#2153065 - 11/08/10 09:41 AM
For Jon and Others...
|
bowriter
Non-Typical
Registered: 08/31/02
Posts: 40305
Loc: Lebanon,TN USA
|
Offline
|
|
In response to a post on another thread regarding the deer I have killed and my thoughts of writing down some of the memorable ones in a short paragraph or so, here is a trial effort. Let me know what you think.
Saline Swamp, December, 1957.
I was out of school for Christmas break and we were camped deep in the Saline-me, Uncle Lester, Uncle Lloyd and Uncle Alphus. We had turned the dogs loose on Muddy Bayou ridge that morning and I made the drive. Uncle Lester killed a big spike and Uncle Lloyd caught 18 bass at the pipe flow on a yellow H&H.
That afternoon I was perched on a big cypress log trying to kill a wooduck on Back Camp Slough. The ducks hadn’t started piling yet and I was sitting there and kept hearing something in the water. I couldn’t see anything but I could hear it splashing.
After a bit, I could hear the splashing coming closer. I strained my eyes and almost fainted. A buck was slowly coming toward me. I could see his antlers moving and circles in the water as he walked He was feeding on the floating acorns in the slough.
I slowly got the number 6’s out of the tubes on the 12 gauge, L.C. Smith. It had twin 32-inch barrels and shot like a rifle. I slipped the double zeros in and quietly breeched it.
The buck kept coming and now he was just 30 yards away facing me and coming directly at me. Then he turned to pick up an acorn. The gold bead stopped right behind his left front shoulder and the right barrel belched. He jumped and ran broadside to me at 35 yards. The left barrel belched and he disappeared.
I tracked him by the bubbles and mud in the slough and within 50 yards walked up on him. A beautiful 8-point that might score 110 but he made my record book. I field dressed him and drug him onto dry land and went back to duck hunting.
When Uncles Lloyd and Alphas pulled up in the old iron horse, I had a buck and six squealer ducks laying on the palmettos. Five double aughts had caught him perfect. Four went all the way through and the fifth, caught in the hide on the offside, is in a box on my mantle. It was a great night.
John Sloan-Memories of a hunting Life 2010.
_________________________
Constipation has ruined many a good day. Not as many as stupidity, though.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2153082 - 11/08/10 09:50 AM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: bowriter]
|
RheePerry
4 Point
Registered: 11/03/10
Posts: 124
Loc: Columbia, Tn (Maury Co)
|
|
Offline
|
|
I started keeping a hunting journal so I can remember my many years of hunting yet to come. Otherwise, I would prob. Forget.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2153115 - 11/08/10 09:59 AM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: RheePerry]
|
bowriter
Non-Typical
Registered: 08/31/02
Posts: 40305
Loc: Lebanon,TN USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
I have journals going back to 1977.
_________________________
Constipation has ruined many a good day. Not as many as stupidity, though.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2153394 - 11/08/10 11:41 AM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: bowriter]
|
moondawg
16 Point
Registered: 06/19/02
Posts: 17777
Loc: Millington, TN
|
|
Offline
|
|
Awesome read.
Bowriter, I've said it before, you really oughta consider putting out a book about your hunting stories. I'd be willing to bet a lot of us on here would gladly buy it.
_________________________
Don't look down, BE down!--Turkeyburd (Prevous 2012)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2153731 - 11/08/10 01:47 PM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: moondawg]
|
bowriter
Non-Typical
Registered: 08/31/02
Posts: 40305
Loc: Lebanon,TN USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Moondawg, tha is exactly the above is about. But tghink about this. To make money, I'd have to sell at least 10,000.
_________________________
Constipation has ruined many a good day. Not as many as stupidity, though.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2154326 - 11/08/10 07:37 PM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: bowriter]
|
recurve60#
4 Point
Registered: 10/22/08
Posts: 342
Loc: Rock Island
|
|
Offline
|
|
Good read bowriter.
I really like to read real life stories without all the gadget promotions thrown in.
Takes me back to my youth and the outings I had.
Good job. Real hunting.
Oh the memories.
_________________________
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2154337 - 11/08/10 07:40 PM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: recurve60#]
|
username
10 Point
Registered: 05/08/02
Posts: 4103
Loc: Williamson County
|
|
Offline
|
|
Good stuff bowriter.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2154722 - 11/08/10 10:44 PM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: username]
|
WMAn
6 Point
Registered: 11/05/10
Posts: 786
Loc: Williamson County
|
|
Offline
|
|
bowriter,
Where were you at for this story?
I spent 3 years in the MS delta and had the locals tell me about deer feeding on acorns in the water. I never got to witness it for myself though.
I would also to be interested to hear what your early experiences hunting deer with dogs taught you about how deer respond to pressure.
_________________________
"I will remain what I am until I die, a hunter, and when there are no buffalo or other game I will send my children to hunt and live on prairie mice..." - Sitting Bull
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#2154768 - 11/09/10 03:04 AM
Re: For Jon and Others...
[Re: WMAn]
|
bowriter
Non-Typical
Registered: 08/31/02
Posts: 40305
Loc: Lebanon,TN USA
|
|
Offline
|
|
The Saline Swamp is in LA not far from the MS line. Now it is largely bean fields. In terms of deer being run by dogs, one the chase is over, providing the deer is still alive, most often they go right back to the area they jumped. Only the deer being run are affected, as far as we could tell. The other deer simply move out of the way then go about their business.
Back then, we hunted two main swamp areas, Saline and Cocodrie. Both are now WMA's what little is not in beans. Then, they were vast areas and to some extent, unexplored. We had a camp built 12' off the ground on a slight ridge, known as the hog ridge camp. In total, there may have 6 camps in the whole swamp. Today I expect there are over 150.
_________________________
Constipation has ruined many a good day. Not as many as stupidity, though.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: RUGER, Tennessee Todd, Unicam, Cuttin Caller, CBU93, stretch, Bobby G, Outdoor Lady, TurkeyBurd
|
12113 Members
38 Forums
115964 Topics
1412331 Posts
Max Online: 756 @ 11/20/12 09:10 AM
|
|
|
The TnDeer.Com Deer Talk Forum is for Tennessee Deer Hunters by Tennessee Deer Hunters. If you enjoy using our Talk Forum and would like to contribute to help in it's up-keep. Just submit your contribution by clicking on the DONATE button below and paying with PayPal or a major credit card. Any amount is much appreciated. Thanks for your support!
|
|
|
Great Story !
