BUSHWHACKING HOLSTON RIVER WOODIES
by Mike Faulk



I’m not much at calling woodies. Who is for that matter? And I’ve never enjoyed great success at landing the crested king of the early migration in a spread of woodie decoys. But the late summer draw down of the TVA reservoirs in northeast Tennessee provides a good mid-September opportunity to have a great hunt bushwhacking woodies.

With big meandering bends covering 3-4 miles of water, numerous feeder creeks, and one-half of its volume of water coming from the uncontrolled northern branch, the Holston River below the confluence of its forks and below the restricted Holston Army Ammunition plant is prime territory for hunters willing to invest a little extra effort to bushwhack woodies.

Since there are boat ramps every two miles or so, water fowlers in eastern Hawkins County have easy access for float trips lasting from a couple of hours to the entire day. A pace of about two miles per hour is average unless TVA is drawing down the closest upstream lake, Fort Patrick Henry, in which case the pace is twice as fast.

It’s a good idea to know ahead of time TVA’s generating schedule. TVA publishes its generating schedule and its available daily by calling TVA headquarters. If there is no release scheduled, you’ll know where to spot your downstream pick-up vehicle because the river depth will be too shallow to motor back upstream to where you embarked.

Late summer conditions around this northeast Tennessee river in many ways mimic the very late season conditions along the more favored water fowling areas of the state. Farm ponds are dry, not frozen; nevertheless, they are useless to early migrators looking for safe cover. Creeks are low and inaccessible because of thick foliage. Crops not yet matured provide as little to eat as winter’s harvested fields. And acorns aren’t yet plentiful.

Even in September, the main channel of this 300-500 feet wide stream has numerous log falls and sandbars. When coupled with narrow sluices around twenty or so islands ranging from one to sixty acres, these log falls and sandbars create a suitable haven for woodies and early season teal.

It’s not uncommon to jump 2-3 groups of woodies per mile. Flocks of a dozen are about the maximum. Two to four birds per encounter are average. Teal tend to travel in slightly larger groups. Harvesting percentages are better with the smaller groups anyway.




Basic strategy calls for stalking the birds from a flat bottom Jon boat with a shooter and an oarsman. The flat bottom allows the boat to travel over logs hidden slightly under the waterline and is easier to drag across sandbars and shallow shoals. A boat longer than fifteen feet is tough to handle. A river Jon is better than a lake Jon since it isn’t as wide and is easier for one person to maneuver.

Knowledge of the river is essential. Because of the generating schedule, the obstacles in the river and their location change every day - not just after a heavy rain. Hanging the boat on an invisible limb or banging into a submerged boulder seems to always happen just out of shooting range (35-45 yards) and just before jumping a group of birds. Add an early fall fog to a hunt that begins 30 minutes before sunrise to complete this recipe for frustration.

The idea is to stay in the shadows, as near to the bank as water depth will allow. The oarsman will have his work cut out for him negotiating around logs, limbs, and rocks in the water and low branches overhanging the shoreline. Depending on the way obstacles lay in the water, the shooter may have an easier shot when the boat is broadside rather than facing downstream.

It’s up to the oarsman to try to get the boat into range, produce the best shot, and keep the occupants safe. Steering the boat is easier when there’s some current. Birds are pushed closer to the shore in current. The danger is greater, too. Due to the serpentine pattern taken by the boat, running into an obstacle broadside makes overturning a common fear. Never lean upstream to help the boat clear the obstacle. Always lean downstream into the object.

Paddles are important. Although, otherwise traveling light will make dragging that Jon boat over sandbars much easier, carry three paddles for two people. The third paddle often becomes necessary when you’ve broken one of the others prying the boat off some slimy log or rock. The oarsman will need a 5-6 foot paddle for steering and for forceful strokes to propel the boat past trouble spots. The shooter needs a 4 foot paddle to assist with rowing through areas of dead water and sparse cover and to help clear the boat when it hangs up. The shooter needs to keep his paddle close at hand for emergencies. Given the choice, an unscheduled dip in the Holston with loss of your gear and perhaps your life seems a poor alternative to being ready for “just one more bird.”

Also, two other comments on paddles: first, sand the lacquer off and paint them flat black. Water dripping off a shinny paddle when hit with sunlight is just like using a mirror to send Morse code to the wood ducks saying, “Here we come. You can fly now.” Secondly, the sound of a paddle, wooden or metal, clanging on the side of a metal Jon boat carries -- it seems forever or at least to the next flight of birds, which spook after hearing that most unnatural sound.

Stealth is good. Woodies don’t see marsh grass or anything else cream colored or light brown float down the river in September. They do see dark logs and the river grass that has grown throughout the summer to three feet or so. It starts turning loose from the bottom and washing downstream in big clumps when the fall reservoir draw down begins.

A big pile of this river grass overhanging the bow of the boat makes for good camouflage. Also the reeds growing in canebrakes up and down the river make a good front and side cover for the boat. Cut them off so they stand 12"-18" above the rim of the boat. If any taller, they hang up in the low branches and leaves that overhang the water. While these branches are home to few snakes, they are full of spider webs and bugs.

Few leaves have turned by mid-September. Dark green camoflage is better than any marshland pattern. For the fogless sunny morning, a facemask is a must.
Avoid much talking. Whisper when you must. An easy signal to your partner that you have spotted birds ahead is a simple wiggle of your bottom just enough to rock the boat. Show the right or left hand down low below the line of sight blocked by the disguise on the front of the boat and indicate with fingers how many birds lie ahead. Movement is a dead giveaway - whether in a blind or on the water.

Two boat cushions allow the gunner to sit in the floor of the boat with a backrest so his vision is slightly above the materials covering the front of the boat. The oarsman is seated normally on the back seat allowing him to see over the gunner’s head while at the same time hiding behind the shooter.

Take turns being the shooter. Almost all the firepower should come out of the front of the boat. While the oarsman is loaded with his shotgun within reach, the oarsman should shoot cleanup only. Birds flaring in the opposite direction from those taking the gunner’s fire are acceptable targets. Hunting partners should discuss and clearly designate shooting zones. Trespassing in the other water fowler’s shooting zone can be fatal. Keep in mind that the oarsman’s muzzle blast will be near the ears and head of the gunner if pursuing the same birds. Earplugs are a must for the gunner. Under no circumstance should the gunner stand up while guns are loaded in the boat. My rule is only one person is to stand in my boat when loading and unloading the boat. Otherwise, occupants should remain seated. The instability of two people standing increases the chance for an unscheduled baptism. No standing in the boat --period -- if there are loaded weapons.

Trolling motors are useful in tracking down cripples. Sometimes the slow moving current speeds up where the river width constricts. Inevitably, you’ll shoot a bird just before reaching such a spot and there the cripple goes shooting down the river while your oarsman struggles to keep up. A trolling motor will allow you to get ahead of the bird so it to float to you. Caution: it’s illegal to shoot waterfowl when your boat is underway by means of mechanical propulsion. See that the trolling motor is completely off before you shoot.

Challenging describes the shooting done from the floor of a Jon boat while in the most awkward of positions, while passing under branches and around logs, and while moving downstream at 2-4 miles per hour at a bird as it accelerates to 40 miles per hour. Following a few simple rules and taking a few extra minutes to plan your float trip on the Holston will prepare you for the challenge.

- First Published September, 2001
Southeastern Outdoors

ANDY'S FIRST SQUIRREL HUNT

by Mike Faulk

The heat-wave from Indian summer had finally broken. It was a perfect, cool, late-August morning with an unmistakable hint of the change of seasons to come. The first thermos with strong black coffee had been sealed. As the second was topped off with hot chocolate, a wave of nostalgia overcame me as we prepared to leave for the woods.

As a boy, I associated days like this with two things: school starting and opening day of squirrel season. Volunteer fans everywhere associate the third Saturday of October with the traditional Tennessee-Alabama football rivalry. Squirrel hunters in Tennessee renew their tradition each year on the fourth Saturday of August. This Saturday morning was special as it would not only renew that tradition but also begin a tradition for a new generation.

Anticipation is at least half the thrill of any hunt. The night before this particular squirrel hunt had been no exception. In fact, the anticipation for both Andy and me was extraordinary. His excitement was unbridled.

Before his normal bedtime, he laid out his camouflage outfit. In his bathroom he placed the little jars of face paint nearest his sink. Immediately preceding his “now-I-lay-me-down-to-sleep” routine, he repeated his instructions: watch were you step, be quiet, don’t sit down or put your hands on anything without first looking, look for rustling leaves, always stay behind when daddy’s ready to shoot, let dad pick the squirrel up first so we’re sure its dead.

His first trip into my bedroom came less than thirty minutes after I turned out his light. The second came about thirty minutes after I turned off my light. He finally fell asleep just after midnight.

Realizing the importance in showing a new hunter some initial success, I admit I was a bit nervous. Hunting was such a big part of my relationship with my dad during my boyhood years. I surely wanted Andy to have an enjoyable experience fueling his desire to do it again with the old man. But, the attention span of a six year old is limited. I new we’d need to move from tree to tree. There would be no sitting and waiting as usual. We wouldn’t stay out long least he become bored. So we needed to see a few bushy tails in short order.

With his delayed bedtime, I had to balance my inclination to be in the woods just before daybreak with Andy’s biological clock. The late start would diminish our chances for taking a squirrel or two but it would also aid his satisfaction more than would an early awakening.

In the woods by 8a.m., we made our way from walnut to hickory to oak. In less than two hours, we had three squirrels – two gray and one red. Following his instructions to perfection, he waiting until I retrieved the first one. Then he wanted to inspect the animal. Thankfully, there wasn’t much blood. He was most impressed with those front teeth.

I expected there might be a need for some a deep discussion about life and death. I was wrong. He wanted to play with the squirrel like the stuffed animals decorating his bedroom.

True to form, I missed the second squirrel I fired on as it ran around the backside of a limb. I’ll never forget those big blue eyes as he looked up at me. It was the exact same look I get from Jack the black lab when I miss a duck though it was tougher disappointing the little guy than old Jack. Oddly, I worried about his observing, first hand, that Pops isn’t perfect – at least not a perfect shot.

He watched with only minor disgust as I cleaned the first squirrel. I’ll never forget watching dad do the same thing. I ran inside to mom to tattle on my dad for “taking the squirrel’s britches off!”

I quartered the squirrels, put them in a stoneware bowl, covered them with salted water, and refrigerated them for the rest of the afternoon. After parboiling, the quarters were de-boned and the meat returned to fresh water where it was brought to a rolling boil. Opening a small can, I pinched each of the biscuits into pieces and added them to the boiling water to make dumplings. While he wasn’t all that impressed with the food, he was satisfied and ate a six-year old sized bowl of squirrel and dumplings.

With the meal completed, I, too, was sated. The anticipation before our hunt was outstanding. We had a good time together. He enjoyed being with me in the woods. Andy learned several things. We had success. We ate what we killed. We each felt the satisfaction that comes from hunting – an acknowledgement that within our genes is this desire and need.

Just as importantly, opening day tradition had been passed on. Even though he died twelve days after Andy’s birth, Dad’s presence was with us all day long. I felt his smile.

EARLY GOOSE SEASON ONLY FOUR WEEKS AWAY!
by Mike Faulk

Thirty minutes before sunrise, September 1, 2006, is four weeks from tomorrow. Play your cards right on that day and you'll have time to harvest the liberal limit of five Canada geese, dress each for the refrigerator or freeze, and make it to a dove field for a high noon opening day dove hunt in Tennessee's first segment of dove season. Yes, you may read excitement into my voice!

Preparing for fall hunting seasons has been mostly toil up to this point. Food plots have taken the bulk of our attention over the summer months on Strum Island. Tree stands have been checked and maintained. Bow practice has started. It's time now to get the old bags out and check the decoys.

Thankfully, few decoys are needed for wood ducks. Rarely have I observed more than a dozen woodies together, so I never use more than that in my spread for early wood duck season. We try to segregate the goose decoys from the woodies.

Because of the difficulty for landing in such tight quarters, I pack the woody dekes in close and string the goose decoys out upstream hoping for a descent into the fringe of our firing range [were the geese can get down into my spread] and then a little drifting into the firing hole.

We usually limit on wood ducks. Geese are a bit scarce by the opening Saturday of early wood duck season. All the pass gunners have taken pot shots at the geese for a week or more at that point. But, occasionally we get lucky. The odds are good enough for me to devote the time necessary to deploy a dozen or more goose decoys.

There is definitely a cost-benefit analysis to do this time of year. It can still be pretty darn warm during these early seasons. Wasps are still very active. So are the snakes. So, I try to maximize my results from minimum effort on the likes of decoys. And, I'm reminded of a frequent poignant inquiry from my ex-wife: "Why don't you just stand there with a bag of Wonder bread? It works in the park. Wouldn't that be cheaper than all those decoys?"