monroe county outdoors - visit monroeville€¦ · salon in monroeville. they have four chil-dren...

Things grow better in Alabama.

GP.com

Georgia is part of our name, but Alabama and Monroe County have always been a big part of our history.

As we grow, you grow with us.

FALL 2016

MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORSDISCOVER

A CUTABOVE

Legendary knifemakerMel Pardue still churning

out exquisite blades

PLUS: Morefrom Tom Kelly

C

Alabamaa

MississippiGeorgia

uth thSouSouS uuSCarolinaCarrolinrorr

C

Floridada

ndodOrlanO ndOO

villevillacksonvacksonvJaJJ vilvilJJ villka vv

Birminghamirm

JacksonacMontgomeryMon y

oMobileo eMM

svillesvsvsHuntstsssviss

tlantatlaAtAtttlla

CharlestonChar st

ew Orleans

MemphisMMeMMeMTennessee

hhSavannaSavannahah

To learn more, contact Monroeville/Monroe County Economic Development Authority at

mmceda.com or 251.743.1 EDA

CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.Monroeville’s location and logistics are essential to a supply chain with the power and agility to meet

your needs. Perfectly positioned for reach and speed, our local manufacturers continue to thrive in an

area which features rapid pan-directional routes and superb access to both domestic and global markets.

MAN

UFACTURED

M

ONROE VILLE

WE ARE YOUR SOURCE

CENTRALFARM SUPPLYWe are close to you!

HUNTING SUPPLIESSeed • Boots by Georgia & Muck

Clothing by Walls

MONROEVILLE251-575-2278

ATMORE251-368-2787

LAWN & GARDENDecorative Flags • Pots

Mailbox Covers • Soils • Flowers

DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 1

Discover MonroeCounty OutdoorsSeptember 2016

I am always amazed at the talent, creativity and drive of the people that make upMonroe County and the rural south! Perhaps it is because they are exposed to theland at an early age, but I find that the people of Monroe County (and southAlabama) are very resourceful while recognizing the intrinsic value of this land that isour heritage. Although we have a large population that hunts various game, we havean equally great population that focuses on managing the land to protect our nativespecies and more often than not, the two are one. This is no easy task.

This issue features two very good articles on trapping predators: Mike Colquettprovides much insight into the trapping of raccoons and opossums, while David Lee gives expert insight into coyotetrapping. None of this is for the faint of heart. It takes stamina, cunning and acute observation skills to outsmartthe wily coyote, not to mention the opossums and the raccoon. Colquett and Lee are advocates for trapping asone means of controlling predators. It is not surprising that the two are also avid turkey hunters.

Guns, knives and bows play a role in this issue, since as hunters, you are more than likely going to need one orall. Mike Colquett gives a personal history of his favorite guns and memories they invoke, such as a long ago deerdrive. It may make you nostalgic for the simpler days gone by!

Josh Dewberry provides a fascinating look at the legendary knife maker, Mel Pardue. According to Dewberry, ahandcrafted Pardue tactical knife will cost you $500 or more, but his custom knives, although functional, are moredisplay pieces. With a Pardue custom knife, the sky’s the limit! All of this from a workshop off a dirt road in Range,Alabama!

An interview with Cole Byrd gives insight into the benefits of bow hunting as a family sport, particularly asrelates to youth and opportunities for scholarships.

For the turkey hunter, Doug Max offers some great tips in “What Kind of Turkey Hunter Are You?” Corky Pughfollows up with “A Place to Hunt” which offers great insight into the types of places that people hunt in Alabama,ranging from the average landholding of 80 acres to the larger tracts, while he also offers information on some pub-lic hunting grounds. The point is that there is opportunity for one and all to join in the spirit of hunting.

Monroe County State Lake is a treasure. Meet the new manager, Tammy Ikner, in this issue. Also, enjoy a briefhistory of how the state lakes came in to being.

No issue of “Discover Monroe County Outdoors” would be complete without including wisdom from ColonelTom Kelly. This year we have chosen to feature a number of short stories from his Around the Edges 2, published in2016 through his partnership with David Clarke, Vice President, Tom Kelly, Inc. We highly recommend you purchasethis book, which arrives complete with its own Osceola Wild Turkey feather!

As a result of reading the aforementioned book, I discovered that one of only two artists (according to TomKelly) to accurately portray the Eastern Wild Turkey on canvas lived and painted in neighboring Wilcox County atPossum Bend. I spent a delightful morning interviewing Billy Harris, son of the late artist William Peyton Harris,and seeing prints of many of his works. I am happy that the Monroe County Heritage Museum will be carryingsome of Harris’s beautiful prints. Billy Harris is also a talented individual with a variety of interests in promotingand conserving the great outdoors. See his Scuppernong Wine, this page!

Last year’s “The Buzz on Beekeeping” by Rayford McNeil aroused such interest that we have followed up with acompanion article on this hot topic. Rayford McNeil is truly the “godfather” of beekeeping in these parts, and he ismentoring a whole new crop of beekeepers!

Last but by no means least, all this creative spirit conjures up a desire for food and fellowship. Enjoy the recipesection, which includes the old, the new, and the novel!

Enjoy your fall in the great outdoors!

Sandy Smith, Executive Director, Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce

Taste of Monroeville

AND MARKET

Taste of MonroevillewntDo, Nyy,aayThursdda

AND MARKET

Taste of Monroevilleoewn Monrroownt

vember 3, 2016 - 10am-9pm, No

AND MARKET

Taste of Monroevilleoeville

vember 3, 2016 - 10am-9pm

Taste of Monroeville

y saayAll dEnter

Food & Refreshments

Tickets tst

y shopping, Vendors, ainmentttanterrt

Food & Refreshments And More!

aste event - $1o tta Tickets tt 6pmts aatarrttta

y shopping, Vendors,

aste event - $15

Tickets are athe Chamber of Commer

251-743-2879 or email info@monr

2016

ough ailable thrvvare aavceamber of Commerrc

at251-743-2879 or email

al.comoecountyyainfo@monr

2016 Annual Christmas P

ough ce

al.com

Annual Christmas P

dt PP

arade

2016

2016 Annual Christmas P

Annual Christmas P

aradtmas PPar

arade

December 3, 2016 aORIC DOHISTchts, MarrcaatoFl

t 10acember 3, 2016 aatWN SQOWNTORIC DO

a Claands, Santching b

t 10amUAREWN SQ

us & MoreClaa

www

al.countyoec.monrww.

omal.c

60 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS

2 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 59

If hunting and fishing are essential to you or if you just love admiring the great outdoors, Monroe

County is the place to be. As an avid outdoorsman I can tell you that there is no better place to enjoy the

outdoors than Monroe County.

Monroe County is filled with plentiful populations of deer, wild hogs, turkeys and other small game

with liberal hunting seasons. Monroe County is also blessed to have the Alabama River on its west bor-

der and a 93 acre public lake in Beatrice. There are numerous landings on the Alabama River so hunters

and fishermen alike have access to great duck hunting and abundant fishing prospects. These sportsman

must haves in addition to Isaac Creek Campground render Monroe County as an outdoorsman's para-

dise.Being outdoors fishing and hunting is the pastime of many Monroe Countians. It is something we

love to do ourselves as well as share the experience with others.

On top of our outdoor resources, we have a variety of retail outlets that can help you with the supplies

you need for those days of fishing, hunting or just having a picnic. There are also wonderful places to stay

and see during your stopover in Monroe County.

It has been a great joy of mine to hunt and fish with my father, my brothers, my children, grandchil-

dren and now my great-grandchild, Jace. It is a pastime that has brought my family a great deal of pleas-

ure as well as food on our table. The next time you want to enjoy a wonderful outdoor experience, come

and join us in Monroe County.

It is my pleasure to welcome you to Monroe County where you are only considered a visitor the first

time here, after that you are considered a friend.

Welcome, Greg Norris, Judge of Probate and Chairman of Monroe County Commission.

Welcome

Judge Norris with great-grandson Jace. Photo courtesy of the Norris Family

SERVING. CARING. HEALING.SINCE 1962

OUR SPECIALSERVICES:

• Progressive Home Care• Internal Medicine• Chemotherapy/Oncology• Lactation & Birthing Classes• Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic• Diabetes Education• Health Insurance Navigation• Cardio-pulmonary• Labor and Delivery• Pharmacy• MCH Surgery Clinic• Radiology• Emergency Department• Orthopedic Clinic• Prescription Assistance• Colonoscopy/Endoscopy• Out-Patient Infusion• Intensive Care Unit• Laboratory

MONROE COUNTY HOSPITAL251-575-3111 • Monroeville, Alabama • mchcare.com


CONTRIBUTORSMike ColquettMike Colquett is a lifelong resident ofMonroe County, and an avid outdoorsman.He has hunted, fished and trapped inMonroe County for fifty years. He served asfounding present of the AlabamaSportsman’s Caucas Foundation and is PastState President of the National Wild TurkeyFederation, is a current board member of

the Alabama Chapter of the NWTF, and past local chairman ofthe Monroe County NWTF. He is also a member of the AlabamaWildlife Federation and the NRA. He is married to Bev Brown ofBeatrice, and they have two children and four grandchildren.

Josh Dewberry:Josh Dewberry of Excel is an award-winningstaff writer and photographer for “TheMonroe Journal”. Dewberry is a 1999 gradu-ate of Monroe County High School, a 2001graduate of Alabama Southern CommunityCollege and a 2003 graduate of theUniversity of West Alabama, where heearned a B. S. in English and Journalism.

He has worked at “The Monroe Journal” for seven years.Dewberry and his wife, Jennifer Wiggins, have three children.

Tom Kelly:Tom Kelly grew up in Mobile, graduatingfrom McGill, then getting his forestry degreefrom Auburn University in 1949. He servedin the U. S. Navy from 1944-46 as an AerialGunner, then with the U. S. Army from 1951-1952 as a Battery Commander in the KoreanCampaign. From 1953-1993, Kelly workedfor Scott Paper Company at progressively

increasing levels of management. He became Manager of Scott’sWoodlands Division in 1978, managing a $150 million budget,and a workforce of 620 employees. He retired from Scott in 1993.He published his first book, “Tenth Legion” in 1973, and hasauthored an additional 15 books. He lives in Spanish Fort withhis wife, Helen, and they have one daughter, Laura, who is mar-ried with two sons. For additional information on books byTom Kelly please refer to tomkellyinc.net, or contact DavidClarke, 800-852-0662.

David Lee:David Lee was born and raised in MonroeCounty, Alabama. He attended MonroeAcademy and graduated high school fromPendleton (IMG Academies), Bradenton,Florida. He graduated from CampbellsvilleUniversity, Campbellsville, Kentucky, wherehe met his wife, Jenna. He is a claimsadjuster for Farmer’s Insurance.

Brett Loftin:Brett Loftin is a local business owner thathas been in business since 1992 in the pro-motional products and sign business on thedowntown Monroeville square. He is agraduate of Monroe Academy, attendedPatrick Henry Junior College, now Alabama

Southern and a graduate of the University of Alabama. He is anavid outdoorsman who loves to bee keep and garden as hob-bies. He is married to Kaye Loftin and they have 3 children,Chris, Beth and Addy.

Doug Max:Doug Max is an Engineer with Evonik inMobile, where he has been employed for 34years. His wife, Pam, is the owner of ExposeSalon in Monroeville. They have four chil-dren and 6 grandchildren. Doug beganturkey hunting with his father, and he hasbeen a turkey hunter for 45 years. Theyreside in Uriah.

Corey McDonald: Corey McDonald was born and raised inMonroe County. He is a 2008 graduate ofExcel High School. He recently boughtAaron White Photography, and is knownfor his photographs of outdoor sportsand recreational activities, wildlife pho-tography, portraits and weddings. His

special interests include hunting, fishing, writing, photogra-phy, food, music (percussion and violin) and his dogsStarbuck and Boo Boo. Corey is a member of theMississippi Flyway Waterfowlers, Where Kids Talk Fowl,Ducks Unlimited, and Alabama Dog Hunters Association.

Rayford McNiel:Rayford McNeil grew up on a farm in theBurnt Corn community of Monroe County,Alabama. He graduated from MonroeCounty High School in 1949. In 1994Rayford retired from Vanity Fair Mills, Inc. asoperations engineer for the dyeing and fin-ishing plant in Monroeville. Rayford hasalways had multiple hobbies. His favorite is

beekeeping because there is always something to learn aboutthese fascinating creatures. He started with one hive that wasgiven to him by the late Sam Williams, Sr., in 1951 and now hasfifteen colonies, which he keeps with his wife, Marzola. Rayfordcredits God for his active lifestyle and good health, consideringhis age of 84 years. Although he does not claim to be a beeexpert, he enjoys helping others get started in this pastime.Rayford also removes unwanted bees. .

Corky Pugh:Corky Pugh is Executive Director of TheHunting Heritage Foundation, a non-profitorganization he established in 2011 whenhe retired as Director of the AlabamaWildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.Pugh served as WFF Director for over twelveyears, and held a wide range of leadershiproles in Alabama State Government over a

career spanning thirty-five years. Pugh is a Past President of theAssociation of Fish and Wildlife agencies. He holds a Mastersdegree in Public Administration from Auburn University,Montgomery. He is married and has one daughter, and is authorof the popular outdoor book, “Family & Friends”.

MONROEVILLEGOLF CART &

TRAILER SALESHome of Southern

Buggy Works

135 N. Mt. Pleasant Ave. • Monroeville, Ala.huntingbuggy.com • 251-743-4119

D&D Furniture Factory Outlet

DOWNTOWN FRISCO CITY

We buy in quantity andpass the savings on to you!

P.O. Box 688

251-267-3767See Doc, Jimmy or Danny

DEAS BUILDING

SUPPLY

Richard H. DeasHarvel Deas

1015 South Alabama AveP.O. Box 69

Monroeville, AL 36461

Telephone(251) 575-2811(251) 743-2490

RAYFORD A.

SMITH, II

Smith Realty Co.63 N. MT. PLEASANT AVE.MONROEVILLE, AL 36460

251-743-2958CELL: 251-282-7147

Frank R. Smith Timber Co.P.O. BOX 924

MONROEVILLE, AL 36461251-575-3079

Hammer, Inc.104 MEADOW LANE

POST OFFICE BOX 903

MONROEVILLE, AL 36461

(251) 575-3644

DISCOVERMONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS

CONTENTS1 Introduction Discover Monroe County

OutdoorsBy Sandy Smith

2 WelcomeBy Greg Norris

3 Contributors7 Alabama State Lakes: A Model Program

By Corky Pugh

7 Discover Monroe County PublicFishing LakeBy Corky Pugh

10 News from Monroe County State Lake By Sandy Smith

12 My Personal History of GunsBy Mike Colquett

18 Trapping As Part of Game ManagementBy Mike Colquett

21 The Hunter and the Hunted:How to Trap the Wily CoyoteBy David Lee

24 Cole Byrd Talks Bow HuntingBy Sandy Smith

26 A Place to Hunt – Public Hunting GroundsBy Corky Pugh

30 A Cut Above: Legenday Knife MakerContinues to Churn Out Custom BladesBy Josh Dewberry

33 Early Spring or Late SpringBy Doug Max

36 Why Beekeeping?By Rayford McNeil

38 The Art of William Peyton HarrisBy Sandy Smith

40 Recipes42 Stories by Tom Kelly

Discover Monroe County OutdoorsSeptember 2016

Publisher: Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of

Commerce & Monroeville/Monroe CountyEconomic Development Authority

Editor:Sandy Smith, Executive Director,

Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber ofCommerce

Editorial Assistants: Jenna Lee,Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of

Commerce;Jodi Turberville, Monroeville/Monroe County

Economic Development Authority

Layout & Design:Glenda Dailey Price, “The Monroe Journal”

Cover Design: Josh Dewberry, “The Monroe Journal”

Printed by:Bolton Newspapers,

49 Hines Street, Monroeville, AL 36460

On The Cover:“The Heron”

Photo by Corey McDonald Photography

(Photo of summer sunset on this page courtesyof Corey McDonald)

Special thanks to all the providers of the recipesfor this issue of Discover Monroe County Outdoors.

Sleep. Hunt. Repeat.

1749 South Alabama Ave.

Monroeville251-575-5650





Whether you’re here on business or leisure, make us

your choice for lodging!

Newly refurbished!

Amenities include:• Clean, Comfortable Rooms• Microwave & Mini Fridge• Continental Breakfast• Free Wifi• And More!

Anil Patel, General Manager


Monroe StationMonroeville’s locally owned

service station!

251-575-73371549 Highway 21 Bypass - Monroeville, Alabama

Across from Tractor Supply

Also stop by Monroe Station Coin Laundry, Monroeville’s newest laundry with state-of-the-art, high capacity washers

and dryers. Located next door to Monroe Station.

Come by and see the friendly folks atMonroe Station for all your convenience store needs!

Monroe County is anoutdoorsman’sjewel

6 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 55Photos by Corey McDonald Photography

An Afternoon Fishing

Fishing Pier at Monroe State Lake

The Bait Shop at State Lake

Heron at State Lake

• Tumber Buyers

• Hunting Leases

• Timberland Management

251-789-2120

DEER PROCESSING& Monroe Sausage

2595 Grant Blvd. Beatrice, AL 36425251-789-2242

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK DURING DEER SEASON


Alabama State LakesA Model Program

By Corky PughStarted in the 1950s, the State of Alabama’s Public

Fishing Lakes grew into a model program. Eventuallyboasting 23 lakes in 20 counties, the whole conceptwas built around win-win thinking. County govern-ments came up with the land, and the Game & FishDivision constructed and stocked the lakes.Concessionaires were contracted to maintain and oper-ate the lakes, and in exchange were afforded theopportunity to make a modest living selling bait andtackle plus issuance fees on fishing licenses and a per-centage of daily permits.

Long before “outsourcing” became a buzzword forgaining efficiency and reducing costs through hiringout governmental services to the private sector,Alabama Game & Fish was doing just that.Concessionaires were required to live on the premisesand to maintain the grounds, keep the lakes fertilized,and to serve the people who came there to fish. To pro-vide the same 24/7 security, and to operate the lakeswith state employees earning salaries and benefitswould have been cost-prohibitive.

According to now-retired Fisheries Assistant ChiefJoe Addison, Monroe County Lake was built in 1966-67on property much of which was donated by the Forefamily. Melba Fore was the first concessionaire andlived in the house between the lake and County Road50. The lake was opened to fishing in 1968.

Addison, who was a Fisheries Biologist stationed inSpanish Fort back then, recalls, “State Lake openingswere huge events, drawing hundreds of people whocame to catch fish.”

Later in his career, Addison headed up the StateLakes Program. He says, “State Lakes provided oppor-tunity for local people to have a place to go fishingwho otherwise could not have.”

Even in counties with lots of water like theAlabama River and creeks in Monroe County, bankaccess for public fishing has become increasingly rare.Public lakes help keep people fishing, who throughtheir fishing license purchases help pay for manage-ment and protection of fisheries resources benefittingeveryone.

Discover Monroe CountyPublic Fishing Lake

By Corky Pugh

The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater FisheriesDivision manages 23 public lakes in 20 countiesthroughout the State. These lakes range in sizefrom 13 to 184 acres for a total of 1,912 surfaceacres. Each lake is intensively managed toprovide quality fishing on a sustained basis. Alllakes were originally stocked with largemouthbass, bluegill (bream), and redear sunfish(shellcracker). Channel catfish are stocked in everylake during the winter. White crappie and blackcrappie have become established in many lakes.

Monroe County Public Fishing LakeManager:Tammy IknerAddress and Telephone:3596 County Road 50Beatrice, AL 36425(251) 789-2104Surface Area:94 acre lakeFish Species:Largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, andchannel catfish.

GILBERT’SCOUNTRY MARKET

No time to cook, visit our deli fordelicious meals hot and ready.

251-789-2819103 Bryant StreetBeatrice, Alabama

Come by Gilbert’s Country Marketfor All Your Hunting & Fishing Supplies

for Your Hunting Trip!

Hours:6 a.m.-7 p.m. – Mon.-Thurs.;

6 a.m.-8 p.m. – Fri. & Sat.;7 a.m.-6 p.m. – Sunday

Nick Tatum - PresidentTammy Tatum - Secretary & Treasurer

Call Nick for a free estimate on all your heating and cooling needs.

• www.conradwatsonac.com • 575-4196 • 1-800-239-4196

Ask us about

HASSLE FREE FINANCING for up to 60 months!

THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE.

Bridgestone • Firestone

Affiliated Dealer

Brantley’s Tiresof Monroeville, Inc.1385 South Alabama Ave.

Monroeville, AL 36460

251-575-2990

William Frank Brantley, IIICody Helton

RICKY POWELLPresident / CEO

MONROEVILLE AREA YMCA2197 S. Mt. Pleasant Avenue

Monroeville, AL 36460www.monroevilleareaymca.org

Office: 251-575-9622Mobile: 251-714-3162

Fax: [email protected]

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT®

FOR HEALTHY LIVINGFOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

®


Location:Monroe County Lake is located 5 miles west ofBeatrice off County Road 50. From Monroevilletake Alabama Hwy 21 north to Beatrice, then lefton Alabama Hwy. 265 for 1/4-mile, then left onRobbins Street (Co. Rd. 50) for 3-1/2 miles toMonroe County Lake. Ninety minutes fromMontgomery, take I-65 south to exit 128 and go 17miles on Hwy 10 to Awin and 20 miles south onHwy 47 to Beatrice; right on Alabama Hwy. 265 for1/4-mile, then left on Robbins Street for 3-1/2miles to Monroe County Lake.Hours of Operation:Open sunrise to sunset:February 1 - November 30: Open six days a week.Closed Mondays. (Will be open the following2016 Holidays that are on Mondays - MemorialDay, July 4th, and Labor Day)December 1 - January 31: Open Thursday - Sunday.Closed Monday - Wednesday.Closed the week of Christmas.Open the weekend of New Years Thursday throughSunday.Night FishingFor months of June, July and August, Thursdaynight and Saturday night until midnight.Night fishing allowed in area from the dam to infront of the trailer.Facilities:Boat rampFishing pierRestroomsConcessions (Bait, tackle, and snacks)Campground facilities available with electricityand water

Licenses and Permits:Normal Fishing License Requirements Apply toAnglers Age 16 or Older*Daily Fishing Permit Required in Addition toLicense for Anglers Age 12 and Older $3.00Boat Rental Permit (Daily fishing permit alsorequired) $5.00Launch Permit for Personal Boat (Daily fishingpermit also required) $3.00*State Lakes Fishing Licenses are available for purchase atthe lake.

Other Nearby Lakes:Dallas County Public Fishing Lake Escambia County Public Fishing Lake Washington County Public Fishing Lake

Photos by Corey McDonald Photography

Darryl and Tammy Ikner

Morning View, State Lake


Physical Therapy • Occupational TherapySpeech Therapy • Hospice • Respite

Here when you need us.

Monroe Manor Health & Rehabilitation Center236 W. Claiborne Street • Monroeville, AL • 251-575-2648

Offering some of the best whitetail deerhunting in Alabama. Hunters have accessto over 2,000 acres that include deer,turkey, wild hog and small game. Duringyour stay, you will enjoy fabulous meals,game prep, satellite TV, high successrates and complimentary fishing duringyour downtime or skeet shooting at anadditional cost. All our packages arepriced at an all-inclusive affordable price.

beatricehuntersretreat.com251-978-2209

BEATRICE Hunters Retreat

In the heart of historic

downtown Monroeville

Monroe County Museum251-575-7433 • monroecountymuseum.org

THE MONROEJOURNAL

150years

Established

1866


Colquett Insurance AgencySince 1983

On the Square in Monroeville, Alabama8-5 Monday-Friday

Mike Colquett, C.I.S.R., C.I.C., [email protected]

Denise Bohannon, CISR, [email protected]

Laura D. Pipkin, [email protected]

We write all types of property and casualty insurance, specializing in commercial insurance

Home • Mobile Home • Camphouses • Personal Auto • Life InsurancePersonal Umbrella • ATV • Boats • RV and Camper Insurance

Business Insurance • Contractor’s Insurance • Commercial Auto • Commercial General Liability• Commercial Umbrella • Commercial Buildings • Workers Compensation• Religious Institutions

• Farm Equipment • Inland Marine • Professional Liability

(251) 743-4111 • 888-743-4110

Your One-StopPACKAGE STORE

CITY LIMITS PACKAGE21 Bypass @ Drewry Road • Monroeville • 575-2244

Huge selection of beer,wine &liquor atgreat prices!

600-A South Alabama AvenueMonroeville, Alabama 36460

251-575-5700

Pam Max, Owner

myTrustmark® online and mobile banking | DepositExpress ATMs

Member FDIC

OPTIONSTO BANK THE WAY YOU WANT

Even if the way you wantmight seem a little remote.

60 Hines Street | Monroeville, AL | 251.575.3132

OPTIONSOTTO ANK TBBA

OPTIONSYAAYWWAANK THE O

WOUYYO

tnau wwaoy yaayen if the wvEEv

ANTWWA

rustmarkTTryyTm ® online and mobile banking | D

tnau wwaoy yaayen if the wvEEvemtle rreitem a let sghiigm

ville, oeonrt | Meetrines S60 H

tE online and mobile banking | D sesssxprreEExeposit sMTAATs

Member FDIC

| 251.575.3132ALLville,

Commercial Forestry Herbicide Applications,

Cogan Grass, Kudzu, Japanese Privet,

Food Plots, Road Spraying, GPS Mapping

Boundry Line Maintenance

Phone – 251-244-0833

Southern Linc: 18*713

[email protected]

WINTERS FORESTRY

SERVICES, LLC

John S. Winters


News from Monroe CountyState Lake

Photo by Corey McDonald Photography

By Sandy SmithWhen you talk with Tammy Ikner it is very

apparent that she loves her job as Manager of theMonroe County State Lake. Formerly a park atten-dant at Isaac Creek, Tammy and husband Darryltook over management of the state lake fromMarion and Brenda Craft in December of 2015.Tammy says it is a dream job. She has a real loveof wildlife and has enjoyed her time at the statelake.

The Ikners have made some changes on the200 acres of property they manage, including the94-acre lake. They have added six improved camp-sites, which are across the road from the lake.Darryl Ikner ran water lines and power to the sites.They have widened the paths and cut underbrushfrom where people can fish from the bank.

They would like to add a walking trail aroundthe entire lake, but it must be ADA compliant, andthey are working on a plan for this with theDepartment of Conservation and Fisheries. Theywould also like to install showers in their pavilionthat houses restrooms. Although no tent campingis allowed at the state lake, recreational vehicles,campers, and camper shells are welcome. Thecampsites rent for $20 per night, or campers maycall for special weekly and monthly rates. Theyoften have hunters rent monthly during huntingseason.

Fishing is a favorite pastime at the lake. Thelake is stocked with catfish, bass and bream.Several shell crackers have been caught, somealmost two pounds. Recently, a 6 ½ pound basswas caught, but was released back to the lake.

State of AlabamaHouse of Representatives

HARRY SHIVERDistrict No. 64Baldwin, Conecuh,

Escambia & Monroe Counties(251) 454-6713(251) 937-0240

[email protected]

Budget Inn

Budget InnClean, Comfortable RoomsHigh Speed InternetCable TV-HBOPhoneNewly RemodeledNear Restaurants & Grocery Stores

WE OFFER THE BEST RATES IN TOWN

484 S. Alabama Ave. • Monroeville

251-575-3101

Stuart Richeson, AgentPresident’s Club

17 W Claiborne StMonroeville, AL 36460Bus [email protected]

The greatest compliment you can give is a referral.

MCKISSICK BUILDINGS3175 S. ALABAMA AVENUE

MONROEVILLE, AL 36460

Why Pay More?

.COM

OFFICE: 251-575-7599MELISSA: 251-593-0767

JOE: 251-244-0393


The Ikners have focused on providing moregoods and services at the lake. For example, thereare 14-foot aluminum boats for rent at the lake,along with optional trolling motors, life jackets,paddles, anchors, etc. All kinds of fishing poles areavailable including cane poles. Live bait, plasticlures, worms, cricket cages, nets and stringers areavailable at the bait shop. Conecuh sausage aswell as snack foods and soft drinks may also bepurchased at the bait shop.

The Ikners want to reach out to area seniors.There is no charge to fish at the lake for Alabamaresidents 65 and older. In addition there is nocharge to fish with a cane pole. They would alsolike to plan some children’s activities at the lake.

The lake is on the Piney Woods Birding Trail.There is a resident Bald Eagle that enjoys lightingon one of the lake’s peninsulas. She is nesting andhas eggs in the nest. Blue herons are frequent visi-tors, as are several varieties of ducks and otherfowl. Tammy also lives with three parrots, two ofwhich are rescues. When she is cutting the grasson her Kubota, the parrots are often perchedbeside her. Her next dream job whenever sheretires from the state lake is to work at an aviaryrescue mission.

In years past, the lake has closed in November,to reopen in February. Tammy and Darryl plan tokeep the lake open in December and January,Thursdays through Sundays, excepting a week atChristmas.

This year the Ikners planned the first ever 4thof July celebration at the lake. It took place on the4th and included a fireworks show, donated icecream, snow cones and cotton candy. Some 350 to400 people came out to this event, which the

Ikner’s plan to host again next July. Additonal information regarding the State Lake

may be found below, supplied by Corky Pugh,Hunting Heritage Foundation.

Eagle’s Nest at State Lakeby Corey McDonald

In the winter, here on the coast, virtually all of ourweather comes from a succession of cold fronts thatmove in from the northwest. There was nothing likethe weather information then that is available now, andespecially none of the advance notice of fronts that cannow be picked up on any one of several hand heldelectronic devices. When I heard the third rumble ofthunder I arbitrarily called off the hunt. It was, to saythe least, an unpopular decision.

Laura, at the time, was an avid fan of MiamiDolphin football—she even had a Dolphin jersey athome with Larry Czonka’s number under her nameacross the back. Although I think she would have trad-ed me off for Larry Czonka in a heartbeat, she usuallyput up with outdoor decisions I made. She did, albeitit sometimes grudgingly, admit I was the only profes-sional woodsman in the party. This time, until weheard the third peal of thunder and she realized theearly morning light was fading, the grudge had takenon a light taint of mutiny under the skin.

We got back to the boat in less than five minutes,got in and untied, and I shoved off into the river just asthe first wind of the squall line came through the treeson the west bank.

If the wind had been from any quarter other thandirectly behind us we would not have made it. Thedriving Northwest wind was blowing leaves completelyacross the river and some of the clouds of leaves weremixed leaves and twigs a quarter inch thick. I reallydidn’t paddle us back across the river although I haveclaimed I did. The wind moved us back across theriver all by itself and all I did was help a little.

If there is such an athletic event as paddling atwelve foot skiff across a river fast enough to get it upon the step and making it plane, open class, mixedteam of father and daughter, no handicap; then Ibelieve we would have taken the blue ribbon goingaway. We got across the river with no damage to any-thing but my pride and without even getting wet.

Me and the wind ran the boat into the mouth ofMajor’s Creek, Laura and I got out, tied the boat to thefirst sapling at hand and sprinted to the car. It wasraining at about the rate of an inch an hour, with thewind at close to thirty knots before we got to the highground on the other side of the creek.

This was all in the days before anybody in carswere strapped down— seat belts were considered suit-able for aircraft. Children, and Laura was a primeexample of the species, moved freely across the frontseat from driver to window and nobody thought any-thing about it.

At this point Laura, who was sitting much closer tome than normal, said the first word she had utteredsince we got in the boat on the other side of the riverto start the crossing. She said,

“Daddy, did you get scared?”In the movie The Wizard of Oz, if you will remember,

the movie was in black and white, until the door to thehouse opened when the house Dorothy and Toto hadbeen in had landed in Oz. At that point the film turnedinto Technicolor. The black and white shots of the tor-nado and its debris, of the house turning in the clouds,were mixed in with shots of a little old lady on a bicy-cle, with a little dog in a basket on the back fender ofthe bike, pedaling furiously through a sky full of debrisbefore the landing.

I said in answer,“Well, I was ok until the bicycle with the old lady and

the dog came flying by just before we got out of theboat on this side of the river. Right after I saw her andthe little dog, I did get a little scared.”

It has been nearly forty years since the incident andI can still open my ears and hear the giggling. MerryChristmas, Kid!

KIWANIS CLUB OF MONROEVILLE

Jodi L. ChambersFinancial Advisor

65 Pineville Road, Suite 5Monroeville, AL 36460Bus. [email protected]

Annual BBQ Cook Off Fundraiser

Saturday, April 8, 2017Whitey Lee Park, Monroeville, AL 36460

$3000 in Cash and Trophies! 251-564-1437/[email protected]

Entertainment, Live Auction, BBQ Tasting & More!


By Mike ColquettBefore I get started, I must confess that I am

not an expert on guns, nor do I profess to be. I dolove guns, and have enjoyed many a day afieldwith my favorite guns. This story is meant to bejust my personal history and not a prescription foranyone else to follow.

Growing up, I hunted at a club calledSouthfield, in Baldwin County. Back in those daysno one had any money, and hardly anyone hadmore than one gun. My first was a Remington1148, which I still have today. This was a 12 Gaugeshotgun, and I hunted everything with it. It did nothave a multiple choke option, and I think this wasa full choke, as most people back in the day

thought that was the best option. I think that thiswas because of how shot shells were made thenusing cardboard wads and not the plastic sleeveto hold the shot. My dad bought this gun and gaveit to me and I am not sure where he bought it.

I hunted squirrels, deer, hogs, turkeys and dovewith this gun. It was a 2 ¾ inch gun and I was oneproud person to have this gun. It was a commonthing to put some buck shot in your pocket whilesquirrel hunting in case you came up on somehogs, or even a deer. I only remember one manthat hunted with a rifle back then, and that wasMr. Sanderson. I can see him in my mind’s eye tothis day, sitting by a tree looking across the riverto see if a deer would come out on the sandbar for

My Personal History of Guns

Mike Colquett and Chris Adams in Hulett, Wyoming I’m more than just anothertall drink of water.

QUALITY CARE IS OUR COMMITMENT

Call for Details!2046 South Alabama Avenue

Monroeville

251-575-3285Fax: 251-743-9736

Nursing andRehabilitation Center

QualifiedFriendly

Staff

• Private Rooms andBathrooms

• Washer & Dryer

• Flat Screen TV’s

• Kitchenettes and

More

• Short Term Rehabilitation

• Extended Stay

• Physical Therapy

• Occupational Therapy

• Speech Therapy

ENGLEWOOD HEALTH CARE CENTER


www.southalabamagas.org

a late afternoon drink of water. I do not rememberhim having any luck, but I do remember seeinghim there on several occasions.

Deer hunting back in the 60’s was more of asocial event than it is now. There was always agroup of men and boys there to take a stand whileothers would go with the dogs, or take pots andpans and beat them together to drive the deertoward the stands. When you heard the dogs com-ing your way, your heart would really beat andyour excitement level was really high. Only buckswere legal back then. In the late 60’s the statewould give us some doe tags. The talk around thecleaning rack always turned to the guns. Mr. BillCobb had a 10 Gauge that he used, and needlessto say, he was the king of the hill. The more well todo folks would have Browning A-5’s while othershad Winchester Model 12’s. My dad always shot a3” magnum Winchester model 12. That gun was akilling machine. He could shoot a squirrel out ofthe tallest oak tree in the swamp, and deer andhogs were in trouble if they came by him. WhenDaddy divided his guns up, I got this gun, and itsits as a prize among my other guns.

When deer were killed, my brother and I got alot of experience cleaning the deer that werekilled. This was before parents thought that kidswere super special, and they did not mind workingthe stuffing out of us. Anyway, we basically used aknife that Daddy had gotten for us from CampSupply, and it was a scabbard knife with a hollowground blade. Once the deer was cleaned, the per-son that killed the deer got a hind quarter and therest was cut up into pieces and placed in as manypiles as we had hunters. Everyone looked forwardto their share of the fresh venison. We even putthe ribs in the pile. I can remember eating themand the fat would stick to the top of our mouthswhen we would follow a bite with some cold icetea. Today, most people could care less, but theseare different times.

As I mentioned, we hunted squirrels and wedid this by shaking vines and when the squirrelran up the tree, we would shoot him. Usually therewould be at least three of us doing this so allsides of the tree could be watched. While shakingvines, we also shot many raccoons, which I wouldsell and take the money from them to buy theflowers for the girls when we would go to a formal

dance. That was the only time we would buy flow-ers and that money came in handy. I do not think Iever told them where the money to purchase theflowers came from because I did not want themthinking about dead coons all night.

Some years later, I got a Winchester Mdl 90- 22rifle. This was my first rifle and I loved it. My dadwould take me to the city dump, which at thattime was at the end of Ivey Street, and we wouldrun the rats out of the garbage and shoot them onthe run. Ammo was cheap and I really enjoyed thisactivity. I got lots of practice shooting and it reallyhelped. I got this gun around 1966 and kept ituntil sometime in the late 1970’s or early 80’swhen it fell off of a tractor while I was bush hog-

L-R, Remington Nylon 66-22 cal, Winchester mdl 12-12 ga,36 cal black powder gun


ging and the bush hog ran over it, destroying it. Somewhere along here is when I started dating

my wife. Her grandfather had some land inBeatrice, and at that time, she would go squirrelhunting with me. I had purchased a Marlin GooseGun from Barnett & Jackson Hardware. This was abolt action 12 Gauge 3” magnum shotgun with a36” full choke barrel. I never learned to hit withthis gun, but when I took it to the stand it causedquite a commotion. After squirrel hunting oneafternoon, we saw the biggest buck I had ever seenin one of the open fields, and I took that goosegun and tried to shoot the deer but it was too faraway. I grew tired of this gun and went on to a bet-ter shotgun, and retired the Goose Gun. Today thisgun is worth a lot of money. I usually keep myguns, but this one did not make the cut.

As the years went by and deer hunting wasmaking a change from 100% deer drives, to about50% stand hunting or still hunting as we called it, Ideveloped an interest in a “high powered rifle”,which is what all large caliber rifles are called. Myfirst was an old Infield 303 without a scope. I canremember hunting with it one day and my wife’suncle preached to me about about how dangerousit was and that it would kill a man at over 5 miles.I did not try to explain bullet drop to him or try tomake him believe that within 400 yards, this bulletwould be in the ground based on aiming at an ani-mal no taller than a deer. To try that would havenot been productive as this was the main schoolof thought back in the day.

Through the years I went on to more modernrifles. The next one was a Remington 742 in a 270.This would have been around 1977. If you did notseat the magazine in this semi-auto deer gun, itwould only shoot one time. I had started walkingclear cut land and jumping deer out of the windrows. Usually a clear cut had to be about two orthree years old for this to work. At this time, therewere lots of briars and I always looked like I hadbeen in a cat fight. I even took some jeans andripped the seams of the pants legs so I could addsome car seat material to it, so it would turn bri-ars. This was hard hunting and usually a pair ofleather boots did not last a full season before thebriars tore them up. Lots of paper company landwas open to the public for a $10.00 or less permit,and some were free. I jumped a lot of bucks doingthis, and I missed the vast majority as they were

running and jumping through the clear cuts. WhenI did kill one, it was usually a long way from thevehicle and I would field dress the deer, throw himover my shoulders, pick up my shot gun and rifle,and carry all back to my vehicle.

When I was not deer hunting I was dove hunt-ing. I had managed to save enough money to buya Browning A5 which I thought was hands downthe best shotgun a man could buy. I shot every-thing I would use a shotgun for with this gun. Ipurchased a 3“ magnum with a 28” modifiedchoke barrel. The invector chokes were not aroundat this time. Dove hunting was a great sport, andthere was a group of us that shot them as much asthree days a week during season. I shot so muchthat I reloaded my own shells. I remember makingthem so powerful that they would loose your fill-ings in your teeth, because they kicked so hard.They were deadly on the doves. I still have someof these loaded and now I am afraid to shoot thembecause that had to be twenty-five years ago.

The Browning A5 mentioned above alsobecame my go to gun for turkeys. I loved this gunand killed a lot of turkeys with it. I can rememberkilling one on the fifth shot, but I got him nonethe less. It was about 8 years after I started hunt-ing with this gun that I started missing a lot, so Iretired it.

When it comes to a turkey gun, I have triedseveral, and currently my go to gun is a Ruger 12Gauge over/under. A few years back, I killed aturkey in Florida, five in Alabama, two in Kansas,three in Nebraska, one in The Black Hills of SouthDakota, and one in Wyoming. Although all ofthese were killed with this gun in one season, Istill find myself searching for that perfect turkeygun.

I continue to hunt deer with a rifle, and that isall I have used except during bow season. I foundwith the new guns, and optics that shooting a deerwas easy. So I have searched to find ways to makeit harder. I have gone to black powder guns, andthis is fun, but a lot of work to keep clean andhard to use in rainy weather. I have used pistolsand have killed a few deer with a pistol with andwithout a scope. This just makes it more challeng-ing.

As far as a high powered rifle is concerned, Ihave tried single shots, bolt actions, and semi-autos. A single shot is my favorite, but second is a

I have seen it happen to some of these otherpeople and nobody is really at fault. You can’t makekids like something by edict but we have got to fig-ure out a way to bring more players into the league.

What does bother me in our society is that weseem to be willing to wear leather shoes and eatsteak in perfect contentment, so long as somebodyelse butchers the steer. We are also a society thatconstantly comes up with more and more groundrules designed to harass hunters and hunting.Hunting seems to be a sport which is dying of neg-lect, while at the same time the game that is beinghunted continues to increase in a manner thatwould have seemed impossibly optimistic fifty yearsago.

All hunters are in this together no matter whatwe hunt, and we have no room to fight among our-selves. After all, if you are so displeased with yourheirs and assigns you can always drop them out ofthe will and leave your money to a home for sickcats. But if you do, then what the hell is going tohappen to that cabinet full of fine shotguns?

Please, somebody think of something quick.

Christmas at Hogan’s BendAt a point some six miles above the junction of

the Alabama and the Tombigbee rivers, in one oftheir river straightening projects, the Corps ofEngineers created what is now called theHogan’s Bend cutoff. The cutoff began at this pointand ran generally northeast, which turned the areasoutheast of the cutoff into an island. The cutoffshortened the river distance between Mobile andany point north of the Tombigbee junction by tenmiles.

This new island, called new because it is nowover fifty years old, is about two and a half mileslong, just over a quarter of a mile wide except at itslower end, runs generally southeast to northwest. It isdirectly across the river from Pierce’s landing, the for-mer location of Fort Pierce, which was a frontier stock-ade in colonial times. The site of the old fort was onlands leased by a hunting club I belonged to in 1975,when the colonel’s daughter was eight years old, aninhabitant of the third grade and was beginning hercareer as my constant hunting companion.

The Christmas holidays are always special times forthe children of hunters in this latitude because schoolis closed for a couple of weeks, it is too cool for anywater related excursions and here on the coast virtual-

ly all hunting seasons are open. The club I belongedto then did not own the island formed by the Hogan’sBend cutoff but I knew the owner, he had arranged forus to use it, and Laura and I proposed to have whatthe British call a rough shoot on that island a coupleof days before Christmas. The British call it a roughshoot because it covers any species of game that mightcome up.

Baldwin County still had a fall turkey season inthose days, the duck season was open and so was theseason on squirrels and rabbits. There would be theodd woodcock in the swamps; an occasional snipe insome of the old clearings and neither Laura nor I hadany interest in deer. As a matter of fact, during theclub deer drives that year, one of which we attended inearly November, Laura had informed me that deerhunting was even more boring than arithmetic, a posi-tion statement that left me with a warmed heart and aconviction that we had drawn an exceptionally promis-ing apple from a very large barrel.

Laura was an unarmed hunter at the time of thistrip to Hogan’s Island. I had promised her a gun of herown when she turned nine, an event which was roughlya year away and she was holding me to the promisewhile she finished off what she considered to be herterminal year as pickup man. For those of you whohave forgotten a pickup man is the generic term for anunarmed hunter in the final stages before he acquireshis own gun.

We signed in on the board at the club house asKelly and Kelly, and listed our location asHogan’s Island— the island that had been created bythe opening of the cutoff—at about thirty minutesbefore daylight. We stopped the car at the mouth ofMajor’s Creek, where it entered the river, still in thedark, and waited for it to get light enough to see beforewe undertook the crossing. The river at this point isroughly a hundred and fifty yards over, and the currentat the mouth of Major’s Creek is non-existent, the flownow following the course of the new cutoff rather thanthe main river. We tied off the boat on the other sideof the river after crossing and sat down on a log to seeif we could hear any turkeys calling to one anotherfrom the roost. There was nothing we could hear andI suggested that we move upstream a couple of hun-dred yards or so and look for scratching and not beginto shoot squirrels or anything else until we had madeup our minds we were not going to hear any turkeystree yelping before they flew down.

Wood ducks were calling back and forth as they flewup and down the river, we heard squirrels barking, andcrows, and a tug boat horn, out on the main river, thatsounded as if he was two miles downstream.

At 6:15 we heard the first rumble of thunder.

DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 1546 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS

William’s backgrounds were not all that good;some of them in fact approached the primitive. Ionce toyed with the idea of taking one of William’sturkey paintings and having somebody do a back-ground around it. I was informed that only an intel-lectual barbarian could even entertain such athought and that William, who was particularlytouchy about such things, might have taken mebehind his store and opened up a twenty pound canof whip ass.

Ned’s backgrounds on the other hand, are great,and in all other matters of turkey aspect, color,shape and fluid motion temporarily at rest, he isright in the middle of the ten ring every the time.

Artistically, we need to find some talentedpainter, give him an extensive exposure to turkeys ina variety of situations, turkeys walking, turkeys flow-ing over the landscape, turkeys flying through thetops of second growth hardwood at fifty miles anhour, and convince him to quit looking at meltedwatches for artistic inspiration and start payingattention to something of importance.

There is precedence for such actions. CuzStrickland, with Mossy Oak, who has a lifetime ofexperience in dealing with such people, tells me thatin order to get a decent turkey photographer youhave to take a turkey hunter and turn him into acameraman. Professional cameramen, according toCuz, are always named either Claude or Pierre, weigha hundred and ten pounds, sniff a good deal, areuncomfortable around guns, and say, “Oh you,” alot. I suspect that may be the trouble with mostartists.

Sometimes, in order to get things right, you haveto take the solution and work backwards to fix theproblem

Thin Red LineFor some time now, for a period covering forty

five years as a matter of fact, I have been accused ofbeing reasonably disapproving of deer hunters andall their works and pomps. Being a realist, I amforced to admit that all such charges are true, andthat sometimes the adjective—reasonably—the onebefore the word disapproving, has been somewhatmore pungent than reasonable, and could perhapsbe better described as forceful. But just like a politi-cian who sees ominous signs of defeat on the hori-zon, I am perfectly willing to switch positions.

In the present climate we need all the votes we

can get, regardless of what we hunt and how we huntit. Whether you spend time and money chasing ele-phant in Kenya, spend afternoons on your back decktrying to swat hummingbirds with a tennis racket, orpursue any and every species in between, we huntersare going to have to hang together, or to borrow aquote from one of the signers of our Declaration,

“If we don’t hang together we will damned surelybe hung separately.”

The thing that has brought about my change ofheart was the appearance of the September/Octoberissue of Ducks Unlimited, and the graph of existingbreeding ducks shown on page 93 of that magazine.The graph shows that the number of breeding ducksin North America has risen to 48.6 million birds, anincrease of 7 percent over last year’s figure and thehighest number found since the annual survey wasfirst published in 1955.

With the single exception of quail, and there aresome recent signs of real hope in quail production,the populations of game birds and animals in NorthAmerica are in better condition now than they havebeen at any time during the last 55 years, and yetthe number of hunters continues to diminish.

My own family may be typical of the recenttrends. My parents and their siblings were bornright at the time the 19th century was turning intothe 20th. Since that time, they and their descen-dents have numbered 24 people, 14 males and 10females. In that collection of 24 persons, during atime span of more than a hundred years, 1910 to2010, there have been exactly 3 hunters in the family,one of my Daddy’s older brothers, then myself, anduntil she turned twelve, my daughter Laura.

The first one, my Uncle Joe, died and left noreplacement, Laura lives in D. C. and the onlyturkeys there are some of the weird people in thosefunny looking white buildings along PennsylvaniaAvenue, and myself, and I don’t have enough playingtime left in my career to risk buying green bananas.

I have tried to recruit various nephews, or thesons of acquaintances from time to time, and by try-ing I mean taking them on several hunts of weekendlength. None of such moves seem to have calledforth enough interest to bait a bream hook with. Thelast chance, for me, now rests on the shoulders ofLaura’s twins, aged eight, one in each gender, wholive in the least promising surroundings you canpossibly imagine, if you want a candidate preparedto step forward and carry the banner. There must beother families in exactly the same circumstances.


bolt action. I have gone from a 270 to a 30-06 toobecause of the versatility of the 06. It has thesame brass casing, but just a different diameterbullet. Now, almost all of my guns are 30-06. If Icould only pick one of my guns to keep, it wouldhave to be a Blaser 30-06 that I refer to as mymeat gun. This is a bolt gun, but if you get into abunch of wild hogs, the extra bullets might comein handy.Varmint Guns

I do some trapping and the gun I use to dis-patch the critters is a Ruger 22 single actionrevolver. This gun is a stainless steel version, andwill not rust. It is very sufficient in taking care ofbusiness. However, for other critters, I bought aCooper 17 HMR a few years back, and I am sure Ipaid too much for it, but I meant for this gun to bemy go to gun for all critters that are legal to shootwith it. It is super accurate and once I killed twosquirrels at 85 yards. If you do not know it, that isa long shot on a squirrel. This gun got replaced inusage about a year ago when Savage came outwith a 17WSM. This new round will shoot this bul-let at 3000 feet per second and is an awesomeround for all around varmint shooting. I havestretched this one to as far as 95 yards on squir-rels and up to 200 yards on other critters. While itis perfectly capable of killing a deer, it is not legalto use it for such, but I have killed hogs with it.

I have shot almost any rifle or gun you canimagine. I own several and love each and everyone of them. There are some truths about gunsthat everyone should know and remember. Thefirst rule is that it matters more where you shootan animal than what you shoot him with. I havekilled many a hog with a 22 bullet to the brain,and it kills them very nicely. We all have had ani-mals get away from us at one time or another, andthat is usually the result of a poorly placed shot.The second rule is that you need good, no, youneed great optics on any rifle you plan to shoot. Ifyou have the best rifle in the world, but cannotsee the target through your scope, you have noth-ing. Invest in a good scope, and you will not bedisappointed. Shooting has basically three partsto it: your aim, your breath control, and your trig-ger pull. Practice helps in establishing the neededdiscipline and maintaining it.

Airport Sports Center362 Hwy. 21 S. • Monroeville, AL 36460

Yamaha & Kawasaki Dealer • Can-Am DealerCrestliner/Polar Kraft Boats • Mercury & Yamaha Outboards

4 Wheeler Repair • Boat Motor Repairs

– Financing Available –

Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. • Sat 8 a.m.-noon

251-575-7302

Every word of that description is true but to stopthe description there is the precise equivalent ofsaying that Cleopatra was a pretty girl and then put-ting a period at the end of the sentence. There wasway more to Cleopatra than simply being pretty andthere is substantially more to chestnut than therewas to Cleopatra.

In addition to the high quality of the lumber thetree produced fruit that was in a class all by itself.The tree produced a crop of nuts every year. Amature chestnut can produce 6,000 nuts in a givenyear while the oaks, depending on the species, pro-duce somewhere between 300 and 1000.

Chestnuts produce almost double the amount ofprotein than acorns, 11 percent versus 6, and thecarbohydrate component of chestnuts is at 40 per-cent. The nuts taste as good to people as they do togame and a tree such as chestnut, bearing nuts inthe quantities that it does, produced a source forfood for game that is almost impossible to evaluate.Its range in the United States covered the northeast,the Appalachian region, and the Ohio valley. Itamounted to some 200 million acres, 27 percent ofthe timbered area of the U. S. in total and chestnutmade up, in those regions, 25 percent of the hard-wood stand.

The Native American chestnut trees were almosttotally destroyed in a period of thirty five years.

Asiatic chestnut is immune to the blight andefforts began as early as the middle 1930s to crossAmerican chestnut with various Asiatic species toproduce a tree that was blight resistant. Beginningexperiments in the form of backcrossing American toChinese chestnut has been carried on by theAmerican chestnut foundation for some twenty fiveyears now and there have some very promisingdevelopments in the past two or three years.

The American chestnut foundation has producedits first crop of blight resistant nuts and has testplantings on federal forestland under agreementwith the USFS. Scientists are currently evaluatingthe first generation of blight resistant trees. There isreal hope that within the next ten years such nutswill be available to the public for restoration effortson private land.

They are very, very close to success. The value ofa restored blight resistant chestnut for use by game,especially a game food of the value and availabilityof American chestnuts, may well be one of the mostexciting success stories in the history of conserva-tion.

To find out more about the availability of seedand seedlings and the state of the project in general,visit the website at www.acf.org.

It is entirely possible; it is indeed very likely, thatthe blind pigs have stumbled across something farmore valuable than a single acorn.

ShapesWhile I am willing to admit that and I cannot paintat all, and can barely write English, I can look, and itis my firm opinion that there are only two people,alive or dead, who have painted turkeys and havecaught the shape of a turkey exactly.

John James Audubon didn’t do it and didn’t evencome close. The famous picture of a turkey that hedid, the one that has been reproduced in magazinesfor the past hundred years, is a picture of a deadturkey lying on the floor in front of his easel.Audubon’s turkey has his neck drawn back betweenhis shoulders exactly like a severely crippled book-keeper with arthritis and live wild turkeys never looklike worn out bookkeepers.

The only two painters who have caught a turkey’sshape exactly are Ned Smith, a naturalistfrom Pennsylvaniaand William Harris, a sign painterfrom Camden, Alabama. Both of these men are longdead and to this day I have not seen the work of acandidate who could replace either one of them.

The picture of the turkey on the label of the WildTurkey Bourbon bottle is not even a good picture ofa tame turkey. The corporation distills a greatwhiskey and I have drunk rather a lot of it, but whenit comes to the painting of the turkey they are usingin their advertisements, as well as on the label of thebottle itself, they really ought to lean back and takeanother look at their hole card. Whiskey, of thegrade and quality bottled by that distillery, simplydeserves a better picture.

I don’t know why things come out this way, butthey have, and while there are thousands of peoplewho are talented painters and thousands of peoplewho know what a wild turkey looks like, until now,with the two exceptions noted, nobody has managedto get both qualities into the same person.

It was said of the Russian Prima Ballerina, GalinaUlanova, that she even moved gracefully when shewas in the bathroom throwing up. A wild turkeyalways exhibits the same appearance of gracefulmovement and nobody but Ned Smith and WilliamHarris have actually caught that grace.

“Long Beard” by William Peyton Harris

Guns & Ammunition Suppliers:1. Womack’s: Just off the square in Monroeville:

251-743-2280 (not going to be carrying guns but will still have ammo)

2. Wal-Mart: Highway 21 South, Monroeville,251-575-3333

3. Owen’s in Frisco City: 251-267-34364. A&M Pawn Shop: Just off the square in

Monroeville, 251-575-32555. AA Bail Bonds and Pawn Shop: Just off the

square in Monroeville, 251-575-32556. Wayside Grocery: 251-294-5561

*this is the place on the left side of the road on the way to Atmore. This does have an Atmore address so it wouldn’t be in Monroe County but it’s close. They have a big selection of ammo, bows and tons of hunting supplies.


SOUTH ALABAMA KUBOTA & RENTAL LLC2951 Highway 21 South, Monroeville • 251-575-3146

That Last Ten SecondsThere is no question but that we make our most

telling mistakes in dealing with turkeys during thoselast ten seconds before the trigger is pulled. Wemay have done everything right from the time we gotup, until the time the turkey comes in range and isat the point where all there is left to do is pull thetrigger and go pick him up, but none of those earlymoves matter because they are all behind us. It isgenerally right there at the last when all we need todo is shoot, that we commit one of those outra-geously boneheaded acts that enable us to snatchdefeat from the jaws of victory.

The excitement peaks at the fifty yard line andthe principle thing we need to do in those last fewseconds is to shut our heads off. In the language ofthe business world “the sale has been made andnow it is time to shut up and write the order.”

The nervous tension is at its peak then and forsome reason that causes many people to succumbto the tendency of trying to improve upon success.Their minds race in several directions simultaneous-ly and they seem driven to take out the brush againand give the lily one more coat of gilt.

They make that one last wiggle to get the guninto a slightly improved position. The turkey is com-ing up at the10 o’clock point on the clock face andthey try to improve things so as to put him at the 11o’clock mark.

They insist upon making one more yelp with thediaphragm to make him stop and stretch his neckup, which is theoretically done in order to exposethe target zone.

The target zone on the bird is his head and theten inches of neck just below the head. It is thesame size no matter which way he holds his headand a shot pellet or two in that area does the job, nomatter which direction this head was facing or howfar his neck had or had not been stretched when thetrigger is pulled.

I have heard nearly all of my hunting life that it isnot proper to shoot a turkey in the act of struttingbecause you cannot see the target zone. The com-ment made in the previous sentence is just as validin this sentence as it was in the prior one.

The size of the lethal area does not change justbecause the turkey’s head and neck are retracted.Even if it is pulled back into the feathers it remainsthe same size it has always been, and while shootinghim while he is in this state may be inartistic andleave shot pellets in the breast, you simply have to

make up your mind would you rather be successfullyinartistic or go home artistically empty handed.

Those last few yards are the most critical of alland are the time when absolute immobility is para-mount.

The turkey knows he is at the point from whichthe initial sound emanated. He gobbled in the firstplace to trigger a response, he got one, and as far ashe is concerned a proper response would be for thehen to appear on the ground under his tree thirtyseconds after he gobbled. It may seem a littleunusual for her to yelp a second time, rather thancome at the run, but there could be another turkeyinvolved, something may have attracted her atten-tion, or she could have simply gone off in a differentdirection.

If he does choose to go part way to see what isgoing on, at about the fifty yard mark he knows thathe is close enough to see the hen that did the initialyelping and nothing is there. This, in itself, is suspi-cious enough; but if at this point, he hears anotheryelp from the same place, or detects the slightestun-hen-like motion, he throws in his hand.

Artistic purity is easier than posing with deadturkeys but not nearly as photogenic.

ChestnutJust after the beginning of the 20th century, in

about 1904 although nobody is absolutely sure ofthe precise time, a new disease of trees was intro-duced into the state of New York. The name of thiskiller was the Chestnut blight, it was a fungus, a barkdisease, and in accordance with the third corollary ofMurphy’s law, the one that says, “If there is a possi-bility of several things going wrong, the one that willcause the most damage will be the one that does gowrong,” the disease attacked American chestnut.

If there ever was an all American tree, a tree thatwalked on water, leapt tall buildings with a singlebound and out of a possible ten on the perfectionscale scored a solid fourteen, it was American chest-nut.

The Dendrology text says,“Chestnut is a fast-growing tree that attains a

height of 70 to 90 feet with a diameter of 3 to 4 feet.(max. 120 by 10 feet). Until the early part of the20th century it was a much used and highly valuedspecies not only because of its rapid growth anddurable wood, (it is as rot resistant as heart cypress)but also on account of its fruit which was commonlyroasted and sold on the local market.”



Trapping As Part OfGame ManagementBy Mike Colquett

When I first got back to Monroeville from college,my next door neighbor trapped for extra income. Thiswas in 1975, and at that time, raccoons brought up to$25.00 per hide for the best ones, and the others werepriced accordingly. I remember looking out my back-yard and seeing as many as 15-20 hides drying at anyone time. In 1975, $25.00 was like $200.00 in today’smoney. Because raccoon hides brought big money,there were a lot of people trapping them and thus,their numbers were kept in check. Hide prices are setaccording to how well the fur market is doing. Manysocial changes have taken place where it is no longeras popular to wear fur as it used to be. You may get aslittle as $2.00 in today’s money for a hide, so not manypeople bother to trap for them. In fact, trapping hasalmost died off as a way to make secondary income.After all, who wants to skin a coon and flesh it out anddry it for $2.00?

As a result of the loss of trappers, the wild animalsthat were once trapped have now grown in numberswhere they are having a detrimental effect on othergame and non game species. In addition to this, thereare a lot of game managers that are feeding supple-ments to their resident deer herds,and critters like raccoons and opos-sums are getting fat and healthy atthese feeders. This has led to higherreproduction rates, which in turnhas increased their numbers evenmore.

Raccoons are simply not cutelittle critters. They are deadly preda-tors and will kill and eat almostanything. It is reported that rac-coons destroy as many as 80% of allturkey nests. If the raccoon cancatch the hen turkey on the nest, itwill not hesitate to kill her as well.Turkey eggs are not the only eggs araccoon will eat. In fact, bobwhite,and songbirds are targeted too. Ithas been reported that raccoonswill even go into squirrel nests andeat the young there. It is not justthe corn that you have in your feed-

er, or the garbage in your cans that they eat. Becauseof their numbers and because of their proficiency as apredator, current turkey numbers are down. There hasbeen talk in Alabama about reducing the number ofturkeys that you can harvest or shortening the season,or both to respond to the reduced numbers of turkeys.Raccoons are not the only critters that will eat turkeyand quail eggs, the opossum will eat them as well, andlike raccoons, their numbers are up as well. For therest of this article, I will refer to these critters as coonsand possums.

Coon and possum control is now more importantthan ever in a complete game management plan. Theoptions for control certainly include hunting. Howeverthere are not many people left that coon hunt, and thisis not an effective method of control. That leaves trap-ping as a method and in my opinion it is the mosteffective method in control of the coon and possum.

Coons are what we call congregational feeders,meaning if they see another coon feeding, they willjoin him. That is why you may see as many as 6 or 8coons on your feeders when you have your game cam-eras out. It starts out with one coon; another sees himfeeding, and joins him, then another, then another,


CommunicationsIn this era of cell phones, Blackberries and PCs it

is sometimes difficult to realize just how difficultcommunications were in rural areas as late as thirtyyears ago. The majority of hunting camps at thattime had no method of communication with the out-side world except by means of personal visits.

Many hunting clubs deliberately denied them-selves the use of telephones in their clubhouses inorder to limit interruptions. Some camps hadgrudgingly installed a single line to the outside, aline that was attended by persons who had strictinstructions to limit its use.

An instance of a camp in the latter circumstancesleaps immediately to mind.

Choctaw Bluff is a hunting camp in Clarke CountyAlabama that was formed by Mr. Fred Stimpson. Inthe ensuing years Mr. Fred and his sons, Billy, Benand Gordon, managed the club. Today, the club ismanaged by Mr. Fred’s grandsons and hunts onlands purchased and leased by Mr. Fred and hisboys. They specialize in deer and turkeys and, incommon with most clubs that have been in exis-tence for nearly eighty years, operate in a climate ofrelaxed conservatism.

The club, deliberately, has a single telephone,located in the foyer of the main bunkhouse, and dur-ing the spring turkey season a member of the staffmans this phone at certain times, especially duringthe afternoon nap period.

Spring turkey hunts at Choctaw Bluff have fol-lowed the same format for years. Guests, especiallyguests who have limited turkey hunting experienceare furnished a guide, on a one to one basis. Aftereating breakfast, the hunters and guides are in thewoods at daylight.

Unless pinned down by an uncooperative oldgobbler, everyone is instructed to be back at thecamp by 11:00 for a round table session of what theclub calls Turkey Tales, during which the details ofthe morning’s triumphs and tragedies are openly dis-cussed over a couple of midday beverages. AfterTurkey Tales a hot lunch is served. The effects of thebeverages and lunch cause the hunters to retire for amidday nap before going back for the afternoonhunt, which generally ends about flying up time,hopefully with the location of a roosted turkey.

Nothing is allowed to disturb the nap, and theword “nothing” is carefully chosen.

During the administration of Ronald Reagan,when the President’s chief of staff was the Hon.James Baker, Mr. Baker was a guest of the club forone of their spring turkey hunts. That Saturday, dur-ing the nap period on the first day of his hunt, theguardian of the clubhouse telephone answered anincoming phone call. The White House operatorasked to speak to Mr. James Baker. The retainer onduty, an individual named Evan Wiggins, told theoperator that he was sorry but that Mr. Baker couldnot come to the phone and hung up.

Immediately, the phone rang again, and the oper-ator said that the call was important and that Mr.Baker should be summoned at once. The guardianreplied that Mr. Baker was asleep and could not takethe call. The operator insisted he be waked up andthe guardian replied,

“No Sir, I can’t.”Now thoroughly peeved the operator said,“This is the White House calling and the

President wants to talk to Mr. Baker!”Without turning a hair, and in the most patient

and forbearing tones of which he was capable, Mr.Wiggins said,

“Well Sir, dis here is the clubhouse, and Mr.Stimpson said, “don’t wake up nobody,” and hung upagain.

The next time the phone rang; Billy Stimpsonanswered it to a barrage of abuse coming over theline. Within a few moments, and some candid, to-the-point dialogue, Mr. Stimpson determined that itwas not a national emergency and assured thedumbfounded operator that when Mr. Baker didwake up he would have him call the White House.

There is a codicil to the event.President Regan sent word to Mr. Stimpson later

that he wished people who worked for him wouldfollow instructions as well as those who worked atChoctaw Bluff.

And let us devotedly hope that if the Nation isever in peril, and the Joint Chiefs are having theirnaps at Choctaw Bluff, Evan Wiggins is not guarding

telephone.

Stories by Tom KellyEditor’s Note: Excerpted from “Around the Edges 2,” byTom Kelly with the author’s permission.


until the whole bunch is there. It used to be that to trap coons you would go up

streams and find fresh tracks, and place a trap. It tookmy neighbor all morning to run his trap line when itwas set this way. That was the way it was done for along time, but now there is a better way to trap them.When you find a coon track or tracks, simply place feedon the ground and put out a camera to show you whenthe whole bunch is there. Usually people use corn forthis, but if you are in a deer or hog area, corn will beconsumed by them and this will slow down yourprocess. Instead of corn, put cat food on the ground.You may not even need a camera as you can tell by theamount of sign around the feeding area when you startto get numbers there. Also, those of you that are usingdeer feed in troughs or feeders may already have yourcoons congregated. Once you are sure you have thenumbers, set about 6 or 8 dog proof traps out in thearea far enough apart so to avoid the traps getting tan-gled when the coons are trapped. Dog proof traps area fairly new way to trap coons, and as a general rule,will only catch coons and possums, as they are theonly critters out there that have fingers that arerequired to pull the trigger on the trap. I once caught apossum by his tongue because he pulled the triggerwith his tongue instead of his fingers, and he was onemad possum when I got there. These dog proof trapsare not that expensive and can be used for years iftaken care of so before you start your trapping efforts,go get a dozen or so of these. To set a dog proof trap, Iget one large marshmallow and stick it on the triggerof the trap, then set the trap. Once the trap is set, I fillthe tube of the trap with a mixture of miniature marsh-mallows and cat food. I use ground anchors to anchormy traps as I can set them out in a field and not haveto worry about where to tie my traps.

Once you have your site baited and traps set, eachmorning you need to go check them, and hopefully youwill have multiple coons the first morning. Leave thetraps out for about two more nights, and then you cantake them up. Usually, you will catch the resident pop-ulation for that area in the first three nights. I do notknow how many of these you will need per 1000 acres,but I would assume several. Trapping in this mannerwill get the job done with the least amount of work.Instead of taking 4 hours to run a trap line, you can runmany sights in an hour.

One thing to remember: this is not a once anddone project. Just like when you pull your hand out ofa bucket of water, the water fills in the space whereyour hand was, coons and possums will do the samething. You can reduce their numbers for a few months,but by the end of the year they will be back as strongas ever. It is for this reason that I like to try to trap

mine in February so that they will not have time toreproduce their numbers before the turkeys and quaillay their eggs.

Mark Buxton, Wildlife Manager, is a person that Iconsider to be very knowledgeable, and the most expe-rienced person I have met about trapping. He put itthis way: A turkey hen will lay usually around 12 eggs,and it may take her 12-14 days to do this. Then she sitson them for between 25-31 days for them to hatch.That means for somewhere around 40 nights, thoseeggs are out there for a coon or possum to find. Eachcoon you take out reduces the number of predationdays by this much, so if you were to get 25 coons, thenyou would have eliminated 1000 nights of predation,and you will see the results. Mr. Buxton also likes totrap in the early fall to remove as many resident preda-tors and again in the spring just before turkey nestingseason to clean up any that might have been missed.

If you want to see your turkey numbers increase,this is one of the most important things you can do.Habitat management is equally important, but unlessyou get rid of your coons, you will not have the numberof turkeys that you should have.

Supply list: Dog proof traps, cat food, large andminiature marshmallows, ground anchors and driver,catch pole, steak puller, license and predation permit ifafter trapping season.

These are tasty, healthy alternatives to fried fish.

Counterfeit West Indies Salad, by Corky PughThe recipe for West Indies Salad, usually madewith lump white crabmeat, is from Bailey’sRestaurant in Bayou La Batre, and was given tome by Johnny Allen in the early 1970s.1 lb. cooked, flaked fish½ C tarragon vinegar½ C olive oil or vegetable oil½ C ice water1 Vidalia onion, choppedsalt and pepper to tasteStart with fresh, firm-fleshed, flaky fish like bass,bluegill, or shellcracker—-these work best of all.Place filets or whole, dressed fish in pot with crabboil, lemon, and salt. Cover with water, and boilfor ten minutes. Drain fish and allow to cool.Remove from any bones and skin. Flake with afork.Mix with remaining ingredients. Chill overnight inrefrigerator.

Parmesan-Crusted Fish Filets, by Corky PughAs with most game and fish cookery, simple is bet-ter. This recipe is very simple, with just a fewingredients, but incredibly good.Fish Fillets (Favorites for this are bass or saltwaterspeckled trout.)Salt and pepperKraft Grated Parmesan CheeseOlive oil (or olive oil cooking spray)

Salt and pepper fillets. Dust heavily with parme-san cheese and press into each side of fillets.Brush or spray with olive oil.Sauté for 4 or 5 minutes per side in non-stick skil-let over medium/medium high heat.

Divine Coconut Pie, by K. T. Owens4 eggs, well beaten½ cup self-rising flour1 1/3 cup sugar½ stick melted butter1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups milk1 1/3 cup coconutCombine all ingredients, mixing well. Pour into piepan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or untilgolden brown. This pie makes its own deliciouscrust!

Dining after the hunt, Finchburg, Alabama

Retrospective II: Something YummyIn last year’s issue of “Discover Monroe CountyOutdoors” several game recipes were included andthis was a quite popular section. This year, we areonce again including recipes from Somethin’ Yummy,which is available for purchase at severalMonroeville locations including The Bird’s NestGift Shop at Monroe County Heritage Museum,Finishing Touches, The Art Room & Framery, HoodHolmon Insurance, Monroe Academy, etc. We areincluding a marinade recipe by the late Dr. CarlMartens that is featured in Heavenly Hostess, a cook-book by St. John’s Episcopal Church Women, andwhich is available through the church. The dessertrecipe for K. T.’s Coconut Pie is one that eveninspired a poem in its honor, “Ode To K.T.’sCoconut Pie” by the late Evelyn Long and herdaughter-in-law. Corky Pugh has offered up somedivine recipes for your fresh catch! In addition,David Lee’s turtle entree’ presents a great noveldish. Put all this together and it is quite a feast!

Corned Beef or Venison, by Mrs. B. H. Stallworth(Beck), from Somethin’ Yummy

Approximately 10 pounds of venison or brisket ofbeef1 cup brown sugar1 cup saltSeveral shakes of liquid smoke4 cloves garlic1 tsp. paprika½ tsp. ground mustard½ tsp. salt peterPlace meat in large crock or plastic container. Donot use metal. Mix together other ingredients in aboiler with a little water to make smooth. Bring toa boil. Pour over meat. Cover and let stand inrefrigerator for 10 days. To cook: Place corned beef in a pan of fresh water.Add bay leaves, pepper corns, carrot and onions.Simmer on top of the stove for several hours oruntil fork tender. Cool before slicing. Venison willtaste just like corned beef!

Doc’s Venison Marinade, by Carl W. Martens, M. D.,from Heavenly Hostess1 ½ cup salad oil¾ cup soy sauce¼ cup Worcestershire sauce2 Tablespoons dry mustard2 ¼ Tablespoon salt1 Tablespoon pepper½ cup wine vinegar½ teaspoon parsley1 cup lemon juice1/3 cup lime juiceCombine all ingredients. Marinate for at least 2hours. This will keep indefinitely in refrigerator.

Slow Cooker Snapping TurtleBy David LeeServes 8-123-4 pounds ofboneless turtlemeat 4 slices of bacon(we use applewoodsmoked flavor)1 medium onion,roughly chopped2 stalks celery,chopped1-2 cloves garlic,minced1 ½ cups chickenbroth or beer ofchoice (we gobetween usingchicken broth orMiller Lite)1 tbsp – 2 tbsp steak seasoning (we use Montreal)Grease crockpot with cooking spray or butter.Cover the bottom of the crockpot with the onionand celery. Lay turtle meat over the onion and cel-ery. Sprinkle with steak seasoning and minced gar-lic. Lay bacon over turtle. Pour in the chickenbroth or beer. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low.We like to serve this with roasted potatoes and asalad.


By David LeeHunting in the Southeast is not merely a seasonal

sport. It is a lifestyle that bonds individuals and com-munities together. This lifestyle encourages hunters toinclude others. It provides a setting where we can shareintimate ideas about our lives. It forces us to slowdown. It requires skills to be honed over time, a striv-ing for perfection. Hunting acts as an umbrella to unifythe young and the old alike, and unity in this country isnot a commonality. So is hunting important? I thinkso.

Hunting implies two things primarily: The hunter,and of course, the hunted. We, at the top of the chain,normally assume the hunter unless we find ourselvesin a less than suitable environment, like without a pad-dle in the middle of the Pacific. The hunted is normallythe variable that changes. But of course, without thehunted there would be no hunting.

Being a teenager in Monroeville, Alabama in theearly 2000’s, the hunted was abundant. I can rememberhunting deer and seeing 30-40 in a food plot, owlshooting before sunrise and hearing 8-10 toms, walkinga brushy road and nearly having a heart attack becauseof a dozen bobwhite fluttering up in the air. Only adecade later these memories seem more like a dreambecause this abundance that once was, simply isn’t,and predators have played a significant role in thisdecline. We cannot afford to sit back and be apathetic.Trapping predators is a sure solution to this ever grow-ing epidemic, and one of our most persistent predatorsis the coyote.

I was ignorant to trapping critters in my teenageyears, and looking back I strongly believe that I wouldhave taken to it had I been properly introduced.Nevertheless, in my early 20’s I met several older menwho trapped furs in Ohio and Kentucky when they weremy age to pay for their college education. As theyshowed me pictures of literally hundreds of furs dryingout on an old tobacco barn and let me hold some oftheir tanned fur, my interest piqued.

Taking their knowledge and doing some of my ownresearch I can remember buying 4 coil spring traps andplanning my opening day of trapping season inKentucky. I made my sets in or near a large cattle field,put my lures in, and left for a night of restless sleep,anticipating the morning.

Drinking coffee and driving during the dew lighthours of the morning to check traps is certainly timewell spent, and this is exactly how my first morningwent. I pulled into the cattle field and saw in the dis-tance some movement at the location of my first trap.A large male coyote waited for me in the first trap aswell as a beautiful grey fox in another. I was officially atrapper, and officially hooked!

A dirt hole set is probably the most common trap-ping method for coyotes in the south. This involvestaking a legal coil spring trap, which is under 6” in thestate of Alabama, burying it, digging a hole in front ofthe trap, and placing a lure or bait in the hole whichwill then encourage a coyote to walk on the buriedtrap. As in real estate: Location, Location, Location isthe key. I personally love trapping roads, especiallywhere two to three roads merge because coyotes WILLtravel roads. Period. Be sure to wear gloves to helpwith scent control. Take a trowel or like tool and digenough dirt to bury your trap near level with the loca-

The Hunter and the Hunted:How To Trap the Wily Coyote

David Lee and a Coyote

recipes


tion. You can also take some sticks or branches nearbyand place them behind your set to ensure the coyotemust walk from the front. Then, take a trowel or dirtpunch and create a hole in front of the trap. I generallylike my holes to be 9” in front and 4” offset from themiddle of my buried trap for coyotes as this will helpcatch a front paw as they sniff at the lure or bait youplace in the hole. Figuring out which work and whenthey work is an experiment, like which fishing lure youlike to use when it’s overcast. So buy as many as youcan and try new combinations. Coyote lures and baitsare available online or in downtown Monroeville atCentral Supply.

Whether you lease or own your hunting land, all ofus enjoy managing the land which includes determin-ing how much game we harvest within state laws.However, there is a second manager we don’t factor in:predators, such as coyotes. Do you trust a coyote tomake ethical decisions on how many deer or turkeys totake off your tract of land and when to take them? I donot think so. Therefore, you must control your preda-tors, and trapping is the most effective method.

I have certainly seen a decline in deer, turkey, andquail in the past decade in Lower Alabama and a vari-ety of predators, including the wily coyote, are vitallylinked to this. Ignorance and apathy can no longer be

excuses we hold. If we want to hear more turkeys gob-ble in the spring and see more deer in our fall foodplots, we must trap. It is that simple.

Sherman’s army by the fact that one of the resident’swas a Mason, and the commanding Yankee officer,also a Mason, recognized this upon seeing hisMason’s ring, and spared the home from burning.(Today, this beautiful home is under restoration by aHarris relative).

Billy and wife Renate live on lovely acreage witha large pond stocked with ducks, and have threeminiature donkeys roaming the property. AlthoughBilly has given up hunting, he clearly loves tendingto the land. Some recent house guests includedtwo Bald Eagles from Miller’s Ferry who enjoyed vis-iting his pond, and unfortunately, feasting on hisducks! Apparently, they have moved on to anotherfood source because Billy has not seen them inCamden recently.

Billy has several hobbies one of which is growingmuscadines and scuppernongs and making winefrom the harvest. He uses a recipe that may befound at www.ECKraus.com. (ECKraus also has allwine making supplies.) If you have your harvest, butare not quite ready for winemaking, scuppernongsand muscadines may be frozen in ziplock freezerbags until ready for use.

Billy has three children, a daughter and two

sons. One of his sons, Rusty, also has an interest inart. Billy has a few of his dad’s unfinished paintingsand has encouraged his son to complete these. Thetradition and legacy of William Peyton Harris liveson!

“New Tenants” by William Peyton Harris

The Hunted and the AmmoWomack’s On the Square

DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 2338 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS

The of William Peyton Harris

By Sandy SmithThe Alabama Black Belt is known for its rich soil,

but perhaps moreso for its unique treasures. Theartwork of the late William Peyton Harris certainlyfalls into the latter category. His paintings of theOld South and his wildlife paintings, captured inhigh quality prints, are certainly noteworthy as is thestory of his life and legacy. According to ColonelTom Kelly, author, historian and wild turkey hunterpar excellence, Harris is one of only two artists whohas successfully portrayed the wild turkey on canvas.(The other, according to Kelly, is the late Ned Smith,naturalist from Pennsylvania). Much of this articlemay be attributed to the writer’s visit with Harris’sson, Billy, of Camden, Alabama.

What is it about Harris that was so outstanding?According to remarks in the “Congressional Record”,Thursday, May 22, 2008 by United States Senator JeffSessions, Harris “was a wonderful and humble man”from Camden, Alabama, born October 22, 1909, anddied at age 99 on February 25, 2008. Sessions con-sidered Harris a close friend and identified withHarris as the son of a store owner in the small com-munity of Hybart.

According to several sources, Harris was a manwho loved adventure, and was gifted with many tal-ents. When he was twelve years old he rode a horse2 ½ miles to observe the last steamboats loadingcotton bales on the Alabama River. He survived theGreat Depression sometimes taking jobs that paid$5 per week, and helped care for his younger siblingsduring this time. He married Lois Sutherland, andtheir marriage lasted 62 years, until her death. Theyhad one son, Billy, three grandchildren and sevengreat grandchildren.

Harris was an avid turkey hunter, a gift he passedon to his son, Billy. He made some of the first snuffcan and cedar box callers.

By profession, Harris was a country store ownerin Possum Bend. His store was the “Social Center”of Possum Bend, and he had his art studio in asmall building behind the store. He was for themost part a self taught artist, although in 1927 hespent one year at Auburn in applied arts. In an

interview with correspondent Larry Woods that airedon CNN January 14, 2000 when Harris was 91, Harrissays “It didn’t do me a bit of good.” It is remarkablethat CNN found Harris in Possum Bend, but suchwas the man’s notoriety as an artist, backwoodsphilosopher, handyman and artist. According to sonBilly, Harris could make anything and was quiteinventive. He loved for people to stop by his studioand visit with him and according to his son, Billy, heoften would make people a deal on his art:“Sometimes too much of a deal, he gave it away!”

Harris captured vivid renderings of life in the oldSouth, in addition to striking depictions of therevered wild turkey. His Old South paintings wereinspired by his memories of his experiences growingup, and lost times, such as images of steamboats onthe river. In his interview with Woods, Harrisremarks about the Old South: “…I can remember it,and all that kind of experience, it stays with you.”

Today, there is little left of Harris’s original paint-ings, most of which have been sold or given away.However, his son Billy, a resident of Camden, hasmanaged to work with Colson Printing Company,Valdosta, Georgia, to produce several high qualityprints of a wide selection of the originals. These areavailable directly from Billy Harris, or some may befound at Black Belt Treasures in Camden, or at theMonroe County Heritage Museum Gift Shop inMonroeville.

Of his dad, Billy says he could do just about any-thing. In the 1960’s he salvaged an old steamboatthat sank in 1850 in the Alabama River. He alsorecovered several logs from the river bottom, leftover from early logging operations and the practiceof floating the logs down the Alabama River to sellin Mobile. According to Billy Harris, the green logsthat would not float sank to the bottom and manyare still there. His dad was able to utilize this woodin building frames for his art.

It is clear that Billy Harris is much like his fatherin philosophy of life and character. He and wifeRenate live on a beautiful piece of property just out-side of Camden. Across the road is his grandmoth-er’s antebellum home, which was saved from

Art


Cole Byrd Talks Bow HuntingBy Sandy Smith

When you talk with Cole Byrd you immediatelyrecognize that the man has a passion for bowhunting, particularly as it relates to an activity foryouth. When his son Jayson became interested inbow hunting, Cole became involved in Bowhuntersof Alabama. “We traveled all over the state, tryingto find something positive that kids can do andbuild on.” In the case of Cole and son Jayson,there has been a payoff. Jayson is now twenty-three years old and is attending University of theCumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, on anArchery scholarship. He is also ranked Number 3in the National Field Archery Association. Jayson’scollege majors are fitness/sports science/physicaleducation. How did Cole and Jayson relay a week-end hobby into a college scholarship and futurecareer opportunity?

Cole Byrd has been an avid bow hunter for thepast ten years, and is today the Alabama RegionalCoordinator for Scholastic 3-D Archery. What isS3DA? This is a non-profit organization with themission to foster, educate and guide youth in theareas of 3-D and indoor archery. This is an afterschool program which allows students the oppor-tunity to learn about and grow their archery skillsin a safe and educational environment.

Cole is kicking off an after school program thisfall of 2016 for interested students, 3rd grade to12th grades. A questionnaire was sent out to stu-dents to assess interest in the program, and hereceived 55 responses from interested students.Cole will teach the instructors and oversee theprogram. The goal is to bring a National Archeryprogram to the schools. In S3DA, they shoot aplain bow, no sites, and can shoot any bow excepta crossbow. Although Cole has talked to all prin-cipals in Monroe County, he has received excep-tional support at J. U. Blacksher, where AssistantPrincipal Danielle Turner has encouraged the pro-gram. Other strong supporters of the program areMonroe County School Superintendent GregSheehan, Benny Rhodes, Blacksher Principal, andJohnny Kline, who volunteers with the program.

S3DA started in December 2012 based on theneeds of students participating in archery in the

schools. This is a program that has exploded inthe past three years and is now found in 24 states.The program may be conducted through schools,churches, fire stations, etc. Many children progressthrough the sport as they grow and develop.Competitions are family friendly events. Grants areavailable on a limited basis to schools that qualifyfor funding. S3DA teaches technique, tournamenttactics, judgement, self-discipline and the value ofhard work. It can also lead to college scholarships.

Byrd shares stories about hunting with son,Jayson. Up until 1979, Cole and Jayson, who livebelow Goodway, would drive to Midway, north ofBeatrice, to hunt deer. Jayson shot his first deer atage 8. At the age of 10, he took up bow huntingbecause he was looking for more of a challenge.According to Cole, Jayson found that bow huntingmade him listen more closely to nature and hebecame more aware of the environment. He haskilled a wild boar at seventeen yards with a bow,as well as several bucks and does. According toCole Byrd, “If you kill a deer with a bow, it is a tro-phy deer.” He encouraged his son as he was learn-ing about bow hunting, saying that “you canalways do the next shot better.”

Cole emphasizes that bow hunting also teach-es students to be competitive with themselves,and encourages them to always strive to do better.

Byrd is also a huge proponent of Bowhuntersof Alabama. There is a competiton every weekendfrom February to September. The entry fee is usu-ally only $15. He and Jayson traveled the stateattending these competitions, where they shoot ata 3D foam target that could be a bear, alligator,deer or other prey.

Bowhunters of Alabama has as its mission “tofoster, expand and perpetuate the proper use ofthe bow and arrow in hunting all legal game andfish, the spirit of good fellowship among allbowhunters, cooperation between all chapters ofthe organization, the knowledge and adherence toall game laws and cooperation with all conserva-tion organizations in the conservation of game,fish, water and hunting lands.”

Jayson now competes with other college teamsin archery competitions. One round of shooting is

Beeswax is very flammable. Do not melt it on thekitchen stove. It can be placed in a double boiler or ina container with water and slowly melted. Do not let itboil. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. The wax willfloat on the water and form a hard cake when cooled.It is safer and better to buy or build a solar wax melterand let the sun do it for you.

Where to begin this process?First, source of bees: Buy a 3 pound package of

bees with a mated queen from a choice of suppliers.There are several strains of bees from different parts ofthe world. Each have their own pros and cons. Eachsupplier has bred their bees for special traits. One ofthe most important is varroa sensitive hygiene, VSH.The biggest threat to the colony’s health is varroamites and small hive beetle. The mites suck bloodfrom the adult bees and larva. Mites lay their eggs onthe larva before the cell is capped. Hygienic bees havelearned to identify the infected larva and remove itfrom the cell and hive, thus prohibiting the mites frommultiplying. They also groom themselves and otherbees to dislodge the mites. The hive bottom boardhas a screened bottom that allows the mites to fallthrough. The beetle larva feed on bee larva andpollen. They bore through cell walls and deposit ayeast that causes the honey to ferment making it unfitfor bee food. Hygienic bees search out the eggs andbeetle larva and remove them from the hive. It is veryhard for adult bees to remove an adult beetle from thehive because of its round, hard shell. VSH bees tendto be more aggressive in protecting the colony. Theyhave to be to survive. The bees keep the adult beetleshemmed up in cracks and crevices. The best defense isto maintain strong colonies and eliminate as manyhiding places as possible. Most beekeepers must treattheir bees for mites and beetles with chemicals. Feralbees that have lived in a house or other hive for yearswithout human assistance or interference have devel-oped the VSH trait. McNeil offers, “All of my bees havecome from feral colonies, and very seldom must I treatthem. My bees are located in an isolated area with noother beekeepers close by. As I collect swarms, theywill be from my own hives or feral colonies.”

Second: Buy a 5 frame nuke colony with bees,brood, food and a laying queen.

Third: Collect a natural swarm.Fourth: Remove feral colonies from walls, trees, or

other established hives. Fifth: Set out swarm traps to attract swarms.Sixth: Have a good beekeeper friend to supply you

with a colony. Equipment:First, buy a beginner’s outfit that supplies all the

necessary items to get started. McNeil recommends

that you buy the deluxe outfit with two deep hive bod-ies and two medium honey supers and wired wax foun-dation. It is recommended that you have at least twohives so you can swap frames of bees and food to bet-ter manage the hive. It also allows you to comparehealth and performance. A second hive may be pur-chased later. You can go online to find dealers ofbees, supplies and equipment. Most have an onlinecatalogue.

For further information on this rewarding hobby,contact one of Monroe County’s Beekeepers: BrettLoftin, Mike Colquett, Bobby Colquett, or RayfordMcNeil. There are also several websites that offer beesand supplies, such as:www.brushymountainbeefarm.com;www.mannlakeltd.com; www.betterbee.com; etc.

Photos by Brett Loftin


By Rayford McNeilIf you are looking for an outdoor hobby that does

not require a lot of time, is not expensive to get startedcompared to other hobbies, is very interesting and pro-duces a wholesome and delicious product, then con-sider beekeeping. Monroe County is blessed with adiverse variety of trees and plants that meet the needsof honeybees. Beekeeping does not require muchspace. You may be able to keep the bees in your backyard, even in town. Information about how to get start-ed is available from several sources. There are hun-dreds of articles and videos on the internet. TheAlabama Cooperative Extension System has a freebooklet on backyard beekeeping. Subscribe to a bee-keeping magazine. Join your local bee club if there isone in the area. The best way is to find a local bee-keeper willing to be your mentor. Most beekeepersenjoy sharing their knowledge and experiences.

In today’s world of international trade, mass pro-duction practices, use of chemicals and antibiotics,people would like to produce their own food. Whenyou have your own bees, you know where the honeycame from, what is in it and how it was processed. Thesurplus honey the bees produce can be sold to coveryour expenses or can be shared as a gift that is notreadily available to many people.

Honeybees are amazing creatures. No matter howlong you keep bees, you will never learn all there is toknow about them. There is not just one rule or way todo things. There is an old saying that if you ask threebeekeepers how to do something, you will get four dif-ferent answers. Sometimes the bees don’t read thesame book that we do. Managing honeybees is helpingthem do things that they are programed for in a waythat is beneficial for the bees and beekeeper.

I would like to share some facts about the bees andthe products they produce. Keeping bees is no differ-ent from keeping any other animal. There are somethings you should know before you order your bees.

Honeybees are one of science’s mysteries becausethey have remained unchanged for 20 million yearseven though the world has changed around them.Honeybees are probably the most studied insect on theplanet and there is much more to learn. The worldwould be a much better place if we practiced some oftheir social behaviors.

How to get started in the beekeeping business: There are many types of beehives available. Most

bees are kept in Langstroth type hives that are madeup of multiple wooden boxes, a bottom board, an inner

cover and an outer cover. A hive normally consists oftwo deep boxes for raising brood or storing honey andpollen to be used for food when nectar and pollen arenot available. Surplus honey is stored in shallowerboxes called supers that are stacked on top of thebrood chambers. No honey is removed from the twobrood chambers. Shallow boxes are used because ofthe weight. A shallow super filled with honey weighsabout 40 pounds. A medium weighs about 60 and adeep from 90 to 100 pounds. There are a number ofother type hives available. They each have pros andcons. The Langstroth hive has multiple styles andnumbers of removable wooden frames. A sheet of waxfoundation embossed with the preferred type, size andshape of the cells is secured within the frame. Thebees add wax to build the cells. The process is calleddrawing out. The foundation encourages the workersto build the comb inside the frames. The foundation ismade of natural beeswax or beeswax coated plastic.Natural beeswax is preferred by the bees but the plas-tic is easier for the beekeeper.

Surplus honey can be removed when the boxes arefilled with capped cells of honey. The bees areremoved from the supers by using a chemical that isnot harmful to the bees or honey as long as it does notcome in contact with the honey. You can use a beeescape that allows the bees to leave the super but can-not return. Smoking is slow and there is danger of theheat injuring the bees. McNeil says, “ I use a leafblower. I stand the super on its end and blow the beesout. This is fast and does not injure the bees if youdon’t blow them into something.”

The honey must be removed from the comb. If youhave several hives, you need an extractor. Extractorscome in various sizes and prices. The caps areremoved from the honeycomb using a heated knife or aspiked roller that punctures the caps. Frames areplaced on racks inside a cylinder and spun at highspeed. This does not damage the honeycomb and theframes are returned to the hive to be cleaned andrefilled. This eliminates the bees having to build newcomb. It may not be practical for a one hive beekeeperto buy an extractor so the honey must be removed byhand.

The comb may be cut from the frame, crushed, andthe honey drained through a strainer. The comb maybe cut into pieces that can be squeezed by hand. Thehoney can be stored in any air tight container. Savethe honeycomb. It can be used for many purposes or itcan be sold. It can be melted at about 140 degrees.

20 targets, and in a competition, they may shootup to two rounds. In the spring, they may shoot150 arrows a day in training. This builds staminaand endurance and trains your muscles. TheUniversity of Florida, Texas A & M, Midway inKentucky, as well as University of the Cumberlandand several other colleges have archery teams.There are many college scholarship opportunities.In addition, Jayson competed in the Arizona Cupin April 2016. This is a precursor to the Olympics.All the Coles, including mother Sue and daughterBrandi, have taken up bow hunting. It is a sportthat the entire family has embraced.

According to Cole, bows may be purchased forapproximately $1,500 at a sporting goods store oreven local pawn shops. A basic bow will last foryears with proper care.

For further information about bow huntingopportunities for youth, [email protected], or check out the web-site at www.s3da.org; also, look upbowhuntersofalabama.org.

Jayson Byrd with a trophy deer

Jayson Byrd at the Arizona Cup, April 2016

Why Beekeeping?

OWENSHARDWAREGUNS AMMO FISHINGGUNS AMMO FISHING

DOWNTOWN FRISCO CITY

251-267-3437


the SEARCH is OVER

Monroe County is yourOUTDOORS PARADISE

JESS MARTINOwner & Broker

564-1155

DONNAFLEMING714-0521

STEVE DUNN(251)238-0515

FRAN GASTONCOOK

334-422-1990

Let us help you find your piece of paradise

A Place to HuntBy Corky PughExecutive Director of the Hunting Heritage FoundationShrinking Hunting Lands a Concern for All Hunters

Whether public or private, the amount of landavailable to hunters is limited and in many areas,shrinking.

So says Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates,the preeminent authority on fish and wildlife econom-ics and statistics. According to Southwick, the largestpercentage of U.S. hunters rely on land owned by fami-ly and friends.

In a survey of hunters, 38 percent—almost four outof ten—said they hunted on a friend’s or family mem-ber’s property for free. The next largest group, thosewho hunted public land, made up 28 percent.

Eighteen percent hunted land they own, while only11 percent belong to a hunting club or hunt land theylease.

“This survey shows the importance of private landthat can be affordably hunted,” says Southwick.“However many hunters do not have a family memberor friend who owns land they can hunt. Combined withongoing land development, the future of hunting isdependent on efforts to maintain hunting access onpublic lands.”Small Lands Important

The same survey also examined the size of proper-ties hunters utilize and found that small tracts of landremain extremely important to providing opportunityfor hunting. Of those surveyed, 38 percent huntedlands 200 acres or larger, but 24 percent hunt proper-ties of 50 acres or less. The next largest segment, 21percent hunt lands of 50 to 100 acres. Almost 17 per-cent hunt lands between 100 and 200 acres in size.

These nationwide statistics may be even more truefor Alabama and other southeastern states. Land own-ership patterns here very likely result in an even higherreliance on small properties, private land, and relation-ships with landowners.

“For hunters unable to pay for greater huntingaccess, this is a critical issue, especially in easternregions where public lands are sometimes limited,”according to Southwick.

The average forest landholding in Alabama is 80acres. Over two-thirds of all forestland in Alabama isowned by small, non-industrial private landowners.Businesses own 28 percent. Government owns five per-cent.

Small tracts can be incredibly productive to hunt,

generally due to lower levels of human disturbance.The Pope and Young bucks that George P. Mann killedcame from small tracts, typically 80 acres or less. Hemanaged the tracts so they became sanctuary for bigbucks and he did everything possible to reduce humandisturbance.Public Land Relatively Safer

Public land can be very productive to hunt forthose willing to walk a distance away from roads andother infrastructure. Statistically, public land is thesafest place to hunt. Ironically, most hunting accidentsoccur on private land and involve close friends, privateclub members, or relatives.

Foolishly Dangerous to Project Own CharacteristicsOnto Others

For those of us advantaged enough to own or leaseland or to belong to a hunting club, Southwick’s figuresabout where people hunt may seem unbelievable. Asalways, it is easy to assume that others are similar tous. The fact is that the vast majority of Alabamahunters are not advantaged economically or otherwise.

Detailed demographic analysis of Alabama huntersin a separate study by Southwick revealed that mostare hard-working people engaged in blue-collar occu-pations. One third do not have a high school diploma.

As in all things, it is foolishly dangerous to projectour own characteristics onto other people. As avid,advantaged hunters, we are a small minority of thetotal population of hunters. We associate with otheravid hunters through land leases, clubs, hunting organ-izations, and other social mechanisms. Because wedon’t see the less-advantaged hunters in our settings,it is easy to fall in the trap of believing everybodyshares in our good fortune.Invisible Hunters

The hunter in the woods behind Aunt Susie’s houseis invisible for all practical purposes. Yet, statistically,he is far more representative of the masses of huntersthan the folks who are in our hunting clubs with largeleases.

The guy who works a shift in a mill or a mine or ona construction crew may only get to hunt one or twodays a year. This lower level of participation alsomeans he is less visible.

These less-visible hunters constitute the majorityin numbers. Each and every one of them pay exactlythe same through their license purchases as the mostadvantaged, avid hunter toward management and pro-tection of wildlife. And every hunter counts the same at


sense, too.And, if you’re having to cover a large amount of

ground, you’re not sweating like a prize fighter.This, along with the lack of mosquitos, gnats, andsnakes crawling makes for more comfort. In fact,these ‘pests” keep many hunters out of the turkeywoods each spring (which is just fine with me).

Also, with the birds still in large flocks, he saysturkey sign is much easier to locate. This makessense, too.

While I appreciate their constructive ideas, I’msticking with my theory of not wanting to freezemy tail off for most of turkey season. If I enjoyedthat, I would be a deer hunter (I’m not).

Whatever your preference, in the end it’s whatworks for you and gives you confidence. When youhave that kind of certainty in your approach, you’llbe a far more patient turkey hunter. That truismcannot be overstated: “Patience kills turkeys.”

Now, that’s something we can all agree on.

the ballot box; it’s the American way. Less-avid, less-advantaged hunters all help pay for

management and protection of wildlife resources; how-ever, the guy who only gets to hunt a couple of days ayear does not make the same demand on the resourceas an avid hunter who hunts a lot.Unity Among Hunters Important

Hunters of all types are important, and the soonerwe all recognize this, the better off we are. Strength lies

in numbers, and at present, only seven out of a hun-dred Alabamians hunt. The other 93 do not hunt, butmost support hunting, so long as it is done responsi-bly.

With animal rights activists and other anti-huntersconstantly doing all they can to marginalize or totallydo away with hunting, unity among hunters should beour watchword. Our concern for one another will large-ly determine our future.

Public Hunting GroundsThe Red Hills Tracts in Monroe County consist of

two Forever Wild acquisitions totaling 4,376 acres pro-viding crucial habitat for the Federally Listed Red HillsSalamander and many other rare species of plants andanimals occupying these habitats. The tracts consist ofwet ravine and upland pine forest that includes a mixof natural coastal plain habitats and pine-plantationforest situated between the Alabama River drainages ofBeaver and Tallatchee Creeks. The tracts were pur-chased in partnership with the Alabama Chapter of TheNature Conservancy, and in part through financialassistance from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceEndangered Species grant. Recreational opportunitieson the tracts include hunting, bird watching, campingand wildlife viewing. Big game hunting is limited tostalk hunting deer and feral hog with a muzzle loader,shotgun with slug, and bow/crossbow. Turkey hunting,

waterfowl hunting, and small game hunting follow reg-ular seasons, arms and limits for these areas. No ATVsallowed. Free Map Permit available at www.outdooral-abama.com .

Directions: From Camden, take AL-41 Southapproximately 22.2 miles to River Ridge Road. FromMonroeville, take AL-41 North approximately 17 milesto River Ridge Road. Turn on River Ridge Road andtravel approximately 1.5 miles to the parking lot onyour left. Parking is also available roadside along RiverRidge Road.Other nearby public hunting opportunities:Conecuh National Forest Upper Delta Wildlife Management Area 42,451 acresMobile-Tensaw Delta/W. L. Holland WMA 51,040 acresFred T. Stimpson WMA 5,361 acres

FOOD PLOT HEADQUARTERS• Custom Blended Fertilizer & Seed• Pull-type Spreaders Available• Bag Fertilizer & Deer Seed Mixes• Deer Feed & Feeders• Bulk & Bag Corn

Customerservice

is our specialty!

Farmers Cooperative MarketFrisco City • 251-267-3175 | Leroy • 251-246-3512

The “late spring” didn’t keep Cliff Butler from

guiding young Fowler Trotter on a successful hunt.


Diversify yourinvestments withtimberland . . .we’re your lender.

We are a TrueCommunity

Bank!

Telephone Banking • 575-4400

Monroeville • 575-4555Visit us on the web at: www.pebmc.com

Peoples Exchange Bankof Monroe County

for outdoorrecreation,

shopping & relaxation!

Located off the beaten

path in centralSouthwest

Alabama

CITY OF

DestinationA perfect

Begin youroutdoor story here!

R&RContractors LLCP.O. BOX 39 • MONROEVILLE, AL 36461

Providing Monroe County withQuality Excavation and Asphalt

Paving for over 30 years!

WE ARE YOUR TOTAL SITE CONTRACTOR

Water & Sewer Installation, Storm Drain, Curb & Gutter, and much more!

Commercial/ResidentialLicensed/Bonded/Insured

Bill Rainey & Bob Rainey251-575-3587

Early Spring or Late Spring:What kind of turkey hunter are you?By Doug Max

All turkey hunters agree on a couple of things.One, they all like being in the woods when thebirds are gobbling. The other is that patience killsturkeys.

I have yet to find a turkey hunter who disagreeswith either of these.

Outside these two statements, I have foundprecious little agreement remaining. Put two expe-rienced turkey hunters together and they will likelyhave differing opinions on almost everything“turkey related.”

I don’t know that I’ve ever found a group withmore diverse thoughts about their pursuit of wildgame than turkey hunters.

We hear all the ideas about calling, decoys,shotguns, shells and just about everything else.However, one topic I’ve never seen written about isthe personal preferences of an “early spring” ver-sus a “late spring” turkey. So, it’s time to tacklethis topic and take a look at the pros and cons ofeach.

Personally, I’m what you might call an “earlyspring” kind of turkey hunter.

The number one reason for this is simple: Ihate being cold. When I’m cold, I have a hard timesitting still. We all know the “fidgety” turkey hunteris rarely a successful turkey hunter. However, thereare other advantages than just the comfortableweather. Some of these I’d like to share with you.

One thing that drives my preference is thatturkeys seem to gobble more when the woods arefairly greened up and especially when the dog-woods are in full bloom.

When the foliage is heavier, I find that it’smuch easier to move into your setup or get intight on a roosted gobbler. I believe getting inclose before making your initial calls greatlyincreases your odds.

I also believe that early spring triggers earlybreeding, which will put the hens on the nest ear-lier in the season than in some other years. Thefact that fewer gobblers will be “henned up” also

increases your chances for success. This is espe-cially true for hunting late in the mornings or atmidday.

Add to the fact that I have killed far more gob-blers with the woods greened up and it’s a nobrainer for me.

I also have a couple of good friends whoseopinions on this matter are 180 degrees from myown. One of these guys, Cliff Butler, has been myturkey hunting partner for nearly 50 years.

The other, Alan White (owner and editor of themost popular outdoor magazine in Alabama), hasbeen hunting turkeys for more than 20 years.

While our thoughts differ on timing (earlyspring versus late spring), both of these guys killjust as many toms each spring as myself, so I can’tsay they are wrong. We just see things a bit differ-ently. I decided to poke their minds for what theysee as the advantages of the “late spring.” Alan isof the opinion that turkeys will gobble later intothe spring and breed later as well. I tend to agreewith this. Most wild turkey biologists believe thatthe length of daylight hours triggers breeding and gobbling.

While not a biologist, I believe weather plays ahuge factor in both breeding and gobbling.

Alan also says that with the lighter foliage, ahunter can hear over longer distances, thus mak-ing it easier to locate gobbling birds. Obviously,this is true. In fact, with heavy foliage, gobblers areoften much closer than you think. This often leadsto “bumping” the tom and ruining your chance atharvesting him.

Cliff offers up some other advantages that hebelieves also fuels his late spring success. He’s ofthe opinion that when spring arrives a bit late,gobblers are still bunched up and establishingtheir pecking order. He finds them more receptiveto calling during this phase as there seems to besome competition among the toms for availablehens.

Also, with the birds still in large flocks, he saysturkey sign is much easier to locate. This makes


and whatever other material he could find.“I got out of it for several years and went into

custom gun making until 1974,” Pardue said, sit-ting at a workbench covered with years of metalfilings and ivory dust. “By 1979 I was a full mem-ber of the Knifemakers Guild, which is a presti-gious organization in the knife-making world.”

Pardue not only designs, makes and sells cus-tom knives from his shop, he was in on the groundfloor of establishing Benchmade Knives, a compa-ny that has grown exponentially and has Pardue-designed knives as standard issue in the military.

“It is part of the survival kit on every airplaneowned by the U.S. government,” Pardue said. “Thecompany started in a small metal building, andhas expanded to a 170,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Oregon City, Ore.”

In fact, Pardue was the original knife designerfor Benchmade, and, browsing their Web site,more than 20 of his tactical knife designs are stillfor sale, plus another 16 models that he at leasthad a hand in developing.

He also holds over 15 design and utilitypatents with Benchmade and has served onBenchmade’s board of directors.

But the custom world is where Pardue’s pas-sion lies. He has boxes of over 300 blade and han-dle templates and a shop packed with machineshe’s built to fit his needs.

Various store-bought machines didn’t do whathe needed them to, so he made some adjust-ments or added or removed pieces to make themjust right. Many of the machines serve only onepurpose in the knife-making process.

Around the shop are cabinets and shelves,some of which contain the rare raw materials heuses for his custom designs – things like elephantivory and water buffalo horn.

Pardue has been honored for his work, receiv-ing the Knifemakers Guild's Red WatsonFriendship Memorial Award, given to knife makerswho help not only their fellow blade smiths, butalso their community as a whole.

And, at the Blade Show in July, he received theEdda and Aldo Lorenzi Award, given annually dur-ing the world's largest knife show in Atlanta. Healso received the Ron Little Award in 1992.

He is the first person without membership inthe American Bladesmith Society to teach at the

Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Hope, Ark.,where for five years he conducted classes on howto make folders.

He still teaches classes at the Batson BladeSmithing Symposium and Knife Show at TannehillState Park near McCalla each spring, and hasworked with aspiring craftsmen one-on-one at hisshop.

“I do this because I enjoy it and can make agood living at it,” he said. “If I couldn’t make a liv-ing at it, I’d probably have to find something elseto do.”

For more information on Pardue Knives, visitmelpardueknives.com, or check out the award-win-ning Griptillion and other Pardue designs atbenchmade.com.


Financing

land & farms

since 1916

Operating expenses

Varying terms and rates

AlabamaAgCredit.com800-579-5471

the Road to

Paradiseis paved with

DIRT.

Ed Boyd – Regional President

Michael Williams – Branch Manager

Morgan Hutcherson – Loan Officer

The Pardue-designed Presidio is one of the mostrecognizable tactical Benchmade knives.

Some of Pardue's recent tactical folding knives restatop the Edda and Aldo Lorenzi Award

he recently received.

Story and Photos by Josh Dewberry

A quick Internet search for the name Mel Pardue turns up a handful of com-mon words – “legend,” “master” and, in more than one place, “god.”

Most days Pardue can be found in his shop, off a dirt road in a hardwoodbottom at Range a matter of minutes into Conecuh County, working on his nextmasterpiece in metal.

“The recession hit knife-making pretty hard,” Pardue said. “All the doctorsand lawyers and other wealthy people who were buying my knives lost a lot ofmoney and quit buying things like custom knives.”

For years, Pardue has turned out ornate and finely detailed single-bladefolding knives that were more display pieces than ones for everyday carry.

“They can be used, though,” Pardue is quick to note. “Most peopledon'twant to carry them around, but every knife is fully-functional andusable.”

When he goes to shows around the country, Pardueis often sold out before the shows even open, with collectorsand other makers snatching up his blades as soon as theycan.

He's adjusted to his market in recent years, producingmore plain-Jane, one-off tactical knives to take to showsrather than the ivory and jade handled, Damascus steelbladed designs he spent the past 40 years handcrafting.

“Everyone wants these tactical knives now,” he said.“They don't want them to be flashy or anything like that.”

Handles of carbon fiber, blades of high-strength steeland frames of titanium are what customers are demandingthese days, and Pardue is happy to oblige.

A handcrafted Pardue tactical knife will set you backmore than $500, but with the cost of high-grade materialsand the hours spent on each blade, he says he isn't exactlymaking a killing.

“You figure someone at a mill or working in an office ismaking $25 an hour,” he said. “I spend 16 or 18 hours on eachknife, plus the cost of materials and tools.”

But customers never leave disappointed with his work – andmany return to buy a second or third knife for themselves or as a gift.

He started making knives more than 50 years ago from saw blades

A CUT ABOVELegendary knife maker continues to churn out custom blades

monroe county outdoors - visit monroeville€¦ · salon in monroeville. they have four chil-dren...

Documents