STARKVILLE — On most days, W.T. “Bud” Shinn sits outside his store in the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge and watches the world go by.
It”s located on one of the few private parcels of land left in the refuge, not far from where Oktibbeha, Noxubee and Winston counties meet.
This time of year, when the weather gets warm and fishermen flock to refuge waterways, traffic pulling into Shinn”s Little Store on Bluff Lake Road becomes a bit steadier. And when Shinn, 81, sees a vehicle full of hunters or fishermen driving up his long, dirt driveway, he rises and goes inside to sit behind the counter, just like he has for years.
A rifle leans in the corner to Shinn”s right while photos of his grandchildren, many of whom are holding 50- and 60-pound catfish, line the counter. Pictures of bucks with huge racks and turtles with giant shells also are on display.
Shinn sells a few odds and ends in his store, but mostly deals out snacks and beverages to the outdoorsmen who frequent the area. And even though business slows down when the weather gets cold, Shinn is just glad to have a way to occupy his time and help out his fellow outdoorsmen.
How long has your family owned this land out here?
Well my mother”s parents were born right across the road. That”s the reason I wound up with this place here. I bought my granddad”s place.
How many acres do you have?
I don”t have but 16 myself. My cousins have 71 or 72 acres, I believe.
Have you lived here all your life?
I”ve lived here all my life. Well, in Winston County.
So you know these woods like the back of your hand, don”t you?
I used to, yes. I haven”t been able to hunt or get out much in the last few years.
How have things changed out here in the years since you”ve been here?
The way it used to be, you would step out the side of one house and you”d be inside another one. There were houses all up this road. Then the refuge bought up all those properties. They either tore (the houses) down or burned them down.
When it came time to buy those properties (in the 1930s or early 1940s), why did your family choose to stay?
My dad, he just didn”t believe in giving it up. My understanding is they thought the refuge was going to be for wildlife management, but you could still farm and do what you wanted to do with your land. I don”t know all the history of it, but that”s my understanding of why we stayed.
Are you retired these days?
Yes, I am.
What did you do for a living?
I used to log. That”s what I did until I retired.
With what company?
With myself.
You logged right here in the refuge?
Yes, and in different parts of the county.
How long have you been retired now?
Oh, about 20 years.
How long has your store been open here?
I forget when I built this. I built it as a camp house, but I had a heart attack and wanted a little place to just piddle around, to have a place where I could just sit about.
Do you get much business out here?
No, not really. But you get to meet a lot of friends and fishermen who drop by that I wouldn”t see otherwise.
What”s the busiest time of year?
I”d say fishing season, mostly.
But it”s pretty peaceful out here most of the time?
Oh yeah. I enjoy it.
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