Southern Traditions Outdoors - April/May 2013

Complimentary Copy APRIL-MAY 2013
MAKING MEMORIES
ST. JUDE COON HUNT
GOOFY GOBBLER
PICKWICK
STRIPERS

2 SOUTHERN TRADITIONS OUTDOORS | APRIL-MAY 2013
2030 W. Reelfoot Ave - Union City, tn
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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
Pictured on this issue’s cover, is Pickwick Lake striped bass guru, Dave Harbin, with a huge rockfidsh.
Photo by Rob Somerville
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
Eddie Brunswick
Larry Self
John Sloan
Richard Simms
John Meacham
Buck Gardner
Scott Marcin
Ed Lankford
Drew Brooks
John Latham
John Roberts
Field Staff Editors
Owners - Eddie Anderson
Rob Somerville
Kevin Griffith
Stacey Lemons
Publisher - Eddie Anderson
Editor - Rob Somerville
Magazine Design - Kalli Lipke
Advertising Sales
Rob Somerville - Managing
Partner
Distribution
Johnathan Anderson
Southern Traditions Outdoors Magazine, LLC
PG..................ARTICLE.......................................................AUTHOR
8....................... Making Memories - Fiction............................................. Rob Somerville
12....................... TWRA News.................................................................. TWRA
16....................... The Striped Tigers of Pickwick Lake ............................. Rob Somerville
22....................... Retriever Training: Mark! Mark! Everywhere a Mark!.... H. Joe King
28....................... St. Jude - World’s Largest Coon Hunt........................... Shawn Todd
32....................... Fun, Friends & Fishing................................................... John Lantham
34....................... The Goofy Gobbler - Humor.......................................... Rob Somerville
38....................... In Pursuit of a Dream - Fyrne Lake - Part Two.............. Kevin Griffith
44....................... STO Recommends........................................................ Rob Somerville
45....................... Kid’s Corner - Crossword Puzzle...................................
46....................... Trophy Room.................................................................
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Where the Magic Happens
Just like you, I love the outdoors, and it never fails - I have hit crunch time for completing the design and lay
out of the next edition of the STO magazine. That means 24 waking hours and 18 hours of work ahead of me, and
it’s the most beautiful weekend anyone could ask for. But, I sit in front of my computer screen clicking away, while
the sun shines, bees hum, and birds chatter outside my window, taunting me to come play. Luckily, one of my other
favorite hobbies is graphic design.
I have been picking up freelance graphic design jobs since 2006, and about a year ago I was hired to design
and layout Southern Traditions Outdoors. The editor, Rob Somerville, supplies the content and ads to me, and
I through the use of design software make a magazine out of it. After we have a final draft, I upload to our
printing company. It takes about 24 hours to get a physical copy of the color proof back to
us. We then go through the printed proof and check every last detail. I make
the necessary corrections, and upload the final to the printer.
After it is printed, Rob picks up the copies and
distributes (along with a network of friends and co-
owners) them across Tennessee, as well as to parts
of Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas
over the next three weeks, which is how it arrives at
the strategic locations where you pick them up and
enjoy them ... free of charge!
In addition to designing the magazine, I developed
the website - www.southerntraditionsoutdoors.com-
which has the publication in its entirety, as well as the
ads and links to our advertisers. I have also created social
media accounts (facebook & twitter). I unfortunately do
not have the time that is necessary to continuously add
content to our social media, and ask that you “like” us
and upload any photos you may have of your hunting,
fishing, and outdoor experiences!
Kalli
From the Art Department
Kalli Bio
STO Position: Magazine
Design & Layout
STO Duration: 1 year
Education: Bachelor’s of
Art
Experience: 7 years
Have a graphic design job?
Email me!
Kalli@kallimarie.com
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Making Memories
n early, misty fog curls
around the cypress knees. It
makes me feel as if I’ve trav-
eled back in time to a prehis-
toric era, untainted by man
and his ignorance. The brack-
ish water laps gently at my
canoe, keeping time for na-
ture’s symphony, comprised
of the belches of the bull-
frogs and the cry of seagulls
as they acrobatically soar
through the air.
Up ahead, a half-sub-
merged log supports a col-
ony of turtles and they slop
into the water, as my canoe
closes in on their turf. Not far
upstream, a small school of
shad frantically skip across
the surface of the lake, as an
unknown predator, unseen by
human eyes, hunts its break-
fast below the surface. As
we pass a small creek chan-
nel, a mother coon seems to
be instructing her young on
proper hygiene habits as they
playfully wrestle each other.
They comically tumble over
and into the water, paying
her no mind whatsoever. One
baby coon gets in too deep,
and we witness the mother
coon patiently reach in and
grab him by the back of the
neck with her mouth, placing
him back on the shore. This
starts my companion to gig-
gling. We venture too close
to the family and the mother
rises up, bristling and chat-
tering at us. Not wanting to
upset nature, I quickly paddle
the canoe away.
Today is my grandson’s
first fishing trip and he is as
anxious as a coondog on a
full moon night to begin. We
pull up to a secluded group
of lily pads that routinely
hold fish year after year and
I solemnly hand my grand-
son my treasured “good luck”
pole. His eyes nearly pop out
of his head, as he finally gets
to handle the pole that had
been previously off limits to
him. I set the cricket box on
his lap and watch his face
turn white, as he sticks his
tiny hand in and hesitantly
pulls out a cricket. I nod my
approval, hiding my smile
with my hand.
He rears back on the ten-
foot cane pole and tosses the
line in the general direction
of the water. I reach up and
pull off my hat, which has his
hooked cricket firmly embed-
ded in it and both of us gig-
gle like a couple of school-
girls. A little more cautiously
this time, he tries again. This
time he is successful and the
splat of the bobber causes
rings of ripples on the mir-
Fiction by Rob Somerville
A
Today is my grandson’s first fishing trip and he is as
anxious as a coondog on a full moon night to begin.

ror calm surface of the lake.
Five minutes go by and
nothing happens! He starts
nervously casting glances at
me and I keep pointing back
at the bobber. He’s starting
to get fidgety with the im-
patience of youth, but I only
have to chastise him with
a single index finger to my
lips to be still. Suddenly,
the bobber jiggles, and it’s
like an electrical current of
excitement running through
him and into me. He looks
at me expectantly and I hold
out my hand for patience and
whisper, “He’s just playing
with it. Wait for the bobber
to go under.”
Almost immediately, the
float pops under the surface
and the boy rears back on the
pole to set the hook, near-
ly toppling us both into the
water.
Off into battle goes this
beautiful bluegill, into its ha-
bitual circular dance and the
magic of a lifetime of fishing
enjoyment is projected from
me into my grandson within
a period of seconds.
He pulls the fish up and
into the boat, and I show him
how to unhook it. We pop
it into a five gallon bucket
and I watch with love as my
grandson stares with pride at
his first fish.
At that very moment an
eagle glides by overhead, as
if in celebration of this oc-
casion and I realize one of
God’s greatest gifts to man
was ours to share today. A
rain comes up out of no-
where, soaking us to the bone
and extinguishing my cigar.
But, we don’t care. We just
smile at each other. He reach-
es out his tiny hand and puts
it into my large and callused
one, shaking it firmly like a
little man, and simply says,
“Thanks Pops.”
I realize then and there
that an important moment
in both of our lives had just
happened. It was the passing
on of the great American tra-
dition of fishing … as a fam-
ily. I raise my hand to the
sky and give silent thanks to
the Master Creator of all that
is good, while my grandson
eagerly reaches for another
cricket.
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TWRA REQUESTS PUBLIC INPUT FOR 2014
FISHING REGULATIONS
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA)
is soliciting comments for its 2014 fishing regu-
lations. This is an opportunity for the public
to share ideas and concerns about fishing
regulations with TWRA staff.
Public comments will be considered by
fisheries managers and may be present-
ed as proposals for regulation changes.
Comments may be submitted by mail
to: Fish Comments, TWRA, Fisheries
Management Division, P.O. 40747, Nash-
ville, TN 37204 or emailed to TWRA.
Comment@tn.gov. Please include “Fish
Comments” on the subject line of emailed
submissions.
The fishing regulations are usually set each year
during the October meeting by the Tennessee Fish and Wild-
life Commission.
This comment period concerning fishing regulations will
be open until May 3, 2013.
CHATTANOOGA MAN FACES CHARGES
AS A RESULT OF OCTOBER 2012 BOATING
CRASH
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency wildlife of-
ficers have filed charges against a Chattanooga
man as a result of an October 2012 boating
crash on Chickamauga Lake.
Jason D. Payne, (40), was charged af-
ter TWRA officers secured warrants on
Reckless Operation of a Vessel Boat,
Boating Under the Influence (BUI), and
simple possession of drugs. The charg-
es come as a result of the boating crash
that injured Payne and two other persons.
Payne was the operator of the vessel when
it crashed into a dock on Chickamauga Lake
Oct. 13, 2012.
Payne turned himself in at the Hamilton County
jail and has been released on $25,000 bond. He is sched-
uled to appear in Hamilton County General Sessions Court
on April 1, 2013.
TWRA NEWSFrom the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency
Visit Dyer County,Tennessee
ASportsman’s Paradise!
Located just 1/2 hour, from beautiful Reelfoot Lake, Dyer
County has something for everyone. From the finest motels,
restaurants, shopping malls, and bars ... we welcome all
sportsmen that are hunting or fishing at the “Quake Lake.”
There is nowhere else for miles that can offer
hunting and fishing licenses, sporting goods,
cost-efficient - yet clean and comfortable
lodging, and a cold beer or cocktail.
Our restaurants can tempt you with every-
thing from a “Black Angus” ribeye steak - to
fast food. The best feature of all, which Dyer
County has to offer, is that you will always
enjoy your visit with us, in a safe and
friendly atmosphere.
So, what are you waiting for?
As far as area ratings go ...
You can’t score higher than Dyer!
www.dyerchamber.com

“SWING FOR THE TREES” HAS PLANTING
EVENT
Officials from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency,
the Nashville Sounds, Metro Parks staff, and Friends of Edwin
Warner Park, along with other volunteers, gathered at the park
to plant trees as part of the “Swing for the Trees” program.
“Swing for the Trees” is a tree planting program to pro-
mote the importance of trees to Tennessee. The TWRA par-
ticipated in the program beginning last season. During the
Sounds home games, where there was at least one broken
bat, resulted in the opportunity for obtaining trees to be
planted this spring. A total of 114 bats were broken by the
Sounds in 2012.
Native trees including sugar maple, sycamore, northern red
oak and red were planted along Vaughn Road between the
Edwin Warner Park Headquarters and near the Little Har-
peth River. The tree plantings will replace some of the trees
used to make baseball bats and help to restore the riparian
or stream bank habitats. In addition to wood products, trees
provide shade, wildlife habitat, cool streams, fresh oxygen,
erosion and flood control, and are a key part of contributing
to Tennessee’s year-round beauty.
TWRA, along with the Sounds, and the Tennessee Depart-
ment of Agriculture-Division of Forestry are set to be partners
for the “Swing for the Trees” program in 2013. The Sounds
play a 72-game home schedule and start the new campaign
with an eight-game homestand beginning April 4.
2013 ELK HUNT APPLICATION DATES
SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 12 - JULY 24
The application period for Tennessee’s 2013 elk hunt will
be June 12 through July 24, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources
Agency has announced. This year’s application period, which
also includes the youth hunt application period, will be held
concurrently with the Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
and WMA Youth quota period.
Tennessee’s fifth elk hunt is scheduled to be held Oct. 21-
25 at the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area, lo-
cated off I-75, north of Knoxville. There will again be five
Elk Hunting Zones designated at the WMA.
Previously, the application period for the elk hunts was
held April 1 through May 31 each year.
Customers who are interested in applying for both the
WMA quota hunt and elk quota hunt will have to submit two
applications, one for each. The computer drawings will be
handled separately. The rules and regulations for each quota
hunt will remain the same.
As in the previous hunts, five individuals will be selected to
participate. Four of the participants will be selected through
the computer drawing conducted by the TWRA. Nonresident
applicants will be restricted to no greater than 25 percent of
the drawn permits. The fifth participant will be the recipient
of a permit that is donated to a Non-Governmental Organiza-
tion (NGO), which this year will be announced at a later date.
When the application period begins, persons may apply at
any TWRA license agent, TWRA regional office or online at
www.tnelkhunt.org. The deadline is midnight (CDT) on July
24. Mailed applications will not be accepted.
This will be the second year for the Young Sportsman Elk
Hunt. After completing the regular elk hunt draw, a special
computerized youth drawing will take place for resident ap-
plicants who will be between the ages of 13-16 on the open-
ing day of the elk hunt. The lucky recipient will be awarded
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Nashville Sounds were
among those planting trees in Edwin Warner Park as part of the
“Swing for the Trees” program. From left; Don King (TWRA Infor-
mation and Education Division Chief), Pandy English (Instream Flow
Coordinator, TWRA Environmental Services), Doug Scopel (Sounds
Assistant General Manager), Brad Tammen (Sounds Vice President/
General Manager) Steve Patrick (TWRA Assistant Director), and Ozzie
(Sounds mascot). continued on next page

the special youth elk tag. The dates of the youth hunt will be
Oct. 26-27 and the participant would be able to hunt on any
of the five elk hunting zones designated at the North Cumber-
land Wildlife Management Area. A youth entering the draw
must select the regular elk hunt or youth elk hunt.
COMMISSION AMENDS COMMERCIAL
FISHING PROCLAMATION AT MARCH MEET-
ING IN NASHVILLE
The Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission approved an
amendment to the commercial fishing proclamation among
business at its March meeting held at the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency’s Region II Ray Bell Building.
TWRA Assistant Fisheries Division Chief Frank Fiss pre-
sented Proclamation 13-02. The amendment added black carp
to the list of commercial fish species, modified commercial
fishing hours on embayments of Kentucky Lake, and changed
gillnet mesh size regulations.
On the Mississippi River, legal mesh size will be 3 inches
or larger. On other commercially open waters, legal mesh size
will be 3 to 4.5, and 6 inches and larger. The changes will be
effective 30 days after filed in the secretary of state’s office.
He also reported on a recently-held Asian carp Tourna-
ment in Kentucky on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
More than 83,000 pounds of fish were removed in the two
day tournament.
Chuck Yoest, TWRA Wild Hog Coordinator, provided a
summary of the 2012 landowner exemption program. The
exemption program exists to enable property owners to con-
trol wild hogs. There were 1,114 exemptions issued in 2012
to landowners across the state.
TWRA estimates that approximately 3,800 wild hogs were
taken by exemption holders in 2012. Of the wild hogs taken,
38 percent were taken through trapping, 38 percent by shoot-
ing, 18 percent by other means, and 6 percent by unknown
means. TWRA has received overwhelming positive feedback
regarding the exemption program, Yoest said.
TWRA Sate Ornithologist Scott Somershoe gave a report
about TWRA’s participation in a multi-state project to track
the movements of golden eagles. The report indicated that
winter golden eagle population is higher than it was origi-
nally thought to be in the state.
The March meeting was the first under the direction of the
new TFWC officers that were at the February meeting. Dr.
Jeff McMillin, the new TFWC chairman, announced the eight
committee assignments for the commission for the coming
year. One of the committees is new which will be known as
the biodiversity/multiple use committee. Commissioners Julie
Schuster will serve as the chairperson while Clayton Stout
will serve as the vice chairperson.
Bill Reeves, TWRA Chief of Biodiversity, reported on
the TWRA receiving the Teaming with Wildlife Partner-
ship Award for its efforts with hellbenders. The award was
presented earlier this month by the Association of Fish and
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Wildlife Agencies in Washington, D.C. at the Rayburn House
Office Building.
Joey Woodard, Executive Director of the Tennessee Wild-
life Resources Foundation, spoke to the commission about
the upcoming 2013 Governor’s One Shot Turkey Hunt to be
held April 5-6. The format for the event has changed this year
as the hunt will now be held on two days. The Williamson
County Ag Expo Center in Franklin is the new hub for the
event. The Governor’s One Shot Turkey Hunt benefits the
Foundation and various TWRA outreach programs.
TWRA RECEIVES TEAMING WITH WILD-
LIFE AWARD FOR PARTNERSHIPS FOR
HELLBENDERS RESEARCH
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has been hon-
ored with the Teaming with Wildlife Award for Partnerships
for its collaborative research on hellbenders in Tennessee.
Bill Reeves, TWRA Chief of Biodiversity, received the
award in a ceremony in Washington, D.C. at the Rayburn
House Office Building. The award is the culmination of ex-
tensive work on the current status of the species of giant sal-
amanders that is endemic to eastern North America.
Hellbender populations were historically abundant in Ten-
nessee and other states. Surveys conducted over a two-year
period verified that hellbender distribution and abundance
within its historic range have severely declined over the last
20 years.
A team at the Nashville Zoo is developing new reproduc-
tive technologies to breed hellbenders in a laboratory setting.
It is the goal that when perfected, large numbers will be pro-
duced and genetically diverse offspring will be reintroduced
into the wild. The Nashville Zoo project launched about five
years ago with three male hellbenders and one female from
a healthy wild population.
Other partners with the TWRA in the project are Lee Uni-
versity, Middle Tennessee State University, Nashville Zoo,
Orianne Society, University of Tennessee, Antwerp Zoo, and
the University of Idaho.
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Question:
What do Bengal tigers have
in common with Pickwick
Lake rockfish?
Answer:
They both have stripes and
are considered the most fe-
rocious and aggressive mem-
bers of their species.
A couple of years ago, I
had the opportunity to meet
the resident “striper guru” of
Pickwick Lake, David Har-
bin. He asked me if I had
ever been striper fishing be-
fore. I told him I had for
small striped bass at Reel-
foot. He laughed and told
me to plan on coming down
and becoming addicted to the
stripers of Pickwick Dam.
Dave wasn’t very enthused
at the timing of the trip
though. It seems that TVA
does not generate much, if
any, water from the dam on
weekends. This fact, coupled
with the huge crowds coming
to holiday at Pickwick, didn’t
have his hopes up too high
for success. He informed me
that during the weekdays,
several generators usually are
running. The noise of the tur-
bulent water is like a dinner
bell sounding off to stripers.
But we had a chance, as TVA
was running one of their six
generators each day.
The Biggest
Bait Store in
Tennessee
Dave told me that the con-
ditions we would be fish-
ing under would require live
bait. Unbeknownst to me, the
bait we needed could not
be found at your average
bait store. We would have to
catch our own from Pickwick
Lake itself! It seems that the
reason gizzard shad are not
kept at bait stores is because
they can only be kept alive
for short periods of times.
The same goes for another
rockfish favorite - the yel-
low tail shad. The method he
used to accomplish this feat
was by throwing a six foot
diameter throw seine {net}
along the rocky shore next
to the dam.
In our favor, was Dave’s ex-
pertise with the weighted net.
Going against us, was my in-
experience in navigating the
boat. I was told to keep the
The
Striped Tigers
of
Pickwick LakeBy Rob Somerville
continued on page 18
Pictured here are two happy customers and a Pickwick Lake striped bass fishing guide, holding
up a day’s catch of five nice rockfish. -Photo by Rob Somerville

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3

boat steady, about ten feet
from the rocks. This proved
extremely difficult for me as
a rookie, due to the turbulent
water and ever-changing cur-
rent. But, somehow we man-
aged to net some six giz-
zard shad, a favorite food for
the stripers. These fish look
like super-sized minnows and
ranged in length from four to
eight inches.
Rigged for the
Rapids
David outfitted us with me-
dium duty spinning rods and
bait casting reels. The reels
were spooled with twenty-
pound test, monofilament
line. At the business end of
the line was a ½ oz. bell
sinker, tied on to a swivel.
Approximately twenty inch-
es below the weight was a
large Kayle style bait hook.
We hooked our shad through
both lips from the bottom up,
similar to rigging minnows
for Reelfoot Lake crappie,
dropped our baited hooks in
to the live well and motored
up-current to the base of the
dam, near the running gener-
ator. David instructed me to
cast my bait at the base of the
dam and to count slowly to
twenty, before locking down
my reel, as he performed a
controlled drift with the cur-
rent. A controlled drift is per-
formed by using your out-
board motor to maintain the
nose of the boat, while fac-
ing up-current. This prevents
multiple line tangles and rigs
getting fouled in the motor
propeller. As we drifted, Da-
vid said to watch my rod tip.
When it bounced randomly, it
meant I was bumping bottom
and needed to reel in about
six to twelve inches, to pre-
vent snagging on the rocky
depths.
Running and
Gunning
Striper fishing at Pickwick
is not for the stereotypical
casual angler, who wants to
leisurely sit on a bucket un-
der a shade tree and nap be-
tween nibbles. The action is
fast and can quickly become
furious. The distance of the
controlled drift is about ¼
of a mile. Veteran Pickwick
anglers call this a “run” or
“drift”. The preferred meth-
od of these Pickwick pros is
to constantly run these series
of drifts. When they reach the
end of the current, they reel
in their line and gun the mo-
tor back up to the base of the
dam, in constant repetition of
this process.
I was just about to ask
David what a striper would
feel like when it hits my bait
when my rod bowed into
an arc and the tip began vi-
brating spasmodically. “Fish
on,” yelled David, as he ex-
pertly maneuvered the boat
for me to fight my first Pick-
wick striper. The line whirred
against my drag, as the fish
took off on run after run. I
Striped Tigers of Pickwick Lake Continued
This young angler is shown getting his seine net ready, to catch some
gizzard shad, to bait his striper hooks. - Photo by Rob Somerville
Gizzard shad are the bait of choice for striped bass at Pickwick Lake.
- Photo by Rob Somerville
" Gizzard shad look like super-
sized minnows..."

thought I would never get it
in to the boat. I would pump
him in and reel, and the mag-
nificent fighting fish would
take off again, peeling line
from my spool. Finally, he
tired and David netted the
rockfish, mouthing it with a
gloved hand, ever cognizant
of its sharp teeth. It was truly
a Kodak moment.
We ended up landing
twelve fish in about three
hours. They ranged in weight
from two to nine pounds each
and we kept four of the de-
licious fish to eat for lat-
er in the evening. I had my
line break on two fish that
David said would go better
than 15lbs. each. As we all
enjoyed a delicious meal of
ribs with all the trimmings
and homemade pie from the
Rib Cage restaurant, David
invited me to come back on
a weekday striper trip, when
several generators would be
running. He said that is when
we might tie in to some twen-
ty and thirty pound fish. Just
to be sure, I asked him for
a signed invitation. He just
laughed and said, “You are
now officially hooked.”
Summary
The rockfish at Pickwick
originate from a salt water
species. Many believed that
they would not live and breed
in this fresh water lake. But,
they not only have survived
– they have thrived! Striper
fishing at Pickwick Lake can
be done year-round. Other
methods of catching these
rockfish are by casting lures
that imitate large shad, blue-
gill or crappie. At least for
your initial visit to this out-
door paradise, I recommend
you hire a guide. These folks
know the lake pool, the gen-
erating schedule and fish
transition period. They can
definitely put you on some
fish.
There are many other at-
tractions and activities in
the area such as world class
golf, antique shopping, rus-
tic log cabins for rent on
the lakeside and fine restau-
rants. Other species of fish
that draw many anglers from
all over the United States
to Pickwick Lake include
monster-sized catfish, blue-
gill, crappie, and all species
of bass. The National Cat-
fish Derby is held there each
July and it is not uncom-
mon to see sixty pound cats
at the weigh in. The locals
treat visitors like family and
with each trip I make new
friends there.
This family hooked this big striper, while fishing right next to the
author. - Photo by Rob Somerville
"I thought I would never get it in
to the boat."
WILKERSON’S
TAXIDERMY
PHONE (731)286-0853 • 1529 MORGAN RD., DYERSBURG
WILKERSON’S
TAXIDERMY
EVERY MOUNT IS A
TROPHY
Trust a State, National & World Award
Winning Taxidermists!
Don’t trust
just anyone.
WALTER & TERRY WILKERSON
“Quality Work at a
Reasonable Price”
Member T.T.A. & N.T.A.

Call a CPS sales representative for your area:
Clint Hutchison - Mgr.
Steve North
Steve Rice
Marty Hinson
Barry Ward
Barry Cooke - Fertilizer Manager
2842 Highway 88 S. - Bells, TN. - 38006
(731) 663-0100
WHEN I STEP ON TO YOUR FARM
I am DEDICATED to serving you.
I will offer you only the BEST SEED for
your farm.
I represent a national brand that focuses
its research on YOUR SUCCESS
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As I stated in the last issue, I hope you have boned
up on your retriever’s discipline. Your dog’s obedi-
ence, to the sit and stay command, is one of the most
important steps in helping you with the marking drills
we are about to talk about. Having a non-steady dog
will deter him in seeing the mark or dummy thrown.
So let’s go with the eager, yet steady dog at heel.
The single mark, which can vary from about 45
yards and go up tot 250 to 300 yards, should have the
training dummy thrown at a 90 degree angle in front
of the dog. Get the dog’s attention with a “Hey, Hey”
command, or a blank gun shot out in the field where
the dummy was thrown. Take notice of the attention
of the dog, as it is looking toward the training dummy
thrown. The dog should show eagerness to retrieve,
with its ears cocked. Release the dog on your retrieve
command. He should return with the training dummy
{or dead duck} and deliver to the heel position.
The beginning single-mark, leading up to multiple-
marks, should be used with the white/black training
dummies. You are teaching your dog to look out in
front of you. The white/black dummy tumbling in the
air will help him marking the object all the way to the
ground. White and black flag trailers attached to the
dummy will help with the dog’s focus out in the field.
Training your dog on marking drills needs to be done
in different types of field area terrain. Flat, hilly, tree
lines and grassy fields are some of these examples.
These different areas of marking are needed to increase
focus and confidence in the retriever. Remember to
start with short retrieves, extending them in distance
to long retrieves, based on your dog’s success. Do not
add additional marks until your dog is marking and
picking up the singles with repetition and confidence.
Your next step in training is the addition of multiple
retrieves. Start out by throwing out a mark {training
dummy} to the right, then another one to left, at 180
degrees. What you are doing, is standing with your dog
at heel, between the two marks thrown. Start short with
both marks. Throw the right mark first, keeping your
dog at heel and position the dog for the second mark
to the left with steadiness. When first attempting this,
you will need to have the dog on a lead. This will
help with his steadiness.
Send your dog for the last mark thrown, or the
mark he is focused on. Finish the first retrieve, and
then send him on the second. Repeat these two marks
or “Double Retrieve” until the dog is very successful
and confident in picking up both marks and return-
ing them in the heel position. Practice these doubles
in several different field scenarios. After continuous
success retrieving doubles, the third and fourth marks
can be added.
Following plenty of practice with field marks, you
can begin training for retrieves on the water, starting
with singles and going up to multiple marks. Throw-
ing dummies into the center of a pond at 90 degrees,
just like you did in the field, is the way to progress.
Get your dog’s attention with a “Hey, Hey” com-
mand or a blank shotgun blast, then release your dog
for the retrieve. Various and irregular areas of the pond
(points, irregular banks, flood trees or brush) should
be used. This builds confidence in your dog upon suc-
cessful retrieves. Just like in the field, not every area
is open and all of them can differ while actually hunt-
ing. When adding “multiple” water marking retrieves,
wide angles between retrieves should be utilized. This
will hopefully keep your dog from switching from one
dummy to another. If he swaps from going after one
mark to a second one, stop the drill and re-throw the
dummies, letting him know to finish what he is sent for.
Proper marking and retrieving takes time and pa-
tience. Start short and extend your distance, adding
additional marks one at a time as your dog’s success
dictates. Use your different terrains, on both land and
water, and with repetition and patience your dog will
become a better marker. With all areas of gun dog
training we want a willing and eager dog, who wants
to work for you. In future articles, we will be talking
about further about advance marking and blind re-
trieves. Good luck with training!
Joe H. King, Jr.
Thunder Ridge Retrievers, 731-676-7776
Retriever Training: Part 5 in the Series
Mark! Mark!
Everywhere a Mark!
By Joe H. King Jr.

The key to making excellent retrieves
during duck season is repetition and
patience in your practice sessions.
- STO file photo
Using an artificial dummy to teach
your dog to mark, retrieve and re-
turn the dummy to the heel position
should first be done on land.
- STO file photo
After your dog routinely handles mul-
tiple retrieves on various terrains of
land, the next step is to repeat the
training process on the water.
- STO file photo

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Dyersburg, Tennessee
731-287-3420
Code Blue Pizza washed down with a cold draught beer. Or dig in
to a mound of our Super Cajun Nachos, enough to feed you and
five of your friends. Peel-N-Eat shrimp, buffalo wings tossed in
your favorite sauce, salads, seafood, juicy strip steak, tasty half
pound burgers and oven toasted grinders help round out our
extensive menu ...
something for everyone, even the kids!
BUCKETSNEIGHBORHOOD PUB & GRUB
“A Great Place to Eat and Hang Out”
Buckets Neighborhood Pub and Grub is a locally owned, family
oriented sports pub where the regulars are greeted by name and
jerseys representing local and state teams adorn the walls. The
Bucket’s servers bop around to the beat of 70’s and 80’s rock as
they serve up such treats as our famous all meat Code Blue Pizza
washed down with a cold draught beer. Or dig in to a mound
friends. Peel-N-Eat shrimp, buffalo wings tossed in your favorite
sauce, salads, seafood, juicy strip steak, tasty half pound burgers
and oven toasted grinders help round out our extensive menu ...
something for everyone, even the kids!
With our full bar, Buckets is also a great place to kick back with
your friends while you watch your favorite sports on one of our 21
TV’s.
“Buckets is the place to go after a day enjoying Reelfoot Lake”
Rob Somerville
1700 W. Reelfoot Ave. - Union City, TN - 38261
731-885-6646
Karoake with Chris
Chaos on Thursdays
8 p.m.-11 p.m.
Every Tuesday
acoustic music by
Tyler Thornton
8 p.m.-11p.m.
Book your holiday
party now at one of
our two, convenient
locations!

While you’re huting or fishing on Reelfoot
Lake, stop by and see Johanna and her crew
for a quick, delicious meal.
Or, beat the heat with our
“World Famous” ice cream.
Dine-in or eat outside on our Patio!!
Home Owned and operated
731-253-6311
HWY 78 - Tiptonville
Less than 5 min from Reelfoot Lake
“Something Different”
OPEN
EVERY
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OWNER: MIKE SOLLIS
6560 LENOX NAUVOO RD - DYERSBURG, TN - 38024
731-676-9865
SOLLIS SEAMLESS GUTTERS
STAFFORD’S
FISH MARKET
TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS!
305 S. MAIN ST. - DYERSBURG, TN
731-287-0879
&
103 N. MAIN ST. - RIPLEY, TN
731-635-2080
OPEN 10 AM TO 6 PM
MON. THROUGH SAT.
OWNER JERRY STAFFORD
FRESH FISH AT
THE BEST PRICE!
CATFISH:
STEAKS - $2.50 LB.
FILLETS- $3.00 LB.
BUFFALO:
$1.80 LB.
Main Office
420 Hwy 51 ByPass W
Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024
Phone: 731-285-3021
Dyer Co. Memorial Gardens
2455 St. John Ave
Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024
Phone: 731-285-3021
Ridgely Chapel
515 Headdon Dr
Ridgely, Tennessee 38080
Phone: 731-264-5845
Tiptonville Chapel
405 Church St
Tiptonville, Tennessee 38079
Phone: 731-253-7252
Locally owned and operated since 1970
www.dyersburgfuneralhome.net
RICKY & TAMMY HORNER
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1937 UPPER FINLEY RD. - DYERSBURG, TN
OPS MANAGER: BRYAN: 731-431-0256
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The Main Street Farmers Market was
created by Main Street Dyersburg to
bring more people back to the Historic
District downtown. The Dyersburg/Dyer
County Chamber of Commerce, through
its Downtown Development Board, first
created an open air market on Market
Street on Saturdays from June to Octo-
ber. With the donation of a large lum-
ber shed and four acres of land on the
Forked Deer River, the Farmers Mar-
ket moved to a covered, open air mar-
ket. The former Forcum-Lannom Lum-
ber Company property was repurposed
to become a River Park and Farmers
Market. Main Street, with grant fund-
ing from the Tennessee Main Street Pro-
gram, USDA Rural Development and
the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement
Program reworked the lumber building
to include electricity, lighting, new paint
and secure storage. Later, the Yates fam-
ily built a stage, so the building could
become a multi purpose venue. The land
adjoining the Market once was the Dy-
ersburg Public Works department. Five
buildings were removed by the City
Main Street Farmers Market
of Dyersburg & Obion County
Reap What They Sow!

335 Clark Avenue at the River Park
Dyersburg, TN 38024
Open Tuesday and Saturday 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
A member of Pick Tennessee Products
Come Grow with us!
Call Steve Guttery at 731-285-3433
We Grow What We Sell!
OBION COUNTY
FARMER’S MARKET
HOMEGROWN
FRUITS & VEGETABLES!
GRAND OPENING MAY 4TH, 2013
HOURS OF OPERATION:
TUESDAY THURSDAY & FRIDAY: 7AM TO 3PM
SATURDAY: 7AM TO 4PM
214 E. CHURCH ST - UNION CITY, TN
CONTACT OBION CO. CHAMBER AT:
731-885-0211
and the County of Dyer did extensive
dirt work to the property to prepare for
the walking trails and facilities of the
River Park.
The Main Street Farmers Market has
many public and private partners and
advertises to be one of only a few mar-
kets that include kayak rental and blue-
way paddling trips as a part of its op-
eration. Steve Guttery is the Director of
Downtown Development for the Cham-
ber and is the manager of the Farmers
Market. Guttery says, “We seized the
opportunity to add some amenities to
underutilized property in our down-
town area. Most community planners
would love to have a river through their
downtown. Dyersburg had turned its
back on the very river that created the
town. Our thought was to do something
that would get people back downtown,
so we put the market on the River and
invited everyone to come.” The Mar-
ket now stands as the centerpiece of
the development. “Our success with a
farmers market has not been built upon
creating a sustainable market. The goal
was something much easier - to bring
people back downtown”, said Guttery.
Of course, you don’t get the people if
you don’t run the market correctly and
doing that has led to a thriving produc-
er-only farmers market for the commu-
nity to enjoy. Guttery added, “And yes,
it brings people back downtown!”
The Main Street Farmers opens June
15th through September 28th, every
Tuesday and Saturday. For more in-
formation, contact Steve Guttery at
731-285-3433
Obion County Farmer’s Market
announces their Grand Opening!
The extremely popular, Obion County
Farmers Market {OCFM} is returning
this year, bigger and better than ever!
The OCFM will offer local produce,
honey, meat, milk and even fresh gulf
seafood.
Alongside with local farmers, will
be local crafters who will be offering
homemade wood making crafts and
art, wreaths and much more. OCFM
will have its grand opening May 4th in
downtown Union City. This year prom-
ises more events with a wholesome fam-
ily atmosphere. The market will be open
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – from
7:00 am until the last vendor leaves and
on Saturdays from 7:00 am until the last
vendor closes shop.
So, bring the whole family and come
out and support the local traders at the
Obion County Farmers Market. Stay up-
dated with us on Facebook. For more in-
formation call the Obion County Cham-
ber of Commerce at 731-885-0211.

St. Jude’s
World’s Largest Coon HuntBy Shawn Todd
This photo depicts one of the championship coon dog trials at the event, from 2009. - Photo courtesy of www.akccoonhounds.org.
ello to all the readers of
STO magazine. Last is-
sue, we talked about getting
young people involved in the
world of coon hunting. To-
day, let’s talk about the good
that coon hunters do. One
such event is the 38th An-
nual “Worlds Largest Coon
Hunt” to help benefit St. Ju-
de’s Children Research Hos-
pitals. This year on the week-
end of April 11th, 12th, and
13th it was held at the rolling
hills and hollows of Parsons,
Tennessee. The air was virtu-
ally echoing with the beauti-
ful sound of hound music.
Every cent raised in this
event will go to St Jude’s,
and each and every year, with
the help of hunters and tire-
less volunteers, this event
gets bigger and better. The
St. Jude hunt was started in
1976, when some caring peo-
ple of Decatur County decid-
ed to combine their passion
for coon hunting with their
compassion for sick children
to help St Jude Children’s
Hospital.
The event raised $9,059,
the first year. After that in-
augural first event, you could
say the rest is history, with
the hunt raising more than
4.1 million for St. Jude’s
Children’s Research Hospi-
tal, over the years. This just
goes to show you that there is
still good in people’s hearts,
and in the world, despite the
bad news we see everyday on
the idiot box. Let us hope this
event will see many more
prosperous years in the fu-
ture, for this great cause. I
know this is one coon hunt-
er that will do his best to be
there, for as long as I can.
On Thursday night, they
have a white bean supper for
everyone. Let me tell you,
the white beans are to die for,
and if you know me, food is
one thing I know about. Af-
ter the supper, they conduct
a youth and a ladies hunt.
The youth hunts are divided
into two groups. One group
for children under the age of
13, and the other group is for
kids ages 13 to 17.
It is a blast to watch the
youth compete. One year, I
brought two young men with
me to compete. They were
Brock “Kid Brock” Elkins
and Ryan “PBR” Blalock.
They did not win, but they
had a great time and were
quickly educated on the good
that St. Jude’s Children Hos-
pital does for sick kids. The
last two youth hunt winners
H

for the category of 12 and
under, were Chase Rushing
(2012) and this year’s win-
ner Maddox Derryberry. For
the category of 13 to 17, the
winners were Blane Burdette
(2012) and this year’s winner
Ethan Roller.
The ladies hunt is also fun
to hear about and these la-
dies take this as serious as
any man does. It offers en-
couragement to females of all
ages to participate in hunting,
while helping a great cause.
Some of the past winners of
the ladies hunt are Shelia
Lewis of Gates, Tennessee,
and for the past two years the
winner was Bethany Wood
of Wildervillie, Tennessee.
And all this transpires just
on Thursday night!
On Friday and Saturday,
the main event hunt, kicks off
with an average of 100 en-
tries. This will make 25 casts
of 4 dogs (a cast consist of
3 to 4 dogs competing with
each other, depending on the
number of entries).
They will be sent through-
out various terrain, in Ten-
nessee and North Mississippi.
I have been fortunate enough
to be grouped with some
great handlers and hounds
in the hunt. The first year I
participated, I was with Jake
Brasher of Scotts Hill, Ten-
nessee. He came in second
that Friday night with “2
Goose Skid,” a walker dog
owned by Mike and Mac
Neal Creasy, with a score of
650 plus. The second year
I attended, I was with Mr.
Tommy Hall of Medon, Ten-
nessee and his black and tan
“High 5’s Black Hawk” who
won Friday night. The next
night, I was paired with Jus-
tin Wallace and his female
walker “Barking Bell” who
won that night.
Some winners from the past
years are “Carolina Peaches”
owned by Billy Bell, and the
2011 winner - “Bedwell’s
Hatchie River Max” owned
by Jason Bedwell of Scotts
Hill, Tennessee. Last years
winner was “Two Goose
All Grand Snickers” owned
by Mike and Mac Neal
Creasy who are also from
Scots Hill, Tennessee.
The 38th Annual World’s Largest Coon Hunt, is held each year to
benefit kids like these, being treated at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
- Photo courtesy of www.akccoonhounds.org.
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345 BREWER RD. - DYERSBURG, TN
OFFICE: 731-287-8867 CELL: 731-693-2604
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INSTALLATION, MOVING AND
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continued on next page

If you love to coon hunt,
watch great dogs work, fel-
lowship with other hunters or
just believe in the wonderful
work that St. Jude’s Children
Hospital does – get involved
next year
You will get to see some
things you have never seen
before: water races, treeing
contest and hounds of all
types. If you stay around
long enough, you can watch
the live entertainment each
night and eat some mighty
fine food. Remember to thank
the volunteers and the hunt-
ers for doing some good in
the world and helping those
that are less fortunate.
For more information, go to
www.akccoonhounds.org.
Until next time, see you at
the tree.
Pictured here are the participants and overall hunt winner from the 2011 event.
- Photo courtesy of www.akccoonhounds.org.

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Fun, Friends
& FISHINGBy John Lantham
John Latham with a healthy, two pound largemouth bass. - Photo by Rob Somerville

y good buddy (and the
editor of STO) Rob Somer-
ville, stays very busy selling
and designing ads, taking
photos, and writing and ed-
iting articles for this maga-
zine. He hardly gets a chance
to hunt or fish anymore. I
saw it was wearing on him
and know that he started
this business due to his love
of the great outdoors. So,
I called him late one after-
noon, told him to load up his
fishing poles and meet me at
the pond.
Joining us on this trip was
Rob’s girlfriend, Tammy
Headley. She claimed to be
a country girl, but proved
later to be a little squeamish
when handling crickets, tak-
ing a fish off the hook and
especially when refusing to
touch a catalpa worm. But
I digress, first let’s load up
with some ultra-lite fishing
gear, some bass baits and a
box full of crickets.
We drive the Kubota RTV,
which was loaded down with
fishing gear, cold beverages
and an ice chest for the fish
we would keep.
The large pond had a prob-
lem. It was loaded with bass
… too many bass. The owner
needed several hundred bass,
in the one to three pound
range, culled from the pond
so that there would be less
competition for food be-
tween the fish and ensuring
the pond would produce a
larger quality of bass. Well
the Moe, Larry & Curley
(3 Stooges) of fishing were
ready to comply.
The plan was simple. We
would be like the Ghost Bust-
ers (of movie fame). Only we
would be the Bream and Bass
Busters. What transpired in-
cluded more laughs, fun, and
fast and furious fishing ac-
tion than our trio had ever
anticipated.
Rob and I were using Ea-
gle Claw – Ultra-lite spin-
ning rods and reels. It was
spooled with nearly invisi-
ble, 4-lb. test, monofilament
line. With these rigs a three
pound bass felt like a great
white shark and a one pound,
hybrid bluegill made it feel
like you had Moby Dick on
the end of your line.
Our less experienced, but
better looking, female coun-
terpart opted for a basic Ze-
bco 202 (just push the button
and throw).
The bass seemed to like the
looks of the double-bladed-
willow, 1/8th oz. spinnerbaits
that Rob picked up at Hunt
Fish Plus in Dyersburg. They
had a white head and white
skirts. At one point, Rob and
I each got four bass, on four
consecutive casts. The buck-
etmouths were proving to
be gladiators of the pond,
against the ultra-lite gear and
line. They leapt and they
dove, peeling line from our
spool drag. The nearly invis-
ible line made the two aged
and grizzled veterans put on
our reading glasses to retie
lures.
In the meantime, the lady
of leisure, was sitting com-
fortably and contentedly un-
der a shade tree, pulling in
huge bluegill on her cricket
baited hook. The only time
she needed one of us was
to ask in a sweet southern
drawl, “Could one of you
boys take my fish off?” or
“Can one of you manly men
put another cricket on my
hook?”
We fished from 5:30 pm
to 7:30 pm and caught and
kept over 40 bass and about
a half dozen huge bluegill, all
in two hours. We were sun-
burned, but happy!
Later that evening, I spoke
words of en-
couragement
to Rob, as he
filleted forty
six fish. After
all, that’s what
friends are for
… right?
Ta m m y
cooked us a
fresh fish sup-
per, comprised
of bass fillets,
french fries,
hush puppies
and slaw. It
was delicious
a n d w e a t e
until we felt
like we would
burst. I think I
nodded off on
Rob’s couch
a b o u t t w o
minutes after
my plate was
cleared.
That af-
t e r n o o n w e
laughed un-
til we cried,
cheered each
other on and
recognized
how much we
m i s s e d t h e
basic joys in
life … such
as a couple of
hours, fishing
at a pond with
good friends.
I remember
looking over
at my bud-
dy Rob while
he had a nice
bass on the
line. It seemed
like all the wor-
ry was gone from
his face, replaced with a huge
smile and a sparkle in his
eyes.
That made me feel good for
insisting we go fishing
that day. After all, that is
what true friends are really
all about!
STO editor & co-owner, Rob Somerville, is shown
here unhooking a fat 4 1/2 lb. bass from a white
spinner bait. - Photo by Tammy Headley
Self proclaimed country gal, Tammy Headley, is
pictured here begging one of the two male an-
glers to take this hybrid bluegill off her line.
- Photo by Rob Somerville
M

o, this isn’t an entry-
level course in animal
biology. This article is in re-
sponse to many of our read-
er’s requesting information
on how to be more success-
ful turkey hunters. I, by no
means, am qualified to teach
this course. Harold Knight,
who many believe to be one
of the world’s foremost ex-
perts on turkey and turkey
hunting, once told me that,
“No mere mortal should be
considered an expert on tur-
key hunting. The only quali-
fied expert on turkey behav-
ior is a turkey itself.”
So being our readers
most accommodating and
humble servant, I went right
to the source. I interviewed
a Mr. Thomas {you can call
him Tom} Turkey at a loca-
tion deep in the woods of the
Obion River bottoms. I hope
you enjoy our talk and learn
from the expert himself, Tom
Turkey.
The interview:
As I trudged wearily
through the seemingly nev-
er-ending cypress swamps
of the river bottom, striv-
ing to find the assigned in-
terview location that Mr.
Tom’s agent, a Mr. Buck Fe-
ver, had given me directions
to, I came upon a small dry
clearing, nestled deep in the
woods. I plopped heavily to
the ground, slinging off my
backpack. Wiping the sweat
from my brow, I struggled
to catch my breath in the
heavy, damp air. I leaned
back against an ancient cy-
press tree, wringing the sweat
from my bandana, enjoying
the unearthly silence of the
woods. As I began to relax in
this peaceful serenity, a thun-
derous gobble shattered the
silence directly behind me,
blasting my eardrums. I leapt
to my feet, and attempted to
catch my heart, which had
dropped down to around my
snakebite-proof boots. I tim-
idly peaked around the huge
tree. Leaning against the oth-
er side of the tree, with his
legs casually crossed, stood
Mr. Tom Turkey. He was
combing his long and luxuri-
ous beard with a pine frond,
seemingly without a care in
the world. He pushed his
Mossy Oak sunglasses down
to the end of his beak and
looked at me with an ex-
pression, which held a com-
bination of both pity and
amusement. Here is how the
conversation went.
Tom: Gotcha, didn’t I? I
hope your writing is better
than your woodsmanship
skills.
Rob: Well I ....
Tom: Never mind,
my time is precious!
Did you bring the
latest copy of the
Turkey Talk calen-
dar, the one with
those hot hens as
the pin-ups for the
month of April, as
was agreed upon
with my agent?
{As I reached
into my backpack,
Mr. Gobbler let out an alarm
putt, and scurried behind a
tree. Peering one beady eye
through a knothole, he re-
laxed as he saw I was merely
taking out the calendar and
not a firearm. He glanced
at me with a sheepish look,
stating that he thought he
had seen a coyote behind
me. When he saw the calen-
dar in my hand, he quickly
stretched out one reptilian
foot and snatched it up with
his spur. He rapidly flipped
it to the month of April and
his eyes nearly bugged out
of his head. He began purr-
ing and cooing, and fanning
his tail feathers. In a minute
he gathered himself, remem-
bered he wasn’t alone and
glanced back at me in em-
barrassment, with his bright
red head turning back to its
normal coloration. He quick-
ly tucked the calendar under
his wing.}
Tom: O.K. humanoid, what
do you want to know?
Rob: Mr. Tom, my readers
want to know how to be more
successful at turkey hunting.
Tom: Yea right, and Rosie
O’Donnell doesn’t eat meat
and rap music really is a form
of eloquent poetry. It sim-
ply isn’t going to happen.
For creatures with such large
heads, you hideous mam-
mals must have the tiniest of
brains. We have been pulling
your strings for centuries. Go
ahead and ask your trivial
questions, you {ha ha} high-
est link on the food chain.
Rob: Well, first of all,
why do you drum and spit
when performing your mat-
ing dance?
Tom: In case you haven’t
noticed, Sherlock Holmes,
there are not too many elec-
trical outlets in the swamp to
The Goofy
Gobbler
N
Humor by Rob Somerville

plug in my boom box. I drum
to keep my rhythm while
dancing. {With this comment
Tom began an elaborate dis-
play of break-dancing, his
chest drumming to a rhythm
and blues beat}. “Move over
Elvis, there is a new king in
town,” he yelped while spin-
ning on his head.
“As for the spitting,” he
continued as he pulled a can
of Skoal from his tail feath-
ers, “Don’t you know that
you can get beard rot if you
swallow this stuff?”
Rob: Why do you gobblers
“hang-up,” strutting and
dragging your wings out of
gun range, refusing to come
to our decoy set-ups?
Tom: Put on your bifocals
you nimrod, and take a gan-
der at magnificence. If you
looked half as good as I do,
the females of your species
would flock to you also. It
is beneath my macho image
to approach them.
I mate about 15
times a morning.
Discounting your
female relatives,
y o u p r o b a b l y
haven’t even been
kissed by a mem-
ber of the oppo-
site sex in the last
six months. I am
a “stud muffin.”
I make the blue-
headed beauties
purr!
Rob: Wouldn’t
that be considered
a sexist remark?
Tom: You ain’t
in Kansas any
more Toto. If
Gloria Steinem
ever strolled in
to my strut zone,
I’d spur her in
to a new way of
thinking.
{At this point we paused
for a lunch break. My stom-
ach was rumbling for the
honey-glazed ham sandwich
in my backpack. Tom strolled
over to a rotten log, and be-
gan munching heartily on
some grubworms. At this
spectacle, I somehow lost my
appetite and tucked my sand-
wich away}.
Rob: How important is call-
ing techniques when luring a
mature gobbler in to shoot-
ing range?
Tom: {After a fit of rau-
cous laughter}. We turkeys
own a patent on every tur-
key call manufactured. We
have learned to imitate the
sounds these calls make in
order to give you lowly hu-
mans a sense of accomplish-
ment. The money I make ev-
ery year on commission from
the sales of these calls has
made me rich beyond means.
I own three duplex swamp
alders, and a chain of Ken-
tucky Fried Chufa stores. You
idiots will buy anything that
is camouflaged and makes a
noise. And here is another
news flash. You know how all
of you mental midgets think
we have superlative hearing.
Well, Amazing Kreskin, take
a close look. Do you see any
ears on this handsome head?
Rob: You mean you are
deaf?
Tom: You got it Einstein.
But we are excellent lip
readers.
Rob: Wow! Well, what
about camo? Which is the
most effective camo pattern
for concealment? Don’t tell
me you control the camo in-
dustry also?
Tom: You got it, tall dark
and ugly. Allow me to let you
in on a little secret. We tur-
keys are blind as a bat. You
could wear hot pink coveralls
and we wouldn’t be able to
see you, unless we bumped
in to you. The reason you
rum-dums can’t seem to har-
vest us, is that we can smell
a certain chemical that hu-
mans can’t. One of our sci-
entists at Proctor and Gobble
invented it. The chemical is
called “Purr-Fection.” We
brokered a deal with all the
major camo companies to
inject this scent in to their
fabrics.
Rob: You mean turkeys can
smell?
Tom: That’s right Dan
Rather. These fleshy protu-
berances that you underlings
call waddles, are actually
over-sized scent glands.
Rob: Wow! This interview
is going to revolutionize tur-
key hunting. If there is ever
anything I can do for you,
just let me know.
Tom: Well there is one
thing. {Tom reached in to
continued on next page

a hollowed out stump and
speared a large envelope with
his spur. He handed it to me
and I stuffed it in to my back-
pack, as I was anxious to get
back through the swamp be-
fore darkness overtook the
woods}.
R o b : W h a t ’s i n t h e
envelope?
Tom: Just a little something
I’d like you to spread around
to all of your friends.
{Suddenly he perked up,
his head rising high like a
periscope. “I smell Eau De
Strut cologne. The girls must
be coming back to roost. See
ya later rumdum,” he cackled
as he comically waddled over
a ridge. I sighed and made
my way through the stag-
nant waters of the swamp to
my truck}.
Summary:
Later that afternoon, as I
sat typing the interview at my
desk, I remembered the ham
sandwich in my backpack. I
reached my hand in and felt
the bulky manila envelope
the egotistical gobbler had
given me. I opened it up, and
was amused at what I found.
Inside the envelope were sev-
eral copies of a typed peti-
tion. It was titled, “Citizens
for the Abolishment of the
Thanksgiving Holiday.”
See ya,
Rob.
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Friday - Saturday: Open 24 Hours
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216 E. Court St. - Dyersburg - TN 38024
731-285-9954

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In Pursuit of a Dream,
Fyrne LakeBy Kevin Griffith
Editor’s note: This arti-
cle is the second in a series
that chronicles Kevin and
Diana Griffith’s experiences
with their dream property at
Fyrne Lake, located just out-
side of Dyersburg, Tennessee.

hen we left off in
the last issue, my
wife and I had just spent
two years searching for our
dream property. It was Octo-
ber 2004, and I had just bor-
rowed a small fortune to pur-
chase Fyrne Lake (formerly
Viar Lake - just outside of
Dyersburg, TN) and over
1300 acres of surrounding
woods and ridge fields. The
challenge was that our west
Tennessee paradise was 800
miles away from our home
in Florida. It would be one
thing if we could move, but
that wasn’t in the cards. Our
family business was in Flor-
ida and we were not going to
move or sell it. We couldn’t
do that to our employees.
They believed in our mission
and had helped us build the
business, from a home garage
operation into a very success-
ful company.
Fyrne Lake - Photo courtesy of Kalli Lipke
W

Have your wedding, family reunion or cor-
porate picnic at the beautiful natural setting
of Fyrne Lake. Our 3000 sq. ft. pavilion has
plenty of space, an oversized stone fireplace
and an excellent lake view.
727-458-8193
However, Tennessee was
calling. The property we
found perfectly matched our
vision of undeveloped private
land with a lake surrounded
by wilderness. From the be-
ginning our plan was for it
to be a destination for fam-
ily vacations, long week-
ends and eventual retirement.
But Fyrne Lake was just too
good! There was so much
to explore, digest and enjoy.
It was painful to leave and
seemed like forever between
visits. I had to find a way to
enjoy the property between
trips, if for no other reason
but to keep my sanity. The
hundreds of pictures from
the property I was accumu-
lating helped, but they were
just NOT enough. I needed a
way to see the property and
plan out my explorations be-
tween trips.
Bert Viar, the previous
owner, had given me a large
(38” x 38”) aerial photo-
graph of the property that
was taken in 1992. It was a
very detailed view, reveal-
ing highlights of the farm
from an overhead perspec-
tive. I devoured it! Having it
with me in Florida helped to
satisfy my longing to return
to Tennessee. I explored ev-
ery square inch of the over-
head, looking for details to
check out the next time up.
In an upper corner of the
photo I noticed identifying
numbers. There was also a
label affixed to the back, re-
ferring to a USDA office in
Salt Lake City, Utah. May-
be, just maybe, they would
have aerial pictures of the
farm from other years. After
calling the office, I discov-
ered to my amazement that
they have a complete library
of aerials from across the US,
dating back to 1955. After
providing them the details
of our location, it turned out
they had photos available of
our farm from 1956, 1960,
1965, 1972, 1980, 1992 and
1998! (These were the years
available in 2004. Since then,
they’ve added several more
aerials, the most recent be-
ing 2012.)
It turns out that for over
50 years the USDA has been
acquiring aerial photographs
of most of the nation to help
manage federal farm pro-
grams. They are housed in
the USDA’s Aerial Photog-
raphy Field Office (APFO)
located in Salt Lake City,
Utah. Accumulated there is
one of the largest aerial film
libraries in the nation, total-
ing more than 70,000 rolls
of film and 1000s of digi-
tal images. Depending upon
the original film type, prints
are available in black and
white, color or infrared. En-
largements of up to 38” x
38” or computer tiff files are
available.
I was beside myself with
excitement. I wanted them
all! I immediately placed my
order and anxiously await-
ed their arrival. Once re-
ceived, I was not disappoint-
ed! Since the pictures were
taken at different times of
the year, and varying times
There was so much to
explore, digest and enjoy.
Lankford Taxidermy
3070 Thompson School Rd.
Huntingdon, Tennessee - 38344
Phone (731) 986-3351
Specializing in
Fish Mountings and Birds
- 50 Years Experience -

In Pursuit of a Dream Continued
This picture shows the farm in 1960, before the creation of Fyrne
Lake. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
This photo shows the completed dam and Fyrne Lake 90% filled (the
lake construction was begun in 1978 and reached full pool in 1981).
If you compare this to the 1960 image, you will notice the reduced
size of some of the ridge fields and the fresh dirt work to control
erosion in the fields on the right side of the lake.
- Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake
USDA Map Contact
Information
Address:
USDA - FSA
Aerial Photograph Field Office
2222 West 2300 South
Salt Lake City, UT
84119-2020
Website: www.fsa.usda.gov
Email: apfo.sales@slc.usda.
gov
Phone: 801-844-2922
Fax: 801-956-3653
Oppurtunity for Aspiring Young Writers & Photographers!
The Outdoor Journalist Education Foundation of America
(OJEFA) is an educational arm of the Southeastern Outdoor
Press Association (SEOPA) and they are looking for potential
candidates for our annual Lindsay Sale - Tinney SEOPA
Conference Scholarship award. The award provides one
aspiring young writer or photographer between the ages of 12
to 25 to attend the SEOPA Conference this October in Lake
Charles, Louisiana.
This is a tremendous opportunity for young outdoor media
hopefuls to be able to not only attend the conference,
numerous workshops and other learning opportunities, but
also to meet and network with some of the most notable
outdoor communicators in the nation. SEOPA brings together
some of the biggest names in outdoor writing, photography,
radio and TV broadcasting. There is no way to assign a dollar
value to this extraordinary opportunity and the long-term
benefits thereof.
One winner will be selected from applications received by
June 1, 2013 with the winner announced by July 1, 2013. The
lucky winner will receive one free conference registration,
four nights lodging at the Isle of Capri hotel, and up to $750
toward travel expense.
We need your help to get the word out to anyone who would
qualify and benefit from this one-of-a-kind career building
opportunity.
Please forward this to potential applicants or others who
might help spread the word. Much more information
including the application procedure may be found by contact-
ing: SEOPA-OJEFA * P.O. Box 115 * Badin, NC 28009 *
704-984-4700

When compared to the 1980 image of Fyrne Lake, this beautiful 2006 color picture will showcase that several fields have been retaken by
woods, the outline of the lake has changed and kudzu (light green area) has taken over in two upper regions of the farm.
- Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake

of day, each picture revealed
unique details of the farm.
Another cool benefit was
the time lapse effect, cre-
ated by possessing over 40
years of historical pictures.
I could track the clearing of
fields, progressing erosion,
pond building, farming ac-
tivity and the before, during
and after views of the lake’s
construction. These photos
were exactly what I needed
to explore the farm from 800
miles away!
Starting in 2006, I began
ordering the more recent pho-
tographs in high resolution
tiff file format. Besides being
in full color, having them in
a digital format allowed me
to print out different areas of
the farm for use in planning
specific projects. This fall
we’ll have owned the farm
for 9 years and have made
countless improvements and
additions. It’s interesting to
see the progress we’ve made,
year after year, through over-
head pictures. The images
are detailed enough to track
our erosion control efforts,
kudzu eradication, road/trail
construction, orchard plant-
ings, farming activities and
new structures. I still anx-
iously await the arrival of the
next photograph like a child
at Christmas!
If you are interested in
obtaining pictures of your
family’s property or poten-
tial dream acquisition, you’ll
find the USDA’s contact in-
formation on page 40. Be-
sides needing your contact
info (name, shipping address,
email and phone number),
they’ll need your help in
identifying the location of
your property. A legal de-
scription (section, township,
range, etc.) will work, as
well as the latitude and lon-
gitude location, parish de-
scription, or a map with an
outline around your area of
interest. Also, remember to
let them know the years of
your interest. If you’re like
me YOU’LL WANT THEM
ALL!
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731-446-8052 | stomag1@gmail.com

On Scenic ReelfOOt lake
World Renowned Bass, Crappie, Catfish And
Bluegill Fishing On The Quake Lake!
Call now for our specially discounted fishing packages!
Includes lodging, boat, bait and one bag of ice
www.acornpointlodge.com - Phone: 731-538-9800 - Fax: 731-538-9007
Ultimate Fishing/Hunting on Scenic Reelfoot Lake!
Ducks, Geese, Trophy Bass, Crappie, Catfish and Bream
on the world’s greatest naturally formed fishery.
Hunting:
Lodging, blind,
decoys, guide
and two meals in blind
Fishing:
Lodging, boat, bait,
ice and breakfast
NO PETS PLEASE
Most Modern Lodge On Reelfoot
acORn POint lOdge
On Reelfoot Lake, Hwy. 22 and Lake Drive
Just outside of Samburg, TN city limits!
Mailing Address:
1685 Lake Drive, Hornbeak, TN 38232
Email: info@acornpointlodge.com
213 W. Court St. - Dyersburg,TN. - 38024
731-285-5201 - www.ygafco.com
LET US FURNISH YOUR ...
HUNTING LODGE OR CABIN!
HYDRAULICS,
BEARINGS
SUPPLIES, TOOLS
& PARTS
FOR HOME,
FARM & FLEET
WE NOW CARRY
HUNTING EQUIPMENT!
Jackson
982 Lower Brownsville Rd.
Jackson, TN.
38301
731-427-7725
Humboldt
Hwy. 70A-79 By-Pass
Humboldt, TN
38343
731-784-1761
Jackson
Handy Home Center
330 South Royal Street
Jackson, TN 38301
731-423-0115
Union City
1501 South First St.
Union City, TN
38261
731-885-5063
Dyersburg
121 South King Ave. - Dyersburg, TN - 38024
731-285-1543
www.hcisupply.com

2013 Hustler Turf ATZ
“Don’t try this with your zero-turn mower!” By
integrating their patented, SmoothTrak™
steering and a potent 35 hp Kawasaki FX
engine into its clean, compact design, the
Hustler ATZ (“All Terrain Z”) brings
zero-turn mowing efficiency to an even higher
level. With its extended frame, special 24”
bar-tread tires, and a combination of wheel
weights and added frame weights, the
remarkable Hustler ATZ delivers mowing
flexibility that’s tough to match. You get a sure
footing and uniform cut every time, even on
slopes up to 25 degrees! If slopes are on your
job list, nothing compares to the agility, speed
and efficiency of the Hustler ATZ. Trees,
obstacles, square corners and tight circles are
no hill for a climber!
To view this and the other awesome line of
Hustler mowers, visit our friends at Century
Equipment, located at 855 Hwy. 51 Byp N. in
Dyersburg, Tennessee. Their phone number is
731-285-2875 or you can email them at
Century@ecsis.net
- Rob Somerville
2013 HUSTLER
TURF ATZ
ZERO TURN MOWER
The Original
Zero-Turn Mower,
Since 1964!
In 1964, Hustler Turf
Equipment introduced
the world’s first zero
turning radius mower.
Since then, they have
continued to devote
themselves to offering the
highest quality and most
innovative products in
the industry.
Whether you mow for
a living, or simply take
pride in maintaining your
own beautiful lawn, they
have a mower for you.
Try a Hustler and you
will understand why they
are the fastest growing
brand in the world!
VINTA
GE NURSERY
NEW BUSINESS REVIEW!
VINTAGE NURSERY
DYERSBURG, TN
Most Hunters and fishermen like to hit the water
and woods during the weekends. But, we must keep
our significant other happy, by maintaining our yard
and garden.
If you live anywhere near Dyersburg, Tennessee,
you can now make brownie points with your wife, by
visiting Vintage Nursery - {formerly Virgin’s Nursery}
owned by Ricky and Tammy Horner.
I bought two potted ferns, eight potted begonias
and five 8” tomato plants - and all this for under
$75.00!
They are open MON through FRI - from 8am to 5pm
and are located at 1937 Upper Finley Rd.
- Rob Somerville
RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT
GRECIAN STEAKHOUSE
DYERSBURG,TN
Grecian Steak House, in Dyersburg, is a West
Tennessee Hallmark restaurant.
Most of our readers are farmers, hunters and
fishermen, or working class folks. This means that
they want a delicious hot meal, fast and courteous
service, and a fair price. The owner, Chris, and his
staff are all of that and much more.
Whether you are eating from the largest salad
bar and buffet in the area, or chowing down on one
of their mouth watering, select cut steaks, you will
be satisfied.
Grecian Steak House is conveniently located just
off the Dyersburg 412 exit at 2623 St. John Ave.
You can pick up their convenient carry out order
menu and call them at 731-286-6842.
- Rob Somerville
Recommends...

KID'S KORNER

Luke Cooper {7 years-old} of Huntingdon, Tennessee shot
his first ducks ever on Feb. 9th, 2013, during the youth
duck hunt. Luke also won the Mike McLemore Memorial
Duck Calling contest at the Carroll County Fair last fall
for his age division. Pictured with Luke is his proud dad,
Leslie Cooper on the South Fork of the Obion River near
Mckenzie, Tennessee - Photo provided by Dale Cooper
Tom Thomason from Birmingham, Alabama caught
and released this 6 lb. 7 oz. bass on a red/motor oil
colored worm on March 9th, 2013. Tom, a
guest of Jeff Caldwell, was fishing around some
recently added structure in Fyrne Lake, located
northwest of Dyersburg. - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake.
Ray Lewis was fishing with his father, Otha, in
Fyrne Lake on Feb. 23rd, 2013 and caught this
nice bass. It was a cold day of fishing, but it was
worth it! - Photo courtesy of Fyrne Lake.
Tom Hall caught this
huge, 6 lb, 2 oz. bass
on a crappie pole rigged
with a minnow on
March 30th, 2013 at
Fyrne Lake.
- Photo courtesy of
Fyrne Lake.

onvenienCe –
When it Matters!
ucing Mobile Banking from First Citizens national Bank
ConvenienCe –
When
it Matters!
introducing Mobile Banking from First Citizens
Convenience –
When It Matters!
Introducing Mobile Banking from First Citizens National Bank
Whether you need to check your account balance at the grocery store, locate an ATM while on the go or transfer money
between accounts, First Citizens National Bank has you covered with Mobile Banking.
And that’s not all! Our FREE Mobile Banking service offers many other advantages:
• It’s Secure – Even if your phone is lost or stolen, your personal information is protected.
• It’s Convenient – Now your finances are with you anywhere, anytime.
• It Works with Any Mobile Phone – Plus, we have apps for the iPhone®
, AndroidTM
!
Enjoy the convenience and security of Mobile Banking from First Citizens. Sign up today by calling 285-4410.
*iPhone is a federally registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
ConvenienCe –
When
it Matters!
introducing Mobile Banking from First Citizens
Whether you need to check your account balance at the grocery store, locate an ATM while on the go or transfer money
between accounts, First Citizens National Bank has you covered with Mobile Banking.
And that’s not all! Our FREE Mobile Banking service offers many other advantages:
• It’s Secure – Even if your phone is lost or stolen, your personal information is protected.
• It’s Convenient – Now your finances are with you anywhere, anytime.
• It Works with Any Mobile Phone – Plus, we have apps for the iPhone®
and AndroidTM
!
Enjoy the convenience and security of Mobile Banking from First Citizens. Sign up today by calling 285-4410!
*iPhone is a federally registered trademark of Apple, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

Southern Traditions Outdoors - April/May 2013

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