After long day at annual Stuttgart waterfowl festival, Minnesota caller wins World’s Championship calling title

Mike Anderson of Minnesota accepts the World's Championship trophy and congratulations from Queen Mallard Leah Conrad. (Photo: Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce)

Every sports league and organization, or most of them, believe their championship trophy is unique and special.

Many of them are, such as the World Series trophy given by Major League Baseball or the Lombardi Trophy for the Super Bowl champs of the National Football League. The famed Claret Jug awarded to The Open champion is incredibly cool for its history, if nothing else. Another one is the World Cup trophy (soccer, for you Americans who don’t follow) that isn’t gigantic or ostentatious. It’s just special.

One that won’t make the radar screens is the trophy given for the World’s Championship duck calling contest each year in Stuttgart, a tiny Arkansas town known for among waterfowlers for at least five things: rice, duck hunting, Mack’s Prairie Wings, Rich-N-Tone duck calls and the World’s Championship.

The contest is held each year at the annual Wings Over the Prairie festival on Main Street. It’s a week-long event including a 10K run, beauty contests, gumbo cook-off and calling contests. The final one is the World’s Championship, which begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday after Thanksgiving and usually doesn’t end until after 10 o’clock. Why? Because there are about 66 to 70 callers each year and with each one blowing 90-second routines, time marches on.

The trophy given to the winner is comprised of a wooden base about 8-10 inches tall with four gold mallards on top of each corner. Then there’s a giant wooden duck call about 2 feet tall with another big mallard on top of it. The trophy is distinctive and unique, quite a treasure for the winner of the toughest duck calling contest in the world.

Mike Anderson of Mankato, Minn., won the title late Saturday night and will haul that beautiful trophy home with him. ESPN Outdoors was on the scene and has a good lineup of photos by Larry Towell and other info about the event, along with its annual “Duck Trek” that is en route.

Alabama had one caller in the World’s — Ryan Crew of Pinson — who finished tied for 62nd. He had a score of 210 and did not advance from the first round.

In the Senior Division, Jim Bedgood of Selma finished third behind winner Charles Petty of Arkansas and Butch Richenback of Stuttgart.

However, Alabama did have a champion in the Junior World’s when Devlin Hodges of Kimberly claimed the championship. It’s his first title – he was runner-up last year – and it’s believed to be the first championship in any division by an Alabama caller. Hodges has worked hard the last few years, winning at state and regional levels, and is very deserving of the title.

Here are all the final scores from the World’s Championship from CallingDucks.com, which is a great site and one you should visit if you’re a waterfowler or competitive caller. The site also has information about the other calling divisions and ranking for waterfowl callers based on their finishes in sanctioned contests.

 

 

 

Alabama waterfowl season opens with mixed results and bad news from Guntersville Lake

Alabama’s waterfowl season opened Friday morning with reports of scattered birds in the area despite the little cold snap we’re encountering right now, which isn’t too surprising given the warm weather we’ve had recently.

The northern states haven’t had freezing temperatures yet to push down birds along the Mississippi Flyway. If ducks and geese have food and open water, they’re not going to migrate in massive numbers. Instinct kicks in when it’ s time to go and so far, Mother Nature hasn’t pushed them out of their summer haunts.

Unfortunately, there also was a tragic report of an accidental shooting Friday morning in the Mink Creek area on Guntersville Lake. Details still are sketchy but a hunter was transported via helicopter to Huntsville Hospital for surgery. Reports indicated he was retrieving, or about to retrieve, decoys when ducks came into the spread, he reached for his shotgun and a tree limb or brush snagged the trigger.

The hunter was struck in the thigh and required surgery to remove pellets, clothing and pieces of wader from his leg.

Our prayers go out to the hunter, his family and his hunting companion. I hope you’ll remember them in your thoughts and prayers as well.

Remember to keep your gun’s safety on at all times unless you’re about to shoot and be safe in the blind, boat and on the water. Accidents can happen in a blink of an eye.

 

Waterfowl seasons in the Southeast full of tradition, fun and are close at hand for hunters ready to go

 

Alabama’s waterfowl seasons open this week, one of the most anticipated hunting dates of the year and probably only second to the general firearms opener for whitetail deer (which was last weekend).

The first two days are teasers for the diehard duckers who have been champing at the bit to get into the blinds, blow their calls and wade or send Ol’ Rex out for a retrieve.

As usual with the early part of the season, there have been mixed reports about migrations and ducks on the pond. It hasn’t been crazy-cold up north yet with snow or ice and so a lot of ducks haven’t trekked down south.

Ducks are migratory and rely on the weather, along with their natural instincts. When they have food, water and shelter (or a comfortable area), they’ll stick around until they have to move. Right now there is plenty of corn in the upper Midwest and temperatures still are in the 40s to 50s for most of the Midwest and upper Iron Belt.

A couple of notable items concerning waterfowl season in Alabama and the Southeast:

Alabama

The season dates for ducks, coots and mergansers are Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 5 to Jan. 31, with shooting hours from 30 minutes prior to official sunrise until official sunset.

What is official sunrise and sunset? Those are the specific times set by the state for migratory bird hunters to begin shooting. Ethical hunters don’t fudge and stick to the times set by the state or federal officials.

Goose season

Alabama’s goose season is Dec. 5 to Jan. 31 for all geese, including the Southern James Bay Population Zone in portions of Madison, Limestone and Morgan counties.

That SJB zone is a small part of what used to be a much, much larger migration of Canada geese from the Southern James Bay area of Canada. James Bay is located in Ontario and Quebec, with the territorial boundary splitting the lake.

How did geese from there wind up in Alabama?

Migrations are interesting and often unexplained mysteries. I can only surmise – and this is a guess – that the Albany, Missinaibi and Atibiti rivers located in Ontario on the west side of James Bay somehow assisted with the migration by pulling the geese into the upper Mississippi Valley Flyway. From there, they toodled on down until reaching North Alabama and remnants of that population still do today.

Bag limits!

If you go hunting you should know the daily bag limits for Alabama, which are:

Six ducks a day, with no more than 4 of them being Mallards (no more than 2 of those being female), 3 wood ducks, 1 mottled duck, 1 black duck, 2 redheads, 1 pintail, 1 canvasback and 2 scaup.

The possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

You can shoot five mergansers a day, two of which may be hooded. Coots are 15 a day and 30 in possession.

For geese, the daily limit of 5 cannot include more than 2 Canada Geese or 2 White-Fronted Geese. The possession limit of 5 shall include no more than 4 Canada Geese and White-Fronted Geese in aggregate.

Hunting Licenses

Buy your license and stamps, and don’t forget the free federal Harvest Information Program permit. Sign your stamps in ink across the face and have everything with you.

Why do you have to sign the duck stamps in ink on the face? So you can’t transfer the stamp to another hunter and bilk the federal or state governments out of whatever fees they charge.

You also cannot sign the stamp in the white border. That’s not the “face” of the stamp.

If you hunt on Wildlife Management Areas, check the requirements for permits on those as well. Some states may require additional fees, maps, permits, stamps or other forms of admittance.

Alabama’s license information is:

Resident – State, $24

Non-Resident – Annual All Game, $275; Annual Small Game, $90; Ten-day Trip All Game, $170; Ten-day Trip Small Game, $55; Three-day Trip All Game, $120; Three-day Trip Small Game, $40

Federal Duck Stamp - $15

State Duck Stamp - $6

Tag! You’re it!

About 10 or so years ago I was hunting with a group here near Huntsville and we had just an absolutely fantastic day.

The ducks flew well, the dogs retrieve well, everything went well and we all met at the pickups at mid-morning. If there ever was a genuine “hunting scene” with guys laughing, retelling stories, pulling off waders and such, this was it.

All of our ducks were piled on the tailgate of a pickup. Best memory says there were 40 or 41 ducks lying there and none were separated into “his” or “his” or “mine” piles.

When “The Man” pulled up in his green pickup with the yellow Conservation Department shield on the side, we didn’t worry. No one had done anything wrong. He greeted us, checked licenses, etc., and all seemed OK.

“Whose ducks are these?” he asked, and someone said they were ours. “Yeah, but whose specific ducks are whose? You guys know they are supposed to be separated?”

We thought he was being nitpicky about it but I can see his point. Jimmy may have killed 18 and Joey couldn’t hit the side of the barn and killed only two. When the “our ducks” excuse is offered, no one can say which ones are which.

Keep your ducks to yourself or tag them if you’re going to give them to a friend or someone to take back to the camp or home. Tagging them is a requirement and here’s what the federal regs say about it:

TAGGING: No person shall give, put or leave any migratory game birds at any place or in the custody of another person unless the birds are tagged by the hunter with the following information:

1. The hunter’s signature.

2. The hunter’s address.

3. The total number of birds involved, by species.

4. The dates such birds were killed.

No person or business shall receive or have in custody any migratory game birds belonging to another person unless such birds are properly tagged.

Hunting in Mississippi?

Mississippi has some fantastic waterfowl opportunities and a long, storied history due to its famed Delta region and the Mississippi River.

If you’re hunting over there and need info, you can find out just about everything you need to know here to get going. This is a great site and Mississippi’s Conservation Department folks do a superb job with that info and Web page.

And for Arkansas?

A lot of waterfowlers  enjoy visiting Arkansas to hunt flooded timber, rice fields and get a bit of the tradition in their muddy waders for a few days.

You can get the state’s waterfowl hunting guide to find out all the skinny on where to hunt and regulations. If you’re going this weekend, you also may want to visit the 74th World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart. Ryan Crew of Pinson will be competing this season in his third appearance in five years.

 

Coming Wednesday: Some waterfowl recipes

Coming Thursday: New waterfowl decoys from Avery, and some other stuff!

 

 

Carving a turkey is easier if you follow the ‘road map’ laid out by the bones and have a sharp knife

We’ve all seen the sugar-sweet movie clips or magazine holiday photos of Pa in his cardigan wielding a knife and meat fork at the dinner table, with a flowery centerpiece surrounded by bowls of steaming vegetables and eager scrub-faced children — only two, of course, instead of 7 clamoring like weasels — patiently waiting for the giant drumstick.

If a turkey had three legs and, of course, three drumsticks then all those photos would have had three children licking their lips. I can’t remember if young girls ate drumsticks in those photos, though. Was that ladylike back in the 1940s and 50s and 60s? Seems I recall only boys vying for those bony orbs and one drumstick being enough.

The turkey glistens like a shining beacon of hope for the family, holidays, wealth, health, good fortune and maybe a little late night holiday woo-woo-woo for the host couple once everyone leaves or passes out from a food coma. Pa will put away his pipe, make sure his hair is slicked back in the best Ward impersonation, while Ma removes her apron and re-applies lipstick before sitting down at the table.

Then, the carving begins. Movie version has everyone getting a perfect slice, straight from the bird on the table. Pa has such a deft hand and, of course, that wonderful knowledge of how to do anything. He can re-wire the house, grow championship pumpkins and carve a turkey with such precision it appears Marcus Welby is wielding the knife.

In the real world, grass-stained kids who have been playing football have to be told a second time to settle down and wash up for the meal. The football game remains on the tube for background noise. There’s a heightened sense of anticipation for the fixins’ and, quite possibly, a glazed ham, grilled chickens or even some ribs on the Big Green Egg as an option to go along with the turkey. Ma will be a bit harried, Dad will look in a kitchen drawer for his “best carving knife” and the ensuing carving possibly will be … a train wreck.

“Alan, why don’t you carve the turkey for us,” my mother-in-law asked a few years ago. To me, that was sort of like Tony Stewart asking me to change the oil filter before his next lap. Doable, of course, but something I didn’t want to mess up.

I made it through just fine, though, and after watching this great video from the New York Times “Dining & Wine” section I did some of the same suggestions. On the video, third-generation butcher Ray Venezia of Fairway Market in New York takes apart a nice turkey with ease.

Watch the video. Think about the turkey being easy to disassemble. It’s not difficult. Just have a sharp knife, don’t overpower anything and it’ll go smoothly. Don’t carve it right after pulling it from the fryer or oven, either. Let it sit for a bit to cool down. Otherwise you’ll burn your fingertips and scream words that Ma doesn’t like.

If you don’t want to watch a video, check out this graphic with photos that tells you much of the same.

Other stuff, too!

If you’re prepping for the holiday, the Times also has 101 tips for doing things early to save time on Thanksgiving.

Check out the NYT’s food section and look down at the bottom in the Video section for Mark Bittman’s “Minimalist” clips. One of the highlighted ones is Sweet Potatoes with Sage and Prosciutto.

Looks great. I’m trying that one this weekend.

Read Bittman’s story about his 101 suggestions and you may find a few to try as well.

And, for wild game dishes

If you’re preparing some wild game dishes and want a new twist on deer, duck, pheasant or other critters, noted chef Scott Leysath of California can provide a few ideas.

Report: Genmar sale info could be presented next week

Soundings Trade Only has reported that Genmar Holdings could provide details about their impending sale or other move by next week.

The report says the Genmar president, Richard Cloutier II, sent a letter to dealers reassuring them nothing wild is going on, but there is “just a great deal of work to be done.”

This letter was sent and doesn’t offer any great insights. But with dealers curious what’s happening going into the winter boat show season, and fishermen wondering about the FLW Outdoors series, a little reassurance is a good thing.

 

 

Due to its screw-up, TVA wants Bridgeport land held by the same family for more than 175 years

This week I was in Bridgeport, a small Alabama community about 20 or so miles southwest of Chattanooga, for a media function at the Yamaha Marine Group test facility.

The test facility is gated, fenced and has enough security to choke a mule. They do testing on outboards and boats, design work and other things there that help anglers and boaters. The facility is on the Tennessee River and, obviously, that’s a plus if you need to test a big outboard engine.

While driving through Bridgeport I spied a state historical marker and stopped. It was on Alabama 227 near the railroad tracks and a few headstones. They were there for the soldiers killed in the Civil War battle in Bridgeport, which the Union won and therefore controlled the rail lines over the river. Back then, the river wasn’t dammed and was smaller. Ferry crossings, rail lines and other points where navigation was easy were important for the military.

Anyway, back home I was searching for some information on Bridgeport and ran across a bit about the annual re-enactment held each year. My family went a couple of years ago and I loved it. Can’t say the same for the wife and kids, although I think the “old style” root beer was a hit.

Then I found this story about the Tennessee Valley Authority wanting to purchase the land where the siege re-enactment is held due to TVA’s screw-up last spring at its Widows Creek facility. Gypsum ash there flooded into a creek and the river after a holding pond dam broke, similar to the Kingston disaster last year but thankfully not as bad.

According to this information, TVA has purchased land around the McCraw’s property. So far the family has held out and is hanging on to its land, which has been in the family for 175 years.

Think about that … 175 years of land in your family, and because of a containment pond screw-up the giant quasi-government agency wants to come in and just buy it.

Money’s not the issue, or it wouldn’t be for me. It would be a matter of family history, of the memories and of knowing you have a slice of beautiful land that’s all yours.

Ranger Boats seen as plum among Genmar assets

 

If the assets of Genmar Holdings are auctioned, many see Ranger Boats as possibly the biggest plum hanging on the tree.

The Baxter Bulletin had a piece last week about the situation, which is worth checking. It’s neither long nor detailed but does have at least one quote that is interesting, at least to me.

“This is not just another bankruptcy; it’s about as high profile as you have ever seen in the marine industry,” Gary Potter, vice president of EZ Loader Boat Trailers Inc., told The Bulletin.

The industry has undergone waves of buyouts, closures, bankruptcies and other financial dealings for decades. Genmar built itself, essentially, buying distressed or troubled companies. Now it’s in the same boat, so to speak, and the entire fishing and boating industry is watching carefully.

Some other recent stories and links:

http://www.startribune.com/business/69012422.html

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/500681-textron-files-objection-in-genmar-case

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/500768-judge-allows-genmar-to-work-with-potential-bidder

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/500958-genmar-objects-to-flw-outdoors-motion-on-engines

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/500824-jacobs-resigns-as-genmar-ceo

http://bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=3455

 

 

FLW Outdoors, Bombardier settle lawsuit and reach agreement on new sponsorship deal

From FLW Outdoors

MINNEAPOLIS – FLW Outdoors and BRP have signed a new multi-year agreement, marking their ninth consecutive year as a sponsor of FLW Outdoors.

FLW Outdoors also confirmed it has settled its lawsuit with BRP out of court. BRP, through its Evinrude brand remains an official sponsor and intends to continue, as it did in recent years, to offer a contingency program to reward anglers. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We are very pleased that this is behind us and BRP has decided to extend their association with FLW Outdoors,” said Trisha Blake, Chief Marketing Officer & Executive Vice President of FLW Outdoors. “We look forward to building upon our long-standing partnership with BRP as we continue to grow the sport of fishing.”

“Many professional anglers have been choosing Evinrude as their preferred brand which is why the angler community has always been a critical component of our overall marketing strategy,” stated Yves Leduc, Vice president and General Manager, North America division. “This multi-year agreement reaffirms BRP’s commitment to the outboard business through its Evinrude products and to fishing enthusiasts.”

The official details and rules of the contingency program will be available at FLWOutdoors.com.

BRP, through its Evinrude brand, will receive exposure and will be allowed a prominent presence across the various platforms of FLW Outdoors, including all bass and walleye events (189 total), FLW Outdoors’ multiple websites, FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors Magazine, “FLW Outdoors” television show on Versus and additional functions operated by FLW Outdoors.

BRP will also receive the opportunity to set up a major display promoting their Evinrude products, anglers and provide promotional offers to fans at the FLW Outdoors Family Fun Zone and Outdoor Show, surrounding the FLW Tour and championship events, and the Reel Life Festivals, held in conjunction with National Guard FLW College Fishing.

BRP, through its Evinrude brand, will continue to be a major supporter of FLW Fantasy Fishing, which is free to play and has offered the largest awards in fantasy sports history, with various prizes and promotions.

Alabama duck stamp art contest set to open in January

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Alabama artists can celebrate the New Year by entering the 2009 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp art contest, which opens Jan. 1.

According to M.N. Pugh, director of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, the winning artwork will be used as the design of the 2011-2012 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp. The competition is open to resident Alabama artists only. Entries will be accepted from Jan. 1 until the Feb. 16 contest deadline.

Display of all entries, to which the public will be invited, will be held Feb. 26 at the Richard Beard Building in Montgomery.  Following the showing, three judges from the fields of art, ornithology and wildlife conservation will select the winning waterfowl art.

Contest coordinator David C. Hayden, Assistant Chief of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries’ Wildlife Section, advises artists that entries must not exceed 9 by 12 inches (15 by 18 inches matted).

Only original horizontal artworks depicting a species of North American migratory duck or goose will be eligible. The Hooded Merganser, Wood Duck and Pintail—depicted in the winning artwork of three previous year’s contests—are not eligible as the subject.

Hayden says judging criteria will emphasize uncluttered design suitable for printing as a stamp, anatomical accuracy of the illustrated species and artistic rendering. Close attention must be given to tone and detail, since those aspects are prerequisites for printing artwork as a stamp.  Wing and feather construction must be particularly well defined.  Entrants may submit a painting or drawing; past contest entries have included works in oil, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media, all of which are eligible.

For contest information and entry forms, contact:

David Hayden, Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries Division, 64 North Union Street, Room 584, Montgomery, Alabama 36130 or call (334) 242-3469.

A gubberment representative, a wedding and an expensive newspaper … all in one nice, tidy morning

Had to head downtown Monday morning for some errands and stopped at the local coffeebucks for my usual medium vanilla latte with two extra shots.

In coffeebucks-speak, that’s a “Quad” and probably has enough short-term energy to light the new Ares missile for a test run on the pad. But, I don’t mess around. I would rather get juiced in one tank than have to keep going back to the well for several hours. Running probably would do the same for my blood pressure but I hate running. Has anyone ever — and I mean, ever? — seen a runner with a smile on their face while actually running? No. They look like someone is horse-whipping them into submission.

While at the coffeebucks, I picked up a New York Times for a quick perusal. Actually reading all the interesting stories would take much longer but this morning it wasn’t in the cards. I spent a few minutes going over several things, though, in the 4-section paper that now costs a few bucks per day. That’s fine with me. I don’t mind paying for quality and expertise.

When any company begins slashing its staff, losing experienced employees, offering changes that are merely to get them to leave, raising prices, lowering quality and generally reducing the integrity of the product, the consumer responds. Doesn’t matter if it’s a car manufacturer, a coffee shop, a lawn service, a restaurant or a computer company. You can’t continue to put out a quality product with fewer people, less experience, smaller offerings and still retain the confidence of consumers.

About a year ago I quit drinking coffee at a national chain because it sucked. The quality had deteriorated, it had become a shovel-it-out business and, in a word, unfun. The company had lost its way. They revamped, made some noticeable changes and I’m drinking coffee there again on occasion. Quads, of course.

At the coffeebucks I noticed U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith of Huntsville, who was ordering to go and chatting with folks in line. Nice guy. He’s a Democrat who finds himself in office during one of the most interesting and arguably tumultuous times in our country’s history. Obama’s election, the recession, government bailouts, health care … it’s quite a lot on America’ s plate.

I happened to be looking at the New York Times‘ big (and nice) graphic about how the U.S. House voted on the health care issue. Griffith voted no. I started to ask him to join me for a few moments to chat about it and some other things, but didn’t want him to be cornered on a Monday morning. Plus, he looked like he had a meeting or something. Sometimes, folks just deserve a little bit of normalcy. Coffee, a few handshakes and out the door.

While at the Madison County Courthouse for an errand, I spied a couple standing in front of a man looking through a folder. Assuming he was a Justice of the Peace and they were lovebirds, I wondered if they were about to be married. They were, right under the ground floor staircase at the base of the giant tile mural on the north side.

A wedding! This is the wedding I always figured I’d like to have: Simple, short, not a lot of who-ha and out the door. Save the money, save the stress and just make it me and the little woman. I stood there, uninvited, listening and watching as the noisy cacophony of a Monday morning at the courthouse transpired around us.

Heels clicked on the marble floor as a woman walked by. Security guards manning the metal detectors on the west side entrance kept working. Conversational chatter from other parts of the lobby did not cease. I noticed two people glance over, smile and keep walking.

The vows were simplified to the “Do you, (state your name), take this woman …” routine and that was it. Nothing personal, nothing extra. Just the vows. The couple already had on their rings. They were middle-aged adults who knew what they wanted. Vows, smooch, smiles and done. The Justice of the Peace (or whatever he was) was walking away before they even kissed to seal the deal. He didn’t even shake hands with the new groom.

The groom spied me and smiled, and I nodded and smiled. I hope they are blissfully and happily married for years and years. Maybe they had to go on to work. Maybe they were about to catch a flight to an island, or their island ceremony got blown away by Hurricane Ida … so the courthouse was the next best thing. Who knows?

In three or four minutes, maybe five, a wedding took place. I didn’t hear any mention of God and there was no prayer, so maybe it was non-denominational. Maybe that’s what the courthouse ceremony consists of. Dunno for sure. All I know is outside of the couple, me and the guy performing the ceremony, no one seemed to care. I felt sad in a way because they were by themselves under a staircase. They had no one to throw rice or whoop-whoop for them. I hope the couple loves each other enough that nothing else mattered at that moment.

But I also decided I much better liked the ceremony I had with my lovely bride on that freezing cold day almost 20 years ago, and am glad she didn’t take my advice to save money at the courthouse. She’s the smart one in our family. Of course.