Southern Traditions Outdoors is a free publication providing articles, photography, and places of interest for the outdoor sportsmen in the mid-south. Publications are printed every two months: Jan/Feb, March/April, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec, and include articles on hunting, fishing and the outdoors. You can always find sections dedicated to children, veterans, women, and the physically challenged in our publication encouraging outdoor participation. You can find our publication throughout Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky at any of our advertisers as well as many marinas, vehicle and ATV dealers, TWRA license agents, resorts and outdoor related retailers.
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Southern Traditions Outdoor - July/August 2019
1. 1 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
JULY/AUGUST 2019
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Advertising Information:
Southern Traditions Outdoors | Rob Somerville
(731) 446-8052 stomag1@gmail.com
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 Mason
Walter Wilkerson
Terry Wilkerson
Steve McCadams
Kelley Powers
Shawn Todd
Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
Cody Rodriquez
John Sloan
Richard Simms
Dana Watford
Buck Gardner
Richard Hines
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
Will Gregory
John Roberts
Richard Hines
Rob Hurt
Mark Buehler
Richard A. Fagan
Neill McLaurin
Sam Bradshaw
Daryl Ratajczak
Jonathon Holden
Field Staff Editors
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith
Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson
Mike Robinson
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
This big Tennessee whitetail buck is guarding his doe from any other amorous suitors.
Photo by Rob Somerville
PG..................... ARTICLE ............................................................AUTHOR
6 ......................... Smallmouth in Small Waters ............................................John Sloan
10 ......................... Places to Go - Duck, Buck & Bass Expo ........................Rob Somerville
12 ......................... Kids Korner........................................................................STO
14 ......................... Vertical Farming ................................................................Nick Carpenter
20 ......................... Tennessee Century Farms................................................Rob Somerville
24 ......................... A Different Kind of Hunting and Fishing.............................Richard A Fagan
30 ......................... Papaw................................................................................Rob Somerville
38 ......................... Bluegill Fishing - A Family Affair........................................Cody Rodriquez
46 ......................... Chronic Wasting Disease Arrives in West Tennessee.......Richard Hines
49 ......................... Traditions Tips...................................................................Richard A. Fagan
52 ......................... Trophy Room.....................................................................STO
5. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 5
From the Desk of Rob S omer v ille
Letter from the Editor
I don’t know about you all, but this old redneck
just can’t handle the high summer temperatures as
well as he used to. That means I mow and work in
the garden right at daylight or an hour before dark.
Heat stroke, melanoma, sunburn and more are very
relevant problems this time of year. Here are a few
tips for these “Dog Days of Summer.”
• Always carry some fresh water with you this
time of year, whether boating, hiking, fishing or en-
joying any outdoor activity.
• Be sure to wear sunglasses to cut down glare
on your eyes, especially when driving a vehicle,
boat, or ATV.
• Put an application of sun block on exposed
areas of your body.
• When on the water in a boat, the wind will
fool you into thinking that the sun is not frying you
like a lobster – be aware!
• Wearing a cap will also protect you from
the sun, and heat exposure.
• If you do get sunburned, submerge your
body in a bath of cold water, or sponge your self
down with vinegar. These will take the heat out of
the burned area, and offer you some relief.
• Make sure your pets have plenty of cool,
fresh water also. A shaded area is also an import-
ant pet requirement this time of tear. Just imagine
how you would feel in a head-to-toe fur coat in the
glare of the hot sun, on a ninety-degree day.
Be safe and keep your cool – see ya,
Rob
Be Prepared for the
Heat and Sun
6. 6 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
IN SMALL WATERS
By John Sloan
It was early in the spring of
1983. My very good friend,
the late, Mickey Pope and I
were coming home from fish-
ing a Middle Tennessee lake.
As we crossed a familiar creek,
one that we had crossed over
probably a hundred
times, I said, “Won-
der how that is for
fishing?” Mick-
ey quickly replied,
“Let’s take your lit-
tle boat and float it
next week.”
Six days later,
just at dawn, it was
30-degrees as we slid
my poly-something
jon boat in the wa-
ter. Our plan was to
launch at one bridge
and float down to
another for take-out.
It was about a six
hour float. I got the
boat lined out and
sent my 1/6-ounce,
chartreuse Whirly
Bee up tight against
a small rock bluff.
It only took two turns of the
reel handle before I knew we
had found something special.
The first two smallmouth that
morning, totaled 9-pounds.
Creeks and small rivers,
“skinny water”, as some call
them, can provide not only
some great bass fishing but
they can also be a tremendous
teaching tool for youngsters.
The creek we were floating was
99-miles long - one mile short
of being called a river. Over the
years, I could not
begin to count the
number of bass we
caught out of that
one creek. But it was
not just about num-
bers. Primarily, we
caught smallmouth,
and many were over
four pounds. Our
tops was close to six.
Equipment and
technique are simple
and easily learned.
First, my prefer-
ence is for artificial
baits. However, fish-
ing live minnows or
crawfish can be ab-
solutely deadly. The
major factor in lure
choice is simply to
down-size. Tops in
fish catching has to
I am addicted to smallmouth and the deeper, slower waters.
I love to use a jig and GitZit. Photo courtesy of author
7. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 7
be an in-line spinner such as
the Rooster Tail or my fa-
vorite, the Whirly Bee. Other
great lures include 1/8-ounce
buzzbaits, minnow imitators
such as Rapala {both floating
and sinking} and a 1/8-ounce
jig with a crawfish imitator
soft bait or a GitZit attached.
Rod choice is a light to medi-
um action, open face spinning
reel with 4# or 6# line.
I like to float. But when I
do, I often stop at gravel bars
and any likely looking place
and wade to fish. Since most
of these waters have slow to
moderate current, when pos-
sible, I cast upstream and al-
low the lure to work back
to me naturally. Most of the
strikes will come, just as the
lure passes and starts back
upstream. This is true, even
when in the boat. That is im-
portant, cast upstream. Al-
ways be on the lookout for
anything that breaks up the
current flow. Rocks, fallen
trees or small gravel bars are
ideal hiding spots for bass.
This is also a prime place
for a lure such as a ShadRap,
which has become a deadly
lure.
Live bait is fished about the
same and in the same places.
It is best in the slower, deep-
er water around structure. A
minnow or crawfish on a hook
with a light split shot a foot
above can provide a lot of ex-
citement. This is a great way
to get a youngster started.
Creeks and small rivers are
great teaching tools. Wading
the shallow gravel bars keeps
them entertained and it is easy
for them cast into the deeper
water. But the main thing is,
it is never boring, especially
Never overlook a fly rod for small water action. This eight-pounder, had
to hit a popping bug on this cool, July morning. Photo courtesy of author
Pictured here is a stringer of shore lunch, ready for the skillet.
Photo courtesy of author
8. 8 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
when you have a shore lunch
of fresh caught fish.
Although I am addicted
to smallies, stream fishing
may also get you a limit or
two of largemouth and Ken-
tucky bass. And don’t forget
the black perch. Talk about
a great shore
lunch.
My origi-
nal boat was
made of poly-
urethane. It
was 14-ft long
and very sta-
ble. We pow-
ered it with a
trolling mo-
tor and could
e a s i l y s k i m
in four-inch-
es of water.
I t w e i g h e d
98-pounds
and fit nicely
in the back of
the truck. My
current boat is
a PondHopper.
Great for two
anglers, it too
weighs less than 100-pounds
and is just about impossible
to turn over.
In the early spring, floating
these streams before the usu-
al lake spawn will surprise you
with how many fish you may
catch. As it is with anything
regarding fishing, it may take
some learning. And for sure,
before you launch or take out,
make sure you have permis-
sion to be on that land. I have
seldom met a landowner who
denied access. In fact, on a
couple trips scouting for put-
in and take-out spots, I have
also gotten permission to deer
or turkey hunt. But that is an-
other story.
So, give it some thought.
Take the wife and kids on a
leisurely afternoon drive and
take a look at some of the
creeks you have crossed and
never thought to fish. You
may be surprised at what skin-
ny water can produce.
Some of my favorite lures: From left- 1/8-ounce WhirlyBee, ShadRap, Daiwa jerkbait, Gitzit or tube lure.
I almost always fish using 4# line. Photo courtesy of author
This dandy bass had to have the WhirlyBee up tight
on the rock bluff. Photo courtesy of author
9. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 9
Begins on Labor Day - Monday, Sept. 2nd
and runs through - Saturday, Sept. 67h
VOTED“CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS”
AS THE BEST COUNTY FAIR IN THE STATE!
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• OLD GLASS PIECES - FENTON, MURANO, CARNIVAL
GLASS, ETC.
• CERTIFIED SPORTS MEMORABILIA
• ANTIQUE TOYS
• OLD METAL AND PORCELAIN ADV SIGNS
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BOOTHS AT THE RED BARN ANTIQUES
AND BUTLER’S ANTIQUES IN JACKSON
BOOTH NUMBERS 88
10. 10 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
PLACES TO GO - DUCK, BUCK & BASS EXPO
The Duck Buck & Bass Sportsman’s Expo is THE Outdoor Hunting Expo where you See, Touch, and Talk to the
Experts! The Agricenter will be converted into a hunters paradise with experts and many new products for the
hunting industry. The Duck Buck & Bass Sportsman’s Expo will be held August 9th thru the 11th at the Agricenter in
Memphis, TN - with TONS of Outdoor Hunting and Fishing gear for the whole family to enjoy.
My good friend and show promoter - Brian Rowan assures me that the new Expo will bring back the “glory days”
of the great Memphis outdoor shows in the past. He and the rest of their staff are dedicated to make this the ultimate
outdoor experience for the entire family and have brought in some heavy hitters in the industry to help do so!
If you are a Duck Hunter, Deer Hunter, Turkey Hunter or a Fisherman in the Memphis or Midsouth area, the
Agricenter, in Memphis, is where you will need to be August 9-11. Be sure to bring the kids to meet Travis “T-Bone”
Turner from the Hit TV Show “Bone Collector” all day Saturday and Sunday. We also have Special Guest Frank
Addington and His Amazing Archery Show. Frank known as “The Aspirin Buster” and will hit an aspirin thrown in
the air with his Hoyt Bow while shooting behind his back! Frank has a great performance and a great message for the
kids. We also have David Blanton host of Realtree Outdoors on the Sportsman Channel all day Friday. David will be in
the Realtree United Country Hunting Properties booths for meet and greets. Also, Friday is Happy Hour with Beer &
Brats from 4-7, with the Craft Beer being supplied by the Mississippi Ale House.
There is something for the whole family at the Duck Buck & Bass Sportsman’s Expo at the Agricenter
in Memphis August 9-11. For more details and info, go to www.duckbuckandbassexpo.com.
Hope to see you there - Rob Somerville
HISTORY OF THE MOUNTAIN MEN FUR TRADING RENDEZVOUS
Mountain Man Rendezvous were an annual gathering (1825–1840) at various
locations held by a fur trading company at which trappers and mountain men sold
their furs and hides and replenished their supplies.
Rendezvous were known to be lively, joyous places, where all were allowed- free
trappers, Indians, native trapper wives and children, travelers and later on, even
tourists who would venture from even as far as Europe to observe the festivities.
Rendezvous are still celebrated as gatherings of like-minded individuals or clubs
in many walks of life.
The fur trading rendezvous are celebrated by traditional black-powder rifle
clubs all over the US and Canada. These gatherings range from small gatherings
sponsored by local clubs to large gatherings like the Pacific Primitive Rendezvous
and others. These gatherings include much of the same activities of the originals,
centering on the shooting of muzzle-loaded rifles, trade guns and shotguns, the
throwing of knives and tomahawks and primitive archery, as well as cooking,
dancing, singing, the telling of tall tales and of past rendezvous. Personas taken on
by participants include trappers, traders, housewives, Native Americans, frontiers-
men, free-trappers and many others, including soldiers.
These early frontier gatherings were called “rendezvous,” which is French for a
meeting at a particular place and time.
Mid-South Trappers Rendezvous
September 21st, 2019
Gibson County Fairgrounds
1242 Manufacturers Row
Trenton, TN
Hosted by Duke Traps and West TN Fur Takers Chapter 24C
We welcome
Trappers, ADC Operators, Hunters, Hunting Clubs, Land-
owners, Timber Companies, Farmers, Conservation Groups,
Outdoor Enthusiasts, FFA Chapters, 4-H Clubs, Scout Troops,
and the Public
Fun for the Whole Family!
Saturday: Guest Registration 7 am
Trapping Demos Starting at 8 am
2019 Featured Demonstrators:
Robert Waddell - Doug McKenzie - Kenny Prince
Closing Ceremonies 4 pm
Entry $5/PERSON – 11 & UNDER FREE
Concessions will be available
Camping and RV hookups available
For More Information
facebook.com – West TN Fur Takers
Call: Mark Moore, WTFT President, 731-693-6330
Jay Wahlig, WTFT Vice President, 901-451-0498
Julie Reeves, WTFT Secretary/Treasurer, 731-415-0418
If interested in being a vendor, please contact Bobby Garrett
662-603-5447
12. 12 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
SPONSORED BY
KIDS AND CATFISH TEAM UP - ANOTHER GREAT RODEO IN THE BOOKS
Despite the threat of heavy rain and potential thunderstorms last Saturday
across West Tennessee a big crowd of young anglers with parents, grandpar-
ents, aunts and uncles in tow showed up at McKenzie’s City Park Lake with
fishing on their mind.
Young boys and girls weren’t about to let the weatherman deter them from
a morning of fishing at the 19th Annual Steve McCadams Casting for a Cure
Kids Fishing Rodeo.
Filling the shoreline and pier were some 84 youngsters, eager to do battle
with feisty catfish silently swimming in the placid waters. Skies were dark as
rolling clouds passed over the area, but the army of future fishermen didn’t let
the gloomy looking morning dampen their spirits.
After a stop at the registration table each angler received a fish stringer and
a nice yellow fishing towel courtesy of The Nashville Predators. Additional
prizes, such as hockey pucks and a handsome engraved Predator’s jersey, were
also donated to the rodeo.
From several surrounding counties they showed up to fish and that’s just
what they did. As soon as the whistle blew the show was on and one young-
ster - 11-year old Bryson Whitaker of Paris - landed a hefty 3-pound channel
catfish on his very first cast!
“I was well pleased with the event and thankful the weather cooperated,” said McCadams, host of the annual fishing rodeo that started 19
years ago at Carroll Lake. “I worried all week about the forecast and wondered what we could do if lightning and rain descended. Thankfully,
the Good Lord held an umbrella over us!”
“It was another successful rodeo as several volunteers helped me pave the way for a fine fishing day for the kids as we battled cancer and
fish at the same time. Thanks to donors who opened their hearts and pocketbooks again we had several door prizes that put big smiles on little
faces”!
Each year the rodeo makes a donation to the American Cancer Society through Carroll County Relay for Life.
Handsome engraved plaques and nice bicycles were awarded to the youngster in four separate age brackets who either caught the most fish
or biggest fish.
Taking the top spot in the 5 and under age bracket for the biggest fish was Jaxon Hochreiter of McKenzie for a dandy weighing 2.56 pounds.
Landing the most fish was Ryker Cherry of Atwood.
In the 6-8 age bracket it was Kinley Adams of Atwood who landed the big one courtesy of a channel catfish that tipped the scales at a whopping
4.22 pounds! Turns out it was the biggest fish caught in this year’s rodeo.
Earning the most fish honors was Creek Coleman of Slidell, Louisiana, who was visiting with his granddad Dale and great grandfather Ted
of McKenzie.
In addition to winning the most fish honors he and his brother won a rod and reel combo for traveling the longest distance to fish in the
rodeo this year. Another youngster from Illinois barely missed out.
From the 9-12 year age bracket came another big fish weighing 4.10 pounds caught by Aydan Ayers of Camden. Casten Brock of Gleason had
the most fish thanks to a stringer of 15 fish.
Kaylan Borneman of Gleason had the big fish in the 13-15 year age bracket with a nice catfish weighing 3.96 pounds. Most fish went to Dixie
Bennett of Henry.
“It was indeed a great day in the outdoors for these kids and their families,” continued McCadams. “The cloud cover filtered out the sun and
heat so that really helped.”
McCadams paid tribute to McKenzie City Parks and Recreation for their assistance. Mike Beasley and his crew helped make the rodeo a
success as did Mayor Jill Holland for the city’s hospitality.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency stocked the lake with catfish on Thursday prior to the rodeo and several donors such as Pepsi, Wal-
Mart and McDonald’s helped out as well. Without these folks we couldn’t have a rodeo.
With next year’s 20th anniversary fast approaching plans are already underway to host a big event. Carroll Lake will reopen in 2020 but
McCadams said he wasn’t sure if the rodeo would move back to its original home or stay at McKenzie City Park.
“We’ll see how things go in the months ahead but holding the rodeo at McKenzie’s City Park Lake has worked well for us. We’ve had great
cooperation from the city as to a pavilion, bathrooms, trash cans and courteous staff. The small lake keeps the fish concentrated in an area
where the kids really do well!”
“When the smoke clears and the rodeo is over I’m sort of worn down but lifted up by the hopes we introduced kids to the great sport of
fishing while fostering time outdoors with friends and family for a good cause,” he said.
13. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 13
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14. 14 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
When you envision Wyoming,
you might see towering moun-
tains, sprawling sagebrush plains,
or maybe salmon-filled rivers.
But, can you imagine that it’s also
home to the United States first
vertical farm?
Vertical farming is the prac-
tice of growing stacked beds of
plants. Easy to say, harder to un-
derstand. On the facilities first
day of operation in May 2016, I
was biting at the bit to see how
the farm worked and how exact-
ly they stacked plants over top of
one another. This summer, I trav-
eled to Vertical Harvest in Jack-
son, Wyoming and took a tour of
the facility to see for myself.
From the outside, the building
is composed of towering glass
walls and emits a purple glow
upon the nearby apartment and
parking garage. As I walked in the
front doors, I was met with two
distinct things: the unpredict-
able squeak of the massive plant
carrousels and the claustropho-
bic size of the facility. My tour
group stood in the lobby, un-
derneath a towering carousel of
microgreens, rising up and back
down through the building cen-
ter. Plants were grown hydropon-
ically with pumps pushing fertil-
ized water through hemp-based
grow mats. Later, our guide ar-
rived and fitted us all with hair
nets and started talking with us
about the facility.
One of the most special parts
about the facility is that, accord-
ing to an employee, 17 of the 30
workers at the farm have a dis-
ability, or person with “differ-
ent abilities” as the farm likes to
say. They even had a worker with
different abilities help lead our
group through the different levels
of the facility and talk to us about
what they do there.
While there, I couldn’t help
but wonder why they decided it
should be built in Jackson, Wy-
oming. They explained to me
their concern about the local food
desert that the city is in. In Wy-
oming, little food is grown, es-
pecially when it comes to vege-
tables. Also, the reason for going
vertical instead of a traditional
greenhouse is space concern. The
city of Jackson has very high real
estate from a shortage of usable
land that is not wildlife manage-
ment designated. It makes for a
weird demand to grow a lot of
fresh food in a small area. And,
there is a lot of demand they are
filling.
According to Farmflavor.com,
non-animal farm revenue ac-
counts for just 21.5% of the agri-
culture sector in their area. And
of the few crops they grow, sugar
By Nick Carpenter
A group of students takes a tour of Vertical Harvest, which is growing
the vegetable plants hydroponically and inside of a building with plants
stacked on top of each other. Photo by Nick Carpenter
15. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 15
beets, grains, and corn dominate;
not fresh vegetables (2017). Verti-
cal harvest is striving to bring lo-
cally grown vegetables to people
within a 60-mile radius by selling
to restaurants and through their
own market.
The facility is full of microgreens
like butterhead lettuce and sorrel,
as well as tomatoes and flowers.
As we climbed the stairs in the
center of the building, we could
look into the side rooms. On the
left housed many more carrousels
with microgreens slowly progress-
ing through the purple LED lights.
This stirred my curiosity as to why
they had the plants sitting on ro-
tating carousels. As one row pass-
es under the light, the other row
passes underneath in almost full
shade. I asked the tour guide and
she explained to me that while the
plants only receive light half of the
time, they can grow more plants
in a tighter space.
On the right side was over 400
hanging cherry tomato plants
growing toward the natural light
coming in through the glass. In
order to get the plants to pollinate
one another, they use bumblebees
in cardboard hives.
According to their employees,
the 1/10th of an acre, 3 story farm
has the equivalent of 5 to 10 acres
of traditionally grown produce
which is about 100,000 pounds of
greens for locals. The site is also
packed with technology to keep
these plants comfy. Humidity and
light sensors, shade cloths, fertil-
izers, PH testers, and a whole air
conditioning system.
So, how about pest manage-
ment? With all of those plants
packed in, it must be easy for dis-
ease to thrive right? Well, not so
much. On a traditional farm, you
might have to spray pesticides
weekly to keep away bugs, fun-
gus, and disease. And once your
Grow lights are used by Vertical Harvesting as a source of artificial light
source. Photo by Nick Carpenter
All the produce grown at this farm is grown hydroponically with no soil in sight. Photo by Nick Carpenter
16. 16 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
soil catches nematodes, you’re
going to need to treat for them
relentlessly. Yet, in a hydro-
ponic system, or a grow system
that uses no soil, pests are much
more manageable. I asked how
they would go about treating if
there was an outbreak and they
told me they would focus on de-
stroying the problem with Inte-
grated Pest Management {IPM};
not pesticides. “IPM does this
by utilizing a variety of methods
and techniques, including cul-
tural, biological and structural
strategies to control a multi-
tude of pest problems,” written
by beyondpesticides.org (n.d.).
This may look like releasing la-
dybugs to eat up the aphids or
fungus inhabiting leaves.
So, naturally, a question must
come up. “Is it profitable?” Well,
so far, it is not. Being in opera-
tion for two years and the facil-
ity is still not able to break even
according to an employee. The
business has been able to stay
operational from generous sup-
port from organizations across
the nation. And while the busi-
ness is running on a low-prof-
it model, you would hope they
could be sustainable enough to
keep the purple L.E.D. lights on.
So, are vertical farms prac-
tical and profitable? Well, first
vertical farms struggle to make
any money from high electrici-
ty costs trying to compete with
sun grown produce. Estimates
are that around 60% of indoor
farming costs are from electric-
ity. This is when many farms
have tried to offset this cost and
leave a zero-carbon footprint by
using renewable resources like
solar energy.
Yes, you heard that correctly.
Farms are using solar electric-
ity, absorbed sunlight, just so
we can give our plants artificial
sunlight through light bulbs?
Of course, vertical farms strug-
gle to compete with traditional
farms in areas where they have
all the sunlight they could want.
But, there is a flower among
this pot of dirt. In places that
lack long periods of sunlight,
vertical farming is a very help-
ful technology. It brings fresh
produce to consumers where
it may not have been possible
before. You would just have a
hard time doing that with a re-
newable power source like so-
lar and would need to use oth-
er sources. Add to this the cost
to keep the building heated in
winter and cool in summer, and
the electric company is going to
like the business.
Also, how costly is it to build
a vertical farm? Quite a lot, to
be exact. Vertical Harvest in
Jackson, Wyoming cost over 3
million dollars for construction.
For only 100,000 lbs. of pro-
duce, this is exceptionally high
compared to traditional soil row
crop farming.
No, a vertical farm can nev-
er compete with traditional ag-
riculture in temperate or trop-
ical areas, but it can in harsh
climates like deserts and tundra.
In an area like Jackson, Wyo-
ming, the ability for citizens to
get locally grown fresh produce
is hard to come by. Economical-
ly, vertical farming costs much
more, but often times people are
willing to pay for it.
Editor’s note: The author of this
article’s name is Nick Carpenter
and he is an Agriculture Commu-
nications Student at the Universi-
ty of Tennessee at Martin.
This head of lettuce and all of the produce plants are growing fast in the
hydroponic system. Photo by Nick Carpenter
17. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 17
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20. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 20
Today’s farmers have it tough,
especially now, with trade tariffs
blocking the export of many of
their main cash crops. Farmers
are used to having break-even
years, where they at least pay
their expenses, and even bad
years – when they actually lose
money, but recently life on the
farm has become a true finan-
cial hardship.
But, these farmers will not
quit – no sir they won’t. Giv-
ing up is not
in their genetic
make-up and the
word “quit” isn’t
even in their vo-
cabulary. They
won’t ever quit
because they
are God fearing,
hard working
men and wom-
en. They won’t
ever quit be-
cause they take
pride in the cal-
louses on their
hands and the
grease on their
j e a n s . T h e y
won’t ever quit
because their fa-
thers and even
their father’s fa-
thers worked
that same property. Simply put –
farmers will not quit, but if they
ever do … the world will starve.
That is why it is so important
for us all to recognize our Ten-
nessee farmers, especially the
ones who have farmed the same
property for 100 years or longer!
The Tennessee Century Farms
Program was created in 1975 by
the Tennessee Department of
Agriculture as part of our na-
tion’s bicentennial celebration.
In 1985, the Center for Historic
Preservation at Middle Tennes-
see State University assumed the
responsibility for the program.
It was originally designed and
continues to be a recognition
and documentary effort. The
Tennessee Century Farms Pro-
gram has a farm in all of Ten-
nessee’s 95 counties.
The primary focus of the pro-
gram is to continue honoring
and recognizing the dedication
and contribu-
tions of families
who have owned
and farmed the
same land for at
least 100 years.
Since its incep-
tion, the state-
wide and ongo-
ing program has
more than 1800
certified farms.
That number in-
cludes Pioneer
Century Farms
(farms found-
ed in, or prior
to the year 1796,
the year Ten-
nessee became
a state), farms
on the National
Register, farms
that are a part
By Rob Somerville
This historical photo portrays the Cartwright-Russell Farm in Smith
County, Tennessee. {Record Group 62, Tennessee Century Farms Micro-
film Collection, TSLA}
21. 21 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
of the Land Trust for Tennes-
see, farms with African Ameri-
can founders, and farms found-
ed by women.
Secondly, it is a documentary
program that collects and inter-
prets the agrari- an his-
tory and culture
of the state. The
collection
has sup-
ported the
1985 book,
Tennes-
see Agri-
culture:
A Century
Farms Per-
spective; a
traveling
exhibit that toured
t h e s t a t e f r o m
1988-89; articles in
journals and magazines; county
displays; local museum exhib-
its; brochures and booklets; and
web sites.
Families choose whether or not
to submit an ap-
plication and be a part of the
program. The Century Farms
Program places no restrictions
on the farm and offers no legal
protection.
The Tennessee Century Farms
Programs, administered by the
Center for Histor-
ic Preservation
(CHP) at
Middle
Tennes-
see State
Universi-
ty, identi-
fies, docu-
ments, and
recogniz-
e s f a r m s
owned by
the same family for at
least 100 years.
The CHP maintains the
Century Farms owners Ann and Eddie Anderson {middle row – 2nd from right} worked their Dyer County
farm with his father {J.W.} and now works it with his son, Jonathan {middle row – far right} and their loyal
crew. Photo by Rob Somerville
22. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 22
Century Farm database of infor-
mation and photographs, most
of which is based on applica-
tions supplied by the farm fam-
ilies. Tennessee Agriculture: A
Century Farms Perspective was
published by the Tennessee De-
partment of Agriculture and the
Center in 1986. The book-length
study includes descriptions of
each farm and both color and
black and white photographs.
The Century Farms Program
established shared interests
among the CHP, local historical
societies, county extension offic-
es, city and county governments,
and chambers of commerce.
Taking rural preservation work
in new directions, Center staff
successfully nominated several
historic family farms to the Na-
tional Register of Historic Plac-
es. This work paved the way for
the innovative Historic Fam-
ily Farms of Middle Tennes-
see multiple property nomina-
tion. Considered a model for
rural preservation, this was the
first thematic nomination in
the country to deal with histor-
ic farmsteads. The CHP, working
with the Tennessee Department
of Agriculture and the Tennessee
Historical Commission, serves as
a clearing house of information
on the Tennessee Century Farms
Program, National Register Doc-
umentation of farms, and as na-
tional leader in documentation
and interpretation of historic
family farms.
For more information on the
Tennessee Century Farms pro-
gram, including an application
that you may download, and a
list by county of Century Farms
and their history, visit the Web
site at www.tncenturyfarms.org.
Related link: MTSU Center for
Historic Preservation.
Please direct inquiries, regarding
Century Farm applications, exist-
ing farm files, and newsletters to:
Dr. Carroll Van West Hankins
Director, Tennessee Century
Farms Program
Center for Historic Preservation
Middle Tennessee State University,
Box 80, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
615-898-2947
Please direct inquiries about
Century Farm signs to:
Lynne Williams
Tennessee Department of
Agriculture
P.O. Box 40627, Nashville, TN
37204
lynne.williams@tn.gov
Phone: (615) 837-5081 / Fax:
(615) 837-5194
This historic log cabin in Waynesville, Tennessee was an original farm-
house on a Century Farm.
Tennessee’s Century Farm families take a great deal of pride in their
heritage, history and work ethics.
23. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 23
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24. 24 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
When people hear that some-
one has dug up an old jar full of
silver dollars or found a valuable
heirloom while cleaning out the
attic; it grabs our interest. The
idea of finding forgotten treasure
catches almost everyone’s inter-
est. I guess we all have a little “In-
diana Jones” in us.
Treasure hunting with a metal
detector has become a growing
activity, partly due to TV shows
about this subject. Social media
has groups that share this inter-
est and report their discoveries.
Whether you’re just getting start-
ed or have been doing it for years;
there are things a person
should consider both before
and during a hunt.
Equipment
Just like in all hunting,
you have to have the prop-
er equipment. Also, in met-
al detecting, the more money you
spend the more advanced the
equipment can be.
Metal detectors range in price
from as low as fifty dollars to up
in the thousands. A person can
easily purchase a good function-
al detector for between one hun-
dred and two hundred dollars.
I don’t recommend the lesser
priced ones. When starting out
look for one that works well and
has simple controls.
Small hand-held metal detectors
have recently become popular.
People use them to pinpoint the
item during the dig after finding
it with the larger detector. They
range in price from thirty to one
hundred dollars. One of the main
brands used is bright orange and
A Different Kind of
Hunting & Fishing
Magnet hunting is popular in Europe. Many WWII artifacts have been found. I am not sure I want to pull up
a hand grenade though.
By Richard Fagan
25. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 25
these tools have been given the
nickname of “Carrot”.
A gardener’s hand shovel makes
the perfect digging tool. You
don’t want to damage your find
by trying to dig it up with a pick
axe or heavy spade.
Markers are used to identi-
fy your hits so you can return
and dig them up after you have
scanned an area. I use large wash-
ers painted in vivid colors that are
easy to see.
Starting in metal detecting
doesn’t have to be overly expen-
sive. My starting set up was less
the two hundred and fifty dol-
lars. Once you have your gear
together, the next question is
“Where to go?”
Where to Hunt?
Research is key. Take time to
learn and to pinpoint areas where
you have had your best luck. Li-
braries are good sources of in-
formation, provided they have
records/ genealogy departments.
I have found that the best source
is by talking to folks who know
the area. For example, a farmer
may know exactly where an old
home place once stood on his
farm. Talking to the right people
is your most valuable source of
where to start.
STAY LEGAL! Always make
sure you have permission to hunt
an area. State and federal owned
land are mostly off limits. Any
land that is operated by TVA is
also off limits. People have been
fined and arrested for violating
the laws on this. Getting the “ok”
in writing is always a good idea.
Once you have permission and
are looking for places to start
your hunt, here are a few tips that
will help.
The author’s hunting gear is shown here. Comprised of a metal detector, pinpoint detector (the Carrot), a
hand shovel, stakes and marking washers. Photo by author
Here is a forty year old half dollar found at an old picnic site.
Photo by author
26. 26 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
• Look for any land that has
been recently bladed off or had
the top layers of dirt removed.
This will give a chance to
scan deeper and you’re
less likely to hit those
pull-tops that are found
everywhere.
• Scan around large trees.
Their roots over the years
will push items toward the
surface.
• Creek banks are good,
but often have high junk
levels.
• Look for old trails and
walkways.
• Under bleachers and
around walkways are good
places in parks.
• Look for opportuni-
ties to present themselves.
I once was scanning an
old farmhouse when I no-
ticed the front porch had
some boards missing. Af-
ter working around and
scanning the underside of
the porch I have found six wheat
pennies and of course a hundred
nails.
• My final suggestion is to travel
light so you can maneuver better;
this will allow you to cover more
ground.
A Different Kind of Fishing
Fishing with a magnet is differ-
ent, but can be rewarding. This
is done by attaching a strong
magnet to a good length of rope,
30 to 50 feet in most cases, and
throwing the magnet into the wa-
ter while holding on to the loose
end. You then slowly retrieve it;
hoping that any metal object will
attach to it. Depending on where
you are fishing, there are chances
of finding anything from old guns
to road signs, knives, or tools.
Anything metal that was lost or
thrown into the body of water
could turn up.
My magnet setup is done
with a magnet attached
to a forty-foot length of
paracord with a clip on
the loose end that I keep
attached to my belt. So
far, I have found a couple
of old pocketknives and a
set of keys.
Boat ramps, duck blinds,
bridges, docks, and piers
are all good locations to
fish. Keep in mind that
the same laws apply to
this kind of treasure hunt-
ing as in metal detecting.
Make sure you are legal.
Most magnet fish-
ing is done in areas that
have easy access. There
also maybe more peo-
ple around, such as fish-
ermen, launching their
boats. People don’t like to
give up their favorite fish-
The author uses three different size magnets attached to paracord to fish
with. Photo by author
Here an old piece of equipment that has been
pulled out of a body of water with a magnet.
Photo by author
27. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 27
ing spots for this type of fishing.
I try to plan my outings when
there are as few people around
as possible. Several times, people
have approached me asking me
about what I am doing. After I
tell them, they usually ask where
they can purchase a magnet.
In Closing
Our area is rich in history.
Some of the things we find are
not worth a lot of money, but are
valuable reminders of the past.
The term “treasure” has a differ-
ent meaning to each person. The
old saying, “One man’s junk is
another man’s treasure” is true,
especially after it has remained
hidden for a hundred years.
Hunting with a metal detector
and magnet fishing are both ways
for us to enjoy time outdoors and
to inspire us to learn more about
our local history. This hunting
and fishing also has things in
common with what we do in the
fall. That being said, you have to
have permission, there are laws
about it and you want to keep
your favorite spots to yourself.
Like a big buck, an old jar full
of silver dollars is something to
holler over.
Don’t overdo it this summer.
Stay hydrated and safe.
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28. 28 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
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29. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 29
30. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 30
Papaw
He was a farmer by trade, as
was his dad and granddad before
him. Papaw wasn’t a big man,
not physically anyway. He stood
about 5’7” and weighed only 155
pounds soaking wet, and that was
with his boots and coveralls on.
But, he was tough as rawhide,
without an ounce of fat on him,
for all his 72 years. His face was
the color and texture of worn
leather, from decades of farming
in the sun and wind. But his sky
blue eyes twinkled with the mis-
chief of a teenager, full of energy
and life. That August and early
September seemed to drag by at
school, with my eyes cutting to
the nearby woods whenever by
teacher all the kids called “Old
Frog Face,” wasn’t looking. The
reason I was so anxious was be-
cause this fall would be my first
deer hunt, and my granddad, Pa-
paw, had been gearing me up for
it since I was knee high. I was
as ready as a coon dog on a full
moon night to begin.
I’d been walking and learn-
ing the deer woods with Papaw
since I was old enough to keep
up with him. I remember once,
at age 8, when we’d walked across
his bean field to the edge of the
hard woods and sat under a huge,
sprawling oak tree. We sat in si-
lence for about twenty minutes
when Pops finally looked at me
and said, “What do you see, Little
One?” I looked around the tree,
up in the sky, across the field,
and replied, “Nothin.” He picked
up a blade of saw grass, stuck it
between his store-bought teeth,
smiled and sighed, “Wrong an-
swer.” I hurriedly looked again,
hoping to see something, any-
thing, not wanting to disappoint
the man I so idolized. Sadly, I
turned to him, with lips quivering
and tears beading up in my eye,
and pleaded, “I don’t see nothin,
Papaw.”
He reached for me and pulled
me onto his lap, tucking my head
into the crook of his shoulder,
with the comfortable smell of
cherry pipe tobacco emanating
from his soft flannel shirt, and
said, “Now, now, Little One, don’t
shed no water. I didn’t expect you
to know the answer. But, let me
tell you what I see. I see this mag-
nificent oak tree that has stood
tall and strong for over a centu-
ry of winters; a giant oak that has
fed deer and turkey, and housed
squirrels and birds. I see a pile of
coyote droppings at the edge of
the field, full of hair that tells me
the critter had rabbit for supper
last night. I see the magnificent
sun that God provided us in His
goodness, both critters and hu-
man alike, for light and warmth.
But most of all, I see, smell, hear,
and feel nature. Son, nature fills
a man with peace. No television,
phone calls, or people talkin, but
sayin nothin. This is like my pri-
vate church, where I can peace-
fully give thanks to Our Maker.
And sometimes, if I’m real still,
I believe He answers me.”
Papaw picked me up, hold-
ing my hand, and silently led me
into the hard woods. We came
up to old barbed-wire fence from
when he used to keep cattle. He
walked the fence line, every now
and then getting down on one
knee and examining it. Finally,
he found what he was looking for,
and called me over. He reached
over to a couple of barbs and
pulled strands of white hair off of
them. “Here’s a main crossing,”
he said, and lifted me over the
fence to the other side. He told
me to walk on up ahead of him
and I did so unquestionably. Af-
ter a couple of minutes he told me
to stop and look down. When I
did, I saw deer tracks. I looked up
at him in amazement and asked
By Rob Somerville
31. 31 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
how on earth did he find them. “I
didn’t, you did,” he replied. You
see, any time you’re walking in
the woods, you’re going to do the
same thing that deer do. You’re
gonna walk along the path with
the least amount of obstacles in
your way.” He looked around
slowly, and pointed out two trees,
one on each side of the main trail.
Walking down the trail he point-
ed out secondary paths branching
off the main trail, and heading
under each tree. He said, “That
small tree in the clearing is a per-
simmon tree. In the fall it will be
full of sour fruit that deer sure do
love. And that there big tree with
the rounded leaves is a white oak.
White oak acorns to deer are like
rock candy is to youngins.”
He walked a little further and
found four spots where the veg-
etation was matted down. He felt
of the ground and said, “Here’s
their bedroom, still warm from
their nap, and plenty of wet green
droppings. This is the spot. Since
the wind generally blows from the
southwest. We’ll put your stand
on that big maple over there,
when you’re old enough to hunt.”
Five long years later we built
that stand out of rough-hewn,
sawmill cypress. We carried it
into the woods and tied it up to
the maple-tree. Just one more
month and I’ll be in that stand,
full of high hopes and adrena-
line. In the following weeks, after
I finished my chores, Papaw and
me would ride his old John Deere
tractor to the edge of the field and
watch for deer. We wouldn’t talk
much, because we didn’t have to.
We were both content to share
each other’s space, chew on a
piece of grass and enjoy the qui-
et time. I know now that he had
work he needed to be doing, but
he never once turned me down
when I asked him to go. The Fri-
day before opening morning,
Papaw made me again recite the
hunter’s safety rules he had made
me memorize. Then he took me
to the barn and Christmas came
in November for me that year.
First he pulled out a new pair
of camouflage, down insulated,
coveralls. Next came an orange
safety vest and knit cap, along
with a pair of buckskin gloves.
And last, but certainly not least,
a spankin’ new 30/30-lever action
Winchester rifle.
Now, I knew farming had been
tough lately, so with deep regret
I told him I appreciated the gifts,
but didn’t reckon I could ac-
cept them. He cleared his voice,
looked me dead in the eye, and
said, “Little One, if you don’t
want to see this old man lose his
temper, you better take this gear
and remember me by it. I won’t
be around much longer, but as
long as you carry that rifle with
you in the woods, a part of me
will always be alive in your spir-
it. You see, farming and hunting
has been in our blood far lon-
ger than any of us remembers. I
won’t have it stop now. Now get,
before I change my mind. Don’t
worry; I’ll work the cost out of
you with milkin and such. Now
32. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 32
take some of them pine needles
and rub em all over them fancy
duds and throw em in a tote sack.
Otherwise, the deer will think
a 125-pound; thirteen-year-old
skunk has invaded their woods.
I ran to the house gobbled down
my dinner and went to bed early.
Try as I might, sleep eluded
me. All I kept seeing was those
two trails with a monster buck
strolling toward me. I proba-
bly slept only an
hour or two, but
I was awake and
dressed way be-
fore first light.
I crept to Pa-
p a w ’ s r o o m
and opened the
door. His snor-
ing sounded like
Bessie, our big
sow hog, root-
ing in the mud
for table scraps.
He blamed his
snoring on the
time that fool
blue mule kicked
him in his nose
and broke it, but
Granny said it
was from him
sippin out of his
“For Medicinal Purposes Only”
jug after supper! I shook Papaws’
shoulder three times before he
jerked up with a start. “Boy, don’t
ever sneak up on me like that. I
thought the old Grim Reaper was
comin to pay me a visit.” He got
up and we drank a cup of coffee,
as he once again went over the
rules of hunter safety with me. He
checked my new rifle to ensure it
wasn’t loaded, and with a melan-
choly look on his face shooed me
out the door, with a quiet, “Go
get em, Lil One.”
As I walked across the field to
the woods in the moonlight, I
can admit now that the darkness
and hidden noises spooked me
some. I heard something coming
up behind me and quickly with
more than a little panic, shone
my flashlight shakily in that di-
rection. To my relief it was just
“Old Jake” my hound dog.
It took me 10 minutes to get
him to head home, and I swear
he looked at me like I broke his
heart. I finally found the pin oak
tree, and walked slowly and qui-
etly toe-to-heel like Papaw taught
me, and made my way over the
fence. I skirted the deer trail,
like I was taught, to keep my
scent off of it, and finally found
my stand. I tied my rifle to the
pull rope, climbed up the steps
and sat down. After pulling up
my gun, and putting three shells
in it, I double checked my ham-
mer was on safety and sat back.
I looked up in the inky black sky
and said, “Lord, if it be your will,
bring a deer by me today.” Strain-
ing my ears, I never did hear Him
answer.
As jet-black
night changed to
blurry grays, the
woods around
m e b e g a n t o
come alive with
b i r d s c h i r p -
ing, and squir-
rels dancing ef-
fortlessly from
limb to limb.
The sun began
to peer over the
eastern hillside.
I felt, more than
saw or heard, the
old fox squirrel
jump into the
branches above
my stand. He
scampered down
the tree until he
got about three
feet from my head and froze. He
began turning his head from side
to side, as if in wonder of what
this big motionless blob was that
wasn’t here yesterday. We both
sat in a moment of frozen silence,
staring into each other’s eyes un-
til all of a sudden that old squir-
rel started barking and chattering.
He made me jump, but when I re-
gained my composure and looked
33. 33 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
back at him, he wasn’t looking at
me, but down the trail leading to
the white oak tree. “You idiot,”
I said to myself, remembering
Papaw telling me to tune myself
into nature. He said the birds
and squirrels would let you know
of a deer coming, long before my
inferior human senses would.
There he was, a beautiful fork-
horned yearling, pushing aside
golden leaves in search of acorns,
not 45 yards away. I started eas-
ing my gun up and his head
snapped to attention, nose in the
air, nostrils flaring. He looked
around for about five minutes,
before secure in his knowledge
that he was safe; he resumed the
animated search for his break-
fast. He picked up an acorn,
and I could hear the crunch of
its outer shell break the spell
he had cast upon me. Again, I
slowly raised my gun and sight-
ed in on the yearling. I put my
bead right on the old breadbas-
ket behind his shoulder, pushed
off the safety and pulled the trig-
ger. The explosion burst forth a
cloud of pale smoke, smelling
of sulfur. The squirrel above me
scampered through the treetops,
hell-bent for safety. I looked to-
wards the spot of my quarry,
and to my heart’s dismay, saw
nothing. I tried to stand up, but
my legs had suddenly turned to
rubber and I had to sit right back
down, jarring my teeth with the
sudden impact.
I sat that way for several min-
utes staring at the area where my
trophy should be laying, trying
to relive the shot, madder than
Granny when someone slams a
door and collapses her home-
made cake in the oven. I bowed
my head in shame. I don’t right-
ly recall how long I sat like that,
maybe a couple of minutes and
maybe an hour. All of a sud-
den my pity party was broke up
by the voice of Papaw. “Well,
where’s the meat?” he inquired.
I felt the heat slowly work its
way up my neck and around my
ears, and I simply shrugged. I
emptied my gun, tied it off, gin-
gerly lowered it to the ground
with shaking hands, and climbed
down the stand. I slowly walked
towards the oak tree with finger
pointed, to show him where the
four pointer was when I missed
him. As I topped a small rise not
visible from my stand, I saw it,
one single antler sticking up. My
breath caught in my throat as I
took another step. Another ant-
ler. One more step and the entire
deer was visible. Not sounding
34. 34 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
near as confident as I attempted
to, I replied, “Right there he is.”
Papaw let out a holler that
caused a flock of crows across
the field to take flight, screech-
ing loudly. He trotted as fast as
a 72-year-old man with arthri-
tis in every joint could move
and met me at my deer. We
dropped to our knees simulta-
neously beside the buck. Pops
put his arms around me and
his head on my shoulder and
said, “Dear Lord, thank you for
sending this magnificent ani-
mal of your creation to my Lit-
tle One this mornin, an makin
this old man happy one more
time.”
In amazement I felt a warm
tear slide down my Papaw’s
face and onto mine, and I
hugged him tighter and tight-
er. He solemnly rose, shook
my hand, and said, “Reckon
you’re big enough to hunt em,
you’re big enough to dress and
drag em too.” As he walked
away whistling and wiping his
eyes I realized that a baton had
been passed transcending three
generations, a baton of under-
standing and enjoying God’s
gifts of nature, of respecting
His creatures, and a continua-
tion of the tradition of hunting.
That was Papaw’s last trip
to the deer woods. He went to
heaven the following spring.
He just collapsed while riding
his old John Deere tractor. I
reckon he went just like he’d
of wanted to.
Now I’m sitting under that
pin oak tree, and it’s got anoth-
er thirty winters in its bark. It’s
real quiet, and I swear I hear a
voice say, “Look around you,
‘Lil One’ … What do you see?”
And I smile and tell him of all
the marvelous sights, sounds
and smells around me. And I
know his spirit is with me now
and always. I sure do miss you,
Papaw.
I got shook into reality as I
heard the slam of a car door and
animated voices, and smiled as
I saw the boy. We ran to each
other across the field and he
jumped into my arms. He ex-
citedly squealed, “Hi Papaw.” I
smiled at him and said, “Let’s
go take a walk Little One.”
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38. 38 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
The first childhood memories
I have of fishing are from Loui-
siana. I was about four years old
and my Grandmother
would get a stick, a
couple feet of sewing
thread, a paperclip,
and a piece of hotdog
and take me crawdad
fishing. I’m not sure
if I ever caught one
but you can bet your
last dollar that I was
hard after them! My
whole life, fishing has
always been a family
activity. From fishing
for crawdads with my
Grandma, to catch-
ing my first eel and
throwing my Grand-
pa’s brand new rod
and reel in the wa-
ter cause I thought it
was a snake, to deep
sea fishing with my
nephew, to spending
days on the water
long lining for crap-
pie with my Dad, I have been
blessed to spend many days on
the water and preserve so many
countless memories.
Some of my favorite memories
have come from days on the wa-
ter chasing panfish. I have caught
monster catfish, trophy bass, and
huge red snapper, but nothing
compares to memories past and
present like blue-
gill fishing with my
family.
Reelfoot Lake has
been my home for
almost 30 years. It
is known for some
of the best bluegill
fishing in the South.
Reelfoot’s thriving
ecosystem grows
some of the biggest
male bluegill I have
ever set the hook
on. There are many
opportunities to fish
Reelfoot Lake by us-
ing several different
techniques.
The most popu-
lar way to bluegill
fish Reelfoot is with
a jig tipped with a
wax worm or just a
good old tradition-
al long shank hook
By Cody Rodriquez
Bluegill Fishing - A Family Adventure
Pictured here are Cody Rodriquez and LynnLee Smith with a huge
Reelfoot Lake bluegill she caught on a Grizzly Jig and waxworm
under a float. Photo by Jenny Rodriquez
39. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 39
with a cricket under a float. This
is my favorite technique for blue-
gill, because I love to watch the
float disappear under the water.
To this day, my heart skips a beat
every time it happens! This is also
the easiest way to introduce kids
to bluegill fishing.
Another technique
is to break out your
jig pole and hit the
lily pads and Cy-
press trees. For the
anglers that like to
feel the “thump”
this is the way to
go. Bluegill on
Reelfoot can also
be caught fly-fish-
ing. After an eve-
ning rain shower,
you can catch blue-
gill under the Cy-
press trees on small
flies and top-water
popping bugs. This
has always been
one of my Grand-
pa’s favorite ways
to catch them in the spring and
early summer.
Kids love to fish for bluegill and
it is an addiction like no other!
Reelfoot is a special place in that
it many several opportunities to
take a kid fishing without having
to have a boat. Reelfoot has sev-
eral piers in its State Parks that
allow for easy access to fishing.
There are also plenty of places
from which you can fish from the
bank, such as the Blue Bank park
area and the Kiwanis park area.
Another place that has grown
near and dear to me is Kentucky
Lake. I have great memories of
Kentucky Lake from my child-
hood when my Grandparents
would take my brother and me
fishing and camping at Piney
Campground. Little did I know
that those weekends spent camp-
ing would help to open up a com-
pletely new chapter in my life.
Since those wonderful weekends
of my youth, I have always loved
Kentucky Lake.
Kentucky Lake and Reelfoot
share many similarities when it
comes to bluegill fishing. Ken-
tucky Lake also produces some
monster sized bluegill and huge
redear; also known as shell crack-
ers. My favorite way to fish Ken-
tucky Lake is with a Grizzly Jig
tipped with a waxworm under a
float. I have also been very suc-
cessful with the traditional crick-
ets and a float. The biggest dif-
ference in Kentucky Lake and
Reelfoot Lake to me is that I do
not have the Cypress trees and
lily pads to bang around in at
Kentucky Lake. The Cypress trees
and lily pads are instead replaced
by shallow open water points and
different types of lake grass.
Over the last few years I have
I have become heavily reliant on
All Smiles - Gabby Rodriquez shows off her first
bluegill of the day as her Grandfather, Jerry
Rodriquez, proudly looks on. Photo by Author
Reelfoot Lake has several opportuni-
ties to catch bluegill from the banks,
such as this monster that Luke Smith
landed. Photo by Author
Pictured here are the author’s parents
Jerry and Becky Rodriquez. For the
Rodriquez family, fishing really is a
family adventure. Photo by Author
40. 40 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
my electronics to help me locate
bluegill beds on both Reelfoot
Lake and Kentucky Lake. I use
a Humminbird Helix 10 G2N.
It is amazing at the things you
can find in the water. While
searching for bluegill beds, we
have found everything from car
tires and refrigerators to sunk-
en boats and jet skis. Electronic
devices have definitely changed
the world of fishing. When I
am side scanning for bluegill
beds, I am usually in shallow
water so I set my Humminbird
unit accordingly. In water five
feet deep or less, I usually set
my side scan range around for-
ty-five feet out from each side
of the boat. This allows for the
returns on the screen to be
larger, since it is covering less
area. The sensitivity on average
has to be turned down since I
am scanning places that have a
naturally hard bottom, such as
gravel bars. In order to make
the return on my screen easier
to read I usually have to turn
the contrast up. This allows you
to see the differences in con-
tour on the bottom of the lake.
As a good rule of thumb when
scanning for bluegill beds, I
start with a forty-five feet range
out each side of the boat, sen-
sitivity on ten and contrast on
twelve. After I start scanning,
I adjust for what gives me the
best returns on my Hummin-
bird screen. The different types
of lake bottom, hard gravel or
sandy bottoms will give differ-
ent returns from soft bottoms
such as muddy flats. Water
clarity can also affect your re-
turns. Stained water with lots
of trash and debris in it can
affect your returns especially
after a big rain. The trash and
debris can cause a lot of clutter
in your returns.
This past May, we had some
very good days on the water
chasing bluegill at Kentucky
Lake. I had some friends from
St. Louis, Missouri come down
and fish two days with me.
Of those two days, we man-
aged to put over 300 bluegill
in the freezer and we released
over another 400 to catch again
someday. We were lucky in our
timing and caught the bluegill
right as they began to bed. The
Humminbird sidescan showed
us right where the fish were
on the small gravel bars in the
backs of the coves and bays.
Then the Grizzly Jigs and B’n’M
poles helped us to fill our cool-
ers full of big old bluegill.
The week after my St. Louis
Pictured here is a Kentucky Lake
bluegill bed as viewed on a Hummin-
bird Helix 10 Mega G2N. You can
see the bluegill in the beds in the
bottom of the picture.
Photo by Author
Kentucky Lake offers great fishing in many of its shallow coves and bays.
Jenny Rodriquez shows off a pair of nice bluegill caught in the Paris
Landing area on crickets. Photo by Author
41. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 41
friends came to visit, we fished
the Kiwanis’ Bream Bash at
Reelfoot Lake. We caught some
giant bluegill a couple of days
before the tournament while
we pre-fished the south end of
the lake. The day of the tour-
nament came and luck just
was not in our favor. A bru-
tal south wind made it almost
impossible to fish in the plac-
es we had located prior to the
tournament. We caught sev-
eral bluegill and had a couple
of monsters during the tour-
nament, but we just could not
put together enough to pull
it off. Cypress Point Resort
Guide David Blakley and his
son Hayden Blakley pulled off
the win with a huge stringer of
bluegill. David is a multi-time
winner of the Bream Bash and
one heck of an angler.
The next weekend I was back
out on Kentucky Lake chas-
ing them again. During the
course of the weekend, I had
the privilege of sharing my
boat with some very special
people. My Mom, Dad, Grand-
father, Niece, fiancé and fu-
ture step son and daughter.
The bluegill were hot on the
beds and I could not have ask
for better fishing partners. I
would not trade the world for
the laughs and memories we
made on the water.
Bluegill fishing is a great
way to introduce kids and even
adults to fishing. It can be fast
paced and action packed. It
does not take a bunch of fan-
cy equipment or $100 fishing
rods. An old cane pole and
some crickets will get the job
done! I encourage you to take a
kid or adult that has never been
fishing before and show them
a good time. Whether you fish
from the bank, a pier, or out
of a boat, it does not matter as
long as you have fun and make
some memories. A little time
on the water is the best human
therapy and could help change
someone’s life.
The father and son team of David Blakley and Hayden Blakley, proudly
display their first place plaque from the Bream Bash tournament.
Congratulations guys!!! Photo provided by David Blakley
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46. 46 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
By Richard Hines
Chronic Wasting Disease
Arrives in West Tennessee
By now, it’s old news. Last year,
CWD or Chronic Wasting Disease
had arrived in Tennessee. This fatal
disease was detected in several deer
with other positive sam-
ples being confirmed in
Hardeman, McNairy,
and Fayette Counties.
Back in 2018, TWRA
Executive Director
Ed Carter stated that
it was unusual to find
such a large number of
infected deer at one time
and because of this Carter
said, “CWD has likely been
present (in this area) for per-
haps years”.
CWD is a prion disease that af-
fects animals in the Cervid Fam-
ily which include white-tailed
deer, mule deer, elk, reindeer and
moose. It is from the same fami-
ly of diseases as scrapie in sheep
and mad cow disease in cattle. To
date CWD has been found in the
United States, Canada, Norway
and South Korea. An individual
animal may have CWD for sever-
al years without any visible symp-
toms, yet this individual animal
then acts as a vector, spreading
the disease. In some individual
animals CWD symptoms may be
visible sooner but, in most cases, it
takes over a year before any clin-
ical signs or visible symptoms are
present. Symptoms include drastic
weight loss (referred to as wast-
ing), stumbling and listlessness, all
of which are typical neurological
symptoms. CWD can affect both
Here is the end result of a CWD infected buck. No part of a dead deer should be transported out of a
CWD zone. Pictures and maps provided by TWRA
47. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 47
48. 48 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
bucks and does without regard
to age. The disease also weakens
the animal, making it more sus-
ceptible to predation, roadkill or
other factors.
Don’t become confused with
a deer disease that appears ev-
ery few years, Epizootic Hem-
orrhagic Disease (EHD) which
is also mistakenly called Blue-
tongue routinely appears in deer
populations, primarily during the
hot dry summer months. Un-
like EHD, CWD is always fatal.
In many cases, deer that appear
perfectly healthy can be infected.
EHD is spread by a small bit-
ing midge during the summer
months when congregate around
water holes and while Hemor-
rhagic Disease will kill deer, most
deer do survive, and herds recov-
er in a few years. Interestingly
most deer found in the southeast-
ern US are relatively immune to
EHD while deer with gene lines
from the north appear to be less
resistant.
This is not the case with CWD,
which is spread deer to deer via
urine, saliva and even from the
ground. The prion can live out-
side the body in the soil where a
deer carcass was thrown out or
left behind. Prions left behind
can last for years in the soil. It
appears no deer is immune to
this slow invasive disease. The
disease causes proteins to be-
come misshaped into what are
called prions. Overtime, prions
collect in the nervous system,
where it eats away at the brain.
The ability of this prion to re-
main in the soil or get transferred
to another location is the reason
for the ban on moving harvested
deer out of the high-risk zones
into uninfected areas. Only after
deer are completely deboned can
they be moved. Deer harvested in
CWD zones should also be test-
ed, no matter how healthy the
deer appears.
As hunters know, deer are
great communicators, leaving
behind scraps and rubs, both
of which have remaining scent,
urine, and other body fluids. Data
collected over the years shows
that bucks are twice as likely as
does to have CWD and older
bucks are three times more like-
ly to have CWD than younger
bucks. Because bucks range out
so far during the rut, it appears
they are transmitting the dis-
eases to new areas. For this rea-
son, the harvest of bucks is being
increased.
Another location deer con-
tracts CWD are feeding stations,
where deer are abnormally con-
centrated. This is the reason feed-
ing is being prohibited.
To date, there have been no re-
ported cases of CWD infection in
people and since 1997, the World
Health Organization has rec-
ommended that it is important
to keep the agents of all known
prion diseases from entering the
human food chain. Again, anoth-
er one of the reasons for having
deer tested.
For additional information
check out the TWRA website.
As fall is approaching, the agen-
cy will be updating the website
as more information is obtained.
Another excellent website is the
Quality Deer Management Asso-
ciation, you will find drop down
boxes on the site that provides
additional links and information
on this disease.
The overall goal of the CWD
Unit and changes in regula-
tions is to target high-risk-deer
and allow the agency to sample
more deer and better understand
CWD. Each year, TWRA and
other states are working togeth-
er to try an determine a solution
to this growing menace. TWRA
has made the following hunt-
ing regulation changes to Unit
When cleaning a deer use rubber gloves, and knives for this purpose only,
DO NOT USE KITCHEN UTENSILES!
Pictures and maps provided by TWRA
49. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 49
CWD counties to accomplish the
above-stated objectives:
Earn-A-Buck
1. Tennessee’s antlered deer bag
limit (2) did not change; therefore,
it still applies to hunters hunting
Unit CWD as well as the rest of
the state.
2. Only hunters hunting in Unit
CWD counties may earn addition-
al bucks.
3. Unit CWD hunters may earn
up to two bucks for harvest, in ad-
dition to the statewide antler deer
bag limit of two.
4. Earned bucks are received by
harvesting two Unit CWD antler-
less deer, checking them in, sub-
mitting them for CWD testing, and
being notified by TWRA.
5. Earn-A-Buck will increase the
number of deer (does and bucks)
harvested and the numbers of deer
tested for CWD.
6. Unit CWD hunters will receive
a replacement buck if they harvest
a CWD-positive buck and the lab
result is confirmed by TWRA.
7. There is no limit on the num-
ber of replacement bucks.
8. Replacement bucks will en-
courage hunters to continue hunt-
ing and harvesting and be an add-
ed incentive for hunters to have
their deer tested for CWD.
Here are additional steps being
taken:
• The August 3-day hunt now
allows the use of muzzleloaders, in
addition to archery, and applies to
most public lands (Presidents Is-
land in Shelby County is excluded).
• Muzzleloader season will be-
gin on October 28th in Unit CWD
• Gun season will begin No-
vember 9th in Unit CWD
• Antlered harvest allowed
during the January 5-day private
lands hunt (traditionally antler-
less only)
• Mandatory physical check sta-
tions on Nov. 2-3 and Nov. 9-10
for Unit CWD counties except
Hardeman and Fayette.
The CWD hunting regula-
tions only apply to CWD positive
counties of Fayette, Hardeman,
and Madison and CWD high-risk
counties of Chester, Haywood,
McNairy, Shelby, and Tipton. Car-
cass export and wildlife feeding re-
strictions remain in place for Unit
CWD.
CWD is currently found in
26 other states and appears to be
spreading and while some of these
regulations and changes seem rath-
er draconian and extreme it is be-
cause we as hunters must take ev-
ery effort possible to help stop this
disease from spreading.
Beginning this season don’t use
the kitchen knives and utensils to
process your deer, wear latex or
rubber gloves and minimize how
you handle organs particularly the
brain and spinal cord and if you
are hunting in a CWD zone, get
your deer tested!
TWRA is part of a CWD Alli-
ance which includes neighboring
states of Arkansas, Mississippi,
Missouri, and Virginia and ev-
ery effort imaginable is being ex-
plored to help slow the spread of
this deadly disease. As hunters,
we must do everything possible
to help all wildlife agencies intro-
ducing new regulations to the let-
ter and this is one time you should
not be listening to the hunting
camp’s self-proclaimed expert.
Most importantly FOLLOW the
REGULATIONS!
Deer that appear perfectly healthy can be infected, so have deer tested if you are hunting in a CWD Zone
this fall. Pictures and maps provided by TWRA
51. JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 51
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”
our hospitable
LICENSED INSURED
OWNER CODY WALKER
731-676-4796
Katelyn
Pharmacy Tech
Crystal - Pharmacy
Tech / DME
Kim
CPhT
Ginger
CPhT
Heather
Sales Associate
Christen
Sales Associate
Chasity
CPhT
Sydney
CPhT
Tiffany
CPhT
Emily
CPhT
Brandy
Pharmacy Tech
Sales Associate
Jerry
Delivery Driver
Jamie
Bookkeeper
Kalli-Rae
Sales Associate
Hillary
CPhT
Carolyn
Sales Associate
Krissie
CPhT
Here are two simple ways of telling us what you 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.
Have
you been
wondering
how to
join the
C&C
family?
• FAST FRIENDLY ONE-ON-ONE SERVICE
FROM LOCAL PHARMACISTS
(being locally owned means we support Dyer County not a
BIG pharmacy chain)
• ACCEPTANCE OF OVER 3,000
PRESCRIPTION PLANS
(including the new State Employee Prescription Plan-
Caremark) (your co-payment will stay the same)
• LOW PRICES ON ALL PHARMACY NEEDS
(we will match all competitors generic plans or programs)
• MOST CONVENIENT LOCATION IN TOWN
(with drive-thru and handicap accessibility)
• FREE DELIVERY ANYWHERE IN CITY 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 COMPOUNDING
PRESCRIPTION SERVICES
(for more information, visit dyersburgfyi.com/cande)
SERVICES TO LOOK FORWARD TO!!
Dr. Mark Brooks
PHARMACIST/OWNER
Dr. Emily Crum
PHARMACIST/OWNER
Dr. Kevin Cook
PHARMACIST/OWNER
52. 52 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 201952 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
STO editor – Rob Somerville took hisgrandson, Oaklee bass fishing and hetook to it like a duck to water. This isjust one of many “The Oakster” caughtthat day.
Photo by proud dad – Scottie Somerville
Here are two Tennessee River catfish caught
by one of Huntingdon’s best – Steve Price.
Photo courtesy of Langford Taxidermy Matt Knight harvested this 22 lb. gobbler with a
11.5” beard and 1 and 1/8” spurs at LBL on April
18th, 2019. Photo courtesy of Langford Taxidermy
This nice 20 lb. gobbler with a
9” beard was taken by avid sports-
man, Johnny Presgrove. Photo
courtesy of Langford Taxidermy
53. MAY - JUNE 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53JULY - AUGUST 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 53
Greg Blackburn caught this massive 11 lb. – 9 oz.
bass from the 1,000 acre Lake in Carroll County.
Photo courtesy of Langford Taxidermy
Robert “Doc” Jackson with a nice
orange snapper he caught while
visiting in Alabama.
Up and coming bass angler – Gaven
Crowell caught these two, nice bass
while fishing with his proud daddy and
fishing partner – Mike.Photo by Lucy Crowell
55. JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55
OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF IS HERE TO FILL YOUR
EVERY NEED DAY OR NIGHT!
DYERSBURG ELEVATOR COMPANY
300 PRESSLER RD - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-287-7272
MAY - JUNE 2019 | SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS 55
56. 56 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | JULY - AUGUST 2019
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