Remembering the Greats:

Profiles of Turkey Hunting's Old Masters

Author Jim Casada

Outdoor author Jim Casada has released his latest book that provides a close look at the lives and accomplishments of 27 of the legends of turkey hunting. In order to avoid slighting any living experts, he has concentrated on the deceased icons of this great sport. In the introduction, he said, "Only the greats who are deceased have been profiled."

Later in the introduction, he said that when he realized that he would be besieged by living turkey hunting personalities to be included in the profiles, he solved the problem by saying, "You have to die to qualify". That provided an instant solution to the problem.

Casada has done a masterful job of bringing together profiles of these men that tells about their personal connection to the sport, their expertise in calling, call-making and some of their idiosyncrasies. He pulls no punches and "tells it like it was". It is a reflection of his vocation as a retired professor of history that he records the details "warts and all".

Casada had the pleasure of personally knowing 12 of the men profiled and hunted with many of them. His mentor, Parker Whedon, is included in the profiles. I remember well the story that Casada told of an early hunt with Whedon. Upon concluding a hunt by killing a turkey that Whedon called to the gun, Casada picked up the bird to depart. Whedon stopped him and said, "Jim, if you like turkey hunting as much as I think you will, there will come a time when you can't remember every turkey you ever killed. Let's go back and pick up your spent shotshell. When you get home, write up a little story about the hunt and put that information, along with the beard inside the shell. That way you can always go back and relive a hunt." As of 2012, I believe that Casada has saved 283 shells with the details of the hunt and a beard tucked inside.

Casada's personal love of turkey hunting is evident in the words of this book and it is a book to be treasured by any turkey hunter.

In addition to the profile of Parker Whedon, other "greats" such as Tom Turpin, Henry Edwards Davis, Neil Cost, Dave Harbour, Earl Mickel, M. L. Lynch, Ben Rodgers Lee and Dick Kirby are a few of the men profiled.

The book is Remembering the Greats: Profiles of Turkey Hunting's Old Masters. It contains 317 pages of detailed information that you will find entertaining, instructional and historically correct. It is available for $39.95 + $5 shipping and handling. Signed and inscribed copies are available through www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com using Paypal or by personal check or money order by contacting the author directly at 1250 Yorkdale Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29730. A sample chapter is available on the website.

For a great addition to your library, or for a gift for the hunting friend, you couldn't make a better choice.

SCDNR Family Fishing Clinic

Classroom Time

L. Ross talking about SCDNR

 



 

Casting practice

 

 

Saturday, Oct. 13, was a good day. Attendees of a SCDNR Family Fishing Clinic at Pleasant Ridge Camp and Retreat Center seemed to enjoy the session. The day started cool, but warmed up nicely.

The educational part of the day went well and the participation was excellent. Unfortunately, the pond had only been stocked with trout the day before and they weren't cooperative. The recent cooler temperatures probably were a factor as well. One very young girl caught a red-eared sunfish (shellcracker) and was very excited.

Gene Cunningham assisted with the clinic and we had a great time presenting it. Out hope is that these individuals will use this session as a springboard to more outdoor activities.

Our thanks to Marty Daigle, Camp Manager, for allowing us to use the shelter and the pond facilities to present the clinic. If you haven't visited the facility, it is located in northern Greenville County just off highway # 11. It is a first rate facility and offers camping, retreat facilities, and great fun for family outings.

Details about Pleasant Ridge are available at greenvillerec.com or by calling (864) 660-1065.

Thanks to Pleasant Ridge employee, Billy Russell, for his help during the clinic.

If you are interested in learning more about SCDNR's free Family Fishing Clinics, High School fishing competitions, "Reel Kids" or other DNR programs, contact Lorianne Riggin, Aquatic Education Director, at RigginL@dnr.sc.gov for details. Another source is www.dnr.sc.gov/aquaticed.

Montana Scenes

Lone Bison

More Bison



Lower Yellowstone Falls

Sheep at dizzying heights

 Bull Elk with harem

Sheep management area

Montana Whitewater rafting on the Gallatin River

Famous Madison River inside Y. S. Park

   

 

 

Visting Montana is always a bit like coming home. We have been so many times that the sights are familiar and even though they are familiar, they are as beautiful as ever. 

Whether trout fishing on streams that are famous for their scenery as they are for the fishing, or whether just riding through the park and photographing animals and scenery. It is a joy to be there.

If you haven't been, add it to your "life list". You will not be sorry.

 

 

Here is a listing of upstate outdoor events

 

Upcoming outdoor events

Oct. 4-6 - 2012 National Archery in the Schools World Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Kissimmee, FL.

Oct. 6-7 - Asheville Gun and Knife Show at Western North Carolina Ag Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC 28732.

Oct. 11-13 - 2012 LBAA Classic Championship at Alabama's Lake Guntersville.

Oct. 13 - Family Fishing Clinic conducted by L. Ross at Pleasant Ridge County Park from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Details at www.dnr.sc.gov/.

Oct. 20 - NRA Upcountry Patriots Banquet at Elks Lodge, 7700 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC 29615.  Starts at 6:00 p.m. Ticket $30.

Oct. 27 - Kayak Bass Tournament at Lake Bowen from opening of  park to 3 p.m. Contact (828) 606-0260 or robertgalloway71@yahoo.om for details. 

Oct. 27 - CureSearch for Children's Cancer "Ultimate Hike". Registration information at www.ultimatehike.org/upstatesc.

Oct. 27-28 - Georgia Big Bass Classic, Oakley Big Bass Tour, Clarks Hill, GA. $500 hourly prizes. Entry fee of $150 and free Quantum rod to first 100 entrants. See www.oakleybigbass.com for more details.

Oct. 27-28 - Land of Sky Gun Show at Anderson Civic Center.

Oct. 27-29 - South Carolina Long Range Championship at Range # 4 at Fort Gordon, Augusta, Georgia. Entry fees are $30 Saturday, $30 Sunday or $50 for both days. Juniors are 1/2 price. To register contact Chuck McMenamy at (803) 708-4306, (803) 467-8272 or cmcmenamy@sc.rr.com.

Feb. 23 - Morningside Baptist Church, 1115 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC, 19th Annual Sportsmen's Banquet. Special guests award winning bluegrass band Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Starts at 5:00 p.m. Tickets $15 and first 700 sold includes the meal.

< Contact Ross at lross3871@charter.net or (864) 238-1944 with outdoor news or calendar events.



   

Grand opening success at Saluda River Archery indoor range

Crowd at archery shop

Shooting Lanes



Russell Cooper, Owner, tuning a bow

Customer shooting



20 yard line at shooting lanes



Antler display

  

 Saluda River Indoor Archery Range had a great opening day on August 18. I went by and shot a few rounds and enjoyed the atmosphere. The range has 15 shooting lanes with certified 20 yard targets. Several lanes allow shooting at 25 and 30 yard distances.

Russell Cooper, can set up bows for customers and offers retail sales of archery equipment.

Al And Kim Hannah are in the same building and will offer a full line of hunting and fishing supplies.

Come by and check out this facility. You will find the prices are excellent and you will enjoy dealing with these fine people.

  

Saluda River Archery Indoor Range

Russell Cooper, Owner of Saluda River Archery Club

Russell Cooper recently announced that Saluda River Archery will be opening an indoor range less than a mile from the existing club property. They will have fifteen shooting lanes with standard 20 yard lanes and also extended lanes at 25 and 30 yards.

In addition to the shooting facility, they will have retail sales of equipment such as bows, arrows and arrow building materials.

This facility will provide upstate archers the opportunity to shoot when the weather is bad outside and also to shoot after dark due to work schedules.

Later, the indoor range will host seminars on various topics related to archery and bow hunting.

This facility will be of great benefit to the area's archers.

Primitive Craft/Survival Seminar

Poplar bark for basket

L. Woodrow Ross

   

Fire starting with bow drill

Figure 4 deadfall trap


Join L. Woodrow Ross on September 1, 2012, at Saluda River Archery Club for a one-day seminar on primitive craft/survival skills. You will leave with a better understanding of the skills that will prepare you for outdoor adventures and to meet unexpected challenges that may occur.

The time for the seminar is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Lunch will be from 12:00 to 1:00. Cost for the seminar is $85.00. Cancellations must be one week prior to the seminar for full refund. After that, 75% will be refunded. If enough are interested, lunch is available for $5.00 (burger or hot dog, fries and drink). Class size is limited to the first 15 registrants.

The seminar will he held, rain or shine. Shelters are available if rain occurs.

 E-mail lross3871@charter.net for registration form. Call Ross at (864) 238-1944 or Russell Cooper at Saluda River Archery Club at (864) 230-8744 for more details.

Learn to flint knap and haft projectile points to shafts with sinew and pine pitch. Practice your fire starting skills with bow drill and flint and steel. Discover the atlatl, a prehistoric weapon that predated the bow and arrow. See the small game capabilities of a Cherokee blow gun.  Learn to make cordage from natural plant fibers. Observe the use of bamboo to fashion arrows that are equal to modern carbon arrows.

Other topics such as useful knots for outdoor uses and general woodcraft will be covered.

Saluda River Archery is just off hwy 153, near Powdersville, SC. The address is:

Saluda River Archery Club

521 McNeely Road

Piedmont, SC 29673

www.lwoodrowross.com



   





Youth Prevails in Hog Hunt



Savannah Cade with first hog

Another hog taken by Chris Cade with 1863 Sharps Rifle

Hogs at feeder

Hog taken with 1863 Sharps rifle

Chris Cade recently enjoyed a hunt on Alexacarri Plantation in Abbeville, Georgia, with his daughter and friends on a family-oriented hunt for hogs. Owner Tim Beach had invited them to bring their kids for a fun hunt for hogs.

Savannah took her first hog with one shot at forty yards with a custom AR-15 and some custom handloads by her father. Two other girls also took hogs on the hunt.

Not to be outdone, Chris took three hogs on the hunt. Two were taken with his 1863 Sharps rifle and one with his Thompson Center .44 mag.

Abbeville, Georgia, has a tremendous hog population and was a featured location on the TV feature titled "Pig Bomb" that aired a few years back.

It is good to see kids getting involved in outdoor sports and Chris said, "We had a blast."

Outdoor Dream Foundation Events

Enjoy the company of former Atlanta Braves first baseman and outdoorsman at two great fund-raising events for the Outdoor Dream Foundation. This non-profit group provides outdoor experiences for children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses.

Saluda River Archery Club offers a first-class range that simulates real hunting conditions with lifesize animal targets. Russell Cooper has established an excellent resource for archers and this is a good opportunity to participate in an event and see firsthand the course and the fellowship of members.

The event at the Anderson Civic Center will give  you a chance to meet and talk with Sid Bream and enjoy a great sporting oriented event with dinner, live auction and drawings.

What better way to support kids unfortunate to have illnesses and bring some joy into their life with outdoor events such as hunting and fishing trips sponsored by Outdoor Dreams.

Having a "primitive" day

It was a great day to be outside. I experimented with a couple of primitive craft ideas that were new to me. The first was a "figure 4" deadfall trap. This took a little time to get set up, but is very simple. There is a variation that uses a cord and trigger mechanism that I will try soon.

The second project was to make a bark basket. As you can see, I peeled the poplar bark and formed it, but will need to finish it after it dries in the sun and stiffens. I will drill holes and lace the edges together and use a split green shoot to reinforce the top.

These items are not required in today's world, but by doing this, we gain a greater appreciation for how our ancestors lived and the challenges they face to sustain life.

Get outdoors and try something new. You will be surprised at the pride you will have in becoming more self-sufficient.

Palmetto Dock Dogs Event

 These neat photos were provided by Erin Owen to illustrate the intense competition of these dogs in an exciting new sport. Dogs of all breeds are invited to join Palmetto Dock Dogs to be able to compete in events such as "Big Air", "Extreme Vertical" and "Speed Retrieve".

Anderson Civic Center will be hosting an event on Saturday and Sunday, August 25-26 that will include Palmetto Dock Dogs. The event is a Premier Outfitters Sportsman's Weekend and will have

Erin Owen is the President of Palmetto Dock Dogs and is excited to help bring this event to Anderson. She said, "It's an awesome sport. My Chesapeake Bay Retriever has been dock diving for three years and we have traveled to several states, and we are excited about being a part of a Premier Outfitters Sportsman's Weekend and bringing the sport to the upstate of South Carolina."

If you have a dog and are interested in joining Palmetto Dock Dogs, visit www.palmettodockdogs.com or email palmettodockdogs@gmail.com.

The Sportsman's Weekend event will feature national and local businesses in the hunting, fishing and outdoor industry. A wide array of state-of-the-art products will be on display and available to attendees. Outdoor personalities will be present and it will be a day of entertainment as well as instructional information about outdoor activities.

A day on Clark's Hill Lake

Chris Cade with bow-fishing rig

It was a cool day last Wednesday, June 6, and Chris Cade and I decided to try our luck with archery and atlatl for carp and gar.

As luck would have it, the fish were shut down due to the cool snap and cloudy conditions. Very few were near the surface.

We only had one opportunity and I missed with the atlatl rig that I have hastily put together and Chris stuck one, but it pulled free.

It was great to be on the lake and we had a good time. We went to his farm and checked food plots, shot his rifle and had a lazy day.

I will definitely try the atlatl again. That would be a great way to take a big fish.

Tight lines to all!

Egrets on lake

L. Ross with atlatl fishing rig

May has been a great month

Not only have I had a great time in God's great outdoors, but have managed to snap a few neat photos such as a water snake basking in the sun, a goose on a nest of eggs, my buddy smoking a stogie and enjoying his kayak while we fished and also catching some shellcrackers, bluegills and bass.

The moon will be in perigree this weekend, meaning that it will be very close to earth in its elliptical orbit. The full moon is Sunday, May 7, and I have been seeing bream on the bed. It should be as good as it gets for bream this weekend.

If you are not a kayak angler, you are missing some great fun. Kayaks allow you to fish spots that you could never reach with a larger boat. We fish a spot that requires a short walk from a secluded road, and no access for large boats. We catch bass, bream and shellcrackers and often are the only people fishing the spot.

In addition to the fishing, the photo opportunities from a kayak are great two, as evidenced by the goose and snake photos above. Animals are less disturbed by humans approaching quietly by kayak than by walking near them. For one thing, you present a much lower profile and are perceived as less of a threat.

Many retailers of kayaks have special days each spring and summer at local lakes where you can try out several models and find one that is perfect for you. Get out there and join the rest of us on the water in kayaks.