I went turkey hunting this morning (April 12) at my place in Covington County.
But there were no turkeys. That’s nothing unusual, though. It happens to me all the time.
This time, however, the turkeys were gone. And I don’t mean just gone, I mean GONE! Somehow, I had suspected something was amiss when I drove up to the gate before daylight … and there was no gate. The road was gone, too. And what used to be a pine plantation was also gone. The only thing there was … ME!
“What the .…?” I asked myself in disgust.
I got no answer from me, so I attempted to drive down what was once the road to see what the deal was. I didn’t make it very far before I “found” the entire pine plantation. It was shattered and scattered all over the road.
“This place looks like it’s been hit by a tornado,” I mumbled. And it had! The place was a terrible mess - a mass entanglement of brush, vines and trees. No self-respecting turkey could have survived that. If that won’t rock your boat, I don’t know what will...
Jokes aside
All jokes aside, because of weather forecasts and Easter Sunday, I really didn’t make it to my honey hole in Covington County. But several friends, including Tony Pucylowski, Patrick Hankins, Dr. JT Tisdale and Scott Hall have kept me informed. I’ve seen a few news reports, but from what my friends have told me, a pretty strong tornado wrecked my hunting area, not to mention property owned nearby by JT and Scott.
Needless to say, there will be a lot of work clearing debris from the road, or else I’ll need a chopper (helicopter kind) to get to the cabin and beyond it to hunt. But that’s okay; at least I wasn’t sitting against one of those pines when it got blown away, even though both my readers probably wish I had been.
Yes, it was a terrible weekend weather-wise, but this column hopes you and yours had a safe and wonderful Easter. Hopefully the storms didn’t affect you, your loved or your hunting. Continue to Keep the Faith.
Fishing
I haven’t been out on the water recently, but from friends and relatives, I have heard the fish are tearing it up. Leading the pack are the bream, which are being caught by the dozens, mostly on crickets.
And some folks are catching bass. My old buddy, Chip “The Chipster” Tatum, sent impressive photos of his 5-year-old granddaughter, Lady Georgia Hirsh.
“You are not going to believe this,” he wrote, “but my fishing 5-year-old granddaughter caught a 5-pounder and then a 3.5-pounder, and she does it all by herself – casts, sets hook and reels ‘em in.”
I believe the little lady caught the fish, honestly. Just because The Chipster couldn’t catch a fish in a barrel with a dip net doesn’t mean his granddaughter isn’t an accomplished angler. (I’m sure I’ll hear from that remark).
Until next time, be smart, and when you can safely go outside, get out and enjoy the great outdoors of Mississippi. And when you go, take a kid or senior citizen with you … every time you can.
The PineBelt News outdoor writer Phil DiFatta may be reached by email at pdifatta@hotmail.com, or by text at (601) 596-4475.
