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I leave Friday for a four day hunt in AL. The rut is red hot where I am going, bucks running like mad and the weather is ideal. This will wrpa my season up and in the four day I will be guiding a young man with cerebral palsy on a dream hunt organized by a foundation.

I have done several of these and they always make me feel fortunate. This year, it hits a little closer to home. A month ago, my son (35) was diagnosed with a rare form of myscular dystrophy. Maybe me doing something for this young man will help ease his problems.

So in a way, I am dreading it but in a way, I am looking forward to it. I need a few woods days and I have always loved prowling the swamp down there.

wareaglecj

That, my friend, is awesome!

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Wareagle- I'll only be 14 miles from Aubuurn...so a quick short story.

I was fishing early one warm spring morning, walking the bank of the lake at the lodge and waiting for a group of hunters to start checking in. Around the bank toward me, comes a guy just casting and walking. (I should mention it is a Saturday, about seven a.m.).

As we reach each other, we pass the usual remarks and chat a minute. He seems to know who I am so I ask, "What do you do for a living?". He breaks out in a hillarious laughter. "I'm the head football coach at Auburn and I better be getting to the stadium."

True story. I always wondered if he knew the aligator in the lake was named War Eagle. Turns out, that was a usual Sat. deal for him when playing at home. I wish I could remember his name. Would it have been Dooley? Short kinda roly-poly guy.

Anyway, for 25-years I spent some real pleasurable times down there and met some super folks from all over the world. This is a picture from my last trip down there, last spring. I had been pretty sick and this started me on the road to recovery. Before the sale we had five lakes ranging from 4-55 acres and 10-lb bass were common as were 1.5# bream. This one is just a healthy 3-yr.old that has had a lot of prime forage.

Mojotex

Short Roly-Poly guy probably would have been Terry Bowden. Where you chasing deer in Al.? I am about 35 air miles south of Auburn and there is zero signs of does in estrus on the 3100 acres I hunt. Estrus cycle was done on this property by mid December. Second cycle has not fired up as far as I can tell. Scrapes just starting up again. Have 23 cameras out on food plots. Nothing using the plots much at all despite them being in superb shape. Tons of acorns still in the woods. Browse still in great shape becasue it has been so watm this winter so far. As far as perfect weather, you are in for a warm-up and rain starting Tuesday. Friday - Monday look pretty good as far as cool weather. Good luck !

gator59

A Gator names War Eagle????????????

You sure his name wasnt Albert??

Thanks for doing the guiding guess your one of the Angels the Lord left to do his work? Thank you and God Bless

mrl0004

Last time I was in Auburn I got this:


Well Notasulga to be exact. The rut was on then (2 weeks ago).

I am very interested to know what coach that was scribe. I'm a life long AU fan/alum and live, eat and breathe AU football. That would be an interesting tidbit that not many people know I bet....

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Terry Bowden-Exactly who it was.

I'll be eight miles outside Tuskegee at the old White Oak Plantation off County Rd. 10. We will be hunting the remaining 3,000 acres. It is no longer open to the public but they put in some green fields just for friends and hunts such as this one for the young man. Yesterday, the bucks were running pretty hard. There are still two lakes left on the remaining property but I don't know how bad the drought has hurt them. Mostly I'll be sitting in the lodge by the fire.

wareaglecj

Terry Bowden - not my favorite AU coach but still a cool story.

I've been to White Oak several times for quail and sporting clays. Beautiful property. I wish I could chase some turkeys there, that land is loaded with them.

I have some land just south of there and the bucks just started chasing. Its funny how the rut works here in Alabama. I hunt 3 different pieces of land (all within 20 mile radius) and see 3 different ruts.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

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Yep, sex is a funny thing.

I have more turkeys than they do but they have plenty. When we started the bowhunt for women only, some lady suggested we do a turkey hunt for women only. Bo said he would but only if I did all the guiding. We never got it started.

The youth hunt was just getting off the ground when I got sick and all their problems started. I sure hated to see it get cut up and sold off but I fully understand. I was running the fishing operation and it was just about to take off. Thirty bass a day with three or four over 10# and a 4# average will attract business. When I started testing the two big lakes, I about fainted at the annual growth rate we were getting. Surprising what a million threadfin shad can do on a 50-acre lake.

I spoke with Robert just a few minutes ago and he said the weather forecast was as perfect as it can get with lows in the 20's and highs in the 50's. Could be interesting.

mrl0004

Be sure and give us a report when you get back!