Outdoors

It’s interesting that as time passes, you remember certain things that stand out from your growing up years.  One of the things that has popped into my mind recently is grass burrs. It’s been years since these dastardly rascals entered my mind. Have they all been eradicated? I can’t remember the last time I saw one and that last one …

This is not the first time I have interviewedZach Jones about big buckshe has taken. Jones and I first crossedpaths when he was 11 years old when hegot the first buck we featured andwe have been privileged to coverhis stories several times over theyears. He is now 24 years old, acollege graduate and works withhis dad in the oil and …

Growing up where I did in the redclay, pine tree expanses of Ward 2,Natchitoches Parish, we lived off theland for the most part. A big gardenwith corn, peas, potatoes, tomatoesand such was supplementedby the wild game we were able toglean from the woods.If you lived in areas nearlakes, there was plenty of fish tobe had along with roasted mallardsand pintails. …

(Once again, I am permitted to write stories for LA Sportsman magazine about big bucks taken around the state this season. Here is my story of a big buck taken by a young lady, Anna McNeely who lives in Natchitoches.)  Anna McNeely lives in Natchitoches with her family but goes to school in Minden at Northwest Technical Community College studying …

This past Thursday, we sat down attables filled with food we usually don’tsee any other time of year. Turkey,ham, cakes and pies and all the trimmings are the meal that mostcelebrants enjoy with family andfriends on this special day.The more I thought aboutThanksgiving and all I have to bethankful for, the more thoughtsand special memories and miracles that have occurred …

I’ve been out of school for so long it’s hard to remember things I learned at Goldonna High School and Northwestern State. The years have erased or toned down much of the “book learning” I was exposed to way back then.  There is one thing, however, that as a writer, I keep at the forefront of my mind and that’s …

With political unrest festering acrossthe world, it may be difficult to eventhink about finding fun things to do.Nasty stuff is going on that is causingus to focus on just keeping ourheads above water and doingour best not to let negatives takeover. It’s time to think about relaxingand calming activities,things like hunting and fishing.Deer season is going fullswing in Louisiana and …

One of the things I really enjoy as anoutdoors writer is interviewing Louisianadeer hunters who have been successfulin downing a trophy buck. I getto vicariously sit in the standwith them as if I’m looking overtheir shoulders as they describejust what they see, includingwhen the buck steps out.Afterward, I transcribe whatthey tell me and convert their descriptionof the hunt into a …

Looking through the thousands ofphotos on my computer, I ran acrossone of my dad, and that put me in the frame of mind to share just what a spe-cial man he was to me. Thomas Ernest “Doc” Har-ris was born in the hamlet of Friendship, LA on March 5, His mom was Edna Strain;his dad William Austin Harris,older brother to …

Now that deer season is here, I amonce again enjoying the privilege ofinterviewing successful hunters andwriting stories for LA Sportsman magazineabout big bucks taken in thestate. Here’s one I did last weekthat had a couple of interestingtwists.Waylon Shackleford, 19 yearold who lives in Alexandria,a pre-engineering student atLSU-Alexandria, encountered acouple of strange and interestingthings that occurred beforehe could lay claim to …