March - April 2019

1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MARCH - APRIL 2019
MARCH/APRIL 2019
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Advertising Information:
Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville
(731) 446-8052 stomag1@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors
Magazine LLC assume any responsibility or liability for any actions
by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers
are advised that the use of any and all information contained within
Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.
On the Cover
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine vows to put forth a publication to
promote the outdoors lifestyle in a positive manner. We will strive to encourage
veteran and novice outdoorsmen, women, kids, and the physically challenged
to participate in the outdoors in a safe and ethical manner. Our publication will
bring positive attention to the wondrous beauty of the world of Nature in the
mid-south.
Garry Mason
Walter Wilkerson
Terry Wilkerson
Steve McCadams
Kelley Powers
Shawn Todd
Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
Cody Rodriquez
John Sloan
Richard Simms
Dana Watford
Buck Gardner
Richard Hines
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
Will Gregory
John Roberts
Richard Hines
Rob Hurt
Mark Buehler
Richard A. Fagan
Neill McLaurin
Sam Bradshaw
Daryl Ratajczak
Jonathon Holden
Field Staff Editors
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith

Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson
Mike Robinson
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The boss gobbler came in to around fifteen yards and circled the decoy to confront it head on.
When he got to seven yards I released my arrow. Photo by Sam Bradshaw
PG..................... ARTICLE ............................................................AUTHOR
10 ......................... Boss Gobblers with a Bow ...............................................Sam Bradshaw
15 ......................... Corn: The Fuel of the Future ............................................Jonathon Holden
20 ......................... Advice from an Old Farmer................................................STO
22 ......................... Aquaponics Farming .........................................................Jonathon Holden
27 ......................... Davy Crocket Part Two AMERICAN HERO......................Richard A Fagan
38 ......................... My Best Crappie Fishing Day Ever? ................................Steve McCadams
44 ......................... Reelfoot Spring Slabs........................................................Cody Rodriquez
47 ......................... Traditions Tips...................................................................Richard A. Fagan
48.......................... Spring Squirrels ................................................................Richard Hines
51 ......................... Cooking on the Wild Side..................................................Rob Somerville
53 ......................... Trophy Room.....................................................................STO

From the Desk of Rob S omer v il le
Letter from the Editor
Spring is just around the cor-
ner and I would be willing to bet
that most of our readers are get-
ting their boats and tackle ready
for fishing, and their turkey hunt-
ing gear together to go after some
longbeards.
I am, by no means, what I would
consider an expert turkey hunter.
I have killed a couple dozen gob-
blers in my day, but I al-
ways eagerly listen when
the experts in this field are
talking “turkey”.
Today, I would like to
give you five of my most
memorable, and many
times overlooked by many,
turkey tips for success as
learned from the pros.
T U R K E Y T I P S T O
TAKE TOMS
1. Safety: You cannot
experience a successful
turkey hunt if you don’t
come home safely. Snake
boots can protect your
lower extremities from
venomous snake bites. A
good mosquito and tick
repellant can keep you
safe from pain and ag-
gravation, as well as from
Lyme disease. Let some-
one know where you will
Continued on page 6Pictured here is Rob Somerville with a nice gobbler.

be hunting and keep a compass and
cell phone with you at all times, in
case of emergency. Bring a hunter’s
orange vest to wear, when entering
or exiting the woods, so an overly
avid hunter doesn’t take an errant
shot at you.
2. Scout before you hunt: Find
an “out of the way” location, to set
up with binoculars, where you can
view a large area of field on your
turkey hunting ground. Take note
where the birds enter and exit the
field, as well as the path they gen-
erally take. Look for a likely spot
along the way {such as a point of
woods in a field} and set up there
to ambush your bird.
3. Do What Your Mom Always
Told You to Do When You Were
Little: Be quiet! Most turkey hunt-
ing pros will tell you that 90% of
novice hunters call too loud and
too frequently. Once you elicit a
gobble to your calling, don’t call
again, unless you hear another gob-
ble from the same direction and it
has moved away. Then, you can call
more aggressively.
4. Use a Different Strategy: Most
turkey hunters like to hit the woods
before daylight and locate a bird on
roost by making a tom gobble with
a locator call, such as an owl hoot.
I have had even more success hunt-
ing between the hours of 10:00 am
to just before dark. This is true for
two reasons. First of all, there are
less hunters – thus less pressure
on the birds – at this time than in
the morning. Secondly, all turkeys
gobble on the roost, but when they
get “henned up” shortly afterwards,
they shut up. When you get a tom
to gobble after noon, this “lunch-
box” gobbler is usually alone and
will be more apt to come to strut
right into your lap.
5. Do Something Different: Mix
up your routine. Try a hen and a
jake decoy, with the jake positioned
behind the hen in the mounting
position. If decoys spook a gobbler
away, try calling without any de-
coys. On public ground, go earli-
er and deeper into the woods than
other hunters. They may just push
them to you. Try different types
of calls in different cadences. Use
a store bought blind, or one made
out of natural brush, to help con-
ceal you.
Good luck getting that gobbler!
See ya, Rob

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You don’t often hear of many
hunters carrying archery equip-
ment into the woods in the pur-
suit of wild turkeys. Let’s face
it; turkeys are an extremely wary
and cautious bird that can be dif-
ficult to harvest with even a shot-
gun. Primarily a turkey’s stron-
gest attribute towards survival is
their vision, which is considered
to be three times greater than
20/20 vision. With such strong
eyesight a turkey is always watch-
ing for the next threat, and with
that comes a greater degree of dif-
ficulty for archery hunting these
birds. It’s not impossible, but it
comes with far more failure than
success. To be successful at ar-
chery hunting turkeys the upper
hand always comes by beating
the bird’s eyesight. There is more
than one way to beat a Tom’s vi-
sion, and I would like to share
a hunt I experienced this past
spring where all the pieces of the
puzzle came together.
There was a small flock of
birds I had been watching for a
couple weeks and it was very ap-
parent to me what the daily rou-
tine of these birds would be, at
least for the first hour or so af-
ter daylight. Every morning they
would pitch down in the woods
and then ease out into a field, for
WITH A BOW
BOSS
GOBBLERS
By Sam Bradshaw
The boss gobbler came in to around fifteen yards and circled the decoy to confront it head on. When he got to
seven yards I released my arrow. Photo by Sam Bradshaw

an hour or so, feeding and min-
gling around. What I noticed
about the Tom in the group was
that he was always strutting, nev-
er had any competing gobblers
around, and at minimum had
seven to eight hens with him. His
eyes were always on the hens and
he would never let them stray too
far in fear of them lingering off.
That would be my key to beat
him. He thought he was the king
and had no competition!
It was May 1st, and I was
headed in to attempt beating this
tom at his own game. Knowing
where he was going was the first
piece of the puzzle, but I still had
to get him within bow range. My
plan was to be set up well before
daylight and be waiting on the
birds to come into the field. Day-
light came and in the distance I
could hear the bird gobbling to
his hens. Shortly after, the hens
started talking back; communi-
cating with the gobbler.
This is when I started im-
plementing my strategy to beat
him. While the gobbler was still
in the tree I let out an owl hoot
and immediately followed with a
gobble. The intent was to let him
know there was a gobbler in his
territory, and that I didn’t care
about the other turkeys sound-
ing off. He instantly responded
with a gobble and I knew I had
gotten his attention. Minutes lat-
er I followed up with a fly down
sequence of flapping a homemade
wing to replicate turkeys flying
down. Shortly thereafter, I could
tell all the turkeys had now flown
down, and were headed my way.
His gobble changed as he hit the
ground. It was now weaker and
less intense than when he was
roosted. My guess is that he was
concentrating more on his hens,
but still gobbling every few min-
utes. That is when I got aggressive
with my calling. My first hen calls
were loud aggressive cuts and
yelps to replicate a hen search-
ing for a gobbler. He instantly re-
sponded with a gobble, and like-
wise I cut him off, gobbling back
at him. Then the gobbling match
was on! Back and forth we an-
swered each other at least 8 to 10
times. He was fired up!
Finally, I was able to see him
easing out into the field with his
hens. Instantly, he picked up on
my strutting decoy. The hens
paid it no mind, but I had just
ruined this Tom’s day by bring-
ing a stranger into his territory,
competing for his hens. While the
bird was in full strut I let out sev-
eral loud cuts to have him break
More than 28,000 turkeys were harvested during that season. Less than 2%
were harvested with archery equipment and I had one of them.
Photo courtesy of author

strut and followed up with a gob-
ble when he was looking my way.
If there was a fuse inside that
turkey it was now lit. He turned
my way, gobbled hard twice,
shook out of strut, and here he
came! This turkey sprinted almost
150 yards to my decoy with no
concern at all, other than whoop-
ing my decoy, which allowed me
to draw my bow slowly as he ap-
proached. The boss gobbler came
in to around fifteen yards and
circled the decoy to confront it
head on. When he got to seven
yards I released my arrow. More
than 28,000 turkeys were har-
vested during that season. Less
than 2% were harvested with ar-
chery equipment and I had one
of them.
Harvesting a turkey with ar-
chery equipment is very challeng-
ing, and if there is any advice I
can give to anyone interested in
pursuing this task, it is to be ex-
tremely conscious of every as-
pect of your set up. My plan fell
together because I had the right
turkey to hunt - first and fore-
most. Yet, what got him to the
truck was the strategy to get him
within bow range. By pushing
the right buttons in communicat-
ing with the bird, I had him ex-
tremely aggressive before he even
got to the field. Once he entered
the field he was looking for me,
and my decoy choice reaffirmed
that there was in fact a gobbler
in his hangout uninvited. While
he was approaching my setup on
my non-shooting side, a patch of
cane concealed me while drawing
my bow. Finally facing the decoy
directly at me required the bird to
circle and approach it head on as
turkeys typically square up face
to face for a fight getting me that
much closer to the bird.
This turkey’s best attribute
was beaten that day and it cost
him. His “king” status had him
concentrated on the decoy and
in doing so he lost all train of
thought, allowing me to draw my
bow with my blind a mere seven
yards away.
Turkey hunting is a game of
chance and opportunity. Taking
out afield with archery equip-
ment minimizes our chance for
success and narrows the window
of opportunity. With the amount
of equipment available for hunt-
ers to use in today’s time, we
can piece together a strategy that
works for most scenarios. Blinds,
decoys, calls and optics can all be
utilized to better our success. But,
none of them can replace a sol-
id strategy of using them in con-
junction with each other. Archery
hunters of any species all envision
the hunt before it happens, and
turkey hunting is no different.
Remember the five P’s of turkey
hunting {Prior Planning Prevents
Poor Performance}.
Get out and challenge yourself
in the outdoors. We can all learn
from each other, but nothing will
ever replace time afield!
Pictured here are the best archery shots to take and the vitals they will hit. STO FILE PHOTO

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CORN:
OF THE
FUTURE
THE FUEL
Corn could be the answer to
the crude oil shortage in the fu-
ture. Since the 1800’s fuel has
been made from crude petro-
leum, because of the ease of ac-
cessibility. Henry Ford designed
the Model T to be able to run on
ethanol with the idea that farm-
ers could make their own fuel.
There have been different re-
fining processes like cracking,
thermal cracking, and catalytic
cracking. These different refining
processes have revolutionized the
fuel industry. In the twenty-first
century the use of corn to make
ethanol has expanded and be-
come more popular. Ethanol gas
is made from blending unleaded
gasoline with ethanol made pri-
marily from corn.
Ethanol is clean to the envi-
ronment, which has led to the
growth of the industry past few
years. Ethanol has been sought
after for its enhanced octane rat-
ings, less harmful emissions, re-
duced fuel cost, and it reduces
how much crude oil the U.S. has
to import. In 2005 the United
States became the world’s largest
producer of ethanol fuel with 13.9
billion gallon. Sources that I read
stated that ethanol production in
2015 reached an all-time record
of 14.7 billion gallons and in 2018
it reached 16.3 billion gallons.
We roughly use 30 percent of our
corn crop to make ethanol every
By Jonathon Holden
Transportation is a necessity for the row crop farmer to be able to get the crops to the granary each year. This
helps the farmer make better use of his time to fuel the world. Photo by Jonathan Holden

year. The upside to this is that we
also have byproducts of the eth-
anol and one of them is DDG or
dried distillers grain. This DDG
can then be fed to livestock which
will cut down on how much corn
the U.S. needs for feed for the
livestock industry.
The Green Plains first ethanol
plant was located in Shenando-
ah, Iowa {in 2007} and they be-
gan work on the Obion, Tennes-
see plant in 2008. This gave the
farmers and the granaries more
options when selling their corn.
At full productivity the Obion
plant will consume 100,000 bush-
els of corn a day. However, the
plant doesn’t always run at full
productivity due to transporta-
tion issues that sometimes cause a
shut down at the facilities. There
are many ethanol plants all over
the Corn Belt that have opened
and are trying to make ethanol
the fuel of the future.
While interviewing Mr. Kris
Holden and taking a tour of his
farms, it was evident that this was
not just a hobby, but a way of life
for him and his family. Mr. Hold-
en has been a row crop farmer for
over 10 years. Kris owns Holden
farms and also helps his father-
in-law Richard Wilkerson on
their row crop farms. There are
a lot of farmers like Mr. Hold-
en and Mr. Wilkerson that have
been a part of the crop industry
for many years. Kris and Richard
are row crop in Gibson, Dyer,
and Obion County, Tennessee.
One farmer I interviewed
said,” We needed a Facility in
West Tennessee, so that we could
Green Plains Ethanol plant is where corn is turned into fuel. This will help with the world’s declining Crude
Oil resource. Photo by Green Plains Ethanol Plant
Mr. Kris Holden and Mr. Richard Wilkerson are harvesting corn in
Gibson County, TN. Their row crop farm is located in Gibson and Dyer
Country, TN. Photo by Jonathan Holden

have more opportunities and
buyers for our corn crop.” When
selling agriculture products and
most other products for that mat-
ter, the closer you are to the con-
sumer or buyer, the more profit
the seller will make. After farm-
ers plan how much crop they will
have for that year, they have to
then plan on how they want to
sell the crop. Farmers look at the
Chicago trade price for that day
and the projected prices for the
year to be able to make decisions
on when and where to book and
sell their crops.
There are now two ways for
West Tennessee farmers to sell
their corn crop. Most farmers
have to shell their corn and then
they have to haul it to the buyer
quickly, so they can keep shelling.
Kris Holden, owner of Holden
Farms, commented, “We aver-
aged 179 bushels of corn per acre
last year, so in our operation we
book our corn early with Mason
Hall Granary. We have risk we
take with the market already and
if we sell to the ethanol plant and
they are shutdown or slow on the
day we are shelling corn then we
are taking another risk.”
Some farmers have grain bins
that they own and can shell the
corn and then take it and store it
in their own bins. Those farmers
then can sell their corn whenev-
er they want to sell it. Once the
granaries have the corn, then the
ethanol plants will contact them
to buy the corn that is need-
ed. The farmers that have grain
trucks usually haul the corn for
the granaries to the ethanol plant.
The ethanol industry has made
two types of ethanol which are
E10, E15, and E85. The E10 is
made from 10/90 ethanol/gaso-
line mixture. The E10 was made
to burn cleaner and to help out
with the smog and cleaner air.
The E15 is made from 15/85 eth-
anol/gasoline mixture and has
become more available at the
pumps. The E85 is made from
85/15 ethanol/gasoline mixture.
The E85 was made for the flex
fuel vehicles to be able to crank
and run in colder weather. Vehi-
cles that are not FFV (Flex Fuel
Vehicles) will need to be made
compatible for the use of these
vehicles. To manufacture these
vehicles, it cost the automobile
makers around 200 dollars more
per car to produce. The FFV’s are
made to burn gasoline more effi-
ciently. These new automobiles
have different fuel components
that can withstand the ethanol
fuel.
In small engines, using ethanol
fuel has been a challenge. When
E10 first came out the problems
with small engines started. The
small engine manufactures re-
sponded and made small engines
that were compatible with the
E10 Fuel. After the E15 became
more popular at the pumps it is
not safe to assume that the fuel
for our cars will work on our
small engines. The number one
Mr. Holden and Mr. Wilkerson are wrapping up the corn harvest. Row Crop Farming is not a job, but a way of life.
Photo by Jonathan Holden

problem that the small engine
repair shops are having now are
with the fuel systems. The higher
the percent of ethanol the hotter
the fuel burns and the small en-
gines are not made for that fuel.
The need for a reduced car-
bon-intensive output, cleaner,
and a lower cost fuel is a leading
factor in the production of eth-
anol fuel. By the year 2040 it is
estimated that there will be 1.8
billion automobiles in the world,
which is up from 1 billion in use
as of now. With this increase in
the number of automobiles there
will be a need for an alternative
fuel. EPA has limited the produc-
tion of ethanol to the maximum
of 15 billion gallons in 2019 and
has increased the production al-
lowed for all biofuels.
With the production of eth-
anol and other biofuels that are
being produced there will be
some issues that will need to be
addressed, such as new fuel sys-
tems and motors that can with-
stand the new fuel. Over the next
decade the biofuel industry will
see changes and there will be a
need for them in the growing
numbers of automobiles in the
United States.
This means good news for
farmers and our eco-system!
Editor’s note: Jonathan Holden
will be a regular agriculture field
editor for STO Magazine. He is a
graduate of Murray State Univer-
sity and the University of Tennes-
see at Martin and is now an Ag-
riculture Education Teacher at
Dresden High School. His back-
ground is in Agriculture and An-
imal Science.
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Advice from an Old Farmer
• Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
• Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
• Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
• A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
• Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.
• Meanness don’t just happen overnight.
• Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.
• Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
• It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
• You cannot unsay a cruel word.
• Every path has a few puddles.
• When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
• The best sermons are lived, not preached.
• Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
• Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
• Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
• Live a good, honorable life… Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
• Don ‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.
• Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.
• If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
• Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
• The biggest troublemaker you’ll ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
• Always drink upstream from the herd.
• Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
• Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
• If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
• Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
• Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
• Most times, it just gets down to common sense.

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Aquaponics is one of many
ways that we can help to feed
the world. It consists of growing
plants with no soil and with the
help of fish. The combination of
hydroponics (the soil-less grow-
ing of plants) and aquaculture
(raising fish) in one integrated
system is the definition of Aqua-
ponics. The plants will act as a
filter in the water for the fish or
crawfish and the fish or craw-
fish will provide waste which is
a food source for the plants.
When looking towards the
food and water shortage in the
future, aquaponics will be there
to help out. In 2050 the world’s
population is predicted to reach
over 9 billion people and we
will need to increase our food
production by over 50 percent.
With the declining farm land
and farmers that is going to be
a big task. On average, two per-
cent of the population is feeding
the world. There is a lot of new
technology and innovations that
are helping to feed the growing
population and aquaponics is
one of these.
Aquaponics has a lot of ad-
vantages over soil based farm-
ing. It uses one tenth of the wa-
ter compared to the soil-based
farming and has no harmful
chemicals, pesticides or herbi-
cides. With fresh water becom-
ing more of a concern, saving
water will be one of the world’s
biggest issues. Also, with the in-
creased shortage of land avail-
able for farming, aquaponics
systems can be put almost any-
where. With this system you
can harvest both the fish and
Aquaponics Farming
By Jonathon Holden
This aquaponic system holds 1200 plants, 6 Crayfish and several goldfish.
Photo by Garrett Todd

the plants.
There are two main types of
aquaponics systems that are be-
ing used now and they are hor-
izontal and vertical aquapon-
ics. The vertical has the ability
to grow a large amount of food
in a very small area. This is
achieved by plants being stacked
on top of one another in a tow-
er system. Water flows from
the fish tank into the top of the
system and flows downward
through the tower. The plant
roots absorb the water and nu-
trients and then the water flows
back into the fish tank. Lettuce,
strawberries, broccoli, and other
crops that do not require sup-
port systems to grow thrive in
this system. The Horizontal sys-
tem is better for your tomatoes,
squash, cucumbers, and other
plants that do require a support
system to grow.
While visiting Electric Farms
LLC, an aquaponics farm in
Camden, Tennessee I had
the pleasure of talking to the
Co-owner - Mr. Garrett Todd.
Mr. Todd also has an LED grow
light that he has made and is
in the process of getting them
ready to sell. “LED lights are
the key for plant growth in the
aquaponics system,” said Mr.
Todd. He then took me on a
tour of his 24 x 40 Facility where
he has a intex swimming pool
which holds 1200 grow sites and
a red claw cray fish breeding
colony. He has the LED grow
lights hanging above the plants
so that they can receive light at
These crayfish are marketed as freshwater lobster, but taste a little sweeter than the Maine lobster.
Photo by Garrett Todd
These lettuce and kale plants are growing fast in this aquaponic system.

all times. Mr. Todd said, “In my
facility, we harvest the lettuce
and kale the first time at four to
six weeks and then every week
and a half after that. We can get
eight to twelve harvests be-
fore the plants wants to bolt
which means the harvest is
then over.”
While interviewing Mr.
Garrett Todd and taking a
tour of his farm, it was ev-
ident that this was not just
a hobby, but a way of life
for him and his family. Mr.
Garrett has been an Aqua-
ponics farmer for over 10
years. Garrett Todd and Tad
Fuller own Electric Farms
LLC. located in Camden,
TN. There are not a lot of
farmers like Mr. Todd and
Mr. Fuller in Tennessee, but
aquaponics farms are steadi-
ly growing.
When we think of aquapon-
ics systems only being on farms
and in facilities, there are other
natural aquaponics systems in
nature. The lily pads that grow
in our lakes and ponds are one
example of a natural aquapon-
ics system. The fish in the pond
make nutrients for the plants to
eat and the plants provide
oxygen and filtration for
the fish.
Growing plants in soil is
a good way to produce food,
but aquaponics grows the
plants 30 percent faster than
hydroponics, and two times
faster than soil. The gov-
ernment is willing to work
with the aquaponics farm-
ers towards food sovereign-
ty. Aquaponics is one way
to help out in the future,
but newer farming technol-
ogy will be needed alongside
with aquaponics, to help out
with the impending food
shortage in the world.
Mr. Garrett Todd is testing the water to make sure it is stable and has the right nutrients.
Mr. Todd and his son enjoy working with the
aquaponics system and spending quality time
doing what they love. Photo by Jonathan Holden

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In late November of 1821,
Davy Crockett came to west
Tennessee. His 14-year-old son,
John Wesley, and another young
man, Abram Henry, traveled
with him. Crockett had been
deeded 800 acres of land from
his father-in-law. Crockett’s fa-
ther in-law; Robert Patton, was
given this land as payment from
the state of North Carolina for
his service in the Revolutionary
War. The land was pleasing to
Crockett. There was plenty of
game to be hunted and his clos-
est neighbor was 7 miles away.
Approximately 2 miles north-
east of present day Rutherford,
Davy built a cabin and cleared
some land for planting. They
worked almost a full year mak-
ing things ready. In the fall of
1822 Davy moved his family
from Lawrenceburg, Tennes-
see to their new home in west
Tennessee. This would be their
home for the next 14 years.
Making a Living
Crockett was not a farm-
er. He was not a storekeeper
or a blacksmith. He mainly did
what he knew best to provide
for his family. That was hunting
and trading. He did attempt to
go into business several times
while in west Tennessee. One of
those ventures was to make bar-
rel staves. While attempting to
transport his first shipment on
Davy Crockett –
Part Two
AMERICAN
HERO
By Richard Fagan
This painting depicts Col. David Crockett and a few men fighting against
an overwhelming force. Most accounts have Crockett and a handful of
men making their last stand defending the doors of the mission where the
women and children were hiding.

flat bottom boats, the Mississip-
pi River claimed all three boats
and their cargo. Crockett almost
drowned; he wasn’t much of a
sailor either.
Next to hunting, Crock-
ett was a good communicator,
which made him a good poli-
tician. Though he had moved
away from Lawrence County he
continued to represent the coun-
ty for two terms as a state legis-
lator. He also served four years
as a United States Congress-
man, representing west Tennes-
see. His political career was up
and down. He lost several bids
for Congress as well as winning
some. When he wasn’t hunting
or politicking, he would pick up
other jobs. He assisted in sur-
veying several of the new town-
ships in Obion County, one of
which was Troy. It became the
Obion County seat. He worked
as a road caretaker in Weakley
County. Several times he served
as a paid juror for local courts.
In 1834, Crockett published
his autobiography {A Narrative
of the Life of Col. David Crock-
ett}. During the same time, as
Crockett was on a tour of the
Northeast, promoting his book
and speaking, he separated him-
self politically from Andrew
Jackson.
Crockett and Jackson were
never close. During the Creek
Wars, Crockett and his men
objected to the
inhuman treat-
ment of the
Native Amer-
ican women
and children.
They sought
to leave Jack-
s o n ’ s c o m -
mand. Jackson
ordered his
men to draw
weapons upon
them. Crock-
ett seeing the
loss of life that
would occur in such a battle de-
cided to leave at a more oppor-
tune time. There is a more than
likely chance if a fight would’ve
occurred Jackson would have
never lived to be president.
The Whig Party (Anti-Jack-
sononian Party) endorsed
Crockett. They gifted him with
a beautiful rifle he named Pretty
Betsey. At one time there were
serious talks about Crockett
making a run at the presidency.
Jackson, on the other hand,
orchestrated Crockett’s defeat in
the 1835 election using money
and dirty politics. Crockett see-
ing no future in what had be-
come his calling, made a public
statement, “You can go to hell.
I’m going to Texas”.
Seeking a Better Life
On October 30th, 1835,
Crockett {with his nephew Wil-
liam Patton, Abner Burgin and
Lindsey K. Tinkle} headed to
Texas. Their intent was not get-
ting caught up in a fight, but to
This was Davy Crockett’s last home, located just northeast of Ruther-
ford TN. It was disassembled shortly after this picture in 1932. Later the
logs were used to construct the Crockett museum located in Rutherford.
Photo from author’s collection
This painting of Crockett shows there was more to
him than Just buckskins. He was also a politician.

look over this new country and
see what opportunities it had.
Crockett would later write in a
letter to his daughter how won-
derful the country was and that
he felt there would surely be a
place in the new government of
Texas for him.
The group made a short
stop in Memphis then contin-
ued by boat and arrived at Lit-
tle Rock, Arkansas on November
13th, of 1835. They then trav-
eled by horseback through Tex-
arkana, Washington (Arkansas),
Clarksville, Honey Grove and
Nacogdoches.
It was January of 1836, when
Crockett and his party arrived
in Nacodoches. While there,
Crockett took an oath of alle-
giance to the Republic of Texas.
His nephew joined him, but the
two other members of his par-
ty, Burgin and Tinkle, had ties
too deep back in Tennessee for
them to denounce their Amer-
ican citizenship. They returned
to Tennessee.
On January 13th, of 1836,
Crockett and fifty-two other vol-
unteers from the states left for
San Augustine. They had split
into smaller groups to make
travelling easier. Crockett called
his group “The Mounted Ten-
nessee Volunteers”.
After leaving San Augustine,
Crockett’s group traveled on to
“Washington on the Brazos”.
They arrived there on January
23th, 1836.
The Alamo
On February 8th, of 1836,
The Mounted Tennessee Volun-
teers, a group of approximately
thirty men, arrived at San Anto-
nio. Their garrison, the Alamo,
was a fortified mission under the
command of Col. William Bar-
ret Travis and Col. Jim Bowie.
Upon his arrival Crockett was
also looked upon as one the
commanders. Crockett played
that down, being careful not to
become involved in the pow-
er struggle between Travis and
Bowie.
It was February 23rd when
the Mexican army, after be-
ing defeated once before, re-
turned to San Antonio. They
took the city without firing a
shot. The volunteer army, along
with women and children with-
drew into the Alamo where the
Mexicans began a thirteen-day
siege.
It was said that during this
siege Crockett with fiddle and
John MacGreger with bagpipes
would counter the Mexican ser-
enading with screeching mu-
sic. There were also accounts
of Crockett making some long
range shots on Mexican troops
during this time.
With a battle being immi-
nent, most of the women and
children were allowed to leave.
There was an offer made by San-
ta Anna for surrender. The de-
fenders of the Alamo were most
likely correct in their thinking
that they would be executed as
soon as they stepped outside
the walls. Several messengers
did make it past the Mexican
defenders to rely their circum-
stances to Sam Houston who
was working hard trying to mus-
ter reinforcements.
Early, before dawn on Sun-
day March 6th, of 1836, a force
of 1800 Mexican troops at-
Local historian, Dickey Tinkle is
a direct descendant of Lindsey K.
Tinkle, who rode to Texas with
Crockett in 1835.
Photo provided by Dickey Tinkle
This Gibson county court record
shows “the old Davy Crockett” is
named as caretaker of a section of
county road. It also shows Crockett
being fined five dollars for missing
court.

tacked the Alamo. In the first
of three assaults Col. Travis was
killed while manning a can-
non. Command fell on lesser
officers and Crockett. The sec-
ond attack was beaten back. On
the third attack, the walls were
breached and bloody, hand-to-
hand combat took place. The
defenders of the Alamo, less
than two hundred men, were
overwhelmed by the Mexican
troops. They fell.
The final numbers show that
the small group of volunteers
was responsible for claiming
the lives of 600 Mexican sol-
diers. One-third of Santa An-
na’s men had fallen. All of the
defenders of the Alamo died.
There were survivors, some
women and children who had
remained, and a slave of Col.
Travis. These people gave ac-
counts of the carnage they saw
after the battle that lasted only
ninety minutes had ended.
How Col. David Stern
Crockett fell in this battle has
become a subject for debate
over the years. Some have him
falling in battle, while a dis-
covered diary that belonged to
a Mexican soldier yields a dif-
ferent account. It states Crock-
ett and six others were the last
standing and were taken pris-
oner. They were brought be-
fore Santa Anna who immedi-
ately ordered their execution.
The exact way Crockett died
may never be known. What
is known is Crockett was last
seen defending the doors of
the mission where the women
and children were hiding. He
fought with all his might that
day. His bravery on the day he
died turned him from a hero
into a legend.
The Aftermath
It was a little over a month
later when the Texas army, 900
strong, attacked the remaining
1,400 of Santa Anna’s forc-
es at San Jacinto. The enraged
volunteer force with the battle
cry of, “Remember the Alamo”
overtook the Mexican force in
less than 20 minutes. The Mex-
icans suffered heavy casualties
while the volunteers lost 11
men. The coward, Santa Anna,
was caught later trying to es-
cape wearing civilian clothes.
After signing a treaty with Sam
Houston he was sent to Wash-
ington, DC. He was later re-
leased and returned to Mexico
by none other than President
Andrew Jackson.
Years after Crockett’s death,
his widow, Elizabeth Patton
Crockett, her son Robert, and
daughter, Matilda moved to
Texas. She was welcomed with
open arms and given a large
parcel of land in gratitude for
This is how the Alamo looks today. Most people think this was actually the garrison, but it was only a small
part, where the women and children took shelter. Photo from author’s collection

her husband’s service. She re-
mained there the rest of her
days.
A Lasting Effect
Davy Crockett had a large
family. His descendants be-
came prominent citizens in
west Tennessee and Texas.
There are many people to-
day that can claim Davy as
kin. There are also many of
people who had relatives that
were friends and neighbors to
Crockett. One of these is Dicky
Tinkle. Dickey is a descendant
to Lindsey K. Tinkle who rode
to Texas with Crockett. A spe-
cial thanks to Dickey for pro-
viding me with information on
his family’s history.
Col. David Stern Crockett
left the people of Tennessee a
legacy we can all be proud of.
That legacy is shared with the
people of Texas. That bond be-
tween Tennessee and Texas is
well known.
In closing I want to share
Crockett’s most notable quote;
“Make sure you’re right, then
go ahead.”
Thick walls surrounded the garrison. The mission and barracks were
located inside . Photo from author’s collection.

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When Rob Somerville asked
me to write a story about my best
crappie fishing day ever I knew
it was going to be a tough as-
signment. After almost 60 years
of fishing I had quite a memory
bank from which to choose!
So I began to reminisce, re-
calling fond memories and great
days on the lake with friends and
family. After some 42 years on
Kentucky Lake as a professional
guide I’ve shared the boat with
thousands of anglers from all
walks of life and practically every
state in the union.
Then it dawned on me; my
best day of crappie fishing has
yet to occur! At least I’d like to
think that.
Pretty tough to write about
something that has yet to happen,
as a good fishing day can have
many definitions. The so called
“best day” has the same scenario.
I’ve taken many anglers on
what they claimed was the best
fishing day of their life. They left
gleaming with joy,
almost overcome by
a day on the lake
when the weather
was perfect, the fish
were biting and the
overall experience
with companions
was nothing short of
ideal.
For most folks
their best fishing day
would be evaluated
by how many big
ones were stacked
in the cooler. To the
vast majority of out-
doorsmen their so-
called best day in the
field hunting or on
the lake fishing was
calculated by how
much game they
bagged or fish they
caught.
I call them the “numbers
guys”. They always seem to rate
the outdoor experience based on
the numbers of
fish or fowl.
We’ve all had
a special day in
our memory of
the outdoors
that stands out.
A day when we
loaded the boat
with big slab
crappie; may-
be those days
when the white
bass (stripes)
were schooling
in mid-summer
and every cast
produced a feisty fish.
Then those days of late spring
when the bluegill were spawning
and on the bed, sporting both an
appetite and a desire to protect
the nesting area from intruders
attempting to raid the eggs or
feast on newly hatched fry. Those
big dark bull bluegill are quite
territorial at the peak of spawn-
ing phases and tossing a bobber
and a hook loaded with a cricket
is almost a guaranteed bite.
In my long career I’ve helped
introduce legions of folks to their
best fishing day ever in terms of
how many they caught and car-
ried home. Loaded coolers tend
to make folks happy!
That’s one way to look at it,
but there are other criteria that
MY BEST CRAPPIE FISHING DAY EVER?
The author with one of the many slab crappie he’s
caught over his almost 60 years of fishing! This was
just one of his “best days!” Photo by Steve McCadams
By Steve McCadams

enter into the equation too. But,
so as not to vary too far from the
editor’s wishes, my best crappie
fishing day of the past actually oc-
curred on several occasions. One
in particular went like this:
T H A T M O S T C R A P P I E
CAUGHT DAY
On a warm spring morning
in mid-April, back around the
1981 er,a I was guiding a trio of
anglers from Arnold, Missouri.
Kentucky Lake had experienced
a beautiful spring where warm,
stable weather lingered from late
March, paving the way for a good
spawning phase.
Springs around these parts
are known to be harsh at times
and often unpredictable. Warm
one day; cold the next.
Cold fronts and gale
north winds descend
at times, upsetting the
apple cart and drasti-
cally throwing a curve
to the fishing scene
literally overnight.
Yet, that spring
had been kind to fish-
ermen. Dogwoods
were blooming. Bees
were humming. Fra-
grance of sweet hon-
eysuckle filled the air.
Lake levels were rising
slowly and warming
fast courtesy of con-
secutive days of warm
sunshine.
Apparently the
stars were aligned be-
cause all the ingredi-
ents needed for a fine
fishing day
were there;
thus, a reci-
pe for success greeted
us as we departed that
morning from the ma-
rina at Buchanan Re-
sort. My group’s level of
fishing fever was pegging
the meter!
As spring fever ran
rampart we eased out
to a shallow flat where
a field of submerged
stumps resided in shal-
low depths of 3 to 5 feet.
Once surface tempera-
tures reach the 62 to 66
degree range and stay
there for a few days, in
early to mid-April, it
triggers the peak phase
of crappie spawning here and on
this outing we entered the heat
of the battle.
Normally I would have been
vertical fishing jigs or live min-
nows beneath telescopic poles
where slip bobbers easily regu-
lated the depth of bait presenta-
tion. In those days Kentucky Lake
had stained water color, which
brought crappie to shallow flats
and buck bushes along shorelines
for prime spawning habitat.
Crappie blitzed toward struc-
ture and deposited their eggs
around shallow roots of stumps
or those ever popular buck bush-
es that once dotted every bay and
pocket of this massive reservoir.
Triggered by the warming trend
that day, male crappie had moved
up quickly and staged just off the
visible shoreline structure. They
were hanging out just off shore
Seeing kids land their first or biggest fish is always
an awesome day! Photo by Steve McCadams
Sharing time on the lake with your family make
for memorable days too!
Photo by Steve McCadams

where they’d found a comfort zone
where depth and water color was
just right.
Males often move in ahead of
the females and set up shop. The
beautiful purple color distinguish-
es the males from the white pale
females, a scenario that hap-
pens each spring when hor-
monal changes occur.
A few days before, I’d been
monitoring the movement of
crappie on this shallow flat,
catching several males but no
females. I knew the transition
was about to take place as the
big sows were staging in deep-
er water and waiting to move
up and drop their eggs when
conditions signaled the start
of the ritual.
That day proved to be the
time when females darted to
spawning territory. Bloated
with eggs and ready to broad-
cast them along the cover,
both white and black crap-
pie swarmed the zone. It was
heaven on earth, it’s fair to
say!
Our technique on this day
was fan casting curly tail grubs
across the flat, covering a lot
of water but not really tossing
to any specific spot. The fish
were there in big numbers and a
few revolutions of the reel han-
dle, once the cast was complete,
were greeted with that “tap” that
popped the slack out of the line’s
bow.
Males were mad and defend-
ing their territory. They tagged any
grub that violated the “no-swim”
zone. In this scenario a crappie will
strike a bait, not only from hun-
ger or a desire to feed, but also in
defense of their spawning spot. A
reaction strike you might say.
Using light spinning tackle with
4 to 6-pound monofilament and 2
to 3-inch sparkle chartreuse twist-
er tail grubs proved to be just what
the doctor ordered. Cast after cast
paid dividends. Often times two
or three anglers in the boat would
have a fish on simultaneously.
We were tripping over each
other in an attempt to net a fish,
often leaving one angler’s bounty
still in the net as another fish was
dipped on the other side of the
boat. We could do no wrong!
Having logged a lot of days on
the lake over the years during all
four seasons I paused and recalled
how many times I’d ventured out
on a mean, windy and cold day
when fish didn’t bite. I told the
guys how lucky we were to be here
at this point in time. This wasn’t
normal. Enjoy it while it lasts, I
recalled thinking back.
Back then there was no
creel limit on crappie. No
size limit either. However,
we tossed some of the smaller
fish back, but the icing on the
cake was that not many small
fish were taken!
Igloo cooler lids by midday
wouldn’t close due to stacked
fish. At noon we regrouped
and took back empty ice
chests for the second half as
our days began around 8 a.m.
with a break for lunch around
noon. We usually called it a
day around 5 p.m.
About 3 p.m. we had filled
two more coolers with a mix-
ture of ice and fish. I called
the game and suggested we
save some for the future as
we idled away from this hon-
ey hole. Back slapping and
hand shaking took place on
the ride in and resumed at
the dock when they dumped
the fish out for pictures and
total count.
When the smoke cleared some
320 crappie were laid out on dis-
play. Cameras flashed. Stories were
told. Memories had been made.
It was the fishing trip of a life-
time for these guys and me too.
Since then, creel and length lim-
its are now in place, and for good
reason. I’ve really never been one
to try to catch them all or shoot a
few more. My dad taught me to
save some for the next time or the
Big fish bring on big smiles! However, sometimes
it’s not what you catch that counts, but who’s
there fishing with you and sharing the outdoors.
Photo by Steve McCadams

other guy.
Back then, crappie were more
prolific and abundant on Kentucky
Lake. Wildlife agencies didn’t feel
a need to manage the crappie with
length limits or creel numbers.
Fast forward to modern times
and I’d never even consider catch-
ing that many, even if the regula-
tions allowed.
So, that’s a portion of my story
as to the “most fish” day.
As to the best crappie day?
Well, as I mentioned earlier I’m
hoping that’s ahead of me al-
though I won’t ever catch that
many again even if the opportu-
nity presents itself.
OTHER BEST DAYS
From my memory bank of
42 years of guiding come a lot of
“best days”. Some were days when
we didn’t necessarily catch a boat
load of fish.
I’ve experienced friends and
family on their last outing with
that special someone. Perhaps
health issues dealt the cards and
folks just somehow knew it was
someone’s last fishing trip. That’s
a special day too!
Other times I’ve seen a young-
ster catch his first fish or even an
old timer who waited way too late
in life to wet a hook. When in-
troduced to the sport these two
extremes were very good fishing
days as well.
Once age dictates our lifestyle
the trips and activity level dimin-
ishes. I’ve witnessed anglers de-
part the boat hoping to return but
knowing full well it would be un-
likely. Their last day of fishing had
just occurred so sharing that was
another wonderful day too.
I’ve been at this now for a long
time and fortunate to have three
generations and a few four gen-
erations of anglers now sharing
days on the lake. Rekindling days
of great fishing with those come
and gone will always be special.
Some of those seemed some of
my best too!
Age has changed the lake and
all of us who fish it. Some of my
best times these days on the lake
are defined more by those who
share it and the sights seen than
what’s in the cooler. It doesn’t
take a limit of fish to produce a
great day.
In fact, I’m fond of saying the
best time to go fishing is whenever
you can. That’s why my “best ever”
day of crappie fishing may just be
the next time I go!
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Alright you crappie Anglers! It
is time to shake off those winter
blues, clean the boat up and blow
the cobwebs off those crappie
rods! Goodbye old man winter
and hello spring and sunshine! It
is once again my favorite time of
year; spring crappie season. My
world revolves around two sea-
sons: raccoon season and spring
crappie season. This is going to be
a crappie fishing article, but I just
need to say I hope my fishing this
year is as good as my coon hunt-
ing has been! Maybe Editor - Rob
Somerville will let me tell a coon
hunting tale in the next issue! On
to the crappie!
2018 was wet and 2019 is
shaping up to follow the same
pattern. Reelfoot’s water level has
stayed high all winter (which the
duck hunters love!) and it ap-
pears Reelfoot will stay relative-
ly high during the spring. It has
been high enough that on Feb-
ruary 20th Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency officers closed
some of the boat ramps at Reel-
foot to help cut back on the waves
around the populated areas of the
lake. Some houses had water all
the way up to them and others
were surrounded by water! The
high water can be a major prob-
lem for home owners and farm-
ers but if it stays relatively high
Spring Slabs By Cody Rodriquez
Lynn Parker is pictured here with a true prize that was caught spider by
rigging single jigs. Photo courtesy of Lynn Parker
Reelfoot

throughout the spawn and the
hatch, it can greatly help with our
crappie population.
March can be a very produc-
tive month for crappie anglers.
When the temperatures reach
into the lower 50’s Reelfoot crap-
pie can be caught in the lower
blue basin in 10 to 15 feet of wa-
ter. Most anglers have good suc-
cess fishing with double minnow
rigs. If the crappie are lethargic
and hitting slow, don’t be afraid
to fish with a double minnow rig
under a float. The float may help
you pick up on some light bites
you may otherwise not see.
As the temperatures climb and
get into the mid to upper 50’s the
white crappie can be found in the
lower blue basin in the 8 to 12
feet of water range. At this point
in the year you will see some an-
glers fishing double minnow rigs
and you will see others spider
rigging with jigs, tipped with a
minnow. If you are using double
minnow rigs, don’t be afraid to
slide a jig on your minnow rigs.
When the water finally reaches
that magical 60 degree mark you
will see the crappie become more
aggressive and start to feed more
actively. They will also begin to
move on into shallower water
and begin to pre-stage for the
spawn. During this time many
different techniques can pay large
dividends for anglers. This is one
of my favorite times to fish the
north end of Reelfoot. When the
black crappie begins to spawn it
starts my heart racing! Single pole
jigging stumps and lily pads in
the 2 to 6 feet of water range can
be very effective during this time.
My favorite jig color is pink and
chartreuse. Many crappie fisher-
Pictured here are Lynn and William Parker with a very nice Reelfoot lake slab crappie. This pole bender was
caught on the north end of the lake. Photo courtesy of Lynn Parker

men love the old faithful black
and chartreuse. Don’t be scared
to try an array of the different
colors and color combinations.
Another technique is to cast
roadrunners and jigs around cov-
er such as stumps, logs, the edge
of lily pad bunches, and root
wads. Some fisherman cast their
roadrunners and jig under a float,
this helps to maintain the desired
fishing depth and allows for a
slower retrieve. This also works
well around the shorelines. As
with single pole jigging, don’t be
afraid to try new colors. Anoth-
er proven technique for this time
of year is to cast a minnow and
a float. This can also yield nice
stringers of crappie around cov-
er and the shorelines.
While the black crappie are
staging and spawning, they pro-
vide excellent fishing opportuni-
ties for anglers of all experience
levels. Trying new techniques that
you have not used before can be
fun and rewarding.
During this time, on the south
end of the lake in lower blue ba-
sin, you can still catch white crap-
pie in 6 to 12 feet of water. They
can be caught on double minnow
rigs or trolling jigs. Watch for
the male white crappie to begin
changing colors. As the spawn
nears, they will begin to turn
darker in color almost resem-
bling black crappie. As the wa-
ter continues to warm, the white
crappie continue their journey
towards the shallows to spawn.
Using a single pole and jigging
trees, stumps, and shore line cov-
er in 3 to 8 feet of water have the
potential to produce nice string-
ers of crappie. Fishing minnows
under a float can also yield hefty
rewards.
Now let’s fast forward to
post spawn fishing. Most anglers
get frustrated after the spawn
is over because crappie seem to
become harder to catch. During
post spawn, crappie move back
out into deeper water and are
not as concentrated. They are re-
covering from the spawn and are
some what lethargic. Spider rig-
ging double minnow rigs is the
most common used technique for
this post spawn time. Fish usual-
ly reside in the 10 to 15 feet wa-
ter range while they are in post
spawn recovery. As days goes by,
the crappie will once again be-
come more active.
Spring time means many dif-
ferent things to all types of out-
doorsman, both hunters and an-
glers. Turkey hunters cannot wait
to hear an old tom gobble at day-
light on the opening morning of
season. Mushroom gathers can-
not wait to find the Morels and
spring chickens peaking through
the forest floor. Bass fisherman
start getting excited about see-
ing a largemouth bass explode
on a top water popper. Myself
personally, I cannot wait to feel
the thump! Nothing in the world
gets my heart racing like feeling
a good crappie fighting on the
end of my rod. Until next time,
be safe, be good stewards of our
outdoor lifestyle, and share your
passion of the great outdoors
with someone else who doesn’t
know the joys that it can bring.
Good luck and tight lines. I will
see you on the water!
John Byrd proudly displays a pair of white crappie that were caught in
lower Blue Basin while spider rigging double minnow rigs.
Photo courtesy of John Byrd

TRADITIONS TIPS - with Richard A. Fagan
• Before venturing out in the spring woods, a good pair of
snake-proof boots would be a wise investment.
• Know your aiming point on a turkey. A target with a turkey
pictured on it, helps develope your aiming point.
• The more time you spend scouting the better your chances of
success. DO NOT ever use a call when scouting .
• During times of rain , hunt the fields. A turkey’s vision and
hearing are minimized in the woods and they tend to move to fields.
• Listen for owls, get an owl hooter (call) or learn to hoot
naturally. A turkey on roost will shock gooble when an owl hoots
close.
Editor’s note: all photos and graphics are provided by the author.
If you wish to submit a “TIP” send emails to rafagan59@hotmail.com.

SPRING
SQUIRRELS
If there is one hunting sea-
son that is underutilized, it is
the spring squirrel season. Folks
are just not taking advantage of
a great opportunity to spend a
few more days in the woods. But
overall, numbers of squirrel hunt-
ers during the fall season also has
fewer participates than in past
years. Fall squirrel seasons had
always been one of the top choic-
es of hunters in Tennessee, Ken-
tucky, and surrounding states.
Waterfowl and dove hunter par-
ticipation now seem higher and
with deer seasons longer than at
any time, Tennessee hunters are
more focused on finetuning bows
and shooting skills than waiting
on a squirrel.
That’s why spring squirrel
hunting is a good choice. Tur-
key season will have just wrapped
up and no need to worry about
spooking deer for an upcoming
archery hunt. This time of year,
it is squirrels only. With low-
er participation you will have
the woods to yourself. From the
standpoint of fine tuning hunt-
ing skills, squirrel hunting is as
good as it gets. No matter if you
are a young neophyte or a skilled
hunter with years under your
belt, hunters can learn or improve
the skill of stalking (moving si-
lently), stopping looking, listen-
ing and just patience, which are
all important skills hunters will
be able to carry into other types
of hunting.
Overall, fewer people are hunt-
ing squirrels in the fall. Hunter
numbers are even lower during
the spring season and part of the
problem may be a generation-
al gap. Older hunters, no doubt
heard their grandfathers talking
about hunting squirrels during
the mulberry season. Mulberry
is one of the squirrel’s favorite
spring foods and there was always
a strong tradition among hunters
throughout this region for springIn the spring, many squirrels like this fox squirrel, may spend time on
the ground. Photo by author
By Richard Hines

squirrel hunting, especially when
mulberries were ripening.
Around the 1940’s squirrel
numbers were down, not just in
Tennessee, but across much of
the Southeast. Wildlife agencies
responded with adding additional
protection by closing spring sea-
son. It seemed logical at the that
time and spring squirrel hunting
remained closed until the 1990’s
when TWRA reopened the “mul-
berry squirrel season”. However,
over the fifty year closure a gen-
erational gap was created and
when spring squirrel seasons re-
opened, most hunters were not
familiar with it. Even after twen-
ty plus years since spring season
reopened, its popularity is still
far behind.
The reason spring squirrel
hunting was reopened is the re-
sult of research which determined
that each June and May are peak
periods in annual squirrel num-
bers. Hunting during May and
June has little if any impact on
these arboreal rodents.
Ironically, another species that
suffered from one of these gener-
ational gaps is a species that re-
mains the center of practical jokes
around summer campouts. Snipe
were once an extremely popular
game bird from the 1800s until
1940 when agencies determined
snipe populations were extremely
low. The snipe season was closed
until the mid-1950s. When it re-
opened, few if any hunters had
ever hunted snipe and its popu-
larity among upland game hunt-
ers never caught back on.
Spring squirrel hunters will
find the woods beautiful this time
of year, but there is one draw-
back, you are dealing with warm
weather which translates to mos-
quitoes and ticks. Plan according-
ly and keep a can of repellent in
your pack. Another useful item is
a Thermacell® which works great
helping keep the air clear so you
can hear or see squirrels. If you
are turkey hunting or even deer
hunting in the fall, ticks should
be on your mind. Rocky Moun-
tain Spotted Fever and Lyme
Disease are carried by ticks, so
always spray your clothes to pro-
tect yourself.
When spring squirrel hunting, the lush foliage in the trees will hide squir-
rels from view. You must carefully and slowly stalk the woods.
Photo by author

One major difference be-
tween spring and fall hunting is
to forget about finding a grove of
hickory or oaks. In the fall, this
is usually a guaranteed squirrel,
but during the spring squirrels
can be on the ground as often as
in trees. if there are a few resid-
ual acorns they will be digging
for them. Walnuts hold over well
so if you know the location of a
large walnut, squirrels may be
foraged through the leaves try-
ing to retrieve walnuts from the
previous fall.
Overall, spring squirrel hunt-
ing is covering more ground
than you normally do during a
fall hunt. Unlike the fall, spring
squirrels are not tied to any cer-
tain location. Spring foods are
tree buds, twigs, or flowers and
of course mulberry. Just remem-
ber that spring food sources are
consumed quickly, so be prepared
to move.
With squirrels foraging along
the ground take time to stop and
listen as they move through dry
leaves. In the fall I prefer a wet,
moist woods. In the spring, dry
leaves make a perfect situation
for hunters taking time to listen,
however squirrels on the ground
are hard to stalk. Use a slow stalk,
moving intermittently between
the movements the squirrel is
making to move in on him during
foraging. Just as in the fall, squir-
rels are primarily crepuscular
which means “active during twi-
light hours” in early morning and
late afternoon. That’s only partial-
ly true because we have all seen
squirrels out throughout the day,
but their highest activities are
when light conditions are low.
Typically, by late morning, squir-
rels will find a nice limb to spread
out on and take advantage of the
sun. That’s why squirrel hunters
should carry along binoculars.
Situations like this are perfect for
finding a good spot, sitting down
to watch and begin listening for
one to bark or begin chattering.
While they are busy fussing with
another squirrel can be a good
time to move in on them.
Camouflage is not a must but,
in most cases, camo can improve
your success. Keep in mind that
the spring foliage is relatively new
and brighter than early fall foli-
age so match camo patterns for
the current situation.
Spring squirrel hunting is
allowed in Tennessee and sur-
rounding states and its popularity
is slowly returning. If you hunted
turkey you probably know the lo-
cation of a squirrel or two. While
hunting, take time to wander into
sections of woods that you don’t
normally deer hunt in. You might
just find new areas for stand lo-
cations next fall. In any case,
spring squirrel season is another
way to spend a few more days in
the woods.
Thick, green vegetation makes seeing squirrels difficult, so keep a sharp eye out. Photo by author

Directions
1. Break down your duck by removing the back bone then quartering.
Score the skin on the breast quarters to render out fat (make sure not
to score too deep!).
Set aside leg quarters for later use in
this recipe.
2. Mix all brine ingredients making sure
all salt is disolved.
3. Place duck quarters in an airtight
container or ziplock bag. Pour brine
over duck making sure that all areas
are submerged. Seal and refrigerate for
2 hours.
4. After two hours, bring 2” water to a boil in a large pot. Fit a colander
in the pot tall enough to keep the duck from coming in contact with
the water.
5. Place the duck quarters in the colander (evenly spaced) cover tight-
ly, and reduce temperature to a simmer and steam for 45 minutes.
6. As the duck steams place a large cast iron skillet in the oven and
heat to 475 degrees.
7. When the duck has finished steaming remove from the pot and set
aside. (Make sure that you boil out the water from the pot to save the
fat for later use!)
8. Place the leg quarters in the cast iron first, skin side down, & cook
for 10 minutes.
9. After 10 min. flip and move the leg quarters to the side of the pan.
Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook both leg quarters and
breast quarters for another 7 minutes.
10. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. ENJOY!!!!!
For this issue, we invited Chef Eric Moore, Corporate Chef for Develey Mustard & Condiments, to
share one of his favorite ways to cook duck. This recipe is perfect for a field dressed duck. If you are
using game from the freezer, make sure you have defrosted it thoroughly. CHEF’S TIP: The USDA
recommends 165°F internal temperature for all poultry. But because duck is not a common carrier of
salmonella, and its meat is more akin to lamb or beef, rare to medium rare is perfect!
Ingredients
1 Duck
Brine
• ½ cup Salt
• 2 cups Apple Juice
• 20 ea Peppercorns
• 1 Bunch Thyme
• 2 Tbsp Tigertail Dijon
• 5 Cloves Crushed Garlic
• 2 Bay Leaves
Deep Fried Wild Turkey Rubbed With
Develey Sweet Munich Mustard
Get the best deep fried turkey with
these directions and tips!
Ingredients:
One jar of Develey Sweet Munich
Mustard
3 to 5 gallons peanut oil
1 whole wild turkey, cleaned and
seasoned
{Propane turkey cooker}
Directions:
Heat oil to 300 F to 350 F.
Rub entire turkey with Develey Sweet Munich Mustard and inject with further seasonings, if desired.
Hook a wire coat hanger around each of the drumsticks and carefully lower turkey into oil.
Cook for 3½ to 4½ minutes per pound or until a meat thermometer inserted into the white meat registers 180 F. Turkey tends to
float when cooked through.
Remove the turkey from the oil and drain well. Wrap in foil to keep warm. Let stand at least 20 minutes before carving. Serves
10, depending on the size of the bird
Deep Fried Turkey Tips
• Make sure the turkey is thawed completely prior to cooking.
• Clean the turkey in the same manner you would for roasting.
• Do not stuff the turkey when deep frying.
• To determine how much oil to use in a deep fryer, fill the pot with water and lower the turkey into it. The water should cov-
er the turkey without spilling over. Remove the turkey and measure the amount of water left in the pot. Discard the water
and fill the pot with oil.
• Dry the turkey thoroughly before lowering it into the oil.
• Heat the oil to at least 310 F before adding the turkey.
• Skinless turkey should be cooked 3 minutes per pound, while turkey with its skin should be cooked 3½ minutes per pound.
DELICIOUS MEALS WITH:
By Rob Somerville
Develey Sweet
Munich Mustard

Develey Mustard & Condiments is a liquid sauce manufacturer providing customized
solutions for private label brands and our local brands, Tigertail & Dyer Mills. Founded
in 1845, Develey spans the globe, with 17 facilities in 10 countries. Develey chose
Dyersburg, TN for its first US plant because of the central location and solid workforce,
but most importantly it's hometown pride.
Tigertail & Dyer Mills products can be purchased from The Mustard Company Store
located in historic Downtown Dyersburg at 204 N. MIll Ave. Find Develey, Tigertail,
and The Mustard Company Store online at develeyusa.com, discovertigertail, and
themustardcompanystore.com.
Grandpa’s study was filled with memories. One of his favorites photos showed a tiger
carved into an old weathered fence post. The post marked the hidden spot off the dirt
road where locals would sneak away for a beautiful view of the big, lazy river. It was one
of those magical places to get lost in time. Grandpa would tell the story, “Long before my
time, folks thought the river curled like a tiger’s tail. Some things just stick, and I guess the
name Tigertail was one of those things.”
This cherished tradition is why we proudly call our mustards and sauces Tigertail. Each
recipe tells the tale of family traditions and southern pride.
We invite you to try all of our Tigertail flavors and create your own family memories!

On the 2019 juvenile hunt, Ian Williams took his
first buck ever. The deer weighed 168 lbs.
Photo submitted by Gerald Scarbrough
Robert “DOC” Jackson latched onto this nice large-
mouth bass during a rainstorm in Mississippi.
Here is Finn Dehaven from Indianapolis,
Indiana. He is the son of Billy Dehaven. This
was Finn’s first trip to Reelfoot and that was
his first crappie, so some precious memories
were made.
Submitted by Billy Blakely
LynnLee Smith, age 9, from Tipton-
ville TN, bagged her first deer while
hunting with Cody Rodriquez this past
deer season.
Photo courtesy of Cody Rodriquez

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55
OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF IS HERE TO FILL YOUR
EVERY NEED DAY OR NIGHT!
DYERSBURG ELEVATOR COMPANY
300 PRESSLER RD - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-287-7272

Sonya Burks
sburks@firstcnb.com
731.287.4352
NMLS #703844
Tonya Carson
tcarson@firstcnb.com
731.287.4366
NMLS #455942
Tammy Ladd
tladd@firstcnb.com
731.287.4362
NMLS #703865

March - April 2019

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