Hello again Miss-Lou! For folks who have been out trying to enjoy the early part of the hunting season, the weather so far has been a big downer.

Last Sunday morning, an hour before daylight, the temperature was 60 degrees. By 9 a.m. it must have been up to 75 or so. It’s no fun still having to run the air conditioning in November.

This week, yours truly has been desperately trying to fight off an onset of flu-like symptoms.

That probably has something to do with the weather as well. It started with a bit of a scratchy throat, then turned into a full-blown head cold.

It hasn’t gotten into my chest as of yet, and I am hoping to prevent that with a variety of over-the-counter meds.

I’m a firm believer in the old axiom: &uot;Nuke it with Nyquil!&uot; Or did I just make that up? Who knows, maybe all the meds are getting to my brain.

I wonder if you can get in trouble for operating a computer while under the influence?

I didn’t have any extra space last week, and since there had already been a nice article in the previous Sunday’s Natchez Democrat about it, I didn’t mention the tremendous buck bagged a couple weeks back by Tracy Laird.

The pictures I have seen of the massive 27 point non-typical beast are really impressive. There was another great article about it in last Sunday’s Clarion Ledger, so news of Tracy’s buck is certainly spreading beyond the Miss-Lou area.

The Ledger’s Sunday outdoor page featured side-by-side articles about Tracy’s buck and another tremendous buck taken by Brandon hunter Jody Macon.

Macon’s deer was taken while on a bow hunting trip to Illinois. And guess what? It also was an impressive 27-point non-typical beast. How about that?

I did get a few reports of meat on the ground locally this past week, and the first one I’d like to share with you is a first bow kill for a 12-year-old youngster. Ryan Dees downed a doe while hunting with his dad &uot;Dee Boy&uot; Dees on private land in Louisiana.

Young Ryan must be chip off of the old D.D. and &uot;Dee Boy&uot; hunting block.

Perennial deer slayer Corbett Edgin collected a doe last Sunday morning, and I was along for a skinning rack assist on this one. Fortunately, we were finished, and headed back to town before the temperature soared too much.

I had a report that Mike Williams and Steve King collected a doe each on consecutive days hunting at St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge. I’ll bet the guys at the 12:50 camp popped a top or two on those days.

All has been quiet on the Shirt Tail Club front so far this season. I guess that means Cookie Wilson must still be working out of town.

I did at least get to pull my bow back on that aforementioned Sunday morning hunt, but she never stepped into the clear and I didn’t get to shoot. Always the optimist, though, I will keep my head up and keep after ’em.

I’ll call that a wrap for this time. Until next time, happy hunting, and think safety first.

Chuck Fields writes a weekly hunting column for The Natchez Democrat. You can reach him at (601) 446-7859 or by e-mail at

sports@natchezdemocrat.

com.