Southern Traditions Outdoors August-Septemeber 2012

Complimentary Copy AUG/SEPT 2012

DEER DETECTING DOGS

GETTING SQUIRELLY

TWRA NEWS

YOUTH IN THE

OUTDOORS

2 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | AUG./SEPT. 2012


n August 19th of this year, our region said

good-bye to a man that knew no strangers. He was always ready with a smile, a few words of encouragement and an ever-present twinkle in his eyes and hearty laugh that earned him the nickname “Santa Claus.” His name was Jacky

Daugherty and I got to know him through my friendship with his wife {and spiritual counselor at times} Sherry Daugherty, who is the owner of Buckets Pub & Grub, in Union City and Dyersburg. I am dedicating this issue to Jacky Daugherty and I hope the following poem touches our reader’s hearts and inspiring us all to appreciate our loved ones while we can.

Twin SoulsDedicated to Jacky Daugherty

July 2, 1950 – August 19th, 2012

They were high school sweethearts and soon it became so very apparent to see,

Jacky would not give up, until Sherry, the love of his life, became his wife and moved to Tennessee.

We’ll all surely miss Jacky and his good hearted nature –of this I cannot lie,

But, now he is in a mansion of gold, sitting at his Lord’s feet, well above the sky.

They were twin souls together, forging the perfect balance, of the symbolic Ying and Yang,

She became a lay minister, but just had to smile, as a Johnny Winter’s tune he sang.

The two fit together like a piece of a puzzle, stood together during good times and bad,

I just wish that I got to know him better, that much sure makes me sad.

So shed your grief and trust the Lord – to lean on along the way,

And think of Jacky – as he would you – best friend and spouse– in love each and every day.

It will be difficult for you to travel this journey of mourning, on which you have partaken,

But God knows our hearts and the losses we feel, so our paths and spirits will not be forsaken.

Daddy Jack is in his true home now, with no tears, or aches or pain,

And all who knew him can rest assured that our loss was Heaven’s gain.

Until next time, please remember that our kids are our most precious natural resource. They are our future! See ya,

Rob Somerville STO Editor

From the Editor’s Desk

Advertising Information: Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville

(731) 446-8052 [email protected]

DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine LLC assume any responsibility or liability for any actions by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers are advised that the use of any and all information contained within Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.

On the CoverEthan Armstrong {age four} is loaded up with gear and ready to gofishing with his family at Reelfoot Lake, in Northwest Tennessee.

Photo by Walter Wilkerson

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine vows to put forth a publication to promote the outdoors lifestyle in a positive manner. We will strive to encourage veteran and novice outdoorsmen, women, kids, and the physically challenged to participate in the outdoors in a safe and ethical manner. Our publication will bring positive attention to the wondrous beauty of the world of Nature in the mid-south.

Garry MasonWalter WilkersonTerry WilkersonJeff AgeePaul Moore

Steve McCadamsKelley PowersEddie BrunswickStacey LemonLarry Self

John SloanRichard SimmsJohn MeachamJoe HallBuck Gardner

Scott MarcinEd LankfordDrew BrooksJohn LathamJohn Roberts

Field Staff Editors

Owners - Eddie Anderson Rob Somerville Kevin GriffithPublisher - Eddie AndersonEditor - Rob Somerville

Magazine Design - Kalli LipkeAdvertising Sales Rob Somerville - Managing PartnerDistribution Johnathan Anderson

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC

O PG ARTICLE AUTHOR5 TWRA News 8 Puppy Training H. Joe King Jr. 10 Deer Detecting Dogs Josh Ray14 The Evolution of the Muzzleloader Rob Somerville20 Getting Squirrelly Rob Somerville26 Women in the Outdoors Terry Wilkerson30 Youth in the Outdoors Walter Wilkerson34 Off Road Section Rob Somerville38 2012 Duck Fest 40 The Art of Duck Calling Rob Somerville44 Trophy Room 46 Kid’s Corner

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AUG./SEPT. 2012 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 5

INDIANA MAN REACHES PLEA AGREEMENT FOR 2011 DALE HOLLOW LAKE BOATING

INCIDENT An Indiana man has reached a plea agreement in a July 2011 boating incident on Dale Hollow Lake, which resulted in one fatality and injured three others. Bonomini had been indicted by a Pickett County Grand Jury late last year Joseph Bonomini (24), of Lawrence-burg, Indiana pled guilty to one count of reckless vehicular homicide, a class C felony. The single vessel collision killed Byron Hartman of Guilford, Indiana and was investi-gated by officers of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The of-ficers found Bonomini under the in-fluence of alcohol at the time of the collision. As a result of a plea agreement, Bono-mini faces six years of probation, five years revocation of his boat operating privileges, 250 hours of community service and a $600 fine. He will be eligible for a judicial diversion of his charge once he completes his supervised probation. The boat operated at the time sank immediately after the collision. It was recovered by TWRA divers and forfeited to the TWRA as a training tool for boat accident investiga-tions training.

GREENEVILLE RESIDENT JESSICA PARKINS

WINNER OF FIRST YOUTH ELK HUNT PERMIT

Jessica Parkins, of Greeneville, is the winner of the permit to participate in the inaugural Tennessee Young Sportsman Elk Hunt to be held Oct. 19th - 20th. A fourteen year-old, rising ninth grader at South Greene High School, Jessica was selected in a random computer drawing from a pool of almost 300 applicants from ages 13-16. The announcement was made Saturday afternoon by Ed Carter, Executive Director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, in conjunction with the Second Annual Wildlife & Land Expo held at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. All of the youngsters who entered to have an opportunity for the youth elk hunt tag received a letter to attend the announcement.

Jessica was in attendance with her parents, Robert and Cin-dy, and younger brothers Caleb (11) and Corey (9). She will be able to hunt on any five of the elk hunting zones desig-nated at the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area,

located northwest of Knoxville. In addition to receiving the permit, Jessica re-

ceived several gifts from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, including a new hunting

rifle and an assortment of gifts from the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). The presentation of the per-mit came at the QDMA’s Rack Pack display area. In addition, all those youngsters who entered the contest and were in attendance for the an-nouncement, received a gift bag.Along with the TWRA’s Director

Carter, comments were also made by TWRA Forestry and Wildlife Division

Chief Daryl Ratajczak, Bill Carman of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Daniel

Bartley of the QDMA. The state’s fourth sanctioned elk hunt will precede

the youth hunt and will be held Oct. 15th – 19th with five hunters participating. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Com-mission approved the 2012 special elk hunting season and the addition of a permit for one state resident to participate in the first youth hunt at its February 2012 meeting.

TWRA NEWSFrom the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency

continued on next page


TWRA RESPONDS TO GOLD MINING CONCERNS IN TENNESSEE STREAMS AND

RIVERS The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has received a series of complaints recently from various recreational users concerning dredging activities on the Little River in Blount County. Complaints are centered on practices that include the use of suction dredges to excavate large holes in the river bottom, and the discharge of muddy water downstream from dredg-ing activities. Also, there has been the blanketing of shoals with sediment, petroleum products on the water and the use of high pressure hoses to blast holes in the river bank. Upon investigation, the activities generating the complaints are re-lated to gold mining. The Little River is extremely popular with visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Townsend area. Trout fishing, smallmouth bass fishing, tubing, canoe-ing, and wading are among the activities attracting both in-state and out-of-state visitors and local residents to the area. Tennessee has a long tradition of people “panning for gold” using sieves, homemade sluice boxes, buckets and hand tools such as shovels and trowels. “Panning for gold” is considered by many to be an enjoyable family activity. Small scale pan-ning, using traditional techniques and hand tools, does not pose a threat to Tennessee’s extraordinary aquatic resources. As with all stream activities, TWRA recommends the re-spect for private property, following public lands rules, not littering and being safe on the water. The use of commercial grade suction dredges, large scale

sluice systems, diesel-powered pumps and mechanical shov-els, including backhoes and track hoes, and the use of high pressure hoses to blast away riparian habitat in a method called “high bank mining,” has become an aquatic habitat destruction issue in several states. The use of commercial scale mining equipment by individuals is apparently being promoted by both equipment manufacturers and cable tele-vision programs about gold mining. The destruction of aquatic habitat and related water pol-lution by suction dredging, use of backhoes or track hoes, or other machinery for gold mining in Tennessee streams and rivers is an illegal activity. The TWRA is responding to the complaints by contacting suction dredgers and high bank miners, obtaining contact and identification informa-tion, and taking such actions as are appropriate and provid-ed for by state law. The TWRA is aware of gold mining in the Coker Creek watershed in Polk County. The Coker Creek watershed is an issue that is currently under consideration by state and fed-eral resource agencies. For more information on these articles and more, go to the TWRA website at: www.tnwildlife.org.

TWRA NEWS CONTINUED

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In the last issue, in continuation of our series of retriever training, we discussed the basic commands of Sit, Stay and Come (or Here). Through several repetitious sessions and plenty of your loving patience, your pup should be responding well now to these basic commands. What you want to ultimately achieve is immediate response to your commands. The next command that is very important is the Heal command. This command is the ini-tial starting position for sending your dog to retrieve a training dummy or bird that he has seen or for a “blind” retrieve, which is a retrieve where the pup does not see you throw or place the training bird or dummy. With this command, your puppy should be very comfortable with wearing a lead and collar. The dog’s position could be either on your right or left side, where the dog’s lead is at your knee and the pup should be no further. Walking with him next to your knee, issue the command Heal. Pat the side of your knee, to give a visual assist to your puppy, showing him the correct position he needs to be in. Again, with time, patience and repetition your pup will understand this very important command. During these articles, the weather has been very hot and muggy. Realize how your puppy must feel by imagining yourself wearing a fur coat in this heat. Please do not over work your

new best friend and keep your puppy well hydrated with cool water. For more information on dog train-ing, contact STO Magazine field staff editor H. Joe King Jr. at Thunder Ridge Retrievers. You can email him at [email protected] or call him at 731-676-7776. H. Joe King, Jr.Thunder Ridge Retrievers

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Deer Detecting DogsBy Josh Ray

Josh Ray is pictured here, during one of his intense training sessions for tracking wounded deer for the upcoming season, with his Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog – Gunner. Picture courtesy of Josh Ray

It takes someone that is an avid hunter to really un-

derstand what it’s like when you lose a wounded deer. I know this from firsthand experience; because when I have told my story about losing the buck of a life-

time, I have experienced fel-low hunters feel the pain of the story, much more than a non-hunter would ever understand. The responsibility of a hunter to make every effort they can to recover a wound-

ed animal is something I do not take lightly. If you take the time to shoot an animal, you should do the right thing and do your absolute best to recover it. Even if you are only interested in the rack, there is still plenty of

meat that could be given to a needy family. I have been on the blood trails of many wounded deer. Whether they were does or trophy bucks, I always lend a hand when possible. Deer that are hit high, or ones that


do not have an exit wound, can sometimes leave a scant to non-existing trail of blood to follow. Darkness falling, or having too many “well meaning” helpers destroy-ing tracks or blood droplets with their boots, can also hamper recovery of an ani-mal. Having seen how easy it is to lose the blood trail of an animal, when we are sure they are mortally wounded, I took the next step in trailing and tracking and purchased a blood dog. I decided to get a “pure bred” blood trailing dog last year after I lost the biggest buck that I have ever shot. We captured the shot on vid-eo, and I was almost certain that I had made a good hit. I gave the buck an hour before I decided to get down and track him. My arrow looked

like the shot had been le-thal, and I immediately found a good blood trail starting about 10 yards from the deer’s location where I shot it. The blood trail was very easy to follow as the huge buck went away from the stand and started curling back around. About 150 yards into our tracking, we came upon a dried up slough. In a mat-ter of 15 feet the blood trail went from easily visible to seemingly nonexistent. We carefully backed out, careful

not to walk over any existing sign that we had previously found, and went to gather a search party. To my great misfortune, we never found another drop of blood or my dream buck. That’s just one of many stories I can tell on lost blood trails. After extensive research, I decided to purchase a Louisi-ana Catahoula Leopard Dog, as my choice of blood dog. They are known for their tracking abilities and enthusi-astic willingness to work. I’ll never give up on a wounded deer again, and neither will my blood dog, Gunner. Al-though he is young, he is a hard worker and enjoys what he believes to be a game of tracking. I bought Gunner from a professional breeder/trainer out of Louisiana. He strongly promotes this blood

line of proven working dogs. I decided to take on the task of opening a business that will help fellow hunters in the surrounding areas recover deer and other animals that they may otherwise never find. I am looking forward to the upcoming deer season, which is quickly approach-ing. So, if you find yourself in a situation like I was in last year, don’t hesitate to call. I will be more than hap-py to come and lend a hand. I hope you have a safe and

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Following an easily visible blood trail from a wounded deer, like the one pictured here, is simple. It is when all signs of blood seemingly disappear that a pure bred tracking machine, like Gunner, can make the difference between heartbreak and elation for a hunter.Photo by Rob Somerville

Having seen how easy it is to lose the blood trail of an animal, when we are sure they are mortally wounded, I took the next step in trailing and tracking and purchased

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AUG/SEPT 2012 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 13


By Rob Somerville

Proper gun maintenance and the urgent need to keep their gunpowder dry were two of the top priorities for early American settlers and mountain men; often deciding the difference in their life or death. STO File Photo


any Volunteer State hunters enjoy the chal-

lenge of deer/muzzleloading season. While these special hunts allow you a separate and unique opportunity to harvest whitetails, there are several disadvantages also. The major one being that you had better make that first shot count, because unlike a rifle, which can chamber a “ready to shoot” round in a second, a muzzleloader’s charge must be loaded separately and takes about sixty sec-onds to achieve. First comes the powdered or palletized propel-lant. Next you load the bullet or projec-tile and tamp it down with your “ramrod” and finally you set your primer cap or ignition choice. By the time you take care of these steps, your deer could be way out of range.

But, modern muzzleload-ing has come a long way. To understand just how far, we will go back to the days of pioneers and fast forward to the future.

Primitive Muzzleloading Guns – A Trip through History Our great country owes a great deal to the invention of black powder and the primi-tive firearms, which were uti-lized to protect and feed the

early settlers. First came the musket, which looked more like a musical instrument than a gun. Next, the flintlock rifle was invented. While

this firearm performed with greater accuracy, there were still many drawbacks. One of the favorite sayings our early mountain men used to tell each other when bidding farewell was to, “Keep your powder dry.” {The other was to watch your “top knot,” which meant to be careful not to be scalped by Native American Indians}. The reason in wanting to keep their powder dry was really quite simple. These

rugged men lived or died in their survival life by re-lying on their guns. Early muzzleloaders were primed

by pouring black powder from a measuring flask into the muzzle or barrel end of the gun. They then took a “patch” {dry piece of cloth} and pushed or tamped it down in to the barrel with a round ball. Once this was accomplished, they poured a small amount of powder onto the “flash pan” of their gun. It was then ready to fire. By triggering the ham-mer, it would then strike a piece of flint, sending a spark

to the powder in the flash pan. This spark would in turn light the powder charge through the breech in the barrel and propel the round ball, with a fair amount of accura-cy, towards the target.

If the powder in the flash pan or barrel got damp, the gun would not fire. If the target they were aiming at was a

This in-line, .50 caliber gun has revolutionized the industry. It actually breaks

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grizzly bear or hostile Indian, they could be dead.

Modern Muzzle-loading – The Next Generation For hunting purpos-es, the late 20th cen-tury saw the invention of “side hammer” muz-zleoaders, which used a #10 percussion cap for igni-tion. These guns had heavy, octagon shaped barrels that were difficult to clean, and

while they showed a vast im-provement for hunting, the best was yet to come. In the 1970’s, a man by the name of Tony Knight, invented the first in-line muzzleloader.

Aptly named Knight Rifles, these guns had a true “in-line” ignition system. This meant that the spark from

the percussion cap did not have to travel 90-degrees to ignite the charge. It went in a straight line, through a re-movable breech plug. This era also saw the invention

of Pyrodex powder, which burned cleaner than black powder and didn’t leave as much residue after shooting.

Shortly thereafter, followed the invention of Pyrodex Pel-lets, which were pre-mea-sured charges of pelletized powder. The next innovative step in modernization was the “sabot” that would replace the round ball and greatly improve shot accuracy. Sab-ots are comprised of a plas-tic jacket encasing a slightly smaller caliber bullet than the rifles bore. For example, a .50 caliber muzzleloader will shoot a .44 caliber sab-ot bullet.

Traditions – The Future is Here A small company named Traditions, out of Connecti-cut, has always been an in-novative force in the muzzle-loading industry. But, in the past decade, they have truly outdone themselves. I bought one of their Premiere Pro models at Bass Pro Shops the year they debuted, after reading about it. This in-line,

.50 caliber gun has rev-olutionized the industry. It actually breaks open, like an over and under shotgun. This not only

allows easy cleaning away from the ignition system, it also lets you visually check your breech plug ignition

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Muzzleloaders Continued

The evolution of muzzleloading has come a long way in both accuracy and safety, with modern inven-tions such as the in-line rifle, pelletized powder and percussion caps shown here. STO File Photo

The most amazing benefit is in accuracy.


hole, to ensure that it is clear between every shot. The most amazing benefit is in accuracy. When testing this gun, I consistently shot patterns within a five inch circle from 150 yards. I was using four, thirty grain Py-rodex Pellets {for a total of 120 grains of powder}, and 265 grain sabots. This model also solved another muzzle-loader problem - being “bar-rel-heavy” when you raise them to fire. The Premiere Pro shoulders just like a qual-ity rifle.

Summary There is still a place for those purists that enjoy the old style “front stuffers”. But I feel that as an ethical hunt-er, I should use the most ac-

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GettingSquirrellyBy Rob Somerville

If a squirrel spots you before you can get a shot, they will usually flatten out against the op-posite side of the tree from where you are located. STO File Photo


t’s been a long time be-tween hunting seasons and you have religiously

attended all of the outdoor shows and rented all of the hunting videos from the lo-cal rental store. You must get into the woods. It pulls at you like a giant magnet. Well, rest easy, squirrel season is here. Neither hot nor humid weather, swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes, or dense vegetation can keep the Vol-unteer State hunters from en-tering the woods for squirrel season. Today, I will give you some fall hunting strategies for this rascally rodent.

Squirrel Smorgasbord The first thing you want to look for when hunting fall season squirrels is their food source. The acorns from the oak trees won’t be ready for a couple weeks, so you must search for mass producing

trees such as hickory, beech and pecan. Find one or more of these trees with branches drooping from their nut mast and you can easily fill your game bag.

Buck-toothed Breakfast Use your senses of sight and hearing, and you will find the squirrels. When the “tree rats” grasp a nut in their paws they gnaw at the hard outer shell with their two over-sized incisors to get at the tasty delicacy within. This is called “cutting.” The sounds of a family of squirrels cutting in a hicko-ry tree resemble a bunch of three year-olds munching on some crisp potato chips. They also leave the shavings from the outer shell drop-pings on the ground in visible piles, beneath their feeding tree. These shavings hitting

I

When fall squirrel hunting, listen for the distinctly audible sounds of these bushytails “cutting” on pecan, hickory or beech nuts. STO File Photo

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the ground under a hot tree will make it sound like it is raining in the woods. You also want to scan the upper branches for limbs bowing under the weight of a squir-

rel, as it leaps from branch to branch. If you quietly and slowly approach the tree, us-ing the stealth of a Green Be-ret, you can slip right up into shooting position.

Become Invisible Wear a camo pattern that helps you blend in to your surroundings. I like Mossy Oak’s Forest Floor, during early squirrel season, as it

has a lot of green blended into it. Ease around as slow as possible with all your senses attuned for noise and visual recognition of squir-rels feeding.

Tips and Tactics If you come upon a tree with several squirrels feed-ing in it and harvest your first one, freeze! I have found that if you are per-fectly still, and the squir-rels detect no motion on the ground, they will soon begin feeding again. But, make sure you mark the spot where the first squir-rel hit the ground carefully or you may have trouble finding it. If you slip up on a squir-rel and they bust you, they will probably flatten out be-hind a limb or scurry around to the opposite side of the tree from which you are standing. Pause a couple of seconds, and then pick up a couple of rocks. Toss the rocks, one at a time, on the opposite side of the tree from where you are posi-tioned. Oftentimes, this will force the squirrel back to your side of the tree, where you have an easy shot.

Gather Up the ‘Youngins’ Squirrel hunting is a per-fect opportunity to introduce kids to shooting sports. A 20 gauge youth model shotgun and light load shells packs plenty of punch to harvest a furry trophy. As you walk through the woods with the youngster, you can point out deer trails, different species of birds and other educa-tional wonders of nature.

Squirelly Continued

Squirrel hunting is a great way to introduce youngsters to the great American heritage of the out-doors, as well as letting Mother Nature teach them valuable lessons. STO File Photo


Equipment Log Carry plenty of ‘skeeter’ dope. I like to use a spray that is effective against ticks, with Deet as an ingredient. This is effective against ticks, which can cause Lime dis-ease, as well as mosquitoes, which have been believed to carry the West Nile Virus. I hunt adjacent to a river bot-tom, so I always wear my snake-proof boots. Just last

week, I nearly steeped on a four-foot version of “Old Cold Jaws.” Many squirrel hunting pur-ists use .22 caliber rifles. This is fine, as long as you are very confident in your shoot-ing ability. But remember, a .22 rifle bullet will travel over one mile if unimped-ed and could be dangerous. Most hunters in our state use a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun.

Tortoise and Hare There are two main sub-species of squirrel in our state, which consist of fox and gray squirrels. The fox squirrel has a fuller coat and tail and may be red, brown and even black in coloration. They are larger, and although they can get up and go when sensing danger, they aren’t as speedy as their smaller cous-in - the gray squirrel.

The gray squirrel defies grav-ity with its acrobatic leaps and blinding speed. Many connoisseurs feel that they are also tastier in the fry-ing pan. I hope you fill your skil-lets with fried squirrel this season, but remember that in order to be a successful hunt, it must first be a safe one.

Hunter Newbill’s first name describes him just right. He is a dedicated outdoorsman, who is very involved with introducing today’s youth, safely and ethically, into the outdoor lifestyle.

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recreational property. Eddie Anderson - Co-owner STO Magazine

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It’s that time of year again and everybody we talk to is getting geared up for this hunting season. It seems like they are all getting their bows fine-tuned, buying new ar-rows, putting out trail cameras and getting in plenty of practice time, shooting their bows. There are more people that hunt (men and women) than the average, non-hunt-ing person could imagine. We hunt not only for food, but also for the excitement of the chance to see that trophy whitetail walking through the woods at 20 yards, or a beautiful pair of mallards with wings cupped and com-ing in to their decoys, or a

bobcat stalking its prey. As taxidermists, we have even mounted some beautiful ani-mals that were the results of a vehicular road kill, but the body has to be fresh. That

is a point I want to stress to everyone, that it is crucial if you want to have a great looking mount that you must get it to your taxidermist as soon as possible. We know you want to show off your trophy and tell the story of your hunt to your friends and family, but many trophies are ruined in the first few hours

after they are killed. As soon as the animal dies, forms of bacteria start to attack the carcass. Warm and humid weather accelerate bacteria growth, so if you can’t take

it to your taxidermist imme-diately, store your trophy in a freezer. If it’s a deer to be mounted, take it to your pro-cessor, but please be sure to pick your caped deer head up as soon as you’re told it will be ready. Many deer skins are ruined, because they were left in a cooler or freezer too long, and even when stored

i n a cool-e r o r freezer it won’t last forev-er. You spend a lot of time and money on hunt-ing, so you sure don’t want an extra expense of hav-i n g t o

buy a deer skin to replace a ruined one. Field care is just as impor-tant. For mounting purposes, the only mammal you need to field dress is a deer. If you

kill a deer or turkey, and my husband Walt is available, he will glad-ly cape your deer or skin your bird for you,

so you can enjoy your meat. Don’t try to attempt skinning your turkey on your own if you plan to have it mount-ed. It’s done differently than most birds. So, if you wanted birds or fish mounted ... DO NOT FILLET OR DRESS THEM! If you are going to mount it, you don’t need to gut it. Place your bird or fish in a plastic bag, being careful not to bend or damage the feath-ers or fins. Try to get all the air out of the bag that you can and tie the bag closed. Then place it carefully in the freezer. Small mammals should not be field dressed or skinned and should be taken to your taxidermist or frozen right away. Many small mammals, such as carnivores, will spoil quickly because of their thin hide and exposure to bacte-rial growth.Happy hunting everyone!T e r r y “ L i v i n g L i f e Outdoors’’ Wilkerson

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Shown here, is a diagram that shows the proper method to cape a deer, if you wish to have it mounted. STO File Photo

Taxidermy Tips:

• When field dressing a deer to be mounted, do not cut into the brisket (chest) or neck area, and don’t insert your kill tag in the ears, which will makes holes.

• Always have appropriate tags with your trophy and hunting license ready to show your taxidermist, as the law requires it.

• Remember that songbirds, owls, eagles, hawks and snakes are protected by federal law and cannot be mounted unless you have a special federal permit.


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Youth in the OutdoorsBy Walter Wilkerson

Pictured here are three generations. Shown are father Josh Ray {on left and holding eight week-old son Cody} and grandfather Terry, with a nice gobbler. Photo by Walter Wilkerson


ust the other day, I was watching the news and I saw where a young boy

had to be hospitalized, for se-vere dehydration. Apparently, he had shut himself up in his room for days, playing an X-Box game. That should be a wake-up call for many parents. So, let’s get our kids out of the house to enjoy what God cre-ated for us in the great out-doors. Some of my fondest memories as a child are play-ing sports, or of hunting and fishing with my friends and family. Just take a child into the woods and let them hear a crow call or a squirrel bark. Let them see the numerous birds and bugs, and let them try to identify all the sounds of nature they hear. I love to just close my eyes and lis-ten, to see how many spe-cies of birds I can hear and then look to see if I can find them in the trees. You wou ld be surprised at all the sounds of na-ture’s creatures that you can hear in the woods that we just take for granted. Now, on a more serious note, I would hate to see all of our hunting and fishing rights taken away. It’s up to us to im-press on our chil-dren how impor-tant it is to retain these rights. As mentors, we need to teach them the safe, ethical and l e g a l w a y s o f

hunting and fishing, so that they will appreciate and carry on these traditions. There is no greater feeling than your experience with a child the first time they see a deer, or feel that tug at the end of a fishing pole. If you’re like me, most of you can remem-ber who you were with and where you were, when you caught that first fish or shot your first deer. It’s exiting and I love to share and be a part of this with others. But, when you do take a kid hunt-ing or fishing, you must be patient. Children are going to be naturally restless and are going to rustle the leaves and snap twigs in the woods. When fishing, they will slap the water with their poles, so just be patient and make it fun. Make it about them. This way, they will learn and

J



will want to go back, again and again. There are several different conservation organizations that have programs designed exclusively for promoting and encouraging the youth in our communities to partici-pate in the outdoors lifestyle. A couple of these groups are the Greenwing Teals pro-gram {that is sponsored by Ducks Unlimited} and the Jakes program {sponsored by the National Wild Turkey Federation}.

To find out more about the Greenwing Teals or Jakes events and programs, contact your local chapter of the Na-tional Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited. We also have a local youth trap shooting team, right here in Dyersburg, with two cer-tified instructors who show kids the safe way to han-dle shotguns and compete in skeet shooting. For more information on that pro-gram, you can call William Moore or Terry Hallum, at

731-297-7449. I just recently was in-formed of another group called Mississippi Flyways Waterfowlers. Their orga-nization specializes in the mentoring of our local youth through a program specifical-ly designed to introduce kids ages six through seventeen to the sport of water fowling in Mississippi Flyway areas. To find out more about the Wa-terfowlers, go to www.talkin-fowl.com. Please support all of these

groups. Your donations are an investment in the youth of today! Remember that all kids, ages nine and older, must have graduated from a hunter safety course prior to hunt-ing, which is free and taught by local volunteers and/or the TWRA. Please people; let’s get our kids outdoors, instead of in their rooms playing X-box.

Walt ‘’Keeping the Tradition Alive’’ Wilkerson

Youth Continued

Twin brothers, Griffin and Fulton Armstrong, are excited as they are heading out to fish with their other two brothers {Dylan and Ethan} their dad Ryan, and their granddad Arthur, at Reelfoot Lake.Photo by Walter Wilkerson


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There is a song called “Mud on the Tires” by Brad Paisley that epitomizes an ATV/Off-Road Park located just north of Dyersburg, Tennessee in the northwest corner of the state. It is called Bikini Bottoms and is privately owned by Bob and Pam Williams. The park is a haven for those who love to go ‘muddin’ with trucks, Jeeps or ATV’s . This place has something for everyone - family riding trails, mountains of dirt to climb, deep mud covered in water, and headliner concert events. Some people may call the patrons of Bikini Bottoms “rednecks” but these folks don’t care what you think. They have a ball! I decided to interview Bob and Pam to find out more about Bikini Bottoms for our readers. So throw your rig in four wheel drive, strap on your helmet and let’s hit the road!

STO: Where did the concept of Bikini Bottoms come from and how did you go about creating this off-road park?WILLIAMS: We have always had a beautiful waterfall on our farm, where the family would go swimming and our daughter would refer to it as Bikini Bottoms from the cartoon. We came up with a logo and decided ro open the gates to the public, so others could enjoy our unique and naturally scenic place.

STO: How many acres is the park and what different venues does it offer?WILLIAMS: We have about 160 acres in the park itself, including all kinds of off-road riding trails, for the begin-ners as well as for the experts. We have mud races, deep mud holes to try to cross, tall hills to climb and riding competi-tions for trophies and money. There are plenty of designated locations for camping and we also pro-vide a nice shower house, to wash the mud and dust off after trail riding. On our race weekends, we have concessions as well.

STO: Tell us about the concerts you have already held there and are there plans for fu-ture music events?WILLIAMS: There have been two this year, which proved to be a huge success and turned out huge crowds. Our plan is to have three concerts a year.

STO: What are your rates and amenities at the park?WILLIAMS: We charge $10 per day every weekend, except for when we hold our Saturday Race events that are $15 a day. Kids, who are twelve and under, are admitted free of charge. There are weekend rates for campers as well.

STO: What are your goals and visions for the future at Bikini Bottoms?WILLIAMS: We have the blue prints to build a 3000 foot long Zip Line, which will be an adrenaline rush filled ride from 200 feet in the sky. We are also considering renting out canoes as well, to ride down the Obion River back to the park. For more information about Bikini Bottoms Off-Road Park go to www.bikinibottomsoffroadpark.com or Facebook them.

Bikini Bottoms – West Tennessee’s Best Kept Secret

By Rob Somerville


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Ex_HalfPage.pdf 3/16/11 2:48:59 PM

Visit Dyer County, TennesseeA Spo rtsman’s Paradise!

Located just 1/2 hour, from beautiful Reelfoot Lake, Dyer County has something for everyone. From the finest motels,

restaurants, shopping malls, and bars ... we welcome all sportsmen that are hunting or fishing at the “Quake Lake.”

There is nowhere else for miles that can offer hunting and fishing licenses, sporting goods,

cost-efficient - yet clean and comfortable lodging, and a cold beer or cocktail.

Our restaurants can tempt you with every-thing from a “Black Angus” ribeye steak - to fast food. The best feature of all, which Dyer County has to offer, is that you will always

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Are you stumped, as to what to buy that “outdoor lover in your life, for Christmas? Well the solution is right here in Dyersburg, Tennessee at HUNT, FISH + WHOLESALE! The owner of this store, Jack Dewailly, is an avid outdoors-man and has been in the industry for decades. He has a huge assortment of steel shot, camo apparel, ammunition, knives and outdoor related gifts that any hunter or fisherman will love. His prices are very affordable, and if he doesn’t have what you want in stock, I guarantee he can get it. After all, he has several warehouses, in various states, stocked with quality goods. HUNT, FISH + WHOLESALE is located in Green Village Shopping Center, in Dyersburg, Tennessee.For more information, call Jack at 731-882-1888.- Rob Somerville

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The third annual Dyersburg Duckfest saw another record crowd inattendance; estimated at over 2500 people. The event is centeredaround the TWRA public duck blind drawings for the TIGRETT WMA,located near Dyersburg, Tennessee. Carl Wirwa and over a dozen TWRAofficials were on hand to register hunters and conduct the blinddrawing. Over twenty vendors of outdoor related goods, displayed theirwares as well as supplied donated door prizes, and concessions wereavailable. A great time was had by all.

All photos courtesy of Steve Guttery and the Dyer County Chanber of Commerce.


The Art of Duck Calling

By Rob Somerville

recently had the chance to visit with two of the top duck callers and hunt-ers in the Mississippi Fly-way region. Our discussion involved calling techniques. This duo of “Quacker Smack-ers” consisted of the follow-ing men: Buck Gardner and Stu Wolcott. The most interesting con-cept I observed was the dif-ference between competition calling and actual calling to ducks in the field. The fol-lowing information reveals their views and tips.

Buck Gardner – “Champi-on of Champions” Few people have reached the status of Buck Gardner in the Competition Duck Call-ing arena. He has basically won every title there is from regional, to various states, to world championships. Buck even won the grand-daddy of them all, the Champion of Champions. This con-

test is only open to people who have already won the world championship. In oth-er words, he beat the “best of the best.” Here is what he says about competition calling: “Competition calling is like playing a musical instrument in a concert. You are appeal-ing to human ears. I like to do things a little differently. That way, if the judges liked me in the first round, they will recognize my routine in later rounds. If you are inter-ested in being a competition caller, I recommend you do several things.” You can find Buck’s tips on the next page.

The Master of Meat Calling – Stu Wolcott Stu Wolcott, is the owner/operator of Primm Springs Wildlife Company, which consists of full service guid-ed dove, trophy deer and turkey hunting in Middle Tennessee, as well as a wa-

terfowl hunting operation just outside Stuttgart, Arkansas. Primm Springs has a beauti-ful lodge that houses over 40 hunters. He has been one of my best friends for over 20 years, and without a doubt, is one of the most knowledge-able and successful duck call-ers I have ever shared a blind with. But, Stu is in it to call in the huge flocks of ducks to his decoy spread, not to please judges. He told me that compe-tition calling is as differ-ent as night and day, when compared to trying to get a greenhead to have its wings locked and feet dropped into your spread. Stu’s tips can be found on the next few pages on how he recommends hunters to im-prove their calling from the blind, pit or boat.

Summary Competition calling can bring you accolades, prizes

and money. You will meet a lot of great friends and can possibly forge out a career in the outdoor industry as Buck Gardner did. But, don’t nec-essarily think that the road will be an easy one. You will have to work very hard and never give up. Meat calling on the other hand will make you a better hunter, and if you mess up and squeak out a bad sound from your call, you won’t get disqualified by a judge. You may flare a duck or two off of your spread, but your mistake won’t be witnessed by hundreds of people either. Editor’s Note: If you need help with your calling, these two men will be happy to as-sist you. You can reach Buck Gardner at 1-901-754-095 {www.buckgardnercalls.com}or Stu Wolcott at 931-729-0392 {www.primmspring-swildlife.com}.

I


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Buck Gardner’s Tips on “Calling for Judges” 1. Go to contests and tape record the top three

finishers as they do their routines. Listen to this recording over and over and learn it.

2. Find a duck call you like and stick with it. I recommend a double-reed call.

3. Find an experienced caller who is willing to mentor you or a call manufacturer that can give you tips.

4. Practice every chance you get. One good way to do this is to get an instructional CD or tape to listen to. Play it, pause it, and then attempt to mimic what you heard.

5. Enter small contests at first, until you win a few. Then you can move to larger venues.

6. Most important of all, is perseverance. You must practice every day and never get discouraged!

“World Champion of Champions” duck caller Buck Gardner worked hard to achieve all of the prestige he has earned in the world of competitive duck calling.Photo courtesy of Buck Gardner


Stu Wolcott walks the walk, rather than talks the talk, when it comes to consistently bringing in mallards. Here he is pictured with a multi-limit brace of ducks from one of his guided morning hunts.Photo courtesy of Stu Wolcott

Stu Wolcott’s Tips on “Calling for Ducks”

1. Go to a refuge and listen to the ducks. Re-cord the different vocalizations they use and practice them.

2. Give the ducks what they want to hear. If they are loud get loud. If they are subtle in their vocalizations – you do the same.

3. Watch their reactions to your calling and re-act to it.

4. Know when to shut up. If they are coming in silent, then you should be silent too.

5. Never call to ducks if they are coming towards you, or directly overhead. Only call when you can see wingtips or their backs.

6. Keep down in the blind. The only one looking at the ducks should be the pit boss. The other hunters should watch the pit bosses’ eyes for where the ducks are located.

7. The most common mistake duck hunters make when calling is over-calling.

8. Utilize motion decoys when they are work-ing successfully. Spinning wing decoys usu-ally work best early in the year, but can flare the more educated ducks later in the season. Older decoys that have faded can be made to look more realistic by spraying them with a light coat of polyurethane.

9. Use softer calling when hunting flooded tim-ber, as the sounds will echo off of the water in the trees.

10. Use chatters and Drake whistles mixed in with your calling.


Drake Palmer from Ridgely, Tennessee caught this 8.4 lb. bass out of Gibson County Lake on July, 7th 2012 while fishing with his dad. This 9 year-old boy is the son of David Palmer from Dyersburg, Tennessee.Photo courtesy of Wilkerson’s Taxidermy

Bradley Floyd killed his first turkey on March 24th, 2012 while hunting with his uncle, Jack Hill in Weakly County, Tennessee.Photo courtesy of Wilkerson’s Taxidermy


Ryne O’Rourke harvested his first turkey ever, which weighed in at 23lbs and had a 9” beard. He took this nice gobbler while hunting with his dad, David S. O’Rourke, during the youth turkey season on April 1st, 2012 in DuQuoin, Illinois. Photo courtesy of Wilkerson’s Taxidermy

Will Wilson caught this bass at a private lake in Dyer County fishing with his dad, Chris Wilson. It weighed 4 pounds and was 20 inches long.Photo courtesy of Chris Wilson.

Kirsten Ray proudly holds up this bluegill, which she caught on her family’s lake, while fishing with her granddad, Terry Ray.Photo Courtesy of Wilkerson’s Taxidermy


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Southern Traditions Outdoors August-Septemeber 2012

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Transcript of Southern Traditions Outdoors August-Septemeber 2012