66-year-old lady takes elk near Pineville

Got off the phone with Ed Heckel. Found out his sister, Sandra Gay, took an impressive 6 x 6 bull elk Oct. 5. The elk was shot about 16 miles from Pineville in either Bell or Knox County…seems there’s a shortage of county line markers in the mountains.
Anyway, this 66-year-old lady nailed her elk with a shot from a 338-belted mag., which for those of you not necessarily into rifles, is one honker of a bullet.
While her son, and semi-professional guide, John Sutherland, had sighted the rifle…so she could avoid the recoil…Sandra says she didn’t even feel the recoil when she shot!
That in itself is an amazing reality. You can pattern a 3 1/2-inch magnum shotgun for waterfowl or turkey and possibly be in the market for a good orthopedic surgeon. But, take the same shotgun and 3 1/2-inch load, fire a round…or several…at a Mallard or Old Tom…and you probably won’t feel a thing.
So why doesn’t it hurt? It’s as simple as an adrenalin rush!
My “sighting in” was much less traumatic. No matter how many times you shoot a 22 calibur you won’t experience any shoulder bruising kick.
But, I’ve put a new scope on my in-line muzzleloader…which I’ve never shot…so sighting the smoke pole in could cause a little concern.
This may not even be necessary unless I actually find a place to hunt! Looks like sighting anything in will be a “just-in-case.” As in “just in case” I find a spot!
Deer season has snuck up on me this year. My sons have been hunting with archery equipment for several weeks and last weekend was the youth only hunt.
While I haven’t heard of anything being taken, I did hear some shots while fishing at Fagan Branch last Saturday.
* My reason for fishing Saturday was to participate in the first ever Woodlawn Baptist Church Open Bass Tournament which was very “different.”
What was different?
Well to start, there was no entry fee. But, there was a nice cash payout…to three places! Then, after the weigh-in everybody was provided with a drink and sack lunch. We were offered a complimentary Bible, which I took, and invited to church. No pressure, no sermon. Just a very nice day, sharing a good time with everybody.
And, some bass were caught.
Charles and Andre Shively, fishing from a two-man pond boat, took first place with a 4.076-pound bag and proved you don’t need a big bass boat to fish…and win!
Coming in second with 3.04-pounds was Jason Spalding who barely beat his dad Jimmy who took third with 2.11-pounds.
As for me? Well, I really enjoyed the company and sack lunch!
* Thursday and Friday was fun as Miss Amanda and volunteers brought kids from the 21st Century Program to Sportsman’s Lake for a day of outdoor fun. Nature hikes, games, boat rides and fishing kept us all busy.
* We’re currently making plans for a tentative spring road trip to Lake Guntersville, Ala. So far there are four of us, but anyone who has a boat, or a partner with a boat, is welcome to come along.
I’ve never been there but fishing the grass mats with rattletraps in the spring is legendary! So, think about it!
And, if anyone has experience on the lake, places to stay or secret spots, please give me a call I need all the help I can get!
You might want to be careful driving out there. While the rut isn’t in, I’ve noticed a lot more deer on the highways than usual.
Know what a deer can do to a vehicle? I saw a 450 Ford Diesel Dually totaled by hitting a deer. And, I’ve already told you what a deer can do to a boat! If you missed that story, just ask Stacy Benningfield about it.
Guess I’m done rambling for this week. Get out and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. Stay safe and I’ll see ya next week!