AUTUMN SALES EVENT JUST IN TIME FOR THE FALL BOAT SHOW SEASON Your Suzuki Marine Dealer has exceptional deals in store for you when you purchase a new Suzuki outboard from 25 to 350 horsepower this fall. Get Suzuki’s 3-Year Limited Warranty plus 3 years of Extended Protection at no extra charge.There are Instant Savings on select models, and Low-Rate Financing is also available.
SIX YEARS OF PROTECTION 3 Years Limited Warranty + 3 Years Extended Protection
Six Years of Protection at no extra charge on all new outboards 25 to 350 HP.
INSTANT SAVINGS Instant Savings of up to $800 on select models. See your dealer for details.
REPOWER FINANCE REPOWER FINANCE
Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards on approved credit.* [60 Months]
If you’re in the market to buy, we have the deals! See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer today for all the details or visit www.suzukimarine.com.
251.968.2628
6940A HIGHWAY 59 | GULF SHORES, AL 36542 HWY 59 @ COUNTY RD. 8 Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 350 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 10/01/18 and 12/31/18 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Instant Savings apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 10/01/18 and 12/31/18. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. (Suzuki will, in turn, credit Dealer’s parts account.) There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 10/01/18 and 12/31/18. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2018 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
THE SOUTH’s METAL ROOFING HEADQUARTERS 7 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU
20
Troy Meridian 65
DIXIESUPPLY.COM Eight Mile, AL Theodore, AL Meridian, MS Summerdale, AL
BAKERMETALWORKS.COM 10
Eight Mile
Theodore
Baker
Summerdale
Fountain
Troy, AL Baker, FL Fountain, FL
METAL ROOFING & SIDING | 20 COLORS | 29 & 26 GAUGE | 5 PROFILES
FINANCING NOW AVAILABLE
A-Team Fishing Adventures I N S H O R E G UI DE S E RV I CE Mobile Bay + Mobile Delta + Dauphin Island
3 TIME ALABAMA INSHORE TRAIL CHAMPION MULTIPLE REDFISH TOUR WINS
USCG LICENSED
Capt. Bobby Abruscato
(251) 661-7696 www.ateamfishing.com
35 YEARS EXPERIENCE
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 3
HUNTING & FISHING IN ALABAMA & THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
27
FEATURES 8
8
EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT HUNTING BAMA’S JANUARY AND FEBRUARY BUCKS By John E. Phillips
14 18
ANATOMY OF A MISS By Charles Johnson
23
FLORIDA OFFERS UNIQUE WATERFOWL HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES By Tony Young
27
THINK SMALL FOR GREAT SQUIRREL HUNTING By Ed Mashburn
IN EVERY ISSUE
PRAISE FOR THE PRESERVE By Tony Kinton
47
6
From the Editor
7
Best Bets by Joe Baya
34
New Gear for Outdoorsmen by Joe Baya
36
The Gun Rack Calvary Longrifles
38
From the Commissioner Give WFF’s Angler Recognition Program a Try
40
Hunting Heritage Economic Impact and Aesop’s Fables Revisited
42
From the Director Manners Still Matter
44
Paddle Fishing If One is Fun, Two can be Twice as Nice by Ed Mashburn
18 47
4 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Camphouse Kitchen by Hank Shaw
44
FISHING OUTLOOKS 52
Pier and Shore by David Thornton
Coast 54 Gulf by Mike Thompson
56
Regional Freshwater by Alex Granpere
Feeding Times, Moon, 60 Prime Sun, and Tide Charts Motorsports 64 Pensacola Trophy Room
66 68 69
Great Days Kids Corner
70
Critters Have Calendars by Jim Mize
Classifieds & Fishin' Guides Fishing Tips by Capt. David Hare
PROPERTY PHOTO HERE
PROPERTY PHOTO HERE
Brown Brick Creek Hunting Retreat Sumter County, Alabama, 350 Acres PROPERTY TEXT HERE This beautiful property is perfect for use as a permanent residence, weekend getaway,
Turkeypen Creek & Camp Trophy Hunting Track Marengo County, Alabama, 772 Acres PROPERTY TEXT HERE This dual recreational and timber investment is located between Thomaston and Safford near
hunting tract, and/or farm. The tract features county road frontage, hardwood and pine timber, pasture land, 2 lakes, and a 5,500 sq ft lodge. The acreage has level to gently rolling topography with additional structures which include a barn and stables. Spend your days hunting quail, dove, deer and turkey while other members of your family relax by the pool. Additional 250+/- adjoining acres can be leased.
Alabama Listings COUNTY Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Bibb Bibb Blount Blount Blount Blount Blount Bullock Butler Butler Butler
ACRES 317.65 47.5 10 5 5 1995 625 546 492 120 704 346 200 179 111 98.6 30 144 84 21 5.46 3.76 106 395 54 10
Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Chilton Chilton Chilton Chilton Choctaw Choctaw Choctaw Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clay Clay Clay Clay Clay Cleburne Cleburne Cleburne Coffee
102 100 26.91 12.34 3.5 636 256 221 65 44.4 25 19.37 526 220 80 54 49 160 117 80 42 40 80 57 56.48 254
COUNTY Coffee Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Conecuh Conecuh Conecuh Coosa Coosa Coosa Coosa Crenshaw Crenshaw Crenshaw Crenshaw Cullman Cullman Dale Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas DeKalb
ACRES 6 158 36 25 2 1 85 37 6.29 440 151 62 45 1251 270 134 64.5 289 175 340 973 730 600 463.54 205 89
Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Escambia Escambia Escambia Escambia Etowah Etowah Etowah Etowah Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Franklin Franklin Franklin Franklin Franklin Greene Greene Greene
2000 90 50 37 17 671.6 83 79 40 275 167.3 57 55 260 232 155 140 133 608 563 552 250 118 90 1 0.72
COUNTY Hale Hale Hale Hale Hale Henry Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lauderdale Lauderdale Limestone Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Macon Madison
the community of McKinley. Enjoy convenient seclusion with road frontage on Sand Creek Road, power, well, and 2 camps connected by porches, allowing for both socializing and privacy. Each camp has a bunk room with built-in cabinets and closet, full bathroom, and either a kitchen or a TV room. Hunt in comfort on the 16+ wildlife food plots, many 3-4 acres in size and most with top of the line shooting houses. The timber has been professionally managed on this tract and includes various ages of pine plantation and 400+ acres of mature timber that includes both pine and old growth hardwood, the majority of which is oak species. Turkeypen Creek flows through the property, and there are multiple large potential fishing lake sites.
ACRES 186 150 114 96 88 104.5 400 330 245 125 94 373 255 220 104 92 76 30 1.36 1398 1181 783 656 567 930 100
Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marion Marion Marion Marion Marion Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Morgan
772 163 125 100 29 387 325 120 94 60 1800 333 260 249 200 790 378.49 325 271.5 129 435 310 275 250 148 150
COUNTY ACRES Perry 604.33 Perry 200 Perry 189 Perry 140 Perry 82 Pickens 837 Pickens 513 Pickens 450 Pickens 430 Pickens 370 Pike 352.8 Randolph 407 Randolph 329 Randolph 78 Randolph 60 Randolph 52.4 Russell 1403 Russell 711.35 Russell 692.31 Saint Clair 296 Saint Clair 155 Saint Clair 100 Saint Clair 83 Saint Clair 72 Shelby 458 Shelby 163.82
Shelby Shelby Shelby Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Talladega Tallapoosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Walker
127 43.56 42.5 740 350 213 188 75 1314 1015 723.5 95 49 46 300 163 153 144 128 233
COUNTY ACRES Washington 1287.41 Washington 1261 Washington 480 Washington 313 Washington 240 2365 Wilcox 25 Wilcox 3 Wilcox 2.5 Wilcox 0.5 Wilcox 279 Winston 84 Winston 2.31 Winston 0.99 Winston 0.5 Winstona
INNOVATIVE LAND PROFESSIONALS
855.NLR.LAND
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 5
FROM THE EDITOR
From the Editor After 22 years of sharing stories with you, Alan White is retiring. We know he will enjoy his extra time enjoying more great days outdoors and we wish him the best. I’m certainly appreciative of the opportunity he created for me to expand the scope of what Great Days Outdoors does for hunters and anglers all over the Southeast. A little over two years ago, I began planning and executing the digital components of Great Days Outdoors. Now, as the Editor-In-Chief, I am trusted with bringing you the best hunting and fishing content each month through our expanding network of magazines, websites, podcasts, and radio shows. Keep an eye out for more video content, too! So how did I get here? As I child, I was gifted with bag after bag full of outdoor magazines. I would scour them, cover to cover, looking for any bit of information that would make me a better outdoorsman. The stories shared on their pages would transport me to the woods and waters, a welcome reprieve from the house during the school week. My mother, an English teacher, encouraged me to write (and to never end a sentence in a preposition). I loved reading and writing, and in college, decided to get a degree in Agricultural Communications. I remember my Dad saying, “What are you gonna do with that…talk to cows?” While I went on to earn a different degree, I never lost my love for writing about the outdoors. I grew up just south of Mobile, Ala. on a brackish estuary of Mobile Bay named Fowl River. The river teemed with bass, bream, speckled trout, and redfish. I was a lucky kid. As a teenager, my Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons were a time to head north to the Black Belt region of Alabama, learning how to deer and turkey hunt with my brother and our mentor, Davis. Summer was spent making the short trek down to Dauphin Island, Ala., fishing with my Dad and working on the many charter boats that fished the Gulf of Mexico. Through the years, my love for the outdoors has not just grown, but morphed. For me, it used to be about killing the biggest deer or catching the limit. Now, with a 1-year-old son, a business to run, and a wife who wants to spend time outdoors as much as I do, I’m more interested in quality experiences with family and friends than I am in what we take. I’m also more focused on making sure that others, like you, have more opportunities to hunt and fish. We are an organization that helps protect that birthright because, believe me when I say, there are groups in this country who would like to see you stripped of it. Without you and our many sponsors, the opportunity to serve you here at Great Days Outdoors cannot exist. So thank you. Thank you for sharing your stories with me each month, and thank you for your passion for the outdoors. When you’re done reading, I hope you’ll bag up all of your old magazines and take them to a young boy or girl. Who knows where it will lead them.
Joe Baya 6 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
VOLUME 23, ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2019
PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C. PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya ASSISTANT EDITOR: Bill Kendy CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Wendy Johannesmann OFFICE MANAGER: Lisa Williams MARKETING COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST: Abby Scioneaux ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Samatha Hester
CONTRIBUTING FREELANCE WRITERS: Chris Blankenship Daryl Bell Alex Granpere Craig Haney Charles Johnson Ed Mashburn Doug Max Greg McCain
John E. Phillips Corky Pugh Chuck Sykes Mike Thompson David Thornton Jim Barta Jim Mize Deneshia Larson
Patrick Garmeson Hank Shaw Joe Baya Don Green Babe Winkelman Bobby Abruscato J. Wayne Fears
Great Days Outdoors (USPS 17228; ISSN 1556-0147) is published monthly at 951 Government Street B, Mobile, AL 36604. Subscription rate is $24 for one-year, $40 for two-years, and $55 for three-years. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stapleton, Ala. and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Great Days Outdoors 951 Government Street B, Mobile, AL 36604 SUBSCRIBERS: All subscriptions begin the first issue for the month following receipt of payment, if payment received by the 15th. Great Days Outdoors assumes no responsibility for delivery after magazines are mailed. All delivery complaints should be addressed to your local postmaster. CONTACT US: EDITORIAL | JoeBaya@GreatDaysOutdoors.com ADVERTISING | SamHester@greatdaysoutdoors.com SUBSCRIPTIONS | Accounting@GreatDaysOutdoors.com Great Days Outdoors Media c/o Container Yard 951 Government Street B, Mobile, AL 36604 877. 314. 1237 info@GreatDaysOutdoors.com www.GreatDaysOutdoors.com All rights reserved. Reproduction of contents is strictly prohibited without permission from Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC.
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/GREATDAYSOUTDOORS WWW.TWITTER.COM/TEAMGREATDAYS WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/GREATDAYSOUTDOORS
BEST BETS
BEST BETS FOR JANUARY These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month! BY JOE BAYA
THE ALABAMA RUT
If you haven’t yet caught up with all three of your allotted Alabama bucks, this is the month to do it in most of the state. Average conception dates indicate that the vast majority of breeding occurs sometime during the month of January. (See John Phillips’ “Mixed Up Rut article in the December issue) With heavy rainfall during the antler growing phase, this years rut is sure to produce some real bruiser bucks in the Heart of Dixie.
FISHING
REPORT ALABAMA SALTWATER
TRAILER MAINTENANCE
TROLLING FOR SPECKLED TROUT If you can brave the cold temperatures, January is a great time to try your hand at trolling the tidal rivers around Mobile Bay for speckled trout. The deeper channels of these rivers congregate specks of all shapes and sizes during the coldest winter days. While not a popular tactic year round, be sure to check out Bobby Abruscato’s article called “Trolling for Wintertime Speckled trout” over at greatdaysoutdoors.com/2018/01/trollingwintertime-speckled-trout/ for the full strategy. The good news is, you can keep your hands in your pockets until a fish is on!
Don’t spend your first spring fishing outing like so many of the anglers we see every year. You know what I’m talking about, it’s the guy on the side of the road, trailer tire leaning against the fender, his burnt up bearings just turned his day of relaxing fishing into a day of frustrating trailer repair. Take an afternoon in January to get your trailer in tip top shape. Grease your hubs, inspect your wiring, lubricate your coupler and air up those tires. For our saltwater anglers, Captain Dusty Hayes of Liquid Force inshore charters in Orange Beach recently gave a great tip on the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report, “We keep a pump sprayer mounted on the trailer with a little bit of salt eliminator in there. After we launch, we spray down the entire trailer to prevent the salt from baking on the trailer while we are out fishing.” Check out the Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report on iTunes.
DO YOU WANT THE AlABAMA SALTWATER FISHING REPORT IN 20 MINUTES OR LESS, 24/7 AND AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON? Check it out at www.alabamasaltwaterfishingreport.libsyn.com
New Podcast Every Thursday
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 7
8 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
HUNTING
Everything You Want to Know about Hunting Bama’s January and February Bucks “The State’s job is to produce the type of deer-hunting that most hunters prefer.” Biologist Bill Gray BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS Photos by John E. Phillips
New research tends to indicate that Alabama hunters can have pre-rut and peak-of-the-rut whitetail bucks to hunt in January and February. Deer hunters across Alabama know that the times of the deer rut vary. As Jackson Woodson, longtime deer hunter from Spanish Fort, Ala., says, “Where I live, I see fawns in my yard in August. That means a doe must have been bred during February or later to produce an August fawn, since whitetails have a gestation period of approximately 200 days. However, I deer hunt on leased property 2 hours north of here in Perry County. The rut there starts about Christmastime.” Due to these various ruts, Alabama is one of the few states with a February deer-hunting season, including Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi and Ohio. The State of Alabama is divided into Zones A, B and C for deer hunting (see map). Across Alabama, archery hunting and stalk hunting for buck deer are available in most places on private and public lands until February 10, 2019. You can dog hunt for deer until January 15 across the state and hunt does until January 1, 2019, and in Zone A until February 10. The rut takes place across the state, from late November until February 3 each year. (See Rut Map and December, 2018, article, “The Latest Research on Alabama’s Mixed-Up Rut”). The state’s having many different ruts means that trophy deer are available to hunt somewhere in Alabama during January and February. “When I hunt on my leased property in Perry County, I run 13-game cameras,” Woodson explains. “My friends and I have learned that by the end of January, our mature Perry
County bucks usually have finished rutting.”
BIOLOGIST BILL GRAY ON BAMA’S JANUARY AND FEBRUARY DEER HUNTING Bill Gray, a longtime wildlife biologist and supervising biologist for District IV for the State of Alabama, explains the background of Alabama’s deer season. “Before we instituted a February deer season throughout the state, we saw from our data that we were having a lot of late deer breeding, especially in south Alabama. Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife Section wanted to offer a deer season that encompassed the entire rut in the state.” “We had the science to support establishing a late deer season in Alabama,” Gray said. “To give our hunters in south Alabama the opportunity to hunt during the deer rut, we recommended a February 10-day season, at that time several years ago, in south Alabama only, which was and is one of the most-heavily deer-populated parts of the state.” “This south Alabama region is also made up of a large number of private land holdings, is sparsely people-populated and has all of the elements necessary to maintain a large deer population. Too, many big tracts of land in south Alabama are family-owned and often seldom hunted. So, relatively few deer are harvested each year out of this region – all reasons for why the state first implemented a February deer season in south Alabama.” “So far, we haven’t seen that the longer season has had any impact at all on the number of deer taken south of Highway 80,” Gray reports. “Until Game Check became mandatory in the 2015/2016 season, hunters didn’t have to report the numbers and the sizes of bucks they harvested each year. Before then we didn’t have a yardstick to measure the effects of the February deer season in south Alabama.” Gray also mentions that the state’s best-estimated guess of the number of deer in Alabama today is between 1.3 million and 1.5 million. But if you look at the deer harvest every year that 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 9
Everything You Want to Know about Hunting Bama’s January and February Bucks
CHART A courtesy of Alabama’s Wildlife Section – “Average Conception Dates for Collection Sites”
the state has had a buck limit, Alabama very well may have homed close to 2-million deer then.
CHANGES IN ALABAMA’S DEER HUNTING “We also started instituting antler restrictions on several of our Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), including Barbour WMA that I oversee in District IV,” Gray explains. In the 1999/2000 deer season, the state began an antlerrestriction program that stated that a hunter could not harvest a buck, unless that buck had 3 points on one side of his rack. The results showed an increase in the harvest of 2-1/2-yearold bucks and older. According to Gray, “We’ve also saw a greater harvest in 3-1/2-year-old and older bucks than we had before the antler restriction was imposed. As you might expect, there also was a great reduction in the number of 1-1/2-year-old bucks being harvested.”
If you have poor soils on the land you hunt, the likelihood of growing big bucks with larger antlers to have to hunt in January and February isn’t as good as when an area has extremelyfertile soils. The state surveyed the hunters on Barbour WMA for hunter satisfaction after the fifth and eighth years of antler restrictions. They learned that the support for the 3 points on one side of the buck’s rack had more support from Barbour WMA hunters than the support the state had had when the antler restriction on this WMA was first proposed. State wildlife biologists do believe that for antler restrictions to be effective, the WMA needs to be able to control a large amount of land. Also, the hunters who hunt that WMA need to be surveyed to find out if they want an antler-restriction program.
PRO-Grade 12 cu. Lift-Assist and Swivel Dump Cart with Run-Flats. Last cart you’ll ever buy. Exclusive hydraulic-assisted tub lift and swivel design. Load-tested to 1100 lbs. – all-squaretube steel frame. Multi-terrain commercial-grade pneumatic tires and zerks with run-flat technology. Ideal for hauling big loads of seed or feed. Makes a great deer cart – see Realtree model. Attaches to any ATV, mower, or ZTR. Couplers mount easy for ball hitches. Converts to a farm cart / wheelbarrow in seconds. Also makes a great firewood hauler.
www.OxCart.com
10 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
As Gray says, “Alabama deer hunters are the customers of Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wildlife Section. Our job is to try and help produce the type of deer-hunting experience the most hunters who hunt each individual WMA prefer. Any form of deer management can’t be enacted, unless you first manage the people who’re going to hunt the deer.” “We have a unique situation here in Alabama, because for many years, we had a liberal buck harvest, a liberal doe harvest and a huge deer population. First the state had to get information from our hunters on harvesting does to maintain the deer herd. At one time in our history, hunters could take a buck and a doe every day with no check-in or reporting required. A couple of years ago, the state instituted a
Everything You Want to Know about Hunting Bama’s January and February Bucks
program called Game Check to gain more data and to manage Alabama’s deer herd better.”
ONE HUNTING CLUB’S INTEREST IN TROPHY BUCK MANAGEMENT “I believe the critical factor, and this is one of the most important factors in trying to manage our hunting property in Perry County for trophy bucks, is that all of our hunters have grown-up and hunted in south Alabama,” Woodson reports. “Because of the overpopulation of deer we’ve always had in south Alabama, each of our six members probably has taken more than 100 deer in their lifetimes. Therefore, we don’t feel as much pressure to take a doe or a buck. “I believe that the real secret to managing any property for older-age-class bucks depends on the number of deer that the hunters who hunt a particular land have taken in their lifetimes. When I hunted near my home in my younger days, any buck was a good buck, because we saw so few of them. But because we’ve all reached our limit for the number of bucks we want to take, we don’t feel like we have to take a buck, unless he is the age with the size rack that we want to harvest. We understand that trophy management shouldn’t be the standard that all hunters hope to achieve.
Alexander Broadcasting and Grantell Broadcasting in partnership with James “Big Daddy” Lawler Presents:
“Your connection to the outdoor world”
Live from deep inside the Blackbelt every Saturday morning from 7am-9am
“Outdoor Radio with a Little Flavor”
“Another limiting factor in managing land for trophy deer is the quality of soils that you have on the Alabama land you hunt. The soils in Perry County and 15 plus counties in central and south Alabama are known as the ‘Black Belt’ and are much more fertile than the soils in the rest of the state. The soils in the Black Belt are known for growing more big bucks quicker than the state’s other soils. “If you have poor soils on the land you hunt, the likelihood of growing big bucks with larger antlers to have to hunt in January and February isn’t as good as when an area has extremely-fertile soils. The fertility of the soil is directly related to a landowner or a hunting club’s ability to produce older-age-class trophy bucks. That’s why I know that the type of trophy-deer management we’re using on our lease isn’t the kind of deer management hunters in other places should necessarily attempt to duplicate.” The other factor that the members of Woodson’s lease consider before squeezing the triggers on their mechanical releases if they’re bowhunting or squeezing the triggers on their rifles is the age of the deer. “On the second week of bow season a couple of years ago, a buck with antlers that would score about 136 inches on Pope & Young walked under my tree stand,” Woodson remembers. “This buck was a main-frame 9 point and was with a nice 7 point. The 9-point buck was only about 4-1/2-years old. Since I recognized that he had the potential of becoming a giant, I let him walk. “I believe that 90+ percent of Alabama bowhunters would have shot that 9-pointer with their bows and been very proud of that deer. However, the members of our lease only want
Like us on Facebook
Like us on facebook Gettin’ Outdoors Radio Gettin'Outdoors with Big Daddy Lawler with Big Daddy Lawleror check out www.gettinoutdoorsradio.com www.gettinoutdoorsradio.com Parent Station-WALX-FM 100.9 (Selma/Montgomery) Affiliate-WSLY-FM 104.9 (Demopolis/Meridian) Affiliate-WJDB-FM 95.5 (Thomasville/Jackson) Or listen online at www.espn1049.com For show sponsorship opportunities call Sean Parker at 334-341-8649 or Paul Alexander 334-412-3388
Plaza Golf Cart Sales 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 11
Everything You Want to Know about Hunting Bama’s January and February Bucks
to shoot older-age-class bucks with bigger racks. So, the best deer management for your club boils down to the size bucks you and the people you hunt with want to harvest any time and particularly in January and February. Our type of deer management isn’t necessarily any better than the type of deer management you and your friends use on the property you hunt.”
alabamawhitetails123/ * Central Alabama Deer Hunters - https://www.facebook. com/Hunt121314151617/ * Northeast Alabama Deer Hunters - https://www.facebook. com/Northeast-Alabama-Deer-Hunters-446071565360/ * Whitetail Deer Hunters of Alabama - https://www.facebook. com/WhitetailDeerHuntersAla/
Location, soil type, the ancestry of bucks on the land and the size of bucks hunters want to harvest on a property all determine the success of your January and February deer hunting.
Sidebar: WMA and SOA Deer Harvest Alabama’s WMAs home more than 721,574 acres in all sections of the state. To learn where you can take a WMA buck and the biologist’s names and phone numbers, go to https://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/wildlifemanagement-areas. You can also learn the number of deer hunter days and the deer harvest per WMA, often from 1983 to 2012.
Sidebar: Alabama Deer Hunting Facebook Groups To learn more about Alabama deer hunting, join these Facebook groups. Then you can post a question about January and February deer hunting. * Alabama Deer Addicts - https://www.facebook.com/ groups/782831411752193 * Alabama Deer Hunting - https://www.facebook.com/ Alabama-Deer-Hunting-382522468584283/ * Alabama Hunting and Fishing – https://www.facebook.com/ groups/366515126726 * Alabama Whitetail Deer Hunters – https://www.facebook. com/groups/560140410853644 * Alabama Whitetails - https://www.facebook.com/ 12 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
According to a 2017-2018 WMA deer harvest that’s been compiled but not yet published, some of the top WMAs for number of man days hunted for number of deer taken include: David K. Nelson WMA (approximately 6 man days of hunting were required to take a deer there), Jacinto Port Tract, Coon Gulf Tract, Boggy Hollow Unit, North Sauty and Crow Creek Refuges and Seven Mile Island. All Special Opportunity Areas (SOAs) are smaller units for
Everything You Want to Know about Hunting Bama’s January and February Bucks
Deer Harvest on Alabama's Wildlife Management Areas and Special Opportunity Areas, 2017-18 Season. GUN AREA
STALK HUNTS HARVEST
ARCHERY
DOG HUNTS
MAN-DAYS
HARVEST
MAN-DAYS
HARVEST
PRIMITIVE WEAPONS
MAN-DAYS
HARVEST
MAN-DAYS
TOTAL HARVEST
District Su
MAN-DAYS
225
3,346
35
1,430
18
200
278
4,976
Bill Gray
Black Warrior - Zone A
57
1,804
4
450
4
228
65
2,482
Jud Easte
Black Warrior - Zone B
22
1,875
3
500
2
218
27
2,593
Jud Easte
Blue Spring
7
313
11
170
3
45
45
1,453
Bill Gray
Boggy Hollow Unit
0
3
15
50
15
53
Bill Gray
Charles D. Kelley-Autauga
4
180
56
650
60
830
104
1,992
43
570
15
179
162
2,741
Steve Brya
Coon Gulf Tract
32
227
14
48
2
13
48
288
Steve Brya
Coosa
58
1,600
28
523
2
49
88
2,172
Steve Brya
38
1,092
38
1,092
Steve Brya
Barbour
Choccolocco
24
925
Crow Creek, Mud Creek, & Raccoon Creek
Jeff Make
46
400
27
105
19
90
92
595
Jeff Make
8
225
9
165
0
5
17
395
Bill Gray
132
4,728
26
490
4
120
162
5,338
Jud Easte
Geneva State Forest
63
1,065
6
310
3
57
78
1,692
Bill Gray
Grand Bay Savanna CHA
26
619
6
71
32
690
Steve Barn
Hollins
72
1,761
36
565
120
2,471
Steve Brya
38
450
38
450
Steve Barn
David K. Nelson Forever Wild Gothard - AWF Yates Lake Freedom Hills
6
260
Jacinto Port Tract
12
145
187
4,820
23
690
19
600
229
6,110
Steve Brya
Lauderdale
48
2,271
16
335
0
75
64
2,681
Jud Easte
Little River
39
985
31
290
28
385
98
1,660
Steve Brya
Lowndes
97
1,167
90
625
14
85
201
1,877
Jeff Make
Mulberry Fork
45
1,910
35
490
11
95
91
2,495
Jeff Make
49
275
49
275
James D. Martin-Skyline
North Sauty & Crow Creek Refuges Oakmulgee
Steve Brya
Jeff Make
148
1,635
94
1,050
47
450
289
3,135
Perdido River
47
761
11
100
7
80
65
941
Steve Barn
Riverton CHA
20
375
14
260
34
635
Jud Easte
189
2,511
19
520
214
3,331
Jud Easte
20
165
20
165
Jud Easte
0
15
0
15
Jud Easte
Sam R. Murphy Seven-Mile Island Swan Creek & Mallard-Fox Creek
6
300
Upper Delta - Zone A
33
484
22
430
46
571
4
26
105
1,511
Steve Barn
Upper Delta - Zone B
21
355
31
530
31
308
1
8
84
1,201
Steve Barn
W. L. Holland & Mobile-Tensaw Delta
55
1,080
40
445
95
1,525
Steve Barn
William R. Ireland, Sr.-Cahaba River
112
2,995
29
505
19
155
160
3,655
Jeff Make
1,897
41,487
943
14,283
240
3,608
3,163
61,523
Total
83
hunting purchased through Pittman-Robertson and Forever Wild funds. They had ratios of 7 – 10 man days hunted for each buck taken. Don’t forget a new SOA, Portland Landing, has been added this year. (PDF of 2017 to 2018 WMA and SOA deer harvest and man days) Sidebar: Lands Available for Free January and February Hunting Much of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 11.7 million acres of public land nationwide is seldom hunted, since often you must use a boat or a canoe to reach places to hunt. But you should have an opportunity to take nice-sized bucks in these areas in January and February, due to the lack of hunter pressure. According to Chris Cook, Deer Specialist for the State of Alabama, “Several online mapping companies will include Corps’ land as well as private lands to let you know where you can and can’t hunt.” Check out: * https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/ Recreation/Black-Warrior-Tombigbee-BWT-Lakes/Hunting/
2,145
that includes a regional map and specific maps in Sumter, Marengo, Hale and Greene counties of Seldon Lock, Lock 6, Areas 18, 19, 20, Jack’s Branch and Arcola, showing Corps’ hunting lands as well as private lands. * http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Portals/46/docs/recreation/ bwt/images/100915-A-CE999-119.jpg that includes a regional map and specific maps in Clarke and Choctaw counties of Coffeeville Lake, Woods Bluff, Lenoir Landing, West Bend and Coffeeville Lock and Dam, showing Corps’ lands and private lands. Sidebar: My Favorite Maps You can get a more-detailed topographic or aerial photo map of any Alabama WMA. Go to www.mytopo.com>FIND A MAP>find a map by GMU, Hunting Area, or WMA/State Park Map. Follow the steps to customize your map. Map costs start at $14.95. You also can visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers websites, identify land you’re interested in hunting, call MyTopo at 877-587-9004 and have a more-detailed map of a region printed and shipped with 24 hours. Then you can plan your access in and out and strategize how to hunt your own public piece of prime hunting land in January and February. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 13
Anatomy of a miss
14 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
HUNTING
Understanding how you missed a shot can help put you on target and fill out a tag on the next hunt. BY CHARLES JOHNSON We have all done it. Missed a shot. No blood, no hair or any sign the bullet connected to the target. It doesn’t matter the length of experience or how many hunts have transpired. We sometimes miss. How is it possible with an animal as large as a deer to miss a shot? The excuses and factors can be many. And we are quick to shift the blame or try to give reason why we miss. With human nature it’s never easy to admit we missed the shot. We must take the trash talk and ragging from our hunting buddies and friends. Analyzing the miss and understanding what happened can help hunters on the next hunt have the confidence to make another shot. Instead of agonizing over the miss, research what lead up to the miss and take the steps to make corrections and adjustments as needed.
Buck fever can also cause rushed shots. Hunters shoot without getting the deer in the sight picture. They forget their breathing and proper shooting form. This can be cause for a complete miss and frustration.
OLD BUCK FEVER One thing that has saved many an old buck from their demise from hunters is buck fever. It’s not the type of fever you can measure with a thermometer. Rather it is the intensity of the effects of having a large buck in your sights. Your heart races, sweat drops bead on your forehead in below freezing temps and almost uncontrollable shakes. Yes, buck fever is real and can infect any deer hunter instantly when a bruiser buck suddenly appears. There is no medicine available to control it, but there are methods a hunter can take to minimize the effects to buck fever. “Rushing the shot can lead to a miss, mentions long time deer hunter, David Lockridge, of Lineville, Ala. “Pick a spot and aim small.” Lockridge advises hunters to understand the anatomy of a deer. Know the kill zone and proper shot placement.
Often times hunters will rush and take a shot at the whole deer. While the deer is a large animal, hurrying through the aiming and firing process can result in a complete miss. One thing some hunters suggest is not to think about the size of the buck’s rack. Sure, you want to make certain the buck is legal or fits within the confines of any club rules or regulations but spending too much time focusing on the rack can increase the symptoms of buck fever. Taking too much time aiming and watching through your scope can also cause muscle fatigue and contribute to a missed shot. Using a pair of quality binoculars to judge the deer can help get a better overall picture of the buck and shooting situation. Buck fever can also cause rushed shots. Hunters shoot without getting the deer in the sight picture. They forget their breathing and proper shooting form. This can be cause for a complete miss and frustration. Ashland, Ala. deer hunter Brandon Brown advises, “Don’t
BUCK’S ISLAND a division of MarineONE Corporation
Don’t Buy a Boat ‘til You Get a Buck’s Quote!
G3 Pontoon V18 G3 Rebate Now!
$222 Monthly (wac) Call 256-442-2588 or email bimarina@bucksisland.com
1-800-I’M-READY (467-3239) www.bucksisland.com
4500 Hwy. 77 · Southside, AL 35907 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 15
Anatomy of a Miss
jerk the trigger. Remember to squeeze the trigger and hold the gun steady after the shot.” Some hunters may move the gun to quickly after firing to look for the deer to fall. Subconsciously a hunter can move the gun off target in anticipation of the shot and kill, resulting in a miss. KNOW YOUR FIREARM AND HUNTING SITUATION Another factor that can cause a miss is not being familiar with your firearm and how it shoots. Sure, you may after practiced some punch holes in paper at the range to get the scope set on “zero”. But have you become familiar on the complete operation of the firearm.
Weather can also cause a hunter to miss a shot. Rain and fog can obscure the target
“Shooting at the range target is different than shooting at a deer in the woods,” explains Brown. “Practice shooting from actual hunting situations.” A shot at a buck is not always from sitting in a chair or a bench. Shooting from an elevated tree stand can be a completely different experience. Holding a 7-pound rifle and scope to your shoulder for a few minutes can cause muscle fatigue. Practice holding your firearm in shooting position on a target and see how soon it is before the cross hairs in the scope start to dance. A monster buck may not always appear when your seated in your stand. A trophy deer could appear while venturing to or from your stand. Wise hunters will want to practice form different positions. Kneeling or sitting on the round with legs crossed are two stable shooting positions. Also, practice aiming and shooting with a tree as a prop. Station yourself with your firearm against a tree with your arm to steady the shot. Make sure your feet are in the proper potion and you are not off balance. Also, the rifle sling can be used to steady your aim. Place your arm through the sling and behind your elbow to secure a firm grip on the rifle. Leather slings will not stretch. Nylon slings will work too, but they can slip. “Know your firearm, how it functions and the features,” advises Lockridge. “Know the limits of your firearm and your shooting limits.” 16 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Lockridge points out that some hunters may have too much gun. They often go with the popular hunting calibers. Some firearms and certain calibers can have too much recoil and the heavy recoil can cause the shooter to flinch resulting in a missed shot. One option to reduce flinch is change to a caliber that has less recoil. There are many hunting caliber options available today that have little recoil. Some ammunition manufacturers offer rifle cartridges in reduced recoil for many popular calibers. One option to help reduce rifle recoil and flinching is add or replace the stock recoil pad. A number of companies offer premium recoil pads that ease the pain. A more expensive approach to reducing recoil is a muzzle break or porting. OTHER MISS CAUSING FACTORS Lockridge commented that some of the times he has missed is when he was out of his comfort zone. Unfamiliar terrain and unknown yardage were the two factors he mentioned. Not only being familiar with your firearm is important but knowing your hunting area can also be critical in preventing a miss. “Some hunters may turn their scope up to full power,” explains Lockridge. “A buck runs up art 20-yards and all they can see is a patch of hair.” A lower scope power or wide-angle model may prove more effective in thicker brush. Even open sights may be an option if the shots are around 50 yards or less. Big, powerful scopes don’t always result in an accurate hit. Lockridge uses three different rifles in various calibers and he is intimately familiar with one’s shooting characteristics. He will choose the one that fits his hunting situation for that day. All shots at a buck are not across open terrain. Brush, limbs and small trees may obscure the line-of-sight of the hunter and bullet path. Most of the time these objects are not seen when focusing through a scope on the shoulder of a buck. The smallest twig can deflect and cause a miss. Weather can also cause a hunter to miss a shot. Rain and fog can obscure the target. A heavy rain can change the trajectory of the bullet. In these cases, waiting it out may be the only option. We can use some methods to minimize missed shots. But, as long as hunters hunt and take shots at deer, there will be misses. And of course, this will give us plenty to talk about around the campfire.
IMPORTANT FOR THE 2018-2019 DEER HUNTING SEASON
KEEP ALABAMA
CWD
FREE!
CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE
IMPORTING UNPROCESSED DEER COULD SPREAD CWD IN ALABAMA
Learn more at OUTDOORALABAMA.COM/CWD
GAME CHECK IS MANDATORY All hunters are required to report their deer harvest using Game Check, which will help the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources effectively manage wildlife for generations.
THE EASIEST WAYS TO CHECK YOUR HARVEST 1. Outdoor AL App 2. OutdoorAlabama.com/gamecheck
Search OUTDOOR AL on your app store! 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 17
18 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
HUNTING
Think Small for Great Squirrel Hunting Big is good, but small can sometimes be better for squirrel hunters. BY ED MASHBURN It sounds like rain dripping off the leaves still hanging to the branches above. But this is a clear, still morning, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. And then the drip-drip-dropping sound increases from another location in the big old pecan tree spreading above me. Yet another limb on the pecan tree provides this quiet but definite sound of something falling from above to the leaf litter below. And then I hear a loud “pang” as something more solid falls and impacts the rusty tin roof of an old fallen-down tool house in the overgrown yard of a long abandoned home place I’m hiding myself in. I believe it’s just about light enough for me to investigate
A final location for squirrel hunters who want to hunt smaller close to home yet productive areas for squirrels is perhaps the simplest of all, your own backyard. the cause of the falling stuff. Just as I thought, the steady drip that sounded like rain drops was simply pecan hulls being dropped from above. And there it is, the flick of a bushy tail high up on a branch. And then another tail flicking. Then a third tail is now racing along a massive limb. So I slip the safety of my old .22 to off, and with as little movement as possible, I draw a bead on the closest squirrel I can see. “Pop”, and the young squirrel is on its last trip down to the ground.
The next closest squirrel, another young one, makes a dreadful mistake when it peeks around a limb to see what I am and what I’m doing. Its curiosity works to my advantage, and I manage to knock this one off its limb. After this morning’s hunt, there will be some prime squirrel tails to trim out bream flies for next spring. There will also be some prime squirrel in the skillet, too. The third squirrel, well, I don’t know. It just disappeared. Now, the best part of this little early morning squirrel hunt is that I was less than a half-mile from my house, an easy walk in the morning, and I was hunting a small little patch of woods which no other hunter ever seemed to be willing to bother with. There are thousands of places like this squirrel hunting hotspot scattered all over the coastal parts of our country - small places, neglected places, places that squirrels use to move from feeding location to feeding location, and places squirrels find to catch some rest. I will admit, it’s fun to go into the big woods far off to hunt. It’s interesting to walk long distances in state lands and big private tracts in pursuit of squirrels. It’s even fun to paddle long distances in the Mobile Delta looking for bushytails. However, there’s a lot to be said for thinking small and hunting little tracts of land and trees that don’t require so much effort to reach. When it comes to hunting small for squirrels, there are a few places and situations that seem to almost always produce good results for small tract hunters. There’s another benefit about squirrel hunting small, close to home places. If a squirrel hunter looks around and pays attention, it’s amazing how many really big deer tracks can be seen in some really small woodlots. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 19
Think Small for Great Squirrel Hunting
That might be something to keep in mind for deer season. FENCEROWS- SQUIRREL HIGHWAYS Just behind our chicken house lies a small one acre plot of mature hardwood trees. Even though this small plot is always full of young squirrels, it’s too close to houses for me to hunt. Every year, lots of young squirrels are born in the in this little lot, and when they expand their feeding territories by traveling the line of trees in the old fencerow which separates our property from the neighbor’s, they move far enough away from houses and folks for me to safely hunt them. This fencerow, like many old, overgrown fencerows with big trees, is a squirrel highway. By stationing myself away from the houses which stand too close to the fencerow, I can wait for squirrels to make their way from one little tree lot to another somewhat bigger lot. It’s easy to find concealment in the fencerow, and the squirrels don’t pick up on my presence most days until it’s too late. OLD HOME LOTS- NOW HOME FOR THE BUSHYTAILS Our part of the world is filled with old, abandoned home places. Many of these old places had fruit and nut trees
call o t e Tim
Professional Fiber Glass Repair Since 1974
FIBER-PLASTICS INC www.fiber-plastics.com
• Custom Fabrication • Premier Repairs • Expert Finish Work • Estimates & Supplies • 14’ Ultralight Tunnel Boats
e can W Look Familiar? help... 2100 Halls Mill Road • Mobile, Alabama 36606
251-473-3176 20 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
planted long ago when folks still lived in the houses, and after the folks left for good, many of these fruit and nut trees remaine alive and still produce food for wildlife. By asking permission, if the owners can be found at all, squirrel hunters can sometimes find very good squirrel hunting by working the old trees still growing around old home places. Quite often the squirrels that live around these abandoned home spots never see a human and they can be very approachable. If the old home place, like the one I had such good luck with earlier in this article, has some old pecan trees remaining, a hot hunt is almost a sure thing.
But some of the fastest and best squirrel hunting can come from fat, sassy, spoiled squirrels who live in rural-home lot trees. Hunters will need to be careful walking around old home places. Sometimes wells were left unfilled, and there is often broken glass and old metal trash left around. But the good squirrel hunting makes a little caution worth the trouble. OLD PECAN ORCHARDS- LOTS AND LOTS OF FOOD All over the Gulf Coast and inland for a good ways, pecan orchards were planted and harvested. Some of these old orchards are huge and cover many acres. Many times, the growers found the pecan trees to be not worth the effort and expense and were unprofitable. So they just neglected the trees, let nature take its course, and now half of the trees are dead and rotten, but some are still capable of producing pecans. These old abandoned pecan orchards can support massive numbers of squirrels, and if the orchard is well off the nearest road, it may be unknown to many other hunters, and a good safe place to collect a few squirrels. And even if the orchard is somewhat overgrown, very often there’s enough open space between the old pecan trees to allow very good long distance sighting of squirrels. For instance, not even a mile away from my house are two big old pecan orchards, and by positioning myself as far back from the highway as I can get and still be in the orchard, I’m able to safely take squirrels as they work the old pecan trees.
Think Small for Great Squirrel Hunting
Again, hunters will need to obtain owner’s permission to hunt these pecan orchards. But if there’s no problem with accessing the old trees, some very fine squirrel hunting can occur, especially after the leaves fall off the trees. A bushytail can be seen a long way when the branches are bare in a pecan orchard. BIRDFEEDERS AND BACK LOTS A final location for squirrel hunters who want to hunt smaller close to home yet productive areas for squirrels is perhaps the simplest of all, your own backyard. Many rural residents have home lots which have two or three acres of land with trees to supply cover. Many of these home lots are basically unused ground, and perfect habitat for squirrels. And many of these larger rural home lots have nut trees which provide natural food sources for squirrels. Many more of these larger rural home lots have residents who enjoy feeding the birds and spending lots of money supplying birdseed for feathered friends. A lot of these bird-feeding folks struggle on a daily basis with hordes of ravenous and aggressive squirrels which raid the feeders, chase off the birds, and gobble down the bird seed. Some of these yard squirrels can get fat and sassy from the free stolen bird seed. A lot of these bird-lovers would welcome the chance to have their population of bushy-tailed bandits thinned out a little, and squirrel hunters can do just that job. All hunters need to do is mention to friends and family that the squirrel problem can be corrected by having a dedicated squirrel hunter drop by and safely thin out the population. Of course, hunters will need to make sure that no neighboring homes are close enough to present a safety hazard, and that means before a hunt, the hunter needs to walk the property and see for certain no buildings are close. Many non-hunters who might welcome a hunter to thin out the squirrels don’t realize the range of .22s and even shotguns, so the hunter must be sure. But some of the fastest and best squirrel hunting can come from fat, sassy, spoiled squirrels who live in ruralhome lot trees. Collecting a mess of these bird-seed eating squirrels can be a quick, easy, very entertaining way to gather the makings for squirrel stew- and it can also relieve the minds of the yard birds, too. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 21
Powered by Fishbites Scent Technology! 15 Colors Tougher Than ALL Other Scented Lures! 3.5” Fight’n Shrimp
3” Dirty Boxer
4” Butt Kicker
In case you’re wondering, YES, we’ve been a little busy!
fishbites.com
Stay Fresh
or
5” Brawler Jerk Bait
IN STORES NOW! Stay Salty
Bob’s Your Uncle scented bait strips let you decide!
Florida offers unique waterfowl hunting opportunities
BY TONY YOUNG “When people from out of state think about Florida, often the first things that come to mind are the state’s beautiful beaches and Disney World,” said Matt Coffey, senior communications specialist for Ducks Unlimited. “And I myself used to think the same thing – until I experienced my first Florida duck hunt.” Coffey had an opportunity last year to hunt waterfowl at central Florida’s T.M. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area. “I didn’t realize how vast the estuaries and wetlands are and how much waterfowl habitat there is in Florida,” Coffey said. “Florida waterfowl hunters have great opportunities, especially with duck species like the black-bellied whistling duck and the fulvous whistling duck, where populations in the U.S. mainly occur in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Hunting Florida mottled ducks is a totally unique experience because the only place in the world they exist is the Florida peninsula.” Coffey also said he appreciates the fact that even in winter, temperatures are usually moderate and
comfortable. Plus, there’s so much to do in the Sunshine State. “The group I was with hunted teal, pintails and mottled ducks in the morning, snipe at midday, and then we fished for tarpon in the Intracoastal in the afternoon,” Coffey said. “Some of them even slipped off to enjoy the beach! Where else can you do all that in a day?”
WATERFOWL HUNTING GUIDE Check out the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Guide to Waterfowl Hunting in Florida at MyFWC.com/Duck. It’s a valuable resource that lists where duck hunting is available, decoy placement setups, scouting and hunting tips, and provides duck identification photos of most duck species you’re likely to see in Florida. WATERFOWL SEASONS AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS Waterfowl and coot season runs through Jan. 27 statewide. In addition to a hunting license, duck hunters also need a Florida waterfowl permit, federal 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 23
Florida offers unique waterfowl hunting opportunities
duck stamp and migratory bird permit. And if you’re hunting on a WMA, you’ll also need a management area permit and maybe a quota permit. All licenses and permits are available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, county tax collectors’ offices or license agents, or by calling 888-HUNT-FLORIDA (888-486-8356).
four eiders, four long-tailed ducks and four mallards (of which only two may be female) in your bag. The daily limit on coots is 15, and there’s a five-bird limit on mergansers, only two of which may be hooded.
Hunting Florida mottled ducks is a totally unique experience because the only place in the world they exist is the Florida peninsula.
WATERFOWL HUNTING REGULATIONS Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to sunset. Shotguns must be plugged to a three-shell capacity (magazine and chamber combined), and hunters may use only nontoxic shot, which means iron (steel), bismuth-tin and tungsten alloys.
BAG LIMITS The daily bag limit on ducks is six. But there may be only one mottled duck and one fulvous whistling duck; only two may be canvasbacks, black ducks, scaup, pintails or redheads; and only three may be wood ducks. And you may have no more than four scoters,
24 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
You also may take light geese statewide during the waterfowl and coot season, which includes the taking of snow, blue and Ross’s geese. There’s a 15-bird daily bag limit on any combination of these geese.
DUCKS UNLIMITED AND FWC PARTNERSHIP In 2017, Ducks Unlimited, the FWC and others partnered to conserve, improve and restore nearly 30,000 acres of wetland habitat in Florida. “The partnership between the FWC and DU is making an important difference in Florida,” Coffey said. “The FWC identifies local areas that need the most help, and DU delivers sound wetland restoration that benefits both Florida’s wildlife and people.”
FEBRUARY 8-10, 2019 MOBILE CONVENTION CENTER, MOBILE AL
OF THE S W O H S R WATE THE SALT
See all the new
2019 BOATS,
electronics, lifts, towers, tackle
ALL IN ONE
PLACE ONE
OUTH
FISHING SEMINARS, TOURNAMENT WEIGH-IN, KIDS 101 FISHING CLINIC TOUCH TANKS, TROUT POND and more!
WEEKEND O
NLY
PRESENTING SPONSOR 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 25
26 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Praise for the Preserve BY TONY KINTON Photo by Bryce Towsley
Lady settled into a solid point, something not particularly common to this rag-tag canine trained only by a country lad with no skills in such matters. This happening took place on a brisk November afternoon shortly after the school bus delivered me home. I approached the point, a side-by-side Stevens 20-gauge at port. Day dreaming of this mesmerizing event had supplanted my being studious at classes earlier.
Then the flush. A dozen or so fat quail exploded from grassy covert, opting for altitude and distance. Two dropped from the covey. If memory is sound, that was my first double. All that remained was the collection of another pair and our poor-dirt farm family would have supper. These came but not with such stylish shooting as enjoyed on that double. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 27
Praise for the Preserve
Fifty years passed. Again I found myself beside a little female pointer, Smolly. She favored Lady in many ways, but a pronounced difference was that she possessed proper pedagogy. In short, Smolly knew her stuff. And there were differences in me as well. Those years and one heart attack behind me, I walked minus the gait of youth, my beard grey. The Stevens double had been replaced by a Beretta Silver Pidgeon I O/U in 28. Smolly stood firm, a tiny shiver of excitement trickling nose to tail. I felt my own shiver. Five birds got up. The mount and point were perhaps a tad slower than once they were, but they were far more practiced, deliberate. Age can be beneficial in an odd sort of way. Two ¾-ounce charges of No. 8s resulted in as many birds. I had a double. It would be less than truthful to say this double was as exhilarating as that first, but it was likely equal. Fifty years seemed somewhat inconsequential at that moment. But they were consequential. Age and its various rigors aside, those 50 years had seen changes that plagued me as sorely as bad knees and a problematic heart. Chief among these changes, at least for the quail hunter, was and is that the quail are gone. That bold statement that quail are gone is not fully accurate, however. There are locales which still have viable populations. But for the most part, the Southeast, my home, has suffered great loss. We can only hope for a reversal in this dire situation.
28 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
So, what is one to do if that one longs for quail hunting relatively close to home? One solution is the shooting preserve. I mentioned this to a former quail hunter not too long back, and his response was one I expected. He had never tried a preserve but stated boldly, “No, I had rather hunt wild birds.” His decision was made without thorough knowledge. True, most of us had rather hunt wild birds, but the point has already been made that these opportunities are often in short supply. Let’s look, then, at the preserve as a source of salvation from the doldrums of no quail.
Thick underbrush or bare ground are less than desirable for quail hunting, so check to be sure the habitat is something quail would use in their day-to-day living..
Shooting preserves are now quite common, particularly across the Southeast. These are farms or other dedicated lands that release pen-raised birds onto the property for hunting. But this simple raising and releasing of birds doesn’t adequately define the complete package when one is seeking a truly rich experience. There are other variables
Praise for the Preserve
that should be in place. The most obvious is flight-conditioned birds. This is a process of placing birds almost from the time of hatching into open but secure spaces that allow them to run and fly and develop in much the same way as wild birds. Such will help produce strong fliers. These birds will often reliably mimic wild behavior in their flightiness, something that is vital to good quail hunting. A flushing dog, another desirable element, plays a key role in good flight once birds are released. There is also a practice used on some preserves that I have come to appreciate. This is early release. More complex and labor intensive than other forms of release, early release requires birds to be put on a property with proper cover and food days or weeks before hunting. This generally entails a steady release program during hunting season that is constantly replacing birds that join others already there. And often, early-release preserves provide call-back stations and fabricated cover – low wire huts covered with brush – so that those birds released early have security in numbers and sanctuary, just as wild birds do. This practice properly implemented, the birds involved covey and function exceptionally well.
Habitat is critical for realistic, enjoyable hunting, whether day-of or early release. Thick underbrush or bare ground are less than desirable for quail hunting, so check to be sure the habitat is something quail would use in their dayto-day living. The proper environment holds the hunter’s attention as much as it holds the quail. I mentioned flushing dogs earlier. This is a canine apart from the pointers or setters used to locate quail. Spaniels of various persuasions are often selected, and they can be superb. Well trained flushing dogs will heel until given the command to flush, and when that command comes they rush in with great enthusiasm. Since released birds are at times reticent to burst into flight, preferring to hold tight or run ahead of the pointing dogs, the flushing dogs are a definite assist. Check to see if these are available when considering a preserve. And what of shotguns? Options are open here, based on preference and predisposition. Be sure, however, that the preference or predisposition is not in error. I was hunting a preserve once when I saw an inordinately large hull. I picked it up and noticed it was a 3-inch magnum 12 with No. 4 shot. When I questioned the guide, he said a young man who had never shot quail before brought that shotgun/load because he wanted to be sure he had enough
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 29
Praise for the Preserve
gun. He had used that auto on his only turkey hunt. No additional commentary is needed here on his poor choice. Quail hunting is a genteel pursuit, not an occasion for blasting away. That said, there are some accepted parameters. I defer here to my own prejudice and note that my opinion is not often enough humble, so take this advice as you wish. The shotgun should be twin tubed! Whether it is a side-by-side or O/U is somewhat immaterial, but make it twin tubed. Last year I hunted woodcock in Vermont under strict New England protocol and used a Purdey side-lever double in 16 gauge. Yes, it was borrowed; I can’t afford a Purdey! This year I did likewise except for a Wm. Richards under-lever, side-hammer 20 gauge. Borrowed again. The shotguns added a distinct and additional measure of satisfaction to the hunts. The same is true of quail hunting. The gun is an integral part of the whole.
The most obvious is flight-conditioned birds. This is a process of placing birds almost from the time of hatching into open but secure spaces that allow them to run and fly a nd develop in much the same way as wild birds. Such will help produce strong fliers.
Choose wisely. But feel free to break protocol and use some other action type if you must. And while shooting that twin tube or autoloader or pump action, try the sub gauges: 20, 28 or .410 bore. The 16 is a sweetheart and the 12 a popular standby, but go small. Preserve hunting is a sure thing as far as finding birds, so enhance the hunt with a special shotgun or gauge/bore. The challenge grows and with it the sense of fulfillment. Shot payload? Anything in the ¾- to one-ounce range of Nos. 7-1/2s or 8s will get the job done with ease. Open chokes are in order. Is preserve hunting for you? I can’t answer that. But I can say it has rejuvenated my hunting and given me the rare opportunity to once again enjoy a pursuit I much enjoyed and had access to as a very young hunter. Now as an old man I may be experiencing my second childhood, this in large part because of the shooting preserve. I give these marvels my unreserved praise. 30 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
32 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 33
NEW GEAR BY JOE BAYA
AdventureJumpStart Rechargeable 6600mAh portable charger
The 6600mAh AdventureJumpStart is a slim and portable battery ideal for jump-starting your own car, truck, boat or ATV. With a 400A peak jump start current and a 200A jump start current, the battery provides power to jump your car or ever charge phones, tablets and other USB devices. Detachable jumper cables are included. $99.99 www.mycharge.com
Cuddeback Cuddelink
The newly launched CuddeLink Cell platform allows a user to remote check up on up to 16 trail cameras. Currently priced at $15 per month, the CuddleLink Cell technology is capable of relaying images from camera to camera over wide areas without human disruption in the field. CuddleLink Cell allows images to be sent to the HOME camera which then automatically sends it to a user’s inbox allowing for off-site viewing. www.cuddeback.com (920) 347-3810
Lure Lock Tackle Boxes with ElasTak
Constructed in the USA of heavy duty clear and pure polypropylene plastic featuring easy-to-open green latches and snap-a-part divider Lure Lock tackle boxes ensure that your baits and lures will be secure and in place in any fishing condition, even shaken and upside down! Available in three sizes LL1, LL2 and LL3 and are available in variations featuring one to four cavities depending on the size box. Prices based on size range are $15.99, $17.99 and $19.99. www.lurelock.com
CGear Sand Free Mats
Eliminate sand issues in and with your vehicles, boats, pets, gear and outdoor adventures with CGear Sand-Free mats. CCGear’s patented weave fabric allows dirt and sand particles to fall through the mats and not collect on the surface and travel by being tracked. Available in S, M, L and XL in sizes 6’ x 6’ to 12’ by 12’ and color options include green/green, orange/tan and green/blue. $59.99 to $129.99 www.cgear-sandfree.com
34 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
NEW GEAR FOR OUTDOORSMEN
Avian X Top-Flight Oversized Decoys
Avian-X adds Oversized Mallards and Oversized Black Ducks to their line of Topflight Floating Duck Decoys. Oversized Mallards and Oversized Black Ducks are 30% larger than standard Avian-X Mallard and Black Duck decoys. The larger 17-inch blocks stand out and are more visible to high-flying ducks and more stable on the water. Available in a special six-pack package. (877) 534-2263 www.avian-x.com
Browning X-Bolt Micro Composite
Offering full size features in a compact package, the Browning X-Bolt Micro Composit rifle features a 20” free floating barrel, under 39” in overall length and is the perfect youth, small frame hunter or mountain rifle. Available in the popular 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 and .308 calibers the Micro guns are eligible for the Browning Growth insurance program that allow the rifle to grow with the shooter. $939.99 www.browning.com
Hawke Vantage WA Riflescopes
Built on a 30mm mono-tube mainframe design, the Vantage WA scope lineup has fixed parallax at 100 yards and are versatile small-bore and centerfire rifle options for mid- to long-range hunting. The value packed Vantage WA line (Vantage 3-12x56 WA $289.99) features a waterproof, shockproof and nitrogen-purged design and the Hawke No-Fault Lifetime Warranty. (877) 429-5347 www.hawkeoptics.com
Browning Strike Force Apex Trail Cameras
With 1600x900 HD+ video capabilities, a new 18MP image setting, and extended nighttime video lengths, these sub-micro sized cameras offer Adjustable IR Flash Modes, Illuma-Smart Technology, and “Zero Blur” image capture, along with .22 second trigger speeds and .6 second recovery time to deliver elite performance both day and night. (888) 618-4496 www.browningtrailcameras.com Model Number: BTC-5HD-APX $149.99
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 35
CALVARY LONGRIFLES Jim Parker, of Warrior, Alabama, crafts period perfect Pennsylvania (Kentucky) long rifles.
Jim Parker, growing up in Walker County, enjoyed watching TV shows featuring famous frontiersmen Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone each week as they embarked on another adventure with long rifle in hand. Like countless other kids, Parker pictured himself in buckskins with powder horn, possibles bag, a bag of roundballs, sharp knife and his trusty flintlock ready for action. Little did Jim know the role flintlock rifles would later play in his life.
BY CRAIG HANEY Photo submitted by Craig Haney
That day, a hobby and later a vocation was born f or Jim Parker.
About this same time, Jim was visiting with his grandfather and noticed an old shotgun that was put up and asked his grandfather if he could shoot the well-used shotgun. His grandfather replied “If you can get it to work, you can shoot it.” No doubt his grandfather thought that would end the discussion, but Jim persisted until his grandfather agreed to let him work on the gun. After his Grandfather gathered the needed tools, Jim was allowed to try and figure out how to fix the shotgun which he did. His Grandfather then taught him the correct way to handle the shotgun, load and unload it and a double dose of safety instruction. Living in rural Walker County, the grandfather and his gunsmithing grandson
36 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
were able to go out to a field and shoot the newly fixed shotgun. From that day forward, Jim was saving his money so he could buy shotgun shells for 2 for 25 cents at a nearby country store. That day, a hobby and later a vocation was born for Jim Parker.
PENNSYLVANIA, AKA KENTUCKY, LONG RIFLE HISTORY Prior to the introduction of the Pennsylvania Long Rifle, smooth bore muskets with short barrels were the most common firearm found in North America. While these were sufficient for their time, they were not very accurate due to the smooth bore and were difficult to reload. In the early 1700’s, Martin Mylin in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania produced the rifle that came to be known as the Pennsylvania Long Rifle which became the most effective rifle in early American history. The Pennsylvania Long Rifle was extremely accurate with an effective range of approximately three hundred yards. The development of rifling in the barrel produced a bullet that spun producing a shot that was far more accurate than the smooth bores and musket balls of the day. American frontiersmen embraced this
THE GUN RACK
new rifle due to its’ extended range and accuracy and used it for hunting with great success. As people learned of Daniel Boone’s success as a frontiersman in Kentucky, they started referring to his Pennsylvania Long rifle as a Kentucky Long Rifle. Percussion rifles came on the scene in the 1820’s and by the 1840’s had mostly replaced the flintlock Pennsylvania (Kentucky) Long Rifle. Without the Pennsylvania Long Rifle, American history as we know it would probably be totally different.
BECOMING A GUN-BUILDER When he was 20, Jim Parker bought the parts to build a muzzle loading rifle and when he was through, “it was not much to look at.” Building the first rifle affirmed Jim’s interest in muzzleloaders and he later bought a CVA muzzle loader kit which he assembled. As time passed, Jim bought more CVA muzzle loader kits in different calibers and styles becoming more adept at the fit and finish of the guns. In 1982, he built his first rifle from a stock blank, a .54 caliber flintlock which he has used to take a few deer over time. After building that rifle, folks started asking him to work on their rifles and before long he started getting orders for rifles. His gunbuilding career was born. Wanting to learn from the best, Jim took classes from nationally known gun-builders such as Gary Brunson and Mark Silva among others. From these gun-builders and others, he learned the traditional way to build flintlock long rifles and says “the classes were worth every penny they cost.”
Jim’s business and reputation as a builder of long rifles grew and in 2014 he became a full-time builder when he retired from his engineering job. CALVARY LONG RIFLES Jim does not build stock rifles, pistols or Fowlers for inventory, only custom firearms built to the customers’ specifications. Length of pull, wood type and quality (highly figured or not), caliber, wire inlay, engraving, carved stock, lock type are just some of the choices the customer has to make the firearm uniquely his. Nationally known for his reproductions of historic long rifles featuring engraving, wire inlay, and highly figured wood, Jim also builds custom rifles for the customer that wants a less ornate rifle for hunting. These rifles are an excellent example of the statement “There is elegance in simplicity.” His customers include hunters, re-enactors, and collectors who love historically correct rifles.
PROMOTING HISTORY Part of Jim’s mission with Calvary Long Rifles is to promote the history of Pennsylvania (Kentucky) Long Rifles and their importance in the history of America. One of the ways he accomplishes this is with the Alabama Kentucky Long Rifle show held January 10th-12th ,2019 at Joe Wheeler State Park Lodge in Rogersville, Alabama. Gun-builders and collectors from around the country will be displaying their flintlock rifles, pistols and Fowlers and offering a great opportunity to learn more about one of the most important rifles in our nation’s history. https://www.parkerfirearms.com
Hunting for paradise? The buck stops here.
-Recreational Land -Forestry & Timberland -Equipment -Operating Capital -Livestock -Rural Home Loans
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 37
GIVE WFF’S ANGLER RECOGNITION PROGRAM A TRY Many of you may wonder why fishing is the focus of this month’s column instead of the many hunting opportunities still available in the great state of Alabama. The reason is to highlight an Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division program that doesn’t get enough recognition or participation.
BY CHRIS BLANKENSHIP Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Alabama is blessed with an abundance of freshwater fishing opportunities, and late winter-early spring is sometimes the best time to catch a trophy fish. Most species are coming out of a winter of low activity with an indelible urge to spawn. Before they start the actual spawning activity, most fish go on feeding binges to bulk up before the stress of the spawn depletes their body weight. Alabama has more than a dozen river systems. River impoundments have created 563,000 acres of public reservoirs, including 1,438 miles of navigable waterways that are prime freshwater fishing locations. The state manages 23 State Public Fishing Lakes, and private landowners have created more than 150,000 acres of ponds and lakes that provide excellent angling for a variety of freshwater fish. Of course, a trophy fish is in the eyes of the beholder, but most anglers have
38 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
minimum sizes for species of fish that meet the trophy standard. That’s where the WFF Angler Recognition Program comes in. The program has four goals with the first, obviously, to promote fishing in Alabama by establishing a program that publicly recognizes anglers who catch large or trophy-sized fish in Alabama waters. The second goal is to provide fisheries section biologists with valuable catch information that will help them in making decisions on fisheries management in the state’s reservoirs. Maintaining lake records for Alabama’s black bass species is the third objective. The final reason is the benefit that anglers can glean from the information that is gathered, which could help them decide when and where to fish as well as what tactics work best at certain times of the year. The Angler Recognition Program provides Master and Trophy Angler Certifications to honor individuals who catch large sportfish in Alabama’s public waters. Visit https://www. outdooralabama.com/freshwater-fishing/ state-record-angler-recognition for a detailed description of the rules and requirements of the program. To be eligible for recognition, fish must meet the minimum length or weight requirements listed in the table, and
FROM THE COMMISSIONER
the application must be completed with a side-view photo of the fish next to a ruler and a picture of the angler with the fish. WFF must receive the application packet within three months of the catch.
bass, smallmouth bass or redeye bass) from each reservoir or lake. This recognition will also provide the fisheries section with valuable statistics on the number of large fish caught from Alabama reservoirs. Visit Lake Record Application for a detailed description of the rules and requirements. Lake Record catches must meet the minimum weight requirements listed in the table and the same protocols for a state record – weighed on certified scales with two witnesses, species identification by a state fisheries biologist or certified fisheries biologist and a side-view photograph. Again, anglers have three months to return the application from the day of the catch.
As an example, the minimum size for a largemouth bass for Master Angler status is 8 pounds or a length of 23 inches. To achieve Trophy Angler status, the largemouth would have to be 10 pounds or 25 inches. For smallmouth bass, Master Angler status is achieved with a 5-pounder or 20 inches, while a 7-pound or 22-inch smallmouth is required for Trophy Angler recognition. Bream species, bluegills and red-ears (shellcrackers) must be 1 pound or 11 inches for Master Angler status and 2 pounds or 13 inches for Trophy Angler status.
The problem right now is not enough anglers are participating in the recognition programs, which means we need more people to provide important information that will benefit both WFF fisheries officials and anglers.
Anglers who qualify will receive a certificate commemorating the catch and a decal to be displayed on their boat or truck. WFF has maintained the Alabama State Record Freshwater Fish registry since the 1950s to identify the largest freshwater sport fish caught in Alabama by hook and line. The certification process requires weighing of the fish on certified scales in front of two witnesses. Species identification by a state fisheries biologist or certified fisheries biologist is required as well as a side-view photograph. Applications and rules are available as a PDF. Another way to be recognized as a top angler is WFF’s Lake Record Certification process, which honors anglers who catch the largest species of black bass (largemouth bass, spotted
With increased participation, anglers can provide catch information, including depth of water, lure choices, moon phase, habitat types, and even the time of day when trophy fish were caught. With the right kind of data, anglers may be able to develop successful angling trends in terms of season, specific lakes and the different species. Of course, we’re not going to ask you for a specific honey hole, just the name of the reservoir or body of water. Enjoy getting on the water early this year, and I hope you catch a fish worthy of recognition through the variety of programs available at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. DIVISION OF CLUTCH PRODUCTS INC.
& POWERTRAIN
Time to Get Your 4x4 Ready for Hunting Season Cables · Transmission Parts · Ring & Pinions, Axles · 4X4 Drive Shafts & Differentials Custom Built Control Cables · Complete 4WD Services · All Types of Parts Specializing in Agricultural Clutches and Drive Shafts
www.clutchproducts.com
OUR LOCATION 1159 South Broad St. MOBILE, AL 36603 1-800-239-2191
251-433-3696 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 39
ECONOMIC IMPACT AND AESOP’S FABLES REVISITED A Reader-Suggested Update Two important announcements occurred almost simultaneously earlier this hunting season. One was the release of the report, “Hunting in America—An Economic Force for Conservation.” The other was a press release titled, “Chronic Wasting Disease Found in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, White-tailed Deer.”
BY CORKY PUGH Executive Director, Hunting Heritage Foundation
What do these two things have to do with each other? Everything.
SECOND CASE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE IN MISSISSIPPI The late-October press release from Alabama DCNR read: “MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) has received confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP) that a whitetailed deer from Pontotoc County, Mississippi, tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). According to MDWFP, a 1.5-year-old, free-ranging male white-tailed deer, that appeared to be emaciated and was behaving abnormally, was euthanized on October 8, 2018. The sample was confirmed CWD-positive by the National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa, on October 30, 2018. This is the second case of CWD documented in Mississippi. WFF has tested nearly 8,000 deer since 2002 and has not detected CWD within
40 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Alabama. As part of WFF’s CWD Strategic Surveillance and Response Plan, WFF will increase its CWD surveillance sampling efforts beyond typical surveillance rates in those counties within the 50-mile radius of the Pontotoc County CWD-positive white-tailed deer. These counties include Franklin, Lamar, and Marion counties. Standard CWD surveillance methods will be used to collect additional samples for these counties including, but not limited to, voluntary samples from hunter-harvested deer as well as focused efforts on road kills and abnormally behaving deer. CWD is a neurodegenerative disease found in most deer species, including moose, elk, mule deer and whitetailed deer. It is infectious and always fatal. It is part of a group of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and is similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep. These diseases cause irreversible damage to brain tissue that leads to neurological symptoms, emaciation and death of the animal. Deer infected with CWD can spread the disease to other deer even before symptoms develop. It can take one to two years for infected animals to become symptomatic. When symptoms appear, they can include emaciation, lethargy, abnormal behavior, and loss of bodily functions. Other signs include excessive salivation, loss of appetite, progressive weight loss, excessive thirst and urination, and
HUNTING HUNTING HERITAGE HERITAGE
drooping head/ears.” HUNTING AN ECONOMIC FORCE The 2018 “Hunting in America” report prepared by Southwick Associates for the National Shooting Sports Foundation reads, “The benefits of recreational hunting extend far beyond the fun and challenge the sport presents to hunters. Hunting also benefits wildlife and natural resources management. Sportsman spending provides an essential funding source for conservation efforts that improve habitat for game as well as non-game species. At the same time, the billions of dollars generated by hunting supports businesses and provides thousands of jobs. Thus, the impact of the activity ripples throughout our economy, creating a truly astonishing economic force.” Some interesting facts from the document: • Hunter spending generates more than $185 million per day for the U.S. economy. • There are nearly 11.5 million participants annually, 7.9 million of them deer hunters. • If the hunting industry were a single company, it would rank 104 on the Fortune 500. • Deer hunters spend $15.7 billion annually, almost twice the amount all Americans spend on greeting cards. • Hunting supports 525,000 jobs, three times the number of jobs in the oil and gas extraction industry. • Spending by hunters generates $3.4 billion in state and local taxes, enough to pay the salaries of 53,700 police officers. • Deer hunting, the most popular type of hunting in America, contributes $20.9 billion to our nation’s GDP. • 1,000,2000 of the nation’s 7,900,000 deer hunters are in the east-south-central U.S. • Deer Hunters in the east-south-central region participate in 115,042,000 days afield. • Deer hunting in the east-south-central region generates $1,711,500,000 in annual retail sales.
AESOP’S FABLES REVISITED A reader suggested that now would be a good time to repeat a Great Days Outdoors article from 2013, titled Economic Impact and Aesop’s Fables.Here, in part, is what the article read: “So, what drives this huge economic engine? Hunting opportunity depends upon abundant populations of game animals and access to affordable places to hunt, as well as seasons and limits that are reasonable. Alabama has historically been very liberal with seasons and limits compared to most other states, while being more restrictive on legal methods of hunting than some states. The fact that Alabama ranks 7th nationally in the number of resident hunters evidences a strong hunting-related culture as well as an essential underlying base of abundant wildlife populations. The abundant wildlife resources now enjoyed by all Alabamians did not happen by chance. The State of Alabama, through the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, has carried out hunter-funded wildlife management and protection for over 75 years, restoring deer, turkey, and
many other species, hunted and non-hunted, from the brink of extinction. The foundational principles guiding the State of Alabama in managing wildlife resources, established as a matter of practice many decades ago, have served the state and its hunters, landowners, and citizens well. First and foremost, the well-being of the resource must be considered. Management of wildlife populations and habitats, based on sound science, rather than politics, is absolutely essential to sustaining the resource base upon which hunting and other wildlife-associated recreation depend. The other key principle is, “Doing that which is in the greatest good of the most people in the long run.” This phrase, coined by the famous early wildlife conservationist Gifford Pinchot, captures the essence of the North American Model of Wildlife Management. In America, the States hold title to all game and fish resources and manage them for the benefit of all the people. Only through adherence to this guiding principle can Alabama or any other state sustain the base of hunters who pay for wildlife management and protection through their license purchases and related federal excise taxes on hunting arms and ammunition. Principle-centered decisions and actions stand the test of time. Aesop’s Fables, the ever-popular lessons on how to behave in the world, have endured through the centuries since 600 B.C. Most people fondly remember the childhood lessons of The Tortoise and the Hare, A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg, and others. With the simple stories and the sound morals taught, the fables illustrate ethics, character, and leadership. Like most principle-centered things, the lessons are selfevident and undeniable: “Appearances are often deceiving.” “Honesty is the best policy.” “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.” “Slow and steady wins the race.” “One good turn deserves another.” “Try to please all and you end by pleasing none.” The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg is especially applicable to natural resources management. This fable is the story of the poor farmer made rich by his pet goose that lays a golden egg every day. The farmer becomes incredibly wealthy; it all seems too good to be true. But with his increasing wealth comes greed and impatience. Unable to wait day after day for the golden eggs, the farmer kills the goose to try to get them all at once. When he cuts the goose open, he finds it empty. There are no golden eggs, and now there is no way to get any. The farmer has destroyed the goose that produced them. Is this not the true meaning of conservation? —Wise use of natural resources, with stewardship for the future. After all, the ultimate judges of our success or failure will be our grandchildren and their children after them. Will there be abundant, healthy wildlife populations and habitats for them to enjoy? Will there be inclusive opportunities for all kinds of hunters? Let’s hope so.” 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 41
MANNERS STILL MATTER You Can Catch More Flies With Honey Than With Vinegar
BY CHARLES “CHUCK” SYKES Director of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF)
Managing wildlife is easy. But, when you bring people into the equation, that’s when things get tricky.
I am very lucky to have grown up in rural Choctaw County with loving parents and grandparents who taught me many valuable life lessons throughout my childhood and teen years. Vital words of wisdom passed along to me included, “If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, the best thing to do is to say nothing at all.” I was also taught that people responded better to constructive criticism rather than just plain negativity. Finally, I was taught that it was polite to ask for something by saying “please” or by saying “thank you” after the request was made. I hope these ring a bell with many of you and that you were taught those same principles. The longer I work in this job, the more I am exposed to people who apparently were not as fortunate as I was in many ways. One such encounter sparked the topic for this article. I received an email from an extremely unhappy individual about his attempt to get a hunting license for a family member. The following is what I received: “ This message is for Chuck Sykes. I have a disabled daughter who can’t get benefits in this crap hole state. And has been deemed disabled by the state and can’t receive benefits because she’s not 18 yet. So she wants to hunt. I have received paperwork from Montgomery so that she can receive a disability license to hunt the disabled trail on mgt land. So she can’t get a license because she doesn’t receive benefits. And a regular license is a joke because
42 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
she can’t read it. So tell me Chuck, can you make it any harder for people like this. Your system is a joke. And she will be hunting with or without a license!!” If you received that email, what would you think? What would your natural response be? I understand that dad was frustrated and, of course, concerned for his daughter. However, rather than sending a communication that could help my staff and me begin looking for solutions to help him and his daughter with her hunting needs, he only lashed out at us with anger, frustration and negativity, including about multiple matters unrelated to our Department. It did nothing to move his problems in a positive direction. Before we could try to determine what he was facing and how we could help, we first had to get past the verbal assaults and anger that made it hard to assess the situation clearly for solutions. In years past, if you wanted to voice your concern you either had to take the time to write a letter and put it in the mailbox or communicate personally with someone on the phone. Both required time and planning. In today’s instant society, we can easily type or text and shoot out an angry or frustrated thought before having truly taken time to think through the issue. That’s not a positive development. What if that email had said something more like this: “Mr. Sykes, I am having difficulty purchasing a disabled hunting license for my daughter. She
FROM THE DIRECTOR
is extremely excited about hunting this year and especially wants to be able to hunt the Disabled Hunting Trail that your Department provides. Is there anyone on your staff who could help me maneuver through the purchasing system? Thank you for your time.” Does this email start the interaction out on a better path to finding solutions for his daughter’s needs? Sure it does. The request is essentially the same, but the elicited response is completely different. A 180-degree difference in fact. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: The Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries staff are all public servants and that includes me. We understand that when we accept our positions. The WFF staff is here to assist the citizens of Alabama or anyone who hunts or fishes in Alabama in many ways, and not just wildlife or fisheries related. However, we are not doormats nor punching bags for unhappy or upset people. My staff are hard-working, passionate people who enjoy their jobs—well, most aspects of their jobs. When we go into the wildlife or fisheries field, we do so because we love the outdoors and the critters that inhabit it. We don’t do it to get rich and retire early. Hunting and fishing are not only our career choices but also a way of life and what makes us who we are. Managing wildlife is easy. But, when you bring people into the equation, that’s when things get tricky. We literally cannot please everyone at the same time, especially as
we must adhere to what is the healthiest and wisest for the resources. And Heaven forbid I even mention law enforcement. You would think from many of the emails and calls I receive that our LE staff are nothing but cruel and ruthless individuals who exist only to harass hunters and fishermen when nothing could be further from the truth. In closing, I would like to share with you two more great lessons that I always try to keep in mind when I have issues to be solved. First, my grandmother told me the old saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” And the second is something I learned from a poster my 11th grade English teacher had on the wall above her desk: “It’s better to remain silent and be thought of as ignorant than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!” That admonition has served me well throughout my career. I understand that the email I shared earlier is not the average email we receive. But, communications like this are becoming more and more common each year, and I would like for you all to understand what my staff must deal with. I guess what I’m wanting y’all to take away from this article is this: If you have a request, question, issue, or anything else that we can assist with, please let us know. We’re here to help. However, please do so in a professional and courteous manner. If we remember the manners that were previously common and treat each other with respect, life will be much better for us all.
Specializing in Smoked Sausage Original Mild Original Hot Cajun Green Onion Andouille Jalapeno & Cheese Venison Red Hots
All Smoked Sausage Vacuumed Packed in 1lb Packages
Premium Deer Processing
251-457-3321
210 Iroquois Street Chickasaw, Alabama 36611 A Division of Hall’s Sausage Serving you Since 1945
Fresh Market Pan Sausage Burgers Bacon Burgers Bone-In Steaks Cubed Steaks Other Cuts to Order We process one deer at a time USDA Inspected Facility 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 43
If One Is Fun, Two Can Be Twice As Nice I was paddling the kayak slowly up the shoreline just north of the causeway which crosses Mobile Bay. By keeping the kayak no more than fifty feet off the shoreline, the lures cast toward the shoreline could work through the best water for aggressive fish.
BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn
It didn’t take long for the first redfish, unfortunately not up to keeper size, to find the offered jig and grub but this little red was just the first of a bunch of redfish that were eager to bite the lures offered to them. It took perhaps an hour and all of the fish needed for a great supper were in the boat. And I had not even picked up a rod and reel. So how did the fish get put in the
44 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
kayak? My fishing partner sitting in the front seat and giving me directions for best boat location to reach the fish was the one doing the catching. I only had to keep the kayak paddled slowly along the shoreline and in proper position. This was just one of many productive tandem kayak trips I’ve been on, but it illustrates how well two-person kayaks can be for fish catching. But even though tandem kayaks can be fine fishing craft, finding a good one can be a bit of work.
BENEFITS OF TANDEMS In a well-made and properly balanced tandem kayak, anglers can very effectively fish a shoreline or reef. If the paddler in back keeps the boat in constant correct position, the angler
PADDLE FISHING
in front can cast and retrieve quickly and efficiently, and sometimes really mop up on the fish. A tandem can be lots of fun to fish from. A tandem kayak allows the angler in front to concentrate on the fishing and leave the paddling to the person in back. It goes without saying that both folks in the kayak have to be in agreement with this arrangement for it to work. Both anglers trying to fish at the same time from a tandem kayak is guaranteed to cause trouble. Lines will get crossed, the boat will drift out of position for one or both of the anglers, and quite often, strong words will be directed toward the partner. Tandem kayak fishing works best when one person up front fishes and the other in the stern does boat control duty. Of course switching positions from time to time is a good idea to keep crew and angler both happy. Most full-time tandems are larger than single seat kayaks, and this larger size can provide more room for gear and supplies. Some tandems are built wider for more stability, and this can make paddling more of a chore than paddling a single kayak. Tandems present anglers with both advantages and disadvantages, but for many anglers, the advantages are by far the larger element. Tandems are very good particularly when fishing with inexperienced or young anglers. The newbie can sit up front and fish while the more experienced angler keeps the boat in position and provides assistance and advice when needed. A new angler can learn a lot about kayak fishing from a few hours spent in a tandem kayak with an angler who has been down the creek a few times.
DRAWBACKS OF TANDEMS The biggest drawback to tandem kayaks that we’ve found is simple. Some full-time tandems are just awful boats! We bought a tandem kayak some years back thinking that it would be fun to be able to fish together in a single boat. It made sense to us that having just one boat to unload and reload would make life simpler. We were wrong. This old tandem kayak was not an effective fishing boat. Thankfully, not all tandems are as bad as this horrible old kayak was. This tandem boat was hard to paddle, would not track straight at all, and was very heavy. It was a bad boat. How bad was this tandem kayak? I didn’t even report it to the police when it was stolen from our front porch. I actually felt bad for the poor fool who took it. As a practical on-the-water consideration, another drawback to tandems is that the crew both front and back have to be on the same page for the paddling to and from the fishing spots to be effective. Long distance paddling in a tandem requires both paddlers to be evenly matched. If the paddler in front of a full-time tandem is not a strong paddler, the person in back will have to do a lot of course corrections and strong paddling to keep up a desired course, especially
in rough or windy waters.
HAVE IT BOTH WAYS Some kayaks offer anglers a great deal of flexibility when it comes to being either single or tandem boats. Some kayaks can go from a fishing single to a fishing tandem in a very short period of time and with minimum modification to the boat.
A new angler can learn a lot about kayak fishing from a few hours spent in a tandem kayak with an angler who has been down the creek a few times.
For instance, my Kajun Custom 12 kayak is a very stable, effective fishing kayak built in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It allows me to use the boat as a single with one seat located just a little aft of the middle point of the boat, or by sliding the aft seat backward, to drop in another seat up forward for use by another angler. This kayak provides a stable fishing platform with decent paddling performance for two anglers and it’s not an expensive option to consider. The extra seat that makes the single a tandem is not expensive, and the time required to move and install the seats is limited. This single/tandem flexibility comes in a few other kayak models from various companies, but it is a feature that is well worth looking at for those anglers who don’t want or need a full-time tandem and just need that extra seat for special occasions.
TRY THEM OUT! Regardless of the kayak being considered for purchase for fishing use, no one should ever buy a kayak without a trial trip and this is especially true of tandems. Both paddlers who will be using the tandem need to try out the loading and unloading, the getting in and out of the boat, and the paddling of it. The handling and stability of tandem kayaks can be greatly affected by the placement of the crew. Anglers thinking of buying a tandem kayak need to experiment with moving the seats forward and backward to see how the boat handles in different loading arrangements. I’ve seen some awful tandems become quite pleasant and usable boats simply from rearranging the seating.
Important Information Kajun Custom Kayaks www.kckayaks.com
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 45
LAND SALES TIMBER SALES HOME SALES SELLING PROPERTIES IN ALABAMA, FLORIDA & GEORGIA FOR FIVE GENERATIONS. MUNFORD, ALA • Talladega County
GREENVILLE, ALA • Butler County
Turn key recreational tract with yearly income from a farm lease and a mixture of hardwood and pine timber. Known for its quality hunting and is loaded with deer and turkey.
Settled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, sits the Lake Mary Tract that features hunting, fishing, a home, and a guest house. LAKE MARY TRACT – 410 ACRES – $1,250,000 280 Lake Mary Lane BAY MINETTE, ALA • Baldwin County
ANCIENT OAK FARMS – 112 ACRES – $299,500 9953 Luverne Highway CASTLEBERRY, ALA • Conecuh County
Hardwood Bottoms and Pine Plantations cover and provide future income for the buyer plus excellent cover for the wildlife. Has a good network of roads. BARBARROW TRACT – 150 ACRES – $379,500 Pine Forest Road FLORIDA ESCAMBIA COUNTY ·Corley Road Farm 200 Acres $1,699,995 ·Hwy 99 Tract 125 Acres $408,375 ·Barrineau Park Tract 33 Acres $247,500 ·Brown Foundation Tract $59,995 ·Byrneville Tract 118.5 Acres $266,625 ·Byrneville Tract 83 Acres $186,750 HOLMES COUNTY ·Beall Packing Road 68 Acres $138,000 SANTA ROSA COUNTY ·Hutto Tract 200 Acres $333,000 WALTON COUNTY ·Watson Tract 200 Acres $599,500 ·Sandy Creek Tract Acres $199,500
ALABAMA BALDWIN COUNTY ·Bushy Creek Tract 275 Acres $499,500
MOBILE OFFICE 800-704-0645
·Grover Weekley Tract 88 Acres $199,000 ·Mrs. Weekley Tract 352 Acres $686,400 BIBB COUNTY ·Millsap Tract 483 Acres $749,500 ·Hwy 5 Tract 156 Acres $257,500 BUTLER COUNTY ·N. Mt Zion Road 81 Acres $169,900 ·Aztec Road 91 Acres $150,000 ·Shackleville Road 87 Acres $110,000 < SOLD > ·Shows Tract 36 Acres $83,000 COFFEE COUNTY ·Cr 407 Tract. 213 Acres $595,335 ·Cr 377 Tract 322 Acres $418,600 ·Zion Chapel 183 Farm 183 Acres $464,820 < SOLD > CONECUH COUNTY ·Carr Tract 258 Acres $598,000 PERRY COUNTY ·Cahaba Valley Tract 327 Acres $489,500
The Joe Reeves Road Tract is a turn key recreation and timber property that is set up perfect for hunting, fishing and timber investment. JOE REEVES ROAD TRACT – 352 ACRES – $917,500 1483 Joe Reeves Road
CRENSHAW COUNTY ·Cr 11 220 Acres $484,000 ·Faulk Road Tract 194 Acres $368,600 ·Hudson Settlement Tract 120 Acres $299,500 ·Provitt Road 96 Acres $211,200 ·Mothershed Road Tract 109 Acres $189,900 ·Tomlin Mill Creek 80 Acres $144,000 ·Dicks Road Tract 274 Acres $625,600 ·Mayberry Gulley Road 39 Acres $97,500 ·Mayberry Gulley Road 32 Acres $80,000 ·Smith Co. Road 77 Tract 386 Acres $868,500 GENEVA COUNTY ·River Road Tract 1077 Acres $1,287,015 LOWNDES COUNTY ·Stallworth Tract 320 Acres $400,000 MOBILE COUNTY
WWW.BUTLERLANDANDTIMBER.COM
·Russell Road 394 Acres $630,000 WASHINGTON COUNTY ·Sacco Tract 160 Acres $247,000 ·Saccojawea Tract 160 Acres $200,000 ESCAMBIA COUNTY ·Sizemore Creek Tract 135 Acres $350,000 ·Wild Fork Creek Tract 253 Acres $875,000 ·Hammac Road Tract 160 Acres $432,000 < SOLD > ·Pineview Tract 160 acres $399,995 ·Strength Tract 80 acres $159,995 ·Mable Leigh Tract 80 acres $180,000 ·BeaverCreek Tract 88 acres $199,995 ·Middle Creek Tract 63 Acres $110,000 PIKE COUNTY ·Buckhorn Tract 242 Acres $484,500 < SOLD > ·Warrick Tract 218 Acres $572,220 WILCOX COUNTY ·Tri-County Tract 134 Acres $480,000
LUVERNE OFFICE 334-335-6784
COASTAL SPORTSMAN
: S
B O T R S P
T I A
E B E E H H T T H? K S S ' I S A HAT EDF W RR FO
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 CS 1
CS 2 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
What's the Best Bait for Redfish?
IN THE BAY AND BAYOUS
This time of year the redfish will bunch up along the marshes in the northern Mississippi Sound and look to move into protected bayous and creeks as the water temperature starts to drop.
BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn
My rod tip jerked down hard toward the water, and my line came very tight. Water boiled along the muddy bayou shoreline as something very strong pulled line off my reel and surged with power up the narrow channel. As the fish’s run stopped in the deepest part of the bayou, I could feel the angry head shakes as the fish fought against the pressure of my line. With a little pull-back on my end of the line and some patience, the strong fish finally began to come my way, and when I saw the bronze sides, red fins, and electricblue margin of the tail, I knew that I had encountered another example of my favorite inshore game fish.
We’ve fished quite a bit with Captain Richard Rutland of Cold Blooded Fishing in Mobile and we’ve found that he knows how to locate and catch redfish no matter what time of year it might be. “In the spring, redfish will be coming out of the creeks and bayous along the biggest bodies of water and will start to look for places with structure to live on for the warmer months of the year,” Rutland said. “A spinnerbait is an effective bait this time of year because we tend to have some spring rains that will dirty up the water. The vibration of the blade along with the scent from a GULP! will help the fish find your lure.” In summer, anglers who follow Rutland’s advice will find that reds tend to spread out. Anglers can find them in a number of places including marsh grass, oyster shells, rocks, dock pilings, grass lines, beaches, gas platforms and other locations. Live bait is a good tactic to use at this time of year- popping corks with live shrimp will almost always work. In fall and winter, Rutland has special advice for redfish seeking anglers. “This time of year the redfish will bunch up along the marshes in the northern Mississippi Sound and look
I have to admit, I love catching Gulf Coast redfish in any situations, and these strong, aggressive fish never fail to make me smile. One of the very best things about fishing for redfish is that there are so many ways to target them and many lure and bait choices for anglers to use. A couple of local expert anglers who have caught loads of big reds over the years give us their thoughts on the best baits and lures to offer the redfish for best results.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 CS 3
What's the Best Bait for Redfish?
to move into protected bayous and creeks as the water temperature starts to drop. The fun part about this time of year is when you find one fish, you usually find them all! I tend to leave the live bait at the dock and rely on artificials,”
In warmer water (above 70 degrees) live or fresh dead cut bait work better because they stay on the hook better, and the larger baits are less prone to being ’pecked away’ by pinfish and other small fish in relatively shallow water, When we asked Rutland to recommend the most effective artificial lures for reds, he responded quickly saying, ” The most effective lure by far is going to be a popping cork with a Berkeley GULP! I like several different styles and colors including mantis shrimp in the New Penny color and the Swimming Mullet in chartreuse. This setup is great because you can cast the popping cork a country mile and cover a lot of water in a short amount of time to find the fish. I try to make the loudest pop that I can without snatching the cork out of the water.” Rutland continues, “The second setup I like for redfish is a spinnerbait. I like the H&H Heavy Duty spinnerbait because redfish can be tough on tackle and you need this heavier gauge wire frame. I remove the jig head that comes with the bait and replace it with a Hogie 3/8 oz. 4/0 jig head because I like the gap size and the screw lock on them. I like to put a GULP! Swimming Mullet in chartreuse on the jig head for the added scent.” For live bait, Rutland says, “Day in day out, the most effective live bait for slot-size redfish are crustaceans. They feed and forage by using their sense of smell, so using a shrimp or crab is your best bet. Probably about 95% of the time I am using live shrimp because they are so readily available at various bait and tackle shops around the area. Live crabs are great bait, too, but are much harder to come by at bait shops or even catching them yourself.” IN OFF THE BEACH Beach fishing expert David Thornton has some great advice for anglers who want to get into some good red fishing off the sand and the planks of the local piers. Thornton says, “The single best bait for redfish (in cool water) is the beach ghost shrimp. This is the #1 prey CS 4 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Ron Davis 3766 Airport Boulevard Mobile geico.com/mobile-al | 251-445-0053
SAVINGS AND SERVICE THAT WILL FLOAT YOUR BOAT
Limitations apply. See geico.com for more details.©GEICO & affiliates.©Washington, DC 20076 © 2018 GEICO
CAMPER CITY TRUCK ACCESSORIES
Specializing in Truck Toppers + Accessories • Spray-in/Drop-in Bedliners • Bug Shields • Gooseneck & 5th Wheel hitches
• Vent Visors • Running Boards • Warn Winches • Bed Covers
And MORE! Mobile 1051 N. Schillinger Rd. Mobile, AL 36608 (251) 633-9004 1-800-431-6692
Pascagoula 1340 Denny Ave. (Hwy 90) Pascagoula, MS 39567 (228) 762-6082 1-877-732-8782
hattiesburg 7166 Hwy. 49 N. Hattiesburg, MS 39401 (601) 296-1800 1-888-730-0432
November Flounder - Find ‘Em, Catch ‘Em, Eat ‘Em Up!
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 CS 3
What's the Best Bait for Redfish?
TRACTOR
BAY TRANSMISSION
PARTS AND EQUIPMENT All Makes and Models
LAWNMOWER
PARTS AND BLADES
FREE ESTIMATES
• Transmission Specialist • High Performance Transmission • Expert Electronic Diagnostics • Automatic, Manual & Clutch Repairs • 4x4 Transmissions • General Repair • AC Service • Brakes Credit Cards Accepted • Radiators Fleet Accounts • Starters
251-626-3540
4935 Battleship Parkway Spanish Fort, Al 36567 • Mon - Fri • 8-5 20 Years at Present Location • Jake Jordan , Manager
CS 6 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Equipment Sales Company 2505 US Hwy. 31 S • Bay Minette AL, 36507
(251) 937-5313 toddlong1964@att.net
What's the Best Bait for Redfish?
item for them, even in the dead of winter. Either in the cuts of beach sandbars or just outside the sandbars, redfish of all sizes (black drum and pompano, too) will seek them out like a bloodhound on the trail.” When the water and the weather begins to warm in the spring, beach anglers looking for redfish may want to change gears a little.
One of the very best things about fishing for redfish is that there are so many ways to target them and many lure and bait choices for anglers to use.
”In warmer water (above 70 degrees) live or fresh dead cut bait work better because they stay on the hook better, and the larger baits are less prone to being ’pecked away’ by pinfish and other small fish in relatively shallow water,” Thornton said. For those beach anglers who want to catch some hardpulling reds on artificial lures, Thornton tells us that
simple lures are best. “At least fifty percent of the time, the single best lure for redfish would be a three or four inch GULP! Shrimp fished on a 3/8 oz jig head. These lures imitate the beach ghost shrimp by sight and scent. And there is also a good chance of catching flounder on this lure as a by-catch. The slow, methodical retrieve is a great way to concentrate on sandbar edges that may hold fish. But sometimes a ¾ oz spoon like the Mr. Champ or Sidewinder can be VERY effective. These are great imitations of small baitfish that may be present in the surf zone. And with the constant cast and retrieve of a lure, anglers can cover a lot of water in search of redfish that may be spread out in the longshore trough along sandbar edges.” Important Contact Information Captain Richard Rutland Cold Blooded Fishing 251-459-5077 www.coldbloodedfishing.com David Thornton pierpounder@gmail.com 251-408-3397 • 251-458-2775
WE SERVICE ALL BRANDS OF GUN SAFES BUT...
WE PROUDLY SELL ONLY HOLLON GUN SAFES
(251) 479-5264
457 Dauphin Island Parkway “At the Loop” Mobile, AL 36606 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 CS 7
What's the Best Bait for Redfish?
Why settle for this? Most fishermen donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a place to clean fish that they are proud of or enjoy.
Killer Drains Follow Like Share
We make the greatest fish cleaning stations known to mankind. CS 8 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Killer Tables Killer Shade Wa n n a s e e m o r e ? W i p e t h e d r o o l f r o m y o u r c h i n a n d g o v i s i t o u r k i l l e r w e b s i t e .
WWW.KILLERDOCK.COM
CAMPHOUSE KITCHEN
BY HANK SHAW
Photos by Holly A. Heyser and Hank Shaw
Without habitat, there is no hunting, no fishing, no foraging. Such a simple statement, seemingly obvious to all. But it isn’t, apparently. If you are reading this, chances are you are a hunter, an angler or a forager. Our very way of life — or at least our favored avocation — relies on wild places that are clean and not yet blanketed by subdivisions or strip malls. Those who know me know I am fond of saying that nature is not a museum, but our home. It is a fitting analogy. No house can stand for long without care. Without our active help, our natural home will fall again into disrepair, as it did in the “Bad Old Days” of DDT and smog, acid rain and rivers that burned. We are living in an age of renewed interest in the pursuit of wild food. Fishing is as popular as ever, and the surge in new hunters and foragers in recent years is nothing short of astounding. Hunting, fishing and foraging for food — as opposed to antlered trophies or a fiberglass marlin for your wall — has always been the primary impetus to get out into the field, and a new set of people seeking a direct connection to the food they feed themselves and their families is in no small part responsible for this surge. I don’t go a week without getting an email from someone asking me advice on how to get started as a hunter, angler or forager. This has been going on for several years. But as I’ve talked with literally hundreds of new hunters, I’ve noticed something glaring: Many seem to spurn their cousins in what I call the “traditional” hunting community. Politics certainly plays a role. Many of the new hunters I meet are left of center on the political spectrum, and they view the hook-and-bullet world as reactionary or little more than tools of the National Rifle Association. And on the other side of the coin, the largely rural “traditional” hunters view the newcomers as Prius-driving, liberal dilettantes. The truth is of course far more complex.
Beyond that, there is a myth among new hunters that long-time hunters merely eat the choicest bits of an animal, leaving the rest to rot, if they eat the animal at all. I freely admit I used to think this way, a decade ago. While I’ve never had a problem getting along with people of all political stripes, I was a political reporter for nearly 20 years, after all, I certainly held my nose high when I heard about how this hunter or that angler cooked his or her quarry. But as I met more and more “traditional” hunters, and actually listened to them, I began to realize that even though they might not make a liver creme caramel from that whitetail they just brought home, they might still just cook up that liver in some butter, or grind it into sausage. And isn’t that the point? To eat it, and not to waste. Everything else is aesthetics. It is this culture clash that lies at the root of a much larger dilemma. In my experience, the vast majority of the new hunters, or as my friend Tovar Cerulli calls them “adult-onset hunters,” either have never heard of the various habitat organizations organized around the animals they seek, or reject them as right-wing old boys’ clubs. This is a grave error. These groups, and there is one for almost every major game animal or fish out there, are a vital force for restoring, maintaining and expanding the habitats we hunt, fish or forage in — yes foragers, remember: We pick our wild plants and mushrooms in the grouse woods, or the hedgerows pheasants live in, or the duck marsh. Chances are that at least some of the time you pursue your game, fish or plants in a place maintained or created by one of these groups. What’s more, many of these groups actively help new hunters and anglers acquire the skills they need to take to the field. They, educate children not only about hunting and angling, but also 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 47
Camphouse Kitchen
about the natural environments where these pursuits take place, and lobby state and local governments to protect and defend natural habitat against both the pressures of industry and big agriculture. I might also add that because our pursuits are consumptive, we take animals and plants from the environment, it is doubly important for us to give back to the habitats we hunt or fish or forage in. Think about it: To not become a member of one of these groups is analogous to listening to public radio without pledging. And yes, I know most of you fall into this category. But I am betting that many of you who don’t give to NPR feel just a little bit guilty come pledge time. As it should be. Thankfully, joining a habitat group is considerably cheaper than the typical public radio pledge. Almost every group out there offers a basic membership for $35, and Delta Waterfowl ($30) and the Ruffed Grouse Society ($25) are even cheaper. Basically it’s the cost of one or two boxes of shells, or a reel of good braided line. A small price to pay to help the ducks, or grouse, or trout, or pheasants. I can hear what some of you are thinking: You are leery of giving money to a charity because you aren’t sure that your money will actually be spent helping the animals. I was, too. So I did some digging. According to Charity Watch, the watchdog group of the American Philanthropic Association, “most highly efficient charities are able to spend 75 percent or more on programs.” So I looked into Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Trout Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl Association, California Waterfowl and Cal Trout: Every single habitat group except for Cal Trout meets that criteria. In terms of money spent on programs versus administration and fundraising costs, according to Charity Navigator Cal Trout was the “worst” at 72 percent, and at the other end of the scale Pheasants Forever (which is also Quail Forever) scored 88 percent, the Wild Turkey Federation 89 percent and the Elk Foundation 90 percent. But joining these groups is more than just dollars and efficiency. It’s about joining a community. Anyone who has ever been to a Pheasants Forever banquet has witnessed an amazing conglomeration of people all united in their desire to help the pheasants or ducks or whatever the animal in question is. I’ve seen lawyers and butchers, pastors and construction workers, teachers and nurses all sitting next to each other at these events, chatting it up and telling stories. 48 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Make no mistake: I hunt, fish and forage to feed myself. But these pursuits are far more important to me than mere calories. They are a way of life. A way of life that needs all of us to take an active part in its preservation. So if you are a member of one or more of these groups, as I am, I thank you. If not, I humbly ask you to consider joining one. Here’s how: California Waterfowl Association Cal Trout Delta Waterfowl Association Ducks Unlimited Mule Deer Foundation National Wild Turkey Federation North American Grouse Partnership (for prairie grouse) Pheasants Forever (note, I have a special joining page with PF) Quail Forever (note, I also have a special joining page with QF) Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Ruffed Grouse Society Trout Unlimited
• • • • • • • • • • • •
Camphouse Kitchen
Belgian Carbonnade
Prep: 15 mins • Cook Time: 3 hours • Total: 3 hr 15 mins I use shanks here because they have so much connective tissue: Once they break down, all that stuff makes the broth silky and it tastes as if there is a ton of fat in there, but there isn’t. If I don’t have shanks, shoulder is the way to go. You could do this with a large hind leg roast, but it would not be as silky. If you are using store-bought meat, my top choices would be beef shanks, stew meat and lamb shoulder. The beer matters here. Make this with a real Belgian abbey ale and you will understand why this is such a famous dish. The mustard is also pretty important, although not as much as the beer. Try to get a natural mustard, like a Dijon, not one with turmeric added for extra yellow. You don’t need color here, you need flavor. As for the mushrooms, I use dried morels or porcini. Any good dried mushroom will do.
the bone in large pieces, about 2 to 4 inches across; same thing if you are using shoulder meat. If you are using venison shanks, you can leave them whole if they will fit into your pot. 2. Heat the duck fat or butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry and brown it well on all sides. Salt them as they cook. You might need to do this in batches. Remove the pieces as they brown and set aside in a bowl. 3. When the meat has all browned, add the sliced onions and mix well. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the onions until they are nicely browned and soft, which can take a solid 20 minutes. About halfway through, salt the onions and add the chopped mushrooms and thyme. 4. When the onions are ready, return the meat and all juices from the bowl into the pot. Mix in the mustard, then add enough flour to dust everything in the pot. 5. Stir in the mushroom soaking water (strain it if there is debris in it), the venison broth and at least one bottle of the Belgian beer. You want the meat to just barely be covered. Pour in more beer if need be. Bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, cover and cook slowly until the meat is really tender, anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 hours if it’s a big ole’ bull elk. 6. Once the meat is tender, whisk in the red currant jelly, the vinegar and add black pepper to taste. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with spaetzle, egg noodles or potatoes. NOTE: Like all stews, this one is even better the next day, and it reheats beautifully so it’s perfect to make on a Sunday for lunches or quick dinners during the week. If you’re into Belgian flavors, try my Venison Steak Belgian Style.
Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
3 pounds elk shank, venison shanks or shoulder meat 1/4 cup duck fat or unsalted butter Salt 3 onions, peeled and sliced root to tip 1 ounce dried mushrooms, rehydrated in 1 cup warm water and chopped 2 teaspoons dried thyme 3 or 4 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons mustard, Dijon is best 1 cup venison or beef broth 1 or 2 bottles of beer, Belgian abbey ale is traditional 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 heaping tablespoon red currant jelly Black pepper Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions 1. If you are using elk shanks, cut the shank off
Duck with Grapes
Prep: 20 mins • Cook Time: 2 hours • Total: 2 hr 20 mins This is a very simple recipe that I do with fat wild ducks. You can use domesticated ducks equally well. Don’t do this with a skinny wild duck, as the meat will dry out too much. And yes, it must be done with a plucked duck. Substitute pearl onions for shallots if you want. Always eat this with 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 49
Camphouse Kitchen
good bread. Ingredients • • • • • • • •
2 whole small wild ducks, or 1 large wild duck, or a domestic Salt 1 pound red grapes, on the stems 12 to 15 shallots or pearl onions 2 bay leaves 1 bunch fresh thyme, on the stems 1 cup duck or chicken stock 1 cup red wine
Instructions 1. Salt the ducks well, inside and out. Preheat the oven to 400F. Pour the stock and red wine into the bottom of a heavy, lidded pot such as a Dutch oven. Add the 2 bay leaves. Arrange the shallots, grapes and thyme in the pot, then nestle the ducks on top. Cover the pot and roast in the oven for 90 minutes. 2. Uncover the pot and let everything cook down. This will also crisp the skin of the ducks. This can take anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes, depending on how fat your birds were. Keep an eye on it. 3. Slice the ducks in half lengthwise, and serve everyone a half duck with some of the shallots and grapes, along with lots of sauce. NOTE: Like all stews, this one is even better the next day, and it reheats beautifully so it’s perfect to make on a Sunday for lunches or quick dinners during the week. If you’re into Belgian flavors, try my Venison Steak Belgian Style.
German Rabbit Stew
Prep: 30 mins • Cook Time: 2 hours • Total: 2 hr 30 mins Flavorwise, this stew is similar to my recipe for German 50 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
meatballs, with a little sour cream, capers and lemon. It is a flavor combination common in southern Germany, and really works well with lighter meats. Chicken thighs would work well here, too, as would pheasant. There is another version of this stew in Germany that uses veal, too. It is a two-step stew, meaning you make the base and “mount” it with sour cream, white wine and capers right at the end. Once you add those final ingredients you are committed, so if you want to make this for dinners or lunches for the week, store just the base (up to Step 4) and add the remaining ingredients when you want to eat. Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
2 cottontail rabbits, or 1 domestic rabbit, cut into serving pieces Salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 to 2 cups chicken stock 1 onion, sliced root to tip Zest of a lemon white pith removed, cut into wide strips 2 to 3 bay leaves 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons capers 1/2 cup sour cream White wine to taste, at least 2 tablespoons Black pepper Parsley for garnish
Instructions 1. Salt the rabbit pieces well and set aside for 10 minutes or so. Set a Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot over medium-high heat. Pat the rabbit pieces dry and brown well on all sides. You may need to do this in batches, so don’t crowd the pot and don’t rush things. Remove the rabbit pieces once they’re browned. This may take 15 minutes or so. 2. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, then the sliced onion and cook until the edges just begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the flour turns golden, about 5 minutes. 3. Return the rabbit to the pot and add enough chicken stock to cover. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the lemon zest, bay leaves and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently until the rabbit wants to fall off the bone, which will take anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how old your rabbit was. 4. This is an optional step, but I prefer it: Turn off the heat, fish out the rabbit pieces and let the cool on a baking sheet. Pull all the meat off the bones and return the meat to the stew. I don’t like fiddly stews with bones in them, so I do this. You can leave everything on the bone if you want. 5. You can now store the stew for several days. Or you can serve it at once. Turn the heat to low
Camphouse Kitchen
just to make sure the stew is nice and hot. Do not let it simmer. Add the sour cream, capers and as much white wine as you want -- you want the stew to be a bit zingy. Stir in a healthy amount of black pepper and garnish with parsley. NOTE: Serve this with bread or potatoes and a crisp, German white wine. A lager beer would be good, too.
• • • •
1 quart of the appropriate stock, boar, beef, chicken, etc 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
Instructions 1. Cut the meat into large stewing pieces about 1-2 inches across. Salt well and set aside. 2. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles, tear them into pieces and put into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them and cover. Let this stand until the chiles are rehydrated, about 30 minutes. Once the chiles are soft, put them in a blender with enough of the chile soaking water to make a puree the consistency of ketchup. If you want -- and I recommend this -- push the sauce through a fine-meshed strainer (into another bowl) to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin. 3. In a heavy, lidded pot or Dutch oven, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel and brown it well. Do this in batches and take your time. Remove the meat as it browns and set aside. 4. Add the onions to the pot and cook them, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown on the edges. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Return the meat to the pot and mix in all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the meat is tender. 5. Serve with tortillas or over rice, garnished with queso seco, cilantro, maybe some raw onion, avocado and hot sauce.
Wild Boar Chile Colorado
Prep: 30 mins • Cook Time: 3 hours • Total: 3 hr 30 mins Chile colorado is a red chile sauce seasoned with a little cinnamon and Mexican oregano and thinned with a little broth. There are many, many variations on this sauce, so use this recipe as a guide. One tip: Don’t use overly hot dried chiles or the stew will become inedible. If you want more heat, add it with hot sauce at the end. The sauce stores really well in the fridge, so if you make a big batch it will keep. Serve chile colorado with tortillas, rice, some dry Mexican cheese like queso seco, cilantro and a lime. Ingredients • • • • • • • •
2 pounds wild boar, venison, pheasant or turkey legs, etc. Salt 2 dried chipotle chiles 4 dried ancho chiles 4 dried guajillo chiles 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil 2 cups chopped onion 5 garlic cloves, minced
AL
LA MS
WHATEVER The Farm MEANS TO YOU, LET FIRST SOUTH FINANCE IT.
FIRSTSOUTHLAND.COM | 800-955-1722 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 51
Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook
BY DAVID THORNTON Photos by David Thornton
January typically brings in the coldest winter weather, thus some of the most challenging fishing conditions faced by shorebound anglers along the “Emerald Coast” for the year. Now more than ever, decisions made about what bait, tackle, location and timing are critical keys for success. Still many opportunities to catch fish present themselves to those able to prepare and fish during the calmer weather cycles (a day or two after a front). Though the pelagic fish species are long gone, resident species of the drum fish family are still active, even in the relatively cold
52 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
50 to 60 degree water. Large redfish and black drum are intermittently available for anglers using crab or fresh cut bait along the gulf beaches and jetties near passes and inlets in Alabama and Northwest Florida. Also from the end of the beach front piers from Gulf Shores to Panama City Beach. Thankfully those large piers were spared from the wrath of major Hurricane “Michael”. Alabama Point jetty and seawall along with the jetties near Fort Gaines and those at the West End of Dauphin Island Alabama, provide lots of hard structure and moving water to attract red and black drum
FISHING OUTLOOK
and other winter game fish as well. Bluefish, sheepshead and occasionally even pompano take advantage of the feeding opportunities these locations offer. Likewise do those jetties at Fort Pickens near the mouth of Pensacola Bay, near Destin Pass and St Andrews Bay in the Florida Panhandle. Also the public beaches of Dauphin Island (where Pelican Island joined), the West End Beach near “Katrina Cut” and the National Seashore and Gulf State Park areas offer Alabama surf anglers miles of undeveloped beaches to explore for “whiting” and pompano. They may even occasionally catch the larger versions of drum when targeting the smaller fish. There are similarly notable stretches along the Florida Panhandle too, like Johnson’s Beach, Fort Pickens and other National Seashores. Long or arduous hikes are standard procedure for the determined angler to reach some of these locations. But the rewards are often worth the effort even under less than ideal weather conditions. Panfish are also accessible to these boatless anglers who can find legal access to protected back bay waters when the gulf is too rough. They often catch croaker, white trout, ground mullet, puppy drum, sheepshead, slot reds, speckled trout and even some flounder. Live shrimp with a light tackle presentation near the jetties and piers is often the ticket for the later species. These are also caught from private piers and publicly accessible locations along the Waterway in Gulf Shores or from the Cedar Point Pier at the north end of the Dauphin Island Bridge in Alabama. Three Mile and the Bob Sikes bridges near Pensacola and the Destin bridge offer similar venues to Panhandle fishers. Using the FRESHEST dead shrimp you can buy is often the difference between catching a mess of panfish for dinner, and just standing in the cool wind and catching a cold. Use just enough weight and terminal tackle to target the fish you expect to catch when seeking the near shore panfish like whiting. And if you use Fishbites, be sure it is the “Fast Acting” formula in the red or orange packs (for cooler water). An even better bait for wintertime fishing is the Beach Ghost shrimp (Callichirus islagrande). These are the primary food item for most of the available gulf species, and make a very effective bait for pompano, whiting and other members of the drum fish family throughout the cold water months. Used live, fresh dead or even frozen, they will catch all the aforementioned species as well as being a great bait for sheepshead. Usually not for sale, they can be gathered rather easily by individuals at times near low tide along the gulf beaches. Part of the quest is leaning to properly use the suction device called a “Ghost
Shrimp Pump” made of PVC pipe. (see GDO magazine April 2018) Simply look for the small 1 inch high mounds at the top of the shrimp burrow and draw the plunger upward. This sucks up the sand and (hopefully) the 2”-4” long shrimp, which looks like a cross between a soft-shelled crayfish and a freshwater river shrimp. Unlike conventional bait shrimp (pinead), the ghost shrimp require little care (aeration) to remain alive. Several dozen can be kept in a 5 gallon bucket all day, or overnight with just a few inches of sand and salt water.
Though the pelagic fish species are long gone, resident species of the drum fish family are still active, even in the relatively cold 50 to 60 degree water.
Their presentation is similar to fishing other bait shrimp, and they can simply be threaded onto a medium sized single or even treble hook. Then cast it to the strike zone with a light weight either pinched on the line or rigged ‘Carolina’ style as a Fishfinder rig. Use just enough weight to keep the bait on the bottom under the conditions you encounter. Otherwise the heavy weight or terminal tackle may interfere with the bite (or detection of the bite) by the wary, lethargic fish. The ever popular double drop rigs (pompano rigs) are still effective at times, but not as much so in calm, clear, colder water. The main thing is to add a bit of variety to your bait spread presentation until you find a pattern the fish like that day. Conditions such as the amount of sunlight, wind speed and direction, wave size, water clarity, etc. can vary a good bit. Even the small daily tidal variation is important to the feeding habits of the fish. So adjusting to those changes, or moving to find and stay with biting fish can be a big challenge for fishermen not so accustomed to this type of fishing. It is always a good idea to take a little time and talk to your fellow fishermen to find out what they have been catching, and how, and even when. Most fishermen are quick to brag, especially when you have given them reports or advice in the past. So networking can be vitally important to helping you be more successful while fishing, even in mid winter, as you enjoy your great days outdoors. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 53
Gulf Coast Fishing Outlook
BY MIKE THOMPSON Photos by Mike Thompson
There’s nothing like a brisk winter breeze to inspire the angler or make them think the choice of fishing that day was a wise one. For those with multiple years on the water, cooler winds can sometimes advance the bite to peak levels. With the right clothing, gloves and headgear, the mission can be successful. So, are you ready? Then let’s look at a few places to try.
BAMA COAST January fishing on the Bama Coast can best be described as “low and slow.” Inshore anglers seeking speckled trout will have to search the deeper areas of rivers and bayous to find “trout sanctuaries.” Speckled trout and the baitfish they seek will be looking for deeper areas that provide both temperature and salinity comfort in winter. Deeper areas of Dog River and East Fowl River will hold nice concentrations of specks in January. Both places are great to troll soft plastics behind the boat. Theodore Industrial Canal will also be a great place to target big specks
when they go deep. Root beer colored sparkle beetles, trolled close to the bottom, can be great producers in January. White trout should also be holding around the old Navy Homeport this month. Fresh pieces of dead shrimp will take the whites. Chartreuse colored curly tail grubs will fool the aggressive whites too. Redfish will be holding in the channels under the Dauphin Island Bridge this month. A good-sized piece of shrimp will tempt the redfish. Sheepshead will also be holding on the down current side of the bridge supports. Pieces of shrimp will also take the big sheepshead. MISSISSIPPI COAST Some of the finest speckled trout angling takes place every January in the rivers and bayous of the Magnolia State. The fish are found in in the same places using the same methods. Captain Bill Hancock, AKA “Wild Bill,” of Reel Outlaw Charters, concentrates his efforts on the great trout fishing that takes place in the
54 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
deeper spots of state waters. “Our speckled trout have been gorging themselves for months on the abundance of white shrimp that were in the estuary. Now those shrimp are gone and the trout are forced to forage on finfish. I focus on the bays and bayous with holes from eight-foot to twenty- foot to locate schools of fish. Our specks can move up as much as ten-miles north of the coastline,” Hancock explained. Hancock will target bends, twist and turns that offer fish the opportunity to ambush bait. The water is usually clear, and the fish can be spooky. “I use braided line and a fluorocarbon leader at this time of the year and lighter colored baits in this clear water condition. One of my favorites is the Matrix Shad in the Holey Joely color. I fish it on a ¼ ounce head and probe the water column slowly. The bite can be very subtle and lite, so you have to set the hook on anything at all,” Hancock said.
FISHING OUTLOOK
While Hancock does not employ this technique, he sees lots of anglers trolling hard, heavy pugs for trout in January . The ones most often seen are the MirrOlure and Rat-L-Trap. FLORIDA FOCUS Florida panhandle anglers are still reeling from the devastating Hurricane Michael, that caused unbelievable damage along the northwest Florida Coast. For many charter captains, it will be a long time before they can make their living on the water again. However, others were spared and we spoke to one of the lucky ones. Captain Josh Lim, at Lim-it-out Charters in Pensacola is up and running and should be able to provide exciting action to his clients during January. “January is speck time for us and it doesn’t matter how cold we get, we can still count on active speckled trout in the upper bays, bayous and creeks. Even during freezes we catch nice trout in three feet of water or less,” Lim said. “We also catch largemouth bass, reds
and even sheepshead on the lures we use.” Capt. Lim says that the areas he fishes in January have a very good population of finger mullet. With that in mind he will use baits that resemble the mullet. “I like to use a five-inch, soft plastic, swim bait called the Rhythm Wave. It’s actually a bass lure, but the saltwater fish love it too. We rig it ‘line thru’ style, with a stout hook hanging out the tail of the lure. We swim it over and around ambush spots the fish hang out in. I prefer the white or pearl colored version,” Lim explained. For clients that prefer redfish. Lim uses a square billed crankbait that he swims along the creek banks. “We target points, bends and the mouths of creeks to connect with the reds. Silver with a bit of chartreuse is a favorite producer,” Lim said. Another option available during January is the hunt for hybrid and stripers. “For the best striper and hybrid action you
need to be on the water at daylight on the coldest days of January. We will be looking for the schools of mullet busting during first light. It only last about an hour and a half, but hooking stripers from five-to-thirty-five pounds is possible, “Lim said. CONCLUSION January can be a tough month to fish, but the lack of anglers on the water makes it a little easier to get on fish. Be sure to wear the proper clothing, along with gloves and hat, to truly enjoy the experience. See you on the water!
Important Information Matrix Shad-Holey Joely www.matrixshad.com Reel Outlaw Charters-Biloxi 601-807-5811 Lim-It-Out Charters-Pensacola 650-201-4604 www.limitoutcharters.com
INVENTORY REDUCTION SALE! MAKE ROOM FOR 2019 - MAJOR CLOSEOUT
Financing Available • Low Notes #1 in Customer Service in Mobile and Baldwin County
Full Service Department
*We service all Outboard Motors, Fresh & Saltwater, All Makes
Triton Aluminum 1860 SC
COMPLETE LINE OF TRUCK ACCESSORIES
• • • •
Weather Tech Floor Mats UWS Tool Boxes AVS Rain Guards Tri-Fold Leer Bedcover AND MORE!
16 years in business! 251-679-5959 www.trottermarine.net
VT-17 2017 Crestliners w/60-4 Stroke
GO BOLDLY.
17’ Crestliner 1650 SC
5717 Hwy 43, Satsuma 1 mile south of Exit 19 (from I-65) 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 55
Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook
BY ALEX GRANPERE Photos by Ed Mashburn
ALABAMA WATERS
LAKE GUNTERSVILLE Captain Jake Davis of Mid-South Bass Guide Service says, “In January, there will be a pretty good crank bait bite, Rat-L-Traps will be good, and jerk baits will also work. These hard baits should have some red or chartreuse accents on them. Red is always good at Guntersville.”
Bass anglers should work Guntersville along the bigger creek channels and the old grass line. Anywhere that narrows the creeks down and creates pinch points is a good place to look. Davis tells us that the bass will generally be holding in eight to twelve feet of water but that there will be some shallow bass in Guntersville at nearly all times and conditions. Crappie will be schooling up on the
A good thing about January fish on Guntersville is that most fishing trips won’t need to start until late in the morning. Davis advises us that this time of year, afternoon fishing after the sun gets up and warms the water a little is best.
bouncing for them. Put a 1 oz sinker at the end of the line and then put a 1/0 hook about 18 inches above the sinker. Put a live minnow or a soft tube body on the hook, and then tip the hook with a minnow. The preferred colors of the plastic jig will vary from day to day, but sometimes having the little extra attraction of the soft plastic jig can make a big difference. Bounce this rig right on the bottom and feel for bites which may be pretty soft this time of year.
MILLER’S FERRY Joe Dunn from Dunn’s Sports says, “The crappie will usually be out in the main body of the river on deeper ledges. Look for the bigger schools of crappie in 20 to 25 feet of water.”
One thing that Dunn advises crappie anglers to be aware of is that if a lot of current is moving through the lake, the crappie may relocate to the larger sloughs and creek to get out of the strong current.
The best technique for cold weather crappie at Miller’s Ferry is bottom
“The largemouth bass will be found not too far from their spawning areas,
bridges and anglers can have good luck with big crappie using small jigs and live minnows around the bridge structures. Fish the shadow lines of the bridges.
56 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
FISHING OUTLOOK
but they won’t be up in spawning water yet,” Dunn said. “Secondary ledges and points up the big sloughs can be good. In January there can be a good crank bait, spinnerbait and chatterbait bite in eight to ten feet of water.” If we get a few warm January days, the bass will pull a little shallower, but they are waiting for steady warmer water in their spawning areas. As far as colors and patterns for Miller’s Ferry cool weather bass, Dunn says, “ Ninety per cent of the time here at Miller’s Ferry, bass lures need to be in some kind of shad color and pattern. Toward the end of the month and going into February and March, crawfish will start to emerge, and then a crawfish pattern is good.” Dunn warns boaters to be aware that in a river impoundment like Miller’s Ferry, boating conditions can change, especially after high water. “This time of year, water levels can go up and down. The bottom structure can change. Always practice caution, especially after high water may have relocated snags and logs. Even channels can change. Go slow around the lake at first,” Dunn advises.
SIPSEY FORK One good thing about fishing the cold waters of Sipsey Fork is that when the air temperatures get as cold as they ever do in Alabama, the water is still the same temperature it was in summer. The trout don’t care how cold it is, either.
The river stages and water flow will vary on amount of rainfall and water released from the Smith Lake dam to maintain the desired lake level above. Spinning gear anglers will have good luck with bubble-rigs using the same flies that fly rodders use. Four pound test line works best for the sharp-sighted rainbow trout. Riverside Fly Shop will be running float and wade trips all through January, and since the river is stocked well every month, there will be fish eager to bite.
MOBILE DELTA Captain Wayne Miller from Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service tells us that in January, everything on the Mobile Delta is dependent on the weather and not air temperatures. Water levels vary greatly in January, and water levels are critical in January. Miller says, “What we’re looking at, if the upper and middle Delta has flood waters, the bite shuts down. On the lower Delta, cold fronts combined with strong north winds can produce phenomenal fishing because the low waters concentrates the fish in creeks adjacent to the bays.”
The crappie will winter here in these creeks, and we’ll catch crappie fairly shallow- five to eight feet deep,
“South of Gravine Island is a maze of creeks which will help concentrate the bass. Navigation at this time can be a Randy Jackson of Riverside Fly Shop in problem, but the low water helps show Jasper, Al says that in January, there can anglers where the deepest water of the be good midge hatch, and often stone creeks and channels lies,” Miller adds. flies and blue wing olives will coming off, too. This can produce some very In January the water will be in the 50s, good fly fishing for rainbows. and medium to deep diving crawfish pattern crankbaits can be very good. Jackson says, “From January to March Plugs that run three to eight feet deep is a good time for nymph fishing on are good. Anglers might try a jig and the Sipsey Fork. The nymphs all have shaky head for a slower presentation. different configurations, and the flies to Darker colors are good and work well match them have bread heads and some most days. have wire to help sink them quickly. Other natural imitations sink slower. Anglers should look for creeks with The fish will tell an angler what sink deeper water and some tidal movement. rate and color they want.” Either tides going in or out will work,
but the bass bite best when the water is moving.
WILSON LAKE Captain Brian Barton says, “Even if the air is cold, when conditions are right, catfish can be caught. Give us two or three warm days, and the big cats may go on a feed, but it can be pretty iffy at this time of year.” To find the biggest catfish, anglers will need to use electronics to find the deep-water holding cats those in these in 60 to 70 feet of water. Drop a skipjack or big chunks of shad to the deep fish and give them time. Finding schools of shad is crucial this time of year and the fish we’re after will be around the shad. Most had schools will be holding at 45-55 feet of water and the bigger fish will be working below them. Fishing sunny bluffs, mostly on the north side of the lake, can be very good in January. The sun will warm up the water and this can draw the big fish to the warmer water to feed. Even if the really big catfish are hard to find and catch this time of year, anglers can count on catching an ice chest full of delicious cold-water catfish below the dams now.
EUFAULA Hawks Fishing Guide Service Captain Sam Williams tells us that the big slabs are active and very much able to be caught in January. “1/16 oz jigs in chartreuse, pink and white are all good colors to use, but each day is different, and the bigger fish will soon show their preference for color. Slow trolling with multiple rigs is probably the best way to find where the crappie are holding now.” Williams said. Anglers should look for the best concentrations of crappie in Sandy Branch, Taylor Creek, White Oak Creek, Barber Creek, and Cowwikee Creek. All of these creeks offer lots of cover for crappie so work the drop-offs and ledges in these creeks.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 57
Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook
White bass will be very good in the open main lake body. Try trolling with deep running crankbaits to find the actively feeding schools, but be ready for action. Very often some very big hybrids and even some really big stripers will be mixed in the with smaller white bass. Slowly worked soft plastics will be best for bass on Eufaula right now. The bass will be bunched up in creek channels, so when they are found, it can be very good fishing.
WEISS LAKE According to Pitts Outdoors Guide Captain Lee Pitts,”About the second week of January, we start our ‘spring season’. We will be long-line trolling for some great crappie.” The lake is still is low-winter level, so the fish are funneled into the bigger creeks and tributaries to the main lake body. The crappie are getting ready to spawn. Big Creek, Cowan Creek, Spring Creek and Little River are some places to look for early season crappie. “The crappie will winter here in these creeks, and we’ll catch crappie fairly shallow- five to eight feet deep,” Pitts said. Pitts likes 1/12 oz Bobby Garland Mo-Glo jig heads with Baby Shad Swimmer soft plastic bodies. He advises crappie anglers, “ Don’t move the jigs too fast or with too much action.” Blue Grass, Ice Out, and Monkey Milk are all good crappie jig colors. Lake Weiss bass are generally slow and lethargic in January, but on warm days, they can move to four to six feet of water with wood cover, and they will be active then. “Anywhere there’s riprap in the water, that’s a good place to find winter bass,” advises Pitts. Both spots and largemouths will be on roadbeds, bridges with riprap, and shad pattern crank baits are good. This is also a good time for slow-rolled spinner baits worked around the rock structure.
FLORIDA WATERS
WAKULLA RIVER This clear, spring-fed river is a great place for bass anglers to come in cool weather for some hot action. Since the river’s temperature fluctuates very little year round, the fish never get lethargic and hard to find.
offs. The water level of the river can vary somewhat with the state of the tide down at St. Mark’s where the river joins the St. Mark’s River emptying to the Gulf. The usual best tides to fish up on the river will be spring tides where the water backs up all the way past the Highway 98 Bridge. A falling high tide can be very good, also. Bass anglers who fish below the Highway 98 Bridge should expect to encounter some good sheepshead and redfish which will jump on live shrimp or soft plastic jigs.
LAKE TALQUIN Jeff DuBree of Whippoorwill Lodge on Lake Talquin advises anglers looking for some really big bass to plan a trip to the northwest Florida lake and give the fishing a try. “January is traditionally a good month for the big bass. They are feeding up for the spawn which begin here in February. Fishing in six to twelve feet of water with big live shiners can be good,” DuBree said. The bass at Talquin will be moving up in the creeks by the end of the month, and anglers can have good results fishing with spinnerbaits and swim jigs. Crappie will be very good in January, also. Anglers looking to fill the ice chest with big slabs should try trolling in the mouths of creeks. A variety of 1/16 oz. jigs in different colors will work well. The weather will be the determining factor of where the crappie will be. If we have a warm, mild winter, the crappie will go on the spawning beds earlier in the month. The traditional hot months for crappie spawning on Talquin ranges from early February to late March. Catfish will be consistently good at Talquin in January is deeper water. Important Information Capt. Sam Williams Hawks Fishing Guide Service 334-355-5057 www.hawksfishingguideservice.com Capt. Lee Pitts 256-390-4145 www.pittsoutdoors.com
Bill Goodroe of Wilderness Way in Crawfordville, Florida tells us, “It’s a matter of getting on the river and getting after it.”
Joe Dunn Dunn’s Sports 334-636-0850 33356 Highway 43, Thomasville, Al
Warm January days can be more pleasant for anglers who go on the Wakulla, and January is pre-spawn for the bass there, so they are usually feeding.
Capt. Brian Barton 256-412-0969 Brianbartonoutdoors@aol.com
Goodroe recommends frogs, trick worms, and particularly wacky worm rigs drifted past the massive weed beds and drop 58 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Capt. Jake Davis Mid-South Bass Guide Service 615-613-2382 www.midsouthbassguide.com
Randy Jackson Riverside Fly Shop 17027 Hwy 69N Jasper, AL 256-287-9582 Riversideflyshop.com Bill Goodroe\Wilderness Way 850- 877-7200 3152 Shadeville Road Crawfordville, FLA 32327 Captain Wayne Miller Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service 251-455-7404 Millewa12000@yahoo.com Jeff DuBree Whippoorwill Lodge 850-875-2605 Fishtalquin@gmail.com
SAVE 67%
Off Newstand Price When you Subscribe for 3 years
Hunting & Fishing in Alabama & the Florida Panhandle
PRINT, DIGITAL OR BOTH THREE WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE... 1) CALL 877.314.1237 2) ORDER ONLINE AT GREATDAYSOUTDOORS.COM 3) MAIL IN THE COUPON (with Credit Card Number, Check or Money Order) GREAT DAYS OUTDOORS MAGAZINE C/O CONTAINER YARD 951 GOVERNMENT STREET B, MOBILE, AL 36604
SIGN ME UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION FOR: 1 YEAR $24.00
2 YEARS $40.00
3 YEARS $55.00 includes tax where applicable
NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE
ZIP
CREDIT CARD#
PHONE EXP.
/
CID Yes, send me your e-newsletters
EMAIL Must send email address to receive digital copies
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 59
MOON & FEED TIMES
60 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
ALABAMA TIDE CHARTS
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 61
FLORIDA TIDE CHARTS
62 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
MISSISSIPPI TIDE CHARTS
Share highlights from your great days outdoors with us! photos@GreatDaysOutdoors.com
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 63
PENSACOLA MOTORSPORTS TROPHY ROOM
Todd Martin caught this Thanksgiving Bull Red in the Louisiana delta on a small White shrimp.
Pensacola Motorsports
CJ Perciavalle with a heavy stringer of Fall Speckled Trout.
618 N New Warrington Rd. Pensacola, FL 32506 (850)456-6655
Jodi Jernigan, first buck shot in Uriah, Alabama
64 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
PHOTO of the MONTH Ricky Strickland killed this 11 point buck in Illinois in November. He used a Hoyt Hyperforce to take down this Brute.
WIN A FREE ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO GREAT DAYS OUTDOORS WHEN YOU
Tunk DeLafosse and Andy McMillan slaying some waterfowl
2018
ALL-NEW KODIAK 450 EPS ®
GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT THE ULTIMATE MIDSIZE UTILITY ATV. FROM JUST $5,999.* Capability: All-new potent fuel-injected 421cc engine – easier starting, more efficient, less maintenance • Compact, nimble handling • Industry’s most reliable CVT: Ultramatic ® Transmission • All-wheel engine braking • Push button 2WD/4WD with On-Command ® • Best-in-class value • Comfort: All-day comfort with thick seat & large floorboards • Adjustable, fully-independent double wishbone suspension • Class-largest meter • Confidence: Built Real World Tough • Assembled in the U.S.A.
IT'S EASY TO ENTER POST: To Facebook @GreatDaysOutdoors
Photo of the Month! Simply share your great day outdoors with us!
[ OR ]
PENSACOLA MOTORSPORTS 618 N NEW WARRINGTON RD PENSACOLA FL, 325064245 850-456-6655
EMAIL: info@GreatDaysOutdoors.com
When Submitting Trophy Room photos, be sure to include as much information as possible about the person and the trophy. Please include you address so that we can send you a free subscription if you are "Photo of the Month" winner. Final Decision is made by the editorial Staff of Great Days Outdoors Magazine. Submitting a photo does not guarantee it will be published.
*Manufacturer’s suggested retail price shown. Prices may vary due to supply, freight, etc. Actual prices set by the dealer. Product and specifications subject to change without notice. Availability subject to production, stocking, and demand. MSRP for base Kodiak model. Kodiak 450 EPS shown from $6,899. • ATVs shown are recommended for use only by riders age 16 years and older. Yamaha recommends that all ATV riders take an approved training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety: Always avoid paved surfaces. Never ride on public roads. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing; never carry passengers; never engage in stunt riding; riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix; avoid excessive speed; and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Professional rider depicted on a closed course. Specifications subject to change without notice. Kodiak 450 EPS model shown with optional Genuine Yamaha Accessories. ©2017 Yamaha Motor Corporation. U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 65
KID'S CORNER
TROPHY ROOM
Libby Jacobs, 13, her biggest Tripletail yet!
Savannah M. McMahon with her Dad Captain Colby N. McMahon
Braxton Mclean killed an 8 point November 11, 2018 in Grove Hill, Al with his father Sam Mclean
Buck
Alora Sanford, 11 years Old, with a Red Snapper. Nice Job Alora!
Camden Cooks first buck in Marengo County
66 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Redfish
Elizabeth Olander 3 years old and first redfish.
Hunter Travis is all smiles after bagging this doe in Perdido Alabama.
Jacob Kurmann got this nice 8 point buck on November 21, 2018 in Elba, AL.
Macray Cook with a Mature Whitetail. Congrats Macray!
Give us your best shot!
Featured kids receive a gift! Send your submission to info@greatdaysoutdoors.com. Submitting a photo does not guarantee that it will be published. We cannot give any guarantees on when a photo will be published. Please include: child's full name, age, mailing address, and any details, like if it's a first time, when and where animal was caught/killed, how much it weighed. If it's a buck, include points. NOTE: You must include a mailing address in order to receive the gifts! 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 67
CLASSIFIEDS: ALL OUTDOORS, ALL THE TIME
1/24 Page $69 // 1/12 Page $100 // Up to 25 Words $19.95 // add a photo for $10 K & M FARM SUPPLY Family Owned & Operated Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm Sat 7:00am - 12:00pm
Advertiser Index
251-937-4813
A-Team Fishing Adventures . . . . . 3
603 W. Magnolia Bay Minette, AL 36507 (directly behind Sweat Tire)
Alabama Ag Credit . . . . . . . . . . . 37
KandMfarmsupply@gmail.com
Feed • Seed • Pet Food & Supplies • Hay • Fertilizer • Vegetable Plants & Seeds Tools • Farm Fittings: Hitch Pins & Clevises • Off Road Diesel Hi-Yield Garden Supplies • Happy Home Flavorings Hunting Supplies & Feed • Wood Stoves • Fence, Gate & T-Post Supplies Amish Soaps • Two Old Goats Lotion • Local Honey
Authorized Dealer of
ADWFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Alabama Farmers CO-OP . . . . 32-33 ALEX FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 AML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 ASWF Podcast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Breland Machinery . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Buck’s Island Marine . . . . . . . . . 15 Butler Land & Timber . . . . . . . . . 46 Clutch Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
JOE BAYA, Host President, Editor-in-Chief Great Days Outdoors Magazine
Deep South Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Dixie Building Supply . . . . . . . . . . 3 Fiber Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 First South Farm Credit . . . . . . . 51 Fish Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Airing every Thursday at noon on WNSP and Saturday morning on
Flora Bama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 G&D Farms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Halls Meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Hydraulic Crane . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Lone Wolf Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Monroeville 8 am
Mobile Boat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
ROGER BARNHILL III
Certified UBT II Tracker
Tracking Dog Services for Game Recovery
National Land Realty . . . . . . . . . . 5 OxCart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Paradise Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Pensacola Motor Sports . . . . . 64-65 Saunders Yacht Sales . . . . . . . . . 29 Sealy Big Bass Splash . . . . . . . . 26 Southeastern Pond Management 21 Swamp Whitetails . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
97.9 WSBM Shoals 5 am
1135 N Holly Street (physical) / P.O. Box 765 (mailing) Loxley, Alabama 36551 Serving South Ala. and N.W. Fla.
(251) 424-0337
tracnfind@gmail.com
TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD, CALL 877.314.1237
Hunting & Fishing in Alabama & the Florida Panhandle PRINT, DIGITAL OR BOTH! THREE WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE... 1) CALL 877.314.1237 2) ORDER ONLINE AT GREATDAYSOUTDOORS.COM 3) MAIL IN THE COUPON (with Credit Card Number, Check or Money Order) ON PAGE 59 68 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Test Calibration Co. . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Trotter Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 War Eagle Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
FISHING TIP
TO PLACE YOUR FISHING GUIDE AD, CALL 877.314.1237 NOW!
January Fishing Tip
BY CAPT. DAVID HARE
Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Here on Lake Martin December has been very active to say the least. Large, and I mean very large, quantities of stripers have been being boated on a regular basis. In saying this I predict January to be no different than December. We are finding huge schools of fish in several areas of the lake not just limited to any one area. To help locate these massive schools look for bait fish on your electronics and keep a watchful eye out for the sea gulls and whether they are actively feeding or just sitting still on the water. The bottom line is that if you see gulls you will find bait close by and that means stripers aren’t far away. Once you locate the stripers you can approach them using several different techniques. My favorite is live bait but if you are not a live bait fisherman then you can try topwater lures and if they don’t pay off then try jigging some hair jigs in the school or maybe even pulling some crankbaits thru them. I don’t mention any one certain area this month simply due to the fact that I don’t want anyone to think they can’t find them in most any area of the lake. You also don’t have to depend on just an early or late bite because the bite will be good all day long in the cooler water temperature. On a different note, some things you definitely want to take advantage of the next few weeks are as follows: The Atlanta Boat Show • GWCC / Hall A January 10th-13th,2019 • (I will be at booth # 24) The Birmingham Boat Show • BJCC January 24th-27th,2019 • (I will be at booth # 2) Very exciting news for our area is that the American Striped Bass Challenge is having an Open Striper Tournament on Lake Martin on February 09, 2019 If you’d like to fish on one of our guide boats for a chance to win some big money and or great prizes then give me a call at 256-401-3089. If you had rather fish it on your own out of your boat then call Brian Bear at 803-370-7334. This is going to be an awesome fun time on Lake Martin and you will not want to miss it Until Next Time Tight Lines 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JANUARY 2019 69
A GREAT DAY OUTDOORS
Critters Have Calendars home but the season it’s supposed to arrive. Perhaps the salmon not only has a calendar, but a GPS as well.
BY JIM MIZE
I saw a gobbler. He stood poised, looking about with his beard dangling beard. He seemed relaxed as if he had not a care in the world. His spurs hid in the fresh-cut grass and I knew he knew. Turkey season ended yesterday. He stood in my hunting buddy’s front yard. I had already heard the stories of this elusive bird, gobbling in response to calls, waltzing toward the blind in response only to disappear without a sound. A wary old bird, he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, or the songbirds were tipping him off. Three times during the last week of the season he eluded this hunter. Now, he came to taunt him. I realized then that turkeys must have calendars. No other explanation works. These birds show up in deer season as I sit exposed in blaze orange. Small flocks of gobblers, good buddies outside of spring courting season, ignore me as if I’ve loaded blanks for the rest of the year. They seem to bunch up in front of me, well within gun range, primarily to pester me. One problem-solving principle says the simplest explanation is usually the best so you might conclude that turkeys have pocket calendars. If a turkey packs a pocket calendar, what other mysteries might have simple explanations? Take salmon, for instance. Here’s a fish that as a minnow swims into the ocean leaving not so much as one soggy bread crumb to follow home. It cavorts beyond the beach for a while, then it not only knows its way
What is even more confusing is that not all salmon spawn every year. Some seemingly take a year off while their classmates head upriver. What do they do, play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to skip a season? Salmon aren’t alone in their advanced technology. Ducks and geese must be similarly equipped. In unison, these birds know when to leave the north country and when to return. They never fly west for the winter by mistake. They never migrate south in July just to play it safe. They know where to go and when. A calendar and GPS unit would explain this as well. Woodcock make a greater sport of it; they manage their journey in the dark. If you live near one of these marshes where they kamikaze in for a landing in the muck, you’ll hear their twittering wings, and if you could see them, you’d recognize their drunken looking flight as if they were present when the pub closed and had been forced to wing it home. They may be equipped as the waterfowl are, with high-tech gadgets, but they also must have night goggles or luminous dials to read the directions. Even with that, however, they seemed to have flunked flight school the way they wobble and dodge. Maybe their gear weighs them down. Honeybees are something else again. Somehow, they reputedly find a cache of nectar, then fly back to the hive and give their cohorts directions. Scientists claim a dance is involved, as hand signals are out of the question. Likewise, none of them dropped crumbs either, since if any of them had a biscuit it would have already been finished with that much honey nearby. This dancing business may explain how the directions are passed along, but one wonders if maybe just a few of them might have had cell phones. Bears hibernate and the falling
70 JANUARY 2019 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
asleep is expected. That big, they must need their naps. But how do they know when to wake? Too soon and the cupboard is bare; too late and they sleep their lives away. Are they packing cell phones and receiving wake-up calls from migrating ducks? Groundhogs hibernate, though I think they cheat. I’ve seen them pop out late in the year like they were checking the clock. Either they stayed up carousing or they woke up to answer nature’s call. I sometimes have that problem myself, and come to think of it, have even been accused of hibernating. Although I can fathom explanations for a bear or groundhog hibernating, who can explain the seventeenyear locust? This is one patient bug. But even so, how does he keep track? Does leap year throw them off? Maybe they are really sixteenyear locusts who lost count. But not all creatures have access to a gadget catalogue. I’ve watched squirrels bury nuts for hard times, but can tell they forgot where they put them. Upon their return, they are more likely to find a new forest than their next meal. Who knows if a metal detector could be tuned to work with acorns? If salmon have GPS units and bears cell phones, why not? Perhaps it is a stretch to imagine critters with advanced technology. Could a bee fly with a gadget or could it be finding a pay-phone? What would a duck dial with during flight? Surely not those webbed feet. Or how would a salmon keep a GPS dry? Admittedly, it’s a bit absurd. Still, I know one thing for sure; I know where there’s a turkey with a calendar.. -THE ENDJIM MIZE always manages to find game when it’s out of season. You can find his award-winning books at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.
The
Ultimate
HUNTING
Experience www.theswampwhitetails.com
PROPERTY // 1,500 acre High Fence // 100+ year old Hardwoods that have not been touched by man
HUNTING // Year Round Supplemental Feeding Program
// 3,200 sq.ft. Lodge
// Spring & Winter Plots
// 8 Beds
// 50+ acres of Green Fields
// Optimal Habitat
// Several Creeks running throughout
// Bucks Ranging from 140 - 300 inches
// 4 Stocked Ponds
LODGE // 4 Bedrooms & 2 Baths // Mudroom & Locker Room for Hunters // Firepit & Cookout Area
772 WARD AVE. BRENT, AL // casey@theswampwhitetails.com // (205) 340-4017
18K
$
BONUS PAY NEW EQUIPMENT HOME ON WEEKENDS TOP MILEAGE PAY
NOW HIRING CLASS
A CDL DRIVERS
Contact: Bruce (205) 895-1661 or Dawson (256) 404-8686