This ain't a petting zoo!!!

Well folks, I'm here in the Great State of Tennessee. I love it up here. There's nothing like good clean fresh air to clear your mind. I tried uploading some pictures but didn't have any luck, so when I get back to Texas I'll upload them.

In one of my earlier posts, there is a picture of Mark J., and two young boys emptying a crab cage. Well one of them young boys (Justin) is up here also with his dad Melvin. Oh, and that young boy is a big ole boy. But don't let the size fool ya. The deer and turkeys love him. The woods and wildlife are safe when he's around. He was in his deer blind tuesday morning when some turkeys walked up all around him. According to him they were everywhere. This was of course after he took his nap in the blind. Since he didn't want to shoot the turkeys because he was waiting for some deer to come out, he watched them for awhile. I think he was feeding them corn cuz he's a nice guy. Somewhere between the feeding and petting the turkeys and the shivering because it was really cold this morning, he looked back only to see 2 or 3 deer looking at him. UUhhh this ain't a petting zoo dude, shoot, shoot, and shoot again. Jay said he thought he heard something running in the woods coming from Justins petting and feeding frenzy. According to him, he thought he heard someone say "can you believe that guy paid a dollar to pet the animals".

It's hard to believe since Justin boasted about getting all those geese, and they even brought one or two so Melvin could make some gumbo. Of course Justin said it was so cold that when he tried to aim he said he was shaking so badly he couldn't aim at the deer. Sure I can see where someone would have a problem feeding the turkeys and trying to aim at the deer.

Ding, Ding, Ding, whoa nellie, stop the press, I just realized something. I should have asked Justin what kind of geese he got. Hey Melvin, here's a little friendly word of advice from a Texas city slicker. Check that bird real good for a stamp that reads USDA. I can get those birds in Texas also so you can come to San Antonio and make that gumbo for us.

Well that's all for now but I will post later with updates and hopefully pictures. And boy do I have a story to tell later. The title will be "JUST HIT IT IN THE HEAD"

A Thanksgiving Thanks

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is here already. It seems this year went by fast. As we celebrate Thanksgiving lets not forget what the celebration is about. Sure the turkey and few days off to spend with the family are great, but that’s just not what the holiday is about. Let’s not forget the soldiers we have in foreign countries fighting so we can celebrate this holiday. No matter how you feel about this war, if them idiots that attacked us had it their way we wouldn’t have all the freedoms we have now.

Let us also not forget the brave soldiers that have died and paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can continue to enjoy this great nation, and it is a great nation. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but the United States of America, and I’m glad I live in Texas. I’ve included the National Anthem in here because it’s the national anthem. Every time I hear it played I can’t help but get a few tears in my eyes.

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, I

n full glory reflected now shines on the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

A home and a country should leave us no more?

Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


The last verse is the one that really gets me choked up. I can’t help but think about all the soldiers of past who have fought battles so this nation could continue. I had an uncle that passed away a few years ago who fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. My father fought in Korea, and another Uncle fought in Vietnam.

As Americans we do have a lot to be thankful for. Other citizens from other countries recognize the fact that the United States is a great place to live. I don’t see anyone wanting to move to Mexico and change their citizenship, but I do see Mexicans wanting to move to the United States. I don’t see anyone wanting to move to Canada and change their citizenship, unless you were a draft dodger hippy of the 60’s like the Bill Clinton crowd. I don’t see anyone wanting to move to France and change their citizenship. Not even that lying idiot Alec Baldwin who said he would move, is that crazy enough to give up his citizenship.

As Americans we also have the right to freedom of speech. Even if you’re like Barbara Streisand, Rosie Odonnell, Sean Penn, and some of them idiots in Hollywood. They have the right to show us how dumb they are and I have the right to write about it.

As Americans we also have the right to worship the LORD in our own way.

As Americans we also have the right to own guns, even though most Democrat politicians don’t want us to.

THANK YOU LORD for this great nation that you founded. Thank you veterans for your sacrifice despite all the ingrates that are in this nation.

I Bagged a Turkey today!!!!!!

Well folks, today I decided to go out after church and try to bag a turkey. As you can see I got one. It’s not as big as the ones in the previous post. But it’ll do. I had to go out today since I will be in school three days this week and then I’m off to Tennessee. And what’s Thanksgiving without a turkey. As you can see it’s the plastic feathered turkey. Yeah it probably won’t be as good as those ones in the wild but hey what can I say.,,,,, it is a turkey.

Here’s the story. I changed into my camo and then sprayed the scent killer stuff I talked about in another post. The stuff really works. It was cool out there today so I had a camo jacket also. It’s one of those military jackets. Mark felt sorry for me and one day bought it for me. What a guy.

I had it all planned out. I’d go to the happy hunting grounds and set up after I scouted the area. There were hunters everywhere. As I scouted around I saw that Wal-mart has a savage .22 cal semi rifle for 92.00. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, I got side tracked. You’re right, I couldn’t pass it up so I put it on lay away. Although I almost changed my mind since the clerks at the lay-away dept., were more concerned with telling each other about their social life than working. Three of them behind the counter yakking while one was actually working. The one at the register even called for of the cashiers to take my lay-away, and it looked like she was being bothered while telling her story. They were like hens in a chicken coup, yakkity yak, yak.

Finally I got to the holler where the turkeys were. I had to go through nineteen hollers to get there. As I peered around the corner, I could see them. There were a bunch of them. There were butterballs, pilgrim pride, and some other ones also. A flock of geese and ducks went by. Very stealthily, I glided up to where the turkeys were and there it was, amongst the rest of the flock. The plastic feathered turkey I had been looking for. Then out of no where another hunter cut in front of me. Oh no, they can’t get the one I have set my sights on already.

I had a tough decision to make. Leave the basket and chance loosing the items I already had in it but go for the turkey. Or stay with the basket and hope Ms. Cut in front of me didn’t see the turkey I had my sights on. Lets see I have a movie, and some cereal in the basket. In my line of work I’m trained to make split second decisions, and not worry about the Monday morning quarterbacking. So I went for the turkey, and she is a beauty, even though it’s a little, …uuuuhhhh , deformed.

If you’ll remember the turkeys in Tennesse had the necks on the outside and this one has everything on the inside. WHAT’S UP WITH THAT!!!!!!! Oh well, Alma might be a lilttle disappointed (yeah right) but it’ll have to do.

I could tell this turkey also traveled a long way. As you can see it’s from somewhere up north. How do I know???? Well it’s in the 70’s down here, and you can see the frost on the bird, so It must be from somewhere up north where it’s cold, or should I say freezing.
So I tagged it, as you can see in the picture, and then went home. The weapon of choice in this hunt was a little unconventional as far as hunting is concerned. It was a credit/debit card. Right now Alma is at work but when she gets home and see’s that I BAGGED a turkey she’ll be happy.

GOT MILK!!!!

Ok, Ok, I know I said I wouldn't post on here again until I either got to Tennessee, or got back from Tennessee. Well I haven't gone yet but I just had to post this picture. Alma and I went to the Hendersons place so I could take care of some thieves. That's right, coyotes got a couple of these kids a few weeks ago. So I offered my services to dish out some justice on them coyotes. Unfortunately I didn't see anything tonight, but I did hear something in the weeds. It's unknown what it was but I could hear it moving around.
Looks like these kids could use some cookies to go with that milk.

Another old Picture

Now here's an old picture!!! This was taken in 1996, in Louisiana. The sportsmans paradise is what is written on the state license plate and believe me it is the sportsmans paradise. We caught a lot of croaker, and a lot of blue crabs.

Put those three in the boat today and they become alligator bait.

Old stories with old pictures

These are some old pictures that I scanned in one day. The picture of my with that armadillo was taken probably around 1985. My brother Tony and I were coming back from hunting somewhere up near Menard Texas. We kept seeing these little guys all along the road. From a distance it looked like someone had thrown a bunch of footballs all along the road. Once you got close to them you could see they were armadillos.

I had made a comment to my brother that I knew how to catch them without breaking a sweat, and without shooting them. He didn't believe me so we pulled over and I gave him a lesson in catching armadillos. Of course he had to try it also and on the first try he lost the race in a 50 yard dash. Them dudes can run fast. "Run Forrest Run" .

Well since Tony had amnesia, I gave him instructions again. Walk real real, real slow. I mean real slow. Try to aproach directly in front of them. If they are digging walk real slow towards them. If they pick up their head, FREEZE, Dont move a muscle. When they go back to digging move real slow.

Well he followed the instructions and he caught one also as you can see. We ended up cutting these guys loose and they ran like a horse on race day.

Oh, by the way, I don't look anything like that picture at the present time. Lets just say my wife is an excellent cook and I've been eating really good.

It's almost time

Well folks it's almost time for that yearly hunting trip that Mark Johnson and I look foward to. It'll be good to see dear friends and relatives. Hopefully we can get some deer in the freezer and I hope we see some more ninja squirrels since I've got some new moves I'm anxiously awaiting to try. The first ninja squirrel I see I'll be all over it. It will be knuckle jungle time. We'll also be doing a little fistaphobia also.

If I come across anything really important I will try to post it from Tennessee, otherwise you're gonna have to wait till I get back.

Nice Mounts

I'm sure you recognize the deer mount from an earlier post. The raccoon is the latest mount I've added. I shot this one morning in may as I was coyote hunting. I had set up my caller around 5am about 30 to 40 yards in front of me. The sun was just coming up but hadn't broke the horizon yet.

If you've never been up that early and in the woods at that time well you should try it. I think it's the best time of the day. The sounds that are around you are amazing. From silence to birds chirping, grasshoppers flying around, and just all kinds of creatures stirring around.

So I started the caller in hopes of calling in a coyote. About 20 yards away in the opposite direction of where I was, I caught a glimpse of something coming out of a big dugout hole the landowner had dug a while back. The grass and weeds were pretty tall so I couldn't make out what was going towards my caller but I could see it moving the brush So I turned the caller off. The caller I have comes with a remote control that is effective up to 250 feet. When the call stopped that's when I saw what was moving towards my caller. It was a raccoon. It stood up on it's hind legs trying to see where the calls were coming from. The call I was using was a jackrabit in distress.

So this raccoon starts making it's way to my caller and I'm trying to make up my mind if I really want to shoot it or should I jump up and scare if off since it has not seen me yet. Well I had been wanting to get a raccoon mounted so I elected to shoot it the next time it popped up.

I turned the caller on for about 3 seconds and then turned it off and the raccoon again stood on it's hind legs. I took aim quickly and not wanting to cause a lot of damage to the pelt I shot it in the neck with my Remington 700 vlsf, .221 fireball.

One of the guys in my unit is a taxidermist and I think he did a great job on it.

Big Red Fish

Those are some big Red Fish that Gerald and his son Bubba caught in Port Aransas. I didn't go on this trip but Bubba called me when the got back. When I picked up the phone I could tell he was a little excited. He was talking really fast and it was hard to understand what he was saying. I had to tell him "whoa nellie, slow it down" take a deep breath. It sounded like he was hyperventilating and after calming him down he told me he and his dad and some friends went fishing caught these red fish.

I can see why he was excited, I would be too. Those would go good on a barbecue grill with some seasoning on them.

Good catch Gerald and Bubba


p.s. I checked for the hook mark and they were there. These ain't store bought fish Frances. Take a good look at these fish Frances, they aren't those triangle fish you like to eat, that Gordon caught. These are Gerald and Bubba caught. Real fisherman not fishing in the cold misty filled freezer, but caught that day in the Gulf of Mexico. They sure will taste good.

JackAss

Well that's what it is. Nuff said

Big Red

What can I say!!! It’s the best drink on earth. Just looking at the label quenches your thirst. I think I’ve been drinking Big Red since 1973 or 1974. It hasn’t changed a bit. It has the same sweet soothing taste. I used to walk home from high school and buy a bottle of Big Red and a bag of Doritos. What a combination!!! It’s good with breakfast tacos, lunch, and supper. I especially love it with barbacoa tacos. When I am fishing at the beach and it’s hot and humid, a cold Big Red soda cools you off. The best time to drink it is when it has been sitting in the ice chest full of ice. The colder the better. If your’re working out in the field or hunting, a nice cold Big Red hits the spot.
Texas used to be the only state where you could buy Big Red, but now some other states have gotten smart.