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Southern Traditions Outdoors - September October 2021
1. 1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
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FOOD PLOTS · DOVE HUNTS · PUPPY LOVE
ARMY WORMS · TURKEY SEASON RECAP
4. 4 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
Advertising Information:
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
Drew Adams and his two sons {Cooper and Cayson} are pictured here with a couple nice straps of
ducks on their family farm. Get your Kids outdoors and enjoy God’s creation with them!
Photo submitted by OUTERLIMIT POWERSPORTS
PG..................... ARTICLE ............................................................AUTHOR
8 ........................... Puppy Love.......................................................................Rob Somerville
14 ......................... Pelicans - The Battleship Birds of Reelfoot Lake .............Jere Hughes
17 ........................ Reelfoot Arts and Crafts Festival.......................................Katrina Greer
20 ......................... Deer Food Plots................................................................Richard Hines
28 ......................... Army Worms Moving Across Tennessee...........................Jonathan Holden
34 ......................... Farming and Finances.......................................................Roger Walker
40 ......................... Reelfoot Lake History........................................................Steve Wright
42 ......................... Tennessee Dove Hunting..................................................Steve McCadams
46 ......................... Turkey Season Recap.......................................................Sam Bradshaw
52 ......................... Trophy Room.....................................................................STO
Garry Mason
Walter Wilkerson
Terry Wilkerson
Steve McCadams
Kelley Powers
Shawn Todd
Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
Cody Rodriquez
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
7. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 7
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8. 8 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
A Sound Beginning will con-
stitute a lifetime of enjoyment
for you and your retriever.
One of the most important
steps, when considering acquir-
ing a new puppy, is finding a
reputable breeder. A reputable
breeder will help insure that you
enjoy a long, healthy life with
your new best friend. A decision
on a puppy can not be rushed.
Do your homework, ask for ad-
vice from your local retriever
club, or call your local profes-
sional trainer. Two of the most
important things to look for are
OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for
Animals) and CERF (Canine Eye
Registration Foundation) certifi-
cations. These organizations are
responsible for inspecting and
rating dog’s hips, elbows and
eyes. Retrievers are exceptional-
ly prone to genetic defects; such
as hip dysplasia, retinal degen-
eration, and elbow dysplasia, to
name a few. You don’t want to
put time and money into a dog
that will not be able to perform
wee enough to hunt later. All of
these should be taken into con-
sideration, as well as insisting
upon seeing, a pedigree that will
produce the kind of dog you are
looking for. It is also helpful to
familiarize yourself with the des-
ignations retrievers attain as well
as the purpose they serve.
Now that you have chosen
By Rob Somerville
These puppies need to get plenty of sleep, because when they become retrievers as adult dogs, they will
work hard on very little rest during duck season. Photo by Rob Somerville
9. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 9
your new best friend, there are
a few things you need to under-
stand about your new life togeth-
er. First of all, remember that you
are a “TEAM.”
You can only expect 100% out
of your pup, if you put 100% into
it. The first few weeks of your
puppy’s life are some of the most
critical. From age 7 weeks to 16
weeks old, your pup is a sponge,
just waiting to absorb everything
you can pour into it. One of my
favorite quotes is, “Your pup is
like a computer, the more data
you input, the more files you can
call up later.” (Jackie Mertens)
It is extremely important to
find a training program that fits
you and your retriever. You need
to set realistic goals for you pro-
gram. Don’t believe you can cram
six months of training into three,
just because duck season is com-
ing. Set your standards and ac-
cept only work that meets or ex-
ceeds that standard and nothing
else. If you lower your standard
and compromise, you will only
delay your goal. You are building
a retriever. So you must start with
a solid foundation and systemati-
cally work through your program.
It is critical to socialize the
pup with the world. Introduce
it to birds, water, gunners, other
dogs, people and any other situ-
ation available. Letting the pup
play with other dogs, as well as
other people, will help his social
skills later. A chain link pen, or
plastic kennel, is not proper so-
cializing tools. You should spend
as much time as possible with the
pup. Remember that your goal is
to produce a responsible and pro-
ductive member of the hunting
society; a well trained, and well
mannered dog will be welcome
in any blind in the country.
Now lets get down to the fun
stuff …training. Some principles
to remember are:
• Keep it fun
• Be patient. These are dogs,
and even dogs have bad days.
• Always teach first and when
in doubt simplify; In other
words … be fair.
Start with a puppy bumper
{retrieval dummy}, or any kind
of toy that you can throw and
the pup can retrieve. Keep it fun!
Keep your sessions short, in
order to hold the puppy’s inter-
est in retrieving. Build on suc-
cess and encouragement. Keep
the throws in low cover and easy
to see. Use white bumpers to en-
courage using his eyes before his
nose. He will learn how to hunt
with his nose soon enough. As
you and your pup progress, in-
corporate a thrower in the field
with a cap gun. While working,
you should always use a light-
weight check cord about 50 feet
long, this will give you the ability
to gain control at all times. It is
also time to start obedience train-
ing. These are the most crucial
commands you will teach your
pup. All of your future training
will revolve around obedience.
Start teaching sit, here, and heel
on both sides. Stay, is an unneces-
sary command. When you say sit,
it means sit, until told otherwise.
You can incorporate a choke
chain with the check cord at this
time to teach and enforce these
commands. Remember, teach be-
fore you enforce. Mix in shack-
led ducks or clipped pigeons to
enhance the fun. Throw singles
only at this time. It will help the
dog concentrate and focus later.
Always remember, KEEP IT FUN
and stick to your program.
Now that you have chosen your new best friend, there are a few things
you need to understand about your life together.
Photo by Rob Somerville
11. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 11
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
13. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 13
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14. 14 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
The slow, oppressive, heat-
filled dog days of summer have
transitioned into the cooling days
of fall. While midday tempera-
tures still occasionally break a
sweat, the cool periods of the days
{dawn and dusk} foretell of the
approaching cold embracement
of winter. The lake’s main assault
by its summer visitors have been
repealed by the return of school
and its endless scheduling de-
mands. Even the majority of the
lake’s fisherman have shifted their
focus from fishing to the pursuit
of waterfowl. Launched boats,
previously ladened with fishing
tackle, are now overflowing with
loads of brush, decoys, and sup-
plies for the numerous waterfowl
blinds on the lake. Other outdoor
driven individuals are balancing
the opening seasons of small and
large game opportunities. The few
remaining fisherman are busy
trying to capitalize on the fall
feeding periods of the lake’s crap-
pie and bass populations.
These thoughts were running
through the photographer’s mind
as he awaited at the ramp while
two boats, sitting with low water
lines and burdened with brush
and decoys, were being launched.
The golden retriever, after send-
ing several squirrels scampering
up nearby cypress trees, was busy
logging the numerous scent trails
along the lake shoreline at a brisk
trot. Her wildlife data download-
ing was interrupted by the hoarse
squeaking of a blue heron voic-
ing its displeasure of her invasion
of its fishing spot. The retriev-
er’s low growl and creased fore-
head clearly communicated her
thoughts about the heron. Their
antics produced a slight grin of
amusement across the face of the
photographer as the jon boat was
readied for launch. With a sigh,
he mused that the creased fore-
head on the retriever marked an
uncanny resemblance to his wife
at times.
The anxious retriever, even
with a stiff front shoulder,
launched herself into the boat
and with a gentle push the day’s
lake photography journey was
started. The lake’s large osprey
populations have migrated from
the lake leaving resident eagles
with overwatch duties until the
lake’s expert fish hunters return
in the spring. Soon, the approach-
ing waves of migrating waterfowl
will bring additional eagles to the
lake for the winter season. Those
arriving eagles will also be ac-
companied by large numbers of
kestrels and northern harriers,
giving wildlife photographers,
birders, and hikers ample view-
ing opportunities.
The low whine of the retriever
brought the photographer’s ram-
bling thoughts back into focus
on the day’s pursuit. Still with-
in eyesight of the Keystone Park
ramp, the day’s first quarry sight-
ing arrived in the form of a flight
of very large white birds. The
birds large goofy size seemed to
be out of place with their grace-
ful downward cyclonic spiraling
motions toward the lake’s sur-
face. The bird’s large wingspans
allowed these battleships of the
sky to gently splash down upon
By Jere Hughes
Pelicans - The Battleship
Birds of Reelfoot Lake
15. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 15
the lake’s surface. The flight’s
large numbers reminded the pho-
tographer of parachuters hitting
their mark as he captured string
after string of touch down images.
The pelicans paid little attention
to the retriever, or her creased
forehead, as they re-arranged
feathers ruffled from their long
flights. Soon, additional down-
ward spiraling flights kept the
photographer busy, capturing ad-
ditional images while the retriev-
er settled into a nap lying on the
boat’s floor. Several of the peli-
cans seemed to share the mind-
set of the retriever as they settled
down, resting heavy heads across
feathered backs, weary from their
completed journey.
The remainder of the day was
spent on the lower end of the lake.
Time was even found for a short
cruise along the southern lake’s
shore-lined houses. Several pel-
icans were located cruising the
docks and boat houses of these
south-side residences. While the
day’s light was fading, the pho-
tographer loaded the boat and re-
flected on the day’s numerous im-
age captures. As the photographer
drove away from the Keystone
Park ramp, the retriever kept her
head outside the window still
looking for one more squirrel to
chase. After a quick glance at the
sitting sun, the photographer de-
cided to wait another day to check
on the pelicans that frequent the
area on the north end of the lake.
Instead, the levee road route was
chosen to return home. Soon the
truck tires on the chip rock road
put the retriever to sleep where
canine dreams awaited her. While
she was dreaming, the photogra-
pher was doing his own dreaming
of future trips to the lake in search
of its beautiful battleship birds.
These large white battleship
sized birds are the lake’s annual
returning pelicans. Pelicans are
often associated with gulf and
southern coastlines or winter-
ing around large river waterway
dam areas. These birds breed on
these large inland bodies of water.
Large populations of pelicans uti-
lize the Mississippi River to travel
from the coastal waterway areas
to these inland bodies of water.
However, several of these flights
headed northward along the Mis-
sissippi River’s winding channel,
take the off ramp onto the wa-
terways of Reelfoot Lake for the
winter.
The large rafts of these winter-
ing residents can be observed pad-
dling in unison, with submerged
beaks, scooping up baitfish. White
pelicans never plunge dive for
food and often work in packs to
compress schools of bait and fish
for feeding. Small groupings of
pelicans can often be observed
using the emerged stumps and
submerged logs of Reelfoot Lake
as lawn chairs, while preening
feathers or resting in the warmth
of sun-filled winter days. Their
numbers fill the northern and
southern portions of Reelfoot,
along with the lake’s surrounding
flooded fields. “Quake Lake” visi-
tors can view these images on the
areas of the lake stretching along
Champy Pocket, Keystone Park,
and the western/southern shore-
lines of the lake.
The Reelfoot Lake State Park
and the Reelfoot Tourism Coun-
cil host a Pelican Festival annu-
ally. This year’s 9th Annual Fes-
tival will be hosted on the dates
of October 22nd, 23rd, and 24th,
2021. The Reelfoot Lake State Park
will be offering pontoon rides and
canoe float trips for viewing pel-
icans. While these rides will be
focusing on pelicans - eagles, wa-
terfowl, and other winged fowl
will be observed by the cruise
participants. The park’s staff will
also sponsor an Arts and Pho-
tography Contest, face painting,
and a live raptor show. The Reel-
foot Tourism Council always as-
sists all visitors planning to spend
any amount of time on the lake.
The tourism staff also will have
Pelican Festival T-shirts for sale,
along with other lake focused
items. These shirts are high qual-
ity, comfortable wearing t-shirts.
In addition, the Reelfoot Tour-
ism Council is an excellent source
of information about the lake’s
lodging, dining, and sightseeing
opportunities.
Anyone with the pursuit of
the outdoors embedded in their
DNA, will enjoy coming to the
festival and enjoy the activities.
The festival’s attendees will also
be embracing the beauty and soul
recharging opportunities of Reel-
foot Lake. While receiving these
natural health treatments, they
will be introduced to the beauti-
ful battleship birds of the lake. If
visitors look closely, they might
also see a creased forehead on a
golden retriever.
Enjoy beautiful Reelfoot Lake.
See photos on page 16
20. 20 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
With fall approaching it’s time
to begin planning locations and
planting deer foodplots. If you
don’t have time to plant any-
thing. Deer will make it on avail-
able acorns, as well as a long list
of plants they browse during the
winter but planting specific plots
can supplement additional pro-
tein that will help your herd.
This past weekend we dined
on steak and baked potatoes, pro-
tein, and carbohydrates. Your
food pots should have a mixture
of the same. While humans can
shift our diet on a whim, deer are
different. The digestive system
in a deer requires time; allowing
them to gradually change over
to new foods. As most hunters
know, deer have four stomachs,
and this modification enables
deer to eat and digest food hu-
mans cannot. In the four stom-
achs, energy needs of deer are
obtained directly by the food
they eat and indirectly by nutri-
ents that are synthesized by mi-
crobial activity in two of the four
stomachs, the rumen and reticu-
lum. Interestedly, deer are not
able to utilize some of the sum-
mer foods that cattle can, which
is due to slight differences in di-
gestion processes.
The reason deer must grad-
ually shift over to other foods
is unlike humans, a deer’s di-
gestive system must allow mi-
crobes in their system time to
shift from lush green summer
foods to the “rough browse foods
Deer Food Plots -
It’s All About Protein
By Richard Hines
Properly planned out and planted food plots can yield great results, as witnessed in this photo.
STO File Photo
21. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 21
during winter.
Feeding habits in deer are
determined by weather and the
biggest factor in diet change is
day length. Photoperiod (length
of daylight) not only effects a
deer’s dining habits, but also de-
termines timing of the rut, min-
eralization and shedding of velvet
on antlers, and changes in pelage
(hair color). For obvious reasons,
deer increase feeding and de-
crease movements during win-
ter months. Any wide tempera-
ture fluctuation will cause deer to
temporarily increase movement
and the colder the weather, the
greater the activity. Significant
weather changes stimulate deer to
seek out “quality food”. If deer
expand more energy than they
obtain, their body weights drop.
One direct result from this can
be lower fawn production the fol-
lowing summer.
Regardless, of the number of
foodplots you have deer will still
feed on native plants, but during
major weather events, deer will
come to your plots, and this is
when your plots will pay divi-
dends by supplementing deer di-
etary needs and allowing deer to
maintain body conditions into
winter.
However, when the food sup-
ply is short, deer will eat just
about anything. Biologists call
it “stuff food” and although deer
stomachs are full, low quality
foods cost deer more energy be-
cause they must forage more.
Even the digestive process uses
up more energy process, which
uses up more energy reserves
to attempt to digest low quali-
ty food.
How do deer select food or
know what’s eatable? Deer have
salivary proteins that detect tan-
nins (tannic acid) which reduc-
es toxicity intake. Deer have
chemoreceptors in the nose and
tongue that respond to selected
chemical compounds that deer
are either encouraged to eat or
not to eat.
The more you understand how
deer feed and why then you can
begin providing the right com-
bination in your fall food plots.
Knowing this about deer, our fall
food plots are strictly focused on
the meat or protein.
I like sowing some winter
wheat early. Oats are also good
and these two produce their high-
est levels of crude protein from
November through early January.
Some years I mix in some crim-
son clover, which is a high pro-
tein plant that can be planted in
a mix or alone.
Next on the food plot list are
the brassicas. Turnips, kale, rad-
ishes. Many of these are in mix-
es such as Mossy Oak’s Biologic
Maximum, which during late sea-
son can crank out 36% crude pro-
tein! I don’t just depend on one,
but multiple varieties for multiple
plots. Mix up the choices.
When you are planning where
to put plots, try to keep them
evenly distributed across your
property and if possible, establish
it away from boundary lines and
public roads. That big buck you
been taking care of might be too
much for a poacher to pass up
when you are not around!
Even distributing well pre-
pared and managed food plots
throughout a property ensures
all deer have equal access to high
quality food.
Once you have chosen your
site, take soil tests. Using the
correct application of fertilizer
and lime is essential, Overall, soil
Two people, an ATV and a small tractor can create several small food
plots in one day of work. Photo by Richard Hines
22. 22 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
Food plots can even be planted with a hand seeder and dragging a piece of weighted chain link fence over it.
Photo by Richard Hines
23. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 23
is an integral part of your hunt-
ing land.
Soils vary, and this variation
changes the physiology of plants
enough that the antler develop-
ment can be affected. Can you
really tell the differences? In most
cases, not enough to argue about,
but that’s why it’s important to
vary your choices of food plot
mixtures, keep records of fawn
production, antler size, and body
weights. At some point you will
see trends allowing you to adjust
your management.
In this region, one of my fa-
vorite fall plots mixtures starts
with wheat. I also add clover at
that time or later in the winter
preferably when snow is on the
ground. Wheat stabilizes the soil
in the winter and then provides
shelter for young seedlings in the
spring. Using three clovers (ladi-
no, crimson, and red) also assures
the plot will have legumes avail-
able throughout most of the year.
Two other clovers to consider
would be arrowleaf clover, but it
gets tall and can shade out oth-
er clovers, if you soil problems,
check out “ball clover” that seems
tolerant of problem soil.
Don’t sow clover in with fall
brassicas as they will shade out
the clover in the spring. Also,
hold off mowing mature wheat
down in the spring. Those seed
heads can produce 1,200 pounds
of seed per acre feeding both deer
and turkey.
When considering where to
put plots, think about shade and
orientation of the sun. Many
times, small plots may not be as
successful due to shading from
adjacent trees.
Most importantly DO NOT
expect supplemental feeding to
replace deficiencies in your hab-
itat. Poor habitat can still hold
back any potential your prop-
erty may have. Don’t Just man-
age your foodplots but also your
woodland and fields.
My favorite fall plot mix con-
sists of Wheat-40 pounds, Crim-
son Clover – 15 pounds, Red
Clover – 10 pounds, and Ladino
(white Clover) – 5 pounds.
It’s a simple food plot recipe that
will carry through the winter and
into the early spring.
Food plots can be planted for multi species of hunted prey, so don’t be surprised to see wild turkey in
your deer food plot.
24. 24 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
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
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25. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 25
Katelyn
Pharmacy Tech
Crystal - Pharmacy
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Kim
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Ginger
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Heather
Sales Associate
Christen
Sales Associate
Chasity
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Sydney
CPhT
Tiffany
CPhT
Emily
CPhT
Brandy
Pharmacy Tech
Sales Associate
Jerry
Delivery Driver
Jamie
Bookkeeper
Kalli-Rae
Sales Associate
Hillary
CPhT
Carolyn
Sales Associate
Krissie
CPhT
Here are two simple ways of telling us what you need and
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28. 28 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
The fall armyworm outbreak
of 2021 is going to be one to re-
member. As grasshoppers in-
vade drought-stricken fields in
North Dakota and Montana, in
the South, heavy rains and flood-
ing in late May and early June are
causing a different issue, an army
of fall armyworms that are de-
molishing crops. Each morning
when you step outside, if you no-
ticed your driveway or field seems
to have been taken over by army
worms, know that you are not
the only one. The army crawl has
started for the 2021 season, and
there is little you can do about it.
“I’ve been looking at crops and
doing this bug thing for well over
40 years, and I can tell you right
now that this fall, the armyworm
outbreak is the worst I’ve seen in
my career,” says Gus Lorenz, Ex-
tension entomologist for the Uni-
versity of Arkansas System Di-
vision of Agriculture University
of Arkansas System Division of
Agriculture.
The small caterpillar-like moth
larvae are attracted to new green
growth, so if the crop is flourish-
ing, the army worms will be too.
Armyworms get their name from
their behavior of moving across
fields in an army-like fashion.
As they consume available food
A R M Y W O R M S
M O V I N G
A C R O S S
T E N N E S S E E
By Jonathan Holden
Fall Army Worms start eating on grass and hay fields and then move to other crops like soybeans.
Photo by Jonathan Holden
29. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 29
sources, they migrate together to
new host plants. Due to how mild
and wet the weather has been so
far, you can expect perhaps 3 gen-
erations and they’ll thrive into
late summer. First, the fall army-
worm flight is several weeks ear-
ly, second, larval infestations have
been unusually high, and third, for
whatever reason, control with py-
rethroid insecticides has been un-
usually poor.
Army worm moths have a life-
cycle of about four weeks. Like
most insects, they hatch when it is
warm and summer warmth is nev-
er in short supply in Tennessee.
Fall armyworms (FAW) Spodop-
tera frugiperda, are certainly not a
new pest in this region, but there
are some unique challenges to deal
with in 2021. The adult moths mi-
grate in from South Florida into
this region each spring/summer
and lay eggs in fertilized forage
grasses. They build their popu-
lation through multiple genera-
tions, and then migrate to oth-
er crops. Mid-to-late July is the
normal time for the moth larvae
to arrive. According to Manage-
ment of Fall Armyworm in Pas-
tures and Hayfields, Fall army-
worm larvae (worm stage) feed on
60 different plant hosts including
forage grasses, corn, alfalfa, cot-
ton, peanuts, soybeans, and most
vegetable crops. Fortunately, the
most current BT corn and cotton
varieties provide protection from
this pest.
When trying to identify the
armyworm while scouting your
fields keep these points in mind.
There are two distinct features
that can be used to identify fall
armyworms: the head has a dis-
tinctive marking in the shape
of an upside-down Y, and the
rear end has four black dots that
form a square. The actual col-
or of the worm can vary, based
on the growth stage and on the
type of foliage it is found feed-
ing on. Their coloration ranges
from bright green, to dark green,
to brown. Scouting should be
done during the cooler parts of
the day when the caterpillars will
be actively feeding. Scouting is
not complicated, just get down
on one knee and look closely at
the leaves for damage and active
feeding. When scouting, note both
the size and number of fall army-
worms, to provide clues about
control strategies.
An armyworm’s defense mech-
anism is to drop off of the leaf
and roll up when the crop is dis-
turbed, so don’t just look at the
leaves, but part the plants down
to the ground and look for rolled
up worms. Don’t just check in one
or two spots, but just like with
soil testing, they randomly zigzag
across the field. If you find an av-
erage of three or more worms per
square foot, you should spray the
field with insecticide. Size does
matter when it comes to treatment
options, as the larvae or caterpil-
lar stage lasts two weeks, but the
worms are the biggest and do the
most damage over the last four
days before pupating.
Reports are coming in from all
across the region of a tremendous
surge in the numbers of fall army-
worms in hayfields, crop and vege-
table fields, as well as turf and veg-
etable gardens. The number of fall
armyworm moths (adults) being
trapped are five times higher than
at the same time last year. Why so
many this year? The mild winter
and the frequent rainfall events
created a favorable environment
Holden farms found these in one soybean field. The threshold is
supposed to be 30 percent defoliation of leaves or 19 larvae per 25
sweeps, and they are seeing 54 larvae. They sprayed intrepid edge and
oil surfactant that has a 21-day residual. The cost is around 15 dollars
an acre and the cost on their farms so far is 8,000 dollars.
Photo by Jonathan Holden
30. 30 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
for this pest this year. So far, West
Tennessee appears worst affect-
ed, but this will probably change
as the armyworms continue their
march. It almost goes without say-
ing that bermudagrass pastures
are at high risk. It’s not every field,
but some double-cropped soybean
fields are heavily infested, and it’s
even worse where volunteer wheat
or other grasses were present that
attracted the moths. The moths
are obviously flying insects, so
there isn’t a whole lot you can do
as far as a physical barrier goes.
In addition to a favorable en-
vironment, wet fields have pre-
vented timely hay harvests or in-
secticide applications, allowing the
population to build much faster
than normal. As entomologists
are discovering, the later-planted
crops are more at risk for a fall
armyworm infestation. Typically,
from mid-June through early July
most farms harvest their first cut-
ting of hay. That has not been the
case this year, so the worms have
had ample opportunity to feed and
mature. So not only has the reg-
ular rainfall prevented field work,
and hay harvest, but it has also al-
lowed the armyworm population
to well exponentially.
Another key issue is that there
have been numerous reports of
spray failures with Pyrethroid
products like Mustang Maxx,
Warrior, Declare, and Tomb-
stone. Spray failures can be caused
by pest resistance, heavy rain soon
after application, or applicator er-
ror. Thus far, actual pest resistance
has not yet been documented, but
is certainly suspected. Another
issue is that both the pyrethroid
and growth regulator products
are not systemic in the plant, but
provide contact control. The cat-
erpillars have to ingest the leaves
for these products to be effective.
This requires at least 2-3 hours of
drying time before a rain event to
be fully effective. The typical 7-10
day residual control from contact
products is reduced with regular
rainfall.
Systemic products, such as chlo-
rantraniliprole, provide up to 21
days of residual activity and are
less affected by frequent rainfall.
While the pyrethroid and growth
regulator products are generally
the cheaper options, if it is rain-
ing almost every day, the systemic
products would be the better in-
vestment to protect your hay crop.
A third issue that arises with
these periodic outbreaks is the
limited products available for con-
trolling armyworms for produc-
ers who don’t have a restricted
use pesticide applicator license.
The options available to produc-
ers without a restricted license are
Prevathon (best choice, system-
ic, but most expensive), Intrepid
(growth regulator), Black Hawk
(growth regulator most effective
on small worms), Sevin (only ef-
fective on small worms), and or-
ganic BT products XenTari and
Dipel that also work better on
smaller worms. As the population
builds and more producers seek
these products, supply issues can
arise. In checking with one local
ag supply dealer, he has not run
into supply issues at this point, but
demand is noticeably increasing.
Entomologists say the outbreak
has already cost growers millions
of dollars in losses. So, what can
farmers do about army worms?
In pastures, refer to the 2021
Insect Control Recommenda-
The farmers are scouting their fields to see how many larvae they find
on each sweep. While scouting the farmer must look all the way to the
base of the plant and under the leaves to look for damage and worms.
Photo by Jonathan Holden
31. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 31
tions (pages 61-62) for insecti-
cide recommendations, but avoid
using the pyrethroid insecticide
like Baythroid XL, Mustang Max,
and Warrior. The alternatives
will be more expensive but you
may make up the differences in
making fewer applications in the
long run. Similar advice in soy-
bean application. Avoid using
pyrethroid insecticides, and if
you do use them, tank mix with a
minimum of 0.5 lb. of Acephate
and check back within 2-3 days
to make sure it worked. A more
trustworthy suggestion is to use
products containing chlorantra-
niliprole (e.g., Besiege, Prevathon,
Vantacor, Elevest), or Intrepid,
Intrepid Edge, or Blackhawk. For
the most part, you should be able
to use the lower end of the rec-
ommended label rates. The defo-
liation threshold for soybean prior
to bloom is 30-35%, but don’t wait
on this to happen if large numbers
of armyworms are present. Catch-
ing 10-15 per 25 sweeps on small
soybeans should catch your atten-
tion, especially if you already are
finding 15-20% defoliation. If you
are seeing a broad mix of small
and larger larvae, that’s a clue that
pressure is continuing. The point
is that it will require a little judge-
ment to make treatment decisions.
I hope you win the battle against
this formidable army!
This diagram is of the Life Cycle of the FAW. It shows the
worm going from the pupa, to the moth, and then the larvae.
Photo by Jonathan Holden
Editor’s Note: Jonathan Hold-
en is an Agriculture Educa-
tion Teacher at Dresden High
School. His background is in
Agriculture and Animal Science.
32. 32 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
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42. 42 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
When September rolls around
Tennessee sportsmen all across
the Volunteer State flock to dove
fields, not only because its wing
shooting’s finest hour, but it is in-
deed a southern tradition.
Watching Tennessee football
and gathering beneath the shade
trees before a hunt for a little bar-
becue and baked beans prepared
by down home friends and fam-
ily, is as much a part of early fall
afternoons as falling leaves.
Finding a dove field covered
up with birds is about as exciting
as any type hunting, as the droves
of gray darters making bombing
runs on a grain field at prime
feeding time is a sight for sore
eyes. From out of nowhere they
descend at high rates of speed,
especially if a little wind enters
the equation.
Shots taken; shots missed.
That’s all part of the fun and fel-
lowship as this is a sport to be
shared by lots of friends and
family. You don’t have to be a
great shot or an experienced wing
shooter to enjoy it either.
Usually it takes quite a few
hunters to keep the doves up and
moving so it is indeed a sport that
requires input from a lot of play-
ers on the team.
Southern dove hunts have
a reputation of not only good
food and fellowship, but they
also serve as an introductory
level for many sportsmen who
likely entered the outdoor field
courtesy of a dove hunt. From
youngsters who may have just
completed a hunter safety course,
to adults that may still be in the
novice category, dove hunts can
plant the seed and cultivate future
sportsmen.
Meanwhile, hunters have been
busy these last few weeks scout-
ing out potential spots and hop-
ing to receive an invitation to
hunt from a farmer or landowner.
Others rely on some public hunt-
ing opportunities such as leased
acreage from Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency or perhaps
some prepared fields on some
of the agency’s wildlife manage-
ment areas.
There are several challenges
under the umbrella of dove hunt-
ing and topping the list is finding
a place to hunt each season. Oth-
ers are on the list too, as master-
ing the aim of fast moving doves
has a way of humbling even the
most veteran shotgunner at times.
Each year, TWRA attempts
to lease acreage from farmers
and landowners in an attempt to
provide hunting opportunities in
the early portion of the Septem-
ber season.
Some years it’s a tough chal-
lenge for folks to find a place
to hunt. Seems there are always
more people wanting to hunt
than there are places to go. That’s
a trend that hasn’t changed over
the years.
TENNESSEE
DOVE
HUNTING
By Steve McCadams
43. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 43
DOVE HUNTING HAS
CHANGED
Over the years the sport of
dove hunting has changed some-
what across the state. The pop-
ulation of doves concentrated
around various agricultural fields
seems to be dramatically different
from yesteryear.
Farming practices are much
different too. A generation ago a
lot of farmers ran milk barn op-
erations which required big fields
of silage to be grown to feed hefty
herds of cows.
Farmers began cutting silage
in late August and that coincid-
ed with the September opening
of dove season. Big open fields of
silage offered a mecca for doves
as harvesting operations back
then were known to spill a lot of
grain in the field and that attract-
ed doves that thrived in the back-
country buffets.
Fast forward to today and the
numbers of farmers milking cows
has diminished greatly. As small
farms faded away from milk cow
operations the abundant oppor-
tunities for southern dove hunts
faded with them.
Nowadays, most dove hunts
are held around fields that have
been specifically prepared to at-
tract doves for a short time. There
are some exceptions, as harvested
corn fields still have a time and
Dove hunts are a great place to introduce a youngster to this great
wing shooting sport. Kids can learn good sportsmanship at the hands
of a parent while also sharing the outdoors with new friends or family
members. Photo by Steve McCadams
Sunflower fields like this one
planted by TWRA can provide
great public hunting opportunities
as doves love to feed on them once
the plant matures and ruptures its
seed. Photo by Steve McCadams
44. 44 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
place for dove hunters who are
the beneficiary of modern day
agriculture.
However, massive efforts to
lure doves today seems to come at
the hands of farmers, landowners
or a wildlife agency that has spent
considerable money, time and ef-
fort to plant, spray and cultivate
sunflower fields. Top sown wheat
is still popular too as doves have
long had appetites for wheat and
millet feeding opportunities.
Paid hunts held by farmers
and landowners or various orga-
nizations trying to raise funds for
conservation causes were quite
popular decades ago, but that too
has faded away to some degree.
There are, however, a few
farmers leasing their acreage to
TWRA and the location and dates
of the hunts are posted on the
agency’s website just before open-
ing day of the September season.
Log on to www.tnwildlife.org
where you’ll find maps and a list
of locations.
Counties where the hunts are
located will be listed as will spe-
cific directions to the fields. If
you plan to partake of one of the
public hunts you might want to
scout out the area ahead of time
and see if any doves are using the
location. Sometimes the doves
don’t get the memo and even a
good looking field simply hasn’t
attracted enough doves to pro-
vide good hunting opportunities.
Another tip is to arrive early
and pick a spot. Odds are that the
public fields that have doves will
be in high demand. So, finding a
spot can be challenging. Bottom
line is there are scores of people
who simply don’t have a place
to hunt and the only outlet they
have is pursuing public hunting
acreage.
Yet there are some exceptions
too, as several great hunts have
been recorded over the years on
fields both owned by TWRA or
on one of the many leased fields.
Like the doves during a hunt lo-
cating a good field is sometimes
hit and miss.
Another challenge facing
hunters this year is ammuni-
tion or lack thereof. Back in the
mid-summer many shooting
ranges, school shooting teams
and just the average skeet or trap
shooter visiting his favorite gun
club or just practicing in the back
yard had a dilemma.
A lot of places had difficul-
ty keeping shotguns shells as
well as other ammo in stock. The
rash of manufacturing and ship-
ping problems in the wake of the
COVID pandemic trickled down
to the shooting sports arena too.
As the season drew near some
stores were beginning to replen-
ish their stock but prices are no-
tably higher this year compared
to seasons past. Hunters will have
to dig a little deeper in their pock-
ets this season!
Southern dove hunts will
survive the ammo issue and the
tradition will continue as long
as flocks of doves descend over
grain fields at a rapid speed. This
After a successful day in the field hunters team up and dress their
birds, which make for excellent table fare when marinated and grilled,
wrapped with a strip of bacon. PhotobySteveMcCadams
45. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 45
great sport has attracted genera-
tions of hunters back to the ru-
ral areas where friendships are
forged under the guise of a fast
and furious dove shoot.
This year’s season dates and
bag limits will be similar to last
year with a traditional noon
opener on September 1st. After
opening day, hunters can take to
the field at first light and beat the
heat with morning hunts.
The first of three segments
runs through September 28th.
Second segment will be October
9th-31st. The third and final seg-
ment is December 8th through
January 15th, 2022. Tennessee’s
daily bag limit remains at 15 daily
per person. Collared doves have
no limit.
Here’s hoping you keep the
southern tradition going and per-
haps help introduce someone to
this great sport the way someone
did for you in times past.
Editor’s Note: Steve McCadams
has been called the King of Ken-
tucky Lake and has guided on
the big pond for over 40 years.
He is also a member of the Na-
tional Outdoors Hall of Fame.
46. 46 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
Summer is here and spring is
gone! The spring of 2021 turned
out to be another great season for
Tennessee turkey hunters. Per-
sonally, I had less time to hunt
this spring, but still managed to
bag a few gobblers during some
textbook spring turkey hunts.
Overall statewide harvest from
this year was in line with our
five-year average and seemed to
be a successful year for Tennes-
see hunters. During last years off
season there were many concerns
raised regarding the decreasing
number of turkeys on the land-
scape, and support of the Wild
Turkey has never been stronger
from all angles. Conservation
groups, individuals, and state
agencies are all discussing what
needs to be done to preserve the
restoration of the Wild Turkey.
Turkey Season Recap
By Sam Bradshaw
Tens of thousands of acres were scouted in New Mexico to find our Merriam gobblers. In Tennessee, we
would’ve certainly found dozens of gobblers in that same amount of land mass.
Continued on page 48
47. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 47
Calling was the trick to bagging this Tom. Constant calls from daylight until almost 9:00 am lured him
into shotgun range with four hens following right behind him.
48. 48 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
On opening morning of our
2021 Tennessee turkey season I
found myself in the driver seat
of my pickup at 3:15 am headed
to my favorite opening day spot.
After a two-hour drive, I head-
ed into the hills to find a gobbler
ready to play the game. Unfor-
tunately, there were no gobblers
ready to play the game with!
All of the gobbling that oc-
curred that morning was what
I consider challenge gobbles
from Tom to Tom. Hens weren’t
talking much and the gobblers
were on the ground amongst
the hens within minutes of fly
down. That same scenario stayed
the same for several days, and
finally about mid-way of open-
ing week, the gobblers seemed to
have busted up and split off from
the bigger flocks with smaller
amounts of hens.
Finally, they were calling to
hens instead of gobblers and
ready to play the game. The suc-
cessful hunts I had this spring
seemed to have one thing in
common; the weather. Any day
afield where the weather wasn’t
just right seemed to yield less
gobbling, and days when you
saw the stars and heard the song-
birds before daylight produced
good hunting. Hunting multiple
parts of the state allowed me to
see one thing however, and that
is that turkey numbers are down
overall. The mediocre weath-
er days didn’t seem to produce
any gobbling; and in my unpro-
fessional novice “hunters” opin-
ion I viewed that as lack of par-
ticipation from young gobblers.
Two-year-old gobblers will of-
ten start the morning orches-
tra, and having less gobblers to
start the calling each day means
less spring gobbling action. High
pressure sunny days showed all
of the turkeys were talking and
going about their spring rituals
as normal. It’s nothing new to
say turkeys are in decline, and I
believe that is the proper think-
ing in speaking about our birds
in West Tennessee. We still have
great amounts of turkey spread
around, but not like we did 10
years ago.
COVID-19 threw a curveball
to the Spring of 2020! Hunters
took to the field in great num-
bers and it was estimated 90,000
hunters took to the field in 2020
to hunt spring turkeys in Ten-
nessee. Harvest numbers fol-
lowed and produced the spring
of 2020 having the largest spring
harvest ever recorded. 2021 start-
ed off with a much lower harvest
rate than 2020, and several fac-
tors can point to that. Seasons
were delayed in several coun-
ties, hunters were back at work,
and we came off of the highest
harvest recorded. Yet, the state
was in line with the five-year
average of harvest, so no drastic
changes in harvest were noted
in 2021. This past season, how-
ever, was the first year we saw a
bag limit decrease where hunters
were only allowed three turkeys
in lieu of four by the previous
regulations.
Also starting in the 2021
season was a delayed season for
the Mississippi Alluvial Valley
(MAV unit- counties bordering
MS river) counties and a few
counties on the southern bor-
der of Alabama in Middle Ten-
nessee. In these areas the sea-
son’s start date was pushed back
to allow time for the turkeys to
complete their spring breeding
cycle uninterrupted by hunting
influence. Harvest numbers in
these areas were slightly down
from this change, and that was
the goal of the agency to provide
some relief and hopefully some
positive influence on those pop-
ulations that have seen extreme
decline in numbers. As a whole,
the spring of 2021 was a normal
year when comparing years past.
In my opinion, the biggest note-
worthy item to factor in when
considering the entire state is
the number of individuals who
note that they simply don’t see
turkeys like they used to. We
are still killing as many turkeys
overall, but it seems we are do-
ing so with less turkeys on the
landscape.
Overall, Tennessee seems to
still be in the top A+ catego-
ry when considering the qual-
ity of turkey hunting the state
has to offer. My travels across
the country have reminded me
that while we may be experienc-
ing some areas with less turkeys,
those areas having less birds
are still better than some of the
best areas in other states. One of
the most exciting things I also
see is the amount of dedication
and attention we are gearing to-
wards the betterment of turkeys
in Tennessee.
Several research studies are
being conducted throughout the
state to help better understand
49. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 49
the turkeys we hunt and will
hopefully provide some great in-
formation on how to better man-
age our populations. TWRA has
also brought a new Turkey biol-
ogist into their staff that is not
afraid to put his professional
opinion in front of our commis-
sion to produce positive results
to the best of his knowledge. All
of those items working togeth-
er are really all that a state can
do when trying to protect a re-
source, because in the end Moth-
er Nature is in control and man
is just along for the ride.
Estimates show that over 7,500 plus turkeys were wounded and not recovered in Tennessee during the
2020 season - all through shooter error! Don’t leave home without your prescriptions glasses!
52. 52 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
MAY - JUNE 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 52
52 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
SPONSORED BY
FIRST CITIZENS NATIONAL
BANK
Drew Adam’s two sons {Cooper and Cayson} holding
up a good day of duck hunter’s bounty at their land on
the family farm on January 18th, 2021.
Photo submitted by OUTERLIMIT POWERSPORTS
James Devitt caught this nice bass from his
home pond on a top-water, scum frog.
I taught this city boy, Logan Scharr, how to
fish top water baits and he showed me up on
my own pond. I’m calling it beginners luck.
Submitted by James Devitt
53. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53
MAY - JUNE 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53
Katrina Greer pictured at Reelfoot Lake
with a catfish caught on July 19th. Katrina
and her husband, Steve, moved to Reelfoot
Lake eight years ago and enjoy fishing in
their spare time. Katrina works at Reelfoot
Lake Tourism Council.
Bill Valentine took this young man turkey hunting
on the last weekend of turkey season this year and he
got his first gobbler. His name is Zade Hunsley, from
Dyersburg. He got the bird in the Big Sandy area on
Bill’s lease.
Robert “Doc” Jackson caught this
beautiful stringer of bass at Pickwick
Lake.
SPONSORED BY
FIRST CITIZENS NATIONAL
BANK
54. 54 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021
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