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HUNTING GUIDE FALL - WINTER 2016 CRITTENDEN COUNTY KENTUCKY www.marionkentucky.org CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS I N S I D E D e e r O u t l o o k H a r v e s t F i g u r e s Y o u t h H u n t i n g T r o p h y B a s s P r o g r a m S e a s o n D a t e s L i c e n s e I n f o r m a t i o n T u r k e y C a l l s W M A G e t s B i g g e r 1 5 B u c k W i n n e r s I N S I D E D e e r O u t l o o k H a r v e s t F i g u r e s Y o u t h H u n t i n g T r o p h y B a s s P r o g r a m S e a s o n D a t e s L i c e n s e I n f o r m a t i o n T u r k e y C a l l s W M A G e t s B i g g e r 1 5 B u c k W i n n e r s COVER STORY Peace Among October Acorns COVER STORY Peace Among October Acorns PAGE 6

CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS HUNTING GUIDECRITTENDEN OUTDOORS 2 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN The Crittenden Outdoors Hunting Season Guide was designed and published by The Crittenden Press, Inc., at

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  • HUNTINGGUIDE

    FALL - WINTER 2016CRITTENDEN COUNTYKENTUCKY

    www.marionkentucky.org

    CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS

    INSIDEDeer OutlookHarvest FiguresYouth HuntingTrophy Bass ProgramSeason DatesLicense InformationTurkey CallsWMA Gets Bigger’15 Buck Winners

    INSIDEDeer OutlookHarvest FiguresYouth HuntingTrophy Bass ProgramSeason DatesLicense InformationTurkey CallsWMA Gets Bigger’15 Buck Winners

    COVER STORYPeace Among October Acorns

    COVER STORY Peace Among October Acorns

    PAGE 6

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS2 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    The Crittenden Outdoors Hunting Season Guide was designedand published by The Crittenden Press, Inc., at 125 East BellvilleStreet, Marion, Ky. It is available in PDF form at The Press Online

    or MarionKentucky.org. Contact us at (270) 965-3191.

    124 East Depot Street Marion, Kentucky

    (270) 704-6015RESERVATIONS REQUESTED

    6 Rooms 4 Rooms with Private Baths

    6 Rooms 4 Rooms with Private Baths

    6 Rooms 4 Rooms with Private Baths

    6 Rooms 4 Rooms with Private Baths

    Kentucky Fall Hunting DatesKentucky hunting seasons through Feb. 28, 2017 are listed

    below with deer seasons applicable to Crittenden County andother Zone 1 counties.

    - Bullfrog: May 20 - Oct. 31- Squirrel: Aug. 20 - Nov. 11, Nov. 14 - Feb. 28- Dove: Sept. 1 - Oct. 26, Nov. 24 - Dec. 4, Dec. 17 - Jan. 8- Crow: Sept. 1 - Nov. 7, Jan. 4 - Feb. 28- Deer (archery): Sept. 3 - Jan. 16- Deer (crossbow): Oct. 1-16, Nov. 12 - Dec. 31- Deer (youth): Oct. 8-9, Dec. 31 - Jan. 1- Deer (muzzleloader): Oct. 15 - 16, Dec. 10 - Dec. 18- Deer (rifle): Nov. 12 - Nov. 27- Turkey (archery): Sept. 3 - Jan. 16- Turkey (crossbow): Oct. 1 - Oct. 16, Nov. 12 - Dec. 31- Turkey (gun): Oct. 22-28, Dec. 3-9- Canada Goose: Sept. 16-30, Nov. 24 - Feb. 15- Racoon (hunting): Oct. 1 - Feb. 28- Racoon (trapping): Nov. 14 - Feb. 28- Woodcock: Oct. 22 - Nov. 11, Nov. 14 - Dec. 7- Fox (hunt/trap): Nov. 14 - Feb. 28- Rabbit: Nov. 14 - Feb. 10- Quail: Nov. 14 - Feb. 10- Bobcat: Nov. 26 - Feb. 28- Duck: Nov. 24-27, Dec. 5 - Jan. 29- Snow Goose: Nov. 24 - Feb. 15- Waterfowl (youth): Feb. 4-5- Goose Conservation: Feb. 16 - March 31- Coyote: Year-round- Coyote (trapping): Nov 14 - Feb 28- Groundhog: Year-round

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 3

    STAFF REPORTThis story of an up-and-coming

    outdoorsman sounds somethinglike the legendary tale of DanielBoone. It all started when he wasthree.Jeremiah Foster’s notoriety as

    an accomplished hunter was al-ready swelling to epic proportionswhen the young man from easternCrittenden County took down achampionship buck in the fall of2015.Foster is always among the first

    young hunters in this area to fill hisdeer and turkey tags, and he’s anaccomplished competitive archer,having won a national champi-onship as an eight year old.This past deer season, Foster,

    who is now 10, earned a pot ofcash for winning the Hodge Out-door Sports-Marion Tourism BigBuck Contest.Foster’s winning buck was taken

    during the early muzzleloader sea-son on Oct. 17. It field dressed 188pounds and carried and eight-pointrack with a 1611⁄2-inch spread. Thecontest has a unique scoring for-mula that uses the deer’s weight,antler width and number of points

    to determine the winner. His deerscored 220.This wasn’t Foster’s first big

    deer, however. He took another tro-phy buck as a six year old and he’sdowned whitetails with four differ-ent types of weapons – moderngun, blackpowder, bow and cross-bow. In total, he’s bagged about 15or more deer despite being in thedawn of his hunting career.Foster recalls some of his earli-

    est outdoors expeditions, huntingwith his parents, Lee Ellen andTony Foster.“When I was three years old, my

    mom would take me with her, and Ialways took my toy gun,” he said.“Dad took me when I was five yearsold and I shot my first deer. It wasa doe.”On the first morning of blackpow-

    der season last fall, Foster and hisdad started out early. “Dad and I went out to my grand-

    parents’ farm, which has been inthe family for many generations.We had a two-man ladder stand.Dad and I made sure my gun wasloaded correctly,” recalls Foster.It wasn’t too long into their vigil

    that some deer were spotted off in

    the distance. Foster identified oneof the deer as a nice buck and heknew it was a shooter right away.“Dad said, ‘Let him get a little

    closer,’” remembers Foster. “But inmy excitement I couldn’t wait. Assoon as I got him in my sights, Ishot and he dropped,” Foster ex-plained. When the smoke cleared from

    the blast of his Thompson CenterEncore charged with 75 grains ofblack powder, the eight-pointer laylifeless 110 yards away. It was aclean shot.“I want to thank God for every-

    thing,” Foster said. “He has givenme the physical and mental abilityto do so much.”After the hunt, Foster switched

    from blaze orange into his baseballuniform and raced to a ballgame inGreenville, Ky., where he pitchedfor his team, the Paducah Storm.For winning the Big Buck Con-

    test, Foster earned $1,000 cash.That is almost enough to buy thehigh-end bow he has been wanting,which can be used for competitiveshooting or hunting.See details on registering for the

    contest on back page.

    Foster claims county’s big buck title

    Young Jeremiah Foster is one of the area’s most noted hunters anda celebrated competitive archer. He also excels at baseball.

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS4 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    After months of anticipation,Kentucky deer hunters are gearedup for what continues to look likeanother bountiful fall and winterseason, and that bodes well forCrittenden County, one of the pre-miere places to hunt whitetail inthe Commonwealth.Kentucky’s 2016-17 deer sea-

    son kicked off the first Saturday inSeptember with the start of the136-day archery season. Huntersstatewide came out of the chutewith record-setting numbers in thefirst days of bow season.“Everything right now points to-

    ward another good season,” saidGabe Jenkins, deer program coor-dinator for the Kentucky Depart-ment of Fish and WildlifeResources (KDFWR).That is welcome news following

    what has been a string of recordharvests both locally andstatewide. In 2015, 3,359 deerwere taken in Crittenden County,according to KDFWR Telechecknumbers. That total ranked thecounty third in harvest numbersand is the most on record datingback at least 20 years, eclipsing2014's total by more than 100 ani-mals. Such improving opportunities

    spell good news for local huntersand businesses alike."I think most retail, grocery

    stores and restaurants benefitfrom the hunters that own andlease land in the area," said Mar-ion Tourism Commission DirectorMichele Edwards. "Even some fi-nance at local banks."In the last 16 years, Crittenden

    County has ranked second in thestate in the number of deer har-vested 11 times, trailing onlyOwen County. Four other times ithas ranked third behind Owen andPendleton counties, both in north-ern Kentucky. Crittenden rankedfourth in 2009 behind only Owen,Pendleton and Graves counties.

    Such an impressive crop hasearned the county nationwide at-tention from hunters, including afew high-profile professional ath-letes who either own or lease landhere. And while the economic im-pact of deer hunting on the countyis significant, Edwards said it isdifficult to put an exact dollar tomeasure its extent.

    Statewide recordsLast year, hunters in Kentucky

    established a new benchmark bytaking more than 155,730 deer. Itwas the third record harvest in thepast four seasons and included 55bucks from 40 counties docu-mented by Kentucky Fish andWildlife that met the Boone andCrockett Club’s minimum entryscore for its awards book.“Our deer hunting in Kentucky is

    better than it’s ever been,” saidSteve Beam, wildlife division di-rector for Kentucky Fish andWildlife. “We’re harvesting recordnumbers of deer and our produc-tion of large-antlered bucks iscompletely incredible.”A state believed to hold fewer

    than 1,000 whitetailed deer a cen-tury ago now is considered one ofthe nation’s premiere hunting des-tinations. The latest herd estimate– derived from harvest and agestructure data – pegged thestatewide population at more than820,000 after the 2015-16 huntingseason and before fawning thisspring.“We’ve really hit the scene in

    the past 10 years because of ourquality whitetail,” Jenkins said.“That’s a product of good manage-ment, good habitat and being dili-gent about what’s being put on thelandscape. With that, we still haveto be good stewards.”The archery season is just one

    facet. Crossbow, muzzleloaderand youth deer hunting opportuni-ties are part of the overall season

    framework. But it is the moderngun deer season in Novemberthat drives the harvest, accountingfor 70 percent of the total harvestlast season.“We’ve been setting archery

    records nearly every year andevery month, so we’re seeingmore interest in archery hunting,”Jenkins said. “But we’re still amodern gun-dominated state andweather is the biggest key in that.”The modern gun season opens

    statewide Nov. 12 and spans 16consecutive days in Zones 1 and2 and 10 consecutive days in

    Zones 3 and 4. There are 43counties assigned Zone 1 status,including Crittenden County, afterthe addition of Hardin and Web-ster counties this season. Herd health assessments are

    under way and results are not yetavailable from the annualstatewide mast survey. Huntersshould take into account the avail-ability of hard mast as the seasonprogresses.“Traditionally, when you have

    good mast years, we usually seea decline in the harvest from theprevious year mainly because of a

    change in feeding habits,” Jenkinssaid. “They’re not coming to cornfeeders and they’re not coming togreen fields. They’re in the woods.“I don’t know what the mast re-

    sults are going to show, but inspeaking with our staff and seeingfor myself in the field, it lookedpretty good. We’ll see.”

    (Kevin Kelly with Kentucky Afieldmagazine, the official publication ofthe Kentucky Department of Fish andWildlife Resources, contributed to thisstory.)

    Crittenden remains among top counties

    DEER HUNTING OUTLOOK GREAT FOR 2016-172000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

    106,263 103,338115,082 116,540

    124,752112,462 122,233 113,436 120,610 113,584 110,376

    119,663131,395

    144,409 138,898155,734

    2,5972,272

    2,708 2,5863,032

    2,5933,085 2,927

    2,707 2,5492,952 2,829 3,010

    3,033 3,2243,359

    Deer harvestsby year since 2000

    Crittenden CountyKentucky

    SOURCE: KentuckyDepartment for Fish andWildlife Resources Telecheck totals

    Source: KDFWRTelecheck Data

  • Changes to Telecheckthis seasonBig game hunters will find a

    change in the Telecheck Systemwhen they report their deer har-vest this season.All successful hunters must

    check the animals they harvestand can do that by phone at (800)245-4263 or online at fw.ky.gov. The telecheck process includes

    some new questions. Hunterschecking an antlered deer will beasked to enter the total number ofantler points that are at least 1inch and indicate if the outsideantler spread is less than orgreater than 11 inches. Thosechecking an antlerless male willneed to distinguish if it is a malefawn (button buck) or if the animalhas already dropped its antlers.The additional data will help bi-

    ologists, said Gabe Jenkins, deerprogram coordinator for the Ken-tucky Department of Fish andWildlife Resources (KDFWR).“What we’re looking to do is ob-

    tain additional age data, some-thing that indicates how old thatharvested animal is,” he said. “Forall of the population models thatwe do, we need to know approxi-mate age in the harvest. Addi-tional age data allows us to betterpredict the standing crop and theage of our herd. That in turn helpsus be more efficient managers ofthe herd.”Kentucky Fish and Wildlife

    owns, leases or manages morethan 80 wildlife managementareas across the state for publicuse. Some require a user permit,hold quota hunts or have specialregulations for deer hunting.“We’ve been able to add a sig-

    nificant amount of acreage in re-cent years,” Beam said. “As aresult, hunters now have morehigh-quality public hunting oppor-tunities across the state.”The Kentucky Hunting and

    Trapping Guide, available on thedepartment’s website and wher-ever licenses are sold, is a valu-able resource for hunters. Itincludes the full list of fall huntingand trapping season dates, sum-marizes hunting and trappinglaws, and provides informationabout public lands hunting by re-gion, youth hunting opportunities,hunter education requirementsand quota hunts.

    CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 5

    1993 ...............2,3571994 ...............1,8261995 ...............1,8571996 ...............2,0651997 ...............1,8741998 ...............2,7281999 ...............2,2012000 ...............2,5972001 ...............2,2722002 ...............2,6952003 ...............2,5862004 ...............3,032

    2005 ...............2,5932006 ...............3,0852007 ...............2,9272008 ...............2,7072009 ...............2,5492010 ...............2,9522011................2,8292012 ...............3,0102013 ...............3,0332014 ...............3,2242015 ...............3,359

    2013-14 Deer Harvest Results County Bucks Does Bow Rifle M’loader C’bow TotalCrittenden 1,606 1,618 454 2,456 268 46 3,224Webster 1,238 1,204 360 1,825 215 42 2,442Livingston 943 890 221 1,379 221 12 1,833Caldwell 973 737 209 1,331 145 25 1,710Union 570 489 264 721 60 14 1,059Lyon 445 365 200 536 50 24 810

    KDFWR Statistics

    2014-15 Deer Harvest Results County Bucks Does Bow Rifle M’loader C’bow TotalCrittenden 1,684 1,675 574 2,389 327 69 3,359Webster 1,017 1,150 403 1,523 189 52 2,167Livingston 1,008 989 284 1404 278 31 1,997Caldwell 901 849 204 1,289 199 22 1,750Union 550 468 256 644 97 21 1,018Lyon 464 432 251 560 57 28 896

    KDFWR Statistics

    TOP 15 HARVEST COUNTIES LAST SEASONCounty Male Female Total Wildlife RegionOwen 1,776 1,925 3,701 BLUEGRASS REGIONPendleton 1,772 1,799 3,571 BLUEGRASS REGIONCrittenden 1,684 1,675 3,359 PURCHASE REGIONChristian 1,678 1,605 3,283 PURCHASE REGIONBreckinridge 1,597 1,316 2,913 GREEN RIVER REGIONGraves 1,285 1,572 2,857 PURCHASE REGIONHopkins 1,437 1,403 2,840 GREEN RIVER REGIONShelby 1,344 1,306 2,650 BLUEGRASS REGIONHardin 1,410 1,177 2,587 GREEN RIVER REGIONOhio 1,364 1,159 2,523 GREEN RIVER REGIONGrant 1,286 1,135 2,421 BLUEGRASS REGIONGrayson 1,366 1,041 2,407 GREEN RIVER REGIONHart 1,308 1,098 2,406 GREEN RIVER REGIONNelson 1,187 1,140 2,327 BLUEGRASS REGIONBracken 1,167 1,159 2,326 NORTHEAST REGION

    License or Permit Resident NonresidentAnnual Fishing $20.00 $50.00Joint Husband/Wife Annual Fishing $36.00 Not available1-Day Fishing $7.00 $10.003-Year Fishing (available online only) $55.00 Not availableNonresident 7-Day Fishing Not available $30.00Nonresident 15-Day Fishing Not available $40.00Annual Hunting $20.00 $140.001-Day Hunting (not valid for deer or turkey) $7.00 $15.007-Day Hunting (not valid for deer or turkey) Not available $55.00Annual Youth Hunting (ages 12-15 only) $6.00 $10.00Annual Combination Hunting/Fishing $30.00 Not availableSenior/Disabled Comb Hunting/Fishing $5.00 Not availableSportsman's License $95.00 Not availableYouth (ages 12-15) Sportsman's License $30.00 Not availableStatewide Deer Permit (two deer) $35.00 $120.00Youth (ages 12-15) Deer Permit (one deer) $10.00 $15.00Additional Deer Permit (two deer) $15.00 $15.00Spring Turkey Permit (two turkeys) $30.00 $75.00Youth Turkey Permit (one turkey, spring or fall) $10.00 $15.00Fall Turkey Permit (four turkeys) $30.00 $75.00Migratory Bird/Waterfowl Permit $15.00 $15.00

    KENTUCKY HUNTING LICENSE FEES

    Crittenden County - KentuckyDEER HARVEST TOTALS

  • For Tony Travis, deer huntingprovides an ample amount of“alone therapy” to get him throughthe work week but it’s also a familyconnection that has created a life-long bond with his now growndaughter.

    A crewman for the Crittenden-Livingston Water District, Travis,59, is accustomed to late-night callsto repair distribution lines and long,sometimes wet hours in a trench.

    Perhaps that’s why he covetsthose lonesome vigils perched in adeer stand overlooking the familyfarm in rural Crittenden County.

    “I can’t relax fishing so I hunt,”he said with a chuckle. “It gets meaway from work and I don’t think ofanything else while I’m out there.”

    Over the years, Travis hasscored some nice deer with hisbow. This fall, on Oct. 13, hetagged the nicest of all – a mature10-pointer.

    “It was definitely the best oneI’ve ever gotten,” said Travis, whohas three or four more Pope andYoung Class bucks.

    This one scored 152, “and Igave him the benefit of the doubt inspots,” Travis said while scoring thebuck.

    A bowhunter since the early1970s, Travis has learned a thingor two about deer. He uses age-oldtactics when it comes to hunting thewind, but he also likes the newtechnology. Things like trail cam-eras and scent-shields are amonghis favorite.

    “I use the no-scent soaps andHodge’s has a cedar cover scentthat I really like,” he said. “I’ve haddeer right under me eating acornsand they never know I’m there.”

    The buck he took in Octoberwas eating acorns. The woodswere full of them at the time. Thebuck was feeding alongside a doeand two small twins.

    “I shot him high and didn’t havea blood trail,” he said. “I lookedaround a little, but waited till thenext morning when I knew I couldfind him.”

    The buck lay about 150 yardsfrom where he made the shot.

    Travis estimates him a 51⁄2 yearsold.

    One of the first things Travis didafter shooting the buck was tophone his daughter and son-in-law,Brodi and Justin Sutton. Theycame over to help track the deer.

    Travis reared his daughter toenjoy hunting. Now, she’s quitesuccessful in her own rite. Shebagged a nice gobbler last springand loves to deer hunt.

    “She called me the other after-noon and said, ‘Dad, I’m walking tomy stand and some does arewatching me. What should I do?,’”Travis said with a grin, recalling hisfatherly advise to pay no attentionand keep moving.

    “Everything I know about hunt-ing I got from him,” said Brodi. “Myearliest memories hunting were forturkeys. That’s what we always did.

    “I never got one back then, but Ishot at one. The way I recall it, theturkey was too close,” she added.

    Father and daughter live only afew miles apart and they spend agreat deal of time perfecting theirsporting skills.

    “He teaches me how to shoot,how to hold the bow and how to

    stand,” said Brodi, now 32. Shehunts in order to be more in tunewith her surroundings. She andJustin own a farm and Brodispends a whole lot of time groom-ing it for wildlife. She also has dad’ssecret feed recipe – call it a familyheirloom because no one else isgetting his hands on it.

    It’s a secret blend of grains andwhat Travis calls other “odds andends.” It’s something he’s con-cocted over the years and says hemay one day retire from his day joband commercially manufacture it.

    The feed was part of the bigbuck’s diet.

    “I didn’t weigh him, but he wasbig and had a double white patchon his neck. That’s the third oneI’ve gotten like that,” he said.

    Travis had hunted the samestand the evening before he got thebig buck and let two pretty nicedeer pass by.

    “You have to let those walk. I liketo find a deer I want and hunt him,”he said. “I’m pretty particular aboutwhat I will shoot. Sometimes I’ll goa few years without taking one if Idon’t see what I want.”

    He said several folks in hisneighborhood hunt by the samephilosophy and it’s paying divi-dends.

    “They all feel the same way andwe all just bow hunt. If you will passthese smaller bucks up and letthem grow, it really works to youradvantage,” he said. “I don’t wantto knock the way anyone hunts, butif you want bigger deer you have tobe selective.”

    Learning to be patient and enjoythe hunt more than the harvest issomething Travis’ daughter contin-ues to seek and dad is quick to pro-vide a path for finding it.

    “He always tells me how muchhe enjoys hunting. It is just a mind-clearing time for him. He can sit ina deer stand and not worry aboutanything – it’s just him and nature,”said Brodi. “I am a little more impa-tient, but I would like to find thesame peace. I’m trying to getthere.”

    CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS6 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    DEER PROCESSING• SUMMER SAUSAGE• BOLOGNA • JERKYGet Your Own Meat Back!

    MARVIN BEACHY1876 Lilly Dale Rd.Marion, KY 42064

    270-969-8308270-965-5379

    Closed Sunday

    Family legacy provides therapyfor hunts amid October acorns

    COVER STORY - BOWHUNTING

    Brodi (Travis) Sutton with thetom she bagged last spring.

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 7

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS8 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    Nathan Brantley’s hunting heritageis strong and deep. The younghunter’s family has lived in CrittendenCounty for decades, but he now re-sides in Arkansas where his father,Chris, is minister of a General Baptistchurch.Last fall, he came back to Kentucky

    and the Happy Hunting Grounds totake a buck that won the junior divisionof the Big Buck Contest, sponsored byMarion Tourism and Hodge’s Sportsand Apparel.Brantley, 11, was born in Marion and

    harvested his first deer at the age ofsix. Two years later, he took a whitetailwith a bow.His grandfather, Karl Brantley, is a

    longtime hunter with a number of Popeand Young bucks and his namesake,great-grandfather Nathan Brantley Jr.,took a 21-point buck in 1969.During the 2015 deer season, Brant-

    ley was sitting in a tower stand with hisgrandpa when an eight-point buckcame across a cut bean field. Itstopped at 50 yards and the younggunner made a clean shot with his.308.

    Brantley’s buck is top for youths

    DETA

    CH A

    ND U

    SE TH

    IS H

    ARVE

    ST LO

    G

  • More than 840 acres added tothe Big Rivers Wildlife Manage-ment Area were dedicated in Oc-tober to two conservation officerswho devoted their lives to protect-ing Kentucky’s natural resources.The addition of the Jenkins-Rich

    Tract grew the WMA straddlingCrittenden and Union counties to11.6 square miles. It is named forthe late Capt. David “Donan”Jenkins and the late ConservationOfficer Ronnie Rich.Family members, officials from

    the two counties and a coupledozen biologists, conservation offi-cers, law enforcement and admin-istrators with the KentuckyDepartment of Fish and WildlifeResources (KDFWR) crowded asmall, freshly mowed clearing in-side the tract for the dedicationceremony in October.“There are more stories about

    these guys than you can imagine,”said Wildlife Division DirectorSteve Beam during the brief cere-mony. Before you leave, “taketime to look around, but reflect onthese men.”Jenkins earned Officer of the

    Year accolades in 1964 and 1965.

    Altogether, he served with the de-partment for 39 years before retir-ing as a law enforcement captainin 1997.While Jenkins gained a reputa-

    tion for his toughness – he wonnovice boxing championshipswhile serving in the U.S. Army –he had a soft spot for kids. He andhis wife, Georgia “Jo” Jenkins, de-veloped a technique for cultivatingthe highly-prized ginseng plant.The couple took proceeds fromtheir ginseng sales to help fundpartial college scholarships forkids of department employees andstudents at Crittenden and Unioncounty high schools.“There are givers and takers,”

    Jenkins explained at the time,“and I’m a giver.”“Both made kids feel important,”

    said KDFWR Game ManagementForeman Curt Divine, speakingfrom his own personal experience.Rich began his 25-year career

    at Kentucky Fish and Wildlife in1979 as a wildlife technician at theSauerheber Unit of SloughsWildlife Management Area nearHenderson. After three years, heswitched to the department’s law

    enforcement division to become aconservation officer.Jenkins took Rich under his

    wing. Jenkins saw Rich’s passionfor the outdoors, and served asthe new officer’s mentor for manyyears. Rich grew into a strongleader, yet remained humble andnever stopped trying to qualify forthe position. A compassionatehusband and exemplary father, heled by example and believed inseeking the truth.Rich, jokingly nicknamed “The

    Godfather” by others for his fieldknowledge, constantly taught oth-ers about his craft. He strongly be-lieved that respect was earned,not given. Over his career, Richearned his respect by winningseveral awards, including the1987 Kentucky Officer of the Year;1998-99 Waterfowl EnforcementOfficer of the Year; and 1999United Bowhunters of KentuckyOfficer of the Year.Rich’s service to the public did

    not end with his retirement in2004. He used his knowledge and

    See WMA/page 11

    CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 9

    Expanded WMA dedicated to game wardens

    Wildlife officials gather on Oct. 13 to dedicate the WMA.

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS10 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    From The Critttenden PressEveryone knows that necessity

    is the mother on invention, espe-cially the wild turkey hunter.

    Those who pursue the cautiousstrutters of spring are quick to tryanything to get an edge on their un-predictable prey. For Tolu residentJake Perryman, the drive to harvestturkeys has led to a sideline jobmaking calls.

    The 41-year-old lifelong Critten-den Countian unveiled recently hishandmade custom turkey calls.They are now available at Hodge'sSports & Apparel in Marion.

    Perryman says he started mak-ing calls last year when “call shy”turkeys hung up on him time andagain. In order to lure them withinshotgun range, Perryman triedsomething that most hadn’t – acopper surface on a handheld potturkey call.

    “I couldn’t buy a copper call any-where,” he said.

    When he built his own, theturkeys came running. His personal

    success went up, so he figured oth-ers might be interested. Over theprevious 12 months, he handmadealmost 100 calls and sold morethan half of them. 

    They’re constructed of exoticwood bases from trees that no onewould find along the Ohio Riverbottoms where Perryman grew up.Some of the wood comes fromAfrica. There’s Bocote, walnut,cherry, Ziricote, Osage orange,wenge and leopard wood in hisartist’s bag. 

    By trial and error, Perryman hasperfected his craft, learning thefiner points of mimicking the lonelyhen looking for spring companion-ship in the Kentucky forests.

    “The wood controls the tone,”Perryman said, who works for aHenderson manufacturing com-pany by day and tinkers with callsin the evenings. 

    His new bride doesn’t mind.She’s a school teacher in Madis-onville and never really got into thehunting gig until they married. Now,

    Sarah is as tuned in to a turkeycluck as anyone who claims to bea seasoned hunter.

    “Some of my first calls didn’t seethe light of day,” says Perrymanwith a chuckle. They were tossedout.

    It took him a while to learn howto change pitches and tones inorder to create a natural sound witha striker and piece of copper.

    “The pedestal and sound boardit sets on and the shelf for the play-ing surface is what makes the call.And the distance between the twois critical,” he said.

    There have been others fromthese parts who have made aname creating custom game callsand Perryman knows why. He saidCrittenden County is a perfectplace to perfect hunting skills andto learn what works. He has grownup fishing, trapping and hunting thehills and hollows of this communityand right now he is concernedabout the number of animals he’sseeing.

    “Turkey numbers are down,”Perryman said.

    He, like other outdoorsmen inthe area, believe recent harsh win-ters are partly to blame. He foundfive dead toms last year after alarge snowfall.

    “And that was on a 100-acre

    farm,” he said.With gobbling a bit less frequent

    from the ridges of CrittendenCounty, Perryman says everyhunter needs something special togive him an advantage. He sug-gests one of his custom calls.

    Jake Perryman, 41, of Tolu recently unveiled to retail customers his handmade customturkey calls. They are now available at Hodge's Sports & Apparel in Marion.

    Crittenden call-maker says shy toms ledhim to work on perfecting lurring sounds

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 11

    WMAContinued from page 9

    spare time to help underprivilegedkids and injured veterans.He partnered with local youth

    conservation groups and theWounded Warrior Project to cre-ate memorable hunting and fish-ing experiences at Wild WingLodge and Riverbend WhitetailOutfitters for those in need of hisassistance.Jenkins died May 23, 2014, at

    the age of 80. Rich died Dec. 8,2011, at the age of 58.“These men had a passion for

    the land, for wildlife and for con-servation in this part of Kentucky,”Divine told onlookers at the event.All of the Jenkins-Rich Tract lies

    in Crittenden County, borderingBells Mine Road to the south. Thenew property also includes a bit offrontage on Ky. 365 across fromformer coal mining property. Thecommonwealth already owned theland north of Bells Mine Road.To acquire the property, the

    state paid $2.27 million to Heart-wood Forestland Fund VI LimitedPartnership, which equates to$2,700 acres per acre. It expandsthe total area of the WMA to 7,570

    acres, making it one of the largestmanagement areas in Kentucky.The expansion is already

    marked with paint and signs andimmediately becomes part of thehunting and management pro-gram. It is mostly wooded. Apower line right-of-way is aboutthe only open land on the tract.Though not in the Jenkins-Rich

    Tract, just down the road is a newviewing platform for one of thebest vistas in the county. Off BellsMine Road and marked on mapsof the WMA, the wooden deckoverlooks the Ohio River and intoIllinois. Riverview Park/Dam 50lies to the left of a big hook in theriver and is visible in the winter-time when trees have shed theirleaves, said Divine.(Kentucky Afield Outdoors contributed to this story.)

    Jenkins Rich

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS12 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

  • Kentucky offers youth hunters anassortment of special seasons inthe fall and winter months.

    In the mind of a young huntermaking the transition from observerto participant, these opportunitiesto hunt deer, elk, furbearers, smallgame and waterfowl are mile-stones never to be forgotten. Assuch, adult mentors know it falls ontheir shoulders to deliver a safeand enjoyable experience thatleaves their young companionwanting to return to the field an-other day. It can be a lot of pres-sure.

    Three experienced hunters andmentors – Capt. Richard Adkins,Derek Beard and Mark Marraccini– have developed strategiesthrough the experience of teachingtheir own children to hunt. The fol-lowing is an assortment of theirtips.

    •Children should be confident intheir ability to make a good shotwhen the opportunity presents.Taking them to a shooting rangeahead of time establishes a com-fort level, allows for repetition andinstruction in a controlled environ-ment.

    “If you just want them to developgood, strong shooting fundamen-tals, you can do that with a pelletrifle or a .22 rifle rather than hurry-ing them into a loud centerfire rifle,”said Marraccini, executive staff ad-visor for the Kentucky Departmentof Fish and Wildlife Resources.“The fundamentals will transfer.The young shooter will not feel therecoil in a hunting situation andhe’ll barely remember the noise.”

    Stress safe handling of anyfirearm. Adkins, the training sectionsupervisor for the Law Enforce-ment division of Kentucky Fish andWildlife, wants his children to be asadept as possible with the firearmthat they will use in the field. To thatend, consider utilizing dummyrounds for practice.

    “I want them familiar with thatgun,” he said. “That way there’s noconfusion.”

    •Consider starting young huntersoff small and work up. Squirrelhunting is the perfect introductionbecause it teaches woodsmanshipand hunting skills that will translateto larger game animals. Utilizing arimfire or small caliber rifle forsquirrels will help marksmanship.

    Review the rules and regulationsbefore going afield.

    •As any parent knows, kids canhave the attention span of a fruit flyand expecting them to sit still forextended stretches is unreason-

    able. A ground blind allows forsome freedom of movement andprotection from the elements.

    “I’m a firm believer in groundblinds for kids and use groundblinds all the time for kids,” Adkinssaid.

    Setting up a stable hunting restin the blind will help a young huntersteady their aim by guardingagainst the muscle fatigue that canset in quickly when the gun isshouldered.

    “I think it’s imperative that theyhave some kind of mount to put thegun in so they can shoot accu-rately,” Adkins said. “It allows me tosecure the gun so it’s like shootingoff of a bench. I’m a big proponentof them because they increase ac-curacy and increase safety. It wasthe best money I ever spent forthem.”

    •Comfort is key. Consider lettingthem sleep in and hunt in the after-noon. Either way, do not forget thesnacks and drinks. Beard and hischildren have made it a tradition tostop at a gas station on the way totheir hunt location.

    “They can buy anything theywant, within reason,” said Beard,who is the Bluegrass Wildlife Re-gion coordinator for Kentucky Fishand Wildlife. “My oldest likes get-ting a Big Red soda and some SourPatch kids, sunflower seeds andchips.”

    •Dress them appropriately for theweather. Wet clothes and cold toesand fingers can make for a miser-able experience and end a huntquickly.

    Snoopy mittens are usually notadequate.

    CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 13

    Improve youth hunting

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS14 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    346 Rooster Ln. (just off KY 654 N, 3 mi. from US 60 E.)Open 6 Days A Week 5 a.m. - 10 p.m. / No Sunday Business

    Out-of-State Hunters WelcomeQuick Processing Available

    Participant for Hunters for the Hungry Program

    DEER PROCESSINGCUSTOM PROCESSING

    Summer Sausage • Jerky • Snack Stix Skin, Cool & Process $68 • Caping $20

    Local Grass or Grain Fed Beef or Pork For Your Freezer

    Public land hunting opportunitiesin Kentucky have grown this fall bymore than 4,600 acres.The Kentucky Department of

    Fish and Wildlife Resources an-nounced in October the opening ofsix new properties ranging fromBallard County in the west to BathCounty in the east. Newly openedproperties include one new wildlifemanagement area in Nelson andLaRue counties, plus additions tofive existing wildlife managementareas.Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Com-

    missioner Gregory K. Johnson saidthe acquisitions are an outgrowth ofthe department’s sportsmen-centricphilosophy.“Our surveys show that sports-

    men and sportswomen want moreplaces where they can hunt andfish,” he said. “These new publiclands help us work toward thatgoal. We’re proud to offer thesenew opportunities where peoplecan go and create lasting memo-ries.”The newest wildlife management

    area (WMA) is Rolling Fork River

    WMA, Frasiur and Theresa ReesorFamily Tract, in Nelson and LaRuecounties. This nearly 2,900-acrearea, which is bisected by theRolling Fork River, features a mix ofheavy forested hillsides and fallowfields. This property will be open tohunting under statewide regula-tions, including modern gun seasonfor deer.Additions to existing properties

    include:· Big Rivers WMA and State For-

    est, 842 acres in CrittendenCounty.· Clay WMA, addition to the Jus-

    tice Tract, 148 acres in BathCounty.· Kleber WMA, 505 acres in

    Owen County.· Kentucky River WMA, 70 acres

    in Owen County and 5 acres inHenry County.· Boatwright WMA, 217 acres in

    Ballard County.Hunting regulations for each ad-

    dition are the same as the mainwildlife management area. Mapsand more information about eacharea may be found online.

    KDFWR adds 4,600 public acres

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 14

    BY LEE McCLELLANKENTUCKY AFIELD

    My first shotgun was an old.410-gauge Mossberg with a boltaction and pistol grip that once be-longed to my grandmother. A de-cent squirrel gun, yet working thebolt to get off three shots at incom-ing doves was nearly impossible forme when excited. Doves flyingnearby had little to fear when Ishouldered that old .410.Many think a .410-gauge is a

    good beginner’s shotgun becauseof its lighter weight and reduced re-coil, but in reality, it is the worstchoice.“I don’t recommend them for a

    first shotgun,” said Bill Balda,hunter education supervisor for theKentucky Department of Fish andWildlife Resources. “They are anexpert’s gun. You are much betteroff with a 20-gauge semi-auto-matic. The semi-automatic actionsoaks up much of the recoil. Youget much more shot in a 20-gaugeshotshell.”Balda explained the extra shot in

    a 20-gauge shotshell than in a.410-gauge makes it much moreforgiving. A typical .410 gauge shot-shell holds ½-ounce of shot whichcorrelates to 175 pellets of No. 7½shot. A regular game load in a 20-gauge shotshell holds 7⁄8-ounce ofshot and 306 pellets of No. 7½shot. You do the math.Plus, with a semi-automatic shot-

    gun, three trigger pulls gets youthree shots quickly if you needthem. Price, however, may be a de-terrent to a semi-automatic shot-gun. They are a large costcommitment, especially for some-one just dipping their toes into theshotgun sports.A single shot shotgun runs about

    $150 brand new, with used onesavailable at half that price. An aver-age semi-automatic shotgun costsseveral times more than a singleshot. Both though, with propercare, should last a lifetime. Mygrandmother’s .410 still shootsgreat today.“Single shots are effective and

    they are good beginner guns,”

    Balda said. “Single shots are hingeactions and easy to use. They aresafe to handle for beginners asthey are easy to see if they areloaded. Even with a shotshell in it,the gun can’t go off with the actionopen.”These attributes make single

    shots a good option for a youthhunter. A single shot also teachesyoung hunters shot discipline. Youare much less likely to take imprac-tical, out-of-range shots when youhave just one try at the target.“Single shots are lighter and

    easy to carry in the woods,” Baldasaid. However, the light weightbrings with it more pronounced re-coil or “kick.” Balda recommends alow recoil shotshell for single shots.A pump-action shotgun, where

    the shooter manually pulls the ac-tion to cycle a shotshell, falls inprice between single shots andsemi-automatics. New ones fromestablished manufacturers runroughly $300 - $400, but some fromless well known manufacturers gofor as little as $200.

    “A pump is really reliable and al-most any load will shoot in them,”Balda said. “I think as a first shot-gun, they are a little much to keepup with from worrying about pump-ing the action for the next shot.”Pump-action shotguns perform

    for decade after decade with rou-tine maintenance. “They wear likeiron,” Balda said. “If money is anissue, a pump is a good choice fora repeating shotgun.”Proper fit is an important consid-

    eration for buying a first shotgun aswell. “For the average person,length of pull is most important,”Balda said.The length of pull is the distance

    between the trigger and the buttend of the stock. A simple way togauge length of pull is to place thebutt of the stock of the unloadedshotgun in the crux of your arm,fold your arm into the gun andplace your first finger on the trigger.“You should be able to get the

    first notch of your finger on the trig-ger,” Balda said. “If you can’t, thestock is too long. If you get to the

    second notch of your finger, then itis too short.”Installing a recoil pad lengthens

    the stock and often remedies onethat is too short. He recommendstaking the shotgun to a gunsmithfor a proper fitting if the stock is toolong.Most manufacturers offer youth

    model shotguns with shorterstocks. These make excellentchoices for many female shootersas well. Don’t force a shooter to fita certain shotgun, have the shot-gun fit the shooter.Also, mount the shotgun you are

    considering to your shoulder andplace your cheek firmly on the gunstock as if ready to fire. “All youshould see is the bead on the frontof the barrel,” Balda said. “If youare having trouble with that, mountthe gun higher on your shoulder.”Consider these options for a first

    shotgun. The most important thingis the end result. “Look straightdown the barrel at the target andpaint it out of the sky,” Balda said.

    First gun? Consider the 20 guage instead of .410

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS16 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    Now that water temperaturesare settling downward for the fall,the Kentucky Department of Fishand Wildlife Resources is resum-ing its trophy bass propagationprogram.

    The program only accepts tro-phy-sized largemouth bass fromanglers. In return, anglers receivea free replica mount of the fish.Bass accepted for the programare used as broodstock to grow anew generation of large fish.

    “By pairing male and femalelargemouth bass that have al-ready shown the ability to grow tolarger-than-average size, we hopeto produce offspring with the samegenetic growth potential,” said JeffRoss, assistant director of fish-eries at Kentucky Fish andWildlife. “Stocking these offspringacross the state could provide an-glers a better chance at catching amemorable fish or even a newstate record.”

    The program launched in spring2016. Department officials shutdown the program for the summerbecause higher temperatures arestressful for fish being transportedto hatcheries.

    This fall, the department will ac-cept largemouth bass exceeding 7pounds. In spring, when fish arepreparing to spawn, the depart-ment will accept male largemouthbass weighing more than 6pounds and female largemouth

    bass weighing more than 8pounds. The swollen bellies ofegg-laden fish make it easier toseparate the males from femalebass in the spring.

    Anglers donated four trophybass in the spring. Unfortunately,only one was caught early enoughfor the hatchery to spawn it. Off-spring from that fish will bestocked in Fishpond and Greenbolakes, where the adult trophy fishwere caught. Trophy bass off-spring will eventually be stockedat lakes across the state.

    For more information about howto donate fish to the program, visitthe Kentucky Fish and Wildlifewebsite at fw.ky.gov and searchunder the keywords, “trophybass.”

    Trophy bass programback with cool water

    Winter fishing in the BluegrassState is pretty tricky at times, butthe rewards are huge when itcomes to big bass and sauger.The tailwaters on the Ohio Riverand downstream of Kentuckyand Barkley dams are the bestfor sauger.

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN 17

    Preparing a turkeyfor mount or tableFROM KDFWR REPORTS

    Turkey hunting is relatively newin modern day Kentucky, althoughthey were prominant table fare forearly pioneers. The restocking ofturkeys in Crittenden County tookplace in the 1980s and early1990s. Many of the turkeys werebrought here from Missouri andIowa.

    Hunting for spring and fallturkeys in the commonwealth hasbecome quite popular over thepast 25 years.

    Did you know that field dress-ing a turkey is much like cleaninga chicken? The easiest way todress your freshly-harvestedturkey is to split the skin on thebelly between the tip of the breastand the tail. Reach under thebreast and bring out the internalorgans. If the turkey has beenshot in the head and neck, as pre-ferred, the organs should have lit-tle damage. If the intestines havebeen punctured, wipe any residueout of the body cavity. If you in-tend to save the pelt or any part

    for a trophy mount, you will wantto have paper towels to absorbblood from the feathers. Washingthe blood off is not recommended,as the feathers absorb the water.

    Whether you skin or pluck yourturkey depends on what you in-tend for a trophy and a meal. Ifyou plan to use the skin and feath-ers for a trophy, talk to a taxider-mist for advise before you hunt.He or she can advise you on thebest methods of removing skinand feather parts you want to pre-serve as your mount. If you wantto use the turkey as a traditionalroast turkey, you may want topluck the feathers and save theskin on the bird. This will keep themeat moist during cooking. Anybird that will be frozen wholeshould be completely wrapped,preferably in an air-tight bag.

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSPAGE 18 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN

    Big RiversWildlife Manage-ment Area innorthern Critten-den and southernUnion countiesoffers a variety ofhunting, hiking,fishing and na-ture watching op-portunities on7,570 acres ofwooded hillsidesand open grass-lands. The OhioRiver overlook isone of the mostmagnificantviews on theWMA. The WMAoffers quota andnon-quota deerhunting forarchers. Themodern rifle sea-son is a quotahunt. Youth hunt-ing is a non-quota firearmsopportunity forwhitetail deer.

    Big Rivers WMACrittenden & Union countiesBig Rivers WMACrittenden & Union counties

  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORSTWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN 19

    FARMLAND - Plant, grow, harvest and then start all over. Farms grow the crops and livestock that feed us, the trees that shelter us and the whitetails that unite us. Whatever you plant, whatever you harvest, we’ll grow with you. At Whitetail Properties, we grow dreams!

    MARK WILLIAMSAGENT, LAND SPECIALIST

    SPECIALIZING IN SELLING HUNTING AND FARMLAND

    (270) 836-0819

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  • CRITTENDEN OUTDOORS20 TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN