MONTEREY, La. – The Spirits in the Sky Hunting Service on Black River Lake has become a premiere hunting destination for bird hunters from all over the country.

But finding the club’s Freedom Point Lodge isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do, but then again, once they get there, hunter’s say the trip is more than worth the trouble.

Spirits in the Sky is owned by the Mophett family. Husband and wife, Greg and Charla, along with their son, Jared, purchased Freedom Point Lodge from taxidermist Dan Chase about two years ago.

And they’ve been improving the hunting service ever since.

“We’ve been getting a lot of hunters here,” said Charla Mophett, a lifelong resident of Monterey. “A lot of folks from the East Coast.”

The plush lodge offers hunters an excellent getaway right in the heart of the Mississippi River flyway.

The 8,100-square foot lodge sits on 38 acres of land.

“We have access to about 23,000 acres that they’re hunting on,” Charla Mophett said. “Right now they’re doing duck and goose hunting. (By) about March or April, we should be having pheasants, quail and chuckers.”

She said of those who go to the hunting camp from that area of the nation, the majority of them are from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

In addition to the incredible facilities, hunters are lured to Spirits in the Sky by another thing – they are open all year, seven days a week.

“It’s hard to figure out what the normal operating hours are,” Charla Mophett said. “Sometimes we’ll get the hunters out of here at 5 p.m. and sometimes they’re be here until 11 p.m.”

Greg Mophett is originally from Jonesville and has been living in Monterey for the last 25 years. Charla is a Monterey native.

Jared, 25, is a lifelong resident of Monterey.

Spirits in the Sky Hunting Service and Freedom Point Lodge is about a 40-45 minute drive from Natchez. It’s located at 3065 Parhams Road on the banks of Black River Lake across from Monterey, which means one must first take U.S. 84 West to Jonesville and then go south for nearly 20 miles to get there.

Once in Jonesville, turn left at the caution light onto La. 129 and go about eight or nine miles. Then turn right on La. 565 and go another four to five miles to a sharp curve and turn left on La. 600. Follow that road for another four miles and turn left onto the levee and stay on La. 600 and go another 7.2 miles to the lodge.

For more information about the lodge or their services, call (318) 386-2080. &160;