May - June 2016 Southern Traditions Outdoors

1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | MAY - JUNE 2016

MAY-JUNE 2016

HAWG HEAVEN!

www.southerntraditionsoutdoors.comPlease tell our advertisers you saw their ad in southern traditions outdoors magazine!

BLACK PANTHERS IN TENNESSEE?

BUYING QUALITY HUNTING LAND

MUSKRAT LOVE … NOT!

FREE


Introducing The All New 2016 Nissan Titan XD Diesel Finally ..... the PERFECT farm truck!

RICK HILL NISSAN2700 PARR AVE - DYERSBURG, TN

731-285-6294rickhillnissan.com

Extra Duty Towing up to 12,000 lbs. with built-in 5th wheel towing!

MAY - JUNE 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 3


Advertising Information: Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville

(731) 446-8052 [email protected]

DISCLAIMER - Neither the authors nor Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine LLC assume any responsibility or liability for any actions by readers who utilize any information contained within. Readers are advised that the use of any and all information contained within Southern Traditions Outdoors is at their own risk.

On the Cover

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine Mission Statement:Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine vows to put forth a publication to promote the outdoors lifestyle in a positive manner. We will strive to encourage veteran and novice outdoorsmen, women, kids, and the physically challenged to participate in the outdoors in a safe and ethical manner. Our publication will bring positive attention to the wondrous beauty of the world of Nature in the mid-south.

Garry MasonWalter WilkersonTerry WilkersonSteve McCadamsKelley PowersShawn ToddEddie BrunswickLarry Self

John SloanRichard SimmsDana WatfordBuck Gardner Richard HinesEd LankfordDrew BrooksJohn Latham

John RobertsRichard HinesRob HurtMark BuehlerRichard FaganNeill McLaurin

Field Staff Editors

Owners - Eddie Anderson Rob Somerville Kevin Griffith Stacey LemonsPublisher - Eddie AndersonEditor - Rob SomervilleMagazine Design -Donny Byrd

Advertising Sales Rob Somerville - Managing PartnerDistribution Johnathan Anderson Mike Robinson

Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PG .................. ARTICLE .......................................................... AUTHOR

8...........................Hawg Heaven ....................................................................Steve McCadams15..........................Black Panthers In Tennessee? ..........................................Richard Fagan18..........................Ag News ...........................................................................Neill McLaurin24..........................So ... God Made A Hound ..................................................Shawn Todd30..........................TWRA News .....................................................................TWRA38..........................Muskrat Love ... Not! ........................................................Kevin Griffith43..........................Buying Quality Hunting Land .............................................Richard Hines46..........................Antique Tractor Pictorial ...................................................Rob Somerville54..........................Trophy Room .....................................................................STO

This ferocious, largemouth bass is pictured here as it slams into a spinnerbait in shallow water.STO Library


Letter from the EditorFrom the Desk of Rob Somerville

Going, Going …Gone! I am a firm believer that if you want high quality products, look for them to be marked “Made in the U.S.A.” Many of the items we use in our day to day life are made in China or Tai-wan. This wasn’t the case when Amer-ica was going through the industrial revolution. You won’t find products made from these foreign countries, still in working condition, 100 years from now. But, American made prod-ucts dating back to the early 1800’s can still be found and in good working condition, if you know where to look. My fascination with American history, coupled with my pride in our great country and a love for treasure hunting, has guided me on my journey to bring these relics from the past back to life. It began when I was a young child, going with my mother to every yard sale, flea market and estate sale she could find. I am now 58 years-young and that feeling of adventure in knowing that the next barn you enter or yard sale you attend could bring a fantastic find fuels my drive. My job as managing partner, ad sales manager and designer, editor and distribution manager for this magazine finds me putting in at least 50 hours per week. In my spare time, when I am not hunting or fish-ing, I am after my other favorite quarry … antiques and collectibles. I attend a few auctions each week, as well as hit every thrift store, flea market, yard and estate sale I can. I love primitives that include cast iron cookware {which I exclusively cook with}, doors stops, tools, equip-ment and furniture. I have always collected sports memorabilia, as well as antique hunting and fishing equipment, and advertisements too. All of these items help tell the history of America. Through this addictive hobby, I met my “brother from another mother” and good friend, Rob Hurt. He has similar interests and is an expert on collecting, appraising, buying and selling any collectibles involving the great outdoors as well as being the owner of Feathered Finds. We decided to pool our money and efforts into a business that we call “The Man Cave – Mantiques & Col-lectibles” and now it has grown quickly into huge booths in four locations including Union City, Dyersburg and Jackson. They showcase and offer for sale our antique and collectible finds to the public {see ad on page 6 for more information}. We also buy collections and single items. Through this hobby turned business, Rob Hurt and I continue to learn more about this great country we live in and the quality of its craftsmanship every day. Want to spend some quality family time together? I recommend you grab your tribe and head to an old-fashioned country auction together. The auctions held every Friday night at 6:00 pm at Newbern Sales in Newbern, Tennessee, is a great place to start. Maybe you will begin a new hobby as a collector. At the very least you will have fun, discover a greater appreciation of our country’s past and view some amazing pieces of Americana. We all need to do our part in seeing that these historical items, which mark the great growth periods in our history are preserved for future generations, before they are all going, going ….gone! Rob Somerville


MANTIQUES&

COLLECTIBLESROB SOMERVILE: 731-446-8052

&ROB HURT: 731-445-8516

ANTIQUE & VINTAGE DUCK CALLS, PAPER HULL SHOT GUN SHELLS, DECOYS, ADVERTISING SIGNS, ROOKIE FOOTBALL CARDS - MANNING, RICE, FAVRE, BRADY, ETC.,

UFC MEMOROBILIA AND POSTERS, VINTAGE WRESTLING POSTERS, BEER SIGNS, OUTDOOR MAGAZINES, FRAMED OUTDOOR PRINTS, WWII COLLECTIBLES,

ANTIQUE TOYS, BEER & LIQUOR SIGNS, ANTIQUE FISHING LURESTOOLS, FARM COLLECTIBLES,

ANTIQUE FISHING POLES & REELS,ANTIQUE CAMERAS,

COWBOY AND WESTERN ITEMS,HARLEY DAVIDSON,CANES & FOLK ART,

AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

YOU GOTTA CHECK OUT OUR AMAZING BOOTHS FOR THE ULTIMATE IN BIG BOY’S TOYS

TELL US WHAT ITEMS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IN YOUR COLLECTION ... AND WE’LL

FIND THEM!

WE BUY, SELL, TRADE AND APPRAISE ANTIQUES AND

COLLECTIBLES!

BOOTHS AT FOUR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN TENNESSEE:Butler’s Antique Mall - 22213 Highway 70 E. - Jackson

Carriage House Antiques - 195 Carriage House Dr. - JacksonThe Gallery in Reelfoot Plaza behind Wendy’s - Union City

Finder’s Keepers - 114 E. Court St. - Dyersburg

WE TEAR DOWN OR CLEAN OUT OLD

BARNS, HOUSES AND BUILDINGS!

CALL:ROB SOMERVILLE: 741-446-8052

ROB HURT: 731-445-8516



May crankbaits have the bass jumping at Kentucky Lake.Photo by Rob Somerville

By Steve McCadams

pring has sprung at Tennes-see’s most popular bass fishery. Kentucky Lake continues to sur-prise bass anglers each year with

hefty stringers, anchored by tro-phy-size bass. Even before spring arrived this year, area bass fishermen were

stalking the deep ledges with their side imaging sonar units and putting together patterns where schools of shad had winter bass on their trail. Now that seasons have changed it seems the bass story is still the same; nice stringers con-tinue to roll in. This huge reservoir seems to have a pattern for pretty much any style of bass angler. From pre-spawn patterns in late winter and early spring, to bedding time when the big sows sliver through the shallow grass and buck bush-es; it seems every lure in the tackle box has its time and place here. Perhaps the defining moments for spring bass anglers varies from week to week, because of chang-ing lake levels. Change is constant here throughout the spring season too. Kicking off the spring battle with bass sees most anglers tossing a variety of crankbaits around the abundance of gravel banks, rocky points, shallow roadbeds and just plain mud banks and flats, where fish stage before lake levels rise high enough to inundate shallow

S

Continued on page 10


Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services. Member FINRA/SIPC.

731-285-0097 • 1-877-269-0708 575 Mall Blvd, Suite C, Dyersburg, TN 38024

www.DavisWealthServices.com

Our advisors can help get Your Finances On Target.

Investment Management - Financial Planning

Emily W. Billingsley, CFP®Financial Advisor, RJFSCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™

R. Chad Davis, CFP®Branch Manager, RJFSCERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™

R. Chad Davis, CFP®Branch Manager, RJFS

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™


grass and other shoreline habitat. Crawfish colored crankbaits have ranked high on the list for decades here, as perhaps the most popu-lar choice during the spring bat-tle plan. Water color dictates the color choices nowadays as muddy conditions at times call for loud variations when anglers encoun-ter an area where high winds have whipped up shallow sediments, or heavy rains sent dingy runoff via feeder creeks and ditches. Tossing loud color choices such as firetiger, chartreuse/black, bone/orange, red/black or some

with florescent flair have appeal. Should clear water conditions present themselves the color se-lection often changes to the popu-lar Tennessee Shad, chrome varia-tions which mimic shad, or lighter shades of crawfish. With all the unique color schemes and detailed paint jobs out there the old orange belly and brown back crankbait choice has withstood the test of time. Rapala’s Shad Rap, Bandit’s 100 and 200 series, Bill Lewis Rattle Traps, Strike King’s 4S and Red-eye series are but a few of the more

popular members of the early spring anglers’ crankbait arsenal. Yet there are so many productive lures. Suspending jerk baits often pay dividends when conventional crankers fall off for a spell. Slow rolling spinnerbaits around shallow wood such as stumps, logs, exposed crappie beds or even boat docks work as well. Jig and craw combos always seem to have appeal, whether it’s shallow or deep, cold or warm. Carolina rigged craws and liz-ards start appealing when crawled along sloping gravel points or mud sandbars at times. Once surface temps warm to the upper 50’s and low 60’s the whole game changes. Soft plastics and topwater baits enter the picture. Jerk baits are deadly for both suspending presentations and their irresistible surface appeal, as though a helpless injured baitfish just offered itself as a sacrifice to even the most finicky bass. Rising lake levels here have al-ways been a game changer too. Sometimes they open up new ar-eas where shallow grasbeds, buck bushes and willows trees sudden-ly offer refuge to bedding bass. By May, those bass that had been staging out on shallow flats and roaming open water now have somewhere to hide and ambush their prey. Shad move up quickly with ris-ing water and the bass are hot on their trail. With warmer weather and rising lake levels comes the precious yellow flowers, a unique weedy plant that grows along shallow shorelines. The weed has a beautiful and distinct yellow

Trophy bass like this 11 pound-plus largemouth, taken by Adam Craig of Henry County and caught at Kentucky Lake, shows its potential to produce

memory makers.Photo courtesy of Adam Craig


bloom. Bass fishermen have learned to target shorelines and pockets where the yellow flowers are pres-ent as they serve as a magnet to bedding females and aggressive buck bass as well. Once the reservoir rises - and the schedule by Tennessee Valley Au-thority begins annual filling each year on April 1st with a target day for summer pool of May 1st - and shoreline cover has enough water to attract bass anglers, dig out the soft plastic crawfish imitations, lizards, worms and similar varia-tions such as Zoom’s Brush Hog. Most of the soft plastics are

rigged Texas style with some choosing to peg the sinker. Others have a weighted hook. Also deadly are the floating, fluke style worms pitched softly into shallow grass without scaring finicky bass that spook easily should a big, clumsy bait hit right on top of them. Kentucky Lake’s bass patterns change dramatically when winter fades to spring. It’s almost a dif-ferent lake in May than it was in April, when the lake slept at its low ebb of winter pool. Regardless of the lake level, tem-perature, wind or rain, it seems this productive bass fishery keeps attracting anglers who love its

vastness and variety. Tournament organizations love to visit. Novice and pro anglers alike find it both challenging and satisfying. Daily stringers of 5-fish limits exceeding the 25-pound thresh-old are not uncommon this time of year. Several fish tipping the scales at 10-pounds plus are being caught. That’s pretty strong. Kentucky Lake keeps finding a way to live up to its reputation as one of the best bass lakes in the country. The May/June time frame is one of the best times of the year to test the water and find out for yourselves.

Major bass tournament organizations love to drop anchor at Kentucky Lake, because of its reputation as one of the top fisheries and the diversity of patterns offered by the reservoir. STO File Photo



Escape to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains with a getaway to Tishomingo County, Mississippi.

Al Bradshaw1960 - 1999

421 W. COURT ST.DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE

731-285-5767

We are proud to welcomeSam Bradshaw to our company!

Contact him at:

We come to your home or business!


CHECK OUT THE ALL NEW 2016 CHEVROLET

4-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCKS!

HUGE SELECTION OF NEW 2016 FORD

4-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCKS!

Black Panthers?


Are there black panthers actually residing in Tennessee? STO File Photo

By Richard Fagan

swear I’m never going back in those woods again, “Billy Dan ex-claimed.“Me either”, his running mate George agreed. Before these statements were made, Billy Dan had told me a sto-ry about the two of them riding around one afternoon earlier this spring. They were on a Manage-ment Area when they saw some-thing. According to Billy Dan it was a large black cat, about waist high, with a tail approximately three feet long. It walked along the edge of a field and then turned

into the woods and disappeared. He explained that from the road the cat was about four hundred yards across the field. George af-firmed the story and the distance.“We drove around and down along the field until we got to the spot where we saw it. Sure enough, we found some tracks. They were as big as my hand, with claw marks that looked to be about an inch long. We were going to come back and make a plaster of them, but it rained that night and the backwa-ter got out.” There have been stories over the

years of people seeing large black cats (panthers). Most can be at-tributed to being a black domestic cat and a bad judge of the size, or a wayward Labrador retriever out for a stroll. The story Billy Dan told me that day was real to him and George, but it didn’t hold up. To start with, according to the leading experts on big cats in North America, there are no species of large black cats native to North America. The closest is in South America, where some jaguars are born with a black coat. Their spots are still vis-

“I


The bobcat populates the Volunteer State and is one of its top predators, feasting on small game and fawns.STO File Photo

ible. This is very rare. The second thing is that all cats are the same in the aspect of their claws. They don’t walk around with their claws extended. Their claws come out when they’re fighting or climbing. If you see a large track with claw marks at the front of the paws it is not a cat.

Confirmed Sightings According to Tennessee Wild-life Resources Agency, there were six confirmed sighting of cougars in Tennessee during 2015. Four sightings were in Humphreys County. Evidence in all four of these sightings was caught on trail cameras. One sighting in Obi-on County was also caught on a trail camera. A sighting in Carroll County was confirmed through DNA analysis to be a female cou-

gar. The DNA evidence indicated the cat was of the same sub-spe-cies found in South Dakota. From everything I have re-

searched in writing this article there is only speculation as to where these animals came from and how they were just noticed,


This map shows the eastern cougar’s original territory in orange, where it was believed to be extinct, and its current territory in purple.

The eastern cougar has been con-firmed in a few sightings in Tennes-

see. STO File Photo

This is a map of confirmed cougar sightings in Tennessee during 2015.smack dab in the middle of our state. Cougars, particularly the eastern cougar, along with the woodland bison and elk, were killed off in Tennessee before the eighteen hundreds. There were a few hold outs in the mountains of east Tennessee in the early nine-teen hundreds. The only native, wild cat in Tennessee today is the bobcat.

What is being done? The Tennessee Wildlife Re-sources Agency is monitoring this situation closely. You can find a full account from the agency at www.tn.gov/twra/article/cou-gars-in-tennessee. They list ev-erything from how you should act if you were to see a cougar, what

sign to look for and how to submit a sighting. They also stress that cougars are protected and not to be harmed, unless they pose an immediate danger or a threat to a landowner’s livestock or a person. They state that these sightings are not the result of any re-stocking activity by their department. Final Thoughts When it comes to black pan-ther stories, I have adopted the

same view point that one of my favorite writers has about ghosts. Mark Twain said, “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I’m scared to death of them.” When it comes to these con-firmed sightings, which is a cat of a different color. I don’t like the idea of getting knocked down a notch on the food chain. In the future I’ll be keeping my watch out for any big cats or any varmint that might be considering me as a meal. All kidding aside, I have full con-fidence the TWRA in handling this situation with the public’s safety as its first priority. I highly recommend you visit their web-site and read more about this. If you want to learn more about the eastern cougar I recommend the book, The Quest for the Eastern Cougar - Extinction or Survival, by Robert Tougias.


GMO—What Does This Mean to Agriculture? n my last article we talked about some of the different crops that are grown in our area. Today, I want to dig a little deeper and address a topic about many of the crops that are grown in this area. GMO’s, are defined as genetical-ly modified organisms. What are GMO’s, what are the benefits, and are they safe? GMO’s have been a hot topic buzz word for a while now and there are many miscon-ceptions and rumors about what they are and how they affect us.What is a GMO? Defined by Random House Dic-tionary, a GMO is an organism or microorganism whose genet-ic material has been altered by means of genetic engineering. The term GMO is often referred to as “biotechnology”, or “genetic mod-ification.” What this means is that you are forcing genetic material into a plant that it otherwise would have never been able to get. This

is done to produce a desired trait in the plant that makes it bene-ficial for other parties. Take for instance Roundup Ready crops. It is not natural for soybeans or corn to be tolerant to Roundup. A gene was inserted into these crops and forced them to be tolerant to Roundup, which is a widely used and well known herbicide that is non-selective. That basically means that it kills every plant it comes in contact with. So a GMO crop is basically a crop that has altered genetic material, which is used for a desired benefit. A GMO crop is basically the same as a non-GMO crop. GMO corn is made from the same corn as non-GMO; it simply has a dif-ferent genetic mark in it to pro-vide a tolerance to something such as Roundup. The starches, proteins, and oils are not changed simply by making the crop resis-tant to Roundup. Liberty Link crops are also GMO’s, Liberty is

another non-selective herbicide. “Bt” traits are used to breed resis-tance to many Lepidoptera spe-cies, these include Budworms, Bollworms, and Corn Earworms. These insects are highly destruc-tive to crops when the populations get high enough. So, what are the benefits of GMO’s? A major misconception is that we are using more chemicals on GMO crops than ever before. That is pure and simple hogwash. The fact is that farmers are using 521,000 pounds less pesticide an-nually, which has contributed to 70% less pesticide runoff into the environment. I have been in this business since the beginning of GMO crops. I have seen Round-up Ready and Bt crops come into the market and I promise you we are selling far less pesticides on these crops than we did 20 years ago. Before the days of Roundup Ready crops we were selling Dini-tro, Dynap, Zorial and Bladex as

I By Neill McLaurin


HALLS GINCOMPANY

1279 Industrial Rd. Halls, TN - 38040

731-836-9402

SERVING MID-SOUTH FARMERSSINCE 1988

LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

MODULES STORED ON CONCRETE: BONDED BALE WAREHOUSE ON SITEONLY GIN IN TENNESSEE WITH:

POWER ROLL GIN STANDS: USDA DESIGNED & PATENTED, HIGHER TURN OUT, LONGER STAPLE

WE WELCOME NEW CUSTOMERS!CALL OR STOP BY FOR A VISIT SOON!

weed control products. Before Bt became available in GMO crops and the eradication of the Boll Weevil, we were using insecticides such as Bolstar, Curacron, Toxa-phene, and Methyl Parathion in large quantities. Since the adop-tion of these technologies many of these products have either been banned, lost registration, or their use has been greatly minimized. Improving efficiency for farmers, GMO crops have allowed farmers to be more productive than ever. This really started with Round-up Ready crops, because farmers were able to park cultivators and move to more efficient spraying over the top of crops to control weeds. Also, less insecticides are being used in cotton and corn from the advent of Bt technolo-gies. Production has increased

per acre, a much larger focus from the seed companies to produce

better genetics and higher pro-Continued on page 22


Farm Credit Mid-America offers loans, leases and crop insurance designed to help rural residents build, farms grow and businesses expand.

FARMERSCREDIT.

We give

RIPLEY 800 HIGHWAY 51 SOUTH

RIPLEY, TN 38063

SOMERVILLE 18075 HIGHWAY 64

SOMERVILLE, TN 38068

DRESDEN 800 MORROW STREET DRESDEN, TN 38225

THREE-WAY 104 BRIGHTON DRIVE HUMBOLDT, TN 38343

To find an office near you call 800-444-FARM or go to e-farmcredit.com

800 HIGHWAY 51 SOUTHRIPLEY, TN 38063

731-635-5002

STINESEED.COM

STINE SEED COMPANY | ADEL, IOWA

WITH STINE, I HAVE OPTIONS.Offering elite genetics and a wide range of technologies that can boost performance,

STINE® HAS WHAT I WANT AND WHAT MY FARM NEEDS.

I CHOOSE DEDICATION. I CHOOSE SERVICE. I choose what I can count on. I choose Stine because…

STINE HAS YIELD.



ducing plants that contain GMO’s. With world population increas-ing, we must increase production per acre, or we won’t be able to feed everyone.

Are GMO’s safe? I firmly believe that the U.S. has the safest, best, and lowest cost food supply in the world …. thanks in part to GMO’s. The food supply is highly regulated by the U.S Department of Agricul-ture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These agencies require a tremendous amount of data to prove that everything that enters the food supply is safe for the con-sumer. It takes a seed company, on average, $136 million dollars and 13 years to get a single product to the market that contains a GMO. That is a testament to the rigorous trials that take place to prove the products safety to the end user. As you look around in your travels and see the crops growing in the fields, most of those crops have some type of GMO in them. As of 2014, GMO’s are grown, im-ported, and or used in field trials in 70 countries around the world. GMO’s have helped impoverished nations produce a sustainable food supply for their people. Ask any farmer you may know if they grow GMO crops and why they do. I am sure they will tell you that they do raise at least some and that their productivity has increased because of it. So if you are a hater of GMO’s, please do your home-work and get the real data driven facts. Don’t believe all you hear or read about the bad in GMO’s.

Reasons We need Biotech Foods and cRops10Biotech crops can help address the gloBal food crisis

Biotechnology has helped farmers grow 311.8 million tons more food in the last 15 years.

(source: www.croplife.org)

crop Biotechnology helps small farmers

90% of the 17 million farmers who grow biotech crops are resource-poor with farms of less than 10 hectares. The growth rate for biotech crops is at least three times as fast and five times as large in developing countries than industrialized countries. (source: ISAAA, New York Times)

farming using gm crops reduces chemical use

Biotechnology saves the equivalent of 521,000 pounds of pesticides each year and helps cut herbicide runoff by 70 percent. (sources: ISAAA, PG Economics)

Biotech crops help increase income of poorer farmers, reducing poverty and malnutrition

As the rate of Indian farmers adopting GM cotton has grown, calorie consumption linked to increased incomes has grown and undernourishment in families has dropped, translating into a 15–20 percent reduction in food insecurity if all the non-Bt adopters in India alone take to this technology. (source: PLOS)

farming with Biotech crops is sustainaBle

GM crops in general need fewer field operations, such as tillage, which allows more residue to remain in the ground, sequestering more CO2 in the soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2011, these practices were equivalent to removing 10.2 million cars from the road for one year. (source: PG Economics)

genetically modified foods improve nutrition and health

The new generation of GM crops—Golden Rice, which delivers vitamin A enhanced rice, high carotene mustard seed oil, Vitamin A enhanced cassava, enriched sweet potatoes and even edible vaccines—are just a few innovations awaiting approval. (source: Plant Physiology,

Journal of American College of Nutrition, Gates Foundation)

gm crops and foods complement conventional and organic farming

Independent scientists reject claims that GM crops or animals “contaminate” or anyway endanger our food supply or produce dangerous “Trojan genes.” (source: NPR, Nature, USDA)

Biotech crops spur gloBal economic growth

Economic benefits of GM crops amounts to an average of over $130/hectare. In the last 16 years, planted biotech crop acres have increased 100-fold from 1.7 million hectares to 170 million hectares. (source: ISAAA)

Biotech crops increase yields

Productivity in GM crops has delivered gains in some cases that are 7–20% higher than conventional varieties (which are on average 33% higher than organic yields). (sources: Nature, PG Economics)

foods tweaked By Biotechnology are safe to eat

Over 25 years of independent research, there is no documented evidence of harm to human health or deaths from consumption of GM foods since they were introduced to the market. None. (sources: National Research Council, European Commission)

www.geneticliteracyproject.orgWhere Science TrumpS ideology


Modern irrigation systems like the one shown here are lightweight, economical and very easy to relocate.Photo supplied by author

As generations get removed from the farm, it is easy to second guess what goes on out there. Don’t talk bad about a farmer with your mouth full.

GMOs are regulated in the United States under the Coordi-nated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology, published in 1986, pursuant to previous-ly existing statutory authority regulating conventional products, with a focus on the nature of the products rather than the process in which they are produced. Plant GMOs are regulated by the US Department of Agricul-ture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service under the Plant Protection Act. GMOs in

food, drugs, and biological prod-ucts are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cos-metic Act and the Public Health Service Act. GMO pesticides and microorganisms are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Feder-al Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act. The form of regulation varies depending on the type of GMO involved.Library of Congress

Did you know? Plant varieties developed from other breeding techniques, including thousands of conven-tional varieties and those used in organic production systems have been developed using mutagen-esis and do not go through any formal regulatory assessment to evaluate environmental or food safety that GMO’s do.gmoanswers.com


So … God Made a Hound

By Shawn Todd

ello to all you great readers of STO Magazine. I hope every-thing in your life is going great. In several of my articles, I have writ-ten about my dog - Dual Grand Todd’s Mystic Money {Money, for short}. Well, he passed away in September of 2015 and man, do I miss him. Many a mile was trav-eled with this hound, from Salem, Illinois to Albany, Georgia, and to too many towns in between to mention. He was like my Oklaho-ma Sooners, a heartbreaker. How, you ask? Like the Sooners he could win the regular events, but when it got to the championships it was a tossup. He did win at the Winter Classic at Albany, Geor-gia and he won at Autumn Oaks, with Joe Lewis hunting him. If they had not land-locked him he might have made the top 20, but this we will never know. Money also qualified for our zone hunt, two years ago. Some people said they would not own him. I told them you don’t feed him and he is not at the end of your leash, so I don’t care what you say. I was hap-py with him and that was all that mattered. He won hunts that a lot of “better” dogs never did.

H

The author is pictured here with his late hound – Money. Continued on page 29


THE MID-SOUTH’S EXPERTS IN THE MOST MODERN AND AFFORDABLE SECURITY MONITORING SYSTEMS!

■ Instant & convenient data backup using CD/DVD or USB drive ■ Intuitive Mouse Operation ■ Exclusive backup data player ■ Free Dynamic DNS ■ Built-in Pan/Tilt/Zoom/Focus camera protocols over 30 models. ■ Automatic Video Input and Video loss detection ■ Multiple Client Software and web-viewer for PC ■ NTP (Network Time Protocol) ■ Free Dynamic DNS

PROTECT YOUR HOME, PROPERTY, FARM OR BUSINESS!

WEST TENNESSEE COMMUNICATIONS1295 HWY 51 S BYPASS - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024

731-286-6275WWW.WETEC.COM

WE SUPPORT THE DYER CO. SHERIFF

FARM WATCH!

ALL NATURAL AND FARM RAISED LOCALLYBEEF, PORK & CHICKEN

SPECIALLY CUT OR SOLD AS WHOLE, HALF OR QUARTEREDCERTIFIED PRIME CUT - DRIED & AGED BEEF

AMISH JAMS & JELLIESSALT WATER TAFFY & CANDIES

AMISH PICKLED PRODUCTSAMISH SOAPS & LOTIONS

SOY CANDLESUNIQUE GIFT BOXES & GIFT CERTIFICATES

From Our Pasture to Your Plate!STORE HOURS:

TUESDAY - FRIDAY: 10 AM TO 6 PMSATURDAY: 8 AM TO 2 PM

112 E. MAIN ST - NEWBERN, TN731-676-5283

www.TennesseeTractor.comALAMO 1571 Hwy. 54 N. ...............731-696-5596BROWNSVILLE 1280 Anderson Ave. ..........731-772-1200DYERSBURG 500 Community Park Rd. .731-285-6662JACKSON 3621 Highland Ave. N. .....731-668-8792MARTIN 8258 Hwy. 45 S..................731-587-3824PARIS 3675 Hwy. 641 S. ............. 731-642-7080RIPLEY 595 Hwy. 51 N. .................731-635-9771SOMERVILLE 11495 Hwy. 64 .................. 901-465-9811TRENTON 2321 Hwy. 45 Bypass ........731-855-2123UNION CITY 1007 Mount Zion Rd. .......731-885-0867

*Offer available May 31st, 2016. Subject to approved credit on revolving plan, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For consumer use only. No down payment required. 3.9% is for 72 months only. Other special rates and terms may be available, including installment fi nancing and fi nancing for commercial use. Available at participating dealers. Prices and models may vary by dealer. Offers available on new equipment and in the U.S. only. Prices and savings in U.S. dollars. **Offers valid on purchases of any new, qualifying Gator™ Utility Vehicle XUV825i/S4 and Special Edition XUV825i/S4 made between May 3, 2016 and May 31, 2016. $700 OFF on Gator SE XUV825. Prices and models may vary by dealer. Savings based on the purchase of eligible equipment.Before operating or riding, always refer to the safety and operating information on the vehicle and in the operator’s manual. Actual vehicle top speed may vary based on belt, wear, tire selection, vehicle weight, fuel condition, terrain and other environmental factors. 1Offer valid from May 3, 2016 to May 31, 2016. Subject to approved credit on revolving plan, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. For consumer use only. No down payment required. 4.90% is for 48 months only. Other special rates and terms may be available, including installment fi nancing and fi nancing for commercial use. Prices and models may vary by dealer. Available at participating dealers.

ZTrak™ Residential and Commercial Zero-Turn Mowers

Up to 25 hp (18.6 kW)2 engine, up to 60-inch high-capacity deck available

Performance on or off the trail. Power in your yard.

That’s Tennessee True.

4.9%FOR 48 months1

Gator™ XUV825i Utility Vehicles Top speed of 44mph, advanced engine

system, superior terrain capability, best-in-class ride quality.

Power in your yard.That’s Tennessee True.

Gator™ XUV825i Utility Vehicles Gator™ XUV825i Utility Vehicles APR

+

$700 OFF XUV825i and XUV825i S4**

3.9% FOR 72 months*

On all Gator™ Utility Vehicles

www.TennesseeTractor.comwww.TennesseeTractor.com


May - June 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 27


Reach over 45,000 middle to upper-middle class income earners

by advertising with us now.

Contact Rob Somerville for more information.731-446-8052

[email protected]

731-285-1154 2100 Pioneer Road

Forcum LannomMaterialsHere yesterday, today and tomorrow.


SCOTT DREW: 731-445-588850 CHURCHTON SUB. RD - NEWBERN, TN

The following was posted on Face book by a friend of mine named Jeremy Drain , also a coon hunt-er. I think it is appropriate at this time. The author is unknown to me, but I dedicate it to my hunting companion – Money.

So God Made a Hound

God said I need someone brave enough to fight the hurricane force of a bear that won’t tree, so god made a Hound.

God said I need someone with feet tough enough to run miles in the snow, ice, rocks, and hot sand, so God made a Hound.

God said I need someone with a nose able to smell its quarry while driving down the road, so God made a Hound.

God said I need a companion for the hunter with the desire to wander into the unknown and make it home safe, so God made a Hound.

God said I need someone with the grit to bay bears, hogs, coons, lions, bobcats, coyotes, deer, leopards, and all other beasts of tooth and claw, yet gentle enough to sleep at the foot of the bed, so God made a Hound.

God said I need someone with the tenacity to lead the pack into a battle of unknown, so God

made a Hound.

God said I need someone who will sit and shake, play ball with his handler and provide a meal for the pack and owner in the same day, so god made a Hound .

God said, with a tear in his eye, I need a best friend, for every hunter I created, someone who will walk many miles next to them and share a life many will never know. He said I need someone who will be loyal and loving no matter what the day brought them, someone who when the time comes, will con-tinue to hunt on in heaven, so God made a Hound.

I hope all you readers who have, or have had hounds, enjoys this poem as I did. I want to thank Joe Lewis and Brock Elkins for handling Money for me. He will be missed by this old hunter. In closing, I have two new young hounds now. I guarantee you will be reading about them in the years to come. Until next time ,see you at the tree.


TWRA NEWS

TWRA’s WildCast Features Agency Professionals Discussing

Fish and Wildlife

he Tennessee Wildlife Re-sources Agency is now produc-ing an Internet-based audio and video program named Tennessee WildCast where the agency’s field and office staff are the featured guests. A weekly program, WildCast is available at several different In-ternet sites depending on whether someone wants to watch it, or just listen. The best way to make that choice is by visiting www.tnwild-cast.com. Hosted by TWRA’s Doug Markham and produced by Ja-son Harmon, WildCast is updated

weekly, but the shows are archived and available anytime night or day. “Our guest for the first two shows was our Executive Direc-tor Ed Carter and it was enjoyable talking to him about his long ca-reer and the many changes he has seen take place, ” said Markham, the agency’s communications manager. Future shows will include big game, small game, and non-game management interviews, along with many discussions about fish, law enforcement, and boat-ing. Guests will include agency employees assigned to TWRA’s Nashville headquarters, but also from its four regional offices span-ning the state. “We will also talk hunting and fishing techniques at

times,” said Markham. “We have some very skilled sportsmen who love the outdoors and the oppor-tunity to talk about it.” The show was originally 20 min-utes in length, but recently Wild-Cast increased to 30 minutes. While the show is setup with a radio-style format, a television monitor is a part of the studio and often includes photographs and video to illustrate information being discussed. “This program is free and we hope sportsmen will tune in to learn more about how the state’s fish and wildlife are managed,” said Markham. Video of WildCast (and other TWRA programs) is available at www.twra.tvThe TWRA.TV link is one of the sites included on the www.tnwild-cast.com website.

Tennessee Has New State Record Brook Trout

He caught it on April Fool’s Day, but Sasa Krezic has a fish tale that has been verified and placed in the record books by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. It is no joke! A new northern brook trout state record was caught on the Caney Fork River near Smithville by Krezic, a resident of Nashville. Will Collier {a TWRA fish biolo-gist} verified the record weight at 4 lbs. - 12 oz. The old record was set in August


T


BONDED & INSUREDExperts with many different roofing materials:• Shingles• Standing Seam Metal• Cedar Shake• Synthetic Slate• Metal Shingles• Epdm “Rubber”• Hot Asphalt “Tar”• Roof Coatings• Metal Flashing and Trim

Box 545 - Dyersburg, TN - 38025Phone: 1-731-285-6114

www.frazierroofing.com

SINCE 1930

OWNER: Barry Frazier


MOTOTRBO™ Linked Capacity Plus If you need to communicate to a large field force across a wide area with a scalable,

easy-to-use system, then Linked Capacity Plus is your cost-effective solution. Leveraging advanced repeater software, it is available in both single-site and

wide-area configurations. Whether crews need to talk to each other in the field or back at the office or they

need to use data applications such as text messaging, location tracking or work order tickets, Linked Capacity Plus makes their work safer and their work day more

productive.

WEST TENNESSEE COMMUNICATIONS

1295 HWY 51 S BYPASSDYERSBURG, TN - 38024

731-286-6275WWW.WETEC.COM

PERFECT FOR:FARMING, CONSTRUCTION,

INDUSTRIAL USE AND MORE!


OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF IS HERE TO FILL YOUR EVERY NEED & WE HAVE THE ROOM TO DO JUST THAT!

DYERSBURG ELEVATOR COMPANY300 PRESSLER RD - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024

731-287-7272



WE BUY, SELL & TRADE FOR VINTAGE:• DUCK CALLS

• GOOSE CALLS• HUNTING/FISHING LICENSES

• HUNTING PINS• DECOYS

• DUCK BANDS• LANYARDS

• BOOKS• SIGNAGE/ADVERTISING

• HUNTING RELATED PICTURES

FREE APPRAISALS OF YOUR COLLECTION!

I WANT TO BUY YOUR DUCK CALLS!!

DELICIOUS BREAKFASTS

HOMEMADE BURGERS

SUPER SANDWICHES

PLATE LUNCHES

FAST & FRIENDLY SERVICE2015 WINNER BEST BURGER

IN DYERSBURG!

HOME COOKED MEALS

OPEN 6 AM TO 2 PMMONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

107 W. MARKET ST - DYERSBURG, TNDOWNTOWN - ON THE SQUARE

731-478-6219

802 Troy AveDyersburg, TN 38024

OFFICE: (731) 285-3541CELL: 731-676-7499

CHARLES {SAM} KELLY JR.Attorney at Law

AUTO ACCIDENTSSOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITYDIVORCESCHILD CUSTODYCRIMINAL OFFENSES & MORE .....

ANAME

YOU CANTRUST!

FREE CONSULTATION!


While you’re hunting or fishing on Reelfoot Lake, stop by and see Johanna and her crew

for a quick, delicious meal.Or, beat the heat with their “World Famous” ice cream.

Dine-in or eat outside on their Patio!!Home Owned and operated

731-253-6311 HWY 78 - Tiptonville

Less than 5 min from Reelfoot Lake

“Something Different” 824 Reelfoot Dr. - Dyersburg, TN 38024731-287-0248 sleepinn.com

Dyersburg’sNewest Hotel!

ASK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL

HUNTERSRATES!

51 CLUBWHERESINGLESMINGLE

THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR IN THE MID-SOUTH!• 2 POOL TABLES!

• DARTS!• BIG SCREEN TV!

• KARAOKE!• LIVE BANDS!

COLDEST BEER AROUND!OPEN EVERY DAY - INCLUDING SUNDAY - 12 NOON -?

OWNED BY TIM & ROXANN GOODMAN5520 HWY 211 - DYERSBURG, TN

(731) 478-4233

TREY HURTPRESIDENT

RAY HURTVICE-PRESIDENT


www.triplettirepros.com

270 US Hwy 51 Bypass SouthDyersburg, TN 38024

731-287-0333Mon-Fri: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

2845 East Wood StreetParis, TN 38242

731-642-0313Mon-Fri: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

450 US Hwy 51 Bypass EastDyersburg, TN 38024

731-285-8323Mon-Fri: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Sat: 8:00 am - Noon

$6 OFFLube, Oil & Filter Service

With this coupon. Expires 6/25/16.

6 MONTHS, NO INTEREST FINANCING AVAILABLE

Air Conditioning • Air Filters • Belts & Hoses • Brakes • Brake Pad Replacement • Car BatteriesCoolant Flushes • Diesel Engine Repair • Engine Diagnostics • Front End Repair

Fuel Injection Service • Lift Kits • Oil Changes • Shocks & Struts • Tire Repair • Tire RetreadingTransmission Repair • Wheel Balancing • Wheel Refi nishing • Wheel Alignment


1973 by Jerry Wells, while fishing the Hiwassee River near Chatta-nooga. It weighed 3 lbs. - 14 oz. and stood the test of time for more than 42 years and millions of fish-ing trips. Krezic has fished the Caney Fork River near Smithville for many years, specifically for trout. One of his favorite holes seemed busier than normal when he arrived to the Caney that day, so he moved to a more open space, baited his line with a live minnow, and on his first cast caught the record. He also gained an April 1st story to tell for the rest of his life. Krezic assumed the fish was a brown trout while fighting it be-cause brown and brook trout are similar in color, but brown trout get much larger. After reeling it in and giving it a closer look, he rec-ognized it might be more special than he already thought. Still, he wanted to get a second opinion and discussed it with a nearby angler. After seeing the size of the fish and its colorization, the angler suggested Krezic con-tact TWRA. Dekalb County Wild-life Officer Tony Cross received Krezic’s call. “I expected to see a brown trout and was surprised when I arrived,” said Cross, who in turn telephoned Collier, per state protocol that re-quires a TWRA biologist verify record catches. The fish was weighed on a cer-tified scale at nearby Big Rock Market. “This is a once in a career event,” said Collier. “It has been fun to be a part of this today.” Added Cross, “We were thrilled to be part of it, and we are happy

for Mr. Krezic. It is great to see successful anglers, and exciting to see a state record brook trout.” Northern strain brook trout have been stocked on the Caney Fork River since 2008. The north-ern strain grows much larger than the southern strain brook trout,

which resides only in cold head-water streams at high elevations. Brook trout are Tennessee’s only native trout. For more information on brook trout or state records, visit www.tnwildlife.org and search under the “For Anglers” menu.

A new northern brook trout state record was caught on the Caney Fork River near Smithville by Sasa Krezic, a resident of Nashville. Will Collier

{a TWRA fish biologist} verified the record weight at 4 lbs. - 12 oz.Photo courtesy of the TWRA


Muskrats measure from 16 to 28 inches in length, half of that being the tail, which is used as their main means of propulsion.

Picture from Wikipedia and taken by D. Gordon E. Robertson

Muskrat L ve …. Not!

By Kevin Griffith

o you remember my muskrat problem? A couple issues back I revealed my greatest failure (to date) in my efforts in managing Fyrne Lake. After months of research, visits with two lake management con-sultants, hours of reading research papers on the internet and sift-ing through a pile of pond man-agement magazines, I had pieced together my management plan. I was excited and ready to jump in. The plan involved removing un-

wanted fish (small bass, stripes and catfish), adding 1000’s of crap-pie each year, stocking a variety of baitfish species and adding ar-tificial and natural structure. All areas were progressing well except for one, adding natural structure. Dropping trees in the lake and creating brush piles was simple, but in a 110 acre lake with almost 8 miles of shoreline it wasn’t hu-manly possible to add all the nat-ural structure the lake required. Plus, while the trees, branches and

artificial structure I was placing in the lake was great cover for bass and crappie, they provided only moderate protection for baitfish and gamefish fry. The only real long-term solu-tion was adding aquatic plants … acres of them! The right combina-tion of aquatic plants would form a dense protective nursery along the shoreline of Fyrne Lake to maximize baitfish reproduction. Then, this abundant food supply would fatten up our gamefish to enviable sizes. At least, that was the plan. I had picked out sever-al plant species that would fill the bill and not threaten to take over the lake’s surface by stretching out into open water. I had done my homework, purchased my starter plants and placed them behind protective fence circles, to give them a chance to establish. At that point the battle began. The muskrat, being smarter and more agile than the 40+ pound grass carp that inhabited Fyrne Lake, soon learned they could climb over the fence and consume my expensive salad. A couple years of battles ensued between me and the muskrats. Bottom line, THEY WON AND I LOST.

D


Johnny points out fresh muskrat droppings, on a floating log that’s

crying for a log set!Photo by author

After countless hours of effort, various fencing designs, multiple shipments of plant starts and way, way too much time and money, I surrendered. There were too many intelligent rats in the lake and only one of me… and they had figured me out! Now, my story doesn’t end there. No, I shared the paragraphs above to bring you up to date on where the situation stood in January of this year (2016). Several years have now passed since my last battle with these challenging crea-tures and they have been happily going about what muskrats do so well, eating anything green in the lake that the grass carp didn’t get to first! Their bigger cousin, the beaver, had also moved into the lake. Between the two of them, the lake was becoming crowded and damage was becoming ev-ident along the shoreline with dens, damaged trees and the con-

tinued absence of aquatic plants. I even found evidence of a muskrat den along the dam! This was dan-gerous! Beaver and muskrat can burrow completely through an earthen dam causing severe dam-age, weakening the dam and re-quiring immediate repair. Lucki-ly, I caught this burrow early. But, the danger wasn’t going to go away on its own. It was time to call in reinforcements! I called Kelly Locke, who han-dled the pest control on our farm. He didn’t trap aquatic mammals, but he knew who I should contact, a gentleman by the name of John-ny Copeland at Copeland’s Beaver & Critter Control. Johnny grew up trapping alongside his father. It’s in his blood. Trapping to him is like fishing or hunting to most of us. It’s his chance to get out into God’s creation, enjoy its beau-ty and absorb the peace of God’s presence. Like us, it’s icing on the cake to actually catch, shoot or trap something. Right now, John-ny has a day job. But he dreams about eventually growing his trap-ping business into a fulltime job and from what I’ve seen, I believe he will achieve his goal! He’s al-ready providing beaver control for several farms, predator control for multiple land owners and building a growing list of satisfied custom-ers where he’s removed unwanted living (or dead) animals from in, under or around their home. He has a dream, a plan and the will-ingness to do the work to get it done. I don’t see how he won’t eventually achieve his dream. To do my part, I hired Johnny to thin out the muskrat and beaver on Fyrne Lake. That decision turned

out to be the beginning of a whole new learning experience! I wanted to learn all about what he did and what it takes to be a successful trapper, so I accom-panied him on his boat as he left the landing to scout out the lake. It was a couple hours before dark as we cruised along the shoreline looking for signs of beaver and muskrat activity. He explained that beaver eat the bark, twigs and leaves off trees while muskrat consume aquatic plants (I knew that!), ground vegetation and when the opportunity presents it-self, fish, turtles and invertebrates. He said to keep an eye out for damaged trees, floating branch-es with the bark stripped off and den holes along the shoreline. It wasn’t long before we saw definite holes in the bank right at the wa-terline. We slipped up to one in our boat, Johnny hopped out and then picked up a fallen tree branch to use as a probe. With it he dis-covered that the hole extended quite a ways back into the bank, eventually angling up beyond his

This picture show a typical log set, utilizing a carrot-baited 110 Conibear trap. Photo by author


reach. This was definitely created by a beaver! As we prepared to set a trap at its opening, Johnny explained that even though he was certain

a beaver originally construct-ed this den, it may not currently be occupied by one. However, that doesn’t mean that it was un-occupied. Muskrat often move

in to abandon beaver dens. The good news was that we were af-ter both prey and Johnny set the trap accordingly. He chose a 330 Conibear instant kill trap. It was large and powerful enough to dis-patch a full grown beaver, but sen-sitive enough to trip and eliminate a juvenile muskrat. Setting such a large and powerful trap is tricky and dangerous. Johnny, made it seem easy, setting the spring ten-sion and trigger, then staking it down in a vertical position across the den’s entrance. He then gath-ered random branches, sticking them down on either side of the trap to eliminate gaps that our tar-get could slip through and thereby encouraging them to take the easy route… through the opening of our trap! At that point I thought we were done and ready to move on. I was

Johnny Copeland setting a 330 Conibear trap. Photo by author


wrong. Johnny took out his se-cret weapon, beaver castor. Cas-tor or castoreum is the yellowish liquid secreted from the sexual scent glands of a beaver. This is NOT the castor oil your parents or grandparents took as medicine as a child. That medicinal castor oil was made from pressing the beans from the castor oil plant (Ricinus Communis). No, this castor oil is secreted by a beaver while uri-nating to mark their territory and attract potential mates. The only way to get it is by removing the castor sacs from a beaver. This oil is expensive, but luckily, it only takes a few drops to accomplish Johnny’s goal. Carefully, he placed a precious measure of this potent smelling fluid on the trap. Now our scent was covered and a “BEA-VER HAS BEEN HERE” signal was broadcasting at full volume! On down the lake we moved, setting traps across the entrance of every promising den site. Eventu-ally, we reached the top of the lake, a mostly shallow area where Coon Creek flows into the lake. It turns out this shallow marshy area was an ideal habitat for muskrat and beaver. The periodically flood-ed shoreline begins with a boggy grass buffer, giving way to a stand of horsetail and grove of wil-low trees. Beaver LOVE willow trees and the stumps and felled trees were evidence to that truth! Droppings litter the tops of float-ing logs betraying the presence of muskrats. We had just found the home where most of our trou-ble emanated. And now our real work began. Johnny jumped out of the boat

and waded along the shore. He was looking for runs. Runs are channels dug out by beaver and muskrat to move to and from the lake from their dens with ease. Right beside a log piled with muskrat droppings he found one. It was deep, much too deep to be made by muskrat. It had to be a beaver run. Muskrat are known for taking advantage of their big-ger cousin’s work. They claim abandon beaver dens (as I men-tioned earlier), utilize their under-water highways and even feast on the foliage of their downed trees. Muskrats have learned to take advantage of the opportunities they encounter… like my costly (and muskrat consumed) efforts at starting aquatic plants in Fyrne Lake. Yes, I needed to remove the beaver, they were the main threat to the dam. However, my more immediate target was the muskrat population. They had outsmarted

me in my repeated attempts to es-tablish aquatic plants. I encour-aged Johnny to focus a good por-tion of his efforts directly toward my nemesis. Up to the challenge, this skilled trapper set four dis-tinctly different types of trap set-tings, to maximize our potential for immediate success. He first went for the floating log with the pile of muskrat drop-pings. He used a smaller 110 Conibear trap on the log near the droppings. He suspended the trap vertically by using two long branches threaded through each side and pushed down into the lake bottom. He then pulled out two pieces of carrot and pushed them onto the suspended trigger wires. And, of course, he added a small amount of muskrat castor. He then moved toward shore to create a pocket set. A pocket set involves creating a single path to-ward bait, allowing you to control

Here’s Johnny preparing to set a carrot baited 110 Conibear trap.Photo by author


how your target will approach, making it easier to place the trap and ensure success. Johnny chose a large tuff of grass, created a path to the center and a pocket within. There he placed another carrot baited, castor scented 110. Then, Johnny started scanning the area. He was looking for a trail on which to place his colony trap. A colony trap is a long narrow cage type live trap. Each end has a one way trap door. When located well, a colony trap has been known to catch mul-tiple muskrat overnight. It wasn’t long before Johnny located a trail and placed the trap. The sun was over the horizon and it was getting hard to see without a light. But, Johnny wanted to place one more set. I think it was his fa-vorite of the day. He took a 5 foot long, two-by-four board out of the boat, hammered a large nail all the way through about 4 inches down from the top until all the available point of the nail extended out the opposite side. He then took a half corn cob and pushed it long ways onto the nail point. Next, Johnny stuck the board at an angle into the creek bed in approximately 2 foot of water creating a perfect ramp for a muskrat to climb up to rest upon and have a snack. Now it was time to choose the trap. He picked up a #1 single, long spring, foot hold trap. A foot hold trap looks like what I remember seeing in cartoons as a child and function very much as their name implies. There are two spring loaded jaws that open to form a circle with a trigger pan in the middle. Depress the pan and the jaws close imme-diately upon whatever touched

it, most often a foot. This type of trap doesn’t kill, and depending upon the animal, doesn’t even in-jure. But, it does “trap” them in place, assuming you have the trap secured well with a chain. Our purpose was to kill the animals in a humane way. We didn’t want them to suffer overnight with a trap around their ankle. Johnny accomplished this by loosely plac-ing the trap on the board above the water line along the path the muskrat would have to take to reach the corn. The trap was at-tached to the board by a chain, long enough to reach the bottom of the surrounding two foot deep water. If a muskrat set off the trap, both would fall in the water and the weight of the trap would hold the muskrat under until he drowned. Our first night of work was

done! We had multiple traps out in a variety of sets and we did it on a beautiful and clear, March eve-ning. As we packed up the boat to head back to the landing we saw a lone muskrat in the dim light, swimming across the cove, not 50 feet ahead. As I watched the wake spread out as his head cut through the water I felt a tug of guilt. I had seen them as the invader… but at that moment I felt like the intruder. I consoled myself by re-membering that my efforts were an attempt to protect Fyrne Lake and bring its ecosystem back into balance. Removing the over pop-ulation of muskrat was key to be-ing successful. It didn’t make me feel any better, but I knew it was necessary. I guess the question is… would this effort be success-ful? Check out the next issue to discover the answer.

Colony traps are constructed from wire mesh, with a one-way trap door located on both ends. Photo by author


Buying Quality Hunting Land

By Richard Hines

have spent the bulk of my life hunting on public land, hunt-ing on a friend’s property, or ba-sically begging for a spot to hang a stand. I finally managed to pur-chase my own place a few years ago; a process that took around two years before completing my purchase. I hunt waterfowl, deer, turkey, squirrels and upland game birds, Plus, I spend the bulk of my summer months wading or float fishing; mainly for smallmouth bass. If you know anything about

these types of hunting or fishing, you are also aware that it would be next to impossible to locate a piece of property with all these ameni-ties. I had to narrow down the field and settle for what I could, po-tentially getting the most bang for my buck. I got all the species on my wish list except waterfowl, and since my son lives in Arkan-sas, scheduling quality waterfowl hunts would not be an issue. Find-ing the right land takes time. With

the use of the internet the entire country is at your fingertips and I searched online real estate sites every night. It is almost over-whelming, but you have to be pa-tient. When I was doing my land search a listing said “nice creek runs through property.” The nice creek turned out to be basically a wet weather ditch and did not ap-pear to even support minnows. I made several wasted trips like this one. During the last National Wild Turkey Federation Convention in Nashville I met Chris Lancaster, who is an Agent and Land Special-ist for Whitetail Properties in the north central area of Tennessee. After talking to Chris it became evident that I should have touched base with him or one of the Land Specialists with Whitetail Prop-erties sooner. Rarely do you find a real estate agent who knows hunting, fishing and wildlife hab-itat, but that is a requirement for Whitetail Properties. Lancaster told me, “Most impor-tantly sit down and put in writing what you are looking for including price range, size, location, water,

Out of all the hunting and fishing species you may be looking for when pur-chasing land, quality duck habitat is the hardest to acquire. Photo by author

I


timber, pastures…narrow it down to what you are really wanting and what habitat you need to achieve these goals. Then, spend some time on the computer looking at sites such as Whitetail Properties, Land Watch, Lands of America, etc. Once you have narrowed it down, contact an agent”. “You can save time by finding someone who knows land and this includes what species you want to hunt. As an example, one of the toughest targets to locate is a good waterfowl location. You can find deer just about everywhere. Wa-terfowl on the other hand have a really narrow range. You can be in the immediate area, say along the Mississippi or Tennessee Rivers, but if you are not on one of the specific or primary “local flyways” you may be wasting your time.Another way to get the land you

need is going in with a group, or forming a partnership. With my past experience I have seen some work and some not. It seems like it’s a matter of time before some-one in the group will feel slighted or upset. You start hearing com-ments such as not everyone is doing the work, not everyone is paying for the food plots, or who’s going to clean up the downed trees from the road? You get the idea,” Chris told me. On the other extreme of hunting clubs and far from a “causal” part-nership, Lancaster told me about one of his listings where you can buy in with 23 other hunters on a 2,400 acre hunting club. Each hunter owns 1/24th of the land, equipment, lodge and so forth. There is a caretaker who main-tains food plots, lodge, stands and roads. All you have to do is show up and hunt. As you would expect, the club has pretty stringent rules in order to maintain high quality deer management and great hunt-ing experiences. On large clubs like this you may be limited in the number of guests you can bring, so check on that. And always, when forming a part-nership, decide what you want as a group. Have everyone agree and put it in writing. You will be much happier for it. One club actual-ly had everyone deposit a certain amount of money in an account and each member had to main-tain a certain share or percentage of money. If you missed a work day on the property you were “charged” unless it was a family emergency. If it sounds difficult, it can be, if you have someone that

isn’t pulling their weight! It can also soon lead to other problems. Know who you are going in with and understand the rules. Ideally, you will have a place all to yourself or for your immediate family to enjoy. It will mean less worry than going in with a group, but it all comes down on you. If you have open fields a neighbor-ing farmer may be willing to plant some foodplots for some hay. One friend allows a farmer to plant ten acres of pumpkins each season. In return, the fields are planted in winter wheat and every three years they are planted in soybeans. Both crops are good for deer and turkey, plus they are planted and maintained at no cost to the indi-vidual. If you are narrowing in on a piece of land you should have a good grasp of where the boundaries

Running streams through the land can mean fishing, a watering hole

for large and small game and a roosting place for turkeys.

Photo by author

Finding the right piece of property will pay dividends not found at any

bank, as shown in this photo of a hunting club member with a quality

buck. Photo by author


are. Before I purchased my land, I obtained a deed and attempted to find every corner of the property. I also made an effort to talk to at least one neighbor with questions such as; I am looking at the place next door. How’s the neighbor-hood? Are there any problems on the surrounding lands? Do you hunt? Are you interested in in Quality Deer Management? In a short conversation you can sometimes find out about a gem or maybe a hidden problem with the property. When I was look-ing at my place, I discovered my neighbor was interested in man-aging whitetails. We are now co-

operating by not shooting young-er bucks. I would also look up the local wildlife officer and inquire about the property or immediate area around it. If there are many nui-sance calls to the wildlife offices and other local problems, it can add to the stress and ruin the fun of owning land. Once you have the deed in hand, obtain a good aerial photo and topo map. Prior to purchasing the land you should have already found your boundary lines and corners, and now is the time to mark them with paint or posted signs. At the same time, meet with

your neighbors to make sure the lines are accurate. Prior to head-ing out the door on the first day of planting food plots or scouting, schedule a visit with a wildlife bi-ologist and forester. With some basic planning and some insight from resource professionals plac-ing the food plots, feeders, camera sites, mineral sites, and laying out new road or trails will save you some time in the long run. Finding that right piece of land is hard work, but enjoyable. Take your time, do your research and in the end you will have hunting land that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.

Timber or tree lines with oak, hickory and beech trees can be good for harvesting bushytails. Photo by author


This picture shows the very first John Deere Model B

tractor (Serial number 1001) that was sold to the public. The hood’s leaping deer

logo was used only on a very few early Model B’s, and the earliest B’s had the gas tank

filler in the center of the tank underneath the steering

shaft. More than 300,000 Model B’s were built between 1935

and 1952. This example is the first production model.

This photo shows the International

Harvester’s Mogul 8-16 tractor that began rolling

out of the Chicago factory in 1914.

The Mogul 8-16 was a simple and easy to operate, single-cylinder tractor that was also easy to maintain

and repair. Its price was affordable and

it became very popular.

ANTIQUE TRACTORSA Trip Back in Time!


First Citizens National Bank warns community about

popular scam

According to the FBI, in 2014 consumers lost more than $8 mil-lion to solicitation scams promis-ing instant wealth and grand prize earnings. These scams, commonly referred to as the “advance fee,”

“lottery” or “sweepstake” scam, in-volve fraudsters issuing counter-feit checks and fake award letters to consumers who have allegedly won a lottery or sweepstake raffle. The consumer, who most likely never entered the alleged drawing, is issued a check worth more than the amount owed and instructed to pay taxes and fees before receiv-ing their lump sum payment. Un-

fortunately, the check - in addition to the raffle - is bogus. “Consumers fall victim to lottery and sweepstake scams at alarm-ing rates,” said Chris Hamm, Vice President and Fraud Department Manager. “It’s extremely important for them to recognize the red flags associated with this type of fraud before they deposit any check they



TRADITIONS TIPS - with Richard A. Fagan

1. Attach a pool noodle {foam float} around the top rim of a plastic laundry basket using zip ties. Then add a tie rope to make a

great portable live well. It can also be used to carry extra gear.

2. Cut small sections of pool noodles. Add the desired length of nylon string and a weight to make ideal marker buoys. Use designated colors as an indicator for water depth.

4. Run a piece of PVC through a noodle and secure it to a wall at each end. Cut slices in the noodle to make a fishing rod holder.

3. Throw your catfish jugs away and replace them with a section of foam noodles. They handle better, and as mentioned above, you

can use different colors as depth indicators.

5. Keep your lure safe from snagging anything during travel. A small section of noodle (half split) does this job perfectly.

Editor’s note: all photos and graphics are provided by the author. If you wish to submit a “TIP” send emails to [email protected].


SERVICES TO LOOK FORWARD TO!!

Have you been wondering how to join the C&C family?

GingerCPhT

ChasityCPhT

KatieSales Associate

Crystal - PharmacyTech / DME

LISACPhT

RaiAnnPharm Tech/Sales Assoc

Kalli-RaeSales Associate

BrandyPharmacy Tech

TyreniaCPhT

Dana - Pharm Tech/Sales Assoc

CarolynSales Associate

HillaryCPhT

KrissieCPhT

• FAST FRIENDLY ONE-ON-ONE SERVICEFROM LOCAL PHARMACISTS

(being locally owned means we support Dyer County not a BIG pharmacy chain)

•ACCEPTANCE OF OVER 3,000 PRESCRIPTIONPLANS(including the new State Employee Prescription Plan-Caremark)(your co-payment will stay the same)

• LOW PRICES ONALL PHARMACY NEEDS(we will match all competitors generic plans or programs)

•MOST CONVENIENT LOCATION IN TOWN(with drive-thru and handicap accessibility)

• FREE DELIVERYANYWHERE INCITY LIMITS(delivery also available countywide for small fee)

•MEDICARE BILLING(for all your diabetic & durable medical equipment needs)

• IMMUNIZATIONS(flu, shingles, school, job & travel vaccinations)

• PROFESSIONAL COMPOUNDINGPRESCRIPTION SERVICES

(for more information, visit dyersburgfyi.com/candc)

Here are two simple ways of telling us whatyou need and we will take care of the rest.

1. Call us at 285-0844.2. Come by and see us at our new location

at 2490 Parr Ave., Lewis Creek Place.

2490 Parr Ave.LEWIS CREEK PLACE

Curtis ColbertPHARMACIST/OWNER

Kevin CookPHARMACIST/OWNER

Mark DavisPharmacist


ACRED’S SHOES“In Business Since 1955”

OWNER: BILL ACREDOPEN TUES - SAT: 9AM TO 5PM

100 COMMUNITY PARK RD - DYERSBURG, TN731-285-3624

ALL MAJOR TIRE BRANDSALIGNMENT - EXHAUST - BRAKES - SUSPENSIONOIL CHANGE - MUFFLERS - CUSTOM EXHAUSTS

AIR CONDITIONING ... AND MUCH MORE!

OWNERS - RANDY MORRIS & FAMILY

FAMILY OWNED &

OPERATED SINCE 1986!

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS!DYERSBURG, TN: 1960 ST. JOHN AVE. 731-285-9010

GLEASON, TN: 3747 HIGHWAY 22 731-352-2255

PARIS, TN: 210 MEMORIAL DR. 731-642-8745




HOURS: WED THRU SAT: 10 AM TO 5 PMOWNER: BARRY THOMPSON

104 Saint Joseph Ave Dyersburg, TN 38024

FRESHEST FISH

IN WEST

TENNESSEE!

weren’t expecting or send money to an unknown recipient by check or electronic wire.” Before you participate in any lot-tery or sweepstake, First Citizens National Bank encourages you to keep these tips in mind:• Don’t be fooled by the ap-pearance of the check. Scam artists are using sophisticated technol-ogy to create counterfeit checks that mirror the appearance of le-gitimate checks. Some are coun-terfeit money orders, some are phony cashier’s checks and others look like they are from legitimate business accounts. The companies whose names appear may be real, but someone has dummied up the checks without their knowledge. • Never ‘pay to play.’ There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back or send you more than the exact amount —that’s a red flag that it’s a scam. If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashier’s check for the exact amount, pref-erably from a local bank or one with a local branch. • Verify the requestor be-fore you wire or issue a check. It is important to know who you are sending money to before you send

it. Just because someone contact-ed you doesn’t mean they are a trusted source. • Ensure a check has “cleared” to be most safe. Under federal law, banks must make de-posited funds available quickly, but just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good, even if it’s a cashier’s check or money order. Be sure to ask if the check has cleared, not merely if the funds are available before you decide to spend the money.• Report any suspected fraud to your bank immediately. Bank staff are experts in spotting fraudulent checks. If you think someone is trying to pull a fake check scam, don’t deposit it—re-port it. Contact your local bank or the National Consumers League’s Fraud Center, fraud.org.

For more information about fake check scams and how you can avoid them, go to fakechecks.org. First Citizens National Bank, headquartered in Dyersburg, Ten-nessee with 21 locations through-out the state, is a full service com-munity bank with approximately $1.2 Billion in assets offering de-posit, lending, wealth manage-ment, cash management, trust, insurance, and investments. For more information about First Cit-izens National Bank please visit www.FirstCNB.com.


Randy Morris {owner of Master Tire & Auto Service} caught this HUMUNGOUS largemouth bass in a big

pond in Carroll County, Tennessee. It pegged out the ten lb. scale they had and best estimates put it at over 11 lbs.

Photo courtesy of Master Tire & Auto Service

Drake Thorpe took his first buck (6-points) while hunting in Weakley County, Tennessee on the January 2016 juvenile hunt . Drake is only

6 years old and loves to deer hunt. Photo submitted by Harold Dunivant

Anthony Holladay caught this whopping 4 lb. – 2 oz. black crappie

on March 7th of this year. Photo submitted by Lankford Taxidermy

Kim Dunivant took her first turkey during the 2016

season. The gobbler had a 9” beard and weighed 21 lbs. The bird was harvested in Weak-ley County. Photo submitted

by Harold Dunivant

Robert “Doc” Jackson caught this huge largemouth at Pickwick Lake

this past March!

MAY - JUNE 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55MAY - JUNE 2016 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55

Jim Aichinger was in Paris landing on April 16th, 2016 and watched these two

fisherman weigh in this huge catfish {49 and 1/2 lbs}. This was their biggest catch since 1992 and was caught while fishing

under the highway 79 Bridge on Kentucky lake. Photo submitted by Jim Aichinger

Brad Dunivant took this 9-point buck during the first week-end of the 2015-2016 archery season. The deer

was taken in Weakley County.Photo submitted by Harold Dunivant

Ty Thomas of Newbern bagged this 18 pound gobbler

on March 26th of this year. Its beard stretched 9½ inch-es while the spurs measured

7/8ths of an inch.Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

Eric Nolen is holding his crappie caught from a private lake this

past April.

Chuck Richardson of Dyersburg, caught this 7 pound - 14 ounce bass at Fyrne Lake on March 29th

while fishing with a black and blue Strike King structure jig. She was healthy, full of eggs and

returned to the lake. Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

It’s all

GOOD.

www.FirstCNB.com 800.321.3176

Good advice. Good service. Good people. At First

Citizens National Bank, we mirror the good

things that make up this community. We are

passionate about providing you with a unique

and fantastic experience. We’re consistently

ranked among the top community banks in the

country. And you’re the reason why. Come see

for yourself, in person or online.

Lifestyle

May - June 2016 Southern Traditions Outdoors