Southern Traditions Outdoors

1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
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REELFOOT WILDLIFE · TRAIL CAMERAS
WATERFOWL FORECAST · FARM FINANCES
KENTUCKY LAKE A SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE
RUT

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 3

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Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville
(731) 446-8052 stomag1@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors or 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.
Field Staff Editors
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This buck is covered with frost, as he jumps up and alerts to a passing doe, which he wishes to
mate with.
Photo by Rob Somerville
PG..................... ARTICLE ............................................................AUTHOR
8 ........................... The Rut..............................................................................Rob Somerville
16 ......................... Wildlife of Reelfoot Lake....................................................Jere Hughes
22 ........................ Collectors Corner...............................................................Rob Hurt
28 ......................... Black Tar Spots..................................................................Jonathan Holden
36 ......................... Farming and Finances.......................................................Roger Walker
42 ......................... Kentucky Lake - An Outdoors-mans Paradise..................Travis McLeese
46 ......................... Hunting with Trail Cams.....................................................Sam Bradshaw
49 ......................... Cooking on the Wild Side..................................................Sharon Somerville
50 ......................... Waterfowl Forecast............................................................Steve McCadams
54 ......................... Trophy Room.....................................................................STO
Garry Mason
Walter Wilkerson
Terry Wilkerson
Steve McCadams
Kelley Powers
Shawn Todd
Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
Cody Rodriquez
Travis McLeese
Sharon Somerville
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
Roger Walker
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith

Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson
Mike Robinson

Therapy
Rob Somerville
L etter from the E ditor
From the Desk of Rob S omer v il le
The cool shade of the ancient weeping willow tree overhanging the Broken Arrow Creek looked
so inviting that I actually emitted a sigh of anticipation, as I pulled my old Chevy pickup to a halt.
Perhaps the compressor on my truck’s air conditioner, coming to its annual “mid-summer hiberna-
tion” did something to add to the allure of my favorite fishing spot. My nerves were a little rattled
anyway, thanks to my bosses’ recent temper tantrum, which I passed onto my wife upon viewing the
new balance of our Master Card. I just had to get away for a while.
I eased the creaky door of the truck open and took in the sight of the rolling current about twen-
ty yards upstream. The sunlight shimmered off the cascading water like millions of tiny fireflies, as it
washed over the rocks, which were bleached white by the sun. Right in front of the huge willow tree
that was my favorite spot was a deep pool of water, almost jet-black in appearance, compared to the
clarity of the shallow water. An occasional swirl of current would appear, then disappear and then
reappear again, as if controlled by the command of a magician’s wand.
No twenty thousand-dollar boats were needed here, or two hundred-dollar rod and reel combo.
This was strictly “back to the basics” fishing. A cane pole, a cork float, a hook and split shot and what-
ever you found squirming under a rock or hopping about in the grass fit the bill just fine. No pressure
or crowds, just the peace and serenity of God’s gifts of nature in all it’s majestic beauty. Ah nature,
unspoiled, unblemished and there for the taking.
I got my old bamboo pole out of the truck bed and began searching for bait. Within two minutes,
I had a milk carton full of fluorescent green grasshoppers. Man oh man, was I glad no one was there
to see me scampering about on all fours like some kind of cartoon character while chasing after my
elusive bait. I found my usual, comfortably worn spot between two ancient and gnarled roots of the
willow, collared a hopper and swung my baited line into the deep pool.
Almost instantly, the tension in my aching muscles seemed to seep out of my stressed out body, re-
laxing me into a comfortable stupor. Hours passed like minutes and a lazy smile eventually took over
my frown. My aggravating, vice-like headache disappeared faster than a payday on a Friday night. I
stared at the water as if in a trance, mesmerized by the multi-colored float and automatically pulling
out the eight to twelve inch bluegill that were cooperating. I mechanically creeled them and replen-
ished the bait on my hook.
Sunset seemed to creep up out of nowhere, so I gathered up my creel of trout and gave amnesty
to my remaining hoppers.
I whistled a Disney cartoon medley on the walk back to my truck, marveling at how good I felt.
Maybe my boss wasn’t such a bad guy after all, and man, what was I thinking when I got onto my
wife for buying a few womanly items with the credit card?
Maybe I should pick some of those wildflowers she likes so much. Or maybe I should suggest we
go visit her mom tonight, or invite her over for a weekend visit. On second thought, I decided that
there was no need to ruin a perfectly good day, so I’ll just stick with the flowers. I continued to whis-
tle and smile on the drive home, when an epiphany struck me like a lightning bolt from the heavens.
I’d just been treated by the world’s greatest and least expensive, psychotherapist … Mother Nature.

Much has been written about
the magical time of year, when
bucks chase does all day long,
and hunter orange is as common
in the woods as Tennessee Vols
games are on TV sets on Satur-
day afternoons. In this article, we
will study the rut, examine what it
really is, and check out some tips
and tactics.
Love is in the Air!
It is common knowledge that
when human males fall in love, we
become hopeless idiots. We forget
to eat and sleep, and will pursue
the object of our heart’s desire to
the ends of the earth until she fi-
nally falls for our charming ways.
For the whitetail buck, the scenario
is quite similar. The big difference
remains in the fact that the doe to
buck ratio is probably an average
of anywhere from eight to one, to
sixteen {or more to one}, does to
bucks in the Volunteer State. What
that means is that we will still see
some bucks chasing does with ro-
mance on their mind, but there is
little to no competition, especial-
ly for the big boys, to find a “gal
pal”. They don’t have to travel far
to find romance, and that limits
the range that they will travel for
Looking for
Love in all the
Wrong Places
The Rut
The frost on this alpha buck, which had been bedded down, will soon
be steamed off his body, as his chase of the rut for a hot doe will begin.
Photo by Rob Somerville
By Rob Somerville

us to get a shot at them. Bearing
that in mind, let’s examine the rut,
and look at some tips to help us be
more successful in hunting down
trophy bucks, during this period
in Tennessee.
Beat it pal, this is my turf!
Beginning around the first of
November the bachelor groups
of bucks, which have been hang-
ing out together daily, suddenly
find that they can hardly tolerate
each others company. They begin
to split up, marking their territo-
ry with rubs and scrapes. These
“scent posts” are a means of com-
munication between all visiting
deer and help to establish a peck-
ing order between these former
buddies. A rub is made when a
buck takes his antlers and scrapes
them against a tree, removing the
bark, and exposing the inner layer
of wood. He then rubs his pre-or-
bital glands {located on his fore-
head} on this exposed inner wood.
These glands secrete a fluid that
is a means for other deer to tell
the age, size, and dominant traits
of the buck. He will also take the
tines of his antlers and thrash any
nearby, overhanging branches.
All bucks will make rubs on small
trees. But it is a pretty good rule
of thumb that only big bucks will
rub trees that are five inches in di-
ameter or larger.
A scrape is an area of ground,
usually located under some over-
hanging, low branches. The buck
uses his front hooves to scrape
away the leaves and vegetation,
down to the bare dirt floor, and
urinates down his tarsal glands
located on his back legs into the
scrape. Both does and bucks pass-
ing through the area will approach
these scrapes and scent-check
them, to see who has visited there
lately. It is similar to when you
let “Old Rover” out of the house
in the morning. He immediately
will run up to the same trees and
bushes each time, and then pro-
ceed to sniff and urinate on them.
This is his way of checking what
other deer have been by to visit,
and in turn, mark the area as his
home territory, warning others to
stay away.
The Angst of Puberty in the Male
Teenage Deer!
Just as human teenage boys go
through some confusing times, so
do the button-bucks {buck fawns}.
But, their situation is even worse.
Sure, maybe they don’t have to
fight acne or their voice chang-
ing every other word, but they get
turned away from mama and the
rest of their family in late October
to fend for themselves. The reason
for this exile is that they are male
and soon will become bothersome
to the adult and fawn does when
the mating season begins.
Love Hurts …. Yea, Yea!
Now let’s look at some strategies
for harvesting that “Wall-Hanger”
buck you have been dreaming
about. First of all, when the rut
starts to kick in, as you will no-
tice by seeing bucks chasing does
in the field, forget about hunting
those tempting rubs and scrapes.
Give up that perfect stand loca-
tion that you believe sits between
the buck’s bedding and feeding ar-
eas. It is time to set up and hunt
Huge bucks, such as the one pictured here, will often come
out mid-day, to follow his gal pal in the hopes of mating.
STO File Photo

where the girls are. When the rut
occurs, the bucks feed and take
water only out of the necessity for
them to physically function. Their
main focus is the procreation of
their species, and it is at this time
that the formerly nocturnal trophy
bucks will be moving during day-
light hours. The key in hunting for
that trophy is to find an area that
has a good density of doe traffic
and set up accordingly. If you see
a single doe, walking stiff-legged,
with her tail stuck straight out, it
means she is Juliet and receptive
to love, and Romeo could show
up at any time.
Using “Sense” when
Using Scents!
The rut is a prime time of
year to use “deer attractant” urine
scents. “Doe Estrus” is the most
common attractant used during
the rut, as it mimics a doe ready
to breed. But I feel a combination
of estrus urine and buck urine
works best. Not only does this
send a signal of a “hot doe” being
in the area, but it also tells a near-
by buck that he may have compe-
tition hanging around her. A great
trick I discovered is to take a “Hot
Hands” hand warmer, and shake it
to chemically activate it into heat-
ing. Then, take a brand-new kitch-
en sponge and wrap it around the
heat-giving device. Next, soak it in
CODE BLUE doe estrus and hang
it in front of your stand, about
twenty yards out. This imitates
a doe in heat and the hot smell,
emanating the estrus urine scent,
makes the buck think that love is
truly around the corner. But, the
best way to fool a mature buck’s
nose is to maintain your body and
clothes as odorless as possible. Use
“scent-free deodorant” shampoo,
body wash, and laundry deter-
gent. Spray your boots, underarms
and cap, with odor eliminating
spray. And please, do not go to
all this trouble, and then walk in
to the nearest convenient store the
morning of your hunt to get a cup
of coffee and a breakfast sandwich,
because there is not any sausage
and biscuits in the deer woods and
the deer are aware of this!
Strategy 101!
Unlike the remaining 49 weeks
of the year, when mature bucks
travel only at complete darkness,
or right around it, the rut chang-
es their security system. This is the
time of year when you need to be
in the stand all day long. More tro-
phy bucks are harvested between
the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00
pm, than at any other time peri-
od. The reason for this is two-fold.
For one, the bucks are not opposed
to traveling in complete daylight
at the chance that their trolling
might catch them a doe. The sec-
ond reason is that they didn’t get
to live 3 ½ to 5 ½ years, by be-
ing completely stupid. These ma-
ture bucks have patterned hunters
throughout their lives. They know
that most hunters hunt from day-
light to about 9:00 am and in the
afternoon, from around 3:00 pm to
dark. So, they hit the trails at this
time frame in search of a hot doe.
Summary
I hope this article helped you
make sense of the rut. I would love
to see photos of your trophy buck
this year. You can send them to
me by email at stomag1@gmail.
com. Please include name of hunt-
er, area hunted, date and any other
pertinent facts about that partic-
ular hunt. It just might go in our
TROPHY ROOM section!
Until next time, enjoy the great
outdoors the Good Lord has bless-
ed us with. And always remember
that our kids truly are our most
precious natural resource. They
are our future.
This doe is carefully peering around a tree before enter-
ing a clearing, ready to bolt if an unwanted suitor gives chase.
STO File Photo

Sportsman’s Resort North & South
Our two Campgrounds have full hookup with water, electricity and
sewer. They are located at the lake’s edge. We offer yearly, nightly or
weekly campsites. The south campground has a boat ramp. Our yearly
rates start January 1 and run through December 31st. We also offer 3
day camping packages that include the R.V. spot, boat, motor, gas and
bait. Please check out our web site for more information.
North Campground has in-ground pool for guests of either location!
SOUTH CAMPGROUND
NORTH CAMPGROUND
Sportsman’s Resort
100 Sportsman’s Resort Lane
Tiptonville, Tn. 38079
731-253-6581 or 731-334-2309
www.reelfootlake.com

While you’re hunting or fishing on Reelfoot
Lake, stop by and see Johanna and her crew
for a quick, delicious meal.
Or, beat the heat with their
“World Famous” ice cream.
Dine-in or eat outside on their Patio!!
Home Owned and operated
731-253-6311
HWY 78 - Tiptonville
Less than 5 min from Reelfoot Lake
“Something Different”
our hospitable
THE RED BARN ANTIQUE MALL
Owners :Tami & Gerry Neese
2150 Hwy 70 East - Jackson, TN. 38305
731-444-0058 731-240-1368
gerryneese@gmail.com
NEW NEW
AlBradshaw
1960-1999
421 W. COURT ST.
DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE
731-285-5767
sam@bradshaw4insurance.com
Sam Bradshaw
Contact information:

WILKERSON’S TAXIDERMY
FROM A “MOUSE TO A MOOSE”
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN!
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AND THEIR 30-PLUS YEARS
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1295 HWY 51 S BYPASS - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
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WE SUPPORT THE
DYER CO. SHERIFF
FARM WATCH!

The vibrating of the alarm
seemed unusually loud in the
pre-dawn hours as the photogra-
pher added ice to the previously
packed lunches and water in the
cooler. After several stabs with
aging stiff fingers, the alarm was
finally stopped. As he returned
the phone to the bibs, he pon-
dered why the alarm was even
set, since the body always seemed
to rob the alarm of its job. While
returning the phone, he located a
note stuck in the bibs pocket by
his wife reminding him not to
forget treats and fresh water for
the golden retriever. He didn’t
waste time contemplating why
the note didn’t list his food items.
The photographer finished
packing the days necessary, and
several unnecessary, items into
the truck and took a step back-
wards as a golden mass of hair
sailed into the truck’s backseat.
While driving, the photographer’s
mind roamed with thoughts try-
ing to decide what areas of the
lake they would explore today. A
specific goal wasn’t on the agen-
da for the day. The focus was to
just arrive at the lake and allow
its wildlife residents to guide the
day’s images. The photographer
thoughts continued to ramble
wondering what the lake’s wild-
life was like before its current
human resident population. The
not-so-gentle nudge of the a re-
triever’s nose reminding him to
lower the rear windows brought
the roaming thoughts to an end.
The Grassy Point Unit of the
Reelfoot National Wildlife Ref-
uge was selected to start the day.
The retriever was released to con-
duct perimeter patrols while the
camera gear was doubled checked
before leaving the truck. The ob-
servation tower at the road’s end,
which started at Walnut Log, al-
ways provides a broad range of
wildlife sightings. Soon, a pair of
mallard ducks crossed near the
tower, angling towards Burnt
Woods. Later, an eagle screamed,
as it soared above the skies of
Black Jack Hollow, searching for
its morning breakfast (or more
than likely the breakfast for the
awaiting eaglets back at the nest).
The photographer mused that the
adult male was probably carrying
out a reminder note himself sim-
ilar to the one his wife had left
him earlier.
The low growling of the re-
triever turned the photographer’s
attention from skyward to earth-
ward. Movement along the wa-
ter-encased cypress trees out in
the lake was soon discovered to
be a mink, swimming and run-
ning across semi submersed logs.
For some reason, minks bring out
a “no nonsense” attitude from
the golden retriever. After receiv-
ing the cold welcome from Har-
lie, the mink gracefully swam off
without a concern. The photogra-
pher decided to follow the minks
Wildlife
of Reelfoot Lake
Reelfoot’s
Original
Residents
By Jere Hughes

cue and left for other spots on
the lake.
The next stopping spot was
the Long Point Unit of the ref-
uge. The unit provided multi-
ple sightings of white egrets and
herons. The cruising of the units
roadways were interrupted by the
roly poly gait of a pudgy raccoon,
crossing the gravel road. Previ-
ous outings had produced deer,
turkeys, and various raptors. The
goose pens and the water trail
heads of the canoe trails into the
lake always provide viewings of
waterfowl and song birds. Boat-
ers, kayakers, and canoe enthu-
siasts should be vigilant for the
lakes various forms of snakes. The
lake is home to both poisonous
and non-poisonous snakes. Cot-
tonmouths, copperheads, water,
ring, and rat snakes are regular-
ly seen on the lake. While snakes
make the photographer nervous,
the desire for image captures
forces him to work harder in
holding a steady camera.
The remainder of the day
was spent on both the north and
south ends of the lake. Time was
even found for a short cruise
along the lake shore-lined hous-
es. The days tally included dragon
flies at the Air Park, butterflies at
Keystone, and turtles everywhere.
The blue skies provided back-
drops for eagles, kites, hawks,
and osprey. Owls were heard ear-
ly, but sightings failed to develop
this day. The number of herons
and egrets were far too many to
list. Song birds were plentiful and
reminded the photographer to
check the levee for bobolinks on
the way home. While driving the
levee home, the retriever’s day fi-
nally caught up with her. The soft
sounds of snoring could be heard
over the sound of the tires travel-
ing over white rock-packed road.
Photographers and other
nature enthusiasts will observe

waterfowl, shore birds, raptors,
hawks, herons, egrets, and limit-
less other wildlife opportunities.
The lake has birds; humming-
birds, shore birds, herons, egrets,
and pelicans. Other lake residents
include musk rats, otters, nutrias,
snakes, insects, and seasonal mi-
gration visitors.
The Reelfoot National Wildlife
Refuge has a guide to the lake’s
birds that birders can access at
www.fws.gov/southeast/pdf/
bird-list/reelfoot-national-wild-
life-refuge.pdf. Boundary maps
of both Long Point and Grassy
units can be viewed at https://
www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/
LongPoint_PublicUseMap%20
(2).pdf#b and https://www.fws.
gov/uploadedFiles/GrassyIs-
land_PublicUseMap%20(2).
pdf#a
The Reelfoot National Wild-
life Refuge, Reelfoot Lake State
Park, and the Tennessee Wild-
life Resource Management areas
provide visitors ample opportuni-
ties to view these and other wild-
life residents of the lake. Wheth-
er visitors choose to access these
opportunities by land or by water,
either venue will yield wonderful
sightings and beautiful photo-
graphic images can be captured.
Boats can be rented from Reel-
foot’s many lodges. Several of the
lodges and bait shops offer guid-
ed boat tours of the lake. As al-
ways, the pontoon cruises offered
by the Reelfoot Lake State Park
are available year round and are
one of the best ways to view the
lake. While at the park buildings,
visitors can access the museum,
the visitor center and the bird
aviaries.
The Reelfoot Lake State Air
Park area on the north end of the
lake has several hiking trails that
follow into and along-side of the
lake, and the state park’s camping
sites. While at the park camping
picnic areas, visitors can take the
time to enjoy lunches. The rural
airport building across from the
camping sites provides bathroom
facilities. The area hosts butter-

flies, dragonflies, song birds, and
squirrels. Occasionally, raptors
and waterfowl can be encoun-
tered. A short walk from the
camp sites will bring visitors to
the Air Park’s boat ramp. This
area can provide sighting oppor-
tunities of eagles, ospreys, hawks,
pelicans, herons, egrets, and also
waterfowl. The boat ramp’s ac-
cess to the cooling lake water of-
fers pets a nice area to cool off
with a swim, especially after a few
squirrel chases around the ramps
parking lot.
These are but a few of the
many wildlife encounter oppor-
tunities Reelfoot Lake provides
for those drawn to the search of
the original wildlife residents of
the lake. There are many lodging
and restaurant opportunities to
utilize while making these wildlife
house calls. The Reelfoot Tourism
Council office can be contact-
ed at www.reelfoottourism.com
or by phone at 731-253-2007 for
the lake’s lodging and eating lo-
cations. These offices have many
informational pamphlets for lakes
visitors to use to plan their indi-
vidual wildlife pursuits.
The summer months, with the
hectic kids out of school sched-
uling, can often drain parent’s
batteries. These same summer
months presents the chance to in-
troduce these battery drainers to
the original residents of Reelfoot
Lake. So go pack the coolers, grab
the family, and embark on your
own wildlife safari. Who knows,
you might even find a reminder
note stuck in a pocket.
Enjoy Reelfoot Lake - Jere
Hughes and Harlie the Golden
Retriever - Reelfoot Lake Lovers.

ALL MAJOR TIRE BRANDS
ALIGNMENT - EXHAUST - BRAKES - SUSPENSION
OIL CHANGE - MUFFLERS - CUSTOM EXHAUSTS
AIR CONDITIONING ... AND MUCH MORE!
OWNERS - RANDY MORRIS & FAMILY
FAMILY OWNED
&
OPERATED SINCE
1986!
THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS!
DYERSBURG, TN: 1960 ST. JOHN AVE. 731-285-9010
GLEASON, TN: 3747 HIGHWAY 22 731-352-2255
PARIS, TN: 210 MEMORIAL DR. 731-642-8745

Who would have thought that
everyday hunting items like hunt-
ing licenses, patches and pins,
or even duck or goose leg bands
would ever be collectible, much
less worth anything?
Well, my name is Rob Hurt
and I am an avid collector of vin-
tage hunting related items. In this
article of “The Collectors Corner”
I am pleased to share with you a
few of the items I personally en-
joy “hunting” for.
H U N T I N G & F I S H I N G
LICENSES
Every hunter is legally respon-
sible to have a hunting license.
Collecting vintage hunting licens-
es is an easy and fun way to keep
track of the trends of that era in
which each license was issued.
You can collect licenses by the
state it was issued in, by the year it
was issued, or even by the style of
the license. If you are collecting by
state you will find that every state
in the United States has its own
unique hunting/fishing license.
Collecting all 50 states can not
only be fun, but extremely chal-
lenging. If you pick a certain de-
cade to collect, such as the 1920’s
or 1930’s you will find that these
COLLECTORS
CORNER
By Rob Hurt

licenses were fabricated of metal,
or made in the form of a pin.
This brings us to the next cat-
egory of the style of the hunting/
fishing licenses. Hunting licenses
come in different variations such
as metal pins, metal square plates,
stamps, plastic licenses, paper li-
censes and even early licenses
made of wood pulp or cloth. Most
states have a residential hunting/
fishing license, a residential trap-
ping license, and a non-residen-
tial hunting/fishing license. The
non-residential hunting/fishing
licenses are usually the most valu-
able. The reason for this is that
fewer non-residential licenses are
usually issued than residential li-
cense each year. The value of each
license is determined by the con-
dition, age and rarity of the li-
cense. Some hunting licenses are
worth as much as $1500.00 each!
If you have interest in collecting
vintage hunting/ fishing licenses
or stamps, a great book to read is
Sporting Collectibles by R. Ste-
phen Irwin MD.
HUNTING PINS & PATCHES
Other fun items to collect
are hunting or firearm pins and
patches. Hunting patches and
pins are a great way to stay in
touch with the sport you love.
Collecting pins and patches has
distinct advantages I like. They are
easy to find. They do not take up
a large amount of storage or dis-
play space, like decoys or calls do.
They also can be extremely valu-
able, if you find the right ones.
Most pin and patches will fall in
the $5.00 to $20.00 value range,
but with a little luck, you may run
into that rare game warden badge,
or a coveted vintage firearm pin
or patch that is worth hundreds
or even thousands of dollars. Do
your research and start putting
pins and patches into your 401K
retirement plan.
DUCK & GOOSE LEG BANDS
The last collectible I would like
to inform you about, in this arti-
cle of The Collector’s Corner, is
what I like to call jewelry. Jewelry,
or the {coveted by all waterfowl
hunters} duck or goose leg band,
can be highly collectible and valu-
able. There are many different
kinds of leg bands out there. You
have federal, state, and even pri-
vate club, leg bands. All of these
bands are placed on one of the
duck or goose’s leg for the sole
purpose of collecting information
on the flight pattern of that band-

ed duck or goose. Each leg band
will have a number or address for
the person that harvests the bird
and obtains the leg band, for them
to call in the information of where
and when it was shot.
One of the most desired leg
bands is the Jack Miner band. Jack
Miner was one of North Ameri-
ca’s leading conservationists. He
started the Jack Miner bird sanc-
tuary in Kingsville, Ontario in
1904. Jack was one of the earli-
est and most successful develop-
ers of waterfowl refuge habitat,
and is considered the father of
bird banding in North America.
Most of his bands were stamped
with verses of scripture. He start-
ed banding birds in December of
1909 and continued up until the
early 1920’s. All of these sought
after bands were hand stamped
by Jack Miner himself. The earli-
er, hand-stamped bands are most
desired by collectors and some are
worth as much as $600.00 each.
Even the most common Jack Mi-
nor band is worth $75.00.
Collecting hunting licenses,
leg bands, or those allusive hunt-
ing patches or pins, is a great way
to extend your hunting season.
Whether I am hunting for them
at yard sales or buying them from
a reliable seller, the feeling I get
when I find one of these items is
the same as when I am pulling the
trigger of my Browning A5 on a
big mallard green head, fanning
into my decoy spread. There is
some great information out there
on collecting all of the items de-
scribed in this article. If anyone
has question or comments, or
wants to buy, sell or have me ap-
praise their items please feel free
to contact me {Rob Hurt} by text
message at 731-445-8516.
Until then, good luck this wa-
terfowl season … and I’ll see you
at the duck blind.
Editor’s Note:
Rob Hurt is the Owner of
Twisted Willow Antiques
in Trimble, Tennessee.

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Pharmacy Tech
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Chasity
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Emily
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Brandy
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Jerry
Delivery Driver
Jamie
Bookkeeper
Kalli-Rae
Sales Associate
Hillary
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Carolyn
Sales Associate
Krissie
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Pesky infestations of tar spot
disease are expected to put anoth-
er dent in farmers’ yields across
the Midwest, according to a team
of scientists that specializes in
crop pathology. A relatively new
fungal disease called tar spot has
re-emerged in the Midwestern
U.S. in recent weeks, causing sig-
nificant losses in affected fields
spread across a dozen states.
Tar spot is a foliar disease of
corn caused by the fungus Phyl-
lachora maydis that has recent-
ly emerged as an economic con-
cern for corn production in the
Midwest. It first appeared in the
U.S. in 2015 in Illinois and Indi-
ana. During the first few years in
the U.S., tar spot appeared to be a
minor cosmetic disease with min-
imal impact to corn yield. Howev-
er, widespread outbreaks of severe
tar spot in multiple states in 2018
proved that it has the potential to
cause a substantial economic im-
pact. Despite the generally lower
disease severity, tar spot continued
to expand its geographic range
in subsequent years with new
confirmations in parts of Indi-
ana, Ohio, and Michigan, Minne-
sota, and Missouri. With its very
limited history in the U.S., much
remains to be learned about the
long-term economic importance
of this disease and the best man-
agement practices.
Tar spot was confirmed in 38
Indiana counties in 2018. Fields in
the most severely affected regions
reached 100 percent disease inci-
dence and over 50 percent sever-
ity on the ear leaf before the dent
growth stage (R5/R6) with reports
of 1345-4035 kg/hectare (20-60
bushels/acre) yield loss. Tar spot
caused an average loss of 20 bush-
els per acre in fields affected by
the outbreak in 2018, with some
severely impacted fields losing up
BLACK TAR SPOTS
THE NEWEST
CORN BLIGHT
By Jonathan Holden
Phyllachora maydis, the fungus that causes tar spot, produces stromata that can be slightly raised, black,
and is often observed on leaves of affected corn. Photo by Jonathan Holden

to 100 bushels per acre. In 2020
the disease has been reported as
causing a 30-40 bushel per acre or
more yield reduction in areas of
corn fields that have been heavily
infected with the disease. Growers
are also reporting seeing differenc-
es between hybrids planted in the
same fields.
Tar spot is a fungal pathogen
that causes raised black lesions
on the leaves and husks of corn
plants. Growers are often describ-
ing the visual symptoms of the
disease as leaves that have been
speckled by black paint or motor
oil. The disease causes rapid loss
of green leaf tissue in infected
plants, usually later in the season.
The defoliation tends to cause the
plants to scavenge carbohydrates
from the stalk tissue, often leading
to increased lodging. Tar spot is
thought to thrive in wet weather,
with high relative humidity and
prolonged leaf wetness, favoring
disease development. In addition
to its impact on grain yield, the
disease can lodge, or cause the
stalk to break below the ear, mak-
ing corn difficult to harvest.
It also affects silage used for
cattle feed. Fields that were fine
last week are “completely blight-
ed” a week later, making treat-
ment with fungicides difficult.
Tar spot produces fungal struc-
tures called stromata - resem-
bling raised, black spots on the
leaves of corn, according to Pur-
due University. The disease leads
to reduced ear size, poor kernel
fill and, in some cases, causes the
corn seed to germinate while still
on the cob. The fungus appears to
affect only corn, and spores may
be wind-borne, according to the
university. Disease development
is favored by cool, humid con-
ditions with extended periods of
leaf wetness.
The symptoms of tar spot are
distinctive and look like specks of
tar on the leaf. Symptoms begin
as oval to irregular bleached to
brown lesions on leaves in which
black spore producing structures
called ascomata. Lesions protrude
from the leaf surface, giving affect-
ed leaf areas a rough or bumpy
feel. Tan to brown lesions with
dark borders surrounding asco-
matum can also develop. These
are known as “fisheye” lesions. In
Latin America, where tar spot is
more common, fisheye lesions
are associated with another fun-
gus, Monographella maydis, that
forms a disease complex with P.
maydis known as the tar spot
complex. Although fisheye le-
sions have been observed in the
U.S. - M. maydis has not been
confirmed. Fisheye lesions may
potentially be related to hybrid
genetics, the genetics of the tar
spot fungus, the environment,
or some unknown factor. In any
case, the cause of fisheye lesions
observed in North American tar
spot outbreaks is currently un-
The ear of corn on the top is from a dry field with no disease and the bottom ear is from an irrigated and
diseased field. There is a difference in fill and kernel size. Photo by Jonathan Holden

known; however, research on this
disease is ongoing.
It is easy to confuse stroma-
ta with structures associated with
other fungal diseases. Lesions can
densely cover the leaf and may re-
semble rust fungi pustules. Lesions
may coalesce to cause large areas
of blighted tissue, which can be
mistaken for saprophytic fungal
growth on dead leaf tissue. How-
ever, unlike saprophytes or rust,
tar spot cannot be rubbed off.
Symptoms of tar spot can also be
present on leaf sheaths and husks.
A laboratory diagnosis is required
to distinguish tar spot stromata
from rust pustules or other patho-
gens. Severe tar spot infestations
have been associated with reduced
stalk quality. If foliar symptoms
are present, stalk quality should
be monitored to determine har-
vest timing. Yield potential of a
field appears to be positively cor-
related with tar spot risk. Fields
with high productivity and high
nitrogen fertility seem to experi-
ence the greatest disease severity
in affected areas. Research on P.
maydis in Latin America has also
suggested a correlation between
high nitrogen application rates
and tar spot severity.
While there are no corn prod-
ucts grown in the U.S. Corn Belt
that are known to have high levels
of resistance to tar spot, there ap-
pear to be slight differences among
products in levels of susceptibili-
ty. Most U.S. corn products from
all companies appear to be rela-
tively susceptible to tar spot, but
only a few products appear to have
slightly less severe symptoms.
If tar spot is suspected, a tissue
sample should be sent to a labo-
ratory for analysis; to confirm the
presence of tar spot. Two of the
most common practices for reduc-
ing disease inoculum include crop
rotation and tillage. Because the
fungus appears to overwinter in
infested debris, avoiding that in-
oculum early in the season should
be of some benefit depending on
how much inoculum is available
to move in from other sources and
how far the spores spread. Based
on the widespread occurrence of
tar spot in 2018, the fungus ap-
pears to be able to spread very
rapidly over long distances when
weather is favorable. In years with
less favorable weather, rotation or
management of infested debris
may be of more value in limiting
the development of tar spot.
If you see anything that fits
the description of, or resembles
(Picture) Tar Spot, please inform
your state specialist, field special-
ist, or county extension educator,
but most importantly, please send
samples to the following lab (1680
Madison Ave, Wooster, OH) for
confirmation. They will also be
using your samples to study the
fungus in order to develop effec-
tive management strategies. The
most popular and effective tool
for managing tar spot in Latin
America is to plant hybrids with
resistance to the disease. In 2018,
tar spot symptoms were observed
across a range of hybrids in Indi-
ana. All of these hybrids were sus-
ceptible to tar spot infection, but
These corn leaves have the beginning stages of tar spots. It is import-
ant to know the different stages of this foliar disease.
Photo by Jonathan Holden

disease severity, the formation of
halos or fisheyes, and rapid senes-
cence varied greatly (Figure 5),
and some hybrids appeared more
resistant to the disease. Data indi-
cated that no particular seed com-
pany brand outperformed others
Timely and appropriate fun-
gicide application is key. Corn,
which has a growing season that
can last from April until October,
requires one or two fungicide ap-
plications, typically during July
or August, to manage the disease.
Fields treated with fungicides at
the earliest signs of disease ap-
pear to be faring better than fields
that were not treated, she added.
Fungicides may help reduce the
incidence of tar spot. With low
tolerance to a disease, very sus-
ceptible crops historically have
required multiple applications of
fungicide to prevent yield loss.
The combination of fungicides
with more tolerant products will
likely be the best means of help
in the near term. Delaro is a rec-
ommended foliar fungicide avail-
able for corn. Fungicide applica-
tion should begin when disease
first appears and continue at 7- to
14-day intervals if environmen-
tal conditions persist that favor
continued disease development.
More than one fungicide applica-
tion may be needed in environ-
ments with high disease pressure.  
Spores are known to disperse up
to 800 feet, so rotation or tillage
practices that reduce corn resi-
due in a field may be negated by
spores moving in from neigh-
boring fields. Observations so far
suggest that rotation and tillage
probably have little effect on tar
spot severity.
Tar spot is favored by cool
temperatures (60-70 ºF, 16-20 ºC),
high relative humidity (>75%),
frequent cloudy days, and 7+
hours of dew at night. Tar spot
is polycyclic and can continue to
produce spores and spread to new
plants as long as environmental
conditions are favorable. Most of
the information we have about
tar spot originated in Mexico and
Central America, where favorable
environmental conditions make
the disease prevalent. In these ar-
eas, cool (59-70°F), humid condi-
tions (85% relative humidity) with
long periods of leaf wetness (great-
er than 7 hours) promote infection
and disease development.
Wind-driven rain and storms
can spread spores of the pathogen
to new plants and spread the dis-
ease. The fungus that causes tar
spot is an obligate pathogen and
requires a living host to grow and
reproduce. Researchers believe
that the fungus is surviving over
winter in Indiana on infected corn
debris on the soil surface with-
in stromata. Other fungi related
to the tar spot fungus overwinter
in a similar fashion by infecting
grasses and weeds. It is unknown
how long the fungus will survive
in this debris outside a living host
or the range of hosts the pathogen
can infect, although it is assumed
to only infect corn. Researchers do
not believe the tar spot fungus is
seedborne, although it can infect
husks, as mentioned above. It is
still unknown what future impact
tar spot could have in the Unit-
ed States, but we speculate that
the disease will continue to occur
and spread.
Some corn fields in the most se-
verely affected Midwestern states
(Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and
Wisconsin) reached 100% disease
incidence and 50% severity on the
ear leaf before the dent growth
stage (R5), with reports of 20-60
Farmers have to scout their crops for earlier detection of diseases and
to make sure their crops are growing efficiently. Most farmers do daily
or weekly checks of their fields. Photo by Jonathan Holden

bushel/acre yield losses in 2018
(Telenko, et. al. 2019). Yield loss
was associated with an early, rapid
senescence that led to reduced ear
size, poor kernel fill, and vivipa-
ry (a condition in which the seed
germinated while still on the cob).
Preliminary observations also sug-
gest that stalk rot and lodging
were increased with high tar spot
severity. The rapid senescence
could also reduce forage quality.
Crop rotation, residue man-
agement, hybrid selection and
appropriate use of fungicides are
all part of the arsenal growers in
this year’s battle with tar spot.
Duration of leaf surface wetness
appears to be a key factor in the
development and spread of tar
spot. Farmers with irrigated corn
in areas affected by tar spot have
experimented with irrigating at
night to reduce the duration of
leaf wetness, although the poten-
tial effectiveness of this practice to
reduce tar spot has not yet been
determined. Commercial corn hy-
brids vary widely in their suscepti-
bility to tar spot. Hybrid selection
should be a primary consideration
in managing for tar spot. Any
practice that reduces infested corn
residue and encourages decompo-
sition of fungal survival structures
has the potential to reduce the
negative impacts of tar spot com-
pared to fields not implementing
these practices. Two of the most
common practices for reducing lo-
cal disease inoculum include crop
rotation and tillage. Rotating away
from corn allows infested corn
residue to decompose. However,
the amount of time a previously
affected field must be rotated away
from corn previously infected with
tar spot is unknown. Similarly, till-
age should bury inoculum and re-
duce local spore dispersal within
a field. Growers will need to fol-
low these recommendations and
scout their crops often to combat
this disease.
Editor’s Note: Jonathan Hold-
en is an Agriculture Educa-
tion Teacher at Dresden High
School. His background is in
Agriculture and Animal Science.
We also offer Soil Sampling (Grid/Spot)
and of course ... all your seed, fertilizer and Ag chemicals needs!
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For years, Kentucky Lake has
been known as a top fishing des-
tination in the country. Wheth-
er it’s Crappie or Bass, we have
you covered! Well… until Asian
Carp wreaked havoc on our eco-
system and changed generation-
al fishing patterns. Thanks to the
efforts of numerous elected offi-
cials, state employees, fishermen
and business owners, we are see-
ing a shift in fishing weights at
recent tournaments. So much
so that Kentucky Lake has be-
come a tournament destination
once again. Looking forward to
2022 and 2023, Paris Landing
will host 3 National Champion-
ships and a State Championship
during that time.
One of those tournaments will
include the Kayak Bass Fishing
National Championship. Chad
Hoover, Owner of Kayak Bass
commented, “Kentucky Lake is
home to us. The fish never left.
We are fortunate to be able to get
in the shallow waters and pull the
10 pounders of our there. We
look forward to hosting our larg-
est event ever in 2022.”
With the Lodge at Paris Land-
ing set to open in early 2022,
Kentucky Lake is preparing for a
busy upcoming year. The 34-mil-
lion-dollar Lodge will feature 90
rooms and will be the “crown
jewel” of the State Park System,
according to locals, that is.
The largest impact on Asian
Carp can be credited to Clay
and Christel Young at North
Kentucky Lake
An Outdoor Paradise
By Travis McLeese
This local fisherman enjoys a fruitful day on the lake. Chamber of Commerce Photo

American Caviar. They modified
their commercial fishing business
model to include Asian carp. Al-
though the plan originated to im-
prove the ecosystem, they have
made the most of the situation
and have purchased 2.3 million
pounds since January of 2021.
In addition to the commercial
fishing, the Henry County Tour-
ism Authority has invested in a
fish stocking program that will
place over 900,000 Florida strain
Large Mouth Bass into the lake
over a three-year period. When
released into the water, the fish
are over two inches in length and
will have a high survival rate and
are more likely to battle the con-
ditions created by the carp.
The Tennessee National Wild-
life Refuge Visitor Center at the
water’s edge is filled with kid-ap-
proved, interactive fun, includ-
ing Junior Ranger badge activ-
ities. Experience the wonder
year-round with spotting scopes
to spy waterfowl, a welcoming
back porch; expansive lake views,
and interpretive signage. Did you
know that two thirds of the state’s
birding population can be found
at the refuge?
In Paris, we count great food
and cold beverages served under a
blue sky as a favorite outdoor ac-
tivity. Throw in a little corn hole
A Bethel University fishing team member assists with the stocking
program. Chamber of Commerce Photo
A variety of Birds take flight at the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge .

and it’s even considered exercise!
Several marinas offer dockside
dining, picnic areas and rockin’
live music during the season.
For more outdoor fun, come
and play under the Eiffel Tow-
er. Enjoy our brand-new Splash
Park, dueling slides, tree-covered
trails, disc golf, tennis, pickleball
and a playground, plus seasonal
swimming, beach volleyball, fish-
ing and more await you at Eiffel
Tower Park.
Come for the day…come for the
weekend… Come for a LIFE-
TIME.. Come… Experience Paris!
For more information or
help with your accommodations,
contact the Paris-Henry County
Chamber of Commerce at (731)
642-3431 or visit any of their so-
cial media outlets.
Editor’s Note: Travis McLeese is the CEO of the Paris-Henry
County Chamber of Commerce. A Paris, Tennessee native, Travis
graduated from Henry County High School before attending Beth-
el University on a performing arts scholarship. There he earned a
bachelor’s degree in business administration. In 2008 Travis re-
ceived the Governors Star Award for Community Service. That
same year, he received the Loyal Patriot Award, the highest hon-
or that any Henry Countian can receive. He is a 2019 graduate of
the WestStar Leadership Program.
Travis currently sits on the Tennessee Chamber of Com-
merce Executives Board of Directors, The Tennessee Association
of Community Leadership Board
of Directors, the West Tennes-
see PBS Board of Directors, The
Henry County Healthcare Foun-
dation, The Henry County Agri-
culture Advisory Committee for
the Henry County School System,
and the Friends of the Tennessee
National Wildlife Refuge Board of
Directors. He is also a member of
the Paris-Lakeway Kiwanis Club.

October is here and the deer
of Tennessee are showing signs of
rut activity! How do I know? I’ve
got eyes all over the woods! Trail
cameras have become an integral
part of a lot of today’s hunting
strategies for mature whitetails,
and I’d like to dive into some tips
and tricks that I have come up
over the years, learned by success-
es and failures. Starting in the ear-
ly 2000’s trail cameras have been
a very implemental tool to find
success chasing whitetails, and
there has never been a better time
for the consumer to purchase and
implement a trail camera strategy
to better their success afield than
now. I’ve been personally using
trail cameras routinely for the last
decade, and there are several key
strategies I’ve picked up on during
the process of acquiring the intel.
When considering which cam-
era to buy you may need a spread-
sheet to weigh the options of what
model is the best; or ask on an
online forum and you’ll get doz-
ens of the opinions and why you
should buy a certain model. How-
ever, I take the position entirely
that “you get what you pay for.”
Different versions are available
Cellular trail cameras are great tools for monitoring places you can’t visit regularly. This buck was
visiting a mock scrape tree while I was at a wedding in Pennsylvania.
with Trail Cameras
Hunting
Big Bucks
By Sam Bradshaw

for picture or video and a lot of
new options have the ability to use
cell service to transmit the photos.
Some of these models can cost $20
to $30 and others can be as much
as $800. All of which are designed
to take a picture, so be realistic on
how many cameras you need and
where they will be placed, as to
what options to go with.
Deciding what camera to buy
is up to the consumer on how
much money will get what they
need, but there are two items I
urge everyone to break the bank
on! SD cards and batteries, I’ve
determined are better qualities to
splurge on than the camera itself.
Cheap low storage SD cards often
times don’t interact with the cam-
era and cause major issues on the
function of the camera, and I rec-
ommend a 16+GB card to be able
to hold thousands of pictures.
Formatting that card to the
camera is a major step, and no
matter how much you want to
throw the instructions to your
camera away, its well to do that
you run through the setup line
by line to insure a proper setup.
Batteries are always up for de-
bate, but high-grade Duracell have
always done me well. However,
be cautious of dollar stores and
low-quality products as they do
not last as long as batteries from
Lowes or hardware stores. Now
that you’ve got your camera it’s
time to get it in the woods!
During summer and early sea-
son when deer are still on their
summer routines I like to place my
cameras in areas where I know I
can drive up in my truck or only
take a few steps to retrieve the
camera to keep ground scent as
minimal as possible. These setups
often involve a mineral or salt site,
water hole, and even in the cen-
ter of food plots on a stake show-
ing the entire field of view to the
camera. Summertime also requires
some detail on what’s in front of
the camera, as one tiny leafed limb
floating in the breeze can cause for
a lot of scrolling through blank
pictures (hence good batteries and
high storage amounts). Having
a machete or weed eater handy
helps tremendously on getting rid
of unwanted vegetation.
Moving into fall, I prefer to
start shifting my cameras from
my summertime locations to ar-
eas where rutting signs shows up.
This is done strategically in ear-
ly October so that my presence
during the last few weeks of the
month is minimal, while mature
bucks are seeking the first does
in estrus. The last few weeks of
October should show you what
deer are frequenting the property
you’re hunting, as bucks start to
widen their home range and seek
out their rutting area.
Scrape lines and scrape trees
One daylight picture of this buck led me into a pinch point of travel nearby where I got a shot at him
3 days after the solo picture.

have become my favorite place
to capture a seeking buck! Time
and time again pictures prove that
bucks are almost irresistible to a
major scrape in a high traffic area.
Once a buck enters the frame you
should be able to capture his di-
rection of travel, timing, and atti-
tude of his presence. All of which
tilt the ball in your court when
pursuing that deer. Depending on
the setting, I highly recommend
being very cautious when trying
to put trail cameras in areas where
deer feel safe. On a food plot,
scrape, or other open setting deer
are already on edge, so it’s natural
for them to get spooked a little.
From my years of placing cam-
eras on trails and other secluded
areas of travel I’ve found bucks
moving their path to steer clear of
cameras. They don’t know what it
is, but they know it’s not right, so
essentially you bumped the deer
off his chosen path, which leads
the wiser of bucks to know he’s
being hunted. If I plan to place
a camera in the path of a tran-
sitioning deer, I’ll always try to
place it higher than their line of
eyesight, because they will see an
eye level camera. It’s just a mat-
ter of how much intrusion they
will allow. It’s hard for me to be-
lieve a deer is this smart, but over
the last two seasons I’ve hunted a
deer that I’ve gotten 6 pictures of,
and 5 out of the 6 times he walked
in front of the camera it was the
last time he ever showed up there.
Was it ground scent? Sound of
the camera? Camera body? I still
don’t know. I do
know now with-
out a doubt some
deer are sharp
enough to pick
up on a camera
and avoid that
path entirely.
Later in the
season cameras
act as a snitch on
who moved into the area. Core
areas of bucks can change over-
night during the rut and having
a few cameras scattered around
the parcel you’re hunting on can
spread out the chances of catching
a mature buck moving in. Lastly,
late season deer tend to move back
into a summer-like pattern of bed
to feed, and often times only one
picture this time of year can lead
you right into the path of an un-
suspecting buck.
Overall, I believe trail cameras
can help anyone become a better
whitetail hunter, no matter how
they use them. Unless you fall into
the camera trap! I’ve climbed trees
close to cameras that have had
zero bucks on camera and had
great hunts with numerous buck
sightings. Cameras tell us a lot of
the story, but they do miss a lot of
action no matter how well they are
setup. Take the information they
provide and put those pieces into
the real-life puzzle pieces you are
aware of and I believe your sight-
ings of mature deer will increase.
If there is one gospel rule cameras
have taught me it is this; cameras
don’t kill deer, guns and bows do!
There was 6 cameras within half a mile of where I shot this buck, but
I never got a single picture of this deer over a 5 month period.
“We don’t cut corners .... we clean them”

News this summer about the
forthcoming fall flight of ducks
isn’t what dreary duck hunters
wanted to hear. It’s not going
to be a washout, but waterfowl-
ers across the Mississippi flyway
were hoping to read about scores
of young ducks in the migration
this year.
That’s not the case, say biolo-
gists with Delta Waterfowl, who
earlier this summer released de-
tails of what Dixie duck hunters
can expect as the fall and winter
season draws near.
It’s going to be a reduced
fall flight in the aftermath of dry
conditions across the prairie pot-
hole region, known as the duck
factory.
“The prairie pothole region
— the most important duck pro-
duction area on the planet — was
almost universally dry. There will
be far fewer juveniles in the fall
flight, and that’s unfortunate be-
cause the best seasons are those
with an abundance of young
ducks.” — Dr. Frank Rohwer,
president and chief scientist of
Delta Waterfowl.
After a lackluster season last
fall and winter, it’s sort of insult
to injury to hear such projections
for duck hunters down here in
the South. Meanwhile here are
some of Delta’s details that help
paint the true picture of why
things have gone array.
While populations remain
strong, dry breeding conditions
across the vast prairie pothole
region likely led to poor duck
production.
Delta Waterfowl forecasts that
poor breeding conditions in the
prairie pothole region will result
in a smaller fall flight than water-
fowl hunters have experienced for
many seasons. The Duck Hunters
Organization expects that while
blue-winged teal, green-winged
teal and gadwalls had average to
below-average production, other
key species fared worse, includ-
ing mallards and, even more so,
pintails, wigeon and canvasbacks.
“A lot of the prairies were dry
the past two springs as well, but
at least there were pockets of ar-
eas with good wetland conditions.
But, this year we likely had poor
duck production due to many
birds overflying the prairies, and
those that stayed showed reduced
re-nesting effort and low brood
survival,” says Rohwer.
Delta’s analysis is delivered
despite the second-straight Covid
related cancellation of the Wa-
terfowl Breeding Population and
Habitat Survey — a key barom-
eter of the fall flight that’s oth-
erwise been conducted annually
since 1955 by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and Canadian
Wildlife Service.
State surveys were, however,
successfully conducted by wild-
life departments in North Da-
kota, Michigan, Wisconsin and
Oregon. Nowhere were drought
conditions more evident than
in North Dakota, a critical duck
producing region for the Missis-
sippi and Central flyways.
The North Dakota Game and
Fish Department estimated an 80
percent decline in wetlands from
2020, and the breeding duck esti-
mate of 2.9 million marks a 26.9
percent drop from last year.
“North Dakota’s survey is the
bad news we knew was coming,”
continued Rohwer. “The reduc-
tion in water is staggering. It’s
the highest percentage decrease
in the history of the North Da-
kota survey.”
Still, there are silver linings
to be found when small, shal-
low prairie wetlands — those
most vital to making ducks —
dry out. Little precipitation fell
throughout the winter and early
spring, and in turn the normal-
ly wet pools produced abundant
vegetation.
W
a
terfowl
Forecast
By Steve McCadams

Reelfoot Lake Guide Billy Blakley, of Bluebank Resort calls at a shy bunch of gadwalls from his blind
in the backwaters surrounded by a massive decoy spread. Photo by Steve McCadams

“The drought cycle rejuve-
nates wetlands with food for hens
and ducklings in the following
spring,” Rohwer said. “Assum-
ing we have better water next
year, ducks will rebound quickly.
We could have outstanding duck
production.”
Carryover ducks from con-
sistent years of good production
also means that populations of
adult, breeding ducks — though
far more challenging to decoy —
remain high. Despite indicating
a significant decrease from 2020,
North Dakota’s breeding-duck es-
timate remains 19 percent above
the long-term average. And long-
term data indicates that most
duck populations are well above
average — including a 2019 es-
timate of 38.9 million breeding
ducks, 10 percent above average.
“It’s going to be a tough year,
but the good news is duck num-
bers remain relatively high,” he
says. “This isn’t like 1992 when
we entered a drought and the
bottom had already fallen out in
terms of breeding populations.
And one of the things about a
drought is you get better hen
survival in the summer, because
their nesting efforts are weaker
and therefore they are less vul-
nerable to predators.”
Delta expects that mallards had
poor production.
“Mallards are great re-nesters
— one of the key reasons they’re
such prolific ducks is if one, two
or even three or more nests fail,
they’ll try again — but that isn’t
going to be the case this year,”
Rohwer said. “Wetland resourc-
es that drive re-nesting were not
available.”
Meanwhile, hunters here in
Flooded grain fields offer wintering waterfowl a Mecca for feeding and resting. However, water and
weather must cooperate for southern duck hunters to have the resources to attract big numbers needed to
offer decent seasons. Photo by Steve McCadams

Tennessee and across the south-
ern region are sort of absorb-
ing the tough news and letting
it soak in.
All southern duck hunters
know weather is the big factor
for us. Population trends are im-
portant, no doubt, and it’s always
uplifting when an increased fall
flight pumps up the interest level.
Bottom line is that there are
still plenty of ducks, but this
year’s flight will have some older
and wiser ones winging our way.
As if we needed an additional
challenge!
Yet, weather will deal the
cards. Water conditions and cold
fronts pushing through at the
right time will greatly influence
how things turn out. That’s al-
ways been the case it seems.
Despite what appears to be
a reduction in overall numbers
we could still have a good sea-
son if the weatherman pulls a
few rabbits out of his hat at the
right time. Duck hunting south of
the Mason-Dixon Line is mostly
about the timing of weather!
Water conditions along the
mighty Mississippi are always a
big factor for us here in West
Tennessee too. Drainage areas
such as the Obion, Forked Deer
and Hatchie River offer thou-
sands of acres for wintering ducks
to rest and feed. That is, if we
have the water.
It’s a balancing act as to the
water levels. Too much water and
the Mississippi River floods out,
inundating thousands of flood-
ed grain fields and backwater
swamps in all the states that bor-
der it. Too little water and ducks
scatter across the likes of the
Bootheel of Missouri, Arkansas,
northern Mississippi, West Ten-
nessee and Western Kentucky.
Too much water added to
warm winters and the ducks can
go anywhere and often dodge the
hunters, especially in areas when
seasons are closed.
If it’s dry and hunters can’t
flood many private hunting clubs
then that presents another prob-
lem as well. Both scenarios have
happened many times over the
years but all duck hunters know
things can change quickly during
the season.
If areas to our north “ice up”
in cold weather, we inherit lots
of ducks and geese literally over-
night, as they’re looking for new
feeding and resting opportunities.
So, it all seems to come back to
the weather situation each year.
The last two seasons have been
pretty tough on most southern
duck hunters as the consensus
among the ranks was ho-hum.
Low numbers in the migration
didn’t send what was needed here
to salvage slow starts.
If odds have anything to do
with it we’re due for a decent sea-
son here in West Tennessee and
throughout the region. Places
like Reelfoot Lake enjoyed some
success last year thanks to good
numbers of gadwalls that stopped
over, but elsewhere it was pretty
tough sledding.
Some locations with time test-
ed reputations of good hunting
did not fare well last season. You
can’t shoot what you can’t see!
Despite a lackluster fall flight
forecast Dixie duck hunters could
still see a good year if ole’ man
weather deals the cards right to
us southern boys!
When wet springs occur on the prairie pothole region in the Dakotas
and southern Canada ducks respond favorably with good hatches.
Photo: Delta Waterfowl
Editor’s Note: Steve McCad-
ams is a professional guide
and outdoor writer from Par-
is, Tennessee. He’s been hunt-
ing waterfowl for over 50 years
from Canada to Louisiana.

MAY - JUNE 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 54
SPONSORED BY
FIRST CITIZENS NATIONAL
BANK
Virginia Tanner Burden caught this
nice bass on a Reelfoot Lake Water-
shed off of Marshall Kirk Road.
Drake Thorpe caught this 30.5 lb.
blue catfish while fishing with his
Paw Paw. The fish was caught using
a rod and reel. It came from the
Mississippi River.
Drake Thorpe got his first turkey
in Weakly County, while hunting
with his Paw Paw. The turkey had
a 9” beard and it weighed 22 lbs.
Robert “Doc” Jackson caught
this huge redfish off the shores of
Cleardale, Alabama.
Hunter Thorpe (pictured on
the left) caught this yellow
cat while fishing with his Paw
Paw in the Mississippi River.
It weighed 7.5 lbs.
Hunter Thorpe took his first
Turkey while hunting with
his Paw Paw in Weakley
County. The turkey was a
Jake. It weighed 15 lbs.

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