Posts by Daryl Kirby
Sinclair Summer Bass, Sunburnt And Shallow
The forecast called for the hottest day of the year so far — high 90s. This mid-June trip to Lake Sinclair was going to be a test of endurance, but the young man I was to fish with assured me that those Sinclair bass still bite during the heat of the summer. I was to meet my…
Read MoreLake Juliette Bass In Your Sights In April
Finally, the sun hits the water. That’s not something you hear often from fishermen… but now Ricky Layton can get down to business. Usually the end of the morning bite is a let-down, maybe even time to — heaven forbid — drag a worm. But it’s April. On Juliette. Each time you slide into a…
Read MoreFall Fiction: The Sanctuary Buck Part 5
The sun dipped below the treeline, and it was like someone turned downed the thermostat and turned off the breeze at the same time. That cool air felt good. Here it was mid November, and a frost had yet to coat the ground. Maybe tonight, Jack hoped. Not only had there been spring-like warmth all…
Read MoreDuck Hunting Sense
There are few more satisfying, more intense moments in the outdoors than the sight of a big group of mallards locked up, wings set, descending into a decoy spread. But unless you hunt polar bears on an Arctic ice drift, being a die-hard duck hunter in Georgia has to be one of the most-challenging pursuits…
Read MoreFall Fiction: The Sanctuary Buck Part 4
The first brilliant yellow rays of the morning sun hit the tops of the giant oak trees. Not a single cloud blotted the sky, not the faintest hint of a breeze stirred the brown and drying leaves. That morning, November 1, dawned cold and crisp, 28 degrees, and the first frost of the season coated…
Read MoreEli Ingram: Athens Duck Decoy Maker Leaves His Mark
All it took was that one duck hunt. The year was 1961, and the location was a beaver swamp behind what is now known as the Kenny Rogers estate outside of Athens, although Kenny has since sold the sprawling property. Back then, it had a swamp. And it had ducks. Eli Ingram of Athens was…
Read MoreUnraveling The Rut
Read a few hunting magazines this time of year and you’d think there’s nothing to killing a big, mature buck — all you have to do is hunt during the peak of the rut. Of course, if it were that easy, we’d all have a room-full of giant deer racks. Fair-chase hunting is never that…
Read MoreTips To Avoid Shooting Button Bucks
Itʼs a button-head dilemma. You have your crosshairs locked in on an antlerless deer, but is it a doe or a button buck? Most deer hunters would like to pass up button bucks — if they could just tell for sure which deer was and which deer wasnʼt a buttonhead. There are some characteristics that will…
Read MoreSafari Club Launches National Effort To Fight Anti-Hunters, But Who Is Leading Local Fight?
The first issue of a brand new magazine came across my desk last month. It had slick, glossy paper and a handsome buck on the cover. My first thought was… another national hunting magazine with a lot of articles on gear, Illinois bucks, and maybe a how-to article on driving a neck of woods between…
Read MoreFall Fiction: The Sanctuary Buck Part 3
Days pass under the comfortable blanket of routine. The mundane stresses seem so important, then in an instant real life hits like a sudden uppercut to the jaw… like the sound of breaking glass and the deafening wail of a burglar alarm. Jack shot straight up in bed. Loud steps pounded down the hallway, then…
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