DISCOVERFALL 2016 MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS

A CUT ABOVE Legendary knifemaker Mel Pardue still churning Things grow better in Alabama. out exquisite blades

Georgia is part of our name, but Alabama and Monroe County have always been a big part of our history. PLUS: More

As we grow, you grow with us. from Tom Kelly

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M Georgia E Mississippi O L N L Savannaahh ROE V I MontgomeryMon y Jacksonac HUNTING SUPPLIES MobileMo e Floridada Seed • Boots by Georgia & Muck JaJacksonva k villevillvilv Clothing by Walls ew OrleansCLOSER THAN YOU THINK. OrlanO ndondd LAWN & GARDEN Monroeville’s location and logistics are essential to a supply chain with the power and agility to meet your needs. Perfectly positioned for reach and speed, our local manufacturers continue to thrive in an Decorative Flags • Pots area which features rapid pan-directional routes and superb access to both domestic and global markets. Mailbox Covers • Soils • Flowers CENTRAL FARM SUPPLY

We are close to you! To learn more, contact Monroeville/Monroe County Economic Development Authority at mmceda.com or 251.743.1EDA MONROEVILLE ATMORE 251-575-2278 251-368-2787 Discover Monroe Taste of Monroeville County Outdoors AND MARKET September 2016 I am always amazed at the talent, creativity and drive of the people that make up Monroe County and the rural south! Perhaps it is because they are exposed to the Downtown Monrrooeoeville land at an early age, but I find that the people of Monroe County (and south Thursddaaayyy,, NNovember 3, 2016 - 10am-9pm Alabama) are very resourceful while recognizing the intrinsic value of this land that is our heritage. Although we have a large population that hunts various game, we have All daayy sshopping, Vendors, an equally great population that focuses on managing the land to protect our native Enternterrtttaainment species and more often than not, the two are one. This is no easy task. Food & Refreshments This issue features two very good articles on trapping predators: Mike Colquett And More! provides much insight into the trapping of raccoons and opossums, while David Lee gives expert insight into coyote trapping. None of this is for the faint of heart. It takes stamina, cunning and acute observation skills to outsmart the wily coyote, not to mention the opossums and the raccoon. Colquett and Lee are advocates for trapping as Tickets to ttaaste event - $15$1 one means of controlling predators. It is not surprising that the two are also avid turkey hunters. stttaarrtts aatt 6pm Guns, knives and bows play a role in this issue, since as hunters, you are more than likely going to need one or all. Mike Colquett gives a personal history of his favorite guns and memories they invoke, such as a long ago deer Tickets arere aavvvaailable through drive. It may make you nostalgic for the simpler days gone by! the Chamberamber of Commerrcce Josh Dewberry provides a fascinating look at the legendary knife maker, Mel Pardue. According to Dewberry, a at handcrafted Pardue tactical knife will cost you $500 or more, but his custom knives, although functional, are more 251-743-2879 or email display pieces. With a Pardue custom knife, the sky’s the limit! All of this from a workshop off a dirt road in Range, [email protected] Alabama! An interview with Cole Byrd gives insight into the benefits of bow hunting as a family sport, particularly as relates to youth and opportunities for scholarships. For the turkey hunter, Doug Max offers some great tips in “What Kind of Turkey Hunter Are You?” Corky Pugh follows up with “A Place to Hunt” which offers great insight into the types of places that people hunt in Alabama, 2016 Annual ChristmastPtmas PPaaradear r ad ranging from the average landholding of 80 acres to the larger tracts, while he also offers information on some pub- lic hunting grounds. The point is that there is opportunity for one and all to join in the spirit of hunting. Monroe County State Lake is a treasure. Meet the new manager, Tammy Ikner, in this issue. Also, enjoy a brief history of how the state lakes came in to being. No issue of “Discover Monroe County Outdoors” would be complete without including wisdom from Colonel Tom Kelly. This year we have chosen to feature a number of short stories from his Around the Edges 2, published in 2016 through his partnership with David Clarke, Vice President, Tom Kelly, Inc. We highly recommend you purchase this book, which arrives complete with its own Osceola Wild Turkey feather! As a result of reading the aforementioned book, I discovered that one of only two artists (according to Tom Kelly) to accurately portray the Eastern Wild Turkey on canvas lived and painted in neighboring Wilcox County at Possum Bend. I spent a delightful morning interviewing Billy Harris, son of the late artist William Peyton Harris, and seeing prints of many of his works. I am happy that the Monroe County Heritage Museum will be carrying some of Harris’s beautiful prints. Billy Harris is also a talented individual with a variety of interests in promoting and conserving the great outdoors. See his Scuppernong Wine, this page! Last year’s “The Buzz on Beekeeping” by Rayford McNeil aroused such interest that we have followed up with a Decembercember 3, 2016 aatt 10a10am companion article on this hot topic. Rayford McNeil is truly the “godfather” of beekeeping in these parts, and he is HISTORIC DOWNTOWN SQUARE mentoring a whole new crop of beekeepers! Floaatts, Marrcchching bands, Santa ClaClaus & More Last but by no means least, all this creative spirit conjures up a desire for food and fellowship. Enjoy the recipe section, which includes the old, the new, and the novel! Enjoy your fall in the great outdoors!

Sandy Smith, Executive Director, wwwww..monroecountyal.com Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce

60 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 1 Welcome If hunting and fishing are essential to you or if you just love admiring the great outdoors, Monroe County is the place to be. As an avid outdoorsman I can tell you that there is no better place to enjoy the outdoors than Monroe County. Monroe County is filled with plentiful populations of deer, wild hogs, turkeys and other small game with liberal hunting seasons. Monroe County is also blessed to have the Alabama River on its west bor- der and a 93 acre public lake in Beatrice. There are numerous landings on the Alabama River so hunters and fishermen alike have access to great duck hunting and abundant fishing prospects. These sportsman must haves in addition to Isaac Creek Campground render Monroe County as an outdoorsman's para- dise.Being outdoors fishing and hunting is the pastime of many Monroe Countians. It is something we love to do ourselves as well as share the experience with others. SERVING. CARING. HEALING. On top of our outdoor resources, we have a variety of retail outlets that can help you with the supplies SINCE 1962 you need for those days of fishing, hunting or just having a picnic. There are also wonderful places to stay and see during your stopover in Monroe County. OUR SPECIAL It has been a great joy of mine to hunt and fish with my father, my brothers, my children, grandchil- dren and now my great-grandchild, Jace. It is a pastime that has brought my family a great deal of pleas- SERVICES: ure as well as food on our table. The next time you want to enjoy a wonderful outdoor experience, come • Progressive Home Care and join us in Monroe County. • Internal Medicine It is my pleasure to welcome you to Monroe County where you are only considered a visitor the first • Chemotherapy/Oncology time here, after that you are considered a friend. • Lactation & Birthing Classes Welcome, Greg Norris, Judge of Probate and Chairman of Monroe County Commission. • Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic • Diabetes Education • Health Insurance Navigation • Cardio-pulmonary • Labor and Delivery • Pharmacy • MCH Surgery Clinic • Radiology • Emergency Department • Orthopedic Clinic • Prescription Assistance • Colonoscopy/Endoscopy • Out-Patient Infusion • Intensive Care Unit • Laboratory

MONROE COUNTY HOSPITAL 251-575-3111 • Monroeville, Alabama • mchcare.com Judge Norris with great-grandson Jace. Photo courtesy of the Norris Family 2 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 59 CONTRIBUTORS

Mike Colquett Southern and a graduate of the University of Alabama. He is an DEAS BUILDING Mike Colquett is a lifelong resident of avid outdoorsman who loves to bee keep and garden as hob- Monroe County, and an avid outdoorsman. bies. He is married to Kaye Loftin and they have 3 children, He has hunted, fished and trapped in Chris, Beth and Addy. SUPPLY Monroe County for fifty years. He served as founding present of the Alabama Doug Max: Richard H. Deas Sportsman’s Caucas Foundation and is Past Doug Max is an Engineer with Evonik in Telephone Harvel Deas State President of the National Wild Turkey Mobile, where he has been employed for 34 1015 South Alabama Ave (251) 575-2811 Federation, is a current board member of years. His wife, Pam, is the owner of Expose P.O. Box 69 (251) 743-2490 the Alabama Chapter of the NWTF, and past local chairman of Salon in Monroeville. They have four chil- Monroeville, AL 36461 the Monroe County NWTF. He is also a member of the Alabama dren and 6 grandchildren. Doug began Wildlife Federation and the NRA. He is married to Bev Brown of turkey hunting with his father, and he has Beatrice, and they have two children and four grandchildren. been a turkey hunter for 45 years. They reside in Uriah. Josh Dewberry: Josh Dewberry of Excel is an award-winning Corey McDonald: staff writer and photographer for “The Corey McDonald was born and raised in Monroe Journal”. Dewberry is a 1999 gradu- Monroe County. He is a 2008 graduate of ate of Monroe County High School, a 2001 Hammer, Inc. Excel High School. He recently bought graduate of Alabama Southern Community Aaron White Photography, and is known 104 MEADOW LANE College and a 2003 graduate of the University of West Alabama, where he for his photographs of outdoor sports POST OFFICE BOX 903 earned a B. S. in English and Journalism. and recreational activities, wildlife pho- He has worked at “The Monroe Journal” for seven years. tography, portraits and weddings. His MONROEVILLE, AL 36461 Dewberry and his wife, Jennifer Wiggins, have three children. special interests include hunting, fishing, writing, photogra- phy, food, music (percussion and violin) and his dogs Tom Kelly: Starbuck and Boo Boo. Corey is a member of the (251) 575-3644 Tom Kelly grew up in Mobile, graduating Mississippi Flyway Waterfowlers, Where Kids Talk Fowl, from McGill, then getting his forestry degree Ducks Unlimited, and Alabama Dog Hunters Association. from Auburn University in 1949. He served in the U. S. Navy from 1944-46 as an Aerial Rayford McNiel: MONROEVILLE Gunner, then with the U. S. Army from 1951- Rayford McNeil grew up on a farm in the GOLF CART & 1952 as a Battery Commander in the Korean Burnt Corn community of Monroe County, RAYFORD A. Campaign. From 1953-1993, Kelly worked Alabama. He graduated from Monroe TRAILER SALES for Scott Paper Company at progressively County High School in 1949. In 1994 increasing levels of management. He became Manager of Scott’s Rayford retired from Vanity Fair Mills, Inc. as SMITH, II Home of Southern Woodlands Division in 1978, managing a $150 million budget, operations engineer for the dyeing and fin- ishing plant in Monroeville. Rayford has Buggy Works and a workforce of 620 employees. He retired from Scott in 1993. He published his first book, “Tenth Legion” in 1973, and has always had multiple hobbies. His favorite is authored an additional 15 books. He lives in Spanish Fort with beekeeping because there is always something to learn about Smith Realty Co. Frank R. Smith Timber Co. his wife, Helen, and they have one daughter, Laura, who is mar- these fascinating creatures. He started with one hive that was given to him by the late Sam Williams, Sr., in 1951 and now has 63 N. MT. PLEASANT AVE. P.O. BOX 924 ried with two sons. For additional information on books by fifteen colonies, which he keeps with his wife, Marzola. Rayford MONROEVILLE, AL 36460 MONROEVILLE, AL 36461 Tom Kelly please refer to tomkellyinc.net, or contact David 135 N. Mt. Pleasant Ave. • Monroeville, Ala. credits God for his active lifestyle and good health, considering 251-743-2958 251-575-3079 Clarke, 800-852-0662. CELL: 251-282-7147 huntingbuggy.com • 251-743-4119 his age of 84 years. Although he does not claim to be a bee David Lee: expert, he enjoys helping others get started in this pastime. David Lee was born and raised in Monroe Rayford also removes unwanted bees. . County, Alabama. He attended Monroe Academy and graduated high school from Corky Pugh: Pendleton (IMG Academies), Bradenton, Corky Pugh is Executive Director of The D&D Hunting Heritage Foundation, a non-profit Furniture Factory Outlet Florida. He graduated from Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, Kentucky, where organization he established in 2011 when DOWNTOWN FRISCO CITY he met his wife, Jenna. He is a claims he retired as Director of the Alabama adjuster for Farmer’s Insurance. Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. We buy in quantity and Pugh served as WFF Director for over twelve pass the savings on to you! Brett Loftin: years, and held a wide range of leadership Brett Loftin is a local business owner that roles in Alabama State Government over a P.O. Box 688 has been in business since 1992 in the pro- career spanning thirty-five years. Pugh is a Past President of the motional products and sign business on the Association of Fish and Wildlife agencies. He holds a Masters 251-267-3767 downtown Monroeville square. He is a degree in Public Administration from Auburn University, See Doc, Jimmy or Danny graduate of Monroe Academy, attended Montgomery. He is married and has one daughter, and is author Patrick Henry Junior College, now Alabama of the popular outdoor book, “Family & Friends”. 58 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 3 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS Sleep. Hunt. Repeat.

CONTENTS Discover Monroe County Outdoors Newly refurbished! September 2016 1 Introduction Discover Monroe County Outdoors Publisher: By Sandy Smith Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of 2 Welcome Commerce & Monroeville/Monroe County By Greg Norris Economic Development Authority 3 Contributors 7 Alabama State Lakes: A Model Program Editor: By Corky Pugh Sandy Smith, Executive Director, 7 Discover Monroe County Public Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of Commerce Fishing Lake 1749 South 4419 South 4389 South By Corky Pugh Editorial Assistants: Jenna Lee, Alabama Ave. Alabama Ave. Alabama Ave. 10 News from Monroe County State Lake Monroeville/Monroe County Chamber of By Sandy Smith Commerce; Monroeville Monroeville Monroeville 12 My Personal History of Guns Jodi Turberville, Monroeville/Monroe County 251-575-5650 251-575-9999 251-743-3297 By Mike Colquett Economic Development Authority 18 Trapping As Part of Game Management By Mike Colquett Layout & Design: 21 The Hunter and the Hunted: Glenda Dailey Price, “The Monroe Journal” Whether you’re here on How to Trap the Wily Coyote Cover Design: By David Lee business or leisure, make us Josh Dewberry, “The Monroe Journal” 24 Cole Byrd Talks Bow Hunting By Sandy Smith your choice for lodging! 26 A Place to Hunt – Public Hunting Printed by: Grounds Bolton Newspapers, By Corky Pugh 49 Hines Street, Monroeville, AL 36460 30 A Cut Above: Legenday Knife Maker Amenities include: On The Cover: Continues to Churn Out Custom Blades “The Heron” • Clean, Comfortable Rooms By Josh Dewberry Photo by Corey McDonald Photography 33 Early Spring or Late Spring • Microwave & Mini Fridge By Doug Max (Photo of summer sunset on this page courtesy 36 Why Beekeeping? of Corey McDonald) • Continental Breakfast By Rayford McNeil Special thanks to all the providers of the recipes • Free Wifi 38 The Art of William Peyton Harris for this issue of Discover Monroe County Outdoors. By Sandy Smith • And More! 40 Recipes 42 Stories by Tom Kelly Anil Patel, General Manager Monroe County is an outdoorsman’s jewel

Monroe Station Monroeville’s locally owned service station!

Also stop by Monroe Station Coin Laundry, Monroeville’s newest laundry with state-of-the-art, high capacity washers and dryers. Located next door to Monroe Station. Come by and see the friendly folks at Monroe Station for all your convenience store needs! 251-575-7337 1549 Highway 21 Bypass - Monroeville, Alabama Across from Tractor Supply

56 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 5 DEER PROCESSING & Monroe Sausage

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK DURING DEER SEASON

The Bait Shop at State Lake 2595 Grant Blvd. Beatrice, AL 36425 251-789-2242

• Tumber Buyers • Hunting Leases • Timberland Management 251-789-2120

Fishing Pier at Monroe State Lake Heron at State Lake

An Afternoon Fishing

Photos by Corey McDonald Photography 6 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 55 ® Bridgestone • Firestone Alabama State Lakes Affiliated Dealer A Model Program

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT® By Corky Pugh According to now-retired Fisheries Assistant Chief FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Brantley’s Tires Started in the 1950s, the State of Alabama’s Public Joe Addison, Monroe County Lake was built in 1966-67 Fishing Lakes grew into a model program. Eventually on property much of which was donated by the Fore of Monroeville, Inc. boasting 23 lakes in 20 counties, the whole concept family. Melba Fore was the first concessionaire and RICKY POWELL was built around win-win thinking. County govern- lived in the house between the lake and County Road President / CEO 1385 South Alabama Ave. ments came up with the land, and the Game & Fish 50. The lake was opened to fishing in 1968. Monroeville, AL 36460 Division constructed and stocked the lakes. Addison, who was a Fisheries Biologist stationed in Concessionaires were contracted to maintain and oper- Spanish Fort back then, recalls, “State Lake openings MONROEVILLE AREA YMCA ate the lakes, and in exchange were afforded the were huge events, drawing hundreds of people who 2197 S. Mt. Pleasant Avenue opportunity to make a modest living selling bait and came to catch fish.” Monroeville, AL 36460 251-575-2990 tackle plus issuance fees on fishing licenses and a per- Later in his career, Addison headed up the State www.monroevilleareaymca.org centage of daily permits. Lakes Program. He says, “State Lakes provided oppor- Long before “outsourcing” became a buzzword for tunity for local people to have a place to go fishing Office: 251-575-9622 gaining efficiency and reducing costs through hiring who otherwise could not have.” Mobile: 251-714-3162 William Frank Brantley, III out governmental services to the private sector, Even in counties with lots of water like the Fax: 251-575-4933 Cody Helton Alabama Game & Fish was doing just that. Alabama River and creeks in Monroe County, bank [email protected] Concessionaires were required to live on the premises access for public fishing has become increasingly rare. and to maintain the grounds, keep the lakes fertilized, Public lakes help keep people fishing, who through and to serve the people who came there to fish. To pro- their fishing license purchases help pay for manage- vide the same 24/7 security, and to operate the lakes ment and protection of fisheries resources benefitting THE CHOICE IS SIMPLE. with state employees earning salaries and benefits everyone. GILBERT’S would have been cost-prohibitive. Ask us about COUNTRY MARKET HASSLE FREE FINANCING for up to 60 months! Discover Monroe County

Come by Gilbert’s Country Market for All Your Hunting & Fishing Supplies Public Fishing Lake for Your Hunting Trip! By Corky Pugh Monroe County Public Fishing Lake Hours: Manager: The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Tammy Ikner 6 a.m.-7 p.m. – Mon.-Thurs.; Division manages 23 public lakes in 20 counties Address and Telephone: 6 a.m.-8 p.m. – Fri. & Sat.; throughout the State. These lakes range in size 3596 County Road 50 7 a.m.-6 p.m. – Sunday from 13 to 184 acres for a total of 1,912 surface Beatrice, AL 36425 No time to cook, visit our deli for acres. Each lake is intensively managed to (251) 789-2104 delicious meals hot and ready. provide quality fishing on a sustained basis. All Surface Area: lakes were originally stocked with largemouth 94 acre lake 251-789-2819 bass, bluegill (bream), and redear sunfish Fish Species: Nick Tatum - President 103 Bryant Street (shellcracker). Channel catfish are stocked in every Largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and Tammy Tatum - Secretary & Treasurer lake during the winter. White crappie and black channel catfish. Call Nick for a free estimate on all your heating and cooling needs. Beatrice, Alabama crappie have become established in many lakes. • www.conradwatsonac.com • 575-4196 • 1-800-239-4196 54 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 7 Location: Licenses and Permits: Monroe County Lake is located 5 miles west of Normal Fishing License Requirements Apply to Beatrice off County Road 50. From Monroeville Anglers Age 16 or Older* take Alabama Hwy 21 north to Beatrice, then left Daily Fishing Permit Required in Addition to HE ONROE on Alabama Hwy. 265 for 1/4-mile, then left on License for Anglers Age 12 and Older $3.00 In the heart of historic T M Robbins Street (Co. Rd. 50) for 3-1/2 miles to Boat Rental Permit (Daily fishing permit also Monroe County Lake. Ninety minutes from required) $5.00 downtown Monroeville JOURNAL Montgomery, take I-65 south to exit 128 and go 17 Launch Permit for Personal Boat (Daily fishing miles on Hwy 10 to Awin and 20 miles south on permit also required) $3.00 Hwy 47 to Beatrice; right on Alabama Hwy. 265 for *State Lakes Fishing Licenses are available for purchase at 1/4-mile, then left on Robbins Street for 3-1/2 the lake. miles to Monroe County Lake. Other Nearby Lakes: Hours of Operation: Dallas County Public Fishing Lake Open sunrise to sunset: Escambia County Public Fishing Lake February 1 - November 30: Open six days a week. 150 Washington County Public Fishing Lake Closed Mondays. (Will be open the following years 2016 Holidays that are on Mondays - Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day) December 1 - January 31: Open Thursday - Sunday. Established Closed Monday - Wednesday. 1866 Closed the week of Christmas. Open the weekend of New Years Thursday through Sunday. Monroe County Museum Night Fishing 251-575-7433 • monroecountymuseum.org For months of June, July and August, Thursday night and Saturday night until midnight. Night fishing allowed in area from the dam to in front of the trailer. Facilities: BEATRICE Boat ramp Fishing pier Hunters Retreat Restrooms Concessions (Bait, tackle, and snacks) Campground facilities available with electricity Offering some of the best whitetail deer and water Darryl and Tammy Ikner hunting in Alabama. Hunters have access to over 2,000 acres that include deer, turkey, wild hog and small game. During your stay, you will enjoy fabulous meals, game prep, satellite TV, high success rates and complimentary fishing during Here when you need us. your downtime or skeet shooting at an Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy additional cost. All our packages are Speech Therapy • Hospice • Respite priced at an all-inclusive affordable price. beatricehuntersretreat.com Monroe Manor Health 251-978-2209 & Rehabilitation Center 236 W. Claiborne Street • Monroeville, AL • 251-575-2648 Morning View, State Lake Photos by Corey McDonald Photography 8 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 53 OPTIONS WINTERS FORESTRY TOTO BBABANKANK TTHE WWAWAYAAYY SERVICES, LLC YOUYYOOU WWAWANTANT John S. Winters Commercial Forestry Herbicide Applications, Cogan Grass, Kudzu, Japanese Privet, Food Plots, Road Spraying, GPS Mapping Boundry Line Maintenance EvenEEvven if the waywaayyyy yyououw wantwaant mightmiigght sseemeem a llittleittle rerremote.em Phone – 251-244-0833 myTrustmarkmyyTTTrrustmark® online and mobile banking | DepositDeposittEExExpressxprreessss AATATMsTMs      
     
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Member FDIC Colquett Insurance Agency Since 1983 On the Square in Monroeville, Alabama 8-5 Monday-Friday

Mike Colquett, C.I.S.R., C.I.C., Agent [email protected] Denise Bohannon, CISR, Agent [email protected] Your One-Stop Laura D. Pipkin, Agent [email protected] 600-A South Alabama Avenue PACKAGE STORE We write all types of property and casualty insurance, specializing in commercial insurance Monroeville, Alabama 36460 Huge selection Home • Mobile Home • Camphouses • Personal Auto • Life Insurance of beer, Personal Umbrella • ATV • Boats • RV and Camper Insurance 251-575-5700 wine & liquor at Business Insurance • Contractor’s Insurance • Commercial Auto • Commercial General Liability great prices! • Commercial Umbrella • Commercial Buildings • Workers Compensation• Religious Institutions • Farm Equipment • Inland Marine • Professional Liability Pam Max, Owner CITY LIMITS PACKAGE 21 Bypass @ Drewry Road • Monroeville • 575-2244 (251) 743-4111 • 888-743-4110

52 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 9 MCKISSICK BUILDINGS 3175 S. ALABAMA AVENUE Stuart Richeson, Agent President’s Club MONROEVILLE, AL 36460 17 W Claiborne St Monroeville, AL 36460 Why Pay More? Bus 251-575-2096 [email protected] stuartricheson.com OFFICE: 251-575-7599 MELISSA: 251-593-0767 .COM JOE: 251-244-0393 The greatest compliment you can give is a referral.

Budget Inn Clean, Comfortable Rooms High Speed Internet Cable TV-HBO Phone Newly Remodeled Near Restaurants & Grocery Stores Budget WE OFFER THE BEST RATES IN TOWN Inn 484 S. Alabama Ave. • Monroeville 251-575-3101 Photo by Corey McDonald Photography News from Monroe County State Lake By Sandy Smith They would like to add a walking trail around When you talk with Tammy Ikner it is very the entire lake, but it must be ADA compliant, and apparent that she loves her job as Manager of the they are working on a plan for this with the Monroe County State Lake. Formerly a park atten- Department of Conservation and Fisheries. They State of Alabama dant at Isaac Creek, Tammy and husband Darryl would also like to install showers in their pavilion took over management of the state lake from that houses restrooms. Although no tent camping House of Representatives Marion and Brenda Craft in December of 2015. is allowed at the state lake, recreational vehicles, Tammy says it is a dream job. She has a real love campers, and camper shells are welcome. The of wildlife and has enjoyed her time at the state campsites rent for $20 per night, or campers may HARRY SHIVER lake. call for special weekly and monthly rates. They The Ikners have made some changes on the often have hunters rent monthly during hunting District No. 64 200 acres of property they manage, including the season. 94-acre lake. They have added six improved camp- Fishing is a favorite pastime at the lake. The Baldwin, Conecuh, sites, which are across the road from the lake. lake is stocked with catfish, bass and bream. Escambia & Monroe Counties Darryl Ikner ran water lines and power to the sites. Several shell crackers have been caught, some They have widened the paths and cut underbrush almost two pounds. Recently, a 6 ½ pound bass (251) 454-6713 [email protected] from where people can fish from the bank. was caught, but was released back to the lake. (251) 937-0240

10 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 51 In the winter, here on the coast, virtually all of our At this point Laura, who was sitting much closer to The Ikners have focused on providing more weather comes from a succession of cold fronts that me than normal, said the first word she had uttered goods and services at the lake. For example, there move in from the northwest. There was nothing like since we got in the boat on the other side of the river are 14-foot aluminum boats for rent at the lake, the weather information then that is available now, and to start the crossing. She said, along with optional trolling motors, life jackets, especially none of the advance notice of fronts that can “Daddy, did you get scared?” paddles, anchors, etc. All kinds of fishing poles are now be picked up on any one of several hand held In the movie The Wizard of Oz, if you will remember, available including cane poles. Live bait, plastic electronic devices. When I heard the third rumble of the movie was in black and white, until the door to the lures, worms, cricket cages, nets and stringers are thunder I arbitrarily called off the hunt. It was, to say house opened when the house Dorothy and Toto had available at the bait shop. Conecuh sausage as the least, an unpopular decision. been in had landed in Oz. At that point the film turned well as snack foods and soft drinks may also be Laura, at the time, was an avid fan of Miami into Technicolor. The black and white shots of the tor- purchased at the bait shop. Dolphin football—she even had a Dolphin jersey at nado and its debris, of the house turning in the clouds, The Ikners want to reach out to area seniors. home with Larry Czonka’s number under her name were mixed in with shots of a little old lady on a bicy- There is no charge to fish at the lake for Alabama across the back. Although I think she would have trad- cle, with a little dog in a basket on the back fender of residents 65 and older. In addition there is no ed me off for Larry Czonka in a heartbeat, she usually the bike, pedaling furiously through a sky full of debris charge to fish with a cane pole. They would also put up with outdoor decisions I made. She did, albeit before the landing. like to plan some children’s activities at the lake. it sometimes grudgingly, admit I was the only profes- I said in answer, The lake is on the Piney Woods Birding Trail. sional woodsman in the party. This time, until we “Well, I was ok until the bicycle with the old lady and There is a resident Bald Eagle that enjoys lighting heard the third peal of thunder and she realized the the dog came flying by just before we got out of the early morning light was fading, the grudge had taken boat on this side of the river. Right after I saw her and on one of the lake’s peninsulas. She is nesting and on a light taint of mutiny under the skin. the little dog, I did get a little scared.” has eggs in the nest. Blue herons are frequent visi- We got back to the boat in less than five minutes, It has been nearly forty years since the incident and tors, as are several varieties of ducks and other got in and untied, and I shoved off into the river just as I can still open my ears and hear the giggling. Merry fowl. Tammy also lives with three parrots, two of the first wind of the squall line came through the trees Christmas, Kid! which are rescues. When she is cutting the grass on the west bank. on her Kubota, the parrots are often perched If the wind had been from any quarter other than beside her. Her next dream job whenever she directly behind us we would not have made it. The retires from the state lake is to work at an aviary driving Northwest wind was blowing leaves completely rescue mission. across the river and some of the clouds of leaves were In years past, the lake has closed in November, mixed leaves and twigs a quarter inch thick. I really Annual BBQ Cook to reopen in February. Tammy and Darryl plan to didn’t paddle us back across the river although I have keep the lake open in December and January, claimed I did. The wind moved us back across the Off Fundraiser Thursdays through Sundays, excepting a week at Eagle’s Nest at State Lake Saturday, April 8, 2017 by Corey McDonald river all by itself and all I did was help a little. Whitey Lee Park, Monroeville, AL 36460 Christmas. If there is such an athletic event as paddling a This year the Ikners planned the first ever 4th twelve foot skiff across a river fast enough to get it up $3000 in Cash and Trophies! of July celebration at the lake. It took place on the Ikner’s plan to host again next July. on the step and making it plane, open class, mixed 251-564-1437/[email protected] 4th and included a fireworks show, donated ice Additonal information regarding the State Lake may be found below, supplied by Corky Pugh, team of father and daughter, no handicap; then I Entertainment, Live Auction, BBQ Tasting & More! cream, snow cones and cotton candy. Some 350 to believe we would have taken the blue ribbon going 400 people came out to this event, which the Hunting Heritage Foundation. away. We got across the river with no damage to any- thing but my pride and without even getting wet. Me and the wind ran the boat into the mouth of Major’s Creek, Laura and I got out, tied the boat to the KIWANIS CLUB OF MONROEVILLE first sapling at hand and sprinted to the car. It was Jodi L. Chambers raining at about the rate of an inch an hour, with the Financial Advisor wind at close to thirty knots before we got to the high ground on the other side of the creek. This was all in the days before anybody in cars were strapped down— seat belts were considered suit- 65 Pineville Road, Suite 5 Monroeville, AL 36460 able for aircraft. Children, and Laura was a prime Bus. 251-575-7485 example of the species, moved freely across the front [email protected] seat from driver to window and nobody thought any- www.edwardjones.com thing about it.

50 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 11 ENGLEWOOD HEALTH CARE CENTER QUALITY CARE IS OUR COMMITMENT

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Mike Colquett and Chris Adams in Hulett, Wyoming I’m more than just another My Personal History of Guns tall drink of water.

By Mike Colquett thought that was the best option. I think that this Before I get started, I must confess that I am was because of how shot shells were made then not an expert on guns, nor do I profess to be. I do using cardboard wads and not the plastic sleeve love guns, and have enjoyed many a day afield to hold the shot. My dad bought this gun and gave with my favorite guns. This story is meant to be it to me and I am not sure where he bought it. just my personal history and not a prescription for I hunted squirrels, deer, hogs, turkeys and dove anyone else to follow. with this gun. It was a 2 ¾ inch gun and I was one Growing up, I hunted at a club called proud person to have this gun. It was a common Southfield, in Baldwin County. Back in those days thing to put some buck shot in your pocket while no one had any money, and hardly anyone had squirrel hunting in case you came up on some more than one gun. My first was a Remington hogs, or even a deer. I only remember one man 1148, which I still have today. This was a 12 Gauge that hunted with a rifle back then, and that was shotgun, and I hunted everything with it. It did not Mr. Sanderson. I can see him in my mind’s eye to have a multiple choke option, and I think this was this day, sitting by a tree looking across the river a full choke, as most people back in the day to see if a deer would come out on the sandbar for

12 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 49 a late afternoon drink of water. I do not remember him having any luck, but I do remember seeing him there on several occasions. Deer hunting back in the 60’s was more of a social event than it is now. There was always a group of men and boys there to take a stand while others would go with the dogs, or take pots and pans and beat them together to drive the deer toward the stands. When you heard the dogs com- ing your way, your heart would really beat and your excitement level was really high. Only bucks were legal back then. In the late 60’s the state would give us some doe tags. The talk around the cleaning rack always turned to the guns. Mr. Bill Cobb had a 10 Gauge that he used, and needless to say, he was the king of the hill. The more well to do folks would have Browning A-5’s while others had Winchester Model 12’s. My dad always shot a 3” magnum Winchester model 12. That gun was a killing machine. He could shoot a squirrel out of the tallest oak tree in the swamp, and deer and hogs were in trouble if they came by him. When Daddy divided his guns up, I got this gun, and it sits as a prize among my other guns. When deer were killed, my brother and I got a lot of experience cleaning the deer that were killed. This was before parents thought that kids were super special, and they did not mind working the stuffing out of us. Anyway, we basically used a knife that Daddy had gotten for us from Camp Supply, and it was a scabbard knife with a hollow ground blade. Once the deer was cleaned, the per- L-R, Remington Nylon 66-22 cal, son that killed the deer got a hind quarter and the Winchester mdl 12-12 ga, rest was cut up into pieces and placed in as many 36 cal black powder gun piles as we had hunters. Everyone looked forward dance. That was the only time we would buy flow- to their share of the fresh venison. We even put ers and that money came in handy. I do not think I the ribs in the pile. I can remember eating them ever told them where the money to purchase the and the fat would stick to the top of our mouths flowers came from because I did not want them when we would follow a bite with some cold ice thinking about dead coons all night. tea. Today, most people could care less, but these Some years later, I got a Winchester Mdl 90- 22 are different times. rifle. This was my first rifle and I loved it. My dad As I mentioned, we hunted squirrels and we would take me to the city dump, which at that did this by shaking vines and when the squirrel time was at the end of Ivey Street, and we would ran up the tree, we would shoot him. Usually there run the rats out of the garbage and shoot them on would be at least three of us doing this so all the run. Ammo was cheap and I really enjoyed this sides of the tree could be watched. While shaking activity. I got lots of practice shooting and it really www.southalabamagas.org vines, we also shot many raccoons, which I would helped. I got this gun around 1966 and kept it sell and take the money from them to buy the until sometime in the late 1970’s or early 80’s flowers for the girls when we would go to a formal when it fell off of a tractor while I was bush hog-

48 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 13 ging and the bush hog ran over it, destroying it. running and jumping through the clear cuts. When I have seen it happen to some of these other ly all hunting seasons are open. The club I belonged Somewhere along here is when I started dating I did kill one, it was usually a long way from the people and nobody is really at fault. You can’t make to then did not own the island formed by the Hogan’s my wife. Her grandfather had some land in vehicle and I would field dress the deer, throw him kids like something by edict but we have got to fig- Bend cutoff but I knew the owner, he had arranged for Beatrice, and at that time, she would go squirrel over my shoulders, pick up my shot gun and rifle, ure out a way to bring more players into the league. us to use it, and Laura and I proposed to have what hunting with me. I had purchased a Marlin Goose and carry all back to my vehicle. What does bother me in our society is that we the British call a rough shoot on that island a couple Gun from Barnett & Jackson Hardware. This was a When I was not deer hunting I was dove hunt- seem to be willing to wear leather shoes and eat of days before Christmas. The British call it a rough bolt action 12 Gauge 3” magnum shotgun with a ing. I had managed to save enough money to buy steak in perfect contentment, so long as somebody shoot because it covers any species of game that might 36” full choke barrel. I never learned to hit with a Browning A5 which I thought was hands down else butchers the steer. We are also a society that come up. this gun, but when I took it to the stand it caused the best shotgun a man could buy. I shot every- constantly comes up with more and more ground Baldwin County still had a fall turkey season in quite a commotion. After squirrel hunting one thing I would use a shotgun for with this gun. I rules designed to harass hunters and hunting. those days, the duck season was open and so was the season on squirrels and rabbits. There would be the afternoon, we saw the biggest buck I had ever seen purchased a 3“ magnum with a 28” modified Hunting seems to be a sport which is dying of neg- odd woodcock in the swamps; an occasional snipe in in one of the open fields, and I took that goose choke barrel. The invector chokes were not around lect, while at the same time the game that is being some of the old clearings and neither Laura nor I had hunted continues to increase in a manner that gun and tried to shoot the deer but it was too far at this time. Dove hunting was a great sport, and any interest in deer. As a matter of fact, during the away. I grew tired of this gun and went on to a bet- there was a group of us that shot them as much as would have seemed impossibly optimistic fifty years club deer drives that year, one of which we attended in ter shotgun, and retired the Goose Gun. Today this three days a week during season. I shot so much ago. early November, Laura had informed me that deer gun is worth a lot of money. I usually keep my that I reloaded my own shells. I remember making All hunters are in this together no matter what hunting was even more boring than arithmetic, a posi- guns, but this one did not make the cut. them so powerful that they would loose your fill- we hunt, and we have no room to fight among our- tion statement that left me with a warmed heart and a As the years went by and deer hunting was ings in your teeth, because they kicked so hard. selves. After all, if you are so displeased with your conviction that we had drawn an exceptionally promis- making a change from 100% deer drives, to about They were deadly on the doves. I still have some heirs and assigns you can always drop them out of ing apple from a very large barrel. 50% stand hunting or still hunting as we called it, I of these loaded and now I am afraid to shoot them the will and leave your money to a home for sick Laura was an unarmed hunter at the time of this developed an interest in a “high powered rifle”, because that had to be twenty-five years ago. cats. But if you do, then what the hell is going to trip to Hogan’s Island. I had promised her a gun of her which is what all large caliber rifles are called. My The Browning A5 mentioned above also happen to that cabinet full of fine shotguns? own when she turned nine, an event which was roughly Please, somebody think of something quick. a year away and she was holding me to the promise first was an old Infield 303 without a scope. I can became my go to gun for turkeys. I loved this gun while she finished off what she considered to be her remember hunting with it one day and my wife’s and killed a lot of turkeys with it. I can remember terminal year as pickup man. For those of you who uncle preached to me about about how dangerous killing one on the fifth shot, but I got him none have forgotten a pickup man is the generic term for an it was and that it would kill a man at over 5 miles. the less. It was about 8 years after I started hunt- Christmas at Hogan’s Bend unarmed hunter in the final stages before he acquires I did not try to explain bullet drop to him or try to ing with this gun that I started missing a lot, so I At a point some six miles above the junction of his own gun. make him believe that within 400 yards, this bullet retired it. the Alabama and the Tombigbee rivers, in one of We signed in on the board at the club house as would be in the ground based on aiming at an ani- When it comes to a turkey gun, I have tried their river straightening projects, the Corps of Kelly and Kelly, and listed our location as mal no taller than a deer. To try that would have several, and currently my go to gun is a Ruger 12 Engineers created what is now called the Hogan’s Island— the island that had been created by not been productive as this was the main school Gauge over/under. A few years back, I killed a Hogan’s Bend cutoff. The cutoff began at this point the opening of the cutoff—at about thirty minutes of thought back in the day. turkey in Florida, five in Alabama, two in Kansas, and ran generally northeast, which turned the area before daylight. We stopped the car at the mouth of Through the years I went on to more modern three in Nebraska, one in The Black Hills of South southeast of the cutoff into an island. The cutoff Major’s Creek, where it entered the river, still in the dark, and waited for it to get light enough to see before rifles. The next one was a Remington 742 in a 270. Dakota, and one in Wyoming. Although all of shortened the river distance between Mobile and we undertook the crossing. The river at this point is This would have been around 1977. If you did not these were killed with this gun in one season, I any point north of the Tombigbee junction by ten miles. roughly a hundred and fifty yards over, and the current seat the magazine in this semi-auto deer gun, it still find myself searching for that perfect turkey This new island, called new because it is now at the mouth of Major’s Creek is non-existent, the flow would only shoot one time. I had started walking gun. over fifty years old, is about two and a half miles now following the course of the new cutoff rather than clear cut land and jumping deer out of the wind I continue to hunt deer with a rifle, and that is long, just over a quarter of a mile wide except at its the main river. We tied off the boat on the other side rows. Usually a clear cut had to be about two or all I have used except during bow season. I found lower end, runs generally southeast to northwest. It is of the river after crossing and sat down on a log to see three years old for this to work. At this time, there with the new guns, and optics that shooting a deer directly across the river from Pierce’s landing, the for- if we could hear any turkeys calling to one another were lots of briars and I always looked like I had was easy. So I have searched to find ways to make mer location of Fort Pierce, which was a frontier stock- from the roost. There was nothing we could hear and been in a cat fight. I even took some jeans and it harder. I have gone to black powder guns, and ade in colonial times. The site of the old fort was on I suggested that we move upstream a couple of hun- ripped the seams of the pants legs so I could add this is fun, but a lot of work to keep clean and lands leased by a hunting club I belonged to in 1975, dred yards or so and look for scratching and not begin some car seat material to it, so it would turn bri- hard to use in rainy weather. I have used pistols when the colonel’s daughter was eight years old, an to shoot squirrels or anything else until we had made up our minds we were not going to hear any turkeys ars. This was hard hunting and usually a pair of and have killed a few deer with a pistol with and inhabitant of the third grade and was beginning her career as my constant hunting companion. tree yelping before they flew down. leather boots did not last a full season before the without a scope. This just makes it more challeng- Wood ducks were calling back and forth as they flew briars tore them up. Lots of paper company land ing. The Christmas holidays are always special times for the children of hunters in this latitude because school up and down the river, we heard squirrels barking, and was open to the public for a $10.00 or less permit, As far as a high powered rifle is concerned, I crows, and a tug boat horn, out on the main river, that and some were free. I jumped a lot of bucks doing have tried single shots, bolt actions, and semi- is closed for a couple of weeks, it is too cool for any water related excursions and here on the coast virtual- sounded as if he was two miles downstream. this, and I missed the vast majority as they were autos. A single shot is my favorite, but second is a At 6:15 we heard the first rumble of thunder.

14 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 47 William’s backgrounds were not all that good; can get, regardless of what we hunt and how we hunt some of them in fact approached the primitive. I it. Whether you spend time and money chasing ele- once toyed with the idea of taking one of William’s phant in Kenya, spend afternoons on your back deck turkey paintings and having somebody do a back- trying to swat hummingbirds with a tennis racket, or ground around it. I was informed that only an intel- pursue any and every species in between, we hunters lectual barbarian could even entertain such a are going to have to hang together, or to borrow a thought and that William, who was particularly quote from one of the signers of our Declaration, touchy about such things, might have taken me “If we don’t hang together we will damned surely behind his store and opened up a twenty pound can be hung separately.” of whip ass. The thing that has brought about my change of Ned’s backgrounds on the other hand, are great, heart was the appearance of the September/October and in all other matters of turkey aspect, color, issue of Ducks Unlimited, and the graph of existing shape and fluid motion temporarily at rest, he is breeding ducks shown on page 93 of that magazine. right in the middle of the ten ring every the time. The graph shows that the number of breeding ducks Artistically, we need to find some talented in North America has risen to 48.6 million birds, an painter, give him an extensive exposure to turkeys in increase of 7 percent over last year’s figure and the a variety of situations, turkeys walking, turkeys flow- highest number found since the annual survey was ing over the landscape, turkeys flying through the first published in 1955. tops of second growth hardwood at fifty miles an With the single exception of quail, and there are hour, and convince him to quit looking at melted some recent signs of real hope in quail production, watches for artistic inspiration and start paying the populations of game birds and animals in North attention to something of importance. America are in better condition now than they have There is precedence for such actions. Cuz been at any time during the last 55 years, and yet Strickland, with Mossy Oak, who has a lifetime of the number of hunters continues to diminish. experience in dealing with such people, tells me that My own family may be typical of the recent in order to get a decent turkey photographer you trends. My parents and their siblings were born have to take a turkey hunter and turn him into a right at the time the 19th century was turning into cameraman. Professional cameramen, according to the 20th. Since that time, they and their descen- Cuz, are always named either Claude or Pierre, weigh dents have numbered 24 people, 14 males and 10 a hundred and ten pounds, sniff a good deal, are females. In that collection of 24 persons, during a uncomfortable around guns, and say, “Oh you,” a time span of more than a hundred years, 1910 to lot. I suspect that may be the trouble with most 2010, there have been exactly 3 hunters in the family, artists. one of my Daddy’s older brothers, then myself, and Sometimes, in order to get things right, you have until she turned twelve, my daughter Laura. to take the solution and work backwards to fix the The first one, my Uncle Joe, died and left no problem replacement, Laura lives in D. C. and the only turkeys there are some of the weird people in those 

funny looking white buildings along Pennsylvania Thin Red Line Avenue, and myself, and I don’t have enough playing time left in my career to risk buying green bananas. 
For some time now, for a period covering forty I have tried to recruit various nephews, or the five years as a matter of fact, I have been accused of sons of acquaintances from time to time, and by try- being reasonably disapproving of deer hunters and 
ing I mean taking them on several hunts of weekend all their works and pomps. Being a realist, I am length. None of such moves seem to have called forced to admit that all such charges are true, and forth enough interest to bait a bream hook with. The that sometimes the adjective—reasonably—the one last chance, for me, now rests on the shoulders of before the word disapproving, has been somewhat Laura’s twins, aged eight, one in each gender, who more pungent than reasonable, and could perhaps live in the least promising surroundings you can be better described as forceful. But just like a politi- possibly imagine, if you want a candidate prepared cian who sees ominous signs of defeat on the hori- to step forward and carry the banner. There must be zon, I am perfectly willing to switch positions. other families in exactly the same circumstances. In the present climate we need all the votes we

46 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 15 bolt action. I have gone from a 270 to a 30-06 too Guns & Ammunition Suppliers: Every word of that description is true but to stop To find out more about the availability of seed because of the versatility of the 06. It has the 1. Womack’s: Just off the square in Monroeville: the description there is the precise equivalent of and seedlings and the state of the project in general, same brass casing, but just a different diameter 251-743-2280 (not going to be carrying guns but saying that Cleopatra was a pretty girl and then put- visit the website at www.acf.org. bullet. Now, almost all of my guns are 30-06. If I will still have ammo) ting a period at the end of the sentence. There was It is entirely possible; it is indeed very likely, that could only pick one of my guns to keep, it would 2. Wal-Mart: Highway 21 South, Monroeville, way more to Cleopatra than simply being pretty and the blind pigs have stumbled across something far have to be a Blaser 30-06 that I refer to as my 251-575-3333 there is substantially more to chestnut than there more valuable than a single acorn. meat gun. This is a bolt gun, but if you get into a 3. Owen’s in Frisco City: 251-267-3436 was to Cleopatra. bunch of wild hogs, the extra bullets might come 4. A&M Pawn Shop: Just off the square in In addition to the high quality of the lumber the Monroeville, 251-575-3255 tree produced fruit that was in a class all by itself. in handy. Shapes 5. AA Bail Bonds and Pawn Shop: Just off the The tree produced a crop of nuts every year. A Varmint Guns While I am willing to admit that and I cannot paint square in Monroeville, 251-575-3255 mature chestnut can produce 6,000 nuts in a given I do some trapping and the gun I use to dis- at all, and can barely write English, I can look, and it 6. Wayside Grocery: 251-294-5561 year while the oaks, depending on the species, pro- is my firm opinion that there are only two people, patch the critters is a Ruger 22 single action *this is the place on the left side of the road on duce somewhere between 300 and 1000. alive or dead, who have painted turkeys and have revolver. This gun is a stainless steel version, and the way to Atmore. This does have an Atmore Chestnuts produce almost double the amount of caught the shape of a turkey exactly. will not rust. It is very sufficient in taking care of address so it wouldn’t be in Monroe County but protein than acorns, 11 percent versus 6, and the it’s close. They have a big selection of ammo, John James Audubon didn’t do it and didn’t even business. However, for other critters, I bought a carbohydrate component of chestnuts is at 40 per- bows and tons of hunting supplies. come close. The famous picture of a turkey that he Cooper 17 HMR a few years back, and I am sure I cent. The nuts taste as good to people as they do to did, the one that has been reproduced in magazines paid too much for it, but I meant for this gun to be game and a tree such as chestnut, bearing nuts in for the past hundred years, is a picture of a dead my go to gun for all critters that are legal to shoot the quantities that it does, produced a source for turkey lying on the floor in front of his easel. with it. It is super accurate and once I killed two food for game that is almost impossible to evaluate. Audubon’s turkey has his neck drawn back between squirrels at 85 yards. If you do not know it, that is Its range in the United States covered the northeast, his shoulders exactly like a severely crippled book- a long shot on a squirrel. This gun got replaced in the Appalachian region, and the Ohio valley. It keeper with arthritis and live wild turkeys never look usage about a year ago when Savage came out amounted to some 200 million acres, 27 percent of like worn out bookkeepers. with a 17WSM. This new round will shoot this bul- the timbered area of the U. S. in total and chestnut The only two painters who have caught a turkey’s let at 3000 feet per second and is an awesome made up, in those regions, 25 percent of the hard- shape exactly are Ned Smith, a naturalist wood stand. round for all around varmint shooting. I have from Pennsylvaniaand William Harris, a sign painter The Native American chestnut trees were almost stretched this one to as far as 95 yards on squir- from Camden, Alabama. Both of these men are long totally destroyed in a period of thirty five years. rels and up to 200 yards on other critters. While it dead and to this day I have not seen the work of a Asiatic chestnut is immune to the blight and is perfectly capable of killing a deer, it is not legal candidate who could replace either one of them. efforts began as early as the middle 1930s to cross to use it for such, but I have killed hogs with it. The picture of the turkey on the label of the Wild American chestnut with various Asiatic species to I have shot almost any rifle or gun you can Turkey Bourbon bottle is not even a good picture of produce a tree that was blight resistant. Beginning imagine. I own several and love each and every a tame turkey. The corporation distills a great experiments in the form of backcrossing American to one of them. There are some truths about guns whiskey and I have drunk rather a lot of it, but when Chinese chestnut has been carried on by the that everyone should know and remember. The it comes to the painting of the turkey they are using American chestnut foundation for some twenty five first rule is that it matters more where you shoot in their advertisements, as well as on the label of the years now and there have some very promising bottle itself, they really ought to lean back and take an animal than what you shoot him with. I have developments in the past two or three years. another look at their hole card. Whiskey, of the killed many a hog with a 22 bullet to the brain, The American chestnut foundation has produced grade and quality bottled by that distillery, simply and it kills them very nicely. We all have had ani- its first crop of blight resistant nuts and has test “Long Beard” by William Peyton Harris deserves a better picture. mals get away from us at one time or another, and plantings on federal forestland under agreement I don’t know why things come out this way, but that is usually the result of a poorly placed shot. with the USFS. Scientists are currently evaluating they have, and while there are thousands of people The second rule is that you need good, no, you the first generation of blight resistant trees. There is Airport Sports Center who are talented painters and thousands of people need great optics on any rifle you plan to shoot. If real hope that within the next ten years such nuts who know what a wild turkey looks like, until now, you have the best rifle in the world, but cannot 362 Hwy. 21 S. • Monroeville, AL 36460 will be available to the public for restoration efforts with the two exceptions noted, nobody has managed see the target through your scope, you have noth- Yamaha & Kawasaki Dealer • Can-Am Dealer on private land. to get both qualities into the same person. ing. Invest in a good scope, and you will not be Crestliner/Polar Kraft Boats • Mercury & Yamaha Outboards They are very, very close to success. The value of It was said of the Russian Prima Ballerina, Galina disappointed. Shooting has basically three parts 4 Wheeler Repair • Boat Motor Repairs a restored blight resistant chestnut for use by game, Ulanova, that she even moved gracefully when she to it: your aim, your breath control, and your trig- especially a game food of the value and availability – Financing Available – was in the bathroom throwing up. A wild turkey ger pull. Practice helps in establishing the needed of American chestnuts, may well be one of the most Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. • Sat 8 a.m.-noon always exhibits the same appearance of graceful exciting success stories in the history of conserva- discipline and maintaining it. movement and nobody but Ned Smith and William 251-575-7302 tion. Harris have actually caught that grace.

16 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 45 That Last Ten Seconds make up your mind would you rather be successfully inartistic or go home artistically empty handed. There is no question but that we make our most Those last few yards are the most critical of all telling mistakes in dealing with turkeys during those and are the time when absolute immobility is para- last ten seconds before the trigger is pulled. We mount. may have done everything right from the time we got The turkey knows he is at the point from which up, until the time the turkey comes in range and is the initial sound emanated. He gobbled in the first at the point where all there is left to do is pull the place to trigger a response, he got one, and as far as trigger and go pick him up, but none of those early he is concerned a proper response would be for the moves matter because they are all behind us. It is hen to appear on the ground under his tree thirty generally right there at the last when all we need to seconds after he gobbled. It may seem a little do is shoot, that we commit one of those outra- unusual for her to yelp a second time, rather than geously boneheaded acts that enable us to snatch come at the run, but there could be another turkey defeat from the jaws of victory. involved, something may have attracted her atten- The excitement peaks at the fifty yard line and tion, or she could have simply gone off in a different the principle thing we need to do in those last few direction. seconds is to shut our heads off. In the language of If he does choose to go part way to see what is the business world “the sale has been made and going on, at about the fifty yard mark he knows that now it is time to shut up and write the order.” he is close enough to see the hen that did the initial The nervous tension is at its peak then and for yelping and nothing is there. This, in itself, is suspi- some reason that causes many people to succumb cious enough; but if at this point, he hears another to the tendency of trying to improve upon success. yelp from the same place, or detects the slightest Their minds race in several directions simultaneous- un-hen-like motion, he throws in his hand. ly and they seem driven to take out the brush again SOUTH ALABAMA KUBOTA & RENTAL LLC Artistic purity is easier than posing with dead and give the lily one more coat of gilt. turkeys but not nearly as photogenic. 2951 Highway 21 South, Monroeville • 251-575-3146 They make that one last wiggle to get the gun into a slightly improved position. The turkey is com- ing up at the10 o’clock point on the clock face and Chestnut they try to improve things so as to put him at the 11 Just after the beginning of the 20th century, in o’clock mark. about 1904 although nobody is absolutely sure of They insist upon making one more yelp with the the precise time, a new disease of trees was intro- diaphragm to make him stop and stretch his neck duced into the state of New York. The name of this up, which is theoretically done in order to expose killer was the Chestnut blight, it was a fungus, a bark the target zone. disease, and in accordance with the third corollary of The target zone on the bird is his head and the Murphy’s law, the one that says, “If there is a possi- ten inches of neck just below the head. It is the bility of several things going wrong, the one that will same size no matter which way he holds his head cause the most damage will be the one that does go and a shot pellet or two in that area does the job, no wrong,” the disease attacked American chestnut. matter which direction this head was facing or how If there ever was an all American tree, a tree that far his neck had or had not been stretched when the walked on water, leapt tall buildings with a single trigger is pulled. bound and out of a possible ten on the perfection I have heard nearly all of my hunting life that it is scale scored a solid fourteen, it was American chest- not proper to shoot a turkey in the act of strutting nut. because you cannot see the target zone. The com- The Dendrology text says, ment made in the previous sentence is just as valid “Chestnut is a fast-growing tree that attains a in this sentence as it was in the prior one. height of 70 to 90 feet with a diameter of 3 to 4 feet. The size of the lethal area does not change just (max. 120 by 10 feet). Until the early part of the because the turkey’s head and neck are retracted. 20th century it was a much used and highly valued Even if it is pulled back into the feathers it remains species not only because of its rapid growth and the same size it has always been, and while shooting durable wood, (it is as rot resistant as heart cypress) him while he is in this state may be inartistic and but also on account of its fruit which was commonly leave shot pellets in the breast, you simply have to roasted and sold on the local market.”

44 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 17 Trapping As Part Of Game Management

By Mike Colquett er, or the garbage in your cans that they eat. Because When I first got back to Monroeville from college, of their numbers and because of their proficiency as a my next door neighbor trapped for extra income. This predator, current turkey numbers are down. There has was in 1975, and at that time, raccoons brought up to been talk in Alabama about reducing the number of $25.00 per hide for the best ones, and the others were turkeys that you can harvest or shortening the season, priced accordingly. I remember looking out my back- or both to respond to the reduced numbers of turkeys. yard and seeing as many as 15-20 hides drying at any Raccoons are not the only critters that will eat turkey one time. In 1975, $25.00 was like $200.00 in today’s and quail eggs, the opossum will eat them as well, and money. Because raccoon hides brought big money, like raccoons, their numbers are up as well. For the there were a lot of people trapping them and thus, rest of this article, I will refer to these critters as coons their numbers were kept in check. Hide prices are set and possums. according to how well the fur market is doing. Many Coon and possum control is now more important social changes have taken place where it is no longer than ever in a complete game management plan. The as popular to wear fur as it used to be. You may get as options for control certainly include hunting. However little as $2.00 in today’s money for a hide, so not many there are not many people left that coon hunt, and this people bother to trap for them. In fact, trapping has is not an effective method of control. That leaves trap- almost died off as a way to make secondary income. ping as a method and in my opinion it is the most After all, who wants to skin a coon and flesh it out and effective method in control of the coon and possum. dry it for $2.00? Coons are what we call congregational feeders, As a result of the loss of trappers, the wild animals meaning if they see another coon feeding, they will that were once trapped have now grown in numbers join him. That is why you may see as many as 6 or 8 where they are having a detrimental effect on other coons on your feeders when you have your game cam- game and non game species. In addition to this, there eras out. It starts out with one coon; another sees him are a lot of game managers that are feeding supple- feeding, and joins him, then another, then another, ments to their resident deer herds, and critters like raccoons and opos- sums are getting fat and healthy at these feeders. This has led to higher reproduction rates, which in turn has increased their numbers even more. Raccoons are simply not cute little critters. They are deadly preda- tors and will kill and eat almost anything. It is reported that rac- coons destroy as many as 80% of all turkey nests. If the raccoon can catch the hen turkey on the nest, it will not hesitate to kill her as well. Turkey eggs are not the only eggs a raccoon will eat. In fact, bobwhite, and songbirds are targeted too. It has been reported that raccoons will even go into squirrel nests and eat the young there. It is not just the corn that you have in your feed-

18 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 43 Stories by Tom Kelly

Communications Editor’s Note: Excerpted from “Around the Edges 2,” by In this era of cell phones, Blackberries and PCs it Tom Kelly with the author’s permission. is sometimes difficult to realize just how difficult Nothing is allowed to disturb the nap, and the communications were in rural areas as late as thirty word “nothing” is carefully chosen. years ago. The majority of hunting camps at that During the administration of Ronald Reagan, time had no method of communication with the out- when the President’s chief of staff was the Hon. side world except by means of personal visits. James Baker, Mr. Baker was a guest of the club for Many hunting clubs deliberately denied them- one of their spring turkey hunts. That Saturday, dur- selves the use of telephones in their clubhouses in ing the nap period on the first day of his hunt, the order to limit interruptions. Some camps had guardian of the clubhouse telephone answered an grudgingly installed a single line to the outside, a incoming phone call. The White House operator line that was attended by persons who had strict asked to speak to Mr. James Baker. The retainer on instructions to limit its use. duty, an individual named Evan Wiggins, told the An instance of a camp in the latter circumstances operator that he was sorry but that Mr. Baker could leaps immediately to mind. not come to the phone and hung up. Choctaw Bluff is a hunting camp in Clarke County Immediately, the phone rang again, and the oper- Alabama that was formed by Mr. Fred Stimpson. In ator said that the call was important and that Mr. the ensuing years Mr. Fred and his sons, Billy, Ben Baker should be summoned at once. The guardian and Gordon, managed the club. Today, the club is replied that Mr. Baker was asleep and could not take managed by Mr. Fred’s grandsons and hunts on the call. The operator insisted he be waked up and lands purchased and leased by Mr. Fred and his the guardian replied, boys. They specialize in deer and turkeys and, in “No Sir, I can’t.” common with most clubs that have been in exis- Now thoroughly peeved the operator said, tence for nearly eighty years, operate in a climate of “This is the White House calling and the relaxed conservatism. President wants to talk to Mr. Baker!” The club, deliberately, has a single telephone, Without turning a hair, and in the most patient located in the foyer of the main bunkhouse, and dur- and forbearing tones of which he was capable, Mr. ing the spring turkey season a member of the staff Wiggins said, mans this phone at certain times, especially during “Well Sir, dis here is the clubhouse, and Mr. the afternoon nap period. Stimpson said, “don’t wake up nobody,” and hung up Spring turkey hunts at Choctaw Bluff have fol- again. lowed the same format for years. Guests, especially The next time the phone rang; Billy Stimpson guests who have limited turkey hunting experience answered it to a barrage of abuse coming over the are furnished a guide, on a one to one basis. After line. Within a few moments, and some candid, to- eating breakfast, the hunters and guides are in the the-point dialogue, Mr. Stimpson determined that it woods at daylight. was not a national emergency and assured the Unless pinned down by an uncooperative old dumbfounded operator that when Mr. Baker did gobbler, everyone is instructed to be back at the wake up he would have him call the White House. camp by 11:00 for a round table session of what the There is a codicil to the event. club calls Turkey Tales, during which the details of President Regan sent word to Mr. Stimpson later the morning’s triumphs and tragedies are openly dis- that he wished people who worked for him would cussed over a couple of midday beverages. After follow instructions as well as those who worked at Turkey Tales a hot lunch is served. The effects of the Choctaw Bluff. beverages and lunch cause the hunters to retire for a And let us devotedly hope that if the Nation is midday nap before going back for the afternoon ever in peril, and the Joint Chiefs are having their hunt, which generally ends about flying up time, naps at Choctaw Bluff, Evan Wiggins is not guarding hopefully with the location of a roosted turkey. telephone. 42 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 19 until the whole bunch is there. mine in February so that they will not have time to These are tasty, healthy alternatives to fried fish. Salt and pepper fillets. Dust heavily with parme- It used to be that to trap coons you would go up reproduce their numbers before the turkeys and quail san cheese and press into each side of fillets. streams and find fresh tracks, and place a trap. It took lay their eggs. Counterfeit West Indies Salad, by Corky Pugh Brush or spray with olive oil. my neighbor all morning to run his trap line when it Mark Buxton, Wildlife Manager, is a person that I The recipe for West Indies Salad, usually made Sauté for 4 or 5 minutes per side in non-stick skil- was set this way. That was the way it was done for a consider to be very knowledgeable, and the most expe- with lump white crabmeat, is from Bailey’s let over medium/medium high heat. long time, but now there is a better way to trap them. rienced person I have met about trapping. He put it Restaurant in Bayou La Batre, and was given to When you find a coon track or tracks, simply place feed this way: A turkey hen will lay usually around 12 eggs, me by Johnny Allen in the early 1970s. Divine Coconut Pie, by K. T. Owens on the ground and put out a camera to show you when and it may take her 12-14 days to do this. Then she sits 1 lb. cooked, flaked fish 4 eggs, well beaten the whole bunch is there. Usually people use corn for on them for between 25-31 days for them to hatch. ½ C tarragon vinegar ½ cup self-rising flour this, but if you are in a deer or hog area, corn will be That means for somewhere around 40 nights, those ½ C olive oil or vegetable oil 1 1/3 cup sugar consumed by them and this will slow down your eggs are out there for a coon or possum to find. Each ½ stick melted butter process. Instead of corn, put cat food on the ground. coon you take out reduces the number of predation ½ C ice water You may not even need a camera as you can tell by the days by this much, so if you were to get 25 coons, then 1 Vidalia onion, chopped 1 teaspoon vanilla amount of sign around the feeding area when you start you would have eliminated 1000 nights of predation, salt and pepper to taste 2 cups milk to get numbers there. Also, those of you that are using and you will see the results. Mr. Buxton also likes to Start with fresh, firm-fleshed, flaky fish like bass, 1 1/3 cup coconut deer feed in troughs or feeders may already have your trap in the early fall to remove as many resident preda- bluegill, or shellcracker—-these work best of all. Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Pour into pie coons congregated. Once you are sure you have the tors and again in the spring just before turkey nesting Place filets or whole, dressed fish in pot with crab pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until numbers, set about 6 or 8 dog proof traps out in the season to clean up any that might have been missed. boil, lemon, and salt. Cover with water, and boil golden brown. This pie makes its own delicious area far enough apart so to avoid the traps getting tan- If you want to see your turkey numbers increase, for ten minutes. Drain fish and allow to cool. crust! gled when the coons are trapped. Dog proof traps are this is one of the most important things you can do. Remove from any bones and skin. Flake with a a fairly new way to trap coons, and as a general rule, Habitat management is equally important, but unless fork. will only catch coons and possums, as they are the you get rid of your coons, you will not have the number Mix with remaining ingredients. Chill overnight in only critters out there that have fingers that are of turkeys that you should have. refrigerator. required to pull the trigger on the trap. I once caught a Supply list: Dog proof traps, cat food, large and possum by his tongue because he pulled the trigger miniature marshmallows, ground anchors and driver, Parmesan-Crusted Fish Filets, by Corky Pugh with his tongue instead of his fingers, and he was one catch pole, steak puller, license and predation permit if As with most game and fish cookery, simple is bet- mad possum when I got there. These dog proof traps after trapping season. ter. This recipe is very simple, with just a few are not that expensive and can be used for years if ingredients, but incredibly good. taken care of so before you start your trapping efforts, go get a dozen or so of these. To set a dog proof trap, I Fish Fillets (Favorites for this are bass or saltwater get one large marshmallow and stick it on the trigger speckled trout.) of the trap, then set the trap. Once the trap is set, I fill Salt and pepper the tube of the trap with a mixture of miniature marsh- Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese mallows and cat food. I use ground anchors to anchor Olive oil (or olive oil cooking spray) my traps as I can set them out in a field and not have to worry about where to tie my traps. Once you have your site baited and traps set, each morning you need to go check them, and hopefully you will have multiple coons the first morning. Leave the traps out for about two more nights, and then you can take them up. Usually, you will catch the resident pop- ulation for that area in the first three nights. I do not know how many of these you will need per 1000 acres, but I would assume several. Trapping in this manner will get the job done with the least amount of work. Instead of taking 4 hours to run a trap line, you can run many sights in an hour. One thing to remember: this is not a once and done project. Just like when you pull your hand out of a bucket of water, the water fills in the space where your hand was, coons and possums will do the same thing. You can reduce their numbers for a few months, but by the end of the year they will be back as strong as ever. It is for this reason that I like to try to trap Dining after the hunt, Finchburg, Alabama

20 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 41 recipes The Hunter and the Hunted:

Retrospective II: Something Yummy Doc’s Venison Marinade, by Carl W. Martens, M. D., How To Trap the Wily Coyote In last year’s issue of “Discover Monroe County from Heavenly Hostess Outdoors” several game recipes were included and 1 ½ cup salad oil By David Lee this was a quite popular section. This year, we are ¾ cup soy sauce Hunting in the Southeast is not merely a seasonal once again including recipes from Somethin’ Yummy, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce sport. It is a lifestyle that bonds individuals and com- which is available for purchase at several 2 Tablespoons dry mustard munities together. This lifestyle encourages hunters to include others. It provides a setting where we can share Monroeville locations including The Bird’s Nest 2 ¼ Tablespoon salt intimate ideas about our lives. It forces us to slow Gift Shop at Monroe County Heritage Museum, 1 Tablespoon pepper Finishing Touches, The Art Room & Framery, Hood down. It requires skills to be honed over time, a striv- ½ cup wine vinegar ing for perfection. Hunting acts as an umbrella to unify Holmon Insurance, Monroe Academy, etc. We are ½ teaspoon parsley the young and the old alike, and unity in this country is including a marinade recipe by the late Dr. Carl 1 cup lemon juice not a commonality. So is hunting important? I think Martens that is featured in Heavenly Hostess, a cook- 1/3 cup lime juice so. book by St. John’s Episcopal Church Women, and Combine all ingredients. Marinate for at least 2 Hunting implies two things primarily: The hunter, which is available through the church. The dessert hours. This will keep indefinitely in refrigerator. and of course, the hunted. We, at the top of the chain, recipe for K. T.’s Coconut Pie is one that even normally assume the hunter unless we find ourselves inspired a poem in its honor, “Ode To K.T.’s Slow Cooker Snapping Turtle in a less than suitable environment, like without a pad- Coconut Pie” by the late Evelyn Long and her By David Lee dle in the middle of the Pacific. The hunted is normally daughter-in-law. Corky Pugh has offered up some the variable that changes. But of course, without the Serves 8-12 divine recipes for your fresh catch! In addition, hunted there would be no hunting. 3-4 pounds of David Lee’s turtle entree’ presents a great novel Being a teenager in Monroeville, Alabama in the boneless turtle dish. Put all this together and it is quite a feast! early 2000’s, the hunted was abundant. I can remember meat hunting deer and seeing 30-40 in a food plot, owls 4 slices of bacon hooting before sunrise and hearing 8-10 toms, walking (we use applewood a brushy road and nearly having a heart attack because Corned Beef or Venison, by Mrs. B. H. Stallworth smoked flavor) of a dozen bobwhite fluttering up in the air. Only a (Beck), from Somethin’ Yummy 1 medium onion, decade later these memories seem more like a dream David Lee and a Coyote Approximately 10 pounds of venison or brisket of roughly chopped because this abundance that once was, simply isn’t, beef 2 stalks celery, and predators have played a significant role in this Drinking coffee and driving during the dew light 1 cup brown sugar chopped decline. We cannot afford to sit back and be apathetic. hours of the morning to check traps is certainly time Trapping predators is a sure solution to this ever grow- 1 cup salt 1-2 cloves garlic, well spent, and this is exactly how my first morning Several shakes of liquid smoke ing epidemic, and one of our most persistent predators went. I pulled into the cattle field and saw in the dis- minced is the coyote. 4 cloves garlic tance some movement at the location of my first trap. 1 ½ cups chicken I was ignorant to trapping critters in my teenage 1 tsp. paprika A large male coyote waited for me in the first trap as broth or beer of years, and looking back I strongly believe that I would well as a beautiful grey fox in another. I was officially a ½ tsp. ground mustard choice (we go have taken to it had I been properly introduced. trapper, and officially hooked! ½ tsp. salt peter between using Nevertheless, in my early 20’s I met several older men A dirt hole set is probably the most common trap- Place meat in large crock or plastic container. Do chicken broth or who trapped furs in Ohio and Kentucky when they were ping method for coyotes in the south. This involves not use metal. Mix together other ingredients in a Miller Lite) my age to pay for their college education. As they taking a legal coil spring trap, which is under 6” in the boiler with a little water to make smooth. Bring to 1 tbsp – 2 tbsp steak seasoning (we use Montreal) showed me pictures of literally hundreds of furs drying state of Alabama, burying it, digging a hole in front of a boil. Pour over meat. Cover and let stand in Grease crockpot with cooking spray or butter. out on an old tobacco barn and let me hold some of the trap, and placing a lure or bait in the hole which refrigerator for 10 days. Cover the bottom of the crockpot with the onion their tanned fur, my interest piqued. will then encourage a coyote to walk on the buried Taking their knowledge and doing some of my own To cook: Place corned beef in a pan of fresh water. and celery. Lay turtle meat over the onion and cel- trap. As in real estate: Location, Location, Location is Add bay leaves, pepper corns, carrot and onions. research I can remember buying 4 coil spring traps and the key. I personally love trapping roads, especially ery. Sprinkle with steak seasoning and minced gar- Simmer on top of the stove for several hours or planning my opening day of trapping season in where two to three roads merge because coyotes WILL lic. Lay bacon over turtle. Pour in the chicken until fork tender. Cool before slicing. Venison will Kentucky. I made my sets in or near a large cattle field, travel roads. Period. Be sure to wear gloves to help broth or beer. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low. taste just like corned beef! put my lures in, and left for a night of restless sleep, with scent control. Take a trowel or like tool and dig We like to serve this with roasted potatoes and a anticipating the morning. enough dirt to bury your trap near level with the loca- salad. 40 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 21 tion. You can also take some sticks or branches nearby excuses we hold. If we want to hear more turkeys gob- Sherman’s army by the fact that one of the resident’s and place them behind your set to ensure the coyote ble in the spring and see more deer in our fall food was a Mason, and the commanding Yankee officer, must walk from the front. Then, take a trowel or dirt plots, we must trap. It is that simple. also a Mason, recognized this upon seeing his punch and create a hole in front of the trap. I generally Mason’s ring, and spared the home from burning. like my holes to be 9” in front and 4” offset from the (Today, this beautiful home is under restoration by a middle of my buried trap for coyotes as this will help Harris relative). catch a front paw as they sniff at the lure or bait you Billy and wife Renate live on lovely acreage with place in the hole. Figuring out which work and when a large pond stocked with ducks, and have three they work is an experiment, like which fishing lure you miniature donkeys roaming the property. Although like to use when it’s overcast. So buy as many as you Billy has given up hunting, he clearly loves tending can and try new combinations. Coyote lures and baits to the land. Some recent house guests included are available online or in downtown Monroeville at two Bald Eagles from Miller’s Ferry who enjoyed vis- Central Supply. iting his pond, and unfortunately, feasting on his Whether you lease or own your hunting land, all of ducks! Apparently, they have moved on to another us enjoy managing the land which includes determin- ing how much game we harvest within state laws. food source because Billy has not seen them in However, there is a second manager we don’t factor in: Camden recently. predators, such as coyotes. Do you trust a coyote to Billy has several hobbies one of which is growing “New Tenants” by William Peyton Harris make ethical decisions on how many deer or turkeys to muscadines and scuppernongs and making wine take off your tract of land and when to take them? I do from the harvest. He uses a recipe that may be not think so. Therefore, you must control your preda- found at www.ECKraus.com. (ECKraus also has all sons. One of his sons, Rusty, also has an interest in tors, and trapping is the most effective method. wine making supplies.) If you have your harvest, but art. Billy has a few of his dad’s unfinished paintings I have certainly seen a decline in deer, turkey, and are not quite ready for winemaking, scuppernongs and has encouraged his son to complete these. The quail in the past decade in Lower Alabama and a vari- and muscadines may be frozen in ziplock freezer tradition and legacy of William Peyton Harris lives ety of predators, including the wily coyote, are vitally The Hunted and the Ammo bags until ready for use. on! linked to this. Ignorance and apathy can no longer be Womack’s On the Square Billy has three children, a daughter and two

22 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 39 TheArt of William Peyton Harris By Sandy Smith interview with correspondent Larry Woods that aired The Alabama Black Belt is known for its rich soil, on CNN January 14, 2000 when Harris was 91, Harris but perhaps moreso for its unique treasures. The says “It didn’t do me a bit of good.” It is remarkable artwork of the late William Peyton Harris certainly that CNN found Harris in Possum Bend, but such falls into the latter category. His paintings of the was the man’s notoriety as an artist, backwoods Old South and his wildlife paintings, captured in philosopher, handyman and artist. According to son high quality prints, are certainly noteworthy as is the Billy, Harris could make anything and was quite story of his life and legacy. According to Colonel inventive. He loved for people to stop by his studio Tom Kelly, author, historian and wild turkey hunter and visit with him and according to his son, Billy, he par excellence, Harris is one of only two artists who often would make people a deal on his art: has successfully portrayed the wild turkey on canvas. “Sometimes too much of a deal, he gave it away!” (The other, according to Kelly, is the late Ned Smith, Harris captured vivid renderings of life in the old naturalist from Pennsylvania). Much of this article South, in addition to striking depictions of the may be attributed to the writer’s visit with Harris’s revered wild turkey. His Old South paintings were son, Billy, of Camden, Alabama. inspired by his memories of his experiences growing What is it about Harris that was so outstanding? up, and lost times, such as images of steamboats on According to remarks in the “Congressional Record”, the river. In his interview with Woods, Harris Thursday, May 22, 2008 by United States Senator Jeff remarks about the Old South: “…I can remember it, Sessions, Harris “was a wonderful and humble man” and all that kind of experience, it stays with you.” from Camden, Alabama, born October 22, 1909, and Today, there is little left of Harris’s original paint- died at age 99 on February 25, 2008. Sessions con- ings, most of which have been sold or given away. sidered Harris a close friend and identified with However, his son Billy, a resident of Camden, has Harris as the son of a store owner in the small com- managed to work with Colson Printing Company, munity of Hybart. Valdosta, Georgia, to produce several high quality According to several sources, Harris was a man prints of a wide selection of the originals. These are who loved adventure, and was gifted with many tal- available directly from Billy Harris, or some may be ents. When he was twelve years old he rode a horse found at Black Belt Treasures in Camden, or at the 2 ½ miles to observe the last steamboats loading Monroe County Heritage Museum Gift Shop in cotton bales on the Alabama River. He survived the Monroeville. Great Depression sometimes taking jobs that paid Of his dad, Billy says he could do just about any- $5 per week, and helped care for his younger siblings thing. In the 1960’s he salvaged an old steamboat during this time. He married Lois Sutherland, and that sank in 1850 in the Alabama River. He also their marriage lasted 62 years, until her death. They recovered several logs from the river bottom, left had one son, Billy, three grandchildren and seven over from early logging operations and the practice great grandchildren. of floating the logs down the Alabama River to sell Harris was an avid turkey hunter, a gift he passed in Mobile. According to Billy Harris, the green logs on to his son, Billy. He made some of the first snuff that would not float sank to the bottom and many can and cedar box callers. are still there. His dad was able to utilize this wood By profession, Harris was a country store owner in building frames for his art. in Possum Bend. His store was the “Social Center” It is clear that Billy Harris is much like his father of Possum Bend, and he had his art studio in a in philosophy of life and character. He and wife small building behind the store. He was for the Renate live on a beautiful piece of property just out- most part a self taught artist, although in 1927 he side of Camden. Across the road is his grandmoth- spent one year at Auburn in applied arts. In an er’s antebellum home, which was saved from

38 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 23 Beeswax is very flammable. Do not melt it on the that you buy the deluxe outfit with two deep hive bod- kitchen stove. It can be placed in a double boiler or in ies and two medium honey supers and wired wax foun- Cole Byrd Talks Bow Hunting a container with water and slowly melted. Do not let it dation. It is recommended that you have at least two boil. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. The wax will hives so you can swap frames of bees and food to bet- By Sandy Smith schools. This is a program that has exploded in float on the water and form a hard cake when cooled. ter manage the hive. It also allows you to compare When you talk with Cole Byrd you immediately the past three years and is now found in 24 states. It is safer and better to buy or build a solar wax melter health and performance. A second hive may be pur- recognize that the man has a passion for bow The program may be conducted through schools, and let the sun do it for you. chased later. You can go online to find dealers of hunting, particularly as it relates to an activity for churches, fire stations, etc. Many children progress Where to begin this process? bees, supplies and equipment. Most have an online youth. When his son Jayson became interested in through the sport as they grow and develop. First, source of bees: Buy a 3 pound package of catalogue. bow hunting, Cole became involved in Bowhunters Competitions are family friendly events. Grants are bees with a mated queen from a choice of suppliers. For further information on this rewarding hobby, of Alabama. “We traveled all over the state, trying available on a limited basis to schools that qualify There are several strains of bees from different parts of contact one of Monroe County’s Beekeepers: Brett to find something positive that kids can do and for funding. S3DA teaches technique, tournament the world. Each have their own pros and cons. Each Loftin, Mike Colquett, Bobby Colquett, or Rayford build on.” In the case of Cole and son Jayson, tactics, judgement, self-discipline and the value of supplier has bred their bees for special traits. One of McNeil. There are also several websites that offer bees there has been a payoff. Jayson is now twenty- hard work. It can also lead to college scholarships. the most important is varroa sensitive hygiene, VSH. and supplies, such as: The biggest threat to the colony’s health is varroa www.brushymountainbeefarm.com; three years old and is attending University of the Byrd shares stories about hunting with son, mites and small hive beetle. The mites suck blood www.mannlakeltd.com; www.betterbee.com; etc. Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, on an Jayson. Up until 1979, Cole and Jayson, who live from the adult bees and larva. Mites lay their eggs on Archery scholarship. He is also ranked Number 3 below Goodway, would drive to Midway, north of the larva before the cell is capped. Hygienic bees have in the National Field Archery Association. Jayson’s Beatrice, to hunt deer. Jayson shot his first deer at learned to identify the infected larva and remove it college majors are fitness/sports science/physical age 8. At the age of 10, he took up bow hunting from the cell and hive, thus prohibiting the mites from education. How did Cole and Jayson relay a week- because he was looking for more of a challenge. multiplying. They also groom themselves and other end hobby into a college scholarship and future According to Cole, Jayson found that bow hunting bees to dislodge the mites. The hive bottom board career opportunity? made him listen more closely to nature and he has a screened bottom that allows the mites to fall Cole Byrd has been an avid bow hunter for the became more aware of the environment. He has through. The beetle larva feed on bee larva and pollen. They bore through cell walls and deposit a past ten years, and is today the Alabama Regional killed a wild boar at seventeen yards with a bow, yeast that causes the honey to ferment making it unfit Coordinator for Scholastic 3-D Archery. What is as well as several bucks and does. According to for bee food. Hygienic bees search out the eggs and S3DA? This is a non-profit organization with the Cole Byrd, “If you kill a deer with a bow, it is a tro- beetle larva and remove them from the hive. It is very mission to foster, educate and guide youth in the phy deer.” He encouraged his son as he was learn- hard for adult bees to remove an adult beetle from the areas of 3-D and indoor archery. This is an after ing about bow hunting, saying that “you can hive because of its round, hard shell. VSH bees tend school program which allows students the oppor- always do the next shot better.” to be more aggressive in protecting the colony. They tunity to learn about and grow their archery skills Cole emphasizes that bow hunting also teach- have to be to survive. The bees keep the adult beetles in a safe and educational environment. es students to be competitive with themselves, hemmed up in cracks and crevices. The best defense is Cole is kicking off an after school program this and encourages them to always strive to do better. to maintain strong colonies and eliminate as many hiding places as possible. Most beekeepers must treat fall of 2016 for interested students, 3rd grade to Byrd is also a huge proponent of Bowhunters their bees for mites and beetles with chemicals. Feral 12th grades. A questionnaire was sent out to stu- of Alabama. There is a competiton every weekend bees that have lived in a house or other hive for years dents to assess interest in the program, and he from February to September. The entry fee is usu- without human assistance or interference have devel- received 55 responses from interested students. ally only $15. He and Jayson traveled the state oped the VSH trait. McNeil offers, “All of my bees have Cole will teach the instructors and oversee the attending these competitions, where they shoot at come from feral colonies, and very seldom must I treat program. The goal is to bring a National Archery a 3D foam target that could be a bear, alligator, them. My bees are located in an isolated area with no program to the schools. In S3DA, they shoot a deer or other prey. other beekeepers close by. As I collect swarms, they plain bow, no sites, and can shoot any bow except Bowhunters of Alabama has as its mission “to will be from my own hives or feral colonies.” a crossbow. Although Cole has talked to all prin- foster, expand and perpetuate the proper use of Second: Buy a 5 frame nuke colony with bees, brood, food and a laying queen. cipals in Monroe County, he has received excep- the bow and arrow in hunting all legal game and Third: Collect a natural swarm. tional support at J. U. Blacksher, where Assistant fish, the spirit of good fellowship among all Fourth: Remove feral colonies from walls, trees, or Principal Danielle Turner has encouraged the pro- bowhunters, cooperation between all chapters of other established hives. gram. Other strong supporters of the program are the organization, the knowledge and adherence to Fifth: Set out swarm traps to attract swarms. Monroe County School Superintendent Greg all game laws and cooperation with all conserva- Sixth: Have a good beekeeper friend to supply you Sheehan, Benny Rhodes, Blacksher Principal, and tion organizations in the conservation of game, with a colony. Johnny Kline, who volunteers with the program. fish, water and hunting lands.” Equipment: S3DA started in December 2012 based on the Jayson now competes with other college teams First, buy a beginner’s outfit that supplies all the needs of students participating in archery in the in archery competitions. One round of shooting is necessary items to get started. McNeil recommends Photos by Brett Loftin 24 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 37 20 targets, and in a competition, they may shoot up to two rounds. In the spring, they may shoot Why Beekeeping? 150 arrows a day in training. This builds stamina and endurance and trains your muscles. The By Rayford McNeil cover and an outer cover. A hive normally consists of University of Florida, Texas A & M, Midway in If you are looking for an outdoor hobby that does two deep boxes for raising brood or storing honey and Kentucky, as well as University of the Cumberland not require a lot of time, is not expensive to get started pollen to be used for food when nectar and pollen are and several other colleges have archery teams. compared to other hobbies, is very interesting and pro- not available. Surplus honey is stored in shallower duces a wholesome and delicious product, then con- boxes called supers that are stacked on top of the There are many college scholarship opportunities. sider beekeeping. Monroe County is blessed with a brood chambers. No honey is removed from the two In addition, Jayson competed in the Arizona Cup diverse variety of trees and plants that meet the needs brood chambers. Shallow boxes are used because of in April 2016. This is a precursor to the Olympics. of honeybees. Beekeeping does not require much the weight. A shallow super filled with honey weighs All the Coles, including mother Sue and daughter space. You may be able to keep the bees in your back about 40 pounds. A medium weighs about 60 and a Brandi, have taken up bow hunting. It is a sport yard, even in town. Information about how to get start- deep from 90 to 100 pounds. There are a number of that the entire family has embraced. ed is available from several sources. There are hun- other type hives available. They each have pros and According to Cole, bows may be purchased for dreds of articles and videos on the internet. The cons. The Langstroth hive has multiple styles and approximately $1,500 at a sporting goods store or Alabama Cooperative Extension System has a free numbers of removable wooden frames. A sheet of wax even local pawn shops. A basic bow will last for booklet on backyard beekeeping. Subscribe to a bee- foundation embossed with the preferred type, size and years with proper care. keeping magazine. Join your local bee club if there is shape of the cells is secured within the frame. The one in the area. The best way is to find a local bee- bees add wax to build the cells. The process is called For further information about bow hunting keeper willing to be your mentor. Most beekeepers drawing out. The foundation encourages the workers opportunities for youth, email enjoy sharing their knowledge and experiences. to build the comb inside the frames. The foundation is [email protected], or check out the web- In today’s world of international trade, mass pro- made of natural beeswax or beeswax coated plastic. site at www.s3da.org; also, look up duction practices, use of chemicals and antibiotics, Natural beeswax is preferred by the bees but the plas- bowhuntersofalabama.org. people would like to produce their own food. When tic is easier for the beekeeper. Jayson Byrd with a trophy deer you have your own bees, you know where the honey Surplus honey can be removed when the boxes are came from, what is in it and how it was processed. The filled with capped cells of honey. The bees are surplus honey the bees produce can be sold to cover removed from the supers by using a chemical that is your expenses or can be shared as a gift that is not not harmful to the bees or honey as long as it does not readily available to many people. come in contact with the honey. You can use a bee Honeybees are amazing creatures. No matter how escape that allows the bees to leave the super but can- long you keep bees, you will never learn all there is to not return. Smoking is slow and there is danger of the know about them. There is not just one rule or way to heat injuring the bees. McNeil says, “ I use a leaf do things. There is an old saying that if you ask three blower. I stand the super on its end and blow the bees beekeepers how to do something, you will get four dif- out. This is fast and does not injure the bees if you ferent answers. Sometimes the bees don’t read the don’t blow them into something.” same book that we do. Managing honeybees is helping The honey must be removed from the comb. If you them do things that they are programed for in a way have several hives, you need an extractor. Extractors that is beneficial for the bees and beekeeper. come in various sizes and prices. The caps are I would like to share some facts about the bees and removed from the honeycomb using a heated knife or a the products they produce. Keeping bees is no differ- spiked roller that punctures the caps. Frames are ent from keeping any other animal. There are some placed on racks inside a cylinder and spun at high things you should know before you order your bees. speed. This does not damage the honeycomb and the OWENS Honeybees are one of science’s mysteries because frames are returned to the hive to be cleaned and they have remained unchanged for 20 million years refilled. This eliminates the bees having to build new even though the world has changed around them. comb. It may not be practical for a one hive beekeeper HARDWARE Honeybees are probably the most studied insect on the to buy an extractor so the honey must be removed by planet and there is much more to learn. The world hand. GUNS AMMO FISHING would be a much better place if we practiced some of The comb may be cut from the frame, crushed, and their social behaviors. the honey drained through a strainer. The comb may How to get started in the beekeeping business: be cut into pieces that can be squeezed by hand. The DOWNTOWN FRISCO CITY There are many types of beehives available. Most honey can be stored in any air tight container. Save bees are kept in Langstroth type hives that are made the honeycomb. It can be used for many purposes or it 251-267-3437 up of multiple wooden boxes, a bottom board, an inner can be sold. It can be melted at about 140 degrees. Jayson Byrd at the Arizona Cup, April 2016

36 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 25 A Place to Hunt

By Corky Pugh generally due to lower levels of human disturbance. Executive Director of the Hunting Heritage Foundation The Pope and Young bucks that George P. Mann killed Shrinking Hunting Lands a Concern for All Hunters came from small tracts, typically 80 acres or less. He Whether public or private, the amount of land managed the tracts so they became sanctuary for big available to hunters is limited and in many areas, bucks and he did everything possible to reduce human shrinking. disturbance. So says Rob Southwick of Southwick Associates, Public Land Relatively Safer the preeminent authority on fish and wildlife econom- Public land can be very productive to hunt for ics and statistics. According to Southwick, the largest those willing to walk a distance away from roads and percentage of U.S. hunters rely on land owned by fami- other infrastructure. Statistically, public land is the ly and friends. safest place to hunt. Ironically, most hunting accidents In a survey of hunters, 38 percent—almost four out occur on private land and involve close friends, private of ten—said they hunted on a friend’s or family mem- club members, or relatives. ber’s property for free. The next largest group, those Foolishly Dangerous to Project Own Characteristics who hunted public land, made up 28 percent. Onto Others Eighteen percent hunted land they own, while only For those of us advantaged enough to own or lease 11 percent belong to a hunting club or hunt land they land or to belong to a hunting club, Southwick’s figures lease. about where people hunt may seem unbelievable. As “This survey shows the importance of private land always, it is easy to assume that others are similar to that can be affordably hunted,” says Southwick. us. The fact is that the vast majority of Alabama “However many hunters do not have a family member hunters are not advantaged economically or otherwise. or friend who owns land they can hunt. Combined with Detailed demographic analysis of Alabama hunters ongoing land development, the future of hunting is in a separate study by Southwick revealed that most dependent on efforts to maintain hunting access on are hard-working people engaged in blue-collar occu- public lands.” pations. One third do not have a high school diploma. Small Lands Important As in all things, it is foolishly dangerous to project The same survey also examined the size of proper- our own characteristics onto other people. As avid, ties hunters utilize and found that small tracts of land advantaged hunters, we are a small minority of the the SEARCH remain extremely important to providing opportunity total population of hunters. We associate with other for hunting. Of those surveyed, 38 percent hunted avid hunters through land leases, clubs, hunting organ- lands 200 acres or larger, but 24 percent hunt proper- izations, and other social mechanisms. Because we ties of 50 acres or less. The next largest segment, 21 don’t see the less-advantaged hunters in our settings, is OVER percent hunt lands of 50 to 100 acres. Almost 17 per- it is easy to fall in the trap of believing everybody cent hunt lands between 100 and 200 acres in size. shares in our good fortune. These nationwide statistics may be even more true Invisible Hunters Monroe County is your for Alabama and other southeastern states. Land own- The hunter in the woods behind Aunt Susie’s house OUTDOORS PARADISE ership patterns here very likely result in an even higher is invisible for all practical purposes. Yet, statistically, reliance on small properties, private land, and relation- he is far more representative of the masses of hunters ships with landowners. than the folks who are in our hunting clubs with large Let us help you find your piece of paradise “For hunters unable to pay for greater hunting leases. access, this is a critical issue, especially in eastern The guy who works a shift in a mill or a mine or on regions where public lands are sometimes limited,” a construction crew may only get to hunt one or two according to Southwick. days a year. This lower level of participation also The average forest landholding in Alabama is 80 means he is less visible. acres. Over two-thirds of all forestland in Alabama is These less-visible hunters constitute the majority owned by small, non-industrial private landowners. in numbers. Each and every one of them pay exactly Businesses own 28 percent. Government owns five per- the same through their license purchases as the most JESS MARTIN FRAN GASTON DONNA STEVE DUNN cent. advantaged, avid hunter toward management and pro- Owner & Broker COOK FLEMING (251)238-0515 Small tracts can be incredibly productive to hunt, tection of wildlife. And every hunter counts the same at 564-1155 334-422-1990 714-0521

26 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 35 sense, too. the ballot box; it’s the American way. in numbers, and at present, only seven out of a hun- And, if you’re having to cover a large amount of Less-avid, less-advantaged hunters all help pay for dred Alabamians hunt. The other 93 do not hunt, but ground, you’re not sweating like a prize fighter. management and protection of wildlife resources; how- most support hunting, so long as it is done responsi- This, along with the lack of mosquitos, gnats, and ever, the guy who only gets to hunt a couple of days a bly. snakes crawling makes for more comfort. In fact, year does not make the same demand on the resource With animal rights activists and other anti-hunters these ‘pests” keep many hunters out of the turkey as an avid hunter who hunts a lot. constantly doing all they can to marginalize or totally woods each spring (which is just fine with me). Unity Among Hunters Important do away with hunting, unity among hunters should be Hunters of all types are important, and the sooner our watchword. Our concern for one another will large- Also, with the birds still in large flocks, he says we all recognize this, the better off we are. Strength lies ly determine our future. turkey sign is much easier to locate. This makes sense, too. Public Hunting Grounds While I appreciate their constructive ideas, I’m sticking with my theory of not wanting to freeze The Red Hills Tracts in Monroe County consist of waterfowl hunting, and small game hunting follow reg- my tail off for most of turkey season. If I enjoyed two Forever Wild acquisitions totaling 4,376 acres pro- ular seasons, arms and limits for these areas. No ATVs viding crucial habitat for the Federally Listed Red Hills allowed. Free Map Permit available at www.outdooral- that, I would be a deer hunter (I’m not). Salamander and many other rare species of plants and abama.com . Whatever your preference, in the end it’s what animals occupying these habitats. The tracts consist of Directions: From Camden, take AL-41 South works for you and gives you confidence. When you wet ravine and upland pine forest that includes a mix approximately 22.2 miles to River Ridge Road. From have that kind of certainty in your approach, you’ll of natural coastal plain habitats and pine-plantation Monroeville, take AL-41 North approximately 17 miles be a far more patient turkey hunter. That truism forest situated between the Alabama River drainages of to River Ridge Road. Turn on River Ridge Road and cannot be overstated: “Patience kills turkeys.” Beaver and Tallatchee Creeks. The tracts were pur- travel approximately 1.5 miles to the parking lot on Now, that’s something we can all agree on. chased in partnership with the Alabama Chapter of The your left. Parking is also available roadside along River Nature Conservancy, and in part through financial Ridge Road. assistance from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Other nearby public hunting opportunities: Endangered Species grant. Recreational opportunities Conecuh National Forest on the tracts include hunting, bird watching, camping Upper Delta Wildlife Management Area 42,451 acres and wildlife viewing. Big game hunting is limited to Mobile-Tensaw Delta/W. L. Holland WMA 51,040 acres stalk hunting deer and feral hog with a muzzle loader, Fred T. Stimpson WMA 5,361 acres shotgun with slug, and bow/crossbow. Turkey hunting, FOOD PLOT HEADQUARTERS

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34 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 27 A perfect Early Spring or Late Spring: R&R Destination What kind of turkey hunter are you? Contractors LLC for outdoor By Doug Max increases your chances for success. This is espe- P.O. BOX 39 • MONROEVILLE, AL 36461 recreation, All turkey hunters agree on a couple of things. cially true for hunting late in the mornings or at One, they all like being in the woods when the midday. Providing Monroe County with shopping birds are gobbling. The other is that patience kills Add to the fact that I have killed far more gob- Quality Excavation and Asphalt & relaxation! turkeys. blers with the woods greened up and it’s a no Paving for over 30 years! I have yet to find a turkey hunter who disagrees brainer for me. Located with either of these. I also have a couple of good friends whose Outside these two statements, I have found opinions on this matter are 180 degrees from my WE ARE YOUR TOTAL off the beaten SITE CONTRACTOR precious little agreement remaining. Put two expe- own. One of these guys, Cliff Butler, has been my Water & Sewer Installation, Storm Drain, path in central rienced turkey hunters together and they will likely turkey hunting partner for nearly 50 years. Curb & Gutter, and much more! Southwest have differing opinions on almost everything The other, Alan White (owner and editor of the “turkey related.” most popular outdoor magazine in Alabama), has Commercial/Residential Alabama I don’t know that I’ve ever found a group with been hunting turkeys for more than 20 years. Licensed/Bonded/Insured Begin your more diverse thoughts about their pursuit of wild While our thoughts differ on timing (early Bill Rainey & Bob Rainey outdoor story here! game than turkey hunters. spring versus late spring), both of these guys kill CITY OF We hear all the ideas about calling, decoys, just as many toms each spring as myself, so I can’t 251-575-3587 shotguns, shells and just about everything else. say they are wrong. We just see things a bit differ- However, one topic I’ve never seen written about is ently. I decided to poke their minds for what they the personal preferences of an “early spring” ver- see as the advantages of the “late spring.” Alan is sus a “late spring” turkey. So, it’s time to tackle of the opinion that turkeys will gobble later into this topic and take a look at the pros and cons of the spring and breed later as well. I tend to agree We are a True each. with this. Most wild turkey biologists believe that Personally, I’m what you might call an “early the length of daylight hours triggers breeding and Community spring” kind of turkey hunter. gobbling. The number one reason for this is simple: I While not a biologist, I believe weather plays a Bank! hate being cold. When I’m cold, I have a hard time huge factor in both breeding and gobbling. sitting still. We all know the “fidgety” turkey hunter Alan also says that with the lighter foliage, a is rarely a successful turkey hunter. However, there hunter can hear over longer distances, thus mak- are other advantages than just the comfortable ing it easier to locate gobbling birds. Obviously, Peoples Exchange Bank weather. Some of these I’d like to share with you. this is true. In fact, with heavy foliage, gobblers are of Monroe County One thing that drives my preference is that often much closer than you think. This often leads turkeys seem to gobble more when the woods are to “bumping” the tom and ruining your chance at fairly greened up and especially when the dog- harvesting him. woods are in full bloom. Cliff offers up some other advantages that he Diversify your Telephone Banking • 575-4400 When the foliage is heavier, I find that it’s believes also fuels his late spring success. He’s of much easier to move into your setup or get in the opinion that when spring arrives a bit late, investments with Monroeville • 575-4555 tight on a roosted gobbler. I believe getting in gobblers are still bunched up and establishing Visit us on the web at: www.pebmc.com close before making your initial calls greatly their pecking order. He finds them more receptive timberland . . . increases your odds. to calling during this phase as there seems to be we’re your lender. I also believe that early spring triggers early some competition among the toms for available breeding, which will put the hens on the nest ear- hens. lier in the season than in some other years. The Also, with the birds still in large flocks, he says fact that fewer gobblers will be “henned up” also turkey sign is much easier to locate. This makes

28 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 33 and whatever other material he could find. Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing in Hope, Ark., “I got out of it for several years and went into where for five years he conducted classes on how custom gun making until 1974,” Pardue said, sit- to make folders. ting at a workbench covered with years of metal He still teaches classes at the Batson Blade filings and ivory dust. “By 1979 I was a full mem- Smithing Symposium and Knife Show at Tannehill ber of the Knifemakers Guild, which is a presti- State Park near McCalla each spring, and has gious organization in the knife-making world.” worked with aspiring craftsmen one-on-one at his Pardue not only designs, makes and sells cus- shop. tom knives from his shop, he was in on the ground “I do this because I enjoy it and can make a floor of establishing Benchmade Knives, a compa- good living at it,” he said. “If I couldn’t make a liv- the Road to ny that has grown exponentially and has Pardue- ing at it, I’d probably have to find something else designed knives as standard issue in the military. to do.” Paradise “It is part of the survival kit on every airplane owned by the U.S. government,” Pardue said. “The For more information on Pardue Knives, visit is paved with company started in a small metal building, and melpardueknives.com, or check out the award-win- has expanded to a 170,000 square foot, state-of- ning Griptillion and other Pardue designs at the-art facility in Oregon City, Ore.” benchmade.com. In fact, Pardue was the original knife designer for Benchmade, and, browsing their Web site, DIRT. more than 20 of his tactical knife designs are still for sale, plus another 16 models that he at least had a hand in developing. !!!!! !!!!!! &! ' $&#!!! &!&&$&#!!! He also holds over 15 design and utility !!!! !!!!!!! ! ! ! patents with Benchmade and has served on !! ! ! ! ! Operating expenses Benchmade’s board of directors. $ %!&&$&#! But the custom world is where Pardue’s pas- !! ! !!!!! ! !! ! !!! sion lies. He has boxes of over 300 blade and han- !!!!!!!!!!!!! !&!' !!! ! dle templates and a shop packed with machines !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 
'$ &%! '  ! he’s built to fit his needs. !! ! !!! ! !! !! ! ! Varying terms and rates Various store-bought machines didn’t do what ! ! !! !! ! ! ! ! !! ! !!! !!!!! ! ! Financing he needed them to, so he made some adjust- land & farms ments or added or removed pieces to make them Some of Pardue's recent tactical folding knives rest atop the Edda and Aldo Lorenzi Award since 1916 just right. Many of the machines serve only one he recently received. Ed Boyd – Regional President purpose in the knife-making process. Michael Williams – Branch Manager Around the shop are cabinets and shelves, Morgan Hutcherson – Loan Officer some of which contain the rare raw materials he uses for his custom designs – things like elephant ivory and water buffalo horn. Pardue has been honored for his work, receiv- ing the Knifemakers Guild's Red Watson Friendship Memorial Award, given to knife makers who help not only their fellow blade smiths, but AlabamaAgCredit.com also their community as a whole. 800-579-5471 And, at the Blade Show in July, he received the Edda and Aldo Lorenzi Award, given annually dur- ing the world's largest knife show in Atlanta. He also received the Ron Little Award in 1992. He is the first person without membership in the American Bladesmith Society to teach at the The Pardue-designed Presidio is one of the most recognizable tactical Benchmade knives. 32 DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS DISCOVER MONROE COUNTY OUTDOORS 29 A CUT ABOVE Legendary knife maker continues to churn out custom blades

Story and Photos by Josh Dewberry

A quick Internet search for the name Mel Pardue turns up a handful of com- mon words – “legend,” “master” and, in more than one place, “god.” Most days Pardue can be found in his shop, off a dirt road in a hardwood bottom at Range a matter of minutes into Conecuh County, working on his next masterpiece in metal. “The recession hit knife-making pretty hard,” Pardue said. “All the doctors and lawyers and other wealthy people who were buying my knives lost a lot of money and quit buying things like custom knives.” For years, Pardue has turned out ornate and finely detailed single-blade folding knives that were more display pieces than ones for everyday carry. “They can be used, though,” Pardue is quick to note. “Most people don't want to carry them around, but every knife is fully-functional and usable.” When he goes to shows around the country, Pardue is often sold out before the shows even open, with collectors and other makers snatching up his blades as soon as they can. He's adjusted to his market in recent years, producing more plain-Jane, one-off tactical knives to take to shows rather than the ivory and jade handled, Damascus steel bladed designs he spent the past 40 years handcrafting. “Everyone wants these tactical knives now,” he said. “They don't want them to be flashy or anything like that.” Handles of carbon fiber, blades of high-strength steel and frames of titanium are what customers are demanding these days, and Pardue is happy to oblige. A handcrafted Pardue tactical knife will set you back more than $500, but with the cost of high-grade materials and the hours spent on each blade, he says he isn't exactly making a killing. “You figure someone at a mill or working in an office is making $25 an hour,” he said. “I spend 16 or 18 hours on each knife, plus the cost of materials and tools.” But customers never leave disappointed with his work – and many return to buy a second or third knife for themselves or as a gift. He started making knives more than 50 years ago from saw blades