River Hunting

[outlaw josey wales]

sounds like your friend gave you the pointers already. if u aint ever been on river then why would you consider it in dead of winter with temps in the 20s? river hunting in winter means u fall in you die and suggest staying somewhere you know something about so the eoc doesnt need to drag for you where would you go to put in anyway? i would try around tn close to mud island first off

[River Hunter]

Ordek Avci,

I posted a similar topic not too long ago and got most of the same answers you did. I started getting on the river duck hunting this year. my $.02 is, Keep a good log of of river levels, dike locations, sand bars. never take anything for granted while boating on the river, always keep your guard up. I so far have enjoyed the hunting on the river and do not think there is anything else like it. To answer your question, yes that is what everyone is talking about when they say hunting the MS, backwaters, eddies, sandbars, islands, creeks or any other area that is flooded by the river. Just do some work by scouting looking at maps and you will figure the rest out. Be careful and good luck!

Very brave of you to go out there by yourself with no experiance, would not suggest it though

[farmerc83]

Everyone that grew up in west MS heard their parents say "if I ever catch you in that river there is going to be hell to pay". There is a reason for that. Most of these parents were talking about boating during the summer when the water is way down, not now when its freezing and out of the rushing out of the banks.

[DUCK-HUNT]

Ya'll can have all of the big muddy you want.... hate to say never but you will never see me on it... heard too many horror stories

[Buckwabit]

I dream about the Big Muddy. Just thinking about all those stupid flight ducks make my heart beat a little faster

[butla25]

riverhunter,
sorry i just read that, I didnt mean to say "I", i meant me and my buddies. Not that brave, though i have seen a few people trying it by them selves.

[River Hunter]

riverhunter,
sorry i just read that, I didnt mean to say "I", i meant me and my buddies. Not that brave, though i have seen a few people trying it by them selves.

Did they have any experiance?

[outlaw josey wales]

i would love to see a map that shows all these floating log jams in the dark and none of them show what water levels are safe???? yall are asking for a headache. i had some out of towners the other day come over from alcorn county? corith or somewhere that way? and set up about 75 yds from me and basically ruined my hunt. we are a lil more courteous as to not drive in on someone when they are already set up in a hole and shine light on you to let u know you are there. they ran in and went right over a dike that is just enough under to not tear motor up and never knew it running wide ass open in on me where i had to trim motor all the way up cause it is that close on this place at this level. you can go wherever you choose but you gonna have to find out like all the others . the river changes every year and no map can help you if it goes bad. not scaring you but just explaining the river is nothing in summer time but easy. you wont die from hypothermia in the summer if you fall in dummy. do as you please

[greenheadrckr]

Here's a little tip that was taught to us in Swiftwater Rescue when they took us out to the buoys and made us jump in.

If something happens and you do happen to fall in the Big Muddy.

Position yourself at a 45 degree angle to the bank and swim or backstroke INTO the current.
With this, the current will eventually push you to the bank.

Depending on how good of a swimmer you are you may reach the bank in a few hundred yards or a few miles, but you will get there.

Now on the other hand if it is in the middle of duck season, it's a good chance hypothermia will get you before you can save yourself, but this can especially be helpful if you happen to come into this situation during the warm months.

Be careful and WEAR YOU LIFE JACKET!

[TODO]

Ive been on the river since i was literally in diapers and it still scares me in the winter. It leaves little error for a F up, which can and does happen at a moments notice. For instance, im in a deer club on the river, put boat in at camp last friday morning at daylight and ran a couple of miles downriver to an island to hunt. Got there fine, got in deerstand and fog rolled in. Fog was so thick you couldnt see 50 yards through the woods. I gotta ready to go back for lunch at noon, pulled out into the river and immediatley turned around and got back in deerstand. Fog was so thick couldnt see treeline, much less a towboat. At dark fog was still heavy. I went to the mainland, tied boat to tree, and walked out. Made a call on cell phone and got a dude to pick me up on a wheeler. $#!+ like that happens and it can put you in a bad situation, quick. Me, Outlaw Josey, River Hunter, etc. that talk about hunting out here have been going on a section of the river for years and know it well. And its still dangerous. Somebody from timbuktu that has never been on the river, to try it when its cold and rising, well that just not smart.

[outlaw josey wales]

we got stuck in same fog 2 sundays ago. worst i ever saw. hell it got worse as day went on cause temps were in the 70 s and water temp was 30s. guys that hunted with us laughed at it til i told them how serious it was. we barely got out and that is because we didnt have to cross the river. or go too far. we aint being assholes just dont wanna see someone think that it is a myth about the river. hell todo and riverhunter and me have swam around almost every sand bar out there since we were all kids from prentiss to toehead. the river in the winter aint a joke and whoever said summer time is bad dont know anything about the river

[River Hunter]

we got stuck in same fog 2 sundays ago. worst i ever saw. hell it got worse as day went on cause temps were in the 70 s and water temp was 30s. guys that hunted with us laughed at it til i told them how serious it was. we barely got out and that is because we didnt have to cross the river. or go too far. we aint being assholes just dont wanna see someone think that it is a myth about the river. hell todo and riverhunter and me have swam around almost every sand bar out there since we were all kids from prentiss to toehead. the river in the winter aint a joke and whoever said summer time is bad dont know anything about the river

That fog was hell imagine riding 30 min in it crossing the main channel at the port

[Ordek Avci]

I appreciate the info guys.

Let me restate this again... I don't have a boat. I am not planning on going to the river anytime soon. I was just curious and trying to get a headstart on next season.

Maybe I'll see y'all out there in the summer, when the water is low and warm, the fog isn't so thick, and I actually own a boat.

[River Hunter]

I appreciate the info guys.

Let me restate this again... I don't have a boat. I am not planning on going to the river anytime soon. I was just curious and trying to get a headstart on next season.

Maybe I'll see y'all out there in the summer, when the water is low and warm, the fog isn't so thick, and I actually own a boat.

Find someone that knows what they are doing and learn from them. This is what we are saying

[goosebruce]

my daddy used to always say... they're are old river hunters, and they're are bold river hunters... but their aint no old bold river hunters. travis