Deer Camp Blog

Traveling South

2009-11-25T08:44:00.003-06:00

I don't know about y'all but this horse is heading south at noon today for the famous Christmas Place. I hope to hunt this afternoon.
Lots of people will be there for Thanksgiving so it will be more than crowded but always a good time.

Duck season opens on Friday and Dad is fired up for that. He built a new duck blind and can't wait to try it out. He and Trigger are ready to go.

The rest of us know that several large bucks were seen opening weekend but no shots fired. They are still there and we are about to get after them.

I hope wherever you are, you have a warm and Happy Thanksgiving.

Two Hard Hunters

2009-11-24T09:26:00.002-06:00

I took Erin with me hunting for Youth Weekend. While I was busy scanning the woods for deer, she was busy carving our names in the tree. We saw some deer that afternoon but were not able to line them up for a shot.

No Deers Opening Weekend

2009-11-23T09:27:00.002-06:00

Hangover, MS> Opening weekend of deer season stated off perfect with a SE wind ahead of a large front moving in from the south. A great morning hunt, but not a deer was taken and no big bucks were seen. That afternoon a light drizzle started and we settled in to watch the Ole Miss-LSU game. Ahh, it was worth it as the Rebs won another strange and crazy game against their hated rivals.
Sunday morning I had two shooters come by that I could not get a bead on, and later two more were seen that no one could get a shot at. No deer but looks like there are a lot of big ones out there to get.
We are gearing up for Thanksgiving and hopefully will have big buck pics and stories then.

Deer Eve

2009-11-20T09:01:00.004-06:00

Water Valley, MS> Today is Deer Eve and the town is already humming with activity. Big trucks loaded with 4-wheelers are everywhere, the stores are busy with hunters picking up last minute grunt calls, bullets, red vest etc. before they head out to their deer camps. Excitement is about to boil over as we count down to daylight tomorrow.
The hunters at the famous Christmas Place are all packed and ready to head out at noon. I still have a lot to do to get the camp and myself ready for the season to start.

Everyone is excited and wondering just who will win the coveted THUNDERHOOF TROPHY for best big buck of the year. Trent, Paul, Burney, Rex, Hershel, Spencer, Michael? Or will a guest (like Marian)come through and win the coveted prize this year. Mr. Jones don't get your hopes up. Will I win again? Can we screw Trent up enough that he will never win again? Stay tuned!

D-Minus-48

2009-11-19T09:16:00.005-06:00

Hallelujah, MS> It is now roughly 48 hours till the shooting starts for the opening day of deer season with rifles in Mississippi. No, I still have not found my insulated underwear or a bunch of my other crap, but I can assure you I am on GO.
There is not much to write about as we wait so a brief hodgepodge will have to do.
DEXTER- I can not say anything else. The pic below is Paul celebrating after the gigantic win against Tennessee. Left is Mark Larson and right is Bill Howard, I think they are still in the Grove drinking.
I want to thank everyone that made the Youth hunt successful. My cousins, Davin Lammey and Burney Howell. Our guest Ronnie and his son Nick, Paul, Micheal, Spencer, Erin (who was a blast), Ethan and especially Marian and Bob who are always great guest.

Thank you one and all, now let's get after those big bucks!

Deer Slayers

2009-11-18T10:21:00.002-06:00

Hungry Kids- A Solution

2009-11-17T09:19:00.006-06:00

I was contacted by Tara at Pop's Authentic about their great meat products and managed to cajole them into sending samples that the kids could try this past weekend at the Youth Camp. Yes, kid guinea pigs and if they were awful or a kid died so what. Basically the pics speak for themselves.

There was a consensus Thumbs-Up for this very tasty product. They meat is sealed, easy to stick in your pocket or pack for hunting, 4 flavors, and very very good.
I wish you would go over to their site and order enough to last you through the season at least.
Pop's Authentic is locally sourced and crafted by a family-owned company in Missouri. Pop's Authentic - Handmade Artisan Meat Snacks are made from a family recipe passed down from Pop Jennings, the patriarch of the family and come in a number of different flavors, including Habanero!
We will also provide a discount for your readers. By offering the promo code OSCAR to your readers, they'll receive a free 12-count box with their purchase of any two 12-count boxes at http://www.popsauthentic.com/

Youth Hunt 2009

2009-11-16T09:22:00.005-06:00

We had a slightly smaller crowd than usual this year with 7 hunters. Of those hunters we were able to get 3 deer. Spencer, Michael and Grant each got one on Sunday morning. Here is a pic of all the kids with the deer.

Burney came in that morning with this mean-looking, big tusked, boar hog that he managed to kill with his bow. It weighed over 200 lbs. and is one of the scariest looking hogs I have seen down there.
All in all, a great hunt and a great time for everyone, will fill in more pics and stories from the weekend later.

Who's Packing Heat??

2009-11-13T09:40:00.002-06:00

Rifles are in the truck, bags are packed and if it wasn't for this little thing called work, I would already be gone.
Will try and get lots of pictures of the kids at Youth Camp. Hopefully we will kill a sack full of deer and I hope a wiid hog or two.
I think that Thunderhoof is planning on roaming around scaring the kids a little so hopefully we can get some pictures of his sorry butt. Of course he could be hiding in a tent with Jody this weekend eating smores and cupcakes but I hope he will make himself available.
PS Marian will be there, but Matt is AWOL as usual.

Logistics

2009-11-12T09:40:00.002-06:00

Your idea of logistics and mine may be different. Mine involves finding my binoculars and insulated underwear.
Where the hell are my hunting pants?, and I swear I just bought a box of ammo.
We are still sighting in rifles and buying groceries for the muchkins that are visiting this weekend and I think Jody stole my grunt thingamajiggy.
How can everything get lost when it is all kept in one bag in my closet?

Updates to Ponder

2009-11-11T09:27:00.005-06:00

It is slow here today so I wanted to give a few updates on what has really been going on around here.
Trent- has been weirding me out. I think he is going to explode before deer season gets here. The best thing to do is avoid him this time of year. I really don't want to read the rules for the seventeenth time.

Paul- busy, busy, busy being greedy and selfish.
Here is a pic of what he did while we worked on
stands for everyone at camp.
Yes, he is putting a stand together for himself
and yes he slipped away to the woods for the
rest of the day.

It was pointed out to me by Matt that the Youth Camp is friday the Thirteenth this year. This is bad. Very Bad. I hope that guy with the leather mask that lives in our woods doesn't get too many of our young hunters.
The Christmas Card is coming along fine, but I am quick running out of room. Please send me your pic if you want to be included.
I received word that Spencer (14) and Sarah (15) did very well on their A.C.T. test. In fact well enough to get into most colleges here. Hopefully they will retake it as seniors and try for a few scholarships.
What does Marian say? Charming, Just Charming.

Youth Hunt Letter Mailed

2009-11-10T09:13:00.002-06:00

You are cordially invited to the 4th annual Whitetail Youth Hunt
November 13-15, 2009 at the famous Christmas Place Hunting Club
located in the Mississippi delta. This will be a youth hunt for does only.
Hunters should be 15 years of age or less.

Parents, this is what you will need to bring.
1. your hunting gear and rifles.
2. bedding, pillows, a cot if possible
3. enough drinks, snacks for the weekend.
4. you can bring your 4-wheeler
5. a cooler for your game

Thunderhoof has agreed to visit someones’ stand, so bring a video camera, tell the kids to not come in early and don’t fall asleep!
Paul will pay $500 for a real video of the Giant Deer!
Friday night dinner will be……
Deer Burgers
French fries
Idaho Salad

After dinner there will be a bonfire, and we will roast marshmallows and make ‘smores. Rex and the other team leaders will tell scary ghost and lawyer stories.
Saturday night there will be Smoked Wild Hog and Venison Tar Babies with all the trimmings.
Please call 662-473-2499 to let us know how many are in your party,
and to receive the directions to camp. You can also make arrangements to follow me down on Friday afternoon of the 13th.

Good Luck,
Rex Howell

Mr. Cutrere Shot A Hog (Doo-Dah)

2009-11-09T09:27:00.003-06:00

Terry Cutrere came up this weekend to the workcamp and managed to blast this frightful looking 170 lb. hog on the North Cornfield. This was his first hog and he made a very good shot. Congratulations!

Off To The Range

2009-11-06T09:56:00.002-06:00

Mark (Mailrider) is coming here at noon for us to shoot some of the rifles. I will take the 45/70 and the .270. Hopefully they are all still sighted in from last year. I don't want to hear any crap about the big deer he killed last year either.

Crunch Time

2009-11-05T09:09:00.002-06:00

This weekend I am heading down to repair every stand and cut shooting lanes for them. This is all I can do before Youth weekend and Hunting Season are upon us. I have not even scouted for a place for me to hunt.

10 Point Award

2009-11-04T09:22:00.007-06:00

This award is given for Outstanding Outdoor Blogs and the people that work so very hard each day to give us news and stories related to the Outdoors.
Please pass this on to 7 other blogs that do a great job in bringing the best of the Outdoors to the web for us to enjoy.

1. Kristine at Outdoor Bloggers Summit-
overworked and way underpaid, she coordinates a blog that includes all aspects of the Outdoors and especially how
bloggers can succeed and grow in their niche.
2. Marian at Marians Hunting Stories-
she has a smile for everyone with great stories of the Outdoors and stunning photography of her hometown of Vicksburg, MS
3. Tom and Steve Remington with Skinny Moose Network-
they have a lot of blogs under their umbrella and work with each one to insure success, plus they run their own blogs filled with
hunting info and their views of where Sportsmen stand with current laws.
4. Dayne Shuda at DayneShuda.com-
an amazing blog that helps you promote your outdoor blog with a hands
on style. Social networking, tips and tricks, keywords, he covers
everything involved with growing your readership.
5. Jody at the Hunters Wife-
I go over everyday and she always make me laugh. Her blog is tongue in cheek that maybe we hunters might go a little overboard at times.
She is a fun read for everyone and proves that an outdoor blog doesn't neccessarily fit into just the hunting category.
6. JDP at Dudleys Diary- He can't hunt like he used to or wants to but God knows he loves it. He gives updates of his family that hunts, all the going ons in Texas, has great photography from deer to classic cars. A good fun blog for everyone.
7. Matt at Bright Idea Outdoors- a hunter raising his family in Virginia, putting up with work, life and squeezing in hunting time. One of my personal favorites to enjoy.
Congratulations to all of you that won. Please think about your favorite bloggers and pass this award on to the best of these hard-working bloggers.

Hog Cure

2009-11-03T09:16:00.003-06:00

Infested with Swine, hogs eating up your crops, got a double dose of swine flu?
Burney has the cure in .357 caliber.
Burney took this big hog near the Point stand last week.

Barely Alive

2009-11-02T09:22:00.002-06:00

Well, I made it through this week still alive and standing. Wandering Jack did not show up to chat with me and Halloween was really uneventful. The rest of the week had been horrible. It rained hard on Friday and we cancelled our work camp. Next week we will have to double up to get everything done.
The Christmas Card is coming along nicely. If you have not sent a pic, please do. I may have to use some of last years. For the ones worried about putting your pic on the internet, you will not be labeled or your name mentioned.
I also have a surprise for everyone that I hope to start tomorrow.

A Sound Of Leathery Wings

2009-10-30T09:19:00.011-05:00

It was two years ago during our Youth Hunt at the famous Christmas Place Hunting Club in the Mississippi delta that I was involved in one of the strangest and most frightening episodes that I have ever witnessed.
That weekend we had about 15 kids, boys and girls, participating in our Youth Deer Hunt for does and it had been a great Saturday. Half of the kids had taken deer and we enjoyed a real celebration that night. The children ate hearty with fresh deer steak, roasted wild hog, bright yellow corn on the cob with butter and all the trimmings you can imagine.
After supper the members had a roaring fire built for the kids to gather around for creepy ghost stories and to roast marshmallows. The air was cool and still while an orange gibbous moon peeked over the woods and shone down on the backyard as the tired kids made their way to the fire, I got up, managed to quiet them and started to get ready to tell some Ghost Stories before we went to bed.
A few clouds half covered the strange looking moon as I called them in close and they pulled up chairs or plopped on the ground around the fire. Even our two dogs, Camo and Triggger had lain down close to the fire as if they wanted to hear the stories too.
I wanted to start with the old story about the Whipporwill and then tell some of the strange stories that involved the Christmas Place. I began to talk.
I had not told much of the spooky story when we heard a rhythmic whooshing sound,a flapping that grew louder and louder. Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, slow and heading straight for the group of campers. It was a leathery sound that sent chills down my spine as I stopped talking.
Everyone there turned to look for the source of the strange sound and all chatter suddenly stopped as we looked into the sky to try to see what it was. The dogs stood and waited also, and a low growl began in the two dogs throats.
A loud cracking of limbs, then a flutter of leaves and dead branches fell from the huge Pecan tree that stood just outside of our little circle of light, more cracks and snapping in the tree and it became quiet.
Still no one spoke as we gazed up into the blackness of the limbs. The dogs had moved between the tree and us and their hair stood up as they growled menacingly.
I shook my head and realized it was probably a giant owl or maybe a turkey had been pushed from it’s roost and it had landed in the tree above us. I smiled and spoke loudly as I tried to restart my story.
Out of the darkness from the height of the tree a strange laughing cackle started and a chalky scratchy voice cut across the night, “HEH, HEH, HEH, I LIKE GHOST STORIES”
Every person there and the dogs, broke for the back door of the camp house. Several of the men grabbed up a kid or two and threw them onto the back porch. I stopped there and tried to gather any of the small kids I could and get them into the house before they were trampled. My heart hammered in fear as I helped get them inside and suddenly it was quiet outside. I could hear yells and screams from inside but it seemed that Burney, Paul, Mark and I were the only ones watching to see what horror was going to land on the ground beside the fire.
A loud fluttering noise in the big pecan, a couple of small branches fell and then we heard the sound of the large wings flapping and gathering speed. The whooshing sound started and in the moonlight we could see a black figure with enormous wings slowly flapping it’s way toward the dark woods across the night sky.

Trick Or Treat

2009-10-29T10:04:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I will write about a spooky and blood curdling experience that I witnessed, which happened during one of our early Youth Hunts while we sat around a campfire telling ghost stories. Stay tuned.
This weekend I will also go to the famous Christmas Place to work on stands and get as much ready for deer season as I can. I also hope that I can slip away Saturday night in the hope of spotting the Haunted Train that appears roaring across the ridges of our land.
Please send your pic for the Christmas Card. I have most of them but need everyone to submit them as soon as possible. Plus, you need to do a Hunting Haiku over at Matt's blog.
Happy Halloween Everyone.

Time To Sight Your Rifle

2009-10-28T09:10:00.003-05:00

Deer season is right on top of us and now is the time to make sure that your rifle is performing exactly as it should. Even if you feel your rifle is dead on you need to shoot it. If it is on, still shoot a minimum of three rounds to make sure of your pattern. For any kids out there, take warning. You must shoot your rifle yourself. Do not accept that someone else shot it and it is perfect. You need to get the feel of the trigger pull yourself and not fear the recoil or noise of shooting it.
If your rifle is off, make sure that after adjusting your scope that you still shoot a minimum of three times after you feel that it is correct to make sure of your pattern. Good Luck everyone.
PS- Marian, you may need a large butcher knife so you can jump out of the stand and stab the deer to death after you run out of bullets.

Scenes From A Hog Roast

2009-10-27T09:15:00.005-05:00

Hogs In The Grove

2009-10-26T09:31:00.002-05:00

After our disastrous elephant hunt a couple of weeks ago at Ole Miss, I was reluctant to go back up there to try and roust those Arkansas Razorbacks out of the grove on Saturday. I am glad I went as we had a great time and sent them packing back to the hills of Arkansas. A perfect day for football and friends as we beat them 30-17. Wish you had been with us.

The Sweet Smell Of Death

2009-10-23T09:40:00.009-05:00

The famous Christmas Place lies half in the Mississippi Delta and half in the steep bluffs that stand above. It is over 2000 acres of farm and timberland. The history of the land is old with many strange tales and occurrences recorded from the time of the Indians, through the Civil War and up to today. I guess any property rich in history attracts stories like these, but what I am about to tell may be part of the answer to the reason that more than a few people have disappeared on this land never to be seen again.
Near the East end of the property is a large block of land covered in kudzu. Part of it was in fields years ago but it is completely covered in the kudzu vine now. Very little timber protrudes from the vines leaving a large opening in the woods. Toward the back edge of this open area a huge ravine about 200 yards wide cuts across the opening. This sheer drop off and gulley is covered with kudzu also but out of the middle of this ravine a small sharp kudzu covered hill rises steeply like a island, and at the top is a thick stand of what looks to be mimosa.
I had often thought over the years that it would be a perfect spot for a big buck to spend his days just watching and waiting ‘till dark so it could move. A perfect bedding area. This thought came to me one day in the spring and the thought that he would have shed his antlers there came to me also. That afternoon, I had some free time and made my way there with the 4-wheeler, made my way across the kudzu fields and parked at the edge of the steep drop off. I found deer trails there and worked my way down into the thick vines at the bottom of the huge gulley and worked my way up the steep slope of the isolated hill.
I stood at the edge of the mimosa thicket and looked around. The view was great in the sense that you could see anything move within 300 yards from where I stood and reinforced my belief that this is where the biggest buck on the property spent his days. I could see a quick moving storm heading my way and from where I stood, I could smell the sweet, strong smell of the thick mimosas. I worked my way into the thick grove of trees.
The smell was overpowering and almost sickening. I looked at the trees and realized they were not the mimosas I thought but some strange look-a-like. I guessed they were some family of the tree but now am not so sure.
I looked for antlers there and worked my way through the thick grove. Strangely, I did not find any deer trails or signs of life there. I circled through several times and then suddenly found myself on my knees, not realizing how I had fallen. The thick smell was all around me and I tried to clear my head but a minute or two later I was lying on my back almost unable to move. The cloying smell seemed to make it hard to breath and I knew if I could just take a nap, go to sleep for a few minutes, I would have the strength to get up and head back to the camp.
Lying there I could feel vines move around me, seeming to wrap me up gently and slowly pulling me into the soft earth. Lightning shot across the sky and I tried to get up but the vines seemed to be steadily wrapping around me, moving me, pulling me into the soft earth.
When I woke again, the rain was falling heavily. I was drenched as I came to. The first thing I noticed was that I could breath easily again, the sickening smell of the mimosas was gone. Looking around I saw that I was entangled, wrapped in layers of vines and my legs were half buried in the ground. The rain fell harder and I managed to work my pocketknife out and cut myself loose. As I cut, the vines holding me began to retract back into the soft ground. A few minutes later I was free and staggered off of that horrible little hill and back down into the ravine. Later, I got up the other side and onto my 4-wheeler, then back to camp where I spent the remainder of the day having a few drinks and reflecting on my narrow escape.
I spent part of the summer studying the hill from a distance. Maybe the large gulley around it was manmade and had held water 500 years ago. Whatever was there had been forgotten by modern man. I worked my way to the base of the hill and spent a lot of time cutting a wide circle around the hill with a jo-blade and when the kudzu died in the fall I went back with 2 cans of gasoline and set the hill on fire.
I will keep an eye on it but I will never go back on top of it again and I will always fear the sweet smell of mimosa in the woods.

A Good Weekend

2009-10-22T09:22:00.006-05:00

The first night we had a great council fire with Michael, Spencer and Austin keeping it going.

As you can see, it was very relaxing and enjoyable.

Cleaning squirrels

Jamies's friend Roddy got a nice doe.