Outdoors

Thoughts about this snow-mageddon 

It all started for us this past Thursday after listening to weather reports about the upcoming weather event. Our plan initially was to head to our daughter’s in Minden Friday morning before the storm hit; they have generators and there should be no problems there.  My small generator, that had sat without being run for several months was dead as …

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Cold Weather triggers Crappie Bite 

(With the promise of cold icy weather upcoming this weekend, I dug through the archives and found an article I wrote 17 years ago about making the most of cold weather.)  With last weekend’s cold weather with snow flurries fluttering around, the logical spot for most of us was a warm spot by the fireplace with mitts wrapped around mugs …

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Johnetta Hortan – Diva in a Deer Stand 

As an outdoor writer, this is my favorite time of year. I get to write about all the big bucks taken by hunters around the state. People have started referring successful hunters to me, which helps a lot. Another way I find out about these buck slayers is on-line, especially checking sites like Louisiana Deer Hunters.  It was while I …

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Eighth grader downs big buck with gun she won 

Several years ago, First Baptist Church in Haughton held a Big Buck contest and the winner overall was a pre-teen aged girl named Addi Small. She came home with a 6.5 Creedmore, a gun she has used consistently ever since.  Since she was in school where she is in 8th grade at Haughton Middle School, we visited with her dad, …

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Remembering grass burrs, chicken dabs and bitter weeds 

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 …

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A timely hog results in bigbuck for Jones

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 …

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Some call them wood ducks, I call them squeakers

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. …

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Student finds time to down big buck 

(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 …

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Being Thankful for more than one day

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 …

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Still working with my “A, B, Cs” 

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 …

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