Old sparkleberry swamp

[Sportin' Woodies]

That haircut is rated nc-17

[Sportin' Woodies]

That hair is immune but carries HPV

[Sportin' Woodies]

That hair has testified in court

[Sportin' Woodies]

Looking at that hair and reciting "celibacy" 3 times will result in a heart attack

[Sportin' Woodies]

A stiff breeze blowing through that hair will actually sound like the star spangled banner

[Sportin' Woodies]

Helmets need protection from that hair.

[Gut_Pile]

A stiff breeze blowing through that hair will actually sound like the star spangled banner

[baldpate]

How the heck doesn't Sportin come up with this stuff? Hahahaha!

[Whaler_Dave]

Awesome thread fellas!

[flatbill]

Yes I knew both Harold and Jerry, but have no pics of them. One things for sure there's nothing those 2 wouldn't try at least once. 2 of the craziest SOB's ever!!

[MDman]

I was too young and missed the "glory" days, but was introduced to the swamp in the late 80's by my father. I had been in there many times before on bream fishing trips, but a hunting trip in January of 1988 was the one that lit my duck hunting fire. Though too young to wade, I was forced to sit in the boat with a .410 and watch as my father and his group of swamp rats brought group after group of mallards through the trees. The swamp was well into the decline of duck numbers at that time and many folks had already stopped hunting due to the lack of birds, but for a green 6 year old, it might as well have been the Grand Passage. I can still remember the V's of ducks trading back and forth between the swamp and refuge, and the eternity that passed as the birds circled over the cypress and tupelos. I had been duck hunting for 5 years before we were allowed to shoot the early summer duck flight, the lesson got drilled in hard- we were there for the mallards.


My father first ventured into the swamp as a teenager in 1958. He and a friend borrowed a beat up Jon boat and probably only made it 1/4 mile before they were lost after stumbling upon some ducks. They didn't have any calls and only 4 decoys , but managed to find their way back to the landing after dark with a limit of ducks. The fire was lit in him as well.

I still get mad at my dad for not taking more pictures of the swamp and the ducks they killed over the years. What few pictures he does have are scattered throughout the years and from the few people he would bring to the swamp that could afford a camera. I still get to hear some fantastic stories of the sky being black with ducks and the adventures they had. Maybe that's better than a photograph.

Here are a few of the old man and some of his buddies over the years


Early 80s

[MDman]

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[Gut_Pile]

Very cool!

[MDman]

Late 80's / early 90's

[MDman]

41 years later still going strong.




We might make it back for 1 duck hunt a year. He still fishes in the swamp at least once a week in the spring and summer. That man has forgotten more about that swamp than most have ever known


Not Sparkleberry , but some cool pics I found from the lower lake, 1969 and 1971.

[Catdaddy]

Good stuff MD

[Arrowman]

How the heck doesn't Sportin come up with this stuff? Hahahaha!

How do you know that he doesn't come up with it??

[trkykilr]

Wow. Great post. Lots of blacks

[ManvsDuck]

If there was a Canine Hall of Fame, Buddy would be President Emeritus.

Late 80's / early 90's

[MDman]

He was a helleuva dog, son of a gun was the best deer tracker in the county and he would even herd cows- no shit