Southern Traditions Outdoors October - November 2013

October - November 2013

Complimentary Copy

THESE DOGS
WILL HUNT
DUCKS ARE ON THE WAY
A FARMER’S HANDS
DOGGING FOR SQUIRRELS
LATE SEASON CRAPPIE

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SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS || OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013
SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013

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OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PG................... ARTICLE........................................................... AUTHOR
8...........................Fall Flight Forecast is a Good One - Ducks On Way.......... Steve McCadams
12..........................A Farmer’s Hands............................................................... Rob Somerville
18..........................Cypress Creek Outdoors.................................................... Rob Somerville
20..........................Hot Products....................................................................... STO
24..........................Duckblast Offers Deal of Lifetime....................................... Rob Somerville
28..........................TWRA News....................................................................... TWRA
30..........................Fyrne Lake 10K.................................................................. Kevin Griffith
32..........................Hunting with Four Legged Friends..................................... Garry Mason
36..........................Kentucky Lake Late Season Crappie................................. Steve McCadams
39..........................Dogging for Squirrels.......................................................... Shawn Todd
42..........................The Fyrne Lake Saga Continues........................................ Kevin Griffith
48..........................Birds of a Feather............................................................... Rob Somerville
52..........................Trophy Room...................................................................... STO
ITION
BONUS ED GES
PA
8 EXTRA

On the Cover
Nothing brings as much joy as hunting with a beautiful well trained retriever. The black Labrador Retreiver
on the front cover is named Libby. - Photo by Garry Mason
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC

Owners - Eddie Anderson

Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith

Stacey Lemons
Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville

Magazine Design - Kalli Lipke
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson

Field Staff Editors
Garry Mason
Walter Wilkerson
Terry Wilkerson
Steve McCadams
Kelley Powers

4

Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
John Sloan
Richard Simms
John Meacham
Buck Gardner

Scott Marcin
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
John Roberts

Advertising Information:

Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville
(731) 446-8052 stomag1@gmail.com
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.
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:

From the Desk of the Editor
Dyersburg High School Initiates the First Ever
DU Varsity GreenWings Chapter
Recently, David Greer
invited me to attend a meeting
at Dyersburg High school in
Tennessee. To me, a fantastic and
previously unheard of partnership
had been formed, between a
public school and DU. The
positive thinking administration
at Dyersburg High School had
teamed up with Duck’s Unlimited
to form a Varsity GreenWings
Chapter in their school. I was
excited at the huge turnout and
here is what I learned.
History of DU
Ducks Unlimited got its start
in 1937, during the Dust Bowl,
when North America’s droughtplagued, waterfowl populations
had plunged to unprecedented
lows. Determined not to sit idly
by, as the continent’s waterfowl
dwindled beyond recovery, a
small group of sportsmen joined
together to form an organization
that became known as Ducks
Unlimited. Its mission: habitat
conservation.
Thanks to decades of abiding
by that single mission, Ducks
Unlimited is now the world’s
largest and most effective
private waterfowl and wetlands
conservation organization. DU is
able to multilaterally deliver its
work through a series of partnerships with private individuals,
landowners, agencies, scientific
communities and other entities.
Waterfowl are not the only

beneficiaries of DU’s habitat
work. Wetlands improve the
overall health of our environment
by recharging and purifying
groundwater, moderating floods
and reducing soil erosion.
Wetlands are North America’s
most productive ecosystems,
providing critical habitat to more
than 900 wildlife species and
invaluable recreation opportunities
for people to enjoy. The United
States alone has lost more than
half of its original wetlands, and
tens-of thousands of additional
wetland acres continue to be lost,
at an accelerating rate, each year.
Introduction of the Varsity
GreenWings Chapter
The purpose of a Ducks
Unlimited Varsity banquet is
to raise money for developing,
maintaining, restoring and
preserving waterfowl habitat on
the North American continent and
to develop a local image for DU.
In addition, Ducks Unlimited aims
to support the continuation of our
nation’s outdoor sporting heritage
through increased education
efforts and cultivation of youth
involvement in volunteerism,
conservation, as well as safe and
ethical hunting.
Ducks Unlimited Varsity
chapters offer students and their
respective high schools the
unique opportunity to learn of the
importance of habitat conservation
in a fun setting that engages the

entire community. Students that
volunteer for Ducks Unlimited
Varsity chapters develop a
keen understanding of our wild
landscapes and their associated
benefits. Additionally, high
school members acquire life and
leadership skills that will benefit
them throughout their educational
and career pursuits. Regardless of
a student’s personal interests, there
is great value in being a member
of a Ducks Unlimited Varsity
chapter.
Teddy Roosevelt once stated “Of
all the questions which can come
before this nation, short of the
actual preservation of its existence
in a great war, there is none which
compares in importance with the
great central task of leaving this
land even a better land for our
descendants than it is for us.” For
continued on next page

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.

SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013


5

From the Desk of the Editor Continued

Union City Ford

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A large crowd of high school staff, students and DU committee members met in the common room at Dyersburg High School
recently to begin the first ever DU Varsity Chapter. - Photo by Rob Somerville

over 75 years, Ducks Unlimited has
strived to provide a better landscape
for future generations, and through
participation in the Varsity program,
Ducks Unlimited will continue
its mission to provide sustainable
wetland habitats throughout North
America.
Benefits of Varsity Chapters
While North America’s wetlands
are the primary beneficiary of Ducks
Unlimited Varsity chapters, there are
a variety of additional benefits for
the communities and individuals that
participate in these programs.
Student volunteers gain valuable
teamwork and leadership experience
by working together to accomplish
a common goal. Throughout the

process, students will be challenged
with proper planning, budgeting,
problem solving and implementing
basic business strategies. Coupled
with the conservation education
that coincides with being a Ducks
Unlimited volunteer, the volunteer
experience is very enriching for all
Varsity participants.
Parents, extended families, and
communities are also able to rally
behind and benefit from Varsity high
school chapters. Because Ducks
Unlimited promotes wholesome
family-friendly events, anyone and
everyone are welcome to attend and
participate. Regardless of what drives
people to Varsity events, whether
it is in support of our conservation

mission, the desire to engage in
raffles and auctions or just to enjoy a
great meal and camaraderie, Ducks
Unlimited encourages people from
all walks of life to join them in their
mission to conserve, enhance, and
restore North America’s wetlands.
On behalf of everyone at STO
Magazine, I just want to take our
hats off to the Dyersburg High
School administrators, DU and its
local chapter officers and the parents
and kids who are participating in
this “first time ever” endeavor. We
support you!

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7

Fall Flight Forecast is a Good One

Ducks on the Way!
By Steve McCadams

“We started with high numbers of
breeding ducks, and we had great water in the right places for re-nesting and
duckling survival,” said Frank Rohwer,
president of Delta Waterfowl. “Duck
production should be excellent.”
“This spring saw abundant moisture
in much of the heart of North America’s
most important duck breeding areas,”
said DU Chief Scientist, Dale Humburg. “That bodes well for
duck breeding success this
summer and hopefully, for
hunting this fall.”
“Even with abundant
moisture on the prairies and good breeding success this year, the weather and
habitat conditions the birds encounter
on their fall migrations can impact local
hunting success. Many areas along traditional migration routes are experiencing
significant drought, and this will likely
have an effect on how many birds hunters see this fall. Other areas have seen
excessive moisture, which could affect
food supplies for migrating birds. As
always, weather patterns can also have
a huge impact on local hunting conditions and the timing of the migration.”

Of the 10 species surveyed, 7 were
similar to last year’s estimates, including mallards. Scaup and blue-winged
teal were significantly below last year’s
estimates. American Wigeon were 23
percent above last year. Mallards, similar in number to 2012, are 36 percent
above the long-term average. Two species (northern pintail and scaup – lesser and greater combined) remained be-

in favor of duck hunters across the region, as an extended spell of mild conditions allowed big numbers of ducks
to stay north of their normal wintering grounds. Refuge waterfowl surveys
across the region were below their 5 and
10-year averages during December and
January, which reflected the influence of
warm weather, both here and up north.
Yet, last winter was unusual and every year is different. Cold fronts
can happen overnight and north
winds can change the waterfowl
picture quickly. Every morning
in the duck blind is different!
Of concern to many West Tennessee
waterfowlers this fall and winter is the
food, or lack thereof, in many of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s
wildlife management areas. Flooding
this spring lingered on up into summer
and that prohibited the agency from
planting winter waterfowl food in such
popular units as Gooch, Tigrett, Big
Sandy, Gin Creek, Camden Bottoms
and West Sandy.
The lack of corn, milo, millet and
some moist soil foods could make it

...it’s nice to know the ducks
are there in big numbers.
low their long-term average and North
American Waterfowl Management Plan
goals.
Weather and water conditions are
always big factors, influencing the seasons down here in Dixie, but it’s nice
to know the ducks are there in big
numbers. Now we’ll keep our fingers
crossed for normal winter weather to
stimulate the migration as last year’s
temperatures (especially during late
December and most of January) were
above normal.
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Weather and water are always factors for Dixie duck hunters but good numbers of ducks should be winging South this fall and winter
according to the Fall Flight Forecast. - Photo by Steve McCadams

F rosty morningsa and bone chilling
winds are still few months away,

but most of us in Waterfowl World are
always thinking ahead and wondering about the status of the Fall Flight
Forecast.
How was the hatch? What does the
season look like? When does it open
and has the bag limit changed? These
are a few of the questions I hear on a
8

regular basis, from enthusiastic duck
hunters, anxiously awaiting early season sunrises.
Mid-summer reports are released
each year and it shows that our feathered friends had another great year on
the breeding grounds. Thanks to a wet
spring, duck numbers heading south this
fall and winter, should be well above the
long-term average.


The fall flight survey, known officially as the Trends in Duck Breeding
Populations, has been conducted annually since 1955 by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service. This year it puts the breeding duck population at 45.6 million, the
second-highest level ever recorded. This
year’s estimate was 33 percent above
the long-term average.

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tough to attract and hold wintering
waterfowl in the area. If cold weather
descends and the ducks arrive to find
very little food, then odds are they’ll
fly somewhere else to meet their needs.
Just how this spring and summer
flooding scenario plays out remains to
be seen, but no doubt it will have a negative impact on several popular wildlife
management areas.
Water availability will be another
big factor too, as winter flooding across
West Tennessee tributaries such as the
Obion, Forked Deer, and Hatchie River
bottoms can supply thousands of acres
of soybeans and corn to hungry ducks
at times.
Thanks to a good Fall Flight Forecast,
duck hunters will see another 60-day
season and 6 duck bag limit. Tennessee’s statewide season opens Thanksgiving Day (November 28th) and runs
60-days straight, ending on January
26th, 2014.
The Reelfoot Lake zone varies from
the statewide dates. A two-day segment
will be held in the Reelfoot zone on
November 16th-17th. The second segment there resumes November 30th and
runs 58-days straight, ending on January 26th, 2014.
Tennessee will offer youth waterfowl
hunts for kids ages 6-15 on two separate Saturdays after the regular season
closes. The first hunt will be held February 1st and the second hunt is slated
for February 8th, 2014.
Soon, the web-footed visitors will
arrive. In fact, waterfowlers across
Tennessee already have the welcome
mat out.
Here’s hoping the season ahead
is a good one for you and your buddies. Sunrises spent with retrievers and
friends are never wasted.
Ducks are on the way so it’s time
to patch the waders, tie up the decoys,
tune up the outboards and Go-Devils,
and cut brush for the blinds. Let the
games begin!
Editor’s note: Steve McCadams is a
professional guide and outdoor writer
from Paris, TN. He can be reached at
stevemc@charter.net.

10

Three generations of
duck hunters! Duck
blinds are great places
to share sunrises and
make memories with
friends and family.
Bagging a pile like this
makes getting up early
worthwhile!
- Photo by Steve
McCadams

Blue-wing teal numbers continue to increase and are well above their long term average.
Tennessee’s early wood duck and teal combo season lasts only 5 days, but is quite popular among the ranks of waterfowlers. - Photo courtesy of USFWS


OCTOBER -NOVEMBER 2013 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

11

A Farmer’s Hands
Fiction
By Rob Somerville

T

he sun resembled a jack-o-lantern as it began to peek its lifenurturing face above the autumn woods.
“Mornin, Mr. Sun,” greeted the old
farmer with a smile. “It’s about time
you woke up.” He figured that he could
get away with that little jab, because he
had already finished his last cup of coffee about two hours ago.
The old timer sighed and his breath
exhaled a white plume in the frosty October morning. He readjusted the weight
of the week-old calf in his arms. The
young animal struggled in his grasp. It
had its eyes rolled up and was bleating
with fear as the farmer began to make
12

the slow
climb
out
of
the drainage
ditch, where it
had been mired up to
its chest in mud. He and
the calf were both soaked to
the bone with water from the drainage
ditch and mud covered the old man’s
Carhardt overalls and flannel-lined jean
jacket.
They finally reached the north pasture’s fence row. The old man set the
calf down on its trembling legs. The
calf buried its head in the farmer’s jacket and began crying out for its mama.
Old Bessie, our milk cow, came trotting
down the lane, mooing for her baby. The
calf heard her, raised its head and ran to
the safety of its mother. Another small
crisis handled on the farm.
The farmer grinned at their reunion

and walked on arthritic legs to a big
rock on a high point, where he could
look out over several hundred acres of
his crop land, and sat down. He took off
his John Deere hat and wiped the sweat
from his brow. Bowing his nearly bald
head, he began his daily talk with God.
“Well sir, you sure outdone yourself
with nature’s paintbrushes this morning. The trees of autumn look like they
got more colors in them then a 64-count
box of Crayola crayons and the way the
wind makes them branches sway and the
leaves shake…well sometimes I think
they hear the angels playing their harps
and are dancing to the music. I know my
sweet wife Clara just has to be one of
em. Tell her I sorely miss her cornbread
and beans and I reckon it won’t be too
long before I see her. I sure do appreciate you giving that wonderful woman
to this hard-headed man for 54 years,
Lord. Thank you also for giving me the
life of a farmer. I know that sometimes I
complain, but I wouldn’t trade it for any
other way of life. I promise to do my
best to take care of your land that you’re
letting me use and the critters that live
here. Now, if we could just come to
some arrangement on this weather. He
smiled at that point and raised his eyes
up to the sky, “Just kiddin Lord. I know
that you must have a great sense of humor. After all, you put up with me for
seventy five years. Amen.”
The old man stood and looked out
over his land. Memories began to fill
his head. They were memories of hard
times and good times, of struggles and
victories … and some setbacks.
His earliest recollections were of him
as a youngin, maybe 3 or 4 years-old.
He fondly recalled sitting on his daddy’s
lap and steering the old John Deere tractor, he named Suzey. That was how we
learned to farm in the old days. We were
taught by family. It was a 1940 Model


B – sometimes stubborn as a mule, but high school. My
dependable and durable. We didn’t have f r i e n d s , w h o
no high-falootin climate controlled cabs played sports or
with air fresheners hung on the mirror, just hung out at
stereos or GPS systems back then. Our the local café afcomfort was climate controlled by Old ter school, didn’t
Mother Nature itself. If it rained – we understand why
got wet. If it was hot – we sweated. If I hurried back to
it was cold – we shivered. Our musical the farm instead
entertainment was courtesy of song- of joining them
birds, insects and frogs. Our sense of every afternoon.
smell was filled with the pure scent of I guess you could
diesel smoke and freshly cut crops. We say I just liked
didn’t have satellite navigation. Instead, to make things
we used landmarks and plenty of good grow.
My parents inold common sense. If Old Suzey broke
sisted I go to coldown, we could go to the local hardware
store and buy a fan belt for a couple of lege to study agdollars … now it’s a couple of hundred. riculture. When
We went to work before sunrise and I respectfully ofhardly ever quit until long after sun- fered not to atset. We didn’t need these new energy tend, but rather
drinks. The biggest meal of the day was work on the farm
breakfast. Mother would get up at 3:30 with my dad, he
am and cook a huge spread of biscuits, sat me down. Pa
told me that times
gravy, brown eggs {from our chickens}
were changing.
bacon, sausage, fresh milk and plenty of
Farmers were becoffee. That would keep us goin til dincoming more sciner, which was on the table promptly at
entific and farm
twelve noon. Fried chicken, pot roast,
land was growing
vegetables and all the trimmins were
scarcer each year.
usually served. Man, did we eat good!
He wanted me to
As I went through school, my pa
go and learn modwould start to let me have more and
ern farming techmore responsibility. He was a stern task
niques and busimaster, showing you once and expect- ness skills, and I
ing you to learn it and do it exactly the figured out in my
way he showed you, from then on. Some later years that
would think him to be intimidating. he was unselfHe was a large, raw-boned man with ishly looking out
a farmer’s tan and a weather bronzed for me. Pa wanted
face. I have a permanent image of his me to be able to
hands burnt into my mind. They were keep up the farm,
huge and calloused with long fingers earn a livelihood
and bulging veins. They were a farmer’s and become my
hands. Not a man of many words, but own man. He also
when he did speak up, people tended to said that Amerilisten. But, he never had to whoop me can farmers feed
{thank the Lord} because I respected about two thirds
him and did not sass back. He wasn’t of the world and
exactly a nurturer; that was mother’s we took on that
role. He was a role model; a man who responsibility and
taught me the value of hard work, fam- need to fulfill its
ily values and respect for the land.
duties.
I continued to work the farm through continued on next page

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13

Farmer’s Hands Continued

I graduated from college, came back
to the farm, got married and began to
raise my own family. Pa and me worked
side by side. He wasn’t much of a people person. He was always in the fields
or in the shop fixing equipment. So, besides working as he did, I kept the books
and handled transactions. It was a good
partnership. We had good years and bad,
banner crops and disasters, floods and
draughts. I guess we survived through
hard work and being frugal. We began
buying up small areas of acreage that
became available; with money we had
saved and grew our farm business.
Nowadays, it seems that I spend a lot
of time in meetings, on this damn cell
phone that I hate and doing paperwork.
When I get overwhelmed, I go to my
quiet space. I just get on a combine
{sometimes until way after midnight}
and work the fields. Then, I am at peace
with the world.
The old farmer shook himself back to
the present, wiped a tear from his eye,
and once again looked to the heavens.
Keeping in mind that his dad was a man
of few words, he still imagined a vision
of his dad smiling down at him and nod14

ding with a tip of his hat. That was all
the encouragement he needed.
He looked down and saw his old dog,
River, had joined him and was laying
at his feet. He smiled, patted his four
legged friend on the head and said,
“Come on River, we got work to do.”
As they walked to the shop, he looked

down at his hands and smiled. They
were a farmer’s hands.
Note: This article is dedicated to all
the farmers and agricultural based businesses in America, who feed the world
and especially to my friend and partner,
Eddie Anderson.

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SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS -NOVEMBER 2013 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS
OCTOBER | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013

15

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REPAIRS - TIRE ROTATIONSHEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS.

731-593-0171
kentuckylaketourism.com
reelfootlakeoutdoors.com

530 N. Poplar - Kenton, TN.

731-749-5333

WEST TENNESSEE
GOLF CARS

SALES & SERVICE
Licensed General Contractors
LICENSED CONTRACTOR
Value Engineering / Constructability Analysis
Lynn brooks
drew brooks
•
Over 30 years experience - since 1981
731-445-1208
• 731-445-3722
Scope Includes
•
New Construction (Home or
• • Additions/Garages/Attic and Basement Build
new home construction
•
Outs/Sunrooms
additions/remodeling/repair
• • Renovations (partial or full-house makeovers)
• • Kitchens
insurance specialists
•
Bathrooms
least cost roofing
• • Construction Management
•
Maintenance Contracts
plumbing
• • Repairs/Improvements
• • Disaster Recovery
floor support
•
Insurance Claim Specialists
•
Repair – Rebuild - Total Restoration
If you
•
HVAC want to work with a financially
AUTHORIZED DEALER!
stable
•
Electrical company that will deliver
HUGE INVENTORY OF NEW & USED CARS!
•
Interior Trim (crownprojects on-time and
molding, tile, cabinets, etc…)
construction
PARTS & ACCESSORIES!
• within budget, and Exterior)
Painting (Interior then I highly recommend
LARGE SELECTION OF TRAILERS!
•
Energy
Improvements
renovation plus construction
SERVICE DEPARTMENT!
- rob somerville
1295 HWY 51 BYPASS - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
delivers projects on-time and within budget, then work with
731-286-6275 OR 800-264-1175
www.rpccpnstruction.com
Renovation Plus Construction. - Rob Somerville
www.WtngolfcarS.com
6401 Hwy 51 Bypass E. - Dyersburg, TN - 38024
731.445.3722
www.rpcconstruction.com
16

3

Professional

Real Estate
Group

NEW & USED TIRES!
DYERSBURG

Specializing in all types of
property, including hunting
ground, wildlife management
areas, game hunting leases, farm
property, and more.
Please contact me for all your real
estate needs.
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.
He is a perfect choice for sportsmen or farmers that are
shopping for a home, hunting land, farm acreage, or
recreational property.
Eddie Anderson - Co-owner STO Magazine

Hunter Newbill

Broker - GRI - CRS - ABR
2455 Lake Rd. - Suite 8 - Dyersburg, TN.
{Off.} 731-285-5505 {Cell} 731-445-9998
hunter@dyersburg.com
www.dyersburg.com

FLATS FIXED!
MECHANIC ON DUTY!

“OUR GOAL IS TO DO OUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT”
BEST PRICES & CUSTOMER SERVICE IN TOWN!

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SPRING
CLEANING
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NEW OWNER!
NEW MANAGEMENT!
OWNER: BOBBY ATCHISON
1580 FORREST ST - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-334-9707


17

Cypress Creek Outdoors
I

By Rob Somerville

have known two, twin brothers
– Don and Ron Parks, since they
were students with my sons, at Obion
County High School, over a decade ago.
At that time, they asked for my help in
creating an in-house hunting TV Show
at the high school. The
first thing I noticed was
their total enthusiasm
for the outdoor lifestyle. My other impressions, after getting to
know them better, were
their intelligence, drive
and good old-fashioned
manners.
Great news for the
Dyersburg Area
After reuniting with
them recently, none
of those first impressions I had of the two
brothers have changed
and Dyersburg, Tennessee is about to get
a little more wild with
the much needed outdoor retail store they
recently put in called
Cypress Creek Outdoors, which opened
on October 12th. The
new outdoor store not
only carries top of the
line outdoor clothing,
equipment, guns and
ammunition, but it will
also bring several jobs to the Dyer
County community.
Cypress Creek Outdoors will specialize in all your hunting and fishing needs
with brands such as Drake, Walls, Columbia, and Benelli firearms, but will
also cater to anyone who celebrates the
great outdoors; whether it be camping,
exercising, or hiking.
Other brands will include Kavu, Under
Armour, Stormy Kromer, Lodge Cookware, etc. Cypress Creek’s knowledge18

able staff is dedicated to giving you the
best customer service and latest information on new products. Their mission
is to make sure you leave with the right
clothing and equipment for your next
outing and their expertise comes in the

form of their decades of living the outdoor lifestyle.
Cypress Creek Outdoors offers more
than just helping you get geared up; they
are also steeped in Reelfoot Lake history and their store is decorated with wall
murals depicting scenes from this historical locale. Employees are natives to
the Dyer and Obion County areas with
experience navigating the waters and
wetlands of Reelfoot Lake and the surrounding areas.

Bringing his experience and knowledge to Cypress Creek is Bart Orr, who
also manages First Choice in Dyersburg.
Mr. Orr is a former manager of Homestead in Union City, with over 20 years
experience in the industry.
The store is located
in the old Riggs building off of Hwy 51 S.
The location is perfect with its easy access from the highway,
abundant space, and of
course its proximity to
its “big brother” business: First Choice Farm
and Lawn.
Dyer County sportsmen have long desired
a full service outdoor
retail store for years…
well it seems that the
Good Lord above has
finally answered our
prayers in Cypress
Creek Outdoors.
Cypress Creek Outdoors is open on Monday through Saturday
{from 9 am to 6 pm}
and Sunday {from 1pm
to 5 pm}. The store is
located in the old Riggs
building at 305 Hwy 51
South and their phone
number is 731-2871470. Its location is perfect with its easy access from the highway, abundant space, and of course its
proximity to its “big brother” business:
First Choice Farm and Lawn.
They are open now for business, but
will have their huge GRAND OPENING
& HUNTER’S NIGHT OUT event on
Saturday, November 2nd.
So, check these folks out … you won’t
be sorry!


“A New Place ... For An Old Tradition”
WE CARRY
SHOTGUNS, RIFLES,
AMMO, CLOTHING,
ACCESSORIES BY:

AND MUCH MORE!

THE MID-SOUTH’S NEWEST
HUNTING RETAILER!

HUNTER’S NIGHT OUT - SAT. - NOV. 2ND

Cypress Creek Outdoors
Open Mon-Sat. 9-6 Sun 1-5
305 Hwy 51 South
Dyersburg, TN 38024
731-287-1470
dparks@firstchoicekubota.com
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

19

Recommends...
2014 GMC SIERRA 1500 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
All-new for 2014, the GMC Sierra gets a new
chassis, a redesigned interior, and an assortment
of aluminum-block engines, including the 5.3-liter
V-8. The GMC’s 5.3-liter V-8 was tuned specifically to beat the fuel economy of Ford’s 3.5-liter
EcoBoost V-6, and thanks to their variable valve
timing, direct injection, and the ability to run on
just four cylinders, its 16/22 mpg city/highway rating it does beat the Ford.
GM has been hitting it out of the park with interiors lately and the Sierra is no exception.
The hard plastics and panel gaps that made up the last-gen Sierra’s interior are gone, and in its place we
get nice leather, comfortable seats, a soft-touch dash, and sharp-looking LCD screens. It also seems like
there are a million USB and electric outlets in the center console.
To view this model, as well as other great GM products, stop by our friends at Herman Jenkins Motors,
located at 2030 W. Reelfoot Avenue in Union City, Tennessee.
You can call them at 731-885-2811 or visit them on line at: HermanJenkins.com.
- Rob Somerville

WHERE TO EAT BY PICKWICK LAKE
TOP O’ THE RIVER CATFISH & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Eddie Anderson is my partner in Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine and he loves a good quality
meal. Eddie recently purchased a vacation home at Pickwick Lake and there is one place he takes the
entire crew {wife, kids and their spouses, and seven grandkids} every time they go to the lake. That place
is Top O’ The River Catfish & Seafood Restaurant.
According to Eddie, not only is the food absolutely delicious {he likes their catfish steaks best} but they
seemingly bring you endless platters of home-style fish, hush puppies, slaw, cornbread and french fries.
He also told me that after eating there, the first thing everyone does after unloading their vehicles for
the weekend, is to find a comfortable place to take a much needed nap.
STO Magazine highly recommend this restaurant in the Pickwick Lake area.
Top O’ The River Catfish & Seafood Restaurant is located at 5831 TN 57, in Michie, Tennessee. They
open at 4:30 pm on Tuesday through Friday, 4:00 pm on Saturday and 12:00 pm on Sunday. Their
phone number is 731-632-3287
- Rob Somerville

2014 CAN-AM OUTLANDER
500 XT CAMO
Let’s look into the Can-Am Outlander 500. This little slice of
heaven comes packed with some great features that Can-Am
considers more of a value than comparably priced units. The
500cc market has many competitors, but with the power of the
V-twin fuel-injected Rotax engine in the Outlander 500, the
power range in this machine is greater than most. This 46hp
machine is a solid six ponies ahead of the pack even though in
some cases it’s 50cc smaller! The power of the machine is kept
cool by a large radiator and fan, so no need to panic on the
slow trails or when working the machine.
As you roll down the trail, you will notice the comfort of the
saddle on the Outlander 500 as well as the prime location of
the many switches and gauges mounted around the bars. The
digital gauge cluster gives information on your speed, engine
temp, 4x4 indicator and fuel level, to mention just a few. This
machine also comes equipped with the D.E.S.S., or Digitally
MEET NEW SALES ASSOCIATE
Encoded Security System, that no other unit in this category
JAMIE WILLIAMS
has...or any competing category has for that matter. This
means that if your machine somehow winds up in the hands of unauthorized riders, they will not be able to start
it! The ECU is programmed to accept only the coded key for the machine and no other. To see this or any of their
huge assortment of units, visit our friends at OuterLimit Powersports - 470 Highway 51 Bypass - Dyersburg, TN 38024. Call them at 731-285-2060 or visit them at www.outerlimitpowersports.com.
- Rob

20
20

NITTO - ALL TERRAIN TIRES
There is a new brand of tires that is quickly getting the
attention of hunters, fishermen and off-road enthusiasts in our region ... it is the Nitto Terra Grappler.
The Terra Grappler® offers year-round all-terrain
performance through a balance of wet and dry
performance and on-road comfort with minimal road
noise. The Terra Grappler® All Terrain provides
balanced performance in all weather conditions over
various terrains.
You can see these and the vast array of other brands
and styles of tires that our good friends at
Triple T Tire Pros, located at
450 Highway 51 Bypass East in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
Call them at 731-285-8323 or check them out on line at
www.triplettirepros.com.
- Rob Somerville

SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS || OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2013

All-Terrain Light Truck Radial

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

21

ROBERTS-GIBSON, INC.
&
P & J PETROLEUM

SIMMONS
PhilliP’s dEEr

ASK ABOUT
OUR SPECIAL
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RATES!

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Servicing farmers,
construction,
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commercial accounts
in all of West Tennessee
and parts of
Missouri, Kentucky
&
Mississippi

Dyersburg’s
Newest Hotel!
824 Reelfoot Dr. - Dyersburg, TN 38024
731-287-0248 sleepinn.com

NORTH DELTA SOIL SOLUTIONS INC.
Independent Soil Fertility Specialists
Services Include:
Precision Soil Sampling Services.
Variable Rate Soil Fertility & Seed
Prescriptions.
Yield Mapping & Analytical Services.

DYERSBURG OFFICE - CONTACT LARRY OR TIM GIBSON AT: 1-731-285-4941
UNION CITY OFFICE - CONTACT DEVON GREGSON AT: 1-731-885-1747
GREENFIELD OFFICE - CONTACT SHEA MIX AT 731-676-4242

Brennan Booker
Soil Fertility Specialist
731-487-0968
P.O. Box 266
Dyersburg, TN 38025
brenbooker@gmail.com

176622 E, CEdar - RD - TRENTON, TN.
HALLIBURTON dyErsburg, TN.
731-885-9400
731-676-7712 731-487-2062
CELL: or 731-676-4520

LEMON’S
MACHINERY

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30 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN
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345 BREWER RD. - DYERSBURG, TN
OFFICE: 731-287-8867 CELL: 731-693-2604
EMAIL: staceylemons@att.net


22


23

THE 3rd ANNUAL DYERSBURG KIWANIS DUCK
BLAST OFFERS THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME FOR
QUACKER SMACKERS!
By Rob Somerville
Just imagine yourself sitting in one
of the top-producing, privately-owned
duck blinds in the region. It is you and
three of your closest “duck destroying”
hunting buddies!
It is ten minutes before legal shooting time. The inky black of night is
morphing into the orange, yellows, and
blues of sunrise.
The whirring of wings is heard, as
flock after flock of mallards and suzeys
circle above your deluxe blind. Your
dog whines anxiously, as he hears the
splashes of ducks landing, mixed in with
their quacks and feeding chatter.
Finally, shooting time arrives! The
guns are loaded. Your lab’s eyes are focused on a group of two dozen greenheads, with wings locked and feet
dropped, as they attempt to land in the
decoy spread. A voice yells, “Get ‘em!”
Ten shots are fired from the four
guns aimed by you and your three lifetime hunting companions.
Nine ducks hit the water… dead.
Your dog leaps out of the blind and begins to retrieve the first of your party’s

limit of ducks.
This dream hunt can happen for you
and your friends at a price below what
you would normally pay for a guided
hunt… anywhere!
The Kiwanis Club throws in a delicious dinner plate ticket for each hunter
at a banquet and auction the night before. Unbelievable as it may seem, the
price of all this is a mere $150 per gun
{$600 per group of 4 hunters}.
This opportunity is called the Dyersburg Kiwanis Duck Blast and it is being
put together by The Dyersburg Kiwanis
Foundation to raise some much-needed
funds for the Dream Factory of Dyersburg and New Life Youth Camp. The
profits will be used to help grant wishes
for children as well as finance renovations at a local camp for children.
The donated blind sites will be randomly drawn for each team. I know, I
sound like an infomercial, but wait…
the first-place team and the landowner
that donated the blind, will each win a
brand-spanking-new Stoeger M3500 automatic shotgun!

You can’t beat this deal, so you better hurry up and get your team signed
up now!
The dinner and auction will be held
Thursday, January 9th at the Lannom
Center in Dyersburg. The hunt will be
held the following day on Friday, January 10th.
You need to register early as there
will be a minimum number of teams
allowed.
For more information or to register,
contact: Tommy Allmon at 731-2883581 or Megan Brock at 731-288-7375.
Southern Traditions Outdoor Magazine is just one of the many proud
sponsors of the event and you can bet
your bottom dollar that my team will
be there.
To get more information, see the
full page ad on the next page of STO
Magazine.
The proceeds go to help our region’s
kids, so come on out. After all, if I said
it once, I have said it a thousand times…
our kids are truly our most precious
natural resource. They are our future.
See you there!

Help us, Knock emí dead for our community.
Third Annual Duck Blast
Dinner & Auction-January 9, 2014
Duck Blast Hunt-January 10, 2014
Duck Blast 2014 Entry Fees
$150 individual
$600 per team
• Maximum 4 members on team
• Includes: Dinner for each hunter,
auction, and an opportunity to
hunt one of Northwest Tennessee’s
prime waterfowl blinds
• Additional Dinner & Auction
Tickets available for $25.00
• Register Early! Limited number of
teams.

Event Agenda
*Dinner & Auction
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Lannom Center
*Duck Blast Hunt
Friday, January 10, 2014
Registration Deadline:
December 30th, 2013

This year’s profits go towards:

Dream Factory of Dyersburg and New Life Youth Camp
We are providing much needed funding for local organizations.
Thank you for your help and support of these great causes.
For more information or registration forms, contact:
Tommy Allmon, 288-3581
Pictured here with the winning team’s ducks from last year is the Duck Blast committee.

24



25

TODD’S CAFE

BUCKETS

NEIGHBORHOOD PUB & GRUB
“A Great Place to Eat and Hang Out”
NT
GEME
MANA N
NEW
A
UNDER ESSICA FAG ON
J
NDERS ESDAYS!
SA
MIKE T - WEDN
S!
RSDAY
IGH
IES N TEST - THU SIC!
LAD
E MU
A CON
TRIVI AOKE & LIV ED DRINKS!
!
KAR LASS MIX
BEERS
RTED S!
LD C
WOR TIC & IMPO ECIAL
P
S
!
DOME PPY HOUR S REEN TV’S
HA
T SC
!
S
LA
GAME
S OF F
DOZEN R GARDEN &R!
TE
BEE
WE CA

Code Blue Pizza washed down with a cold draught beer. Or dig in
to a mound of our Super Cajun Nachos, enough to feed you and
five of your friends. Peel-N-Eat shrimp, buffalo wings tossed in
your favorite sauce, salads, seafood, juicy strip steak, tasty half
pound burgers and oven toasted grinders help round out our
extensive menu ...
something for everyone, even the kids!

SERVING DYERSBURG
FOR 37 YEARS!
DINE IN OR CARRY OUT!

AT BEAUTIFUL REELFOOT LAKE!
Camping, Boat Dock, Rental Unit, Licenses,
Bait, Tackle, Camping Supplies, Cold Drinks, Ice and
much more!
We Carry everything you need to make your stay here
a wonderful and unforgettable visit!

2275 St. Route 21 E. - Tiptonville, TN 38079
(731)253-7809

Monday - Thursday: 4:30 am to 8:00 pm
Friday - Saturday: Open 24 Hours
Sunday: Open until 2:00 pm

216 E. Court St. - Dyersburg - TN 38024
731-285-9954

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY PARTIES NOW!
IN OUR PRIVATE DINING AREA FOR:
Banquets!
Birthdays!
Bachelor or Bachelorette Partys!
Corporate Meetings!
Church Functions!
Club Meetings!
Retirement Partys!

Locally owned and operated since 1970
Main Office
420 Hwy 51 ByPass W
Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024
Phone: 731-285-3021
Ridgely Chapel
515 Headdon Dr
Ridgely, Tennessee 38080
Phone: 731-264-5845

2495 Lake Rd
Dyersburg, Tennessee
731-287-3420

Book your holiday
of
party now at one
convenient
our two,
locations!

www.bucketspubandgrub.com

BUCKETS

PIG-N-OUT
BBQ
WE CATER!
DINE IN OR EAT OUT!
CHICKEN, RIBS, PULLED BBQ WITH SIDES!
OWNERS: RICKY & TAMMY HORNER

“A Great Place to Eat and Hang Out”

BOOK YOUR
HOLIDAY
PARTY NOW!
WE CATER!

26

Buckets Neighborhood Pub and Grub is a locally owned, family
oriented sports pub where the regulars are greeted by name and
jerseys representing local and state teams adorn the walls. The
Bucket’s servers bop around to the beat of 70’s and 80’s rock as
they serve up such treats as our famous all meat Code Blue Pizza
washed down with a cold draught beer. Or dig in to a mound
of our Super Cajun Nachos, enough to feed you and five of your
friends. Peel-N-Eat shrimp, buffalo wings tossed in your favorite
sauce, salads, seafood, juicy strip steak, tasty half pound burgers
and oven toasted grinders help round out our extensive menu ...
something for everyone, even the kids!
With our full bar, Buckets is also a great place to kick back with
your friends while you watch your favorite sports on one of our 21
TV’s.

TRIVIA CONTEST
EVERY WED. NIGHT
WIN PRIZES!

“Buckets is the place to go after a day enjoying Reelfoot Lake”

Rob Somerville

1700 W. Reelfoot Ave. - Union City, TN - 38261
731-885-6646
www.bucketspubandgrub.com


Tiptonville Chapel
405 Church St
Tiptonville, Tennessee 38079
Phone: 731-253-7252

www.dyersburgfuneralhome.net

NEIGHBORHOOD PUB & GRUB
Karaoke with Chris
Chaos on Thursdays
8 p.m.-11 p.m.

Dyer Co. Memorial Gardens
2455 St. John Ave
Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024
Phone: 731-285-3021

225 N. FRONT ST. - HALLS, TN
731-836-5353
1610 E Court St, Dyersburg, TN
731-286-4488

SOLLIS SEAMLESS GUTTERS
•
•
•
•
•
•

25 Beautiful Exterior Colors!
5” & 6” Gutters!
Affordable Leaf Guard Systems!
Aluminum Seamless Gutters!
Free Estimates!
Bonded & Insured!

OWNER: MIKE SOLLIS
6560 LENOX NAUVOO RD - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024

731-676-9865

BOYETTE’S RESORT
on scenic reelfoot lake

• COTTAGES WITH KITCHEN
• CABLE TV & PHONE
• HUNTING AND FISHING PACKAGES
• SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY!

www.lakereelfoot.net
boyettesresort@lakereelfoot.net
1.888.465.6523


27

TWRA NEWS

LAKE ROAD
BP - AMOCO

From the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency
QUOTA HUNTS TO GO ON
AS SCHEDULED AT LAND
BETWEEN THE LAKES WMA

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency has been informed that the quota deer hunts scheduled for the Land Between the Lakes Wildlife Management
Area will go on as scheduled.
If the federal government shutdown
continues when the hunts are underway,
the South Welcome Center in Tennessee
will not be open to check deer.
Successful hunters will have to check
in deer through the TWRA’s - REAL
system, as they do now for the nonquota archery hunts.
Land Between the Lakes remains open

to hunting, back country camping, and
hiking. However, all facilities that are
normally staffed are closed. Persons in
need of a hunting permit will need to
purchase those online or at a license
agent other than the LBL visitor centers. Land Between the Lakes is an area
of 170,000 acres, 60,000 of which are
in Tennessee’s Stewart County between
Dover and Paris Landing.
The closures have come due to the
lapse in appropriated funds, affecting
all public lands managed by the Department of the Interior (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land
Management facilities, etc.). For more
information, FAQs, and updates, please
visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.

OWNER:
BART GILLON

A Full Service Station!

Tires, Propane {LP Gas}, Brake Service,
Starters, Alternators ....
and all Types of Mechanical Repairs!

Quality Service and Reasonable Rates!
WE NOW CARRY
THE ALL NEW
DUCK
COMMANDER
“WAKE MAKER”
DECOY SYSTEMS!

520 Lake Road
Dyersburg TN. 38024
1-731-286-2999

GOTWRA.ORG

southern_traditions_outdoors_aug2013.indd 1

28


8/7/2013 2:35:26 PM


29

Fyrne Lake 10K
Trail Run
By Kevin Griffith

Do you love the outdoors? Are you
looking for a challenge? I don’t mean a
walk in the park type of challenge (we
can supply that too). I am talking about
a real, physically demanding challenge
that takes place in one of the most beautiful wilderness areas of west Tennessee.
The challenge I am referring to is the
Fyrne Lake 10K Trail Run. This race extends 6.2 miles around Fyrne Lake (see
course map in illustration), over Chickasaw Bluff ridge fields, through thick
bottomland forests, by a gorgeous lookout vista of the Mississippi flood plain
and that winds up crossing the dam that
created Fyrne Lake 35 years ago.
A 10K run is a challenge any day.
However, the Fyrne Lake 10K is especially challenging, since it includes
three major ascents totaling over 800
feet of vertical climb (see elevation in
illustration chart). If this sounds like too
much work, there will also be a family
friendly “walk in the park” two-mile
trail walk and two youth races. The first
youth race is a half-mile run for ages 12
and under. The second race is a quartermile run, for ages eight and under.
This is the third year for the Fyrne
Lake 10K, which takes place at Fyrne
Lake Farms, located 10 minutes northwest of Dyersburg, Tennessee on Highway 182 (6875 Lenox-Nauvoo
Road). The race will be held on
Saturday, November 9th at 9 am
with registration beginning at 8
am. There are registration forms
available at three locations in
Dyersburg (YMCA, Ultimate
Fitness & Anytime Fitness) or
you can register online at www.
fyrnelake.com. Early registration
ends October 21st.
The fun is not limited to the
race. There will be live music
and free food, and let’s not forget the t-shirts, goodie bags and
30

awards! All 10K runners will receive a
Fyrne Lake 10K “Tech” shirt and official race backpack. Every two-mile
and youth race participant will receive
a finisher’s medal, a Fyrne Lake 10K
t-shirt and a goodie bag. Medals will
also be given for overall first place,
both male and female, in the half-mile
and quarter-mile youth runs. The 10K
run will have first, second and third
place overall male and female medals and first place
male and female medals in
multiple age brackets. So,
you can enjoy challenging exercise, live music,
free food, receive gifts and
maybe even an award, all
while surrounded by God’s
creation...not a bad way to
spend a beautiful Saturday
morning!
Starting this year, all the
proceeds from this event
will benefit the Dyersburg Community Mission
Blitz. The Community Mission Blitz brings churches
throughout Dyersburg together to be the hands and
feet of Christ by performing service projects, pro-

viding meals and sharing God’s love to
individuals in need. Over 500 volunteers
will fan out across the community on
the Mission Blitz day next April. With
the addition of the proceeds from this
race, service projects will also be able
to be performed throughout the year. If
you are interested in finding out more,
you can visit our website at www.fyrnelake.com or call us at (731) 676-5556.


WHEN I STEP ON TO YOUR FARM
I am DEDICATED to serving you.
I will offer you only the BEST SEED for
your farm.
I represent a national brand that focuses
its research on YOUR SUCCESS
I AM DYNA-GRO

Call CPS sales representative in your area:
Call aa CPS sales represntative foryour area:
Clint Hutchison: Manager
Clint Hutchison - Mgr.
Barry Cooke: Fertilizer Manager
Steve North
Steve North
Steve Rice
Steve Rice
Marty Hinson
Barry Ward
2842 - Fertilizer Manager
Barry CookeHwy 88 South
Bells, S. 38006
2842 Highway 88 TN--Bells, TN. - 38006
731-663-0100
(731) 663-0100


31

Hunting with
Four-Legged Friends
By Garry Mason

e all
that we
hunt and share
Wwith inhave special friends we alsolike tofavorite stories
time
the outdoors, and
have

about those friends and how they have helped to make our
hunts memorable. This article is not about those companions,
even though I treasure each one. Today I want to talk about
my other friends; my four-legged, wonderful, fur-bearing buddies that have stuck with me through thick and thin. These
hunting dogs have made me look good, even when I could
not accomplish that feat myself, and they have all held a special place in my heart and in my life. This is about the ones
who gave their unconditional love and undying devotion to
me each and every day. They overlooked all of my shortcomings as both a hunter and as a trainer, and even though I did
not realize it at the time, I was being trained and molded by
some of the best dogs that ever stepped into a cold and wet
duck blind or pheasant field. I am sure that you each have
had some of the same type of furry friends.

he was about one year-old and all of a sudden he wheeled
around and stopped, raised his tail and pointed. I had never
heard of a pointing Lab and I don’t think many others had
back then either. I stepped up to his side and flushed a huge
covey of bobwhite quail. It was all that I could do to get one
bird down for Jacks efforts, but I think I was never as proud
of a hunting buddy as I was at that moment. We hunted many
quail from then on as we did ducks.

Duke

ed low and I thought I would take a shot at bidding, even
though I did not have much money with me. I raised my
hand at the start and my friends must not have wanted to
bid against me, because the gavel slammed and I had won
the bid. I took the pup home, walked into my son’s bedroom
and placed the puppy on the bed beside him. The pup went
straight for my son’s face and woke him up with licks to the
cheek. He would be named Duke. The puppy would sit out
on the blind’s dog porch all day and you would never know
that he was there, until a bird hit the water. A client brought
his dog one day to hunt with us and I did not know that his
dog was part of the guide day. I brought Duke in the blind
and made him sit beside me, while the other dog stayed out
on the porch, waiting to retrieve. Not long after the morning sunrise, several geese came down the lake, looking for
somewhere to rest from their long migration journey. A few
notes blown on the goose call and they locked up and came
straight in to the spread. We dropped four or five and the
little dog on the porch was given permission to make a retrieve. Duke could not rest still, so I told him to fetch and
went to open the door to the dog porch to let him out, but
Duke sailed right over the front wall of the duck blind and
beat the little dog back to the blind with a big, old goose.

away, named Ged. Right away, that became my pup’s name,
in honor of a great man. Ged must have approved, because his
namesake turned out to be one fabulous retrieving machine.
Just about the time me and Ged had our training finished,
my job as a factory worker came to an end, as the plant that
I had been employed at closed its doors. I had been guiding
hunters for a few years and decided right away that I would
try to become a professional outdoorsman. I would have never
made it without Ged. I took him to South Dakota with me,
as I was to guide duck and goose hunting for a major lodge
and needed my retriever by my side. Neither Ged nor I had
ever pheasant hunted, but when one of the pheasant guides
quit, we were asked to fill in. Ged made it look easy, as if he
had been doing it all of his life. As for me, well if took me a
few days to get used to the way you hunt with several guns
marching down a field together, but I caught on.

Gator

Ged

Jack

My very first Labrador Retriever was brought home to me
in a small box at the tender age of 6 weeks old. I was nineteen at the time and had dreamed of owning a fine hunting
dog for many years. My duck hunting buddies had all made
fun of me and told me that I was wasting my time, because
I knew nothing about training a retrieving dog at the time.
Little did they know what a wonderful, little black bundle of joy that I had picked out from a litter of those six,
wet-nosed pups. I did know one thing. I wanted my dog to
retrieve and the only way that I knew to get him to do that
was to play with him. My Grandfather had a theory about
dogs and kids that I learned when I had helped him with his
bird dogs and that was to play with them then put them up
happy, and to never over do it with either. I made sure to
follow that rule of thumb and it worked. It was almost as if
my pup knew what to do, even though I did not. I named my
pup, Jack. For years, Jack and I walked to bottom lands and
creeks close to my home near Big Sandy, Tennessee and not
a finer hunting buddy could I have hoped for. I never had
to tell him to make a retrieve, he just knew. If I was lucky
enough to shoot a double, he marked both birds and then made
his retrieves. He never left my side, unless he saw a bird go
down. Jack and I were walking in the bottom one day, when
32

Gator came to me by accident. He had been about eight
months old and belonged to a man in Louisiana. As most

My next Retriever was actually purchased for my oldest
son, who was fourteen at the time. I was at a Ducks Unlimited banquet and there was a lady there who had donated a
Black Labrador puppy for the night’s auction. The bid start-


Duke had fathered a litter of puppies and I received the
pick of the litter, which is a traditional choice of the guy who
owns the sire of the puppies. When the time came, I picked
a yellow male from the litter and brought him home. I was
sitting on the step of the porch, playing with him and trying
to figure out a good name for a fine hunting dog, when my
phone rang and I was told that a friend of mine had passed

33

Four-Legged Friends Continued
Labradors do at this age, Gator had a huge instinct to make
everything in the area a chew toy. The owner locked Gator in
his garage one day while he went to work. This was all fine
and good, until Gator decided to chew the seat clean off of a
brand new four wheeler, sitting in the garage. Note to self …
never leave a four wheeler and puppy in the same room, unattended. Four wheelers cannot defend themselves. The owner
was going to take a drastic measure, when a neighbor of mine
found out about it and contacted me. It was duck guide to
the rescue. Gator made many trips with me and loved to sit
in the front seat of my truck and eat Cheetos.

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Turning to last year, I had the great privilege to hunt with
a very small, black live-wire named Libby, who is owned by
one of the Guides at Stand Jones Mallard Lodge just outside
of Walnut Ridge Arkansas. Libby weighs only about forty five
pounds, but she never quits and is always under her owner’s
control. Working to both whistle and hand signals in the flooded rice fields owned by Stan Jones, I watched as Libby made
many retrieves, some of which were over two hundred yards
and all done blindly, as she sat beside Jason hidden down in
the blind where she couldn’t see many of the bird fall. Libby
was totally amazing and as a professional waterfowl guide
myself; I know that Jason was very proud with each and every retrieve.
All of us have
stories of great
hunting companions and we have
enjoyed sharing a
blind with them
all. One thing that
they all have in
common is the
drive to excel in
what they love the
most; retrieving
birds and hunting
with their human
buddies.

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34



35

Kentucky Lake’s
Late Season
Crappie...
Overlooked
and Underrated
By Steve McCadams

The author displays a nice slab crappie, taken from one of his mid-range stake beds on Kentucky Lake.
- Photo courtesy of Steve McCadams

36


F

ight the fish, but not the crowd.
Sound appealing? Fall and early
winter crappie fishing, on Kentucky
Lake, has long been underrated and
overlooked by legions of anglers, who
are simply missing the boat. This autumn’s angling gig is worthy of consideration, yet each year fishermen fail
to partake of this great season that has
several things going for it.
Some of the attributes are stable
weather, with light winds and mild temperatures. That alone is worth the trip,
but the list goes on. Another entry in
the plus column is predictable lake levels that help crappie anglers hold on to
patterns from week to week.
Unlike spring or winter seasons, when
overnight cold fronts slip in the door
with bone chilling winds, fall outings
are usually known for lightweight jacket mornings and shirt sleeve afternoons.
Those heavy rains of spring don’t swell
lake stages overnight either, or scatter
fish all over creation.
Another plus is that the odds are in
your favor to find crappie in the same
areas and depth locations where you
left them the weekend before, a scenario that’s not often true in other seasons of the year.
Once fall arrives and chases away
the heat and humidity of summer, cooler surface temperatures enter the equation and that brings schools of crappie
toward shallow flats, bays and secondary channel areas, as they follow their
forage.
After riding it out in summer venues
of deep drop-offs, along main lake ledges, crappie transition toward midrange
depths in a stair-step fashion that brings
them back to similar areas where spring
spawning took place. However, the fish
aren’t migrating back to shallow structure to spawn; they’re hot on the trail
of threadfin shad buffets.
Meandering over midrange depths is
what lures the crappie to natural stump
rows and manmade fish attractors, such
as brush piles and stake beds, in popular
depth ranges of 9 to 13 feet. The crappie and their prey find comfort zones
in shallow to midrange structure, as
surface temps fall back from the upper

Late season crappie, like this nice slab, can be caught in midrange depths on Kentucky
Lake, using a variety of techniques. - Photo by Steve McCadams

80’s of late summer to the mid to upper
60’s by mid-fall.
October and November usually offer some good days for anglers stalking crappie around the midrange depth
zones, with a variety of patterns paying
dividends. Probably, the most popular
methods are using jigs and minnow rigs,
fished in a vertical presentation.
With light-action, telescopic rods anglers can put the bait right down in the
face of finicky crappie that hide around
structure like rabbits in a briar patch.

Light monofilament line, in the 6 to 8
pound range, is a popular choice when
dunking 1/16 to 1/8-ounce tube jigs or
hand-tied hair and feather jigs.
Keeping an arsenal of colors readily accessible is all part of the cat and
mouse game. There is no perfect color
combination, yet most of the success
stories seem to involve some shade of
chartreuse. It involves trial and error
and the fish are the ultimate judge.
Sometimes, tipping a jig with a mincontinued on next page


37

now or the marsh mellow-style scented
baits, such as Berkley’s Power Bait or
Gulp can enhance the appeal and stimulate strikes. These additions come in
wide variety of colors ranging from
chartreuse to pink. Glitter baits are also
available in several colors and can mimic the scales of injured baitfish.
Working the jig in and around submerged structure takes talent, as knowing when not to jerk is just as important as knowing when to set the hook.
The method requires an ever watchful
feel and a cautious eye. Watching the
line and rod tip is imperative to the detection of light strikes, while doubling
as an indicator of sly snags that love to
grab your hook and hold on.
Experience is the best teacher when
it comes to manipulating jigs or minnow
rigs in and out of deep cover, where illusive crappie play the game of hide-andseek. It is indeed a game of finesse.
Not to be overlooked are the bottombumping rigs, where two hooks on a
weighted line are used, to present live
minnows around submerged structure.
Known for their productivity in deep
water, the rigs can produce well during the late fall phase too. Most fishermen use the double hook rig on heavier
monofilament, such as 12 to 14-pound
test, in order to pull free by bending the
hook when snagging occurs.
Casting grubs on light spinning tackle
is yet another technique that works well
this time of year. Some anglers like to
toss curly tail grubs and swim them
around the submerged structure, using
weedless leadheads, such as the Charlie
Brewer Crappie Sliders.
Others just use the typical tube style
jigs, but apply a slip-bobber that helps
regulate depth and detect light strikes.
Using a stop-start-stop motion over
shallow structure can be deadly, as it
keeps the bait in the strike zone longer
and fools even the most finicky crappie
into biting at times.
Live minnows can be substituted as
well on the slip-bobber or Carlyle style
floats for casting. The bobbers also assist you in staying out of the snags; instead of causing constant snagging that
can disrupt your fishing trip in more
38

ways than one.
Using your
sonar is vital
for observing
bait fish and
finding structure, and fall is
no exception to
that rule. Keep
several floating
marker buoys
h a n d y, f o r
marking spots
when fish are
present in open
water too.
Those midrange depths
mentioned earlier are popular hideouts
and crappie
will move quite
shallow if you
encounter a
rainy, cloudy
d a y. S o m e times, structure
in the 4 to 8
foot areas will
appeal, especially once sur- Stable weather and lake levels combine to produce excellent fishing conditions for fall crappie on Kentucky Lake, during October
face temps cool
and November. - Photo by Steve McCadams
into the lower
60’s and low
light conditions
nal you’ve discovered the right location.
are present.
Expect to catch good numbers while
Trolling seems to produce too at this
finding a lot of fish in the 10-inch range,
time of year and spider-rigging, or longline trolling has its time and place as mixed in with some larger fish. It’s not
does trolling crankbaits over main lake unusual to find a variety of year classflats. Covering a lot of water with these es sharing the same locale this time of
techniques can account for good num- year. Don’t be fooled if that old slab
sends a few youngsters out to trick you
bers of slabs.
The bottom line is that Kentucky into thinking he’s nowhere around!
Even though no dogwoods are bloomLake crappie don’t run off and disappear
ing, crappie fishing on Kentucky Lake
after spring spawning phases. They’re
still out there, sporting an appetite dur- is thriving, as the fall transition brings
ing the late fall months, as they take on great opportunities your way. It’s a season that slips by most anglers. Don’t let
a structure-oriented mood.
Odds are you won’t have trouble find- yourself be one of them!
ing a parking place at the boat ramp and Editor’s note: Steve McCadams is a
you won’t have to share your spot with professional guide and outdoor writer
goggle-eyed anglers yearning to move living in Paris, Tennessee. He can be
in on you when pole bending slabs sig- reached at stevemc@charter.net.


Dogging for Squirrels
By Shawn Todd

H

ello again, to all you STO readers. I hope you have been safe since the
last time we met in these pages. Squirrel season is upon us and hopefully you
bagged your limit every time you hit the
woods this year. Most all of you readers
of STO have been squirreling sometime
during your lives. To the majority of
you hunters, this was a way somebody
in your past introduced you to hunting.
I was one of these kids. I loved it and it
stuck with me through the years. If you
know me, you know I cannot sit still for
longer then ten minutes. I have to be
moving, so I never killed many squirrels
while still-hunting. The ones I did shoot,
everyone said they must have been mentally challenged. Lucky for me I knew a
few people that had some squirrel dogs
and this definitely was the way to go. I
first went with Walter Wilkerson Sr. and
to watch his dog work was phenomenal.
Now, 30 years later, I had the chance
to see some of the finest Mountain Cur
dogs work squirrels again.
The United Mountain Cur Association was formed in 2007, to give
Mountain Cur enthusiasts a chance
to come together and hunt these fine
hounds for competition. The UMCA has
700 registered dogs and over 300 members, holding certified hunts all across
the southeast. The granddaddy of the all
their hunts {the world championship}
is held in the spring, at a destination to
be decided by the members at their fall
meeting. This years officers are president - Greg Selman, vice president and
hunt director - Clifton Robinson, secretary - Jeremy Garner, and treasurer Terry Snider.
This fine organization has garnered a huge following and some awesome dogs. Friday nights they have
their sanctioned coon hunt. On Saturday morning, they have their sanctioned squirrel hunt, with the big show
following the hunt. I have guided on
both hunts, and what fun we had. First

of all came the coon hunt, which
was easy going and just plain
fun. I guided Terry Snider this
past year and if you get a chance
you need to go hunting with this
man. It is a guaranteed enjoyable
time. That morning it was time to
squirrel hunt and the dogs could
move a track and tree squirrels
like crazy. The great thing about
these hunts is the camaraderie of
the participants. Why you ask?
It is because they do not worry about winning, but concentrate instead on how the dogs
work and the enjoyment of seeing these hunting machines doing what they do best … treeing
squirrels.
I would like to thank Doug
Walk and Ted Lowe for bringing
the UMCA fall hunt to Dyersburg
and letting me guide and watch
those amazing Curs work. So, if
you readers ever get a chance go
squirrel hunting with a dog, take
a few kids and watch just how
much they will enjoy this type of
hunting. Until next time, see you
at the tree.

This cur dog is shown doing what it does best;
treeing its quarry.
- Photo by Shawn Todd

[Right] Pictured here is Jeremy
Garner of Southaven, Mississippi
with his dog,
Buck’s Dixie Chrome. They took
1st place in the squirrel hunt
category.


39

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41

Fyrne Lake
The Saga Continues
By Kevin Griffith

The completed guest house at Fyrne Lake shortly after it was built in 2005. - photo courtesy of Kevin Griffith.

I

n October of 2004 we purchased Fyrne Lake. In November
of the same year, the Mennonites
constructed our camping cabin
and by February of 2005 we had
acquired camping gear, two ATVs
and a pontoon boat. I had everything I needed to enjoy the property. However with a 3 month-old

child, Diana was understandably
not in the camping mood. For us
to fully enjoy the property as a
family, we would need a home,
not just a camping barn. Having a
house on the property would also
make it easier to share the farm
with guests by providing them a
place to stay.

But, what should we build and
where? Diana and I knew that we
didn’t know enough about the
farm to select our home’s final
location. This property was going to take years to digest. So for
now we concentrated on creating
a guest house. First, we needed to
find a local builder. A new friend


42

and neighbor had just built a custom home, so I called him for advice. It turned out that he had acted as his own contractor. But after
his experience he said he would
not do it again. Instead, he told us
he should have used Jeff Thomas. Jeff is an independent custom home contractor from Newbern that grew up in the business
working with his father, Guyve
Thomas. Mr. Guyve Thomas was
a well-known and respected custom home builder, who started his
business in 1965. His father tried
to encourage Jeff to go into a different profession. But Jeff was determined to follow in his father’s
footsteps and convinced his father
that he had what it took to succeed. In 1973 Jeff started working for his father full time. He
was still a teenager and his father
put him through the paces, teaching him every aspect of the trade.
With Jeff by his father’s side, they
continued to build quality custom
homes. In 1987 Jeff’s father developed a heart condition that required him to retire and allowed
Jeff to take over all operations of
the business. Since then Jeff has
continued to build the reputation
of Thomas Construction for well
built, unique custom homes across
northwest Tennessee.
We called Jeff and set up an appointment to meet during our next
trip to Tennessee. Diana, Jeff and
I met around a picnic table in the
camping barn. Jeff was an easy
going, yet serious minded person, who we were immediately
comfortable with. At that point
in time, all we knew was that we
wanted to build a house. We didn’t

know where it would go, or what of cutting down any trees to exit would look like. Jeff was used tend the view year round. I loved
to starting with a blank slate and the woods and there were several
he helped guide us through the hundred feet of forest extending
process, by pointing out what we down a 90’ slope to the water at
should be looking for in a site and both potential home sites. Either
what he would require for build- location would require over a mile
ing plans. The fact is… he would of road to be constructed from the
work with anything for plans. front gate down separate ridges
Jeff had even built a home that and through their respective narstarted from a drawing on a nap- row gaps. At each location there
kin! Diana and I needed it to be was an immediate sense of prisimple and we need someone we vacy. Nature embraced you with
could trust, especially since we the surrounding trees, abundant
would be in the area to check on wildlife and the peace that comes
our home’s progress only once a from being over a mile from anmonth. From the time we first met other living soul. The noise and
Jeff, we knew he was a man we accompanying stress that comes
could trust.
from the traffic, crowds and crime
While Diana checked out house in Florida was almost a thousand
plans on the internet, I explored miles away and one of these two
the property to narrow down the pieces of heaven was about to bepotential sites. I knew I wanted
the location to
be secluded,
THOMAS CONSTRUCTION
accessible and
Builders of Unique, High Quality Homes in Northwest
near the lake.
Tennessee and the Surrounding Areas Since 1965!
At this point
in 2005, even
though there
were
many
beautiful and
secluded sites
on the west
side of Fyrne
Lake, only the
east side had
practical road
access. That
“Jeff Thomas is a man of integrity who did an excelleft two narlent job in building our house at Fyrne Lake. I use
row, ridge field
Thomas Construction for all my construction needs.”
points
that
- Kevin Griffith - STO Magazine co-owner
would
have
JEFF THOMAS: 731-377-9676
a winter lake
DAVID THOMAS: 731-676-9728
view. I had
jeffdeb0158@bellsouth.net
no intention


43

Fyrne Lake Saga Continued

Beginning construction of the guest huose at Fyrne Lake - photo courtesy of Kevin Griffith.

come our ultimate escape!
I shared each location with Diana and let her choose. I was more
than happy with either! She liked
the lay of the land on the northern
point better, since the slope along
the approach to the southern site
would require a driveway descending several feet in elevation
as it approached the house. So, we
now had a home site and all that
was left was to define the house.
Diana had been making progress
in her search for plans. Since our
builder, Jeff Thomas, said he could

work with anything, she had been
scanning the internet for ideas and
had found several worth discussing with me. After going over the
options, we settled on a lakeside
cottage plan from a company in
Canada. It had the elevation Diana
was looking for and an efficient
two bedroom layout that would
work for our family now and as a
guesthouse once we built our final
home in the future. The complete
elevation and construction plans
were only three to four hundred
dollars and they more than met

Jeff’s requirements. However, as
we mentally projected ourselves
into the house we started making changes… mostly motivated
by me. The double front doors
opened into a great room, with a
fireplace rising up to the 20’ high
ceilings.
However, the dimensions of the room seemed small.
Especially since this room would
be serving as the family room, living room and dining room. The
bedrooms also measured out to be
smaller than ideal. So, we started
playing with the plans, expanding


44

the size of each room, including an
island in the kitchen, moving the
laundry room up from the basement and adding a separate dining
room. Our guest house was growing in size and cost and Diana was
getting nervous saying, “Kevin, if
we make this guest house too big,
will it delay the construction of
our final home?” I assured her it
wouldn’t. However, there was still
more “expansion” of the guest
house to come. The house was
originally designed to have a walk
out basement. That would require
the house to be on a slope, and it
was not. Thinking about what to
do with the basement was difficult. I had never had a basement,
since the water table is too high in
Florida to have one. The more I
thought about having a basement,
the more excited I became. There
was so much space created by the
basement encompassing the footprint of the house. I wanted to
fully utilize this new found space!
As Diana can tell you, my vision tends to expand, and expand
it did. At first, I tried to stay conservative and only include a safe
room in the basement, leaving
the balance for storage. However,
while the house was under construction, my mind started dreaming about other ways to utilize

the basement. I could see how the
safe room could be finished as a
spare bedroom, another bedroom
could be added under the kitchen,
a bathroom could be added in the
corner and the balance of the open
space divided between a family/
TV room and a library for Diana
(she loves books and has a huge
collection). We would have room
for both our older kids in college
to have their own rooms when visiting. Plus, we would have more
room for guests.
After much negotiation with
Diana (adding the library helped
in obtaining her buy-in) I went
over my plans with Jeff. As we
had now come to expect from our
builder and friend, he said, “Sure,
we can do that! However, adding
a bathroom after the fact in a basement can be troublesome.” Sadly,
he was right. To this day, the only
real recurring issue with the house
has been the basement bathroom.
Flooding and an unpleasant smell
have haunted us. The problem
centers around the basement not
being designed from the start with
the in-floor plumbing required to
accommodate the waste water.
The only solution available after the fact was to utilize a sewage sump pump in a collection
reservoir. The waste water from

the toilet, sink and shower would
drain into the reservoir and the
sump pump would pump the liquid up to ground level and out toward the septic tank. The system
worked. However, like everything
mechanical, it would eventually
fail… and then overflow onto the
basement floor causing a terrible
mess. The moral to this part of the
story is … think EVERYTHING
through before you build. Especially if you plan to have a bathroom in your basement!
Basement bathroom aside, our
“guest house” has now served us
well for 7 years. But just like Diana had feared, the house had been
enlarged enough (especially with
the finished basement) that there
was no urgent need to build another house. However I promised
her we would start on our “final”
house whenever she was ready.
That time is now fast approaching. Diana has been working on
the floor plans and accumulating
items to incorporate in the structure. If all goes as planned, she’ll
be in her house (also being built
by Jeff) sometime in 2015, 10
years after we broke ground on
our original guest house. Maybe by then, I’ll be out of the dog
house!


45

Visit Dyer County,Tennessee
A 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 everything 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
enjoy your visit with us, in a safe and
friendly atmosphere.
So, what are you waiting for?
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You can’t score higher than Dyer!

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Jackson, TN.
38301
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330 South Royal Street
Jackson, TN 38301
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Hwy. 70A-79 By-Pass
Humboldt, TN
38343
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1501 South First St.
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38261
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213 W. Court St. - Dyersburg,TN. - 38024
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www.acornpointlodge.com - Phone: 731-538-9800 - Fax: 731-538-9007
46



47

Birds of a Feather
Fiction
by Rob Somerville

He was my best friend and I
hated to see him go. A part of
me was grieving, but selfishly,
another part of me was angry.
What would I do without him? I
watched as they lowered him in to
his final resting place and found
myself wishing that more people
could have been touched by his
personality and his compassion.
My mind began replaying all
the good times we had shared
together. The memory of our very
first duck hunt filled my senses as
a scalding hot tear rolled down
my cheek, nearly freezing solid
before it hit the ground, in the
bitter winter wind.

48

Two of a Kind Beats a Full
House Any Day
I was generally considered to be a
“lone wolf” hunter and somewhat
of a curmudgeon. But, upon being
introduced to my new buddy,
something just clicked between
us. I remember a beautiful and
brisk November day, when we
anxiously jumped out of the truck
and stepped into my old and
leaky, jon boat. I was constantly
worried about traversing the frigid
depths of the lake in our ancient,
aluminum rig. But my hunting
partner, in his usual stoic and quiet
manner, didn’t give hypothermia
a moment’s thought. He just sat
patiently in the front of the boat,

staring into the darkness, deep in
thoughts of mallards, with wings
locked and feet dropped, coming
into our decoy spread.
I guess we got along so well,
because neither one of us had
much use for idle chatter. We
just went about our business in
a serious fashion, working hard
at what we both loved to do,
that being hunting ducks. As the
blurry grays of pre-dawn began
to cast shadows on the horizon, I
noisily fumbled with my shell bag
and shotgun, drawing a patient yet
disapproving look from my friend.
You see, he was always ready, and
didn’t much like waiting on me.


Shoot Them Birds
As the sun crept slowly above
the eastern horizon, my partner
constantly scanned the sky for
ducks. I found myself getting
distracted and reaching for some
grub out of the cooler, confident
that no birds would evade his eagle
eyes. All I had to do was glance at
him occasionally, between bites
of my sandwich, to see if he had
spotted any birds.
Suddenly, I noticed a change in
his vigilant posture. He was no
longer scanning the entire horizon.
His eyes were locked towards the
north. He glanced over at me,
silently, to see if I had spotted
the ducks, as they began to circle
our spread. I simply nodded and
his eyes returned to our quarry.
Mixed calls of feeding chatters
and clucks soon filled the
air and the birds liked what
they heard. Two ducks were
locked up and spiraling
downward – a drake and
his mate. Two gray ducks
began to follow suit, but as
is their frustrating manner,
soon gained altitude and
left. When the pair that
remained were twenty yards
out, I quickly raised up and
fired three times. The drake
hit the water, but the suzey
flew off, with nary a tail
feather ruffled. Knowing I
had disappointed my friend
with my quick and errant
shooting, I snuck a sidelong
glance over at him. He was
doing his best to look at
me in disgust, but his eyes
gave away a smile that said,
“Nice shot – quickdraw.”

This immediately set me off
in to a fit of laughter. He merely
sighed, stood up and went out the
door to pick up the dead duck.
A Lifetime of Memories
Since that day, I learned a lot
from my hunting buddy. We both
shared a passion for the hunt, but
there were many lessons he taught
me that were even more important.
He taught me about trust, loyalty,
and perseverance – to never give
up. We enjoyed over a decade
of shooting together; including
quail, pheasant, dove, geese and
of course hundreds of duck hunts.
We ate our meals side by side and
shared many a campsite. The most
amazing thing of all is that we
never seemed to get mad at each
other. There simply was never a
cross word passed between us. He
was tireless, and whether in the

duck blind or hunting a fencerow,
as good a hunter as any I’d ever
seen.
One Last Hunt
Fierce determination and an iron
will, these were what possessed
him to go on his final hunt for
woodies, this past September. I
thought it might be alright, as the
weather was unseasonably warm.
He was getting way up there in
age, and though neither one of us
let the other know our thoughts, I
think we both understood that this
would be his last hunt. It nearly
broke my heart when I had to help
the old veteran in and out of the
truck and boat, but he never once
complained. He was a true warrior
of the wetlands.
Although age had taken some of


49

TripleT_Mag_7.12x4.38_10.14.13_Layout 1 9/27/13 10:15 AM Page 1

Birds of a Feather Continued
the “get up and go” out of his
body, a fierce fire of determination
and desire still burned bright in his
heart and in his eyes. We killed a
couple of wood ducks that day, but
mostly shared a morning of quiet
talk and reminiscence. He seemed
to want to thank me for taking him
on this last trip, but no words were
necessary ….. not between us.
Two months later, after weeks
of complete bed rest, he passed on
quietly, after a bout of pneumonia
complicated by his old age. He
died as he would have wanted to,
resting in front of the fireplace in
the den; a room full of shotguns,
duck calls, photographs of our
trips afield and mounted birds from

50

hunts we had shared together. He
never complained in those final
days. It wasn’t his style. I was by
his side when he gave up the fight.
He just looked up at me, sighed,
and passed away.
Goodbye Old Friend
I was shook out of my memories
of the past and returned to the
somber situation at the grave
site, by a gentle and persistent
tugging at my pants leg. Looking
down through misty eyes, I saw a
small, black Lab puppy. I looked
across the mound of earth at my
wife and three daughters. All of
them had tears in their eyes, but
hopeful smiles on their faces. My
wife nodded her head and pointed

at the pup, which now was fast
asleep with his head resting on my
boot. Picking him up, I looked in
to his huge brown eyes and had to
smile myself.
It was now time to say a final
farewell to my hunting partner.
I looked up towards the heavens
and said, “Goodbye for now, old
buddy. I hope when it is time for
me to join you in the big duck
blind in the sky, the wind will
always be out of the north, there
will be bluebird skies and the
ducks will be flying low”.
My hunting buddy had been the
best damn dog there ever was!
I scratched behind the ears of the
young pup that was cradled in my
arms and realized a part of my old
friend would be with me forever.
Note: I wrote this story after
the death of my black lab,
named Shadow, in his
honor. He had been
like my third son
for over 15 years.
I dedicate this
story to those
of you that
have lost your
four-legged
friends, and
encourage
those of you
that still have
the pleasure
of your faithful
dog’s company,
to
treasure
every moment
of it.


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51

Amy Eastin, from Huntingdon, caught these big
catfish and crappie while fishing with her husband
in Eastin Pond. - Photo courtesy of the Eastins.

Ben Cloar, of Dyersburg, recently caught and
released this nice crappie while fishing at Fyrne
Lake with his father, John Cloar, on August
13th. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Chuck Richardson, of Dyersburg, caught this 12.5 pound
catfish while bass fishing at Fyrne Lake on September 3rd.
He was casting a Yum worm toward the shore in 5 feet of
water. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Grant Hilliard, from Huntingdon, Tennessee
shot this duck during the juvenile season in
2013. - Photo courtesy of Lankford Taxidermy

This 32 lb. white catfish
was caught by Amanda
Rhodes, on rod and
reel, with some help from
her dad, Danny Rhodes.
- Photo courtesy of
Lankford Taxidermy

Dousin Langley {ten years
old} killed this six-point
buck on November
10th, 2012.
- Photo courtesy of
Lankford Taxidermy

52

52
SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2013
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER
SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2013 2013

These two big white catfish {weighing a total
of 40 lbs.} were caught by Chris and Charlie
Rhodes on the Tennessee River.
- Photo courtesy of Lankford Taxidermy

Young, Zade Hunsley, is pictured here with a
nice cat caught on a yo-yo at Reelfoot Lake.

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

53

Jeff Caldwell caught these 20 crappie at Fyrne Lake on
10-2-13. Jeff is holding the largest, which measured 14”
and weighed in at 1 pound, 7 ounces.
- Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Taylor Hillard, of Huntingdon, Tennessee caught
these two nice bass while fishing at Birdsong on the
Tennessee River during the summer of 2013.

Marcus Lipham caught this 6 lb. 1 oz. bass at the
new Carroll Lake in Mckenzie, Tennessee. He is
pictured here with his son, Marcus Lipham Jr. and
Ben Newman.
54
54

SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS || OCTOBER - NOVEMBER2013

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2013 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

55

It’s all

GOOD.
Good advice. Good service. Good people. At First
Citizens National Bank, we mirror the good
things that make up this community. We are
passionate about providing you with a unique
and fantastic experience. We’re consistently
ranked among the top community banks in the
country. And you’re the reason why. Come see
for yourself, in person or online.

www.FirstCNB.com

800.321.3176

Southern Traditions Outdoors October - November 2013

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