Better time are coming …

T hings have been slow in the outdoor world. Many of the carefully prepared and nurtured dove fields produced slow shooting and many had no birds at all. A few fields had good shoots but even those did not produce birds as they usually do.

Anyway, the visiting with old friends and some very good eating made it worth going. The tales of hunts in the past seemed fresh in the memory and for some reason, only the good and great hunts were remembered.

Fishing has been slow on all the local lakes and that is to be expected this time of year.

Not many fishermen are on the lakes. Tilden Rodgers, on a very nice Saturday morning, did not have a fisherman.

The next stocking will be in late November or December with trout. A few fishermen have some luck at Horseshoe. Early morning bass on top waters and spider rigs in about 15 feet of water are the best choice.

Enough bad news. This is a bountiful year for the squirrel hunters. The busy tails are in the pecan trees and they are plentiful. Several hunters have reported more squirrels than they have ever seen. Squirrel populations are cyclic and this is definitely a banner year. Hunters that hunt the lower White River area tell of limits and back at the truck by 9am. Even novice hunters are doing well. White River Refuge is open to the public but a $20 permit is required. Also steel shot is mandatory and camping is in designated areas only.

The limit is 12 per day with a possession limit is 48. Many hunters got their first hunts in the squirrel woods, often with dad pointing out the squirrels in the trees. Often that is the first time a kid gets to hunt alone. Dad puts him under a good tree and says stay their till I come back. BeCareful!

You can bet he was close and watching his hunter.

The early teal season is Sept. 15-30. Steel shot is required and shooting time starts at sunrise, not the usual 30 minutes before. The limit is 6 teal and possession is 18. Use mallard hen decoys because all the birds will be in eclipse plumage that is brown. It will be very warm so take skeeter dope and wear light weight hunting closes.

The teal seem to be in good numbers, so good hunting is expected. Canada goose season goes to Sept 30 and the limit is 5 birds per day.

Quite a few hunters have reported good shooting. These are resident geese and are very familiar with the area.

Usually a hunter has only one good day and has to find a new place for the next day.

Even though our hunting and fishing is limited, gather up the family and enjoy Mother Nature. Take plenty of pictures and send them to Papa Duck. A couple weeks from now we will be thinking about serious deer hunting that archery season kicks off of on Sept. 25. Be sure to read the free AGFC Hunting Guidebook. Lakeside Taxidermy will return your trophy quickly, at a reasonable rate, and you will be glad to show it to your hunting buddies. It time to clean out the freezer so you will have room for that new trophy.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 901-482-3430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

Tommy Gaspard holds up a nice stringer of bass he landed out at Horseshoe Lake.

Photos courtesy of John Criner

Skyler Veach with a nice pair of Canada geese. Both were banded. He’s getting them mounted at Lakeside Taxidermy.

Eleventh-grader Ella Benson came home with a full limit of squirrels she killed on the lower White River.

Martin Buck with his limits of White River squirrels. He found them up in the pecan trees there.

John Criner

Outdoors Columnist

Noah Brawley bagged three days of full limits while squirrel hunting along the White River.