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Barefoot In The Sand: Remembering the Waning Days of the Hopewell Community (1998) Bruce C. Gragg 117/123

There were always a lot of birds to watch or follow when just walking
around. There were all types of animal tracks to look for and
identify. It gave me a chance to get out and see nature first hand in
a way I couldn't have if we had lived elsewhere. I learned early how
to be careful when out in the woods, to look when I was going through
thick undergrowth. When walking in the wild you soon learn to observe
the repetitive patterns birds develop. They will generally stay
within a given area, live about the same lower tree level or upper
tree level etc. Ground dwellers, develop a similar type of pattern
although they can cover a larger roaming area. While walking around
all you need do is observe what kind of hair and how far up the fence
it appeared to pretty well know what kind of wildlife you were seeing
signs of. You look for feeding signs on various plants, and for other
telltale indications of what had been there recently. They all follow
some kind of a pattern in their living habits. If someone stopped and
listened day or night many different birds and animals could be
identified. There were a lot of oak, hickory, and various berry and
other plants to provide food, besides what they got raiding our
fields, to support quite a population. As woodlands were converted to
pine production a lot of these food trees and bushes were
systematically eliminated, thus reducing the food supply.

In many of the ponds and swampy areas there were several 'gators that
had established residence. One morning Jesse Waldron, he lived in our
tenant house, his son Billy Jack invited me to go gator hunting with
them. I got permission, as I was only about 11, off we went Gator
hunting. Soon Pasco, one of Jesse"s brothers joined us in the pond
between our house and the river. After an adventuresome morning the
Ole Gator was finally finished off. He was about 11 or 12 feet long
and weighed about 450 pounds. I got enough gator tail to feed the dog
several days. He was so big I didn't think he would taste very good,
I was content to cook him up for Hickory, my dog. Most wildlife, when
properly prepared can have a very good flavor. There are menus for
preparing some delicious meals from wildlife.

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