1
5-5-10 - The week before, the water was just about out of the bottoms' for planting... Now - The highest its ever been. 13+ inches on 5/1/10.
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2
5.5.10- The equipment shed. I was able to get most of the electrical stuff out before the water came in.
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3
5.5.10 - The water came to within 5' of the cabin. I pulled the generator in the nick of time!
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4
5.21.10-With all the high water, we had a Hippo in the Bottoms' tearing up heck! Me and MollyAnn pinned him right below Ole ThorneSide Cabin!
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5
5.30.10 - ole Stuffem' said he was a "all-Hanger"for sure and a record kill for Plantation Bottoms'! It went in the book!
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6
Heres the aftermath as the water resides out of our parking lot.
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7
6.9.10 -
I bet we are the only duck hunting camp in the South-east that has a mounted hippo head sitting in their cabin! Stuffem' says hes house-broke and wont make a mess.
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8
Our poor parking lot!
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9
5.5.10 - The water was approx. 5' over the road. We rode the boat over the guard rails..
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10
5.5.10 - Here is where the TOP of the Hopper Blind is... About a foot under water...
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11
What a mess. Me and Richard Smith cleaned it all up.
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12
5.22.10 - This was our 6th annual ThorneSide Spring Gatherin'. We cooked up about 200 Crappie, SheelCrackers, and Bream. Oh Boy! was it ever good!
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13
6.23.10 -
The "H.M.S. ThorneSide Royal". Our latest addition to the ThorneSide fleet. A 24 footer! Our buddy from Ala. Saw it on Craigslist in middle Tn. for very little money and knew we needed it. Richard Smith bird dogged it & got it delivered for dang near free.
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14
6.26.10 - Richard Smith just got him a so'nuff duck boat motor. A 4hp Johnson with 2 speeds. Off & Hang on! Here, he is the hang On mode! This thing weighs about the same as a trolling motor.
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15
6.26.10 - Four horses and ready to go!
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16
6.26.10- RDS is dreaming of hamburgers on the grill, and good times ahead!
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17
7.2.10 - When me and the Fellas came upon our latest edition to the Bottoms', my son said that we looked like a bunch of Pirates. so he went out and found us a "Jolly Rodger" flag to display. Its now tied up in front of SxS's Hilton blind.
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18
7.22.10- At 100 degrees today, the Bottoms' are drying out fast!
Looking to the north end..
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19
7.22.10- Looking to the south west.
100 degrees.
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20
7.22.10- I came in the other day and my wife had put this up in our living room beside my chair.
I really thought it had some neat stuff in it!
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21
7.25.10 - Our old friend, Brandon Powers, gave us the 5/4 decking for the floor on the new pontoon blind for this year.
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22
7.30.10 - Austin is throwing millet in the mud in front of the Hilton blind.
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23
7.30.10 - richard smith and grand son Austin are give out. Its only 95 degrees. RDS says its the humidity!
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24
7.30.10-Richard has dang near give out. He says that ought to be enough millet for any duck. 200# have been put down.
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25
8.13.10- Its 99 degrees at Plantation Bottoms'. This is the Millet looking back at the Hilton.
I put out the last 15# of jap millet we had on a few wet spots and called it done!
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26
8.18.10- 5 1/2" of rain over night... Our Millet is flooded!
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27
8.19.10 - Another 5" of rain! The bottoms have about 10' of water in them. Our spraying and planting this year was for naught! It happens.. Looks like we'll have water for Woody/Teal this year. Tom Gorman and Richard Smith are rounding up the flooring for the pontoon.
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28
8.19.10 Richard Smith is swimming out to get the boat that floated out.
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29
8.19.10 - Richard Smith has been wet at Plantation Bottoms' more than any other member. This time, it was on purpose....
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30
9.7.10 - P.Ducks fishing buddy, Mike Twitty was nice enough to loan us his toon' trailer for a few weeks so I brought the pontoon over to my shop to strip off all the railing, the old floor, and put the new floor on and try to get up a work crew at Plantation Bottoms'.
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31
9.11.10 - Opening day of Wood duck season. Me, Bob Galloway, & Richard Smith... Lots O' Woodies, no Teal!
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32
9.11.10 - New member, Bob Galloway, has to cook & bring breakfast for the next 12 meetings... According to RDS! The country ham was great!
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33
9.15.10 - Putting the floor on the S.S. ThorneSide proved to be a bigger job than I thought.
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34
9.21.10 At least its finished and ready to head off to its new home. Plantation Bottoms'.
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35
9.21.10 - Even the toon's are painted.
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36
9.21.10 - Even the rails(AKA "Richard Rails")are painted with undercoating spray.
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37
9.23.10 - RDS is sweeping the deck the 1st of many times.
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38
9.23.10 - This baby is home! All 28' of her.
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39
9.23.10 - RDS is putting the floor sealer on and not complaining!
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40
9.26.10 - The S.S. ThorneSide blind is resting in her new home. Plantation Bottoms' Willow Hole.
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41
9.23.10 - Tom Gorman inspecting.
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42
9.23.10 - Bob Galloway and Tom Gorman awaiting the next load of brush.
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43
9.26.10 - Me and Bob ariving with yet another load of willow. Bob never misses a call.
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44
9.26.10 - Here is the group jumping in on SxS's Hilton Blind(also known as the Cabin blind.)
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45
9.26.10- We aint finished but we're getting there. The Banker, Ole Andrew, TnPuddleduck, & Q!
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46
10.5.10- Our Infamous little "Boat Hide" blind. The killingest blind we ever had at Plantation Bottoms'.
Its at most a three person blind but much better for two. Just shide the boat in it and go where the ducks are.. It ended up in the parking lot from the May floods so thats where we brushed it.
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47
10.10.10-I pulled out the Sneaker Blind today from its parked place from the flood. Its time to start sprucing this little diddy up for the season.
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48
10.10.10- Here they are, the Killars of the Bottoms'. The big blinds are good when you got a few folks but when there is just one or two of you, heres where you want to be!
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49
10.11.10 - I got this fifty dog ramp off craigslist for $25.00 and the fella through in 5 calls to boot!
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50
10.16.10- I spent 3 days in Co. hunting with Stillwater Outfitters. It was slow but we did kill a few ducks...
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51
10.17.10- we hunted in a cattail pojnd that was covered wirth ducks. Tough hunting and turrible to stand in.
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52
10.17.10-The smell was bad!
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53
10.16.10- We hunted in lay-out blinds in a corn field and killed a few also.
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54
10.23.10- Me and Richard were just hanging out & I thought we needed another picture of the picture wall.
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55
10.23.10- Every once in a while, we just need another picture of Ole ThorneSide Cabin, just because!
Its just sitting there waiting on us!
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56
10.23.10-richard and I got both the Sneaker Blind and the Boat Hide
ready for action. All we got to do is carry them to the Bottoms'. They are the best they have ever looked.
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57
10.23.10- The Raffia concept is the best thing going, bar none.. In any situation.
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58
10.23.10- The Sneaker Blind is ready for its second seaon. 100% Raffia.
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59
11.6.10 - Bob Galloway, Joe, myself, Tom and Lowell Gorman, Brad Wardlow, & Darryl Staggs all met up at the mighty Mac and launched the #29 floater that Wayne Hall gave us. We brushed it before we put it in the water.
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60
11.6.10- When we backed it in the water at the ditch going in to the Bottoms', the water was almost not deep enough to get it off the trlr.
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61
11.6.10 - It took about an hour of pulkling and pushing to float it off.
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62
11.6.10- Bob and Joe pulled it outy to its new home for the season. The boat hide was install on it after it got into place.
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63
11.6.10-There is its new home. The fellas are awaiting it arrival up the ditch.
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64
11.6.10- Here it comes.
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65
11.6.10 - Finally!
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66
11.13.10 - There goes our Millet eaters... 32 of them.
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67
11.13.10- Looks like we get the trophy part of this little 6 pointer. Looks as though someone did another gut shot.
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68
11.13.10- This is pretty much all the water we have as of this day. About 5 acres at the most in front of the Willow Hole Blind. We started with less in past years and did alright. Good Lord willing, I will be there with water or no water.
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69
11.13.10-My old friend Brandon Powers, MollyAnn, & Mr. Marvin Peach on the levy between #14 & the Private duck hole.
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70
11.20.10- Here we are, one week before the seasons and we're moving the Boat Hide and the Sneaker Blind into the Bottoms'---Finally! A tractor at either end--
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71
11.20.10- We put the sneaker Blind in the water in front of the old Hilton location for safe keeping...
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72
11.20.10- andreew is holding up the tractor.. He really wants a John Deere!
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73
11.20.10- The Boat Hide is awaiting water in front of the Bankers Island.
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74
11.20.10- Water is finally coming in the Bottoms' down the ditch we cut two yrs ago..
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75
11.20.10 - It aint much but it is water.
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76
11.20.10-Me & MollyAnn, Andrew, and The Banker are putting the finishing touches(jerk string, door, etc... on the Hilton)
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77
11.20.10- The Banker with his bucket of toys.
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78
11.20.10 - The aftermath of Ole Stuffem' when he drives his truck pass the gate. Happens every time.
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79
11.27.10 - The sneaker Blind was placed at the Bankers Island awaiting the main opening.
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80
11.27.10 - It was a fitting opening! Mr. Greenhead was the first to bite the dust,er water on the morning opener. followed by a couple of tealbirds. The morning closed out with 5 total. I was by myself.
Everyone else went other places. I got the invites but I love the bottoms'. Just something about hunting in your own place.
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81
11.28.10 - One of the Sneaker Blind's favorite locations. The South end willow hole!
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82
11.28.10- I got the Ice Eater hooked up for the Hilton Blind. We're ready for ice!
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83
12.4.10- Tom & Brad came over and cooked breakfast for me, Andrew, Bob, & Joe. I turned 60 yrs old and they wanted to do it for my birthday! Such a nice thing! I have some wonderful, thoughtful friends!
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84
12.11.10-Me and Andrew decided to hunt the Hilton Blind and leave the Ice-eater running acting like a huge Mallard Machine! We had ripples! We hung Xmas lights inside the blind.
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85
12.22.10 - Seems the Blacks are beginning to check out the Bottoms. Me and Andrew had one fly a little to close to the sneaker Blind.
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86
1.2.11- Me and Andrew waited out a Gaddie. They have been few and far between this year also...
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87
1.5.11- Duck season has been so bad this year, I started working on this years Crappie beds..
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88
1.6.11 - Me in the U.S.S. ThorneSide. 1st time this year we have set up shop in the pontoon blind..
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89
1.6.11 - Bob is busy with 2 cell phones at his off-site office. Its a dang good thing the ducks didnt fly.
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90
1.8.11-I showed up at ole ThorneSide Cabin at 5am for some reason so I decided "Flat-Bottom Bob" needed to be fired up for the 1st time all year! Its going pretty good once we got RDS to leave it alone...
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91
1.8.11 - Myself, Joe, Richard, & Bob had a fine ThorneSide breakfast after a cold morning in the Hopper Blind. 20mph N.W. wind and no ducks.... again.
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92
1.16.11 - The ice eater in front of the Hilton.. It does a heck of a job..
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93
1.16.11 -
Our newest member, Joe Gilbert and Andrew.. All for a Gadwall.
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94
1.16.11 - Joe with his 1st Plantation Bottoms' duck. Also with his brand new Benelli 20 gauge.
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95
1.16.11 - The Ice Eater doing its job up close.
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96
1.16.11 - Joe and Andrew chasing ducks..
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97
1.23.11- Andrew fusses at me all the time for messing with decoys and being out of the blind. Look who is out of the blind. Picking up the dead. Really, he got to thinking about the blacks might having a band on them.
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98
1.23.11-There he goes again...
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99
1.23.11-Joe and Andrew are happy to just SEE ducks, much less KILL DUCKS! Boy, did they ever work great.
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100
1.23.11 - The big ducks fell right in.
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101
1.23.11 - Mallards!
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102
1.29.11 -
Our ole buddy, Brandon Powers helped us finish up the season with a couple of divers.
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103
1.29.11 -
Bob and Joe hunted the Sneaker Blind on the south end and brought it back up to the ramp for the end of the season. We finished with 91 ducks... Very slow & sad..
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