Prayers sent

Get plain old Muratic Acid sold at hardware or pool supply stores. It is used to adjust ph in swimming pools.
Wear some gloves and pour it slowly on oil stain. Let set a few minutes, rinse off. Repeat if necessary. It will pull
the oil out of the concrete.

When dealing with the merle gene in Catahoulas, the only sure way to identify a true
solid color dog is with DNA testing. The majority of dogs that appear to be solid are
actually single merle dogs. Also, a dog that may appear to be a single merle (normal
looking leopard) may be a double merle when DNA tested. The double merle dogs
are the ones with potential hearing and sight problems. A few breeding examples below.

Solid X Solid = Solid pups, no chance of merle pups.

Solid X Single Merle = Some pups will be merle and some pups will be solid. No
                                  double merle pups .

Single Merle X Single Merle = This breeding can produce double merle, single merle,
                                             or solid pups.

Solid X Double Merle = Each pup will get a solid gene from the solid parent and a
                                   merle gene from the double merle parent. ALL pups will be
                                    single merle.

Double Merle X Single Merle = Some pups will be double merle and half will be single
                                              merle.

Most breedings that take place are single merle to single merle. If you get some double merle pups from making this breeding, don't breed the same dogs again. Knowing and
studying the line of dogs your breeding will definitely help in identifying which crosses to
avoid. In 5 litters (40 pups) of breeding single merle to single merle, I have had one pup
born deaf. Out of the 5 litters, I only got a few leopards in each litter. Most of the pups
I get are black, red, brindle or buckskin.    Back in the day before the popularity just
about ruined the Catahoula breed, and yes I believe the breed is just about ruined except
for a very small percentage of good working lines, the Old Timers followed 2 simple rules
to avoid producing pups with hearing and eye problems. They had these sayings:
       1. "You have to breed the blacks to get the blues".
       2. " Never breed them faded, washed out colored, dogs."

We have bears here, surely they wouldn't try that around here. If a hog can get it open, a bear easily can.

Read the article in the link below. It will only affect pigs. They are planning on putting the salt compound
into strawberry flavored gelatin bait cubes then coating it in wax to protect it from rain before being distributed
in the wild. This article mentions no boxes or feeders that the pigs will have to open to get to it. All other
animals carry an enzyme that prevents them from being affected. It's just a type of salt that causes death in
pigs within 30 minutes because  their red blood cells lose the ability to carry oxygen to different tissues in the body.
                  http://theadvocate.com/home/8616467-125/agcenter-explores-new-way-to

If I could only have 2 baits for bass it would be a red shad worm rigged Texas style and a white spinner bait with gold blades.
For catfish you could try night crawlers on the bottom or under a cork. Crawfish works well this time of year. If that creek is
crystal clear it will be tough catching bass. Right at dawn and sunset or overcast days will be best.

Here is a link to the article that was in the paper about the poison bait being developed at LSU

            http://theadvocate.com/home/8616467-125/agcenter-explores-new-way-to

Thank You Jim, that sounds amazing!  I'm at the age of settling in.. and don't have much family.  This area is green with Public land, for those that don't or can't own a large track of private property yet.  I'm hoping just one VA hospital and my future wife writing from home... should be enough work to live near a paradise of sorts.  The plan is to feel out these small towns, and really talk to people.  Cherokee sounds like a prime spot for recreation, and hoofing it throughout the mountains. 

Check out Tellico Plains and Coker Creek area in Tenn. and nearby Andrews and Murphy in North Carolina.

I've never hunted east Tennessee but my wife and I spend 2 weeks every year in the mountains. The Tenn. North Carolina border area
is some of the most beautiful and least populated area of the whole Appalachians. The Cherokee National Forest is over 650,000  acres
and comprises nearly the entire border. This is big time Plott Hound country. They use the same dogs to hunt both bear and hogs.
There are a few small mountain communities situated in and around the national forest. If you are considering living in Tenn., this area
would definitely be worth checking out. The recreational opportunities are huge in this area, not just hunting.

P&P. Vest and collar $145. shipping included.

Just a suggestion:  I have a lawn service and I use Mobil 1 fully synthetic motorcycle oil in all the
transaxles on the zero turn mowers. After burning a few trans axles up, a buddy recommended
the Mobil 1 motorcycle oil. I have not had any issues since. The transaxles run MUCH cooler with
this oil. With the stock base oil you could fry an egg on the transaxles. With the fully synthetic
motorcycle oil you can lay your hands on the housings. The Mobil 1 motorcycle oils are formulated
for engines and transmissions that share the same oil.

                          http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/NAUSENPVLMOMobil_1_Motorcycle_Oils.aspx

Will send e mails tonight. We need to convince family and friends to send e mails also. We really
need to hit on them points Shotgun mentioned.

I really like the Sportmix in the black bag but Tractor Supply is the only one that carries it
in my area. It's $25.99 for 40 lb, bag.  Then they only stock 2 to 3 bags. Once or twice they
were out, had to settle on another Sportmix formula.

Like Mike said, we are all on here. Me and my son got a few dogs we raised from pups. They are 2 1/2 
now. They find a few hogs now and then. We don't have the spots nor the hog numbers to consistently
stay on em but no complaints. I get some invites to hunt in Miss. and Pearl River,La. with some young
folks I met on this board. At my age (52), I just enjoy being in the woods when I get a chance. I don't
care about the numbers, or limiting out on fish or ducks,etc.... When I was younger it was ALL about
the numbers and limiting out on what ever it was we was hunting or fishing. As far as posting pictures,
I posted pics of one hunt and my fricking neighbors who I didn't know were lurking on here, figured
out where we were hunting and went and back doored us and we lost that spot. So I learned a lesson.
I am always humbled by the young folks on here that have been respectful to me and the other older folks on the board. I really do enjoy this site so if I'm considered an Internet Hunter because I don't get to hunt as much as most, and one of my favorite hobbies is this site,  well........

Mr. Jim I am amazed at that first pic you posted.  You looked just like David does now.

That first pic was about 32 yrs. ago.  I was in my early 20's. That young'un in the second pic is Kip. He's
about 20 now.  And that's ole David with me in the third pic. He's 27 now.

Guys for what its worth, I see the term loggerhead being used in a here a couple times.  Loggerheads are part of the marine mammal protection act, and a federal offense to harass, harvest or even posses their shell/remains.  Just sayin.

Loggerheads aren't listed in the act, so as far as I can tell Bon-appetite.

That's right. A Loggerhead is a sea turtle. Where I'm from Cajuns always called Alligator Snapping Turtles
Loggerheads also.

Riddle me this?

What color is the meat?   Never sawed into one personally.  But heard some wild rumors.

Some of the meat is red, not as red as deer meat, but the consistency of deer meat. Some of it is translucent (some say white),
like frog legs, real fine meat  and some is a mixture of the 2, about the look of chicken. The front and hind quarters are red meat
transitioning into the clear meat.   We don't keep any under 40 lbs because they are all head and shell and they yield little meat,
just seems a waste for the little meat you get.  Now the bigger ones, I remember the one in the top pic was 110 lbs,  He yielded
65 lbs, of meat (on the bone) after we cleaned him. Every thing is done with him on his back. After bottom shell is off everything
is right there. Skin and cut each leg quarter out then the tail then the neck. A lot of meat in his neck running into his head.
Now everything is separated from the shell. Cut the feet off at the joints then you have to skin the hide off each piece like a deer.
You can't pull the hide from the meat , it has to be skinned. You can clean a big logger head pretty quick.

They are very simple to clean. If you look at the pics you see his bottom shell connects to the top by just a little piece on both sides.
You cut that with a hatchet then skin the bottom shell off, takes about a minute. 

I mainly catch them on lines tied to a tree along an old natural bayou in the swamp. I bait a hook with a piece of carp and gently push
it into the sediment a few inches...  I also was taught by my grandfather how to pole them out of their caves with a hook pole during
the cold winter months when they are hibernating. They dig holes in the bank and they pile on top of one another to hibernate.

If you notice on the pic of Myles shell, there are 3 rows of "spurs" on his back. if you catch a large one and his spurs are tall and pointed,
there are probably not many turtles in the area. If you catch one that his spurs are worn down and rounded off, there is a good population. If you catch one that the rows of spurs are slap worn down , then you have a lot of logger heads in the area.  When they
are hibernating they pile on top of one another and that's what wears them spurs down. The more turtles in a hole the more they wear
each others spurs down .

Not many people fish them anymore. You have to get in some really remote backwoods swamps to find them.

Yes, they are a delicacy. Turtle Sauce Piquante cooked for hours served over rice . 

           

             These are some I caught from the late 70's to 80's. South La.   Myles I know you guys like noodling
              but I would be too scared to try that down here with all the gators and turtles and such.
                I kept all the shells and skulls but the skulls disappeared. 

X2 on the slapping myrtle/ logger head, that skulls in pretty good condition, did you find it or boil it?

Y'all want to see some pictures of some nice SadousRiverbottommous  we caught through the years ?
  And yes Myles, that's skulls in great shape, a nice representative of a Riverbottommous.

Looks like a plan to me Justin.  I'm not a fan of a floor in a box for the same reasons you mentioned. I also
prefer a solid divider separating the 2 holes. I think your gate on top should be hinged on the bottom of gate.
Also if you wanted, you could get by with a 20" tall box and cut 4" off the overall height.  I couldn't make my mind
up on how tall to get my box built and the guys on here convinced me to go 20" tall. I'm glad I did.