we went several months without a drop of rain and that really stressed the wildlife.  This and last summer have been so much better, though I believe we are still below the average in rainfall.  
    Though I do very little of it, dove season begins here on September 7th.  The state conservation department is once again sponsoring two youth dove shoots in our county and in many other counties across the state.  Our local NWTF chapter is helping put on a meal before the local hunts on Sept. 7th and again on the 14th.  These hunts were started last year and were very successful.  Getting the young folks interested in hunting and conservation is the key to the wildlife's future.  
     I have my sights set on the opening day of bowseason, October 15th.  I've replaced my bow string, purchased a dozen arrows and a fancy new arrow rest, and have begun practicing.  You can't start too early to make sure you are on target when the season arrives.  I shoot a few arrows each morning before I go to work.  In a month and half I'll be ready to shoot at something more life like than my old target.  
     We'll have several updates in September and then resume the weekly reports here each Tuesday beginning the first of October.  I'll be out in the woods a good bit this month and I'll have a report here for you as the month unfolds and bowseason nears.  

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