1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,719 Speaker 1: from cone hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,720 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: my experiences and life lessons. This country Life is presented 5 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: by Case Knives on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you 6 00:00:23,320 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: the best outdoor podcast the airwaves have to offer. All right, friends, 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: stories to share. Safety first. Usually, safety is said to 9 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: be everyone's job. I believe that to be true, because 10 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: nothing can ruin a grand adventure quicker than someone getting hurt. 11 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: Being in the outdoors enhances the risk of accidents and injury. 12 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: But there are things we can do to put the 13 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: odds on our side. I tell you about some I 14 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: think you should know. But first, I'm going to tell 15 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: you a story now that it's starting to cool off somewhat. 16 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: A few days ago, it was only one hundred here 17 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: in Arkansas, but I catched myself reminiscing and longing for 18 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: time spent in cooler temperatures. I was also putting together 19 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:27,199 Speaker 1: an outline for this week's podcast about safety and thought 20 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: which misadventure should be a good way to start the show. Well, 21 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: with a seemingly endless catalog of calamity and near missus 22 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: that grows bigger nearly every time I get out of bed. 23 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: I settled on this one that happened during a particularly 24 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: bitter cold front. Back around nineteen ninety five. Tim and 25 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: I were just getting necked deep in the duck guid 26 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: in business and had a group of hunters from North 27 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: Carolina on their first of what would be several years. 28 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: The majority of them would book hunts with us. The 29 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: big cold front had pushed in with their arrival, and 30 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: hunting in the woods was going to be hard to 31 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: do with everything freezing up. For those that don't know, 32 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: ducks prefer open water to roost and rest in, and 33 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: when the flooded timber and fields lock up due to 34 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: the water not moving to stay open. There was one 35 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: place you could count on them going, the Arkansas River, 36 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: and it was right out the back door. We had 37 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 1: a place that we hunted, a lot that was open 38 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: to the public, just like hunting on Wildlife Management Area land. 39 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: Whoever got their first claim the spot. Now, with that 40 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: in mind, somebody had to go early to claim it 41 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: for us. Tim volunteered and a pair of North Carolinians 42 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: would go with him. Tim and his charges hit the 43 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: river that morning, a couple hours ahead of when I 44 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: would be bringing the rest of the crew, and there 45 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: was nine of us total, seven hunters and me and Tim. 46 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: Tim took all the decoys in his boat and would 47 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: meet me back at the boat rent when I arrived 48 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,519 Speaker 1: to help haul everyone else. Three hunters in his boat 49 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: and the other two with me. Now there was no 50 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: way to safely haul them all in, all the decoys 51 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: and two boats in one trip, so we knew the 52 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: seven mile round trip would take a little bit, but 53 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,399 Speaker 1: it would be worth it to be on the safe side. 54 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: It was in the pitch black dark and in the 55 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: high twenties when Tim got to the point of land 56 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: that stuck out of the backwater slough that we hunted. 57 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: It was off the main channel nearly a mile, and 58 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: had we been hunting deer there, you would have called 59 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: this place a pinch point. Now, beyond that pinch point 60 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: of land it opened back up into a big backwater bay, 61 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: and depending on the river level, it could be as 62 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: much as twenty acres or more of water that was 63 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: perfect for resting ducks. Now, I can't tell you how 64 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: many times we watched ducks light out in the middle 65 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: of that big open water when there wasn't any wind 66 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: or ice. The first group of twenty or more of 67 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: a morning would sit down out there in relative safety, 68 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: and then we'd be in for a day of just 69 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: seeing all the rest of them fall a suit until 70 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: it was time for us to head back to camp. 71 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: Now we'd scrap out some here and there that buzz 72 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: the decoys, but if the wind wasn't blowing, you could 73 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: just about bet the hunting wouldn't be nearly as good 74 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: as the scenery. It's like watching the National Geographic Channel 75 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: before there was such a thing. But if you had 76 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: wind of any speed and in any direction, you could 77 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 1: hunt it just fine. There was literally no wind direction 78 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: that we couldn't set up for by moving around to 79 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: different locations in that bay. The wind direction that day 80 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't play a factor on how the ducks worked into 81 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: the decoys. It would, however, play into how we got 82 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: back home. And hour before shooting ours, we were at 83 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: the boat ramp, backing the boat in before I could 84 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: get the truck and trailer parked. Him pulled up, having 85 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: left his two hunters at the hunting spot. We got 86 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 1: the spot, he said, but it's full of ice. The 87 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: hole is froze up, so we're gonna have to break 88 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: it open. No problem. We done that before, and breaking 89 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:07,559 Speaker 1: ice and pushing it out with a boat is simple 90 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 1: enough task. Tham's boat had a SEMIV hole that means 91 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: that front of the boat comes to a point instead 92 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:17,000 Speaker 1: of having a square front. The V hole is great 93 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: for cutting waves and makes for a smoothie ride, but 94 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: when opening a frozen hole for shooting ducks, the flat 95 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 1: nose on my boat was way more effishent and here's why. 96 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: I made circle after circle, breaking up the ice where 97 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: we wanted to sit out the decoys, and I made 98 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: a hole in the ice about forty yards across. Then 99 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: I pulled my boat to the bank and parked it 100 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: with the nose of the boat against a tree. I 101 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,159 Speaker 1: kicked the outboard into shallow water, drive, put it in gear, 102 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: and just let it idle. It takes two trees for 103 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: SEMIV boat to stay in one spot. You just got 104 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: to poke the nose in between them. But there wasn't 105 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: two trees available where we needed one. Mine fit perfectly. 106 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: The small amount of her was pulling the broken ice 107 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: down stream and the thrust of the island motor was 108 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: pushing all the broken ice out to where the floe was. 109 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: It was also mudding up the water like ducks had 110 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 1: been feeding in it and keeping it open. If any 111 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: ducks flew that day, we should be right on the x. 112 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: There would be no sitting out in the middle of 113 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: the bay that day. It was a solid sheet of 114 00:06:23,279 --> 00:06:26,920 Speaker 1: ice and we were the only game in town. We 115 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: put out two dozen decoys, stood our hunters beside the 116 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: trees on the bank, just a few feet away from 117 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: the edge of the water. They were hid, and Tim 118 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: and I anchored each end so we could call and 119 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: watch for ducks, keep control of the hunters and call 120 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: the shot. Ten to fifteen minutes of island, the boat 121 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: motor and we had the only spot that was sheltered 122 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: off the main channel and away from the strong current 123 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: that wasn't frozen. Ducks started bombing in a few minutes 124 00:06:57,320 --> 00:07:00,359 Speaker 1: before daylight, and the way the breeze funneled up that 125 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: slew it put them right in our face. We made 126 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: everyone keep their guns unloaded until the less than a 127 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: minute before shooting ears open. It was just to keep 128 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: the boys on the leash. The mallards were hovering within 129 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: a boat, paddling to the bank and hitting the water 130 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: like they were crashing, hoping to secure a spot in 131 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: our hole that was filling up with ducks. This was 132 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: fixing to get pretty sporty. We rang the bell and 133 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: it was an absolute feeding frenzy and the worst display 134 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: of shooting I believe I've ever been a witness to. 135 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: There was one cat shooting a ten gauge that was 136 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: running it to the plug on every volley. It was 137 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: like being in London during the Blitz. Nine folks shooting 138 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: ducks all at once and then boom, boom boomed that 139 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: ten gauge that never cut a feather. He was so 140 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: shook up by what was happening, and I'm not sure 141 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: he could have fell off a bucket and hit the grin. 142 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: He was even talking about one of us taking him 143 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: to Walmart to buy more shells up in the morning 144 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: after his second box ran dry. That's fifty shells of 145 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: shooting at ducks less than thirty yards away. They were 146 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: more or less stationary as they hovered looking for a 147 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: spot to light. It was brutal to witness. Well. We 148 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: finally got him and the rest of them calmed down 149 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: to agree, and with a barred shotgun and shells, he 150 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: started working on his limit. Now everyone was settling into 151 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: the once in a lifetime event. I know, folks that 152 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: have hundred dollar their lives here in Arkansas had never 153 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: seen what we saw that day. I promise you every 154 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: last one of them that was there remembers it just 155 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: as well as Tim and I do. We had to 156 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: choke them off the trough though before we shot all 157 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 1: our limits. Those cats were just shooting ducks and not 158 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: picking out the drakes. We warned them several times as 159 00:08:57,679 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 1: they were getting close to the hen limit, and if 160 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:01,560 Speaker 1: they kept shooting them, we were going to have to 161 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:04,719 Speaker 1: pull the plug on the hunt, regardless if we had 162 00:09:04,760 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: our total limit or not. Now we weren't about to 163 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: risk violating the law by shooting over the limit. Tim 164 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: and I both were in law enforcement and getting a 165 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: ticket like that could have been the end of our careers. 166 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 1: It also didn't look good to be in the guiding 167 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: business and breaking the law. The biggest reason is it 168 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: just wasn't right to begin with, and we weren't about 169 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: to let that happen, even on accident. So if it 170 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: meant airing on the side of caution. That's what we 171 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:35,599 Speaker 1: were going to do. The same caution didn't apply to 172 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: navigating the river in a big wind, but it would 173 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 1: from that day on. But the lasting lessons, the good ones, 174 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: come with a high price, and we were about to 175 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: run our credit to the limit. The way we were 176 00:09:57,160 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: positioned on the point of land facing the duck Hoole 177 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: had our backs to a narrow shute that you could 178 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: see out toward the area that led out to the 179 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 1: main channel. Twice, just before we had the end to 180 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: hunt because of the hen count, Tim called me over 181 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: to look at the waves that were now moving in 182 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: the opposite direction from how they'd been moving when we 183 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 1: got there. The wind was still blowing in the same direction, 184 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: although it was much harder now, but I assumed it 185 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,679 Speaker 1: was because of how it was funneling up that big 186 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: slew that we were hunting on, not because it had 187 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: totally switched directions out in the main channel. On the 188 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: section of the river where we were A west or 189 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: north wind of any magnitude was all good. It could 190 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: have blown forty miles an hour down the river, no problem. 191 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: But anything stout enough to fly a kite out of 192 00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: the south or the east, or any combination thereof was 193 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: no bueno, and this wind was now kicking hard enough 194 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: to fly coffee table. The problem with wind in that 195 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: direction is that it's blowing against the downward current of 196 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: the river. The wind was pushing big waves against the tide. 197 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: We could see that the ride back to the boat 198 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: ramp was going to be cold, wet, and dangerous. Both 199 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: of our boats were sixteen feet long and forty eight 200 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: inches wide, mine with a twenty five horse fire tiller 201 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: handle and Tim's sporting a console steering with a forty horse. 202 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:29,559 Speaker 1: They were dependable, just not big enough for what we 203 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: were asking them to do that day. Neither one of 204 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: us would forget that day, and a bigger boat for 205 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: hunting Arkansas was our next purchase. Tim started the first 206 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:41,719 Speaker 1: leg of what would be his round trip with four 207 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: hunters laying in the bottom of the boat. Life jackets 208 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: buckled up and looking like sardines packed in a can 209 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: from above, and the waves were two and three foot high, 210 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: making it slow going as we convoyed down the river. 211 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: The three hunters I had with me riding the same way, 212 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: and the two guys who left all the bank, had 213 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: no idea what was in store for him as the 214 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: wind grew with intensity, out of sight from where they 215 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: waited at the duck over where hundreds of ducks were 216 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: still falling in. The three and a half miles down 217 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: river was some of the roughest water I've ever been off. 218 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: Waves and spray coming over the front and the sides 219 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: of the boat had my hunters soaked and freezing. The 220 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: front of my coat and waiters was a solid sheet 221 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: of ice. We finally made it back to the boat 222 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: ramp and a couple of them said they would have 223 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: kissed the ground that they could have been over in 224 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: the frozen clothed to do it, and we unloaded everything 225 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,319 Speaker 1: and everyone from Tim's boat pulled it out and drained 226 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: the water, checked his gas, then put it back in 227 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: the river. He headed back up the river into a 228 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: gale that was blowing so hard now that even the 229 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: slack water just up from the boat ramp was white capin. 230 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: It seemed like it took forever for them to come back, 231 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: and I had my boat drained, ready to go, and 232 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 1: had already made a plan on how I was going 233 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: to go check on them. When we saw them heading 234 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: our way, the boat coming almost out of the water 235 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,040 Speaker 1: at times as they ramped from one big swell to 236 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,559 Speaker 1: the next. They pulled onto the trailer and both of 237 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: Tim's passengers slowly crawled out of that boat into the truck. 238 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: One of them tried to sit on the front deck 239 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: as they pulled away from our hunting spot, after Tim 240 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: told them both the better lay down in the bottom 241 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: of the boat. He was setting up front facing Tim, 242 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: and after the first two or three small waves, he 243 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: grabbed a rope in his hand and started spurring the 244 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: air like he was coming out of a bucket shoot 245 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: on a bronck at a rodeo. Tim said all the 246 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,839 Speaker 1: color drained out of his face when they hit the 247 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,319 Speaker 1: next series of waves that pitched him a foot or 248 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: so off the deck, and before he had time to 249 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: regain his seat, the boat dropped a couple of feet 250 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: and old cowboy Bob hit the deck flat of his 251 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: breeches so hard he said he thought he chipped a 252 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: two ooths. That was how the whole ride back to 253 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: the boat ramp went. And for a little extra spice, 254 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: the throttle cable froze and broke on Tim's motor. Not 255 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: long after they got in the main channel. They bobbed 256 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 1: around out in the current at the mercy of the 257 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: elements until he rigged up a leather ductote to the 258 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: throttle on the outboard and had it over his shoulder 259 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: controlling the gas while he drove one handed back to camp. 260 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: His passengers were rattling around in the bottom of that 261 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 1: boat like two beans and a coffee camp. Now, we 262 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: still talk about that day, and that day was over 263 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: twenty five years ago. We still talk about it with 264 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: the two guys that were in the boat that day 265 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: with Tim, and we never mentioned one without the other. 266 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: Remember that day we all nearly died on the river. 267 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: I mean today that we killed all those ducks. Yeah, 268 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: I remember, and I won't never forget it. And that's 269 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: just how that happened. Use enough boat. That's what we 270 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: learned from the story I just told y'all. And that's 271 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 1: a veiled reference to a book mister Robert Ruark wrote 272 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: about big game hunting. He was talking about, if you're 273 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: hunting dangerous game, you better have a gun big enough 274 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,200 Speaker 1: to do the job. Well. The same applies for boats 275 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: on the Arkansas River. My maternal grandfather find a sly 276 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: to those who knew him and Pap all to a 277 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 1: wagon load of grandkids, and several close friends of mine, 278 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: believe that if two nails would hold an item in place, 279 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: that six would be three times as good. I'm exaggerating 280 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: a little bit, but to anyone that knew him, they 281 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: know it ain't an exaggeration by much. I got some 282 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,359 Speaker 1: folks working on a boat for me down in southeast Arkansas, 283 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: and it's going to be wide enough that the Arkansas 284 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: River will have to work extra hard to get inside it, 285 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: like the old one I had in the story I 286 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: just told y'all. Also with the information that I can 287 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: get off my phone and at any given time to 288 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: garden weather the river ain't gonna get a chance. I'll 289 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: either leave before he gets bad where I'm hunting, I'll 290 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 1: wait for it to pass, or I just won't go 291 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: because of it, live to hunt and fish another day. 292 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: It took years for me to actually put my priorities 293 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: in place regarding when the weather was too bad to hunt. 294 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: My drive to get a turkey had me and a 295 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: friend of mine hunting through a tornado that blew up 296 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: in the most inopportune time. A turkey was on the 297 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: ground gobbling his brains out, and slowly strutting towards us 298 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 1: at one hundred and fifty yards away. I told that 299 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,280 Speaker 1: story on our newest edition of Me to Campfire. Stories 300 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 1: about close calls. Accurate on demand weather forecasting would have 301 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: kept me from putting myself in that situation to begin with. Unfortunately, 302 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: that technology was still years of poor decisions away from reality, 303 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: and maybe even then it wouldn't have mattered. There's a 304 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: calming and a maturity that comes with stacking birthdays up 305 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: in a pile. For most, it's wisdom from lessons learned. 306 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 1: In my case, it's more like wonder, Like I wonder 307 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 1: how in the world I managed to make it this 308 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: long without falling off a cliff or zigging when I 309 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: should have been zagging. I can only chalk it up 310 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: to divine intervention and having not yet fulfilled my duties 311 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: here on this side of the river, Jordan, I'm thankful 312 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 1: to still be stumbling around out here and doing my 313 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: dead level best to figure out what my purpose is. 314 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:53,120 Speaker 1: Financial support system for a twelve year old competition dancer 315 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:57,719 Speaker 1: may be it, who knows, but putting yourself in positions 316 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: to fail will always increase the risk. You don't lay 317 00:18:03,080 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: down on the highway at night to look at the 318 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: heavens unless you're a total bozo. The same way you 319 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: don't drive down a long, straight stretch of deserted highway 320 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,439 Speaker 1: with your lights off because the moon is so bright 321 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 1: you can see without them. Now, who does that? No 322 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: one does that? I mean besides me? Who is dumb 323 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: enough to do that? My partner. My partner and I 324 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: were working in the graveyard shift and had been patrolling 325 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:33,119 Speaker 1: all over the county. Now nothing was going on and 326 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: no one was out. It was the middle of the week, 327 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 1: in the middle of the night. Spring was in full 328 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: swing and the nights were still cool enough to wear 329 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: a jacket. We'd stopped to check an old church beside 330 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: the highway, and I walked out to the pavement for 331 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: nothing better to do than The night was bright and clear, 332 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: and the moon was crystal clear and bright. I sat 333 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: down on the edge of the asphalt, and within a 334 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: minute I was laying flat on my back, watching the 335 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 1: moon like it was a TV. The pavement was still 336 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: holding some heat from the sun, and it felt good, 337 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 1: and I could feel it radiating up through my jacket. 338 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 1: My crime fighting comrade joined me. We talked about what 339 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: it must have been like to walk on the moon, 340 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,159 Speaker 1: and my friend said, hey, you hear that? And we 341 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,680 Speaker 1: both sat up, straining to hear, and what he said 342 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: sounded like a car well off we could see for 343 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: nearly a mile in both directions. Neither one of us 344 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: saw any lights. We each laid back down, but this time, 345 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: after a moment, I thought I heard something. About the 346 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: time he said, I hear a car. We sat up, 347 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: each looking up and down the highway and said nothing, 348 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: but I could hear the unmistakable sound of an eight 349 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: cylinder engine shifted into overdrive, getting louder closer, and we 350 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: both stood up and stepped away from the highway in 351 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,440 Speaker 1: time to feel the wind rushed by us as a 352 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: black Chevy Nova blew by us. It mocked too, with 353 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: no head, the moonlight stillhouating the un mistakeable shape of 354 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 1: that car, as I tried to remind myself I wasn't 355 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: wearing a diaper. No. We looked at each other, both 356 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: full of adrenaline and happy to be alive, as we 357 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: put as much distance as we could between us and 358 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: the highway. A fool was driving one hundred miles an 359 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: hour with his lights off. Do we need to go 360 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: get him? Do you really want to put in the 361 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: report that we were laying in the highway when this happened. 362 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: We decided to let him go. The reality of all 363 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,399 Speaker 1: three principal players in those two scenarios, the duck guides 364 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:37,880 Speaker 1: whose boats were moderately up to the tasks they were 365 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,640 Speaker 1: asked to perform, the deputies that put themselves at risk 366 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: by laying down on a highway, and the nameless driver 367 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: who tempted fate by driving only with the moonlight needlessly 368 00:20:49,880 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: put themselves in a position to fail. Laugh at those 369 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: events now, because we lucked out. We didn't sink a boat. 370 00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:02,199 Speaker 1: No one got run over. As far as I know, 371 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 1: that guy driving in the dark didn't have an accident, 372 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: Not in our county anyway. There are a lot more 373 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:13,199 Speaker 1: examples of these calamities that so many. In fact, I 374 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 1: think we'll talk about some more next week. I got 375 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: a couple of stories that I still have flashbacks about 376 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: scary tim too. Let's continue this series and talk about 377 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 1: things that we did and folks shouldn't. Thank y'all so 378 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: much for listening to this country life and my goat 379 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:36,120 Speaker 1: smashing homie Klay Bold, Nukem, and Bear Grease. I gotta 380 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:39,639 Speaker 1: get you one of those goat hacks. But until next week, 381 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: this is Brent Reeves signing off. I'll be careful.