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Southern Traditions Outdoors: September - October 2017
1. SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
SEPT / OCT 2017
HOLLIE’S
HIDEAWAY
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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
John Sloan
Richard Simms
Dana Watford
Buck Gardner
Richard Hines
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
John Roberts
Richard Hines
Rob Hurt
Mark Buehler
Richard Fagan
Neill McLaurin
Sam Bradshaw
Todd Cotten
Field Staff Editors
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith
Stacey Lemons
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
PG................... ARTICLE ........................................................ AUTHOR
6 ....................... Hollie’s Hideaway.......................................................... Rob Somerville
9 ....................... Food Plots ................................................................... OxCart
15 ....................... After the Shot – Tracking Your Deer ........................... Rob Somerville
18 ....................... Fred Bear – Legend of the Outdoors .......................... Richard A. Fagan
23 ....................... Duck Season Forecast ............................................... Steve McCadams
32 ....................... Early Farming in America ............................................ Rob Somerville
33 ....................... Tax Tips for Farmers.................................................... STO
39 ....................... Lucky Stones................................................................ Kevin Griffith
52 ........................ TWRA News ................................................................ STO
54 ....................... Trophy Room................................................................ STO
Hollie Marie Adcock is posed here with one of many trophy bucks she had harvested. Sadly, she was tragi-
cally lost to us this past spring.
5. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS
Letter from the Editor
From the Desk of Rob Somerville
Do you feel it?
The darkness of night is coming earlier in the day and the weather is much cooler. Crops are be-
ing harvested. Summer clothes are being packed away and Halloween decorations are displayed in
all the stores.
It’s a magical time of year. Hunters are dreaming of big bucks and flocks of ducks. All this means
one thing ….. Hunting season is just around the corner.
At the local cafes, groups of folks no are longer griping about the weather or politics. Talk around
the coffee machine turns to the latest in hunting equipment, which is the best gun to use, or getting
their blinds brushed and their deer stands placed.
Old hunting stories are being told. Some may begin with, “That was the longest shot I have ever
seen”, or “That boy is so lucky he could probably kill a trophy buck from his toilet at home.”
Some of these stories are noticeably changing with each time they are being told. “That banded
duck I killed at Reelfoot Lake was from at least 50 yards” may not morph into a 60 or 75 yard shot.
“The big buck that Johnny killed back in 1999 may have actually been an 8-point – 150 lb. field
dressed deer” but might now be a 12-point - 225 lb. buck. But, nobody seems to mind that the tales
get stretched a little taller each year.
Fond memories are
stirred up about past
hunting partners who
now hunt in the ulti-
mate location of Heav-
en, where every day has
a bluebird sky, and how
much these compan-
ions are missed.
Young boys and girls
are taking Hunter Safe-
ty courses with one of
their parents and look-
ing forward to “Open-
ing Day” where they get
to find out {up close and
personal} about what all
this hunting fuss is all
about.”
Deer land is being scouted and decoys are being strung. Wild Game Suppers begin appearing …
a virtual Mecca for hunters to fraternize.
It is a time of year that brings out one of man’s most basic instincts … to hunt!
Good luck this hunting season. I hope it a safe and eventful one. And please, always remember
that our children are our most precious natural resource. They are our future!
See ya,
Rob
6. SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
Hollie's HideawayBy Rob Somerville
By the age of four, her dad would take her dove and duck hunting, where
Hollie would proudly use her toy pop gun and shout “bang” at the flying
birds.
The hunting and fishing world lost
a good one recently on April 9th,
2017; a true champion and pioneer
for women in the outdoors. But, the
Good Lord gained a loyal child of
God, as she sits beside His throne …
quite possibly with a deer rifle in one
hand, a Benelli shotgun in the other
and a fishing pole close by.
Her name was Hollie Marie Ad-
cock and she was 23 years young
when she tragically left this earth.
She had accomplished much in her
life. She was a 2012 graduate of Dyer
County High School, serving as co-
valedictorian and maintaining a 4.0
grade point average. Hollie was se-
nior class president, Miss DCHS, and
led the tennis team there. Hollie then
attended Mississippi State University
where she was a member of Kappa
Delta sorority and graduated Suma
Cum Laude in 2015.
Early Outdoor Roots
Obviously Hollie spent plenty of
time with her family, friends, studies
and scholastic activities … but she
always made time for her lifelong
passion of hunting and fishing. To
form a greater understanding of that
we must travel back in time.
When Hollie was about 4 years-
old, her parents David and Pamie
purchased a property to build their
house on. It was 260 acres, with 90
acres of that being in woods. It also
had an artesian, spring-fed water-
fall and later a 12-acre lake stocked
with crappie, bluegill and bass was
built. This would become the play-
ground that Hollie, her younger sis-
ter {Mary Malone Adcock} and her
father {David} would make their out-
door wonderland.
David has always been an avid
hunter and fisherman. When his
wife, Pamie was with child, he sub-
consciously hoped for a baby boy to
share his love of hunting and fishing
with. Well, God works in mysterious
ways as the Adcock’s sired a daugh-
ter, but soon David would realize
that his wish for a partner in the out-
doors would come true … and that
wish would be magnified even great-
er than he had ever imagined.
The Birth of Hollie
the Huntress
Hollie showed an immediate inter-
est in nature and its creatures, even
as a young girl. If her dad was in
camo or was carrying a fishing pole,
Hollie would grab his hand or jump
in his arms, ready to go with him.
By the age of four, her dad would
take her dove and duck hunting,
where she would proudly use her toy
gun and shout “bang” at the flying
birds. When she was six years-old,
her dad bought her a single shot BB
gun, with which he taught her how
safety was the most important factor
when hunting. She would sit quiet-
ly and patiently in the duck blind.
The gracious fellow hunters in the
blind never complained when the
ducks weren’t flying and she was al-
lowed to shoot the low powered BB
gun at the duck decoys. Her infec-
tious laugh and grin when one of her
shots pinged off of the side of a de-
coy would always have everyone in
the blind smiling.
Soon she could have used the
motto of the U.S Mail Service, be-
cause no matter what the weather
7. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS
{be it rain, sleet, snow, wind, ex-
treme heat or frigid temperatures}
she was always ready to go hunting
or fishing.
David, Hollie and Mary Malone
{who was the best angler of the two
and many times had to help Hollie
remove a lure from a fish’s mouth}
would frequently fish at their lake to
have a family fish fry that same eve-
ning. David taught the girls to nev-
er shoot or keep any animals or fish,
unless they would use them to the
nourishment of their bodies. Even
when on vacation, the both girls
would want to go deep sea fishing at
least one day of their vacation.
Overcoming Obstacles
Hollie loved to play tennis and was
very good at it. One day the doctors
discovered a large tumor in her calf
that resulted in seven total surgeries.
This, in itself, would have discour-
aged many a grown man to give up
on deer hunting. But, not Hollie!
Independence Day
After her second surgery {and at
the age of 12} Hollie wanted to hunt
by herself … for the first time ever.
It was in a deer hunting club that
David was a member of at Kentucky
Bend. Danny Scott created a new
food plot for her along a wooded
slough and coined the name “Hollie’s
Hideaway.” Her mom was against
her hunting alone, but her dad knew
she was ready. He knew that she had
been brought up right, completed
her hunter safety course, spent days
in the field practicing safety and
accuracy, and had already taken
three nice bucks with David at her
side. With some trepidation, David
walked her to the stand that evening.
He did not stray far from her stand.
He just waited anxiously. Suddenly a
shot rang out from Hollie’s direction.
He hurried to her stand location and
there sat his daughter with a confi-
dent smile on her face. As he assisted
her down from the stand their eyes
locked and it seemed in that moment
that their bond of the great outdoors
was sealed forever. But, she was no
longer his little princess, learning
about the outdoors and its treasures.
She was a confident young lady, who
earned the change in title from ap-
prentice to partner. They found the
150 class trophy buck she had shot
and celebrated quietly in prayer …
together.
Hollie the Huntress
Hollie went on to harvest several
great bucks, but one that stood out
in her father’s eyes went like this. A
man came into OuterLimit Powers-
ports to purchase an ATV. While he
was there he showed manager, Drew
Adams, several photos of huge bucks
that he and his family had harvest-
ed off the property he owned. It was
2011 and the big flood had wiped out
the Kentucky hunting club. A deci-
sion by the members of the club was
made to wait five years before they
would hunt the land again. By now,
Hollie was literally “hooked” with
the deer hunting bug, and heart-
broken that their hunting club was
shut down.
Well, the man who bought the
ATV was driving a car, so the unit
had to be delivered. David brought
him the unit himself. After meeting
the man and his wife David asked if
it would be possible for him to pay
Hollie quickly earned her outdoor
stripes, as she became an excellent
trap, skeet and wing shooter.
No matter how harsh the weather would be, Hollie was unstoppable, as
witnessed by this trophy buck she harvested in the rain. This deer was a
160 class buck she harvested at age 18.
8. SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
to let his daughter deer hunt there
her senior year. They said that they
were sorry, but no one but fami-
ly could hunt there. Here is where
the Good Lord intervened. David
thanked them for their time and as
he was walking out the door, when
the man’s wife asked where Hollie
was going to college. When David
told them she would attend Missis-
sippi State, it turned out that the man
played basketball there and his wife
was a cheerleader in the early 1960’s.
The couple agreed to allow Hollie to
hunt a small piece of the land, which
had never been hunted. Well, she al-
ways brought a camera with her and
took a photo of a big buck she passed
on at 40 yards. When the landowner
saw her maturity in doing this, he
expanded her hunting area.
A Goat Roping
Later that season, Hollie was
dropped off on a trail towards a
small food plot that had an old met-
al, rusting shooting house that had
not been hunted. The shooting house
was sturdy and safe, but was filled
with about 36 inches of dry leaves.
She called her dad {who was at a LSU
football game} and said, “This is a
goat roping” {which means a near-
ly impossible situation.} “There is a
ton of dried leaves in the stand, it is
about to rain, the wind is howling
and I’m going to spook every deer
in the area trying to get the stand in
huntable shape.”
David told her to rake the leaves
out of the stand and just hunt, as the
others were not scheduled to pick
her up until dark. She did as she was
told and was soon rewarded with a
huge 160 class, ten-point buck. This
hunt and others taught Hollie pa-
tience and perseverance, which later
in life would be the subject of deer
hunting seminars she would per-
form at Bass Pro Shops across the
region.
Hollie’s Hideaway
Hollie’s dad purchased some qual-
ity hunting land about ten miles
south of the Kentucky/Tennessee
border, along the Mississippi River.
He and his two daughters were ex-
cited about cultivating the property
for big bucks – especially Hollie. Da-
vid and she were walking the prop-
erty when one day she told him to
stop. She began pacing the bound-
aries and marking the area with
flagging, declaring that this was the
pace she would like to grow a food
plot and place a deer stand, because
it reminded her of “The Hideaway”
up in Kentucky Bend. David began
clearing that unique spot according
to Hollie’s flagging and instruction.
Sadly, Hollie was tragically lost to us
all, before the area was completed.
David plans on finishing the work,
setting up a deer stand and marking
her spot with a plaque that will read
“Hollie’s Hideaway.”
No one will ever be allowed to hunt
that stand, simply because it is Hol-
lie’s. I can just imagine on a frosty
foggy morning, as the sun begins to
clear the eastern horizon, one might
see her sitting there. She will be all
swathed in camo from head to toe,
her crossbow or rifle in her hands.
But there would be two things clear-
ly visible; her bright “huntress eyes”
scanning the horizon for deer, and
her beautiful smile, shining in heav-
enly peace. For she is in Heaven now
where the big bass always bite, the
ducks and dove always fly, and tro-
phy deer are behind every cotton-
wood tree.
She is in Hollie’s Hideaway.
Hollie believed in “paying it forward” and quickly became a pro staff
member and seminar speaker for Bass Pro Shops
Hollie was an excellent wingshooter,
as witnessed by her limit of ducks
in this photo
9. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS
The much-anticipated deer sea-
son is just around the corner. Are
you ready? You've probably tak-
en inventory of your gear, prac-
ticed with your gun or bow and
planned out your hunting sched-
ule, but have you started planting
your food plots yet?
Perhaps you're crunched for
time and are considering just do-
ing without food plots this sea-
son. That'd be a mistake, espe-
cially if you hunt in areas where
food sources are lacking.
Josh Honeycutt, Realtree's deer
hunting editor, says, Having a
healthy balance of food plots,
natural vegetation and mast is
crucial for the health of any local
deer population. Using a strategic
combination of food plots and
micro kill plots not only helps
feed the herd, but also puts you in
position to pull deer within bow
range. Planting food sources will
take your deer herd and hunting
to the next level.
Test Your Soil
Before you start planting your
food plot, make sure you take the
necessary steps to ensure you get
the most out of your food plot.
As for the planting itself, it's
easy to plant food plots when it's
convenient for you, Honeycutt
said. But you can't do that. You
have to plant when the conditions
are right. Don't plant just because
you have a free Saturday. Wait
for the right time. It's imperative
to plant your food plots within a
couple days of a forecasted, good,
soaking rain.
Jimmy Ray Parrish, Penning-
ton Seed regional sales manager,
says that before you even consid-
er planting a food plot, perform
a soil test on the land.
Each food plot needs a sepa-
rate test, he said. Don't just as-
sume that food plots in the same
area will have the same soil type.
It's very important to have the
pH and P (phosphorus) and K
(potassium) just right to ensure
the foot plot will adequately pro-
duce. Most people have no idea
what the pH of their property is.
They think they can just put out
13-13-13 fertilizer each year, but
it's a natural acidifier. If they do
that each year without putting
out lime, it will make the soil too
acidic. They need to apply lime so
that the soil maintains a pH of
somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0
with 6.5 pH being perfect.
Prepare the Seedbed
Once you've tested your soil,
you must properly prepare the
seedbed. If you don't plant your
seed in a nice, firm seedbed, you'll
experience problems.
Jason Campbell, brand manag-
er for Plano Synergy, said, Spray
the food plot 10 days or more in
Having a healthy balance of food plots, natural vegetation and mast, is
crucial to the health of local deer population.
Tips for Late-
Summer Food Plots
Provided by
OxCart
10. 10 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
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for a quick, delicious meal.
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advance of any ground-prepara-
tion work. When planting during
the hot part of the summer, I rec-
ommend disking the plot, rather
than planting with a grain drill.
The softer/loose soil will absorb
and hold more moisture. Due to
the warmer temperatures, half of
the recommended fertilizer rate
should be broadcasted and lightly
tilled into the soil to help avoid
fertilizer burn.
Campbell said to avoid planting
cool-season food plot varieties
too early when it is hot and dry,
and don't fertilize heavily imme-
diately after planting.
If the food plot receives just
enough moisture to germinate the
seed, but not much more, imme-
diately following germination, the
fertilizer tends to burn the young
seedlings, he said. Another very
common issue is burying the
seed too deep.
Small seeded va-
rieties (clovers
and brassicas)
should be plant-
ed at a depth of
less than ¼ inch
- preferably 1/8
inch or less.
Select Your Seed
So, you've chosen a location
and prepared the soil. What seed
should you plant? You have nu-
merous options and combina-
tions to choose from, but if you
want to keep it simple, consider
Honeycutt's suggestion.
My go-to seed option is bras-
sicas (turnips), Honeycutt said.
This broad-leaf plant is easy
to grow and deer love it. That
said, it will not become heavily
consumed by deer until the first
frost hits. This triggers the glu-
cose levels to rise in the plants,
which makes it much more at-
tractive, palatable and sweeter to
deer. Once this occurs, it is eaten
in two stages. First, the leaves are
targeted. Then, deer will extract
the turnips from the ground and
consume them, too. This is a great
seed to plant if you'll be hunting
in late October, November, De-
cember and/or January.
Campbell said, For a late-sum-
mer planting, when it is still too
early and too hot to plant cool-
season (fall) plant varieties, I
would recommend planting le-
gumes. Cowpeas and lablab, as
well as soybeans, may be plant-
ed anytime during the summer,
as long as there is moisture. Our
Evolved Harvest Mean Bean
Crush would be the best product
to plant this time of year.
Parrish recommends offering
the deer variety. Deer really like
variety in what they eat, he said.
When deer graze in the wild,
they're eating a variety of plants.
When you plant a mixture, you
help ensure that something will
grow in that plot even if some of
Fence in some test areas at each food plot that deer can’t reach. You can
compare the height of the unreachable food source with the browsed area
around it to test deer browsing usage of the plot.
11. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 11
the plants don't make it. I prefer
to plant 50 % in annuals and 50%
in perennials like durana white
clover. My preference is Penning-
ton Rackmaster Feeding Frenzy.
It's a high percentage of brassicas
and legumes.
Maintain Your Plot
After you've planted your plot,
the work is not done. Make sure
you fertilize and care for your
plot as it grows from September
through next May or June.
Parrish said, If you fertilize
it one time, hunt on it, shoot a
deer and then forget about it,
your plot will stop producing as
it should. The intent of your plot
is to help manage your herd dur-
ing the fall, winter and spring. Af-
ter the rut, bucks need nutrition
to recover and does need nutri-
ents to sustain their pregnancies,
so you need to continue to fertil-
ize to ensure your plot produces
enough proper nutrients to sup-
ply and manage the deer herd.
Last but not least, don't forget
to use your OxCart throughout
your food plot preparation. It's
the first utility dump cart you
can fill fully with seed, lime and
fertilizer. It will save you time
and your back with pro-grade
durability and a hydraulic lift-as-
sist and swivel design to handle
dumping heavy loads up to 90%
easier.
Best of luck!
Editor’s Note: Check out the Real-
tree Half-Ton Hauler Video and
the How It Works Video!
For more info, visit www.oxcart.
com.
Turnips are a broad-leaf plant that is easy to grow and deer love to eat
them.
The OX CART is the first utility dump cart you can fill completely with
seed, lime and fertilizer. Then, during season, you can use it to haul deer
stands and big bucks.
13. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 13
421 W. COURT ST.
DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE
731-285-5767
We are proud to welcome
Sam Bradshaw to our company!
Contact him at:
15. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 15
You are sitting in your tree
stand, as still as a statue, when all
of a sudden a deer materializes on
the trail you have been watching
for the last hour. You carefully
take aim, shoot and watch as the
silence of the woods erupts with
thundering hooves and your ears
are echoing with your heart’s rap-
id adrenaline rush. You hastily sit
down to control the rubbery mus-
cles in your legs and hope your
weeks of practice at the bow or
gun range have paid off. Dozens
of questions run through your
head. Was it a good shot? Was
my follow through steady? Where
did the deer run off to?
Which way did he go?
Today we will look at some
things that can help you recover
your deer. It is our responsibility
as hunters to make every effort to
recover any animal we have shot.
Let's take it step by step.
As you are sitting in your tree
stand, try to picture a few scenar-
ios. Where do you think the deer
will come from? What is its likely
escape route? Where are your safe
shooting lanes? What is your con-
fident shooting distance?
Visually picture all of this in
your mind, as soon as you settle
in and secure your safety har-
If you follow the steps in this article, there is a pretty good chance you
will find your wounded deer.
Photo by Rob Somerville
After the Shot –
Tracking Your Deer
By Rob Somerville
16. 16 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
ness. Look for any distinguish-
able landmarks that can help you
identify which way a wounded
deer will run.
Whether you are hunting with
a bow, muzzleloader or rifle, all
of these factors can be helpful in
you recovering your game.
As the deer appears and you
make your shot, the following
things should be noted.
1. Exactly where was the deer
standing when you shot?
2. How did the deer react when
shot?
3. Which way did the deer
run?
4. Did you hear an audible
crash of the fallen deer?
Do not immediately climb
down from your stand. Visu-
ally mark all of the above items
because once you climb down
from your stand the terrain will
look completely different from
a ground level perspective. Use
landmarks to note where the deer
was standing, where it ran and
where you hopefully heard the
telltale crash of its demise.
At this time, re-run in your
mind the deer's reaction at the
shot? This is very important, and
can give you a clue as to where
the deer was hit. Use the fol-
lowing guidelines to make this
decision.
Did I make a good hit?
1. If the deer jumps straight up
or falls down and then runs off,
low to the ground with its tail
tucked, you have made a good
hit, probably in the vitals. This
will mean the deer will prob-
ably expire within minutes at a
distance of less than 200 yards.
Wait about a half hour then
track your deer.
2. If the deer hunches its back
and runs or walks away, you
have probably made a gut-
shot. This type of shot requires
you to leave the deer alone for
two to three hours, longer if the
weather is cold and the meat will
not spoil. It will bed shortly, and
When a wounded deer leaves a scant blood trail the key to finding him is to move slow, mark the last spot
you found blood or tracks, and keep your eyes and ears open.
Photo by Rob Somerville
17. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 17
if you give immediate chase you
stand the chance of jumping
it up and losing it. When left
alone, the deer will usually re-
main where it first beds down.
3. If the deer runs a few yards
and looks around, then con-
tinues feeding, you probably
missed. Nock another arrow
or chamber another round and
wait for a secondary, ethical
shot.
4. If the deer runs way out of
sight, quietly leave your stand
after visually marking the land-
marks described earlier in this
column. Immediately go to the
area the deer was standing dur-
ing the shot for some more clues.
Look for blood in the immedi-
ate area. If no blood is found,
look for hair. White hair could
mean a chest or stomach hit. If
you are bow hunting and find
your arrow, smell the arrow. A
gut shot deer will leave an un-
mistakable odor of feces on your
arrow. If you detect this, you
must wait a couple of hours be-
fore trailing your quarry. Dark-
er hair would mean a vital organ
or muscle hit. If your arrow has
rich, red blood on it with bub-
bles, you have hit at least one
lung and should have no trou-
ble recovering your deer. Next
look for tracks and turned up
leaves, where the deer ran. Ev-
ery time you find blood, mark
the spot with orange marking
tape {a piece of toilet paper can
also be useful and is biodegrad-
able}. As you continue to do so,
you will be able to look back and
see the general route the deer
has taken.
5. If you are following a blood
trail, and suddenly run out of
blood, mark the last spot and
sector out in small circles, care-
fully and slowly looking for more
blood. It is easier to track deer
with the help of a second person,
who can stand at the last spot
and help you look. Never walk
directly on the deer's route or
you may erase signs of finding
your deer. A word of caution is
needed here. Many times I have
witnessed occasions where too
many, well-meaning helpers ac-
cidentally stomped all over the
blood trail, anxious to be the
first one to pick up the next spot
of fresh blood.
6. Hard-hit deer will often run
along a well used deer trail, but
don't get in too big of a hurry as
they can veer off into the thick
stuff at any given time.
Summary:
Remember, it is our duty to
find any game we have hit while
hunting. I hope these tips help
you become successful in your
hunts. And always keep in mind
that our children are our most
precious natural resource, they
are our future. Get a kid hooked
on fishing instead of drugs, and if
you hunt with your children at an
early age, you won’t have to hunt
for them later in life.
Look for blood on dry leaves, branches on the ground and on green shrub-
bery, up to three feet above the ground, where a deer may have brushed
up against it.
Photo by Rob Somerville
18. 18 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
Fred Bear is known as the fa-
ther of modern day bow hunting.
As a young man he worked in the
automotive industry. After hours,
he worked to start his own com-
pany, Bear Archery. His compa-
ny grew to become the most suc-
cessful company in bow hunting.
Today, the quality of their prod-
ucts and the attitude of putting
the customer first are still their
guiding principles. Fred Bear was
instrumental in establishing the
first archery season for deer in
Minnesota. He was an inventor,
a successful author, a film direc-
tor and many other things. But,
in my opinion, the legacy of Mr.
Bear’s insight and wisdom is his
greatest gift to bow hunting. Sev-
eral of his famous guidelines have
proven true for me and my hunt-
ing partners.
“Go afield with a good
attitude, with respect for the
wildlife you hunt and for
the forest and fields in
which you walk. Im-
merse yourself in
the outdoor expe-
rience. It will cleanse
your soul and make you
a better person.”- Fred
Bear
My bow season started
late, as it does every year. I
wait for cooler days to begin,
and for the deer to slip into their
BY Richard A. Fagan
Fred Bear -
Legend of the Outdoors
Fred Bear 1902-1988 ..... Thanks “PaPa Bear” for all you’ve done.
19. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 19
autumn pattern. My stand was
positioned just inside the woods
over a small clearing. A well worn
trail ran through the clearing, to
the edge of the woods, where it
ended at a cut cornfield.
It was roughly an hour after
sunrise when I saw a honeysuck-
le vine twitching. A doe was nib-
bling away at the vines. She ate
for a few minutes, and then began
to walk down the trail towards
me. I hooked up my release and
made ready for my shot. She was
well within range, at about fifteen
yards, when I saw movement be-
hind her. Hoping it was a buck, I
stayed frozen in place as the doe
walked by me. Two fawns came
wondering down the trail after
their mother. I looked back to the
doe. Her full attention was on the
fawns. I never raised my bow. I
decided I’d pass.
I hunted that stand regularly.
There was plenty of deer move-
ment and opportunities for shots,
but I still felt it was for the best
that I hold off. The deer were in
pre-rut and things seemed to be
getting better each time I hunted
there. I was hoping that by stay-
ing invisible a nice buck would
show up.
It was mid October and I had
been seeing the same three deer
frequently, with the mother doe
was always at alert and watching
after her young. On one afternoon
she moved out into the field to
feed. The fawns bedded down in
the clearing. Not long after that I
saw movement behind them on
the trail. A buck stepped out. He
was a respectable ten- pointer.
He moved over to the fawns and
tried to nudge one of them up. I
figure he was going to use them to
make sure the coast was clear be-
fore he walked out into the field.
That wasn’t to be. My arrow was
a clean pass through. The buck
bolted back for deep woods but
only ran a short distance before
falling.
I learned during that season to
hunt after the deer you want and
not just the first one that comes
by. I also have a standing rule that
I will not ever put my sights on a
mother tending to her young.
“There’s more fun hunting
with the handicap of a bow
than there is in hunting with
the sureness of the gun.” Fred
Bear
My good friend and hunting
partner, Mark Batts, sat in a deer
stand on the north side of the
woods one morning. The stand
faces the woods, but you have a
clear view over your shoulder of
the field to the north. It was fog-
gy that morning, making it hard
to see, Mark told me. He was
watching the field when he heard
a noise coming from the woods.
He slowly turned to see several
does moving down the trail to-
wards the creek that was just in
front of the stand. The banks were
not as steep as in other places and
the deer crossed there frequently.
He watched as they made their
way down the far side and back
up on his side. The last doe came
out of the creek and paused with
the others to survey the field. In a
single fluid motion, Mark brought
his bow to full draw and released.
The arrow struck the deer just be-
hind the front shoulder passing
completely through. The sixty-
pound pull recurve bow had done
20. 20 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
its job. Mark followed the blood
trail and found the deer about
a hundred yards from where he
made the shot.
Mark and his recurve harvest-
ed four deer that season. The next
season he arrowed a nice seven-
point buck at twenty-eight paces.
He said if he would have taken
time to think about the shot he
would have missed the deer.
Mark’s style of shooting is the
same as Fred Bear’s. It’s called
“snap shooting” and is done with-
out the aid of sights, using noth-
ing but the bow, the arrow and the
archer’s instincts. Yes, there is a
handicap in hunting with a bow
compared to a gun, especially a re-
curve. After years of hunting with
Mark, I can tell you that his skill
with a bow makes that handicap
less noticeable, and we do have a
lot of fun.
“A hunt based only on
trophies taken, falls far short of
what the ultimate goal should
be.” Fred Bear
Fred Bear was a gentleman in
the truest sense. He urged hunt-
ers to be part of nature, not in-
vaders of it. Through his life as
an outdoorsman, he demonstrat-
ed to us how we should be good
stewards to the blessings that God
gave us.
As I listed earlier, Fred Bear had
many books he authored and sev-
eral written about him, by close
friends. He also has a good num-
ber of videos available. I highly
recommend these.
I want to close this article with
what I consider the most impor-
tant quote Fred Bear ever spoken.
I hope every hunter takes this to
heart.
“When a hunter is in a tree
stand with high moral values,
proper hunting ethics and be-
comes richer for the experi-
ence, that hunter is 20 feet clos-
er to God.” Fred Bear
Here the author displays the ten-point buck he harvested utilizing Fred
Bear’s philosophy.
Photo provided by author
FRED BEAR’S 10
COMMANMENTS OF
BOWHUNTING
1. Don’t step on anything you
can step over
2. Don’t look for deer, look for
movement and remember move-
ment is also what they’re looking
for.
3. Always approach from
downwind. In the cool of the day,
move uphill; in the heat of the
day move downhill.
4. The best camouflage pattern
is called, sit down and be quiet!
Your grandpa hunted deer in a
red plaid coat. Think about that
for a second.
5. Take only the gear to the field
that allows you to hunt longer,
harder and smarter.
6. A rainstorm isn’t a reason to
quit the hunt, it’s a reason to stay.
7. Camouflage your appearance,
your sound and your scent.
8. Be sure of your shot. Nothing
is more expensive than regret.
9. Hunt where the deer actu-
ally are, not where you’d imagine
them to be.
10. Next year’s hunt begins the
minute this season’s hunt ends.
21. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 21
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What’s up with the ducks?
Any duck hunter who ever
donned a camouflage hat has it
on his mind; how does the fall
flight look and is the forecast
better than last year? Kind
of like talking about your favor-
ite football team’s prospects!
Even during the dog days of
summer or in early fall, long
before frosty mornings
enter the picture, duck
hunters are thinking about
one thing … ducks! Fueled
by the picture of their feath-
ered friends, descending swiftly
against a brisk north wind over
the decoy spread, puts a little
glide in their stride.
Encounter a gathering of
waterfowl hunters and within
minutes you’ll hear a shrill hail
call break out. Duck hunters
just can’t resist the temptation
to blow a few notes when bud-
dies flock together and begin
duck discussions!
The season is indeed fast ap-
proaching. Days are growing
shorter and there’s a little chill
in the morning air.
What’s the fall flight forecast
from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and what do organiza-
tions like Duck Unlimited and
Delta Waterfowl have to say?
For starters, precious pintail
populations have increased by
By Steve McCadams
DUCK
SEASON
FORECAST
Hunters hope to have good days like this, but know weather and water
conditions play a vital role in the migration down south.
Photo by Steve McCadams
24. 24 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
10 percent! That’s pretty good
news right from the get-go.
The details are released each
summer once the USFWS
and Canadian Wildlife Ser-
vice weigh in with their annual
ground and aerial surveys done
on the breeding grounds.
It’s called the Waterfowl
Breeding Population and Habi-
tat Survey and it has been con-
ducted since way back in 1955.
After years of gathering infor-
mation, biologists have a good
data base with which to com-
pare each spring’s hatch.
Weather Conditions and
Habitat are the Keys
Duck numbers are dynamic
and respond favorably when
wetlands are wet and habitat is
abundant. They make some ad-
justments when dry conditions
occur and move their annual
rituals to different locations to
some degree, in an attempt to
find what’s needed. Some-
times that works; other times
dry conditions deal a bad hand
and duck numbers plummet.
Every day in the duck blind is
different, as is every year on the
breeding grounds.
The 2017 Survey is the Fifth
Highest Breeding
Population on Record
It’s easy for the average duck
hunter to get lost in the details.
Duck numbers may sound high
for this or that species, but it’s
the comparison to their long-
term average that usually paints
the best picture. Comparisons
to last year are important too,
but it’s that long-term average
that biologists like to monitor.
Meanwhile, this year’s fall
flight of ducks is estimated
to be 47.3 million, which is
slightly lower than last year’s
48.4 million, but still 34 per-
cent above the long-term av-
erage. The 2017 survey is the
fifth highest breeding popula-
This mixed bag of gadwalls, pintails, mallards and more, made for a great day.
Photo by Steve McCadams
25. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 25
tion on record.
In summary, the numbers
are the reason we’ll enjoy an-
other long 60-day duck season
with a liberal 6-duck daily bag
limit. Some of us old timers re-
member when things weren’t so
good; there were 30-day duck
seasons with restricted bag lim-
its and morning shooting time
was cut back to sunrise!
Species Breakdown
A breakdown on the ten most
popular species from the sur-
vey showed the following: the
highest estimate ever recorded
for gadwalls, which increased
13 percent to 4.18 million, 111
percent above the long-term
average. Blue-winged teal pop-
ulations grew by 18 percent to
7.89 million, 57 percent above
the long-term average. North-
ern shovelers climbed 10 per-
cent to 4.35 million, 69 percent
above the long-term average.
“Isn’t it great to finally have
some good news to report about
pintails?” said Delta Waterfowl
President Dr. Frank Rohw-
er. “They’ve increased due to
the way water was distribut-
ed across the prairie this year.
The pintails’ preferred breed-
ing range - southern Alber-
ta and southern Saskatche-
wan - provided ample shallow
wetlands.”
Following last year’s record
high, mallards declined 11 per-
cent to 10.49 million, but re-
main 34 percent above the
long-term average. Wigeon
fell 19 percent to 2.78 million,
6 percent above the long-term
average. Green-winged teal de-
creased 16 percent to 3.6 mil-
lion, still 70 percent above the
long-term average. Redheads
declined 13 percent to 1.12 mil-
lion, 55 percent above the long-
term average. The canvasback
estimate of 733,000 is similar to
last year’s estimate of 736,000
and 25 percent above the long-
term average.
“Renesting and brood sur-
vival are going to be far low-
er this year. I don’t expect the
production we’ve seen in re-
cent years. That’s important
for hunters, who shoot the fall
flight, not the breeding popula-
tion. We will see a lot of birds
flying south, but it’ll be more
challenging for hunters because
the flight will have a higher per-
centage of adult ducks.” Rohw-
er said.
Dixie Ducks
Duck hunters in Dixie know
others factors such as weather,
water availability and food here
on the wintering grounds down
south, play a vital role in the
forthcoming season too.
Earlier this spring and sum-
mer saw flooding rob many
wildlife management areas un-
der TWRA management of wa-
terfowl food. Popular WMAs
all across West Tennessee lost
corn and some rice that literally
flooded out. The agency came
back with millet in a few areas
and replanted but the heavy
rains have taken a toll on both
Waterfowlers will get another 60-day season and 6-duck daily bag limit
across Tennessee, thanks to a good fall flight forecast.
Photo by Steve McCadams
26. 26 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
state refuges and WMA units
that normally support winter-
ing waterfowl.
The surveys indicate that
wetland conditions and pop-
ulations of most frequently
harvested ducks remain above
the long-term average, and for
most species, populations were
at or above those from last
year, said DU Chief Scientist
Tom Moorman. This is great
news for waterfowlers who can
now turn their attention to pre-
paring habitat, tuning up their
dogs and relentlessly watching
the weather forecasts for the
onset of fall and winter weather
that will push the birds on their
annual southward migration.”
DU remains concerned about
northern pintails and scaup in
particular, as the survey infor-
mation continues to indicate
these two species remain below
their long-term average popula-
tions. Both species have strug-
gled to regain desired popula-
tions. We will continue to work
with our many conservation
partners to understand what
drives populations of these two
species. If science points to
habitat limitations as contrib-
uting factors, we’ll rely on the
science to develop conservation
solutions to help restore popu-
lations of these birds.”
Tennessee’s statewide sea-
son is similar to last year and
opens November 25th -26th.
The second segment runs De-
cember 2nd thru January 28th,
2018. The Reelfoot Lake Zone
opens for its early, two-day
season November 11th – 12th.
Second segment there is same
as statewide.
The two-day youth hunt will
be offered on February 3rd and
10th, which are two separate
Saturdays after the regular sea-
son closes.
For additional details
and shooting times log onto
TWRA’s website at www.tn-
wildlife.org.
Editor’s Note: Steve McCadams
is a professional guide and out-
door writer from Paris, Ten-
nessee. You can reach him at
stevemc@charter.net.
A good dog adds another dimension to any duck hunt. The author’s black
Lab named Molly sports a hefty gadwall that she retrieved from thick
cover.
Photo by Steve McCadams
27. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 27
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33. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 33
By Rob Somerville
Are you in the farming business or thinking about it? If so, you should be aware that there
may be tax benefits available for you come tax time. Farms include plantations, ranches,
ranges, and orchards. Farmers may raise livestock, poultry or fish, or grow fruits or vegeta-
bles.
Here are 10 things about farm income and expenses you should keep in mind this year.
1. Crop insurance proceeds. Insurance payments from crop damage count as income. Gen-
erally, you should report these payments in the year you get them.
2. Deductible farm expenses. Farmers can deduct ordinary and necessary expenses they
paid for their business. An ordinary expense is a common and accepted cost for that type of
business. A necessary expense means a cost that is appropriate for that business.
3. Employees and hired help. You can deduct reasonable wages you paid to your farm’s full
and part-time workers. You must withhold Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from
their wages.
4. Sale of items purchased for resale. If you sold livestock or items that you bought for re-
sale, you must report the sale. Your profit or loss is the difference between your selling price
and your basis in the item. Basis is usually the cost of the item. Your cost may also include
other amounts you paid such as sales tax and freight.
5. Repayment of loans. You can only deduct the interest you paid on a loan if the loan is
used for your farming business. You can’t deduct interest you paid on a loan that you used
for personal expenses.
6. Weather-related sales. Bad weather such as a drought or flood may force you to sell more
livestock than you normally would in a year. If so, you may be able to delay reporting a gain
from the sale of the extra animals.
7. Net operating losses. If your expenses are more than income for the year, you may have
a net operating loss. You can carry that loss over to other years and deduct it. You may get a
refund of part or all of the income tax you paid in prior years. You may also be able to lower
your tax in future years.
8. Farm income averaging. You may be able to average some or all of the current year’s
farm income by spreading it out over the past three years. This may lower your taxes if your
farm income is high in the current year and low in one or more of the past three years.
9. Fuel and road use. You may be able to claim a tax credit or refund of excise taxes you
paid on fuel used on your farm for farming purposes.
10. Farmers Tax Guide. Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide, is a useful resource that you
can obtain from the IRS. However, if you have specific questions, don’t hesitate to call.
TIPS FOR FARMERS
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37. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 37
Justin Wright understands the needs of farmers and sportsmen. He has my vote - Rob Somerville: Editor - STO Magazine
39. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 39
Do you remember walking
on red gravel roads as a kid? If
you grew up in our area of west
Tennessee, I bet you did. These
roads were everywhere and if
you paid attention to the gravel,
you’d likely find a Lucky Stone.
If you never found one, you
missed out! Kids would keep
these treasures in their pock-
ets for good luck, like a rabbit’s
foot. (Do you remember those?)
Why were they lucky?
I think they were labeled as
lucky because it took a little ef-
fort to find one and these stones
were just plain cool! Looking
nothing like the smooth gravel
surrounding it, the Lucky Stone’s
cylindrical shape would stand
out. Adding in their ribbed
(1/8” - 1 ½” or more) length,
you would have found some-
thing very unique and worth
sticking in your pocket to ex-
amine more later on.
Native Americans thought
these stones were very cool as
well! They saw them as precious
enough to use in jewelry (ever
heard of Indian beads?). Obvi-
ously, their source wasn’t red
gravel roads, but our area steam
beds. Lucky Stones weren’t the
only material used by the Indi-
ans as beads. But they were of-
ten used by tribes where Lucky
Stones were found.
What are Lucky Stones? Be-
lieve it or not, they are a fos-
silized body part (the stem) of
a sea creature called a Crinoid
that lived in our area of the
country when it was covered by
a shallow sea. This ocean’s bot-
tom was covered by these crea-
tures… billions of them! They
were joined by various species
of sponges and corals, many of
which have also left evidence of
their life in the gravel.
Crinoids were beautiful! They
came in many shapes and sizes.
Most variations shared com-
mon traits that included an at-
tached base, long central stem
and feather like extensions on
their top making each look very
much like a small palm tree, but
it wasn’t a plant at all. It was an
animal that lived life like a coral,
stationary and nourishing itself
through filtering much smaller
(often microscopic) animals and
We found these lucky stones in the red gravel from the roads on our
family farm. Each one is actually a fossilized stem section of an ancient
sea creature called a Crinoid.
Photo by author
Lucky Stones .
Do you have one?By Kevin Griffith
40. 40 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
Here are three kids checking out a
red gravel road on our family farm
for Lucky Stones! From left to right:
Andrew Griffith, JoLee Ray Rohrer
Nellee Mae Rohrer.
Photo by author
plants from the water (see pic-
ture with this article).
Interesting, isn’t it? I love
hunting fossils even more than
I do rock hounding (see my last
article on geodes in July/August
2017 Southern Traditions Out-
door Magazine or on my blog at
www.fyrnelake.com).
Every fossil represents a pic-
ture of life in the past. Holding
one transports me on an imag-
inary journey of what it would
have been like to see it - face to
face. Imagine finding yourself in
the water with a 50-foot Mega-
lodon shark, or huddling behind
a tree in an ancient forest listen-
ing to the breath of a hungry T-
Rex just 10 feet away!
I’ve hunted fossils all my
life. Growing up in Florida, I
was surrounded by fossils. I’ve
found ice age mammal bones
in the rivers, shark teeth on the
beach, and even a whale bone
during the excavation of a re-
tention pond being dug behind
my business. It’s like a treasure
hunt, history lesson, and detec-
tive mystery novel all wound
into one! When I started spend-
ing more time in Tennessee I
wanted to continue my hobby. It
wasn’t long before I discovered
fossils below my feet, literally!
That’s when I picked up my first
Lucky Stone on the farm.
I recognized it immediate-
Crinoids were beautiful sea creatures that came in a variety of shapes and
sizes. Fossilized sections of their stems can be found in our local red gravel
roads and stream beds.
Drawing by Ernst Haeckel - Wikipedia
41. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 41
ly as a Crinoid stem section,
similar to the ones I found in
streambeds on my grandmother
Fyrne’s farm, in Indiana. I dis-
covered the same shallow sea
that covered parts of Tennes-
see also extended over much of
the Midwest, including where
my grandmother’s farm was
in southern Indiana. Traces of
this fossil bearing, red gravel
can be found throughout these
states where the varying shore-
line of this ancient ocean tum-
bled the gravel smooth along its
beaches.
Like seashells, the Crinoid
stems mixed with the gravel
and were eventually buried, to
be uncovered many years later
by erosion or, in the case of red
gravel roads, excavated from
pits.
The red gravel used for our
road was from a pit near Troy,
TN. Could there be a similar
gravel deposit on my own farm?
Sure enough! Halfway down the
slope of the Chickasaw bluff
(where my farm is located) are
outcroppings of this red gravel.
In fact, each of the three land
parcels that make up that sec-
tion of my farm had a history
of being mined for gravel. I dis-
covered three old pits and one
had even been used for county
roads as recently as the 1980s.
“This is cool!” I said out loud to
myself. It didn’t take long before
I started finding my own Fyrne
Lake crinoid stems.
The reality is that it’s easier to
find fossils in gravel when it’s
spread out for a road or parking
lot. My older son, Jeremy, and
his girlfriend, Sarah especially
enjoyed hunting the pavilion
parking lot near the lake on our
farm. I was amazed at the vari-
ety of fossils they discovered…
literally pounds of crinoids, cor-
als and sponges!
Jeremy even discovered a fos-
sil impression of a Trilobite!
Trilobites were a very cool fam-
ily of extinct arthropods that
was made up of 1000s of spe-
cies ranging from 1/10 to 30
inches in length, most looking
very much like a segmented
horseshoe crab (see picture of
fossilized trilobite). The fossil
impression he found was like
a footprint in the rock that re-
vealed the creature’s unmistak-
able shape. A three dimension-
al fossil like the one shown in
the picture would have been
more cool. However, to find
ANY trilobite fossil in red grav-
el is rare making this find a real
treasure!
Jeremy is hooked on hunting
fossils as much as I am. Dur-
ing his childhood, we hunted
This fossilized Trilobite is one example of a cool family of extinct arthro-
pods made up of 1000s of species, ranging from 1/10 to 30 inches in
length.
Picture by Kevin Walsh – Wikipedia
42. 42 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
them together in phosphate
pits, along road cuts, in riv-
ers and on beaches. He even
crawled around with me at the
pond construction site behind
my Florida business, where we
found the whale bone. He’s now
almost 30 and we still hunt to-
gether, concentrating most of
our energies on the holy grail of
fossils… DINOSAUR bones!
Has this article piqued your
interest in fossils? Are you ready
to find your own Lucky Stone?
Just in case you find your eyes
wandering down toward the red
gravel below your feet, check
out the pictures of what I’ve
found in the gravel at Fyrne
Lake. Happy hunting and may
the Lucky Stone be with you!
There are more than just Crinoid fossils in the gravel! Here are a few examples of the many sponges, corals
and shells fossils we’ve found on the farm.
Photo by author
44. 44 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
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49. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 49
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50. 50 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
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52. 52 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
TWRA NEWS
Tennessee Wildlife Re-
sources Agency (TWRA) of-
fices are receiving reports of
dead deer in scattered areas
of the state. The timing and
details of the reports are all
indicative of hemorrhagic
disease (HD). HD occurs
at varying levels of sever-
ity each year in Tennes-
see’s deer herd. The catch-
all term for this disease is
hemorrhagic disease (HD),
and epizootic hemorrhag-
ic disease (EHD) and blue-
tongue are the closely re-
lated viruses that fall under
the umbrella of HD.
So far this year, reports
are predominantly coming
from East Tennessee, and
based on the volume of re-
ports it appears to be above
average in severity. Accord-
ing to officials in Athens,
Ga., at the Southeastern Co-
operative Wildlife Disease
SUMMER DEER MORTALITY
ATTRIBUTED TO COMMON VIRUS
53. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53
Study (SCWDS), the out-
break being experienced ap-
pears to be a part of a larger
multi-state outbreak involv-
ing several nearby states.
Reports to TWRA of-
fices indicate mortality of
deer in at least 20 counties
with more expected as the
season progresses. The last
major outbreak of HD in
Tennessee was in 2007 and
involved virtually all of the
state.
“So far the intensity of
the outbreak seems to be lo-
calized,” said Roger Apple-
gate, Wildlife Health Pro-
gram Leader for TWRA.
“We don’t anticipate this
outbreak to rival that of
2007, but it is still early and
we’re actively monitoring
the situation.”
HD is caused by a virus
that is transmitted to deer
from biting midges or “no-
seeums.” It is not transmit-
ted from deer to deer by
contact. The virus causes
fever, respiratory distress,
and swelling of the neck
or tongue. Not all deer ex-
posed to the virus will die,
but those that do usually
do so within 5 to 10 days
of exposure in or near wa-
ter as they seek to cool their
bodies from the fever. Inci-
dence of HD usually peaks
around mid-September and
is usually done by mid-Oc-
tober with the onset of cold
weather.
“Although some of the
clinical symptoms are sim-
ilar, it is important to not
confuse HD with CWD
(Chronic Wasting Disease),”
said James Kelly, TWRA
Deer Management Program
Leader. “Unlike CWD, HD
is a virus and deer can sur-
vive infection. It comes and
goes at varying levels of se-
verity much like the flu does
for humans. CWD, on the
other hand, is actually a
much greater concern be-
cause the causative agents
known as prions persist in
the environment and in deer
populations indefinitely.”
Fortunately, CWD has not
been detected in Tennessee,
and intensive surveillance
will continue this fall by
TWRA biologists and agen-
cy partners for this neu-
rological and always fatal
disease.
Editor’s Note: For more in-
formation on CWD please
visit cwd-info.org.
54. 54 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017
These four Dyersburg natives {Michael Campbell,
Jon Helton, Bubba Stafford, Dwayne Sparks}
had a great time hunting with Billy Montague of
Beagle Chase Hunting Services last winter.
Photo submitted by Beagle Chase Hunting
Services – Billy Montague - 901-626-5822
Seven year-old Chasten Brock of McKen-
zie, Tennessee is pictured here with his huge
stringer of catfish caught at Steve McCadams
“Casting for a Cure” charity cancer event he
holds every year.Photo by Steve McCadams
Kaylee Ferguson of McKenzie, Tennessee provesher girl power, as she shows off her great catchat Steve McCadams “Casting for a Cure” charitycancer event he holds every year.Photo by Steve McCadams
55. SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2017 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55
Pictured here is David Bondurant with a 46 lb.
Pickwick striper, caught on 12lb. test monofila-
ment line.
Mr. Smallmouth – Robert “DOC” Jackson shows
off another big Pickwick smallie.
This catfish was caught by Joe Fitzgerald {age
13 of McKenzie Tennessee}. He was fishing at a
private pond in Perry County with his uncle -
John Worley of Lexington, Tennessee.
Photo submitted by Shana Fitzgerald