♠ ACE SPORTS PAGE ♠
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE
From the Kerosene Cowboy’s SPORTS PAGE
By: Charles W. Boatright
Farmers, Best Conversationalist of our Heritage– It isn’t widely recognized that our farmers are the backbone of our conversation efforts. Farmers are the unsung heroes of the preservation of our natural resources providing for our wildlife
Our Farmers have been the punching bag of THIS Democratic EPA with over regulation of their farming operations and use of their land.
One of the precious heritage that we have and enjoy as Americans besides our 2nd Amendment is the passing down through generations of our wonderful wildlife in our country that is important to the survival of our natural resources. Conservation and providing for the needy has been the centerpiece of our American Farmers that was important enough to be mentioned in the Bible in the books of Exodus and Leviticus.
The children of Israel when they were about to entered the Promised Land God was so concerned for the health of the wildlife that God referenced wildlife management even in the Old Testament:
Reference text- Exodus 23:29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you.
God told Moses and Joshua in Exodus the reason why He wasn’t pushing out all of the inhabitants out of Israel (what was considered Canaan) at once was concern for the management of the health of the wildlife. This was to prevent The Promised Land becoming overpopulated so that it would endanger the health of the herds.
Hunting and fishing are still a critical part of our heritage and the conservation of the precious resource that God preserved the health of the wildlife for future generations. We still carry on this same efforts with our Game and Fish agencies in regard to hunting and fishing that is a critical part of wildlife management.
Critical Role our Farmers Play Conservation
Farmers play a critical part providing food not just for our country and the world to feed people and prevent famines; but also to provide food for our wildlife. In Leviticus 23:22 God gave instructions to the farmers that they aren’t to harvest the corners or right up to the edge of their fields in order to provide for the needy. That policy can also be extended to our wildlife just as well.
Leviticus 22:23 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.’ ”
This gleaning by a stranger was how Ruth, a Moabite woman, met the future King of Israel, a wealthy and eligible Boaz, that led to the lineage to Jesus Christ.
Farmers are a vital part of our wildlife management in providing our wildlife with much needed food that they might thrive and prevent starvation and diseases. In Arkansas near Stuttgart and in the Delta areas of Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee where rice farmers play an important part in maintaining food for our duck population with rice, soy beans, and corn.
It isn’t uncommon to see deer grazing right alongside cattle, or ducks covered with rice, soybeans, or corn fields of the Delta as they make their migration south and their return trip north. Southern states for the most part their industry is agriculture based. We here in Mississippi are fortunate to have Andy Gipson as our Commissioner for Agriculture that promotes farming and wildlife nation and world wide.
The farmers provide opportunities for hunters to enjoy the great outdoors for hunting duck, deer, pheasant, and quail. We need to appreciate our farmers that have been neglected under the current Democrat administration in Washington where Bennie Thomas represents the Delta area of Mississippi’s 2nd District with their over regulation, especially with high Diesel prices that has hamstrung the Black Farmers.
Stuttgart, Arkansas, Hunter’s Paradise
Being raised within 45- minutes of Stuttgart, Arkansas, duck hunting as a kid, teenager, and later now in my 60’s was part of our heritage. We looked forward to marking our calendars each year for Duck Hunting for those cold ice cover flooded rice fields.
Some mornings before high school would start, we (Donovan and I) would take my Jeep loaded down with thermoses, waders, decoys, jackets, and our 12 gauge shotguns and hit the tree lined rice fields of a family friend’s rice field that he flooded for us about waist high.
If you are in the Stuttgart, Arkansas area, the Duck Capital of the World, you have to visit Mack’s Prairie Wings to see their outdoor gear. I have always bought my waders and hunting gear from Mack’s Prairie Wings.
Going back to the Bible, the farmer wasn’t to glean the corners or edges of their fields to allow people in need to come and harvest the corners and edges of their fields. Notice that there was work required even for the people in need to provide for themselves. This is the same principle that farmers are using for the conservation of our wildlife management.
Our Duck Hunting Excursion
The most treasured time Donovan and I had was duck hunting when we would talk about various subjects even concerning our future while waiting for the ducks to come into the flooded rice fields. Between feed and hail calls to lure the flock of ducks into our area, we would enjoy our hot coffee and conversation during those early cold mornings.
We probably enjoyed our conversation just as much as duck hunting even on days we didn’t even see a single duck. There is always something special about the sun just breaking over the eastern horizon of a crisp late November, December and January mornings with those wonderful reds, orange, and yellow shades of color.
Those spectacular red, orange, and yellow sunrises were days that you appreciated God’s nature in the smallest of terms to the sun rising up through the trees. The cold prairie mornings turn our breath into mist that rose up through the trees. We used to refer to the mist rising up from the surface of flooded rice fields as the breath of God.
I have to admit that I been quail and duck hunting when the ambient temperature was minus eight degrees Fahrenheit (-8° F) and enjoyed every minute of it. There is nothing more exciting when a covey of quail is jumped using a dog in a field or when a flock of ducks come in after you hailed them.
Every guy or gal in the prairies region of Arkansas would proudly display the Ducks Unlimited® logo in the back glass of their pickup truck or CJ-5 or 7 Jeep, before SUV’s became a mainstay of America. We had a history teacher that was a Vietnam Vet that soon talked about duck hunting as he did American History. Thank God we had an American History teacher that was a Vet that loved American History that he brought history to life to a class full of seniors.
Farmers and Hunters are Conservationist
The Heritage of hunting is vital to the health of our nation’s wildlife to keep its future food supply plentiful. A shout out and thanks to the rice, soy beans, and corn farmers that are the best at being conservationists and not just talking or just being GREEN.
Never pass up a chance to get out into nature even if it is just a hike and use a camera instead of a rifle or shotgun to shoot wildlife. I absolutely love carrying my camera with me for those unexpected opportunities to capture God’s Nature while working on my farm. Below was a shot of a Mallard Duck that I took with a telephoto lens on one of my ponds.
Nature that Provides for forming Friendships
My friend Donovan Briley, my hunting buddy, and I joined the U.S. ARMY during our senior year in high school in December of 1977. I unfortunately had a serious injury during my third year in service that earned me a medical discharge despite my best efforts to remain in the 326th Combat Engineers (12-Bravo) attached to the 101st Airborne.
Just a footnote: Monday, December 16th, 2024, will mark the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bugle started. This also marked where a 101th Airborne Division held a crossroads town of Bastogne that started on December 20th until December 26th, of 1944. Also recognition to the 51st, 111st, and 291st Combat Engineers that spoil the plans of one of Germany’s highly decorated Panzer Division lead by Lt. Col. Pieper.
My friend Donovan went on to serve with the elite and distinguished 160th Night Stalkers, Special Operations Aviation (Airborne) Regiment made up of Rangers until he was KIA in Mogadishu in October of 1993.
His Blackhawk Helicopter was the first helicopter to be hit with a RPG and was killed. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of him and our friendship that was formed since 7th grade and on those great duck hunts. My account of our friendship is noted in my article: Remembering a Hero & Dear Friend on Memorial Day.
About the Feature Photograph
Note to ladies, you can enjoy the important industry of agriculture, the natural beauty and heritage of hunting in the outdoors, and still retain your feminine and natural beauty. In the feature photograph is one of my models that I use in modeling our ACE Sporty Cockpit and still enjoy duck and deer hunting.
This is evidence that you can be feminine and be a conservationist that loves getting out into God’s wonderful nature. With technology in outdoor gear, ladies you can keep comfortable even on cold days. Getting out into nature is beneficial for our physical and mental health, especially if you workout in nature.
Your health and fitness should include strength training that is one of the best ways to maintain an age-defying lifestyle and appearance; better than any anti-aging creams or ointments that you can purchase.
Modeling isn’t easy, you have to maintain your health with a healthy diet and fitness regimen that is challenging, especially at my age of 67. Strength training is a great way to develop your own natural collagen treatments to maintain healthy joints and age-defying skin. Your health and fitness can make your clothes fit and feel better; You and your clothes complement of each other.
There is a tremendous side benefit of having an age-defying lifestyle when shopping when your see those great looking clothes on mannequins or on models in catalog. You will be able to better replicate that same look and feel when you get home if you’re healthy and fit.
Even if you are over the age of 60, as I am, you can still look and feel great in those clothes you see in stores or in catalogs, Below I am 67 years old appearing with our G-1 Leather Flight Jackets with one of my models in her mid-20’s. Please shop our online store:
My List of Books on Kindle under my name, Charles W. Boatright:
01-THE QATSPY® MELIORA Health & Fitness Program Turbocharged DIET w/ Age-Defying Results!