Reelfoot Lake (Updated with Pics)

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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For years my hunting has been mostly in North Alabama with occasional trips to Arkansas. With the passing of Steve Sutton we were all reminded of just how many places he went to and how many friends he made along his waterfowling sojourns. That made me want to expand my own duck hunting experiences so I decided to start taking a few more trips myself before age and health takes the option away.

So with that said I leave tomorrow for Reelfoot lake to hunt Thursday and Friday with a friend of Thomas's and mine and some new friends. I've always wanted to hunt Reelfoot Lake and I think it is safe to say it is a waterfowler destination steep with Old South tradition. So with that said I pack tonight and hit the road tomorrow after work to experience new sights and sounds. I think I will take the Super Fox as it seems fitting to shoot a classic double over fabled waters. I'm certain Jeff would agree.

Eric
 
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Good luck, have lots of fun, take plenty of pictures and I look forward to reading about y'alls adventure.....
 
No time like the present. Hope it?s a great experience and a few ducks decide to visit your spread. Hope to see a follow up post
 

Make sure you take a Reelfoot Lake style duck call, or acquire one while yer there.

A little earthquake... lotta waterfowl history.[;)]
 
D. Hinton said:
Are you going on a guided hunt or are you free-lancing
Click to expand...

Guided hunt, sort-of. A friend of mine did some contract work on Reelfoot for TN Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and met a TWRA employee who has several blinds there and guides and invites guests. We are guests.

Eric
 
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A little earthquake...


You beat me to it Vince. Have a great trip Eric, just be careful if the ground starts shaking and hop in the boat

 
Very cool. A guy I used to hunt with in Mobile moved up to that area and loved duck hunting up there. I?ve lost touch with, don?t know if he?s still up there or not.
 
Have a great trip, actually I know you will whether ducks fall or not. The more I have traveled and hunted the past few years, the more I realize what a awesome country full of interesting people we have!
 
greg setter said:
A little earthquake...


You beat me to it Vince. Have a great trip Eric, just be careful if the ground starts shaking and hop in the boat
Click to expand...


Greg -

It's good to be a waterfowling history junkie isn't it.

Could be on Jeopardy...

New Madrid fault, no?


Best regards
Vince
 
Vince Pagliaroli said:
greg setter said:
A little earthquake...


You beat me to it Vince. Have a great trip Eric, just be careful if the ground starts shaking and hop in the boat
Click to expand...


Greg -

It's good to be a waterfowling history junkie isn't it.

Could be on Jeopardy...

New Madrid fault, no?


Best regards
Vince
Click to expand...

I have hunted St. Francis Sunken Lands in NE Arkansas on multiple occasions which was formed by the same earthquakes as Reelfoot. It will be cool to see another duckhunting area created by these quakes. Reelfoot being the larger of the two.
 
D. Hinton said:
Are you going on a guided hunt or are you free-lancing
Click to expand...

While I generally prefer freelance over guided hunts, reelfoot probably isn?t the best place for it. The lake is full of cypress that sunk with the bottom of the lake so navigation is very dicey if you get out of the boat lanes. The boat lanes are marked with cane, tomato stakes, and driveway reflectors. It?s about impossible to legally shoehorn another blind in (must be 200 yards from any other) but legal to hunt from a vacant draw blind but there are private blinds mixed in amongst them. Add a federal refuge on part of the lake into the mix and things can get interesting quick.
 
Michael McCord said:
D. Hinton said:
Are you going on a guided hunt or are you free-lancing
Click to expand...

While I generally prefer freelance over guided hunts, reelfoot probably isn?t the best place for it. The lake is full of cypress that sunk with the bottom of the lake so navigation is very dicey if you get out of the boat lanes. The boat lanes are marked with cane, tomato stakes, and driveway reflectors. It?s about impossible to legally shoehorn another blind in (must be 200 yards from any other) but legal to hunt from a vacant draw blind but there are private blinds mixed in amongst them. Add a federal refuge on part of the lake into the mix and things can get interesting quick.
Click to expand...

Precisely! Years ago I planned to freelance there but given all the reasons you stated opted for NE Ark instead. My friend Patrick was contracted to apply herbicide to unwanted vegetation on Reelfoot and spent over a month, 10+ hours a day doing so. He knows a lot of the area quite well now but also cautioned me his airboat could do things most boats can't and that being the case doesn't know the poorly marked channels well enough to tackle it on his own in any other type of rig.

Eric
 

Eric -

It is good that your adding Reelfoot to your "Been There Done That" list.

When we migrate to other places, and to other flyways it is a wonderful thing. The memories last a lifetime.

Reelfoot was on my to do list for many years back in the day. But my gunning partners had no interest, after being up and down the east coast and other places.

Once we began going out west, and to the Canadian Provinces for long trips that was it.


I always liked the old photo's of the one man duck blinds, up in the sunken trees of Reelfoot.

Also used the metal reed, Reelfoot style duck calls for many years. Gave them to my old gunning partner, only a goose call is in my care now.


I hope you have a enjoyable time and look forward to your report.


Best regards
Vince
 
Vince Pagliaroli said:
Eric -

It is good that your adding Reelfoot to your "Been There Done That" list.

When we migrate to other places, and to other flyways it is a wonderful thing. The memories last a lifetime.

Reelfoot was on my to do list for many years back in the day. But my gunning partners had no interest, after being up and down the east coast and other places.

Once we began going out west, and to the Canadian Provinces for long trips that was it.


I always liked the old photo's of the one man duck blinds, up in the sunken trees of Reelfoot.

Also used the metal reed, Reelfoot style duck calls for many years. Gave them to my old gunning partner, only a goose call is in my care now.


I hope you have a enjoyable time and look forward to your report.


Best regards
Vince
Click to expand...

Vince,

I guess if I could summarize things I'd say East Coast gunning destinations come with a unique history, Southern destinations have their own history as well, the Midwest is the new kid on the block, and the west has both beauty and ducks and some pockets of real history too. Not many people get to experience them all but not a bad goal.

I kind of doubt I'll see any Reelfoot calls being used in the blind but you never know. The Arkansas J toneboard won the popularity contest nationwide a while back but there are still a few other styles in the field. If I do see one hanging around the neck of a hunter I'd probably enjoy talking to them.

Eric
 
Enjoy the hunt Eric and do take pictures to share. Would love to see what the place looks like.

Mark
 
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