While some Carnival brands have removed their fuel supplements, Cunard, Costa Cruises, and Princess Cruises will actually increase prices. The company says it now has passengers but details of how to claim a refund have not yet been made public. (more…)

Interesting facts about the animal and plant life. All animals and plants are unique and unrepeatable creation of nature. In the world there are no two similar species of animals, birds or plants. They are all very different from each other. Despite this, they have much in common. For example we can recall how some species of animals are trying to mimic other species. This is especially common among arthropods. (more…)

No red or orange caps, unless you want your head to be a target and your insurance is paid up.

Always find a tree wider that your shoulders to set up your calling place. This spot should give you a wide range of vision in all directions. And if you see another hunter approaching stay still and shout out at him, or use a whistle. Never use your turkey call, that could be fatal. You should never wave and stand suddenly either. Let yourself be heard loud and clear.

Never assume you are the only hunter in the area, always have permission from the land owner to hunt on his property. In some states you can still legally be shot for trespassing. If you hear a turkey gobble (unless you have a clear shot), never assume it is a turkey that is gobbling there in the brush.

One by one, they passed her, seven in all. Then Lucky jumped up and seemed startled like someone was coming. All of a sudden Lady let out a “BAAAAA.” We all have heard that sound before! Then nothing …..as I continued watch her. I could see she had passed away. There was no movement at all.

I thought, maybe someone had shot her? I looked more closely thru my binoculars and didn’t see a wound on her side. Then Lucky began to lick all over her face and neck. I asked myself, “Is he trying to wake her up or what?” Then he laid down next to her like before, only this time with his head held up high. He stayed with her until 10: 35 AM, over an hour.

He then got up. Somehow he no longer looked the same, more like he was lost or something. He began to make a loud grunt and stared in my direction. Still looking at him, he slowly approached me. I felt something special towards this animal, like we shared something together.

About 28 yards out, I stood up bow in hand at full draw aiming right behind the shoulder. As he turned he looked back a Lady lying their motionless, then let out a very high pitched “AWWW” Never in my life have I heard such a sound from a deer!

As he turned back towards me, he looked straight up at me. His once proud face seemed sad at the loss of Lady. It seemed as if he wanted me to shoot him and end his pain at loosing his long time mate, I couldn’t! As I let the bow down, he came even closer to me.

So today is my birthday but that’s not why I’m writing this letter. I’m not very good at this but would like to share this with you all so hear goes:

Today I went hunting with my bud. As most of you all know I’ve been chasing a 12 pointer for the last 5 seasons with no luck. Today was a different day though. At 8:30 AM, I saw the buck we call “Lucky.” He was not alone. He was trailing a doe we call Lady. She is a very old doe we think maybe 9 or 10 years old. She is the Matriarch of the woods that we hunt and no one is allowed to hunt her.

She is always allowed a free pass for her years and genes. She has produced some nice bucks and does in her life time. We figure she’s responsible for at least 3/4 of the deer on our property. Now, Lucky is an impressive buck in his own right.

Here is what happened today, 50 yards out and coming right for me…… I thought to myself today is the day at last! What happened next I’ve never seen before in all my 26 yrs of hunting. Lady stopped to lay down in the open. Lucky rubbed a tree behind her. Then he moved in next to her.

He started to lick her and nuzzles her ever so gently. I thought they were going to mate right there in front of me. Then he just laid down next to her putting is head across hers, just like we do with someone we love.

Now, I’m sitting down in the stand looking through my binoculars in amazement. I can see the white hairs on their faces as old age has set in. You can see the scares on Lucky’s face from battles past which he has never lost. Now, he in his twilight years. He’s tired, not chasing does this year and just staying with lady. I thought to myself, could this be the last year for them both and they somehow know it?

I was faced with a dilemma as to shoot the Buck of my dreams or to pass up this opportunity. What am I to do? It’s 9:20 AM now. Just then some does with fawns passed by, each walking by the pair still lying together. Then something strange happened. All the does and fawns started to lick Lady’s face. I thought this was odd!

Your instruments go hand in hand with your lake maps to enable you to search the deep confines of the lakes where unusual topography lends itself to sloughs and creek channels where two depth extremes come close together, commonly called “drop off” These areas harbor structures like stumps or brush and crappie relate to the cover of these structures, especially during the winter season.
Crappie occupy the deeper areas where the shad go since that is their main food source. When it is cold the threadfin shad in the Tennessee River lakes seek deeper depths in the lakes. The reason for this is that their tolerance to quick temperature changes, especially drastic cold fronts like we have here in the Tennessee River Valley are such that they’ll go into shock. That is why shad seek the comfort of the deep areas and why crappie are hot on their trail even on a cold winter’s day because in their buffet line that threadfin shad is their number one food choice.
Crappie tolerate the cold water quite well. Crappie tend to be where their food is most concentrated. Understanding the habits of crappie is what fishing for them is all about according to Ben. Crappie are his favorite pan fish so he knows how to fish for supper. He told me that he was finding them 18 to 25 feet on submerged creek channels and in irregular humps out in the lake s main channel.
Even deeper in some spots. Where the water is clearer the fish are deeper where there is murky stained waters they are at a more shallow depth. He asked me why is that? In the stained murkier water light is filtered and warms quicker.

It is a cold morning and I am just returning from a brisk walk after a dusting of over-night snow flurries, a friendly elderly neighbor Ben sees me in that yard, swings into my driveway and pulls up along side of where I am walking. I ask him, “Where are you headed for with your boat, Ben?” He answers: “I’ve a mighty hankerin’ for some pan fried crappie to go along with my black-eyed peas and turnips greens Missy, do you wanna tag along?”
“How are you going to catch any crappie in that ice cold river, it just snowed last night don’t tell me you are going crappie fishing? Why don’t you come in and have a cup of coffee with me?”

Ben being a veteran angler sat down at the table to enjoy his coffee and told me how to get those crappie. Crappie are known to be schooling fish and the winter time is their school time. “They get themselves all stacked together”, Ben goes on, “I call it keepin’ warm but them educated kids tell me they be schoolin’ themselves” It is not unusual to find a spot where the fish are holding tight in a cover or structure. “Winter crappie catchin’ is a lot easier now with these depth
finder screens.” Ben knows these channels like the palm of his hand.

In Virginia, a man was fatally wounded in the head from a shot gun blast that entered his temple. This unlucky hunter moved from his calling position and his RED baseball cap was seen. The flash of red movement was mistakenly taken to be the comb atop a turkey gobblers head.

In Arkansas, one of the hunters related how a friend of his was shot while wiping the sweat from his face. As you have probably guessed this hunter had a blue paisley handkerchief in his pocket. It was mistaken as a turkey waddle that turns this color while mating or alerted to danger. This too was a nonfatal wound that resulted in a lot of buck shot being removed from the man’s hand and face.

Now, this last one is not related to the colors red, white, or blue, but to the mistaken thought that you are the only turkey hunter in the woods. One reason is you are the only one who has permission to be on this private property hunting. The second reason is that you are telling yourself ……… “Who else would be gobbling in the brush…………..why only a turkey!” This hunter was wrong on both counts.

Another hunter had entered by way of crawling through a barbed wire fence and had located a nice tree with good vision in all directions. This trespassing hunter was using his turkey calls. He was doing everything right…..he was a seasoned turkey hunter. His camo was all complete down to his socks, underwear cap. He was a total blend with his surroundings.

He is extra alert to the sounds of the woods and the colors. He has hunted most of his adult life. He hears a twig break in the distance and is alerted to that area and notices another hunter approaching him. He makes a near fatal mistake. He raises his hand and waves as he starts to stand suddenly and is shot by accident.

To alert all of you primed up for TURKEY SEASON these are tips to keep in mind. Don’t take anything into the woods or brush with you that has any red, white, or blue, no matter how patriotic you are. It could cost you your life. Don’t wear a white tee shirt under your camo shirt, blue jeans or white, red or blue socks.
As for underwear and getting your butt shot at when nature calls……there are O.D. Green shorts for sale at most stores. You can even buy camo and o. d. green thermal underwear now.

While talking with several hunters we got on the subject of turkey hunting accidents Now this is a bird of extreme intelligence. Not only was it considered to be our National Bird at one time. It was a prize among the pilgrims to be able to bag one and many feasts were celebrated at the harvest of this bird. A wild turkey is a very intelligent bird with a 240-degree field of vision. They have exceptional eye sight and an acute sensitivity to movement of any kind. Never assume you can stalk the elusive wild American Turkey. You are dealing with a magnificent wild bird with more intelligence that it has been given credit for.

There are hazards to turkey hunting, not from the bird itself, but from the ever growing numbers of hunters engaging in this sport. Now, direct from anticipating turkey hunters from AOL’s Hunting Chat, I will relate some notes taken that may prove to be a warning.

In Texas, a turkey hunter was shot with #6 shot from a 12 gage shotgun in the throat and upper chest. Another hunter had mistakenly took a brush shot at the movement of a flash of white he saw in his peripheral vision, (after all he had heard the gobbler in that direction). This was a nonfatal accident.

In South Carolina, a hunter #1 found a potty log and with his pants down, was shot in the buttocks with #6 turkey shot when another hunter #2 mistakenly saw a brilliant flash of white movement from this unlucky turkey hunter’s nature call. Hunter #1 was wearing white jockey shorts. This too was a nonfatal wound, however it did not sit well with this hunter #1.

He stopped not 12 feet from my position and just looked at me. l too looked at him for what seemed like hours for me (but it was just a few minutes I think). I waved myarms and said, “Not today old friend, not today.” He jumped a few steps, not far. He looked back at me, pawed the ground snorted, held his head up high and proudly walked away from me.

About then, I heard a noise from behind me, it was my friend coming towards me. As he came closer he said he too had seen everything from his stand. Then he told me that he was proud to be my friend, because I didn’t shoot. I asked, “Why?” His response was: “because you care for the game you hunt”.

Just like the way you care for your family and friends! You are always there to help or listen when we need you.”

This coming from the man who taught me how to hunt was very special to me a man 25 years my senior. I was pleased at his words when he said theirs nothing else he could teach me about hunting.

Now Lucky is a buck I’ve hunted hard for 5 years. To let him go like that … what does it say of me? I hope it says I’m a responsible and ethical hunter. Also that I’ve learned that sometimes the memories we have are more important than the trophies on the walls.

I don’t think I will ever see Lucky again. It is just a feeling I have about him or if I will ever take a Buck as majestic as him the rest of my years hunting. However, I know he will always be mine in my mind.

Lady was buried on the hill she died on. No wounds were on her, just old age. I will miss seeing her. She has given me so much to remember her by as I will miss Lucky too.

I hope you like my birthday present it’s one I know I will cherish the rest of my days.