Shelby County Today

October 13, 2017 - Toledo Bend big stick Glen Freeman of Zwolle, La., is a threat in any bass tournament. This is especially true during the summer and fall on his home lake, when the big ones are often are set up far from the bank on underwater points, ridges and humps. 

Freeman used his offshore prowess to grab the top prize in the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League event held recently on the Texas/Louisiana border lake. The veteran guide sacked up 37-11 and won $8,074 in cash and bonuses. To hear him tell it, fishing old school tactics around time-tested sweet spots were the main keys to grabbing his ninth career BFL win and adding another trophy to his trophy case.

“I fished offshore ridges, just above the Pendleton Bridge, in 15 to 20 feet of water,” said Freeman. “The main thing for me this weekend was timing. They’d bite early in some spots one day, and the next day they’d bite late in those spots. You had to be in the right place at the right time.”

Freeman said he relied heavily one of his old favorites to reel in the winning sack -- a redbug plastic worm rigged Texas style.

“It was a lot of basic, offshore, old-fashioned Texas-rig worm fishing out there,” said Freeman.

Three Texans notched Top 10 finishes on a leader board dominated by Louisianians. Albert Collins of Nacogdoches finished second; Brian Martin of Hemphill, 9th; and Philip Crelia of Center, 10th.

Fall Shootout set Oct. 21-22

Sealy Outdoors will host its 2017 Fall Shootout big bass derby Oct. 21-22 on Sam Rayburn.

The tournament will pay 10 places each hour. The top prize for biggest bass of the event is a fully rigged Triton bass boat plus $5,000 cash. There also will be cash awards of $2,500 for the first 3.00 and 4.00 exact weight fish each day.

Entry fee is $160 for one day and $210 for two days. To enter or see more details, sealyoutdoors.com

October 13, 2017 - Edmond, Okla. is a far piece from eastern Texas, but the whopper buck story that played out there just prior to the Oct. 1 archery season opener in the Sooner state is sure to grab the attention of whitetail hunters across the region and beyond. My guess it will probably make some feel a little bit sick.

Sadly, there wasn't a broadhead, bullet or licensed hunter involved in the kill. This big boy met his maker as the result of a collision with a car, truck or SUV that occurred on dark Sunday night in late September, smack the middle of an upscale subdivision in the town of 100,000 north of Oklahoma City.

"Nobody knows for sure what happened, because the driver of the vehicle didn't stop and the collision wasn't reported," said George Moore, the Edmond resident who reported the road kill to local game wardens. "When something happens around here involving a big deer I'm usually one of the first to hear about it."

Moore is a former fish and game commissioner for the Edmond  area, an avid bowhunter and an official measurer with the Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young clubs. His phone rang bright and early on the morning of Sept. 25, but there wasn't an excited deer hunter on the other end of the line. 

"It was the animal control people - the dog pound," Moore recalled. "They told me they had a deer that had been hit and killed by a vehicle sometime the night before. They told me it was a big buck - one that I would definitely want to take a look at."

When Moore arrived what he saw was a monster of a buck with a truly spectacular rack, one that deer hunters everywhere dream about lining up their peep sights or rifle scopes.

"It was a friggin' giant," Moore said. "The animal control people said from what they could tell he made it about 60 yards away from the road before he died in somebody's driveway. It's a very upscale area of town with 5-10 acre lots and $1 million homes."

At that point Moore did what any responsible B&C measurer would do. He contacted a local game warden, pulled out a measuring cable and note pad and proceeded to measure the gargantuan rack for all it was worth.

And it would have been worth a lot to a hunter with a rifle or bow in his hands. 

A main frame 10 pointer with 28 scorable points and main beams of 26 and 26 4/8 inches, the big non-typical rack ran up a gross "green" score of 236 3/8 inches. The buck was aged at 4 1/2 years old, Moore said.

Deer must be re-scored after 60 days drying in order to be eligible for entry to the B&C record book, and Moore has no doubt the Oklahoma County bruiser had the goods to make it had it been killed by a hunter. The minimum score required of non-typicals is 195 net.

"He's going to be right there at 236 once he's dry - he won't miss it far," Moore said. 

Interestingly, this isn't the first B&C caliber buck to set up camp within the city limits of Edmond, whose city slogan is "A Great Place to Grow."

In 2010, Moore arrowed a 206 inch non-typical less than four miles from where the road kill took place. The area also produced a former state record typical in the 1990s.

"There are definitely some big deer around here," Moore said. "There was a kid who actually had this buck on game camera and he had permission to bow hunt for him. I'm sure he was sick about the whole deal when he found out, because archery season opened up the following weekend."

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.

October 12, 2017 - Timpson ISD Bear Update

TLB Varsity and JV District XC Champions! - The Timpson Lady Bears competed at the District Cross Country Meet on Wednesday in New Summerfield. The Varsity Lady Bear team dominated the field by over 30 points. The team includes Sadie Ramsey who finished 2nd place, Jaycee Campbell - 3rd place, Ashton Harris - 4th place, Kamryn Courtney - 11th place, Sara Duke - 17th place, and Harlie Ware. They will next compete in the Regional XC Meet, October 23rd in Huntsville. Congrats and good luck at Regionals!

The JV XC Team also had a dominating performance. They won the District Championship by 45 points! The JV team consisted of McKenzie Burgay - 2nd place, Emily Garcia - 3rd place, Laiton Braddock - 6th place, Johna Kruse - 7th, McKenzie Wynn - 8th place, Brylee Behrens - 9th place, Claire Johnson - 13th place, Da’Maya Collins, Madelyn Ramsey, Kay’Unna Curtis, Kaleigh Timmons, Madison Fleming, Kayleigh Scroggins, Ja’Karia Deckard, Hannah Jones, Jamie Stephens, Olivia Daniel, Tyeshia Johnson, and Tyci Earl. Congrats Lady Bears!!

Amiyah Soto Dominates JH District Meet – Amiyah Soto won 1st place Individual at the JH District Meet on Wednesday and no runner was within thirty seconds of her. JH Lady Bears team finished second at the Meet. Members of the team are Amiyah Soto - 1st place, Alleigh Campbell - 16th place, Blair Askins - 18th place, McKenna Wynn - 22nd place, D’Chelle Garner - 27th place, and Chelsea Franks - 32nd place. Congrats to all of the Lady Bears!

October 12, 2017 - The District 22 Cross Country Meet was held Wednesday, October 11, in Summerfield TX. The following Shelbyville High School students are advancing to the Regional Meet which will be held October 23, 2017 in Huntsville, TX.

• Keanna Osby - District Champion!  SIX-PEAT!!! (She has been the District Champion for 6 Years in a row, since the 7th grade)
• H'leighen McClelland - District Champion!
• Ladarious Coleman - 2nd Place Finisher
• Kenzie Murry - 9th Place Finisher
• Boys Team - Advancing to Regionals!  H'leighen McClelland, Ladarious Coleman, Kurtrick Allen, Jorge Hernandez, Logan Williams

We are Dragon Proud!!

Submitted by Coach Boyles