BEWARE OF THE DANGER IN THE WOODS, AND SNOT NOSED AUBURN GRADUATES!!

BEWARE OF THE DANGER IN THE WOODS, AND SNOT NOSED AUBURN GRADUATES!!

In the realm of the woods and hunting adventures, we have a lurking enemy. I do not mean a lion in a cave, sizing up the guy in the orange hat. I do not mean a bear in a den, waiting on an unsuspecting hunter. I do not mean a PETA member, standing under a deer stand, waving a flag, ringing bells and chanting stupid chants.  What I am talking about is much more sinister and dangerous. It's a word, and a term called "Management." Under the term Management, we have been flimflammed. Several generations of hunters hoodwinked.

 In days past hunters themselves made decisions based on what they knew was good for the land, the game and themselves. It was not a blanket decision by people who know not the land I'm on, nor are connected to it. Management became greed by individuals who wanted to push their products and used the word to make a dollar. The term management has been used by Universities to draw in money for programs and "studies" yet these programs and studies lend themselves to lean heavily or at least explain the viewpoint of "Management" as defined by the "industry." Thus the money continues to flow and management funded by the very fox in the hen house.

I am sick of snot nosed Auburn Graduates telling me what is good and what is bad for my deer herd. Why? Number One, I have been on the land for 30 years and I don't have all those does you are telling me to shoot, never have. Secondly because they don't know anything about it in the first place, they turn to the instructor or adviser. The instructor is running a program and he needs funding. I am really not concerned with what the instructor thinks or his need for funding. We get a blanket "Management Strategy" that does not apply to me, never has, never will. And quite honestly he thinks I'm the idiot when I tell him that this makes no sense. The students need a passing grade so they go along with the git along. They are indoctrinated by the philosophy of the instructor who has been coddled and courted by the industry. Many of the "biologist" are not even hunters. They are....biologists. I never knew of Chronic Wasting Disease or Blue Tongue until the I heard the words "Management." Now we have these problems and they blame everyone but themselves. The industry wants to sell another product, so they create another bogus T.V. evangelist hunter. He says buy this product and be a great hunter like me. We like sheep to the slaughter feed on this, then run out and spend the money on a laughable gimmick. They fund another study and we get "Management." They get what they want, your money. Subsequently, they buy a house on the lake, join the lake association and tell you not to fish their dock. What a cycle. ALFA jumps in with funds and scholarships. They have the big awards, big ceremonies and thank everybody for coming and their hard work. (By the way you are not invited.)  All the important people rub elbows with  industry CEO's. Meanwhile the deer are in the woods choking on their Blue Tongue and CWD. Good job guys. Oh..Oh wait a minute. You say the deer are choking on Blue Tongue and CWD. What you need is "Management!"....and this special pill. It is the only one of its kind. It kills Blue Tongue and attracts "Shooter" bucks. Here's you a special deal on it, for a limited time, it's 40% off.

Dog Hunting Is Not The Problem, It Is The Solution

WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE A HAVEN FOR DEER BECAME "THE COON WOODS"

                                

Well I must admit I have never been a dog hunter. I am a stalk hunter. I like walking around and I hunt in that manner. I always put up stands, but I never hunt them, I like to walk. I have 8 children total. Since they were very young I have taken them to the woods. The one thing that has always bothered me is that they did not love hunting as much as me. Now admittedly I am a fanatic, so why aren’t they? Oh they like hunting, but….they are not fanatics. Actually it’s not just me and my situation. The number of hunters in Alabama is declining every year. Many people have placed the blame in many places. But I have seen something. Just hear me out. Through very unfortunate circumstances we acquired a coon dog. The unfortunate circumstance…. A good hunter was no longer welcome in his community. A man that from the time he was very young, coon hunted along Lost Creek in Walker County Alabama and its tributaries. Now in his sixties and with health problems, his days of coon hunting are over. Oh, his health problems can be dealt with but he is a soldier without a country. The places that welcomed him for so many years are now “Off limits! “No Trespassing!” “Keep Off!” Back in the better days his father would drop him off at a bridge a few miles down the creek from his house about dark. From there he would hunt his way back home and sometimes beyond. It had never been a problem. He roamed free and his father and mother were proud of him. As a matter of fact when the nights were warm and he got hot, he would walk into the yards of the homes along the way and draw water from their wells. Many times at 2 a.m. someone sitting on the porch would call out to him and ask how the hunt was going. Sometimes he would sit with them a while and just talk. But then the cries of his Redbone on the river bank would beckon and at that, he would refire his light and head out. He was always sent away with a kind word. But, those days have come to an end and he came to my house and asked my 12 year old son Luke, if he would like to have his coon dog. The only condition was that we would take the dog hunting and take care of him. It was an unfortunate circumstance but we were happy to do it. Luke had gone coon hunting with him on one occasion and had not stopped talking about it. That kid had been in my ear since that day. Now, finally he had a dog. Maybe he would shut up about it. But that didn’t happen. As a matter of fact in an effort to make a really long story short, he became a fanatic. Not just him though, all of my hunting age children. One night my wife, 8 month pregnant daughter, her husband, my kids and a host of neighborhood kids surrounded a tree with a huge coon up in the top. The Redbone was hard core on him. My kids were so proud. What a dog! They take care of him, feed him, clean up after him, pet him, water him, and in general….love him. And you know what…he loves them back. But right now the coon is coming down the tree. All the kids were yelling, “Shoot Luke! Shoot!” The pressure is on that boy. The dog is bawling and jumping on the tree. It can see the coon and begins to bite at the bark because he can’t take it. He is ready! I’m watching the whole thing counting heads, making sure no one runs under the coon or falls or….have you ever herded cats? Anyway this thing is coming to a head. Luke rails off a shot and the coon falls. He is tough customer though and comes up fighting. I can hear the kids yelling, “Get off my dog! Kill him! He’s gonna rip the dog to pieces!” But the Redbone was no rookie. He fought the coon into the dry creek bed where through the dust and the blood this old warrior coon fought his last. We surrounded the scene and cheers went up as high as those stars over our heads. Kids were hugging and hand shaking. We stood in the dry creek bed. Every kid had a smile. Every adult had a smile. No rush to leave. Everyone took turns petting and hugging the dog despite the bloody nose and cut to the top of his head. Superficial wounds but the kids knew he put himself in harms way for them. Each one admired the coon. There was a noted amount of respect and admiration for such a beautiful adversary. I guess you could say in the end, they loved the coon to. And that brings me to this. As I looked at the group, I saw real, genuine admiration for the hunt. I enjoyed it so, so much to be with them but where will they go? They too, are hunters without a country. Awe, they don’t know it yet and I aint going to tell them but with the assault on dog hunters relentless and unmitigated, where will they go? Will my son have his guts ripped out one day as he drives down the road to tell that little boy to please take care of Ol’ Buddy? Will coon hunting in our county be deemed “too much trouble?” Or will Ol’ Buddy take a bullet to the brain next year because he became lost that night the rain set in and "allegedly" messed up that man’s morning hunt? One thoughtless, heartless, selfish action can take that beautiful night of hunting we had away from so many….many times over. These hunts we go on right now are, in my opinion, the biggest key to hunting sustainability in Alabama for a lot of reasons. There are too many to list for this one post. All I know is if I don’t take my kids dog hunting, I can’t wonder why they are not fanatics. Are there more answers? Yep… a whole bunch of them, just ask the “experts.” But none of their answers include letting go of the strangle hold they have on my kids hunting dog. Will my son Luke be happier with a bigger deer….nope. Will he be happy with a good hunting dog…..yep. I’m not knocking deer hunting, I’m a fanatic. But I am knocking those people who want dog hunting to go away so the world will be a better place. The value of dog hunting cannot be measured and instead of pushing people out, we should place a priority on it. This is the part we have to get right! Regrettably, this is the part that is slipping through our fingers. Dog Hunting is not the problem, it is the solution! I tell you this and I have it here in writing….when dog hunting goes away in Alabama, in due course, so will all hunting in Alabama.

Thanks J.T. Russom!!

It was a good day. Opening day of dove season 2014. J.T. Russom puts a tremendous amount of work into this place so we can come hunt and have a good time. J.T. has always made sure we have a place to dove hunt. He works all summer for this hunt which lasts just one day. But it is that important to him and to us. It is the first day of hunting, the earliest season that comes in. We have all been waiting so long and we can't wait to knock the edge off and get the season started. I love to hear the shots and see the doves. I appreciate J.T. so much. We have a big meal. We get all our stuff into the field and sit in the shade till 12 noon when we can get to it. This is not a pay hunt or a corporate get together. This is just us having a great hunt together. Thanks J.T. - we sure have a good time.

Big Hog Down!

Ahhh.....A gun in the hands of the right man is a beautiful sight. My son Luke is sighting in for a hog hunt just outside of Gainsville Alabama. The Fuller family has invited us to their farm for a two day hunt and I don't know if it could be any more beautiful. We have had a great time. The kids have sighted in all the guns, played a little air soft, flipped the golf cart, and had at least one bee sting. I'd say we are off to a great start. The hogs are around, we can see the sign. I've heard at least one squeal.

Late in the afternoon I heard a bullet from far off flying through the air. Then I heard the Ka-Boom. From there it broke loose. Glen Brasher pictured here and Burt Fuller unloaded on a large group of big hogs. I could hear the squealing hogs and the high powered rifle shots. They loudly rolled through the pasture bottoms. It sounded like a war. In the end, this boar is the only one that went down. It's a big hog and we were all glad to see it. The kids were very curious. This is what we had been looking for. This is what all the talk was about. It was the last afternoon of the hunt but all the kids were begging for just one more day. I wish we could have been able to do it but thankfully and graciously we have been invited back. That is certainly a hunt, Lord willing, none of us will miss. Thank You! To the Fuller family and congratulations to Glen Brasher on a nice hog. 

A Foggy Night

This is our latest photo taken January of 2015. The kids have been excited all day. I have answered the question, "We still going coon hunting tonight," 85 times. The dog pens have been cleaned, gear is ready and all we needed was dark to set in. At that, we assembled at the gas station in Oakman, got a few snacks and drinks, then headed out to a coon hunt. Arrived at the property....I bought 42 acres to deer hunt....it has now turned into the coon hunters base camp. We have made agreements with the hunting club that surrounds our property, 2500 acres - to trade turkey rights on our 42 for coon rights on their 2500. Not a bad trade. I will admit they are happy with it because the 42 is a turkey paradise and in the spring it is amazing to see the turkeys out there. We on the other hand have unlimited access to the creeks and hollers surrounding our land. On this night we turned out 5 hounds. Jett, is a Black and Tan, and Buddy a Redbone. Both are coon killers and hard core coon dogs. Next is Hank. He is a huge, 8 month old Black and Tan that is showing all the potential in the world. He is going with Jett and Buddy and is improving every hunt. Last hunt he treed so hard that when I got to the tree, I thought it was Jett. Then there is Gunner, a Black and Tan. Storm, a Black and Tan and Masi Masi, an English Red Tick.  Gunner and Storm are newcomers but Masi Masi is a very good pup. She is also about 8 months old and has mixed it up with a few coons. She is running with the big dogs and holds her on in the fights. I'm proud she will fight so hard. The kids are proud of her to. This team of dogs is a perfect set up. We have the two that will put a coon in a tree, two that will assist and are learning every day and two that.....well they are just young and inexperienced but each drop of the tailgate is a plus for them. We collared up the dogs with the tracking systems. The night was very dark as thick clouds and fog, so thick it was almost rain, set in. We held the dogs and one began to bawl out in excitement. "Turn em loose!" And with that they ran for the edge of the woods. Almost immediately Jett let out a bawl, it was a coon! Buddy chimed in and the race was on. It got loud. The kids were excited and it sounded like the dogs could bark no harder. Masi Masi was yipping as hard as any dog on the trail. Hanks hoarse big bawl is unmistakable, he was in there. The race went on through the hills and hollers and finally we heard Jett tree...Buddy backed him up and big Hank was treeing to. It was aggressively beautiful. The bawls and barks of the dogs echoed out through the woods. I checked the tracking system and we started in. It was a straight line of hunters with lights on heading down the holler almost like miners descending into the mine. Arriving at the tree the kids knew what to do. They surrounded the tree and lit the limbs up with their lights. Then I heard one say, "I got him. He's on the big limb!" I looked up and saw a huge coon climbing to the top of the tree. We cleared the people from under the tree so the coon would not fall on any one and Luke took aim with his new 22 rifle. A few shots rang out and the coon started to falter. Falling from the tree, the coon hit the ground but came up ready to fight. We turned Hank out on him but the coon grabbed his ear and went to work. Seeing Hank in distress we sent Masi and the two killers in. The coon was no rookie. Though injured he took his toll on the dogs. So proud of Masi Masi for putting herself in harms way. All the dogs made us proud and the coon was a real champion himself. But in the end he had no chance. Although a heavy weight fighter, he went down We started catching dogs. Hank was bleeding from his nose and his ear. Jett and Buddy looked good and Masi Masi had a crazy look in her eye. It was over. Cheers from the hunters rang out. What a coon. There was a second coon in the tree just as big as this one but there was not talk of taking it to. It was free to go and everybody was in agreement with that. Walking out of the woods we went the same way we came in. Again, this time we looked like the miners climbing out of the mine. We had a large coon in our hands. Arriving at the truck we tied all the dogs back. It was all smiles and I heard something we should all hope to hear more. The greatest words...."Hey, can we go again tomorrow?" Ahh Haa!

Georgia 2014

Georgia 2014. We had a great hunt! Cedar Creek WMA.

You Don't Need Much to Make Memories

You don't need an 80 acre sunflower field come dove season to have a great time with the family. Any old field will do if you put just a little effort into it. Most hunting clubs have green fields. With a little top sown wheat you could have a nice place to shoot a few doves. You might even be able to work out a deal with them. Rather than try to lease a place it may be that if you till and plant their field, you can hunt it for a week or two. One year I knew the field I usually hunt would not be ready. Next to the house I had some goats in a 3/4 acre pen. I decided to top sow wheat so the goats could have some winter forage. On opening day of dove season, I limited out. Any little spot of ground that you can prepare with top sown wheat in a legal manner and have safe shooting is a dove hunt waiting to happen. Grab a few kids and invite as many people as the field can support. It just doesn't take a large area. What you will need is a cooler full of drinks, a picnic lunch and enough snacks to last you until dark. Be safe and go make some memories.