Driftwood Outdoors Issue 6

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Your monthly guide to Missouri outdoors

September/October 2012

Volume 1 Issue 6

As summer fades to fall, the heart and soul of sporting season emerges. Whitetail bucks shed their velvet, waterfowl begin their southern flight and smallmouth bass begin to feed heavily in anticipation of another long winter.

Sportsmen dream of September, and finally, it’s here.

Also in this issue of Driftwood Outdoors The Duck Band A Family Float Trip Understanding Antlers

Effective Archery pg 8

Dipsy Doves pg 11

Ozark Trout pg 20

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September/October 2012

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September/October 2012

Dan Vogt Passes On Hunting Heritage

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by Brandon Butler Dan Vogt is a regional director for Whitetails Unlimited, and he pretty much eats, drinks and sleeps whitetails 365 days a year.

So when Dan told me he had experienced the hunt of his life last season, I knew I had to hear about it.

The story wasn’t what I expected. He didn’t tell me about a double drop tine booner closing inside 20 yards. It wasn’t a story about a state record, or some big nasty freak. In fact, it wasn’t about antlers at all. The story of Dan’s best hunt ever was of his 8 year old son, Jacob, killing his first deer.

Jacob Vogt, who is now 9, is your average boy. He enjoys spending time with his daddy, going to school and playing video games. Deer hunting doesn’t consume him, yet, but since it is so important to his dad, Jacob has gravitated towards it. When he recalled to me the story of killing his first deer, a big healthy doe, there was excitement in his eyes, especially each time he looked up at his father as if to reconfirm the admiration being bestowed.

Like many young folks, and quite a few of us older guys too, Jacob doesn’t like sitting still for long. So when Dan and Jacob decided to call it quits on their ground blind hunt, they figured their chances of success were over. But on the way back to the truck they jumped a group of deer from a ditch. They formulated a plan to sneak up on them. It worked.

“I was like 50/50 on whether or not I should take the shot, but I did, and I got her,” Jacob said.

Dan said it was really a pretty close shot and Jacob made it count. To young eyes 60 yards is mile. Consider buck fever and shaking hands, and it’s easy to understand how the youngster was hesitant to pull the trigger.

“I was so excited because I shot and I thought right away that I got it. I started calling all my family. I called grandma first because she’s the closest, just across the street,” Jacob said.

Dan said it was hard to put into words how much it meant to him to pass the tradition of hunting on to his son. Here’s a guy whose career is based on turning people into deer hunters and deer hunters into conservationists, but his ultimate reward was passing the flame to his own son.

“When I grow up I might work for my dad, maybe. If I’m not a professional swimmer,” Jacob said.

Well, whether or not Jacob ends up working for Whitetails Unlimited really doesn’t matter much. What matters is that at 9 years old he’s an advocate with a story to tell. A story he’ll recount to his friends that may create a desire in them to venture into the deer woods. Hopefully, they’ll create their own stories.

Each of you has an opportunity to connect with your child through nature. It doesn’t have to be deer hunting.

Take your child fishing, or squirrel hunting, or just for a long nature hike. You don’t have to ban them from video games to inspire a love of being outdoors. Encourage a

Jacob Vogt posses with his trophy doe.

balance. You’ll be giving a child the gift of a life time, and you’ll never be more satisfied with yourself than when they look up at you and smile aabout nothing more than simply being with you.

See you down the trail…

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September/October 2012

In this issue of Driftwood Outdoors

05 07 08

Gear & Book Review

09 10 12

A Challenging Stalk

14

Getting The Band Back Together

16

My Childhood In Deer Camp

18

Fall Walleye Tip And Techniques

19 20

Obsessed With Antlers

21

My Best Friend Wears Pigtails

Falling For Spotted Bass Building A Waters Edge Duck And Goose Blind The Practiced Hunter Love Those DipsyDoodle Doves

Five Double Header Rivers

Columnists Kevin Reese - Brian Sorrells Stephanie Mallory - Ron Kruger John Martino - Darren Warner John Neporadny Jr. - The Wilsons Contributors Mark Huelsing - Meghan Ray Jeremy Stephens - Randy Eason Gene Clifford Managing Editor Brandon Butler Fishing Editor Kenny Kieser Sales Manager Nathan Sizemore 660-216-5727 Creative Layout Joe Pendergrass Circulation Director Jeff Thompson 573-822-2217 Driftwood Outdoors is bi-published monthly. The entire content of this newspaper is Copyrighted 2012 ©. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent from the Managing Editor.

The Best Shot I Never Took

by Mark Huelsing

by Mark Huelsing

“You can’t kill ‘em from the couch.”

That was the typical advice my Grandpa would give to anyone that was questioning whether or not to hunt a day with questionable conditions.

The principle is true; the more time you spend afield – regardless of the weather – the better chance you have of encountering the animal that you are after.

Can the same idea be applied to the shots that bowhunters take? Should we let an arrow fly when the circumstances of the shot are questionable? Can we increase our chances of success by increasing the number arrows that we release from the string?

After all, you can’t kill what you don’t shoot at, right? I realize that this idea may sound preposterous, but some bowhunters act in this manor without realizing it.

I have found there two be two primary reasons that bowhunters sometimes release an arrow that should have stayed in the quiver – false confidence, and the pressure to succeed.

Nearly all bowhunters understand the importance of accuracy, and if you are one of them, then you have spent at least some portion of the previous few months getting your bow setup and practicing by sending arrow after arrow downrange.

The vast majority of such practice has likely taken place in your backyard or on the range. Your feet are planted square to the target. The target itself is stationary, lifeless. There is no pressure, anxiety, or excitement. The conditions are often perfect.

There is value in this type of practice – we learn proper form, good technique, and embed necessary muscle memory. But I have to wonder, does this type of practice really prepare us from what we will experience in the woods? Does this type of practice give us a confidence that doesn’t translate to true hunting scenarios? I am sure that if you have hunted for more than a few minutes you have figured out that conditions are rarely perfect out there.

There is a huge difference between “backyard accuracy” and hunting accuracy.

If we are not diligent, we will easily overlook the seemingly endless number of variables that we must account for when we pursue an animal with a bow and arrow, and we will struggle to have as much success in the woods as we do in our backyard or on the range.

Let’s take a look at a few differences between backyard practice and shooting in

a hunting situation…

Emotion – An up close and personal encounter with a truly wild animal is something that will get your heart pounding, your knees shaking, and your mind racing.

Whitetail hunters have often referred to this excitement as “buck fever”. This reaction is what makes hunters tick, but if we are not careful this core instinct can turn into shotwrecking anxiety. Shooting in this condition is something that we likely haven’t experienced in the months of practice leading up to opening day.

Timing – Now that we have encountered the animal we are after, we are now on the clock. Is the wind going to shift and blow our scent to the deer, spooking it into the next county? Is the deer going to hear us as we get situated for the shot, or see us as we draw our bow? The bowhunter needs to read the animal and learn to be patient

Practice makes us perfect…well, at least closer to perfect.

when possible, but swift and effective when necessary.

Position – The majority of bowhunters chasing whitetail will be shooting from an elevated treestand. Others will be seated in a ground blind. Fewer still will be on the ground, still-hunting their way into range.

Regardless of your hunting method, the odds are slim that you will be able to shoot from a position that is stable, level, and square to a perfectly broadside target. What will sitting, standing, kneeling, twisting, bending, hunching, leaning, or some other type of unfamiliar contortion do to your shooting accuracy?

Obstructions – A 400 grain arrow traveling at 300 feet per second is moving with an astounding amount of energy. It is amazing that this arrow, which can easily penetrate through a deer’s chest cavity, can also be so easily deflected by one wayward branch. It is also curious how a saggy sleeve can interfere with our bow and result a poor shot. Or, how about the fact that we didn’t realize we don’t have the same finger dexterity with our hunting gloves on, and we

inadvertently fire the trigger on our release?

As you can see from this incomplete list, shooting in a hunting scenario tests our shooting skills in ways that common practice methods do not address. We can (and should!) give attention to these obstacles by training outside of traditional practice techniques. Think of ways that you can make your practice routine more realistic – shoot from awkward positions, practice with all of your hunting gear on, learn to get a quick shot off without rushing, visualize the target as the deer of your dreams.

Practicing these things are good, and will no doubt make us more effective bowhunters, but remember that increasing our shooting skills is only one piece of the puzzle.

You may have noticed that the list above was concentrated on what we can control. The beauty, mystery, and yes, frustration, of hunting comes from the wild animals, which we cannot control.

I’ve spent 14-hour days on the stand and have had encounters with big bucks as the final moments of shooting light were fading. I know the diligence that it takes to watch a trophy buck from seven yards away and restrain yourself from releasing an arrow because there is only a marginal opening to make a clean, ethical shot.

I understand that after you have spent hours upon hours scouting, practicing, and hunting, you just want to make something happen. But no matter how much you have practiced, or how much you want it, sometimes a surefire shot doesn’t present itself.

You can’t make a deer take that final step and give you a proper path to his vitals.

You can’t make him shift his angle so that he isn’t quartering quite so hard. Often times you can’t get a doe-crazed rutting buck to stop in his path.

The pressure to make something happen will often lead to heartbreak. Sometimes the encounter is close and exciting, but the shot just isn’t there. Don’t try to force it! It hurts let the sun go down on such an encounter, but it is also the reason that hunters keep coming back!

Hunting success it too narrowly defined. We fool ourselves into thinking that a good hunt must end with a crimson stained arrow. Sometimes, whether because of this pressure, or because of false confidence, we take shots that we have no business taking.

We need to learn to understand that sometimes the best shot we can take is none at all.

Mark is a member of the Driftwood Outdoors Pro-Staff. Follow him here and on his own web site, www.SoleAdventure.com

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September/October 2012

Driftwood Outdoors Gear & Book Review The Body Furnace

The Body Furnace is a battery operated heating device which helps you maintain a comfortable body temperature.

When worn around your torso, The Body Furnace provides heat to your body core and uses your circulation system to transfer heat to your body extremities. The unique compact design provides maximum heat transfer to your body with minimum battery output. The Body Furnace has a High(II)-OffLow(I) switch to control the heat output for your personal comfort level. Batteries will last approximately 4 hours on the low setting and 2 hours on the high setting. The Body Furnace is designed to radiate heat from one side only, therefore, it is important to place the warm side against your body. Keep yourself warm while hunting, fishing, riding your motorcycle and more with The Body Furnace. (http://www.thebodyfurnace.com)

Vanguard Skyborne 53

The Skyborne 53 is the last camera bag you’ll ever buy. Its advanced design includes air-infused cushioning in key areas which results in reliable gear protection. For its size, the Skyborne 53 is feather light, and is the comfortable camera bag you’ll ever wear. Its ergonomic harness system with easy-adjust shoulder straps provides a great support. The backside unzips to a roomy main compartment. Attach your tripod to its easy-to-adjust buckled strap and holder, and securely tote your laptop in its well-padded compartment with anti-theft buckles. It delivers on the details, too, with generous space to hold your gear along with other adventure essentials, and it boasts numerous pockets for small accessories. (http://www.vanguardworld.com)

MEAT EATER: Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter

In our current era of “celebrity” hunters, Steven Rinella is a breath of fresh air.

Rinella, who is the host of the television show MeatEater on the Sportsman Channel and the former host of the Travel Channel’s The Wild Within, has had the rare opportunity to hunt around. This book explores humanity’s oldest pursuit—hunting—and its relevance today through the lens of ten of Rinella’s adventures. Rinella shares his hard-won insights in his stories and after each chapter, presents “Tasting Notes” on how to prepare, cook and eat wild game, both at home and over a campfire. Follow along as Rinella explores the why of hunting as much as he explains the how.

Save the Last Dance

Ten years in the making, Save the Last Dance, details the perils faced by the nation’s prairie grouse, birds that were almost as important to pioneers as bison.

Already one of the seven species covered is extinct and at least three others teeter on the brink. The 204 page book has more than 200 photographs by award-winning Missouri Department of Conservation photographer Noppadol Paothong, and words by retired MDC writer Joel Vance.

Paothong, a Thai immigrant, now a U.S. citizen, fell in love with prairie chickens a decade ago when he worked for the Joplin Globe. View the beauty of these birds through his lens and Vance’s words.

Watch for the next issue of Driftwood Outdoors to be delivered

November 1, 2012

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September/October 2012

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September/October 2012

Falling For Spotted Bass

by John Neporadny Jr. Spotted bass have the right attitude that makes them endearing to any bass angler.

Although considered the runt of the black bass family, the spotted bass maintains a chip-on-its-shoulder attitude and when it schools up with its brethren, they become as vicious as a wolf pack pouncing on prey. “They are not as much structure oriented like a largemouth, which likes to hang around a dock, lay-down or a stump,” Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brian Snowden says. “You will catch a lot of spotted bass out in open water or bare gravel points where there is really nothing there to hold them.”

Their aggressive nature makes spotted bass easier to coax into biting if you can find them in the vast open spaces of reservoirs. “It seems like once you find them in an area you just have to move around each day to find them again because they will follow the baitfish,” Snowden says.

On his home waters of Table Rock Lake and nearby Bull Shoals Lake , Snowden can find spotted bass easier by targeting points and flats in open water areas. Action in the fall seems to be more consistent for spotted bass than largemouth because spots tend to stay in deeper water and are less affected by cold fronts. The fall turnover also shuts down shallow largemouth, but spotted bass will continue to bite. “The turnover will cause spotted bass to scatter more and go deeper.

So instead of concentrating on that 25- to 35-foot range you might have to look as deep as 40 to 60 feet on those gravel flats.”

Dragging a drop-shot rig or a football jig along flat gravel points is Snowden’s most consistent pattern for spotted bass throughout most of autumn. His dropshot rig consists of a 3/8-ounce weight set 12 to 18 inches below a watermelon candy or green pumpkin Zoom finesse worm.

“I basically use my electronics to see what depth the fish are at. Then I try to maintain my lure right at the area where I see the most fish.” After dropping his lure to the right depth, Snowden shakes the lure two or three times and then lets it sit for five seconds before gently shaking it

again and then holding it steady for 5 to 10 seconds. The sensitivity of his depth finder allows Snowden to see how fish are reacting to his presentation.

“When I don’t see a lot of fish on the

the steady dragging presentation. “I think it just resembles a crawdad moving around down there.”

When the water temperature drops into the lower 60s and upper 50s in late fall, Snowden opts for faster moving baits such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits. “I

crankbaits with a stop-and-go presentation. Most of his strikes occur in the 3- to 5 foot depth range.

John Neporadny is a freelance outdoor writer from Lake Ozark, Mo., and the author of THE Lake of the

Brian Snowden catches spotted bass throughout the fall along barren gravel points and flats.

graph, they are usually hugging the bottom, so I will switch a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce shaky head with a finesse worm or a 5/8- to 3/4-ounce football jig.” He probes the bottom with either a green pumpkin, watermelon or brown/purple football jig tipped with a green pumpkin/purple flaked Zoom Speed Craw or a shaky head jig with a green pumpkin or watermelon candy finesse worm.

The Missouri pro positions his boat over depths of 30 to 40 feet and casts towards the bank so he can drag his lures along the bottom through the 25- to 35foot range. A steady drag seems to work best for him. “If the fish are really aggressive a fun way to catch them is hopping the lure about a foot off the bottom and then letting it hit the bottom again. Then as soon as it hits, hop it again. That seems to trigger some of the better fish into biting.”

On the Ozark highland reservoirs of Table Rock and Bull Shoals, Snowden notices spotted bass seem to respond best to

tend to move up shallower on the gravel points or secondary points going into major creeks. The fish seem to like smaller baits then like the Bandit 200 or Wiggle Wart crankbait. I also like to use a 1/4- or 3/8-ounce spinnerbait with small willowleaf blades.”

His favorite spinnerbait for fall spotted bass is adorned with a skirt in translucent hues, such as salt-and-pepper, with a dash of pink, purple or chartreuse. He favors double willowleaf blades in gold (on the smaller blade) and nickel (on the bigger spinner), although in clearer water he will employ double nickel blades and on cloudy days he tries tandem gold spinners.

Making long casts and retrieving the lure at a fast past to keep it within 1 to 3 feet of the surface produces the most bites for Snowden.

For his crankbait tactics, Snowden selects Wiggle Warts and Bandit 200 and 300 models in natural green or natural brown crawfish colors. He keeps his boat over depths of 15 to 20 feet and retrieves his

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September/October 2012

Building A Waters Edge Duck And Goose Blind

By Gene Clifford The first step in building a Waters Edge Duck and Goose Blind is determining just how far, at normal heights, the water comes up to where you plan to build this blind.

High water times must be taken into consideration too.

Materials needed: 2 - 40” to 48” square pallets 7 - 3’ to 4’ rebars or short cheap fence posts with holes 25 - 6” cable ties and rebar tie wire 25’ to 30’ of 6X6 concrete reinforcing wire which is available at a Menards in 4X8 sheets and rolls of 50’)

Tools needed: Sledge Hammer 3lb hammer Long handled shovel Wire cutting pliers After the blind’s location has been determined, use a weed whip to clear an area about the size of a 4X8 piece of plywood, but no more, as the natural cover in the area will help to conceal the blind’s location.

Place the 2 pallets, as shown in photo #1, side by side on the ground and step and walk all over them to see if they are stable and not rocking on the ground beneath them. If unstable, use the long handled shovel to dig away any humps that are causing the problem. The reason I use pallets, as opposed to nothing, is because standing around in the same spot will create a mudhole,quagmire, which will make it hard to stand up and shoot with it’s slipperyness. Then when it freezes you cannot get a good footing amongst the frozen footprints. After stabilizing the pallets, drive 7 stakes or posts on the 4 corners and one each, on

either side of center and one alongside the entry way.

Now with the pallets stabilized, and the stakes or posts driven, it will take one person to hold the concrete wire in place while the other person attaches it to the stakes or posts with cable ties, before using rebar tie wire to permanently anchor the wire to the stakes. When using 5’ concrete wire, as opposed to using farm fence wire, which is only about 42” high, the bottom rail needs to be cut off to enable the wire to be pushed into the ground, so it won’t be too high to shoot over, when seated or standing.

When the wire is finally anchored to the stakes, the sweat equity part of this blind building will take place. That is the bendover job of cutting cattails or nearby vegetation, to weave into the wire around the outside of the blind.

Natural vegetation from the surrounding area, can provide the best of all concealment when it comes to avoiding detection by circling waterfowl.

You’ll need about 3 or 4, 12” armfuls to cover this size of a blind. I lay an 18” bungee cord on the ground in the area where I am cutting the cover ( I always use and prefer cattails) and lay the cut material on it , until I feel there is an armful, or just about all one person wants to carry.

Weave the covering material at least twice thru the wire when covering, to keep it from being wind whipped and falling over.

In the photo to the right you’ll see the finished product showing the walkway, which can be covered with a separate swinging door using the same wire and cattails.

In the photo below you’ll notice how well the blind blends into the background surroundings.

Be sure to build this type of blind 3 to 4 weeks before the season opens, so that the ducks and geese using your pond or marsh, will get used to it being there, before you hunt from it.

It doesn’t take much money to build a duck blind.

Natural cover works best for concealment.

Gene Clifford is an old school outdoorsman and longtime writer.

If you can’t see the blind, neither will the waterfowl.

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September/October 2012

A Challenging Stalk

By Brian Sorrells There was no question that I was going to shoot the doe. Or try to. The freezer was nearly empty and, being a raging carnivore, my fangs and claws were already out and all I could see was meat on the hoof.

The doe was standing about 75 yards away, behind a criss-crossed tangle of grapevines about the size of my wrist. The thickest vine was, of course, covering her vitals.

There was, however, an opening about the size of a basketball through which I could thread an arrow, if I could maneuver close enough for a shot and finesse an arrow through that small opening.

This hunt started out like many others, except for the ominous thunder and occasional flash of lightning to the northwest of where I was. As I pondered my options, the light rain turned into a deluge. It was raining so hard I couldn’t hear myself think. Good thing I put a waterproof cover over the fletching on my Grizzlystik carbon arrows. The Grizzlystik is the best arrow I’ve ever shot, bar none. They are as tough as nails, even when shot through a critter’s ribs or smacking a glancing blow off a tree. They just keep going. Maybe the reason I like them better than any other arrow is the fact that they’re tapered and they fly like darts out of my 65# Fox Archery longbow, even with sodden feathers.

Watching the doe through my binocular, I decided she would stay in place long enough for me to work my way downwind while she gorged herself on golden mulberry leaves which carpeted the edge of the picked cornfield. Carefully planning a route through depressions, and picking my landmarks, I arrived at the point where I

thought I should have been able to see the doe. Had she moved, or had I miscalculated during my blind navigation?

The only way to find out was to press on, which I did while belly crawling in an attempt to keep my profile low just in case. As I crawled under the lowest strand of barbed wire, my senses were suddenly assaulted by a squishy, soft, malodorous substance that I immediately identified as cow manure. All the way from wrist to elbow. At the very least, it would help mask my human scent.

As I worked my way slowly forward, I caught a glimpse of the doe’s hind leg as she fed along the route that would eventually take her to her bedding area. Since I was already playing catch up, I decided my best bet would be to back out of their as quietly as possible, do a downwind endaround, and ambush her along the way.

I had a good guess as to where she was headed and she’d have to travel through a pinch point consisting of two sinkholes in order to get there. A textbook operation if there ever was one.

Unfortunately, she had picked up her speed a little and now moved with a sense of purpose. I missed her coming through the opening by about 30 seconds. With nothing to lose I decided that I’d follow along behind her and try to catch up with her, figuring she would stop and nibble at various succulent morsels on her way to the bedding area.

Have you ever noticed that when you’re trying really hard to be quiet, Mr. Murphy always shows up to keep you company? I stepped on a tree branch hidden beneath the leaves and the resulting snap was loud enough to alert everything within several hundred yards that I was there. By this time, the doe decided she’d had about enough of my tagging along and trotted over the hill with her tail wagging like a white flag. As anybody knows who

Good form leads to accurate shooting.

has attempted to stalk a whitetail deer in fairly open woods, it’s a very difficult proposition at best.

It was time to pull out all the stops.

The deer was walking along the side of a hill that led to a fenceline and a thick CRP field. I waited until I couldn’t see or hear the doe, then started off on a dead run to reach the fenceline and the gap through which she would pass to reach her bed in the CRP field, hoping the whole time that I wouldn’t spook another animal and contaminate the entire area. My luck held and I reached the downwind side of the fence gap, setting up behind a multifloral rose bush and hoping that my leafy wear coveralls would be sufficient to hide me from my prize.

Time for second-guessing was over, as the doe appeared about 50 yards away, walking straight for the gate. If she behaved like most deer before they enter an open area, she would stand there for several minutes assuring herself that there was nothing dangerous waiting in hiding for her. I’d use this opportunity to get to full draw and release an arrow. The range wasn’t more than fifteen yards and my heart was pounding with anticipation and adrenaline. To me, this moment is the best part of hunting for me. The fact that I know I’m going to get a shot and that perhaps I’d worked hard enough on the stalk to have earned that right.

The doe did as I had hoped, pausing just inside the wood line to survey the open field. My arrow took her tight behind the left shoulder, going straight through like a fork through a stick of butter. I heard the arrow striking brush and saplings behind her as though it had barely slowed down. The doe, unsure of what happened, stood there for several seconds with blood streaming from both nostrils.

She attempted to take a step but she was dead on her feet and simply collapsed.

As always, I’m amazed at the power of this slender little longbow in my hand.

The sun was breaking the horizon, bathing the trees with a rich mantle of blazing yellows, oranges, and reds as I attached my tag to the deer and began the long drag back to the truck.

Brian Sorrells is the author of, “Traditional Bowhunting for Whitetails” and “Beginner’s Guide to Traditional Archery.”

Driftwood Outdoors Magazine is proud of staff members Nathan Sizemore and Jeff Thompson for winning two back to back bowfishing tournaments this summer.

Great job guys.

Pictured L-R: Nathan Sizemore, Jeff Thompson & Shannon Akin

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September/October 2012

The Practiced Hunter — Sweat More, Bleed Less

by Kevin Reese

Darkness cloaked the earth much too early last year for many hunters, ushering with it the long wait for redemption by the light of a distant rising sun. For most of us, in just a few weeks, that wait will be over; whether you are ready for the great awakening or not, that sun indeed will rise.

In the Marine Corps we had a saying, “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.” The adage applies to all aspects of life. Preparedness is the key and few activities demonstrate the importance of preparation more than the taking of a life through participation in our hunting heritage. Sure, adrenaline rules the moment we pull the trigger or release an arrow. Nervous laughs, shakes, smiles and high fives are a normal part of the great emotional wash we succumb to when a well-placed shot is made; however, we also know as hunters that a lack of preparedness can lead to a marginal, or worse, poor shot. What then? The great emotional discharge is met with a knot in the stomach, nervous laughs have been replaced by a lump in the throat and high fives have “left the building” altogether.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you’re not working year round to stay at the top of your game, you’re not a good hunter, it’s not debatable.

I don’t have a magical formula for the number of bullets fired or arrows loosed to lump hunters in piles of good and bad; everyone is different. What is true in my position on the subject is simply that regular practice is a must to maintain consistent, accurate shooting conducive to good shot placement without second guessing your abilities at the moment of truth.

With hunting, regardless of bow, rifle or other legal instrument, the margin for error is always present. Every animal we choose to call prey deserves our best efforts - it’s about ethics, respect and integrity, i.e. - doing the right thing even when no one is looking. My pop often

Xxx

said, “Life is full of choices; however, the consequences are clearly defined.” Those questions about ethics and integrity define your character and author Russell Gough reminded me that your character is your destiny. Beyond our own intrinsic motivation to do the right thing we must also remember the surging masses steeped in the desire to burn our hunting heritage at the stake. Don’t fuel their fire.

Practice and be prepared!

Know your equipment. What feels right or wrong? Have you stayed true to your maintenance program? When is the last time a trained technician inspected your equipment? Where are your accessories? Are they still serviceable? The most important question may be, “Do you trust your equipment no matter the circumstances?”

Take it from a former archery technician; nothing is more unsettling than a customer who waits until the last minute to get ready for opening day. It’s even more maddening if the hunter boasts about hunting ethics and success while I work on a bow that hasn’t been maintained or shot in a year. Ethical hunting is more than meaning to do the right thing - it’s DOING the right thing.

My intent is not to convict people.

Those who feel convicted have created that themselves and are always empowered to do something about it. Never short on advice, my Pop also reminded me on many occasions, “If you don’t like it, fix it.” His point, like conviction, was

based on cause and effect. If you know what causes the pain you often know how to stop the pain. I’ll see all of you practiced hunters in the woods!

Hunt hard, hunt often!

Kevin may be reached for questions, comments or suggestions by emailing kevinr@just-hunt.com.

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September/October 2012

Love Those Dipsy-Doodle Doves

by Ron Kruger

Ducks and geese get a lot more press. But the dove is by far the most sporting bird that ever sliced air. Ducks and geese are like B52s in comparison, while the dove is like the most sophisticated fighter jet.

The faster he flies the quicker a dove dips, dives, twists, and turns. At speeds of up to 60 mph he can swerve to one side or the other and back again in a flash–faster than you can pull the trigger, or, more commonly, faster than you can change your mind about pulling the trigger. He is the master of the wind, in complete control of his corkscrew path.

He doesn’t fly that way to elude a string of shot from some hapless hunter with a hot gun barrel. Around the fields were doves come to feed and hunters congregate to intercept them, opening day can sound like war games at Fort Campbell, and, despite all the commotion and controlled explosions, they keep charging in until their craws are crammed.

I’ve seen doves race along a line of hunters, within range of them all, dipsydoodling through multiple strings of shot, as if they enjoyed the challenge more than the hunters, and then land in a grain field to leisurely collect their breakfast with a smirk.

They are the genetic perfection of aerodynamic construction and muscle coordination. They seem so confident in their ability to outmaneuver everything of wing and gunpowder that, instead of fleeing–they charge.

That’s the quixotic way I like to think about doves, anyway.

The scientific community might see it differently. Since they relate the size of the encephalon with intellectual capacity, and since a dove’s brain is about the size of a pea, they’d probably say the bird is not burdened with such abstract concepts. Science would seem to imply that he’s just too dumb a “bird brain” to know any better.

I prefer a more poetic or romantic approach. I like to think that all of his mental capacities are specifically dedicated to his superior physical command of the open air–to his gift of split-second maneuverability and speed.

At any rate, that’s the excuse I use every time one of them outsmarts my point of aim. Shot-shell manufacturers love doves, and I welcome the chance to help Winchester’s bottom line every September.

With this year’s drought conditions, doves should be more concentrated in areas with available food.

Photo by Ron Kruger.

The dove migration comes in waves, and good hunting can last through the fall. Photo by Ron Kruger.

They’re tasty, too. If you’re good enough–or lucky enough–to down enough birds to make a meal, try wrapping each breast in a piece of bacon, held in place with a tooth pick, and grilling them over charcoal until the bacon becomes crisp. It’s a unique culinary delight.

Most dove hunting takes place during opening weekend, but some of my most memorable hunts have been during the later part of September well into October.

Doves stick around until the first serious cold front. Each minor blast from the north may push some of them south, but they don’t all migrate at once, and others fill in the vacancies as soon as the weather

moderates. In fact, because of migratory variables the number of doves in this area during October often is greater than during September.

Opening week is more like what the English call a “shoot,” requiring many people in a given area to keep the birds moving, whereas later in the season, it becomes more of a hunt.

Later in the season the shooting may not be as frantic, but it is more consistent, often lasting all day. Available forage dwindles and the birds move more on their own, so you don’t need large groups to keep things stirred up. Full camouflage and some kind of blind becomes more important. Decoys help. And, thankfully, you can leave the insect repellent and sweat rags at home.

Besides, a shotgun just seems to fit my hand more naturally when the air is crisp.

There is, however, an element of anticipation to opening day. To many of us dove season is a tradition that marks the beginning of hunting seasons, and as the years mount up on me, I become increasingly grateful for one more chance to perfect my aim.

Ron Kruger lives the life he writes about, spending countless days a year on the water in Missouri.

Doves are the genetic perfection of aerodynamic construction and muscle coordination. Photo by Ron Kruger.

September/October 2012

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September/October 2012

by Jeremy Stephens

you know it, you’re calling each other in the middle of the night with hair brained ideas on new strategies that should turn the tide in your favor. Ideas become plans and plans become reality.

All of the strategizing and game planning culminates on Opening Day. Your wave bye to your families as the tour bus hauls you off to early morning sunrises filled with buzzing teal and screaming woodies. On fresh legs, the first half of the tour consists of great weather, mixed bags and great camaraderie. Building momentum for the peak migration, the band starts to fine tune their instruments. Soon enough, every member is dialed in, hitting every note and anticipating perfectly when they should bust out their solo routine.

This crew is a well oiled machine.

There are always bumps in the road, though. Flat tires and shelled lower units nearly cause missed shows. Egos and false premonitions lead to less than stellar performances. Disagreements about where to set up and false claims for leg iron cause animosity amongst the group.

The tough days, the mile hikes through knee deep mud, frozen fingers, jammed

Getting The Band Back Together

It happens every fall. Dedicated waterfowlers emerge from the grind we call life. Friends that haven’t spoken in months suddenly become inseparable, building blinds, stringing decoys and swapping the same stories they did last year. Waterfowl season is on the horizon and the gathering of your hunting buddies feels like a bunch of rock stars getting the band back together for a world tour.

Everyone has their offseason life and career, which is filled with overtime at the office, coaching your kid’s little league team and the mandatory family vacation..

Family and work engulf the off season but for a couple of months out of the year they take a backseat to the ducks. Rockers do it for the music; waterfowlers do it for the ducks, either way the excitement is thru the roof.

It starts with a phone call; the lead singer invites a couple guys over for a jam session. Grilling the last few duck breasts from the previous season and telling stories from the road turns to boat modifications and scouting adventures. Before

Perhaps the best part of waterfowl hunting is spending time with friends. (Stephens on right.)

guns and leaky waders separate the men from the boys. You, no doubt, will lose a few crew members along the way. Those “fair weather” guys who simply can’t hack

life on the road will ignore phone calls and make excuses, eventually forcing you to give up on them. All of these things just strengthens the bond of the remain-

15

September/October 2012 ing core and pushes them towards the big push.

The weather man brings the good news, cold arctic air is pushing south and soon the Dakota’s are covered with snow, there’s no doubt this is it, the big push is coming. While most sane people are still in bed, the band is setting up for the big show. Surveying the venue, each member knows what needs to be done and quickly go to work. Decoys are strategically placed and extra brush is applied to the blind to ensure you are invisible. The band goes backstage to wait for the show to start but nothing is said, for the first time since Opening Day there are butterflies. Everyone anticipates that this show will be the one to remember. Everything is lined up; all that is left to do is wait.

This is the big one, the thousands of mallards that are pouring in from the north seem to be chanting in unison like a sold out stadium calling for their favorite rock band. They pile into the spread filling every vacant seat. Peeking through the blind doors, with the aid of the rising sun, the band sees the sea of greenheads waiting for them. They study their watches, counting every second off until shoot time. As the time approaches, more and more mallards fill the sky. All of the early mornings come down to this.

Shoot time is here. One last group glides in as the call goes out,” Take ‘em”.

The band throws the blind doors open and the crowd goes wild. As if they were fans rising to their feet, ducks flush off of the water. Shotguns begin blasting out their own music, throwing steel into the cloud of ducks vacating the spread. This is the show you waited for and it does not disappoint. Every song is played perfectly throughout the show drawing many more fans. An easy limit is taken but even after that the band keeps playing just to watch the show. High fives and attaboy’s are passed around over cold breakfast sandwiches at the truck.

Through the next couple of weeks, many great hunts are had. Good or bad, many of them will be remembered for years to come; none though, will top the big push. As the season draws to a close, reality sets in and everyone knows that real life will have to resume again. In the back of their minds you are all waiting for that voice on the other end of the line saying, “We’re getting the band back together”.

Jeremy Stephens is a member of the Driftwood Outdoors Pro-Staff. Jeremy is also the Regional Director for Delta Waterfowl in MO, IL, IN, MI & OH.

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September/October 2012

My Childhood in Deer Camp

by Stephanie Mallory

I’m often asked, “How did a young woman like you get involved in writing about hunting and fishing?” My response is always the same.

“I have my dad to thank.” From the time I was a young child, my father James Davis had me in the woods. An avid hunter and fisherman, Dad wanted me to grow to love the outdoors as much as he did, and he made sure I got a good taste of all that nature had to offer at an early age.

I quickly grew to love the time I spent out of doors as much as my father. As soon as I began walking, Dad started carrying me on his excursions, often much to my mother’s dismay. We’d spend hours sitting on the banks of the lake fishing for bass, we’d walk for miles among the hardwoods in pursuit of squirrels, and we’d wait patiently in blinds for cunning gobblers to approach. But my fondest of memories is of those spent in deer camp with my father and his hunting buddies.

The Old Cabin Going to deer camp was like stepping back in time for me. Our camp was a 19th Century log cabin, which once belonged to my grandfather, Cecil McClellan. The cabin consisted of one large room with a big rock fireplace on the side. There was an old green swing on the front porch that beckoned to the tired hunter who needed a break, but would then flip backward throwing the unlucky guy (or young girl) to the ground. The air inside the cabin was stagnant and musty, and the wooden bunk beds were splintered and uncomfortable, but it was paradise to me.

I loved nothing better than driving down the old dirt roads that led to the cabin the night before our hunt. I always wanted to be the first one to open the cabin’s door in hopes that I’d catch a raccoon off guard. If previous hunters left any food in the cabin, the varmints would squeeze through one of the many holes in

the floor and practically ransack the place.

Their shenanigans irritated the other hunters, but tickled me to death.

At night, my dad and the other men would build a campfire and sit around it reminiscing about the good old days.

Most of my father’s hunting companions were also his childhood friends. They’d tell stories about my dad and the mischief he got into when he was my age, which I stored in my mind incase I needed to one day remind him of his own misbehavior as a child. My father and his friends had me convinced that bears, panthers and other flesh-eating predators were lurking just outside of the glow cast by the fire, and that if I wondered too far away from camp, I might become a midnight snack – a very convincing method for keeping a child within the safe perimeters of camp.

Hunting Buddies I never felt so grown up and so special than during the times I spent sitting around the campfire with my dad and his friends listening to tall tails and true accounts never knowing which was which.

During these times, I wasn’t just Daddy‘s little girl, I was his friend, his partner, his hunting buddy.

During that time in the late 1970s and early 1980s, few deer camps welcomed children, much less little girls. But no one ever questioned my father when he’d pull up to camp in his old truck with me in the passenger seat. His friends knew that wherever he went, I went and that was just the way it was.

One reason I was accepted in camp was because I caused no problems and my father made sure of that. He explained to me early on that being in deer camp was a privilege, and if I misbehaved, then that privilege would be taken away from me.

So I made sure that I did nothing that would cause my dad or the other hunters to complain about my attendance in camp.

In fact, I’d go out of my way to make sure that my presence in camp was an asset rather than a drawback. I’d pick up the cabin, making sure it remained clean and

Stephanie and her proud father, James.

uncluttered, and I’d fetch the other hunters drinks and snacks when the time called for it.

The time my father and I spent in the deer woods was more about just being together than it was about hunting. As a young child, I would get impatient and bored very quickly. So we’d spend and hour or two in the shooting house, then when my dad could tell I’d had enough, we’d take the long walk back to camp stopping to skip rocks across the lake or to check out the different animal tracks imprinted in the soft dirt at the road’s edge. I loved these walks. We’d talk about whatever entered our minds, or we’d sing the songs that were popular on the radio at that time. These are the memories that stick out in my mind about deer camp, and these are the times that created a bond between my father and me that still exists today.

Nature’s Classroom As a young child, I had no idea that my experience in deer camp with my father would actually contribute to the person I am today. But, the lessons I learned in my outdoor classroom directly impacted the path my life would take. More

than 30 years later, I still spend much of my time in hunting camps, but now I go as an outdoor writer and photographer. I know if it hadn’t been for my dad letting his rambunctious little girl tag along with him, I’d not have the opportunities I do today.

My father used our time together in the woods as an opportunity to instill values within me that all parents want to see in their children, such as patience, respect for life, responsibility, self esteem, honesty and reliability.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned during my time at camp was patience. Hunting is a waiting game and no other sport teaches patience to the degree that hunting does. Even though we didn’t spend extended amounts of time in our shooting house, when I was in it, I was still and quiet. I learned I had to be patient if I at least wanted to get a glimpse at a deer.

And when we did finally see one, I didn’t care if it was a small doe or a huge buck, I just felt privileged to see an animal in the wild.

I also learned that life has value. He would tell me that hunters should always use what we harvest from the land, air and water, and that we shouldn’t take an animal that we don’t intend to eat. So, I not only bonded with my father, but I bonded with nature as well. I learned to love the land and animals around me and to never abuse these precious gifts.

I learned to be responsible. My dad would spend hours teaching me how to properly handle and shoot a gun. I learned first-hand about the danger of an improperly handled firearm. My father only let me carry a gun when I proved to him that I was old enough and responsible enough to handle it. I learned at a very early age the importance of being safe in the woods and what a gun is capable of.

I also thank my time in camp for a healthy self esteem. One way we get self-esteem is from knowing how to do something well. My father taught me how to shoot a gun, scout for deer and navigate through the woods – skills that few other girls my age had. And the more I practiced these skills the better I got. I also learned to feel comfortable in all-male environ-

17

September/October 2012

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ments, which comes in very handy with my line of work today. I often find myself the only female in camp. Thanks to my hunting experiences as a youngster, I feel completely comfortable in such situations.

had their names engraved on them. He’s looking forward to the day when his grand children will tag along beside him as I once did not so long ago.

The qualities I learned in camp I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, and as a mother of four, I hope to share with them the same type of experiences my father once shared with me. My father has already bought them all guns and has

Stephanie Mallory is the owner of Mallory Communications, and represents many of the largest companies in the outdoor industry.

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September/October 2012

Fall Walleye Tips and Techniques

By Kenneth L. Kieser

Veteran walleye fisherman love to bundle up in warm clothing and go fishing while most are watching football.

They sip on hot coffee and snacks while couch potatoes are drinking beer and eating chips. At day’s end, the couch potato lay back with a hang-over while the fisherman prepares a hot skillet and his or her family waits for a remarkable dinner.

Few can deny the remarkable taste of fresh walleye fillets from cold water.

WHERE TO LOOK FOR WALLEYE Fall walleye are structure-oriented and often hungry. Look for angled bottom structure that eventually meets a drop off. I especially like rocky shelves or huge boulders. Then I drift across these areas with minnows--or salted minnows where live bait is not permitted. Walleye suspend in these areas in search of baitfish.

I constantly have to keep the motor running to stay on fish in windy conditions. Wind will push you past the fish.

Fall fish are often staged on slanted areas and a few feet to the right or left can mean no strikes. The key is staying where the walleye want to be. I use 1/4 ounce jig heads in calm water and 3/8th or heavier in wind and waves. We change sizes until the best size is found. Fall walleye require an adequate presentation.

Most fall walleye suspended on the bottom. A soft occasional lift off the bottom can draw many strikes. Sometimes hits come on the drop, making line control extremely important. Other times hits may be soft; no more than a light twitch or the line might suddenly start moving sideways.

VERTICAL FISHING Start by moving to likely spots around rocks or weed beds and vertical fish.

Minnows or nightcrawlers are dropped straight down and either suspended or brought up a reel turn every five minutes.

The idea is to let that walleye study your bait or to hang it in front of its nose.

Try using bright gold or blood red hook for added attraction. We like to add a tiny piece of Christmas tree tinsel for more shine. Some even glue glitter to their hook or bait. Keep in mind that walleye can detect strange odors, so use glue with the least odor.

TROLLING Trolling is an excellent fall technique if you go slow enough. I like to use the current for trolling or bumping baits, lures or jigs across the bottom. I simply turn my boat sideways and cast out two or three lines. Make sure your baits, jigs or lures are weighted well enough to stay on the bottom. Then watch each rod. Walleye often hook themselves because of this little motion.

Try trolling floating Bombers and Smithwick Super Rogues in Fire Tiger and Chrome Black Back and Chrome Blue Back color patterns. Remember to use plenty weight about a foot from the lure to hold each presentation on the bottom.

Pay close attention while making S-turns when trolling. Bites seem to come on the turn, no matter if it is on the inside or outside turn, when I let my rod sweep back to allow slack line. The Long “A,” Rogue or other floaters will float up and trigger bites due to this action.

Most of these lures run 7 to 10 feet, so they’re pounding the bottom when House trolls. When he makes a turn, the lure rises in the critical three to four feet strike zone.

That little hesitation occurs where the fish are sitting on top of the reef. This is a good method for catching larger walleye.

There’s nothing like fall fishing when the weather calls for a light jacket.

CASTING Most cast for fall walleye. I like to use a much smaller jig or lure during the late-fall’s coldest weather. We have caught many fine walleye while fishing for crappie

A few walleye like this make for one tasty meal.

with 1/80 or 1/100-ounce jigs that were tipped with euro larva or a commercial brand or crappie additive.

Again, use a slow retrieve while making sure you keep each offering on the bottom. Twitch your rod tip on occasion.

Sometimes this added move will draw strikes. The key is placing your bait in front of the walleye’s face, a feat accomplished by patience and lots of time in uncomfortable weather conditions. The couch and a football game are warmer, but not nearly satisfying as catching a six pound walleye on four pound test line.

might like lures painted dark green, dark blue or black with an orange belly. Fish chasing minnows might like a silver or gold colored imitation. You might do well with orange or pumpkin colored lures where gold fish are present. I like darker colors in darker water and lighter colors in lighter water--especially for walleye.

LIVE BAIT Minnows, leeches and nightcrawlers are extremely effective for walleye. Hook your leaches towards the end so they can wiggle and flop. Nightcrawlers are more effective with a shot of air with a hypodermic needle so they float off the bottom better. This is especially good in thick bottom, making it easier for the walleye to locate them. Minnows, especially salted versions, can be hooked through the mouth, extending the hook through their backs.

EQUIPMENT A depth finder is more than a little helpful, but not necessary depending on where you are fishing. You will find submerged rocks or weed bed lines with a depth finder. Without you have to guess about prime locations or suspended fish unless you are familiar with the lake bottom.

I use medium-light tackle for fall walleye. A flexible rod with four to six pound test line is enough unless you are fishing in heavy current. I prefer four because of personal experience. Silver Thread Fluorocarbon gets more bites, even more so than changing to a smaller diameter monofilament line. Fluorocarbon lines are known for their virtual invisibility when under water.

Fall is an excellent time to catch walleye. Try the slower fall method for a full stringer.

LURES Most walleye are scattered around the bottom, but occasionally these large predators will chase a school of minnows or small perch. Crankbaits can become extremely productive when walleye are chasing forage.

Many northern fishermen prefer Rapalas or Rebel Deep Divers. But other effective types are available including the Reel Image versions from Cabelas. The key is color and a tempting wiggle.

Try to match what walleye are going after. For example, walleye chasing bluegill

Another important key of walleye fishing is the use of a fish or structure locator. Again, walleye are structure-oriented fish. A devise to read the bottom is important to avoid fishing unproductive waters.

Kenny Kieser is the Fishing Editor of Driftwood Outdoors.

19

September/October 2012

Obsessed With Antlers

By Darren Warner It’s a crisp, cool autumn morning in late October. As you sit quietly in a brandnew treestand, you hear the unmistakable sounds of hooves thumping the Earth as whitetail deer come down a trail toward you. Your heart beats a tom-tom in your chest as you earnestly hope one of the deer is carrying impressive headgear.

Hunting equipment changes from year-to-year, but for many deer hunters, the one constant is the relentless pursuit of bucks with antlers. Even those who are hunting just to fill their freezer admire a whitetail with heavy horns on top of its head.

Actually, that’s not correct, because deer don’t have horns – they have antlers.

Antlers are entirely comprised of bone, grow from the tips and are shed annually.

In contrast, horns have a bone core, but are mainly made of carotene, the same stuff that our fingernails are comprised of. Horns also grow from the base and are never cast. Deer, elk, moose and stag have antlers, while sheep, goats and antelope have horns.

Antlers grow from specialized tissues called pedicels, found on the top of a buck’s skull. As each antler grows, nourishment (from blood) is provided from a spongy outer skin, or velvet, through the core of each pedicel.

“Transplanting material from a pedicle to other skeletal regions results in growth of antler tissue in the transplanted area,” said Kip Adams, director of education in the North for the Quality Deer

Management Association (QDMA). “Researchers have been able to grow antlers on mice by transplanting pedicle material to the top of their heads.”

Annual growth and shedding of antlers is triggered by photoperiod, or daylight length. Photoperiod affects testosterone production, causing antlers to grow. Researchers have been able to make bucks grow and shed three sets of antlers in just one year by adjusting the amount of daylight the deer receive.

Deer antlers can grow an inch or more per day, making them the fastest normal growing tissue in nature. Only tumors and embryos grow at this rate. For humans, it’s equivalent to growing a new set of arms each year.

Photoperiod also causes antlers to harden. Dwindling daylight sends a signal to the pituitary gland, which sends a signal to the testes to increase testosterone production. Increased testosterone makes velvet come off and antlers harden. Many hunters don’t know that bucks don’t rub against bushes and trees to shed velvet, but to work out aggression and strengthen neck muscles needed for fighting. If a buck doesn’t have a hard surface to rub its antlers against, velvet will fall off on its own.

About 50 percent of all wild bucks will develop an antler abnormality – if they live long enough. To the right a list of some of the most common antler abnormalities, along with the most likely cause.

How long a buck expresses a deformity is based on the seriousness of the injury.

Minor injuries usually only affect antler

Abnormality Base and entire antler deformed

Pedicle injury.

Normal bases but unusual tines

Injury during later growth stages.

Third antler growing from skull

Pedicle injury.

Drop tines/sticker points

Genetically expressed by 5 – 7 years of age.

Velvet never comes off

Injury to the testicles during antler development.

Doe with velvet antlers

Enough testosterone to grow antlers, but not enough to harden them.

One well-developed/the other deformed

Injury. Front limb: impacts antler development on same side Rear limb: affects antler on opposite side.

development for one year, while severe injuries cause permanent damage.

In late winter or early spring, testosterone production decreases, which causes antlers to fall off. If you see a buck that’s lost its antlers early, it’s usually because the buck’s suffered an injury or is nutritionally deficient.

A common strategy many hunters and deer managers use to try to grow bucks with trophy antlers is to cull small bucks out of the herd. According to Brian Murphy, chief executive officer for the QDMA, the tactic doesn’t work.

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Large antlers like the ones this buck is sporting are coveted by hunters across the country.

Cause

“The genetic pool of wild deer is vast, so it’s like throwing a cup of fresh water in the ocean and thinking you’ll change the saline content,” said Murphy.

To get larger-racked bucks, bring the doe to buck sex ratio into alignment (2:1), provide ample nutrition and let young bucks walk during hunting season.

Darren Warner is veteran whitetail writer.

He’s a member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association.

20

September/October 2012

Five Double Header Rivers

By Terry and Roxanne Wilson

There was a time when the banks of Ozark rivers were covered with towering virgin pine forests and native smallmouth bass reigned supreme throughout the length of each. Near the turn of the twentieth century, trout were introduced into these crystalline, spring-fed waters and the Ozarks’ double-header, where both species could be caught on the same float, was born.

Five very different yet equally beautiful rivers offer this combination float.

The North Fork (of the White), Niangua, Meramec, Eleven Point, and Current River are first-rate fisheries that offer spectacular scenery. The virgin pine have been logged and replaced by hardwood forests which blanket limestone bluffs that rise majestically from the river’s floor.

Canoes and kayaks are the most efficient method of travel through the rugged terrain. Kayaks get the nod for a day float-fishing trip while canoes can carry all the necessary gear and supplies for making camp on a river bank gravel bar and extended fishing. All of these rivers are relatively gentle and can be traversed safely and easily even by novice paddlers.

Most canoe liveries offer both kayaks and canoes.

Summer weekends are usually subjected to a frenetic aluminum hatch that precludes an enjoyable fishing experience, but after Labor Day the rivers return to a more leisurely pace. Autumn is the best time to enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife that can include eagles, osprey, white tail deer, wild turkeys, songbirds and, of course, fish.

Often a fall day on the river can be spent in shirtsleeves but it’s a good idea to check the local weather forecast before departure. These steep-sided rivers can flood quickly and dangerously. Raingear and jackets should always accompany an autumn float.

Experienced outfitters can offer invaluable assistance. Be specific about what kind of experience you want in terms

of trip length, fish species and scenery.

Outfitters can provide reliable river information about what to expect on the float you’ve selected. It’s always a good idea to inquire about landmarks along your route. An unusual rock formation, feeder streams, or power lines that cross the river can be used to indicate how far along your route you’ve traveled and the pace of your float.

The North Fork River can be reached via Missouri Hwy. 181 south of Cabool.

The highway crosses the river at Twin Bridges, which is located in the midst of the best smallmouth water. Upstream, Hebron Access is a good place to start a float but will likely require too much canoedragging if the water is low. Trout fishing begins at North Fork Spring and extends 15 miles down stream to historic Dawt Mill. The North Fork is one of the Ozarks most scenic streams and is home to some huge smallmouth bass and trout.

The Niangua River is accessed by Missouri Hwy.64 which crosses the river just below Bennett Spring State Park located north of Lebanon. Above the park the river is smaller but has lots of classic smallmouth water with diverse rock size.

The access at Moon Valley is a good starting point for an eight-mile float to Hwy. 64 Bridge. The best trout water extends downstream another 10 miles to Prosperine Access. The influx of water from Bennett Spring widens the river considerably and increases its flow.

The Meramec River is located south of I-44 near St. James. Trout inhabit the first seven miles below Meramec Spring Park. At Scott Ford, the best smallmouth water continues for the next nine miles to Fishing Spring Road.

A beautiful Ozark brown trout.

Missouri Hwy. 19 Bridge crosses the Eleven Point River near Alton. Upstream from the bridge above Greer Spring, the smallmouth bass are abundant and grow large in a canyon-like section that’s dif-

ficult to access. A float trip is the best way to reach most of this section of river. From the river access below the Hwy 19 Bridge for the next six miles to Turner Mill Access is excellent trout water.

The most spring–fed river in Missouri is also its most famous. The Current River, located south of Salem, begins in Montauk State Park, where its headwaters are stocked daily, but below the park trout continue to dominate all the way to within three miles of Akers. In that section fishing for both species is excellent but smallmouth bass prevail below Akers.

Our fly boxes for both species are relatively simple. For trout we prefer a weighted version of Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail

tension is released. It’s hard to beat when the bass are feeding in the shallows. We also fish crayfish patterns in contact with the bottom and jointed hellgrammites in swift sections of pocket water. Mid-depth work is performed by Woolly Buggers in sizes 6-10.

For information about outfitters visit the Missouri Canoe and Floaters Association at www.missouricanoe.org or write them at 28425 Spring Road, Richland, Mo,65556. Their site contains river information, maps and a list of outfitters with addresses and phone numbers. For more information about these double-header rivers contact the Missouri Department of Conservation, PO Box 180, Jefferson City,

Life doesn’t get better than floating an Ozark trout stream in the fall.

Nymph with the thorax tied using natural rabbit dubbing to cover five turns of .020 lead wire. We call our version the North Fork Nymph after a rock-turning foray many years ago on its namesake river.

Size 12-18 dominate our selections. Zebra midges in sizes 14-20 are also effective.

Mayfly hatches on Ozark streams can be sparse. Caddis hatches, on the other hand, are reliable throughout the entire year. To replicate the adults we prefer the Elk Hair Caddis tied with natural lightcolored (bull elk) hair. The light colored wings make the fly easier for us to see on the water. Body color varies from dun (gray) to olive and it’s most productive in sizes 14 to 18.

Our smallmouth selection starts with a deer hair floater-diver we call Hula Diver in size 4. It dives under water on the strip and floats back to the surface with its Sili-Leg tail still wiggling when line

Mo, 65102-0180 or visit their web site at www.conservation.state.mo.us, Autumn weather in the Ozarks is often perfect for float fishing. Best of all, the crowds are gone and the fishing is at its finest. If you have a difficult time deciding whether to spend your time chasing smallmouth bass or trout, why not do both?

These five rivers offer the opportunity to fish the morning for smallmouth and the afternoon for trout or to fish all day for one species and the next day for another.

And best of all the quality of the fishing for both species is outstanding.

Terry and Roxanne Wilson are the authors of 4 books and more than 200 magazine articles about warmwater fly fishing. They reside near Bolivar, Missouri. Visit them at www.thebluegillpond.com.

September/October 2012

My Best Friend Wears Pigtails

When we leave she carries the flashlight. Heading up the trail like she’s the queen of the forest, leaving dear old dad behind in the darkness. I remember a day not too long ago that she was stuck to my heals or I had to carry her all the way. Back then she always made me leave before it got too dark. Now she makes me stay till black dark so that her light shines brighter. It’s been a delight to see her confidence level grow in this way because I know it will carry over into other areas of her life.

Then she takes her hood off and there are those piggy-tails sticking up. I want to use up a whole roll of film, capturing the moment. With her hood wrapped around her neck, her camo jacket and pants, her bright red cowboy boots, and those pigtails.

My hunting buddy is my “bestest friend”. I love you Rachel...........

By Randy Eason What image does your mind conjure up when you hear the words “best friend”?

More often than not, I’ll bet it’s one with someone of the same genre. Someone with whom you’ve shared many a triumph and pain over the years. For some it’s a spouse who came into their life as a friend.

And that friendship grew into the kind of love that when hit by hard times, held the friendship together and kept the love alive.

I envy them. And while I consider myself blessed to have many true friends, my best friend wears pigtails, in the deer woods.

You’ve heard, I’m sure, some of the old descriptive sayings like, “knee high to a grasshopper”, “skinny as a rail”, or “cute as a button”. Well if we could just add, “more energy than a power plant”, and “ornerier than a PBR bull”, that’s her. My best friend and hunting buddy Rachel. How many five year olds do you know that can name all twenty eight species of big game in North America and the sounds each one makes?

Or likes to watch the Outdoor Channel as much or more than Disney? And how many pre- schoolers can you name who’s sticky little fingers have turned the pages of her Bass Pro catalog so many times looking at all the “neat hunting stuff ”, that the only section not stuck together just happens to be the treestand page, with the stand built for two circled in crayon? Oh and did I mention that she throws a spiral like I haven’t seen since Joe Montana and knows how to apply the sleeper hold? Everyone keeps saying somethingabout peas and pods, whatever that means.

All I know is that my best friend won’t let me out the door without her, and scolds me if she can’t find her “huntin clothes”.

Every time she sees me put my camo on she runs to the bathroom sink and scrubs her hands and arms with my scent eliminating soap, that she squirts from a big bottle that looks comically huge in her tiny little hands.

The other day she was absolutely panicked that we were out of the deodorant I use, made by the same company as the soap. I fought back the laughter and the tears as she exclaimed, with a look of horror, “But dad! We need it or the deer will smell us!!

Have I mentioned that she made me put one of my deer heads in her room? It’s rightabove the picture she made me frame, of her and I posing next to the buck we shot lastyear. She was there all right. Looking over my shoulder, coaching me as I let that arrowgo. Now his “skuull” as she calls it, hangs in a place of honor on the living room wall too.

Rachel sits inside the antlers of a giant whitetail.

That hunt however took all of thirty minutes, and now if something doesn’t happen quickshe wants to rattle and grunt untill it does. She’s pretty good with the calls too!

But pretty soon her patience level is reached and she crawls over and sits on my lap.

She looks up at me with those big brown eyes and grins, and I know the silence is about to be broken. She pulls the mask from her face and giggles. I try to look stern and tell her to be quiet, but she isn’t fooled. She just laughs softly and starts picking on me more. The next thing I know we’re trying new wrestling holds on each other, laughing like we’re trying to still be quiet. By now though the jig is up. Every critter in the woods knows where we are, and we don’t care.

Then as darkness starts to creep in, we calm too and watch a little longer. I hold her in my arms like I did when she was a baby and dread the day, however long it

21

may be from now, that I’ll really have to let her go. I may see more deer by myself, but it could never be this much fun without her.

Rachel learned to appreciate nature at an early age.

This article is an excerpt from Randy’s book, “A Voice In The Wilderness.”

22

September/October 2012

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September/October 2012

A Family Trip to the Boundary Waters

by Meghan Ray The Boundary Waters is a no man’s land between the United States and Canada. Swarms of mosquitoes in the summer, extreme cold in the winter, and a lack of cell phone service all year keep visitors to a minimum. Only adventurous and skilled campers take on the Boundary Waters alone. But with the help of an outfitter, anyone can spend a week in one of the largest protected areas of wilderness in the world.

My family is adventurous, but we don’t necessarily qualify for the category of skilled campers. So when my parents decided to take our family to the Boundary Waters for a week this past summer, they thankfully booked an outfitter. The idea for the trip was inspired by a group of men from our church who still rave about their experience in the BWCA (Boundary Waters Camping Area).

After a year of anticipation my dad (David), mom (Mary), sister (Lizzie; 18), brother (David Jr.; 15), cousin (Boyd; 17), and I, also 17, set out on the ultimate camping trip in early July. While my dad and brother had been to the Boundary Waters once before, the rest of us were clueless on what to expect.

Throughout our drive from Indiana to Minnesota, the rest of us ceaselessly fired questions at my brother and dad in a last minute attempt to prepare ourselves.

“Who is going to carry the canoes?”

“What does portage mean?” “Are we going to carry our water with us?” Looking back now, we asked some pretty silly questions, but I was still shocked when I learned that any water we to drink and bathe needed would come straight from the lake.

After finally arriving at our outfitter’s

lodge, we had our “last supper,” followed by our last shower. The next morning, the outfitters dropped us off and we floated away on one of the countless waterways. It was an indescribable moment. All of the sudden it hit me that I was miles from civilization. You can no longer hear the occasional car passing by or the TV in the other room. All you can hear is the sound of your paddle dipping in the water.

As a high school girl, my cell phone is always somewhere in the five foot radius around my body. The only thing in the Boundary Waters that required batteries were our flashlights. Though it was odd at first, I quickly began to appreciate my newfound freedom. Technology tends to pull people in. At home, even when I don’t want to, I gravitate towards my computer or phone to check my texts, Facebook, emails, etc. In the Boundary Waters that wasn’t an option, and it felt amazing.

In one trip to the grocery store at home, I see more people than I saw the entire week in the Boundary Waters.

This forced the six of us to grow closer.

I like to think that my family has always been close, but, just like all families we have our own lives separate from each other. Our trip to the Boundary Waters was a trying experience that one can only understand if they were paddling alongside us. We are now linked not only in our blood, but in our unforgettable memories.

From the very first day, Lizzie, David, Boyd, and I were battling it out to win the T-shirt my dad promised to the kid with the biggest fish (David and Boyd ended up tying with two equally giant Northern Pike). Each day we would help prepare our dehydrated meals and take our morning swim. Then, we would pack up our canoes

Cousin Boyd shows off his T-Shirt winning northern pike.

and go on an adventure. We walked on ground never before walked on, threw rocks never touched before, and saw animals never before seen. Beavers would swim near our canoes and moose fed without fear as we paddled by. The days continued like this.

When it came time to go home, I was more than ready (I had just fallen out of my canoe... again…and the only food left was gorp). We paddled our way back and said good bye to the land we had become a part of, but the land did not say good bye to us. Through our experience we all took home new lessons and a new way of life.

My perception of cleanliness had dramatically changed. On our way back home,

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instead of listening to our iPods, we sang songs (our entertainment in the BWCA).

I have a new found appreciation for dish washers.

On top of it all, we learned how to work together, have patience, and share.

There is no better place to refresh your memory of these elementary lessons and grow closer as a family than the Boundary Waters.

Meghan Ray is a senior at Bloomington North High School.

Her family spends countless days together outdoors every year.

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September/October 2012

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