Big Slough Wilderness Area...

Well I felt hungry for that old Christmas duck today and since season is open I went over to the Big Slough Wilderness Area in the Davy Crockett National Forest to see if I do something about that. I'll tell you right off so the suspense does not build that I couldn't.

First off I slept till nearly 8am which is pretty late for me and then took care of an errand that took longer than necessary so I did not arrive at the hunting spot till about 11am. With temps nudging 80 degrees I was fat boy struggling through the brush in hip boots. That's not usually the recommended ducking time or weather but then I don't always do stuff the right way. I did not see ducks but looks like the roads are good, the trail through the woods is fairly well marked and I have not got too fat to walk in the wild.

Interesting things seen in the woods. Here's a deer stand on a push cart. Since this is a wilderness area no wheeled devices are allowed so technically illegal. Pretty near this I saw a big ground scrape so there are deer in the area. Maybe they push the cart around when no one is looking.

 

Deer track lead down to a gravel bar on the big slough.

 

 

 

 

Looking up the big slough. Rain has been light but plenty of water here. I don't think hip boots would have been useful to retrieve a duck from the other side. With the arm temps I should have worn a swim suit or may be just brought the pontoon boat. With the help of a chain saw to cut fallen logs we could have made it up stream.

 

Late last season after some rain there was a powerful amount of water coming through this junction of the slough and a back water area. Even with the sand bar showing midstream I bet it's pretty deep. I had a photo from the high water at this spot last year on the old crashed computer or we would compare.

 

Bridge on the 4c hiking trail.

 

Here's something new. A protected wetlands sign posted by a spring that flows at the edge of the road. Warns of no foot traffic past this point. Really it is the wilderness area behind the sign so that's like double whammy.it's not allowed any way. I could not tell but maybe somebody has been braking the rules but it's pretty thick woods behind the sign so I'm not sure what kind of wheel apparatus might be the best to take on the forest.

 

A shot of the spring. It's pretty small and though I have passed it for years I have never drank from it. The location right by the road makes it suspect for cleanliness.

 

No luck today. Maybe tomorrow with Pop and Geneva on the boat for a catfish trip. Hopefully we can get ahead of the norther.