Spring 2012 News Letter

The Spring 2012 edition of the Southern Sportsman Aqutics & Land Management News Letter is now posted on our web site.  To view it and previous editions visit: http://southernsportsmanaquaticsandland.com/quarterly_news_letters

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What's Been Going On?

February was very slow doing mostly tax stuff, equipment maintenance and ordering supplies for the upcoming year.  But some big events did happen in February. 

I was named a Texas DU District Chairman in North Dallas and nearby area.  I will continue to be a Committee Member with the Allen Chapter, although it is not in my district.  Allen DU had a great Sportsman Night Out fund raising event in February and I was lucky enough to win the Grand prize drawing!  Not sure the comittee will allow me to buy any more raffle tickets, as the Browns (Josh too)have done very well at DU and NWTF events with raffle tickets.

I was also named to the Hunt Life Radio and Web Pro Staff.  I will be blogging on a regular basis at huntlife.com about work and outdoor adventures I take in the woods or on the water.  We will also be producing the sindicated Hunt Life Minute with good friend Dave Edwards, which is a minute segement/tip related to hunting, fishing, dog training and fish and wildlife management. Check the local radio stations in your area for aring times or check them out on the web at huntlife.com.

And lastly, I was invited to start writing articles for the Wildlife Trends.  The bi-monthly publication contains articles related to fish and wildlife management targeting land owners and bilogists/managers.  It was an honor to be asked to write for them in 2012.  I will be doing articles and producing half of the Managamenet Calendar in the back of each issue.  You can check out past issues and some articles at: wildlifetrends.com

The last couple weeks I was in the field and did manage to get a few wildlife photos - Enjoy!

Some deer in Central Fl;orida taking a mid day nap!

One buck is already growing new antlers while
the other doesn't want to give his up from last year

Mr and Mrs Stork waiting on the stork to deliver babies!

Baby Anhingas.  Not much keeping them from falling into the lake.

Spring turkey season is almost here!

Steve Lopez holds a couple of bass we sampled
on the Middle St Johns River florida

Wow did the last five weeks go by fast!  It started out with the great Outdoors Show Christmas Extraveganza back in mid December.  Approximately 450 people showed up and we enjoyed talking to all of them.  The Duck Hounds enjoyed being petted by everyone and the beef ribs they got to chew on at hunt camp.After some Georgia deer hunting, Christmas qand New Years is was back to work for two weeks in Florida, and now we are performing the routine maintenance on boats, motors, trailers, etc.

We are excited to announce The Big Winter Texas Hunter Feeder Sale!  If you need deer or fish feeders, please see the flier and contact us to place your order.  These will be the lowest prices of the year!

Outdoors Show Christmas Extravaganza!

Join us, this Saturday December 17th, from 7 AM to 2 PM for the Outdoors Show Extravaganza, held at Nimnicht Chevorlet, in Jacksonville, Florida.  Besides broadcasting the Outdoors Show Radio live, there will be raffles and fine smoked foods to eat, vendors who are sponsors of the show and the Outdoors Show staff including Kevin, Jeff and Kirk.  Admission is free!  Steve and I will be there with the shocker boat set up on display answering questions about lake and land management and raffling off a fish attractor and wood duck box, along with giving away a few camo tees, hats and coozies.  During the show we are offering all Texas Hunter and Sweeney brand fish and game feeders at 5% off!  I will also have the Duck Hounds there waiting to be petted or retrieve a dummy by anyone that will throw for them.  We hope to see you there!

Happy Holidays!

Everyone here at Southern Sportsman Aquatics & Land Management would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year in 2012!  We are headed towards our 5th anniversary in March and would like to thank everyone from clients, friends, associates and family for helping us grow the business the past five years.  We have been pleasantly surprised at our success, and look forward to continue growing and meeting new people the next five years.  Our clients are the best, constantly promoting us and having their friends and associates call on us to perform lake and land work on their properties.  We look forward to working for you all again next year and the many new clients signed up that we start working for this coming spring.  Happy Holidays!

Thanksgiving Weekend at the Deer Lease With the Browns!

Now that the Allen High football season tragically ended last weekend coming up a yard short of the end zone on the final drive in the playoff game at Cowboy’s Stadium, my son and I spent three days deer hunting at our Abilene, Texas lease.

First afternoon I got to my ground blind about 2:00 PM saw a few deer about 50-80 yards away and none going by the feeder.  This was the first time I had seen deer, that didn’t swing by the feeder, but I didn’t think anything of it.  Around 4:00 a flock of red-winged black birds invaded the feeder, well over 100.  They would land and then all jump up and leave for a few minutes and come back.  I noticed about 5 yards to the left of the feeder the birds were appearing to lift a “stick” up off the ground when they flew.  I got my binoculars out and after further review I realized I wasn’t the only one hunting the feeder, it was a rattle snake.  He was hiding in a depression, coiled up with just his head out of the depression facing the feeder.  This went on until dark (6:00) and with binoculars at 16 yards it was like Wild Kingdom “in your face!”  I could see him lunge, tongue going in and out and he even yawned twice. He never caught anything though.  Unfortunately I did not have my big camera and didn’t get any pictures.  I am not sure but maybe the deer could smell or sense he was there and that’s why I saw 5 deer that afternoon and they all kept their distance.  Also had a Yote (coyote) barking (at what, I couldn’t figure out) about 80 yards up the hill from me for about 5 minutes off and on.

On Saturday afternoon the wind was 40-plus mph out of north and temperatures were dropping.  I dropped Josh off at 2:45 and headed to my stand about 10 min drive away and another 10 minute walk from there.  At 3:45 I barely heard a shot in his direction (3/4 of a mile away) and about 45 seconds later got a text that said “It was the big one!”  Well the Big One is about a 150 inch class we had seen around, and the day prior I believe we saw him crossing the road as we drove to the stands within 100 yards of Josh’s stand.  The next text is “lots of blood at site, but no blood trail.”  I said OK, don’t push him I will be back over in 15 minutes and we can start from there.  Now I have deer already in bow range and I have to shoo them away and I jump two more big body deer as I walk up out of the gulch to the truck.  Before I got too the truck another text, “I found him, he is big, but not the Big One – hurry up.”  Although he has a broken main beam (which a lot of our deer already have due to this year's drought) he is a 10-point, palmated on one side, with a kicker off one brow tine.  The taxidermist can add the end of the broken side per Josh's request.  I went through almost 1,000 trail camera photos last night and could not find one picture of this deer prior to breaking it off.  In fact he hadn’t been in any photos until a few days prior to meeting Josh and his 270 rifle.  I wanted to be sure the repair is as close to the real deal as we can get, as many of our deer have crab claws at the end, but to no avail, this buck due to the rut had just moved into the area.  For those who do not know Josh, he never gets excited about anything, but he was excited Saturday afternoon and even smiled for a few pictures.  This is his first buck after taking 4 does between ages of 12 and 17 that he got all on his own without sitting by Dad (after his first deer he told me I was holding him back those first two years!)Looks like you can be a high school kid, get straight A’s, play football, be in the band and still live the Hunt Life!

Here is the deer a couple days prior at a feeder photographed by a trail camera.  He is easy to spot in the thousands of trail camera photos we have from this year, as he has a double throat patch apposed to the traditional single.

Josh Brown with his first buck - awfully nice one!

Dad helps but the hunter needs to do most of the work.

Josh and I the next morning, now the real work begins processing the meat.

I got this doe two weeks prior with my bow, now looking for a big buck!