Float Hunting the Loosahatchie

[Mike Belt]

Anyone float hunt the Loosahatchie running through Shelby County? It's been a few years but I used to when everything froze up outside of the river. I'd put in at one bridge and float down stream to the next bridge. I did this in several locations and always killed a few ducks. There was a hodgepodge of different varieties. I discovered something along the way. When there's snow and/or ice on the ground it goes almost all the way down to the water's edge. Between the edge of that snow or ice and the water there's always a small strip of land usually not over a foot wide. From one end of the river to the next this strip is covered up with snipe or woodcock. (I can't tell the difference just looking at them). I don't even know if they're edible or if there's a snipe limit but you can fill a sack full in a very short time. It was something to do if you wanted to get outside and wanted to plink a few ducks.

 

[Cache]

Grew up floating the Wolf in Lagrange. I can remember my first duck hunt in those bottoms with my dad like it was yesterday. We jump shot a pair of mallards one morning that were busy making babies. Dad kept that duck in the freezer for years telling me he was going to get it mounted since his pecker was sticking out...I probably pulled that thing out of the freezer a dozen times because no one believed me when I told the story.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Snipe are execelent table fare.